Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Knocking out two civil officials would normally earn him additional sentencing, but, considering the Commander of the Imperial Guard had placed his hand upon his sword, Vahn had ample justification to act. It was also a simple truth that, instead of treating him like a dignitary, which required proper usage of his title, they were still looking down on him. This didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but, if someone looked down on him, Vahn wouldn't hesitate to return the favor...

With his arms bound in magical shackles, Vahn allowed himself to be escorted to a docking station on the west side of the Palace. Here, hundreds of fish-like airships, literally known as Airfish, could be seen lined up within maintenance hangars. These were crafts generally used by the Imperial Guard to respond to threats outside the city, but they were also used to simply move from the Palace to other areas of the Capital. Airfish were one of the most common forms of long-distance transport in the entire Magical World, with larger vessels even being known as Air Whales.

Seeing the unique crafts up close, Vahn imagined Da Vinci and Sophia would both appreciate their structure quite a bit. It was interesting to see so many different types of Airfish, some modeled like sharks and minnows while others, for reasons he could only speculate on, even had the appearance of clownfish and tuna. This lent a certain novelty to the Airfish, and, under the right conditions, the presence of a large number of Airfish could make the sky seem like a vast ocean...

Since the Imperial Palace towered over the rest of Tougen like a veritable mountain, the easiest way to depart the massive structure was by using an Airfish. There were physical gates and passages you could pass through, but, as that would take literally hours, it was rare to see anyone but members of the Imperial Guard wandering about the base of the Imperial Palace. This was, of course, by design, allowing the members of the Imperial Family and the upper echelons of the Nobility to basically live a separate existence from the plebian masses.

Vahn didn't disagree with the principle of distancing yourself from those you ruled over, but, as the line of thinking of most 'Nobles' was to elevate themselves above others, he found mountain-sized Imperial Palace excessive. If you intended to directly rule someone, you should live among them and try to understand their needs. Lowering your subjects just so you could elevate yourself further only resulted in the development of negative sentiments and the propagation of corruption. This allowed criminal organizations to run rampant behind the scenes, sowing the seeds for future rebellions and the forceful change of power.

Were it not for the existence of Vrixho Nagasha limiting the line of succession to a single heir, there is a chance the Hellas Empire would have fallen long ago. Any nation that relied on slavery and the existence of public distractions to ensure order had already undermined their foundation. It was for this reason, that, during the Great Magic War, nearly every member of the Imperial Family was wiped out. The only surviving members were the Emperor himself and the Third Imperial Princess, the latter surviving only as a result of the actions of Ala Rubra.

Repressing a sigh, Vahn looked out over the admittedly beautiful Capital City, noticing everything was surprisingly well maintained. Though there were a few examples of high technology, most used magical energy as a power source. Littering was also treated as a rather serious offense, and, if you were found piling up waste or disposing of things improperly, you would quickly find yourself in a prison cell or serving time as a Gladiator.

Due to the prevalence of Spirits, every nation placed a heavy emphasis on ensuring the environment was properly cared for. Upsetting the Spirits could, quite literally, lead to the death of a nation, as, in the most extreme cases, annoyed Earth Elementals would simply move to a more pleasant area. This would result in widespread famine, as, without a proper balance in the Elemental Spirits, producing staple foods was impossible. The land would quickly become a wasteland, encouraging even more Spirits to simply leave the area in search of better prospects.

If he were being honest, Vahn found this type of system rather endearing as he hated the idea of destroying the environment for things like profit. Here, unless you made a contract and came to an agreement with the local Spirits, mining was virtually impossible. While it was a simple matter to try and collect small amounts of ore, setting up a large-scale operation would literally result in massive earthquakes and cave-ins. The Spirits did not tolerate arbitrary destruction of the environment, and, based on the number of ruins present throughout Mundus Magicus, it was obvious some countries had learned this the hard way...

---

After around twenty minutes of flight time, the result of strict limitations on the speed Airfish could travel in residential areas, Vahn saw a massive Coliseum that was nearly 800m in diameter, roughly four times the size of the famous Roman Coliseum. It also had magical defenses that rivaled those present within the Imperial Palace, with the Arena itself having exceptionally powerful barriers. Vahn even felt as though his most powerful attack might not be able to penetrate these barriers, at least in his base state.

Generally speaking, Airfish were only allowed to land in designated areas known as Fishports, but, as a vessel belonging to the Imperial Guards, the one carrying Vahn was able to land near a specialized docking station that was reserved from the exact purpose of turning over prisoners. There were even different processing areas depending on the severity of a person's crimes, the most notable of which including stripping people bare of their possessions and placing slave collars around their necks...

Vahn hadn't expected it to be a pretty sight, but, seeing children wearing little more than rags as they were forced through the processing line and issued shackles and a collar wasn't pleasant. The systematic nature of the entire process left a bad taste in his mouth, starting with the newly arrived 'Gladiators' being stripped down completely naked. They were then doused in cold water for several seconds before being forced to stand in a long queue, bodies shivering as they awaited their turn to receive new garments...

Any excitement Vahn had about the Magical World quickly evaporated when he saw such scenes. He knew many of the children were orphans who sought to become Gladiators in order to improve their living conditions. They were much like the Supporters in the Record of Danmachi, innocents who had been forced into their situations as a result of events outside of their control. Now, due to the failure of the ruling class, they had to put their lives on the line just to avoid starvation...

With his smile nowhere to be seen, Vahn began emanating a terrifying aura that caused everyone in his immediate surroundings to tense up. There were few things he hated more than seeing children exploited by the very society meant to protect them, especially when the Imperial Palace was filled to the brim with artifacts that displayed their vast wealth. It almost felt like they were more focused on simply displaying their wealth to other members of high society than actually using it to ensure the prosperity of their people...

Feeling someone tug at the chains connected to his shackles, Vahn's instinctually jerked his arms in response, sending the foolhardy member of the Imperial Guard flying several meters. This caused the other members of the Imperial Guard to draw their weapons as Jagoda, sensing things had gone south, attempted to defuse the situation by shouting, "Stay your arms! You do not have the order to attack...!"

While Jagoda was attempting to get control of the situation, Vahn broke free from his shackles in an instant, his body vanishing like a phantom. Before anyone sensed his new location, a crashing sound could be heard echoing through the area, following by a pained groan. When they turned towards the direction of the sound, they could see a rather fat man wearing an outfit formed from the hide of various animals. He had a pig-like face, an eye patch covering his left eye, and a large whip that was visibly stained with blood still clutched in his hands.

Recognizing the man as one of the Coliseum's Quartermasters, a position given to those meant to assign quarters, rations, and clothes to new arrivals, Jagoda quickly realized the reason for Vahn's actions. She turned her eyes towards the group of provisional Gladiators, a group that would need to train for a few years before officially fighting in the Coliseum. There, a young Cat Beastman could be seen curled up on the ground, a rather vicious whip mark along her exposed flank. She had tried to refuse to have a collar placed around her neck, resulting in the Quartermaster punishing her for stepping out of line...

Before Jagoda had fully processed the situation, the Quartermaster embedded into the wall became completely limp, the bloodied whip falling from his hands. Around the same time, another crashing sound resonated through the area, this time the result of a sadist-looking Dragonfolk being thrown with enough force that he crashed through one of the large holding cells, his body separating into several distinct pieces due to the reinforced cell bars.

As could be expected, things quickly became chaotic once two people were killed in roughly the time it took to take a single deep breath. Those that didn't truly want to become Gladiators felt emboldened enough to make a break for it while those who felt they didn't have a choice just curled into balls, hands covering their heads to show they were resisting. They didn't know what was going on, but, after experiencing numerous hardships, they lacked the will to fight against the Enforcers of the Coliseum.

Like an unstoppable tempest, Vahn's figure could be seen appearing and disappearing around the processing area. Those who were notorious for their mistreatment of slaves were met with gruesome ends while those who were simply doing their job only suffered light injuries. It was like watching a one-sided slaughter, as, due to the ferocity and swiftness of Vahn's attacks, many of the workers had yet to even realize what was happening. Some even tried to appeal to the group of Imperial Guards nearby, but, fearing things would only get further out of hand, Jagoda ordered her men to capture the escaping prisoners without interfering in the onslaught. This ultimately resulted in her own men being spared Vahn's fury, albeit at the cost of the Imperial Guard's prestige...

---

After effectively killing or crippling more than half of the Coliseum personnel tasked with handling incoming Gladiators, Vahn appeared in front of Jagoda with a deadpan expression on his face. This caused her body to tense up, but, remembering the displays of power he had shown, she managed to avoid drawing her weapon, muttering, "Regardless of the circumstances, this incident amounts to a case of mass murder..."

Shaking his head, Vahn rebuffed Jagoda's statement, saying, "This was justice. Do not pin the failings of your system on me, Madame Magistrate. I am well aware of your penal code, specifically the areas that define the treatment of slaves and Gladitorial potentiates. I need not tell you this is a disgusting violation of your own Empire's own laws, yet, based on how casually the Coliseum's personnel went about their business, even in the presence of Imperial Guards, it is clear this is the 'norm'. You expect me to obey your laws when you only selectively enforce them? Preposterous."

Vahn had fully intended to just go with the flow, but, after seeing a grown man smiling sadistically as he whipped a literal child, he completely lost interest in laying low. Those who allowed him to act in such a way shouldered the same sin, so, from his perspective, the Imperial Guard had no ground to stand on. The only thing that prevented him from rampaging further was the fact that, despite their gross incompetence, most members of the Imperial Guard had lighter auras. Jagoda's, in particular, had been a muted blue with bands of gold, indicating she was a calm, rational, and fairly righteous individual...

Understanding the truth contained within Vahn's words, Jagoda could only clench her right fist as she made a mental note to punish Deputy Magistrate charged with ensuring the Coliseum properly followed Imperial Law. She would also need to talk with the Imperial Guards tasked with maintaining order around the Coliseum, as, much like Vahn had pointed out, the behavior of the Quartermaster was entirely out of line. The problem was, even if that were the case, Vahn had no right to impose his form of justice onto them. His actions violated both the Spirit and Letter of the Law, accruing nearly a hundred felony offenses in less than five minutes...

Ignoring the venomous look Jagoda was giving him, Vahn passed his gaze over the Imperial Guards as he added, "If you are unwilling to fulfill your obligation, do not blame me for taking matters into my own hands. If you wish to label me as a criminal, feel free to do so. I have never cared about the opinion of hypocrites who only mete out justice when it is convenient. Now, this is the last chance I will be affording you...if you continue showing me such disgusting sights, you only have yourselves to blame for the outcome..."

Causing a few members of the Imperial Guard to take a step back, Vahn extended his hands so that new bindings could be put into place. He had already stated he was willing to accept punishment for the laws he had violated, but, during his first meet with Jagoda, he also promised that he would only take action when his bottom line was touched. This remained the case, so, unless they tried to force even more crimes onto him, ignoring the fact he was taking action as a result of their negligence, he still intended to serve time in the Coliseum.

Seeing Vahn's outstretched hands, Jagoda resisted the urge to remark how pointless it was to bind him when he just kept breaking them. Instead, she snatched a pair of shackles from one of the shell-shocked Imperial Guards, clasping them around Vahn's wrists before personally escorting him to the area reserved for processing prisoners with high social status. It actually wasn't that uncommon for public officials to end up serving time in the Coliseum, so, for a variety of reasons, their processing and treatment was exponentially better than normal Slaves and Gladiators.

At this point, Jagoda just wanted to be rid of Vahn, leaving him for someone else to deal with. She felt like he was a calamity that had befallen the Empire, but, much like Jack, it didn't seem like there was anything they could do about him. She would need to further discuss this with the Emperor and other public officials as her instincts told her this wasn't even the tip of the iceberg when it came to the trouble Vahn would bring them...

---

While Vahn was causing headaches in the Hellas Empire, four figures had only recently arrived in one of the eleven Gateports that connected Mundus Magicus to Mundus Ventus, the Old World. Among them, a youth with somewhat spiky and untamed red hair could be seen looking around, his muted brown eyes glimmering with excitement. Behind him, a bespectacled man with raven black hair that was styled back in a way to make him appear more youthful, couldn't help but release a sigh as he said, "Nagi, I thought I told you not to go running around...you're behaving like a country bumpkin entering a large city for the first time..."

Hearing the older man's complaint, the youth, Nagi Springfield, just laughed in a carefree manner before saying, "Come on, Mr. Konoe, give me a break! This is my first time in the Magical World! THE Magical World! How could I not be excited!? I can't wait to meet powerful opponents and explore all kinds of hidden regions! I also want to try riding, no, taming a Dragon...!"

Unable to keep up with Nagi's fervor, Mr. Konoe, full name Eishun Konoe, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away his sweat, issuing a dry laugh in response. As for his other two companions, the one with delicate features and pale purple hair just smiled as he softly stated, "Go easy on him, Eishun. To Nagi, this is a mystical land that had filled his dreams for years. Allow the boy to spread his wings."

Following up with what the purple-haired man said, the youngest-looking of the four, appearing even younger than the twelve-year-old Nagi, added, "Sanders is right. Besides, if you try and keep that birdbrain restrained, he'll just peck at you until you let him go. This is an opportunity for him to grow much stronger, so don't get in his way. I only allowed you to come on this trip because of that old man of yours. If you interfere in my student's growth, I'll deport you back to the Old World."

Turning his head to the fair-skinned youth with spikey white hair and amber eyes, Eishun adopted a slight frown on his face as he said, "Hey, he is my student as well. Don't try and steal credit for all of Nagi's progress. Besides, where do you get off calling other people old? Aren't you like six-hundred years old or something...?"

Hearing Eishun's remark, the youth, appearing no older than ten, just waved his hand in a dismissive manner, remarking, "Don't you know? Youth is all about spirit! Even if I were ten times older, I'd still be young at heart! Besides, if we're talking about-"

Before the youth could finish, the purple-haired man, true name Albireo Imma, squinted his eyes as a rather dangerous smile replaced his previously 'harmless' expression. Then, in an icy tone, he mused, "Oh? Don't mind me, 'Young Master' Zect. Please, do go on~."

Despite being the 'strongest' in the group, the youth, known as Filius Zect, elected not to finish his statement, issuing a wry laugh before running over to his disciple's side. He had fought against Al a few times in the past, and, though he had 'won' each of their bouts, he hadn't so much as caused the purple-haired monster to sweat. Their battles always ended up with Al simply 'giving up', seeming none the worse for wear while all his opponents were left struggling for air. He was a true monster, and, even after trying to ascertain Al's true identity, Zect had only discovered an unfathomably deep mystery that seemed to trace back to the very origins of Magic itself...

Seeing Zect run off to engage in mischief with their shared disciple, a smile spread across Al's face as he mused, "Muuuu...and I was really curious, as well. Tell me, Eishun, do you have any idea what Zect was trying to say~?"

Hearing Al address him, Eishun noticed the amount of sweat on his brow increase exponentially as he released a dry laugh and answered, "I have absolutely no idea...hahaha..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Spirits don't mess around','The Hellas Empire is so fucked xD...','The greatest mystery in the entire Akamatsuverse is the true identity of Colonel Sanders o_o...')

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