Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After throwing Nagi into the Sub-Space Training Orb for a few days, Vahn decided it was finally time to check up on the brat. He doubted the youth had completely calmed down, but, without knowing the password, the only methods he had to leave the orb were breaking the interior space or asking permission to leave.

Vahn wasn't particularly fond of holding people against their will, but, after Nagi's previous tantrum, he had made an exception in order to teach the boy a lesson. Besides, it wasn't as if he had thrown the boy into a prison. The interior of the orb had a fully furnished residence, an onsen-like bath with medicinal properties, vast stretches of forested terrain, and, if you wandered far enough, there were even mountains, swamps, and a faux-sea.

At this point, Vahn was confident there were very few people who could compare to him when it came to the creation of Sub-Space Orbs and Dioramas. He could gradually convert the interior into a miniature Realm with enough time, so, while Nagi was certainly thrown inside against his will, he had plenty of things to keep him occupied. There was even a library filled with books related to the use of ki and magical energy, so, if he was smart, he could always hole himself up inside to increase his knowledge...

---

Demonstrating just how 'adaptable' he was, Vahn found the Nagi relaxing in the onsen with a towel covering his eyes. He didn't seem any worse for wear after spending more than a week inside the training orb, so, while the boy finished with his bath, Vahn entered the residence to investigate its condition.

Unsurprisingly, the interior of the residence looked like a hurricane had passed through it. There was even a large hole leading from the first floor into the basement, seemingly the result of Nagi feeling there was 'something' beneath the residence before he found the actual entrance. Vahn would make the boy repair the hole by hand later, but, for the time being, he entered the kitchen to make a light lunch.

Though almost everything about Nagi grated at the mind, making him exceptionally irksome to be around, Vahn was trying hard not to let it get to him. He could tell the boy was damaged, and, while it wasn't his responsibility to fix the youth's problems, that didn't mean he had to treat him badly. In fact, the best way to break down someone like Nagi was to acknowledge them and treat them, not with deferential respect, but 'understanding'.

At this point, Vahn was seriously considering treating Nagi the same way he had treated Eva in the original history. The boy would benefit greatly from attending a 'normal' school and socializing with people his own age. He was pretty handsome, and, though his personality needed a lot of work, the hearts of young girls rarely cared about such things.

Ideally, Nagi would be removed from any involvement with Mundus Magicus and its conflicts, but, knowing the youth, it would probably be better to send him to Ariadne. Even after the changes he had introduced, there were still a number of proud and borderline arrogant children attending the various academies within the city. Nagi would be able to thrive in such an environment, and, since there were always families looking to tie powerful people to them through marriage, he was bound to become involved with the daughters of various Nobles. After all, while not as potent as Asuna, he still had the 'aura of a protagonist', so, regardless of where he ended up, Nagi would always be the main character of his story.

While thinking about methods to seal Nagi's power without harming his potential, Vahn skillfully prepared more than a dozen types of sashimi. He was quite fond of fresh fish, and, thanks to the system shop, he was never left wanting for high-quality ingredients.

Sensing someone trying to sneak up behind him, Vahn didn't bother to look behind him as he very plainly stated, "The kitchen is not the type of battleground you are prepared for. If you try anything while I'm preparing lunch, I'll replace everything in the pantry with plain rice."

Hearing Vahn's words, Nagi could be heard audibly clicking his tongue before turning around and leaving the kitchen. His previous series of defeats taught him there was a vast difference in power between himself and the lightly humming dragon. This normally wouldn't be enough to deter him, as there was nothing he enjoyed more than battling powerful opponents. Vahn, however, had never actually fought him. Instead, it was always an extremely one-sided affair, often ending without Vahn drawing his sword or bothering to use even the most basic martial arts technique.

Nagi hated being treated like a kid, but, after several tongue lashings from Asuna, combined with the fact his 'tantrum' had exposed the location of Vahn's base, he couldn't help but reflect, even if it was just a little. His brief period of isolation had given him time to organize his thoughts, and, after imagining their positions reversed, Nagi realized he would probably be super pissed off if he was in Vahn's shoes.

Though he now realized just how childish he had been, Nagi didn't really know how to apologize for his actions. The only things he was good at were fighting and pulling pranks, neither of which seemed suitable for dealing with the current situation. This realization resulted in him feeling even more introspective, as, rather than becoming the hero he aspired to be, Nagi realized he was just a brat who used his power to inconvenience others at his leisure, often relying on his Master to save him when he got in over his head...

---

After finishing with the lunch preparations, Vahn found Nagi sitting silently at the dining table, his expression fixed in a serious countenance that didn't really suit a child.

Seeing the youth contemplating various things, Vahn just shook his head, a wry smile on his face as he waved his hand, filling the table with dishes. This broke Nagi from his self-absorption, surprising him quite a bit if his instinctual activation of Ki was anything to go by.

Retraining his urge to laugh, Vahn sat on the opposite side of the table, picking up his chopsticks before meeting Nagi's gaze and saying, "Eat. We will talk afterward."

With that said, Vahn didn't wait for Nagi's response, deftly picking up a piece of sashimi with his chopsticks before lightly dipping it into an off-colored soy sauce. It was fermented from a type of soybean purchased from the system shop, and, though it was simply called a soybean, the face it was several hundred times more expensive indicated it was anything but normal.

Though he often bought items and foodstuffs directly from the system shop, Vahn had learned the joy of creating condiments from scratch during his lessons with Benienma, Circe, and Medea. They benefitted from the same boosts that applied to all his cooking, so, compared to the condiments he purchased from the system shop, the ones produced by hand tasted much better.

Seeing Vahn eat with a somewhat 'stupid' smile on his face, Nagi couldn't help but stare at him for several seconds before turning his attention to the simply cut sashimi. It didn't seem to be anything special, but, watching Vahn, it was like there was nothing in the world more flavorful than raw fish neatly arranged on a plate...

Recalling that Vahn was, in fact, a Dragon, Nagi decided to just be grateful the former didn't try to feed him a whole goat or something. With that in mind, he used his own chopsticks to pick up a piece of sashimi before bringing it to his mouth without any garnishments. He actually wasn't all that fond of things like soy sauce, much to the chagrin of his sword instructor, Eishun Konoe.

Chomping down on the piece of sashimi without any real expectations, Nagi was surprised to find that it was filled with flavor. It was also paradoxically crisp yet springy, feeling soft on the palate but surprisingly easy to chew. Stranger still, the juices from the fish were like a rich and flavorful umami that soaked into the tastebuds, lingering for several seconds without even a hint of a fading into an unpleasant aftertaste.

Eyes widening, Nagi stared back at Vahn with a rather incredulous expression on his face, earning an amused smile from the latter as he said, "True mastery is the mastery of the self. It requires you to put the maximum amount of effort into everything you do, constantly striving to improve, not as a martial artist or a mage, but as a person. Now, eat. We have much to discuss and you have a big decision to make once we're finished..."

Though he couldn't help but furrow his brows slightly when he heard Vahn's words, Nagi wasn't going to pass on the opportunity to eat delicious food. He had never eaten something as flavorful as the simply cut sashimi before him, a rather ridiculous notion considering he had eaten dragon steak and filleted sea serpent. Both were considered supreme delicacies in Mundus Magicus, and, unless you had the strength to hunt them yourself, you would end up paying tens of thousands of Drachma just to sample the notoriously difficult to prepare meat...

After picking up another piece of sashimi, Nagi couldn't help but swallow a knot in his throat as he turned his attention towards the pale-pink liquid that vaguely resembled soy sauce. Then, changing the way he viewed all condiments from that moment onward, Nagi dipped the end of his sashimi into the saucer before experiencing an 'explosion' of flavor before the sashimi even hit his tongue...

---

While Nagi was busy engorging himself like a Saiyan who had just finished fasting for a year, a very different kind of scene was playing out outside of the Sub-Space Orb. Both scenes brought a smile to Vahn's face, but, while the former was somewhat amusing, the latter made him feel a bit helpless, as, after knocking out the mercenaries attempting to sneak onto the island, Asuna returned to the beach with a 'vengeance'.

Since it had been around lunchtime before her departure, Vahn decided to use the momentary lull to pull out a grill and barbeque a few items. He greatly enjoyed the sweet and smokey smell that pervaded the area whenever he barbequed, so, whenever they were spending the day at the beach, he often pulled out the grill to have some fun. Cooking was something he enjoyed quite a bit, and, after spending a few weeks inside his Realm, he was in the mood to prepare all kinds of dishes.

Without thinking anything of it, Vahn ended up grilling a few sausages, hamburgers, chicken, and a mix of vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, and mushrooms. They weren't exactly the best items to throw onto a grill, but, regardless of the situation, Vahn always did his best to prepare a balanced meal while providing multiple options. He even brought out a salad he had prepared earlier, and, as always, a large pot of perfectly cooked rice accompanied every meal he ate.

Originally, Vahn had intended to reward Asuna by sitting together on the beach and hand-feeding her a few of the items he had prepared. This was exceptionally well-received by the young woman in question, but, never missing the opportunity to escalate things, Vahn couldn't help but adopt a wry smile when he saw the glimmer in Asuna's eyes as she stared at the sausage he had proferred forth. Then, after licking her lips suggestively, she pulled her hair back, quickly fastening it into a loose ponytail before slowly lowering her face toward the sausage.

Though she did eventually eat the offered meat, it wasn't before she had 'fully sampled' its flavors with her mouth and tongue, periodically turning her eyes up at Vahn to giggle in response to his facial expressions...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Nagi is going to need to update his tag from 'shonen' to 'romcom'','EPIC isn't a cooking novel','I imagine Vahn's eye twitching the moment she finally bit down...')

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