<h4>Chapter 1616 Rumor : Insigh</h4>


    With the dawn of a new day, Vahn made breakfast for everyone before discussing their next n of action. They, technically, didn’t have anything else to do in Al Jam, so, depending on her decision, they would either double back to Zephyria or escort Arika back to Ostia. The war was already in its early stages, and, though it hadn’t officially begun, it only needed a single inciting incident before things quickly got out of hand.


    Fortunately, as he had ced markers in both locations, Vahn could escort Arika to both Zephyria and Ostia without having to spend days flying back and forward. The only downside to this was that it would cut into their time together, but, as a woman with strong convictions, Arika didn’t hesitate to choose the most ’efficient’ method avable. Thus, after a hearty breakfast and a few hours in the Space-Time Orb, Vahn, apanied by Arika and Asuna, teleported back to Zephyria. At this same time, he said his goodbyes to the friendly Al Jamn people before piloting the Custos Rosea, which had effectively been gifted to him by Arika, towards the East.


    Vahn didn’t need an Airfish to get around, but, with the Space-Time Resort and ’Garden of Avalon’ on board, exposing the Custos Rosea to danger carried too high a risk. Thus, before the war began, he intended to find a rtively secure location that would serve as both a sanctuary and a rallying point for the members of their faction. This would technically give his enemies something to target, but, in actuality, Vahn intended to create his actual base on Phobos, therger of Mundus Magicus’ two Moons.


    In essence, Vahn’s hideout in the real world was meant to serve as a red herring. It would be more of a bastion for the Elementals than anything else, and, though it was only a matter of time before it became a significant location, the most his enemies would aplish by attacking it was pissing him off. He actually intended to avoid causing too much coteral damage in the future, but, if they employed scorched earth tactics or tried attacking his base using tactical grade magic, Vahn would not hesitate to answer in kind...


    ---


    Though Vahn’s ability to teleport great distances was rtively well known within the underground intelligencemunities, Katarina nearly had a heart attack when he suddenly appeared inside of her office. She even pulled out her magical pistol the moment she detected the anomalous energy in the room, but, using his bare hand, Vahn casually grabbed the projectile out of the air, smiling as he asked, "Is that any way to greet an old friend?"


    Seeing who had entered her office without permission, Katarina plopped back into her chair, a tired sigh escaping her lips as she protested, "When you told me you would return soon, you neglected to mention you would be teleporting directly into my office. This is supposed to be a ce where I can cut loose and deal with private affairs without having to worry about outsiders storming in. Do magical barriers and defensive artifacts mean nothing to you...?"


    Not expecting Katarina to openly protest, Vahn felt a little awkward, but, rather than apologize, he tossed over a crystalline gourd filled with a red liquid, exining, "A gift. Though it will cause a bit of difort, mixing that into your bath will inhibit the effects of aging while also making your skin more resistant to external magical power."


    As she had initially assumed it was some kind of alcohol, Katarina was at a loss for words when she heard Vahn’s exnation. Before she could say anything, however, he added, "We came to meet with Brave Enlil but I couldn’t sense him anywhere. Do you know where we can find him or when he will return to the City?"


    Though she would have liked to provide an actual answer to Vahn’s question, Katarina deftly ced the sk of unquestionably priceless liquid into the drawer of her desk before exining, "Unless it is something important, Brave never exins where he is going or what he intends to do. He ims it will spoil the surprise if he tells people what he is going to do before he returns. Since he has the ability to move at lightning speeds, he is just as likely to be on the other side of the as in the next country over. If I had to make a bet, I would wager he went to investigate the rumors involving your actions in Elfenhof..."


    Remembering the reports she had received from the intelligence division, Katarina couldn’t help but frown as she added, "ording to some reports, you imprisoned the entire Elven poption before burning the entire country of Elfenhof to the ground..."


    Rather than showing any sign of perturbation in response to Katarina’s cautious tone, Vahn issued a light chuckle, his eyes shifting from aquamarine to a pale-gold as he asked, "Oh? And who, pray tell, is spreading such rumors? Do you actually believe them...?"


    Without having to consider her response, Katarina didn’t hesitate to shake her head, saying, "I have heard several reports, but, based on your usual modus operandi, I can’t imagine you would do such a thing. If anything, you are far more likely to protect the Elves rather than wipe them out. If I’m not wrong, your primary reason for burning the forest was to liberate those who had been sealed within the so-called Forest of Penance."


    As someone who had grown up alongside criminals, mercenaries, merchants, and pirates, Katarina had always been rather sharp. Her intuition had always been uncanny, and, during her days as a Skyfarer, her gut feelings often spared her and her crew from disaster. She also considered herself adept at judging someone’s character, so, unless the Elves had been secretly engaging in some kind of heinous act, it was impossible to imagine Vahn wiping them out...


    Seeing the absolute certainty visible in Katarina’s eyes, Vahn was once again reminded of how scary a woman’s intuition could be. She was actually spot on, so, after a brief moment of tense silence, an appreciative smile spread across his face as he said, "You’re really something...well, your suspicion is correct. What might surprise you, however, is that Yggdrillia forged a contract with me, rather than the other way around. You are free to make of that what you will, but, in the end, all it means is that the Elves are nowpletely off-limits. If I find any being mistreated, there isn’t a force in the entire Magical World that could prevent me from bringing their captors to justice..."


    Though the Skyfarers Association didn’t specifically keep in Elves in captivity, Katarina was aware of the existence of several within the undergroundmunity. She could tell that Vahn was giving her an advance warning, and, unless she wanted to invite a cmity upon Zephyria, she needed to take action to either liberate or kill the Elves illegally kept locked away. Some simply couldn’t be spared, as, if Vahn encountered some of the older Elves, which were broken beyond recovery, it was all but guaranteed that his wrath would expand further than the organizations responsible...


    In an effort to ease the growing tensions, Katarina habitually rose from her desk, pulling out a few shot sses as she asked, "Do you have time for a drink? I don’t know when Brave will return and I can’t imagine you will stick around and wait for him. I can send a private missive to the Free Spirit Tavern to have them inform him of your arrival. He can basically travel anywhere in the world in just a few seconds, so, if there is a ce he can meet you, I imagine he will seek you out the moment he receives the message."


    Vahn wasn’t particrly in the mood for drinking, but, noticing Katarina had only produced sses, he decided to humor her by pulling out a few random bottles. She had a penchant for alcohol even before receiving the benefits from [Call of Cthulhu], so, after obtaining practical immunity to things like alcohol poisoning, Katarina’s fondness for the substance had only increased. He even began to suspect she had an Innate rted to alcohol, but, without observing her for a long period of time or engraving his crest upon her back, there was no way to be certain.


    ording to the exnation given by Sis, The Path actually had an external analysis function, but, due to his unique perspective and the influence of his [Eyes of Truth], he had never unlocked it. He could have easily unlocked it during his time between records, but, fearing it would make the world seem even more like a game or simtion, Vahn had decided against it. He had even grown tired of seeing his own Status, so, while it was undoubtedly a very powerful ability, he would either be reliant on the information it provided or it would quickly lose its novelty when even des of grass and individual stones had their own information windows...


    After filling two cups, Vahn lightly clinked his ss against Katarina’s before downing the contents of his own and answering, "The person that needs to speak with him is Arika. I’ll be taking her back to Ostia after this, so, unless something changes, he should be able to find her there."


    Finished with the contents of her own ss, Katarina casually set it atop her desk while her mind processed everything Vahn had just said. It wasrgely considered impossible to teleport anywhere near Ostia, as the magic supporting the floating nation prevented such spells from functioning, but, based on his words, this didn’t seem to apply to him. There was always a chance he would teleport to a nearby location and thenplete the rest of the journey using other methods, but, given that it was more normal for Vahn to do inexplicable things, Katarina doubted this was the case...


    As this thought crossed her mind, Katarina briefly turned her attention to Arika, who, since the time of her arrival, had just been standing patient at the side. As for the little girl apanying her, who was also rumored to be a Princess of Vespertatia, she was curiously inspecting the numerous scale-model Airfish that lined the room. Neither showed any particr reaction to Vahn’s words, so, while it was possible they simply didn’t care, the more likely scenario was that they were well aware of the infamous Sage Dragon Emperor’s capabilities.


    Resisting the urge to shake her head, Katarina took the initiative to refill both sses before raising her own and saying, "I’ll see to it that the message is conveyed without fail. The next time you visit, I hope you’ll enter the country properly. Zephyria might purport itself as the City of Freedom but that isn’t an open invitation toe and go as you please. At least give us a little time to prepare so we don’t end up arbitrarily offending you...I’m already busting my ass off to try and weed out some of the more troublesome elements of the City so I would appreciate it if you didn’t add to my stress..."


    Seeing Katarina rub her shoulders for effect, Vahn was tempted to offer his services as a masseuse, but, almost immediately as the thought crossed his mind, Sis muttered, (*Vahn...seriously...?*)


    Quickly dismissing his wayward thoughts, Vahn adopted a wry smile before downing the contents of his ss and answering, "I’ll keep that in mind. You are apetent leader so I trust you will do what it takes to make your nation into a true City of Freedom. I can’t promise anything, but, if you need my help, feel free to pass a message to me. I’ll be pretty indisposed during the war, but, after the fact...well, let’s just say I’ll be encouraging proactive reform in every nation..."


    Finished with his ss, Vahn set it down on the desk, and, without waiting for Katarina’s response, he turned to Arika and Asuna, asking, "Are the two of you ready to return?"


    Though she was slightly annoyed by the fact Brave Enlil had departed so unexpectedly, Arika didn’t allow it to show on her face. She didn’t expect that she would be able to meet with the other Great Spirits until after the war anyway, so, setting the matter aside, she nodded her head and answered, "I have made my preparations."


    Hearing the conviction in Arika’s voice, Vahn nodded his head in approval before approaching her side and linking hands with both her and Asuna. This might be a cause for ’misunderstandings’ to ur, but, as he wanted to believe in Katarina’s intelligence and capacity as a leader, Vahn didn’t think she would say anything. Before teleporting away, however, he sent her a ’friendly’ smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, causing her to swallow instinctually before turning her attention to the sses and bottles atop the desk...


    (A/N: Alternate Titles: ’This isn’t even my final base!’,’Vahn doesn’t like people that spread false rumors (O x O)...’,’Oh, look, what a pretty ss...’)


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