Chapter 1228 - Promises Kept

Vahn was never the type to just let a woman fall to the ground. The moment Gareth collapsed, he dutifully caught her armor-clad body before shifting her into a princess carry in a single movement. He had gotten very accustomed to carrying girls like this so it was almost muscle memory at this point, allowing him to see the pained expression of Gareth up close...

The moment Vahn had started a second summoning, Gawain had been watching attentively after his former King ordered him to be patient and observe. He still lacked a full understanding of everything that was occurring, despite the information supplied by the summoning system itself. Thus, when he saw the magical energy taking shape, he couldn't help feeling a little curious.

Gawain had already anticipated that Vahn might summon other Knights of the Round Table but, for reasons he didn't quite understand himself, part of him never expected one of his siblings to be the next called into service. When he saw the familiar figure take form, Gawain felt like his heart tense in his chest and, when Gareth collapsed forward, the only thing stopping him from going to her side was the fact Vahn had already caught her.

Though he was not the type to shed tears, only having cried at the very end of his life, Gawain felt a sour feeling in his nose as memories of that fateful day resurfaced. He wasn't afforded much time to brood over them, however, as Vahn had already made his way over, an expression of concern and, for some reason, acceptance in his eyes. Gawain found this reaction curious but, as Vahn passed over the unconscious figure of his young sister to him, he attempted to dutifully accept, only to find that he had started to hug the armored figure instinctively...

Seeing the siblings reunited, Vahn gave an approving nod before pulling out, of all things, a bed and a chair. He then explained, "She has experienced a severe trauma but should wake up within the next four or five hours. We won't be down here for very long but I will entrust her care to you, Sir Gawain, at least for the time being." Though he could help her awaken soon, Vahn was buying time so that Gareth could undergo the memory link process. Karna hadn't wasted any time in starting the process himself so, with the latter being inside the projection, it would only take around half an hour before her slumber was extended by four.

Gawain didn't immediately set his sister to rest in the bed. Instead, he looked directly at Vahn with his aquamarine eyes glistening with moisture as he said, "Your Majesty...thank you...I can never repay you for this kindness...I swear, I will serve the Empire until my dying breath...!" To this, Vahn just gave a light-hearted laugh, confusing Gawain somewhat until he stated, "It seems my Empire has earned a staunch protected for the next few decades...however, I would prefer if you settle at some point. The Empire is wanting for residents...hahahaha-"

As Vahn had the mentality of befriending the male Heroic Spirits he summoned, he didn't want his new Knight to dedicate his entire life to the pursuit of his duties. Though some accounts stated he had multiple children, Vahn knew from Artoria that Gawain had died without descendants. Because of a mistake he had made in his youth, he believed himself unworthy of leaving behind an heir and had done everything he could in service of the Kingdom. He had also been worried that his children would make a play at the throne as, being the proxy to Artoria, the majority of the Kingdom believed he was the true King.

Hearing his Emperor's words, Gawain experienced a short pause in his thought processes, losing him the opportunity for further words as Vahn had already turned his back. Fortunately, his Empress had been nearby, showing him leniency by explaining, "Have patience, Sir Gawain. All will be brought to light in due time. You need not burden yourself with overthinking things as I intend to clarify matters personally after the next summon."

Since his mind was practically hard-coded to follow Artoria's orders, Gawain bowed reflexively before answering, "I understand, Your Majesty. Thank you for helping to clear my clouded mind..." Then, as it was somewhat awkward to keep holding onto his sister when there was a bed nearby, Gawain set her down and began removing her armor. She was wearing green pantaloons, a green undershirt, and a beige blouse underneath so removing her armor was just a way to help her sleep comfortably.

---

While Gawain was taking care of his sister, Vahn's mind had already submerged into the Throne of Heroes once again. This time around, the process was even faster as, having already messed around with each member of the Round Table previously, his curiosity had been sated. Thus, after a very brief interaction with Akasha, he quickly scrolled through the three panels of data before confirming his next summon, Galahad, son of Lancelot.

According to Artoria, Galahad was the 'perfect' Knight, even more so than his father, especially after the latter's betrayal. He was even recognized as a Saint, though not because of Alaya's selection. His Sainthood had been earned after he obtained the Holy Grail, the actual vessel, not the wish-granting device used in the Fuyuki Holy Grail Wars. Though it could have granted him almost unlimited power and eternal life, Galahad had instead returned the Holy Grail to the Heavens, believing that any such power, despite originating from a holy artifact, would corrupt the individual who received it.

From that moment onward, though he was one of the youngest members of the Round Table, only a few years senior to Gareth, Galahad was considered a true paragon amongst other Knights. Since he feared that his own prestige would ultimately lead him down the same path of corruption, Galahad had even abandoned his sword and lance, becoming the protector of the Kingdom by using nothing more than a shield. Because of this conviction, Artoria had asked the Faeries to literally convert the Round Table into Galahad's shield, showing just how much trust she placed in him.

After confirming his selection, Vahn found himself back in reality, watching as a figure that stood around 173cm in height formed into existence. He was a bit shorter than Karna and Gawain but, even before he had taken shape, Vahn felt like Galahad gave off the impression of an immovable wall. When the light faded away, there was a man wearing dark-purple armor, complete with a light-purple mantle and a similarly colored cloth around his waist. He also had somewhat unkempt white hair and, as he opened his eyes, Vahn saw golden irises that, curiously, emanated a subtle light from the very center of Galahad's pupils.

Understanding that this was due to Galahad's [Pure Eyes of the Saint], Vahn gave a small nod, even if the rank of the Skill was much weaker than a True Saint. He would still be able to see the negative karma of individuals, allowing Galahad to become one of the most reliable protectors of the Empire. Vahn had every intention of making him the guardian of his children in the future and, as Artoria was not suited for training each new batch of Knights, Galahad would assume this responsibility as well.

As Vahn looked down at him with an approving gaze, Galahad stared back at him with an unfaltering one of his own. He found the aura around his new Master's body to be strange, being paradoxically pure yet overbearing. This was a strange contrast but, as he could also feel the overwhelmingly pure aura of his King nearby, Galahad averted his eyes slightly to see Artoria's dress-clad figure. As he was unaware of his King's true gender, Galahad experienced a momentary pause due to shock, even if his facial expression didn't change in the slightest...

Though he did not bend the knee, as he would never wholeheartedly serve a person whose motives he had yet to understand, Galahad gave a Knight's salute, stating in a calm yet firm tone, "Galahad answers the call of his Master, Vahn Aldrnari Mason." As the information provided to them included the name of their summoner, alongside information about the modern world, Galahad obviously knew Vahn's identity, though this was the limit of his knowledge.

Since he didn't expect everyone he summoned to immediately bend the knee, Vahn just gave a small nod in response to Galahad's introduction before explaining, "You have many questions, no doubt. I will leave my Empress, Artoria, to explain the finer details of the situation. In time, I hope you see me, not as a Master, but as an Emperor and friend..."

Hearing Vahn address his former King as 'Empress', Galahad had a slightly better understanding of the situation. He still did not bend the knee, however, as his loyalty had always been toward the people, not the person ruling over them. Since he did not understand the situation completely yet, he could not place his trust in Vahn, especially with his paradoxical aura. Even then, he still gave a low bow after learning of Vahn's status, adding, "Galahad pays respect to His Majesty, the Emperor."

Though Vahn was tempted to correct the form of address, he instead gave Galahad leave to raise his head before having him join Artoria, Gawain, Da Vinci, and the sleeping Gareth. While they were in the midst of their greetings, he wasted no time in activating the summoning system once again. He was beginning to feel a strange fatigue, perhaps due to his consciousness being shuffled around a bunch, but it was nothing compared to his training sessions with Scáthach.

This time around, Vahn intended to summon Heracles' wife, Megara, before latter summoning his two sons, Therimachus and Deicoon. Vahn was actually a little curious about the Wife of the famous Hero as he couldn't help imagining what kind of woman could pair with a 253cm tall, 311kg man. He had learned from Heracles that his current form wasn't all that dissimilar to his original appearance, something Vahn found both strange yet fascinating. (A/N: Btw, this Heracles looks more like his FGO counterpart, not the weird monstrosity from Stay/Night.)

After sifting through the three panels, Vahn discovered that Megara's parameters were only slightly higher than a normal human's, even with the perks of being a Heroic Spirit. Though her Avenger form was actually quite powerful, the [Transmigrator] perk defaulted her to the Archer Class, with parameters and Skills exclusively at E-Rank. Even her Noble Phantasm was E-, the first time Vahn had ever seen such a ranking outside of Lakshmibai's original Luck parameter. The only thing to note was that her Endurance was graded at 7, but even that wasn't considered too remarkable.

Reasoning that Megara was just a normal princess, Vahn went ahead and confirmed his selection. He would get more information from seeing her up close than looking at a series of lists so, as the mana gathered from the summoning formation, he watched on with an expectant gaze. As the light faded away, it revealed a woman with a rather 'developed' figure, even if she was only 159cm tall. She had what some referred to as an hourglass figure, complete with a large bust, willowy waist, and shapely h.i.p.s. With her light garb, consisting of nothing more than a purple cloth, there wasn't much left to the imagination. She also had maroon-red hair, styled into a loose bun that curled and frayed at the ends due to the non-existent hair care products of the time.

Vahn had the distinct impression that Heracles wouldn't appreciate him handling his wife so, before she could collapse, Vahn used his Telekinesis to stabilize her body before wrapping her in a fur coat and laying her on a second bed. Heracles was waiting for them on the surface so, after summoning his two sons, Vahn would reunite the family who had been brought to ruin by Hera's machinations. This time around, they wouldn't have to worry about the petty interference of the Greek Gods, even after the convergence of the Surface and Reverse Sides of the World.

Not wasting any time, as his mind was beginning to dull slightly, Vahn used the first of his final two [Divine Energy Cube]s to enter the Throne once again. This time, Akasha was not waiting for him so Vahn quickly made his way over to the Throne before searching for Therimachus. Vahn was a little surprised by how high the boy's parameters were but, considering he was a quarter-god, and the son of Heracles, it was to be expected. What he found more interesting, and strangely annoying, was the fact that the boy was just over seven years old at the time of his death. This caused Vahn's brow to twitch slightly as his instincts as a father alerted him to various future possibilities.

After taking a deep breath, Vahn ultimately finalized his selection, unwilling to go back on his word over something like a hunch. The future was formed from infinite possibilities and, even if something happened between his and Heracles' children, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. So long as they did not inherit the 'nature' of the ancient Greeks, which shouldn't be a problem considering their age, he shouldn't have to worry too much. With proper guidance and a comprehensive education, Heracles' sons would probably become powerful Knights or protectors of the Empire. They were also Princes, even if Heracles no longer had a Kingdom to rule, so the decision was ultimately his daughters' to make.

This time around, Vahn watched as the mana formed into the shape of a figure who looked closer to ten than seven. When the light faded away, a 134cm tall youth, with an extremely athletic figure, had appeared before him. He had dark brown hair and a tanned body, a stark contrast to the white and gold toga-style garb he was wearing. It was clear that he had taken after his father and, in the future, Vahn imagined the boy would be a giant amongst men. This caused his brain to buzz slightly at the potential implications but, suppressing the emotion as much as possible, Vahn set the boy next to his mother before entering the Throne for the final time...

Being the younger of the two, Deicoon was only five years old but, much like his older brother, his parameters were noticeably higher than normal. Vahn managed to better retain his calm this time around and, without incident, summoned the young boy into existence. He was garbed in similar attire to his brother and, despite the fact he was only five, it was clear to see that he would also be a very athletic or muscular figure in the future. Seeing this, Vahn could only shake his head before he set the boy on the opposite side of Megara. Then, after lifting the entire bed using his Telekinesis, Vahn turned to the waiting party and said, "Let us return."

---

As could be expected, Heracles was waiting anxiously for the group to exit the Inner Sanctum. He was standing with his arms crossed and a vicious expression on his face, causing Galahad to move in front of Artoria as Gawain seemed to consider what to do with the unconscious body of his sister if a fight were to break out. Fortunately, Artoria dealt with them both by stating in a commanding tone, "Stand down, both of you. This man is the Guardian of the Empire." This was enough to make both former Round Table members stand at attention, though Vahn could still see caution visible in their gazes.

Despite how scary his expression was to others, Vahn could see the pain and concern in Heracles' expression. The moment he saw his sleeping wife and children, the mountainous man fell to his knees and, creating one of the largest 'gaps' in history, began to bawl like a child as he bowed his head to the floor and stated, "Thank you...thank you..." over and over. This caused Gawain to issue an awkward smile while even Galahad, having shown no change in expression up till now, awkwardly scratched his cheek. As for Vahn, he walked over to Heracles' side, using a single hand to lift the man from the ground as he reminded, "We're friends...this is the least I could do..."

Seeing the 'grim' expression of Heracles looking back at him, even Vahn felt slightly intimidated, despite the fact the former was showing sincere gratitude in his eyes. He then smiled in an almost unnatural way as his deep voice echoed, "Yes, that is true, isn't it...it is my honor to be your friend, Your Majesty..." With that said, Heracles roughly pat his shoulder, causing Vahn to feel his bones creak slightly, albeit not enough to cause any visible discomfort on his casually smiling face. He then watched as Heracles plopped down next to the bed, a thoughtful look in the latter's eyes as he stared unblinkingly at his family...

Part of Vahn's agreement with Heracles was erasing the memories of the incident from his children's mind but, as he wanted to face the responsibility directly, Megara would keep hers. He believed the woman he had loved would understand as, even toward the very end, she never stopped trying to break him free of his madness. Together, they would build a new life for themselves in Avalon, free from the Gods' influence for the first time in their lives. He also swore to protect the Empire with all his power, believing Vahn to be the one man he would willingly lower his head to. Since the latter had kept his promise, he would do the same, no matter the cost...it was the least he could do.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Gawain was not ready for today...','Vahn's fatherly instincts xD...','Not all Greek Heroes should have their stories end in tragedy...')

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