Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While Hephaestus was working hard to prevent future troubles, Vahn was currently wrapped up in the present issue that presented itself. Tsubaki had elevated his training to a new level, and instead of just sparring and developing his physical abilities, she was now having him fight against her with weapons. The two stood five meters apart from each other, and all the hairs on Vahn's body were raised as his senses screamed for him to flee.Tsubaki was in a low stance with her hand resting slightly above the hilt of her katana. Her body was perfectly still, and from Vahn's perspective, she didn't even appear to breathe. The only thing he could focus on was the intent within her eye that made him unable to move. It wasn't the predatory look he had seen in people that wanted to exploit him; the only thing Vahn could see from that singular, uncovered, eye was absolute confidence. A confidence that told him there was nothing he could do to stop what came next.Seconds passed like minutes, as the two held their stances and faced off. Vahn held his sword in front of him preparing to receive the strike, while Tsubaki maintained her lowered stance with her katana still sheathed. The sweat on Vahn's brow slowly made its way down his face until a drop rested on the edge of his nose. He could feel it tickle his skin every time he drew breath until he eventually tried to dislodge it by exhaling quickly.The moment Vahn breathed out, Tsubaki's body seemed to tilt ever so slightly before the image Vahn could see began to blur. He immediately understood the phenomenon as her after-image since he had seen it several times since their new training began. Vahn quickly stepped back and prepared to receive the yet unseen blow. His eyes darted around his front as he swept his back with his domain.As his focus increased to the pinnacle, colors slowly faded away from the surroundings as time itself seemed to crawl. From his perception, Vahn could sense the approaching blade and, even though it had not yet reached, he experienced the illusion of the blade winds tearing apart his body. He twisted his hips and reoriented himself towards the blow and tried to parry, but to his surprise, the only thing he saw was Tsubaki still in a low stance.Vahn's parry collided with nothing and passed through the air leaving a gap in his defenses. Tsubaki used that exact moment to plant her foot into the ground as an incredibly loud sound of metal against metal began resonating in Vahn's ears. At this point, from Vahn's perspective, time itself seemed to halt for everything except the blade movement before him. A beam of light seemed to trace Tsubaki's eye as the katana carried an unstoppable momentum towards Vahn's neck.The katana came within millimeters of separating Vahn's head from the rest of his body when the seemingly unstoppable force suddenly dissipated. The blade now rested a hairsbreadth away from his jugular and Vahn just stood in absolute stillness as the blade was slowly lowered. Tsubaki sheathed the katana and the fiercely confident look on her face was replaced with a friendly smile."Your reaction speed is improving rapidly. You need to focus on making the proper decision after seeing what your opponent is doing instead of just trusting your initial reaction. If I had attacked normally you may have been able to parry my attack but, since I was able to fool you with my intent, you created a gap which I was able to exploit." As Tsubaki explained his flaws, Vahn still just stood there blankly. It wasn't until she patted him on the shoulder and told him to take a break that the tension finally subsided and he collapsed to the ground.Naaza, who had been waiting at the side came to Vahn holding a warm towel and a cold container of water. She had been asked by Tsubaki to handle the after-care of Vahn's training to killing intent. Every time their training came to an end, Vahn would end up in a semi-frozen state as his brain processed that he was still alive against all expectation. It was Naaza'a job to help him relax so the training could continue.While this was going on, Lili was gnashing her teeth while being unable to move from her current position. She too volunteered to help Vahn recover, but Tsubaki denied her since Lili had her own training to undertake. Now she was stuck standing on a long reinforced beam while supporting a gigantic metal pillar. She needed to move the pillar from one end of the beam to the other without falling and could only rest if she did so standing on her hands.---Vahn awoke to the familiar sight of Naaza's face looking down on him from above. He could feel a soft sensation on his neck which meant she was giving him a lap pillow. Noticing he had regained awareness, Naaza removed the towel from his head before bringing the container to his lips. Vahn had grown accustomed to this action recently, so he opened his mouth and drank the water she was offering. Afterward, he rested on her lap for another minute or so as his breathing stabilized."It looked like you almost had her that time." Naaza issued a gentle laugh while continuing to wipe away the sweat on Vahn's brow. Vahn, who was resting on her lap, released a long sigh before shaking his head slightly. "Every time I think I'm able to receive the attack Tsubaki always sees through it and changes her approach."Naaza nodded her head before replying, "Yes, but Tsubaki has been fighting for more than twenty years. If anything, it would be strange for you to be able to resist her attacks while still being level 2. I think she is just trying to have you adapt to the pressure of stronger opponents so you don't freeze up in a tense situation." Vahn also agreed with Naaza's assessment, as it had been something Tsubaki herself had told him when their new training began.Afterward, Vahn sparred against Tsubaki an additional nine times, bringing their total for the day to ten. He was still unable to prevent a single attack but was slowly beginning to develop a resistance against the aftereffects of the fight. Though Vahn didn't mind being tended to by Naaza, it was slowly starting to make him feel awkward on the inside. Once, he had caught Naaza secretly sniffing at the cloth she used to wipe his sweat and it made Vahn feel a strange and numb sensation in his mind.---As the morning training had ended, Vahn was now in Tsubaki's workshop refining various drop items for Tsubaki. She had fallen behind on some of her contracts, so Vahn wanted to help her by assisting with the processing of materials. Though he was unable to help in her in the actual forging process, he had a lot of knowledge on how to properly prepare the materials and quickly adapted to the position of her assistant. Tsubaki was very grateful for the help and used the opportunity when Vahn wasn't busy to explain the process she used when creating equipment.Today Tsubaki was creating a helmet using a composite of magisteel infused with adamantine. The helmet would be nearly indestructible when completed and had the added benefit of dispersing the shockwaves caused by heavy blows. Forging with adamantine was a long and arduous process because of the intractable quality of the material. It required the use of special tools and had to periodically be left in a mana-infused solution to weaken the durability of the metal.Even Vahn's 'eternal flame' was unable to distort the material without having been soaked for more than an hour. Tsubaki had given him a small ingot, hardly enough to forge a dagger, and Vahn had been allowed free-range to experiment with its use. Naaza was surprised seeing Vahn handling such an expensive material, as Adamantite was easily one of the most expensive materials by volume in the entire market. A single gram could go for as much as 15,000V due to the rarity of the metal, while Vahn was given an entire 500g of the substance.Whenever Vahn wasn't busy, he would constantly be trying different methods to shape the ingot. He had even purchased information on it from the shop, but both his physical strength and current forging techniques weren't able to ease the process any. Adamantite wasn't conductive by nature which made it hard to channel 'energy' into. Instead, it was commonly mixed with other materials like magisteel and mithril to work around that weakness. Vahn was determined to find the best method to work the material in the future, as he wanted to create an indestructible weapon for himself.---By the time 2 PM rolled around, Vahn and Lili were beginning their preparations for heading to the dungeon, but Tsubaki stopped them. She gave Vahn a large grin before asking, "Do you remember what today is?" Vahn couldn't recall off the top of his head, so he began seriously considering the question.Lili, at his side, spoke up. "Today is the day the Denatus ends. Vahn should be receiving his alias today, right?" Tsubaki gave a thumbs up and laughed. "Hahaha, that's right! Good job Lili. You always were the type to pay attention to the details, especially when it comes to Vahn, huh?" Without waiting for an answer, Tsubaki started patting Lili's head which caused her to squirm."Guuu, only Vahn can pet my ears. You should go pat Naaza instead Tsubaki-sama..." Lili was now covering her ears with her hands as she pulled away from Tsubaki. A gleam flashed through the crimson eye of the master smith as she quickly snatched Lili up and started hugging her closely against her cheek. "Hahaha, you're so adorable Lili~. No need to be shy!""Vaaaaahn-, save meeeee!" Lili reached out towards Vahn who had been staring blankly at the sight. He had become used to seeing Lili handled by Tsubaki and knew there wasn't anything he could do about it. Hell, when she was in the mood, Vahn couldn't even protect himself from Tsubaki's clutches. At this point, he had just learned to accept her contact and even began enjoying it when she wasn't overexcited. It was always a relaxing experience when she would gently caress his head, and there were several instances where he had fallen asleep in her embrace.---They decided not to go into the dungeon today and instead spent the rest of the day relaxing. Naaza had taken the opportunity to invite Vahn to her workshop where they talked about various methods to improve the potions. Whenever they would talk, Naaza always had a notebook on hand and recorded all of the 'insights' Vahn had. Vahn didn't mind, as he enjoyed the serious disposition Naaza had when it came to mixing. He wanted to see if she was able to create stronger potions in the future and even wanted to see if she could learn the [Alchemy] development skill in the future.Lili was also there, as she had been spending a lot of time with Naaza as well recently. She had originally been learning how to mix medicines from books, so having someone with actual experience was a boon. Though they didn't get along very well, they both had a mutual respect for each other and helped cover each other's flaws. Lili even trained with Naaza, who was surprised to find out she wasn't much stronger than someone that was only level 1. This made Naaza also consider if she should be training with Tsubaki, but for now, she wanted to focus on developing her [Mixing] skill.The trio continued talking and performing small experiments until the evening came. Tsubaki showed up and informed them that Hephaestus had arrived, so the three of them cleaned up and made their way to the dining room. When they entered, they saw a somewhat dejected Hephaestus leaning against the table while supporting her head with her palm. She slowly stirred the coffee with a spoon and acted in a very lazy manner uncharacteristic of her.Hephaestus saw them enter and seated herself properly before giving Vahn an awkward smile. "I'm sorry Vahn, I tried to get you a good one, but those fools wouldn't listen to reason." She sighed and started sipping at her coffee as everyone else sat down.Though Vahn was slightly worried that he got a weird name, he didn't think it was that big a deal so he tried to console her. "It's alright Hephaestus. I can always get it changed when I hit Level 3, so it's not a problem, even if it's a weird name." He gave Hephaestus a smile and noticed she seemed to relax a bit after hearing his words."Well, it's not really a weird name per say...It's more awkward than anything." As Hephaestus spoke she began to blush slightly which caused everyone within the room to become confused. As Tsubaki hadn't heard the news yet, even her interest was piqued as she began to tease her Goddess. "Eeeeh? Hephaestus-sama? Could it be something embarrassing?"Hephaestus saw the strange looks everyone was giving her and her blush deepened slightly. She looked towards Vahn, the only person that had a relatively normal expression, and then released a sigh. "Vulcan..." As she spoke the word, Hephaestus couldn't prevent from planting her face onto the table.Tsubaki began laughing uncontrollably while the other three were confused. Vahn didn't think the name sounded bad and wondered why Hephaestus was affected to such an extent. Lili decided to ask Tsubaki the meaning behind the word. "Tsubaki-sama...whats so funny about the name?" Tsubaki continued laughing while looking between Vahn and Lili."Hehehe, you want to know what it means Lili? Okay, I'll tell you! Vulcan is a nickname for Hephaestus herself~ In other words it's like announcing to the entire City that she and Vahn are inseparable! Hahaha!" Tsubaki ended up laughing to the point she fell to the ground. She seemed to really be enjoying the revelation.Lili and Naaza had shocked expression on their faces as they looked towards Hephaestus who was presently burying her face into her arms. Vahn's expression hadn't changed much, and he was thinking about the name and reason Tsubaki gave. In a way, since they had a connection through the 'eternal flame', they really were inseparable. Vahn thought it was a suitable name, so he tried relieving the atmosphere a bit."It's a good name Hephaestus. I will do my best so I don't bring shame to it in the future." Vahn showed a gratified expression on his face which only caused the embarrassed Hephaestus to groan loudly in frustration.Title: Vahn's Alias(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'There is no escaping now','Tsubaki is scary','RIP Hephaestus', 'You ain't sneaky Naaza')

(A/N: This chapter has a bit of 'fluff', but I would encourage people to read it since it is also the basis for the plot's development in the future~! A lot of information is available in this chapter for insightful readers~)While Hephaestus was passing the word to Vahn about his new alias, throughout the City many other Gods/Goddesses were doing the same. Many gods and goddesses were very gossipy by nature, and the existence of new talent and rumors were very interesting to them. They immediately informed their Familia about all the new aliases that had been assigned and any interesting information about the holder.Though the tiles possessed by a level 2 weren't usually that interesting, many people were surprised about the information regarding the person who had become known as 'Vulcan'. After people learned about Vahn's accomplishments within the Hephaestus Familia and the fact he was able to fight an entire party of similarly leveled adventurers, many rumors began to proliferate through the taverns and residences within the city.In the shadier bars and pubs, some people were criticizing the fast growth and promotion of such a green adventurer. Many believed he was being unfairly evaluated due to his relationship with Hephaestus, while others were straight up jealous of his background. They learned he had only been in the City for around two months yet, in that time, he had joined a top 3 Familia and even became the protege of it's Goddess and Captain. Some of them even intended to teach the kid a 'lesson' if they got the chance.Not everyone was lamenting the rise of a new star; In some larger Familia, there was a joyous atmosphere being spread by the members. After hearing about the 'heroic' acts of the boy, many of them looked forward to associating with Vahn in the future. Though most people would try to help others in times of crisis, many adventurers were relatively selfish in nature. Other than their own Familia members, most people wouldn't be willing to put themselves in danger to save others.Some people, after hearing about how 'handsome' the newcomer was, began scheming to try and approach Vahn. Most of them simply wanted to meet the 'handsome' and 'heroic' boy so they could leave a good impression, but, if they were lucky, they may even be able to accompany his meteoric rise to fame and receive benefits. It bears mentioning the fact he was also a protege of Hephaestus which would allow them direct access to the most prolific blacksmith in the entire City!Not all the girls were scheming to receive benefits though, some were simply excited at the prospect of meeting a genuine hero that would show up to rescue a damsel in distress. It was the dream of many women to be rescued by a handsome prince, and for many, Vahn was an ideal candidate to 'rescue' them as well. Some girls even began to fantasize and dream about Vahn showing up while they were in dire straights and defending them against the attack of a monster horde.One girl, in particular, had set her sights on meeting Vahn personally. She excitedly ran around her Familia and kept bragging about Vahn's achievements almost like they were her own. Many of her companions gave helpless sighs, but some were willing to accompany her in the future to meet the hero she lauded for themselves. They too wanted to meet the boy that had become a hot topic throughout the entire City.---On the 32nd floor of Babel Tower, within a guest room for visiting gods/goddess, two gods, a man, and a woman sat around a circular table. The god was incredibly pissed off and had shattered several wine glasses as he complained to his companion. The goddess continued listening to him droll on and on about the boy called 'Vahn' and had begun to grow fed-up with the conversation.Eventually, the woman's pointed ears twitched and she interrupted his tirade. "I'm tired of hearing you complain endlessly about that child. You have no reason to blame him just because your toys got broken by that vixen."The god flared up after hearing her reproachful tone. "Enough! Don't you dare mention that bitch Freya! Over such a small slight...how dare she kill my children!?" The god threw his still filled glass against the nearby wall. The wine splashed and marred the beautifully woven carpet.Seeing her companion once again spilling wine in her room, the goddess stood up before making her way to the door. "I'm tired of listening to your drivel. When you invited me to the City, I didn't think it would be because of your failure to court a woman. I've no interest in helping you deal with a boy that has done nothing to slight you." She was going to have the staff clean the carpet and move to a different room.The god blanked for a moment before shouting. "Wait! It isn't because of Freya that I want to deal with that kid. There is a different reason I called you here, and I know you'll want to hear why I had you travel so far before I was able to explain in person." After his words finished, the goddess paused and her ears perked up before she turned, encouraging him to continue."I have seen it for myself. That boy has no soul, or something is possibly concealing it. The only thing I could detect is a powerful energy from his body, but even I can't identify the source." The god continued to speak as a madness began appearing in his eyes. Such an abnormality couldn't be allowed to wander around unless they knew what kind of existence he was."No soul? Impossible. Hephaestus possess the 'gods eye', she would have noticed something and taken action." The goddess shook her head with disbelief, but her companion shouted to refute her. "Don't you see! That is why Hephaestus is so protective of him! She is trying to conceal something and doesn't want anyone else to know about it. It is our 'duty' to find out the reason and, if it turns out he doesn't have a soul, we must destroy him to prevent the cycle from being contaminated."The goddess contemplated his words. Even though she could tell he had an obvious bias about the boy, she couldn't ignore the ramifications of what he said, if it was true. As a goddess whose Divinity was related to the cycle of rebirth, she couldn't allow an anomaly to move about freely. She sighed before looking at the god in disgust. "What is your plan?"The god smiled after hearing the Goddess's question. With her support, he would be able to eliminate that kid and get his revenge on Freya. He wanted to see her face when he revealed the true nature of the boy called 'Vahn' and presented his head to her. Since she wasn't willing to be his, he would destroy the things she took an interest in.---Freya herself was also passing the word to her Familia. She informed them of the agreement she had with Hephaestus and told them to avoid directly interacting with Vahn. Though, if he were to come to them, they should do their best to befriend the boy. She made them understand not to try to manipulate him so she could get close, but just to act naturally based on their judgment. If any of them were able to befriend him through normal interactions, there was a chance he would want to meet her in the future...After dismissing everyone, she sat on her bed in a transparent silk negligee. On the table next to her bedside was all the information possessed by the Guild about the boy called Vahn. It included his image and his assumed parameters as well as any equipment he was known to possess. She had manipulated her contacts within the Guild to conduct an investigation and gather as much information as they could about his progress. She knew almost everything he had done since entering the City and even had an accurate account of his finances and personal relationships.Freya released a sensual yet sad sigh as she perused the information. Her only hope now was fate...she would have to rely on her hidden cards to act in her interests without advising them. Luckily, even though Vahn was relatively low-key, all of his achievements couldn't be ignored. Many people would start moving toward him, and Freya may be able to interact with him soon depending on how the situation changes.She looked through the darkness towards the balcony where moonlight shone in through the open doors. The night was cold, and she was in low spirits from having to concede to Hephaestus. She gently whispered, "Ottar, comfort my broken heart..." Turning her head, a large stalwart figure could be seen near the entrance of her private quarters.The man approached and began undressing. "Yes, Freya-sama". After he removed the last article of clothing, he entered the bed and sensuous moans began breaking through the silence of the night. The cold air faded away and became replaced by a pink atmosphere.---Vahn spent the rest of the evening unaware of the undercurrents that had been set in motion by his exploits. He was enjoying the atmosphere generated by his friends and Familia and even got to experience a drunk Hephaestus clinging to his body. Seeing the affectionate actions of the Goddess he had grown to respect, Vahn was pleased to be able to pamper her a bit. Lili and Naaza seemed to be influenced by Hephaestus's actions and tried to participate as well, but Tsubaki ended up snatching them away to continue partying elsewhere.For the rest of the night, Vahn held Hephaestus in his embrace while listening to her concerns. He felt a lot closer to her like this and wanted to return some of the comforts she had given to him in the past. Hephaestus too seemed to realize they were alone and began to act in a less reserved manner. She acted somewhat selfish as she laid all her concerns on the young boy and allowed him to console her heart.As the hours passed, the clock signaled to indicate the changing of a new day. Hephaestus continued to mumble as she began to fall asleep. She felt comfortable in Vahn's arms and the sound of his heartbeat within her body brought her a warmth she had never experienced before. She listened to the gentle, yet powerful rhythm and slowly fell asleep with a contented smile on her face.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'People be trippin', 'Hephaestus is cute when drunk', 'She is going to regret this', 'Freya gets fucked, in various ways', 'Assholes in high places', 'Wine-glass sama did nothing wrong')

Naaza started staying within Tsubaki's house from that day forward. She had been assigned a room within the same corridor as Lili, which was on the opposite side of the building in the eastern wing. Tsubaki's room was located at the furthest section of the hall and connected to the corridor heading towards the western wing and onsen. During the first night Naaza stayed, Tsubaki managed to get both her and Lili to take a bath together so she could talk to them in private.After that, Naaza had a change in personality and started acting more proactive in her interactions with everyone. Though she was somewhat shy around Vahn, she was constantly engaging him in conversations about medicine and mixtures. She was very surprised seeing how quickly Vahn 'learned' the information and was shocked that he was able to make modifications to the process after hearing about it only once.When Lili and Vahn weren't training or entering the dungeon, Naaza would often find Vahn to compare notes and ask for advice. She had even convinced Tsubaki to allow her to set up a workshop of her own and began brewing potions according to the 'theories' Vahn had conveyed to her.Previously, Naaza had only been able to make low-grade potions easily while she struggled to create mid-grade ones. Now, however, she was rapidly increasing her success rate under Vahn's guidance. She even began to suspect he had a lot of experience with mixing, but after seeing him attempt the process himself, she immediately threw that thought out the window.Unlike forging, which Vahn was able to perform easily with the support of [Will of the Emperor] and [Heart of the Eternal Flame], Vahn struggled with compounding and mixing. Though he possessed all the theoretical knowledge to develop the medicines, he had difficulties when it came to infusing his energy into the solution. Most of his attempts ended up causing the flasks to shatter mere moments after he began.Naaza was unable to make sense of the nonsensical scene. As she had been observing his training, Naaza knew Vahn was incredibly proficient with controlling his mana. But for some reason, no matter how little he infused into the solutions they ended up exploding! It was like the ingredients themselves were reacting explosively the moment his 'mana' began bonding with the solution. She was determined to find the cause, as it would be such a waste for someone to possess so much talent yet be unable to make even basic healing potions.---While Naaza was busy trying to crack the mysterious case of Vahn's inexplicable ability to destroy flasks, on the 30th floor of Babel Tower dozens of gods from Familia throughout the City had begun to converge. Today was the first day of their quarterly meeting known as the 'Denatus'. It was at this meeting they would make decisions that could shape the very fate of Orario and determine the lives of countless adventurers and citizens.The room was filled with beautiful and handsome figures attired in formal wear. They boisterously interacted with each other while issuing compliments and boasting about their favorite 'children'. Some of them were even placing bets and talking about the upcoming 'Monster Feria' that would be taking place before the next 'Denatus' meeting.Within the crowd, a lithe and sensual figure moved which caused the heads of both gods and goddesses alike to turn. Many of the goddesses showed discontented expressions, while all but a few of the gods were unable to pull their eyes away. The figure, as if completely unfazed by the looks of the crowd moved towards an area of the floor where a red-haired goddess could be seen."Ara, Hephaestus. It's rare to see you show up so early on the first day." The figure spoke in a gentle tone with a slight hint of seduction which caused Hephaestus to grimace before grabbing a new glass of wine from the nearby table. "Freya. To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting the Goddess of the Rank 2 Familia?"Freya giggled while covering her mouth with her silken-gloved hand."It certainly is frustrating. Unfortunately, my love for talent prevents me from moving and expanding freely. Speaking of talent, I heard your Familia had a promising young 'child'?"Hearing Freya mention Vahn, Hephaestus frowned and sipped on her wine. "Indeed. Not that they have anything to do with you." Hephaestus knew exactly what kind of person Freya was, and would never allow her to sink her claws into one of the people she decided to protect.The persistent smile on Freya's face twitched very slightly, but unless someone was paying very close attention they wouldn't have noticed. "So cold. Talent is the treasure of everyone, you shouldn't try to keep it to yourself. Why not allow it to grow freely and make its own decisions?" Seeing how hostile Hephaestus was acting, her interest in the boy called Vahn was only increased.Hephaestus saw the look in Freya's eyes and approached mere inches away from her. "I will say this once Freya. If you try to lay your hands on that child, I will do everything in my power to make you pay the price. That boy is not someone that deserves to suffer your 'love'." She stared directly into Freya's eyes as she slowly spoke each word. There was no hidden meaning, and if Freya tried to test her she would find out the hard way the might of the wealthiest Familia.Freya's smile faded away and was replaced with a slight frown. The perfect brow on her face crumpled ever so slightly due to how offended and angry she was. "You would go so far for a single child Hephaestus? How can you expect him to grow if you're so overprotective?" She couldn't understand why the usually cold and detached Hephaestus was so concerned with a single mortal. It wasn't even the first time Freya had 'scouted' talent from the Hephaestus Familia without complaint.Suddenly, a ridiculous thought passed through her mind. "You...could it be you fell in love with him?" The frown on Freya's face immediately faded and was replaced with a calculating smile. If the child was capable enough to awaken the desire to protect in someone frigid like Hephaestus, it may be worth starting a war trying to win him over.Hephaestus realized her threat wasn't working and she felt a bit of anxiety in her heart. But, seeing how Freya began 'calculating', all the anxiety immediately vanished and was replaced by a seething hatred. "From now on your Familia can acquire it's equipment elsewhere. I'll not allow any of my capable blacksmiths to forge a single piece of equipment for the followers of someone so depraved. I will have each of them make an oath with the Guild as a witness. If so much as a single dagger finds its way into your Familia's hands I will strip them of their Falna and demand compensation from you."Freya was shocked hearing the new threat. Even if she could forge a contract with the other master smiths in the city, there were far too few to equip her entire Familia reliably. Without making use of the expertise of the Hephaestus Familia, Freya would be hard pressed ensuring her 'children' are properly cared for in the future.Looking into Hephaestus's eye, Freya could see she was deadly serious. It seems that if she wanted to mess with Hephaestus's favorite 'child' it was akin to playing with fire..."Fine, what do you want? I'm sure you have some kind of compromise in mind, yes?" Freya grit her teeth as she spoke the words. Some of the crowd that had been observing from the side began to sweat after seeing her 'dark' expression. It was very rare anyone was ever willing to get on the bad side of Freya."You will make a vow before Ouranos to stay away from Vahn in the future. I don't care if he approaches you on his own, but if I find out he gets entrapped by one of your schemes I will have you disband your mockery of a Familia." Hephaestus made her conditions as plainly as possible without any room for discussion.Freya thought for a moment before asking, "Are you saying if I accidentally bump into him on the street I suddenly have to disband my entire Familia? And what happens if 'he approaches me on his own'. What does that mean?"Hephaestus explained in an impatient tone. "Unlike you, I don't manipulate my children to please my own sick fantasies. If Vahn ends up leaving my Familia or interacts with you by his own will, I will not stop him. But, if it turns out he only came to you after interacting with your children or through one of your schemes I will demand an answer from you before Ouranos. And make no mistake, I will let Vahn know EXACTLY what kind of goddess you are."Freya frowned more and more the longer Hephaestus spoke. She hated not being able to get what she wanted, and the fact such a delicious morsel was being kept from her was vexing. "I will agree to make a vow, and even include a clause to not scheme to entrap your child. However, I want you to make a vow that you will not slander me before we meet. I will not approach your precious Vahn, but if he happens to come to me by some twist of fate, it would be unfair if you made him develop some kind of bias."Hephaestus wasn't happy with the terms, but unless an unexpected event occurred this was likely her best chance to prevent Freya from getting her hands on Vahn in the future. She would just have to trust Vahn is capable of seeing through Freya's guise if the time came. After remembering how cautious and observant Vahn was, Hephaestus nodded. "Fine. We have an agreement. After the Denatus ends we will each for the vows."Freya nodded and grabbed a nearby wine glass before drinking its contents within an instant. After glaring slightly at Hephaestus, she turned away while wearing her characteristic smile and elegant demeanor. She looked for another interesting target before leaving Hephaestus, the source of her current unease, behind.Hephaestus watched Freya slither away before downing her own cup of wine. Now that her first objective had gone well, she needed to focus on securing a good alias for Vahn. She began looking for other gods to pull to her side and saw Miach speaking with a god she had never seen before. It was a handsome god with black hair and eyes wearing eastern attire. He was either newly descended or migrated to Orario from a foreign nation.Miach noticed the approaching Hephaestus and bowed politely. "Greetings Hephaestus. Once again, thank you for your child's efforts. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to assist you should you require my aid." Hephaestus gave him a curt nod before saying, "My Familia has never had bad relations with the Miach Familia and has even received your kindness in the past. Please set aside your deference and we can act as equals. If anything, I only ask that you show kindness to my children in the future."The black-haired god observed the interaction and displayed a friendly smile. "So you are the goddess Miach had been telling me about. Your child, Vahn was it? He seems to possess a heroic spirit and commendable nature. I would love the opportunity to meet such an admirable young man and believe he would be a good influence on my own children."Hephaestus eyed the new face and asked, "You are...?". Even though he seemed amicable, she wasn't willing to expose Vahn to anyone without determining if they were trustworthy.The god bowed deeply. "Forgive my late introduction. My name is Takemikazuchi and my Familia just migrated here from the Far East. As I've yet to make many acquaintances, I would be grateful to receive your guidance." Takemikazuchi showed his respectful nature as he politely gave his introduction.Hephaestus felt like Takemikazuchi was very similar to Miach, as they were both respectful and very handsome gods. As she didn't think he would be a bad influence on Vahn, Hephaestus also introduced herself. "Greetings Takemikazuchi. I am Hephaestus, Goddess of the Hephaestus Familia. Please feel free to defer to my Familia if you have any concerns regarding equipment in the future. As for my children, or Vahn specifically, it would be up to him if he wanted to interact with your children in the future."Take* smiled after hearing her response. He believed such a righteous child would be able to get along with his children, and he didn't mind Hephaestus leaving the decision to Vahn. "I have received your kindness Hephaestus. Please let me know if you are in need of assistance. I believe our Familia would be well served by cooperating in the future!"Hephaestus nodded; it wasn't uncommon for gods to try and solicit her for benefits after working to establish amicable relations. But, unlike previous cases, she decided to humor this new god as she was in need of allies for the coming meeting. "Actually, there is something I could use both of your help with..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Freya gets forced, what a twist!', 'Hephaestus is bae', 'Play with fire and you might get burned. Play with a 'Goddess of Forging' and you WILL get burned', 'Meeting of the two Gigolos')

Chapter 69: *Spoilers: Title at End*

Chapter 69: Spoilers: Title at End