Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

(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')

Hephaestus awoke in a daze. She felt a comfortable feeling and a gentle warmth which confused her. As she opened her eyes, she realized she was hugging someone's waist and immediately separated from the figure as various thoughts raced through her mind. Seeing that the person she had been clinging to was Vahn, Hephaestus released a relieved sigh. She looked towards the sleeping Vahn and a blush appeared on her face as she began recalling the events of the previous night.Looking around, Hephaestus noticed they were the only two in the dining room and it was still very early in the morning. It would probably be another hour or two before people came to prepare for breakfast. Using the opportunity, she lay down next to Vahn and propped her head up with her arm. She watched his sleeping face and found it to be very cute. Unlike his apathetic appearance when he was awake, Vahn always seemed a lot more content while sleeping.Out of curiosity, Hephaestus reached forward with a finger and pressed lightly against his cheek. It was still a bit squishy due to his young age and lack of tension. Hephaestus found it cute to watch him grimace slightly while she teased him. She felt like she could watch him sleep for hours without getting bored. He was so defenseless and adorable that it made her want to protect him so he could continue to sleep in peace.Suddenly, Hephaestus could feel the beating within her soul begin to increase. She could feel Vahn's heart rate speeding up and she began paying attention to it. It was a steady rhythm and she was able to sense happy feelings through their connection. Hephaestus really enjoyed spending her idle time listening to his heart rate, and it had even been her favorite pastime as of late. She often spent the time before bed thinking about Vahn and wondering how he was improving.After a while, Hephaestus had a thought and decided that listening within her soul wasn't as interesting. Since Vahn was right next to her, she wanted to listen to the beating directly. As long as she was careful not to disturb him, it shouldn't be a problem. And, even if he woke up, she could pretend to have just awoken herself. Convincing herself, Hephaestus slowly placed her head on Vahn's chest.Unlike when she listened within her soul, she could now feel the actual beating of Vahn's heart. Every time it contracted it created a powerful echo through his body that resonated through her ear. The longer she listened, the more powerful the beating seemed to become and Hephaestus even felt like she was merging with the rhythm.The 'eternal flame' within Vahn's chest seemed to react to her presence and began to emit it's powerful heat as it increased the energy contained within Vahn's blood. Hephaestus could feel the familiar presence that had accompanied her since her creation and began to feel a more powerful connection to Vahn. He not only managed to subordinate her flame but now his internal rhythm and pulse were slowly becoming a part of Hephaestus's existence. The familiar presence that had accompanied her since time immemorial made her believe the boy before her would also be there no matter how much time passed...//'Hephaestus'Has Reached Maximum Affection////Quest Completed: [The Hearts Desire:C-SS]//Completion Grade: ARewards:10,000OP, 1x [Hearts Desire: Hephaestus]Grade Rewards: [Blacksmith] skill increased to S. Skill [Metallurgy:C] obtained.Vahn was awoken by the system notification with a start. Feeling a pressure on his chest, he could see Hephaestus with a dazed expression as she appeared to be listening to his heart. She noticed his awakening and lifted her head and displayed a radiant smile. She held the gentle smile for several seconds before her eye slowly widened and a blush appeared on her face.Hephaestus pulled away from Vahn and began coughing to clear the awkwardness of what had just happened. For some reason, as she had been listening to Vahn's heart, she went into a trance and felt powerful emotions erupt from deep within her. When she saw his face looking at her, Hephaestus had been so happy she couldn't help but smile before realizing he had been watching her lay on his chest while obviously awake...After she composed herself, Hephaestus showed her characteristic 'cool' smile and said, "Good morning Vahn. Did you sleep well?" As she asked the question, Hephaestus couldn't help but try to forcefully repress the rising heat in her cheeks.Vahn was still in a daze at the current events. While Hephaestus had been moving about in a flustered manner, he had read the system notification and realized what had happened. It seems that, while they were sleeping, Hephaestus's affection had reached 100 which caused his quest notification to sound. Seeing the rewards, Vahn was very happy and he showed it by smiling to Hephaestus."Good morning Hephaestus. It was a very comfortable sleep." Vahn stood up and began to stretch his body while Hephaestus continued sitting as if her brain had malfunctioned. She could also see, from the corner of her eye, a dark-skinned face peeking through the crack of the door holding in its laughter. Noticing Tsubaki, Hephaestus blushed fiercely before glaring in her direction.Tsubaki opened the door and pretended to have just arrived, even though Hephaestus was still giving her a death stare. "Good morning Hephaestus-sama. Good morning Vahn. I didn't expect that you would both be here so early. Don't tell me you slept in the dining room?" Tsubaki looked between both of them with a cheeky grin.Vahn hadn't noticed her peeking through the door, so he responded casually. "Yeah. I guess the alcohol got to us and we ended up passing out in the dining room. I'm gonna go wash my face and then wake the other two if they're still sleeping." While yawning, Vahn exited the room and went about performing his daily routine.After he left, Tsubaki smiled even bigger before looking towards Hephaestus. She was about to say something, but before the words came out Hephaestus charged her while screaming. "Tsubaki, yoooooooou-" Hephaestus really wanted to strangle Tsubaki to relieve some of the tension that had been building within her heart.---Vahn continued to the bathroom where he came across Naaza who was in her pajamas. She wasn't much a morning person, so she just groaned a bit when Vahn greeted her. They both brushed their teeth together before Naaza went to wake up Lili. Since Vahn had nothing to do presently, he decided to check out the new skill he had obtained and contemplated using the new item [Hearts Desire: Heaphaestus]. He was really curious about what the taciturn Goddess that had a soft side truly desired within her heart.[Metallurgy]Rank:CAllows the user to sense anomalies within metal and understand it's composition.The skill was pretty straightforward and would probably be of use when he was forging items. He would be able to more accurately determine if the ore was properly refined. It would also prevent him from leaving defects in his future products since he would be able to sense them through his perception in the future. Overall, it would be very useful for his current lifestyle so Vahn was pleased.Moving on, he decided to try and use the [Hearts Desire].[Hearts Desire: Hephaestus]Rank: UniqueUse: Allows the user to see the inner desires of the target (Hephaestus). Fulfilling the revealed desire unlocks hidden parameters of the target. //System Warning: Use with extreme caution//Seeing the warning, Vahn was slightly apprehensive as he stared at the crimson red gem that seemed to issue a steady pulse in his hand. It was very beautiful and was reminiscent of the time he had seen Hephaestus's eye. Remembering the pain on her face at the time, Vahn decided not to concern himself with any negative aspects of the item. He wanted to know what he could do to help Hephaestus become happy. He crushed the gem and it absorbed into his skin as time began to slow.In a manner very similar to the previous time he used the item, the air around Vahn froze and he became unable to move. A series of images began to flash through his mind and a voice began speaking from within his subconsciousness...---'Vahn' was sitting in a dark room surrounded by dead, lifeless artifacts. Even though any random passerby would think they were divinely inspired masterpieces, he knew the truth...all of these items were just a waste of materials. No matter how much time was spent in their creation, none of the items were able to satisfy him. Everything was flawed and worthless; this wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to create something unique and beautiful...something that could help fill the emptiness that had accompanied him for so long.'Vahn' picked up a nearby shield that had a flawless mirror-like surface. Looking at the reflection within the shield, Vahn could see the face of Hephaestus without her eyepatch reflected. It was a sad and lonely expression that matched the feelings within his chest. Looking deep into the crimson eye, he could see Hephaestus begin to tear up as she dropped to her knees and wept. Vahn could feel the emptiness spreading within her and her tears seemed to coalesce like a river that threatened to drown the entire world.For a very long time, this was the only emotion Vahn could feel. Then, almost as if it had happened within an instant, a warmth began to spread throughout the emptiness within his heart. He could feel a gentle rhythm drive away all the negative feelings that had been building within him. Turning his head, he sought after the source of the rhythm and came across a 'small' version of himself.The smaller 'Vahn' seemed so fragile, almost like a small flame that struggled to burn against the violent currents of time. It was almost like any single small breeze would be able to eliminate the existence in its entirety, but against all odds, it continued to burn strong. Even the river of tears that encompassed the entire room seemed to slowly be evaporating under its gentle warmth. Vahn reached down and picked up the smaller version of himself and held it against his chest.As he came into contact with his body, the smaller version of himself sunk into his flesh and a powerful warmth began permeating through his body. Vahn felt determined to protect this tiny 'flame-like' version of himself no matter what it took. Even if he had to sacrifice himself, as long as the flame was prevented from being extinguished, he would be happy...---Time started again as Vahn returned to a clear state of mind. The memory of everything he had experienced was deeply embedded within his being. With a single thought he could recall the entire sequence of events including every emotion, thought, and feeling. Vahn knew he was experiencing things from Hephaestus's perspective and the fact she had felt lonely for such a long period of time deeply left a deep impression in his heart where the 'eternal flame' rested.He put his hand over his heart and tried feeling the emotions contained within. The 'eternal flame' seemed to understand his intent as feelings of pride, expectation, but most notably...loneliness was emitted from the flames connection. As a part of Hephaestus, it also carried the same feelings she possessed through the ages.Vahn began to understand everything the vision wanted to convey. Deep within her heart, beyond all the trauma she experienced due to her deformity, beyond all the items she had created that were touted as peerless, the thing her heart truly desired was companionship. She worked so hard to impress people so they would treat her well, but nobody was able to see beyond her skill as a blacksmith. Whenever they saw her eye, they treated her like a monster and avoided her. And no matter how much time passed, this never seemed to change.Staring into the mirror of the bathroom, Vahn looked into his own aquamarine eyes. He could see...anger. He was angry with how Hephaestus, someone that was so fragile and gentle in front of him, had been mistreated for such a ridiculous reason. Gritting his teeth, Vahn cemented a conviction deep within himself. He would show each and every one of them how foolish they were.He conveyed his feelings through the 'eternal flame' in his heart and it seemed to dance with joy and expectation.Smiling at his reflection, Vahn left the bathroom and headed towards the place where everyone was waiting for his arrival. The time for weakness and complacency was over.Title: Hephaestus's Desire(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Gods are stupid', 'Hephaestus 'eternal bae'', 'Conviction: Feelings', 'Is it really though?', 'I wonder if anyone remembers about metallurgy after that scene')

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')

Chapter 70: Rumors : Undercurrents