Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After Hephaestus had finally calmed down, partially due to Vahn's help, she began discussing other matters before finally bringing the conversation to an end. As Vahn needed to head to the guild and tend to the matters regarding his move, Hephaestus gave him a hug before sending him on his way. Vahn, though he gratefully accepted the hug, felt like Hephaestus was a bit sad at sending him off. Before he left, he closed the gap when she had dropped her guard and gave her peck on the lips. It was a very brief kiss, but Vahn saw her brows raise before she pushed him away with a smile."Get out of here!" Vahn allowed himself to be pushed out into the street by the bashful Hephaestus. Seeing her expression made him laugh, and it drew the attention of the some of the passersby who had shock and curiosity written all over their face. Hephaestus glared at the crowd before looking at Vahn and saying, "You had better work hard to improve your forging. If you keep me waiting too long, someone else might come along and steal me."Vahn looked straight into her eyes before pulling out the hammer she had forged for him. "I swear Hephaestus, I won't allow anyone to take you away from me. No matter what, I will fulfill my promise and shatter your loneliness with this hammer!" Though Hephaestus had spoken quietly to him, Vahn gave his response in a loud voice. He didn't care if the crowd heard him, and it made him feel proud to publicly chase after Hephaestus. Though he hadn't intended it at first, Vahn felt a powerful rush of excitement build inside of him after his declaration.Unlike Vahn, Hephaestus seemed to mind the onlookers a bit, but seeing his confidence and the hammer that represented her hopes, she stepped forward and gave him a light kiss on the cheek in front of all the onlookers. Though she initially wanted to give him a proper kiss, she panicked at the last moment and altered her target slightly. After her public display of affection, she retreated into her workshop so quickly that Vahn had flashbacks to his fights with Tsubaki.Anubis began giggling at the side which broke Vahn from his reverie. Looking toward, she bowed slightly with all of her children behind her. "What shall we do now, my Master?" Hearing the new form of address, Vahn felt a chill run down his spine and he couldn't help but shake his head to clear the strange sensation that had taken root. In response to her question, he said, "For now, take this Valis and get the kids something to eat. If you've been staying outdoors for the last two days, I have a feeling they haven't been eating properly. I'm going to head to the Guild, and we can meet up at the northwest plaza entrance when I'm finished."Hearing that they would get to eat food, the kids started looking at Vahn was reverent expressions. Seeing their 'hungry' looks, Vahn laughed and gave Anubis twice the initial amount. "Make sure they get a good meal in them." Anubis accepted the money, and Vahn flinched a bit when he got the notification that her Loyalty had increased to 85. He was slightly curious to know what would happen if he could increase it to the cap.Anubis gratefully accepted the money before ushering the kids forward. "Children, what do you say to our Master?" Vahn, hearing Anubis implore the kids to call him 'master' tried to speak out, but the representative of the troupe, Rasui, spoke out first, "Yes! Thank you, Master. Once again, I am Rasui, and I will be in your care!"Vahn stood there in shock and got caught up in the tempo of the children. They took turns repeating similar introductions, and Vahn finally learned each of their names. The other three boys, excluding Rasui, were named Nour, Akil, and Ata, while the girls were, Chione, Maat, and Nanu. The girls Chione and Nanu still seemed to be a bit cautious of Vahn, but they managed to get through the introductions before repositioning behind Anubis.After all the introduction were done, Anubis spoke out, "From now on, you are their Master and the Alpha of their pack. Hierarchy is very important to the Southern Tribe, so make sure to do your best...Master." Vahn felt like Anubis was using the word to tease him at this point, and he cleared his throat while trying to act more 'manly'. "Very well. Go and eat with Anubis and wait for me in the plaza." Vahn tried to speak in a commanding tone and the entire group saluted toward him with a 'Ha!' sound. Anubis giggled and escorted the kids away from Vahn who felt his stomach cramp slightly.Once they were far enough away, Vahn released a sigh and felt the tension release from his body. He began making his way toward the Guild while inspecting the parameters in his Unit Management. At this point, Anubis had a value of 86 and Vahn was curious what function Loyalty actually had. When he was fighting with Fafnir, it seemed to be able to understand his intent, even without him saying anything. He was curious, so he tried sending a 'command' to Anubis who had long vanished from sight. Within the 'command' he had asked her to purchase candy for the children that they weren't able to eat until his arrival.After traveling for a few minutes, Vahn arrived outside the Guild for the first time in a while. Trying to recall from his memories, he realized it had been nearly two months since his last visit. Now that he had increased his level, he could also take the opportunity to report the change and receive his new Guild card. Stepping through the double-doors, Vahn took in the sights that he hadn't seen for quite some time. As it was early, the time when most adventurers were beginning to set out, there were a large number of people present.Vahn wasn't sure which line he needed to stand in to receive his reward, so he joined the long queue where they handled general inquiries and missions. Since the Juggernaut had been an emergency mission, Vahn assumed it would be the appropriate line to wait in. After waiting nearly twenty minutes, Vahn finally reached the front of the queue and was just as surprised as the person looking back at him.The girl that had been at the counter was none other than Eina Tulle, who Vahn had teased on his last visit by telling her 'I love you!' in front of the entire Guild. Seeing Vahn, who had been missing for so long, Eina immediately flagged a replacement before looking at him with an 'angry' expression. "Mr. Mason, please come this way..." Hearing the way she addressed him, Vahn felt a little uncomfortable, but he just followed her to a private booth which facilitated secret transactions and high-value mission rewards.After entering the room, Vahn sat on one of the sofas while Eina sat on the opposite sofa. She seemed to have an accusatory look as she asked, "Where have you been for the last two months? All I've heard lately are rumors, including one where you had apparently suffered irrecoverable brain damage." Vah noticed that her generally yellow and pleasant aura was now flickering a bit like a flame, but it was still yellow which meant she had no malicious intent. Out of a habit he had recently developed, Vahn looked through the system and noticed her affection was at 62, so he knew she wasn't truly angry with him.Vahn bowed slightly and gave her a sincere apology before explaining what he had been up to. Eina listened to his story while maintaining her angry expression, but hearing some of the things he had been through, her brows slowly began to ease up. When Vahn finally got to the point about his miraculous recovery and the fact he had come to the Guild immediately after his release from the ward, she had recovered her smile. Though she knew he didn't come by to meet her, after remembering his proclamation from before, she had the slightest bit of expectation.Now that she had recovered her professional demeanor, Eina got down to business and asked, "And what bring you here today Vahn? Don't tell me you wanted to visit me...?" Vahn noticed she was in a much better mood now and decided to play to the situation as he responded, "It may have not been my original intent, but I'm happy to have the opportunity. My true purpose was to receive the items left behind by the Loki Familia as well as report my change in level. I wouldn't mind continuing in this manner for a while, however." Vahn smiled toward Eina who was now looking at him like he was some kind of monster.As the person who had recorded his last level up, she knew how little time had passed since then. If she was correct, Vahn had likely set a new record for the fastest increase between levels two and three. She completely ignored the fact how he had said he wasn't here to visit her as she began processing the information she just received in her mind. She had known that the Loki Familia had left behind a reward, but she hadn't expected Vahn to be the recipient.Rising from the sofa, Eina gave a profession curtsy to Vahn before excusing herself to check the details and process his request. Vahn was a bit disappointed with how he completely ignored her remarks previously, and he began thinking of ways to tease the serious half-elf girl. He didn't know why, but seeing her flustered made him a little happy. By the time she returned carrying a large black container, Vahn had already prepared a method to get a rise out of her.Vahn had noticed that she had gotten her hair styled since he last saw her, and wanted to try complimenting her to see if she would react. "I hadn't mentioned this earlier, but I think your current hairstyle suits you. It is very cute and accents your ears well." Eina, who had been treating the matters seriously, faltered a bit before stopping and looking toward Vahn. "Mr...Mason. Thank you for your compliment."Afterward, she sat down and opened up the black container toward Vahn. He was a little dejected at seeing her response, and even the impressive items displayed before him didn't interest him much. Eina saw his sad look, but she put it to the back of her mind as she said, "These are three high-grade magic cores that were left by the Loki Familia for your acceptance. You should know the value of these cores is nearly twenty-million Valis each. It looks like you're rich now Mr. Mason." Eina tried laughing at her remark but noticed Vahn didn't seem interested in the massive increase in wealth at all.Vahn reached forward and casually put the items into his inventory without remarking about their value. He really was impressed at the sudden gain, but he was more focused on trying to think of how to get Eina to return to normal at the moment. Eina thought Vahn was upset with how she had been addressing him, so after sighing, she said, "Vahn, I don't know what you think of me, but I'm not such an easy girl that a simple confession can move my heart. I'm certain you were just teasing me, so can't we just put that matter behind us for now?"Hearing her call him by name, Vahn was a bit happy, but he frowned on the outside as he said seriously, "Though its true that I wanted to tease you, it doesn't mean I was lying. Even if I didn't understand the implications at the time, I'm not the type to take back my words so easily." Eina had been one of the characters Vahn found interesting even in the manga. It was the reason he had wanted to tease her similar to how Bell had done in the original story. He was really happy seeing her reaction at the time.Eina looked at Vahn and saw that he was 'serious' as he spoke. A bit of doubt seeded itself into her heart, and she believed he may have been serious in his words. A strange feeling began building in her stomach, and she felt both sick and happy at the same time. "Fine...if you're serious, I don't mind giving you a chance..." Though there were several people trying to court her, there were few that had all the 'qualifications' as Vahn. Not only was he handsome, but he had incredible potential as an adventurer and even possessed strong connections and personal wealth. Eina thought he wasn't a bad candidate for her first boyfriend.Vahn was surprised by her words, and he actually began to panic inside. Though he was serious, he still only intended to tease her. He never expected that she was seriously willing to consider being together with him! Remembering all the girls he had recently interacted with, Vahn felt like he had just walked head-first into a brick wall made of adamantine.Seeing his suddenly befuddled expression, Eina frowned slightly before saying in a low voice, "Were you actually lying to me after all?" Vahn noticed her aura begin to darken slightly, and he raised both of his hands in a panic, "No, that isn't true at all. I was just incredibly surprised that you were actually willing to consider being together with me!" Vahn spoke the truth and it seemed Eina bought his reason as she gave a relieved sigh.Showing a genuine smile, instead of her professional one, Eina said, "Okay then, we should go on a date this weekend. Since you said you were spending the next three months recovering, it's a good opportunity to spend time together." Eina was suddenly in a chipper mood, and the happier she appeared the more worried Vahn became. Images of all the girls he was currently dealing with passed through his mind. Near the end of his recollection, he saw Anubis's figure as she repeated a variation of her words from earlier, "You're the Alpha now...do your best Master."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'You dun fucked up now boi','It's a trap!','Vahn is digging a grave deeper than the dungeon')

After spending time going over the specifics of their upcoming date, Vahn parted ways with Eina after receiving his updated Guild card. He was surprised that he was also given an additional 3.7m Valis as a reward for his participation in the Juggernaut subjugation. It seemed that the Loki Familia gave him a great deal of credit for his participation, but Vahn also suspected it was part of their apology for his injury. Vahn's funds now consisted of 3,871,630 Valis and the three high-grade magic stones which could net him an additional 60 million if he sold them.Vahn suddenly felt like he had become incredibly wealthy, but considering how expensive high-grade equipment was, he knew it wasn't really that much. He would be able to buy a house, even a mansion if he wanted, but he would only be able to buy one or two pieces of equipment forged by a Master Smith. Even Bell's weapon from the manga cost a total of 200,000,000 Valis, but that was due to its nature as a growth weapon.As he was making his way toward the rendezvous point with Anubis, Vahn began to worry about trying to consult someone about the problems he was facing with women. The only two people that came to mind were Tsubaki, Naaza, and Chloe, but none of them seemed to be an ideal choice. While he was lost in his thoughts, Sis spoke out in his mind, (*Vahn, you should convert those high-grade cores into OP. The energy within each is worth between 120k-150k OP each.*)Vahn was surprised at Sis's claim and he immediately gave her permission to convert the crystals. Though he could sell them or use them to forge gear, Vahn was still concerned with completing his quest as soon as possible. He had even considered forging weapons and converting them into OP to finish off the remaining points. After the conversion, Vahn now had 818,309 OP and wasn't too far off from the required one-million.In a much better mood than he had been previously, Vahn increased his speed before arriving at the plaza within fifteen minutes. His agility growth had made it so that, if he was even slightly in a hurry, his natural pace made him move faster than the average citizen running. The trip that used to take him twenty minutes while sprinting, now only took him fifteen while casually moving at a brisk pace.Looking around the area, Vahn quickly found Anubis standing near all the children who were sitting in a circle around her as she sat on a bench. They had calm and patient demeanors, and Vahn noticed they were sitting with their eyes closes, almost as though they were in meditation. Anubis noticed his approach before lightly clapping to get the children's attention. "Our Master has arrived, you all did very well to wait~"Vahn saw Anubis reach for a bag that contained hard candies and she began passing them to the children who received them with a smile. With this, he was able to confirm that she could actually receive his orders even if he wasn't around. Curious, Vahn asked, "Candy?" Anubis smiled and explained, "For some reason, I felt like the children deserved some candy to celebrate the earlier happenings. However, I made sure they ate their meal properly and waited for your return before rewarding their patience."Seeing that her aura hadn't fluctuated at all, Vahn was able to reason that his 'orders' were interpreted as a thought or impulse for the receiver. He became very curious and tried sending another 'order' to have Anubis look toward the top of the tower. It was vague enough that it wouldn't infringe on her free-will too much, and it would also allow him to confirm his conjecture if she followed through.A few seconds after he sent the 'order', Anubis had a thoughtful expression as she looked toward the top of Babel like she was searching for something. Vahn followed her gaze before asking, "Is something the matter?" Anubis frowned slightly and responded, "It felt like my instincts were telling me to look toward the tower, but I can't understand what triggered them." Anubis seemed confused about her own behavior and shook her head to clear her thoughts.Vahn noticed that, when she shook her head and stopped looking at the tower, her Loyalty had actually decreased from 86 to 85. He was surprised and realized that, if his orders conflicted with the person's thoughts, they would feel like something was strange and it directly affected their Loyalty towards him. It seemed like Loyalty was not only easy to increase if you could earn the other party's favor, but it could decrease just as easily if they receive strange orders.Anubis noticed Vahn's contemplative expression before speaking out, "Don't worry about it Vahn, I'm sure it's nothing." She showed him a gentle smile, and Vahn actually felt somewhat guilty for having 'ordered' her at all. However, he also knew it was somewhat necessary so that he could understand how his functions properly worked. Since he wasn't able to communicate with Fafnir or the nameless Kobold, he was unable to understand how they were interpreting his commands.Remembering Fafnir, Vahn recalled the scene of its self-mutilation and he suddenly overlapped the image with Anubis in front of him. He felt fear grip his mind and he almost vomited after imagining the beautiful girl tear away at her own flesh. Seeing the drastic change in Vahn, Anubis walked forward and began patting him on the back. She didn't know what had caused his sudden change but realized that he was suffering from something mentally. Anubis knew Vahn had just been released from the ward after sustaining a serious injury to his mind, and she suspected his behavior may be an aftereffect.Vahn felt a bit better as she rubbed his back, and he looked toward her with an apologetic smile as he righted himself. "Sorry about that...Let's head home. The reward I received at the Guild was larger than I expected, so we should be fine for the time being." Vahn started leading the way, and Anubis followed right behind him like a professional secretary. Feeling that something was strange, Vahn looked back and noticed that the children were still waiting in the area they just departed from.Looking toward Anubis, Vahn saw her staring at him with a subtle smile and slightly squinted eyes. "Remember, I told you that you are their Alpha now. Unless you order me, or them, they aren't going to move from their spot. They can be...very cute with how loyal they are." Anubis covered her lips with her hand and giggled a bit. Vahn released a sigh before shouting toward the children, "Keep up, we're going home!" The moment his words sounded out, the seven kids immediately ran over before stopping behind him and Anubis. Looking toward her, Vahn could see her smiling at him and he felt like the number of problems he had just increased by eight.As they walked toward their home, Vahn felt like he was leading a parade as Anubis walked behind him while keeping pace with his steps. The children were in a somewhat orderly formation as they followed behind Anubis while nobody spoke a single word. Vahn felt a bit of discomfort, but he just continued leading the way so that he could bring the experience to an end even if only one second faster.Finally, after what seemed like a much longer period of time than had actually passed, Vahn and his new 'troupe' arrived outside Tsubaki's manor. He was tempted to go inside but didn't think it would be appropriate to bring in the eight new faces without permission. Looking around, Vahn could see the lot that had been assigned to him. He noticed that, as Hephaestus had said, his residence was located off the street and was only accessible through a side passage that ran alongside Tsubaki's manor.He led the way along the path until he came to a residence roughly a fifth the size of Tsubaki's. It looked somewhat off the beaten path, and there didn't seem to be any other routes to get to the entrance. Vahn realized that the residence that had been given to him was somewhat abnormal and was likely Hephaestus's consideration for maintaining his privacy. Using his keys, he opened the front door after navigating through the small courtyard.Stepping through the threshold of the door, Vahn could smell a vaguely familiar smell that he was unable to identify. It was pleasant and made his heart throb in a strange manner, but the feeling quickly passed as he led the rest inside. The moment Anubis and the 'hounds' entered the building, they stopped and started sniffing at the air. Vahn noticed their actions were similar to his own, so he didn't bother asking what they were doing.Anubis seemed to come to a conclusion and asked, "Is this a place where Hephaestus stays often?" She seemed to have a bemused expression as she asked Vahn the question. Vahn, unsure of the truth of the matter, said honestly, "I'm not sure, this is the first time I've ever been here. Why, did you realize something?"Anubis laughed before responding, "This place smells exactly like Hephaestus. Unless she stays here often, there is no way it would have absorbed so much of her scent." The children seemed to agree with her statement as they gave various forms of affirmation to support the statement. Vahn was curious and activated his Báihǔ form so he could smell the air better. The moment he transformed, Anubis's eyes widened while all the children seemed to enter a state of high alert.Vahn hadn't noticed their reaction as he was busy trying to identify the scent. Now that he had the increased senses of his Báihǔ form, he was able to pick up the aroma much easier. The longer he smelled it, the more his brain began to buzz, and Vahn recognized the fragrance was very similar to the cushion Hephaestus had stopped him from sniffing previously. Following the smell, Vahn began tracing it back to the source and eventually found a room with a large king-sized bed covered in expensive looking bedding.Anubis had followed along while the children stayed in the foyer. Seeing the room, she remarked, "This is definitely someplace that Hephaestus had stayed in often. Her smell permeates throughout the entire room." Vahn nodded his head, as he too could smell the powerful scent in the room. It made his heart palpitate, and he dispelled his transformation before it overwhelmed him.Seeing him return to normal, Anubis couldn't help but ask, "That form, may I ask what it was?" Anubis had been very curious about Vahn since she saw his soul earlier. As someone that had the ability to see souls, she had seen a countless number across the eons. The shape, size, and coloration of Vahn's soul showed that he had a powerful destiny and a righteous character. Even compared to the 'heroes' she had seen throughout history, none of them even came close to the standard Vahn set. It was this reason she decided to devote herself to him, as it would be the best way to guarantee the safety of her children.Vahn explained, "It is a magic that I learned when I faced dire-straits in the dungeon. Ever since then, I've been steadily improving it and even managed to fight a Goliath when I reached the third form." Hearing Vahn mention he had more than one form, Anubis became even more interested but decided to keep to herself for the time being. She intended to accompany Vahn for the remainder of his life, so she wasn't in a hurry to uncover all of his secrets yet.Hearing the system mention that Anubis's Loyalty had increased, he turned toward the calm woman and smiled at her. She seemed pleased as her eyes squinted and she returned his smile with one of her own. Making his way back toward the foyer, Vahn looked toward all the kids and made an effort to recall their names before telling them to find whichever room they preferred. The kids seemed interested in their new residence and quickly spread out to explore the interior. Though it was much smaller than Tsubaki's, Vahn felt like the residence still had more than ten rooms, so they should be fine.After all the kids had left, Anubis asked, "And where will you be staying, my Master?" Hearing the address she had adapted for him, Vahn once gain felt like a chill run through his body. Looking into her eyes, Vahn said, "You don't have to call me Master. Just Vahn will do..." Even before he finished his words, Anubis already started shaking her head to refute him. "That will not do, Master. As I said, the hierarchy is very important in the culture I come from. As I have sworn myself to serve at your side, I must address you as Master until your title changes."Vahn was curious what she meant by his title changing, so he asked, "How would my title change?" For the first time, Vahn saw Anubis adopt a mischevious look as she laughed with her hand over her mouth. Her tail seemed to wave about slowly behind her as she said, "If you became my husband, I would have to call you Danna-sama." The moment she spoke the words, Vahn clenched his teeth and took a step back.Seeing his reaction, Anubis laughed in a higher tone than before. "Ara, you don't have to treat it so seriously, Master. I was only joking...at least for now." As she finished her words, Anubis walked by the stunned Vahn and let her tail pat him in passing. "I assume you will be taking Hephaestus's room, so I will be taking the room next door...make sure to call me if you need 'anything', Master."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Danger within the home','Scheming Pupper','Rich Boi, Vahn Mason','Endless Trouble : Infinite Women')

After accepting Anubis as a subordinate, Vahn quickly scanned the notifications in his system and saw she had a Loyalty value of 70, which seemed pretty high considering the circumstances. Anubis, who had heard Vahn agree to allow her to repay her debt, bowed low in a deferential manner while saying, "Please order me as you will. As long as it does not go against my principles, I will do my best to fulfill your commands."Seeing the somewhat mature exotic beauty bow to him, Vahn felt his heart palpitate a bit before he turned to look at Hephaestus. She seemed to be looking at Anubis with a contemplative look but, noticing Vahn's gaze, she turned toward him and spoke. "You should have her make a vow, or there is nothing binding her to the debt. If things are left as they are, she could just flee the City the moment you drop your guard."Anubis raised her head and frowned at Hephaestus's accusation, but before she could refute she saw Vahn shaking her head. "That isn't necessary Hephaestus. Even if she fled the City, I wouldn't stop her. Though she may have acted a bit rashly, she is also one of the victims of this event. I don't mind if she takes her children and continues to live as she pleases." As Vahn finished his words, he noticed the Loyalty value of Anubis increase to 74 which surprised him a little."I will never forsake my pride and do something so shameless. I don't mind making a vow, and I certainly will not flee the City. Even if Vahn-sama has no use for me, I will do my best to ensure his life is not burdened by my presence." Anubis spoke the worlds boldly and without hesitation while looking into Hephaestus's eyes. Hephaestus didn't seem entirely convinced as she asked, "And how long do you plan to serve him? When is your debt 'repaid'?"Anubis tilted her head slightly like she was confused. After a brief moment, she said, "My actions may have resulted in the death of an innocent. I will repent for a life with a life. As long as Vahn-sama draws breath, I will continue to serve him." Vahn noticed that, once again, Anubis's loyalty had increased. She now had a value of 77, but Vahn wasn't entirely focused on that as his eyes were drawn to the twitching ears on her head.Hephaestus sighed as she could see how serious Anubis was being. She felt a headache begin to build inside her head as she mentally added another potential 'problem' that she would have to deal with in the future. Gathering her thoughts, Hephaestus spoke while looking into Anubis's eyes, "Then go ahead and make your vow-" Before she could finish, Vahn interrupted, "I said that wasn't necessary. Even if I accept her as a subordinate so she can repay her debts, I will not bind someone into a life-bound contract or vow. The idea of restricting the freedom of another person makes my stomach sour..."Both Anubis and Hephaestus were surprised by Vahn's interruption but strangely, after a bit of time had passed, they both issued subtle smiles toward the boy. Hephaestus felt a little proud at seeing Vahn's firm stance on the matter, but she still had to make a compromise of her own. She looked towards the smiling face of Anubis before sighing, "If that is his decision, I won't interfere. However, I will have you make a vow to cooperate with the Guild's investigation to deal with Osiris. I assume that will not be a problem for you?"Hearing Hephaestus mention Osiris, Anubis couldn't help but frown in dissatisfaction as she said, "That scoundrel deserves everything coming to him. The night of the raid, I couldn't believe how many criminals he had been keeping as 'children'. As he can also see souls, he had to know what kind of people were in his Familia. The fact he allowed murderers and other foul-hearted people to represent him sickens me." For those that could see souls, they also had the power to roughly determine what kind of person someone was based on the colors contained within. For murderers, rapists, and scoundrels, they would often have flakes of black or putrid greens contaminating their souls.After their agreement, Hephaestus and Anubis went through the process of establishing the vow and arranging when they would report to the Guild. Since it was very difficult to detain a god for long without charges, they decided to take care of it within the next two days. After they had come to an agreement, Hephaestus brought up a subject that had been overlooked till now."So, what about those kids? If you're going to follow Vahn, are you going to release them?" Hephaestus pointed to the seven children that had been sitting in silence for the entire discussion. The previously large pointy ears on their heads now drooped low, and they each had sad expressions after everything that had happened. Anubis saw their melancholic demeanors and couldn't help but release a sad sigh. "We came to this City because of the invitation from Osiris, and now that our funds have run low, there is little I can do to ensure their livelihoods. Though they are considered strong back in our home country, they have some difficulties within the dungeon. I don't want them to have to suffer while trying to support the Familia."Anubis looked towards Vahn with a hopeful expression in her eyes, "I cannot bring them with me, as my debts are not their burden. The choice ultimately lays in what Vahn-sama wishes to do..." Vahn recognized the look in her eyes and he turned towards the children who had previously feared him. Now, instead of fear, there was a pleading look on each of their faces. For some reason, the combination of the drooping ears and large eyes of the children had a big impact on Vahn and he began to smile before saying, "If they are willing to follow you, I will do my best to ensure they are taken care of. Even if you say you are willing to serve me, I have no need for servants or anything like that. Besides, there is no way I can say no if they look at me like that..."Anubis began to laugh like a bell as she squinted her eyes with a large smile on her face. "I had hoped, but I never expected Vahn-sama to be so magnanimous. Well, children, are you willing to follow Vahn-sama alongside me?" The moment she asked the question, almost as if they had rehearsed it previously, the entire group of kids jumped to their feet and bowed together. "Please, Vahn-sama, allow us to follow you!"Vahn could see excitement and expectation in their eyes as he nodded his head with an awkward smile. The moment they saw him agree, their tails began to wag excitedly before they resumed sitting in silence. Unlike the previous gloom, they now looked remarkably happy. Vahn wondered why children were so easily influenced, but he attributed their current mentality to their devotion toward Anubis.At the same time as Vahn accepted the children, Anubis's affection reached 81 as she showed a gratified smile on her face. Hephaestus, who had been watching the 'play' with a skeptical look on her face, spoke out again, "And, where will you and your Familia be staying from now on?" The moment Hephaestus asked the question, the tails of the children immediately froze while even Anubis seemed to be somewhat awed by the question.Clearing her throat for a few seconds, Anubis lowered her head a bit before she looked toward Vahn and Hephaestus and said in a low voice, "We...don't have a place to stay. Our funds ran out two days ago and we had been living around the Babel Tower since then..." Anubis seemed incredibly embarrassed by her own admission, and it only got worse when she saw the incredulous look on Hephaestus's face.Vahn started laughing after hearing that the goddess who had committed to serving him ended up being homeless. He began to suspect that the only reason she wanted to be his subordinate was so that they had a place to live. Anubis seemed to be even more embarrassed after Vahn began to laugh and Vahn saw a blush cover her cheeks for the first time. Before the situation devolved any further, Vahn said with confidence, "Don't worry about it, I may not have much, but I should be able to pay for a place for you and you Familia for the time being. Though I won't do it for free and I'll expect everyone to work hard to earn their keep." Right now Vahn had 171,530V, which was enough to lease a small house if he wanted. It wouldn't be the highest quality place to live, but it should be enough for the small Familia.Hephaestus shook her head and brought up a matter before Vahn continued, "You actually have a lot more funds than you might think. Remember the reward and reparations given by the Loki Familia? You will be able to pick them up when you go to the Guild, and I'm certain it will be more than enough to cover living expenses for a while. But, I have to ask this, are you not intending to stay with Tsubaki anymore?"Hearing Hephaestus's words, Vahn began to become excited until she continued further. He had never considered leaving Tsubaki's place, but if he had agreed to help take care of another Familia, it wouldn't make sense for him to live elsewhere. Vahn began to worry that he had gotten himself into a matter that would be difficult to resolve, but luckily, Hephaestus seemed to already have a solution.With a sigh, Hephaestus said, "Don't worry about it too much. When you had joined the Familia long ago, you were guaranteed a place to live as well as your own workshop. I had arranged matters to have your workshop located in the lot behind Tsubaki's current manor. It's not nearly the same size, but it should be more than enough for your current needs..." Vahn was incredibly grateful for what Hephaestus had done, and he verbalized it the only way he could think of, "Thank you, Hephaestus, I love you."Hearing Vahn's sudden bomb and seeing the affectionate smile on his face, Hephaestus's heart began to race and she was unable to form any thoughts. She just kept repeating the words over and over in her mind as the pressure began to build up in her face causing a blush to touch her cheeks. Anubis saw the reaction and heard Vahn's declaration before asking, "Are you two lovers~?" She seemed somewhat intrigued by the notion as there was extra inflection on the end of her words.Hephaestus seemed to want to say something, but because of her dazed state, Vahn managed to speak first. "We will be. I promised that, once I manage to forge an item that meets her standards, I will make her my lover, no matter what." Vahn's eyes were wide and his brows were furrowed as he loudly proclaimed the words. Anubis seemed a bit surprised, but she just smiled before looking toward the fiercely blushing Hephaestus. At this point, she was literally covering her face with both hands and refused to look at anyone. Anubis thought that the Hephaestus that acted cutely was much more preferable than the wrathful demon that had struck fear in her a few days ago.Vahn seemed to agree, as he reached out his hand and began channeling [Hands of Nirvana] to help ease Hephaestus's chaotic mind. The duality of her situation seemed to influence her even more, as Hephaestus glared at Vahn between her fingers. However, though she tried to look angry, Vahn could see the smile hidden behind her palms.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Declaration of LOVE!','Cunny doge','Bundle of Puppies')

Chapter 114: Alpha (2/2)