Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn answered the questions about the Matryoshka to the best of his ability, including the fact that it seemed to be a single-use item. He didn't specifically say how he obtained it, instead claiming that it appeared within his soul in a similar manner as [Enkidu]. Since 'The Path', and the shop, were part of his soul, even Loki couldn't see through his answer. They believed it had something to do with the unique origin of Vahn, and Loki even speculated that his Divinity didn't pertain to Life and People, but actual Creation itself. Since Vahn always 'obtained' items seemingly out of nowhere based on his wants and desires, it was the best explanation they had to go by.This caused a small tangent in the conversation where it was decided, after a bit of deliberation, that Vahn had Divinities pertaining to Creation, Fertility, and Fire. Though he was confused about the fertility part, Loki explained that he had an almost unnatural willingness to impregnate or help impregnate people. Since they assumed he was 3/4 god, it meant that, even though he wasn't compelled by his Divinity, it still influenced his decisions on a subconscious level. Vahn, not knowing how to refute her claims, ended up cementing his position in their minds as a demigod of fertility.As for the Creation and Fire Divinities, it was due to the existence of his soul's ability to 'generate' items that he needed as well as his ability to name and evolve creatures like Fafnir. The fire was easy enough to understand since Vahn had [Heart of the Eternal Flame] and skills like [Prometheus]. The fact that Hephaestus's 'eternal flame' had willingly subordinated itself to Vahn was more of a confirmation of the facts than anything else. Though Hephaestus argued that Vahn could also possess the Divinity for Forging, it was written off as a byproduct of his Creation Divinity.After everything was 'decided', the conversation eventually returned to normal except for the fact that Tsubaki had turned relatively quiet while Lili had nearly passed out from being suffocated by Naaza. When she had grabbed Lili earlier and covered her mouth, she had also covered her nose and didn't notice because she had been paying close attention to the conversation. Though she had wanted to be together with Vahn in the future, the thought of children had never crossed her mind until Vahn mentioned it so casually. If he truly was a Demigod of Fertility, Naaza was worried that she would get pregnant almost immediately after their first time together. She decided to interact with Tiona and Ais more and observe if there were any 'changes' in their bodies over the next few months.Vahn learned that Hestia had to prepare for the ceremony and undergo the vows before descending to the mortal world. If things went as planned, she would be able to arrive in the mortal world within three days and Vahn was somewhat excited to finally meet the titular goddess that he had known from the manga. His favorite characters had always been Hestia, Eina, and Bell, so he was looking forward to interacting with Hestia in the future.Since he had grown up lonely in the lab in his previous life, Vahn had always imagined what it would be like to be part of the Hestia Familia. Even though Bell was always causing problems, she worked hard behind the scenes to make money even though everyone called her a lazy goddess. Vahn remembered that to pay off the debt of Bell's dagger, Hestia had actually been holding several jobs which required her to traverse great distances each day and still made time to interact with Bell when he returned from his adventures in the dungeon.Once the conversation and explanation of events had come to an end, the atmosphere turned somewhat solemn as Hephaestus looked toward the only person in the room that had been silent throughout the entire conversation. Eina had arrived with the group earlier and had been sitting at the side while holding a stack of official-looking documents that had entailed the punishment as decreed by the Guild. As a member of the Guild herself, she had been made aware of what had happened earlier and had been in silent contemplation ever since. Even when Vahn had mentioned the matters of pregnancy, her expression only lightened by a small amount as a blush covered her cheeks.Since she had been so quiet and hadn't contributed to the conversation, Vahn had only been glancing over toward her with a concerned expression periodically which caused her to give him a gentle, yet sad, smile. As the officiator for everything that was going to happen, she had actually been considering leaving the Guild after the matters were concluded. If not for the fact that Vahn had previously asked her to continue working, she may very well have done just that.After Hephaestus looked at her, Eina went over the details of the document before having Vahn leave a blood signature on the bottom which caused the entire thing to burst into flames. Part of the flames went into Vahn's chest, while the others dissipated into the void. With his spiritual sense, Vahn noticed the flame enter into his soul before trying to seed itself in the center. Though he could absolve it whenever he desired, Vahn allowed it to stay for the time being since it only restricted his activities by a year.Once the flame had entered into his chest, Eina gave a sad sigh as she said, "I'm sorry, Vahn..." Vahn just shook his head in response as he stroked her cheek affectionately and said, "This type of thing won't slow me down at all. It's already arranged for me to join the Familia of a goddess that has an established relationship with Hephaestus and Loki. By the time my probation ends, I'll have increased the rank of my own Familia by a great deal. It's not like this contract actually has any lasting impact on my future."Eina smiled at his words and placed her hand over his as she felt the warmth of his palm on her cheek. She hadn't seen him since they suddenly got engaged, but he had already matured to a great extent. Eina even began to wonder if she was too hasty in her earlier actions since Vahn didn't seem to be nearly as broken as he was in the past. Almost as if he had sensed her thoughts, Vahn put his other hand around Eina's waist and pulled her into a kiss.Surprised by the sudden display of affection, Eina's eyes widened as she patted Vahn's shoulder to release her. Unfortunately for her, Vahn had used his right hand to lock her head in place while he held her waist close to his and continued kissing her for several long seconds. It wasn't until a blush completely spread all the way up to her pointed ears that Vahn finally released her and said gently, "Remember this, Eina, I am what I am because of my interactions with people like you. Ever since the day we got engaged, my life has been changing rapidly for the better."Vahn had noticed that Eina's aura had begun to destabilize and her affection had actually dropped for him slightly. Afraid that she had begun to regret associating with him, Vahn tried to consider matters from her perspective for a brief moment before deciding to kiss her. Though there was no change at first, by the end of the kiss her affection had actually increased to 88 points. When he gave his followup words to encourage her, it increased by a full five points before settling on 93.Since Eina had already decided to marry him in the future, Vahn didn't want her to regret her decision to be with him. He didn't know that she actually had no intention of leaving him, it was just that she began to feel less useful in providing stability to his life. She would have still married him and help manage his affairs, but Eina was somewhat sad that Vahn was becoming more reliable too quickly. When they had originally agreed to marry, she actually intended to take more of a role as an elder sister than his spouse. Now that he had kissed her and made his light proclamation, Eina realized that Vahn actually considered her own state of mine just as much as she tried to consider his.Just as she was about to kiss him due to the happy feelings that were rising up inside of her, Eina noticed a small figure out of the corner of her eye that was almost 'glaring' at her. She didn't sense any hostility, but Eina couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved by the unwavering gaze of Lili. From the moment Vahn had started kissing Eina, she wanted to trade places with the hesitant half-elf. She had already missed her chance to jump on the momentum earlier when it came to the talk about pregnancies, but Lili was actually somewhat thankful for that as well. Since she heard how Vahn responded to Loki, she was thankful she didn't try to have him make a promise with her.Once everyone had settled down, the most depressing part of the entire event had to take place which required Vahn to remove his shirt as Hephaestus slowly removed the crest on his back. Her hands were shaking during the entire process and Vahn had to comfort her for nearly ten minutes after the fact. She seemed almost inconsolable up until the point where Vahn whispered in her ear that he would make sure she had a baby by this time next year.After his crest was removed, Vahn felt like he had lost an important part of himself, but it also made him feel somewhat free. He had also known that it would be impossible to marry Hephaestus when he was still in the Familia, and now that he was no longer a member, he was free to pursue her romantically without issue. Even though he hadn't forged an S class item on his own yet, Vahn felt like he would be able to manage in the next week or two if he put in a serious effort within the orb.Now that everything was wrapped up, both Hephaestus, Loki, and Eina had to return to their respective duties. Before they parted, Vahn actually gave all three of them an embrace with varying degrees of affection involved. When he embraced Hephaestus, it was passionate and emotional. When he embraced Eina, it almost seemed 'innocent' and reserved. And then, when it finally came time to embrace Loki, she tried to get a kiss only to have Vahn put a little effort into his [Hands of Nirvana] which caused her to immediately retreat.Vahn saw them out to the main road with Anubis, Nanu, Tsubaki, Lili, and Naaza. Since the Anubis Familia was also restrained by the agreement with Ouranos, Anubis wasn't able to accompany Vahn for the time being and could only casually interact with each other without helping to facilitate each other's needs. Nanu had wanted to accompany him, but Vahn asked her to take care of the other children until things calmed down. Since she had a talent for forging, Vahn wanted her to join the Hephaestus Familia if anything else. He promised to visit often and would update them when he finally found his new residence so they could visit periodically. Once the probationary period was over, he agreed to allow the Anubis Familia to move into the same compound or building that he purchased in the future.It was his intention to turn the Hestia Familia into a righteous Familia similar to the Astrea Familia. Taking into consideration his interactions with various people and the lessons that he had learned from Chloe and Eva recently, Vahn wanted to create an organization that specialized in both dungeoneering as well as peacekeeping. Though he wasn't sure how to do it, Vahn intended to consult with people like Chloe and Ryuu to get a better understanding of the specifics. He wouldn't try to tackle everything alone and wanted to strengthen his network and build stronger relationships with the people around him.Since Vahn wasn't really bound by the traditional restraints of belonging to a Familia and only working with your own, he wanted to help unify the bonds between the Alliance and create a hub where everyone could exchange information and work together to overcome difficulties. He also needed to consider the matter of security and how he would be receiving and dealing with various gods and goddesses in the future since, once the matter of [Enkidu] becomes known, Vahn imagined there would be a number of them coming to visit. This, though it was somewhat troublesome, actually gave Vahn more confidence that things would go well. If he had support from a variety of gods and created a strong bond with the Guild, the Hestia Familia might become an organization on the same level in the future except that it specializes in research, development, and emergency responses instead of organization and distribution.After exchanging goodbyes with the rest of the girls, Vahn was forced to embrace all of them as well. Lili and Naaza wanted to accompany him, but Vahn wanted to stroll about and try to come up with his own plans for the time being. He also wanted to visit Milan and Tina at the Hostess of Fertility without having his focus split between too many people. Tsubaki agreed with his decision and put an end to the two girls insistence.When it came time for the hugs, Vahn started with Anubis and stroked her ears for a bit. For Nanu, it was much of the same except that she nuzzled against his hand with a great deal of intensity. Naaza was relatively reserved, but Vahn ended up giving her a short kiss before he stroked her ears as well. When her tail began to wag, he smiled and gave her a second kiss. For Lili, she just acted cute without saying anything for once. She was still in her pseudo-tiger form and seemed to be silently appealing to him with her eyes. Vahn decided to stroke her ears and hair affectionately before giving her a very brief peck on the lips. Her smile blossomed since it was one of the few times where Vahn had taken the initiative to kiss her.Tsubaki had been standing off to the side with her arms crossed as she watched their interactions with a smile on her face. It didn't look like she intended to interfere with the parting, but Vahn wasn't going to let her escape easily after everything that had happened earlier. When he approached to give her an embrace with a gentle smile on his face, she laughed a bit before giving him a strong hug in return. Vahn enjoyed the comforting feeling that he had once been reliant on in the past as he loosely hugged Tsubaki's waist.Just as she was about to release Vahn and wish him luck, Vahn used his [Hands of Nirvana] in full force as he traced his palms along her back before firmly grabbing her plump butt. Tsubaki's eye widened as she immediately lost strength in her lower body and legs and had to hug Vahn's head with her arms to prevent from falling down. Vahn used the opportunity when she had 'entrusted' her weight to him to begin massaging around her butt and lower back. Since Tsubaki generally wore a sarashi that only covered her breasts, it left her entire back exposed to Vahn's caress.After a few seconds passed, Tsubaki put more strength into her grip and Vahn felt like she was going to tear off his head if things went any further. Changing the type of energy from relaxing to stimulating, Vahn pressed into some of her nerves to help reactivate them. Though she twitched with each press, it wasn't long before Tsubaki felt the strength return to her body as she pulled away from Vahn with a slight blush on her face and a furrowed brow.In response to her apparent anger, Vahn smiled and held up his hands like he had done so earlier. There was a subtle white glow coming from his palms as he said, "Six-thousand-one-hundred-forty-eight to twenty-six. I still owe you six-thousand-one-hundred-twenty-two wins to break even."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Ambition','Various Types of Embrace','Never Challenge the Godhand')If you'd like to support my ******* so I can continue writing the story and expanding the world even further, please follow the link below~!https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $735/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

After his parting words, Vahn actually took off running before Tsubaki could regain her composure. In a manner similar to their last parting, Vahn ran away so she wouldn't thrash him in a fit of emotional outburst. Seeing him run away, Tsubaki broke out of her confusion before pulling out a hammer that she kept on her person at all times. Lining up the shot, she threw it hard enough to break the sound barrier as it flew by Vahn's head before smashing into a nearby wall.Vahn easily evaded the blow since he had expected it to come, but he still sweated when he saw the spiderweb cracks on the hard surface where the hammer had embedded itself. Transforming into his Báihǔ form, he jumped onto the roof of one of the nearby workshops and quickly disappeared from the sights of the five girls.Tsubaki looked like she was 'fuming', but everyone present could see the blush on her face as she turned to give them a reproachful glare. Each of them averted their eyes except for Anubis who laughed quietly while covering her mouth. Tsubaki turned her gaze to her which prompted Anubis to say, "After the incident earlier, it was only a matter of time before he tried to grab your butt. You do have the biggest one out of all the women around him after all."Frowning slightly, Tsubaki seemed to be lost in her thoughts for a brief moment before she turned her gaze to the gently wagging tail of Anubis. A smile appeared on her face as she walked toward the unsuspecting goddess before slapping her on the butt with an open-palmed strike. Anubis immediately yelped, but everyone present heard there was a sensual undertone to the vocalization that caused her to blush and avert her eyes. Tsubaki began laughing loudly as she said, "Your butt isn't so bad either! And it looks like you have some peculiar interests as well~."Unable to easily deal with someone as 'shameless' as Tsubaki, Anubis ended up excusing herself from the conversation with Nanu in tow. Naaza and Lili had made eye contact with each other and came to an unspoken agreement as they secretly pledged not to tease Tsubaki when she was embarrassed. Though it didn't seem it did a lot of damage, the slap had been incredible audible and had even caused several passersby to look over with unconcealed intrigue.---After he had gone a few blocks, Vahn returned to normal while keeping his domain spread thinly in a 5m area around him. At this range, he would be able to respond to the majority of attacks even if they were from a Level 5. Ever since the ambush from yesterday, Vahn didn't want to take the chance of getting caught with his domain inactive again. Even if he might draw the attention of a god or goddess by using it, as long as he kept it contained close to his body there shouldn't be any issues. Since he was able to differentiate between mortals and gods by the size of their aura, Vahn wasn't worried about getting found out easily.It was at this moment, when Vahn was finally away from everyone, that he realized he was homeless for the first time in a while. Though brief, he even had a small desire to return to his forest cave and rest there for a few days. That thought passed quickly, however, when the image of Tina and Milan surfaced in his mind. There was also the matter regarding Hestia's descent from Heaven and the formation of her Familia. Vahn would be the first member and would be acting as the role of a Captain when it came to recruiting more members. He figured that, by the time Bell arrived more than two years from now, the Familia would have grown to the size of a small organization. Vahn even wanted to try and get it to Rank A or S if he could get enough powerful members to join.With thoughts of the future in his mind, Vahn wondered if he should purchase a place now or wait until Hestia finally came down so they could choose it together. Though he expected she would want to be spoiled, Vahn actually looked forward to his interactions with the goddess. Much like Eina, he was naturally predisposed to want to associate with her since she had been one of Vahn's favorite characters in the past. Though he didn't initially have any romantic interest in her, remembering the words from Loki, Vahn considered that it might happen in the future and it made him a little giddy.Even though he knew Hestia had liked Bell in the manga, Vahn was more invested in living his own life and trying to respond to the thoughts, actions, and feelings of the people he liked to be around. He might not make any early advances on Hestia, but Vahn expected they would grow close very quickly since she seemed to have a disposition that enjoyed physical contact. In most of the scenes, other than when she was working or interacting with the plot, Hestia could be seen clinging to Bell in some form or fashion. Though he felt the smallest amount of guilt, Vahn didn't think anyone belonged to anyone else and he had already irreversibly changed fate. Hestia would end up with who she chooses, and Vahn didn't mind if he became the object of her affections in the future.After all, it was still more than two years before Bell came to the City, and Vahn didn't think it was appropriate to try and force a situation just because it had been prominent in the original 'record'. He had already been engaged to Eina while experiencing his first time with two other prominent girls in Tiona and Ais. Since he also had a potential relationship with Syr and Ryuu, Vahn didn't feel the need to restrict himself according to a fate that no longer existed. If he had let things progress naturally, Lili would have been forced to suffer for several more years while Tiona would have continued experiencing her loneliness. Naaza would have lost her arm and entered a powerful depression after the collapse of her Familia and Tsubaki would have lived the rest of her life alone. Since Vahn truly cared about each of the girls around him, he had no regrets or inhibitions about trying his best in the future.Vahn knew Bell had a natural charisma that would draw people to him in the future, so he wasn't overly concerned about his well-being. He intended to make friends with the young hero and help promote his growth and awakening as a genuine hero. Even if Hephaestus didn't forge him a dagger by the request of Hestia, Vahn could make him a number of powerful pieces of equipment while letting him make use of the network he would develop in the future. Bell would even be able to accompany the Loki Familia on their expeditions from the outset if he so chose while having a number of people to train with and grow alongside.After ruminating a bit, Vahn decided to stay at an Inn called the 'Boars Teeth' that was near the center of the City. Since he would be moving around a lot in the next few days, Vahn wanted a central location that would allow him to easily reach other areas of the City when he was feeling whimsical. He paid for a week upfront, though he only expected to be staying for the next three days. If nothing else the proprietress, a middle-aged woman with purple hair and green eyes, could use the remaining amount as she saw fit.Once he had a place to stay, Vahn headed toward the Hostess of Fertility to check up on Milan and Tina. He also wanted to enjoy a long lunch and spend some time with Chloe and pamper her for a while. Though he was trying to break the mindset of 'paying people back', Vahn still felt like he needed to tend to her more. Not because he owed her anything, but because he respected her character and enjoyed her company. He also wanted to hear about her past and assumed it might bring them close enough that her affection increases to the cap. If he could see her hearts desire, Vahn felt like he would have a better understanding of how to help her break free from the darkness in the future.Arriving outside the familiar pub, Vahn was surprised because there was a figure that immediately ran through the double doors before leaping into his arms. Though she was wearing a miniature version of the waitress outfit of the Hostess of Fertility, Vahn still recognized the girl as Tina and caught her smoothly without losing his balance. When he caught her, she immediately began to nuzzle into his chest and Vahn suddenly felt she was acting a lot like Lili had when he first saved her.Vahn gently stroke her head as he placed her onto the ground so she could stand on her own two feet. However, even though he put her down, Tina still continued to cling to him like she was afraid to let him go. Vahn felt pained by the way she was acting because it was a far cry from her usual behavior that acted more sensibly. Stroking her back gently, Vahn said in a quiet voice, "Everything is okay Tina, I'm not going anywhere."Tina didn't look up at his face as she continued to cling to him as tears started building up in her eyes. She said in a slightly sobbing voice, "When I woke up, you weren't there. I had nightmares..." Her body began to shake and it made Vahn feel like his heart was going to break. He continued trying to console her and whispered, "I carried you all the way back while protecting you and your mother. It is safe here, and I'll be able to visit often..."Her hands around his waist tightened and she raised her teary doe-like eyes as she said, "We're supposed to be together...I don't want to stay here. Even though the girls are all nice, I want to come to stay with you. Mom can come with us as well...we can be happy..." Tina's tears started dripping heavily from her eyes and Vahn felt like she was almost pleading to him.Kneeling down, Vahn hugged Tina closely even though they were drawing the attention of several people. Milan had also come out from inside the Hostess of Fertility with Syr standing beside her. Both of the girls had sad expressions as they watched Vahn trying to console Tina. They both knew she had been putting on a strong front and trying her best to interact with customers, but the moment she detected Vahn's scent, she immediately broke down and ran out of the pub after causing a small commotion.Vahn looked around the area before picking up Tina in his arms and asking Syr, "Can I use the usual room?" Syr gave him a gentle and encouraging smile as she and Milan followed Vahn into the private room he had permanently reserved during the lunch hours. Sitting in the booth, Vahn held Tina sideways on his lap as he used [Hands of Nirvana] to help calm her. He then began to explain everything that had happened recently to the girls present and tried to help Tina understand that a lot of things were changing right now.He encouraged Tina to stay strong and protect her mother while trying to learn from the girls at the Hostess of Fertility. Though he didn't know all of their stories, Vahn knew they all had some form of trauma or tragic past they were trying to overcome. Milan needed time away from interacting too heavily with men, and she had taken the role of one of the kitchen staff while Tina tried to maintain her liveliness by working as a waitress that delivered appetizers and snacks.Though she had trouble agreeing with him outright, Vahn managed to convince Tina to stay here temporarily with the support of Milan and Syr explaining things. The final straw had been when Milan embraced her body and the three shared a sad hug while both of the girls cried in his arms. Syr stood to the side with a gentle smile on her face and spoke encouraging words to the Mother-Daughter pair whole having Vahn promise to stop by for each meal until he found a place to stay permanently.Vahn agreed and told them about his plans to join the Hestia Familia when she descended three days from now. His words had actually prompted Milan to ask if she would be able to join the Familia sometime in the future. Tina also wanted to join and Vahn agreed to accept them both, but not before he had increased the security of the Familia and recruited some strong members. If they truly wanted to join a Familia soon, Vahn suggested the Loki Familia, since he would be accompanying them on their expeditions in the future and would be spending a lot of time there when his probationary period ended.Tina outright refused while saying she would only join the Familia he was in, but Milan considered the idea for a few minutes before inevitably deciding to accompany Tina. From her perspective, as soon as Vahn stabilized and became the Captain of a Familia, it would help guarantee the livelihoods of her and her daughter in the future. Though she didn't like to think in such a pragmatic way, especially in regards to Vahn, the incident the previous night had been an awakening for her. She had almost left Tina an orphan and wanted to guarantee that she had a safe place in the future even if she felt her thoughts were slightly exploitative.After coming to an agreement, Vahn ate lunch with the two girls after leaving a heavy tip with Mama Mia to excuse their absence. Syr was their server because, when Vahn asked, Chloe had asked for the day off after arriving slightly after sunrise. She had been out late while trying to close up loose ends and needed to recuperate a bit before returning to work tomorrow. Vahn was surprised with how informed Syr was about the situation and she explained that it was her role within the Hostess of Fertility to keep everyone unified. She knew about all the histories of the girls and did her best to make sure nothing happened that would cause problems for them. The only reason she spoke to Vahn about the matters was that she 'trusted' him and knew of his relationship with Chloe.Vahn thanked Syr for all the help she had provided and her response was to pause for a little while as she stared at Vahn's face. Curious about her actions, Vahn was about to ask when she quickly leaned forward and gave him a kiss right next to his lips without contacting them much. Vahn wasn't sure if she had tried to kiss his cheek or if she had aimed for his lips and misjudged her approach. Satisfied with his response, Syr chuckled and teased Vahn by saying, "Won't we all be family in the future~? I'm also drawn to your 'light', Vahn, make sure you don't forget..."Milan had already returned to her duties while Tina had been given the rest of the day off after lunch had come to an end. This left Vahn to stand blankly for a few seconds as he watched Syr trot away after successfully teasing him. Her actions caused Vahn to ruminate over her words and he realized that Chloe must have talked to her about what they had discussed within the escape tunnel. He hadn't realized her influence in the Hostess of Fertility until now but recalled that she was often exempt from several things while Mama Mia overlooked her actions.Now Vahn understood that the person in charge of the Hostess of Fertility all this time was actually Syr, even though Mama Mia was still the proprietress. Remembering that both of the items he had obtained from reaching max affection with Syr were related to 'Fertility', Vahn even suspected that Syr was the reason the pub had been established in the first place. He wondered how she would react when word got around that he was considered a 'demigod of fertility' himself since he now realized she was very obviously a 'demigoddess of fertility'...or something similar.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tina's Trauma','Milan's Concerns','Syr's Influence')If you'd like to support my ******* so I can continue writing the story and expanding the world even further, please follow the link below~!https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $735/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

Since there was now a much larger group of people that would be eating breakfast, Vahn had decided to use his system shop to substitute actual cooking and purchased a variety of baked goods for everyone to enjoy while Naaza, Lili, and Anubis prepared tea for the entire group. Everyone made somewhat casual conversation and talked about various matters while Loki kept goading people on about Vahn's 'obsession' with butts. It seemed as though, since she didn't have anything in the breast department, Loki was especially happy by the 'revelation'. Vahn wanted to say he didn't really have a preference but recalled that he had been fixated on them quite a bit in the past so kept the matter to himself. He felt like he just liked the bodies of girls in general, but it was hard to explain since everyone present, other than himself, was a female.Though the mood had become much lighter because of his earlier actions and everyone was now eating breakfast happily, Vahn knew there was a serious discussion going to take place soon. He wasn't the only to have noticed either, as Vahn was able to see the aura's of everyone in the room fluctuate and droop slightly. The only exception was Loki, who seemed to have a tinge of red to her aura which reminded Vahn of her earlier anger.Once breakfast had ended, Anubis had the children leave the dining room before turning to Vahn and bowing low for several seconds. He could see she was heavily affected by what was going to be discussed, so Vahn affectionately pet her ears and hair. Reaching up to the collar around her neck, Anubis said in a sad-sounding tone, "I'll always follow you, Master." Vahn nodded his head before hugging her and whispering, "I know, thank you Anubis."The mood had quickly begun to deteriorate as the only people left in the room were Vahn, Hephaestus, Loki, Tsubaki, Lili, and Naaza. Tsubaki had tried to leave with Lili and Naaza, but they adamantly refused to leave before they heard what was going to be discussed. The matter likely pertained to Vahn, and they didn't want to be left out of the loop since everyone was acting in a solemn mood. Nanu had wanted to stay behind, but Anubis had her leave with the other children as she followed behind to explain the situation they would be in from now on.Once everyone from the Anubis Familia had left the room, Loki started off by saying, "Last night, there were several matters that took place that you need to be made aware of. First off, there was an Alliance created between the Hephaestus, Takemikazuchi, Miach, Anubis, and my Familias. Secondly, we, as an Alliance, went to negotiate directly with Ouranos, the premier god, and leader of the Guild. He is the highest authority within the City, and it would have fallen to him to uphold any punishments."Vahn nodded his head and asked, "You're speaking in regards to the death of Laverna?" Loki's expression froze a little before she continued, "That's correct. Everyone can tell you know the identity of the killer, and we also knew there was no way you would divulge it yourself. To prevent the situation from getting out of hand, we went to Ouranos directly and forced a compromise."At this point, Hephaestus had a somewhat sad look on her face as she said, "You will be forced to leave my Familia and have been prevented from joining any of the Familia within the Alliance for the duration of one year." Her words caused Naaza to frown while Lili slammed her hands onto the table and shouted, "That isn't fair! It was the stupid goddess that caused this situation to happen! Vahn shouldn't have to suffer just because a criminal was brought to justice!"As she had been sitting next to him, Vahn grabbed Lili's tail which caused her to help and sit back down with her hands on her butt. She looked at him in confusion as Vahn smiled and said, "Please, continue. There is more, isn't there?" Lili seemed like she wanted to say something, but Vahn kept her quiet by gently stroking her hair. The main reason she was upset was due to the fact that, since she had just changed Familia recently, Lili wouldn't be able to join the same Familia as Vahn for more than 11 months.Loki paused for a few seconds before continuing, "It's not all that bad, since we managed to keep a provision that allowed you to keep all of the materials that you can store within your inventory. Though we had to tell Ouranos about your 'storage magic', you'll now be able to use the resources currently available to you in order to purchase your own house and workshop. Since you have plenty of Valis and materials on hand, you won't exactly be hurting when it comes to finding a place to stay..."Vahn's brows raised a bit, since he could tell that Loki was somewhat upset by her own words. As if to answer his curiosity, Hephaestus spoke out in a moderately gentle tone, "I sent an Oracle to a close friend of mine, who his also a goddess, and she had agreed to descend and join the Alliance as well. Though you may not be able to join one of our Familia for the time being, we actually agreed that it would be beneficial if you were to be involved with the creation of your own. She is someone that you can trust and also has a longstanding relationship with both Loki and myself."As if trying to refute her words, Loki spat out, "As if I have any relationship with that chibi cow goddess! We're enemies at best~!" Her words had caused her aura to flare up and Vahn quickly realized who they were talking about. With a slight smile on his face, Vahn asked, "What is the name of this goddess?"Loki frowned slightly at Vahn's reaction while Hephaestus seemed to be pleased that he had accepted the situation so easily. Reminiscing about her experiences with her good friend, she said, "Her name is Hestia, and...she can be a bit lazy. Other than that, though, she is an incredibly kind goddess who treated me well even before my eye was healed." Recalling the past, Hephaestus reached her hand to her right eye and gave Vahn an incredibly 'loving' look.Vahn returned her smile and reached out to pull her hand away from her eye and stare into the subtle crimson glow. She hadn't worn her eyepatch since he had healed her, and he felt like she had become more beautiful as her confidence grew. While they two were beginning to fall into their own little world, Loki spoke out in a discontented voice, "Don't let her fool you so easily, Vahn. Hestia is one of the laziest goddesses in Heaven and she'll probably just want you to spoil her 24/7~! All of her brains ended up being put into her boobs and she is a natural airhead that doesn't know how to show proper restraint!"Though he had seen it a bit in the manga, Vahn was surprised with how hostile Loki acted when it came to Hestia. He gave her a curious look and remembered that she had a complex about her breasts and likely used that as the basis for her hatred against Hestia. There was also the fact that Hestia's Divinity didn't really seem to have a great influence on her character, at least not in a way that altered her relationships with others to a great extent. Vahn felt like Loki was very jealous of Hestia and he actually felt a bit bad for her since most of the conflict between them was beyond both of their control.Loki had seen the look Vahn was giving her and frowned slightly and wanted to say something else but Vahn smiled and spoke out in a gentle tone that brought the mischevious goddess to silence, "Loki, even though I don't agree with how you act as a result of your Divinity, there is nothing else that I can fault you for. Have more confidence and don't get caught up in comparing yourself to others. I believe in Hephaestus's choice, and I believe that Hestia is likely a kind and gentle goddess. Since we'll all be working together in the future, I'd like for you to not have too many conflicts with each other."Everyone in the room paused after hearing Vahn's words because it wasn't often that someone like Loki was brought to silence. She seemed to have a vicious internal struggle for a while as her brows were furrowed low and her mouth had pursed into a small shape. Eventually, she looked toward Hephaestus before adopting a very serious expression and saying, "I will try to get along with Hestia, but you have to guarantee that I'll get a baby after you know up Hephaestus. I don't want to see the person I've butted heads with for thousands of years get an advantage when she hasn't even been with a man before."Since they had made a vow where Loki couldn't 'pressure' Vahn to have a child with her, Hephaestus frowned and tried to refute but Vahn beat her to the punch as he said, "I can't keep making promises that might influence my future decisions so easily. I told you that I would have a child with you after Hephaestus already, but I can't guarantee you would be the next person. I can't predict the future, and the more promises I make, the harder it is for me to make rational decisions under stress. Please, Loki, just try to have some patience and trust that I will do my best when the time comes."Hephaestus had a strange expression as she asked Loki, "You two have already come to an agreement?" Loki was broken from her thoughts as she heard Hephaestus voice and responded seriously, "Vahn let me experience the effects of [Enkidu] and we came to an agreement while my Divinity was sealed. I didn't pressure him directly, so there was no violation in regards to the vow made between us."All of the talks of pregnancy and having children had riled up the other girls as Lili tried to jump into the conversation but was prevented from doing so as Naaza put her hand over her mouth. Vahn continued where Loki left off and explained, "Loki taught me about the influence of Divinity, and that is why I have tried to empathize more with the situation of the gods and goddesses. This is the reason I had hesitated when it came to Laverna, even though I desperately wanted to take action. I have decided to try and find a solution for the future, and not just for gods and goddesses. I want to help spirits and the various half-species as well." As he spoke, Vahn had turned his head to the various girls in the room and even rested his eyes on Tsubaki when he mentioned half-species.As if coming to a realization, Tsubaki's brows raised as she pointed toward herself with her index finger and asked incredulously, "Are you trying to say you'll knock me up too?" Her words had caused everyone in the room to have a strange reaction, including Vahn who felt a strong desire to plant his face into the table. He answered her in a tired manner, "I want to help find a solution that doesn't necessarily rely on my involvement or the use of [Enkidu]. There is no way I would be able to help everyone individually, or I'd never have any time to do the other things I want to focus on..." As Vahn spoke, he had actually begun to imagine what it would be like for Tsubaki to bear his child as well. Strangely, he felt like she would make a great mother since she had treated him so well in the past...The thought had caused his dismissal of the topic to shift a bit as he looked at Tsubaki and said, "I think...you'd make a good mother." His words had actually caused Tsubaki's healthy brown skin to flush ever so slightly as she squinted her eye a bit and smiled at Vahn. In a gentle voice, which contrasted her usual behavior, Tsubaki said, "Vahn, you don't have to try and help everyone. Focus on finding a solution to help others. I have already accepted my lot in life, and I don't have any regrets."Though her words had been spoken smoothly and her expression hadn't changed, Vahn noticed her aura fluctuate a great deal when she mentioned that she had 'accepted' her lot in life. In a lot of ways, since she was an older woman, Tsubaki was like Milan. Even though Vahn had affection for them, they were resistant against his approach because they were overly concerned with his well-being.Vahn's brows furrowed as he looked at Tsubaki with a serious expression and said in a firm tone, "I don't agree with that. Even if you try to hide it, I can tell you don't believe in your own words. If you want to have a child, and can't find another partner, I'd be more than willing to take on the responsibility. I already have plenty of ways to guarantee that you would get pregnant."After his words fell, the room became absolutely silent as everyone gave Vahn incredulous looks for saying something so 'strange' so casually. Even Tsubaki was taken aback by his words and didn't know how to react. Though she liked to tease Vahn, and even considered playing around with him if he developed an interest with her, she never considered the possibility of getting pregnant. She had tried in the past and failed to do so and had long since lost the hope of having children of her own. Hearing a boy more than twenty years her junior confidently 'guaranteeing' he could get her pregnant made her completely unable to process the situation.Thinking the silence was due to the unbelievable nature of his claim, Vahn pulled out the [Matryoshka of Fertility] and placed it on the table. He explained, "This is a special item that can create a seal on the abdomen that will guarantee pregnancy for the duration of eight hours. I'm not sure if it can work on goddesses and spirits, but it will absolutely work on a half-dwarf."Tsubaki's eyes were drawn to the strange 'doll' that Vahn had placed on the table. It looked like a fat little woman and she couldn't believe it had the effect he claimed. Thinking that he was just trying to 'comfort' her, Tsubaki smiled before laughing heartily and picking up the small object. As if to tease Vahn, she looked at the bottom and noticed there was a circle with what looked like a baby contained within. She asked, "So, you're saying if I stamp this on my stomach, I'll get pregnant if I have sex within eight hours?"A gleam went through Tsubaki's eye as she moved her hand as if she was going to stamp her stomach. Vahn saw the movement and his domain exploded and his reactions were pushed to the limits as he reached forward and snatched away the Matryoshka mere centimeters before she had completed her prank. His actions had caused Tsubaki to feel a strange sensation in her heart as she asked in a disbelieving fashion, "Wait, were you actually serious?"Seeing the visible sweat coming from Vahn's brow, Loki answered for him, "You should know that Vahn isn't the type to be able to tell a lie. He can't even mislead people well since his facial expressions give away everything he is thinking. If he told you that item can guarantee pregnancy, you should expect that is exactly what it does. My question is, how did you obtain that item in the first place?"Before Vahn answered, Hephaestus spoke out in a loud tone, "This isn't a conversation about pregnancy and making babies! We're supposed to be discussing the matters of the negotiations and helping Vahn figure out what he wants to do!" Her words had caused everyone to turn silent for several seconds as Hephaestus calmed her breathing. Throughout the entire period of silence, she kept glancing at the Matryoshka in Vahn's hand and couldn't help but ask in a quiet tone, "Is that a single use item...?"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Everyone, look under your chairs~! That's right, everyone gets a baby!!!','Tsubaki nearly made a grave error','I wonder if Naaza is still holding Lili back?')If you'd like to support my ******* so I can continue writing the story and expanding the world even further, please follow the link below~!https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $735/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

Chapter 205: Living Arrangements (1/2)