Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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

After leaving the Hostess of Fertility, it was nearing 3 PM and Vahn didn't have anything planned. He thought about visiting the Twilight Manor and meeting with Tiona and Ais but didn't think it would be appropriate at the moment. Vahn started to consider if he should be taking the next few days off in the real world while seriously focusing his efforts in the orb. Since he would be staying near the Hostess of Fertility, Vahn could easily visit Hephaestus and Eina over the next few days while checking up on Milan and Tina.Vahn spent the rest of the afternoon lazing about the City and taking in the various sights and sounds while he contemplated future matters. In this time, he had been hearing several rumors about himself and the matters that had taken place the prior night. Even though he had only been forced to leave the Hephaestus Familia just this morning, it seemed to be a popular topic of discussion in the general populace. Till now, his name was known but his face and figure had remained relatively obscure and most people didn't recognize him. Now, however, Vahn noticed several people giving him a variety of different looks.Since the information spreading around had his normal appearance, Vahn decided to walk through the town in his Báihǔ form to avoid attention. Even though he actually stood out quite a bit because of his striking appearance, most people couldn't recognize him as the 'Former' Vulcan. As he was no longer part of the Hephaestus Familia, his alias had actually been stripped from him and some people were even calling him a 'God Killer' even though it was made public that he hadn't actually done the deed.Before experiencing it first hand, Vahn hadn't realized how quickly information spread through the City's networks and it was somewhat disheartening hearing what some people said about him. Though he wasn't too concerned with their opinions, it still made him feel a little sad that people he had never met saw fit to pass judgment and draw conclusions about his character. Even though it was known that Laverna was leading a 'Crime Familia', Vahn was still painted as a menace that didn't know how to show proper restraint. Fortunately, Milan and Tina's names seemed to have been covered up while speculation about the identity of the actual god killer was still a mystery.By the time 5 PM came around, Vahn was sitting atop a tall building that could overlook a large part of the City. With his stealth and agility, there were few places Vahn couldn't get to unless they were protected by barriers. Since he could see the magical energies of formations, there wasn't really any chance of Vahn being detected by normal means. As he sat atop the seven-storied building, Vahn overlooked the City in silent contemplation before finding a flat area to lay down and enter the orb.Once inside, Vahn spent some affectionate time with Eva and noticed her behavior had transitioned from being overly affectionate to a more supportive and docile temperament. Instead of greedily seeking pleasure and warmth, they spent more time cuddling and talking about the future and each of their various troubles.It was during the first of many of these sessions when Vahn learned about the issues between Eva and (Nameless). Even though she made an effort to treat it better, she couldn't communicate with it well and it always seemed to get distracted whenever it was left to its own devices. It had developed the habit of digging up some of the plants in her garden which had irked her a fair amount. Though she still fed it, after a few months of failed attempts to get along with it, Eva gave up trying. The final straw had been when she tried to force it to take a bath, but the water actually made it smell worse.Vahn had also noticed that (Nameless)'s loyalty had diminished a fair amount in the time he hadn't seen it, but it quickly replenished to a normal level after Vahn interacted with it a bit. Perhaps because it was feeling neglected within the space, but (Nameless) always reacted positively when he was around. It was likely due to their bond and spiritual link and it's ability to easily understand Vahn's thoughts and orders. Vahn also didn't think poorly of it, and never shied away from giving it a bit of affection.Even though Vahn also found (Nameless) quite ugly, he didn't want to be the type of person that neglected those that have chosen to follow him. Since (Nameless) had been his first subordinate and would be one of his long-time companions, Vahn wanted it to be happier. Though it wasn't much, he purchased a hearty meal for it and even gave it a large collar with a non-descript golden nametag which was currently left blank. It seemed to be very happy and even tried to affectionately lick Vahn's hand for a while before he just pet its head to avoid the foul smelling breath. Eva even made him wash his hands plentily when it came time for their bath or she wouldn't allow him to touch her.Vahn's resolve to give (Nameless) a good name became more firmly cemented in his mind as he returned it to its magic core state and placed it back into his inventory before leaving. Eva didn't seem to mind being in the space alone since Vahn had given her a veritable warehouse full of books and items to keep her occupied. They make things easier, Vahn had purchased nearly 100,000OP worth of building materials since he remembered she had once wanted to build a castle. She put a lot of effort into construction and meticulously maintained the garden they had planted together, so Vahn thought increasing the scale according to her interests would be a good idea. They spent a few hours together with Eva in high spirits as they talked about the design which ended up looking like a miniature castle straight out of a fairy tale.Back in the real world, Vahn was in much higher spirits after interacting with Eva in the orb-space. He went back toward the Hostess of Fertility where he spent dinner alongside Tina and Milan and even had a short conversation with Ryuu before parting. Vahn was somewhat surprised when she seemed to be interested in joining his Familia in the future when he had explained his intentions to turn it into a 'righteous' Familia.He was unaware at the time, but Ryuu had already resolved herself to support him alongside several other members of the Hostess of Fertility like Chloe and Syr. The three girls had, without explaining things fully to Vahn, decided they would help expand his information network and try to manage things on the darker side of the spectrum to prevent Vahn from being overburdened by those with malicious intent.When Vahn had returned to the Inn, he felt strangely lonely while he was sleeping in the unfamiliar bed. Though he hadn't realized it before, there had almost always been someone sleeping alongside him for more than a month without an exception. Now that he was in bed alone, Vahn felt like the night air was surprisingly cold and he used his [Heart of the Eternal Flame] to keep himself warm as he conversed with Sis about future plans and possible solutions.By her suggestion, Vahn decided to spend the next few days using the resources he had available to him to increase the strength of his foundation. Though they wouldn't offer a great increase in his parameters, they would promote his growth in the future while increasing the number of parameters he could obtain per level. The majority of the items came in the form of various pills that could be ingested immediately, and each of them caused Vahn some degree of discomfort as his body processed the effects. Vahn consumed them all before going to sleep while planning to make use of the remaining powders in his future baths.Morning came sooner than he expected and Vahn once gain felt somewhat lonely to awake to an empty bed. With a sigh, he returned to the orb and refreshed himself by spending more time with Eva. Since she had four years to manage the construction, the miniature castle had already been completed and Eva expanded the walls of their previous house and garden and turned it into a small courtyard. The biggest impact to Vahn had been the various statues that Eva decided to decorate the area with.When he had seen the first one, Vahn's mind blanked because it was a 5m tall nude version of himself striking a heroic pose while cradling a naked Eva in one of his arms. Though the craftsmanship was incredible, Vahn felt awkward every time he saw anything depicting himself. He felt like the version Eva had created in her mind was something much greater than he currently was and Vahn even felt somewhat pressured by her expectations.Since it was only the two of them that could enter the space, Eva wasn't shy at all when it came to creating her paintings and sculptures, and the most common medium had always been Vahn and herself in various scenes. There were paintings where they would be sitting amongst nature peacefully while others showed fantastical scenes where they were fighting titanic creatures hand-in-hand.Eva even had a wing of the castle where she had forbidden Vahn entry and the overly serious look on her face had caused him to swallow hard before making a promise not to. It was fortunate he listened to her as well since the artwork within her private wing was much more intense than anything on display outside. She had seen Vahn's somewhat inhibited response to her earlier pieces and lost any confidence she had in letting him see what she believed to be her true masterpieces.By the time Vahn had left the orb again, his mentality had stabilized quite a bit and he was making more progress in his forging, though only by marginal amounts. He had gotten the suggestion from Sis to try and use his [Eyes of Truth] to assist in the creation of items and now Vahn was slowly trying to adapt to the ability. Unfortunately, the expenditure of energy was far too high so Vahn had limited success and couldn't create any kind of magically infused materials at all.Once he returned to the real world, Vahn took a bath using some [Intermediate Body Strengthening Liquid] before meditating for a few hours until it was time to head to the Hostess of Fertility for lunch. Since the pub didn't typically open until 10 AM, they didn't serve breakfast since they required time to clean up and prepare everything after the close of business the previous day.Tina always ate while sitting in Vahn's lap, and he felt like she was becoming overly reliant on him in a manner similar to Lili. Milan always acted more reserved, but she still sat next to Vahn as they all enjoyed their meals together. Vahn missed the playful and teasing nature that she used to have and hoped that she would be able to recover sooner since it would likely help Tina stabilize as well.During the lunch, Vahn was finally able to reunite with Chloe but she was acting uncharacteristically polite and attentive since she was being considerate of Milan and Tina. Vahn felt somewhat apologetic toward her since he actually wanted to spoil her quite a bit after everything that happened two days ago. Since she was very perceptive of him, Chloe noticed his intentions and teased him a bit when Milan and Tina had finally returned to their duties.Chloe stepped forward with a mischevious smile as she stroked Vahn's chest and stomach playfully with squinted eyes. Vahn countered by hugging her waist and trying to kiss her, but she lowered her head slightly and Vahn ended up landing on her forehead which caused the cat girl to laugh in a, 'Nyahaha' like manner. Vahn smiled at her antics and just held her closely for several seconds until she relaxed in his arms.After a while, Chloe whispered in a somewhat sensual tone in Vahn's ear, "If you still want to know about me...I can come to your Inn tonight...and we can talk~nya." Her words had tickled his ear and caused Vahn's brows to raise slightly. When he turned to make eye contact with her, he noticed she actually had a bit of concern in her eyes and her aura was fluctuating slightly. Vahn sighed in his mind because he realized she must have known he was feeling somewhat lonely.He asked in a low tone, "Is it really that easy to read my face?" His words caused Chloe to laugh cheerfully before she placed her hand on his cheek and smiled. She whispered in a quiet tone that couldn't be overheard even if others had been listening attentively, "It is indeed very easy~nya. But, it is one of the best traits about you...it makes it easy for people to trust you and allows us to share your concerns. Make sure to keep your window unlocked tonight~nya."Vahn smiled and held her closely as he once again planted his lips on her forehead for a while before pulling away and resting his forehead against her's. Staring at her from so close made Vahn feel like there was no distance between them as he looked into her caring and glimmering green eyes. He felt like Chloe was one of the most significant people in his entire life and wanted to know more about her so they could be even closer. With a light smile on his face, Vahn whispered, "I'll be waiting..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Eva's Artistic Inclination','Poor (Nameless)','Chloe's Invitation')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

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

Chapter 206: Living Arrangements (2/2)