Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

The last thing Vahn furnished within the manor was his two workshops and forges. Though he intended to make the most use of the secret forge hidden in the main room, Vahn expected that some of his future Familia members might use the main workshop for production and research in the future. Even Hephaestus herself had several forges, even though there was only one that housed the 'eternal flame'.By the time everything was finished, Vahn was looking over his resources and frowned after seeing that his Origin Points had taken a massive hit in the last few days. It didn't seem like that long ago when he had nearly 500,000OP, but now he only had 139,417OP left. Because a lot of the items he purchased were for 'long-term' use, he had become a bit of a spendthrift after getting caught up in the excitement.After 5 PM came around, Vahn entered the orb for a few seconds and spent the three days within trying to earn some extra OP to replenish his diminishing stock. With his current skills, he could make around 9-11k OP per day on average, so by the time he left his total had increased to 168,399OP. Satisfied by the result, Vahn's concerns diminished by quite a bit since he would be able to make upwards of 50-60k OP per day if he put in an effort. Compared to his past gains and how much he had to suffer just to reach 1M in the past, Vahn felt like his current acquisition rate was more than acceptable.While he was busy working, Hestia had asked him to even install a small kitchenette in 'their' room and had taken to lazing about on a couch that Vahn had purchased while munching on snacks. As soon as things had calmed down, she immediately began lazing about without any sense of propriety as she let her head dangle off the couch and watched Vahn working upside down. Vahn was worried she would get a cramp in her neck, but she didn't seem to be bothered at all. Remembering how inexplicable soft her feet were even though she walked around barefoot, Vahn assumed it was another peculiar trait she had.As soon as it looked like he was done working, Hestia would immediately become energetic and they would chat away about various topics once again. She was a veritable ball of energy when they conversed, a far cry compared to how she lazed about when he was busy. Eventually, the topic turned to what kind of Familia they wanted to be in the future. Since they would have to register at the Guild, they had to pick a specific designation for correspondence purposes.Vahn already had a prepared answer, so he said, "I want us to be an exploration type Familia that also acts based on the principles of righteousness and moderation. I don't believe it's possible to eliminate evil, but I think we should promote our principles and try to create a Familia that sets the example for others to follow. Other than that, I want our Familia to protect the weak and act as a safe haven for those that wish to improve themselves..."Hestia listened to his words with a thoughtful smile on her face as Vahn talked about his ideals with a bit of passion and fervor. She could tell that, because of his kind and gentle nature, Vahn wanted to be a hero that helps people. Even though she understood he would bear a lot of burdens following the path he had chosen, Hestia was proud of him since she believed the stance he was taking was commendable. As the first child of her Familia, Vahn would set the example for everyone else that joined and there was a real chance his dream could become a reality as long as he had enough support.When he finished his short soliloquy, Hestia showed a cheerful smile and said, "I will do my best to help you make your dream a reality. As long as you keep moving forward and believe in what you stand for, there will be nothing that can stand in your way. Even if there are bumps along the way, even if you have to slow down, or even stop for a time, there is always hope if you face the future with courage and the resolve to do your best. When you are tired and need a place to lay down, I will always be here waiting for your return..."As Hestia was speaking, Vahn was staring into her glimmering blue eyes in a mild daze as each of her words impacted something deep inside of him. He didn't know why, perhaps because she was someone he had always wanted to meet, but a lot of the things Hestia said resonated with him. Even though she seemed weak, lazy, and a little unreliable, she had moments like this that inspired him and made Vahn feel more confident about the future. Since he had seen how hard she worked in the original manga, Vahn knew Hestia was the type to put in a lot of effort to support the people she genuinely cared about so he felt like he could place his trust in her words.For what felt like the tenth time in the last two days, Vahn smiled at Hestia and said, "Thank you, Hestia...I'll do my best." In response, Hestia's smile grew wider and she responded in a very chipper and cheerful voice, "I know you will~! But, you have to stop thinking 'I' all the time, Vahn! From now on, it is 'we', so you have to say 'we' will do our best, together~!" Hestia seemed to be in somewhat high tensions as she clasped Vahn's hand like a comrade that was about to face a fearsome enemy with him. She had a confident expression on her face and a slight blush on her cheeks with a slight glimmer in her eyes that shone marginally more brightly than usual.Vahn gripped her hand a bit and also showed an expression of confidence as the two stared at each other and created a micro-loop of expectation and fervor. If anyone had seen their antics from the side, they would have likely commented that they were both idiots. Since there was nobody present, however, they just completely ignored general sensibilities and created a strange atmosphere that quickly turned into something awkward after around half a minute had passed.Though she held his gaze for a while without a problem, the longer the silence continued, the more embarrassed Hestia felt. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, but Vahn continued to grasp her hand and hold eye contact with her and she didn't know if she should be the one to pull away first or wait for him to do it. Vahn was in a somewhat similar state of mind, so they just continued to hold their hands as if they were about to arm wrestle in mid-air for a much longer period of time than either intended.The blush on Hestia's face continued to grow a bit until she started laughing out loud as she pulled her hand away and said, "Good, good, we'll both do our best from now on~! Ehehehe~." Vahn could see that she was embarrassed as well, so he played along and laughed in a mechanical manner as he scratched the back of his head. Afterward, they left the Hearth Manor and headed towards the Hostess of Fertility for dinner.Though Hestia wanted to stay inside and eat together, Vahn told her he couldn't break his promises with Milan and Tina. Until the two girls had recovered a bit, Vahn wanted to spend at least their meals together for the time being. Hestia sighed after hearing his explanation before a happy smile appeared on her face and she followed along without further complaint. She did, however, have Vahn hold her hand as they walked through the cold night air together.Since Hestia was walking in a happy, straight legged, fashion, Vahn kept staring at her feet to see how she reacted whenever they walked through rougher terrain. Even when they passed through areas where the cobblestone seemed somewhat jagged, Hestia stepped on it without even flinching and Vahn felt like it was an inexplicable sight. Remembering how soft they were when he touched them, Vahn felt like her feet should easily be cut open but she continued walking without any trouble at all.During dinner, Hestia actually separated from Vahn and sat next to Tina as she started a cheerful conversation with the small cat girl. Vahn was a bit surprised since he felt like Hestia had an inclination against him interacting with so many girls. Seeing how easily she got along with Tina while he sat next to Milan made him smile. Milan also seemed to be happy and whispered in a voice only he could hear, "You have a kind goddess..."Vahn nodded his head and, with a smile, whispered back, "She is a little peculiar at times, but she is a very kind and gentle girl that is attentive to others in her own way." Then, taking Milan's hand and squeezing it gently, Vahn looked her in the eyes and said, "I hope you're able to join our Familia in the future...Hestia and I have promised to make it a place that protects everyone's happiness together...as family."Milan flinched a bit when Vahn first grabbed her hand even though she placed a lot of trust in him. Even while they were eating dinner, she sat close enough to him to feel his warmth and made an effort to overcome the trauma in her heart. Hearing his words, she felt happy feelings begin to spread within her since she was grateful that he was still so attentive to her and Tina. She already intended to join his Familia in the future and was happy to see that he was serious about creating a place to protect them while even considering her and Tina to be 'family'.Vahn saw Milan's smile and reached his hand up to the hood she was wearing and gently removed it to reveal her lightly fuzzy ears. He saw Milan's aura fluctuate as she hung her head a bit lower as if she were ashamed to be seen in her current state. Hestia and Tina had been watching their interaction and had turned silent for a while as moisture built up in both girls eyes after seeing Milan's ears. Hestia had heard the story and knew that, without Vahn's help, Milan would have likely died after both her ears and tail had been severed. Hearing the story and seeing the aftermath were two entirely different things though, as she almost felt like crying at seeing the proof of the event right before her eyes.Though he felt a little guilty at exposing her without warning, Vahn's expression didn't change at all as he reached up with his left hand and used [Hands of Nirvana] as he gently stroked her hair and ears. She recoiled at first and almost pulled her head away but managed to prevent herself from doing so by taking deep and anxious breaths. After a few seconds, the warm energy coming into her head and the pleasant feeling of Vahn's caress made her fear dissipate by a marginal amount.Vahn had been thinking about the matter for some time, so he said in a gentle whisper, "Everyone here is someone you can trust...you don't have to hide away and feel ashamed over something you had no control over. At least among people you can trust, you shouldn't hide away and worry about how they see you...we all worry about you, Milan, and want to see you be happy."Hearing Vahn's words, everyone in the room except for him began to shed tears as Milan looked up at his face with her golden eyes and a profoundly bereaved expression that made Vahn's heart seize up in anguish. However, no matter how much grief or pity he felt for her, Vahn continued to show a gentle smile on his face as domain silently spread through the room with the effect of [Hands of Nirvana] spreading along with it.For the first time since the incident, other than when she had nightmares at night, Milan began to cry as she buried her face into Vahn's chest. His constant concern and perpetually gentle expression had been slowly breaking away at the walls she had been building up ever since her trauma and now everything released like the opening of a floodgate. She hated the fact that she felt inhibitions about one of the people that were constantly kind to her and how she, if but for a single moment, imagined him in the same vein as the monsters that tormented her.Milan had even been considering the best method to exploit Vahn so he wouldn't abandon them, but she realized he hadn't ever considered abandoning them in the first place. If not for the fact that she had separated herself and Tina from him, Vahn would have probably taken them into his own home and personally protected them even now.Unable to maintain her calm, Tina also ended up embracing the two as Vahn cradled the Mother-Daughter pair in his arms while trying to bring them some degree of comfort. Hestia was staring at the sight with a tearful and contemplative expression while Syr, who had been serving them, stood off to the side in silence. Both girls felt like Vahn had an exceptional amount of compassion and even Hestia felt like there was more to the relationships he had with girls than she initially expected. As if drawn by an invisible force, Hestia and Syr made eye contact briefly before turning back to the emotional sight of the three embracing each other.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Ambitions, Burdens, Hope','Don't let trauma control you, there are always people willing to help','Road to Recovery','Soon(TM)')I am currently at $721/1200 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 crying for more than twenty minutes, Milan started feeling much better and had recovered a bit of the smile that Vahn remembered from the past. Tina had noticed it as well, so she had a happy expression with tears stains on her face as Vahn affectionately stroked the hair and ears of both girls. They spent the rest of the dinner in relative silence and just enjoying the fresher atmosphere as Syr politely served them while Hestia sat across from everyone on her own booth. Vahn was moderately concerned about her, but when he made eye contact with Hestia she just smiled and shook her head in an almost unnoticeable fashion as if to indicate that he shouldn't mind her.Once dinner ended, Syr told Milan and Tina that Mama Mia had given them the rest of the night off and that they should relax in their room. After sharing an embrace with Vahn, the two made their way to their room with an added stability to their auras that made Vahn feel relieved. Milan had promised to join the Familia when things had settled down and Vahn was looking forward to the day when their smiles would return permanently.Turning to Syr, Vahn showed a moderately more affectionate smile than usual and said, "Thanks Syr, you're always helping me out." His words made her chuckle slightly as she squinted her eyes and said, "I wasn't just helping you, Vahn, I felt bad about their situation and wanted to do what I could to protect them. If you want to give me more credit though, I don't mind receiving your affections more often~."Hestia frowned at her words but didn't interfere even when Vahn gave Syr a short embrace. They didn't kiss or do anything more intimate, but it was one of the few times when the two shared a hug and it brought a happy smile to Syr's face. Her light-grey eyes seemed to glow a bit and Vahn resisted the strange feeling instinctively before giving her a peck on the forehead and separating. She touched the slightly damp area and had a rosy blush on her face as she stared at Vahn for a while before returning to her duties.When she left, Vahn watched her back with a thoughtful expression on his face before Hestia interrupted him by saying, "I want you to tell me more about your relationships...I think my understanding of things is somewhat lacking." Hestia had thought that there were several girls just trying to take advantage of Vahn's kindness and was only now realizing there was much more to the situation than she initially realized.Vahn turned to look at Hestia and saw an uncharacteristically serious expression and a bit of concern in her crystalline blue eyes. Considering her request, Vahn nodded his head and promised to explain things in detail when they returned home. Afterward, the two made their way through the relatively cool night air which seemed to grow colder by the day. Vahn could even see his breath a little as they made their way toward the Hearth Manor at a leisurely pace while a silence hung between them. He noticed Hestia seemed to be in deep contemplation as he led her by hand through the familiar back roads.After a few minutes, perhaps due to her absentmindedness, Hestia tripped over a loose stone and nearly fell down before Vahn caught her by the shoulder. She grimaced slightly and Vahn saw for the first time that she had a slight cut on her feet and released a strangely relieved sigh. Before she asked, Vahn leaned down and said, "Get on, I'll carry you the rest of the way." Hestia had been on the verge of tears after the incident but immediately cheered up as she climbed onto Vahn's back without any hesitation.Vahn couldn't help but marvel at how soft her breasts were once again when she hugged his neck tightly and pressed them against his back. Supporting her legs with his palms, Vahn stood up and started carrying the silently laughing Hestia along the path. After a while, she whispered into his ear softly, "You really are too gentle..." Her arms tightened slightly around his neck and Vahn could feel the softness on his back press firmly against him.Hestia continued her words, "I can understand it, how all of those girls are reliant on you. You treat them well and can't ignore when they are unhappy...I even heard you've saved several of them from terrible tragedies. I want to know their stories and how you found your way into their lives...Tell me everything, okay?"Vahn considered her words and, since he already said he would tell her regardless, he nodded his head and affirmed, "I won't keep secrets from you, Hestia, you are my goddess and...my family." Vahn felt like each time he used that word, something inside of his body bloomed and he felt happier and happier. Though he knew of the word and considered having a family of his own, it was only recently that he started to use it when talking about people. He had even changed how he felt about some people from 'liking' them to actually 'loving' them. Without realizing it himself previously, Vahn now understood that his mentality had been making a subtle, yet profound, shift.Vahn's words made Hestia feel very happy and she nuzzled against the side of his head as she squeezed his neck tighter. Though she wasn't very strong, Vahn could still feel his airway being restricted a bit by her efforts. Before he could ask her to loosen up her grip, Hestia whispered in his ear with a very happy tone, "That's right, from now on, always and forever, we'll be family~!"Though it wasn't much, Hestia's affection, which had stalled at 90 previously, increased to 91 and transitioned from (Protective) to (Eternal Bond) within his system menu. Tilting his chin a little to prevent her from choking him to death, Vahn smiled and trekked through the cold night with a new warmth spreading in his body, not just from his back. After a few more minutes, they arrived at the Hearth Manor and entered into the warm interior that was their home.Vahn carried Hestia all the way up the spiral stairs in the central area and into their shared bedroom before setting her down on the couch. He had considered laying her on the bed, but decided against it as took her foot into his hands and began using [Hands of Nirvana] to heal the small wound. When he had done so, Hestia tilted her head sideways in a curious manner before a smile blossomed on her face before turning into a more mischevious look as she asked, "Couldn't you have healed my foot earlier instead of carrying me all this way~?"Her words impacted Vahn and his mind blanked for a moment as he processed what she had just said. Considering them carefully, he also agreed that he could have healed her on the spot easily before they continued along the route. For some reason, when Vahn had seen her absentminded state earlier, he thought it would be more appropriate to carry her so nothing else would happen. Believing this to be the case, Vahn looked up at Hestia's smiling face and said, "I saw how distracted you were earlier and decided to carry you so nothing bad would happen..."As if she didn't believe him and wanted to tease him, Hestia spread her arms akimbo which caused the blue ribbon tied around her body to lift up her breasts. Vahn's eyes were momentarily drawn to the sight and she laughed before asking, "Are you sure there wasn't another reason~?" As she spoke, Hestia proudly puffed out her breasts with a gleam in her pure blue eyes.Vahn released a sigh and said, "I won't deny that it was very comfortable to carry you, but I'm also telling you the truth. I was worried about you and didn't want you to get hurt while you were lost in thought." When he spoke, Vahn had a very serious expression and Hestia's smile widened a bit because of how honest he was. She already knew he was telling the truth earlier, but she also knew there was no way he could have ignored the feeling of her body when he was carrying her for more than ten minutes.Patting her thighs, Hestia said in a cheerful manner, "Here, here, put your head here~! Come and rest your head on your beautiful goddess's thighs and tell me your story~." Watching her actions, Vahn caught a glimpse of her white panties before deciding to accept her offer. She had an expectant smile on her face and he was also interested how a lap pillow from her would feel. It had been a while since he enjoyed the sensation and thought it was a good opportunity to experience something he used to enjoy often in the past.When Vahn laid his head on her thighs without any hesitation, Hestia's heart throbbed a bit as she stared down into his aquamarine eyes. Because of the angle, she knew he had a clear view of her breasts and it made her feel a little excited until he closed his eyes and began to relax. She released a slight sigh but didn't say anything as she waited for him to begin his story. Before he started, she began to gently pass her fingers through his long dark-brown hair in a similar manner to how he always caressed other girls.Vahn felt very comfortable while laying on Hestia's lap and felt completely at ease when she started stroking his hair. It wasn't the first time a girl had done so, and Vahn always felt very comfortable to be on the receiving end of someone's caress. It was partially due to this fact that he often stroked other girls when it looked like they were feeling down. If they felt the same way as he currently felt, Vahn knew his affection would help ease their burdens a bit.For the next two hours, Vahn began recounting all of his encounters with other girls starting with Milan and Tina at the Hostess of Fertility. He didn't leave out any details, including some of the more embarrassing parts, because he had promised to tell Hestia the truth. Though he couldn't mention anything about the system, it didn't stop him from speaking about its influence as long as he passed it off as his 'Divinity'.Vahn also talked about meeting Lili in the dungeon, saving her, and then living in the same end. He talked about his speculations regarding the Soma Familia and his first meeting with Hephaestus, how they grew closer together, his promise with her, and their eventual confession and shared passion. Vahn talked about living with the tyrannical Tsubaki and the score he wanted to settle with her in the future. He recounted his meeting with Naaza, how he had healed her arm and subsequently resisted the attack of the party of adventurers that thought he was a monster.He also talked about how, due to the rumors regarding him, he eventually met with the Loki Familia and dueled with Tiona and Ais before entering the dungeon later to become stronger. He explained his rapid growth, the encounter and near-death experience of fighting the Juggernaut, saving the Father and Sons group, arriving at the 18th floor, and even the ambush of the Anubis Familia.Throughout his entire story, Hestia sat in a daze as if she could imagine all of the struggles he had gone through. When he talked about the moments where he had nearly died trying to perform heroic acts, she felt both terrified and proud of him. Knowing that he willingly suffered the injuries of others to ensure they would have a chance at life and happiness made her feel especially proud to be the goddess of such an incredible youth...When Vahn got to the part about his reunion with the Loki Familia and how he fought against the Goliath solo, Hestia could feel the excitement of the fight and it made her own heart rate increase. Unfortunately, immediately after that, Vahn began talking about his interactions with the Loki Familia from then onwards. This included him bathing with the girls of the main group and the confessions between him and Tiona. He also talked about the 'sexual education' he received from Riveria and the subsequent promises with Tiona and Ais.Vahn even went into detail about his interactions with other girls, all the way up until his fight with the Juggernaut and succumbing to the mental attack. After his awakening, Vahn had changed and began to seek out and interact with people with a new mindset and entered actual relationships with women. He made a lot of promises and even charged into the heart of the Loki Familia where he clashed with her 'rival' Loki head on.After that, Vahn tried to mention his rendezvous with the two girls but Hestia put her hands over his mouth and cut off his airflow to prevent him from speaking further. He opened his eyes and looked up at her and saw she had a frustrated expression on her face as she said, "I don't need those kinds of details you dummy~!" Vahn nodded his head in compliance and she finally let him breathe again so he returned to his story while skipping some of the more intimate details.The remainder of the story including his daily life living with the Anubis Familia and his eventual date and engagement with Eina and Hephaestus. Though he wasn't there for it, Vahn also included some of the details he heard second-hand about the meeting of the various women in his life and how Tina became his 'Vahnguard' to prevent him from deviating in a dangerous direction. After that, Vahn talked about his transition and how he tried to act with more propriety while improving his relationships with various people in a more natural manner.Everything wrapped up with Vahn's emotional recounting of the kidnapping of Tina and Milan, his subsequent rescuing of them, and his pursuit of Laverna and the captain of her Familia, Kuji. He talked about how Laverna had been killed, without revealing the identity of the assassin, and how his relationships with some girls had fundamentally changed as a result. After that, events began to line up with Hestia's own understanding and the story finally came to an end as she looked at Vahn's complacent expression with gentle eyes and a thoughtful expression.Though she had heard much of the story from Hephaestus, Loki, Anubis, and Eina, it was a distinctly different thing to hear it directly from the person that experienced all of the events. Hestia now understood the complexities of the relationships around Vahn and realized that her actions in confronting the other girls were somewhat selfish. She resolved herself to meet the other girls and determine for herself how serious they were about Vahn before making any decisions that might influence his relationships with them. However, she also swore to herself to protect Vahn from anyone that might try to exploit him in the future.Stroking Vahn's hair, Hestia looked down on him like he was something very fragile that she needed to protect at all cost. Because she had been the one living her life for the last several million years, she knew what kind of personality she had better than anyone else. She was needy, somewhat lazy, and moderately possessive of the few things that she kept close to her heart. Just like when people tried to treat Hephaestus poorly, Hestia would always go out of her way to cause a scene to try and draw the attention to her. She hated seeing the people she cared about suffer injustices more than anything else.With her knowledge regarding herself, Hestia knew that she would be very reliant on Vahn the more he treated her kindly. Since he seemed to defer to her and even liked the way she acted, it made her feel secure to continue acting openly without restraint while around him. Even if she pushed things a little too far, she knew Vahn wouldn't do anything to hurt her and would probably care for her dearly for the rest of his life. In exchange for letting her act spoiled and treating her well, Hestia decided she would ensure he always had a safe place to return to and would work hard to guarantee that 'their' family was always protected...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Subconscious Desire?','A lot has happened in three months','Hero's Sanctuary')I am currently at $721/1200 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 Hestia calmed down, they began touring around the common areas of the building which Hestia had decided to call 'Hearth Manor' since her principle Divinity related to the Hearth. For their emblem, other than the crest itself, Hestia wanted something that embodied their first meeting and the bond they shared from now on. The final design ended up being two winged snakes, one black and the other white, circling around a flame that was half-part aquamarine while the other half was the crystalline blue of Hestia's eyes.Since Vahn had relatively high dexterity and could even put fine details into metalworks, it was actually very easy for him to make the basic design of their emblem. Hestia hugged the piece of paper like a treasure and Vahn promised to forge a plaque that they could put outside the gates to represent the Hearth Manor in the future. He even intended to make it out of magically conductive metal so it could act as one of the formation cores for the security of the manor. Since this building and property was specifically designed by Hephaestus in the past, it already had powerful security that made Vahn's mind go numb after imagining the cost. Though he was still unaware of how much she had spent for his previous security, Vahn imagined the number for the current manor was an astronomical amount.While they were touring the building, Vahn purchased various items from the system shop to decorate the Manor. Hestia was amazed at how he was able to 'create' things and pull them out of thin air, but she was already informed about the nature of his pseudo-divinity previously. The fact he could make use of a power similar to the Arcanum of the gods was an incredible sight to behold. After asking him about the details, she learned that he could usually only create general use items that had few, if any, magical properties. The consumables he 'created' were only usable by himself, and any of the equipment he created couldn't be used by others unless he used a special method to transfer ownership.Interested by the prospect of an item that only she could use, Hestia asked Vahn if he could make her an accessory or piece of clothing that he thought suited her. Vahn saw the shining eyes of Hestia and began to seriously consider what he could possibly give her. He inspected her body from top to bottom in a contemplative manner while Hestia waited patiently, though Vahn could see that she was very excited by how her aura was flickering like an actual flame. Noticing a slight peculiarity, Vahn asked, "Do you not like to wear shoes?"He hadn't thought about it previously, but the entire time Hestia had been accompanying him she hadn't been wearing shoes. Even though some of the roads were somewhat rough and had uneven or even abrasive stone surfaces, she seemed to be completely immune. While looking at her feet with interest, Hestia lifted up her foot and dangled it a bit as she said, "I don't really like to wear shoes that much since it feels more natural to walk on the ground with my own feet. If its cold, I'll probably wear boots though and I also sometimes wear sandals so I don't track dirt into places."Vahn was listening to her words while remarking in his mind about how clean and petite Hestia's feet looked in his mind. There didn't seem to be any dirt to speak of and her foot looked very soft, unlike something that would be able to walk on a rough surface without difficulty. Since she kept dangling it in front of him, Vahn asked, "Do you mind if I look at your foot more closely?" He was genuinely curious to inspect it since he couldn't make sense of it just looking from his current angle.Hestia's smiled widened at his words as she sat down on the floor and held up her foot for Vahn to 'inspect'. With the angle she was sitting at, Vahn could see her pure white panties that matched the color of the short dress Hestia wore. He wondered why she wore such a 'revealing' outfit since there was barely a hands width between the start of her thigh and the end of her dress. If she weren't 'petite', it would be very easy to see up her dress as he could at present. Even if she sat in a chair, unless she crossed her legs, Vahn imagined her panties would be fully visible to anyone paying attention.Since she had been paying close attention, Hestia noticed Vahn's eyes look up her dress and it made her heart beat quicken a bit. He seemed to have a 'curious' and 'inquisitive' look instead of desire, lust, or passion. She released a relieved sigh in her mind and felt slightly more emboldened by his naivete. She felt that, though he seemed very dense, Vahn was also incredibly attentive and genuinely respectful of the bodies of women. Instead of feeling disgusted by his gaze, she only felt an increasing amount of excitement.Vahn kneeled down and held Hestia's ankle with his left hand while he used his right hand and thumb to inspect the texture and feel of Hestia's foot. She immediately began laughing at his touch since she was actually quite ticklish. Her movements made her dress ride up her thighs even further and Vahn could see her panties on full display as if she didn't notice the situation at all. Instead of gawking, Vahn took a slightly deeper breath and kept his focus on her foot.As he expected, though against common sense, Hestia's foot was soft and tender. Since she walked around on bare feet everywhere, Vahn had assumed her skin would be slightly thicker or there would even be calluses on her feet. Instead, they were completely smooth and Vahn couldn't even find any dirt even though they had walked around back alleyways earlier. After feeling the foot for around a minute, Vahn set it back down on the floor before turning away to give Hestia time to fix her dress.When Vahn had 'tickled' her foot earlier, Hestia had noticed her own dress riding up and was paying attention to how Vahn would react. Though he looked for a brief moment, he immediately turned away and began inspecting her foot in a very serious manner. She almost laughed because of how innocent and serious he was. Though he obviously wanted to look, he was able to keep his sensibilities and remember the purpose of his request which was to inspect her foot. She remarked internally about how 'dense' he was but also commended him for his focus and ability to retain his reasoning.Vahn helped Hestia from the floor and she fell forward into his body a bit before he helped her find her footing. She laughed cheerfully before separating from Vahn and asking, "What do you think of my feet~?" Since he had been seriously inspecting them earlier, Vahn gave an honest response, "They're very small and have a soft texture. I find it hard to comprehend how they're able to stay that soft when you walk around barefoot." In response, Hestia laughed and proudly proclaimed, "It is because I'm a goddess! Every part of me with always be beautiful~!" She then began to laugh in a 'haughty' manner and Vahn felt like she was very happy at the moment.Since she didn't seem to need shoes, Vahn decided to buy her something that could be worn that wouldn't change her normal appearance. Other than her breasts, he thought her outfit had a great balance and well-designed color scheme that enhanced her beautiful black hair and crystalline blue eyes that always seems to have a slight glimmer to them. For a brief moment, his eyes were drawn to what he could only describe as a 'breast window' and thought of an interesting gift to give her.Searching through the system, Vahn looked for accessories before finding one that seemed almost perfect for the current situation. Though he didn't know its effects, it cost 5,000OP and had the name [Sapphire Star] and was listed in the category of necklaces. Since Hestia had blue eyes that glimmered, Vahn felt like a sapphire would compliment them well. When he purchased it, a small silver necklace appeared in his hand that had a tear-shaped blue sapphire that glowed with a blue radiance that looked very similar to twinkling starlight.[Sapphire Star](A/N: Not really necessary, but I know some people would want to know.)Rank: B (Magic)P.Def: 0M.Def: 110Passive: Resists Mental attacks and promotes mental development and recovery rate.Active: [Sapphire Starlight: A]: Single use ability that immediately heals the wounds of a single target in exchange for all mental energies.Vahn thought the pendant was very useful, but the only thing Hestia saw was an incredibly beautiful necklace that glowed with an enchanting light. As if trying to compete with the glimmering starlight in the sapphire, Hestia's eyes were also shining as a large smile plastered itself on her face. She asked in an excited voice, "Is this for me!?" Before Vahn even answered, she already moved close to him and tilted her chin in a manner similar to how Anubis and Nanu had done so in the past.Vahn realized she wanted him to put it on her, so he smiled as he leaned forward slightly and attached the links of the silver chain as she stared into his eyes with an excited expression on her face. While he was fixing the necklace Vahn explained its use but Hestia seemed to be completely immune to his words at the moment. The moment it was fixed firmly on her neck, she immediately held it in her hands and admired the gemstone that complimented the color of her ribbons.With greater speed than a Level 6, Hestia exclaimed loudly as she jumped toward Vahn with her arms spread wide. Though he was surprised, Vahn still managed to catch her body as she planted a wet kiss on his cheek as she dangled from his body while laughing in a very happy sounding manner. While dangling from his neck, Hestia looked up into Vahn's face with a vibrant expression and said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, its so beautiful~!" She put more strength into her arms and hugged Vahn's neck tightly while laughing once again.Vahn felt happy that she had such an incredible reaction to the gift he had given her, but he couldn't help but feel that the current position was somewhat awkward. Even though her weight wasn't anything significant, it still held her soft and malleable breasts firmly against his body. Vahn was amazed at how much they could 'expand' when she dangled with her full weight against his body. It was really strange because they were so soft that Vahn almost felt like Hestia's weight was somehow magically offset by the sensation.Eventually, Vahn felt like he was getting a bit dizzy so he put his hands on Hestia's waist and pulled her away from his body. Though she resisted a bit and tried to hug his neck, Vahn was much stronger than she was and managed to free himself from her grasp. Though she still had a happy expression, Hestia gave him what Vahn felt like was a 'blaming' look as he held her body off the ground by her sides. He once again marveled at how light she was but attributed to his own strength as he set her gently on the floor.After looking up at him for a few seconds, Hestia released a frustrated sigh before turning her attention back to the [Sapphire Star] Vahn had given her. Though she 'lamented' at how dense he was, Hestia felt like it was actually a good quality since she thought his 'naive' and 'innocent' sensibilities made him easy to be around. If Vahn actually responded to her actions with 'lust' or 'desire', Hestia imagined she wouldn't be able to stay around him as much in the future. Though she acted in a very 'forward' manner, she was actually very apprehensive about Vahn actually doing anything in return.For the rest of the afternoon, Hestia followed Vahn around the Manor and made suggestions about furniture choices and decorations as they personally decided the best manner to decorate 'their' home. She hoped that this place would be able to remain their exclusive residence for a little while since Hestia knew there would be many girls approaching Vahn in the future. Though she wanted to keep them away, Hestia knew it would be impossible since there were already goddesses like Hephaestus, Loki, and Anubis involved with Vahn before she even descended. She lamented about her 'late' arrival as the image of a black haired cat person with mischevious green eyes appeared in her mind.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Cohabitation','Every good life starts and ends in the bed','Late to the Party')I am currently at $721/1200 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 219: Reason