Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

When Vahn entered the men's onsen, Ryuu looked over and noticed he had recovered a bit from his melancholy. She wasn't that good at encouraging people so she was happy to see that he had figured something out in the time he had asked for. Though he wasn't 'bold', there wasn't any hesitation in his step as he walked over and entered into the same pool. Showing a gentle smile, Ryuu said, "I'm glad you're getting back to your usual self."Vahn shook his head in response and Ryuu raised her brow a bit before Vahn asked, "Do you mind if I wash your body?" Hearing his words, Ryuu's mind blanked for a bit without her expression changing. Tilting her head a little to the left, Ryuu said, "Maybe not your usual self after all?" Vahn laughed when he heard her question-like statement. Without approaching, and possibly upsetting her, Vahn showed a confident smile and explained, "I realized that I've been bottling up too many things lately. There are many people close to me that I haven't treated in a manner deserving of their affection. I want to try and steadily improve myself and slowly gain experience so I make fewer mistakes in the future."Ryuu stared blankly into his face for a few seconds before a light smile showed on her lips and she stood from the pool, revealing her uncovered body which had turned slightly flushed from the heat of the onsen. Vahn could tell it wasn't from embarrassment since her aura was stable and her expression hadn't changed much even when he let his eyes wander a bit. Placing her hands on her abdomen, Ryuu asked, "Does my body interest you so much?"Vahn looked into her sky blue eyes and let a natural smile appear on his face as he answered honestly, "Yes, I've thought you were beautiful ever since we first met. Even though it might sound strange, I can't help but be drawn to your body and want to learn more about it, about you...Ryuu." In a manner similar to how she put emphasis on his name, Vahn added a little inflection to Ryuu's name.With her eyes squinting a bit, Ryuu walked closer to Vahn until she was standing well within his range, Since he was sitting down while she was standing if Vahn wasn't holding eye contact with Ryuu he would have gotten eyeful of the hidden garden that emitted a somewhat flowery odor like honeydew. Though only slightly, Ryuu's smile widened a bit as she tilted her head and asked, "Not looking?" Even though her expression hadn't changed much, Vahn heard a notification saying Ryuu's affection had increased from 95 to 96 and her aura had taken on a slightly pink hue.His smile still on his face, Vahn continued to stare into Ryuu's eyes and remarked, "Your eyes...they're like the vibrant sky on a sunny day and you...you're like a breath of fresh air that helps calm the soul." Even though he felt somewhat awkward, Vahn was trying his best to flatter Ryuu similar to elven traditions. After his words fell, for the first time since they had met, Vahn saw Ryuu cover her mouth as an almost inaudible chuckle sounded.Even without any effort of his own, Vahn's smile widened further and he felt happy feelings spread through his heart. Without responding to his compliment directly, Ryuu said in a low voice, "You can wash my body...just be gentle." Though he understood there was no implication behind it, Vahn couldn't help but swallow a bit of saliva as he grabbed a sponge and stood directly in front of Ryuu. Like Vahn, Ryuu was also 165cm tall and their eyes were perfectly aligned with each other's as Vahn began to gently lather up her body. Even though she tacitly agreed to let him look at her body, Vahn was focused more on the efforts of his hands and the response from Ryuu. Since he had grown accustomed to massages, Vahn entered a somewhat focused state whenever he used his hands to tend to the body of a girl.As Vahn went about his actions, Ryuu continued to watch him silently with a bit of intrigue hidden deep within her sky-blue eyes. Even though she had agreed to bathe with him, Ryuu still had some inhibitions about letting Vahn touch her body easily. She had opened up a bit after he had given her a few massages, but it didn't make the thought of exposing herself any easier, at least up until now. Just as usual, Vahn had a very serious and caring demeanor and he paid a lot of attention to his actions. He wasn't overly forward, nor did he focus on any of her sensitive areas, and he was always gauging her response throughout the entire process. Any inhibitions she might have had slowly melted away and dispersed into the hot water around them as Ryuu slowly entrusted her body to Vahn's care.Vahn noticed that Ryuu's aura became a darker shade of pink and looked to her face to see she had closed her eyes. Even though the color had deepened, Ryuu's aura had actually become more stable, almost mellow, and Vahn could tell she was relaxing. With a smile appearing on his face, Vahn continued his efforts so as not to tarnish the trust she had placed in him. Since they had known each other for quite a while at this point, Vahn knew how resistant Ryuu was to being touched. Seeing her opening herself fully to him made him feel happy and many of the negative feelings that had been lurking in the back of his mind felt like they were draining away, almost as if they had never existed in the first place and had been a figment of his imagination.After wiping down her entire body, Vahn moved on to an area that he had been curious about for a long time. However, instead of directly advancing just to sate his own curiosity, Vahn asked, "Do you mind if I touch your ears?" The eyes of Ryuu, that had been closed for several minutes, opened as she turned her gaze and met Vahn's. For a pure-blooded elf, their ears were incredibly sensitive and only close family and lovers were typically allowed to touch them. Though he hadn't explicitly said it, Ryuu understood that Vahn was making a slow advance on her and left the final decision on her shoulders.Though she never expected to find them in the first place, Ryuu still looked into Vahn's aquamarine eyes as if she were looking for any type of deceit or malicious intent. She had long wanted to follow him, ever since their first meeting, but Ryuu still had inhibitions because of her nature and past traumas. After confirming that Vahn's eyes were crystal-clear, Ryuu showed a smile and replied in a low, moderated, tone,"Go ahead...Vahn."Hearing her call him by name again, Vahn's smile grew and he lathered a bit of soap on his fingers as he reached forward and, very gently, caressed Ryuu's ears. Though she did her best to control her expression, Ryuu wasn't able to prevent a blush from beginning to rise up from her neck. By the time he had stroked the entire outer boundaries of her long ears and rubbed her lobes with his thumb, the blush had spread all the way to her face and was slowly creeping its way onto Ryuu's ears. Though her expression didn't change much, Vahn couldn't help but appreciate her reaction so he whispered, "How can you be so adorable... you're making my heart race."As if to prove his claim, Vahn gingerly reached for Ryuu's right hand and placed it on his bare chest. Just as he stated, Vahn's heart was beating rapidly due to the jubilant feelings and excitement that had been welling up inside him. Ryuu focused on the feeling from on her hand as the burning sensation that had crept into her ears slowly began to fade away. She had been somewhat tempted to grab Vahn's hand as well so that she could place it on her chest and show how fast her own heart was beating. However, she knew Vahn was already aware of that fact so she just leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his chest and kept silent.Since there wasn't anything more intimate than her letting him touch her ears, Vahn took Ryuu's actions to imply she was okay with him touching her body. Though she was still soapy and covered in a slightly reflective layer of sweat and water, Vahn ran his hands from Ryuu's shoulders until they came to a stop at the small of her back. Without doing anything too untoward, Vahn just gently embraced the naked body of Ryuu against his for a few minutes until she had calmed down. Though he wasn't aware of the missed opportunity earlier, Vahn could now feel the heartbeat of Ryuu through his own chest.When Ryuu had finally relaxed, she soaked in the water to rinse off before helping Vahn clean himself as well. Though he hadn't really expected her to hesitate, Vahn was still somewhat surprised to see how easily Ryuu kept her bearing while she washed his body. She even, completely unabashedly, wiped down his penis without any hesitation or remarks about its size. Though Vahn wasn't entirely sure why, he felt somewhat happy that she didn't show the 'normal' reaction that he had seen from almost everyone else, both male and female alike.As if some kind of wall had been broken down between them, after Vahn had rinsed of his body, he and Ryuu sat down in the pool of hot water to soak for a few more minutes. After he sat against the smooth stone surface, Ryuu had sat down next to him and leaned a bit of her weight against his shoulder. Though it wasn't as intimate as when they washed each other, it was still something new and completely different from her prior behavior. As a response, Vahn placed his arm around Ryuu's hip and loosely held her body as the two of them sat in silence and enjoyed the atmosphere.When it came time to get dressed, Ryuu put on a long-sleeved white shirt that had buttons running down the front. Since she didn't have any clothes of her own to change into, as she hadn't gone to her room first, Ryuu wore a shirt that Vahn had purchased during one of his 'outings'. Seeing the green-haired elven beauty wearing a shirt that was too big for her frame, Vahn could feel his heart pulse powerfully a few times as he tilted his head with an appreciative smile.Ryuu tilted her head slightly in the same direction as she held up the loose sleeves and asked, "Do you like when I wear your clothing?" Vahn exhaled through his nose a bit to prevent himself from laughing as he responded, "I think its somewhat unique since I've never really seen such a beautiful girl wear my clothing. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something...tantalizing about it?"As if she wanted to tease him, Ryuu lifted the sleeves slightly higher and revealed the fact that she hadn't yet worn any panties. Since she wasn't going to wear her previous pair, and Vahn couldn't currently gift her any, Ryuu was still naked minus the shirt Vahn had given her. He had offered her a pair of pants afterward, but Ryuu shook her head and said it would be fine for now. Since there were only girls in the house, she didn't even have any concerns even if she had to walk the corridors naked. Now that she had allowed Vahn to see, and even touch, her body, Ryuu felt significantly less concerned with him seeing her even more.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lion Taming','Sensitive Elven Ears','Sacred combination, dress shirt with no-pan on a slender girl')I am currently at $749/1200 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 the bath, Ryuu went to her room to wear a proper change of clothes as Vahn watched her butt sway from side-to-side with slightly squinted eyes. He felt a lot less inhibited now, almost as if he had a new outlook on life and wondered if anything interesting would happen as a result. Though he still intended to practice the restraint that had been constantly reaffirmed in his mind, Vahn felt far less inclined to act reservedly when he was alone with the girls he cared about. Bar a few exceptions, Vahn was somewhat excited about the coming developments and laid down in his bed with a relatively relaxed state of mind.Though it was still a little early, Vahn was rather exhausted and decided to pitch in early while imagining if anyone would be joining him tonight. Since both Milan and Tina were here, and Hestia was with Hephaestus, Vahn assumed they would probably be sleeping together alongside Fenrir. That being the case, Ryuu would probably stay in her own room for the time being unless anything changed between now and the morning.As expected, Vahn could detect the auras of the three girls while Ryuu had already laid down in her own bed, which was located two rooms away from the master bedroom. Though Milan told the two girls to be quiet so Vahn could rest, Fenrir flopped her ears and said, "Vahn always awake when people around." Disregarding Milan's caution, Fenrir walked over to the bed before wiggling out of her maid outfit with practiced movements. Though she still needed help getting dressed, Fenrir had taken to trying to remove her clothing without help.Because she always wore her combat attire under her clothes, Fenrir was still decent and climbed into bed as Vahn reached out his hands and scratched her ears a bit. Milan noticed that Vahn was also awake and sat on the side of the bed with a thoughtful expression as Tina unashamedly climbed into the bed and snuggled next to Vahn without inhibitions. Milan saw her daughter and laughed before following behind and laying on the opposite side of Tina. After binding Fenrir's hands and affectionately stroking the three girls for a bit, Vahn went to sleep accompanied by the warmth generated by the girls around him.Though it wasn't necessary, Vahn still awoke at 5 AM and stared at the roof for a little as Fenrir inched over to him and placed her chin on Vahn's chest and stared up at his face. Since she had been 'protecting' him when he was in the orb, Fenrir was accustomed to waking up at the same time as Vahn. Feeling her concern, Vahn reached out his hand and used [Hands of Nirvana] to comb through her hair with his fingers. Instead of going to the dungeon today, Fenrir was going to spend some time with Milan and Tina who were helping her learn to read. Though Hestia had taken to the task at first, she wasn't the greatest teacher and didn't have any experience dealing with 'children' like Milan.Vahn could see the auras from the room Hephaestus was staying in moving and knew that both she and Hestia had already awakened. He followed them with his perception and saw them split up at the foyer which made Vahn feel a little sad. Knowing that it was a temporary parting, and that she had preparations to make, Vahn took a slow breath and calmed his mind. Since Hephaestus was often very busy, it wasn't easy for her to clear her schedule for a long period of time so Vahn intended to follow-up later in the day, most likely toward the evening, to see if she needed any help. If he went at his maximum speed, using Shundo, he could get all the way to her workshop within a short four minutes.Eventually, Milan awoke and paused for a few seconds when she saw Vahn before remembering she had stayed over the previous night. After awakening Tina and helping her and Fenrir get dressed, Vahn rubbed each of their ears and gave each of them a kiss on the forehead. Though he had kissed Milan on the lips in the past, Vahn knew she still had inhibitions about any relationship they might have in the future. Since he didn't want to pressure her and just wanted to help take care of them, Vahn didn't act in an untoward manner and just showed gentle affections to the Mother-Daughter pair.After they made their way downstairs. Milan and Tina went to prepare breakfast while Fenrir pulled out an adamantine plate that had the alphabet carved into it. Using her claws, she tried replicating the characters on the nearly indestructible metal as if it was soft wood. Though she struggled quite a bit, Fenrir actually showed a lot of interest in learning. She wanted to be more 'normal' after interacting with other girls and they had each reinforced the idea that she needed a proper education. To make things easier, Vahn had created an Adamantine plate that could be easily regenerated using whetstones since it was classified as a blunt weapon with the addition of a handle on the side.Ruffling her hair a bit, Vahn left the dining room and made his way toward Hestia before frowning deeply and looking toward the front gate. Though he didn't know their purpose, Vahn felt like the arrival of the signatures was related to his instincts from the previous day. It seemed that, every time Vahn felt happy, something bad would always rear its head to create problems for him. After discussing it with Sis, he found out it was actually a property of having high good karma. She claimed that the reason so many heroic tales ended in tragedy was that heroes acquired a lot of good karma which inevitably brought added troubles to them when they least expected it. For better or worse, good and evil were almost irresistibly drawn toward each other in some vain struggle machinated by fate.What made matters worse was, like now, the danger often presented itself in an unexpected fashion. Even though the presences outside show amiability towards him, Vahn knew there would be trouble following in their wake. After shouting for Hestia and sending a mental order for Fenrir to tell the other girls to eat breakfast without them, Vahn made his way to the foyer and opened the door to receive their guests. Hestia, who had just arrived next to him, looked outside and greeted them in a cheerful voice, "The Takemikazuchi Familia~? Welcome to the Hearth Manor!"Takemikazuchi bowed politely and the tall young man behind him followed suit as he greeted, "Good morning Lady Hestia, it is good to see you in such high spirits." Turning his head, Takemikazuchi also bowed politely to Vahn and said, "We meet again, Vahn, it is a pleasure to see you in good health." Though he already knew they had come with a purpose, given their somewhat unstable auras, Vahn still politely greeted the two as he invited them into the study.After settling down, Vahn waved his hand over the table and position a steaming kettle of tea for them to enjoy. Since they were from the Far East, Vahn had set out a somewhat bitter tea called [Ginseng Bara]. Though it was normally a polite gesture, Takemikazuchi frowned before looking at Vahn and closing his eyes as he sighed. Opening his eyes, he spoke in a somewhat troubled tone, "It seems you have seen through the purpose of our visit. The rumors regarding your incredible perception aren't exaggerated in the slightest."Seeing his god troubled, the man introduced as Ouka frowned and a serious look on his face as he glared at Vahn. Compared to Vahn, who was 165cm, Ouka was already more than 180cm tall even though he was currently only fifteen. He had a very muscular build with black hair and green eyes. Though he looked somewhat stoic and serious, apparently Ouka had a temperamental personality as he said in a deep tone that belied his age, "Even if you are a respected member of the Alliance, you are not above paying respects to a god."Vahn didn't respond to Ouka as he turned his gaze back to Takemikazuchi and picked up a cup of tea. Though [Ginseng Bara] was somewhat expensive tea, it was seen as a polite way of asking people to 'not bring trouble' when enjoying the hospitality of others. Coming from the Far East, both Takemikazuchi and Ouka were very aware of the stance Vahn had taken before the discussion even began.As the three 'men' sat in silence, Hestia remained next to Vahn with an entirely unphased expression on her face. Unless things developed in a bad direction, she had long discussed matters with Vahn and allowed him to make decisions that affected their Familia. Even though she was the goddess, there wasn't much she could do besides supporting the children in their Familia, so Hestia had left matters to Vahn as the Captain. The only thing she could tell from the situation so far was that Takemikazuchi hadn't come with good intentions and she had already raised her guard somewhat against the two 'foreign invaders'.The atmosphere in the room remained silent as Takemikazuchi stared down at his steaming cup of tea with a hesitant expression on his face. If he accepted the tea, it was the same as saying he wouldn't trouble Vahn...Taking a deep breath, Take stood from the sofa without touching the tea and Vahn followed him with his eyes as Takemikazuchi gestured to Ouka before kneeling down on the floor and performing the most perfect example of a dogeza Vahn had ever seen. Though Ouka's brow furrowed low, he didn't say anything as he assumed a spot behind Take' and also lowered his head to the floor.Vahn immediately massaged his temples a bit and said, "I will hear you out, but that doesn't mean I am expressing consent and willing to offer my help. Even if we're future allies, the Hestia Familia has no relation with the Takemikazuchi Familia at present. With the probation terms decreed by the Guild, we couldn't interact in any meaningful way even if there was to be cooperation between us."Without raising his head, Takemikazuchi gave a loud affirmation and response, "Ha! As you have likely anticipated, I have come here with the intent of exploiting your heroic disposition and honest personality. Though I know it is wrong to do so, I cannot allow this matter to rest when another window of opportunity may not present itself in the future. Please hear my request and consider it without any bias!" Even though his head was already touching the ground, Take' made an earnest effort to place it even further into the floor.Releasing a sigh, Vahn looked over at Hestia with an apologetic expression before she nodded her head in support. Vahn looked to the two performing a dogeza and said, "Please, though it may not be a standing relationship presently, we are still allies. Though it is not incorrect to bow your head when making a request, you should not behave in a way that may negatively influence your children. Since there is likely to be cooperation between our Familia in the future, I would like us to try and interact in a manner where neither side loses face to the other."Ouka had raised his head and gave Vahn a serious look as Take' showed a grateful expression and lifted his face that had a big red mark on it before sitting on the sofa. As a gesture of friendship, Vahn set out a simple green tea that was often shared with friends and casual acquaintances. This time, Take' took the tea gratefully before he began explaining, not only the purpose of his visit but the purpose of his Familia's migration to Orario from the Far East...Actual Title: Karma is a Bitch(A/N: Since some people might freak out, just know that this doesn't interfere with planned events (O,...,O). Stay tuned, there will be another chapter coming out soon that will clarify things.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fenrir is adorable','Fate of a Hero','The ultimate technique when making a request')I am currently at $749/1200 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 hearing Vahn's words, Ryuu stroked the top of his head affectionately before stepping away from his back. Vahn turned around and they locked eyes with each other as Ryuu loosened the ribbon of her apron and let it drop to the floor. Seeing the expression on Vahn's face, Ryuu displayed a small smile and said, "Don't worry, I have already prepared myself. Let me take care of you for a little while."Vahn took a few long breaths and held his words as he watched Ryuu undress and remove her waitress outfit piece by piece. The green long-sleeved dress buttoned from the collar to the base and Ryuu quickly removed each of them before allowing the fabric to drop from her shoulders. Since she wasn't entering the dungeon, Ryuu was wearing a pale yellow, somewhat plain, bra on her relatively modest breasts. Perhaps she hadn't been planning to be seen since Ryuu's panties were a peach colored pair with small strings holding them together. Though he had seen Ryuu's body from the back, Vahn had never seen her naked before and, even though he still felt sad, Vahn couldn't help but feel anxious as his heart began to beat rapidly in his chest.After fiddling around behind her back a bit, Ryuu managed to unfasten her bra and Vahn got to see her fair white breasts for the first time. He felt like they were slightly bigger than he expected as she had somewhat pale colored, slightly pink, protrusions situated almost perfectly on the snowy mounds. For the next part, Ryuu hesitated for a bit until Vahn looked into her sky-blue eyes before showing a small smile and saying, "Ryuu, I-" Before he could finish, Ryuu pulled the strings from the side of her panties and they too fell to the ground when she released them.Vahn was going to say Ryuu didn't have to go so far, but his words got stuck in his throat as he inadvertently caught a glimpse of her unveiled privates before averting his eyes. Unlike her green hair, Ryuu had somewhat golden colored hair on her pubic region and Vahn had almost wanted to ask since it seemed peculiar. Since she never seemed to miss his glances, Ryuu spoke out as if to answer his concerns, "I dye my hair to protect my identity...though it's not really necessary anymore. Which do you prefer, green or gold?"Hearing her question, Vahn turned his gaze to Ryuu's sky-blue eyes and notice that her aura was relatively stable even though she was currently nude and only about a meter away from him. Considering her words for a moment, Vahn imagined what a golden-haired, sky-blue eyed Ryuu would look like. After a short while, he responded seriously, "I think I would be happy either way. If you like green hair, I think you should keep it. If you want to go back to your original color, I think that would suit you all the same. The most important thing is that you're comfortable with your own appearance..."Ryuu showed a slight smile before picking up her clothes and neatly folding them while Vahn watched her actions. He was already used to giving her compliments and having somewhat one-sided conversations. A lot of their interactions ended with her giving him a smile and then acting somewhat casually for a while until they started talking again later. Vahn actually thought her personality was somewhat therapeutic and cool since she was always taciturn yet had a gentle side to her. Combine with her appearance, Vahn thought Ryuu was a very interesting, very beautiful, elven girl...Hearing his own thoughts, Vahn frowned before turning away from Ryuu's exposed backside. She had a somewhat fit, albeit small, butt and very long legs that always drew his eyes since she often wore a pair of green shorts that could compete with Loki for how small they were. Though he hadn't asked, Ryuu had told him she wore them because they were easy to move in. Since her combat style relied on speed, Vahn didn't think she was wrong but wondered why girls wore somewhat revealing clothes just to increase their speed.Vahn had tried wearing a pair of small shorts himself once, and it actually felt somewhat uncomfortable like it was hugging and restricting his movement. Perhaps it was just a difference between men and women that Vahn didn't understand because of their differing physiques. Vahn preferred to wear somewhat loose clothing and had never been in a situation where they got in his way at all.While he was distracted by his own thoughts, Ryuu walked over and stood right next to him and waited silently. Vahn snapped out of his reflection and looked over at her from bottom to top before fixing his gaze on her eyes. Understanding his confusion, Ryuu explained, "We can't take a bath if you stay seated there."Hearing her words, Vahn blanked for a moment before realizing he kept getting caught up in his own thoughts. Releasing a sigh, Vahn stood up and began undressing while trying to remain calm and composed. He had long known he had a bad habit of getting lost in his thoughts whenever he was frustrated and had once again fallen into the same pitfall he tried to avoid. And just like the past, now there was another girl at his side helping him work through things because he was incapable of doing it himself...Vahn released a long sigh and sat back down on the bench without fully removing his clothes. Holding his head with his palms, he said in a low voice, "Just give me a moment please...I'll come into the bath in a few minutes." Ryuu stared down at Vahn's pitiful form and reached her hand out halfway before hesitating and pulling back. Before she turned around and went inside, Ryuu said softly, "Take your time...Vahn." Though he knew she wasn't looking back at him anymore, Vahn still nodded his head and sat in silence for a while.After Ryuu left, Vahn looked towards the door and had a sad expression on his face as he recalled everything Ryuu was doing to help comfort him. Though it wasn't his intention, Vahn felt like he was somehow exploiting her and, even though he knew it wasn't the case, he couldn't help but feel somewhat resentful of himself. Since he did like her, the fact he couldn't focus on her when she was doing so much for him made Vahn feel like he wasn't deserving of her affection at all. He wanted to treat her kindly and affectionately, but he was currently split between so many conflicting emotions and couldn't break out of the mental loop in his own mind...During his silence, Vahn heard a bell-like voice ring in his head, (*You like her, don't you?*) Without raising his head, Vahn responded in his mind, ("Of course I do...I just feel like I shouldn't do anything. Now that I'm so close to keeping my promise with Hephaestus-"). Before he could finish, Sis interrupted, (*How strange...I'm checking the system log and I can see that you already completed her Heart's Desire already.*)As if to flaunt it in his face, Vahn saw the notification pop up in his vision without his willing it. After blanking for a moment, Vahn said out loud, "But...she wants to have a baby...and-" Once again, Sis interrupted, (*Your expectations are a bit out of proportion Vahn. Even though I didn't interact with her personally, I can tell that the only thing Hephaestus wants is to be together with you. At no point do I recall her saying she wanted to have sex right after you forged an item. I also can't recall anything about her saying she wanted to have a baby immediately either...nope, I just checked all the logs since you entered the world.*)The next thing Vahn heard was Sis's laughter inside his head while his eyes darted about in recollection. He was trying to remember everything that had been said between him and Hephaestus and understood what Sis was trying to say...As if to affirm what he was thinking, Sis chimed, (*She was the one that sent Ryuu to you, but she didn't tell Ryuu to do anything. Everything she is doing for you right now, those are decisions she made. You have to stop treating your relationships as a burden Vahn...you'll break if you bottle everything up. Why else do you think so many people came over tonight when they thought you were in pain?*)Vahn looked up toward the roof where the two auras of Hephaestus and Hestia were located and remembered everything that had happened since he exited the orb. Because they were worried about his parting with Eva, there were several people that had come by to help comfort him. Even Fenrir, who wasn't typically receptive to these kinds of things had been proactively trying to comfort him. When Hephaestus showed up, that had also been her intention but Vahn tried to change the flow of things after he gave her the ring. Even though there were so many people gathered for him, Vahn was willing to ignore them all just because he wanted to 'fulfill' his promise with Hephaestus.The ironic thing, and the thing he had been overlooking even though the system clearly showed proof, was that he had already kept his promise. He and Hephaestus were no longer constrained by her vow and now Vahn could be together with her whenever he wanted...she could also seek him out and they could find comfort with each other just by reaching out to each other. He didn't have to be rushing everything all at once, and he didn't have to restrain himself because of a promise he had already kept...As if giving voice to his realization, Sis said, (*Even Eva knew you needed to relax and sealed away the orb just to give you time to spend focusing on yourself. You've worked hard over the last few months, even when you were supposed to be recovering from a serious injury. You don't have to keep forcing yourself to resolve everything immediately and should enjoy life more~! Can't you see that everyone is worried about you?*)Hearing Sis's words, Vahn released another long sigh, almost as if he was trying to expel all of the tensions that had been building up in his body. As Sis had said, Vahn had been restraining himself a lot and even putting a lot of his relationships on hold while he was trying to fulfill his promise with Hephaestus. Now that he had already completed her heart's desire, he should focus more on building a steady relationship with her. They would be together for the rest of their lives, and there was no longer a need to hurry things along. Since she was also open to him having other partners, Hephaestus had even allowed another girl to help comfort him just because she was worried about his mental state...Standing up, Vahn removed the rest of his clothes while thinking about the various women that he had asked to be patient with him and knew things would probably begin to advance steadily in his relationships pretty soon. If he wanted to truly make each of them happy, Vahn couldn't focus so much on bottling up his emotions and making promises that restricted his interactions with the other girls in his life. He had long ago made his resolve to communicate with them whenever he had difficulties, so there was no reason to keep trying to manage everything on his own especially considering they had already established a network even before he thought of it.After folding away his clothes, Vahn's melancholy seemed to melt away and a subtle smile appeared on his face as he looked toward the door that Ryuu had exited through earlier. Though he wasn't sure how things would progress, Vahn didn't want to keep taking a passive approach to everything. Resolving himself, Vahn walked through the door and spoke within his mind, ("Thanks again, Sis. I think I'll try focusing on starting a family from now on...I'm a little excited.")(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'JUST. DO. IT','I get knocked down, but I get up again, ain't never gonna keep Vahn down!','Family Planning Isn't A Joke Vahn')(A/N: Heads up, the interaction with Hephaestus will likely be 2-3 long chapters tomorrow. Just like with the Tiona/Ais rendezvous; it takes a lot of effort to write an erotica chapter and I don't want to tackle them half-way through the day. Just a fyi~! Oh yeah, my word count for last week was 113/100k words (56 chapters of content). I think I'll try to average around 120k if possible.)

Chapter 240: Acceptance