Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Since it was still early and the others had awoken, Vahn showed Haruhime around the first floor of the Manor and kept his attention split between the other presences in the house. Everything he showed Haruhime got a small rise out of her and she excitedly trotted about next to him and asked questions about everything. All of the furnishings in the house had been put there by him, so Vahn was able to answer all of her questions which brought her no small amount of happiness.Vahn noticed that Haruhime acted very elegantly most of the time, but whenever she saw something knew she immediately disregarded manners and excitedly asked about it. She was especially fond of the onsen since it reminded her of home. When she saw that Vahn had also remodeled the dining room to emulate the designs of the Far East, Haruhime was ecstatic. Even though he hadn't done it for her, she felt especially blessed that she could experience part of her own culture in the place she had decided to stay.Since he saw how she reacted, Vahn wondered if it might be a good idea to remodel part of the Manor in the future. They presently had almost no use for the east wing of the Manor, and Vahn figured it might be appropriate to model it after the Far East. When he pitched the idea to Haruhime, she seemed to be very excited and once again began muttering to herself silently for a few seconds before resuming her well-mannered behavior. Vahn wanted to explain that his decision also related to the time he stayed with Tsubaki, but he decided to keep it to himself for the time being.When he finally noticed people coming downstairs, Vahn escorted Haruhime back to the dining room so that he could introduce her to the rest of the residents. Hearing that she was going to meet the other girls, Haruhime had a gentle smile on her face but Vahn could see that her aura had flared up a bit. So that she wouldn't cause any problems, Vahn decided to explain, "There is another girl that will be present, her name is Preasia, try to remain calm so you don't unnerve her. She has experienced a terrible trauma and needs the care and concern of others..."Hearing the foreign name, Haruhime asked about the girl and Vahn explained the circumstances of how he saved six slaves and crushed a small group of slave traffickers while he was searching for her. Though she seemed concerned at first, Vahn noticed Haruhime became very happy when he talked about saving the girls even though that wasn't his original plan. Though she hadn't said anything about it yet, Haruhime added a new layer of cement atop the idea that Vahn was the hero she had been waiting for.When they arrived at the dining room, everyone was present including, Eina, Hestia, Fenrir, Emiru, Maemi, and Preasia. Other than Fenrir, everyone seemed to be surprised at Vahn's arrival as Hestia and Eina both stood up and approached him. Eina looked toward Haruhime and said in a gentle tone, "You must be Haruhime, I'm glad Vahn was able to save you without incident." Before Haruhime could ask about Eina, Hestia also said, "Welcome to the Hearth Manor! Since Vahn decided to protect you, this place will be your home until you decide to move on~!" Though she wasn't being forceful, Vahn noticed that Hestia was somewhat implying that Haruhime should leave in the future.Haruhime seemed to notice it as well since she stepped closer to Vahn and grabbed his sleeve without responding to Hestia's words. For a very brief moment, Hestia's expression changed before returning to her normal, gentle, look. Vahn took a deeper breath than normal and made the introductions, "Haruhime, this is Eina, one of my 'first wives' alongside the goddess Hephaestus." Eina bowed politely and had a simple smile on her face which caused Haruhime to return the greeting out of habit. Vahn introduced Hestia next and saw the glimmer in her eye so he said, "And this beautiful goddess is Hestia, the goddess of our Familia and the caretaker of everyone within the Hearth Manor."Though she knew he was just pandering to her, Hestia pressed out her chest proudly and said, "That's right~! This beautiful and amazingly gentle goddess is the head of the Hestia Familia that shares my name~." Before continuing her words, Hestia stepped on the opposite side of Vahn before hugging around his waist and pressing his right arm between her breasts. Continuing, Hestia said, "I'm also one of the closest people to Vahn~"As if challenged by her words, Fenrir stood up from the table and shouted, "Fenrir closest to Vahn!" Everyone looked over at the rambunctious wolf girl while Vahn turned his attention to the sheep girl next to her. Even when Fenrir shouted out, Preasia remained unphased and just continued to watch the scene play out with a blank expression on her face. After releasing a quiet sigh, Vahn used the lull created by Fenrir to introduce everyone else to Haruhime before preparing for breakfast.Since they knew Vahn had only shown up and liberated them while he was trying to find Haruhime, both Emiru and Maemi were very fond of Haruhime even though they had just met. Haruhime also responding to them politely and seemed to hit it off with the twins very quickly. She was especially drawn to the maid outfits and tried to pitch the idea of becoming a maid herself, except she wanted to be Vahn's personal maid.Vahn refused her offer as politely as he could and told her she should focus on a pursuit that didn't involve serving others. Using it as an opportunity, Vahn also informed the twins that they didn't have to act as maids either, but they both refused as it was something they wanted to do themselves. Even though he didn't understand how they could 'like cleaning', Vahn noticed that their auras remained stable when they spoke so he knew they were telling the truth, or at the very least believed their own words.During breakfast, Haruhime had wanted to sit next to Vahn but had lost the opportunity to Eina and Hestia. Haruhime didn't want to compete with the two girls at all, so she just sat next to Eina with her body relatively close as she tried to reach her tail around the backside of the half-elf and reach Vahn. Because of the dexterity and length of her tail, Haruhime was able to reach him if she sat close enough to Eina. When Vahn noticed the tail touching his side, he gave her a strange look that just caused her to smile in return as she ate her food with small bites. Eina, the person between the two of them, continue to smile without making any comments as she leaned into Vahn's shoulder a bit.After breakfast, Vahn embraced Eina and saw her off after she refused his offer to carry her back home. She said she liked the early morning air and would be fine on her own, but Vahn still sent a mental note to Fafnir and had him follow along in her shadow until she arrived safely. Vahn had to inform the Alliance about the matter with Ishtar and make sure none of the weaker members involved would be exposed to her schemes. Though she likely wouldn't target a member of the Guild, there was no telling what a goddess might do when it came down to it. Just like Laverna, she could take actions without thinking of the consequences at all...While Fenrir was teaching Emiru and Maemi to read, the three of them were also taking care of Preasia. Vahn and Hestia showed Haruhime around the upper floors of the Manor as Vahn mentioned the idea of refurbishing the western and eastern wings to represent different cultures. Since most of the people in the Manor currently lived in the central area, there hadn't really been much use for the two wings and it wouldn't cause a problem if they redecorated a bit. Hestia was even excited to be able to experience multiple cultures just by walking a few minutes between the wings of the Manor.When it came time to help Haruhime pick a room, she was somewhat distraught to learn that all of the rooms around Vahn's had already been taken by other girls previously. The room to the right of Vahn's had been taken by Milan and Tina, but was also being used by Fenrir and Preasia currently. The room on the left had been taken by Ryuu since she was one of the first to move in and had gotten an early lead on everyone else. Across from Vahn's room, in one of the larger bedrooms, was the area where Hestia slept when Vahn was sleeping with others. It was also the room where Hephaestus stayed and wasn't together with Vahn and had a lot of clothes strewn about carelessly.The rooms to the left and right of Hestia's bedroom had been taken by Lili and Naaza, even though they weren't officially part of the Hestia Familia. Naaza had been intending to move in soon, but had been training alongside Lili and Tsubaki recently while trying to work on her breakthrough. Lili was completely determined to join the Hestia Familia in the future and wanted to share the same room with Vahn but ended up having to pick one nearby instead.Seeing that all of the best rooms were taken, Haruhime wanted to insist that she stay in the same room as Vahn, even if she had to sleep on a separate bed or sofa. When she found out about his hidden forge, she was even willing to stay inside there and commented about how warm it was on the inside. Hestia, even though she made an effort to not act jealously, couldn't tolerate the way Haruhime was acting and eventually shut her down in lieu of Vahn. She explained to Haruhime that Vahn needed his own room and often spent time with other girls, so there was no way she could live within the same room regardless of her reasoning. Even she, as Vahn's 'goddess', had to have her own room and sleep alone sometimes...Dejected, Haruhime picked the room closest to the stairs in the hopes of being able to track when Vahn leaves and arrives more easily. To welcome her to the Familia, Vahn actually gave her several bookshelves to decorate her room and purchased a variety of fairy tales from other worlds and some educational texts for her to read. Since reading was her favorite pastime, Haruhime was over-the-moon to receive several hundred books of her own to browse whenever she liked. Other than training, Vahn gave her completely free-reign to decide what she wanted to do with her time for the foreseeable future. Though he hardly followed the advice himself, Vahn wanted Haruhime to relax so she could focus on recovery instead of worrying about the past.After Haruhime was properly settled in, it came time for the ceremony to induct her into the Hestia Familia. She had already made the decision to join and stay in the Manor from now on, even though she kept refusing to undergo the ceremony unless Vahn was present. When he mentioned that she could stay without joining the Familia, Haruhime kept insisting that she join while continually refusing to join at the same time. Since Vahn also wanted to confirm a few things himself, he eventually caved in but required her to properly conceal herself.Hestia's impression of Haruhime wasn't the best but she also could tell that Haruhime wasn't a bad girl and just sought out Vahn like most of the other troubled girls around him. The main reason she felt threatened was due to the exotic nature of Haruhime and the fact that Vahn was rather handsy when it came to the girls with fluffy ears and tails. She knew that, even if Vahn put up a wall between him and Haruhime, he would eventually crack in time. The fact that he so easily conceded to her obstinance so early on was a red flag and she intended to bring the matter up on the network later...During the ceremony, Vahn sat at Haruhime's back even though she wanted him to sit in front of her. Vahn watched Hestia carve the crest with intrigue in his eyes as he inspected the entire process with his [Eyes of Truth]. Though he had been able to emulate the ceremony to an extent, Vahn was still curious about how the blessing was actually applied. He could see a strange energy that flowed alongside the mana in Hestia's fingers that used her 'Ichor', the blood from her fingertips, as a catalyst.When Hestia had finished carving the crest, she used a piece of paper to record Haruhime's information and was preparing to tell her to get dressed before Vahn said, "Wait, you should know that I can also read the status board and update statuses, right? I also have a technique that lets me take a peek at the latent abilities of others...I want to confirm my suspicions about a few things." Haruhime heard Vahn's words and had a happy expression as she tried to agree, but Hestia had a frown on her face and showed Vahn the recorded information of Haruhime.Holding out the paper, Hestia stated firmly, "I already recorded her parameters and skills, and I've even identified the reason why Ishtar was probably after her in the first place. What else do you expect to find that even a goddess can't see through her own crest?" Vahn took the paper and his brows raised slightly as he looked over the information. He could see that Haruhime's stats were rather low, but her Magic was much higher than normal. The most notable thing was the existence of two magic skills called [Uchide no Kozuchi] and [Kokonoe] but Vahn wasn't able to discern their use and rank until he investigated it for himself.Vahn looked into Hestia's crystalline blue eyes and explained patiently, "Hestia, you know me better than almost anyone else...do you really think I have any other thoughts other than what I stated? You should have heard from Hephaestus about my ability to update status, and I've also used it on Fenrir several times..." Vahn noticed that Hestia's eyes watered a bit as he was speaking which caused his words to trail at the end. After a few seconds, Hestia said with a small frown, "I know you're telling the truth...I really do trust you...I just don't like how quickly this girl is trying to weasel her way into your life. There are other people that are still struggling to obtain your affections!"Seeing Hestia's approaching tears made Vahn feel a little heartbroken as even Haruhime gave her a sad, somewhat apologetic look. Walking forward, Vahn paused in front of Hestia as she looked up at him with weepy eyes. Realizing that his current position made Hestia's impact even stronger, Vahn couldn't help but laugh at himself as he loosely embraced her petite body. He asked in a quiet voice, "What can I do to ease the insecurities in your heart if even you aren't ready to take the next step? Please tell me how I can help you...just like you said earlier, you're one of the most important people to me. I don't want to see you sad anymore."Hestia remained silent for a while as she placed her forehead against Vahn's chest and contemplated matters for a bit. She didn't know what had overtaken her at the moment and felt guilty about how Vahn was currently acting so gently toward her even though she had obviously overstepped her bounds. Because he had explained things from the outset, she knew what kind of life Haruhime had to live for the last three years...the fact that she somewhat resented, even envied, the unfortunate girl made Hestia hate herself a little. Just like Vahn said, even though she felt like she loved him, even though she wanted to do many things with him, she was also very afraid to take that small step forward that would change her life forever. Hestia felt like she would lose a part of herself and, even though she felt like she would gain more in the end, she was still afraid...After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Hestia looked up at Vahn's face and tried her best to smile as she asked, "Can we go out on a date, just the two of us?" Vahn's concerned expression turned into a gentle smile as he nodded his head and said, "Sure, however many you want. I need to find more time to relax anyways, so it'll be good to spend time quality time with my beautiful, somewhat spoiled, little goddess." Hestia's false smiled turned into a real one before her eyes widened a bit and she shouted, "Please don't talk about my height so casually~!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Welcome to the crib...','Room Assignments','Hestia's Troubled Heart')I am currently at $718/1200 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, she sat behind Vahn and watched as he used [Yggrasil's Favor] to emulate the ability to read status in conjunction with his system. He dripped a bit of blood on Haruhime's back and, even though she expected it, Hestia was surprised to see her own crest activate for someone else. She noticed that, unlike her own ability to read status, Vahn's had some extra intricacy that she hadn't seen before. Though she had trouble understanding it, Hestia knew that Vahn was able to see extra information from his skill just as he had claimed. She even began to wonder if she should have him inspect the other girls...much later in the future.Haruhime had a small frown on her face as she closed her eyes, not from pain, but because of how flustered she was feeling. Even though she had a powerful androphobia, Haruhime felt no aversion against Vahn's touch at all. Instead, she actually felt pleasant and giddy feelings welling up inside of her as the tingling feeling from her back persisted for around five minutes before Vahn said plainly, "Thanks Haruhime, you can fix your clothes now." Releasing a short sight, Haruhime pulled up her red kimono and fixed her obi before looking back to see what Vahn had discerned from her Status Board.As he expected, there was much more to Haruhime's Status than the values that Hestia had written down previously. In fact, she was far more overbearing than Vahn had expected and he couldn't help but pity the lack of foresight on behalf of Ishtar. She obviously just wanted Haruhime for her magical ability, but the actual value of Haruhime's potential far exceeded her understanding. Vahn also began to understand the significance of the characters that were involved in the original plot and wondered if he should inspect Ais's Status Board in the future...-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[[STATUS]]Name: Sanjouno HaruhimeRace: RenardLV. 1POW: I11END: I28DEX: I12AGI: I30MAG: F367Skill: [Inari:Innate(sealed)] (A/N: BTW, Vahn wouldn't record these down so don't worry about Hestia seeing them)Magic: [Uchide no Kozuchi:B],[Kokonoe:D]Development Skill: [Moon Priestess:Innate(sealed)] (A/N: BTW, Vahn wouldn't record these down so don't worry about Hestia seeing them)[Uchide no Kozuchi]Rank: BLevel Boost Magic that can only be used on a single target, after which an interval occurs before it can be cast again. It cannot be used on the caster. Enhances all parameters on the target by 30% of their hidden status total.Chant: Grow. That power and that vessel. Breadth of wealth and breadth of wishes. Until the bell tolls, bring forth glory and illusion. -Grow. Confine divine offerings within this body. This golden light bestowed from above. Into the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you. -Grow[Kokonoe]Rank: DA special enchant magic that creates a maximum of nine tails on the user depending on their limit. The user adds the effects of a second magic they chant connect to each of the tails to multiply its effects. (Current Tails: 4)Chant: Kokonoe. Beloved snow. Beloved crimson. Beloved white light. Please let me be beside you - this love I have found at the end of two thousand nights. My name is Magic Fox. Former destroyer. My name is Ancient Song. Former dreamer. For you who beat your wings like a bird, I shall allow the nine spirits to dwell in me. Echo, song of gold, sacred poem of Tamamo. White face, golden fur, king of nine tails. Oh, tails of the auspicious beast, consume all, grant all wishes (Affected Magic Chant) - Dance!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Unlike Lili, who seemed intent on remaining a Supporter in the manga, Haruhime had two Innate abilities instead of one. Based on their names alone, Vahn assumed they related to magical prowess and support. Since Haruhime's magic stat was significantly higher than the rest of her parameters even without every fighting monsters, Vahn assumed her development was already being influenced by the Innate skills. He had learned that a person's Innates always existed in their bodies, they just had to have something to trigger their awakening.Vahn hadn't overlooked Haruhime's magic just because her Innates though, and he was actually shocked when he understood their capabilities. Since his stats were very high for his Level, if Haruhime used her magic on him he would be nearing the Status of a Level 4 without even using his Innate abilities to enhance his fighting potential. With the inclusion of his own abilities, Vahn could theoretically even fight against a Level 6 with his current equipment...After explaining Haruhime's skills to the two girls, Hestia was in abject shock as she read over the information. Though she could see the use of a magic, she couldn't identify the chant or identify the efficacy as Vahn could. She even suspected, based on his earlier reaction, that there was even more that he was able to discern from reading Haruhime's status than he made known. Considering that it was something Haruhime didn't need to hear, she decided to ask him about it later when they were alone.Though she knew about Kokonoe, Haruhime was surprised to learn about the existence of her level-boosting magic. Because of Aisha, she knew she had a unique magic, but Haruhime had never learned about what made the magic special. When she originally got her crest of Ishtar, Haruhime had been left in the dark about her own Status before beginning her life as 'prostitute in training'. Now that she learned about her magic, she felt a fire stirring within her heart because she thought she would be able to help Vahn in the future. Even if she wasn't that strong herself, she could specialize in support and buff the entire Familia in the future.With a confident expression on her face, Haruhime pumped her tiny fists and said, "I know what I want to do now! I want to become a support specialist and learn magic for healing and buffing our allies~!" Vahn was already thinking of the future possibilities of Haruhime's skills, so he was pleasantly surprised by her outburst. Hestia also couldn't fault Haruhime at the moment since she also realized the incredible potential of her skills. If they were able to nurture Haruhime, she would become one of, if not the most important members of their Familia in the future.Vahn reached out his hand and began to pat Haruhime's head, something which she found very pleasing, while Hestia stared at the action for several seconds before sighing. She wanted to protect Vahn and the children that joined their Familia in the future so there was no way she would be able to push away Haruhime. She would have to compromise with the fox girl and do her best to get along in the future even if she had slight inhibitions about the presence of another woman around Vahn. After sorting her thoughts, Hestia released a sigh before fixing her expression and saying, "You have an incredible magical skill Haruhime, I'm glad to have you in the Familia. I might have acted inappropriately earlier, so I'm sorry...I also want to apologize to you as well Vahn. I don't know why, but I just feel so jealous at times..."Haruhime's smile grew even wider as she bowed slightly toward Hestia and said, "I also want to apologize for barging into your lives like this Hestia-sama. I know you care about Vahn deeply and I don't mean to take away his time from others...I'd like it if we worked together and got along better in the future." As usual, Haruhime was very polite and showed proper courtesies even when someone was in the middle of apologizing to her. Vahn nodded his head slightly because he thought her behavior and bearing were commendable traits. Turning to Hestia, Vahn showed an earnest smile and said, "As long as everyone can be happy, I have no complaints at all. I worry more that you'll overburden yourself instead of worrying about your general behavior.Hestia released an exasperated sigh as she gave Vahn a sidelong glance and said, "I think you're the least qualified person in the world to comment about other people overburdening themselves~! I wouldn't be nearly as frustrated if you didn't treat me so well..." Towards the latter half of her words, Hestia trailed off a bit and Vahn wasn't able to hear her well. Haruhime, however, heard everything she said and stepped forward with an elegant smile on her face as she leaned over and whispered into Hestia's ear, "I can help you if you want Hestia-sama...I may not have much experience, but I've received a bit of education on various...matters..."Hestia's eyes widened a bit before she looked at Haruhime with a somewhat fiery look in her eyes before dragging the young Renard toward her own bedroom. To prevent the confused Vahn from asking questions, Hestia shouted over her shoulder, "Go spend some time with Fenrir and the others~! There will probably be a lot of people coming around later so spend some time with them!"As they stepped out the door, Haruhime gave a backward glance at Vahn and he could almost swear he saw a glimmer in her eyes that unnerved him a bit.Following Hestia's 'advice', Vahn went downstairs and followed the corridor until he came to the room where the other girls were located. One of the best things about being able to sense presences was that he didn't have to search through rooms just to find the people he was looking for. When he entered the room, Fenrir had already been expecting him as she had her sights turned toward his location before he even touched the doorknob. Vahn saw that Fenrir was sitting next to Preasia on cushions that they had set on the ground while reading picture books meant for children. Seeing the twins so seriously staring at the images and trying to memorize the words made Vahn inadvertently smile.After they noticed his presence, Maemi put down the picture book as she and Emiru stood up together and bowed politely while saying in concert, "May we be of assistance Master?" Vahn habitually rolled his shoulders as he explained, "You don't have to call me Master, just Vahn will do. Seeing girls call me Master might make me feel excited, but it also feels wrong...if anything, just call me Captain?" Before responding, the two girls looked at each other before nodding their head in sequence and saying, "Vahn-sama."Seeing the glimmer in their eyes, Vahn gave a wry smile before walking over and picking up the picture book from the low table. He realized that he wasn't able to easily rebuke the twins when they performed synchronized actions since he took more than double the impact at how adorable the sight was. Holding up the picture book, Vahn saw that it was a story about a hero that saves a princess from a dragon. Curiously, there were small markings on the hero that obstructed his original hair color to appear similar to his own.Fenrir got excited and asked, "Vahn read for us!?" Before he even responded, Fenrir patted Preasia who stood up with her characteristic blank expression. Vahn felt a little worried about their interaction as he moved over to the large sofa nearby and placed cushions around as he sat down and prepared to read. Since he placed four cushions on the ground, Vahn was going to read to the girls from memory since he had stored the information within his head previously.Against his expectations, Preasia sat on the area right in front of him without sitting on the cushion at all. Before he could make sense of her actions, Preasia reached her hands forward and Vahn's brows immediately shot up before he gently stopped her hands with his left hand. He could feel his body shaking a little as he said as gently as he possibly could, "You never have to do anything like that ever again...Fenrir, Emiru, Maemi..."Understanding his words, the twins guided Preasia away from Vahn before helping her sit on a cushion. Fenrir sat behind Preasia and hugged her body from behind as she gentled patted the shaggy hair of Preasia and whispered, "There, there, be happy, be happy...." The whole while she was being moved around, Preasia continued to stare at Vahn with her light-grey, lightless eyes...As Vahn hadn't been using [Will of the Emperor], he wasn't prepared for what had just happened in front of his eyes. He felt an incredible anxiety intermixed with a powerful hatred as his teeth clattered a bit. Other than when he had found Milan in the past, Vahn had never felt so much uncontainable hatred as he felt now. Since he wasn't using anything to control it, Vahn was experiencing the emotions in full and began to breathe heavily as each of the girls gave him worried expressions. Fenrir seemed especially frustrated as her eyes began glowing scarlet while she tried to distract herself by tending to Preasia.After failing to control his breathing, Vahn began to release his domain to forcibly calm his mind as he sat with his head in his hands while covering his eyes. At this moment, Vahn wanted nothing more than to know the name of the monster that had hurt Preasia. He wanted to make the scoundrel pay and bring them to justice so that she might find some closure and be able to move forward. Vahn couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of person would do something so blatantly cruel to someone that looked so innocent...While he was hanging his head in rage, Vahn heard a small sound that he had never heard before. He didn't know why, but his mind began to clear up a bit as he strained his ears to hear the sound. After several seconds passed, Vahn heard the sound again and looked up from his hands with slightly teary eyes as he stared at the small girl in front of him. The other three girls remained absolutely silent as Preasia said for the third time, "Do you...cry...for me?"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Dual-Innates','Haruhime's corruption','Today is going to be a long day...')I am currently at $718/1200 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 followed the corridors of the brothel in silence as he evaded any paths where others were located. One of the best benefits of his domain was his ability to track presences, regardless of what level of the building a person was on. After a few minutes, he made his way to a window and opened the latch before stepping out into the cold night air and using Shundo to jump to a nearby roof. The entire time he was carrying her, Haruhime tucked her head against his chest and kept absolutely silent while hugging his neck.Since Shundo connected two points and allowed him to transfer between them seamlessly, it wasn't actually based off acceleration and momentum. Even if he moved rapidly enough that he would have broken the sound barrier, it had no adverse effects on his body or the person he was carrying. Vahn could tell that Haruhime was very weak so he made sure to use Shundo instead of running through the streets with her in tow. To prevent her from succumbing to the cold morning air, he also channeled [Heart of the Eternal Flame] and kept the area around their bodies warm.From Haruhime's perspective, she felt brief periods of weightlessness and opened her eyes periodically to see Vahn the area around her disappear from sight only for it to be replaced by a completely new scene. She felt like Vahn was teleporting through the sky while holding her in his arms as the warmth from his body and domain drove away the cold night air. She knew that it was cold enough for frost to build up on metal during the mornings, yet the only thing Haruhime felt was a pleasant warmth and the security that Vahn's embrace brought her.Though he was ignoring it from the time being, Vahn heard the system notifications for every time Haruhime's affection increased for him. After giving it a brief glance, he saw it was already nearing ninety points and suspected she might actually reach the threshold to complete the quest before he even got halfway to the Manor. Since he already expected that she would grow attached to him, Vahn was already prepared for the consequences and would help Haruhime stabilize her mind and interact with others for the time being.Vahn knew from personal experience that saving a girl from dire straights had a big impact, but he didn't want every girl around him to be so reliant on him. Though he didn't think about it much before, Vahn felt like he had a preference for girls that were in control of their own lives and proactively doing their best to improve. Since Haruhime was weak, she fell into the category of people he needed to protect until she was strong enough to overcome her own mentality.The real problem came from the fact that Haruhime was currently undergoing a change to her own mentality. Since she thought she was 'dirty' and Vahn had told her she wasn't, he suspected it would be a powerful driving force behind her future actions. He couldn't determine what was going through her mind, but every additional point of affection she felt for him was like an alarm in Vahn's mind. When he had briefly looked over it earlier, alongside the 88 affection, Haruhime already had the words (Fated Partner) next to it.He hoped she would be able to stabilize with the influence of the others girl at the Manor since he knew there was no easy way to change her mind without saying that he 'didn't want to be with her'. Even if he said it, Vahn wouldn't have believed it himself as he thought she was actually quite beautiful and had already told her that he would protect her. Though it might be a mild inconvenience, Vahn was confident he would be able to deal with Haruhime over time. He did, however, feel a strange desire to find some male companions to offset his burdens somewhat.As he had heard from the girls in the past, Vahn was very aware that he had some kind of aversion towards other guys. After he thought about it, it was very likely due to the fact that the majority of the people related to his own trauma in his past life were men. Over the course of the fourteen years, Vahn had only ever seen girls inside manga and anime and only personally interacted with two real females. Even here in the Danmachi record, most of the problems he had to deal with often related to men or were perpetrated by them. Until this instance with the Ishtar Familia, Vahn hadn't really associated girls with as many negative emotions as he did with men.Now that he had driven a wedge between himself and Welf a bit, Vahn needed to interact with more guys and potentially expose them to some of the girls around him. Though it might be difficult, Vahn needed to find some real friends that he could interact with or he wouldn't be able to release his tensions easily. However, other than Bell and Welf, Vahn wasn't too sure of his interactions with other guys except for maybe Finn, Gareth, and potentially Bete. Even in the manga, Vahn hadn't seen too many guys that he could easily be friends with as even Hermes seemed somewhat suspect in his intentions.As he stepped off a high chimney and jumped through the sky, the image of Take' and Ouka appeared in his mind and Vahn came to a brief stop as he looked down at Haruhime. Noticing they had stopped, Haruhime looked up at Vahn with her placid green eyes and asked, "Is something wrong?" Vahn shook his head and explained, "I was thinking about the Takemikazuchi Familia. I'll need to inform them that you're in my care, and they'll probably stop by and potentially want to take you in their custody. Since they aren't that strong, I was wondering if there might-"While he was explaining, Haruhime put a bit of strength in her arms and placed her head against his chest. Since she had large fluffy ears, they actually tickled his chin a bit which caused her ears to flutter as she said, "I want to stay with you. I'm happy to see my friends again, but I want to stay with the person that saved me..." Since Vahn was going to explain that he wanted her to stay even if Take' wanted to take her away, he just remained silent and increased the warmth of his own body before using Shundo to move to the next building. The only thing he had been worried about was Ouka making a scene, but Vahn could just deal with that when the time comes.Vahn's impression of Ouka wasn't actually that bad, even though he came off as a little abrasive in their first meeting. He seemed to be a devoted and focused individual and was very respectful to his god. If possible, Vahn thought they could be friends in the future since he thought Ouka was the type that could become strong with a bit of polish. Once things settled down, Vahn could even give Ouka a 'flame seed', though he didn't know how effective it would be on a guy since it increased their growth based on their feelings toward him.Other than Ouka, Vahn thought about hanging out with any other guys and then taking them out for drinks or something. Though he used to be cautious in the past, Vahn was absolutely certain he was entirely immune to alcohol now. Even drugs had no effect on him at all as they were instantly filtered by his blood. Knowing this, Vahn figured he could get together a group of guys and potentially even create his own 'network' of men just like the girls had done. Vahn felt like it would be nice to have other guys he could trust and seek advice from to help him deal with issues that weren't always addressed easily by girls.After around half an hour, Vahn stepped into his own courtyard and tried to set Haruhime down but she continued to hold onto his neck as she looked around the relatively expansive plot of land and the large Manor contained within. She had long reached 100 affection for him, and Vahn had her [Hearts Desire: Sanjouno Haruhime] stowed away in his inventory. He decided to put off viewing it until she had stabilized as it might influence his treatment of her in the near future. After a few seconds, Haruhime turned her head up at Vahn and asked, "Is this going to be our home?"Hearing Haruhime say 'our' home before things were even clarified, Vahn released an inaudible sigh through his nose and had a wry expression on his face as he nodded his head. Since she awkwardly held on to his body without letting him put her down, Vahn carried her the rest of the way to the front door while explaining, "This is the Hearth Manor, home of the Hestia Familia and my personal residence. You'll be safe here until we can find a way to deal with the Ishtar Familia. Even though she has a bit of wealth and influence, there is no way she can easily pressure us with the backing of the Guild and the Alliance. I'll explain the details later; just know that you'll be safe from here and that the Takemikazuchi Familia will be able to easily visit in the future."Since it was still only around 4:30 AM, it was too early for anyone else in the Manor to be up and Vahn wasn't able to open the door easily with Haruhime clinging to him. Realizing the awkwardness of the situation, Haruhime asked, "Can you hand me the key, I can open the door..." Vahn smiled a bit before hugging Haruhime and saying, "You have to let me go eventually Haruhime. You're in an unstable state right now and need to relax your body a bit more. Don't worry, I'm not going to disappear and leave you behind."Though she frowned for a short moment, Haruhime eventually said, "I'm sorry..." while climbing down from Vahn's arms. He placed her gently on the floor before unlocking the door and making his way into the warm interior of the Manor. Haruhime followed behind him and was suddenly acting very timidly as she looked around at everything with moderated curiosity and intrigue. Vahn saw her actions and smiled widely before explaining, "Feel free to look around as you please. Other than some of the girls' rooms, you're allowed to go wherever you want without restriction. Just make sure you stay within the premises unless you're being escorted by someone. Though the security of the Manor is very powerful, it doesn't mean it is impossible to break through by professionals."Listening to Vahn speak, Haruhime's ears twitch a bit as she tilted her head questioningly and asked, "Girls' rooms? How many girls live here, are any of them close to you?" Vahn nodded his head before showing the way to the study where he normally received guests. He didn't want to stay and talk in the foyer since the sound echoed around the wide halls and might disturb the others. When they were inside, Vahn had Haruhime sit down on the sofa and gave her some warm tea with sugar and began explaining the situation to Haruhime.One of the personal promises he had made to himself in the past was to never lie or try to conceal his relationships unless it endangered others. If Haruhime truly started to fall for him after things settled down, Vahn wanted her to know exactly what she was getting herself into. Since she was still young, Haruhime had plenty of time to find a real love instead of dedicating herself to the first man that saved her from tragedy. He wanted her to know this was a safe place for her, but also wanted her to know this was not the only place for her. If there was something she wanted to do in life, Vahn wanted her to work hard to make her own dreams a reality without worrying about any matters of repayment or being bound by a strange sense of obligation.The entire time Vahn was recounting his story, Haruhime sat with a surprising amount of elegance and nearly perfect etiquette. Even when she sipped the tea, she always used two hands and remained silent as she stared into Vahn's eyes while he spoke. By the time he was done with his story, Haruhime nodded her head before a small smile showed on her lips and she said, "I already made one of the first decisions of my entire life earlier after you saved me. I wanted to stay here with you, and just the thought of that makes me happy. Even if I can't be your lover, I would be satisfied with just being your mistress or your concubine. Before today, I thought I was a dirty girl that would spend the rest of my life being tainted by others. I won't leave this place unless you want to throw me away. Even if I can't be your concubine, I can still be your maid or even a servant if you prefer."Vahn frowned slightly and said, "I want you to be happy Haruhime, I don't want you to dedicate yourself to me just because I saved you. You should find something else you want from life instead of spending it devoted to someone else." In response, Haruhime had the same elegant smile on her face as her expression remained unchanged and she said, "You're misunderstanding Vahn. My entire life until I was kidnapped had been a sheltered one...if not for the Takemikazuchi Familia, I may very well have spent my entire life alone until I was married off to another clan. The only things I ever had were books and the brief periods of time where I could play with other children during the twilight hours of the night. Ever since I was kidnapped, the only thing I had ever wanted after that was to escape that nightmare...just like the stories I read, I wanted a hero to come away and save me from the bad guys. I had thought it was too late, but now you told me that I'm still a maiden even after all these years...I can't deny my own heart and seek a happiness that I have no solid concept of...all I know is that, right here at this moment, I am happy to be alive. To be sitting here and hear you explain things to me while showing so much care and concern for my well being, I don't think there is anything more I could have asked for..."During Haruhime's long soliloquy, Vahn continued to stare into her deep green eyes and noticed they hadn't wavered in the slightest as she spoke. Even her aura, instead of becoming chaotic, just continually burned brighter as her own words began to inspire confidence in herself. Though Vahn felt like she was brainwashing herself to believe what she was saying, he also understood that she truly believed in her words at the moment.When her words ceased, Haruhime held her hands together on her lap and looked as if she was going to bow before Vahn reached out his hand and stopped her actions. Since she was from the Far East, he knew she was going to try and act subserviently to him unless he forced her away. Vahn wanted her to be happy and intended to have her interact with the other girls so she can experience more of what life has to offer than just the stories in her mind. Ironically, though for very different reasons, Haruhime was similar to his past self who could only find solace in the manga and some anime. He knew that the happiness they brought was just temporary and that there was far more to life than the preconceived notions that could be derived from words and pictures on a page.Vahn looked into her green eyes and said with a serious tone, "Never bow subserviently to me Haruhime. I saved you because I wanted to and, regardless of how you treat me, I will protect you until you become strong enough to protect yourself. I will respect your feelings but know that I can't reciprocate them until I'm confident you have found a greater purpose in life than simply being at my side. It may be selfish of me to say, but I prefer girls that are constantly striving to improve themselves...I think it is a tragic life to live only for others. When you finally find something else to believe in, I will be here waiting for you. If you can't find it yourself, I will even help push you in the right direction..."The entire time he spoke, Haruhime continued to stare into Vahn's aquamarine eyes. She had been a little surprised when he turned into a human earlier, but she hadn't said anything and just marveled at his handsome appearance. Hearing Vahn constantly saying things to benefit her life without even trying to take advantage of her only cemented the idea she had in her mind about being together with him forever. Since he wanted her to be strong, Haruhime decided to put in as much effort as she could to match his requirements. Even if she pretended it wasn't her primary focus and chose to pursue something else, Haruhime buried the idea deep in her heart that she would always take the path that brought her closer to her hero...she wanted to live 'happily ever after' by his side no matter what it took.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'First Impressions Are Powerful','Vahn Seeks Camaraderie','Haruhime's Resolve : In one fuzzy ear and out the other')I am currently at $718/1200 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 257: Obstinance