Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn spent the rest of the morning in the Library with Riveria and Lefiya before it was finally time for the second block of his schedule. He enjoyed a light lunch with the two girls as they made light conversation for a while before eventually parting ways. With the amount of information he had given Riveria, the two had a lot of things to discuss and ruminate over so he was now looking to settle a few other matters. With his return to the surface this time, Vahn felt like he had some 'loose ends' that required wrapping up and he wanted to take care of them before he returned to his normal schedule.Though she was okay with 'delaying' things for a bit, Vahn still wanted to tend to Tione in the near future because he felt somewhat guilty having her wait since she had already waited quite a while. He already made plans with Syr, Ryuu, Chloe, Arnya, and Lunoire for this evening, but Vahn decided that he would spend the following night with Tione, Tiona, and Ais. He imagined things would get a little intense at the time, but that shouldn't be a problem as long as he put in the effort. Even without Haruhime's buff, Vahn knew that parameters were actually higher than depicted when he made use of [Will of the Emperor]. If he made proper use of his [Hands of Nirvana] and [Petting], Vahn was confident he would be able to gain an advantage against them.As for the other things he needed to tend to before things returned to 'normal', Vahn wanted to sort out matters with Haruhime, talk to Maemi, Emiru, and Preasia about the concerns they likely had, and eventually check out his 'clubhouse', talk with the people he wanted to add to his network, and then inspect the ongoing construction efforts. The thing at the top of his list, however, was spending a bit of time with Milan, Tina, and Shizune because he knew the original mother-daughter pair had likely been some of the most worried about his safety. Though Tsubaki was in a similar boat, she was a lot 'stronger' than the two girls and Vahn could tell she was 'stable' during the earlier bath.The 'family' group could typically be found around the first floor, near the kitchen, as they often studied there and helped Maemi and Emiru with chores. This time though, Vahn found several presences in the central courtyard, which had previously been their backyard, and he could see Milan, Tina, Shizune, Preasia, Fenrir, and Ryuu all in outside training together. Vahn realized there was another matter he probably needed to deal with very soon, which was deciding whether he would allow the girls to enter the Dungeon for training. Though Shizune was in a younger body now, she was technically still an adult and Vahn didn't have a strong case to stop her from entering the Dungeon. As for Tina, she had already brought up the matter of Tiona, Tione, Ais, and even Lefiya and Lili, as points to use against him as a reason to allow her to grow stronger sooner. Lefiya and Lili had yet to reach adulthood and Lili's actual start was lower than Tina's current which made it difficult for Vahn to rationalize stopping her...After making his way to the training area, Vahn sat at the side with Preasia since the girls actually continued their training even though they had taken note of his presence. This showed they were trying to follow the proper 'discipline' expected of someone that wanted to enter the Dungeon and Vahn knew they were trying to show him this. As for Preasia, she had a small smile on her face when Vahn sat next to her and asked, "Vahn...can you...?" Not knowing how long he would be waiting, and considering that he hadn't spent much time with her, Vahn nodded his head and reached out his hand. Preasia, however, took 'advantage' of the situation and 'stole' his lap and leaned against him with a surprising deftness that caused Fenrir to cast her a glance.Vahn issued a silent chuckle and began 'fluffing' Preasia's hair as he played around with her droopy ears and pet her head plentily. Since she was a Sheep Person, her ears were similar to an actual sheep's and they were somewhat long, rounded, and drooped down slightly in a manner that made her seem even more...sheepish. She was also a very petite girl, so it was easy to handle her when she was sitting in his lap, even when she wriggled around a bit under his movements. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Vahn asked, "What have you been up to while I was away, Preasia?"Preasia uttered a silent 'Uguuu' sound before muttering, "I studied with Chloe a lot...but she is only good at poisons...and a few medicines. Without Naaza and Fenrir around...I spent most of my time reading books...and waiting for you to come back. I also spent a lot of time...with Milan...Tina...and Shizune..." Though she had started to get along with everyone in the Manor, Preasia had spent the majority of her time with Fenrir, Naaza, Lili, and Haruhime as her close friends so she had been a little lonely when they all went into the Dungeon. Because Hestia had 'claimed' Vahn's room as her own while he was away, she couldn't sneak in easily and even spent some of her nights staying with Milan because she was a little afraid of staying on her own.Vahn could feel the subtle fluctuations in Preasia's aura and gently hugged around her stomach to comfort her body as he rested his chin against the top of her head. It was a little peculiar feeling her breasts resting against his arms, but Vahn didn't mind it and just hugged her until her aura stabilized a bit. Though he was 'disturbing' the training a bit, Ryuu just used it as an opportunity to make the girls work on improving their focus. If they couldn't keep their senses about them during emotional turmoil, they could end up losing their lives in the Dungeon. They also needed to simply get used to Vahn's interactions with other girls if they truly wanted to be with him in the future, so Ryuu herself put in a little more effort.After around an hour of hard training, which had including things like sprinting, evading attacks for several minutes at a time, and actual sparring, it was finally time for a break so the girls approached Vahn and Preasia. Contrary to expectations, Fenrir didn't say anything about Preasia sitting in Vahn's lap at all and just sat down near him, obviously making room for Tina and Shizune to be at his sides if they wanted to. Preasia was aware of this as well and eventually wiggled her butt a little before climbing out of the comfortable seat with a bit of hesitation.With the 'seat' currently freed up, Vahn earned a peculiar look from Fenrir, Tina, and Shizune but none of them moved forward to take it since they were covered in sweat and feeling more than a little self-conscious about it. Milan didn't seem to mind too much, however, as she sat down next to Vahn in a casual manner before asking, "Can you lend us some towels, Vahn?" Though the children seemed to have forgotten about it, Milan knew Vahn had towels that could help mask scents completely which would solve the current 'predicament' easily. Understanding her intentions, Vahn produced enough towels for everyone, including Ryuu, who accepted it gratefully and wiped down her own body.When they smelled the 'scentless' towel, Tina and Shizune understood its purpose and dabbed at the sweat on their bodies as if they were racing against each other. Both girls were wearing training garb that consisted of a black tunic and small shorts for ease of movement. They also had on a pair of black spats-like undershorts with long socks that made the small shin guards they were wearing more comfortable. As they were both 'agility' type fightings, at least for the moment, they were practicing with daggers and short swords since longsword and greatswords were a bit much for them at the moment. Tina also wore a small breastplate atop her tunic, similar in structure to the one her mother was wearing and had a small buckler to guard against attacks.Tina seemed to be following the same route as her mother and fought primarily with a sword and shield while Shizune made use of a pair of daggers, one marginally longer than the other. She actually practiced with Chloe a lot on her days off and also had a pouch on her hip that would one day hold things like smoke bombs, poisons, and other tools. Because of her rather unfortunate past, she was somewhat similar to Chloe and was drawn to the darkness a bit and her developing combat style showed it. Vahn wouldn't be surprised if she became something akin to a ninja or assassin in the future, though he would try to keep her closer to the light instead of letting her fall completely in the darkness.Perhaps due to her experience in life, Shizune finished wiping her body down much faster than Tina and 'proudly' claimed Vahn's lap as her reward. Tina had a 'devastated' look on her face but bottled it up as she took her spot in her Mother's lap instead. Since they were all sitting together, it made her feel like they were a real family and it wasn't 'too' bad. Just as she was thinking about how to start trying to convince her 'Papa' about letting her go into the Dungeon, Vahn had beaten her to the punch as he smiled and said, "I'll be taking a two-week break to focus on other things, but I'll take both of you into the Dungeon in the future if you get passing marks from Tsubaki, Ryuu, and Chloe."Tina's ears perked up and she leaned over toward Vahn and grabbed his arm as she excitedly asked, "Is nyat really true~nya!?" As a result of her excitement, her verbal tick showed up which made the small cat girl blush fiercely but she continued to stare hopefully at Vahn regardless. His smile turned especially gentle as he nodded his head and said, "Yes, though I think I'll have Milan accompany us when I train you while I'll leave Chloe to help watch over Shizune. The two of you will continue training together, but I want you to pursue the paths you choose instead of feeling like you're forced into making a decision. If you'd like to learn anything specific, please let me know from now on and I'll do my best to take care of it."Vahn's words were very well received by the two girls as Tina launched herself at Vahn and rubbed her cheek against his affectionately while Shizune took the opportunity to ask, "Does that mean we'll get one of those flame seeds soon? Since I was born as a kitsune, my magic is somewhat weak and I'd like to develop it further in the future..." Vahn pat Tina's back to help her calm down as he explained, "I've almost reached the threshold of using that skill, and I think it's a bit too early for the two of you to receive a seed. Because you're so young, I think it would be better for you to naturally develop your abilities instead of having them increase too quickly. We can focus on unlocking your rare skills and promoting your growth through your own efforts. Don't worry though, I'll give you flame seeds one day, just not right now. I can't even give them to all the other girls that 'need' one, so please be a little patient..."Shizune didn't seem to mind at all as her ears bobbed a few times and she remarked, "That's fine with me, as it means we'll get to spend even more time together, ufufufufu~." Without the growth promotion of the flame seed, Vahn would have to look after them even more as they fought to increase their strength the 'normal' way. Unbeknownst to the two girls, however, Vahn was planning to promote their growth through other means while also discovering the 'actual' effects of his [Mentor] Development Ability. It was hard to know exactly what benefits it offered since most of the other girls he trained had flame seeds. With the Level 1 Tina and Shizune, combined with the Levels 3 and 4 Milan and Chloe, Vahn would be able to collect more accurate data.Though Milan had a few inhibitions about her daughter entering the Dungeon so early, knowing that she would be there alongside both Tina and Vahn made her worries seem negligible. She knew it was important for her daughter to get stronger for the future, and it was a great opportunity for them to spend time together. Vahn might put her daughter through a few trials, but Milan knew he would never let anything happen to her and there shouldn't be any actual danger. He had already been strong enough to fight against Level 4s and 5s as a Level 3, so Milan had confidence that Vahn had become unimaginably strong after reaching Level 4 himself.For the two-and-a-half remaining hours of the second block of his schedule, Vahn spent his time with six girls and helped guide their training. Mikoto had shown up at one point, but she ended up making her way into the forest in the back so as not to disturb their training. Her destination was the clearing that she had heard about and she already knew the correct path from Ryuu. She knew the 'heritage' Vahn had given her was actually far more advanced than her initial expectations and, after reading it through to the end, Mikoto understood she could reach a level of swordsmanship never before seen in the world. Knowing that the skill relied on speed, perception, and reaction timing, Mikoto had even taken the [Acrobatics] Development Ability to increase the flexibility of her body and her spatial awareness.By the time Vahn's schedule was transitioning to the third segment, he had promised to help design outfits for both Tina and Shizune in the future as well help them choose a 'proper' weapon. Vahn had an idea about making growth weapons for the two girls, but he was somewhat worried it would skew his own research results. However, it was far more important that the girls were safe and able to grow properly so Vahn was going to consult Hephaestus on the matter as growth weapons didn't actually exist in the record yet. Vahn couldn't even find the [Hestia Knife] through the system shop, since it was a 'unique' weapon that was directly connected to Hestia. He would likely be able to purchase it in another record, but that wasn't very helpful given the current circumstances.Fortunately, Vahn knew that Hephaestus had the potential to make such weapons and she would likely be more than willing to help out. If he assisted her during the forging process, he could potentially even learn the skill himself while also spending time with the loveable goddess of the forge. They would also need Hestia's support during the process, as her ichor would be the catalyst that made the weapon function, but there was little chance she would refuse. She was actually very fond of Tina, Shizune, and Fenrir since her motherly instincts were quite developed. As one of her divinities related to 'Family' itself, she had a soft spot for children and would probably be very motivated to assist them.As there was no time like the present, and knowing that Hephaestus had said she would be in the Manor in the afternoon, Vahn made his way toward the workshops after parting with the girls. Knowing they would need to getting 'passing marks' from several people, their motivation for training had been ignited and they were planning to spend the afternoon studying about the Dungeon and training with Ryuu, Fenrir, and Milan. Though Fenrir might not be the best teacher, she was very strong and could demonstrate her fighting methods to the girls, which they were both interested in considering her foundation was built on 'copying' Vahn. She had even taken the [Mimickry] Development Ability when she increased her Level and was able to emulate Vahn's voice if she put in the effort. The first time Vahn heard her practicing it, it made him feel a little bit of a chill, not because she was copying him, but because he was afraid who else she would copy in the future...(A/N: I hadn't clarified this previously, but items like grimoires and personal-made weapons that are bound to people typically can't be purchased when Vahn is in the record. If Vahn was in another world, he could actually buy grimoire from Danmachi, but their effects would be far different than their function in the original world. This will be explained more in the future, so stay tuned~! Also, though this is a three-part mini-arc, you don't really lose much reading from chapter-to-chapter, so don't feel like you need to stockpile them~! I wonder if the people actually stockpiling them will read this message...xD)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Preparing for 'battle'','Permission Granted','Fenrir was the 'sneaky' girl all along!')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

This was actually Vahn's first time visiting the workshop since his return from the expedition and he was surprised that several things had changed since his last visit. The Annex now connected into the Manor itself and continued further to make room for a large storage warehouse, as both Hephaestus and Tsubaki needed space for their materials, as well as a completely new forge that was on the other side of the wall from Vahn's. Hephaestus actually drew up designs for all kinds of mechanisms and was quite fond of things like trap doors so the two workshops were connected by a secret passageway. Since she kept her 'Eternal Flame' at the Hearth Manor now, Hephaestus needed to ensure it was protected for when she was away, even from the other residents of the Manor.The 'Eternal Flame' was inextricably linked to Hephaestus in the mortal world and, if it was somehow destroyed by someone, it would also result in her own expulsion from the mortal world until she recovered. Even if she had absolute trust in the residents of the Manor, Hephaestus was still a goddess that had lived a very long life and she wasn't the type to take chances with her own life. The surrounding walls had so many formations protecting her forge that even Vahn wasn't confident in being able to break into it without using the access key. Fortunately, his own 'eternal flame' allowed him to bypass the protection and he easily found the mechanism to trigger the false wall to open with his [Eyes of Truth].Since Vahn and Tsubaki were the only possible people that could enter, with the later only having access with Hephaestus' permission, she wasn't surprised by Vahn's arrival and simply wiped the sweat from her brow with a loving smile on her face. Vahn found that Hephaestus grew more beautiful every time he saw her and he quickly stepped forward and embraced her loosely before sealing her smiling lips with a kiss. It was rare that they were alone like this and Vahn felt his own heart itching after realizing they probably wouldn't be disturbed at all within her forge. Even the Eternal Flame in her forge, alongside the one in his chest, was dancing about happily as the atmosphere slowly developed.Hephaestus eventually closed her teeth slightly to force Vahn's tongue to retreat as she gave him an enamored look and said, "I'm in the middle of work right now...give me a few minutes to finish up." Vahn felt his heart race and turned his attention to what Hephaestus had been working on before his 'interruption' and saw a dark-green piece of metal that was being heated by the Eternal Flame. Vahn recognized the material as a composite between Adamantine and Novasteel and it was being forged into the head of a battle-ax. Vahn knew it would take more than a 'few minutes' to finish and Hephaestus would likely let it cool down before reheating it in a painstaking process later.Though he stopped 'distracting' her, Vahn didn't stand to the side and wait and instead said, "I'd like to help, Hephaestus. If we work together, it will get done faster and we can talk at the same time..." Hephaestus smiled but Vahn could see a complex look in her eyes as she struggled, likely with how she should refuse him. With the focus she placed on her work, forever in the pursuit of a higher standard of quality, Hephaestus couldn't easily allow someone's 'assistance' with her work since, if it actually turned out slightly worse, she would actually reforge the entire thing because of her own compulsion.Vahn understood her concerns somewhat and gently stroked her back as he softly muttered, "Don't worry, I'll just assist you with some of the basic parts and leave all the actual metalworking to you..." If it was just preparing materials, treating them, and forming ingots, Vahn had a lot of confidence and could even purchase 'perfect' versions of them through the shop if she was that concerned about it. Unable to refuse Vahn easily, Hephaestus eventually released a hot sigh and said, "Okay, Vahn...since you are also connected with the Eternal Flame, I believe in you..."For the first time in history, Hephaestus allowed someone to actually assist with her work and Vahn did his best not to disappoint her. He actually cut open his palm before they started and fed some of his blood to the Eternal Flame, which it 'greedily' devoured before dancing around in a highly excited manner. Hephaestus watched this with interest and then began issuing Vahn orders for the tasks he needed to complete, each unable effect the quality of the final product if she did her best. She wasn't truly surprised by his capabilities, but Hephaestus found it very 'interesting' to see how capable Vahn had become when it felt like just a 'blink' ago he had just picked up a hammer for the first time. Seeing that he was still using the hammer 'they' forged together, Hephaestus felt more confident in the final product and did her best to shape the axhead properly.Though he had seen her work a bit, this was Vahn's first time watching Hephaestus actually 'forge' an item seriously and it made him realize truly how lackluster his own skills were. The coordination between her and the Eternal Flame was something he couldn't hope to replicate without an incredible amount of effort. It was actually able to make 'tendrils' of flame under Hephaestus' guidance as they worked in concert to create different patterns within the structure of the metal before she struck it with her hammer. Vahn could see that each strike actually infused energy into the metal in very specific shapes and patterns that perfectly reinforced the structure she had created with her earlier efforts. It was a level of control that made Vahn swallow dryly because of how 'ridiculous' it was. Any confidence he had in forging was completely eradicated by Hephaestus' display and he truly realized that he had barely taken just a few steps on a functionally endless path on the road to being a Master Smith...Vahn had no way of knowing her actual skill level, but if he were able to analyze it through the path he would see that Hephaestus didn't actually have the [Master Smith] ability at all, but there was an Innate attached to her that was simply called [Hephaestus:(-)]. Her true skill was that of a [Godsmith], which was a level unattainable without being an actual god, but it was invalidated by her existence. This is what made her skill incomparable to other forging gods, even when she was restricted by the laws of the record when she was in the mortal world. Without the use of her Arcanum and Divine Power, Hephaestus was still the greatest blacksmith in the entire world and her skills could even match the performance of some gods there were still in the Heavens. The only thing that truly prevented her from creating even greater masterpieces were the restrictions of the materials she had to work with. Unlike those that were found in heaven, the materials in the mortal world had all kinds of impurities and even the air around her was working against her as a result of the somewhat 'chaotic' flow of elemental energy naturally present in the world.Vahn had originally thought they would have an opportunity to talk, but Hephaestus' work ethic made him feel a little ashamed of himself. From the moment she accepted his help, Hephaestus became completely focused on her work and only looked over periodically to cast her glowing eyes at the materials he was working with. When she was putting in an effort, both of Hephaestus' eyes glowed with a divine light similar to Anubis, except for the fact they were a fiery red. Instead of distracting her, Vahn felt compelled to put all of his efforts into his own work so that he didn't disappoint her. As a result, they finished the large battleax, something that Vahn felt would have taken him several days, after around two hours and forty minutes...Hephaestus was about to wipe away her sweat again, but Vahn had already pulled out a towel and began dabbing it off of her. A smile bloomed on her face as she remarked, "You've improved a great deal, Vahn...I'm very impressed." Vahn simply shook his head in response and said, "I never realized just how far apart our skill level actually was...it was a very eye-opening experience. Thank you for letting me help you, Hephaestus..." Though his words sounded somewhat self-deprecating, Hephaestus could see a 'fire' in Vahn's eyes, which he could feel himself as he aspired to increase the quality of his own work in the future. Even Tsubaki was more skilled than he was, albeit somewhat less innovative and experimental, and Hephaestus was several orders of magnitude more skilled than both of them. If Vahnw as like a small pool, Tsubaki was like a small pond, whereas Hephaestus was like the ocean itself...As she enjoyed Vahn's care and concern, as he pampered her quite a bit as a result of her pregnancy, Hephaestus asked in a low and contended voice, "So, why did you originally come here, Vahn? I can tell you wanted to see me, but I know there had to be another reason behind your actions..." A wry smile appeared on Vahn's face as he said, "I wanted to talk to you about potentially making weapons for Tina and Shizune. I'll be taking them into the Dungeon in a few weeks and I wanted them to have something that could grow alongside them instead of something that made them arbitrarily stronger than normal." Hearing Vahn's words, Hephaestus titled her head to the side in thought before nodding her head and saying, "It may be a bit difficult, but I think I could manage if Hestia assists me. Since it wouldn't be good for their development to be overly reliant on a weapon, I think making them a weapon that can grow is a good idea. It won't be easy though, even for me...we also need to consider the materials properly so there aren't any issues in the future."Now that Hephaestus had the idea in her mind, thought were racing through her brain as several different designs began to take shape. Unable to resist her own compulsions, she moved into the adjacent room where there was a drawing table and immediately set about drawing up the blueprints necessary. Vahn had followed behind her in interests as she began peppering him with questions about the girls' combat styles, their height, weight, projected growth, the length of their arms, the dexterity of their fingers, and even how their bodies moved based on habits. Though he was a little caught off guard, Vahn was able to answer the majority of the questions relatively easily by relying on his memory and understanding of the girls' bodies.Though it might not have been completely accurate, Vahn could even somewhat project Tina's growth by taking into consideration the structure of Milan's body and the images he had seen of her father. As for Shizune, he knew what she looked like as an adult and, even if there were subtle changes as a result of her living conditions and other factors, there wouldn't be drastic differences in her basic appearance. He had also seen Tina train several times, while watching Shizune's progress earlier, so he knew their various 'faults' and the habits they relied on during combat. As a result, Hephaestus ended up drawing up a diagram of a 20cm long dagger for Shizune and a 50cm long shortsword for Tina, if measured just by their blades.There were still changes that would need to be made for the final designs, but Hephaestus was satisfied with what she had drawn up and eventually set down the quill before she teasingly said, "Your knowledge about those two girls is rather...intimate?" Vahn laughed in response without minding the matter too much as he said, "My memory is nearly perfect and I learned from both you and Tsubaki about how to properly measure things with my eyes and by relying on my perception. Before I came here, I had watched the girls training so their images are still fresh in my mind. Besides, I can confidently say I know at least one gorgeous goddess of the forge infinitely more intimate than almost any other girl..."As Vahn spoke, he traced his index finger across Hephaestus' exposed collarbone which made her release a hot sigh under the influence of his [Hands of Nirvana]. Ever since their wedding night, Vahn felt like there wasn't a single thing about Hephaestus' body that he didn't know completely. Unfortunately, their presence would be noted if they were absent during dinner and there wasn't really enough time to 'prove' it to her in any meaningful way. Instead, Vahn set out plush sofa for them and said, "We don't have much time, but we can still cuddle a bit before dinner...I want to listen to the baby." Hephaestus had an enamored and anticipatory look on her face at first, but it immediately softened when she heard Vahn's words. Though she could easily manage the feat herself, she muttered, "Help me up...I don't want to hurt the baby~."Vahn obediently supported Hephaestus' body over to the sofa before gingerly laying her against the soft cushions. If he could, he would pamper her endlessly up until the moment of the delivery but life was never so convenient so he just enjoyed this small moment to the fullest. Being able to rest his head against her abdomen as she stroked his hair made Vahn feel an incredible amount of comfort and he even had the urge to cry as a result of the emotions that had started to rise up inside of him. As faint as they might be, Vahn could feel the hearts of his two daughters beating within Hephaestus' womb and it made him feel strangely small and frail, almost like he was a part of them.Seeing Vahn's reaction actually made Hephaestus tear up slightly and she felt truly grateful for everything that had happened over the last six months. Though she often prayed for a reprieve, Hephaestus harbored no actual hope that she would ever be free of the loneliness that had plagued her. Even if she found a temporary love, it would be just that, temporary, almost like a momentary blip in her eternity. Through Vahn, she found a companion that she could walk with for a long time, potentially even stretching into eternity itself. He not only healed her scar, but he also healed the wounds of her heart and even blessed her with a child, the ultimate amalgamation of the love they shared. Their children even had the potential of becoming goddesses themselves, except she was certain Vahn would find a way to manage the influence Divinity had over their minds and souls. He was truly an amazing little boy and Hephaestus couldn't even imagine a life where she had never met Vahn...just thinking about it made her feel a little lonely.Unable to prevent the words from leaving her lips, Hephaestus muttered, "I love you so much..." as she gently stroked Vahn's head. He opened his watery eyes to match her own as an almost 'pained' smile appeared on his face and he said, "Hephaestus...thank you...I love you so much...so much..." With Hephaestus' words dealing critical damage to his heart, Vahn couldn't stop himself from crying tears filled with a plethora of powerful emotions that were far more overwhelming than his fragile heart could take. He felt so much love and gratitude for this beautiful woman before him and he couldn't find any way to express it because there was no way he could ever truly repay her for everything she had given him. Without her unwavering trust and support, Vahn imagined he wouldn't be nearly as happy as currently was. Though he might have found love, even started a family of his own, Vahn couldn't imagine it being nearly as fulfilling as everything he had now. Thus, unable to find any way to truly express what he felt, Vahn opened himself up to the goddess that had left a permanant impression on his heart and cried...---(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Eternal Bae','Pool Vs. Ocean','Crybaby Emperor...')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After promising to meet with Loki in the coming days, as she was busy managing matters with her Familia after the expedition, Vahn mounted Fafnir along with Riveria, Ais, Tiona, Tione, Lefiya, and Fenrir. Tiona had wanted to ride Terra, but the elegant green dragon actually refused her, saying, "I would want my Master to be the first person to ride on my back. Please forgive me, Tiona." This was one of the 'troublesome' things about having a dragon that could take human form from the beginning, as Vahn found it somewhat difficult to rationalize riding on Terra's back since he had Fafnir with him. Since it spent the majority of its time stuck in the shadows, Vahn also felt 'obligated' to use it as a mount because Fafnir seemed to enjoy it greatly. He could always make it up to Terra by spending time with her in the Manor, after all, which was something that Fafnir couldn't easily do since it's size was currently fixed.On the flight back to the Manor, Vahn found himself flanked by Tiona and Tione and it was very obvious they were more 'excited' than normal. With his increase in parameters, Vahn was relatively close to the two in strength and, until he 'tamed' their eager hearts, they likely wouldn't be able to calm down any time soon. As he had already planned to spend the evening with the girls from the Hostess of Fertility, Vahn was currently considering if he should tend to the two beautiful brown-skinned girls sooner, rather than later. Being able to 'defeat' them in the bedroom should help them calm down a great deal since it would pacify their instincts and allow them to act calmly around him in the future, except of course when he 'triggered' them by doing something showy.Once they reached the Manor, Tiona made the comment, "Wow, it feels like we're just now returning home~!" in a cheerful voice as she leaped down from Fafnir's back. The other girls seemed to share her sentiments and everyone appeared more lively as they happily made their way into the interior of the Manor to explore. Vahn had stayed back with Tione a bit and grabbed her arm as he 'whispered', "Tione, if you're struggling so much..." Contrary to his expectations, Tione simply embraced him all of a sudden and said, "I'm fine, Vahn, just call on me when you're ready. I know you must be busy after just returning to the surface, so just make time in the future for me and I'll be happy. We can invite Tiona and Ais along and make it into a celebration about returning to the surface~."Vahn felt a bit of warmth spread through his chest with how thoughtful Tione was being as he embraced her in return and sealed her lips with an 'unexpected' kiss. He kept things brief since he wasn't trying to make things even more difficult, but it still caused her to breathe a little heavier before she made her way toward the Manor. The only 'people' remaining outside were Vahn, Riveria, Lefiya, Fenrir, Terra, and Fafnir, so Vahn felt like it was time to face his fate as he turned to Riveria and bowed his head low, saying, "Riveria, please forgive me for forgetting my promise to allow you to observe the naming ceremony. I had been so eager to complete it that I hadn't been thinking properly and have let you down...I will do better in the future."Seeing Vahn's somewhat 'eager' apology, Riveria released a sigh and cast a glance at the 'grimacing' Lefiya before saying, "Raise your head, Vahn. It is expected that people make mistakes, and you have a lot on your plate compared to most. The naming was just a matter I was curious about, and it isn't as though it will be the last time you perform such a feat. However, I would like to be part of the next one so please keep that in mind." Though she felt a small amount of resentment at having missed the opportunity, Riveria couldn't imagine holding an actual grudge against Vahn for very long anymore. He worked very hard and had already started laying a foundation for the future, not just for herself and Lefiya, but for the entire Elven people. She had already decided to be with Vahn in the future, so it was difficult to rationalize staying angry at him when she knew it would actually 'hurt' him more than most people.Hearing Riveria's words, Vahn raised his head and smiled gratefully after seeing how stable and calm her aura was compared to the mild fluctuations that were present earlier. Since he suddenly found himself with more free time, as the matter with Tione had been pushed back temporarily, Vahn gestured to Terra and said, "Terra, please return to your humanoid form, and remember to wear your robe properly." Vahn's words caused Riveria to squint slightly as she turned her gaze to Terra and watched as the 14m long dragon became enshrouded in a vibrant green light that rapidly shrunk. By the time it reached 3m in diameter, the light 'burst' apart into wispy strands and there was suddenly a woman standing in a high-quality robe.Seeing Terra's appearance, Riveria understood what Ryuu meant when she compared her to a spirit as the 'feeling' she gave off was very similar. If she didn't have wings on her back, something Riveria found fascinating, she would have been indiscernible from the majority of spirits that took on human form. There was vibrant energy radiating from her body that was filled with life and warmth and, under her bare feet, flowers bloomed as grass coiled about in an almost 'playful' manner. Riveria felt that, with her ability to create a 'wellspring' of life, Terra could have become an idol for the Elven people. It seemed that Vahn had a natural inclination to do things that would eventually unify the Elves with other cultures in the future, as he not only had Terra's support, but also possessed a [Seed of the Tree of Life], could transform into a High Elf, and had already gained some insight into finding a solution to the issues concerning Elven infertility...Lefiya had also noticed the peculiarities with Terra, but the thing she most took note of at the present was the fact that Terra was also one of Vahn's 'subordinates'. They had already introduced themselves earlier, but Lefiya still took the opportunity to bow politely and say, "We'll be working together from now on, Terra. Lets both do our best for Master~!" Since she wouldn't have been able to keep it from Riveria, Lefiya had already explained the change in 'status' between her and Vahn, though she didn't go into too many details. What Lefiya had discussed was the fact that she had taken Vahn as her Master to learn magic, which was something Riveria had even encouraged her to do, so it wasn't incorrect to address him as such.Terra, however, understood the true context of Lefiya's words because she could subtly feel a connection with the small Elven girl. Emulating the polite bow displayed by Lefiya, Terra returned the courtesy and said, "I look forward to working alongside you, Lefiya. I'm certain we can accomplish more working together rather than dividing our efforts." Though the two girls smiled at each other, Riveria had a look of suspicion on her face as she looked between their unique interaction. She assumed there was likely more to things that weren't currently made apparent, but decided to probe into them later as there was another matter that concerned her at the moment.Asking a question that Vahn was also curious about, Riveria turned to Terra and asked, "Terra, how is it that you are able to speak so fluently and behave similarly to the surface races? I understand you were an intelligent monster within the Dungeon, but that doesn't explain how you're able to carry yourself in such a 'proper' manner..." Even now, Terra stood tall and had an almost noble disposition in the way that she carried herself. It was possible that it was simply 'instinctual' for her, but Riveria wanted to learn more about the matter.Terra tilted her head slightly as a reminiscent look appeared in her eyes and she said, "I'm not sure exactly how long I lived, but I had once roamed about on the surface. One day, I had been seriously injured by another monster and a small child had discovered my body. Though she wasn't very skilled, she happened to be the apprentice of her village's physician and she helped treat my wounds. I never recovered completely, but I was able to survive with her assistance over the course of several long months. Though I couldn't understand speech at the time, I felt indebted to the girl and she was always talking to me as she treated my wounds..."Though it seemed like Terra didn't mind going on even further, Rivera raised her hand and said, "I understand now, you learned how to interact with surface dwellers through your relationship with that girl. Since you aren't certain of your own age, you likely tracked it by the age of the girl over the course of her life until you eventually separated. As I do not want to pry into your past, I will drop this matter here for the time being...thank you for sharing with me." Riveria was very interested in Terr's life, but she didn't want to hear her narrate the entire thing while they were standing out in the courtyard. She would leave it to Vahn to 'discover' the elements about her past as Riveria was truly more interested in the 'future' right now.Terra smiled and bowed slightly to Riveria without continuing further, as it was something she struggled narrating as well. She didn't remember everything from her previous life, though her memories had slowly started to come back to her, but she did remember the little girl that slowly became a woman and eventually even had a family of her own. However, the most prominent memory in her mind was going to the aide of the girl's family in her time of need before she was eventually killed by a horde of monsters.Because there were so many enemies, the girl and her family died long before she fell and it was their deaths that eventually caused her to give up her own struggle. She might have been able to fly away if she was in her peak condition, but the injury she had sustained in the past had been to her wing and she was no longer capable of flight at the time. The only thing she remembered after that was waking up within the Dungeon and longing for the blue sky once again. Strangely, it had been one of the things she couldn't recall directly and it was almost 'heartbreaking' not being able to remember it...As a result of her struggles in her previous life, Terra had grown 'tired' of combat and she lamented her new life where she was constantly attacked by Adventurers that sought her treasure. Even when she tried to reason with them, they often just came back with a larger group and there would almost always be a fight. If not for her desire to return to the surface, and her instinctual desire to protect the Treasure Tree, Terra would have given up on life because she truly disliked fighting. When Vahn offered to make both of her desires a reality, Terra didn't truly believe him because it was difficult to trust humans. However, she could see the honesty contained within his eyes and it reminded her of past memories long forgotten. This was the reason why she decided to place her trust in him at the time and it seemed now that her fortunes had been favorable.After the brief conversation took place, the four went into the Manor as Fafnir plopped down in the same spot as the previous day and laid down on the ground to sunbathe once again. It opened his massive maw to 'yawn' as a rumbling growl escaped its throat and a sleepy look appeared in its eyes.It was happy to be able to stay on the surface now, but things seemed somewhat boring except when it was flying around with Vahn and having fun. Even flying in sky around the territory of the Alliance wasn't really that interesting so it spent the majority of its time sleeping as it released an intimidating aura at anyone, or anything, that might come near the Manor. There were several people that passed by the outer walls that would find themselves spook as the stopped and looked over the top of the walls with thoughtful expressions. They didn't actually plan to break in, they were simply curious what kind of place the 'famous' Hearth Manor really was. Unfortunately, they curiosity earned them a lingering feeling of dread if they stayed too long because Fafnir would bear its aura down on anyone that overstayed their welcome without going through the front gate.Since it was nice and sunny outside, Terra went into the illusory forest and made her way to the secret garden to continue nourishing the plants in the area while expanding her territory even further. It would require constant effort on her behalf to expand her dominion and Terra knew it was her 'duty' to make sure she did her best in guarding to Manor in exchange for a relatively peaceful lifestyle. It was very similar to her duty guarding the Treasure Tree, but Terra didn't mind at all since there was a beautiful sky overhead and she had a lot of freedom to move about as long as she informed people what she was doing. She also had a kind Master and there were many girls that treated her nicely, especially Ryuu, Haruhime, Maemi, and Emiru. It was much better to be surrounded by friendly people that it was to be 'trapped' in the lonely Dungeon where she would periodically be forced to fight for her life.As for Vahn, Riveria, and Lefiya, they made their way towards the Library while Fenrir ran off to explore the Manor with the other girls. Now that they were back at the Manor, there were a few things they needed to properly catalog and discuss regarding their future research and Vahn also wanted to pander to Riveria as an apology for forgetting his promise. She seemed to realize this as well and took the opportunity to question Vahn about some of the things she had been curious about, including the evolution of his magical abilities and the 'specifics' of his sensory capabilities. Though he couldn't explain everything to her, Vahn did he best to convey it in a manner that Riveria would understand and even broke down the existence of 'magic particles' and the structure of molecules for her, 'revolutionary' ideas that were somewhat hard to grasp.One of the things that was rather difficult to believe was Vahn's explanation that mana itself had no elemental properties at all, at least in its basic structure. It wasn't until mana was given a 'purpose', as a result of the influence of laws within the world, that it finally gained an 'elemental charge'. This meant it was possible to transition one elemental energy into a completely different one, which was easily seen through the process of converting water elemental energy into ice. Though they were similar, they were actually fundamentally different when it came to the aspect of the energies contained within them. Fortunately, their affinities were very close to each other so it was much easier to transition water into ice, and vice versa, than it was to change water into fire.This didn't mean it was impossible, however, which Vahn painstakingly demonstrated at the cost of using nearly 70% of his entire energy to turn a marble-sized ball of water into a ball of flame. With his newfound mastery of water elemental energies, Vahn could use his perfect affinity with fire to perform such feats, effectively shocking both Riveria and Lefiya to the core. The biggest impact to them hadn't been in that 'small' display though, as Vahn took things to an entirely different extent when he demonstrated that it was possible to create something from 'nothing' right before their eyes. Unlike the energy he used to 'create' things within his body, which made use of external energy, Vahn used his 'Oblivion' to created a sphere of iron roughly the size of a crystal ball that 'grew' right before the girls' eyes.Riveria had several difficult questions to ask after that, since she was interested in the 'differences' between Vahn 'creation' divinity and his ability to 'create' things from nothing. He could already materialize weapons, armor, clothing, and even food from thin air, so she wondered about why he stressed the significance of being able to make an orb of iron. It took a bit of effort, but Vahn essentially explained it at using a template, image, and desire to 'form' and item from his understanding and using his soul as a medium to essentially perform an 'exchange' with the world itself to produce items. The fundamental difference between creating an orb in the real world, and creating one through his 'divinity' was that one created something from 'nothing'. If they had enough understanding of the process, both Riveria and Lefiya would be able to create things in the future, even without a 'divinity' of their own.Though she suspected there was more to it than Vahn explained, Riveria felt like he was trying to be truthful to her so it was likely just his own difficulties in explaining the matter in a way she could understand. It made her feel slightly awkward so she didn't press him too much after he drew out various diagrams for her in order to describe the process. She suddenly felt like a child being educated by her tutor again, which was both refreshing and strangely disconcerting at the same time. One of the reasons she had left her home was because she craved knowledge and wanted to experience the outside world for herself, so being able to learn so much from Vahn was a very fulfilling thing for her. However, his age made her a little self-conscious because it almost felt like she was being treated like a child by someone that was 83 years younger than she was...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Good to be home','Terra's Past','Kouhai-Riveria and Vahn-Senpai~!')(A/N: Once again, I'd like to thank everyone that has been making pledges on ******* to show their support for the novel. We went from $631 to $821 pledged over the course of a single day so, if everything clears at the end of the month, I should be in a much better position to continue doing this even further into the future~! As for the lovely people that have made Paypal donations, I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to each of you as receiving direct payments always makes me very happy xD, which I'm certain most people can empathize with &lt;3.)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 502: Loose Ends (1/3)