Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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 spending around half an hour together, Vahn and Hephaestus made their way to the dining room where everyone else had already started to congregate. Because her shift had started at noon, Eina wasn't present at the dining table, instead of leaving Misha sitting next to Haruhime with a somewhat loose smile on her face as she tried to butter up to the slightly tense Renard girl. However, noticing his presence, Misha immediately ceased her behavior and held up her hand in a form of greeting as she said, "Heyo, Vahn~! Welcome back; it's good to see you and the girls return to the surface without issue. You should know, everyone was suuuuper tense while you were away~."Vahn sat down with Hephaestus and Hestia at his side before casting a glance around the table as he responded to Misha by saying, "I heard you've been working hard on behalf of the Hestia Familia and the Alliance, Misha. Thank you for all of your efforts..." Misha's association with the girls in the Manor, even with her preferences, wasn't really a bad thing in Vahn's opinion because she was sort of a method of 'exposing' the girls to outside stimulus. If the girls cooped themselves up inside the Manor all the time without interacting with 'outsiders' every now and then, it could cause all kinds of problems in the long run. Though he was far from a professional, Vahn had idly read a few books on psychiatry and stuff so he could better advise the girls when they were having trouble.Misha shot a thumbs up at Vahn and said, "Yeah, I've been bustin' my butt to make sure everything has been running smoothly, and it hasn't been easy, mind you! Hooowever, it was Eina that worked the hardest, so make sure you treat her niiiice and gently, okay~?" Vahn couldn't help but smile at Misha's remark and nodded confidently as he said, "I'll make sure Eina is happy, no matter what it takes. And not just her...I will never stop doing my best for everyone within the Hearth Manor." In response to his words, Syr began laughing softly before remarking, "I'm certain you'll do your best for people outside of the Manor as well, Vahn~."Tiona immediately jumped in and said, "Of course~! After all, Vahn is like a super-duper hero kind of guy, ya know~?" If there were a Vahn fan club, Tiona may very well be the leader with the vice-leader position belonging to Senna from the Lakshmi Familia. Even now, though he tried not to let it bother him, Senna's affection for him was firmly hovering around 99(Idolatry) and Vahn wasn't sure how to address it in the future. Tiona wasn't the only one to agree with Syr, however, as Vahn earned a few embarrassing remarks from Chloe, Ryuu, and the never shy, at least when it came to teasing him, Tsubaki. Preasia also looked like she wanted to say something, but she generally kept to herself and just gazed intently into his face during their meals.As usual, dinner was a lively affair and last nearly an hour-and-a-half before it finally came to an end after plates had piled up a bit. The fact that the majority of them were around Lefiya made the bashful Elf hang her head, but it didn't stop her from nibbling away at a small tree-shaped biscuit. She wasn't really that hungry, but it felt like she 'could' eat and found it hard to resist when there was food in front of her. Misha seemed to be fascinated by this, but there was no way to break through the 'wall' of Riveria and Ais who 'shielded' Lefiya from her clutches.Vahn had thought it he would be helpful, so he assisted the girls in washing the dishes and made use of his Xuánwǔ form to create a small vortex of water as he ran the dirty dishes through them. Maemi and Emiru stared at the skill with glittery eyes and asked in the characteristic synchronicity, "Can you teach us that skill~?" Though he wasn't sure they would be able to exercise control over individual elements, Vahn knew it was 'possible' and promised to do his best, but only if they did so as well. Without any hesitation at all, both girls agreed to work hard with an almost scary amount of passion as their tail actually crossed before curling around and making a heart shape...While the others had been on the expedition, Maemi and Emiru hadn't stopped their training for a single day and were so in synch with each other that it was hard to find them in different places these days. They even walked around with their tails entwined at times and perfectly matched each other's movements without interfering with the other. Vahn knew he would likely come to a head against the two girls in the future, likely after he eventually took them into the Dungeon to help them reach Level 3.Maemi and Emirua were actually already at the basic parameters to increase their level but were 'correctly' delaying the matter so they could increase their parameters even further. Though they didn't have the same 'devotion' as Haruhime, their desire to be with him was genuine, even if it was a bit 'peculiar' in the way it manifested. Even now, Vahn was very aware that both girls still wore the victory panties he had given them as they had simultaneously bent down to pick up a fork that had dropped to the ground and 'showed' him directly...Managing to avoid a 'confrontation' with the twins, Vahn eventually retreated to his own room in preparation for the coming night. Chloe, Arnya, and Lunoire had managed to take earlier shifts in the day so that they would have the evening off and were 'raring' to go since early in the afternoon. Ryuu actually ended up 'passing' on the event as she offered her help at the pub and instead had Aki serve as her replacement. As she had already been 'comforted' by Vahn the previous day, she wanted to give him more time with the girls he had yet to tend to. Ryuu was always a very thoughtful girl when it came to her companions and Vahn decided he would have to reward her when it was just the two of them again.The last member of the 'entourage' was Syr, who brought together the entire group seamlessly as it's core. Other than Vahn himself, she played the most important role in larger 'events' and she was very aware of it. During the expedition, she had grown much closer to many of the girls within the Manor and now had a firmly cemented position within the group. Even Eina deferred to her on several matters while Hestia only interfered when it was something that 'bothered' her. As she still wasn't accustomed to the mortal world that much, there were a few things she couldn't wrap her head around easily and this caused her to reach out to Hephaestus and Loki for support. Typically, if it was something that actually bothered Hestia, it ended up having to be changed slightly before a compromise was found. However, the fact that three goddesses came together to compromise with a mortal was a credit to the influence Syr had within the group. The only 'mortals' within the group that would directly oppose her, to which she always took a step back, were Tsubaki and Riveria.Thus, with Syr kicking off the event, things quickly escalated to a relatively intense level after a very short period of time. The 'resonance' she caused in the other girls even made Chloe, Arnya, and Aki go into a heat-like state where their bodies burned up as the passionately sought Vahn's 'comfort'. Vahn was worried about Arnya, but it hardly even looked like she was pregnant and there didn't see to be any trouble with the fetus at all. As for Aki, though she showed marginally more than Arnya, she managed to keep her sensibilities a bit and didn't exert herself too much. Vahn had even let her go at her own pace to be safe as she mounted his hips and rocked her body atop his as he simultaneously tended to Syr and Lunoire as Chloe and Arnya 'explored' his body with their tongues...---The feeling of 'freedom' and relaxation Vahn felt after a long night with the girls was always an incredible feeling. His mind was always very calm after the fact and it felt like he just went through a long period of meditation in an endless pursuit of enlightenment. Just feeling the warmth of the five girls against his body, as if their affections radiated from their sleeping figures and intermingled with his very existence, made Vahn feel a profound sense of accomplishment. Any of these girls, just by themselves, would cause any man to feel pride in themselves yet Vahn had the fortune to have all five at his side. With how eagerly they sought him the previous night, Vahn felt like any complaints he might have in regards to his troubles seemed 'selfish'. He truly lived a very blessed lifestyle, even if it was sometimes filled with difficulties machinated by fate...After checking the status of Eva's orb, Vahn hesitantly extricated himself from the bed and allowed the girls to continue sleeping since he had put them through a bit of a 'trial' the previous night. The only girls to 'escape' his clutches were Arnya and Aki, but Syr, Chloe, and Lunoire weren't so fortunate. Chloe, especially, had suffered a bit since Arnya, Syr, and Aki were all fond of teasing her even when she bore the brunt of Vahn's 'torment'. It was a strange thing to consider, but Chloe was surprisingly 'good' at being bullied by other girls since her reactions were all a bit 'extreme' and incredibly stimulating. Unlike Arnya and Aki, who put in a fair amount of effort to control their verbal tick, Chloe completely embraced it and, when she was in an 'excited' state, her outbursts were quite the impact on both the eyes and ears.Vahn went to the onsen and quickly washed his body as he prepared for the next few 'events' that would be transpiring throughout the day. He was planning to spend some time with Haruhime during the early morning before spending the rest of the day making the rounds and spending time with the other girls. During the evening, Vahn would be inviting Tione, Tiona, and Ais into his room, or perhaps one of the newly renovated areas, before 'challenging' them a battle. He imagined it would be rather intense, so Vahn wanted to relax for the other two blocks of his schedule to prepare his mind and body. Though it was a bit strange to imagine, Vahn didn't think he would come out of things 'unscathed'. Haruhime's assistance would be imperative to give him an edge, but Vahn felt a bit of guilt about having to ask her for assistance with other girls when, as according to her current status in the logbook, she was still waiting for him herself...With the nature of Haruhime's Innate, Vahn actually felt a little intimidated but continued forward regardless because he had absolute confidence in his own Innates. Even if things got a little intense, he was certain things wouldn't develop in a way that he couldn't control. He even suspected that Haruhime's Innate might achieve some level of growth as a result, so Vahn was looking forward to the event for various reasons. After all, Haruhime was a very beautiful girl and there was a certain exotic quality to a woman who had two tails. As his imagination was very 'detailed', Vahn could imagine her involving the two dexterous appendages and it caused a bit of pressure to rise in the bridge of his nose.Unsurprisingly, even though they had the next two weeks off 'mandatorily, Vahn found Haruhime outside doing some early morning training. With the exception of the girls that had fought hard the previous night, Hestia, and Hephaestus, everyone else was already up and working hard to polish their skills as normal. Even Terra, who wasn't really there to train, was still sitting off at the side talking with Preasia with her wings spread against the ground. He hadn't asked her about it, but Vahn knew she did it to feel 'closer' to the earth and he could even see her wings absorbing nutrients from the sun and sky as it was processed through her body and then fed out as elemental energy rose up from the ground in a mutual 'exchange'. She gave the plants around her nutrients to grow even stronger while they pulled energy from the planet itself to feed into her body.Though he was very interested in the processes going on with Terra, Vahn considered how he would approach Haruhime without making things awkward. She was currently having a sparring match with Ais while Tiona, Tione, and Tsubaki watched from the side. Eventually, Ais managed to get an edge against Haruhime even though her Innate gave her an incredible edge against most opponents. Not only were Ais's parameters, excluding magic, around twice that of Haruhime's, but she actually relied more on her instincts and intuition when it came to fighting than simply her sight. She could intuit Haruhime's actions in combat while Haruhime had no way of reading Ais's tempo since it was based on her own somewhat chaotic movements.Unable to come up with a method to prevent things from being awkward, Vahn decided to simply deal with the potential fallout directly as he approached the group using the lull in the action. Ais was currently giving Haruhime bits of advice on how she could improve, but the conversation changed quickly when he made an appearance. Haruhime has a slightly embarrassed expression for a brief moment before she seemed to understand something from Vahn's demeanor that made her grow excited very quickly. She had been using her Innate earlier, but it wasn't until Vahn's appearance that the red marks around her eyes appeared and her somewhat off-green eyes became pale gold.Vahn released a slightly exasperated sigh through his nose at being so easily seen through before saying in a voice that only the five of them could hear, "I came to retrieve Haruhime...also, if you're not against it, I would appreciate it if the three of you made some time this evening..." Vahn suddenly felt like a young boy trying to confess to his crush as Haruhime bounced up to her feet and said, "My heart feels like its going to burst in my chest..." As for Tsubaki, she gave Vahn a somewhat 'reproachful' look with a teasing glint in her eyes before shaking her head and whistling as she walked away. Tione and Tiona had eager looks that even outstripped Haruhime's while Ais seemed confused for a brief moment before a fiery light appeared in her eyes accompanied by a rise in her aura as it took on a pink hue.After explaining the situation to the three girls, including when and where they would meet up for the 'battle', Vahn retreated from the training field as casually as possible while the eyes of almost every girl followed him like heads were synchronized on a swivel. Vahn felt slightly queasy under their gazes but did his best to stand tall as they made their way into the Manor. When he finally entered through the back door, Vahn couldn't help but release a sigh of relief as Haruhime began laughing like a bell behind him. He gave her a wry smile before asking, "Did you ever have any specific hopes and desires about your first time? It may be a bit awkward to say, but I'd like to help your dreams come true if I can..."Haruhime's eyes squinted until they had nearly closed completely as she gave Vahn an enchanting look and a vibrant smile. Her eyes seemed to glow with increased intensity as she ruminated over the matter before shaking her head and saying, "I had long thought that my purity had been tainted so the only thing I ever hoped for was liberation from that darkness. You've already given me that, and so much more...rather than selfishly seek my own pleasure, the only thing I can think of is thoughts of serving you with all my heart...and body..." Vahn took a deep breath as he processed Haruhime's heavy words. All of the anxiety and embarrassment he had been feeling melted away and the only thing that mattered at the moment was making this loveable little fox happy.Vahn gave a curt nod after a short period of thought and reached forward to pick Haruhime up in his arms as he said, "You desired a hero...so let me treat you like the princess from a fairy tale, at least a little bit..." Haruhime linked her arms around Vahn's neck and placed her head against his chest as her tails danced about beneath her body. Each word Vahn spoke made the feelings in her heart grow even more and it was actually a little painful to tolerate with him simply holding her like this. She tilted her head up with watery eyes that reflected a passion deeper than the sea as she said, "Vahn...please don't tease me anymore..." Even though he wasn't actually teasing her, Haruhime couldn't tolerate being so 'close' to what she wanted and still being made to wait.Caught a little off guard by Haruhime's words, Vahn's mind stalled for a brief moment before he nodded his head firmly and disappeared from the small foyer around the back door and made his way to the East Wing where there was a large private parlor that was decorated in the manner of the Far East. True to their original intent, the entire wing had been converted to match the style except for the corridor leading towards the annex that connected at the far end of the East Wing. His own bed was currently occupied, so Vahn took Haruhime somewhere he thought she would be comfortable. The red tendrils from her body had been clinging to him throughout the relatively short trip and she actually seemed to be in a bit of 'pain' by the time he reached the room.Vahn set out a thick futon on the ground before gingerly lowering Haruhime's body onto its surface and viewing her captivating figure from above. She was already covered in a light layer of sweat and her fair complexion had taken on a ruddy blush almost as if she had ingested a large quantity of alcohol. Her reaction was a little worrying, but Vahn knew this wasn't a point that he could afford to hesitate. Even without his prompting, she pulled at her obi to loosen her clothes and struggled to lift her body as if she had trouble mustering her strength. Even using his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn couldn't identify the source of her 'ailment' and couldn't see it as anything other than the influence of her Innate on her body. Her body temperature had increased several degrees and the illusory third tail had completely separated from the other two. Though it drew his interest, Vahn was more concerned with Haruhime herself so he reached down and began helping her remove her kimono as he prepared to take one more step towards the future...---(A/N: This is technically the end of Volume 12 &gt;:D. Tomorrow will actually have 5-7 chapters, with the majority of them being NSFW, so please prepare yourself. I also need to refresh my own mind, so I'll see you all tomorrow &lt;3...P.S. Please don't hate me for this massive cliff. It takes a lot of effort to write 'good' NSFW chapters TT__TT...)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Misha's clutches','Bashful Vahn','Author Style: 'Monstrous Cliff Summoning Jutsu!')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

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

Chapter 503: Loose Ends (2/3)