Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After 'suffering' in Terra's grasp for a short while, Shirohime had a somewhat sad expression on her face as she said, "Please let us go..." Since the moment she had materialized, Shirohume felt like she had suffered endless setbacks and it had started to dampen her confidence a bit. Not only was Vahn 'abnormal' and somewhat immune to her powers, but the girls around him were all scary 'monsters' that made her feel suppressed. She even contemplated returning back to her body, but a part of her she couldn't explain didn't want to go away from the annoying boy that looked at her with intrigue and, when she was genuinely upset, concern.Terra's eyes squinted slightly as she held out Shirohime and said, "It seems Shirohime isn't too fond of me, Master...how heartbreaking." Vahn reached out and accepted the limp Shirohime from Terra's arms and cradled her in his arms once again as she curled up into a small form and 'ignored' everything else. Vahn knew she wasn't as 'fragile' as she was letting on, especially after the trouble she caused earlier, but she genuinely didn't seem to like being put into unexpected situations. Even Terra, someone that was a 'pacifist' and had a gentle nature couldn't break through her defenses just yet.Vahn gently pat Shirohime as he looked to the smiling Terra and asked, "So, how are you enjoying the surface? Is there anything I can do to make you happier?" Terra's smile widened marginally as she swayed her hips and turned her body. She walked toward the wellspring and gestured to it before saying, "I much prefer this garden than the dreary life in the Dungeon. Even if I'm not truly free, I don't feel like my life would have as much substance if I left this place. Everyone seems very nice and accepting, even though I'm a monster and they should have at least a little animosity toward me. I can see your influence in each of them, Master, and it makes my heart feel at ease knowing I'm surrounded by people that share your beliefs..."As she spoke, Terra passed her fingers through the emerald-green essence as pulses of energy passed from their tips and diffused into the liquid before enriching it even further. Vahn could see that Terra's 'efficiency' was somewhat bad, even compared to Fenrir', as nearly 30% of her energy had been drained since the previous evening. She was likely taking his previous words seriously and doing her best to spread her influence as much as possible, which Vahn could confirm with his [Eyes of Truth]. The swirling domain beneath the ground now stretched out to around 370m instead of the previous three-hundred.Terra turned to face him with her ever-present smile and said, "If I had any complaints...I suppose it would be the restrictive feeling of clothing. I'm certain I will get used to it with time, but it's rather awkward to have to cover my body with fabrics much weaker than my own resistances. Fortunately, I have a Master that gifted me something rather high quality, as it is much more comfortable than the other girls that I've tried on~." Since she would have been able to detect most people passing through the barrier, Terra had been sunbathing in the buff since it felt better to expose herself to the sun in order to absorb even more energy. Though she had the appearance of a humanoid, while being a True Dragon, Terra shared many similarities with plants and it felt unnatural to cover her body.Though he could tell she didn't mind too much, Vahn cocked his head and seriously considered the matter for a few minutes, even asking Sis for a bit of advice. She actually recommended making an outfit that had similar properties as the panties he had made for Hephaestus to use during their wedding night. He already confirmed that it was possible to make fabric turn transparent, so he could make her comfortable and breathable clothing that could also either turn transparent or make it so that she could absorb energy from the sun and atmosphere more easily.After thinking it over for a bit, Vahn asked, "Do you absorb energy through your entire body, and is it simply the feel of the clothing that bothers you? I think I can make you something that is form fitting that doesn't feel restrictive at all. I'll have to put in a bit of effort, but I can even make it turn transparent if you want to make use of it when you're sunbathing in private." Terra released a peal of laughter that reminded Vahn of the sounds of nature. Her leaf-like feathers rustled like trees in a gentle breeze as she moved her hair to the side of her face and said in a soft voice, "My Master is very thoughtful...I feel truly blessed. Regardless of what you make, I will wear it with pride and treasure it forever~."Vahn could feel a cool breeze touch his skin as a fragrant aroma spread around the area as a result of Terra's mood. When she was happier, the aroma she emitted carried similar traits and it made Vahn feel like he was reclining in a field of flowers while even Shirohime closed her eyes slightly with a complacent expression on her face. Vahn smiled and said, "Fortunately, your current appearance is suitable for a variety of different types of clothing. I'll come up with something that will enhance your natural beauty even further. As for your sunbathing, it's fine if you do it at your leisure just make sure you stay aware of your surroundings." Vahn could tell that Terra's aura had absolutely no influence over anything off of the ground, which seemed to be her only real weakness. Even her flight speed was around 940km/h at her maximum speed, which meant she could even be shot down by a skilled archer above Level 4.Since he didn't want to disturb her too much, Vahn walked forward and said, "I'll help recover your energy before I go..." Terra's eyes squinted slightly as she 'proudly' puffed out her chest and closed her eyes and said, "As you will, Master~." Vahn knew Terra's intent, but he wasn't sure if she was trying to save him time or she had learned something strange from the other girls. She obviously wanted him to infuse his energy directly into her core, which was in the center of her chest, right next to her heart, but Vahn already knew a way to keep it from being awkward. He wasn't at the stage where he wanted to take 'advantages' with Terra, especially considering the matters he was currently involved with.Vahn walked around behind Terra's back and she cracked her eyes slightly as the smile on her face grew marginally without her uttering a word. He placed his palm in between her shoulder blades and used his [Hands of Nirvana] and [Yggdrasil's Blessing] to infuse his source energy into her body. Unlike most races, whose 'source' of mana was around their navel, Dragons had theirs located in their hearts. Terra also had a magic core, which would potentially result in her death if it were destroyed, located right next to her heart. Both vital organs were protected by a durable plate of bones that Vahn suspected could easily rival Adamantine in durability. Even with his [Eyes of Truth], the could see that the molecular structure of the bone had a very stable structure that radiated with small bands of pure source energy. Most physical and magical attacks wouldn't be able to even put a scratch on that plate and the tissues underneath it created a protective membrane that also resisted shockwaves. Even her bones were segmented in a strange manner, and Vahn felt like Terra's bones could actually 'bend' without breaking easily...After he topped off her energy, Terra opened her eyes and fluttered her wings before bowing politely and saying, "Thank you, Master, for once again bestowing your kindness upon me~." Vahn nodded his head and returned a polite smile of his own and said, "I'll be going to visit some of the other girls now, so I'll talk to you during dinner." Terra, however, shook her head and said, "I promised to play with my 'Big Brother', so I'm afraid I'll be absent from dinner unless you would like me to attend, Master." Hearing that Terra was going to spend time with Fafnir, Vahn felt pleased so he shook his head and said, "No, it's fine if you want to spend time with your siblings. Fafnir doesn't really get to spend that much quality time with everyone, so it's good that he has a reliable companion to look after him. I plan to go play with Fenrir tomorrow, so you should come along with us then."Terra's wings fluttered again and Vahn felt like this was one of the ways she displayed her own satisfaction. Since she always had a smile, it was a little harder to read her than most because he couldn't see the auras of his familiars in the same way as the others. Other than sensing their presence, as it was the same as his own, Vahn couldn't read their emotions so the only metric he had for their satisfaction was the Loyalty value. Even though it had only been a short period of time since she was released from her core, Terra's current Loyalty was at 319 and their current conversation had started with her at 306. As 'expected', Terra nodded her head slightly and said, "I would love to go out and play with everyone, Master. I can already feel my heart rate increase in anticipation~."Though it was very subtle, Vahn could 'see' that Terra was telling the truth so he felt like she really was excited. After patting her head for a bit, Vahn left the secret garden which he was contemplating renaming to Terra's Sanctuary since it really would become her own personal dominion in the future. He would have to consult her about the name since she should be the one to ultimately decide on what she wants to call her home, but he thought it was suitable. Thus, while supporting Shirohime like a baby that needed to be burped, Vahn made his way through the illusory forest and headed toward his next destination.Vahn quickly found his way at the clearing at the center of the forest and saw Mikoto training hard as a dense layer of sweat covered her body. Even though it was around 18 degrees outside, Mikoto's kimono had become somewhat damp from her exertions and there was even steam rising from her body. She was currently standing in a very stable stance that made her presence feel much larger than normal with both of her eyes closed. Her hand was held loosely on the handle of her katana and she was completely stationary with the only movement of her body coming from her ponytail gently swaying with the wind.For several long seconds, Vahn could feel the tension in the atmosphere continue to increase and it was almost like the very air around Mikoto's body was solidifying. Just as it reached a tangible level, Mikoto's eyes opened at the same time as a flash of light appeared. Within the blink of an eye, Mikoto had drawn her sword in a beautiful arc before immediately resheathing it a moment later. She then fell to her knees and began gasping for air as a result of the exertion. Vahn could see that many of the muscles in her body had been strained a great deal and she had obviously been at her training for a while.Vahn walked out of the cover of the trees in front of Mikoto causing her to raise her head before pulling her slightly open kimono closed. She had been overheating and had loosened up her obi slightly to make breathing easier and hadn't expected Vahn to suddenly appear. Given his stealth capabilities, Mikoto realized he could have been watching her for a while and it made her flushed face take on a slightly more vibrant hue as she rose to her feet and fixed her clothing before bowing and saying, "Forgive my shameless display..." Vahn waved his hand dismissively and asked, "Mikoto, I know you've said before that you intend to stay in the Manor and follow me, but do you really mean that?"Mikoto's expression turned serious and she nodded her head firmly and said, "I won't abandon my own convictions. Unless you force me out of the Familia, I will continue to walk the same path for the rest of my life!" Vahn showed a light smile as he nodded and said, "That is indeed the case...so you really shouldn't continue acting so 'distant' when we're supposed to be getting closer, not further apart. I'm not going to force you into anything, but you already recognized me as your Lord, Master, and even your future Lover. I won't ask you to throw away propriety, but you shouldn't be so tense since your growth with be accelerated even further if you relax your body and mind."Just as he had done in the past, Vahn pulled out a katana before moving Shirohime up to the top of his head. Even if he moved very quickly, it was almost like she was anchored to him at times and he believed she would be fine. Mikoto looked like she had wanted to say something but immediately swallowed her words when she saw Vahn pull out his own katana. It wasn't nearly the same quality as her own, but she felt a 'wave' spread from Vahn's body the instant he wielded it. Vahn loosened up his shoulders and said, "I've looked over the [Flying Heavenly Sword Scroll], but I've never trained in any of its techniques. However, there are some things that I've gleaned that match with my own ideologies..."Vahn pulled out one of the giant boulders he had stowed away in his inventory during the expedition and let it fall heavily in the center of the clearing. He planned to build a gazeebo there in the future, so he didn't mind if the grass in the area got flattened a bit. Terra could always regrow it if he asked, so Vahn followed his own advice and began to relax his mind and body. After taking several deep breaths, Vahn said, "The secret to the Flying Heavenly Sword is a combination of speed, perception, and the control of your own body. However, if you forcibly try to exercise control, you will continually damage your body and wear away at the tendons and joints. Increasing your parameters allows you to bypass some restrictions, but it doesn't make your body impervious to wear and tear..."After loosening up all the joints and muscles of his body, Vahn felt like he would simply fall down like a marionette if he relaxed and further so he lazily walked toward the stone as he said, "I once taught you that fluidity was the 'secret' behind a true sword strike...it makes use of the entire body as a series of incremental pivots to create a flow through the body itself, allowing for greater speed, precision, and potential output...you'll notice that I emphasized speed, just like the Flying Heavenly Sword. Even a reed, if moving at a fast enough velocity and at the right angle, could pierce through a plate of Adamantine..."Vahn entered the effective range of his blow and allowed all the tensions of his body to release at the same time, resulting in him falling forward slightly. Instead of outright resisting this motion, Vahn guided his 'fall' and used his own speed and footwork to accelerate it forward in a natural motion. At the same time, Vahn shifted his weight slightly starting from his feet, following up his legs, accelerating from his hips, before the twisting of his spine and the swing of his arm had accelerated to a monstrous level. He had tried to restrict himself to around Mikoto's speed, but he found that his own movements were much faster than anticipated as the acceleration of the blade through his sheath had 'forced' his motion to reach around eight-times the speed of a normal slash. Instead of restraining it, however, Vahn allowed the motion to complete naturally and ended up spinning around several times from his own momentum. He didn't sheath the sword as Mikoto had done, but he believed he had proved his point.Mikoto watched the scene play out, all the way up until Vahn entered what she referred to as the 'initial' phase of his strike. The Battōjutsu techniques in the scroll were all at least two-phase techniques and Vahn's initial phase could only be understood as 'flawless' from her own limited perception. She saw the beginning of the move, but the next thing she knew Vahn was already beyond the boulder and was spinning around in a somewhat awkward manner. Mikoto understood he had underestimated his own speed but the result hadn't changed much, even though his follow-through was a bit lacking.Because of sword laws, one of the strange things that Vahn didn't entirely understand, a strange phenomenon occurred when strikes were performed skillfully. His katana was around 95cm long, marginally longer than a normal katana, but the boulder he had sliced was more than 400cm in diameter at the widest points. However, when Vahn walked over and pushed against the seemingly undamaged boulder, the phenomenon he had expected had occurred and the top of the boulder slid off the base at a 37-degree angle. It touched the ground without sliding off completely, so Vahn stowed away the upper half as Mikoto walked over and observed his result while gulping audibly.Though it wasn't a 'perfect' cut, the boulder had still been cut through completely and more than 80% of the surface was nearly level, albeit slightly askew as a result of his posture. As for the parts he hadn't cut through cleanly, they were still split from the ambient force from the blade and were still relatively flat, though the surface was somewhat grainy compared to the smoothness of the rest of the rock face. Mikoto passed her palm across it and it felt almost like a polished stone with strange wavy patterns that sheered in the direction of Vahn's strike. She released a sigh because she realized Vahn was still several times more capable with a sword than she was, even though he didn't truly specialize in it.Vahn walked over to Mikoto's side and placed his hand against her shoulder in a casual manner as he infused energy into her body. He used his free hand to channel a healing magic spell to recover her muscles strains and internal injuries at the same time while saying, "Flow, Mikoto...like 'water'..." When he finished topping her off, Vahn pat her shoulder again before walking off toward the forest to give her time to contemplate his words on her own. She was the type that needed to come to an understanding through her own efforts to be satisfied with her progress, so Vahn was intentionally vague while also being direct at the same time. Mikoto had the perfect weapon to learn how to make her strikes flow, so she should be pushing as much emphasis in mastering it as she did into mastering the [Heavenly Flying Sword Scroll].Mikoto watched Vahn's back from the corner of her eyes until he disappeared through the illusory mist that permeated throughout the forest. She knew he was 'showing off' a little bit, but also knew he had more than enough reason to act that way considering his age and skill. She released a sigh that caused a lot of condensation to cloud up around her. Vahn's words were slightly cryptic, but his demonstration and the emphasis he placed on water were obvious indicators of what he wanted her to do. Since it hadn't really been that long since their return, Mikoto had been focused entirely on [Battōjutsu] but now decided to 'relax' and expand her mindset. She grabbed the hilt of her katana and pulled it out slightly, causing the cloud of condensation to disperse in an instant...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Terra's Demeanor','Hold my [Dwarven Drought]...','Lord, Master, Prospective Lover...Chuuni')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After leaving Mikoto in the clearing, Vahn returned to the Manor without disturbing the girls' training. He had been planning to keep making the rounds to talk with the others, but the only people that came to the forefront of his mind at the moment were Lili, Naaza, and Eina. Vahn knew that Lili spent a fair amount of time reading within Naaza's Atelier, but Vahn wasn't sure it was the best idea to visit them since he wanted to relax before the evening. Since Hephaestus had left early in the morning to take care of a few things, Vahn decided to simply stop by and visit the Guild Branch located on the west side of the building before exploring the Manor a bitVahn made his way to the small two-story building that appeared rather small compared to the size of the Manor itself. Since it was a branch that only had four personnel working within it, it wasn't too surprising, but Vahn still felt like it was a little strange to see a building representing the Guild be so small. At least it was made with a similar design, so it didn't stand out too much from the surrounding architecture and looked more like a connecting building than a standalone complex.Within the building, Vahn found a small counter where two women could be seen conversing with each other in a casual manner. They didn't really have to worry about strict regulations too much, as there was no chance of any inspectors coming through unannounced. The beautiful brown-haired girl with emerald green eyes showed a pleasant smile in response to his appearance, but the red-haired woman with somewhat wild hair furrowed her brows slightly before an awkward smile appeared on her face before it transitioned into a 'business' smile moments later.Eina stood up from her chair and asked, "Good afternoon, Vahn, what brings you to the Guild today~?" Vahn smiled and said, "I was curious about the new changes around the Manor and wanted to investigate them. Since I knew you were working, I decided to stop by here first to visit for a short while. If I'm a bother, I can come back at another time..." Vahn knew they didn't actually have a lot of work to perform since many of the materials obtained by the Hestia Familia were kept by him or exchanged with the system shop. He did have some mission items to turn in, but that wasn't really a pressing matter and he didn't want to suddenly make them busy when they were having a discussion.Rose squinted her eyes slightly as Eina chuckled and said, "We're not particularly busy with anything, so it's a welcome occurrence to have you appear here unexpectedly. We were actually talking about some missions that could be good for the Hestia Familia to accept in order to increase their rank further. You should know that the group that remained behind during the expedition had worked very hard~." Vahn walked forward as Eina spoke and stood at the counter as she pulled out a large book with several mission listings contained within. Using the opportunity, Vahn added, "During the expedition, we completed all of our accepted tasks as well and I need to report their completion."Eina looked toward Rose who nodded her head politely and said, "I can accept the mission items and validate the completion of each task at this counter. If there are a large number of items, we have space in the back to stow them, but it may take a few hours to sort through everything before you receive credit. We need to report the matter to the Guild and exchange the items for their respective rewards first." Since he had accepted quite a number of missions, Vahn nodded his head and said, "We'll probably need to use the back room..."Rose nodded and gestured to the small swinging door at the side of the counter and Vahn passed through it as Eina followed behind with the mission logbook. The Guild Branch building was much longer than it was wide and it followed back into a storage warehouse that had a large set of doors at the side leading to the staging area outside. There were several large tables present, much like what he had seen in the past, so Vahn walked over and began removing the items from his Inventory based on the quest log. He had the benefit of neatly arranging everything beforehand, so the items appeared in a prim and proper form that would make Rose's job of inspecting them much easier.Seeing Vahn's 'storage' magic in action, Rose had a slightly envious look before she picked up a set of tools and set about performing her own duty. Before she began, Rose asked, "Did you have any magic cores you wanted to exchange?" Vahn shook his head and said, "I use cores as a material in forging, so it's unlikely we'll ever exchange any here." After nodding her head, Rose began inspecting the materials while Eina opened the mission log and said, "There are actually a few personal requests that have been made by various Familia as of late. We filtered through the ones that seemed like they just wanted to get closer to the Hestia Familia, but keep in mind that there is still a possibility."Vahn looked over the missions Eina had selected and noticed that some of them actually included requests for forging items and there was even one asking him to investigate an area outside of the City. The Guild knew of the existence of Fafnir, including how fast it had been flying about above the City, so there was a mission posted that requested him to visit an area a few thousand kilometers away. Monsters had been attacking villages in the food production areas to the West and they wanted someone to track down the nest and eliminate it. Since it was posted by the Guild itself, and also affected one of their allies, the Demeter Familia, Vahn quickly accepted the mission. He wanted to go out and 'play' tomorrow, and it seemed like a good location to have some fun.For the next two hours, Vahn sat in the back as Rose sorted through all the items he had produced to verify their quality and quantity. Vahn was aware that she was becoming somewhat annoyed the longer he was around, especially since he had produced a table and chairs to enjoy a light meal with Eina. Since it was somewhat rude to be casually conversing while someone else worked, Vahn eventually ended up leaving the area, but only after leaving behind a magical kettle full of a fragrant tea and some baked goods for Rose and Eina to enjoy when he was gone. He knew that Rose seemed to be fond of sour food so he left some blackberry tarts for her.Shortly after he left the Guild Branch, escorted by Eina, Shirohime began thumping the top of his head as she complained, "How dare you ignore us for so long!" Vahn reached up and grabbed the little fox by its scruff and it struggled about until he held it right in front of his face and explained, "When I'm conversing with people that can't see and hear you, it would interrupt the flow of conversation if I have to split my focus between you and them. Unless you have something important to say, I have to worry about the others first. Behave, Shirohime, you're a smart girl and should know better."Shirohime had a 'complex' look on her tiny face and seemed to struggle with her thoughts for a short while before asking, "What do we get if we behave...?" Vahn nearly chortled because of the 'cleverness' of Shirohime and her spoiled nature that really suited her adorable appearance. After thinking, Vahn smiled and said, "How about I groom your fur? Or maybe you want me to give you some heavy petting?" An even more complicated look appeared on Shirohime's face before she muttered, "We aren't your pet..."Vahn showed a slightly 'sad' look before setting Shirohime on his shoulder and beginning his exploration of the Manor. It was fair to say it had more than doubled in size, and Vahn was curious about the areas he had yet to visit. Suddenly being 'ignored' again, Shirohime pawed against the side of Vahn's face after staying silent for a while and said, "Hey...hey...don't ignore us..." Vahn, however, decided to take a similar approach to when he first got close to Eva and let Shirohime think about her actions on her own for the time being. Even though he could 'feel' her, Vahn knew she couldn't do any actual damage to him and it was more of a 'sensation' than actual pain. He didn't even flinch with the immense pain of using [Prometheus], so he could completely filter out Shirohime's antics with ease.After making his way through the extended corridors connecting to the back half of the Manor, Vahn found that there were numerous rooms that had already been stocked with supplies for rearing children. He had entered through the West Wing, so it made sense that this would be where their kids are raised in the future. As he progressed further, Vahn found there were several nearby rooms that got increasingly larger in size the further he went. It seemed that Hestia had designed things so that, as the children aged and grew up, they would have more space to work with. There were even some rooms that had private studies attached to them.The coolest thing though, which caught Vahn's interest rather quickly, was that there were various 'secret' rooms and corridors that connected with each other. It looked like the extensions of the building had been designed to be 'fun' for the kids, but Vahn couldn't help but want to go through them himself. There was something interesting about navigating through a building without using the normal paths, and Vahn even found a few puzzles that revealed small rooms that looked like they would be useful for storing items.When he reached the official back of the Manor, Vahn found that the mechanisms came to an end before more complex formations replaced them. It didn't take him much effort to find his way through them, even without having prior knowledge, and Vahn found himself in a rather long space that appeared to be 500m long and around 80m wide. Though it looked similar in structure to the rest of the Manor from outside, a large part of the back central area had been turned into an open area that had been reinforced a great deal compared to the surrounding structures. Vahn immediately realized this place must be for 'practical' training and wondered why it wasn't already being made use of. Even the walls had formations to disperse magic spells, similar in structure to those found at the Coliseum. They were currently inactive, but Vahn could see the locations where magic cores could be inserted to trigger the formation in the future.Passing through the training area, Vahn found a door that even he didn't have access to, at least for the time being. With his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn could see that there was workshop space that had been set up. Since this door connected to the East Annex, Vahn could understand why it was off-limits as it connected to his, Hephaestus', and Tsubaki's workshops. There would be no reason for most people to use this door, and the workshops on the other side were probably for use by his and Hephaestus' daughters. Nanu would likely end up making use of his space, as she was his official apprentice, but it was nice to know there was space if she wanted her own forge. Since Vahn had a secret forge in his bedroom, he had intended to let her make the one in his workshop as her own when she increased her proficiency.As Vahn was making his way to the exit, the one leading toward the illusory forest area, Shirohime began sobbing with tearful eyes all of a sudden as she said, "Please don't ignore us...Vahn..." This was the first time she had addressed him by name instead of saying 'you' or 'boy', so Vahn reached up his hand and grabbed her once again. She didn't resist his actions this time and shivered a little when Vahn held her gently against his chest and pat her back, saying, "It's okay, Shiro, don't cry..." in a soothing voice. She was only around 30cm long, excluding her tails, so it was very easy to hold her against his chest by supporting her little rump. Her nine tails curled downward in a pitiful manner as she cried on his shoulder for a little while saying, "We don't like being ignored...it makes us very lonely..."Vahn had been forming a 'theory' about Shirohime's existence ever since she had started clinging to him earlier in the day. Haruhime had said that Shiro was her 'hope', which had been lost in the past, and Vahn felt like she was like a split personality that Haruhime had formed in her childhood. She had been the daughter of a noble clan and had been taught how to behave ever since she was a small child. Without a mother in her life, Haruhime had been very lonely and her own father neglected her in lieu of his other duties. It was to the point that, even when she wanted to discuss matters with him, she would have to take on a subservient role and follow 'procedure' to gain an audience.As a result, Haruhime bottled up a lot of her emotions and developed something like a split personality that was buried deep inside of her subconscious. She behaved on the outside, but there was a little girl that craved attention and love hidden away in an area even she couldn't access. Though she opened up a little after interacting with the children of the Takemikazuchi Familia, Haruhime had 'abandoned' her hope when her own father had exiled her. When she became a slave, there was a long period of time where she didn't know how to act at all and simply ceased believing things would get better, even going so far as thinking she wasn't 'worth' saving.Shirohime was like everything that Haruhime had bottled up in her youth, and it made her appear to be very spoiled and 'princess-like', because she was trying to get the love and affection she believed she was 'entitled' to. Even if he wasn't entirely true, Vahn believed there was some credibility to his inference since he had experienced Haruhime's past through her heart's desire and could easily understand how something like Shirohime came into existence. Now that Haruhime had power, enough that she could change her fate, Shirohime manifested once again to 'take' the things she wanted. Because Haruhime loved him, Shirohime was very attached to him as well, even if she misbehaved and acted spoiled.Vahn figured he needed to be firm with Shirohime, just like he would have to be with his own children, or she would never improve. He didn't mind giving her the affection she somewhat desperately craved, but true affection wasn't 'taken' at the expense of the giver, it was something that was 'received' based on the connection and bonds shared between two people. This meant that you also needed to 'give' at the same time or the relationship would break down when the other party simply had nothing else to give. It simply wasn't 'healthy' to act out in an attempt to get the attention of others, when you could get it much easier by behaving and compromising with each other.Since he didn't have anything better to do, not that he couldn't find something, Vahn let himself get 'lost' within the illusory forest as he comforted Shirohime and enjoyed the scenic environment. Most forests had overgrown shrubbery and plant life, but their's was artificially created which meant that the grass was neat and tidy while the trees were somewhat uniform in height and appearance. With the mist pervading throughout the area, it made it especially easy to get lost but Vahn found 'aimlessly wandering' to be quite pleasant. Shiorhime had stopped crying at some point and had fallen asleep against his shoulder, very much like a child that had tuckered themselves out.As it was getting later in the afternoon, nearing the time for dinner, Vahn decided he should head back since it was almost time for his night battle with Tiona, Ais, and Tione. This would also be the first time for Tione, so it was an important event that he needed to have the proper mindset when facing. Neither she nor Tiona would be using the 'Fallen' this time around so it wasn't an exaggeration to say that his life could be on the line since their control was severely lacking as a result of their young age and monstrous power. Ais was something of a 'failsafe' to make sure things didn't get too dangerous, but she might 'ally' with the two brown-skinned beauties if Vahn proves an actual match for them...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Thorny Rose','Pampered Princess','Calm before the storm...')(A/N: The next chapters won't be out for several hours since it will be multiple parts and they will be posted around the same time to prevent Cliff-Sama's power for devastating the hearts and minds of the readers o3o~!)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After escorting Haruhime to her room, as she was feeling very tired, Vahn made his way down to the kitchen to grab some food and decide how he wanted to spend the rest of the day. He was also very curious about something so, after he stepped into the kitchen and saw Maemi and Emiru sitting with their palms together, Vahn said, "Good morning, Maemi, Emiru...did you prepare anything for lunch?" Both girls' eyes shot open as they mirrored each other's actions and stared at Vahn and said, "Yes, we prepared salted rice balls with vinegar and a little bit of sugar." Vahn noticed that Emiru's eyes had been an icy-blue color for a moment so he asked, "Were the two of you practicing your [Gemini] ability?"The twins nodded their heads and said, "Yes, we've been able to synchronize and stay fused for 49 minutes if we're out of combat~!" Though their parameters hadn't increased a great deal in the last month, Maemi and Emiru had made a lot of progress toward mastering their own Innate. Vahn hadn't been able to confirm it for himself yet, but the skill had increased from D to C while he had been away. Ever since they learned about their 'tragic' fate, the girls had spent the majority of their time together and were almost perfectly in sync with each other. The biggest change in their ability was that it no longer took them several minutes to fuse together, which they demonstrated right now as Emiru's eyes flashed and she vanished from sight.Vahn smiled and rubbed Maemiru's rounded ears as she mewled happily under his hand while doing her best to restrain herself. Even if she wanted to do something, they were in the kitchen and Maemiru knew it would trouble Vahn if she acted up. However, there was one girl that didn't seem content with their restraint as Shirohime tapped the top of Vahn's head with her paws and complained, "The first thing you do after leaving us is to go seek another woman? Simply shameless!" Vahn's smile didn't waver at all as he continued to fluff Maemiru's head while simultaneously stroking her cheek. She had been working hard and it was Vahn's policy to reward people for their efforts, especially since he knew why they were working so hard.Shirohime tapped his head like a jackhammer and said, "You! Don't ignore us~!" Though Vahn could 'feel' her actions, her paws didn't even ruffle his hair even though she was hitting the top of his head somewhat forcefully. The thing he had been curious about was if other people would be able to see Shirohime and this was evidence toward the fact that she was more an 'illusion' than a real entity. He wasn't entirely sure why he was able to see, hear, feel, and even smell her, but the only people that knew of Shirohime's existence right now was Haruhime and himself. However, Vahn still wanted to be sure so he asked, "Maemiru, do you see a cute little white fox on top of my head misbehaving?"Vahn felt Shirohime's body flinch at the word 'cute' once again but Maemiru seemed confused by his words but still looked toward the top of his head with intent. After several seconds, she shook her head and said, "I can't see anything, Master. Is there really a fox there?" Vahn nodded his head and said, "Yes, there was a change in Haruhime's rare skill and now a part of her is following me around. I was curious if other people would be able to see her, but it looks like that isn't the case." In response to his words, Shirohime tapped the top of his head and said, "We already told you that other people couldn't see us you dumb boy!"Though she believed Vahn's words, Maemiru furrowed her brows slightly because it was very 'sneaky' of Haruhime to have access to such a skill. Maemiru considered Haruhime their closest rival so it was concerning if she were continually getting ahead of them. They already knew she had been with Vahn during the morning, so knowing she had attached a fox to Vahn annoyed them. Reaching out their hand, Maemiru touched the top of Vahn's head and their hand passed right through Shirohime, not that they could see it occurring. As for Shirohime, she bobbed around in annoyance and said, "These cheeky girls think they can touch us with their filthy hands!? Impudent, impudent, impudent~!" Toward the end of her words, Shirohime bit forward and snapped at Maemiru's fingers which caused them to pull their hand away in surprise.Vahn frowned at this and reached up to grab Shirohime by her scruff as she wriggled about in his hand and said, "Aaah, unhand us you beast~!" However, Vahn unexpected hugged her to his chest which made Shirohime turn silent in an instant...until Vahn began lightly spanking her bottom. She immediately cried out, "You bastaaaard, you can't treat us like this you meanie, meanie, stupid head~! You're going to make us...cry..." Vahn knew she was talking about the sleeping Haruhime, but he would have to make it up to her later since Shirohime needed discipline when she was misbehaving. It wasn't okay to bite others, even if it didn't actually do any damage to them at all. At least he was able to confirm something new about her, being that she could actually interact with other people, so he went a little easy on her.When Vahn finished spanking her, he rubbed her little rump with his [Hands of Nirvana] before loosening up his left hand so she could move about easier. She immediately ran around his shoulder and wrapped around his neck again as she 'pouted' silently. Maemiru had watched this strange occurrence from start to finish and asked, "Did you punish her for us?" Vahn nodded his head and said, "She needs to learn to treat other people kindly or she can only blame herself for what happens..." Maemiru looked toward the top of Vahn's head, where they assumed Shirohime was located, before bowing slightly and saying, "Shirohime, let's get along well from now on, okay~?"Shirohime looked at Maemiru before sticking out her tongue and saying, "Bleeeeh, we don't want to be friends with people trying to steal from us! Hmph!" Vahn, however, smiled and said, "She said she would like to be friends with you in the future as well, though it will take some time for her to get used to everyone." Maemiru smiled and laughed while Shirohime whined, "That isn't what we said at all~! Not only are you a dumb pervert, but you're also a liar!? What kind of life are we going to live from now on...how lamentable..."---After leaving the kitchen, Vahn made his way toward a 'familiar' presence as he took a bite of the sweet and salty rice balls that the girls had made for lunch. Curious, Vahn broke off a piece and asked, "Do you eat food, Shirohime?" Shirohime turned her head away from the offering and harumphed before saying, "We do not require sustenance. As long as our counterpart is healthy, we can persist indefinitely." Vahn lazily nodded his head before taking his index finger and touching it to Shirohime's back as she muttered, "You...don't casually touch us as you please..." Ignoring her, Vahn inserted a thread of pure source energy into her body to see if anything would happen. He knew his [Hands of Nirvana] and [Petting] worked on her, so he was curious if his [Yggdrasil's Blessing] had any effect.Shirohime's body trembled and she mewled, "Yooou, what are you doing to us...guuuu..." in a somewhat pitiful manner. Vahn was surprised by her reaction and began gently stroking her back with his finger as she caused her body to tremble even without using his [Hands of Nirvana]. Though he couldn't see the energy that comprised her body, nor could he even detect her presence, Vahn knew his source energy was the highest form of energy and it seemed to be useful against her. He suspected he might even be able to help 'fuel' Haruhime as long as he had Shirohime with him so this was a very significant find. Many Innate completely circumvented most restrictions in the record, so he could potentially even support Haruhime when she was far away in the Dungeon while he was in the Manor.Unable to keep her grip, Shirohime eventually let go of Vahn's neck and fell straight into his 'clutches' as she wiggled about with rueful cries. Vahn thought she was cute, so he cradled her with his left arm and scratched the tuft of thick fur on her chest as she 'glared' at him with her golden eyes. However, Vahn noted she stopped resisting when he held her 'gently' and simply accepted his actions 'apprehensively'. With a smile on his face, Vahn said, "You really are adorable when you're behaving..." Shirohime turned her head up at him in a dismissive manner and said, "You should treat us better...we already gave everything to you. The least you can do is treat us kindly..."Vahn used his index finger to tilt her head toward him and said in a soft tone, "Kindness is nice to receive, but its better if both parties reciprocate it. The feelings are more meaningful if they are shared, instead of enjoying them selfishly. If you're a good girl, I'll pamper you when I'm not busy...but I can't always be tending to you, even if you are 'my' cute little Shirohime." Shirohime closed her eyes and turned her head toward his body and refused to look at him. However, her silence was similar to accepting Vahn's words, which was a good step forward. He didn't expect her to change after a day or two, but he hoped it would be sooner rather than later.After a short walk, Vahn arrived outside where Tina and Shizune were once again putting all of their efforts into training. Today they were joined by Tsubaki, Ryuu, Fenrir, Milan, and Preasia, who watched from the side as usual. Vahn's presence was noted very quickly, especially by the 'hopeful' looking Preasia who began to get a little restless as she watched him like like a hawk eyeing a field mouse. Vahn smiled at her before gesturing to Fenrir, who had been watching the sparring between Tina and Shizune. After kicking up a small clump of dirt and grass, Fenrir immediately arrived at Vahn's side and asked, "Did Vahn need Fenrir~?"As usual, Vahn reached out his hand and stroked Fenrir's head as he held up his left arm and said, "Do you see anything in my arm, Fenrir?" Shirohime looked at Fenrir and said, "We told you that other-" Fenrir nodded her head and said, "Fenrir can see a small white creature..." as she leaned forward and grimaced, continuing by saying, "Smelly..." Shirohime seemed to get offended by Fenrir's words and flared up in Vahn's arm as she shouted, "We are not smelly! You are the smelly one, you, you, you!" Fenrir scrunched up her nose and even went so far as to pinch her nostrils with her claws, even though it didn't look like a pleasant action to take.Vahn poked into Shirohime's chest and she overreacted a bit by biting his index finger in a relatively painless manner. Fenrir, however, took exception to this as her eyes immediately turned a vibrant scarlet as she looked at Shirohime like a prey animal. With his finger still in her mouth, Shirohime's eyes widened as she froze under Fenrir's gaze and was entirely unable to move. At this point, their little display had caught the attention of the others as Tsubaki walked over and asked, "What's going on over here? Fenrir, are you okay...?" Fenrir didn't bother answering Tsubaki as her hair continued to rise slightly like an animal on the verge of attacking. Vahn's eyes turned sharp in an instant and he said, "Fenrir, you can't eat little Shirohime, okay? She might be a little 'naughty', but she doesn't have any experience interacting with others. She'll get better, isn't that right little Shiro?"Shirohime mechanically nodded her head before pulling her mouth slowly away from Vahn's finger and tucking into his body as if she were trying to hide. Vahn saw this and mused in his head that this would be good 'medicine' for her to gain awareness. He had suspected that, since Fenrir, Terra, and Fafnir were functionally a 'part' of him, they would also be able to see her. His intention proved correct and Vahn was able to rationalize that Haruhime's Innate had somehow synchronized with him when they had sex earlier. At least now he didn't have to constantly explain that he was talking to a clingy little fox spirit whenever people saw him behaving strangely.Since everyone was giving him a confused look, Vahn explained, "Haruhime's unique skill evolved earlier and there is now a cute little fox spirit that is attached to me named Shirohime. She is a bit clingy, but she is a good girl at heart so don't bully her okay, Fenrir?" Fenrir's hair had dropped slightly but she still continued to stare at Shirohime with hostility as she nodded her head. She obviously didn't truly agree with him, but there wasn't much Vahn could do to sway her since Shirohime was the one in the wrong. He knew Fenrir wouldn't actually harm the little fox spirit, not that she should be able to do any meaningful damage to her. Vahn wasn't sure if Fenrir could even interact with Shirohime, not that he would give her the chance given her current state. He would need Terra's assistance to confirm that, since she wouldn't harm Shirohime even if the little fox offended her.Tsubaki nodded her head in understanding as she appraised Vahn's current appearance, something which she recognized instantly. She wasn't the only one either, as Shizune had a somewhat forlorn look and a light ambivalence to her current expression. Vahn's white haori and red threads was a rather bold statement and, had Haruhime been the first girl he 'associated' with, it would have been the same as saying she had become his wife. However, though they both recognized his garb, neither girl said anything about it as Tsubaki instead inquired about Shirohime a bit by asking, "Is there a way we can see her? I'm curious to see what kind of creature was created by a rare skill..."Though she didn't turn to look at Tsubaki, Shirohime muttered, "We aren't a creature...we are a proud and noble goddess..." The word caught Vahn's attention because he hadn't expected Shirohime to identify as a 'goddess', even though she definitely wasn't one by the standards of the record. He knew it was possible for some of the stronger Innates to embody specific 'records' and 'principles', but hearing a fox created by the Innate skill [Inari] address itself as a goddess was a key detail that required further investigation. For now, he just shook his head and said, "She seems to be bonded with my energy signature, so only Haruhime, Fenrir, Terra, Fafnir, and I can see her. Ah, she isn't a creature...she is kind of like a pure white kit with nine tails and red markings on her body."Hearing Vahn saw that Shirohime was a 'nine-tailed' fox caused both Tsubaki and Shizune to be surprised because, though it didn't last long when they recalled that Haruhime's skill was called [Inari]. Tsubaki began laughing out loud before saying, "Oh, it looks like Haruhime had a strong fate with the goddess Inari. If she heard about that little kit of your's, she might go crazy with rage! Ahahahahaha~!" Vahn could clearly remember Inari from the Divination and he couldn't help but feel like Haruhime really did have a destiny tied to the 'peculiar' goddess. Things wouldn't necessarily progress the same way, but Vahn technically had a fate with her too. Considering the fact that he intended to visit the Far East in the future, Vahn expected that their 'fate' would come to a head irrespective of the steps he took to circumvent it.Vahn smiled wryly before taking a breath and saying, "Sorry to have disrupted your training. I just wanted to test out my theory since it really is a curious development..." Since he could tell that Fenrir was still very frustrated, probably for more reasons than just Shirohime's existence, he reached out and stroked her head as he said, "Let's go out to play tomorrow, okay?" Though she hesitated for a short moment, Fenrir eventually tore her eyes from Shirohime and the vibrant scarlet faded slightly as she nodded her head and said, "Fenrir wants to do something fun with Vahn..." Vahn nodded his head and made a promise to make sure they had plenty of fun before sending them back to resume their training.After fluffing Preasia's hair for a solid minute, Vahn told her to continue doing her best and parted ways with the group in the training area as he made his way into the forest. He wanted to understand as much about Shirohime as possible before trying to convince her to return to Haruhime before nightfall. He could be 'battling' against Tiona, Ais, and Tione tonight, and he didn't imagine she would be too fond of attending the event. However, considering Haruhime's personality, Vahn suspected she might not actually mind it too much, even though she would probably complain a bit.Even without following the 'correct' path, Vahn easily made his way through the illusory forest because normal illusions had no effect on him at all. He quickly found his way to the secret garden and saw the 'person' he had been looking for, Terra, absorbing energy from the sun as she soaked her feet in the wellspring. It was a bit awkward since she was currently completely naked, but Vahn didn't let it bother him since she was quite the beautiful girl. She had also noticed his presence the moment he entered the clearing and her robe immediately appeared as a smile bloomed on her face.Before Vahn even brought it up, Terra tilted her head slightly and asked, "What is this adorable little creature...is it a fox?" Shirohime peaked up and saw the relatively 'unthreatening' Terra and seemed to be preparing a rebuttal until Terra furled her wings and snapped her tail against the ground as she leaped from the wellspring to get a closer look. Even if Shirohime was a real 'goddess', there wasn't much she could do against a True Dragon that was comprised of source energy. She couldn't even make any use of her power without Haruhime, so Shirohime was more of a 'mascot' than an actual threat in her current form.Vahn smiled at Terra and explained, "This is Shirohime, she is a nine-tailed fox that is a part of Haruhime...want to try holding her?" Shirohime's eyes widened but she couldn't say anything before Terra reached out her hands and easily picked her up before hugging Shiro close to her chest in a 'motherly' embrace and cuddling her. Shirohime writhed about and said, "We don't understand what's going on! This shouldn't be happening to us!" Terra freed one of her hands and began gently stroking Shirohime's head as she softly uttered, "My, you really are a cute little fox, Shirohime. My name is Terra Evergreen, it is very nice to meet you. If it isn't too much to ask, will you be my friend~?"Shirohime seemed to be very stressed out by the unexpected situation, but Terra's 'innate' gentleness was overwhelming and she quickly gave up her resistance as she 'pouted' without responding to Terra's words. Vahn smiled and said, "Just like Haruhime, you also need to open yourself up to others...Shiro. You will be much happier if you have more friends." Vahn knew that, just like Haruhime, Shirohime liked to be called by a 'pet' name so he softly called her Shiro. As expected, her ears twitched at the address and she turned her pouting golden eyes toward him before drooping her head. Terra simply continued stroking her with a happy smile on her face, almost as if she were completely oblivious to Shirohime's distressed state...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Maemiru's Dedication','Smelly fox...','Terra's endowments')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 509: Flow