Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn was slowly flying around above the City atop Terra's back with Fenrir sitting snuggly in his lap with her ears angled back so they wouldn't flop around in the wind. They had already been flying around for more than two hours at this point, but Vahn enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere as he loosely held Fenrir with one of his palms against Terra's back to make sure she had enough energy.With everything that had happened the previous night, extending a bit into this morning, Vahn had felt very reflective and he wanted to start 'enjoying' things as Loki had said. Since both Fenrir and Terra simply liked to be around him, Vahn wanted to bring them some small comforts when they were together...Unfortunately, peaceful times never seemed to last long enough and Terra eventually started to circle around slowly within an area before spreading her wings wide and coming to a stop mid-air. Her feathers gently rustled with the wind and they remained nearly stationary in the air as she said, "Master, I believe we can find the trail here..." Vahn activated his [Eyes of Truth] and looked beyond Terra's body to see where they were currently located and it seemed to be a simple market and grocer where people could buy agricultural goods and other common items. There were numerous people that were looking toward them, many even pointing as it was still rather uncommon to see a dragon in the airspace above the City, especially outside of the Alliance's territory.After thinking for a short while, Vahn ran his palm along Terra's 'grassy' back and said, "Let's land...it doesn't matter to me if it causes a bit of trouble. If the earth mage is in the area and tries to escape with their magic, we'll be able to track them more easily." The rustling in Terra's wings became a bit louder as their elevation began to drop at a relatively slow and steady pace. She was giving the people below enough time to clear out but, though a large circle had opened inside the small market, there was still a large crowd. Unlike the intimidating Fafnir, Terra was very elegant and beautiful even in her dragon form so many people were curious about her since she didn't seem hostile.Once they landed, Terra returned to her humanoid form in a blinding green light and caused an even larger stir when, instead of an elegant and beautiful dragon, an exotic woman with similar qualities took its place. Vahn extended his domain as a pulse and gave the crowd a bit of a start but didn't put any pressure to intimidate them. He wanted people to have a better impression of him, though not to the extent they simply 'swarmed' him whenever he was out and about. His own calming aura, combined with the actual calming aura of Terra, permeated through the area and gave people a warm and reminiscent feeling even though Vahn was very clearly 'cautioning' them to stay away.Though she was still in her cute little maid outfit, Fenrir crouched down and began to smell around in the area, fortunately remembering that she shouldn't keep her butt up in the air since she was in public. As for Terra, she was sending pulses through the ground as her eyes wandered about until she found what she was looking for and said, "Master, it's over there~." The 'trail' that Terra had discovered was near a small shop that sold potatoes, cornmeal, and other relatively cheap winter vegetables and goods. Vahn approached the vendor, a homely woman who looked to be in her late fifties, and said, "Good morning, ma'am, have you seen any strange characters around this area lately?"The old woman raised her brow in a curious manner and smiled in a kindly, yet teasing, manner as she asked, "You mean, other than yourself and your little entourage?" Vahn turned to look at Terra, wearing an elegant robe, that made her look like a Noble, and the adorable little Fenrir that was sniffing around the produce while making sure not to touch anything. They were indeed a little 'strange' compared to the norm, himself included, so Vahn chuckled and said, "Sorry to both you like this, but yes, someone 'other' than us." The woman's smile widened marginally and she explained, "Well, I don't get too many customers lad, other than a few of the desperate sorts. As for any strange ones, there has been a rather stressed-looking fellow comin' about lately who always seemed a bit worse-for-wear. The poor dear looks like the world 'as come crashin' down on his head so I gave him a few of my spare stock to give him a bit 'a hope that things'll get better."As if the woman's words were a trigger, Fenrir's hair stood on end and became marginally more pointy as her eyes began to glow with a fierce scarlet light. The woman shuddered as Vahn blocked Fenrir's line-of-sight so she wouldn't feel as intimidated. With an apologetic expression, Vahn explained, "I'm Vahn Mason, Sage Aldrnari and Captain of the Hestia Familia. These are two of my 'tamed monsters', so please don't hold it against Fenrir. We're currently trying to track someone down, so you've been a great help to us. It's not much, but please accept this as compensation for your troubles and as gratitude for the information you provided." Vahn handed the woman a small pouch that contained ten platinum coins worth a total of 10,000 Valis each. When she saw the amount, the woman seemed to have forgotten her fear entirely and showed a smile as she said, "You're very welcome, Mr. Mason. I've heard many stories of your kindness and benevolence, but I never expected to be on the receiving end one day. I hope you find what you're lookin' for..."After leaving behind the stall, which the woman immediately began closing up, Vahn led Terra and Fenrir a bit away from the crowd and asked, "Did you lock on to the scent, Fenrir?" She was already flexing her claws as if she was ready to pounce so the answer was very obvious. When she heard him ask, Fenrir nodded her head with a fierce glint in her eyes and said, "Fenrir smells the dirty mage! Fenrir won't let them get away, no matter what!" Once something had been identified by Fenrir, it didn't even matter if they tried to hide behind formations of buried themselves deep into the earth, she would eventually be able to track them down because her [Huntress] would become increasingly more effective the more she wanted to find them.Terra had her characteristic smile on her face, but she didn't seem content simply standing idle so she said, "When the mage left the stall, they used their earth magic to tunnel into the ground nearby and there are still traces of their mana disturbing the natural elemental energies. I believe they are hiding underground, Master, so we may have to set a trap unless you want to try and capture them another way?" Vahn's eyes squinted at Terra's words and asked, "Can you sense where they might have gone based on the flow of mana? I can't imagine they are deeper than five-hundred meters so I should be able to find them unless there is something obscuring my detection..."Hearing Vahn's words, Terra's wings flickered and the released a somewhat 'mocking' laughter as she said, "I doubt that little rat could burrow that deep without putting themselves at great risk. I'll follow the trail and inspect the ground while Big Sis can try to pick up the trail on the surface. Master, I know your eyes and domain can penetrate through solid structures, but don't force yourself too hard. When I find their burrow, I'll let you know where it's at~." Vahn hadn't discussed it too much, but it was a fact that his domain and [Eyes of Truth] weren't perfect. The deeper he looked into an object and the more he 'focused' his vision to see specific things, the greater the consumption of mental energies. As for his domain, it could subtly be interfered with by any physical object, especially those with large amounts of mana, but it was typically not that great an issue since his source energy would simply push beyond it if he pushes his [Will of the Emperor] to the limits.After considering the matter for a short moment, Vahn nodded his head with a smile and said, "Let's go for a walk. It's quite nice outside and it's a good chance to get the two of you a bit of public exposure." Hearing the phrase 'walk', Fenrir got a bit excited because walking with her Master was usually a very 'fun' thing for her. Seeing the change in her expression, Vahn smiled and ruffled Fenrir's fur before turning his back to her so she could climb on. This wasn't the first time he had given her a piggyback ride in her maid outfit so, at some point in the past, Fenrir had started to wear white satin knickers that Milan called 'pumpkin pants'. This allowed her dress to ride up a bit without exposing her butt for the world to see, something Fenrir had become sensitive about over time.Terra titled her head slightly and watched this interaction between Vahn and Fenrir with a strangely 'distant' look in her eyes that Vahn hadn't missed. He sent her a wink, causing the intelligent beauty to raise her brows slightly before he said, "When we get back to the Manor, I'll help you groom your wings and you can tell me about everything you've been learning recently." Though her expression didn't change much, Terra's wings wiggled about happily and she said, "That sounds wonderful, Master~." as a strangely 'fierce' look appeared in her eyes. She hadn't been too motivated about finding the mage before, but now Terra looked like the mage owed her a great debt, which she now wanted to collect...Since Terra's ability to sense the mage's mana was suited for the task of tracking down the mage a little better than Fenrir's nose, Vahn walked alongside her while Fenrir took the opportunity to play around with Vahn's ears, as he had turned into a Vanargandr to pacify her. She seemed especially fond of the large midnight blue ears on his head and, though she tried to play it cool as if it hadn't happened, there was one point where Fenrir licked his right ear out of curiosity. As long as she didn't try putting it in her mouth, Vahn didn't mind her antics too much and just made conversation with Terra as they slowly made their way through the alleyways.Because she was sending pulses into the ground, Terra would stop every few meters to make sure she was going the right direction and they eventually found their way into the outskirts of Daedelus Street after almost three hours of 'leisurely' strolling through the City. It bothered Vahn a bit that they were near Daedelus Street, but he assumed it wasn't for the reasons he was concerned about. Syr still came into this area on occasion to visit Maria's Orphanage, but she always used the secret passageways and usually had the escort of Ryuu and Fafnir. If it turned out the mage was targetting her or, even worse, eyeing the children of the orphanage to get leverage against her, Vahn would bring down his wrath upon their head without any mercy...The population density of Daedelus Street was very high and there were numerous despotic individuals, scoundrels, and others that were involved in criminal activities. Though the vast majority were relatively peaceful, as they had 'fled' to Daedelus Street for various reasons, there was no end to the number of people that would congregate together to take advantage of such people. As they stood out a great deal, several of such individuals had eyed up their three-person group as potential marks only to find themselves wavering at the last moment when Vahn turned his attention to them. He hadn't seen a single person above Level 2, so they were a bunch of rabble in the grand scheme of things. They couldn't even sense the vast disparity in power between themselves and their 'targets' so Vahn gave them a 'light' punishment depending on the color of their aura.For those with black auras, Vahn converged his aura on them in an instant to cause them to experience something akin to a mental collapse. They would eventually recover, but not without the help of other people. To have an aura that dark, they must have been intending to cause serious harm or had potentially even done things like 'murder'. Vahn knew it wasn't exactly his place to judge people, unless he caught them in the act or had solid proof of their wrongdoings, so he simply punished them for the slight against him. However, they got off very easy compared to the people that had dark auras intermixed with greens, pungent yellows, and sickly pinks.Every time Vahn saw someone with such a disgusting aura, he knew they were people that had likely ruined many lives and committed horrible acts to the living. Seeing the way they 'eyed' up Fenrir and Terra from a distance made him sick to his stomach while both girls had cold and fierce looks on their faces. Such people were often things like rapists, slave traders, or deviants, so Vahn showed them absolutely no mercy at all and used [Enkidu] to pierce them directly through their hearts. It was much easier for Vahn to forgive someone that had cruelly murdered another person than it was for him to show leniency towards those who brought great burdens to the living. The denial of freedom, be it physically, mentally, or even emotionally, were things he couldn't tolerate and he wouldn't hesitate to pass his own form of judgment on them for even 'considering' such acts in regards to his companions.After making their way deep into the labyrinthine structure of Daedelus Street, Terra came to a stop and showed a somewhat cold expression as she said, "Master, it should be below..." Vahn had already sensed the presence of many people under the streets, but this was normal as the artificial labyrinth also existed beneath Daedelus Street. He planned to explore it when he learned Magia Erebea, but it seemed he might have an earlier opportunity of the earth mage was hiding in the area. It made sense they would pick such a place as their base of operations as the sheer complexity of the corridors below gave them a distinct advantage.Using his domain, Vahn tried to identify any energy signature that could belong to the earth mage based on the color of their mana and the size of their aura. He knew the mage was only around Level 2 or 3, and there was a good chance they would have a pure earth elemental affinity. Vahn suspected there was little chance they would always be using the item that conceal their presence and, after dismissing several hundred other signatures, Vahn found one in a room that was isolated from the others. His [Eyes of Truth] activated at the same time as his domain became entirely indiscernible from the surrounding environment.Without creating any fluctuations that might be detected, Vahn peered into the room and saw a scene of devastation, almost like the room had undergone a fierce battle. Vahn furrowed his brows because he could see a thin man sitting on the edge of an earthen bed holding his head, clearly frustrated as they were currently crying. If not for the dark aura and the deep 'seething' red permeating through it, Vahn would have felt pity for them. For now, the only thing he felt was a bit of intrigue and an urge to thrash the fellow that had caused him so much stress over the last few months. It was clear they were likely hired to kill him but, depending on how things played out, several other people would have gotten involved. Vahn had no doubt the man would have tried to target those close to him if they had given him the opportunity so he couldn't really feel much empathy for the crying man.Though she had likely already locked on to the area herself, Vahn explained, "He is around 73m below us in an isolated room away from the other underground corridors..." Terra nodded her head and muttered, "I can't extend my domain here without dispelling the one at the Manor, but I can prevent them from trying to escape through the earth. Even the sun rose from the West, I still wouldn't believe they have greater control over the elements of nature than I do~." Vahn gave her a curious look that caused Terra to laugh in a playful manner as she spread her wing tips to the ground and sent pulses of energy through the earth. Vahn could sense the relatively stagnant energy within the various underground corridors become 'alert' as they awaited Terra's orders.It was extremely difficult to interfere with the control of another person, which is why Vahn's own abilities shocked Riveria greatly, so there was little chance the earth mage would be able to wrest control away from Terra. The fact that she used source energy also gave her an edge that couldn't be overcome unless the earth mage really did rely on a powerful Innate ability for their mastery over the earth. However, even if that were the case, Vahn wasn't too worried because he had his own means to prevent the earth mage from escaping...Pale golden energy began to spread through his domain, a phenomenon he couldn't prevent from occurring whenever he used [Enkidu], and Vahn used all nine chains to assault the distraught earth mage who had absolutely no time to prepare himself. Before they could even rise from the bed, Vahn had coiled their body up with [Enkidu] before releasing a long sigh of relief. With Terra's superior capabilities, the earth mage was much easier to deal with when he proactively hunted them down rather than waiting for them to take action. Given that there was a massive difference in their capabilities, there wasn't even a fight to be had and the poor fool couldn't even move an inch under the immovable bindings.Shaking his head, Vahn scanned around the area to make sure he hadn't overlooked anything before turning to Terra and saying, "Let's go find out who sent this assassin to target us. I already have a good idea of who it was, but it wouldn't hurt to verify things directly." Terra's smile had brightened greatly when she sensed what had occurred below the ground. Her Master had very easily captured the annoying list pest that tried to sneak into her territory, without having to go to any extremes that caused them to have to fight. If things could be settled peacefully, Terra believed that was for the best...unfortunately, Vahn wasn't thinking the same thing and he believed with was simply the opening act for what would likely be a war between himself and the Rakia Kingdom...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'They call him Moneybags Mason','RIP Predator-sans','Insurmountable Gap in Power')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After passing through a number of underground corridors, which were just smaller parts of a larger 'underground city', Vahn was near the closest wall separating him from the earth mage. Along the way, they had spooked numerous people by their unexpected appearance but many of them simply ran away without sticking around to see how things would play out. Much like the streets above, the network of tunnels directly beneath Daedelus Street was home to tens-of-thousands of impoverished residents that had sought solace and security in the dark after failing to live a normal life on the surface. There were even large groups of children that were covered in muck and grime, many of which Vahn realized were Pallums and Beast Humans. It made him sad seeing the almost 'feral' children with slightly glowing eyes as they were more adapted to the darkness than the light...Vahn knew he couldn't bring about the change he wanted to see in the City by just helping everyone he came across, but he still set out bags of fresh vegetables in the areas where they were hiding before moving on. He had heard from Hestia that the 'ruler' of Daedelus Street was a goddess by the name of Penia and he made plans to discuss the state of the community in the future. She was apparently a goddess of Poverty, People, and Penance, and had been ruling over Daedalus Street for nearly six-hundred years as a 'safe haven' to the beaten and downtrodden. Though there were still criminals that parasitized upon the people in the area, she was the main reason organized crime had been almost completely weeded out from Daedelus Street. Her influence was so great that, even though her Familia was still merely I-Rank, she had a seat at the table with Ouranos amongst the other top 10 influential gods, apparently only showing up when there was trouble in Daedelus Street.Terra reached out to the wall that obstructed them and placed her palm against it as a pulse of energy flowed into the earthen wall. Almost immediately thereafter, an opening appeared as the earth compressed and solidified, forming a corridor that extended the 13m between them and the earth mage's secret chamber. They could hear screaming from the other side that immediately turned to silence after the earth settled. Vahn's face hardened and he led the way with the scarlet-eyed Fenrir and the azure-eyed Terra following closely behind him. Fenrir looked like she was ready to pounce at a moment's notice, but Terra's expression was 'calm' and 'cool', even though Vahn could sense the fluctuations in her source energy.The moment they stepped into the chamber, a shrill and icy voice seethed the words, "Vahn Mason!" through clenched teeth. Vahn looked over to see the gaunt face of the earth mage and said, "That is correct...but the question is, who are you?" Vahn waved his hands and rearranged the chains so that the mage was held upright instead of being pinned down to the ground as he had been previously. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, though the stress lines and gaunt face made him appear much older, with pale brown hair and dull-looking yellow eyes. There were dark rings around his eye-sockets, appearing as though he hadn't been sleeping well for a very long time, and he had even started to bald at the temples with a few scabs and abrasions visible around his face and hands.Instead of answering, the earth mage began laughing madly with his head turned toward the ceiling at the trap formation that had long been broken by Vahn. There were tears streaming down his face as he mumbled, "This is it...I've failed...I'm sorry..." toward the void, likely wishing his words could travel the distance to whomever they had been intended. The chill in Vahn's mind didn't fade, but he felt like the man was very pitiful with his current appearance and words. However, he simply shook his head and said, "You have people you care about...that means you aren't a complete monster. However, the fact you do monstrous things is inexcusable regardless of the reason behind your actions. Unless you can honestly say you wouldn't fault the people that target your loved ones, you have no claim to my empathy at all..."Vahn's words grabbed the attention of the man who looked at him with a fierce resentment and a deep hatred as he said, "I did what I had to in order to survive! You don't know anything at all; you're just a spoiled little brat that grows up surrounded by endless comforts, indulging in pleasures and enjoying the results of other people's hard work!" Before they could lash out at the man, Vahn held up his hand to stop Terra and Fenrir as he walked forward and said, "It's really interesting, you claim I know nothing about you, but in the same breath make accusations against me? What do you know about me, other than what other people have fed you? Other than recognizing me as a target, have you truly made an attempt to understand the life I've lived? Do you think you are the only one that has suffered in the world? That gives you the right to kill whomever you please, just to make money?"As Vahn spoke, he converged his aura on the man with enough intensity that the mage's hair was pressed down by the force and the only thing keeping him upright were the glowing chains of [Enkidu]. Vahn shook his head and released the pressure, saying, "You know absolutely nothing about me other than what you have gleaned through your own bias and hatred. I will give you a chance to come clean...give me your name, the name of your client, the organization you work for, and a good reason why I shouldn't kill you. If you can answer these questions, I will release you on the condition you take a vow to never return to Orario for the purpose of completing a mission."The man had a fierce scowl on his face, but he couldn't hide the wavering in his eyes as a small ember of hope appeared deep within their depths. There were few people that wanted to die and, even if he didn't understand Vahn's life, he knew of the many rumors and accomplishments credited to the seemingly young man. He had a 'foolishly righteous' disposition and there was a fair chance he would be given leniency if he could convince him. However, the mage could feel an incredible pressure coming from Vahn's 'blue' eyes and it felt like all of his secrets were completely exposed. If he tried to lie, his instincts were screaming he would likely end up dying here and there would be no hope remaining for him...After several minutes of silence, with Vahn staring down at the man who was obviously lost in his own thought, the mage looked up and said, "You should know that I can't speak about my client, nor the organization I work for. There are vows I have been forced to take that prevent me from disclosing such things...." Seeing Vahn's eyes squint in annoyance, the man gnashed his teeth in frustration before saying, "M-my name is Ash...code-name 'Entomber'...I hail from the Rakia Kingdom and I have a lover and a son of four-years..." Then, as if realizing something, Ash's face became very dark and he looked at Vahn with the blackest aura he had ever seen, "Know the names of the people that will die because of you, Vahn Mason...Ash, Liris, and Alexander!" As if he had gone mad, Ash futilely tried to pull against [Enkidu] in an effort to lurch forward and attack Vahn.Vahn released a small sigh and shook his head before saying, "Bullshit...you're completely out of your mind if you think you can pin such things on me. How can I be responsible for the lives of people I've never met, just because I didn't let someone kill me? Absolutely ridiculous..." Walking forward, Vahn stood over Ash with a cold look and forced him to kneel on the ground before saying, "Your circumstances may have forced you into this kind of life, but the only one that can be held responsible for how things turned out is you yourself...even though you walked such a path, one covered in the blood of your enemies, likely even several innocents, you have the audacity to put the blame on someone else? Are you an idiot?"Ash wanted to spit, snarl, and scream accusations at Vahn but he couldn't move a single muscle in his body, not even being allowed to take a breath as he was forced to listen to his hated enemy's words. The pressure had increased to the point that the only thing he could hear was his heartbeats throbbing in his ears as his brain buzzed with a hatred deeper than the depths of the Dungeon. Regardless of what Vahn said, Ash only saw the boy before him as the murderer of his lover and son, instead of the boy that he had once eagerly accepted a commission to murder for benefits. When he returned home, Ash had planned to only take a few more jobs to save up some money to become a Tier 3 citizen. He wanted to buy citizenship for his family so that his son would have a better life than his own, something that was being 'taken' away from him by Vahn.Feeling the hatred radiating off of Ash, Vahn felt an incredible sense of exasperation and incredulity at the 'unjust' label that had been pinned on him. He had absolutely nothing to do with Ash and his family before the assassin had 'forced' his way into the lives of everyone at the Hearth Manor. This interaction reminded him a lot of his 'negotiation' with Alosrin and it was very annoying to have someone so deeply rooted in their own bias they couldn't see through to the truth of the matter. Though his 'Liris' and 'Alexander' may end up dying, it was a result of the life Ash had lived and had nothing to do with him at all. He couldn't be blamed for what was happening more than six-thousand kilometers away in a country he had never even been to...simply ridiculous.Vahn stared down at Ash before easing up the pressure he had been exerting, just enough so the gaunt man can breathe. Turning to Terra, who had a somewhat sad smile on her face, Vahn asked, "What do you think I should do, Terra? This man blames me for the future deaths of people I've never even associated with. Other than my death, I don't even think he had considered any alternatives to 'saving' his family at all..." Terra was also very annoyed by Ash's 'accusations' because they were so illogical that it was like he was saying their Master was at fault for the actions of every other person that barged into his life, including all their family members and friends? This made absolutely no sense to her at all and she saw the kneeling man as something 'less' than a sentient and intelligent creature...After thinking about her Master's questions, Terra looked to him and said, "Though compromises can be reached between creatures in order to share burdens and happiness, it is solely the responsibility of the people living to walk the path they have selected for themselves. Even if he was 'forced' into this kind of life, he could have simply killed himself if he truly disliked it. Instead, I imagine he had killed many people for personal gain, all so that he could secure happiness for other people without having to pay a price? This makes no sense to me, thus I conclude he should have prepared himself for this outcome before he ever accepted such a mission. As for what to do about this 'fool'...he is like a weed, so simply killing him won't solve the problem. Unless it is rooted out entirely, it will continue to grow and parasitize the happiness of everyone living in the Manor..."Vahn nodded his head slowly and looked back to Ash with an 'unnervingly' calm look on his face as he asked, "What do you think I should do with you, Ash? You have already blamed me for the deaths of your family, so should I send you ahead to receive them?" Though he wanted to reach some compromise with Ash, Vahn could see the 'madness' contained within the man's expression and knew he wasn't truly a good person. He had likely used his Innate ability to build a career for himself as a mage assassin, taking the lives of any potential enemies of the Empire and Rakia Kingdom. It seemed like their doctrine was deeply embedded in the man's mind and he simply 'couldn't' realize the error of his ways as a result of his clouded mindset and the ego he had developed over many years.Ash's expression had grown even darker and he had been putting so much effort into trying to move that [Enkidu] had started to tear into the skin and muscle along his arms. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself and Vahn, praying that the Kingdom would learn of his sacrifice and reward his family instead of killing them for his failure. Unfortunately, he couldn't use his power at all and it had been causing what little 'restraint' remained in his mind to break down. His vision had already turned dark at the edges and there was a metallic taste in his mouth as he glared up into the face of the boy he hated more than anything else in the entire world.Vahn saw Ash's reaction and it made him feel very cold inside because he had never experienced such resentment that had been 'forced' on him one-sidedly. Though his aura wasn't that large, it had turned into wispy black tendrils that seemed to be following Ash's intent as they tried to squeeze around his neck. Vahn couldn't actually feel anything from the black aura, but just knowing how much resentment Ash had for him made Vahn feel very sick. Since it didn't seem like Ash was willing to answer his questions at all, likely already having given up on life completely. Vahn reached out his hand and placed it against the man's head. Ash jerked his neck and tried to bite at his hand, but there was no way a Level 2 mage bound by [Enkidu] had enough physical strength to resist Vahn's actions. The only thing he got for his trouble was an extra strain in his neck as his face turned red for the exertion.Though he knew the man didn't deserve it, Vahn felt pity for the tragic life he had lived as a result of the path he had decided for himself. After pressing his palm against Ash's head, Vahn began channeling a warm and calming energy into the man's mind to help him relax and slowly lull him into a deep sleep. Ash tried to resist against the energy but, as his mind became increasingly calm, the only resistance he put up were the tears that began to fall from his eyes. He seemed to realize what was going to happen and knew that Vahn, the man he hated more than anything, had given him some small mercy by making things painless for him. Though it was only for a brief moment, Ash felt like he could have gotten along well with the boy if the circumstances had been a little different...Vahn looked down into the pale yellow eyes of Ash and said, "I have no control over what goes on in the Rakia Kingdom, but I will one day bring change to that country in the hopes that such misfortune never befalls anyone else. You have faced a grave injustice in your life, but its a fact you became a patsy that benefitted from taking the lives of others. If I have the opportunity to save them, I will see that your 'wife' and 'son' are able to live a free and happy life. However, their fate has been forced to a head based on the decisions you have made, something you must accept this before you die. I will not bear your resentment, as your path reached this point without any action on my part..."Even though he felt a great deal of indignation, Ash found himself simply unable to get mad as his mind started to become very cloudy. He hadn't been sleeping well in more than a month at this point and now it was like all his fatigue had compounded and was about to claim him. In his entire twenty-six years of existence, he had never felt as tired and 'calm' as he did right now. The image of his lover appeared in his mind alongside a small boy that looked up to him as if he were a great hero. It broke his heart knowing they would suffer, not because of Vahn, but because he hadn't been truthful to them and had endangered their lives by association with him. He knew better than anyone that it was his fault they would likely die, but he couldn't help but resent Vahn because the young boy had been able to live such a happy life, blessed to be associated with amazing people with great authority...it was unfair...After several minutes, Ash had a blank expression in his eyes as he mumbled, "Please...destroy...that hellhole..." with tears streaming down his gaunt face. With those final few words, Ash's eyelids began to droop low until they came to a complete close. Even with the warm and comforting energy coming from Vahn's hand, Ash didn't show a smile on his face and his expression was a deeply set frown of indignation. Vahn released a sigh before letting Ash come to rest face down on the ground of his secret chamber. He then removed the dirty brown robe covering his body and dragged his finger along Ash's spine to see if he had belonged to a Familia.As soon as his blood began to 'evaporate', the image of a lion's head, a spear, and an ax appeared on his back showing that he indeed belonged to the Ares Familia and was likely one of their dark operatives that performed espionage, assassination, or simply caused general upheaval in countries they wanted to conquer in the future. Since there were few organizations that were allowed to exist without the influence of the Ares Familia, this meant his 'client' was likely one of the executives of the Familia itself. The curious thing that Vahn noticed about Ash's Status Board, however, was the fact he actually had more than one Innate and, though he was Human, he was also much more...-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[[STATUS]]Name: AshRace: Human, Demigod(sealed)LV. 2POW: H118-&gt;H119END: F335-&gt;F338DEX: G241-&gt;G242AGI: D583-&gt;D590MAG: B739-&gt;B751Skill: [Blessing of Ares:Innate(sealed)], [Gnome:Innate(D)], [Rock Skin:C]Magic: [Quagmire:E]Development Skill: [Abnormal Resistance:C]-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Subterranean City','Cycle of Hatred','Legacy of Ares...')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Vahn ended up leaving the Twilight Manor alongside Arnya and Aki after preparing breakfast for the three girls. As cooking was something he liked to do recreationally, Loki didn't have much to say about it other than the compliments she had for the food itself. He was in no way a qualified chef, but Vahn's attention to detail and his knowledge of recipes allowed him to make most dishes to a reasonable degree. Many of the foods he cooked used recipes from different records, so they had always been popular which made Vahn feel happy. He liked seeing the girls eating the food he cooked, just as the girls that cooked for him loved watching him eat.Deciding to enjoy the cool morning air together, Vahn walked hand-in-hand with both girls as they slowly made their way towards the Hearth Manor. It would easily take them more than two hours to travel there on foot, but the journey was peaceful and pleasant so there was no need to hurry. As he had decided to make the trip in his Cat Person form, as it made him feel closer to the two girls, he got to experience the rather interesting event of walking with their tails intertwined. Arnya's tail was a bit short, because she had apparently had the end cut off when she was younger, but it was more than enough given how close together they were. Even when people gave them strange looks, as it was rather uncommon to see someone escorting two pregnant girls through the City, they just returned polite smiles or outright ignored them.By the time they reached the Manor, the sun had already peeked up over the surrounding hills and had begun to cast its gentle rays upon the land. As if the cold front from the previous day had been an illusion, there was a warmth in the air and, as Vahn's sense of smell was very strong right now, he could smell the fragrance of the grass and trees as they emanated subtle ripples of natural energy. Once they reached the front gate, Arnya slowed her steps and Vahn felt a little at a loss when her tail separated from his. She gave him a gentle smile and said, "You should go spend some time with the others, unless you really want to spend time with me~? I don't mind, but I'm certain there are other things you could be doing right nyow." Aki used this as an opportunity to separate her own tail from Vahn, albeit with a little bit of difficulty as they had 'coiled' around each other. Vahn's control over his tail was subpar at best, so she giggled as she peeled his tail away from her's.Vahn smiled and took one last deep breath of the morning air as his body visibly began to change into his human form. After undergoing a shift in his mentality, Vahn realized Humans were as much an animal as any other race and had been able to use [Thria*Mimos] to accelerate his transformations. Instead of spending almost an hour to make the change, Vahn could manage it within five minutes, though drastic changes would take a much longer period of time. When he opened his eyes, Vahn said, "Before we part, I would like to embrace you both and give you a kiss..." Aki and Arnya made brief eye contact with each other before simultaneously walking forward and giving Vahn a hug. He was a little surprised, but loosely held their waists and gave them both a fairly long, yet admittedly tame, kiss on the lips.Before they went on their way, Arnya placed her palm over Vahn's heart and looked into his eyes with a soft expression as she said, "Vahn, you really are one of the strongest people I've met in my life. However...it is never the role of one person to bear the burdens of another. Just like when we first promised ourselves to each other, let's do our best to share the burdens...together." Vahn nodded and gave Arnya's face one final caress before seeing her off as she followed behind Aki and 'retreated' toward the Manor. Vahn felt a little awkward because, unless he went a different direction it would almost be like he was following. Of course, with his [Shundo] it wasn't difficult to avoid such awkwardness so he vanished from the front courtyard and walked back out into the street to think about his next course of action.His mind was in a peculiar state right now, but Vahn also felt a sense of liberation knowing that things would stabilize a little. He was looking forward to spending time with the girls individually because there were many he had actually never been alone with. They way they acted in a group was always distinctly different than if they were alone, so Vahn was looking forward to the quality time they would share in the future. Before that, however, Vahn had decided to put another matter to rest because one of the biggest points behind his frustration were the enemies lurking in the darkness.Walking down the street with his hands in pocket, Vahn aimlessly watched the random passersby as he sent a signal to Terra, Fafnir, and Fenrir. As he hadn't been that far away, Vahn could hear the sound of footsteps less than a minute later as Fenrir came trotting out of the front gate wearing her adorable little maid outfit and carrying an unpeeled banana between her two paws as she made her way over to him. Vahn cocked his head to the side and asked, "Why do you have a banana, Fenrir?" As if he just asked her the most difficult to answer question in the entire world, Fenrir's eyes turned round as saucers and she stared at the banana in her paws with abject terror in her expression.Vahn arched his brow in confusion before a fluttering silhouette dropped down shortly thereafter, belonging to the 'naturally beautiful' Terra who smiled elegantly and said, "Good morning, Master~." She flicked her wings to before tucking them up behind her and walking forward to receive head pats from Vahn. He absentmindedly reached out his hand to stroke Terra's head as he once again asked, "Fenrir, why do you have a banana?" Fenrir's 'terrified' expression slowly turned a little darker as clear frustration built up on her face and she furrowed her brows deeply. Her scarlet eyes began to glow and, for the first time in his life, Vahn saw Fenrir's face show a very light blush as she said, "Gnuuu, Fenrir was practicing..."It took a while for the gears in his head to begin spinning fast enough to understand what Fenrir must have been 'practicing'. As if to demonstrate, Fenrir opened her mouth and tried to take the banana into her cheek but, while she had some small success, the part nearest to her teeth began to dissolve away which made her expression turn sour as she chomped the entire banana down in one 'large' bite. Vahn released a sigh and just plopped his hand down on her head, saying, "Fenrir, keep working hard, but don't push yourself to do strange things. If you're lonely, just let me know and we can spend time together. Just like in the past, you can always come and watch me in my workshop if you want..."Fenrir squinted her eyes and enjoyed Vahn's caress as random passersby looked at their interaction with a bit of incredulity in their gazes. Some of the men had seen Fenrir's actions with the banana and had sly grins on their faces at first until immediately becoming pale after seeing the final state of the banana, complete annihilation. There was even one rather unfortunate middle-aged man that looked like he had dislocated his hip and was using a nearby wall as support as he held his thighs together...Vahn looked around and inspected the nearby shadows before asking, "Where is Fafnir?" since he figured Terra would probably have the answer. Terra nodded her head and explained, "Fafnir was playing with Tina in the inner courtyard and I told them I would find out the situation since you could always call him over very quickly." Hearing her explanation, Vahn nodded his head since Fafnir was just a 'failsafe' for what he intended to do. Fafnir could cross the entire City in less than a minute if it was going full speed, with a similar rate of speed if it took the shadows as a medium, so there was no real need to pull it away from Tina if they were having fun.After considering the matter, Vahn pulled his hands away from Terra and Fenrir so they could focus properly and explained, "Terra, Fenrir, I want to see if we can find any traces of the earth mage that has been annoying me lately. We'll go inspect the tunnels where I encountered them last to see if Fenrir can pick up the scent. Since your mastery over the earth should be far greater than their's, I will always rely on you to counter them if they try to trigger a trap. They seem to have some basic control over earth elemental energy and had even been able to escape through the earth previously..." Terra's eyes squinted slightly and her tail flicked against the ground with a surprising amount of force that cracked one of the cobblestones.Vahn was somewhat confused by her action until she explained, "That little ant actually tried to burrow into one of the side tunnels while you were away last night. I tried to capture them, but they were outside of my domain and I don't have that much power when I leave my territory..."Terra was very annoyed by the 'pest' that had been antagonizing her Master and she was looking forward to helping squash it if necessary. Vahn was surprised to learn there had been an attempt to infiltrate the Manor last night and asked, "Who else knows about this, Terra?" She blinked her eyes in confusion before saying, "Everyone~? I told Hephaestus, Hestia, Riveria, and Syr, and I believe they told everyone else."Vahn released a sigh and realized that it must have been kept from him since it would have made the earlier explanations more difficult. After all, it didn't make a big difference when he learned about the attempted infiltration since there wasn't much he could do about it without picking up the trail directly. Just knowing that the earth mage had tried something was a 'good' sign though. as it showed that they were still actively trying to interfere with the Hestia Familia and hadn't left the City, at least before this morning. It also showed they were paying attention to his movements and may even be watching him now, though hopefully not to the extent they were able to hear his rather quiet conversation with the two girls.After thinking about it for a moment, Vahn realized there was a 'sharper' mind present so he asked, "Terra, what do you think we should do to try an capture this person? I'd like to interrogate them to find out where the came from but, if they turn out to be too much trouble, we can kill them if necessary." Terra's wings twitched open a bit before she caressed her left arm with her right hand and said, "Sorry, Master, but I would like to avoid being involved in any killing. If they attack the Manor, I think I could do it, but I don't want to hunt them down. If it's just finding them, however, I believe I could follow their scent just as well as Fenrir if I trace the ambient earth elemental energies they left behind."Terra was still a pacifist, both by nature and by virtue of her own Development Ability, so she wasn't comfortable with the idea of tracking someone down just to kill them. Capturing wouldn't be a problem but, unless she 'had' to protect her Master, she wouldn't kill anyone. Even if the earth mage was a 'pest' that she wanted to squash, that enmity was restricted to wanting to protect her home and didn't carry over when they were outside her territory. However, she could strangely imagine killing them if they affronted her Master, which made her feel a little strange and scared about the changes in her own mentality. Vahn blew these away, however, when he reached out his hand and gently stroked her head, saying, "I won't allow you to become a killer, Terra. I also don't appreciate unnecessary killings, so I'll try to capture them and reach a compromise if possible..."Vahn didn't even like the thought of Fenrir killing an actual person, even going so far as to place severe restrictions on her in the past. If he could avoid having them take the life of another, that would be the most ideal situation as they were both relatively 'pure' beings. Fenrir might be a little 'fluffy murder machine', but that was something he wanted her to direct towards monsters and not people. She had made great strides in her mental growth and Vahn wanted to protect her paws from becoming tainted with the blood of villains if at all possible. As for Terra, he had originally promised her a life where she wouldn't have to fight and he wasn't going to push her forward out of his own selfishness.After coming up with a plan of action, Vahn took Fenrir and Terra down into the underground passage that had been restored after its previous collapse. As the network of tunnels was more problematic to remove than it was to make use of, the Alliance had been sending patrols through it and actually used it to cut across some other properties as a short cut of sorts. Vahn activated his [Eyes of Truth] and sent pulses of energy through the tunnels as Terra placed her bare hands against the wall and touched around various spots with the tips of her wings. She also stepped forward in a strange manner and Vahn could feel her energy dispersing into the floor, walls, and ceiling before it retracted back into her body. As for Fenrir, she was smelling around the tunnel with her [Huntress] active and was determined to hunt down the earth mage to make her Master happy.For more than two hours, they continued progressing through the tunnels, even crossing paths with a three-person patrol group that was very surprised to see Vahn. Even though he wasn't in charge of them, the three men gave him a respectful salute so Vahn exchanged a few pleasantries with them before moving on. They were some of the lower rung troops in the Eirene Familia, so they had a lot of respect for Vahn's accomplishments. Eirene often showed up during their mass dinners and recounted Vahn's tales as a form of inspiration and she wasn't shy when it came to laying on the praises regarding his character and accomplishments. Vahn felt a little embarrassed to hear about this from the three guards and told them to give Eirene his regards if they came across her before he did.Once the small patrol had left, in much higher spirits than they had been in initially, Terra commented, "Master, I believe I should be able to trace the earth mages mana now. We just need to find a fresher trail and they wouldn't be able to escape my senses~." Fenrir's large fluffy ears perked up at Terra's words and she seemed somewhat upset because she hadn't found any scents that would be helpful. There were many different aromas in the tunnels, but Fenrir wasn't confident any of them belonged to the earth mage because they smelled very 'normal'. Since she didn't have a base scent to work with, as the original site hadn't offered them any leads, she was at a significant disadvantage compared to Terra.Vahn ruffled Fenrir's head and said, "Don't be jealous of your own little sister, Fenrir." before turning to Terra and asking, "What would be the best method to find their trail? Do you have anything in mind?" Having Vahn defer to her about her opinion made Terra feel very fluttery and she couldn't stop her own wings from wiggling in satisfaction as she smiled and said, "Even when I fly above the City, I can still sense the flow of mana through the earth. If there are any large fluctuations or concentrated areas where the mana density is higher, we could check there and potentially find the trail. I believe we can even pinpoint their location over time if Big Sis discovers any scents that match the ones she already picked up in the tunnels~"Hearing Terra's words, Fenrir's ears twitched and a crude smile appeared on her face as a result of the fact she was in her [Huntress] form. She had actually gotten much better at smiling recently, but her [Huntress] made her look far wilder since her teeth became very sharp, her hairs raised like the hackles of an animal, and the claws on her paws became much longer. Vahn shook his head slightly with a smile because this was another incident of Terra showing how well she could 'handle' other people, especially her own siblings. Unfortunately, he had no idea that Terra also played him quite hard on occasion, though she had 'suffered' for it a few times as a result of underestimating him.After leaving the tunnels, Terra turned into her dragon form, effectively spooking surrounding Adventurers before they realized what was going on. She was sometimes seen flying around the sky above the Alliance so Terra was one of Vahn's known 'tamed' monsters. Few people had seen her human form, however, even though the rumors about its existence had already spread through the City. Fenrir had become a bit of a mascot for the Hestia Familia after many of the older men talked about how adorable she was when they had gone out drinking.Many of the older generation said Fenrir reminded them a lot of their adorable granddaughters and it was amazing how Vahn was able to help monsters evolve into a human form. The Ganesha Familia had heard the rumors as well so Ganesha had actually been negotiating with the leaders of the Alliance to get Vahn to put on another exhibition in the future. Though it irked her to no end, he had even tried to use Shakti as a 'bargaining' chip at times, saying that she really needs to find a man and settle down if she didn't want to end up as an old maid...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A fertile flower on each arm~?','RIP Earth Mage-san','Stay strong Shakti...')(A/N: Okay, this puts me at about 8.2 chapters worth of content, so I'll call it a day here so I'll see you, beautiful people, tomorrow &lt;3)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 558: Tracking