Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Fully aware of what Vahn was intending, as was often the case, Loki had been making preparations of her own behind his back. It wasn't that she wanted to keep secrets from him but, if she didn't do 'something' to pacify her Divinity, it would make her body feel itchy. Though the influence of her Divinity had markedly weakened after she had given birth, it wasn't that it no longer took effect at all. In order to prevent things from getting out of control, Loki made sure to keep her interactions with other people 'vague' and 'complicated'. She was wrapped up in dozens of small schemes and plots, mostly in preparation for Vahn's rise to become an Emperor...Currently, she, along with Freya and an escort of five Valkyrie, had made their way over to the nearby port city of Melen. Though their departure from the City had been kept from Vahn, it wasn't as if they were being very low profile since Loki and Freya had flown on Khaos' back for the short flight. It had grown to 17m long and, with it's black/crimson scales, Khaos stood out 'noticeably' whenever Loki went around to manage affairs for the Alliance. This was the first time Freya had ridden on it's back, however, causing her to make off-hand remarks about asking for her own Dragon from Vahn...So that Freya didn't do anything to unnecessarily pressure Vahn, Loki had seriously discussed the matter with her so she knew 'when' and 'how' to make such a request. She knew that, even more than a normal Tamer, Vahn cared deeply about those he had subordinated and named. Because of this, she had gone out of her way to try and treat Khaos well so that he wouldn't worry too much. There were times when she would also mention Khaos in casual conversation with him before they both went to meet with and groom their True Dragon companion. This had a very noticeable effect on Khaos as well, even though he would never admit to being happy for the company...After touching down in a spacious area in Melen's port, causing quite the scene in the process, Loki and Freya made their way over to a large tavern near the port's periphery. Since there were a lot of sailors and fishermen moving through the area at various times of day, this particular tavern was highly frequented and, compared to the surrounding shops and stalls, it had a 'higher-end' feel to it, even though there was also a warm and homely atmosphere permeating out into the cool morning air. When Freya saw this building, a small smile spread across her immaculately sculpted face as she mused, "It seems that wayward child of mine has been doing better as the days pass~."This tavern was none-other than Melen's main branch of the Hostess of Fertility franchise of taverns and, as for why it was so popular in the relatively simple port town, it was the existence of the same projection spheres that were used in the larger branches. Because it's residents were all simple and hard-working people, there weren't too many advanced forms of entertainment in Melen previously. Most sailors and fishermen just frequented bars and taverns, enjoying a few drinks with their friends after working hard all day. Here at the Hostess of Fertility, however, you could do much the same, all while being attended by beautiful barmaids as exciting Sports matches played on each wall...Loki understood Freya's meaning very well as one of her 'secrets' from Vahn was the fact that she worked closely in hand with the various Merchant Familia in the Alliance. This wasn't something that would surprise him, as Vahn genuinely 'expected' that Loki was working with everyone, but the true extent of her cooperation and manipulation of the markets of Orario would shock him. She had, for the last two years, been working alongside Fortuna to slowly center the entire economy of Orario around the Alliance. In order to make this possible, they had to slowly convince those Familia who had been sitting on the fence to join the Alliance.This usually involved a few small schemes, such as purchasing up all materials and resources, or reducing the price of comparable goods in the area to the point that most smaller Familia simply couldn't keep up in the long term. It was more than a little underhanded but, in order to make sure there weren't any problems when Vahn wanted to start collecting taxes in the future, it was a necessary step to take. Since she had been having the Civilian Legislative Branch establish a Civilian Merchant Association, which also worked closely with the Alliance, Vahn was well on his way to dominating the entire economy of Orario, both foreign and domestic, even though he had no idea it was happening. Fortuna was even training a 'disciple' of sorts to become Vahn's future Minister of Finance and Trade...After having Khaos take on its human form, something Loki liked to tease him for since it was very similar in appearance to Vahn, the three made their way into the Hostess of Fertility with the Level 7 Hrist and another Level 6 Valkyrie named Bruna. The other three waited outside, effectively scaring off any other potential customers with their rather imposing figures and fierce gazes. Though they were exceptionally beautiful women, and drew a lot of attention, the fact that each was near the peak of Level 5 was enough to make most people sweat if they tried to keep eye contact. The reason for their presence was that there was no way of knowing what action the person they were meeting might do if she felt her side had the advantage.Within the tavern, that usually had upwards of fifty-to-a-hundred guests, the only people present were the Proprietress, a motherly woman named Susanne, and a small number of uniformed staff that were looking decidedly nervous. As for why these girls, who were accustomed to dealing with rough and burly men, had such a reaction, it was because the entire tavern only had three customers before the arrival of Loki's entourage. At the back of the tavern, laying down sloppily in one of the booths facing a projection sphere, was a girl with crimson red hair that glistened like fresh blood.The girl had brown skin that had a bit of an ashen coloration and, much like an Amazoness, wore extremely revealing clothing while a bone-like mask covered the upper half of her face. Around her neck were several small skulls forming a necklace while the only thing covering her seemingly non-existent breasts was a thin white vest. Because she was laying down, and the vest completely lacked buttons, this caused the fabric to slid down, creating an inarguably obscene sight as the figure displayed a complete lack of regard for public decency and a general sense of shame.With the arrival of Loki and Freya, the girl, still supporting her head with her arm, lazily looked over and said, "I was wondering how long you were going to keep me waiting. You know, it takes nearly three months to travel here by boat. If not for this contraption, I might have been bored to death..." As she was saying this, the seemingly young girl came to a seated position, adjusting the thin loincloth that that only barely protected her dignity. The fabric was the kind that didn't even fold under and wrap around the hips, meaning she was completely bereft of undergarments. If not for the purple cloth that loosely covered her arms and hips, this girl, seemingly no older than ten, would have completely exposed herself to the eyes of onlookers...Upon seeing their counterpart, Freya and Loki gave each other a glance before the latter turned her attention back to the crimson-haired girl, saying, "I had thought you would have disguised yourself better, Kali. I know you have the capabilities to do so...what are you scheming, I wonder~?" These words caused the 'young girl', the Goddess of Sacrifices, Death, Time, and Entertainment, Kali, to begin laughing without any inhibitions whatsoever. After her laughing fit, she picked up a leg of lamb and began gorging herself, mouth filled with meat and greases as she said, "Who would have thought a day would come with the Goddess of Tricksters accused others of scheming~."As she was addressing Loki, Kali was passing her crimson-eyed gaze across Khaos, Hrist, and Bruna. She had brought along the Captains of her Familia, Argana and Bache, along with an assortment of thirty Amazoness warriors. Even with her two Captains being near the middle of Level 6, Kali could tell that they wouldn't stand a chance against the tall winged women at Loki's and Freya's sides. She would probably be able to hold her own against one of them while her Captains fought the other but, with the inclusion of the boy with strange red and black hair, Kali knew things wouldn't play out in their favor. Knowing Loki, there were probably other cards she had hidden, making the forces she had in reserve completely useless...Argana and Bache, completely unable to see through the strength of Hrist and Bruna, were smiling amusedly at the Valkyries while Argana had a taunting look in her eyes. The two were twins, much like Tiona and Tione, with a similar 'disposition' to match. Argana was around 165cm tall and, though she had breasts, they were at the very low end of the B-Cup, barely cresting over an A. As for Bache, her breasts were 'much' larger, consisting of well-shaped D-Cup breasts that deformed under the leather straps that kept them bound while she moved around during battle. Both girls had sand-colored hair and golden eyes, though Argana's was kept in a long braid that reached the back of her knees while Bache's was kept short, barely reaching her shoulders. The latter also had a veil covering the lower half of her face, concealing a grisly scar that ran from the side of her mouth and caused her otherwise beautiful face to became almost ghastly to anyone who saw what was beneath.Seeing the two Amazonesses looking toward them, Hrist and Bruna remained completely stoic without showing any sign of fear or fluster. There was neither scorn nor disdain in their eyes as, from their perspective, the two prideful Amazoness warriors were simply beneath them. If a conflict did break out, it would be a 'very' short engagement since the Valkyrie had nearly a thousand years of combat experience and possessed some of the highest base parameters of any race. After all, they were each demigod Valkyries while Argana and Bache, incredibly powerful in their own right, were 'simply' Amazonesses...After a few tense seconds had passed, Loki returned a conniving smile to Kali before releasing a few cackles of her own after saying, "The truly interesting thing is, in this situation, I don't even have to scheme, kukukukuku~." Unless both sides were equal, or she was slightly on the losing end of things, there was simply no reason to be roundabout in these types of situations. Once the Alliance had reached a 'critical' level of growth, Loki had been able to exercise a degree of power and influence that almost invalidated the need for schemes entirely. Even in this situation, depending on how things turned out, they could simply destroy the other party and then deal with the aftermath later on...Kali, understanding Loki's meaning, showed an almost crazed smile of her own as she licked the fang-like snaggletooth on the left side of her mouth. She wasn't even remotely afraid of what would happen in they came to blows as just the thought of battling against a powerhouse like the Alliance made her 'excited'. It truly didn't matter to her if she had to return to Heaven for a short while as she would be able to return 'much' faster than most gods. Because of her Divinities, it was easy to gather the necessary 'materials' to recreate another avatar meaning, even if she ended up dying during battle, Kali would be back in the Mortal World after a decade or so had passed. This was similar to the case of Gods of War like Ares, though he took markedly longer since he wasn't a very 'popular' god. Kali, however, had hundreds of thousands of devout followers, each practicing the teachings that had been engraved in them for hundreds of successive generations.Freya, having been silent up until this point, squinted her eyes slightly and muttered, "How uncouth. We didn't come here to compare who had the creepiest laugh, my dear Loki and Kali. Shall we get on with this little discussion of ours? I'd much rather lounge in my Manor with a glass of wine than spend the rest of my day in this foul-smelling place..." As a Goddess of Beauty who enjoyed the finer things in life to an 'extreme', Freya wasn't fond of rural towns like Melen. The odor of salt and fish was heavily permeating through the air and, even though it was bearable within the Hostess of Fertility, she would rather be back in Orario, resting on a comfortable bed as she awaited the potential arrival of Vahn...Kali, taking advantage of Freya's words, simply stated, "There isn't much to even talk about, is there? I already know why you wanted to meet and the fact that I even showed up should already tell you all you need to know about my stance on the issue. This really only goes one of two ways, doesn't it? You either make me the offer I want, which would likely end up in a conflict with Telskyura, or you go to war against me and the entire Amazoness peoples. I'm personally very interested to see just how well such a massive organization would be able to hold out against an entire race of warriors~." Even knowing that Telskyura had no chance at victory, Kali didn't really care that much as the thought of such a massive battle alone was very exciting.Loki's smile didn't change after hearing Kali's words but, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but curse the quirks of gods with Divinities related to things like Death. There was no way to really pressure them by taking a hard stance as, even if they ended up dying due to disagreements, such gods simply wouldn't care. Then, since it was impossible to eliminate 'death' from the world, they would just return a few years later and continue being a pain in the ass all over again. At the same time, just as Kali pointed out, the Amazoness people would very willingly wage a suicidal war that could very well continue for several years. After all, the Amazonesses didn't really care that much about their country itself and many even slept in small hammocks without any real shelter, enjoying the 'natural' world to an extent that could even put Elves to shame...(A/N: I'm not sure if the meaning behind Loki's words was conveyed properly, so I'll elaborate on a few things real fast. Essentially, most Amazonesses don't really care about their own lives, much less the lives of others. They are a species that enjoys battle, polishing their skills through brutal and bloody combat. At the same time, they make almost no cultural advancements and, if not for the fact it would be difficult for them to roam in other countries otherwise, many Amazoness would simply move around without caring about clothing. Many live in the actual jungles surrounding Telskyura, where resources for making clothes are even scarcer, so they generally just wear things like loincloths, often completely forgoing clothes on their upper bodies. These types of Amazoness usually cover their bodies in tribal markings and they are the main source for food, almost entirely comprised of hunters and gatherers. They would usually make offerings to the 'warrior' tribes that are located closer to the heart of Telskyura. From the perspective of most Amazonesses, cultural and technological advancements lead to the stagnation of society, not the propagation of society. Building defensive walls, running businesses, farming, innovation, these are all things that go against the natural order and, in time, would lead to the actual destruction of the world. By existing within the natural world, living and dying along with their surroundings, the Amazoness have a 'culture' that could last for millennia without any difficulties, even though it pretty much guarantees their race would continue to brutalize itself for generations to come. The thing is, in a way, they are 'correct' as, instead of thinking about how they can exploit each other and consolidate wealth, the only thing that Amzonesses really care about is 'strength'. Even the basic concept of status, other than the Queen, is completely pointless and, so long as you are strong, you would have the respect and admiration of your fellow Amazonesses.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sneaky sneaky','What's with this sassy...lost child?','While Empires, Kingdoms, and Countries fall, the Amazoness have remained unified for more than ten-thousand years...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

After exchanging a few more 'pleasantries', and procuring some food and drinks from the Hostess of Fertility staff, the entire tavern had been cleared out for the discussion between Loki, Freya, and Kali. As the latter had pointed out, there wasn't much for them to actually discuss, making the meeting more of a small get-together to make sure everyone was on the same page. Because of this, Kali very frankly stated, "The terms from my side are pretty simple and, given that little boy's reputation, I'm sure he can take care of it. In exchange for the technology that allows those two playgrounds of yours to function, I am prepared to pressure the Queen to change the law so that those who have yet to reach adulthood are not forced to fight in true battles of life and death. The one thing that kid of yours will have to accept is that we won't change our culture to try and keep up with the changes he wants to introduce. We can change certain things but Amazonesses simply do not function in 'civilized' society without issues in the long term. Even if he wants to try and put on a show of force as he did in the land of tree huggers and mine rats, there is simply nobody within Telskyura for him to kill. Even if he puts down Hippolyta and tried to place one of those little girls of his in the position of Queen, the Amazoness community simply wouldn't care. Unless he plans to wipe out the majority of our species and selectively breed those that match his requirements, the Amazonesses will always need their own localized and isolated community."Though there were certainly some anomalies, such as Tiona, Tione, Aisha, and Lena, they made up less than a single percent of the Amazoness people. Even they were still subjected to their instincts and, unless Vahn created some kind of 'inhibitor' or fundamentally changed the nature of their being, it was impossible for most Amazonesses to truly blend into other societies. It wasn't just because they wanted to indoctrinate children that Amazonesses was forced to give birth back in their homeland. The main issue was that most Amazonesses simply didn't care about their own children and, without a structure that would allow them to grow and learn how to survive in a rather unforgiving society, many would outright die early on. As for why they didn't allow the fathers to take care of the children, this was because there were all sorts of issues that could pop up that the untested fathers simply couldn't deal with. In the worst case scenario, the younger Amazonesses could even imprint on their fathers, making it fundamentally impossible for them to even have children with anyone else as a result of the deep mental impression...Loki had expected Kali's 'terms' but still laid out a few of her own, saying, "So long as you show a concerted effort in trying to make your society safer for children, Vahn would show understanding for your situation. However, as I'm sure you are aware, not every Amazoness has the same nature as the majority of those born within Telskyura. Also, though it would certainly cause problems if left unchecked, we can pass laws that can protect young Amazonesses born in Orario. One thing we are prepared to do is to create an Embassy of sorts, surrounded by a community of Amazonesses. This land will belong entirely to Telskyura and we are even prepared to build a smaller Coliseum and help develop educational facilities that can help guide young Amazonesses before they interact with the larger community. I'm sure you can see the benefits of this, as it will create an actual 'destination' for many Amazonesses leaving the country in search of mates..."Kali was actually a little surprised by Loki's 'compromise', causing her brows to rise slightly, even though they were hidden by her bone mask. Loki was acting decidedly 'different' compared to how she had acted in the past, causing Kali to feel intrigued by what changes had occurred for her to behave like this. As it was indeed 'very' beneficial for Telskyura to have sovereign land within a huge population zone like Orario, especially with the increasing popularity of Sports, Kali gave a toothy grin as she said, "That is an interesting idea, Loki, though you'll have to give it to me in writing and take quite a few vows if you want me to believe this isn't some elaborate trap. Also, even though it seems like we're winning out in this exchange, I can tell...kukuku...that boy of yours is quite the soft-hearted individual...!"Though she always intended to take advantage of Vahn's nature, as he had already become 'famous' within the Amazoness community, Kali had underestimated Vahn's influence. At first, she believed he was just an exceptionally powerful mortal that had managed to become something of a figurehead for the Alliance. Kali never believed he was genuinely in control but, after seeing Loki's behavior, she realized that her assumption had been incorrect. It seemed ridiculous but, given the circumstances, it seemed that Vahn really was the leader of the Alliance. Kali wondered what kind of person he was to have gained such influence over gods, many of which were selfish individuals who only sought their own benefits...Deciding to get to the main point, Kali controlled her laughter and put on a 'serious' expression as she said, "I will agree to that idea of an Amazoness community within Orario but, in order to make sure there is ample 'attachment' from the perspective of the Alliance, there is something we will need from you. That boy, Vahn Mason, has left quite the impression in the hearts and minds of many Amazonesses, to the point that even that brat Hippolyta is 'constantly' thinking about him..." Though it was from the perspective of 'seriously' wanting him dead, it was true that the Queen of Telskyura was constantly thinking of Vahn.Continuing her words, even though she knew both Loki and Freya were aware of what she would say, Kali's grin became almost vicious as she said, "In all the world, there may never be a more suitable mate for the Amazonesses that Vahn himself. If he is willing to sire an 'adequate' amount of Amazonesses, I will trust that Orario will be able to keep them safe. I know the whole reason you came up with that little idea of yours is because of those 'unique' twins that are attached to Vahn, isn't that right~? He probably wants to knock them up and raise his children in Orario, instead of following our traditions and sending the girls back to Telskyura...well, that is probably for the best, kukukuku~."Because of Tiona's and Tione's status and strength, there was a lot of Amazonesses who envied their relationship with Vahn. If the two got pregnant and gave birth in Telskyura, they would be forced to stay in order to 'protect' their daughters as, resulting from their 'fame', any children they gave birth to would likely face the wrath of some of the more petty and envious Amazonesses. If Tiona and Tione left their daughters in Telskyura to return to Vahn's side, it was almost guaranteed that their children would face a far more difficult crucible than other Amazonesses, even if their society would prevent things from getting 'too' out of hand. Now, if things were arranged so that their children would be able to stay in Orario 'without' concessions being made, it would cause malcontent feelings to spread in the hearts and minds of many Amazonesses.Kali's words weren't outside of Loki's expectations at all and, after discussing various possible scenarios with Vahn, she knew he had even considered 'conquering' the entire country through similar means. If Vahn truly had walked into Telskyura and systematically defeated every Amazoness, he would likely even be recognized as their King. Even Hippolyta, once defeated, would have to take a step back and submit to Vahn, at least until she was able to defeat him and reclaim her title. This, however, would result in an unstable population that numbered in the hundreds of thousands all being completely dedicated to Vahn. Just as Tiona, Tione, and Aisha couldn't imagine themselves sleeping with other men, it would be much the same for many of the Amazonesses Vahn defeated, with the stronger ones being even more affected...Knowing that it would be an even 'bigger' problem if Vahn was allowed to deal with things directly, Loki had orchestrated this meeting with Kali around the time Enyo had been imprisoned. She knew that Vahn would eventually set his sights on the Amazoness nation and wanted to avoid a major fiasco that would unnecessarily complicate matters in the future. Because of this, instead of being flustered by Kali, Loki nodded her head and said, "That is fine, but there are certain requirements that must be met as well. Because they will likely become the core of the Amazoness society within Orario, those that want to bear Vahn's children would need to be much stronger than the others that reside there. This will be necessary to keep order and to protect Vahn's future children, as he would never allow them to be in a dangerous situation without every precaution being made..."As she listened to Loki's words, Kali squinted her eyes slightly, interrupting the flow of the conversation by asking, "How strong do they need to be, exactly...?" To this, Freya answered, gesturing to Hrist as she said, "Most of the members in the Hearth Manor would be able to walk through your country without anyone being able to block their path. Even the Maids and Guards surrounding Vahn are, at the very least, Level 5. These two are near the peak of Level 7 and Level 6 respectively, while the three waiting outside are all at the peak of Level 5. Why don't you tell us, Kali, who exactly you think it 'qualified' to bear Vahn's children...?"Kali knew that the winged women standing in the back were strong, but she never expected one to be near the peak of Level 7. As if to rub salt on her wounds, Loki then explained, "The Valkyries that serve as the Guards of the Hearth Manor have a total of 303 members, each being above Level 5 in strength. As for the actual Guardian of the Hearth Manor, she is a True Dragon that has exceeded Level 10 and broken through the limits of the Falna. However, even she isn't the 'real' threat...though I have no reason to explain exactly what kind of cards we have in reserve, do I~?" In truth, the power base Vahn had established over the last year gave him more than enough power to conquer the entire Continent, even if he just sat back at the Manor all day. Other than Legend, there weren't even any forces in all of Eden that could resist the Valkyries for more than a few hours...If the Valkyries weren't a big enough surprise, the revelation that there was a True Dragon that had broken through the 'limit' had caused Kali to hold her breath for a brief moment. Then, as if to give voice to the words on Kali's mind, Argana slammed her hand against the table and exclaimed, "What kind of bullshit are you spouting!? You're telling me those bird bitches are supposed to be Level 6 and 7!? If you're going to lie, you should at least come up with something believable!" Having spent twenty-seven years training to the point of exhaustion almost every single day, Argana refused to believe there were so many people that were at her Level. The idea that there were several who were 'beyond' her felt like a slap to the face hard enough to loosen teeth.Though she had been silent and stoic the entire conversation, Hrist now turned her attention to Argana, coldly stating, "The world is broader than you could ever imagine. You may be one of the biggest fish in your small pond, but there are vast oceans with powers you can't even imagine with your small-minded perspective of the world. We, Valkyrie, have trained hard for hundreds of years and even we do not have the hubris to believe there are none stronger than us. In fact, it is because we understand there are individuals capable of far exceeding our growth that we are content with serving. Watch your words, wretch, or I will remove your right to speak anything more than pain-filled groans for the rest of your insignificant life..."As Hrist was speaking, an icy and oppressive aura spread through the entire facility, causing all but the three goddesses seated around the table to feel an instinctual fear. Most of the Valkyrie had inherited pseudo-Divinities related to Death, Divination, and, to a lesser extent, Magic. Hrist had a total of three Innates while also possessing a pseudo-Divinity related to Death. This was something that Kali had picked up on instantly, causing her to activate her own aura as she looked to Argana and said, "Stand down, Argana. That isn't an opponent you can fight, even if you and your sister teamed up together..." Kali hadn't expected the Level 7 Hrist to also be a Demigoddess, especially one with a similar Divinity to her own. Mortals with such a Divinity were usually 'very' dangerous, even if their Level was low. The fact that Hrist was Level 7 made it completely impossible for her two Captains to even think about fighting against her...Argana had felt an instinctual suppression from Hrist but, after feeling her own goddess' power, she became somewhat pale as her slightly agape mouth closed, the words of challenge she had nearly issued being swallowed. Now, she could only think about what kind of monstrous organization the Alliance was to have such powerful entities serving as mere guards. Her pride had taken a serious hit and, even though Hrist had mentioned training for several hundred years, Argana felt like her own power would never be able to reach similar heights. She only had a few decades left in her prime and even reaching Level 7 would be difficult before her body simply couldn't keep up with the strain of intense training and combat any longer...Appearing as if she hadn't noticed the tense atmosphere that had been created, Freya once again repeated, "Well, who do you think is qualified to bear Vahn's children, my dear Kali~?" If it were up to her, Freya would much rather bear one hundred children for Vahn, rather than let him impregnate one-hundred Amazonesses. Knowing her own children would be related to the children born to the Amazonesses who would reside within Orario, Freya felt more than a little troubled. This notion was even shared by Loki who knew that, given the nature of Amazonesses, in general, Vahn would be troubled when his Amazoness daughters ended up seeking out their own mates 'too early'. Because Amazonesses were considered adults after reaching certain Levels, irrespective of their age, there would have to be laws passed that restricted this particular cultural trait to avoid causing Vahn to fret incessantly in the future...Kali, unaware of what was going through her fellow goddesses' minds, had a small frown on her face as she thought about how to answer Freya's question. The Alliance was obviously far more powerful than she had expected, meaning she would have to seriously consider the matter in greater detail in the future. For the time being, there were a few 'easy' answers she could come up with, including one pressing matter she wanted to address. Thus, after collecting her thoughts, Kali gave a glance towards Argana and Bache before turning her crimson eyes, matching Loki's ruby-red gaze as she said, "It is obvious that you must have the means to help increase a person's strength qualitatively over a short period of time. I'm certain you have other schemes at play so, for the time being, I will select a few Amazonesses over Level 5 that should be suitable for monitoring the community within Orario. To facilitate a smoother transition, I will even move to Orario for a short while to-"At this point, both Loki and Freya released their characteristic laughs, causing Kali's mouth to shut as she glared back at them. Then, just as she was about to lash out, Loki preempted her, saying, "You will have to deal with Hippolyta and the traditionalists before things get out of hand. Until things are settled back in Telskyura, you shouldn't be worrying too much about the community that will be created within Orario. We will begin laying the foundation and preparing for a stable Amazoness population in the future. The important thing at this point is public recognition and support for those Amazonesses who wish to remain in Orario and raise their children within the budding society we will establish. You don't need to concern yourself with who they are; just know that they have much higher importance than anything you are trying to prepare..."As she was speaking, Loki passed over several documents and a contract for Kali to peruse, the one at the very top being the same one that all goddesses who had a chance to give birth to a Vanir had to agree to. Kali had been frowning as she listened to Loki's words but, upon reading the contents of the documents she had provided, her expression turned into a cheeky grin. There was even a file on Vahn himself, including some of his personality quirks and characteristics. Kali was reminded of Loki's first words when they met earlier, causing her grin to turn sly as she said, "It looks like I have a lot of preparations to make, shishishishi~."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'At this rate, Orario is going to become a bunch of small segmented communities xD','Fish in a pond? More like a frog in a well...','You simply can't get a 'real' advantage against Loki (o....,o)')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

With Nanu reaching the rank of [Master Smith], it felt like a ripple of positivity spread throughout the Manor, slowly building into a powerful wave. For the longest time, many of the girls had been near the peak of their respective Development Abilities, such as Ais with her [Swordsman:A]. With Nanu as the 'trigger', many of the others began to make breakthroughs while everyone's progress in the study of magic had been making small strides as well. Vahn had found himself with a lot of free time so he had been having small study sessions with the girls, helping them improve while continuing his personal research. He had been working alongside Riveria and Lefiya to study each type of elemental energy and how they could influence, not only the world around a person but their internal structure as well.Vahn knew that he would eventually leave the record of Danmachi and, in order to increase his basic comprehension and make it easier to adapt his magic in other worlds, it was important to learn how the Laws might influence the basic structure of Magic. After all, even though Eva's magic system still used mana, the way in which it was manifested within Danmachi was fundamentally different than the way it would in Eva's record. This was one of the reasons why the girls' progress in magic hadn't been nearly as fast as even Fenrir's. Because they had to adapt Eva's magic system and incorporate it into the pre-existing framework for how Magic manifested in the record of Danmachi, it took a lot of trial and error to make real breakthroughs. It was almost like they were 'creating' a completely new magic system which, in a way, was the genuine truth of the matter...This experience would help Vahn a lot in future records as he already knew that most of the skills and abilities he had developed in Danmachi would be lost entirely. Though he wouldn't lose the knowledge of how to use them, it was only because of the World's Laws that he was able to see the actual skills, magic, and development abilities within the system interface. In Danmachi, there were Laws at play that allowed the various techniques that existed to modify the actual phenomenon created by the techniques themselves. For something like [Blacksmith], it genuinely increased the refinement process and greatly increased the chance of the equipment having the Abilities you wanted. Vahn would lose these 'corrective modifiers' in other worlds, meaning he would have to put in a greater amount of effort if he wanted similar results...The biggest 'loss' Vahn would have to face, other than the fact his Parameters themselves would no longer exist as they too were part of the record, was his 'comprehension' of Laws. Because the same Law could be completely different between records, Vahn knew that he needed to develop his basic understanding of Laws themselves if he didn't want to suffer any setbacks. As peculiar a claim as it might be, Vahn knew that his understanding of Petting Laws, Elemental Laws, and even the modifiers he enjoyed from his various Archery related skills and abilities would vanish. Though he would still be an incredible Archer with his [Eyes of Truth] and his domain, Vahn was a little saddened knowing that it wouldn't be nearly as 'easy' when he moved on to other records...Of the things Vahn was most worried about losing, however, were indeed the boons related to his Petting Laws, such as [Grooming]. Though he would be able to emulate them with his understanding of [Hands of Nirvana] and using Source Energy, Vahn knew that, unless he developed a genuine understanding of how things like Petting Laws worked, he wouldn't be able to use them easily. At first, it might seem like an inconsequential loss but, being able to even calm the minds of raging and berserk monsters was a benefit in any record. Since it also allowed him to bring comfort to those he cared about, Vahn truly wished to develop his comprehension of the unique energy to the extreme. He had even purchased several expensive manuals from the system shop, allowing him to push his understanding even further...Because of his strange 'focus' on such things, and the fact that there were generally several girls within the Manor present around him, a second trend had developed amongst the residents. Just as girls like Eina had wanted to study massage techniques and learn [Hands of Nirvana], Vahn's actions had caused some of the girls to take an interesting in 'Petting Laws'. For a while after the trend had started, it wasn't uncommon to find small groups of the girls together just petting each others' heads. Vahn had transcribed several copies of the texts and manuals he had purchased, allowing them to peruse them freely in their leisure time.It could have been the result of their 'weakness' against petting in general, but a few of the Beast Human girls within the Manor were the first to show the [Petting] Development Ability in their Status Boards. Though it was still in a (sealed) state, it meant they had achieved a basic understanding and could use their next Level up to 'forcibly' learn the rather unique ability. Of course, this didn't mean they 'had' to rely on a Level up to learn it as, a little over a month after the trend had started, Preasia had managed to reach I-Rank [Petting] through her own efforts.Even before the conflict with Enyo had been 'resolved', Preasia had been something of a Therapist to the various trauma victims Vahn would rescue. Since she had personally experienced the comfort such abilities could bring to victims, Preasia had seriously endeavored to learn many of Vahn's skills. Not only was she studying to be a Physician, but she had made the most actual progress in learning [Hands of Nirvana], reaching the F-Rank after a few years of practice. This had given her the proper mentality to learn [Petting] much faster than the other girls and, as a result, the efficacy of Preasia's therapy sessions had increased greatly. It would still take years for the victims to truly recover but, with the 'Dream Saintess' on their side, there was hope for the future...---Eventually, though he had put it off for a few weeks out of consideration for the girls' concern, Vahn ended up reforming his avatar once again. The things that had been 'distracting' him from his free time had been steadily increasing and, in order to make sure he could still spend time with everyone, Vahn didn't have much of a choice. With the various incidents occurring in the Iron Hills and the new provincial nation of Westport. Though Rakia's coast was surrounded by whirlpools and exceedingly dangerous to navigate, it still had a rather large port ever since the time of their preliminary invasion. It had been 'literally' carved out of the land by the slaves that Rakia had acquired in the distant past, turning the small inlet that previously existed to now have enough space to accommodate nearly three-hundred merchant vessels...The Iron Hills had been secretly importing various military goods into Rakia Kingdom for decades but, after Chloe's Shadow Corps swept through the area, most of these supplies had been destroyed. At the same time, though Vahn felt a great deal of guilt about it, even their 'youngest' member, a Pallum girl that was only fourteen, now had a kill count in the triple digits. The corruption of the former Kingdom had run deep, causing several massive criminal organizations to become deeply entrenched within every major city, town, and village. It was to the point that, over the weeks that their operation had begun, Chloe had personally slain more than seven-thousand people.Though he knew such actions were necessary to secure the future, Vahn still felt like he had 'failed' Chloe somehow. When she would stop by the Manor to make her reports, Vahn would dedicate all of his attention to her, spoiling and pampering her just as he used to back at the Hostess of Fertility. She would lay across his lap as he gently caressed her body, all while feeding her snacks and gently massaged her pointed cat-like ears. She had never once complained about the task she had been assigned and, even if decades were to pass, Vahn knew that Chloe would never allow him to see if she was truly troubled by such things. This gave him a much stronger desire to make the world a more peaceful place, so that kind and caring individuals like Chloe did not have to walk a path shrouded in darkness...With such thoughts deeply ingrained in his heart and mind, Vahn's focus had slowly started to shift away from the Manor as his involvement in the affairs of the outside world increased greatly after the creation of his new avatar. The reforms being instituted in the Iron Hills and Westport took a lot of his attention while the information gathered by the HDF also found its way to his desk. The small squads that had been sent out to various parts of the Continent had been steadily increasing Vahn's stockpile of information about the countries surrounding Orario. This included the information about the Land of no Sun and, though the squads hadn't been able to track down Shiva, they did discover that there was a large scale civil war that had been occurring for nearly two years between the various clans...Because of the inhospitable nature of the races occupying the Land of no Sun, combined with the fact that it was a land of perpetual darkness, most merchants outright avoided the region. Most trade was conducted in small villages on the periphery where they would generally acquire slaves captured through small skirmishes between clans. In exchange, the rather bold merchants would provide produce and grain as, due to the nomadic nature of the clans in the Land of no Sun, there were very few ongoing agricultural efforts. As for the races that made such an inhospitable land their home, they were the Dark Elves, Panther Tribe, Mink Tribe, and Black Cat Tribe.Contrary to expectations, most residents within the Land of no Sun had darker skin tones instead of the expected 'pale' complexion most people would have without exposure to sunlight. Inversely, however, the Dark Elves were known for having lighter hair colors while the diminutive Mink Tribe, having rounded ears and bushy tails, was full of people with pure white hair. Though the Panther and Black Cat tribes typically had black hair, their skin tone was also strangely 'tanned' while the most common eye colors were pale-gold, light purple, or an off-white color that glimmered in the low lit region. Vahn knew that Shiva was likely somewhere in the northern area of the Land of no Sun and, with its close proximity to Orario, he was intending to put a stop to their wars and open the region to trade and progress...In preparation for his eventual departure to the Land of no Sun, Vahn had issued several other high reward missions through the HDF to acquire more information and compile a detailed map of each Tribe's territory, and the Clans inhabiting them. He also wanted to try and track down Shiva to see what kind of changes she thought were suitable for her homeland. If possible, he would respect the changes she wanted to see but, depending on how they aligned with his vision of the future, Vahn would have to enact a few of his own. The times were changing and, so long as he allowed nomadic tribes that relied on pillaging and war to exist, Vahn knew progress would be slowed.Vahn had a great appreciation for the unique cultures of the various races, some of which stretched by thousands of years, but that didn't mean he could allow tradition and pride to stimy the flow of progress. All cultures had developed over time and, in most situations, adopted the culture of other races to make their own more comprehensive. There was no such thing as land that inherently belonged to any given race and, so long as the idea that heritage and tradition 'needed' to be respected, even if it caused hardships, things would continue to be cyclic. Vahn wanted to break the cycle completely and pave the way towards a better future, even if the various traditionalist and purist races would condemn him in the short term...Amongst these groups, and the one most prominent on Vahn's mind lately, were the Amazonesses of Telkyura. Right now, the Amazoness presence within Orario had 'exploded' compared to the past as, instead of being scorned by 'civilized people', they were now readily accepted in the community. Though they had to adapt to a few changes that had been introduced through the CLB, many proud Amazonesses had made the City their home without the tensions that had been present in previous years. This was because, with a few exceptions among the various Beast Humans, the Amazonesses completely dominated the rapidly expanding Sports scene in Orario.Though the technology was still heavily regulated, it was very easy to view the games that were played on a near-daily basis within the two Coliseums of Orario. The most popular place for viewing was by visiting a tavern where hearty food, flavorful alcohol, and beautiful women were located. This was one of the means by which the Hostess of Fertility had quickly grown into a large franchise that had turned Mama Mia into a Billionaire in a short period of time. She had even started sponsoring one of the Soccer teams, consisting of eleven Amazonesses, two Chienthropes, and, somewhat surprisingly, a Half-Dwarf goalie that was around the peak of Level 4...With other businesses also quickly jumping on the bandwagon to advertise themselves through sponsorships, the Sports Industry within Orario had practically exploded in a short period of time. The most popular spectator event, other than the intense and exciting Soccer games, was watching teams of five people battle it out within the arena. With Space-Time orbs and some advancements in the projection setup, there was now a rapidly growing interest in watching live and brutal combat against small teams that fought for dominance. Usually, you would only be able to witness such scenes during a War Games between Familia but, after the students had demonstrated the structure by which they polished their own skills, it had become a very popular means for Adventurers to gain real combat experience in a safe setting.Once again, this scene was also heavily dominated by Amazonesses who, since their youth, had engaged in similar spectator events. Now, however, they could cut loose completely and, as a result of their scantily clad figures and generally beautiful appearances, it was a sight most likened to the blending of Heaven and Hell. Amazonesses could be very brutal in fights without restraint so it created a visceral spectator event where beautiful brown-skinned women practically tore each other apart while hundreds of thousands of spectators watched in both appreciation and horror.Because of their presence in the Sports scene, and his general popularity amongst Amazonesses, Vahn knew that he would need to address the matter of Telskyura in the near future. This was due to the fact that, with royalties and other fees that were paid out, many Amazonesses were making a 'very' sizeable income. Compared to the past, where they had to rely on venturing into the Dungeon or selling themselves in the Red Light District, Amazonesses made a very large amount of money just by fighting in the Coliseum. This also greatly increased their popularity and exposure, leading to a rather 'peculiar' situation where there was a very high turnover in athletes and combatants.The cause of this was the result of the fact that, instead of leaving it to chance and selling their bodies to 'weak' men, there were numerous capable men amongst their 'fans' who would solicit them in public later on. Even the Level 3 Amazonesses who would become the Captains of Sports teams would usually end up pregnant after just a few months. The moment they became popular, the number of 'capable' men that wanted to be with them increased exponentially. This had made the previous case of Amazonesses getting pregnant relatively rarely a thing of the past, causing a large 'migrant' population to be moving in and out of the City.Since this was also becoming a trend, Vahn knew that Orario would essentially become the 'seed bed' of Telskyura in the future and, unless he could reach a compromise with Kali and Hippolyta, there were guaranteed to be several issues in the future. Even now, there were some men who had genuinely fallen in love with the Amazonesses they had sought out. At the same time, a few of these Amazonesses, having enjoyed their lifestyle within the City, were troubled by the fact they needed to return to their homeland to fulfill their 'duty'. Even so, each of the pregnant Amazonesses would leave the City without exception. This had caused a small public outcry that was steadily beginning to gain momentum, calling out against the 'injustice' that was imposed upon these budding families, even though the vast majority of Amazonesses didn't seem to care...Because it was genuinely a part of their 'instincts', the number of 'deviants' within the Amazonesses community was still very low. Vahn didn't think this was a reason to sit on the issue, however, so he wanted to address it sooner, rather than later. He also had a promise to keep with Tiona, Tione, and Aisha so, with nothing more pressing going on at the moment, Vahn's sights had been set on the South-East. There, on a peninsula located nearly 6,500 kilometers away, on the opposite side of a vast Shreme Mountain Range, through dense jungle terrain and swamps, the home of the Amazonesses, Telksyura, awaited...(A/N: Sorry for the late release. I had to go help my friend take care of some things and we ended up hanging out for a bit so I wasn't able to start writing until around two hours ago. Today is still my rest day, though, so this will be the only chapter. Tomorrow's should be on time~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fluffy Golden Goddess, Preasia-chan~?','Vahn be like, 'Cultures aren't something 'unique' to a species, they are simply another thing that is created by the people themselves. Change and progress should never be set back by culture and tradition','Just imagine the Amazonssess, pregnant, having to migrate 6,500km over mountains, jungles, and swamps, all so they can give birth to children who would be put through a crucible during their formative years...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 924: Plot