Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With little more to do than waiting for the Workshop Battle to begin, Vahn took advantage of his few remaining days of peace to explore Sepia Island and the surrounding tourist destinations. He had always enjoyed the natural beauty of the world, so, with the 30th Floor being known as one of the most beautiful places prior to reaching the 100th Floor, it would be remiss of him not to explore while he had the opportunity.Unfortunately, even after having the Law of Identity turn into various high ranking members of the Workshop, Vahn was unable to locate the island that served as both the final tournament grounds and the location of the Thorn fragment. Only the Archimedes, one of the five great Suspend Ships belonging to the Workshop, knew of the island's location. Even Headon, the caretaker of the entire Tower, was ultimately unable to pinpoint its location as there was a powerful contract in effect that effectively prohibited him from being aware of it.Though she was able to get around most restrictions, one of the few things even the Law of Identity couldn't do was violate the contracts that often bound powerful entities. In other words, if they had taken a vow of silence or promised to safeguard certain information, she would be unable to reveal it to others. After all, for the period in which she adopted the identities of others, she had effectively become them, Innates, contracts, and everything else included.Fortunately, one week prior to the start of the Workshop Battle, the city-sized Archimedes finally made its appearance in the skies above Sepia Island. Shortly thereafter, the Regulars who had been conserving their Points began to flood into the island in such quantities that virtually every hotel on the entire island was booked solid. Those who couldn't afford a room temporarily became vagrants that wandered the streets, unable to rest due to the Workshop patrols that prohibited people from setting up camp and sleeping outdoors or venturing beyond the city limits.With an excess of Points in his possession, Vahn was one of the few who had been able to secure comfortable lodgings well in advance of the Workshop Battle. He had also received an invitation to participate directly from the Workshop, a boon afforded to only the Top 100 E-Rank Regulars. As for his current Rank, he was, curiously enough, Ranked behind a Regular known as Varagarv, the Mad Dog of Yama. The latter had been the 'strongest' E-Rank Regular for more than a hundred years, his status uncontested due to a rumor that only a Princess of Jahad could hope to defeat him.Vahn found it a little amusing that people genuinely considered Varagarv to be the highest seed in the coming competition. Even more amusing was the fact that the man had been commissioned by FUG to be one of the Regulars assigned to 'deal' with him. This was in spite of the fact that many in the organization tied him to the events that happened on the 21st Floor, an incident where he had literally defeated two High Rankers...---While everyone else was stressing about the upcoming tournament, Vahn couldn't help but smile wryly as he stared down at the port city from the balcony of his suite. The reason for this particular expression was the woman sunbathing behind him, her body on full display due to her vibrant red bikini that left very little to the imagination.Despite numerous protests, Yuri's methods of 'protecting' him had become increasingly bold over the past few weeks. Two days prior, she had even dragged him around the various shopping centers to peruse the items being sold by the Workshop. She argued that this would help prevent the other factions from approaching him, but, no matter how anyone viewed the situation from the outside, it was pretty clear they were on a date.Fortunately for the black-haired beauty, most of the protests had come from Evan. As for Vahn, he had already warned her plentily about the consequences of her actions, so, if Yuri was insistent that they spend time together, he wasn't going to refuse. She had actually put in a considerable amount of effort deter the factions trying to approach him, particularly the Yeon Family, so this was, in many ways, the least he could do to repay the favor.The true reason behind Vahn's wry smile wasn't that Yuri was present, it was due to the fact that she was lying on her stomach, tail nestled lazily between her shapely butt cheeks after eating nearly her entire body weight in food. She wasn't the only one either, as, after befriending the vast majority of the Emerald Grove's residents, she had convinced both Mikoto and Index to come out and play. The former wasn't much of a problem, as, despite her protests, she enjoyed riding on his shoulder in her Pikachu form. Index, however, had an extremely impressionable personality, so, a few meters off to the side of Yuri, a petite girl with silver hair could be seen patting her bulging stomach with a rather slovenly smile on her face...Doing his best to ignore the two gluttons that would periodically call out to him for more food and drink, Vahn continued to smile wryly as he gently squished and molded Mikoto's cheeks. She would never allow him to do this in her human form, her face becoming red the moment he got anywhere near her. In her Pokemon form, however, she would even go so far as to let him play with her ears or rub her belly, all while repeating a number of different mantras in the back of her mind as if she were trying to hypnotize herself...After fluffing her up to the point that she was periodically issuing a satisfied 'Chuu~', Vahn retracted his hands from Mikoto's cheeks before lightly poking her nose as he teasingly remarked, "You really are adorable..."Though she was perfectly capable of human speech, Mikoto turned her head to the side, averting her eyes as she replied with a bashful, "P-Pikachu..." as the electricity from her body caused her downy-like fur to stand on end. She had a habit of producing electricity whenever she was feeling embarrassed or bashful, but, thanks to his experiences with Yoruichi, Vahn was virtually immune to Mikoto's accidental discharges.Just as he was about to tease the bashful Pokemon further, Vahn's wry smile promptly returned as Index droned in a lazy voice, "Vaaaaaaaahn, I'm huuuuuuuungry~. Feeeeeed meeeeeee~."Turning to face the voice's owner, Vahn noticed that Index's stomach had already returned to its original form, and, though she had recently finished several kilograms of food, she somehow gave off the impression of someone who hadn't eaten in days. This made him feel a little helpless, but, having dealt with Fenrir in the past, he ultimately just responded with a light chuckle before saying, "I'll make something in a bit. There is ice cream in the fridge-"Before he could even finish his statement, Yuri and Index spontaneously sprang from their chaise lounges, bolting towards the interior of the suite. Fortunately, he had already foreseen this exact development, so, rather than a single tub of homemade ice cream, he dutifully prepared two. That should keep the gluttonous duo busy for at least an hour, though, considering who he was talking about, the concept of a brain freeze might not even apply to them...As if she could read his mind, Mikoto seemed to forget her Pokemon roleplay, remarking, "You're thinking something rude..." in a somewhat squeaky voice.Chuckling in response to the accusation, Vahn extended his hand like a ramp as he said, "Let's not worry about such things. Come, I'll make you some honey-glazed yakitori."Though she didn't forget to give him an accusatory stare, Mikoto ultimately climbed up Vahn's arm before circling around his neck and taking her usual position on his shoulder. For some reason, this had always felt like the most natural position, the sole exception being when Vahn was carrying her. The only downside to the latter was that it made it practically impossible to escape being caressed into a borderline catatonic state, so, for the sake of her own mental stability, she defaulted to riding on his shoulder...---With evening approaching, Vahn was preparing to see off Yuri when the latter suddenly stated, "The other Families have been pestering my Great-Grandmother, so she asked me to organize a meeting between you and their representatives. I won't force you to attend, but, if you're not busy tomorrow morning, we're going to meet up at one of the local cafes. I meant to notify you earlier, but I kind of forgot about it until just now...ehehehe~."Since Evan had already messaged him earlier in the day, Vahn merely chuckled in response to Yuri's words before extending his hand out to pat her head as he said, "Sure. It will be a lot easier to deal with them if they're all together. I'll see you tomorrow morning."Having gotten used to Vahn's propensity to pat heads, Yuri made no effort to evade his hand. She was actually quite fond of the peculiar sensation that emanated from his palm, so, until he retracted his hand, she just allowed him to continue petting her freely. It was only after he had finished that she nodded her head and said, "Feel free to dream about me~" in a playful tone before scampering away like a child that had just succeeded in a prank.Though he couldn't help but shake his head in response to Yuri's antics, Vahn still had a smile on his face as he watched her departure. He was slowly becoming more accustomed to her presence, and, inversely, she was beginning to mellow out a bit whenever they were together. This was a sign that their relationship was developing into something more sincere, as, more often than not, the surest sign of a healthy relationship was when both sides were equally compromising for the other...After closing and securing the door, Vahn made his way to the living room, his smile becoming even more prominent as he saw Index, now in her Jirachi form, munching on watermelon slices. Mikoto had pointed out that she would feel even fuller if she ate in her smaller form, so, with a newfound sense of purpose, Index was merrily munching away at foodstuffs that were even larger than her body.Noticing Vahn's gaze, Index adopted a troubled expression as she looked between him and the half-eaten slice of watermelon in her hands. Then, despite a considerable amount of reluctance, she flew over to his side, presenting the half-eaten slice as she muttered, "Here, you can have this..." in a sullen tone.Since it was pretty rare for Index to share food, Vahn decided not to point out the numerous whole slices present on the plate she had been eating from. Instead, he graciously accepted her offering, joining her for a light snack before ultimately returning her to the Little Garden. Since Mikoto had already returned a while earlier, this left him as the only person, sans the Law of Identity, remaining in the suite.Deciding to take advantage of the solitude, Vahn quickly cleaned up the mess that had been made earlier in the day. After he had finished, he returned the balcony, savoring the crisp evening air as he absentmindedly observed the port city below and admired the Archimedes above. Then, with an amused glimmer in his eye, he waved towards the distant Observer that was spying on him, a smile on his face as he manipulated the surrounding space to crush the expensive piece of hardware into a much smaller ball...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Varagarv about to get fucked up xD...','Mikotochu is quite cute...','The force is strong with this one...')(A/N: The third chapter from yesterday's block is pushed back to Friday. I'm not taking a scheduled break this week so there will still be more chapters than normal. I got a little caught up playing URF and Genshin Impact with friends so I woke up later than intended *heavy sweating*...)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After a relatively uneventful evening, Vahn met up with Yuri and Evan to enjoy breakfast before heading to the cafe, where he was intended to meet the representatives of the Families who had pestered the Ha Family Leader. This included a fashionable young woman from the Khun Family, an intellectual beauty from the Yeon Family, an adorably petite girl representing the Eurasia Family, a cold-looking woman with silvery-white hair and matching eyes from the Arie Family, and, somewhat surprisingly, a sporty-looking girl with Zebra-like features from the Lo Po Bia Family.As was often the case whenever they were trying to 'scout' a promising Regular for inclusion into their Family, the Leaders of the Ten Great Families had sent delegations composed of members of the opposite sex. Though the Yeon and Eurasia Family was an exception, the intentions of the other delegates were pretty transparent. They had effectively been chosen as a 'honey pots', girls selected in an effort to try and bind him to their respective Families via seduction or the promises of various 'favors'.Truth be told, Vahn actually felt a little sorry for the girls since they were essentially being 'sacrificed' by their Families in order to allure him into their fold. Some, specifically the woman from the Lo Po Bia Family, hadn't even been given a choice in the matter. She was ordered to do 'whatever it took' to try and lure him in since the Lo Po Bia Family Head had taken a keen interest in his Pokemon. As for the rest, the Khun and Arie Family representatives were essentially just here to demonstrate that their Families weren't afraid of the Ha Family while the youthful-looking girl from the Eurasia Family had been sent to 'confirm' Soo-Yun's report.Simply put, none of the women had any particular interest in him, and, if not for the orders they had received from their respective Families, they wouldn't be here. After all, with the exception of the Zebra-like woman from the Lo Po Bia Family, forced to sit away from everyone else, the others were all Rankers. They each had their own ambitions, and, though they understood the importance of securing talent for the Family, none of them were particularly enthused by the prospect of being bound to a Regular. If not for the fact that their target was 'somewhat handsome', they would have complained quite a bit about the current situation...Understanding the innermost thoughts of everyone present, courtesy of the Law of Identity, Vahn couldn't help adopt a slightly amused smile as he made his way over to the table with the Zebra-like woman from the Lo Po Bia Family. This caused her to pale considerably, not because she was fearful of him, but because she had suddenly become the center of attention for all the Rankers present.Completely ignoring the tense atmosphere, Vahn casually asked, "Have you eaten? I had breakfast beforehand, but I can order something if you're feeling peckish."With an expression that seemed to convey, 'what the hell is wrong with you?', the representative of the Lo Po Bia Family forced a smile as she answered, "I'm fine...thank you for your-"Before she could finish her statement, a small rumbling could be heard from the woman's stomach, her expression freezing as her complexion became whiter than the representative of the Arie Family. This caused Vahn to respond with a light chuckle as he waved over the waitress that was standing nervously off to the side. Her expression also paled quite a bit, but, with a job to due, she ultimately came over to take his order before hastily departing for the back room as if she were fleeing for her life...Maintaining a casual smile, Vahn followed the waitress's departure with his eyes before shifting his attention to the four girls sitting at the nearby table. Unsurprisingly, the representative from the Yeon Family was completely incensed. As for the representatives from the Khun, Arie, and Eurasia Families, the first had an amused smile on her face, the second appeared completely expressionless, and, as could be expected, the third had yet to even awaken from her slumber...Matching gazes with the member of the Yeon Family, Vahn adopted a slightly teasing smile as he remarked, "A hateful glower doesn't suit you. Though I won't tell you to smile, I'm confident you would appear even more beautiful without such a severe expression marring your countenance."Not expecting a sudden compliment, the woman from the Yeon Family blinked in confusion as the representative from the Khun Family issued a light chuckle before stating, "You're rather bold, aren't you? Tell me, is it the backing of the Ha Family that gives you such confidence, or are you actually a little monster~?"Shifting his gaze to the blue-haired beauty, Vahn sent a playful wink in her direction as he replied, "I assure you, there is nothing 'little' about me." in a deep, velvety, tone. This caused the woman from the Khun Family to lick her lips in a rather seductive manner, a carnivorous glimmer flashing across her eyes as she mused, "This might not be a complete waste of time..."Though he was tempted to continue their little play, Vahn took advantage of the woman's words to explain, "I'm afraid you'll have to walk away disappointed. Though I am truly fortunate to be able to bear witness to so many remarkable beauties, I've no interest in those who look down upon others."Frowning in response to Vahn's words, the member of the Khun Family looked towards the empty space they had prepared for him to stand. She hadn't really cared at first, but, in hindsight, it might not have been particularly sensible of them to place their pride as Rankers before the duty they had been assigned. Unfortunately, the die had already been cast, so, with a dismissive shrug, she rose to her feet and remarked, "Shame...and I was actually starting to take an interest in you. See ya around, monster boy."With that said, the woman from the Khun Family began to make her way towards the exit, an action mirrored by the taciturn beauty from the Arie Family. Before they left, however, the former seemed to remember something, a smile spreading across her face as she glanced over her shoulder and said, "The name's Leticia, by the way. Khun Leticia. Commit it to memory. I'll be sad if you forget it before our next meeting."Finished with her words, Leticia promptly departed the cafe, leaving the silver-haired beauty from the Arie Family to idle for several seconds before she finally stated, "Sona..." in a refined yet frosty tone. Then, despite the fact she had nearly departed without so much as a single word, she offered a formal bow before raising her head and adding, "The Workshop Battle...I will be watching..." in the same icy tone.Since his impression of Sona had been entirely based on the Law of Identity's representation of her, Vahn was a little taken aback by her paradoxically courteous yet cold behavior. She was clearly not accustomed to conversing with people, and, had they been alone, he could easily imagine her just sitting in silence throughout the entire meal. She suddenly gave off the impression of an extremely elegant and refined blade; cold, emotionless, and perfectly suited for killing...Unfortunately, Sona departed immediately after her words, so, even though he felt a sudden desire to know more about her, the opportunity had come and gone. This was a little regretful, but, as he wasn't exactly hurting for companionship, Vahn could only shake his head in self-admonition before shifting his attention to the representative of the Yeon Family. Her hateful glower had returned, and, though it was significantly less prominent, it was rather obvious that she wasn't very thrilled about how things had developed.Seizing the initiative for himself, Vahn returned a smile as he remarked, "I'm surprised you decided to stick around. As far as I know, the members of the Yeon Family are notorious misandrists. Though any man would be lucky to be paired with such a remarkably beautiful woman, I have no interest in becoming a manservant of the Yeon Family."Though she was annoyed by Vahn's words, the representative of the Yeon Family couldn't maintain her hateful glower when he referred to her as a 'remarkably beautiful woman'. She, like the majority of the women in her family, had an excessive amount of pride and vanity. As a result, her expression relaxed in a haughty smile as she combed through her fringe and affirmed, "Do not view me in the same regard as these shallow and shameless trumpets. My only reason for being here is to ask you a few questions. Once you have answered my questions, I will be on my way."Chuckling in response to the woman's words, Vahn rekindled the woman's ire by plainly asserting, "I have no intention of being interrogated. If you want to avoid the indignity of having your questions completely ignored, I would suggest you move on to more important matters. Neither you nor your Family has anything of value to offer me, so what reason do I have to entertain you? The only thing you will achieve by threatening me is ensuring I side with another of the Ten Great Families. The Ha Family, in particular, has offered me quite a number of benefits..."Though her expression darkened with the addition of each sentence, the representative of the Yeon Family didn't immediately respond to his words. She wasn't in a position to speak on behalf of her Family, so, with Vahn making it clear he wasn't going to be pressured so easily, she wasn't sure how to move forward. They were currently in a district reserved for Regulars, so, while she could try and intimidate him, any actual attack against him would result in the Guardian of the Floor killing her in an instant...Realizing she was the one who had been backed into a corner, crimson flames began to manifest around the representative of the Yeon Family as she slowly rose to her feet and hissed, "The Yeon Family will remember this slight..." before storming out of the cafe. Unfortunately, due to her long black hair, Vahn wasn't able to enjoy her departure as much as he had the previous two.Now that all the troublesome elements had been dealt with, Vahn stretched his body to remove some of the tensions that had built up before looking towards the befuddled Zebra-like woman and saying, "I understand the position you're in, so I'm not going to make things complicated for you. I can't join the Lo Po Bia Family, but I can help you avoid punishment by allowing you to join me. I can't explain the details unless you're willing to submit to a contract, but I can assure you that even the Lo Po Bia Family Leader won't be able to extend his hand to you."Not expecting such an offer out of nowhere, the Zebra-like woman could do little more than gawk for nearly a minute before slumping her shoulders and answering, "That's impossible...nobody can guarantee such things. You might be very powerful, but you have no idea how strong the Leaders of the Ten Great Families are. Though I might suffer a beating if I fail to complete my assignment, I am sure to die if I abandon the Family..."Though he understood he couldn't save everyone, Vahn wasn't comfortable with the knowledge that he would effectively be sentencing the woman to a fate worse than death if he sent her away. The branches of the Lo Po Bia Family were constantly vying for a higher status so they spared no effort in trying to make a positive impression on the Family Leader. As a result, the leaders of her own branch were bound to take exception to the fact she had failed in the task assigned to her by the man they worshipped as a God. She wouldn't be killed, but, for the remainder of her life, she would be forced to endure tremendous suffering...Shaking his head in response to the woman's words, Vahn adopted a firm tone as he said, "Send a message to your Handler. Tell them you have succeeded in infiltrating my team and will be joining me for the duration of the Workshop Battle. You don't have to lie to them by saying I have agreed to join the Lo Po Bia Family. Just tell them I am also interested in the legendary creatures created by the Lo Po Bia Family Leader so I wouldn't mind doing an information exchange in the future. For the time being, you will accompany me to act as a liaison between myself and the Lo Po Bia Family. Do you have any objections...?"Hearing Vahn's final question, the zebra-like woman spontaneously snapped out of her momentary stupor, her eyes widening as she rapidly shook her head. She wasn't quite sure what was going on, but, for a brief moment, Vahn gave off a similar impression as the Elders in her family. Her instincts compelled her to obey the strong, so, before she fully realized what was going on, the text message had already been sent. This earned her a comforting pat on the head, easing all of the tensions that had permeated throughout her body as Vahn added, "Let's go home..." in a firm yet guiding tone...Feeling a similar compulsion as before, the zebra-like woman rose to her feet alongside him. Before they could awaken the member of the Eurasia Family and depart, however, the waitress from before suddenly emerged from the kitchen with their order. This caused Vahn to pause for a brief moment, his expression similar to a Noh Mask. Then, following a lighthearted laugh, he urged her to sit back down so that she could pacify the demon rumbling in her stomach...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Top 10 Anime betrayals...','Vahn might mess around, but he doesn't play games xD...','RIP Zebra-chan...there is no escape...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After their not-so-brief spell within the Little Garden, Vahn, accompanied by Yuri, returned to the outside world in high spirits. Then, before Evan could even inquire about what they had been up to, the latter looked towards Vahn, saying, "Now that we're outside, there is something I wanted to ask you. Those people...did they really come from your Empire? They don't give off the impression of vassals or servants. It's more like you're all one big family? No...even that doesn't seem right...you're all way too close. Even family shouldn't be that comfortable around each other...?"Though he knew she had been pondering something during their stay in the Little Garden, Vahn was still a little taken aback by Yuri's sudden question and observation. In the end, however, he just returned a smile as he explained, "In many ways, they are even closer than family. After all, they are all a part of me, beings created from my very essence and shaped by my intent. Though they are all individual existences, it isn't an exaggeration to say that the bulk of the Emerald Grove's inhabitants were created by me."Hearing Vahn's assertion, Evan showed a considerable amount of shock, his eyes widening to full circles. Yuri, however, just adopted an excited smile as she grabbed his shoulders and said, "I knew it! That means you created that crazy chef and all those Pokemon, right!? Tell me, what do I need to do to get a chef like that for myself!? Seriously, you can't just hog all the good stuff! We're friends, no, partners, right!?"With Rindo's food possessing an addictive quality that could even rival a serious Circe, Vahn wasn't too surprised by Yuri's fervor. Even he had to admit that he had created a 'monster' when he came up with the concept of the [Ultimate Culinary God System]. It had only been around a month since then, but, as if to demonstrate just how broken a System could be when exploited without restraint, she had already created more than six-thousand Recipes, several of which could even qualitatively increase a person's strength for short periods of time.Unfortunately for Yuri, Vahn had no intention of creating a Template to specifically pander to her whims. Though he created many of his Templates with a specific purpose in mind, he also instilled in them the 'awareness' that they were allowed to make their own decisions. As a result, there were times when even he would butt heads with one of his Templates, the two most common offenders being Roger and Whitebeard. This helped to cultivate mutual respect between each of them, and, though he couldn't deny that certain Templates could be difficult to deal with, he still enjoyed every moment of their interactions.Doing his best to restrain the excitable woman's enthusiasm, Vahn grabbed her wrists, guiding her hands away from his shoulders as he calmly affirmed, "Though I understand where you're coming from, you should know better than to ask me such a thing. As someone who is fighting against the expectations forced upon you by a system you resent, you know better than most how agonizing it can be to have your actions dictated by others. I won't stop you from trying to befriend the others, but it wouldn't be fair of you to expect me to create someone for the sole purpose of pandering to your wants and desires."Though she felt a slight inclination to point out that there were several residents in the Emerald Grove who had been clearly created with his desires in mind, she managed to restrain herself. After all, it was Vahn's power, and, just as she used her own to act however she pleased, he had the right to do the same. Rather, as both a God and an Emperor, it could be argued that he had a far greater right to act without inhibitions. Instead, he had a strong sense of responsibility, and, though he was far from perfect, he did his best to make the world a better place.Realizing she was more than likely in the wrong, Yuri offered a thoughtful nod before saying, "Sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly. It's just that, even now, I can still taste that food. Seriously, that woman is a monster...I can't even recall the taste of anything I ate previously. Damnit, even though I understand what you're trying to say, that doesn't make it any less frustrating...!"Chuckling in response to Yuri's lamentations, Vahn extended his hand to caress her head as he said, "Don't worry. As I stated previously, they are all created from my essence and intentions. Though I dare not compare myself directly to Rindo, I am knowledgeable of the majority of her dishes. When the opportunity presents itself, I'll cook something up for the both of you. I imagine Evan wouldn't mind tasting the dishes that are making you behave like this..."Hearing Vahn mention his name, Evan couldn't help but issue a dry laugh as he remarked, "I was starting to think you had forgotten about me. Truthfully, while I'm interested in the cuisine of the Empire, I'd much rather the two of you stop putting me in such stressful situations. There were no less than thirteen attempts to probe the suite while you were away. Most of these were just simple scans using Observers, but three of the attempts were made using Lighthouses. I can hack into a B-Rank Lighthouse without much effort, so it is safe to say these were at least A-Rank. You should be very careful in the future. Though you might be able to create a barrier to prevent such intrusions, I fear this would just 'confirm' their suspicions and cause them to take action..."Though he had already reached a similar conclusion, Vahn nodded his head in response to Evan's advice, saying, "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind. For now, the two of you should probably book a room of your own. Though I imagine there are more distinguished hotels in the areas reserved for Rankers, I left the most expensive suite open. You should be able to justify reserving a room if you spread a rumor that I have been scouted by the Ha Family. This will put you in a position to regulate the other forces trying to establish contact with me. After all, there aren't many people who would actively offend the Ha Family, much less a Princess of Jahad."With an excited smile blossoming across her face, Yuri didn't hesitate for a single moment as she crossed her arms under her breasts and asserted, "Leave it to me! I'll beat those flaming chickens back with a broom if I have to~!"Showing considerably less excitement, the light in Evan's silver eyes seemed to dim slightly as he remarked, "I thought you wanted us to stay out of things...isn't this contrary to everything you said earlier? What happened while you were in the Little Garden...?"Waving his hand in a dismissive manner, Vahn preempted Yuri's mildly annoyed response by saying, "You're misunderstanding. The Leader of the Ha Family has already sent a delegation and even gave Yuri permission to contact me directly. With Yuri's reputation and status, it would be strange for me to refuse and even stranger for her to just 'give up'. If the two of you simply left, it would arouse a considerable amount of suspicion from everyone who is aware of Yuri's character. Besides, this also puts you in a position to directly coordinate with the members of the Royal Enforcement Division. If push comes to shove, you can openly ally yourselves with them in order to secure Yuri's standing as a Princess. My next objective is the Hell Train, so I can easily lay low for a few months once this is all taken care of."Realizing the truth contained within Vahn's words, Evan's expression became more serious. Before he could say anything, however, Yuri interrupted by asking, "Oh? You have some business on the Hell Express?" with a mischievous grin on her face. This caused his face to morph into an expression of sheer incredulity, a feature both he and Vahn, momentarily, shared...---After ironing out the most important details, Vahn saw Yuri and Evan off after promising the former they would meet during lunch the coming day. She actually wanted to stay inside the Little Garden, but, for obvious reasons, this couldn't be allowed. He wasn't the only one under observation at this point, so, while meetings could be arranged between them, it would set off a considerable number of red flags if they were spending too much time together.Though he would never openly admit it, one of the tertiary reasons behind Vahn's insistence that Yuri stay elsewhere was the fact that he simply couldn't keep up with her. She was as animated and temperamental as a mischievous child, and, though he found this to be one of her most endearing qualities, it was also mentally and physically exhausting to be around her. The only moment he was in control was when they were 'alone' together. In virtually every other instance, it was like he was the one being pulled around at her own, seemingly inexhaustible, pace.Truth be told, Vahn was rather fond of willful women, but, while he enjoyed the excitement exuded by Yuri, it contrasted his usual, rather carefree, lifestyle. He was used to going at his own pace, and, though it was fun to spend time with her, he would much rather spend time napping in a meadow with his usual cuddle buddies. His pursuits already required him to make a considerable amount of effort, so, whenever he had 'free time', he simply wanted to relax and spend time with the people he cared about.With this thought in mind, Vahn manifested the Little Garden and communicated his intent to the interior. Shortly thereafter, the subtle sound of spatial tearing could be heard as Fenrir, Ryun, and Yoruichi appeared in their wolf and cat forms. Then, despite it being rather early in the afternoon, he decided to spend the rest of the evening 'recharging' his mental and spiritual energy by having the trio of fluffy women keep him company. The next three and a half weeks were bound to take a lot out of him, so, in anticipation for the long night ahead, he wanted to enjoy the tranquility that always seemed to herald an impending storm...---While Vahn was gradually 'recuperating' his mental and spiritual energies, the factions tasked with keeping an eye on him were also lamenting the fact that Yuri had become involved. This made their job infinitely more difficult, as, even if they tried negotiating with her, the Princess was notoriously difficult to work with. She had a propensity for outright ignoring orders, and, though it had brought her a considerable amount of censure, she didn't even try to hide the fact that she was close friends with members of Wolhaiksong.With Yuri checking into the same hotel as Vahn, they immediately lost any chance they had at trying to approach him directly. Her presence was clearly meant to be a deterrent, so, unless they targeted him indirectly, the only way to approach Vahn was by going through her. This caused those familiar with Yuri's character to immediately experience a migraine, as it was simply impossible to take away a 'toy' that the Princess had expressed an interest in. She also had the blessing of the Ha Family, so, unless they received a direct order from Jahad, superseding all other authorities, even the hands of the Royal Enforcement Division were tied...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Welcome to the Little Garden. When you're here, you're closer than family.','I can't help but feel bad for Evan every time he appears...','Yuri is more infamous than famous xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1838: Calm