Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn continued running in the direction of the Guild while checking the time within the system. At his current pace, he would still need around 20 minutes to reach the Guild, which would leave him less than an hour and a half to make his way to the City gates and back to the Inn.He began to sweat after realizing he would most likely be unable to finish everything in time. It would take several minutes to wait in line at the Guild, and even if he was seen immediately upon his arrival it would take time to process the exchange. As his worries began to compound, Vahn felt energy begin to slowly release from his abdomen as his speed began to slowly increase.("I can use [Will of the Emperor] to increase my speed!?") Because he hadn't been switching between the two recently, he was unaccustomed to the differences between his normal state and empowered state. He knew the skill seemed to increase his speed, but thought it was just a result of the increased perception and mobility within the domain.While fully activating the skill, Vahn resolved to perform more experiments over the next few days as he trains Lili. After completely activating [Will of the Emperor] he noticed his speed more than doubled and began to have hope that there was enough time to complete everything.In his gleeful state of mind, he hadn't been paying attention to the looks of the surrounding pedestrians. The moment he activated [Will of the Emperor] they felt a suppressive wave pass through them. They stared in horror as the boy ran with a terrifying speed through the City streets with a demonic grin on his face. Weaker civilians even had hallucinations that the boy was the grim reaper himself come to collect their souls, which resulted in some of them passing out on the spot.Vahn continued forward blissfully unaware of the rumors he would cause to circulate in the following days. His only focus was arriving at the Guild as fast as possible, so he began using some of the alleyways he had previously mapped to circumvent the populated roads. With his minimap and the mobility he had polished within the forest and dungeon, he was able to easily navigate through the various corridors without losing speed.When he was close to his destination, Vahn began to further increase his speed due to his excitement. Unfortunately, even with the increased perception brought about by the skill, he was unable to prevent himself from colliding with the body of a person that had just walked by the entrance of the alleyway. At the last moment, he tried to shift his weight to avoid a direct collision and ended up losing his balance after bumping into the unsuspecting passerby and slamming into the ground. Hard.He sat on the ground in a daze, unable to recover from the near head-on-collision. From an area behind him, he could hear the sound of a woman addressing him."Hey kid, are you okay?"After shaking his head a bit, Vahn looked towards the source of the voice. He fell into a daze after seeing who had been speaking to him. Looking towards him with an expression of intrigue stood a character he was familiar with from the manga.Probably due to her identity as a Goddess, she looked nearly identical to her manga counterpart. She stood at 165cm with matching red hair and eye. She was garbed in casual attire, wearing a loose linen blouse and black pants which seemed to hug her figure. On her arms and legs were a pair of brown knee-high boots and black gloves that went past her elbows. Her most striking features were her large breasts that peaked through the open collar of her blouse, and the large black eye-patch covering the right half of her face.It was Hephaestus, Master Smith and Goddess of the 3rd ranked Hephaestus Familia. Vahn knew that she would be the one to receive Hestia in the future and that she would one day forge the living dagger for Bell which would aid his monstrous growth.While he was staring at her, Hephaestus was also evaluating the boy that had nearly crashed into her. He seemed rather young but had a handsome face with a bit of a naive and detached look. What caught her eye, and the reason she hadn't simply walked away, was the aura being emitted by the boy and the sword that was on his back.His aura was remarkably similar to that of a god releasing their divinity, albeit on a much smaller scale. It seemed to have a repressive force that even made her soul tremble slightly. She suspected that he was likely the descendant of a god, but she couldn't identify which. Her main interest was the sword at his back...As a goddess of forging, she had seen and practiced almost every technique between the heavens and earth. This was the first time she saw such a uniquely forged blade, and the most surprising thing was the materials used in its construction. Given her eye's unique ability, she could easily discern between the grade and constituent materials used to forge a blade. Though it seemed similar to a magical composite of iron and heavier elements, she couldn't see through the make-up of the blade or its grade!"Hey kid, if you're not in a hurry I'd like to take a look at that sword on your back. You can treat it as my accepting your apology for nearly tackling me. What do you say?" She really wanted to get a better look at the sword, so tried to come up with an easy compromise that wouldn't harm either party.Hearing her speak yet again, Vahn quickly got to his feet before bowing. "I am very sorry for nearly running into you, but I'm in a hurry right now so I can't stick around." He began to turn away to make his way towards the Guild which was just a few blocks from his current location. From behind, a hand grasped at the collar of his hood and prevented him from moving forward. Vahn was surprised at the amount of power in the grip."Come on kid, I'm sure whatever it is can wait for a few minutes. What's the rush?" Hephaestus didn't know when she would get a chance to inspect the blade in the future and seeing how the boy trying to leave without introducing himself or explaining the situation left a sour expression on her face.Vahn noticed the look she was giving him so he quickly explained his current predicament. He was hoping she would be understanding and allow him to leave, but her reaction surprised him."Hahahahaha, is that it? Then it's no problem at all. Let me introduce myself, kid. My name is Hephaestus, and I'm the Goddess of the Hephaestus Familia. You should have heard of me, right?" She gave a cheeky grin which irked Vahn a little, though he wasn't sure why."My name is Vahn Mason, and yes, I've heard of you and your Familia." He could see her expression light up a bit at his words, and she nodded as if to say, 'of course, of course~'."Then how about a trade, Vahn? My Familia has something called a 'guest pass' that can be issued to the merchants that transport materials for us from outside the City. As long as you hold the pass you'll be treated as a guest of the Hephaestus Familia, and none of the City guards would dare harass you. In exchange, I'd like you to accompany to my workshop nearby so I can inspect that sword on your back. Deal?"Vahn weighed her words for a moment before finally nodding. If he could get around having to run back-and-forth between the guild, gate, and Inn, that would be helpful. It would also give him the opportunity to build some rapport with Hephaestus which would make it easier to approach Hestia in the future.Hephaestus nodded, expecting his agreement before leading the way to a building nearby. Vahn was surprised when he realized the workshop was in the same commercial district as the Hearth's Embrace. He began to realize why so many businesses in the area seemed to be named after fireplaces and forges...It turns out the main workshop of Hephaestus was within the same district.She continued to lead him through the lower floors of the shop that showed a variety of uniquely designed weapons and equipment. Vahn noticed that none of the items on display had a price listed, and the security of the store was incredibly tight. Even with his use of [Will of the Emperor], he could feel a sense of danger coming from each of the shops' guards as they gave him a cold glare in response to his curiosity."Hey kid, when are you going to stop emitting that aura of yours? Don't tell me you can't control it?" Hephaestus had been growing a bit annoyed at how much attention Vahn had been drawing to them. She began to suspect the kid behind her was missing a few parts inside his head."Ah, sorry, I had forgotten about it..." Vahn laughed awkwardly while Hephaestus just released a big sigh while placing her hand on her forehead."Anyways, we're here. Make sure not to touch anything without permission." She had led him into a room within the most secure area of the workshop. When he entered he could see weapons and armor that almost seemed to possess life. Though they weren't presently being used, he could feel an aura of danger emitting from the blades while the armor seemed to possess the unassailable qualities of a mountain. He could see a large disparity between his own equipment and the masterpieces in front of him.While he was staring in awe at the items, Hephaestus gave an appreciative nod seeing his expression. She sat behind a large desk where several blueprints and designs could be seen spread out along its width. After cleaning the designs and storing them away, she tapped the table to get Vahn's attention."Go ahead and place the sword here. And if you don't mind answering my questions, that would be helpful." Vahn nodded, but before placing the sword on the table he asked about the guest pass. Though she seemed a bit annoyed, she removed a metal emblem from her desk that depicted two hammers crossed over a volcano. She tossed the emblem towards him, and Vahn stared at it briefly before putting his sword on the table.Hephaestus inspected the make of the metal closely and even used various tools to knock along the length of the blade. She would lightly tap while listening for something Vahn wasn't able to hear, and she would nod her head on occasion as if realizing something from her actions. Vahn was very curious what she was able to discern from the blade and began to get nervous...Seemingly satisfied with her investigation, Hephaestus turned towards Vahn with a curious expression on her face. "Where did you obtain this sword?" This was the most important question in her mind, as she was genuinely curious about its origins.Since he had agreed to answer her questions, Vahn told her the lie he had prepared while she was inspecting the sword. "It was an heirloom of my deceased Grandfather. I'm not sure where he got it." Using his 'grandfather' as an excuse again, Vahn began to feel indebted to the man he had never met."Hmm, and when did he die? What was his profession?" Hephaestus could sense a feeling of incongruity in his words so decided to pry more deeply. It was very difficult to hide anything from her eyes, and she was determined to see through the boy in front of her.Vahn became nervous seeing the look in her eyes and began to regret agreeing to come here...

Vahn had begun to regret his decision. His thoughts began racing a mile a minute through his mind as he tried coming up with a believable story."He died several months ago. He was a hunter in the Western Forests where he raised me. When I was younger he would tell me stories of his youth and his travels as an Adventurer. I came to the City after his death to follow a similar path."Before he could continue further, Hephaestus began questioning him again. "Oh? And where did these adventures of his take place? How long ago was this? And have you used this sword at all after he left it to you?" She continued pressuring him to find holes in his story.Vahn began to get visibly flustered, and his [Will of the Emperor] began to activate subconsciously. Hephaestus noticed this and began to smile like she had obtained victory. "These should all be relatively easy questions to answer Vahn. Unless of course, you're planning to lie and can't come up with a viable story?"Hearing her words, Vahn looked directly into her eye. "Miss Haphaestus, everyone has things they want to protect. I thought you were just going to ask about the sword, not my family and background. I don't think that was part of our original agreement at all." He decided to take a firm stand to prevent himself from divulging too much information. [Will of the Emperor] seemed to affirm his stance as it began to emit a subtle pressure on Hephaestus's body and mind.She squinted her eye and looked seriously at the boy in front of her. Perhaps she did overextend her boundaries by asking so many personal questions. She couldn't really fault him for his anger and her trying to divulge his secrets. Sighing, she eased her expression a bit before continuing. "My bad. I won't ask about your past, but I'm still curious if you've used the sword since obtaining it. That should be an easy enough question to answer."Vahn calmed down and began to repress his [Will of the Emperor] a bit. He thought about the question a bit before deciding it wasn't too far outside their original agreement. "Yes. I've been using the sword in the dungeon for a few days now."Hearing his words, Hephaestus felt her curiosity grow exponentially. She had determined the blade was a composite iron that had been reforged more than one-hundred times using a variety of unique techniques. Though the blade was carved with a powerful enchantment, she could infer it only increased the sharpness of the blade and not its durability. Given the low quality of the materials, there would be no way to prevent the blade from accumulating the signs of use. However, the blade before her was in a pristine condition...almost as if it had been forged and polished hours ago."And how far into the dungeon have you ventured? What level are you? Since you have a temporary pass, I'm assuming you are a freelancer, right?"Vahn noticed she had begun to deviate from the topic again, but since the questions didn't ask about his past he decided to respond. He didn't want to offend her by avoiding questions that most people would be willing to answer. "I've gone down to the 7th floor alone, and I'm still level 1 since I've never joined a Familia before."Hephaestus's eyebrow shot up hearing his response. He was still lv 1 but had gone into the 7th floor of the dungeon alone? This confirmed her suspicion that the boy was keeping a secret, and she began to wonder how to get him to divulge it before a plan began to form in her mind."Vahn, I've understood the composition of this sword and know that it isn't made of a very durable material. How are you able to keep the blade in such pristine shape if what you've said is true? The blade should wear down after cutting through so many monsters, and their body fluids should dull the blade after continued use. I can tell there is an enchantment to enhance the sharpness, but it still wouldn't explain the current state." Instead of looking directly at him, she began to closely inspect the runes on the blade, pretending she was only mildly interested in the answer.Vahn didn't think the question was abnormal, so he told her that he maintained the blade using whetstones.Hephaestus couldn't help thinking, 'he maintains the blade himself using whetstones?'. As a master blacksmith, she had used hundreds-of-thousands of whetstones during her time, and nothing would be able to emulate the result of the blade in her hands. "Can I see one of the whetstones you use? I'm quite curious what material can bring out so much luster in a sword."Without thinking too much, Vahn decided to hand over one of the whetstones. As far as he knew, there wasn't a difference between the ones he used and normal stones. When he passed the flat piece of rock to Hephaestus, both of their eyes lit up when the stone launched itself out of her hand of its own volition.They both stared at the stone that had fallen to the floor with blank expressions. Hephaestus looked incredulously towards Vahn for an explanation as Sis began speaking in his mind. (*Vahn, you can't give items to people that were obtained through the system without activating the 'Gift' function. That is especially the case for items obtained from other records.*)Vahn remembered that this was indeed the case, and moved to pick up the stone. He returned an awkward smile at Hephaestus who continued to stare at his movements. "Sorry Miss Hephaestus, it doesn't seem like others can use the stone."Hephaestus was very curious about the implications behind his words and asked that she be allowed to examine the stone while he held it. Nodding, Vahn moved forwards and extended his hand holding the stone. Hephaestus used her eye to look as closely as possible but was unable to see anything unique about the whetstone in his hand. It seemed to be made of Novaculite and other dense minerals, and she was unable to sense any enchantments or curses that would prevent others from holding it.As a test, she tried using her tools to interact with the stone without making physical contact, but there seemed to be a small rebounding force repelling the tools on contact. She was more confused that she had ever been and began to develop a powerful curiosity about the origin of the stone. "Vahn, where did you obtain this whetstone? It seems like a common stone, but has a mysterious force even my 'god's eye' can't detect."Vahn began to realize he had made a mistake. What he thought was a simple whetstone ended up drawing unnecessary interest from the Goddess before him, and he was unable to think of an explanation. While he was thinking, Hephaestus reached towards one of the weapons that had been displayed near her desk. She used a strange cloth to mar the surface of the blade and reduce the luster it emitted.Turning to Vahn, she handed him the blade. "I want to see your skills. Show me how you use that whetstone. Since I can't handle it myself, I want to see how it affects a high-quality item."Since Vahn didn't know how to dig himself out of his current predicament, he decided it would be best to just move forward without stepping back. If he retreated now he would feel pathetic, and he didn't want to create friction between himself and the third most powerful Goddess within the City. He grabbed the blade and began using the whetstone as he had done many times before.Hephaestus stared closely, and the first thing she noticed was that he had no idea how to properly handle a whetstone. She began to suspect he had been lying to her the entire time, but as the stone came into contact with the blade her concerns vanished. The moment the whetstone touched the marred blade, it began to glow with a subtle white luminance that only a god would be able to see. Each successive stroke of the whetstone increased the luminance until the third stroke, where the blade flashed a bright light before being restored to its pinnacle state. Even the nick in the blade she had left had completely vanished.She grabbed the sword as he handed it to her, and began to inspect it from every conceivable angle. The blade was in perfect condition! It was even polished to a state unattained by the previous sword, as it had yet to be sharpened properly since it was just a display piece. Now the blade had a cold gleam that seemed to be able to cut anyone that stared at it too intensely. As a test, she used another one of the display pieces and crossed the two blades and inspected the result. The first sword had easily cut into the blade of the second, even though their materials and construction were of similar qualities...She looked towards the stone in Vahn's hand with intrigue but noticed that it had turned into dust. "What happened to the whetstone?" She couldn't understand how the stone turned to dust when it was previously in a whole, unused, state.Vahn shrugged at the question and gave what he thought was an obvious response, "They always break after one use."She could tell he was speaking the truth and lamented at the loss of the godly tool. Even if the whetstone was a single-use item, it could be a powerful asset to any familia adventuring into the dungeon. If it could restore the state of damaged weapons to their optimal form, it would be an incredibly useful tool for long expeditions. "Can you tell me how you found that stone Vahn? It could save a lot of lives in the dungeon if people didn't have to worry about their weapons breaking down from overuse."Vahn shook his head and decided to speak the truth. "I can't really tell you where I got them since it is an important secret I can't divulge to anyone..."//Optional Quest Triggered//[Quest: Convince Hephaestus to Reveal her Eye]Rank:(G)Rewards: Development Ability: [Blacksmith], 1x Hephaestus' FavorFailure Conditions: Death, 30 seconds pass [0:19S]Penalty: 100 KarmaVahn was surprised at the notification that appeared mid-sentence and became shocked after seeing the failure conditions. He had less than 20 seconds remaining!? Since he was unable to come up with a viable excuse, he decided to repeat his last sentence. "I can't really tell you where I got them since it's a secret, but I can use them to assist the Hephaestus Familia if..."Though she was disappointed he was unwilling to divulge the information about the whetstones, she became curious seeing the hesitation in his body as he slowly trailed his words. "If what Vahn?""I will use the whetstones to aid your familia if you let me see what is under your eyepatch. Since its something deeply related to my secret, it would only be fair to reveal something of your own..."Hearing the continuation of his words, all the curiosity she had previously faded away. Now there was a melancholic and sad expression on her face, and Vahn almost blurted out an apology by reflex. He kept trying to think of how to convince her to reveal her eye and began to panic as the timer counted down.Hephaestus sighed but noticed that Vahn had begun to panic when her mood changed. She thought he was just curious and hadn't meant to offend her. He was right; she had tried time-and-again to pry out his secrets without exchanging anything even after offending him earlier. If he wanted to see her eye in exchange for those magical whetstones, it was a fair trade considering the benefits she could gain for her Familia."Very well Vahn...but know that what lays under my eyepatch isn't something interesting or mysterious. In fact, it might even disgust you...do you still want to see whats underneath?" She looked into his eyes as he began to calm down. She could see his eyes were clear as he returned her gaze before giving a gentle smile."Please. I really want to see." Vahn knew she was often looked down on by the gods in heaven, and that was the reason she had become friends with Hestia. Hestia was the only Goddess that had seen her eye without showing fear or disgust. Though he hadn't thought to ask before the quest triggered, he was genuinely curious what made so many gods ostracize one of their own, especially when she was such an accomplished blacksmith.Hephaestus saw he didn't waver, so she removed her eyepatch. After a brief hesitation, she slowly looked at the boy to gauge his reaction. Though she tried to pretend she wasn't worried, her eye had been a trauma to her for so long that she subconsciously lost confidence whenever anyone gazed upon it. She looked towards him, expecting to see the familiar disgust or contempt that everyone except her best friend Hestia showed...but it wasn't there. He still had the gentle smile on his face as he gazed directly into her disfigured eye. There wasn't any disgust or feigned calmness, only an undisguised intrigue, relief, and even...concern?As various thought began circulating through her head, Vahn continued to observe the eye. The white sclera had turned completely black, surrounding the glowing crimson eye at its core. The eye looked almost demonic, a thought that would only be emphasized when seeing the malformed skin around the socket. It seemed like the skin had dried into a wrinkled red mess like a bloodstain surrounding her eye.Vahn was actually relieved seeing the eye since it wasn't nearly as bad as he expected given the mentions in the story. If anything, he even thought it looked kind of cool...but he could see by the expression on Hephaestus's face that it brought her a lot of pain. He began thinking of ways to cure it and started inquiring with Sis for a solution.Hephaestus continued to stare into the face of the boy and noticed that he was able to easily look directly at her for such a long period of time without changing. Her interest in the boy began to grow, as he was only the second person in her several-million-year lifespan to react this way. She almost felt the urge to cry as she continued to enjoy the kindness in his gaze."You aren't afraid of my eye Kid? Isn't it disgusting like a monster?" She saw his expression change for the first time since removing her eyepatch. He seemed confused at her question."That's a dumb question. Though your eye might be different, it doesn't change who you are. Why would I be afraid of you after all our interactions so far?" This was genuinely what Vahn thought since he always respected the actions Hephaestus took in the anime. She was always kind to the people she cared about and even forged Bell a 200,000,000V dagger just for her friend Hestia. She didn't deserve to be looked at like a monster by those around her since she was actually a kind and gentle girl.Hephaestus was shocked. She couldn't see any falsity in his words and could tell that he was actually offended not by her eye, but the fact she thought he would be afraid of it. She decided she had to re-evaluate this kid and began to examine his features a bit and noticed that he was actually quite handsome, albeit a bit young...Given a few years, he would likely grow to be a capable Adventurer, and he was currently without a Familia. There was also the unique aura he possessed which likely meant his "Grandfather" wasn't a simple adventurer turned hunter...A lightbulb went off inside her head as she looked towards Vahn with both her eyes gleaming. "Vahn, would you like to join my Familia?"

Vahn ran towards the entrance of the dungeon as fast as he could. Behind him, Lili continued desperately chasing as she became short of breath...A few hours before...After agreeing to train Lili, they began getting to know each other better. She told him about her past, how her parents mistreated her and forced her to work as soon as she was capable of performing manual labor. She detailed the suffering she experienced after they both died in the dungeon.Though she tried becoming an adventurer herself, she was unable to make any progress into the dungeon since she was just a child. Whenever she tried to team up with others in the familia, they would force her to perform all the menial chores like looting magic cores and carrying the luggage. Eventually, it escalated to full-on exploitation, as they started taking away her earnings for their own use. Fearing for her life, she ended up fleeing the familia and became a street orphan.Eventually, a kind elderly couple picked her up, and for a time she was happy. They bought her nice clothes and treated her well for the first time in her life, and she did her best to help out in the shop and earn their praise.Unfortunately, the group that had been taking her money ended up tracking her down. As punishment for her escape, they trashed the shop of the elderly couple before leaving a devastated Lili behind. The old couple that had been so kind to her before now looked at her with eyes of blame and scorn.That night, she cried in an alleyway as she hid from the rain. Several days later, the same men that had forced her to a corner offered her a job. She would have to act as their supporter when they entered the dungeon, and in exchange, they would give her 1% of the earnings. If she refused, they would make sure that anyone who showed her kindness would meet the same fate as the couple.Swallowing her tears, she accepted their offer...and that is when her true hell began. The men would often keep what little she earned while giving various reasons, often citing her incompetence as an excuse. The leader of the group even came up with the idea of forcing her to pay a 'protection fee' for keeping her from harm in the dungeon. Because of this, there were times when she would go days without eating until she collapsed from hunger. They would then give her rotten vegetables and stale bread while she tried to recover her strength.After that things got even worse. Whenever the men got bored, they would force her to perform embarrassing acts like walking on all fours and barking like a dog while begging for food. As she continued to age, some of them even tried forcing her to engage in sexual acts, and when she resisted they beat her until she was unable to move. When they were done, they poured defective recovery potions onto her wounds and dropped her body into an alleyway to survive the night.Following that event, she stopped talking, and even when they tried forcing her to act like an animal she just stood there until they got frustrated and beat her. She learned not to resist, as it only brought them a sadistic glee and extended the duration of the beating. All she could think about was preserving her dignity and saving enough money to buy her freedom and escape the familia for good...Other than working for her tormentors, she started working as a 'Support-for-Hire' for newbie adventurers. She would find targets that had yet to become accustomed to the dungeon and lure them into a situation of false-security before stealing their valuables. Though she did her best to ensure they would be able to escape, things didn't always go as planned.One of the young adventurers she had tricked ended up believing she hadn't abandoned him and continued fighting instead of running away. Lili watched in horror as he inevitably succumbed to the assault, and for the first time, she saw someone die. She was unable to sleep for more than a week after that, as flashbacks of watching the boy be ripped limb-from-limb replayed itself endlessly in her mind.Seeing the state she was in, the people that had been exploiting her increased their efforts in tormenting her. They refused to let her stay inside if she was unwilling to work, and even emptied waste bins onto her while forcing her to stay in the trash pile with her 'real family'......Vahn listened in silence as Lili continued her story. It was far worse than anything shown in the manga, and he genuinely wondered how she was able to survive for so long. At least he had a mother who loved him, even though he wasn't able to meet her until his death...but Lili, her parents treated her as a tool to make their lives easier. While he got to experience the kindness of Klyscha and obtain 'The Path', Lili had to continue living in a world surrounded by people that tormented and exploited her. When he heard the part where she was almost raped, he nearly shattered the bones in his hand after hitting the dungeon wall.He had experienced a tragic fate far beyond the comprehension of others, but no matter how bad the experiments got the researchers always took care of his body and tended to his basic needs. Vahn had never truly experienced the darkness and depravity that exists within 'civilized' society.After she was finished telling her story, Lili looked towards Vahn to gauge his expression. It was the first time in her life she had spoken so much about herself, and she felt like if she saw disgust or disbelief on his face..she would fall to a place she would never be able to return from.She wasn't looking for pity or understanding, she just wanted to expose everything to the boy who had gone so far to help her. And what she saw brought the first real smile she had shown since her happy days back in the flower shop. She didn't see any pity in his eyes, nor things like contempt or disgust. Instead, there was a righteous flame burning within. She could see that he was imagining all the things in her past and that if he could, he would change it and save her from that fate.The darkness that had been building in the back of her mind began to dissipate, so she did the only thing she could think of to convey her feelings. She smiled.Vahn, noticing the change, reached out his hand...wiping away the tears that had begun to mar her smiling face.---After that, they continued to talk, this time about the future. Vahn told her his intention of becoming she strongest adventurer, which brought a smile to her face.Lili began to ask him various questions about his life, likes, and dislikes. She wanted to know where he came from, what kinds of foods he enjoyed, things that he hated...and even asked about his preference in women.Vahn answered each question to the best of his ability while trying to skim over areas that would reveal the existence of the system. He told her that he lived in the Western Forests with his grandpa before coming to Orario after he passed away. For food, he said he liked pretty much anything he has eaten after arriving in the City. As for dislikes...he hated people that exploited others for their own benefit.When she heard him mention that, Lili smiled and nuzzled against him. Feeling her touch, Vahn smiled and gently patted her head.When he got to the part about his preference in women, Lili began listening closely with a fierce glint in her eyes. "I'm not too sure. I haven't really met anyone I don't like so far..."Hearing him, she couldn't help but respond, "Eeehh? That isn't a real answer Vahn-sama!" She began to pout, thinking he was just beating around the bush.Vahn really didn't know what to say to make her understand. He felt it would be awkward to say he liked girls like Chloe, because it wasn't really anything about her appearance that drew him to her. After he got over his apprehension with how she used to look at him, he just began to enjoy her company...Lili changed the topic after seeing the serious expression on his face, "By the way Vahn-sama. What familia are you in?" Given his strength, she assumed he was probably a core member in a B rank familia."Ah, I'm not in a familia yet. I just arrived in the City six..days....ago." Vahn trailed off the last part of his sentence and began to release a cold sweat. Lili noticed his expression and wanted to ask, but Vahn grabbed her hand and started running up the stairs at a fast pace."Vahn-saaaaamaaa- What's going ooooon!?" Unable to keep pace, she half ran, half allowed-herself-to-be-dragged up the stairs.Vahn noticed she was struggling and released her arm while slowing his pace a bit. "I just remembered that my temporary identification slip expires today! I also need to renew my room at the Inn I'm staying at before the day ends!" Vahn checked the time within the system as he ran. It was already 6:29 PM and the gate closed at 9:00 PM. Though he wouldn't get in any trouble unless he was caught, he didn't want to walk around the City illegally and cause unnecessary trouble."Wait, Vahn-sama! I can't leave behind my pack!" Though it didn't have much, it still contained all of her possessions. Lili didn't want to leave it behind to be lost in the dungeon.Vahn stopped before returning to the rest area and picking up the pack. Lili tried to take it from him, but he just stored the entire thing into his inventory. She stared at him with a slack-jawed expression while he 'revealed' the existence of his storage magic. Without further explaining he started running upstairs, leaving a dumbfounded Lili behind."Then what use do I have..." Knowing Vahn had such a convenient magic, she wouldn't be able to use the excuse of following him as Supporter easily in the future. She began trying to think of ways to spend more time with him, before hearing a shout from further up the path."Lili, are you coming!?" Vahn was confused since Lili hadn't been following him. He ended up stopping and shouting to get her attention.She startled before shouting back, "A-ah, yes Vahn-sama! I'm coming, don't leave me behind!"(A/N: Don't ask me why I had to add "don't leave me behind" to the end of that sentence.)---Return to the present...The two continued to run before stopping at the corridor to the first floor. Vahn removed the backpack from his inventory before returning it to Lili's possession. Seeing her gasping for air, he let her catch her breath and handed over his [Decanter of Replenishment].Lili stared at the mouth of the canteen for a few moments before taking a few large gulps of water. She attempted to drain it dry but was surprised after finding the amount never seemed to decrease. Her excuse to continue the 'indirect kiss' flew out the window as she dejectedly returned the canteen.Vahn also took a drink since he was rather thirsty and noticed a crimson blush appear on Lili's face. He looked at her curiously before putting away the canteen. "What's wrong Lili?"She simply turned her head away before picking up her backpack and headed towards the entrance. Vahn followed after her until they finally arrived on the first floor of Babel. At the entrance Lili made Vahn promise to meet her the following morning before saying she had to take care of a few things.Vahn stared at the retreating figure of the small girl bearing a burden far greater than her size. He hoped he would be able to allow her to walk freely along her own path in the future...(*Vahn, are you forgetting something?*) Sis interrupted his momentary reverie with an exasperated tone.Vahn looked at the nearby clock and saw it was nearly 7:00 PM and began running towards the direction of the Guild.

Chapter 34: Hephaestus Familia (1/2)