Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn stood there in shock as Lili continued holding his hand on her chest. His mouth gaped open and closed like a fish out of water. He was trying to find a solution but struggled to find the words. Though he tried removing his hand, he was shocked to find Lili had been holding his wrist like a vice seemingly unwilling to let him extricate it from her grasp."Ara~. Even though the sun has gone down, it isn't appropriate to show such displays of affection in public."The cold sweat that had settled on his back began to increase as Vahn heard the unamused words that seemed to be spoken by a demon from a dark icy abyss. Both he and Lili turned towards the sound of the voice in a mechanical manner and saw a mature woman staring at them with an icy gaze. The smile on her face, though it appeared friendly on the surface, seemed to possess a veiled threat as it coldly observed their actions.The woman, Milan, continued to stare at the two children who were frozen by her sight. Though she was laughing in her mind, she felt a mischevious urge and wanted to tease the two of them. She moved her 'icy' gaze towards the hand that was still being held to the chest of the hooded girl and Vahn immediately snatched his hand away as a result. The hooded girl was broken from her stupor by the movement before crouching down into a ball and hiding her face from view.After staring at the girl for a moment, she turned her gaze back towards Vahn and increased the depth of her smile. "Vahn, it seems you not only took advantage of my daughter but in the span of a few minutes you found a second victim~nya? Perhaps it's too dangerous to allow you to stay under this roof any longer so as to protect our female residents and employees~?Every word seemed to increase the mental damage Vahn had received since entering the Inn. Had he known something like this was going to happen, he wouldn't have tried pinning on the brooch in the first place! At this point, he could only swallow his regrets and try to explain the situation while apologizing."Mrs. Yuel...please, I can explain...I didn't mean to offend your daughter. This whole situation is just a big misunderstanding caused by my slip and lack of focus." He raised both his hands and waved them in surrender.Milan couldn't help but find his reaction hilarious, but she wasn't willing to let him get out of things so easily. "Ara~? So you're saying that after you 'accidentally' slipped and groped my daughter, you also 'accidentally' squeezed her chest~?"Hearing the words, Vahn fell to his knees with his palms on the ground. Though he could explain away the first part, he didn't have a reasonable excuse for the second half of her words. After she had repeated the series of events, he was dealt a critical blow and couldn't remain standing any longer. He now began to understand why so many 'dense' protagonists suffered in anime and manga, and he resolved to try and remedy his bad habits in the future.While staring at the boy who had black lines covering his face, Milan had to cover her mouth to prevent laughing aloud. She had no doubt everything was caused by a misunderstanding, but it didn't change the fact he took advantage of the situation to gain benefits. Seeing that it would likely take time for Vahn to recover, she decided to change her focus to the second 'victim'.Milan was surprised at how small the girl was. If she wasn't wrong, the girl was even younger than her daughter if height was any indicator. "Little miss, what brings you here to my Inn? Were you accompanying this rogue willingly, or did he kidnap you from somewhere~?"Lili twitched when the woman began addressing her. She turned towards the voice and took a good look at the woman who spoke. She could see the similarities between the woman and the young cat person, Tina, from before. This was probably the girl's mother and the proprietress of the Inn."Umu...I'm Lili, and I'm following Vahn-sama by my own will." As she began speaking, a small amount of courage started emerging from her heart. "And he isn't a rogue! He didn't touch your daughter on purpose, and it was my decision to let him feel my chest!""Nyahahahahaha~" Hearing Lili's words, Milan could no longer hold back her laugh. She began to laugh boisterously as the two children before her started at her with confused expressions. Lili began to blush and wanted to shout at her, but Milan interrupted the attempt. "It's fine Lili, I know Vahn isn't like that~. Even if he was curious, he is the type of boy to ask permission, isn't that right Vahn~nya?"Vahn was unable to answer her words, he just continued to stare at her blankly. From his side, he could feel the atmosphere become stagnant as an oppressive aura started to emit from outside his line-of-sight. Turning his head, he could see Lili staring at him with an aggrieved expression.Within Lili's mind, all she could think of was the last few words spoken by the proprietress. If she was telling the truth, that means Vahn 'asked permission' to touch her at some point!? She grits her teeth before glaring at her new 'opponent'."Where...?" Lili clenched her fists as she asked the question."Ara~nya? It was one of my most sensitive parts you know~? Even after he touched it, he wasn't satisfied and even tried touching again~nya" While speaking, Milan crossed her arms and seemed to emphasize her chest.Lili stared at the woman's chest with fierce eyes and compared the size against her own. Though her's were smaller, it wasn't a very big difference. "If it's just that...then even I....""Nya~? Who said it was just that~? It was a place much more sensitive you know~?" Seeing the anger and competitiveness in the young girl made Milan feel fifteen years younger. It reminded her of the times when she would compare herself to her 'rivals' back in her Adventuring days. She wanted to tease the girl even more but decided it was enough seeing as how Vahn was on the verge of a mental collapse."Vahn seemed to be curious about a Cat People. When he first moved in, he asked if he could touch my ears, so I allowed him to~nya. Only once though~" She began to laugh while sending a wink towards Vahn who was still lamenting his misfortune on the ground."Ears...?" Lili gave a glance towards Vahn before muttering a chant under her breath. Once she was finished, she removed her hood and revealed...a pair of cat ears on her head. "If its ears...I have them too." She gave a confident look towards the shocked Proprietress."Ara~? It seems Vahn is more interested in cat people than I thought, to bring one home with him..." She looked towards Vahn who had been staring at Lili in confusion. She began thinking she may have to sit down with her daughter and have a long talk..."So Lili, will you be staying with us at the Hearths Embrace, or are you just visiting?" Since the talks had gone on long enough, Milan decided to find out what had brought the two here at this time.Vahn had begun to recover and tried to stand up and answer on Lili's behalf. He thought it was a good opportunity to clear up matters before they got any worse. Unfortunately, it seemed the floor hadn't had enough intimate contact with him as he ended up meeting it once again after hearing the words spoken by Lili."I will be staying with Vahn-sama, in the same room. I don't mind paying the costs separately." She immediately pulled out a bag of Valis with a serious expression.From the floor, Vahn quickly raised his voice. "No, I object!" He knew it would be dangerous in various ways if he allowed Lili to stay in the same room as him. After all, there was only one bed, and he was still worried about the implications behind her 'love' status. He didn't want to break down the walls he was trying to build to protect them both."I have to agree with Vahn. Even if the two of you are close, it's not appropriate for a young boy and girl to share the same room. If you have the money, you should lease your own room and visit whenever you have matters to discuss. Though keep in mind the walls are rather thin and there are other residents within the Inn." As she spoke the last words she gave a warning look at Lili who still seemed intent on getting the same room."Fine, but I want the closest room to Vahn-sama. I'll even pay the current resident to change rooms if necessary." For Lili, this was as far as she was willing to compromise. Even if she couldn't share the same room, being in the next room over was better than nothing. Plus, she would be able to hear if Vahn brought any company into his room without her notice...---After paying for the room, the three continued to talk for a while. From the back room, a small silhouette could be seen peaking through the area between the door and frame. Whenever anyone would look over, the silhouette would immediately vanish causing the mature woman to laugh.After Vahn had refused to stay for dinner, Milan allowed the two to leave. As they went up the stairs she gave them one last parting remark reminding them to be mindful of the other residents. Hearing this, Vahn sighed while Lili seemed to blush with a look of conviction on her face.They stowed away Lili's luggage and decided to grab dinner together. Before they left, Lili insisted on seeing Vahn's room so he allowed her access. When she saw the room lacked any decorations, Lili was reminded of Vahn's storage space."Vahn...Even if you have storage magic you should still personalize your living space a bit. It is kind of lonely seeing the place someone lives being so...empty." She began wandering around his room looking for any signs that he actually lived there. After failing to find anything, she sat down on his bed and used her empowered senses from turning into a Cat Person to smell the scent coming from the bed."Eh, it smells like fresh linens. That demon or her daughter must have changed the sheets recently. Guuu.."Vahn was helpless seeing her actions. There wasn't anything he could think of that wouldn't hurt her feelings if he tried to stop her, so he just let her be and hoped she grew out of it. While she was lost in her own thoughts, he looked around at the barren room. It was the same as the first time he moved in, and other than the sheets nothing had changed since his arrival. For Vahn, he never had thought of decorating, but remembering how much stuff he had added to his cave he thought he should do so in the future. If he was treating this place as his home, he should show that he is 'living' in it.---Eventually, Lili snapped out of her delusions, and the two made their way towards the Hostess of Fertility. Vahn had been talking about the amazing food, but Lili was only focused on one of the other well-known aspects of the pub...it's women.After they arrived, Vahn took the time to enjoy the aroma as he had done so on all his previous visits. He leads Lili through the doors and was received...by Chloe.The black-haired cat girl stared at the two new guests with a professional smile on her face. "Nya~ Would you like a table for two~? She looked between Vahn and the new face of the cat person at his side. The small girl was also staring directly at her with a defensive posture...but Chloe could also see something else behind the girl's bravado.Lili stared at the girl that seemed to be familiar with Vahn based on their reaction to each other. After noticing the black-haired woman was also a Cat Person, Lili began to wonder if Vahn wasn't interested in her because of his preferences...Feeling a gaze, Lili noticed that the woman was staring at her with a strange expression. It was almost like she was able to see through her, and Lili began to feel a fear emerge from the back of her mind. She could tell that this woman...would be a terrifying opponent.As that thought crossed her mind, she couldn't help but scream internally, ('Aren't there way too many opponents!?')

Lili began to feel restless under the penetrating gaze of the girl before her. She couldn't understand why the look made her feel so much insecurity. It was something beyond just fearing she would lose Vahn to this woman...but she wasn't able to understand. All Lili knew was that the gaze seemed familiar, but she wasn't able to place why and from where she had seen it before."Nyahaha~ Isn't your friend very cute, Vahn~? You should introduce me~" As Chloe began guiding them towards a small table, she gave Vahn a questioning look, almost as if her eyes were urging him to explain in detail how he met the young girl.Vahn noticed that Chloe was acting very similar to their first meeting. Just like his case, Chloe seemed to be very sensitive towards those that had experienced suffering in their past. He smiled at her concern and the willingness she showed to let him act as he thought best."Yes...This is Lili. I can't go into too many details, but I've decided to help her become stronger." As he introduced her, Lili bowed her head slightly but didn't relax since Chloe made her feel very uncomfortable. "And this is Chloe...she is someone that helped me realize...a lot of things." When he spoke the words, he couldn't help but show a thankful smile.Both Lili and Chloe noticed his expression; Lili was somewhat dissatisfied since it felt like she was in a disadvantageous position from the outset. Chloe just gave a cheeky smile while closing in on Vahn...and giving him a brief kiss on his cheek.Afterward, she took their orders, though it would be more appropriate to say 'order' since Vahn had to make the decision for both of them. After Lili saw Chloe give him a kiss, she had begun to pout with her head down while refusing to speak and make eye contact. Without saying anything further, Chloe went to the kitchen to inform the chefs before continuing her rounds with other customers.Lili looked up as Chloe walked away. She traced her path through the pub with her eyes before turning to Vahn once Chloe had gotten far enough away. "Vahn, please tell me about your relationship with that woman. I can tell there is something going on between the two of you, but it seems to be different than lovers."Vahn shook his head. Even he didn't know what their relationship was...he just knew he had a lot of gratitude towards Chloe, and that he even wanted to confess to her in the past. "I would say...she is like a mentor, or maybe a guide? It's hard to put it into words really...but she saved me from my isolation and helped me realize a lot about myself. I want to become stronger to meet her expectations...but I'm not sure if that is to become lovers.""But you wouldn't just let any girl kiss you...I can see that when she kissed your cheek you were happy." She continued staring, almost as if to blame Vahn for all her present grievances.Vahn nodded and decided to speak about his past with Chloe. He told her about their first meeting, about how was afraid at how Chloe looked at him. He went over how she seemed to be trying to break down the barriers he had built around his heart and mind. After that, he talked about how they had agreed to a date on only their second meeting. He went over everything from the early rendezvous...the experience at the clothing store...and even discussed their viewing of the sunset together. Lastly, he talked about how he had even tried to confess but was stopped in the end.Throughout the whole story, Lili just continued to silently listen. She watched as his expression changed between each scene, and could sense the emotions behind the words. Her heart began to feel pain with how much passion Vahn seemed to have when speaking about his 'transformation'. Though she hadn't been there, she could imagine the entire series of events...and began to realize she hadn't been taking Vahn's current life and past into consideration...Lili began to shrink into her seat, afraid to look at Vahn. She realized she was taking advantage of his kindness ever since he had saved her. Even though he was making so many efforts to help her change, the only thing on her mind was trying to get closer to him...she even had possessive thoughts and wanted to prevent others from doing the same.While she was lost in her thoughts, Vahn couldn't help but sigh after seeing her current state. He wanted her to know the truth so that she was able to understand he wasn't the powerful hero she painted a false picture of in her mind. In many ways, he was very similar to her...just a little bit further along the same road.The two sat in silence, one unsure of what to say while the other brooded over the past. After a few minutes, Chloe arrived with their meals."Nyahaha~ One order of chicken-curry rice for Vahn, and one children's special for the moody cat girl~nya!" Chloe placed the meals on the table, and Vahn noticed the order for Lili was different than what he had ordered."Umm, Chloe-""Go ahead and eat up~nya! It's full of nutrition and even has a little toy you can keep for yourself~ Don't be shy~nya!" Chloe ignored Vahn and continued to pester the still silent Lili. She even slowly nudged the plate towards her while leaning over the table somewhat.Eventually, Lili looked at the plate before staring at the girl that wouldn't leave her alone. "This isn't what I want...I want what Vahn-sama ordered for me." She stared directly at Chloe with a look of dissatisfaction. She didn't understand why Chloe was bothering her when she obviously didn't want to deal with her."Nya~? How curious, a little girl that thinks she knows what she wants, but is just sitting around while other people make decisions for her~. Vahn or me, why does it matter who chooses what you eat? Aren't you just happy someone is treating you to a meal~nya?" Without losing her smile, Chloe gave Lili a look of 'contempt'. She nudged the plate directly in front of Lili. "Go ahead~ Don't be shy little girl~."Vahn wanted to interject, but he could feel Chloe's tail tapping his leg every time he tried to open his mouth. He decided to trust in her and began to slowly eat his meal. It was delicious...Seeing Vahn start eating without saying anything, Lili began to feel betrayed. She could see he clearly wanted to speak up but then decided to suddenly ignore the situation. Negative emotions began to stir within her heart, and she wanted to vent them but didn't know how."Vahn-sama, please ask your friend to leave me alone. I'd rather eat nothing that be toyed with by her." Ignoring Chloe who had raised her brow in contempt, Lili tried appealing to Vahn."Nya~? Whats this~? You even ask for help to resolve such minor things~? Is Vahn supposed to be your caretaker now~?" Chloe began to chuckle while continuing to stare into the glaring eyes of Lili.She began to inch closer towards Vahn in spite of the increasing intensity of the glare..."Vahn, nyaaaaaaahn~" She opened her mouth just as Vahn was about to take another bite of his curry. He seemed to struggle internally for a moment before letting her eat the bite he was about to take. As she chewed on the spicy dish, she almost dropped her act seeing the sad expression on Vahn's face. Luckily, the wrath coming from Lili made her able to keep her cool."You thieving cat! Get away from Vahn-sama!" Lili was genuinely pissed. She couldn't believe Chloe would go so far as showing a public display of affection while simultaneously pestering her! She rose from the table and shouted the words at the top of her lungs.Mama Mia had been observing the incident from the bar but didn't intervene since Chloe had warned her earlier. She just gave Chloe a look implying she needed to control the situation better or she would have to step in."Thieving cat~? Didn't you see with your own eyes him feeding it to me~nya? Instead of focusing on what we're doing, shouldn't you be brooding or eating your children's menu~?" At this point, Chloe had begun to snuggle against the now sweating Vahn.Lili was at a loss of words seeing how her outcry went largely ignored. The only people that seemed to be affected were the other patrons, while both Chloe and Vahn remained unmoved. She began feeling very aggrieved...she couldn't handle Vahn ignoring her, and she began to hate Chloe for doing this when she just wanted to enjoy a meal with Vahn...She fell back into the seat and started crying. She had never expected that the person who saved her would wrong her in such a way. He just ignored her while another woman bullied her right in front of him. Even though she had run away from the Familia to stay with him...even though she had moved into the same Inn and displayed multiple signs that she liked him...Her thoughts began to become jumbled and she couldn't form anything coherent. She was just terribly sad, more-so than she had been when the elderly couple looked at her in contempt. Even more than when she was mistreated by her own parents...Seeing the boy that had shown her so much kindness now ignoring her made her feel more sad and lonely than all of her previous experiences combined.Through her sobs, she heard a gentle voice speaking. "You really are quite the selfish child, aren't you?" Lili looked towards the source and saw Chloe staring at her with sad eyes and a gentle smile."You don't know me, you have no idea what I've gone through. Even though I finally found something I wanted...you're taking it right in front of me." Lili couldn't help but blame Chloe for everything that was happening. If Chloe wasn't here, she and Vahn would have been able to enjoy a happy meal like a date.Chloe continued to stare at her while speaking in the same gentle tone. "That's why you're selfish Lili...you think you know what you want, but have you ever considered for a moment if that is for the best? Have you once considered what the person you 'want' thinks?"Lili felt a heavy impact on her mind. Even though the words were very hurtful, there was no way she could refute them. It's not that she didn't think about what Vahn wanted, she just wanted to be there with him when the time comes. Surely that wasn't too much to ask for? Wasn't she allowed to be happy?"There you go jumping to conclusions in your own head. Tell me Lili, surely Vahn has told you all kinds of things about his past and desires...but have you ever once asked him what he wants? Why did he want to be strong? Or have you just listened when he spoke while forcing your own desires on him in the end?"Hearing the heavy words, Lili couldn't help but look towards Vahn. She could see the concern on his face...he was probably worried about her even though he wasn't saying anything. But, behind that gentle gaze, she could see the shadows of the pain she had observed on his face in the dungeon. Whenever he lost focus and allowed his mind to wander, Lili always saw a deep melancholy and profound loneliness in the eyes of the young boy. That's right, though he was older than her, he was still very young...During her reflection, Chloe continued speaking. "You see, you aren't the only one that has suffered Lili. Though none of us can understand what you had gone through, there are always others that had gone through similar, if not worse situations. You probably wondered to yourself why Vahn would save someone like you, and I can tell you the reason..."When Chloe trailed her words, Lili looked towards her. She wanted to know the answer since it had been something bothering her for a while. Remembering that Vahn had been willing to sacrifice himself to take on her injuries...she couldn't help but think he had ulterior motives, but her heart wanted to believe in the hero that saved her..."It is because...Vahn has also suffered a lot. I'm sure he has told you bits and pieces, but I can tell that what he had gone through...is probably something more horrible than anything we can imagine." Both girls looked towards Vahn and could see the hurt in his eyes as Chloe spoke her thoughts.For the first time, both Lili and Chloe's minds were in sync and felt they wanted to help heal the boy silently eating curry."But you see, unlike you, Vahn has found solace in the present. Though he can't let go of the past, he has decided to move forward. His desire for strength stems from his convictions and willingness to seize control of his own fate..." As she spoke till here, Chloe began leaning against Vahn's shoulder while closing her eyes. "And he can do it too, you want to know why?" She slightly opened her eyes as she asked the question.Lili swallowed hard before slowly nodding her head."It's because he wants others to be able to believe in him. He wants to become strong enough, not to just escape his own fate, but to change the fates of others around him." At this point, both girls could see a fiery look in the eyes of Vahn. Within the furrowed brows a powerful conviction was present which caused both of their heart rates to increase."Do you think he can bear the burden of your selfishness forever?" Chloe dropped her final bombshell on the unsuspecting Lili.Lili began remembering all the events leading up to this moment. All the suffering from her past that had been brought to an abrupt halt by Vahn's actions in the dungeon...all of his words and actions as he tried to guide her towards a path where she could become stronger...strong enough to control her own fate. She even remembered all the times he pampered her when she was feeling insecure, and how he always kept a certain distance when she tried to push things too far...their entire relationship was just her receiving over and over again. Lili knew it couldn't continue forever...thats why she wanted to become his lover. At least then she could repay him, even if it was with her body...Looking towards Vahn, she could still see the conviction in his eyes, but the concern shown on his face had never left. ('Ah, I know what it is that I want...it's such a simple thing.')"I want to become stronger...strong enough, not to avoid being a burden, but to be able to walk on the same path...using my own power." Still maintaining eye contact with Vahn, she saw a smile expand on his face. She even noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Chloe was also smiling."I guess you aren't as much of a child as I thought~nya."

Vahn and Lili made their way towards the 'Hearth's Embrace' and stopped at a small stall that sold trinkets and gifts. Since he didn't know what to buy as a gift for a young girl, he decided to ask Lili since she was around the same age as Tina."Eh? You want me to help you pick a gift for another girl...?" She began to pout while giving him a look of dissatisfaction.Vahn nodded while picking up and examining some animal shaped charms. "Yeah, I've never bought a gift for anyone before, so I'm not really sure what to get."Never bought a gift before? The words repeated themselves in Lili's mind over and over. ('I have to get him to buy me something as well. I can't let the first gift he ever purchases go to some random Inn employee!') She began forming a plan in her head..."Vahn-sa...Vahn. How about in exchange for me helping you pick a gift, you buy me one as well? It doesn't have to be something expensive, but I would like something to remember our meeting and the first day of training by. Ah! I know, I can buy you a gift and we can exchange presents!" She began getting fired up at the thought of exchanging gifts. As far as she knew, if he had never given a gift, wasn't it almost as likely he had never received any!?"Sure, Lili. I don't really see a reason not to reward you for your help. Though, you don't really need to get me anything." From manga, Vahn remembered that girls liked gifts and sweets, and he could see from her aura that she was happy at the idea of receiving a present.Lili began dragging Vahn around the stalls until she came upon an area that sold ornamental brooches and accessories for women. After asking Vahn more than a fair amount of questions about Tina, she finally selected a small green brooch shaped like a fish.Vahn inspected the small brooch and noticed it was a similar aquamarine color as his eyes, and thought it was a bit strange to purchase it. Seeing his hesitation, Lili insisted that it would be well-received so he eventually gave in. As a precaution, he also purchased some salted caramel wrapped in a decorative container. After having the two items packaged, Lili ended up dragging him to another section of the store.When they were browsing around earlier, Lili had found an object that caught her eye and thought it would be the ideal exchange item. Within the display case were a pair of lockets shaped to represent hearts. The larger of the two was silver in color, while the slightly smaller locket was a vibrant bronze similar to brass. Though other items could be stored inside them, what drew Lili's attention was how the smaller bronze locket could be seated inside the silver locket, turning the two individual parts into a singular whole.Vahn noticed the item on display and thought it was kind of cool how two different pieces of jewelry were made to be able to fit together. Without thinking too much about it, he ended up asking the shopkeep to ring up the item, but Lili interrupted..."I want to pay for the silver locket myself. You can buy the bronze locket, and then we'll exchange them." Lili seemed adamant at the idea, and Vahn recalled that she had gotten excited at the idea of purchasing gifts for each other. He decided to give in to her whimsy, even though he noticed that the silver locket was the more expensive of the two. Vahn figured there always time to make up for the difference later.After they had finished the purchase, Lili had the two of them stop a few meters away from the stall. She had Vahn kneel down so she could more easily reach around his neck. With a blush on her face, she connected the locket around his neck before staring into Vahn's face with an anticipatory look. Realizing what she wanted, he took the small bronze locket and placed it around her small, fragile, neck in return. (A/N: Flashbacks anyone?)//[Liliruca Arde] Affection +3//---Once the exchange was completed, the two walked towards the direction of the Inn. Lili became very quiet for the duration of the trip and kept fiddling with the locket. She would mumble to herself while releasing a dream-like expression on her face.Vahn, seeing how much she liked the locket, became certain that girls must really love receiving gifts. He hadn't expected to get a whopping three additional affection for a trinket that only cost 800 Valis. Looking at his own locket, he could feel a discomforting pressure from around his neck. However, this discomfort was offset by the sense of warmth he could feel emanating from the cold metal.---They finally arrived outside the Inn, and Lili seemed to become more alert than she had appeared even when they were in the dungeon. There was a glint in her eye like she was about to face a dangerous enemy. Vahn was very surprised, ('Why doesn't she show this kind of motivation in the dungeon?') Thinking it would be a dangerous question, he decided to lead the way through the Inn's entrance."Weeeeeeeeeeeeeelcome~! Would you like to stay the nya-ight~?" In a manner almost identical to the first time he stepped into the Inn, a young cat girl excitedly greeted them when they stepped through the door."Ah, Mister-nya~!? You're finally back! I'm super angry-nya!" The small 120cm tall cat girl rushed forward before standing directly in front of Vahn. "Kneel." She stomped her tiny foot and gave him a fierce look with her arms across her non-existent chest.Though he was confused, Vahn figured it was best to listen to her for the time being. It was his fault for worrying her in the first place, and there wasn't any harm in allowing her to release her pent-up emotions. Besides, he also found her attempts at acting mature to be rather adorable.Just as Tina was about to begin lecturing, she paused after seeing the small cloaked girl standing behind Vahn. The two made eye contact, and Tina could feel her instincts screaming that the girl before her was an 'enemy'.Turning her focus away from the kneeling Vahn, she began sizing up the slightly smaller girl in front of her. At first, she smiled after noticing that the girl was shorter than she was, but when her eyes came across the chest area she felt an impact to her mental state. Tina began to pat her flat chest with a sad expression which quickly turned to anger when she noticed the small girl proudly 'puff' out with a gloating look on her face. Between the two shapely mounds, Tina could even see the existence of a small brass locket that seemed very similar to the silver locket worn by the kneeling Vahn!"Who are you-nya? What is your relationship with Mister-nya?" Tina refused to yield before the unknown girl before her. She looked directly into her eyes, trying to pry out any information she could obtain.Lili smiled while continuing to flaunt her 'weapons'. She began to fiddle with the locket before giving the cat girl a cheeky look and responding, "I'm Vahn-sama's partner and Supporter. He is also training me from sunrise to sunset~What about you, 'little' girl~?"From the side, Vahn could see an illusion of sparks colliding between the area where the twos line-of-sight crossed. He could also see that both of their auras were dancing around like flames and he began to feel a cold sweat streak down his back. Thinking he needed to step in to prevent a fight from starting, he tried standing and separating the two."Lili, Tina, why are you glaring at each other after just meeting? Lili, Tina is the daughter of the Proprietress I mentioned earlier. Both she and her mother have shown me kindness after I arrived in the City, so I don't want to see you making trouble with them for no reason." As he admonished Lili, she began showing an ashamed expression while Tina began beaming with a smile on her face."And Tina, Lili is an important companion and student of mine. I am training her to become stronger, while she helps supplement for my own lack of knowledge. There would be many things I couldn't do without her, including this..." Seeing the demeanor of the two invert, with Lili now showing a smile while Tina began to sulk, Vahn pulled out his trump card."Here you go Tina. A present to apologize for making you worry, and some salted caramel to thank you for the delicious lunch you prepared on my behalf. Thanks, I really appreciate it." As he spoke he passed the two items to the young cat girl and she received them with a gleeful expression. When she saw the fish-shaped brooch that matched Vahn's eyes, she was extremely happy.Tina held the brooch in her hands as she glanced at the girl introduced as Lili. Since Vahn had said Lili helped pick out the present, she wanted to thank her, but seeing the locket around Lili's neck made her annoyed. With a sudden burst of inspiration, she handed the brooch back to Vahn before asking him to pin it to the collar of her blouse.Vahn received the brooch and did as she asked, noticing a fierce blush spread on her cheeks in the process.//[Tina Yuel] Affection +8//Hearing the notification, Vahn almost tripped and fumbled with the brooch in his right hand. He managed to catch himself but noticed a stillness spread through the atmosphere. Looking around he saw Lili with a shocked expression, while Tina was blushing so fiercely that the aura emitting from her body created the illusion of steam. From his left hand, Vahn could feel an incredibly subtle but soft sensation on his palm. Perhaps due to some base instinct, he slightly squeezed the hand which caused the blushing Tina to mewl and immediately dash towards the back room."Vaaaaahn-nya~ Yoooou perveeert~idiot~demon~nya!!!" She quickly dashed through the door, leaving a stunned Vahn still holding out his hand.("Sis, what did I just grab?") Vahn was very confused at the turn of events and tried asking the only person that would be able to help him make sense of his predicament.(*Pervert.*) Hearing Sis also call him a pervert, Vahn almost fell over for the second time. 'What on earth had he done to be labeled as a pervert by two girls in such a brief period of time!?' He looked towards his last hope of getting an answer, Lili, who was staring at him with a sad expression on her face."Vahn-sama...do you like smaller ones?" As she asked the question, she closed both hands over her chest and Vahn began to realize the seriousness of his offense. When he slipped he must have accidentally touched Tina's boobs...and then he even squeezed.Even the dense Vahn understood he had done something inexcusable, but he didn't know what he had to do to remedy the situation. For now, he just looked towards Lili and gave an awkward smile. "I...I don't really have a preference...I think."Lili released a sigh of relief while patting her own developing chest. "Thank goodness Vahn-sama~" As she spoke she began to close the gap between them.A terrible premonition began to arise within Vahn's mind and he began to backstep to keep the distance from shortening. He could see an evil look in Lili's eyes as she approached him with a 'kind' smile on her face. Eventually, he backed up into a wall and lost all possibility of further retreat.Lili continued to close the gap until she was standing just beneath him. While looking upwards with those same fearful eyes, she suddenly reached back her right hand...and smacked him across the face."VAHN-SAMA, YOU PERVERT!"The pain from the slap and the fact he had been called a pervert three times in such a short period dealt critical damage to Vahn's mental state. As he used one hand to cover his burning face, Lili ended up seizing his free hand...and placed it directly onto her chest."I won't lose..." She mumbled almost inaudibly.

Chapter 43: Too Many Opponents