Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After things had settled down, Chloe left the two to finish their meal. Lili still seemed a bit down, but she looked a lot better than before. She ate away at the children's menu without complaint while making small talk with Vahn. Once they had finished and settled the bill, Vahn and Lili bid farewell to Chloe and headed home.On the path back to the Inn, Lili remained quiet and just looked around at the various passersby. She saw people traveling in groups, families with their children, and even individuals simply enjoying the evening atmosphere. There were also a few couples that were walking around in the night markets, most likely enjoying the final hours of their dates. When Lili saw them, she would just stare for a few moments before continuing forward without saying anything.Vahn could tell she was thinking about a lot of things, but the stability in her aura made him feel as though things were changing for the better. Though he often ran around the City to save time, Vahn just continued along the path while enjoying the same atmosphere. The cool night air was very calming, and the warmth generated by the flow of people made his heart feel at ease. When Lili would get distracted, he would just patiently wait for her, giving her as much time as she needed.After more than an hour, they were finally nearing the Inn when Lili decided to stop so they could speak. Most of the pedestrians had already disappeared at this time, and only a few hard-working vendors and adventurers could be seen in the nightscape of the city. Lili leads the way towards the small plaza that served as a central point for the markets near the Inn.For a few minutes, the two just stood there in silence. Vahn could see the aura around Lili fluctuate periodically before stabilizing again. Finally, she seemed to have made up her mind, turning towards Vahn with a serious expression. "Vahn...I want to apologize. For my selfishness...and insecurities...and so many other things. Even though you had saved me and put in so much effort to help me grow, I was just focused on my own thoughts..." She began to have trouble breathing as tears began to appear in her eyes."I just...I just wanted to do something to help secure my own happiness. I thought I could rely on your kindness to escape all my problems...and even if I wasn't able to become strong, I thought you would still help me. I even thought of using my own body as compensation to make you dedicate yourself to me...I really am a selfish woman...no, a selfish child, just like Chloe said." While she was speaking, she continued to hold eye contact with Vahn who maintained a calm expression on his face."I know you won't abandon me, even though I did so many foolish things...but, I don't want to just rely on your kindness anymore. I want to become stronger...I want to see what it is like to walk on a path where I'm not reliant on others to live. And...I want to be able to repay this debt of gratitude I owe you...using my own power." She was shaking while trying her best to hold back the tears that continued to stream down her face. Lili didn't want to lose anything anymore just because she couldn't hold onto it with her own strength.Vahn could feel an indescribable pain coursing through his body as he watched the small girl state her convictions through tears and muffled-sobs. He didn't expect it would be so hard to just stand by and listen as someone poured their heart out to him. After her words ceased, he felt an overwhelming urge to just hug the girl and help drive away all the negative feelings she was keeping within her heart...but he couldn't, not now. Vahn balled his hands into fists, holding back his emotions as he waited for her to continue."From now on, please don't hold back in my training. I will do whatever it takes...I will prove that I'm worthy to walk at your side...not just a burden that weighs you down!" Lili mustered the remainder of her strength and shouted the final words. For her, it was both a confession and her heartfelt desire. Even if he never returned her feelings, she still wanted him to know.Vahn heavily placed his palm on her head, causing Lili to flinch. It wasn't the gentle patting he often gave her; it was almost as though he was angry. She looked through her tear stained eyes and saw Vahn looking at her with a pained and dissatisfied expression on his face. Lili began to wonder if she had upset him, and her heart began to twist in her chest."You're an idiot Lili..." Vahn released an exasperated sigh as he spoke the words."Eh..? Vahn?" Lili was confused and heartbroken. She couldn't make sense of his derisive words, especially after everything that had happened.Before she could process what was happening, Vahn pulled her into a powerful hug. She could feel his warmth begin to spread through her body. And on the side of her face, she could feel a wetness that didn't come from her eyes."You are such an idiot...don't say things like "worthy" or "burden". Everything I've done for you was by my own will. Even if I thought I had to protect you, I never once thought you were a burden that wasn't worth saving. It breaks my heart to heart to hear you say something so cruel..." Vahn continued hugging Lili as warms tears slowly streamed down his face. He couldn't bear the words she spoke any longer."Vahn..." Lili sunk her face into his chest, enjoying the sensation. She didn't try to take advantage of the situation, she just allowed herself to be held by Vahn. Through his chest, she could feel the powerful beating of Vahn's heart...it was slow and rhythmic...and seemed to contain a powerful vitality that helped comfort something deep within her soul.Vahn continued to hug her tightly for a few minutes until they had both long stopped crying. When he pulled away, Lili didn't try latching onto him like previously. Instead, they just stared at each other before displaying awkward smiles seeing their unsightly appearance. The young boy and girl began laughing, driving away all of the negative emotions that had settled in the atmosphere.Once they had collected themselves, they headed to the Inn. After exchanging pleasantries with Milan who had given them strange looks, they two headed to their respective rooms. Before they each entered, Vahn stopped Lili and gave her a gentle hug. Though she was shocked, Lili just accepted it without resisting."Good night Lili. Tomorrow will be difficult, and I won't go easy on you anymore so get plenty of rest. I cannot help replace what you had lost in the past, but I will do my best to guarantee you are able to find a path where you can seize your future." Vahn spoke the words gently, but firmly. Lili just nodded before eventually turning towards her room when the hug ended.Before she closed the door, Lili looked into Vahn's eyes. "I will do it Vahn sama...no matter how long it takes, or how much I have to struggle. I swear." With those parting words, she closed the door, leaving a grinning Vahn in the hallway.---Within his own room, Vahn laid down on his bed with a powerful feeling of exhaustion. He recalled the events of the day and could barely make sense of everything that happened. ("Sis, why are people so difficult? Why do they have to expend so much effort to break away from suffering and try to find happiness?") Vahn stared at the ceiling while remembering all the people he had interacted with, in both his present world and past life.(*That isn't a question I know the answer to Vahn. You will have to find the answers for yourself through experience. All I can do is help guide you along 'The Path' until you become strong enough to possess the 'freedom' you desire.*)Vahn nodded. With 'The Path' he had an advantage over almost everyone else within the stories he could recall in his mind. Most people had to go through life dealing with the lot they were given at birth...even Vahn himself was a victim of unfortunate circumstance. Now, he had to power to control his fate, and as long as he put in the effort there were very few things that could halt his momentum.He began thinking about how best to use his power, and what worlds he should visit in the future. There were many things he wanted to experience, but after interacting with people like Chloe, Lili, and Hephaestus, Vahn began having doubts about the path he was taking. Though he originally just wanted power and the ability to travel through the worlds of his dreams, now it was becoming harder and harder to think of himself as a bystander. Now he was proactively beginning to drive events within the world, and depending on his decisions he could completely alter the events he knew from the canon...Releasing a sigh, Vahn tried to stop worrying about things. If he let himself get caught up in self-doubt, he would just create unnecessary stress for himself. The best thing he could do now was to continue growing stronger so that he could deal with each situation as they arose. With that thought in mind, Vahn decided to take the time to review all of his current stats and items before going to sleep.==========================================================[[STATS]]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 14Race: Human, *sealed*Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]-Level:2(2)-Power:1001+(I38)-Endurance:1108+(I51)-Dexterity:887+(I41)-Agility:940+(I40)-Magic:1611+(E244)Total:5547+(414)Soul Strength: Tier 2 (Hero Soul)[Karma]: 801[OP]: 27,490[Valis]: 49,700(A/N: I Actually feel like I forgot something here)Skills: [Will of the Emperor:SSS], [Rakshasa Body:H][Bow Mastery:C], [Stealth:D], [Chainbreaker:S], [Call of the Reaper:B],[Yggdrasil's Favor:S], [Veil of the Traveler: S], [Swordsman:D], [Featherfoot:E]Magic: EmptyDevelopment Skills: [Wound Transfer:B], [Spirit Healing:B], [Blacksmith:D][[ITEMS]]Equipment: [Runic Tamahagane Blade:A], [Plague Mask:E], [Nullifying Mantle:C], [Mithril Poniard:B], [Damascus-Steel Gauntlets:C], [Scout's Guille Suit:F], [Handloomed Shadowsilk Tunic:D], [Runic Tempered Yew Shortbow:B], [Decanter of Replenishment:B], 1x Hephaestus' Favor, 1x Skill Enhancement Scroll, Etc...[[QUESTS]][Birth of a Legend:SS], [The Hearts Desire:C-SS(repeatable)]==========================================================His Magic was still increasing at an alarming rate, probably due to his contest of wills against the 'eternal flame'. The rest of his stats were trailing far behind, but Vahn thought it was due to the minimal effort he had used in hunting monsters with Lili. He would have to fight much stronger monsters if he wanted to experience the rapid growth he had in the previous week.One thing that caught his eye was the '1x Hephaestus' Favor' that he had overlooked after completing the optional quest. He had been so focused at the time, and then immediately moved onto forging and other stuff that he never had the chance to determine its use.[Hephaestus' Favor] x1Rank: UniqueUse: After consumption exponentially increases the likelihood of a successful request from the 'Goddess of Forging, Hephaestus'. Success rate determined by Affection.Vahn was surprised after reading the items description. It was his first unique item, and he wasn't sure if it was good or bad. After a bit of thought, he figured it could be used to ask her to forge a weapon for him in the future, though he would probably have to increase his affection with Hephaestus before then...Thinking of Affection, Vahn decided to see the values of all the current people whose auras he had touched.[Liliruca Arde]: Affection:94(Love), Intrigue:66(Concerned)[Chloe Lolo]: Affection:78(Trust), Intrigue:89(Hope for the Future)[Eina Tulle]:59(Confused), Intrigue:72(Uncertain but Interested)[Hephaestus]: Affection: 82(Belief), Intrigue:100(Insatiable Curiosity)[Milan Yuel]: Affection: 55(Amicable), Intrigue:51(Neutral)[Tina Yuel]:Affection: 68(Crush), Intrigue:53(Confused)[Nicholas Grimm]:47(Disatisfied), Intrigue:60(Curious)Seeing Tina on the list, Vahn could help but cringe remembering his earlier failure. He was also very curious when Nicholas had been added to the list. Vahn didn't remember ever touching him, but it was likely after he had lost consciousness outside of the dungeon. Since he didn't see any names he didn't recognize, he wasn't sure though. There were likely several doctors that had touched him when he was asleep, so maybe the system only included people he was familiar with beforehand?The thing that concerned him the most was the fact Hephaestus's intrigue had hit 100, which Sis informed him was the max. The thought anyone possessed an 'insatiable curiosity' towards him actually terrified Vahn. He didn't know to what extent she would go to in order to satiate her curiosity in the future...---Meanwhile, Hephaestus was experiencing shock after trying to forge metal in the 'eternal flame'. The temperature was not only significantly stronger, but the flame was much easier to manage. It seemed to proactively regulate the heat when the raw metal began to reach its peak, allowing her to almost completely ignore tending to the metal herself...She looked towards a nearby wall and her gaze seemed to penetrate through the structure of the building. If anyone was to draw a line tracing her gaze, they would find out she was looking directly towards where Vahn was presently bathing in a cold sweat.

After enjoying a quiet night after the dramatic events of the previous day, both Vahn and Lili awoke before sunrise. Today marked the first day of Lili's physical training, so as Vahn suggested they woke up early to get a head start on the day.The two made their way towards the north-west gate, their destination being the outskirts of the Western Forests. Vahn was disappointed that Gregory wasn't on duty, so he asked the guards to pass a message for him. After filling a small exit log, they were easily allowed passage through the gate. At this time Vahn still had the 'guest pass' obtained from Hephaestus, which he had loaned to Lili temporarily.After arriving at the forest outskirts, Vahn was very tempted to make his way towards his previous home. Though it hadn't been that long since he left, it still stirred something in his heart at being separated from the place he had lived for so long.Lili could see his melancholic expression, so she tried asking what was bothering him. "Vahn? What's wrong?"Vahn just shook his head and smiled. "It's nothing Lili, I was just remembering the time I spent living in the forest. Even though a few days have passed, I can't easily get over my attachment to my former home.""Mmm, we should go there one day. I want to see the place where you grew up." Lili stared in the direction Vahn had been looking. She was curious what kind of environment the boy had lived in before coming to Orario."Sure, one day. For now, we need to begin our training." Vahn leads the way towards a clearing and used his sword to cut down trees in the area. Lili watched as he stripped the logs before digging holes and burying them upright in the ground. Seeing that she was watching him work, Vahn demonstrated some basic exercises she could perform while he finished setting everything up.His main goal was to help her improve her speed and adaptability. Pallums didn't have a lot of strength by nature, but Lili's [Artel*Assist] would provide her with plenty of strength once she obtained a proper weapon. He was using the logs to create an obstacle course which she would have to maneuver through while he would periodically fire practice arrows he had obtained from the shop. They were similar to normal arrows, but the arrowhead was replaced with a white lump that caused a numb sensation on contact.Using this method he wanted to help increase her awareness of threats, her mobility in evading obstacles, and lastly...her tolerance against taking hits. With this method and the combined CQC training techniques, she would be able to build a solid foundation for the future. He also planned to continue their previous days' training in the dungeon later.After they had discussed things previously, Vahn decided the schedule would be split between three active days separated by a single rest day. This would continue until she was able to fight freely within the first four floors of the dungeon without assistance. Though it was a tough regimen, it was still much better than her previous life so Lili didn't have any complaints.It took nearly two hours, but Vahn finally finished setting up the course. Lili had been continually performing the exercises he demonstrated earlier, so he gave her a short break while explaining his plans. They took time to eat a light breakfast, which Lili wasn't too fond of."This jerky is very bland. It doesn't even taste like it has any seasoning. Give me a moment.."She started searching through her backpack until she had found some salt and some kind of spicy paste Vahn had never seen. Applying the salt and paste, he was very surprised with the difference in taste and texture."This is much better than the jerky I made." Vahn was enjoying the variety of flavors. He had eaten a lot of smoked and dried meat when he was in the forest, and it wasn't until he entered the City that he realized how bland his cooking actually was.Hearing Vahn mention he had made the jerky, Lili became a little flustered. "I'm sorry Vahn, I didn't know you had made the jerky...I shouldn't have complained." She began nibbling on the jerky, not even using the seasonings she had pulled out.Vahn shook his head and just chuckled. "Don't apologize Lili. Even I can tell how bad the meat is without your seasoning. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for preparing such tasteless food for our breakfast." While he was speaking, he was also browsing through the shop for cooking books. Vahn was surprised to see the manuals ranged everywhere between 1OP and 1,000,000,000OP. Thinking about how great the food he already ate was, he swore he would one day purchase that manual...---After they finished eating, Vahn demonstrated several different methods to navigate the course. Lili began repeating his actions, and Vahn realized he had made some mistakes. The course he had designed was based off his own size and would require modification in the future. To make things more difficult, he positioned several of the cut branches to bar against easy passage.Once everything was ready, the training began in earnest. Lili would begin navigating the course while Vahn would target her arms and legs using the practice arrows. Whenever she dropped in speed or stalled for too long, he would end up targetting her back or abdomen, further increasing the difficulty of completing the course as it would make it difficult to regulate her breathing. They repeated this over and over while taking short breaks in between each set.Though she was beginning to build up a slight resentment against the training, Lili noticed that many of the injuries she had sustained would stop hurting after a while. When she inspected the area of impact, she noticed the small bruises that were previously visible had completely vanished. She looked towards the boy who would periodically fire arrows at her, and she could see several small bruises on his arms. Realizing he was using his [Wound Transfer] skill to aid her, Lili grit her teeth and put more effort into the training.On Vahn's end, he was using the opportunity of training Lili to also polish his skills. He already had higher regenerative capabilities than most people, but his [Rakshasa Body], [Spirit Healing], and [Yggdrasil's Favor] were creating a synergy that allowed him to push his natural regeneration even further with the use of [Wound Transfer]. Though he was taking on a lot of Lili's wounds, they would recover after several minutes which allowed him to repeat the process almost endlessly.After inspecting his stats, he could visibly see his parameters increasing, though the only ones of note were his endurance and magic. Vahn would be able to use the time he spent training Lili to familiarize himself with proactively using his abilities for the future. He even tried activating his [Will of the Emperor] which caused Lili to collapse to the ground when he had focused his intent on her.He spent a bit of time coaxing her into forgiving him, which resulted in him having to pet her head for five minutes. Though he was reluctant at first, Vahn resigned himself to the agreement only to become enthralled in the act after seeing how Lili responded when he touched her cat ears. The combination of the soft and fluffy sensation as well as the mewling of the young girl made his heart rate increase.---At 10 AM the two enjoyed a light lunch before heading back to the City. If they hurried, they would be able to enter the dungeon before noon, so they both started jogging with a quick pace towards the City gate. Using his status in the Hephaestus Familia and the 'guest pass' they were quickly let into the City without having to wait in a line. Since they had stored away Lili's backpack before entering, they didn't have any luggage that needed inspecting.After entering the dungeon, the second phase of training began. Like the previous day, Vahn had Lili try fighting the monsters using her crossbow as well as her dagger. He made sure she was always practicing maneuvering around the monsters and trying to exploit the gaps in their movements.For this training, Vahn had stored away her backpack which brought Lili's overall stats down. He was surprised to find out she was actually slower without it, though her ability to make fine movements had increased. Because of this, he brought up the idea of purchasing weighted clothing to enable her to make proper use of her skills without having to lug around a giant backpack. Though Lili was averse to the idea at first, she agreed after Vahn explained how it would allow her to increase the effect of the skill while improving her combat capabilities in the future.As they progressed further into the floors, Vahn was happy seeing how Lili was progressing. Though she was still nowhere near the requirements of a typical Level 1 adventurer, it was much better than the previous day.While all of this was going on, Vahn wasn't idling around either. He was constantly using his [Will of the Emperor] while Lili was fighting. As long as he didn't focus his intent on her, she was able to move about in the domain. This allowed him to interfere with the movements of monsters if Lili got caught off guard. There were several occasions after this where Lili failed to dodge, but because of Vahn's skill, she was able to counterattack the stunned monsters.He also tried using the active component of his [Rakshasa Body], but other than a feeling of his muscles swelling a bit, there were no other changes to his body. Vahn guessed the skill would only be useful when he was on the losing end in a fight. For now, he just had to be satisfied that the skill provided an increase in the growth of his endurance.By 5 PM they had cleared several rooms on the 3rd floor after progressing smoothly through the first two floors. Though she couldn't fight groups using her dagger, Lili had begun to tackle individual enemies without relying on her bow. Vahn was beginning to wonder about her status and if she was quickly becoming stronger. By now she had solo killed 11 goblins and 7 kobolds while assisting in the slaying of fifty-some-odd other monsters. Even if it wasn't as ridiculous as his own progress, she had to be experiencing some increase after gaining so much exilia.Before they began sparring, Vahn decided to inquire about her progress. "Lili, how are your parameters increasing after today's training? I'd like to know so we can make alterations to the schedule if necessary."Hearing his questions, Lili just stared at him blankly before a slight blush touched her cheeks. "Vahn...I can't really check my status without having my status board updated at the Soma Familia. Because the God Soma spends all of his time brewing alcohol, he very rarely ever updates anyone's status board. That is why most people in the Familia are lower than level 2, and even they joined from other Familia and weren't original members."Vahn began to understand why everyone from the Soma Familia was so easily dealt with by Bell in the manga. If their God wasn't proactively updating their status and giving them the benefits of the Falna, there would be no way for anyone to grow quickly.He also realized a larger problem. Even if the training was going well, there was no way to verify the progress without confronting the God Soma. Unless Lili was able to leave the Familia there would always be restrictions on her future potential...---Vahn began training Lili in close-quarters-combat methods and sparred with her to practice each technique. As it was also his first time using the skills on another person, they both took their time understanding the practical applications of the techniques. Luckily, Vahn had the benefit of possessing all the requisite knowledge within his head so he avoided embarrassing himself.They would take a break every twenty minutes, and during this time Vahn had been consulting Sis on methods to forcibly break the Familia contract. He learned that, unless he was able to obtain a Tier 4 (Sage) soul, it wouldn't be possible to break the contract as it was protected by the worlds 'laws'. There were items that would allow him to remove it, but the cheapest one cost as much as 2,500,000OP.He had begun to give up on the idea and started planning how he could confront the Soma Familia, but Sis interrupted him. (*Vahn, due to the nature of your body and it's connection to 'source' energy, you are able to read and update the status of other Adventurers. Though you don't possess falna like the gods, you can use [Yggdrasil's Favor] to enhance the existing falna already present within the crest.*)Hearing the words, Vahn began to get excited and turned towards Lili to try and explain his 'revelation'...

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."

Chapter 45: Changes : Looking Forward