Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn awoke early the next morning and accompanied Lili to the City gates. He still had time before his meetup with Hephaestus, so he decided to enjoy the sunrise with Lili before she started her training. Lili was very pleased with the decision and spent the entire breakfast period humming away while happily eating the crepe Vahn had taken from his storage. (A/N: Seriously guys, I had some amazing seafood crepes and I can't help but write about them!)After reminding her to take her training seriously, Vahn parted ways after Lili exited through the gate. Though he still had plenty of time, Vahn headed towards Hephaestus's workshop. On his way, he could feel the 'eternal flame' in his chest pulsate in a slightly more powerful manner. He enjoyed the feeling as he slowly made his way through the early morning traffic toward his destination.---Vahn arrived outside the workshop nearly two hours before the designated time. The shop was currently closed, so he loitered around the area and just watched as residents of the City went about their day. He often found himself surprised at the sheer number of people in this world, and the variety of shapes and sizes they came in.As the people made their way without taking notice of his observations, Vahn found himself wondering what each of their stories were. Unlike the manga that only showed a limited number of characters, he now saw hundreds of unique people that all had their own stories. Each of them had a past that shaped their current life, desires that determined their current state of mind, and goals that helped pave the way towards their future.Though it had only been around eight months since he entered this world, and barely three weeks since he entered the City, Vahn found his current life to be infinitely more enriching than the entire 14 years of his previous life. He wondered how his future actions would shape his experiences even further into the future, and even began to imagine if he would ever interact with some of the people who moved about completely unaware of his current thoughts.---With more than an hour still remaining, Vahn's reverie was interrupted by the sound of the door opening from behind. He saw Hephaestus giving him a bemused look with an awkward smile on her face. Though he was still a little absentminded, Vahn instinctually spoke the words that came to his lips. "Good morning, Hephaestus."---Hephaestus had been observing Vahn crowd-watching almost since his arrival. When he had been making his way towards her workshop, she was able to vaguely sense his approach. Over time the feeling grew more powerful until she felt he was very near.From inside the workshop, Hephaestus had been waiting on the other side of the door for Vahn to knock, but after nothing had happened for several minutes she decided to peek through the window to see what he was up to. She saw that he was staring into the crowd in a daze while watching people pass by. In his expression, she could see feelings of melancholy, hope, and even expectation. Afraid of interrupting his thoughts, she just idly watched him for nearly an hour before breaking out of her own reverie and deciding to invite him inside.When she heard him greet her, the awkward feelings she had been experiencing immediately faded away. She returned a gentle smile and reciprocated his greeting. "Good morning Vahn. Come inside, I'll pour you a drink before we head out." Vahn nodded in response and entered through the door at her invitation.They sat at a table where Hephaestus would often negotiate with her customers. There was a kettle for tea and coffee nearby, and Hephaestus filled two cups before passing one to Vahn. Vahn accepted the cup and deeply inhaled the rich fragrance, still not fully free from his earlier state of mind. He felt at peace and wanted the experience to last for as long as the circumstances would allow.Hephaestus was aware of his present state and allowed him to enjoy the coffee in silence. She just sat at his side with a relaxed expression of her own while periodically sipping at the contents of her cup. She very much enjoyed the current atmosphere, and the steady beating of Vahn's heart within her soul brought her a rare peace of mind. It had been longer than she could remember since she was able to simply enjoy the process of 'existing' without worry.---Unfortunately, all things must come to an end, and time ceases for no man, woman, or god. The moment for their departure had arrived, and the two released simultaneous sighs and smiled after the realization they had similar reactions as each other.Hephaestus cleaned away the cups before leading Vahn outside the workshop and locking the door behind her. He noticed that, once she had secured the lock, a formation had activated that prevented anyone from approaching the building. Seeing the curious look on his face, Hephaestus explained it was to prevent anyone from trying to steal her crafts while she was away. She also let him in on a secret and told him that the surrounding buildings were all a front for her security service. Even if there was nobody inside, there were always people watching the workshop.---The two made their way through the City and Hephaestus pointed out landmarks and buildings she was familiar with. As she had been in Orario for several years, she had an extensive knowledge of the important landmarks and noteworthy features and sights. Vahn enjoyed the conversation and even contributed a bit of his own while updating the minimap according to her descriptions.After two hours they arrived at their destination. They were now in the north-east section of the City, in a largely residential district belonging entirely to the Hephaestus Familia. Since Hephaestus had an agreement with the Guild, all members of the Familia were allocated their own workshop and living space. Though many opened shops within Babel, there were a number of veteran smiths that operated solely from within their homes.The building they presently stood before was the only 'eastern' style house in the area. Vahn found the appearance pleasing as he had only seen such structures in anime and manga previously. He was excited to be able to explore its interior and even live within the premises starting from today onwards.They made their way through the courtyard and entered the front of the building through a door that had been left ajar. After Vahn stepped inside, he came face-to-face for the first time with the woman that would torment him endlessly in the future, Tsubaki Collbrande. She was presently sitting on the floor while polishing a deadly looking katana. From what Vahn could see, the only clothing on her body was a red hakama hanging somewhat loosely around her waist, and a sarashi wrapped around the largest pair of breasts he had ever set his eyes on. She also wore an eyepatch on her left eye, the inverse of Hephaestus's who covered her right.Noticing the presence of the two intruders, Tsubaki glared towards them with a fearsome gaze until she recognized who had entered. Her expression immediately morphed into a more pleasant look, and she sheathed the katana before standing to greet them."Welcome to my humble workshop Hephaestus-sama. My apologies that you have to come all the way here. And you...must be Vahn?" As she asked the question, she quickly approached the unsuspecting Vahn.In his surprise, Vahn subconsciously took a step back but it was futile. Tsubaki had managed to approach him within an instant and stopped just inches away from his face. As she was much taller than Vahn at 170cm, she had to bend over to make eye contact. In doing so, Vahn could see her breasts beneath her body sway.Vahn tried relieving some of the awkward tension. "Good morning Ms. Collbrande. Hephaestus told me you would be teaching me about blacksmithing and combat techniques." As he spoke, Tsubaki continued to stare at him as a smile grew increasingly larger on her face."Ehhh, I can see why Hephaestus-sama rambles on about you, you're quite the adorable little kid. Do you mind if I hug you?" Vahn was stunned and tried to respond, but before he could answer she hugged him regardless of his intent. The last thing he saw before he lost sight was the looming approach of the monstrous peaks crashing down on his face.Hephaestus watched with an irked expression as Tsubaki buried Vahn within her chest. She wanted to lash out but had to restrain herself so she didn't lose any face in front of Vahn. "Tsubaki, I think that is more than enough. If you continue any longer he might suffocate to death." She spoke each word in an exasperated manner. Even though Tsubaki was trustworthy and respectful, she also had a wild and untamed nature that even Hephaestus found difficult at times.---Tsubaki released Vahn and he began gasping for air. The combination of her raw strength hugging his head into her chest had completely prevented him from breathing. Even though he struggled for a bit at first, there was such a large difference in their strength that Vahn was powerless to resist. The only thing he could do was resign himself to his fate until Hephaestus had thrown him a lifeline.Afterward, she showed him to his room before moving into a side room and having a discussion with Hephaestus. Vahn assumed it likely had to do with his circumstances, but he wasn't worried as he had a lot of trust in Hephaestus. Tsubaki herself also had an aura that showed she was trustworthy when Vahn included the fact that she had values of 66 and 73 for affection and intrigue after their brief meeting.Vahn sat in the room and patiently waited for the conversation to end. After about half an hour, both Hephaestus and Tsubaki exited before the latter dragged him to a large open area in the courtyard. At a glance, Vahn was able to easily recognize this was an area for training. There were mannequins and bamboo pillars lined up throughout the area and even some strange contraptions that likely assisted in the development of martial arts. On the side, Vahn could see various different weapons that seemed to get increasingly heavier when viewed from left to right.Tsubaki opened a distance between Vahn who was looking around. Though he wasn't fearful, he immediately became alert since Hephaestus was standing off to the side. This left him in a position away from the two women, and he began to feel his muscles slowly begin to tense in response to his instincts."Oh? You have pretty good instincts. I was going to try and attack you while you were goofing around, but this makes things more interesting." The moment her words ended, Tsubaki literally vanished from Vahn's vision. He instinctively activated his [Will of the Emperor] but, in the several milliseconds it took for the skill to reach its full effect, Vahn was already tumbling through the sky.His vision changed multiple times between the sky and earth before he finally crashed hard into the dirt clearing. As Tsubaki often used this grounds for training, the grounds had become compacted over time. This made what would have usually been a soft fall incredibly painful for Vahn who had just crashed into it."Haha, aren't you way too weak? Hephaestus-sama said you had the blood of gods inside you, but even with that skill that makes even me feel pressured, you weren't able to respond to my movements. What's the point of having a skill if you can't make use of it when you're in danger?"Vahn slowly raised his body from the ground. His [Will of the Emperor] was fully active, and he got into a combat stance he learned from the CQC manual. He knew the moment he stood up she would probably attack, and he wanted to at least be able to react this time."Oh, good resolve. Very good! I like that expression on your face right now! But-" Tsubaki who had been nodding in approval vanished once again. Even though she had been in the range of his domain, Vahn was still unable to sense her at all.After less time than it takes to blink, Vahn felt a presence from his right and tried to react, only to experience a powerful blow sweep his legs out from under him from the direction he just turned away from. For the second time in less than a minute, Vahn ended up experiencing the life of a coin that had been flipped effortlessly through the air.When he landed, Vahn felt the wind escape his lungs as a shockwave of pain spread through his body. He struggled for air while Tsubaki stood at the same spot where she initiated her two previous attacks."Don't rest for too long Vahn, we still have a lot to cover before concluding our warmup."Vahn, who had finally begun to recover his breathing, once again started struggling for air after hearing the ruthless but happy sounding words. For the first time since he arrived in this world, he began to regret the path he walked...(A/N: Alternate Title: Cyclops of the Twin Peaks)

No matter how many times Vahn recovered, he was never able to track Tsubaki's movements. As the spar progressed his [Will of the Emperor] was constantly being pushed to new heights, but even with the increased parameters and perception each of her movements was instantaneous and a blur. Even when he thought he could react, the direction of the attack would suddenly change before he was able to adapt. This continued for nearly half an hour, and during that time Vahn had grown intimately familiar with the ground."Even though you're so small and cute, you're actually quite tough aren't you? I'm surprised you're able to get up after being knocked down a few dozen times. Nice guts!" Tsubaki was laughing loudly with both arms akimbo.Vahn slowly stood up from the ground yet again. "57..." He spoke the words silently, but Tsubaki was able to hear him. "Eh, what was that kid? Speak up, go ahead and shout if you want!" Vahn grits his teeth and assumed his stance. "You have thrown me 57 times..."Hearing his words clearly, Tsubaki nodded her head and laughed out loud. "Hahaha, that's right! I was trying to be nice and make the number sound smaller. Who would have thought you were keeping count. Come, Vahn! How about you try to attack me and have your revenge?"Vahn stared at her and weighed his options. He was trying to find the best way to attack, but everywhere he looked his instincts seemed to scream against taking action. The laid-back appearance of Tsubaki standing before him looked as if it was full of flaws, but every gap, every avenue of approach was entirely invalidated by the status and skill difference."Why stand if you're going to hesitate? It's good to be cautious of your opponent, but you'll never make progress if you don't move. If you can't find an opening, MAKE ONE! Now come at me, Vahn!"She stepped forward and motioned Vahn to attack while gesturing with her hand.Vahn used the moment when she took the step to charge at her. He tried keeping his body low to the ground and aim for her abdomen with a palm strike. From above, he could sense the presence of a shadow which pressed into the back of his head and caused him to faceplant into the ground. Tsubaki used the momentum of his charge to knock him off balance before sitting on his back and laughing."Nice momentum! But overcommitting to an attack leaves you open to your opponent's counterattack. You'll have to do better than that if you want to put your hands on me~" Her words weighed heavily in Vahn's mind, as he had previously said something very similar in his spars with Lili. He began to realize he had been grossly overestimating his own capabilities since he made the same mistakes against stronger opponents.He laid on the ground in contemplation until Tsubaki pinched the side of his waist. Vahn flinched up and tried to buck her off of his back and escape the pressing of her ass against his body. "Haha, what are you spacing out for Vahn? See, aren't you still quite lively? Come on, you can knock me off! Fight, Vahn, Fight~!"From the side, Hephaestus was presently facepalming. She knew Tsubaki had a habit of teasing people, but she seemed to be uncommonly interested in Vahn. After their conversation about Vahn's lineage, she noticed that Tsubaki became very interested in the prospect of helping him polish his skills. Unfortunately, Vahn would have to suffer quite a bit before he was able to make any real progress."Tsubaki, make sure you're not too harsh on him. I have other matters to attend. Make sure to let me know if anything happens that you're unable to deal with on your own." Hephaestus had already made a lot of time to accompany Vahn, but being one of the most prolific and sought-after blacksmiths in the City kept her busy most of the time.Tsubaki heard her remark and just waved goodbye as she continued pinning the still struggling Vahn.---Several minutes later, Vahn had ceased his struggles. No matter how much he tried, it was almost like Tsubaki was able to anticipate his movements and maintain her balance. As soon as he thought he might regain his freedom, he would be firmly planted back into the ground. Now, he just lay on the ground as Tsubaki's weight pressed against his back. In the stillness, he noted that the sensation of her body was both firm and soft, which created a contradiction in his mind that confused him.While he lay there, Tsubaki once again pinched his waist, but Vahn just flinched and bore the pain. Seeing that he had ceased playing along, Tsubaki finally got up from his body. "You lasted a lot longer than I expected. I can see you trained yourself seriously and you even possess a fair amount of theoretical knowledge and skill. The biggest problem is the fact your foundation is severely lacking. Tell me, have you ever fought a human opponent before?"Vahn recalled that he had never really used his skill to fight against opponents that were his equal or stronger. Though he had 'fought' humans before, they were much weaker than him and it was a one-sided slaughter due to his enraged state. "I have, but they weren't skilled. I also spar with another person daily, but it's mostly me teaching her some basics."Tsubaki nodded after hearing his explanation. It seemed she expected something similar since Vahn seemed to overestimate himself and possessed a bit of confidence common in young boys. "Well, from now on I'll be helping you improve. Knowledge is a powerful tool, but when it comes to real battle you can only rely on experience to protect yourself and guarantee victory. Come, stand, it's time for our real lessons to begin."Tsubaki helped Vahn rise from the ground and burst out laughing after seeing his disheveled state. "Brown doesn't suit you Vahn. You need to get stronger quickly or you'll get teased by women." Vahn looked at his mostly dirt covered body and gave a helpless sigh.---For the next few hours, Tsubaki had Vahn demonstrate all of his combat related skills and abilities. She also tested the efficacy of his domain to get a better understanding of its functionality. Seeing the enhancements it provided, Tsubaki was actually very surprised at the power of the domain. At present, she expected Vahn would be a match for anyone under the peak of Level 2. Of course, she also knew that the skill wouldn't provide him many benefits against specialized or significantly stronger enemies."That pseudo-divine state of your's is pretty terrifying. It allows you to fight nearly an entire class above your current Level. However, it has some pretty big flaws that will end up costing you your life if you don't correct them." Vahn was currently using his [Will of the Emperor] and the area of influence had expanded to nearly 60m. Though Tsubaki couldn't 'see' it, she was able to sense it's presence.Tsubaki approached and stopped a short distance away from Vahn. "The biggest problem is actually the size of the area. Though it enhances your perception and allows you to track things within the sphere of influence-" While she spoke Tsubaki suddenly sent a palm towards Vahn's face. The moment she got close to him, Vahn was already on alert so he moved to block the strike. Tsubaki altered the trajectory of her palm and gently placed it against his chest without any power."You are too reliant on the perception afforded by the skill. Though you're able to respond in time to attacks, you trust your initial senses too much and are unable to respond to feints. For opponents that are much faster or stronger than you, they can use your preliminary response to create gaps in your defense. You need to hone your own senses without relying on the skill or else you won't even know how you died in the future."She opened up the distance a bit and allowed Vahn to process her words. Once he appeared to be ready, she continued. "I know you can alter the size and focus of your domain, so I want you to decrease it to a size where you can immediately respond. It shouldn't be much larger than the range of your instantaneous striking distance."Vahn followed her instructions and reduced the size of the domain while compressing it slightly. The smallest size he could get it to was 3m, similar to when he was forging with the 'eternal flame'. Tsubaki seemed to be very impressed with the domains current state. Though it was still somewhat abstract, she was able to vaguely see the outline of the domain around his body."Three meters is a pretty decent size, but you shouldn't give up on trying to improve it further. You'll also need to work on reducing the visibility of the aura or people will be able to easily adapt to your range." The moment her words finished, Tsubaki vanished from his vision and Vahn drew in a cold breath. This was the same phenomenon that had led him to eat dirt 57 times previously.From the left, just outside his periphery, Vahn sensed an incoming blow and moved to intercept. Unlike all his previous attempts, he was actually able to, very briefly, brush against the incoming strike. However, before he had time to be happy his vision began to flip and he was reunited with the ground for the 58th, no, the 59th time...Tsubaki dusted off her hands since they had gotten a bit of dirt on them while throwing Vahn. "As expected, with the reduced size of the domain you're able to work around your shortcomings a bit. Since you don't respond as quickly to the incoming strikes, it makes your defense more solid since your opponent has less time to change the trajectory of their blows. This should be the most practical use of your ability until you improve your techniques and senses."Vahn just lay on the ground recovering, but he was still a bit happy to make a little bit of progress. "Stand up, Vahn, I want to see if it was just a fluke. Come on, at this rate, we might even be able to get to one-hundred tosses before lunch!" Tsubaki was in high spirits, but Vahn was lamenting his misfortune once again. Though he was thankful she was helping him improve, he still wanted to get revenge of some kind during one of the exchanges.---Vahn continued getting tossed around like a ragdoll by the cheerfully laughing busty blacksmith. At this point, she was loudly shouting each successive throw and the number had reached 98. She seemed determined to reach 100 before concluding the training, a fact Vahn felt very disheartening. For the last few throws, he hardly resisted and just allowed her to freely toss his body. His focus was on trying to rebound from the impact, since no matter how hard he struggled he was unable to deflect the incoming strike.After the 99th throw, Tsubaki was literally cheering with excitement. "Hahaha, only one more throw remaining. Come on Vahn, you can do it! Don't give up right at the end!" She was enthusiastically encouraging him to stand. From her uncovered eye, Vahn could see a happy and expectant gleam within its depths.He grits his teeth and literally made his last stand. The reason he had been compliant for the last few throws was to make her drop her guard and conserve his strength. Though Vahn didn't believe he would be able to get the better of Tsubaki, he was determined to make one last-ditch effort. Seeing him stand, Tsubaki loudly shouted, "Haha, well done Vahn! I knew you had the backbone! Here~I~Come!Vahn brought his focus to the absolute limits as Tsubaki's form disappeared from his sight. He could sense her approach from behind, and he directed all of his intent in the most concentrated burst he could manage directly towards the approaching figure. He then twisted around as quickly as he was able and tried intercepting the blow with a palm strike only for his brain to register an incredibly soft and pliant resistance instead of an impact.The two stood there and blankly stared at the hand Vahn had used to 'counterattack'. Firmly planted within the palm of his right hand existed Tsubaki's left breast. Due to the size, his hand had visibly sunk into the pliable flesh leaving an indentation against the sarashi. Vahn began to feel a cold sweat drip down his back as he looked into the gleaming eye of the woman before him.After a brief pause, Tsubaki began beaming at Vahn who was accidentally taking liberties with her body. In response, Vahn removed his hand and tried to apologize, but Tsubaki prevented him from doing so by hugging his head into her chest similar to their first meeting. She began to loudly laugh while smothering him. "Hahaha, you cheeky little kid. Is this your idea of revenge?"Laughter echoed in his ears as Vahn slowly lost consciousness due to asphyxiation.

Hephaestus was surprised at seeing the 'eternal flame' imbue a fragment of its essence into Vahn's heart. She could now feel the rhythm of his heartbeat gently echo within the interior of her soul. It was almost imperceptible, but when she focused she was easily able to detect its presence. Since the 'eternal spirit' was a part of her and had now imbued itself into Vahn, they now had a permanent connection with each other that could never be severed. This thought caused her own heartbeat to accelerate as she looked at the young boy that had introduced so much mystery and intrigue into her life.Vahn could feel something within him draw his gaze towards Hephaestus. He saw her aura was gently radiating like the warm glow of the sun. It had a mellow yellow color tinged with pink. When he made eye contact, she gave the most radiant smile he had ever seen on her face...//[Hephaestus]: Affection +8////[Hephaestus]: Affection has reached Affection:90[Fated Bond?], Intrigue:100[Overprotective]//Within his mind, Vahn could see her affection update and the notification for the heart's desire quest now had two active notifications. Though he was confused about the sudden change in the situation, Vahn returned the smile since he was able to feel her care and concern and wanted to reciprocate the feelings.---After Vahn had subordinated the 'eternal flame', Hephaestus was relieved seeing that the core of the flame still existed within the forge. She would still be able to continue her livelihood in the future and had one fewer concern to deal with. Now she could focus her attention on resolving the biggest problem before her, dealing with Vahn's unique circumstances."Vahn, as we discussed previously, you need to protect your identity until you are strong enough to defend yourself against outside threats. Once you are exposed as a demi-god that can activate a pseudo-divine state, many Familia will actively try to get their hands on you. In the worst case scenario, they may even try to have you assassinated to prevent future troubles. I will do my best to protect you and provide support, but for now, I will leave your protection and training to my most trusted child, Tsubaki."Vahn nodded his head and listened in silence. At this point, they were both sitting on the couch in her office, and they were in close enough proximity that he could feel the body heat radiating from her. To prevent himself from being distracted, he pushed his focus to the limits while trying to maintain his facial expression. Ever since the event with her Divinity earlier, Vahn was overly conscious of her presence.As she continued explaining, Hephaestus started to blush slightly because she was able to feel Vahn's heartbeat accelerating. Though he was showing a stoic and honest appearance, she was aware he was putting a lot of effort into maintaining his demeanor."Tomorrow morning, I will accompany you to her residence. Once we arrive, I want you to live there from now on. She will be able to train you in smithing while helping improve your combat abilities. Since she is both a Master Smith and Level 5 Adventurer, she is the most qualified person in the City to help increase your strength. I have already let her know of our visit, and she has closed her workshop to all but her contracted clientele until you are capable of defending yourself."Hearing that he would be staying with a master blacksmith and level 5 adventurer, Vahn was pretty excited. However, once he heard she would be closing her workshop to help him, Vahn began to worry. "Wouldn't it hurt her livelihood if she drops everything just to help me train? I'm capable of increasing my strength on my own, I don't want people to have to sacrifice their wellbeing at my expense."In response to his concerns, Hephaestus covered her mouth and simply laughed. Vahn wanted to ask why she was laughing, but Hephaestus took the initiative in explaining. "Tsubaki has accumulated quite an amount of wealth over the years. If she wanted to she could retire at any time and live the rest of her life in luxury without any concerns. As one of the few Master Blacksmiths in the City, she can make several tens of millions of Valis on a single contract. Right now she manages seven active contracts and earns more than 300,000,000 Valis a year without having to leave her workshop."Vahn was stunned hearing the astronomical numbers. He remembered that the dagger Hestia obtained for Bell was worth 200,000,000 Valis, but he didn't think a mortal blacksmith would have such insane earning potential. He began to get excited at the opportunity of vastly increasing his own wealth in the future.---After Vahn's mind was blown by Hephaestus's statement, the two continued talking about various topics until late into the night. At some point, the distance between them had shrunk even further, and Hephaestus used the opportunity to hug him as she had previously. She used the excuse that she had promised to hug him again earlier, and this was her making good on her word.Vahn didn't resist and just allowed himself to rest in her embrace. Though he never realized it before, it was very calming to be held by another person. It felt like, deep in his heart, something that had been lost was slowly being regained. He was so comfortable in Hephaestus's arms that he even began to fall asleep...---"Wake up Vahn. There isn't much time left in the day and you'll need to prepare everything before tomorrow morning." Hephaestus gently roused Vahn who had fallen asleep in her arms. Seeing his peacefully sleeping expression, she was almost unwilling to awaken him but knew it was necessary.Vahn reluctantly removed himself from her embrace and released a long yawn while stretching. He shook the sleep out of his body before looking into Hephaestus's smiling face. Seeing her calm after he fell asleep in her arms, Vahn was somewhat embarrassed. He continued stretching out his body to hide this fact, but Hephaestus could easily see through his attempts due to their current bond.(A/N: WTF, writing the first sentence made me yawn.)After bidding farewell, Vahn finally left Hephaestus's workshop. On his way out he passed by the security guards who had continued holding their perimeter since he first arrived. Vahn was very impressed with their dedication and professionalism.When the head guard, Zaff, saw the tired boy exit the building he approached with a somewhat callous expression on his face. "Hehe, you kept us waiting for quite a while kid. Had I known you were going to be inside for five hours I would have split my men into shifts."Vahn gave a helpless shrug before politely bowing and apologizing for the inconvenience. Given the current time, he had been napping for nearly an hour and a half which caused the men to have to wait outside even longer. Though he didn't state the reason, he honestly issued his apology and promised to treat the men if the opportunity presented itself in the future.Zaff laughed and informed his men who gave a loud, albeit tired sounding, hurrah. He then split the group and had some men send a message to their headquarters to arrange for a personnel transfer. Then, noticing Vahn was still in the area, he patted the young boy on the back and sent him on his way. "Make sure not to cause any trouble for the Lady, you hear?"Vahn nodded before making his way through the darkness towards the inn.---After making his way through the entrance, Vahn almost felt his soul leave his body when he saw the face of Lili who had apparently been waiting for him. From her expression and aura, he could tell she was very angry with a bit of concern mixed in. Without saying anything, she stood from the chair she was sitting in and came very close to his body...and began sniffing."You told me you had business with the Hephaestus Familia, but now you come home with a woman's scent on your body." Lili sighed after recognizing the presence of the foreign aroma. Judging by how prominent it was, he was likely in contact with a girl for several hours.Vahn noticed she was disappointed, probably assuming he had lied as an excuse to have a rendezvous with a woman without her knowing. He sighed and shook his head before explaining the situation."I was with a woman, but it wasn't anything I need to keep secret. I was meeting with Hephaestus herself and we were talking about my future living arrangements. Various other things happened, but it wasn't like what you're expecting..." Vahn's words began to trail at the end after remembering the incident with Hephaestus's Divinity.Lili saw the change of expression and almost flared up, but just gave an exasperated sigh instead. She remembered that she was making an effort to overcome her selfish tendencies, but found it hard to contain herself when it came to Vahn. After calming herself down, she asked about what had been arranged.Vahn explained the details and that he would be staying with the Captain of the Hephaestus Familia to train his blacksmithing and combat capabilities. He also discussed the plans for Lili's future training and that she should continue her morning routine for tomorrow until he was able to discuss things with Tsubaki. As long as Tsubaki agreed, he wanted Lili to train there as well. As for their afternoon ventures into the dungeon, Vahn was determined to keep doing so. Even if Tsubaki refused to train Lili he would be able to impart what he had learned to her in the dungeon later in the day.Lili recognized the name Tsubaki, as she was quite famous within the City. Though she had never seen her, there were plenty of rumors in regards to her skill as both a blacksmith and adventurer. She knew it was a good opportunity for Vahn, and it made her happy hearing that he had taken her into consideration when talking about the future. She decided to forgive him for arriving so late but resolved to find out his exact relationship with Hephaestus in the future. Lili didn't have a lot of confidence she could compete with a goddess...After their discussion, Lili showed him where she had placed all of the weapons that had been delivered in the afternoon. Vahn stored away all but the hammer since Lili intended to use it for her training in the morning.The two then made their way to their rooms and Vahn gave Lili a hug as he had been doing so ever since the first instance. At this point, it had become a routine that concluded the end of their day, but Vahn felt strange compared to all the previous times. Unlike when he was being hugged by Hephaestus, Vahn didn't feel much security in the embrace. It felt like he was holding onto something fragile and it stirred his feelings of wanting to protect the small girl in his arms.After they parted ways, Vahn began pondering the difference between the two embraces within his mind. He wondered if Lili felt the same way he did when he was being embraced by Hephaestus. If so, he could empathize with her desire to be held. He had felt so comfortable being held by Hephaestus that he even fell asleep while enjoying her warmth.Laying in his bed, Vahn roused the memories from that moment and replayed the scene within his mind. During his absentminded state he could feel the 'eternal flame' pulsing in his chest. It seemed to be comforting him in a very similar manner as Hephaestus. He quietly listened to the gentle rhythm and slowly embraced the coming sleep filled with a comforting warmth.

Chapter 53: Cyclops : Harsh Lesson