Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn could fee the stagnant air and frozen time thaw around him as the vision ceased within his mind. Syr's past had been something far different than he expected, and he couldn't help but pity her upbringing. Though Vahn had yet to meet Freya, he got to experience what type of person she was through Syr's vision, and now his apprehensions toward her had increased by a large amount. As for Syr to his right, he wasn't too sure how to feel, especially given how tragic the events were leading till moment in her life.Syr, who was waiting patiently for Vahn's response, felt something in his demeanor and bearing change. When he opened his eyes from his contemplation and stared at her, she had the feeling that he had seen through her entirely. It was both scary and exciting, but the gentle and compassionate look in his eyes made her fearful feelings more prominent. She could see that he 'understood' her somehow, and it terrified her to think what kind of person he saw her as.Vahn looked into Syr's light-grey eyes and could see her aura had begun to fluctuate with a slightly purplish hue. He understood that, though her cheerful expression hadn't diminished, that she was currently feeling afraid. Vahn was astounded by her perception and ability to read others, especially after experiencing how she developed the ability within the vision. Eventually, he noticed the aura begin to stabilize and he released a long sigh.Syr had noticed that, though he seemingly saw through her, he didn't seem to judge her for her character. The fearful feelings she had began to diminish when she saw the concern in his eyes. Curiously, the moment her fear ceased, she noticed that he was aware of the fact she had been afraid and now had calmed down. For the first time in her life, other than Freya, Syr thought she found someone that could understand her. Vahn's perception rivaled, or even exceeded, her own. The only difference between them, other than gender, seemed to be Vahn's inability to control his own expressions.Vahn never had a bad opinion of Syr, and the vision of her tragic past hadn't changed how he viewed her in the slightest. Though she might have done things that could be called to question, she never truly took advantage of anyone or hurt anybody. If not for Freya's manipulation and the circumstances of her childhood, she would have likely lived a happy life once she learned to control her own abilities.Looking into her light-grey eyes, Vahn could see a gentle and happy expression veiling a hint of sadness. He gave her a gentle, albeit awkward smile, as he responded to her earlier question, "I don't know how to answer your question, Syr. I don't understand my own heart well enough to give a coherent response. I'm already wrapped up in several relationships and have a great many things to think about and take care of. Until I return a bit of stability to my life, there isn't any easy way to accept others..."In response to his words, Syr's eyes squinted a bit as she covered her mouth with her hand and laughed cheerfully. Vahn's serious response after everything that happened made her feel like it was a very 'Vahn' way to reply to her question. She already knew about part of the situation from Chloe, as well as some of the details she had heard directly from Vahn himself. Fortunately, they were both young and they had plenty of time to build a friendship for the time being.After Syr laughed for a few seconds, she removed her hand and showed a wide and cheerful smile as she said, "I understand, Vahn. For now, let's just be friends; we can think about the future at a later date. As long as you treat me a bit kindly and continue to come to the Hostess of Fertility, I'll be satisfied...for the time being." Toward the latter end of her words, Vahn could see a playful gleam in her eyes as she stood up from the booth and dusted off her dress and apron.Syr turned to Vahn and showed a gentle smile as she bowed slightly before leaving the private room. Vahn stared at her departure with unveiled concern in his eyes; It wasn't easy for him to simply turn her down, even if he did it in a somewhat roundabout manner. However, his words had been true, and he could tell by her actions and response that she understood his intentions. Until he could meet the expectations of the women around him and become a stronger person, both mentally and physically, he couldn't easily accept more people.The biggest reason was, though Syr had a troubled past and various difficulties in her life, she was a very strong person with strong sensibilities. She wasn't in need of his help right now, and they would still be able to interact with each other of the next several months, or even years, without there being any issues. Vahn wanted to try growing closer to her and developing their friendship for the time being since he also had concerns regarding other girls for the time being.---After Syr had left the private room, her cheerful smile couldn't help but show a bit of melancholy as she stared back at the closed door. She understood that Vahn had affections for her, and he was likely willing to accept her along with his other girls in the future, but she still felt a bit saddened by his dismissal of her feelings in the present. In the four years she had been working at the Hostess of Fertility, he was the only one that managed to pass her evaluation, so she felt a bit of apprehension just walking away.While she was lost in her own thoughts, another girl approached her silently from the side. After a period of silence, Syr noticed her presence and showed a cheerful smile as she asked, "Did you need me for something, Ryuu?" Almost as if her previous mood had been an illusion, she immediately returned to her characteristically cheerful disposition as she stared into the sky-blue eyes of Ryuu.Ryuu had seen Syr enter and exit the room, and had been curious about what had transpired in the short few minutes for her to have such a 'sad' look when she left the room. After a brief hesitation, she asked, "Did something happen?" Though she was asking out of concern for her friend, she couldn't help but let her eyes wander to the closed door for a brief moment.Syr saw her actions and began to laugh in a playful manner as she teased Ryuu, "Are you worried about me, or Vahn?" After her words fell, Ryuu's plain expression softened a bit and she averted her eyes as she responded, "You're not acting like yourself...so I was worried." In response, Syr began to laugh cheerfully as she looked into Ryuu's averted eyes and said, "You're also not acting like yourself, Ryuu~. Don't worry though, nothing serious happened...Vahn just turned down my confession." As she spoke, she stuck out her tongue playfully and closed one of her eyes.Hearing Syr's words, Ryuu's eyes widened a bit as she asked, "You confessed to him?" Syr nodded her head and 'pouted', "Mou~, it's really heartbreaking...Even though he has so many women, he doesn't have a place for me right now. Ryuu, help me break down his resistance in the future. He seems to like you, so maybe we can work together and catch his attention~?"Though her expression hadn't changed much while Syr was speaking, the moment she heard the words, 'he seems to like you', Ryuu looked toward the door and asked, "You said he liked me?" Successfully baiting Ryuu, Syr nodded her head and explained with a low tone, "Isn't it so? You know, even though I had met him first and talked to him, he never showed me a gentleman's courtesy and grabbed my hand. You seem to be a bit special to him, don't you think~?"As she was listening to the quiet voice of Syr goading her further, Ryuu showed a small smile that was very uncharacteristic of her usually placid expression. Before she responded, Syr grabbed her arm and said in a playfully urgent tone, "Come on, Ryuu, let's go talk to Chloe. If we can convince her, our chances of getting to Vahn will increase~"Ryuu allowed herself to be pulled by Syr as she continued to contemplate her words. Ever since Vahn had grabbed her hand, Ryuu already had a special affection toward him. However, she knew there were already several women around him, and she didn't want to trouble him or get in the way of others. Though she had some slight inhibitions, if Vahn truly likes her as Syr said, she was somewhat interested in trying to pursue him. Remembering the words of her dead best friend, Alise, Ryuu didn't want to easily let go of the handsome boy that had easily grabbed her hand.---Vahn left the Hostess of Fertility completely unaware of the minor scheme he had incited behind the scenes. He made his way toward his house while thinking about various matters and how best to go about resolving issues in the future. However, a few minutes after he started ruminating over his thoughts deeply, Vahn stopped in the middle of the street and looked toward the slightly cloudy sky before exhaling a sigh through his nose.Though he knew it wasn't possible to make everyone happy, Vahn still wanted to treat those with high affection towards him well. He was especially interested in the characters from the original plotline who had a special place in his mind just by virtue of their existence. Every time he interacted with them, Vahn couldn't help but feel a bit excited and expectant to see how they would react to his presence.The biggest problem he had was one he had never expected to happen in the first place. There were simply a great number of women and girls that seemingly became interested in him within a short period of time. Vahn attributed this to his 'View Affection' function as well as his [Hearts Desire] quest, as he seemed to easily influence the women around him. Not only people from the original plot but even those he never had any foreknowledge of. Anubis, Nanu, Tina, and some other girls, never appeared in the original story, yet Vahn had quickly been wrapped up in their lives.Vahn almost felt like, if he put in the effort, he could actually get together with any girl he wanted. Though the thought made him feel excited, it also terrified him since it felt like he was manipulating them through the use of 'The Path'. But, the simple truth of the matter was, Vahn actually enjoyed interacting with the girls. The majority of his 'acts' were things he would have done regardless of being able to see auras since he genuinely wanted to make them happy. These two contrasting thoughts created a bit of a paradox in his mind since Vahn wasn't sure what he truly wanted, other than to make them happy while becoming happy himself.He felt like the matter with Syr would escalate in the future, since his response was essentially just a delay tactic like what he had with Lili, Nanu, and Tina. The hardest part to deal with was the fact that Vahn actually didn't dislike Syr at all. Now that he had seen her heart's desire, he actually empathized with her even more and wanted to help her if he could. But, there were already so many people he wanted to help, and Vahn wasn't nearly strong or influential enough to take care of everything on his own.After standing idly in the middle of the street for a few minutes, Vahn just shook his head after failing to come up with a solution. The key always seemed to be becoming stronger or having more self-restraint. Becoming stronger wasn't too difficult, and even having self-restraint wasn't something Vahn couldn't develop. The hardest part was not caring about the people that developed affections for him over time. Vahn simply couldn't turn them away, and it seemed like his future was bound to be one where he was in a relationship of sorts with a large number of women.Vahn ultimately decided to live as he pleased while deferring to the women around him for assistance in managing his affairs. As long as he communicated with them properly, Vahn hoped things would never develop to a point where they became irreconcilable. Since he knew he would have an issue with gods and goddesses the moment his [Enkidu] became known, Vahn was already preparing himself for the aftermath. Vahn knew there were several men that would envy his position, so he decided to simply do his best to make the greatest number of people happy. If he ultimately fell short, Vahn believed there would be people to help him recover and find his path again.With a bit of confidence reappearing on his face, Vahn made his way toward his house in higher spirits than the gloom he had experienced moments before. Though it might have been a strange thought, Vahn couldn't help but imagine the image of various women around him pregnant. The thought of having children of his own made him feel more excited than almost anything else, and Vahn looked forward to having the opportunity to be a father. Until then, he would just focus on getting stronger and keeping the promises he already made.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Birth of the Harem...Emperor?','Sneaky Syr','The Vahnatus is going to look like a convention in the future')(A/N: For those that think there are too many girls around Vahn, I can't help but agree with you. The problem is, given Vahn's skill-set and character, there are too many ways in which he can leave deep impacts on girls/women/goddesses. Imagine if you could always measure your actions to make the affection of people around you grow? Combine that with being young, capable, influential, nice, etc, and it's a recipe for a harem disaster! The only way around it would have been to not introduce characters, but it wouldn't make sense for some people to not show up if Vahn visits a certain place. Like the Hostess of Fertility, there are simply too many 'single' girls with tragic pasts that would naturally be drawn to Vahn the moment he has a relationship with any of them. Syr definately has a somewhat scheming/cheerful/manipulative personality, and Ryuu's hand fetish is canon~!)If you'd like to support me on ******* so I can become a full-time writer, please follow this link~!https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $495/640 of my goal of making this my actual job. I promise that, if I'm able to do so, I will be writing 50 chapters a week :D

For the next few days until Friday, Vahn spent the majority of his time moving between the orb, home, and the Hostess of Fertility. Some important developments in those three days had been the change in his treatment from various people. Whenever Vahn visited the Hostess of Fertility he still had his private booth but now, instead of just Chloe, there was a rotation between the girls that served his meal. There seemed to be an agreement between Chloe, Syr, and Ryuu, and Vahn had the opportunity to spend time with all three girls in private.Whenever he was with Chloe, she liked to act affectionate and be spoiled, and Vahn found her presence to be very comforting. There was something tantalizing about having a woman lay in his lap and act playfully as he got to tease and feed her treats. Since she allowed him a few liberties, Vahn had a lot of fun spending time with her.When Syr had served him, she acted with her characteristic cheerful manner, but she also tried to act less reserved than normal. Though she understood that Vahn wasn't willing to be with her for the time being, it didn't stop her from sitting next to him close enough for their legs to touch. Unlike Chloe, she was trying to spoil Vahn and even held the fork as she fed him small bites of the food he had ordered. Throughout the entire time, she would make small and casual contact for very brief moments and Vahn could subtly feel that each time she did so, it was for a slightly longer period of time.Of the three girls, Ryuu was the most peculiar when she entered the private booth. She acted in a very reserved manner and sat across from Vahn as she quietly listened to his stories. She would periodically ask questions about his past travels and what he wanted to do in the future, and Vahn answered each question with moderated enthusiasm. Since he could see her aura, Vahn understood she was enjoying their time together and slowly transitioning from her taciturn self to a slightly more cheerful demeanor. Since Ryuu had her hands on the table, Vahn wanted to tease her a bit and tried grabbing her hand to see how she would react. He didn't know why, but teasing elf girls seemed to be an instinctual habit for him and he wanted to break her expressionless guise.The placid expression on her face changed slightly as her brows raised and she opened her eyes by a marginal amount. She removed her hand out from under his and turned her head to the side with the slightest hint of a blush on her face as she broke eye contact with Vahn. He couldn't help but think she was adorable, so Vahn said, "You look cute when you smile and have a slightly bashful expression." Though it wasn't much, the blush on her face grew slightly deeper as she 'ignored' his complement and just refilled his tea.In response to her actions, Vahn just smiled and received the cup gratefully before taking a sip and saying, "Thank you, Ryuu." After his words hung in the air for several seconds, Ryuu showed a hint of gentleness in her eyes as she responded in a curt and soft tone, "You're welcome, Vahn." After that, Vahn continued to enjoy the atmosphere and made small talk while periodically trying to tease her. Though she never reacted in a drastic manner, Vahn was always able to get a very slight rise out of her which made him smile.When he wasn't at the Hostess of Fertility, Vahn spent the majority of his time in the real world at home teaching Nanu about forging and attending the lessons with the other children. Tina had pretty much cemented herself as the second highest authority in the house as even Anubis was slightly deferential to the small cat girl. All of the kids were making rapid improvements, and Vahn had high hopes for their future lives and accomplishments.The most significant change in his general living at home was the change that had occurred in Tina in the last few days. She wasn't in nearly as high tensions as she had been previously, and she acted a lot less shy and bashful around Vahn, though not in an overly intimate way. Whenever they would return to the room in the evening to sleep, Tina didn't act shy or concerned at all when she changed her clothes. When it came time for bed, she would quickly crawl in after Vahn and snuggle up at his side before falling asleep with a happy and contented smile on her face. Vahn noticed that she didn't seem to have bad dreams anymore and her trust toward him had increased by a fair amount.Vahn felt slightly protective of the small girl, and it felt like his self-control had improved a lot in the last week with her at his side. Now, whenever he interacted with girls like Anubis and Nanu, Vahn wasn't so influenced by their change in reaction to his petting. He showed them affection and felt warm feelings for them instead of being overly-reliant on getting a rise out of them. They also seemed to have noticed his change and had happy expressions on their faces whenever he would scratch behind their ears.Though they may not have understood why he had changed so quickly, Vahn was very aware of the reasons as it related to the place he spent the most time. Whenever Vahn entered the orb, he would experience an extra six days for every one day in the real world. That meant that, by the end of the week, Vahn had more than a months time to organize his thoughts and adapt to the changes around him. In the brief few seconds where he would spend days with the overly affectionate Eva, Vahn was able to get a lot of his urges out of his system. This, combined with his interactions with the girls at the Hostess of Fertility and the members of his family back home had rapidly changed his character.Speaking of Eva, she too had changed quite a bit over the course of the week where they had been interacting with each other intimately. Instead of the black gothic dress, she liked to wear in the past, she instead wore cute and somewhat revealing clothing and often tried to tease Vahn in the moments when he wasn't too busy. The moment he would finally put down his tools, she would immediately drag him away to the bath and receive his pampering for a few hours as they both 'rested'. Vahn noticed that she sought his affection more and more as time went on, and he pampered the girl quite a bit to alleviate her needs.Because of their constant 'battles' for supremacy when she mounted his stomach, Vahn actually achieved a new benchmark in his capabilities. His [Hands of Nirvana] had finally increased from rank A to rank S, and he was now able to get a slight edge against the tyrannical vampire. Even with her near instantaneous recovery, Vahn was able to chain together the sensations long enough to get a rise out of her that made him pleased with himself. For the first time since their meeting, he was able to defeat Eva to such an extent that his abdomen had become bathed with a tantalizing and aromatic moisture.Unfortunately, she didn't seem as pleased by his actions as he was since she beat his chest with powerless strikes for nearly five minutes until he embraced her body. Though she calmed down a bit when he hugged her, that actually spelled his own demise as she regained her clarity enough to counterattack him. For nearly four hours after that, she tormented his body till the point where he had to forcefully activate his [Will of the Emperor] to escape her clutches. Though it made him feel a bit ashamed to retreat, Vahn still laughed like a fool as he ran away from the bed and toward his workshop to take out his frustrations on a piece of metal. Though she could have stopped him with her telekinesis, Eva just smiled as she followed his retreat with her eyes. After he left the room, she laid down on the bed and enjoyed the remnant heat coming from the blankets as she fell into a peaceful sleep.And this was how Vahn spent what amounted to nearly thirty-five days worth of time in a single week. When Saturday morning came, he performed his ritual of fixing Tina's posture and giving her a kiss on her forehead before he reentered the orb with more excitement than normal. Today would be a very important step on his path toward the future, and Vahn could hardly wait to see if his theory proved true.The moment he opened his eyes within the orb, he immediately opened his arms to catch the small girl that dropped on top of him. Since Eva could sense when he was entering the orb, she had developed the habit of floating above where he would appear before dropping down on him. Vahn noticed that this time, she was wearing lacy white lingerie that highlighted her incredibly fair skin and golden hair. Vahn had realized that, the closer they became, the lighter her attire had become as well. Though she originally started with pure black clothes, she transitioned to colors like reds, blues, and purples until she eventually started wearing lighter versions of the colors before fully transitioning to golds, pinks, and whites.When he pointed it out to her previously, she actually beat him up a bit with a fierce blush on her face. The entire time she did so, Vahn couldn't help but laugh and tease her for her cute actions. After she had finally forced him to 'concede', she explained to him in a low voice that she changed her clothing to appeal to him more. Vahn nodded his head in response because he often gave her compliments when she changed attires and lighter colors really did suit her well.After Eva finally released him from the bedroom, Vahn made his way to the workshop with an excited and almost giddy anticipation building within him. Eva had noticed his strange behavior and followed behind to see what he was up to. Seeing him start forging like normal, Eva couldn't help but ask, "What are you up to that is making you act like such an idiot?"Vahn had long grown accustomed to her 'insults', so he didn't pay it any mind as he responded, "I have an ability to imbue the 'legend' of a name into entities without names. It has a very long cooldown, and the cooldown will be up in just a few hours. I really want to try it out on a sword to see how it influences the final product."Eva's eyes opened wide in surprise as she asked, "You have naming magic? That is one of the most powerful systems of magic generally only used by the gods and those that emulate them." If what Vahn said was true, it meant that he had far more magical potential than she had realized. She already knew that he was likely very compatible with the Magia Erbea from his 'transformation' magic, and now he even had one of the rarest types of magic from her world and mentioned it casually, almost as if it weren't an important matter.Vahn nodded his head and set down the metal he was working with to be treated by the 'eternal flame' as he pulled out a beautiful rainbow-colored crystal. Before Eva could ask, Vahn said, "Follow me, I'll show you something pretty cool." The two made their way out of the workshop and into an open area where Vahn didn't have to worry about accidentally breaking anything. Infusing his energy into the crystal, it began to glow with a beautifully resplendent color before purple mist began to explode rapidly from the crystal as he threw it forward.A large black dragon that was nearly 7m in length emerged from the crystal and flew into the sky before releasing a loud roar that echoed through the empty black and white world. Eva was surprised by the emergence of the dragon and asked, "Summoning magic?" Vahn shook his head in response as he explained how he had met a wyvern in the dungeon and tamed it. Shortly after, he used his 'naming magic' to give it the name of a legendary dragon which had forced it to evolve from a frail pink wyvern into the powerful black dragon flying in circles above their head.Eva listened to his explanation with a bit of disbelief on her face since, if his words were true, which they likely were, it meant that his 'naming magic' was far more powerful than she expected. She could sense that the dragon Fafnir had the same energy signature as Vahn, even though their auras were completely different. To her, it seemed more like summoning magic, but she also knew that Vahn wasn't lying to her. This meant that he actually had 'Mythic Grade' magic, even though he didn't even know anything about the basics. She suddenly felt like the promise he had made to save her had much greater credibility.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Go, Fafnir, I choose you~!','Daily Life of the Harem Emperor','Voracious Vampire Baba')If you'd like to support me on ******* so I can become a full-time writer, please follow this link~!https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $504/640 of my goal of making this my actual job. I promise that, if I'm able to do so, I will be writing 50 chapters a week :D

(A/N: There is a unique difficulty when writing about Danmachi, since the original story is incomplete and has several unsolved mysteries and hidden backstories. In order to make the novel interesting, I have to take some artistic liberties to build the world and characters in the direction I think benefits the story. From this point on, other than significant events, you shouldn't compare this novel to the source material~! Hope you enjoy how things play out (O,...,O)_b)The moment Vahn saw Syr's reaction, he couldn't help but retort in his mind, ("What is this adorable creature!?"). When that thought passed through his mind, Vahn experienced a feeling of deja vu as he compared the bashful girl to Lefiya from the past. Seeing her crimson face looking upwards at him made Vahn's head buzz and he felt a little dizzy. He felt like, the longer he looked into her slightly glazed eyes, the more prominent the feeling became.Vahn shook his head to shake the feeling and even activated a small burst of his [Will of the Emperor] while using his [Stealth] skill to keep it hidden. Almost immediately after he expanded his domain, Vahn felt a cooling sensation that chased away the strange numbness in his mind. Unfortunately, in the time it took for him to clear his head, Vahn got yet another notification from his system.//[Syr Flova] Has Reached Maximum Affection////Quest Completed: [The Hearts Desire:C-SS]//Completion Grade: ARewards: 10,000OP, 1x[Hearts Desire: Syr Flova]Grade Rewards: 1x[Ambrosia Extract], 1x[Matryoshka of Fertility], 8,000OP[Ambrosia Extract]Rank: UniqueUse: Oil incense with a powerful aphrodisiac effect. Powerful enough to even influence the gods. Duration: 8H[Matryoshka of Fertility]Rank: UniqueUse: When placed above the womb, creates a seal that guarantees pregnancy regardless of fertility. Duration: 8HEverything was happening faster than Vahn could process the changes, and he couldn't help but stare at the blushing girl who continued to stare at him with an unveiled interest in her eyes. After Vahn had suddenly asked her if she liked him, Syr couldn't help but feel her interest in him suddenly explode. Though she was certain nothing had appeared to give away her intentions, she knew that Vahn could somehow see through her expression. When he asked his question, Syr could tell that it wasn't so much a question as a confirmation of something he already knew. She could feel the mana in her body stir as Vahn quickly began to be influenced by her weak charming ability.She had expected him to get flustered or even try to make advances against her, but his reaction had shocked her to the core. Instead of becoming enamored and trying to please her, he simply shook his head and escaped the effects of her ability. The most important thing to note is that he didn't seem to notice what had happened and still looked at her with the same familiarity and trust he had previously, albeit with a hint of confusion in his eyes. Syr immediately felt a ticklish feeling in her mind as it began to buzz looking at the 'naive' and honest boy.Vahn was still trying to process the information and knew that Syr had somehow reached maximum affection for him which completed the heart's desire quest yet again. The items he obtained made his heart itch and he could feel a nervous feeling in his stomach as Syr continued to stare at him. After several long seconds, she asked in a subtle yet sultry voice, "I wonder...if there is enough room in your heart for me~?"When she asked the question, Vahn could feel a warmth flow through his body which immediately faded away. He noticed that her expression became even happier after she asked if he liked her, and Vahn didn't know how to respond due to the rapid-fire series of events. Taking a deep breath, Vahn averted his eyes a bit and seriously considered how to answer her question. Syr saw his actions and fixed her posture as she sat up straight on the seat next to him and quietly waited for his response.Her movement had caught his eye, and he was curious about how she went from fiercely blushing to stoic and elegant in such a brief period of time. She now had her characteristically cheerful expression as she looked at him with an expectant smile. The smile that he used to find pleasing, now made Vahn feel a subtle sense of danger in the back of his mind. He began to suspect his dazed state earlier had been triggered by something other than his heightened emotional state.To prevent her from reading his expression, Vahn put more effort into his [Will of the Emperor] as he closed his eyes and completely calmed his mind. Replaying the events in his mind, Vahn suspected there was more going on than he had been aware of. Though he didn't mind that she had such high affection for him, Vahn found it strange since she knew of his relationship with Chloe. When he asked her in order to clarify things, her affection increased by a large amount suddenly, even though he hadn't done anything significant. Then, in the short period of time when he had been in a strange state of mind, she suddenly reached the max in less time than it took to brew a pot of tea.Though he wanted to explain it away as coincidence and pretend she simply like him, Vahn couldn't ignore all the signs. He still felt appreciation for her, and even though she was remarkably beautiful and kind, but he couldn't ignore everything that just happened. If not for his ability to see auras, Vahn may not have even noticed something was strange from start to finish. After a small amount of hesitation, he looked into his inventory and saw the item that he had just obtained. Expecting that it would clarify things, Vahn used the [Hearts Desire: Syr Flova] in order to clarify matters.Even with his eyes closed, Vahn could feel time stagnate around him as his mind began replaying a series of images in his mind...Syr hated everyone around her. Ever since she could think and act for herself, she had quickly developed a disgust for all of the foolish people around her. They all treated her kindly, but she could see they were all trying to fool her and manipulate her into doing what they wanted her to do. All of the kids in the orphanage avoided her, and some of them even called her a demon and a witch behind her back.Though she pretended their words didn't affect her, she couldn't help but cry when she was alone. She resented the parents that had abandoned her and left her with such cold and malicious people. Though they acted nice on the surface, she could see through their facades and knew that even the kindly couple that ran the orphanage actually sold some of the young girls to brothels after fooling them into thinking they had been adopted. She still remembered how the 'kind' and 'beautiful' blonde woman tried to fool her the same as the other girls the moment her body began to mature slightly.The only way she could protect herself was to act out or isolate herself away in areas where they couldn't easily find her. She refused to eat large meals and tried to stunt her own growth to prevent the lecherous eyes of others from taking an interest in her. However, even though she made so much effort to avoid their attention, it didn't prevent the man that ran the orphanage from trying to **** her. She struggled fiercely as the man continually accused her of trying to seduce him. He even called her cruel names like 'bitch' and 'slut' as he tried to force himself on her.Fortunately, before the man could rob her of her chastity, a massive woman showed up and quickly pummeled the man until most of the bones in his body were shattered. Syr couldn't help but ball up and cry in a historic fashion after the event had been brought to an end. The woman, who she later learned was named Mia Grande, had taken pity on her and took her away from the hell hole that was her life.Several months later, when she turned nine years old, she had finally started to feel safe again. She had spent the last few months cooped up in the home of Mia and refused contact with anyone. Everyone except Mia seemed to be irredeemably cruel in her eyes, and she couldn't help but see the disgusting nature they kept hidden behind their facades. Even the friends of Mia that tried to coax her into opening up had cruel natures hidden behind their smiles. The only place where she felt safe was within the house where only she and Mia resided together.One day, the goddess that Mia served showed up at the house and, for the first time, Syr couldn't see through the woman. The only thing she saw in the beautiful silver eyes of the goddess was intrigue and a hint of concern. Though she didn't know why Syr felt a bit of familiarity with the woman and a warm feeling passed through her mind for a brief moment. From that point on, even though Mia tried to oppose, Syr became the protege of the goddess.Syr learned that the beautiful goddess was named Freya, and that, she too, possessed the ability to 'charm' other people. The accusation had terrified Syr, since she still had nightmares about the man that kept insisting that she was tempting him. She began to fear that his words were true and that the cause of her suffering and near-rape was due to her own actions. Freya admonished her for her foolishness and began counseling her on the way people thought and acted. With her teaching, Syr learned that she had the ability to see the 'truth' behind peoples thoughts and emotions, and she could use her ability to find people worthy of her affection.For several years after that initial meeting, Syr was taught by Freya on several occasions and forced to interact with people. She was constantly tested and required to evaluate people's true natures, and she slowly began to learn how her own 'charm' was activated. Whenever a person had an interest in her, if she maintained eye contact with them for several seconds they would enter a naturally charmed state. Though it wasn't nearly as powerful as her goddess and mentor, it was still very useful.However, when she was twelve years old, another incident happened which terrified Syr to the core. Freya had wanted to test her one last time and required her to actively try to seduce an influential man that was also the Captain of a smaller Familia. Though the Familia was just B-Rank, the Captain was still Level 4 and quite capable. He was young and popular among women, and Freya wanted her to steal him out from under their noses. She taught Syr that, the only way she could be happy was to create a world where she had absolute control over the people around her. The only way she could do that is with power, and if she couldn't obtain it herself, she needed to obtain it from others. If she could steal the heart of powerful adventurers, there would never be any danger to her well-being again.Though Syr still had inhibitions and didn't even like the man, she still tried to 'seduce' him according to her teachings. Unfortunately, things didn't go planned as she quickly learned what kind of personality the man had. Though he looked kind and treated women politely, Syr could sense the same negative feelings from him as the man from the orphanage. It wasn't long until her intuition proved true as the man actually tried to drug her and **** her in her sleep on the very same day she approached him. Because of her resistance, Syr wasn't affected to the same extent of other girls, but the man wasn't deterred and seemed to become even more excited at her struggles.Luckily, Mia had gotten wind of what was going on and burst into the scene before twisting the man's arm more than three times around before crushing his genitals. Even though the man was strong in his own grade, he couldn't do anything against the powerful Mia as she made short work of the cruel man. Syr learned later that, the only reason so many girls catered to him, was because he had threatened them after forcibly raping them in a manner similar to what he had tried with her.From that point on, Syr hated Freya as well and left her guidance to work with Mia at a pub called the Hostess of Fertility. She swore to herself that she wouldn't rely on her 'charm' ability to try and live happily and that she would seek out kind and gentle people to associate with. She didn't care about trying to build a powerful organization like Freya in order to 'guarantee her happiness', she just wanted to meet someone that would treat her well.However, no matter how much she wanted to change, she couldn't put her habits behind her and quickly fell into a cycle of exploiting others. Though she didn't use their affection for her to manipulate their lives or control them, she did use it to promote Mia's business. Their regular customers began growing at a rapid rate, and Syr was very happy with how lively things were. She also had the chance to meet many strong and powerful adventurers and hear the stories of their conquests. She learned that not every many was a cruel and lecherous scoundrel, but she still refused any of their attempts to court her.Though she didn't like to admit it, Syr couldn't help but admit that she had agreed with one part of Freya's teachings. It was better to have a strong and capable man instead of one that just treated her well. A weak man, no matter how kind he was, wouldn't be able to guarantee her safety if something happened. She wanted a strong man near her own age or one that had boundless potential. In order to find what she was looking for, she began listening to the various rumors of the guests and trying to bait the discussed people to the pub so she could meet them. Unfortunately, no matter how many men she met, none of them could meet her standards. Everyone always had something they were hiding, and the more she interacted with them, even the 'nice' guys started looking at her with disgusting expressions.The only thing she wanted was a man that was kind, strong, capable, and treated her well without only caring about her appearance. They also needed to possess a strong will that could resist her 'charm' and enough resolve to improve regardless of the difficulties they would face in the future. Was that really too much to ask for? Syr didn't think so, and she never stopped looking for her prince charming.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Divergence','Literally everyone has a tragic backstory','Very Dangerous Items')If you'd like to support me on ******* so I can become a full-time writer, please follow this link~!https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $485/640 of my goal of making this my actual job. I promise that, if I'm able to do so, I will be writing 50 chapters a week :D

Chapter 176: Refusal