Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After leaving the Hostess of Fertility, it was nearing 3 PM and Vahn didn't have anything planned. He thought about visiting the Twilight Manor and meeting with Tiona and Ais but didn't think it would be appropriate at the moment. Vahn started to consider if he should be taking the next few days off in the real world while seriously focusing his efforts in the orb. Since he would be staying near the Hostess of Fertility, Vahn could easily visit Hephaestus and Eina over the next few days while checking up on Milan and Tina.Vahn spent the rest of the afternoon lazing about the City and taking in the various sights and sounds while he contemplated future matters. In this time, he had been hearing several rumors about himself and the matters that had taken place the prior night. Even though he had only been forced to leave the Hephaestus Familia just this morning, it seemed to be a popular topic of discussion in the general populace. Till now, his name was known but his face and figure had remained relatively obscure and most people didn't recognize him. Now, however, Vahn noticed several people giving him a variety of different looks.Since the information spreading around had his normal appearance, Vahn decided to walk through the town in his Báihǔ form to avoid attention. Even though he actually stood out quite a bit because of his striking appearance, most people couldn't recognize him as the 'Former' Vulcan. As he was no longer part of the Hephaestus Familia, his alias had actually been stripped from him and some people were even calling him a 'God Killer' even though it was made public that he hadn't actually done the deed.Before experiencing it first hand, Vahn hadn't realized how quickly information spread through the City's networks and it was somewhat disheartening hearing what some people said about him. Though he wasn't too concerned with their opinions, it still made him feel a little sad that people he had never met saw fit to pass judgment and draw conclusions about his character. Even though it was known that Laverna was leading a 'Crime Familia', Vahn was still painted as a menace that didn't know how to show proper restraint. Fortunately, Milan and Tina's names seemed to have been covered up while speculation about the identity of the actual god killer was still a mystery.By the time 5 PM came around, Vahn was sitting atop a tall building that could overlook a large part of the City. With his stealth and agility, there were few places Vahn couldn't get to unless they were protected by barriers. Since he could see the magical energies of formations, there wasn't really any chance of Vahn being detected by normal means. As he sat atop the seven-storied building, Vahn overlooked the City in silent contemplation before finding a flat area to lay down and enter the orb.Once inside, Vahn spent some affectionate time with Eva and noticed her behavior had transitioned from being overly affectionate to a more supportive and docile temperament. Instead of greedily seeking pleasure and warmth, they spent more time cuddling and talking about the future and each of their various troubles.It was during the first of many of these sessions when Vahn learned about the issues between Eva and (Nameless). Even though she made an effort to treat it better, she couldn't communicate with it well and it always seemed to get distracted whenever it was left to its own devices. It had developed the habit of digging up some of the plants in her garden which had irked her a fair amount. Though she still fed it, after a few months of failed attempts to get along with it, Eva gave up trying. The final straw had been when she tried to force it to take a bath, but the water actually made it smell worse.Vahn had also noticed that (Nameless)'s loyalty had diminished a fair amount in the time he hadn't seen it, but it quickly replenished to a normal level after Vahn interacted with it a bit. Perhaps because it was feeling neglected within the space, but (Nameless) always reacted positively when he was around. It was likely due to their bond and spiritual link and it's ability to easily understand Vahn's thoughts and orders. Vahn also didn't think poorly of it, and never shied away from giving it a bit of affection.Even though Vahn also found (Nameless) quite ugly, he didn't want to be the type of person that neglected those that have chosen to follow him. Since (Nameless) had been his first subordinate and would be one of his long-time companions, Vahn wanted it to be happier. Though it wasn't much, he purchased a hearty meal for it and even gave it a large collar with a non-descript golden nametag which was currently left blank. It seemed to be very happy and even tried to affectionately lick Vahn's hand for a while before he just pet its head to avoid the foul smelling breath. Eva even made him wash his hands plentily when it came time for their bath or she wouldn't allow him to touch her.Vahn's resolve to give (Nameless) a good name became more firmly cemented in his mind as he returned it to its magic core state and placed it back into his inventory before leaving. Eva didn't seem to mind being in the space alone since Vahn had given her a veritable warehouse full of books and items to keep her occupied. They make things easier, Vahn had purchased nearly 100,000OP worth of building materials since he remembered she had once wanted to build a castle. She put a lot of effort into construction and meticulously maintained the garden they had planted together, so Vahn thought increasing the scale according to her interests would be a good idea. They spent a few hours together with Eva in high spirits as they talked about the design which ended up looking like a miniature castle straight out of a fairy tale.Back in the real world, Vahn was in much higher spirits after interacting with Eva in the orb-space. He went back toward the Hostess of Fertility where he spent dinner alongside Tina and Milan and even had a short conversation with Ryuu before parting. Vahn was somewhat surprised when she seemed to be interested in joining his Familia in the future when he had explained his intentions to turn it into a 'righteous' Familia.He was unaware at the time, but Ryuu had already resolved herself to support him alongside several other members of the Hostess of Fertility like Chloe and Syr. The three girls had, without explaining things fully to Vahn, decided they would help expand his information network and try to manage things on the darker side of the spectrum to prevent Vahn from being overburdened by those with malicious intent.When Vahn had returned to the Inn, he felt strangely lonely while he was sleeping in the unfamiliar bed. Though he hadn't realized it before, there had almost always been someone sleeping alongside him for more than a month without an exception. Now that he was in bed alone, Vahn felt like the night air was surprisingly cold and he used his [Heart of the Eternal Flame] to keep himself warm as he conversed with Sis about future plans and possible solutions.By her suggestion, Vahn decided to spend the next few days using the resources he had available to him to increase the strength of his foundation. Though they wouldn't offer a great increase in his parameters, they would promote his growth in the future while increasing the number of parameters he could obtain per level. The majority of the items came in the form of various pills that could be ingested immediately, and each of them caused Vahn some degree of discomfort as his body processed the effects. Vahn consumed them all before going to sleep while planning to make use of the remaining powders in his future baths.Morning came sooner than he expected and Vahn once gain felt somewhat lonely to awake to an empty bed. With a sigh, he returned to the orb and refreshed himself by spending more time with Eva. Since she had four years to manage the construction, the miniature castle had already been completed and Eva expanded the walls of their previous house and garden and turned it into a small courtyard. The biggest impact to Vahn had been the various statues that Eva decided to decorate the area with.When he had seen the first one, Vahn's mind blanked because it was a 5m tall nude version of himself striking a heroic pose while cradling a naked Eva in one of his arms. Though the craftsmanship was incredible, Vahn felt awkward every time he saw anything depicting himself. He felt like the version Eva had created in her mind was something much greater than he currently was and Vahn even felt somewhat pressured by her expectations.Since it was only the two of them that could enter the space, Eva wasn't shy at all when it came to creating her paintings and sculptures, and the most common medium had always been Vahn and herself in various scenes. There were paintings where they would be sitting amongst nature peacefully while others showed fantastical scenes where they were fighting titanic creatures hand-in-hand.Eva even had a wing of the castle where she had forbidden Vahn entry and the overly serious look on her face had caused him to swallow hard before making a promise not to. It was fortunate he listened to her as well since the artwork within her private wing was much more intense than anything on display outside. She had seen Vahn's somewhat inhibited response to her earlier pieces and lost any confidence she had in letting him see what she believed to be her true masterpieces.By the time Vahn had left the orb again, his mentality had stabilized quite a bit and he was making more progress in his forging, though only by marginal amounts. He had gotten the suggestion from Sis to try and use his [Eyes of Truth] to assist in the creation of items and now Vahn was slowly trying to adapt to the ability. Unfortunately, the expenditure of energy was far too high so Vahn had limited success and couldn't create any kind of magically infused materials at all.Once he returned to the real world, Vahn took a bath using some [Intermediate Body Strengthening Liquid] before meditating for a few hours until it was time to head to the Hostess of Fertility for lunch. Since the pub didn't typically open until 10 AM, they didn't serve breakfast since they required time to clean up and prepare everything after the close of business the previous day.Tina always ate while sitting in Vahn's lap, and he felt like she was becoming overly reliant on him in a manner similar to Lili. Milan always acted more reserved, but she still sat next to Vahn as they all enjoyed their meals together. Vahn missed the playful and teasing nature that she used to have and hoped that she would be able to recover sooner since it would likely help Tina stabilize as well.During the lunch, Vahn was finally able to reunite with Chloe but she was acting uncharacteristically polite and attentive since she was being considerate of Milan and Tina. Vahn felt somewhat apologetic toward her since he actually wanted to spoil her quite a bit after everything that happened two days ago. Since she was very perceptive of him, Chloe noticed his intentions and teased him a bit when Milan and Tina had finally returned to their duties.Chloe stepped forward with a mischevious smile as she stroked Vahn's chest and stomach playfully with squinted eyes. Vahn countered by hugging her waist and trying to kiss her, but she lowered her head slightly and Vahn ended up landing on her forehead which caused the cat girl to laugh in a, 'Nyahaha' like manner. Vahn smiled at her antics and just held her closely for several seconds until she relaxed in his arms.After a while, Chloe whispered in a somewhat sensual tone in Vahn's ear, "If you still want to know about me...I can come to your Inn tonight...and we can talk~nya." Her words had tickled his ear and caused Vahn's brows to raise slightly. When he turned to make eye contact with her, he noticed she actually had a bit of concern in her eyes and her aura was fluctuating slightly. Vahn sighed in his mind because he realized she must have known he was feeling somewhat lonely.He asked in a low tone, "Is it really that easy to read my face?" His words caused Chloe to laugh cheerfully before she placed her hand on his cheek and smiled. She whispered in a quiet tone that couldn't be overheard even if others had been listening attentively, "It is indeed very easy~nya. But, it is one of the best traits about you...it makes it easy for people to trust you and allows us to share your concerns. Make sure to keep your window unlocked tonight~nya."Vahn smiled and held her closely as he once again planted his lips on her forehead for a while before pulling away and resting his forehead against her's. Staring at her from so close made Vahn feel like there was no distance between them as he looked into her caring and glimmering green eyes. He felt like Chloe was one of the most significant people in his entire life and wanted to know more about her so they could be even closer. With a light smile on his face, Vahn whispered, "I'll be waiting..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Eva's Artistic Inclination','Poor (Nameless)','Chloe's Invitation')If you'd like to support my ******* so I can continue writing the story and expanding the world even further, please follow the link below~!https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $735/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

The intimate parting they shared after lunch ended up creating an awkward situation when Vahn returned to the Hostess of Fertility in the evening for dinner. He had spent time within the orb as usual and had completely forgotten that he had planned to be eating lunch and dinner with Tina and Milan for the time being. When Chloe saw him after their earlier promise, she actually began laughing after seeing Vahn embarrassed. While she served the three their meal, she kept teasing him more and more even though Milan and Tina had been present.When Vahn finally left the Hostess of Fertility and returned to the Inn, he was feeling somewhat tense as he waited inside his room with the window latch unfastened. Chloe's antics had caused him to feel slightly nervous about her arrival and he ended up waiting for several hours before he started to get tired. As he lay back onto his bed, he remembered that the Hostess of Fertility didn't actually close until much later and Chloe would likely be working until closing.Since there were still a few hours, Vahn decided to relax and take a nap while keeping his domain spread loosely around the entire Inn. He could easily distinguish Chloe's auras from others, so he would be able to detect her the moment she arrived outside the Inn. This was how, around 2 AM, Vahn was able to awaken early enough to clear his mind and receive Chloe the moment she tried to sneak in through the window. Seeing Vahn casually open the window for her as soon as she leaped onto the ledge, Chloe laughed amusedly before making her way into the room.After looking around for a few seconds, Chloe sat on the bed and removed her outer cloak as she asked, "Were you waiting outside the window for me this entire time~nya?" Since she had arrived in the attire she wore during her missions, Chloe began to get more comfortable as she kicked off her boots before crossing her legs on the bed. Vahn shook his head in response to her earlier question and answered with a smile, "I was waiting earlier, but I decided to take a nap after remembering how late the Hostess of Fertility closed."Vahn removed the stealth aspect of his domain and converged it to only encompass the room which caused Chloe's brows to raise as she remarked, "Your divinity can be spread without creating any pressure and you were able to detect my arrival? That is a very useful skill, I'm actually quite jealous~nya." Vahn laughed at her antics as he sat next to her on the bed and prepared himself to listen to her story.Chloe didn't immediately begin her story as she peeled off her gloves and dropped them onto the floor before removing her dark blue tunic that concealed her modest breasts behind a simple black bra. Vahn was somewhat surprised by her actions until she laid on the bed with her back to him and removed her bra as well. Now she only had on her white shorts and a pair of black stockings as she looked toward Vahn with a somewhat mischevious gleam in her eyes.Vahn was somewhat distracted by her lithe figure and the black cat tail that danced around slowly above the shorts Chloe was wearing. He almost felt like there was a subtly hypnotic rhythm to its movements and it wasn't until Chloe spoke that he turned his eyes away from the sight. She giggled a bit and said, "I heard you're great at massages, so in exchange for me telling you my story, I want you to spoil me a bit~nya."Her words made Vahn smile and he warned in a playful tone, "If I do it the normal way, you might not be able to speak at all~." His words caused Chloe's eyes to squint as her smile deepened a bit. After a period of silence, she said, "That sounds somewhat interesting~nya. For now, got easy on me a bit~nyahaha." Vahn nodded his head before placing his palms on her bare back. Though he didn't use [Hands of Nirvana], it didn't mean he was unaware of the proper points to conduct the massage. It wasn't nearly as effective as when he used the skill, but it was still comparable in quality to an expert masseuse.Chloe writhed a little under his hands as she laughed in her characteristic cat-like intonation. She seemed to be really enjoying his caress and it made Vahn feel more confident in his own skills. The fact that he could get such a reaction without relying on [Hands of Nirvana] made him feel satisfied with his own progress. He continued to trace his fingers along Chloe's back and relieving some of the tensions that had built up in her body. Vahn was surprised with how many knots he found which implied she was somewhat stressed out as a result of her daily activities.While Vahn was giving her a massage, Chloe was paying attention to his expression and how he was treating her body. She was somewhat relieved to see that Vahn didn't lose his sensibilities when she had removed her bra and entrusted her body to him. Though it wasn't too serious, she had been worried that Vahn was still overly reliant on sexual stimulus and would require her attention. Now, however, it seemed like he was perfectly fine and treated her body with care and focus without showing any signs of losing himself in the moment.Chloe suddenly felt a lot safer in the room and began to genuinely enjoy the attentiveness of Vahn's actions. It was her dream to always be spoiled by young boys and, even though Vahn was maturing, he still fell well within the boundaries of her preference. Now that he was spoiling her in such a skilled manner, Chloe felt like she was living a pleasant dream that made her feel a strange sense of fulfillment.After more than an hour passed, Vahn was beginning to think Chloe had fallen asleep and had forgotten the purpose of her visit. Since he had to enter the orb in around two hours, he wanted to hear her story before he experienced the three-day gap in his awareness of the real world. He could see she had a very comfortable expression on her face and it looked like she wasn't far from just falling asleep with a happy expression. It wasn't like the times when people had passed out under his hands, she seemed to be genuinely comfortable.Vahn felt like teasing her a bit so he could change the flow and atmosphere, so he traced his thumb at the area right above where her tail connected to her lower back. Chloe's awareness immediately came back as she looked toward Vahn's face with curiosity before lifting herself onto her elbows to get a better look at where his thumb was. Realizing his intent, Chloe showed a mischevious smile that seemed to Vahn as if she was taunting him.With a smile on his face, Vahn changed from preparing to press his thumb against the base of her tail as he ran his palm along her back that was covered with a light layer of sweat. When she had turned around, Vahn got a peek at her uncovered breasts and the slightly pink protrusions that had been hidden previously. Now that Chloe had broken from her absentminded state, he didn't have to tease her anymore and just continued to pamper her a bit.Chloe laughed before turning her body around and facing Vahn without bothering to cover herself at all. She laid back on the bed before patting the area next to her which Vahn took as permission to lay next to her. Once he did so, Chloe turned her body sideways and oriented toward him as she began to idly stroke his chest while staring at his face. She had a smile on her face, but Vahn could see a melancholy spread in her eyes as her aura began to droop and fluctuate a bit.Reaching his hand under her body, Vahn pulled Chloe into his chest and felt her modest breasts press into his body as she continued to hold eye contact with him. Vahn used his left hand to stroke her face as he said in a gentle tone, "Please, tell me...I want to know everything about you." His words made Choe's eyes open very slightly before she released a sigh and rested her head against the pillow next to him. After a brief period of silence, Chloe began to recount the tale of her past and the life she lived before they met.---Her tale began long before she had actually possessed any awareness about herself or her surroundings. Chloe had been born into a Familia that specialized in Assassination and providing security for various criminal organizations in the Empire located to the west. Both of her parents had been enforcers in the Familia while her Father had specialized in assassination. Ever since the first moment she could actually recall, Chloe had been trained to follow in his footsteps and quickly developed the skills necessary to take on jobs by the time she was eight.As a child assassin, it made it very easy for her to approach unsuspecting targets before quickly robbing them of their lives. Whenever she performed well, she would be praised by her father as well as the other members of the Familia. Though her mother resisted the fact that her daughter was exposed to such dangers at an early age, there wasn't much she could do to change the minds of those around, including her husband. Chloe was a naturally gifted assassin and learned new skills quickly and had a very high success rate.Unaware of how corrupted she had become, Chloe continued to kill her targets with great enthusiasm so that she could receive the praises of everyone around her. She developed a lackadaisical mentality and a cheerful demeanor to make it easier to approach others and spent all of her efforts on trying to improve as an assassin.Her mother had worried about Chloe's mentality and future happiness, so she started having Chloe play with similarly aged children at a nearby orphanage. As it was the first time Chloe associated with children her own age, her mentality quickly began to change as she enjoyed her time with the other children. Unfortunately, due to her experience as an assassin and the warped personality she had developed, Chloe wasn't able to easily adapt to the 'common sense' of the other kids.When one of the kids had suffered a somewhat harsh punishment by own of the orphanage attendants, Chloe actually snuck into the man's room in the middle of the night before slitting his throat. Thinking that her 'friend' would be happy that the person that punished her was dead, Chloe showed up the next day with a smile only to see the young girl she had 'helped' had broken down into tears.It was the first time Chloe had killed someone and, instead of being praised, it brought harm to one of the people she cared about. After that, she stopped going to the Orphanage and refused to take on missions with the same enthusiasm she had in the past. Her father was disappointed in her and berated her for being a failure, but her mother treated her with kindness and consoled her at night.Things continued this way for a few years and Chloe only accepted missions after performing careful investigations of her targets. She started to realize that the Familia she belonged to was actually an evil organization and noticed that she had been treated as a convenient tool to eliminate their enemies. The only person that seemed to actually care about her was her mother who would always console her after her missions. Chloe no longer sought approval and praise for killing her targets and even started to hate being an assassin.Chloe wanted to change her profession and do something that didn't involve killing, but no matter how much effort she put into other things she always ended up being asked to take another life. She was simply too good at her job and had been brainwashed by the Familia around her to the point where she almost had two different personalities. Even when she tried to resist and refuse work, she and her mother would be mistreated by their own allies until it got to the point where her parents eventually got divorced. Soon after that event, some of the members of the Familia tried to sneak into the place where she and her mother were sleeping and her mother died trying to protect her from the assault.From then on, Chloe was truly alone in the Familia and began to hate their existence. If not for the vows she was bound by and the crest on her back, she wanted to run away and leave this nightmare behind. Eventually, she managed to convince the goddess of the Familia to agree to let her leave, but only if she could eliminate a well-known knight of the Empire with a simple dagger.Though she nearly died in the process due to the heavily armored knight's skill with a blade, she managed to eventually edge out ahead when, after she had nearly been defeated, the knight got overconfident. Since he found her to be 'cute', he wanted Chloe to come live with him and he would help train her to become his personal disciple. Even though she was only eleven at the time, Chloe was Level 3, the same as the knight even though he was twenty-five. He saw her as a useful tool that he could groom according to his own preferences and ideals.Chloe pretended to submit to the knight and he tried to force her to strip down her clothes and leave them behind so that she could truly leave behind her life and devote herself to him. He told her that from then on, she would only do as he ordered, wear what he bought her, and act in the manner he designated. Chloe acceded to his demands and began to strip down as the man watched her with an 'evil' and possessive grin on his face. The moment she reached down and pulled her panties to the ground, Chloe lifted the knife off the ground before plunging it into knight's throat when he had dropped his guard in anticipation.The knight had an incredulous face as he fell to the ground with Chloe on top of his body and a knife in his throat. The last thing he had seen before he faded away into perpetual darkness was the petite and naked form of Chloe covered in his own blood while looking at him with absolute disgust on her face. Following that event, Chloe had officially reached Level 4 and was given leniency to leave the Familia after having her crest removed. From then on, she traveled around the continent until finally arriving in Orario a year later.After arriving in the City, Chloe had trouble finding any real work and didn't have any interest in becoming an Adventurer so it wasn't long until she took up her old habits. She started killing criminals under the alias of 'Black Cat' and became notorious in the criminal underworld. Though it wasn't the best living, she made a decent amount of money off of bounties up until the point where she accepted the request to kill a first-rate adventurer named Shakti that was the Captain of the Ganesha. It had been at a time when she desperately needed money, so Chloe accepted the job even though it wasn't the normal type of mission she took.Unfortunately, Shakti had been far stronger than she expected and Chloe had nearly died after a very brief exchange. From then on, she refused to accept missions to kill first-rate Adventurers and focused solely on eliminating criminals. Her life continued in this way until she accepted the bounty to hunt down Ryuu, who was worth 80MV at the time. The mission ultimately failed and Chloe realized that Ryuu was a good person that had only gotten her bounty after being falsely accused of killing her own Familia. The two became closer after the fact and ended up joining the Hostess of Fertility later alongside Chloe's good friend Lunoire that she had met shortly after entering the City.For the first time in a while, Chloe was happy and enjoyed working at the Hostess of Fertility and even joined a new Familia in Melen when she visited it with Syr in the past. It was called the Fjord Familia, and they specialized in fishing and trade which appealed to Chloe since her favorite food was fish. However, even though she found a good job and joined a new Familia, Chloe still couldn't overlook some of the more evil natured people around her. She would often moonlight as an assassin and accepted missions to hunt down criminals. Though there was a bit of conflict when Mama Mia found out, Syr had managed to talk her down and Chloe had been spending life ever since living both in the light and the darkness of society.Vahn listened to her words in silence as he continued to gently stroke her back. He could tell it wasn't easier for her to recount the events, even though she tried to play off some of the sadder parts with laughter or a smile. When her story was finally complete, Vahn raised her chin and looked into her eyes with a profoundly sad expression on his face. Chloe had seen his look and it infected her as well as a slight mist began to speckle her eyes.Seeing the approaching tears, Vahn showed Chloe a gentle and loving smile before kissing her on the lips. She didn't resist his actions at all and even reciprocated with a somewhat muted passion. When her tongue entered his mouth and overlapped with his, Vahn noticed that it had a slightly different texture than any of the other girls he had kissed. He pushed that matter to the back of his mind and immersed himself in the moment as he tried to comfort the girl that had seemed so strong to him but had born such a heavy burden for so long.After a few minutes, they separated and Vahn wiped away some of the tears that had snuck their way out of her eyes with his thumbs. He kissed her on the forehead before saying, "You are one of the strongest women I've ever had the honor of knowing. Thank you for sharing your past with me Chloe..."Though Chloe still had a bit of melancholy in her expression, she felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders after she shared her story with Vahn. Seeing the care and concern he had for her made her heart feel a warmth deep within. She had been paying attention to his expression the entire time she recounted her story, and there was not a single moment when he looked as if he was going to judge her for her past. Even though she had killed so many people and had become a tool for others, Vahn didn't seem to mind at all and she could see that he genuinely empathized with her.The warmth in her body continue to grow when they started to kiss and she felt very safe in his embrace even though she had sworn off men ever since the incident with the knight. One of the reasons she liked younger boys was because they were still innocent and it felt like she had control over the situation. Remembering how an older man had looked down on her like she was a possession in the past, Chloe had been making an effort to avoid them for the last eight years. Now, being held by Vahn, most of her fears felt like they were slowly draining away. When she saw his expression change and heard his words of gratitude, the warmth in her chest felt like it was beginning to melt her heart as she looked into his eyes and said, "Vahn, I think I might love you..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The skilled Mortalhand','What is an Empire before an Emperor?','Chloe's confession')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $735/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

After his parting words, Vahn actually took off running before Tsubaki could regain her composure. In a manner similar to their last parting, Vahn ran away so she wouldn't thrash him in a fit of emotional outburst. Seeing him run away, Tsubaki broke out of her confusion before pulling out a hammer that she kept on her person at all times. Lining up the shot, she threw it hard enough to break the sound barrier as it flew by Vahn's head before smashing into a nearby wall.Vahn easily evaded the blow since he had expected it to come, but he still sweated when he saw the spiderweb cracks on the hard surface where the hammer had embedded itself. Transforming into his Báihǔ form, he jumped onto the roof of one of the nearby workshops and quickly disappeared from the sights of the five girls.Tsubaki looked like she was 'fuming', but everyone present could see the blush on her face as she turned to give them a reproachful glare. Each of them averted their eyes except for Anubis who laughed quietly while covering her mouth. Tsubaki turned her gaze to her which prompted Anubis to say, "After the incident earlier, it was only a matter of time before he tried to grab your butt. You do have the biggest one out of all the women around him after all."Frowning slightly, Tsubaki seemed to be lost in her thoughts for a brief moment before she turned her gaze to the gently wagging tail of Anubis. A smile appeared on her face as she walked toward the unsuspecting goddess before slapping her on the butt with an open-palmed strike. Anubis immediately yelped, but everyone present heard there was a sensual undertone to the vocalization that caused her to blush and avert her eyes. Tsubaki began laughing loudly as she said, "Your butt isn't so bad either! And it looks like you have some peculiar interests as well~."Unable to easily deal with someone as 'shameless' as Tsubaki, Anubis ended up excusing herself from the conversation with Nanu in tow. Naaza and Lili had made eye contact with each other and came to an unspoken agreement as they secretly pledged not to tease Tsubaki when she was embarrassed. Though it didn't seem it did a lot of damage, the slap had been incredible audible and had even caused several passersby to look over with unconcealed intrigue.---After he had gone a few blocks, Vahn returned to normal while keeping his domain spread thinly in a 5m area around him. At this range, he would be able to respond to the majority of attacks even if they were from a Level 5. Ever since the ambush from yesterday, Vahn didn't want to take the chance of getting caught with his domain inactive again. Even if he might draw the attention of a god or goddess by using it, as long as he kept it contained close to his body there shouldn't be any issues. Since he was able to differentiate between mortals and gods by the size of their aura, Vahn wasn't worried about getting found out easily.It was at this moment, when Vahn was finally away from everyone, that he realized he was homeless for the first time in a while. Though brief, he even had a small desire to return to his forest cave and rest there for a few days. That thought passed quickly, however, when the image of Tina and Milan surfaced in his mind. There was also the matter regarding Hestia's descent from Heaven and the formation of her Familia. Vahn would be the first member and would be acting as the role of a Captain when it came to recruiting more members. He figured that, by the time Bell arrived more than two years from now, the Familia would have grown to the size of a small organization. Vahn even wanted to try and get it to Rank A or S if he could get enough powerful members to join.With thoughts of the future in his mind, Vahn wondered if he should purchase a place now or wait until Hestia finally came down so they could choose it together. Though he expected she would want to be spoiled, Vahn actually looked forward to his interactions with the goddess. Much like Eina, he was naturally predisposed to want to associate with her since she had been one of Vahn's favorite characters in the past. Though he didn't initially have any romantic interest in her, remembering the words from Loki, Vahn considered that it might happen in the future and it made him a little giddy.Even though he knew Hestia had liked Bell in the manga, Vahn was more invested in living his own life and trying to respond to the thoughts, actions, and feelings of the people he liked to be around. He might not make any early advances on Hestia, but Vahn expected they would grow close very quickly since she seemed to have a disposition that enjoyed physical contact. In most of the scenes, other than when she was working or interacting with the plot, Hestia could be seen clinging to Bell in some form or fashion. Though he felt the smallest amount of guilt, Vahn didn't think anyone belonged to anyone else and he had already irreversibly changed fate. Hestia would end up with who she chooses, and Vahn didn't mind if he became the object of her affections in the future.After all, it was still more than two years before Bell came to the City, and Vahn didn't think it was appropriate to try and force a situation just because it had been prominent in the original 'record'. He had already been engaged to Eina while experiencing his first time with two other prominent girls in Tiona and Ais. Since he also had a potential relationship with Syr and Ryuu, Vahn didn't feel the need to restrict himself according to a fate that no longer existed. If he had let things progress naturally, Lili would have been forced to suffer for several more years while Tiona would have continued experiencing her loneliness. Naaza would have lost her arm and entered a powerful depression after the collapse of her Familia and Tsubaki would have lived the rest of her life alone. Since Vahn truly cared about each of the girls around him, he had no regrets or inhibitions about trying his best in the future.Vahn knew Bell had a natural charisma that would draw people to him in the future, so he wasn't overly concerned about his well-being. He intended to make friends with the young hero and help promote his growth and awakening as a genuine hero. Even if Hephaestus didn't forge him a dagger by the request of Hestia, Vahn could make him a number of powerful pieces of equipment while letting him make use of the network he would develop in the future. Bell would even be able to accompany the Loki Familia on their expeditions from the outset if he so chose while having a number of people to train with and grow alongside.After ruminating a bit, Vahn decided to stay at an Inn called the 'Boars Teeth' that was near the center of the City. Since he would be moving around a lot in the next few days, Vahn wanted a central location that would allow him to easily reach other areas of the City when he was feeling whimsical. He paid for a week upfront, though he only expected to be staying for the next three days. If nothing else the proprietress, a middle-aged woman with purple hair and green eyes, could use the remaining amount as she saw fit.Once he had a place to stay, Vahn headed toward the Hostess of Fertility to check up on Milan and Tina. He also wanted to enjoy a long lunch and spend some time with Chloe and pamper her for a while. Though he was trying to break the mindset of 'paying people back', Vahn still felt like he needed to tend to her more. Not because he owed her anything, but because he respected her character and enjoyed her company. He also wanted to hear about her past and assumed it might bring them close enough that her affection increases to the cap. If he could see her hearts desire, Vahn felt like he would have a better understanding of how to help her break free from the darkness in the future.Arriving outside the familiar pub, Vahn was surprised because there was a figure that immediately ran through the double doors before leaping into his arms. Though she was wearing a miniature version of the waitress outfit of the Hostess of Fertility, Vahn still recognized the girl as Tina and caught her smoothly without losing his balance. When he caught her, she immediately began to nuzzle into his chest and Vahn suddenly felt she was acting a lot like Lili had when he first saved her.Vahn gently stroke her head as he placed her onto the ground so she could stand on her own two feet. However, even though he put her down, Tina still continued to cling to him like she was afraid to let him go. Vahn felt pained by the way she was acting because it was a far cry from her usual behavior that acted more sensibly. Stroking her back gently, Vahn said in a quiet voice, "Everything is okay Tina, I'm not going anywhere."Tina didn't look up at his face as she continued to cling to him as tears started building up in her eyes. She said in a slightly sobbing voice, "When I woke up, you weren't there. I had nightmares..." Her body began to shake and it made Vahn feel like his heart was going to break. He continued trying to console her and whispered, "I carried you all the way back while protecting you and your mother. It is safe here, and I'll be able to visit often..."Her hands around his waist tightened and she raised her teary doe-like eyes as she said, "We're supposed to be together...I don't want to stay here. Even though the girls are all nice, I want to come to stay with you. Mom can come with us as well...we can be happy..." Tina's tears started dripping heavily from her eyes and Vahn felt like she was almost pleading to him.Kneeling down, Vahn hugged Tina closely even though they were drawing the attention of several people. Milan had also come out from inside the Hostess of Fertility with Syr standing beside her. Both of the girls had sad expressions as they watched Vahn trying to console Tina. They both knew she had been putting on a strong front and trying her best to interact with customers, but the moment she detected Vahn's scent, she immediately broke down and ran out of the pub after causing a small commotion.Vahn looked around the area before picking up Tina in his arms and asking Syr, "Can I use the usual room?" Syr gave him a gentle and encouraging smile as she and Milan followed Vahn into the private room he had permanently reserved during the lunch hours. Sitting in the booth, Vahn held Tina sideways on his lap as he used [Hands of Nirvana] to help calm her. He then began to explain everything that had happened recently to the girls present and tried to help Tina understand that a lot of things were changing right now.He encouraged Tina to stay strong and protect her mother while trying to learn from the girls at the Hostess of Fertility. Though he didn't know all of their stories, Vahn knew they all had some form of trauma or tragic past they were trying to overcome. Milan needed time away from interacting too heavily with men, and she had taken the role of one of the kitchen staff while Tina tried to maintain her liveliness by working as a waitress that delivered appetizers and snacks.Though she had trouble agreeing with him outright, Vahn managed to convince Tina to stay here temporarily with the support of Milan and Syr explaining things. The final straw had been when Milan embraced her body and the three shared a sad hug while both of the girls cried in his arms. Syr stood to the side with a gentle smile on her face and spoke encouraging words to the Mother-Daughter pair whole having Vahn promise to stop by for each meal until he found a place to stay permanently.Vahn agreed and told them about his plans to join the Hestia Familia when she descended three days from now. His words had actually prompted Milan to ask if she would be able to join the Familia sometime in the future. Tina also wanted to join and Vahn agreed to accept them both, but not before he had increased the security of the Familia and recruited some strong members. If they truly wanted to join a Familia soon, Vahn suggested the Loki Familia, since he would be accompanying them on their expeditions in the future and would be spending a lot of time there when his probationary period ended.Tina outright refused while saying she would only join the Familia he was in, but Milan considered the idea for a few minutes before inevitably deciding to accompany Tina. From her perspective, as soon as Vahn stabilized and became the Captain of a Familia, it would help guarantee the livelihoods of her and her daughter in the future. Though she didn't like to think in such a pragmatic way, especially in regards to Vahn, the incident the previous night had been an awakening for her. She had almost left Tina an orphan and wanted to guarantee that she had a safe place in the future even if she felt her thoughts were slightly exploitative.After coming to an agreement, Vahn ate lunch with the two girls after leaving a heavy tip with Mama Mia to excuse their absence. Syr was their server because, when Vahn asked, Chloe had asked for the day off after arriving slightly after sunrise. She had been out late while trying to close up loose ends and needed to recuperate a bit before returning to work tomorrow. Vahn was surprised with how informed Syr was about the situation and she explained that it was her role within the Hostess of Fertility to keep everyone unified. She knew about all the histories of the girls and did her best to make sure nothing happened that would cause problems for them. The only reason she spoke to Vahn about the matters was that she 'trusted' him and knew of his relationship with Chloe.Vahn thanked Syr for all the help she had provided and her response was to pause for a little while as she stared at Vahn's face. Curious about her actions, Vahn was about to ask when she quickly leaned forward and gave him a kiss right next to his lips without contacting them much. Vahn wasn't sure if she had tried to kiss his cheek or if she had aimed for his lips and misjudged her approach. Satisfied with his response, Syr chuckled and teased Vahn by saying, "Won't we all be family in the future~? I'm also drawn to your 'light', Vahn, make sure you don't forget..."Milan had already returned to her duties while Tina had been given the rest of the day off after lunch had come to an end. This left Vahn to stand blankly for a few seconds as he watched Syr trot away after successfully teasing him. Her actions caused Vahn to ruminate over her words and he realized that Chloe must have talked to her about what they had discussed within the escape tunnel. He hadn't realized her influence in the Hostess of Fertility until now but recalled that she was often exempt from several things while Mama Mia overlooked her actions.Now Vahn understood that the person in charge of the Hostess of Fertility all this time was actually Syr, even though Mama Mia was still the proprietress. Remembering that both of the items he had obtained from reaching max affection with Syr were related to 'Fertility', Vahn even suspected that Syr was the reason the pub had been established in the first place. He wondered how she would react when word got around that he was considered a 'demigod of fertility' himself since he now realized she was very obviously a 'demigoddess of fertility'...or something similar.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tina's Trauma','Milan's Concerns','Syr's Influence')If you'd like to support my ******* so I can continue writing the story and expanding the world even further, please follow the link below~!https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $735/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

Chapter 207: Routine Loneliness