Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After things settled down a bit and everyone had some food and drinks, Hephaestus and Eina had asked Vahn to sit between them as they stood up to address the rest of the group. As Vahn's official 'first wives', it had been their responsibility to organize everything and gather everyone together. Fortunately, most of the people related to Vahn were women that were fond of him and they had a pre-existing network established since the last 'Vahnatus'.Though not everyone was of age, Hephaestus lifted up a goblet of ruby red wine and said, "I would like to thank everyone for gathering here today to celebrate the birth and continued life of Vahn. Though it hasn't been officially announced, everyone here should be aware of the relationship between Vahn, Eina, and me." As if taking her cue, Eina continued, "As the official 'first wives' of Vahn, representing both goddesses and mortals, we wanted everyone to meet together and share this experience..."Other than Welf, everyone was present was already aware of Hephaestus and Eina's position, so he was the only one with shock on his face. Looking around, he realized he was the only one and swallowed an imaginary bit of saliva since his mouth had already gone dry. When Eina continued on and explained a bit of the origin regarding Vahn and the fact that he had never celebrated a birthday before, Welf had a somewhat solemn expression as he looked across at his 'former' rival.All of the girls present were aware of Vahn's past, but it was the first time they were hearing about the matter regarding Vahn never celebrating his birthday or any other holiday for that matter. The atmosphere of the party shifted a bit as many of the girls had somewhat sad expressions on their face while others resolved to make it up to Vahn in the future. If not for the fact that she was separated from Vahn by three other people, Tiona would have leaped across the table to comfort him right now. Unfortunately for her, not only were there people in her way, but she was also surrounded by Ais and Tione who had been assigned the task of keeping her at bay.After the explanation, Hephaestus raised her cup slightly to indicate everyone else to do the same. Once everyone lifted their glasses high, she said loudly and with unconcealed passion in her voice, "For Vahn, we come together to celebrate his birth and bless him with many more days to come!" In response, everyone present shouted out, "Happy birthday Vahn~!"Vahn had also raised his glass to toast, and hearing everyone celebrate his birthday in such high spirits was a big impact on him. Everyone around was someone that was close to him, and there were even several of his lovers, wives, and loved ones present. He could see the auras of everyone around him converging with himself at the center and the expressions of care and concern on their faces were quickly whittling away at any resistance he might have had.By the time the toast had finished, Vahn had tears streaming down his face and was having a very difficult time keeping his expression from breaking. Everyone present had been paying attention to him and even Welf was somewhat misty-eyed at seeing Vahn's reaction. Hephaestus and Eina sat at his sides and embraced his body as if they were cradling and protecting him. Though she was often quite reserved, Eina had a soft spot for the boy she had decided to marry and couldn't sit idly by as he suffered the strain of his own emotions.For several minutes, the only thing Vahn could do besides cry was repeat his thanks over and over to everyone present. Even though he had tried so hard to become stronger, even though he had made many efforts to meet the expectations and bear the burdens of others, even though he had overcome countless difficulties and even life or death situations, it was only now that Vahn truly felt like he belonged in this world. Here, in this place, at this moment, he truly understood the significance that others placed in his life. Though he had only known them for a brief period they, like his deceased mother, had shown him kindness, care, and even love...Though the mood was dampened a bit with Vahn's sobbing, nobody present blamed him for how emotional he was acting. When he had finally calmed down, Hephaestus and Eina helped him from the table and Vahn was once again embraced by everyone present. Every hug felt like a new experience and it was a heavy impact on Vahn as he returned their embrace with a powerful one of his own. He felt like he wanted to protect this feeling and didn't want to ever let it get away from him ever again.The first to hug him after Hephaestus and Eina had been Tiona who also had a teary-eyed expression even though she had a big smile on her fact. She put her arms around Vahn and gave him a powerful hug as he did the same to her. Though the didn't kiss, the two nuzzled their foreheads together and Tiona whispered, "I'm glad you were born Vahn...thank you for everything...all of the past, the present, and the future we will share together from now on."Tiona's words made Vahn's heart twist in his chest and he promised, "I swear, Tiona, I swear we'll create a happy family one day...a place where we can raise our children without letting them suffer..." His words were passionate and had an undertone of desperation to them but Tiona laughed the bad feelings away and responded, "I believe in you Vahn...you're my hero after all~"After Tiona, Ais was the next to embrace Vahn in a somewhat powerful, yet gentle, embrace. The two stood in silence for several seconds until Ais frowned slightly and said, without any curtness or breaks in her words, "We will always celebrate together from now on..." Turning her head and looking at all the other people present, Ais smiled before looking into Vahn's eyes and continuing, "Always and forever, together..." Without paying any more attention to the surroundings, Ais leaned in and kissed Vahn on the lips with a bit of passion.Vahn could feel the warmth from his chest increase in magnitude as he returned her kiss while hugging around her waist. After a few seconds, she pulled away with a happy smile on her face and Vahn watched her leave with a small smile on his face. She ended up stopping next to Tiona and Vahn could see she had a cheerful smile as she mouthed words slow enough that Vahn could read her lips, 'I will kiss you a lot next time'.Lili looked like she would be the next to give Vahn a hug, but Chloe stepped in a beat her to the punch and, before she could complain, gave Vahn a short hug and light peck on the lips. Vahn was a bit surprised but he just showed a happy smile as he stared into her beautiful green eyes. She had always been there for him, even since he first stepped into this world and started interacting with people. Without putting too much effort, or drawing too much attention to it, Vahn gently ran his thumb along the blue ribbon around Chloe's tail. Her smile widened a bit before she placed her palm on his chest, over his heart, and stepped off to the side.Unwilling to be beaten to the punch a second time, Lili stepped forward and quickly embraced around Vahn's waist. She nuzzled into his chest and Vahn could see fresh tears on her face as he gently stroked her hair. Right now she was in her default form and had curly chestnut brown hair and Vahn thought it suited her very well. In a quiet voice that only he, and a few others, could hear, Lili whispered, "I also didn't get to celebrate my birthday much in the past...from now on, lets always celebrate together..."Since he was already in emotional turmoil, Lili's words were like a hammer on Vahn's heart as he leaned down and hugged powerfully as he promised, "I swear Lili, I'll always be around whenever you need me. Not just on your birthday, but for anything else you want to celebrate..." Though Vahn knew of Lili's troubled past, it was still difficult for him to wrap his head around the trauma she had experienced. Since, even now, her Affection had been stuck at 99, Vahn knew she hadn't truly opened her heart to him, or anyone else for that matter.When Vahn had leaned down to hug her tightly, Lili's tears began falling heavily from her eyes as she hugged around his neck in a slightly desperate manner. Even though he made his promise, even though she wanted to believe, Lili was currently living away from Vahn and it was hard for her to accept how 'distant' he often was. Mustering up a bit of her courage, she whispered in an almost inaudible voice, "On my next birthday...I want us to celebrate it alone. If I can get to Level 3 by then, I want you to make me one of your lovers as well..."Vahn had been listening intently to her words and he was considering them seriously before he gave his response. She was currently 13, only marginally younger than he was by around a year. That meant she would turn 14 in around ten months and would very likely be able to reach Level 3 by then. Since that was the Level where the majority of adventurers were considered veterans, Vahn couldn't refute that she would have become 'strong' by then. Though he still had some inhibitions about her size, Vahn felt it very difficult to refuse Lili at the moment so he whispered silently, "Okay, Lili, I promise..."All of the sadness on Lili's face melted away and Vahn felt like a light began shining in her eyes as she grabbed the sides of his face and kissed him. Vahn was somewhat surprised, especially when she tried to stick her tongue into his mouth, so he patted the back of her head before standing up and separating. Even though she seemed reluctant to part, Lili still had a very happy expression on her face as she marched over toward the sides in high spirits. She looked straight at Tsubaki and said in a confident voice, "From now on we'll triple the amount of training~!"After Lili, things took a strange turn, almost like everyone was in a hurry to make future promises. Naaza had been the next to embrace Vahn and, even though she was reserved and had a blush on her face, she also kissed him briefly before hanging her head low in embarrassment. Since she knew there were people present that could hear her even if she spoke quietly, Naaza muttered hesitantly, "I want to join your Familia in the future...and then...when I make a breakthrough in my mixing..."The longer she spoke, the deeper Naaza's blush became and Vahn understood what she was trying to convey. Putting a bit of strength in his hands, Vahn whispered, "If you need help, I also obtained the [Mixing] Development Ability...we can accomplish the breakthrough together." His words made Naaza's face turn crimson even though her expression didn't change much. She looked up into his eyes as if trying to discern the truth before a small smile spread to her lips and she said, "I'd like that."Replacing Naaza was, surprisingly, Loki, who gave Vahn an equally surprising embrace. Vahn hadn't expected her to treat him so gently and hug his body without doing anything mischevious or playful. Even without making any promises, Loki parted her eyes slightly and had a 'gentle' smile on her face as she said, "Live a long life Vahn...there are a lot of people that are happy you are here. Make sure to take care of your own happiness as well..." Her words finished, Loki made way for the next girl and Vahn felt somewhat strange watching her walk away in such a manner.After Loki was Anubis and she hugged Vahn by cradling his head against her chest and stroking his head. Vahn was very easy to catch off guard right now and his emotions were somewhat unstable so he was easily caught by her hands. Wrapping his arms around her waist by reflex, Anubis whispered, "Thank you, Master, thank you for being born. From now on, I will always serve at your side no matter what..." Vahn nodded, even though his face was still pressed into her breasts. Satisfied, Anubis stroked her cheek against the top of his head before letting him go.Nanu was the next to give him a hug, and Vahn kneeled down to make it easier for her. Her only words were, "I will do my best to become a capable mate." Vahn saw that she seemed very fired up, so he rubbed her ears affectionately before sending her off to stand next to Anubis. The other two chienthrope girls seemed like the wanted to participate, but neither of them could muster up the 'courage' before the next girls approached Vahn.After Nanu, the next person to approach Vahn was actually two separate people. They were the Mother-Daughter pair of Milan and Tina, and Vahn was happy to see that Milan was comfortable enough to have her ears and tail uncovered. She had even worn a purple hairpin that drew attention to her head as if she was trying to regain her confidence. Vahn embraced both girls at the same time as they promised to be together more often in the future.Once they walked away, nobody else approached at first until Tione seemed to get annoyed and urged the bashful Lefiya forward. She stumbled at first and had a fierce blush on her face but continued walking until she stopped right in front of Vahn. The two didn't embrace, but Lefiya looked up at him with a somewhat sad expression on her face and said, "Vahn, I'm so sorry that you never got the celebrate your birthday before..."Vahn could see that she was very affected by the earlier revelation and was having some difficulty maintaining her composure. The warm feeling in his heart expanded a bit as a gentle smiled appeared on his face. Reaching out his hand, Vahn used [Hands of Nirvana] and began to affectionately stroke the young elf's orange hair. Lefiya didn't resist his touch at all as the warm and comfortable feeling began to spread in her mind. The tears that had been stuck in her eyes began to fall a bit before she finally embraced Vahn in a very loose manner. Vahn returned her hug by lighting patting her back while continuing to stroke her head for a few seconds until she pulled away with a crimson face and practically hid behind Tiona and Ais.Tione was the next to step forward and seemed to be one of the least affected by the atmosphere as she grabbed Vahn's head in a similar manner as Anubis and hugged his face in her relatively modest breasts. Though they were growing rapidly, there was still a bit of time until she achieved the full potential of her manga counterpart. In a somewhat bold manner, Tione said, "Make sure you treat my sister well from now on. If you're always going to be together, that means I'll probably be there to celebrate with you from now on as well...treat me well too, okay?" Without waiting for his response, Tione squeezed his head a bit before letting him go and walking over toward Tiona who was laughing in a very mischevious manner. Tiona tried to ignore her by keeping her eyes closed, but Vahn could see her temple twitching a bit with his enhanced vision.The last person, wrapping up the entire embrace-train, ended up being Tsubaki. Hestia seemed to have taken up the position of a sentry at the side as she made conversation with Hephaestus and everyone else present was a boy and didn't seem to have an inclination towards emotional embraces. When they hugged, Tsubaki became the third woman that day to press Vahn into her chest as she laughed in a somewhat reserved manner compared to her usual outburst. She stroked his hair affectionately and said in a soothing manner, "You're growing up faster and faster...make sure you take a break every now and then and look after your own health from now on. There are a lot of people relying on you and..."Vahn saw that Tsubaki was hesitating a bit and, even though he was still experiencing a bit of turmoil, he somewhat understood what she wanted to say. Without doing anything noticeable, Vahn channeled a bit of energy into his fingertips that were hugging around Tsubaki's waist. It was far less than the usual amount he used, but Tsubaki was able to understand what Vahn was getting at. He was essentially teasing her right now in a discreet manner in front of more than twenty other people and she could feel her back tingling from the slight stimulation from his fingers. She grit her teeth a bit but her expression didn't change much as she whispered, "You little brat..."Vahn smiled in response and increased the amount of energy in one of his fingers and made her body jolt a bit as he said, "Twenty-seven...I still owe you quite a lot." Tsubaki squeezed his head a bit harder and Vahn immediately felt his airway cut off as she whispered in a teasing voice, "Don't think I'll just let you do whatever you want little devil..." After suffocating him for a few seconds, Tsubaki released Vahn's head and said in a quiet voice, "Six-thousand-one-hundred-forty-nine..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lili's Ambition Explodes','Unlimited Embrace Works!','Cyclops are difficult opponents')(A/N: A lot of the fluff chapters are coming to an end pretty soon, so expect things to start getting more exciting~! (Nameless) won't be so much longer, and Vahn will begin researching various things while entering the dungeon once again. There is also an event approaching that people have been waiting for since a very long time ago (O,...,O)~!)I am currently at $721/1200 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

For the remainder of the celebration, everyone was in much higher spirits as they all traded stories and tried building stronger bonds. Since Vahn didn't get to spend too much time with her, Eina stayed at his side for the duration of the party and Vahn even teased her a bit by trying to feed her snacks. She was embarrassed to the point where her ears had become red, but Eina didn't pull away as if she was trying to take a stand against the other girls in the room. As the 'first wife' of the mortal faction, she couldn't get so easily flustered when interacting with Vahn.Later in the party, everyone gave Vahn gifts which primarily consisted of personal items, charms, and even a strangely shaped doll that Vahn thought was somewhat adorable, even if it looked odd. Apparently, Ais had been learning how to sew with Rivera and spent the week trying to make a miniature 'Ais' doll so that Vahn could 'take her with him wherever he went'. Her gift seemed to have inspired something in the other girls and they each had glowing eyes as Ais gave a small 'v' for victory with her fingers.After another round of embraces, everyone started to leave since it was getting late in the afternoon. Vahn had calmed down a lot by then since he had entered the orb after excusing himself to the bathroom at one point. His 'transformation' wasn't unnoticed by the girls but none of them brought it up as they accepted Vahn's affections before promising to meet soon. On their way out, Loki informed Vahn that they would be going on an expedition soon and it would probably take more than a month. Hearing her words, Vahn gave Tiona and Ais a longer embrace which included a kiss before patting the head of Lefiya and giving her some encouraging words. Tione seemed as if she wanted a hug as well, but she was standing on the opposite side of Loki and didn't make a move.The last to depart were Hephaestus, Eina, and Chloe who had taken the day off to attend the party. Since all the girls, minus Hestia, were considered his future wives and loved ones, Vahn gave them much more passionate embraces since everyone else had cleared out. As the only 'non-wife' left, Chloe was the first and Vahn nuzzled his head against hers as they shared a few light kisses. When she was satisfied, Chloe prepared to leave but not before sending a wink towards Hestia who looked like she wanted to throw her wine glass.When it came time to embrace Hephaestus, Vahn didn't hesitate at all as he reached his hands around and 'gently' grabbed her butt. A light blush touched her cheeks as she whispered, "You really..." Vahn cut off her words by kissing her on the lips with more than a bit of passion. He felt like words couldn't express how happy he was that she organized all of this just for him so Vahn decided to show it with his actions. After inserting his tongue into her mouth and coiling it around hers for nearly three minutes, Vahn finally released her as she began gasping for air with a light glaze over her eyes. Because of their connection through the 'eternal flame', Hephaestus could feel Vahn's love and excitement and it had compounded her own to an almost intolerable level.Vahn was still holding firmly onto her backside as he smiled and said, "I won't keep you waiting much longer..." Even though he spoke quietly, everyone in the room could hear the seriousness in his voice as he held Hephaestus gaze without flinching in the slightest. She released a few strained breaths before kissing him again in several short, but passionate, kisses. Vahn could almost feel the tensions in the atmosphere increasing when she looked at him with slightly 'blazing' eyes and said, "When it happens...I'll clear my schedule for...for three, no, five days..."Not only everyone present, but even Vahn's brows raised at her 'bold' claim because they could all understand the implication behind her words. Thoughts raced through Vahn's head for a while before he put a bit more strength into his grip and held Hephaestus against his body. Leaning close to her ear, Vahn whispered in an almost inaudible tone, "If you want to...I'll make sure you get pregnant at that time..." His words made the blush on Hephaestus's face try to compete with the vibrant red color of her hair as she began breathing at a much faster rate than normal.Because she was mentally checked out, Hephaestus stood off to the side in a daze while being tended to by Hestia. Though she looked very happy, Hephaestus's soul seemed to have escaped her body and she had an uncharacteristically silly look on her face as Hestia shook her body to try and bring her back. While they were putting on a small play that brought a smile to Vahn's face, Eina stepped forward with her hands held behind her back while a gentle smiled covered her face.Vahn initiated a loose embrace with her and she returned his affections while gently stroking his back. They didn't say anything for a while as the two just enjoyed each others company for nearly a minute until Eina whispered, "After we get married, I'm going to move in with you...I have already talked with the Guild Head and got permission to act as a liaison between the Hestia Familia and the Guild in the future. It seems as though Ouranos wants to keep an eye on you and is already aware of our relationship..."Hugging her waist a bit tighter, Vahn pulled away his head to see her face and saw the seriousness contained within. He knew she was cautioning him a bit, but Vahn just put the matter to the back of his mind as he smiled and said, "I look forward to being together more often...I've been missing you a bit these days." Stroking the side of her face, Vahn gave Eina a long kiss that didn't get too intimate. After separating, he could see her face had taken on a tomato-like color and he couldn't help but smile about how elves and half-elves always blushed all the way to their ears.After a few more parting words, Hephaestus and Eina left for their respective abodes while Vahn began leading Hestia back to their Manor. Since she had been relatively quiet for most of the celebration, Vahn grabbed her hand and led her along as he asked, "Are you okay Hestia? If you're tired, I can carry you again." When he asked the question, Hestia slowed down a bit until Vahn looked back and saw her with a contemplative look on her face. After they came to a full stop, Hestia reached out her arms and Vahn smiled before kneeling down so she could climb on his back.Even though he couldn't quite get used to the feeling on his back, Vahn had, at the very least, grown accustomed to it and it didn't distract him. He carried Hestia's light body all the way back to the Hearth Manor while she hugged his neck from behind and didn't say a word the entire way. Vahn almost thought she had fallen asleep but, the moment they entered into the foyer, she patted his shoulders and Vahn let her down from his back.Vahn turned to look back at her and saw that her expression had turned more gentle than the 'serious' and contemplative look from earlier. After a brief hesitation, Hestia's smile widened a bit and she asked, "Are you serious about all of those girls?" Though he was a bit distracted, Vahn understood what she was trying to ask so he responded seriously, "Even though I don't understand my own feelings well, I know that I care about each of them deeply. I treat all of my relationships as seriously as I can...even though I might make mistakes every now and then. I want to make them happy because their happiness is my happiness."Hestia's smile grew marginally but there was a sad look in her eyes as she asked, "What happens if one of them leaves you in the future? I'm afraid that you might get hurt trying to balance so many things all at once..." Because of the matter with Milan and Tina, Vahn knew what she was trying to get at since the event hadn't just impacted himself and the two girls. Things had developed to the point where it influenced a great number of people and the gods and goddesses of five Familia.Vahn's brows furrowed a bit and his expression became especially serious as he said, "I have learned...that you can't live for others." Shaking his head, Vahn continued, "The only thing I can do is my best. Even if there are people that will move on in the future...as long as they are happy...that is enough for me. I know now that there are a lot of people who will stay with me when things get tough...and they give me the strength to continue moving forward."The smile on Hestia's face turned into a cheerful one as the sad look in her eyes vanished entirely. Replacing it, there was now a glimmer in the crystalline blue eyes that always drew Vahn's attention because of their depth and clarity. For the third time since they had met, Hestia brought her hands together as if she was praying for a few seconds before she turned her head upwards and Vahn and said, "You really are an exceptional person Vahn. I look forward to seeing how far you can go in the future and, no matter how difficult things get, I will always be one of the people that helps you move forward."Her words finished, Hestia turned into a bullet and launched herself at Vahn's face as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Since it wasn't the first time she had 'surprise' attacked him, Vahn caught her easily as Hestia began to rub her cheek against his. Vahn always felt a little awkward when she dangled from his body because he never knew where to put his hands and always ended up holding her awkwardly from the sides.As if she had thought of something, Hestia asked Vahn, "Do you like big breasts or small breasts? And what about butts?" Vahn's mind blanked for a short moment since it felt like a question he was commonly asked and never understood why girls placed a focus on such things. Since he had answered the question before, Vahn said a similar thing as last time, "I think everyone has qualities that I can appreciate, and I don't really have a preference regarding breast size..."Hestia nodded her head and put a little more strength into her arms as she pressed her breasts more firmly against Vahn and asked, "And what about butts~?" Vahn noticed Hestia had almost 'hummed' the words as if she found his dismissal of the subject earlier humorous. After a brief consideration, Vahn responded, "I don't think I have a preference for butts either...it just feels nice to hold onto when I embrace people. I think...I think everyone has a unique feel and it's interesting?" Vahn was confused by his own words because the image and feel of various butts were passing through his brain.As if using his words against him, Hestia asked, "Eeeei~? Do you want to grab my butt too~? Though I don't mind, it feels a bit strange for you to be holding my ribs like you're preparing to pull me from your body." Vahn's hands flinched a bit at Hestia's words because that was exactly his intention if she got too carried away. He laughed awkwardly while thinking of an excuse before Hestia said in a low, somewhat angry, voice, "Vaaaaahn-! If you want to grab my butt..." A blush touched Hestia's face and she looked like she was struggling a bit before she continued, "Then just do it!" Apparently finished with her words, Hestia hugged Vahn's neck and hid her face against his shoulder as if she was refusing to look at him.Vahn considered her words for a few seconds and decided to give it a try since he was somewhat curious. However, before he could move his hands from her side to her butt, Hestia released his neck and laughed in an awkward manner as she started walking toward the direction of the onsen, "Ehehehe, lets to a bath instead~! It's weird that we're just standing in the middle of the foyer~Ehehehehe!" Vahn watched her walk away in a mechanical fashion and could see her aura fluctuating a bit.With a small smile on his face, Vahn released a short sigh before shaking his head and following behind her. Perhaps it was because of her lack of experiences with men, but Hestia seemed to have a strange nature where she was both 'forward' while also being highly bashful at the same time. She was very affectionate and liked physical contact but was also prone to panicking as soon as things began to escalate. Though he had some inhibitions himself, Vahn decided that he either needed to be more decisive with her or work harder to reign in her behavior in the future. With that thought in mind, Vahn stepped through the threshold into the men's changing room before coming to a halt after witnessing a strange sight.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Five days!?','Ouranos's Intentions', Indecisiveness')I am currently at $721/1200 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

When Vahn woke up to prepare and enter the orb, he was taken aback by the present situation and briefly stunned by what he saw. At some point during the night, Hestia had flipped her body and was laying on top of him on her back. It was the first time a girl had laid on him in such a strange fashion and Vahn could clearly see down her cleavage and the small [Sapphire Star] dangling off to the side. Pulling up the covers to hide her body, Vahn shifted sideways slowly and allowed her to roll off of him without waking her up. As if to rebuff his efforts, Hestia, seemingly still asleep, crawled back on top of his body and hugged around his ribs like she refused to let him go.If not for the fact he could see her stable aura and the drool coming from her mouth, Vahn wouldn't believe she wasn't awake. Since his awareness of the body, especially any he was in contact with, was very high, Vahn could feel the stability of her pulse and the rhythm of her breathing with indicated she was still asleep. It was almost like she had some kind of homing instinct that sought out warmth while she was unconscious and it made Vahn laugh as he stroked her hair a bit before entering the orb.Within the orb, Vahn forged the emblem that he was going to place outside of their gate as well as several smaller ones to give to any of their future Familia members. To prevent them from falling into the hands of others, Vahn also purchased thin bangles that he forged the member emblems around. This gave it the properties of a piece of equipment that had been obtained through the system, so only the members he 'gifted' the emblems to would be able to make use of them. Anyone else that tried would experience a small backlash and be forced to drop it.Because he got a little carried away, Vahn forged more than twenty of them and even nearly had to give one to Eva when she found out what he was working on. Instead, Vahn decided to give her something from the system that he thought suited her. It was a hairpin that had a lily-motif with five beautiful white petals with a slight golden coloration in the center. When he placed it in her long golden hair, Vahn felt like his own affection for her had increased by +5. To 'thank' him, Eva spent some time treating him 'gently' while wearing only the hairpin as they laid in bed together.When Vahn finally escaped into the real world, he nearly laughed because of how adorable her actions had been. If not for Hestia currently sleeping on his body, Vahn would have wanted to laugh in order to vocalize the feelings he had been bottling up. As if she had 'sensed' something, Hestia wriggled about on top of his body for a bit before raising her head and staring at him with sleepy eyes.Vahn saw her looked and gave her a smile that was enhanced by the feelings he had within. Reaching out his hand, he stroked the side of her hair and ran his fingers through it as he said, "Good morning Hestia..." His words made Hestia show an equally happy smile as she rested her head against his hand before laughing in a strange manner and trying to go back to sleep. Vahn felt a bit awkward because she was holding his forearm with her right arm and using it to support her head. A few seconds later, he noticed she had actually fallen asleep even though her upper body was being held up by nothing by her head. Her breasts were dangling down because of the awkward position and Vahn could clearly outline their entire shape with his eyes. Releasing a sigh, Vahn gently lowered Hestia's head until she was laying against his body again. Her 'instinct' immediately took effect and she once again hugged around his body.Hestia seemed to be the type that wasn't a morning person, so Vahn allowed her to sleep for a bit longer as he organized things in his inventory and began preparing for the coming day. Since it was Saturday, it was also the day that had been arranged to celebrate his birthday. Vahn hadn't heard anything about what was planned, but he knew he was supposed to visit the same cafe where he previously waited for Hestia around 10 AM. There were still nearly five hours until then, so Vahn allowed Hestia to get some more sleep.Slightly after 8 AM, Hestia finally woke up and Vahn helped wipe away her slobber with a small handkerchief he had prepared. She seemed embarrassed at first before just laughing away the matter and showing a cheerful smile. Afterward, the two prepared for the day and Vahn reminded Hestia of the upcoming celebration. Hearing his reminder, Hestia immediately became bubbly and hugged his arm between her breasts while looking up and shouting, "It might be a bit late, but happy birthday Vahn~!"After preparing a few things, Vahn and Hestia made their way to the cafe in high spirits. Hestia seemed to be looking forward to the celebration even more than Vahn and he was beginning to be affected by her mood. Instead of letting him lead the way, Hestia was pulling him along in an excited manner while only being distracted a few times along the way. Vahn laughed every time she stopped to experience something new and patiently explained things before Hestia would suddenly 'realize' they had stopped before dragging him along at a faster pace.They arrived at the cafe with about a half hour to spare, but there were already several people that had shown up which made Vahn feel a warmth in his heart. Since Hephaestus had coordinated with everyone, all of the people that had close relationships with Vahn had shown up, including some people he was both surprised and pleased to see. The first of which noticed him the moment he entered and raised his hand with an amiable smile on his face and said, "Yooo, long time no see man!"The person greeting him had been the crimson haired Welf that Vahn hadn't seen in a long time. Walking forward, he extended his hand and clasped Welf's as he responded, "It's good to see you, Welf, how has the research been progressing?" Though Welf had a smile on his face, Vahn saw it twitch a bit when he asked about the research. After releasing a sigh, Welf put his palms together and bowed slightly as he asked, "Please give me another one of those staves! I broke the last one when I was trying an experiment and things haven't been going well ever since!"Vahn laughed and waved his hand as another [Heal] appeared out of thin air. He passed it over to Welf who had a look of gratitude on his face before another voice shouted out while laughing, "Welf-boyo, what kind of thoughts go through that brain of your's to be asking for gifts from the person whose birthday we're celebrating~!?" The voice had belonged to Tsubaki who was wearing a white and purple eastern looking top that showed off her midriff. Though it was still somewhat revealing, it was a much better outfit than just wearing her sarashi while in public.Welf had a frustrated and somewhat apologetic expression on his face as he turned to her and said, "Mind your own business you old bat. Vahn and I are partners and he asked about my-" Before he could finish, Tsubaki grabbed the top of his head and pushed him down to the floor and shouting, "Who are you calling an old bat!? You sure got bolder in the time I haven't seen you, haven't you 'kid'?"Though Welf had a forward and something 'aggressive' personality at times, he was still only a Level 1 and wasn't remotely close to a match for Tsubaki's strength. Vahn didn't know how he could muster up such courage to even lightly insult Tsubaki since she wasn't exactly known for her delicacy. To prevent the situation for getting worse, Vahn walked over and placed his hand on Tsubaki's shoulder and said, "Don't mind him too much, you're still quite beautiful regardless of what others might say."Tsubaki's eye widened a bit and Vahn helped Welf to stand before she could say anything to stop him. Vahn helped dust Welf off before saying adamantly, "Never insult a woman for her age, even if you don't mean it..." Vahn almost mentioned that Welf used to like Hephaestus, even though she was millions of years old, but the thought of vocalizing the words didn't sit well with him at all. Almost as if Welf had understood something from his words, he released a sigh before placing his hand on Vahn's shoulder and saying in a solemn tone, "Make sure you treat her well..."Though Welf had once thought of Vahn as his rival in love, it wasn't long after their first meeting that he realized there wasn't even a competition to be had. The rumors regarding his and Hephaestus's relationship were common knowledge and he had already verified matters previously. Though he didn't know about the marriage yet, Welf was certain there was more to the relationship between Hephaestus and Vahn than was currently rumored. The moment he saw Hephaestus without her eyepatch, Welf had already given up pursuing the goddess that had deeply rooted itself in his heart.Vahn understood what Welf was saying, so he nodded his head confidently and said, "No matter what, I'll make sure to take care of all the people I care about." Though he wanted to say Hephaestus instead of 'all', Vahn couldn't ignore the fact there were several of the girls he was close to present. Though they hadn't greeted each other yet, Vahn could see Loki, Eina, Tiona, Tione, Ais, Lefiya, Naaza, Lili, Milan, Tina, Anubis, the entire Anubis Familia, and, last but not least, Chloe. Counting Tsubaki and Hestia, that brought the total count of attendants to 17 females and 6 males. Though he was already aware of it, Vahn noticed that he had few male acquaintances. Since Finn, Gareth, and Bete hadn't shown up, that left his only actual male acquaintance to be Welf, since Rasui, Nour, Akil, and Ata were all technically closer to his proteges or 'pack' than anything else.After a few polite words, Vahn made his way over to the rest of the group with Hestia, Tsubaki, and Welf as he began to greet everyone in turn. They all seemed happy to see him and Vahn could feel their affection as he had short embraces with almost all the girls present, including Tsubaki and the girls he didn't interact with much like Chione and Maat. Seemingly unaware of what was going on, Welf looked at Vahn like he was some kind of monster and, once Vahn had greeted everyone, leaned over and asked, "What the hell is going on, did I not get the memo or something?"Since it wasn't a secret and he should already know about Tiona and Ais, Vahn began to give a short explanation of his relationship with all the girls present while skimming over most of the details. Some of the people present could pick up on his words, even though he was speaking quietly, and they had a happy expression as Vahn recounting things for Welf's benefit. By the end, the incredulous look on Welf's face had turned into one of abject confusion and he had a somewhat strange, yet serious, expression as he asked in a moderately loud voice, "Are you trying to say that almost every girl here besides some of the brats are your women!?"As if dissatisfied by something he had said, Lili, Nanu, and Tina all stood up and shouted in concert, "We're not brats you idiot!" Welf gave them an even stranger look and Vahn couldn't even read what kind of emotions he was experiencing just based off of his expression. Without responding to the trio, he turned to Vahn with wide eyes and asked, "Even these three brats as well?" His words made everyone at the table begin to laugh with the exclusion of the so-called three 'brats'. They stared at Welf with venomous eyes as if they wanted to rip out his tongue. Even Tina, who was usually a very sensible young girl, looked at Welf as if he was her natural enemy.Welf could feel the gazes on him and saw the reactions of everyone around him including the somewhat difficult expression on Vahn's face. Though he was almost positive he wasn't the one at fault here, Welf felt like he had found himself in a ridiculous situation without the opportunity to prepare himself. All he had heard was this was a birthday party for Vahn; he never expected it to be some kind of convention of Vahn's current and future women. Even his first love was among the crowd and Welf suddenly felt like Vahn was trying to show off to him. However, no matter how much frustration he felt, Welf's impression of Vahn was a powerful one in a pretty positive direction. Instead of feeling any resentment, he sighed deeply before looking at Vahn was a peculiar, almost respectful, look on his face.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bad Sleeping Habits','Level 1 Crushed by a Cyclops','Get startled boi')I am currently at $721/1200 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 224: Birthday (2/2)