Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After the ceremony ended, it was now time for Fenrir's bath since Hestia didn't want her to track dirt, grime, and blood through the neat interior of the Manor. Vahn wanted to let Hestia take care of Fenrir since it might cause problems in the future if she got accustomed to bathing with him. However, there was an incident soon after which Vahn should have expected yet had overlooked since it had never really been a concern previously. Responding to a shout coming from the women's changing room, Vahn entered inside to see Hestia on the ground nursing her hand while Fenrir squatted away at the side of the room in an obviously frustrated manner.Vahn motioned for Fenrir to come near him while he walked over to inspect Hestia injury and find out what happened. He saw that, other than a light abrasion, there wasn't any puncture wounds or anything so Vahn was somewhat confused until Hestia explained through teary eyes, "When I tried to take off her top, I felt some kind of strange impact that knocked away my hands~!" Vahn looked to the anxious Fenrir and she said, "Fenrir do nothing, Fenrir not bad!"Realizing what happened, Vahn healed Hestia's injury while comforting Fenrir as he explained, "It is like the necklace I gave you Hestia, Fenrir's clothes can't easily be touched by other people. I'm sorry, I had completely overlooked the matter. I'll go and purchase some normal clothing for her to wear in the future so things like this don't happen again." Hestia seemed to be understanding with his explanation, but Fenrir was still very anxious because she thought she injured Hestia even though she was ordered not to.Vahn coaxed her a bit more and gave her a snack as he helped her undress with a bit of difficulty. Hestia watched from the side with a somewhat strange expression and remarked, "She is like a child..." Though she spoke quietly, Vahn had heard her and nodded his head before saying, "Yes, I think so as well...we'll need to make sure she is able to mature properly and teach her plenty of things. The more she learns, the less stressed out she should be when dealing with others." Vahn also explained about Fenrir's habits and avoidance of strangers, which wasn't a bad thing considering she still had the habits and instincts of a monster.After she was naked, Fenrir also tried to get Vahn to take a bath as well, but he managed to convince her to take one with just Hestia. He still had some work to do and there would be no point to taking a bath now when he would have to take one in the evening anyway. Though she was very reluctant, Fenrir seemed to be opening up to Hestia who managed to lead the way into the onsen after a bit of encouragement.When the two girls had disappeared through the door, Vahn didn't immediately head away to work since he was still very worried about any incidents occurring. Instead of leaving, he sat along the outside wall and used his ability to sense auras to track the two girls as they began bathing. He couldn't see their actual figures, but he would be alerted if anything happened if either of them began to get stressed. Though Vahn couldn't see the actual 'aura' of Fafnir and Fenrir, he could see detect the fluctuations of her energy since it was identical to his own.Fortunately, after a half hour, the two began making their way back to the changing room and Vahn released a relieved sigh. Since it was a long bath, Vahn knew it should have gone well and he smiled when the two girls entered the changing room. Fenrir had a 'comfortable' expression on her face and Hestia had a cheerful smile, at least until she saw Vahn 'waiting' for them. Though she was a bit startled, her cheerful smile turned into a teasing one but Vahn spoke before she could say anything, "I have a change of clothes for Fenrir, and she wouldn't be able to put them on herself."Realizing the truth in his words, Hestia's expression collapsed a bit as she watched Vahn help Fenrir get dressed. She bit her a lip a bit and wanted to get him to help her dress as well, but Vahn remarked that he had already seen that she can attach and detach her godly raiment. As if to rebut his claim, Hestia dangled her untarnished white panties about like a flag until Vahn chopped the top of her head and saying not to teach Fenrir strange things. Even though he had to help her dress right now, he didn't want Fenrir to place any kind of strange emphasis on the act.For the rest of the day, Vahn worked in his secret forge but only after setting up a sofa on the inside so the two girls could sit. Fenrir didn't seem fond of being away from him, and she had long developed the habit of watching him work whenever he was inside the orb. Vahn had also given Hestia several picture books and heroic tales to read to Fenrir so that she could improve her speaking capabilities and learn to read. Though he also wanted her to be able to write, there was almost no practical manner for Fenrir to hold a quill using her paws.The best thing she would be able to do was carve the letters into a hard surface which also became an exercise in 'control' so she wouldn't accidentally harm others. Though he had healed in a short period of time, Vahn's tunic had been completely ruined by Fenrir in their walk back to the Manor and he also had several accidental puncture wounds on the ride side of his body.Though he was primarily focused on his work, Vahn would glance over at the two girls from time to time with a smile on his face after seeing how well they got along. Hestia was exactly as kind and gentle as the goddess in his imagination and, even though she was actually the smaller of the two, she let Fenrir lay against her lap while reading picture books to her in a quiet and gentle tone. To keep her from accidentally getting stressed out, Vahn had created a small golden hole where [Enkidu] was dangling for Fenrir to chew on while she looked at the contents of the book and listened to Hestia's words.The most amazing thing of all was, by the time dinner had rolled around Fenrir hadn't asked for food a single time or complained about her hunger. This allowed Vahn to confirm once and for all that she didn't actually require food to appease her hunger, but it was more like an instinctual desire to try to alleviate her stress. Of course, this didn't mean she didn't like to eat at all as she went through more than 50kg of food during dinner which shocked Hestia quite a bit. Even though she also didn't gain or lose weight as a goddess, she was still somewhat envious of Fenrir's ability to put away food. Since Fenrir was only around 40kg, the fact she could casually eat more than her entire body weight in food was quite a sight to behold.Because of Fenrir's presence, this was the first day when Vahn hadn't visited the Hostess of Fertility in a while, but he managed to contact Syr through the communication scroll and explain things. Though Vahn was aware of the network that had been established around him, he was somewhat surprised to find that Syr was the representative for contacting the Hostess of Fertility, when he was closer to Chloe than anyone else. This made it even more apparent to him that Syr was something akin to the 'lynchpin' within the pub and had a say in everything that happened behind the scenes.After sending his message, Vahn took a bath alone even though both Hestia and Fenrir wanted to join in. Vahn dissuaded them by making an excuse about waste and extravagance and the fact that they had just bathed earlier in the day without working up a sweat or anything after that. Though it was a bit 'lonely' to bathe alone, Vahn still wanted to help break the habit for Hestia while also preventing Fenrir from developing it in the first place. He knew he would still probably bathe with them at some point, but he wanted it to be the 'exception' and not the 'standard' that they lived by.Though she was somewhat insistent at first, Vahn managed to shut Hestia down when he talked about her negatively influencing Fenrir who still needed them to teach her proper behavior and how to interact with people more sociably. Since she was likely going to be the 'caretaker' of Fenrir in the future, Hestia didn't have any leeway to argue against Vahn and retreated to the room while 'pouting' to Fenrir about how 'mean' Vahn was. When Fenrir immediately took Vahn's side, Hestia laughed awkwardly as the two disappeared from sight.After the bath, Vahn went into the room where Hestia was once again reading a book to Fenrir as she used Hestia's breasts as a pillow. Since she was slowly nibbling on a magisteel block he had given her, Vahn could feel a pressure in the bridge of his nose and couldn't help but mentally exclaim how adorable the scene was. Noticing his arrival, Hestia closed the book as Fenrir rolled off her body and walked over to Vahn before finishing up the remainder of the metal snack. As if following a script, she looked upward into Vahn's face and said, "Master, massage? Super amazing?"Hearing her words, Vahn looked over at Hestia who was covering her mouth to prevent herself from laughing. After squinting his eyes a bit, Vahn smiled and stroked Fenrir's head and said, "Sure, but we need to find out where you'll be sleeping first." Because she had been laying in the bed with Hestia, Fenrir pointed over with her tiny claws and said, "Fenrir sleep!" Though Vahn might have agreed normally, there was a big problem that still needed to be addressed.Holding her paws in his hand, Vahn squeezed the pads on her fingers and Fenrir's claws extended further. She couldn't retract them fully, but Fenrir's claws were actually quite a bit longer than their normal appearance. If she grabbed away at either himself or Hestia while she was asleep, they could both potentially be in danger. Vahn explained the danger of Fenrir's claws and even showed her the areas on the bed where she had already cut into the fabric when she was moving around normally.In her frustration, Fenrir tried to do something that Vahn hadn't expected at all. She lifted her paws toward her own mouth and tried to bite through her own claws and successfully did so even though she had a pained look on her face. Vahn immediately grabbed her paws and saw the bleeding tips and sat Fenrir down as he started healing them. She wanted to resist and tried to pull her hands away, but Vahn continued to coax her as even Hestia came over and stroked her hair while hugging Fenrir from behind.Because she seemed to have very high regeneration, it only took around twenty minutes for Fenrir's claws to grow back to their maximum length. Vahn was even relatively certain that they had grown back even sharper than they were previously. Since she couldn't easily resist the care and concern Vahn and Hestia showed her, Fenrir let them tend to her even though she had a very frustrated expression on her face. Even though she didn't have the habit of sleeping with anyone before, now that she had laid in the bed with Hestia, Fenrir didn't want to be left out.Vahn thought of a solution that might work, but he had trouble bringing it up since he knew she would be averse to it. Demonstrating the principle first, Vahn had Fenrir place her palms together and interlock her claws between the gaps of her fingers. Since her body seemed to have an immunity to her own claws, Fenrir was about to perform the act without injuring herself at all. Vahn explained, "The only safe way is if you can't accidentally touch anyone with your claws, and the only guaranteed way for that to happen would be to temporarily bind your paws together."Fenrir frowned deeply at his words, but Vahn continued as he showed her a relatively low-grade leather band that could be tied around the hands. He showed her that, if she put in a little effort, she could easily break through them without any difficulty. The only thing the band did was help her develop the habit for now and she would eventually be able to sleep without having to rely on it when she learned to control her own claws better. Though still reluctant, Fenrir nodded her head and allowed Vahn to bind her wrists and paws together. As if to confirm it herself, Fenrir tried to break free and was able to do so with the ease that Vahn promised. With a small smile, her tail thudded on the ground twice as she let Vahn tie her paws together once again.Once they were firmly held together, Fenrir shook her hands around a bit to get used to the sensation before the three crawled into bed. Though Vahn noticed the claws on her feet were also a problem, they didn't seem nearly as sharp as the ones on her hand. Vahn suspected it was because she fought with her front claws as a kobold and still had an instinctual reliance on them. Hopefully, she would be able to control them properly in the future and neither her hands or feet would be an accidental danger to others.Keeping his promise, Vahn gave a massage to both Hestia and Fenrir before it was finally time for bed. Like Hestia, Fenrir also reacted in the 'normal' way which allowed Vahn to confirm his suspicions that the reaction of the other goddesses was because they were in a state of arousal at the time. Even though Hestia acted somewhat promiscuous, she didn't have any experience with sexual matters at all and had a severe lack of understanding about the emotions involved. Since Fenrir had been a monster her entire life before her evolution, she didn't have any strange response at all and just enjoyed the massage in silence. Vahn noticed that her eyes had become placid like deep scarlet pools and he stroked her hair a bit before going to sleep.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn forcing his 'problems' to deal with each other','Hestia's bad influence','Happily 'bonding' with the danger floof')I am currently at $730/1200 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 awoke in the morning, Hestia had already resumed her place on his body and Vahn rubbed her hair a bit before he turned to look over at the side. The moment he woke up, Vahn saw Fenrir's ears twitched and she had turned her head to watch him. When she had gone to sleep, perhaps to prevent anything from happening, she had rested with her arms underneath her body. Vahn saw her red eyes glowing subtly in the darkness and reached over to stroke her ears a bit as he whispered, "Go ahead and get out of the bed and head downstairs, I'll be along shortly."Fenrir rolled her head around under his hand before shifting her body slowly and inching out of bed. Because her hands were still bound, Fenrir's movements were especially awkward since she was apparently trying to stay quiet. Vahn was happy she was showing 'consideration' for others and pulled out the orb and entered before anyone realized what was going on. By the time the three days within had passed, Fenrir hadn't even reached the edge of the bed as Vahn rolled Hestia off of his body and disappeared from the bed once he got his feet under him.Before she could make her way to the door, Fenrir's hair stood on end as she lowered her body after someone appeared right in front of her. Seeing that it was Vahn, she relaxed a bit as Vahn 'hushed' her and helped remove the binds from her paws. Though she was tolerating them, Vahn noticed that Fenrir was much happier to have them removed and the two made their way downstairs and prepared to set out for the day. Vahn had already discussed the matter with Hestia and convinced her it was necessary to help Fenrir train and relieve her stress.Hestia had originally wanted him to continue 'recuperating', but Vahn assured her that he had long since recovered from any sequelae that had appeared since his coma. She wanted him to get checked out at the medical ward, but Vahn had explained that he had too many secrets to entrust the matter to others for now. To allay her concerns, Vahn had even identified every pressure point and muscle on her body during the massage the previous night to show that he had a proper understanding of the body and properly maintaining it.When the two had left the room, Hestia's blue eyes opened slightly as she watched the door close behind them. Even though she was a 'heavy' sleeper, she didn't want to see Vahn disappear like the previous day while she was still asleep. Though she didn't stop him from leaving, Hestia still intended to take some actions of her own to guarantee he would be safe. While Vahn was in the Dungeon with Fenrir, she was planning on coordinating with the other girls on the network to increase the security around Vahn. Right now, Vahn was restricted from interacting with the Alliance in any meaningful way, but there were always ways to circumvent things...While they were in the dungeon, Vahn had been singling out individual monsters while avoiding large groups and taking detours whenever the auras of other adventurers entered his domain. The reason he wanted single monsters, or small groups, was to demonstrate how to fight using the skills he had developed while fighting in his Báihǔ form. Though Fenrir wasn't nearly as agile as he was, she had a similar instinct and liked to use her front paws as a pivot for her movements, similar to how Vahn liked to crouch low to the ground for bursts of speed.Though she struggled quite a bit, Vahn wanted Fenrir to learn 'omnidirectional' fighting and even started teaching her a bit of CQC techniques while adapting them to her 'unique' stances. Vahn really wanted her to get used to fighting on two legs and improving her actual skill instead of the 'awkward' way she usually fought. Though it was kind of cute to watch her waggling around on all-fours, Vahn knew it would be a problem when they inevitably fought alongside others. Vahn even wanted to fight a female mentor for her so Fenrir would develop a bit of 'common sense' and propriety.As had been shown the previous day, Fenrir really enjoyed fighting, assuming she didn't sustain any injuries. Every time she killed something, she would get psyched up and whenever she successfully used one of the techniques he had taught her, Fenrir would run over to Vahn while saying, "Fenrir good, praise Fenrir!" Though he felt a little guilty, Vahn knew it was important to give her positive reinforcement whenever she was trying to apply what she had learned. If anyone were to ask why he felt guilty about that, Vahn would have turned his head to the side and muttered something about reading manuals for domesticating dogs and wolves while also refreshing his knowledge about chienthropes.It wasn't that he looked down on her, but Vahn understood that most of Fenrir's knowledge came from her time as a kobold and she was severely lacking in her mental development. Even though she was markedly more intelligent now, she hadn't developed or experienced enough to fill in the gaps from her twelves years as a glorified dog. The biggest issue was, she had expectations that had been firmly cemented in her mind from how Vahn treated her when she was still a kobold. Though he would slowly change her mentality over time, it would take a few months at the very least.Since it would be a problem otherwise, Vahn had found a secure area in the pathways of the dungeon where he set out a large basin for Fenrir to clean her body after hunting. Vahn also agreed with Hestia about keeping her clean and wanted her to develop the habit of always trying to maintain her hygiene. Fortunately, the clothes he had purchased for her were almost entirely waterproof as long as the seal against her skin wasn't broken. This allowed Fenrir to submerge into the water without Vahn having to remove her clothing.After the bath, Vahn also helped dry her bristly hair and also comb it for a few minutes before they made their way back to the surface. Fenrir seemed especially fond of having her fur brushed with a coarse brush that Vahn had purchased through the system for the purpose of 'grooming' dogs. Though the bristles were fine, they were very rigid and allowed him to comb deep into her fur and remove any remnant dirt. The entire time he worked, Fenrir rocked her head from left to right as she flopped her ears about with her eyes closed. Though she didn't seem to know how to smile yet, Vahn could tell she was happy and he even purchased a pouch that wrapped around her waist that contained her very own brush. She wouldn't be able to use it herself, but if she was alone with Hestia or someone else she trusted, Vahn told her she could have them brush her fur if she was good. Since the brush wasn't a magical item, nor did it have any special properties, other people would be able to use it just fine.When they returned back to the Manor, Vahn stopped for a moment because he could sense a presence other than Hestia within the interior. Assuming she had probably called over one of the other girls, Vahn had a small smile before he calmed Fenrir and explained there would be someone new for her to meet. Though she had inhibitions about meeting yet another person, Fenrir still followed along at Vahn's back just as she had done before meeting Hestia yesterday.Since the people that had the 'key' to the security formations could detect when other people entered, Hestia knew Vahn and Fenrir had returned and left the study to meet them in the foyer. She looked at them with a cheerful smile and said, "Welcome back Vahn, Fenrir, how did things go~?' As he wanted her to be more personable, Vahn nudged Fenrir's shoulder and prompted her to say, "Fenrir did good, kill lots!" Playing along, Hestia beamed as she walked over and patted Fenrir's head and said, "Very good~! Fenrir is a good girl!"Hearing Hestia's praise, Fenrir awkwardly palmed away at her pouch in an adorable manner before she eventually got frustrated and said, "Pouch, Brush!" Since the pouch was the left, backside, of her hip, Fenrir stuck out her butt toward Hestia and pat the pouch in an 'urgent' manner. Hestia had a sparkle in her eyes because of the adorable behavior and, with mock curiosity, opened up the pouch and pulled out the brush Vahn had given Fenrir. Since it was very obvious what Fenrir wanted, Hestia pat her head and said, "I'll brush you while we talk in the study, okay~?"Afterward, the three made their way into the study and Vahn saw someone he hadn't really expected to see and quickly understood the purpose of her visit. Wearing a white threaded tunic, leafy brown thighboots, similarly colored gloves that reached the center of her biceps, a pair of short green 'shorts' that hugged her hips, and a leafy green hooded-mantle was a beautiful, taciturn, green-haired elf with sky-blue eyes. Vahn immediately recognized the figure as Ryuu and they both smiled after making eye contact with each other.Seemingly having been unaware of their 'relationship', Hestia looked between them before she 'seriously' asked Ryuu, "Are you another one of the girls that like Vahn?" Since she had only been trying to find someone to watch over Vahn, Hestia hadn't investigated everything about the person that was sent. The only thing that she knew was the name of Ryuu, the fact that she was a Level 4, and that she also intended to join the Familia. Though she hadn't connected the dots at first, Hestia was now absolutely sure she had invited 'competition' into the house inadvertently.Though it was almost unnoticeable, both Vahn and Hestia saw the minuscule blush on Ryuu's face as she bowed forward slightly as if affirming Hestia's words. Vahn's eyes widened because, though he knew Ryuu kind of liked him, he hadn't expected her to openly admit it. He was unaware, at least at this time, that Ryuu had been talking to both Syr and Chloe a lot about Vahn's exploits after hours. Ever since she had shown up and 'failed' to help Vahn with the previous incident, Ryuu had wanted to be closer to him. This was also the reason why, when she had last talked to Vahn, she agreed to join the 'righteous' Familia he wanted to establish. When Syr had approached her and explained the situation, Ryuu agreed after some light persuasion, and goading, from Syr.Making a mental note to question Ryuu in more detail later, Hestia sat on the sofa and began brushing Fenrir as they discussed the situation. Ryuu had actually already undergone the Familia induction ceremony while Vahn was in the dungeon and had discussed matters with Mama Mia with Syr as support. She didn't actually quit her job at the Hostess of Fertility, but would only have to help out on the days Vahn wasn't busy or venturing into the dungeon. However, to keep things 'fair', Ryuu would apparently still continue staying in the women's dorm for the time being and wouldn't move in until Milan and Tina were preparing to join. She had taken a personal vow to help protect the two girls and wanted to watch over them when Vahn was busy. Even when Vahn told her about the existence of Fafnir, Ryuu shook her head and seriously stated, "Understand this Vahn, there are some situations where a dragon's involvement would be excessive."As he had only ever been worried about the safety of Milan and Tina, Vahn hadn't really considered Fafnir's existence to be an issue. He realized that she was entirely correct, but still said that he would keep Fafnir at their sides for the time being. Since he could call it through his mental link, Vahn had Fafnir travel through the shadows and pop his head out of the carpet when Vahn had held his hand near the light. Vahn introduced Fafnir and Ryuu and told Fafnir to always defer to her judgment and only react if Ryuu wasn't around or couldn't take care of the situation.When the massive dragon head popped out of the floor, Hestia shrieked at the top of her lungs while both Fenrir and Ryuu had plain expressions on their faces. Ryuu actually bowed to Fafnir and said, "It is a pleasure to work with you, please take care of me from here onwards." Ignoring the shrill voice of Hestia, Fafnir also nodded before speaking out in a very childish voice that made Hestia's eyes go completely round, (*Sure~! I will protect Master's loved ones!*)Hearing Fafnir say the words, 'loved ones', in regards to herself, Ryuu showed a second, almost entirely unnoticeable blush, as she displayed a light smile. Vahn had been watching their interaction and was trying to process how he should act around Ryuu in the future. Though she hadn't vocalized anything, she had 'affirmed' being one of the girls that liked him so Vahn was contemplating matters for the future.The entire time this was going on, Fenrir just sat at the side munching on [Enkidu] as she wiggled in Hestia's arms and lazed about against the 'ruffled' goddess. After a few seconds, Fenrir looked into the 'shocked' face of Hestia and muttered, "Brush, Fenrir want!" Hearing the words of Fenrir, Hestia laughed awkwardly and began running the comb through Fenrir's tail. Pleased at the result, Fenrir closed her eyes and began tilting her head from side-to-side once again.After Fafnir returned to the shadows, Ryuu had turned toward Hestia and Fenrir with a curious expression on her face and an imaginary light in her eyes. Even without saying anything, Vahn knew she also thought Fenrir was adorable so he went through the process of introducing them to each other. Though her taciturn personality hadn't broken, Ryuu still pet Fenrir with a bit of affection and Fenrir seemed to be pleased that there was now someone else to spoil her. Though she didn't vocalize it, Fenrir pictured the 'hateful' golden-haired vampire in her head and decided that the other people around her Master were much nicer.Title: Ryuu Lion Joins the Familia(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Domestication of the Heaven Devouring Wolf','Brushy Brushy','Fenrir like!')I am currently at $730/1200 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

As he approached the entrance to the Manor, Vahn stopped because he could sense the presence of Hestia waiting on the opposite side of the door. He turned to look at Fenrir, who had also 'sensed' something and began stroking her hair as he explained, "You're going to meet my goddess, Hestia. She will help take care of you from now on, so try to be nice to her, okay?" Fenrir frowned with a small-mouthed pout and said, "Fenrir no like!" She shook her head back and forth and Vahn could already see her eyes beginning to glow with more intensity.Vahn kneeled down and seriously explained, "Fenrir, you know I want to help make you happy and keep you from being hungry, right?" Fenrir nodded her head after a period of hesitation so Vahn continued, "I can't do that on my own though, because I will sometimes be busy with other things and have to take care of other people as well. You remember all the time I forged previously and you were watching from the side? It's very much like that, I can't always tend to you but I can help guarantee there will be others at your side. Hestia is a good goddess and she will be nice to you as long as you are nice to her."Fenrir grit her teeth and kept opening and closing her paws as her claws changed between a sharp and a dull state. Even her scarlet eyes continued to waver as if she was trying to process everything he had said. Though Vahn knew she didn't understand the words, he was certain his intent was properly conveyed because of the experiments he had done with 'orders' before. After a while, Fenrir groaned, "Fenrir try, no mean to Fenrir, Fenrir be good." Vahn stroked her hair a bit but still let a length of [Enkidu] dangle from his hands for her to chew on. He could tell she was very stressed out, even though she wasn't asking for food.After having her stand behind him and making sure she didn't attack Hestia, Vahn made his way through the door with his hand up and shouted, "Hestia, wait!" Hestia, who was about ready to charge at him like a banshee immediately came to a stop and nearly fell over after she heard Vahn's exclamation. She looked at him with a confused and concerned expression until she caught sight of the small bundle of tan cloth with a midnight-blue haired girl behind Vahn's back.Before she could make a scene, Vahn explained, "I will explain everything, but you have to remain calm. She gets very stressed out and it could lead to problems if you have an outburst right now. Here, let's go into one of the studies and I'll explain in detail." Though she still wanted to lecture him, Hestia could see the seriousness in Vahn's expression and the caution in his voice. Looking behind him, she could see the girl at his back staring toward her with glowing red eyes that made a shiver run down her back. Deciding it was for the best to listen to Vahn, Hestia ushered the two into one of the studies on the first floor without standing near the 'scary' cloaked girl.After Vahn sat on one of the sofas, Fenrir squatted down on the ground and continued to nibble at [Enkidu] while keeping her attention focused on Hestia's movements. Seeing the girl squatting down on the ground in a strange manner, Hestia was very confused as she sat on the side of Vahn opposite the 'feral' looking 'child'. Vahn could sense Fenrir's hair rise a bit so he used [Hands of Nirvana] to stroke her head and used himself as a well between her and Hestia.Though she knew there was something strange going on, Hestia now realized things were more serious than she thought. She looked toward Vahn with unveiled concern and asked, "Vahn, this child, where did you pick her up?" Vahn shook his head and explained, "I didn't pick her up anywhere; do you remember my explanation about Fafnir, the black dragon that follows around Tina and Milan in the shadows?"Hestia's eyes widened a bit and she looked around at Fenrir as Vahn said, "Her name is Fenrir, and she is a kobold that I had tamed in the dungeon. When I used a special skill, she evolved into her current form, and that is why I had to go to the dungeon so urgently. I needed to test her capabilities and find a way to manage some of her...unique traits." Vahn then explained everything he could regarding Fenrir's abilities, including her skills like [Devour] and [Insatiable Hunger]. Hearing the descriptions, Hestia's aura fluctuated slightly but Vahn could see she was trying to empathize with Fenrir as well since her fear didn't show on her face at all.After his explanation, Hestia said in an inhibited tone, "So she is a monster that evolved and became humanoid...and she also eats everything and she is always hungry unless she is relaxed or happy?" Leaning around, Hestia saw Fenrir complacently noming away on [Enkidu], so Vahn explained about the indestructible quality and the fact that it helped keep her calm. Hearing his words, Hestia actually had a somewhat sad expression and kneeled down on the floor a bit aways from Fenrir and slowly extended out her hand.Fenrir immediately entered an alert state but didn't try to take any action for several seconds. Vahn continued to pat her head to keep her calm and she eventually stopped chewing on [Enkidu] for a bit as she leaned her head forward. She seemed to be trying to follow Vahn's previous orders and was giving Hestia a chance. Hestia's nervous expression turned into a small smile as she leaned forward and gently pat Fenrir on the head. Though she frowned a bit, Fenrir didn't pull away from Hestia and 'tolerated' her touch.Hestia's smile became wider and she said in a soft tone, "There, there, you're a good girl aren't you Fenrir~?" In response to her words, Fenrir's tail thumped once on the floor and she nodded, "Fenrir good, Hestia good?" Hestia laughed a bit and stroked her ears affectionately as a bit of excitement began to appear on her face and she responded, "That's right, this beautiful goddess will be your friend from now on~"Fenrir frowned and shook her head as if to 'refute' Hestia's words, even though she didn't understand the concept of beauty, and said,"Master better, feels good, Hestia bad, but good." Nodding her head as if she had said something profound, Fenrir began biting away at [Enkidu] while Hestia sat in a blank manner as she mechanically continued to stroke Fenrir's head. Vahn laughed at her reaction and put his right palm on top of Hestia's head while using [Hands of Nirvana]. He explained in an amused voice, "I think she is talking about the difference in our petting technique. I don't mean to brag, but I feel like I have an edge over most people."Feeling the warm energy coming into her head, Hestia's smile returned and then her eyes widened as she turned to Vahn and whispered in a 'loud' manner, "Ah~! That massage thing felt super amazing, we have to do that more often! If you want me to forgive you for sneaking out this morning, you'll have to make it up to me later~." Hestia was suddenly in high spirits because Vahn had reminded her of the incredibly relaxing massage from last night. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced and she couldn't understand why the other goddesses had tried to keep it from her. Hestia thought they were trying to trick her so that they could monopolize Vahn's massages to themselves.Vahn nodded his head and, with a confident smile on his face, said, "Leave it to me!" In response, Hestia's smiled blossomed more but both of their expressions froze when a Fenrir asked in a curious, yet angry, sounding voice, "Massage super amazing? Fenrir want!" Though Hestia began to laugh awkwardly, Vahn cocked his head a bit in thought before saying, "Sure, but only if you behave." Since he could replenish her energy and help calm her down at the same time, it wasn't a bad method to keep Fenrir under control and help relieve her stress.After things were explained properly and Hestia and Fenrir had 'accepted' each other, Vahn breached the next subject, "Hestia, because of the uniqueness of the skill I used that helped Fenrir evolve, I can say for certain that she has a soul. I want to see if you can give her your blessing so that we can keep track of her growth in the future." Hestia was in a happy mood and had taken to brushing Fenrir's hair until Vahn mentioned something 'ridiculous' to her. She frowned and said, "That shouldn't be possible. Though it isn't unheard of for some monsters to possess a soul, I've never heard of any monster being able to develop one through evolution..."Though he understood her doubts, Vahn reached out his hand and rubbed Fenrir's head as he explained, "Hestia, believe in me. Fenrir probably doesn't even qualify as a monster anymore...but something far more unique. There is no harm in trying, is there?" Unable to resist the gentle and imploring gaze of Vahn, Hestia released a sigh before saying, "Fenrir, can you sit absolutely still for a little while as I inscribe something on your back? It might feel a little unpleasant, but you'll be the same as Vahn and be able to get even stronger in the future."Understanding the cue of Hestia, Vahn unequipped his tunic and showed Fenrir that Hestia's crest was engraved on his back. She stared at it with her characteristic 'annoyed' expression but also had a bit of interest and intensity in her eyes. After nearly a full minute, Fenrir said, "Fenrir want." Afterward, Hestia rolled up the back of Fenrir's top before giving Vahn a 'mean' look and asking, "If Fenrir was a monster before, then you must have been the one to give her these clothes?" Hestia stared at Vahn in an intense, almost accusatory, manner and Vahn could imagine a strange 'Jiiiiii-' sound entering his ears.Vahn explained Fenrir's evolution, her resistance to clothes, and how she shredded most of the things he tried to get her to wear. Her current outfit, though somewhat revealing, was the only thing she seemed to be comfortable in that didn't restrict her movements or absorb blood. Hestia listened in silence until Vahn mentioned the part about 'blood' which made Fenrir hold up her paws proudly, "Fenrir kill!" Though she hadn't noticed it before, Hestia could see the darker stains in Fenrir's fur and gave Vahn an incredulous look and exclaimed, "Vaaaaahn~! She needs to take a bath!"Hearing her words, Fenrir's eyes glowed more intensely and she said, "Fenrir hate bath! Fenrir no bath, no, no, no!" Because of her anxiety and frustration, Fenrir wanted to move away but was still following the order to sit still. Her eyes grew progressively more vibrant and Vahn spent several minutes trying to calm her down and explaining the benefits of a bath. She seemed to have developed a 'phobia' to bathing since the time she was forced by Eva in the past. Since she didn't understand what Eva was trying to do at the time, Fenrir must have thought she was going to drown or something.She finally calmed down when Vahn said that bath they used was a hot water onsen and was actually very shallow. There was no danger and nobody would try to force her under the water or anything like that. Vahn also said, since he remembered her interest in it from earlier, that he would give her the 'super amazing' massage afterward. Though it felt a little strange to refer to his own technique as 'super amazing', Vahn still confidently gave his promise which finally made her relax. Following that, Hestia managed to perform the Familia induction ceremony without any issues whatsoever. She was incredibly shocked when it actually worked and stared at Vahn from the side with incredibly wide eyes.--------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Fenrir]Age: 12-Level:2-Power: (G205)-Endurance: (H156)-Dexterity: (F311)-Agility: (H173)-Magic: (I92)Skills: [Lunar Cry:C], [Freezing Roar:C], [Chainbreaker:C], [Devour:SS],[Huntress:A]Development Abilities: -Magic: --------------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Remember that Innate skills don't show up inside the Status Board~)(A/N: 'Fenrir no like!','How to train your Heaven Devouring Wolf','Impossible Success')I am currently at $730/1200 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 232: Caretaker