Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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

After settling in Fenrir, Vahn accompanied Ryuu back to the Hostess of Fertility. Fenrir wanted to come along, but Vahn knew she wasn't ready to deal with crowds of people yet. Though it took a bit of coaxing, Vahn managed to convince her to stay behind and 'protect' Hestia. Hestia had also wanted to come along, but she also agreed that Fenrir needed to be looked after. Vahn promised to take the two of them shopping in the future and left a large number of snacks for them both to enjoy.The walk with Ryuu back to the Hostess of Fertility was very quiet because Ryuu was actually very reserved and Vahn still didn't know how to treat her. He thought she was very beautiful and had a calming personality, but Vahn wasn't sure if he should even be making advances at girls right now. Not only was he 'halting' Hestia's actions, but he had even delayed his interactions with other girls because he wanted to keep his promise with Hephaestus first. He had been making incredible leaps within the orb, but he still couldn't cross the threshold required to reach [Master Smith].Though she was walking ahead casually, Ryuu was actually paying a great deal of attention to Vahn and actually felt very nervous. Since they were close to each other, she had an inclination to hold his hand but couldn't muster up the courage to commit. Even though Syr had been egging her own about approaching Vahn, Ryuu still hadn't resolved herself to take any steps forward. She knew how many girls were around Vahn, including some of the ones she was close to, and also knew that he was dealing with a lot of issues in his life. Now that they were in the same Familia, Ryuu wanted to find an opportunity to get closer to Vahn but hadn't yet found an appropriate method.When she released a slight sigh, Vahn looked over even though Ryuu was positive he hadn't heard her. With a smile on his face, Vahn reached out and gingerly grabbed her hand as if he had read her mind. Her heart throbbed a bit, but she just smiled as they walked along the back alleys towards the Hostess of Fertility. Though they hadn't spent much time together, Ryuu knew that Vahn was quite perceptive and she was grateful he had been the one to reach out and grab her hand. It reminded her a lot of the first time they had met and how he was easily able to approach her...While he had been hesitating, Vahn heard a notification in his mind and noticed that Ryuu's aura had been flickering a bit with an almost unnoticeable pink hue. Though he didn't look directly at her, Vahn could feel that her aura would occasionally gravitate toward him and he understood that she was probably hesitating herself. Remembering that she placed an emphasis on 'holding hands', Vahn decided to turn his head when he heard her sigh before grasping her hand gently. When she smiled and put a bit of strength into her grip, Vahn assumed he had made the right decision and walked forward casually with Ryuu all the way until they entered the alleyway at the side of the Hostess of Fertility.Ryuu had a subtle smile on her face as she stood outside the door and said, "Thank you for walking with me this far...will you be staying for lunch?" Vahn nodded his head so she said, "Please wait a few minutes, I will change into my uniform quickly." Since he wasn't in any hurry at all, Vahn nodded curtly and waited patiently outside the door as Ryuu went inside to change. He wasn't sure if they had 'progressed' in their relationship suddenly, but Vahn was already considering Ryuu to be part of his 'family' since she had joined their Familia.After Ryuu came back out into the alley, Vahn smiled and led the way with Ryuu following closely behind. They drew a few eyes from the patrons when they came through the double doors but nothing happened as a result since they weren't holding hands or anything. Vahn had already developed a 'reputation' among the regular clients, even in his Báihǔ form. There were quite a few young men that visited the Hostess of Fertility for the express purpose of trying to court one of the girls there. Since Vahn seemed to be the center of a lot of girls' attention, he wasn't really welcomed by most patrons.Ryuu ended up being their server for the day, and Vahn apologized to Tina and Milan as he explained the circumstances of his previous absence. They had already heard from Sry, but Vahn felt personally obligated to explain things to alleviate any concerns they might have. When they heard he had a new 'evolved monster', Tina was in somewhat high tensions since she had grown fond of Fafnir. Even though she wasn't in danger, Tina knew Vahn had ordered it to protect her so she would often call out to it and feed it treats when nobody was looking.After lunch, Vahn parted with the Mother-Daughter duo after promising to bring Fenrir by when she had become more stable. When it was just the two of them, Ryuu stood next to Vahn in silence with a small smile on her face. Vahn didn't know how to read Ryuu well since she wasn't very expressive and kept to herself, but he understood she was expressing her 'support' in her own way. In a low, polite, tone, Vahn said, "Thank you Ryuu. I'm glad you joined our Familia...from now on, we're a family, okay?" As he spoke, Vahn grabbed Ryuu's right hand and clasped it between both of his in a relatively gentle fashion.Ryuu showed a small smile and stared at her hand that was being held by Vahn as she said, "Okay...Vahn." For some reason, as she said his name, Vahn noticed that Ryuu blushed far more noticeably than in the past. Tilting his head to the side a bit, Vahn recalled that it was only the second time she had actually ever said his name, even though they had known each other for a few weeks. With a bigger smile on his face, Vahn lifted Ryuu's hand and, as if emulating their first meeting, kissed it for a few seconds before pulling away. When he looked up, Ryuu seemed to have grown several inches taller as she raised her chin and tilted her head back with a moderate blush on her face.Vahn laughed a few short syllables as he said, "I'll see you tomorrow...Ryuu." After pausing for a second or two and taking a shallow breath, Ryuu's face showed a small smile and she nodded her head as she said, "I'll see you tomorrow...Vahn." Though he wasn't sure it mattered, Vahn decided to start keeping track of the number of times Ryuu called his name. Since it seemed to be a matter of significance, Vahn felt like he would be able to get a rise out of her in the future if he brought it up.After parting, Vahn returned to his Manor and greeted Hestia and Fenrir before returning to his private forge. As they had done the day before, Fenrir cuddled with Hestia as they read books together. Vahn thought they had great synergy with each other, but he would never explain to Hestia that it was because they were both somewhat airheaded. Even though Fenrir was troublesome in a way, she was also a good restraint on Hestia who had been growing bolder by the day. Hestia's good-natured and cheerful personality was equally as important for Fenrir, as she was already starting to develop a gentler temperament, at least at home.During the afternoon, Vahn entered the orb and spent the entire three days stay reading books and designing diagrams for the future equipment he intended to forge. He had recently come to understand why Hephaestus, who was a literal goddess of forging, still designed blueprints for equipment now. Though he was able to use his inspiration to create 'masterpieces', Vahn realized that he would need to take a different approach if he wanted to take the final step toward becoming a [Master Smith]. Even Tsubaki, who was somewhat ditzy at times, also drew up blueprints, so Vahn was certain it was the correct decision to make.Even Eva, who was far more artistically inclined, helped him draw up the blueprints and came up with a host of ideas for Vahn to improve. Not only had she read all the books he left for her, including things regarding mechanics, engineering, and blacksmithing, but she also had a lot of experience in life and much more time than he had to practice. Though he felt somewhat guilty about it, Vahn was happy to rely on Eva and made a concerted effort to pamper her more often.After leaving the orb, Vahn continued to forge items until it was time for dinner. He had gotten the 'okay' from Milan and Tina to spend dinner with Hestia and Fenrir for the time being. Unfortunately, Vahn had made a slight oversight and, since he had 'cleaned' Fenrir earlier, Hestia tried using the excuse that they hadn't bathed since returning to try and talk her way into the same bath as Vahn. She had even gotten Fenrir on her side and Vahn struggled to come up with a way to refute their combined 'attack'. The final straw had been when both girls, since they were much shorter than him, gave him 'puppy' eyes and Vahn took a critical hit to his mental defenses.Their efforts had resulted in Vahn allowing them to bathe with him, but only after having Hestia agree to 'behaving' so she didn't influence Fenrir to develop any strange habits. Since they were quickly growing closer to each other, Vahn knew that Hestia's behavior would likely be picked up by Fenrir as her mental development continued. She had already gotten to the point, just after two days, where she was already beginning to laze around on the sofa with Hestia spoiling her. Since Vahn also spoiled her quite a bit, he knew she would probably become a somewhat lazy person while at home, but this would also prevent her from being stressed out...at least, that was Vahn's hope.During the bath, Fenrir acted normally, almost as if she didn't care about being seen at all and, she in fact, did not. Since she had bathed with Hestia the previous night and had been cleaned by Vahn more than once, she gave him the sponge and said plainly, "Master clean Fenrir." Vahn handed the sponge to Hestia, who was also nearby, and said, "Don't be selfish Fenrir, Hestia will be able to clean you properly."Fenrir looked at Hestia and frowned before turning back to Vahn and saying, "Fenrir want Master clean! Master better!" Vahn frowned a bit before looking over and giving Hestia a sidelong glance before saying, "If I wash your body, a certain goddess would try to use it as an excuse to get cleaned as well. Be a good girl..." Before he finished his words, Fenrir squatted down in the water and began scratching the smooth surface of the onsen with her claws as she blew bubbles and 'ignored' Vahn.Vahn could see her eyes were beginning to glow and Hestia spoke from the side, "Don't worry about me, go ahead and help her out. She is like a child that wants her Papa's affection~." Fenrir's ears twitched at Hestia's words and she looked up at Vahn while still squatted down, "Papa wash Fenrir, please?" Hearing her words, Vahn felt a pressure in his nose as his temples began to throb. He looked down at the 'pleading' eyes of Fenrir before giving Hestia a serious look that caused her to laugh awkwardly.Releasing a sigh, Vahn sat down and stroked Fenrir's head gently and explained, "You shouldn't call me Papa...you don't have to call me Master either. From now on, just call me Vahn..." As if she had never cared about the address, to begin with, Fenrir responded, "Vahn wash Fenrir?" Though he was somewhat hesitant, Vahn felt like he had dodged a bullet and couldn't help but smile as he agreed to her request. In a way, he could increase their bond while also enforcing the idea that she should call him Vahn from now on.Fenrir was very pleased by Vahn's actions and happily patted the water while squirming about as he lathered up her body. When she was fully covered in suds, Vahn helped her rinse off while also using a plastic brush to get any remnant materials out of her hair and fur. When she was finally cleaned off, Fenrir did something that Vahn didn't quite expect as she got out of the pool and, on all fours, began shaking her body from head to tail before finally kicking with her back legs to try and get as much water out of her fur as possible. Because she had absolutely no sense of propriety, she had put on quite the 'display' for both Vahn and Hestia.Without Vahn having to say anything, Hestia got out of the pool and said, "I'll make sure she learns how to properly dry off..." Vahn just nodded without responding as he submerged his head into the hot water to 'cool' off. Even though he didn't feel like he had any attraction to Fenrir, Vahn couldn't help but get caught up in her momentum a bit because of how peculiar her actions were. He had never seen someone that looked like a human behave in such a unique way and didn't think he was mentally prepared to deal with Fenrir if she kept displaying such adorable antics. Even if he didn't 'intend' to look, it was hard to ignore such behavior...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Ryuu's Hand Fetish v.2','Imprinting','Dangerous Behavior')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

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

Chapter 233: *Spoilers: Title at End*

Chapter 233: Spoilers: Title at End