Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

From the moment she nearly dropped the ring, Hephaestus's mind had already blanked. When Vahn caught it through the air, she felt a powerful sense of relief and then, when he finally removed her glove and put it on her finger, Hephaestus felt completely overwhelmed. She had already been covering her mouth with her free hand and there were tears welling up in her eyes as she lost strength in her legs. Before she hit the ground, Vahn had caught her in his arms and held her firmly against his chest. For several minutes after that, the only thing Hephaestus could do was cry as Vahn grimaced slightly after hearing notifications in his head.-------------------------------------------------------------------------//[Hearts Desire: Hephaestus] fulfilled. Extra parameter 'Love' unlocked.//[Hephaestus]: Love 9,418(Eternal Love)//Bond established with [Hephaestus]////Optional Quest Triggered//[Quest: Origin of Heroes]Rank: SS-SSSObjective: Impregnate Hephaestus (0). Ensure a safe deliveryRewards: 1,000,000 OP, 1x [Guardian:(Nameless)], 1x [Heroic Tale]Failure Condition(s): Death, Hephaestus's Death, (Nameless) Child's DeathPenalty: 9,418 Karma (0), Lose 'eternal flame', Lose [Heart of the Eternal Flame]-------------------------------------------------------------------------Though Vahn was very interested in the notification and even shocked at the unexpected quest, he still couldn't help but internally rebuke the system for its lack of tact. The atmosphere had become incredibly emotional and even Ryuu had slightly misty eyes, much less the other girls in the room...minus Fenrir. In fact, Fenrir seemed to be getting progressively more frustrated as her eyes glowed red and she was gripped her skirt and tearing small holes in it.Unable to contain herself, Fenrir shouted, "Vahn bully Hephaestus!?" No bully, bad!" As the room was relatively silent, disregarding the sound of sobs, Fenrir's words resonated loudly within the foyer. Hephaestus, who had been overwhelmed with emotions for the last few minutes, seemed to snap back to her sense as she looked over at the scarlet-eyed wolf-girl. Using Vahn as support, she gave him a kiss, unlike anything Vahn had experienced previously. He didn't know if it was because of the emotions they shared, but Vahn felt like he was kissing Hephaestus for the first time and it caused an explosion in his mind as his emotions began to well up in his chest.Since it wasn't the first time she had seen Vahn kiss someone, Fenrir understood she had made a mistake so she trotted over to Milan and hugged her waist to hide her embarrassment. Since she was often playing with Tina, Milan was very accustomed to Fenrir's behavior and began consoling her in the same manner as she would her own daughter. She picked up Fenrir's body, even though they weren't dissimilar in size and carried her into the other room with Tina trailing close behind. Along the way, she would look over toward Vahn and Hephaestus with an expression that was a mix between happiness and concern.Ryuu wasn't unaccustomed to Vahn's affectionate behavior with some of the girls in the network, but it was the first time she had seen him so passionate and emotional as he gently held Hephaestus in his embrace. Even though it seemed more reserved than normal, even Ryuu could feel the tensions between them increasing and became progressively more disconcerted as an observer. She initially came here out of concern for Vahn, but now Ryuu felt like she had inadvertently stepped into an inviolable space.The most affected the entire situation, for better or worse, was Hestia. She felt her emotions doing summersaults in her body as she was both incredibly excited for her best friend, but also terrified about the future. She knew Vahn and Hephaestus would be together, but she hadn't expected it to happen so soon. After they got together, Hestia knew she would have a better chance at approaching Vahn as well, but that just made her more nervous. Though she hadn't realized it previously, she was actually very reliant on the wall that was Vahn's promise with Hephaestus.After a few minutes, Hephaestus and Vahn finally their lips and stared into each other's eyes. Because he had grown a bit in the last few weeks, Vahn was now at the same height as Hephaestus, which was 165cm. Since he knew his body changed depending on his mentality, Vahn felt like things had perfectly aligned so that he stood, not only spiritually, but physically on the same level as Hephaestus. At this moment, Vahn felt so many unexplainable emotions as he stared into her hazy red eyes and could feel his chest shaking anxiously even through [Will of the Emperor].Hephaestus had the most loving expression he had ever seen on her face as she spoke, almost in a whimper, "I...I love you...so so much...Vahn." As she spoke, Vahn could feel Hephaestus's body shaking and didn't know what else to do other than hold her close and comfort her. Because of their bond, not just through the eternal flame, Vahn could also feel all of Hephaestus's emotions as well as her aura intertwined with his body. Not only was she overwhelmed by her own emotions, but she was subtly influencing him as well and their feelings continued to compound on each other.After several more minutes, and a few short, passionate, kisses, Hephaestus remembered there were other people present and looked through glossy eyes at the goddess who was her best friend. For various reasons, Hestia had also been crying and the two locked eyes with each other as Hephaestus reached out her left hand and muttered, "Hestia..." Before parting, Hephaestus turned to Vahn and gave him another kiss while pressing her face strongly against the side of his head. She said in a low voice intended only for him, "I have to go back...I'll clear up my schedule...please come to me tomorrow..."Vahn felt a powerful anxiety seize his body as he held Hephaestus's waist firmly and refused to let her got to Hestia. With a shaky voice, Vahn asked, "Why don't we go somewhere now...I'm scared something might happen." As he spoke, Vahn could feel Hephaestus shaking more powerfully in his arms as she groaned, "Not here...not here, I can't..." Her words caused Vahn to suddenly recall all of the presences around them, each one belonging to a person that had shown up to comfort him. He also hadn't expected Hephaestus to show up while he was stuck in his earlier melancholy, and now they were in a somewhat awkward situation. Imagining having to ask everyone to give them privacy...Vahn felt incredibly apologetic and knew Hephaestus was making the correct decision.After hugging her closely for a short while longer, Vahn let go of Hephaestus and it felt like he was losing a part of himself as she walked over to Hestia's side and the two goddesses began hugging each other. Even though he was surrounded by three people that he cared about, Vahn suddenly felt very lonely. As if she realized it, and she did through their link, Hephaestus peeked at Vahn with a sad expression on her face as if she too feared their parting. Silence reigned in the atmosphere for several seconds before Hephaestus looked toward Ryuu, who had been standing at the side like a statue for quite a while.Since Ryuu had been paying attention to the scenes playing out, she also saw Hephaestus look over at her through hazy eyes. Though she didn't understand immediately, when Hephaestus inclined her head slightly toward Vahn, Ryuu knew her intentions. She wasn't able to say it herself, so Hephaestus wanted Ryuu to take Vahn away so they could both calm down. The longer they were near each other right now, the more their feelings would pile on top of each other.Suddenly, Ryuu felt like there was a heavy pressure on her body as she mechanically walked over toward Vahn and showed, what she thought to be, an awkward smile. From Vahn's perspective, she looked the same as normal but with her brows twitching slightly. Though he was very reluctant to leave Hephaestus right now, Vahn couldn't imagine turning Ryuu away as she reached out her hand hesitantly toward his. With his body still shaking a bit, Vahn released a sigh through his nose before giving a legitimately awkward smile to Ryuu as he accepted her outstretched hand.Without saying anything else, Ryuu gently guided him toward the study where Milan, Tina, and Fenrir were waiting. Hephaestus stayed back with Hestia as the two goddesses watched Vahn's departing figure with powerful emotions in their eyes. When he had finally gone through the door, and it closed behind him, Hephaestus once again hugged Hestia very powerfully and said, "Hestia, I'm so scared, it feels like my heart is going to burst. Even though..even though..." Hephaestus was trying to comment about how it wasn't her first time with a man, but she couldn't consider Vahn in the same line as any god she had ever associated with.Gently patting Hephaestus's back, Hestia had a comforting smile on her face as her blue eyes glimmered with pond-like reflections. She whispered, "It's okay, it's okay...come, let's go rest. When you calm down, everything will be better..." Afterward, Hestia led Hephaestus to one of the larger rooms located near the master bedroom where she typically slept with Vahn and Fenrir. Tonight, Hestia would leave Vahn to others as she comforted her best friend and helped console her anxious heart. Hestia was also hoping that, through giving Hephaestus courage, she would also be able to find her own.The rest of the evening was relatively quiet even when Vahn had eaten dinner with Ryuu, Milan, Tina, and Fenrir. Even now, Vahn could feel a bit of the anxiety coming from Hephaestus and he would periodically gaze up through the roof where he could see the two auras of Hestia and Hephaestus in one of the guest rooms. The fact that she was still so close to him made Vahn feel a bit of anxiety as well, but he was doing his best to suppress his emotions with a subtle activation of [Will of the Emperor]. This also helped ease a bit of the melancholy and loneliness he had been feeling as he sat quietly on the sofa after dinner and cuddled with Tina and Fenrir.When it finally came time to take a bath and prepare for bed, Vahn walked lazily into the men's changing room and sat down on one of the wooden benches silently while in deep contemplation. Since there had been several people coming by to stay in the past few weeks, Fenrir had grown accustomed to taking baths with the other girls. Though they would still bathe together when it was just the three of them, Vahn primarily bathed alone these days.Sensing a presence approaching, Vahn spoke out without looking toward the source and said, "I'm fine Ryuu...you don't have to push yourself for me." Hearing his words, Ryuu paused for a few seconds before continuing into the changing room regardless. Without asking permission, Ryuu stopped at Vahn's back for a while before leaning down and loosely cradling his neck. Since it was unlike her normal behavior, Vahn released a sad sigh and said, "Am I really so pathetic...even when I feel like I need to be alone...I still get happy when someone hugs me. Even though I want to go to Hephaestus...even though I'm sad about Eva...even though..."Though his words started off smoothly, Vahn began to get choked up toward the end because he felt like he was making excuses. Since he could see her aura and understood her affections, Vahn knew Ryuu wasn't doing anything she didn't want to do. The fact that she was comforting him made Vahn happy, but it also made him feel terrible at the same time. He felt so many conflicting emotions inside his heart right now and just want to relieve them somehow.Ryuu held Vahn's body and leaned a bit of her weight against his back as she whispered in a soothing voice, "Shhh, it's okay Vahn...everything is going to be okay." Then, as if she were a mother comforting a crying child, Ryuu began to rock Vahn's body slowly from side-to-side. This made Vahn feel even happier, but it also compounded all of the negative emotions that were welling up inside him. He wanted to break away from her comforting embrace and run up the stairs to where Hephaestus was. After spending so much effort trying to complete his quest, Vahn had suddenly become impatient, almost like a powerful instinct was screaming at him that something was going to happen if he didn't act now.Since she could feel the shaking of Vahn's body increasing, Ryuu felt a pang in her heart and didn't know how to react. She was trying to comfort him, but now it seemed like she had been making the situation progressively worse. Though she thought about taking more drastic action, Ryuu was also afraid of how Vahn would react since he was acting very uncharacteristically. She just wanted to help him so, after a few seconds, Ryuu asked, "Vahn...please tell me how I can help you."As she had placed emphasis on his name, Vahn began to calm down since he could hear the concern in Ryuu's voice. He wanted to desperately to shout at her to leave him alone, but Vahn knew he would resent himself if he did something so selfish. If he became the type of person that lashed out at the people showing care for him, Vahn wasn't sure he would be able to live with himself anymore. After a short while, Vahn lowered his head and whispered, "Please don't leave me alone..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'It's over 9000!!!!','Desperation','Separation Anxiety x2')(A/N: Vahn is very unstable right now, remember that he just temporarily lost Eva and, while he was being comforted, also went through an emotional upheaval when he reunited with Hephaestus. His is suffering separation anxiety after being away from two of the most important people that have ever been in his life, so show the boyo a little sympathy TT___TT. Don't worry, he gets better soon (UwU)"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 hearing Vahn's words, Ryuu stroked the top of his head affectionately before stepping away from his back. Vahn turned around and they locked eyes with each other as Ryuu loosened the ribbon of her apron and let it drop to the floor. Seeing the expression on Vahn's face, Ryuu displayed a small smile and said, "Don't worry, I have already prepared myself. Let me take care of you for a little while."Vahn took a few long breaths and held his words as he watched Ryuu undress and remove her waitress outfit piece by piece. The green long-sleeved dress buttoned from the collar to the base and Ryuu quickly removed each of them before allowing the fabric to drop from her shoulders. Since she wasn't entering the dungeon, Ryuu was wearing a pale yellow, somewhat plain, bra on her relatively modest breasts. Perhaps she hadn't been planning to be seen since Ryuu's panties were a peach colored pair with small strings holding them together. Though he had seen Ryuu's body from the back, Vahn had never seen her naked before and, even though he still felt sad, Vahn couldn't help but feel anxious as his heart began to beat rapidly in his chest.After fiddling around behind her back a bit, Ryuu managed to unfasten her bra and Vahn got to see her fair white breasts for the first time. He felt like they were slightly bigger than he expected as she had somewhat pale colored, slightly pink, protrusions situated almost perfectly on the snowy mounds. For the next part, Ryuu hesitated for a bit until Vahn looked into her sky-blue eyes before showing a small smile and saying, "Ryuu, I-" Before he could finish, Ryuu pulled the strings from the side of her panties and they too fell to the ground when she released them.Vahn was going to say Ryuu didn't have to go so far, but his words got stuck in his throat as he inadvertently caught a glimpse of her unveiled privates before averting his eyes. Unlike her green hair, Ryuu had somewhat golden colored hair on her pubic region and Vahn had almost wanted to ask since it seemed peculiar. Since she never seemed to miss his glances, Ryuu spoke out as if to answer his concerns, "I dye my hair to protect my identity...though it's not really necessary anymore. Which do you prefer, green or gold?"Hearing her question, Vahn turned his gaze to Ryuu's sky-blue eyes and notice that her aura was relatively stable even though she was currently nude and only about a meter away from him. Considering her words for a moment, Vahn imagined what a golden-haired, sky-blue eyed Ryuu would look like. After a short while, he responded seriously, "I think I would be happy either way. If you like green hair, I think you should keep it. If you want to go back to your original color, I think that would suit you all the same. The most important thing is that you're comfortable with your own appearance..."Ryuu showed a slight smile before picking up her clothes and neatly folding them while Vahn watched her actions. He was already used to giving her compliments and having somewhat one-sided conversations. A lot of their interactions ended with her giving him a smile and then acting somewhat casually for a while until they started talking again later. Vahn actually thought her personality was somewhat therapeutic and cool since she was always taciturn yet had a gentle side to her. Combine with her appearance, Vahn thought Ryuu was a very interesting, very beautiful, elven girl...Hearing his own thoughts, Vahn frowned before turning away from Ryuu's exposed backside. She had a somewhat fit, albeit small, butt and very long legs that always drew his eyes since she often wore a pair of green shorts that could compete with Loki for how small they were. Though he hadn't asked, Ryuu had told him she wore them because they were easy to move in. Since her combat style relied on speed, Vahn didn't think she was wrong but wondered why girls wore somewhat revealing clothes just to increase their speed.Vahn had tried wearing a pair of small shorts himself once, and it actually felt somewhat uncomfortable like it was hugging and restricting his movement. Perhaps it was just a difference between men and women that Vahn didn't understand because of their differing physiques. Vahn preferred to wear somewhat loose clothing and had never been in a situation where they got in his way at all.While he was distracted by his own thoughts, Ryuu walked over and stood right next to him and waited silently. Vahn snapped out of his reflection and looked over at her from bottom to top before fixing his gaze on her eyes. Understanding his confusion, Ryuu explained, "We can't take a bath if you stay seated there."Hearing her words, Vahn blanked for a moment before realizing he kept getting caught up in his own thoughts. Releasing a sigh, Vahn stood up and began undressing while trying to remain calm and composed. He had long known he had a bad habit of getting lost in his thoughts whenever he was frustrated and had once again fallen into the same pitfall he tried to avoid. And just like the past, now there was another girl at his side helping him work through things because he was incapable of doing it himself...Vahn released a long sigh and sat back down on the bench without fully removing his clothes. Holding his head with his palms, he said in a low voice, "Just give me a moment please...I'll come into the bath in a few minutes." Ryuu stared down at Vahn's pitiful form and reached her hand out halfway before hesitating and pulling back. Before she turned around and went inside, Ryuu said softly, "Take your time...Vahn." Though he knew she wasn't looking back at him anymore, Vahn still nodded his head and sat in silence for a while.After Ryuu left, Vahn looked towards the door and had a sad expression on his face as he recalled everything Ryuu was doing to help comfort him. Though it wasn't his intention, Vahn felt like he was somehow exploiting her and, even though he knew it wasn't the case, he couldn't help but feel somewhat resentful of himself. Since he did like her, the fact he couldn't focus on her when she was doing so much for him made Vahn feel like he wasn't deserving of her affection at all. He wanted to treat her kindly and affectionately, but he was currently split between so many conflicting emotions and couldn't break out of the mental loop in his own mind...During his silence, Vahn heard a bell-like voice ring in his head, (*You like her, don't you?*) Without raising his head, Vahn responded in his mind, ("Of course I do...I just feel like I shouldn't do anything. Now that I'm so close to keeping my promise with Hephaestus-"). Before he could finish, Sis interrupted, (*How strange...I'm checking the system log and I can see that you already completed her Heart's Desire already.*)As if to flaunt it in his face, Vahn saw the notification pop up in his vision without his willing it. After blanking for a moment, Vahn said out loud, "But...she wants to have a baby...and-" Once again, Sis interrupted, (*Your expectations are a bit out of proportion Vahn. Even though I didn't interact with her personally, I can tell that the only thing Hephaestus wants is to be together with you. At no point do I recall her saying she wanted to have sex right after you forged an item. I also can't recall anything about her saying she wanted to have a baby immediately either...nope, I just checked all the logs since you entered the world.*)The next thing Vahn heard was Sis's laughter inside his head while his eyes darted about in recollection. He was trying to remember everything that had been said between him and Hephaestus and understood what Sis was trying to say...As if to affirm what he was thinking, Sis chimed, (*She was the one that sent Ryuu to you, but she didn't tell Ryuu to do anything. Everything she is doing for you right now, those are decisions she made. You have to stop treating your relationships as a burden Vahn...you'll break if you bottle everything up. Why else do you think so many people came over tonight when they thought you were in pain?*)Vahn looked up toward the roof where the two auras of Hephaestus and Hestia were located and remembered everything that had happened since he exited the orb. Because they were worried about his parting with Eva, there were several people that had come by to help comfort him. Even Fenrir, who wasn't typically receptive to these kinds of things had been proactively trying to comfort him. When Hephaestus showed up, that had also been her intention but Vahn tried to change the flow of things after he gave her the ring. Even though there were so many people gathered for him, Vahn was willing to ignore them all just because he wanted to 'fulfill' his promise with Hephaestus.The ironic thing, and the thing he had been overlooking even though the system clearly showed proof, was that he had already kept his promise. He and Hephaestus were no longer constrained by her vow and now Vahn could be together with her whenever he wanted...she could also seek him out and they could find comfort with each other just by reaching out to each other. He didn't have to be rushing everything all at once, and he didn't have to restrain himself because of a promise he had already kept...As if giving voice to his realization, Sis said, (*Even Eva knew you needed to relax and sealed away the orb just to give you time to spend focusing on yourself. You've worked hard over the last few months, even when you were supposed to be recovering from a serious injury. You don't have to keep forcing yourself to resolve everything immediately and should enjoy life more~! Can't you see that everyone is worried about you?*)Hearing Sis's words, Vahn released another long sigh, almost as if he was trying to expel all of the tensions that had been building up in his body. As Sis had said, Vahn had been restraining himself a lot and even putting a lot of his relationships on hold while he was trying to fulfill his promise with Hephaestus. Now that he had already completed her heart's desire, he should focus more on building a steady relationship with her. They would be together for the rest of their lives, and there was no longer a need to hurry things along. Since she was also open to him having other partners, Hephaestus had even allowed another girl to help comfort him just because she was worried about his mental state...Standing up, Vahn removed the rest of his clothes while thinking about the various women that he had asked to be patient with him and knew things would probably begin to advance steadily in his relationships pretty soon. If he wanted to truly make each of them happy, Vahn couldn't focus so much on bottling up his emotions and making promises that restricted his interactions with the other girls in his life. He had long ago made his resolve to communicate with them whenever he had difficulties, so there was no reason to keep trying to manage everything on his own especially considering they had already established a network even before he thought of it.After folding away his clothes, Vahn's melancholy seemed to melt away and a subtle smile appeared on his face as he looked toward the door that Ryuu had exited through earlier. Though he wasn't sure how things would progress, Vahn didn't want to keep taking a passive approach to everything. Resolving himself, Vahn walked through the door and spoke within his mind, ("Thanks again, Sis. I think I'll try focusing on starting a family from now on...I'm a little excited.")(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'JUST. DO. IT','I get knocked down, but I get up again, ain't never gonna keep Vahn down!','Family Planning Isn't A Joke Vahn')(A/N: Heads up, the interaction with Hephaestus will likely be 2-3 long chapters tomorrow. Just like with the Tiona/Ais rendezvous; it takes a lot of effort to write an erotica chapter and I don't want to tackle them half-way through the day. Just a fyi~! Oh yeah, my word count for last week was 113/100k words (56 chapters of content). I think I'll try to average around 120k if possible.)

Since it had been an item he spent so much time and effort on, Vahn was hesitant when it came to deciding upon the name of the ring. It wasn't a beautiful object that would inspire thought of beauty, nor was it ornate like several of the accessories and rings Vahn had seen. Instead, the ring looked almost plain, even though it was perhaps one of the most intricately designed of its kind. It was somewhat ironic that the greatest masterpiece he had ever forged was also the most normal looking object he had ever created. Vahn was torn between naming it now, or trying to give it a name through [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] later...As he flipped the simple golden ring in his hand, Vahn stroked it in an affectionate manner and ruminated over the ideas he had come up with previously. Since he wanted to try and find a way to seal away Divinity in a practical manner, Vahn had some hope that the ring would be able to replicate the function of [Enkidu], but was informed by Sis that the grade of the ring would have to be SSS if he wanted it to meet that standard. Even though it was currently S, Vahn didn't think it was even possible to push it to SS Rank without a bit of luck, much less SSS.Other than that, Vahn was stuck on a name that he thought was quite suitable but was also somewhat hesitant to use given the look of the ring. Since this ring was a result of the promise he had made with Hephaestus, Vahn had actually thought to name it 'Promise' so that it would serve as a constant reminder of that fateful day. The only thing that prevented him from making the final decision was, even though he was certain she wouldn't care, the current base for the ring was simply too plain. He had previously given Hephaestus a beautiful ruby ring when they got engaged, and it actually seemed inappropriate to give her something less 'beautiful'.In his absentmindedness, Vahn dropped the ring and it fell like a heavyweight as it made contact with the table. Instead of bouncing, or rolling away, the ring came to a halt the moment it impacted the surface. Vahn ran his finger along the surface and once again marveled at the internal structure of the ring using his [Eyes of Truth]. Remembering that Hephaestus also had a god's eye, Vahn knew she would be able to glean some insights from the ring and understand its hidden complexity...With that thought in mind, Vahn showed a happy smile as he picked up the ring and whispered to it gently, as though he would a lover, "Henceforth, now and forevermore, you shall be known as [Promise]. I pray to whatever forces that govern the laws of naming that you protect the person that receives you from all harm..." Even though he didn't use the Akashic Tome, the ring in Vahn's hands glowed a resplendent golden color much like his [Enkidu]. It was almost 'divine' in its luminance and Vahn could feel a powerful energy radiating from the surface as all the internal formations were activated simultaneously.-------------------------------------------------------------------------[Promise]Rank: S (Divine)P.Def: 0M.Def: 0Abilities: Indestructible(Divine), Magic Nullification(S), Physical Nullifcation(A), Abnormal Status Immunity(A), Soulbound(Unbound)Use: 'Absolute Nullification': Bends the laws of the world to alter causality and create a miracle. (Warning: Item destroyed after use.)-------------------------------------------------------------------------By the time it stopped glowing, [Promise] had changed from a plain ring into a resplendent golden ring that displayed white runes along the interior that had an almost sacred look. Even though its surface appearance hadn't changed much, the internal structure and function of the ring had evolved to embody the ideals that went into its forging and naming. From now on, this ring would always protect the wielder from harm and guarantee their safety.When he was done admiring the [Promise], Vahn's smile grew even wider as he looked through his system notification and saw that his [Blacksmith:S] had evolved into [Master Smith:I]. Even though it was the lowest grade of [Master Smith], it was still infinitely superior to its preceding skill. This point was the pinnacle for most mortals, and even gods weren't able to reach the peak of the skill without their Arcanum and Divinity as support.-------------------------------------------------------------------------[Master Smith]Rank: IGreatly improves the success rate of forging equipment and refining materials. Dependant on the knowledge, skill, experience, and intent of the user.Active Trigger: 'Enhance': Allows the user to temporarily boost the efficacy of equipment through maintenance.-------------------------------------------------------------------------Even though the skill didn't change much, it now provided a greatly enhanced success rate as well as an active trigger which would be infinitely beneficial for Vahn and his allies in the future. It was similar in a way to how [Whetstones] increased the attack power of weapons through sharpening, but now Vahn would be able to achieve a similar effect on all the equipment he maintained. Though he would probably be busy in the future, Vahn was happy that the skill had evolved in such a way since it would allow him to enhance, not only weapons, but armor, accessories, or even magical items.After completing the ring, Vahn purchased a beautiful case to contain it before collapsing onto the ground with his arms spread out. Though he didn't feel like he was mentally exhausted, at least in regards to the concerns of the girls, Vahn felt emotionally drained as a powerful sense of relief spread through his body. There was still a month before the marriage and Denatus, but Vahn was beginning to worry about what would have happened if he hadn't finished in time. Now that he was finally at the finish line, Vahn suddenly felt very very tired...When Vahn awoke, he was laying in bed next to the 'sleeping' Eva who immediately opened her eyes the moment he did. She put her hand on his face and in a somewhat soothing tone said, "After you leave today, I'm going to seal up this space for a little while. Since you'll be starting your training soon, I need to make sure everything is stable in preparation for the future. Go and spend some time in the real world with all those brats..."Hearing Eva's words, Vahn frowned and tried to rebut, but she continued before he could utter a single syllable, "Don't worry, when I seal this space I will enter stasis and won't even be aware of the passage of time at all. When you notice the orb begin to glow once again, you'll know it is time to come back...make sure you're prepared. Until you activate the orb again, I will continue to slumber, so don't feel like you need to rush." Her words finished, Eva mounted Vahn's body and the two embraced each other as if they were going to be parting for a very long time.Since he had used the orb in the afternoon, it was only slightly after 5 PM and Vahn had been laying down on a sofa in the study with Fenrir cuddled up against him. He noticed she was still wearing the frilly maid outfit that she had become fond of after going on a group shopping trip with Hephaestus, Eina, Hestia, Loki, and Syr. Since she had been treated so well by the group of goddesses and mortal, Fenrir had calmed down a lot and liked to wear cute things since she got spoiled more.Even though only a few seconds had passed since they had parted, Fenrir looked up at Vahn before tilting her head and saying, "Vahn, welcome back!" Even though she still had some verbal ticks, Fenrir was decidedly more eloquent than her past self. She also somewhat understood that, when he entered the orb, several days would pass for him. Because of this, Fenrir had developed the habit of 'protecting' him and then welcoming him back when he returned.Stroking her hair, Vahn turned to the side where Hestia was drinking tea. Seeing him look her way, Hestia showed a cheerful smile and said, "Welcome home~!" Then, understanding Vahn was in a strange state, she asked, "Are you...okay?" Before he answered, Hestia, moved toward him like a bullet and had a very concerned expression on her face as she wiped away the tears that had started to fall from Vahn's eyes without his notice.After explaining things to Hestia, she decided to comfort Vahn with a lap pillow while stroking his hair for the time being. Though she had never met the golden-haired vampire, Hestia knew she was quite important to Vahn and that it wouldn't be easy for them to separate for such a long period of time. Even though it was a ridiculous amount of time for Eva between their meetings, Vahn actually spent a compressed amount of time every single day within the orb at her side. Now that he was suddenly separated from Eva, Hestia could see that Vahn was experiencing something similar to separation anxiety and loneliness.Though he would traditionally make more of an effort to restrain Hestia, Vahn remained silent as he enjoyed her fingers running through his hair while hugging Fenrir. As if she had realized Vahn's state of mind, Fenrir was incredibly docile and well-behaved as she remained perfectly still while Vahn was being tended to by Hestia. If Hestia or Vahn could have seen her face, they would have noticed that her eyes had begun to glow, not from her own anxiety, but because she wanted to help Vahn and didn't know how.After a few minutes, while Vahn was relaxing peacefully, Fenrir seemed to come up with an idea and patted Vahn's hands with her paws so that he would release her. Since it wasn't the first time they had such an interaction, Vahn reluctantly let go of Fenrir who promptly reached for the pouch she always kept at her hip. Even though she couldn't do it easily, Fenri had grown accustomed to opening her own pouch to retrieve the brush within.Since it was the thing that made her the happiest, other than hunting enemies, Fenrir thought it would help Vahn as well. Though her movements were awkward and made both Hestia and Vahn somewhat nervous, Fenrir began to comb Vahn's hair with her favorite brush. Vahn, though still a bit nervous about the deadly claws near his face, closed his eyes with a smile and whispered, "Thank you, Fenrir..."For the rest of the day, the roles within their small little group had entirely reversed. Traditionally, Vahn was the one that spoiled the two girls but now they had taken up the role and were pampering him. Hestia had even contacted the other girls on the network and explained things so that, by the end of the evening, there had been a number of guests that arrived to spend the night. Though Vahn was grateful, he began to grow somewhat nervous after one of the guests arrived...Since she was nearby, Ryuu had been the first to arrive and had even worn her waitress outfit instead of changing into her casual attire of Adventurer equipment. As she had already picked out a room and moved in her stuff previously, Ryuu could always change within the Manor so she didn't feel the need to 'waste' time. Ever since the first time Vahn had given her a massage, Ryuu's aversion to being touched had decreased by a fair amount, at least when it came to Vahn. She had even, for the first time, offered to give him a lap pillow while Hestia received other guests and prepared dinner.While Vahn was enjoying the comfortable lap pillow and uncommon affection of Ryuu, the second set of guests showed up, Milan and Tina. By now, Milan's hair had grown back on her ears and tail, so she was walking around with a cheerful expression and had recovered a lot of her old personality. Tina, having been influenced by the girls at the Hostess of Fertility, had turned into a little tyrant and was always full of energy. Whenever Vahn ate lunch with them, she would always happily converse with him and she had completely regained her sensibilities and was no longer overly clingy. The downside to this resulted in her trying to reclaim her role as his 'Vahnguard', especially after he started going on several outings with other girls. It took the combined efforts of the entire network to contain her 'wrath' and it was also Tina's actions that inevitably resulted in there always being at least two girls accompanying Vahn.Tina had also become best friends with Fenrir since Fenrir acted very much like a child that was lacking in affection and a proper education. She had even gotten Fenrir to call her 'Big Sis', even though Tina was much smaller than she was. Because of this, Fenrir also began to call Milan 'Mama' until it was corrected after some of the other girls, who were also fond of Fenrir, objected to the claim. It became especially problematic when it was known that Fenrir had once tried to refer to Vahn as 'Papa' in the past...Though others wanted to come, there were just the six of them for quite a while until the last guest finally showed up. Even before he had seen her, Vahn could sense her arrival and become nervous to the point that everyone in the room could tell something was wrong. Fenrir had become especially alert since her senses were far stronger than even the cat people, Milan and Tina. However, the moment she lifted her head and looked around, the red glow in her eyes faded and she said, "Hephaestus~!"Because Fenrir was closer to the people that were closest to Vahn, she was especially fond of Hephaestus, Eina, and Hestia. Even though it wasn't much, her tail wagged a bit as she ran toward the door to receive Hephaestus in the foyer. The other girls, who had been somewhat tense after seeing Vahn's reaction, began to calm down as the entire group made their way over. As the person nearest him, Ryuu asked in a low voice, "Is something wrong?" Even though she wasn't as on guard as before, Ryuu hadn't relaxed since Vahn was still in a tense state.Vahn showed an awkward smile before he sighed and explained, "Nothing is wrong at all...in fact, things are going too well in a way." Hearing his words, Ryuu cocked her head slightly before remaining silent and observing what would happen. Though he hadn't spoken to them, both Milan and Tina had heard Vahn's words and were also quite curious. Soon after, Hephaestus entered through the front door and pet Fenrir, who had wrapped her paws around her body, on the head for a few seconds before looking around with a concerned expression on her face. Seeing Vahn, Hephaestus showed a relieved smile before adopting a somewhat confused expression.Since they were linked together through the 'eternal flame', Hephaestus was able to sense the melancholy Vahn had been in since earlier in the afternoon. Now that she had arrived to comfort him, she could sense his heart rate increasing and saw that he had a very nervous expression on his face. Thinking about what could be the matter, Hephaestus's thoughts raced before remembering why Vahn had been so down in the first place. Hestia had said it was due to the fact that Vahn couldn't use the orb for a while and would be away from Eva, the girl she had never met.When this thought passed through her mind earlier, Hephaestus just felt sad for Vahn and wanted to come over and comfort him for the night. Now, however, she remembered what Vahn had purportedly been doing inside the orb for the last month or so. Alongside Vahn's heartbeat, Hephaestus's also began to increase as her eyes slowly widened. She could feel her body begin to shake and she suddenly felt very excited, anxious, and fretful all at the same time.Vahn saw the fluctuations of Hephaestus's aura and knew she understood why he was acting strangely as well. The atmosphere in the foyer became strange and everyone was absolutely silent as they watched Vahn and Hephaestus staring, unmoving, at each other for more than a minute. Eventually, Vahn could see that Hephaestus was shaking progressively more and more, so he was finally able to muster up the courage to pull out the ornate white box that had been in his inventory. Walking forward, Vahn held out the box as his own hands began to shake and urged Hephaestus to take it with his eyes...At this point, Hephaestus's heart was racing so fast that she couldn't form a single coherent thought. The only thing in the world right now was Vahn, herself, and the box within his hands. Reaching out her shaking hand, Hephaestus gingerly opened the beautiful box and saw a resplendent golden ring contained within. Even without inspecting it close, Hephaestus knew the ring was a masterpiece that could even rival some of her greatest creations in the mortal world.When she reached out to pick up the ring, Hephaestus's hand was shaking so much that she couldn't grasp it at all. Even when she managed to pick it up a bit, she soon dropped it and it nearly fell out of the case before a pulse of invisible energy passed through the room and Vahn caught the ring mid-flight. In his haste, Vahn had instinctively activated [Will of the Emperor] to help calm his own nerves as he held the ring in his finger.Helping Hephaestus remove her glove, Vahn placed the ring on the same finger where her ruby one usually sat. Because she forged constantly, Hephaestus usually wore the previous ring on a necklace that she kept around her neck. Because of the relative simplicity of [Promise], she would be able to wear it even when she had her gloves on. After it was firmly on her finger, Vahn looked into Hephaestus's crimson-red eyes and said, "This ring is called [Promise], and it is also my vow made real. From now on, you will never have to be alone..."Title: Promise Kept(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'One ring to rule them all','Vahn's Melancholy','If you like it then you need to put a ring on it')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 238: Origin of Heroes