Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Fortunately, even though Haruhime was owned by Ishtar, she seemed to work in one of the brothels to the southwest and Vahn would be able to confirm her safety. Though it might cause problems and discourse between the Ishtar Familia and himself, Vahn could simply steal Haruhime away if he successfully infiltrated into the brothel. Of course, the first thing he had to do was discuss things with the others and find a place for the six girls he just purchased to stay. After settling them in, Vahn could always sneak back into the red light district during the early morning when there were fewer people around.Shauntac saw the contemplative and pleased expression on Vahn's face and nodded his head satisfactorily. He could tell that the boy before him was a pretty big sucker and it would probably be possible to squeeze some more money out of him in the future. Once they discovered where he lived and his source of income, they could even pressure him into taking on a debt or even kidnap the girls and resell them through another one of their brokerages. Naive boys with a lot of wealth were easy marks and one of the preferred short-term customers for their business.After a few minutes, the six girls were brought in wearing matching maid attire while holding shawls in their hands for later. Though he felt guilty to have the thought, Vahn thought they looked kind of cute in the matching getup. Especially the twins, who seemed to be in much higher spirits even though their auras were continually fluctuating. Vahn went through the process of sealing a contract and then placing a seal of ownership at a place of his choosing on the girls' bodies. The simplify things, Vahn placed them wrist where he had seen the previous marking. To facilitate things, Shauntac even gave the girls some wristbands to cover the mark before handing Vahn six collars that emphasized each girls hair color.Each girl bowed to him as he placed the collars around their necks and thanked him in the same, likely rehearsed manner, "Thank you for taking this lowly one as your servant. This one will do their best to serve you from now on, my esteemed Master." The only exception was Shiva, who couldn't even speak due to the curse that had been placed on her tongue. When things had finished, Shauntac gave him a wooden tab that could control the seals on the girls' bodies and 'punish' them if they misbehaved. Even though they were bound by a vow, it didn't mean accidents couldn't happen, such as when Shiva injured her previous master's genitals.Before leaving, Vahn gave a perusing glance at each of the girls' bodies with his perception before nodding his head and leading the way out of the brokerage. They each wore the shawls to cover their bodies so they wouldn't draw attention to themselves as Vahn escorted them through passages where there was little foot traffic. After a half-hour, they had made their way out of the red light district before Vahn turned around and looked into the eyes of the girls following him.Eager to please, the twins stepped forward in sequence and asked, "May we be of assistance, Master?" Vahn released a sigh and said, "I'll pick each of you up for a moment, don't resist, I won't hurt any of you." Though they were nervous, Emiru and Maemi nodded their heads as Vahn picked up the first person and disappeared from sight. Maemi, the twin left behind, immediately felt concerned until Vahn reappeared moments later. She saw that he didn't have her sister anymore and began to tear up before Vahn lifted her body and disappeared yet again.On the roof of a nearby building, Emiru had been standing in a daze for a few seconds as her Master disappeared from sight before reappearing moments later with her twin sister Maemi. The two girls immediately hugged each other and stared at the disappearing Vahn until he once again showed up with another girl in his arms. This repeated until all six girls were on the roof and the two twins began to wonder what kind of mysterious man had purchased them.After all the girls were situated, Vahn scanned his perception within the area of his domain and saw the people that had been tailing him had stopped moving. They seemed to be waiting for something but Vahn had already made plans as he walked over sheep girl Preasia and kneeling down. Using his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn peered into her stomach where a magical stone-like transmitter had probably been forced down her throat so they could track him. Because of her lacking emotions and absolute silence, she was the most likely candidate for forcing her to ingest the transmitter.Vahn looked into her light-grey eyes and said, "I'm going to make the thing in your stomach go away, I need you to remain absolutely still." Without responding at all, Preasia just looked down at Vahn with a blank expression that made him release a small sigh. Using his 'Oblivion' skill, Vahn identified the active component of the transmitter and severed it. Following that, he tried to destroy as much of the transmitter as possible and hoped her body would be able to process the rest later.After the signal was lost, the men tracking Vahn became active and backtracked to the brokerage, likely to report what had happened. Since he wanted to buy time, Vahn used [Enkidu] from a distance and ran it through the two men's achilles tendons before turning his attention back to the girls that had been staring at him with varying degrees of confusion on their faces. Vahn showed a small smile and explained, "Sorry you had to go through all of this, I'll be releasing you all soon. You don't have to call me Master, or anything else for that matter, just start thinking about what you want to do from now on. I'll try and help you return to your families or see if I can find a safe place for you to stay if that is impossible."The eyes of every girl, except for Shiva and Preasia, became wide as they looked at Vahn as if he had just said something incredulous. By the time they processed his words, Emiru and Maemi hugged each other and fell to the ground as they started silently sobbing. Mona had a somewhat gentle and happy look in her eyes as she hugged her hands between her somewhat massive breasts. Shizune had a thoughtful expression and had turned her head to the east in silent contemplation. The only lacking reactions were Shiva, who had a contemptuous look in her eyes, and Preasia, who didn't have any expression whatsoever.Without saying anything, because she couldn't speak, Shiva walked over and removed the band covering her slave seal. When Vahn saw her point at it, he understood what she wanted and shook his head from side-to-side. In response, Shiva's contemptuous look grew deeper as she spat off to the side and sneered at Vahn. Knowing she was misunderstanding, Vahn explained, "Wait, I'll release you soon, but first I need to remove the curse from your tongue. Though it's a strange thing to admit, I'm somewhat afraid that you might bite me if I try to do it later..."Though she still had a look of contempt on her face, Shiva tilted her head and stared at Vahn as if to ascertain if he was speaking the truth. Vahn showed a light smile and said, "Stick out your tongue, and please don't bite me..." After frowning for a moment, Shiva eventually stuck out her tongue and revealed the triangular crest that had been embedded into its surface. Vahn could see there were tiny runes along the perimeter of the triangle and he used his domain so slowly break down the elemental laws that allowed the curse to function. He couldn't remove the mark without a different method, but Vahn could at least remove its functionality and return her speech.After around a minute, Shiva could feel a tingling sensation on her tongue as the restrictive force in her throat vanished entirely. She opened and closed her mouth a bit as if stretching her jaw before she looked at Vahn and said, "You're a good kid. Now release me, I already have a place I can go." Vahn sighed and said, "I'll release you, but I'd like for you to stay here even when I remove your seal. There will probably be a few things that you need to tell the people that will come to investigate. Don't worry, it won't be anyone that can bring harm to you, just some people that I trust. After that, you'll be free to go at your leisure..." Pulling out a few notes, Vahn handed them over to Shiva before removing her seal. He had given her 300,000V in hopes that she could use it to get herself back to a functional point in her life.Shaking her hand a bit, Shiva rubbed the spot where the seal had been removed and had a cruel look in her eyes for a moment. She turned to Vahn after placing the notes into the lining of her bra and bowed slightly, "I misjudged you as another despotic fool at the slave house, I apologize. After I finish my business, I will see to the debt that I owe you." Her words finished, Shiva sat down on the roof without minding her frilly maid outfit getting dirty at all.After having them agree to stay in the area, Vahn freed the rest of the girls and told them to contemplate the future. If it was within his means, Vahn would help restore some normalcy to their lives. When they were all taken care of, Vahn sent a mental signal and, around two minutes later, a large dragon head appeared out of the shadows that sent each of the girls on high alert. Vahn explained that the dragon belonged to him before turning to Fafnir and saying, "I need you to pass a message to Milan and Chloe. Have them inform Eina about the current situation and then guide them back to my location."Fafnir nodded its head before taking the slip of paper into its mouth and responding with its telepathy, (*Okie-dokie~! Leave it to me Master!*) After its cheerful voice faded away, Fafnir disappeared from the room and Vahn turned to see the girls looking at him with strange expressions on their faces. Mona started laughing in a somewhat husky voice and said, "He is kind of cute." Emiru and Maemi gave her a strange look before sitting down against the side of the roof and cuddling up next to each other. Preasia just stood idly by, even after her seal was removed, and had stayed silent for the entire time. Shiva looked like she wanted to say something, but kept it to herself as they all waited for the arrival of the reinforcements.Not only Chloe, but Ryuu arrived on the roof sometime later in their full-combat attire. Chloe looked at the girls on the roof and asked, "Are these the girls you saved from the slave traffickers~nya?" Looking the girls over, Chloe noticed that they were all unique and somewhat exotic looking women. Though she knew Vahn's character well, she couldn't help but think he was trying to start some kind of strange collection due to his curiosity.Vahn nodded his head and began explaining in detail everything that he had discovered, including the matter regarding Haruhime belonging to the Ishtar Familia. Even though he didn't distrust the other six girls on the roof, Vahn didn't use the names of anyone he knew and left out any details that could lead to trouble if they were spread. Even now, he hadn't even told the six girls his real name and they still knew him as Yashima. Since they were both highly intelligent, Chloe and Ryuu quickly caught on and made sure not to let any information slip. They could always talk later in detail, once they situated the girls on the roof.After exchanging information, Chloe left to observe the brokerage and make sure nobody tried to escape while Ryuu dealt with the men Vahn had injured earlier. Though Vahn didn't want to get Ryuu involved in the darkness of society anymore, he couldn't force her to go away when she had shown up and proactively decided to take action. A few minutes later, they had the two men bound up as a group arrived from the Guild accompanied by a host of guards and a tall man that looked to be around Level 5 based off his aura.Before their testimonies were taken, Vahn had asked each of the girls what they wanted to do from now onwards. He had let them know that, if they chose to, he could arrange for them to join a Familia or even set them up with temporary housing. He had also sent a request to the Hostess of Fertility in his message earlier and gotten permission to send the girls there if the chose to stay in the City. When she had arrived, Ryuu passed him a small note that had been written by Syr and had been 'approved' by Mama Mia.Though they had no combat potential presently, Emiru and Maemi said they wanted to stay with Vahn and work as logistics personnel or maids if possible. They had been sold by their families when there was a famine going on and, even if they could return, they didn't want to go back to that kind of life. Since Vahn had treated them well, they wanted to pay him back until they found out what they wanted to do in the future. They had already thought they were going to be slaves for the rest of their lives, so neither girl had any plans and didn't know how to get by in the City on their own.Shiva said she had things to take care of and would likely be dealing with her own matters for the foreseeable future. She didn't care about joining a Familia or settling down but promised to return the debt she owed Vahn in the future. As for Mona, she was interested in joining the Hostess of Fertility, since she had been a waitress back in her village. Ever since their village was ransacked by bandits, her life had been somewhat rough as she was treated like a toy by several men due to her ability to generate milk. For the last few years, she had actually had several masters that were interested in her milk for a time before returning her. She wanted an easy life that didn't have too many responsibilities and heard Vahn mention the women's dorm at the Hostess of Fertility.Shizune wanted to venture back to the Far East and return to her hometown, but she wasn't sure the best method to do so. She had been kidnapped by slave traders a long time ago and had spent more than five years as a slave. Though she was no longer a virgin, Shizune hoped she could find a good man far away from the nightmare she had lived for the last five years. With time, she hoped to return to a normal life and settle down to start a family back in her motherland.The most problematic girl to deal with was Preasia, who had yet to say a single word even when they were back in the brokerage. She didn't do anything to appeal to Vahn and just acted mechanically like a broken doll. Even though she was a virgin, she had been toyed with and tormented for several months before her previous master finally got bored of her. Even after Vahn released her seal, she just silently listened to his words and continued to stand a short distance away at all times. Vahn wanted to tell her that he could heal all of her wounds, but he was also somewhat hesitant to breach the subject since it would require physical contact to do so. Since the majority of her body, minus her face, was severely scarred, it would take a while for the procedure to complete.Alongside the Guild entourage, Eina had also shown up and personally taken the testimony of each girl before sending the investigation team forward to crack down on Shauntac and his base of operations. It wouldn't do much to fix the underlying problems of slavery within the City, but at least it would increase the caution of those involved and make them lay low for a bit. They would also take the girls within into a protection program and try to return them to their homes in a similar manner as Vahn was doing for the six girls. Those that had trouble returning to a normal life would be educated by the Guild and become future receptionists and attendants before likely finding a man and later retiring.After leaving behind her testimony, Shiva disappeared from the rooftop with surprising agility while Shizune and Mona were escorted by Ryuu back to the Hostess of Fertility. Shizune had received money from Vahn to pay for her trip back home, but she wanted to stay in the City for a while and properly prepare for the voyage. Vahn then escorted Eina back to the Hearth Manor with Emiru, Maemi, and Preasia in tow. Vahn actually hoped that Fenrir and Tina would be able to help the girl open up and he wanted the other girls to explain the procedure to heal her body since he didn't think it would be a good idea to bring it up himself. Emiru and Maemi would act as maids and help upkeep the Manor while also joining the Hestia Familia as Supporters.Along the way, Eina had a strange look on her face as Vahn led her by hand through the dimming light of the afternoon. Vahn had noticed her look and said, "I'm sorry things got out of hand Eina...I just couldn't abandon them when they were right in front of me." Without his notice, the ears of the three girls behind them slightly twitched as Eina responded, "I know, Vahn, it's just like you to do something like this...this is one of the reasons I never wanted you to go to the red light district in the first place. There is a lot of problems in an environment like that which even the Guild can't regulate. Just promise this type of thing won't happen in the future and that you'll contact me before taking action like that..."Vahn nodded his head and leaned down to give Eina a peck on the cheek before whispering, "Thank you, Eina...you really are always looking out for me. Every time I think about it, I can't help but feel fortunate that you'll soon be my wife..." As if he was actually imagining it, which he was, Vahn looked off into the void with a peaceful and happy expression on his face. Eina looked at him and had a somewhat bashful expression on her face as she released a sigh and muttered, "We might need to push up the marriage at this rate..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Vahnguard Arrives','Twin Meido Obtained','Eina's Lamentation')I am currently at $749/1200 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

It was already late in the afternoon by the time the group arrived at the Hearth Manor. As she had been informed of everything over the network, Hestia wasn't too surprised when Vahn brought home three new members to their home. If not for the fact Eina was next to him, she would have given him an earful but decided to leave matters to his 'first wife' for the time being. Of all the people she could butt heads with, Hephaestus and Eina were more-or-less off limits unless she took their relationship further.When she saw Vahn accompanied by new people, Fenrir was in somewhat high tensions and hade a slight frown on her face. She saw the twins in their maid outfits and asked, "You copy Fenrir?" Before the two flustered girls could respond to the feisty wolf-girl, Vahn stepped in and explained, "Fenrir, these two girls will be working here from now on. They aren't going to take your place or anything like that. Make sure to treat them well and they might even spoil you like everyone else."Fenrir opened and closed her paws for a bit before nodding her head and looking toward Preasia and asking, "Strange girl?" Using her scarlet eyes, Fenrir looked into the dim light-grey eyes of Preasia with a confused expression. With a pained look, Vahn placed his hands on Fenrir's shoulders and said, "Fenrir, this girl was bullied very badly and needs a friend to help take care of her. I want you and Tina to protect her and treat her kindly so she can be happy again, okay?"Hearing Vahn's words, Fenrir's ears twitched a bit and she bit her claws for a few seconds before walking over and staring at Preasia with a serious expression on her face. After a short while passed, Fenrir opened up her arms and gave Preasia's thin body a hug and said, "Fenrir protect. Fenrir big sis now, okay?" Vahn showed a small smile as the other girls looked at the act with gentle expressions as well. The only one that seemed immune to the atmosphere was Preasia herself who just stood completely still as Fenrir hugged her body.After settling the girls into their rooms, Fenrir had made the decision to sleep with Preasia for the time being in the room she usually stayed in with Milan and Tina. Vahn knew that Milan would also look after the sheep girl in the future, so he wasn't against the arrangements. Emiru and Maemi decided to live in the small room near the kitchen and had changed into proper maid clothing similar to Fenrir's. Their previous attire had only looked like maid clothing and was instead an 'easy access' type of fabric for more deviant purposes. Though Vahn wanted to destroy the clothing, the two girls wanted to keep them and stowed them away deep within the closet of their shared room.Once things had been arranged, both Emir and Maemi underwent the ceremony to receive their crests while Vahn and Eina were talking in a different study. They didn't seem to care if Vahn stayed, but he also knew they were still stuck in a bad mentality and were still trying to appeal their use to him. Vahn didn't want to two girls to suddenly develop a reliance on him and try to slowly work their way into the group of girls that wanted to be in a relationship with him.Though they were both of age, Vahn wanted them to live a normal life and try to find a stable relationship after calming down a bit. Though it might seem like a rude thought, Vahn had no intention of interacting with the girls in a sexual manner until they had adapted to their new lives and had begun to think rationally. They had never talked about it, but Vahn had seen how Milan was acting after he had saved her. Even though they already had a good relationship, Milan was so focused on securing the safety of her daughter that she had been proactively trying to exploit Vahn a bit. He knew that the twins were in an unstable state and would be trying to do something similar and would probably even approach him if he didn't halt their advances early on.Now that they were alone together, Eina sat next to Vahn and had a serious look on her face as she began a long lecture. Though she had warned him about the dangers previously, now Eina was doing her best to explain how things worked within the City and the complexities between the various organizations. Even though the Guild was officially in charge of Orario, they weren't necessarily the strongest power, they just helped regulate things through the Denatus and passing judgment on the various gods and goddesses that followed the regulations set within.Most of the power within the City belonged to the Familia that was owned and operated by their respective gods and goddesses. More than 45% of the actual revenue of the City flowed through the various Familia and markets that were established to support the livelihoods of the various Adventurers. If the Entertainment District was brought into consideration, the actual influence possessed by Familia was nearly 85% of the total revenue that flowed through the City. Other than taxes, the Guild only managed around 5-7% of the total wealth in the City, but they had a monopoly on the trade of magic stones and the dissemination of information through the City.Now that Vahn was involved with the Ishtar Familia, Eina encouraged him to try and handle things without blowing them out of proportion. Since he had been involved in the death of a goddess recently, it was ill-advised to get involved with another Familia, especially one that held so much power and influence. Even if he charged into the Ishtar Familia and confronted Ishtar to free Haruhime, there was nothing that required her to relinquish control of a slave that had been purchased through legal means.Yes, even though Haruhime was a victim of kidnapping, her legal status before then had already been a slave when she was given to the Pallum Trader. Though she was 'stolen' by the bandits and later sold, it didn't change the legality of her status and it was perfectly lawful for Ishtar to have obtained her. If he wanted to take on the Ishtar Familia head on, he could challenge them to a War Games which could be held before the Monster Feria at the end of next month. If Vahn was unable to wait, he would have to make sure to sneak Haruhime out of the Ishtar Familia and keep her hidden until he could find concrete evidence of any wrongdoings she had participated in.Though she could request an investigation be performed through the Guild, it was unlikely they would find any fault with Ishtar. Even in the past, when a bunch of Familia had accused the Isthar Familia of hiding their level, the Guild investigated and discovered the allegations to be false. After paying an immense cash settlement to Ishtar, her power within the Entertainment District increased considerably and she used it to crush every single Familia that had accused her. This was how she became the leader of the Entertainment District and why the Guild would avoid confronting her directly unless there was legitimate proof.After Eina's explanation, Vahn had a decisive look in his eyes and began formulating plans and countermeasures for any response that might come from Ishtar. Eina saw his expression and sighed before a gentle smile appeared on her face and she took Vahn's hand into her own. Vahn turned to look into her emerald green eyes and realized he was getting caught up in things while ignoring his own surroundings again. With a small smile on his face, Vahn reached around and hugged Eina's body against his. They didn't get to spend a lot of time together and the only reason Eina had the time to do so now was because of the ongoing investigation.Eina rested her head against Vahn's shoulder and spoke in a quiet voice, "I heard from Hephaestus...she told me she is already pregnant. Even though you're wrapped up in so many problems, there is no end to the trouble that will come in the future..." Vahn frowned slightly and considered her words for a bit before an apologetic expression appeared on his face. He knew she was right and that things were progressively getting more complex. Even though Eva had sealed the orb to give him time to spend in the real world, Vahn immediately got wrapped up in something else and hadn't taken any time to relax at all...Resting his head atop hers, Vahn muttered, "All I know is how to do my best Eina...I don't mean to cause problems for everyone, I just can't ignore the injustices I see around me. There is just so much to life that I'm experiencing for the first time and I want to continue moving forward in order to experience more and more. I even want to traverse to the bottom of the dungeon and eventually travel the world to experience other cultures with Fafnir...there is just so much I want to do."Eina held Vahn's right hand and stroked it gently as she responded, "I know Vahn...I can tell that you were never destined for a normal life. Not only are your origins incredible, but your mentality evolves rapidly and you're always looking toward the future. One day, you'll probably stand at the pinnacle of power in this world...I can even imagine you changing the laws that govern the City for the better. It's just that...I wish you could be a little normal from time to time. I want to see you relaxed and happy...I don't want you to break down completely due to the pressure of other's expectations and the weight of your own ideals."After several minutes of silence, Vahn solemnly stated, "After the wedding...I'll just focus on increasing the strength of my Familia while helping some of the other members train. I can't give up on my own training since I need to be strong enough to protect everyone, but I'll be sure to relax more often. Especially when it comes time for the children to be born, I'll make sure there is plenty of time for me to spend with everyone. Even if I can't live a normal life, I'll try to create a safe place where those in my care can live happily..."Eina turned to look into Vahn's eyes and had a placid expression on her face with a light smile. After a few seconds, she began to laugh slightly before resting her head back on his shoulder, "I know you're telling the truth, but I can't help but imagine things will change somewhat when events require you to take action. Just like with this Haruhime girl, you're not the type to stand on the sidelines and overlook things." Eina began to giggle for a bit as Vahn failed to say anything to refute her claim. From his perspective, he felt like Eina was one of the people that knew him best and she was always helping educate and guide him, just like a real Big Sister.After her laughter stopped, Eina continued to fiddle with Vahn's hand for a bit until she asked dismissively, "Vahn, do you want me to have a baby as well?" Since he had been somewhat lost in thought, Vahn was surprised by her question and couldn't answer immediately. Before he responded, Eina let go of his hand and placed it on his left thigh as she stroked her thumb against his leg. Swallowing a bit of saliva, Vahn responded, "When you're ready...I think you'd make a good mother."As if the matter wasn't serious, Eina continued in a casual voice, "I was thinking it might be for the best if I got pregnant alongside Hephaestus. No matter how I look at it, Loki will probably try and ask you for a baby soon...I even suspect she might support you against the Ishtar Familia just to get her way. Then there is Anubis and maybe even girls like Chloe...I think if I don't have one soon, I might be a 'first wife' that is helping take care of other people's children. Depending on how things progress in the future, I feel like I might miss my chance to have a baby. You know, it's not easy for a half-elf to get pregnant, even if an egg is fertilized using the method Hephaestus told me about. Most of the time, when a half-breed tries to get pregnant, even if they're ovulating it is no use..."Vahn knew Eina was speaking the truth as there had been several attempts by goddesses of fertility in the past to help increase the conception rate. Even with a blessing that should guarantee pregnancy, the actual success rate was as low as 1% for some species...especially half-elves and half-dwarves. Since they already had incredibly low fertility rates, the half-breeds were even lower. It wasn't uncommon for a half-elf to spend their entire life without producing a single offspring, and that held true for both males and females.Placing his hand on top of Eina's, which was still listlessly stroking his thigh, Vahn whispered, "I will do my best to guarantee we have children of our own...whenever you're ready, I'm always willing to try. No matter how much effort it takes..." Squeezing Eina's hand, Vahn noticed it was surprisingly cold so he held it to his chest and began to channel [Heart of the Eternal Flame] to heat up his body.Eina had an elegant smile on her face which slowly turned into a more cheerful one as Vahn's warmth spread through her palm. She could also feel the arm he had wrapped around her body get progressively hotter and knew he was trying to comfort her. Pulling her hand away from his chest, Eina angled her body and gave Vahn a kiss on the lips for a couple of seconds. Vahn loosely held her waist as she pulled away and said, "On our wedding night...I promised to preserve my chastity until I was married. I don't want to break my promise to my mother, so make sure you're prepared by then. I'll get Hephaestus to give me some advice and we can both work together..."For a brief moment, Vahn imagined the ruby-eyed Hephaestus and the emerald-eyed Eina naked in the same bed while still wearing their wedding dresses. A primordial instinct took over his body and he gulped so loudly that it was audible. His reaction made Eina laugh as she hugged his head into her collar and whispered, "Even if we don't have sex...it doesn't mean we can't do other stuff. I think you deserve a reward for all the hard work you've been doing lately. Since I haven't stayed over in a while, I think I'll sleep here tonight...Darling."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Listen to Onee-san!','The Gates are Open!','Listen to Onee-san~')I am currently at $749/1200 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

Vahn's blood immediately filtered out the drug and he learned from Sis that it was intended to make him more 'receptive'. It wasn't a poison or anything dangerous but would give Shauntac a big edge in any negotiations they would have. With a small smile on his face, Vahn explained, "Every now and then there would be ships that traveled in from the Far East. I once saw the appearance of a beautiful girl with curved, fox-like, ears and a large bushy tail. No matter what I did, I was never able to spend any time with the girl and later learned that she was what the Far East referred to as a Renard. I recently heard that there was a Renard in the red light district and wanted to try my luck meeting the girl."Shauntac showed a contemplative expression and squinted his eyes for a few seconds until he responded, "I do recall there is a Renard within one of the brothels. Since she is rather rare merchandise, I once tried to purchase her from the current owner but was denied...So, you intend to purchase this information?" Shauntac had a somewhat amused smile on his face that Vahn couldn't understand well.Nodding his head, Vahn said, "Indeed, it has been one of my long-held dreams to meet and associate with a Renard girl. However, it's not as if I'm only interested in Renard's, there are several girls that I'm quite fond of." Vahn knew that if he only focused on the information pertaining to Haruhime, it would actually make it harder to obtain. The broker would try to up the price more and more depending on the interest he showed in obtaining it. What would normally only cost a few tens-of-thousands of Valis would likely cost several-hundred-thousand or more.Shauntac's eyes squinted a bit as the amused expression on his face turned more serious and his business-like smile reappeared as he said, "I'm sure we can work something out, but the price may be outside of your expectations. As far as I know, there is only a handful of Renards within the entire City and only one of them is a prostitute. However, her backer isn't someone that I'm willing to offend easily...if you want the information we'll have to arrange something special before I'm willing to trust you with the information."Hearing Shauntac call the girl he suspected to be Haruhime a 'prostitute' made Vahn's eye twitch a bit. Fortunately, Shauntac just thought he was frustrated about not being able to easily obtain the information as he continued, "You see, Mr. Yashima, I'm much more inclined to give information to customers that I've closed deals with. As you've likely noticed, my brokerage isn't a simple institution that disseminates information alone. Perhaps purchasing some of our 'stock' would help ease my tensions..."Vahn averted his eyes to the ceiling as if he was thinking about Shauntac's offer. He knew that the drug he took earlier was likely meant to prime him for Shauntac's offer. Since there were various illegal channels supporting the slave-trading ring, even though slavery wasn't illegal, it meant becoming an accomplice of sorts if Vahn purchased a slave that wasn't procured through legal channels. However, it also meant that Vahn would be liberating a girl from her fate and he could just as easily free her after the purchase. Since he planned to crush this facility in the future, Vahn couldn't see any harm in playing Shauntac's game for now. Worst case scenario, he could force the information out of the broker once he identified a few of the collaborators.Nodding his head complacently, Vahn had an 'excited' smile on his face as he said, "Sure, that sounds like a good idea. I've never really thought about purchasing 'stock' before, but it might be an interesting experience." Vahn noticed that Shauntac went out of his way to avoid referring to the girls as slaves, so he considered it a red flag to mention it himself. Since all slave markets were strictly regulated, they were also required to post proper signage to indicate the nature of their business. Since the outside of this brokerage was unmarked, it implied they were an illegal trafficking ring that used a 'referral' system to attract customers.Though he had already expected Vahn to agree, Shauntac still had a somewhat surprised and elated expression on his face as he stood from the sofa and grasped Vahn's hand. After patting him on the shoulder in an amicable manner, Shauntac led Vahn through several corridors before arriving at a large room that had several doors and a few chairs set to the side. After motioning to the chairs, Vahn sat down while Shauntac informed one of his goons before sitting next to Vahn.With an evil glimmer in his eye, Shauntac proudly claimed, "I'm sure you'll find something to your liking Mr. Yashima. My stock is one of the most unique amongst the entire circle of brokers in the City. Even if you can't find something you like, we also accept requests and will do our utmost to guarantee the satisfaction of our clientele." As Shauntac spoke, Vahn sat in a somewhat dazed manner as he listened passively to the information. The smile on Shauntac's face between somewhat larger as he motioned toward the side where a man was standing next to a door.Vahn looked over and saw a line of twenty girls enter through the door in an order based on height. The shortest girl was only around 118cm, and Vahn could tell she a half-pallum that still seemed to be maturing. The tallest girl was around 180cm tall and had an incredibly curvaceous body with seductive green eyes. Every girl was wearing a simple cloth covering their bodies and Vahn noticed that none of them had on any undergarments at all. Some of the girls had even started to appeal to him already by flashing glimpses of the contents behind the cloth.However, the thing that stood out the most to Vahn was their auras. Other than some of the more 'seductive' girls, every single one of them had a mellow and sad aura tinged with blues and purples. Vahn understood that the majority, if not all of the girls, were forced into slavery. The only reasons he could think of for the actions of some of the more mature girls was that they had been slaves for a longer period of time and had 'adapted' to the lifestyle.Vahn slowly passed his eyes over every girl and focused primarily on their expressions as he had a silent and contemplative look on his face. He was very tempted to just kill Shauntac there and then so that he could liberate these unfortunate people. Though he didn't know all of their ages, Vahn was very aware that a number of the girls were under the legal age even for normal slaves. The only explanation was that, like criminal Familia, they had either been born into slavery or kidnapped from villages outside of Orario.The fact that anyone could be 'born' a slave was something Vahn fundamentally disagreed with and intended to change in the future if he could. For now, he just inspected the girls as Shauntac explained the fabricated origins and training each girl had undergone. When he called them forward from the line, the girl would stand in front of Vahn before removing the simple cloth that covered their bodies. Vahn felt his mind grow progressively numb over time as the cold sensation continued to increase in intensity.After every girl had stepped forward, Shauntac turned to Vahn with a smile and asked in a somewhat amused manner, "Well then, do any of these girls suit your tastes Mr. Yashima? Know that we can provide a discount if you'd like to make a bulk purchase." For several reasons, Vahn released a sigh and shook his head and explained, "Though they're all beautiful girls, none of them are quite what I'm looking for..."As Vahn spoke, he noticed that the auras of the girls turned slightly chaotic as they began to droop. Since Vahn hadn't taken an interest in them, they were destined to continue their life as slaves for the time being. Several of them had thought Vahn was very attractive and had a gentle disposition so they had been trying their best to appeal to him. Having a kind and young Master was always preferable to some of the despots that typically visited the facility.Expecting Vahn's answer, the smile on Shauntac's face remained unchanged as he motioned for the girls to exit while a smaller batch came in through the earlier door. Vahn turned his attention to the new arrivals and his brows raised slightly as Shauntac explained, "Sorry for the earlier display, we simply wanted to keep you entertained while the real merchandise had been prepared. I'm positive you'll be pleased with at least one of these girls."Including the Cow Person, Vahn had seen earlier, each of the six girls that arrived was of a race Vahn had never seen previously. Even though he hated almost everything about this situation, Vahn couldn't help but feel somewhat interested as he gave each girl a cursory glance. Noticing his gaze, four of the girls made slight appeals while two of them seemed completely disinterested in Vahn's presence. They had dreary auras and eyes that contained nearly no light at all.The first girl to step forward and remove her cloth was the same Cow Person he had met earlier. She had azure blue hair and pale green eyes with the largest breasts Vahn had ever seen. Since she had a youthful face and was only around 154cm tall, Vahn wasn't able to determine her age. To accompany her large breasts, she also had somewhat large nipples that came to a point with a slight indentation. Her figure was somewhat plump and she even had neatly trimmed pubic hair that matched her hair color. From the explanation given by Shauntac, Vahn learned she was called Mona and was actually twenty years old and, as she demonstrated, was constantly capable of producing milk. After he was asked, Vahn somewhat flusteredly refused to sample it himself.The second girl looked decidedly more exotic than everyone else and Vahn even thought she might be a Renard based on appearances. She had large bushy ears on her head that were dark brown with tufts of white fur on the inside. On her backside, she had a bushy tail of the same color and was also tipped with white fur. Her breasts were relatively modest, but her figure was somewhat tantalizing with how wide her hips were. Her eyes were a deep purple and she had red makeup that enhanced their appeal quite a bit. Shauntac explained that she was seventeen years old and was actually from a derivative species of Renards known as Kitsune in the Far East. Her name was Shizune and she appealed to Vahn by trying to get him to touch her fluffy tail.After Shizune stood back in the line, the third girl walked forward and Vahn frowned slightly when she removed her cloth. She was only around 150cm tall and had shaggy, platinum-blond hair with light grey eyes that had lost their light. Drooping from the side of her head, she had similar ears like a cow but the horns on her head were much larger and arched backward before curving around to a point. She also had a short shaggy tail and a slim figure with very modest breasts. The thing that disturbed Vahn was the various small scars and burn marks that covered her body..Shauntac saw his expression and explained with mock distaste, "This is Preasia, she is eighteen years old and comes from the Sheep Person from the western plains. Her last owner had slightly deviant tendencies and liked to torment her a bit, but you can rest assured that she is still a virgin. If you choose to buy her, we'll offer a healthy discount as well as a bit of insurance for if she fails to keep you satisfied."After bowing slightly, Preasia picked up her cloth before walking away with mechanical steps and rejoining the line. The entire time she stood in front of Vahn, her expression hadn't changed even once and he understood she had developed a serious trauma and sealed her own mind away. Replacing Preasia was the second girl with lightless eyes, except she seemed to have an incredible animosity emanating from her body.She had dark, somewhat ashen-brown, skin with red hair and burgundy eyes that had a hint of madness contained within. Like an elf, she had long pointed ears, while her body was almost flawless. Even though her skin tone was somewhat peculiar, she had a very beautiful and fit body with relatively large breasts. Shauntac spoke up from the side, "This one is a dark elf named Shiva, and she was a...return product. We had to place a curse mark on her tongue because she injured her previous owner. Fortunately, she is also still a virgin even though she is 31 years old. Don't worry though, as her species can live for several hundred years, she will retain her beauty for the rest of your life."As if to reinforce Shauntac's words, Shiva opened her mouth and showed a strange seal on her tongue before she snapped with her teeth. Though he wasn't truly intimidated, Vahn swallowed a bit of saliva for reasons he couldn't explain. She didn't even bother to pick up her cloth as she rejoined the other girls and acted like she was continually trying to intimidate him.The fifth and sixth girl were actually identical twins and they each had silvery hair with hazelnut eyes. Though they looked like Cat Persons, their ears were slightly rounded and had speckled black spots on them. Their tails were also twice as thick as normal and had speckled-black rings covering the length. They had a matching height of 158 cm and slender bodies like most of the Cat People Vahn had seen. Their breasts were modest and they had lithe figures with hopeful expressions on their faces as they held each other's hands and appealed to Vahn by hugging each other and staring at him with pleading eyes. Since he could see their aura, even if they were trying to 'pretend', Vahn could tell that the two girls were actually very unstable and there was some truth behind the act.Shauntac explained, "As you've noticed, these girls are twins named Emiru and Maemi. They are both sixteen years old, virgins, and from a very rare tribe native to the Northern Tundra called Snow Panthers. Since they became stock willingly after their village was in a famine, they have a clause where they will both go to the same home when purchased. I'm afraid I'll have to charge a premium as well since they are not only a rare breed but also twins. They're actually recent arrivals and haven't received any training, so you're in luck since they will likely be purchased soon just based on their rarity."Hearing Shantac's words, the twins made a harmonious verbal appeal to Vahn, "Please buy us, Master. We don't want to end up in a strange place..." Shauntac cut them off and they had sad expressions as they picked up their clothes and returned to their place in line. Looking over, Shauntac could see Vahn rubbing his temples and knew that he had been impacted by the two girls. Before negotiations even began, he increased the price of the girls by twenty percent.Vahn had realized by now that, even though he had prepared himself, he wasn't actually able to resist the plea of others so easily. Because he had the power to 'liberate' all the girls present, Vahn was very tempted to do so and then just release them later. Especially after hearing the twins plea, Van felt like he had made a mistake by coming to this place. Now that they were literally asking to be saved, he couldn't overlook them even if he wanted to.With a short sigh through his nose, Vahn gave the girls another look before asking, "How much?" Shauntac's smile widened as he asked, "Did you find something that suits your tastes Mr. Yashima?" Hearing the discussion, every girl except the dark elf Shiva had somewhat excited expressions on their faces. After a brief period of thought, Vahn stated, "I want to know how much the information for the Renard will cost me. Other than that, I want to know the prices of the girls here and I will make my decision based off of that."Shauntac's brow raised slightly because he hadn't expected Vahn to even remember his original purpose after the drug kicked in. He realized that Vahn was likely very interested in sampling the Renard girl and had a 'knowing' smile on his face as he explained, "The information for the Renard girl will cost you nothing as long as you purchase each of the girls here...lets say an even 1,000,000V for the first four and an additional 700,000V for the twins."With a hesitant expression on his face, as if he was contemplating things seriously, Vahn released a sigh as he handed over notes that amounted to 2MV. Shauntac had a pleased expression and pocketed the notes as Vahn said, "I don't care about the change, just have these girls properly dressed and give me the information I came for. Consider it a bonus to celebrate the conclusion of our successful business."Each of the girls had a happy expression on their faces and the twins were both slightly misty-eyed as they hugged each other before leaving into one of the side doors. Vahn was escorted by Shauntac back to the earlier lounge and gave him an information packet that not only included the image of Haruhime, but also detailed some of her personal information like breasts, waist, and hip size. After reading it over, Vahn understood why Shauntac had been wanting the conceal the information and hadn't been able to purchase Haruhime himself. The current 'owner' was none other than Ishtar, Goddess of the Ishtar Familia and the primary governing force within the Entertainment District.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Slave Exhibition','Exotic Collector Yashima','The Mastermind Appears')I am currently at $749/1200 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 251: Living Arrangements