Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Because of his personal preference, the dining room table was the same style of low table as the ones he had used back at his old workshop and during his stay with Tsubaki. In fact, because he enjoyed the style, Vahn had completely redesigned the dining room to simulate the designs of the Far East. One of the main reasons he enjoyed this style of table was that he could easily sit next to others without any difficulty. Right now, Eina was sitting at his left and they were in very close proximity to each other while the new 'maids', Erimu and Maemi served dinner.Hestia would typically sit next to him and get in the way a bit, but she was now on the opposite side of the table flanking Preasia with Fenrir. Though Vahn wasn't aware of everything she had experienced, he could tell that Preasia had suffered a severe trauma and was in a catatonic state. She had almost no expressions and only ate small bites of food when it was offered to her. Though she seemed to respond to people's words and followed their guidance, Preasia still hadn't spoken a single time since Vahn had met her. Because the maid outfit she had originally worn wasn't appropriate, Hestia had helped her change into a thick wool sweater and something similar to pajama pants with slippers. Because of her shaggy hair and tail, Preasia looked somewhat round and fluffy compared to most normal girls.After everyone got their dishes, the twins sat down and Vahn started the meal after giving a short welcoming speech to their new members. As the Captain of the Familia, it was his job to regulate and assign duties to everyone in the future but he had left the twins to the discretion of Hestia until they decided what kind of training they wanted to do. Vahn learned that, other than basic chores and cooking, the girls didn't actually have much of an education at all. Even though they were already sixteen years old, they had never learned to read or write properly as it was unnecessary in their relatively nomadic lifestyle in the Northern Tundras. From now on, other than cleaning and cooking, they would be learning to read alongside Fenrir. Just imagining Fenrir helping the girls learn to read made Vahn smile slightly.After dinner, Hestia took all of the girls together to enjoy a group bath in the onsen. Surprisingly, the twins had actually experienced onsens before as they lived near a mountain range where hot springs were common in the mountains. The only person who didn't have a reaction was Preasia who needed to be tended to by Hestia with the support of the twins. Of course, Vahn didn't learn any of this until later as he was in the men's side being accompanied by Eina for the first time.Surprisingly, even though he had seen several girls naked, Vahn had never seen the body of his own 'first wife' before now. Eina didn't even show up to ask for a massage and they only went on a few dates alongside Hephaestus. When Vahn asked why, Eina told him that she didn't want to enjoy Vahn's service and care like the other girls. If she had her way, she would be the one taking care of Vahn so that he could actually relax.When Vahn first saw Eina's naked body, he was very impressed by the somewhat youthful, yet mature, figure of the half-elf girl. They were nearly identical in height, except Eina was a single centimeters shorter at 164cm. As for her sizes, she had relatively large breasts that measured about 86cm compared to her 56cm waist and 87cm hips. Though Vahn never really noticed it before, he could see that Eina actually had a large bust and relatively fleshy butt with thin, long legs, and a healthy complexion. Though slight, she had a bit of matching brown hair on her pubic region that made her seem more mature.Though she had a flushed expression, Eina had a smile on her face before helping Vahn undress and leading him to the smallest of the pools, one typically only suitable for a single person. While helping him undress earlier, Eina had also taken a close inspection of Vahn's body and noticed that he had an incredibly athletic figure with a thin waist that almost made her jealous. Even though his muscles looked firm, when she touched them with her fingers they were actually somewhat springy. Of course, as was to be expected, the thing she took the most notice of was Vahn's penis. She had heard the rumors, but this was actually her first time seeing what some of the girls on the network called the slumbering beast.After helping Vahn sit in the pool, Eina stood in the center before crouching down in front of him with a surprisingly enamored look. If not for her clear eyes, Vahn would have thought she was aroused, but he also saw how stable her aura was and knew this was a normal reaction for her. Even though her blush reached her ears, she was actually calm and rational while she stared at Vahn from the front. Because of the small size of the pool, Eina was kneeling down between Vahn's open legs without making any efforts to conceal herself at all. Tilting her head sideways, Eina asked curiously, "Does it not get big when you see a naked girl? I always heard that boys get aroused easily..." For a moment, Eina wanted to ask if Vahn didn't like her body but she knew it was a dumb question and trailed off her words at the end.Vahn thought about her words for a moment before explaining, "I think that, other than my expression, I've always had near perfect control over my body. I've never gotten an erection unexpectedly after the very first time it happened." Eina's brows raised slightly as she leaned forward and poked the sleeping beast with a bit of intrigue. After a few seconds, she looked into Vahn's eyes and asked, "Can you get it up for me?" As if speaking a magic spell, Eina noticed that Vahn's beast immediately awakened and even shot up for a breath of air.Other than her eyes opening slightly for a brief moment and her ears turning redder, Eina didn't have a reaction to the awakening other than commenting, "I feel like it's bigger than the rumors stated." It was Vahn's turn to be surprised as he asked, "Do the other girls really talk about that kind of stuff on the network?" Ever since they had established their personal network, Vahn had been denied access to it other than when he asked someone to send a message for him.Eina nodded her head and explained, "Its quite the curious thing really, I never knew how fun it could be to converse with people throughout the City. Other than the exorbitant price of the ink, I really feel that it should be a more easily accessible form of communication." With a smile on her face, Eina continued, "It helps that we all have something in common to talk about. Every time you went on a date with some of the girls, they would spend part of the evening bragging about all the places you took them and the clothes they tried on~"Vahn imagined several of the girls he associated with happily writing away in their scrolls while passing messages back and forth between each other. He had once asked for a scroll of his own, but he was shot down and told that it was better if the girls had their own network of communication without having to worry about him seeing anything. Though Vahn had agreed at the time, he was now somewhat jealous and wanted to at least purchase a second set of scrolls just to keep in touch with everyone.For the brief period of time when Vahn was thinking, Eina stood up from the water and turned her back to him. Vahn was somewhat tempted to pinch her butt, which had turned slightly red from being submerged in the hot water. Eina looked toward him and said, "Excuse me for a moment, I'm just a bit curious..." After speaking, Eina sat down into Vahn's lap with her legs on the outside of his. Vahn could only really see her back, but he put his arms around her front out of habit before peaking over her shoulder.Eina had rested her genitals on top of Vahn's penis, near the base, and had gingerly held it upwards toward her own stomach. Tracing her index finger from her bellybutton, it looked like she was trying to measure the distance between it and the head of his penis. After confirming it, Eina said, "If you're this close to my navel, I can't help but worry about some of the smaller girls." Her words finished, Eina climbed off of Vahn's body before sitting back down between his legs.Vahn released a sigh and explained, "I should be able to do something about the size with practice..." Eina heard his words and giggled a bit before saying, "That is a very 'Vahn-like' way to think about things. I don't think you should worry about it at all, as some of the girls would just see it as a challenge. There is no need for full-insertion to begin with, so just keep doing your best and it should be fine. After all of Hephaestus's bragging, I don't think anyone would fault you for the amount of attention you put into your efforts."Eina's words made Vahn laugh slightly as he seriously considered what she had said. Remembering the competition between Tiona and Ais, Vahn somewhat agreed with what she said. The moment he thought about the two girls, Eina asked, "Ah, you're thinking about Tiona and Ais?" Vahn was surprised and raised his brows a bit as she continued, "You have slightly different expressions when you think about different girls. It is kind of cute..." Crawling closer to his body, Eina asked, "Tell me Vahn, what can I do for you...Is there anything you've ever been curious about?"Vahn grit his teeth a bit as Eina placed her hands on his sides and stared into his eyes with her emerald green pair. For a brief moment, Vahn thought about some of the acts that he had seen at the red light district, but he immediately frowned before saying, "Even if I enjoy sex, I don't think it's a good time to get into anything more than what I've already done. I just like spending time with you and relaxing like we are, I don't think we need to do anything illicit..."Eina's smile widened a bit as she moved away and rested against the opposite side of the pool. She spread her arms and said, "Come then, lay down and let me hold you...I can do at least that much, right?" Vahn felt a bit of warmth spread through his heart as he moved through the water and turned his back before laying against Eina's breasts. Even though the pool was small, he could still float a bit if he oriented his body properly. Eina wrapped her arms around his chest and pulled Vahn closer toward her as she cradled him in her bosom and stared at his face from above.After the bath ended, Eina and Vahn headed to his room and relaxed in the bed for a bit while Vahn scanned the Manor with his perception and located where everyone was presently. He could tell that the girls were still in the onsen, so he only paid a bit of attention to them as enjoyed the feeling of Eina leaning against his shoulder. For a few minutes, they just continued to lay in silence until Vahn saw that Hestia had gone to stay in the same room as Fenrir and Preasia. He smiled since he knew she was giving him some alone time with Eina, even though this would be the second day in a row he failed to spoil her.When Eina heard Vahn's 'status report' of the location of the other girls, she sat up on the bed with the same gentle smile and slightly flushed face as she said, "Take off your shirt and lay on your stomach. Since you enjoy giving massages so much, I thought it was about time that you received one of your own. Though I can't imagine I'm as skilled as your 'godly hands', I think I can at least help you relax a bit."Without unequipping it, Vahn removed the tunic he wore to bed before rolling over onto his stomach with a bit of expectation building up inside him. Eina, who had been wearing a pair of frilly red shorts and a light-yellow sleeveless blouse, removed her top and revealed her breasts. Since none of the girls seemed to wear their bras while they slept, when she removed her top Eina rose-bud protrusions were completely visible. Before Vahn could ask, she explained, "If I can make you feel a little tense, it will be easier to find the areas that need to be massaged. Just relax your body and entrust everything to me..."Vahn nodded his head and took Eina's advice as he completely released the tension from his body. She sat on his lower back with her relatively light body and began massaging his shoulders while probing for any knots that might have built up in his body. Vahn knew that she had probably researched it a bit but had likely never given a massage to anyone before. However, even though it wasn't a high-level technique, Vahn felt like the massage Eina gave him was incredibly comfortable. Even the warm and fleshy feeling of her butt against his lower back was enough to make him feel happy, much less the pleasant feeling of the actual massage. Before even a few minutes had passed, Vahn ended up falling asleep with a happy smile on his face.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Strength of an Onee-san','Sisterly Advice and Skinship','It is important to receive and not just give, give, give.')(A/N: It may not be obvious since I can't fit every character into every chapter, but you should imagine that most of Vahn's and Eina's interactions are like this. Remember, even though she sees herself as his wife, Eina also sees Vahn as something akin to a younger brother that needs her care.)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

When Vahn awoke early the next morning, he could feel a pleasant warmth and a comfortable weight on his back. Even without looking he could tell that Eina had fallen asleep on top of him and had both of her hands on his shoulders with her head resting against his back. Judging by the direct heat, Vahn knew she was still topless as well and thought she might have slept on top of him to prevent him from leaving. Since Eina wanted him to relax more, it seemed like she was taking passive action to force him to think about things clearly before taking action.While enjoying the warmth against his body, Vahn started to contemplate his next course of action seriously. He could either challenge the Ishtar Familia to a Wargame after he gathered more information, or he could continue with his plan to kidnap Haruhime. The first course of action had the downside that he would have to leave Haruhime in the brothel for another whole month. There was also the possibility that, since she was important to the original plot, there was something unique about her that had drawn Ishtar's attention in the first place. If she knew Haruhime was the stakes in the bet, Ishtar might simply remove her or move her plans up before the Wargame even begins.If Vahn took the second route, though it would almost guarantee Haruhime's safety, he would have to keep her hidden away or sneak her out of the City. Hiding her away would cause Ishtar to continue searching for her, but it would also give him time to pressure the Ishtar Familia through legal channels. Even though her Familia was quite powerful, it couldn't stand up to the might of the Loki Familia and the logistical support of the Hephaestus Familia. Letting her leave the City alongside the Takemikazuchi Familia could be a good choice, but Vahn wasn't sure sending them away would be enough.The Takemikazuchi Familia wasn't that strong and Haruhime could have been targeted by some scheme even back in her homeland of the Far East. Though he couldn't be sure, Vahn suspected this was the case since it didn't make sense for so many conveniences to align. Not only was she framed, but when her father was pressured by others and left her to a Pallum trader, he got immediately ambushed by bandits? Vahn didn't think there were such conveniences in the world, especially since Haruhime was part of the original plot.The fact that the bandits didn't do anything to her and immediately shipped her across the ocean was another red flag since the trip was incredibly costly. Unless they were bandits that also doubled as sailors, there wouldn't be a lot of profit in her export since Renards weren't that uncommon in the Far East. One key detail that had captured his attention was the fact that Haruhime wasn't sold to the slave trader even when he supposedly made a large offer. This meant that Ishtar treated her as a special commodity instead of common merchandise.Besides, though he couldn't explain why, Vahn somehow felt it would fall to him to protect Haruhime for some reason. He already empathized with her greatly and wanted to help her and there didn't seem to be an easy way to entrust her to the Takemikazuchi Familia either. Given his current track record of saving girls and them falling for him, Vahn suspected there was something about his character that drew damaged and traumatized girls to him. He knew he was somewhat broken as well, and perhaps it was the mutual comfort they sought in each other that brought them closer. Though he wasn't entirely sure, it felt like the only girl in his life that wasn't 'damaged' was Eina...if he found out she had a tragic past as well, Vahn wouldn't know what to say.Ultimately, Vahn decided to leave it up to what Haruhime wanted to do. Since she had been separated from her homeland and lived a life filled with suffering, Vahn would do whatever it took to restore some normalcy to her life. If she decided to stay in the Hearth Manor, he would protect her and slowly try to weaken the Ishtar Familia over time. If she went with the Takemikazuchi Familia, Vahn would pay for their return trip back to the Far East and have them escort Shizune.But, no matter how Vahn looked at it, he was almost positive she would decide to stay with him for some reason. Perhaps it was the whims of fate or the influence of karma, but Vahn had deeply immersed himself into the core of this record. His actions affected events so strongly that 'The Path' actually had to assign him quests just to prevent the record from destabilizing in the future. Since Haruhime was part of the original plot, she likely played a key role in the conclusion of the original story and might even feel some compulsion to stay within the City.Releasing a stifled sigh, Vahn slowly moved his body to the side until he could get Eina off of his body. She opened her eyes because of the change and asked in a low tone, "Do you really have to go?" Vahn looked into her emerald green eyes and saw the concern deep within. Removing some of the hair from her face, Vahn stroked Eina's cheek and replied, "After this, I'll do what I can to manage things from within the Familia. I might not be able to act openly with the Alliance, but I'll see if Loki can put some pressure on Ishtar if she gets out of control. Just like with Lili, I'll save Haruhime and help her grow strong enough to protect herself...I want to save her."Though Vahn felt like he was compelled by fate, he also knew it was a fate of his own choosing. Had he decided to avoid Orario, he likely wouldn't have changed events at all. Instead, he threw himself right into the thick of things just because of his own desires and curiosity. Now that he had changed events to such an extent that it had a negative impact on another person's life, Vahn wanted to step in and fix things. Regardless of how he thought about it, it wasn't his responsibility, but it was his actual desire to save Haruhime that drove him forward. Just like when he saved the six girls, it was a decision he had made without even consulting others and it was these choices that helped him maintain his personal happiness...Eina showed a somewhat sad smile before sitting up in the bed and kissing Vahn. Since she was still topless, her breasts pressed against his bare chest and he could feel the warmth coming from her body as he hugged her back and waist. After a few seconds had passed, Eina pulled away and spoke with a gentle tone, "I love you Vahn, make sure you take care of yourself. If you're back early enough, I'll make you breakfast."Vahn gingerly stroked both sides of Eina's face with his palms before placing his forehead against her's and saying, "You're too good for me Eina...I love you too. I'll be back before the sun even rises in the sky." In response, Eina giggled a bit before saying, "Fine, don't keep me waiting. Bad boys get punished for breaking their word~!"Giving Eina one last kiss, Vahn tucked her into bed and allowed her to go back to sleep. It was currently only around 2 AM, so there were still several hours before sunrise. As he walked through the room, Vahn noticed a presence stir next door and sent a mental command as he whispered lightly, "I'll be back soon Fenrir...take care of our family while I'm away." After moving around a bit more, the presence laid back down and Vahn knew Fenrir had returned to sleep while protecting Hestia and Preasia.Leaving the Manor, Vahn dashed through the early morning mist with nearly soundless footsteps while wearing a light-grey cloak that blended into the surroundings. Once he got to an open area, he used Shundo to quickly make his way across the rooftops as he headed toward the brothel where Haruhime and purportedly been seen. Unless they had been alerted by his actions the previous day, she should still be there even now since it was still the active hours for several of the brothels.Because he had been moving at a swift pace, Vahn reached his destination within twenty minutes and stood atop a brothel that was ten stories above ground while having six basement levels. It was a rather luxurious brothel and Vhan could detect the presences of more than sixty people contained within. Hoping that she was one of the singular presences, Vahn used his [Eyes of Truth] to inspect each person until he finally set his sights on a very petite young girl with blond hair and fox-like ears. She was wearing a red kimono that had been opened slightly to reveal her budding breasts and it looked like she had been covered in various liquids that made the cold sensation in Vahn's mind begin to spread rapidly.Calming himself for a few minutes, Vahn continued to inspect her body for any injuries or peculiarities as he noticed something out of place. Since he had peered into the bodies of others before, including women like Hephaestus and Eva, Vahn knew about the differences between a mature body and that of a maiden. He could tell, though she seemed to be in a sorry state, that Haruhime was still the later of the two.Perhaps because they thought she was too young, but she still seemed to be a virgin for the time being. Though Vahn realized this, he also knew that didn't necessarily mean she wasn't mistreated. Unless those liquids were put on her body artificially, Haruhime had likely be subjected to several deviant treatments. Fortunately, her body seemed to be unblemished even though it was somewhat dirty which showed she didn't have any injuries.Releasing a relieved sigh, Vahn inspected through the rest of the brothel and gave a cursory inspection of any strong auras. He could tell there was at least two Level 4's within the building but the one near Haruhime was on the weaker end of the spectrum. She looked like she had just recently reached Level 4, but Vahn still inspected her to see if he could find anything strange. Using his [Eyes of Truth], he penetrated through the various levels of the building and saw someone he hadn't expected to see at all.Vahn released a second sigh, this one of pure exasperation because the woman he had just seen was the very same Amazon that had tried to seduce him on the first day of his investigation. Though he didn't regret refusing her 'challenge', Vahn realized he could have met Haruhime even sooner and avoided the incident with the slave trafficker. Of course, that meant he wouldn't have saved the six girls either, so Vahn wasn't entirely upset at the outcome. He simply disliked how whimsical fate seemed to be and wondered if it was somehow the machinations of 'The Path' setting him down an 'optimal' route.He didn't blame 'The Path' at all, since Vahn knew it only responded to his actual desires and needs. Because he had truly wanted to meet and save Haruhime, his actions had inadvertently led him to meet one of the prostitutes close to her. If he had accepted the girl's offer at the time, Vahn would have come across Haruhime much sooner. Since he had played it safe and wanted to take the more heroic route, Vahn ended up on a side path that allowed him to save several other people and still find out information about Haruhime...it was like all of his actions eventually led him where he wanted to go as long as he didn't give up.Of course, Vahn had no illusions that it meant the path he wanted to take would be without dangers. Because of his actions, he had almost died three times and only escaped because of his efforts and the strategies he incorporated. The completion of this quest would be the same, as long as he prepared properly and pushed forward without giving up, Vahn could overcome the situation and benefit greatly from it. If he got complacent and dropped his guard, Vahn could die from a single well-placed punch by someone as weak as Level 2.Taking a deep breath, Vahn gave the area one last inspection before deciding the course of action he wanted to take. Since the Level 4 Amazon seemed to be guarding Haruhime, he would likely have to confront her unless he wanted to pretend to be a client. This would potentially expose him though since Vahn was certain the matters related to the slave trafficker bust had been spread through the Entertainment District by now. The only viable option seemed to be to infiltrate the brothel and whisk away Haruhime before anyone noticed.He could also use [Enkidu] and directly kill the Amazon woman before she even knew what was happening, but Vahn saw that she actually had a mellow aura that was colored with a yellow coloration. This meant she either had a personal liking toward him for some reason or that she was an actual kind person. If Vahn killed her without verifying it from himself, he wouldn't be able to deal with the situation if he found out she was actually protecting Haruhime. Saving the girl after killing someone they cared about didn't seem like the best method for making Haruhime happy in the future.(A/N: Alternate Titles:'Vahn uses his head','Vahn uses his head again','Since when does Vahn think things through!?')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

Chapter 253: Leave it to me...