Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn followed the corridors of the brothel in silence as he evaded any paths where others were located. One of the best benefits of his domain was his ability to track presences, regardless of what level of the building a person was on. After a few minutes, he made his way to a window and opened the latch before stepping out into the cold night air and using Shundo to jump to a nearby roof. The entire time he was carrying her, Haruhime tucked her head against his chest and kept absolutely silent while hugging his neck.Since Shundo connected two points and allowed him to transfer between them seamlessly, it wasn't actually based off acceleration and momentum. Even if he moved rapidly enough that he would have broken the sound barrier, it had no adverse effects on his body or the person he was carrying. Vahn could tell that Haruhime was very weak so he made sure to use Shundo instead of running through the streets with her in tow. To prevent her from succumbing to the cold morning air, he also channeled [Heart of the Eternal Flame] and kept the area around their bodies warm.From Haruhime's perspective, she felt brief periods of weightlessness and opened her eyes periodically to see Vahn the area around her disappear from sight only for it to be replaced by a completely new scene. She felt like Vahn was teleporting through the sky while holding her in his arms as the warmth from his body and domain drove away the cold night air. She knew that it was cold enough for frost to build up on metal during the mornings, yet the only thing Haruhime felt was a pleasant warmth and the security that Vahn's embrace brought her.Though he was ignoring it from the time being, Vahn heard the system notifications for every time Haruhime's affection increased for him. After giving it a brief glance, he saw it was already nearing ninety points and suspected she might actually reach the threshold to complete the quest before he even got halfway to the Manor. Since he already expected that she would grow attached to him, Vahn was already prepared for the consequences and would help Haruhime stabilize her mind and interact with others for the time being.Vahn knew from personal experience that saving a girl from dire straights had a big impact, but he didn't want every girl around him to be so reliant on him. Though he didn't think about it much before, Vahn felt like he had a preference for girls that were in control of their own lives and proactively doing their best to improve. Since Haruhime was weak, she fell into the category of people he needed to protect until she was strong enough to overcome her own mentality.The real problem came from the fact that Haruhime was currently undergoing a change to her own mentality. Since she thought she was 'dirty' and Vahn had told her she wasn't, he suspected it would be a powerful driving force behind her future actions. He couldn't determine what was going through her mind, but every additional point of affection she felt for him was like an alarm in Vahn's mind. When he had briefly looked over it earlier, alongside the 88 affection, Haruhime already had the words (Fated Partner) next to it.He hoped she would be able to stabilize with the influence of the others girl at the Manor since he knew there was no easy way to change her mind without saying that he 'didn't want to be with her'. Even if he said it, Vahn wouldn't have believed it himself as he thought she was actually quite beautiful and had already told her that he would protect her. Though it might be a mild inconvenience, Vahn was confident he would be able to deal with Haruhime over time. He did, however, feel a strange desire to find some male companions to offset his burdens somewhat.As he had heard from the girls in the past, Vahn was very aware that he had some kind of aversion towards other guys. After he thought about it, it was very likely due to the fact that the majority of the people related to his own trauma in his past life were men. Over the course of the fourteen years, Vahn had only ever seen girls inside manga and anime and only personally interacted with two real females. Even here in the Danmachi record, most of the problems he had to deal with often related to men or were perpetrated by them. Until this instance with the Ishtar Familia, Vahn hadn't really associated girls with as many negative emotions as he did with men.Now that he had driven a wedge between himself and Welf a bit, Vahn needed to interact with more guys and potentially expose them to some of the girls around him. Though it might be difficult, Vahn needed to find some real friends that he could interact with or he wouldn't be able to release his tensions easily. However, other than Bell and Welf, Vahn wasn't too sure of his interactions with other guys except for maybe Finn, Gareth, and potentially Bete. Even in the manga, Vahn hadn't seen too many guys that he could easily be friends with as even Hermes seemed somewhat suspect in his intentions.As he stepped off a high chimney and jumped through the sky, the image of Take' and Ouka appeared in his mind and Vahn came to a brief stop as he looked down at Haruhime. Noticing they had stopped, Haruhime looked up at Vahn with her placid green eyes and asked, "Is something wrong?" Vahn shook his head and explained, "I was thinking about the Takemikazuchi Familia. I'll need to inform them that you're in my care, and they'll probably stop by and potentially want to take you in their custody. Since they aren't that strong, I was wondering if there might-"While he was explaining, Haruhime put a bit of strength in her arms and placed her head against his chest. Since she had large fluffy ears, they actually tickled his chin a bit which caused her ears to flutter as she said, "I want to stay with you. I'm happy to see my friends again, but I want to stay with the person that saved me..." Since Vahn was going to explain that he wanted her to stay even if Take' wanted to take her away, he just remained silent and increased the warmth of his own body before using Shundo to move to the next building. The only thing he had been worried about was Ouka making a scene, but Vahn could just deal with that when the time comes.Vahn's impression of Ouka wasn't actually that bad, even though he came off as a little abrasive in their first meeting. He seemed to be a devoted and focused individual and was very respectful to his god. If possible, Vahn thought they could be friends in the future since he thought Ouka was the type that could become strong with a bit of polish. Once things settled down, Vahn could even give Ouka a 'flame seed', though he didn't know how effective it would be on a guy since it increased their growth based on their feelings toward him.Other than Ouka, Vahn thought about hanging out with any other guys and then taking them out for drinks or something. Though he used to be cautious in the past, Vahn was absolutely certain he was entirely immune to alcohol now. Even drugs had no effect on him at all as they were instantly filtered by his blood. Knowing this, Vahn figured he could get together a group of guys and potentially even create his own 'network' of men just like the girls had done. Vahn felt like it would be nice to have other guys he could trust and seek advice from to help him deal with issues that weren't always addressed easily by girls.After around half an hour, Vahn stepped into his own courtyard and tried to set Haruhime down but she continued to hold onto his neck as she looked around the relatively expansive plot of land and the large Manor contained within. She had long reached 100 affection for him, and Vahn had her [Hearts Desire: Sanjouno Haruhime] stowed away in his inventory. He decided to put off viewing it until she had stabilized as it might influence his treatment of her in the near future. After a few seconds, Haruhime turned her head up at Vahn and asked, "Is this going to be our home?"Hearing Haruhime say 'our' home before things were even clarified, Vahn released an inaudible sigh through his nose and had a wry expression on his face as he nodded his head. Since she awkwardly held on to his body without letting him put her down, Vahn carried her the rest of the way to the front door while explaining, "This is the Hearth Manor, home of the Hestia Familia and my personal residence. You'll be safe here until we can find a way to deal with the Ishtar Familia. Even though she has a bit of wealth and influence, there is no way she can easily pressure us with the backing of the Guild and the Alliance. I'll explain the details later; just know that you'll be safe from here and that the Takemikazuchi Familia will be able to easily visit in the future."Since it was still only around 4:30 AM, it was too early for anyone else in the Manor to be up and Vahn wasn't able to open the door easily with Haruhime clinging to him. Realizing the awkwardness of the situation, Haruhime asked, "Can you hand me the key, I can open the door..." Vahn smiled a bit before hugging Haruhime and saying, "You have to let me go eventually Haruhime. You're in an unstable state right now and need to relax your body a bit more. Don't worry, I'm not going to disappear and leave you behind."Though she frowned for a short moment, Haruhime eventually said, "I'm sorry..." while climbing down from Vahn's arms. He placed her gently on the floor before unlocking the door and making his way into the warm interior of the Manor. Haruhime followed behind him and was suddenly acting very timidly as she looked around at everything with moderated curiosity and intrigue. Vahn saw her actions and smiled widely before explaining, "Feel free to look around as you please. Other than some of the girls' rooms, you're allowed to go wherever you want without restriction. Just make sure you stay within the premises unless you're being escorted by someone. Though the security of the Manor is very powerful, it doesn't mean it is impossible to break through by professionals."Listening to Vahn speak, Haruhime's ears twitch a bit as she tilted her head questioningly and asked, "Girls' rooms? How many girls live here, are any of them close to you?" Vahn nodded his head before showing the way to the study where he normally received guests. He didn't want to stay and talk in the foyer since the sound echoed around the wide halls and might disturb the others. When they were inside, Vahn had Haruhime sit down on the sofa and gave her some warm tea with sugar and began explaining the situation to Haruhime.One of the personal promises he had made to himself in the past was to never lie or try to conceal his relationships unless it endangered others. If Haruhime truly started to fall for him after things settled down, Vahn wanted her to know exactly what she was getting herself into. Since she was still young, Haruhime had plenty of time to find a real love instead of dedicating herself to the first man that saved her from tragedy. He wanted her to know this was a safe place for her, but also wanted her to know this was not the only place for her. If there was something she wanted to do in life, Vahn wanted her to work hard to make her own dreams a reality without worrying about any matters of repayment or being bound by a strange sense of obligation.The entire time Vahn was recounting his story, Haruhime sat with a surprising amount of elegance and nearly perfect etiquette. Even when she sipped the tea, she always used two hands and remained silent as she stared into Vahn's eyes while he spoke. By the time he was done with his story, Haruhime nodded her head before a small smile showed on her lips and she said, "I already made one of the first decisions of my entire life earlier after you saved me. I wanted to stay here with you, and just the thought of that makes me happy. Even if I can't be your lover, I would be satisfied with just being your mistress or your concubine. Before today, I thought I was a dirty girl that would spend the rest of my life being tainted by others. I won't leave this place unless you want to throw me away. Even if I can't be your concubine, I can still be your maid or even a servant if you prefer."Vahn frowned slightly and said, "I want you to be happy Haruhime, I don't want you to dedicate yourself to me just because I saved you. You should find something else you want from life instead of spending it devoted to someone else." In response, Haruhime had the same elegant smile on her face as her expression remained unchanged and she said, "You're misunderstanding Vahn. My entire life until I was kidnapped had been a sheltered one...if not for the Takemikazuchi Familia, I may very well have spent my entire life alone until I was married off to another clan. The only things I ever had were books and the brief periods of time where I could play with other children during the twilight hours of the night. Ever since I was kidnapped, the only thing I had ever wanted after that was to escape that nightmare...just like the stories I read, I wanted a hero to come away and save me from the bad guys. I had thought it was too late, but now you told me that I'm still a maiden even after all these years...I can't deny my own heart and seek a happiness that I have no solid concept of...all I know is that, right here at this moment, I am happy to be alive. To be sitting here and hear you explain things to me while showing so much care and concern for my well being, I don't think there is anything more I could have asked for..."During Haruhime's long soliloquy, Vahn continued to stare into her deep green eyes and noticed they hadn't wavered in the slightest as she spoke. Even her aura, instead of becoming chaotic, just continually burned brighter as her own words began to inspire confidence in herself. Though Vahn felt like she was brainwashing herself to believe what she was saying, he also understood that she truly believed in her words at the moment.When her words ceased, Haruhime held her hands together on her lap and looked as if she was going to bow before Vahn reached out his hand and stopped her actions. Since she was from the Far East, he knew she was going to try and act subserviently to him unless he forced her away. Vahn wanted her to be happy and intended to have her interact with the other girls so she can experience more of what life has to offer than just the stories in her mind. Ironically, though for very different reasons, Haruhime was similar to his past self who could only find solace in the manga and some anime. He knew that the happiness they brought was just temporary and that there was far more to life than the preconceived notions that could be derived from words and pictures on a page.Vahn looked into her green eyes and said with a serious tone, "Never bow subserviently to me Haruhime. I saved you because I wanted to and, regardless of how you treat me, I will protect you until you become strong enough to protect yourself. I will respect your feelings but know that I can't reciprocate them until I'm confident you have found a greater purpose in life than simply being at my side. It may be selfish of me to say, but I prefer girls that are constantly striving to improve themselves...I think it is a tragic life to live only for others. When you finally find something else to believe in, I will be here waiting for you. If you can't find it yourself, I will even help push you in the right direction..."The entire time he spoke, Haruhime continued to stare into Vahn's aquamarine eyes. She had been a little surprised when he turned into a human earlier, but she hadn't said anything and just marveled at his handsome appearance. Hearing Vahn constantly saying things to benefit her life without even trying to take advantage of her only cemented the idea she had in her mind about being together with him forever. Since he wanted her to be strong, Haruhime decided to put in as much effort as she could to match his requirements. Even if she pretended it wasn't her primary focus and chose to pursue something else, Haruhime buried the idea deep in her heart that she would always take the path that brought her closer to her hero...she wanted to live 'happily ever after' by his side no matter what it took.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'First Impressions Are Powerful','Vahn Seeks Camaraderie','Haruhime's Resolve : In one fuzzy ear and out the other')I am currently at $718/1200 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

Since it was still early and the others had awoken, Vahn showed Haruhime around the first floor of the Manor and kept his attention split between the other presences in the house. Everything he showed Haruhime got a small rise out of her and she excitedly trotted about next to him and asked questions about everything. All of the furnishings in the house had been put there by him, so Vahn was able to answer all of her questions which brought her no small amount of happiness.Vahn noticed that Haruhime acted very elegantly most of the time, but whenever she saw something knew she immediately disregarded manners and excitedly asked about it. She was especially fond of the onsen since it reminded her of home. When she saw that Vahn had also remodeled the dining room to emulate the designs of the Far East, Haruhime was ecstatic. Even though he hadn't done it for her, she felt especially blessed that she could experience part of her own culture in the place she had decided to stay.Since he saw how she reacted, Vahn wondered if it might be a good idea to remodel part of the Manor in the future. They presently had almost no use for the east wing of the Manor, and Vahn figured it might be appropriate to model it after the Far East. When he pitched the idea to Haruhime, she seemed to be very excited and once again began muttering to herself silently for a few seconds before resuming her well-mannered behavior. Vahn wanted to explain that his decision also related to the time he stayed with Tsubaki, but he decided to keep it to himself for the time being.When he finally noticed people coming downstairs, Vahn escorted Haruhime back to the dining room so that he could introduce her to the rest of the residents. Hearing that she was going to meet the other girls, Haruhime had a gentle smile on her face but Vahn could see that her aura had flared up a bit. So that she wouldn't cause any problems, Vahn decided to explain, "There is another girl that will be present, her name is Preasia, try to remain calm so you don't unnerve her. She has experienced a terrible trauma and needs the care and concern of others..."Hearing the foreign name, Haruhime asked about the girl and Vahn explained the circumstances of how he saved six slaves and crushed a small group of slave traffickers while he was searching for her. Though she seemed concerned at first, Vahn noticed Haruhime became very happy when he talked about saving the girls even though that wasn't his original plan. Though she hadn't said anything about it yet, Haruhime added a new layer of cement atop the idea that Vahn was the hero she had been waiting for.When they arrived at the dining room, everyone was present including, Eina, Hestia, Fenrir, Emiru, Maemi, and Preasia. Other than Fenrir, everyone seemed to be surprised at Vahn's arrival as Hestia and Eina both stood up and approached him. Eina looked toward Haruhime and said in a gentle tone, "You must be Haruhime, I'm glad Vahn was able to save you without incident." Before Haruhime could ask about Eina, Hestia also said, "Welcome to the Hearth Manor! Since Vahn decided to protect you, this place will be your home until you decide to move on~!" Though she wasn't being forceful, Vahn noticed that Hestia was somewhat implying that Haruhime should leave in the future.Haruhime seemed to notice it as well since she stepped closer to Vahn and grabbed his sleeve without responding to Hestia's words. For a very brief moment, Hestia's expression changed before returning to her normal, gentle, look. Vahn took a deeper breath than normal and made the introductions, "Haruhime, this is Eina, one of my 'first wives' alongside the goddess Hephaestus." Eina bowed politely and had a simple smile on her face which caused Haruhime to return the greeting out of habit. Vahn introduced Hestia next and saw the glimmer in her eye so he said, "And this beautiful goddess is Hestia, the goddess of our Familia and the caretaker of everyone within the Hearth Manor."Though she knew he was just pandering to her, Hestia pressed out her chest proudly and said, "That's right~! This beautiful and amazingly gentle goddess is the head of the Hestia Familia that shares my name~." Before continuing her words, Hestia stepped on the opposite side of Vahn before hugging around his waist and pressing his right arm between her breasts. Continuing, Hestia said, "I'm also one of the closest people to Vahn~"As if challenged by her words, Fenrir stood up from the table and shouted, "Fenrir closest to Vahn!" Everyone looked over at the rambunctious wolf girl while Vahn turned his attention to the sheep girl next to her. Even when Fenrir shouted out, Preasia remained unphased and just continued to watch the scene play out with a blank expression on her face. After releasing a quiet sigh, Vahn used the lull created by Fenrir to introduce everyone else to Haruhime before preparing for breakfast.Since they knew Vahn had only shown up and liberated them while he was trying to find Haruhime, both Emiru and Maemi were very fond of Haruhime even though they had just met. Haruhime also responding to them politely and seemed to hit it off with the twins very quickly. She was especially drawn to the maid outfits and tried to pitch the idea of becoming a maid herself, except she wanted to be Vahn's personal maid.Vahn refused her offer as politely as he could and told her she should focus on a pursuit that didn't involve serving others. Using it as an opportunity, Vahn also informed the twins that they didn't have to act as maids either, but they both refused as it was something they wanted to do themselves. Even though he didn't understand how they could 'like cleaning', Vahn noticed that their auras remained stable when they spoke so he knew they were telling the truth, or at the very least believed their own words.During breakfast, Haruhime had wanted to sit next to Vahn but had lost the opportunity to Eina and Hestia. Haruhime didn't want to compete with the two girls at all, so she just sat next to Eina with her body relatively close as she tried to reach her tail around the backside of the half-elf and reach Vahn. Because of the dexterity and length of her tail, Haruhime was able to reach him if she sat close enough to Eina. When Vahn noticed the tail touching his side, he gave her a strange look that just caused her to smile in return as she ate her food with small bites. Eina, the person between the two of them, continue to smile without making any comments as she leaned into Vahn's shoulder a bit.After breakfast, Vahn embraced Eina and saw her off after she refused his offer to carry her back home. She said she liked the early morning air and would be fine on her own, but Vahn still sent a mental note to Fafnir and had him follow along in her shadow until she arrived safely. Vahn had to inform the Alliance about the matter with Ishtar and make sure none of the weaker members involved would be exposed to her schemes. Though she likely wouldn't target a member of the Guild, there was no telling what a goddess might do when it came down to it. Just like Laverna, she could take actions without thinking of the consequences at all...While Fenrir was teaching Emiru and Maemi to read, the three of them were also taking care of Preasia. Vahn and Hestia showed Haruhime around the upper floors of the Manor as Vahn mentioned the idea of refurbishing the western and eastern wings to represent different cultures. Since most of the people in the Manor currently lived in the central area, there hadn't really been much use for the two wings and it wouldn't cause a problem if they redecorated a bit. Hestia was even excited to be able to experience multiple cultures just by walking a few minutes between the wings of the Manor.When it came time to help Haruhime pick a room, she was somewhat distraught to learn that all of the rooms around Vahn's had already been taken by other girls previously. The room to the right of Vahn's had been taken by Milan and Tina, but was also being used by Fenrir and Preasia currently. The room on the left had been taken by Ryuu since she was one of the first to move in and had gotten an early lead on everyone else. Across from Vahn's room, in one of the larger bedrooms, was the area where Hestia slept when Vahn was sleeping with others. It was also the room where Hephaestus stayed and wasn't together with Vahn and had a lot of clothes strewn about carelessly.The rooms to the left and right of Hestia's bedroom had been taken by Lili and Naaza, even though they weren't officially part of the Hestia Familia. Naaza had been intending to move in soon, but had been training alongside Lili and Tsubaki recently while trying to work on her breakthrough. Lili was completely determined to join the Hestia Familia in the future and wanted to share the same room with Vahn but ended up having to pick one nearby instead.Seeing that all of the best rooms were taken, Haruhime wanted to insist that she stay in the same room as Vahn, even if she had to sleep on a separate bed or sofa. When she found out about his hidden forge, she was even willing to stay inside there and commented about how warm it was on the inside. Hestia, even though she made an effort to not act jealously, couldn't tolerate the way Haruhime was acting and eventually shut her down in lieu of Vahn. She explained to Haruhime that Vahn needed his own room and often spent time with other girls, so there was no way she could live within the same room regardless of her reasoning. Even she, as Vahn's 'goddess', had to have her own room and sleep alone sometimes...Dejected, Haruhime picked the room closest to the stairs in the hopes of being able to track when Vahn leaves and arrives more easily. To welcome her to the Familia, Vahn actually gave her several bookshelves to decorate her room and purchased a variety of fairy tales from other worlds and some educational texts for her to read. Since reading was her favorite pastime, Haruhime was over-the-moon to receive several hundred books of her own to browse whenever she liked. Other than training, Vahn gave her completely free-reign to decide what she wanted to do with her time for the foreseeable future. Though he hardly followed the advice himself, Vahn wanted Haruhime to relax so she could focus on recovery instead of worrying about the past.After Haruhime was properly settled in, it came time for the ceremony to induct her into the Hestia Familia. She had already made the decision to join and stay in the Manor from now on, even though she kept refusing to undergo the ceremony unless Vahn was present. When he mentioned that she could stay without joining the Familia, Haruhime kept insisting that she join while continually refusing to join at the same time. Since Vahn also wanted to confirm a few things himself, he eventually caved in but required her to properly conceal herself.Hestia's impression of Haruhime wasn't the best but she also could tell that Haruhime wasn't a bad girl and just sought out Vahn like most of the other troubled girls around him. The main reason she felt threatened was due to the exotic nature of Haruhime and the fact that Vahn was rather handsy when it came to the girls with fluffy ears and tails. She knew that, even if Vahn put up a wall between him and Haruhime, he would eventually crack in time. The fact that he so easily conceded to her obstinance so early on was a red flag and she intended to bring the matter up on the network later...During the ceremony, Vahn sat at Haruhime's back even though she wanted him to sit in front of her. Vahn watched Hestia carve the crest with intrigue in his eyes as he inspected the entire process with his [Eyes of Truth]. Though he had been able to emulate the ceremony to an extent, Vahn was still curious about how the blessing was actually applied. He could see a strange energy that flowed alongside the mana in Hestia's fingers that used her 'Ichor', the blood from her fingertips, as a catalyst.When Hestia had finished carving the crest, she used a piece of paper to record Haruhime's information and was preparing to tell her to get dressed before Vahn said, "Wait, you should know that I can also read the status board and update statuses, right? I also have a technique that lets me take a peek at the latent abilities of others...I want to confirm my suspicions about a few things." Haruhime heard Vahn's words and had a happy expression as she tried to agree, but Hestia had a frown on her face and showed Vahn the recorded information of Haruhime.Holding out the paper, Hestia stated firmly, "I already recorded her parameters and skills, and I've even identified the reason why Ishtar was probably after her in the first place. What else do you expect to find that even a goddess can't see through her own crest?" Vahn took the paper and his brows raised slightly as he looked over the information. He could see that Haruhime's stats were rather low, but her Magic was much higher than normal. The most notable thing was the existence of two magic skills called [Uchide no Kozuchi] and [Kokonoe] but Vahn wasn't able to discern their use and rank until he investigated it for himself.Vahn looked into Hestia's crystalline blue eyes and explained patiently, "Hestia, you know me better than almost anyone else...do you really think I have any other thoughts other than what I stated? You should have heard from Hephaestus about my ability to update status, and I've also used it on Fenrir several times..." Vahn noticed that Hestia's eyes watered a bit as he was speaking which caused his words to trail at the end. After a few seconds, Hestia said with a small frown, "I know you're telling the truth...I really do trust you...I just don't like how quickly this girl is trying to weasel her way into your life. There are other people that are still struggling to obtain your affections!"Seeing Hestia's approaching tears made Vahn feel a little heartbroken as even Haruhime gave her a sad, somewhat apologetic look. Walking forward, Vahn paused in front of Hestia as she looked up at him with weepy eyes. Realizing that his current position made Hestia's impact even stronger, Vahn couldn't help but laugh at himself as he loosely embraced her petite body. He asked in a quiet voice, "What can I do to ease the insecurities in your heart if even you aren't ready to take the next step? Please tell me how I can help you...just like you said earlier, you're one of the most important people to me. I don't want to see you sad anymore."Hestia remained silent for a while as she placed her forehead against Vahn's chest and contemplated matters for a bit. She didn't know what had overtaken her at the moment and felt guilty about how Vahn was currently acting so gently toward her even though she had obviously overstepped her bounds. Because he had explained things from the outset, she knew what kind of life Haruhime had to live for the last three years...the fact that she somewhat resented, even envied, the unfortunate girl made Hestia hate herself a little. Just like Vahn said, even though she felt like she loved him, even though she wanted to do many things with him, she was also very afraid to take that small step forward that would change her life forever. Hestia felt like she would lose a part of herself and, even though she felt like she would gain more in the end, she was still afraid...After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Hestia looked up at Vahn's face and tried her best to smile as she asked, "Can we go out on a date, just the two of us?" Vahn's concerned expression turned into a gentle smile as he nodded his head and said, "Sure, however many you want. I need to find more time to relax anyways, so it'll be good to spend time quality time with my beautiful, somewhat spoiled, little goddess." Hestia's false smiled turned into a real one before her eyes widened a bit and she shouted, "Please don't talk about my height so casually~!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Welcome to the crib...','Room Assignments','Hestia's Troubled Heart')I am currently at $718/1200 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 formulating his plan, Vahn snuck into the brothel and avoided detection as he made his way down several floors until he was on the ground level. There were several people asleep in many rooms while the noises of intimate actions echoed from others. Vahn kept his mind calm and slowly made his way through using his stealth to avoid drawing attention to himself. When he finally entered the large corridor where Haruhime's room was located, Vahn saw the Amazon sitting at the end of the hallway outside the door.Noticing the arrival of the figure wearing a light-grey cloak, the Amazon stood up and tilted her head sideways as she asked, "Hmm~? If you're a customer, I'll ask you to remove your cloak. If you continue to hide your face, I might just have to punish you." Without responding, Vahn grabbed the hood of his cloak and pulled it back revealing his white hair, tiger-like ears, and icy-blue eyes.When she saw his face, the Amazon woman's brow raised slightly as she said, "It's you?"Vahn showed a slight smile and responded, "Sorry about that." Though he could see the Amazon's aura turn somewhat fiery, Vahn noticed that she didn't immediately become hostile. Instead, she had a seductive smile on her face as she asked, "Oh? Have you come to make it up to me~?" Before she could walk forward, Vahn raised his hand slowly and explained, "My purpose here is somewhat different..."Before he finished, the Amazon began laughing seductively and said, "So the person looking for Haruhime was actually the famous Vahn Mason? Here to play hero?" Vahn's brows raised momentarily before a somewhat fierce look appeared on his face. When he was about to ask, the Amazon woman explained, "Even if it isn't common knowledge, there are quite a few people that know about your transformation ability. Didn't you make it public knowledge when you entered the dungeon in the past~? There aren't many weretigers in the City, especially ones with white hair and blue eyes..."After thinking it over briefly, Vahn realized she was correct and that he hadn't done nearly enough to actually hide his identity. Dropping his hands, Vahn stood casually and asked, "Are you going to stop me?" In response, the Amazon woman playfully touched the clasp on her revealing bottoms and had a glimmer in her eye as she asked, "It depends on what you intend to do~? If you're here for business, I don't mind attending to you. But, if you want to touch Haruhime...I'm not sure you have the capabilities."With a frown on his face, Vahn asked, "What is Haruhime to you? You seem protective of her, but I've seen the state she is in...that isn't something that happens when you're being protected." As he spoke, the Amazon woman's smile slowly faded and she had a serious look on her face as her aura became tinged with the colors of hatred. Glaring at Vahn, the Amazon said, "I am protecting her...you have no idea of the situation. If I could, I would have taken her away from this place long ago."Flexing his claws a bit, Vahn asked in a serious manner, "I've come to help her, will you stand in my way?" Even if Ishtar already knew about his presence, this only meant Vahn was more pressed to save Haruhime now instead of waiting for Ishtar to take action. However, he suspected the goddess had something different in mind seeing how she only left one person to guard Haruhime, two if counting the second Level 4 that was in a room in the lower levels.With a fierce look on her face, the Amazon asked, "Do you really have the resolve to protect Haruhime from what is to come? Why should I entrust her to you?" Without answering her question, Vahn compressed his domain and focused his intent on the Amazon girl in an instant. She was temporarily stunned and, in the time it took for her to regain control of her body, Vahn wrapped her arms and legs with [Enkidu] before stepping in with Shundo and placing his hand on her abdomen.The Amazon looked at him with absolute shock and discovered she could do nothing about the chains holding her arms and legs tightly. No matter how much strength she mustered, the didn't even move by a single millimeter. She looked down at Vahn and was about to berate him before she felt a powerful heat spreading through her body that made all the muscles in her lower body forcibly relax. The chains wrapping around her legs dissipated and she was lowered to her knees with the chains holding up her torso and arms.Placing his palm on the Amazon's head, Vahn stated plainly, "No matter what happens, I will always fight to protect the things I've chosen to protect. Even if I have to face difficulties, I will never give up in my goal of creating a happy world for myself and the people in my care." Without giving her time to respond, Vahn converged his aura into the Amazon's body and began driving out the foreign energy that had been soaked into her mind.The Amazon's eyes widened as she gritted her teeth to resist the wave of energy overtaking her body without explanation. After a few seconds passed, she felt most of her stamina had completely drained as an emptiness overtook her body. Accompanying the emptiness, however, she could feel a sense of liberation, almost like a burden that had plagued her mind had been removed. The chains wrapped her arms loosened and Vahn helped lay her on the floor as he looked into her eyes and said, "You aren't the only one that is willing to do whatever it takes to help others. Now you can make your own decisions...just don't get in my way."Vahn stood up after driving out the poisonous pink energy that had been tainting the Amazon's body. Though he wasn't entirely sure, he intuited that it was like the charm Divinity of Isthar and it had been controlling the actions of the girl in front of him. She obviously cared about Haruhime yet chose to let her stay in this nightmare facility. The only reason Vahn could think of behind her actions was that she was acting against her will. Since she still kept a bit of her sanity and protected Haruhime even under the influence of another, Vahn knew she had to be someone with a strong mentality.The Amazon looked up at him with confusion and relief on her face as she asked, "How? It shouldn't be possible..." Vahn looked down and showed a somewhat confident smile as he responded, "I've never much cared for what other's thought possible. My only concern is doing my best to protect the things I care about...I'm going now, will you stop me?"For several seconds, the Amazon looked at Vahn as if he was some anomalous entity that defied common sense. Even though she could tell he was weaker than her, he was able to defeat her before she even had enough time to process a war cry. Now, he had weakened her to the point where she couldn't fight back at all and had even removed the charm effect from her mind. There was nothing she could do to stop him, even if she wanted to take a hard stance to protect Haruhime. Releasing a muted sigh, she looked up at Vahn with an appraising smile as she said, "My name is Aisha Belka...please protect Haruhime. I'll trust you for now and try to buy you some time."Vahn nodded his head before setting a 'Hi-Stamina-Potion' on the ground that would allow Aisha to recover a bit of her strength. Even after his surprise attack, her aura hadn't turned hostile toward him at all so he knew she wasn't currently a threat. Before turning away and entering the room with Haruhime, Vahn muttered, "We all choose the path we follow...don't do anything that would make others sad. Ishtar can't move against me easily and I'll do what I can do deal with her in my own way."Without waiting for her response, Vahn opened up the door to Haruhime's room and stepped over the threshold. He could sense Aisha picking up the potion before moving along the corridor with a spirited aura that was much more lively than the mellow aura she had previously. While he was focused on her, Haruhime twitched a bit before she sat up from the large futon that was soiled with somewhat disgusting fluids. She saw the entrance of the boy before her and made no efforts to conceal her body as she wiped off her exposed skin with a towel and moved toward her 'client'.Vahn noticed her movements and his expression turned a bit pained as he grabbed Haruhime's wrists and prevent her from trying to remove his clothes. She had a confused expression on her face as she looked up at him with her placid green eyes and asked, "Did you want something else Sir? I...might be a bit inexperienced-" Before Haruhime could continue, Vahn placed his hand on her head and used [Hands of Nirvana] to drive away her anxiety as he explained, "I have come here to save you from this place Haruhime. I'm friends with the Takemikazuchi Familia and they asked me to help you..."Though she was confused, Haruhime's body flinched when Vahn mentioned saving her and the fact that he knew her friends. She could hardly believe that his words were true, but the warmth coming from his hand made her feel strangely safe and secure as it pushed away the bad feelings from her mind. With tears in her eyes, Haruhime shook her head and explained, "It's too late...I don't deserve to be saved anymore. I'm a prostitute...a dirty girl that is the enemy of heroes. If you try to save me, you'll just invite disaster on yourself..."Vahn's heart felt like it twisted in his chest as he shook his head and cradled the sides of Haruhime's face and looked directly into her watery green eyes. He explained seriously, "This isn't a life you chose for yourself, you have just as much a right as anyone else to be free and search for your happiness. I don't know what kind of life you've lived for the past three years but I can say with certainty you're not a dirty girl that doesn't deserve salvation."Haruhime's grabbed Vahn's wrists and pulled her head away from his hands as she exclaimed, "No, you don't understand..." Before she could continue, Vahn decided he needed to clarify something since it might help her come to terms with the situation, "Haruhime, I'm not sure what you think, but I'm something of an expert when it comes to inspecting the bodies of others. Without any doubt, I can guarantee you are still a virgin..."Though she had a melancholic expression before, now Haruhime had an incredulous look on her face as she stared at Vahn and said, "Eeeiii~? That isn't possible!" As if to prove some kind of point, Haruhime picked up the towel she had used to wipe down her body, "Look, look at all this dirty stuff! Every time I have a client, I always wake up covered in this foul liquid!" Grabbing the towel from Haruhime's hands, Vahn turned it into ashes before shaking his head and explaining, "There are several ways to confirm it once we get you out of here. All you have to do is ask a goddess of Fertility or have another woman verify it for you. If I had to guess, that fluid was probably placed on your body just to put mental pressure on you and prevent you from developing the desire to escape on your own..."Haruhime's eyes were wide and she seemed to have trouble contemplating everything Vahn was saying. Pressing down her ears with her hands, Haruhime squatted down on the floor and muttered to herself, "Can it really be true...am I not a dirty girl after all?" While she was lost in thought, Vahn walked over and helped calm her mind as he knelt down beside her and helped close up her red kimono. She looked into his blue eyes and saw the care and concern he had for her and asked, "Is it really true? Can I still become happy? Will you really save me?"Vahn showed a slight smile and said, "Of course, even if you didn't want me to save you, I would still take you away from this place. The world is far bigger than this small room and you'll eventually find the happiness you seek if you never give up. Don't worry about Ishtar or any of her Familia, there are a lot of great people that will help to protect you from her influence." As he spoke, Haruhime's eyes began to clear up a bit as her tail brushed the ground slowly.For a brief moment, Haruhime hung her head and muttered to herself for a bit until she looked up and said with a hopeful voice, "Please save me!" Responding to her words, Vahn had a smile on his face as he gently stroked her hair and said, "You don't need to ask at all... let's go, there are a lot of people that would like to see you safe and happy. If we work together, there is nothing we can't overcome."Without continuing the conversation any further, Vahn picked up Haruhime in a princess carry that made her fluster a bit before wrapped her arms around his neck. She immediately noticed that Vahn's body was incredibly hot, almost like a hearth whose warmth brought safety and comfort while driving away the darkness in her heart. Since he was carrying her like a princess, Haruhime couldn't help but feel like he was a hero that had arrived in her hour of need and freed her from her suffering. Just like the stories she read often in the past, Vahn had suddenly taken the place of each of the heroes in the novels while she was the damsel in distress that needed saving. Though she wasn't sure what the future held, Haruhime wondered if she might be able to live happily ever after just like the heroine in a fairy tale...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Reunion : Solicitation','Vahn's Resolve','Haruhime's Desire')I am currently at $718/1200 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 256: Misty Morning Air