Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Because of the complex structure of the dungeon, it wasn't that easy to actually be more than 2km apart from allies on the same floor. Especially for the upper floors, since the actual size of the floor wasn't that large. The further down you went into the dungeon, the larger the floors became, including the distance between the roof and floor. Though it had never been proven, there were some that believed that, if you made it to the bottom of the dungeon, it was actually large enough to rival the size of the continent itself. The current clear record was held by the Zeus Familia, who had traveled up to the 59th floor in the past. It was claimed that the 59th floor was one giant room and that the total length, from end to end, was more than 700km, which was much larger than Orario itself.After around twenty minutes, Vahn noticed a change in the mark that was on Haruhime's hand as it began to glow slightly. He stopped her and said, "Okay, it looks like we're out of range of Ryuu and Fenrir now. From here onwards, I want you to do your best to fight the monsters according to your own skills and instincts. Do whatever you think it suitable for the occasion and I'll back you up if things get too dangerous. Remember, you shouldn't expect that I'll be around to save you every time you get injured. How you fight isn't always important as 'why' you fight, as it is your willpower and intent that will shape the adventurer you become and how your strength develops."Haruhime's ears began to twitch about as a fiery look appeared in her normally elegant, droopy-eyed, face. She looked directly toward Vahn with her shining green eyes and said confidently, "Leave it to me, Vahn~! I'll do my best to become a capable adventurer so that I can be of use to you in the future!" Vahn wanted to correct her words, but Haruhime immediately dashed toward the closest monsters, a group of kobolds, with the [001] sword in hand. After releasing a short sight, Vahn shrugged off her words and watched her battle from the side. He couldn't control how, or why, people were motivated to improve. As long as she was capable of growing stronger with the determination she had found, that was all that really mattered.Kobolds were significantly more difficult to deal with than Goblins, but Haruhime didn't seem to have too much trouble with them. Unlike the past Vahn, who had nearly died the first time he saw a Kobold, Haruhime's expectations were different and she had been training with Ryuu and Aki to develop an awareness against new monsters. It made Vahn feel a little awkward because he realized that his start had been much higher than Haruhime's and he had nearly died due to his own inexperience. Watching her move about with relatively inexperienced steps, yet easily able to dispatch an enemy he had trouble with made him want to knock his old self's head.Though she wasn't easily able to target the monster cores, Haruhime was able to eventually cut down the three Kobolds since a B-Rank weapon was very strong on the upper floors. As long as she could make contact with them, the sword cut through their bodies easily without much resistance. Haruhime also had the benefit of enhanced senses and, even when a Kobold tried to attack her from a blind spot, Vahn saw her ears twitch as she tilted her body forward before twisting her waist and slicing the Kobold up through the center of its body. She became covered in its blood as the two halves of the body turned into dust around her.After they were all dead, Haruhime released a sigh as she inspected the state of her own body for a little bit. Her ears drooped low and she walked over to Vahn and said, "I'm sorry, I got dirty again..." Vahn shook his head with a smile as he pulled out a towel and his [Decanter of Replenishment] to help wipe Haruhime's face. She had a pleased expression on her face even as her cheeks moved about pliantly under the towels movements. Vahn nodded his head and explained, "Even I'm not strong enough to avoid being covered in a few bits of blood every now and then, so don't have the expectation that you'll be able to easily remain clean in the dungeon. It's not actually uncommon for Adventurers to go several days without even having an opportunity to clean themselves unless there is someone in the party with water magic. Don't let it get to you just because you get a little dirty every now and then."Haruhime nodded her head and Vahn saw a peculiar glint in her eyes so he said, "I won't always help wipe away the blood from your body, so don't think you can get dirty as an excuse..." Since he had already wiped off her face, Vahn handed the towel to Haruhime and her ears wobbled a bit before drooping as she sighed, "I understand..." Seeing her reaction, Vahn patted Haruhime's shoulder and said, "Well, if you work hard, I don't mind giving you a hand as a reward." Haruhime's ears immediately shot up and Vahn could see her motivation had increased by a fair amount. He also noticed that the glow of the mark had increased slightly and wondered if it was necessary for him to 'inspire' whoever he was paired with to make the effect even stronger.As they made their way into a slightly larger 'room', Vahn detected there were five enemies present and knew it was probably too much for the current Haruhime. After informing her of the situation, she still wanted to give it a try and Vahn agreed since it was only through dangerous situations that she would experience the most growth. Before she went out, Vahn ducked low with Haruhime and explained, "Even though monsters aren't very coordinated, it can be dangerous if you get surrounded. Try to stay on the outside of the monsters encirclement and keep at least one enemy between yourself and other monsters. They can't attack through each other without damaging the person in between, so it's a good strategy when you're outnumbered."Haruhime nodded her head and listened attentively before taking several deep breaths and heading out into the room. The five monsters were a pair of Kobolds, accompanied by three Goblins, and it would be the first time Haruhime had to deal with a combination of monsters. Though she was slower than the kobolds, she was fast enough to outpace a goblin so she separated the two kobolds by kiting them to an open area before trying to dispatch them. Vahn noticed that she always swung the blade in large arcs and he knew it was an effective method, but it required a lot of stamina and wasn't suitable if the enemy had high durability.When one of the kobolds tried to attack her legs, Haruhime stepped back at an angle while swiping down with the sword in her retreat. It collided accurately with the Kobold's skull and turned it into dust particles as the second Kobold jumped at her body with its sharp claws and open mouth dripping with froth and saliva. Haruhime's brows furrowed slightly as she reached out with her free left hand and tried to grab the throat of the leaping Kobold. She actually managed to pull off the action before stabbing through its body, but she also suffered several cuts on her arms from when it was thrashing about. Vahn frowned at the sight because he knew she would have been able to avoid such injuries if she wore proper equipment. Though the bracelets he made her had great Magical Defense, they offered almost no physical protection because of their small size.Haruhime's mouth was quivering a bit from the pain, but there was a fierce glint in her eyes even though they were tearing up slightly. Without complaint, she pushed herself forward to face the three remaining goblins. She was able to cleanly dispatch the first one, but it wasn't long after that before she fell to the ground with a muted sob and Vahn stepped in to immediately defeat the remaining two. Vahn moved over to Haruhime, who was doing her best to avoid crying, and grabbed her arm as he cleaned the wounds and began to heal her with [Hands of Nirvana]. Some of the wounds had cut more than a centimeter into her skin and she wasn't accustomed to dealing with pain at all.Vahn stroked the dejected Haruhime and tried to console her by saying, "Don't worry Haruhime, it was already next to impossible for a Level 1 to fight five monsters when they are just starting out. The fact you were able to react to the joint attack of the Kobolds and resist the pain of your injuries to continue the fight is more than what would be expected from most people..." Haruhime nodded her head slowly at his words and sniffled a bit before saying, "I won't let something like this stop me..." To reward her 'courage', Vahn ruffled her hair and ears for a bit before they continued deeper into the first floor.Since they were items he had personally forged, Vahn lent Haruhime his [Xuánwǔ Protector]s and explained their use. Though they were a stark contrast to the rest of her outfit, Vahn felt better at seeing Haruhime using some 'proper' equipment. When she faced a group of three Kobolds, there was a similar incident as earlier where Haruhime tried to block with her left arm even though it would have been better for her to try and strike out instead. Fortunately, the Kobold couldn't even leave a scratch on the [Xuánwǔ Protector]s and even broke its teeth in the attempt. Vahn noticed a slight green glow emerge, but didn't see any noticeable signs of the effect activating.After the fight, Haruhime collapsed onto her butt with a "Fuueee~" as Vahn walked over to see if she were okay. He noticed her mana had drained greatly and she was probably at the limits of her stamina. The fact she was able to kill 23 monsters in the last two hours on her own was pretty commendable considering her diminutive 34 Endurance parameter. Combat wasn't just physically taxing, but also had a strong impact on the mind after your stamina began to drain. The fact Haruhime was able to persist for so long was very impressive so Vahn paid her a few heavy compliments before carrying her body on his back as her 'reward'.Haruhime nuzzled against his face and neck as she hugged around Vahn's neck with the tattered sleeves of her kimono. Vahn supported her legs with his hand and quickly made his way through the dungeon using Shundo. Haruhime was amazed by his speed but kept to herself as she enjoyed the moment by holding herself closely against Vahn's back. Vahn was in a bit of a hurry since he wanted to check Haruhime's Status Board to see if there had been any changes. Though he could do it within the dungeon, Vahn knew it was possible that Freya was keeping her eyes on him and didn't want to expose his secrets to her. There wasn't much he could do about his combat capabilities, but he should do his best to prevent from showing off something like updating the Status Board of another person.After finally reaching the surface, Vahn leaned down a bit to let Haruhime down but she continued to hold on for a few additional seconds as they drew the attention of several passersby. Vahn jolted her body a bit by shrugging his shoulders and she eventually climbed down with an apologetic smile on her face before Vahn shook his head and said, "Don't worry about it." Vahn didn't really want to fault someone for being 'affectionate' toward him, as long as they showed proper restraint when it came down to it.Now that they were on the surface, Vahn purchased a few meat skewers for them to snack on as they waited for Ryuu and Fenrir to exit the dungeon. Vahn sent a mental command to Fenrir, so it shouldn't take long before they also return to the surface. In fact, it wasn't even twenty minutes before Vahn saw Fenrir's cloaked figure trotting out of the dungeon alongside the stoic Ryuu. The moment she saw Vahn, Fenrir ran over and shouted, "Fenrir killed lots and lots of monster~!" She had her paws raised happily and Vahn noticed they were completely saturated with blood and commented, whilst patting Fenrir's head, "Great job, Fenrir, let's go home and get you to take a bath and then I'll give you your reward, okay?" Hearing Vahn's words, Fenrir looked at her blood-stained fur and released a strange sounding laugh as if she was 'embarrassed' before nodding her head and saying, "Fenrir will get super clean and then Vahn will brush her fur~?"Vahn laughed before saying, "Sure, that sounds like a good idea." At this point, Ryuu had caught up and Vahn showed her a grateful smile before scanning over the group and saying, "Let's go home." All three girls nodded with different degrees of a 'pleased' expression on their face as Vahn led the way back toward the Hearth Manor in high spirits. Of course, he had been conditioned at this point to actually be more alert when things were going smoothly, so Vahn had been scanning the surroundings along the way, just in case.After they returned to the Manor, Vahn quickly checked the Status Board of Haruhime to see if she had made any progress. Since Fenrir was fighting monsters much weaker than herself, there wasn't any chance that her parameters had grown so Vahn put it off until later. When he drew his blood across Haruhime's bare back and the Status Board appeared, Vahn was pleasantly surprised by what he saw. It wasn't as ridiculous as his own growth in the past, but Haruhime had made a marked progress for only killing twenty-three monsters.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[[STATUS]]Name: Sanjouno HaruhimeRace: RenardLV. 1POW: I15-&gt;I19END: I34-&gt;I41DEX: I18-&gt;I30AGI: I37-&gt;I52MAG: D591-&gt;C603Skill: [Inari:Innate(sealed)], [Prometheus's Blessing:A]Magic: [Uchide no Kozuchi:B],[Kokonoe:D]Development Skill: [Moon Priestess:Innate(sealed)], [Spirit Healing:D]-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vahn showed Haruhime's updated Status, minus her Innates, to everyone present and Ryuu was the most surprised by her growth. Though it wasn't 'excessive', it was incredible growth for someone that had just ventured into the dungeon for just over two hours. Depending on how things played out, it was very possible she would be able to reach Level 2 within a few weeks and Ryuu attributed it to the combined effect of [Prometheus's Blessing] and the influence of the [Mentor] Development Ability. Hearing both Ryuu and Vahn praise her, Haruhime's ears twitched about excitedly even though she had an elegant, yet happy, smile on her face. Afterward, the three girls went off to take a bath while Vahn looked through his system for an appropriate gift for Fenrir.He had inspected the interior of the Manor when they returned, and Vahn was aware that everyone was currently out, most likely enjoying an excursion while shopping for clothing and equipment. Since they had most likely gone to Babel Tower, it was very unlikely for anything to happen to them, though Vahn was somewhat tempted to go find them. Instead, since his instincts weren't acting up, Vahn decided to trust that things were going well. He had already told Fafnir to follow Hestia along through the shadows, so he assumed they wouldn't be in any danger while in public.Around twenty minutes later, Vahn could sense Fenrir running through the corridors before bursting into the room he was in wearing a clean pair of her combat attire. Vahn's only impression was that she looked very healthy and lively as she quickly closed the distance between them while already holding the brush in her hand. Vahn smiled and received the brush as Fenrir hopped into his lap and began to tilt her head from side to side with her floppy ears. She asked in an almost 'humming' tone, "Fenrir gets reward now~?" Vahn had already started to brush her somewhat damp hair before waving his hand toward the coffee table in front of them. A midnight blue gothic dress appeared on the table and Fenrir immediately jumped from his lap and began to inspect it excitedly. After patting it a few times with her paws, Fenrir raised her arms up high and said, "Fenrir wants to wear it now~!"Vahn set the brush to the side before helping pull the dress over Fenrir's head and arms. It was a somewhat snug fit, but the fabric was slightly elastic and she was able to fit through it without much difficulty. Since it wasn't the first time she had worn a drew with a zipper, Fenrir had already turned around so Vahn could close up the back of the dress. Her tail flopped about for a bit until Vahn was able to maneuver it through the hole that was in between the layers of the dress. He then tied off the vibrant red bow to seal off the gap and make it fit snuggly around her tail so it wouldn't loosen when she moved about. There was a matching frilled choker that had a small, black rose, motif that Vahn helped fix around Fenrir's neck before she excitedly looked around for a mirror. Vahn placed the three standing mirrors he kept in his inventory and Fenrir happily looked at her body from different angles before eventually launching herself over toward Vahn while shouting, "Fenrir loves new dress~! Master is the best"Vahn had caught her out of the air as Fenrir snuggled against his chest happy with her crooked smile. She had grabbed around his body with her paws tightened into fists so as to not accidentally scratch his back. With his brows slightly furrowed, Vahn said, "You shouldn't call me Master...just call me Vahn." Fenrir's ears twitched at his words as she stared up into his face with her eyes glowing slightly scarlet as she emulated an awkward laugh and said, "Oops, Fenrir forgot because she was happy...Vahn is the best, don't be mad." Vahn shook his head and stroked her head before picking up the brush and patting his lap. Fenrir's awkward smile returned as she jumped up at sat in his lap with her back to Vahn and let him brush her hair, ears, and tail for a few minutes until Ryuu and Haruhime arrived.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Haruhime is trying her best','First Day : Quick Progress','Fenrir's slip')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149

While Vahn was being 'sorted' by Mama Mia, the other girls had helped Shizune change her clothing into a smaller outfit. Since Tina had started working at the Hostess of Fertility in the past, they had custom made a few waitress outfits for her used and Shizune was able to wear them easily. She was actually a little downtrodden when she noticed that her breasts had completely vanished but knew they would eventually return in time. In fact, now that she knew how her body would develop, Shizune wanted to take advantage of that fact and try out a variety of new outfits to make the best use of her newfound youth. Though she was still considered an adult 'chronologically', Shizune decided to act the age of her body and abstain from any relationships until she became an adult again. Her youth had been deprived from her previously, so she wasn't in a hurry to lose what she had the fortune to regain.When Vahn saw the two 'young' girls standing side-by-side in their matching waitress outfits, he showed a genuine smile and said, "You two really look like sisters." Both of the girls' ears twitched about and Vahn's smile grew marginally wider as he habitually reached out and stroked Tina's head. He had almost done the same for Shizune but hesitated mid-motion until she stepped forward into his hand and said, "You don't have to hold back on my account~." For a brief moment, Vahn saw a glint in Shizune's eyes before her expression turned into a youthful and cheerful one. If not for the fact he could see her aura flaring up, Vahn would have thought he imagined it. He refused to say it aloud, but Vahn expected that Shizune might try to join his Familia in the future when she 'tags along' with Milan and Tina as their step-daughter/step-sister. He didn't really mind much but had firmly protected his heart from any actions she might try to take to approach him until her body had matured properly. Though her affection value was only 91, she did have a strange parameter within the brackets called (Beholden).After things settled down a bit, it was decided that Tina and Shizune would become 'poster girls' for the Hostess of Fertility and support each other in their duties. Shizune had the bad habit of flirting with the patrons a bit because of her 'prior work experience', so Tina was going to be looking after her in order to correct her sensibilities. Shizune had decided to tease her a bit and began referring to Tina as her 'Big Sis' which made the tiny cat girls tail flicker about excitedly even though she tried to control her expression and act the part properly.Vahn had decided he was going to be venturing into the dungeon before returning in the afternoon and seeing how things had been progressing by checking up with Hephaestus and Loki. Ryuu, Fenrir, and Haruhime were going to accompany him after they escorted Mikoto, Emiru, Maemi, and Preasia back to the Hearth Manor. Along the way, the girls were in much higher spirits and Vahn brought up the idea of having them go shopping for equipment and necessities with Aki when they finally returned. Since he didn't want Haruhime to fight much yet, she didn't require powerful gear but Vahn asked Mikoto to pick out some appropriate equipment for her that she could use until he finished her actual equipment. Mikoto had wanted to tag along and venture into the dungeon with them, but Vahn asked her to look after the girls and safely escort Hestia if she decided to go shopping with them. To support their expenditure, Vahn gave each girl a golden card that was worth 100KV for personal items.When they finally reached the Hearth Manor, Hestia was still sleeping but Aki had long awakened and returned to her usual self. Vahn did notice, however, that she was already wearing the black band around her abdomen and she was giving him a strangely 'loving' look when they made eye contact. Vahn was actually very curious if she was pregnant and decided to take a peek inside of her body to see if there were any signs. Since he hadn't completed her heart's desire, he didn't receive the quest to impregnate her so it was impossible to tell through the system. Vahn did confirm that there was actually a fair amount of his own fluids still within her body and it made his eyes widen a bit because he wasn't able to identify if there was an actual egg within the jumbled mess. He decided to check again later, or maybe even wait for the signs to naturally appear with time.After explaining things to Aki, Vahn gave her a platinum colored card with a single orichalcum strip that was worth 10MV and would be more than enough to gear the girls adequately. Since Aki had a lot of experience procuring supplies and equipment, she was more than happy to take the girls shopping and Vahn had even given her a few extra gold cards for her personal use so she could buy clothing and other necessities. Though she accepted them at first, Aki returned the majority and told Vahn that they should go shopping together in the future. Vahn nodded his head with a smile before returning the cards to his inventory and making the final preparations before heading toward the dungeon.Vahn gave Haruhime the [Fox Maiden's Bracelet] and the two [Fox Maiden's Anklet](s) and she happily wore them on her left wrist and both ankles. She had already been wearing the one he previous forged for her and was happy to have so many accessories that matched. Vahn then asked her what kind of accessory she would like around her neck, to which she pitched the idea of a choker or a collar of some sort. Vahn furrowed his brows at the idea, since he knew her request had nothing to do with her being a Renard or from the Far East. Though she didn't explicitly say it, Vahn felt like Haruhime was trying to make herself 'belong' to him and wanted a way to prove her status.Since he didn't like the idea of Haruhime in a collar, Vahn told her that he thought it would be suitable if she wore something that would accent her future equipment and the current accessories. As he spoke, Vahn actually remembered the charm he had obtained from Takemikazuchi in the past and pulled it out and said, "If you'd like, I can make you a necklace version of this charm?" Haruhime saw the small charm in Vahn's hands and had a happy smile on her face with a touch of melancholy in her eyes. She gingerly took the charm from Vahn's hands and held it like she was praying for several seconds before saying, "Yes, I'd like that very much..."Vahn could see that Haruhime's eyes had misted up a bit and showed a concerned expression on his face that made her wipe away the brewing tears with her sleeve before she explained, "Sorry, this charm was given to me by my mother before she passed away. I had thought it was lost forever...thank you for returning it to me." Even now, Haruhime was still holding onto the charm as if she had obtained something precious and it inspired Vahn to reach out his hand and affectionately stroke her hair and ears. She showed a happy expression on her face before placing the charm into a concealed pocket within her red kimono.When everyone was finally ready, Vahn left for the dungeon while accompanied by Ryuu and Fenrir. Vahn had discussed how to make the best use of his [Mentor] skill previously, and he was now going to be trying to test the efficacy of the skill. Both Fenrir and Haruhime had growth related skills, Fenrir's being her [Devour:SS] while Haruhime had the benefit of his 'flame seed' in the form of [Prometheus's Blessing:A]. Vahn wanted to see how his [Mentor] skill affected both of them since he already had Fenrir as a good baseline for what would be expected from hunting weaker monsters. Before he left, he checked both girls Status Boards, even though it had been a little awkward since he hadn't brought it up until Haruhime had initially gotten dressed and ready to go.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[[STATUS]]Name: Sanjouno HaruhimeRace: RenardLV. 1POW: I15END: I33-I34DEX: I16-I18AGI: I36-I37MAG: D587-D591Skill: [Inari:Innate(sealed)], [Prometheus's Blessing:A]Magic: [Uchide no Kozuchi:B],[Kokonoe:D]Development Skill: [Moon Priestess:Innate(sealed)], [Spirit Healing:D]-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Fenrir]Level:2POW: G205-&gt;F339END: H156-&gt;H195DEX: F311-&gt;E404AGI: H173-&gt;F307MAG: I92-&gt;H121Skills: [Lunar Cry:C], [Freezing Roar:C], [Chainbreaker:C], [Devour:SS],[Huntress:A]Development Abilities: -Magic: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Even though Fenrir had killed thousands of monsters, and eaten hundreds of magic cores, her parameters hadn't grown by much since they had only ever gone down to the 7th-floor pantry. Vahn and Ryuu had wanted her to adapt to the changes in her body and become accustomed to fighting before she tackled any serious threats. As for Haruhime, she had never even seen a monster in person and this would be the first time she fought one as well. Ryuu had cautioned him that a lot of novice supporters typically froze up at the sight of monsters and things typically got much worse when they saw blood. Since Haruhime had a somewhat elegant and timid nature, Vahn was worried that she might suffer something similar and was prepared to step in at the first sign of a problem.After they arrived within the dungeon, Vahn gave Haruhime what they were referring to as the 'Mentor's Mark'. She had tried to get him to place it on her thigh, but Vahn put it on her hand and she justed waved her tail in a wispy manner and enjoyed the momentary contact regardless of the fact that Vahn hadn't conceded to her request. Since she didn't have the weapon he intended to forge for her yet, Vahn gave her a B-Rank sword that was named [001]. Though he had forged more than 200 of the series, Vahn sold the majority and only kept the first seven for emergency purposes. It looked a little unnatural for her to be holding a weapon, but Haruhime still swung it about as if she were familiarizing herself with its range and weight.Not long after they had entered, the first floor, Vahn led the party through a side corridor before arriving in a room with two goblins present. Unexpectedly, Haruhime immediately got fired up and Vahn could see her aura blazing a bit as she muttered in a voice not intended for them to hear, "Now I can finally get stronger and become closer with Vahn~!" Vahn had a wry smile on his face as he reminded Haruhime, "Even if they are just level 1 goblins, you must never, ever, drop your guard. Though it shames me to say it, I actually almost died when I first encountered a goblin. The fight ended in an internecine exchanged that nearly cost me my left arm..."Vahn hadn't intended to scare Haruhime, but he noticed that her aura waved a bit so he said, "Don't worry, I won't allow any permanent harm to come to your body. I just want you to develop an awareness that every enemy must be treated seriously, even if they are something as weak as a goblin. I know it's been explained to you several times, but I'll repeat it again since this is no longer practice...you can't become stronger if you expect there are no consequences to your mistakes. Fight with your life on the line and overcome the trials before you if you truly wish to become stronger!"Because of his shout to hype up Haruhime, Vahn drew the attention of the two goblins and discreetly expanded his aura just in case. Fenrir's eyes began to glow scarlet at the sight of monsters, but she was standing behind Ryuu because they had explained that Haruhime needed to train without help. Seeing the goblins approach, Haruhime's aura flared up again and she moved toward them with the sword trailing behind her body a bit. Vahn immediately realized she was trying to copy his actions when he was 'showing off' to Mikoto in the past. Unfortunately, she wasn't very fast with her meager 37 Agility so it looked a little strange for her to try and emulate his maneuver.Haruhime had primarily been focusing on developing her footwork and stamina during the training, so she was actually quite nimble on her feet even though her agility parameter wasn't that high. Renards were naturally agile and Vahn learned that her 'dance-like' moves had come from her background as a noble heiress, with a fair amount of training during her tenure as a 'prostitute in training'. Each of her attacks, though clumsy, had a peculiar elegance to them and she was able to easily sidestep the first goblin before tracing her foot in an arc across the ground, flaring her hips a bit, and swiping with the black blade across the goblin's neck. It didn't immediately die, and a spurt of blood shot out from the severed artery and splashed onto Haruhime but she didn't flinch at all as she engaged the second goblin.Ryuu nodded her head approvingly and said, "She has the potential to become strong. Though she lacks practice, there is a unique polish already present in her movements and her resolve already makes her better than most starting Supporters." Vahn nodded his head as well but didn't take his eyes off the fight as he watched both Haruhime's movements, as well as the small caricature of his own face on her hand. He hadn't seen any signs that it had been doing anything, so he was almost certain it meant that 'allies' needed to be more than 2km away from them for it to take effect.The second goblin had put up more of a struggle than the first as it became slightly alert after its companion had fallen in one blow. It tried using a stone club to intercept the blows of Haruhime, but she had the height, reach, and weapon advantage and was able to eventually cut through the club after performing a full spin where she arced the blade over her body and drew a beautiful path from the heavens to the earth and bisected the club through the center. As if she were following his words to never drop her guard, Haruhime didn't get excited after successfully destroying its weapon and leaned down a bit before stepping in and stabbing the goblin accurately in its magic stone and turning it into dust.After the goblins were dead, Haruhime scanned the area without dropping her alert status before confirming there were no enemies present. During the fight, she had a very serious and focused expression, but now her gentle smile returned as she casually walked over to Vahn with a glimmer in her eyes. Vahn knew what she was expecting, so he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped off the blood from her cheek while wtroking her hair and ears and saying, "Excellent, very well done Haruhime." Ryuu nodded her head and piggybacked Vahn's words and said, "Indeed, very commendable for a Level 1. You have a lot of potential for improvement, but you'll be able to go far as long as you remember the resolve you showed today."Haruhime's smile bloomed like a flower as she bowed low and chirped, "Yes, thank you both very much for your kind words~! I promise I'll meet your expectations in the future!" After she finished her words, Haruhime stood ramrod straight and had a very happy expression on her face that caused Vahn to have an urge to pet her even more. After ruminating for around .003 seconds, Vahn gave in to the urge and began to stroke Haruhime's ears as he talked about his findings from observing the fight. Since there hadn't been any indicator of the skill activating, Vahn had put forth the idea of splitting into two groups while staying on the first floor unless Ryuu was confident she could reign in Fenrir if she lost control. It was either that, or they could continue as a group of four and let Fenrir vent any frustrations she had been bottling up before they returned to the surface later. Ryuu would then be able to take her back and then Vahn could wrap up the day by conducting the experiment to test the skills effect.They discussed it for a bit as Vahn pet both Fenrir and Haruhime in a very casual manner before inevitably deciding to split up. Since it would be more beneficial to test the skill while Haruhime's stats were low, Ryuu agreed that it would be best if she became the focus of the experiment and then Vahn could train the twins as the control later. Vahn wasn't too sure he'd get accurate results, since Haruhime had [Prometheus's Blessing], but he figured the twins actually had a unique trait that would invalidate the experiment anyway. He wasn't sure how their sealed Innate skill [Gemini] worked, but there had to be something more to it since both girls had the exact same stats. Vahn was tempted to have them do two different training regimens just to see if there was a point where they would diverge but he wasn't sure that would be beneficial to awakening the skill. Though they were ironically the perfect pair to conduct the experiment, Vahn didn't want to prevent their Innate skill from awakening just to sate his curiosity.Just to be safe, Vahn gave Ryuu the [Rallying Whistle] which would alert him if they encountered a problem. Ryuu was surprised to hear about its use and Vahn got to see a rare moment where her expression broke a bit and her brows raised. She noticed his look and immediately returned to normal before tucking away the whistle in her pouch. As long as she blew into it, not just Vahn, but everyone within the Hestia Familia would be able to hear it regardless of where they were. It would then boost his agility and he would be able to track them quickly by following the magical trail that would appear after its use. Before they left, Vahn stroked Fenrir's head a little heavier since she actually liked 'firm' pats more and promised her a reward if she behaved. In response, she patted her washboard chest proudly and said, "Leave it to Fenrir! Fenrir will beat all the smelly monsters into meat paste~!"Vahn sent the pair off with a smile and was actually something glad to see Fenrir leave with Ryuu since he didn't really want Haruhime to see the sight of her eating still-living monsters and getting covered in their blood and gore. She might be fine with getting a bit of blood on her body, but even Vahn had felt a little nauseous the first time he watched Fenrir engorge herself in the past. Since he had actually been completely covered in monster bits in the past, Vahn felt like he had a much higher tolerance than Haruhime and had few expectations that she would be okay after witnessing such a sight.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Dangerous, in various ways','Haruhime's Potential','Fenrir's Personal Banquet')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149

Chapter 306: Potential : Growth