Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

During the time Vahn had spent planting trees, the other girls had slowly dispersed to tend to their own business and to enjoy some relaxation, as the Dungeon atmosphere was somewhat tense. Many of them wanted to check up on the matters of the network while others simply wanted to explore the new Manor, something which Vahn also had an interest in. The only person around at the moment was Ryuu, as she had been setting up the formation with Vahn for around two hours. Terra had been taken away by Haruhime, which worried Vahn slightly, so they could explore the Manor and find a room for her. Vahn was a little curious about how she slept, as it seemed somewhat difficult to get comfortable with wings on her back, but he was certain to find out at some point.When they were finished, Vahn and Ryuu stood in the clearing together in silence as they both enjoyed the warm rays of the sun bearing down on them, even though it was still a little chilly. Vahn hadn't commented on it earlier, but Ryuu was wearing a green and white striped shirt and a pair of short blue shorts, a stylistic choice he didn't quite understand. She didn't often wear casual clothing around the house that often, so something must have changed in the time he had been away. Regardless, it still looked good on her and Vahn felt like a 'casual' Ryuu was very nice as well...Since they were alone, Ryuu's aura had gradually started to build up and her inexpressive face was touched with a light blush as a result of the tensions increasing. Taking the opportunity to get a little caught up with everyone, Vahn walked behind Ryuu and embraced her from behind as he muttered, "I missed you, Ryuu..." Though her body shook slightly at first, Ryuu calmed down quickly and leaned her weight against Vahn's body as she angled her head and said, "I didn't think it would be so lonely be separated for a few weeks...I'm glad you returned to us, Vahn." Ryuu understood that most of the girls had felt the same way as her, while some had even greater anxieties to release. As a result, she wanted Vahn to keep that in mind so he didn't 'spoil' her too much and lose sight of other important matters.Though he understood what she was trying to convey, Vahn used his left hand to tilt Ryuu's chin as he kissed her on the lips gently. She was a good 8cm shorter than he was, which Vahn found strangely comforting because it was almost like he could shield her entire thin body with his own. The 'gentle' kiss started off slow, but it didn't take long before the two began to lose their reservations and Ryuu eventually had to separate from Vahn because of the awkward angle. She then turned her body to his and they embraced each other for several minutes until Vahn gently lowered Ryuu to the grass and comforted her body for just under thirty minutes...When Vahn and Ryuu emerged from the forest, Ryuu's face was marginally more flushed than normal and it would have been obvious to any onlookers what had happened. Though she went into the forest with a striped shirt, Ryuu came out wearing a white blouse and there was a light layer of sweat coating her skin even though it was somewhat chilly outside. As for Vahn, he had a perpetual grin on his face and felt incredibly refreshed and full of energy. To conceal her own embarrassment, Ryuu eventually ended up 'sneaking' into the Manor to calm down while also giving Vahn reason to tend to the other girls.Vahn followed her back with his eyes and let them wander to her pert little butt that was now wrapped by a pair of green bottoms that were very suitable for Ryuu. He wasn't sure of the reason, but Ryuu seemed to like the color green as many of the outfits she wore were either green or had something green on them. Even when she worked at the Hostess of Fertility, the waitress outfit was also green so Vahn had come to associate the color with her a bit. By the time she had disappeared into the Manor, Vahn turned his eyes away from her and scanned his perception over the front of the Manor.As a result of the construction, Vahn's domain couldn't actually cover the entire building anymore. Even standing in the central area, Vahn's domain could barely breach into the surrounding walls. The inner courtyard, including the bathing area, garden, and small forest, was an entire kilometer in length and width, which meant Vahn's 515m wasn't quite adequate any longer. Fortunately, this was 515m from him as a central point, when meant it actually stretched out for 1030m if he counted the two furthest points of his domain. (A/N: For those confused, Vahn's Manor is quite massive, which is why it takes several minutes to move from one location to the next, even for these super-humans. Even with nearly 30 people living in it, its possible to move about without even coming across another person if you use uncommon routes.)When he neared the back entrance to the central building, Vahn detected a presence that immediately caused a warmth to spread through his heart as he vanished from his location and reappeared next to the door before entering inside. Without making any detours, Vahn made his way to where three large presences were located alongside one smaller one that matched his own. After a short while, Vahn reached the commonly used study before entering inside and seeing the woman that had, not long ago at all, become his wife, Hephaestus. To match his own, Hephaestus' smile widened greatly but Vahn could also see a slight flush on her face that made him sweat a little.After rising from the sofa, Hephaestus walked over with hurried footsteps and the two embraced each other, almost as if their emotions were colliding together before intermixing. Vahn hugged her waist tightly as Hephaestus rested her head against his shoulder with a slight moisture touching her eyes. After a few seconds passed, however, she muttered in a very quiet voice, "It's good that you're so lively just after your return...but it makes me a little lonely knowing you went to another girl first. I almost felt silly making my way over as quick as possible just to feel your emotions for another girl..."Vahn hugged Hephaestus even tighter and decided to be honest as he said, "I'm sorry, Hephaestus, but Ryuu looked a little lonely and it was a good opportunity...I'll do my best to make it up to you several times over..." Hephaestus released a peal of laughter as she squeezed Vahn tightly and asked, "What are you doing for the rest of the day?" When she had learned that he returned, Hephaestus had wrapped up her current work and canceled the rest of her plans for the day. Vahn rocked her body gently, aware of the gazes that were being cast their way, and said, "This evening, I think we should all celebrate the success of the expedition...but there are a few hours until then and I can feel that three goddesses need my attention..."Although Fenrir was present, and Vahn could feel her mild dejection, he still didn't think she was ready for that type of relationship. When the time finally came, it would likely have to be a 'private' matter between them as well, as Vahn didn't think she would be the type that appreciated 'competition' in the bedroom. As if she understood this, Fenrir 'seized' her brush back from Hestia before trotting off to find something to keep herself busy. Since she ran outside, Vahn felt like she was probably going to spend time with Fafnir and potentially even sunbathe with it. As for the goddesses remaining in the room, their large auras had expanded greatly as Vahn looked over Hephaestus' shoulder and said, "I haven't even seen my room in almost a month, care to join me?"---Though they had gotten in the mood, Hestia still had the wherewithal to inform Syr of what was happening and she informed the workers so they could begin wrapping things up for the day. Afterward, Hestia made her way to Vahn's room alongside Hephaestus and Anubis while preparations for the evening celebration began around the kitchen with Milan, Tina, Maemi, and Emiru. As for Terra, she was with Haruhime, Mikoko, Naaza, and Lili as they were all 'teaching' her how to be a proper girl. Preasia was reading books within the Library while Aki and Syr were ensuring that the workers used the proper routes when leaving the Manor.Many of the people within the Familia that focused on masonry, construction, and architecture were male and Hestia wasn't fond of the idea of any of them trying to have friendly relationships with the girls in the Manor. Part of their contract, other than not being able to disclose the blueprints and passageways, was for them to only use designated passageways that would be decided by the representatives that were overseeing the work. As for those that were chosen for that position, they were Hestia herself, Syr, Ryuu, and Aki, each girls that had a deep relationship with Vahn and strong sensibilities.As three was a bit of a 'magic' number for Vahn, he was able to satisfy each of them over a two hour period before they needed to join the celebration. Hestia had surprised him with her 'increased stamina', but she still didn't last that long under Vahn's enhanced prowess with his [Petting] Development Ability. As for Hephaestus and Anubis, they had seemingly limitless stamina and were able to fill in the rest of the time while Hestia rested. Since she had to be present for the celebration, as she was the goddess of the Familia after all, Hestia needed to be able to move her body. For the last hour, she simply napped in the bed as Vahn, Hephaestus, and Anubis eagerly sought each other's bodies after the 'relatively' short parting. By the end of the event, Vahn was laying back with the sweat-covered girls pressing their buxom breasts against his body as he took turns kissing them both. Hephaestus' belly had swelled by a fair amount now, something that concerned Vahn greatly, but she said she was just fine and had been associating with three different goddesses of Fertility lately.Before they had begun, Vahn had confirmed her state for himself and could see two small bundles of life snuggled up with each other. Hephaestus said that the twins were both girls, as purported by Epona, and Vahn felt a great deal of excitement imaging his daughters running around the Manor together in the future. He wondered if they would have his dark hair, or if both girls would have the vibrant red hair of Hephaestus. Since he hadn't taken the opportunity to meet all of his children in the Divination, Vahn had no way of knowing for sure and he lamented his own psychological state at the time. Had he more clarity at the time, Vahn could have obtained a great deal of information that could have been very 'useful', even if he forgot the majority of it.After helping the goddesses wipe down, not that it would hide the fact from anyone that would be present at the celebration, the four made their way down to the dining room where there were already several people waiting. The moment he entered, Vahn took a forehead to his diaphragm as Nanu slammed into his body with her tail wagging like a turbine as she said, "Welcome back, Master!" Though he had exhaled a bit of air, Vahn didn't actually take any damage from her at all and actually had to relax his body to soften any impact she might have felt. He roughly pat her head and played with her ears for a bit as he said, "I'm back, Nanu, good girl..." Vahn felt like he was talking to a pet dog, but Nanu seemed pleased by his words as she rubbed against his chest as if she were marking him.When Nanu was finally appeased, as she knew it wasn't 'proper' for her to act out when there were people of much higher status than her present, Vahn sat down at the table and immediately found Fenrir stealing his lap. As if she were trying to cover up Nanu's scent, Fenrir rubbed the back of her head and ears against Vahn as the small Chienthrope girl starred with wide eyes at the display. However, when Fenrir sent her a sidelong glance, Nanu immediately took a step back and stopped minding the matter since there was a 'distinct' difference in the 'hierarchical' relationship between her and Fenrir.Though she might be Vahn's future 'mate', Fenrir was Vahn's cherished companion that would walk at his side for potentially thousands of years. Nanu knew from her discussions with Anubis that Vahn would likely live for a very long time, while Nanu herself would probably last less than a hundred years if she focused on staying healthy. As a result, she reshuffled her perspective of things and developed a bit of a deferential relationship with the girls that would live much longer than her, which had the goddesses and Fenrir at the top of the list...By now, Eina had also awakened from her rest but she was watching over the Guild Counter until just before the celebration began. Without his other wife present, Vahn's sides were taken by Hestia and Hephaestus as everyone began making small talk, though Vahn once again found himself as the focus. He learned that Hephaestus had finished a new workshop that was located in the same area as Vahn's 'clubhouse' and Welf's workshop. The reason for this was that Hephaestus still needed to manage her own store and take on clients, though she had also converted the forge in the eastern workshop to house her Eternal Flame. She would be selling the majority of the items she forged out of her workshop, but she would be spending most of her time within the Hearth Manor, something that Vahn was very excited about.During the expedition period, the Hostess of Fertility had apparently hired several new girls as well since Chloe, Arnya, and Lunoire had all made the decision to join the Hestia Familia while he was away. They still worked at the Pub, though not nearly as much as in the past, this would likely change in the future as things start to pick up. After joining, they had been doing duo-missions within the Dungeon to slowly increase the rank of the Hestia Familia, which was now F-Rank, instead of I-Rank. With their addition to the Familia, it almost meant the average strength of the Hestia Familia was now near Level 3.Other than Chloe, Arnya, and Lunoire, there were also a few extra additions to the Familia that hadn't really surprised Vahn that much. Though they hadn't entered the Dungeon yet, Tina and Shizune had also joined the Familia during the expedition since there wasn't really any harm in them doing so. If anything, they would be able to develop their parameters further if their Innates had any effect on their growth. Vahn hadn't been able to check to see what abilities they had yet, but he would find an opportunity later to verify them. He knew that Tina, and likely even Shizune, would want to enter the Dungeon in the future and Vahn would feel a lot more confident if their Innates were combat related.One of the biggest changes that had occurred over the last 'month' was the fact that the Alliance had expanded once again, and now included the Hestia, Hephaestus, Loki, Freya, Demeter, Eirene, Anubis, Miach, Takemikazuchi, and apparently even the Hermes Familia. Vahn wasn't too surprised by the inclusion of Freya, and both Demeter and Eirene had shown up at the wedding, but Hermes' addition was a bit concerning. Sensing the conflict within him, Hephaestus had explained, "Don't worry, Hermes might be the scheming and whimsical type, but he also doesn't take action that might be detrimental to his interests. Being attached to the Alliance is far more beneficial than making an enemy out of everyone...though you shouldn't let your guard down around him either."Eina eventually showed up at the table and Hestia surprisingly moved to the other side of Hephaestus to give the seat away. Vahn understood that she was probably trying to support Eina's position within the group and it made him smile knowing how thoughtful she was. Since there were a few people shuffling around, Vahn had Fenrir hop out of his lap as he stood up and intercepted the gently smiling Eina who had a look of relief within her emerald-green eyes. Though it wasn't a powerful embrace, Eina hugged Vahn tightly and began stroking his back in a comforting manner as they hugged each other for several long seconds. A soft and soothing voice sounded out from her lips as she said, "Welcome home, Dear..." Vahn felt an explosion of warmth in his chest as he looked into Eina's deep eyes and said, "I'm home, Eina..." before kissing her to affirm the fact.Though she enjoyed the kiss for a short while, Eina eventually pinched Vahn slightly to let him know not to get carried away. She had almost turned her head away to end the moment, but she wanted Vahn to do it so he didn't lose any face in front of the other girls. Understanding her intent, Vahn eventually separated from Eina's lips but continued to hold her waist for a short while before saying in a somewhat firm tone, "This weekend, try to clear up your work schedule...I want to perform 'Nirvana' on you as soon as possible..." Eina's face already had a light blush on it, but Vahn's words had startled her a great deal as a ruddy color emerged on her cheeks and began to spread to her ears. Without saying anything, Eina eventually nodded her head in a bashful manner before 'headbutting' Vahn's chest before coming to a rest against it. She understood that Vahn was essentially saying that he wanted to ensure she would get pregnant in the future and minimize the chance of any complications from occurring...---(A/N: Though it might be a little shameless, I would like to ask for the assistance of anyone that is willing to contribute to my ******* or Paypal in the coming days. We're currently only at $631/640 'minimum' funds I need to be able to continue doing this as my job. As I'm sure many of you can empathize with, the holiday season isn't exactly kind on the wallet and getting by with just the minimum is rather difficult. I don't have any problem just eating rice and potatoes, but they get a little bland after a few consecutive days xD. Sorry for having to reach out like this, but I really like writing this story and would like to continue doing it.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Doki Doki Ryuu-tan','Vahns Vs. Three Goddesses','Vahn likes to bully Elves')Thanks to all the beautiful people that have been supporting me on ******* during these interesting three months~! For those that have some spare change laying around, please consider making a small donation of $1-2 if possible. If you've read this far, you've gone through more content than the entire Harry Potter series and have read more than 1,450,000 words written by me, hopefully happily xD. If everyone that has added this novel to their collections just pit in $1, I'd be able to write for the entire year without needing any other donations xD.https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After Eina and Vahn took their seats, it was officially time for the celebration to begin so Hestia raised up a glass mug full of alcohol called [Honey Stout] as she proclaimed in a loud voice, "Everyone, you did a great job on the expedition this time around. Not only did you increase the reputation of the Hesta Familia, but you also worked hard to increase your strengths and now our Familia has become much stronger than in the past! Most importantly, you all came home safe and sound, so thank you all so very much for your efforts~!" With Hestia's words as the trigger, everyone else raised their own cups and gave various hurrahs before everyone downed the contents of their glass and the festivities officially began.Other than Tina, Shizune, and the pregnant Hephaestus, Tsubaki, Aki, and Arnya, everyone else was allowed to drink as it was a special occasion. The only people 'too young' were Lili, Fenrir, and Terra, but Vahn wouldn't be able to stop any of them from drinking. Lili put her life on the line as a vanguard in the Dungeon, so it would have been strange if Vahn said she wasn't old enough to drink, while Fenrir couldn't get drunk at all and Terra's body simply didn't process the alcohol in the same way as everyone else.Terra didn't have a normal digestive tract, nor did she even have intestines. Instead, her body had two 'stomach-like' organs that processed what she ate and she seemed to be restricted to organic produce and lighter 'meats' like fish. Essentially, she was another girl that couldn't get drunk because the enzymes in her stomach broke down the alcohol into parts and then simply filtered it out instead of letting it enter her bloodstream. Vahn suspected it would make her 'sap' slightly alcohol based but he decided not to worry about that kind of thing for the time being...As Eina had yet to be introduced to Terra, she kept sending curious glances as the mature dragon girl, who always returned a smile as if were her natural expression. Vahn saw this happen a few times before he realized he should be the one to explain such things and said, "It's a bit late, but this celebration also includes the addition of our newest Familia member, Terra. Like Fafnir, she is a True Dragon that I had tamed within the Dungeon and her original form is that of the Green Dragon that I had subordinated during the Bloodsaurus hunt. She is Level 4, but she won't really be a combatant and will instead help to guard the Manor with Fafnir in the future."Because of her wings, which were spread out behind her since she was sitting low to the floor, Terra was a very 'obvious' presence at the table even without anyone pointing her out. Several of the girls had yet to meet her earlier, including Eina, Chloe, Arnya, Lunoire, Anubis, and Nanu. They had spotted her immediately upon entering the same room since Terra's leafy-green hair and wings stood out a great deal. It was easily understood she was another one of Vahn's 'tamed' monsters, but the fact that she was a woman caused the interest in her to increase a great deal.Terra smiled at everyone present and said, "Greetings, everyone, my name is Terra Evergreen. I have come to reside in the Manor today after my Master helped me evolve. I will do my best to get along with everyone, so please treat me kindly and teach me many things." After Terra introduced herself, everyone went around the table and made a short introduction of their own as well before the atmosphere of the celebration became decidedly less awkward. It was difficult to open up when there were 'strangers' present, but now everyone had relaxed a lot more after knowing what type of girl Terra was. She seemed to be very popular with the girls, as her hair, wings, and tail, were all somewhat unique and interesting. Since her personality was the 'kind and elegant' type, combined with the fact she had an air of nobility while being highly receptive, made her easy to talk to and befriend.Though their dinners usually ran very late, things continued deep into the night this time around as the festive atmosphere had become even more so after people began to get a little tipsy. Some of the girls, including Hestia, Lili, and Chloe, got outright drunk while only a few, such as the pregnant group and Syr, remained completely sober throughout. The obvious exceptions included Vahn, Fenrir, and Terra, but that was a result of their constitution and not the amount they had to drink. The truly surprising thing was that even Eina got a little drunk and eventually ended up falling asleep against Vahn's shoulder after a few glasses of beer.When the atmosphere had slowly started to die down, as a result of several of the younger girls falling asleep, Vahn looked to Chloe, Arnya, and Lunoire, the first two of which were currently teasing each other, and said, "I'd like to check your Status Boards in the near future. I may not be able to give you flame seeds right now, but I might be able to infer some things from your-" As Vahn spoke, the drunken Chloe 'boldy' pulled off her black t-shirt and revealed a cream-colored bra as she said, "Nyahaha, nyou can chyek it nyoow~!" Fortunately, Arnya still had her awareness as the grabbed Chloe around the ribs and picked her up before saying, "I'll take this mischevious cat to her room. We'll see you tomorrow, Vahn."Arnya was in the pregnant faction, so she was completely sober and surprisingly 'thin' compared to the other pregnant girls. If not for the fact that Vahn could see the small bundle of vitality within her stomach, he might not have even believed she was pregnant. Chloe, though drunk, wasn't going to put up in major resistance and just allowed her body to go limp as Arnya carried her under her arm and left the room. This left less than half the original attendees present, if excluding those that had passed out, and Vahn knew it was time to call the celebration to an end and help everyone back to their rooms. Since it was his first official night back, Vahn retired to his room with just Eina while Hephaestus took the 'initiative' to stay with Hestia, who had been in the faction of girls that had passed out.Once they were alone in the room, Eina had a deep flush on her face that was enhanced by how 'out' of it she felt at the moment. It was a lot harder to think in her current state and she was wondering how things would play out now that it was just the two of them. Vahn, however, didn't like to take advantage of people when they were drunk so he simply helped Eina wipe down her body before cuddling up with her in the bed. Eina gave him a loving smile for his care and hugged him against her chest as she stroked the back of his head. There was no need to have sex every time they were alone, and Eina actually just wanted Vahn to relax a bit since she knew he probably exerted himself a lot in the Dungeon.There were very different thoughts running through Vahn's mind, however, as he knew he hadn't actually exerted himself much at all. Other than the 'stress' of wondering when their enemies might attack, and the interesting interactions he had with the girls, there was nothing that exciting about the recent expedition at all. Vahn had felt somewhat constrained, but even when they were free to take action the monsters weren't actually that great a threat, at least to himself. He knew his stamina wouldn't be able to hold out in the long run, but there were few monsters at any Level that could actually threaten him currently.This was one of the reasons Vahn wasn't as focused on the Dungeon right now, as it couldn't actually provide much stimulus to him presently and there were far more things he was concerned about. He was more interested in his research and working on the prototype armor he had been developing before he left. With his focus also invested heavily in the girls, Vahn was simply 'uninterested' in the Dungeon, at least during expeditions. Since his own capabilities outstripped the 'common sense' of the world, Vahn felt it wasn't that productive at all until he was free to act with just the girls alone. When they made the Dungeon a part of their 'territory' in the future, Vahn wouldn't be taking orders from other people at all. He might not be the most capable leader, likely far from it, but his capabilities more than made up for his lack of leadership qualities. He also had relatively 'devout' girls that followed him, so it wasn't really a concern if he could inspire others to action...---Though Vahn found his own leadership qualities lacking, this wasn't a sentiment that was shared by other influential people. Completely unaware of the situation, a stir had been passing through the Loki Familia after the triumphant return of the expedition. Finn had shown up leading the convoy back to the Twilight Manor with their banner waving proudly in the wind, but he couldn't help but feel things were distinctly different than normal. Their members would usually be 'relieved' and happy to return to the surface, not that they didn't show signs of this, but now there was an underlying current of excitement and anticipation. Instead of simply talking about what they were going to spend their earnings on, people were already talking about how the next expedition would go...One of the most common names that spread around the group was Vahn's, though the girls had their fair share of 'fans' amongst those spreading gossip. The fact that most of the girls were only Level 2, but showed capabilities far greater than their level, impressed many people, even more so because they were all cute girls. Though they 'jokingly' said all the girls were part of Vahn's 'harem', they couldn't ignore the achievements they had earned. Not only Vahn, but all of the girls had a massive boost to their reputation while Vahn himself was talked about almost with a reverential undertone. Those that had been 'saved' by him made their respect very clear and it had quickly spread through the whole convoy.Since Vahn had been fair and just during the entire trip, even sharing his own supplies with the convoy to make things better for everyone, there were few people that could actually dislike him. He was a handsome boy with a kind disposition that showed care and concern for everyone around him, even if it brought harm to himself in the process. This type of character wasn't the type that sensible people could hold a grudge against, and most of the members present now had a great appreciation for his existence itself. They had never been on an expedition that had gone so smoothly, and it almost seemed 'impossible' that things had actually gone so well.This was the first time they hadn't lost at least two carts while suffering a number of casualties, with a few fatalities in the mix. Instead, they hadn't lost a single cart at all and actually managed to fill each of them to capacity, increasing their earning by nearly 20%. Other than three unfortunate deaths, there were no other casualties within the group at all because Vahn had been able to heal their wounds flawlessly. As for the three that had died, they had all lost their lives accomplishing missions away from the encampment. It wasn't an exaggeration to say, given the evidence, that Vahn had ensured the expedition hadn't suffered a single loss, be it in supplies or personnel. There wasn't anything he could do about those that died as a result of mishaps, especially if he wasn't there, so those numbers could be removed from consideration on the matter.Hearing the various rumors, Finn didn't know whether to laugh or cry and simply resolved himself to get along better with Vahn in the future. His position as Captain wasn't threatened, but the number of expeditions he leads would probably be on the decline from now on. Since the majority of their main members were in Vahn's 'faction', Finn didn't really have much of a choice and simply intended to go with the flow from now on instead of trying to oppose it. He could even see that Bete had an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face, as his ears were far more sensitive and he could hear the discussions people were having.Vahn already had the support of Riveria, Gareth, Ais, Tiona, Tione, and even Lefiya at this point, leaving the only two 'on the fence' as Finn and Bete. Finn had already taken a step back on his own volition, but Bete's personality wasn't the type that could make such decisions without coming to a head against the things that troubled him. At this point, Bete knew he was probably in for a 'thrashing' and his demeanor had become somewhat solemn amongst the expedition that was full of a celebratory atmosphere.When the Loki Familia reached the Twilight Manor, the rest of the Familia was waiting to receive them, including a somewhat 'disconcerting' looking Loki. She would be completing her first trimester in the coming weeks so her belly had also started to swell up a fair amount. As she was already a thin and petite girl, even though her height was normal, Loki looked somewhat 'odd' as a pregnant woman. However, even though it was a strange sight, she seemed much more vibrant than normal and her expression actually looked somewhat soft as she said, "Welcome home. You all did well."As many people had already been talking about Vahn, Loki's appearance had reminded them of another 'important' fact about the boy. Not only was he surrounded by girls in his own Familia, but he also had the affections of several goddesses, including their own. Though their impression had already been high, the respect people had felt for Vahn expanded a great deal, even though there was a fair amount of envy mixed in. Vahn enjoyed the 'benefits' of his current lifestyle because of the efforts he put into his life, combined with his character. Given that he was only 15 years old, much younger than many of them, this showed how hard he truly worked to get to where he was. Though they could envy him slightly, the majority knew it would have been impossible for them to take his position as it would have likely overwhelmed them long before they reached that point.Finn smiled proudly and reported, "This time around, we made it back with all the carts and only suffered the loss of two Adventurers and a Supporter. There are no other casualties to report, and I'll submit the official paperwork after exchanging the materials at the Guild in the morning." Loki nodded her head but was somewhat surprised by the numbers that Finn had reported. She knew Vahn's presence would have been a great asset to the expedition, but she hadn't expected things to go so well. Looking around, she saw the 'atmosphere' of the group and her eyes opened partially as she said, "Good work, Finn. I look forward to your report...for now, get this stuff to the staging area and let's celebrate everyone's return!"Finn gave a hand signal to the convoy and they once again began moving forward as they took the carts near the massive warehouse at the back of the Twilight Manor. As for the first and second groups of the Loki Familia, their duty officially ended at the Gate and they were free to roam around at their leisure. However, it was typically considered poor taste to avoid a celebration where you were one of the guests of honor, so everyone stayed at the Twilight Manor and made their way inside to bathe and change into casual wear. One exception to this was Riveria, who had followed Loki into her personal study since she was the one that would be reporting the matters regarding Vahn.Loki sat down in her cushioned chair and released a sigh of exertion as she placed her hand on her stomach and stroked absentmindedly as she asked, "So, anything interesting happen? I can tell something major must have gone down with how everyone was reacting. I don't think I've ever seen Finn with such a bad poker face before, kukuku~." Riveria was standing in front of Loki's desk and watching her rather uncouth behavior with a straight expression as she nodded her head and said, "Vahn's influence on the expedition had been greater than we anticipated. Even without making full use of his capabilities, just his support made everything run much smoother. He also managed to take down the Udaeus and Balor, the last of which was just him and Ais..."Hearing Riveria's words, Loki wasn't actually that surprised and simply asked, "Did he use the chains?" As Riveria had been assisting in Vahn's research, she knew a great deal about [Enkidu] and nodded her head, saying, "Yes, but only when he fought against the Balor. He was about to suppress it long enough for Ais to finish it off with her [Ariel] and there were no others present to witness it." A flash passed through Loki's eyes for a brief moment before a satisfied smile appeared on her face. Vahn's [Enkidu] was undoubtedly one of his most dangerous secrets at present, and Loki was happy he had enough sense not to use it around the expedition. If she had known he used the aura from [Enkidu] as a 'torch', Loki might have run over to the Hearth Manor and strangled him...just a little.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Terra stands out Firma-ly...kappa','Party hard','Loki about to choke a boi')(A/N: A lot of people have been showing their support since my last request and I'd like to especially thank, D. Nunes, J. Townsend, and Y. Bouchard for their Paypal donations~! As for the beautiful people that are pledging their support on *******, I would like to express my gratitude and know I intend to make a list thanking everyone on the 5th of every month with a bonus chapter based on a theme that will be polled for on ******* itself. If we can get the funds up to a consistent amount, I'll even let the ******* decided what artwork we'll have commissioned in the future &lt;3.)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh(A/N: Thank you J.Townsend for your Paypal donation. It helps a lot &lt;3)

Chapter 496: Various Rendezvous : Gathering