Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

The outdoor picnic continued until a little after 2 PM when Vahn figured it was about time to call things to an end. It was still early in the day, but the weather had become a little overcast and, though it was the beginning of Spring, it looked like a mild chill was settling in the air. It was somewhat ominous and, knowing he was going to be visiting the Twilight Manor a bit later, Vahn had a thoughtful expression on his face as he considered what might happen. Deciding it was better to head out a bit early, especially considering that both Arnya and Aki were pregnant, Vahn made a few plans with the other girls before flying over with Terra, as she had 'received' the right to carry him within the City limits unless it was an emergency.Vahn suspected that Terra was planning to tempt him into allowing her to stay during the evenings but things would get out of hand quickly if he gave in. His worries seemed to be a bit misplaced, however, as she dropped them off after making a little bit of a scene before nuzzling up against him and flying away. A large wind carrying Terra's fragrance spread around the area and many members of the Loki Familia had distant looks in their eyes as they watched the elegant True Dragon fly away. Vahn realized that Terra didn't really want to be around a lot of strangers, especially Adventurers, so she had 'obediently' returned to the Manor after he helped top off her energy previously.Since he had the right to enter and move about the Twilight Manor freely, nobody even came to greet Vahn and they simply let him go about his business. Aki, however, drew a lot of attention but she seemed to have prepared herself and had a polite smile on her face as she greeted her former companions. For many of them, this was their first time seeing her in several months and it was very obvious that she was pregnant. Though they had heard the 'rumors', there were a fair number of people that hadn't quite believed them since they always pegged her and Raul as a couple.Arnya didn't seem too bothered by the attention and just kept tracing her head around like it was on a swivel as she looked around. The Twilight Manor was one of the largest in the entire City, capable of housing several thousand people with large courtyards and several scenic views. Unlike the Hearth Manor, it had a somewhat 'ancient' feel to it since Loki had used the foundation of the Hera Familia residence to build her home. It was a little awe-inspiring for first-time visitors and was intended to make the Loki Familia look even more impressive to outsiders. This was one of the ways they recruited new members, other than proactively scouting the people that Loki took an interest in.Once they made their way into the open reception area, Aki had a slightly melancholic look in her eyes and said, "Vahn, I'm going to go talk with some of my former companions..." Vahn nodded his head and stroked the side of Aki's face before placing his forehead against her's, completely disregarding the various onlookers. Aki took in a deep breath and gave Vahn a short kiss before nuzzling against his face affectionately for a few seconds and walking away. Vahn watched her departure in silence, knowing she was going to go and bid 'farewell' and officially set her past to rest. They would likely talk for a while, potentially even sharing a short embrace, but Vahn wasn't going to pry into the matter because he trusted Aki.A plain-looking youth came up to Vahn with a hesitant look on his face as he said, "Umm, excuse me, Vahn...Loki-sama wanted me to tell you to look around the Manor for a bit since she was still making preparations." There were still several people within the Loki Familia that had never met Vahn, but his 'legend' had been spreading rapidly and it looked like he had picked up a fan in the guise of a young boy. Vahn smiled and ruffled the youth's hair, saying, "Thanks for the message...?" Realizing that Vahn was asking for his name, the boy's pale green eyes lit up and he said, "Alfonse! My name is Alfonse!" Vahn's smile widened a bit and a playful glint appeared in his eyes before he pulled out his [001] and handed over to the boy. He could tell the boy was likely a Supporter, assuming he was even old enough to venture into the Dungeon, and there was a sword at his hip.Alfonse took the sword with shaky hands before Vahn handed over a sheath which he had purchased from the shop and helped the boy properly keep the sword so he didn't end up hurting himself. Vahn had a good impression of the kid so he said, "Make sure you work hard, Alfonse, but never overestimate yourself. Remember that real strength is something you use to protect yourself and others, so find allies you can trust and do your best to protect them well." Alfonse nodded his head and hugged the relatively plain sword tightly before Vahn sent him off with a smile. He wasn't sure if Loki noticed it, but Alfonse's mana was a light gold with a radiant core, meaning he had an almost pure light elemental mana. Vahn felt the boy had a bit of a heroic glint and was interested to see what kind of path he would walk in the future.Arnya issued a slight 'Nyahaha' laughter under her breath before giving Vahn a playful look and saying, "Make sure you save some of the good stuff for our children~nyafufu." Vahn laughed along with her before offering his arm so they could tour around the Twilight Manor. Arnya didn't have the same access rights as he did so she would trigger alarms if she wasn't escorted closely. As it was a relatively rare occurrence, though she had already spent part of her morning with Vahn, Arnya quickly locked arms with him and allowed him to lead the way. She was a little short, only 150cm, so she looked like a homely little wife walking alongside the relatively tall and stoic Vahn. However, any veteran Adventurer wouldn't be fooled by her appearance so simply as there was a slightly 'dangerous' and 'wild' feeling emanating from her body to deter wandering eyes.Vahn had heard from Finn that he had 'unrestricted' access to every part of the Twilight Manor, but it was still a little strange being able to walk through doors and enter unknown courtyards without any of the barriers being triggered at all. He had thought it was a bit of a joke in the past, but it genuinely seemed like Loki had converted her Manor into an area where he could freely wander if he chose. Noticing his peculiar expression, Arnya asked, "Why are you being a weirdo, Vahn~?" Giving her a curious glance and seeing the playful glint in her eyes, Vahn smiled and explained, "Well, when Finn told me about how Loki gave me full access to the Manor, he even made a drunken remark about me being able to go into the women's bath. I was thinking that it was a bit excessive, but also a little exciting to consider at the same time."Arnya's brows raised slightly and she looked up with a thoughtful expression before saying, "That really does seem like something Loki would do. I wonder if that is something her Divinity compelled her to do, you know, just to rile you up a bit~nya?" Vahn experienced a momentary pause before he realized that may very well have been the case, even if Loki herself hadn't intended it that way. Though he took it into consideration when they interacted with each other, Vahn had overlooked the secondary influences a god's Divinity might have over them for situations like this. However, he also felt like Loki would have done this for a reason as things were rarely that straightforward with her.As if she had been seriously considering the matter, Arnya asked in a bit of a lazy tone, "Well, are we going to go take a bath in a foreign Manor~nya? I might snitch on you to the others unless you seal my lips~nyaahaha!" Vahn shook his head with a bit of a tired expression and said, "If it was a few months ago, I might not even think about it too much. Now, however, I'd rather return home and just take a bath with everyone else instead of worrying about other girls. I'll admit, it would be interesting, but there are things I'm far more interested in these days~" Toward the end of his words, Vahn gently blew into Arnya's ear and caused it to flicker as she gave him a slightly amorous look.Unlike Chloe, Arnya was unaffected by the change in seasons because she already had a baby in her belly. This didn't mean she was entirely immune to Vahn's 'charm', however, as it was a little exciting to flirt in a place where 'strangers' might see them. She was actually a bit of a prankster when she was younger, so Arnya liked to cause a scene and act mischievously even when she was a kid. Though the 'incident' in the past had changed her greatly, she became a little reliant on that kind of personality and had even taken it to the extremes when she was trying to 'escape' her past. Now, however, Arnya felt like it was very easy to open up her heart because it seemed Vahn's had an infinite amount of room to contain her entirety...After wandering around for a bit, and asking passersby for any interesting places to visit, Vahn and Arnya ended up in a giant hall that was actually the remnants of the Hera Familia. As they had reigned for a long period of time, in close coordination with the Zeus Familia, the hall had a very ancient feel to it and there were many statues standing along the sides. These were all the greatest 'heroes' of the Hera Familia and many of its former Captains. At the far end of the hall, there was a massive figure that towered over the others and, after inspecting the nameplate, it was a heroic man named Jason. According to the small plaque nearby, which spoke of his many achievements, he was a monstrous Level 8 and possessed a rare skill that caught Vahn's eye.As he had been fond of the original Manga, Vahn knew a fair amount regarding the original cast, especially Bell Cranel himself. Seeing that Jason had the rare skill [Argonaut] was a testament to how powerful the man must have been. He was so well-known for it, at least at the time, that his alias itself was 'Argonaut' and he had served as the Captain of the Hera Familia for a total of twenty-three years before falling in the fight against the Leviathan, saving many of his comrades and ensuring the beast finally fell. Even Loki didn't have the 'gall' to destroy the statue of a man that had sacrificed his life to complete one of the Three Great Quests, thus resulting in the entire hall being spared.Arnya leaned against him from the side and muttered, "It's hard to believe there was such a thing as a Level 8 within the City at some point. I always felt like the 'King' was a monster that stood at the apex of power, yet he is only Level 7 with a few achievements under his belt..." Even Vahn could hardly fathom how strong a Level 8 must have been, nor how monstrous the creature that killed him had to be. However, he didn't feel like it was a wall that couldn't be overcome, especially since he had been able to reach Level 9 within the Divination, standing much closer to the actual peak of power than either the 'Argonaut' or the 'King'.As if she could empathize with what Vahn was thinking, Arnya nodded her head and rubbed against his shoulder, saying, "I want to get a lot stronger, Vahn...because I want our children to work hard with the two of us as inspiration. The Divination made it seem like we didn't have that many kids...so I feel like I need to punish you for breaking your promise~nyahaha." It wasn't actually that long ago that Vahn promised to give Arnya as many children as she wanted in order to make a big family, so it was still fresh in her mind. In the Divination, likely due to Vahn's change in mentality, he seemed to 'allow' everyone to have just one child and it made her a little sad knowing that their promise had likely been discarded by him in pursuit of vengeance.Vahn laughed without inhibitions and pulled Arnya close to him as his laughter echoed through the wide hall. As there was nobody else around, Vahn traced his fingers around her relatively short tail and looked into her eyes as he said, "Arnya, I'll give you enough children to make an entire school of spearmanship if it'll make you happy. Just make sure you don't get bullied by them if you act like an airhead during their training~." Arnya widened her eyes and gave an 'innocent' look that was very reminiscent of how she behaved in the past. She wiggled around in his arms in an overly flustered manner and allowed a flush to cover her face as she said, "Vahnya, don't bully me, or I'll beat you up~nya! Nyuuu, you'll make me regret giving my heart to a playboy~."Being called a 'playboy', even in jest, made Vahn feel slightly guilty because he had often been thinking about how to make the girls happier. Before he could really think about it, however, ARnya reached up and pinched both of his cheeks and pulled them apart with an 'annoyed' look on her face. She pulled his cheeks up to force him into a smile before saying, "Nyahaha, much better~nya!" and tiptoeing to kiss him after releasing his cheeks and framing his face. He really was surrounded by kind and capable girls that were always looking out for his well-being, so Vahn believed it was only right he did the same. Once Eva's orb awakened, he would study magic seriously until he had mastered everything Eva had time to teach him. Even if it took a massive amount of resources, Vahn would find a solution to his current problem, not on his own, but by making a coordinated effort with the many reliable women in his life...Thinking Loki had enough time to prepare, Vahn asked around a bit for the location of her quarters. They ended up having to pass through a long corridor that was exposed to the outside on a high bridge-like structure that leads to Loki's private residence. The only people that could pass beyond this point were a few executives, but Vahn was able to pass freely and could feel the cool afternoon breeze coming in through the window-less archways. He noticed that there was quite the view of Orario from this height, as the Twilight Manor was built at a higher elevation than many surrounding districts. It allowed Loki to overlook the entire northern section of the City, almost like a ruler from on high. Being that he had experienced sitting atop the massive Babel Tower in the past, Vahn didn't think the view was too impressive, though it was admittedly breathtaking.Much like the rest of the Manor, Vahn was able to access Loki's room freely and walked through the dense defensive array before knocking on her door. He could already sense two people inside, as he and Arnya had walked around for around an hour-and-forty minutes, so Aki had likely finished her business. Vahn could see that her aura was a bit mellow, with very wispy undertones of a deep blue color, so he promised himself that he would pamper her a lot later. Vahn felt the thin membrane covering Loki's door dissipate as her voice sounded out, "Who is it~?" in a mischevious tone. Feeling a bit mischevious himself, Vahn did his best to emulate Finn's voice and said, "Loki-sama, Vahn has left the Twilight Manor. He wanted me to pass on a message to you..."Clearly unimpressed by his imitation, Loki began laughing boisterously before shouting, "Get in here you two. Even if you changed your voice better, I can still see your smug little face smiling on the other side of the door you idiot~." One of the formations Loki had set around her private tower allowed the walls themselves to become transparent because she liked to look out of the City at times. It also unnerved some of the people she had been with previously because it felt like they were making love under the stars, completely exposed for all to see. It was even better when people would walk around on the outside to pass messages to her because sounds traveled into the room without traveling back out. Only the person with the formation key would be able to transmit their voice through the formation, meaning Loki could tease people as much as she wants while having a conversation with someone on the other side of the door.Vahn had a bit of an awkward smile on his face as he looked to the 'cheekily' smiling Arnya and asked, "Shall we?" before guiding her into the lair of the mischevious trickster goddess. As if she were completely unfazed by the 'terrifying presence' coming from the interior of the room, Arnya had a casual smile on her face and enjoyed the warmth radiating from Vahn's body and allowed him to guide her in...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Raul-san','Heroes of the Past','Into the belly of the beast~?')(A/N: There will be six chapters released tomorrow with a fair amount of fluff and a bit of 'action' for those that have been anticipating certain events o3o~! Look forward...to the future~!)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Vahn had some expectations for what might happen this evening but he still couldn't stop his mind from stalling completely when he saw what was going on in the room. Loki was wearing a very loose baby-blue corset with dark-blue frills and some of the smallest panties he had ever seen. Around her waist, she had on a dark blue garter belt and a semi-transparent pair of flesh-tone stockings. This was more than enough to interrupt Vahn's mental faculties, but it was the fact that she was helping Aki wear a similar outfit and they were only halfway finished with the process. She was bent over slightly as Loki loosely tightened the bands around her shoulders while leaving the strings around her stomach untouched. The fact that their breasts were exposed was the icing on the cake and Vahn felt his eyes drawn to the somewhat perky and modest breasts of Aki...Though he originally thought this would be interesting, seeing two of his lovers wearing tantalizing lingerie with slightly protruding bellies was a bit 'scary' for Vahn. He quickly realized his own imagination hadn't really prepared him for what he had just gotten himself into and he was grateful he didn't try to get Hephaestus and Tsubaki involved in this. The good thing was that, as soon as he showed up in the room, Aki's aura stabilized greatly and she seemed genuinely happy for his arrival. Her smiling expression was like a gentle breeze that carried away Vahn's inhibitions so he smiled and said, "This is quite the sight...you both look beautiful."Aki looked like she wanted to say something, but Loki tightened the top of her corset at the same time as she leaned over Aki's shoulder and playfully rubbed the cat girl's belly and said, "Today is an important lesson for everyone here, especially you, Vahn. You seem to like designing clothes, so you should study what kind of outfits and fabrics you think are suitable for everyone. We made a deal with Holda to get you some high-quality fabrics woven by a goddess, so you'll have plenty to make use of in the future." Aki writhed about under Loki's hands and said, "Loki-sama, nyuuu~." when the mischevious goddess began nibbling on her perky cat ears.Arnya issued somewhat sheepish-sounding laughter but still dragged Vahn over to the wardrobe and said, "Help me pick something, Vahn-nya~!" It wasn't the first time she had been around Loki, nor would it be the first time she potentially gets 'teased' by the goddess, so Arnya wasn't too surprised. When she originally agreed to accompany Vahn, she had already prepared herself a bit but, much like Vahn had been, it was a little strange to see Aki's state just after they entered the room. Since it was just the three of them, however, Arnya was confident things wouldn't get 'too' out of hand and she would still be able to win out against the other two if she was proactive...Vahn quickly discovered a light-green corset near the very front of the wardrobe and realized that Loki had probably set it there with the intention of Arnya wearing it. She also seemed to realize this in an instant and gave a light 'nyahaha' laughter as she grabbed it and started undressing at the side. Vahn's eyes were drawn to her in the process, but Arnya shot him a playful glance and said, "Nyou should focus on picking outfits, Vahn~nya." Arnya had only worn a simple tan tunic and a pair of brown shorts for the trip since she didn't want to wear anything too restrictive. She already knew what they were going to be doing, so wearing clothing that was easy to remove was a necessity.Following Arnya's words, Vahn looked around at the other two and said, "I think it would be harder finding clothing that 'doesn't' suit everyone than it would be to find things that match your appeal. Hmmm..." Vahn kind of wanted to try on a bunch of outfits, but he knew this wasn't a simple game of dress-up they would be playing. He didn't want to inconvenience them too much, and also needed to avoid restrictive clothing so it wouldn't put pressure on their bellies. Fortunately, Loki was paying attention to everything he was doing and quickly understood the crux of the problem.She realized that Vahn was a bit 'blank' when it came to actual preferences and he simply liked to experience new things, assuming it didn't go against the 'restrictions' he had placed on him. He was a curious boy and, considering they were all moderately attractive, most likely just thought any new clothes they wore were interesting. If she had wanted him to pick out clothing, she should have turned it into a non-sexual event instead since now he would be very indecisive with the inclusion of more people. Making a mental note to consider Vahn character better in the future, Loki smiled and said, "Well, maid outfits are very popular for Beast Humans and I don't mind wearing one...kukuku, there are few people that could claim they got a goddess to wear a maid outfit. Maybe I'll even call you 'Master'~?"Vahn had just picked up a strangely designed top that looked like transparent fish-netting when his hands came to a stop at Loki's words. He looked over saw her biting her top lip a little with a large seductive grin on her face as she loosely held Aki's body from behind. Unable to resist the urge, Vahn swallowed a bit of saliva to lubricate his dried throat and said, "Yes, I...think that might be interesting...?" as he thumbed through the clothing and found frilly maid outfits for the girls to try on. Arnya had yet to completely wear the corset she was trying on so, seeing that the maid outfit had one of its own, she discarded the green piece of fabric and 'snatched' the dress from Vahn.Loki also laughed mischievously and loosened the cord on Aki's corset and said, "Looks like our 'Master' wants us to get into our uniforms, little Aki~." Because she had been teased by Loki a bit, Aki's face was slightly flushed and she moved away from Loki as if she was 'escaping' and climbed off of the rather large bed. She also took one of the outfits from Vahn, who had been somewhat distracted by the strange design, and began to get changed. As for Loki, she laid back on the bed for a little while as if she was in deep thought before 'rolling' out of the bed around a minute later.When he had grabbed the first maid outfit, Vahn realized it definitely wasn't 'normal' at all. He had already thumbed through several items in the wardrobe and realized they were all 'sexualized' versions of regular clothing. Even what looked like a simple thin tunic had fabric cut out around the area where a girls' nipples would have been while there were several garments on the floor that looked very similar to the 'victory underwear' he had gifted the twins. As for the maid outfit, it was very short and would be a strong competitor for how short Hestia's raiment dress is. It barely extended down the thighs at all and, even though she had tried to pull it down a bit, Vahn could see the bottom of Arnya's relatively plump butt sticking out.To add to the appeal of the maid outfit, the entire dress was all in one piece but Vahn's eyes had quickly seen through the 'mechanism' behind the various ribbons placed around it. The stretch white fabric that would conform to the girls' breasts had a black ribbon in the center that, if pulled loose, would cause a thin string holding the white fabric to the dress to completely come free. As for the black skirt and white apron, there was a thin band underneath the apron itself that would loosen up and allow the black skirt to be removed completely. Vahn couldn't help but find the design interesting because he had put a moderately more complex, yet very similar, function into the wedding dresses he had made...Loki grabbed the last maid outfit he had been holding, almost immediately after he had finished 'discovering' its secrets and said, "You should look through the other clothing a bit when you get the chance, kukuku~." Then, as if she had seen something interesting, Loki picked up a belt attachment that looked a lot like a Cat Person's tail and a hairband with cat ears. Vahn realized what she was thinking and Loki stuck out her tongue and said, "Not everyone can transform, nyaa~." She then proceeded to change next to Arnya and Aki, who had already finished wearing the tops and were helping each other loosely tighten the corset part of their dresses. Since they already had on stockings and garter belts, they already looked 'ready' and Vahn found their current appearance very appealing.The outfits were designed to be somewhat skimpy from the outset so, while it fit the rather petite Loki and Aki relatively easily, Arnya was obviously a little 'too big' in some places to wear the outfit properly. Though she still had the lithe body of a Cat Person, Arnya had strangely large breasts and plump butt compared to the typically smaller and toned butts of other Cat People. Since the outfits hadn't been designed for their use, her short tail also jutted out from the skirt and raised it up, giving Vahn a clear view of pale-yellow silk panties she was wearing underneath.Arnya had tried to pull down the skirt a bit but, because she was pregnant and the corset was tighter around her ribs than her stomach, it instead rode even higher up her body instead. This made it so that, when she moved around a bit, even the front side of her panties would be visible and it had caused a healthy blush to appear on Arnya's face as she was very aware of Vahn's look of intrigue and the 'appreciative' smile he had on his face. Vahn didn't look at her like a 'typical' pervert but seemed to be genuinely interested in the outfit while drawing some small humor from her 'predicament'...Because she was a bit of an 'exception' compared to the thin Aki and Loki, Vahn had been paying close attention to Arnya. This didn't mean he wasn't watching the other two, however, as he found their appearance in the maid outfits was also quite appealing. Aki looked strangely suited for the dress as a result of her black hair and onyx-colored eyes. She always wore black and white outfits in the past, so Vahn felt like the maid outfit matched her usual appeal greatly. As for Loki, she didn't seem too suited for a maid outfit but Vahn thought the 'gap' between her current appearance and how she normally presented herself was rather interesting. She usually seemed a little 'intimidating' at times but now she looked a little playful and even borderline subservient. Loki even had on a very calm and relaxed smile, as compared to her somewhat devious grin, so it felt like her entire disposition had undergone a great change...Once they had finished changing, including Loki wearing cat ears and a tail that matched her hair color, Loki stood and 'inspected' Arnya and Aki with slightly parted eyes and said, "I think we might need to have an outfit tailored for Arnya in the future, kukuku~." Arnya was in the most 'compromising' situation at the moment and was standing like a servant girl with her hand crossed over her lap just to prevent her panties from showing. As for Aki, only a small part of her butt showed from the side but, if she turned around completely, her raised tail almost made it look like a window that showed off her pure white panties. Loki's 'tail' made a similar S-shape but it was worn on the outside of the dress and allowed her skirt to fall properly.At this point, Vahn had gone through a few of the fabrics in the wardrobe before sitting on a giant wooden chest and watching the girls change. He couldn't split his focus between going through the clothing and observing their beautiful figures so Vahn simply gave up trying. Like Loki had expected, he was more interested in the three girls than the clothing because he couldn't 'think' about what they should all wear at the same times. There were certainly things he thought were suitable, but he didn't want to incite any 'competition' or draw clear differences between the girls when they were all together. Loki realized that Vahn's inhibitions when he was with multiple girls were a lot more restrictive, not that this was inherently a bad thing, so she changed up her approach a bit as well.A plan quickly formed in Loki's mind before she tapped the two cat girls' shoulders and caused them to huddle up. Loki made sure that Arnya's and Aki's backs were facing toward Vahn, immediately drawing his eyes to their exposed panties, as she whispered her plan to the two girls. From Vahn's perspective, he could see the aura's of Arnya and Aki flare up a bit as their tails flickered about 'playfully' and caused his heart to itch. Without realizing it himself, Vahn licked his lips instinctually as he resisted the urge to walk forward and 'interrupt' their conversation. The only thing that stopped him from doing so, other than general rationale, was the fact that he was somewhat interested in what Loki was 'scheming'.After their discussion came to an end, Loki nodded her head along with the other two girls before turning to face Vahn and assuming a very 'servant-like' stance with her back straight and a very polite smile on her face. As an experienced waitress, Arnya adapted a similar stance, albeit with a somewhat playful smile on her face, while Aki looked like a very capable secretary based on her disposition. If not for the fact they were wearing skimpy maid outfits, they would have looked like very capable staff and this seemed to be the intent as Loki asked in a 'polite' tone, "Master, have you eaten this evening?"It felt almost 'wrong' to hear Loki calling him 'Master', but Vahn decided to play along and shook his head, saying, "I had a picnic at the Hearth Manor earlier, but I haven't eaten dinner yet." Loki's smile widened marginally and she said, "Very well, then. Though it is 'presumptuous' of this one to ask, can you please set out a table and some dishes of your choosing? Allow us to service you tonight until you are completely satisfied~." Loki decided to borrow a page from Eina and, instead of riling up Vahn and receiving his 'service', she had talked with Arnya and Aki about pampering him a bit. They all knew how hard he worked at times, so pampering him and allowing him to relax would keep him motivated. It was very obvious things weren't panning out as originally intended, so changing it up while they were already wearing maid outfits wasn't a bad course of action.Vahn realized what Loki was thinking, though he wasn't quite sure what all she had planned, so he immediately felt the tension release from his shoulders. He hadn't realized how much pressure he had been feeling until he 'relaxed' his body and it was a little surprising. As she suggested, he set out a small cafe-style round table and picked out a few dishes he thought were delicious. However, he also added something for the girls as well because he knew that Arnya, and most likely Aki, had yet to eat. As if to emphasize this fact, shortly after the fragrant aroma spread throughout the room, a very light 'whine' issues from Arnya's stomach that made her eyes open wide as a slight blush appeared on her face.Instead of a setting out a chair suitable for a single person, Vahn set out a small sofa with a rounded back that was still intended for one person but easily had enough space for two if they squeezed together. Seizing the initiative, Loki laughed slightly and said, "It seems one of our kittens has a bit of a rumble in her tummy. Master, take care of your naughty little maid while Aki and I serve you the rest of your meal~." As he had often eaten like this with Chloe in the past, Vahn sat down in the rounded sofa and pat the top of his lap and said, "Arnya, come lay down in my lap...I'll spoil you in exchange for some small benefits..."Arnya moved over to the sofa and somewhat awkwardly climbed onto Vahn's lap before he 'helped' by lifting her up from the back of her knees and letting her lay down properly. Because her skirt was already very short, Arnya's pantied became clearly visible and she seemed a bit flustered by the awkward position. Unlike Chloe, she didn't really have the propensity to desire spoiling and most Cat People didn't like being on their backs normally. When Vahn began gently stroking her belly, however, Arnya actually started to calm down greatly because the warm energy from his palm was very comfortable. He often stroked her pregnant belly these days and it was one of the things she had grown especially fond of...Vahn picked out small pieces of food that Aki had taken the initiative to cut apart while Loki moved around to his back and began rubbing his shoulders. He simultaneously fed Arnya, stroked her belly with his left hand, and ate the food offered to him by Aki with a 'Nyaaaaahn~' sound. This was distinctly different than his initial expectations of the evening, but Vahn felt like this type of 'service' could become very addictive. He got to simultaneously relax while enjoying the somewhat tantalizing sight of three beautiful girls and spoiling the mother of one of his children all at the same time. It was a little awkward having his lovers 'serve' him, but a little part of his ego found this strangely acceptable and even Loki's massage, though unskilled by his own standards, was very pleasant...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn's spiritual awakening','Hungry kitten...','Vahn likes being spoiled')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After leaving the Guest Residence, Vahn saw off Holda, Chris, and, though he had expected her to stay for a bit, Loki. Since she had brought the two over, Loki had an 'obligation' to see them off, though Vahn believed it was to talk with Holda about other dealings while warning Chris of potential threats. She promised that she would be 'waiting' for him during the afternoon and told him he could bring over anyone that was comfortable with the idea. Though she had originally suggested the pregnant girls, Loki didn't really mind who Vahn decided to bring as long as she got to have a bit of fun herself. It had been a little while since she played with Aki, so Loki was looking forward to the coming evening.Vahn suddenly found himself with nothing to do so he decided to just go play with in the backyard with the girls and set up a large picnic for anyone that was interested. He sent a message through the network by informing Syr about his plans, including the fact he was going to visit the Twilight Manor in the evening. Afterward, he talked to Arnya and Aki to see if they were interested in going with him, explaining they would probably end up doing a small 'dress-up' play and having a bit of fun before 'bed'. Aki seemed a little nervous about attending, though not because she had any real inhibitions about the event. As for Arnya, she didn't mind coming along but cautioned Vahn to think about the baby, almost as if she expected things to get out of hand.After talking to the two pregnant cat girls, Vahn went ahead and looked for Ais, who was surprisingly in 'Riveria's' Library with Lefiya reading books. When he showed up, Ais's eyes widened a bit and she sheepishly tried to hide the book she was reading while Lefiya showed a fierce blush and averted her eyes. Vahn raised his brow and asked, "Should I come back later?" as he fought the urge to peek at the concealed book. With his recall, however, Vahn could read the title of the book from his memory and saw that it was related to child rearing. He squinted his eyes slightly because he knew that Ais wasn't pregnant, though she seemed to be contemplating it a bit.As 'casually' as possible, Ais slid the book behind her and sat on it before shaking her head and saying, "You can stay..." Vahn had such a powerful urge to laugh that he had to use his [Will of the Emperor] just to keep a straight face. After thinking about what he wanted to say, he smiled and said, "Loki wanted me to see if any girls wanted to play 'dress-up' over at the Twilight Manor tonight. I told her not to expect you to come since I know you don't really like the way she behaves at times..." Before Ais could say something with her 'resolute' expression, Vahn raised his hand and said, "Ais, I know you would want to go if I asked, but I'm telling you that I already told Loki not to pressure you like that. If you're just interested in trying on clothes and stuff, we can always 'play' our own game later..."Ais showed a slightly relieved expression before smiling and holding up her fingers as she counted, "Tiona, Tione, Syr, and...Ryuu?" For a brief moment, Ais cast a glance at Lefiya before shaking her head slightly and putting Ryuu's name in the 'roster'. He realized what she implied by the names and said, "Sure, I'll leave it to you to manage." before sending her a wink. A small flame ignited in Ais' eyes and Vahn wondered what she had in mind now that he gave her free reign to choose. Knowing her, it would be very interesting for him so Vahn didn't have any complaints and just explained that he would be outside playing games and enjoying a picnic for a while.Both Lefiya and Ais said they would come to the picnic but Vahn realized they weren't intending to leave with him as Ais still wanted to dispose of the 'evidence'. Vahn pretended to be completely unaware and said, "I'll see to two of you in a bit." as he turned and walked out the door. A few seconds after he left the room, Vahn could sense Ais moving around as Lefiya's aura burned with a pale purple and a deep pink as a result of her embarrassment intermixing with her happy feelings. She and Ais spent a lot of time together recently and Lefiya had started to mellow out a bit at times, though she still had her moments like now. They had probably been talking about children together and, being 'part of the equation', Vahn had turned what had likely been a fun atmosphere into a chaotic one...For the rest of the early afternoon, Vahn played fetch, frisbee, tag, and hide-and-seek with the girls, including many that weren't part of the youth troupe. The 'standard' participants were Fenrir, Tina, and Shizune, but Naaza had joined in when he was playing fetch and frisbee, inciting Lili and Haruhime to play as well. For the hide-and-seek portion, Vahn decided to make things interesting by using the illusory forest as their playground and set up several 'prizes' within the forest that each had his scent. The most popular reward the girls wanted was things from him, so Vahn let the girls fill out slips of paper before wrapping them in a cloth infused with a bit of his scent. Since he didn't want to just wipe up his sweat with a rag, Vahn 'cheated' by transforming into a Chienthrope and rubbing his tail with the cloth, as his tail was infused heavily with his aroma.The 'ultimate' prize was being able to enjoy a private date within the forest as Vahn, so almost all the Beast Human girls immediately put in their lots to participate. To make it 'fair', Vahn would be completely hiding his own aroma and would be meditating under a tree to hide his presence as well. This encouraged the other girls to participate so, other than Hephaestus, Hestia, Syr, Tsubaki, Riveria, Milan, Lunoire, Terra and Fenrir, everyone else decided to play along. As for the latter, she was 'disqualified' because she had a distinct advantage over everyone else and Vahn had no way of actually avoiding Fenrir's detection if she 'really' wanted to find him. Vahn promised to make it up to her later, so she ended up staying behind and talking with Terra, Riveria, and Syr, much to Vahn's concern...---Though the forest wasn't really that big, the illusory formation made it feel like it was much larger because you could easily lose your way if you didn't know the 'trick' to it. Even then, knowing the correct route only took you to two specific spots, so it wouldn't be an advantage for anyone that knew how the formation was set up either. Thus, Vahn sat peacefully with his back to a tree and absentmindedly paid attention to the final girl that hadn't participated, Mikoto. Even though it was a Saturday, while everyone else was having fun, she was hard at work training in the clearing as she ceaselessly endeavored to master the [Flying Heavenly Sword Scroll]. It actually made Vahn feel a little frustrated since she was 'blatantly' ignoring his advice to rest properly because he couldn't even recall a day when she took a genuine break.Vahn felt like Mikoto's resolve was very commendable, but her 'inflexible' nature was also one of her greatest weaknesses. She was also the girl he spent some of the least amount of time with, even though they had a 'promise' to be with each other. He knew it was his 'responsibility' to be the one that pushed things forward but, seeing how focused she was on her own path, Vahn felt like it would almost be wrong to disturb her. It was a fact that he was a little preoccupied with other girls as well, so she only crossed his mind when he had time to think or during moments like this when he was 'spying' on her from a distance...A loud rustling sound tickled his ears so Vahn turned his head to see that Haruhime was around 30m away from him and sniffing around the area. Shirohime was there with her as well, drooping down from the top of Haruhime's head, as they both tried to detect his presence. The little fox had almost been 'disqualified' as well, but Vahn decided to let her participate as long as she stayed with Haruhime and didn't wander off. They still seemed to have a little bit of an advantage, however, so Vahn completely dissipated his aura and stopped spying on Mikoto. Though it was very subtle, his [Eyes of Truth] could be traced by those that were sensitive to his energy. By cutting it off completely, and focusing on the [Mantra of Eternity], the two foxy girls completely lost his trail causing the small Shirohime to pout and shout out complaints.As his mind wandering through 'nothingness', Vahn was still vaguely aware of all the auras around him because it was a sense that was derived from The Path itself and couldn't be turned off. He could 'ignore' the auras around him, but there was a part of his 'split' consciousness that always kept track of them. Many of the girls had actually made their way to his side of the forest already, the only exceptions being Ais and Tione, who had both been wandering around in circles close to the entrance.Ais had found her way to the garden and the clearing where Mikoto was several times, which was an impressive feat considering she didn't know the correct path, but she didn't wander around enough to ever get near him. As for Tione, she apparently had a terrible sense of direction while her sister, Tiona, was equally as bad yet always seemed to get to where she needed to be through instinct.The closest girls to him, however, were the Haruhime/Shirohime duo, the team of Maemi and Emiru, and, the somewhat cheatsy Liliruca. Though she couldn't transform into a true Vanargandr, Lili had used her [Cinder*Ella] to emulate Fenrir and had benefitted greatly from the enhanced sense of smell, hearing, and her actual bond with him. For the same reasons as Fenrir had been 'disqualified', Lili was exploiting them a bit, albeit several orders of magnitude from Fenrir's actual capabilities.Perhaps luck wasn't on her side, though, as Lili had passed within 9m of his position as she sniffed around the area and simply kept walking away with her ears flopping about. Vahn could sense that she had found some of the other prizes, but she didn't seem fated to find him even after employing her contentious methods. Fortunately, even after he almost gave himself away by laughing at her adorable little antics, Lili didn't manage to discern his actual position and her ears perked up in the wrong direction since the sound could carry randomly in the forest.After nearly an hour, which had been set as the deadline for the event, Vahn had still gone undiscovered by the girls even though they had tightened the net around him greatly at this point. They often bumped into each other now and Vahn was genuinely impressed with the sensory abilities of the girls that allowed them to hone in on his position even when he shouldn't have a presence. This was primarily because of the 'bond' he shared with those whose [Hearts Desire] he had seen, as they had a slight instinct that could lead them to him if their parameter was high enough. The two with the biggest disadvantage were Tina and Shizune, but they had played it smart and had been slowly following the trails of the other girls to zero in on his spot while trying to get lucky.During the last five minutes, Vahn began to breathe gently through his nose and slowly expand his aura to let it disperse through the forest. Almost immediately, several of the girls became alert and it seemed like the three to pick up on his trail the fastest were Chloe, Haruhime, and Lili, coincidentally three of the girls with the highest Love parameter for him. Unfortunately for them, the closest girls to his position were the members of the youth troupe, as Vahn had given them a bit of an advantage, and Preasia. This didn't seem to help them though, as a surprise factor appeared like a literal gust of wind as Ryuu charged through the forest and arrived at the opposite side of the tree where Vahn was located. She had a bit of an embarrassed expression for running over so quickly, but Ryuu peeked around the side of the tree with a small smile and said, "Found you, Vahn..."Though their noses weren't that great, Elves had an affinity with nature so both Ryuu and Lefiya had gotten close to his position several times. Vahn had to completely become one with the environment when Lefiya was near, as her connection as his subordinate was quite strong, but the final victor seemed to be Ryuu who had the fastest base run speed and had quickly detected his aura through the flow of air through the forest. As one of the people to lay down the formation, she wasn't led nearly as astray compared to the others, finding Vahn mere seconds after he released his aura.Vahn craned his head up at Ryuu and smiled, saying, "I look forward to our date, Ryuu..." in a soft tone. Ryuu felt her heartbeat quicken a bit as the small blush on her face became more prevalent when the other girls showed up shortly thereafter. Seeing Ryuu, many of those to arrive early had looks of defeat but everyone seemed to enjoy the small game regardless. As a consolation prize, Vahn gave out slips to the 2nd and 3rd place winners that would give them a two-hour and one-hour long Salon visit when they were ready. Tina very nervously accepted the 2nd place prize with a deep blush on her face while Preasia claimed the 3rd place slip for herself. They could be exchanged and given away, assuming anyone was willing, so Vahn decided to let Tina sort out her emotions on the matter and figured he could just get Milan to attend so she wouldn't have a heart attack...As for the other prizes, Vahn redeemed many of them right then and there since the forest was rather scenic and quite the beautiful place for affectionate exchanges. Many of them were simple things like embraces, having Vahn whisper sweet nothings in their ears, and a bit of preferential petting. As for the 'wins', they included things like kisses, more intimate embraces, and heavy petting. Shizune had managed to get one of the kiss slips, but Vahn broke her little heart when he raised her bangs and gave her a kiss on the forehead instead of the lips. The only other 'problematic' victor had been Lili, as she was still technically underage even though her birthday was getting increasingly close. She actually wasn't that much younger than Vahn, which meant it wasn't a big deal for him, but this caused slight stirs in the hearts of girls like Lefiya, who had managed to get a 'heavy petting' slip and didn't know what to do with it.Realizing that some of the 'wins' couldn't easily be used without the situation becoming a bit awkward, Vahn said, "We should head back and eat lunch. I'm certain the others are still waiting for us...besides, there is no expiry on the slips and you can always use them later or exchange them with others for minor benefits." Vahn had said this because he saw how much Lefiya was struggling with the small slip, almost to the point that she had forcefully given it to Ais. However, Ais simply refused to take it and obediently redeemed her singular prize which was having Vahn gently caress her face while staring into her eyes for ten seconds...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Loki is always so busy...','Beast Girls' Encirclement','Ryuu fast a fuk boiiii~','RIP Lefiya'https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 552: Legacy