Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn spent a few hours playing around with Ina and Alex, even though Ina herself wasn't really the type to enjoy physical activity too much. Even so, she enjoyed flying around through the sky with her Papa while Alex flitted about and evading his pursuit. Now that Alex was around ten years old, it had become far more proficient at flying than before so it was a pretty exciting and relatively high-speed game of tag. Vahn could, of course, capture him whenever he wanted but, much like when he was with Vana, Vahn always toned things down a lot to make it more enjoyable for his children. Alex knew this as well but still used it as an opportunity to hone their skills further, especially since Ina's presence also brought a smile to the young True Dragon's face.Eventually, the time for Ina's return came and, though she was more than a little reluctant to leave, Ina obediently listened to her Papa and returned to the real world. After all, it wasn't as though she would have to wait for very long before they could play more. Also, while he was 'sleeping', she would be able to snuggle up in his arms and enjoy a short nap herself. Even though the Spirit-Time orb didn't really affect her physically, Ina was still very young and the mental strain of playing around for a few hours tuckers her out. Thus, after sharing a hug with Alex and her Papa, Ina broke down into small particles of dust as she vanished from the orb's interior.Alex and Vahn watched the small particles ascend towards the sky until Ina's presence had completely disappeared from the orb. With her departure, Alex released a small sigh and said, "All of my sisters are so cute. It makes me wonder if I should become a boy so I can protect them..." Vahn turned to Alex, raising one of his brows in curiosity as he asked, "Have you been thinking about your gender lately?" Alex nodded while flapping its wings to jump up to his shoulders, resting against the top of its Papa's head as it said, "It is very difficult to choose if I want to be a boy or girl, even though I know I can probably change it later if I want to. Papa is surrounded by so many girls already and, though I also want to be pampered, I think I want to become a strong man as well..."Vahn reached up, ruffling Alex's hair while minding the two sharp horns poking out of their head. In a calm and gentle tone, he said, "Whatever you choose, I will always treat you as my precious child. Even if you become a boy, I don't mind pampering you just like your sisters. You don't have to feel that, as a boy, you also need to be 'manly'. Just like your Mama, you can become strong enough to protect people while also being a female. It isn't impossible to find a balance between the two and, though it's a bit early to talk about such things, your gender only loosely affects your relationship when you finally search for your own partner. Even then, it ultimately isn't that important what the gender of your partner is, however, as the most important thing is that you care for them dearly..."Alex listened very patiently to its father explanation, nodding when Vahn was finally finished speaking. For several minutes, Alex fell into deep thought before commenting, "You are a very open-minded person, Papa, but I'm not sure I can ignore my own 'pride' so easily. Whenever I see Fafnir and Khaos improving, I can't help but want to compete against them and become the alpha among the True Dragons. However, I also know that role belongs to you and, unless she stopped training, I don't think I could ever surpass Mama without your assistance..." As they were speaking, Alex turned towards two large mountain-like hills where Fafnir and Khaos could be seen perched. They had both decided to take up residence in the Space-Time orb, for the time being, occasionally learning from Terra and periodically playing with Alex.Pulling their eyes away from the two figures, Alex played with its Papa's hair while muttering, "If I become a male, I feel like Papa's existence will actually suppress me. However, if I become a female, I don't think I could ever find a better mate than Papa. Since I know you treat me like your blood-kin, that isn't really an option..." In truth, True Dragons had no blood ties to each other and Alex was entirely comprised of the energies that had melded between Vahn and Terra. Even so, though they had no genetic relation, Vahn still treated Alex like they had a biological connection to each other. Alex understood this very well and, after talking to its Mama about it, learned of the existence of 'Lenneth'. It didn't want to burden its Papa in such a manner but, as it had never kept anything hidden from him, felt compelled to properly discuss it. After all, its Papa had always given it good advice, a fact that was deeply rooted at the core of Alex's existence.Vahn couldn't help but release a sad sigh because he already had memories from his memory fragment discussing the matter with Terra. He knew Alex was likely worried that, if they truly decided to be a female, it would eventually cause tension and discourse within their family structure. After all, it was incredibly difficult for a True Dragon to deny their instincts, even for someone as calm and composed as Terra. She had nearly lost her mind after her body began producing eggs and, if not for him fertilizing one for her, Terra might have 'broken' at some point. However, the real problem was the fact that Alex sought the 'pinnacle' and had an instinctual desire to become the strongest. Knowing it would never be able to truly surpass him made Alex struggle between the choice of its own gender since it couldn't 'succeed' in its biological purpose, regardless of the gender it chose.As was common between them, Vahn also had a period of long silence where Alex just absentmindedly played with his hair. Once he managed to sort his thoughts, Vahn reached up and grabbed Alex, bringing the young True Dragon to his front and seating them in his lap. Gently stroking the small pointy ears at the side of Alex's head, Vahn smiled and explained, "The future is full of limitless possibilities, Alex, and, though it may seem impossible to find a solution now, there is always one if you seek it earnestly. There is no rush to choose which gender you want to be and, even if you never make a choice, that is also okay. I will continue to support you, regardless of the path you wish to follow...the only thing I hope for is that you'll be happy and always care for your family..." Grabbing the sides of Alex's face, Vahn gave the large-eyed child a simple kiss on the forehead with the most caring and supportive look he could manage.Alex spent a few minutes just snuggling up in its Papa's lap, allowing the feathers on its tiny wings to rustle happily while its tail tapped against Vahn's leg. Though it was somewhat difficult to believe, Alex had confidence that its Papa's words were the truth. One of the things it had been taught very early on was that there were no 'impossibilities' so, hearing its Papa say something similar, Alex felt inspired to try harder. After all, as it previous stated, Alex could always change its gender later on if it wasn't satisfied with how things were going. For now, Alex decided to try and catch up to Fafnir and Khaos in strength and, as it was still very young, experiment to see which gender was most comfortable. By setting goals thousands of years in the future, Alex figured there was plenty of time to ruminate over the decision before firming its resolve and deciding what it wanted to stay as.After making up its mind, Alex nodded its head before wiggling out of its Papa's arms and standing about a meter away. It was only wearing a green tunic, black shorts, and tanned britches, each quickly discarded to reveal the genderless 'template' body beneath. Currently, Alex had a very androgynous and cute appearance but, under Vahn's slightly startled gaze, its body quickly began to morph into a more feminine appearance. The emerald green hair around its head grew slightly longer while their facial features softened slightly. Ultimately, there wasn't a major change in Alex's appearance, other than the obvious changes since it had seemingly decided to be a girl, at least for the time being.In a casual manner, Alex smiled slightly while reaching out 'her' hand and saying in a softer voice than before, "Papa, give me some panties. I always wanted to try them on." Vahn returned a smile of his own while handing over a pair of mint-green panties for Alex to fit into. Because of the changes to her body, Alex nearly fell over while trying to get her legs through the elastic fabric. She furrowed her brows slightly and said, "The bone structure around my hips is completely different...it feels weird just standing." However, while she was speaking, Alex seemed more curious than actually bothered by the changes. It didn't take long for her to wear the child-like panties and start stretching to see how they felt.Seemingly satisfied, Alex turned towards him and said, "They are actually more comfortable than what I was wearing previously. I always noticed that girls' clothes were made of more delicate fabrics and it feels nice to be able to wear them like this." Picking up the clothes she had previously discarded, Alex felt the differences between the fabrics before eventually turning back to him and asking, "Papa, can you pick some clothes you think would suit me? I want to go for a 'cute' look for the time being." Vahn found it somewhat amusing that Alex was so casual about the changes to her body but, as requested, picked out a few outfits for Alex to choose from.After trying on a dress, Alex played with the hem for a bit before commenting, "It feels very breezy, almost like it doesn't really serve any purpose as clothing. My stomach and bottom feel completely exposed like this...I wonder why girls wear such clothing?" At this point, Alex wasn't really speaking towards her Papa and was just asking questions of herself. She had a habit of talking to herself whenever she was thinking about things, a habit she had picked up while playing around in the surrounding forests. As a result, she often came to conclusions through self-exchanges, much like she had just determined that girls must wear this type of clothing to simply appeal to others. After all, Alex also found Ina's appearance very adorable and lively whenever she was running around.Ultimately, as a dress was 'too advanced' for the time being, Alex decided to wear a white blouse with red rings at the edge of the sleeves and hem. To adapt to the 'breezy' feeling, she decided upon a dark-pink frilled skirt. Alex never developed a habit of wearing shoes so she moved around barefoot while testing the feeling of her new clothing. As for Vahn, he watched her with a slight smile on his face before explaining, "Being a female, there are numerous things you have to be aware of. It may not be a problem while you're inside the orb, but the way people look at and behave around you will heavily depend on how you present yourself. I won't lie to you, Alex, but there are a lot of perverse and disreputable men in the world that would look at you with selfish and despotic intentions. You are very strong, but your second mother, Eva, always taught me that you can never assume things will always go as you expect. Make sure to ask your Mama about how to properly behave like a girl, okay?"Alex had been pulling the edge of her skirt, trying to cover a little more of her legs before stopping to listen to what her Papa was saying. She knew the differences between males and females, including the 'purpose' for said differences. Since she had also received some of her Mama's memories about Adventurers and other things to be wary of, Alex treated her Papa's words very seriously. Just imagining the possibility of falling to someone's scheme made her feel very frustrated and she resolved herself to never become a victim to such circumstances. In order to avoid such an outcome, Alex intended to train even harder to become someone strong like her Mama. She had seen the latter completely dominate Fafnir and Khaos several times in the past and knew that wasn't even the 'limit' of how strong someone could become.To ease some of the very obvious discomfort Alex was showing, Vahn gave her a pair of spats and explained that many girls wore them to protect their dignity and also deal with the 'breezy' feeling. Alex happily accepted them because they were very similar to the shorts she often wore before, even though the fabric was much thinner. One thing that she had already noticed was, even if the materials were the same, girls' clothing was much thinner than boys'. Though it made the clothing far more comfortable to wear, Alex felt like it was somewhat wasteful since it seemed to invalidate the basic purpose of clothing, which was to resist the elements and 'conceal'. She was very aware of the fact that the two tiny rose-buds on her chest made very small bumps on the fabric's surface and it was somewhat annoying. Fortunately, just as he had given her some spats, her Papa also gave her an elastic strap that he called a sports bra for her to wear. It was a little restrictive to wear but Alex didn't really mind it too much since it got rid of what had been bothering her.Once Alex was comfortable in her new clothing, Vahn picked out a variety of other outfits she could try on later. Alex threw all of them into her own pocket dimension before seeming to realize something as she said, "Papa, for the time being, please call me Alexa or Alexandria. Alex is fine too, but I want to try and get used to a more feminine name while I'm in this form." Vahn nodded his head, stroking Alex's silky emerald green hair as he asked, "So, is this just a temporary thing then, Alexa?" Alexa showed a contemplative look on her face before saying, "Well, I figured I could try it out for a year or two before swapping to a boy and seeing if it is more comfortable. I don't really know what I'll decide upon in the future but, if I can't really choose between them, I think I may remain genderless when I go to the real world. Since you said it didn't matter which form I wanted to take, that will let me wear whatever kind of clothes I want without making things too awkward for other people."Vahn laughed, impressed by how 'thoughtful' Alexa was, even though she was making decisions that are far beyond what would be expected of someone so young. However, she did indeed possess the natural ability to change her gender so Vahn wanted to encourage her to do as she pleased. Thus, after talking for a few minutes longer, Vahn carried off his daughter and they played around for nearly the entirety of the remaining time left to them. Alexa emulated Ina a bit, meaning Vahn had to carry her around and pamper her, but this didn't last long since she had a far more independent nature than Ina possessed. Ultimately, he ended up playing tag with her and playing a variety of other games. When she was tired, he would snuggle up with her, something he always did regardless, and they talked about various subjects Alexa was interested in. She had very recently started her basic magic training and, as a result of her potential being ridiculous, was already near the middle of Level 3 in strength, even without a Falna.Before he left the orb, Vahn took Alexa back to the small cottage where the two memory fragments were surprised to receive their 'daughter'. Vahn didn't miss the small glimmer and the soft smile on his fragment's face while Terra's seemed to find the unexpected change amusing. She grabbed her daughter's hand and pulled her to the side before chuckling towards the two Vahn's and saying, "Sorry, but I'll need to borrow Alex for a moment. We need to have some girl talk~." Terra sent a wink towards them before dragging Alexa into a side room before erecting an emerald green barrier that barred passage and blocked sound.Vahn had a wry smile on his face as he followed the two girls with his eyes, only turning away once the barrier had been erected. Then, as if they had some mutual understanding, Vahn matched gazes with his memory fragment as they both smiled and simultaneously said, "She is adorable..." before bursting into laughter and going out onto the terrace to share a few drinks together. Vahn, possessing all the memories of the fragment, felt a very strong kinship with his counterpart and they had been good drinking buddies on the occasions where he had some free time in the past. It wasn't often, but being able to share a drink with someone that had the same tolerance as him was a very refreshing and relaxing experience.(A/N: Alex's gender will fluctuate a lot in the story and you will usually be able to know what they are based on the given pronouns and the names associated with them. Ultimately, Alex is very likely to end up as a boy but it depends on how the story evolves with time. I just figured that, if it was going to experiment between genders, choose a female form was the obvious choice since, other than Vahn himself, Alex has only ever interacted with females. In her default state, she acts more like a young boy so it was the choice that made the most sense, given the context of the novel. As for why she may ultimately end up as a boy, that is a result of the fact that many commenters seemed to want Vahn to have a son soon. Well, be patient, as such an event may happen sooner than you think (U,...,U)~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Living in Vahn's shadow isn't easy','Alexa's Experimental Nature','Treat yourself like you're your own best friend~!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After fitting Vana into her pajamas and laying her into the bed, Vahn and Hephaestus spent the better part of twenty minutes just watching over her poor sleeping posture, marveling at how absolutely adorable Vana was. Hephaestus also explained a little about what they had discussed in regards to Anubis because, after all, Anubis was slightly 'abnormal' at times. Ultimately, she would be staying in the central area near the first floor, not that far away from where Maemi and Emiru resided. Anubis took her role as a servant very seriously so, now that she had taken up residence within the Manor, she intended to become a maid 'apprenticing' under Syr, Emiru, and Maemi.Just imagining Anubis in a maid outfit brought a small smile to his face, something Hephaestus had noticed before asking in a sensual whisper, "Nnn, do you think a maid outfit would suit me, Vahn~?" As she asked, Vahn created a very vivid image of Hephaestus wearing a maid outfit in his mind and, while it was very appealing, it seemed more 'sexy' than appropriate. Even though his facial expression didn't change, Hephaestus seemed to know what he was thinking as she made a slight pouting face and mumbled, "Looks like I'll need to ask Loki for a favor..." Vahn felt like his skin was turning a little clammy so he pulled her into his embrace and said, "Any outfit you wear would look amazing, Hephaestus..."Seeing Vahn fluster, even though he did his best to control his facial expression, made Hephaestus giggle as she returned his hug and gave him a quick peck on the lips. She wasn't really that upset since, out of curiosity, Hephaestus had tried on a maid outfit previously. Her figure and appearance weren't really suitable for frilly and cute clothing but she could pull off the cool and borderline 'heroic' look if she wanted to. It wasn't like she really needs to dress up in order to have 'fun' with Vahn, either, Hephaestus was just 'slightly' curious about trying something fresh. As for why she even considered wearing cute clothing, it was because Vahn had shown a very large preference for 'cute' things ever since his daughters were born...Though she enjoyed watching over Vana's sleeping figure, Vahn eventually left the room under Hephaestus' insistence. He still needed to complete his rounds and, as a few hours had passed, it was very likely that Ina was already awake. She would either be eating lunch or holing herself up inside his workshop around this time of day. After all, unless she was practicing under Hephaestus' guidance, Ina had a tendency to play around with his tools and some of the practice items he had left out for her. Since she liked to take things apart, Vahn left various small objects like complex clocks, basic machines, and other items that had a lot of small parts. Just like Vana, he wanted his Ina to develop her gift without any real restraint, so long as it didn't endanger her or other people.Since he hadn't detected her in the dining room, Vahn made his way towards his rarely used workshop where he could sense a small figure sitting on the floor. This was undoubtedly Ina so Vahn picked up the pace of his steps to reach the entrance of his workshop a little faster. When he entered through the door and saw his lovable little princess wearing the little blue coveralls he had given her, currently with the top half tied around her waist, Vahn had to pause and 'record' the image in his memory for posterity. She was wearing an off-grey sleeveless top on her upper body and, as a result of working with small parts very often, had a pair of goggles resting on her forehead as she poked her tongue out with a look of fierce concentration.Not wanting to disturb her, Vahn snuck up behind her to see what she was working on, this time noticing she was disassembling one of the practice mechanisms he had given her. Its original purpose was to act as a grappling hook and it seemed like Ina had been interested in the mechanism that shot the grappling line nearly 100m in an instant. It wasn't really that useful in a record like Danmachi, but Vahn didn't regret the minuscule expenditure of OP since Ina seemed intrigued by it. The way she happily took it apart and carefully analyzed each piece brought a smile to his face and it felt like he could spend his entire day just watching her play around without ever getting bored.Eventually, Ina got to a stopping point in her work and, as a result of her intense concentration, tugged at the collar of her shirt to air it out while wiping the sweat from her brow. She released a contented sigh and mumbled, "I wonder what Papa is up to..." as a magical haze spread through her eyes. Almost immediately after, Ina snapped her head around with a happy smile as she shouted, "Papa!", jumping at him the moment she realized he was there. Vahn spun around, swinging the jubilant Ina playfully in his embrace while she giggled and hugged him with all the strength she could manage.After the initial excitement faded, Ina suddenly stopped laughing as a small frown covered her face, complaining, "Papa, you didn't play with me at all yesterday...it was very lonely, you know...?" This time, Ina hugged his neck very tightly and her little body trembled slightly as if she was afraid to let him go. Vahn felt his heart melt as he gently stroked her back while taking a seat among the various disassembled contraptions. He waited for Ina's trembling to calm down before softly saying, "Papa is sorry for not telling you I would be away. I'll try to do better in the future..." Ina just nodded her head without saying anything for a few minutes as she continued to hold onto his neck. It wasn't until Vahn began inquiring about what she had been working on that she reluctantly parted from him and began casually explaining her work.Hearing her 'dismissively' talk about the things she had been so excited about previously, Vahn couldn't help but feel he had wronged the young Vanir. Wondering what he could do to make it up to her, Ina seemed to already have something in mind as she suddenly said, "Papa, I haven't had lunch yet and I'm feeling very tired...can you feed me...?" As if receiving some form of Divine grace, Vahn produced a gentle smile before picking Ina up in a princess carry and setting her down on the nearby sofa. There was a table adjacent where the girls that watched over his work in the past used to eat their snacks. Vahn set out a variety of sweets that he knew Ina would enjoy before happily tending to his spoiled little princess who, after eating the first bite of strawberry shortcake, seemed to forgive him previous absence entirely. She released a girly squeal while holding her cheek in a happy and excited manner that made his own heart thump twice in his chest. (A/N: Doki Doki~!)Vahn spent the better part of an hour pampering Ina as she slowly became more energetic, happily talking about her work and the ideas she had in mind. She had apparently gotten an idea about making an amalgamation of several items and, after seeing the designs he had made for the Aegis outfits, wanted to make a customized suit of her own. Vahn knew it would probably take her a few years to get to the point where she could produce such a complex creation but, given how invested she was in her crafts, he knew it would one day be possible. When her eyes began to glow slightly and she started smiling radiantly, Vahn figured that Ina was able to see much the same.At this point, they knew that Ina's 'vision' was a type of foresight that related to things she 'would' have seen depending on a variety of circumstances. She couldn't really see the future of other people but, as long as it is something she would have seen on her own, Ina could peer into her own future and glean some insights into her life and the projects she was working on. This time, she saw herself far more mature than she currently was, wearing an ornate white suit while her Papa smiled at her from the side. She could see the undisguised look of pride and affection in his eyes, something she saw in almost all of her visions when he was included. This was one of the reasons why Ina had been so fond of him since her birth, being that she had peered into her own future and saw how happy she was around the boy that would be her precious Papa...As her power began to deactivate, Ina saw some glimpses of the near future and began to laugh happily before hopping off the sofa and pulling her Papa's hand, saying, "Papa, let's go take a bath~!" Vahn chuckled lightly as he allowed his daughter to tug at his arm for a few moments before rising from the sofa and picking her up. Unlike Vana and Erika, Ina was very fond of being carried and preferred to be held either in one arm, so she could put her arm around his neck, or like a princess. This time, Vahn carried her like a princess so Ina happily laughed while grabbing onto his tunic with her left hand and enjoying the moment. When they reached the large onsen, which was currently empty, Vahn helped wash Ina's body before the latter very awkwardly tried to wash his back. She was very small, only 64cm tall, and could barely reach his shoulders with the sponge unless he slumped down for her. Even so, Ina was always happy to spend time together like this and, as it was very rare to have the massive onsen all to themselves, she was happy for the alone time with her Papa.After the bath came to an end, Vahn gave Ina a pure white sundress since she preferred to wear light and cute clothing as her casual wear. Since they would be going outside, he also gave her a circular straw hat to cover her head before lifting her onto his shoulder and heading towards Terra's Garden. The last person on his rotation was going to be Alex, even though they should have 'objectively' been first. However, as Alex was an amazing and mature little youngster, Vahn wasn't too worried they would be upset by his delayed arrival. At this point, Alex was nearly ten years old and, though their appearance hadn't changed much, the level of maturity they showed always made him feel a strong sense of pride.Ina enjoyed the peace and quiet of the illusory woods while hugging her Papa's neck with her tiny arms. When they arrived at the Garden, Terra had already worn her gown because she had detected their approach almost as soon as Vahn left the Manor. She was smart enough that, even though she still preferred to be in her 'natural' form, it would be inappropriate to do so around the 'younglings'. Thus, instead of sunbathing in the buff, Terra stood at the side of the wellspring with an elegant smile on her face while holding the small Space-Time orb in her hand. When her Master and Ina approached, she quietly mused, "Good afternoon, Master. I was wondering when you would stop by~." Then, turning her eyes to Ina, Terra's smile reached her eyes as she giggled lightly and said, "Ina, you seem to be in high spirits today. Did you really miss your Papa that much~?"Aware that Terra was teasing her, Ina furrowed her brows ever so slightly while tightening the grip she had on her Papa's neck. Without any discernable hesitation or embarrassment, she matched Terra's gaze and said, "Of course I missed my Papa! He is my favorite person in the entire world and I'm his precious little princess, isn't that right, Papa!?" Vahn chuckled lightly before nodding his head and calmly stating, "That is indeed the case. Ina is like the sun in the sky that brings light to the entire world. Your Papa would be very sad if he couldn't see the sun every day~." Vahn's words carried a great deal of truth to them since he had actually experienced 'very' long periods of time without being able to see the natural sky and the sun above.Happy with her Papa's response, Ina giggled before giving him a kiss on the cheek and turning to Terra with a 'triumphant' look on her face. Terra, however, just giggled in turn while flittering her wings lightly. In truth, she found Ina to be very adorable and, seeing how happy she made her Master, Terra was quite fond of the small Vanir. She guided them to the side, where some comfortable seats had been fashioned out of completely natural materials. There was a hemispherical chair that was filled with a soft and plush moss-like substance that was cool to the touch and very comfortable to sit on. Because of its peculiar shape, it also provided a small canopy for whoever was sitting inside, allowing them to relax in the artificial shade.Vahn accepted the orb from Terra while reminding both her and Ina, "Remember, you can only stay inside for a few hours, Ina. You'll have to come back outside after playing for a bit, okay~?" Ina bobbed her head with a nod while reaching out her tiny hand and placing it on the orb in his palm. Her small body slumped against his while both he and Terra laughed at her adorable actions. Alex got along well with almost everyone but he was especially close with Ina and Erika since Ina's curiosity and ingenuity was an interesting talking point while Erika's nature was very similar to Alex's. They were both the scholarly type so Alex was one of the few 'friends' that Erika had made, even though everyone treated her very well.Since Ina was already inside the orb, Vahn shared a brief kiss with Terra before entrusting her to watch over them while he was in the orb. While he had been sitting down, Vahn's secondary process had been absorbing the memories of his fragment within the orb so Vahn had a clear understanding of what had transpired while he was away. He was very grateful for this functionality since his counterpart had been researching a variety of things when he wasn't looking after Alex. The latter was a very independent existence so, unless Alex asked for help, both his and Terra's memory fragments allowed them to do whatever they wanted.Once he got inside the orb, Vahn saw his memory fragment watching over Ina and Alex from the distance, as they had already started playing together long before his arrival. After all, though only twenty seconds had passed in the real world, that equated to twenty minutes within the Spirit-Time orb. Then, as if sensing his arrival, the memory fragment turned towards him with a wry smile while stroking the back of his hair. Vahn, having downloaded the memories of his fragment, understood that he felt somewhat lonely without being able to see his children. However, understanding the nature of its own existence, the memory fragment never tried to get close to the children when they visited. After all, none of the Vanir even seemed to recognize his memory fragment as their Papa, with Ina even shrinking away from him the first time they met.Vahn walked over, patting his memory fragment on the shoulder as he said, "Thank you for everything. Know that I share your memories and the pain contained within and it has helped me mature a great deal. Just remember, if it gets too hard, you can always fuse together with me again and I can create another fragment..." However, as he had expected, the fragment shook his head with a calm smile and said, "No, it's fine. I actually realized this would be a good opportunity for your emotional growth as well and, though it has been painful, I'm willing to tolerate it for the benefit of our family..."Because they had seen how 'Emperor Vahn' behaved, both Vahn and his memory fragment were afraid he would 'break' in the event that something terrible happened. Thus, using the time dilation of the Spirit-Time orb, they had been 'adapting' to a mentality that was more accepting of pain and loss. Since the memory fragment didn't have any Innates to rely on, its thoughts and actions had been very 'genuine', something Vahn had benefited a great deal from since he had always been reliant on 'View Affection' and his [Will of the Emperor].Vahn pat the back of his memory fragment a few times before walking off to join Ina and Alex, both having noticed his arrival long ago. The memory fragment watched him go with a small smile on his face before taking a deep breath and heading toward the homely looking cottage where he resided with Terra's fragment and Alex. When he reached the entrance of their small abode, Terra had already been waiting for him with a gentle and loving smile on her face. She closed the distance between herself and Vahn's memory fragment before casually wrapping her arms and wings around his body. In truth, one of the biggest changes in Vahn's life had been his relationship with Terra as, at this point, he had more than ten years of memories with her. Her memory fragment took very good care of both his own fragment and Alex, something Vahn had appreciated greatly.Vahn knew it wasn't easy for Terra to actually be with someone that didn't 'feel' like him so, in order to make it up to her, he always tried to treat the real Terra well when they were alone together. As for his memory fragment, he was also very affectionate towards Terra's fragment and, if not for the fact that he was constantly surrounded by the women he loved, Vahn feared his fragments affections for Terra would have had an even more impactful effect on his mind. Fortunately, this was also a form of training since, at some point in the future, Vahn knew he may have to be away from the girls for hundreds of years before he was able to link the Danmachi record to a higher tiered world...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Hephabae is 'too hot' to be a meido (UwU)','Ina is slowly disassembling her Papa's heart xD...','Maturation through tolerance and patience. Fragment Vahn is the real MVP')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 700: Identity Crisis?