Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After issuing his ultimatum to the former Nobles, Vahn made good on his promise and decimated the properties of the Deval and Walder families. Anyone with a dark aura who stood in his way met their ends while, at the same time as this was occurring, the government facilities and extraneous properties of the former most powerful families in the City were seized. This event had struck Orario like a natural disaster, bringing sudden and unexpected changes to the status quo and everyday life. Fortunately, with the combined efforts of the Alliance, the Guild, and the newly established Civilian Legislative Branch, the transition was proceeding with only a few minor hiccups.During the days following this transformative event, the Civilian Legislative Branch made public the majority of the former Nobles' crimes, providing documentation and written accounting of many events, some dating back over a century. This caused a massive public outrage who, now knowing the 'full extent' of the Nobles' crimes, and feeling emboldened by the support of three massive factions, began to rally and protest outside of the various Manors within the City. Public order was maintained by the forces of the Alliance and, in order to 'appease' the citizens of Orario, the first trials presided over by the CLB were held. In the end, most of the former Nobles lost the majority of their properties, as many had been illegally seized in the first place, and hundreds of billions of Valis had to be paid out in reparations.The majority of these funds were accounted for by the newly established treasury, operated in coordination between the Alliance, Guild, and CLB. To prevent Misappropriation, Fortuna was placed in charge of the funds and publically tasked with using them to invest in the infrastructure of Orario. Though she was a goddess belonging to the Alliance, Fortuna had operated for more than six-hundred years as the leader of one of the most influential and trustworthy Merchant Familia in the entire City. She enjoyed a rather extreme reputation as being a fair businesswoman and, as a patron Goddess of Fortune, was considered the best possible candidate to manage the rather massive amount of funds.This also served to emphasize the fact that the three most powerful organizations in the City were cooperating together, a stark contrast to how the Nobles had rather selfishly regulated things. Since many new laws were established, the majority extremely beneficial for common citizens, there were few people that felt any sympathy for the former Nobles. In fact, the biggest reactions came from the few Dwarven Merchants who still tried to trade within the City, and the remaining criminal organizations. The former was forced to leave the City, packing up their goods on the spot and told to await a detailed evaluation of trade benefits, an audit of goods exchanged over the last 50 years, and the renegotiation of trade treaties. As for the latter, they had already been pressured greatly by the Alliance and, after this 'power play', the majority of the powerful criminal Familia issued orders to lay low, seemingly disappearing to tide over the transition since nobody wanted to be Vahn's next target...As a result of this latest action, people were genuinely referring to Vahn as the 'Emperor of Orario', a nickname that was only made in good humor previously. Though he didn't hold the actual position, it was an accepted fact that Vahn was not only the most powerful, he was also the most influential person in the entire City. Some even began to claim he was the most influential person on the entire continent, at least in regards to mortals. He could act with impunity, purportedly answering only to his 'wives', and enjoyed the full support of the Alliance, the Civilian Legislative Branch, the Elven Kingdom, and, though it has never publically been stated, the Guild. It was even rumored that, if Vahn declared war on the Iron Hills, which seemed rather likely, the entire might of Orario would be at his disposal...almost like the army of an actual Emperor. The simple truth of the matter is, there were actually a number of people who were looking forward to such a development while some taverns were even running odds and accepting bets for whether the Alliance would go to war with the Iron Hills or the Rakia Kingdom first...While such discussions were occurring, Vahn himself was busy spending time with his family, watching over the construction of both Haven and Spero, and doing his best to research various topics, including the materials produced by his union with Freya, the change in her Avatar, and possible solutions for Diana's 'voice'. As he had expected, she quickly became friends with Erika and was actually quite the studious girl, even though her true passion seemed to be drawing and singing. This also made her close with Alexa, Vana, Lenneth, Aisha, and, though he would likely never admit it, Masonia. Syr spent a lot of time watching over her while also educating Vahn's four new Maids about their duties while helping them to navigate some of the secret passageways of the Manor.Keeping his promise to Freya, Vahn also discussed the matter of her being able to spend more time with Lenneth and, though some restrictions were put into place, there wasn't that much resistance to the idea. So long as she was accompanied by one of the goddesses, or Vahn himself, Lenneth could freely visit the Southern Manor to spend time with her mother. Anubis had volunteered to be her permanant chaperone but, as she still spent most evenings at the School Dorm, Vahn didn't want to put that kind of responsibility on her. He wasn't so busy that he couldn't make time to visit Freya with Lenneth in tow, oftentimes bringing along Diana since Freya treated both girls rather affectionately. During some of these visits, Vahn also got to see the miniature Ottar, though his father was never present since Diana posed a very real threat, even to the 'King'...Other than some public appearances to show his support for the Civilian Legislative Branch, the most troublesome matters Vahn had to deal with were the ever-increasing affection of the Xenos, the growing tension of the expedition members on the 50th Floor, and the news of Bell constantly getting into trouble. Though the boy was growing very quickly, it seemed like an 'event' would happen every few days, causing Loki to vent her frustrations out on him when they were together. She had redacted his probation on Alicia's request but, three days after he began delving back into the Dungeon, Bell ended up triggering the spawn of the Goliath on the 17th Floor. He somehow managed to defeat it, activating his [Argonaut] for the first time, but ended up passing out on the 18th Floor after carrying both unconscious girls to the outskirts of the settlement...Vahn didn't really know what to do about Bell but, every time he had to pacify Loki, thoughts of using the [Fate Severing Knife] would enter his mind. If not for the fact that his general impression of the boy was more on the positive side, Vahn would have severed Bell's fate just to prevent him from inadvertently endangering others. However, as this was already within his expectations from the start, Vahn tried to show patience and understanding, especially since the trio had managed to avoid using an [Effigy of the Hero] in their battle. Line and Plum had only passed out from fatigue and light injuries, which was also the only reason Loki didn't 'castrate' the rather peculiar boy on the spot...In this manner, a surprising 'lull' had descended upon Vahn's life as the days turned into weeks before slowly transitioning into a full month. As though happening in the blink of an eye, stability slowly returned to the City and, without Enyo's forces showing up even once, the first phase of Haven's construction had completed. At the same time, Spero had now turned into a rather exotic and fantastical land with massive trees twining about each other, forming strange residential structures that towered over a lagoon-like floor where Marie's figure could often be seen. There were now several Xenos was 'humanoid' forms, being Gros, Lyd, and Gryuu, while a large number had slowly started to naturally make the transition, gaining human-esque features.During his research with Ray, who had become progressively more 'troublesome' to deal with, Vahn quickly discovered that the 'evolution' of Xenos wasn't actually difficult to trigger. So long as they trained hard, consumed a very large amount of mana-rich resources, and genuinely desired the change, the Xenos were capable of rapidly evolving. Since many of them, especially after seeing their leadership change, now genuinely desired such forms, their changes had been happening very rapidly. Vahn noticed that these changes occurred much faster in the female Xenos, specifically those in the 'troublesome' category...One of the very first to evolve under natural conditions was Naho, growing a pair of delicate and pale humanoid legs as her thorax completely vanished, leaving a small abdominal section like a tail above her now perky little butt. She could still weave silk, and had been making great strides towards the production of very high-quality cloth, but now looked closer to a human than an Arachne. Though her clingy personality hadn't changed in the slightest, Vahn had already adapted to her nature and no longer let it bother him, so long as she wore proper clothes...Following Naho were two of the Almiraj Xenos, Mlem and Arles, each gaining very dangerous appearances that made Vahn grateful their village was more of a rumor at the moment than common knowledge. As their Almiraj forms were only the size of large rabbits, the two girls assumed forms that were only 88cm and 90cm tall respectively. Though they didn't exactly look like children, with somewhat more rounded figures with relatively short limbs, Vahn still felt they were 'dangerous' with their adorable bunny ears, fluffy tail tufts, and the tiny horns on their foreheads. It took them several days to get accustomed to wearing clothing as well, as only Arles even had experience with clothes as she often wore her tiny blue vest before her transformation...(A/N: Think Lalafells from Final Fantasy 14, or Harvin from Granblue Fantasy.)This was one of the bigger 'struggles' that Vahn had faced with the Xenos, as their propensity towards running around in the buff was deeply rooted in their mentality. It felt a little 'wrong' to tell them they 'needed' to wear clothes, as none of the Xenos minded the nakedness of their kin, but it was a necessary measure before they could begin interacting with other surface-dwellers. It was fortunate that, so long as he gave them the clothing personally, the Xenos would actually wear it until the fabric turned to rags. Vahn worked around this by making them relatively high-quality clothing that could withstand a lot of active movements, finally 'solving' the problem of what had started to quickly develop into a nudist colony...One of the happier developments among the Xenos was that their community had actually increased by two members, comprising of a second Silverback and what would be the fourth War Shadow Xenos. They had been found by Gros and Lyd after making rounds through some of the more common Hidden Villages. The two newcomers were very surprised that their desire to live on the surface became a reality almost immediately after their rebirth, quickly blending into the developing society. Vahn had joined the Xenos to celebrate the new arrivals, getting permission to bring along Vana as the first 'outsider' to Spero Village. She got along very well with the Xenos, to the point that she could naturally communicate with even the less intelligent members with ease. Vulcan also got along well with Gryuu, though only after they had a spar where the latter came out ahead...Overall, things were going very well and, as a result of this simple fact, Vahn knew things were actually growing progressively more dangerous. He didn't know what would 'break' first, be it an attack from Enyo, some scheme from an unknown enemy within the City, or if Bell's 'fate' would come into play at an inopportune moment. Since there was a Denatus taking place very soon, Vahn suspected it would happen around that time, considering that it was often during such inconvenient instances that events would take place. With most of the gods gathered at the Denatus, and the majority of Adventurers taking a break from the Dungeon, it was the 'perfect' time for something unexpected to occur...In preparation for this, Vahn discussed the matter with everyone, both within the Manor and inside of the Dungeon, making sure they were all on the same page. As a result, Loki immediately put Bell under temporary house arrest, telling him to 'explore the City and take the girls on dates' until after the Denatus ended. Vahn also chose the 'completion' of the next event as the time when he would plant the Tree of Life so he began making preparations to ensure everything in the City was relatively stable since Terra would temporarily have to enter the Dungeon. Before then, he would be escorting some of the girls out of the Dungeon so their forces weren't consolidated in a single area. Once the teleportation ward was established, moving between the surface and the 50th Floor would be much easier, so it was a necessary measure to take in order to avoid the worst case scenario...During this momentary lull, Vahn also took some time out of his schedule to visit Sylfia back at the Elven Forest before bringing her back to 'explore' Orario for an afternoon. Though this caused a small commotion, Vahn didn't really care as it was also a good opportunity to discuss his intention of procuring 'retainers' and 'subordinates' for the future. Sylfia readily supported this aspiration though, considering the happy smile she had while clinging to his arm, Vahn felt like he could have said anything and she would have agreed to it. Later that same day, after introducing her to everyone at the Manor and Spera Village, Vahn returned Sylfia to the Elven Kingdom, avoided a lecture from her two caretakers, and declined an offer by Larfal to become the next Elven King...Vahn had suspected something to happen when he was escorting Sylfia around so he was a little surprised with how 'smoothly' things had gone, though he didn't drop his guard. Even when he was making plans to escort his daughters around during the upcoming festival, Vahn was on high alert and even had Terra fly around the City a few times to make sure there were no signs of Enyo's forces reappearing. Ever since the first batch was cleared out, there had been no signs of Enyo trying to place forces in hiding and, with Knossos being sealed off, there were few means by which an attack was even possible. Even so, especially since everything was proceeding without incident, Vahn never once dropped his guard, all the way until the day of the festival preceding the Denatus...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'All Hail The Emperor, Vahn Mason','It feels like Vahn 'really' wants to use the [Fate Severing Knife]...','... ... ...'https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

In Orario, there were very few festivals and holidays as the culture had simply never developed to the point that it celebrated specific events. Other than the Harvest Festivals, New Years, the Denatus, and the Monster Feria, there were simply no organized events that people came together to celebrate. With the change of governance, however, one of the ideas that the Civilian Legislative Branch had come up with was organizing more holidays to bring people together. Not only was this a good way to circulate currency and goods into the markets, but it was a good method to at least create the illusion that things were going well.From the perspective of normal citizens, the only reason such holidays could be celebrated was that things were stable enough that large events could be organized without any major issues occurring; essentially, it was a means which a governing body could show their 'confidence' and dictate the general atmosphere within the City. Of course, this didn't mean they could just shoe-horn in a new holiday without any preparations so the CLB had decided to schedule the current festival during the period where the Denatus would generally be held. Even the Guild had stepped in to help prepare the festival, borrowing from an ancient festival that was sometimes celebrated after long periods of peace, the Holy Moon Festival.When this festival was brought up, however, Vahn felt that something was definitely afoot, especially with how Hestia had been behaving lately. She would spend long periods of time just watching over the children in the maternity ward or simply staying cooped up in her room. Though she didn't give a reason for her behavior, it was plain to see that 'something' was very wrong. When the name of the festival was released, Loki and Hephaestus had actually gone to the Guild in order to pry out what exactly was going on from Ouranos. His only response was that they should try to enjoy the festival and, even though Hestia hadn't been brought up during their conversation, he advised that she get out and breathe in some fresh air...As a result, though he mainly just wanted to put a smile on her face, Vahn asked Hestia to accompany him during the Holy Moon Festival, even though the looks on his daughters' faces had been very heavy. This put Hestia in a slightly better mood but, even though she had a vibrant smile on her face while Vahn was leading her around the various stalls, it didn't quite reach her eyes. She would also turn absentminded periodically and he kept having to guide her around obstacles and release a subtle aura to make people walk around them. Most people already kept a fair amount of distance from them but there were children, drunkards, and general festival-goers that weren't exactly paying attention to their surroundings.Eventually, seeing that Hestia simply wasn't feeling the festival, Vahn reached out his hand and stroked her silky black hair, drawing her crystalline blue eyes toward him as he softly said, "If you're not feeling well, why don't we head back, Hestia...? We can just relax on the Manor's balcony and watch the moon together..." To this, Hestia tried her best to appear happy, smiling as she said, "No, I'm fine...really...we don't get many chances to go on dates together so, even if I'm a little distracted, I'm still enjoying our time together..." Though she had started off strong, Hestia's expression became progressively more melancholic as she was speaking. Vahn gently pulled her into his embrace, resting her head against his chest while stroking her hair in a gesture of comfort...So she wouldn't feel bad about them heading back early, Vahn continued to guide Hestia around the lesser populated areas while moving closer to Babel Plaza. Though it was a city-wide festival, most of the larger events were taking place in the open area of the Plaza while the majority of the streets were filled with temporary stalls. To get people out and about, most restaurants were serving customers outside so it felt like all of Orario was out and about, creating a very lively atmosphere. Of course, none of this really mattered to Vahn as he was more concerned with Hestia state of mind...at least until a group of four people walked out from an alleyway and immediately caught his attention.Seeing this group, Vahn released a sigh that caught Hestia's attention, causing her to look at the approaching group with mild interest. She saw a strange boy with white hair and red eyes, a very uncommon set of features that immediately allowed her to discern his identity. Surrounding him were three girls, one bespectacled human girl with a very prim and proper appearance, a rather diminutive Pallum, and a tomboyish looking Amazoness with a large grin revealing a slight snaggletooth. The Amazoness and the Pallum didn't seem to get along very well while the intelligent-looking human girl had a very tired expression that spoke volumes about the situation...Not long after Vahn had noticed him, Bell also noticed Vahn, seeing him as something of a savior as he broke free from the two arguing girls and waved his hand, exclaiming, "Vahn~! Hey, it's me, Bell, over here~!" The fact he was shouting like this, even though they had already established eye contact, gave Vahn an urge to flick Bell's forehead. His body seemed to agree with this sentiment as, without thinking about it too much, Vahn intercepted the charging boy, causing the latter's head to snap back like he just dodged under a crossbow bolt. Somewhat amusingly, this didn't actually knock Bell down and he managed to find his footing in an instant, rubbing his forehead as he said, "Ow...that wa-"No sooner than Bell had opened his mouth to complain, a brown fist zipped past his face, landing squarely in Vahn's hand as he flipped his wrist and tossed the unknown Amazoness into the air. Her eyes widened as she uttered a 'Wha...?' while trying to flip in the air and correct her center of gravity. Vahn didn't allow this, however, extending his hand outward and stabilizing her mid-air with telekinesis as he calmly stated, "I see you've made a new friend, Bell..." Instead of Bell responding, the Amazoness began kicking around in the air, screaming, "Ah, what the heck is this!? Let go of me you asshole...! Grrr, I'm going to..."Midway through her thrashing, the Amazoness became strangely silent, eyes widening as she moved her head in an appraising manner, getting a better look at Vahn before asking, "Hey...is your name Vahn...?" This brought a small smile to Vahn's face as he nodded his head, noticing the cold sweat building up on the yet unnamed Amazoness. Fortunately, Bell had managed to collect himself by now, waving both hands in a placating manner as he said, "Taliah didn't mean any harm, Vahn...she just...umm..." Not waiting for Bell to finish, Vahn flicked his hand up, sending Taliah barreling skyward with an 'Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh~!?" while the surrounding crowd watched on with both shock and amazement.Vahn watched as the girl disappeared toward the sky for a few seconds before turning his attention to the surprised Bell and patting his shoulder, saying, "It's good to see you, Bell. That goes for the two of you as well, Line, Plum...I'm glad you're all okay after that last fiasco..." Line and Plum had both looked skyward, turning slightly pale when Taliah's figure disappeared, but immediately snapped their attention to Vahn when he spoke their names. Both girls bowed politely as a somewhat awkward laugh issued from Line's through as she said, "Thank you for your concern..." As for Plum, she didn't seem to have any words suitable for the occasion and just kept glancing towards the sky for any sign of her bickering companion...Eventually, Hestia gently tugged at Vahn's sleeve and with a slightly reproachful look, said, "Vahn, it isn't nice to bully girls..." Since he had already taught her a lesson, Vahn knew it wouldn't be fair to Taliah to play around too much so, after nodding his head to Hestia, allowed her to begin falling. She wasn't in any real danger, even if he let her fall freely, but Vahn slowed her descent when she was nearing the street as a frantic 'Eeeeeeeeeeei-' slowly became audible to the onlookers. Deciding it would be 'for the best', Vahn looked towards Bell and said, "Make sure you catch her properly, okay...?"This caused Bell's eyes to widen before he adopted a humorously serious expression and said, "Right!" A few seconds later, the pitch of Taliah's scream increased exponentially as her figure came into view, falling like a heavy stone towards the ground. She was actually falling much slower than the normal acceleration of gravity so Bell managed to catch her in a bridal carry as the young Amazoness breathed heavily like a startled rabbit. Vahn was just about to tease her a little but his words got stuck in his throat as, contrary to her appearance and behavior, Taliah's eyes began to water as she tightly clung to Bell and began to bawl rather loudly...Realizing he had taken things a bit too far, Vahn kept his teasing words to himself and nearly reached out his hand to placate her before Hestia 'swatted' it away and said, "You've done enough, Vahn~! Come, let's leave these four to their date in peace...!" Hestia no longer had an absentminded look on her face, which was a good thing, but Vahn couldn't help but hang his head in shame as she dragged him away amidst the laughter of the crowd. Vahn supposed the 'lull' over the last few weeks had been getting to him and, as the feeling of something 'wrong' still persisted in the back of his mind, it had slightly affected his judgment...maybe...?As this thought crossed his mind, Hestia's steps slowed to a crawl until she eventually came to a full stop and asked, "You did that to try and change the moody atmosphere I created...didn't you...?" Without waiting for his response, Hestia released a long sigh before turning around and tightly hugging Vahn's waist as she said, "I'm sorry for making our date so difficult for you, Vahn...I know you are working hard, even now...I should..." Not waiting for her to finish, Vahn tilted Hestia's chin upwards at a better angle, overlapping his lips with her's without minding the surrounding 'oohs' and 'aahs'.They kissed for a few seconds until Hestia, caught unprepared for the intimate gesture, snorted through her nose and tried to draw in air, without making an effort to actually break free from the kiss. Vahn eventually gave her a reprieve after a short while longer, noticing the slightly hazy look in her eyes as he said, "You can feel it...can't you...?" Hearing this, Hestia swallowed rather hard, nodding her head as she buried her red face into his chest to avoid having anyone see her directly. Because of the link they shared, Hestia could feel the care, concern, and 'love' that Vahn had for her right now, understanding her words were entirely unnecessary. Even so, she also had a small urge to beat him up because, just after she told him not to 'bully' girls, he 'bullied' her in public...Knowing she was embarrassed, Vahn just hugged Hestia against him and was preparing to fly off towards the Manor before a very familiar presence appeared within his domain. His body mood immediately soured before a 'calm' settled into his mind that caused Hestia to lift her head in confusion. She turned to face the same direction as, atop a stage set up on the edge of the Plaza, none other than Hermes began shouting in a very theatrical manner, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mortals and Gods alike, please, may I have your attention...!"With his arms spread wide, and an exaggerated smile on his face, Hermes gesticulated to draw attention to himself as he continued, "Listen if you stand far; Watch if you stand close! My friends, lend me your ears and, should you find yourself emboldened, call out your name if you've got what it takes! Here before you, for one night only, a legendary spear rumored to answer to but a single owner lays embedded in an indestructible crystal. Should the spear find you worthy, not only shall you receive the blessing of the Goddess of Purity, but the Guild has decreed that he or she that is able to wield this spear will be invited on an all-expenses trip to explore one of the most sacred regions of the entire world! Now, come forth, test your fate against this spear and prove to the entire City that you have what it takes to be a true hero~!"Following Hermes' shouts, the large group of Adventurers and citizens that had gathered all shouted out, cheering in response. Hermes had produced an official document that was signed and sealed by the Guild, proving the validity of his claims and guaranteeing the reward was legitimate. Since most people rarely ventured outside of Orario, leaving the City on a Guild-sponsored trip was a rather exciting prize. Several people immediately shouted out their names, trying to scramble up to the stage to be the first to pull the ornate spear that was embedded into a mound of mystical blue crystal. Vahn had already inspected both of them with his [Eyes of Truth], shocked to see that the spear was actually impossible for him to inspect while the crystals had an incredibly powerful sealing formation, unlike anything he had ever seen before.Hestia, however, was much more focused on Hermes himself, her aura flaring up as the generally calm and gentle expression she was known for turned icy. Hermes seemed to have sensed this as well, shivering noticeably as his words got caught in his mouth, mid-sentence. He had been trying to rile up the current Adventurer to try his luck against the spear and now focused his gaze towards Vahn and Hestia, the smile on his face twitching slightly. He recovered very quickly though and, likely in an effort to smoothen things over, pointed theatrically towards Vahn and shouted, "Aha, if it isn't the famous Vahn Mason~! If anyone has a chance to free this spear, it must certainly be the strongest Adventurer within the City, no~?"Though many people had long-since noted Vahn's presence, they now got caught up in the momentum of Hermes' words and began cheering to get Vahn up on the stage. The man who had been struggling to pull out the spear previously used the opportunity while everyone else was distracted to sneak away from the stage while those who had been waiting in line made room. As for Vahn himself, his expression was calm as a placid lake, staring down Hermes with an unwavering gaze. He had already expected something to happen during this festival, especially with how the Guild had been acting, and it looked like Hermes had indeed been involved...meaning the 'Goddess of Purity' he mentioned had to be Artemis...(A/N: For those confused about why Artemis was thrown into the story at this point, its because, though the movie isn't canon, the timeline fits. Someone made a contribution through Paypal requesting that Artemis be included in the story, likely because of the Arrow of Orion event going on in the phone game recently...? Anyways, enjoy how things play out (o 3 o)...Also, this is one of three chapters I've written so far...? Well, I'll try to write the other two later x_x...)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Guild is playing dangerous games...','Fly, you fool...!','The plot thickens...'')

Nearly two hours after he scheduled the meeting, Vahn landed within the courtyard of the McKenneth Family Manor. There were barriers barring entrance to anyone that tried to enter from places other than the front entrance and, though he could have passed through without triggering them, Vahn chose to 'break' through the barrier this time around. This caused fluctuations through the barrier that set off several silent alarms, alerting everyone attuned to the formation of his arrival. As a result, several guards rushed towards his position but Vahn maintained a stoic appearance, back straight and chin tilted upward slightly. The guards, realizing who had 'intruded', froze on the spot and didn't know if they should try to apprehend Vahn or make way so he could pass unobstructed...Looking at the man with marginally more expensive armor, Vahn plainly stated, "Take me to the meeting room. I'm a little late, but I believe your Master should still be awaiting my arrival...?" Vahn had already sensed several presences gathered in what he assumed was one of the safe rooms of the Manor. They were unaware of who had intruded so Marcus must have moved them to safety until a report about the situation could be made. Vahn also sensed the presence of someone he had a slight interest in, causing him to look toward the adjacent wall and mutter, "Did the Smiling Reaper decide to escort me, or is it your hobby to spy on people...?"Seemingly unconvinced she had been noticed, the Smiling Reaper didn't reveal herself and instead pulled out a short-range communication crystal, likely reporting his arrival. Vahn chose to ignore her for the time being since she would undoubtedly be present when he met with the ex-Noble Faction. Since he didn't want to waste too much time with these people, Vahn started walking towards the safe room while the Guards were trying to receive their orders. The man he had originally talked to moved to block the way, saying, "Exc-" before Vahn backhanded him and sent him spinning into the adjacent wall. He wasn't here to keep playing the game orchestrated by the Nobles and, though he had kept them waiting nearly two hours, Vahn wasn't going to wait even two minutes for them to prepare for his arrival.Though some of the guards looked like they wanted to help out their companion, none of them had the courage to draw their swords. Vahn didn't spare them a glance, walking a direct route to where the former leaders of the Noble Faction were congregating. Nobody obstructed him along the way, likely receiving orders to allow him to move freely. It wasn't until an Elderly Butler met him at the landing of a stairwell that Vahn even encountered another person. He bowed low the moment Vahn stepped into the corridor, stating in a polite tone, "Allow me to escort you, Master Vahn..."If not for the rather large black aura surrounding this Butler, Vahn would have been impressed by the commendable display of etiquette. He was slightly curious about how the McKenneths had managed to secure a demigod as their Butler but decided to ignore it for the time being and simply nodded his head. This man was only around the peak of Level 4, which wasn't 'low' by any means, but, compared to even the weakest combatants within the Manor, he couldn't even compare to Tina and Shizune.Following behind the man, Vahn noticed he had tried to take a longer path to reach their destination so he immediately broke away and continued along the correct path, causing the Butler's aura to flare up. As soon as this happened, Vahn had vanished from the corridor and appeared at the flank of the Butler, palm pressing into the side of the latter's face before hurtling him through the wall. There was a magical ward left where his hand made contact, crackling with a powerful electrical current that kept the Butler from rising to his feet as Vahn pressed onward. He didn't mind overlooking the man, at least temporarily, but that didn't mean he would accept animosity openly.Shortly after leaving behind the paralyzed Butler, Vahn grabbed the ornate handle of a door and wrenched it open, irrespective of the barrier that tried to bar his passage. Inside the room, looking towards him with various expressions of shock and anger, there were eight middle-aged men and one rather old fellow who seemed to have one foot in the grave already. There were several maids and servants present as well, including the disguised Smiling Reaper. Vahn sent her a sidelong glance, causing her aura to flare up slightly, even though her bearing and expression remained unperturbed.At the center of the group, a middle-aged man with faded purple hair rose to his feet, a tired expression on his face as he bowed slightly and said, "Vahn Mason, welcome to my, Marcus Vale McKenneth's home..." The moment these words fell, a balding fat man with green hair and a piggish nose immediately exclaimed, "You have a lot of nerve, making us wait for more than two hours to attend a meeting YOU scheduled! Do you think the Nobles will just stand by and suffer your-" When the man's mouth tried to close, his teeth bit down on the indestructible metal of Vahn's sword, the tip of which now rested in his mouth as Vahn stunned the foolish man with his domain.The tension in the room immediately reached as critical level as the servant-cum-bodyguards moved to protect their Master's, only to find themselves unable to move as the entire room began to creak under an intense pressure. Vahn had constrained his domain, which had become much stronger in the past few days, causing the very void within the room to seize up and tremble. In a solemn and slow tone, ensuring that even idiots like this could understand his words, Vahn said, "I haven't come here to have a chat. I will speak and, until I am done, you will listen. Now, SIT...!" With his final word, the pressure in the room increased even further, forcing almost everyone that was standing to drop down to the floor unceremoniously.Though he eased up the pressure slightly, Vahn didn't pull back his aura as he pulled his sword out of the fat man's mouth, the only person who had been left standing. Now, he plopped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, greasy sweat pouring out of his pores as the blood drained from his face. He seemed to want to say something but was unable to form any words as Vahn brandished the sword, removing the saliva staining the blade, before returning it to his Inventory. Afterward, he moved to the entrance of the room before turning around, passing his gaze over everyone present before saying, "It must be quite difficult, suffering the tyranny of another...even so, I doubt what you've experienced is even one percent of what you have forced upon others. Though there are certainly exceptions among you, the system of Nobility has been corrupt for far too long. From this point forward, there shall be no landed Nobles within Orario. You will be allowed to keep your personal properties and businesses, but your right to govern has hereby been revoked in its entirety. All land rights you believe to be yours have now been returned to the rightful owners, the citizens of Orario. You will be compensated the minimum amount for the property based on the market price per acreage. The exceptions to this will be the McKenneth, Deval, and Reinhardt Families, as your extraneous properties will be seized as recompense for your attempt to destroy Lil Geirr after colluding with the Iron Hills to commit acts of treason, jeopardizing all surface-dwellers as a result of your greed."While speaking, the pressure in the room gradually increased, especially on the leaders of the formerly most powerful and influential families. When he was done, however, Vahn gave them some breathing room and hoped at least one of them would take the bait, offering themselves up as an example. Fortunately, the fat man, current Patriarch of the Deval Family, Georg Engi Deval, practically screamed like a slaughtered pig, "Scandalous! What right do you have to slander my family without offering up any proof!? You can't just steal away the property of the Noble Houses based on false accusations! My Deval Family is one of the founding members of this City, serving the interests of Orario for nearly a thousand years! I'll not lower my head and accept your libelous claims like some whipped dog! Even if you have the backing of the Alliance, gods have no right to meddle in the affairs of mortals outside of their own Familia. You can't just do whatever you want, boy...!"The entire time Georg was speaking, Vahn's expression didn't change in the slightest, keeping a small smile until the fat man's diatribe had come to an end. When he stopped to gasp for air, just as some of the other ex-Nobles looked like they wanted to step forward, Vahn beat them to the punch. Using [Shundo], Vahn appeared before Georg and, before the fat man's eyes could even widen, chopped down while in his Xuanwu form. Redirecting the force of the attack through the man's body, Vahn 'hammered' Georg into the floor before resting his foot on the fat fool's face as he said, "I have already given you more mercy than you deserve. From this point onward, you are nothing but wealthy families without any power or authority in the politics of Orario. The Civilian Legislative Branch will now create laws and regulate trade within the City. If you are found trying to act in the capacity of a Noble, your family will immediately be listed as traitors of Orario and exiled. Maybe the Dwarves will show you courtesy if you go to them begging for help...hmph...!"With his final snort, Vahn put weight into his foot and crushed Georg's head like a watermelon, punctuating his point and causing the majority of those present to pale. One of the few whose expression didn't change much was Marcus, looking as tired as when Vahn first entered the room as he bowed slightly and said, "The McKenneth Family will abide by the verdict of the Sage Aldrnari...I understand that our path had diverged from a righteous one long ago...one day, perhaps we will be able to make amends for our wrongdoings..." As he was saying this, Marcus wondered how he was going to deal with his children. Their identity as Nobles was something they had exploited for a very long time and he may have to put them to the sword himself if their family was to survive this catastrophe...Vahn was slightly surprised by the quick accession of Marcus but, remembering the middle-aged man's remarks and complaints about his children, Vahn realized he may not have been one of the 'problems'. His aura was more of a grey than the black present on many of the men in the room, with the elderly gentlemen being the only one with a slightly sunny aura. Vahn knew he was the Patriarch of the somewhat ironically named 'Savage' Family, originating from huntsmen. He had a rather terrible reputation after killing off his two eldest sons who, according to rumors, had squabbled over the right of succession before conspiring to poison the current Patriarch, Saxton Cruz Savage. After learning of the scandal, Saxton had 'cleaned house' and had nominated his grandson as the next Family Head...Soon after Marcus lowered his head, many of the other Patriarch's acquiesced and bowed, even though there wasn't much sincerity in their actions. Vahn didn't care if they openly accepted his judgment and expected that he would be 'personally visiting' some of them in the next few days. He had already sent a telepathic message to Fafnir to completely trash the Deval Estate, the next destination on his itinerary. For now, however, Vahn turned his gaze to Marcus before looking towards the Smiling Reaper and asking, "Tell me, Marcus, how did you come across a Half-Doppelganger? And you, Smiling Reaper, was it your mother or father who was a Xenos...?"This time, the Smiling Reaper's expression changed a great deal, though not in the way Vahn had expected. She suddenly had a very 'amused' expression as her form changed back into a very mature and seductive form, completely bereft of clothing as strands of pale-blond hair and feathers covered her delicate areas. Her skin darkened into a healthy brown as the color in her eyes faded into a milky white before turning blood-red. These eyes, combined with her enticing appearance, were rather striking...however, it was all offset by the 'too large' grin she had on her face, explaining her epithet as the 'Smiling Reaper'.Marcus had a complicated expression on his face when he saw Beatrix turn into her 'true' form, especially since she had revealed it in front of the other families, even if they weren't Nobles any longer. Still, feeling the pressure radiating from Vahn, Marcus explained, "Beatrix has been a servant in my family for generations...she was found by my Grandfather's Great-Grandfather within an alleyway more than three hundred years ago. I do not know all the details, other than that she had taken a vow to serve the McKenneth Family for the duration of her life after being rescued from a near-death state..." This was one of the closely guarded secrets of the McKenneth Family but, considering the circumstances, Marcus didn't have a lot of leeway to try Vahn's patience...Though she remained quiet when Marcus was speaking, Beatrix released a sensual chuckle before adding, "Back then, I never knew I would live this long...so, I'm a Half-Doppelganger, was it~? Very interesting, ufufufu..." Vahn didn't believe for a moment that 'Beatrix' didn't know what she was, given that she had more than three hundred years to discover her heritage. The members of the McKenneth Family would have undoubtedly investigated her but, from what he could discern, Marcus wasn't lying. This meant Beatrix herself must have 'disposed' of the records at some point and was trying to cover up something that had happened in the past...Turning his attention back to Marcus, Vahn stated plainly, "The Xenos are a protected species recognized by both the Guild and the Alliance. You have no right to keep the descendent of a Xenos as a servant or retainer, especially with such a restrictive and unfair vow. All Xenos have biological immortality and, being a Half-Doppelganger, Beatrix's service would have continued indefinitely without any justification. Her service should have ended with the death of your Ancestor so I will have you release her from this ridiculous vow in its entirety..." Though he knew Beatrix was likely a very cruel and sadistic person, it was because she had been manipulated and taken advantage of. She would have to face judgment, if not outright execution, but Vahn still wanted to liberate her and give the peculiar woman a chance to live a better life.Marcus' expression paled for the first time, lowering his head slightly as Beatrix answered, "Little Marcus doesn't have the authority to free me, as I had been tricked into making a personal life-long vow to serve his ancestor's descendants. You may find it hard to believe, but my cute little Master actually tried to free me when he was younger. That night, I made sure to 'eat him up' to show my gratitude, ufufufu~." Now, instead of being pale, Marcus' cheeks actually turned slightly red, causing Vahn's mind to dull slightly at the peculiar situation he was witnessing. Beatrix seemed genuinely fond of Marcus and, based on his reaction, the feelings were mutual...Feeling as though he had lost a bit of the momentum, Vahn increased the pressure on the room a bit before turning toward Beatrix with a 'fierce' look. Her body tensed up but the smile on her face didn't fade away, even as Vahn moved to stand before her. When she suddenly licked her lips, Vahn furrowed his brows slightly but, having already made his decision, placed his hand on the center of Beatrix's chest. Her skin deformed slightly and, like very thick molasses, began to 'flow' around his fingers as if she were trying to absorb him. Vahn didn't pay any attention to this and instead focused his mind, seeking out something he wasn't exactly sure he would find. He didn't have the ability to see souls but, as some gods were able to observe the ego, Vahn was looking for any sign of Beatrix's so he could try and erase the vow she had made. Unfortunately, by the time his hand was completely submerged, Vahn hadn't been able to sense anything and, unwilling to use the [Fate Severing Knife] in such a circumstance, pulled his hand free.Beatrix made a slight 'pouting' expression before giggling and resuming her rather creepy smile and saying, "Awww, and I thought you wanted to play~." Vahn ignored her remark, turning to Marcus and saying, "I cannot remove her vow, at least for the time being. So long as you do not try and use her as a tool against others, I will momentarily overlook her presence here...keep in mind, however, that the criminal acts committed by the 'Smiling Reaper' will not go unpunished. Given the current circumstances, the McKenneth Family will be held accountable for any verifiable criminal activities and you will be forced to pay reparations to the Civilian Legislative Branch. If you are found to use her to commit any future criminal acts, especially for the purposes of infiltration and espionage, I will personally wipe out the remaining McKenneth Lineage to liberate her from your control..."Surprisingly, Marcus looked more relieved than anything, bowing his head lower than before as he said, "I understand. Thank you for your lenience..." Hearing this, Vahn resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose and, after sending one last look towards Beatrix, turned to the other Patriarchs and said, "There are ongoing investigations into each of your family's actions over the last several decades. If you are found trying to obstruct these investigations, your family will suffer the same fate as the Deval Family..." With this last remark, Vahn made his way to the exit and passed through the broken door before continuing straight through the wall without stopping. Eventually, his figure vanished from the Manor entirely, causing the tensions in the room to ease slightly.Almost immediately after Vahn's figure had vanished, the youngest man in the group, Leonard Arks Walder, hurriedly muttered, "We need to move quickly to try and spin this in our favor. Vahn Mason's tyranny cannot go-" Mid-sentence, Leonard's words were replaced by a mouthful of blood as a resplendent golden chain pierced through his abdomen in an instant. He instinctually tried to pull out the chain as his two bodyguards came to his aid, only to be skewered by a second golden chain, leaving the three figures pinned to the spot before Flame Elemental energy converged around their body. As this happened, the surviving seven Patriarch's watched with blank expressions as one of their former compatriots burned to ashes...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Move, bitch, get out the way~!','*squish*','Play stupid games, win stupid prizes...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 846: Development : Echoes...