Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With Nanu reaching the rank of [Master Smith], it felt like a ripple of positivity spread throughout the Manor, slowly building into a powerful wave. For the longest time, many of the girls had been near the peak of their respective Development Abilities, such as Ais with her [Swordsman:A]. With Nanu as the 'trigger', many of the others began to make breakthroughs while everyone's progress in the study of magic had been making small strides as well. Vahn had found himself with a lot of free time so he had been having small study sessions with the girls, helping them improve while continuing his personal research. He had been working alongside Riveria and Lefiya to study each type of elemental energy and how they could influence, not only the world around a person but their internal structure as well.Vahn knew that he would eventually leave the record of Danmachi and, in order to increase his basic comprehension and make it easier to adapt his magic in other worlds, it was important to learn how the Laws might influence the basic structure of Magic. After all, even though Eva's magic system still used mana, the way in which it was manifested within Danmachi was fundamentally different than the way it would in Eva's record. This was one of the reasons why the girls' progress in magic hadn't been nearly as fast as even Fenrir's. Because they had to adapt Eva's magic system and incorporate it into the pre-existing framework for how Magic manifested in the record of Danmachi, it took a lot of trial and error to make real breakthroughs. It was almost like they were 'creating' a completely new magic system which, in a way, was the genuine truth of the matter...This experience would help Vahn a lot in future records as he already knew that most of the skills and abilities he had developed in Danmachi would be lost entirely. Though he wouldn't lose the knowledge of how to use them, it was only because of the World's Laws that he was able to see the actual skills, magic, and development abilities within the system interface. In Danmachi, there were Laws at play that allowed the various techniques that existed to modify the actual phenomenon created by the techniques themselves. For something like [Blacksmith], it genuinely increased the refinement process and greatly increased the chance of the equipment having the Abilities you wanted. Vahn would lose these 'corrective modifiers' in other worlds, meaning he would have to put in a greater amount of effort if he wanted similar results...The biggest 'loss' Vahn would have to face, other than the fact his Parameters themselves would no longer exist as they too were part of the record, was his 'comprehension' of Laws. Because the same Law could be completely different between records, Vahn knew that he needed to develop his basic understanding of Laws themselves if he didn't want to suffer any setbacks. As peculiar a claim as it might be, Vahn knew that his understanding of Petting Laws, Elemental Laws, and even the modifiers he enjoyed from his various Archery related skills and abilities would vanish. Though he would still be an incredible Archer with his [Eyes of Truth] and his domain, Vahn was a little saddened knowing that it wouldn't be nearly as 'easy' when he moved on to other records...Of the things Vahn was most worried about losing, however, were indeed the boons related to his Petting Laws, such as [Grooming]. Though he would be able to emulate them with his understanding of [Hands of Nirvana] and using Source Energy, Vahn knew that, unless he developed a genuine understanding of how things like Petting Laws worked, he wouldn't be able to use them easily. At first, it might seem like an inconsequential loss but, being able to even calm the minds of raging and berserk monsters was a benefit in any record. Since it also allowed him to bring comfort to those he cared about, Vahn truly wished to develop his comprehension of the unique energy to the extreme. He had even purchased several expensive manuals from the system shop, allowing him to push his understanding even further...Because of his strange 'focus' on such things, and the fact that there were generally several girls within the Manor present around him, a second trend had developed amongst the residents. Just as girls like Eina had wanted to study massage techniques and learn [Hands of Nirvana], Vahn's actions had caused some of the girls to take an interesting in 'Petting Laws'. For a while after the trend had started, it wasn't uncommon to find small groups of the girls together just petting each others' heads. Vahn had transcribed several copies of the texts and manuals he had purchased, allowing them to peruse them freely in their leisure time.It could have been the result of their 'weakness' against petting in general, but a few of the Beast Human girls within the Manor were the first to show the [Petting] Development Ability in their Status Boards. Though it was still in a (sealed) state, it meant they had achieved a basic understanding and could use their next Level up to 'forcibly' learn the rather unique ability. Of course, this didn't mean they 'had' to rely on a Level up to learn it as, a little over a month after the trend had started, Preasia had managed to reach I-Rank [Petting] through her own efforts.Even before the conflict with Enyo had been 'resolved', Preasia had been something of a Therapist to the various trauma victims Vahn would rescue. Since she had personally experienced the comfort such abilities could bring to victims, Preasia had seriously endeavored to learn many of Vahn's skills. Not only was she studying to be a Physician, but she had made the most actual progress in learning [Hands of Nirvana], reaching the F-Rank after a few years of practice. This had given her the proper mentality to learn [Petting] much faster than the other girls and, as a result, the efficacy of Preasia's therapy sessions had increased greatly. It would still take years for the victims to truly recover but, with the 'Dream Saintess' on their side, there was hope for the future...---Eventually, though he had put it off for a few weeks out of consideration for the girls' concern, Vahn ended up reforming his avatar once again. The things that had been 'distracting' him from his free time had been steadily increasing and, in order to make sure he could still spend time with everyone, Vahn didn't have much of a choice. With the various incidents occurring in the Iron Hills and the new provincial nation of Westport. Though Rakia's coast was surrounded by whirlpools and exceedingly dangerous to navigate, it still had a rather large port ever since the time of their preliminary invasion. It had been 'literally' carved out of the land by the slaves that Rakia had acquired in the distant past, turning the small inlet that previously existed to now have enough space to accommodate nearly three-hundred merchant vessels...The Iron Hills had been secretly importing various military goods into Rakia Kingdom for decades but, after Chloe's Shadow Corps swept through the area, most of these supplies had been destroyed. At the same time, though Vahn felt a great deal of guilt about it, even their 'youngest' member, a Pallum girl that was only fourteen, now had a kill count in the triple digits. The corruption of the former Kingdom had run deep, causing several massive criminal organizations to become deeply entrenched within every major city, town, and village. It was to the point that, over the weeks that their operation had begun, Chloe had personally slain more than seven-thousand people.Though he knew such actions were necessary to secure the future, Vahn still felt like he had 'failed' Chloe somehow. When she would stop by the Manor to make her reports, Vahn would dedicate all of his attention to her, spoiling and pampering her just as he used to back at the Hostess of Fertility. She would lay across his lap as he gently caressed her body, all while feeding her snacks and gently massaged her pointed cat-like ears. She had never once complained about the task she had been assigned and, even if decades were to pass, Vahn knew that Chloe would never allow him to see if she was truly troubled by such things. This gave him a much stronger desire to make the world a more peaceful place, so that kind and caring individuals like Chloe did not have to walk a path shrouded in darkness...With such thoughts deeply ingrained in his heart and mind, Vahn's focus had slowly started to shift away from the Manor as his involvement in the affairs of the outside world increased greatly after the creation of his new avatar. The reforms being instituted in the Iron Hills and Westport took a lot of his attention while the information gathered by the HDF also found its way to his desk. The small squads that had been sent out to various parts of the Continent had been steadily increasing Vahn's stockpile of information about the countries surrounding Orario. This included the information about the Land of no Sun and, though the squads hadn't been able to track down Shiva, they did discover that there was a large scale civil war that had been occurring for nearly two years between the various clans...Because of the inhospitable nature of the races occupying the Land of no Sun, combined with the fact that it was a land of perpetual darkness, most merchants outright avoided the region. Most trade was conducted in small villages on the periphery where they would generally acquire slaves captured through small skirmishes between clans. In exchange, the rather bold merchants would provide produce and grain as, due to the nomadic nature of the clans in the Land of no Sun, there were very few ongoing agricultural efforts. As for the races that made such an inhospitable land their home, they were the Dark Elves, Panther Tribe, Mink Tribe, and Black Cat Tribe.Contrary to expectations, most residents within the Land of no Sun had darker skin tones instead of the expected 'pale' complexion most people would have without exposure to sunlight. Inversely, however, the Dark Elves were known for having lighter hair colors while the diminutive Mink Tribe, having rounded ears and bushy tails, was full of people with pure white hair. Though the Panther and Black Cat tribes typically had black hair, their skin tone was also strangely 'tanned' while the most common eye colors were pale-gold, light purple, or an off-white color that glimmered in the low lit region. Vahn knew that Shiva was likely somewhere in the northern area of the Land of no Sun and, with its close proximity to Orario, he was intending to put a stop to their wars and open the region to trade and progress...In preparation for his eventual departure to the Land of no Sun, Vahn had issued several other high reward missions through the HDF to acquire more information and compile a detailed map of each Tribe's territory, and the Clans inhabiting them. He also wanted to try and track down Shiva to see what kind of changes she thought were suitable for her homeland. If possible, he would respect the changes she wanted to see but, depending on how they aligned with his vision of the future, Vahn would have to enact a few of his own. The times were changing and, so long as he allowed nomadic tribes that relied on pillaging and war to exist, Vahn knew progress would be slowed.Vahn had a great appreciation for the unique cultures of the various races, some of which stretched by thousands of years, but that didn't mean he could allow tradition and pride to stimy the flow of progress. All cultures had developed over time and, in most situations, adopted the culture of other races to make their own more comprehensive. There was no such thing as land that inherently belonged to any given race and, so long as the idea that heritage and tradition 'needed' to be respected, even if it caused hardships, things would continue to be cyclic. Vahn wanted to break the cycle completely and pave the way towards a better future, even if the various traditionalist and purist races would condemn him in the short term...Amongst these groups, and the one most prominent on Vahn's mind lately, were the Amazonesses of Telkyura. Right now, the Amazoness presence within Orario had 'exploded' compared to the past as, instead of being scorned by 'civilized people', they were now readily accepted in the community. Though they had to adapt to a few changes that had been introduced through the CLB, many proud Amazonesses had made the City their home without the tensions that had been present in previous years. This was because, with a few exceptions among the various Beast Humans, the Amazonesses completely dominated the rapidly expanding Sports scene in Orario.Though the technology was still heavily regulated, it was very easy to view the games that were played on a near-daily basis within the two Coliseums of Orario. The most popular place for viewing was by visiting a tavern where hearty food, flavorful alcohol, and beautiful women were located. This was one of the means by which the Hostess of Fertility had quickly grown into a large franchise that had turned Mama Mia into a Billionaire in a short period of time. She had even started sponsoring one of the Soccer teams, consisting of eleven Amazonesses, two Chienthropes, and, somewhat surprisingly, a Half-Dwarf goalie that was around the peak of Level 4...With other businesses also quickly jumping on the bandwagon to advertise themselves through sponsorships, the Sports Industry within Orario had practically exploded in a short period of time. The most popular spectator event, other than the intense and exciting Soccer games, was watching teams of five people battle it out within the arena. With Space-Time orbs and some advancements in the projection setup, there was now a rapidly growing interest in watching live and brutal combat against small teams that fought for dominance. Usually, you would only be able to witness such scenes during a War Games between Familia but, after the students had demonstrated the structure by which they polished their own skills, it had become a very popular means for Adventurers to gain real combat experience in a safe setting.Once again, this scene was also heavily dominated by Amazonesses who, since their youth, had engaged in similar spectator events. Now, however, they could cut loose completely and, as a result of their scantily clad figures and generally beautiful appearances, it was a sight most likened to the blending of Heaven and Hell. Amazonesses could be very brutal in fights without restraint so it created a visceral spectator event where beautiful brown-skinned women practically tore each other apart while hundreds of thousands of spectators watched in both appreciation and horror.Because of their presence in the Sports scene, and his general popularity amongst Amazonesses, Vahn knew that he would need to address the matter of Telskyura in the near future. This was due to the fact that, with royalties and other fees that were paid out, many Amazonesses were making a 'very' sizeable income. Compared to the past, where they had to rely on venturing into the Dungeon or selling themselves in the Red Light District, Amazonesses made a very large amount of money just by fighting in the Coliseum. This also greatly increased their popularity and exposure, leading to a rather 'peculiar' situation where there was a very high turnover in athletes and combatants.The cause of this was the result of the fact that, instead of leaving it to chance and selling their bodies to 'weak' men, there were numerous capable men amongst their 'fans' who would solicit them in public later on. Even the Level 3 Amazonesses who would become the Captains of Sports teams would usually end up pregnant after just a few months. The moment they became popular, the number of 'capable' men that wanted to be with them increased exponentially. This had made the previous case of Amazonesses getting pregnant relatively rarely a thing of the past, causing a large 'migrant' population to be moving in and out of the City.Since this was also becoming a trend, Vahn knew that Orario would essentially become the 'seed bed' of Telskyura in the future and, unless he could reach a compromise with Kali and Hippolyta, there were guaranteed to be several issues in the future. Even now, there were some men who had genuinely fallen in love with the Amazonesses they had sought out. At the same time, a few of these Amazonesses, having enjoyed their lifestyle within the City, were troubled by the fact they needed to return to their homeland to fulfill their 'duty'. Even so, each of the pregnant Amazonesses would leave the City without exception. This had caused a small public outcry that was steadily beginning to gain momentum, calling out against the 'injustice' that was imposed upon these budding families, even though the vast majority of Amazonesses didn't seem to care...Because it was genuinely a part of their 'instincts', the number of 'deviants' within the Amazonesses community was still very low. Vahn didn't think this was a reason to sit on the issue, however, so he wanted to address it sooner, rather than later. He also had a promise to keep with Tiona, Tione, and Aisha so, with nothing more pressing going on at the moment, Vahn's sights had been set on the South-East. There, on a peninsula located nearly 6,500 kilometers away, on the opposite side of a vast Shreme Mountain Range, through dense jungle terrain and swamps, the home of the Amazonesses, Telksyura, awaited...(A/N: Sorry for the late release. I had to go help my friend take care of some things and we ended up hanging out for a bit so I wasn't able to start writing until around two hours ago. Today is still my rest day, though, so this will be the only chapter. Tomorrow's should be on time~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fluffy Golden Goddess, Preasia-chan~?','Vahn be like, 'Cultures aren't something 'unique' to a species, they are simply another thing that is created by the people themselves. Change and progress should never be set back by culture and tradition','Just imagine the Amazonssess, pregnant, having to migrate 6,500km over mountains, jungles, and swamps, all so they can give birth to children who would be put through a crucible during their formative years...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Fully aware of what Vahn was intending, as was often the case, Loki had been making preparations of her own behind his back. It wasn't that she wanted to keep secrets from him but, if she didn't do 'something' to pacify her Divinity, it would make her body feel itchy. Though the influence of her Divinity had markedly weakened after she had given birth, it wasn't that it no longer took effect at all. In order to prevent things from getting out of control, Loki made sure to keep her interactions with other people 'vague' and 'complicated'. She was wrapped up in dozens of small schemes and plots, mostly in preparation for Vahn's rise to become an Emperor...Currently, she, along with Freya and an escort of five Valkyrie, had made their way over to the nearby port city of Melen. Though their departure from the City had been kept from Vahn, it wasn't as if they were being very low profile since Loki and Freya had flown on Khaos' back for the short flight. It had grown to 17m long and, with it's black/crimson scales, Khaos stood out 'noticeably' whenever Loki went around to manage affairs for the Alliance. This was the first time Freya had ridden on it's back, however, causing her to make off-hand remarks about asking for her own Dragon from Vahn...So that Freya didn't do anything to unnecessarily pressure Vahn, Loki had seriously discussed the matter with her so she knew 'when' and 'how' to make such a request. She knew that, even more than a normal Tamer, Vahn cared deeply about those he had subordinated and named. Because of this, she had gone out of her way to try and treat Khaos well so that he wouldn't worry too much. There were times when she would also mention Khaos in casual conversation with him before they both went to meet with and groom their True Dragon companion. This had a very noticeable effect on Khaos as well, even though he would never admit to being happy for the company...After touching down in a spacious area in Melen's port, causing quite the scene in the process, Loki and Freya made their way over to a large tavern near the port's periphery. Since there were a lot of sailors and fishermen moving through the area at various times of day, this particular tavern was highly frequented and, compared to the surrounding shops and stalls, it had a 'higher-end' feel to it, even though there was also a warm and homely atmosphere permeating out into the cool morning air. When Freya saw this building, a small smile spread across her immaculately sculpted face as she mused, "It seems that wayward child of mine has been doing better as the days pass~."This tavern was none-other than Melen's main branch of the Hostess of Fertility franchise of taverns and, as for why it was so popular in the relatively simple port town, it was the existence of the same projection spheres that were used in the larger branches. Because it's residents were all simple and hard-working people, there weren't too many advanced forms of entertainment in Melen previously. Most sailors and fishermen just frequented bars and taverns, enjoying a few drinks with their friends after working hard all day. Here at the Hostess of Fertility, however, you could do much the same, all while being attended by beautiful barmaids as exciting Sports matches played on each wall...Loki understood Freya's meaning very well as one of her 'secrets' from Vahn was the fact that she worked closely in hand with the various Merchant Familia in the Alliance. This wasn't something that would surprise him, as Vahn genuinely 'expected' that Loki was working with everyone, but the true extent of her cooperation and manipulation of the markets of Orario would shock him. She had, for the last two years, been working alongside Fortuna to slowly center the entire economy of Orario around the Alliance. In order to make this possible, they had to slowly convince those Familia who had been sitting on the fence to join the Alliance.This usually involved a few small schemes, such as purchasing up all materials and resources, or reducing the price of comparable goods in the area to the point that most smaller Familia simply couldn't keep up in the long term. It was more than a little underhanded but, in order to make sure there weren't any problems when Vahn wanted to start collecting taxes in the future, it was a necessary step to take. Since she had been having the Civilian Legislative Branch establish a Civilian Merchant Association, which also worked closely with the Alliance, Vahn was well on his way to dominating the entire economy of Orario, both foreign and domestic, even though he had no idea it was happening. Fortuna was even training a 'disciple' of sorts to become Vahn's future Minister of Finance and Trade...After having Khaos take on its human form, something Loki liked to tease him for since it was very similar in appearance to Vahn, the three made their way into the Hostess of Fertility with the Level 7 Hrist and another Level 6 Valkyrie named Bruna. The other three waited outside, effectively scaring off any other potential customers with their rather imposing figures and fierce gazes. Though they were exceptionally beautiful women, and drew a lot of attention, the fact that each was near the peak of Level 5 was enough to make most people sweat if they tried to keep eye contact. The reason for their presence was that there was no way of knowing what action the person they were meeting might do if she felt her side had the advantage.Within the tavern, that usually had upwards of fifty-to-a-hundred guests, the only people present were the Proprietress, a motherly woman named Susanne, and a small number of uniformed staff that were looking decidedly nervous. As for why these girls, who were accustomed to dealing with rough and burly men, had such a reaction, it was because the entire tavern only had three customers before the arrival of Loki's entourage. At the back of the tavern, laying down sloppily in one of the booths facing a projection sphere, was a girl with crimson red hair that glistened like fresh blood.The girl had brown skin that had a bit of an ashen coloration and, much like an Amazoness, wore extremely revealing clothing while a bone-like mask covered the upper half of her face. Around her neck were several small skulls forming a necklace while the only thing covering her seemingly non-existent breasts was a thin white vest. Because she was laying down, and the vest completely lacked buttons, this caused the fabric to slid down, creating an inarguably obscene sight as the figure displayed a complete lack of regard for public decency and a general sense of shame.With the arrival of Loki and Freya, the girl, still supporting her head with her arm, lazily looked over and said, "I was wondering how long you were going to keep me waiting. You know, it takes nearly three months to travel here by boat. If not for this contraption, I might have been bored to death..." As she was saying this, the seemingly young girl came to a seated position, adjusting the thin loincloth that that only barely protected her dignity. The fabric was the kind that didn't even fold under and wrap around the hips, meaning she was completely bereft of undergarments. If not for the purple cloth that loosely covered her arms and hips, this girl, seemingly no older than ten, would have completely exposed herself to the eyes of onlookers...Upon seeing their counterpart, Freya and Loki gave each other a glance before the latter turned her attention back to the crimson-haired girl, saying, "I had thought you would have disguised yourself better, Kali. I know you have the capabilities to do so...what are you scheming, I wonder~?" These words caused the 'young girl', the Goddess of Sacrifices, Death, Time, and Entertainment, Kali, to begin laughing without any inhibitions whatsoever. After her laughing fit, she picked up a leg of lamb and began gorging herself, mouth filled with meat and greases as she said, "Who would have thought a day would come with the Goddess of Tricksters accused others of scheming~."As she was addressing Loki, Kali was passing her crimson-eyed gaze across Khaos, Hrist, and Bruna. She had brought along the Captains of her Familia, Argana and Bache, along with an assortment of thirty Amazoness warriors. Even with her two Captains being near the middle of Level 6, Kali could tell that they wouldn't stand a chance against the tall winged women at Loki's and Freya's sides. She would probably be able to hold her own against one of them while her Captains fought the other but, with the inclusion of the boy with strange red and black hair, Kali knew things wouldn't play out in their favor. Knowing Loki, there were probably other cards she had hidden, making the forces she had in reserve completely useless...Argana and Bache, completely unable to see through the strength of Hrist and Bruna, were smiling amusedly at the Valkyries while Argana had a taunting look in her eyes. The two were twins, much like Tiona and Tione, with a similar 'disposition' to match. Argana was around 165cm tall and, though she had breasts, they were at the very low end of the B-Cup, barely cresting over an A. As for Bache, her breasts were 'much' larger, consisting of well-shaped D-Cup breasts that deformed under the leather straps that kept them bound while she moved around during battle. Both girls had sand-colored hair and golden eyes, though Argana's was kept in a long braid that reached the back of her knees while Bache's was kept short, barely reaching her shoulders. The latter also had a veil covering the lower half of her face, concealing a grisly scar that ran from the side of her mouth and caused her otherwise beautiful face to became almost ghastly to anyone who saw what was beneath.Seeing the two Amazonesses looking toward them, Hrist and Bruna remained completely stoic without showing any sign of fear or fluster. There was neither scorn nor disdain in their eyes as, from their perspective, the two prideful Amazoness warriors were simply beneath them. If a conflict did break out, it would be a 'very' short engagement since the Valkyrie had nearly a thousand years of combat experience and possessed some of the highest base parameters of any race. After all, they were each demigod Valkyries while Argana and Bache, incredibly powerful in their own right, were 'simply' Amazonesses...After a few tense seconds had passed, Loki returned a conniving smile to Kali before releasing a few cackles of her own after saying, "The truly interesting thing is, in this situation, I don't even have to scheme, kukukukuku~." Unless both sides were equal, or she was slightly on the losing end of things, there was simply no reason to be roundabout in these types of situations. Once the Alliance had reached a 'critical' level of growth, Loki had been able to exercise a degree of power and influence that almost invalidated the need for schemes entirely. Even in this situation, depending on how things turned out, they could simply destroy the other party and then deal with the aftermath later on...Kali, understanding Loki's meaning, showed an almost crazed smile of her own as she licked the fang-like snaggletooth on the left side of her mouth. She wasn't even remotely afraid of what would happen in they came to blows as just the thought of battling against a powerhouse like the Alliance made her 'excited'. It truly didn't matter to her if she had to return to Heaven for a short while as she would be able to return 'much' faster than most gods. Because of her Divinities, it was easy to gather the necessary 'materials' to recreate another avatar meaning, even if she ended up dying during battle, Kali would be back in the Mortal World after a decade or so had passed. This was similar to the case of Gods of War like Ares, though he took markedly longer since he wasn't a very 'popular' god. Kali, however, had hundreds of thousands of devout followers, each practicing the teachings that had been engraved in them for hundreds of successive generations.Freya, having been silent up until this point, squinted her eyes slightly and muttered, "How uncouth. We didn't come here to compare who had the creepiest laugh, my dear Loki and Kali. Shall we get on with this little discussion of ours? I'd much rather lounge in my Manor with a glass of wine than spend the rest of my day in this foul-smelling place..." As a Goddess of Beauty who enjoyed the finer things in life to an 'extreme', Freya wasn't fond of rural towns like Melen. The odor of salt and fish was heavily permeating through the air and, even though it was bearable within the Hostess of Fertility, she would rather be back in Orario, resting on a comfortable bed as she awaited the potential arrival of Vahn...Kali, taking advantage of Freya's words, simply stated, "There isn't much to even talk about, is there? I already know why you wanted to meet and the fact that I even showed up should already tell you all you need to know about my stance on the issue. This really only goes one of two ways, doesn't it? You either make me the offer I want, which would likely end up in a conflict with Telskyura, or you go to war against me and the entire Amazoness peoples. I'm personally very interested to see just how well such a massive organization would be able to hold out against an entire race of warriors~." Even knowing that Telskyura had no chance at victory, Kali didn't really care that much as the thought of such a massive battle alone was very exciting.Loki's smile didn't change after hearing Kali's words but, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but curse the quirks of gods with Divinities related to things like Death. There was no way to really pressure them by taking a hard stance as, even if they ended up dying due to disagreements, such gods simply wouldn't care. Then, since it was impossible to eliminate 'death' from the world, they would just return a few years later and continue being a pain in the ass all over again. At the same time, just as Kali pointed out, the Amazoness people would very willingly wage a suicidal war that could very well continue for several years. After all, the Amazonesses didn't really care that much about their country itself and many even slept in small hammocks without any real shelter, enjoying the 'natural' world to an extent that could even put Elves to shame...(A/N: I'm not sure if the meaning behind Loki's words was conveyed properly, so I'll elaborate on a few things real fast. Essentially, most Amazonesses don't really care about their own lives, much less the lives of others. They are a species that enjoys battle, polishing their skills through brutal and bloody combat. At the same time, they make almost no cultural advancements and, if not for the fact it would be difficult for them to roam in other countries otherwise, many Amazoness would simply move around without caring about clothing. Many live in the actual jungles surrounding Telskyura, where resources for making clothes are even scarcer, so they generally just wear things like loincloths, often completely forgoing clothes on their upper bodies. These types of Amazoness usually cover their bodies in tribal markings and they are the main source for food, almost entirely comprised of hunters and gatherers. They would usually make offerings to the 'warrior' tribes that are located closer to the heart of Telskyura. From the perspective of most Amazonesses, cultural and technological advancements lead to the stagnation of society, not the propagation of society. Building defensive walls, running businesses, farming, innovation, these are all things that go against the natural order and, in time, would lead to the actual destruction of the world. By existing within the natural world, living and dying along with their surroundings, the Amazoness have a 'culture' that could last for millennia without any difficulties, even though it pretty much guarantees their race would continue to brutalize itself for generations to come. The thing is, in a way, they are 'correct' as, instead of thinking about how they can exploit each other and consolidate wealth, the only thing that Amzonesses really care about is 'strength'. Even the basic concept of status, other than the Queen, is completely pointless and, so long as you are strong, you would have the respect and admiration of your fellow Amazonesses.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sneaky sneaky','What's with this sassy...lost child?','While Empires, Kingdoms, and Countries fall, the Amazoness have remained unified for more than ten-thousand years...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

A few days after his awakening, Vahn found himself enjoying a lap pillow while the small figure of an infant girl slept on his chest. This was none other than his newest daughter Natalie, now looking far healthier than when she had been born. Vahn was lightly stroking her back, sending thin strands of Source Energy into her body as he made sure she was sleeping peacefully. The exceptionally soft thighs he was using as a pillow belonged to Syr, Natalie's mother, who was currently tracing her fingers through his brown hair with a loving smile on her face. She seemed a little absentminded but Vahn knew she was probably just lost in the bonding moment and not really concerned about anything...Ultimately, Vahn had decided that, instead of destroying the Captial City, Valua, it would become a territory under the management of the Alliance. The previous Royal Family had been publically executed while those under the age of adulthood had to renounce their claims and would be under observation for the time being. Vahn had entrusted Chloe and her Shadow Corps to slowly clean out the criminal elements of the Kingdom while 2,000 members of the HDF had been mobilized for the sake of public order during the transition. Since Lunoire had refused his 'jest' to become Queen, Vahn had conferred with the Civilian Legislative Branch to have them restructure the Kingdom's Laws and regulate internal affairs. Instead of a King, the former Rakia Kingdom would become a province that was governed by Governor and a series of Magistrates who would be elected and sworn in under the authority of the Alliance.Though there were a lot of things he had to take care of, there were certain benefits to having more than two-hundred gods within the Alliance. Loki, Hephaestus, and Freya had convened a gathering with seventy suitable gods, determining the best course of action and then running it by Vahn for approval after the fact. As a result, other than asking Chloe to take action, and negotiating with the Civilian Legislative Branch, Vahn just had to fill out a bit of paperwork before things were set in motion. Now, there would be a total of twenty-eight Familia migrating to the former Rakia Kingdom, mostly specializing in construction and mercantilism. They would work to build up the infrastructure of the province while revitalizing the collapsed economy.Amongst this number, there were also two gods who had relatively large Farming Familia in the Plains region. Though much of the former Rakia Kingdom's territory was like a wasteland, there were several thousand acres of fertile land around the Capital City, Valua. Vahn had decided to plant one of Yggy's hearts in the area while the three Farming Familia would slowly begin to build up their influence in the restructured province. In the future, they would be providing food to the citizens that remained in the now defunct Kingdom, working to eliminate the famine and starvation that had been 'common' in the past. Now, the biggest problem was changing the perception of the citizenry, mostly by eliminating the dissidents that were trying to preserve power and take advantage of the situation.Now, after taking care of a few other matters, Vahn had been spending his days relaxing in the Manor and enjoying a much needed 'vacation'. Though he would need to create another avatar at some point, Vahn had been confronted during an impromptu 'Vahnatus', which essentially served as an intervention by the girls to get him to take a break. Since he didn't want to worry them too much, Vahn had accepted their terms and, unless it was something very important, most matters were dealt with without Vahn even learning about them. Instead, he spent nearly the whole day just lounging about, spending time with the girls, or simply reading in his private study. Vahn felt strangely 'itchy' at the start, but he had quickly fallen into a pleasant groove after enjoying a few naps under Yggy's canopy while her Spirit Avatar played a small silver flute that Hephaestus had made for her...While enjoying the peace and quiet of his current lifestyle, Vahn ended up humming one of the tunes that Yggy would play for him. He wondered if, like Tiona, Natalie would be comforted by this tune in the future, even though she was currently sleeping peacefully on his chest. Even her snake, the Silvervine Python, was coiled around his free hand as it flicked out its dark blue tongue flickering out happily. Vahn felt that moments like this were what made life worth living, regardless of how difficult it could be at times. The children of many races were exceptionally fragile in their infancy and Vahn felt saddened just thinking about those who were born into environments that either couldn't provide for them, or into families that didn't care for them. He wished that, just as he could spend time with his children like this, every family was able to do the same...Around the time when the residents of the Manor would normally eat lunch together, Vahn felt a familiar sensation in his mind before Nanu's excited voice stated, ("Master, I did it~!"). Even without her explaining in greater detail, Vahn had some expectation about what Nanu was talking about. Nearly six months had passed in the real world since she began her serious efforts to reach [Master Smith]. Within the Sub-Space orb, this was nearly three full year's worth of time where Nanu had been making steady strides under his guidance, the tutelage of Tsubaki, and the constant evaluations of Hephaestus. With functionally limitless resources, Nanu prodigiousness as a [Blacksmith] had been allowed to shine forth and now, at the startlingly young age of eighteen, Nanu had managed to become a [Master Smith].Nanu had been so excited by her achievement that she ended up immediately exiting the Sub-Space orb and running through the Manor wearing nothing but a pair of small black shorts and a black chest wrap. Her olive-brown skin had become a little darker from constant exposure to the heat of her forge while her present appearance was covered in sweat and soot. When Vahn had returned Natalie to Syr to meet up with Nanu, she practically pounced on him even with several others present. Since she was usually a little more reserved, it was easy to see that Nanu was happier than she had ever been before, her tail wagging furiously as she nuzzled into her Master's chest...The truth of the matter was that, after seeing the sorry state of Vahn after his confrontation with Heracles, Nanu's heart had been greatly stirred. In her mind, Vahn was an unbeatable existence that shone even brighter than the sun. Seeing him in that state had shaken Nanu to the core and, afraid of being unable to be with the man she had dedicated herself to, she experienced a drastic shift in mentality. She was no longer content simply 'waiting' for her skills to develop to the point that she could finally be with her Master and, after his awakening, Nanu had put in more effort than ever before into her work. It was to the point that she only stopped to eat and sleep, never leaving her Workshop until the moment when she had finally achieved her goal...Because of her actions over the last few days within the Sub-Space orb, Nanu actually had a very pungent animalistic musk that filled up the entire room and tickled people's noses. Vahn didn't particularly mind it but, seeing the reactions of other people, he sent a quick message to Emiru and Maemi before carrying the tired Nanu to one of the closer baths. At this point, she was already running on fumes and, after Vahn's petting, Nanu had quickly fallen asleep as he carried her in a bridal carry, removed the rather dirty clothes from her body, and carefully wiped her down with a warm cloth before soaking her in the water. Nanu woke up as she was being submerged but, realizing the situation she was in, her only reaction was to hang her head slightly with a heavy blush visible on her face...Having been smothered by her previously, Vahn decided to use the opportunity to bathe himself, entering into the small bath alongside Nanu as he pulled out an exquisitely designed collar. Nanu had been carrying this with her when she pounced on him and, seeing it in his hands, Vahn could feel the water moving around as a result of her tail beating furiously beneath its surface. With an expression of immense pride, as he truly was proud of what Nanu had accomplished, Vahn opened the clasp of Nanu's previous collar before replacing it with the S-Rank collar she had produced as her first masterpiece. After tightening the collar to a comfortable level, Vahn fastened the intricate golden clasp before leaning down and kissing the fumbling Nanu's lips...She had been giddy since the moment he entered the bath and, understanding this hard-working apprentice of his, Vahn decided to reward her plentily. Her nervousness quickly faded away as she somewhat aggressively reciprocated his kiss, at least until Vahn got a little serious. In the end, Nanu leaned backward a bit by instinct as Vahn leaned over her and continued entwining his tongue with her's for the better part of ten minutes. During that time, he had been tracing his hand along her exposed abdomen as Nanu's legs writhed about, disturbing the water as she balled her fists up and trembled under his touch...When their lips finally separated, Nanu was breathing heavily and had a dazed look in her eyes as her tongue flicked against the air a few times. She had even 'chased' after his lips when he pulled away, causing Vahn to smile as he stroked her pointy black ears and said, "You're so adorable, Nanu. In all the world, there are none as fortunate as I, having such a capable apprentice that is as adorable as she is skilled..." These words brought a bit of light back to Nanu's eyes as she quaveringly intoned, "Mashta...awuuu..." while her tail curled up between her thighs. Her reaction caused Vahn's smile to stretch as he leaned in and licked her neck around the collar, trailing kisses up to the side of her head before saying, "My Nanu..."Compared to when they first met, when Nanu was a thin and frail girl that was only 130cm tall, she had now grown up considerably since that time. Previously, she hadn't even started to develop her secondary sexual characteristics but now, after years of training, plenty of nutritious food, and earnest efforts to increase her 'appeal', Nanu was 159cm tall with a very healthy and sensual figure. Though she had visible and developed muscles, Nanu's breasts had grown to a healthy B-Cup while her hips and thighs had developed 'exceptionally' well. She had the appeal of a mature woman and, being eighteen, Vahn felt no inhibitions at all when he nibbled on her ear and said, "My beloved mate..."Nanu's teeth began clattering as an adorably awkward smile appeared on her face before she answered, "Alwaysh...Nanu alwaysh belong to Mashta..." She was still slurring her words a bit but, at the same time, Nanu's Love parameter was rapidly increasing. Though she was also his Subordinate, Vahn was able to see the (Love) of those he had seen and fulfilled the [Hearts Desire]s of. Nanu's Love was markedly lower than her Loyalty, the former being 37,229 compared to the latter at 408,711. Seeing the number rapidly climb, even though it wasn't as quickly as her Loyalty, Vahn felt somewhat amused as he gave her another very long kiss, this time moving her to his lap so he could hold her more easily...Though it wasn't really the best time for such activities, as everyone else was back in the dining room eating lunch, Vahn couldn't leave the excited Nanu alone to 'suffer'. Her body had been in a heated state since before they even entered the bath so, after 'pampering' her for nearly half an hour, she wasn't even able to support her own weight anymore. She had become so red and swollen down below while a sincere plea existed within her rose-colored eyes. Vahn felt like he would have failed her if he made her wait any longer so, after shifting her over to the side of the tub, Vahn placed the tip of his glans at Nanu's fiery entrance and the two became one after having her wait nearly six years...Being a Chienthrope, Nanu's insides were incredibly stimulating as her body tried to adapt to the foreign body that invaded its depths. Her clamping had been even more prominent than Naaza as a result of her excessive training and tireless endeavors in her Workshop. Nanu's core muscles, legs, and thighs had been developed over a concerted effort of several years, causing Vahn's hands to sink into her muscular yet tender flesh. She had a very malleable body that was also incredibly refined, causing her appearance from behind to be incredibly tantalizing. Vahn had been greatly enjoying the experience, at least until Nanu arched her back, looking over her shoulder as she said, "Mashtaaa...."Vahn was confused for a brief moment but, after Nanu nearly slipped trying to grab her collar, he understood what she wanted. Being a member of the Southern Tribe, Nanu's preferences had been molded as a result of her cultures 'quirks'. As much as she enjoyed simply being together, she had a strong desire to be dominated forcibly instead of just having normal sexual intercourse. Traditionally, the first mating session between an Alpha and his mate was a rough and bloody experience that, strangely, became a matter of pride for women to talk about later. Some females, in order to be able to 'brag' about how seriously their bodies were sought after, would even self-inflict bruises and scratches to show off to the other women within the tribe...As much as Nanu had changed and adapted to the differences in culture, her base preferences had never changed because of how she self-identifies. Vahn had briefly overlooked this but, now that Nanu was essentially pleading him to do 'more', he ran two fingers through her collar and pulled it back slightly. She had been struggling to even support herself previously so this action caused her to feel a choking sensation that made her insides tighten up even more. Vahn had to clench his teeth as the stimulation coming from her body greatly increased as she cried out, "Mashtaaa..." with her tongue stretched out. Vahn resisted the urge to release a sigh as he resolved himself to meet Nanu's expectations and began treating her a little roughly, all while his sub-process mind was thinking about the collar Nanu had produced to become a [Master Smith]...------------------------------------------------------------[Collar of Ownership]Rank: S (Magic)Slots: 1P.Def: 890M.Def: 1220Abilities: Submissive Pride(S), Durandal(A), Restraining(B), Self-Repairing(C)A collar produced by a peculiar Blacksmith who had wanted to dedicate her everything to the person most precious to her. Her feelings of gratitude and love were imbued into the collar during the forging process along with her desires and hope for the future. Has the ability to forcibly control the sensitivity of the wearer based on the will of the person recognized as its 'Master'.Current Master: Vahn MasonSoulbound: Nanu Mason------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Quality time...','RIP Rakia Kingdom','Nanu has really grown a lot (X w X);;;')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 923: Change in the Tides