Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After fifteen days aboard the Kali Familia ship, even Vahn felt like he had integrated into the crew, at least a little. Though he wasn't assisting with the actual process of sailing, his role as both a chef and a lookout had earned him even more popular than 'normal'. Not only was he able to easily locate sea monsters and large prey long before they were an actual threat, but he was able to turn said prey into delicious meals that were a rare luxury out at sea. After the first 'competition', where Tiona had stolen the victory, it had even become a small game amongst the Amazonesses to see who would be able to get 'pampered' by Vahn during meal time.Currently, Vahn was somewhat awkwardly holding a piece of Deepsea Megalodon meat with a pair of red chopsticks as the victor of the last hunt nibbled at the offering with a little too much fervor in her eyes. This was none other than the Helmswoman of the Kali Familia ship, the hawk-eyed Amazoness, Khodiva. It was generally her duty to pilot the ship but that didn't mean she was always at the helm as, unlike Vahn, others generally required sleep. During these times, another trainee would take up the helm though, on occasion, Kali would also take the wheel in order to 'detour' towards something she was interested in.During the early morning hunt, when most of the Amazonesses were waking to prepare for another long day, Khodiva had joined the hunt after being egged on by a few other Amazons. Since Tiona, Tione, and Bache were 'disqualified' from the competition, this gave the Level 5 Helmswoman the edge to clinch the victory. She had wrangled in a twenty-two meter long Deepsea Megalodon, a monster near the peak of Level 4 that was covered in rough skin and white bone-like protrusions that it used to impale its prey before ripping it apart with its powerful jaws. Khodiva had managed to kill it by ripping out one of its eyes before breaking into its skull and destroying it from the inside...Because of Khodiva's victory, Vahn now had to suffer under the woman's penetrating gaze from close proximity as she stared unblinkingly toward him. He had heard she had a 'rare skill' that was literally called [Hawk Eyes], an Innate that greatly enhanced every function of her eyesight. Not only could she see 'very' far away, eyeing targets upwards of 3km away with clarity, but her dynamic vision allowed her to track fast-moving objects much easier than normal. Though her peripheral vision suffered as a result, it was still a very useful ability to possess if she could develop it further.The 'downside' to Khodiva's Innate was that her gaze felt like it could pierce through flesh if she was looking directly at you. Her eyes would also twitch and 'lock on' to things that moved around in her periphery, even though she didn't move her head around that much. It was a very peculiar sight and, being in such close proximity to her, even Vahn felt slightly unnerved as she nibbled away at the offered bits of food. Contrary to her rather fierce appearance, and how she was able to 'command' the entire crew skillfully, Khodiva had turned very quiet when he began feeding her. She just slowly ate the food offered to her with a heated look in her piercing eyes, causing Vahn to feel like each bite she took was taken out of his own body...Fortunately, Khodiva couldn't exactly put off her duties for too long so the tense moment came to an end after a relatively short period of time, contrary to how it felt. This left Vahn free once again as Khodiva took command of the ship and began directing the crew to perform their duties as she piloted the ship. As was often the case, Kali had used this opportunity to linger around Vahn, musing, "You really know how to make an Amazoness act like a maiden, don't you, Vahn~?" Since she had known Khodiva for the latter's entire life, Kali knew she wasn't the 'quiet' and 'demure' girl that she appeared to be when Vahn was feeding her. In fact, many of the Amzonesses on board acted 'strangely' around Vahn, showing far more inhibitions than they normally would...Vahn, still wearing only a minimal amount of clothing, had been wiping his hands clean after disposing of the excess waste into his Inventory. The Amazonesses would usually throw the remains overboard, letting the fish in the sea benefit from the easy meal, but Vahn could earn a few extra OP by exchanging some of the more valuable parts. In response to Kali's words, he simply gave her a small smile as he said, "I imagine they don't know how to treat me since this situation is rather abnormal..." Unlike a 'normal' strong male, which could kick their instincts into high gear, Vahn was very abnormal existence.Though he was certainly strong, they had watched him stay away for literally fifteen days, never tiring, never showing signs of fatigue, and interacting with their goddess as if they were equals. At the same time, powerful existences like Tiona and Tione were very deferential to Vahn, making it hard for them to approach him since it felt like there was a large 'distance' that was almost impossible to overcome. Contrary to this, however, Vahn was also very amicable and had been blending in with their way of doing things very well, causing many Amazonesses to simply not know how to behave around him. Even Kali had been feeling this way over the last few days, to the point that she was now wearing an extra set of cloth bottoms since she was tired of Vahn not looking at her...Kali squinted her eyes slightly upon hearing Vahn's words before saying, "Come sit with me today. You can still keep a lookout, even with your eyes closed, right~?" Previously, under normal circumstances, sitting on Kali's platform was something that could earn you the death sentence outright. Kali was willing to make an exception for Vahn since she had been watching him from a distance for more than two weeks and there were a few things she was curious about. It was awkward to talk during the meal times since she didn't eat with everyone else as it would make it impossible for them to eat in peace.Vahn contemplated Kali's offer for a brief moment, allowing his thoughts to show on his face for a bit and successfully annoying the diminutive goddess in the process. She wasn't the only one who had been observing others over the last two weeks as Vahn had also been paying close attention to her. He had noticed that Kali, though capable of showing wisdom and keen insight, genuinely seemed to dislike 'thinking' too much. She wasn't fond of when other people showed hesitation and thought too seriously over a matter, preferring the people she interacted with to be more decisive and forthright. Since almost everyone around her was relatively 'simple', Kali showed an almost childish intolerance for people that were excessively considerate of matters.As he had expected, Kali furrowed her brows after a while, rebuking Vahn by saying, "A goddess allows you to sit in a place reserved for gods and you have to think about it? If you're a man, you should be more decisive and stop fretting over small matters...!" In response to this, Vahn gave a small smile and said, "Well, things are already a little complex between me and the crew. If I sat with you, wouldn't that just make things even more complicated later on? Besides, I can't simply sit around while even Tiona and Tione are hard at work, can I...?" Vahn had just finished wiping his hands completely so he threw his towel into his Inventory before leaving behind a frowning Kali as he climbed to the edge of the bowsprit and began his lookout duty.Kali wasn't stupid so she knew that Vahn was messing with her yet, at the same time, she knew his words were also true and there wasn't any way to actually 'make' him do what she wanted. She was fully aware that this was his intention, demonstrating that it didn't matter if she was a goddess and he was a mortal. He wasn't someone she could simply bend to her will and force him to act as she pleased, quite literally placing himself on the same level as her by the stance he had taken. This was something that annoyed her greatly as she had already made several compromises for him and, even though he was supposed to be getting to know her better, Vahn spent more time with Amazonesses he would never have a relationship with than a goddess that would bear his child in the future...Feeling vexed, Kali took her seat and leaned against her armrest, staring at Vahn's back with an annoyed glint in her blood-red eyes. She knew he was aware of her gaze so Kali was boring a hole into the back of Vahn's head and sending out a bit of her own Divine Power to annoy him. Though he pretended to be unperturbed, Kali could see the hairs on Vahn's arms rise slightly, causing her to cackle lightly as she lounged on her platform. If he was going out of his way to annoy her, she could do the same to him and, just as she couldn't do anything about the way he acted, he couldn't really do anything to her either...Feeling like a grim reaper had a blade to his throat, Vahn ignored the urge to rub his neck as he resisted the cold chill that made the sea breeze seem warm by comparison. Since Kali actually had two Major Divinities, related to Death and Time, even his domain couldn't completely resist her power unless they were directly competing against each other. Vahn wasn't trying to be actively hostile to Kali and, considering it would ruin the atmosphere on the ship, he decided to let her act out a bit in order to avoid a larger conflict. If she got carried away, there were plenty of ways he could 'punish' her later on so this wasn't something intolerable...Unaware of the somewhat petty squabble between Kali and Vahn, the crew of the ship went about their duties with an unwavering intensity that seemed to persist, irrespective of the passage of time. Even after more than two weeks on the sea, none of the Amzonesses showed any signs of fatigue and complacency, fully focused on their individual tasks. It was almost as if they were determined to reach their destination in record time, showing an inspiring amount of motivation that, to Vahn, was genuinely awe-inspiring. He had grown progressively fonder of this crew as time passed and couldn't help marveling at how easily both Tiona and Tione had blended in, almost as if they had known each other Amazoness for years...Like this, several hours passed uneventfully as even Kali seemed to become bored with glaring at Vahn, allowing him a reprieve as he gazed out over the horizon. It was around 2 PM that Vahn's senses detected what he could only describe as an 'abnormality', causing his brows to furrow as he rose to his feet and activated his [Eyes of Truth]. Since he would generally remain unmoving during the day, Vahn's actions drew the attention of the entire Amazoness crew as even Khodiva issued orders that would free up a few members to deal with any potential attack from a sea monster. However, this time it was Kali who had the biggest reaction as her bored expression turned into one of extreme seriousness as she also rose up, shouting, "Furl the sails! Turn the ship around and get a rowing crew ready, now...!"For Kali to take command, it meant the situation was incredibly dire so the entire crew understood something was wrong as they quickly set into motion. Against all expectations, a calm voice broke through the chaos, countermanding Kali's orders as Vahn simply stated, "It is fine, leave this one to me..." Though they would normally never ignore Kali's orders, Vahn's words seemed to pass through the entire crew, carrying with them calm and compelling energy that caused Kali to look toward him, asking, "Are you certain? That isn't something even you should be able to fight..."Hearing Kali's words, Vahn turned around, eyes blazing like blue flames with a calm smile on his face as he said, "You may be right, but that doesn't mean there aren't other ways to deal with the situation. Besides, you should know me well enough at this point...do you think I will endanger the lives of everyone here on a whim?" Even as he was speaking, Vahn had restrained his domain and enclosed it around the ship, bringing the mana in the surroundings under his control in the process. The mana was so dense that it glistened under the light of the sun, causing the crew of Amazonesses to show extreme confusion as they reached out, tracing their fingers through the air.As he had stated, Kali knew that Vahn wasn't the type to put others at risk, almost to the point of it being a major weakness of his. Thus, though reason told her it was an extremely foolish decision to make, Kali took a deep breath through her nose before sitting back on her platform, stating, "Khodiva, full speed ahead...!" Even as these words left her mouth, Kali felt somewhat foolish but convinced herself that it would only be a small setback if she ended up dying as a result of Vahn's hubris. Since he would probably survive, she could use it as leverage against him and force him to be more amenable in the future...Following Kali's order, the crew stopped furling the sails as Khodiva continued to steer the ship forward, the atmosphere growing progressively more tense with the passage of time. They had yet to see what had alerted both Vahn and Kali, causing them to feel giddy and excited as their anticipation continued to rise. It wasn't until large serrated points began to rise out of the sea that the generally fearless Amazonesses realized what it was they were facing. In an instant, even Bache and Khodiva paled greatly at some of the crewmembers, for the first time, became idle in their movements with expressions of sheer disbelief and terror on their faces...Suddenly, the sea level began to rapidly drop as a black void appeared beneath the ship, causing the jagged points nearly a kilometer in the distance to feel as though they were ascended into the sky. However, instead of descending with the water, the ship continued forward on its trajectory, flying through the air under the guidance of Vahn. The water level continued to descend several hundred meters in only a few seconds, revealing the serrated spines to actually be the teeth of a massive funnel-like creature. For nearly 2km, the sea itself was being sucked in by the impossibly large monstrosity before the gaping circular maw began to slowly close, it's thousands of rows of serrated teeth coiling inward as the sea turned incredibly tumultuous below.As if unaffected by the terrifying event playing out below, the Kali Familia ship continued through the sky, bypassing the periphery of spire-like teeth that were more than 20m tall with ease. Vahn had been using telekinesis to propel the 40-ton vessel through the air, causing a dull ache in his mind but no outwardly discernable signs of stress or fatigue. He also knew his action was more than a little foolish but, after seeing the impossible large monster rising up from the sea's depths, Vahn felt like he 'needed' to press forward. As for the creature itself, it was something that all sailors feared and was considered to be on the level of a natural disaster that had plagued the Poseidon Sea since before more than a hundred thousand years...the Charybdis.Though it was a 'legendary' creature, there were tens of sights of the monstrous entity each year, depicting it as a titanic monster whose maw alone was nearly 3km across. It was impossible to know when and where it would appear but, if any ship was unfortunate enough to be even remotely close, death was almost inevitable. Even if they had turned around and rowed with maximum speed, Vahn had determined the ship wouldn't have been able to completely avoid the Charybdis. After all, the creature seemed to be 'targetting' them, something he intended to confront Kali about later on. He was relatively certain it was her aura that had drawn the attention of the massive creature and, based on her reaction after realizing what they were facing, Vahn was equally as certain that she was aware of it...For nearly a half hour, there wasn't much movement on the ship as Vahn continued to focus on propelling it through the air, waiting for the sea below to stabilize. The Charybdis had displaced such a massive amount of seawater that waves more than 25m high continued to rage about for a while afterward. This was the combined result of the sea's displacement, followed by the massive funnel that had been created as the Charybdis dove back into the sea's depths. Vahn had no idea how large it's actual body was but, even with his domain able to sense well over 3km, he wasn't able to determine it's length. All he knew for certain was, much like Kali had attested, there were no practical means he could use to fight against something so monstrous that it made even the existence of a Level 10 seem inconsequential...(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-*&lt;---onomatopeia for intense staring','There is always something stronger...','Kali fucked up...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

After evading the natural-disaster class monster, Charybdis, the way the Amazonesses viewed Vahn had undergone a very noticeable change. Though they had always eyed him like a prize to be won, the few inhibitions they had been developing over the past two weeks had been thrown away completely after things had settled down. Previously, they had given him a bit of distance and it seemed like they were struggling to get close to him, even though he hadn't particularly tried to keep them away. Now that they had survived an ordeal that would have spelled their deaths in normal circumstances, the 'instincts' of the entire crew had been triggered all at once...By the time the afternoon meal had come around, Vahn found himself practically swarmed by several Amazonesses, with even Tiona and Tione unable to keep them at bay. Instead of him feeding them, everyone was 'literally' fighting for the opportunity to feed Vahn this time around, including the youngest of the crew, an Amazoness named Myahi. She was only eight years old but had already reached Level 2, making her an 'adult' within the eyes of Amazoness society. Because she was still a little 'too young', however, she was being groomed much like Tiona and Tione had been in the past.Much to Myahi's lamentation, though she was also slightly happy for the opportunity, Vahn treated her like the child he considered her to be. This meant he allowed her to sit in his lap and, so long as she behaved, he didn't mind pampering her a little. Even Tione and Tiona gave her a bit of leeway, the latter of which eyed the young Myahi in much the same way that the various mother's at the Manor eyed their children. Soon, Tiona and Tione would both be mothers themselves so it was obvious that Tiona was thinking about the future, something that was particularly 'rare' for her...Most of the Amazonesses in the crew were relatively easy to deal with, leaving Bache, Khodiva, and the young Myahi as truly 'troublesome' ones. Bache was a Level 6 Amazoness who had never left Telskyura to find a mate, making her one of the few that had reached her late twenties that had yet to give birth. She already had a good impression of Vahn because of Tiona but, now that he had moved their ship through the sky and evaded the Charybdis, it was 'very' obvious that the way she viewed him had changed greatly. Previously, she had kept a bit of distance and simply watched the other Amazonesses interact with Vahn. Now, however, Bache had sat alongside Tiona with a small gourd of fermented wine, offering Vahn small saucers of the rather potent alcohol. He noticed wine had the qualities of a natural aphrodisiac but didn't refuse the offer outright, enjoying the lively atmosphere with a humorous smile that caused Bache to breathe a little heavily...The last of the troublesome Amazonesses, Khodiva, was the one that unnerved Vahn the most as she didn't overtly approach him and continued to 'glare' at him from the periphery. Though she might have tried something if it was just Tiona and Tione, as they were 'outsiders', the presence of Bache around Vahn made it impossible for her to get close. Normally, this would have applied to Myahi as well but, with Vahn having shown a great deal of leniency towards her over the last two weeks, most of the Amazonesses present weren't surprised that she was allowed near him. They knew Vahn didn't view her as a 'suitable mate' so her behavior was largely ignored since she wasn't an 'active' competitor just yet, yet another thing that frustrated the young Amazoness...Vahn kept Myahi pacified by lightly stroking her head as she 'brooded' in his lap with a light blush on her cheeks. Her pride made her want to lash out but the comfortable feeling coming from Vahn's hand made her hold back and 'tolerate' the offense of her fellow crewmates. She knew that she was still luckier than the rest of the crew as, even though Vahn didn't treat her like a woman, he at least allowed her to be near him. If he truly treated her like an adult, she would be stuck watching from the side, unable to breach through the defense of Tiona, Tione, and now even her Captain, Bache. Thus, swallowing her pride, Myahi bottled up her negative emotions and just enjoyed the small benefits she was able to gain...As the afternoon slowly turned into the evening, Vahn continued enjoying the lively atmosphere as Bache, seemingly realizing her wine had no effect, commented, "It isn't nice to get a woman's hopes up, Vahn..." She now understood why he had an amused smile and a teasing look when she would refill his cup, causing her to feel a little annoyed and embarrassed. In response to this, Vahn's expression remained casual as he said, "I'm trying to be conscious of the situation at large, Bache. How do you think things would play out if your wine actually had an effect...?"Hearing Vahn's question, Bache showed momentary confusion before Tione released an exasperated sigh, pointing to the group of scantily clad Amazoness in the cabin, saying, "We're on a ship in the middle of the sea with only a single large sleeping area. Even if Vahn was okay with you, do you think he wants to have a gallery of spectators watching...?" This caused Bache's eyes to widen slightly as she habitually glared towards the other Amazonesses before lowering her head in embarrassment. Tiona saw this, laughing uninhibitedly until Bache pinched her exposed side and said, "Don't laugh at me, you brat...!"Bache's words only caused Tiona, along with several other Amazonesses, to laugh even louder as their Captain, a woman who they generally revered and respected, was left furrowing her brows in frustration. If not for the veil covering her face, everyone would have been able to see Bache's deep blush as she could only glare back a warning toward her Familia members. If Vahn hadn't been present, she would have thrown them overboard and beaten them for their disrespect. Though she wasn't as 'mad' as her sister, Bache shared a similar love for battle and would usually never allow them to act out of line like this...This was something that the only person not to join the evening meal, Kali, was very aware of as well. She had been watching the small 'celebration' in silence, not really thinking about anything in particular and just waiting to see how things played out. When Vahn had started drinking the wine offered by Bache, Kali's brows had raised slightly in amusement before turning to a frown a few minutes later when it had no effect. Now, she was just taking note of how 'strangely' the children of her Familia were acting around Vahn, not that she could really blame them. As he had suspected, Kali was very aware of the fact that it had been her that drew the attention of the Charybdis. She would never apologize for this, however, and simply accepted it as a mistake she had made and should avoid making in the future...In this same silence, Kali watched as the evening meal went on far longer than normal before Khodiva finally wrapped things up, reminding everyone to rest properly. If Vahn had been affected by the wine, things probably would have played out very differently but now it was starting to get late and they would need to be up very early if they wanted to stay on schedule. It was her personal pride, ever since being made the Helmswoman of Kali's ship, to try and make each journey as short as possible.With Khodiva ordering them, many of the Amazonesses made small groans and complaints but ultimately did as they were told, transitioning from the galley into the sleeping quarters below deck. There was a messy network of hammocks present within, allowing the crew to sway with the bowing and rocking of the boat as it was turned by the waves. Along the inside of the hull, there were also a series of red oars that were placed in racks, ready and waiting in the event that they needed to avoid something like a whirlpool or navigate through difficult sections of the sea where coral reefs and rock formations threatened to capsize unsuspecting ships.One of the last to retire for the night, other than the seven members that would be manning the ship for the first night's rotation, was the young Myahi. She had already fallen asleep in Vahn's lap so he entrusted her to Bache, causing the mature Amazoness to frown slightly but still accept the responsibility. Vahn gave her a gratified smile, commenting, "If that scar bothers you, I can treat it for you later..." Though he hadn't seen it directly, Vahn had been able to peer through Bache's veil with his [Eyes of Truth] and saw the rather ghastly scar. He couldn't use [Wound Transfer] on a long-healed wound, but that wouldn't really stop him from being able to remove it with [Hands of Nirvana].Bache showed an expression of momentary surprise before furrowing her brows slightly and saying, "Tiona had mentioned it to me previously, that you were able to heal scars that even powerful Elixirs were useless against. If you were to treat my wound...you have to be willing to take responsibility. I'm not a weak woman who can't keep her instincts in check but that is something that I wouldn't be able to ignore..." Generally, the older Amazonesses were far more skilled at keeping themselves under control. So long as they weren't in direct combat, they could keep their instincts in check during most situations. If it was something that left a deep impression on them, however, even the most stoic and steadfast of their race wouldn't be able to restrain themselves...Knowing that, if things progressed as they were 'supposed' to, Bache would be the mother of one of his children, Vahn smiled in response, saying, "I'll keep that in mind...good night, Bache." These words caused Bache to inhale audibly through her nose as she turned away and retreated into the cabin with her fellow Amazonesses. She deposited the sleeping Myahi into a small hammock before crawling into her own, ignoring the heat of her body as she regulated her breathing. From a nearby hammock, Tiona had been observing since the moment Bache had entered the cabin, a small smile on her face as she curled up in her own hammock and went to sleep...With the majority of the Amazonesses either going to sleep or manning their posts, Kali had used this opportunity to enter into the galley, making herself and Vahn the only two present. Vahn was aware of almost everything Kali did so he wasn't surprised by her presence, turning toward her with a casual smile as he said, "Even if you didn't want to apologize, that is fine. We both made a mistake this time, Kali, so I won't force the blame on you..." Because she had been acting out as a result of the way he was treating her, Vahn couldn't truly blame Kali for the appearance of Charybdis. He decided that they shared responsibility for the event and chose to bury the matter instead of trying to reproach her for it.Kali had anticipated many responses from Vahn but had never expected the first words out of his mouth to be 'sharing' responsibility. She had nearly remarked that she didn't owe anyone an apology after hearing the first half of his statement. His latter words, however, had caused Kali to frown slightly since she didn't really know how to respond to them. Since she wasn't the type to mull over such things, Kali decided to just drop the matter entirely, saying, "I never expected you would be able to make my ship fly through the air. That was quite the impressive feat...it looks like you ended up taming my entire crew as a result, shishishi~."Seeing how Kali had reacted to his words, Vahn's smile curled up at the corner of his mouth and he couldn't help but chuckle lightly. This caused Kali's smile to immediately turn into a frown until Vahn reached out his hand, plopping it on her head as he said, "You're pretty cute sometimes, Kali..." As he spoke, Vahn rubbed the top of Kali's head, finding it a little difficult because of her bone mask. Because of this, before Kali could respond, Vahn added, "I'm not sure why you wear this bone mask...hmmm..." These words caused Kali to regain her senses, explaining, "It is to represent my true form and status as a Goddess of Death. In Heaven, I am able to manifest my Divinity and produce a total of eight arms, each representing an aspect of death..."Kali's words were left trailing as Vahn casually removed the mask, revealing her rather childish and pouting expression as he commented, "Sorry, but it's getting in the way..." Vahn resumed petting the top of Kali's head, causing her brows to furrow even deeper a rather annoyed smile spread across her face. The edge of her mouth twitched as she balled up both of her fists, trembling slightly as her icy voice stated, "Don't you dare treat me like a child, Vahn Mason...!" Even though she wasn't trying to manifest it, Kali's aura began to leak out as a result of the incredulity and rage that she was beginning to experience.Vahn knew he was skirting the limit of Kali's patience but remained undaunted as he said, "I'm not treating you like a child. It doesn't matter how old you are, how big you are, or what your status is, I've always had a habit of petting people I think are cute. Don't worry, as even Loki and Freya have been subjected to the same treatment..." Towards the end of his words, Vahn surprised Kali by bringing his left hand, caressing her right cheek and tracing his fingers through her hair. He then moved his right hand to her left cheek, slowly moving his thumbs across her face as threads of energy dispersed into the soft tissue of Kali's face. This was inarguably a kind of petting that would be considered highly improper under normal circumstances...Kali struggled with deciding if she wanted to be angry or if she wanted to just let Vahn do as he pleased. Her pride made her want to strike his exposed abdomen while the comfortable feeling in her face, head, and neck made her want to just enjoy the moment. Eventually, she did come back to her senses enough to shake away from his hands before observing their surroundings, noting that there weren't any prying eyes that had seen her shameful display. This caused Kali to inhale deeply before snorting as she manifested a new bone mask, protecting her head and face from Vahn's wandering hands. She noticed the wry undertones in his smile, causing her ire to fade rather quickly as a small smile spread across her face.Vahn was a little confused by Kali's reaction until she stepped a little too close, leaning against his body as she looked up into his face and said, "I've already given you several chances to try and stand on the same level as me, even in front of my own Familia. If you're going to act like this, you have to be willing to give and take, Vahn. I'm not going to let you do whatever you want without putting up any kind of resistance at all..." Kali had been tempted to warn him that, depending on the circumstances, she would have to kill anyone that saw him embarrass her. Knowing Vahn's character, these words wouldn't have been very conducive to her situation so she instead loosely wrapped her arms around his neck, adding, "Don't forget, I have a cabin if you think you have what it takes to 'tame' me..."Kali felt Vahn's body tense up, causing her to release a mischevious cackle as she pulled her hands away, tracing her fingernails across his chest and leaving a few thin red lines. She noticed they almost immediately healed, causing her to frown slightly and remark, "You're no fun..." With these parting words, Kali turned her back to Vahn and ambled over to her elevated platform. She made an effort to tease him by snaking her hips, knowing that Vahn was still unnerved by her physical appearance. As expected, Vahn averted his eyes, causing Kali to snort as she muttered, "Hypocrite..." before turning away completely and climbing onto her platform to lounge once again...(A/N: Kali is essentially calling Vahn a hypocrite because he knows she isn't a child, yet still acts like she is, all while having a Pallum as one of his lovers.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Myahi's major loss, minor victory...','Bache is a little sneaky...','Difference in perspective...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

While on his sea voyage towards Telskyura, Vahn wasn't idle back at the Manor and, though he was supposed to be taking a 'break' from external affairs, it didn't mean he was completely unaware of what was going on. With the coming of winter and the drastic increase in the population of both Orario and the budding settlements near the former Dwarven Fortresses, there were a few food shortages expected as the large caravans that had previously traversed through various countries had yet to reform. Vahn had found himself in a meeting with Fortuna, Minerva, Demeter, and another Goddess of Agriculture, Annona.Annona was one of the key suppliers of cereals and grains to all regions, not just Orario, and had been a long-time associate of Demeter. She had a rather unique appearance with fluffy pink hair that curled naturally, framing her rather gentle facial features. As all gods were considered 'unblemished', the thing that stood out the most with Annona was the fact that she had speckled freckles that were a light pink and soft brown coloration. She also had greyish eyes that had a tone of yellow and blue mixed in, giving her one of the more unique appearances Vahn had ever seen amongst goddesses. This, combined with her rather shapely figure, motherly nature, and gentle disposition made her very easy to associate with, even though she seemed a bit airheaded at times...Vahn had been listening to them give an account of the supplies that were likely to run short, especially on the fringe territories. Just as Emiru and Maemi had experienced in the past, there were many territories that would experience short famines during the winter months if hunting, gathering, and trade hadn't been favorable to them. Though they weren't yet his responsibility, Vahn didn't feel comfortable with the knowledge that small villages and tribes would struggle through the coming winter months. This meant that the elderly would likely starve while the young, especially if they were female, may end up being sold by their villages as slaves, trading lives for a small amount of grain and supplies...The problem was, even if he wanted to do something about it, the only 'viable' option was to either pass through each village himself, or send out members of the HDF to deliver supplies. This could have other detrimental effects, however, as it could potentially create a series of misunderstandings that could cause these villages to expect 'free' goods every winter. The people on the fringe territories weren't well educated and most led very simple lives where it was relatively rare for even a handful of villagers to be able to read and write. Some tribes didn't even speak the native language of Orario, and most of the Continent, Koine.Fortuna had come up with a potential 'solution', which wasn't too different from what would normally happen during such circumstances. The HDF members that were sent out to the fringe territories could exchange supplies for the very same people that would have been traded away by their villages, allowing them to become temporary slaves under a two-year contract, serving as an additional labor force for the Alliance. At the same time, Vahn had the option of training and educating these people before allowing them to return to their homelands later, taking farming techniques and knowledge back with them. These people would also serve as the catalyst to encourage migration and proactive trade with the Alliance in the future, allowing the flow of goods in and out of the City to slowly increase with the passage of time...Since Vahn knew that, under the right circumstances, slavery wasn't exactly a bad thing, he ended up agreeing with Fortuna's suggestion. The contract the Alliance used was significantly different from a normal slave contract so they wouldn't be mistreated and exploited as 'property' by those who thought themselves above others. Those that were already adults would be given work, shelter, and a steady pay that would allow them to save enough to finance themselves if they decided to stay in Orario after their contract expired. As for those who had yet to become adults, they would either be accepted into the School or incorporated into some of the smaller Familia. They would not remain slaves and would instead be given a proper education or apprentice within a Familia to learn a trade that would allow them to make a living when they were older...With these decisions made, Vahn had filled 100 storage artifacts that were filled with grain and preserved meat that he had obtained through the system shop. These would be 'issued' to HDF members who had already reached the rank of Lieutenant, meaning they were already Level 3 and had earned enough contribution points to be trusted with important assignments. There were now around 14,000 members of the HDF so Vahn had plenty of suitable candidates to choose from, each leading small platoons of twenty that would easily be able to fend off attacks from monsters and bandits. During the months before winter, the number of bandits that roamed the countryside increased exponentially as some poor farmers would take up robbing small merchant groups instead of trying to obtain a higher yield from their overfarmed plots of land...Though he had arranged the artifacts and supplies, the task of choosing suitable candidates was left to Finn who, when Vahn and Haruhime weren't in Haven, acted as a Commander in the HDF. Gareth usually presided over Lil Geirr so, after working with Finn for a long time, Vahn had come to trust his judgment and leadership capabilities. Though Finn's 'wives' had migrated down into the Dungeon, bringing their children along with them, Finn seemed in relatively high spirits after Vahn gave him a pendant that doubled his stamina regeneration. With some of the other 'benefits' Vahn had given Finn, even some of his wives had come to express their gratitude whenever he would stop by to discuss various matters...After arranging everything, Vahn entrusted the supplies to Yggy who was easily able to move inorganic objects between her other selves. It still consumed a lot of energy, but it was nothing compared to teleporting a person, allowing Yggy to easily complete the task and inform Finn about Vahn's arrangements. As for Vahn himself, he had spent a few minutes pampering Yggy before returning to where Fortuna, Demeter, and Annona were still waiting for him. During their earlier discussion, they had asked if he would accompany them for tea after he had finished his arrangements. Since Fortuna was also a goddess he was steadily growing closer to, Vahn didn't refuse the offer while Minerva, having her own matters to attend to, ended up parting ways with the group while Vahn was taking care of things.With nothing else planned for the day, Vahn spent around forty minutes enjoying the company of the three goddesses and, after she ambled into the room, his adorable little Autumn. She already had the physical appearance of a young girl of around eight years old, but her disposition made her seem far more mature. Autumn always seemed to have a gentle smile on her face and, much like her mother, she had eyes that drooped at the ends while even her movements seemed slow and elegant. She never seemed to be in a rush and would often spend well over an hour just staring out windows or quietly listening to the sounds of nature along the periphery of the illusory forest...When Autumn slowly made her way into the room, her natural smile blossomed even more when she saw who was inside, stating in a soft and quiet voice that was difficult to hear unless you were listening closely, "Father...Mother...it is good to see you. May I join you...?" Just after these words left her mouth, Autumn also gave a polite smile and a slight bow towards Fortuna and Annona, lifting the edges of her vanilla-colored dress in the process. Vahn, rarely able to refuse when his daughter's asked something of him, returned a smile of his own as he said, "I don't see any problem with having you join us, Autumn..." This was followed by Fortuna and Annona nodding while Demeter simply laughed softly before making space on the sofa so that Autumn would be able to sit between her and Vahn.Unlike his other children, Autumn was significantly less 'attached' to him, often sitting on her own and keeping a bit of distance between herself and others. During conversations, however, this would change a bit as she was also quick to make gentle and supportive contact with people, even though it was hard to tell if she was actually listening at times. Vahn didn't really know what to make of this kind of behavior but, as Autumn seemed to be happy, he allowed her to do as she pleased. Thus, after smiling radiantly towards Demeter, Autumn slowly ambled over to the sofa before fixing her dress and sitting in the spot that had been emptied for her. She folded her hands in her lap as her eyes seemed to peer off into the distance, seemingly content with just being present without even attempting to take any tea or snacks for herself...This was something Vahn was used to so he took the initiative to fill a ceramic teacup with a fragrant tea that was filled with honey. Autumn, though never really stating her likes and dislikes, always seemed happier when she had something sweet to eat or drink. Vahn placed two teaspoons of refined honey into her cup and swirled it around with a fine silver spoon before handing her both the teacup and the saucer. Autumn's eyes gained a momentary focus as her smile grew slightly, happily accepting the teacup as she said, "Thank you, Father..." before sampling the contents with an even happier smile.Like this, Vahn enjoyed a quiet and peaceful teatime with the company of three goddesses and his inexplicably quiet and elegant daughter. She only spoke a few short sentences when directly addressed, spending the rest of the time simply listening in on other conversations while staring into the contents of her teacup. If not for the fact that her Love parameter was at 8,017, even Vahn wouldn't really know what was going through Autumn's mind. He had tried asking her before but her only response was a somewhat amused smile as she answered, "This place is very warm..." without explaining the meaning behind her words. Since many of her answers were similarly as vague, Vahn had grown accustomed to just lightly pampering this peculiar daughter of his, doing his best not to 'disturb' the peace she seemed to have found...---Back on the Kali Familia ship, Vahn had a gentle smile on his face as his mind was focused on the tea party in the Manor. He was vaguely aware of the looks the surrounding Amazonesses would give him but it didn't do anything to particularly spoil his mood. Since his previous rumination, Vahn had decided to just go with the flow of things instead of fretting over them unnecessarily. Though this was a somewhat 'cyclic' habit he had developed, Vahn wasn't bothered by this fact as it was just another part of what defined the person he had become. He was happy with the life he created for himself in this world and didn't see any need to change. As a result, Vahn was sitting with nothing but a pair of waterproof bottoms and a few tribal accessories, blending in well with the surrounding Amazonesses, so long as you ignored the fact he was a man.Vahn enjoyed the feeling of the cool air against his skin while the warm and revitalizing rays of the sun kissed his healthy brown skin. During his previous rumination session, Vahn had decided to try and experience a similar way of life as the Amazonesses themselves, even though he was still just an 'observer'. He wanted to truly understand their perspective before making decisions that could impact their entire culture and way of life. Just as he had done with the Xenos, Vahn wanted to respect the unique society they had created and, though he would undoubtedly change some things, he wouldn't continue to force his perspective and bias.With these kinds of thoughts on his mind, Vahn stared out over the deep blue sea before shouting, "Sea monster, twenty degrees starboard side! Distance, 700m, depth 90m!" His alarm was followed by a series of orders from Khodiva, each setting groups of Amazonesses into motion as they quickly prepared for the coming battle. Now, other than a skeleton crew that kept the ship moving, most of the Amazonesses on deck had gathered near the starboard side, quickly gearing up with spears before releasing war cries and jumping into the water. Even though the monster had yet to appear, none of them questioned whether or not Vahn was telling the truth, instantly following through on the information he had provided, even as an 'outsider'.Shortly after the first batch of Amazonesses jumped into the water, there were a series of thumps that caused plumes of water to shoot up. Almost immediately thereafter, a large black squid-like monster that was covered with white speckles broke the surface of the water, flailing its tentacles as it thrashed about and tried to attack the 'swarm' of Amazonesses agilely cutting through the water and surrounding it. Seeing them easily evade the tentacles that could weigh several tons, all while acrobatically vaulting out of the water to throw their spears, was truly a sight to behold. They all worked together, coordinating their efforts to systematically overwhelm the squid-like monster without exposing any individual member of their group to danger...Vahn continued to watch the battle from atop the ship's deck, Tiona, Tione, Bache, and even Kali joining him. The stronger members would only interfere if the weaker members were unable to deal with the threat, allowing those with less experience to grow and mature. If Tiona, Tione, and Bache were to step in, the fight would have been over after a very short period of time. As for Kali, she rarely took action directly and was simply using the opportunity to linger around Vahn, saying, "This is how we Amazonesses live and die, fighting for supremacy against the natural world instead of trying to escape it..." Even now, Kali would say such words, almost as if she were trying to convince Vahn that their way of life was 'correct'.Hearing her, Vahn just gave a small nod without answering her directly, knowing that Kali didn't actually expect one from him. This caused Kali to lick her fang-like tooth with an amused smile on her face before she leaned against the ship's railing and shouted, "You brats, Vahn said he would personally feed the person who gets the killing blow~!" This time, Vahn's brows furrowed slightly as he gave Kali a sidelong glance, earning a mischevious 'shishishi' from her as the previously coordinated Amazonesses became like a school of piranhas. Amongst them, there were even two Amazonesses who leaped out of the water and mounted the squid-like monster, digging their hands into its slimy exoskeleton and forcibly trying to tear apart the plating with brute strength.Kali had turned to match Vahn's gaze, asking, "What, are you going to refuse after seeing them work so hard? I didn't think you were-" Before Kali could finish her words, Tiona had vaulted off the deck, flipping through the air with a playful smile on her face. This time it was Kali's turn to frown slightly as she watched the Level 7 Tiona performed an ax kick into the massive squid's head, causing a massive concave indentation that caused the surrounding water to 'drop' slightly before sending out a shockwave. The squid was smashed into the water while the surrounding Amazonesses were pushed away by the shockwaves wake, some flipping and tumbling through the water a few times as they tried to orient themselves again...When the squid's emerged once again, it was long dead as Tiona stood on the surface of its corpse, giving a sheepish laugh as she waved her arms and said, "You'll have to try harder than that if you think I'll let you have Vahn, ehehehehe~!" This caused Kali to click her tongue while Bache laughed from the side, covering her already veiled mouth with her hand with an amused light in her eyes. As for Tione, she had a stupefied expression on her face, realizing that Tiona had 'stolen' the limelight before she could even act. Even so, she didn't say anything and instead cross her arms with a 'hmph' that caused Vahn to produce a wry smile in response. He knew he would have to feed her too, causing a competition between the two sisters that would require him to pamper both until they were satisfied...(A/N: Reminder, Vahn's children have the bracket parameter (Familial Love), nothing more 'sinister'. Also, if there is a third chapter today, it will be later in the afternoon. Tomorrow will probably have four regardless though since it is the reset. Also, how is everyone liking the mini-arc with the Amazonesses? I'm not sure if it is interesting, even though I like the idea of sailing quite a bit...?)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Winter is coming...','The peculiar, yet adorable, Autumn...','Tiona is a very honest girl xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 937: Natural Disaster