Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After their not-so-brief spell within the Little Garden, Vahn, accompanied by Yuri, returned to the outside world in high spirits. Then, before Evan could even inquire about what they had been up to, the latter looked towards Vahn, saying, "Now that we're outside, there is something I wanted to ask you. Those people...did they really come from your Empire? They don't give off the impression of vassals or servants. It's more like you're all one big family? No...even that doesn't seem right...you're all way too close. Even family shouldn't be that comfortable around each other...?"Though he knew she had been pondering something during their stay in the Little Garden, Vahn was still a little taken aback by Yuri's sudden question and observation. In the end, however, he just returned a smile as he explained, "In many ways, they are even closer than family. After all, they are all a part of me, beings created from my very essence and shaped by my intent. Though they are all individual existences, it isn't an exaggeration to say that the bulk of the Emerald Grove's inhabitants were created by me."Hearing Vahn's assertion, Evan showed a considerable amount of shock, his eyes widening to full circles. Yuri, however, just adopted an excited smile as she grabbed his shoulders and said, "I knew it! That means you created that crazy chef and all those Pokemon, right!? Tell me, what do I need to do to get a chef like that for myself!? Seriously, you can't just hog all the good stuff! We're friends, no, partners, right!?"With Rindo's food possessing an addictive quality that could even rival a serious Circe, Vahn wasn't too surprised by Yuri's fervor. Even he had to admit that he had created a 'monster' when he came up with the concept of the [Ultimate Culinary God System]. It had only been around a month since then, but, as if to demonstrate just how broken a System could be when exploited without restraint, she had already created more than six-thousand Recipes, several of which could even qualitatively increase a person's strength for short periods of time.Unfortunately for Yuri, Vahn had no intention of creating a Template to specifically pander to her whims. Though he created many of his Templates with a specific purpose in mind, he also instilled in them the 'awareness' that they were allowed to make their own decisions. As a result, there were times when even he would butt heads with one of his Templates, the two most common offenders being Roger and Whitebeard. This helped to cultivate mutual respect between each of them, and, though he couldn't deny that certain Templates could be difficult to deal with, he still enjoyed every moment of their interactions.Doing his best to restrain the excitable woman's enthusiasm, Vahn grabbed her wrists, guiding her hands away from his shoulders as he calmly affirmed, "Though I understand where you're coming from, you should know better than to ask me such a thing. As someone who is fighting against the expectations forced upon you by a system you resent, you know better than most how agonizing it can be to have your actions dictated by others. I won't stop you from trying to befriend the others, but it wouldn't be fair of you to expect me to create someone for the sole purpose of pandering to your wants and desires."Though she felt a slight inclination to point out that there were several residents in the Emerald Grove who had been clearly created with his desires in mind, she managed to restrain herself. After all, it was Vahn's power, and, just as she used her own to act however she pleased, he had the right to do the same. Rather, as both a God and an Emperor, it could be argued that he had a far greater right to act without inhibitions. Instead, he had a strong sense of responsibility, and, though he was far from perfect, he did his best to make the world a better place.Realizing she was more than likely in the wrong, Yuri offered a thoughtful nod before saying, "Sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly. It's just that, even now, I can still taste that food. Seriously, that woman is a monster...I can't even recall the taste of anything I ate previously. Damnit, even though I understand what you're trying to say, that doesn't make it any less frustrating...!"Chuckling in response to Yuri's lamentations, Vahn extended his hand to caress her head as he said, "Don't worry. As I stated previously, they are all created from my essence and intentions. Though I dare not compare myself directly to Rindo, I am knowledgeable of the majority of her dishes. When the opportunity presents itself, I'll cook something up for the both of you. I imagine Evan wouldn't mind tasting the dishes that are making you behave like this..."Hearing Vahn mention his name, Evan couldn't help but issue a dry laugh as he remarked, "I was starting to think you had forgotten about me. Truthfully, while I'm interested in the cuisine of the Empire, I'd much rather the two of you stop putting me in such stressful situations. There were no less than thirteen attempts to probe the suite while you were away. Most of these were just simple scans using Observers, but three of the attempts were made using Lighthouses. I can hack into a B-Rank Lighthouse without much effort, so it is safe to say these were at least A-Rank. You should be very careful in the future. Though you might be able to create a barrier to prevent such intrusions, I fear this would just 'confirm' their suspicions and cause them to take action..."Though he had already reached a similar conclusion, Vahn nodded his head in response to Evan's advice, saying, "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind. For now, the two of you should probably book a room of your own. Though I imagine there are more distinguished hotels in the areas reserved for Rankers, I left the most expensive suite open. You should be able to justify reserving a room if you spread a rumor that I have been scouted by the Ha Family. This will put you in a position to regulate the other forces trying to establish contact with me. After all, there aren't many people who would actively offend the Ha Family, much less a Princess of Jahad."With an excited smile blossoming across her face, Yuri didn't hesitate for a single moment as she crossed her arms under her breasts and asserted, "Leave it to me! I'll beat those flaming chickens back with a broom if I have to~!"Showing considerably less excitement, the light in Evan's silver eyes seemed to dim slightly as he remarked, "I thought you wanted us to stay out of things...isn't this contrary to everything you said earlier? What happened while you were in the Little Garden...?"Waving his hand in a dismissive manner, Vahn preempted Yuri's mildly annoyed response by saying, "You're misunderstanding. The Leader of the Ha Family has already sent a delegation and even gave Yuri permission to contact me directly. With Yuri's reputation and status, it would be strange for me to refuse and even stranger for her to just 'give up'. If the two of you simply left, it would arouse a considerable amount of suspicion from everyone who is aware of Yuri's character. Besides, this also puts you in a position to directly coordinate with the members of the Royal Enforcement Division. If push comes to shove, you can openly ally yourselves with them in order to secure Yuri's standing as a Princess. My next objective is the Hell Train, so I can easily lay low for a few months once this is all taken care of."Realizing the truth contained within Vahn's words, Evan's expression became more serious. Before he could say anything, however, Yuri interrupted by asking, "Oh? You have some business on the Hell Express?" with a mischievous grin on her face. This caused his face to morph into an expression of sheer incredulity, a feature both he and Vahn, momentarily, shared...---After ironing out the most important details, Vahn saw Yuri and Evan off after promising the former they would meet during lunch the coming day. She actually wanted to stay inside the Little Garden, but, for obvious reasons, this couldn't be allowed. He wasn't the only one under observation at this point, so, while meetings could be arranged between them, it would set off a considerable number of red flags if they were spending too much time together.Though he would never openly admit it, one of the tertiary reasons behind Vahn's insistence that Yuri stay elsewhere was the fact that he simply couldn't keep up with her. She was as animated and temperamental as a mischievous child, and, though he found this to be one of her most endearing qualities, it was also mentally and physically exhausting to be around her. The only moment he was in control was when they were 'alone' together. In virtually every other instance, it was like he was the one being pulled around at her own, seemingly inexhaustible, pace.Truth be told, Vahn was rather fond of willful women, but, while he enjoyed the excitement exuded by Yuri, it contrasted his usual, rather carefree, lifestyle. He was used to going at his own pace, and, though it was fun to spend time with her, he would much rather spend time napping in a meadow with his usual cuddle buddies. His pursuits already required him to make a considerable amount of effort, so, whenever he had 'free time', he simply wanted to relax and spend time with the people he cared about.With this thought in mind, Vahn manifested the Little Garden and communicated his intent to the interior. Shortly thereafter, the subtle sound of spatial tearing could be heard as Fenrir, Ryun, and Yoruichi appeared in their wolf and cat forms. Then, despite it being rather early in the afternoon, he decided to spend the rest of the evening 'recharging' his mental and spiritual energy by having the trio of fluffy women keep him company. The next three and a half weeks were bound to take a lot out of him, so, in anticipation for the long night ahead, he wanted to enjoy the tranquility that always seemed to herald an impending storm...---While Vahn was gradually 'recuperating' his mental and spiritual energies, the factions tasked with keeping an eye on him were also lamenting the fact that Yuri had become involved. This made their job infinitely more difficult, as, even if they tried negotiating with her, the Princess was notoriously difficult to work with. She had a propensity for outright ignoring orders, and, though it had brought her a considerable amount of censure, she didn't even try to hide the fact that she was close friends with members of Wolhaiksong.With Yuri checking into the same hotel as Vahn, they immediately lost any chance they had at trying to approach him directly. Her presence was clearly meant to be a deterrent, so, unless they targeted him indirectly, the only way to approach Vahn was by going through her. This caused those familiar with Yuri's character to immediately experience a migraine, as it was simply impossible to take away a 'toy' that the Princess had expressed an interest in. She also had the blessing of the Ha Family, so, unless they received a direct order from Jahad, superseding all other authorities, even the hands of the Royal Enforcement Division were tied...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Welcome to the Little Garden. When you're here, you're closer than family.','I can't help but feel bad for Evan every time he appears...','Yuri is more infamous than famous xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With little more to do than waiting for the Workshop Battle to begin, Vahn took advantage of his few remaining days of peace to explore Sepia Island and the surrounding tourist destinations. He had always enjoyed the natural beauty of the world, so, with the 30th Floor being known as one of the most beautiful places prior to reaching the 100th Floor, it would be remiss of him not to explore while he had the opportunity.Unfortunately, even after having the Law of Identity turn into various high ranking members of the Workshop, Vahn was unable to locate the island that served as both the final tournament grounds and the location of the Thorn fragment. Only the Archimedes, one of the five great Suspend Ships belonging to the Workshop, knew of the island's location. Even Headon, the caretaker of the entire Tower, was ultimately unable to pinpoint its location as there was a powerful contract in effect that effectively prohibited him from being aware of it.Though she was able to get around most restrictions, one of the few things even the Law of Identity couldn't do was violate the contracts that often bound powerful entities. In other words, if they had taken a vow of silence or promised to safeguard certain information, she would be unable to reveal it to others. After all, for the period in which she adopted the identities of others, she had effectively become them, Innates, contracts, and everything else included.Fortunately, one week prior to the start of the Workshop Battle, the city-sized Archimedes finally made its appearance in the skies above Sepia Island. Shortly thereafter, the Regulars who had been conserving their Points began to flood into the island in such quantities that virtually every hotel on the entire island was booked solid. Those who couldn't afford a room temporarily became vagrants that wandered the streets, unable to rest due to the Workshop patrols that prohibited people from setting up camp and sleeping outdoors or venturing beyond the city limits.With an excess of Points in his possession, Vahn was one of the few who had been able to secure comfortable lodgings well in advance of the Workshop Battle. He had also received an invitation to participate directly from the Workshop, a boon afforded to only the Top 100 E-Rank Regulars. As for his current Rank, he was, curiously enough, Ranked behind a Regular known as Varagarv, the Mad Dog of Yama. The latter had been the 'strongest' E-Rank Regular for more than a hundred years, his status uncontested due to a rumor that only a Princess of Jahad could hope to defeat him.Vahn found it a little amusing that people genuinely considered Varagarv to be the highest seed in the coming competition. Even more amusing was the fact that the man had been commissioned by FUG to be one of the Regulars assigned to 'deal' with him. This was in spite of the fact that many in the organization tied him to the events that happened on the 21st Floor, an incident where he had literally defeated two High Rankers...---While everyone else was stressing about the upcoming tournament, Vahn couldn't help but smile wryly as he stared down at the port city from the balcony of his suite. The reason for this particular expression was the woman sunbathing behind him, her body on full display due to her vibrant red bikini that left very little to the imagination.Despite numerous protests, Yuri's methods of 'protecting' him had become increasingly bold over the past few weeks. Two days prior, she had even dragged him around the various shopping centers to peruse the items being sold by the Workshop. She argued that this would help prevent the other factions from approaching him, but, no matter how anyone viewed the situation from the outside, it was pretty clear they were on a date.Fortunately for the black-haired beauty, most of the protests had come from Evan. As for Vahn, he had already warned her plentily about the consequences of her actions, so, if Yuri was insistent that they spend time together, he wasn't going to refuse. She had actually put in a considerable amount of effort deter the factions trying to approach him, particularly the Yeon Family, so this was, in many ways, the least he could do to repay the favor.The true reason behind Vahn's wry smile wasn't that Yuri was present, it was due to the fact that she was lying on her stomach, tail nestled lazily between her shapely butt cheeks after eating nearly her entire body weight in food. She wasn't the only one either, as, after befriending the vast majority of the Emerald Grove's residents, she had convinced both Mikoto and Index to come out and play. The former wasn't much of a problem, as, despite her protests, she enjoyed riding on his shoulder in her Pikachu form. Index, however, had an extremely impressionable personality, so, a few meters off to the side of Yuri, a petite girl with silver hair could be seen patting her bulging stomach with a rather slovenly smile on her face...Doing his best to ignore the two gluttons that would periodically call out to him for more food and drink, Vahn continued to smile wryly as he gently squished and molded Mikoto's cheeks. She would never allow him to do this in her human form, her face becoming red the moment he got anywhere near her. In her Pokemon form, however, she would even go so far as to let him play with her ears or rub her belly, all while repeating a number of different mantras in the back of her mind as if she were trying to hypnotize herself...After fluffing her up to the point that she was periodically issuing a satisfied 'Chuu~', Vahn retracted his hands from Mikoto's cheeks before lightly poking her nose as he teasingly remarked, "You really are adorable..."Though she was perfectly capable of human speech, Mikoto turned her head to the side, averting her eyes as she replied with a bashful, "P-Pikachu..." as the electricity from her body caused her downy-like fur to stand on end. She had a habit of producing electricity whenever she was feeling embarrassed or bashful, but, thanks to his experiences with Yoruichi, Vahn was virtually immune to Mikoto's accidental discharges.Just as he was about to tease the bashful Pokemon further, Vahn's wry smile promptly returned as Index droned in a lazy voice, "Vaaaaaaaahn, I'm huuuuuuuungry~. Feeeeeed meeeeeee~."Turning to face the voice's owner, Vahn noticed that Index's stomach had already returned to its original form, and, though she had recently finished several kilograms of food, she somehow gave off the impression of someone who hadn't eaten in days. This made him feel a little helpless, but, having dealt with Fenrir in the past, he ultimately just responded with a light chuckle before saying, "I'll make something in a bit. There is ice cream in the fridge-"Before he could even finish his statement, Yuri and Index spontaneously sprang from their chaise lounges, bolting towards the interior of the suite. Fortunately, he had already foreseen this exact development, so, rather than a single tub of homemade ice cream, he dutifully prepared two. That should keep the gluttonous duo busy for at least an hour, though, considering who he was talking about, the concept of a brain freeze might not even apply to them...As if she could read his mind, Mikoto seemed to forget her Pokemon roleplay, remarking, "You're thinking something rude..." in a somewhat squeaky voice.Chuckling in response to the accusation, Vahn extended his hand like a ramp as he said, "Let's not worry about such things. Come, I'll make you some honey-glazed yakitori."Though she didn't forget to give him an accusatory stare, Mikoto ultimately climbed up Vahn's arm before circling around his neck and taking her usual position on his shoulder. For some reason, this had always felt like the most natural position, the sole exception being when Vahn was carrying her. The only downside to the latter was that it made it practically impossible to escape being caressed into a borderline catatonic state, so, for the sake of her own mental stability, she defaulted to riding on his shoulder...---With evening approaching, Vahn was preparing to see off Yuri when the latter suddenly stated, "The other Families have been pestering my Great-Grandmother, so she asked me to organize a meeting between you and their representatives. I won't force you to attend, but, if you're not busy tomorrow morning, we're going to meet up at one of the local cafes. I meant to notify you earlier, but I kind of forgot about it until just now...ehehehe~."Since Evan had already messaged him earlier in the day, Vahn merely chuckled in response to Yuri's words before extending his hand out to pat her head as he said, "Sure. It will be a lot easier to deal with them if they're all together. I'll see you tomorrow morning."Having gotten used to Vahn's propensity to pat heads, Yuri made no effort to evade his hand. She was actually quite fond of the peculiar sensation that emanated from his palm, so, until he retracted his hand, she just allowed him to continue petting her freely. It was only after he had finished that she nodded her head and said, "Feel free to dream about me~" in a playful tone before scampering away like a child that had just succeeded in a prank.Though he couldn't help but shake his head in response to Yuri's antics, Vahn still had a smile on his face as he watched her departure. He was slowly becoming more accustomed to her presence, and, inversely, she was beginning to mellow out a bit whenever they were together. This was a sign that their relationship was developing into something more sincere, as, more often than not, the surest sign of a healthy relationship was when both sides were equally compromising for the other...After closing and securing the door, Vahn made his way to the living room, his smile becoming even more prominent as he saw Index, now in her Jirachi form, munching on watermelon slices. Mikoto had pointed out that she would feel even fuller if she ate in her smaller form, so, with a newfound sense of purpose, Index was merrily munching away at foodstuffs that were even larger than her body.Noticing Vahn's gaze, Index adopted a troubled expression as she looked between him and the half-eaten slice of watermelon in her hands. Then, despite a considerable amount of reluctance, she flew over to his side, presenting the half-eaten slice as she muttered, "Here, you can have this..." in a sullen tone.Since it was pretty rare for Index to share food, Vahn decided not to point out the numerous whole slices present on the plate she had been eating from. Instead, he graciously accepted her offering, joining her for a light snack before ultimately returning her to the Little Garden. Since Mikoto had already returned a while earlier, this left him as the only person, sans the Law of Identity, remaining in the suite.Deciding to take advantage of the solitude, Vahn quickly cleaned up the mess that had been made earlier in the day. After he had finished, he returned the balcony, savoring the crisp evening air as he absentmindedly observed the port city below and admired the Archimedes above. Then, with an amused glimmer in his eye, he waved towards the distant Observer that was spying on him, a smile on his face as he manipulated the surrounding space to crush the expensive piece of hardware into a much smaller ball...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Varagarv about to get fucked up xD...','Mikotochu is quite cute...','The force is strong with this one...')(A/N: The third chapter from yesterday's block is pushed back to Friday. I'm not taking a scheduled break this week so there will still be more chapters than normal. I got a little caught up playing URF and Genshin Impact with friends so I woke up later than intended *heavy sweating*...)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though he had 'technically' completed the Test assigned by the Guardian, Vahn's ascent to the 30th Floor was via the accumulation of power cores. This was the simplest method to guarantee that his Pocket was registered for the imminent Workshop Battle, but, most importantly, it would also serve as an alert to the forces that were keeping tabs on him.At this point, virtually every faction in the Tower was currently keeping tabs on everything Vahn did. This included the Jahad Empire, who was investigating his status as an Irregular, FUG, who intended to either coerce him into joining or forcibly recovering the Thorn, and, though they weren't sure he was the one responsible, the Yeon Family had sent one of their elites to ascertain whether or not he was involved in the attack on the 21st Floor.Though the Yeon Family was currently the 'most' interested in him, each of the Ten Great Families had sent representatives to either spy on or establish direct contact with him. The most prominent among these were the Ha and Eurasia Families, for obvious reasons, but, as one of the secret Elders backing FUG, he had also drawn a considerable amount of interest from the Po Bidau Family. As for the rest, the Arie and Ari Families were simply curious about him while the Lo Po Bia, Khun, Hendo Lok, and Tu Perie Families were just following the example of the rest.Since it would actually draw even more attention if he ascended to the 30th Floor using anomalous means, Vahn decided it would save him a lot of time if he just 'announced' his presence. This would make things a little awkward for Yuri and the members of Wolhaiksong who were currently waiting for his arrival, but, considering how comprehensive their information network was, it wasn't likely to matter. Yuri could just play it off as taking an interest in a 'rising star', and, thanks to Ureko serving as their backer, few people were willing to antagonize Wolhaiksong...---After reaching the rather scenic 30th Floor, a region dominated by tropical islands, archipelagos, and massive coral reefs, Vahn booked passage to one of the most highly rated tourist destinations in the Middle Tower, a seaside resort located on Sepia Island. This was a region believed by many to be one of the most beautiful places prior to reaching the 100th Floor, and, as the location of one of the Workshop's Headquarters, there were a variety of hotels to chose from and a seemingly infinite number of shops to peruse.Seeing a number of Regulars lounging on the nearby beach, Vahn was briefly tempted to take a dip himself. Before that, however, he had a problematic Princess to deal with, so, after acquiring a map of the resort district, he leisurely roamed through the city streets before gradually making his way towards the most expensive hotel on the entire island. Along the way, he encountered a number of mechanical guards, a popular security measures used by the Workshop to deter criminal acts in the areas where Regulars reside. Even the weakest among them was stronger than the average E-Rank Regular, and, though it was unknown what Level they went up to, it was rumored that the Level 99 Automatons were nearly as strong as a Ranker.Though he was a little interested in the structure and composition of the mechanical guards, Vahn ultimately chose to ignore them. There were far more powerful versions found on higher floors, so, rather than concern himself with machines designed to police Regulars, he checked into one of the most expensive suites in the hotel before lying in bed and sending a message to Yuri. He knew she had been following him in secret ever since his arrival on the island, so, now that he had teased her for the better part of two hours, it was time to give her an excuse to pay him a visit.Unsurprisingly, it took less than five minutes before Vahn heard a 'very' loud knock on the door to his room. When he checked the monitor to see who was standing in the corridor, he could see Yuri with a hateful pout, and, as was often the case, Evan could be seen standing in the back with a tired expression on his face.Knowing she wouldn't hesitate to bust down the door, Vahn eventually hopped out of bed in order to allow Yuri entrance into the suite. Then, with a relaxed smile on his face, he attempted to evade her punch by entering the State of Nothingness. Unfortunately, this was an ability she had become intimately familiar with, so, while she held herself back quite a bit, Vahn found himself backpedaling in response to the glowering girl's punch to his sternum.Without waiting for permission, Yuri promptly entered into the room, shaking her hand as she said, "Don't try and bullshit me by telling me you weren't aware of my presence. The next time you make me wait, I'm going to punch you square in that stupid face of yours. Seriously, what kind of asshole makes a Princess skulk around like some kind of stalker for two hours?"While rubbing the sore spot on his chest, Vahn offered a wry smile in response to Yuri's words as he explained, "Though I won't deny that I wanted to tease you, Evan should have explained to you my actual reason for wandering around. I was compiling a map of the entire region while getting a feel for all the other forces keeping tabs on me. Cut me some slack..."Though she had, in fact, heard about Vahn's presumed reasoning from Evan, Yuri still crossed her arms in response to his words, stating matter-of-factly, "If you told us where you were going to be staying, we could have booked a room and waited for you. Regardless of your reason, you still had me walk around for more than two hours. Don't think you can fool me just because my Intellect is a little low."With the dent in his chest having vanished, Vahn exhaled a tired sigh as shook his head and said, "It wasn't my intention to fool you...well, not that it matters at this point. I'm sorry for making you walk around. Here, accept this as my apology..."Understanding that Yuri was primarily just fishing for sweets, Vahn pulled out a bag full of chocolate candy filled with caramel before tossing it toward her. This immediately brought a smile to her face, her vibrant red eyes sparkling as she tossed a few pieces into her mouth and emitted a contented hum. Then, after licking the residue from her fingertips in an unintentionally seductive manner, she casually remarked, "You're in a lot of trouble. That raggedy old crone in the Yeon Family seems to view you as her arch-nemesis. She sent someone pretty scary to investigate you this time around. If you choose to participate in the Workshop Battle, there is a good chance she will try to assassinate you."As he was already well aware of Ilarde's plot, Vahn's expression didn't change in response to Yuri's words. Instead, he gestured toward the sofa, inviting the two to take a seat before explaining, "The Yeon Family is the least of my problems this time around. Three members of the Royal Enforcement Division have been sent to view the Workshop Battle, and, though they are currently in hiding, FUG has machinations towards both myself and one of the weapons currently in my possession."Hearing that RED was involved, Evan's expression immediately soured as he said, "Princess, if what Vahn says is true, we can't stay here. Though we can play off this meeting as simple curiosity, your status as a Princess of Jahad will be endangered if you are discovered fraternizing with an Irregular."Scrunching her brows in response to Evan's words, Yuri snorted disdainfully as she crossed her arms and said, "I already explained the situation to my Great-Grandmother. She gave me permission to try and recruit Vahn into the family, so, even if those bastards in RED come knocking, I'm not afraid of them. They shouldn't know if Vahn is actually an Irregular so it's not like they can do anything to him. Besides, if Mr. Dragon Breath over there was worried about something like that, do you think he would meet with us like this? He obviously has something in mind. Stop worrying over nothing."Not expecting such a logical argument from the Princess, Evan found himself at a momentary loss for words as he looked to Vahn for answers. In response, the latter offered a similarly incredulous look before adopting a wry smile as he explained, "Yuri is correct. I do have a few plans in mind, so there isn't too much to worry about. So long as Yuri doesn't go out of her way to try and 'help' me during the coming battles, there shouldn't be any problems. To that end, I can't stress enough how important it is that you stay out of the fight. Remember, even if I die, it won't actually kill me, so, if you really want to intervene, you should do so on the side of the Jahad Empire. You can help me a lot more if they believe you are loyal to the Empire so don't do anything rash..."Rolling her eyes in response to Vahn's words, Yuri uncrossed her arms before rising from her seat and plopping down next to him. Then, without a word, she leaned her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes for nearly a minute before replying with an acquiescent, "Okay..."Vahn wasn't quite sure what to make of Yuri's behavior as he had asked the Law of Identity to only reveal information when he sent her a certain signal. It could be 'very' distracting to have her drone on about the innermost thoughts of virtually everyone around him so he could only rely on his past experiences to try and interpret the meaning behind Yuri's actions. Before that, however, he took the initiative to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her a little closer despite the deadpan stare he was receiving from Evan.Fortunately, this action, alone, seemed to be more than enough to satisfy Yuri as a contented smile immediately blossomed across her face. In hindsight, this actually made a lot of sense, as, more so than any words, she had always been the type to express herself through actions. The fact she had been so vocal earlier was evidence of the fact that she had been thinking about him quite a bit, so, now that they were reunited, she would clearly rather just go with the flow rather than talk about a bunch of troublesome matters.Realizing they would probably have to part for much longer periods of time in the future, Vahn sent a look towards Evan before manifesting the Little Garden. This caused the latter to shake his head in a helpless manner, but, rather than try to meddle, he pulled out one of his unique artifacts, a series of four red and blue fists known as [Adam's Gloves]. They were capable of generating a barrier that completely concealed those within from all forms of detection, so, even if someone tried to use an advanced Observer to spy on the suite, they would find it completely empty.With the trustworthy Silver Dwarf providing support, Vahn took Yuri into the Little Garden so they could catch up and experience a bit of privacy. Afterward, he took her back to the Emerald Grove to introduce her to all the newest residents. By then, she was already in a great mood, so, after hearing about how strong people like Whitebeard, Vegeta, and Android 21 were, she couldn't resist beating each of them to a pulp before challenging Index to a celebratory eating competition...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Everyone wants a piece of Vahn','Yuri don't play xD...','I take it back. Yuri plays hard...')(A/N: I was feeling pretty tired after this chapter so this will be the last one for today's block. Even writing three chapters takes between 8~9 hours at my current pace, so, unless I'm in a groove, it is far more likely that I will release three chapters per day. Anything beyond that is the result of hype or an inordinate amount of motivation xD.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1837: Pace : Lament