Chapter 149: Date with Eina Tulle (1/2)
Vahn arrived at the rendezvous point and still had more than two-and-a-half hours until they were supposed to meet. Sitting on the edge of the fountain where they were supposed to meet, Vahn was enjoying the cool morning air on his skin while slowly absorbing the rays of the sun which had just begun to crest over the houses and walls surrounding the City. Sunrise had only been around an hour ago, and there was a gentle mist in the air that made the atmosphere feel calm and quiet.
While he was waiting, Vahn was reading various books in his mind regarding elves, half-elves, and even human relations. He was surprised because he came across a passage that discussed a bit about hereditary traits and genealogy. According to the book, the various different races could only breed with each other, with the exception of humans and Amazons. For some reason, it seemed like humans could breed with every race, and there were even rare cases where gods and spirits had mated with a human and produced offspring.
The thing that made Vahn feel a little strange was, there was a high chance that a half-breed would never have children because of some kind of genetic deviation. They were only able to breed with humans, and the fertility rate was almost low enough to be negligible. After finding this information, Vahn imagined Tsubaki who was already 36 years old but refused courtships while she focused on training and blacksmithing.
He felt bad for her because she was such a kind and caring person yet hadn't had the opportunity to have children of her own. Her situation also made him think of Eina, who was a half-elf, a human mixed with the species that had the lowest fertility rate of all other races except spirits and gods. She was 16-17 at this time, but there was a good chance she wouldn't have children for several years, and that is if she made an effort to do so.
Vahn was annoyed after learning this new information and having a few realizations of his own. He looked through the system and purchased a variety of manuals and documentation on fixing genetic defects, increasing fertility, and anything else he thought might prove beneficial. The thought of people trying to have children, yet unable to do so, was something that Vahn that was very unnerving to Vahn. After learning that his [Enkidu] may allow him to impregnate goddesses, Vahn had been thinking about children a lot.
Around a half hour before the meeting time, Eina entered the small plaza with the fountain and saw Vahn sitting in a state of deep contemplation. She was a bit happy that he had shown up early, as she was a bit worried that she would have to wait for a while. This was Eina's first date, and she wanted everything to go perfectly for the time being. There were various things she wanted to discuss with Vahn, but for now, she just wanted to experience acting like a couple for a few hours.
WIth Vahn's enhanced perception, even with his eyes closed, he was able to sense the approach of another person. He noticed the silhouette was a gentle sky-blue with a tinge of yellow, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that it was Eina with a happy smile on her face. Vahn realized that the shapes he saw with his enhanced perception, were actually the auras of the people around him. He was happy at the realization, as well as the fact that Eina had arrived early, so he smiled widely.
Eina was wearing a navy blue skirt that reached past her knees with a white stripe embroidered with flowers around the hem. Her blouse was a light green with a frayed collar and she was wearing a beige cardigan over the top. She leaned forward slightly with her arms behind her back as she tilted her head and asked Vahn with a smile, "Were you waiting long?"
Vahn stood up from the fountain before walking a bit closer and responding, "I was a bit excited, so I showed up early." Hearing his own words, Vahn chucked a bit before saying, "I notice you're also a bit early, Eina." Vahn put a little more emphasis on her name than normal which caused Eina to blush slightly as she explained, "T-this is my first date. I thought it would be impolite to keep you waiting, but it seems my efforts were for naught."
Her reaction made Vahn feel happy as, for some reason, seeing the girl in a flustered state always made him feel warm inside. She saw his expression and averted her eyes a bit which caused Vahn to finally notice why she looked 'strange' since he saw her earlier. Whenever she was at the Guild, she always wore a pair of glasses that made her look sharp and intelligent. Now, she had ditched her professional clothing and had even removed her glasses as she stood before him in casual attire. She looked like a beautiful young woman on the precipice of adulthood.
Eina noticed that he was staring at her, and it made her feel both excited and annoyed. She remembered the first time they met and how his eyes also seemed to wander, but his vision always remained clear like he was genuinely appreciating what he saw. She asked in a mock angry tone, "How long are you going to keep gawking?"
If Eina had known Vahn could see her aura, she would probably stomp on the ground in frustration because he took her question in stride and answered smoothly, "As long as you'll let me. You look very cute right now, though I don't mind your professional attire either." This time, Vahn's words made the blush spread from her cheeks to her ears as she inhaled a deep breath like she was going to scream at him.
Eina held the breath for several seconds while looking at Vahn's 'naive' and 'handsome' face before she let out the breath with an exasperated sigh and asked, "So, have you decided where you'll be taking me? You should know that I have very high expectations since this is my first date. Try to act your part properly until the end, okay Vahn?"
Vahn nodded his head in affirmation as what seemed like a perpetual smile covered his face. Every time he was around Eina, it always made him very happy, like all of her actions were very pleasing to him. Though it wasn't like how he felt around Hephaestus, Tiona, and Ais, it made Vahn feel somewhat proud to be standing before the girl he had thought highly of in the manga. He extended his arm to her and she stared at it for a moment before locking her arm with his.
Vahn led Eina around to various places he had visited in preparation for their date and made sure to ask her several questions about herself. He constantly paid attention to her aura and measured his actions by seeing how her affections increased or decreased. Though it was Eina's first date, it was also the first time Vahn had planned out the events, so he was in high spirits. Eina also seemed to be enjoying herself and, by the time lunch came, she was holding onto Vahn's arm in a much more affectionate manner.
Though Eina's breasts looked somewhat modest in her casual attire, they were actually on the larger end of the spectrum at around 86cm. Right now, Vahn could feel her right breast pressing into his left arm as he led the smiling girl around the various markets and stalls. Eventually, they had already been on the date for around four hours before Vahn took Eina to a park to rest and enjoy a picnic he had prepared. She seemed to be very pleased with how much effort he was putting in and even remarked about how useful his storage magic was. Though their date hadn't ended yet, she invited him to come shopping with her in the future.
Vahn set out all the dishes on the blanket he had laid on the grass, and Eina noticed that the majority of the dishes were still warm. Her emerald green eyes squinted a bit as she casually asked, "All of these foods, how long ago did you buy them?" Vahn noticed her tone was slightly odd and that her aura had fluctuated for a moment. Even though he wasn't looking at her, he could feel it flicker from behind his back. Suddenly, he remembered something he had learned long ago and had been overlooking for a very long time.
Since Eina already knew about his 'storage' magic, Vahn wasn't shy when using it in front of her. However, he had forgotten a very important aspect of 'storage' magic since he had been eating with Anubis and the children a lot recently. Items that had been placed into the dimensional space created by storage magic slowly lost their heat over time...
Vahn turned his head and looked into the inquisitive face of the beautiful half-elf. He could see from her slightly wispy aura that she was waiting to see if he would tell her the truth, or if he would try to lie to her. Releasing a sigh, Vahn sat down on the blanket next to her and continued to hold eye contact as he explained, "As you suspect, my storage magic isn't normal. Even I can't tell you where it comes from though, as I've always had the ability ever since I became self-aware in the Western Forests."
As everything Vahn said was the truth, Eina gave a satisfied nod before cocking her head sideways and contemplating for a few seconds. After finding the words she was looking for, Eina asked, "You're not a normal human, are you Vahn? Even if you were a super prodigy, increasing from Level 1 to Level 3 in two months is actually an impossible feat. By the time the next Denatus comes around, you will be one of the most famous people in the City because of your exploits."
After speaking, Eina didn't wait for Vahn's response as she looked into his eyes with a gentle smile and asked, "Can you tell me about yourself? I want to know where you came from, why you're here, and where you'll be going in the future." Eina didn't mind if Vahn had secrets, but if he was going to try courting her, she wanted to know everything she could to help prepare her own decision. Though she had been very happy on their date, Eina had heard many concerning rumors about Vahn lately and wanted to see if she could make sense of the matters.
Vahn ruminated over his own thoughts for a few minutes while thinking about how well things had gone so far. Though she started the date with 62 affection, the number had increased rapidly and she was currently sitting at 85 points with an intrigue of 91. Remembering how she acted in the manga, and seeing how well she thought of him, Vahn decided to explain about his history in the same manner as he had discussed previously with Hephaestus and Tsubaki.
Eina listened to Vahn's recounting of his 'past' with a mix of intrigue and concern. Hearing how tragic his past was, Eina recalled the small boy she had met nearly two months ago when he had shown up to report his level up and trade in a ridiculous amount of monster cores. He was much smaller at the time, and Eina almost felt like he was a cute little boy that had a bit of a crush on her.
Now, Vahn had grown to a height near her own, and they almost sa eye to eye when conversing. He had changed so much in such a short period of time and even achieved Level 3 after fighting against a Goliath on his own. She realized that he had to be putting in an insane amount of effort that would have broken a normal person. With that thought, she realized that Vahn may actually already be broken. Considering his past and how he acted around others, she was able to explain a bunch of his actions if she considered that he was slightly dysfunctional.
Vahn noticed that Eina's affection had suddenly jumped to 91, and he continued his story all the way until the end. Since he was being honest, Vahn also took the opportunity to explain his relationship with Hephaestus, Tiona, Ais, Nanu, and even the various other people in his life like Naaza and Lili, who had both been saved by him in the dungeon. Though he had expected her to be upset, she actually seemed to be a bit relieved after she gave him a strange look.
After his story was finished, Eina asked him, "Those girls you mentioned, do you truly love them?" Vahn was a little surprised by the question and he seriously considered his answer before saying, "I'm still a bit confused on matters related to love. I think I love Hephaestus, and I want to do my best to meet her expectations. Though she may not appear that way on the surface, she is actually a terribly lonely woman. I have also made promises to have children with Tiona and help protect Ais in her pursuit of revenge. I feel deeply for every woman that has shown me affection, and I want to do my best for each and every one of them."
Eina furrowed her brows for a bit in contemplation before muttering in a low voice, "He really is broken..." She looked at Vahn with an almost sad look in her eyes as she imagined that the boy had no brakes. He suffered so much in the past that he now sought out affection from others and pushed himself far behind the limits of where a normal person would break. The only reason he was able to do so, was because he was already broken from the start...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Eina sees clearly without glasses','View affection is hax, where was this in my childhood!?','Growing up without growing up')
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Einlion
Einlion I'll most likely write part 2 tonight as well, but it may require a bit of time.
Chapter 150: Date with Eina Tulle (2/2)
Eina began forming her own interpretation of the events that had transpired around Vahn, and she wasn't that far from the truth. Recalling all the things he had explained, she realized there was something that he had left out which contradicted almost everything else he had done. She could feel her heart rate increase a bit as she asked, "Why did you decide to pursue me, Vahn? All of your other relationships with women seemed to have happened due to circumstance, but you've acted strangely toward me since the beginning. On the first day we met, you even confessed to me in front of the entire Guild."
Eina's words actually surprised Vahn, as he himself didn't understand how to begin his explanation. He couldn't tell her she was one of the characters he liked from the manga, and it seemed very awkward to say he liked to tease her unless he had a reason to do so. Vahn thought for a moment, and Eina waited patiently at the side without disturbing him. After hearing her point it out, Vahn realized that she was actually the only woman he had 'proactively' approached based on his own decision. He thought she was very beautiful, and the moment they had met he instantly wanted to tease her because it made him feel happy.
Vahn couldn't think of anything else, so he released a sigh while saying with a bit of apprehension, "When I first saw you at the Guild, I thought you were very cute, even beautiful with your emerald green eyes. I don't understand the reason myself, but whenever I see your poised and professional demeanor, I want to make you smile or flustered. It...makes me feel happy."
Eina's brows raised at his explanation, and she began to realize that she may be the first woman he proactively approached. He clearly didn't have a grasp on his own emotions, and even when he mentioned his relationships with Tiona and Ais, it was almost like he was being dragged along for the ride. Remembering how he explained his interactions with Chloe, Hephaestus, and Tsubaki, Eina realized they were trying to help him build relationships.
Unfortunately, though they empathized with him and wanted to help, they failed to account for the fact that Vahn was broken, and not simply traumatized. They did well to keep him from being taken advantage of, but after he finally experienced a relationship with a woman, they didn't reign him in and explain things. Now, almost immediately after his first sexual interaction, he was suddenly surrounded by women and girls that had expectations for him. Since he was so eager to please, he always gave in to their needs and worked hard to make them happy.
Eina was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to take Vahn away from this City and raise him like a normal boy. She understood that everyone around him wanted the best for Vahn, but they had overlooked his character and allowed him to bear their burdens. If it was just one or two people, it might have been okay, but Vahn had mentioned more than ten! He was even learning to forge so he could impress Hephaestus while simultaneously supporting another Familia, and this was all while he was supposed to be recovering from serious injuries.
Vahn noticed that Eina was lost in her own thoughts and had a very serious expression on her face. He could even see that her aura was slightly chaotic, and he felt like he had done something to upset her. As they were very close to each other, Vahn reached out his hand and placed it on her head while channeling his [Hands of Nirvana]. Since she had styled her hair a bit, he didn't think it would be appropriate to stroke her hair and mess it up.
Feeling a warm energy enter her head, Eina looked toward Vahn who was showing her a gentle smile with a bit of concern in his eyes. She suddenly felt like her heart was wrenching in her chest and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Eina, in that instant, felt a powerful regret emerge from her heart as she recalled everything he had said earlier.
She felt like, when he had confessed to her at the Guild, it was almost like a cry for help and she had failed to hear it. Back then, he hadn't built any of the relationships he had mentioned, and every relationship he had after his confession to her was at the initiation of the opposite party. Eina felt like, if she had accepted his feelings at the time and cared for him, he would be on the road to recovery, and not bearing the burdens of so many people. She could have taken him and bought a small house and lived together while trying to help him live a normal life.
Vahn was surprised when Eina suddenly started crying and he couldn't help but pull her into his embrace as he starting gently patting her back and softly saying, "I'm sorry, Eina, I didn't mean to make you sad..." The moment Vahn apologized to her, Eina couldn't hold back her tears anymore as she hugged Vahn's waist and cried. The more he comforted her, the more she felt like she had failed him. Now, even though she should have been the one to help bear his burdens, he was trying to comfort and relieve her of the pain and guilt she was feeling.
Eina continued to cry in Vahn's arms for around five minutes as he continued patting her back like he was comforting a child and gently whispering into her ear. He didn't know what he had done to set her off, but he knew it was his fault and wanted to make her smile again. Every time he saw one of the girls around him sad or crying, he always felt like the world around him was a little bleaker.
He couldn't tolerate the atmosphere for much longer, so he did something drastic and tilted Eina's chin and kissed the teary-eyed elf. He didn't do anything special and just gave her a gentle peck on the lips in hopes of lifting her mood a bit. Even if she was angry at him for doing so, it would be much better than having her cry into his chest.
Though she still had tears in her eyes, Eina immediately stopped crying as she stared blankly at Vahn's face. Seeing her expression, Vahn showed a gentle smile and said, "Please don't be sad, Eina, it breaks my heart to see you like this. I prefer your happy and smiling face a lot more. Why don't we eat lunch and try to enjoy the date? If not, I can escort you home and we can try again in the future."
Eina seemed to come back to life with his words as she began processing everything that had happened. She realized she had a very big decision to make, and it could potentially shape both of their lives far into the future. If she abandoned Vahn, he would likely continue to spiral downwards until he was eventually consumed by the weight of the burdens he bore. However, if she chose to be with him, she could very well become one of those burdens in the future.
Seeing the concerned expression on his face, Eina felt her heart twitch a bit and couldn't help but furrow her brows a bit. She was already too late to help him live a normal life, but if she tried hard, she might be able to relieve some of his burdens. If they started dating and became an official couple, she would be able to interact with the other girls in his life and help them understand the situation.
She also had the opportunity of refusing him and trying to help him fix things by talking to Hephaestus. She seemed to be very concerned about Vahn but was also the source of his greatest burden. However, if she did things in such a roundabout way, she might just be considered a busybody or someone that got in the way of their obvious affection for each other. Eina had no doubt that Hephaestus was as lonely as Vahn claimed, and she had likely placed all of her hopes into Vahn. If she made a mistake, she would earn the ire of the goddess and drive a wedge between herself and Vahn in the future.
If that happened, she would be forced to stand at the sidelines and watch Vahn's brilliance burn brightly before something inevitably forced the flame to extinguish. She didn't know if it would be the machinations of his enemies, or if he would be smothered by the burdens and affections of those around him. Turning toward the boy who continued to try and comfort her, Eina said in a very serious voice, "Vahn, have you decided who you are going to marry in the future?"
Though he was a bit surprised by the question, Vahn ruminated for a moment before responding, "I think I might marry Hephaestus, if she'll accept me. I'm not sure about the other girls since I don't want to restrict them. If they end up wanting to leave me in the future, I might feel sad, but I don't think I would be able to stop them."
Vahn wanted to keep all of his promises to the girls, but he never expected they would all follow him. He was just happy everyone gave him a chance to prove himself worthy, even if it was just temporary. Vahn was the most aware of how rapidly things had developed, and it was impossible to tell what would happen in the future. The only person he had absolute confidence in was Hephaestus.
Eina seemed to have made a decision after hearing his response, so she looked deeply into his eyes as she said, "Vahn, I want you to marry me. I won't restrict your relationships with other women, but I want to be your first wife. No matter what, I will never divorce you, and you can even leave me whenever you want." Though Eina knew she was putting yet another burden on Vahn, she believed that it was the best method at her disposal to influence the other girls around him. It also served the purpose of preventing some women from approaching him in the future, and it allowed her to be in close proximity to him so she could help stabilize his life.
To Vahn, it seemed like Eina was dead-set on making him more surprised with each question she asked him. He could tell she was serious, but he couldn't just agree outright after everything that had happened recently. It seemed like every relationship he was in spontaneously hit a critical point before he realized what was going on. However, seeing the look and concern in her eyes, Vahn didn't want to outright refuse her, so he asked, "Why so suddenly? This is just our first date, and there is plenty of time to worry about things like that in the future."
Eina agreed with Vahn's words, and she was the most aware of how quickly she was rushing things. Since she didn't want to be one of the girls that imposed themselves on him without explanation, she did exactly that and explained things to Vahn. In a very serious manner, Eina told him everything that she believed she 'understood' about Vahn and his past. She even made him consider that all of her deductions could be wrong, and wanted him to work through the matter in his mind to verify if her words were true.
Vahn listened in stunned silence, and couldn't help but retort in his mind that she had finally succeeded in stumping him completely. However, though he didn't outright agree with her words, Vahn understood that most of her speculation was actually true. Many of the things she was concerned about were the exact things that had plagued Vahn's thoughts recently. He knew better than anyone that he worked hard to please others while just being satisfied as long as they were happy. It actually placed a heavy burden on his heart and mind when others approached him, and he would almost rather do things for them than himself.
The thing Vahn didn't understand, however, was why Eina seemed to think marriage would help solve the problem. When he asked, she explained her reasoning even further and seemed to have a bit of determination in her voice. As far as Vahn could tell, she was essentially volunteering herself to act as his shield while still allowing him to act as he pleased. However, if he got out of control, she would be able to reign him in by exploiting his desire to please others. Yes, she explained that it was her intent to exploit the fact that he was 'broken' to help rehabilitate him. She wanted to bring stability to his life and didn't mind if Vahn never loved her as a wife. She even encouraged him to treat her more like an older sister that would always be around to give him advice.
Her words actually reminded Vahn of someone he had neglected a lot lately. As he had been so focused on his own thoughts and actions, he almost never initiated conversations with Sis anymore. It was only in the times when he was lost or confused that her voice would enter his mind and offer him a reprieve from his own chaotic thoughts. Vahn realized that Eina essentially wanted to take that role, and was willing to carry his burdens just so that he could be a little happier...
Within his mind, Vahn uttered a quiet sentence, ("Sis, thank you...for always being there, even when I neglected you.") In response to his thought, unlike the cold synthetic voice he normally heard, a gentle and womanly tone sounded in Vahn's head as she said, (*I will always be here when you need me Vahn. But it looks like I may lose part of my job now. Hahaha~*) For the first time, Vahn heard Sis laughing in his head in a happy tone. She seemed so much more human than he remembered, and was grateful that 'The Path' had given him such a great elder sister...
Vahn heard a notification in his mind and noticed Sis had purchased something from the shop without asking him. Within his inventory, there was now a pure golden ring with a faceted green emerald, identical to Eina's eyes. It looked like Sis was giving him a chance to turn the situation around a bit and act cool so he looked toward Eina and held out his hand before her.
Eina was a bit confused by his sudden change, but she could see clarity in his previously chaotic eyes as he held out his balled up fist toward her. Her eyes were drawn to the fist as it slowly opened and revealed a beautiful golden ring set with an emerald. Eina's mind exploded at the implication because she suddenly felt like Vahn always had the intention of marrying her at some point. She turned to look into his eyes and noticed his expression suddenly seemed especially affectionate.
Vahn slowly enunciated each word, "Eina, will you marry me?"
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Surprise Mother F*ckers!','The Vahnguard is now Official','How 'bout that subversion of expectations? Do you feel it now, Mr. Krabbs?')
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