Waking up sandwiched by two goddesses was something Vahn had experienced several times, but each time seemed like a completely new experience. Even though they had very differently sized breasts, Vahn felt comfortable with both Hephaestus and Loki snuggled up and laying against his chest. Chloe was hugging Loki from behind and seemed to be 'chewing' on her ponytail while Arnya was laying in a very 'dangerous' situation with her head on his thighs as she drooled against his leg in a somewhat awkward fashion. Vahn was amazed at how 'dedicated' she was when it came to putting on her act, even though the majority of people had seen through it long ago. Loki had even tried to get her to 'confess' the previous night, but her reaction was to bite Loki's butt after she could no longer deal with the 'teasing' of the mischevious goddess.
Since it was Saturday, there was no need to wake up early, at least in normal circumstances. Vahn, however, had several things he wanted to work on and he knew that Eina would be arriving relatively early as well. He hadn't explained the reason, but he had asked both she and Hephaestus to visit his workshop early in the morning. Hephaestus had stayed the night, but she was busier than ever lately as she had been preparing for the wedding, taking on new contracts, and also dealing with matters relating to the Alliance and the ongoing construction. Loki and Hestia were helping her out a lot, but Hephaestus had the largest responsibility as the 'Chairman' of the Alliance. Since she was also the chief financial guarantor, there was a great deal of paperwork she had been tending to in the last few weeks.
Knowing this, Vahn had spent the vast majority of the previous night simply pampering her after they had engaged in a few 'bouts'. He knew that, even when they were married, Hephaestus would often be busy until things had stabilized. Even though she would be moving into the Manor after the wedding, she would still have to take care of her other responsibilities until the 'migration' of personnel had been completed. The only complaint she had about the situation was something that made Vahn very flustered, as it was primarily related to his 'activities' during the daytime. Because he hadn't been limiting his intimacy with the girls to the evening hours, Hephaestus sometimes had to 'deal' with phantom sensations in her body that would sometimes continue for hours since Vahn's stamina was abnormal.
Fortunately, the [Promise] he had given her in the past seemed to help deal with the urges by a great deal and she had also been growing accustomed to the sensations on her own. As a goddess, her adaptability was quite high but she still asked Vahn to show a bit of restraint or to at least give her a warning beforehand. She had apparently been in a meeting with contractors before having to call it to a quick end when Vahn had been 'playing' around with Tiona previously. Since Tiona was the first girl that he had spent time with during the 'lunch' block of his schedule, Hephaestus had been caught completely off guard and had to 'retire' to her workshop after dismissing the contractors.
Knowing that Hephaestus was working so hard for their futures, yet he was constantly inconveniencing her, made Vahn feel very guilty. However, Hephaestus didn't seem to mind at all and simply encouraged him to do as he pleased, as his happiness was her happiness as well. Once the matters regarding the migrations and construction were completed, it wouldn't be a problem anymore so Hephaestus told him not to worry about it. Vahn nodded his head in affirmation, even though it was clearly written on his face that he was still going to worry about it. He had already started thinking of several ways to make things easier for Hephaestus, or else he would have to restrict his 'activities' more in the future.
Because of his guilt, Vahn pampered Hephaestus after waking everyone up and, after they had all taken a bath, he helped her get dressed and also brushed her hair. Loki had left soon after breakfast while both Chloe and Arnya left to take care of a few things before heading out to the Hostess of Fertility. The weekends were usually far busier than the rest of the week so the Hostess of Fertility opening at 8 AM instead of 10 AM. Since it was a short distance, Vahn escorted them over while also making rounds outside of the perimeter of the Manor before returning to the interior. Though there were patrols investigating the area, Vahn's perception was far higher than theirs and he was able to 'scan' the surroundings far more efficiently.
While he was making the rounds, Vahn detected Eina's arrival and used [Shundo] to intercept her soon after she walked through the gate. She was startled by his sudden appearance and dropped the box she had been holding in her arms. Vahn swooped forward to catch the package while also supported Eina's body after she lost her balance trying to hurriedly catch it. Eina gave him an accusatory look with a blush on her face as she said, "Thank you, Vahn, but please don't startle me like that. You're going to give me a heart attack..."
Vahn smiled widely at her reaction before placing his forehead against her's and whispering, "Eina, I'm glad you're here...even though it's only been a few days, I've missed you." Vahn was now taller than Eina by several centimeters, so she had to look up slightly at him with a somewhat bashful look on her face accompanying her gentle smile. Vahn was always surprised by how beautiful her emerald green eyes were and he felt like he could get lost staring at them as a powerful instinct to 'rest' began to rise up inside of him.
Even though her blush had started to spread to her ears, Eina reached her arms around Vahn's back before tilting her head up and giving him a quick peck on the lips. After pulling away, Eina hung her head low and said in a very soft voice, "I missed you too, Vahn...I brought you something, but you'll have to wait until we get inside before you open it." Eina looked around the area before separating from Vahn and grabbing his hand as she led the way toward the entrance of the Manor. Vahn could see that her aura was flaring up with a pink hue that danced about like it was being influenced by the wind. She seemed to be very embarrassed, so he was looking forward to what Eina had brought for him. He was very tempted to 'peek' into the package with his [Eyes of Truth], but he didn't want to betray her just to appease his own curiosity.
When they entered into the door, Fenrir had popped up and startled Eina once again as she spread her arms and said, "Eina, welcome home!" Just like she often 'pandered' to Hephaestus, Fenrir had shown up to greet Eina when she entered into the foyer. After raising her hands in an excited manner, she then tried to lift up the corners of her dress as if trying to perform a curtsy. There were two tiny golden knots that had been tied to strings so that she could grab it between her small paws without tearing her dress with her claws. It was an incredibly adorable display and Eina let go of Vahn's hand as she leaned forward slightly and affectionately stroked Fenrir's head as she said, "Thank you, Fenrir, you're very cute this morning~."
Fenrir blinked several times as she tilted her head slightly and 'repeated', "Eina looks very cute this morning as well." As she spoke, Vahn and Eina both caught her sending glances at Vahn so he walked forward as both he and Eina pet her ears and praised her for a few minutes. After completing her 'mission', Fenrir ran off to return to wherever she had been before detecting Eina's arrival with Vahn. Through his perception, Vahn could see she was going to where Hestia and several of the girls were gathered. The large study that connected to the dining room was a commonly used area by everyone in the Manor and more than half of the residents were currently gathered there.
After Fenrir had trotted away, Vahn led Eina this time as he escorted her to the East Wing and followed it through to the connecting Annex where his workshop was located. Hephaestus and Tsubaki were already there waiting and, when he saw what they were discussing, Vahn nearly fell over. Because the workshop was a 'private' area where few people had access to, Tsubaki was currently showing off the [Midnight Passion Panties] to Hephaestus. The reason he had been so caught off guard wasn't that Tsubaki was wearing just panties and her sarashi, but that Hephaestus had been kneeling down and 'inspecting' the garment with a very serious expression on her face.
Eina was also caught off guard by the sight and said in a confused voice, "Ano...good morning Hephaestus, Tsubaki...I see you are in high spirits...?" Hephaestus blushed slightly and stood up as Tsubaki began laughing boisterously as she 'casually' stripped off the panties and set them on the table before fixing her hakama. When she had removed them, the black silk garment noticeably shrunk and Hephaestus picked them up and explained, "Tsubaki was showing me an item Vahn had 'forged'...please don't misunderstand...*cough*..." Hearing Hephaestus' words, Vahn felt a cold sweat build up on his back as Eina sent him a look as she mused, "Ooooh? I've never heard of someone forging a pair of panties before...is that why I was asked to come here so early?"
Vahn laughed awkwardly before explaining, "I actually called you and Hephaestus here because I had prepared a gift for the two of you. The panties...they were just an experiment related to creating armor that looked like normal clothing for the girls. They might look like a normal pair of panties, but they can automatically adjust their size to the wearer and also have high defensive capabilities..." Eina continued to give Vahn a slightly 'worried' look as he justified his actions and tried to explain the specifics of their 'functionality'. Fortunately, Tsubaki and Hephaestus both came to his aide and convinced Eina that he was speaking the truth. It wasn't that she hadn't believed Vahn, it was just a relatively abnormal situation and she was just caught off guard a bit.
In order to ease some of the awkwardness, Vahn handed Tsubaki a purple tunic before having all three girls sit down on a large sofa he had set out for them. Once they were situated, Vahn released a sigh and began to amp himself up as he said, "For the last two weeks, I've actually been working on a special gift that I'm hoping you would both be pleased with..." Seeing how 'nervous' Vahn was, both Hephaestus and Eina began to build their expectations as they watched him with slightly glittering eyes. Vahn usually put an exorbitant amount of effort into the things he created so, for him to be so nervous about the gift he had prepared, it must be something incredible.
Vahn pulled out the two mannequins that were covered in a white film that obstructed the contents and he began to feel giddy as he explained, "I know that its a tradition that the groom doesn't see the wedding dress until the ceremony, but I wanted to take a more proactive role instead of sitting on the sidelines and having the two of you deal with everything. You don't have to use them, but I'd like you to consider these dresses...I put all of my efforts into creating them, and I hope they are to your liking..." As he spoke, Vahn placed his hand on the white film and threw them into his inventory while leaving the Hephaestus and Eina shaped mannequins wearing the [Phoenix Fire Dress] and [Phoenix Night Dress].
When he had revealed the two dresses, all three girls' eyes opened widely because, though they had speculated about what Vahn was working on, none of them had guessed it was wedding gowns. The most incredulous thing was that each dress looked like a masterpiece and both Tsubaki and Hephaestus were very aware of the amount of effort he had to put into their construction. Eina was stuck in a stupor as she looked at the beautiful blue dress that she assumed had been personally made by Vahn for her use. Her current dress was very beautiful, but staring at the blue dress Vahn had created made her heart thumb powerfully in her chest and she began to take deeper breaths as she asked, "Is that...for me...?" She pointed to the blue dress and Vahn smiled widely and before explaining, "Yes, this wedding dress is called [Phoenix Night Dress]...when I created it, I wanted it to embody the-" Before Vahn could explain the creation process, Eina had leaped up from the sofa before happily embracing him.
As if she had been awakened by Eina's action, Hephaestus also rose from the sofa before walking over and affectionately stroking the beautiful red dress until Eina had finally freed Vahn. Taking the opportunity, Hephaestus also hugged Vahn tightly and shared a long kiss with him before saying in a tone full of affection, "Thank you, Vahn, it's beautiful..." Vahn nodded his head with a large smile on his face as he hugged Hephaestus' waist tightly and responded, "It had to be, or it wouldn't be worthy of someone as beautiful as you, Hephaestus..." Vahn received another passionate kiss for his compliment and it almost seemed like Hephaestus was about to push him down on the floor before Tsubaki's cough brought her back to reality.
Though the atmosphere was still rose-colored, everyone had calmed down a bit and Vahn explained, "The red dress is called [Phoenix Fire Dress]...it has high defensive stats and is also a magic item with four abilities infused into it, including one unique ability called 'Phoenix's Pride'. Its other abilities are 'Fire Immunity', 'Shock Resistance', and 'Weatherproof'. When you wear this, it will enhance your beauty greatly and make you stand out regardless of how many other people are present..." Hephaestus listened to Vahn's words as she looked at the dress with an enamored look on her face as she traced her fingers along the complex arrangement of magic stones that adorned the bodice.
Seeing that Hephaestus seemed very pleased, Vahn smiled before continuing for the equally enamored Eina, "The blue dress is called [Phoenix Night Dress] and has equally high defensive capabilities. Like the [Phoneix Fire Dress], it has four abilities including a unique ability called 'Phoenix's Embrace'. As for the other abilities, they are 'Ice Immunity', 'Shock Resistance', and 'Weatherproof'. When you wear this dress, it will emit a calming aura to everyone that looks in your direction. I wanted to create a dress that embodied the peaceful feeling you always bring me..."
Hearing Vahn's words, Eina turned her attention away from the dress and her expression melted into an incredibly gentle look as she smiled and said, "Vahn...thank you so much. I will always look after you from now on...because..." Eina began to blush furiously and her gentle expression turned into a flustered one as she continued, "Because...I love you~!" Eina's sudden exclamation surprised, not just Vahn, but the other two girls in the room. Everyone present loved Vahn, and he loved them, so it was a 'triggering' mechanism for someone to exclaim it so suddenly.
Hephaestus giggled with a slight blush on her face as she said, "Ara~? Eina is so bold this morning...I don't want to be left out, so let me also profess my love." As she had been closer to Vahn, Hephaestus moved over and embraced Vahn's head into her breasts tightly as she whispered in a sensuous tone, "I love you...Vahn." Vahn nodded his head and stammered, "I love you too, Hephaestus...I love Eina and Tsubaki as well.... every day I-" Before Vahn could continue, Tsubaki hugged his body from behind and gave Hephaestus a playful look as she whispered, "You talk too much, Vahn...but that is one of the things I love about you...fufufufu~"
Eina showed a pouting expression at the two 'mature' girls' behavior as she said, "Muuuu, you girls are being sneaky today. I can barely tolerate Vahn's teasing, so please go easy on me..." Tsubaki and Hephaestus laughed in an amused manner before releasing Vahn and pushing him towards the bashful Half-Elf. Eina 'caught' Vahn's head before mimicking Hephaestus' action of hugging his face to her chest as she squeezed him tightly and repeated, "I love you, Vahn...thank you for the dress." Vahn knew Eina was pushing herself a bit by doing something so intimate, so he felt very warm inside as he hugged her waist and rested his head against her chest as he said, "I love you too, Eina...you're welcome."
---
After the atmosphere cleared up a bit, Eina and Hephaestus began undressing in the middle of the workshop before Vahn helped them fit into the dresses. He didn't want to reveal the 'mechanism' yet, so they had to squeeze into the dress from the bottom and it required a bit of assistance. Fortunately, Vahn had used fabric that had a bit of give, so they were able to get into them without any great difficulty. Since he had made the dressed to perfectly match the figure of both girls, they didn't actually require any additional tailoring at all and Vahn just spent a few minutes questioning them about the feel and balance of the outfit.
While they were answering his questions, Tsubaki had been inspecting the mannequins that Vahn had used when creating the dresses and noticed that there were a lot of 'extra' details. When a lully appeared in the conversation, Tsubaki asked in a teasing tone, "So, did you make these mannequins yourself, Vahn~?" Though he could hear the insinuation in her voice, Vahn answered her question with a bit of confusion on his face, "Yes? I used a material called [Memory Putty] and sculpted them to emulate Hephaestus and Eina as accurately...as possible..." As he spoke, Vahn realized why Tsubaki had a teasing look in her eyes and his expression had been noticed by both Hephaestus and Eina so they looked over as well.
They had been so distracted by the dresses earlier that neither girl had paid too much attention to the mannequins that were in their 'likeness'. Hephaestus had simply assumed it was 'similar' to her, but now she saw the amount of 'detail' Vahn had put into it and she couldn't help but blush as she inspected the mannequin by walking around it slowly. Eina's face had turned completely crimson and her ears were drooping slightly as she 'glared' at Vahn and said, "Vaaaaaahn, we need to have a serious talk~!" Even though she was still wearing the wedding dress Vahn had made for her, Eina walked over and began lecturing him in a serious tone with a very flustered expression on her face.
All the while this was going on, Tsubaki was laughing loudly before deciding to tease Hephaestus a bit by grabbing the mannequins butt. She actually hadn't expected it to be 'soft' to the touch, so Tsubaki's eyes opened wider and she remarked, "Wow, it's so big and soft...I think I know why Vahn... wait a second!" Though Eina was still currently lecturing Vahn, Tsubaki interrupted her and asked, "Vahn, who else did you make a mannequin of? Did you make one for me as well!?" Knowing there might be a life-sized mannequin that showed her privates in detail made Tsubaki feel very embarrassed. She had been intending to tease Eina and Hephaestus a bit, but now she realized that if Vahn was able to make mannequins of the two, he could have very easily made one of her as well.
Tsubaki's words had caused all three girls to stare at Vahn and he suddenly felt very embarrassed as he tried to explain, "I just wanted them to be as accurate as possible...I made a few, but I haven't made one for you yet, Tsubaki..." Tsubaki released a sigh of relief before giving Vahn a serious look and saying, "If you ever want to make something for me, just let me know. I'd rather be here personally than have you gawking at a doll that looks like me..." Hearing Tsubaki's words, both Hephaestus and Eina also asked Vahn to inform them if he wanted to make more clothing for them in the future. At the very least, he shouldn't use such 'detailed' mannequins anymore.
Even if there was a negligible chance anyone would ever see them, just knowing such things existed was a very unnerving thing. As he had felt the same way when Eva made nude statues of him, Vahn acceded to the girls' words but still had to listen to their combined lecture for nearly an hour after the fact. The only consolation he found at the sudden series of events was that both Hephaestus and Eina looked very beautiful in the dresses he had made for them...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A Goddess in each arm, a cat on each leg~?','Fenrir is a smart girl','Vahn's attention to 'detail'')
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After promising to use 'normal' mannequins from now on, Vahn helped to remove the dresses by placing them into his inventory while they were still attached to their bodies. Other than with Loki, he had never used this capability before so both Hephaestus and Eina were startled when they were suddenly bereft of clothing. They had taken off their bras earlier, so Eina was left wearing nothing put pale pink panties with white stockings, while Hephaestus simple had on a pare of vanilla lace panties. She used to wear more 'normal' panties, but now wore expensive designer underwear whenever she came over to visit Vahn. Though it had already been 'assumed' in the past, a lot of the girls knew Vahn had a thing for clothing and she decided to play up to it a bit. Now that he was actually making clothing, including lingerie, it was pretty much cemented in the minds of the girls that Vahn enjoyed dressing them up.
Before they put their clothing back on, Vahn gave the [Blazing Passion Panties] to Hephaestus and the [Cool Passion Panties] to Eina so he could get their input. Vahn earned a few looks that made his cheeks feel hot, but they both tried them on without any real complaints. Vahn didn't get to see Eina's naked body often and he was surprised to find out she was now 'bare' down below. It didn't look like she had shaved, so Vahn assumed she had either had it waxed or applied an ointment to remove the roots. He knew it was a tradition for Elven women to 'purify' their bodies before getting married, but he hadn't expected Eina to follow the tradition since Half-Elves were scorned by Elven society. She had noticed his look and ended up turning her back to him but that only made Vahn's heart palpitate because he got an even clearer view when she bent over to wear the panties.
Eina was able to slip into her stark blue panties easily, but Hephaestus struggled a bit by the time the blazing red pair reached her thighs. Even though they were made of a stretchy fabric, Hephaestus' butt was rather large, not that it was fat at all since it was actually very toned, and she was unable to wear the relatively small pair of panties. Hephaestus had a blush on her face as she finished pulling up the too-small pair of panties until they had firmly seated themselves on her hip. Vahn swallowed a mouthful of saliva because the fabric bit into her skin and created a tantalizing sight because the stretched fabric had turned transparent in almost every area except the groin.
With a fierce blush on her face, Hephaestus looked at Vahn and said in an awkward tone, "They're a little small...but otherwise comfortable." Tsubaki cracked up at Hephaestus' remark before tracing the lining of the panties that were cutting into her butt with her index finger. Because Hephaestus had a powerful body, her pliant cheeks were actually somewhat resistant to the fabric and it looked like the only thing keeping it from snapping was the quality of the material. Hephaestus smacked away Tsubaki's hand and glared at her before peeling the tight garment off of her body and changing into something more suited to her figure. As they had already agreed to wear the dresses during the wedding, Vahn promised to make her a more suitable pair before the event.
After Eina and Hephaestus had properly worn their clothes, they spent a bit of time in Vahn's workshop as he sketched out designs and got their input on how he could improve his personal line for the girls. Hephaestus and Tsubaki were both skilled [Master Smith]s as well, so they also contributed their own designs while Vahn explained the 'mechanics' behind how he was able to draw so much potential out of the fabric. Hephaestus had already completely seen through it with her god's eye, but Tsubaki had only gleaned into bits and pieces after inspecting the fabric for a few hours.
Vahn knew from their explanation that his 'naming' ability was somewhat unique since they were only able to give abilities to equipment after careful planning and preparation. Generally, even Hephaestus only put 1-3 abilities onto a high-quality piece of equipment while the vast majority was left as a 'blank slate' since most Adventurers wouldn't be able to make proper use of such abilities anyways. However, though they typically had fewer abilities, Vahn knew that almost every ability Hephaestus put her effort into imbuing was nearly guaranteed to be S-Rank.
Tsubaki inevitably decided to focus more on creating weapons than expand her skill set to include clothing, as she wasn't that fond of creating armor in the first place. Because she was a warrior before she was a blacksmith, Tsubaki preferred to make powerful weapons and personally test them by venturing into the Dungeon completely solo. Her record clear had taken her all the way to the 37th floor since she claimed she would also venture deeper than her age through her own efforts. Since he had experienced what the Lower Floors were like, Vahn was somewhat shocked to know how far Tsubaki had been able to venture on her own. He knew that Ais, Tiona, and Tione actually had similar records, but for some reason, he had never imagined Tsubaki in the same vein, even though he knew she was another 'battle maniac' like the other three.
It eventually came time for Hephaestus to leave and, since she didn't have an escort on hand, Vahn escorted her back to her workshop with the use of [Shundo] while also holding Eina in his other arm. She had been busy training her 'replacement' at the Guild lately, so she wasn't able to stay at the Manor for too long. After the wedding, however, she would become a permanent resident even though her official office wouldn't be inside the Hearth Manor. She wasn't the only one that was being sent by the Guild either, as there was also a need for an appraiser and official notary to report missions that had been accepted and completed by the Alliance. Eina was going to be the 'Branch Head' and 'Liason', but she couldn't manage the entire Alliance's matters on her own.
Because of the 'no male' policy of the Hestia Familia, the two additional personnel that were being sent over were named Misha Flott, one of Eina's longtime friends, and Rose Fannett, who was one of the senior Guild personnel and had relations with the Loki Familia in the past. Vahn was slightly concerned about the presence of two more women in the Manor, especially considering they were 17 and 24 respectively, but Eina 'assured' him it wouldn't be a problem, at least for the time being, with a somewhat scary look in her eyes.
Misha was apparently a 'closet' lesbian while Rose had sworn off being in a relationship with any Adventurer that actively went into the Dungeon, as she was afraid of being left 'alone' if they died. The fact that she was a werewolf was still a bit of a red flag for Vahn personally, however, as he couldn't deny he was 'interested' in women of exotic species. The only other werewolf he had ever met was Bete, which showed that they were very rare and it didn't help matters any that Eina professed she was a very beautiful and mature woman that had been confessed to many times over the years.
After dropping off the two girls at their respective destinations, Vahn decided that he wanted to do what he had failed to accomplish the previous day, which was to visit the gods of the Alliance and stop by Welf's workshop. He had already informed everyone at the Manor that he would be out for a few hours, so there weren't any problems with him running around the City freely for a while. Though it hadn't yet ranked up, Vahn's [Shundo] had become much more fluid over the last few weeks and his transition speed was much faster than in the past. A trip that would typically take ten minutes in the past, at his full speed, now only took him seven minutes instead. One day, Vahn even wanted to learn the evolution of the technique that would allow him to even use the magic ability on the void itself. (A/N: Btw, the 'void' is typically just the 'air' or 'space' around a person.)
As he approached from the west, Vahn first arrived at the Miach Familia Manor that was still under constructions even now. Their members were staying in a temporary residence in one of the previously purchased buildings and Vahn got to officially meet their members for the first time. Other than Miach himself, there were only eight people present and Vahn noticed that the majority of them were female with the exception being a single male member. He wasn't aware of it in the past, but most of the active males had died as a result of the 'Pass Parade' that nearly cost Naaza her arm in the past. One of the reasons she hadn't stayed with the Miach Familia was because several of the girls, even though they couldn't blame her for the accident, would still feel a bit of resentment if she were around. Three of them had lovers that died while the rest were simply 'fans' of Miach himself and didn't want any additional 'competition'.
Miach received Vahn in high spirits and introduced him to everyone in the Familia, but Vahn could tell he wasn't actually nearly as welcome as Miach wanted him to be. Before the Alliance was established, nearly a third of his members had actually left the Familia and now it had become a somewhat awkward place to be. There were several people trying to join now, fortunately, so things should improve in the near future for the relatively small Familia that specialized in the production of medicine and potions. The fact that they had powerful allies, as well as a massive Manor and large plot of land, would make them very 'popular' for prospective alchemists and budding Adventurers in the future.
After enjoying a short conversation over tea, Vahn left the awkward residence and headed through the yard of his own Manor before leaping over the eastern walls and heading to the Manor in the east. Loki's residence was being built in the north, while the Anubis Familia would be residing in the south. Vahn wanted to visit Anubis and the pack last, as it would probably eat away the majority of his time once he arrived. Stepping into the construction site, Vahn saw the large shrine that was being constructed in the style of the Far East, as well as the massive dojo-like structure that was being built adjacent to it. Takemikazuchi was a principal god of Swords, Storms, and Martial Prowess with the lesser divinity of War. His Familia was being turned into the same type of Familia he had run in the Far East, where he trained orphans and those that wished for a better life to become great warriors.
Presently, the Takemikazuchi Familia had been reduced to a total of five members though, like the Miach Familia, there were several prospective members trying to join. Take' refused the vast majority of those that attempted to get close to him, as he wasn't fond of those that simply looked at the Familia as a means of getting closer to the Hephaestus, Loki, and Hestia Familias. He would rather walk the area of Daedelus Street and look for orphans than accept the 'seemingly' powerful Adventurers that were showing up at his doorstep and making bold claims. One of the reasons for this was due to the fact that Ouka, the Captain of the Familia, was still very young and was currently only Level 2. If he accepted 'veteran' Adventurers, it would undoubtedly cause conflict even if they genuinely wanted to join the Familia without ulterior motives.
Taki', Ouka, and the timid Chigusa, all showed up to receive Vahn once his presence was known on the premises. Even though they could stay in a temporary residence, they had already started living inside the Shrine and had been proactively assisting in the construction. When they saw Vahn, Take' had an amiable smile on his face as he bowed politely and said, "Welcome to our home, Vahn. It is a pleasure to see you in good health." As he was typically well-mannered, Vahn returned the proper courtesy which prompted by Ouka and Chigusa to bow politely as well. Ouka had his characteristic serious expression while Chigusa had a small smile on her face as she stared through the part in her bangs with her faded green eye. She allowed her hair to cover part of her face, which was somewhat strange since Vahn expected it would interfere with her responses during a fight.
After moving to one of the completed rooms, Chigusa prepared tea for everyone while Vahn sat on a cushion across from Take' while Ouka kneeled on the tatami mat floor in a proud seiza. As it was the polite thing to do, everyone waited for Chigusa to serve the tea and sit at the side before both Vahn and Take' lifted their cups and took a sip at the same time. Vahn's eyes flashed slightly at the fragrance and taste as he recognized it to be the same leaves he had given Take' in the past. Understanding Vahn's reaction, Take' chuckled in a calm manner and said, "My apologies, but the leaves you gave me are the best we have to offer presently. Even though we've received an inordinate amount of support from the Hephaestus Familia, we've tried to manage our other affairs without overly relying on the kindness of others."
Vahn shook his head and, with a polite smile on his face, simply stated, "It's quite alright, as this happens to be my favorite brand of tea." Take inclined his body forward slightly in a nascent bow and said, "Your words have eased a heavy burden from my heart. As our benefactor, I was worried you would find our lack of decorum dissatisfactory." After he spoke, Take locked eyes with Vahn and they both smile before laughing amiably and setting their tea down before assuming a much more casual demeanor. Now that they had gotten the niceties out of the way, they didn't have to continue putting on an act and allowed the tension in the air to dissipate. Even Ouka's shoulders drooped slightly as Chigusa released small bell-like laughter.
Now that everyone was relaxed, Vahn asked, "So, how have things been for the Takemikazuchi Familia lately?" Take released a small sigh before shaking his head and saying, "Honestly, things have been going both good and bad for our small Familia. Having the backing of the Alliance has drawn a lot of attention to us and we simply don't have the capacity to deal with the situation smoothly. Not many people are tolerant of the culture of the Far East and I've had to turn away almost every Adventurer trying to make 'use' of my Familia as a stepping stone." As Take' spoke, Ouka hung his head with a somewhat difficult expression on his face and Vahn could see him gripping his hands tightly. Chigua looked over at him with clear concern but it didn't seem like Ouka had any attention to spare her as he was lost in his own self-deprecating thoughts.
Vahn cocked his head in a thoughtful manner before saying, "I can probably help Ouka become stronger and you can always reach out to Hephaestus and Loki if you're having trouble finding members. Loki 'adopts' a lot of orphaned children into her Familia to train them as Supporters and future Adventurers, but they would probably be better suited under your tutelage instead. They had hundreds of members, but only three main groups that lead the expeditions, so they wouldn't be hurting after losing a few of the younger members at all." Take nodded with an appreciative look in his eyes while Ouka raised his head and asked, "What do you mean by saying you can help me become stronger? I don't need the pity of the man I see as my rival..."
Hearing Ouka call him his 'rival', Vahn felt a small flame ignite inside of him as a serious expression appeared on his face and he stated in a firm tone, "You have the resolve to consider yourself my rival, but lack the conviction to do whatever it takes to actually become stronger?" Vahn shook his head in a disapproving manner before continuing, "You're still just a kid..." Even though Ouka was older than he was, Vahn couldn't help but find his mentality somewhat childish. The fact that he held his pride so close to his chest like it was something precious, even to the point of allowing it to restrict his growth, was something Vahn found ridiculous. Just knowing he had a girl doting on him from the side yet he was seemingly unable to realize it made Vahn somewhat annoyed.
Ouka stood up after hearing Vahn call him a 'kid' and glared down at him with fierce eyes as he said, "I've heard rumors of your strength but have yet to witness it for myself. I wonder how strong the mighty Sage Aldrnari really is to go around calling the conviction of others into question?" Take' frowned slightly before releasing an almost inaudible sigh through his nose as Chigua flustered slightly and stood up to 'block' Ouka. When Chigusa blocked his path, Ouka placed his large hand on her shoulder and moved her to the side as he took a step toward Vahn. Chigusa wasn't hurt at all by his actions, but Vahn felt annoyed by how Ouka was able to 'toss' aside the girl that loved him. The fact that Vahn knew Ouka had affection for her made it even worse because he couldn't see how someone could possess so much pride that they ignored the fact they were hurting their loved ones.
Vahn sent a glance at Take' and saw the resignation present in his eyes and the slightly apologetic smile on his face. Take' understood that Ouka needed to be taught a lesson so he wasn't going to interfere in the guidance Vahn was about to confer to the prideful 'boy'. Understanding Takemikazuchi's intent, Vahn's inhibitions faded in an instant and he leaped up and struck the guard of Ouka and sent him flying through the bamboo door and out into the corridor. Ouka managed to right himself without falling to the floor, but the only thing he got for his persistence was Vahn's foot colliding with the side of his head which sent him crashing through the wall and out into the adjacent courtyard.
As he wasn't trying to actually injure him, for the most part, Vahn was holding back a great deal but was still easily able to overwhelm Ouka. Though they were similar in age, Ouka was only at the middle ranges of Level 2 while Vahn already had the requisite stats to reach Level 4. Even if Ouka fought desperately, there was simply no way he could put up any meaningful resistance against Vahn at all. Of course, this didn't stop him from rising back to his feet, rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand, and then spitting out a mouthful of blood as he glared at the approaching Vahn.
Seeing Ouka's expression, Vahn furrowed his brows slightly and asked, "Is this the limit of someone that considers themselves my rival? You looked so powerful when you were pushing aside a small girl earlier...strange." Hearing Vahn's words, Ouka showed a bit of confusion for a moment before gnashing his teeth and charging forward with a fierce momentum and trying to grapple with Vahn. From the moment his movement began, Vahn felt like the world had slowed down marginally and he was able to see every individual muscle on Ouka's body moving in concert with each other to support his blow. It was obvious Ouka was very skilled, but their parameters were simply incomparable with each other so Vahn twisted his body before spinning in the air and using Ouka's face as a springboard and landing back on his feet.
Vahn could tell that, at the very best, Ouka only had around 800 Agility, compared to his nearly 2200. Even Vahn's Power and Dexterity, the things that Ouka likely excelled at, were at the very least more than a thousand points higher. Since the return for parameters was exponential, and not linear, this meant that Vahn was several times stronger than the maximum output Ouka could manage. It was almost like an adult fighting against a child, even though Ouka was nearly 20cm larger than he was. Vahn suddenly felt a like like he had swapped positions with Tsubaki and now he was looking at Ouka like his former self.
Before Ouka could stand up, Vahn used [Shundo] to appear next to his body before kicking him hard in the ribs and sending him tumbling across the grassy courtyard for several meters. Chigusa had shown up at this point and tried to go to his aid, but Vahn shouted, "Stand back! Let's see how far his pride can take him. He already pushed you to the side earlier, so let him follow through until the end. Don't worry, I'll 'hold back' properly and even heal his wounds afterward." Chigusa had startled slightly at Vahn's shout, but she still stood in between him and Ouka with a fierce resolve in her eyes as she said, "No, this isn't right. We're supposed to be allies, not enemies with each other! Aren't you supposed to be a nice boy that is looked up to by Mikoto and Haruhime-sama!?"
Vahn nodded appreciatively at Chigusa and began to say, "You're right, Chig-" but Ouka had used the brief moment to stand up and place his hand on Chigusa's shoulder. She looked back at him with a concerned expression and saw the ferocity in his eyes as he said, "Chigusa, let me fight...I need to know the difference between him and me..." Chigusa's eyes teared up slightly and she muttered, "Ouka...please..." As if he had remembered Vahn's earlier 'accusation', Ouka didn't push Chigusa to the side and just walked around her before assuming a battle-ready stance once again. Seeing his action, Vahn nodded his head before assuming his own stance and saying, "Looks like you aren't a complete fool after all..."
Ouka's eyes squinted slightly and he tried to rush Vahn again in an attempt to tackle him to the ground. He knew he wasn't a match for Vahn in speed, so the only chance he had was to take the fight low in the hopes that he could outmaneuver Vahn using what he was proficient at. Vahn, however, completely ignored his attempt and stepped forward before locking hands with Ouka and closing his fingers like a vice as he smiled into the fiercely scowling face of Ouka. Gnashing his teeth, Ouka's incredibly muscular arms increased in size marginally and Vahn could tell he was using some kind of skill to increase his power. For a very brief moment, he felt himself be pushed back since Ouka had a greater momentum due to the size difference between them.
Of course, Ouka's advantage didn't last long at all as Vahn lowered his hips and used his body as a pivot to leverage Ouka's own momentum against him. Before he was able to react at all, Vahn had lifted his large frame off of the ground before slamming him back down, hard. Though Ouka suffered a severe blow, he actually tightened his grip on Vahn's hands in a vain attempt at trying to display his pride, but Vahn simply shook his head and said, "What use is pride if it only hurts yourself and those around you? Having pride in your convictions, strength, friends, and bonds, these are all worthwhile things. If the only thing you have pride in is your pride itself, then you'll end up a mockery when facing a stronger opponent. How do you expect to become stronger when you can't even break free from your own mentality? As I see it, you're simply just an arrogant child playing at being a man..."
His words finished, Vahn squeezed Ouka's hands tightly and forced his grip to loosen before throwing him over to the side where Chigua was flustering about with a conflicted expression on her face. When he was speaking earlier, Vahn had been bearing his [Will of the Emperor] down on Ouka and it had caused the boy to lose consciousness at the end. Hopefully, this lesson would serve as the catalyst for Ouka's future growth since Vahn really did want to see him as a rival as well. If the prideful boy could open his heart to others after his defeat, he would become much stronger in the future. To assist in this, Vahn walked over and handed some ointment and bandages to Chigusa who was 'shielding' Ouka once again.
Chigusa had a confused expression on her face when she saw Vahn's gentle expression and the first-aid supplies he was holding out for her. Vahn showed a small smile and said, "This fool needs someone to look after him...he would probably resent me a bit if I was the one to tend to his wounds, so I'll leave it to the girl he likes." In the end, Vahn sent a wink at Chigusa and she blushed slightly as she accepted the supplies and said, "Ouka...doesn't..." Vahn shook his head and stated in a firm tone, "No, I can see it clearly. I have the ability to see auras and the fact that both of your auras gravitate towards each other shows you have mutual feelings. His pride probably prevents him from approaching you easily, so you'll have to take the initiative if you want to develop as a couple in the future. You know, Chigusa, it is often the support of women that makes a boy turn into a capable man...I should know since I wouldn't be where I am today without amazing girls at my back."
Hearing Vahn's words, Chigusa had a bashful expression and she began to fidget before kneeling next to the unconscious Ouka and lifting up his body. Even though she was a small girl, she was actually a powerful tank that specialized in Power and Endurance, so she was easily able to lift the nearly 90kg Ouka as if he had no weight at all. As she carried the unconscious Ouka toward the waiting Takemikazuchi, Chigusa sent a grateful smile at Vahn and he could see a conviction contained within her eyes that hadn't been there previously. Her aura was sticking closely to Ouka body and, even though he wasn't aware of it himself, Ouka's was intermixing with her's as if driven by some primal instinct. Vahn smiled before waving at similarly smiling Take' and deciding to take his leave so Ouka had time to think without his presence putting pressure on him.
Watching Vahn's back, Take's smile increased in size and he turned to Chigusa and said in a calm manner as if the Captain of his Familia wasn't currently beaten to the point of unconsciousness, "Vahn is right, Chigusa. Ouka has carried a heavy burden before he was ready to bear it so his mentality has warped slightly as a result. You have my apologies, as it is primarily my fault he has become like this...please, take care of him for me from now on." Chigusa flushed slightly at Takemikazuchi's words before nodding her head and saying in a resolved voice, "I will do my best...so that Ouka can do his best as well. I will be a strong woman so that he can become a strong man!" Take smiled before trying to help her carry Ouka's body into the room so he could receive treatment. Chigusa, however, shook her head and said, "No, Vahn-sama left Ouka's care to me, and I'll see it through until the end." Hearing her words, Take' nodded his head before making way for the young girl as he remarked in his mind, ("Vahn-sama? What am I then, sashimi? Hahahaha.")
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP 2 Guild Girls','Pride before the fall','Chigusa'a Resolve is ignited~!')
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