Chapter 440: Undercurrents : First Contact
As a result of the wedding later in the morning, the training for the day had been canceled yet everyone was already well awake and moving about with varying degrees of excitement. Vahn was intercepted by Syr at the base of the stairs and they both smiled at each other before she giggled and said, "Today is your big day, Vahn~." Vahn released a contented sigh before saying, "It's a little hard to believe..." Syr grabbed Vahn's arm and guided him toward his designated location as she asked, "Are you nervous?" Shaking his head, Vahn said in a casual and calm manner, "No, I'm happy. They are both women I love dearly and hold close to my heart...I have no reason to be nervous at all."
Syr nodded her head before squeezing his arm slightly and mused, "I'm a little envious~." Knowing that she had missed the 'timing' to meet Vahn by just a few days, Syr often wondered how differently things could have gone if she had met him sooner. Of course, she was actually very happy with how things had turned out because she couldn't see herself elevating Vahn to his current status on her own. His happiness was her happiness, so Syr was all smiles even though her words were a bit melancholic.
The two entered the waiting area where Vahn was going to be 'kept' until Eina and Hephaestus arrived and could be whisked away by the others girls. As the groom, it was his duty to receive the guests that would arrive later, but he wasn't supposed to see Eina and Hephaestus until the ceremony began. He could almost perfectly envision how they would look, but Vahn knew it was important to go through the motions for such things as it was a very significant event for everyone involved.
Waiting in the room for his arrival, Vahn saw Fenrir, Ryuu, and Tiona sitting on one sofa familiarizing themselves with each other while Ais, Tione, and Lefiya sat across from them. Most of the girls were taking care of various tasks, but each of the girls present were part of the 'internal security' and were intended to keep Vahn distracted until Hephaestus and Eina arrived. Hestia and Tsubaki had already left to go receive the two and Vahn had an hour or so to spend with the girls before his own duties began.
They had all been waiting for him, but it was Tiona who first called out as she raised the brush in her hand and waved as she said, "Good morning, Vahn~! Come take over for me. Fenrir has been a good girl and deserves a reward~." Fenrir showed a somewhat crooked smile at Tiona's words before sitting proudly with her back straight as she exclaimed, "Yes, Fenrir has been a good girl! Kukukuku-"
Vahn smiled at everyone present before Syr let go of his arm and said, "Well, I have my own duties to attend to. Take care of Vahn for a while, okay~?" before leaving the room in a casual manner.
Vahn replaced Tiona on the sofa, though she didn't actually leave it and just squeezed together next to Vahn was a cheerful smile on her face. For the next hour, Vahn carefully tended to Fenrir's somewhat messy hair while making conversation with the girls. Everyone congratulated him for his marriage, even though it hadn't actually taken place yet, and they all seemed to be in a very good mood so Vahn felt even happier with how things were developing. He knew there was a chance something might happen later, but he decided to enjoy the moments when he could be happy without worrying excessively about such things.
During their conversations, Tione asked in a somewhat dismissive manner, "So, do you plan on marrying anyone else after this? I know Hephaestus and Eina are calling themselves 'First Wives', so that means you intend to get married to more girls, right?" Though she had a plain expression, Vahn could see her aura flaring up slightly and, hearing Tione's words, most of the girls present were affected as well. Without harping over the matter, Vahn smiled as he skillfully braided part of Fenrir's hair and said, "I will most likely marry several girls in the future, though I'm not sure how things will develop before such a time comes. It would be best if I consult Hephaestus and Eina about such things, though I imagine I will end up marrying Riveria at some point regardless of what happens..."
Ryuu, Lefiya, Ais, and Tione all twitched slightly when Vahn casually mentioned marrying Riveria in the future, even though they weren't actually in love with each other yet. Ryuu and Lefiya understood Riveria's position well, so they actually knew that Vahn's words were likely to be true as it would cause even more problems if they didn't get married. However, hearing him mention it now was a bit of an impact for the two Elven women. As if he had understood their concerns, Vahn continued in an equally casual manner, "I don't care about social standing and how outsiders view us at all, but I know Riveria will likely have direct correspondence with the High Elf Forest in the future. As for those that stay within the Manor, as long as they have a good reason I don't mind marrying them. After all, after the matters in the Divination, I feel like getting much closer to everyone so that such a tragic thing never happens again."
What Vahn was saying was his actual intent and, once he managed to get Eina's affection to the max, he intended to use the [Hearts Desire]'s of everyone that he had yet to use. He had originally been worried about knowing about the past of the girls in a one-sided manner, but now such concerns seemed pointless since he had an emotional attachment to almost everyone in the Manor and wanted to make them happy. Now that they had all taken 'Lifelong Vows' and decided to stay within the Manor, Vahn had lost his reason for delaying things. Just like he was starting to be more proactive with the other girls he had been keeping at arm's length, Vahn wanted to take more decisive action regarding how he treated his relationships.
After releasing a short burst of laughter, Tiona grabbed Vahn's free arm and looked upwards at him with a large smile on her face as she asked, "If I tell you how much I love you every day, is that a good enough reason for us to get married~?" Ais's golden eyes began to glow with a competitive flame as she stated plainly, "I want to get married as well...though not for a while?" Though she started off confident, Ais wavered a bit in the end as she looked to her right and left at Tione and Lefiya respectively before saying, "I will wait..." Even without her explaining things properly, Tione and Lefiya knew she was saying that she wouldn't want to get married until Vahn was with both of them. Tione furrowed her brows slightly before showing a small smile while Lefiya hung her head low and everyone present could see a deep blush begin to spread up her face and through her ears.
Vahn smiled at their reactions before several presences entered his perspective and he turned his attention toward them. However, the moment he turned his head to the side Vahn saw a flash of brown before Tiona covered his eyes and said in a playful tone, "No peeking, Vahn~!" Everyone on the network knew that, even if he couldn't see through things in detail, he definitely had the ability to look through walls and other obstructions. When they had been in the Dungeon hunting Bloodsaurus, Vahn would often look through walls and was able to see things long before anyone else was able to pick up on them. If it was just the influence of his domain enhancing his perception, he wouldn't have been 'glaring' at things through walls like he had done.
With a somewhat wry smile on his face, Vahn continued to brush Fenrir's hair even though Tiona was still covering his eyes and giggling. He knew he hadn't kept his secrets well, so it wasn't a surprise that the information had spread around on the network especially since insightful women like Riveria had been present. His actions of skillfully tending to Fenrir even with his eyes covered was his way of saying he didn't mind the matter of them knowing his ability anymore. Tione, however, seemed to find this interesting and asked in a teasing tone, "Can you see through clothing whenever you want?"
Tiona stopped covering Vahn's eyes and he could see sparkles in her's as she stared directly at him with a curious look on her face. Vahn tilted his head in thought before nodding his head and saying, "It's actually very difficult to see through things like clothing since people usually move around a lot. Because of how thin the layers are, I'm more likely to see into the body of the person I'm looking at than seeing their nude figure..." Tione had a mischevious smile on her face when Vahn first started speaking but then she became somewhat pale after imagining what it would be like to look at the muscles, bones, and organs of a person while trying to sneak a peek at them.
Vahn laughed at her reaction and explained, "One of the reasons I'm such a skilled physician is because I have that capability, so don't let it bother you too much. It's not like what you're expecting, just know that it isn't really practical for the 'purpose' you were thinking about initially. Besides, I don't think I have any need to peek at other women with the Manor in its current state..." With few exceptions, Vahn was almost positive he could get nearly any girl in the Manor naked if he actually asked them. He loved to admire the bodies of the girls, but he didn't need to do it in such a roundabout manner given the current circumstances.
Hearing his words, almost every girl present nodded their heads in 'understanding' while some of them even had slight blushes on their faces. As Vahn assumed, they didn't really mind him seeing them naked at all so there wasn't any need to sneak a peek at them at all. Even Lefiya shared the same bath with everyone and had 'exposed' herself to Vahn more than thirty times at this point. Though she was definitely bothered by this fact, she didn't really have any inhibitions about it anymore and just felt embarrassed by her own thoughts at times. Unlike Vahn, who was somewhat 'bold' with how he looked at others, she was ashamed that she often snuck peeks at his naked body at times.
As they were talking, one of the somewhat larger presences approached and Syr arrived at the door before smiling as she said, "Okay, until the reception phase comes to an end, you'll need to personally greet all the guests that arrive, Vahn." Vahn pat Fenrir's side and she obediently hopped out of his lap before trotting off to a mirror to check her current appearance. She had been behaving herself as the others were speaking because she knew she was the 'lucky' person that got to sit in Vahn's lap. Seeing how Vahn had styled her hair, Fenrir showed a big toothy grin on her face and gingerly poked at some of the braids with her claws. Her own body was immune to her abilities, so there wasn't any danger of cutting through her own hair.
---
Vahn followed Syr to the gate where they would be greeting the guests together before having Emiru and Maemi escort them to the proper location. Syr had a list of everyone that would be attending and Vahn was present merely for the sake of formalities. He had quickly swapped into formal wear that matched the dress of the Far East because he wanted to pay homage to Tsubaki being the person that 'raised' him after he entered the City. Since he had a healthy tan with dark brown hair, Vahn easily matched the common appearance of someone that hailed from the Far East, except for the fact that he had different facial features and aquamarine eyes.
By the time they arrived at the gate, Vahn noticed there was an incredible amount of security located around the outside of the Manor, even though the wedding was supposed to be a relatively small and private affair. He even detected a massive presence that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up and, if not for the fact that it glowed with a gentle yellow, Vahn would have thought a powerful enemy had arrived. As if she could read his mind, Syr giggled and explained, "The Freya Familia had agreed to help provide security for the wedding and she has placed some of her elites in hidden areas around the premises. I imagine you must have detected one of them~?" Vahn nodded his head as he used his [Eyes of Truth] to get a better look and saw a man he recognized, even though they had never met, standing next to a woman he recognized but was unable to sense for some reason...
---
Ottar was standing in the shadows of a window located in the same place that was previously used by the people spying on the Hearth Manor in the past. They had specifically chosen this building, not because they had any relationship with Vahn's enemies, but because it was actually one of the best vantage points to view the Manor without being too obvious. Seeing Vahn turn his attention toward him, Ottar squinted his eyes slightly before saying in a deep voice, "His perception is commendable."
Sitting next to him on a relatively luxurious wooden chair and sipping a cup of wine, Freya smiled as she looked into the crystal ball in her hands at Vahn's face. She could see his eyes flicker with a stark blue color and deviate from Ottar and land on her current position...
A peal of sensual laughter escaped Freya's lips and she said, "He can even detect me when I'm wearing an artifact that completely masks my presence...or perhaps he can see through the walls with those beautiful eyes of his~?" Ottar nodded his head with his arms crossed and said, "He didn't notice you until he looked in this direction to stare at me..." Freya's smile widened and she set the crystal ball and wine glass on the small table next to her and rose to her feet. She slipped off the silvery robe she had been wearing and revealed her godly raiment which consisted of an incredibly revealing black dress accented by red flower petals, very similar in structure to Hestia's. Without any explanation, Freya pulled at one of the petals and the entire dress began to wilt from her body as she muttered, "If you're so curious, please look at me, fufufufu~"
All the while Freya was acting strangely, Ottar's expression didn't change for even a moment and he simply continued to watch Vahn with an unwavering gaze. He saw the boy's eyes widen before he averted them to the side and avoided looking directly at them. Since Freya was beginning to lose herself in her own world, Ottar stated plainly, "He turned away..." As she had just been tracing her hands down her naked body and began to get excited, Freya was somewhat disappointed by Ottar's words before gently waving her hand and sending the petals around her feet dancing about in the air before they stuck to her body once again. After sitting back in her chair, Freya picked up her wine glass and asked, "What kind of expression did he have when he saw my body...?
Without any hesitation, Ottar explained, "He was flustered but otherwise unaffected...it was a very honest response." Freya's eyes squinted after hearing Ottar so she picked up the crystal ball once again and looked at Vahn's face reflected in its surface. Ottar wouldn't lie to her so this meant that Vahn hadn't been affected by her charm at all, at least not in any meaningful way. Though she already expected this, it was still a small hit to her pride and caused an urge to well up inside her to make Vahn her's once again. However, this urge passed quickly when Freya remembered everything she stood to obtain in the future by maintaining amicable relations with the Alliance, and Vahn himself.
In exchange for helping deal with the Thanatos Familia and providing security for the wedding, Hephaestus and Loki had agreed to allow her to meet Vahn much sooner than planned. She wasn't sure what had happened, but Freya knew a significant event must have taken place for everyone to urgently gather at the Hearth Manor previously. It seemed like Hephaestus and Loki were more willing to compromise with her now, but Freya could also discern through their actions that they were also being very wary of her, even more so than in the past. This was why she wanted to meet with Vahn sooner and she was actually surprised with how quickly they both agreed...
Sloshing around the contents of her glass, Freya ruminated for a short while before asking, "Ottar, dear, who do you think is the most qualified man to impregnate me~?" Though his expression generally never changed, Ottar's eyes squinted slightly as he considered the matter seriously and responded, "If it were based on strength and capabilities, it would be me..." Freya nodded with a smile on her face and turned her silver eyes to Ottar as he continued, "If it were based on potential, I can tell that boy, Vahn Mason, will likely become stronger than me in the future. Even though he wouldn't be able to take an attack from me right now, my instincts tell me this won't be the case for much longer..."
Freya laughed like a bell before saying in an amused tone, "That is indeed the case...even though I haven't seen his soul for myself yet, my intuition tells me his potential is limitless. Even though he has only been in the City for five months, he has already risen to such a point..." Setting her glass to the side, Freya held the crystal ball with both hands and hugged it to her chest as she asked, "Ottar, if I left the decision to you, what do you think I should do~?" Ottar inclined his head slightly before contemplating his response and saying, "I think you should always do as you please...you are like the wind, free and unfettered, so it isn't right for me to think on such matters. Allen may become a problem, but he shouldn't do anything that would offend you..."
Uncharacteristic of her typical behavior, Freya pulled her legs up into the chair and cradled the crystal ball as she said, "I have the option of bearing the child of anyone I choose, even amongst my own Familia now...but if I choose Vahn, I will be unable to maintain my relationships with my currents lovers..." Hearing Freya's words, Ottar's expression became somewhat solemn until Freya began laughing playfully before saying, "Don't worry, there are always ways around everything...besides, I think I may allow you to be the one to sire my child first~." This time, Ottar turned around to look directly at Freya and saw the seriousness in her expression. Nodding his head, Ottar said, "If Allen causes too much trouble, I will deal with him..." Freya's smile turned somewhat sad and she muttered, "It really is such a waste...he is such a cute boy. If only he wasn't so brash and obsessive..."
Of all Freya's 'children', Allen was the most 'crazed' amongst them when it came to his devotion toward her. Though they didn't fight seriously, Allen would definitely try to strike down Ottar if he were the stronger of the two. When it came down to the matter of Freya bearing a child, it was likely that he would take up his spear and cause a commotion in an effort to 'earn' the right. As he was nearly ten years younger than Ottar, he actually had a fair amount of room to justify such a right and would likely not stand idly by as the opportunity slipped through his fingers. If it were the case where he could sire a child later, it might not be that bad, but once it was known that he would lose his chance to Vahn, he would likely let loose his wrath. Unable to defeat Ottar, he may very well turn his spear on Vahn himself, especially considering that Allen had been complaining about his sister being 'stolen' by Vahn lately.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahnguard Assembles','Silver eyes in the darkness','Allen's frustrations')
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Chapter 441: Reception
Vahn had been surprised by Freya's presence within the room and had tried see through the secrets of the cloak she had been wearing before she began to strip. She obviously knew he was looking at her and Vahn got a brief glimpse of her almost unfathomable beauty before averting his eyes just before seeing her completely naked. Vahn knew he would have to deal with her at some point in the future and understood the 'necessity' of being involved with her, even though he didn't appreciate her behavior at all.
Freya had the potential of being one of his greatest allies in the short term and would be instrumental when they had conflict with the forces outside of the City in the future. Knowing she was present, Vahn speculated she had likely reached a compromise with Hephaestus and Loki and they would probably meet soon. What irked him was how she didn't seem to have any sense of propriety at all and this allowed Vahn to understand that she would probably continually make advances on him in the future. She was undeniably the most beautiful woman Vahn had ever seen and there was no way he could truthfully claim he wasn't interested in her body, even though her personality, as influenced by her Divinity, was something he couldn't tolerate at all...
Syr always paid close attention to Vahn and had noticed his reaction so a small frown appeared on her face and she asked, "Freya...?" Vahn nodded his head without concealing the matter and said, "She is with a domineering looking man that I would guess is Ottar, the King...she detected my gaze and tried to tempt me for a brief moment, but I was able to resist the impact of her charm." Syr gazed toward the direction Vahn had been looking with a complex expression on her face as she said, "Vahn, you must never drop your guard around her..." Syr knew Freya better than most people as she had once been the protege of the goddess and had lived with her for a while.
Vahn reached over and placed his palm against Syr's head and said in a gentle tone, "Don't worry, I have no intention of showing any openings to her at all...but..." Syr released a small sigh because she also understood that Freya was inextricably connected to the Alliance and would find her way to the core of the group eventually. The fact that she had given birth to Vahn's child so late within the Divination showed that Vahn had actually resisted her for nearly seven years before she finally got her way. Knowing that Freya was 'patient' for so long showed that she also treated the matter with the Alliance very seriously and would likely not cause too many problems...at least for now.
For a little more than an hour, Vahn and Syr stood at the gate and made casual conversation as they awaited the arrival of the guests. Syr talked a lot about potential issues that may arise in the Manor in the future so Vahn paid close attention to her words and took note of what he needed to pay attention to. During this conversation, their first guest actually showed up and Vahn was somewhat surprised to find that it was two women, one that he recognized and the other a complete stranger. However, based on the fact that that the young human woman with pink hair was Misha Flott, Vahn knew that the other woman, the Werewolf woman with red hair, was Rose Fannett. Because he knew they had been together in the Divination, Vahn's first impression of the woman was rather impactful and he dazed slightly at her 'intense' expression and wild look.
Syr smiled politely at the two and asked, "You two must be Misha and Rose, did you bring your invitations~?" Misha's pink eyes shone a bit when she laid eyes on Syr and she showed a big smile before reaching into her purse and pulling out a white invitation that was adorned with fiery red lettering and handed it to Syr as she said, "Hi there, I'm Misha Flott, may I ask your name~?" Syr laughed in a somewhat amused manner as she verified the invitation was legitimate with a small crystal and said, "My name is Syr Flova, it's very nice to meet you, Misha. I heard you'll be living within the Manor in the future, so have Emiru and Maemi show you around the premises for a bit."
Misha was pleased by Syr's words and accepted back her invitation before prodding Rose with her elbow and saying, "Rose, aren't you going to say anything~?" Rose had a somewhat serious expression on her face and she had been staring at Vahn with an almost hostile look in her eyes. Vahn somewhat understood why she had suddenly become hostile so he bowed politely and said, "I apologize if I had offended you. It's good to meet you, Ms. Fannet, Ms. Flott, my name is Vahn Mason, the Captain of the Hestia Familia and the groom for today's events." Misha's eyes turned into stars at Vahn's introduction and Rose's expression softened slightly as well. She had seen Vahn's 'appraising' look earlier and thought he was just another man gawking at her uncommon appearance.
Like all Werewolves, Rose's hair flared out slightly and took on a somewhat 'wild' look even though she put in a lot of effort to manage it. Most werewolves had grey, white, silver, or black hair, so it was rather uncommon to see one like her that had rusty red hair that she had tied up into a ponytail. She had a 'cool' appearance that could quickly turn into an annoyed and fierce look if the furrowed her brows slightly. As for her figure, which Vahn had taken a passing glance at, she had a very fit and athletic looking body with full hips and an ample bosom that looked to be around a C-cup. Her most noteworthy features, however, were the pointed ears atop her had and the somewhat large and bushy tail sticking out of her rear. She actually looked moderately similar to Fenrir, as they both possessed the characteristics of wolves.
As for Misha, she had medium length pink hair, pink eyes, a somewhat 'handsome' appearance and a limber body with moderately sized breasts. She was somewhat short, around 150cm, compared to the 172cm tall Rose and looked almost 'lazy' next to the 'serious' Werewolf girl. Vahn knew she was a long time friend of Eina and seemed to have a preference for women, so he didn't do anything that might offend her. She also seemed to have a high opinion of him since, shortly after his introduction, she closed the distance with him in an instant and grabbed his hands before holding them in an excited manner and saying, "You're the boy that managed to steal our Eina's heart~! She really lucked out this time..." Misha had looked Vahn from top to bottom before nodding her head with an 'impressed' look on her face as she said, "You're actually quite handsome, aren't you?"
Rose reached out her hand and gripped the top of Misha's head and pulled her back with an annoyed expression as she returned Vahn's bow and said, "I'm Rose Fannett...we'll be in your care in the future." before dragging off Misha towards the waiting twins. After she was confident that Rose wouldn't be able to hear her, Syr giggled with her hand over her mouth before saying, "They seem to be very lively girls...what did you think~?" Vahn gave a wry smile before saying honestly, "Rose seems like another troubled woman...and Misha seems like a very lively girl." Syr squinted her eyes slightly and look toward the direction the two girls had walked before saying, "Yes, she seems to be a very lonely girl. I can imagine how the two of you became closer, probably after the deaths of some of the other girls..."
Vahn furrowed his brows slightly at her words, but he knew her intuition was likely on point since Syr had a powerful understanding of people that Vahn couldn't match. Knowing that she would probably try to 'smoothen' things out on his behalf, Vahn shook his head slightly and said, "We'll see how things develop naturally..." Syr giggled silently without commenting on Vahn's decision but she knew things were never that simple, regardless of how he wanted to behave. Being surrounded by women that supported Vahn every day would undoubtedly wear Rose down over time even if Vahn never talked to her at all. In fact, avoiding her would probably just make the somewhat violent looking woman even more annoyed. Vahn might be surrounded by girls, but his understanding of their hearts still required a bit of education and guidance.
---
Over the next two hours, Vahn and Syr greeted a number of guests that had arrived to attend the ceremony. As they hadn't actually invited many people, most of the arrivals were the various gods of the Alliance and some of their important members. Loki had shown up accompanied by Finn, Gareth, Aisha, Bete, and a petite Amazon named Lena Tally. Even though Bete had an annoyed expression on his face, he still let her cling happily to his arm as they walked into the Manor together. Vahn didn't comment on it, but he could see that Bete's aura listed toward the somewhat young looking girl slightly and intertwined with her's a bit.
Miach arrived soon after the Loki Familia and he was escorted by a beautiful woman named Maria Tulk, the current Captain of the Miach Familia even though she was only Level 2. She had purple hair and dark blue eyes and was being led by Miach by the arm as they showed their invitations before proceeding into the Manor. Miach was originally going to attend the wedding by himself since things were a little awkward in his Familia right now, but he eventually gave up his original plans after Maria persuaded him.
As if by providence, the next group to arrive were people Vahn hadn't quite expected to see. The elderly Maria Martel arrived accompanied by a group of three children that Vahn immediately recognized to be the 'chivalrous' Rye, the 'lively' Chienthrope Fina, and the 'timid' Half-Elf girl named Roux. Vahn had learned the reason why Roux acted they way she did from Syr later and it had made him feel indignation at how cruel the world could be. Roux hadn't been born in Orario and had instead been birthed in one of the various settlements on the outskirts of the Western Forests. From the moment of her birth, she was treated very terribly until her mother eventually fled her village in order to preserve Roux's life. Soon after they entered the City, however, her mother died after trying to make a living as an Adventurer. In order to escape slave traffickers that would have tried to deport her to the Iron Hills, Roux disguised herself as a boy and had kept up the disguise for the last two years.
Vahn welcomed them all with a smile and had Syr escort them personally into the Manor after making polite conversation for a short while. Rye had accused him of 'cheating' on his big sis and had to be pacified by Syr when the boisterous Fina said that Syr could just marry Vahn as well in the future. Maria reprimanded the girl for her remark but couldn't say much considering that Syr appeared to have an intent similar to Fina's words based on the glimmer in her eyes. As for Roux, she didn't say much at all and just absentmindedly looked around at random pedestrians as she held onto Maria's dress with a white-knuckled grip.
Vahn watched the group follow Syr into the Manor and felt his own convictions grow stronger since it was 'unfair' for a young girl to have to live in fear simply because of her race. It was the policy of the High Elves that all Half-Elves needed to be killed at birth or exported to the Iron Hills to service the Dwarves if their parents wanted them to live. Orario was one of the few 'safe' places for Half-Elves, though it didn't stop slave traffickers from kidnapping the young ones and bartering them to the Dwarven caravans that often passed through the City.
When he had learned about this, Vahn had suggested having the orphans move into the Manor but Syr 'gently' refused his kindness. Though she helped care for the Orphans on occasion, Syr knew it would only create bigger problems if Vah showed such charity. Maria would simply find new orphans to tend to and, if Vahn felt sorry for each of them, the Hearth Manor would become more of an orphanage instead of the heart of the Alliance. Vahn was about to have his own children and it was simply 'too much' to have other children running around. She suggested he just make contributions to the orphanage and allow Maria to do her work in peace. If he really wanted to bring about real change, he should instead focus on taking care of his own family and building the school he had in mind to help children in such tragic situations mature into proper adults.
---
As it was approaching noon, most of the guests had arrived including Takemikazuchi, accompanied by Ouka and Chigusa, Anubis, accompanied by the entire Anubis Familia, and various goddesses who all seemed to have a good impression of Vahn. Vahn politely greeted each of them as Syr kept them at bay when they tried to get 'close' to him. To name each of them, they were Demeter, a very motherly looking goddess with orange hair, honey eyes, and some of the largest breasts Vahn had ever seen. Accompanying her had been the goddess Eirene, who had a gentle aura with blue hair, watery blue eyes, and the disposition of a warrior with modest breasts. They were two of the most influential goddesses in the entire City so they had been personally invited by Hephaestus to attend the ceremony.
The second to last group to arrive was a couple that made Vahn feel nervous even before they introduced themselves. Vahn could tell by the disposition of the Elven woman with blonde hair and emerald green eyes that she had to be Eina's mother, Aina. She was somewhat tall, around 171cm, and had a kind face that was almost identical to Eina's. Accompanying her was an honest-looking man with brown hair and an angular face that made him look very handsome. He was even taller than Aina, at nearly 180cm, and had an athletic looking build even though Vahn could tell he shouldn't even be Level 2.
When they arrived at the gate, Vahn had become somewhat rigid before bowing politely in accordance with the customs of the Elves and saying, "Greetings, Mrs. Tulle, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. And you must be..." Vahn had never actually heard anything about Eina's father before and this was his first time meeting the man who smiled and said, "Good morning, Vahn, my name is Thomas Tulle..." Vahn smiled in return before bowing politely once again and saying, "Greetings, Mr. Tulle, it is an honor to meet you..." Aina began laughing before walking forward and brushing the wrinkles from Vahn's collar as she said, "We'll be family from now on; don't be so formal anymore~."
Thomas gave a wry smile before walking forward and placing his hand on Vahn's shoulder as he said, "I'll be honest...this situation is a little bit different than I expected, but I'm glad my daughter found someone she loved so soon. Take care of her from now on..." Though he was doing his best to maintain a casual look, Vahn could see a bit of moisture building up in Thomas' eyes before Aina took his arm and said in a gentle tone, "You big softie...well, we'll be going ahead, Vahn. It is great to finally meet the man my eldest daughter talks about so often~" Vahn nodded his head with a smile and watched the two of them walk towards the Manor arm-in-arm. Though they had never met, Vahn knew Eina had a younger sister that should be around thirteen at the moment. Even though it wasn't that common for Elves to conceive children, Thomas seemed to be somewhat 'potent' as he was able to sire two children from Aina...
The last group to arrive was another pair, though not a couple as Aina and Thomas had been. Vahn's expression turned somewhat serious when he saw the tall elderly man walking towards them with a casual yet confident gait. Even with his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn realized he couldn't see through the man at all and knew this was one of Ouranos' avatars. Accompanying him was a god with short blonde hair and orange eyes that slanted at the ends in a lazy manner. He was wearing a strange orange tuxedo with a bright green checkered scarf that clashed with the rest of his attire. Though he was somewhat handsome with an amiable smile, Vahn knew he was a somewhat troublesome god named Hermes that had often interacted with Bell in the manga.
Vahn's back straightened as they approached and he had to look up at Ouranos who gazed down with his sky blue eyes and rumbled, "Sage Aldrnari...Vahn Mason..I have come to attend the wedding between you, the goddess Hephaestus, and the Guild Liason, Eina Tulle..." Without shying away from the pressure, Vahn took a breath and spoke confidently, "Ouranos...I welcome you into the Hearth Manor." Hearing Vahn address him by name, Ouranos showed an almost indiscernible smile as he knew Vahn must have used the 'Scroll of Prophecy' with some degree of success based on his disposition.
Using the lull in the conversation, Hermes raised in his and said, "Yo~! The name's Hermes, nice to meet you, Vahn." Vahn turned his attention to the smiling Hermes and returned a small smile of his own as he said, "Greetings, Hermes, allow me to welcome you as well..." Hermes waved his hand in a dismissive manner as he looked toward Syr with a larger smile and asked, "And who is this beautiful young woman~?" Syr, unfazed by his act, bowed politely as a glimmer passed through her light grey eyes and she said, "Greetings, Ouranos-sama, Hermes-sama, this little one is Syr Flova, matron of the Hearth Manor and aspirant bride to Vahn~." Vahn's eyes widened slightly at Syr's words but he didn't refute them at all as Hermes flustered slightly with a downtrodden face and said, "That's a shame..."
Ouranos nodded his head slightly and said, "Syr Flova, you seem to be a capable woman..." before he turned his attention back to Vahn and said, "It seems the Sage Aldrnari is blessed to be surrounded by many capable women..." Vahn could tell that, though his words were somewhat abrasive, Ouranos was giving his honest impressive on things and it actually made him feel a bit of pride well up inside of him. Turning his attention to Syr, Vahn matched her gaze before replying, "Indeed, I truly have been blessed..." Syr's smile widened marginally as a rosy hue appeared on her cheeks before she said, "Shall we make our way inside~?" Vahn nodded in response before gesturing invitingly with his hands and saying, "Please, Ouranos, Hermes, if you'll follow me..."
Though it was considered rude for Vahn, a mortal, to address gods without honorifics, he was unwilling to do so since it would lower Hephaestus, Loki, Hestia, and Anubis if he called other gods with honorifics in their presence. Ouranos and Hermes didn't seem to mind at all and there was even a slight glimmer in the Sky God's eyes as he walked behind Vahn. This was his first time meeting Vahn through his avatar and he could tell that Vahn's potential was far higher than his initial assumptions. It had been a major gamble to give such a rare artifact to the boy, but Ouranos now felt vindicated since Vahn had obviously been positively impacted by it. He didn't know what Vahn had seen, but it was apparent that it inspired confidence in the boy and made him carry himself with pride and an echo of nobility.
As there were only twenty minutes left before the ceremony officially began, Vahn escorted Ouranos and Hermes directly to the backyard where the elaborate stage had been arranged. There were more than forty guests present but Vahn showed Ouranos and Hermes to the VIP seating at the very front row where Loki, Anubis, Miach, Takemikazuchi, Demeter, and Eirene were already sitting. Loki's eyes opened slightly at the arrival of the two while the other gods had varying reactions as they began to exchange greetings. Vahn was required elsewhere, so he left the gods to mingle amongst themselves before moving behind the stage and finishing the final preparations with the assistance of Syr, Milan, and Aki.
Vahn's final outfit consisted of an ornate black tunic with golden embroidery and solid gold buttons adorning it from top to bottom. Overtop the black tunic, Vahn wore an ornate black haori that had a black inner lining with a white exterior sewn with the symbol that had been established to represent Vahn's position in the Alliance. There were five small circles linked by an intricate pentagon, each containing the emblems of the five original members of the Alliance with the Hestia Familia emblem located in the center to emphasize their position as the 'heart' of the Alliance. It was a rather 'bold' design and it was decided that only Vahn would be allowed to wear this symbol on his back.
Once he was completely prepared, the three girls wished him luck before leaving him alone behind the stage as he waited patiently for the music to begin playing. Though he should have felt nervous, Vahn actually felt very calm at the moment and focused on his domain and regulating the temperature around the guests to ensure that it was warm and comfortable for everyone present. There was still a chance his enemies would try to interfere with the wedding, but it wasn't likely considering how much security had been mobilized for the event.
Even when he was waiting at the gate for more than four hours, there wasn't a single person that was allowed to even enter the streets surrounding the Manor that didn't belong to the Alliance. The 'pedestrians' that Roux had been cautious of earlier were actually just the constant patrols that had been looking for any signs of trouble. Given the thousands of people that were mobilized to ensure things ran smoothly, it was nearly impossible to even find an opportunity to interfere with the wedding, even though there were likely many people that wanted to. Knowing this, Vahn allowed himself to remain calm without worrying about excess concerns all the way up until the moment the music began to play...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Troublesome Goddess...','Women's Intuition','Ouranos' Arrival','Vahn's Calm')
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