Other than a bit of awkwardness during the morning training, Vahn's remaining time as Tiona came to an end uneventfully while he was discussing things with Riveria. However, due to his own oversights, Vahn ended up in girls' clothing for a brief moment after the transition and quickly swapped out for his standard outfit as the stunned Riveria watched him. Aftward, Vahn ended up in his own workshop and started working on the under-armor once again. He still hadn't come up with a solution to his current problems so Vahn decided to spend the day simply confirming that the scales worked as intended.
After purchasing a simple leather glove through the system shop, Vahn spent a bit of time disassembling the relatively complicated glove before using string made from the tendons of a dragon. Though not nearly as effective as Mithril, the threads were capable of channeling mana so Vahn sewed a complex pattern on the inside of the glove that connected each of the scales on the surface. Since they took quite a while to manufacture, Vahn only made four additional scales and affixed them to the knuckle of each sleeve. (A/N: The part that the finger goes in on a glove is called a sleeve (UwU))
The formation Vahn had sewn was a simple one that allowed the user to infuse their own mana into the glove through the use of the [Fist Strike] skill. It was important that each scale activated simultaneously so that the force was properly transmitted through the glove and dissipated. The glove would allow a person to 'strike' an object and dissipate the shockwaves that would have passed into the hand. It didn't increase attack power at all, but it allowed the user greater defensive capabilities if used properly. As the original glove hadn't been manufactured by him, the overall rank of the final product was relatively low but Vahn was, at the very least, able to confirm his conjecture.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Xuánwǔ Gloves]
Rank: C (Magic)
Slots: 1
P.Def: 140
M.Def: 17
Ability: Shock Absorption(C)
Simple leather gloves that have been pushed to the extremes of their potential by a skilled [Master Smith]. Though simple in structure, these gloves carry the will of Xuánwǔ and allow the user to dissipate shockwaves if used skillfully.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once he had completed the gloves, Vahn recorded his findings inside his own journal before disassembling the gloves he had spent so much effort developing. Even though they were somewhat useful, Vahn wasn't going to give a piece of C-Rank equipment to any of the girls if he could make a stronger pair in the future. Other than Tiona, Tione, and Lunoire, the other girls didn't really fight with their fists anyway. As for selling them, Vahn was already earning money faster than he could spend so it wasn't really a pressing matter. Besides, there was no way Vahn was willing to part with the five scales that he had painstakingly forged on a sub-standard piece of equipment.
During the second block of time on his schedule, Vahn ate lunch with Milan, Tina, Shizune, Preasia, and Fenrir and talked to them about some of the troubles he was having. Vahn didn't expect that they would be any help, but there was always a chance they could discover something he had overlooked and it was also fun simply talking with them. To his surprise, Vahn did actually glean some new information from his talks with the girls as, when he showed the scales to Tina, she commented, "This looks a lot like a snake scale..." Though it was a simple statement, Vahn felt like a mechanism had been triggered in his mind and the image of Fenrir's outfit once again re-appeared.
As Tina had said, the second layer looked a lot like snakeskin and, if Vahn could find a snake capable of channeling magic through its scales, he would be able to avoid having the manufacture the scales himself. A large grin appeared on his face as he picked up the flustered girl and spun her around in the air several times before giving her a big kiss on the cheek. After setting her down, Vahn waved back at the group and said, "I need to go confirm something~! Great job, Tina!" before disappearing out through the door.
Tina's mouth was opening and closing like a fish as she stared wide-eyed at the door Vahn had exited through as a deep blush appeared on her face. Milan began to laugh at her daughter's reaction as she pat the small girl on the head and said, "See, there are plenty of ways you can be helpful to Vahn without exposing yourself to danger..." Tina had been talking to her about trying to convince Vahn to allow her to go into the Dungeon recently but Milan had asked her to put the matter off until he returned from the expedition. Hearing her mother's words, Tina nodded her head as she put her hand on the cheek where Vahn had given her a kiss and laughed in a silly manner...
Vahn made a beeline toward Tsubaki's workshop and found her taking a break as she sipped on a fragrant tea in the rest area. Seeing Vahn's haste, Tsubaki arched her brow and asked, "What has you so riled up, Vahn?" Vahn pulled out his monster compendium, armor diagrams, and the scales that he had produced alongside the various notes he had taken about his own research. Tsubaki picked up the scale wither her finger and marveled at the craftsmanship as Vahn explained, "I'm trying to figure out a faster method to create the second layer of the under-armor everyone will use but I hit a snag early on since producing a single one of these scales takes quite a while. When I was talking to Tina, she said the scale looked similar to those on a snake's body so I was thinking about which monsters would have suitable materials..."
Tsubaki had seen the incredibly fine Orichalcum veins on the back of the scale and, after listening to Vahn's words, said, "I agree that it will be more efficient to use the skin of a snake, but what will you do about this little network of orichalcum you have on the back?" Hearing her words, Vahn blanked for a brief moment because he hadn't really considered a solution yet. Even if he picked scales that were naturally conducive to the flow of mana, that didn't mean it would flow the way he wanted it to. Using the skin would prevent him from having to make the scales on his own, but he would still have to network the thousands of scales together regardless.
Seeing Vahn's blank expression, Tsubaki smiled slightly and said, "Worm Wells are probably too large, so you'd probably have to make use of the skin of a Thunder Snake, Silver Worm, Flame Python, or any of the higher grades of dragons. The downside is they have their own elemental properties and many of the materials are either difficult to acquire, or hard to work with. I imagine you would have the most success with a Flame Python at first, but if you're thinking of armor for the girls you'd probably want to use a Silver Worm or a dragon variant like the Cadmus..." Since Vahn was 'immune' to fire, he could easily work with the Flame Python materials and potentially even create some fire resistant armor for himself.
Vahn took notes on Tsubaki's recommendations before looking through the shop and confirming the prices for each of the materials she listed out. He had the benefit that he didn't even have to go into the Dungeon to hunt monsters for materials, though the conversion ratio was rather bad. Other than selling magic cores to the shop, most other materials didn't even 'sell' for 1/10th their buying price. The Cadmus skin and Flame Python were even worth 120,000OP and 93,000OP respectively, though the acquired material was actually more than fair for the price. If Vahn sold the large piece of 'perfect' Cadmus skin he obtained from the shop, not that he ever would, it would be worth well over a billion Valis. Even a small roll of the skin could be worth millions and Vahn received 10m of the material for his experiments.
Tsubaki's eyes widened when she saw Vahn materialize incredibly rare materials out of thin air but she already knew of his 'creation' Divinity and recovered in an instant. Apparently, as long as he had enough magic cores to convert into the energy, Vahn was able to create almost anything he knew the specifics of. Since he could consult the compendium for information, and also had samples of most rare materials, it wasn't that difficult to understand how he could create such things from scratch. Of course, Tsubaki also knew that there were unique qualities to the materials Vahn produced and it had been agreed that none of the items made using his materials should ever enter the market. Hephaestus had even informed her about how Vahn could use his blood to create crystals that could store magic, so Tsubaki wasn't surprised by anything the boy did anymore. If anything, it simply meant she could rely on him for any difficult to acquire materials in exchange for magic cores...
As she watched Vahn sort through his materials in the middle of her workshop, Tsubaki laid eyes on the dragon skin Vahn had purchased before asking in a curious tone, "Vahn, why don't you ask for Fafnir's help in producing scales? Can't it shape its scales into almost anything? I also tested the material sample you provided to me and it is even more efficient than Mithril with high resistance to foreign magics..." Vahn had been using a small scalpel to cut out a piece of Cadmus hide before his hand slipped and he dragged his scalpel clear through the table underneath. Tsubaki's words had hit him like a brick and Vahn couldn't believe he had made such a massive oversight. He had even been riding on Fafnir's back the previous day and had several fragments of its scales in his inventory.
Tsubaki laughed at Vahn's reaction before rising from the sofa and giving him a pat on the back as she said, "Don't let it bother you too much, Vahn. I just had the thought while I was watching you work with the materials and remembered that you described the scales from your memory as 'black like mithril'. I just thought, 'Isn't Fafnir also black?' and decided to ask if you considered it." Vahn nodded his head in a lazy manner before clearing away a section of the workshop and calling Fafnir. Now that Tsubaki said it, Vahn realized Fafnir was probably the source of the scales from the very beginning. It also had the ability to reshape and regrow its scales, assuming it had his source energy, so it was almost like a material factory if needed...
Fafnir popped its head up out of the ground and said, ("Hello Vahn, hello Tsubaki~! Did you need me for anything~?") Vahn showed a wry smile on his face as he held out one of the small scales he had created and asked, "Fafnir, I know it may be a little rude to ask this...but do you think you could make scales that are similar to this one?" Though Vahn had researched the properties of Fafnir's scales, it still felt a little awkward to ask his own subordinate, which he treated like family, for materials. However, Fafnir didn't seem to mind the matter at all as it tilted its head to the side and looked at the scale with its massive blue eye. Vahn got to see the sight of its pupil, which was typically several centimeters wide, shrink down to the size of a pinhole as it inspected the scale in Vahn's fingers.
After a few seconds of concentration, Fafnir's head began to vibrate audibly before a wave of black flakes fell from its body and onto the floor. It cocked its head to the side to inspect the scales it had produced before saying, ("I think they are the same, but I couldn't copy the tiny golden things inside~! I'll practice more in the future to see if I can figure it out~!") Under Fafnir's watchful gaze, Vahn picked up one of the scales from the ground and compared it to the one in his hand. Though Fafnir wasn't able to produce the Orichalcum mana circuits, it was able to create the channels for them. Vahn released a heavy sigh before placing his forehead against Fafnir's snout and saying, "Fafnir, you really saved me this time...all of the girls will be much safer when I use these scales to make armor for them. Thank you very much..."
Fafnir laughed in its characteristic child-like voice before saying, ("Yay~! I'm glad I was able to help Vahn~!") At this point, even Tsubaki had picked up one of the thousands of scales that now covered her workshop floor. Even though it only took a few seconds for Fafnir to produce them, their craftsmanship was almost identical to the one Vahn had created. She was tempted to ask if Fafnir could shape a few blades for her but, similar to Vahn, she didn't really feel it was appropriate to do so. If someone came to her asking her to shed some skin so they could use it to make armor, Tsubaki imagined she would plant a human-shaped tree as a result of their offense.
After topping up Fafnir's energy reserves, which required Vahn to chug several mana potions, Vahn sent it on its way and promised to take it sightseeing when he returned from the expedition. When he had asked if Fafnir wanted anything, it's response had been a cheerful, ("I want to go see lots of interesting places with Vahn~!"). Since it spent the majority of its time in the shadows, primarily sleeping to conserve energy, Fafnir got bored at times and wanted to get out more often. It didn't mind the shadows, as they were very comfortable and relaxing, but it wanted to spend more time with Vahn, Tina, and Fenrir.
Once Fafnir had left, Vahn swept up a total of 71,999 scales and stored them into a single inventory slot. Because of the massive size of its head, and the relatively small size of the scales, Fafnir had produced a huge amount in a single sloughing motion that made Vahn feel like a fool for not going to the reliable dragon first. It had taken Vahn nearly five hours to make five scales, the majority of which was spent shaping the scale itself, so Fafnir had saved Vahn approximately 60,000hours, or nearly 7 years of effort...now Vahn just had to create the orichalcum veins for each one and he could begin linking them together.
Since she was curious about the process, Vahn showed how he liquidized the Orichalcum using his own unique method before giving Tsubaki 2,000 scales of her own to practice creating her own items with. She might not be able to emulate his control over flame elements, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be able to make use of them for her own purposes. Even if she just used them to adorn some of her own weapons and armor in the future, they were materials almost equal in quality to Mithril that had already been refined into a usable shape. They were a glossy black color as well, which made them especially suitable for use in a variety of different ways.
For the rest of the afternoon, Vahn practiced creating the Orichalcum veins until he got to the point where he could complete a single scale in about five minutes. Since it initially took around ten, this meant Vahn had nearly doubled his pace and, by the end of the day, he had finished a total of forty-seven additional scales, compared to the five he would have been able to make. As the scales weren't required to cover the entire mesh of base material, Vahn would need around 1400 total for a single outfit but he was well on his way and would get progressively faster as time passed. Even if his pace didn't increase at all, Vahn could produce around 100-120 of the scales per work day which meant he would be able to complete around three sets per month, at the very least.
Vahn spent the last half hour cleaning up his workshop and going through a few variations of his design that could be more practical than his current setup. He had been using a synthetic material that consisted of Shadowsilk and processed wyvern hide, but now he was considering using the Cadmus hide as the base material and increasing the overall quality of the prototype with the intent of making it ready for practical use. The Cadmus hide was very thin, almost like snakeskin, but it was incredibly durable and was one of the most highly sought after materials for light armor in the entire world. Since Vahn had 30 square meters of the material, he had more than enough to use to construct the entire base of the outfits using it. It also had the benefit of being stark white, which meant it could be easily treated and dyed later on.
---
As he was exhausted from the day's exertions, Vahn made his way to the bath to wash his body before dinner was ready. There were already several people inside so Vahn walked in planning to make light conversation with everyone about the breakthroughs he had made. However, the moment he stepped over the threshold separating the changing room and the bath, Vahn heard a yelp before tilting his head to the side and dodging a wooden bucket that traced a beautiful arc through the air. Vahn blinked in confusion for a moment before laying eyes on the culprit that threw the bucket and saw Rose glaring at him with her teeth displayed as she crouched down in the water.
Eina and Syr were both present, among other girls, so Eina put her hand on her cheek in an exasperated manner and said, "I told you several times that Vahn used this bath as well..." As for Syr, she had been making conversation with Rose previously and simply laughed at the Werewolf girls reaction before saying, "Other people also warned you plenty of times~." Rose glared at the two girls before saying in an icy tone, "I thought he used it at different times than everyone else! How can you let him bathe at the same time as the other girls!?" Though she had been addressing Syr and Eina, it was the relaxing Hestia who stated, "This entire Manor belongs to Vahn and he is also the Captain of my Familia. We have communal bathing, so stop making a big deal out of things. Even that clingy pink-colored girl had enough sense to use a private bath after she was warned..."
Misha and Rose had officially completed their move earlier today and had decided to take a bath before dinner with everyone else. They had been warned several times that Vahn would be using the bath in no uncertain terms so Misha had used one of the private baths after failing to invite along some of the other girls. Rose, however, ignored the warnings and treated the onsen similar to the women's bath at the dorm she used to reside at. As everyone stated, it was clearly she who was at fault, but this entire situation was somewhat nonsensical to her. However, as an outsider compared to everyone else here, she didn't really have any ground to stand on at all. This didn't stop her from lashing out though as she looked toward the direction where Vahn had been standing completely naked earlier and noticed he was now missing.
Syr rose up out of the water and gestured to Ryuu as the two followed Vahn's path and headed toward the private bath he had decided to use. Fenrir, who had been treading water near Hestia, looked toward Rose and said, "This is Master's home...you should leave if you're going to cause trouble..." Hearing Fenrir's words, Rose turned her attention to the small wolf girl before swallowing audibly when she fell under the gaze of the scarlet eyes. Hestia came up from behind and grabbed Fenrir to calm her down as she said, "Rose, Fenrir isn't wrong...you are friends with Eina, but you are here on behalf of the Guild. We have arranged free food and boarding to you, but that doesn't mean you can take advantage of things to such an extent. I'm certain there are more than a few people that would willingly take your place as representative inside the Hearth Manor..."
Eina winced slightly at Hestia words before turning to Rose and saying in a gentle tone, "Vahn is arguably the most important person in the entire Alliance and everyone within the Hearth Manor supports and cares for him. There are more than a dozen private baths to make use of, so please do so in the future unless you don't mind being seen by Vahn. As the head of the residence, it would be silly that a 'guest' is able to kick him out of his own bath..." Though she wanted to back up her friend, Eina stood on Vahn's side on this matter since she was, after all, his wife. Eina also knew that it wasn't Vahn's idea to break down the wall initially and that he had even opposed it for a while before finally agreeing to the current situation. It wasn't as if Vahn did anything promiscuous within the bath, so it wasn't a major issue like how Rose made it out to be.
Realizing that everyone present was giving her 'strange' looks, including Eina, Rose understood that she had been in the wrong. Hestia was the goddess of the Hestia Familia and allowed Vahn to use the bath while Eina, Vahn's wife, seemed to be perfectly okay with the situation. As an 'outsider', she had no place to complain about the situation at all since it was something manufactured by her own oversights...
Eina reclined in the water until it came up to her neck and said, "Don't worry about it too much, Rose, as Vahn probably won't mind at all. If anything, I imagine he will be the one to apologize to you later during dinner..." Hearing Eina's words, several of the girls began to laugh because they could imagine Vahn doing just that. Rose felt even more awkward so she decided to leave the bath early and prepare for dinner. They were currently staying in the first floor of the west wing, near the medical ward, which was also furnished with a kitchen. She and Misha were given all the necessary ingredients to prepare their own food but had decided to eat with the larger group after discussing the matter with Eina and Syr previously. Now, however, Rose was beginning to feel like she should eat alone for the evening...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Gloves...','Vahn is an idiot at times...','Rose's faux pas...')
If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the Patreon link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful <3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=14397149
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
For the time remaining, leading up to the evening before the expedition, Vahn spent the majority of his time within his workshop making steady progress on the prototype under-armor. The Danmachi record had a twenty-four hour day and it was common for Vahn to spent ten hours in his workshop, two hours training during the morning, and the rest of his time with the girls within the Manor. He knew it was a bit 'unfair' to invest so much time on his own focus, but Vahn was of the mindset that the girls needed to be proactively pursuing things of their interest as well. Even without him saying this outright, this seemed to be the consensus on the network and Vahn had been hearing about the extra training and hobbies everyone had been picking up.
Through constant practice, Tsubaki had been the first person within the 'dance' group to pick up the [Featherfoot] skill under the guidance of Haruhime. This had been a landmark achievement in the group that spurred the others to put in more effort as well. Riveria was keeping track of everyone's progress and compiling it in a data log that was accessible to everyone within the Manor. Vahn himself had filled out several paragraphs about his own progress while also considering how best to use his the [Grimoire of Guidance]. The fact it allowed him to 'teach' someone a Development Ability made it very difficult to make a decision...
Vahn had the potential to create Development Abilities that had never existed before which meant that he could teach someone like Riveria his [Mentor] ability. There was also a short period of time where Vahn considered teaching Welf [Blacksmith] but decided against it since it seemed somewhat wasteful considering he would learn it on his own. If he held on to it long enough, Vahn's options would increase and there was a fair chance he might even be able to put his [Shundo] or [Magia Erebea] into the grimoire instead. Having another person able to use such magic would increase the overall strength of the Alliance by a great deal. Just imagining someone like Ais moving around with [Shundo] and [Ariel] active sent chills down Vahn's back...
Thus, unable able to make a decision at the moment, Vahn spent his time invested entirely on the prototype he had been designing. His idea to make the base out of Cadmus skin ended up going through without a hitch and Vahn found the pristine white base preferable over the stark black Shadowsilk. It also had the benefit of being lined with the unique scale pattern of the Cadmus, which Vahn could use as a guideline for when he was implanting his own in the future. As for the additional materials he intended to use, other than the scales created by Fafnir, Vahn had decided on a composite of adamantium with a hollowed core that had been filled to the brim with his own blood before converting it into a crystalline structure. Even though they were simple in design, each test plate was at least B-Rank without any other enhancements so Vahn was planning to push them even further in the future.
Hephaestus and Tsubaki had also been checking on his progress over the last few days and had been giving him reliable input that would increase the overall quality in the later stages. Hephaestus' knowledge of forging was like a vast ocean compared to Vahn's and she was able to demonstrate to him how to alter the basic structure of the metals he was forging using the eternal flame as a medium. Vahn learned how to layer metals in specific patterns to make them even stronger before infusing flame elemental energy into the entire thing to solidify it. When he checked the process with his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn could see that the alternating 'flow' of the molecules made the metal far more durable than normal. The downside to this, however, was that it lost its flexibility and was harder to work with later on without melting it down entirely.
Thus, with the combined effort of three [Master Smith]s, Vahn had made a great deal of progress on the prototype before stowing it away safely in his inventory the evening before they departed for the Dungeon. Even though there was a negligible chance it would get stolen from the Manor, Vahn wasn't going to gamble on it at all. Afterward, he spent the remaining time preparing for the expedition itself by cleaning up his inventory to make space for the materials they would harvest later. It was decided that Vahn would keep the size of his 'storage magic' a secret since it would cause the Supporters in the expedition to become complacent. It was also a simple truth that the Alliance was still in the early stages of development and Vahn's 'capabilities' would cause more problems than provide solutions in the interim.
As for those that would be accompanying him on the expedition, there was an understandable concern about leaving the Manor unguarded so the group had been split into two core parties. Vahn would primarily be taking along Fenrir, Haruhime, Mikoto, Lili, and Naaza while Ryuu, Aki, Emiru, Maemi, Tsubaki, and Milan would stay back at the Manor with Hestia, Eina, Syr, Chloe, Arnya, Lunoire, Tina, Shizune, and Preasia. As for the members of the Loki Familia, they would all be participating since it was an expedition led by their Familia and they were the core members that represented the strength of the Familia. Besides, there was no way to convince any of the battle junky girls to stay on the surface when there was 'adventure' to be had down below.
---
During the early dinner, the day before the expedition, Vahn went over the details they would need to pay attention to while they were in the Dungeon once again. It was known that there was an organization within the Dungeon that would be trying to target them so they needed to be on guard against ambushes. Though it wasn't likely they would target the expedition itself, there was no way of actually knowing how things would play out since the enemy seemed to exercise some control over the Dungeon itself. Enyo, the name of their true enemy, was the greatest threat to the Alliance presently and Vahn didn't want to see a single person fall to her schemes.
Vahn also discussed the need to keep a look out for the 'Xenos' and try to avoid conflict, unless they were under attack by the group. As entities that lived within the Dungeon, they had access to all kind of paths and shortcuts inaccessible to most people. If the Alliance could bring the Xenos into the fold, it would make it much easier to venture into the Dungeon in the future since they could avoid several dangers and even store supplies with the Xenos. Unfortunately, the Xenos would likely avoid the expedition party due to the sheer size of the group so it was unlikely they would meet any time soon.
As for why Vahn could discuss these things openly at dinner, it was because Misha, Rose, and Mona ate away from the rest of the group when it was mentioned they would be talking about private matters related to the Alliance. Vahn had tried to apologize to Rose in the past, since it was never his intention to 'peep' on her, but she had beaten him to the punch and given an overly serious apology that Vahn had no choice but to accept. Ever since then, however, she had been relatively distant and always sat at the farthest point during dinner alongside Misha and, because she was trying to make things less awkward, Eina. Now that they were officially working at the Hearth Manor, the three had set up a counter in the relatively large foyer to post available missions while the building they would be working out of in the future was being constructed.
Eina's job as Liaison made her the representative in charge of the two girls but also required her to perform duties of her own, such as working the counter and officiating missions. Misha's job was very similar to Eina's, though much less official, while Rose was required to take inventory and process any materials that are obtained through the Alliance and exchanged to the Guild. It took a little longer than normal for the conversion, as they couldn't keep a vault of Valis on the premises, but it was still very convenient for the Alliance that she was present. Now, instead of taking their haul all the way from the Twilight Manor to the Guild, the Loki Familia would be able to store things at the relatively close Hearth Manor instead.
All things considered, it was very 'interesting' to have a small Guild office within their own home and it was something Vahn found very exciting since, when he had accepted a few tasks to complete during the expedition, they had all turned into official Quests within his system. Not only would he get the posted rewards, but Vahn could also acquire bonus OP and potentially even obtain extra items and materials. Unfortunately, there was a restriction that only allowed him to accept five quests at a time and they were all under the 'optional' category. He was also restricted by the rank of the Familia itself since Eina was only allowed to issue missions to them according to their standing. Even though they were considered the core of the Alliance, it didn't mean they were above the requirements of rank and would still have to put in the effort to improve themselves in the future...
---
Since they would be gone for an entire month, or longer, Vahn had been spending his evenings 'proactively' and had been inviting the group staying behind into his room. Other than Eina, the other girls didn't seem to mind group play that much and some even thought it was 'fun' when everyone was together. The most 'popular' combinations were the girls from the Hostess of Fertility, the 'kitten' group, and the 'mature' group. It hadn't been his idea, as Chloe was the one that brought it up, but Vahn ended up sleeping with her, Arnya, Aki, and Milan all at the same time and it was borderline 'addictive' being tended to by the four Cat Persons. As for the 'mature' group, they consisted of Hephaestus, Hestia, Loki, and Tsubaki. Milan might have been considered in the same group, but she had enjoyed her time with the other 'kittens' since it seemed awkward to intervene in the fun of several goddesses. As for Tsubaki, she didn't seem to mind it at all and even proactively contended with Loki and Hephaestus...
As for the evening before the expedition itself, Vahn spent the night alone with Eina and relaxed his mind and body in the comfort she brought him. Even when they had sex, it was a relatively short-lived experience and, true to his word, Vahn let Eina take care of everything. It was a little strange to be 'relaxing' during sex but Vahn felt like it was very 'Eina-like' and allowed himself to relax without imposing on the gentle girl. The remaining time, up until he inevitably fell asleep, was spent with Eina massaging his body and saying words that would comfort his mind. She never talked about any of the troublesome things that were going on and instead focused her efforts on talking about the beautiful future they would create together. As for her actual massage technique, Vahn had scribed for her the basics of the [Hands of Nirvana] technique and she was proactively trying to learn how to use it...
---
Vahn awoke with the warmth of Eina hugging him from behind, as she had fallen asleep on his back once again, and it made it very difficult for him to want to move. Fortunately, she seemed to wake up soon after him and kissed the back of his head before squeezing his body firmly and rolling off of his back. Vahn looked into her glimmering, emerald green, eyes and saw the care and concern contained within so he comforted her with a long and passionate kiss before saying, "I won't let anything happen, Eina...and I'll be back soon..." Eina nodded her head with a gentle smile on her face as she stroked the side of his and said, "I believe in you, Vahn...don't keep us waiting too long..."
After spending a few extra minutes cuddling with Eina, Vahn ended up leaving the room behind with a renewed confidence in his gait. It wasn't that he didn't expect nothing would happen at all, quite the contrary, but Vahn wasn't going to let anything stop his momentum anymore. There were too many things he cared about to remain complacent and this would be the first expedition where Vahn was able to break through the Lower Floors and enter the Deep Floors. He had been looking forward to this moment for some time and, given that everyone in the Manor was already awake, it was an excitement shared by everyone else as well.
Though they wouldn't be accompanying the expeditionary party, all of the girls that would be staying behind woke up early to send Vahn, and the accompanying girls, on their way. They enjoyed a lively breakfast together and talked about the things they would be working on while Vahn was away. Since they had enough time to think about it now, Chloe and Arnya had decided they would be joining the Hestia Familia in the future and it seemed like Lunoire was contemplating it as well. Vahn was happy they had made such a decision since it would greatly bolster the strength of his own Familia in the future. He was also curious about what Innates they might have locked away and was looking forward to uncovering their 'secrets' when he returned.
After breakfast ended, Vahn had a round of embraces with everyone as Misha and Rose watched the group with awkward expressions. At this point, neither girl was 'surprised' by the status of everyone in the Familia and it was very obvious that Vahn was very 'important' to most of, if not all, of the girls. Misha didn't seem like the type to harp over such things but Vahn had learned through Eina that Rose was a little bothered about this fact. Because Vahn was so important to so many people, Rose found it hard to accept that he was still venturing into the Dungeon and putting himself at danger. If he died, there would be a lot of people that would be hurt by his passing and he would end up leaving Hephaestus and Eina alone. Eina, however, had told her that it was important to live as you pleased without concerning yourself so much with death since it would make all of your decisions harder in the future. Trusting in the people you cared about was a basic requirement for 'love', so it wasn't appropriate to have such a negative train of thought all the time...
Though she didn't seem to believe Eina's words at all, Rose still ruminated over them a bit and watched the interactions between Vahn and the rest of the residents in the manner with her discerning gaze and unveiled skepticism. Vahn didn't really know how to deal with such a woman and simply allowed her to fall into the momentum of the network as time passed. Unless she wanted to open herself up to him, Vahn wasn't going to go out of his way to 'convince' her that his life wasn't lived so haphazardly. He was the most aware of what he stood to lose, especially after the Divination, so there was no way he would 'waste' his life away by dying early. It was actually far more likely that those around him would die, as he had the support of The Path, so Vahn had to be extra cautious to ensure they were safe.
Thus, with a focus on caution and a healthy thirst for Adventure, Vahn boarded Fafnir's back with Fenrir, Riveria, Ais, Tiona, Tione, Lefiya, Lili, Naaza, Haruhime, and Mikoto as they flew toward Babel Plaza in order to unite with the larger expeditionary party. Vahn would be part of the main group, focused on gaining exillia and looting items, while the rest of the members of the Hestia Familia were just going along to gain experience. They would fall into the second party, under the command of Raul, though Haruhime would be their actual leader. Fenrir might cause a few problems but Vahn was confident things would go well since she seemed to be putting an emphasis on getting along better with others lately...
After a short two-minute flight, Fafnir landed in Babel Plaza after a large crowd of people cleared a path for it. Even though it wasn't 'uncommon' to see Fafnir anymore, it was still a very intimidating sight for most people and there was a fair amount that would simply run away the moment it showed up. The group they landed near, however, didn't have any major response to Fafnir's presence and some of them moved forward without caution at all. Vahn waved at the approaching party and returned Finn's smile as the small Pallum boy greeted, "Good morning, Vahn. I see everyone showed up, and a bit early to boot. Excellent!" Vahn nodded his head before introducing all of the members that would be accompanying him and the roles they were suited to.
Finn listened to Vahn's explanation patiently while Gareth and Riveria began a conversation at the side. Once he had an understanding of the situation, Finn nodded his head and smiled before saying, "Very well, we'll have Haruhime act as the Hestia Familia representative in the second group under Raul's command. I've been informed to allow you to act at your own discretion by Loki-sama, but please defer to Riveria, or myself, if there is anything important, Vahn. As for this little one..." Finn had turned his attention to Fenrir who, unlike her past self, was standing in her combat attire without hiding her body with a cloak. She was very obviously not of the races of the surface and it was no longer a secret that Vahn was a capable tamer that could evolve monsters.
Vahn put his hand on Fenrir's head and said, "I'll look after her as much as I can, but she can be a little hostile to those that insult her and the members of our Familia, especially myself..." Finn nodded his head in understanding as he looked back toward his own party where Bete was 'dealing' with Lena, who was clinging to his side. With a wry smile on his face, Finn turned to Fenrir and said in a gentle tone, "Bete might be a little abrasive and snide, but he isn't an actual threat to Vahn and the rest. Please take that fact into consideration and do your best..." Though Fenrir was taller than he was, Finn talked to her as if he was dealing with a child. Fenrir didn't seem too fond of the Pallum boy but nodded her head and said, "Fenrir will be a good girl..." Finn laughed in response before saying, "That is all I can ask for..."
Afterward, the group made it's final preparations while Finn and Vahn made polite conversation with each other. Vahn, however, noticed that Finn kept sending glances off to the side and his aura would flicker periodically. Since he didn't actually have to turn his head to see where Finn was looking, Vahn knew he kept sending glances to Lili. After a while, Finn's interest seemed to outgrow what he could contain so he asked in a curious tone, "That Pallum girl, Lili, was it? I remember seeing her at the wedding but I was unable to speak with her at the time...do you think you could introduce me later?" Vahn furrowed his brows slightly at Finn's request and asked, "Why the sudden interest in one of my Familia members?" Finn hadn't' missed Vahn's reaction and showed a somewhat awkward face as he said, "I have long been seeking a capable Pallum wife so that we can leave an heir to the Pallum people in the future. The way Lili carries herself shows that she is a capable woman with a lot of potential for growth in the future. I expect she would make a worthy wife in the future..."
Toward the end of his words, Finn began to speak softer since he could see from Vahn's expression that he had offended the boy. Vahn didn't mind people taking an interest in those close to him, especially if he wasn't in a relationship with them yet, but it made him annoyed hearing how Finn spoke about Lili. Because of his ideals, Finn was a relatively close-minded person when it came to the subject of love and had even caused Tione to feel no small amount of indignation as a result. Now, even though he knew nothing about Lili, he had started eyeing her as a 'worthy' partner. One of the things that irked Vahn the most was the prospect of anyone being 'worthy' or 'unworthy' for anyone else...
In a relatively cold tone, Vahn said, "First of all, Finn, Lili is still a child so it isn't appropriate to speak about her in such a manner at all. As for what the future holds, that is entirely up to Lili and you should be aware that she has, at least for the time being, chosen to pursue me. That may change in the future, but it will be through your own efforts and her decision, not any intervention on my part. However, you should know that I will not stand idly by if you try to pressure her..." Even Fenrir's hair had started to stand up slightly as she looked at Finn with glowing scarlet eyes. As for Finn, he had an awkward smile on his face and, when Vahn had finished speaking, said, "But Lili is a Pallum...she isn't suitable to be in a relationship with a human..."
Vahn squinted his eyes and stared directly at Finn without saying anything until the man's eye began to twitch and he said, "My apologies, Vahn, I spoke out of turn...please don't be offended by my behavior, as it was never my intent to do so. I will endeavor to not make such mistakes in the future." Vahn continued to stare at Finn for a while and could see the earnestness in the man's behavior, even though there was still a mild fluctuation in his aura. Since he would have to work with Finn in the future, Vahn eventually nodded his head in a curt manner before saying, "We are allies that are inextricably bound together in the future. I will not cause any problems as long as you maintain a sense of propriety on the matter..." Finn's smile twitched slightly at Vahn's words before he nodded and said, "Very well, Vahn, I will keep that in mind." However, though he agreed with Vahn's words, Finn couldn't help but send his glance at Lili once again before he returned to his position within the group...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Three [Master Smith]s are better than one...','Bitter Rose','Finn's Ideals')
If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the Patreon link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful <3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=14397149
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
You may also Like
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT