Chapter 701: Happiness
After parting with his counterpart within the orb, Vahn awoke back in the real world with Ina snuggled up into a small shape against his chest. Terra was standing at the side with a gentle smile on her face as she said, "Welcome back, Master~." As if awakened by Terra's words, Ina opened up her eyes and stretched her body in a lazy manner, nearly falling out of the chair if not for Vahn catching her. Realizing what had almost happened, Ina laughed in a sheepish manner before hugging her Papa tightly and saying, "Papa is the best~." Vahn just chuckled in response, lifting her body up to carry her as he turned to Terra and said, "I'll stop by a little later..." Accompanying his words, Vahn sent Terra a wink that caused the mature True Dragons eyes to squint happily as an expectant light flickered within their sky-blue depths.
Carrying Ina, Vahn proceeded to his next destination, the final leg of his journey since he had failed to meet her earlier. After walking for a few minutes, he eventually came to the clearing where some of the girls would come to spend time, especially when it was sunny outside. There, sitting at the base of one of the trees, Vahn saw Aki sitting with a cloth bundle slung around her body. She was accompanied by Chloe and Shizune, the latter of which was playfully poking at the squishy cheeks of Anise. Vahn could feel the everpresent warmth in his heart expand slightly at the sight while both Chloe and Aki almost immediately noticed his presence.
After arriving at their side, Vahn let Ina down so she could properly interact with her younger sister. Like the rest of the Vanir, Ina cared deeply for her younger siblings, even though she didn't always show it through her actions. Shizune moved off to the side to make room so Vahn sat down next to Aki, who immediately proceeded to lean into his shoulder with a soft smile on her face. Ever since giving birth, Aki has become even more motherly than during her pregnancy and, though she had been hesitating about the decision, Vahn knew she was also considering 'retirement'. Her dream had always been to start a family and, now that she had a daughter to look after, Aki wasn't too fond of spending days, or months, away from her Daughter. She never really cared about strength and just wanted to be happy, something she had already obtained at Vahn's side.
Seeing the lovey-dovey interaction between Aki and Vahn, Chloe laughed in a 'mischevious' manner while musing, "Nyahaha, how envious~." Chloe knew that, if she had made her resolve in the past, she very likely could have had her own child by now. However, she didn't regret her decision and, now that she could increase her strength even faster, Chloe wanted to become strong enough to support the family she already had. Everything else could wait until later, after all, she was wasn't even twenty years old yet.
Shizune also felt somewhat envious as she witnessed the sight and a small part of her heart felt like it had become a void, something she believed only Vahn could fill. It was a strange thought to have, but Shizune sometimes felt a bit of regret that her body was in such a state. She had just celebrated her eighteenth birthday a little less than two months ago but her body hadn't changed from the form she returned to after consuming the [Virgin's Promise]. She knew Vahn was the cause behind her current state and, though she had been given permission to make use of the orb without restriction, it bothered her a little that she was still treated like a child.
After hesitating for a few moments, Shizune noticed that Ina had left a rare 'gap' to exploit so she edged closer to Vahn. Seeing him turn his gaze to her, Shizune swallowed and lowered her head before somewhat awkwardly sitting down in his lap. It wasn't the first time she had done so but Shizune felt her actions were a little shameless, considering the circumstances. Ina noticed this almost immediately and, for a brief moment, her brows furrowed in anger while the magical light in her eyes became more vibrant. Vahn casually stroked Shizune's head, fluffing up her ears with his fingers while saying, "Ina, it isn't polite to glare at people like that..." Shizune felt a ticklish feeling in her heart when Vahn 'reprimanded' Ina on her behalf while the latter showed an almost 'betrayed' look on her face.
Vahn, noticing Ina's reaction, looked directly into her eyes with a calm expression on his face and a questioning look present in his aquamarine eyes. Ina took a breath when he suddenly looked directly at her in such a manner. She suddenly felt very guilty as images of all the times her Papa pampered her replayed themselves in her mind, seemingly without end. In truth, ever since the Vanir were born, Vahn had been spending most of his free time with them. This left some of the girls feeling a little lonely, especially Shizune, Lili, and Tina. Ina had been slowly becoming more aware of her own actions of late and, seeing her Papa petting the happily smiling Shizune, reminded her that the happiness her Papa brings wasn't something the 'belonged' to her...
With a pouting expression on her face, Ina began to sniffle a little before averting her eyes and staring at the small form of Anise, held within Aki's embrace. The latter looked at Ina's appearance, feeling her heart doing flips in her chest while Vahn's was practically being twisted like a wrung cloth. In truth, he found it 'very' difficult to be firm with his children but, not wanting them to become spoiled and inconsiderate of others, he had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill of parenting. Fortunately, he wasn't alone in the matter as Aki suddenly loosened the cloth wrapped around her and asked, "Do you want to try holding her...?"
Ina, with tears still threatening to escape her eyes, suddenly uttered a surprised, 'Eh?' after hearing Aki's question. Before she knew what was happening, Aki was very gingerly handing Anise over to her while Ina completely froze up, not knowing what to do and being terrified of moving. Aki just chuckled, helping Ina position her small arms while gently saying, "Here...hold her gently...keep your arms under her...make sure you support the head properly..." Ina mechanically followed Aki's instructions while everyone silently watched the heartwarming scene. Eventually, Aki confirmed that Ina had a proper hold on her daughter and, though she had a bit of hesitation, smiled encouragingly as she said, "There you go...look, she seems happy to be held by her big sister..."
Now that she was holding onto Anise by herself, Ina felt very flustered and it didn't seem like she could divert her attention between dealing with Anise and her own feelings of jealousy. Ultimately, because she is a very kind girl, Ina decided to focus on the infant in her arms. She gently cradled Anise in her arms with an awed look that very quickly transitioned into a smile that seemed to cause the colors in nature to become less vibrant by comparison. Everyone continued to watch Ina hold onto Anise in silence, even Shizune, who had started to feel very guilty about 'fighting' for Vahn's affection with a four-month-old...
As Aki had said, Anise seemed very happy to be held by Ina, laughing happily with an adorable smile on her tiny face. Ina felt very encouraged by this and released a tiny 'kyaaa' sound before saying, "Anise, you're so cute~! Naa, naa, can you try saying Ina~!?" Ina's sudden rebound caused Aki and Chloe to chuckle lightly while Vahn released a relieved sigh. Thinking this was an opportune time to be a 'good' father, Vahn smiled as he softly said, "Everyone within the Manor is family, Ina, just like you and Anise. We share our happiness together and, it is the bonds we forge through this happiness, that make us strong. You are a very kind girl and clever girl...I believe you have the ability to make everyone else happy with your smile...please remember that."
Ina had become silent as he was speaking but kept most of her focus on Anise, still feeling very 'aware' of the small bundle in her arms. When he was finished, she nodded her head while producing a small smile as she said, "I understand, Papa...I want to be a good big sister that my cute little sisters can look up to." Then, after making sure she was holding onto Anise properly, Ina looked towards him and said, "But, I still care about Papa more...you are my most precious person..." As she was speaking, Ina let her gaze wander to Shizune, adding, "I know Papa won't be taken away by others, but I can't help feeling a little sad at times..."
Shizune produced a rare blush, hanging her head in shame under the hard gaze of Ina, someone much younger than her. However, when she felt Vahn's palm land on her head, diffusing comforting and warm energy through her body, Shizune perked up a little. She turned her head towards him, somewhat afraid to match Ina's gaze while Vahn looked toward his daughter with a gentle and proud look on his face. Ina had every right to be clingy and affectionate, considering her age, but she also possessed a startling degree of maturity and a high degree of understanding. This was one of the reasons why he was always honest and direct with his children, as it made them consider all of his words very carefully.
Aki eventually took Anise back from Ina, causing the small Vanir to release a sigh of relief before smiling when her Papa gestured for her to come closer. There was plenty enough space on his lap for the two small girls so Vahn pulled Shizune to his left thigh while Ina sat on his right. However, seemingly unsatisfied with the 'even' split, Ina moved closer to the center of his lap while sending a glance towards Shizune. The latter just laughed in an awkward manner while Vahn produced a wry smile and stroked both of their heads. Ina calmed down very quickly after that, turning her eyes away from Shizune and just enjoying the moment.
Aki and Chloe looked at the sight with strangely envious looks, something Vahn noticed was directed towards his hands. With the same wry smile on his face, he sent a wink towards Chloe that caused her to snicker with a playful smile on her face. As for Aki, she just giggled and laid her head against his shoulder while absentmindedly staring into her daughter's eyes. Aki felt like these moments were far more precious and significant than any of her past experiences and, if it were up to her, these days would continue on forever. She knew this was impossible, especially considering they resided at the core of the Alliance, but she couldn't help but wish it to be so...
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While Vahn had been busy spending quality time with his family and children, the rest of the world had been moving along at its own pace. The Noble factions, after being rebuffed by the Alliance, had been very offended by Vahn's dismissal of their proposal. To them, it was his 'honor' to even be given such an opportunity but, after considering his status and the face he was part of a Familia, there wasn't much they could do. Though they could 'inconvenience' the Alliance, taking things too far could result in a very detrimental backlash to them. After all, Familia was outside the natural jurisdiction of the laws they had established for controlling the populous.
Though the Noble families were the founders of the City, it was only because the existence of the Ouranos Familia, which later became the Guild, that they were able to find their footing around the Dungeon's entrance. As a result, the Guild actually had the greatest amount of power and influence in the City, especially since they were the ones that monitored and regulated the various Familias residing in Orario. After all, no matter how 'noble' they claimed themselves to be, mortals couldn't be directly compared to gods. If they actually tried to pass laws and restrictions to control and regulate gods, their families would have ceased to exist a long time ago as a result of their 'hubris'.
Understanding this, the de-facto leader of the Noble Faction, Marcus Vale McKenneth, was currently sitting inside a lavish study with maids standing at all four corners of the room. There was also a very mature looking maid standing to his left while a gentlemanly looking butler stood at his right. Across from him, the reason for his current mood, was his daughter Allisandra bowing her head with an apologetic and fretful look on her face. She felt terribly aggrieved by Vahn's treatment towards her and, after reporting her failure during the negotiations, now had to deal with her father's ire. His countenance was extremely cold right now as he looked down on her with an icy and piercing gaze, asking, "So, how is it that, after assuring me time and again that things will go well, you still return to me without anything to show for it?"
With an expression that looked like she had swallowed a bug, Allisandra looked up and tried to explain but, seeing her Father's icy gaze, she became pale. The words that had made its way to the tip of her tongue retreated into her throat as she swallowed hard and averted her eyes downward once again. Marcus snorted, hardening his expression even more as he said, "I had to trade several favors to secure you this opportunity. Your failure has tarnished our family name and made a mockery of our honor. For the time being, you will be on house arrest until a fitting punishment can be meted against you...begone from my sight." Unable to refute her Father's words, Allisandra just bowed her head before backing out of the room with a face full of regret.
Seeing his daughter go, Marcus couldn't help but sigh while the mature maid next to him began to chuckle lightly. Furrowing his brows, he asked, "Oh? Do you find this situation entertaining, Beatrix?" In response, the mature maid smiled and said, "Forgive me, Master, I couldn't help but find your treatment of Lady Allisandra rather interesting. It's rare to see you act so firmly with her, especially after you doted on her so much in the past~." Hearing his Head Maid's words, Marcus snorted once again. He grabbed the wine glass she had previously filled, nearly emptying its contents in one gulp before saying, "If I don't at least put on a show of punishing her, those fools in the other families would never let me hear the end of it. Until this matter passes, make sure she doesn't leave the Manor. Also, if she misbehaves during this period, make sure the only meals she receives are the same served to the staff..."
Beatrix smiled and, even though it earned her another glare from her Master, she couldn't help but chuckle lightly once again. In response to his glare, she just poked her tongue out at him while his Head Butler, Klein, made a coughing sound before asking, "Master, what are your orders in regards to the other families? I don't imagine they will let this matter go so easily..." Hearing this, Marcus scowled before finishing the remainder of his wine and saying, "Those bastards are seeking death. We'd be hard-pressed to put pressure on a single powerful Familia, much less forty. I regret ever throwing my lot in with those fools..."
If not for the fact that their family was allied with several of the other Noble houses, Marcus wouldn't want anything to do with them now that the Alliance had come into power. He could tell that there was a great change coming to the City and, if they didn't compromise and take a step back, it could very well spell the end of their families. After all, they wouldn't just be dealing with the Alliance itself, but almost all the goddesses and their respective allies. Vahn Mason, that inexplicably existence, was almost an untouchable entity after the revelations of his capabilities. The fact that some of the families were still trying to get influence over the boy, even though they had never managed any success, baffled Marcus to no end.
Everyone thought they could get a piece of the pie that was Vahn Mason, saying things like he was still young and easily exploited if they could get their hands on him. However, with influential and intelligent goddesses like Loki, Hephaestus, and Freya surrounding him, what chance did they truly believe they had? They had no leverage to use against him and, if they tried to 'force' him to yield, history had shown they would likely pay a steep price. Vahn himself could be offended, seemingly without consequence, but targeting the people close to the boy was almost a death sentence. The fact that he was willing to offend the Elven Kingdom, Rakia Kingdom, and the Iron Hills, showed that Vahn wasn't someone to trifle with. Even united, the Noble families wouldn't have been able to contest against a single one of those forces, yet Vahn boldly took a hard stance against all three...
While he was thinking about Vahn's interactions with the other countries, Marcus suddenly remembered the reports that had come in about the devastation on Rakia Kingdom's borders. Though many people claimed that it was just Vahn's dragons that did all the work, most of the people in power knew the truth of the matter. Vahn had left numerous survivors amongst the forces manning the fortresses, all of which had attested to the fact that Vahn himself had headed the assault. He was seemingly unstoppable and, no matter how many enemies were thrown at him, Vahn returned from the journey entirely unscathed. It was only after he personally defeated the border forces, and freed all the slaves, that his dragon annihilated the durable defensive structures.
Ever since he had received that report, Marcus had decided it was best not to antagonize Vahn and had tried to shift the momentum within the Noble faction more towards 'cooperation'. If they were able to actually work alongside the Alliance, there were numerous benefits they could obtain. Even now, there was a large number of rare materials and resources that seemed to flow endlessly out of the Alliance. This had completely crippled the Dwarven Merchants that had previously tried to stir up trouble. Many Noble families had tried to find out the source of the Alliance's reserves but, failing to do so, they instead tried to purchase up the items to profit later. Unfortunately, none of their efforts had proved fruitful as goddesses like Minerva and Fortuna weren't so easily exploited...
Tapping the armrest of his chair, Marcus released a heavy sigh before saying, "Arrange a meeting with the Deval and Reinhardt families. I feel a storm approaching the City and, if our families are going to weather it, we'll need to stand together..." At this point, Marcus felt that many of the Noble houses had decayed a great deal. They were too accustomed to the peace brought about after the end of the extinction war against the Goliaths. Ever since then, their families had prospered a lot from the reconstruction efforts and the expansion of various business enterprises. Now, their progeny had become lazy and entitled, exploiting their power and authority against commoners without restraint.
There were very few praiseworthy successors to the households at present, as even his own sons were shameless fools. The only saving grace for Marcus had been his daughter, Allisandra, and his youngest son, Duke. However, Allisandra had been becoming progressively more haughty with time and, as a result of his eldest's son's tampering, Duke had started to misbehave and cause trouble with the servants. Remembering an incident where his nine-year-old son had tried to get one of the maids to strip down and kneel to him, Marcus couldn't help but shake his head in an exasperated manner...
After watching Klein leave to carry out his orders, Marcus turned his attention to Beatrix at his side, frowning when he saw her playful look. Not only was she his Head Maid, but Beatrix was also his personal bodyguard and Guard Captain of his security detail. Though she looked to be in her late twenties, it had been a long time since she had a two-digit age. She had been serving their family since his Grandfather's generation and was one of their most powerful cards. It always troubled him that she never seemed to take him seriously, stating that she could never show complete respect towards someone whose diapers she had to change.
Releasing what felt like the hundredth sigh for today, Marcus stated in a solemn tone, "The Alliance's School should be opening soon. They'll need to hire a large staff for such a massive institution. Investigate who the Alliance is trying to recruit and see if we can't buy some of their loyalties..." Though his instincts were telling him to avoid having anything to do with the Alliance at present, Marcus couldn't help but try and seek some benefits from the situation. Even without taking action now, they could always try to pressure some of the School's employees later on. Depending on the situation, it may be possible to get some of their own personnel into the School and discover some of the secrets the Alliance kept hidden...
Beatrix laughed in a mischevious manner before saying, "Certainly. Leave it to me, Master~." Then, swaying her hips slightly as she walked, Beatrix quickly disappeared from the room. Almost as if an invisible tension had faded from the atmosphere, Marcus slumped slightly in his chair while shaking his head. Sending Beatrix to take care of the matter almost guaranteed it would be dealt with but the cost wasn't always something easy to bear. He just hoped she didn't get too carried away with 'playing' around this time...
(A/N: There should be 3-4 chapters today, but the release schedule might be a little janky. I had some stuff to deal with last night so I'm running on fumes at the time of writing this xD. Even so, they'll still be released at some point, though it might not be until the afternoon~?)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Ina @ Shizune 'Jiiiiiiiiii-'','Kodak Moments','Marcus is surprisingly not a bad guy...?)
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Chapter 702: Interview : Act
As much as he would like to spend all his time with his children, Vahn found his schedule packed to the brim over the next few days. The opening of the School, which was being named the Sage Aldrnari School of Orario, had been scheduled two months from now. It coincided with the traditional end of the harvest season and was also when the Ganesha Familia held the bi-annual Monster Feria. Since people would already be in high spirits, it seemed like an opportune time to announce the School's grand opening and, as a result of the timing, would ensure that each school session would always come to an end during one of Orario's few holidays.
Vahn was currently sitting within a small cafe that had been booked for the purposes of interviewing each of the potential employees that would work at the School. It would have been inconvenient to have everyone come to the Manor itself so they had picked a place near the School's location since that would be the ultimate destination for any potential staff. An advance notice had been given to everyone that would come by for an interview so Vahn just had to wait patiently within the room as people came in one after the other.
After going through nearly twenty potential staff, Vahn finally came across someone he recognized but hadn't expected to see so soon. It was a middle-aged man with a kindly face filled with laugh lines that had been permanently embedded into his expression over the years. Unlike his curt and professional act when dealing with the other candidates, Vahn couldn't help but rise to his feet with an amiable smile as he said, "Mr. House, it's good to see you once again. How has your family been?" Gregory House was surprised that Vahn actually stood to greet him since, after their meetings in the past, they hadn't interacted with each other much.
Hearing Vahn ask about his family, Gregory couldn't help but smiled as he 'complained', "That little rascal is a troublesome one. Never seems to sit still for more than a few minutes and always disappears the moment you take yer eyes off 'em." Though he said the words as if they were a negative thing, there was undisguised happiness on Gregory's face as he talked about his grandson. Vahn gave him a curt nod in response while gesturing for him to sit in the chair opposite him. Unlike the previous interviews, he pulled out a fragrant alcohol and filled a glass for Gregory before pulling out a chair for himself and sitting down.
Gregory raised his brow out of confusion but accepted the offered drink without minding the difference in their status. When he tasted the contents of the glass, the middle-aged man's face couldn't help but express shock as he took several more sips before releasing a hot sigh. With an appreciative look, he raised the glass towards Vahn and said, "I heard you also have a few kids of yer own running around these days. Hard to believe that the young orphan boy from back then already has a big family of his own...time sure flies." Vahn, sampling the contents of his own cup, nodded his head in response before saying, "Yeah, you wouldn't even believe it, even if I told you...it seems like only yesterday that I came to the City..."
As he was speaking, the image of his children passed through his mind and Vahn honestly couldn't believe how much had changed within the last twenty months. He also had several years worth of memories related to the use of Spirit-Time orbs so, though a seemingly insignificant amount of time had passed, Vahn had experienced a great deal during his stay within the City. Not only did he have seven children, he also had three beautiful and capable wives with a 'host' of other women at his back. Considering that there were several goddesses making up that number, Vahn knew he was truly blessed in how he had lived within this world.
Releasing a gruff laugh, Gregory had an amused look on his face as he said, "You have a mature look to you now, kid. Becoming a father seems to have helped you grow up quite a bit~." Vahn nodded his head in turn, taking another swig of his drink before saying, "This job I'm offering, it might be my own bias, but I believe you'll be suitable for it. I know you want to take care of your family so I'm willing to help move them into one of the residences in the Alliance territory to make your commute easier." Gregory was surprised by the offer and, seeing how serious Vahn was, knew the latter wasn't just playing around with him.
Before coming to this interview, Gregory had a few inhibitions since it required him to travel nearly an hour by carriage just to reach this cafe. With Vahn's offer, however, these worries faded away very quickly and, as the position offered a very nice salary, Gregory couldn't help but agree almost instantly. His impression of Vahn had always been positive and, seeing that the boy hadn't let his status go to his head, Gregory felt like it would be a great benefit to his entire family by throwing their lot in with the Alliance. He was beginning to feel like his good deeds of the past were now starting to pay dividends, making the middle-aged man feel incredibly vindicated.
Vahn spent a few minutes talking over the specifics with Gregory before sending the kindly man off to give the good news to his family. In truth, Vahn intended to extend similar offers to everyone that passed the screening process, as the welfare of his employees and their families was very important, but he couldn't help but be upfront with Gregory. This would require him to fill out some paperwork a bit earlier than expected, but it wasn't a big issue in the long run. Vahn believed that kindness, though not accruing a debt, should always be repaid if the opportunity presented itself. There was already so much pain and sadness in the world so Vahn appreciated it when he met people that went out of their way to help others...
After his interview with Gregory, Vahn went through another batch of prospective employees, some of which hadn't been in the original list that had been compiled. Loki had added quite a few people to the roster and, after discussing it, they also decided to allow people that lived in the area to interview. After all, even if they weren't qualified to teach any advanced classes, they needed caretakers to look after the children living within the dorms. This resulting in a lot of mothers coming in, some even bringing along their young children because they had been unable to find a sitter.
Vahn, being a relatively new father, had a bit of weakness towards these mothers and continued doing interviews several hours passed the originally scheduled time. It wasn't until he got a telepathic message from Syr that he finally decided to call it a day. There were still several people waiting patiently for their own but Vahn had already stayed much longer than the time that had been announced. Thus, while some wanted him to stick around and give them a chance to interview, nobody really stopped him, at least at first...
Not long after he left the cafe, Vahn was preparing to leap into the sky so that he could use [Koku Shundo] to hurry back to the Manor. However, just as he was about to do so, Vahn stopped in his tracks since he sensed an abnormally strong presence approaching him. The reason why he took notice of it, instead of simply moving on, was that the presence was very obviously trying to keep its power concealed. However, though the aura radiating from their body only appeared to match that of a Level 2, the density of the aura was almost at the level of someone like Finn or Gareth.
A few seconds after he had stopped, a mature looking beauty with blue-grey hair and dark blue eyes walked out of an alleyway, leading a small girl by hand. When she noticed him, the woman seemed surprised and worried as she said, "Ah, you're Vahn Mason...did you already stop the interviews for the day...?" Even as she asked the question, the woman's expression turned almost mournful as she released a sad sigh and pulled the young girl's hand, saying, "Sorry to bother you. I'll try to get here earlier tomorrow..."
The entire time the woman was speaking, Vahn's expression hadn't changed much and he was curious about what scheme she was concocting. Yes, while her act itself was almost flawless, Vahn had easily seen through it because of the nature of the woman's aura. Even when she appeared to be saddened by the realization that he was done for the day, her aura hadn't fluctuated at all. He could even tell that, though the young girl didn't seem bothered by the woman's guidance, they weren't actually mother and daughter. It was possible she was just looking after the young girl for someone else but, given the fact that they had similar hair and eye colors, Vahn assumed the mature woman was currently disguising her true appearance.
By the time the woman reached the end of the alleyway, her pace had slowed down marginally and, just as she was preparing to turn the corner, she shot a look back at him. For a brief moment, her aura fluctuated slightly as a glimmer of intrigue crossed through her eyes. Vahn just gave a small smile in response before vanishing from sight, surprising the woman even further as her head inclined to the place he had leaped to before using [Koku Shundo]. She then pulled the little girl along before laughing lightly while the small girl began to tremble. Though the laugh sounded elegant and would be appreciated by most people, the young girl knew it was very 'dangerous' when the woman escorting her found something amusing. However, she didn't say anything at all and just continued following along since it may not end well for her otherwise...
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Though Vahn had initially moved away at a high speed, leaving the area behind until he was confident the woman wouldn't be able to sense him, he eventually doubled back to trail her. After completely concealing his presence, Vahn changed his face and aura before donning a change of clothes and trying to track the woman. Seemingly unaware she was being followed, the woman continued at a leisurely pace while the young girl next to her struggled to keep up with her pitter-patter of steps. There was a big difference in their gaits and it annoyed Vahn more than a little that the mature woman wasn't showing consideration for the young girl. However, as this frustration surfaced in his mind, the woman turned her head slightly.
Vahn continued forward, even after the woman had turned her head to look directly at him. He showed a startled and confused expression on his face while she scrutinized his face and body, now seeming to be in his late twenties and much taller than normal. As if he was flustered by the fact that a beauty was looking at him, Vahn asked, "Excuse me miss...is there something I can help you with...?" Since he had a lot of experience with such situations from the past, Vahn put on a nervous appearance before smiling towards the young girl and waving. She was currently hiding behind the long dress of the mature woman but, seeing his kind gesture, returned a wave as a small smile appeared on her adorable little face.
Even though he was confident he couldn't be seen through by her, the woman suddenly said, "That is quite the transformation ability. I had heard the rumors, but seeing it personally...I must say, I'm very impressed~." Vahn put on the most confused look he could manage, made easier by the fact that he was genuinely confused about how she could see through him. However, she seemed to misunderstand and believed he was still putting on an act so, after letting go of the young girl's hand, the woman stepped forward as a powerful killing intent radiated from her body. If it were in the past, Vahn would have tried to dodge and potentially issue a counterattack. However, believing this was an opportunity to actually fool her, he instead stumbled with a terrified and confused expression on his face.
Stopping her knife-hand strike just a centimeter away from his eye, the woman seemed to be genuinely surprised that he hadn't made any efforts to dodge. Her perception was very high and she noticed that his muscles, other than seizing up, made no efforts to evade her attack. It was almost like he wasn't seven aware of it at all and, judging by how his eyes widened after the fact, this seemed to be the case. However, even though the reality seemed to contradict her assumptions, the woman's instincts told her this man was the same boy she had met previously. His appearance, smell, and aura had all changed but, trusting her instincts, she still believed this was Vahn. Thus, after pulling her hand away and seeing him sigh in relief, she then stepped forward once again and buried her fingers into his thigh without any hesitation.
At this point, Vahn could safely assume this woman was his enemy or, at the very least, someone unhinged enough to attack people based on her assumptions. However, he made no attempt to dodge the attack and, as he was currently in his pseudo-erebea state, allowed her to wound his leg without immediately healing the wound. Instead, he shouted out like a wounded animal while screaming, "What the hell are you doing!? Aaaargh, my leg...!" This time, even though her instincts were still telling her the man before her was undoubtedly Vahn, the woman finally began doubting herself. Vahn was known to be a very powerful Adventurer and, regardless of how skilled an actor they might be, people wouldn't just let unknown enemies injure them. Even now, she could see him trying, and failing, to stymy the flow of blood while a crowd began to gather around them.
With a frown marring her previously 'gentle' face, the woman continued watching him for several seconds until it started to become troublesome with how many people were gathering. She could see that he was becoming very pale, the result of the heavy loss of blood after she tore his artery, and hadn't made any efforts to heal the wound. It almost seemed like he was a normal man who she had attacked and, if things kept up like this, it wouldn't be long before he bled out and died. The most annoying thing, however, was the fact that she still believed this man was Vahn, even though every one of her senses was telling her otherwise...
Suddenly, from high in the sky, beams of radiant light rained down onto the section of the street while a group of guards poured into the area from the surroundings. The woman shielded her eyes from the light with the same hand she had used to pierce Vahn's leg. Seeing this, the guards pulled out their weapons and surrounded her while a womanly voice sounded out from the light source above, "You have disturbed the order of the City and attacked another citizen. Place your hands above your head and stand down until we can get to the bottom of this situation. If that man had wronged you in some way, we will deal with that when the time comes. You, hurry up and use a potion to stop the bleeding before he passes out. We need his testimony to make a fair judgment."
As the voice faded, so too did the light. Without the radiant light shining down on them, everyone could see a majestic winged horse slowly descending from the sky with a rather heroic looking woman riding on its back. Since she was the only person possessing a Pegasi within the City, everyone immediately identified the rider as the goddess, Eirene. She quickly commanded the guards to action while the primary suspect, the mature woman with blood on her hands, continued to look at the man curled up on the ground. Just as some guards moved to restrain her, she grabbed the shivering girl next to her and, against anyone's expectations, leaped towards the closest roof with such speed that it almost looked like she teleported. Her next movement carried enough force to shatter the tiles of the roof she had landed on while Eirene raised her sword and said, "Scoundrel! Don't let her escape!"
The surrounding guards released a loud affirmation before giving chase while Eirene herself took to the sky to direct everyone from above. However, before she was able to get far, the man that seemed to have been on death's door, suddenly stood up and said, "You won't be able to catch up to her, Eirene. She is already far beyond the range any of the guards would be able to pursue her..." While he was speaking, Vahn resumed his normal appearance, stopping the words Eirene had been about to speak in her throat. She paused for several seconds while the majority of her guards disappeared, still giving chase as a result of her last order. Only a crowd of pedestrians remained along the perimeter they had previously established while a few of her guards looked toward Vahn with confusion.
Releasing a small sigh, Eirene stroked the blue mane of her Pegasus and urged it back to the ground before she leaped off and asked, "Mind explaining to me what just happened, Vahn? I can't say I appreciate you making a scene like this and disturbing the public order..." Though she was giving him a light reprimand, Eirene had a look of concern on her face as she followed up by quietly asking, "Is your leg okay...?" Vahn smiled while gesturing with his hand, causing an invisible barrier to spread around them that prevented sounds from traveling while simultaneously obscuring their figure from onlookers. He then explained, "Sorry for troubling you, Eirene. That woman had some method to conceal her Level and had been lingering around the cafe where I was conducting interviews. I tried to follow her to discover her identity but...well, its as you can see..."
Eirene furrowed her brows slightly and was about to inquire further as a haughty voiced sounded out from behind her, "I was wondering why I felt so strange when we were flying through this area. It turns out my Master was the cause..." This voice came from the Pegasi standing nearby, Eirene's mount and none other than the Silver Unicorn, Fatina, now named Fatina Pegasus through the use of his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome]. Vahn had found that Fatina was a name of power after researching some texts through the shop but, remembering that he wanted to give Eirene a flying mount, tacked on the name Pegasus to influence the outcome.
At first, Fatina had been hesitant about following an unknown master but, after meeting Eirene, it willingly became her mount. Unlike his other subordinate, it had no intention of letting Vahn ride it as he was neither a pure, a maiden, or a goddess. Vahn didn't really mind that much and was just happy that the two seemed to get along well with each other, at least much better than Khaos and Loki did. Eirene's nature had even started to rub off on Fatina a bit, though not enough to make them pleasant to talk with unless, of course, you were one of the 'pure maidens' it was fond of.
With a somewhat helpless expression on her face, Eirene turned to Fatina and said, "Fatina, you should be more polite towards Vahn. Weren't you very happy when he allowed you to evolve into a Pegasi?" Fatina just snorted in response but didn't say anything further that might cause offense. Both Vahn and Eirene just shook their heads slightly before the latter remembered her purpose and asked, "Do you have any leads on what she might have been up to? I can try to investigate..." Vahn raised his hand, causing Eirene to trail her words as he smiled and said, "She seems to be a very cautious and capable individual so I don't think she will be easily traced. I can't even sense any fluctuations left behind by her earlier movements and she probably has means to avoid detection if we ended up pursuing her..."
Eirene's expression didn't improve with his words so Vahn increased the strength of his 'privacy' barrier before reaching out and stroking her silky blue hair. This unexpected action caused Eirene's face to blush slightly as she pulled away from his palm and mumbled, "Don't do shameless things in public..." Releasing a small chuckle, Vahn went on to explain, "The next time she shows up, I'll be able to capture her easily. This time around, I gave her the benefit of the doubt since she didn't seem evil. However, the fact she left me to bleed out shows she doesn't have any problem with killing innocents..." Vahn frowned when he thought about the woman's reactions while she was watching him bleed to death. He could see the hesitation in her actions but, peering into her eyes, Vahn felt like she was still sure about his identity to the very end. It was very likely she had some form of Innate that allowed her to ascertain his identity, though it could have just been the 'legendary' women's intuition...
Knowing Vahn was perfectly capable of making good on his words, Eirene gave a curt nod while staring at the hole in his trousers. All of the blood that had previously stained the black fabric was nowhere to be seen and, though he had bled out onto the cobblestone pavement earlier, there weren't any signs remaining. Vahn, following her eyes, adopted a serious expression on his face that seemed to give Eirene the wrong impression as she waved her hands and said, "I wasn't thinking anything dirty..." Vahn stalled for a moment when he heard her words, giving the stoic goddess a questioning look that caused her to fluster slightly and explain, "I was just worried that you still had an injury..."
Vahn chuckled lightly and, though she had avoided him earlier, reached out his hand and habitually stroked Eirene's head. She furrowed her brows slightly and, just as before, moved away from his hand with a small look of blame on her flushed face. Vahn's laughter increased in volume on the outside but his sub-process mind was still mulling over his earlier realization. Since he had allowed his regeneration to take effect, all of the blood he had lost earlier evaporated or returned to his body. This was an oversight on his part because, like the blood on his trousers, hands, and ground, it meant the blood on the woman's hand would have also faded away...
(A/N: With how long these chapters have been, there will probably only be one more after this xD. However, as I plan to take a nap, I may write two if I feel refreshed enough o3o~!)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Doting Grandpa vs. Doting Father','And the Oscar goes to...','Eirene's bashful side (UwU)~!)
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