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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Chapter 703: Picking Up The Trail?
Though it actually made his return trip take longer, Eirene ended up 'escorting' Vahn back to the Manor. She had also wanted to discuss things directly with Loki instead of hearing about it later through the network. Vahn didn't mind that much, if not for the fact that Fatina tried to 'race' him back to the Manor. There was a massive difference in their maximum speed so Vahn had easily won the race, at the expense of two points of Fatina's loyalty. When Vahn saw the notification, he nearly fell out of the sky with a moderately incredulous look on his face. Fatina simply snorted in response as they landed on the outskirts of the training area. Vahn and Eirene then proceeded inside while Fatina wandered into the illusory forest to enjoy the scenery and explore a bit.
While they were walking along, Vahn gave Eirene a slightly exasperated smile while muttering, "That prideful pegasus is going to give me an aneurysm one of these days..." Eirene giggled in response, squinting her blue eyes in humor as she responded, "He really isn't that bad once you get used to him...at least not as bad as he used to be~." Vahn couldn't help but agree with Eirene since, shortly after Fatina had received its name, the arrogant and proud Unicorn started acting like it was some sacred creature that deserved reverence. Fortunately, as both Terra and Fenrir had been present at the time, Fatina quickly adopted a moderately more 'civil' method of addressing him.
As they made their way through the Manor, Eirene continually looked around before eventually commenting, "It seems less lively around here than in the past. Did everyone go out...or maybe they are all in the dining room?" When she had asked this, they had been very near the dining room so Eirene was sure this wasn't the case. Till now, the only people who knew of the orbs' existence were the residents of the Manor itself. Though Eirene would undoubtedly learn of it in the future, as she was intending to one day bear his child, she was currently in the dark about the matter.
Vahn wasn't fond of lying so he just smiled before opening the door for her while bowing politely. Eirene gave a small smile in return, muttering, "How polite~" while entering into the dining room and seeing only a few people present. Currently, it was after the normal dining hours so the only attendees for the coming discussion were Loki, Hephaestus, Hestia, Anubis, and Syr. Most of the girls were currently within the Sub-Space orb while all of the children had already been put to sleep for the evening. Of course, Vahn didn't miss the fact that Erika was spying on them from one of the crawlspaces so he gave a very subtle wave that caused her body to flinch.
After sitting down, Emiru and Maemi poked their heads out of the kitchen before bringing out a tray of snacks and tea while Vahn explained, "Sorry I'm late, there was a suspicious woman that was lingering around the cafe when I was leaving." Loki had just been about to ask since she had already gotten word that something was wrong from Hephaestus and Hestia before Syr informed them he wanted to talk while bringing over Eirene. Vahn then went on to explain everything he had seen and experienced while interacting with the strange woman, including how powerful she was, the fact she could hide her strength, and how she was able to intuit he had disguised himself.
Loki listened until the end while Hephaestus, Hestia, and Anubis all showed slightly cold looks when Vahn mentioned how she had accurately severed an artery in his leg. The fact that he was immortal didn't make them any fonder of the idea that the woman had essentially been willing to watch him bleed out. As for Loki herself, she keyed in on a few of the important details before inevitably saying, "It's difficult to ascertain if she really has an ability to see through disguises, or if her perception is just abnormally high. You've been making noticeable improvements in your facial expressions and disguising your emotions, but it's not as though your 'act' is entirely convincing. She might have memorized the way you moved or taken note of a specific gesture you might be prone to using..."
Like Loki had said, it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that his act had simply been seen through by the woman. After all, she showed genuine confusion and surprise when he hadn't actually defended himself. The reason why he believed this wasn't necessarily the case was due to the fact that, even while she had acted in such a way, the woman still seemed 'certain'. At this point, Vahn knew he had an uncanny ability to read people through their expressions, especially by gazing into their eyes. It was almost like an invisible light would shine when people were feeling or thinking certain things, something he had strangely been attuned to even in his previous life.
Hephaestus had a thoughtful look while showing a deep frown on her face. She had been listening very closely to Vahn's recounting of events and, as far as she could discern, there were only a few possible candidates behind this plot. She sent a look towards Loki, earning a curt nod from her fellow goddess before saying, "This is likely something that has been machinated by the Noble factions. That woman you described matches some of the information we have about potential dangers that might pop up from their side. Though the records aren't clear, there are a few instances from around twenty years ago about some 'monster' from one of the Noble households cleaning up several gangs within the Entertainment District."
Eirene seemed to catch on to what Hephaestus was getting to, suddenly asking in an incredulous voice, "You mean that woman was the 'Smiling Reaper'...?" When she saw the serious expressions on Loki's and Hephaestus's face, accompanied by the curious look on Vahn's, Eirene explained, "She is an urban legend that pops up every decade or so, goes on a rampage, and then disappears once again. Not just a few gangs, she is purportedly responsible for the destruction of several smaller Familia and hundreds of unconfirmed deaths. The most surprising thing is, if you trace back the records kept by the Guild, reports of her exploits date back nearly three-hundred years. She was even rumored to have killed the Vice-Captain of the Hera Familia within their own bedchamber."
Adding on to what Eirene was saying, Loki continued, "Most of the rumors say she is the secret trump card of the Noble faction but nobody has ever been able to verify the claims. Because she had never targeted any large Familia in the past, and reports of her exploits were unverified, the Smiling Reaper had gone largely unnoticed until now. It's only when she does 'big' feats that the name goes back into circulation for a few months before vanishing once again. It's very likely that she works for one of the top three Noble houses and, given her presumed age, is either a Demigod or an Elf."
Vahn immediately shook his head when he heard Loki's words, explaining, "If she is a Demigod, it isn't a first-generation offspring. The aura doesn't possess the same quality as other Demigods I've seen..." Vahn looked towards Syr while also recalling his encounters with Ottar and Ash in the past. Fortunately, he had a way to verify her race pretty easily so, after gesturing for silence and closing his eyes, Vahn began to alter the flow of energy within his body. She had restricted and condensed her aura, but Vahn had still been able to identify the woman's elemental affinities and the structure of her mana. By emulating it, while keeping his image as a male, Vahn would easily be able to discern her race by checking his status.
In just under a minute, Vahn had finished his transformation while everyone present looked towards him with intrigued expressions. For Eirene, this was the first time she had actually watched Vahn transform, just like the eavesdropping Erika. When he had finished the transformation, Vahn's skin became fair and his hair had taken on an onyx-black hue with slightly pointed ears. Most notably, however, was the fact that the sclera of his eyes had turned completely black while his pupils had taken on a pale golden hue. Even before Vahn confirmed it for them, a small figure popped up out of thin air with a curious look on her face as she grabbed and squished his cheeks with her tiny hands.
With Doppel revealing herself, Erika came out of the crawlspace with a combination of guilt and embarrassment on her face. However, instead of being upset with her, Hephaestus, Anubis, and Hestia just smiled while Loki and Syr chuckled lightly. The only person that seemed confused was Eirene but that didn't matter much since the thing everyone else was curious about was confirmed by Vahn a moment later. He grabbed Doppel's tiny hands into his own while she made a happy 'Aaauu' sound when he said, "It seems our opponent this time is a Doppelganger, though only a half-breed. In other words..." Piggybacking off os his words, Loki squinted her eyes and said, "She is a Xenos-Human hybrid..."
(A/N: Oh, hi there...)
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[[Stats]]
Name: [Vahn Mason]
Age: 15
Race: Half-Doppelganger, *sealed*
Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]
-Level: 5(+)
-Power: 3193+(I0)->(H108)
-Endurance: 4536+(I0)->(H177)
-Dexterity: 3839+(I0)->(D517)
-Agility: 3561+(I0)->(F331)
-Magic: 9291+(I0)->(C620)
Total:24,421+(1,753)
Soul Tier: 3 (Lord Soul)
[Karma]: 13,692->13,777
[OP]: 15,318,499->18,005,739
[Valis]: 3,901,832,592->4,882,545,901
Skills: [Will of the Emperor:SSS], [Rakshasa Body:D], [Keeper of the Akashic Tome:B], [Eyes of Truth: B],[Bow Mastery:S], [Stealth:A], [Chainbreaker:S], [Heart of the Eternal Flame:SS], [Prometheus:A], [Call of the Reaper:A],[Yggdrasil's Favor:S], [Veil of the Traveler: S], [Featherfoot:S], [Hands of Nirvana:S], [Metallurgy:B], [Fist Strike:A], [Friend of Spirits:A], [Void Ward:E](new)
Magic: [Thria*Mimos:A], [Shundo:S], [Koku Shundo:D->C], [Cantus Bellax:S], [Mellodia Bellax:B], [Vis Maxima:E], [Sagitta Magica:B], [Pactio:A->S], [Magia Erebea:SS]
Development Skills: [Wound Transfer:S], [Well of Spirit:C], [Swordsman:A], [Master Smith:H], [Mixing:C], [Mentor:A], [Grooming:I->D], [Arch Mage:I]
[Void Ward]
Rank: E
Use: Allows the user to create magic wards and send them across vast distances before activating their effects.
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In actuality, though sentient monsters were all classified as 'Xenos', it wasn't the actual name of their race. Instead, it would detail the 'species' of Xenos they were, meaning a Minotaur Xenos would simply be labeled as a Minotaur within the system. Since he had 'subjugated' both Terra and Fatina in the past, both easily classified as Xenos, Vahn had been able to confirm this through experience. Thus, even though it didn't specifically state she was a Xenos through the system, the woman would still be classified as one by the world's standards.
Doppel seemed very fond of the fact that he was a Doppelganger now and, until Erika eventually pulled the giggling guardian away, she kept trying to shape and distort his face. Vahn was actually quite curious about what abilities he might possess in this form, especially since they didn't show up through the system, so he tried channeling his source energy through his face and hair. Loki had just been about to speak but, seeing the sudden changes in Vahn, remained silent as she watched his onyx-black hair grow till the center of his back. It began moving around in an awkward manner like tendrils as Vahn blinked several times, almost as if he was very confused.
The moment he started using his energy to try and activate the racial skills he should have, Vahn felt like all of his senses 'mixed' together and it was a very large sensory overload. He could 'see' through each fiber of hair while his face and body actually started to melt as a result of his inability to hold his form properly. It wasn't until he activated [Will of the Emperor] and reversed the changes that he was able to regain his senses. His quickly recovered his mental faculties before giving an awkward smile and saying, "I now have a much greater appreciation for how incredible Doppel is..." Vahn sent his glance towards the small Guardian, earning a happy 'auuwaaau' as she squirmed about in Erika's arms.
Vahn went on to explain what it was like to try and use his abilities, surprising everyone while both Loki and Erika looked at him with contemplative expressions. In truth, Vahn wasn't exactly sure how to explain what he had experienced because it was like each of his cells became their own entities. It was like he could see, hear, smell, and taste through all of his pores. He had no idea how Doppel, or the Smiling Reaper, were able to keep their wits about them when using their abilities. And, as he had said, this made him feel appreciation and understanding towards Doppel now. Though she could emulate speech, it was very obvious she wasn't at the same level of intelligence and awareness as the other guardians. Vahn now knew it wasn't because she was actually 'simple', but because the amount of information she had to process was ridiculous compared to others. It had to be said that a body was comprised of trillions of cells and, if they actually all became sensory organs, it was enough to overload more other creatures' brains...
After he had returned to his 'normal' appearance, Vahn sat with a slightly blushing Erika in his lap while Doppel played around behind his back, pulling at his hair and face with curiosity and confusion. While this was going on, Vahn maintained a calm expression as he explained, "Now we understand why she has been able to evade detection for so long. If she can manipulate her shape and form, it would be almost impossible to actually track her down. Fortunately, now that I know how the energy in her body is structure, she wouldn't be able to evade me next time. Still, as she seems to be around Level 6 in strength, we need to make sure nobody is wandering around the City alone. I'll try to scout around some of the Noble residences and see if I can pick up her trail in the next few days." Though the girls spent most of their time in the orb, they still went out to get some fresh air and explore the City on occasion.
While they had been speaking, Syr was inputting all the important details into the network so the girls would be able to reference it later. When she understood the conversation was beginning to come to an end, she even snapped the notebook shut with a happy smile before alighting from the room. Vahn could detect her going to the room where the orb was kept, likely to explain the situation to the girls directly so as to avoid any accidents. With her departure, the tension in the conversation slowly started to relax as Loki smiled in a teasing manner, saying, "That should be enough for the time being. I'll also touch base with some of my contacts and see if they can discover something. For now, what I'm most curious about is what my daughter is doing up past her bedtime~?"
Erika hung her head while looking up into her Mother's eyes, uncertainty and hesitation flashing across her green pupils. However, when her Papa hugged her in his gentle and warm embrace, Erika felt more at ease, explaining, "Since Papa had been late coming home, I was worried something might have happened. I saw how Mother was acting and wanted to know what was going on...I thought I might be able to help...just a little..." All the while her daughter had been speaking, Loki watched her very carefully with her slightly parted eyes. It was somewhat strange, seeing the mother-daughter pair with their slit-like eyes having what could be misconstrued as a staring contest if you didn't understand the context.
Seemingly satisfied by her daughter's answer, Loki nodded her head with a smile and said, "That's good then. If you're doing it for your Papa, I don't mind if you misbehave and break a few rules~." Loki actually wanted her daughter to be free of restraints and restrictions, at least once the young Vanir reached maturity. Though she sometimes lectured and teased her, she never truly prevented Erika from acting as she pleased. After all, with her daughter's intelligence and the potential influence of her pseudo-divinity, Loki didn't want to 'hurt' her development by interfering too much. As long as she didn't veer onto a 'dark' path, Loki was actually happy that her daughter had 'disobeyed' the rules a bit, especially since she did so out of concern for her family.
Vahn also felt very warm when he heard Erika's words, even though Doppel was tugging at the loose skin below his right eye and making it awkward to show a normal expression. Since it seemed like a good opportunity, Vahn sent a glance towards Hephaestus, Hestia, and Anubis, almost as if he were seeking their permission. They all gave him gentle smiles in return so Vahn turned to the snickering Loki while hugging Erika as he said, "It's been a little while, so Papa will sleep in Erika's and her Mother's room tonight..." Erika's face became apple-red, especially after seeing the amused looks everyone was giving her, before mumbling, "As long as Papa doesn't try to make me wear those embarrassing clothes..."
Loki began cackling without restraint while Hephaestus released a sigh, completely understanding what Erika meant by 'embarrassing clothes'. Vahn was a very doting father and, because he wanted his already adorable daughters to be even cuter, he always tried to get them to wear cute pajamas. Erika wasn't really a morning person so there was an event a few weeks ago where she had walked through the hallways in a koala outfit, causing the hearts of all the girls in the Manor to melt when they saw her. As for the culprit behind the incident, he was currently making a very dejected and hurt face after taking a critical impact from his daughter's words. When she saw this, Erika felt very guilty and, after biting her bottom lip for a few seconds, eventually whispered, "Nnnuuu...fine then, but I won't wear them when I get older...!"
Though she had whispered it quietly, everyone present heart Erika's words and sent her amused smiles with gentle expressions. This caused her already apple-red face to turn a deeper shade of crimson as Eirene, who had been standing patiently at the side, murmured, "I want one..." in a voice only she could hear.
(A/N: I only took a short nap before pumping out this chapter. This will be the last one for today but I plan to wake up early tomorrow and try to pump out around 18-20k words. Look forward to it (UwU)~!)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Smiling Reaper...Ara~?','Doppel is secretly OP O_O!?','Eirene isn't satisfied with an arrogant horse, she wants something far more precious ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)...')(A/N: Now you know why Doppel doesn't like to wear clothes. Imagine wearing a cloth over your eyes, nose, and mouth o3o~!)
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