After everything was said and done, Vahn had left the underground room to go visit Alexa. It was already much later than he would have liked to have visit so he needed to work hard to make it up to her. As for Freya, she remained behind with Loki, the latter of which had wanted to discuss things after sending Vahn on his way. Currently, Freya just sat in a daze hugging her knees, unsure of everything that had happened while her companion goddess, Loki, simply observed her. It was easy to see that Vahn had left a very deep impression on Freya, though the main reason for her current insecurities was the fact that she had 'failed'.
Freya had never been in a situation where she was unable to complete her purpose yet, in the face of Vahn, the only thing she could do was be 'given' purpose. No matter how hard she tried, none of her methods were able to leave an impression on the boy unless he 'let' her. Having taken what she wanted for so long, Freya didn't understand how she should feel when the only way she could make any progress with Vahn was to let him do as he pleased.
The scariest thing was, when she left things in the hands of Vahn, it made her feel a host of emotions she wasn't sure how to act upon. If not for him telling her what to do, Freya would have felt terribly lost and, now that he had left her, that feeling began to spread through her heart and mind. As the warmth he had obtained from him began to fade, replaced by this sense of loss, Freya simply curled up in an attempt to keep it for even a second longer...
Loki, seeing the current state of Freya, could hardly believe she was looking at the same goddess who had toyed with others for millions of years. She never doubted that Vahn would win, especially after the day she made her vow, but, seeing how quickly he had come out ahead, Loki was awed. Still, it was what happened after that which left the deepest impression on her, as it had been a very educational experience to witness Vahn 'teaching' the nonpareil of sex what she needed to do. The fact that Freya's purpose, at that moment, had been to simply follow Vahn's orders, didn't just leave an impression on Freya. Loki herself began wondering just what limits, if any, Vahn actually had...he always seemed to be able to do the impossible, time and again...
After a very long period of silence, Freya lifted her head and looked over towards Loki, asking in a muted tone, "Was this...part of your plan...?" Hearing this, Loki snapped out of her own daze and made eye contact with Freya for several long seconds before finally shaking her head, explaining, "My only plan this time around was to simply leave things in Vahn's 'capable' hands...I wanted to see how he would deal with the situation and, if things didn't go well, I would help to regain control of the situation...looks like that was an unnecessary concern, though..."
Loki hadn't missed the fact that Freya trembled slightly when she mentioned Vahn's 'hands'. It gave her a very powerful urge to tease the once-proud goddess but, considering everything that had happened, that kind of action would just cause more problems in the long run. Instead, she simply asked, "So, Freya, what will you do now...?" This was a question Freya herself didn't truly know the answer to, and the thing she had been thinking about over the last few minutes. Having Loki ask what her plans were, Freya didn't know how to answer and just said, "I don't know...whenever I think about returning to my previous life, it all seems so...pointless..."
Seeing the melancholy on Freya's face, Loki had to take a deep breath to keep calm as her own thoughts raced through her mind. Freya was actually an important part of several of her plans so, having her in this borderline catatonic state, would be very problematic. When her precious 'children' saw her current condition, Loki imagined it would lead to an all-out war between the Freya and Hestia Familias. Even if Freya herself commanded them not to, she no longer had that overbearing air of pride and control that followed her around everywhere she went. Loki wouldn't be surprised if, like Preasia had in the past, Freya began wearing thick clothes and just 'lingered' around the Manor, waiting for Vahn to give her some attention...
It was a very strange thought as, even now, Loki simply couldn't imagine Freya wearing clothes that didn't accent her figure. She had always been like an immaculate silver rose, meant to be admired by everyone for her unique beauty, even if there were several thorns beyond the surface. Now, however, Freya still had that same appearance but, unlike the past, all of her thorns had been systematically clipped by Vahn. In order to prevent problems, Loki needed to artificially attach some thorns to Freya's body and mind, lest her presence becomes a veritable thorn in their sides, instead of their enemies...
After collecting her thoughts, Loki knew the best solution would be to use Vahn's own words against Freya so, after recalling some of the things he had said, she looked into Freya's eyes, saying, "It is very simple, Freya~." When she heard Loki say this, Freya's eyes regained a bit of their light as she asked, "Then what do I need to do...?" Loki began to laugh in her characteristically mischevious manner before holding up her finger and exclaiming, "You just do what Vahn told you to do from the start! Remember, you made a vow, didn't you~?"
Though she was confused for a brief moment, Freya recalled the vow she had made before Vahn 'broke' her fragile reality into small pieces. She had promised to become a good mother if he had managed to satisfy her, something she fundamentally couldn't refute had happened. In fact, what she had received from Vahn made it almost impossible to play any value on her past interactions. After all, those had always been her doing as she pleased, taking what she wanted from her partner and, in some extreme cases, breaking them in the process. Now, she had gotten a taste of her own medicine, leaving her with a profound sense of loss as, for the time being, the only thing she could think about was waiting for Vahn to tell her what to do next...
Freya now realized that Vahn had, from the very beginning, already told her what she 'needed' to do. She had already known about his character beforehand as well, so Freya knew that, if she did what she was supposed to do, he would give her what she 'needed' as well. Just imagining going a long period of time without Vahn's care made her feel terrified, especially since she was now bound by very powerful contracts to not seek out other men. Though the provisions said nothing about women, Freya knew she would never be satisfied with such a shallow and fruitless endeavor. It was almost impossible to think that what she had 'taken' from others was even remotely comparable to what Vahn could 'give' her...
When this thought crossed her mind, it was almost like an ambient warmth had radiated through her body and, unlike when she had been pregnant previously, Freya brought her hands to her lower abdomen and focused on the warmth contained within. After being bound by Vahn's golden chains, he had given her the thing she had desired but, now that she had received his 'care', that desire had changed greatly. Freya wanted more, no, she 'needed' more, just so that she could give meaning to her existence. In order to obtain what she needed, Freya knew that she would have to make good on her vow and, as incongruous as the thought felt, she knew that the only way left to her was to, as Vahn put it, 'behave'...
Seeing Freya's thought process slowly guide her towards the 'correct' route, Loki gave a curt nod before saying, "You're not a fool, Freya, so I'll explain it plainly to you. You should already have a proper understanding of what role you played in the Alliance. Because of your past actions, and your personality in general, you act as a natural deterrent to our enemies. Unless you want to make trouble for Vahn, you need to continue doing your duty...after all, that is the best way to guarantee you can get rewarded properly. Who knows, in time, you may even be able to receive more than just Vahn's care, but his 'love' as well~?"
Freya had been listening closely to Loki's words so, when she heard the last part, her body began to tremble as a thought crossed her mind. What she had just 'received' from Vahn had only been what he needed to give to her at that moment, not necessarily what he wanted to give to her. She could vividly recall all the moments when she was scared and full of doubt, Vahn would always show genuine concern for her, bringing her a warmth different than anything she had experienced in the past. Now, hearing Loki's words, Freya knew that was a lot more she could receive from Vahn that what he had already given her. As terrifying a thought as this was, Freya craved that feeling to the point that her body ached just imagining it...
Understanding that her words had seeded themselves deeply within Freya's heart and mind, Loki cracked a crooked smile before hopping to her feet. She walked over to where Freya was still seated on the bed and, surprising the uncharacteristically demure goddess, lifted the latter's chin with a sneer, asking, "How long is the proud and elegant Freya going to sit here brooding like a child? You might not know this, but your time limit to make a favorable impression on Vahn is very limited..." When she heard this, Freya jerked her chin away from Loki, scowling at her as she asked, "What are you talking about, Loki?"
Loki's smile only grew larger as she slowly explained, "You'll near this very soon, but the children born between Vahn and a Goddess aren't normal, not at all. They are actually an entirely new race, known as the Vanir...you see, Freya, one of the special characteristics of a Vanir is that they reach physical maturity in only five years...you understand, right~?"
Hearing this, Freya's eyes widened before being replaced by a serious expression as she asked, "Is that really true...?" Loki simply nodded in return before explaining, "I'll introduce you to her soon, but my daughter Erika already like like she is around four years old. All of the Vanir are actually mildly cognizant from birth as well, possessing very sharp minds and remarkable potential. Your child will be much the same, but that isn't really something you need to worry about, is it~?" Because the Vanir were required to be raised in the Hearth Manor, Freya didn't really need to worry about their upbringing at all. The thing that most heavily concerned her were the vows she had made to be given the opportunity to birth a Vanir...
Because of the availability of information at the time, the traits of a Vanir were not yet known and, as a result, the terms within the contracts were somewhat 'inaccurate'. Freya was prohibited from having a physical relationship with any other men until the child between her and Vahn reached physical maturity. This meant that, if Freya couldn't find a spot in Vahn's heart over the next 5-6 years, a relatively short period of time for a goddess, she would likely never be able to.
Because of how capable he was, and how quickly the power of the Alliance was increasing, Freya's 'use' was also very limited. Right now, she served as a deterrent of sorts but, in the very near future, this role would no longer be necessary. The Alliance itself had almost reached a critical level of power and influence, thus invalidating the need for the 'services' she provided. Once this happened, Freya's presence in the Alliance, unless she intended to fight for power at the top, would no longer be necessary. Since the 'power' of the Alliance was consolidated around Vahn himself, the only way to have any real influence in the Alliance was to place yourself at his side. If Freya failed to make an impression on him, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that she would be 'thrown away' in the future...
Though Vahn wasn't the type of person to do such a thing, all of Freya's prior interactions with Vahn made it very clear that he had no real fondness for her. Because of her nature, she had left a bad impression on him and, from her perspective, the only reason he had lain with her in the first place was because of the agreement made between her and the goddesses around him. They obviously wouldn't support her if she was a negative influence on Vahn so, after she gave birth to his child, Freya would only have those few short years to earn his favor. The problem was, she had no way of doing so other than doing what he had asked from her, all while fulfilling her 'duty' to the Alliance in its full capacity.
Freya's expression had turned fierce, but there was an undisguised fear in her eyes as she looked towards Loki and said, "I refuse to believe you didn't have any hand in this, Loki. There is no way Vahn simply developed those skills on his own. Even the way he handled himself, that wasn't the way a young boy of fifteen would behave... it's like he is much older than he seems...tell me, what other secrets are you keeping from me!?"
Because Vahn had spent so much time within the respective orbs, while also inheriting the memories of his memory fragment, it wasn't an exaggeration to say his mental development had progressed nearly twenty years since the time he had come to the City. This wasn't something most people could wrap their head around, especially if they were unaware of the methods he had used to obtain such growth. However, Loki didn't see the need to explain things so she simply snorted, asking, "And what puts you in a position to make such demands? If you want to find out the answer, you'll have to hear about it from Vahn himself...of course, developing things to the point where he trusts you with such information might be pretty difficult~?"
From Loki's words, Freya knew there 'had' to be secrets, very important secrets, that she wasn't privy to at the moment. She also had no grounds to stand on in order to pressure for such secrets to be revealed, especially considering how she had acted in the past. Now, in order to avoid the terrifying prospect of being cut off from the thing she needed, Freya felt like she was being forced into a difficult position. It had always been like this, ever since she started getting involved with Vahn and the Alliance, and it was very frustrating.
Now that she had experienced it, Freya needed Vahn's care and concern, yet, now that he had left such a deep impression on her, the only way forward was to do as Loki suggested. She had no choice but to make good on her vow with Vahn, meaning she needed to take better care of Ottar, all while dealing with her other duties. Her children had been very rowdy lately, and this was before she confessed to them that she would be unable to spend time with them. Though it didn't matter much in the past, as she would have simply culled those that tried to stir up trouble, Freya wasn't sure if Vahn would approve of such a method. Suddenly, it felt like all of her actions needed to be looked at through a filter, being Vahn's approval of the methods she used...
Seeing the confused look on Freya's face, Loki had an idea what the fretful goddess was thinking about. However, unlike what was going through Freya's mind, Loki knew there were some things that were simply necessary to avoid future trouble. Sitting on the bed a little bit away from Freya, she opened her slitted eyes slightly and said, "Nobody is telling you to change your methods so quickly, Freya. One thing you have to keep in mind is that Vahn simply doesn't pay that much attention to what goes on outside of his own life unless it impacts him and the people he cares about. Take care of your business, clean up any loose ends, and then work hard to become a good mother. There may be some problems in the future, but Vahn is an empathetic boy and will show you leniency as long as you take care of things in a neat and tidy manner..."
Hearing this, Freya gave Loki a confused look before realization appeared on her face a moment later. For the first time since their conversation began, a smile touched Freya's lips as she asked, "Loki, have you been keeping secrets from Vahn...?" Loki snorted, opening her ruby-like eyes to reveal an almost sinister glint as she said, "You know as well as I do how fucked this world can be at times. Vahn is working hard to change things, but that doesn't mean things will be easy, especially if he wants to keep his hands relatively clean. Though he has the necessary decisiveness to do what is required of him, that is not the route any of us wish for him to take. When you have a better understanding of Vahn, you'll understand exactly why my actions are necessary. If you can't get to that point, you'll probably never be able to stand at his side...you'll just be the mother of one of his children, nothing more..."
Loki stood up from the bed, making her way to the elevator without continuing the conversation further. She had already said what needed to be said, so the rest was up to Freya to decide on. If she truly wished to stand at Vahn's side in the future, there were plenty of actions she would have to take to get to that point. In all likelihood, she and Freya would have to work together a great deal in the future, so Loki wanted her to sort out her problems sooner, rather than later. So, just as she pressed the mechanism to bring the elevator down, Loki looked over her shoulder and said, "Hurry along, Freya...time isn't really a commodity you can afford to waste..."
The elevator moved silently but, as it came to a stop, the clicking of a mechanism sounded that caused the doors to open. Loki was about to take a step through but, remembering the conversation she had with Vahn regarding the Vanir, Loki made eye contact with Freya and seriously stated, "The child you have in your belly, that is something very precious to Vahn. You would do well to care for it very seriously...don't let it end up as something like you. For your own happiness, you should make sure your own son or daughter are stable existences that won't cause problems in the future. It wouldn't end well for you if the child you give birth to causes Vahn physical, mental, or emotional strain...never forget that, Freya..."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Wat do...','Silver-Haired Goddess, Silver-Tongued Goddess','The shadows of Lenneth...')
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Once again, Vahn found himself in a situation where it felt like the coming day was something that was both close, yet far away at the same time. After he left Loki to look after Freya, Vahn had gone to Terra's Garden to spend some time with his daughter, Alexa. Though he could have been considered nearly thirteen days 'late', Alexa had been within the area waiting for him from the moment he stepped into the Space-Time orb. Feeling guilty, Vahn tried not to think too much about how he would tend to Lefiya and instead put his focus on the adorable little Dragon Princess before him.
Though she was obviously upset that he had been late, Alexa had started to return to the stoic existence Vahn knew her to be before he brought Fafnir and Khaos into the orb. Without any external stress factors, as Alexa didn't consider the memory fragments 'real', most of her time was spent simply increasing her knowledge and trying to become stronger. This allowed her to calm down greatly and, though she was a little clingy, that was a trait Alexa had from the very beginning. It wasn't to the point of actual clinginess, but Alexa was very fond of just being in contact with him if the opportunity presented itself.
This time around, Vahn taught Alexa how to meditate after she asked about methods to increase her strength and better control her emotions. Vahn told her about the efforts Fenrir was making to control her own compulsions, and how 'Cultivation' could allow a person to increase the strength of their Soul. At higher levels, he explained that it was even possible to become strong enough to create entire worlds, something that had caused Alexa's leafy-green eyes to glimmer with stars. Thus, unable to refuse her request, Vahn spent nearly the entire duration of his stay in the orb teaching Alexa the same [Mind of Still Water, Heart of Eternal Ice] as Fenrir.
When Terra's memory fragment sensed the convergence of ice elemental energy, she had come to investigate. Seeing Vahn and Alexa sitting in front of each other, both assuming a lotus position with a layer of frost covering their bodies, she released a subdued sigh. Presently, the laws within the Sub-Space orb were inclined towards the gathering of natural energy but, after seeing the techniques being used by her daughter, Terra's memory fragment knew she needed to make an ice domain, similar to the one Fenrir used in Eva's orb.
Without disturbing them, she flew off to an area 'very' far away from their cottage and began inscribing a large ward on the ground. Her ability to draw in ice elemental energy was severely lacking, but that didn't mean she lacked the knowledge to create an ideal place for her daughter to train. Since Vahn cared for Alexa so dealy, Terra felt it was her duty to make sure she was able to grow healthily and become strong. Though Alexa would be limited by her age, as a True Dragon's potential was tied to the development of their physical body, Terra was confident she could help her daughter reach around Level 8 before it was time for her to leave the orb. The fact that this would be purely based on Alexa's capacity as a Mage would make her a truly terrifying existence within the world...
Vahn's final moments in the orb were spent hugging Alexa, as the latter had wanted to cuddle up with him before he left. She had wanted him to promise not to be late in the future but, considering how things typically developed, Vahn didn't want to make a promise he couldn't keep. This had upset Alexa a little but, knowing that he was still being honest with her, she eventually let him off the hook in exchange for a hug that lasted nearly an hour. She just sat in his lap, tightly hugging his body while listening to the beating of his heart. As for Vahn, he held his daughter close and cracked a small smile because of how her wings were flittering about happily...
Back in the real world, Vahn experienced a small moment of confusion since Alexa's weight had suddenly been replaced by something much heavier. Even before he opened his eyes, Vahn already knew what was happening so he wasn't surprised to find that Terra had decided to use his body as her temporary roost. The amount of time he spent in the orb equated to a hundred minutes in reality, as the time dilation in the Sub-Space orb was 60:1. That meant, for the 100 hours he had spent with Alexa, Terra had probably spent the 100 minutes napping on his chest. When she noticed he had awakened, her wings, which had been loosely spread across the ground, slowly pulled back into a folded position as she raised her body, smiling down at him in the process.
Before Vahn could ask what she was thinking, Terra had already started explaining, "I know you had to go spend time with that woman. Now that you've 'reset' by going into the orb, I wanted to be here for you when you awoke...so, my Master, will you reward this little Dragon's faithfulness~?" Currently, it was a little past the time for dinner so Terra believed there was a good chance she could get her Master's favor, considering the circumstances. When she saw him smile, her wings had already started to make a rustling sound as she brought her hands up to his chest, tracing her lightly scaled fingertips across his body.
Knowing that Syr hadn't been the only one worried about his interaction with Freya, Vahn wasn't that surprised by Terra's 'concerns' about his mental state. Since he had intended to spend the evening inside the Sub-Space orb anyways, Vahn decided to take her up on the offer. He did split from his Avatar though, which caused Terra's eyes to flash, even though she didn't stop him from heading towards the orb. As for his main body, Vahn decided to pamper his faithful True Dragon until she was completely satisfied. By the time he left her Garden, leaving the elegant dragon sprawled out against her roost, Vahn felt completely refreshed, something he had made absolutely certain Terra was aware of...
---
By the time he had finished showing Terra his gratitude, Vahn had spent nearly fourteen hours within the Sub-Space orb, this time watching over Nanu as the latter attempted to refine a piece of Orichalcum. She really had improved a lot since the time she first starting forging and, after updating her Status Board, an experience Nanu had been very fond of, Vahn saw that she had reached C-Rank in her [Blacksmith] Development Ability. For someone who had only recently turned 13 years old, this was actually a 'monstrous' amount of talent. Even with his 'flame seed' increasing her growth, Vahn was surprised that she had developed so much without anyone to guide her.
At her current rate of growth, Nanu would probably become a [Mastersmith] by the time she was around twenty years old. Though this wasn't comparable to him reaching the same point at fourteen, it was still nearly a decade earlier than the previously held record. If he didn't exist, and Nanu was still able to grow as quickly as she was, Nanu would have been recognized as one of the most prodigious [Mastersmith]s of her time. Now, her accomplishments in forging would likely be accredited to him, Hephaestus, and Tsubaki, not that this was an incorrect assumption. Still, it was only because she put in the effort that she was developing so quickly, something that Vahn made sure she was aware of before giving her a reward.
Watching Nanu, who was currently wearing very light clothing, manipulate the piece of crystallized metal made Vahn feel proud to be her Master. Though her olive-brown skin glistened with sweat and was covered with soot, Nanu showed no signs of discomfort, even if a piece of slag would fly off and touch against her exposed skin. As for why she was wearing so little clothing, even though it would inevitably cause her to be burned, Vahn blamed Tsubaki. The latter had given Nanu a lot of guidance, which included the fact that it could increase your focus and accelerate your growth if you felt the heat directly and allowed each mistake you made to 'literally' leave an impression.
Whenever Tsubaki was trying to forge a masterpiece, meaning an S-Rank item, she used to wear nothing but a cloth fundoshi and a sarashi around her breasts. This was one of the reasons why her personal forge had been located in her room, as that sight would probably turn any observer into a beast, Vahn included. According to Tsubaki, this was the method she had used to develop her skills and become a prolific [Mastersmith] at such a young age. After all, every mistake she made would be remembered very clearly and, in order to avoid serious burns, she had to increase her focus to the limit and make fewer mistakes.
Vahn didn't really disagree with this method, as he actually did much the same by using his bare hands and generally removing any clothes covering his upper body. However, the only reason he had done this was because he had complete fire immunity, meaning there was no actual danger. Tsubaki and Nanu didn't have such capabilities and, though Tsubaki's resistance was actually very high, Nanu's wasn't.
To make sure she didn't have to suffer too much, Vahn had actually engraved the inside of her collar with a special formation before embedding a ruby into it. This gave the collar two abilities, 'Burn Resistance: B' and 'Natural Regeneration: F', both being very conducive to Nanu's training. As for the Chienthrope in question, she had just been happy to get an upgraded collar, especially since Vahn had put it on for her after she successfully forged a high-quality Magisteel ingot...
A loud quenching sound could be heard within the small workshop as Nanu placed the formed Orichalcum ingot into a heated chemical solution to allow the heat to diffuse slowly while keeping the properties of the crystallized metal. Vahn rose from his seated position and, even though he had already seen the quality of the metal before she quenched it, walked over to inspect it more closely. Nanu took off her protective goggles, wiping the sweat from her face with a towel as she patiently awaited her Master's valuation. She already had a very clear understanding of what to expect but still hoped against all odds that her intuition was wrong...
Vahn fought the urge to smile when he saw Nanu's ears and tail drooping pitifully and just picked up the metal to inspect it with his [Eyes of Truth]. As they were both very aware of, Nanu had failed to form a usable ingot this time around, which wasn't too surprising considering how difficult the metal was to work with. Still, though there were numerous impurities, Nanu had managed to refine around 29% of the total Orichalcum this time around. Her previous best had only been 25%, so it was clear that she had made a small step forward.
Deciding that she was deserving of a reward, even though she had 'failed', Vahn gestured Nanu over to his side and did something that would probably earn him the ire of a lot of people. After having Nanu take up her hammer and tongs, Vahn stood close behind her and began guiding her to refine an Orichalcum Ingot under his direct assistance. It was a little difficult for her, as it had been necessary to tuck her tail between her legs just to prevent it from wagging like crazy, but the final product was around 80% refined. When everything was finished, Vahn ruffled Nanu's thick matte of dark-brown hair and pointed ears, saying, "Keep working hard, Nanu. You're steadily improving and I believe you will become a capable [Mastersmith] one day."
With her tail released from its thigh-shaped prison, it began wagging at a stable 4 WPS as Nanu balled her fists in a resolute manner and said, "Yes! Leave it to me, Master! I'll never give up, no matter what!" Vahn continued petting the high-spirited Chienthrope with a supportive smile on his face, even though he knew the tensions in Nanu's body had started to increase. He knew the reason she worked so hard was to be a 'suitable' mate for him but, as he had already decided to accept her affections in the past, Vahn wasn't going to deter her at this point.
It felt a little strange, as he was essentially grooming her to become more suitable for himself, but that was just one of Nanu's quirks as a Chienthrope. Even Naaza had a similar mentality, as she worked hard to become a capable [Alchemist], so Vahn knew it was just a trait of Chienthropes in general. From his recollection, this applied to both gods and mortals, as even Anubis embodied this characteristic to the extreme. It was simply a matter of 'instinct', as Chienthropes were inclined towards having service mentalities, being very loyal to their friends, and being borderline subservient to their partners. Since he couldn't just change these qualities, Vahn decided to embrace them and, as long as he avoided 'exploiting' them directly, he didn't think it was a problem.
Before Nanu got too high strung, Vahn brought his hand away, smiling when her ears and tail immediately drooped. However, as she was prone to do, Nanu immediately bounced back and began preparing the next set of materials. Now that she had experienced making a 'passing' grade Ingot, she needed to 'literally', strike while the feeling was hot and fresh on her mind. As for Vahn, he simply moved back to his seat and watched Nanu's figure as she set about, once again hard at work to meet both his expectations as her Master and the standards she had set for herself as his future mate. Her bouncing and lively figure were very adorable, though not as refreshing as watching her transition into 'serious' mode while refining the metal...
---
After leaving Terra's Garden, Vahn made his way into the Manor while observing Nanu's simultaneously fast and normal movements at the same time. From the perspective of his main body, she was moving six times faster than normal though, from the perspective of his Avatar, she was moving at a steady and earnest pace. It was still a little difficult wrapping his head around the shared perspectives, especially with the different flows of time, but Vahn had been getting used to it. He could now 'pilot' both bodies without any great difficulty, even to the point where he could satisfy a girl in the 'real' world while focusing on other tasks within the orb. Sure, he wasn't working at 'maximum' potential, but that was very dangerous for the girls themselves...
Standing at the back entrance of the Manor, Vahn wasn't too surprised to find Syr waiting for him with a gentle smile on her face. He noticed that her expression had softened when she saw him, likely feeling greatly relieved that he hadn't been influenced by Freya. Understanding she had been very worried about him, Vahn spent a bit of time explaining things to Syr, even though he was certain she had already heard about the event through Loki. Since they had moved into a private study, cuddling up with each other during the discussion, Syr didn't seem to mind it at all. She just patiently listened to the explanation until it was over. Then, much as he had done for Terra, Vahn expressed his gratitude for his concern while 'proving' to her that Freya hadn't left nearly as much an impression on him as he had on her...
Within the orb, Vahn couldn't help but shake his head while a wry smile appeared on his face. Though it was a decision he himself had made, Vahn felt like he had been 'triggered' by his interaction with Freya earlier in the day, even though it felt like several days had passed since then. He suddenly felt like his bonds with the girls had become much stronger than before as, after comparing his feelings towards them to someone like Freya, Vahn realized they meant a lot more to him than he expected. Seeing them concerned for him touched a soft spot in his heart and, as he had the power to do so, Vahn wanted to make sure they were able to smile happily, without any worries whatsoever...at least for a short while...
(A/N: This may be the last chapter for today, as I want to write a few Fenrir's Journey before taking a rest and preparing for tomorrow's challenge. My goal is to reach 30k words tomorrow, which would be as many as 10-15 chapters if I average 2-3k words. I'll try to have one out every hour, but I imagine the release will get skewed as the day progresses xD. Please excuse any errors I might make as the Discord will let me know so I can correct them later (UwU). See you, beautiful people, tomorrow <3.)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'How to train your Master, by Terra Evergreen','Chienthropes need to be a thing. Please, Science-sama, get to work~!','Perspective (UwU)...Just imagine Vahn watching himself have sex with Syr in slow motion, while at normal speed simultaneously xD...')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
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