The day following Vahn's attempt to get closer to Kali marked a variety of changes, including the way he was treated by the other Amazonesses and his position within the crew. After putting Kali through the 'complete' experience of his [Hands of Nirvana], she had to retire to her own cabin for the remainder of the evening. When she finally did emerge, long after the crew had already awakened and began setting sail, she was no longer wearing her divine raiment and had instead worn a beige smock. She had emerged as her Chandi persona and remained silent throughout the day until the evening competition had concluded and the Amazonesses were gathered together for their meal...
This marked the first big change on the ship as, for the first time, Kali had shown up at the meal and pre-empted Myahi's claim, taking Vahn's lap for herself. It was at this point that she turned her Familia, blood-red eyes glimmering with a serious light as she said, "I understand how each of you feels but, unless you think you have what it takes to rise to the top of our society, you should give up. Even if it isn't wrong to desire a strong mate, simply 'wanting' it isn't enough. Unless you have the willingness to rise up and compete directly, then you'll do the sensible thing and stay out of the way. If you can't even reach Level 5, give up ever trying to stake a claim to Vahn..."
Kali's words weighed heavily on the hearts and minds of her Familia but, even from their own perspective, they understood the truth contained within. It was the strongest Amazonesses who would have the strongest mates while the weaker members of their community often ended up as little more than prostitutes before the changes in Orario. If you had a genuine desire to obtain something, you should put in the requisite amount of effort and increase your strength in order to obtain it. Because this was a defining principle of their culture, even the young Myahi could only ball up her fists and resolve herself to get stronger in the future...
After letting her words settle for a short moment, Kali reached up with her right hand and grabbed Vahn's collar, pulling his head down as she twisted her body slightly and somewhat aggressively tried to steal his lips. He had been caught off guard when Kali had moved to sit in his lap but habitually moved his hand to intercept Kali's face, causing her lips to contact his palm before she began to laugh in her characteristic 'shishishi' manner.
Vahn was confused by this reaction until Kali turned to her Familia, explaining, "Other than Tiona and Tione, even I haven't been able to claim what I want, just because I want it. Vahn isn't like a normal man, or he wouldn't have been allowed to return with us. A lot is going to change in the future and, unless you think you can contend against me, you'll stay out of my way. I might not be able to compete against people he is already involved with, but that doesn't mean I'll just idle around and let you girls do whatever you please..." Kali's words were accented by her releasing a small amount of her aura, causing the galley to feel ice-cold, even though the temperature hadn't changed at all...
The rest of the evening was rather tense as the Amazonesses weren't accustomed to the presence of Kali during their meals, causing them to remain relatively silent. Though Tiona and Tione didn't seem affected, happily trying to converse with Bache, this only made the difference in their status even more apparent. Kali's words were very clear and straightforward, essentially telling her Familia that, until they proved they were worthy, they had no right to even compete. If even a goddess wasn't able to act without restraint, they 'had' to show a bit of restraint until they had enough power to ignore such restrictions. This was Kali's way of making things 'easier' for Vahn, as she knew he wasn't trying to arbitrarily increase the number of children he had without care or concern for their well-being...
Even without Khodiva's intervention, the evening meal ended relatively early since it was difficult to stay in the galley while Kali was sitting in Vahn's lap. He was usually the center of attention but, now that their goddess had inserted herself into the picture, it was impossible for them to interact with Vahn without feeling as if their skin was crawling. Though most Amazonesses were relatively fearless, most living creatures had an instinctual fear of death and, unless they were fighting to protect themselves or the things they cared about, few would arbitrarily face death without anything to gain. Because of this, Vahn and Kali were left alone after less than half the time allotted for dinner had passed, with even Tiona and Tione parting with the rest of the crew after giving Vahn rather bold goodnight kisses...
When they were finally alone, Kali released a heavy sigh before reclining against Vahn's, peering up into his face as she asked, "So, what do you think? This is me compromising for you again, so feel free to show me your gratitude...Nn..." Even before Kali had finished her words, Vahn began to lightly stroke her abdomen through her smock, sending threads of energy into her petite body and causing her muscles to tense up as a result. Kali hadn't been a virgin, having had a 'very' long relationship with a god named Shiva in Heaven, so her body was extremely sensitive to his touch. They hadn't done anything 'more', but Vahn had been able to get Kali to submit to him after a few hours the previous night. She had tried to resist for a while but, after allowing him to get the advantage early on, there wasn't much she could do without activating her Arcanum to resist the tidal currents that had wracked her body until she had completely blacked out...
Kali inhaled a sharp breath and began to breathe heavily as she placed her hands on Vahn's knees, almost as if she were trying to brace herself as she said, "For someone that had so many inhibitions before, you're pretty merciless when you get serious, aren't you? Is this what you did to tame the other goddesses that pander to you...?" Kali's grip had turned so powerful that, not just her fingernails, but her actual fingers were beginning to sink into Vahn's knees. Much like Ares, she had base parameters that could put her on part with a Level 5 Adventurer. When she was 'excited', however, Kali could easily reach the lower limits of a Level 7 and it was hard to restrain herself completely, even with Vahn holding back quite a bit...
Vahn's focus was a bit split at the moment as, back in Orario, he was actually spending some quality time with Anubis and Nanu. When he heard Kali's words, Vahn fell into a thoughtful silence before tracing his fingers around Kali's diaphragm, saying, "Freya could have been considered an exception in the past, but I didn't really 'tame' any of the goddesses. I just did my best to try and empathize with them, keeping the promises I made, and trying to alleviate their loneliness. When our relationships developed past a certain point, there is a special technique I can perform that brings us much closer together. After that, even Freya and Loki had changed a lot since, for the short while we were together, we were able to fully understand each other..."
Though he hadn't thought about it in such a way previously, Vahn realized that his 'melding' with a goddess was actually a bit unfair to them. One of the biggest 'weaknesses' of all gods was the simple fact that, as a result of their inordinately long lives, they simply couldn't truly empathize with mortals. Even after watching over ancient civilizations for more than two hundred thousand years, or even after descending to the mortal world a thousand years ago, they were never able to sincerely understand what it meant to live as a mortal. They obviously sought this understanding but, regardless of how big their Familia would grow, gods were still restricted by their Divinities and the vast knowledge and experience they had accumulated, long before mortals even walked on the surface...
Without exception, every time Vahn had 'melded' with a goddess, they had experienced a rather drastic shift in their personality and perspective. After all, it was the first time in what could have amounted to hundreds-of-millions of years that they were able to truly see and understand the world from the perspective of another. The raw emotions were enough to even stir their Divinity to the point that it would begin to manifest in the mortal world, anchoring them to the same plane as mortals and severing their connection with Heaven. This gave them far greater freedom and allowed them to have access to power that 'should' have been restricted by the World's Laws, all while finally gaining something that most gods intuitively sought after...a true and meaningful connection with another being...
Kali didn't know what Vahn was talking about, but she noticed there was something 'off' about him after he had finished speaking. His hands still moved to various parts of her body, almost like muscle memory, but the potency had diminished a great deal and he had a distant look in his eyes. This caused Kali to frown slightly as she released her grip, watching as the indentations she had caused healed almost instantly. Even the blood on her fingers seemed to vanish into thin air, causing Kali to wonder just what limit, if any, Vahn's regeneration might have. It wasn't her first time seeing someone regenerate, but his ability seemed far faster and more 'complete' than any rare skill she had observed in the past...
Vahn's momentary daze hadn't lasted too long and, realizing Kali had also fallen silent, he gave a wry smile and said, "After all of this is over...when you are ready...I'll show you what I mean." To this, Kali snorted through her nose before saying, "That is one of the annoying things about you, Vahn. Even though you seem to empathize with other's, you're always thinking about your own perspective of things. This whole plot of yours to become an Emperor, how hesitant you are to make a move on me, and now this 'vague' promise you're making...who are you to decide when people are ready for something? I get the fact that you want to wait until you can keep your promise with those two, but you shouldn't say such insensitive things...it's really annoying..."
This time, it was Vahn's turn to frown slightly, causing Kali to lean forward slightly before she thumped his chest with the back of her head, saying, "Stop thinking so much! There isn't anything I can do to force your hand and it's normal' for people to have different perspectives. Stop trying to make 'everything' make sense inside that stupid little head of yours! Jeez, it's no wonder Loki seems so stressed out after dealing with you..." Having never been fond of people that 'overthink' things, Kali was annoyed that Vahn's immediate reaction in most situations was to try and reason his way through something. He was one of the most impressionable people she had ever met, even though he was also incredibly hard-headed. Kali imagined it must have driven Loki mad just trying to 'teach' Vahn to interact with others without suffering a disadvantage...
Even back at the Manor, Vahn had felt taken aback by Kali's words, causing Anubis to break character and ask, "Is something wrong, Master...?" She was currently half-bound with Nanu so Vahn felt the atmosphere became awkward in an instant with Anubis suddenly turning 'calm' and showing concern. If Nanu could have turned to face him, she probably would have had a similar expression on her face, causing Vahn to give a wry smile as he stroked the latter's butt and said, "Everything is fine...I just got a little distracted with something on the other end..." At the same time, back on Kali's ship, Vahn pressed his index finger into a pressure point above Kali's navel, causing the diminutive goddess' legs to tense up as her back became ramrod straight...
In response to her earlier words, Vahn nodded his head and said, "You're right, Kali...I always seem to be troubling those around me, especially Loki. She does so much just to make sure everything is running smoothly, even forcing me to take breaks so that I don't make things more problematic or break down. I won't deny I have a lot of weaknesses and, even when I do become an Emperor, this probably won't change. It's because of this that I'm so reliant on other people, especially the goddesses that support me...I am just one person, with a perspective that is heavily skewed as a result of my relatively short life and a severe lack of experience. I need strong and capable women to support me, just as I need my family to be happy so that I can also be happy..."
Vahn knew he had more than his fair share of problems but they were mostly related to the amount of knowledge he had that most others simply couldn't comprehend. His focus wasn't solely on the record he currently inhabited and, even though he still had the perspective of a mortal, Vahn had to tackle concepts that would even boggle the minds of gods. It was a lot to process and, even with Sub-Space and Space-Time orbs, he was barely able to cope with a lot of things that he 'needed' to focus on. Moments like this just added to the problems he was already dealing with but, at the same time, it made him a more 'complete' person when he was able to work through them. Kali's words, while harsh, helped him put things in perspective and, even for a brief moment, become more decisive and resolute...
While pressing firmly into one of the more sensitive pressure points on Kali's body, Vahn brought his right hand above her heart, gently gripping her almost non-existent breast as he said, "You are also someone I will need to rely on in the future, Kali, and not just because you will be the mother of one of my children. You provide a unique perspective that is necessary for me to make more informed decisions in the future and, even if you aren't the type to think deeply about things, the insight you provide will help me make me a stronger person and a better Emperor..." Punctuating his words, Vahn pinched the small protrusion that had made its presence known through Kali's smock, causing her body to shake as she exhaled a hot sigh.
For a brief moment, both Vahn and Kali were taken back to the previous night where, against her nature, Kali had broken down under Vahn's caress. Though he would need to take far more decisive action in the future, she had already taken on a more submissive position in their relationship, just as Tiona and Tione had in the past. This was why she had adopted her Chandi persona when leaving her cabin today as, even though it was the form she used to 'punish evil', it was also the form she took to appear weak and frail. It made it much easier for her to accept Vahn's 'indecisive' treatment and allowed her to repress her instincts, even though her body was screaming at her to 'take' what she wanted...
Vahn was very aware that Kali wasn't really satisfied, even if her body was going through all the motions and responding properly. Even now, her Affection for him was only at 94(Trust) and it would fluctuate up and down throughout the day, never exceeding 95. Though he tried not to rely on the values, Vahn still used it at times like this to try and spur himself onward. After telling her that she was necessary for him to be a more complete person, Vahn suddenly felt that holding back was somewhat ridiculous. Thus, even though Kali was 'tolerating' his actions while squirming around his lap, Vahn's hands became idle once again. This caused her to frown deeply until he suddenly picked up her body and said, "I'll need your help when we arrive in Telskyura...I can at least do something for you before then..."
While holding the somewhat surprised goddess in a bridal carry, Vahn transitioned from the galley and made his way towards Kali's cabin. After kicking the door shut behind him, Vahn matched Kali's 'amused' gaze and produced a wry smile of his own, knowing that he was going to 'suffer' a few grievances this time around. If he wanted to take things further with Kali, the only way for him to take control was to 'defeat' her, just as he had done battle against Tiona and Tione previously. The only other route forward was to reverse their positions, letting Kali take control of the situation and putting himself on the receiving end. This was something that was generally very difficult for Vahn but, with Anubis and Nanu being 'very' receptive to his advances back at the Manor, he figured he could let Kali have some leniency and always reverse things if she got out of hand...
Much to Vahn's surprise, though Kali very willingly took the lead, she didn't end up crossing the final line just yet. She had very different expectations for their first-time together and simply enjoyed teasing Vahn, knowing full well that he wasn't really comfortable with her antics. This was her way of getting back at him for the last two months while showing that she wasn't just going to do as he expected every time he played at being decisive. Knowing that Vahn had been 'willing' made Kali feel less inclined to take what her body craved while the knowledge that she would get 'much more' later allowed her to remain relatively calm...
The next morning, Vahn felt like his nerves had been stretched thin as he stared blankly towards the horizon with Kali sitting in his lap like a Queen upon her throne. This time, he was sitting on her cushioned platform while she was in her default persona, wearing her almost negligible divine raiment as she lounged against him. She would periodically release small peals of laughter and wiggle around in his lap, obviously taunting him while enjoying the 'mistakes' her Familia were making since their focus was split between their tasks and observing the abnormal interaction between Vahn and Kali. This was because, unable to simply let Kali do whatever she wanted, Vahn would occasionally return the favor, causing the small goddess to release loud and sensual moans, followed by even louder bursts laughter...
(A/N: I am aware I said no 'rest' days, but I'm down to the last two days before I need to leave and there are a lot of things I need to prepare before work officially starts. There will always be a chapter available at the daily reset, but other chapters will appear at random times. While I'm working, I'll try to do mass releases on the weekends, but there are some weeks where I work either Saturday or Sunday. I'll keep you posted as things change~!)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Square up, thots~!','Kali is going to have an aneurysm dealing with Vahn xD...','Vahn fucked up...')
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During the last leg of the seas voyage, as the atmosphere on the Kali Familia ship had been undergoing various changes, winter had quickly settled on Orario. Shakti had gone into labor without incident, giving birth to Vahn's third son, a rather lumpy baby with a thin matte of deep blue downy hair on his head. Vahn felt just as proud as always while the 'exception' to the event, Rufina, made a comment about how his and Shakti's son looked like a potato. This had earned her a deadpan stare from Vahn while Shakti, having grown very close to Rufina, just laughed it away in good humor. In truth, it was most of Vahn's other children that were 'abnormal', as it was actually very strange for newborns to have fair complexions and 'pristine' appearances...
Shakti ended up deciding on the name Rudé Mason, a rather peculiar name that had the meaning 'little storm' and 'tiny howler' in an ancient language. Vahn suspected this was because, until he had fallen asleep, Rudé showed off his vitality by crying non-stop for around half an hour. It wasn't until Vahn had called out his Guardian, which ended up being a small Cobalt Monkey, that Rudé finally calmed down. Shortly after that, Shakti herself ended up falling into a deep slumber, fatigued from the laborious event and the over taxation of her emotional state. As was often the case, Vahn spent the following days watching over her and his newest child as both he and Shakti suffered the tireless presence of Rufina and her teasing...
It was around this time that one of the HDF squads that had been conducting an investigation in the Land of no Sun returned, reporting on the location of Shiva. Vahn lamented the timing, especially after learning that Shiva was the leader of one of the small insurgent groups seeding the civil war in her homeland. It had been her act of assassinating various clan leaders that created a power vacuum, causing infighting amongst the tribes and leading to the long conflict that had been going on for nearly three years at this point.
Because winter had already fallen over the continent, the fighting had come to a temporary stop so Vahn decided to put off their reunion until he could take care of other matters. He was only a few days away from Telskyura when he received the news and, with Shakti having just given birth, Vahn didn't really feel like getting embroiled in a civil war. He had already drafted missives and sent them out to the various Kingdoms, Nations, and Provinces, scheduling a large gathering that would take place near the end of the spring. Even some of the most influential Chieftans within the Land of no Sun had been given an invitation so Vahn felt like he could deal with most problems after the event had concluded.
The HDF had been compiling a truly monstrous amount of information on the various regions of Eden, giving Vahn a much better understanding of the political situation of every major country. He wasn't surprised to learn that, other than a few Kingdoms that had originally sought alliances with Orario, many nations were governed rather poorly. Corruption was deeply rooted in almost every nation that had been founded by Humans, especially if there was an aristocracy comprised of generational Nobles. Things got a little better with the other races, as most of the Beast Human tribes generally kept to themselves, but each community had their fair share of problems as well.
With this information, Vahn's determination to do what was 'necessary' in the future had been steadily growing. Though his journey with the Amazonesses had changed his perspective slightly, Vahn knew that most cultures were intrinsically different, on a very fundamental level. This was because, while some of the Beast Human tribes were undoubtedly influenced by their instincts, it wasn't nearly as prominent as the Amazonesses. They also proactively engaged in trade and sought prosperity, choosing nomadic lifestyles as a result of past tensions and fear they would suffer under the pre-existing systems, even in Orario. All of that was changing and, to smoothen the transition in the future, Vahn needed to get everyone on the same page...
Vahn intended to implement his reforms on a much larger scale by holding the various leaders that would attend his 'mandated' gathering in the future. Though some exceptions would certainly be made, all those that sought to avoid adhering to the changes he wanted to introduce would be dealt with depending on the severity of associated crimes. Those that were willing to adapt to the changes and begin transitioning towards a more positive future for their nations would be given leniency, so long as they incorporated the necessary changes. This would undoubtedly be exploited by some of the more clever and insidious leaders, but Vahn had only intended the meeting to be a stop-gap measure that was meant to 'inform' than anything else.
By observing how the various nations acted after the meeting, Vahn would be able to determine how they should be treated in the future. Those that actively resisted the changes, trying to hold onto power that they had no right to claim, would be removed entirely. As for the countries that tried to take advantage of the transition for their own benefits, Vahn would allow them to dig their own grave for a while until they could be publically exposed and held accountable for their crimes later on. He knew it was impossible to bring about change quickly so, even if it took a few decades for a proper 'balance' to be achieved, it wouldn't matter that much. Eventually, every existing nation and culture would see what Orario had become and do their best to keep pace, fearing they would fade into obscurity if they failed to keep up...
---
With thoughts of the future on his mind, Vahn had stopped by Spero to see how each of the Xenos was doing. Their numbers had crested over 500 members at this point and were steadily growing, each day seemingly giving rise to a new 'humanoid' Xenos. Even the relatively weak Xenos, such as Goblins, Kobolds, Horned Rabbits, had pseudo-human forms. Their exposure to other humanoid Xenos had steadily been changing the perspective of the entire community, making it much easier for others to transform. Though it would take them a while to become fully humanoid, it was still easy to see the progress the entire community was making, especially those that closely associated with Vahn...
Though he didn't try to show any preferential treatment, it was a simple truth that the 'fluffier' Xenos were able to get much closer to Vahn. As a result, many of the Almiraj and Horned Rabbit Xenos now had faux-human forms, looking like young children that were still predominately covered in fur but becoming progressively cuter as time passed. Fortunately, as a result of Rayne, Naho, and another Arachne-Xenos, Silky, many of the more humanoid Xenos had adopted the habit of wearing clothing. It wasn't really 'required' just yet, but Ray and Lyd had been setting the trend that, if you 'wanted' to become human, you needed to emulate them when you could. By wearing clothes, their transformation could actually be sped up and, since Vahn would generally pay heavy compliments to those with interesting outfits, it was becoming more popular with every passing day.
Long before his arrival in the village proper, Vahn was crowded by a few figures that swooped down from the air, latching onto him without any regards for personal space. These were three Harpy-Type Xenos, one of the groups that had the most humanoid figures since their base form wasn't that dissimilar from humans from the start. Vahn was pulled toward three different directions as the girls practically fought over him, saying things like, "Vahn, come play with me~." and, "No, I want to show him the new clothes Naho had sewn for me~."
As much as he enjoyed their affections, Vahn used telekinesis to pull the three away from him, earning a few pouts and complaints until he said, "I'll stop by the nest a little later, though only if you promise to behave..." The last time Vahn had visited the domicile of the Harpy-Type Xenos, he felt like a henpecked rooster and had to completely dispose of the shredded clothes he had worn at the time. They still had a habit of getting carried away and, though nothing had happened just yet, Vahn knew there were 'many' amongst the Xenos who had 'very' high affections for him. Since he didn't want to treat Spero as his own personal 'playground', Vahn had put off doing any risque with most of the Xenos since their village was founded...
Just as one particular Xenos had crossed his mind, Vahn detected a fourth presence moving through the air and, after a flash of gold covered his vision, a pair of soft wings wrapped around his body. He was used to her greetings and, even though it would cause the other Harpy-Xenos to throw a fit and complain later, Vahn allowed Ray to rather aggressively kiss his lips. At this point, her features were almost entirely human and, instead of being connected to her arms, Ray's beautiful golden wings gave her the appearance of a beautiful golden-haired angel. Since the tips of her hair and feathers were still tinted blue, though not as striking as her eyes, she had a very unique and ephemeral beauty that was hard to ignore...
After several long seconds, Ray finally extricated her tongue from Vahn's mouth, a fervent and teasing look on her face as she said, "You should have told me you were coming by. I would have come to meet you at the gate..." Vahn had a smile on his face but didn't get to answer as the surrounding Harpy-Xenos complained, "Ray, that isn't fair~! You can't keep Vahn to yourself...!" They issued several other complaints but Ray simply laughed it off as she linked arms with Vahn and guided him toward the village. As for the three Harpy-Xenos, they simply gave up after Ray ignored them and took to the skies, flying ahead to let everyone know that Vahn was on his way.
Vahn and Ray watched the girls fly overhead, the latter commenting, "There have been a lot of rumors back at the nest, accusing me of stealing you away from everyone. Even Naho has been giving me the stink eye as of late~." Though they had done a lot of kissing, and a few more intimate things, Vahn had yet to have sex with any of the Xenos. There were certainly more than a few who were willing but, in order to prevent any larger issues from occurring, he had never allowed things to progress to that extent. If there were just one or two, it wouldn't be that big of an issue, but the fact that a large portion of the female Xenos had their eye on him made Vahn exercise extreme caution...
Fortunately, the time was fast approaching where Xenos would begin to mingle with other races, at least within Haven. Vahn hoped that their exposure to other surface dwellers would shift the focus of the larger population of Xenos, especially after having mild success with his current experiment. With that thought in mind, Vahn and Ray approached a small cottage on the distant outskirts of Spero where he could sense the presence of three auras. This was outside of the primary barrier that would prevent access to the main village of Spero as, for the time being, the larger community hadn't accepted the presence of another human within their 'heart' just yet.
Without bothering to knock, as things like shame and privacy weren't really central components of Xenos society, Vahn and Ray made their way inside the small cottage. Of the three presences inside, only one showed a panicked reaction as Bell quickly let go of the blue-skinned Xenos woman and hopped to his feet, hands raised as said, "I'm not doing anything...!" in a fluster. Vahn's expression didn't change at all from Bell's outburst while Ray released his arm, commenting, "You're a strange one, Bell..." as she made her way over to the large bed where two Xenos girls were seated. The first was the same blue-skinned, amber-eyed, Xenos with silver-blue hair, sporadic scales, long pointy ears, and a red gemstone on her forehead. This was the Vouivre-Xenos, Wiene, that Bell had saved from pursuers in the past...
Currently, Wiene was wearing clothing similar to an Amazonesses, comprised of waterproof fabric that was dyed a deep blue. It had an appearance similar to a swimsuit with an Ability called 'Moisturize', as Wiene's skin would become dry and cracked if she didn't moisten it periodically. As for her companion, who was currently hiding behind Wiene's long sapphire blue tail, it was a small Almiraj-Xenos who had the appearance of a very young girl with snow-white skin, red-eyes, and similarly white hair to Bell. Like all Almiraj-Type Xenos, she was incredibly petite, only 103cm tall, but most of her body was still covered in fur. She had two half-length rabbit ears on her head and a bushy tail, poking out the back of her frilly blue dress that was accented with lace and ribbons.
Vahn gave a smile towards the diminutive Xenos, causing her to hug Wiene's tail tighter until the latter released a heart-tickling moan and said, "Carla, please don't grab my tail so tightly..." This caused the small Almiraj-Xenos to release Wiene's tail as she sheepishly grabbed the hem of her dress, saying, "I'm sorry, Wiene...! Kyuuu..." Since she hadn't really been angry, Wiene reached out her hand, rubbing Carla's head with a happy smile on her face while Ray sat on the bed next to them, asking, "Has Bell been bullying the two of you~?" This caused Bell to turn pale in an instant, at least until Wiene showed an embarrassed smile and said, "No, Bell has been very good to me..." There was a dark purple blush rising on her face as Wiene's long scaled ears wobbled, much like an Elf's when they were embarrassed...
Leaving the girls to talk, Vahn had dragged Bell outside before walking a bit away from the small cottage, the young hero trailing behind him. When they were a fair distance away, Vahn began laughing out loud, causing Bell's expression to turn beet red as he began to stammer a 'wawawa' at the side. What Vahn and Ray had walked in on was Bell holding the sides of Wiene's face, gently stroking her ears with his thumbs as she blushed deeply and allowed him to do so. Carla had been laying on the bed next to them, her own face flushed as her ears were twitching about happily. Vahn knew that Bell had just been 'petting' the two girls, a habit he had 'copied' from Vahn, so it was a rather humorous situation to stumble in on.
With a teasing smile on his face, Vahn asked, "I wonder if the other girls know about your private petting session~?" These words caused Bell's face to go from scarlet to pale white in an instant, giving him a look as if he had just awoken from a nightmare. At this point, Vahn reached out his hand and flicked Bell's forehead, sending the latter tumbling backward a few times before rubbing his head, a teary-eyed expression as he asked, "What was that for...?" Vahn just shook his head before walking over and helping Bell to his feet, dusting off the boy's clothes as he said, "Remember what we talked about last time...? You need to be more decisive if you don't want to hurt the girls' feelings. They're not idiots, so you shouldn't treat them like they have no idea what is going on...if you really care about them, you should be more forward. You know, the reason they lash out at you so often is precisely due to your indecisiveness..."
Even without him extending the invitation personally, Welf had invited Bell to become a member of the Clubhouse, something Vahn had allowed without the necessary investigation. Though it had only been twice, Vahn had met up with the two for drinks, trying to counsel Bell a bit so the young hero would have more backbone. Even the arrangements with Wiene were so that the Xenos could get exposure to another human while the relationship between him and the demure Vouivre continued to blossom. Things had been going relatively well thus far but, much to the chagrin of girls like Plum and Taliah, Bell hadn't taken more 'decisive' action in their relationships just yet...
Since this wasn't the first time he had heard such words from Vahn, Bell just released a long sigh, hanging his head as he explained, "I really did try, you know...?" These words piqued Vahn's interest, causing his brows to rise slightly as he asked, "Oh? What happened...?" Though he wasn't the type to gossip, Vahn couldn't help but feel a slight intrigue when it came to Bell and his rather 'peculiar' relationships with his companions. Bell also looked up to him greatly and treated him as a confidant, unhesitantly answering, "Taliah and I had reserved a room at an Inn on the outskirts of the Red Light District. We went on a long date and had a lot of fun but, when we entered into the room..."
At this point, Bell's expression was a mixture of incredulity, confusion, and embarrassment as he explained in a quiet voice, "She attacked me very aggressively and I got a little panicked, falling backward out of the bed and knocking myself out...when I woke up, Line and Julienne were lecturing Taliah while I ended up being teased by Rana..." Rana was the name of the Cat Person within Bell's group, a woman near the peak of Level 4 who Bell ended up saving after she got poisoned by a Voltimeria variant on the 27th Floor. Voltimera were a fish-type monster with purple bodies made of stone that was covered in sharp protrusions. Generally, they weren't poisonous, so Rana had gotten caught off guard when one of the sharp spines cut her side, causing it to fester after only a few minutes. If not for the arrival of Bell's party, she would have died then and there, even though her only reason for being in the Dungeon was simply to deliver a parcel to Lil Geirr...
Vahn could imagine the rather mature Cat Person laughing at Bell and understood why the latter would have been upset by the event. He had finally mustered up his courage but, unaware of the 'mating ritual' of a virgin Amazoness, Bell had been wholly unprepared for the event. This was probably why he was here on the outskirts of Spero instead of venturing into the Dungeon. Usually, Bell would only visit late in the afternoon or on the weekends, making it exceptionally odd that he was here early in the morning on a weekday...
After sorting his own thoughts, believing he had a decent understanding of the situation, Vahn said, "You can't let these kinds of things set you back, Bell. Those girls probably know you better than you know yourself so they won't really hold this kind of thing against you. If you pout and run away, that is how you'll end up upsetting them...besides, don't you think it is a bit strange that the girls showed up after you got knocked out? How did they know you and Taliah were even at the Inn...?" If his intuition wasn't wrong, Vahn suspected that the event had been a 'setup' of sorts to try and get Bell to act a little more decisively in the future. Their mistake was allowing an Amazoness to be the one to take the lead but, considering the makeup of girls, Vahn could understand why they would have chosen her. If Bell had known beforehand what to expect, things likely would have played out very differently than they had, which is why Taliah ended up getting the lecture instead of Bell...
Bell, with a confused expression on his face, tilted his head to the side with an, "Eh...?" This caused Vahn to also feel his own body tilt as he looked into Bell's innocent eyes and saw genuine confusion within. Resisting the urge to comment on Bell's denseness, Vahn explained, "It is highly likely that the other girls had given Taliah permission to take action. You were just unprepared since you don't know the habits of Amazonesses and were caught by surprise. In the future, you should endeavor to get a better understanding of the racial traits and habits of the people you are involved with..." When these words left his mouth, Vahn brought his fist against his palm, realization hitting him as he smiled and said, "Actually, if you're not against it, I can give you some advice...?" Since Bell already had a habit of trying to emulate him, Vahn figured he could give the young boy some 'useful' advice that would aid him greatly later on.
Surprisingly, Bell shook his head as a strangely resolute light appeared in his red eyes, quickly turning into a blazing fire as he said, "No, but thank you, Vahn. Now that you pointed it out for me, I believe you're right...if the girls are trying so hard because of my indecisiveness, I need to put in more effort on my own. I can't just rely on you for everything, especially when it comes to dealing with the people I'm supposed to care about...!" At this point, Bell had both of his fists tightly clenched, almost as if he were preparing to head into battle against a Monster Rex. Vahn was left feeling a strange emptiness as he stared blankly back at Bell before eventually smiling as he said, "That is probably for the best. Honestly, though I'm confident in the advice I could give, it is also true that I've made my fair share of mistakes. Everyone's relationships are something completely unique to themselves so I'm happy you made this choice..."
In hindsight, Vahn felt like it wouldn't have been appropriate if he started giving Bell sexual counsel, as it would have made the actual moment less 'real'. If he was only able to succeed because of a script written by someone else, Bell would never be able to have full confidence in his own actions. Though he would invariably fail a few times, there was nothing wrong with experiencing a few setbacks while you were young. In fact, Vahn felt like it was the fact that he didn't experience great failure early on that caused him to make as many mistakes as he had. If the girls hadn't worked so hard to make things work on their own, which should have been his responsibility, things would have turned out very differently...
Realizing this, Vahn's smile softened as he spent a few more minutes talking with Bell, this time from the perspective of a friend instead of a mentor. He knew there was a lot he could learn from talking with Bell and, hearing some of the simple insights the young boy had, Vahn couldn't help but feel as if he had made a mistake by not developing his other friendships more proactively. Though he didn't regret the path he had walked, as that would be an insult to himself and the people that had walked alongside him, Vahn still wondered what it would have been like if he had focused more on his friendships than his relationships...
The conversation between Vahn and Bell continued until some of the Xenos from Spero, who had been waiting for Vahn to show up, came out to look for him. They also greeted Bell, albeit with far less fervor, before Vahn parted ways with the white-haired hero and reunited with Ray. There was a large crowd of Xenos waiting for him, even though there were no major events going on, causing Vahn to feel that his path had been fulfilling in its own ways. Though the Xenos were certainly some of the most dedicated and loyal towards him, Vahn now had over 15,000 people within his Unit Management while 'literal' millions revered him. Though he had missed out on some of the simpler things in life, what he had experienced was something that most people could only dream of...
Almost at the same moment that thought had passed through his mind, Vahn habitually opened up his arms as a petite girl with a very intricately designed dress practically tackled him. She had short white hair that had been styled into two small pigtails as she rubbed her face affectionately against his abdomen, blissfully ignoring the comments from some of the other Xenos. Vahn allowed a smile to spread across his face as he reached down, picking up the small girl in his arms and allowing her to sneak a kiss on his cheek as he said, "I'm come to visit, Naho..." After that, Vahn made his way towards the heart of the village, the crowd of Xenos following along with him as a lively and festive atmosphere began to spread in his wake...
(A/N: I'll try to get another chapter out later, but I've already been up since around 10 PM the previous day and could use a nap. I made this chapter extra long to compensate, even though it is somewhat fluffy in nature. I wanted to show that Vahn still has a lot to learn, even from people he sometimes looks down on~.)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I feel like Rufina wants her own potato (UwU)...','RIP Bell...','If you have an open mind, you will never stop learning and improving (^_^)~!)
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