Though Mikoto's skill was commendable, Haruhime stood out more so than the silent and stoic swordswoman. While Mikoto's attacks were fast, almost impossible to follow, Haruhime's were elegant and gentle, almost like she wasn't enthralled in combat. The monsters tried attacking her but not even the Variant Lizardman Elites could penetrate through her barrier. As a result, Haruhime moved in an elegant manner as an illusory aura radiated from her body, seemingly causing all of her movements to appear as though she were moving in slow motion. Ice elemental energy spread from her body, causing the monsters surrounding her to become slowed as Haruhime continued to build greater momentum. Though she didn't use it as often these days, Haruhime was still fond of her [Sakura Blossom], now using it to create more than thirty sakura petals, covered in a light layer of frost that cut through the surrounding enemies.
Vahn and Fenrir watched as the two girls rapidly dealt with enemies that would have previously overwhelmed them in the past. Though Haruhime would have likely lasted for a very long time, even before obtaining her [Pactio], Mikoto had experienced an explosive increase in strength. Vahn also found her outfit to be kind of 'cool', even contemplating wearing a trenchcoat of his own to emulate the style of her clothes. He often wore relatively simple clothing, sometimes even forgoing the use of upper body armor, so Vahn didn't think it would be a bad idea to change his style a bit. The only thing that kept him doing it was the fact that all the girls seemed to like when he was bare-chested, often earning appraising and 'hungry' looks from them that made Vahn feel strangely proud.
After a period of about seventeen minutes, Haruhime and Mikoto cleared out all of the enemies. They were both breathing a little heavily but, from Vahn's perspective, could have continued fighting for the better part of an hour if necessary. He blinked forward with [Shundo] patting Haruhime's head as he gestured for Mikoto to come forward. She hesitated for a short moment but still walked over, blushing slightly as he reached out to stroke her head. At the same time, Vahn helped replenish their energy while simultaneously enhancing their parameters and helping to calm their minds. This was a very common sight whenever he was accompanying the girls as his [Grooming] was simply too useful not to make use of...
Mikoto was still a little embarrassed by the treatment but Haruhime seemed to enjoy it greatly, happily smiling as Vahn rubbed his thumb along the inside of her ear. When he was finished, she seemed sad to part for a brief moment but just smiled before linking together their arms and leaning into his shoulder. Mikoto opened up a small distance, looking around as if an enemy could appear at any moment but still showing a light blush on her face. As for Fenrir, she ended up taking linking together with his other arm, causing Vahn to chuckle slightly as he led the way further into the Dungeon...
A little more than two hours later, the group arrived at the entrance to the 39th Floor, being stopped momentarily by the guard post that had been set up in the area. Though anyone was allowed to enter the Floor, they now had to pass through a checkpoint since this area had now almost completely fallen under the control of the Alliance. Seeing that it was Vahn and his companions, the guards just made a small note and allowed him to pass without even questioning his purpose for being there. After all, Vahn was the person that personally delivered all the supplies used by Lil Greirr, and that was entirely excluding the fact he was one of, if not the, most influential members of the Alliance itself.
After reaching the outskirts of the outpost, Vahn marveled at the changes that had come about over the last two months. Now, there were more than 1500 people residing on the Floor, including some smaller groups that had been allowed to take up temporary residence within the safety of reinforced walls. Nobody was allowed to live within the Alliance-controlled territory, unlike how things were managed on the 18th Floor, but they could still stick around for short periods of time before being sent on their way. This was to prevent people from trying to lay roots within the Deeper Floors as it greatly increased the chances of criminal activity and corruption.
Passing through the large glowing gates, enhances by glowing silver wards, Vahn made his way directly towards the Central Command area without being stopped by any of the guards. Along the way, he saw the Gulliver Brothers sitting at a table with their helmets off, each looking nearly identical to each other. The only discernable differences were that they had all styled their hair slightly differently and had a variety of scars marring their faces, hands, and, very likely, the rest of their bodies. Though they were very powerful Adventurers now, it hadn't always been easy for them since they were Pallums that had been born into slavery. Vahn had learned from Freya, during one of their somewhat awkward talks, that she had picked them up after they staged a small movement to free a lot of slaves in the past. She had been impressed by their perseverance and teamwork, bringing them into her Familia and grooming them into the powerful Adventurers they were today.
Vahn was somewhat interested in getting to know the Gulliver Brothers but, much like all the previous times he had seen them, they all glared at him as if he had stolen the last morsel of food on a year-long sea voyage. Like the majority of the Freya Familia's Elites, they showed a great deal of distaste towards him and, if not for Freya's orders, Vahn imagined they were far more likely to attack him than help out. Fortunately, their loyalty to Freya was very high and, even though it was a bit awkward to be glared at, there hadn't been any major issues. However, there was one person amongst the group of Elites that didn't seem to mind his presence at all...
Nearing the room where Finn spent more than half his time, Vahn saw a tall man that appeared to be carved by godly artisans. He had healthy brown skin that, when viewed using Vahn's [Eyes of Truth], glimmered with a pale yellow light. Vahn waved, earning a nod and an almost imperceptible smile from the behemoth of a man, recognizable as none other than the 'King', Ottar. When he approached, Ottar spoke out in a throaty and deep voice, "I didn't have the chance to congratulate you the last time we met. Congratulations on becoming a father, Vahn Mason." Vahn smiled in return, feeling a sense of pride spread through his chest that made it hard to keep his emotions in check.
Extending his fist out towards Ottar, Vahn bumped against the seemingly immovable fist of the King and said, "Your child should be born pretty soon as well. I know things might be a little difficult with Freya, but please take care of your son..." Ottar gave a curt nod, already fully intending to make sure his son became a strong warrior that, if necessary, would one day replace him as the Captain of the Freya Familia. Even if Freya never cared for their child, Ottar still felt proud to have sired a son with the goddess he loved and had dedicated his life to. The fact that she cared more for Vahn, and any future children she would have with him, didn't matter to Ottar at all. To him, Freya's love had always been like the wind, free and unrestrained, so he was actually thankful she had decided to settle down a bit and focus on just one person, even if it wasn't him.
As Vahn passed by him to enter into the Central Command Room, Ottar spoke out, saying, "Allen may try something in the next few months. I don't think he would be able to defeat you, but there is a chance he may do something regrettable..." Ottar scanned his eyes over Fenrir, Haruhime and Mikoto as he spoke, making it clear that Allen may not necessarily target Vahn directly. However, as he evaluated the girls before him, Ottar felt a small part of his instincts making his fingers twitch. He could tell they had become much stronger in the very short period of time since he last investigated the Hestia Familia.
Vahn had paused for a short moment when he heard Ottar's words, giving him a questioning look that caused the later to issue a small nod as he said, "Maybe my advice is unnecessary..." with a small smile on his face. Then, turning his back to reveal the almost ridiculously sculpted back muscles beneath his broad shoulders, Ottar went about his own business without another word. His own duty was nearly finished and he wanted to make sure everything was taken care of by the time he returned to the surface. As Vahn said, his own son would be born within the next few weeks and, to prevent any of the other suitors from trying to harm him, Ottar would protect the child personally. After all, even if she might not care for it much, it was still a child produced by his union with Freya, something he would sacrifice his life for if necessary...
Stepping into the CCR, Vahn saw Finn going through a small mountain of paperwork. There were slight bags under the Pallum's eyes, a clear indicator he hadn't been getting much sleep. However, since there weren't any major issues, from what Vahn could see, it likely wasn't a result of overwork that had been the source of his lack of sleep. Vahn shook his head slightly, earning a sigh from Finn as he set his pen down and complained, "I have no idea how you're able to deal with so many women, Vahn. Though they started off so compliant and understanding, my girls have been becoming increasingly more headstrong as the days pass. I'm not sure my body will be able to keep up with their youthful energy...hahaha..."
After taking Vahn's advice, Finn had started grooming capable women to bear his future children, finding it more interesting than he expected. With his guidance, their strength had increased in strides and, as all the girls were people he had personally saved, they were all very devoted to him. However, things had changed a bit when they entered an actual relationship, with all the girls banding together against him on occasion. Though they were only around Level 3 in strength, Pallums were always known for their stamina and it had become a problem, especially in the evenings. Finn had always been confident in his own stamina but, with his general workload being quite heavy, he had been slowly losing out to his companions as the days passed.
Vahn waved his hand, sending a small ivory vial onto Finn's desk as he explained, "Those pills were created by Naaza and verified by the god Miach. They have the effect of replenishing stamina and increasing the natural recovery rate of mental energy. Using them would allow you to feel as though you got a full night's sleep with as little as three hours. Just make sure you don't become over-reliant on them since, while there are no adverse side-effects, the efficacy of the pills will fade if used too often." Finn gave a vibrant and grateful smile, causing Vahn to feel slightly awkward as the Pallum pocketed the ivory vial full of tiny blue pills as if it was a great treasure.
Noticing the awkwardness Vahn was feeling, Finn laughed in a somewhat sheepish manner and stroked the back of his head as he asked, "So, what brings you down to Lil Geirr this time around? Supplies? Mission?" As he spoke, Finn started grabbed the list of supplies and passed them over, understanding that it was one of the obvious reasons Vahn would make the trip. Vahn accepted them, gleaning over the updated inventory and comparing it to the previous list he had seen during his last visit. Finn hadn't been trying to 'trick' him into producing new items out of nowhere anymore since Vahn generally only replaced the issued supply order during his following visit. This time around, he would be filling out the stuff they had requested previously so he just took the current supply request and stowed it into his Inventory.
Sis began populating his Inventory will all the items from the previous list as Vahn explained, "You haven't seen it yet, but I named a new dragon, called Khaos, and have been letting it escort Loki around. Also, the children are growing up super fast so make sure to visit when you return to the surface or they might even be bigger than you in the blink of an eye..." Vahn sent a slightly playful look towards Finn that made the latter grimace slightly as he pulled out a bottle of hazel-red alcohol and poured them both a cup. Vahn sat down in a wooden chair while Fenrir, Haruhime, and Mikoto all moved to the sofa at the side of the room.
After savoring the rich alcoholic beverage, Vahn released a hot sigh and said, "This time around, I plan to try and capture a Unicorn, or any interesting Variant species we might come across. If we can't find anything today, we'll probably return to the surface tomorrow, however." Finn nodded, sampling his own drink with practiced tolerance before saying, "If you're after a Unicorn, there have actually been signs of one on the 43rd Floor recently. Reports say it is actually a Variant species too so you might be able to hit the veritable jackpot if you take a look. Still, it never ceases to amaze me knowing how easily you can tame monsters and help them become Xenos..." Finn cast a glance at Fenrir as he spoke, turning his eyes away when she squinted towards him. At this point, Finn was almost positive he wouldn't be able to fend off Fenrir if he accidentally offended her. Her momentary glare had caused his instincts to practically explode into alertness, causing him to squeeze his hands together to stay calm.
Vahn hadn't missed Finn's change since the latter's aura had flared up and was currently burning like a vibrant flame with a few threads of purple inside of it. He issued a wry smile in response, sending a sidelong glance towards Fenrir as he said, "Thanks for the info, Finn, I'll look into it. However, if it had already been seen, I imagine the Unicorn would have moved to a new area by now. Still, it's not a chance I'll pass up since it could be fate that-" Vahn paused in mid-sentence, staring at the notification that had popped up within his system with a bit of intrigue and a fair amount of caution.
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//Optional Quest Triggered//
[Quest: Secret of the Silver Unicorn]
Rank: S
Objective: Investigate the rumors of the Variant Unicorn seen between the 40th and 43rd Floors (Incomplete). Find the Variant Unicorn and discover the secret of its origin, capturing or killing it in the process (0/1).
Rewards: Unit Management Function Upgraded (or) 1x [Blood of the Silver Unicorn], 100,000 OP.
Failure Condition(s): Death, 48 Hours pass (47H59M49S), Variant Unicorn Flees the Dungeon
Penalty: (none)
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Finn had been asking him if anything had happened so Vahn just waved dismissively and said, "Sorry, I just had a momentary thought and got a little distracted. Anyways, I plan to at least check up on the rumors and see if we can chance upon the Unicorn. It'll be a good opportunity for Mikoto and Haruhime to train as well so we may end up staying down for a day or two." Though he knew Vahn was keeping something from him, Finn just nodded his head without inquiring further. He had already learned his lesson about trying to pry into Vahn's affairs and, after witnessing the explosive growth of the girls around him, Finn didn't want to offend Vahn further. It was his hope that, under Vahn's guidance, his children would one day become much stronger than he was, taking upon the mantle of Braver for themselves and inspiring the next generation of Pallum to greatness. If possible, Finn wanted the title to expand from a singular individual and become an organization, thus making a group of Braves instead of just one 'Braver'...
After leaving Finn's office, Vahn passed through the several layers of security that protected the supplies that were used by Lil Geirr. There were still plenty in stock but Vahn still added all the requested items, shuffling things around a bit to ensure that the older items would be used up first. Before he left, he also checked to make sure none of the wards had been compromised since his last visit as it wouldn't be uncommon for the supplies to be the priority target for anyone trying to undermine the Supply Depot. Fortunately, other than a slightly damaged ward, there were no real signs of sabotage so Vahn just repaired it, passed on a message informing Finn of the 'abnormality', and then retired to the area that had been set aside for the Hestia Familia.
Vahn swept through their quarters for a few minutes, making sure there weren't any small formations set up to transmit sound and spy on them. It seemed like Finn had been relatively prudent, however, as there weren't any signs that anyone had entered the area since his last visit. As there was an anti-personnel barrier surrounding the quarters, it wasn't that surprising but Vahn didn't want to underestimate his potential enemies. Once everything was taken care of, he kicked off his boots and sat on one of the plush sofas, snuggling up with Haruhime and Fenrir while Mikoto excused herself into the sleeping quarters. Haruhime giggled when her friend had left, squeezing Vahn's arm as she mused, "Even though she had already made her resolution, Mikoto can't be honest with herself. I think she wants to get more powerful before she commits to anything..."
Nodding his head, Vahn pulled Haruhime and Fenrir close, embracing them both as he said, "Yes, I know...this is the best time for us all to be increasing our strength and it's understandable that someone like Mikoto wouldn't be as open to developing a relationship just yet. She doesn't seem like the type to be too interested in the relations between men and women but I know she will eventually want to start a family of her own..." Vahn knew that Mikoto was somewhat 'afraid' of having sex, not simply because she was afraid to get pregnant, but because she wasn't confident in keeping her disciplined nature after experiencing such a thing.
Mikoto had a bad habit of letting her thoughts run wild, though not to the extent of Lefiya, so she inadvertently 'shamed' herself into inaction. Vahn had considered giving her a push in the past but, after talking to her about it when they had been alone, he decided to respect her desire to grow stronger. Even if he had to wait until she was nearly twenty to have a child, it really wasn't a bad thing. After all, she was still very young right now and, as he said previously, this was indeed the best time for them to increase their strength...
Haruhime nodded her head in understanding as she had also resolved to wait until her own strength had increased before having Vahn's child. However, she didn't have the same 'tolerance' as her friend and wouldn't have been able to wait for nearly five years to be with Vahn. Even Fenrir, sitting on Vahn's right, didn't seem to truly empathize with Mikoto since she had followed the girl's retreat with a subtle annoyance in her scarlet eyes. Were she capable of giving birth to her Master's children, without causing him any excess stress, Fenrir wouldn't keep putting on this act of her's out of consideration for his mental wellness. Unfortunately, her ageless body made it impossible for her to carry a child so, much like her Master had started to do in the past, Fenrir was pursuing her own evolution and this was the only reason she hadn't taken the next step...even if it was really difficult at times...
(A/N: Clarification, even though I've explained it a few times. Fenrir's body itself is ageless, giving her biological immortality that is entirely separate from the form of immortality granted by Divinity. The goddesses Avatars, the form they take in the human world, are only prevented from aging and dying as a result of their Divinity. That's why, if it is sealed away, the Avatar can become temporarily mortal and capable of bearing children, nurtured by their Divinity after the fact. However, Fenrir has no such mechanic so, even if Vahn bound her with [Enkidu], it wouldn't allow her to get pregnant. She doesn't even possess the basic functions at present and, as her body would constantly be healing during something like sex, it would be a very painful and bloody affair (.____.)...)
(A/N: Alternate Titles:: 'Vahn's body makes all the girls go doki-doki','Finn's Nightly Struggle','Fenrir Wants Puppies (O,...,O)~!')
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After giving the girls plenty of time to rest, they set out towards the 40th Floor to begin searching for the Unicorn. Since it was just an optional Quest, Vahn wasn't too worried about completing it and, if they were unable to find it after searching around for a few hours, he intended to return to the surface. As interesting as a Variant Unicorn was, the Quest didn't seem to be a matter of great importance and Vahn would rather return home earlier to spend time with his daughters instead of wasting it away chasing after a phantom...
The 40th Floor, continuing down to the 43rd Floor, were another one of the 'dead zones' in the Dungeon, meaning there weren't many monsters that spawned. Other than the occasional monster party, or the roaming variant, there weren't too many things to bar the passage of normal parties. As for Vahn's, with his domain allowing him to easily sense monsters, Fenrir's nose being able to pick up almost any scent, and Mikoto's search magic, they were able to progress forward at a very quick pace. However, this was only until Vahn sensed a very fast moving object in his domain, not coming from the Floor they were on, but from the Floor above.
Looking up, Vahn calmly pulled Haruhime and Mikoto back as Fenrir leaped towards the roof to intercept the approaching creature. Around the same time as a massive blue-skin snake pierced through the Dungeon ceiling, Fenrir tore through its face with her claws. Without even having time to issue a cry, the notorious creature, known amongst Adventurers as a Lambton, also called a Worm Well, fell to the Dungeon Floor as its body continued to twitch around for a few seconds before dissipating into dust. Vahn shook his head, disappointed in how weak the Lambton had been though, after remembering how strong Fenrir was, he decided to extend a small amount of condolences towards the now deceased monster.
Fenrir ran over, carrying a large magic core that was nearly as large as her torso, happily passing it over to Vahn in exchange for some headpats. There were also a few Drop Items littering the ground but Vahn had already stowed them away in his Inventory, allowing the system to analyze them before breaking the materials down into OP. Vahn had the habit of converting non-essential items into OP these days, only choosing to keep rare materials and herbs that could be used by the others in their [Mixing]. After all, though the conversion wasn't great, Vahn could often earn more OP than he spent on materials if he took the time to forge them into high-quality goods. Thus, he didn't mind purchasing materials directly from the system shop instead of relying on hunting them down in the Dungeon.
With the Lambton dead, the group picked up their previous pace as they continued making their way towards the area where the Unicorn was said to have appeared. Though the 44th Floor became covered in a black bedrock with fiery cracks running through it, the 43rd Floor still had sparse areas of grass and water that could be found periodically throughout its rooms. The Unicorn had initially been seen near a small pond within a large chamber near the entrance of the 44th Floor. It took a bit of searching, but Vahn believed they had found the area since there was a subtle fluctuation in the mana, making it feel refreshing and pure compared to the stagnant energy within the Dungeon. Unfortunately, though the trail seemed very strong in the room, Vahn didn't notice it leading through any of the passageways, almost as if it vanished into thin air...
Fenrir sniffed around the area while Mikoto and Haruhime also looked around for a bit, each searching for any signs that the Unicorn had been present. As for Vahn, he decided to look in the pond itself, using his domain and [Eyes of Truth] to peer into the pristine blue pool of water. There were numerous crystals inside, causing the water to be illuminated by making it difficult to peer into the deeper regions since everything blurred together. Vahn, however, was able to look into the depths unobstructed, finding a few rare medicinal herbs but no signs of the Variant Unicorn.
Haruhime, seemingly remembering something from the past, brought her finger to her chin as she said, "Legends say that Unicorns only appear before pure maidens...Vahn, did you ask Finn about the Adventurers that discovered the Unicorn previously?" Shaking his head, Vahn realized he probably should have followed up on the information a little better, especially since part of the Quest was to investigate the rumors. Since the Adventurers in question had likely been at Lil Geirr, he could have gotten a lot more information if he learned about them. Of course, with Haruhime's reminder, Vahn scanned through the information in his own mind and found out a lot of details regarding Unicorns, including the claim that they only appeared before Pure Maidens.
After looking through the details a bit, Vahn turned to Mikoto and Fenrir, saying, "There is a chance that the Unicorn has some form of detection that allows it to evade notice. Since there is still the presence of calm energy in this room, it may mean the Unicorn had somehow hidden within the void, or potentially teleported to another part of the Dungeon. We can try leaving the two of you here to draw it out..." Since Mikoto would be able to telepathically communicate with them in the event of an emergency, Vahn wasn't too worried that something would happen to them. After all, there were few things that would actually pose a threat to Fenrir and they both had an [Effigy of the Hero] on their bodies.
However, shortly after speaking the words, Vahn changed his mind and said, "Actually, if it isn't too much trouble, I'd like for you to stay here alone, Mikoto. There shouldn't be any real danger and, if something shows up, I can always summon you through your [Pactio] card." Vahn, though confident nothing would happen, still felt a little worried. If Mikoto was alone, he could easily teleport her through a single Floor, but that would have left Fenrir to fight on her own. She would likely be able to hold out well, but Vahn didn't really want to expose them just to complete a Quest...
Fenrir nodded her head, showing a slightly relieved expression on her face since she never liked being too far away from her Master. As for Mikoto, she too nodded, saying, "Leave it to me, Vahn. I'm not sure if I qualify as 'pure', as I have taken lives before, but I am still a maiden..." Mikoto blushed slightly at the end of her words, sending Vahn a glance that caused her ruddy complexion to become more pronounced. Vahn smiled in response, feeling a little awkward but appreciating Mikoto's unique reaction and the slightly 'expectant' glint in her eye before she turned away. Then, with Fenrir and Haruhime in tow, they left the area while Mikoto sat atop a smooth white stone and began meditating.
Assuming that the Unicorn had some way to know if it had been detected, Vahn made his way through the Dungeon until he was unable to sense Mikoto's location within his domain. They then continued walking around, updating his map of the area while waiting for Mikoto's telepathic message. If she didn't send them anything within an hour, Vahn planned to double back and discuss their next course of action, which would likely be to return to the surface. Fortunately, around forty minutes later, Mikoto voice appeared in his mind along with a gentle ping, ("Vahn, the Unicorn appeared. What should I do?")
After collecting his thoughts, Vahn focused his mind and said, ("If possible, try talking to it to see if it is sentient. Unicorns are known for their intelligence and gentle nature so it should listen if you stay calm. If it is receptive to your words, try inquiring about its origins and see if it is willing to accompany us to the surface.") Mikoto sent back a quick affirmation but, before he was even able to explain what was going on, Fenrir suddenly squinted her eyes and said, "Master, enemies..." in a cold voice. Vahn had been focusing more on his communication with Mikoto so he had temporarily lost his focus, now feeling the presence of several people passing through one of the passages they hadn't been through yet. Judging by their auras, they seemed to be a team of Adventurers around Level 3-4 in strength. As for why Fenrir referred to them as enemies, it was because they had a 'murderous' aura around them and, even though their auras weren't completely black, they didn't seem like good people.
Since he didn't know the best path to connect to the adjacent passage, Vahn decided to 'make' one. A golden aura surrounded his body as he pushed forward with raw speed, seemingly blinking the short distance to the wall as he transformed into his Xuánwǔ form and compressed the shockwave to create a tunnel. Traditionally, a shockwave would disperse through a medium, much like a wave that spread out evenly. With his ability to control shockwaves, however, Vahn forced the shockwave to continue forward in a 3m radius, carrying the terrifying energy of his blow along with it. Thus, instead of creating a crater that spread out for several meters, Vahn shattered the wall in an almost perfect circle that extended the 13m distance that connected to the next passage.
When he appeared inside the same tunnel as the 'enemies', Vahn was immediately attacked by a bolt of electricity that smashed into his chest and made it feel like a path of destruction had been carved through his body. The bolt exited out through his foot, grounding into the Dungeon floor below while Vahn continued to stand, ignoring the smoke rising from his body as he glared towards the five people and said, "I understand why you might attack someone that appeared out of nowhere, but you should still try to get a better understanding of the situation before you actually engage the enemy. Now, I'm more than a little annoyed and feel less inclined to talk..." Though he was actually speaking much more than normal, this was a result of his inhibitions about taking lives after wiping out the fortress the previous day. These people also didn't have completely black auras so, until he learned about their purpose, Vahn decided not to outright kill them.
Uncharacteristically, all five Adventurers present were women, each possessing rather attractive faces and shapely figures. The oldest among them, who happened to be the mage that attacked him, only appeared to be in her late twenties. As for the youngest, though it was hard to tell since she was a Pallum, Vahn guessed she was around eighteen years old. Their party composition seemed to be two scouts, two vanguard units, and a single Mage, easily identifiable as the leader of the group with how the others looked towards her periodically.
Surprised that her attack didn't seem to actually harm Vahn, the Mage swallowed nervously and said, "Sorry about that...my name is Amalia, and this is my party, Rose Quintet." Though she was still nervous, especially after failing her surprise attack, Amalia noticed that the boy before them was very handsome. He also didn't really seem like a bad guy so she decided that it would be better to make use of their appearances to earn some leniency. Though they were all still virgins, as was necessary for their trade, each member of her group was very confident in their physical appearance.
Vahn raised his left brow, giving Amalia a curious look as he asked, "Are you Freelance Adventurers? It's rare to see a group of four Level 3's and a Level 4 that don't belong to a Familia..." The members of Rose Quintet tensed up when Vahn accurately mentioned their Levels before they had even started fighting. Their instincts were telling them that there was no way they would be able to fight against him. Amalia herself, having thrown out the large bolt of thunder magic, began to feel even more nervous as she explained, "We used to belong to a Familia, but our Goddess returned back to Heaven after accruing a large debt. To avoid getting saddled with the debt, we became Freeland Adventurers and perform missions to get by..."
Even if a god was 'forced' back to Heaven, it didn't mean the Falna they bestowed upon others would fade away. However, most people that had belonged to a Familia, especially if there were already decently Leveled, would have gone to a different Familia. Vahn suspected that the girls may have had something to do with their goddess' debt. It was either that or they had a different reason for deciding against joining another Familia, likely related to the missions they were taking. None of them seemed like 'bad' people yet, seeing their 'tainted' auras, Vahn knew they didn't live as honestly as they could have.
After listening to Amalia's words, Vahn calmly asked, "Are you here to try and hunt down the Unicorn?" The moment he mentioned the Unicorn, Vahn saw the girls tense up while Amalia's fingers produced a small amount of electricity. This caught his attention and, with his [Eyes of Truth] active, Vahn noticed that Amalia had an off-blue aura that seemed to radiate with electrical energy. She seemed to have a pure lightning affinity, something that was exceptionally rare since it was a relatively high-tier element. However, knowing they hunted Unicorns, Vahn felt a bitterness on the tip of his tongue and said, "This Unicorn is a bit unique, so I'll have to ask you to give up. I'm not going to berate you for doing what you have to in order to get by, but hunting gentle creatures isn't any way to make a living..." Shaking his head, Vahn turned away and decided to let the five girls go free. After all, there wasn't really anything wrong with hunting animals and monsters, at least not to the extent that they deserved to die for it.
Amalia felt very offended by Vahn's words, especially when he turned away from them as if there were nothing more than air. However, her instincts were screaming at her to remain quiet and, after seeing a pair of scarlet eyes peer at them through the hole that Vahn had created, she decided to let the matter lay. It was obvious that the man before them was far stronger than they were and, even if a Unicorn's horn and blood were worth a great deal of Valis, it wasn't worth their lives trying to obtain. Gesturing to her allies, Amalia said in a quiet and shaky voice, "Let's go back. We'll try to find a new mark..." Her companions all nodded, having the same sense of impending doom as their leader and not wanting to try their luck. They quickly fell into formation and began making their way back, not even sparing a glance towards Vahn after deciding to retreat.
Vahn continued to follow them with his intent for a bit, nodding slightly before searching through the system shop and purchasing a Unicorn horn and marrow. The combined cost was only 17,000OP so Vahn didn't feel it was too much as compensation. He set the items in the girls' path, including a note telling them to treat their lifestyle choices with the same severity they placed on their own lives. If they had decided to force the issue, attacking him without regards to the difference in power, they would have all been severely injured, if not killed. The horn and marrow were their rewards for making the 'correct' decision, causing the girls to feel a bit of confusion before they increased the speed of their retreat.
Haruhime giggled after seeing Vahn nod slightly, musing, "You're very soft on women, Vahn. If you didn't have [Magia Erebea], that thunder magic might have crippled and severely injured you. I can't imagine you were the first person they had ever attacked for standing in their way..." Without belonging to an active Familia, the Rose Quintet was able to attack other Adventurers without obtaining a curse. However, they also had the detriment of being unable to update their parameters, meaning they would continue to be stuck at their Level unless they joined another Familia. They had likely been exploiting this loophole since many Adventurers wouldn't expect a sudden attack during normal circumstances.
Releasing a small sigh, Vahn turned to Haruhime and said, "I can tell that those girls aren't beyond salvation so I wanted to give them a chance. Don't worry, though, as I intend to follow up on the matter with the Guild later on." It wasn't illegal to hunt Unicorns, but it is very frowned upon since they often help guide lost and injured Adventurers to safety. However, as the materials that could be obtained from a Unicorn were used in powerful salves and Elixirs, even the Guild sometimes put in requests. These were all documented though, with all the materials being used as efficiently as possible while an Elf usually performed burial rites out of respect for the fallen Unicorn. If it was known that a Freelance group was proactively hunting Unicorns, the Guild would take action and impose heavy fees upon the Rose Quintet if they continued trying.
After dealing with the unexpected arrival of the Rose Quintet, Vahn sent a message to Mikoto, asking how things had been going. There was a slight delay, causing Vahn to squint his eyes before Mikoto's voice sounded in his head, ("...it seems to be called Fatina. I got permission for you to come by, but only after taking a vow swearing that we would not cause it harm.") Vahn was somewhat surprised to learn that Mikoto had taken such a vow but, after considering the type of person she was, he didn't find it too odd. Nodding his head, Vahn explained the details to Haruhime and Fenrir before they all made there way over to meet what Vahn assumed was a Unicorn Xenos named Fatina...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Lambton-chan...','Survival Instincts','Encounter with a Xenos?')
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