Chapitre 700: Identity Crisis?
Vahn spent a few hours playing around with Ina and Alex, even though Ina herself wasn't really the type to enjoy physical activity too much. Even so, she enjoyed flying around through the sky with her Papa while Alex flitted about and evading his pursuit. Now that Alex was around ten years old, it had become far more proficient at flying than before so it was a pretty exciting and relatively high-speed game of tag. Vahn could, of course, capture him whenever he wanted but, much like when he was with Vana, Vahn always toned things down a lot to make it more enjoyable for his children. Alex knew this as well but still used it as an opportunity to hone their skills further, especially since Ina's presence also brought a smile to the young True Dragon's face.
Eventually, the time for Ina's return came and, though she was more than a little reluctant to leave, Ina obediently listened to her Papa and returned to the real world. After all, it wasn't as though she would have to wait for very long before they could play more. Also, while he was 'sleeping', she would be able to snuggle up in his arms and enjoy a short nap herself. Even though the Spirit-Time orb didn't really affect her physically, Ina was still very young and the mental strain of playing around for a few hours tuckers her out. Thus, after sharing a hug with Alex and her Papa, Ina broke down into small particles of dust as she vanished from the orb's interior.
Alex and Vahn watched the small particles ascend towards the sky until Ina's presence had completely disappeared from the orb. With her departure, Alex released a small sigh and said, "All of my sisters are so cute. It makes me wonder if I should become a boy so I can protect them..." Vahn turned to Alex, raising one of his brows in curiosity as he asked, "Have you been thinking about your gender lately?" Alex nodded while flapping its wings to jump up to his shoulders, resting against the top of its Papa's head as it said, "It is very difficult to choose if I want to be a boy or girl, even though I know I can probably change it later if I want to. Papa is surrounded by so many girls already and, though I also want to be pampered, I think I want to become a strong man as well..."
Vahn reached up, ruffling Alex's hair while minding the two sharp horns poking out of their head. In a calm and gentle tone, he said, "Whatever you choose, I will always treat you as my precious child. Even if you become a boy, I don't mind pampering you just like your sisters. You don't have to feel that, as a boy, you also need to be 'manly'. Just like your Mama, you can become strong enough to protect people while also being a female. It isn't impossible to find a balance between the two and, though it's a bit early to talk about such things, your gender only loosely affects your relationship when you finally search for your own partner. Even then, it ultimately isn't that important what the gender of your partner is, however, as the most important thing is that you care for them dearly..."
Alex listened very patiently to its father explanation, nodding when Vahn was finally finished speaking. For several minutes, Alex fell into deep thought before commenting, "You are a very open-minded person, Papa, but I'm not sure I can ignore my own 'pride' so easily. Whenever I see Fafnir and Khaos improving, I can't help but want to compete against them and become the alpha among the True Dragons. However, I also know that role belongs to you and, unless she stopped training, I don't think I could ever surpass Mama without your assistance..." As they were speaking, Alex turned towards two large mountain-like hills where Fafnir and Khaos could be seen perched. They had both decided to take up residence in the Space-Time orb, for the time being, occasionally learning from Terra and periodically playing with Alex.
Pulling their eyes away from the two figures, Alex played with its Papa's hair while muttering, "If I become a male, I feel like Papa's existence will actually suppress me. However, if I become a female, I don't think I could ever find a better mate than Papa. Since I know you treat me like your blood-kin, that isn't really an option..." In truth, True Dragons had no blood ties to each other and Alex was entirely comprised of the energies that had melded between Vahn and Terra. Even so, though they had no genetic relation, Vahn still treated Alex like they had a biological connection to each other. Alex understood this very well and, after talking to its Mama about it, learned of the existence of 'Lenneth'. It didn't want to burden its Papa in such a manner but, as it had never kept anything hidden from him, felt compelled to properly discuss it. After all, its Papa had always given it good advice, a fact that was deeply rooted at the core of Alex's existence.
Vahn couldn't help but release a sad sigh because he already had memories from his memory fragment discussing the matter with Terra. He knew Alex was likely worried that, if they truly decided to be a female, it would eventually cause tension and discourse within their family structure. After all, it was incredibly difficult for a True Dragon to deny their instincts, even for someone as calm and composed as Terra. She had nearly lost her mind after her body began producing eggs and, if not for him fertilizing one for her, Terra might have 'broken' at some point. However, the real problem was the fact that Alex sought the 'pinnacle' and had an instinctual desire to become the strongest. Knowing it would never be able to truly surpass him made Alex struggle between the choice of its own gender since it couldn't 'succeed' in its biological purpose, regardless of the gender it chose.
As was common between them, Vahn also had a period of long silence where Alex just absentmindedly played with his hair. Once he managed to sort his thoughts, Vahn reached up and grabbed Alex, bringing the young True Dragon to his front and seating them in his lap. Gently stroking the small pointy ears at the side of Alex's head, Vahn smiled and explained, "The future is full of limitless possibilities, Alex, and, though it may seem impossible to find a solution now, there is always one if you seek it earnestly. There is no rush to choose which gender you want to be and, even if you never make a choice, that is also okay. I will continue to support you, regardless of the path you wish to follow...the only thing I hope for is that you'll be happy and always care for your family..." Grabbing the sides of Alex's face, Vahn gave the large-eyed child a simple kiss on the forehead with the most caring and supportive look he could manage.
Alex spent a few minutes just snuggling up in its Papa's lap, allowing the feathers on its tiny wings to rustle happily while its tail tapped against Vahn's leg. Though it was somewhat difficult to believe, Alex had confidence that its Papa's words were the truth. One of the things it had been taught very early on was that there were no 'impossibilities' so, hearing its Papa say something similar, Alex felt inspired to try harder. After all, as it previous stated, Alex could always change its gender later on if it wasn't satisfied with how things were going. For now, Alex decided to try and catch up to Fafnir and Khaos in strength and, as it was still very young, experiment to see which gender was most comfortable. By setting goals thousands of years in the future, Alex figured there was plenty of time to ruminate over the decision before firming its resolve and deciding what it wanted to stay as.
After making up its mind, Alex nodded its head before wiggling out of its Papa's arms and standing about a meter away. It was only wearing a green tunic, black shorts, and tanned britches, each quickly discarded to reveal the genderless 'template' body beneath. Currently, Alex had a very androgynous and cute appearance but, under Vahn's slightly startled gaze, its body quickly began to morph into a more feminine appearance. The emerald green hair around its head grew slightly longer while their facial features softened slightly. Ultimately, there wasn't a major change in Alex's appearance, other than the obvious changes since it had seemingly decided to be a girl, at least for the time being.
In a casual manner, Alex smiled slightly while reaching out 'her' hand and saying in a softer voice than before, "Papa, give me some panties. I always wanted to try them on." Vahn returned a smile of his own while handing over a pair of mint-green panties for Alex to fit into. Because of the changes to her body, Alex nearly fell over while trying to get her legs through the elastic fabric. She furrowed her brows slightly and said, "The bone structure around my hips is completely different...it feels weird just standing." However, while she was speaking, Alex seemed more curious than actually bothered by the changes. It didn't take long for her to wear the child-like panties and start stretching to see how they felt.
Seemingly satisfied, Alex turned towards him and said, "They are actually more comfortable than what I was wearing previously. I always noticed that girls' clothes were made of more delicate fabrics and it feels nice to be able to wear them like this." Picking up the clothes she had previously discarded, Alex felt the differences between the fabrics before eventually turning back to him and asking, "Papa, can you pick some clothes you think would suit me? I want to go for a 'cute' look for the time being." Vahn found it somewhat amusing that Alex was so casual about the changes to her body but, as requested, picked out a few outfits for Alex to choose from.
After trying on a dress, Alex played with the hem for a bit before commenting, "It feels very breezy, almost like it doesn't really serve any purpose as clothing. My stomach and bottom feel completely exposed like this...I wonder why girls wear such clothing?" At this point, Alex wasn't really speaking towards her Papa and was just asking questions of herself. She had a habit of talking to herself whenever she was thinking about things, a habit she had picked up while playing around in the surrounding forests. As a result, she often came to conclusions through self-exchanges, much like she had just determined that girls must wear this type of clothing to simply appeal to others. After all, Alex also found Ina's appearance very adorable and lively whenever she was running around.
Ultimately, as a dress was 'too advanced' for the time being, Alex decided to wear a white blouse with red rings at the edge of the sleeves and hem. To adapt to the 'breezy' feeling, she decided upon a dark-pink frilled skirt. Alex never developed a habit of wearing shoes so she moved around barefoot while testing the feeling of her new clothing. As for Vahn, he watched her with a slight smile on his face before explaining, "Being a female, there are numerous things you have to be aware of. It may not be a problem while you're inside the orb, but the way people look at and behave around you will heavily depend on how you present yourself. I won't lie to you, Alex, but there are a lot of perverse and disreputable men in the world that would look at you with selfish and despotic intentions. You are very strong, but your second mother, Eva, always taught me that you can never assume things will always go as you expect. Make sure to ask your Mama about how to properly behave like a girl, okay?"
Alex had been pulling the edge of her skirt, trying to cover a little more of her legs before stopping to listen to what her Papa was saying. She knew the differences between males and females, including the 'purpose' for said differences. Since she had also received some of her Mama's memories about Adventurers and other things to be wary of, Alex treated her Papa's words very seriously. Just imagining the possibility of falling to someone's scheme made her feel very frustrated and she resolved herself to never become a victim to such circumstances. In order to avoid such an outcome, Alex intended to train even harder to become someone strong like her Mama. She had seen the latter completely dominate Fafnir and Khaos several times in the past and knew that wasn't even the 'limit' of how strong someone could become.
To ease some of the very obvious discomfort Alex was showing, Vahn gave her a pair of spats and explained that many girls wore them to protect their dignity and also deal with the 'breezy' feeling. Alex happily accepted them because they were very similar to the shorts she often wore before, even though the fabric was much thinner. One thing that she had already noticed was, even if the materials were the same, girls' clothing was much thinner than boys'. Though it made the clothing far more comfortable to wear, Alex felt like it was somewhat wasteful since it seemed to invalidate the basic purpose of clothing, which was to resist the elements and 'conceal'. She was very aware of the fact that the two tiny rose-buds on her chest made very small bumps on the fabric's surface and it was somewhat annoying. Fortunately, just as he had given her some spats, her Papa also gave her an elastic strap that he called a sports bra for her to wear. It was a little restrictive to wear but Alex didn't really mind it too much since it got rid of what had been bothering her.
Once Alex was comfortable in her new clothing, Vahn picked out a variety of other outfits she could try on later. Alex threw all of them into her own pocket dimension before seeming to realize something as she said, "Papa, for the time being, please call me Alexa or Alexandria. Alex is fine too, but I want to try and get used to a more feminine name while I'm in this form." Vahn nodded his head, stroking Alex's silky emerald green hair as he asked, "So, is this just a temporary thing then, Alexa?" Alexa showed a contemplative look on her face before saying, "Well, I figured I could try it out for a year or two before swapping to a boy and seeing if it is more comfortable. I don't really know what I'll decide upon in the future but, if I can't really choose between them, I think I may remain genderless when I go to the real world. Since you said it didn't matter which form I wanted to take, that will let me wear whatever kind of clothes I want without making things too awkward for other people."
Vahn laughed, impressed by how 'thoughtful' Alexa was, even though she was making decisions that are far beyond what would be expected of someone so young. However, she did indeed possess the natural ability to change her gender so Vahn wanted to encourage her to do as she pleased. Thus, after talking for a few minutes longer, Vahn carried off his daughter and they played around for nearly the entirety of the remaining time left to them. Alexa emulated Ina a bit, meaning Vahn had to carry her around and pamper her, but this didn't last long since she had a far more independent nature than Ina possessed. Ultimately, he ended up playing tag with her and playing a variety of other games. When she was tired, he would snuggle up with her, something he always did regardless, and they talked about various subjects Alexa was interested in. She had very recently started her basic magic training and, as a result of her potential being ridiculous, was already near the middle of Level 3 in strength, even without a Falna.
Before he left the orb, Vahn took Alexa back to the small cottage where the two memory fragments were surprised to receive their 'daughter'. Vahn didn't miss the small glimmer and the soft smile on his fragment's face while Terra's seemed to find the unexpected change amusing. She grabbed her daughter's hand and pulled her to the side before chuckling towards the two Vahn's and saying, "Sorry, but I'll need to borrow Alex for a moment. We need to have some girl talk~." Terra sent a wink towards them before dragging Alexa into a side room before erecting an emerald green barrier that barred passage and blocked sound.
Vahn had a wry smile on his face as he followed the two girls with his eyes, only turning away once the barrier had been erected. Then, as if they had some mutual understanding, Vahn matched gazes with his memory fragment as they both smiled and simultaneously said, "She is adorable..." before bursting into laughter and going out onto the terrace to share a few drinks together. Vahn, possessing all the memories of the fragment, felt a very strong kinship with his counterpart and they had been good drinking buddies on the occasions where he had some free time in the past. It wasn't often, but being able to share a drink with someone that had the same tolerance as him was a very refreshing and relaxing experience.
(A/N: Alex's gender will fluctuate a lot in the story and you will usually be able to know what they are based on the given pronouns and the names associated with them. Ultimately, Alex is very likely to end up as a boy but it depends on how the story evolves with time. I just figured that, if it was going to experiment between genders, choose a female form was the obvious choice since, other than Vahn himself, Alex has only ever interacted with females. In her default state, she acts more like a young boy so it was the choice that made the most sense, given the context of the novel. As for why she may ultimately end up as a boy, that is a result of the fact that many commenters seemed to want Vahn to have a son soon. Well, be patient, as such an event may happen sooner than you think (U,...,U)~!)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Living in Vahn's shadow isn't easy','Alexa's Experimental Nature','Treat yourself like you're your own best friend~!')
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Chapitre 701: Happiness
After parting with his counterpart within the orb, Vahn awoke back in the real world with Ina snuggled up into a small shape against his chest. Terra was standing at the side with a gentle smile on her face as she said, "Welcome back, Master~." As if awakened by Terra's words, Ina opened up her eyes and stretched her body in a lazy manner, nearly falling out of the chair if not for Vahn catching her. Realizing what had almost happened, Ina laughed in a sheepish manner before hugging her Papa tightly and saying, "Papa is the best~." Vahn just chuckled in response, lifting her body up to carry her as he turned to Terra and said, "I'll stop by a little later..." Accompanying his words, Vahn sent Terra a wink that caused the mature True Dragons eyes to squint happily as an expectant light flickered within their sky-blue depths.
Carrying Ina, Vahn proceeded to his next destination, the final leg of his journey since he had failed to meet her earlier. After walking for a few minutes, he eventually came to the clearing where some of the girls would come to spend time, especially when it was sunny outside. There, sitting at the base of one of the trees, Vahn saw Aki sitting with a cloth bundle slung around her body. She was accompanied by Chloe and Shizune, the latter of which was playfully poking at the squishy cheeks of Anise. Vahn could feel the everpresent warmth in his heart expand slightly at the sight while both Chloe and Aki almost immediately noticed his presence.
After arriving at their side, Vahn let Ina down so she could properly interact with her younger sister. Like the rest of the Vanir, Ina cared deeply for her younger siblings, even though she didn't always show it through her actions. Shizune moved off to the side to make room so Vahn sat down next to Aki, who immediately proceeded to lean into his shoulder with a soft smile on her face. Ever since giving birth, Aki has become even more motherly than during her pregnancy and, though she had been hesitating about the decision, Vahn knew she was also considering 'retirement'. Her dream had always been to start a family and, now that she had a daughter to look after, Aki wasn't too fond of spending days, or months, away from her Daughter. She never really cared about strength and just wanted to be happy, something she had already obtained at Vahn's side.
Seeing the lovey-dovey interaction between Aki and Vahn, Chloe laughed in a 'mischevious' manner while musing, "Nyahaha, how envious~." Chloe knew that, if she had made her resolve in the past, she very likely could have had her own child by now. However, she didn't regret her decision and, now that she could increase her strength even faster, Chloe wanted to become strong enough to support the family she already had. Everything else could wait until later, after all, she was wasn't even twenty years old yet.
Shizune also felt somewhat envious as she witnessed the sight and a small part of her heart felt like it had become a void, something she believed only Vahn could fill. It was a strange thought to have, but Shizune sometimes felt a bit of regret that her body was in such a state. She had just celebrated her eighteenth birthday a little less than two months ago but her body hadn't changed from the form she returned to after consuming the [Virgin's Promise]. She knew Vahn was the cause behind her current state and, though she had been given permission to make use of the orb without restriction, it bothered her a little that she was still treated like a child.
After hesitating for a few moments, Shizune noticed that Ina had left a rare 'gap' to exploit so she edged closer to Vahn. Seeing him turn his gaze to her, Shizune swallowed and lowered her head before somewhat awkwardly sitting down in his lap. It wasn't the first time she had done so but Shizune felt her actions were a little shameless, considering the circumstances. Ina noticed this almost immediately and, for a brief moment, her brows furrowed in anger while the magical light in her eyes became more vibrant. Vahn casually stroked Shizune's head, fluffing up her ears with his fingers while saying, "Ina, it isn't polite to glare at people like that..." Shizune felt a ticklish feeling in her heart when Vahn 'reprimanded' Ina on her behalf while the latter showed an almost 'betrayed' look on her face.
Vahn, noticing Ina's reaction, looked directly into her eyes with a calm expression on his face and a questioning look present in his aquamarine eyes. Ina took a breath when he suddenly looked directly at her in such a manner. She suddenly felt very guilty as images of all the times her Papa pampered her replayed themselves in her mind, seemingly without end. In truth, ever since the Vanir were born, Vahn had been spending most of his free time with them. This left some of the girls feeling a little lonely, especially Shizune, Lili, and Tina. Ina had been slowly becoming more aware of her own actions of late and, seeing her Papa petting the happily smiling Shizune, reminded her that the happiness her Papa brings wasn't something the 'belonged' to her...
With a pouting expression on her face, Ina began to sniffle a little before averting her eyes and staring at the small form of Anise, held within Aki's embrace. The latter looked at Ina's appearance, feeling her heart doing flips in her chest while Vahn's was practically being twisted like a wrung cloth. In truth, he found it 'very' difficult to be firm with his children but, not wanting them to become spoiled and inconsiderate of others, he had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill of parenting. Fortunately, he wasn't alone in the matter as Aki suddenly loosened the cloth wrapped around her and asked, "Do you want to try holding her...?"
Ina, with tears still threatening to escape her eyes, suddenly uttered a surprised, 'Eh?' after hearing Aki's question. Before she knew what was happening, Aki was very gingerly handing Anise over to her while Ina completely froze up, not knowing what to do and being terrified of moving. Aki just chuckled, helping Ina position her small arms while gently saying, "Here...hold her gently...keep your arms under her...make sure you support the head properly..." Ina mechanically followed Aki's instructions while everyone silently watched the heartwarming scene. Eventually, Aki confirmed that Ina had a proper hold on her daughter and, though she had a bit of hesitation, smiled encouragingly as she said, "There you go...look, she seems happy to be held by her big sister..."
Now that she was holding onto Anise by herself, Ina felt very flustered and it didn't seem like she could divert her attention between dealing with Anise and her own feelings of jealousy. Ultimately, because she is a very kind girl, Ina decided to focus on the infant in her arms. She gently cradled Anise in her arms with an awed look that very quickly transitioned into a smile that seemed to cause the colors in nature to become less vibrant by comparison. Everyone continued to watch Ina hold onto Anise in silence, even Shizune, who had started to feel very guilty about 'fighting' for Vahn's affection with a four-month-old...
As Aki had said, Anise seemed very happy to be held by Ina, laughing happily with an adorable smile on her tiny face. Ina felt very encouraged by this and released a tiny 'kyaaa' sound before saying, "Anise, you're so cute~! Naa, naa, can you try saying Ina~!?" Ina's sudden rebound caused Aki and Chloe to chuckle lightly while Vahn released a relieved sigh. Thinking this was an opportune time to be a 'good' father, Vahn smiled as he softly said, "Everyone within the Manor is family, Ina, just like you and Anise. We share our happiness together and, it is the bonds we forge through this happiness, that make us strong. You are a very kind girl and clever girl...I believe you have the ability to make everyone else happy with your smile...please remember that."
Ina had become silent as he was speaking but kept most of her focus on Anise, still feeling very 'aware' of the small bundle in her arms. When he was finished, she nodded her head while producing a small smile as she said, "I understand, Papa...I want to be a good big sister that my cute little sisters can look up to." Then, after making sure she was holding onto Anise properly, Ina looked towards him and said, "But, I still care about Papa more...you are my most precious person..." As she was speaking, Ina let her gaze wander to Shizune, adding, "I know Papa won't be taken away by others, but I can't help feeling a little sad at times..."
Shizune produced a rare blush, hanging her head in shame under the hard gaze of Ina, someone much younger than her. However, when she felt Vahn's palm land on her head, diffusing comforting and warm energy through her body, Shizune perked up a little. She turned her head towards him, somewhat afraid to match Ina's gaze while Vahn looked toward his daughter with a gentle and proud look on his face. Ina had every right to be clingy and affectionate, considering her age, but she also possessed a startling degree of maturity and a high degree of understanding. This was one of the reasons why he was always honest and direct with his children, as it made them consider all of his words very carefully.
Aki eventually took Anise back from Ina, causing the small Vanir to release a sigh of relief before smiling when her Papa gestured for her to come closer. There was plenty enough space on his lap for the two small girls so Vahn pulled Shizune to his left thigh while Ina sat on his right. However, seemingly unsatisfied with the 'even' split, Ina moved closer to the center of his lap while sending a glance towards Shizune. The latter just laughed in an awkward manner while Vahn produced a wry smile and stroked both of their heads. Ina calmed down very quickly after that, turning her eyes away from Shizune and just enjoying the moment.
Aki and Chloe looked at the sight with strangely envious looks, something Vahn noticed was directed towards his hands. With the same wry smile on his face, he sent a wink towards Chloe that caused her to snicker with a playful smile on her face. As for Aki, she just giggled and laid her head against his shoulder while absentmindedly staring into her daughter's eyes. Aki felt like these moments were far more precious and significant than any of her past experiences and, if it were up to her, these days would continue on forever. She knew this was impossible, especially considering they resided at the core of the Alliance, but she couldn't help but wish it to be so...
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While Vahn had been busy spending quality time with his family and children, the rest of the world had been moving along at its own pace. The Noble factions, after being rebuffed by the Alliance, had been very offended by Vahn's dismissal of their proposal. To them, it was his 'honor' to even be given such an opportunity but, after considering his status and the face he was part of a Familia, there wasn't much they could do. Though they could 'inconvenience' the Alliance, taking things too far could result in a very detrimental backlash to them. After all, Familia was outside the natural jurisdiction of the laws they had established for controlling the populous.
Though the Noble families were the founders of the City, it was only because the existence of the Ouranos Familia, which later became the Guild, that they were able to find their footing around the Dungeon's entrance. As a result, the Guild actually had the greatest amount of power and influence in the City, especially since they were the ones that monitored and regulated the various Familias residing in Orario. After all, no matter how 'noble' they claimed themselves to be, mortals couldn't be directly compared to gods. If they actually tried to pass laws and restrictions to control and regulate gods, their families would have ceased to exist a long time ago as a result of their 'hubris'.
Understanding this, the de-facto leader of the Noble Faction, Marcus Vale McKenneth, was currently sitting inside a lavish study with maids standing at all four corners of the room. There was also a very mature looking maid standing to his left while a gentlemanly looking butler stood at his right. Across from him, the reason for his current mood, was his daughter Allisandra bowing her head with an apologetic and fretful look on her face. She felt terribly aggrieved by Vahn's treatment towards her and, after reporting her failure during the negotiations, now had to deal with her father's ire. His countenance was extremely cold right now as he looked down on her with an icy and piercing gaze, asking, "So, how is it that, after assuring me time and again that things will go well, you still return to me without anything to show for it?"
With an expression that looked like she had swallowed a bug, Allisandra looked up and tried to explain but, seeing her Father's icy gaze, she became pale. The words that had made its way to the tip of her tongue retreated into her throat as she swallowed hard and averted her eyes downward once again. Marcus snorted, hardening his expression even more as he said, "I had to trade several favors to secure you this opportunity. Your failure has tarnished our family name and made a mockery of our honor. For the time being, you will be on house arrest until a fitting punishment can be meted against you...begone from my sight." Unable to refute her Father's words, Allisandra just bowed her head before backing out of the room with a face full of regret.
Seeing his daughter go, Marcus couldn't help but sigh while the mature maid next to him began to chuckle lightly. Furrowing his brows, he asked, "Oh? Do you find this situation entertaining, Beatrix?" In response, the mature maid smiled and said, "Forgive me, Master, I couldn't help but find your treatment of Lady Allisandra rather interesting. It's rare to see you act so firmly with her, especially after you doted on her so much in the past~." Hearing his Head Maid's words, Marcus snorted once again. He grabbed the wine glass she had previously filled, nearly emptying its contents in one gulp before saying, "If I don't at least put on a show of punishing her, those fools in the other families would never let me hear the end of it. Until this matter passes, make sure she doesn't leave the Manor. Also, if she misbehaves during this period, make sure the only meals she receives are the same served to the staff..."
Beatrix smiled and, even though it earned her another glare from her Master, she couldn't help but chuckle lightly once again. In response to his glare, she just poked her tongue out at him while his Head Butler, Klein, made a coughing sound before asking, "Master, what are your orders in regards to the other families? I don't imagine they will let this matter go so easily..." Hearing this, Marcus scowled before finishing the remainder of his wine and saying, "Those bastards are seeking death. We'd be hard-pressed to put pressure on a single powerful Familia, much less forty. I regret ever throwing my lot in with those fools..."
If not for the fact that their family was allied with several of the other Noble houses, Marcus wouldn't want anything to do with them now that the Alliance had come into power. He could tell that there was a great change coming to the City and, if they didn't compromise and take a step back, it could very well spell the end of their families. After all, they wouldn't just be dealing with the Alliance itself, but almost all the goddesses and their respective allies. Vahn Mason, that inexplicably existence, was almost an untouchable entity after the revelations of his capabilities. The fact that some of the families were still trying to get influence over the boy, even though they had never managed any success, baffled Marcus to no end.
Everyone thought they could get a piece of the pie that was Vahn Mason, saying things like he was still young and easily exploited if they could get their hands on him. However, with influential and intelligent goddesses like Loki, Hephaestus, and Freya surrounding him, what chance did they truly believe they had? They had no leverage to use against him and, if they tried to 'force' him to yield, history had shown they would likely pay a steep price. Vahn himself could be offended, seemingly without consequence, but targeting the people close to the boy was almost a death sentence. The fact that he was willing to offend the Elven Kingdom, Rakia Kingdom, and the Iron Hills, showed that Vahn wasn't someone to trifle with. Even united, the Noble families wouldn't have been able to contest against a single one of those forces, yet Vahn boldly took a hard stance against all three...
While he was thinking about Vahn's interactions with the other countries, Marcus suddenly remembered the reports that had come in about the devastation on Rakia Kingdom's borders. Though many people claimed that it was just Vahn's dragons that did all the work, most of the people in power knew the truth of the matter. Vahn had left numerous survivors amongst the forces manning the fortresses, all of which had attested to the fact that Vahn himself had headed the assault. He was seemingly unstoppable and, no matter how many enemies were thrown at him, Vahn returned from the journey entirely unscathed. It was only after he personally defeated the border forces, and freed all the slaves, that his dragon annihilated the durable defensive structures.
Ever since he had received that report, Marcus had decided it was best not to antagonize Vahn and had tried to shift the momentum within the Noble faction more towards 'cooperation'. If they were able to actually work alongside the Alliance, there were numerous benefits they could obtain. Even now, there was a large number of rare materials and resources that seemed to flow endlessly out of the Alliance. This had completely crippled the Dwarven Merchants that had previously tried to stir up trouble. Many Noble families had tried to find out the source of the Alliance's reserves but, failing to do so, they instead tried to purchase up the items to profit later. Unfortunately, none of their efforts had proved fruitful as goddesses like Minerva and Fortuna weren't so easily exploited...
Tapping the armrest of his chair, Marcus released a heavy sigh before saying, "Arrange a meeting with the Deval and Reinhardt families. I feel a storm approaching the City and, if our families are going to weather it, we'll need to stand together..." At this point, Marcus felt that many of the Noble houses had decayed a great deal. They were too accustomed to the peace brought about after the end of the extinction war against the Goliaths. Ever since then, their families had prospered a lot from the reconstruction efforts and the expansion of various business enterprises. Now, their progeny had become lazy and entitled, exploiting their power and authority against commoners without restraint.
There were very few praiseworthy successors to the households at present, as even his own sons were shameless fools. The only saving grace for Marcus had been his daughter, Allisandra, and his youngest son, Duke. However, Allisandra had been becoming progressively more haughty with time and, as a result of his eldest's son's tampering, Duke had started to misbehave and cause trouble with the servants. Remembering an incident where his nine-year-old son had tried to get one of the maids to strip down and kneel to him, Marcus couldn't help but shake his head in an exasperated manner...
After watching Klein leave to carry out his orders, Marcus turned his attention to Beatrix at his side, frowning when he saw her playful look. Not only was she his Head Maid, but Beatrix was also his personal bodyguard and Guard Captain of his security detail. Though she looked to be in her late twenties, it had been a long time since she had a two-digit age. She had been serving their family since his Grandfather's generation and was one of their most powerful cards. It always troubled him that she never seemed to take him seriously, stating that she could never show complete respect towards someone whose diapers she had to change.
Releasing what felt like the hundredth sigh for today, Marcus stated in a solemn tone, "The Alliance's School should be opening soon. They'll need to hire a large staff for such a massive institution. Investigate who the Alliance is trying to recruit and see if we can't buy some of their loyalties..." Though his instincts were telling him to avoid having anything to do with the Alliance at present, Marcus couldn't help but try and seek some benefits from the situation. Even without taking action now, they could always try to pressure some of the School's employees later on. Depending on the situation, it may be possible to get some of their own personnel into the School and discover some of the secrets the Alliance kept hidden...
Beatrix laughed in a mischevious manner before saying, "Certainly. Leave it to me, Master~." Then, swaying her hips slightly as she walked, Beatrix quickly disappeared from the room. Almost as if an invisible tension had faded from the atmosphere, Marcus slumped slightly in his chair while shaking his head. Sending Beatrix to take care of the matter almost guaranteed it would be dealt with but the cost wasn't always something easy to bear. He just hoped she didn't get too carried away with 'playing' around this time...
(A/N: There should be 3-4 chapters today, but the release schedule might be a little janky. I had some stuff to deal with last night so I'm running on fumes at the time of writing this xD. Even so, they'll still be released at some point, though it might not be until the afternoon~?)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Ina @ Shizune 'Jiiiiiiiiii-'','Kodak Moments','Marcus is surprisingly not a bad guy...?)
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
200+ Classement
Power Stone 
196 Power
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