With Loki's departure, Vahn turned to Bell and had the boy make his vow before asking the other girls if they were willing to do the same. Plum agreed very quickly and, though she showed a bit of hesitation, Line eventually gave in and made a similar vow. As for Alicia, she made a similar vow but modified it to instead protect the information and ensure that anything Vahn taught Bell wasn't exposed to the outside world. With her 99(Exalted), Vahn wasn't too surprised by this rather bold vow of Alicia's and considered that, if she wanted a [Pactio] of her own, he would give one to her...
Once everyone had completed their vows, Vahn pulled out one of the precious [Grimoire of Guidance]s and activated it, feeling a strange haze pass through his mind for a brief moment. When the feeling had vanished, the grimoire now had the title 'Pactio' with his name written in golden lettering on the bottom. The cover now showed the faces of two nondescript people, with indeterminant sexes, kissing each other as a magic circle was formed around them. Vahn handed the book to Bell and said, "This grimoire will teach you incredibly rare magic that allows you to bestow power to another person by creating a contract with a kiss. When the contract is complete, they will be able to transform into a powerful form that can also make use of a magical artifact that suits their nature. At the same time, as they would be using your magic power to enhance their own strength, it will increase the growth of your Magic parameter by a great deal. Make sure you pick up the [Spirit Healing] Development Ability the next time you Level up, as it will enhance the efficacy of every [Pactio] you have formed..."
The moment the [Grimoire of Guidance] had entered his hands, Bell had felt a link between him and the book as, even without reading it, a flood of information poured into his mind. He hadn't even been able to hear Vahn's explanation as the grimoire slowly dissolved into magical energy that entered into his body. As for the girls, they were shocked by the explanation of the skill and both Line and Plum now had slightly flushed faces. Their auras had become slightly chaotic and Vahn could see them gravitate towards Bell a little, even though Line had turned her face away. The only exception among them was Alicia who seemed to fall into deep thought after the revelation before finally saying, "I don't want to kiss Bell, but I am also interested in a [Pactio] of my own...if...if it wouldn't be too much trouble...ano..."
Since he had already expected this, Vahn returned a casual smile to Alicia before gesturing to have her join him off to the side for a private conversation. Bell didn't actually need his guidance to make use of the spell, as his own understanding and comprehension were included in the grimoire, so Vahn just left him a piece of contract chalk and left the trio to their own devices. Bell, with a beet red face, had started scrawling a [Pactio] contract circle on the ground while Line and Plum looked from the side with slightly differing expressions. Vahn noticed that Plum was standing much closer to the circle than Line was but turned his attention to Alicia for the time being and explained, "Alicia, I'll be honest with you since we have been friendly with each other ever since the first expedition..."
Alicia inhaled somewhat audibly through her nose before nodding her head, swallowing a bit as she waited for him to continue. Vahn was beginning to feel a little nervous himself because, much like when he had talked with girls like Aisha and Lulune, it wasn't easy to say what he was thinking. Even so, he knew she deserved his honesty so he bit the bullet and explained, "As you know, I already have a number of committed relationships with the girls inside of the Hearth Manor, including Riveria. At the same time, I understand the nature of Elves and am afraid I may not be able to meet your expectations. If possible, I'd rather us be friends than develop a permanant relationship with each other...still, if you're fine with that, I don't mind giving you a [Pactio]. Also...ummm..."
Though she had been very nervous at first, Alicia began laughing when she saw how flustered Vahn was becoming while trying to explain himself. In truth, she had once resented Vahn in the past for 'stealing' Riveria, someone who she was very loyal towards. However, after witnessing how much Vahn had done for not only Riveria, but the entire Elven people, Alicia had developed a fondness for him. She had even, on occasion, thought about offering to become a servant within the Hearth Manor so she could help look after Riveria's and Vahn's son.
Since she knew Riveria was sometimes busy with the School, Alicia had thought it would be an opportunity for her to support the two people she respected most in the world. At the same time, knowing a bit about Vahn's interpersonal relationships, Alicia couldn't lie and say she had never thought about the other activities private maids would sometimes perform for their Masters. Now that Vahn was trying to foot around the issue of having a physical relationship with her, even if they didn't have any deeper emotions, Alicia could feel her heart fluttering as she genuinely considered the matter. Though she was an Elf, and had her own pride, things were rapidly changing for her people and Vahn was the crux of everything...even if people may have judged her in the past, Alicia knew there would be far more Elves that would now envy her instead...
Bringing her hands together and smiling with a somewhat strange light in her eyes, Alicia stepped a little closer to Vahn and said, "If Riveria-sama will not resent me, I don't mind, even if you never have a place for me in your heart, Vahn-sama. Just receiving your affections, even for a single night, almost makes me feel like I'm in a dream...if it doesn't displease you, please consider accepting my affections. Though I may never be worthy of your love, I believe my life would be fulfilling just supporting you and Riveria-sama...yes, just the thought of it makes my heartbeat quicken...!" By the time she was finished speaking, there was almost a near-zero distance between Vahn and Alicia, with the only thing seemingly holding her back being Vahn's permission.
Vahn felt a fluttery feeling in his own stomach as he fought to collect himself and said, "It is my hope that you will find someone that can truly make you happy, Alicia...but if you truly believe this is something you want, I..." Vahn's words were left to trail as he took a deep breath and allowed Alicia, who had grabbed his face with her gloved hands, to kiss him with a little more passion than he had expected. At the same time, a system notification occurred in his mind that Vahn checked from the perspective of his main body, currently sitting on a wagon as the expedition continued cutting a swath of destruction through the Dungeon.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
//Alicia Forestlight has reached 100 Affection//
//Quest: [The Hearts Desire:C-SS] Cannot Be Completed Due To Special Circumstances//
//Alicia Forestlight's Affection(Exalted) Has been upgraded to Hidden Parameter: (Allegiance)//
//System Function: Unit Management Upgraded To Reflect [Retainer] Status//
[Retainer]
Name: Alicia Forestlight
Age: 33
Race: Elf
Level: 4
Allegiance: 417
Soul Strength: 2
Karma: 7,813
State: [Active]
[Physical Details]
Hair: Gold
Eye: Green
Height: 169cm
Weight: 55.7kg
Bust Size: 88cm
Waist Size: 63cm
Hip Size: 84cm
Status: Virgin
//System Function: Unit Modification Unlocked//
[Unit Modification]
-[Rename] (Variable)
-[Modify Race] (Variable)
-[Modify Gender] (1,000,000OP : 5,000 LP/AP)
-[Modify Physical Details] (Variable : Variable)
-[Modify Preferences] (Variable : Variable)
-[Modify Affinity] (500,000OP : 1,000 LP/AP)
-[Reset Status] (700,000OP : 500 LP/AP)
System Warning: Modifications may have inadvertent effects and unforeseen consequences. Use extreme caution when using [Unit Modification] Function as the actions of Subordinates and Retainers directly impact the accrual of Karma by the Host(Vahn Mason).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Vahn was gobsmacked by the sheer amount of information that flowed into his mind after the changes to his 'Unit Management'. Since he knew she would be able to provide more information, Vahn asked, ("Sis, what exactly does all of this mean? I have a general idea...but...") For better or worse, Sis immediately replied, (*It is as you suspect, Vahn. As long as you have enough Origin Points, Loyalty, or Allegiance, you can now freely modify almost everything about those that have chosen to follow you...please, make sure you properly consider any decision you may wish to make before following through with it. Just as you were always worried about influencing the thoughts and actions of your subordinates, you shouldn't toy with the lives of those who have chosen to follow you without their consent.*)
With Sis' affirmation, Vahn felt a tremble run up his spine because he knew how powerful this function was. All of his system functions had been incredible powers that far exceeded the restrictions of the Laws, but this was something Vahn had never quite expected to get. With this, he could potentially modify any of his subordinates freely, meaning he could make them extremely powerful, or even just shape them to his preferences. Though it would consume their Loyalty and Allegiance, it was still a ridiculously powerful function that gave him power far beyond what any one person should have, at least with a Tier 3 Soul. This was on a level that even the gods in Danmachi wouldn't be able to achieve, causing Vahn to feel a little scared of his own existence...
He had previously confirmed that the only reason his 'orders' to his subordinates were effective was that they themselves would have acceded to his orders, even without him 'forcing' them to. In fact, if he tried to give them an order that they would normally follow, they would instead experience a large drop in Loyalty and come to him for confirmation. The thing that 'compelled' them to follow his orders was the link they shared with each other, which allowed them to 'feel' and better understand his intentions. It wasn't that he was mind controlling or brainwashing them, but they were willingly changing themselves to match his expectations after 'understanding' what he wanted...
This new functionality, however, was at a much higher level than what he had been able to accomplish with Loyalty previously. Now, as long as he had the resources to spend, he could change everything about his subordinates and retainers, with the only exception being their mentality itself. If the [Rename] function did what he expected, it meant he would even be able to use his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] to completely change their fate. This would allow him to help Fenrir with her current 'problem', but it also put a lot of pressure on him to use the ability responsibly...
Though the link they shared, Fenrir had been very aware of the change in her Master's mental state and had brought her paw to his shoulder with a concerned expression on her face. Vahn returned a smile towards her and, swallowing his inhibitions, asked, "Fenrir, if I were able to rename you and allow you to become both more powerful...and also help your body change...what would you want me to do...?" Ultimately, Vahn decided the best method to use the ability would always be to confer with the recipients of the effects themselves. He knew there would always be circumstances where the girls would potentially want to change 'something' about themselves and, once it was known he had this ability, Vahn expected the number of 'retainers' he had would increase very quickly.
Fenrir felt her heart pulse powerfully in her chest a few times as excitement began to well up inside her. For her Master to ask her something like this, she knew he must have a way to follow through and this thought alone made it hard to hold back her excitement. With an expression showing her willingness, Fenrir smiled with a look of profound expectation as she said, "I love the name Master gave me, but if it meant I could finally...Master, please, no matter what I become, I would be happy as long as we can be together..."
At this point, Alexa had also started listening in and couldn't help feeling a little bit of resentment that her Papa would probably end up having another girl in the future. However, instead of letting her emotions get the better of her, Alexa just reminded herself that her Papa would surely find a solution to help her find happiness in the future. For the time being, she kept her eyes closed and just snuggled up on his lap, pretending to be asleep even though she knew her Papa had undoubtedly noticed she was awake. When his warm hand began patting her head, Alexa allowed herself to smile and decided to 'ignore' whatever he and Fenrir talked about.
While promising Fenrir that he would find a good opportunity to [Rename] her, Vahn was also back in the Twilight Manor with Alicia, letting her know about his 'power'. He couldn't give her all of the details, but he could still explain some of the functions since Alicia had already promised to protect any secrets that were exposed to her. She listened attentively and, much like Lefiya, asked Vahn to try and 'order' her. He wasn't sure how Allegiance compared to Loyalty and, after trying to send her a mental command, noticed that it was impossible to do so. This highlighted that the two were fundamentally different than each other so Vahn tried giving her a verbal order this time, saying, "Mmm...touch your toes..."
Alicia showed a face of confusion before nodding her head and bending over to touch her toes once before standing up. She was still a little confused and asked, "Why did you ask me to touch my toes?" As for Vahn, he noticed that there hadn't been any change in her Allegiance and asked, "Did you feel any kind of strange compulsion, or did you just follow my order on your own volition?" To this, Alicia returned a small smile and admitted, "Well, I thought there was a reason behind your words and figured following them would help clarify things. Was I supposed to try and resist...?"
Vahn nodded his head, explaining, "Under normal circumstances, whenever someone had a high degree of loyalty and becomes linked with me, I would be able to order them with just a thought. Since I didn't feel the same kind of link, I was curious to see if there were similar effects...this time, try to refuse my order after I give it to you, okay...?" Alicia nodded her head as Vahn tried to think of something more 'complex' for her to do before saying, "Do a backflip..." This time, Alicia didn't show a face of confusion and instead had a slightly complicated look before, after a few seconds had passed, she jumped up and performed a perfect backflip before landing on her feet.
While she was doing that, Vahn noticed that her Allegiance actually drained by one point for every second that had passed until Alicia performed the feat. From this, he understood that his Retainers could resist his order but, if they had enough Allegiance towards him, they would eventually follow regardless. From Alicia's perspective, she found herself feeling progressively more 'bothered' by the sense that she had 'failed' Vahn by resisting his order. Convincing herself that he would forgive her, she then proceeded to follow his order and felt the feeling vanish instantly, causing her to sigh in relief before saying, "I can see what you mean by compulsion...still, I do not believe you would ever give me any orders that would endanger me so I'm actually glad that you have a means of sensing my Allegiance towards you..."
Vahn felt a little awkward hearing Alicia's words but still managed a smile when he saw her Allegiance was actually slowly increasing. Since she deserved to know, he then explained, "It isn't as simple as me just giving you orders, Alicia, but there are other abilities I can use if your Allegiance is high enough. With your permission, I could even modify your race, elemental affinity, your appearance, or even your gender...an extreme example would even allow me to rename you, giving you a name that would greatly increase your power..." Though it felt extremely awkward explaining this, Vahn actually wanted to ask Alicia to allow him to test the functions and was hoping she would propose the idea herself.
When she heard Vahn's explanation, Alicia was very surprised, especially when he mentioned even having the power to change her gender. She began to wonder what kind of existence Vahn was but, at the same time, felt excited by the prospect that her decision to serve him was infinitely more meaningful than she had expected. Though she couldn't sense it herself, Alicia imagined her Allegiance towards him was rapidly increasing as a small smile appeared on her face. Since she was very interested in some of the things he mentioned, Alicia asked, "Does that mean you can change my hair and eye color...or perhaps even turn me into a High Elf...?" If the latter was true, Alicia felt like she wouldn't mind dedicating a lot more than just one of her lives to Vahn...
With an affirming nod, Vahn explained, "Changing your race would require your Allegiance towards me to be much higher, but modifying your physical features isn't that difficult..." Vahn pulled out a mirror for Alicia to make use of and, understanding his intentions, Alicia looked into her own face and said, "I know it may be uncouth of me to admit, but I've always wanted to have beautiful jade green hair like Riveria-sama...I don't mind my golden hair, but I wish it was at least straight so it would be easier to manage...ufufufu~."
Even as Alicia was speaking, Vahn was already testing the system function and it showed him that such changes would only cost 7,000OP and, to his surprise, 0AP. It could be because she herself desired the change, but Alicia's request didn't cost him any of her Allegiance as he confirmed the changes within the system. Then, in an instant, a somewhat terrifying sight occurred that caused Vahn and Alicia to both pale as her golden hair simply fell from her head. Fortunately, silky jade-green strands began to grow from her scalp a few moments later until it had grown to around the center of her back. This enhanced Alicia's beauty a great deal, especially since she already had beautiful green eyes to accompany her now jade-green hair.
Vahn noticed that Alicia's Allegiance was rapidly increasing as she ran her fingers through her own hair, muttering, "It is beautiful..." She then turned her attention away from her own reflection and had a look of intrigue in her eyes as smiled radiantly and said, "I didn't think you were lying to me, but I can see now that my decision to follow you is something that will redefine my understanding of the world. Please, as it is your power, you need only tell me your wish and I will abide by it, Vahn-sama..." Since he could change her hair so quickly, Alicia knew the other things Vahn had mentioned were also well within her power. She was actually a little excited to see how much she would change at the 'whims' of this young boy before her...unaware that he was actually more mentally 'mature' than she was...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'That feeling in your stomach is the resentment of all other men in the world, Vahn...','Holy shitballs, Unit Management just became ridiculously OP','Poor Alicia, just volunteered to become an experimental subject for a curious idiot who tends to get carried away...')
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At this point, Bell, Line, and Plum had all noticed what was going on between Vahn and Alicia but they chose to keep to themselves since the latter two had gone out of their way to open up some distance for privacy. Bell kept trying to draw the [Pactio] circle, as he had failed to form the lines properly the first two attempts, and was doing his best to avoid having to ask for help. Line and Plum did their best to ignore the fact that they saw Alicia's hair fall out, only to be replaced by a very healthy head of green hair, and kept their focus on Bell. This didn't mean they were able to keep their curiosity completely in check, however, as their eyes would periodically wander towards the 'mysterious' event transpiring just 50m away from them...
Vahn was currently dazed after hearing Alicia essentially give him permission to do 'whatever' he wanted. He didn't really have anything in mind, but someone giving him that kind of power made him feel a little giddy. If he were being honest, he was actually very interested in the effects of this system functionality but didn't have the courage to proactively change things. He was certain he could have convinced someone like Lefiya to help him out and had already thought about what might happen if he gives someone a race that didn't exist in the record. His curiosity had been piqued and having someone so willingly offering themselves up to appease his curiosity was something that always affected him greatly in the past...
With various thoughts racing through his mind, Vahn swallowed hard before leaning a little close to Alicia. She became a little red in the face when he approached but didn't make any attempts to move away as Vahn asked, "Do you mind if I try to change your body...?" This question made Alicia's heart flutter but she was also a little saddened, thinking Vahn wasn't 'satisfied' with her appearance. However, this feeling faded away very quickly as she produced a smile and said, "If it pleases you, Vahn-sama..." As she gave her permission, Alicia also thought about the fact that she could 'request' changes of her own, making it marginally more acceptable that he made such a request of her.
Vahn had noticed Alicia's hesitation and it actually reflected in the system interface as well, causing the 'price' for the change to increase before it slowly started decreasing again. Eventually, it settled on a much lower number than it started so, after spending 815OP and 40AP, Vahn confirmed his selection and swallowed hard a second time as he waited for the changes to occur. At first, there were no obvious changes at all and it wasn't until Alicia furrowed her brows slightly and began to fidget that Vahn was able to confirm it had been effective. Alicia then asked in a low voice, "Vahn-sama...what did you do to my butt...?"
With a bit of an awkward smile on his face, Vahn stroked the back of his head and said, "Honestly, I'm able to see and understand the proportions of a person's body and I noticed that your butt was a little smaller than your bust size. I figured it would improve your balance if I gave you a fuller butt and, if I were being even more honest, I admit that I've always had a thing for girls with fuller hips and thighs...don't worry, I only increased the size from 84cm to 88cm, matching closely with your bust size..."
Thought he fluttering in her heart increased in intensity, Alicia did her best to keep calm as she remarked, "That is fine and all, Vahn-sama...but please keep in mind that many girls have their clothing fitted for comfort. Suddenly having my panties bite into me isn't exactly pleasant..." Even as she was saying this, Alicia actually wasn't that bothered by the situation, especially after hearing Vahn confess to liking fuller butts. She knew that, as an Elf, it would have been very difficult to exercise and shape her butt so this had saved her a lot of effort on something she would have tried to change naturally after learning of Vahn's preference.
Noticing that Alicia didn't seem upset, based on her body language and the fact her Allegiance had already recovered what he expended, Vahn returned a smile and asked, "If there is anything that has ever bothered you, I can help you change it. However, even without the small 'tweak' I made, know that I already find you to be an exceptionally beautiful girl." Since he genuinely meant it, Vahn's compliment seemed to get through to Alicia as a lovely smile spread across her face, accented by the light blush on her cheeks. Still, as happy as she was for the compliment, it didn't stop her from thinking about all the things she had wanted to change in the past...
As a woman, even though she had the natural beauty of an Elf, there were an endless number of small changes that Alicia would have liked to have made to her body. In fact, she would often wish her body appealed more physically fit than lean, as the image of her own 'frail' looking body would sometimes bother her. At the same time, having somewhat large breasts for an Elf, Alicia had always been a little self-conscious about them. There were even small cosmetic changes, like having more shapely eyebrows, fuller lips, and removing the slight curve at the end of her ears. She also had a mole on her back that was a top priority on the list of things she would want to change, each of which she detailed to the poker-faced Vahn.
Even before Alicia had finished listing out all the changes she would like to make, Vahn had started to understand that it wasn't just himself that he needed to worry about. His exploitation of the system had a certain measure of 'awareness' associated with it, but the recipient of the benefits also needed to properly consider what they wanted to change. Vahn realized that, if he didn't refuse certain requests, it was even possible for his retainers and subordinates to make 'petty' requests every time they didn't like something about their body. However, there was a certain realization that also came from thinking about the potential requests that could be made...
Still listening to Alicia, Vahn asked, ("Sis, if I can change the race and appearance of people, isn't that essentially a way to grant them functional immortality? Since I've used my 'Nirvana' to make changes, my understanding of the internal structure of the body should allow me to even modify people to the point that they are able to have the same physique as someone that had undergone the process...right?") Affirming his suspicion, Sis immediately responded, (*That is correct, Vahn. The modifications you make are based on your comprehension of the changes so, if you were able to form an 'image, much like you do for your own transformations, it is not impossible to 'refine' certain features, or change them entirely...*)
Vahn was beginning to realize that this function was even more godly than he had initially expected, as it meant he could even make people into Progenitors or modify their race to be the 'purest' version of their original species. Since he had already observed the effects with his eyes, he would even be able to allow people to assume a similar race to someone like Lefiya, something that should have only been possible because of her heritage. Though he imagined the cost would be immense, which he confirmed by selected Alicia and imagining changing her into a Progenitor, it was a function with limitless possibilities. (A/N: Btw, it would take 500,000,000OP to change Alicia's race to a Progenitor. Don't look down on the 'origin' species~!)
Since he might have requests of his own later, Vahn acceded to the majority of Alicia's requests and spent around 94,000OP changing all of the small things that bothered her. In the end, she had strangely asked him to reduce her bust size by around 4cm, give her a slightly more athletic body, alter the shape of her ears, change the color of her eyes to an azure blue, and even altered her base complexion to have a more 'tender' and fair look. This made Alicia's lips slightly redder which meant that her nipples and vulva would likely reflect the change as well. Vahn felt he would know the answer to that question the moment he even hinted at wanting to sleep with Alicia, but he kept it to himself for the time being.
One of the most notable changes, other than her hair and eye color, was the fact that Alicia actually requested to have her height reduced from 169cm to 165cm. This made her look slightly more petite and also made the armor she was wearing look a little too big for her. It was fortunate that the majority of the fabric around her arms and legs was elastic or her stockings and arm warmers would have likely sagged off her body. Alicia observed all these changes in a large mirror, a contented smile on her face as Vahn watched her Allegiance continue to rise until he broke through the 1k mark and continued climbing.
Apparently satisfied with what she saw, Alicia turned around with a smile, giggle as she said, "I'll need to go shopping and buy some new clothing...thank you, Vahn-sama. It is a little hard to believe that this is me...I'm a little afraid of what people will say. How should I answer their questions...?" As he had already been thinking about the matter, Vahn quickly answered, "You can tell them I used a special technique and a rare Elixir to help make the changes. Most people know about the drastic change of Tsubaki, Eina, and Shizune, so the changes in your appearance aren't that difficult to explain away. If they ask for specifics, just tell them that its a secret that you don't wish to expose."
As she had also seen the drastic changes in Tsubaki and Eina, Alicia felt relieved with the excuse Vahn had prepared for her. If he had told her to just keep everything a secret, that is exactly what she would have done. However, since many of the members of the Loki Familia were her good friends, Alicia was happy that she had some freedom to explain the changes to her body. At the same time, she was also thinking about 'converting' some of the girls she knew fancied Vahn. He had explained her status as a 'retainer', a term she was both aware of and happily accepted, and knew it wouldn't be difficult to get some other girls to 'follow' Vahn...
Unaware of the ripples his actions had caused, Vahn had a smile on his face as he said, "Well, let's go ahead and get your [Pactio] taken care of. It looks like I might need to help Bell out as well..." This caused Alicia to laugh, covering her mouth with one hand as she looked over at the 'fiasco' occurring between Bell, Line, and Plum. She found their interactions amusing but was glad that Vahn had shown up today, lest she somehow end up falling victim to Bell's nature. Though she didn't have a bad impression of the boy, it was very difficult to imagine falling in love with him...at least, that is what her reasoning told her. Strangely, she could see it happening and, if not for Vahn's 'warning', Alicia realized it might not have even taken that long before she was 'accepting' of the boy's behavior...
Deciding she would have to 'educate' Bell about how he should behave around women in the future, Alicia nodded her head and watched as Vahn quickly created a complex magic circle in under three seconds. This caused Bell, who had been working hard to draw his own, make another mistake as he looked over with a 'defeated' look on his face. Line and Plum also watched with bated breath as Vahn and Alicia shared a kiss, causing magical light to shroud their bodies before a strange card emerged. Alicia, having intuitive knowledge on how to use it, activated her [Pactio] and gained a rather unique appearance that nobody had expected.
Alicia's raiment took on the form of an ornate sleeveless top that had white as a base color and was covered in green embroidery that looked like leaves and vines. Instead of her dress and stockings, she now had on a pair of green shorts that were frayed on the edges, looking like something Loki would have worn with how small they were. At the same time, she also had a green vest that ended around her ribs and had the motif of a tree etched upon the back with golden embossing. She also had a pair of muted green boots and gloves that extended to her knees and elbows. In her hand, which was undoubtedly her artifact, Alicia had a dark red rapier that was covered with a subtle purple sheen and had thorn-ridden vines wrapping around the guard and handle.
Observing her changes in the mirror, Alicia had a slight blush on her face as she tried to pull at the edges of her shorts so her butt wasn't poking out. She would have never worn such an outfit under normal circumstances and, though it certainly suited her figure, Alicia was embarrassed that this 'raiment' was supposed to be based on her personality. If not for the fact that her 'artifact' seemed very interesting, Alicia would have inquired about trying to change her raiment somehow. It was fortunate she could summon her artifact out without using her raiment, or it would have been very difficult to show her face around her Familia mates...
Vahn had also noticed the slightly exposed cheeks of Alicia and couldn't help smiling slightly as he said, "It suits you..." This earned him a small look of blame from Alicia who, failing to pull the shorts down to cover the exposed skin, gave up trying. She figured she could just buy a waistcloth or something to wear around her hips in the future. There was also the option of removing her vest and wearing an overcoat or something that would easily prevent people from gawking at her butt. She didn't mind if Vahn saw it, but the thought of someone like Raul eyeing her gave Alicia the urge to poke the innocent man with her artifact, [Reginae Spinam]. It had the effect of allowing her to convert mana into toxins that had a variety of effects ranging from sleep induction, paralysis, or even necrosis.
Since she didn't have to go change her clothes, as staying in her raiment was good enough for now, Alicia joined Vahn as they made their way over to where Bell, Line, and Plum were located. Line, unable to restrain her curiosity, immediately asked, "Alicia, you've changed so much...how...?" To this, Alicia chuckled lightly before remarking, "Would we have moved to the side if I could answer questions like that, Line~?" This caused Line to blush, earning her even more laughter from Alicia who then clarified, "Don't worry, I'll explain it for everyone later. For now, there are other pressing matters to resolve and I'm certain Vahn-sama has other things to tend to. Please, be considerate of the circumstances~."
Line nodded her head in understanding and bowed slightly as she said, "My apologies, Vahn-sama. I didn't mean to pry into your matters..." Vahn just waved his hand dismissively and kept his focus on Bell as he said, "It seems like you're having a bit of trouble drawing the circle..." Bell gave a wry smile in response, causing Vahn to laugh lightly as he said, "Don't worry, it actually took me a lot of practice to reach the point where I'm at. If not for the fact that I was already a [Master Smith], it would have taken me even longer. As your Dexterity increases, and you practice the skill further, you will become more adept at its usage. Just make sure you practice in private and always erase the circle when you're finished, even if it is a failure..."
After making sure Bell understood the precautions he would have to take, something Vahn also imposed on Line and Plum, he then helped Bell create the [Pactio] circle. Who made it didn't matter as, even in Eva's world, there was often a skilled Mage that would act as an intermediary for the process. After all, there were few people that could actually master using the skill and it wasn't uncommon for people to spend years just learning how to perform it adequately. Thus, after drawing a circle in a whopping three seconds, Vahn watched as Bell, with a face redder than a tomato, took nearly a minute before Plum got fed up and initiated the kiss.
Plum's [Pactio] took on the form of a yellow one-piece that extended past her knees and had a variety of pockets located all over it. She also had what looked like a brown miner's helmet that had a set of goggles and a large light on the front. Her artifact was something that took Vahn by surprise, at it had the appearance of a large pickax with a shiny white top. It was actually 'taller' than Plum herself was and looked much heavier than someone her size should be capable of lifting.
Contrary to this, Plum was able to easily wave the pickax around, explaining that it had the ability to ignore defense and gave her an ability to detect mineral veins. Vahn found it somewhat strange that Plum, who had been a slave used in wine production, ended up getting a raiment and artifact that made her look like a Miner. However, so as not to trigger any trauma that might exist within her, Vahn kept his opinion to himself and just smiled as he watched the small girl create a few large holes in the training area...
When it came time for Bell to perform a [Pactio] with Line, she didn't beat around the bush at all and, as soon as Bell began to hesitate, she grabbed his face in a death grip and gave him a somewhat forceful kiss. Vahn couldn't help but shake his head at Bell's behavior and wondered if he should 'mentor' the boy so that he would be able to handle women better. Though Vahn knew his own actions were heavily influenced by the women in his life, he was far more decisive and resolute than someone like Bell. He also knew how to handle each of his women, including the best methods to tease and appease them...
Line's raiment was, once again, something completely outside of Vahn's expectations. The glasses on her face were replaced by rounded spectacles and her clothes hadn't actually changed all that much, instead, looking like a slightly modified and more armored version of her basic attire. This showed that Line's personality already accounted for her clothing preferences, making the massive artifact she had in her possession stand out even more. She had what looked like a 'canon', a massive ivory canon that was 220cm long and had a strap so that she could sling it across her shoulder. It looked like it weighed more than a hundred kilograms, but Line didn't show any difficulty supporting it at all, instead, showing a face full of excitement as she inspected her gigantic artifact, [Carmina Librator].
Line's 'canon' had the ability to pull in mana from the atmosphere based on whichever element she selected from a dial located on the side. There was a blue 'turbine' located at the core of the canon that would rapidly spin as it absorbed this energy and condensed it into a devastatingly powerful projectile. Though it wasn't exactly practical in a fight, as the fastest charge took around four seconds, there didn't seem to be an upper limit on how much energy it could contain. The only restriction was Line's ability to keep the shape of the projectile, as it used her own magic power as a 'container'. Still, even if she failed to keep it condensed, the canon would instead spew out the energy in a wide arc over a much short distance, making it incredibly useful for large groups of enemies located near her position.
Bell, seeing the 'awesome' raiments and artifacts of Line and Plum had glittering eyes as he suddenly asked, "Is it possible for me to get a [Pactio] as well!? I can't believe something like a canon can just be pulled out of thin air! So cool!" Before Bell had even finished, speaking, Vahn created a bit of distance with him and said, "You know the answer to your question from the information that should have been embedded in your brain with the grimoire. As the Magister, you should focus on your personal development and come up with other ways to grow strong. They, as your Ministra, are now your allies that will both serve as your protectors but also rely on your mana to protect themselves. If you don't focus on becoming stronger on your own, they won't even be able to keep their [Pactio] forms active, nor will they be able to benefit from the advantages provided...work hard, Bell..."
Vahn had his [Eyes of Truth] active when he was observing the girls use their [Pactio]s so he was very aware of the fact that Bell's internal reserves were quickly being consumed. By the time he had finished his words, Bell had gone a little pale and collapsed around the same time that Plum's and Line's raiments and artifacts vanished. This caused Plum to fluster as she quickly ran over, shouting, "Bell-sama...!" while Line also had a concerned expression on her face. Being the more experienced of the two, she quickly determined that Bell was in a state of Mind Down and began treating him by giving him a sip of mana potion and letting his head rest on her thighs as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Seeing this, Vahn shook his head and marveled at Bell's [Luck] as he gave the girls a parting farewell, explained to Alicia that she didn't have to worry about consuming his mana, and then went to seek out Loki...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Godhand, Sage Aldrnari, Flame Emperor, Butt Aficionado','Does Alicia's artifact mean she has a toxic mentality...?','*Bell furiously staring at Vahn's lips*...!?')
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