Chapitre 2073: Subtlety
After spending the night with Vahn and Black Rabbit, Nono was feeling more listless than normal. It didn't bother her that Vahn and Black Rabbit were together. The thing that left her feeling confused was how peaceful she slept in Black Rabbit's arms. Even now, several hours after she had woken up, she could still feel their warmth lingering in her body...a warmth she hadn't experienced ever since her parents died...
"Are you okay, Nono-chan? Does your stomach hurt...?"
"Hmm...?"
Shifting her attention to the speaking, Nono found Lily staring at her with a concerned expression on her face. They had been spending a lot of time together ever since Vahn introduced them to the No Names. She really enjoyed looking after the children. If there was anything she could complain about, it was the mischievous nature of the younger boys. Quite a few of them had developed a bit of a crush on her, and, while she wasn't particularly experienced with love, Nono wasn't oblivious to their longing for affection.
"I'm fine...I was just thinking about something..."
Adopting her characteristically kind smile, Lily left Nono feeling at a loss for words as she asked, "Is it Vahn?"
"..."
Pointing towards her nose, Lily explained, "I have a very strong sense of smell and I memorize the scent of people I care about. It's faint, but I can smell Vahn's and Black Rabbit's scent on you. Did something happen? I'm here if you need to talk."
After taking a moment to smell herself, Nono shook her head before explaining, "It's fine. Nothing bad happened. I was just feeling a little lonely..."
With her expression softening, Lily put down the clothes she was washing before drying her hands and giving Nono a hug. This left the auburn-haired girl feeling bashful, but, having grown used to things like this, she didn't attempt to push Lily away. Instead, a faint blush spread across her face as she muttered, "Thank you..." in a sincere tone of voice...
"No need. We're friends, after all. We look out for each other. Whenever you're feeling lonely, just let me know. I will always make time for you, okay?"
Nodding her head in affirmation, a delicate smile developed across Nono's face as she intoned a meek yet gratified, "Nn..."
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Though he was originally intending to discuss the matter of summoning her parents, Vahn changed his plans after spying on the rather heartwarming scene. His discussion with Shiroyasha had left him feeling doubtful, so, at least for the time being, he decided to let her spend more time with the No Names. He was hoping that the bonds she forged with people like Lily would help to alleviate some of the dejection she would undoubtedly experience if her parents refused the summons...
Shaking that depressing thought from his mind, Vahn extended his non-existent hands to caress both girls' heads. They couldn't actually sense him, but, so long as he focused on emitting positive vibes, he could drastically improve the mood of others even if they couldn't perceive him. As for why he was walking around in a non-existent state, well, it was part of his training.
Since the Divine Realm was the penultimate stop in his journey towards the absolute pinnacle of the Record, Vahn was focusing on the development of his more abstract qualities. One of his goals was reaching a similar level to the Law of Identity in terms of Acausality. He knew he would need to be able to influence the world around him in a way that even the most powerful beings in existence wouldn't be able to parse, so, while he was currently far from the level of Loi-chan, that didn't stop him from practicing.
(*If you were an even bigger pervert, this would be a terrifying ability...*)
("Do you really think I'm a pervert...?")
Giggling from the deepest recesses of Vahn's mind, Sis took a moment to pass her gaze over the countless girls in the observation room before answering, (*Just a little...*)
Exhaling a sigh, Vahn retracted his hands from Nono's and Lily's heads before taking a few steps in no particular direction. Ever since he had installed a barrier and accepted Jin as his apprentice, the No Names' territory was recognized as an extension of his own thanks to his Unit Management. As a result, he was able to move unbounded through space, and, so long as he made preparations in advance, time.
In what most people would perceive as an instant, Vahn found himself standing behind Hime as she overlooked Jin's and Sarina's studies. This was one of the reasons Jin had already developed a crush on Sarina. The two spent hours in the library focusing on their studies. Sarina was pretty determined to learn both magic and alchemy, so, while Nono spent most of her time helping Lily look after the children, she took advantage of Jin's knowledge to help her study.
Jin was, for lack of a more tactful phrase, a very passive boy. He was helpless against strong-willed girls, so, no matter how much it impeded his studies, he did his best to help Sarina. This allowed the two of them to grow steadily closer, as, unlike Lily, his childhood friend, Sarina was something fresh and new in the young boy's life.
As counterintuitive as it might seem, too much familiarity was actually a burden when it came to starting a relationship. Jin had a crush on Lily but he was too afraid to confess for fear of ruining their sibling-like relationship. As for Lily, she viewed Jin as one of the many children she needed to take care of. She loved and adored him unlike another other but it hadn't even crossed her mind to view him as a potential partner.
Fortunately, not all hope was lost for the teal-haired youth. Feelings could always change, and, so long as he could become someone dependable in their hearts, there was a chance he could end up with both Sarina and Lily. This was a route Vahn intended to support, so, while Jin did his best not to appear suspicious, Vahn waited until Sarina noticed the young boy's gaze before causing the surrounding temperature to increase ever so slightly.
"What is it? Is there something on my face...?"
Startled by Sarina's sudden inquiry, a ruddy hue spread through Jin's cheeks as he answered, "No. I just..."
Searching for excuses within his mind, Jin was surprised when he realized that he was a lot calmer than usual. His rapidly beating heart quickly returned to its natural rhythm, and, though it didn't go away completely, most of his anxiety seemed to vanish into thin air as he continued, adding, "I was staring at your ribbon. It matches your eyes..."
Surprised by Jin's remark, Sarina blinked several times as her surroundings seemed to inexplicably heat up. This caused her to feel strangely nervous, her amethyst eyes shifting to Shirayukhime to innocently ask, "Is it getting hot in here, or am I just imagining things?"
"Hmmm?"
Spreading her senses through the area, Hime noticed that the temperature around Sarina's body was, in fact, hotter than usual. Since it was similar to the heat radiating from her body, however, she didn't question it. Instead, she asked, "Would you like me to cool you off? We can also take a break. It has been quite some time since we started studying."
Feeling uncharacteristically self-conscious, Sarina nodded her head before rising from her chair and saying, "I'm going to go get some ice cream..."
Though she was briefly tempted to ask Jin if he wanted to come with her, Sarina scampered out of the Library without looking back. Hime had been assigned to watch over her, so, after bowing her head towards Jin, she quickly followed Sarina's path of departure. This left Jin alone in the library, his face glowing deep crimson as Sarina's vaguely suggestive words played over and over within his mind...
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After triple-checking the barrier to make sure nothing was amiss, Vahn returned to his workshop feeling as though he had accomplished quite a bit. Then, as per usual, he spent the better part of half an hour ruminating over whether or not he should summon Fenrir. She was something of an exception, so, even if he summoned her to his side, none of the girls within his personalized Little Garden would complain. Rather, they would find it weirder if he didn't summon her...
Shaking his head, Vahn decided to wait for a bit. He wasn't feeling particularly lonely and he didn't want Fenrir influencing Sarina, Nono, and the youths in the No Name Community to become good girls. Sure, he appreciated everything she did for him, but, when it came down to it, nearly a third of his harem could be attributed to Fenrir teaching susceptible women how to exploit his particular set of weaknesses.
As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn manifested a crystalline hammer with the intent to forge a few accessories for Jin to gift out. Sarina's and Lily's birthdays were coming up in the next couple of months so he was intending to coach the young Magus until he could give them presents without self-destructing.
"Hmmm...he did draw attention to her ribbon. I could always make a new one. The real question is, what does Lily want? I can't imagine that girl asking for anything..."
Though he had placed an embargo on using the Law of Identity to obtain 'unfair' knowledge, Vahn didn't mind making use of her for things like this. As a result, Loi-chan, appearing as a version of Lily in a school swimsuit, cheerfully answered, "The only things she seems to want are her mommy and for everyone in the No Names to be happy."
Furrowing his brows, Vahn resisted the urge to ask about Lily's mother. He would undoubtedly look into it on his own but he would rather hear it from the girl herself. As for making the children of the No Name Community happy, well, that wasn't particularly difficult.
"I'll craft her some cooking tools. A knife that never dulls and an indestructible cooking board can go a long way. Maybe a new apron?"
(*How about all of the above?*)
Nodding his head in approval, Vahn was preparing to get to work when he noticed two envelopes sitting atop his luminescent golden anvil. These envelopes were identical to the ones Shiroyasha had given him previously. The only difference was that they had already been filled out. There was also a footnote from Shiroyasha, a chibi version of herself making a peace sign with the words, "Just in case you wanted to have some fun with a succubunny~"
Shaking his head, Vahn placed the two invitation letters in his Inventory. He would probably make use of them at some point, but, at least for the time being, he already had his hands full with Black Rabbit. He had also managed to wrangle in Hime after an amorous encounter in the bath, so, while he was certainly interested in reuniting with Seraphina, he would rather things calm down before he made any rash decisions...
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Seeing Vahn place the envelopes away, Shiroyasha muttered a playful, "Fooey..." before issuing a long, drawn-out yawn. This earned her a curious glance from Nadeshiko, who, as per usual, was cleaning the former's room with an impassive expression on her face.
Feeling Nadeshiko's glance, Shiroyasha looked over her shoulder, a teasing smile on her face as she asked, "Hey, hey, Nadeshiko-chan. When was the last time we played together~?"
Exhaling a tired sigh, Nadeshiko answered, "Please don't joke, Shiroyasha-sama. If you want to play around, please go and bother Vahn-sama."
Adopting a pretend pout, Shiroyasha rolled onto her back, sprawling out as she groaned, "I would, but he gets butthurt when I interrupt his forging. As much as I enjoy the way my skin crawls when he glares at me, I'd rather avoid angering him..."
Surprised by her Master's 'restraint', Nadeshiko briefly paused her sweeping to remark, "You must really think highly of him..."
With her gaze firmly fixed on the ceiling, Shiroyasha appeared uncharacteristically listless as she answered, "Yeah...I think I might be in love..."
Not expecting such an answer, Nadeshiko nearly tripped over her own broom. Her usually stoic face instantaneously became a caricature of disbelief as she nervously inquired, "Are you serious...?"
Though she wasn't actually sure herself, Shiroyasha didn't hesitate to answer, "Nope~." in a teasing tone before rolling to the side and cackling as Nadeshiko attempted to hit her with the broom. All she knew for certain was that Vahn had a way of making her feel special. Whether or not this had anything to do with love, she had absolutely no idea...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lily is too pure for this world...','Vahn be trolling...','Shiroyasha be like, "Vahn make me go brrrrrr..."')
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Chapitre 2074: Selfishness
Though it took a little longer than expected, it had only ever been a matter of time before people noticed the changes with the No Names Community. Rumors regarding the barrier had started to circulate mere days after its construction, and, thanks to the Water Tree Vahn had planted for them, the children no longer had to leave the safety of their territory to fetch water. This was exactly the type of thing opportunists paid attention to, so, as time continued to move forward, the number of people attempting to break into the No Names' territory gradually increased.
Fortunately, Jin had followed Vahn's advice by having the children remain in or around the restored castle town. There were very few people with the means to actually break through the barrier and those that could were unable to do so thanks to the Laws of the Little Garden. Thus, so long as the children remained inside, there was very little anyone from the outside could do to harm them.
The only organizations that could feasibly put pressure on a Community that had decided to turtle up were those affiliated with Demon Lords. The Laws of the Little Garden allowed Demon Lords to instigate Gift Games at their leisure since nobody in their right mind would ever agree to compete against them. Officiating these broad-spectrum Gift Games was one of the primary duties of Floor Masters, so, should anything occur, Vahn would immediately learn about it thanks to his association with Shiroyasha.
The bigger issue was the fact that the No Name Community lacked Players capable of defending it should an 'attack' take place. Vahn couldn't participate at their behest, and, thanks to her affiliation with the Thousand Eyes Community, Black Rabbit was prohibited from participating in most games unless the opposing party had agreed to allow her participation. Thus, for all intents and purposes, the No Names only had two people qualified to participate in Gift Games, Jin and Lily...
"Mind running that by me again, chibi?"
Though he generally did his best to appear calm, Vahn had a disapproving look on his face after hearing what Jin had said. This caused the young Magus to hang his head in shame, a distressed expression on his face as he repeated, "I received a letter stating that one of our former colleagues was being wagered as a prize in a high-brow Gift Game. I wanted our Community to be one of the groups participating..."
"It's only been five weeks since you started your training. I understand your desire to help your former colleague, but what can you do with your current power? If I participated, it would be as a representative of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, not the No Names. If people found out I handed over the 'grand prize' to a Community I'm not even in an Alliance with, my neutrality wouldn't hold up under scrutiny. Besides, this is clearly a trap."
Tightening his hands into fists, Jin replied, "I know...but Leticia is our comrade. We can't just ignore her now that we know where she is. What would you do if one of your friends was being treated as a slave or an immortal pet that people could do whatever they want with?"
Without any hesitation whatsoever, Vahn answered, "I would slaughter and pass judgment on those involved. However, that is because I'm me. You're not. The difference in our capabilities, at least for the time being, is like Heaven and Earth. You're letting the recent prosperity of the No Names go to your head, Jin."
Though he understood Vahn's reasoning, Jin was on the verge of tears as he imagined what his friend must have been forced to endure. He might be young but he understood that the fate of captive females, especially those who had been reduced to slaves, was never pleasant. It was even worse if they possessed unique or exotic traits, so, with Leticia possessing immortality, remarkable beauty, and eternal youth, she was a prize sought after by many.
"Please...I'll do anything..."
Seeing the helplessness and indignation in the young boy's eyes, an exasperated sigh escaped Vahn's throat before he shook his head and asked, "What happened to not becoming dependent on me? If you ask for my help every time a problem presents itself, you'll never become strong. If you're serious about doing anything to protect the people you care about, stop falling for obvious provocations and focus on your studies. The sooner you become a proper Magus, the sooner you can regain everything your Community has lost."
"But..."
Raising his hand, Vahn silenced Jin's response, stating, "Relax. I would have gotten involved even without you asking. Black Rabbit would be heartbroken if I ignored her friend's plight. However, I'm not doing this for the No Names. I'm doing it for entirely personal reasons. If you want your friend back, become strong enough to take her from me."
With that said, Vahn ruffled Jin's hair before promptly teleporting away. He might not be able to help the No Names directly, but that didn't stop him from taking action on his own. Leticia was a former Vampire Lord with traits remarkably similar to Eva. She was also one of the people who had taken care of Black Rabbit after the latter lost her original family and home, so, even if Jin hadn't asked for his help, he would have gotten involved. It would contradict everything he stood for if he allowed her to remain a slave...
"I was wondering when you would stop by. Pretty soon, you'll be able to enter this place without me noticing. Just promise me you won't lewd Nadeshiko without informing me first. My instincts tell me that woman is the type to go wild when she gets riled up."
Staring at the petite demoness shamelessly digging in her pointed ears using the tips of her pinkies, Vahn adopted a deadpan expression as he sat down and said, "I want to purchase information. Tell me everything you know about the anonymous message sent to the No Names and the Gift Game they were invited to participate in."
Rolling to a seated position, a playful gleam flashed across Shiroyasha's cat-like eyes as she said, "In exchange, I want to watch you and Black Rabbit bone from up close. Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't mind letting you play me like a cello. I just think it would be a lot more exciting to watch from up close."
"You're seriously holding information related to one of your former allies hostage in exchange for the right to view me having sex with Black Rabbit from up close...?"
Rolling her eyes, Shiroyasha maintained her impish grin as she replied, "I'm a simple woman, Vahn. There are very few things I actually care about. This happens to be one of them. If you're genuinely bothered by my behavior, use your ability to ascertain the information for yourself. It's not like I can stop you."
Exhaling a sigh, Vahn took a moment to comb back his hair before answering, "I'll talk to her about it. I'm not going to make her do anything she isn't comfortable with."
Snickering in response to Vahn's words, Shiroyasha pulled out her fan and mused, "We both know that's more than enough. That girl is very eager to please. So long as you're the one to bring it up, there's no way she'll refuse."
Shaking his head, Vahn decided to change the topic for the time being, asking, "What do you think I should do about the No Names? If things continue to develop as they are, it's only a matter of time before Jin makes a grave mistake. I'll clean up after him if I really need to but I'd rather avoid things developing to that point."
Suppressing a second snicker, Shiroyasha's eyes gleamed as she mused, "You really are a busybody. You can't help helping others, can you?"
Returning a wry smile of his own, Vahn just shrugged his shoulders and waited for Shiroyasha to continue. He believed she was actually worse than him when it came to meddling in others' affairs. She had just placed herself in a position where it was very difficult to do so. After all, if she wasn't a busybody, he wouldn't be here right now.
Understanding Vahn's thoughts, Shiroyasha adopted a slightly accusatory stare before going on to say, "There are two solutions, three if you're feeling generous. The simplest is to help them recruit capable Gift Players. However, as that might compromise things once the Problem Children arrive, I would rather you not. You're not trying to make them dependent on you, after all."
Nodding his head in approval, Vahn gestured for Shiroyasha to continue. What he didn't expect was for her to say, "To that end, I would suggest summoning the succubunny combination. The arrival of two new Demon Lords is bound to give people pause while simultaneously drawing attention to the Sage Dragon's Hearth. After that, you just need to continue acting out and the forces targetting the No Names will have no choice but to factor you into their plans."
"..."
Amused by the incredulous look on Vahn's face, a massive grin developed across Shiroyasha's as she asked, "What? You know it's a good idea. Besides, if you don't invite them soon, you might miss the opportunity. Once your fame and notoriety expand beyond a certain point, people will begin to flock to you in droves. You're already considering rescuing Leticia and keeping her as motivation to help Jin grow stronger. Which do you think is more likely to occur, Jin defeating you in a Gift Game or a cute girl ending up in your bed?"
"How long have you know about...no...you've always known..."
Though he was about to ask how long Shiroyasha had known about the plot against the No Names, Vahn quickly recalled that she knew everything taking place within the Little Garden. In other words, she was aware of every plot and scheme from the very moment they were drafted. She just couldn't do anything with the information unless someone willfully purchased it from her.
Shrugging her shoulders, Shiroyasha refused to comment. Instead, she went on to explain the third option, stating, "If neither of those options tickles your fancy, the simplest solution is to give Gifts to the No Names. You might not want to put them in danger but this is the Divine Realm. Unless they have the means to protect themselves, they will always be in danger. With the power you possess, you could easily empower them and then advertise it as some kind of special awakening to draw in future clients. You just refuse to hand out power because you're afraid it will lead them astray. To your credit, you're not wrong. You're just failing to account for the broader situation the children are facing."
"..."
Understanding the truth contained within Shiroyasha's words, Vahn found himself in a deep and contemplative silence. Truth be told, he had actually considered inscribing his Familia Crest on the entire No Name Community. That would allow them to literally accept Quests related to menial chores and farm work. In other words, they could become increasingly stronger just by continuing their current routine. The only reasons he hadn't gone forward with this idea was because of Jin's request and the fact that it would compromise any semblance of neutrality he wanted to purport.
Exhaling a sigh, Vahn manifested the envelopes Shiroyasha had given him three weeks prior. He really might miss the opportunity to summon Seraphina if he delayed things for too long. After all, as interested as he was in her, she wasn't actually that important to him. She would have invariably undergone countless reincarnations since the time of her death so it was pure selfishness to want to summon her. Unfortunately, or perhaps not, he had always been an ostensibly selfish individual...
"I choose all three options..."
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Jin experiencing the moral dilemmas of a shonen protagonist...','Shiroyasha is too good at this...','He wasn't lying when he told Black Rabbit he was greedy xD...')
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
200+ Classement
Power Stone 
134 Power
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