Bab 162: Vahnatus (2/3)

After Lefiya's flustered and dismissive response, the other girls began introducing themselves and their relationship to Vahn. Not to be outdone by the girls in the Loki Familia, Nanu raised her chin and had a proud expression on her face as she declared, "I am Nanu, and Master Vahn is my future mate!" Hearing her proclamation, some of the girls at the table gave her strange looks like she had just said something strange.

Anubis gave a short chuckle and explained, "In the Southern Tribe, things are a bit different when it comes to courting women. I'm sure it will come up in the discussion later, so allow me to continue where Nanu left off." When Anubis spoke, everyone's eyes were drawn to the mature and exotic chienthrope goddess as she introduced herself. "Greetings, I am Anubis, Goddess of the Anubis Familia, and servant of my Master, Vahn Mason. I will continue to follow my Master until the time of his death. I'm certain I will be seeing a lot of you in the future."

Most of the mortal girls felt a bit of pressure after learning that the beautiful goddess before them was Vahn's 'servant'. It was very rare for a goddess to serve a mortal, and they realized she would be a major obstacle in the future, especially considering the three girls at her side. One of the girls, Maat, spoke next as she said, "I'm Maat, part of my Master's pack. I will continue to follow Master Vahn until I find a worthy mate to accept me in the future." After her words, Chione continued, "Hello, I'm Chione, and I'll also follow Master until he accepts me or I find another suitable mate."

After all the chienthrope girls in the 'Anubis Faction' had spoken, everyone clearly understood the girls would support each other in their pursuit of Vahn. Considering that Nanu was already his 'mate', it wasn't a stretch to imagine that the similarly aged girls would follow suit. The most problematic of all was the goddess who had been giving everyone a 'gentle' look that contained a veiled threat.

After Anubis's group, the next to speak up was Tsubaki, who had resumed her characteristic cheerful demeanor. Since she had known Hephaestus for nearly twenty years, she understood that her goddess had likely formulated a plan already. After she easily overlooked Loki's words, Tsubaki began to find the situation interesting as she said, "Heyo~! My name is Tsubaki, and I guess I'm like a Master and mother-figure to Vahn? Though I don't have any romantic feelings toward him, I can't guarantee he won't eventually break down my defenses. That kid has 'magic fingers'." As she spoke the last words, she gave Hephaestus a knowing smile and laughed.

Following the trend of one group introducing themselves at a time, it was now Lili's turn to speak as she said, "I'm Liliruca Arde, and I really really love Vahn! Though he still treats me like a kid, when I get stronger I will be together with him! Your girls may have a head start, but I won't be the only one left out!" As one of the weaker people present, Lili made her declaration in a high voice to release some of her own frustrations. She glared at Tiona and Ais like they were her rivals and refused to concede to the two girls who were barely older than she was. After locking eyes with the two, she then turned to the girl named Nanu who was a similar age as her. Seeing the small girl proudly claim to be Vahn's mate had been a big impact on her.

Naaza followed suit and introduced herself after Lili. She had a slight frown on her face as she explained, "I'm Naaza Erisuis, and I'm someone that was saved by Vahn in the past. I have grown to love him over time and intend to be together with him when I increase my own capabilities." Though she spoke quietly, there was a firm conviction in Naaza's voice which earned approving nods from some of the other girls.

Since they were sitting to the right of Naaza and Lili, it was now Chloe and Arnya's turn to make their introductions. At this point, Arnya had finally realized what was going on and she had a befuddled look on her face as she explained, "I-I don't think I'm supposed to be here~nya! Though I think Vahn is handsome and a loyal customer, I don't want to compete for him with Chloe~nya!" Though Arnya had often served Vahn in the past and even had some 'playful' contact with him, she was only interested in playing around and teasing him. Chloe was one of her good friends, and she didn't want to get in the way of the two in the future.

After Arnya's outburst, Chloe spoke in a casual and almost cold tone as she said, "Good morning, my name is Chloe Rollo(retconned), it is very nice to meet each of you." Though her words were polite, many of the girls felt a bit of a threat hidden within as she continued, "I'm someone that tried to help heal Vahn in the past...and I may become enemies with some of you depending on how events play out." Chloe gave a 'fierce' look toward Ais and Tiona before turning her gaze to the members of the Anubis Familia.

The only ones who didn't seem surprised by her actions were the people that knew of her prior relationship with Vahn. Hephaestus even gave Chloe a sidewards glance before tuning to Eina as they both nodded in mutual understanding. Hephaestus then turned toward the Mother-Daughter pair who were the last to introduce themselves.

Tina had taken several big impacts from the events that were happening around her. She had tears on the edge of her eyes as a deep frown covered her tiny face. Though she had heard the rumors about Vahn from some of the customers, she didn't think he associated with so many women after he made a promise to her. She began recalling the past and a powerful sense of regret began to well up inside of her for not trying to follow him sooner.

The day Vahn had entered the dungeon, she had caught sight of him and tried to wave him down, but he ignored her and continued on without paying her any attention. She felt very sad and frustrated at the time, and even cried in her mother's embrace when they had retired to bed. For a while afterward, she held a grudge against Vahn and become determined to teach him a lesson when he finally came back. Tina continued to hold her 'grudge' all the way up until she heard a rumor that Vahn had been seriously injured on an expedition with the Loki Familia. Her tiny heart wrenched painfully in her chest as she desperately pleaded to her mother to allow her to visit.

After calling in the temp staff to take care of the Inn, Milan and Tina both made their way to where Vahn had been receiving treatment. Though they weren't able to gain permission to enter the ward, the two stayed outside late into the evening so they could obtain information regarding Vahn's wellbeing. When the finally intercepted a member of the Loki Familia and learned that Vahn had suffered irreparable brain damage, both mother and daughter were devastated. Tina collapsed on the spot and had to receive emergency treatment from the nearby medical staff while Milan suffered the dual pain of knowing both Vahn and her daughter were suffering.

For the next nine days, Tina was a shell of her former self as she lazily performed her duties in a mechanical fashion. Milan herself was also quite affected, but the loss of her husband years before had strengthened her heart and she was able to continue performing the majority of her work without problems. This continued until the evening of the ninth day when one of the customers mentioned that Vahn had miraculously recovered.

Milan was the first to hear the news, and it made her heart beat with joy after realizing Vahn had managed to recuperate. When she told her daughter, Tina didn't seem to understand her words until she explained it several times. Once she finally understood what her mother was telling her, Tina's eyes widened and she immediately sprinted out of the Inn. Milan tried to stop her, but ended up having to give chase while leaving all of her duties to the temp staff she had hired.

Tina ran as fast as she could, but she still was far slower than the Level 3 Milan who managed to catch up to her within two blocks. Tina tried to shake off her mother's hand and continue toward the ward before Milan explained that Vahn had already been discharged. It took a bit of time for her to process the words, but Tina finally managed to calm down and return back to the Inn with her mother. Once they got back, Tina had suddenly reversed her depressed state and started working in earnest. She wanted everything to be clean and proper and was expecting Vahn to stop by any minute to tell her he was okay.

Her excitement carried well into the second day, all the way up until she heard about the rumors that had begun to circulate around Vahn. Tina was devastated by the news because she couldn't believe Vahn was running off with others girls right after his recovery. While she had been excitedly waiting for his return, he had completely ignored her and run off with two women. She refused to believe the words and continued to work hard in hopes that Vahn would eventually come by and make matters clear. However, even nearly a week had passed, Vahn never showed up to alleviate her concerns. Instead, she heard rumors about his other relationships and how he had hidden away to 'avoid responsibility'.

Tina had returned to her mechanical state, all the way up until a beautiful half-elf had shown up and given them an invitation. Though she didn't particularly care at the time, when Tina learned it was to discuss matters regarding Vahn, she couldn't help but feel a bit of curiosity. Even though she was currently broken-hearted, she couldn't easily forget the boy who had left his impression on her heart. She wanted to know what had been going on with him and, if possible, get the answers to her many questions.

Now that it was her turn to introduce herself, Tina didn't know what to say any longer. Each new thing she learned at this discussion had impacted her deeply, and the heartache she had experienced previously had grown in intensity. It wasn't until she felt her mother's gentle touch and saw the expression of her 'rival' that Tina finally managed to find a hint of resolve. "I'm Tina Yuel...and I promised that I would become strong enough to follow Vahn..." As she spoke the words, Tina couldn't help but start crying as everyone stared at her with a mixture of different emotions on their faces.

Milan pat her daughter's back as she felt a bit of anguish in her own heart. Her impression of Vahn had been a naive and gentle boy, and this situation was something outside her expectations. She and her daughter were ordinary people compared to almost everyone else at the table, and it seemed like her daughter's first love would be bittersweet. Milan also felt a bit at a loss after remembering her past interactions with Vahn, but she didn't want to make things more difficult for her daughter.

As Tina continued crying, everyone at the table remained silent as the felt bad for the small girl. Tina was currently only ten years old, and it had to be incredibly painful for her given the situation. Even Hephaestus and Eina began to feel that it was a mistake to involve the small girl and her mother. However, not everyone was pitying the little girl, as Lili looked at her with furrowed brows and asked in a low tone, "Tina, were you really in love with Vahn?"

The crying girl heard the only familiar voice within the group and turned her teary eyes toward Lili as she muttered through sobs, "Yes, I loved him so much...it feels like my heart is breaking..." Lili's brows furrowed even lower as she asked, "Did you think you would be able to keep Vahn to yourself? Even I never believed that would be possible, and I expected you were going to be one of my rivals. Are you really giving up at the first hurdle?"

Tina continued to cry as she stared at the serious face of Lili. After a few seconds, she hung her head low and muttered, "I-I don't want to give up...I want to be with Vahn...It isn't fair that everyone else gets to be with him, but I'm the only one left out~nya!" Tina hollered the last words at the top of her voice, and she couldn't suppress her verbal tick. In response, Lili nodded her head before looking around the table and saying, "All that matters is your feelings and the efforts you make. Even if every girl here becomes your rival, that doesn't stop you from chasing after what you want. Me too, I will continue to work hard, I won't lose!"

Lili and Tina locked eyes with each other for several seconds while the rest of the group looked at them with strange expressions. After a bit of time had passed, Tina nodded her head toward Lili and said, "I won't give up either...I'll never give up on my feelings...nyever ever!" Though she still had a sad look and a tear-stained face, everyone could see that the small cat girl had found her conviction.

Milan was proud of her daughter and followed up with an introduction of her own, "I'm Milan Yuel, Tina's mother. I took care of Vahn for a little while when he rested at my Inn. I..." Though she had planned to pass off her feelings as just playful fancy, Milan was unable to form the words after experiencing the passion of her daughter. Though she never harbored any hope that Vahn would be with her, she wanted to watch of him and her daughter if they were to be together in the future.

Releasing a sigh, Milan continued, "I like to tease Vahn, and I don't think I'd be able to turn him away if he made advances against me. I can't say I have feelings for him, but I won't deny that I have some affections for him. The only thing that matter to me is that my daughter is happy, and I'll do my best to support her in the future." Milan had decided to be honest since she couldn't imagine keeping it a secret and knew it would be problematic in the future if she tried.

Surprisingly, nobody treated her statement as odd, even her daughter who was sitting next to her. With a questioning look on her face, Milan looked into her daughter's eyes and received a response before she could ask her question. Tina looked at her like she was being weird as she said, "Mama was the one that told me to only let the boy I like touch my ears and tail. Weren't you the first one to let Vahnya touch your ears?"

Milan wanted to refute her daughter's words before someone else at the table spoke up in a loud voice, "Ah! You're the one the turned Vahn into a petting fiend!?" The outburst had come from Lili, who had thought only the daughter was the dangerous one in the duo. Her outburst caused almost all the woman at the table to give Milan strange looks while everyone with fluffy ears and tails began to twitch and wag about in a somewhat excited state. Milan blankly stared at the girls who were giving her a variety of different expressions, mostly related to reminiscence and even a hint of gratitude. She couldn't help but retort in her mind, 'I turned Vahn into a petting fiend?'

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Origin of the Godhand','Tina's Frustrations','Rivals? Alliance?')

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PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA
Einlion

Level 1 Vahn: https://imgur.com/a/zFOLFrT

Courtesy of https://www.deviantart.com/robusta-mania

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Pilih

Bab 163: Vahnatus (3/3)

After everyone had introduced themselves and settled in, Hephaestus went over the constraints of the vow and had everyone agree before each party formed the contract. Even the tiny Tina said the vow without any hesitation as she began treating the other girls in the area like her rivals. The only person that hesitated was Arnya, but she didn't want to be the only one left out so she eventually caved in and made the oath. Imagining Chloe alone and surrounded by girls she had labeled as 'enemies' didn't sit well with her.

Once everyone had made the oath, Hephaestus sat down and allowed Eina to take over the discussion. Eina looked at everyone and spoke in a very polite and professional manner as she said, "As Hephaestus said previously, you have all been invited here to discuss the past, present, and future of Vahn. Now you all have a better understanding of each others situations, but there are still two people who have yet to speak."

Eina scanned her eyes across everyone at the table as she introduced herself. "Greetings, my name is Eina Tulle, and I am currently the fiancee of Vahn." The moment her words sounded, it was like a bomb had been dropped on the center of the table. Other than a few unaffected people, everyone else looked at Eina like she had just said the most ridiculous thing they could imagine. After all this setup and introductions, she suddenly tells everyone that she is going to marry Vahn?

The two that had the most adverse reaction to Eina's words were Chloe and Loki. Chloe gave Eina a cold look, almost as if she had marked the beautiful half-elf for death. Loki's eyes had opened slightly as she looked between Eina and Hephaestus with a contemplative expression on her face. As if to answer the question that had been forming in her mind, Eina continued, "It is true, but it isn't just me..."

With Eina's lead, Hephaestus spoke out to piggyback the statement, "I'm Hephaestus, Goddess of the Hephaestus Familia, and I am also engaged with Vahn." If Eina's words had been a bomb, Hephaestus's had been like a strategic class magical spell. Even Tiona, Ais, and Rivieria, who were previously unaffected by the words of Eina, had mildly shocked expressions on their face. However, after a few seconds passed, Tiona began to laugh in a silly manner as she muttered, "Looks like my prestige as Vahn's first is going to get a massive overhaul~"

Though she spoke in a low voice, more than half the girls present had dog and cat ears which had picked up on the muted words Tiona spoke to Ais. The atmosphere immediately became tense as Hephaestus slammed her palm onto the table to draw everyone's attention. In a firm tone, she said, "Everything will be explained, and until then I would suggest everyone be patient. Just considering the number of women present for this meeting, you should understand the necessity of Vahn having two first-wives!"

Everyone was quiet and considered Hephaestus's words for a few moments before Eina spoke out and interrupted their thoughts, "I have discussed this with Hephaestus, but you all need to be aware of something fundamental regarding Vahn. Though I believe Chloe had noticed it previously, Vahn is a broken individual. He has no brakes and needs to be reigned in, or else he might deviate onto a dangerous path which causes all of us to have regrets."

While everyone else was quiet, Loki asked, "It has something to do with his origins, right? That must be why you mentioned discussing his 'past' and having everyone take a vow." Loki had set aside her mischevious nature and was now fully serious as she followed the conversation. She had a deeply rooted interest in Vahn and his origin, and now she had the opportunity to hear the words from the most reliable source.

Eina nodded her head in response to Loki and then began recounting the tale that Vahn had told her. Since it had only been a day, the matter was still fresh on her mind and Hephaestus supplemented with her own input on the areas she was somewhat confused about. The duo told the group about Vahn's origins and that he was likely, at least, 75% god. They went into detail about how Vahn had been taken away from his mother at a very early age and suffered severe trauma and experimentation by various individuals until he was finally rescued by a mystery woman who had taken him to the Western Forests. They recounted how Vahn spent a period of time in intense training while learning survival and hunting skills in preparation for finally becoming an adventurer.

The entire table listened in silence at the tragic tale of Vahn. When some of the lesser aware girls learned about how Vahn had been mistreated for so many years, they couldn't but cry muted tears as the continued to listen to the story. The reason behind Vahn's peculiar behavior began making itself known, and there were many that had several regrets about their interactions with the traumatized boy. Even Ais and Tiona, who had heard the tale directly from Vahn, couldn't help but frown at the recounting of Eina. When Vahn had told the story, he was very dismissive of the facts and played them off, but when it was told by another person they were able to understand the depths of the tragedy that had befallen him.

At this point, Eina paused a bit before taking in the expressions of everyone at the table. Seeing that they were all paying attention, she continued, "And that was only the beginning of his suffering..." Her words caused chills to run down the spines of several girls as Eina gave her interpretation of Vahn's character and how he was 'broken'. Though Hephaestus's actions had been therapeutic for him, it only increased the likelihood of Vahn's future burdens. She then went into detail about how Tiona and Ais had been the catalyst behind much of Vahn's recent behavior and discussed the various burdens Vahn currently carried on his shoulders.

After hearing they had contributed to Vahn's pain, even Tiona had begun to cry a bit as she continually pictured the smiling face of Vahn in her mind. To Tiona, Vahn was a hero that could bear any burden, and she had happily allowed him to carry her's. Ais also felt bad, but she didn't cry as Tiona saw fit to. Instead, she hung her head low and had a very sad expression on her face as she considered her past actions. The person that had taken the biggest impact, however, was Anubis, followed closely behind by Nanu.

In the week they had been living with Vahn, the only thing the two girls had seen was him acting stably and reliably. In Anubis's mind, Vahn was the ideal Master that she had sought for the last three hundred years. Seeing his powerful soul and experiencing the extents he went to in order to guarantee the security of her and her Familia, Anubis had been steadily approaching Vahn, even when he had clearly tried to lay down boundaries. Nanu was in a similar mindset since she had been steadily trying to break down Vahn's resistance against her. Remembering her action of leaving a musk trail for Vahn, she felt both ashamed and guilty of her immature actions. She now understood why Vahn kept telling her to wait until she was older; she was still acting like a child that just wanted to get her way.

The least affected by Eina's story were Loki, Riveria, and Tsubaki. Loki was very intrigued by Vahn's past, and she felt a bit of pity for him, but she had also clearly seen his resolve to overcome his trauma. Though she agreed with Eina's assessment, Loki felt that the only thing Vahn needed was firm guidance, and she knew that he would likely obtain it after this meeting came to an end. Riveria felt pity for Vahn as well, but she wasn't too concerned after considering how many women would be helping him. She even felt that he should be somewhat grateful to have such a large defensive network to support his own mentality. Tsubaki herself had long noticed some of the problems with Vahn, and had been trying to counsel Hephaestus about it in the past. As the person that had spent some of the most time with him, Tsubaki had a better understanding of his character than most.

After everyone had settled down, Hephaestus began explaining how things needed to play out in the future. Vahn either had to be separated from Anubis and her Familia, or they needed to be strictly regulated to prevent future problems from arising. Though Vahn was allowed to approach them, they shouldn't pressure him into the situation just receive his affections. Anubis made a solemn vow, which was repeated by Nanu, Maat, and Chione to show proper restraint in the future.

It was also decided that when it came time for Hephaestus and Vahn to eventually marry, that he would do a conversion and either join the Loki or the Anubis Familia. As their status would change on a fundamental level, Hephaestus and Vahn would be unable to remain 'parent' and 'child' in the future, since she would be inclined to heavily favor him. Hephaestus's assets alone accounted for nearly 25% of the total wealth within the City, and having long-term instability could result in catastrophic effects on the economy.

Loki immediately tried to assume responsibility and offered to take Vahn in since he would already be venturing into the dungeon with her Familia in the future, but Hephaestus firmly denied and left the decision for Vahn to make. That was the third provision that had been decided on, that everyone in the group could still approach Vahn, but they needed to let him make the decisions on his own to advance the relationship. Before they had officially confirmed anything, everyone needed to work hard to help reign in Vahn's behavior so he didn't stray onto a dangerous path.

Everyone agreed to work together, even though they were all still considered rivals for Vahn's affection. The two most cooperative ended up being Tiona and Ais, who wanted to take responsibility for pressuring Vahn into a sexual relationship with them. They were given the enviable task of maintaining a permanent relationship with Vahn while trying to abstain from engaging in too many sexual acts. Eina lectured the girls that, until Vahn had returned to a certain degree of normalcy, that it was very dangerous to over-expose him to sexual acts. If he continued to become dependant on that type of activity in his relationships, it would be next to impossible for him to have platonic and stable relationships in the future.

The final decision of the group had been something unexpected by one of the members of the group, but everyone agreed without any serious opposition. Lili had proposed the idea of allowing Tina to stay with Vahn until the marriage had been finalized. Though she wanted to take the role herself, she knew she wouldn't be able to easily contain herself, so she volunteered Tina for a role that she had labeled 'Vahnguard'. It was decided that Tina would stay with Vahn while he was recovering before the next Denatus, as it would allow her to spend some time with him as well as keep him from performing any overly sexual acts with other girls. As Tina was just ten years old and Vahn recognized age as a significant factor, she was the ideal candidate for the task. Even Milan agreed but required that both Tina and Vahn would have to stay at the Inn on the weekends.

After hearing the proposition from Lili and the following agreement by everyone present, Tina's brain had short-circuited as she imagined spending the next three months living inside Vahn's room. She was excited, scared, and a little bit annoyed by how everyone was treating her like a child. However, she felt really sad after hearing about Vahn's past and how 'broken' he was, so she was willing to do her best to help heal him. There were still more than three years before she became an adult, so she resolved herself to be his little sister for the time being.

The group continued talking and discussing various things for several hours, including how each girl had met Vahn. After the topic had turned to Vahn and their individual interactions, the mood turned a lot more lively and the girls seemed to be getting along well, at least on the surface. One girl in the group still had several misgivings about the situation and intended to try and resolve things when she got a chance. Chloe had agreed with all the provisions, but she still felt like Vahn needed something else to be able to recover. She had initially allowed herself to be his goal, but now Vahn was in a dangerous state that needed further guidance.

Around 6 PM, the group finally began to disperse after exchanging contact information with each other. They had even agreed to make the meeting a monthly matter for the time being and resolved to keep their eyes peeled for any new girls that Vahn had taken an interest in. The moment Vahn had easy access to a receptive partner, there would be a danger of his behavior suffering a relapse that would undermine their efforts. Though it seemed somewhat strange to be concerned when their group already consisted of eighteen people, the fact there was ALREADY eighteen after less than two months was a red flag that made them seriously consider the matter.

After the majority of people left, the only ones that remained behind were Loki, Hephaestus, and Eina. Though Loki had been very cooperative so far, it didn't mean she intended to walk away from the deal with any benefits. Now that the other girls had cleared out, there were several matters related to Vahn that she wanted to discuss. However, before she could speak, Hephaestus interrupted her and asked, "There is a matter that you should be aware of, but you must be willing to take an 'absolute vow' if you want to hear it."

Hearing Hephaestus mention an 'absolute vow', Loki couldn't help but frown as she imagined what important matter she may have to discuss. An 'absolute vow' was one made using the soul as collateral, so if either party violated the terms of the vow, they would suffer severe damage to their souls. Not long would she have to return to Heaven, but Loki would probably have to spend thousands of years recovering before she could eventually return to Eden. However, though she had inhibitions, seeing the serious look on Hephaestus's face made her feel an insatiable curiosity well up inside of her. Without too much hesitation, Loki made the vow with Hephaestus and swore to never reveal the information they were about to discuss in any form, fashion, or through any medium either intentionally, unintentionally or accidental reproduction. Even hinting at the matter could result in a serious backlash which would damage her soul for a long period of time.

Though it should have made her feel 'scared', the only thing Loki could feel at this moment was excitement and intrigue about what Hephaestus had to say. Hephaestus looked into the eyes of Loki and could see the veiled madness contained within. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep the matter hidden, but now she could make use of her alliance with Loki to conceal it for a longer period of time. After releasing a long sigh, she turned her vision towards the Goddess of Trickery and said, "Vahn has an item called [Enkidu]..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tiny Tina, the 1st Vahnguard','Loki is about to have a seizure','Head-Wives Coalition and Concessions')

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