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43.63% Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos / Chapter 1027: Acceptance

章 1027: Acceptance

With Vahn finishing his explanation of events, Rin immediately followed up with a few questions of her own, though not before summarizing, "So, you're telling me that Fenrir, the little girl sitting next to you, is not only a Phantasmal Beast from the Era of Gods, but the actual 'Fenrir' from legends? If that is the case, how exactly did the two of you even meet? Why does she refer to you as Master...?" Once she had a proper grasp on what Vahn was trying to convince her of, Rin felt that there was a much 'bigger' secret he hadn't revealed. The fact that he could not only use True Magic, but could summon being from the Age of Gods was a 'major' flag for her.

Knowing he had come to a crossroads, Vahn unhesitantly decided to place his trust in Rin, immediately answering, "It is not inaccurate to say that I created Fenrir, at least in the world I previously inhabited. Though our relationship has evolved far beyond such labels, she had always called me Master since the time of her creation. As for the answer to your other question, it isn't entirely dissimilar from what you've already deduced. My true nature, other than being a Progenitor, is that of a former God of Creation. Though I currently lack Divine Power, the Mage's Association would likely classify me as a Greater Divine Spirit by virtue of my existence alone..."

Rin looked like a bomb had been set off in her mind, even if she had already harbored suspicions since the moment Vahn first began to inhabit her Manor. His original story mentioned being an Emperor but he had completely glossed over the fact that he was a 'literal' God as well. When she considered that he was apparently involved with a plethora of goddess, however, Rin couldn't help but admonish herself for not making the connection instantly. It wasn't even a logical leap to realize that Vahn must have been a God himself to have possessed so much power, especially since his 'weakened' state was still beyond her current capacity to understand.

Without affording Rin the opportunity to recover, Vahn decided to strike while the iron was hot, adding, "Previously, I had been worried about Fenrir's insatiable appetite so I hadn't been able to summon her. Though it will still prove a bit troublesome, that is no longer a concern...as for why I summoned her now, it was a combination of my loneliness and my desire to test a theory I had been forming over the last month..." As a prodigious Magus, Rin's ears practically perked up in response to the last sentence Vahn had spoken. Since he seemed to be willing to share one of his secrets with her, she set aside her other chaotic thoughts and began to listen attentively to what he would say next...

Deciding not to keep Rin in suspense, Vahn gave Fenrir a small nod, causing the latter to hop off her chair before turning her back to the table. Then, after a flash of magical blue light, her clothes had changed from a one-piece dress to a sports bra that left the back exposed. Rin had been stunned by Fenrir's ability to change her clothing with what appeared to be advanced Magecraft, but this faded quickly as her eyes were drawn to the strange crest on the latter's back. Though her cheeks felt a bit warm when Vahn ran his finger down Fenrir's spine, Rin continued to listen in silence as he explained, "I'm certain you are fully aware of the existence of a 'blessing', a power that gods passed down to mankind in order to help them thrive and prosper..."

Even without Vahn going into greater detail, Rin already knew what he was implying as she watched the crest of Fenrir's back radiate a mystical light that was fundamentally different than Magecraft. She couldn't understand the principles behind it but Rin was absolutely certain that, even if the crest wasn't actually the 'blessing' of a god, it was a form of True Magic she couldn't comprehend. Just looking at the runes made her head feel as if it was being split, causing Rin to avert her eyes as she listened to Vahn explain, "In my previous world, the 'blessings' of gods were commonplace, to the point that hundreds of thousands of people, calling themselves Adventurers, unhesitantly fought against the tides of vicious monsters with the crests of various gods upon their backs. When I came to this world, I had to leave behind my Divinity in the process...however, after learning the Magecraft you had shown me, I was recently able to develop a version of the blessing that functions, even under the restrictions placed on this world..."

Though he didn't even know if the crest would have any effect on her, Vahn had already thought of a few methods to make it seem as if the crest was functional. He wanted to help her increase her strength as, even though he didn't feel any feelings of love and affection for her, Rin was his first 'friend' within this foreign world. Not only had she provided him with much-needed information, but she had 'somewhat' selflessly opened her home to him on the very same day of their first meeting. This had given him an overwhelmingly positive opinion of her so, even though Rin had a few 'quirks' that needed ironing out, Vahn knew he would blame himself if she died as a result of him selfishly denying her the ability to drastically increase her power...

With her intellect, Rin had already seen through Vahn's intentions after considering why he would bother to reveal such a significant matter to her. At the same time, she became 'positive' that Vahn had followed her to the meeting as it almost felt like he was worried about her participation in the upcoming War. This made her heart palpitate in a way it hadn't in nearly three years, even though it was only a brief reaction that quickly faded away when she saw Fenrir standing at Vahn's side. Still, understanding that Vahn was essentially offering to help increase her power, Rin's expression became serious as she asked, "What are the requirements for that blessing of yours? Also, what actual benefits does it provide...?"

Understanding Rin had 'willingly' taken the bait, Vahn's own expression turned serious, even if it was a simple matter. This caused Rin to tightly grip her hands beneath the table as Vahn plainly stated, "Other than having to expose your back to me, there are no other requirements. I will be using what is essentially a higher form of Magical Power to carve the crest, allowing it to take immediate effect. As for the benefits, well, you can expect a qualitative increase in strength, endurance, agility, and even magical power. Though you may not be happy to learn this, your current Magical Power, as far as parameters are concerned, is ridiculously underdeveloped. If you choose to accept my blessing, I can essentially guarantee your magical power would have more than doubled by the end of the week..."

Rin felt as if Vahn had snuck a cheap shot into his explanation but, hearing that she could double her power in less than a week, she was more than a little tempted to accept his offer. Still, reason told her that there were no free lunches in the world so she remained skeptical as she remarked, "You say there are no requirements, but that doesn't match what I know of other 'blessings'. In all of recorded history, there are virtually no accounts of a god bestowing their blessing upon a mortal without some kind of tribute or sacrifice..." Though she had come to trust Vahn, Rin wasn't the type that would simply accept the words of another at face value. She had been betrayed several times in the past and, though Vahn seemed to be distinctly 'abnormal' compared to anyone else she had met, Rin still hesitated to accept his offer, feeling it was 'too good to be true'.

Without minding Rin's skepticism, Vahn adopted a gentle smile as he explained, "In my world, gods bestowed their blessings upon the various races for a variety of reasons. Most commonly, however, was to experience what it was like to have a 'family'. Unlike the legends you know, the gods from my world have no relation to each other. They were uniquely individual existences that were incapable of reproducing through any means, normal or Divine. To experience the kinship they had observed in the other races, the gods chose to descend into the Mortal World to live amongst their creations, creating what became known as Familias, the literal 'families' of the gods. In exchange for power, the 'children' of a Familia would genuinely become as close as family to the gods, living and working alongside them within large residences where the entire Familia would reside..."

Seeing the deep emotions contained within Vahn's eyes as he spoke, Rin felt a lot of her own inhibitions fade away as she commented, "It sounds like a paradise..." If gods were truly able to live amongst people as Vahn described, Rin imagined it must have been a utopia of sorts. Though this was far from the truth, Vahn still smiled in response as he nodded his head. With the efforts he had made, it wasn't far from becoming the ideal world that Rin must have been imagining within her mind. By the time he returned to the Record, it was entirely plausible that he would shape the world into a place where people could genuinely live happily amongst each others as equals. Those that sought strength would be able to rise up and experience a higher form of existence while those content with more normal existences would be allowed to live in peace...

To end his explanation, Vahn looked directly into Rin's eyes, smiling as he said, "My own family is an incomprehensibly vast distance away from here. Even if I wanted to, I would not be able to return without becoming far more powerful than I am at the present moment. While I am a resident of this world, I may not be able to create a new Familia, but that can't stop me from taking on Disciples. As my understanding of Magecraft continues to grow, the restrictions to my current form are rapidly being undone. When the time comes, I will be able to teach you a form of Magecraft that only those from the Age of Gods would have been privy to. As for what I expect in return, I desire only that you continue being the kind and caring woman I have observed you to be..."

Rin took in a deep breath when she heard the final part of Vahn's statement, feelings of anxiety and other, more complex, emotions welling up inside her. Though she felt like the distance between her and Vahn had increased drastically compared to what it was before, Rin felt a greater sense of ease knowing that he thought so 'highly' of her. This, combined with the fact that an increase in power would be extremely helpful in the coming months, caused Rin to release a false sigh of exasperation before 'reluctantly' saying, "Very well. However, if you try anything when applying the crest, don't blame me for showing you how 'uncaring' I can be...!" Since she knew it would require her to remove her blouse, Rin couldn't deny she was feeling a little giddy at the concept of having Vahn apply his blessing to her body...

Instead of teasing her outright, Vahn released a light-hearted chuckle before asking, "When do you want to perform the ceremony? It will take around a half-hour, assuming there aren't any incidents." Since it would only be his second time applying his newly structured crest, Vahn knew there was a chance he could make a mistake during the process. Though it wouldn't take much effort to fix, it could be the difference between a thirty-minute induction ceremony and an hour-long ceremony. When Rin heard his warning, however, she seemed to have a few wayward thoughts as a light blush touched her cheeks as she slammed the table and exclaimed, "I have to take a bath first...!"

Though she had shouted outwards rather boldly, Rin's face only became redder as a result while Vahn and Fenrir looked back at her with deadpan stares. She then tucked her head before exiting the dining room, shouting, "Wait for me in my room...!" on the way out. Vahn was tempted to comment that her choice of words only exacerbated the already awkward situation but he knew Rin was the most aware of this fact. Thus, turning to Fenrir, Vahn noticed that she was still wearing nothing but a sports bra and spats as she stood idly at his side. Taking a close look at her, Vahn briefly recalled the inhibitions he had in the past, things that had been tossed to the side long ago. Though she was almost 'too' petite, Vahn had experience with much smaller women and had become somewhat desensitized to the fact with the passage of time. Now that he was in a new world, he would have to be a little more considerate of his surroundings to avoid unnecessary troubles...

Seeing her Master 'inspect' her, Fenrir puffed out her modest breasts with pride as she began to shimmy from side-to-side, counter to the movements of her tail. Vahn's smile softened when he saw this, followed by a resolution not to care what other people thought. Then, knowing Rin would probably take a much longer bath than normal, Vahn pulled Fenrir to sit on his lap before running both of his hands through her dense matt of hair. Fenrir made no attempts to resist him at all, instead choosing to close her eyes and simply enjoy the moment to the fullest. Vahn's smile continued to grow as a result, followed by him pulling Fenrir's face closer to his before stealing her lips. Her tongue playfully entwined with his and, even though it would probably cause Rin to 'explode', Vahn decided to make the most of his reunion with Fenrir...

---

By the time Rin had finished her bath, nearly a full hour had passed. Vahn and Fenrir had eventually moved to Rin's room, a place he had only ever visited once before. The fact that she allowed him to enter without being present herself was a testament to the fact that Rin's 'perception', at least in regards to their relationship, was quickly changing. She would have never allowed a man into her room, regardless of whether or not they were on friendly terms, as it was something akin to a 'sanctuary' for herself. Vahn, however, was no longer considered in the same regards as normal men as, from her perception, he was a Divine Spirit that would soon become her formal Master. At the same time, it was almost as if she were becoming the first follower of a new religion as, even without his Divinity, Vahn's status wasn't all that dissimilar to an actual god's...

When Rin appeared in the room, Vahn was surprised to see that she was only wearing a white blouse and a pair of black panties. The blouse hadn't even been buttoned up, allowing her cleavage and navel to be exposed as a bit of moisture still clung to her hair. When she saw his eyes briefly flicker to her body, Rin pulled the front of her blouse closed, more out of habit than embarrassment. Vahn could see there was a circular scar located on the side of her abdomen, a clear indicator she had sustained a very serious injury in the past. Since the part she tried to cover up was this same side, Vahn intuited that she must be self-conscious about the scar. Once she opened up to him a bit more, he decided he would help her remove it, assuming it was something Rin herself wanted.

Walking around to the side of the bed, which Vahn had enough wherewithal not to sit on, Rin had a determined expression replace the fretful look she had shown only moments before. Regardless of her resolve, however, she still 'glared' at Vahn as she said, "Turn away..." in a slightly demure tone. As he didn't want to cause her undue stress, Vahn turned away without comment, followed by Fenrir doing the same. After that, there was the sound of clothes being shuffled before a muffled 'thump' resonated through the room after Rin sat atop her bed. She had a mattress stuffed with the downy feathers of geese so it was much softer than a normal bed, placing it only a few tiers lower than Vahn's own expectations for the quality of a mattress.

After covering the lower half of her body with a blanket, as the thought of Vahn staring at her backside caused her 'intuition' to fire up, Rin eventually said, "You can look now. Let's get t his over with so I can go to sleep. I'm tired after everything that has happened today." Vahn gave a simple nod, even though Rin wasn't even looking at him, before moving to the side of the bed and saying, "Just just to relax your body and stay as calm as possible. This process can feel very 'itchy' but it will go much faster if you avoid unnecessary movements..." Though the 'actual' process could even cause pain, Vahn's mastery in the [Hands of Nirvana] allowed him to effectively mitigate any pain that Rin would have felt. As for the 'itchy' sensation, that wasn't something he could do anything about as his blessing would 'literally' be making changes to Rin's body as a result of the runes being inscribed into it. If it didn't do this, the blessing wouldn't be able to increase her power, becoming nothing more than a tattoo that she would bear on her back unless he himself removed it...

Understanding that such rituals were often more than a little uncomfortable, Rin nodded her head before turning her face away from Vahn to try and relax. He gave her a bit of time to prepare herself before quietly stating, "I'm beginning..." in a calming tone of voice. Following this, Vahn placed his index finger against Rin's back, wasting no time as he immediately began laying the foundation for her crest. She had twitched upon first contact but, after calming down, the rest of the process went relatively smoothly. The only reason it took a bit longer than normal was that Vahn also sent a few strands of Source Energy into Rin's body during the procedure. Even if his blessing didn't help to increase her parameters by much, having her internal magic circuits strengthened by his energy would have lasting benefits. Fortunately, there was a distinguishable effect on Rin's parameters after receiving his blessing as Vahn was able to 'interpret' the increase as if he was updating the status board of another. It seemed that Rin had a lot of latent 'experience', or something similar, just waiting for something to make use of it...

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[Status]

Name: [Rin Tohsaka]

Age: 27

Race: Human, God(sealed)

Strength: 2->4E

Endurance: 3->6E

Agility: 5->8E

Magical Power: 2->13D

Good Luck: 27C+

Circuit Quality: 22C

Noble Phantasm: ?

Origin: Divine, Quintessence, Gem

Skills: [Child of Destiny:Innate:C], [Ishtar's Heir:Innate:(sealed)], [Charisma:D], [Martial Arts:D], [Parallel Thinking:E]

Magic: (-)

Magecraft: [Od Conversion:B], [Conversion:A], [Catalyze:B], [Jewel:A], [Reinforce:B], [Mystic Code:D], [Magic Coat:C], [Gandr:C], [Restoration:D], [Familiar:E], [Projection:E], [Alchemy:E]

[Charisma]

Rank:D

Passive: Moderately improves the way in which enemies and allies alike view the user.

Active: Increases the parameters of allies during group battles.

[Martial Arts]

Rank: D

Use: The culmination of all martial skills that have been learned by the user. Increases spatial awareness and enhances the efficacy of strikes.

[Parallel Thinking]

Rank: E

Passive: Slightly increases the user's mental capacity.

Active: Allows the user to have two individual thought processes running simultaneously.

[Conversion]

Rank: A

Use: Allows the user to infuse their magic into magically conductive objects.

[Catalyze]

Rank: B

Use: Increases the magical conductivity of an object.

[Jewel]

Rank: A

Use: Allows the user to store Magical Power into gemstones that can be later activated at near-instantaneous speeds, reducing the need for incantations.

[Mystic Code]

Rank: D

Use: Increases the efficacy of magical weapons that the user commonly uses.

[Gandr]

Rank: C

Use: A physical curse magic that takes on the form of a hazy black laser that can punch through reinforced concrete barriers.

[Restoration]

Rank: D

Use: Allows the user to use Magical Power to mend the wounds of a target. Has minimal effect when applied to self.

[Familiar]

Rank: E

Use: Allows the user to program artificial constructs to carry out simple tasks.

[Projection]

Rank: E

Use: Allows the user to convert Magical Power into temporary physical constructs.

[Alchemy]

Rank: E

Use: Allows the user to manipulate the shape and form of matter.

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn be like, "Yeah, I'm kind of a big deal..."','Rin's Temptation...','I see you, Ishtar...you ain't sneaky...!')

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章 1028: Push

Though he had fully expected her to have it, Vahn was surprised to see that Rin's [Child of Destiny], the Innate that seemed to be possessed by all 'main' characters, was already at C-Rank. This implied that she had already experienced several incidents that had a direct impact on the fate of her world. Since she carried herself as someone who had a few deeply ingrained traumas, Vahn assertion that her past hadn't been easy now held a great deal of veracity. Just the wound on her abdomen, which was far more serious than he had expected, showed that she had only barely survived whatever trial had been forced upon her in the past. Since he knew how 'troublesome' fate could be, Vahn felt far more empathetic about Rin's situation than before...

Sensing the change in Vahn's mood, Rin turned towards him with a curious glint in her aqua-blue eyes. Seeing her gaze, Vahn's expression softened for a brief moment before he regained his composure and explained, "The effect of the blessing was actually more impactful than I expected. Though your physical parameters are lacking, your Magical Power is more than six times what it had been previously. Now, even without your Od changing, you should be capable of outputting around 7500-7800 units of Magic Power. This could be a double-edged sword with the durability of your body, however, so make sure you don't overexert yourself as a result of the unexpected increase."

Hearing Vahn's words, Rin's eyes widened in shock as she asked in an incredulous tone, "Are you telling the truth? That is more Magical Power than most Brands can output...!" As a member of the Mage's Association, Rin was intimately familiar with the ranking system used to categorize Mages. Her own rank was only that of a Cause, though she was expected to reach the same rank as Lord El-Melloi II, known as Fes, by the time she reached the age of thirty. This was considered an incredible talent so hearing Vahn suddenly claim she was capable of outputting the same Magical Power as someone three full ranks higher than her was more than a little jarring...

Understanding Rin's confusion, Vahn smiled lightly as he explained, "I'm not sure why, but there seems to be a fundamental lack of understanding regarding the development of parameters in this world. I imagine most Magi only have a base Magic Power between one and two, perhaps the result of a natural limiter that is intended to prevent people from harming themselves. Handling more Magical Power than your mental capacity would allow can have devastating consequences if you let your power run wild. Not only could your spells explode, but there is also a chance that your Magic Circuits could be irreparably damaged as a result. Though you won't have to worry about that while I'm around, you will need to work on developing both your mind and body to avoid a mishap in the future."

Though she was still struggling to believe Vahn's words, Rin absentmindedly nodded her head, thoughts wandering to what she was now capable of. In the process, she sat up on her bed without thinking about her current wardrobe or, more specifically, her lack of one. Vahn casually averted his eyes to the side as a result before pulling out a mantle and unceremoniously handing it to the slightly confused Magus. It was only when she looked down at herself that Rin remembered that she was only wearing a pair of panties. Though Vahn was already looking away, she hugged the mantle to her chest with a dark expression on her face as she asked, "Did you see...?"

Instead of Vahn answering, Fenrir snorted through her nose before answering in his place, stating, "Do not blame my Master for your mistakes. You haven't even thanked him for increasing your power and are already looking to lay blame on him for an incident you had caused...hmph!" Since Rin wasn't one of her Master's lovers, Fenrir wasn't shy about harshly reprimanding her. She had never gotten along with people outside of the Hearth Manor so, unless her Master accepted them, she would proactively keep women from inconveniencing her Master over misunderstandings they had caused.

Looking as if she had taken actual damage from Fenrir's words, Rin flinched a few times before holding the mantle even tighter to her chest. With her head hung, she remained silent for several long seconds before finally muttering, "Thank you...Master..." in a quiet tone of voice. This seemed to have set off a bomb in her mind, however, causing Rin's face to immediately become red as she quickly added, "Now get out of my room! I'm going to bed!"

Without arguing the issue, Vahn sent a slightly reproachful look towards Fenrir before releasing a small sigh when she just huffed in response. On their way out of the room, Vahn kept his back to Rin as he calmly stated, "In order for your parameters to increase, I will need to periodically update your Status Board. By the time you wake up in the morning, I'll have a comprehensive list of your current parameters and skills so you can have a better understanding of your growth...Goodnight, Rin..." With these parting words, Vahn exited through the door with Fenrir before allowing the door to close behind him. As for Rin, she had followed their retreat with her eyes, waiting for the door to close completely before she threw herself back on her bed and began to flail around in an attempt to ease her embarrassment...

---

Out of consideration for Rin, Vahn and Fenrir spent much of the evening just cuddling without doing anything 'too' intimate. He had vented a lot of his pent-up tensions during the hours they had spent together prior to Rin's return to the Manor. Now, he was more than content with simply holding her in his embrace, enjoying the naturally 'cool' feeling of her skin. Unlike other girls, who would heat up very quickly whenever he embraced them, Fenrir's body was like hugging soft and comfortable mesh pillow filled with ice. It was one of the unique traits that was distinctly hers, causing Vahn to feel calm and relaxed as he inhaled the natural aroma in her hair. Though she wasn't a Chienthrope, Fenrir's ears also had a pleasant and calming aroma that made Vahn feel as though he had finally regained something precious that he had previously lost...

As much as Vahn enjoyed their time together, Fenrir felt everything he was going through and used it to feed into her own emotions. Though the thought of being bound still terrified her, Fenrir felt an extreme level of comfort wrapped in her Master's embrace, something she had convinced herself she simply couldn't live without. It didn't matter what he wanted her to do, just feeling how happy he was to be reunited with her caused Fenrir to feel an emotion within her heart that she could only describe as 'filling'. It was like her existence was amplified when they were together, even though she felt small and 'contained' within his embrace. This was a feeling of security that nothing else could provide, causing Fenrir to feel that she might lose herself if she was denied it for too long...

---

After a night that seemed impossibly long, even though it also seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, Vahn and Fenrir arrived in the dining room to find that Rin was already present. She had slight bags under her eyes, evidence that she didn't sleep very well, as she nursed a cup of black tea. Fenrir's face adopted a small frown when she saw Rin but, after Vahn gently touched the small of her back, she walked over to the table before muttering, "Good morning..." Though Rin had noticed their presence instantly, she had been trying to focus on her tea after stressing out a bit too much the previous night. With Fenrir suddenly greeting her, she was at a loss as to how she should respond, barely managing a simple, "Mornin..." before feeling a sudden urge to yawn.

Leaving the two to 'talk', Vahn made his way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, adding a few mana-rich fruits into the mix to give Rin a bit of extra energy. At the same time, Vahn went through his morning routine of using his free Premium Gacha pull before checking the status of his Quests. He had the option of submitting his [Repeatable Quest: The Title of Master], but wanted to see if any additional rewards could be obtained by convincing Rin to eventually become his Subordinate or Retainer. Since his View Affection was still inactive, by Vahn's own choosing, he couldn't accurately gauge how Rin felt towards him. He was certain there weren't any feelings of love between them, at least as far as he could tell, but that didn't mean he affection was low.

Shaking his head to clear the urge to activate his View Affection function, Vahn reminded himself that he wanted to have more meaningful relationships from now on. Ever since the birth of his children, it almost felt 'wrong' to be able to know how people felt about him in a quantifiable way. It felt like he was always trying to measure his actions to meet their expectations, almost as if he was manipulating them into falling in love with him. After becoming an Emperor, Vahn had disabled the system function that had become one of his most powerful tools within the Record of Danmachi. Now, regardless of what happened, he was determined to use his own judgment when it came to dealing with people, refusing to rely on the system as a crutch for even basic interactions...

After finishing the breakfast preparations, Vahn set a few dishes on the counter before placing them into his Inventory. When he entered into the dining room, a somewhat unbelievable scene entered his eyes as, contrary to what she had said the previous night, Fenrir was currently letting Rin gently touch her ears. Though she immediately turned away from Rin when he entered the room, causing the latter to make a pouting expression, it was obvious that Fenrir was making an effort to get along better. Even if Rin wasn't 'family', she had become one of Vahn's official Disciples so Fenrir knew she shouldn't cause unnecessary tension between herself and someone that should be her ally. After being held by her Master for the entire night, she had calmed down a lot compared to the previous evening.

As he had promised, Vahn provided Rin with an updated Status Sheet before explaining the specifics of each parameter, at least according to his current knowledge. She listened attentively to everything he explained, displaying the serious and studious side that had allowed her to thrive within the Clock Tower. Each question she asked was clearly thought out, providing Vahn with a few extra insights due to him having to explain it in a way that Rin could understand. It was sometimes stated that a good student could make a great teacher and, after talking with Rin for the better part of an hour, Vahn was beginning to believe her claim about being a 'genius' was genuine. According to her, she was already recognized within the Magus Society as having the potential to become one of the top 100 graduates that the Mage Association had ever produced.

By the time breakfast had come to an end, Rin surprised Vahn a second time as she quickly rose from her chair and exclaimed, "I'll wash the dishes. Since I'm supposed to be your Disciple, I need to start acting like it. You made breakfast so I can at least wash the dishes...!" Since she said this with a surprising amount of conviction, Vahn was slightly taken aback by Rin's spontaneity. Fortunately, Fenrir also hopped out of her chair before adding, "I will help as well. Master should relax more often." With these parting words, Fenrir and Rin grabbed the dishes before alighting to the kitchen together. Vahn was beginning to wonder what they had talked about during the twenty minutes he had been cooking as it seemed like the distance between them had shrunk in an instant...

Deciding it was best not to pry, as there was nothing wrong with Rin and Fenrir getting along, Vahn took the latter's advice and just relaxed for the few minutes it took them to clean the plates. When they next appeared, Rin was wiping her hands with a towel as she asked, "So, what kind of training are we going to do? You have the means to help me improve quickly, right?" Though she would usually spend most of her free time infusing her Magical Power into the gemstones she relied on in combat, Rin was now keenly aware of the fact that Vahn's methods were the key to becoming a far more powerful Magus than her own efforts would have allowed. The previous night, she had been able to fill a gemstone with nearly ten times the amount of mana that she would have been able to manage in a similar amount of time just one day prior...

Having expected Rin to start asking for his advice at some point, Vahn didn't let her down as he smiled and answered, "Your parameters are useless without having a strong foundation. Right now, the most important thing you can do is work on improving your physique and mental power. With your increased Magical Power, the strain your body and mind will experience has increased exponentially. Though it won't be much of a problem if you're satisfied with your current status, you'll need to continually break down and rebuild your body if you want to truly reach the top. If you train seriously, the day in which you break the sound barrier without even having to rely on Magecraft would only be a few years down the line." Though this wasn't much of an achievement in a world like Danmachi, Vahn felt this would be quite the feat from Rin's perspective.

Imagining herself moving at such 'ridiculous' speeds, Rin felt a little dizzy so she placed her hand against her forehead before groaning as she asked, "You're serious, aren't you...?" Vahn, thinking she was worried about becoming super muscular, chuckled amusedly before gesturing to Fenrir as he said, "Fenrir can easily move several times the speed of sound without damaging her muscles and tendons. You don't have to worry about becoming some super-human bodybuilder, as your parameters alone will help fill in the gaps. It is more important to focus on balance and, as your parameters are all equally low, you actually have a pretty good starting point to build upon. Also, there is one last thing I need to talk to you about before we advance your training..."

Seeing Vahn get 'serious', Rin's eyes turned sharp as she asked, "What is it? Don't tell me there is actually a downside after you said there wouldn't be..." To this, Vahn just waved his hand dismissively before explaining, "Right now, we are officially Master and Disciple. Though this relationship alone has quite the bit of significance, I want to make you aware that there are other paths available to you. Just like how the gods prior to the Age of Men were able to draw power from the beliefs of their followers, the relationship we share affords me a few unique abilities. Once the bond between us becomes strong enough, even helping you change your age, race, gender wouldn't be that difficult to achieve. Though I'm not asking you to suddenly start fervently believing in me, I wanted you to be aware that the limits you currently have as a human are functionally meaningless if you choose to pursue a path beyond this singular world."

Though Vahn didn't intend to take Rin with him to other Records, as it would be impossible, that didn't mean she couldn't potentially accompany him through alternate timelines. He hadn't been able to see the full extent of Bell's capabilities with the [Child of Destiny] Innate so it would be extremely helpful to see what Rin is able to achieve with it. Now that he had decided to invest his efforts into helping her grow stronger, almost as a way of 'sticking' it to fate, Vahn wanted to see just how far she could go. Fortunately, Rin was the type that seriously considered things so, instead of outright refusing, she gave a contemplative nod before answering, "I'll need to know more about exactly what these abilities of yours are able to achieve. For now, I want to focus on familiarizing myself with my increased Magical Power while following the training schedule you come up with."

Vahn gave an understanding nod of his own before looking through the system shop and purchasing an item he was intimately familiar with, the [Aegis Mk 5]. Though the shop didn't generally stock items he had produced, Ina's, Asfi's, and Hephaestus' involvement in the production of latter iterations were recognized as 'products' of the Record. As a result, everything after the [Aegis Mk 4] was accessible through the system shop. Though some of its functions would be changed to adapt them to the current Record, Vahn was confident in the design he had invested several years of his life improving upon. Rin, however, didn't seem too keen on accepting the predominately white 'undergarments' as she gave Vahn a deadpan stare and asked, "What are these supposed to be...?"

Because the [Aegis Mk 5] had been designed to be worn under other equipment, it wasn't inaccurate to consider them undergarments. They were both elastic and comfortable and, though Vahn would never tell Rin, they even had a 'shaping' function built into them, like many of the later pieces of equipment he had designed for the girls. As a Japanese woman, Rin had somewhat modest breasts and, though her thighs seemed strangely plush, she was distinctly lacking an asset Vahn had come to appreciate like a fine connoisseur. Since she obviously had the 'potential', Vahn felt that the [Aegis Mk 5] would be a qualitative improvement to her current equipment, even without being obvious.

Since Rin seemed to have misconstrued that he wanted her to wear the [Aegis Mk 5] by itself, he calmly clarified, "You'll notice when you get used to using them, but these garments will greatly increase your capabilities. Not only that, you can be sure that not even a tank would be able to easily damage you while wearing them. They also have relatively high magic resistance, to the point it wouldn't be difficult to imagine the entire Mage community going to war just to obtain them..." Though it might seem like an exaggeration, the [Aegis Mk 5] was still graded as an S-Rank item, meaning it was very near the 'pinnacle' of what mortals could achieve. So long as Rin was wearing them, she wouldn't have to worry about things like bullets, assuming they weren't magically empowered to have an extreme level of penetrative power...

Rin still didn't seem fully convinced so Vahn laughed before adding, "These are designed to be worn under other clothes. You can even wear them under your normal underwear if you want to keep them concealed so don't overthink it and just accept them..." Without waiting for her to take them, Vahn placed the soft shite garments into Rin's hands. She still didn't seem to believe they were as powerful as he claimed but, after training with them, Vahn knew she would quickly come around. As for Fenrir, she unhesitantly changed into a set of the [Aegis Mk 5] for herself, electing to forego other garments since she could just manifest them with magic. This gave her the appearance of a scantily clad young woman wearing nothing but a sports bra and a pair of 'shorts' that were closer in form to actual panties than spats. She wasn't bothered by this, however, as, even after wearing growing used to wearing clothes, Fenrir still wasn't that fond of how restrictive they felt...

When Rin returned, wearing what appeared to be a red and black bodysuit, she looked at Fenrir's appearance with dull eyes before 'glaring' towards Vahn. Since this was par for the course, Vahn chose to ignore her penetrating gaze as he firmly stated, "Now, it is time for our morning training. From now on, so long as the circumstances allow, you will follow the schedule I set for you every single day. It won't be easy but, if you work through the pain, I can guarantee that you'll look back on your past self, wondering how you ever tolerated how weak you were." Though he said these words to encourage Rin, Vahn noticed that she flinched a few times at certain parts of his statement. Before she could say anything, however, he smiled snidely, much like how Tsubaki acted when he trained under her, saying, "If you have a problem with my words, prove to me that you can get stronger. Talk is cheap, Rin, now is the time for action...!"

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'All according to cake...','I swear, even if it doesn't cover much, you'll be bullet proof...!','Vahn is the culmination of all his experiences with the women who helped to shape him')

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