章 2112: No More Coddling
Though he expected her to jump up and have another outburst, Asuka surprised everyone by rising to her feet, fixing her dress, issuing a light cough, and sitting down with her eyes closed. Then, as if the last thirty seconds hadn't taken place, she opened them with a serious expression on her face as she asked, "Why are you here? Surely you didn't come all this way simply to lecture us? Didn't your contract with the No Names expire the moment we were summoned?"
"Wow. You bounce back quickly, don'tcha...?"
Ignoring Izayoi's remark, Asuka continued to stare at Vahn as if she were preparing to engage in a business transaction. This earned her an amused smile from the latter, who, after several seconds of silence, answered, "It's simple. Now that our contract with the No Names has expired, I intended to invite you all to join the Burgeoning Communities Accord. For details-"
"Not happening/Pass."
Directing an accusatory look towards Izayoi for daring to talk over her, Asuka cleared her throat a second time before stating, "The No Names do not require your protection. Now that the three of us have arrived, we will watch over and protect them using our own means. If we wanted the easy way out, we would have joined a more prestigious Community from the start."
Though he didn't disagree with what Asuka was saying, Vahn shifted his attention to Jin. She might view herself as the future Leader of the No Names, but, for the time being, the only one who could decide their Community's fate was Jin and Jin alone.
Fortunately, Jin was a very perceptive young man. He had also put a tremendous amount of effort into growing stronger, so, while he would prefer to keep relations between their two Communities genial, he also desired to see how far they could grow and develop on their own. Thus, after a long moment of silence, he briefly exchanged glances with Lily before declaring, "The No Names will not be joining the Burgeoning Communities Accord."
"Master Jin...!"
Not expecting Jin to turn down Vahn's offer, Black Rabbit's hair burst into pink light as she became visibly flustered.
Before the befuddled bunny could get too riled up, Vahn plopped his hand atop her head, gently caressing the space between her ears as he said, "Relax. This is a good thing. After all, I can't keep babysitting them forever."
"But Vahn..."
Shaking his head, Vahn leaned down to plant a kiss atop Black Rabbit's forehead before adopting a casual smile and adding, "Have more faith in the Community your friends built. Jin might be young but he has the makings of a great leader. As for these three...they're a little rough around the edges but they have tremendous potential. Once they catch their stride, I might actually have to watch my back. Or, at the very least, protect my ankles..."
Directing his gaze towards Izayoi, Vahn earned a snort from the blond-haired youth by sending him a wink. He wasn't actually afraid that the young hero would ever catch up to him, but, considering how powerful the opponents he was expected to defeat were, it wasn't entirely impossible for them to catch up. He would just need to laze about and do nothing.
Unfortunately for them, Vahn, quite literally, had time on his side. He also had trouble sitting still for too long, so, shortly after his offer had been rejected, he invited Black Rabbit to accompany him for a date before promptly departing the land of the No Names...
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After spending part of his morning watching anime and cuddling with Fenrir, Vahn tracked Sarina and Nono to the Library. He wasn't too surprised to find Nono sitting at the mahogany desk he sometimes used, but, considering how she forced Jin to read and explain things at her behest, it was a little surprising to see Sarina curled up on one of the sofas with a book in hand.
"Well, this is a pleasant surprise. However, shouldn't the two of you be getting ready? I noticed your bento boxes sitting on the counter. Make sure you eat before class begins."
Though Nono simply marked the page she was reading before promptly closing it with a smile, Sarina practically jumped from her position on the sofa when she heard Vahn's words. She was able to catch herself, but, considering she attempted to hide the book she was reading behind her back, it was pretty obvious she was up to some mischief.
Since it wasn't really his business what the girls did in their free time, Vahn pretended to have no idea what Sarina was up to as he turned away and said, "I'll see you in about forty minutes. Don't forget to change into your uniforms."
On that note, Vahn promptly departed the library. This caused Sarina to exhale a sigh of relief, but, before she could completely relax, Nono chimed in to remind her, "Have you forgotten? Vahn sees and knows everything that takes place in the Sage Dragon's Hearth. What reason is there to try and hide things from him?"
Though she was perennially bashful around Vahn, Nono could speak in full and unbroken sentences when she really wanted to. Her time with the No Names had helped her break out of her shell. She had also gotten used to Sarina's antics, so, while her voice was still soft and delicate, it often carried a teasing undertone whenever she conversed with her 'Onee-san'.
Paling in response to Nono's words, Sarina retrieved the book she had haphazardly stowed behind a cushion before whimpering, "He's going to think I'm a pervert..."
Squinting her eyes ever so slightly, Nono resisted the temptation to remind Sarina that reading a book was far from the most perverted thing she had done. She had attempted to time her bath with Vahn's, and, after learning he handmade many of their undergarments, she even offered to assist him as a live model. Indulging in a medical text related to the male anatomy was relatively tame in comparison. Rather, if they couldn't treat boys in the future, more than half their potential clients would be ostracized...
After quickly organizing her thoughts, Nono surprised Sarina quite a bit by asking, "And? What's so bad about that? It's perfectly normal for girls our age to be interested in such things. Do you really think Vahn would resent us over something so trivial? If that were the case, he wouldn't have left to give you a chance to collect yourself."
Blinking in surprise, Sarina ignored most of what Nono said. Instead, she focused on one specific part of her explanation, asking, "You also have these kinds of thoughts? I tried talking to Lily and she said I'm not old enough to worry about the relationships between men and women..."
Though a rather potent blush colored her cheeks, Nono didn't attempt to dodge Sarina's question. Instead, she stared in the direction that Vahn had departed, a somewhat wistful look in her eyes as she said, "Of course I do...how could I not? Vahn is the most amazing person I've ever met. He cares for us in such a manner it would be impossible not to have such thoughts..."
Seeing the 'mature' expression on Nono's face, Sarina's formed into a slight pout as she exhaled a sigh and muttered, "I knew it...you're also gunning for Vahn, aren't you?"
Bringing a finger to her lips, Nono tilted her head to the side as if she were in deep thought before surprising Sarina a second time by saying, "Not really."
"Eh...?"
Not expecting such a response, Sarina couldn't help staring slack-jawed at the auburn-haired girl who, even now, was looking at the spot where Vahn had departed.
Feeling Sarina's gaze on her, Nono's smile gained an ostensibly amused look as she turned to meet the former's gaze and plainly state, "I don't have to. I'm happy just being around Vahn. He cares for me in ways I never could have imagined prior to coming to the Divine Realm. Even if things stay like this for the next ten years, I'm sure I'll be just as happy then as I am now. Besides..."
Turning away from the befuddled Sarina, a desirous light reflected in the depths of Nono's eyes as she added, "When he believes I'm ready, Vahn will come to me..."
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Restraining the urge to laugh, Vahn had a somewhat silly smile on his face as he fed Usalia spoonfuls of curry. She was currently half-laying across the table, eyes closed with a defeated look on her face as she absentmindedly ate whatever he brought near her mouth. As for the reason? She had made the mistake of insisting she was perfectly capable of looking after their kittens on her own. This was the result of a single morning.
"I'm so tired, plip. How do you manage to stay so busy without ever getting tired? It's not fair..."
Without missing a beat, Vahn proferred forth another bite of curry as he answered, "I guess I draw energy from the people around me? All I know is I feel revitalized and full of energy every time I lay eyes on you and our adorable children."
"Muuuu..."
Though she groaned in defiance, Usalia was unable to prevent her tail from waggling in response to Vahn's words. She even felt as though her energy was beginning to return, so, after eating another spoonful of curry, she promptly sat up, spread her arms, and said, "Hold me, plip. I'm going to take my energy back."
Restraining yet another chuckle, Vahn hooked his hands beneath Usalia's armpits before picking her up from across the table. She would probably take a bite out of him if he spoke his thoughts aloud but this was one of the benefits of having an inordinately petite frame. She was exceptionally easy to pick up and carry around. If they were to walk around outside, passersby might literally mistake them as parent and child.
Fortunately, despite being a Star-Class Demon, Usalia didn't possess any mental or mind-reading abilities. Thus, while she could sometimes sense when he was thinking rude thoughts, Vahn could usually get away with regarding her as the cute and lovable existence she was. He was also quite fond of holding people, so, while no one else was looking, he enjoyed carrying Usalia around and gently caressing her back until she invariably fell asleep in his arms...
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Though they arrived a little late, Vahn wasn't going to harp over punctuality when their classes often ran late. Instead, he waited for the two girls to take their seats before rising from his own and saying, "As I mentioned previously, I intend to have the two of you participate in the upcoming Rite of Challenge. To prepare you for this, you will be spending six hours a day living in my Game Board. How you choose to spend that time is ultimately up to you. Just know that, unless someone tries to target and take advantage of you, I will not be stepping in. In other words, even if you join up with a Familia and enter into the Dungeon, I will not be there to protect you. If you're not careful, there is a very real chance you'll lose your life. This might only result in you being ejected from the Game Board, but, as the pain and hunger you'll be experiencing are very real, I would advise you to work together and take every precaution you can think of..."
Hearing that they would be spending six hours a day in what basically amounted to a foreign and hostile world, both Sarina and Nono adopted conflicted looks on their faces. Nono, in particular, wasn't a fan of violence. She also had trouble interacting with new people so there was a chance she would freeze up the moment someone tried to approach her. This was something Vahn was well aware of. In fact, it was one of the many reasons he had chosen this particular type of training. As for the others? He wanted the girls to experience his original world for themselves. Thus, before either could protest, he adopted a kind smile and began telling them all about the Hestia, Loki, and Hephaestus Familias...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I can actually imagine Vahn wearing greaves to guard his ankles once Izayoi begins to increase in strength...','Cuddle bunny (U w U)...','Aka: Nightmare, Hard, and Easy Modes')
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