Capítulo 121: Trouble : Questions
Vahn took a long time before he was able to fall asleep that night. Though he had expected to have a bit of trouble, given the intoxicating smell coming from the bed, the thing keeping him awake was the vision he had. He felt like his emotions were going to explode, and it wasn't until near midnight that he was finally able to rest.
The next morning, Vahn woke up before the sun had even risen. Without about four and a half hours of sleep, he cleaned himself up before preparing to head out. Anubis had awoken when he started making noise, so she was able to catch him before he left. When she saw the fierce determination in his eyes, Anubis became worried so she asked, "Master? Did something happen?"
Vahn looked at her, and his expression didn't change in the slightest as he said in a firm tone. "Take this Valis and buy the kids and yourself some clothing and anything else you may need. I'm not sure if I'll be back today, so don't wait up for me." Vahn handed her a large sack containing more than 100,000 Valis which only made her brows furrow even more.
Shaking his head, Vahn said, "It's nothing dangerous, I just have something I need to do or it would tear me apart. I will be back tomorrow, or the day after at the latest. If you need anything, you can ask Tsubaki and she should be able to help you." Anubis felt relieved when he explained, so she bowed her head low and said, "Then I wish you well in your endeavors, Master." With a curt nod to acknowledge her, Vahn set out through the door and quickly made his way toward the north area of the City; his destination, the Loki Familia.
Though the distance wasn't short, Vahn managed to make the nearly 20km trip in less than ten minutes. The few adventurers and pedestrians that were out at this time of day gave him looks and wondered what important matter he had to attend to. A few even called out to ask if he needed help, but Vahn just shouted to alleviate their concerns as he maintained his fast pace throughout the City.
Vahn stood outside of a gigantic manor, larger than any he had ever seen before. Within the City, it was known as the Twilight Manor and was the home of the most powerful Familia within the City, the Loki Familia. Though Vahn had never met the mischievous Goddess, he knew his presence wouldn't be accepted easily given his budding relationship with Ais. Hardening his resolve, Vahn made his way through the large gates into an area that looked like a reception desk at a large Inn.
There were a few people loitering around the area, including someone that Vahn recognized. Seeing the stout and reliable figure of Gareth, Vahn felt like he would be able to avoid a lot of trouble. He quickly made his way over, and some people tried to stop him before Gareth waved them down. With a smile on his grizzled face, Gareth said, "I'm glad to see you've recovered. After you went down during the fight with the Juggernaut, a lot of people were concerned. You did well to come back from that, kid."
Vahn was gratified to hear his words, and they brought a smile to his face as he bowed low and said, "Thank you very much, Gareth, but I have come here with a purpose in mind. Please, can you inform Tiona that I am here?" Seeing the intensity in Vahn's gaze, Gareth had some suspicions and asked, "What is this about kid, why the urgency?" Even though he had a good opinion of Vahn, he wouldn't expose any of the younger generation to danger if he could prevent it.
Noticing the suspicion in his eyes and the flaring of his aura, Vahn tried to calm himself as he said in a low tone, "Please, tell Tiona I came to make due on my promise. If she is unwilling, I will depart without causing a scene." Gareth's brows raised as he saw the sincerity in Vahn's demeanor. With a gruff sigh, he waved one of the younger members over and had him go to pass Vahn's message to Tiona.
After sending the young man away, Gareth turned toward Vahn and asked in a similarly low tone, "What kind of promise did you make with that hyperactive girl?" Hearing the question, Vahn's mind blanked for a moment and he couldn't prevent a blush from touching his cheeks. Gareth immediately noticed what kind of thoughts were passing through Vahn's mind and he began to laugh loudly while patting Vahn's back. "Hahaha, ain't it good to be young!?"
Ten minutes passed quickly, but Tiona had yet to show up which made Vahn feel like he had made a mistake. Gareth too noticed there was something wrong before he showed a shocked expression on his face and said, "Ah, I think I know what this is about. The girls should be off spending time with Ais, so Tiona probably can't be pulled away right now." Vahn felt relieved after hearing the explanation and asked, "Why are all the girls spending time with Ais?"
Gareth nodded his head and explained with a smile, "Ah, today is the lass' birthday, so they were preparing to go out and celebrate. You're lucky you stopped by so early, or you might have missed them entirely." Vahn nodded and agreed that he was lucky, but then something clicked inside of him and he began to panic a bit as he asked, "Did you say...Ais's birthday?" Vahn remembered his 'promise' with Ais, and prayed he had misheard Gareth.
Though Gareth noticed Vahn was acting strange, he nodded his head and said, "Yeah, girl just turned 14 today, so they were gonna go out and celebrate. Lass could never hold her alcohol, but now that she is an adult she needs to start building a tolerance." Gareth began laughing at his own words. As a dwarf, he had a unique disposition toward alcohol and only truly respected those that could hold their own against the brew.
The warm-hearted laughter of Gareth sounded like a death-toll in Vahn's ears. If Ais had been serious at the time, that meant she had wanted to have sex with Vahn after she turned 14. Though it didn't necessarily have to be today, he felt like Ais wasn't the type to wait around for things that interested her. Almost as if announcing his inevitable demise, a loud shout passed through the room.
Vahn saw a flash of healthy-brown skin as he opened his arms and caught Tiona who had launched herself at him. She immediately began to rub her head against his chest, but Vahn was distracted by the group of people that followed behind her. Ais was walking over, accompanied by Loki, Riveria, Tione, and Lefiya. Seeing the difference between each of their expressions, Vahn felt like he had willingly just entered a death trap.
Ais, unlike her normal expression, was actually smiling slightly and had a hint of 'expectation' in her eyes as she looked at Vahn. Walking alongside her, Loki was looking at Vahn with slits for eyes and he felt like she was a snake that had stumbled upon a field mouse. The smile on her face, looked more like the invitation of a demon instead of anything cheerful. Riveria had a somewhat fed-up expression, while Tione and Lefiya seemed to be vexed as they walked over.
Tiona, who had noticed Vahn's lack of response, separated from him a bit before tilting her head sideways, "Is there something wrong, Vahn?" When the messenger had shown up and told her what Vahn had said, Tiona had nearly wrung the unfortunate boy's neck to find out Vahn's present location. It took the combined efforts of Tione and Ais to free the boy from her grasp.
Loki, who was in the area and enjoying the preparations for the coming day, teased Tiona and asked what the matter was about. Tiona unashamedly told the entire group of women what she and Vahn had promised each other. Since she had expected to have to wait for a long period of time, she was overwhelmed by excitement. Tione seemed dissatisfied by the turn of events, but Loki thought the matter was amusing, at least until someone spoke up.
"Ah, I have a promise too." Like she was unwilling to admit defeat to Tiona, Ais spoke out in a low and firm voice. Loki looked toward the girl she had been molding into a weapon and asked in a curious voice, "Oh, Ais~? What kind of promise did you make?" Ais looked around at everyone before fixing her gaze on Tiona. "Vahn, me, we would have sex when I turned 14. I will go to him as well." The moment Ais's voice sounded, silence spread through the room and people could even hear the distant sound of the foot traffic generated by the pedestrians.
Nobody spoke for what seemed like an eternity until Tiona broke the silence, "Even if that is the case, I will go first. Vahn came here specifically to visit me, so you'll have to wait your turn." Tiona expected Ais would try something sooner or later, so she was the least surprised by the turn of events. After her proclamation, the entire room came alive and they spent the next few minutes explaining to Loki the events that had transpired in the dungeon.
After their discussions had ended, Loki seemed livid before leading the entire group to meet the boy that seemed to have created huge problems for her Familia. Though she was also interested in Vahn based on what she heard from Finn and Riveria, she had never expected that, before she even got to meet him officially, he was already 'pouching' the powerful members in her Familia.
When Loki finally laid her eyes on Vahn, she had to admit that he was both handsome and young. She could see why the younger girls would fall for him, as even she wanted to tease the boy if not for the current situation. Arriving with the remainder of the group, she continued to gaze at Vahn as she said, "You must be the 'Vulcan', Vahn Mason? I've heard so much about you...shall we talk in private?"
Vahn could see the aura from Loki was massive compared to others, and it was a mixture of purples and crimson reds. Though he could somewhat understand why she was upset, he had never seen someone that had such a deeply chaotic aura before. He felt like, if he lowered his guard, he would be devoured by the chaotic energies. But, seeing Tiona at his side and remembering his purpose, he looked toward Loki and said, "Yes, please."
Loki was surprised to see how calm Vahn was able to act in front of her intimidation but, as there were too many watching eyes, she led the group to a private room that had various formations and seals to prevent sound from escaping. Vahn sat on one of the four sofas, while everyone else spaced themselves around on the remaining seats. Both Tiona and Ais took the seats next to him, while Loki sat directly across. Vahn suddenly felt like he had come to pick up the two girls, and now had to deal with the beast guarding the property...
Seeing the two girls sit next to Vahn, Loki frowned a bit as she sat in a very un-ladylike manner on her sofa. Vahn's vision fluctuated at the sight, and it didn't escape Loki's vision as she smiled and asked, "Oh? A girl on each arm and now you even covet this Goddess? Quite the appetite you have there...Vahn Mason." Vahn almost refuted that it was her posture that caused his momentary lapse, but remembering his prior offenses against other people, even he didn't believe the excuse.
Instead of responding to her goading, Vahn mustered his conviction and said, "I am sorry for dropping by unannounced, but I had a terrible premonition that, if I didn't come here today, I may lose something important." Though it wasn't the entire reason behind his visit, Vahn knew there was some truth to his statement. He felt that, if he ignored Tiona who had suffered for so long, he would end up hating himself.
Loki looked at him and found his 'courage' commendable, but she could see there was more behind his statement than he made known. She wanted to find a hole in his words so, after looking between Tiona and Ais, she decided to ask,"I heard you came here for Tiona, correct? And what of your promise with Ais? Don't tell me, you intend to take both of the girls with you?"
Vahn flinched after hearing her words, because, no matter how he tried to spin the situation, he had come here only for Tiona, and not Ais. If he tried to tell her he wanted to take both girls away just so he could have sex with them, he felt like the atmosphere might explode. As he was trying to come up with what to say, a voice came from his left where Ais was seated.
"I didn't tell him when my birthday was," Ais remembered that she had only told him she wanted to try having sex when she turned 14 but had never informed Vahn of the actual date. Even if he only came here for Tiona, she felt like she would lose out if she backed down without trying to take a stand.
Loki frowned after hearing Ais answer instead of Vahn. If he had tried to make an excuse, she could use it against him but if it was Ais that made the excuse she had nothing to use against him. Instead, she looked at Tiona before fixing her gaze back on Vahn and saying, "So she says, but are you going to change your plans with Tiona and try to fit Ais in as well? Even if Riveria taught you a few things, do you really think you can tend to two women at once?"
As Vahn had never had sex, he didn't know how to answer Loki's question. The incident from the previous night was still in his mind, and though he had confidence Tiona would be able to manage, Ais was much smaller and more fragile than Tiona. While Tiona had a healthy figure with visible muscles, Ais looked incredibly frail, almost like one of the porcelain dolls he had seen in the market.
This time, while Vahn was considering his word, Tiona spoke out, "I don't care if, even if Vahn wanted to bring every girl in this room with him~! I know he'll be able to overcome anything!" Once again, the entire room became silent after Tiona's outburst. She seemed to be enjoying the situation and had a big smile on her face as she made her proclamation. As long as she got to be with Vahn first, she didn't care who came after her.
Loki looked at Tiona like she had just met the biggest idiot of her several million years long life. Her mouth was wide open and her body had frozen in the pose she had held after asking her question. After recovering, she began to get really annoyed that the girls were answering instead of the person she was questioning. She said sharply, "You two be quiet for a moment! You think I'll let some strange boy steal you away if he can't even answer simple questions!?"
She flailed about like an enraged demon, and it was fortunate nobody else was sitting on the sofa with her or they would likely have to suffer her tirade. After calming down, she leaned forward like a thug and asked, "You answer this time, boy. I want to know exactly what your intentions are. If it's just sex, sure, fine, whatever, I can accept that. You're all stupid and young, and it's part of the natural cycle to try and sate your urges. However, you should know their role and the significance they have to the Familia. What happens if they get pregnant or get taken out of commission? A lot of people could end up dying for your selfishness if you're not careful. What can you, a measly Level 3, provide in exchange for taking two Level 5s out of commission?"
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Boi...','Loki Appears','Flowers on both arms')
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Einlion
Einlion PLUS ULTRA~!
Capítulo 122: Unwilling to Back Down
Hearing Loki's question, Vahn felt something inside him grow cold as his [Will of the Emperor] acted without his prompting. The way Loki talked about value made him feel like the only way she looked at people was from the perspective of their usefulness. He was reminded of the people that had tormented him in his previous life, and he felt a sickening feeling as he looked at the small goddess in front of him.
The moment his domain spread out, everyone entered a state of high alert but, seeing Vahn unmoving, they didn't take any action yet. Even Tiona and Ais at his sides felt a threatening feeling come from Vahn who was presently glaring at Loki with a look of 'contempt' and undisguised anger. Loki, who was the one experiencing the full brunt of Vahn's 'pressure', grits her teeth and opened her slitted eyes as she returned his glare. Unable to reset the repressive force any longer, she had to activate her Divinity to resist the pressure.
Seeing her activate her Divinity, Vahn couldn't help but sneer at seeing her actions. "You have to use your Divinity to resist a mortal who hasn't done anything? And you dare ask what I have to offer; what I can provide?" Vahn looked coldly at Loki as he enunciated each syllable of his next few words, "I will become strong enough to protect them, no matter what it takes. My question is, what can YOU offer?"
Loki had converged her Divinity and the entire room was shaking but, even though others seemed to be affected, Vahn, who was arguably the weakest in the room, sat in front of her without any signs of being pressured. The most baffling thing was, even when she activated her aura, she was unable to prevent the 'dangerous' feeling that seemed to be coming from the domain generated from Vahn.
When Vahn made his statement and then questioned her, the domain he was emitting seemed to be slowly repressing her Divinity. Loki couldn't believe what was happening, and various thoughts began racing through her mind. For Vahn to be able to repress a god's Divinity, there had to be something unique about his origins. She began to understand why Hephaestus did so much to protect Vahn over the last few months; she was likely aware of his origins or had gained some insight using her 'god's eye'.
Suddenly, Loki smiled while withdrawing her Divinity. She looked toward Vahn and started laughing as she said, "Great! I like you, you are very manly! Hahahaha, I almost want to keep you for myself; what say you join my Familia and I'll let you do whatever you want~?" Loki had to have someone unique like Vahn in her Familia. She could see that he had a potential that dwarfed others, and couldn't stand the thought of him being in something like a 'production' Familia.
Vahn continued to focus his [Will of the Emperor] without answering, and Loki began to sweat while pretending to be unaffected. The entire time she had been trying to 'convince' him, Vahn noticed that her aura hadn't changed in the slightest, it just fluctuated wildly like a possessed demon. He had no doubt she would accept him into the Familia, but it made him sick imagining himself as one of her pawns.
The atmosphere began to get progressively worse, and Loki was nearing her limits and almost ordered her Familia to capture Vahn. If he was unwilling to compromise after she withdrew her Divinity, she didn't think he was capable of being reasoned with. Fortunately, it didn't have to come to that as Ais grabbed Vahn's hand and got his attention. The moment he looked away from Loki, it felt like a mountain had been removed from her shoulders and she released a heavy sigh.
When Ais grabbed Vahn's hand, he looked toward her and saw sadness and concern in her eyes. She squeezed his hand and said, "Don't, Vahn. That is enough." Hearing her words, his immediately dispersed his domain, but he still couldn't forgive Loki. He patted Ais's hand before turning his vision back toward the scheming goddess.
Seeing Vahn turn back to her, Loki felt a chill down her spine as she asked, "What's wrong, kid? Was my offer not good enough?" With a smile on her face, she tried playing off the situation to lighten the mood. Vahn squinted his eyes and furrowed his brows even further, "I refuse to become a pawn of someone else. I will walk my own path, no matter what difficulties I have to face. Though I may not have the best grasp of my own emotions, I know that Tiona and Ais both desire to be with me right now, and I refuse to let either of them down."
Loki seemed surprised by the conviction in Vahn's voice, and even she felt like he could keep his promise. She looked around and saw the members of her own Familia even seemed to respect the boy, especially the two 'enamored' looking girls at his sides. Even Ais, who rarely had any expressions, seemed to be happy after his words finished. Thinking she had run into a wall, Loki tried thinking of how she could benefit from the current situation.
The room remained silent for nearly a minute before Loki spoke up with a 'cheerful' voice and a smile on her face. "Fine, but if you want me to agree, you'll have agree to a request of mine. Tiona seems to believe you are some kind of hero, so you won't just take without giving anything, would you?" Vahn frowned, but he didn't shy away as he said, "If it's a request that I can do, and doesn't compromise my integrity or the safety of those I care about, I don't care what your request is. I'll do anything to protect the ones I care about."
The smile on Loki's face nearly doubled in size as she said, "Oh, it's nothing too serious. It's just, I want you to accompany my Familia when they perform expeditions into the lower floors. You'll even be able to be with your precious Tiona and Ais, so it should fall in line with your desire to protect them, isn't that right~?" Even if Loki couldn't get Vahn to join her Familia, it didn't mean she couldn't use him. It was common for members of the Hephaestus Familia to act as a support unit, and she could just get Vahn to be the representative. Even Hephaestus wouldn't be able to say anything if she played her cards right.
Vahn considered the words for a few moments before nodding and saying, "Even if I had to travel to the bottom floor of the dungeon, as long as I could protect the people I cared about, I would do so without hesitation." Vahn could feel his heart beating powerfully in his chest, and he felt proud to be able to make the claim. It was the truth, and he genuinely believed he could confront anything if it meant removing the burden from his loved ones.
Loki started clapping after hearing Vahn's declaration as she shouted out, "Bravo! Bravo! Well said, a true hero~! But, are you willing to make a vow to guarantee your support?" Loki wasn't the type to take 'personal' promises seriously when there was a way to bind people to their words. Keeping true to his words about not hesitating, Vahn nodded and said, "As long as the vow includes traveling alongside Tiona and Ais, and not simply accompanying any random expedition you might stage."
Loki's brows raised when she saw how cautious Vahn was. She suspected he was the type to act based on emotions and didn't expect him to be able to maintain his rationality if she praised him. From her perspective, Vahn seemed to possess a greater insight than she had previously considered. Of course, she didn't know Vahn could see 'affection' and wasn't fooled by her act. The only reason he agreed was to protect Tiona and Ais.
Speaking of the two girls, Tiona was currently cuddling Vahn like he was some kind of precious treasure. She had a slighted heated expression on her face, and even Vahn had begun to sweat as she pressed her body against him. Ais, to his left, had never released his hand, and after his words, she held it slightly tighter and had a small smile on her lips.
After they had come to an agreement, Vahn made his vow in front of all the ace members of the Loki Familia. When the ceremony was concluded, Loki showed a 'grieving' expression as she looked at Tiona and Ais and said, "It's a shame that I have to let two beautiful girls get soiled by such an inexperienced boy~! If he isn't able to satisfy you, my door is always open at night!" As she spoke, she even tried to take 'advantage' fo the situation and grabbed towards Ais's butt.
Ais, accustomed to her 'advances' immediately swatted away the hand and moved closer toward Vahn. Loki seemed to be very upset by her actions as she held her hand with tears in her eyes, "Boo-hoo, my Ais has been stolen away by a strange boy from another Familia." As she was 'crying' Loki faltered and seemed to stumble in the direction of Lefiya, who had been watching the events with an incredulous expression on her face. There were tears in her eyes as she saw Ais standing next to Vahn, but the tears began flowing after what happened next. Loki, who had 'stumbled' had reached behind Lefiya and reached around to begin fondling her breasts.
Loki shouted, "Oooooh~! At least I still have my darling Lefiya~! And it looks like you are growing?" Feeling Loki fondling her breasts yet again, Lefiay shouted out with tears in her eyes, "Loki-sama, you idiooooooot~!" Managing to free herself from the mischievous goddess, Lefiya ran out of the room like she was trying to escape. Loki held out her hands as though she had just lost something precious as she too shouted, "Nooo, Lefiya~! Don't you leave me too!" She then ran towards the door, but slowed down slightly as she passed by Vahn and whispered, "If you hurt them, it won't be just me that you have to deal with."
As she ran out the door, Vahn followed her retreat with his eyes. He noticed that at the moment she passed by him, her chaotic aura briefly diminished. If Vahn's intuition was correct, that was one of the only 'real' things Loki had said since their meeting. Though he didn't like her, he swore in his mind that he would never willingly hurt Tiona, Ais, or any of the women he chose to be with.
After Loki left, everyone made casual, albeit awkward conversation, and Riveria even 'congratulated' the two girls. Tiona laughed in a carefree manner while Ais bowed her head slightly to accept the congratulations. Tione, who had been present for the entire event, seemed to have suffered a major setback as she begrudgingly congratulated her younger twin. At this point in time, there wasn't a large difference between their figures, as Tione's breasts had yet to reach the point they had in the original story. The fact that Vahn would be able to 'experience' a body that was nearly identical to her own made her feel a strange frustration in her heart.
She grabbed Vahn's collar and shouted, "Don't get any ideas, okay!? My body is being saved for the Captain!" Tione felt like she had to say the words because she felt like, the moment he had sex with Tiona, it was almost like he had sex with her as well. It was a very frustrating feeling and one of the reasons she had wanted to experience the act before her little sister. At least that way she could keep her pride as the elder sister.
Though Vahn didn't know why she seemed angry, he just nodded his head and said,"Yes, I won't try to do anything to you." The moment he spoke the words, Tione seemed to suddenly get even angrier and looked like she was about to pummel him. Hearing Vahn says he wouldn't try to pursue her, she wanted to retort that he shouldn't go after her sister then. Though they were two different people, they were twins and Tione had hoped that one-day Tiona would come around to liking Finn after she finally got together with him. Then they would be able to share the same man without any problems.
After Tione's mild breakdown, Tiona and Ais dragged her away from Vahn and made room for the last person present to speak to him. Gareth, with a smile on his face and a 'serious' expression in his eyes, approached Vahn and said, "Two girls for your first time? Better prepare yourself..." Vahn nodded his head, but before he could inform Gareth he would be careful, Gareth continued, "A lot of men are probably going to try to beat you up when the rumors get out. Tiona and Ais together probably have more than a thousand lovelorn suitors."
Vahn's mind suddenly froze and Gareth laughed loudly at his response. Smacking his hand heavily against Vahn's back, he said, "What's with that look? Men are meant to struggle when it comes to love! Do your best kiddo." Gareth left the room with everyone staring at him like he had gone mad.
Seeing Vahn's current state, Tiona asked, "What did Gareth say?" Everyone seemed interested in the answer, and Vahn just helplessly responded, "He said I'd probably have to fight the thousand people that tried to court you..."
Tiona didn't seem surprised at all and loudly shouted out, "Yup~! There were only around three hundred for me, but I think Ais was somewhere around 800~?" Tiona looked toward Ais as she asked the question. Without any hesitation, Ais nodded and said, "Eight-hundred-and-three."
Hearing the two numbers, Vahn felt a heavy pressure weighing down on him, but not just because of the two girls in front of him. He was also aware there were innumerable suitors for Hephaestus as well as Eina who he had a date within just a few days. Though he already knew he would have a lot of troubles in the future, the matter turned into something far greater than he had expected. He could vaguely feel the bloodlust of thousands of unseen men calling out for retribution. Though he was certain he imagined it, he also felt like there were the voices of a few women as well...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Vahn','I feel like some of those voices are from the comments section','Gareth is a total bro')
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES
Einlion
Einlion
This may be the last chapter for today. I'm getting tired after the rapid-fire releases.
Status de energia semanal
200+ Ranking de
Poder 
111 Pedra de
Poder Você também pode gostar
Comentário de parágrafo