Capítulo 772: Ripples : Waves
While things were trending in a positive direction in the life of Vahn, the Elves within the Elven Kingdom, and the people of Orario, the rest of the world wasn't quite as peaceful. Though they had never truly taken action to preserve their alliance with the Elven Kingdom, the Dwarves of the Iron Hills were livid suddenly having all diplomatic relations cut off. Now, not only had they lost a lot of their business in the now bustling Orario, but their second trading partner had closed off their borders completely. Vahn, as acting Prime Minister, had publically renounced the policies of the Iron Hills and informed the world that he would not continue to tolerate their affronts to peace and civil society.
This announcement had come shortly after what many had been referring to as his 'takeover' of the Elven Kingdom but, considering that he was married to Riveria, and had been steadily improving the quality of life for the Elves, such rumors didn't last long. The reputation of the Dwarves had been stagnating for a while and, as they didn't have a positive relationship with Rakia, they suddenly found themselves without any substantial trading partners. Since their territory was severely lacking in agricultural lands, the sudden cut off of trade had been devastating to their people.
In order to prevent a famine, the Dwarves had tried to trade their goods for food, primarily focused on wheat and other grains. However, the Alliance had stepped forward at this point, once against circumventing the plans of the Dwarves when Loki gave them an ultimatum. In order to renegotiate trading deals between the Iron Hills and Orario, the Dwarves would have to return all the illegally purchased Elven Slaves and had to publically renounce all active Slave Farms that still existed within their territory.
Though the Dwarves did not agree to the later, they did hand over nearly 80% of the ill-gotten slaves, with the remaining amount being 'unaccounted' for after selling them through traders. Since the Dwarves were notorious for keeping a proper account of trades performed, this type of behavior made it so they were only able to exchange their goods at 40% of the initial value, something that had caused the leaders of the caravans to curse the upper echelons of their society.
Just to turn a profit, they had to mark up the prices of food within the Iron Hills several times, as the oceanic trip alone was very expensive. However, the group most affected by the increase in prices were the slaves that still existed within the territories, something that would come back to bite them very hard when Vahn learned about it later. After a few months had passed, Vahn ended up stepping in and 'forcing' the new deal, this time requiring that the Dwarves use their slaves as barter instead of their other products. Though he knew this was 'beneficial' for the Dwarves, Vahn had been more concerned about the slaves under their control and, by the time the matters of the Elven Kingdom had started to stabilize, more than 60,000 Slaves had been exported out of the Dwarven Kingdom.
As a result, Vahn was now hailed as the true hero of the Pallums, even more than Finn as the latter was never known to have accomplished any great feats for their people. Though he was very strong, it was easy to see that Vahn was much stronger and, unlike most people with power and authority, he showed a great deal of concern for the Pallum people. As most of the slaves that had been exported from the Iron Hills were Pallums, there was now a large community of Pallums within Orario, 'affectionally' referred to as 'Little Town' by the residents there. Later, when Vahn would visit there personally, he would end up being embarrassed greatly when he saw a statue of himself had been erected at the plaza they had constructed...
Other than the developing issues between the Alliance and the Iron Hills, there was a major shift occurring within the Rakia Kingdom as well. Though there had been a great deal of propaganda painting Vahn as a 'Demon' after the latter had destroyed all the border fortifications, things had escalated even further now. This had been the byproduct of a massive increase in the number of people trying to flee the Rakia Kingdom, exploiting the lack of border security. As a result, the Ares Familia had cracked down hard on the lower echelons of society and everyone below second class citizens had actually been forced into slave contracts or killed.
Unfortunately, as there had been an absolute information lockdown of the events taking place in the Rakia Kingdom, with only a few rumors circulating about, Vahn had been unaware of these travesties. He had been so focused on the matters regarding the Elven Kingdom, the Alliance, and the internal affairs of the Hearth Manor, that it had slipped under his radar. Now, Rakia Kingdom had been consolidating its forces, performing a mass conscription effort that had increased their numbers from nearly 80,000 to more than 200,000. It almost seemed like they were preparing for a massive invasion, unlike anything the world had ever seen before...
To make matters worse, as a result of their antagonistic relationship with the Alliance, some of the less above-board families from the Iron Hills had started trading weapons and supplies to the Rakia Kingdom. These exchanges were highly illegal, even within the Iron Hills, but it didn't seem like anyone was making any efforts to regulate them at the present. Officials within the Iron Hills, comprising the eight most powerful families, simply turned a blind eye to these black market dealings. It was their hope that, even though the Rakia Kingdom would likely fail in its efforts, they would be able to benefit from the resultant conflict...
Watching all of this from high atop the world, deep within the heart of the City of Heroes, there were three gods gathered around a circular table. Ultimately, though Zeus still harbored a grudge against Vahn, he decided to listen to Odin's advice and watch how things play out. Since it could easily be seen that the actions Vahn was currently taking were 'just', it would have been counter to the fundamental nature of their organization to interfere before things had stabilized. They also couldn't exactly try to fight him within the boundaries of the Elven Kingdom, or Orario, as the amount of devastation that would be wrought would be cataclysmic.
It was decided that, as long as Vahn was focused more on positive developments than actual control, he would be 'allowed' to continue. If, however, he tried to make a play for power and assume a high political position, they would send him a warning and begin preparing their own forces. Though the Heroes within the City had taken vows to not interfere with the matters of the world, unless it was endangered, Vahn's presence at that point would become a real threat, at least in the interim. Yes, he might be able to create a much better world for the survivors, but the number of people that would die in the transition would be horrifying. After all, Vahn's personal kill count at this point number in the five digits, something that made it very difficult to consider him a 'true' Hero...
Ultimately, it wasn't simply Vahn's actions that had caused Zeus to take a step back, as it had actually been the influence of his grandson that made him momentarily swallow his pride. Bell had ended up hearing of everything Vahn had done, mainly through a positive lens from interacting with people within their small village. As the people to benefit the most from Vahn's efforts had been the poor, there were a large number of people that were migrating from the border villages and trying to enter Orario.
Previously, people only migrated to Orario if they wanted to become Adventurers, as it was very difficult to get established in the City without joining a Familia. Within the Alliance territory, however, the only thing you needed to do in order to get a foothold was to enter a two-year labor contract. Even if you didn't want to become an Adventurer, you could earn a living by helping in the construction efforts, or working within one of the businesses within the Alliance's territory. If you still wanted to become an Adventurer, it was now much easier to join a Familia since you just needed to go to the Guild and they would direct you to any recruiting Familia within the Alliance.
Presently, there were a total of 93 Familia comprising the Alliance, with their members accounting for more than 170,000 people, though the majority were support and logistics personnel. This was because, though there were several powerful Expedition-Type Familia within the Alliance, the majority of their Familia were production oriented. To add to this, the top three merchant Familia were also members and, as a result of the massive focus on production and distribution of items, combined with the large workforce controlled by the Alliance, they now had a monopoly on most of the high-quality goods and services. Almost everything, from small businesses, simple household goods, to high-end equipment, it all carried the mark of the Alliance and the Familia that had produced it.
Bell, after hearing about everything Vahn had done, and how 'amazing' a person he was, had become one of his biggest fans. The fact that Vahn was touted as a hero, who was also surrounded by a large number of beautiful women, had left a deep impression on the boy's heart. After all, his Grandfather had been telling him for years that a true Hero was always surrounded by beauties, especially those they had saved within the Dungeon. Since there were girls like Naaza and Lili involved with Vahn, Bell believed Vahn was the exact type of Hero he wanted to be.
When Zeus heard his grandson fanboying over Vahn, he didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. Though he had a personal grudge against Vahn, it was hard to paint him in a negative light without having any means to actually justify why Vahn was 'wrong'. After all, he had been educating Bell to pursue the path of a Hero, very similar to the one Vahn had been walking for the last two and a half years. If he suddenly changed his tune, it could completely ruin the trust Bell had placed in him, as his words would be contrary to years of careful grooming, all without any easily justifiable excuses. Even if he tried to slander Vahn, it would likely come back to bite him in the end after Bell learned of the rumors associated with him...thus, begrudgingly, Zeus had returned to the City of Heroes and compromised with a very surprised Odin.
Now, unless Vahn started making a play for his own power and authority, Zeus had decided to keep his personal grudge close at heart but not allowing it to affect his decisions. Instead, he actually intended to have Bell try to join the Alliance when the latter finally started his journey. Because they were trying to get a foothold in the Dungeon, Zeus knew they would be a useful stepping stone on Bell's own adventure, allowing him to kickstart his Heroic tale. Zeus also believed that Vahn himself would probably take note of Bell at some point and help promote his strength further. Since Vahn didn't seem like the type to 'force' people into doing things, only making sure they weren't acting to exploit others, his organization would be very beneficial for Bell's growth.
At the same time, Zeus believed that Bell's fate would actually put him in a position to even become Vahn's protege and eventually rise up to the top of the Alliance's internal power hierarchy. This would put Bell into a prime position to receive even more benefits in the future, even if it took several years for there to be any returns. After all, though there were several beautiful girls around Vahn, it was also well known that he had a large number of daughters. There were also hundreds of women that were drawn to him, from a variety of different species and, as Vahn had apparently 'closed' his doors to additional women, this made it very easy for others to swoop in and pick them up.
Though his grandson was a little girly, Zeus knew the boy had a powerful resolve just waiting to be awoken. After all, the flow of fate around Bell was unlike anything he had ever seen before and, in the future, Zeus knew it would set him on a road where he would reach the pinnacle. As the boy's legend continued to expand, the number of women around Vahn would eventually shift their focus to the 'available' Bell, making him the prime candidate since the latter should be near the heart of the Alliance by then.
After a few years passed, Zeus even believed his grandson might be able to conquer the hearts of some of Vahn's daughters, especially those that he had sired with goddesses. Zeus knew the girls apparently grew up much faster than normal and, if rumors were to be believed, the three eldest actually appeared to be similar in age to his grandson. He felt like fate itself had engineered events to benefit his grandson and, in the future, Bell might even become the leader of the Heroes of Legend...
Though Odin didn't know why Zeus had changed his mind, he was just grateful that the errant god avoided causing them even more trouble. With rumors of Vahn's exploits also circulating among the members of Legend, some of the 'troublesome' Heroes had been talking about going to 'test' Vahn themselves. The only thing that prevented them from taking action were the vows that bound them and, unless they were given a 'mission' to deal with Vahn, they wouldn't be able to justify their actions so easily.
Currently, the only way they could fight against Vahn would be to draw him out of the City, much like how Siegfried had done in the past. However, with all the things Vahn was currently involved with, it wasn't that likely the latter would place any heavy emphasis on the challenges of others. There was also a very real chance that Vahn would be able to seriously injure, or kill, some of their members and, as they didn't actually have a reason to fight right now, that would simply be wasteful. Presently, other than a few of their more 'unique' members, there weren't any practical means to even deal with the 'lightning elemental transformation' of Vahn.
Few people would be able to contend with the speed and power afforded by such a technique and, if Zeus was to be believed, he actually seemed to have a transformation that allowed Vahn to manipulate time, at least with the help of his True Dragon. That was another one of the more troublesome aspects of Vahn, as the latter seemed to be able to greatly increase the strengths of others, including monsters. According to the information they had on hand, it was almost like everyone directly involved with Vahn were able to greatly increase their rate of growth. Many of the girls around him were actually approaching a Level where they themselves could be considered Heroes. This was the main reason that Odin wanted to get Vahn on their side, instead of antagonizing him, as they desperately needed to increase their own numbers.
Odin had put in a lot of effort siring the Valkyries, hoping they would become the companions of Heroes and help bolster their numbers further into the future. Unfortunately, this plan didn't pan out very well because many of the Heroes were more interested in girls like Helen and, as a result of general incompatibilities, his daughters had essentially become glorified servants and messengers. It bothered Odin that his daughters weren't actually able to serve any greater purpose, which was one of the reasons he sometimes allowed Zeus to release his tensions on them.
Odin hoped that one of the Valkyries would eventually give birth to a higher form Demigod, similar to what Vahn was purported to be. It also allowed him to release his own frustrations, as watching Hera rage and brood about always brought a smile to his face. The fact she always supported Zeus, regardless of what idiotic decisions the latter made, had always caused him an endless amount of frustrations. If not for the pact they had made long ago, Odin would have recruited more gods into their inner circle, just to avoid the situation where he was constantly forced to go along with their foolish decisions...
---
Far away from the City of Heroes, on the eastern side of the Continent of Eden, there was a vast forest that protected a fertile plain, completely inaccessible by anyone not of Amazonian heritage. This was the location of Telkyura, the country led by the current generation Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Other than the goddesses that resided within her borders, which were the main faith of her people, she had absolute power and complete control over the laws and regulations imposed upon her people. As the strongest of the Amazons, she was revered and respected by her people and, other than the goddesses themselves, there were none that could question her decisions.
This proud Queen, powerful and terrifying to all that knew her, was currently beating a pillar made of pure Adamantine with her bare fists. The number of Amazons that had been 'curious' about the outside world had been continuing to increase as of late. As a result, their 'core' strength had been decreasing rapidly and it was all because of Vahn, whose visage was carved into the Adamantine pillar Hippolyta was punching. She didn't mind that her people wanted to seek out the 'strongest' potential mate but, instead of doing their duty, her Amazonesses were just off 'playing games'.
The 'purpose' of Amazonesses leaving the country was supposed to be so they could find powerful mates, conceive children, and then return to their country to make sure the next generation was able to prosper. She hadn't even cared that many of her people would become prostitutes as, at the very least, this allowed them to fulfill their purpose, their duty. Now, however, a large number of her people were migrating to Orario to play 'sports' and serve within the group that should be their enemy, the Alliance.
Hippolyta, by virtue of being the Queen of the Amazons, vehemently hated Orario and everything it represented. Like all Queens before her, she believed that her Amazonesses were the most superior species in the entire world, beneath only the gods themselves. The fact that Orario was a gathering place for many races, who then lived peacefully with each other, seemed like a very bad joke. Peace led to nothing but stagnation and creating an environment where the weak could prosper ran contrary to the very beliefs of her people. Knowing that her Amzonesses were 'contributing' to this massive farce, Hippolyta was very discontent...
The only reason she tolerated things thus far is that the Alliance had greatly improved the status and acceptance of Amazonesses within Orario. Instead of being treated as troublesome and licentious women, they were now highly respected and had greater rights afforded to them in the past. A large number of them were also part of the Alliance, which had the greatest concentration of 'suitable' males to choose from. Instead of being prostitutes in a brothel, they were often in close proximity to capable mates that would sire the next generation of Amazonesses.
This, however, didn't mean Hippolyta liked the situation at all, especially when she heard how happily her people were talking about 'sports' instead of 'fighting'. Within Telskyura, the only form of acceptable entertainment was dancing and fighting, often combined together. This allowed them to greatly increase their strength and continue their legacy that had been passed down for nearly ten thousand years. It also prevented their people from becoming stagnant, even if their culture didn't move forward quickly...
From Hippolyta's perspective, the changes in the perspective of her people would eventually force them to become stagnant, meaning she would have failed her ancestors. After all, if her people were focused more on 'playing' around, instead of fighting and increasing their strength, their mentality would slowly spread like a sickness that affected their entire race. However, as Orario was the only suitable place to send their people, there was almost nothing she could do to change the situation. She had no influence within Orario itself and, forcing her Amazonesses to go elsewhere would simply guarantee their progeny is weaker than they could have been...it was very vexing...
Suddenly sensing the approach of another person, Hippolyta turned around in a blur of motion, unsheathed her golden sword and pointed it towards the neck of the new arrival. Without even flinching, the Amazoness at the tip of her blade simply stated, "My Queen, we have managed to obtain an item known as a [Projection Sphere] after raiding one of the Alliance's taverns. I have personally confirmed that it has the information you had requested!"
With a curt nod, Hippolyta sheathed her sword and took the strange orb into her hand, her expression not changing in the slightest as she said, "Good work, Myrina. Ensure that our sisters are properly compensated for their efforts. Leave me." Myrina gave a practiced salute before immediately leaving the chamber and returning to her other duties. As one of the Queen's personal guards, being one of the few Level 7s within Telskyura, her duties were without end. She also knew that, after witnessing the sports within the orb herself, that her Queen wouldn't be happy when the latter viewed them. Though Myrina thought they were very entertaining to watch, it probably wouldn't be seen that way by her Queen...
(A/N: Since people wanted some more information about what was going on outside of the City, I made this chapter to wrap up Vol 15 a little more cohesively :). Also, as some of you had noticed, there is indeed one girl within the Manor that is pregnant >:D...)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Dwarves and Obstinacy go hand in hand','Bell has been corrupted by the Godhand...!','I like how Hippolyta is beating an indestructible version of Vahn...it is very realistic training (UwU)...!')
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Capítulo 773: Small Steps
Deep within the heart of the Elven Kingdom, which seemed to be ushering in a new era of peace, Vahn was currently nursing a slight headache as he listened to the King once again ask, "Are you certain you wish to step down as acting Prime Minister? You have done an excellent job thus far, Vahn, and I believe you are suited to the position..." Rubbing the bridge of his nose, while Rivera chuckled lightly from the side, Vahn looked into Larfal's jade-green eyes and repeated, "I have already done everything I can with this position, and I need to focus on the matters of the Alliance now. My intuition tells me that events have already been set into motion that will affect the entire world, not just Orario and the Elven Kingdom...besides, the Elven Kingdom can't simply rely on the effort of Riveria and myself for its prosperity..."
Larfal, understanding Vahn's words to be the truth, released a sigh and, once again, asked, "Will you not rethink it...?" This time, Riveria began to laugh lightly while Vahn simply turned away and said, "I'll stop by to make sure things are running smoothly when I can. If there are any emergencies, you can always contact the Alliance and request assistance..." Without turning to look at the King, Vahn raised his hand and continued to walk towards the exit, Riveria falling in line beside him with a gentle smile that always seemed to adorn her face these days. Larfal continued watching them until the large ornate wooden doors had closed before releasing another long sigh, muttering, "Things are going to get busy for me now...I hope my grandson grows up quickly...haaaaa..."
On their way out, Vahn sensed a troublesome presence approaching at a relatively fast pace, bringing him to a halt and causing Riveria to incline her head in confusion. This didn't last long, however, when she saw the doors at the end of the corridor burst open, revealing a petite figure with white-gold hair and dark blue eyes. She was one of the few people that could freely run through the Palace without being stopped and, for the last year, one of the things that had constantly been wearing away at Vahn's patience. Of course, if anyone heard him say such a thing, they would have looked at him like he was the greatest fool in the world. After all, the young woman with pointy ears was none other than the High Priestess, Sylfia, a beautiful young maiden who could even make gods and spirits turn their heads.
Sylfia was currently breathing a little heavily as she walked forward with hasty steps until she was right in front of Vahn and Riveria. She took a few seconds to calm her breathing, putting on the air of a proper young lady before asking, "Are you really going...?" Then, without waiting for the answer, Sylfia adopted a resolute look and said, "Please, take me with you...!" This time, Vahn closed his eyes, containing the profound sigh he was tempted to release before saying in a calm tone, "Sylfia...at this point in time, your presence is needed to help the Elven people tide through this transition...besides, I've told you several times that I'm not trying to increase the number of women around me...you will be happier if you find someone else to love..."
To this statement, Sylfia just snorted and, not minding Riveria's presence at all, stepped forward and grabbed Vahn's other arm. She didn't say anything and just continued holding onto him, almost as though she had completely ignored his refusal. This caused Riveria to nudge Vahn slightly, a small smile on her face as she mentally communicated, ("Elves, especially High Elves, can be pretty obstinate when it comes to things like love, Vahn...you should be very aware of this...")
With Riveria's words, the image of Ryuu, Eina, and Risna all entered Vahn's mind, with the latter being another one of his 'concerns' as of late. He knew that Riveria was right, as even Aina, Eina's and Risna's mother, had been willing to spend hundreds of years without remarrying after her husband finally dies. Typically, an Elf didn't look for a life partner until they were between 50-100 years old and, when they finally found one, it was generally a life-long love. There were actually legends about unrequited loves that had become tragic tales as, without being able to follow the one their heart had been dedicated to, many female Elves would simply spend the rest of their years alone...
If not for the fact that even goddesses, many hundreds of millions of years old, had also fallen in love with him over a relatively short period of time, Vahn wouldn't be able to process how quickly the Elven women in his life fell for him. Riveria was at the 'correct' age, but girls like Ryuu and Lefiya were 'very' young to have already entered into a relationship, with the former even becoming a mother at an inordinately early age. With Risna and now Sylfia looking to enter into a relationship with him, Vahn felt greatly conflicted and simply wished they could be more patient. Things were going to be very hectic for a while and he didn't think it would be 'right' to start new relationships with girls when he could barely manage his current affairs...
Fortunately, as he was brooding over the best course of action to take, two other presences closed in on their position, each belonging to Deina and Irisalia. When Sylfia saw them, her body tensed up and she tried to hide behind his back as the two mature High Elves observed with stern expressions on their faces. Vahn, seeing this, took a slow breath through his nose before smiling as he said, "Good morning, Deina, Irisalia...you seem...healthy..." Deina, never quite forgiving him for the backhand she had earned, simply snorted in response. Irisalia, however, gave a somewhat wry smile as she said, "I heard you will be leaving the Kingdom for a while...the Elven people will miss your presence dearly..."
To this, Vahn just shook his head lightly and said, "Well, it isn't as though I won't be visiting when I have time. It doesn't take long for me to jump over and check in on things, and I'll probably come by to visit with Riveria and Lefiya when they want to stop by..." Turning to Sylfia, who was still hiding behind his back, Vahn lifted his hand and began petting the top of her head as he said, "Your people need you right now, Sylfia...but...once things settle down...haaaa..." Vahn hadn't been able to finish the words but, understanding what he meant, Sylfia immediately became bubbly as she grabbed his hand and bounced around happily. It wasn't until Irisalia and Deina 'dragged' her away that Vahn was finally liberated from the rather 'unique' High Elf...
Riveria, still holding onto his other arm, squeezed it gently as she said, "There is nothing wrong with having more love to give, Vahn...we all understand what kind of person you are...even I...ufufufu~." As there weren't any people to see them, Riveria leaned her head against Vahn's shoulder and showed a lovely smile on her face. This last year had been very fulfilling for her, especially since her son was growing quickly and had even said his first words, gratifying her as he had inarticulately cooed 'Mama'. Since most of Vahn's children almost always said 'Papa' first, Riveria felt strangely prideful about the matter and had teased Vahn 'excessively' about it after the fact...
With Riveria leaning against his shoulder, Vahn couldn't prevent a small smile from spreading across his rather tired looking face. In truth, if not for how busy things had been over the last year, he likely wouldn't have been able to actually refuse Sylfia for very long. She was a smart girl who was pleasant to be around, especially since she was always deferential and honest with him, something very rare for a High Elf. Though she wasn't prone to 'embarrassment', another rare trait, her assistance had been instrumental in ensuring things ran smoothly within the Kingdom. If he were to be honest, she had found a small part of his heart and laid claim to it, something he couldn't honestly refute...
For the time being, however, he simply couldn't divert his focus even further than he already had been, especially since things should be picking up with Orario. He wasn't lying when he told Sylfia her presence was needed in the Kingdom but, inversely, his own was required within Orario. The expedition down to the 50th Floor was scheduled only a month from now and it was nearing time for Alexa to exit the Space-Time orb. He also needed to handle his tasks as the representative of the Alliance and, as his own strength had been stuck around the middle of Level 6 for a while, Vahn knew he needed to begin training soon. Simply put, he just didn't have time to invest himself in new relationships, especially with the fact that girls like Nanu, Risna, Tina, and Shizune were becoming 'pressing' issues...
Because they had been making use of the Sub-Space orb, even sparingly, the youngest of the previous 'youth' troupe was now, chronologically, seventeen years old. Shizune and Risna, who had been staying in the orb a lot more than the other two, were actually 24 and 22 respectively, even though their appearances hadn't changed much. Shizune, at least, no longer looked like a ten-year-old girl and, using the nutrition supplements he had developed, she now looked to be around 13-14 years old, even though her chest hadn't developed that much. The troublesome thing was, Vahn could see their 'patience' had been slowly wearing down, especially since they were all of legal age, with the exclusion of Tina.
Tina was still thirteen, if ignoring the amount of time she had spent in the orb, but her birthday was coming up relatively soon. She had also been taking the nutritional supplements and, though she still looked on the younger side, her height had increased to 156cm and her secondary sexual characteristics had been steadily developing. To deal with her 'stress', she had been training very hard with the other girls and, as a result of possessing a 'flame seed', learning magic, and spending several hours polishing her skills, Tina had reached the peak of Level 5 already. She even managed to awaken her Innate, [Eclipse], a terrifying ability that allowed her to enhance her own parameters based on a percentage of her own opponent every time they traded blows.
Thinking of how strong all the girls had become over the last fourteen months, Vahn had a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He was happy they were all a lot more powerful than before, as it would make the future threats easier to deal with, but it felt like he had 'missed' a lot of their growth. As he hadn't been using the orb much, as a result of splitting his time between Orario and the Elven Kingdom, it felt like they had been changing faster than he could easily cope with. He now had a true understanding of how the girls had seen him in the past, with how he was developing much faster than they expected by relying on Eva's orb. Fortunately, none of the girls seemed to be too affected by the fact that they would spend months at a time away from him and it had even made the times when they were together more 'intimate' than expected...
Vahn knew that the girls were a very powerful support group for each other and, as many of them were actually pursuing the path of immortality, they weren't too caught up by the idea that they were 'missing' out on life. The only exceptions to this seemed to be the girls he hadn't actually consummated a relationship with, such as Risna, Tina, and Shizune. Nanu was surprisingly okay with things and had even told him that she wanted to try and become a [Master Smith] before they 'mated'. She was now, chronologically, slightly under twenty years old and had made great strides in her skills as a [Blacksmith], pushing the Development Ability to Rank A under the guidance of Hephaestus and Tsubaki.
Thinking of his young and faithful apprentice, Vahn's smile softened and he kissed the top of Riveria's head, saying, "I'll meet you back at the Manor. I'm going to do one last check on the Sacred Trees before I head back..." Riveria nodded her head and, taking advantage of the fact they were alone, stood on her toes and gave him a quick peck on the lips before smiling. A few seconds later, after being summoned by his other body, Riveria vanished with a magical light and Vahn found himself alone within the corridor while, on the other side, he playfully pinched Riveria's ears. When he said he would meet her back at the Manor, the words had been quite literal. After all, with his ability to control two bodies at once, Vahn could serve as a waypoint for the girls to travel vast distances in very short periods of time.
---
While his main body was flying around above the Elven Kingdom, Vahn had escorted Riveria back to the Manor. They had nearly been run into by a figure exiting through the back door but, as Vahn had already noticed her presence, they had already moved out of the way when Vana burst out through the door. Her eyes widened when she saw them, nearly dropping the pastry from her mouth before grabbing it and saying, "Hey, Papa, Riveria~!" Then, as if realizing something, Vana's eyes began to glimmer as she asked, "Papa, are you busy right now!? I wanted to show you something!" Riveria released his arm when she heard this and just smiled politely as she said, "I'm going to go check on Masonia. You two have fun..."
Vahn followed Riveria's back with his eyes before turning his attention to his eldest daughter, excluding Alexa, and marveling at how much she had grown. Since the girls' appearances hadn't changed that much, as a result of his 'care' in the past, Vana almost looked like she was in the same generation as girls like Ais, Tiona, and Tione. She had the appearance of a girl around 12-14 years old, already 153cm tall with a maturing face and a figure that was quickly following in the footsteps of her mother. It was a very strange feeling, seeing his daughter had already blossomed into a young woman when, just two years ago, she was small enough to lay atop just one of his arms...
Even so, Vana didn't seem to care that her body had changed and, without any hesitation whatsoever, jumped forward and gave him a big hug while shouting, "Yay~! Let's go, let's go~!" Thus, never really able to refuse his daughters' requests, Vahn ended up being dragged into the illusory forest by Vana so that she could show him what had interested her. It didn't take long for them to reach the 'secret' area, which now looked like a proper training field, allowing Vahn to see what his daughter had wanted to show him.
There, in the center of her training area, was a mannequin that Vana often used for her sword training. This time, however, she took out a satchel full of candles and began placing them all over the mannequin before having him stand off to the side. Vahn already understood what Vana wanted to show him but just remained silent, a small smile on his face as he watched her shout, "Doryaaaa!" and send out several 'lines' of flame. In an instant, without burning any part of the mannequin, Vana had lit all the candles and immediately jumped up, raising her fist high as she shouted, "Did you see that, Papa!?"
Without waiting for his answer, Vana had already run forward, poking out her head happily with a large smile on her face that screamed 'praise me'. Then, as if it were the most natural reaction his body had, Vahn reached out his hand and began stroking her ruby-red hair and said, "You're amazing, Vana. You never cease to amaze me~." This compliment caused Vana to release her characteristic 'shishishi' laughter before her eyes suddenly widened and she asked, "So, do you think I'm strong enough to start going on my own adventure now!? I know we're supposed to wait until we're older, but I reeeeeeally really want to try and go into the Dungeon on my own. Please, Papa, pleeeeeeeease~?"
Vahn felt his brain buzz a little when his daughter suddenly started begging him to allow her to risk her life within the Dungeon. Though he hadn't been there to see all of her growth, he knew she was only around the strength of a low Level 2, even with her flames. Vulcan's strength was closer to a Level 4, but it was still far too dangerous to allow her to enter the Dungeon. They still didn't know how the Dungeon would even react to the presence of a Vanir and, as they were unable to possess a Falna, it may not be 'efficient' to even allow her to fight monsters in the Dungeon. Still, though this was the case, Vahn felt like a hand had gripped his heart and it was very difficult to say no at times like this...
Fortunately, Sis' voice sounded out in his mind, saving the day and making his decision a little easier as she reminded, (*You could always give her the [Genesis Flame] and set a goal for her to reach before accompanying her into the Dungeon personally. Also, you'll need to let her fight at some point if you want to verify the use of the [Heroic Tale].*)
When he heard these guiding words, Vahn knew that Sis was right and all of the things she pointed out were actually 'very' important to the future of the Vanir. The [Heroic Tale] was supposed to record all the detail of the Vanir's life and, according to its description, it even rewards them with items, skills, and abilities when they performed feats acknowledged by the record. It was almost like they all had their own sub-system to make use of, which would allow them to become much stronger than normal, especially if they were able to overcome difficult trials. Still, Vahn felt nervous about any of his children entering into the Dungeon...though, thinking about it more clearly, this was probably similar to how most parents felt...
After releasing a sigh, Vahn pulled his hand away from Vana's head and, before she could begin pouting, pulled out a scarlet red book and a tiny vermillion colored seed that made the surrounding temperature begin to rapidly increase. Holding out the seed, Vahn smiled and explained, "This is a unique artifact you had been born with, Vana, called the [Genesis Flame]. When you consume this seed, you will be able to create and control flames at will. I wanted to make sure you had been able to control your normal flames before giving this to you...I believe you are ready now..."
Vana took the seed into her hands, feeling a very strong attachment to it and, without waiting for a single moment longer, immediately tossed it into her mouth. It felt like she had swallowed a very warm and delicious soup that spread through her stomach before warming up her entire body. Unable to resist the pleasant feeling, Vana released a light moan that made Vahn's flinch as he continued to hold out the [Heroic Tale] with a blank expression on his face. When she had regained her focus, he held out the book and explained, "This is another item that is bound to you, called the [Heroic Tale]...you will need to keep it safe, as it will become very important if you want to become strong in the future."
When she heard this, Vana reached out and grabbed the book, causing it to immediately flash with a magical light as the name on the cover changed to read 'The Heroic Tale of Vana Mason'. This caused her fiery eyes to glimmer like a blazing flame as she opened up the book to see what the contents contained. There, on the first page, surprising the both of them, was a Status Board that listed all of Vana's current parameters, including values for Soul and Divinity...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Status]]
Name: Vana Mason
Title: Little Firecracker [Increases control of fire elemental energy]
Race: Vanir
Age: C2, P13, M8
Level: 2
POW: G230
END: E418
DEX: F391
AGI: F317
MAG: D553
SOUL: 3 [Lord Soul]
Divinity: Fire[pseudo:56%], Life[pseudo:17%]
Skills: [Inheritor of Flame:Innate:D], [Shepherd's Grace:Innate:I], [Precise Thrust:E], [Featherfoot:F]
Magic: [Genesis Flame:Innate:I], [Sagitta Magicka:G], [Flame Lance:D]
Development Abilities: [Eternal Flame Spirit:Innate:F], [Swordsman:H]
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Seeing Vana's Status, Vahn realized he had made an error as a result of his concerns that the girls hadn't been ready to make use of their artifacts and [Heroic Tale]s. Since Vana's [Genesis Flame] actually showed as one of her Innates, Vahn realized he had set them back slightly by not allowing them to develop their artifacts while they were growing. Now that he thought about it, as all of the artifacts were nourished by the soul, it made a lot of sense that they had some relation to the girls' Innates. He would have to check with Ina and Erika to see if they actually had a (sealed) version of the abilities before he gave them their artifacts...
Vana's eyes were glimmering excitedly when she saw her own Status, especially since there were so many cool abilities she didn't even know she had. Still, the things she was happiest about were the fact that she managed to awaken the [Featherfoot] skill and [Swordsman] Development Ability. It had bothered her a little not being able to see if she was able to use the same skills as everyone else. Now that she was able to tell that her efforts had paid off, Vana was incredibly excited so she hugged the scarlet book tightly before shouting, "Thank you, Papa, I love you~!"
Vahn was broken from his thoughts by Vana's shout, instinctually smiling as he reached out and began to ruffle her hair again. He then spent the better part of half an hour giving Vana a few goals that she would need to reach before she was able to 'accompany' him into the Dungeon. Just like they weren't supposed to start dating until they were 14, Vahn told her she wasn't allowed to venture into the Dungeon on her own until she was, at least, ten years old. However, as long as she went with one of the Level 7 girls, or himself, she would be allowed to register as an Adventurer and start going into the Dungeon once she had completed her challenges...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Won't you reconsider...?','Sylfia is very persistent (o,...,o)!','Vana is the new MC!?')
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