ดาวน์โหลดแอป
19.06% Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos / Chapter 446: New Year's Resolutions (2/3)

บท 446: New Year's Resolutions (2/3)

After his discussion with Hephaestus and Hestia came to an end, Vahn made the rounds and greeted everyone a happy new year. Hephaestus was still very tired so she ended up going back to sleep alongside Hestia, who also wanted to take a nap. Even though it was nearly 10 AM, Vahn found that many of the residents of the Manor were either still sleeping or were somewhat tired from the previous night. Not only had everyone stayed up late to celebrate the wedding, but they also brought in the new years together and, other than the youth troupe and the pregnant women, almost everyone else got drunk. Even Ais, who Vahn didn't think was the type to drink, had apparently passed out clinging to Lefiya's body like a hug pillow...

Ultimately, Vahn ended up in his own workshop after finding out what Eina had planned for the rest of the day. She had been talking with Milan, who was also in the process of moving rooms with Shizune and Tina, and they ended up having Eina move into their old room. Milan, Tina, and Shizune all ended up in their own rooms on the second floor alongside Ais, Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya. Tina and Fenrir were going to be roommates, even though Fenrir actually stayed in various rooms depending on her own mood. She often slept with Preasia in the past, but now seemed to be getting closer with Tiona, Ais, Ryuu, Tione, and Lefiya as well.

As it didn't actually eat any of his time, Vahn decided to go through the rest of the [Hearts Desire]s since he wanted to continue with the same resolve that he had found earlier. Hestia's matter was somewhat 'unique' so Vahn assumed the rest wouldn't be that difficult to manage. There were some he even looked forward to since he was interested to know what kind of background the girls came from to arrive at their current lifestyles. Checking his inventory, Vahn still had the [Hearts Desire]s of Aki, Ryuu, Lunoire, Tione, Tsubaki, Emiru, Maemi, and the recent additions of Preasia, Milan, and Eina. He somewhat regretted having put them off for so long since it seemed like a bit of a trial to go through each of them simultaneously...

(A/N: The way a [Heart's Desire] works is that is shows is relatively simple. If the person can't let go of their past easily, or their past 'defines' them, Vahn would experience the important memories held close to that person's heart. If the person had moved on from the past, but still has some lingering memories, Vahn would end up in the memory queue and get to experience the feelings of the person for each of those memories in sequence. For those that have no real attachment to the past, Vahn would see an almost sentient version of that person, their avatar, and then space would collapse later. In other words, damaged people carry a greater heart's desire than functionally content people.)

Using Aki's [Hearts Desire], which had been a pale onyx color, Vahn ended up the same endless black void except this time, like when he had seen Nanu's in the past, there was a beautiful nude version of Aki waiting for his arrival with a smile on her face. Vahn could see a few memories fading in the backdrop of the world and noticed at a glance than many of them contained the face of a boy he had met before, though had never been introduced to. The Aki avatar smiled up at the memories and said in a somewhat sad tone, "Raul...I wonder how our paths diverged so greatly..."

Though Vahn had already gotten over his 'guilt' about the former relationship between Aki and Raul, he still felt somewhat sorry to see her expression as she watched her own memories fade. However, her melancholy didn't last for long and the avatar quickly walked over to him with a beautiful smile on her face as she stroked her lower abdomen and asked, "Do you want to listen...?" Vahn smiled widely at her offer before kneeling down and placing his ear against her belly. Though it was still a bit early in the real world, Vahn was able to hear a small heartbeat this time and it made any negative feelings he might have had fade away entirely...

Awakening from the vision, Vahn got a similar series of notifications and the 'standard' pregnancy quest as normal, with the exception that Aki was already listed as pregnant. He was a little sad to see that her 'Love' was only at a value of 638 and decided to 'pamper' her a bit more in the future before pulling out the leafy green orb belonging to Ryuu. Since Ryuu had already told her a fair amount about his past, Vahn didn't expect to glean too much from her [Hearts Desire] and even hoped she was one of the girls who he had already made to feel happy. Unfortunately, though he already had a lifelong promise with the beautiful elf, Vahn ended opening his eyes in the body of what he knew to be Ryuu...

---

Ryuu was born into a tribe of Elves that cultivated 'sacred trees' that were used to create various staves and artifacts for use by the somewhat oppressive High Elves. Throughout the early part of the vision, Vahn got to experience several instances of Ryuu being taunted and mistreated by arrogant High Elves and, even when she complained to her own family, they actually reprimanded her for 'inconveniencing' the High Elves. Their family had been the servants of some of the smaller noble houses for generations and there was even a sickening instance where Ryuu's mother, a kind looking Elven woman, 'casually' explained to her how to 'cope' with the situation if a High Elf decided to rape her. She was told not to resist or 'cause trouble' since it would impact their entire family if she offended one of them...

Combined with the fact that Ryuu had longed for the outside world, which her parents referred to as a land full of 'savages' and 'barbarians'. Since it was actually the 'so-called' beautiful High Elves that acted in the most disgusting of manners, even at the expense of their own subjects, Ryuu didn't believe their words at all and eventually fled her home forest. Soon after arriving in Orario, which she had learned from several caravans was the 'beacon of light' for all races, she quickly found herself as a member of the Astrea Familia which was full of beautiful and capable women that had righteous principles, even if some of their dispositions were questionable.

For several years, Ryuu was relatively happy and felt like she was accomplishing something worthwhile with her life and had even made several strong bonds, especially with Astrea, Alise Lovell, Gojouno Kaguya, and the sly Pallum, Lyra. Though they had their share of conflicts, Alise was a kind and lively woman that always treated Ryuu well and taught her what it meant to truly represent righteousness. Other than the fact that Alise always called her 'Lion', Ryuu was quite fond of the woman and often confided in her when she was feeling down. As for Kaguya, she was a beautiful 'princess-like' woman that hailed from the Far East and was somewhat unfazed by the general dealings within the Familia. She was a bit abrasive at times, but she had a strong sense of justice and often donated the majority of her earnings to various orphanages around the City. Lastly, the Pallum girl, Lyra, was a bit of a mischievous girl who had grown up on the 'dark' side of society and finally found her way into the light by the time she became an adult. She taught Ryuu how to 'exploit' others, not for personal benefit, but to expose the true nature of people and track down criminals and con artists. Ryuu had never seen them together, but she also boldly claimed that she was the closest woman to becoming the wife of the Pallum 'hero', Finn Dieme...

Unfortunately, Ryuu's happiness didn't last long at all and she learned the hard way that evil was drawn to the light, not to escape the darkness, but in an effort to snuff out the brilliance of would-be heroes. Her entire Familia, with the exception of herself and their goddess, was wiped out on an expedition to the 37th floor after falling into a trap set by the evil organization, Evilus. Ryuu barely escaped with her life and spent all of her days after that trying to seek vengeance against the cruel-hearted individuals that had robbed her of her happiness. Eventually, after going on a killing spree that lasted nearly two months, Ryuu found herself having vanquished the majority of Evilus but on death's doorstep in the pouring rain after having succumbed to injuries obtained during a fight with Chloe and Lunoire...

Just as Ryuu believed she was about to breath her last, she managed to escape the battle with the assistance of Arnya and came across Syr in an alleyway. Fortunately, the two bounty hunters learned that they had fallen into the scheme of a lesser criminal organization and everyone ended up compromising later as they all joined the Hostess of Fertility as a cover for future operations. Syr nursed Ryuu back to health and both Chloe and Lunoire apologized to her for the incident and promised to make it up to her in time...

For the better part of three years, Ryuu had slowly started to regain her happiness by associating with the other 'damaged' girls at the Hostess of Fertility. She came to respect Syr's character greatly and she even saw the image of her former comrades in the relatively young human girl. She had a nearly perfect appearance, was often kind to others, even at the expense of herself, and even spent a large portion of her money and free time helping out at an orphanage. The kicker, at least for Ryuu, was the fact that Syr was also a sly girl just like Lyra, even though she was much better at hiding it that the rambunctious Pallum girl...

After returning from Melen, Ryuu and Syr met a very handsome boy at their main store and, against all of Ryuu's expectations, the boy easily managed to reach out and grab her hand. She could feel her heart begin to beat rapidly in her chest and, from that day onwards, thoughts of the boy constantly plagued her heart. Syr seemed to be interested in him as well, which made Ryuu somewhat sad since she didn't want to compete with her, but Ryuu quickly learned that the boy, Vahn Mason, wasn't such a 'simple' individual.

It made her somewhat uncomfortable, but Ryuu learned that there were several women that were in active relationships with the boy, including two powerful Adventurers from the Loki Familia. However, even though she had thoughts of giving up on the matter, Syr actually constantly convinced her to give the boy a chance and even talked about how he could 'save' all of them with his 'light'. With Chloe and Arnya as the forerunners, Syr began to get every girl in the pub more involved with the boy, including Ryuu herself...

Ryuu quickly learned that Syr's 'intuition' had indeed been correct and, after a series of events transpired, Ryuu quickly found herself having fallen for the boy completely. The incident where he charged into the enemy's headquarters to save the two Cat Persons resonated deeply with her and she wished that she could stand at his side to help vanquish evil. When they returned home that night, Syr had gathered everything together and began discussing a plan to 'help' Vahn and the two victim girls that he had saved...

Over time, as Ryuu interacted more and more with Vahn, she found that her defenses had started to waver greatly. Though it was only for brief periods of time, she often found herself making casual contact with the boy and, as she listened to the recounting of his exploits, they made her feel excited and even happy. When things developed to the point that Syr had approached her to 'protect' Vahn, Ryuu had accepted without any hesitation at all. Just imagining what it would be like to spend so much time with Vahn, especially when he often did such heroic deeds, made Ryuu feel very excited...

Though there were some hiccups along the way, especially regarding the troublesome wolf girl that Vahn had somehow 'tamed', Ryuu eventually found herself in several intimate moments with Vahn. When she was entrusted to care for him in the bath, Ryuu had decided that she wanted to keep her promise with her former companions and had made the decision to take Vahn's hand and never let him go. However, even though she found this resolve inside of her, Ryuu knew that things wouldn't be so easy. Because of the light that he represented, there would be countless enemies that would rise to the task of trying to snuff him out. The more Ryuu learned about Vahn, the more apparent this became and she began honing herself like a blade to take action when he was in danger. Even if it cost her life, Ryuu decided that Vahn couldn't die anymore...

---

Vahn was surprised that Ryuu's [Hearts Desire] didn't actually continue for much longer, especially considering they had become much closer after the visions in the orb. It seemed that, though they were both in love with each other, Ryuu's desire seemed to extend beyond them and had a broader range that took into consideration their enemies. If he wanted to be able to satisfy her desire, something he thought he had been able to do several times in the past after making the promise at the gravesite, Vahn would either have to become strong enough that his enemies couldn't harm him. It was either that or he would have to help Ryuu get to a status where she was confident in her own power and could protect him herself.

Somewhat disappointed that he hadn't 'completed' Ryuu's desire, Vahn pulled out the hazy brown orb that belonged to Lunoire and crushed it into his palm expecting another long vision. However, against his expectations, Vahn found himself face-to-face with the gentle smile of the naked Lunoire as the memories faded around them. She had already poured her heart out to Vahn in the past, without coating over things at all, and she was simply happy to be shown such care and concern by the handsome boy. After hugging his head into her chest, Lunoire stroked the back of his head and whispered, "Thank you for giving me a real home, Vahn...I think I have the confidence to start walking forward again...walk with me sometimes, okay...?"

When he returned to the real world after what seemed like only a few seconds, Vahn felt like his brain had stalled a bit as the smiling face of Lunoire continued to display within his mind. Releasing a long sigh, Vahn promised to treat her better in the future since it didn't really seem like she truly desired anything. Her 'Love' parameter, which had been unlocked with the standard notifications, was only at 174 and Vahn wanted to change that to make her happier. This was something Vahn noticed crossed his mind every time he had realizations like this and it always resulted in a relatively simple, yet incredibly significant thought...he wanted to make all of the girls happier. With that thought in mind, he pulled out a snow-blue orb and tried to crush it, only to find that it was incredibly hard.

As he had been pulling out the orbs in 'chronological' order, Vahn had selected Emiru's orb next and now found himself in a peculiar situation where it didn't break. However, he quickly realized that it likely related to her sister so he pulled out the purple lilac colored orb and held both of them in his hands. Squeezing his hands slightly, Vahn confirmed his speculation as both orbs broke and he once again found himself in the black abyss, this time alone as several vibrant memories passed through the void.

Because they were almost always together, even during the bath and while sleeping, Emiru and Maemi had nearly identical memories and, it not for the fact that there was a strange three-dimensional illusion to the images, Vahn would have expected he was looking at just one series of images. Since the girls shared a different perspective, even for the same memories, the memories 'popped' a lot more and Vahn was able to experience the conflicts both girls felt during each event...

Vahn quickly realized that most of the colors of the girls' memories were all dull and moderate colors, with few happy, sad, or even traumatic events at all. Other than the hunger and aching they would feel in their bodies during the harsh winters, the girls spent most of their time simply bored as they performed their duties. Since the women were required to take care of the livestock and tend to the homes, Emiru and Maemi were often only able to have fun if they played together since many of the other children avoided them for being 'strange'.

Unfortunately, this peculiarity wasn't shunned by everyone and, as the girls continued to age, it was quickly arranged for them to marry into one of the other households within the clan. The twins were very distraught over the matter because the man had been the same one that appeared in many of their negative memories because he always creeped them out. He often acted 'too nice' to them and had even 'stumbled' in on them in the bath when they were young girls.

The fact that their father had betrothed them to the man, who was more than twenty years older than they were, made both girls very dissatisfied. He had taken advantage of the famine they were facing and simply used the dowry of a single fat pig in exchange for both of their hands. Unable to accept this outcome, the girls instead convinced their mother that it would benefit the entire clan if they were simply sold as exotic slaves and exported to the City...

Every time things got harsh for the clan, merchants and slave traders would show up almost immediately so it wasn't difficult at all to arrange. Though their would-be husband complained about the matter, a single pig couldn't compare against the entire cart of barley that was given by the slave trader as compensation. The cart would be able to last the entire small clan for several months whereas the pig would have simply served as a luxury item unless they turned it into smoked jerky...

Thus, with delusions of serving a wealthy Master, the twins 'escaped' their boring lives in the Northern Tundra and became slaves hauled away to the 'big city'. To their surprise, and immense satisfaction, the first man that showed up to purchase them happened to be a very handsome young boy who seemed to have the air of a noble about him even though his face was very kind. Seeing himself reflected in the girls' eyes, Vahn felt somewhat embarrassed because he could tell they saw him as an 'ideal mark' and used their combined charms to earn his pity.

All of the memories after that, at least the ones the girls kept close to their hearts, became colored with a variety of warm colors in stark contrast of their past memories. Because the twins were somewhat 'delusional', Vahn got to see some tantalizing images of the two girls 'playing' with each other as each took turns pretending to be him. When the memories progressed to the point that both girls had received the 'victory underwear' from him, Vahn noticed that most of their 'important' memories were when they were around him, or when the two girls were alone with each other in a scarily passionate manner. The only exceptions to this were when they were talking with some of the other girls and when they had learned of the Divination about their own demise...

Once that final memory started to fade, Vahn felt two presences embrace him as both twins tip-toed and kissed the sides of his face. As a perfect mirror of each other, both girls began to laugh before saying, "We will become much stronger so that we can stay at the side of our loveable Master..." Vahn nodded his head in affirmation and allowed the memories to fade but, against his expectations, he found himself still in the black abyss for a while longer as the two girls began rubbing against his body. Vahn could feel a pressure in the bridge of his nose as the girls panted simultaneously and mewled, "Master...when will you let us serve you 'properly'...?" as the vision finally faded...

Even when he awoke in the real world, Vahn could still feel the pressure in his nose because, just before the vision faded entirely, he could feel both girls rub a warm and moist part of their body against his hands. He didn't expect the 'avatars' of the [Hearts Desire]s to actually be able to take such actions and it made him realize how 'peculiar' the two girls were. Even in their memories, though they often fantasized about 'serving' a wealthy Master, most of their delusions were sexual in nature. Because of their boredom early in their lives, both girls had been somewhat promiscuous, even though their fantasies only involved themselves instead of incorporating others into the mix.

Knowing that he would likely have to 'confront' the two girls in the near future, especially since he hadn't completed their quests, Vahn shook his head and pulled out a dark brown orb that belonged to Tione and crushed it into his hand with a bit of force. As he had expected, he found himself in Tione's past, much as he had for Tiona previously. Different from Tiona, however, was how Tione's memories were actually plagued with a severe inferiority complex for her own little sister instead of the desire for a hero and the will to escape their suffering by becoming stronger...

Tione hated how she was forced to constantly do battle against other children and how, no matter how many times she achieved victory, she was always compared to her more powerful younger sister. Tione didn't actually have a bad impression of Tiona at all, and she actually wished they could spend more time together as sisters, but that was something that wasn't allowed in their society. Because they had drawn the attention of Kali, they were split up very early on and were forced to train with two different masters.

Tione's master, Argana, was a cruel and ruthless Amazon that purported strength over everything. She constantly put her through harsh training to be able to overcome her own little sister but, every time they competed side-by-side, Tione found herself far behind her own twin. The only exception to this was when they were forced to fight each other and it made Tione feel like she was going to lose her mind because, no matter how poorly she treated Tiona during their duels, her younger sister never fought back at all. She would often have a silly smile on her face even when she was battered and bruised and, because of her failure to punish Tiona at the end, Argana would torment her during their training later.

Eventually, Kali gave them some grace when she got bored of watching their one-sided fights and allowed the two to earn their freedom by defeating one-hundred opponents without a single loss in the span of a single day. Even though they were only seven years old at the time, Kali proclaimed them to be capable adults and allowed them to leave the village in search of worthy mates. After that, Tione and Tiona became much closer but Tione always blamed herself for being the weaker sister and always 'tormenting' Tiona because of the teachings of Argana. Just like Tiona refused to fight, she had the same option yet chose to lash out in the hopes that her own torment would be easier later on. However, it took Tione far too long to realize that it was simply Argana's nature to torment others and it didn't even matter how she treated her own sister...

For several years, Tione wandered around the continent with her sister and was often saved by her whenever she lost her cool. Even though she caused so much trouble for Tiona, her 'little sister' never complained about the matters seriously and often played them off as a joke. This caused Tione to feel a great deal of frustration because she always felt like she was letting down her twin on every occasion. It wasn't until they finally arrived in Orario and suffered defeat at the hands of Gareth and Finn that the dynamic between them began to make a turn. Because of the age difference, Gareth never gave Tiona a chance and, even though Finn never actually returned her feelings, Tione felt like she had gotten her first real victory over Tiona.

Unfortunately, Tiona didn't seem to mind at all and simply went about life in a whimsical fashion as she steadily grew stronger and enjoyed each day to the fullest. Tione, however, found that pursuing Finn was quite a stressful life to live because, no matter how much effort she put in trying to get closer to him, he always refused her advances. Even when her body finally started to change, a fact she lorded over Tiona greatly, Finn still treated her like a child and, though he respected her feelings, never once gave her a chance. As time passed, Tione even realized she had become something of a gopher for the man that didn't have a place for her in his heart. Though it was painful, just spending time with him made her happy so Tione tolerated the fact that Finn treated her as a 'convenient' tool at times...

Things continued this way for a time until Tione met the peculiar boy named Vahn Mason that her younger sister had been on a tirade about. Out of curiosity, she agreed to accompany Tiona to meet the boy and was actually somewhat impressed by the amount of resolve he showed. He was very weak but never gave up trying to rise to his feet and, instead of resentment at having lost the fight, there was a competitive flame in his eyes. Tione knew he would become much stronger one day but, against all of her expectations, they were reunited shortly thereafter and he had already transcended the growth she had expected from him.

Seeing that her own sister had started to approach the handsome boy, Tione wanted to tease the two of them a bit and make her sister feel pressured. However, Vahn ended up being a 'peculiar' boy that didn't behave in the normal fashion at all and was quickly 'conquered' by her Tiona and, to her immense surprise, Ais. It ended up being Tione that felt pressured but things rapidly changed once again when she saw Vahn take an injury to his mind that he wouldn't be able to recover from.

Tiona and Ais were both very distraught by the situation and, even though it was suggested to put him out of his misery, they acceded to the two's demand to return him to the surface. Tione thought it was a tragic outcome that would likely impact her sister's heart greatly but, deep within her heart, she couldn't deny she was somewhat relieved by the loss. However, this didn't last long at all and, even though she constantly told Tiona that Vahn would never recover, he woke up after a mere nine days of being unconscious. Tione realized there was much more to the boy than she had realized and knew that her sister had definitely 'won' out against her this time...

Soon after, Tione experienced the event where Vahn charged into the Twilight Manor to 'steal' away Tiona and Ais and it made her somewhat resentful of the fortune both girls had found. When her own sister returned a 'woman', Tione felt like a fire had been lit in her heart and she desperately stepped up her advances against Finn, even though he didn't wave in the slightest. As things got progressively better between Vahn, Tiona, and Ais, Tione found herself feeling very envious of the girls and, even though she didn't like him in the same way as the two, began seeking his affection as well. It made her feel somewhat vindicated with how 'easy' Vahn was and it allowed her to justify that her own feelings for Finn were more 'real' than what the three experienced...

Tione realized once again that her expectations had been horribly misconstrued as she saw the power of the bonds between Vahn and the other girls in his life. Even though it was only for a brief moment, he had even touched her heart by his kindness and attentive personality. Every time she accompanied Tiona and Ais on their dates with him, Tione always found herself feeling happy whenever Vahn would give her attention. Since Finn constantly shunned her, Vahn became one of the only constant sources of happiness in her life and she began to resent that he didn't show her even more affection...

Tione's resentment continued to build up until it reached a critical point after they returned from the expedition to hunt Bloodsaurus. She had seen the weapons forged by Vahn for the other girls and it made her extremely jealous because there was a distinct difference in quality between their weapons. Her plan to drug Finn with an aphrodisiac had been the final straw and Tione had begun to give up on the man that she had fallen in love with because she couldn't tolerate the constant heartbreak. Though she knew she was lashing out somewhat, Tione wanted to vent on Vahn because she believed that he was strong enough, and kind enough, to forgive her later on...

The battle with Vahn made Tione's heart race and she started to realize that her feelings for the boy were becoming increasingly stronger as the fight progressed. Though she was very angry with how he was constantly avoiding a direct confrontation, Tione was impressed by his speed and the prowess he showed during their fight. Even though he was much weaker than she was, he constantly came up with methods to deal with her attacks and was slowly gaining ground against her. By the time he grew the black scales from his body, her heart had started to race even faster because Tione felt like she was on the verge of defeat. If Vahn was truly able to beat her, Tione felt like she could put her feelings for Finn behind her and finally find happiness for herself. Even though she might have to share the same man as her own sister, this didn't bother her at all and she even felt happy that they would be able to stay together...

In agonizingly slow motion, Tione felt the shockwave from Vahn's palms spread through her body before a powerful fury overwhelmed her and she kicked off of his face to open some distance for the next engagement. However, the moment her foot came into contact with his head, a powerful feeling of dread overwhelmed her as there was nearly no resistance at all and she knew that her blow had dealt a fatal degree of damage to the boy she had just decided to pursue. When she landed on the ground and saw that Vahn was still standing, Tione had a brief hope that he was okay but it was dashed in an instant when she saw his previously handsome face had been turned to a pulp...

As she stared at the image of her second love, dead on his feet, Tione couldn't form any coherent thoughts at all. She felt a powerful sadness seize her body as she lamented the fact that she constantly hurt, or even destroyed, everything she cared about. Just as she had beaten her own sister in an effort to alleviate her own suffering in the past...just like how she constantly caused problems when they were traveling...just like she had flaunted her shallow victories as a result of her own vanity...Tione realized that the reason she was always unhappy was a result of her own shallow personality and desire to be loved...Now, however, just as she was likely to receive real love for the first time in her life...she had destroyed it, entirely on accident...

However, Vahn once again completely shattered her expectations and turned out to be completely fine after the incredible item he had produced before the start of the fight took effect. Tione had just resolved herself to die as payment for her mistake but, instead of finding herself on the receiving end of a justifiable beating, she found Vahn's gentle smile trying to comfort her. Even when she had caused him so much trouble, even when she had literally almost taken his life, Vahn still showed her kindness and extended his hand to pull her away from her lonely existence. It was at this moment that Tione truly realized that she had fallen in love with the hopelessly heroic boy...

Even when she faced severe reprimands, several punishments, and the ire of many of the women surrounding Vahn, Tione accepted it all without complaint. Unlike her past self, which would have lashed out in an effort to deal with her frustrations, she accepted everything willingly. It wasn't just her happiness that she had nearly destroyed, but the happiness of several other women, including various goddesses. If she wasn't punished by them, Tione would have taken to the task herself because she felt that she owed it to Vahn for the tolerance he showed her. Every time they met after the 'incident', Vahn didn't seem to pay it any mind at all and, if not for the fact he was following the guidance of others, he would have likely even comforted her further...

Tione realized now why so many girls fell for Vahn because, even if it was someone as selfish and vain as she had been, he always looked for the 'light' inside of others. Unless they were a threat to the people he cared about, Vahn was the type that could tolerate nearly any level of suffering against himself if it would allow him to reach through the darkness and 'save' the other person. Though he was a bit of an idiot, he really did have the makings of a true hero as Tiona and Ais were so fond of bringing up. Tione wanted more than anything else, now that she had resolved herself to be together with him, to become someone worthy of his love...

---

When he returned to reality, Vahn was in a slight daze as he processed everything that he had witnessed from Tione's [Hearts Desire]. Even though she saw herself in such a negative light, it wasn't incorrect to say that Tione had actually been a very tragic girl. She grew up without parents, was forced to fight for the entertainment of others, even against her own sister, and was constantly denied love and affection for her entire life. Other than Tiona, who was a paragon of tolerance that could even put Vahn to shame, Tione had nothing else. Most of her relationships with other people were somewhat shallow because she spent the majority of her time in her pursuit of Finn, someone that would never reciprocate her feelings...

Vahn released a heavy sigh because he checked his notifications and realized that he hadn't completed Tione's quest and obtained her hidden parameter. Though it didn't seem like her initial desire at all, her heart had changed greatly after her interactions with him and it was now her wish to become a 'worthy' woman for him. Vahn didn't like that idea of others trying to become worthy for him because he had never once considered her unworthy at all. It was somewhat frustrating to know that she was still beating herself up over a matter that hadn't even made much of an impact on him.

The entire reason he had used the [Effigy of the Hero] is that he wanted both of them to go all out without inhibitions. Other than when other people brought it up, Vahn didn't think about the 'incident' at all and found it somewhat incredulous to consider that others were harping over it. If not for the fact that he 'understood' their justifications, Vahn would have probably walked straight over to Tione and whisked her away in a similar manner as he had done for Tiona and Ais in the past...However, that would have to wait for later as there were still several more [Hearts Desire]'s to go through...

(A/N: Alternate Titles:'Unlimited [Hearts Desire] Works~!','The Power of Delusions','Tione's Vanity Is A Cover For Her Loneliness And Inferiority Complex (TT_TT)'

If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the Patreon link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful <3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)

https://www.patreon.com/user?u=14397149

paypal.me/Einlion

Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh


บท 447: New Year's Resolutions (3/3)

After taking a short while to collect himself and make sense of some of the important details he needed to take note of, Vahn pulled out a crimson red orb as a smile appeared on his face. This was the [Hearts Desire] of Tsubaki and Vahn was somewhat hoping it wasn't too short. He had learned a little bit about her past from the woman herself, but Vahn was curious to know what kind of life she had lived before he met her. She had become one of the most important girls in life after arriving at the City and had been one of the key factors for his development. Even if it was just a bit, Vahn wanted to share Tsubaki's experiences so he crushed the orb and embraced the stagnation of time that seized his body...

When the vision took full effect, Vahn found himself in the endless black abyss with the memory fragments floating around in the void. It wasn't to the extent of Tione, but Vahn was happy he would be able to at least see the memories Tsubaki considered to be important. Without any hesitation, he walked to the furthest image in the queue and noticed that, as he passed by the small windows that gave insight into Tsubaki's past, many of them were full of warm colors with just a few touched by negativity interspaced throughout the larger whole. From this, Vahn could tell that Tsubaki had led a relatively happy life, or at the very least had been content...

The first memory Vahn got to see caused a huge smile to appear on his face and he mentally captured the image and even decided to immortalize it in a painting when his skills reached the requisite level. Inside the vibrant yellow image, full of happiness and good feelings, Vahn saw what looked like a five-year-old Tsubaki that was eagerly watching a beautiful woman forge, likely for the first time. She had an adorable expression on her face and looked like a rambunctious little girl while her mother, Sakuya, looked like a somewhat fierce woman with a confident expression as she hammered away at the metal. Vahn could tell that she wasn't a [Master Smith], but she was incredibly skilled nonetheless...

Many of Tsubaki's early memories were very happy events and Vahn could fee the joy she experienced for himself as he gleaned through them with a smile on his face. He didn't mind seeing the tragic pasts of the other girls, but it was very refreshing to be able to experience something like this on occasion. He couldn't help but feel the chibi version of Tsubaki was heart-wrenchingly adorable and he wondered if this was how their daughter would look when she was a little girl. With this thought in mind, Vahn began to look forward to the birth of his children even more and happy feelings spread through his chest to match the childlike Tsubaki's in the memory...

Vahn finally came to the first significant memory in Tsubaki's life and it was colored with a deep blue intermixed with purples and even a small fraction of furious red. What looked like a seven-year-old Tsubaki was holding a sheathed katana as she sat in seize in front of her Sakuya, who likewise had a katana of her own, as she explained to Tsubaki the identity of her father. Tsubaki had been curious about the man for a long time but knew it would upset her mother if she asked about it. However, when she finally possessed the requisite strength to become a warrior, her mother took the initiative to explain the situation to her.

Tsubaki was sad to learn that her own father had abandoned them after 'stealing' her mother's techniques and became full of righteous indignation in her tiny chest. She resolved herself to become a powerful warrior that didn't have to rely on anyone and vowed to exceed her father's skills with a hammer. If he ever returned in the future, Tsubaki wanted to show him through her actions how much of a fool he had been to abandon them...

Seeing the fiery resolve in the small girl, Vahn felt a bit of indignation of his own but there were many memories the go through and the current one faded unceremoniously even though he was still brooding over it. All of the proceeding memories were tinged with a fiery hue but were predominately full of good feelings. Sakuya was a harsh mentor, but she was also very fair, tolerant, and never shied away from complimenting Tsubaki when she performed well. Vahn got to watch her evolution from a small girl, swinging around a katana that was far too large for her, to a beautiful young girl that wielded a naginata like it was an art form.

Unfortunately, Vahn reached a point in Tsubaki's memories that had far more negative emotions than their predecessors. Her mother ended up getting a relatively rare disease that was almost exclusive to blacksmiths and ended up becoming very sick. Tsubaki worked hard to support both of them but the medicine for the treatment was very expensive and it simply delayed the inevitable. After two years of struggling, Sakuya finally took her last breath after drinking a tea to help her body relax so she could greet death peacefully. Throughout those two years, Tsubaki wrote hundreds of letters and paid exorbitant fees to have them delivered to the Iron Hills but never once received a reply from her would-be father. Though her mother died with a smile on her face, Tsubaki couldn't help but feel she had suffered a tragic and unjust end...

Because of her promise to her mother to never stop doing her best, Tsubaki redoubled her efforts in her training and also quickly progressed as a blacksmith. Vahn was amazed because Tsubaki had bounced back from her mother's death very quickly. She was obviously still very affected by the event but never relented on herself and constantly endeavored to live the life her mother would have wanted for her. Though she showed great sadness on the death anniversary, something which Vahn had cemented in his heart, she spent the rest of her time in high spirits and even made several friends in the Hephaestus Familia, something she had neglected in the past...

The young girl in the memories blossomed into a beautiful young woman that looked very reminiscent of the current Tsubaki. Vahn, however, had a smile on his face because he could tell that the current Tsubaki was even more beautiful than she had been in her prime. Knowing this made him feel a great deal of pride in his own capabilities. However, this didn't last for too long as, for the first time in a [Hearts Desire], Vahn got to experience the somewhat awkward past of a woman that had fallen in love with another man. Vahn could see what he knew to be the sixteen-year-old Tsubaki meeting a relatively plain looking man that had an honest face and a resolute expression in his eyes...

Though they started off as friends, it didn't take too long for Tsubaki to fall in love with the man, named Jonas Waller, who was always kind and attentive to her. Even though he was more than eight years her senior, Tsubaki found his care to be very comfortable and she even saw him almost like a surrogate father, at least up until he kissed her for the first time under the moonlight after their return from a successful expedition. As they had known each other for nearly two years at that point, Tsubaki decided to open her heart up to the kind man and lost her virginity the same night she had her first kiss. Because it was a very important memory to her, Vahn got to experience all of her thoughts and emotions in detail and it was rather embarrassing...

True to Tsubaki's previous words, the man was a very earnest fellow who worked very hard to make her happy after they became an official couple. His skills as a blacksmith were lackluster, but he made up for his failure to earn a living through forging by venturing into the Dungeon and becoming stronger at a faster rate. Tsubaki was happy that the man she fell in love with was so hardworking to the point where he even managed to become stronger than her after a year of effort. She had started focusing more on her forging and had been polishing her skills as a warrior without placing a heavy focus on the Dungeon anymore. They had been putting in a lot of efforts to build a family, something that Vahn was very aware of, so she was trying to adapt to the life of a woman that took care of the home...

Unfortunately for both of them, their efforts were in vain and they had failed to conceive a child even after eight years. Tsubaki, though saddened by their failed attempts, wasn't nearly as affected as Jonas himself. He was already in his thirties and wanted to raise a family of his own before he became an old man that wouldn't be able to keep up with his own children. It was very obvious he was infatuated with the beautiful Tsubaki, something he proved to her often when they were together, and he blamed himself for failing to give her a child. At this point, they were both executives in the Hephaestus Familia and had achieved Level 4...

Vahn had been feeling awkward experiencing all of the intimate memories, but he was more surprised by how strong a woman Tsubaki was. Even when she was obviously saddened by events, something she couldn't conceal from Vahn at present, most of her memories were predominately happy and full of positivity. Even when there was blue within the memories, it was almost never the dominant color at all. The only exceptions to this were when she was trying to comfort the drunk and apologizing Jonas because she felt like she had failed him as a woman because of her race. At times like this, Tsubaki resented her own father even more because it was through him that she was born as a Half-Dwarf with a low fertility rate...

Of course, even the powerful and positive Tsubaki couldn't maintain her composure at all times and Vahn eventually came to a series of memories that almost rivaled how sad she was during the two years that she had been taking care of her mother. Tsubaki and Jonas had learned that it was possible to create medicine from the horn of a Cadmus, the giant dragon that guarded the Cadmus Spring on the 51st floor, that could increase fertility. The Loki Familia had been probing into the Lower Floors a lot recently and, as the leaders of the expeditionary group, joined their party with the intent of obtaining the horn.

Unfortunately, though they managed to obtain the horn with the assistance of the Loki Familia, Jonas had dropped his guard as a result of his own happiness and Tsubaki had to watch as he was ambushed by a Deformis Spider and took one of its spear-like legs through the chest. Even though she used all of the potions and elixirs she had brought with her, Tsubaki was unable to save Jonas because he had taken catastrophic damage to his lungs and heart. Jonas died trying to form words through bloodied lips but Tsubaki was unable to decipher what he was trying to tell her before he finally succumbed to his wounds...

As a result of the expedition, Tsubaki reached the requirements for obtaining Level 5 and spent the next several months focusing entirely on managing things within the Familia and improving her own skills in order to distract her from the loss of Jonas. She was only twenty-six when he died, which wasn't particularly old, but she had decided that her heart couldn't bear the burden of trying to have children with another man for another ten years. When the anniversary of her mother's death came once again, Tsubaki sat in front of the altar crying inconsolable tears for several hours until there were simply no tears left to cry...

After pouring her heart out to her mother, Tsubaki bounced back once again and completely focused her efforts on supporting the Hephaestus Familia and pursuing her original goal of becoming a [Master Smith]. Through her efforts, she was able to become the Captain of the Hephaestus Familia by the time she was twenty-eight and, though it had taken longer than she would have liked, reached [Master Smith] at thirty-one. This was a very commendable age to reach the prolific status of [Master Smith] so Tsubaki received a huge boost in fame and even managed to secure several contracts with powerful and influential Adventurers as a result of her skill...

Vahn watched as Tsubaki continued to polish her skills as both a warrior and a blacksmith but it gave him no comfort anymore. He knew she was an amazing woman that had a strong heart, especially considering that most of her memories were still positive, but every time the anniversary of Jonas' and Sakuya's deaths came around...Tsubaki always ended up in front of their shrines crying for several hours. It was almost like the bottled up all the negative emotions for the entire year and released them all when she kneeled in front of their graves and prayed...

Vahn felt a dull ache in his heart because he knew that Tsubaki wasn't nearly as strong as the front she put on in front of others. However, his introspective thoughts were brought to a halt suddenly when he finally saw a memory that included himself. Vahn was surprised at first because, though he could recognize the boy in front of him as himself, it didn't look anything like how he currently saw himself. The boy in the memory looked sad and lost with somewhat dreary eyes and a perpetually melancholic expression on his face whenever he wasn't talking to someone.

Through Tsubaki's memories, Vahn was able to understand why so many of the girls in his life told him that his expressions were easy to see through. He could see his own eyes wander about Tsubaki's body as clear intrigue appeared on his face as he inspected her. It was somewhat embarrassing because Vahn hadn't realized how bad his habit actually was. Tsubaki didn't seem to mind at all, however, and found his reactions very cute and refreshing. This didn't stop her from beating him up though and Vahn got to relive the experience of Tsubaki handling him like a child before the dropped down on his back once again in a fit of laughter...

Vahn noticed that, from the moment he moved into the Manor and started training with Tsubaki, her memories had become far more vibrant than the last ten years of images. He could feel her concern for him as she slowly tried to guide him along the correct path and tried to help him open up his closed heart to others. Vahn also got to feel Tsubaki's pride as she watched him slowly develop into a capable fighter and relatively skilled blacksmith in a decidedly short period of time. He wasn't aware of it himself, but she had actually spent several long nights in her own room preparing materials for both he and Lili and corresponded with Hephaestus about their progress.

Because she spent so much time on them, Tsubaki fell behind in her daily work and had to compensate for it by working late into the night. However, though this would have frustrated most people, Tsubaki seemed to be genuinely happy as she acted as caretaker and counsel to Vahn, Lili, and, eventually, Naaza. Vahn learned through Tsubaki's memories all of the conversations she had with Lili and Naaza and it made him feel somewhat ashamed of his own emotional weakness at the time...

Vahn could see that the queue of memories was coming to an end and could see that some of them began to become intermixed with pinks and, toward the very end, there were even some passionate reds ones. It had been a 'long time' since Vahn had seen such colors in Tsubaki's memories and knew it was the affectionate and intimate moments they shared with each other approaching. Vahn got to see his change in disposition after recovering from his mental injury and how relieved Tsubaki had been after realizing he would be okay. She had been very melancholic after learning he had also fallen in the Dungeon and had been spending the nine days drinking herself to sleep at night, lamenting her own failure to take care of him...

When Vahn finally returned to the Manor, Tsubaki was incredibly relieved and marginally surprised by how much he had changed in such a short period of time. She found his change refreshing and supported his change to the best of her ability, even when he started to take some obvious liberties with her. Vahn got to experience the moment when he had 'teased' Tsubaki for the first time and felt a wave of emotions spread through his body. From that point on, even though she didn't actually consider himself a romantic partner, Tsubaki felt a strange sense of happiness knowing that a young boy thought she was beautiful...

Vahn slowly felt the changes in Tsubaki's thoughts and feelings as he watched himself continue to change very rapidly before her eyes. He got to experience her care, concerns, inhibitions, and the small expectations that had started to bud inside of her. However, the most predominant feeling that plagued Tsubaki when she was alone was indecisiveness and a fair amount of frustration because she could see how 'serious' Vahn was becoming about her, even though there were several younger girls around him. She had already given up on such things and, even though she harbored some whimsical thoughts, decided that she would eventually need to put a stop to his advances before it was too late and it became a burden to him...

Unfortunately, or perhaps not, Tsubaki had severely underestimated the rate of Vahn's change and she inevitably found herself in a very difficult position where she had to make an ultimatum. Though she had decided to turn him down, Tsubaki didn't want to hurt him and allowed him to attempt convincing her of his seriousness. This ended up being her biggest mistake, though Vahn could tell she was very happy later on, as there was no retreat left to her after realizing the changes to her own body. Denying Vahn's feelings when he had put in so much effort to 'prove' them to her would be unfair to the boy so Tsubaki decided to give him a chance...

Vahn got to experience Tsubaki's 'struggles' adapting to the sensitivity in her body and got to witness, with a wide-eyed expression, Tsubaki's personal 'exploration' of the changes that had occurred. Though he realized it every time they were together, Vahn felt like the Tsubaki in the memory was an incredibly beautiful woman and he was blessed to have been able to get closer to her...

Finally, things reached the point where Tsubaki received the message through the network that Vahn was approaching her Manor. She knew things were nearing a point of no return and decided to give Vahn one final test in order to create a barrier between the two of them in the future. Even if she ended up giving her body and heart to him, Tsubaki didn't want him to bear her burdens on his shoulders like the other girls. She needed to show him that she was a powerful woman and, even if things didn't work out between them, she would be able to move on without him having to worry about her...

Things didn't go as Tsubaki expected, however, and it was very frustrating to see how Vahn was able to peer into her heart so easily. Every time she hurt him during their 'duel', Tsubaki felt her own heart break a little because she knew that Vahn wasn't the type to compromise when it came to his own feelings. Unable to 'defeat' the boy before her, Tsubaki ended up giving in completely and simply decided to give being a 'woman' another chance. She had prided herself as a warrior and blacksmith before she was a woman, but Vahn didn't seem to stumble at all and quickly reached the point where he unearthed the relatively fragile heart beating in her chest...

'Experiencing' having sex with himself was a very awkward thing for Vahn, but he still watched the memory and felt all of the emotions that had gone through Tsubaki at the time. He got to realize for himself the moment when she had actually fallen for him and it made everything after the fact feel more meaningful because he knew it was the union between two people that loved each other deeply. When Tsubaki felt the imprint on her body activate and guarantee her pregnancy, Vahn was nearly overwhelmed by her emotions and could even feel tears staining his cheeks...

After going through the ceremony to become Vahn's 'mistress', Tsubaki watched his retreating figure pass into the morning mist because walking into the secret location at the back of her own room where two pictures were enshrined. Unlike the previous times, when she had cried before the images, Tsubaki had a solemn expression as she 'apologized' to Jonas for having fallen in love again and prayed to both of them to watch over her from now on. She swore to become a great mother that cared for her future children and promised that they would have a father that cared for and loved them without abandoning them...

As this was the final memory, Vahn felt Tsubaki's presence next to him as she too watched it begin to fade. Vahn looked over and matched gazes with the powerful woman as a smile bloomed on her face and she said, "I'm sure you can understand it...but the thing I've always desired was a family. I want to create a happy family and prove to my father that he was wrong to have left us...but I'm not even sure if he is even alive. It's somewhat silly to think about, but I never got over the fact that he had left us and I was never able to meet him no matter how difficult things got...even when I experienced great successes and became a [Master Smith], he was never around for me to prove him wrong. Promise me, Vahn, that you will care for our children properly..."

Vahn nodded his head and embraced the avatar of Tsubaki as he said, "I will do my best to be a good father to our children, Tsubaki...not for your father, but because I love you..." The avatar of Tsubaki had returned his embrace with her own and, after hearing his words, said in a calm and gentle tone, "I know, Vahn...that is why I decided to place the hope I thought I had lost in you.." Her words finished, the avatar of Tsubaki tilted her head to the side and gave Vahn a passionate kiss that lasted until he inevitably opened his eyes in the real world.

Though he was unable to fulfill Tsubaki's heart's desire, for the time being, Vahn knew he would be able to accomplish it naturally in the future. She obviously had a trauma related to her father and Vahn knew he would have to work with the Dwarves of the Iron Hills one day. If her father was still alive, Vahn would track him down and beat the man on Tsubaki's behalf if he had to. Other than that, the only thing Vahn could do was show the strong woman the love she had always deserved. He also resolved himself to pay respects to her mother in the future, as that would likely make Tsubaki happy...

After confirming the dates in his own mind, though he planned to talk to Tsubaki about them later, Vahn pulled out the next orb and resolved himself to finish them all. The next orb was a pale yellow and belonged to Preasia, someone Vahn knew had a troubled past. However, he also knew that such girls often didn't place much significance on the past and, as he had expected, he ended up in the endless black space staring at the naked Preasia as the world around them shattered into pieces. Vahn did notice a strange incongruity, however, as the image of Preasia in front of him was standing in front of a 'broken' version of herself laying on the ground.

Though there was a bit of distance between them, Vahn could hear the 'pristine' Preasia say, "I don't want to remember anything...the past is an insignificant memory filled with tragedy and suffering..." as she looked down at her previously scarred and battered body. Vahn had walked over and could see the Preasia laying on the ground had all the markings of her torture as she stared toward the void above with blank eyes. The 'pristine' version of Preasia looked down at her former self with tears in her eyes but Vahn could also see a fair amount of frustration and even a bit of disgust.

Preasia looked toward him with her light grey eyes and said, "Vahn...the only good things I have ever had in my life...are the things you have given to me...I know I may be a burden to you...but please let me keep this happiness that I have found..." Vahn cocked his head to the side with a thoughtful expression on his face before he reached out his hand at pat Preasia on the head. Her body seemed to glow with happiness, but Vahn removed his hand shortly thereafter before kneeling down next to the catatonic Preasia on the ground. The pristine version seemed to be confused as she asked, "Vahn...what are you doing...? That me no longer exists..." Shaking his head, Vahn reached out his hands and, even though he shouldn't be able to use skills in this space, channeled his [Hands of Nirvana] and began treating the wounds of the girl on the ground.

In a soft tone, Vahn explained to the confused girl, "Even if we are able to move on from our past, it's not something we should neglect and forget. Though you look very different, this pitiful girl is the same as the pristine you that stands before me. If you can't accept your past, you will become a hollow and selfish existence..." As he spoke, Vahn continued to trace his hands unhesitantly across the injuries of the catatonic Preasia. The pristine version of herself stayed silent for the entire duration of the treatment until her past self had been completely healed. The only difference between the two of them now was the look in their eyes.

However, almost immediately after he had finished his treatment, the pristine Preasia kneeled down next to herself and stroked the lifeless face as she whispered, "Even though the scars have faded...I still feel like they are on my body..." As she spoke, Vahn could see the wounds that had been healed in the past start to appear on the previously pristine body of Preasia. She noticed it as well but, instead of panicking in terror, she looked at each mark with clear eyes before nodding her head and saying, "I can't escape my past...but please allow me to pursue the future I seek for myself...You should know, Vahn, but the real me still has one part you haven't healed yet..." Preasia placed her hands over her heart and looked at Vahn with a pleading gaze on her face as the entire scene finally collapsed into nothingness...

When he returned to the real world, Vahn spent a few minutes reflecting on how he should treat Preasia in the future. Even though she had obvious regrets, Vahn had actually completed her quest and she now had the 'Love' parameter at 227 points with the bracket parameter (Lovelorn). This showed that Preasia considered herself to be in love with him but was 'unhappy' because he didn't return her feelings. She was one of the more difficult girls to deal with but Vahn had already resolved himself the previous day to open up to her over time. As long as she continued to work hard for the future she wanted to obtain, Vahn couldn't find any reason to continue denying her affections. She would still need the guidance of some of the older women, but Vahn was confident things would go well as long as he treated her affections seriously. He didn't want to be like Finn, who had caused Tione so much pain and anxiety for several years...

The last two orbs belonged to Milan and Eina, one golden while the other was the same emerald green as Eina's eyes. After a brief moment of rumination, Vahn shattered the golden orb and prepared himself to witness Milan's past but the only thing that appeared before his eyes was Milan's naked body with a smile on her face. Vahn was somewhat sad because he wanted to know more about her past but his melancholy was cleared up quickly when Milan hugged him tightly and said, "Thank you, Vahn...for looking after me and my daughter...please take care of us from now on..." Releasing a soft sight, Vahn hugged Milan's body and held her close as he said, "Even if you're happy with this outcome, I'm still going to find out more about your past later...as for taking care of you, that is something I can promise from the bottom of my heart..."

Vahn awoke in the real world with the happy laughter of Milan sounding in his ears as he looked toward the emerald orb and crushed it in his palm. He had completed Milan's [Hearts Desire], which simply seemed to desire personal comfort and a safe place for her and her daughter, and had unlocked her Love parameter at a somewhat frustrating value of 192. Milan was one of the first women he had met after arriving in Orario so it was a little disheartening to see her value was even lower than Lunoire's...

After time had come to a pause, Vahn found himself in another unique vision where he was in his own body except, instead of an endless black void, he was in a small room using Eina's thighs as a pillow as she stared down at him from above with a smile on her face. Vahn didn't know what to make of this situation at all until Eina whispered, "You know...I always wanted a little brother, Vahn..." before laughing in a happy tune as she stroked his head...

As if answering his confusion, Eina stroked the side of his face and explained, "Sorry, Vahn, but I don't have a tragic past like the other girls...I grew up relatively happy with parents that cared for me dearly. Though there were some that tried to put me down for being a Half-Elf, none of them were able to leave any real impact on my heart. With Riveria-sama's protection, my family was able to live without facing any real hardships and both of my parents are kind people...I was even blessed to have a cute younger sister..." Eina began laughing playfully as she grabbed both sides of Vahn's face and stated in a serious tone, "Don't put your hands on her if you ever meet..."

Vahn swallowed a bit of saliva as Eina's pressure weighed down on him from above and he could see that she was especially serious. Though it was a bit shameless, Vahn had started to imagine what Eina's purportedly 'cute younger sister' looked like. She had seen the look on his face and wanted to make it very clear that she wasn't open to the idea of them ever being close. Vahn nodded his head and said, "I don't just go out looking for girls...I promise I won't do anything..." Eina began to laugh before releasing her vice-like grip of his face and stroking his head once again. After a short while passed, she mused, "I'm more afraid that she would be the one that tries to get close to you...so just make sure you don't give her that opportunity. You can't accept everyone that falls in love with you into your heart Vahn...besides, I feel like I would be very stressed out if you ever got in a relationship with her as well..."

It was a little awkward being lectured like this within Eina's [Hearts Desire] because Vahn knew that everything she was saying was her truest feelings. Though he had already said he wouldn't do anything, Vahn made a personal vow not to fall into the momentum of the girl when they inevitably met. If Eina was giving him a warning in her [Hearts Desire], there had to be a reason for it...likely the same reason for why she didn't attend the wedding of her own older sister...

For what felt like an hour, Vahn just lay on Eina's thighs as she pampered him and made casual conversation. Vahn had started to realize that her [Hearts Desire], other than apparently wanting a younger brother, was simply to care for him like she was doing presently. Knowing that such things brought her happiness made Vahn's heart feel warm so he said, "Eina, thank you for accepting a troublesome boy like me as your husband...my life wouldn't be the same if I didn't have you to bring me to my senses on occasion..."

Hearing Vahn's words, Eina's smile became very affectionate as her entire expression softened and she mused, "I'm happy to be your wife...even though I kind of just wanted to be your big sister...I just hope you can relax more in the future, Vahn...please tell me if you are ever hurting and I will do my best to help heal your heart. I don't want to see the future where you become a lonely Emperor..." Vahn nodded his head and was about to promise Eina that he wouldn't allow such a sad future to happen but his mind stalled when she leaned down while lifting his head and kissed his lips. Before Vahn could begin to enjoy the moment, he found himself standing next to his own workstation in a daze...

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Vahn checked the notification in the system and smiled widely after seeing that Eina's [Hearts Desire] had been fulfilled and her love parameter was actually quite high at 3,479, even though they actually didn't get to spend that much time together. However, Vahn was surprised to find that the bracket parameter was something he had never seen before and it made him release a peal of wry laughter as the image of the lovable Half-Elf appeared in his mind...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

//[Hearts Desire: Eina Tulle] fulfilled. Extra Parameter 'Love' unlocked.//

[Eina Tulle: Love 3,478(Sisterly Love)

//Bond Established with [Eina Tulle]//

//Optional Quest Triggered//

[Quest: A Man's Responsibility, Repeatable]

Rank: B-SS

Objective: Impregnate Eina Tulle(0). Ensure a safe delivery; Current Children(0)

Rewards: 100,000 OP, 1x [Guardian:(Nameless)]

Failure Condition(s): Death, Eina Tulle's Death, (Nameless) Child's Death

Penalty: 200 Karma (0)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tsubaki's Strength...','Preasia's Trauma...','Onee-chan...')

If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the Patreon link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful <3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)

https://www.patreon.com/user?u=14397149

paypal.me/Einlion

Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh


Load failed, please RETRY

สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์

ป้ายปลดล็อกตอน

สารบัญ

ตัวเลือกแสดง

พื้นหลัง

แบบอักษร

ขนาด

ความคิดเห็นต่อตอน

เขียนรีวิว สถานะการอ่าน: C446
ไม่สามารถโพสต์ได้ กรุณาลองใหม่อีกครั้ง
  • คุณภาพงานเขียน
  • ความเสถียรของการอัปเดต
  • การดำเนินเรื่อง
  • กาสร้างตัวละคร
  • พื้นหลังโลก

คะแนนรวม 0.0

รีวิวโพสต์สําเร็จ! อ่านรีวิวเพิ่มเติม
โหวตด้วย Power Stone
Rank 200+ การจัดอันดับพลัง
Stone 98 หินพลัง
รายงานเนื้อหาที่ไม่เหมาะสม
เคล็ดลับข้อผิดพลาด

รายงานการล่วงละเมิด

ความคิดเห็นย่อหน้า

เข้า สู่ ระบบ

tip ความคิดเห็นย่อย

คุณลักษณะความคิดเห็นย่อหน้าอยู่ในขณะนี้บนเว็บ! เลื่อนเมาส์ไปที่ย่อหน้าใดก็ได้แล้วคลิกไอคอนเพื่อเพิ่มความคิดเห็นของคุณ

นอกจากนี้คุณสามารถปิด / เปิดได้ตลอดเวลาในการตั้งค่า

เข้าใจแล้ว