Vahn spent a few minutes stroking the [Nameless] Wyvern before turning it into a magic core and safely storing it away inside his Inventory. He had already decided on a name for it in the past but intended to put it off until discussing it with Loki. Riveria also wanted to be able to witness one of the evolutions brought about by his naming ability, and Vahn wanted to avoid upsetting her by breaking his promise a second time. Besides, the names he picked were usually suspect and it probably wasn't a good idea to try and give the Wyvern three different names. Part of his instincts advised him against it so Vahn needed to think about it seriously if he intended to tempt fate...
After stowing it away, Vahn looked around at the girls, smiling slightly when he saw the shocked expression on Rufina's face. She reacted to everything as if it was the first time she had ever seen it but generally kept quiet about it unless you spoke directly to her. Vahn wondered if, from her perspective, she tried to explain away the things he was doing as 'normal' because of how casual he was about it. That was an entertaining thought, but Vahn put it to the back of his mind for the time being as he said, "Okay, let's return to the surface now. I'm looking forward to getting some fresh air after nearly 45 days inside the Dungeon..." Everyone nodded in agreement so they all began making their way towards the stairs, once again beginning their journey towards home...
It didn't take long to find the stairs, so they were able to reach the surface after a short twenty minutes before stepping out onto the 1st floor of Babel Tower. Rufina's eyes were darting around, taking in all the new sights as she watched Adventurers of all shapes and sizes come and go. Though she had spoken under her breath, almost everyone in the group heard her say, "Guess there really are a bunch of different kinds of people...hmmm..." She hadn't exactly thought Vahn was lying to her, especially after seeing some of the people at Lil Geirr, but it was much easier to 'confirm' things when you had a larger pool of people to observe.
Rufina lifted her head, looking upwards at the high ceiling as she asked, "This is the surface? It looks like it keeps going up..." Haruhime, who was standing close by responded, saying, "Ah, this is known as the Tower of Babel, an Ancient Tower constructed by the gods and placed within the Mortal World nearly a thousand years ago. Once we get outside, you'll understand better, Rufina." With a thoughtful look on her face, Rufina nodded before the entire group made their way outside the tower, stepping into Babel Plaza and the City proper. Rufina immediately looked up, trying to take in the impossibly high tower and realizing it seemed to go on forever from this perspective.
While Rufina was distracted by all the new sights and sounds, a flash of light appeared as Terra blinked into existence, likely making use of her [Void Transference] the moment they arrived. Vahn smiled, giving her a short embrace, asking, "Did you come to pick us up, Terra? How is the egg doing? Is everyone at the Manor okay?" Terra chuckled, giving Vahn a quick peck on the lips before saying, "Well, I was curious about why you showed up on the surface so suddenly. Your early return is sure to make everyone back at the Manor pleasantly surprised. As for the egg, I've kept it within the hollow of my nest where it's awaiting the day its father decides to wake it up. Also, the others are fine, though I think Loki and Hephaestus might 'burst' any day now...ufufu~."
The group was walking and talking at the same time, making their way to the area that had been designated as a landing zone by the Guild. Vahn gave it a cursory glance to make sure they weren't being spied on as Terra assumed her dragon form, startling numerous people, including one bodacious redhead who nearly fell onto her rump. Fortunately, Rufina managed to avoid embarrassing herself completely and the only 'injury' she suffered was a slightly reddened face as she accepted Haruhime's and Mikoto's assistance in climbing Terra's back. Though she could have simply jumped up, Rufina lacked fine motor control over her muscles and didn't know the extent of her own power just yet.
It didn't take long for them to reach the Manor, but everyone enjoyed the flight since the view from above was actually quite breathtaking. Orario was a beautiful City with a large variety of different types of architecture to take in. Each Familia residence could be seen in the distance, often decorated with large statues, ornate buildings, or carefully maintained grounds that were very appealing to look at. As they drew deeper into the territory of the Alliance, where numerous powerful Familias had taken up residence, these sights became progressively more common. Vahn took note of the changes since his last flight over the City before having Terra land outside the Hearth Manor since Rufina would be repelled by the barrier.
Though they drew a lot of attention, most people went about their own business after seeing who was riding atop the green dragon. Some waved in greeting, but nobody came forward since it had essentially been established that the area around the front gate was 'off limits' unless you had official business. The Hestia Familia was truly treated as the heart of the Alliance now since Loki, Hephaestus, Hestia, Epona, and Juno all took up residence there. Five Goddesses in one place was previously unheard of, as it would have caused conflict in their Familias since there were numerous people that typically pined over them. This was avoided almost entirely at the Hearth Manor, however, as the only male that lived within the building was Vahn himself...
Vahn quickly registered Rufina for temporary access to the Manor grounds while people already began to congregate around the front door, causing Rufina to comment, "Holy crap, kid, how many girls are you actually involved with? I get that you're some big shot, but show some moderation..." Vahn had just finished the procedure to register Rufina and he nearly fell down at her unexpected verbal jab. She had a tendency to be very straight forward at times and, though he was getting used to it, Rufina still managed to say some pretty impactful words.
The group that had gathered consisted of Hestia, Loki, Juno, Syr, Emiru, and Maemi, likely having been together when Hestia sensed his arrival at the gate. Vahn ignored the accusatory look Rufina was giving him as Loki walked forward with the support of Emiru and Maemi. She was wearing an ankle-length red dress that appeared to be made of very soft but heat retaining materials. The most obvious thing, however, was the almost 'too large' bulge at her belly that offset her petite frame by a scary amount. Vahn hadn't wasted any time stepping forward to offer assistance, earning a cheeky, "Ah? So you remember who is responsible for my current state~? Well, at least you showed up earlier than expected, so I'll forgive you this time~."
Loki lifted her chin, prompting Vahn to lean in and allow her to kiss him since he didn't want her trying to stand on her toes or exert herself. He understood why Terra had made a comment about them 'bursting' previously since Loki looked like a strained water balloon that would pop with a light touch.
After ending his embrace with Loki, Vahn made the rounds and gave everyone a combination hug and kiss, with the exception of Juno, before explaining the current situation. Everyone had already noticed the presence of the 'new' woman from the moment they arrived but they hadn't expected her to be an amnesiac with such a 'colorful' past. Syr had already sent a message to Anubis through the network while the group made their way inside so that Loki and Juno could sit down. The latter was also pregnant so Vahn felt uncomfortable seeing them walking around, even though Juno herself seemed very accustomed to the state of her own body. She had tried to tease him about getting a hug and kiss of her own, but Hestia had bonked her on the head for her troubles.
Vahn ended up sitting on a sofa with Emiru and Maemi at his flanks while Hestia sat in his lap, commenting that it would make the conversation go easier if Loki sat across from Vahn this time. Though the red-haired goddess gave Hestia a slightly annoyed look, she didn't say anything since she knew Hestia had been feeling very lonely and concerned over the last couple of days. She was also the first to remark that Vahn was returning, even before Shirohime informed Terra, who then told Riveria and Ryuu. The bond between Hestia and Vahn was 'recognized' as being the most potent so Loki didn't mind if she 'stole' her seat on occasion...
While they waited for Anubis' arrival, Vahn explained some of the events that had taken place during the Expedition, causing a variety of different reactions among the girls. When Loki heard about how badly the Hermes Familia had 'fucked up', her eyes had turned into those of a predator that was about to pounce on its prey. She had a smile on her face that could turn water into ice as she said, "Very good, Hermes, very good...kukukuku..." Only she knew what was going through her mind but Vahn gestured to calm her down, saying, "Loki, we'll deal with those matters at a later date. For now, just focus on what's really important...also, I did manage to capture a Wyvern for you, but I think it would be better to wait until a more opportune time before naming it."
Loki's smile became more natural when she saw Vahn pointing to her stomach but she practically beamed when hearing that he actually caught her a Wyvern. She knew his 'naming' ability could turn that Wyvern into a Dragon so she was very excited until Juno reproached her, saying, "Don't get too excited or you'll stress your body. It would be silly if you went into labor after putting it off for so long..." On that note, Vahn decided to ask, "So, how has everyone been while we were away? How are Hephaestus and the others...?" Vahn was surprised the rest of the girls in the Manor hadn't shown up at this point but he suspected Syr had said something about meeting up later since there was a discussion going on right now.
Hestia, enjoying Vahn's embrace with a contented smile on her face, said, "There were a few hiccups, but everyone has been fine. Other than feeling a little lonely, we all managed pretty well and have been spending most of the afternoons just talking about the children. Hephaestus should be sleeping in your room right now. Tsubaki has been spending a lot of time watching over Tina's and Shizune's training, and they should all be together right now...and, let's see..."
While Hestia was explaining things, Vahn had already identified the location of everyone in his domain, noting that most of them had already gathered together in the dining room. The one thing he had picked up on was the fact the Hestia said there had been some 'hiccups', causing Loki to give him a small nod that essentially said, 'I'll explain later'. Vahn furrowed his brows slightly but kept the smile on his face as he listened to Hestia mention how each individual person was doing. He was very surprised when she made a very casual remark that caused his mental faculties to come to a complete stop, "Oh, and Eina started having morning sickness a few weeks ago...I wasn't supposed to tell you that."
Loki facepalmed hard, giving Hestia a glare before eventually just sighing as she said, "Well, there goes the surprise. Seriously, Hestia..." Hestia became somewhat pale, hanging her head as she said, "I-I-I got caught up in explaining things...I'm sorry, Vahnnnn~!" Vahn absentmindedly hugged Hestia a little tighter, processing her earlier words as a smile appeared on his face. When he heard Hestia suddenly apologize, he just laughed it away and said, "It's fine, Hestia, I would have asked about Eina if you hadn't brought her up and I doubt everyone's reactions would have been able to keep it a secret." Since he had the ability to see auras, Vahn would have noticed if everyone was trying to keep something from him.
Hestia smiled in response to Vahn's words, sighing in relief that he wasn't actually angry that the surprise had been spoiled. She intended to apologize to Eina later, but the kind Half-Elf probably wouldn't really blame her for the slip-up...probably...
---
Anubis finally arrived, accompanied by a very high-tension Nanu who seemed to be 'devastated' when she saw Vahn's lap had been taken. Fortunately for her, Vahn had Hestia stand for a moment so he could greet the two, sharing a long embrace and a somewhat heated kiss with Anubis while Nanu had to 'settle' with something moderately tamer. This seemed to be enough, however, as her bushy dark-brown tail beat furiously like from side-to-side after Vahn gave her a quick peck and some heavy ear petting. His [Grooming] made his petting even more effective, so Nanu had turned to mush very quickly with a silly smile on her face.
After things had settled down a bit, Anubis eyed Rufina with her moonlight eyes and asked, "Is this the one you wanted me to take a look at, Master...?" Though Rufina was the only person that fit the setting, Vahn still nodded his head and explained, "Indeed. She had been put under the control of our enemies, though I'm not sure for how long. After our battle, I got a little bit of information from her and discovered she was just another victim in the grand scheme of things. I managed to help her regain her humanity, but I needed to know if there were any vows embedded in her soul that would make her a potential threat..."
There were few things more dangerous than having an amnesiac around that might suddenly wake up with thoughts of killing everything around her just because of a vow. Though it was unlikely, Vahn still needed to be sure since it was impossible to risk the safety of others if he knew Rufina, formerly Revis, was still dangerous. There hadn't been any signs of backlash thus far, but making assumptions that could endanger others wasn't something Vahn was willing to do in this case.
Anubis continued to stare towards Rufina's chest, causing the woman to feel moderately uncomfortable with a strong urge to cover her breasts. Seeing this, Anubis cracked a small smile before turning to Vahn and saying, "There are indeed some vows implanted in her soul, but I don't believe they are anything dangerous. The color shows pale gold, so the vows themselves had to have been made willingly and had to be recognized by the world as 'just' or 'honorable'. It's more than likely that they were vows she had taken before falling under control, so it would ultimately depend on the type of person she had been in the past..."
Vahn nodded his head with a small smile on his face because he had keyed in on the fact that Anubis said they were vows made to be just and honorable. The fragmentary chains that represented vows took on different colors depending not only on the type of vow but the terms of the vow itself. An example would be someone taking a binding vow to kill another person, which would have made the fragments look dark purple, or even black. For Rufina to have 'pale-gold' for her vows, it had to be something along the lines of a vow to protect, or even save other people. At the very least, she must have placed a lot of significance on the vow itself or it would have been a more neutral color like white.
Rufina seemed visibly relieved by the revelation, cracking a smile as she asked, "Well, that's one less thing to worry about...now, what am I supposed to do from now on?" Given the number of girls around Vahn, Rufina was somewhat worried that he would try to 'collect' her as well. She didn't have a bad impression of the boy but couldn't really understand why so many girls were drawn to him, especially since there seemed to be goddesses in the mix. Though she wouldn't really mind if things turned out that way, primarily as a result of not really 'knowing' what other choices she had, Rufina kind of wanted to live her own life...
Hearing Rufina's question, Vahn turned to Loki and said, "I was actually thinking of having her join the Ganesha Familia and apprentice with Shakti. She seems to have a rare skill that allows her to communicate with monsters so I think she would become a powerful tamer. However..." Vahn turned to Rufina now, gauging her reaction as he said, "If you don't want to get involved with the Dungeon anymore, I wouldn't really blame you. For the time being, I think it would be a good idea for you to just study and refamiliarize yourself with the world. We'll do an investigation on your background to see if we can find any family or friends that may have been looking for you. Once we learn any concrete details, we'll let you know..."
Rufina released an audible sigh of relief, causing Vahn to feel a little awkward as she gave him a sheepish grin and said, "I was worried you were going...well, that isn't really important. But yeah, I'm pretty sure I can trust you and, if you think those people would be able to help me, I don't mind staying with them. As for the Dungeon, I don't really have any negative memories about it but I can tell that strength is pretty important in this world since there are monsters running around. If I can at least become strong enough to protect myself, that would be enough for now..."
Loki had been watching Rufina closely, squinting her eyes with a mischevious glint as various thoughts ran through her mind. The ability to communicate with monsters was 'exceptionally' rare and would have been a great boon if they were able to control and guide her properly. However, having her go to the Ganesha Familia also wasn't a bad idea since it would further strengthen their ties. Ganesha himself had been trying to 'pawn' off Shakti to them for a while and Loki had been considering having Vahn 'pacify' the boisterous god by spending more time with his all-too-serious Captain. This could be an opportunity to smoothen things over and potentially take out two birds with one stone...
Unaware of Loki's schemes, Vahn nodded his head and said, "We'll send a message to the Ganesha Familia and get their consent before flying over and getting you settled in. However, even if you're staying away from the Hearth Manor, don't be afraid to come to us if you ever need any help Rufina. If your memories awaken and you're able to remember anything about the time you spent in the Dungeon, please let us know immediately. It might be a little unfair to Ganesha, but I would ask that you keep it a secret from him and the Familia until we're able to deal with things on our end. The Alliance is the primary force opposing those that have made the Dungeon as their den and it is much easier to control the flow of information and make plans if the information is kept under wraps..."
Rufina listened patiently for Vahn to finish before immediately saying, "Yeah, you've helped me out a lot already. If I remember anything, you'll be the first to know, kiddo. I'll stop by periodically to see if there are any updates on the investigation and stuff..." It felt a little awkward knowing that she was suddenly about to be meeting an entirely new group of people but Rufina felt like she could trust Vahn's judgment. Someone that could gather so many people around him had to be highly capable and trustworthy, assuming they weren't ridiculously manipulative. Since her instincts said he was the former, Rufina decided to join the Ganesha Familia and see how things would develop...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: '(OoO') <--Rufina @ everything','Scarily Pregnant : Hestia's Blunder','RIP Ganesha-sama...')
(A/N: There might be some delays in today's chapters, but there should be two more on the way.)
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
It didn't take long for the response to reach them, stating the Ganesha Familia's acceptance of Rufina as their responsibility. The moment he learned that Rufina was a Level 4 with an affinity for taming, Ganesha had been prepared to run the distance all the way from the Eastern side of the City to come and pick her up. It took the combined efforts of Shakti and several other Executives to catch him, tying him to a chair with several lumps on his head as they patiently awaited the arrival of their new member.
As she didn't really have any personal belongings to prepare, Rufina was ready to go soon after the return message arrived. Since Terra had insisted, Vahn rode on her back with Rufina and Fenrir in tow, the latter of which was happily sitting in his lap. Rufina often cast glances toward Fenrir, curious about her relationship with Vahn since they seemed almost inseparable. She always seemed to be at his side, rarely speaking unless it was to Vahn himself. Even with her lack of memories, Rufina could tell that Fenrir wasn't really 'normal' as, though there were several species that seemed to have furry ears and a tail, she was the only one that had paws for hands and feet...
After a relatively short flight, Terra landed on the left side of the Ganesha Familia residence, a massive bust of Ganesha himself appropriately known as 'I am Ganesha'. Though it reeked of vanity, Ganesha himself was one of the most amiable and approachable gods in the entire City. There was a seemingly never-ended banquet going on that accepted almost anyone as long as they hadn't been blacklisted for causing a scene. People could just walk in off the street, enjoy the lively and festive atmosphere that seemed to permeate from the massive bust. The food and drink may not have been the highest quality, but it tasted good when you were in the company of friends and like-minded individuals.
Terra's presence caused a bit of a stir but, as they had been expecting the arrival, members of the Ganesha Familia quickly ran forward to receive them. Shakti was amongst their numbers, giving an appraising look at Terra before turning her attention to Rufina. Her first impression was, like many of the other Executives present, that Rufina was definitely a 'natural'. Even without testing her abilities, she had a 'pure' aura with a wild feeling that carefree and 'wild' feeling coming off of her. Generally, those suited to become [Tamer]s had a similar aura so Shakti believed Rufina would make a fine addition to their numbers. It also helped that she was supposedly around Level 4 in strength, meaning she would be within the top five of the Familia based on strength alone...
Rufina was evaluating everyone that was looking at her, feeling much the same as them since her instincts told her these were good people. Though some of them were staring at her with 'annoying' gazes, Rufina didn't blame them much since she was apparently supposed to be a beautiful woman. She didn't really have any interest in the majority of them, but the azure-haired woman caught her eye. Rufina, noticing the appreciative smile on Shakti's face, returned one of her own with a polite nod that seemed appropriate for the occasion. It was very obvious she was the person in charge since the rest of the members seemed to 'orbit' around her instead of trying to stand out on their own.
Vahn accepted Shakti's offer for a handshake, saying, "Sorry for any inconveniences this may cause you and the rest of the Ganesha Familia, Shakti. This just seemed like the best place for Rufina to have a chance at rebuilding her life..." Shakti gave a curt nod, feeling the strength in Vahn's grip as she raised one of her brows, saying, "You've gotten much stronger...and don't worry about Rufina, we'll take care of her. It should be the Ganesha Familia thanking you for bringing us a talented new member. I'll personally see to it that she is treated well and let you know if anything happens that you need to be aware of."
Shakti had already been informed of Rufina's 'condition', much like the rest of the Executives, so it had been decided that she would become Shakti's protege while acclimating to life on the surface. Amnesia was a very tricky thing to deal with and it would greatly tarnish the reputation of the Ganesha Familia if Rufina ended up getting manipulated and harmed in the process of her recovery. Until she was fit to take care of herself, Rufina would be shadowing Shakti to learn as much about the City and the profession of Taming as possible.
Having Shaki's guarantee, Vahn smiled widely and said, "Thank you, Shaki. I look forward to the cooperation between our two Familias in the future. Is Ganesha present? There were a few things I had in mind for public events that I think he would find interesting." Hearing Vahn mention Ganesha, Shaki released a loud sigh while the other members of the Ganesha Familia began to laugh. Vahn raised his brow in curiosity as Shaki shook her head and said, "Follow me. I'll take you to him. Loki-sama actually asked that you be present for Rufina's induction ceremony so you can talk about it during that time."
Since Vahn needed to check and see if there were any abnormalities with Rufina's status board, it was already decided that he would be there when she received the Falna. The only people that would be privy to her details would be Ganesha, Shakti, and the core members of the Alliance that needed to be kept in the loop. Rufina's 'flow' was slightly different than a human's, so there was a very high probability that she was actually more of a Human-Creature hybrid, or at the very least a modified/mutated human. This could have several different implications and Vahn was inarguably the most qualified physician to deal with any problems that may arise.
Terra assumed her human form, drawing a lot of attention to herself as she asked, "Master, do you want me to stay back or did you plan on returning on your own?" Vahn tilted his head, thinking about things for a moment before saying, "I'll come back on my own since I'm not sure how long this will take. Don't worry, I'm certain everything will be over with before dinner. Tell the others I'm looking forward to the celebration..." Vahn sent Terra a wink, earning a light chuckle from the humanoid True Dragon as she stepped into the void in a flash of light. Everyone just stared blankly at the spot she had been standing previously while Vahn gestured to Shakti, "Let's go. I don't want to keep everyone waiting for too long..."
Broken from her stupor, Shakti gave Vahn a curious glance before nodding her head, indicating for them to follow as she said, "I imagine there are plenty of things you have to tend to now that you've returned. Rumors have it that Hephaestus-sama and Loki-sama are due any day now...?" Vahn smiled widely, nodding his head as he said, "Yes, I'm really looking forward to it. Just thinking about becoming a father makes me feel both giddy and proud at the same time..." Several people present slightly exasperated looks, some tinged with a bit of envy but not enough to take note of. The vast majority of men would jump at the opportunity to win over any of the girls that had been drawn to Vahn so it wasn't uncommon for a touch of green to stain the auras of the people he interacted with.
After walking for a few minutes, during which time most of the Executive members broke off to handle their own affairs, Vahn entered a room with Shakti and Rufina. When he saw Ganesha tied up to a chair with a 'sad' look on his masked face, Vahn nearly burst out laughing but instead just raised his hand and said, "Yo, Ganesha, long time no see~." Ganesha, as if his earlier melancholy had been an illusion, jumped up with the chair still attached to him and said, "Ah, Vahn Mason, it's good to see you! You'll have to forgive me for not coming to greet you myself, gaaaaaaaaaahahahahaha~!"
Shakti undid the bindings holding the chair to Ganesha, shaking her head in exasperation all the while. When he was finally free, Ganesha struck a pose as if to show off his muscles, shouting, "Yosh! What a liberating experience, gaaahahahahaha~!" Then, as if on a tempo only he understood, Ganesha took on a serious look as he approached Vahn, grasping hands and asking plainly, "So, when are you going to accept my Shakti as one of your girls? I'm afraid she might never find a-" Before Ganesha was able to finish, Shakti knocked him on the back of his head hard enough to send him crashing into the ground. Vahn felt like he could see an illusory 'tick' mark on Shakti's head as her fist shook with a bit of steam coming off of it.
Vahn scratched the back of his head, giving the blushing Shakti a wry smile that made her avert her eyes as she said, "Don't take this fool's words seriously, Vahn..." As if he had never been punched, Ganesha bolted up in an instant and 'reproached' Shakti by saying, "Hey now, that's no way to talk about your god, Shakti! I'm just worried about you, after all, you're already thirty-" This time, Shaki didn't seem to hold back as she slapped Ganesha hard enough to make him spin around several times while drawing a perfect arc through the air. The blush on her face turned completely crimson as she said, "I told you not to talk about my age so casually! Aren't elephants supposed to have good memories!?"
At this point, Rufina was standing very close to Vahn, poking his side as she asked, "Is this really the best place for me? I'm starting to reconsider my options..." Vahn had been blankly staring at the proceedings but Rufina's question had been the last straw as he had to cover his mouth to avoid laughing. Shakti, as if reminded of his presence, turned toward him with a glare on her face that made Vahn immediately put on a poker face and say, "You're still a very beautiful and youthful woman, Shakti. I'm certain you'll-" Noticing the glare on Shakti's face turning icy, Vahn swallowed his words and just averted his eyes away without completing his thought. Realizing he was dropping the matter, Shaki gave a curt nod before digging Ganesha out of the wall he had been embedded into...
Rufina ended up having to expose her back, something which she wasn't too fond of but accepted as 'necessary' since the blessing seemed very useful. She didn't know why, but part of her had an aversion towards men and the only exception to this seemed to be Vahn himself. Unsure of if it had anything to do with her past, Rufina kept the matter to herself for the time being and just did her best to not mind the rather rough finger tracing an emblem on her back. Ganesha was very practiced in the procedure, having cycled through thousands of members in his time in the mortal world, so the entire thing only took twenty minutes.
Vahn, with permission from Rufina, then checked her Status Board while Ganesha and Shaki watched on in interest. They had heard he had the ability to read the ancient language of the gods even better than most of the gods themselves. Seeing it in person was very interesting and, though he typically was very whimsical, even Ganesha took on a very serious appearance as he watched Vahn cycle through the information on Rufina's back. He could see the information shuffle around in a manner beyond his comprehension so it wasn't difficult to believe the claim now that he had verified it with his own eyes. Though the Ganesha Familia had already joined the Alliance, on the grounds of mutual cooperation during the bi-annual events, it was only now that he truly believed his decision to be the correct one...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[STATUS]]
Name: Rufina Vermillion
Race: Human, Creature(partially-awakened)
LV. 4
POW: (C616)
END: (S946)
DEX: (D563)
AGI: (C602)
MAG: (H117)
Skills: [Voice of the World: H](Innate), [Indominus:D](Innate), [Piercing Thrust:S], [Command Howl:B], [Rallying Spirit:B], [Crushing Strike:C], [Nature Armament:D]
Magic: [Flame Enchant:B]
Development Abilities: [Master Hunter:H], [Abnorma Status Resistance:A], [Swordsman:A], [Tamer:C], [Acrobatics:(sealed), [Tracking:(sealed), [Fist Strike:(sealed)]
[Piercing Thrust]
Rank: S
Use: Allows the user to ignore a large portion of the target's defenses.
Passive Trigger
[Command Howl]
Rank: B
Use: Allows the user's voice to be heard by allies even during chaotic moments. Greatly increases the distance the user's voice travels.
Active Trigger
[Rallying Spirit]
Rank: B
Use: When fighting in a group, enhances the parameters of everyone allied to the user for a short period of time.
Active Trigger
[Crushing Strike]
Rank: C
Use: Overhead strikes with greatswords have a greater chance of dealing critical hits.
Passive Trigger
[Nature Armament]
Rank: D
Use: Allows the user to create nature weapons by consuming a large amount of mana. Capabilities of the weapon depending on the emotional state of the user and the amount of mana consumed.
Active Trigger
[Flame Enchant]
Rank: B
Use: Coats weapons and armor with flame elemental energies, greatly enhancing damage potential and causing burn status effect on enemies.
Chant: Burn, Consume, Turn To Ashes! Flame Enchant~!
[Master Hunter]
Rank: H
Use: Greatly enhances abilities against monsters the user has fought and gained exilia from. The greater the number of enemies the user has slain, the more fearful monsters of that type become.
[Tamer]
Rank: C
Use: Increases the odds of successfully taming monsters and other creatures of low intelligence.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Vahn saw that Rufina had two Innates, both already awakened, he experienced a long pause in his train of thoughts before saying, "You have two rare skills and, judging from the names, I believe one allows you to communicate with monsters while the other makes you a lot more durable than normal. Your Endurance is much higher than all of your other parameters as well and it seems you're quite capable with a sword..." Since he was her god now, Vahn handed over Rufina's Status Sheet for him to read, not really understanding Ganesha's take on things since it was hard to read his expression through the elephant mask covering his face.
Rufina had the copy Vahn had given her, reading through all of her information with raised brows like she was looking at something pertaining to someone other than herself. She didn't really know if Level 4 was impressive but, based on the reactions of Vahn and Shakti, Rufina felt a small amount of pride well up inside of her chest as a small smile appeared on her face. Though she didn't care that much, it was far more preferable to already have a strong body than having to start from scratch. The rare skills Vahn mentioned seemed very useful, especially the one that made her body tougher than normal since getting injured wasn't a pleasant thought.
Shakti also perused Rufina's information, already planning how she would help train her in the future, though only if the person in question had any interest in it. As an amnesiac, it was more important that she adapt to normal life since training was something that could be done later, especially with such a strong base. Just knowing she had a rare skill associated with taming, including the [Tamer] Development Ability, gave Rufina an advantage over most people. Even she didn't have a rare skill related to taming so it might even be possible to groom Rufina as her successor. That might give her an opportunity to actually pursue a love life since she wouldn't have to constantly attend to Ganesha anymore...
After a few minutes had passed, Ganesha seemed to break from his reverie as he shouted, "Graaaahahahahaha, it seems we really benefitted this time around! Welcome to my Familia, Rufina, it's a pleasure to have you! As you're undoubtedly aware..." Ganesha jumped back, striking a flamboyant pose as he shouted, "I AM GANESHA~!" For several seconds after that, there was absolute silence until Rufina awkwardly said, "Ah, thanks for having me...?" As if given permission to move, Ganesha stood with arms akimbo and began laughing boisterously as he said, "Such a well-mannered girl. Maybe you'll be teaching my Shakti a thing or two about being a good woman! Gaaaahahahahahahaha~!"
The illusory tick mark appeared on Shakti's head again as she looked toward Ganesha with eyes that could freeze over a volcano. It didn't do anything to quell Ganesha's laughter, however, as he continued to release an aura of 'I'm oblivious to everything, after all, I AM GANESHA!'. Deciding to spare Ganesha, at least for the time being, Shakti took a deep breath and said, "For the time being, you'll share one of the Executive suites with me. If you need clothing and other essential items, we can go shopping for them later. I'll help you get accustomed to how to behave in public and show you some of the more interesting shops I frequent."
At this point, Vahn palmed his hand with a fist before pulling out several platinum cards, handing them over to a stunned Shakti as he said, "Since Rufina was a responsibility that I bestowed upon you, I'll cover her basic living expenses until she is capable of sustaining herself. This should be enough for a few months but you can always send me a message through the network if more is required..." Shakti blankly stared at the cards, totaling more than 3,000,000V in value as she contemplated Vahn's words. Part of her wanted to retort that 3MV was more than enough for several years, much less a few months...it was this moment that made Shakti realize that Vahn's sensibilities were more than a little different from normal people. It was good that Rufina ended up under her charge or she might have been led astray by the mentally skewed youth...
Unaware of Shakti's thoughts, Vahn gave her aura a curious look before shaking his head slightly and deciding not to inquire. They then spent a few minutes arranging Rufina's affairs and getting her situated in her new room, which Vahn was allowed access to. It was much smaller than some of the rooms at the Manor but it was easily enough for two people to live in. Shakti was the Captain of the Ganesha Familia but she stayed in the same Executive quarters as everyone else, even though Ganesha had prepared a larger room for her use. She had a frugal nature and preferred practicality over extravagance, however, so it had gone unused after the previous Captain stepped down. It was a secret to everyone that the main reason she avoided it was the fact that there were several portraits of Ganesha inside and even the bathroom faucet was a miniature golden Ganesha head with the water coming from the elephant trunk of his mask...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'GAAAAANEEEEEESHAAAAAA!','Rufina's OP Status','Poor Shakti...')
(A/N: One more chapter coming later, though it will probably be a few hours (*o*)~!)
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
ความคิดเห็นย่อย
คุณลักษณะความคิดเห็นย่อหน้าอยู่ในขณะนี้บนเว็บ! เลื่อนเมาส์ไปที่ย่อหน้าใดก็ได้แล้วคลิกไอคอนเพื่อเพิ่มความคิดเห็นของคุณ
นอกจากนี้คุณสามารถปิด / เปิดได้ตลอดเวลาในการตั้งค่า
เข้าใจแล้ว