Though he had been making great progress in his use of two bodies, there was one activity that required Vahn's 'entire' focus, which was visiting his young daughter, Alexa. It wasn't that difficult to set aside time each day to enter inside the orb and see how she was doing, so Vahn always made sure to do so around 10 AM every morning. He tried to keep it consistent so she would always know when he was arriving. This allowed for the memory fragments to go about their own business without interruption as well, something Vahn himself was grateful for since he inherited the memories of the fragment.
Things could get awkward if he suddenly showed up and then monopolized Alexa's attention when his memory fragment had been playing with her. Since Vahn inherited the awkwardness, and any negative emotions contained within, he had tried to be more considerate towards himself. As for what his memory fragment had been up to, he spent most of his time forging the template pieces for the Aegis set items, which had now actually started to stockpile since nearly twelve years had passed within the Spirit-Time orb at this point.
After materializing, Vahn looked over to see a completely flattened tree stump where Alexa was currently seated. She still had a lot of the same habits from her time as a genderless entity so Vahn smiled lightly and said, "Alexa, sit properly..." Though she was wearing spats, Alexa had been sitting with her legs crossed while wearing a skirt. There weren't really many people for her to interact within this space so she had yet to develop the awareness necessary for a young lady. Of course, if he went by her physical age, it would have actually been somewhat strange for Alexa to have that kind of awareness as a three-year-old toddler.
Without showing any appearance of shame or embarrassment, Alexa tucked her knees under herself and sat the way her Mother had taught her. Still, sitting like this on a hardwood surface wasn't that pleasant so she eventually just flicked her wings and jumped off of the stump as she asked, "Will you teach me something new today, Papa?" She hovered in the air around him, slightly below the height of his head so she could look up into his face. Alexa knew this was supposed to be a method to act cutely and, after having seen Ina use the same method in the past, she was confident it would work on her Papa.
Vahn felt like Alexa had reached her tiny hand forward and squeezed his heart with her hands since her look had dealt critical damage to his mind. Reaching his hand out, Vahn began patting Alexa's head as he said, "It's ultimately up to you, Alexa. I know my fragment has taught you a lot of things, so I'm personally fond of just spending time with you. How that time is spent, though, that is for you to decide..." Because Alexa had to spend nearly 56 days apart from him every time they were together, Vahn had always left it up to her to choose what she wanted to do. For these one-hundred hours, he would do his best to make sure she was happy and content.
Alexa 'giggled' in a somewhat awkward manner before flittering away from his palm and moving near his shoulder. Vahn habitually raised his arm, letting Alexa sit down while wrapped her left wing around his shoulder for stability. With a happy smile on her face, she said, "Today, I just want to spend time with Papa. Even if it's just sleeping under a tree, that is good enough for me..." Vahn smiled enough that his eye squinted slightly. He reached out his thumb and index finger, lightly pinching Alexa's button-like nose as he said, "Let's go for a walk and find a good spot to nap then, shall we~?"
Vahn walked along for around twenty minutes, following the directions of Alexa until they came to a tree that was around 5m thick. There was a nook in between two of the larger roots and Vahn could see that the canopy overhead had been cleared out. Though there wasn't a sun in the sky, there was gentle while light that radiated down from above and illuminated the worlds below. Vahn found the temperate atmosphere of the completely silent forest to be both eerie and calming at the same time. Of course, with his adorable little dragonling at his side, the eerieness quickly faded away, replaced by a content feeling.
After sitting in the nook, Vahn noticed a bit of moss on Alexa's wings so, before they took their nap, he smiled and said, "Here, let me groom your feathers..." He knew Alexa had probably avoided cleaning them in preparation for his arrival and, as expected, she happily consented to his assistance. Alexa spread her wings, which could now stretch outwards for nearly 140cm, and held onto her knees while resting her chin against them. It wasn't a very lady-like way to sit but, considering that her Papa was behind her, Alexa knew he wouldn't comment on it.
Using a very fine comb, Vahn went through each of Alexa's feather individually, confirming there were precisely 23,808 feathers present. He noticed the number had increased slightly over the years and it would probably get close to 29,000 when she reached maturity. Unlike her mother, Alexa had beautiful black feathers instead of the leafy-green one's possessed by Terra. They were also very glossy and had a subtle metallic sheen to them, creating a tinkling sound as he moved the comb through. She also had little black horns growing out of her emerald green hair, now looking like two round nubs, while the scales covering her tail, ears, hands, and feet were a similar glossy black to her feathers.
As if she had read his mind, Alexa fluttered her wings with a satisfied expression on her face before asking, "Papa, will you help clean my scales too?" Holding up her hand, Vahn could see the gentle black gradient of the paper thin scales on Alexa's forearms and the backs of her hands. Like Terra, she had small runic markings all over her body with a small swirl near the palm of her hand. Vahn accepted her hand and began looking over the glossy scales, noticing they didn't really require his attention at all. As for the scales on her feet and tail, Vahn didn't want Alexa to develop any habits so he had to reluctantly shake his head, explaining, "You'll have to ask your Mother how to take care of sensitive areas on your own. Sorry, Alexa..."
Without arguing, Alexa just nodded her head in understanding, blinking her leaf-green eyes that were as placid as a lake. Vahn, however, noticed that she distinctly flicked her tail when he refused the request. Currently, Alexa's tail couldn't really touch the ground just yet or she would have tapped against it, just like her mother did when she was upset. Vahn realized that Alexa, for better or worse, seemed to be developing a temperament similar to her mother. He wondered if this was because Alexa had become a female, or if it was just a trait all True Dragons had. If he got some alone time with Fafnir and Khaos in the future, Vahn would have to ask them.
Before she sat down, Alexa began to wiggle in a strange manner and Vahn could see that her features began to distort slightly. The horns on her head became sharper, instead of rounded, and the emerald green hair around her head began to shrink towards the scalp. When she was done, Alexa surprised Vahn by saying, "There. Now I'm no longer a girl, so it should be fine." As if it was a signed and sealed matter, Alexa sat down on the ground in front of Vahn and raised up its tail. It was very clear that 'Alex' was waiting for him to grab its tail and begin grooming it. Vahn had never seen Alex so willful before so he was a little taken aback by the sudden change.
After holding its tail up for a few long seconds, Alex looked back and released a small sigh before standing up and saying, "Look. See?" Vahn wanted to facepalm when Alex lifted its skirt and pulled down its spats, revealing that it was, in fact, genderless at the moment. Still, though he avoided facepalming outright, Vahn massaged the bridge of his nose and explained as calmly as he could, "Alex, I understand how sensitive a True Dragon's tail can be, especially after dealing with your Mother. Regardless of your gender, it would be inappropriate for me to touch your tail haphazardly. You should understand this...which makes me wonder what you're thinking to make such a request so suddenly...?"
Alex took a deep breath and released it, obviously putting an effort into calming themselves before saying, "I saw the memory fragments of Papa and Mama...and I got curious..." Even without Alex detailing anything, Vahn had an idea of what it had seen. He knew personally that he had always sealed off the area whenever he and Terra had sex. However, this was not always the case if it was just something like a massage, or grooming. Alex must have peeked in on one of the massage sessions and, since Terra could be very...sensual, Alex's curiosity must have been triggered. It had always been a very curious child, after all, which is likely why it had snuck a peek in the first place...
Much like Alex, Vahn took a deep breath and exhaled, likely why Alex had the habit in the first place. Once he collected himself, Vahn gestured for Alex to sit in his lap and began stroking the young dragonling's head as he calmly explained, "It's fine to be curious, Alex, but you have to always consider things from multiple perspectives. If you selfishly try to force people to act in accordance with your will, it is very likely you will put yourself, and others, into tricky situations in the future. As for the thing you're currently curious about...well, I can't really help you with it. In fact, you're far too young to even start experimenting with that kind of thing. Please, talk to your Mother about this kind of thing when you're older...if you stress over it while you're young, it will only increase your frustrations in the future..."
Vahn didn't really know how to deal with this kind of situation so, like he always was with his children, he tried to be honest and explain things as clearly as he could. Alex had been paying close attention to each of his words and, though it wasn't entirely convinced, it still nodded its head before leaning into its Papa's chest. In truth, Alex knew it probably wouldn't have had any luck and that its expectations for the future would also never be met. At this point, it had experimented with being both a boy and a girl a few times but, after interacting with Fafnir, Khaos, and the memory fragments of its Mother and Papa, Alex knew it would probably want to stay a girl. Everyone treated it better when it was female and, for the few months it had spent as a male, Fafnir and Khaos had been more 'aggressive' towards it.
Alex, or Alexa, had almost decided that its future gender would undoubtedly be female, if it even decided on a gender in the first place. Since it would never be able to fulfill its instincts, Alexa believed it would probably be better to stay genderless. If it's Papa couldn't even tolerate 'small' things, Alexa didn't think she would be able to stay happy in the future. Just the thought of other people touching her tail and wings, with perhaps the exception of her younger siblings, didn't sit well with her at all. It was beginning to look like the only way forward for her was to stay genderless while assuming a more feminine appearance. At least, that way, it wouldn't have to contend against Fafnir and Khaos, nor would it have to 'suffer' being a female without a future mate...
Even so, Alexa didn't want to make its Papa's life more difficult, especially after everything he has done for her. One of the memories deeply rooted into her very existence was her Papa tearing out his own heart, bathing her in his life essence to ensure she would have the greatest potential he could afford her. She had a lot of respect for him and, remembering in his words from the past, Alexa decided to believe that her Papa would find a solution for her problem. After all, he had 'made' Fafnir, Khaos, and her Mother...Alexa believed that her Papa could do anything, even if it took him a while to figure it out. She just needed to be patient...
Vahn had noticed that Alex had assumed its female form again but he didn't comment on it as he laid his head back against the tree and let the warm rays of white light whine down on his face. He wanted her to be happy and would need to come up with a solution in the future, just as he would have to do for each of his daughters. The easiest 'solution' was simply to help Alexa become much stronger, just like he was helping Fenrir. If she reached a higher Soul Tier, Alexa would be able to change her fate and, if it was intolerable staying a True Dragon, she could even overcome that.
It was also very possible that, once he linked Danmachi to a higher tiered record, Alexa would be able to find a mate the natural way. Vahn assumed this would be how most of his children found their partners in the future, as it didn't seem too likely they would be involved with mortals, or anyone significantly weaker than themselves. He was 'almost' positive that Ina and Erika wouldn't even look for partners any time soon, leaving Vana as the only one among the Vanir that would likey 'explore' her feelings. As for his 'relatively' normal children, they would probably fall in love once they found someone they could put their trust in. Still, even if this was the case, Vahn intended to support them all to the best of his ability. If anyone tried to exploit his daughters...
Releasing an adorable yawn, Alexa rubbed her eyes and asked, "Papa...?" in an inquisitive tone. Vahn lightly chuckled before stroking her shoulders in a small circle, saying, "Sorry, I just let my thoughts get carried away. Go back to sleep..." While he had been speaking, Vahn diffused calming energy through Alexa's body, bringing a small smile to the girl's face as she nuzzled into his chest. Her tiny rounded horns rubbed against him and, instead of feeling hard, Vahn noticed they were surprisingly soft and springy. He had never actually touched Alexa's horns in the past and wondered if it was because they were still growing, making them slightly malleable.
---
The rest of his time in the orb was decidedly less 'eventful' than the first few hours. Vahn and Alexa just played together, explored the woods, and talked about a variety of things she was interested in. She also had enough decorum that, whenever they would go swimming or take a bath, Alexa would adopt her genderless form. Vahn wanted to comment that she didn't really need to worry about such things, as he didn't really harbor any feelings or thoughts on the matter, but that would have just made it more awkward for her. The fact she was trying to develop a sense of propriety was a good thing, after all, and he didn't want to discourage her.
Towards the end of their session together, Vahn carried back the sleepy Alexa in his arms and tucked her into the circular shaped 'nest' she had back at the cottage. He gave her a large magic crystal to hug while she was sleeping before moving to where his and Terra's memory fragments were waiting. After explaining everything that had happened, his memory fragment had a distant look on his face while Terra's had a surprisingly guilty look. She realized that her efforts in raising Alexa would need to be stepped up unless the latter ended up going down a 'strange' route. Though Tera herself didn't actually mind if Alexa pursued Vahn, she understood that Vahn was 'very' uncomfortable with the idea. This meant she needed to teach Alexa how to behave properly and, when the time came, how to deal with some of the urges she had in a 'healthy' manner...
As always, Vahn spent the last hour or so just talking with himself, explaining everything that was going on in the real world. It was no longer strange for him to have these 'introspective' conversations with his memory fragment and, after putting in so much effort to control two bodies, Vahn felt like his adaptability had increased greatly. He still had a few flaws to work through, and a few quirks to work out, but his progress seemed to be going well. Even his interactions with people had gotten much better, as he was far less reliant on reading their auras and instead looked at their body language.
After all, with someone as difficult to read as Terra being his conversation partner for twelve years, he was bound to pick up a few things. Since she was also very clever, almost scarily so, Vahn rarely got thrown off by other people and, unless it was one of the girls living in the Manor, or his own children, everyone else would be hard pressed to break through his mental defenses. Indeed, or at least he would like to think so, Vahn had started to mature...
"So, I finished the prototype for 'that' project you wanted me to work on...I have to admit, I think it will be perfect..." Hearing his memory fragment's words, Vahn felt his cheeks heat up slightly because he had just been thinking about how much he had matured. When his fragment suddenly mentioned 'that', however, Vahn knew that there were a few quirks that he had actually 'developed' after becoming a father. He liked to play with his children and, because they were already so cute, Vahn tried to make them even cuter. As a result of Alexa tried to adopt that type of nature, Vahn had asked his memory fragment to work on a project he had designed the list time he stopped by. Hearing that it had been completed, Vahn couldn't help but feel a little excited, and a little guilty at the same time...
Following his fragment into the nearby workshop, Vahn watched as the fragment, wearing a large grin on his face, pulled out the prototype. All of Vahn's own feelings of guilt completely vanished when he saw the finished product, absolutely convinced he had made the right decision. Walking forward, wearing a matching smile as his memory fragment, Vahn picked up the emerald green cloth and marveled at its quality, complimenting 'himself' for a job well done. Then, carrying it along with him, Vahn lightly shook Alexa's shoulder to stir her awake before handing her the one-piece garment in his hand, a pair of pajamas with an emerald-green dragon design that even had holes for her horns, wings, and tail...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Memory Fragment's Failure','Being a Parent is hard...','Being a doting Papa is easy (UwU)~!)
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Apart from spending time with his children, tending to the needs of the girls, and managing the affairs of the Alliance, Vahn also found time to continue his own training. He knew that, while his power was already very near the peak of this world, there were still several ways he could suffer a defeat. If his opponents had an Innate that could counteract the effects of his [Magia Erebea], even his 'immortality' wouldn't necessarily ensure his life. It was very unlikely, but Vahn kept Eva's warnings close to his heart, understanding the consequences of his defeat and how it would impact his family, his loved ones, and the Alliance.
Sitting within the second layer of 'pressure' within the Sub-Space orb, Vahn was currently meditating while the condensed spatial acted with both a compressive and resistive force. Even breathing was very difficult, not that he needed to, so it was an ideal place to train your physical capabilities. He was currently trying to increase the amount of source energy at his disposal since, after training with Eva, Vahn knew that the Falna didn't accurately reflect a person's power. Most people could fight well above the parameters shown within their status boards and, even as early as the first time he entered the Dungeon, Vahn's status never truly reflected his capabilities.
Using Terra as a precedent, and relying on the studies his memory fragment had been doing, Vahn was now focused almost entirely on just increasing his Magic Parameter, and his internal reserves of source energy. His natural regeneration was already far above the norm and, as it seemed to be based on a percentage of his actual reserves, Vahn wanted to get to the point where he could maintain his [Magia Erbea] indefinitely. This would, in turn, make maintaining his Rakshasa transformations more effective. Though he hadn't used it much, Vahn had reached the initial mastery of his Zhūquè form, which inarguably gave him more power than even his [Magia Erbea].
The problem with his Zhūquè form was that it consumed his source energy at an incredibly fast pace. Even after reaching Level 5, and having a total Magic Parameter of 10,453, Vahn could only maintain the form for around eight minutes. During the eight minutes, he would likely be able to defeat almost any enemy, but it would still leave him extremely vulnerable if he overused it. Though there wouldn't be any 'serious' consequences to passing out in the Dungeon, as he could no longer die, Vahn didn't want to have his unconscious body continuously torn apart by monsters. Avoiding Mind Down was something he took very seriously, to the point that most of his equipment had been replaced with items that increased his Source, Spirit, and Mental energies.
After releasing a stagnant breath, Vahn opened his eyes and faced the patiently waiting Lefiya, quietly sitting within the area of the first layer of pressure. She gave him a small smile and, without any conversation between them, began bombarding him with her [Miki's Tulip]. A massive plasma-like orb of condensed magic power shot out of her staff, accelerating towards him at several times the speed of sound. The intensity of the orb was such that, just passing through the air, caused the spatial membrane to fluctuated slightly.
Without making any effort to dodge, Vahn held his breath before reaching out both palms as a very thin film of magical power covered his body. This was a new technique Vahn was developing, designed to use the same principles as [Magia Erbea] with physical amplification magic. His problems with fuel efficiency were almost exclusively related to the external use of his source energy so Vahn was trying to enhance his body while containing the magic power instead of 'wearing' it as an aura. This would tear apart the body of most people but, with his cells' adaptability and his nearly instantaneous regeneration, Vahn wasn't exactly normal.
Receiving the dense globule of magic power with his hands, Vahn was slowly pushed back as the magical energy conformed around his hands and forearms. Lefiya's magic had a very high penetrative power while also being malleable at the same time, giving it the ability to damage magically resistant creatures, even without piercing them directly. To counter this effect, Vahn changed the 'flow' of magic power within his domain and slowly nullified the force before it finally fell to the ground, burning a large hole as it sunk into the earthen plane below.
Since he wasn't in his fully 'active' state, Vahn inspected the damage done by Lefiya's spell. He had gotten much better at dealing with pain so, although it was very painful and made him feel sick, Vahn evaluated his state as objectively as possible. Most of the flesh had been burned away from the underside of his hands, showing the calcified bones and cauterized flesh around his fingers. There were also several 3rd-degree burns around his forearms as Lefiya's magic power continued to try and wreak havoc within his body. Of course, against his source energy, it was very quickly being forced out and, even without exploiting his [Magia Erebea], Vahn's wounds had started to heal at a visible rate.
Unfortunately, it wasn't going nearly as fast as was necessary since Lefiya had already shot the second attack towards him. This time, Vahn condensed a thicker membrane around his hands, accelerating his regeneration further while once again trying to resist Lefiya's attack. At this point, they had been at this particular training for nearly three hours, only stopping when he needed to replenish his reserves. Lefiya had opposed it at first but it didn't take much to convince her of things lately. As the day of her own 'celebration of adulthood' was approaching, her mental state had been undergoing a rapid and surprising shift.
Momentarily distracted by his thoughts, Vahn's defensive membrane became unstable and, instead of forcing it away from him, Lefiya's spell impacted his arms directly and incinerated them. Vahn took in a sharp breath, immediately regretting it as the taste of oxidized air and burnt flesh filled his lungs. It was very painful, almost like his lungs were on fire, so Vahn immediately removed the limiters he had placed on his [Magia Erbea] state. Before Lefiya's magic spell burned out, he had already completely recovered from the damage, even if his mental state was a little worse for wear.
Though the link they shared, Lefiya realized something had gone wrong so she didn't immediately attack, instead, asking, "Master, are you okay to continue...?" Vahn held his hand up with a wry smile on his face, answering, "Sorry, but I think that is enough for the time being. This kind of training is difficult while controlling two bodies. Go ahead and spend your mana and we'll move on to the next phase of your training." Immediately nodding her head in affirmation, Lefiya then pointed her Tulip towards the sky and began to channel nearly her entire internal supply of magic power into a single attack. Even before she fired it, a large amount of wind had started to swirl around by the vast difference in temperature compared to the surroundings.
Once she had loosed the terrifyingly powerful magic attack towards the sky, Lefiya plopped down to the ground in a state of exhaustion. With the increased strain of the compressed space, it was a lot harder for her to get her second wind and, for the time being, she wasn't even able to stay standing on her feet. There was a pounding in her head that made it feel like her skull was going to crack open down the center but, as this wasn't the first time she had experienced this, Leifya just clenched her teeth and tolerated it.
Vahn made his way over to Lefiya and, without any hesitation, placed his left hand on her head while putting the palm of his right hand on her abdomen. Lefiya blushed and, though her head was still hurting, she closed her eyes in anticipation with a small smile on her face. She, as one of Vahn's apprentices and subordinates, had a very important mission that only she could help him with. Vahn had told her about the change in her mana and, after explaining his hypothesis, she had volunteered her body as an experimental subject. Even if it made her into something else entirely, Lefiya got giddy at the idea of Vahn changing the nature of her mana to more closely match his own...
With his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn watched as his source energy diffused through Lefiya's body while an almost negligible amount flowed into the white threads in her mana body. After going through this procedure hundreds of times, the white threads had started to glow with a slight rainbow hue, showing that they were undoubtedly his source energy taking root in Lefiya's body. It could be due to her nature as a descendant of Wishe, but Vahn assumed it was actually because Lefiya was his subordinate that her body was slowly adapting to his energy.
Source energy was the highest form of energy and, unless it was used to cause harm, it had absolutely no negative effects on a person's body. Instead, it would greatly increase Lefiya's strength and it was one of the reasons where her attacks were so powerful. Vahn also speculated that it would greatly increase Lefiya's vitality and, as he had already seen, it had a very impactful influence on her Endurance. If he continued nourishing her body for a long period of time, it was even possible that Lefiya's own natural regeneration would rival his own, assuming he wasn't using his 'active' immortal state.
The smile that had been on Lefiya's face grew progressively larger as the blush on her face deepened into a rosy hue. Feeling the calming energy coming through her head, and the 'exciting' energy flowing through her abdomen, Lefiya couldn't help but feel a little giddy. She was greatly looking forward to the coming weekend and even momentary contact with Vahn made her body feel like it was going to burn up. It was to the point that, even though it was very embarrassing, Lefiya released a hot sigh while covering his hand with her own.
Vahn smiled lightly at Lefiya's reaction, stroking her head to help keep her calm while finishing the procedure. They would continue this several times so it was a bit early for her to already be 'triggered' in such a way. He knew that she was 'technically' an adult now, as she had spent several months passed her own birthday within the orb, but the agreement the girls had made prior to entering still held. Lefiya would be an adult by the time of her 'recorded' date of birth in the real world, not a moment sooner. Even though he was somewhat 'regretful' of this fact, as a result of how Lefiya's birthday actually aligned with the time he had to 'deal' with Freya, it would complicate things in the future.
While he was thinking of these troubling matters, Vahn's memories wandered to Ryuu, someone who was 'fresh' on his mind after their recent incident. She would also be giving birth very soon and Vahn was looking forward to how their daughter would turn out. His only hope, at least in regards to the event itself, was that it didn't take place on the same weekend when he needed to deal with Freya, 'celebrate' with Lefiya, and potentially help another goddess get pregnant. Though he would undoubtedly go to her side the moment she went into delivery, it would be 'very' awkward if such events coincided with each other...
Seemingly taking advantage of the fact he was distracted, Lefiya suddenly snuck a kiss from Vahn, causing him to blink in surprise as she sheepishly said, "I think that's enough, Master...you've already filled me up completely..." Though she hadn't minded at first, Lefiya felt like she was beginning to be inflated like a balloon with how much energy Vahn was sending into her body. As an Elf, she was very 'sensitive' to such energies and, much like how Riveria and Ryuu reacted during 'excitement', Lefiya's body had started to feel very hot and bothered.
Vahn pulled away his right hand and showed an apologetic expression without actually saying sorry. Just like he wanted the girls to stop thanking and apologizing to him so often, Vahn was trying to be better about it himself. He knew Lefiya didn't really mind much so it would have just made things awkward if he 'unnecessarily' apologized. Even so, he made it up to her with his actions by gently rubbing her head and returning to her a kiss of his own. Lefiya reached her hands up to hold the side of his head, extending the kiss a little longer than he intended, but it wasn't anything worth worrying over...
For the next two hours, Lefiya continued the cycle of using up her magic power before Vahn helped eased her mental strain and replenished her reserves. She was going the route of a 'true mage', so Lefiya didn't focus on training her body while her mana was low. Though her reserves wouldn't increase as quickly, Lefiya's mana pool was already much larger than average because of her heritage as an Elf, and a 'daughter of Wishe'. His source energy made her actual magic far more effective, so Lefiya was very quickly turning into an indescribably powerful mage, at least compared to the standards of the world. It was already to the point that, even though she was only Level 4, Lefiya's raw power output could almost rival Riveria's.
As the end of their training session approached, so to did the next person he was supposed to train with, Mikoto. Vahn's current schedule had him within the real world, spending time with his children, and inside of the Sub-Space orb, training his mind and body while helping the girls in their own training. Though it wasn't concrete, Vahn would spend around six hours training with the girls on a rotation they themselves had decided upon. Of course, things rarely ended up as a one-on-one session, unless his body was split into two. When he was just a single body, Vahn would often fight against the entire group of girls at once, giving them experience fighting against a seemingly unbeatable opponent while he adapted to their various combat styles.
Seeing Mikoto approaching, Lefiya showed a pouting expression before realizing that Vahn was looking towards her with a teasing smile on his face. Her face flushed a shader darker as she said, "I'll see you later, Master...thank you for your care..." Instead of patting her head, Vahn pulled Lefiya into his embrace and held her for a few seconds, patting her back as he whispered, "Don't forget to make your decision in the next couple of days...regardless of what you choose, I will support you." With his words finished, Vahn planted a kiss on Lefiya's lips, marveling at how all Elven women seemed to have very sweet saliva before he pulled away and smiled.
Lefiya's ears were waggling up and down happily as she said, "Yes, I'll make sure to consider it properly~!" before hugging her [Miki's Tulip] and running towards where Ais, Tiona, and Tione, visible in the distance. Vahn watched her retreat, knowing what decision she would inevitably make in the future. They had talked about it previously with Riveria, but Vahn had wanted Lefiya to consider using the [Wishe's Blessing] since it didn't really matter if the Elven Kingdom would want to target her. After all, things were almost irreconcilable between the High Elven Nobles and the Alliance at this point. Lefiya's identity being revealed wouldn't really make much of a difference, especially since she was more than capable of protecting herself, if necessary.
Though she had actually been willing to consume the item then and there, Riveria had cautioned her to think about it very seriously and advised her to wait until she was an 'adult' before acting. Ultimately, it didn't really matter if she remained the same, or if she had her blood purified, so Riveria wanted Lefiya to think about the matter seriously before making a decision. After all, her existence as a 'Daughter of Wishe', though not necessarily having and significant meaning, would undoubtedly influence her face if she decides to embrace it.
The Dal Alfan Family, assuming they tided over until the instability within the Elven Kingdom was resolved, would almost certainly try to get their hands on her. If they were unable to do so, it was likely they would instead try to use her accomplishments to inflate the reputation of their family in the future, even if Lefiya had no association with them at all. It was one of the unique 'quirks' of Nobles, and it would eventually burden Lefiya unless she completely severed ties with her heritage. The only way to avoid such a scenario was for the Dal Alfan family to fall completely, or at least until the point where they were no longer recognized as Nobles. If there were any influential people left among them, who held onto their pride as 'Nobles', it was almost guaranteed that they would try to trouble Lefiya and try to elevate themselves back into a position of power...
Of course, none of their machinations would have any meaning unless Lefiya herself decided to get involved with them. Since she had been 'abandoned', without even knowing who her parents were, Lefiya didn't have any positive feelings towards the Dal Alfan family. Though she didn't have any negative feelings either, feeling largely neutral about the matter, she still had no intentions of getting involved with them at all. Her place, according to Lefiya's words herself, was standing at his side, aiming towards the pinnacle of magic within the world. Because of this, Vahn believed that Lefiya would use the [Wishe's Blessing], as it would increase her potential further, but completely ignore the matters of the Dal Alfan family. After all, this was her home and, regardless of blood relations, people who never treated you as family weren't entitled to your good will. Lefiya owed them no obligations at all and, unless it was her birth parents coming to explain why she had been abandoned, it was likely she wouldn't even meet with any of their representatives...
After watching Lefiya's figure shrink a fair amount, Vahn turned to the patiently waiting Mikoto with a smile on his face. She gave a curt nod in response, causing Vahn's brow to raise in a questioning manner that made the steadfast swordswoman begin to fidget. Her habit of showing respect, even during informal affairs, still needed a bit of work. Fortunately, Vahn knew a few ways to get her to open up after training with her over the last few weeks inside the orb. Walking forward with decisive steps, causing Mikoto to tense up and lower her head, Vahn proceeded to hug Mikoto's body with a firm embrace. Eventually, almost as if she were ice being thawed, Mikoto's tension relaxed enough that she placed her forehead against his chest and asked, "Are we not going to train today...?"
Because she already trained 'excessively', Vahn often used their time together just to 'force' her to relax a bit. It was also a good opportunity for them to get closer so, as she had inferred, it was exactly his intent that they would relax this time as well. With a wave of his hand, Vahn pulled an entire cottage out of his Inventory, even though its actual size wasn't that large. Mikoto released a small sigh but offered no complaints as she lightly held onto his arm and allowed him to lead her inside.
As he had done several times in the past, Vahn set out all the necessary utensils for a tea ceremony, something Mikoto had requested when he first suggested they just lounge together. She was a very polite girl by nature, so Mikoto had wanted to act like a proper lady of the Far East, serving him tea before they begin discussing private affairs. Though he thought it was a little unnecessary, Vahn found Mikoto's appearance in a kimono very appealing and it made him feel very refreshed having her wait on him. Of course, this couldn't even compare to how calm and relaxed he would feel when Mikoto eventually sat next to him and, after a great deal of hesitation, rested her head on his shoulder...
(A/N: I was going to give everyone a notice that today's chapters would be late, but I felt weird about posting a chapter like that, especially after last time. So, please be content with this chapter for now and expect that there would be another 2-3 in the afternoon. Also, depending on how things play out, I intend to do a writing challenge within the next few days. I was thinking of waiting until Saturday, so that people would have more free time to read the chapters, so look forward to it. I'm going to be trying to beat my personal best from the past and aim for 30k words in a single day. I hope everyone is forgiving for any errors and typos in the chapters at the time, as I won't really be able to proofread them while in mass production mode xD...)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lefiya, 'Plasma Cannon', Virdis~!','Nobles are the final evolution of river leeches','Mikoto's bridal training xD...')
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