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13.15% Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos / Chapter 306: Potential : Growth

章節 306: Potential : Growth

Because of the complex structure of the dungeon, it wasn't that easy to actually be more than 2km apart from allies on the same floor. Especially for the upper floors, since the actual size of the floor wasn't that large. The further down you went into the dungeon, the larger the floors became, including the distance between the roof and floor. Though it had never been proven, there were some that believed that, if you made it to the bottom of the dungeon, it was actually large enough to rival the size of the continent itself. The current clear record was held by the Zeus Familia, who had traveled up to the 59th floor in the past. It was claimed that the 59th floor was one giant room and that the total length, from end to end, was more than 700km, which was much larger than Orario itself.

After around twenty minutes, Vahn noticed a change in the mark that was on Haruhime's hand as it began to glow slightly. He stopped her and said, "Okay, it looks like we're out of range of Ryuu and Fenrir now. From here onwards, I want you to do your best to fight the monsters according to your own skills and instincts. Do whatever you think it suitable for the occasion and I'll back you up if things get too dangerous. Remember, you shouldn't expect that I'll be around to save you every time you get injured. How you fight isn't always important as 'why' you fight, as it is your willpower and intent that will shape the adventurer you become and how your strength develops."

Haruhime's ears began to twitch about as a fiery look appeared in her normally elegant, droopy-eyed, face. She looked directly toward Vahn with her shining green eyes and said confidently, "Leave it to me, Vahn~! I'll do my best to become a capable adventurer so that I can be of use to you in the future!" Vahn wanted to correct her words, but Haruhime immediately dashed toward the closest monsters, a group of kobolds, with the [001] sword in hand. After releasing a short sight, Vahn shrugged off her words and watched her battle from the side. He couldn't control how, or why, people were motivated to improve. As long as she was capable of growing stronger with the determination she had found, that was all that really mattered.

Kobolds were significantly more difficult to deal with than Goblins, but Haruhime didn't seem to have too much trouble with them. Unlike the past Vahn, who had nearly died the first time he saw a Kobold, Haruhime's expectations were different and she had been training with Ryuu and Aki to develop an awareness against new monsters. It made Vahn feel a little awkward because he realized that his start had been much higher than Haruhime's and he had nearly died due to his own inexperience. Watching her move about with relatively inexperienced steps, yet easily able to dispatch an enemy he had trouble with made him want to knock his old self's head.

Though she wasn't easily able to target the monster cores, Haruhime was able to eventually cut down the three Kobolds since a B-Rank weapon was very strong on the upper floors. As long as she could make contact with them, the sword cut through their bodies easily without much resistance. Haruhime also had the benefit of enhanced senses and, even when a Kobold tried to attack her from a blind spot, Vahn saw her ears twitch as she tilted her body forward before twisting her waist and slicing the Kobold up through the center of its body. She became covered in its blood as the two halves of the body turned into dust around her.

After they were all dead, Haruhime released a sigh as she inspected the state of her own body for a little bit. Her ears drooped low and she walked over to Vahn and said, "I'm sorry, I got dirty again..." Vahn shook his head with a smile as he pulled out a towel and his [Decanter of Replenishment] to help wipe Haruhime's face. She had a pleased expression on her face even as her cheeks moved about pliantly under the towels movements. Vahn nodded his head and explained, "Even I'm not strong enough to avoid being covered in a few bits of blood every now and then, so don't have the expectation that you'll be able to easily remain clean in the dungeon. It's not actually uncommon for Adventurers to go several days without even having an opportunity to clean themselves unless there is someone in the party with water magic. Don't let it get to you just because you get a little dirty every now and then."

Haruhime nodded her head and Vahn saw a peculiar glint in her eyes so he said, "I won't always help wipe away the blood from your body, so don't think you can get dirty as an excuse..." Since he had already wiped off her face, Vahn handed the towel to Haruhime and her ears wobbled a bit before drooping as she sighed, "I understand..." Seeing her reaction, Vahn patted Haruhime's shoulder and said, "Well, if you work hard, I don't mind giving you a hand as a reward." Haruhime's ears immediately shot up and Vahn could see her motivation had increased by a fair amount. He also noticed that the glow of the mark had increased slightly and wondered if it was necessary for him to 'inspire' whoever he was paired with to make the effect even stronger.

As they made their way into a slightly larger 'room', Vahn detected there were five enemies present and knew it was probably too much for the current Haruhime. After informing her of the situation, she still wanted to give it a try and Vahn agreed since it was only through dangerous situations that she would experience the most growth. Before she went out, Vahn ducked low with Haruhime and explained, "Even though monsters aren't very coordinated, it can be dangerous if you get surrounded. Try to stay on the outside of the monsters encirclement and keep at least one enemy between yourself and other monsters. They can't attack through each other without damaging the person in between, so it's a good strategy when you're outnumbered."

Haruhime nodded her head and listened attentively before taking several deep breaths and heading out into the room. The five monsters were a pair of Kobolds, accompanied by three Goblins, and it would be the first time Haruhime had to deal with a combination of monsters. Though she was slower than the kobolds, she was fast enough to outpace a goblin so she separated the two kobolds by kiting them to an open area before trying to dispatch them. Vahn noticed that she always swung the blade in large arcs and he knew it was an effective method, but it required a lot of stamina and wasn't suitable if the enemy had high durability.

When one of the kobolds tried to attack her legs, Haruhime stepped back at an angle while swiping down with the sword in her retreat. It collided accurately with the Kobold's skull and turned it into dust particles as the second Kobold jumped at her body with its sharp claws and open mouth dripping with froth and saliva. Haruhime's brows furrowed slightly as she reached out with her free left hand and tried to grab the throat of the leaping Kobold. She actually managed to pull off the action before stabbing through its body, but she also suffered several cuts on her arms from when it was thrashing about. Vahn frowned at the sight because he knew she would have been able to avoid such injuries if she wore proper equipment. Though the bracelets he made her had great Magical Defense, they offered almost no physical protection because of their small size.

Haruhime's mouth was quivering a bit from the pain, but there was a fierce glint in her eyes even though they were tearing up slightly. Without complaint, she pushed herself forward to face the three remaining goblins. She was able to cleanly dispatch the first one, but it wasn't long after that before she fell to the ground with a muted sob and Vahn stepped in to immediately defeat the remaining two. Vahn moved over to Haruhime, who was doing her best to avoid crying, and grabbed her arm as he cleaned the wounds and began to heal her with [Hands of Nirvana]. Some of the wounds had cut more than a centimeter into her skin and she wasn't accustomed to dealing with pain at all.

Vahn stroked the dejected Haruhime and tried to console her by saying, "Don't worry Haruhime, it was already next to impossible for a Level 1 to fight five monsters when they are just starting out. The fact you were able to react to the joint attack of the Kobolds and resist the pain of your injuries to continue the fight is more than what would be expected from most people..." Haruhime nodded her head slowly at his words and sniffled a bit before saying, "I won't let something like this stop me..." To reward her 'courage', Vahn ruffled her hair and ears for a bit before they continued deeper into the first floor.

Since they were items he had personally forged, Vahn lent Haruhime his [Xuánwǔ Protector]s and explained their use. Though they were a stark contrast to the rest of her outfit, Vahn felt better at seeing Haruhime using some 'proper' equipment. When she faced a group of three Kobolds, there was a similar incident as earlier where Haruhime tried to block with her left arm even though it would have been better for her to try and strike out instead. Fortunately, the Kobold couldn't even leave a scratch on the [Xuánwǔ Protector]s and even broke its teeth in the attempt. Vahn noticed a slight green glow emerge, but didn't see any noticeable signs of the effect activating.

After the fight, Haruhime collapsed onto her butt with a "Fuueee~" as Vahn walked over to see if she were okay. He noticed her mana had drained greatly and she was probably at the limits of her stamina. The fact she was able to kill 23 monsters in the last two hours on her own was pretty commendable considering her diminutive 34 Endurance parameter. Combat wasn't just physically taxing, but also had a strong impact on the mind after your stamina began to drain. The fact Haruhime was able to persist for so long was very impressive so Vahn paid her a few heavy compliments before carrying her body on his back as her 'reward'.

Haruhime nuzzled against his face and neck as she hugged around Vahn's neck with the tattered sleeves of her kimono. Vahn supported her legs with his hand and quickly made his way through the dungeon using Shundo. Haruhime was amazed by his speed but kept to herself as she enjoyed the moment by holding herself closely against Vahn's back. Vahn was in a bit of a hurry since he wanted to check Haruhime's Status Board to see if there had been any changes. Though he could do it within the dungeon, Vahn knew it was possible that Freya was keeping her eyes on him and didn't want to expose his secrets to her. There wasn't much he could do about his combat capabilities, but he should do his best to prevent from showing off something like updating the Status Board of another person.

After finally reaching the surface, Vahn leaned down a bit to let Haruhime down but she continued to hold on for a few additional seconds as they drew the attention of several passersby. Vahn jolted her body a bit by shrugging his shoulders and she eventually climbed down with an apologetic smile on her face before Vahn shook his head and said, "Don't worry about it." Vahn didn't really want to fault someone for being 'affectionate' toward him, as long as they showed proper restraint when it came down to it.

Now that they were on the surface, Vahn purchased a few meat skewers for them to snack on as they waited for Ryuu and Fenrir to exit the dungeon. Vahn sent a mental command to Fenrir, so it shouldn't take long before they also return to the surface. In fact, it wasn't even twenty minutes before Vahn saw Fenrir's cloaked figure trotting out of the dungeon alongside the stoic Ryuu. The moment she saw Vahn, Fenrir ran over and shouted, "Fenrir killed lots and lots of monster~!" She had her paws raised happily and Vahn noticed they were completely saturated with blood and commented, whilst patting Fenrir's head, "Great job, Fenrir, let's go home and get you to take a bath and then I'll give you your reward, okay?" Hearing Vahn's words, Fenrir looked at her blood-stained fur and released a strange sounding laugh as if she was 'embarrassed' before nodding her head and saying, "Fenrir will get super clean and then Vahn will brush her fur~?"

Vahn laughed before saying, "Sure, that sounds like a good idea." At this point, Ryuu had caught up and Vahn showed her a grateful smile before scanning over the group and saying, "Let's go home." All three girls nodded with different degrees of a 'pleased' expression on their face as Vahn led the way back toward the Hearth Manor in high spirits. Of course, he had been conditioned at this point to actually be more alert when things were going smoothly, so Vahn had been scanning the surroundings along the way, just in case.

After they returned to the Manor, Vahn quickly checked the Status Board of Haruhime to see if she had made any progress. Since Fenrir was fighting monsters much weaker than herself, there wasn't any chance that her parameters had grown so Vahn put it off until later. When he drew his blood across Haruhime's bare back and the Status Board appeared, Vahn was pleasantly surprised by what he saw. It wasn't as ridiculous as his own growth in the past, but Haruhime had made a marked progress for only killing twenty-three monsters.

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[[STATUS]]

Name: Sanjouno Haruhime

Race: Renard

LV. 1

POW: I15->I19

END: I34->I41

DEX: I18->I30

AGI: I37->I52

MAG: D591->C603

Skill: [Inari:Innate(sealed)], [Prometheus's Blessing:A]

Magic: [Uchide no Kozuchi:B],[Kokonoe:D]

Development Skill: [Moon Priestess:Innate(sealed)], [Spirit Healing:D]

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Vahn showed Haruhime's updated Status, minus her Innates, to everyone present and Ryuu was the most surprised by her growth. Though it wasn't 'excessive', it was incredible growth for someone that had just ventured into the dungeon for just over two hours. Depending on how things played out, it was very possible she would be able to reach Level 2 within a few weeks and Ryuu attributed it to the combined effect of [Prometheus's Blessing] and the influence of the [Mentor] Development Ability. Hearing both Ryuu and Vahn praise her, Haruhime's ears twitched about excitedly even though she had an elegant, yet happy, smile on her face. Afterward, the three girls went off to take a bath while Vahn looked through his system for an appropriate gift for Fenrir.

He had inspected the interior of the Manor when they returned, and Vahn was aware that everyone was currently out, most likely enjoying an excursion while shopping for clothing and equipment. Since they had most likely gone to Babel Tower, it was very unlikely for anything to happen to them, though Vahn was somewhat tempted to go find them. Instead, since his instincts weren't acting up, Vahn decided to trust that things were going well. He had already told Fafnir to follow Hestia along through the shadows, so he assumed they wouldn't be in any danger while in public.

Around twenty minutes later, Vahn could sense Fenrir running through the corridors before bursting into the room he was in wearing a clean pair of her combat attire. Vahn's only impression was that she looked very healthy and lively as she quickly closed the distance between them while already holding the brush in her hand. Vahn smiled and received the brush as Fenrir hopped into his lap and began to tilt her head from side to side with her floppy ears. She asked in an almost 'humming' tone, "Fenrir gets reward now~?" Vahn had already started to brush her somewhat damp hair before waving his hand toward the coffee table in front of them. A midnight blue gothic dress appeared on the table and Fenrir immediately jumped from his lap and began to inspect it excitedly. After patting it a few times with her paws, Fenrir raised her arms up high and said, "Fenrir wants to wear it now~!"

Vahn set the brush to the side before helping pull the dress over Fenrir's head and arms. It was a somewhat snug fit, but the fabric was slightly elastic and she was able to fit through it without much difficulty. Since it wasn't the first time she had worn a drew with a zipper, Fenrir had already turned around so Vahn could close up the back of the dress. Her tail flopped about for a bit until Vahn was able to maneuver it through the hole that was in between the layers of the dress. He then tied off the vibrant red bow to seal off the gap and make it fit snuggly around her tail so it wouldn't loosen when she moved about. There was a matching frilled choker that had a small, black rose, motif that Vahn helped fix around Fenrir's neck before she excitedly looked around for a mirror. Vahn placed the three standing mirrors he kept in his inventory and Fenrir happily looked at her body from different angles before eventually launching herself over toward Vahn while shouting, "Fenrir loves new dress~! Master is the best"

Vahn had caught her out of the air as Fenrir snuggled against his chest happy with her crooked smile. She had grabbed around his body with her paws tightened into fists so as to not accidentally scratch his back. With his brows slightly furrowed, Vahn said, "You shouldn't call me Master...just call me Vahn." Fenrir's ears twitched at his words as she stared up into his face with her eyes glowing slightly scarlet as she emulated an awkward laugh and said, "Oops, Fenrir forgot because she was happy...Vahn is the best, don't be mad." Vahn shook his head and stroked her head before picking up the brush and patting his lap. Fenrir's awkward smile returned as she jumped up at sat in his lap with her back to Vahn and let him brush her hair, ears, and tail for a few minutes until Ryuu and Haruhime arrived.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Haruhime is trying her best','First Day : Quick Progress','Fenrir's slip')

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創作者的想法
Einlion Einlion

Level 1 Vahn: https://imgur.com/a/zFOLFrT

Courtesy of https://www.deviantart.com/robusta-mania

章節 307: Big Three

While Vahn was going about his everyday life and making plans of his own, there were others moving within the background with their own intentions. Chief amongst them was the beautiful, silver-haired, goddess that was waiting in a large, temple-like, room for her guests to arrive. She sat at the head of long, rectangular, table as she sampled an exquisite red wine that cost more than the average adventurer would make in their entire lifetime. She had a lazy expression on her face because her guests had already been ten minutes late, even though they were the ones that scheduled the meeting.

Fortunately, she wasn't waiting much longer as two butlers wearing white masks opened the 10m tall double doors leading into the room and escorting in two, decidedly different, red-haired goddesses. They were respectively Hephaestus and Loki and, alongside Freya, they were the three most prominent and influential gods within the entire City. Though the Loki Familia was recognized as the current 'Number 1', it was, in fact, the Freya Familia that held the highest combat potential amongst all the Familia. However, that could change quickly if Loki and Hephaestus were to team up since the logistical support Hephaestus could provide would be a nightmare for any of her enemies. If Freya truly decided to cut ties with the Hephaestus Familia over this matter, she would irreversibly impact the combat potential of her own forces and stunt the growth of her children. Though there were other [Master Smith]s within the City, not a single one of them could hold a candle to the equipment produced by Hephaestus herself.

As they entered the hall, Freya rose from her seat and assumed an incredibly elegant demeanor as a flawless smile appeared on her face and she said, "Welcome to my home, Hephaestus, Loki...it is good to see the two of you. It's not often we get together like this, so please, enjoy the food and wine at your leisure." Hephaestus had a plain, almost cold, expression on her face as she stated, "I'm afraid it will be rather difficult to accept your hospitality after the stunt you pulled yesterday. Though I'd like things to stay amenable between us, you seem intent to force my hand on the matter..." More than anyone else, Hephaestus had committed herself to protect Vahn from harm, and the beautiful goddess before her was, perhaps, the greatest threat to their shared happiness.

Freya's expression broke a little, but she kept her elegant demeanor as she turned to Loki and asked, "Loki, surely you didn't come here to make trouble for me? Haven't we had a cooperative relationship for a very long time? I'd like to think we were even considered to be friends..." Loki's smile widened a bit and she nodded her head theatrically as she said, "Certainly~! I'm actually quite fond of you, especially that impeccable body of your's~. Unfortunately, things have changed rather drastically as of late and I'm afraid I'll be siding with Hephaestus this time around. Sorry, sorry, please forgive me just this once, kekekeke~."

Seeing Loki's behavior, Freya released a sigh before gesturing to the chairs at her left and right before sitting back down. She had a mildly perturbed expression on her face, but her smile hadn't faded as she mused, "Well, isn't this quite the inconvenience...I wonder what action I ever took to sleight two goddesses that I had a cooperative relationship for so many years? I never expected that one mortal boy would be able to drive a wedge in a relationship that has spanned eons...I'm rather heartbroken honestly." Loki sat down and sloshed the wine in her glass before downing to contents in one go before releasing a long sigh. She opened her squinted eyes and stared at Freya as she said, "With how long we've known each other, you think either of us would actually buy that? The only person using Vahn to drive a wedge in our relationship is you yourself. If you didn't want to cause, you could have simply dropped the matter without it ever having come to this."

Freya squinted her eyes slightly and remarked, "Unless you care to explain how it's fair that I have to be the only one to take a step back on this matter, you'll be hard pressed to find the fault lays with me. My love for talent and potential is well known, but I've never been so rudely treated before I even made an attempt to approach someone. I can't help but feel there is more than a fair amount of injustice that I've been forced to suffer just to...appease my own 'friends'." Seeing Freya's glance, Hephaestus's expression turned sour as she responded, "If Vahn was exposed to someone like you early on, you would ruin his entire life with the excuse of pushing his potential further. Tell me, is there a 'single' man within your entire Familia that hasn't been personally 'cultivated' by you both physically and mentally?"

Before Freya could respond, Loki added to Hephaestus's words, "I've met with Vahn several times and I have to agree with Hephaestus on this one. With how you stick your nose into things, I'm sure you've realized some of the unique qualities of that boy. Not only is he incredibly perceptive, but there is a very high chance he would have an immunity to your charm. If you tried to push him while he was in an unstable state, you would break him long before he ever reached his full potential. And that is only one of the many reasons we're keeping him from you..."

Freya sat in silence for nearly a minute as she ruminated over the words of Hephaestus and Loki before eventually asking, "The two of you were the ones that scheduled this meeting...tell me, why have you come here? Don't tell me it was to simply tell me to stay away from that boy...I've already taken a vow to not interfere with him, so what more can you ask for?" Though she was annoyed at the current situation, Freya couldn't risk making an enemy out of both Loki and Hephaestus. It would simply create a huge inconvenience for her and undermine everything she had planned for the future.

Hephaestus was the one to respond and she stated firmly, "Before we even discuss terms, I want to swear a vow of non-interference, not just in Vahn's life, but in the lives of those around him-" Before Hephaestus's final word fell, Freya's wine glass cracked in her hands as she gave an immediate reply, "I refuse...How ridiculous would it be to have such a restriction placed on me without having gained a single thing? Negotiations are based on compromise, where both sides come to terms and decided a 'fair' exchange. You expect me to make such an agreement before we even discuss matters...Hephaestus, you are severely overestimating my patience."

The two goddesses locked eyes with each other, neither taking a step back until Loki laughed and poured another glass of wine for herself. Freya gave her a sidelong glance through her slightly squinted eyes and asked, "Do you find this situation to be humorous? Will the two of you really go to war with me over the matter of a single mortal?" Loki began to laugh even more boisterously after hearing Freya's words before saying, "Wrong again Freya, it would be you opposing us since we're already deeply involved in this matter. Try to twist the perspective around and play the role of the victim all you like, but I'm afraid you'll find we're not so receptive to your little act."

Freya's beautiful smile turned into a light frown after seeing that neither goddess was giving her any grounds to stand on. She was absolutely sure there was something unique about Vahn and their actions only egged her onward and increased her desire to obtain him for herself. There was no reason for Hephaestus and Loki to team up if Vahn were just a normal boy, and that made the current situation very difficult for her to tolerate. She could tell that, if it were up to them, Hephaestus and Loki would never give her an opening to approach Vahn at all. The more she pushed, the more resistant they would become until things eventually escalated into a full-blown war that destabilized the entire City...all for a single boy.

After a few minutes of heavy silence, Freya looked up at the two goddesses and said, "Give me a single reason...I want to know what is so special about that child...tell me, and I may agree to your terms." This was the moment they had been waiting for and, even though they knew it might make the problem worse, Hephaestus and Loki had already agreed to tell Freya a bit of information about Vahn. They wouldn't be able to keep her from learning about it at the upcoming Denatus, so if they were able to restrict her a bit now, that would be the best case scenario.

Loki picked up a large turkey leg in her hands and raised her wine glass as if she were making a toast as she said, "There is something worth celebrating Freya, did you know~? Vahn has already become a [Master Smith] and the wedding between him and Hephaestus has already been set with Ouranos's approval~!" Freya furrowed her brows a bit, because it would mar her reputation greatly if she did something like 'stealing' the husband of another goddess. Not only would she lose face within the mortal world, but her reputation in the godly community would take a hit because of the overuse of her own charm ability. She turned to Hephaestus and saw the small smile on her face before stating in a cold tone, "I suppose congratulations are in order..."

Before she could continue further, Loki laughed in a very mischevious manner and said in a low voice, "Oh, certainly, though not for the reason you might expect~." Freya looked between Loki and Hephaestus for a few seconds until Loki's expression turned very serious all of a sudden and she said, "Hephaestus...is pregnant." For a very brief moment, Freya didn't understand Loki's words before things finally clicked in her mind and she stood up from the table with shock clearly present on her face. A glow appeared in her eyes as she scanned over Hephaestus's body and noticed a strange convergence of energy within her womb. There wasn't yet a soul present, but Freya was clearly able to see that Loki's words were true.

Freya gnashed her teeth and stated firmly, "There is no way I'll back down on this matter, no matter what the two of you try to do. If Vahn has that capability, you have no right to deny him from me." It was Hephaestus's turn to stand up as she shouted loudly, "It is the right of Vahn, and Vahn himself, to decide who he wants to help get pregnant! Nobody, not even a goddess, has the right to make that decision for him. This is one of the reasons we're forced to take this kind of action, because your irrational and possessive nature wouldn't just destroy Vahn, but it would compromise the potential happiness of many other goddesses!"

Tensions between Hephaestus and Freya had reached a boiling point, but Loki continued to sit in her chair while taking large bites out of the turkey leg in her hand. Before they started arguing further, Loki stated plainly, "You're misunderstanding something on a fundamental level here Freya. If you want to understand the situation better, you'll take the vow that Hephaestus mentioned. I can guarantee that, depending on how things play out, you'll be able to have children of your own in the future if you take a step back on this matter. We'll be explaining more in the future, but nobody is allowed to know the process unless they've taken a vow to protect the information."

Hearing Loki's words, Freya mulled them over in her mind a bit as she tried to make sense of what Loki had said. She had assumed that Vahn was the one that had to impregnate goddesses, but Loki's words seemed to imply there was something more behind it. If she tried to push forward and cause conflict between their groups, there would be a chance that she'd eventually obtain Vahn just to find out she had made a grievous mistake. After regulating her breathing for a bit, Freya sat in her chair and resumed a small amount of her elegant demeanor as she said, "I will take the vow, but only if the two of you make a vow to tell me the information without trying to deceive me. I won't be the only one to suffer restrictions if you can't even guarantee the credibility of the information."

Hephaestus eventually sat down as well and said, "We expected you would say something like that before we came here." From within the satchel she had been carrying, Hephaestus pulled out an incredibly expensive contract scroll alongside several lower-grade scrolls. She allowed Freya to overlook the documents for a while until she eventually handed them back and said, "This is acceptable." The document laid out the information they would provide for her without directly stating the details. It included a bit about their speculation of Vahn's origins as well as the basic procedure that was required for a goddess to get pregnant. It also included several provisions and penalties that were sufficiently harsh enough to get Freya to accede to their demands.

Loki and Hephaestus signed the scrolls before Freya confirmed the contract with her own signature and sent it up in a blaze of magical fire. After the flames entered each of their chests, Freya re-read her own contract before signing it and returning it to Hephaestus. It basically stated that she was unable to approach Vahn without being escorted by Hephaestus and Loki in the future. Unless he specifically went to look for her, she had to reach out to him through the two goddesses, but it was much better than not being able to meet him at all. The only thing she had to guarantee was that she didn't take any actions that would cause harm to befall Vahn, or those mentioned on the terms of the contract. Freya was somewhat surprised by the number of names, but she had investigated most of them previously and understood they were relatively important to Vahn. Now that she knew a bit about his 'capabilities', Freya had a bit of understanding about how he was able to get close to so many people in such a short amount of time.

After Hephaestus confirmed the contract, Loki assumed a very business-like disposition as she handed over a document for Freya to peruse. While she was reading it, Loki explained, "I'm sure you've already speculated a bit yourself, but we can say conclusively that Vahn is an anomaly just by taking into consideration some of the information regarding his origins. He is, at the very least, 75% god and is capable of freely activating his own Pseudo-Divinity. We don't know for certain, but there is a high chance his Divinities relate to Fertility, Fire, and a few other speculative things that aren't important. The thing that concerns you is the fact that he has developed a technique that allows Goddesses to conceive children, but the resources that go into it are incredibly costly and it isn't a simple procedure to perform. Vahn is required to be present, but he doesn't have to be the one to do the deed to ensure conception."

Freya had been listening closely to Loki's words while going over the description of the process within the document. She noticed it had several runes along the side that made it impossible to view, or record, from any angle and could only be read for an hour before the information disappeared permanently. It was a magical tool called a 'secret keeper scroll' and was an incredibly valuable item because whoever read the information wouldn't be able to speak or write about it to others. Because of the amount of effort they put in protecting the information, Freya believed that Hephaestus and Loki were telling her the truth and asked, "How often can the procedure be performed? What are the costs?"

Loki smiled before nodding to Hephaestus which caused her to rise from her chair. Freya watched her actions with intrigue as Hephaestus turned her back before lifting up the back of her shirt and revealing the 'crest' that Vahn had carved into her lower back. Freya furrowed her brows a little before a smile appeared on her face after she sensed the energy contained within. Answering the question she had been about to ask, Loki explained, "Other than the material goods necessary for the ritual, Vahn also has to carve a 'blessing' onto the body of the goddess undergoing the procedure. At the most, he can only use it every few weeks, but the cost and burden he has to bear on his soul is quite heavy. If he used it more than three times within a month, he would probably have to spend more than a year before he was able to use it again. There is a lot of information that still needs to be learned through trial and error, but we have plenty of time to learn more about the skill and the supporting procedure in the future. That is, assuming there isn't any trouble..."

Hephaestus and Loki had decided that is was 'necessary' for the crest to be carved by Vahn, since it would serve as 'proof' for others that the procedure had been used on them. It also had the added effect that, even though Vahn couldn't actually give them a blessing, he was still able to detect the location of anyone who had his crest carved into their body. Loki herself had been looking forward to receiving her own ever since Hephaestus started bragging about it on the network. Though it was somewhat 'possessive' of Vahn to leave his crest on others, it was also a very 'new' and 'exciting' thing that she had never experienced before.

Freya had an especially serious expression on her face as she contemplated everything she had just learned. She knew that there was probably more about the situation that she wasn't privy to, but she couldn't really fault Hephaestus and Loki for wanting to protect Vahn given the current revelations. Though she still had a powerful desire to obtain him for herself, Freya realized it wasn't necessary to provoke the two goddesses to eventually benefit from the situation. Given Vahn's 75% divinity, Freya knew his children would have even thicker blood and it wasn't a big deal to wait for another fifteen, or fifty, years before she could reap an even greater harvest. There was also a very high probability she could control the situation a bit to receive a child of her own. Though she might be able to conceive with anyone, Freya was firmly resolved to have a child that Vahn sired himself...the only matter was how to go about guaranteeing she had the opportunity.

As Freya was lost in her thoughts, Loki chimed in to cause a little chaos in her mindset as she said, "Oh yeah, I'll probably be getting pregnant myself soon. I'm sure you've been keeping track of things, but I've already made the preparations so Vahn will be 'out of commission' for a while. If you're wondering about how to best benefit from the situation, the best thing you can do is stay out of the way and not interfere. Once Vahn has stabilized a bit and grown stronger at his own pace, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to potentially interact with him. However, I'm sure you can understand why it wouldn't be appropriate to make a move right now..."

Freya nodded her head and stated, "This is a completely new situation that has never before been present within the history of this world. Until that status of the children birthed by goddesses is confirmed, it's dangerous to push forward with so many unknown factors to account for. For the time being, I'll take a step back and not interfere with anything...actually, I'll even take your side on matters in the future. The plebian masses already see us in the same light, so it wouldn't cause any major stirs. I don't want another goddess to try and step in while butting me out of things for their own convenience..." Freya squinted her eyes and turned to see the mischevious smile on Loki's face. She knew she had played according to Loki's script and 'willingly' walked into the circle of protection surrounding Vahn.

Picking up a new glass, since her previous one was broken, Freya filled it with wine before raising it slightly and saying, "Fine, I'll play along for the time being...but I don't want to be out of the loop on things. From now, up until Hephaestus gives birth, I want to know about all the developments so I can build up my own expectations. My only concern is that Vahn doesn't die before I'm able to get what I want..." As if to allay her concerns, Hephaestus stated plainly, "Vahn isn't so weak as to fall to normal circumstances. Unless there are people actively plotting against him, he is more than capable of overcoming almost any situation. By the time the Denatus comes to pass, there should be a lot of people siding with us on this matter and Vahn will only ever venture deep into the dungeon after his probation ends. He'll accompany the Loki Familia on their expeditions and be well protected at all times..."

Freya sloshed around the contents of her glass for a bit before taking a sip and saying, "I'm not entirely satisfied with that. I won't interfere with Vahn's life directly, but I'll have my Familia dealing with the dangers surrounding him in order to ensure his safety. I'm certain the two of you can understand my concerns seeing how far you've gone to protect him yourselves...Hmm, I'm guessing that was another one of Loki's plans?" In response to her words, Loki raised her own glass high and said, "Aren't we all cooperating to ensure each other's happiness~? Not only you, but a lot of people would probably lose their shit if Vahn actually ended up getting killed by someone's plot. I can say with absolute certainty that a certain goddess of forging would probably start a crusade~."

Though the atmosphere was still somewhat serious, Hephaestus's 'cool' expression broke a bit when a blush touched her cheeks. Freya and Loki saw her reaction and began to laugh which caused her blush to deepen further as she 'resentfully' said, "I only crushed a minor Familia that was causing problems...I'm not the one that destroyed an entire section of the entertainment district, nor am I the one that has been sending their people all over the City to collect information and provide excess security around the Hearth Manor." As if the alcohol had started to affect her, Loki had a rosy blush on her face as she began to laugh in a 'sheepish' manner that looked more shameless than embarrassed. Freya herself just sipped away at her wine as if she hadn't heard Hephaestus's quip at all. She noticed that the incredibly expensive wine suddenly had a somewhat bittersweet taste that she hadn't noticed previously...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tripartite Clash','Loki's Machinations','Overprotective Goddesses')

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

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創作者的想法
Einlion Einlion

Level 1 Vahn: https://imgur.com/a/zFOLFrT

Courtesy of https://www.deviantart.com/robusta-mania

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