章節 603: Minor Incident
Vahn's Saturday started with a minor incident occurring as, even though he had decided to take the day off to have a picnic and discuss the wedding the following day, others seemed to have something different in mind. Though they weren't able to reach Orario from the Elven Kingdom in such a small amount of time, it wasn't as if the Elves had no influence in the City. Though Larfal had tried to keep the matter under wraps, he still had to talk to the leader of the Sage Council and the High Priestess as they had almost as much authority as him. They also tried to keep the matter under wraps but there was no end to the information networks of people in a Kingdom with so much internal strife. It wasn't known amongst the 'commoners', meaning most Elves didn't know about Riveria's wedding, but the majority of the nobility were aware of it and had started moving their own pieces.
Around noon on Saturday, several Elves began showing up outside the Hearth Manor, all trying to request audiences with Riveria herself. Since they actually had no grounds to make such requests, Vahn kept Riveria from meeting them and decided to just let them camp outside pointlessly. If they actually tried to do anything, the guards would be called and Vahn himself could always deal with it. Trying to spread the information and cause a scene wouldn't actually have much of an influence on Riveria's reputation since the truth would always come forth in the future. The Alliance was inarguably the strongest force in the entire Continent at this point, so it didn't really matter if the pawns of a few fools took action. To intimidate them a bit, however, Vahn had Fafnir make an appearance and it was able to scatter the vast majority of them.
While he was sitting with Hestia and Syr, the later suddenly remarked, "It may be a good idea to send people to go and pick up Aina, Thomas, and Risna. If they are willing to badger Riveria, they must know about those that associate with her." Vahn had been manipulating a sphere of water while having Fenrir chase after it in the distance and she managed to catch it when he heard Syr's words. Fenrir smiled triumphantly and ran over since Vahn had promised to reward her if she was successful. Vahn noticed Syr's playful look and began rubbing Fenrir's ears with his thumbs as he thought about the matter and realized Syr was right.
Since it would be better to take care of the matter sooner, rather than later, Vahn nodded his head and said, "I'll go over with Fenrir and Terra then, since I don't want to cause a scene and they will probably try to say something stupid if Eina is with me. I'm not on the mood to really punish idiots on my day off..." Vahn knew that the majority of those that came to badger them were 'loyalists' to the Elven Kingdom so they likely had arrogance and contempt towards Half-Elves. There was a non-negligible chance they may even try to capture Eina's family if Vahn simply ignored the matter, but it shouldn't get to that point unless there was someone in the Elven Kingdom trying to cause a war...
As she always carried her scroll with her, Hestia pulled it out and sent a message to Eina while Syr went off to her room the personally inform her, as she was probably sleeping right now. To make up for the time she would miss during the celebration, Eina had worked a double-shift and was currently taking a short nap, asking to be awakened at 2 PM if she didn't wake on her own. She would probably want to be up to receive her family so Syr was already moving since it wasn't really that far away. As for Vahn, he helped Fenrir remove her maid outfit and strip out of her pumpkin knickers so that only her combat attire was showing beneath it. There was also a rustling sound that came from the direction of the forest as Terra could be seen making her way over, understanding Vahn's intent even before he called her.
Their actions had drawn the attention of everyone else so Vahn quickly explained the situation and told them he would be back soon, declining their offer to help since he didn't plan to start any major conflicts. He had almost no fear at all when it came to fighting Mages and there was little chance they had a physical combatant that would be able to defeat Fenrir, much less himself. With Terra's calming aura and the pleasant feelings she inspired in others, especially Elves, Vahn was hoping to avoid conflict entirely. Thus, after making some short preparations, Terra turned into her dragon form and Vahn carried Fenri onto her back as they flew towards the direction of Aina's residence.
Vahn had never actually visited Eina's parents personally but he knew the location of their residence after getting the address and cross-referencing it on his own map. His mini-map and mapping functions allowed him to update information like store names, addresses, and other points of interest, also giving him the ability to auto-navigate to places within the map even if he didn't recall the directions himself. With Terra's speed, even though she was much slower than Fafnir, they reached Aina's house in around twenty minutes since they lived in the north-western section of the City.
As expected, there were a few Elves lingering around Aina's residence but they hadn't actually caused any trouble just yet. The residence itself was actually a combined storefront and house, with Aina selling flowers and exotic plants for a living while Thomas, Eina's father, worked as a low-level City official. As for Risna, she hadn't really decided what she wanted to do with her life and was supposedly a pretty lazy girl, which was rare since most Half-Elves had a little more 'awareness'. The main reason Vahn never visited Aina and Thomas personally was that he had actually been avoiding Eina's little sister. According to Eina, she had actually pestered her a bit about Vahn in the past and even tried to see if she could live at the Hearth Manor since she could probably continue her 'lazy' lifestyle if she could 'share' him.
Eina actually cared about her sister a great deal, being one of the actual reasons she had been so spoiled while they were growing up. So that she wasn't pressured by other people for being a Half-Elf, Eina had done her best to pamper her little sister and she even wanted Vahn to help the young Half-Elf undergo Nirvana in the future. Vahn promised he wouldn't 'fall' to Risna's schemes, as Eina really made a lot of sacrifices for him and he didn't want to put her in such an awkward position. As for why he needed to make such a promise, Eina admitted that Risna actually put a lot of effort into her appearance and was supposed to be a beautiful young girl that aspired to be a great author, something that wasn't that common in this world since printing technology was lacking.
Terra wasn't the most discreet mount, being more than 15m long, so the gathered Elves had quickly noticed Vahn's arrival, many of them calling out to him 'demanding' his attention. Vahn gave them a plain look before fixing his eyes on someone he actually recognized but had never talked to in the past. It was the same Elven male that was being escorted by two women when he exited the Dungeon in the past, the foolish man that tried to flirt with his girls right in front of his face. Vahn's gaze became cold in an instant, but the man didn't seem to care at all as he said, "The so-called Sage makes an appearance! Lis-" Before the man could finish, Fenrir's eyes locked on him and were glowing with a scarlet light that caused him to react as if he had just swallowed a fly.
Vahn shook his head and said in a plain tone, "If you cause trouble here, don't expect you'll be able to walk away from it unscathed. You should know from the rumors that I've never been the type to just idly allow people to say foolish things at my expense..." Without holding back any of his energy, Vahn allowed his domain to slowly contract as the pressure slowly built up to a point where some of the weaker Elves struggled to even breathe. Since he wasn't actually manipulating the mana in the air, they couldn't sense his domain at all and just felt it as if the pressure came directly from him. Vahn continued to watch them with cold eyes with Terra and Fenrir standing behind him, the later of the two glaring with her eyes that could even unnerve gods.
Though he hadn't put any pressure on the shop behind him, his arrival had been noted by Aina who came out with a smiling expression on her face. She put her palm against her cheek in mock exasperation as she said, "Really, I wish you all wouldn't block my store like this...ufufufu~" Since they hadn't taken any action yet, likely waiting for the response from the group that went to the Manor, the only thing they had done thus far was block people from entering. Now that Vahn had arrived, they realized things weren't going well for them and decided to pull back for the time being. Vahn shook his head before turning to Aina and saying, "I've come to pick all of you up...if necessary, you can stay at the Hearth Manor for a bit until things calm down."
Aina had a somewhat sad look on her face, which made Vahn feel very guilty since she had a very similar appearance to Eina, albeit with green hair instead of brown. She knew that her shop would probably be destroyed if they left it unattended but it wasn't worth 'fighting' over since family was far more important. Even before Vahn showed up, Aina knew he was on the way because she had already received a message through the network. As Vahn also understood what she might be thinking, he gave an apologetic smile and said, "Eina will probably be having children in the next year or two, so it's not a bad thing if you live closer to us..." Hearing this, Aina's cloudy expression immediately cleared up as she laughed in an elegant manner and said, "Work hard, Vahn, I want to see my cute grandchildren~." before walking back into the store.
Vahn followed after her while Fenrir guarded the storefront and Terra flittered up to the roof to watch the surroundings. The exterior of the shop was already very beautiful, as there were more than seventy different types of flowers set out to absorb sunlight, but the interior was like stepping into another world. Aina had been a palace chamberlain and gardener before she accompanied Riveria on her journey. She had a real knack for cultivating plants and flowers, earning her a marginally comfortable lifestyle even though similar shops struggled to get by. Vahn felt that she would probably enjoy the garden at the Manor and would probably get along well with Terra once they talked a bit...
Aina looked around and grabbed a few important things before Vahn realized what she was doing and said, "Ah, if you're worried about luggage and stuff, I can put them away using my storage magic..." Hearing his words, Aina beamed because she had actually forgotten about such 'convenient' magic, as it was very rare even in the Elven Kingdom. She had Vahn store as much as he could, surprised when the entire interior of her shop became bare a few minutes later, before heading into the back of the shop to get her other luggage and tell Risna to hurry up. Thomas was still at work, marginally upset by the situation since he wasn't fond of the idea of Elves suddenly pressuring them even though they had no right to do so. Since he was an official with the City, Thomas was currently filing an official complaint and was ready to turn it into a fiasco when the Elves inevitably destroyed his home.
Shortly after Aina went into the back, another presence hurriedly made its way toward him so Vahn released a small sigh and steeled his mind. As if the rumors of her being a very lazy girl were grossly exaggerated, a petite young Half-Elf burst through the door with an excited smile on her face. She had somewhat muted green hair that had obviously been hastily fixed, likely in preparation for their meeting. It was somewhat short and tied in a messy ponytail that made her look very youthful and vibrant with her smiling expression and emerald green eyes. Unlike Eina and Aina, who both had gentle dispositions, Risna looked more 'bubbly' and lively even though Vahn could see the tell-tale signs of her 'lazy' lifestyle.
Risna's eyes widened a great deal when she saw Vahn, eyeing him from bottom to top before nodding her head firmly and saying, "It seems my big sis lucked out this time around, ne~?" Vahn gave a polite smile in return and explained, "Your sister has been a great blessing in my life, so it would be more accurate to say I was incredibly fortunate to have met her." Hearing his words, Risna clapped happily and said, "Nice, well said, you're quite the smooth talker, Vahn~!" Then, as if fishing for compliments herself, Risna did a ditsy pirouette before smiling with a playful look in her eyes as she asked, "So, do I match the image you had of me in your mind~?"
Vahn tilted his head and thought about his response, causing Risna to give him a curious look as she waited for his response. When she heard that Vahn was coming over, she tried to pick out cute clothing and was currently wearing a beige colored top, pink skirt, white stockings, and brown shoes. Since she had been up late, she applied a light layer of makeup and tried to brush her hair before giving up and tying it up into a ponytail, hoping he wouldn't think badly of her. Eventually, Vahn shook his head and said, "Eina said you were a very cute girl, which I can agree with, but my image of you had been a little different. You seem more lively than I expected..."
Realizing that Eina must have 'betrayed' her by saying some bad things about her, Risna pouted and said, "I'm not really that lazy, you know? I just like to read books and write my own, is that such a bad thing!?" Vahn shook his head before honestly stating, "Honestly, I think aspiring to be an Author is very commendable, especially considering the state of the world right now. If you rely on others to make your dream a reality, however, it could be a problem in the long run..." He knew from Eina that Risna didn't leave the house much and only rarely helped around at the flower shop, meaning she spent most of her time 'leeching' off Aina. Since she just turned fourteen a few months ago, it wasn't that bad a thing from his perspective, if not for the fact most people her age had already been working for several years...
Hearing the first part of Vahn's words, Risna was pleasantly surprised because many people made fun of her for trying to become an Author, saying things like books were pointless. However, the latter part of his words dealt critical damage to her because she also felt somewhat guilty about being overly reliant on her mother, especially since she had no plans of ever moving out. When she learned her sister was getting married to a 'rich playboy', she even thought it would be a good idea to try to leech off of him for a bit, even if they never had a relationship. Now that she saw him, however, Risna realized Vahn was a ridiculously handsome boy and she was somewhat jealous that her sister had managed to 'snatch' him up so quickly.
Before the atmosphere got awkward, Vahn reminded, "We'll be heading to the Manor pretty soon so please pack up as much luggage as you plan to take. You may not be coming back, so grab everything that is important to you..." Risna had been staring at his face with a complicated expression on her own before her aura began to flicker a bit and gravitate towards him. Vahn had promised, not just Eina, but himself to not allow girls to get close to him so easily, just because he could see their interest in him. He couldn't even balance his current lifestyle properly so dealing with the little sister of his wife wasn't even a consideration of his right now.
Risna was momentarily confused by Vahn's words, asking, "We're not coming back...?" as she thought about all the things in her room she wanted to bring. There were far too many things strewn about that were 'important' to her, even though she didn't use most of them, and Risna knew there was no way to take everything in one trip. Vahn saw the conflict in her eyes and said, "I have a pretty large storage capacity so if you can bundle things up I'll be able to carry most of your stuff." Risna's eyes glimmered happily and she reached out to pull him towards her room so he could help her pack. Vahn, however, stepped back slightly and Risna felt very embarrassed with a deep flush on her face after his 'evasive' actions. She looked at him with an almost 'pained' look but Vahn knew she actually had a habit of 'pouting' for attention and wasn't flustered by her reaction.
After a few seconds, Risna released a sigh and muttered, "Come help me grab my stuff; I don't want to have to carry everything out here..." Her previously lively expression had softened greatly and she looked like a very sleepy and disinterested person, even though her beauty still showed through. Vahn gave a wry smile and followed her along, knowing that most of her earlier behavior had been an act in an attempt to appeal to him. He really didn't mind helping support her in her career path, even if she might become a 'leech' in the future. Since she was Eina's little sister, Vahn would do his best to help her but he had no intentions of having any kind of relationship with her at all, even if he found her to be a very beautiful girl.
While he followed her along, Aina poked her head out of her own room and said, "Ah, Vahn, can you help me move some stuff as well? I'll try to pack everything into the center of the room, but there is quite a bit with both mine and Thomas' things." Vahn nodded his head and said, "Sure, as long as you can pack it all close together I should be able to store it pretty easily. Individual items can be an issue though, so try to fit as much as you can into cases and tie down the rest..." Aina nodded her head with a happy smile and continued packing her things as Vahn followed Risna to her room. It was the furthest point at the very back of the house and they had to go around a corner to reach it. When they got to her door, however, Risna stopped and seemed to be considering something before she turned around with a blush and said, "It's a little messy..."
Vahn raised his brows and said, "It's okay, I won't judge how you choose to live your life, Risna. If necessary, I can help clean up a bit while you pack everything together." Risna released a slight sigh and held the doorknob for several seconds before opening it up and heading inside. Vahn saw the interior and was startled by interior since it was a lot like Hestia's room when she had cooped herself up inside for a few weeks. There were mountains of books all over the place and several empty cups and dishes strewn about a desk. It was very obvious that Aina probably brought meals to Risna's room and she spent the majority of her time cooped up inside the relatively small space. Vahn could smell a very flowery aroma which he knew was the fragrance given off by most Elves...
Risna watched his expression with a great deal of embarrassment as she tried to explain, "I...I get really caught up in my work...I'm really not that messy..." She also wanted to say she just didn't like to clean, but that was the same as saying she was messy. Realizing she probably needed to change her living habits, Risna looked around with a distraught expression on her face while thinking where to start. Suddenly, she saw a 'mountain' very near Vahn and, when he saw her looking, he also turned to stare at it before 'swallowing' awkwardly. Risna felt her face burning as she ran over and pushed against Vahn, saying, "Get out, I'll tell you when I'm ready!" Without resisting, Vahn allowed himself to be forced out of her room before the door slammed shut behind him. The 'mountain' he had seen was actually a pile of laundry and, because she actually didn't go out much, consisted almost exclusively of underwear. Remembering some of the designs present, Vahn smiled and remarked, ("She is still pretty childish in that regard...") before making his way to Aina's room.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Pestering','Aina's Flowershop','Gen 1 NEET')
(A/N: I know I said Aina's hair was blond in the past, but the wiki had been updated to state it was green later on so I've retconned it to match canon material o3o~!)
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=14397149
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
章節 604: Moving
Vahn helped Aina pack up, mainly focusing on Thomas' stuff so as to avoid any 'awkward' situations with his mother-in-law. Even though she was 97 years old, just like Riveria, Aina was an incredible beauty and he couldn't help but compliment Thomas for being able to get such a woman to be his wife. Since he was a normal human, he would continue to age normally and he was already in his forties, making him somewhat middle-aged. The fact that Aina decided to be with him, even knowing she would outlive him by well over a hundred years, really showed that he had to be a capable and kind man. Though it was a bit rude, Vahn wondered how they would be able to keep their relationship when he reached his sixties since Aina wouldn't have changed at all while Thomas would have become an elderly man...
Deciding not to really worry about the love lives of other people, Vahn simply resolved to make sure he gave them some grandchildren pretty soon so Thomas would be able to see them grow up. If necessary, he could at least help Thomas maintain his youthful appearance until he died naturally, as it was really the least he could do for his father-in-law. The decision would ultimately be his and, even though it was awkward to imagine performing Nirvana on a man, Vahn wouldn't let it bother him. He often called himself a professional, as he had been seriously studying what it takes to be a good physician, so it wouldn't make sense if he couldn't treat men as well.
Since he was able to store entire wardrobes, it took a lot less time than Aina expected to actually pack everything up. For the majority of the extra items, she just stacked them on the bed and Vahn stored them all into his inventory at the same time. By the time Risna came searching for him, the room was almost entirely bare and she had a very surprised expression as her mother laughed happily. Instead of entering the room with them, Vahn waited outside while Risna and Aina cleaned up her room and moved everything together. Since Aina knew how his 'storage' magic worked now, it didn't take much time before they had Vahn come in and throw everything into his inventory. Risna's eyes glittered when she saw this and she tried to get close to Vahn again, unsuccessfully, as she said, "We should go shopping sometime..."
Vahn gave her a curious look before asking, "Do you actually have money to spend on shopping...?" Once again, Risna looked like she took a critical impact and blushed deeply with her head lowered, pressing her fingers together without actually saying anything in response. Aina laughed at her daughter's behavior and teased, "Vahn, do I have to worry about you taking my other daughter away from me~?" Vahn furrowed his brows slightly in response because he didn't expect Aina to be the one to say something like that, even if she was just teasing him a bit. Looking into her emerald green eyes, Vahn could see a subtly serious light inside of them that made him feel a little nervous.
After thinking over why Aina might say something like that, Vahn realized she probably just wanted both of her daughters to be happy, even if the situation was a little awkward. She had already 'betrayed' her people when she left the Elven Kingdom with Riveria, even more so when she married a human, so Aina wasn't really bothered by the opinions of other people. Vahn, however, couldn't take a soft stance on the matter because he was worried about Eina and the other girls more than 'potential' girls. Firming his expression, Vahn said in a calm and firm tone, "Eina means a lot to me, so much so that I'll be willing to help take care of her entire family if necessary. However, there are many girls that rely on me and I'm not trying to make their lives even more complicated by becoming involved with more women right now...I'm sorry, but I would have to decline your advances, even if you really did fall in love with me Risna."
Aina's expression didn't change at all, almost like it was impossible to actually phase her, whilst Risna'a actually went through a variety of different emotions. She showed envy when he talked about how important Eina is to him, happiness when he talked about 'taking care' of them, and then a mixture of jealousy and sadness when he talked about being involved with so many girls and refusing her. He was a very handsome boy and Risna couldn't really imagine a better candidate to get married to in the future, even if he was the husband of her sister. She knew about his 'Nirvana' already, but that just made her more interested in him and she thought other boys would simply be 'boring' to get involved with. Knowing she was being 'shut down' from the beginning made her feel like she had been wronged, even though there was truly no bond between them other than the fact she was Eina's sister...
Gauging the girls' reactions, Vahn turned to Risna and said, "The world is a very large place, Risna, you can do better by yourself and your sister by expanding your horizons a bit. If you just want to be an Author, I can help sponsor you and even get your books printed for everyone to read...you don't have to worry about money, but please don't make things difficult for the others..." Vahn was very bad at dealing with girls when they were actually sad and he felt somewhat guilty when Risna had a 'wronged' expression on her face. He simply couldn't back down on this though, unless a lot of things changed and she somehow got the approval of the other girls within the Manor. Vahn knew there was actually a chance of it happening, but he wasn't going to be the one to move forward on the matter and was already considering using the private baths in the future.
Vahn suspected that Risna would probably try to use the onsen with everyone else and Vahn didn't want things to become awkward by 'forcing' her to be the only person to use a private bath. He'd rather bathe privately with some of the girls, which would also be a good opportunity to strengthen his bonds with them, rather than let it become an issue. As for Aina, they were actually going to be using the Guest Residence for the interim until the situation became clear. Hestia wouldn't allow Thomas to live within the Manor because he was both a City official and a man, which was against the 'rules' she had established. Thomas would probably feel pretty awkward to be around so many young women for a long period of time as well so Vahn had already decided they would stay in the Guest Residence.
After packing up a few more things, Vahn escorted the two outside where Fenrir was currently radiating a very intimidating aura that even caused Aina to inhale sharply. Risna nearly fell down when she felt the pressure but Vahn caused a 'soft' bubble-like barrier to appear behind her as support. She was surprised by the sudden appearance of something touching her from behind but calmed down after she made sense of the situation. A small pout appeared on her face because she knew Vahn probably could have caught her but was 'avoiding' her. As for Fenrir, she stopped releasing her aura when the door opened and adopted a very 'innocent' smile as she said, "Fenrir scared away all the dumb people~!"
Vahn stroked Fenrir's ears as Terra flittered down from the roof and landed in front of them, surprising Risna again as she muttered, "How beautiful..." in a quiet tone. Terra turned her gaze to Risna in the process and smiled happily before waving as Vahn introduced them, "This adorable little one is Fenrir, a unique Vanargandr. As for the 'beautiful' one, she is Terra, a True Dragon with a perfect affinity for natural elemental energy..." Aina approached Terra without any noticeable inhibitions and closed her eyes slightly, saying, "You have a very calming aura, Terra...I'm Aina, Eina's mother, it is very nice to meet you." Like most Elves, Aina felt a strange 'attraction' to Terra, almost like she was near one of the sacred trees back in the Elven Kingdom.
Risna flustered a little at this point and said, "I-I'm Risna, Eina's s-sister!" in a surprisingly bashful manner. She realized her mutterings had been heard by everyone present and was very embarrassed by her slip of the tongue. Terra simply laughed in an elegant manner in response and said, "I'm Terra, one of my Master's mounts and guardian of the Hearth Manor~." Vahn released a slight sigh while Risna's face turned beet red when she heard Terra say something like being Vahn's 'mount'. However, when Terra spontaneously transformed into her dragon form, Risna was able to understand the matter better and was actually very excited when it came to flying through the sky.
Though she would have given them a ride anyways, Terra didn't have any problems with Aina and Risna sitting on her back because they both had 'comfortable' presences. Aina's elemental affinities were wind, water, and light while Risna actually had a pure wood elemental affinity, which was even rare amongst the Elves. Since she was a Half-Elf, Risna couldn't really make use of her rare affinity, but Vahn could help her overcome that restriction if she one day wanted to become a Mage or a Botanist. Unfortunately, she seemed to be very focused on her writing and Vahn realized that most of the 'books' he had stowed away were actually things written by her and not ones she had purchased elsewhere.
Risna was only fourteen years old but had already written more than forty books, almost all related to fiction and romance. The most surprising thing was the fact that they were all several hundred pages long and Vahn noticed her handwriting was very neat and tidy since he had been able to 'scan' them once they entered his inventory. It was probably 'rude' to have peeked at the contents of her books but Vahn actually couldn't disable the identification component of his system and the information was automatically stored in his brain. He even had the information from Aina's, Risna's, and even Thomas' personal journals within his mind though he hadn't 'peeked' at them set them aside in the deep recesses of his mind.
When they reached the Hearth Manor, Risna exclaimed, "This is where sis lives...? That is totally unfair!" in a hushed tone. Unfortunately for her, perhaps because she didn't socialize with people often, Risna's 'hushed' tone was actually very loud and everyone could hear her clearly. She showed a pouting expression and averted her eyes while Aina chuckled and stroked her daughter's hair, which had become even messier with the wind. When they landed, Vahn stroked Terra's nuzzle and passed his hands along her long and slender neck before she flew off and returned to the garden, still in her dragon form. Vahn smiled and watched her departure before saying, "Eina is coming, along with several others..." as he turned to the two girls.
Risna had a confused expression on her face and was surprised when the door suddenly opened and showed her sister with a complex expression and an awkward smile on her face. Hestia, Hephaestus, Syr, Riveria, and Aki showed up behind her as well. Though she had been eyeing her sister at first, Risna showed a startled look when she saw Riveria and moved closer to her mom, almost like she wanted to hide behind her. Unlike the 160cm tall Eina, and the 171cm tall Aina, Risna was only around 152cm and still in her growth phase with hard to define features since the clothing she wore was somewhat baggy and childish, matching the 'cute' appeal she was going for.
The groups converged together and Riveria showed an apologetic look but, before she could say anything, Aina happily brought her hands together and said, "Riveria, congratulations on your engagement! I can't wait to attend the wedding...is that the dress you're going to wear? It's so beautiful and elegant..." Riveria was currently wearing her [Elven Queen's Gown] and it had a very regal and noble look, enhancing her immaculate features even further, almost as if she were the true Elven Queen already.
Hearing Aina's words, Riveria swallowed her own and remained silent for a few seconds before smiling and saying, "Thank you, Aina...it means a lot to me that you'll be attending the wedding." Aina had always been closer to an actual sister to her than a chamberlain, which wasn't wrong since they actually came from similar ancestry. The only thing that kept Aina from being an Alf, and a High-Elf at that, was one generational split and the fact she was from a branch family that had thining blood. Aina's older brother, though they shared different mothers, had actually been born a High-Elf while she had been forced to become a servant as a result of her 'Elven' status...
Though they had met several times, Aina introduced Risna once again but the young Half-Elf just hung her head and refused to say anything. Since she had been trying to 'appeal' to Vahn, even though she knew Riveria was going to marry him, Risna felt very intimidated and couldn't make eye contact with her right now. Eina tried to smooth things over a bit by introducing everyone else, but Risna just 'hid' behind Aina's back and seemingly became a very shy girl all of a sudden. As if she was trying to explain her daughter's actions, Aina placed her hand on her cheek with a gentle smile and said, "Sorry, Risna's always been a very shy girl...she isn't very sociable, but she is a kind girl and could use a few friends."
Vahn wasn't yet aware of it, but one of the reasons Risna became a shut-in was a result of the fact she had been bullied a bit when she was very young. Eina had experienced much the same but, taking pity on her little sister, hardened her own heart and tried to become more mature while 'protecting' Risna to the point where she became somewhat spoiled. Aina and Thomas also contributed to this a great deal because, even though they knew it was becoming a problem, they allowed her to hole herself up in the room and become enamored with fiction and solitude.
Hestia seemed to have taken pity on Risna as well, saying in a kind tone, "Risna, all of the people that live within the Hearth Manor are kind children. If you open your heart to them, everyone will become your friend, I'm certain of it!" Hearing the unknown voice, Risna peeked out and saw Hestia, realizing instantly she was a goddess. However, her eyes snapped to Hephaestus and saw her big belly as shock settled into her heart while recalling the 'rumors' related to Vahn. Coming back to her senses, Risna nodded her head but continued to use her mother's body as a shield. As if she had inherited the trait from her mother, Eina also put her hand to her cheek and gave her little sister a worried look while sighing.
---
Vahn helped Aina get situated in the Guest Residence, allowing her to use the privacy of the second floor for as long as they wanted. She would be staying there with Thomas but was allowed into the Hearth Manor whenever she wanted, since she would probably want to interact with Riveria and Eina. As for Risna, she chose to stay in the West Wing where Riveria resided and quickly became fond of the Library once she learned of its existence. Vahn helped her unload everything into her room before Aina, Eina, and even Syr began helping her set everything up while also sorting through her stuff. Most of her 'luggage' was just things that had been piled up together so it was still a mess even when Vahn pulled it back out. He also gave her a few bookshelves, a large writing desk, and a few helpful tools that would assist her in her writing.
Risna was very surprised by how much stuff Vahn kept in his 'storage', especially since many of the things he gave her seemed solely for her own use. Since she didn't know about his 'secrets' just yet, she misunderstood this to mean that Vahn had already planned for them to move in at some point and he made preparations for it. Though he didn't seem to be willing to give her a chance, Risna was happy that he was so 'thoughtful' and considerate. Since she had met several girls at this point, Risna understood why he wasn't trying to get involved with anyone else because even she was surprised by how many girls seemed to like him. She had previously thought he was involved with her sister, Riveria, and a few goddesses, but now realized that almost every girl she had seen was in some kind of relationship with him. So far, she had met thirteen different people and had received an explanation of the 'rules' from Syr, a scary woman who also seemed to be in love with Vahn...
After hearing some more of the details, even receiving a communication scroll of her own, Risna realized there were more than twenty girls staying within the Hearth Manor and they seemingly all had some kind of relationship with Vahn. Though this was a very startling fact, it also gave her a strange sense of hope since she discovered there were two sets of sisters amongst the numbers. At the very least, Vahn seemed like a very considerate boy that would help support her regardless of their relationship. She had access to a lot of books and Vahn had given her a ton of materials that she could use for writing, so Risna was very happy at how things had developed.
---
Once Risna and Aina had settled in, Vahn sat with Hestia, Hephaestus, and Syr in private as he explained some of the changes he as going to make in his living habits. For the time being, he was going to take baths in private because he didn't want to force Risna to be alone all the time. It was a good way to avoid 'accidents' with Tina as well, so Vahn figured it would be a good temporary solution. He didn't expect that Risna would stay within the Manor for too long, though her actions seemed to contradict this, so he wanted the girls to help her open up to other people more. Unfortunately, none of them really seemed to 'agree' with his understanding of things as even Hestia explained, "Vahn, it's almost impossible for a girl to stay here for a long period of time without eventually getting wrapped up with you..."
Syr laughed in response to Hestia's words and said, "Hestia is right...even Eina probably realizes it herself and is simply 'spoiling' her little sister by allowing her to stay here. I think she wants to help her be happy since it seems like her sister would have trouble actually finding a man unless she was 'forced' into it. Most guys wouldn't really want a wife that just stays cooped up in their room all day and it would probably put a strain on most of her other relationships with people...how troubling~." Piggybacking Syr's words, Hephaestus nodded and said, "She seems like the type of girl that only really cares about the things she is interested in...I doubt she could live a normal lifestyle. Unless Aina kicked her out of the house, she probably would have stayed there almost indefinitely. She doesn't seem like the type to really consider her future..."
Vahn was a bit taken aback by their words but, when he thought about it very seriously, it really did seem like they saw through to the truth of the matter. Even Eina and Aina seemed to be aware of this, with the latter joking about Vahn 'taking' her youngest daughter as well. There was also the fact that Syr was able to see through a person's true nature very quickly and she was already giving him words of caution. Releasing a sigh, Vahn asked, "Then what should I do? She is a cute girl, but I can't just keep getting involved with everyone I meet. Even if Eina 'expects' something might happen in the future, I don't think she would really be okay with it either...and I don't want to keep burdening everyone else in the Manor."
At this point, Hestia spoke out a few surprising words as she said, "Vahn, I don't think anyone here expects that you can even have normal relationships anymore. It's almost to the point where, even though we know you aren't actually a promiscuous boy by nature, it wouldn't be surprising if you had random flings on occasion. However, if you really want to avoid having anything happen between you and Risna, the only choice would be to put restrictions on her and potentially have her move into the Guest Residence or start apprenticing at the Guild. I'm certain she would want to stay here at the Manor, given the option, but that almost exclusively ends in one way..."
Syr continued where Hestia left off, saying, "The more she opens up to others, the less likely she would actually want to leave the Manor. After enough time passes, this place would become her 'home' and it is almost guaranteed you would eventually feel sorry for her and move your relationship forward. You almost have 'too much' empathy and compassion, making you very free in your love and causing you to have multiple relationships, even with women you don't initially love." Syr actually knew she was in that category of girls and she was actually very grateful that Vahn was such an 'open' person when it came to love.
As if they were working in perfect concert, Hephaestus was stroking her stomach while adding, "You can work over the matter with Eina, but it'll ultimately be a decision you have to make Vahn. Try talking to Risna as well...open her up to the idea of moving into a private residence of her own and then try introducing people to her in the future. She seems to enjoy a solitary lifestyle so she should be fine living on her own after adapting. When she matures a bit, she would probably try to find a partner of her own to ease the loneliness in her heart...that is when Aina and Eina can help her find love without having to burden you directly."
Vahn realized they were actually giving him a variety of different options while taking into consideration his personality and 'habits'. He felt a little guilty because it almost felt wrong to 'pawn' someone off on somebody else. For almost his entire second life, Vahn had been accustomed to 'accepting' people, without pushing them away. When he thought about it, it was very easy to see that Risna would probably have a relationship with him if he allowed her to stay here long term. If she was here long enough, Vahn would undoubtedly feel guilty for 'ostracizing' her and that would be all it took for things to develop further. Realizing this, Vahn released a sigh and said, "I'm sorry. I'll talk to Eina and try to resolve this without it becoming an issue..."
All three girls gave him gentle looks with a bit of concern in their eyes before Hestia's deep blue eyes sparkled slightly and a beautiful smile appeared on her face. With a gentle and guiding tone, Hestia said, "Vahn, I don't think anyone in the entire Manor would blame you for the type of person you are. In fact, we all fell in love with you because of the endless compassion and understanding you show for others...you are the lynchpin that keeps us all together, the heart of our 'family'. Risna seems like a good girl and I'm certain everyone would get along with her, regardless of the decision you make. She actually seems a lot like me so I believe we can be good friends~." When Hestia saw the 'piles' of items belonging to Risna, it was almost like she found a kindred spirit and she actually liked having more people to talk to on the network.
Hearing Hestia's words, Vahn felt a little calmer so he smiled in response and said, "For now, just treat her as an important guest. I'll still be using the private bath since Preasia is still a little self-conscious about the changes in her body. The final decision will be left to Eina and I'll let her deal with things going forward since I'm really 'fickle' when it comes to making such decisions. I'll continue to push for helping her establish herself as an Author and set up a small bookstore for her within the Alliance territory...it shouldn't take too long, so I think things won't become too difficult to deal with."
Though they smiled in response, everyone knew it was the 'help' Vahn provided that would actually make it more difficult for Risna to give up on him. With the current state of the world, there were few people, especially young girls that are typically ostracized by society, that wouldn't become fond of their benefactor. If Risna got used to the idea that she could rely on Vahn, she would 'want' to rely on him even more and, given Vahn's nature, he would probably help her out regardless of his feelings. If Aina and Eina didn't oppose the idea, which was unlikely to happen after enough time passed, there was almost only one way things could end. Vahn's good intentions and kind nature actually made him a bit 'dense' when it came to things like this but, even if he was an idiot, he was still the boy they all loved...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Anti-Social','Exasperation','Vahn is an idiot')
(A/N: I know some people may be annoyed when it comes to developments like this, but don't assume she is actually 'guaranteed' to end up with Vahn. The things I write are taking the context into consideration and don't necessarily reflect how the plot will actually develop, as there are numerous things can happen. Risna is still very young so a lot can change by the time she actually 'wanted' to move forward in her relationship. It would actually need something like a catalyst since it's unlikely an introverted girl like her would push forward on her own (UwU). I could explain better why you shouldn't consider her a 'candidate', but that would reveal too much about the direction the story will go. Just know that nothing is certain until the events actually happen >:D)
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=14397149
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
每周推薦票狀態
200+ 推薦票
榜單 
114 推薦票 
段落評論