章節 781: Balance
Though it would undoubtedly change in the near future, Bell, for the time being, was only venturing into the first few floors of the Dungeon. Vahn had Fafnir keeping tabs on him and had even snuck an [Effigy of the Hero] into the equipment he had provided for Bell. With his character, even if he found the item, Bell wouldn't discard it. Since there was a chance Line would also find out about it, probably from going over his equipment and helping him manage things, she would certainly tell him to keep it safe. Thus, though he didn't drop his guard down around Bell's 'fate', Vahn found himself with more free time than he had expected.
As he own strength had reached a bit of a bottleneck, though only as a result of his lack of 'effort' towards training, Vahn decided to use this as an opportunity increase his own power before the expedition to the 50th Floor. At the same time, he was also spending time with his children and helping to get things situated within the School. Though they had only accepted one-thousand students in the first batch, there were now a little more than 1700 students after two more stages of enrollment. Vahn was happy to see that things were going well, even though there had been a few hiccups along the way.
Though he had expected there to be issues, especially since it was a new system that hadn't previously existed, most of them had been dealt with relatively easily. The biggest problem had been some of the teachers being 'bought' by members of the Noble faction but, as Vahn would personally interview them between semesters, it wasn't that difficult to root them out. At the same time, the Alliance put a little pressure on the Nobles themselves, who had given ground quickly since there was already a precedent of Vahn simply 'removing' corrupt families that took things too far. Though they were still doing things in the background, there was actually a slight transition in their policies and, though it had failed the first time, there was now building support for a School of their own that was currently under construction.
Vahn wasn't worried that the School created by the Nobles would even be a threat to what they were trying to accomplish, especially considering that it was supposed to cater to the children of nobles, influential businessmen, and privileged families. Given how such a gathering would only be able to try and exploit each other for their own benefits, even as children, Vahn knew it was destined to fail unless much larger changes were made. After all, cycling funds within their own social circle actually did more damage to the economy in the long run because a few wealthy individuals would stockpile money, requiring more to be made and harming the intrinsic value contained within the currency.
He still had a lot to learn, but Vahn had received guidance from goddesses with Divinities related to Wealth, Fortune, and Merchants. Inarguably, as long as you had a stable source of material goods, the best way to bolster an economy was investing in infrastructure and enabling lower income families to have more expendable wealth. Consolidating money at the top was fruitless, as it actually put a heavier burden on the lower rungs of society who made up the actual foundation of the economy. It would be like making a pyramid out of frail wood and then putting a massive golden block at the very top. Yes, the golden block would look pretty and valuable, but the foundation holding it up would eventually break down, destabilizing everything in the process after the 'weight' of the wealthy crashed down upon society.
The biggest problem with this concept, which seemed to be the trend in almost any long-lasting family that consolidated power, was that it almost exclusively led to corruption. They became so focused on increasing their own personal wealth, often at the expense of others, that they ended up invalidating the purpose of their wealth after enough time had passed. To make sure their money still had value, the Nobles would have to enact policies to 'revitalize' the currency, often creating systems that would stimulate the growth of infrastructure and the economy in general. The downside is, at the same time, the changes they would introduce would just cause the cycle to repeat itself since the methods they used would eventually break down as a result of having an unstable foundation...it was simply ridiculous...
Fortunately, though it was more than a little 'unfair' in the grand scheme of things, Vahn was blessed to have no real interest in money. He also had access to the system shop and could even make materials with his own body, giving him a functionally infinite number of resources. Since he had no interest in accumulating wealth, he would often just 'gift' out items that he made, enabling other people to increase their ability to bolster their own personal finances. Slowly but surely, the general wealth of everyone around him was steadily increasing and, as they were feeding those funds into the economy, the general earnings of everyone within the Alliance was going up.
People would use the money the make to invest in their property, purchasing produce, and acquiring equipment and consumables that would increase their chances of survival in the Dungeon. This meant there were a larger amount of Drop Items feeding back into the Alliance, giving Vahn a large amount of additional OP even without doing anything other than being a 'decent' person. Though he could only do this with an existence like The Path enabling him, something inaccessible by most people, Vahn still endeavored to simply be good to people. He believed that, if you treated people with dignity and helped them provide for their future happiness, they would eventually return that kindness to you or, at the very least, share it with others.
Though there would always be the issue of greedy people wanting more power for themselves, the Alliance was able to circumvent the majority of such issues. The Hearth Manor not only had the largest concentration of wealth, but it was also the central hub for the distribution of rare materials. This, combined with the fact that almost everyone within the Hearth Manor was a 'powerhouse' in their own right, with a very strong sense of unity, meant that corruption would never be a prevalent issue within the Alliance. This would persist until, at the very least, the tier restriction of the world was removed...after all, with goddesses still holding the 'real' power within the Alliance, they were existences that were fundamentally disinterested in anything other than their personal interests. Though they would consolidate power and wealth, if necessary, they weren't intrinsically drawn to it like mortals, having a limited lifespan, would be.
Even the various merchant gods didn't actually care much for the wealth the acquired, simply using it as a means to an end, so there was little chance of it being an issue in the interim. Though some goddesses, such as Freya, were compelled to consolidate their wealth, it was for the purpose of 'display' and 'status', not so that they could exploit a broken system and take advantage of mortals. She was, singularly, the wealthiest person in the entire City, having personal assets that would easily ballpark in the several hundred billion Valis range, on the low end. However, she used this to build massive Manors, adorned with masterpiece-quality works of art, and to show off her own status by purchasing ridiculously expensive clothes, products, and accessories. She had even brought over a bottle of wine for him one evening, claiming that its value was actually one billion Valis, as it was the closest wine within the mortal world to being 'divine' in quality.
When Vahn looked up the bottle of wine within the system shop, he was surprised to find that it was actually worth 300,000OP, making it one of the most expensive beverages he had ever sampled without having to outright buy it from the shop. It was almost tragic that he couldn't actually get drunk, as the wine could even cause gods to quickly bow down after a single glass, but it still had one of the richest flavor profiles he had ever tasted. Strangely, even after the entire bottle had been finished, it was nearly impossible to actually describe the taste. If he had to put his thoughts to word, Vahn could only describe that it tasted 'reminiscent', 'refreshing', and, though it could have been a result of drinking privately with Freya, 'sensual' in nature. It was almost like meeting your lover after having been separated for a long time, celebrating your reunion while experiencing the same emotions that made you fall in love in the first place...it was almost addicting, even though his body generally filtered out such things completely...
After that fateful encounter with Freya, when he had wholeheartedly put in an effort to 'defeat' her, she had changed a great deal, at least when she was around him. Vahn eventually learned about the event that the citizenry had called the 'Purge' or the 'Refinement' of the Freya Familia. He was surprised to learn that she had reduced the members of her Familia by nearly 70%, even ousting some of her previously touted 'Elites'. At the same time, her Familia had started to rapidly develop the strength of its remaining members while also serving as something of an 'enforcement' unit for the Alliance.
Though he would have been resistant to the idea under normal circumstances, Vahn had been wrapped up in the personal affairs of the Elven Kingdom, the Alliance, and Orario in general. He knew that there were situations where the most meaningful response was swift and decisive action. Since Freya had also been seen spending time with her first child, even showing up at some social events with him in her arms, Vahn couldn't really say much about how she managed her own Familia. She was putting in efforts to be a better mother, just as they had agreed, even confiding in him that the reason she had reduced the number of people in her Familia was to prevent future troubles that would endanger his life...
The former Freya Familia was full of people that were almost 'unhealthily' devoted to Freya, with some of the Elites actually fighting amongst themselves for her favor. Freya claimed that she had been afraid that some of the more powerful members would eventually try to kill her children in the future. At the same time, she had also wanted to 'free' some of the people who had been dedicating themselves to her solely as a result of infatuation. Now that she was unable to show her 'favor' to any of them, it would have caused inner turmoil within her Familia if she didn't cull the dissent from the start. Her actions, though extreme, had caused the remaining members to take their duties very seriously and, though some of their actions were dictated by fear, that was slowly beginning to evolve into a different form of reverence than what had been present in the past...
In the end, the biggest trouble that had resulted from Freya's actions, at least in a manner that affected the lives of the people in the Manor, was how badly Arnya's brother, Allen, had been injured. On the day of the 'purge', many of the Freya Familia's Elites had been seriously injured or killed, with Allen being one of the 'unfortunate' survivors. Most of the bones in his body had been broken from his battle against Ottar, something Vahn could easily understand, but the biggest problem had been his recovery. Though healing magic and Elixirs had been used on him, the damage that he had sustained to his spine was simply catastrophic. As a result, Allen could barely walk after his recovery and, as a result, the Adventurer who had previously been considered the fastest in the City was now forced to hobble along at the pace of an elderly townsperson.
Though Vahn could have healed Allen's injury, Arnya surprisingly asked him not to, as she had learned of his wounds first and had gone to visit him during his recovery. When she met him, he lashed out at her, calling her several terrible things and even outright threatening violence upon her, Vahn, and their children. From his perspective, Vahn had taken everything he cared about away from him, including the goddess he loved and his only remaining family. As a result of these accusations, Arnya actually injured him even worse, demonstrating her [Pactio] and causing the pommels of nearly twenty spears to smash into his already severely injured body...
Vahn actually pitied Allen a great deal, knowing that his actions had actually been a very big impact on the man's life. However, the only reason this was truly an issue is that Allen had been a very unstable existence every since the annihilation of his clan. There were some deeply rooted psychological issues that had sprouted into a corrupting force that had warped his existence into something cruel and sadistic by nature. Since he had tried to heal his heart by relying on things like sex, almost insane levels of training, and enacting violence upon others...Allen was simply too far gone to be reasoned with, at least until he experienced a major setback that forced him to put matters into perspective.
It would take time, likely even several years, but there was hope that Allen would eventually recover, even if it wasn't physically. Arnya would still visit him on occasion and, even though he had been kicked out of the Freya Familia, he had been given severance pay and provided residence within the Alliance's Territory. When she visited, they would almost always argue and get into a small scuffle, which Arnya would inevitably win, but he was slowly starting to mellow out since Arnya genuinely did care about him. With nobody else showing any concerns for him, Allen truly only had Arnya to rely on during these trying times and, as he was too prideful to consider things like suicide, the man was being worn down by Arnya's persistence...
As for the main culprit behind Allen's tragic fate, excluding himself and the events of his past, Freya was currently sitting naked upon the bed with his legs across her lap, massaging them with an almost 'eager to please' look on her face. She had purchased the Southern Manor from Anubis, as they had previously arranged in the past, and it had already been refurbished into a palatial structure that would make people spit up blood if they learned its sole purpose was just a very ornate love nest for the two of them. Within the massive building, there weren't even any guards present, including members of the Freya Familia. Everyone was forced to stay outside, with powerful barriers and wards set up to prevent anyone other than Vahn and Freya herself from entering.
Watching Freya press her perfect, seemingly delicate, fingers into this thighs, massaging deeply into the tissue, Vahn had a complacent smile on his face. Ever since their first time together, Freya had always been surprisingly deferential towards him, at least when they were alone. Instead of trying to be forward and progress things according to her previously selfish and possessive personality, she would now make idle conversation with him, offer things like oil massages, bring expensive drinks for them to enjoy together, or simply wash his back in the bath. The reason for this was because she wanted to be 'rewarded' for her efforts, knowing it was the only way she could get the thing she really wanted from Vahn...
Slowly but surely, Freya's hands made their way further up his right thigh, letting her breasts dangle freely as she leaned forward and continued her efforts. Vahn watched as her hands got progressively closer to his proudly standing tower of Babel, never actually touching it for fear of inadvertently offending him. Truthfully, he didn't really know how to treat Freya when they were together, especially since he had made an effort to 'break' her in the past. There was always a small amount of guilt inside of him since that day but, knowing that Freya would probably revert back to her bad habits if he gave her any leeway, Vahn allowed things to progress in this rather peculiar manner.
Though her hands lingered around his inner thigh for a moment, Freya just released a hot sigh before moving her hands down to his left calf and massaging his other leg now. Seeing this, Vahn's smile softened slightly as he said, "You know, Lenneth is almost able to read through some of the easier books on her own now...she really likes stories with happy endings..." For a brief moment, a small smile spread across Freya's face and her hands came to a stop before she returned to the 'duty' she had assigned herself. Still, a few seconds later, when she was massaging near his knee, Freya turned her silver eyes up toward him and said, "I already told you that Ottar had taken his first steps but, did you know his father actually has him pulling small stones while crawling around? Honestly, I'm a little worried..."
Vahn knew that Freya had seriously considered her words, framing them in a way that was meant to appeal towards him. Still, even if she didn't truly care about the young Ottar, the fact that she was making an effort could be seen by almost anyone who associated with her over the last year. Thus, though he knew her words weren't truly how she felt, Vahn's smile grew marginally in size as he reached out with his right hand. Freya, though it looked like she tried to hide the fact, ended up swallowing as she shifted her body and crawled to his side. Vahn brought her loosely into his embrace and allowed her to rest against his chest. Then, as if realizing she wasn't going to get the 'bigger' prize just yet, Freya let the tension flow out of her body as she entrusted her weight against him and released a hot sigh that tickled his chest.
One of the things that Vahn had been trying to 'teach' Freya, which she had come to appreciate, even if only a little, was the fact that they could be intimate without having sex. He wanted her to get used to the idea of simply 'being' with each other, hoping that it would be a positive influence on her after enough time had passed. Since she knew he would certainly 'reward' her plentily later, Freya had been slowly learning to enjoy moments like this. After all, it really was a refreshing way to pass the time, especially since he would generally lightly stroke her head, back, and even her stomach. This touch would always carry with it a strange energy that caused people to feel relaxed a calm, with even goddesses being subject to its influence...
Freya was actually the reason his [Grooming] had increased so much over the last year, as well as the increase in his [Hands of Nirvana], a skill he thought wouldn't develop much further within this record. As her pregnancy had continued to develop, Vahn had to come up with other methods to keep Freya satisfied, mainly using his skilled hands to pacify her. This was what encouraged her to begin learning massage techniques for herself, even going so far as to ask for a copy of the [Hands of Nirvana] and had been seriously studying it. When she learned that Eina, Preasia, Naaza, and Lefiya were also learning it, Freya had actually shown a bit of her competitive side by trying to become the most proficient in the skill in an effort to appeal to him...
After about an hour of just laying together, making small talk about various things going on throughout the City, Vahn began tracing his index finger around Freya's navel, allowing a thread of stimulating energy to flow from his fingertip. Even though it was only a small amount, Vahn had to resist the urge to chuckle when he saw Freya's rosy pink aura 'immediately' turn almost blood red. He had tried to be sneaky about it, just to see how she would react, but it would seem that Freya's Divinity related to Sex wasn't really something that could be fooled that easily. She turned her eyes towards him, now having a subtle violet emerging from their depths as she asked, "Is it time...?"
Before he even answered, Freya's breathing had started to accelerate and Vahn could feel her heart beating rapidly through her soft and immaculately sculpted breasts. Instead of saying anything, Vahn squinted his eyes slightly and slowly traced his fingers further down, allowing threads of energy to accurately strike all the sensitive spots within Freya's body. Understanding this as 'permission', Freya immediately transitioned from being a rather docile and deferential woman into a much more passionate and 'greedy' existence. She never took things too far, understanding that she could only get what she wanted when he was willing to give it to her, but she was still 'very' proactive...
(A/N: This chapter exists because people kept asking for some developments between Freya and Vahn. To summarize their relationship, in a nutshell, Freya has essentially become a 'sword' for Vahn, even though she acts in the interests of herself and the Alliance. For better or worse, he could freely point her towards anything and Freya would probably willingly throw herself into the situation without questioning it at all. The reason she can do this is that she had come to understand Vahn's character better and knows that, unless she gives him a reason to, he actually wouldn't put her into a situation that would be harmful to her...in a way, they are both exploiting each other in a very passive and roundabout way, slowly coming closer as a result of Vahn's constant efforts to help her have a 'healthier' means of being happy...)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Politics and Economics, intrinsically linked, fundamentally a negative influence on each other xD...','Allen got straight up wrecked (.___.)...','Gimme Gimme (OwO)...')
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章節 782: Gathering
In preparation for the upcoming expedition, the girls had decided to schedule one of their 'Vahnatus', a name that, till this day, Vahn had never really gotten used to. Still, as the event often helped direct the momentum of everyone in the Manor, Vahn looked forward to them, this time being no exception. The topics of discussion were the expedition itself, including who would be going with him, the matter of Bell, Alexa's emergence from the Space-Time orb, and the upcoming Denatus. At this point, the Alliance was the primary focus of every Denatus so it was important to discuss anything that they wanted to address during the assembly of the gods.
Vahn had arrived in the dining room a bit early and, seeing Hephaestus sitting alongside Ina, he smiled happily before joining them. Ina, though she was getting a little big for such behavior, immediately crawled into his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world while Hephaestus released an amused laugh. She leaned on the table, supporting her head with her hand and mused, "Even though your body and mind have developed quickly, it seems like you'll never outgrow that clinginess of yours~." Ina, without so much as a light layer of blush, just nodded her head in response and said, "I've seen so many different futures, and Papa is the only constant that I've been able to observe. After talking to Erika, I don't mind if I never end up getting a boyfriend, as long as I still get to create my babies and spend time with Papa..."
While Ina was speaking, her eyes were glimmering with a magical light, obviously focusing on something in the future that only she could see. Vahn, hearing her words, released a soft chuckle while gently hugging Ina's body and saying, "Ina will always be my Little Princess, even if she became 300cm tall..." This caused Ina to produce a rare frown while Hephaestus began to laugh heartily while they both imagined what it would be like if she was actually 3m tall. Ina never wanted to be bigger than her Papa, as she felt comfortable whenever he was holding her. As for Hephaestus, she just thought it was amusing and, knowing Vahn was just teasing Ina, went with the flow of things.
For a few minutes, the three of them just talked amongst themselves, enjoying the atmosphere until it underwent a subtle shift when the others began to arrive. Maemi and Emiru had walked in to begin setting the table and, seeing the three of them sitting there, began to fluster a bit as they said, "Master, forgive us for making you wait. We'll prepare some tea and snacks..." Bowing together, the twins then whisked away to the kitchen while Vahn produced a wry smile. He had made efforts to get them to relax a little but, as their strength continued to increase, the twins actually became more devoted to their work as maids. It was a little strange but, as they genuinely seemed to enjoy their current lifestyles, Vahn didn't try to force them.
They weren't the only ones in the Manor with quirks, as everyone had something unique that defined them, including their thought process and general mentality. There were girls like Mikoto, who were almost always serious and dutiful, while, inversely, there were girls like Tiona, who seemed to be completely incapable of treating anything in a truly serious manner. The only time she restrained herself was when other people were solemn, or if something impactful had just happened. Then, probably the most unique amongst them all, were girls like Preasia and Risna, the former spending the majority of her time sleeping, while the latter holed herself up in her own room and pumped out a number of novels on various subjects.
At this point, Vahn had nearly a dozen books that Risna had written 'to' him, each detailing various different ways their relationship could progress. He had noticed that, as time passed, the details within the books had become progressively more bold, making it very clear he would have to start treating their relationship seriously, sooner, rather than later. She wasn't the only one, either, as girls like Mikoto, Nanu, Shizune, and Tina were also waiting for him to initiate things. Among them, the only two that showed genuine patience were Mikoto and Nanu, but Vahn knew it had been a little unfair for him to put things off this long. Though he was very busy, it wouldn't have taken that much effort to at least show that he cared for them in a more 'meaningful' way...
After a few minutes had passed, Maemi came out pushing a tray full of snacks, enough for everyone that would show up later, while Emiru carried an ornamental teapot that had a very fragrant aroma wafting from within. Vahn could smell mint, a trace of honey, and the special black tea leaves that the girls had been cultivating after they found out he enjoyed them. Though he could easily purchase them through the system shop, Vahn appreciated the efforts that they would go to in order to try and please him, making a mental note to express his gratitude when he got a chance later.
Slowly but surely, the other girls began to show up, starting with a rather large group that was comprised of Haruhime, Mikoto, Ais, Tiona, Tione, Lefiya, Lili, Naaza, Milan, Tina, and Shizune. When they entered into the room, most of the girls happily greeted him but Vahn hadn't missed the somewhat 'envious' look that Tina gave towards Ina. At the same time, Vahn also took note of how much Tina had changed over the last year, now looking much more mature than in the past, with her secondary physical characteristics developing just fine. She often took the nutritional supplements that he had provided for the girls who stayed within the orbs, though never more than a single dose per day. He knew that she wanted to be mature enough to bear his child in the future, which was one of the reasons Vahn was somewhat hesitant about allowing things to progress further...
Vahn had long ago resolved himself to treat Tina as one of his lovers and, after having several years to think about it within the orb, it seemed like Milan had accepted it completely at this point. Just a few weeks ago, after the two of them had finished having sex, Milan had actually asked him to consider removing the restriction on Tina and Shizune, as they were both, chronologically, much older than most girls would be when having their first time. At this point, Tina was actually seventeen years old, even though she wasn't actually treated as an adult yet, while Shizune was twenty-four. The only thing holding them back at this point was the 'restrictions' that had been enacted when the orbs were first created, now seemingly far less important than they had been in the past...
With this thought passing through his mind, Vahn considered addressing it during the Vahnatus but decided that, instead of doing things in such a roundabout manner, he owed it to the girls to simply seek them out. There was plenty of time within the orb to spend time with them, so Vahn made the decision to do away with some of the restrictions, though he would still have Tina wait for a little while before they took the final step. Still, just like his interactions with Lefiya and Preasia in the past, there were plenty of things he could do with her that should help release some of her tensions. In fact, just being 'open' to the idea of being more intimate with her would almost guarantee her [Luck] caused an event to occur to that effect.
At this point, they had been able to observe the effects of Tina's [Luck] for more than a year, giving Vahn an incredible amount of insight into how the skill actually works. Essentially, the skill worked by altering the perception of the user slightly, making them more susceptible to triggering events that would coincide with their innermost desires. This meant, if the person wanted to get more drop items, they would end up killing monsters in such a way that it would increase the odds of them dropping items. At the same time, if they had somewhat perverted mentalities, which seemed to be one of the 'requirements' for having [Luck], they would often trigger events that allowed them to interact with the object of their affection.
That wasn't the limit of the ability though, as it actually influenced the people around the person that had the [Luck] Development Ability as well. In the event of facing off against an enemy, this could result in things like 'critical' strikes landing, the opponent's weapon breaking, or a monster tripping over itself. When it came to the object of their affection, assuming that person wouldn't get offended by an 'accident' happening, it would guarantee that something would happen between them. If the 'target' was resistant to the idea, the [Luck] would trigger, as that would potentially harm the development of their relationship. Inversely, if the target was 'open' to the idea, the effect of [Luck] would become more pronounced, something Vahn had learned personally...
Around the time when Tina had, chronologically, reached fourteen years of age, which she had earnestly been keeping track of within the orb, Vahn got to experience the extremes of her [Luck]. The topic of her unique item, [One of Heart, Mind, and Body] came up in conversation, becoming a matter of intrigue for the girls within the orb. Tina had taken it out to show it off to them and, after talking about its potential uses for a while, she ended up getting riled up. Later that evening, after a fair amount of hesitation, she ended up using the item without truly considering the repercussions of her actions...
Though his instincts had been warning him that something might happen, Vahn happened to be busy with diplomatic affairs at the Elven Kingdom while, back at the Manor, he was making love with Milan. These events had been enough of a distraction that he hadn't noticed the strange energy the 'overlapped' Milan's body, continuing to make love to her for several hours as she too was completely oblivious to what was happening. As a result of these oversights, Tina ended up in the orb for nearly thirty hours, linked with the feelings, thoughts, and sensations of her mother back in the real world. For nearly a week after that, Tina had kept completely silent about the incident until, after being confronted about her strange behavior, she finally confessed what had happened...
Ever since that incident, Tina started training even harder than before and started taking the nutritional supplements to help her still immature body develop further. She had a strangely 'resolute' disposition after that and, though she had initially been perfectly fine with 'waiting', it was obvious that her patience had slowly worn down with time. Unfortunately for her, it was actually this incident that had kept Vahn from taking any further action with her later on, as thoughts of what she must have experienced made him feel more than a little awkward. Milan could be a very 'needy' woman in bed and, as a result of her increasing stamina, she could go for a few hours without any significant rest...knowing that Tina had experienced all of that had caused Vahn to develop a few inhibitions about the future, though that wouldn't matter now that he had made up his mind.
She shouldn't have known what he was thinking, but Tina used the opportunity when Vahn's left side was open to 'skip' over and try to take the seat for herself. From her perspective, Tina figured, even if she couldn't sit in his lap, sitting next to him was better than nothing. As this thought passed through her mind, a very different thought passed through Vahn's, causing the hair on his neck to raise as he internally remarked, ("So quickly!?") Then, as a result of Ina sitting in his lap, Vahn was unable to move fast enough to prevent Tina from tripping over 'nothing'. He reached out his hand to prevent her tumbling head-first towards Ina, somehow missing her shoulder completely and feeling a soft and plump sensation against his hand.
Tina, startled by her sudden fall, had reached out her hands to try and use Vahn's arm as support, the very act that caused him to miss her shoulder. When she felt a hot and firm sensation press against her right breast, the momentary gap in her mentality caused her to release a mewling "Nyaa~" while clinging to his arm. It was almost as though she was actually 'holding' his hand against her chest, even though she was simply trying to prevent herself from falling down. As a result, Vahn's hand was firmly pressed against Tina's chest and, attempting to remove it, just made the absentminded Cat Person writhe about slightly as her tail flickered happily.
Cursing himself for not using his head, Vahn then used telekinesis to lift Tina away from him so she would let go of his hand. Her face was a little flushed and she seemed to be a little embarrassed after realizing what had just happened. However, she didn't seem capable of hiding the smile that was creeping onto the corners of her mouth, nor could she control her tail that was dancing around happily even as Vahn set her back a few meters. Vahn, using his telepathy, then sent her a message to help her calm down, causing Tina to remember where she was as she bashfully hid her face from view. All the while this was occurring, Ina had been observing the event with slightly glowing eyes and a small frown on her face, though it didn't persist for very long as she just released a small sigh and leaned against her Papa's chest.
With Tina losing the initiative, Lefiya had quickly slipped into the spot on Vahn's left while the other girls began to fill in the empty seats and begin having lively discussions about what they would be talking about later. Vahn felt it was somewhat amusing, that they were actually 'already' talking about the matters that would be covered in the Vahnatus, but he still pitched in his own take on matters whenever they would ask. The biggest concern on most of the girls' minds was if they would be able to go on the expedition, or if they would remain back at the Manor. Following that, the majority of the conversation revolved around the topic of magic, any new insights others might have had in their training, and what was going on with their favorite sports teams...
Though there had been a bigger focus on increasing their strength in the beginning, as learning Magic had been a very interesting idea for most of the girls, this had no longer been the case after a few years had passed within the orb. Most of the girls weren't very studious so they were unable to make significant progress in their studies, leading to the situation where they spent more time learning how to use their [Pactio]s and becoming 'Knights' instead of 'Mages'. Since training could get stale, this meant that the girls had started going into the Dungeon while he had been busy with his own personal matters. The only times he had gone in with them were when he made a quick stop at Lil Geirr, replenishing their supplies, but the girls had been spending a fair amount of time fighting monsters to polish their skills.
As a result of their efforts, the Hestia Familia had been promoted to S-Rank, making it the fastest Familia to achieve the rank within the history of Orario. At the same time, Vahn had been able to greatly bolster his OP reserves with all the rare drop items they would bring back. Though he was able to earn a fair amount from the exchanges through the Alliance, Vahn also spent a lot on the materials that were requested from them, meaning his actual gains weren't that great. With the girls' efforts, however, he had been able to break one hundred million OP, a monstrous amount, even if it wasn't even 1% of what he needed to purchase the [Dimensional Anchor: Stasis]...
During the upcoming expedition, he would need to decide who would be accompanying the main group and providing security for the construction crews that would be helping jumpstart the construction of Haven. Though he had humored the idea of just going down with only the girls and building the core structure themselves, Vahn scrapped that idea very quickly. That would ensure they would be able to develop it in the way they wanted, while also making it a special places for themselves, but that wasn't the point of Haven. It was meant to be the 'frontier' City for those that were brave enough to try and probe into the deepest depths of the Dungeon. At the same time, it was the first line of defense against any terrifying monsters that would try to break free from the Dungeon and cause destruction on the surface.
Though it would undoubtedly become his pet project, Vahn wanted Haven to become a 'symbol' for people all over the continent. It would be the place where, if you wanted to reach the peak of your potential, you would have to make a pilgrimage down to its depths just to take your first steps towards the top. If you couldn't even make it to Haven, you fundamentally lacked the qualifications to become truly strong, meaning you would need to refine your capabilities further before trying again. In the future, Haven would be the place where the strong would gather, aspiring to become even stronger by having access to the resources that would only be available within the City. At the same time, it would be the location of what Vahn believed would become the 'heart' of the entire world, the Academy, where the most powerful Mages, Knights, and Scholars would emerge...
To ensure his dream was able to become a reality, Vahn knew he would have to invest a lot of time and effort into personally overseeing the development of Haven. This would also serve as the catalyst for future conflicts between the Alliance and the forces of Enyo, as there was no way the errant goddess would simply watch as they build a fortress so deep within the Dungeon. After she fails to stop them, Vahn believed she would undoubtedly try to draw them away from the Dungeon's depths by targetting the surface, something he had 'confirmed' with Cassandra, Sylfia, and Ina.
Though every decision he made altered when the attack would happen, the Alliance had already started making several preparations, including the distribution of specialized potions that Terra had synthesized with his blood. If Enyo truly tried to use chemical and biological attacks against the City, they were already prepared to deal with the fallout. A single potion would be able to cure more than ten people and, as a result of the mass production of the potion over the last fourteen months, they had more than enough for almost every citizen of Orario, according to the most recent census.
Vahn knew that Ais, Haruhime, and Lefiya all had fates tying them to the Dungeon, as he was now able to see a very subtle flow that had started to follow them around, so they were almost guaranteed members for the expedition. At the same time, he would 'have' to take along people like Tiona, Tione, Lili, Ryuu, and Arnya, as their capabilities were simply too significant to overlook. Tiona was borderline unkillable, though she seemed to push the boundaries a lot, while Lili, Ryuu, and Arnya had an almost 'ridiculous' amount of offensive strength. Lili would probably be able to punch clear through one of the Dungeon's Floors while Ryuu's [Pactio] would be a counter to almost any large monsters that might appear from Enyo's side. As for Arnya, her [Pactio] and combat prowess made her one of the most terrifyingly effective 'anti-army' fighters within the Manor.
Though Riveria, Lefiya, and Fenrir would be able to 'nuke' a mass of enemies, this would also eat a lot of their mana reserves. Arnya's [Pactio], more specifically her artifact, used very little energy to produce a seemingly endless amount of spears that could be shot forward with the same strength as she would have thrown them. These spears would then explode after contacting an enemy, releasing the terrifying might contained within, dealing catastrophic damage that could easily rival the attacks of a Level 7...
With these candidates in mind, Vahn just had to balance out who would stay back on the surface to protect the Manor, and who would be staying inside the Dungeon to assist in the defense of Haven. Fortunately, it shouldn't be too difficult to establish a teleportation magic circle within the Tree of Life itself, linking it to a second teleportation ward within the illusory forest. Though each use of the ward would likely cost a large amount of mana, and the resources supplying such mana, it meant they always had a way of traveling between the 50th Floor and the surface in an instant. They wouldn't be able to use it 'leisurely', but it would be a very powerful asset in the event of an emergency...now, Vahn just had to see how Enyo would react...he also couldn't help wondering if things might be over as soon as they began...
(A/N: As there will certainly be people that ask, "Why doesn't Vahn just go [Magia Erebea] and conquer the whole Dungeon!?", I will explain...first of all, that isn't how you write an interesting story. Secondly, that would be the same pitfall he has fallen into before, the same thing Eva had cautioned him against. The only reason Vahn would take such an action was that he either 'stopped caring', or 'assumed he was able to resolve it with his own strength'. As one of the most prevalent lessons Vahn has learned is 'there is always someone stronger', he wouldn't simply go into the situation without thinking, especially since it ties into the flow of fate within the record. It would always be the more prudent act to meet the enemy on your own terms, forcing them to act in a situation where you have greater advantages. Thus, even if Vahn's personal strength is very high, the actions he is taking are, inarguably, the more 'correct' choices to make. For any 'real' person that somehow managed to get a lot of power, hubris and egotism would be the main way most of them meet their end xD...)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Ina has no need for smelly bois~!','Damn, calm down, Tina (O_O);','Vahn has been playing too much chess...already thinking several steps ahead...')
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