章節 919: Wake
Vahn was currently experiencing a familiar sensation that had long fallen into the deepest recesses of his mind. Similar to when he had fought the Juggernaut, Vahn felt like his mind had completely 'shattered', immersing himself in deep and all-encompassing pain. In this state, it was entirely impossible to form any thoughts and, for what felt like an eternity, Vahn could only accept the pain as it permeated through his entire existence. Still, part of him knew the pain would one day pass so, even though it felt like an eternity until that time would come, Vahn did his best to withstand the pain...
Just as it felt like his very existence was on the verge of fragmenting, Vahn experienced a familiar cooling sensation that began to spread from the center of where he 'felt' his mind to be. Though he had no lungs to breathe, Vahn exhaled a profoundly relieved sigh as he allowed the cooling sensation to wash over him. Everywhere its influence spread, the seemingly endless pain would fade away, replaced by a refreshing sensation as his 'body' was finally fully submerged. Following this, Vahn felt the cooling sensation slowly fade away, replaced by a gentle and all-encompassing warmth as the warmth that brought his perception back into focus...
Upon opening his eyes, Vahn found himself staring up at an endless expanse of darkness but, instead of feeling afraid, he felt incredibly relaxed and calm. Raising his tired body, Vahn saw the familiar existence of Baihu, Xuanwu, Zhuque, and his yet unnamed Azure Dragon. Different from the last time he had visited, the first three now had glowing runes covering their body. Beneath him, Vahn found the same eight-elemental Taiji that normally appeared on his back had now expanded outward from his location. It glowed with a sacred blue light that had stretched outward to completely encompass the four sacred beasts, each taking cardinal positions for themselves.
To the North, representing Water, there was Xuanwu, the Black Tortoise and Snake pairing that had been one of his staunchest allies. Its black scales were covered in aquamarine green runes while the snake coiling around its body now had black scales with yellow runes. To the West, occupying the Metal element, surprising Vahn slightly, there was Baihu, the large White Tiger that had been his first companion, allowing Vahn to experience the 'joy' of battle. Vahn found it a little peculiar that it occupied the Metal element, even though it had granted him an increased affinity with Wind...
The black stripes on Baihu's fur shimmered with a pattern of light green runes but, at the very center of its head, where the pattern for 'king' was located, Vahn saw a vibrant gold rune shining radiantly. Next, he turned his head to the South, finding the strangely enchanting Zhuque, the Vermillion Bird, occupying the symbol representing Fire. This wasn't a great surprise to Vahn but, noticing some of its feathers now shimmered with a golden hue while runes that appeared similar to eyes now glimmered along its flight feathers. Vahn was momentarily brought back to his fight with Enyo, remembering how he had used Zhuque to completely overwhelm the Darkness for a brief moment...
Vahn noticed that he had naturally smiled while observing Zhuque and, though it didn't have the means to produce human expressions, Vahn felt it had smiled back. This caused him to feel a bit of warmth in his chest as he turned to his final companion, occupying the element of Wood. Just as with Baihu, Vahn felt it was a little strange that the Azure Dragon would occupy such an element as, while he had been fighting previously, it seemed to have a relation with Space and, to a lesser extent, Time. Even so, it didn't really matter right now as Vahn could see the expectant look in the Azure Dragon's eyes as it lowered its head...
Reaching out his hand, Vahn placed his palm against the Azure Dragon's head and muttered, "I have kept you waiting for too long, my friend..." In response to Vahn's words, the Azure Dragon just nudged his hand slightly and released a complacent rumble from its throat, causing Vahn to chuckle lightly before a tense atmosphere spread throughout the infinite darkness. The other three Sacred Beasts became silent as they watched from their positions, a gleeful look in their eyes as Vahn's voice resonated, "Henceforth, you shall be Qinglong..."
The moment Vahn's words sounded out, Qinglong's body became covered in a pattern of golden runes as it raised its head and released a loud roar that shook the very void around them. Baihu, Xuanwu, and Zhuque all joined in, releasing their own distinct roars as the runes on their bodies began to resonate with each other. Vahn saw the eight-elemental Taiji begin to emanate intensely with a blue light that began to shroud both his body, and those of the four massive beasts roaring around him. When the light faded away, instead of being surrounded by the familiar figures, Vahn saw four versions of himself, each representing his transformed states...
Suddenly, his Baihu form began performing a series of movements that caught Vahn's eye while the other three adopted seated positions, falling silent as the runes on their body shimmered. Having nothing else to do, Vahn found himself immersed in watching Baihu perform a total of nine different techniques, each seeming simple but radiating a sense of profundity that caused Vahn's soul to tremble. He didn't think it would be possible for him to perform similar moves but, using his own transformed body as the example, Vahn watched as Baihu demonstrated the techniques ceaselessly until, after an inordinately long period of time, Vahn noticed that his own body had already started emulating the movements...
Just as it felt like he was about to discern some great truth regarding his [Rakshasa Body], Vahn opened his eyes, finding a familiar roof overhead as two different pressures weighed against his chest. Turning his eyes downward, Vahn found Lefiya drooling on a light-grey tunic he didn't remember wearing while, opposite her, Fenrir had been curled up in the same bed as him, looking decidedly fluffy. As if they were both aware of his awakening, which was likely the case through their powerful bonds, Lefiya and Fenrir both startled awake, immediately turning their unique eyes towards Vahn. In the next moment, Vahn found himself consoling both girls as Lefiya cried in his arms while Fenrir hugged his body tightly, almost as if she were afraid he would disappear...
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Nearly two hours later, after practically being paraded around and embraced by almost every girl within the Mano, Vahn was seated together with the entirety of his rather large family. At the side, somewhat unexpectedly, Jeanne was wearing brand new armor while, wearing a cloak that veiled most of her features, Helen stood slightly behind her. Currently, Loki was explaining to him what had happened while he was passed out, this time for a full thirty-eight days, even though only a little more than six had passed in the real world. So that his children wouldn't worry too much, Vahn had been treated within the Sub-Space orb while the girls took turns watching over him as his body went through various stages during his recovery...
According to Loki, after hearing an accounting from Jeanne, the latter had fled from the City of Heroes after warning the Valkyrie's of the potential fallout. The group of proud warriors had been preparing Cú Chulainn funeral rites, completely ignoring the battle occurring in the Coliseum. Upon learning of their father's death at the hands of Heracles, the girls were completely incensed but, after learning that the latter had also died, their anger quickly turned into feelings of loss, confusion, and uncertainty. They served within the City of Heroes at the behest of their Allfather and, now that he was gone, their purpose could no longer be fulfilled. None of them wanted to take orders from Zeus and Hera and, with Jeanne's and Helen's efforts, they had not only helped the two women escape but were now residing in Freya's Manor to the south.
Jeanne and Helen were not the only ones to part from the City of Heroes as Vahn learned that Musashi, the man whose sword intent had been so intense that it actually cut through his ego, had also begun wandering. Vahn's form was wholly dependent on his self-image and, in a state where he had pushed his mental energies far beyond their limits, the impact of Musashi's strike had carried over to his main body. Though he hadn't been in any danger of actually dying, it was the singular most impressive sword strike Vahn had ever witnessed and he expected this would remain the case for a very long period of time...
Other than Musashi, several other members of Legend also departed the City, none of them wanting to be around when Zeus began raging and throwing a tantrum. Jeanne and Helen were unable to comment about which members had left as, even while residing in the Manor, they weren't able to share information about Legend's structure. The only reason Jeanne had been able to comment on Musashi was that he had been involved in the event, allowing her to readily speak about what she knew on the matter. What was important, however, was the fact that, with the exception of Zeus, there weren't really any threats from their side. Though most of the Heroes had their quirks, none were the type to go out of their way to seek trouble, especially with recent developments...
Wrapping up her recounting of events, Loki released a pent up sigh while her red eyes gleamed through the slits in her eyelids. She hadn't even been remotely surprised by the fact that Zeus actually had an organization of Heroes that he had been collecting over the last thousand years. What annoyed her was the fact that Zeus had been keeping so many powerhouses a secret, even when his Familia had been in operation. Though it ended up being for the 'better', as Enyo would have been much more dangerous if she had powerful Heroes under her influence, it still bothered her that Zeus, Hera, and even a god from her own Pantheon, Odin, had kept such a secret without anyone realizing it was going on...
Having already publically declared Zeus and Hera as exiled gods who were not allowed to roam within the City, there wasn't much else Loki could do other than plot to have them both killed. Even if she had to have them assassinated, it would be worth getting rid of such troublesome individuals since, in the future, Loki truly believed Vahn would be able to completely crush them. She didn't know exactly how he would do it but, based on everything Vahn had been able to reveal, Loki knew he had a way that was completely beyond her comprehension. For now, the things that needed to be dealt with most pressingly were the two women quietly standing at the side...
Just as she was about to mention Jeanne and Helen, Loki's thoughts wandered to an even more important subject as she interrupted her own thought process and said, "Now that your avatar is destroyed, you should take some time to live a normal life for a while. She might be putting on a strong front, but you have no idea how stressful the last week had been for Syr..." Before he had run off to confront Legend, Vahn had been spending time with Syr in the maternity ward. He had left partway to enter into the Sub-Space orb but, the next time he had emerged, his body had almost been completed bisected. Not only Syr, but most of the girls in the Manor had been extremely stressed out while Vahn's body had been recovering. Presently, there wasn't a single one amongst them that was protecting Haven while Anubis, Tsubaki, and Riveria had taken leave from the School...
There were a lot of things Vahn 'needed' to take care of, sooner, rather than later, but he still nodded his head in response to Loki's words. After what had happened, Vahn felt like he needed to 'reset' his mentality as the impact of his failure to defeat Heracles, combined with the over-taxing of his mental energies, had left him a little shaken. If Musashi hadn't dealt the final blow, Vahn would have been out of commission while Heracles, in his madness, would have wrought havoc upon the Mortal World. There was no doubt in his mind that the mad Demigod's first target would have been Orario and, out of spite, the Manor itself...
At least for a short while, Vahn just wanted to spend time with his family without having to worry about what was going on in the outside world. Zeus wasn't a 'real' threat and, with access to his Qinglong form, Vahn knew that his movements in the future would be much easier. He could also use this time to familiarize himself with the techniques demonstrated by Baihu, all while watching over his children and spending time with everyone 'normally' for once. With that thought in mind, Vahn very nearly asked if everyone wanted to go on a picnic, overlooking the fact that it was already late in the evening...
Fortunately, before Vahn said something to embarrass himself, Loki asked, "What are you going to do about these two girls? We currently have Ioke being cared for by Juno, so you don't have to worry about her for the time being. As for the Valkyrie, they haven't caused any trouble thus far, though their leaders had wanted to meet with you at some point. For now, we've been letting these two stay in the Guest Residence since the Jeanne woman had readily accepted the vows after claiming to be your Knight..." Loki wasn't really concerned about Jeanne but, after learning the identity of Helen, she didn't believe it was 'safe' for her to stay in the Manor at all.
Even without Loki expressly stating her concerns, Vahn had been able to intuit what she was worried about so he gave an apologetic smile to everyone before saying, "For the time being, I need everyone but Loki, Hestia, Anubis, Fenrir, Jeanne, and Helen to leave the room..." Vahn understood that it was better for fewer people to see Helen's true appearance and, though it could potentially be a little dangerous for Fenrir to meet her, Vahn was confident her Loyalty would invalidate the danger.
Vahn, truthfully, had no interest in trying to enter into a relationship with someone like Helen, but that didn't mean he would abandon her and cast her out in the world alone. Though part of him was intrigued by the existence of the 'most beautiful' woman, his intuition told him that things would become complicated if he was actively involved with her. Since he wanted to avoid the situation where conflict was to arise within the Manor, Vahn knew he needed to come up with a solution for where she would stay in the future. If possible, he would try to help her find a way to reduce the effect of her Innates on other people so that she could at least interact with a few people normally...
After a few rather awkward minutes, which were made easier by Maemi and Emiru proposing tea and snacks while they waited, Vahn ended up in the room with only those he had designated to stay. Now, to set things in motion, Vahn turned his attention to the veiled Helen, saying, "For the time being, you can remove your hood and allow everyone in the room to see your appearance." Instead of obliging Vahn's words, Helen shook her head slightly before saying, "I believe it would be better for everyone if I were to stay like this. As I am very grateful for what you have done, I do not wish to make things difficult for you, Vahn Mason..."
Hearing Helen's words, Vahn released a small sigh before locking on to the dark cloak with his intent and stowing it away in his Inventory. He had already seen through the fabric with his [Eyes of Truth] previously and, though her appearance had been a visual impact on his mind, it wasn't to the extent of overpowering his [Will of the Emperor]. Though she truly was one of the most immaculate beauties Vahn had ever seen, especially with her inordinately long white hair and her pale red eyes, swimming with runic symbols. Upon looking into her slightly startled eyes, Vahn, for a brief moment, felt like he was being pulled into her gaze but quickly managed to shake it off as he said, "I need to understand your situation better if I'm going to be able to help you live a normal life in the future..."
As he spoke, Vahn gauged the reaction of everyone else in the room and as somewhat surprised when he saw that Loki, of all people, had become absentminded. Everyone else, including Fenrir, seemed relatively unaffected by Helen's appearance but Loki, perhaps due to her association with the fairer sex, seemed somewhat smitten while looking at Helen. It didn't last too long, however, as her skin radiated a slight luster that only people like Vahn could see as her Divinity naturally repelled the influence of Helen's Innate. As for Helen herself, her surprise had faded away quickly and, even though her expression was completely neutral, it still made the rest of the room seem strangely 'dull' in comparison...
Vahn was starting to get a feel for the situation and decided to test something by calling over Lyd through the Unit Management function. Lyd was very confused by the sudden change in his surroundings but, seeing Vahn, and sense the strange atmosphere, he chose to remain silent and away Vahn's instructions. His eyes still wandered around the room, however, passing over Jeanne and Helen with a bit of intrigue in his slit-like pupils before inspecting everyone else gathered in the room. This seemed to surprise Helen somewhat, as Lyd had made direct eye contact with her, while Vahn simply nodded his head after confirming his suspicions.
As a final test, even without explaining things, Vahn sent a telepathic message to Rufina, having her enter into the room unawares. Much like Lyd, she looked around and, seeing the unveiled Helen, showed a slightly surprised expression. This, however, was the extent of her reaction to Helen before she turned to Vahn and asked, "What did you need me for...?" Instead of Vahn, it was Loki who answered as she had been paying close attention to what was going on. She had locked eyes with Helen a second time while waiting on Rufina, feeling her mind wander once again before he resisted the influence invading her mind. Now, she understood much of the situation, explaining, "It seems like it won't be too difficult finding a place for you to stay after all, Helen..."
(A/N: I decided to release this chapter a bit early since I'm not sure I have enough willpower to continue writing further xD. Though I woke up super early to get a jump start on things, the first three chapters took a lot more time than expected. I started around 2:40AM and, at the time of writing this A/N, it was 2:52PM. I did take breaks to eat and shower, but I've been essentially focused on writing for twelve hours at this point and just want to take a nap xD...)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'My pain is far greater than yours~!','Changes in [Rakshasa Body]','Loyalty and Allegiance are OP (o 3 o)~!')
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章節 920: Responsibility
Just as he had observed during his confrontation with Enyo, those with high enough values of Loyalty or Allegiance were extremely resistant to any effects, including Innates, that could influence their mentality. Though it would require a fair amount of observation and research, Vahn believed that Helen should be fine to interact with anyone over a certain threshold. This meant that, within the Xenos Village, Spero, or deep within the central area of Haven, Helen would be able to move without having to conceal her presence. As a result, Vahn suggested she stay with the Xenos as he felt she would benefit greatly from existing in their relatively simple and welcoming society.
Though she had been somewhat hesitant at first, Helen quickly became friends with Marie and, after interacting with the members of Spero Village, she realized that the Xenos were a very 'pure' species. She was so used to people looking at her with 'intent' in their gazes so it was a liberating experience to interact with a sizeable group of 'people' without having to worry. Vahn had allowed her to take up permanant residence there, staying with Ray, Terror, Fear, and the other bird-type Xenos. Among the Xenos, they were the most sociable group and it would be very therapeutic for Helen to have people she can associate with in order to open her long-closed heart.
For the time being, Helen was left to her own devices since Vahn wanted her to be able to live a 'normal' life, even if her situation was still more than a little unique. As for Jeanne, her situation was also relatively unique but, with her straightforward an earnest personality, she quickly integrated into the Manor. Unlike many of the women around him, for one reason or another, Jeanne didn't have any romantic interests or expectations about how her future might develop. From her perspective, the only thing that mattered was her 'duty' as a Knight and, with Vahn planning to build an Empire, she would become instrumental in training the first generation of Imperial Knights.
Unsurprisingly, Jeanne had become 'very' quick friends with Vana who, unaware that her Papa was injured at the time, had been following the ashen-haired beauty around like a puppy. Within the record Danmachi, Jeanne's tales were one of the only historical examples of famous female Heroines so Vana had always been very fond of her. Now, Jeanne was helping Vana, alongside Vahn's other children, with their training. Lenneth and Aisha were quickly growing fond of her and, with even Ais, Haruhime, Mikoto, and Arnya unable to get any advantages against Jeanne during sparring, she truly was the best possible instructor for the girls. As for how she matched up against the powerhouses within the Manor, the only one to truly come close to her Ais and Haruhime, both around the middle of Level 7 in strength. Jeanne herself, however, was very near the peak of Level 8 and, as a result of her strong foundation and Soul Tier, she had monstrously high Parameters and skills...
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[[Stats]]
Name: Jeanne D'Arc
Age: 329
Race: Human
-Level:8(+)
-Power: 6993+(A843)
-Endurance: (-)
-Dexterity: 6993+(S994)
-Agility: 6993+(S901)
-Magic: 6993+(A871)
Total: 42,672+(5709)
Soul Tier: 3 (Lord Soul)
[Karma]: 3,019,442
Skills: [Perennial Saintess:Innate: SSS], [Voice of the World:Innate: SS], [Precise Strike:SSS], [Sweeping Blow:SSS], [Shield Stance:SSS], [Shield Slam:SS], [Armorbreaker:SS], [Chasing Strike:SS]
Magic: [Holy Ray:SS], [Healing Touch:S], [Sacrament:S]
Development Skills: [Fealty of the Knight:Innate: S], [Child of Light:Innate:D], [Grandmaster Swordsman:A], [Unbreakable: C], [Null-Magic Aura:B], [Grandmaster Shieldbearer:B], [Master Spearman:B], [Armsmaster:A], [Cooking: A]
[Precise Strike]
Rank: SSS
Use: Active skill that allows the user to strike the intended target with 100% accuracy. Doubles natural critical rate.
[Sweeping Blow]
Rank: SSS
Use: Active skill that prevents the momentum of a blade from being deflected while cutting through enemies. Successfully cutting an enemy modifies Power by 10% for the duration of the strike.
Restriction: CD: 00M30S
[Shield Stance]
Rank: SSS
Use: Active skill that doubles all physical and magical resistances for .5 seconds.
[Shield Slam]
Rank: SS
Use: Active skill that allows the user to convert resistances into physical power after receiving an attack. Guaranteed stun chance on targets with resistance lower than the rank of the skill. Duration: 1-10S
[Armorbreaker]
Rank: SS
Use: Active skill that rapidly reduces the equipment durability of an opponent with each strike.
[Chasing Strike]
Rank: SS
Use: Active skill that allows the user to close the distance to a target, regardless of the difference in Agility and base speed.
[Holy Ray]
Rank: SS
Use: Short-chant magic that creates a beam of light elemental energy that can pierce through heavily armored targets with ease. Deals double damage against targets with negative elemental energies. Range: 3,000m
Chant: Light's Judgment, Holy Ray~!
[Healing Touch]
Rank: S
Use: Accelerates the natural healing of the target by 5000% during contact. Warning: Overuse of this magic can shorten the lifespan of the target considerably.
Chant: (-)
[Sacrament]
Rank: S
Use: Four-verse magic that allows the user to amplify the parameters of allies by 10% for each successive verse.
Chant: [Because I could not attack for Allies, they did kindly attack for me. Pause to attack, as Allies do.]-[Companions, however hard they try, will always be stronger together. Do armies make you shiver? Together, we shall overcome.]-[One afternoon I asked myself, "Why do people oppose the Light?" Enemies are heinous. enemies are unworthy, enemies are ugly, let us begone with them.]-[Hope for freedom. Give freedom to those who have Hope. Sacred Sacrament, Divine Blessing~!]
[Grandmaster Swordsman](Third evolution of Swordsman)
Rank: A
Use: Allows the user to comprehend the truth of the sword, overcoming the limits of both the body and mind with a blade in hand. Greatly enhances perception and mental acuity.
[Unbreakabale](Third evolution of Strong Defense)
Rank: C
Use: User is completely immune to physical damage under a certain threshold.
[Null-Magic Aura](Third evolution of Magic Resistance)
Rank: B
Use: User is completely immune to magical damage under a certain threshold.
[Grandmaster Shieldbearer](Third evolution of Spearman)
Rank: B
Use: While using a shield, Endurance acts as a modifier for shield durability. Flat damage mitigation of 50% from all sources when blocking.
[Master Spearman](Second evolution of Spearman)
Rank: B
Use: Greatly increases proficiency with all rods and spears. Increases critical hit chance and allows attacks to pierce armored targets.
[Armsmaster](Super rare Development Ability from achieving Mastery in three unique combat styles)
Rank: A
Use: The user is able to demonstrate mastery of any weapon, armor, or item based on the rank of Armsmaster. (A/N: In other words, Jeanne could even pick up a Yoyo and use it as an A-Rank weapon, even if she has never used one before.)
[Cooking]
Rank: A
Use: Increases the efficacy of all actions related to cooking. Moderate enhancement to all senses while providing the ability to discern unique ingredients and flavor profiles.
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The first time Vahn had seen Jeanne Status Board, after her conversion to the Hestia Familia, he had been completely taken aback by the sheer amount of information. Not only had she reached the 'limit' of each parameter before leveling up, made possible by the use of special items that had allowed each member of Legend to 'revert' back to Level 1, but she was near-mastery of almost every skill, magic, and ability she possessed. Even her Innates were of a very high ranking and, so long as she was able to push her [Child of Light] to higher ranks, Jeanne would be able to reach Tier 4 with 'relative' ease.
From conversing with Jeanne, Vahn was finally able to learn exactly why it felt like, even if he went all out against her, he would never be able to 'defeat' her. With [Perennial Saintess], so long as Jeanne never lost her 'purity', she was completely impervious to all detrimental effects, including damage. Even if this wasn't the case, her natural Endurance was around 16,800 and, with basic modifiers, he would need to have a damage output that exceeded an Endurance factor of around 40,000. Since parameters scaled exponentially, Sis calculated that he would need to hit Jeanne with around 24,000 kilotonnes of instantaneous force. Even a direct charge with his Lightning Emperor form wouldn't be able to overcome her resistances...
As for Jeanne's [Fealty of the Knight], [Voice of the World], and [Child of Light], they were decided less 'impactful' than her [Perennial Saintess], but still very impressive. With [Voice of the World], Jeanne had a basic level of Clairvoyance while also possessing the ability to 'speak' with the world itself to gain information. She could locate almost anyone, or anything, so long as she knew what the targets were. At the same time, she would be able to determine their approximate strength, if they were a 'good' or 'evil', and how much of a threat they posed to the world itself. The [Voice of the World] would also actively warn her about dangers, allowing Jeanne to detect threats much earlier than most, even without actively having to do so.
With just [Perennial Saintess] and [Voice of the World], Jeanne was already an existence that was far outside of Vahn's expectations. Since her [Fealty of the Knight] also enhanced her combat abilities, especially if it was in service of the person she had pledged to protect, her base parameters were already enhanced greatly. Combined with the fact that [Child of Light] allowed her to create and weave constructs out of pure Light Elemental energy, it was easy to see why Jeanne was one of the strongest entities in the entire world. Though she was still below people like Heracles, Theseus, Musashi, and a few others, they would be hard-pressed to actually defeat her. The only option, without something like The Path to provide support, was to seal Jeanne away and restrain her, albeit temporarily...
For the time being, Jeanne was one of the strongest forces within the entire Alliance, even if she was specialized in defense and was unable to go on the attack in most situations. Her vows prevented her from taking proactive action to directly increase the strength of the Alliance, meaning she would have to train other people to be combatants if Vahn wanted to have 'Knights' that served the purpose of attacking. However, if it came to protecting his life from enemies, Jeanne was one of the staunchest protectors he could ask for, second only to Terra herself...
When it came to how Jeanne got along with Terra, the two actually became quick companions since Jeanne's Pure Light Elemental affinity was extremely pleasant to Terra. Vahn had expected her to be a little 'jealous' of the fact that Jeanne wanted to serve as his protector but, as Terra was truly a [Pacifist] by nature, she was happy to have someone capable to stand at her Master's side. She was usually very busy with protecting the Manor, watching over Spero, and developing her dominion of influence further. Knowing there was another capable protector at her Master's side, especially with potential enemies like Heracles in the world, made Terra strangely fond of Jeanne. It wouldn't be until much later that Vahn realized that Terra accepted Jeanne quickly because the latter wasn't a 'competitor' for her Master's affection...
Other than the matter of Helen and Jeanne, there were three other 'pressing' matters that Vahn had to deal with before he could truly begin to relax. Ioke was currently staying with the Juno Familia, being cared for by the petite, yet motherly, goddess. Her urges to 'slaughter' weren't so extreme that she would indiscriminately start killing people but Vahn still wanted to help find a semi-permanent solution until he could find a way to restrict Divinity without causing a god to have a mental breakdown and die. Currently, he was still considering the idea of developing an underground arena that was connected to the Dungeon so that she would be able to kill monsters whenever her Divinity was acting up. This would serve as an interim solution while his research into Sub-Space orbs and projection magic was still underway...
Ioke wasn't the only goddess that Vahn needed to worry about at the present moment, however, as an extremely troublesome pink-haired goddess had been lingering around the Alliance lately. After the defeat of Rakia's forces, which Vahn still needed to deal with, Aphrodite had decided to enter Orario. She had originally tried to approach the Hearth Manor directly but had quickly been shut down by Hestia, Hephaestus, and Loki. The latter tried to keep her under control by having Freya look after her but, not caring for the authority and influence of the Alliance, Aphrodite had ignored warnings as she went around pestering various gods. Because of this, the Alliance had to take an official stance against her while having the Guild act as an intermediary to put a stop to Aphrodite's actions.
In order to avoid being forced to return to Heaven, Aphrodite had to follow the same rules as every other god within the City. The only reason she had avoided outright being killed by Loki or Freya, other than the fact that she was relatively harmless, was because Aphrodite had a Major Divinity related to Love. Though there were several other gods and goddesses of Love that were associated with the Alliance, Aphrodite was the only one amongst them whose primary Divinity was Love. She was a potential candidate for a spot on the Divine Council and, even though she was a troublesome woman, it wasn't that difficult to control her actions...
Aphrodite was the type of goddess who was exceptionally lazy, expecting other people to pamper and care for her while she just indulges in their affection and adulation. Even when Rakia's forces were making their way through the Southern Sands, she had been carried in a palanquin that had a regulated temperature on the inside. Most of her time was spent lounging about, sleeping, or being made love to. Aphrodite rarely took a more proactive role in her relationships, choosing to let the other party pamper her excessively. Surprisingly, she wasn't actually that spoiled and instead had a very gentle and amorous personality. Her nature was the result of the fact that she had simply 'always' been treated a certain way, as people were almost compelled to love and care for her...
Vahn knew that he would have to deal with Aphrodite at some point, even if it was only to have her become a part of the Divine Council in the future. Fortunately, though she was interested in him, Aphrodite was one of the few goddesses who didn't want to have a child. She was content being pampered herself and never thought about having to take care of others. With her licentious and 'open' nature, Vahn knew she wasn't really suited to be a mother either, especially with Divinities related to Sex, Passion, and Sensual Pleasure. It was to the extent that, even though she also had a lesser Divinity related to Fertility, Aphrodite had never born a child since she often 'overindulged' in her other Divinities, keeping them sated...
The most pressing matter Vahn needed to deal with, other than the dismantling and destruction of the Rakia Kingdom, were the 303 Valkyries that were residing in Freya's Manor. Even the weakest member amongst their forces was Level 5, making them an exceptional force that could even contend against the might of the Alliance, at least for a short while. Vahn had some expectations about what they wanted to talk about and had discussed the matter with Hestia, Hephaestus, Loki, Anubis, Artemis, and Freya herself. As was often the case, they left the final decision to him thus, with Jeanne and Fenrir at his sides, Vahn made his way to the Southern Manor. There, likely waiting for his arrival for the last week, Vahn found three inordinately beautiful Valkyrie. Each possessed cold and stoic dispositions that did nothing to mar their beauty, instead, enhancing it to a degree that some mortal men might die with a smile, even as the Valkyrie's blades pierced their hearts...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Helen, at home amongst monsters...? xD','Holy snazzballs, Jeanne, you need to calm down with those stats (O o O)...','Aphrodite is a true wastrel~!')
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