Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1874

Emerging from his Internal World, Vahn 'awoke' to find himself lounging lazily on the incline of a grass-covered hill. The first thing he noticed was the 'sun' shining brightly overhead, its gentle rays warming his bodies along with the numerous figures that surrounded him.

Though he was somewhat reluctant to do so, Vahn ceased reclining against Fenrir's perpetually cool and comfortable fur, inhaling a deep breath that ultimately transitioned into a yawn. This resulted in a number of other yawns emanating from his surroundings, the result of everyone gradually waking up in response to his stirring.

Amused by the chain-reaction, a lazy smile spread across Vahn's face as he hugged the half-asleep beauty in his arms, surprising her as he whispered, "Your drowsy expression is adorable..." before stealing her lips. This caused the woman, Atalanta, to startle awake, eyes widening as she moved to push powerlessly against his shoulders. At the same time, she also attempted to lean away from his lips, but, due to his paradoxically gentle yet unbreakable hold, she didn't get very far.

Realizing there was no escape, Atalanta did her best to bury her embarrassment, reciprocating his kiss despite her face turning red as an apple. Her tail also began to twitch slightly, but, knowing he shouldn't push her too far, Vahn ran his hand down the line of her back, relaxing her tensions with a single caress before retracting his lips and adding, "Sorry if I embarrassed you..." in a soothing tone.

Recovering from her momentary daze, Atalanta adopted a slight pout, puffing out her cheeks for a brief moment before concealing her face against his chest. She had never become accustomed to public displays of affection, so, with so many people present, it wasn't too surprising that she would feel a little embarrassed. Vahn was well aware of this, but, hearing her issue an adorable 'funyaaaa~' while 'pawing' at her fringe with the back of her hand, he simply couldn't help himself...

After an impromptu petting party, Vahn, accompanied by a veritable army of 'fluff', made his way over to the canteen to enjoy a meal. There, more than half of the Emerald Grove's residents were idling about, smiles on their faces as they enjoyed delicious food and good company. At a glance, the interior resembled a lively tavern, or, more specifically, the interior of a Magic Guild commonly found in Fairy Tail.

Completing the 'illusion', Lisanna, wearing a filly outfit reminiscent of a waitress, quickly intercepted the newly arrived group, an impish smile developing across her face as she asked, "Would you like to order something? Just so you know, today's 'special' is Dragon Tail Steak~."

With Lisanna tacking a wink on to the end of her statement, Vahn could easily guess what made the Dragon Tail Steak special. This caused a dry laugh to emanate from his throat as several of the girls around him, unable to restrain themselves, swallowed hungrily...

Electing to have his meal decided for him, Vahn left the girls to their own orders as he made his way over to a table occupied by Mavis, Index, and Mikoto. His approach caused smiles to spread across the faces of the first two girls, an amusing sight considering both had 'chipmunk cheeks' filled with food. As for Mikoto, her face became noticeably red, and, though they had never done anything to be embarrassed about, she couldn't help but avert her eyes as she shrank further into her seat.

Feeling a little awkward, Vahn fought the urge to rub the back of his head as he sat down next to Mavis, the furthest seat from Mikoto. Based on the way she was acting, he could assume she had recently done something perverted. This was actually pretty common when it came to the bashful Electromaster, so, whenever she became like this, Vahn did his best to give her space without overly avoiding her...

As that thought crossed his mind, realization donned upon Vahn as he saw what, exactly, Mikoto was eating. She noticed this subtle change in his expression, and, as could be expected, her face became even redder as she hung her head and mumbled, "I was curious..." in a meek tone.

Though the ingredients produced from his body weren't particularly different from the minerals and ore he used to generate, only the boldest among the Emerald Grove's residents would eat the food cooked using ingredients harvested from his body. Generally speaking, the primary culprits were his wives, the more instinct-driven women among his harem, and, to a lesser extent, those who wanted to experience the 'intimacy' of consuming a dish that, quite literally, contained a piece of him...

Unsure of what to say, Vahn defaulted to a relaxed smile, trusting that someone else would speak up before things became too awkward. Fortunately, Mavis was 'extremely' perceptive when it came to things like reading people and understanding social cues. As a result, she quickly gulped down a mouthful of food before chasing it with strong and fragrant grape wine. Then, with a radiant smile on her face, she happily chimed, "You have nothing to feel ashamed of, Mikoto-chan! I won't argue that it isn't a little strange, but Vahn is super delicious, you know? Besides, I can't imagine you ever leaving the Emerald Grove to wander around without Vahn. Why not just embrace your identity as a Pokemon and enjoy the unique opportunities available to you?"

Seemingly inspired by her own advice, Mavis scooched over, a contented smile on her face as she sat in Vahn's lap and added, "Pamper me~." in a lackadaisical tone. This left the latter feeling a little helpless, but, rather than ask her to sit in her own seat, Vahn just lightly chuckled before moving his hands up to massage Mavis' head and shoulders. In response, the wing-like ornaments on the sides of her head began to gleefully waggle, her exposed feet dangling playfully beneath the table as she resumed eating.

Though her face was still noticeably red, Mikoto's embarrassed expression gradually morphed into an accusatory deadpan as she witnessed Mavis' shamelessness. At the same time, however, she also seriously considered the mischievous Fairy's words, wondering if she should just 'give up' on trying to live a 'normal' life. She was, after all, a god-tier Pokemon, and, if she pushed herself, reaching Tier 5 should only take a few years within the Little Garden...

Imagining herself as a Tier 5 Pikachu, Mikoto couldn't help but lament Vahn's decision to assign her the identity of an electrical mouse. She understood he had done so because he thought it was cute, but, unless she went out of her way to change, she was now stuck looking like an adorable mouse with a heart-shaped tail for the rest of her life. The problem with this was that she actually felt most comfortable as her Pikachu self, and, though she would never admit it, being small was surprisingly convenient...

Before she realized it, Mikoto's eyes were fixed on Vahn's hands, her brows furrowing slightly as a few vibrant blue sparks of electricity emanated from the ahoge atop her head. This drew the eyes of everyone at the table, instantaneously returning the blush to her cheeks. To make matters infinitely worse, her stomach released a not-so-subtle grumble due to the heavenly aroma of food wafting from the table in front of her...

Just as Mikoto felt like her brain was going to short circuit, a jolt ran through her body as Vahn, having returned Mavis to her seat before vacating his own, sat down next to her. Then, before she could find the words to explain herself, her mind blanked as Vahn deftly cut a piece of the Dragon Tail Steak and raised it to her partially opened mouth, smiling as he said, "Eat..." in a calming tone.

Though he hadn't made use of the Law of Authority, Mikoto's body moved, seemingly by instinct, to taste the unbelievably fragrant morsel that had been proferred to her lips. The taste caused a powerful shiver to run through her body, and, if not for Vahn erecting a soundproof barrier, the entire hall would have been able to hear the sonorous, high-pitched, sound emanating from her throat and nose.

As the intoxicating juices spread across her tongue, Mikoto felt as though the inside of her brain and body were beginning to melt, waves of flavor and pleasure gently washing over her like the continuous caress of the sea against a pristine white beach in Summer. She could feel a warmth pervade her entire body, and, for a brief moment, she was gripped by the illusion that she was at the beach, preparing to sunbathe as Vahn applied a generous layer of sunscreen over the entirety of her naked body...

Back in 'reality', a dazed expression had replaced the usual clarity in Mikoto's eyes as she leaned against Vahn's body for support. This earned her a few curious gazes from other diners, but, as it was actually quite common for such scenes to occur when trying one of Rindo's new dishes, most just giggled to themselves while others lightly chided Vahn, warning him not to take things too far.

Since he was just feeding her, Vahn made a show of dramatically rolling his eyes in response to the teasing remarks as he picked up another piece of meat and held it near Mikoto's lips. This had an effect similar to smelling salts, clarity returning to her eyes as she stared somewhat trepidatiously at the proferred piece of meat. Then, with a blush extending into her ears, she leaned a little closer to Vahn, meekly accepting the offering as the ahoge atop her head twitched vigorously...

Though it felt like a considerable amount of time had passed, less than six hours had passed by the time Vahn and Co emerged from the Little Garden. This was a little jarring for the former members of Team Fug, but, like most Regulars, they quickly adapted, accepting the reality without bothering to question the mechanics behind the time dilation.

With everyone waiting for him to speak up, Vahn adopted his usual smile as he said, "Just as before, Ryun will act as a Guide while Yura coordinates everyone through her Lighthouse. Since Vicente and David have fused together, there aren't really any changes to consider. Just follow orders and fulfill the responsibilities expected of your Position. So long as everyone works together, we'll be able to track down Albelda within ten days. After that, you'll be free to relax until we reach the next station. From there, you can pretty much do whatever you want. I'm not going to tell you how to live your lives, and, so long as you don't default into becoming monsters, you'll never have to worry about me tracking you down..."

Noticing Daniel raise his hand, Vahn's smile took on an undertone of amusement as he allowed his words to trail for a brief moment before adding, "I have already promised your former companions that I would resurrect Ms. Yuia. If you would like to accompany us until then, you are welcome to do so. That applies to you as well, Ms. Yura. I understand you have some business on the Hidden Floor. So long as you don't try anything 'shady', you are welcome to accompany us until we reach the End Station."

Though they couldn't help but pale slightly, neither Daniel nor Yura was surprised by Vahn's ability to ascertain their intentions. The latter even suspected he knew exactly why she 'needed' to venture to the Hidden Floor, and, depending on how she played her cards until then, there was a chance he might even help her. She had gradually come to recognize that Vahn's group were the 'good guys', so, with his purported power to resurrect the dead, there was a chance he might be able to save her twin brother as well. This was something she was willing to gamble her life on, so, in response to his words, she forced herself to swallow dryly before muttering, "Thank you..." in a sincere yet uncertain tone...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is a bully (O w O)...','Om nom nom~','Do your best and trust in the Sage Dragon Emperor! So long as you work hard, all your dreams are certain to come true! -excerpt from Fenrir's 'How to be a Good Girl' handbook.')