Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-589

With Vahn’s ’reminder’, Riveria suddenly realized she had overlooked a very important factor and turned her eyes toward her robe and pants that were neatly folded away at the side. Vahn also followed her gaze out of curiosity and immediately understood her plight, throwing away the small green bikini into his inventory so as not to upset her. Riveria really did need to make sure to air out her tattoo properly so that there wouldn’t be any issues, but this also meant she didn’t really have any proper clothes to wear for such a purpose. Even her pants, they were the type that sat high on the waist and would easily cover more than 3/4 the tattoo...

Riveria realized how ’revealing’ the clothing she would need to wear would be and became somewhat pale because the ’core’ of the formation was located at a very delicate spot. There were few clothing articles, except for some skin-tight garments, that could cover such an area without potentially leading to an ’accident’ if she moved around quickly. The only ’practical’ clothing seemed to be small underwear or the almost ’nonexistent’ swimsuit Vahn had produced earlier, something Riveria couldn’t see herself wearing in front of other people.

Vahn was thinking a bit more clearly than Riveria at this point and quickly explained, "If you wear a loose dress and avoid going fighting for a few days, that should be enough time for the formation to set properly. You should consider wearing waterproof undergarments underneath it, as soaking in the wellspring when everyone else is away will speed up the process greatly..." Though it would be better to expose it to the sun, it wasn’t really that important and Riveria just needed to avoid damaging the area by covering it with tight clothing. Since she would have to remove the dress to soak her body, that would be a good opportunity to get some sun exposure and would likely help nourish the formation very quickly, especially if Terra assisted her.

Realizing Vahn’s words were a ’reasonable’ solution, Riveria released a sigh of relief before asking, "Can you create a dress for me...and I’ll need a swimsuit, as I don’t currently own any..." Since he wanted to make sure she had something practical for potential emergencies, Vahn relied on his gacha system once again and input the variables ’elegant’, ’loose-fitting’, and ’gown’. Gowns were typically the more formal version of dresses, so Vahn believed it would be more suitable for a mature and intelligent beauty like Riveria. One of the ’dresses’ he had gotten in the past would have made Hestia blush with how revealing it was, so Vahn wanted to avoid that situation.

Seeing two green orbs pop out from the gacha, Vahn had a big smile on his face that startled Riveria slightly since his reaction was a little strange to her. Vahn explained after releasing a low chuckle, "Sorry, the process of creation isn’t as simple as you expect and it is based a lot on imaging and other variables that are somewhat difficult to explain. I was thinking of an elegant, loose-fitting, gown for you to wear and wanted to make sure it was something practical in the event of an emergency. Seeing no falsity in Vahn’s words, even though there was a strange incongruity to them, Riveria nodded her head until Vahn pulled out a beautiful blue gown and a strange golden belt. She couldn’t understand why, but Riveria’s eyes were drawn to the belt and there was a strange ’longing’ sensation in her heart that made it hard to look away...

Vahn felt like he had been very lucky on this gacha pull, especially when he had seen the vibrant blue gown that had appeared from the first green orb. It was at the A-Rank as far as parameters were concerned and was called [Luck Be a Lady] within the system interface. It looked very much like a gown that would be worn at a ball, having a double layers dress with several layers of frills near the base. Around the waist, there was an ornate golden belt and sash while the top section of the gown was very loose, exposing the back and having a very deep v-shape with a clasp that looked like it would sit underneath the cleavage. Riveria definitely couldn’t ’fill-out’ the dress properly, but Vahn felt like the deep v was very suitable for her since her fair complexion was very pleasant to the eyes. To complete the outfit, which surprised Vahn a little, it had some kind of ornate light-blue shawl that also had golden motifs and was quite beautiful to observe...

[Luck Be a Lady]

Rank: A (Magic)

P.Def: 777

M.Def: 777

Abilities: Lady Luck’s Smile(A), Fortune’s Favor, Agility Enhancement(C), Abnormal Status Immunity(C)

An elegant dress which had been worn by a fearless skyfaring knight who became notorious in various casinos and establishments with her near-perfect win rate. Some speculate that the dealers had simply been drawn to the exposed areas of her body, but the truth of the matter was that the woman was simply inordinately blessed by the favor of both Luck and Fortune. Wearing this dress is said to give the bearer a portion of the skyfarer’s luck while also increasing the opportunities to experience great fortune in their lives.

Though he was very fond of the first gown, especially after seeing its abilities and description, Vahn turned his attention to the second orb and found a gown that he was almost certain Riveria would choose. It was a gentle green in color with golden accents that looked like it had been tailor-made for an Elven beauty. There was a golden laurel belt around the waist with a deep split near the h.i.p.s, showing a white gown beneath the green and accenting the overall appeal. While it was strapless, meaning it would have to hug Riveria’s chest for support, it had a large green hooded mantle that Riveria would be able to wear to protect her shoulders. Vahn was a little sad because he felt like the first dress was simply too good to pass up even if the aesthetics didn’t match perfectly...

[Elven Queen’s Gown]

Rank: A (Magic)

P.Def: 10

M.Def: 1500

Abilities: Elven Queen’s Aura(A), Forestwalk(B), Magical Amplification(B)

A gown created for the Queen of the Elves by the King of Spirits in a foreign record. As the first generation Queen, this dress was imbued with powerful enchantments that would give her freedom to move through any forested terrain unrestricted while also bolstering the strength of her people. It is said that the Queen, wearing this dress, had led her people to expand their home forests until they had reached all coasts of their native continent.

Restrictions: Elves of Royal Blood, Soulbound(unbound)

Vahn had originally thought it was a ’waste’ to set aside the [Luck Be a Lady] at first, but his mind had changed very quickly after reading the actual description of the [Elven Queen’s Gown]. It was almost ’perfect’ for the current situation since the thin and loose fabric wouldn’t be too restrictive, allowing Riveria’s tattoo to set properly. Since it also had the very useful ’Soulbound’ property, Vahn knew it was far more suitable for Riveria than the elegant blue dress in his right arm She would be able to wear and remove it very quickly, meaning she could soak her body whenever she chose and then wear the gown moments later if it was necessary.

Riveria had noticed the various changes in Vahn’s expression but her eyes were still drawn to the dress in his left arm, almost like it was calling to her. She had never felt this kind of feeling before and didn’t understand until Vahn sighed and explained, "This laurel belt will allow you to materialize a gown at will, much like how Terra is able to call out her robe in an instant. It’s called the [Elven Queen’s Gown], and I believe it is the most suitable gown for the current situation...it allows you to strengthen other Elves that are loyal to you and has a strange ability called Forestwalk that I’ve never seen before. You’ll have to test it out in the illusory forest out back if you want to discover its secrets..."

Hearing Vahn’s explanation, Riveria understood why she felt the ’longing’ sensation now because she knew some of the objects created by Vahn were very ’unique’. Even goddesses like Hephaestus couldn’t see through all of their properties and the only person that knew about ’how’ the items were named and created was Vahn himself. If the gown was truly called [Elven Queen’s Gown], Riveria felt as if that is exactly what it was, making her feel a bit of excitement and nervousness at the same time. As if he had understood her inner turmoil, Vahn smiled and said, "Riveria, our child will become the heir to the throne, so it wouldn’t be wrong to consider yourself a ’Queen-Mother’ at the very least..." Though he said it in a somewhat playful manner, there was a very serious look in Vahn’s eyes as he passed over the laurel to Riveria, who seemed to have forgotten she was just standing there in a bra and panty.

Riveria accepted the laurel belt before asking hesitantly, "What about the other gown...I feel like you were very fond of it...?" Vahn had already stowed it away inside his inventory at this point but still explained, "It’s called [Luck Be a Lady] and has the ability to enhance the luck and fortune of the wearer, two unique properties I became very interested in since I hadn’t expected them to appear. Don’t worry, I believe that belt is far more suitable and it was just my personal interest in the [Luck Be a Lady] that you picked up on..." Though it wasn’t ’entirely’ true, Vahn was being honest since it was the abilities and description that originally caught his eye. Knowing such properties existed expanded his own knowledge of forging even further, meaning he could theoretically replicate the gown’s functions in the future.

Deciding not to press Vahn for more information, as she had once again become aware of her nearly-n.a.k.e.d state, Riveria affixed the laurel belt to her waist, surprised at how ’perfectly’ it fit her. Before she was able to inquire about it, however, Riveria felt strange energy spread through her body followed by an instinctual understanding of how to use the item. It almost felt like she had just taken a vow, making the laurel belt link itself together with her soul. Unlike a vow, however, Riveria felt very comfortable with the energy of the belt and closed her eyes as wisps of green appeared around her body as the loose gown flowed down in an instant.

Vahn’s smile increased a great deal and he couldn’t stop himself from saying, "You look incredible..." while putting up a standing mirror for Riveria’s use. She had been very surprised by the fact the ’gown’ included gloves, boots, and even a large hooded mantle, but the appearance of the gown was what caught her attention. Riveria felt like it was a dress that had been made solely for her own use as the colors matched well with her hair and eyes. Even the bust area, which would have been her largest concern previously, made Riveria’s mouth curl up at the ends because it pushed up her b.r.e.a.s.ts snugly and made them look larger. It was very embarrassing to have part of her cleavage exposed, but having cleavage at all made Riveria feel strangely happy. In the past, she had wrapped them tightly to appear more masculine, but she had come to regret it later in life after seeing how other females emphasized the significance of b.r.e.a.s.t size...

Watching Riveria ’admire’ herself in the mirror made Vahn feel very happy but he knew they needed to leave soon since there were less than ten minutes left before the official start of dinner. Breaking her from the reverie Riveria found herself in, Vahn said in a calm tone, "You will be able to store the gown within the laurel belt so it should make it much easier to soak your body in the wellspring. We need to head off to dinner soon so you should at least wipe down your body before we go..." When she had turned to look at him, Vahn handed Riveria the rather small swimsuit bottoms but made sure the top was ’normal’. To prevent her from getting fl.u.s.tered, he had given her a pareo to cover her butt and legs if she wanted to use it.

Riveria could feel her heartbeat increasing whenever she absentmindedly accepted the swimsuit from Vahn. She was in a very ’delicate’ state of mind right now because she was conscious of almost everything Vahn said and did. Though she hadn’t cared about him seeing her body, or even touching her a bit in the past, the ’context’ behind the actions had changed greatly and Riveria was very fl.u.s.tered thinking about how she ’needed’ to behave. After ’mulling’ over her thoughts very quickly, Riveria took a deep breath and removed the gown, marveling at how the only thing she felt was a gentle breeze before the several layers of fabric simply ceased to exist. She saw Vahn’s eyes widen slightly as his pupils dilated in admiration, making her feel even more fl.u.s.tered but also proud at the same time.

During the brief moment when she had been thinking over the matter, Riveria decided she ’needed’ to let Vahn have a few liberties on occasion since he did so much for her. They were already engaged and it was important they shared a few affectionate, or even intimate, moments if they wanted to bring their hearts closer together. Though she was afraid of what ’love’ might do to her, Riveria knew it was very important to let it happen and decided to take Vahn’s ’advice’ and simply go with the flow. She knew he was a sensible boy and he had already promised not to do things that would embarrass her around other people...after having entrusting her body to him during the inscription process, Riveria felt a great deal of trust for Vahn.

Having found her ’resolve’, Riveria turned her jade eyes and looked into Vahn’s deep aquamarine ones before saying, "Help me wipe down my body...please...?" Deciding it would be better to ’ask’ instead of ’telling’ him what to do, Riveria had changed her words and put a bit of an awkward inflection at the end. Vahn immediately took a deep breath and the smile on his face increased before it softened greatly upon his exhale and he said, "It would be my honor to tend to my Wife’s body..." while pulling out a towel and a small basin of warm water. Riveria bobbed her head and instinctively took a step back before ’quickly’ stripping away her bra and panties. They were made of very elastic fabric and her bra itself didn’t even have a clasp on the back since Riveria wasn’t fond of how the straps bit into her shoulders and left red marks.

Vahn hadn’t expected Riveria to suddenly strip down but he didn’t allow the sudden change to deter him and simply dipped the towel into a bucket and set about his ’duty’. Riveria was obviously pushing herself a bit and Vahn wanted her to be able to trust he would always be attentive to her state of mind and the situations they were in. If he could make her comfortable at times like this, she would open herself up more to him when they had more ’time’ in the future. Right now, they needed to head to the dining room so they wouldn’t be tardy, meaning he didn’t really have time to tease her...even if he wanted to.

Since he had washed the bodies of girls hundreds of times at this point, Vahn very skillfully handled Riveria’s body and she began to calm down after realizing he wasn’t doing anything strange. He had even tried to hand her a second towel so she could take care of the delicate areas herself, something Riveria had thought to decline before eventually accepting it with a bit of shame and guilt. She wasn’t quite ready for that level of intimacy, at least right now, so her rationale caused her to accept the towel even though she felt like she ’needed’ to let Vahn take care of her. He didn’t seem to mind it at all, however, making Riveria feel both relieved and strangely melancholic at the same time...

In the past, Riveria’s aura was usually much more stable than most girls so Vahn was surprised to see all the subtle changes in it over the last few hours. It was very obvious to him that she was trying to force herself to open up more, something he was very grateful for even though he would probably have to be the one to push things forward. Even if she became marginally more receptive, that was a huge step forward for Riveria since she didn’t really allow him to gain any advantages in the past except in specific circ.u.mstances. The only times they had affectionate moments were when they made their original promise and during the incident with Alosrin in the past. This showed that Riveria was more conscious of how she ’should’ act around him, though that seemed to be changing every so slightly as her heart opened up to him.

After having wiped down Riveria’s entire body, including her long and thin legs, her delicate feet and toes, and even the tips of her fingers, Vahn had just about finished up. Riveria had dabbed around the areas of her chest, abdomen, and genitals, surprisingly leaving her butt for Vahn to ’care’ for, though he didn’t exploit the opportunity. The one thing he did take advantage of, which had made Riveria turn scarlet, was using a thin and delicate cloth to wipe at Riveria’s long High Elf ears. It was arguably more intimate than even touching her b.r.e.a.s.ts, but Riveria allowed him to do so even if it made her ’suffer’ a little. To wrap things up, Vahn tilted Riveria’s flushed face toward him when she was a bit absentminded and ’reminded’, "Riveria, I love you..." as he sealed her lips with his own. Since she had let him touch her ears, which was something only acceptable between lovers, Riveria had no ’grounds’ to refuse his kiss and just shivered slightly before he released her a few seconds later with a loving smile on his face...

Instead of wearing a normal panty and bra, Riveria accepted the green bikini bottoms from Vahn and wore them, even though it was very embarrassing when she saw her appearance in the mirror. He had given her a pareo, which she had originally appreciated before realizing she couldn’t really carry around with her at all times and likely would never be able to make use of it unless she did so. The pareo wouldn’t be able to fit under her gown without causing discomfort so Riveria simply set it to the side before wearing the form-fitting top that covered a bit more skin than she expected. She had anticipated that Vahn might give her something similar to the bottoms so Riveria released a small sigh of relief after realizing this wasn’t the case. As for Vahn, he noticed Riveria’s reaction and felt like he had missed a great opportunity since it seemed like Riveria would have been fine with the original top...

After wearing the swimsuit and looking over her body one last time, Riveria focused her intent on the golden laurel belt and felt the breeze-like feeling cover her body as the [Elven Queen’s Gown] came into existence. She was very fond of the dress and spent almost the entire duration remaining simply staring at herself before realizing something very important. Vahn would have obviously used up a lot of his stored energy reserves to create such a high-quality gown for her and she hadn’t thanked him for it at all. Riveria was beginning to realize her feelings towards Vahn almost always made her feel a little guilty because it was still as if he was doing everything for ’them’. After releasing a sad sigh, Riveria turned to Vahn and saw his confused and concerned look before he returned a gentle smile to her. This made Riveria’s heart ache a little so she walked toward him, even though every step felt somewhat heavier than the previous.

Vahn had seen Riveria’s melancholy and was a little worried about her at first but that had quickly vanished when she began walking toward him. He noticed that her aura was becoming increasingly chaotic but there was a fair amount of pink dancing around with the sunny yellows and muted purples. The pink seemed to be winning the war of colors and Riveria eventually stepped right up to him before placing her right hand against his chest and her left hand against his cheek with slightly shaky fingers. Vahn felt a powerful anticipation well up inside of him as his smile progressively grew in size while Riveria’s face became increasingly red. She looked up at him with her jade-green eyes and said, "Thank you for the dress, Vahn...I...I...l l-love you too..." before quickly ’stealing’ a kiss from him by pressing her lips against his in a very awkward manner. Riveria felt very embarrassed by how awkward she had made things since her own teeth felt a bit sore from the ’impact’ and she turned away before walking hastily toward the door. Just as she was about to cross over the threshold, Riveria turned back with a red face and said, "We need to explain our marriage at dinner..." before turning away and ’fleeing’ the salon. Vahn was a bit stunned, not because of Riveria’s words, but because he had sent another girl ’running away’ from his salon...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Oversights’,’Two Epic Gowns’,’Doki Doki Riveria-chan’)