Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-744

After spending time with Alexa, and extricating himself from Terra’s clutches, Vahn left the Garden with a peaceful smile on his face. The time for his rendezvous with Eirene was fast approaching and, though he still had a bit of time, Vahn made an exception and headed over to the Guest Residence early. After all, Eirene wasn’t simply a ’guest’, but a close ally, a good friend, and one of the goddesses he truly believed to be a capable mother for his children.

Though she hadn’t made any personal vows binding them together, Eirene had actually been the one to propose swearing off other men, even before Lok mentioned it. After all, she figured that, if she were going to have a child with a man, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to have other relationsh.i.p.s. As a goddess of Peace, Order, and Longevity, this simply made sense to her. This, combined with the good impression he had of her character, made Vahn have a special place in his heart for the stoic and noble goddess.

As he approached the Guest Residence, thinking about Eirene, Vahn was somewhat surprised to actually discover there were two presences already waiting within. Even without investigating more closely, Vahn immediately understood who the large auras belonged to. Thus, when he saw Loki and Eirene sitting next to each other, sampling a ruby red wine, Vahn wasn’t even remotely surprised. Instead, he put on a polite and casual smile as he said, "I didn’t expect you to arrive so early, Eirene. I actually wanted to be here to greet you, but it seems I had kept you waiting..."

Eirene smiled radiantly when she heard Vahn’s words while Loki’s reaction was less inhibited, turning into a cackling laugh as she said, "Looks like I win our little bet, Eirene~!" Hearing her fellow goddess’ words, Eirene laughed lightly before asking in an inquisitive tone, "And you’re saying you didn’t inform him of my arrival, dear Loki~?" Loki just waved her hand dismissively and said, "Bah! Even though I might have the means, you were here the entire time with me. Besides, I’m completely confident in my understanding of Vahn, so that kind of thing is entirely unnecessary, kukukuku~"

Walking over to the two goddesses, Vahn asked, "And, what exactly did the two of you bet on?" Eirene, after watching Loki closely for any sign of her usual trickery, turned her attention to Vahn, smiling as she said, "Though it is somewhat embarrassing to admit, I was a little too excited about today and decided to arrive early. Loki brought me over to the Guest Residence to keep me company and, after sharing a few drinks, we made a bet saying if you would show up early, on time, or late. My guess was that you would show up punctually, while Loki said you would likely be here upwards of an hour early..."

Though she was saying it in a somewhat plain manner, Vahn knew Eirene was happy that he had shown up early, as her Affection, which had been fluctuating stably around 97-99, finally jumped up to 100, even though the bracket parameter actually showed (Faithful), instead of (Love). At the same time, accompanying that preliminary notification, Vahn received several other notifications within his mind, including the completion of Eirene’s [The Hearts Desire] Quest. Vahn, using his sub-process mind, began perusing the notifications while sitting between the two goddesses and joining them for a drink.

//Eirene Has Reached Maximum Affection//

//Quest Completed: [The Hearts Desire:C-SS]//

Completion Grade: S

Rewards: 10,000OP, 1x[Heart’s Desire: Eirene]

Grade Rewards: 100,000OP, [Command Howl:B] Skill Received,1x[Rallying Gong]

[Rallying Gong]

Rank: Unique

Use: A small golden gong that, once wrung, can be heard clear across even the most chaotic battlefields. Any allies that hear the sound of this gong have their parameters enhanced by 50%, decaying 1% every minute before returning to normal.

Vahn was surprised by the functionality of the [Rallying Gong], as it could actually turn the tide of large fights very easily. He then considered if he should use Eirene’s [Heart’s Desire] but, after considering his past experience with such things, Vahn decided to let it sit in his Inventory. Currently, he had the unused [Heart’s Desire]s of Riveria, Lefiya, Freya, Shizune, and Eirene.

Ever since Riveria had shown how uncomfortable she was with the idea of him peering into her past, even though he was certain she would be okay with it now, Vahn had decided to not use them. He was very comfortable with his relationsh.i.p.s at present and, unlike in the past, Vahn felt that it was unnecessary to rely on them, even for information. Though this could change during an emergency, that was something worth thinking about then and there, not something to harp over in the present. For the time being, the only thing that really mattered was the two goddesses sitting at his sides, especially the clearly nervous goddess sitting at his right.

Eirene, while making small talk, kept sending him ’longing’ looks periodically while her aura had started clinging to him the moment he sat down. The fact that he had been able to get her Affection to 100 showed that she had already clearly found her resolve. By the time this day came to an end, she would be inextricably bound to him and, for the first time in her long life, she would get to experience the joys of what it was to be a mother, even if only ’expecting’. Though the pregnancy would undoubtedly interfere with her duties around the City, Eirene was anxiously anticipating being a mother, especially to one of the adorable little children Vahn had produced with other goddesses...

Completely aware of what her fellow goddess was thinking, Loki ended up excusing herself after sticking around until the time the two had set aside to do the deed. Unlike what happened with Freya, Loki didn’t feel the need to stick around and bother Eirene, especially since the latter goddess wouldn’t have appreciated it very much.

Being the highly sensible goddess she was, Eirene hadn’t been as experimental as many of her fellow gods, to the point where she had never even done anything other than basic missionary. Some of her former lovers had tried to convince her to do other things but, before she was willing to do so, she required that they become reputed Heroes that were recognized by society first. Since nobody had ever met her expectations, Eirene had only maintained very basic relationsh.i.p.s in the past, with Vahn being the first ’serious’ commitment she ever had. After all, he was already a Hero that was recognized by the people and, even though he did some things she didn’t agree with, her own life wasn’t free of such blemishes.

Sometimes, the situation called for extreme measures and, in the face of evil, it was often ’necessary’ for those with righteous hearts to descend amongst the shadows, at least for a short while. One of the things that made someone a true hero was, even after they stepped into the darkness, they were able to emerge without it affecting their heart and mind. Many people, once tainted, would slowly become corrupted by the darkness they had experienced. Vahn, however, always bounced back from such things and, it was for reasons like this, Eirene had a very deep affection for the rather young hero. If it was him, she had already decided to do her best and, even if just the thought of such things weighed heavily on her heart, Eirene resolved herself to do her best to satisfy her young lover, the hero in her heart, and the man who would sire her child...

The moment Loki left the Guest Residence, the atmosphere inside the room grew tense and awkward, with silence reigning for several long seconds. It wasn’t until Vahn released a lighthearted laugh that the tension was broken, even though Eirene was confused by his sudden shift in behavior. To answer her confused expression, Vahn smiled in the most gentle manner he could manage, softly saying, "Because our relationship is a little unique, it makes sense that things would be a little awkward at first. However, I wouldn’t have shown up so early if I wasn’t fond of you, Eirene. Not only are you very beautiful, especially with your gentle blue hair and eyes, but your character is exceptional. I wholeheartedly believe you will make a fine mother and it is my honor to be the man who will father what I believe will be an amazing child..."

Once again, silence dominated the room while Eirene looked at Vahn’s smiling face with a blank expression on her own. This time, however, the silence didn’t persist for very long as Eirene suddenly released a peal of soft laughter to accompany Vahn’s own. Since he had made such a ’confession’, Eirene felt compelled to do the same, thus, after forming her thoughts into a cohesive structure, she matched his gaze and said, "For longer than I’d like to admit, I’ve always been looking for a man to share my life with. I know it was a little unfair to them, but I’ve always had a great deal of respect for the Heroes that would pop up every now and then. I have a tendency to push the people I’m involved with to become Heroes themselves, thus, I’m very grateful to have met you, Vahn. Your words, the kindness you have shown me, I will do my best to repay it in full...even if..."

Vahn blinked, confused by Eirene’s sudden trailing of her words until she leaned in close, gesturing for him to lean down so she could whisper in his ear. What he heard from her was completely outside his expectations, causing Vahn’s mind to blank for a moment while Eirene bashfully lowered her head. She knew Vahn managed many women, even to the point he could get advantages against Loki and Freya, but she didn’t know what his ’preferences’ were. After thinking of the most ’shameless’ thing she could imagine, Eirene had whispered into his ear, "I don’t mind, even if you want to do it from behind..."

From how she had treated the matter, Vahn wasn’t sure exactly what Eirene meant from ’behind’, meaning he wasn’t sure if she meant to do it the ’normal’ way, or in the more ’deviant’ manner. Since she had a very docile appearance, and wasn’t supposed to be that experienced, it was impossible for Vahn to decipher her meaning. He also didn’t want to force her to clarify, as it would only make things difficult for them both if he pressed her on the issue. For now, he just placed his hand on her shoulder, drawing her gaze back toward him as he smiled and said, "Don’t worry, Eirene, I’m not going to press you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. For now, I’m happy just knowing I get to be with an amazing goddess like you...we can try other things later, there is no rush..."

Eirene released a sigh of profound relief, going so far as to pat her chest in order to quiet the furious beating of her heart. The fact that Vahn had given her ’leniency’, even though she had given him permission to do as he pleased, increased Eirene’s impression of him even more. She could see that his Heroic character was something he possessed, even during moments where most men would show their beastly nature. With a smile on her face, she couldn’t help but mentally remark, ("This is how a True Hero should be, always cognizant of the emotional state of others. I’m glad I was able to meet a boy like him...") While this thought had passed through her mind, Eirene showed a very beautiful smile on her face, almost as if she was feeling incredibly vindicated at this moment.

Vahn wasn’t sure what was going through her mind but he was very aware that Eirene’s impression of him seemed to improve. With a smile of his own, Vahn helped her rise from the sofa and, after linking arms with her, escorted Eirene to the elevator. The fact that she gently rested her head against his shoulder during the short elevator ride made the soft spot in his heart where Eirene had made her home become especially sensitive. He could tell that, though having a bit of experience, Eirene was a very innocent and reserved woman. Though she might very well have the trait of a quiet woman who ’awakened’ in the bedroom, Vahn didn’t think this was the case. After all, all gods had their unique quirks and, even if such principles held true for mortals, it didn’t necessarily apply to the myriad gods that had descended to the Mortal World.

Once they reached the room, Vahn walked Eirene out of the elevator and waited for her to look around with her curious expression for a few moments before she released his arm and, very suddenly, began helping to slowly remove his clothing. Vahn felt surprised but, after considering her nature, Eirene’s behavior made a lot of sense. It was exactly because she was a principled and sensible woman that Eirene had started doing what would have been the ’duty’ of a wife or mistress.

Thus, instead of letting his momentary confusion make things awkward, Vahn worked with Eirene to help her remove his clothing, taking note of the happy and contented expression she had on her face. He noticed that she didn’t actually seem to pay much attention to his figure, which was a little strange, but it was probably just another one of her quirks. Had he seen some of her former partners, Vahn would have known that Eirene almost never took someone’s physical appearance into consideration, always looking at their character alone.

After she had removed all his clothing, Eirene gave a small nod before moving towards the bed and loosening the pale golden sash around her waist. Though she always wore very conservative and simple clothing, Eirene’s figure still stood out regardless of her efforts. When she removed the white clothes, bordered with gentle blue accents, from her body, Vahn couldn’t stop himself from holding his breath for a short moment.

Though she was slightly shorter than Hephaestus and Loki, being only 163cm tall, Eirene’s figure beneath her plain white dress was a shocking sight to behold. She had a shapely hourglass figure and, as her back had been to him, Vahn followed her braided blue hair down the elegant line of her back until his eyes landed on her perfectly rounded and plush buttocks. Beneath those two immaculate shaped butt cheeks, Eirene also had full thighs, appearing soft and pliable at a glance, giving Vahn a slight urge to simply lay his head across her lap and take a nap.

When Eirene turned around, revealing her somewhat shy and demure smile, Vahn’s eyes trailed up her body before fixing themselves to her beautiful blue gems, which seemed to only reflect him at the moment. Of course, his passing glance had been all it took for Vahn to complete his mental image of Eirene, saving it within his mind for all eternity. Like every other goddess, Eirene was completely bare down below and, after passing her almost ’cute’ navel, Vahn had briefly locked eyes on her well-sculpted b.r.e.a.s.ts, seemingly defying gravity as they perfectly held their shape. They were only the lower side of a C-Cup but, even without touching them, Vahn knew they would be incredibly soft...

Not minding Vahn’s gaze at all, Eirene actually felt the way he looked at her was the ’appropriate’ way a man should look at a woman. Too many men had possessive, greedy, and l.u.s.tful looks in their eyes, especially when they saw an attractive woman. Vahn’s gaze, however, showed genuine appreciation and, though she could feel his excitement, there was a certain ’confidence’ that radiated off of Vahn. He didn’t ’need’ to be possessive, greedy, or even l.u.s.tful, as he was already completely confident he would get what he wanted, as he had done what was necessary to obtain it. Eirene felt his gaze was very refreshing and, though she wanted to berate herself for thing such things, she humored thoughts of trying to get him to look at her ’other’ ways in the future. This thought passed very quickly, however, causing a small smile to appear on Eirene’s face as she said, "Please, treat me kindly...Vahn."

(A/N: 13,658/30,000...nearly eight hours in...I don’t think I’m going to survive this challenge xD...)

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Eirene wants one...’,’Vahn doesn’t need any crutches anymore (UwU)’,’Doki Doki, Eirene-sama’)