Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 2014: Value and Misunderstandings

Once Jaina was able to stay conscious for more than a few seconds, Vahn finally got around to the reason for his visit, surprising the pinkette with a blanket, comforter, and pillow as he explained, "I know about your attempts to procure the pillows I gifted away in the lower floors. I would normally chastise you for such behavior, but, since your situation was something that had been inadvertently caused by events I set in motion, please accept these as compensation."

Receiving the three pieces of 'Divine Bedding', any complaints that Jaina might have had regarding Ureko's visit faded away the moment she felt their texture and softness. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced, and, were it not for the fact there were still more than a dozen people in her room, she might have gone to sleep then and there.

Seeing Jaina hugging her pillow as if it were a great treasure, Vahn couldn't help comparing her to the members of the Eurasia Family. She even had their characteristic pink hair, but, a stark contrast to the Mare-descended maidens, Jaina spent so much time awake that it often caused her to have health problems. This had been remedied by the blood infusion she had received after becoming a Princess of Jahad, but, even now, there were dark circles beneath both of her eyes, a tell-tale sign she wasn't getting enough sleep.

Since she probably wouldn't listen if he told her to get more sleep, Vahn figured he might as well ensure that the sleep she was getting was of the highest quality. The Divine Comforter was perfect for this, as, not only did it generate a protective barrier around the user, it increased the 'efficiency' of their sleep by 800%. This meant, even if she was only getting an hour of sleep every other day, it was the same as resting for a full eight hours.

Though there was a chance someone like Jaina would come up with a way to exploit the beddings in the most 'efficient' manner, the comfort they provided made this unlikely. She was far more likely to become accustomed to even longer periods of sleep, as, compared to the 'real world', being able to control and manipulate her dreams at will was a tremendous blessing for someone as infatuated with video games as Jaina was. After all, unless you were proactively involved with it, the real world simply wasn't that interesting...

Wanting to give Jaina the opportunity to try out the surprisingly rare artifacts, Vahn surprised the pinkette quite a bit when he turned to his comrades and suggested, "We should be going. I'm sure our little friend here would like to get back to playing her video games and spying on people using her Opera."

Before anyone else could reply, Jaina, still hugging her freshly gifted beddings, intoned a confused, "Eh?" before immediately following it up by asking, "You're leaving so soon? Didn't you want to ask me something, or, I don't know, invite me to come with you?"

There her social skills were sub-par, Jaina had always had a 'knack' for saying whatever was on her mind. Since there was a very real possibility that Vahn would never return if he just up and left, most of her nervousness had been momentarily suppressed by sincere concern. After all, he basically had the power to turn a person's life into a video game, so, as much as she lamented the idea of leaving her room, she feared 'never' leaving even more. Vahn was essentially a 'super platinum spoon', so, if she passed up on this opportunity, she was sure to regret it.

Raising a single brow in response to the girl's unexpected inquiry, Vahn was about to ask the Law of Identity what the heck she was thinking when Yuri chimed in to teasingly remark, "No way. Without the Opera, you're practically useless. What makes you think Vahn would want to haul around a lazy brat who spends most of her time playing video games? You're better off staying here in your little castle and messing with anyone who comes seeking information."

Puffing out her cheeks, Jaina's purple eyes began to glisten with a hint of moisture as she failed to think of anything that might refute Yuri's claims. After all, Vahn had demonstrated, time and again, that he didn't really need the help of others. He could go wherever he wanted and do whatever he pleased without any real consequences. All she was good at was collecting information, spying on people, and manipulating markets to her advantage. These capabilities were extremely coveted by most people, but, as virtually anyone who had met him could attest, Vahn wasn't anything like most people...

Realizing that she might be 'useless', an extremely sour feeling spread through Jaina's nose as the moisture in her eyes surpassed the threshold to generate tears. This caused the smile on Yuri's face to immediately cramp up, as, despite the content of her statement, it should have been obvious she was just joking. She just wanted to get a rise out of the petite pinkette, not reduce her to tears...

Seeing Yuri look towards him for support, an inaudible sigh escaped Vahn's throat as he shook his head and said, "Yuri's lack of a filter shouldn't come as a surprise. You shouldn't take it personally..."

Shifting her attention to Vahn, a hopeful glimmer appeared in Jaina's eyes as she expected him to say something nice to counteract Yuri's previous remark. Instead, she felt as though the world was crashing down around her as he went on to explain, "Still, there is a grain of truth to her words. You have built your entire life around your ability to use the Opera. It has allowed you to amass enough wealth to rival organizations that have been around for thousands of years, and, more importantly, it has drastically changed the way you view other people. You see them as nothing more than NPCs with rudimentary behavioral patterns that you can easily exploit for your own ends...tell me, if I were to invite you to accompany, what, exactly, would you hope to accomplish...?"

Since she hadn't really thought about it, other than imagining how fun it would be, Jaina's response was to bury her face into the bedding Vahn had gifted her. She found herself incapable of refuting a single thing he had said, so, for the first time in her life, she began to consider whether or not what she had been doing was 'right'. After all, if someone were to observe her with the same scrutiny she observed the lives of countless others, there's no way she wouldn't feel uncomfortable...

Seeing Jaina seriously considering his words, Vahn's impression of the petite pinkette developed in direct proportion to the amount of guilt he felt. She was clearly just a misguided young girl with an inordinate amount of talent for gathering and processing information. It wasn't like she was evil, so, while his words hadn't been wrong, it didn't feel right to chastise her for behaving in a way that was encouraged by virtually everyone around her. Unfortunately, that same logic could apply to people who had committed some of the most heinous crimes imaginable, so, while a part of him wanted to apologize, the experiences he had accumulated over the years compelled him to remain silent.

In the end, it was Blossom who suggested, "I say we let her come along. Even if it's just a temporary arrangement, the ability to operate an Opera makes her invaluable so long as you're still inside the Tower. In fact, unless I've misjudged your ability to 'know everything', her abilities complement your own quite a bit. She also has pink hair, so, even if you don't wish for her to accompany you beyond the Tower, I'm certain she would fit right in with the members of my family~."

With Blossom essentially saying she would take responsibility for Jaina's future, Vahn had no real reason to refuse her. He suspected this would come back to bite him, but, despite Yuri talking them up like they were character flaws, Vahn had always been fond of girls with hikikomori characteristics. He enjoyed pampering his women quite a bit, and, as fate would have it, one of the women closest to his heart just so happened to be among the laziest Goddesses in her Record...

Though it was impossible to compare them directly, especially considering Jaina's productivity, the fact she had even briefly reminded him of Hestia went a long way towards ensuring her a potential position within the Little Garden. The notion that she would get along well with girls such as X and Tomoe also helped her case quite a bit, so, after a very brief period of consideration, Vahn nodded his head and said, "Very well. Though I imagine my earlier words might have given you a reason to reconsider-"

Before Vahn could even get to his apology, Jaina surprised nearly everyone present by practically bouncing to her feet and shouting, "I'll go...!" with an excited smile and an even more enthusiastic glimmer in her eyes. The fear of missing out on her chance a second time allowed her to suppress her negative emotions, so, while some might mistake her earlier behavior as crocodile tears, Vahn's ability to vaguely discern a person's aura even without View Affection allowed him to ascertain the truth.

Smiling in response to the petite pinkette's enthusiasm, Vahn was about to make a second attempt at apologizing when Yuri completely ruined the atmosphere by suggesting, "I guess the only thing to have her do at this point is strip." with a massive grin on her face.

Though she was briefly taken aback by Yuri's words, a rather fierce flame immediately appeared within Jaina's amethyst eyes as she dropped the Divine Bedding, hands balled into resolute fists as she nervously stammered, "I...I'm not afraid! If it's for my dream of living in a video game world, I'm willing to do whatever it takes...!"

Noticing Jaina's nostrils flaring as she looked at him like a perfectly prepared dragon meat skewer, the smile that had developed on Vahn's face immediately turned into an awkward grimace as Yuri cackled like a hyena at the side. She was still feeling a little guilty about making Jaina cry, so, even if her words had ultimately caused a misunderstanding, Yuri was pretty confident it would help out in the long run. Vahn was simply too kind, so, as long as she made an earnest effort, there was a very real chance he would help Jaina realize some of the fantasies she had developed thanks to her long isolation and unrestricted observation of other people...

With the Law of Identity narrating Yuri's train of thought, Vahn was very tempted to give the former Princess a smack on the head. Instead, he met Jaina's inordinately 'passionate' purple eyes, dousing a bit of the fire contained within by explaining, "You don't need to get naked. What Yuri is indirectly alluding to is something called the Familia Induction Ceremony. By engraving my Familia Crest unto others, I am able to provide them with my Blessing as the God of Infinite Possibilities. You need only expose your back. After that, you will gain access to the Quest System, and, so long as your belief is high enough, you can even change your physical characteristics or have me change your race like a certain muscle-brained snake-head..."

Though it took her a few moments, Yuri eventually realized that Vahn was talking about her when several people directed their gazes her way. This caused her brow to twitch slightly, but, assuming this was Vahn's way of getting back at her, she ultimately just crossed her arms before adopting a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Violence didn't really work on him, so, for the time being, she decided it was best to wait until she could ask for someone else's advice before trying to get even...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'At least he didn't give her the futon...','Voyeurism is bad...!','She's learning...')

(A/N: This is technically the third chapter from yesterday. There will be three more releases before tomorrow's reset unless something comes up.)