Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 231 - Goddess and Wolf

As he approached the entrance to the Manor, Vahn stopped because he could sense the presence of Hestia waiting on the opposite side of the door. He turned to look at Fenrir, who had also 'sensed' something and began stroking her hair as he explained, "You're going to meet my goddess, Hestia. She will help take care of you from now on, so try to be nice to her, okay?" Fenrir frowned with a small-mouthed pout and said, "Fenrir no like!" She shook her head back and forth and Vahn could already see her eyes beginning to glow with more intensity.

Vahn kneeled down and seriously explained, "Fenrir, you know I want to help make you happy and keep you from being hungry, right?" Fenrir nodded her head after a period of hesitation so Vahn continued, "I can't do that on my own though, because I will sometimes be busy with other things and have to take care of other people as well. You remember all the time I forged previously and you were watching from the side? It's very much like that, I can't always tend to you but I can help guarantee there will be others at your side. Hestia is a good goddess and she will be nice to you as long as you are nice to her."

Fenrir grit her teeth and kept opening and closing her paws as her claws changed between a sharp and a dull state. Even her scarlet eyes continued to waver as if she was trying to process everything he had said. Though Vahn knew she didn't understand the words, he was certain his intent was properly conveyed because of the experiments he had done with 'orders' before. After a while, Fenrir groaned, "Fenrir try, no mean to Fenrir, Fenrir be good." Vahn stroked her hair a bit but still let a length of [Enkidu] dangle from his hands for her to chew on. He could tell she was very stressed out, even though she wasn't asking for food.

After having her stand behind him and making sure she didn't attack Hestia, Vahn made his way through the door with his hand up and shouted, "Hestia, wait!" Hestia, who was about ready to charge at him like a banshee immediately came to a stop and nearly fell over after she heard Vahn's exclamation. She looked at him with a confused and concerned expression until she caught sight of the small bundle of tan cloth with a midnight-blue haired girl behind Vahn's back.

Before she could make a scene, Vahn explained, "I will explain everything, but you have to remain calm. She gets very stressed out and it could lead to problems if you have an outburst right now. Here, let's go into one of the studies and I'll explain in detail." Though she still wanted to lecture him, Hestia could see the seriousness in Vahn's expression and the caution in his voice. Looking behind him, she could see the girl at his back staring toward her with glowing red eyes that made a shiver run down her back. Deciding it was for the best to listen to Vahn, Hestia ushered the two into one of the studies on the first floor without standing near the 'scary' cloaked girl.

After Vahn sat on one of the sofas, Fenrir squatted down on the ground and continued to nibble at [Enkidu] while keeping her attention focused on Hestia's movements. Seeing the girl squatting down on the ground in a strange manner, Hestia was very confused as she sat on the side of Vahn opposite the 'feral' looking 'child'. Vahn could sense Fenrir's hair rise a bit so he used [Hands of Nirvana] to stroke her head and used himself as a well between her and Hestia.

Though she knew there was something strange going on, Hestia now realized things were more serious than she thought. She looked toward Vahn with unveiled concern and asked, "Vahn, this child, where did you pick her up?" Vahn shook his head and explained, "I didn't pick her up anywhere; do you remember my explanation about Fafnir, the black dragon that follows around Tina and Milan in the shadows?"

Hestia's eyes widened a bit and she looked around at Fenrir as Vahn said, "Her name is Fenrir, and she is a kobold that I had tamed in the dungeon. When I used a special skill, she evolved into her current form, and that is why I had to go to the dungeon so urgently. I needed to test her capabilities and find a way to manage some of her...unique traits." Vahn then explained everything he could regarding Fenrir's abilities, including her skills like [Devour] and [Insatiable Hunger]. Hearing the descriptions, Hestia's aura fluctuated slightly but Vahn could see she was trying to empathize with Fenrir as well since her fear didn't show on her face at all.

After his explanation, Hestia said in an inhibited tone, "So she is a monster that evolved and became humanoid...and she also eats everything and she is always hungry unless she is relaxed or happy?" Leaning around, Hestia saw Fenrir complacently noming away on [Enkidu], so Vahn explained about the indestructible quality and the fact that it helped keep her calm. Hearing his words, Hestia actually had a somewhat sad expression and kneeled down on the floor a bit aways from Fenrir and slowly extended out her hand.

Fenrir immediately entered an alert state but didn't try to take any action for several seconds. Vahn continued to pat her head to keep her calm and she eventually stopped chewing on [Enkidu] for a bit as she leaned her head forward. She seemed to be trying to follow Vahn's previous orders and was giving Hestia a chance. Hestia's nervous expression turned into a small smile as she leaned forward and gently pat Fenrir on the head. Though she frowned a bit, Fenrir didn't pull away from Hestia and 'tolerated' her touch.

Hestia's smile became wider and she said in a soft tone, "There, there, you're a good girl aren't you Fenrir~?" In response to her words, Fenrir's tail thumped once on the floor and she nodded, "Fenrir good, Hestia good?" Hestia laughed a bit and stroked her ears affectionately as a bit of excitement began to appear on her face and she responded, "That's right, this beautiful goddess will be your friend from now on~"

Fenrir frowned and shook her head as if to 'refute' Hestia's words, even though she didn't understand the concept of beauty, and said,"Master better, feels good, Hestia bad, but good." Nodding her head as if she had said something profound, Fenrir began biting away at [Enkidu] while Hestia sat in a blank manner as she mechanically continued to stroke Fenrir's head. Vahn laughed at her reaction and put his right palm on top of Hestia's head while using [Hands of Nirvana]. He explained in an amused voice, "I think she is talking about the difference in our petting technique. I don't mean to brag, but I feel like I have an edge over most people."

Feeling the warm energy coming into her head, Hestia's smile returned and then her eyes widened as she turned to Vahn and whispered in a 'loud' manner, "Ah~! That massage thing felt super amazing, we have to do that more often! If you want me to forgive you for sneaking out this morning, you'll have to make it up to me later~." Hestia was suddenly in high spirits because Vahn had reminded her of the incredibly relaxing massage from last night. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced and she couldn't understand why the other goddesses had tried to keep it from her. Hestia thought they were trying to trick her so that they could monopolize Vahn's massages to themselves.

Vahn nodded his head and, with a confident smile on his face, said, "Leave it to me!" In response, Hestia's smiled blossomed more but both of their expressions froze when a Fenrir asked in a curious, yet angry, sounding voice, "Massage super amazing? Fenrir want!" Though Hestia began to laugh awkwardly, Vahn c.o.c.ked his head a bit in thought before saying, "Sure, but only if you behave." Since he could replenish her energy and help calm her down at the same time, it wasn't a bad method to keep Fenrir under control and help relieve her stress.

After things were explained properly and Hestia and Fenrir had 'accepted' each other, Vahn breached the next subject, "Hestia, because of the uniqueness of the skill I used that helped Fenrir evolve, I can say for certain that she has a soul. I want to see if you can give her your blessing so that we can keep track of her growth in the future." Hestia was in a happy mood and had taken to brushing Fenrir's hair until Vahn mentioned something 'ridiculous' to her. She frowned and said, "That shouldn't be possible. Though it isn't unheard of for some monsters to possess a soul, I've never heard of any monster being able to develop one through evolution..."

Though he understood her doubts, Vahn reached out his hand and rubbed Fenrir's head as he explained, "Hestia, believe in me. Fenrir probably doesn't even qualify as a monster anymore...but something far more unique. There is no harm in trying, is there?" Unable to resist the gentle and imploring gaze of Vahn, Hestia released a sigh before saying, "Fenrir, can you sit absolutely still for a little while as I inscribe something on your back? It might feel a little unpleasant, but you'll be the same as Vahn and be able to get even stronger in the future."

Understanding the cue of Hestia, Vahn unequipped his tunic and showed Fenrir that Hestia's crest was engraved on his back. She stared at it with her characteristic 'annoyed' expression but also had a bit of interest and intensity in her eyes. After nearly a full minute, Fenrir said, "Fenrir want." Afterward, Hestia rolled up the back of Fenrir's top before giving Vahn a 'mean' look and asking, "If Fenrir was a monster before, then you must have been the one to give her these clothes?" Hestia stared at Vahn in an intense, almost accusatory, manner and Vahn could imagine a strange 'Jiiiiii-' sound entering his ears.

Vahn explained Fenrir's evolution, her resistance to clothes, and how she shredded most of the things he tried to get her to wear. Her current outfit, though somewhat revealing, was the only thing she seemed to be comfortable in that didn't restrict her movements or absorb blood. Hestia listened in silence until Vahn mentioned the part about 'blood' which made Fenrir hold up her paws proudly, "Fenrir kill!" Though she hadn't noticed it before, Hestia could see the darker stains in Fenrir's fur and gave Vahn an incredulous look and exclaimed, "Vaaaaahn~! She needs to take a bath!"

Hearing her words, Fenrir's eyes glowed more intensely and she said, "Fenrir hate bath! Fenrir no bath, no, no, no!" Because of her anxiety and frustration, Fenrir wanted to move away but was still following the order to sit still. Her eyes grew progressively more vibrant and Vahn spent several minutes trying to calm her down and explaining the benefits of a bath. She seemed to have developed a 'phobia' to bathing since the time she was forced by Eva in the past. Since she didn't understand what Eva was trying to do at the time, Fenrir must have thought she was going to drown or something.

She finally calmed down when Vahn said that bath they used was a hot water onsen and was actually very shallow. There was no danger and nobody would try to force her under the water or anything like that. Vahn also said, since he remembered her interest in it from earlier, that he would give her the 'super amazing' massage afterward. Though it felt a little strange to refer to his own technique as 'super amazing', Vahn still confidently gave his promise which finally made her relax. Following that, Hestia managed to perform the Familia induction ceremony without any issues whatsoever. She was incredibly shocked when it actually worked and stared at Vahn from the side with incredibly wide eyes.

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[[Stats]]

Name: [Fenrir]

Age: 12

-Level:2

-Power: (G205)

-Endurance: (H156)

-Dexterity: (F311)

-Agility: (H173)

-Magic: (I92)

Skills: [Lunar Cry:C], [Freezing Roar:C], [Chainbreaker:C], [Devour:SS],[Huntress:A]

Development Abilities: -

Magic: -

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(A/N: Remember that Innate skills don't show up inside the Status Board~)

(A/N: 'Fenrir no like!','How to train your Heaven Devouring Wolf','Impossible Success')

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