Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 369 - Brown-Skinned Beauty

Though everyone had the weekends off, the majority of the residents within the Manor were the types that woke up early regardless. One of the few exceptions was Hestia herself, who had a tendency to easily sleep upwards of 10-12 hours depending on her exertions the previous day. Because of this, Vahn got to experience peeling her from his body once again before bundling her up in a roll of blankets so he could prepare for the day. Even though he had taken the previous two days to 'relax' a bit, he hadn't really done much idling about since he was very interested in the topic of magic. Now that the weekend had come, Vahn wanted to go out and do something interesting so he sent a message through his personal scroll to let everyone know about his plans.

Since he had spent the night with Hestia, Vahn went down for an early morning soak in the onsen and noticed there were a few girls inside that had arrived before him. After entering himself, Vahn saw the presences he had detected were Mikoto and Haruhime. Ever since she first learned that the Manor had an onsen, Mikoto had been quite fond of taking baths but she often avoided taking one at the same time as Vahn. Recognizing it was the two girls, Vahn gave a wry smile before deciding to enter later since he didn't want to shame Mikoto while she was spending time with Haruhime.

Before he had fully left the bathing area, Haruhime called out in a polite tone, "Ah, Vahn, you don't have to mind us. Mikoto..." Hearing her words, Vahn turned back and saw that Haruhime had a somewhat gentle smile on her face as she looked toward Mikoto. Vahn turned his attention to the generally serious swordsman and saw that, as expected, she had a serious expression on her face as she said, "I want to stay with Haruhime...I also want to become much stronger in order to protect the things I care about. Though I know you are unlikely to accept my allegiance, I already consider you my liege and will dedicate my blade to protecting this Familia. Something like being seen n.a.k.e.d...I will learn to accept it."

For a brief moment, Vahn considered if he should leave the onsen regardless of her words since both she and Haruhime weren't on his 'private' network. However, he inevitably decided to honor Mikoto's resolve since it was something of a big deal for her to take a step forward like this. Her affection for him was at 89(Loyal), but Vahn knew she was slowly opening up after interacting with the other girls, especially Haruhime. She was at the age of a.d.u.l.thood, so it wasn't unexpected that she would be interested in the opposite s.e.x to an extent. Now that Haruhime was actually stronger than her, even though Mikoto had been training for years, there had been a subtle change in her awareness because she understood the reason behind Haruhime's, and many of the other girls' strength, was because of their emotions.

This was Vahn's first time seeing Mikoto n.a.k.e.d but he decided it would make things difficult if he stared so he only gave her body a casual glance before checking her development in his mind. Though she was barely an a.d.u.l.t, her b.r.e.a.s.ts were growing well and she would likely have somewhat large b.r.e.a.s.ts when she fully matured. Mikoto also had long black hair, black eyes, and a somewhat angular face that emphasized her traits as someone hailing from the Far East. Her eyebrows were smaller than usual, and it appeared like she also had a serious expression on her face because they were angled toward her brows at a slant. As for her figure, she was very slim and had a somewhat pale complexion with a thin waist and a relatively small butt.

After Vahn joined them, Haruhime was very pleased with the unexpected boon and happily attended to Vahn after he gave her permission. Mikoto, seeing Haruhime's behavior, also tried to attend to him but Vahn said she didn't have to push herself if she was uncomfortable. As if incited by his words, Mikoto grabbed the sponge regardless and helped wash his back and shoulders while Haruhime scrubbed his arms and chest. She also tried to help clean his lower body and legs, but Vahn prevented her from doing so before helping shampoo and wash her long hair and tails.

When she had first arrived back at the Manor with an extra tail, it had caused a bit of a stir since it was considered a very rare trait for a Renard in the Far East. Typically, if someone had more than a single tail, they were actually required to become shrine maidens and serve the goddess Inari as her attendants. Haruhime had no interest in this at all, however, since the girls that 'suffered' such a fate would also be required to maintain their purity until death. As for males that had more than one tail, there had never been a single instance of such a thing occurring in the entire history of the Far East. Male Renards themselves were actually quite rare and the gender ratio in their species was around 15% to 85% between males and females. The males also had shorter ears and tails and didn't possess the same capacity for magic as their counterparts.

After the bath came to an end, Vahn parted with the two girls before greeting some of the others that were wandering about the Manor, mostly on their way to the dining room for breakfast. Vahn spent some time discussing various topics with the girls before politely refusing the offer to go on a date with Lili and Naaza. He explained that he intended to go visit the Anubis Familia today and see if they needed help moving their stuff before discussing a few matters with Tsubaki. His plans carried into the afternoon, but he told them he should be back by around 2 PM and promised a surprise for everyone within the Manor for when he returned.

Vahn didn't tell them what it was, but he was intending to practice his massage techniques more often and was going to use it as an opportunity to spend time with everyone privately. It would only be around 15-20 minutes per person, but Vahn would guarantee it was a very 'high-quality' twenty minutes. This would also prevent them from getting sick while also serving the purpose of improving blood circulation while enhancing the natural beauty of the girls. If he could, Vahn would like to be able to spoil the girls and take better care of each of them individually. He had thought about saving up to purchase a scroll for a technique like the [Shadow Clone Jutsu], but Vahn decided against it after discussing the matter with Sis. Since the technique literally split the energy of the person in half for each use, Vahn would quickly run out of energy trying to maintain the skill.

There was also the fact that he would have to bear the mental strain of each clone and none of them would be able to use his Innate abilities or earn Exilia from monsters. It could potentially be a solution for gaining OP, but the mental strain of one of his clones eventually dying could cause him problems in the real world if he was focused on something else. Though it seemed like an interesting idea, it was simply an unreliable technique without something like a tailed-beast to sustain the extra clones and mitigate the mental strain received by the user. Vahn had enough trouble dealing with stress on his own, and his clones wouldn't have the benefit of using [Will of the Emperor] to protect themselves.

(A/N: Seriously, if you actually know how shadow clones function, you would very quickly understand why it's a bad idea. Shadow Clones are just a lazy gimmick that invalidates real problems since EVERYTHING can be solved if there are enough people working on the same thing. The only way Shadow Clones actually work is if the Author completely ignores the logic behind the skill or gives the MC some bogus way of ignoring the severe detriments. There is a reason why it's an S-Ranked skill in Naruto, and there is also a reason why every fanfic that relies on that type of mechanic dies out and gets dropped. The story quickly becomes uninteresting when Shadow Clone Jutsu is the literal solution to every problem (O',....,'O)~! I could literally write a 5k+ word chapter explaining the detriments of the ability, so stop spamming it in the comments as if it's an actual solution without thinking about it.)

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After he separated from the girls at the Manor, Vahn headed out into the cold morning mist and made his way toward his former residence behind Tsubaki's Manor. The Anubis Familia would be moving into a larger residence to the south of the Hearth Manor in the future, but it was currently being worked on and had yet to be prepared for their move. The Hearth Manor itself was also about to undergo construction, but it would be in several passes starting from the foundational work and the underground section before moving on to the structures above the surface. Estimates put the time required at around two months, but they were delaying the beginning of the project until after the wedding.

Around twenty minutes later, Vahn arrived outside of Tsubaki's before deciding to head inside for a short visit. He had seen her once after performing 'Nirvana' on her, but Vahn still wanted to spend time with her when he could, especially now that she was living alone again. Her workshop was located in the center of the entire Hephaestus Familia workshop district, and she still had to perform her duties as both a [Master Smith] and the Captain of the Hephaestus Familia. Since Hephaestus herself didn't participate much in the management of the Familia, most things were left for Tsubaki and a few trusted executives to deal with. Vahn would have liked Tsubaki to move near the Hearth Manor as well since he didn't want to see her alone, but it was simply impossible for the time being.

It was only around 7 AM, so Tsubaki hadn't yet opened for business but Vahn was able to easily enter through the courtyard without being barred passage by the security formations. Of course, since he hadn't hidden his presence, Tsubaki was alerted to his arrival and appeared in the corridor that Vahn had been walking down towards her room. She likely hadn't expected company, since the only thing she was wearing was what looked like a purple yukata and was barefoot even though it was below freezing in the open air corridor.

Seeing Vahn's appearance, Tsubaki crossed her arms and showed a cheeky grin as she said, "Heya, kiddo, what did you stop by for this morning?" Vahn c.o.c.ked one of his eyebrows as he titled his head at her question. Though she might not realize it herself, Tsubaki only called him 'kiddo', or 'kid', whenever she was trying to hide her embarrassment or get a higher position than him in the conversation. After he used 'Nirvana' on her, she had started calling him by name, but now seemed to have reverted to her old habits.

Vahn squinted his eyes and responded with a small smile, "Good morning, Tsubaki, I came to visit you. I thought you might be lonely in this large Manor all by yourself and wanted to see how your body was holding up against the cold. Tell me, do you feel any sensitivity or discomfort~?" Vahn knew that, after someone underwent 'Nirvana', most of their nerves would be renewed and their body would be very sensitive for several weeks after the fact. Now that he had a better look at her, Vahn knew that Tsubaki was most likely wearing the loose yukata because other clothes were likely 'rough' on her tender skin. Since he had high visual acuity and enhanced perception, he was also very aware that she wasn't wearing her usual sarashi around her b.r.e.a.s.ts and was likely wearing either silk panties...or no panties at all.

As soon as he spoke, Vahn noticed Tsubaki's aura flare up as she slightly averted her eye and laughed before saying, "Yeah, I'm still adapting to the changes in my body...you really did a number on me, kid. The cold is fine, but there are a number of problematic issues I've been dealing with...I'll have to get even with you someday." Tsubaki released a long sigh that sent a cloud of condensation through the air because of the heat of her breath. Vahn squinted his eyes slightly before completely disappearing from Tsubaki's line of sight before the cloud was able to dissipate. Tsubaki hadn't seen his movement, but she sensed his appearance behind her and prepared to turn around before she felt a jolt of electricity run from her tailbone up her back.

Vahn hadn't caused Tsubaki to lose control of her body like in the past, he just decided to tease her a bit since she was putting up a front against him. However, he hadn't expected that his simple touch would make her release a stifled m.o.a.n before she glared at him with her slightly watery eye and said, "You snot-nosed little brat...do you think you can just play with my body at your leisure!?" Vahn had still been surprised by her earlier reaction and hadn't processed her words before Tsubaki grabbed him by the collar of his tunic and flipped him over in a blurred motion. He prepared himself for the impending collision but, against any expectations he had from their past experiences, Vahn landed 'gently' on the hardwood floor instead of smashing through it.

He had tensed his body for an impact that never came so there was a slight delay in his mental processes before he felt a 'pleasant' weight mount his stomach as Tsubaki sat down on top of him. Because of the design of a yukata, when Tsubaki sat on his stomach with her slightly open legs, the fabric opened up and created a tantalizing image with her healthy brown skin and the conceal contents that were ever-so-close to being visible. Tsubaki hadn't missed his glance at all, since there wasn't much that could avoid the eye of a [Master Smith], and asked in a teasing tone as she gripped Vahn's tunic with her immense strength, "See something you like...Vahn~?"

Hearing the somewhat sultry voice of Tsubaki, Vahn gulped audibly and caused the tyrannical Tsubaki's smile to grow a great deal as she yanked his upper body off the ground and said, "I don't go back on my word, Vahn...after what you pulled, I don't really have much of a choice on the matter anymore...I decided to give you a chance, so make sure you treat the matter seriously if you intend to take responsibility for this body you so carelessly made into your own." Tsubaki released a sigh after saying the words she had prepared in advance for this inevitable meeting.

She had originally intended, before experiencing Vahn's 'Nirvana', to turn him down and allow them both to move on with their lives. Tsubaki considered herself somewhat 'past her prime', and she didn't want to burden Vahn with having to worry about her when he already had so many younger girls on his platter. However, against any expectations she had, Vahn's technique had far exceeded her assumptions and now she couldn't help but accept him after the efforts he had put in. Not only had she become far more youthful, but her body was nearly flawless now and even her strength, which had long started to stagnate, had increased greatly. Even if she was considering finding a guy to settle down with and have a child, Tsubaki felt like she would be 'betraying' Vahn if she gave the body he had made for her to another person.

Vahn's mind blanked for a brief moment after hearing Tsubaki's words before he showed a genuine smile and said, "You're a good woman, Tsubaki...thank you." Tsubaki snorted a cloud of heat before yanking Vahn by the tunic and sealing his 'stupidly' smiling face with a somewhat inexperienced kiss. She had only ever had one other partner in life, but he had died more than ten years ago in the Dungeon and her life had been very busy after that. This was her 'first kiss' in her new body, and she still felt very awkward since she was kissing a boy more than twenty years younger than her. Vahn didn't seem to mind at all, however, as he 'casually' grabbed her butt and pulled her forward before she fell deeper into the kiss and pinned him to the ground.

From the moment she kissed him, Vahn realized Tsubaki's 'awkwardness' and decided to take the initiative in order to ease her tensions. When he grabbed her butt, Vahn felt his mind buzz for a brief moment and he actually exclaimed, 'Wow...' in his own mind before pulling her forward and fondling the strangely malleable, yet incredibly firm, rear end of Tsubaki. Her large b.r.e.a.s.ts pressed into his chest and he felt her full weight as he guided her tongue with his own and turned the 'awkward' kiss into one filled with passion and building emotions. Though he largely ignored it at first, Vahn eventually turned his attention to the system briefly because he had heard a louder notification.

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//Tsubaki Collbrande Has Reached Maximum Affection//

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

Completion Grade: S

Rewards:10,000OP, 1x[Hearts Desire: Tsubaki Collbrande]

Grade Rewards: 1x[Proof of Affection], [Master Smith] Increased from I->H, 9,000OP

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Tsubaki had been at 98 Affection before, so it wasn't too unexpected that she suddenly hit 100 while they were sharing a passionate kiss each other. Vahn was pleasantly surprised that his [Master Smith] had actually increased in rank since each successive increase as a monstrous wall to overcome. He put a little more strength into his grasp and Tsubaki actually m.o.a.ned slightly as he more eagerly sought her lips. Vahn suddenly felt a jerking sensation and heard the sound of cloth ripping before a brief chill touched his skin. Tsubaki had torn apart his tunic with her hands and had traced them along his chest before gripping his shoulders in a manner that made Vahn feel slightly nervous because his bones began to creak painfully.

She must have noticed it herself, as Tsubaki pulled her lips free from Vahn's kiss and gave him an awkward smile as she said, "Sorry, I can't quite control my strength yet...give me a few days and things should be fine...maybe? Hahahaha." Tsubaki tried to laugh in her characteristic manner, but Vahn could feel the awkwardness radiating from her body as he reached up and pulled the slightly open collar of Tsubaki's yukata apart. As he had deduced earlier, Tsubaki had indeed not been wearing anything to cover her b.r.e.a.s.ts and Vahn got a full view her very healthy, remarkably flawless, and incredibly large b.r.e.a.s.ts. Before she could say anything, Vahn smiled and mused, "Now we're even...though I can't help but feel I got a slight advantage~?"

Though he hadn't expected her to act bashfully, Tsubaki's response was still somewhat unexpected for Vahn as she didn't make any effort to cover herself at all as she began to laugh, this time without any awkwardness. Vahn was happy she had recovered until Tsubaki reached down and pinched both of his cheeks with her fingers as her large b.r.e.a.s.ts dangled in front of his face. Vahn tried to grab her wrists and break free of the 'torment' until Tsubaki said, "I read the note you sent earlier, shouldn't you be running off the Anubis and those brats? If you stay around much longer I can't guarantee you'll arrive in one piece, hahahaha~! Besides, do you really want to carry around the smell of another woman when you're about to walk into a den full of Chienthopes? Use your head you idiot boy~!"

Finished with her 'lecture', Tsubaki released Vahn's face before laughing at his now swollen cheeks. Vahn rubbed the tender flesh with a frown before a glint passed through his eyes and he tried to reach out for Tsubaki's exposed stomach. Though she had been laughing heartily, Tsubaki wasn't the type that fell for the same trick over and over again so she easily swatted Vahn's hand away before saying, "My body is way too sensitive for that type of thing right now. Don't push your luck too hard, Vahn." Vahn showed a wry smile before reaching his hand out again, this time without trying to touch Tsubaki's belly as a light glowed in his palm. Tsubaki had been preparing to swat his hand away again in a playful manner before noticing the change. After around two seconds, a strange container appeared in Vahn's hand and she asked, "What is this, some kind of medicine?"

After using the [Proof of Affection], a small container appeared in his hand and Vahn checked through his system to see that the item was called [Magic Lens]. Curious about its function, Vahn checked the description before a satisfied smile appeared on his face as he said, "Inside the container, there is a small lens that can be placed over the eye. If you wear it on your magic eye, it will allow you to control its activation while keeping its appearance similar to your other eye." Tsubaki arched her brow before reaching out and opening the small white container in Vahn's hand. Inside, there was a clear, highly transparent, circular disc submerged inside some kind of fluid. Unaware of how to use it, Tsubaki asked, "You said it goes 'on' the eye, how so?"

Vahn nodded his head before saying, "Remove your eyepatch, I'll help you wear it properly. According to the information in my mind, it should be a permanent solution, though you'll be able to remove it later if you choose." Tsubaki casually removed her eyepatch and Vahn saw the chaotic blue eye contained within. He had seen it when using 'Nirvana' in the past, but there wasn't much he could change since it was an integral part of Tsubaki's strength and it wasn't like she had a deformation like Hephaestus had in the past. Vahn actually thought her magic eye was pretty cool, but he knew it also put a strain on her mind if it wasn't 'sealed' away by her eyepatch.

After Tsubaki removed her eyepatch, Vahn touched the clear lens with his finger before saying, "Stay absolutely still...this won't hurt at all, I promise." Minding Vahn's words, Tsubaki remained perfectly rigid as he opened her eyelids wider with his right thumb and index finger before placing the clear lens against her eye with his left hand. The moment the lens touched her iris, it glowed with a pale light before Tsubaki's magic eye turned the same deep red as her right eye. When Vahn removed his hands, Tsubaki blinked a few times before checking her appearance in the mirror Vahn handed to her. Seeing that her eye looked 'normal', Tsubaki showed a brilliant smile because she also felt that the lens sealed away her magic eye in a similar manner as her previous eyepatch.

Vahn was pleased to see how happy Tsubaki was at viewing her own appearance so he showed an equally large smile until she gave him a sideward glance before yanking him over by his torn tunic and kissing him once again. He didn't mind being kissed, but Vahn felt slightly awkward about being 'handled' by someone much stronger than he was. It was especially bad when Tsubaki, perhaps trying to get even with him, wrapped her hands around his butt and playfully squeezed it a few times before laughing out loud when he squirmed. Before she sent him off to Anubis, Tsubaki gesticulated with her hands and commented, "You have a great butt, Vahn." before laughing at his bashful appearance as he 'fled' the premises.

(A/N: 'My Lord, My Liege, My...Lover?','Not a real solution','Tsubaki's Dominance?')

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