Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 447 - New Year's Resolutions (3/3)

After taking a short while to collect himself and make sense of some of the important details he needed to take note of, Vahn pulled out a crimson red orb as a smile appeared on his face. This was the [Hearts Desire] of Tsubaki and Vahn was somewhat hoping it wasn't too short. He had learned a little bit about her past from the woman herself, but Vahn was curious to know what kind of life she had lived before he met her. She had become one of the most important girls in life after arriving at the City and had been one of the key factors for his development. Even if it was just a bit, Vahn wanted to share Tsubaki's experiences so he crushed the orb and embraced the stagnation of time that seized his body...

When the vision took full effect, Vahn found himself in the endless black abyss with the memory fragments floating around in the void. It wasn't to the extent of Tione, but Vahn was happy he would be able to at least see the memories Tsubaki considered to be important. Without any hesitation, he walked to the furthest image in the queue and noticed that, as he passed by the small windows that gave insight into Tsubaki's past, many of them were full of warm colors with just a few touched by negativity interspaced throughout the larger whole. From this, Vahn could tell that Tsubaki had led a relatively happy life, or at the very least had been content...

The first memory Vahn got to see caused a huge smile to appear on his face and he mentally captured the image and even decided to immortalize it in a painting when his skills reached the requisite level. Inside the vibrant yellow image, full of happiness and good feelings, Vahn saw what looked like a five-year-old Tsubaki that was eagerly watching a beautiful woman forge, likely for the first time. She had an adorable expression on her face and looked like a rambunctious little girl while her mother, Sakuya, looked like a somewhat fierce woman with a confident expression as she hammered away at the metal. Vahn could tell that she wasn't a [Master Smith], but she was incredibly skilled nonetheless...

Many of Tsubaki's early memories were very happy events and Vahn could fee the joy she experienced for himself as he gleaned through them with a smile on his face. He didn't mind seeing the tragic pasts of the other girls, but it was very refreshing to be able to experience something like this on occasion. He couldn't help but feel the chibi version of Tsubaki was heart-wrenchingly adorable and he wondered if this was how their daughter would look when she was a little girl. With this thought in mind, Vahn began to look forward to the birth of his children even more and happy feelings spread through his chest to match the childlike Tsubaki's in the memory...

Vahn finally came to the first significant memory in Tsubaki's life and it was colored with a deep blue intermixed with purples and even a small fraction of furious red. What looked like a seven-year-old Tsubaki was holding a sheathed katana as she sat in seize in front of her Sakuya, who likewise had a katana of her own, as she explained to Tsubaki the identity of her father. Tsubaki had been curious about the man for a long time but knew it would upset her mother if she asked about it. However, when she finally possessed the requisite strength to become a warrior, her mother took the initiative to explain the situation to her.

Tsubaki was sad to learn that her own father had abandoned them after 'stealing' her mother's techniques and became full of righteous indignation in her tiny chest. She resolved herself to become a powerful warrior that didn't have to rely on anyone and vowed to exceed her father's skills with a hammer. If he ever returned in the future, Tsubaki wanted to show him through her actions how much of a fool he had been to abandon them...

Seeing the fiery resolve in the small girl, Vahn felt a bit of indignation of his own but there were many memories the go through and the current one faded unceremoniously even though he was still brooding over it. All of the proceeding memories were tinged with a fiery hue but were predominately full of good feelings. Sakuya was a harsh mentor, but she was also very fair, tolerant, and never shied away from complimenting Tsubaki when she performed well. Vahn got to watch her evolution from a small girl, swinging around a katana that was far too large for her, to a beautiful young girl that wielded a naginata like it was an art form.

Unfortunately, Vahn reached a point in Tsubaki's memories that had far more negative emotions than their predecessors. Her mother ended up getting a relatively rare disease that was almost exclusive to blacksmiths and ended up becoming very sick. Tsubaki worked hard to support both of them but the medicine for the treatment was very expensive and it simply delayed the inevitable. After two years of struggling, Sakuya finally took her last breath after drinking a tea to help her body relax so she could greet death peacefully. Throughout those two years, Tsubaki wrote hundreds of letters and paid exorbitant fees to have them delivered to the Iron Hills but never once received a reply from her would-be father. Though her mother died with a smile on her face, Tsubaki couldn't help but feel she had suffered a tragic and unjust end...

Because of her promise to her mother to never stop doing her best, Tsubaki redoubled her efforts in her training and also quickly progressed as a blacksmith. Vahn was amazed because Tsubaki had bounced back from her mother's death very quickly. She was obviously still very affected by the event but never relented on herself and constantly endeavored to live the life her mother would have wanted for her. Though she showed great sadness on the death anniversary, something which Vahn had cemented in his heart, she spent the rest of her time in high spirits and even made several friends in the Hephaestus Familia, something she had neglected in the past...

The young girl in the memories blossomed into a beautiful young woman that looked very reminiscent of the current Tsubaki. Vahn, however, had a smile on his face because he could tell that the current Tsubaki was even more beautiful than she had been in her prime. Knowing this made him feel a great deal of pride in his own capabilities. However, this didn't last for too long as, for the first time in a [Hearts Desire], Vahn got to experience the somewhat awkward past of a woman that had fallen in love with another man. Vahn could see what he knew to be the sixteen-year-old Tsubaki meeting a relatively plain looking man that had an honest face and a resolute expression in his eyes...

Though they started off as friends, it didn't take too long for Tsubaki to fall in love with the man, named Jonas Waller, who was always kind and attentive to her. Even though he was more than eight years her senior, Tsubaki found his care to be very comfortable and she even saw him almost like a surrogate father, at least up until he kissed her for the first time under the moonlight after their return from a successful expedition. As they had known each other for nearly two years at that point, Tsubaki decided to open her heart up to the kind man and lost her v.i.r.g.i.nity the same night she had her first kiss. Because it was a very important memory to her, Vahn got to experience all of her thoughts and emotions in detail and it was rather embarrassing...

True to Tsubaki's previous words, the man was a very earnest fellow who worked very hard to make her happy after they became an official couple. His skills as a blacksmith were lackl.u.s.ter, but he made up for his failure to earn a living through forging by venturing into the Dungeon and becoming stronger at a faster rate. Tsubaki was happy that the man she fell in love with was so hardworking to the point where he even managed to become stronger than her after a year of effort. She had started focusing more on her forging and had been polishing her skills as a warrior without placing a heavy focus on the Dungeon anymore. They had been putting in a lot of efforts to build a family, something that Vahn was very aware of, so she was trying to adapt to the life of a woman that took care of the home...

Unfortunately for both of them, their efforts were in vain and they had failed to conceive a child even after eight years. Tsubaki, though saddened by their failed attempts, wasn't nearly as affected as Jonas himself. He was already in his thirties and wanted to raise a family of his own before he became an old man that wouldn't be able to keep up with his own children. It was very obvious he was infatuated with the beautiful Tsubaki, something he proved to her often when they were together, and he blamed himself for failing to give her a child. At this point, they were both executives in the Hephaestus Familia and had achieved Level 4...

Vahn had been feeling awkward experiencing all of the intimate memories, but he was more surprised by how strong a woman Tsubaki was. Even when she was obviously saddened by events, something she couldn't conceal from Vahn at present, most of her memories were predominately happy and full of positivity. Even when there was blue within the memories, it was almost never the dominant color at all. The only exceptions to this were when she was trying to comfort the drunk and apologizing Jonas because she felt like she had failed him as a woman because of her race. At times like this, Tsubaki resented her own father even more because it was through him that she was born as a Half-Dwarf with a low fertility rate...

Of course, even the powerful and positive Tsubaki couldn't maintain her composure at all times and Vahn eventually came to a series of memories that almost rivaled how sad she was during the two years that she had been taking care of her mother. Tsubaki and Jonas had learned that it was possible to create medicine from the horn of a Cadmus, the giant dragon that guarded the Cadmus Spring on the 51st floor, that could increase fertility. The Loki Familia had been probing into the Lower Floors a lot recently and, as the leaders of the expeditionary group, joined their party with the intent of obtaining the horn.

Unfortunately, though they managed to obtain the horn with the assistance of the Loki Familia, Jonas had dropped his guard as a result of his own happiness and Tsubaki had to watch as he was ambushed by a Deformis Spider and took one of its spear-like legs through the chest. Even though she used all of the potions and elixirs she had brought with her, Tsubaki was unable to save Jonas because he had taken catastrophic damage to his lungs and heart. Jonas died trying to form words through bloodied lips but Tsubaki was unable to decipher what he was trying to tell her before he finally succ.u.mbed to his wounds...

As a result of the expedition, Tsubaki reached the requirements for obtaining Level 5 and spent the next several months focusing entirely on managing things within the Familia and improving her own skills in order to distract her from the loss of Jonas. She was only twenty-six when he died, which wasn't particularly old, but she had decided that her heart couldn't bear the burden of trying to have children with another man for another ten years. When the anniversary of her mother's death came once again, Tsubaki sat in front of the altar crying inconsolable tears for several hours until there were simply no tears left to cry...

After pouring her heart out to her mother, Tsubaki bounced back once again and completely focused her efforts on supporting the Hephaestus Familia and pursuing her original goal of becoming a [Master Smith]. Through her efforts, she was able to become the Captain of the Hephaestus Familia by the time she was twenty-eight and, though it had taken longer than she would have liked, reached [Master Smith] at thirty-one. This was a very commendable age to reach the prolific status of [Master Smith] so Tsubaki received a huge boost in fame and even managed to secure several contracts with powerful and influential Adventurers as a result of her skill...

Vahn watched as Tsubaki continued to polish her skills as both a warrior and a blacksmith but it gave him no comfort anymore. He knew she was an amazing woman that had a strong heart, especially considering that most of her memories were still positive, but every time the anniversary of Jonas' and Sakuya's deaths came around...Tsubaki always ended up in front of their shrines crying for several hours. It was almost like the bottled up all the negative emotions for the entire year and released them all when she kneeled in front of their graves and prayed...

Vahn felt a dull ache in his heart because he knew that Tsubaki wasn't nearly as strong as the front she put on in front of others. However, his introspective thoughts were brought to a halt suddenly when he finally saw a memory that included himself. Vahn was surprised at first because, though he could recognize the boy in front of him as himself, it didn't look anything like how he currently saw himself. The boy in the memory looked sad and lost with somewhat dreary eyes and a perpetually melancholic expression on his face whenever he wasn't talking to someone.

Through Tsubaki's memories, Vahn was able to understand why so many of the girls in his life told him that his expressions were easy to see through. He could see his own eyes wander about Tsubaki's body as clear intrigue appeared on his face as he inspected her. It was somewhat embarrassing because Vahn hadn't realized how bad his habit actually was. Tsubaki didn't seem to mind at all, however, and found his reactions very cute and refreshing. This didn't stop her from beating him up though and Vahn got to relive the experience of Tsubaki handling him like a child before the dropped down on his back once again in a fit of laughter...

Vahn noticed that, from the moment he moved into the Manor and started training with Tsubaki, her memories had become far more vibrant than the last ten years of images. He could feel her concern for him as she slowly tried to guide him along the correct path and tried to help him open up his closed heart to others. Vahn also got to feel Tsubaki's pride as she watched him slowly develop into a capable fighter and relatively skilled blacksmith in a decidedly short period of time. He wasn't aware of it himself, but she had actually spent several long nights in her own room preparing materials for both he and Lili and corresponded with Hephaestus about their progress.

Because she spent so much time on them, Tsubaki fell behind in her daily work and had to compensate for it by working late into the night. However, though this would have frustrated most people, Tsubaki seemed to be genuinely happy as she acted as caretaker and counsel to Vahn, Lili, and, eventually, Naaza. Vahn learned through Tsubaki's memories all of the conversations she had with Lili and Naaza and it made him feel somewhat ashamed of his own emotional weakness at the time...

Vahn could see that the queue of memories was coming to an end and could see that some of them began to become intermixed with pinks and, toward the very end, there were even some passionate reds ones. It had been a 'long time' since Vahn had seen such colors in Tsubaki's memories and knew it was the affectionate and intimate moments they shared with each other approaching. Vahn got to see his change in disposition after recovering from his mental injury and how relieved Tsubaki had been after realizing he would be okay. She had been very melancholic after learning he had also fallen in the Dungeon and had been spending the nine days drinking herself to sleep at night, lamenting her own failure to take care of him...

When Vahn finally returned to the Manor, Tsubaki was incredibly relieved and marginally surprised by how much he had changed in such a short period of time. She found his change refreshing and supported his change to the best of her ability, even when he started to take some obvious liberties with her. Vahn got to experience the moment when he had 'teased' Tsubaki for the first time and felt a wave of emotions spread through his body. From that point on, even though she didn't actually consider himself a romantic partner, Tsubaki felt a strange sense of happiness knowing that a young boy thought she was beautiful...

Vahn slowly felt the changes in Tsubaki's thoughts and feelings as he watched himself continue to change very rapidly before her eyes. He got to experience her care, concerns, inhibitions, and the small expectations that had started to bud inside of her. However, the most predominant feeling that plagued Tsubaki when she was alone was indecisiveness and a fair amount of frustration because she could see how 'serious' Vahn was becoming about her, even though there were several younger girls around him. She had already given up on such things and, even though she harbored some whimsical thoughts, decided that she would eventually need to put a stop to his advances before it was too late and it became a burden to him...

Unfortunately, or perhaps not, Tsubaki had severely underestimated the rate of Vahn's change and she inevitably found herself in a very difficult position where she had to make an ultimatum. Though she had decided to turn him down, Tsubaki didn't want to hurt him and allowed him to attempt convincing her of his seriousness. This ended up being her biggest mistake, though Vahn could tell she was very happy later on, as there was no retreat left to her after realizing the changes to her own body. Denying Vahn's feelings when he had put in so much effort to 'prove' them to her would be unfair to the boy so Tsubaki decided to give him a chance...

Vahn got to experience Tsubaki's 'struggles' adapting to the sensitivity in her body and got to witness, with a wide-eyed expression, Tsubaki's personal 'exploration' of the changes that had occurred. Though he realized it every time they were together, Vahn felt like the Tsubaki in the memory was an incredibly beautiful woman and he was blessed to have been able to get closer to her...

Finally, things reached the point where Tsubaki received the message through the network that Vahn was approaching her Manor. She knew things were nearing a point of no return and decided to give Vahn one final test in order to create a barrier between the two of them in the future. Even if she ended up giving her body and heart to him, Tsubaki didn't want him to bear her burdens on his shoulders like the other girls. She needed to show him that she was a powerful woman and, even if things didn't work out between them, she would be able to move on without him having to worry about her...

Things didn't go as Tsubaki expected, however, and it was very frustrating to see how Vahn was able to peer into her heart so easily. Every time she hurt him during their 'duel', Tsubaki felt her own heart break a little because she knew that Vahn wasn't the type to compromise when it came to his own feelings. Unable to 'defeat' the boy before her, Tsubaki ended up giving in completely and simply decided to give being a 'woman' another chance. She had prided herself as a warrior and blacksmith before she was a woman, but Vahn didn't seem to stumble at all and quickly reached the point where he unearthed the relatively fragile heart beating in her chest...

'Experiencing' having s.e.x with himself was a very awkward thing for Vahn, but he still watched the memory and felt all of the emotions that had gone through Tsubaki at the time. He got to realize for himself the moment when she had actually fallen for him and it made everything after the fact feel more meaningful because he knew it was the union between two people that loved each other deeply. When Tsubaki felt the imprint on her body activate and guarantee her pregnancy, Vahn was nearly overwhelmed by her emotions and could even feel tears staining his cheeks...

After going through the ceremony to become Vahn's 'mistress', Tsubaki watched his retreating figure pass into the morning mist because walking into the secret location at the back of her own room where two pictures were enshrined. Unlike the previous times, when she had cried before the images, Tsubaki had a solemn expression as she 'apologized' to Jonas for having fallen in love again and prayed to both of them to watch over her from now on. She swore to become a great mother that cared for her future children and promised that they would have a father that cared for and loved them without abandoning them...

As this was the final memory, Vahn felt Tsubaki's presence next to him as she too watched it begin to fade. Vahn looked over and matched gazes with the powerful woman as a smile bloomed on her face and she said, "I'm sure you can understand it...but the thing I've always desired was a family. I want to create a happy family and prove to my father that he was wrong to have left us...but I'm not even sure if he is even alive. It's somewhat silly to think about, but I never got over the fact that he had left us and I was never able to meet him no matter how difficult things got...even when I experienced great successes and became a [Master Smith], he was never around for me to prove him wrong. Promise me, Vahn, that you will care for our children properly..."

Vahn nodded his head and embraced the avatar of Tsubaki as he said, "I will do my best to be a good father to our children, Tsubaki...not for your father, but because I love you..." The avatar of Tsubaki had returned his embrace with her own and, after hearing his words, said in a calm and gentle tone, "I know, Vahn...that is why I decided to place the hope I thought I had lost in you.." Her words finished, the avatar of Tsubaki tilted her head to the side and gave Vahn a passionate kiss that lasted until he inevitably opened his eyes in the real world.

Though he was unable to fulfill Tsubaki's heart's desire, for the time being, Vahn knew he would be able to accomplish it naturally in the future. She obviously had a trauma related to her father and Vahn knew he would have to work with the Dwarves of the Iron Hills one day. If her father was still alive, Vahn would track him down and beat the man on Tsubaki's behalf if he had to. Other than that, the only thing Vahn could do was show the strong woman the love she had always deserved. He also resolved himself to pay respects to her mother in the future, as that would likely make Tsubaki happy...

After confirming the dates in his own mind, though he planned to talk to Tsubaki about them later, Vahn pulled out the next orb and resolved himself to finish them all. The next orb was a pale yellow and belonged to Preasia, someone Vahn knew had a troubled past. However, he also knew that such girls often didn't place much significance on the past and, as he had expected, he ended up in the endless black space staring at the n.a.k.e.d Preasia as the world around them shattered into pieces. Vahn did notice a strange incongruity, however, as the image of Preasia in front of him was standing in front of a 'broken' version of herself laying on the ground.

Though there was a bit of distance between them, Vahn could hear the 'pristine' Preasia say, "I don't want to remember anything...the past is an insignificant memory filled with tragedy and suffering..." as she looked down at her previously scarred and battered body. Vahn had walked over and could see the Preasia laying on the ground had all the markings of her torture as she stared toward the void above with blank eyes. The 'pristine' version of Preasia looked down at her former self with tears in her eyes but Vahn could also see a fair amount of frustration and even a bit of disgust.

Preasia looked toward him with her light grey eyes and said, "Vahn...the only good things I have ever had in my life...are the things you have given to me...I know I may be a burden to you...but please let me keep this happiness that I have found..." Vahn c.o.c.ked his head to the side with a thoughtful expression on his face before he reached out his hand at pat Preasia on the head. Her body seemed to glow with happiness, but Vahn removed his hand shortly thereafter before kneeling down next to the catatonic Preasia on the ground. The pristine version seemed to be confused as she asked, "Vahn...what are you doing...? That me no longer exists..." Shaking his head, Vahn reached out his hands and, even though he shouldn't be able to use skills in this space, channeled his [Hands of Nirvana] and began treating the wounds of the girl on the ground.

In a soft tone, Vahn explained to the confused girl, "Even if we are able to move on from our past, it's not something we should neglect and forget. Though you look very different, this pitiful girl is the same as the pristine you that stands before me. If you can't accept your past, you will become a hollow and selfish existence..." As he spoke, Vahn continued to trace his hands unhesitantly across the injuries of the catatonic Preasia. The pristine version of herself stayed silent for the entire duration of the treatment until her past self had been completely healed. The only difference between the two of them now was the look in their eyes.

However, almost immediately after he had finished his treatment, the pristine Preasia kneeled down next to herself and stroked the lifeless face as she whispered, "Even though the scars have faded...I still feel like they are on my body..." As she spoke, Vahn could see the wounds that had been healed in the past start to appear on the previously pristine body of Preasia. She noticed it as well but, instead of panicking in terror, she looked at each mark with clear eyes before nodding her head and saying, "I can't escape my past...but please allow me to pursue the future I seek for myself...You should know, Vahn, but the real me still has one part you haven't healed yet..." Preasia placed her hands over her heart and looked at Vahn with a pleading gaze on her face as the entire scene finally collapsed into nothingness...

When he returned to the real world, Vahn spent a few minutes reflecting on how he should treat Preasia in the future. Even though she had obvious regrets, Vahn had actually completed her quest and she now had the 'Love' parameter at 227 points with the bracket parameter (Lovelorn). This showed that Preasia considered herself to be in love with him but was 'unhappy' because he didn't return her feelings. She was one of the more difficult girls to deal with but Vahn had already resolved himself the previous day to open up to her over time. As long as she continued to work hard for the future she wanted to obtain, Vahn couldn't find any reason to continue denying her affections. She would still need the guidance of some of the older women, but Vahn was confident things would go well as long as he treated her affections seriously. He didn't want to be like Finn, who had caused Tione so much pain and anxiety for several years...

The last two orbs belonged to Milan and Eina, one golden while the other was the same emerald green as Eina's eyes. After a brief moment of rumination, Vahn shattered the golden orb and prepared himself to witness Milan's past but the only thing that appeared before his eyes was Milan's n.a.k.e.d body with a smile on her face. Vahn was somewhat sad because he wanted to know more about her past but his melancholy was cleared up quickly when Milan hugged him tightly and said, "Thank you, Vahn...for looking after me and my daughter...please take care of us from now on..." Releasing a soft sight, Vahn hugged Milan's body and held her close as he said, "Even if you're happy with this outcome, I'm still going to find out more about your past later...as for taking care of you, that is something I can promise from the bottom of my heart..."

Vahn awoke in the real world with the happy laughter of Milan sounding in his ears as he looked toward the emerald orb and crushed it in his palm. He had completed Milan's [Hearts Desire], which simply seemed to desire personal comfort and a safe place for her and her daughter, and had unlocked her Love parameter at a somewhat frustrating value of 192. Milan was one of the first women he had met after arriving in Orario so it was a little disheartening to see her value was even lower than Lunoire's...

After time had come to a pause, Vahn found himself in another unique vision where he was in his own body except, instead of an endless black void, he was in a small room using Eina's thighs as a pillow as she stared down at him from above with a smile on her face. Vahn didn't know what to make of this situation at all until Eina whispered, "You know...I always wanted a little brother, Vahn..." before laughing in a happy tune as she stroked his head...

As if answering his confusion, Eina stroked the side of his face and explained, "Sorry, Vahn, but I don't have a tragic past like the other girls...I grew up relatively happy with parents that cared for me dearly. Though there were some that tried to put me down for being a Half-Elf, none of them were able to leave any real impact on my heart. With Riveria-sama's protection, my family was able to live without facing any real hardsh.i.p.s and both of my parents are kind people...I was even blessed to have a cute younger sister..." Eina began laughing playfully as she grabbed both sides of Vahn's face and stated in a serious tone, "Don't put your hands on her if you ever meet..."

Vahn swallowed a bit of saliva as Eina's pressure weighed down on him from above and he could see that she was especially serious. Though it was a bit shameless, Vahn had started to imagine what Eina's purportedly 'cute younger sister' looked like. She had seen the look on his face and wanted to make it very clear that she wasn't open to the idea of them ever being close. Vahn nodded his head and said, "I don't just go out looking for girls...I promise I won't do anything..." Eina began to laugh before releasing her vice-like grip of his face and stroking his head once again. After a short while passed, she mused, "I'm more afraid that she would be the one that tries to get close to you...so just make sure you don't give her that opportunity. You can't accept everyone that falls in love with you into your heart Vahn...besides, I feel like I would be very stressed out if you ever got in a relationship with her as well..."

It was a little awkward being lectured like this within Eina's [Hearts Desire] because Vahn knew that everything she was saying was her truest feelings. Though he had already said he wouldn't do anything, Vahn made a personal vow not to fall into the momentum of the girl when they inevitably met. If Eina was giving him a warning in her [Hearts Desire], there had to be a reason for it...likely the same reason for why she didn't attend the wedding of her own older sister...

For what felt like an hour, Vahn just lay on Eina's thighs as she pampered him and made casual conversation. Vahn had started to realize that her [Hearts Desire], other than apparently wanting a younger brother, was simply to care for him like she was doing presently. Knowing that such things brought her happiness made Vahn's heart feel warm so he said, "Eina, thank you for accepting a troublesome boy like me as your husband...my life wouldn't be the same if I didn't have you to bring me to my senses on occasion..."

Hearing Vahn's words, Eina's smile became very affectionate as her entire expression softened and she mused, "I'm happy to be your wife...even though I kind of just wanted to be your big sister...I just hope you can relax more in the future, Vahn...please tell me if you are ever hurting and I will do my best to help heal your heart. I don't want to see the future where you become a lonely Emperor..." Vahn nodded his head and was about to promise Eina that he wouldn't allow such a sad future to happen but his mind stalled when she leaned down while lifting his head and kissed his lips. Before Vahn could begin to enjoy the moment, he found himself standing next to his own workstation in a daze...

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Vahn checked the notification in the system and smiled widely after seeing that Eina's [Hearts Desire] had been fulfilled and her love parameter was actually quite high at 3,479, even though they actually didn't get to spend that much time together. However, Vahn was surprised to find that the bracket parameter was something he had never seen before and it made him release a peal of wry laughter as the image of the lovable Half-Elf appeared in his mind...

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//[Hearts Desire: Eina Tulle] fulfilled. Extra Parameter 'Love' unlocked.//

[Eina Tulle: Love 3,478(Sisterly Love)

//Bond Established with [Eina Tulle]//

//Optional Quest Triggered//

[Quest: A Man's Responsibility, Repeatable]

Rank: B-SS

Objective: I.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.e Eina Tulle(0). Ensure a safe delivery; Current Children(0)

Rewards: 100,000 OP, 1x [Guardian:(Nameless)]

Failure Condition(s): Death, Eina Tulle's Death, (Nameless) Child's Death

Penalty: 200 Karma (0)

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tsubaki's Strength...','Preasia's Trauma...','Onee-chan...')

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