Despite having inscribed his Familia Crest on more than a hundred people, Vahn still felt a swelling of pride whenever he left his mark on a beautiful woman. There was something about the process that excited his most primal instincts, and, though they weren’t exactly his, he couldn’t help feeling an inkling of possessiveness towards those who bore his mark.
Resisting the urge to give Garam’s butt a squeeze, Vahn retracted his hand after tracing the line of her back, smiling as he said, “It’s finished. From this moment onward, you’re now a member of the Aldrnari Familia. How do you feel…?”
A stark contrast to when he had inscribed his Familia Crest onto Yuri, Garam made sure to cover her chest with a towel as she sat up and answered, “Other than an itchy feeling on my back and a slight heat in my chest, I don’t really feel any different. I honestly expected a little more from the blessing of a God…”
Passing over her blouse, Vahn unashamedly continued to observe Garam as he explained, “Though there have been exceptions in the past, I don’t generally grant people power they haven’t earned. If you wish to become stronger, you will have to train or complete Quests. Either way, my blessing has effectively removed the limiters from your body. The only thing capable of holding you back at this point is your inhibitions and the limitations you impose upon yourself.”
Realizing that he wasn’t going to avert his eyes, Garam gave Vahn a deadpan look before turning her back and quickly fixing her clothes. Then, adopting a slightly accusatory tone, she looked back at him, saying, “You’re sending mixed signals. You heckle me about making assumptions regarding your intentions yet here you are gawking like a shameless voyeur…”
Shrugging his shoulders in response to Garam’s accusations, Vahn maintained a casual smile as he projected a pale blue system display, explaining, “Though there are a functionally infinite number of Quests available, these are the ones that should interest you the most. Keep in mind that you can only accept one at a time, so, before deciding on something more difficult, you should complete a few simpler Quests to confirm the blessing is functioning properly.”
Seeing a number of Quests related to her personal life and other sensitive matters, Garam couldn’t help but harden her expression as she observed, “It seems you really do possess the power to know a person’s darkest secrets. Some of these Quests give off an extremely manipulative vibe…”
Rather than refute the statement, Vahn nodded his head, explaining, “Quests generated for specific people are directly related to their fate. It has very little to do with my knowledge. Though I do have the power to willfully generate Quests, these are generally amalgamated from my innermost desires and the purpose I have assigned myself. You might find it difficult to believe, but I have never once produced a quest with the intent to deceive or manipulate another. Notions such as that are wholly human in nature. As my actions have, and will continue to prove, I don’t require others to act on my behalf. I am more than capable of carrying out my will with my own hand.”
Surprised by Vahn’s resolute tone, Garam found herself at a momentary loss for words. Then, after several seconds of silence, a seemingly amused smile spread across her face as she remarked, “I’m starting to understand why Ureko has taken an interest in you. You aren’t bound to the same logic as we mortals. You just go at your own pace, acting as you believe you should without caring about the broader implications of your actions…you’re like a sapient natural disaster.”
Unable to restrain himself, a tired sigh escaped Vahn’s throat as he pulled out a towel to wipe his hands. Then, in a moderately disinterested tone, he said, “The more you try to define me, the more you set yourself up to be surprised. I care a lot more than most people about the consequences of my actions. I just understand the futility of trying to establish a hierarchal society and engaging in pointless political games. People are simply incapable of ruling over others for an extended period of time without giving rise to a system of rampant corruption. Rather than waste my time trying to bring the masses under my thumb, I would rather rein in those who would misuse their powers for personal gain. In the end, the most effective way to prevent corruption is to hold those at the top accountable for their actions.”
Growing bored of the conversation, Vahn half-turned to indicate he was preparing to leave. Before doing so, however, he adopted a severe expression that prompted Garam’s body to tense up as he added, “Nobody has the right to suppress and maliciously exploit others. I don’t care if they are a God, an Emperor, a King, or even a peasant. Those that cross my path will be held accountable for their actions…you would do well to keep that in mind…Princess…”
Finished with his warning, Vahn vanished from the room without so much as a single spatial ripple. Immediately thereafter, Garam felt like a mountain had been removed from her chest, her breathing becoming ragged as she leaned against the table for support. Despite this, an expectant smile had found its way to her face, and, though she had the impression Vahn was still observing her, a laugh began to emanate from her throat as a few crystalline tears rolled down her cheeks…
—
Following a series of chaotic yet exhilarating days within the Little Garden, Vahn emerged alongside Ureko and Garam in the latter’s icy abode. There, an inordinately tall and burly man with grey skin, purple eyes, and two prominent horns could be seen waiting patiently, his body cloaked in a thick, fur-collared, mantle.
Without missing a beat, the man offered a courteous bow towards Garam, his deep voice filled with deferential reverence as he said, “Welcome back, Princess.”
Adopting her characteristically predatory smile, Ureko interrupted Garam’s return greeting, stating, “My, aren’t you bold? Even with a Dragon Emperor and the strongest person in the Tower present, you choose to greet Garam alone. You’re lucky I’m in a good mood, brat.”
Swallowing nervously in spite of the vast size disparity between himself and Ureko, the cloaked man was about to apologize when Garam fearlessly ‘bonked’ the mischievous blonde on the back of her head, saying, “Don’t pick on my subordinates.” in a firm tone.
Without so much as flinching from the punch, Ureko tittered in response to Garam’s words before setting her ruby-red eyes on Vahn and asking, “So, what are you going to do from now on? Want to travel together for a while? With that Little Garden of yours, I shouldn’t have any problems entering areas intended for Regulars.”
Though spending time with Ureko could be surprisingly fun, Vahn didn’t hesitate to shake his head, saying, “It will unnecessarily complicate things if we travel together. Don’t pretend you’ll be able to just sit back and watch when I go into battle. Besides, don’t you need to deal with Hell Joe and track down the people responsible for manipulating him?”
Clicking her tongue, Ureko appeared right in front of Vahn, a serious expression on her face as she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to eye level. Then, with a dangerous gleam in her eyes, she asked in an aloof yet direct manner, “Do you not like spending time with me…?”
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn ignored the looks from Garam and her subordinate as he placed a scant kiss on Ureko’s lips. This caused her eyes to widen quite a bit, as, despite her bold nature, she had very little experience with even the simplest displays of affection.
With a healthy glow spreading into her cheeks, Ureko pushed Vahn away with enough force to send him smashing into the nearby wall before cupping her cheeks and exclaiming, “How brazen~!” with a notably silly smile on her face. Then, seemingly ignorant to the fact she had sent him crashing into the wall, she pumped her hand into a fist and added, “Yosh! Just you wait! I’ll finish gathering all the panties in no time! Look forward to it~!”
As if she was heading off to do just that, Ureko created a rather violent ripple in the surrounding space as her figure vanished along with a burst of golden light. Shortly thereafter, Vahn emerged from the ruins of Garam’s former abode, a weary expression on his face as he matched gazes with the pale-haired Princess’ and said, “You should get going as well. When you meet with Gustang, tell him I’m not particularly fond of his way of doing things. If he doesn’t get the affairs of his family in order, it is only a matter of time before I deal with him personally…”
Though they had never discussed her affiliation with Gustang, Garam was no longer surprised by Vahn’s casual mention of closely-guarded secrets. Instead, she felt more exasperated than anything else, arms crossed as she half-heartedly replied, “I’ll pass it on…”
Raising his hand in a gesture of farewell, Vahn followed Ureko’s example of performing a spatial transference of his own. His, however, was infinitely less flashy, as, rather than tearing through the dimensional membrane and traveling at faster-than-light speeds, he was simply moving to another point in his domain.
Now alone, excluding her silent companion, a tired sigh escaped Garam’s throat as she performed a gesture not all that dissimilar to Vahn when he was especially frustrated, combing through her own hair. Then, with a resolute glimmer flashing across her icy-white eyes, she directed her gaze towards her subordinate, saying, “Thank you for staying with me all this time. From here onwards, however, I will need to journey alone. Return to the others and explain to them that Arlen’s prophecy has been invalidated. From now on, we should avoid committing to any decisive action until the Sage Dragon Emperor has completed his journey. If his words are true, the way forward will invariably be open in the next few years. Even if this proves false, however, we cannot afford to carelessly oppose him. He is a threat that eclipses both Jahad and Ureko. Until we have a better grasp of his true intentions, it is best to simply observe…”
Following a respectful bow, the burly figure promptly pivoted before hastily departing to pass on Garam’s words. This left the pale-haired Princess truly alone, a somber expression briefly appearing on her face as she pulled out a peculiar Pocket and muttered, “Sorry, Arlen…it seems like even your prophetic abilities couldn’t account for the intervention of a foreign God. At least Jahad will still be held accountable for his actions…”
Shaking her head, Garam placed the Pocket on the ground before placing her hands in the pockets of her parka and departing like a normal person. Her time in the Little Garden had opened her mind to a number of higher concepts, but, more than any other lesson, it was Vahn’s assertions regarding fate that left the deepest impression. She still had countless doubts, but, rather than concern herself with things she couldn’t control, she now wanted to try shaping her own fate. After all, if there really were worlds beyond the Tower’s peak, there was no way in hell she was going to remain cooped up inside a veritable prison…
As this thought crossed her mind, an increasingly common look of expectation returned to Garam’s face as she willed her Quest interface to open. Then, similar to Ureko, a predatory smile developed across her face as she mused, “I suppose it’s time for a family reunion…”
———————————————-
[Chain Quest: A Dish Best Served Cold I]
Rank: S~SSS
Objective(s): Expose the secret regarding the ‘Ghost of the 13 Month Series'(0/1), Kill or Capture 10 Ranked members of the Jahad Family(0/10), Kill or Capture 10 members of the Royal Enforcement Division(0/10)
Optional Objective(s): Collect the entirety of the 13 Month Series(2/13), Remove [Jahad’s Blood Curse] from at least three other Princesses(0/3), Publically declare war against the Jahad Empire(0/1)
Rewards: 8,000,000,000 Variable Experience, 1x[Sisterly Bond], 1x[Avenging Angel’s Dress]
Failure Conditions: Death, Forfeiture of Quest, 3Y:11M:25D:17H:43M:02S
Penalty: N/A
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: ‘Just do it…!’,’Ureko is surprisingly bashful (O w O)…’,’That is bound to be one hell of a reunion…’)
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