endless path, infinite cosmos

chapter 64

Though Tsubaki invited them along, Miach had his Familia thank the Hephaestus Familia before parting ways. Even though it wasn't wrong to celebrate Naaza's return, he wanted to give his children time to mourn the death of their comrades. He also needed to arrange the time to visit the Guild and issue a formal investigation request. Miach would not rest until the duo that leads to the death of his children were brought to justice.

Tsubaki understood his concerns and let Miach know the Hephaestus Familia would cooperate with the investigation. Though it had been an indirect result, the duo almost led to the death of Vahn as well, since the misunderstanding that caused him to be attacked would have never happened without the 'pass parade'. If Tsubaki got her hands on the two, she would string them both up to dry in the sun if she had her way.

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The two groups parted ways and Tsubaki led the members of the Hephaestus Familia to the Hostess of Fertility. Vahn and Lili both visited frequently and it was the best place they could think of to celebrate with a large number of people. Upon their arrival, the group was greeted by Anya who quickly got Mama Mia to settle the matter of seating arrangements while she went to inform Chloe. Whenever she was on duty, Chloe was the waitress that always dealt with Vahn and his accompanying guests.

After Mama Mia learned the purpose of the groups visit, she began to laugh loudly similar to Tsubaki. She looked towards Vahn with a huge smile on her face and said, "You got a real heroic streak in you kid! First the little one and now you got yourself a big one in the bag? At this rate, you're going to break our Chloe's heart. Hahaha!" Mama Mia had seen Chloe approaching and said the final few words loud enough the entire pub could hear.

Chloe gave an awkward laugh while trodding over to the group. "Mama Mia~! You're embarrassing me~nya! I'm happy as long as Vahn is happy you know~?" Though she acted embarrassed, Chloe didn't display a bashful demeanor or shy expression. She even used the last few words to tease Vahn by giving him a playful wink. Vahn returned a smile and sat between Tsubaki and Lili as the rest of the Familia started placing their orders.

Everyone was in high spirits as they were celebrating the safe return and heroic deeds of their younger Familia members. For many, it was their first time actually meeting Vahn and Lili, so they were very interested to know what kind of people they were. Seeing how much emphasis their Goddess put in his 'rescue' and how quickly they were asked to gather, many of them wanted to establish an amicable relationship with the rising star.

Vahn answered many of their questions while Tsubaki intercepted anything that might relate to his secret. She didn't shut anyone down directly, but always interrupted and changed the topic of conversation. Vahn was really grateful for her help, as he wasn't accustomed to dealing with so many people at once. Even Lili and Chloe would periodically step in to change the atmosphere or even distract Vahn when he seemed to have trouble responding.

The members of the rescue party quickly caught on that it wasn't appropriate to ask too many personal questions about Vahn. Most of their members were Level 3 or higher, and they had been familiar with Tsubaki for a very long time. It wasn't an accident that Hephaestus had arranged for Tsubaki, who is the Captain of the entire Familia, to be the one leading the emergency mission. Instead of prying any deeper, they just gave into the festive atmosphere and drank their curiosity while teasing Vahn for his apparent 'luck' with women.

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The party continued late into the night before Mama Mia finally kicked everyone out. Tsubaki paid the tab for the entire group which roused a cheer from the whole party as they parted ways into the cold night. After everyone left, Tsubaki escorted Vahn and Lili home before having them take turns bathing and sending them off to bed. Since it was a special occasion, she told them to take the next day off and relax.