chapter 129

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Though Vahn was incredibly angry at Loki's behavior, he had been in a bit of a daze after Hephaestus pressed his face into her breasts. Though he would have liked to admit it was due to the intimate action, the real reason for Vahn's current daze was the notifications that had sounded from the system. Since he had come into contact with Loki earlier, he was now able to see her affection for him as well as the existence of a new mission.

[Loki]: Affection: 53(Neutral), Intrigue: 100(Insatiable Curiosity)

//Optional Quest Triggered//

[Quest: Forge an Alliance, Progressive]

Rank: I-SSS

Objective: Convince Gods/Goddesses to form an alliance between their Familia(s). Current Allies (0)

Rewards: 10,000 OP x Familia Rank. Currents Ranks (-). Quest completion rank depends on the total number of allies.

Failure Condition(s): Death, Host Familia Destroyed, Alliance Dissolved

Penalty: 100,000 OP

Vahn was rapidly trying to process the new information, but Hephaestus ended up speaking out before he could form a cohesive plan. "Speak, what are you planning Loki?" Hephaestus was holding her glare as she looked at the indifferent expression of Loki. At this point, Loki was leaning against the table and supporting her head with one of her hands as she looked at the interaction between Hephaestus and Vahn.

After staring at Hephaestus for a few seconds, Loki scanned her eyes around the room as she slowly stated, "For now, how about we identify where everyone stands..." Loki stopped her eyes on Naaza and Lili as she said, "You two girls must be people that Vahn saved. Its easy to see the dependency you have for the boy..." Turning her head to Tsubaki, Loki smile a bit and said, "And I'm guessing you're supposed to be protecting Vahn?"

Before the three girls could answer, Hephaestus said in a sharp tone, "Loki, stop playing games!" After she spoke, Loki looked toward her and opened her eyes slightly as she responded, "I am being very serious right now. Don't think that, just because you found Vahn first, you are the only one interested in him. We need to make everything clear, or it will be impossible to move forward in the discussion."

Vahn picked up on her words, and he finally decided to take action. Though he didn't have a concrete plan, Vahn knew he didn't like how Loki was acting, so he pulled away from Hephaestus and glared at the tiny goddess as he said, "I don't like how you treat people. Even if you're 'interested' in me, I have no desire to be used by someone with such a sickening and chaotic presence. We already made an agreement earlier, and if you try going after the people I care about to gain an advantage, I will never stop opposing you."

The moment his words fell, his domain spread out and once again started pressuring the goddess who seemed intent on causing trouble. Loki furrowed her brows a bit, but her smile didn't fade as she said, "That was an agreement between the two of us, this is fundamentally different. Right now I'm trying to negotiate with Hephaestus, and you don't have any grounds to stand on. If she expects me to keep your secrets, there obviously needs to be something to gain on my end. I'm not going to act just to make things more convenient to others; especially when your matters will involve my 'children'."

Vahn maintained his domain, but he felt a bit of his anger recede as he watched her chaotic aura stabilize a bit when she was mentioning her 'children'. He could understand that she seemed to care about them, but she continued to exploit people regardless. It made no sense to Vahn because it seemed like she was contradicting her own desires in pursuit of benefits. However, Vahn wasn't willing to let her do as she pleased, so he continued to pressure Loki as he said, "Even you seem to think I will be able to accomplish many things in the future, so why pursue immediate gains and cause strife? We could work together and benefit each other, instead of trying to exploit one another."

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