endless path, infinite cosmos

chapter 161

After everyone had introduced themselves and settled in, Hephaestus went over the constraints of the vow and had everyone agree before each party formed the contract. Even the tiny Tina said the vow without any hesitation as she began treating the other girls in the area like her rivals. The only person that hesitated was Arnya, but she didn't want to be the only one left out so she eventually caved in and made the oath. Imagining Chloe alone and surrounded by girls she had labeled as 'enemies' didn't sit well with her.

Once everyone had made the oath, Hephaestus sat down and allowed Eina to take over the discussion. Eina looked at everyone and spoke in a very polite and professional manner as she said, "As Hephaestus said previously, you have all been invited here to discuss the past, present, and future of Vahn. Now you all have a better understanding of each others situations, but there are still two people who have yet to speak."

Eina scanned her eyes across everyone at the table as she introduced herself. "Greetings, my name is Eina Tulle, and I am currently the fiancee of Vahn." The moment her words sounded, it was like a bomb had been dropped on the center of the table. Other than a few unaffected people, everyone else looked at Eina like she had just said the most ridiculous thing they could imagine. After all this setup and introductions, she suddenly tells everyone that she is going to marry Vahn?

The two that had the most adverse reaction to Eina's words were Chloe and Loki. Chloe gave Eina a cold look, almost as if she had marked the beautiful half-elf for death. Loki's eyes had opened slightly as she looked between Eina and Hephaestus with a contemplative expression on her face. As if to answer the question that had been forming in her mind, Eina continued, "It is true, but it isn't just me..."

With Eina's lead, Hephaestus spoke out to piggyback the statement, "I'm Hephaestus, Goddess of the Hephaestus Familia, and I am also engaged with Vahn." If Eina's words had been a bomb, Hephaestus's had been like a strategic class magical spell. Even Tiona, Ais, and Rivieria, who were previously unaffected by the words of Eina, had mildly shocked expressions on their face. However, after a few seconds passed, Tiona began to laugh in a silly manner as she muttered, "Looks like my prestige as Vahn's first is going to get a massive overhaul~"

Though she spoke in a low voice, more than half the girls present had dog and cat ears which had picked up on the muted words Tiona spoke to Ais. The atmosphere immediately became tense as Hephaestus slammed her palm onto the table to draw everyone's attention. In a firm tone, she said, "Everything will be explained, and until then I would suggest everyone be patient. Just considering the number of women present for this meeting, you should understand the necessity of Vahn having two first-wives!"

Everyone was quiet and considered Hephaestus's words for a few moments before Eina spoke out and interrupted their thoughts, "I have discussed this with Hephaestus, but you all need to be aware of something fundamental regarding Vahn. Though I believe Chloe had noticed it previously, Vahn is a broken individual. He has no brakes and needs to be reigned in, or else he might deviate onto a dangerous path which causes all of us to have regrets."

While everyone else was quiet, Loki asked, "It has something to do with his origins, right? That must be why you mentioned discussing his 'past' and having everyone take a vow." Loki had set aside her mischevious nature and was now fully serious as she followed the conversation. She had a deeply rooted interest in Vahn and his origin, and now she had the opportunity to hear the words from the most reliable source.

Eina nodded her head in response to Loki and then began recounting the tale that Vahn had told her. Since it had only been a day, the matter was still fresh on her mind and Hephaestus supplemented with her own input on the areas she was somewhat confused about. The duo told the group about Vahn's origins and that he was likely, at least, 75% god. They went into detail about how Vahn had been taken away from his mother at a very early age and suffered severe trauma and experimentation by various individuals until he was finally rescued by a mystery woman who had taken him to the Western Forests. They recounted how Vahn spent a period of time in intense training while learning survival and hunting skills in preparation for finally becoming an adventurer.