endless path, infinite cosmos

chapter 182

Leaving Loki on the couch, Vahn moved to the opposite couch where he was flanked by Tiona and Ais as Lefiya stood at the side and Tione took the place where Vahn had left an occupancy next to Loki. After everyone had found a spot where they were comfortable, Tiona asked, "So, what happened to cause you to turn Loki-sama into putty?" She still had an amused grin on her face since she had never seen her goddess in such a compromised state.

Vahn explained everything that happened during his private meeting with Loki, including the parts concerning Divinity, [Enkidu], and pregnancy. As for the reason why Loki was currently a goddess-shaped blob, Vahn explained that she was acting brazenly after getting drunk and he decided to help her relax so she wouldn't be so restless.

Loki, who heard his explanation uttered in a distressed and tired voice, "Don't listen to him...He didn't help me relax at all..." However, though she was speaking the truth, none of the girls present seemed to care about her current state. Lefiya looked as though she was enjoying Loki's suffering while Ais just muttered in a plain tone, "Sneaky..." She then grabbed Vahn's right hand with hers and gave him a somewhat inquisitive look.

Vahn understood what she was trying to ask, so he began to channel his [Hands of Nirvana] with the intent of 'relaxing'. Ais felt the warm energy enter into her hands so she smiled and said, "Pleasant feeling..." Tiona seemed to be incited by her actions and took Vahn's other hand and asked if he could do the same for her, so he did.

Tione stared at the three with a bit of annoyance and asked, "Does it really feel that good?" In response to her question, Ais nodded her head while Tiona just started laughing with a cheerful expression on her face. Ever since she had lost her virginity to Vahn, Tione had been bugging her for details a lot. There was even an incident where she tried to sneak into Finn's quarters in the middle of the night before being promptly booted out.

For the next hour or so, the entire group continued to talk about the events that had taken place since the meeting between the other girls. Though Lefiya blushed after knowing Vahn was aware of her presence at the meeting, she still contributed to the conversation a bit. Both Tiona and Ais ended up apologizing to Vahn for pressuring him into having sex with them. In response, Vahn frowned and shook his head as he denied them any blame. He admitted that he was just as curious as Ais, and the entire reason he had shown up that day was that he genuinely cared about Tiona's desire for children.

Even though Vahn agreed that things had developed too fast, he explained to both girls that he cared about them deeply. He told Tiona how he liked her active and cheerful demeanor and how she was always outgoing. For Ais, he explained how, though she might seem to lack expression, he greatly appreciated her kindness and admired her strength. When they had dueled after their first meeting, she constantly tried to take his state-of-mind into consideration and tried to encourage him to grow stronger.

Ultimately, Vahn managed to convince both girls to not blame themselves for what had happened, and Vahn even expressed his intention to continue their relationships in the future. From now on, they would constantly be together on expeditions, and Vahn wanted to protect them both while trying to increase his own strength. When the conversation got to this point, Tiona was in high tensions and had glued herself to Vahn's body while Ais leaned against his shoulder while still holding onto his hand.

Lefiya had a somewhat sad expression as she watched the three acting so affectionately toward each other while she stood off to the side on her own. She had known Vahn just as long as Tiona and Ais, and they have even shared a few intimate moments in the past. Vahn had always been kind to her and tried to cheer her up when she was scared with the same warm hands that were held by Tiona and Ais. Remembering his hand against her back in the fight against the Goliath and his subsequent collapse from the mental attack, Lefiya felt a bit saddened to be left out.