Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Sensing a faint yet determined intent attempting to lock onto his position, Vahn's brows perked up as he remarked, "It would appear your guests have arrived."

Hearing Vahn's words, Sandora raised her head from his chest, a hint of confusion in her eyes as she asked, "Guests...?"

Though it would potentially cause some problems if anyone were present to witness it, Sandora was currently curled atop Vahn's lap as the latter made himself comfortable on her throne. There was no hidden meaning behind this. Sandora just wanted to be pampered a bit after blazing through most of her responsibilities in record time.

Fortunately, even if someone were to rush towards and attempt to enter Throne Room, Vahn could extend the moment before their arrival to a functional eternity. Sandora was fully aware of this, so, ever since Vahn had guided her through one of the most insufferable moments of her life, she had developed a penchant for being held. It made her feel safe, warm, and, most importantly, closer to the man she loved.

"The one outside is named Kasukabe Yo. You've yet to meet her, but she is an amazing and friendly young woman. As for the others, I imagine they're currently exploring the city...?"

Helping Sandora put a face to the name she had already been made aware of, Vahn created a 3D projection of Yo observing the Palace from her perch. This caught Sandora by surprise, not because she hadn't seen him use projection magic, but because Yo was a remarkably beautiful woman.

"You never mentioned how pretty she was..."

"Mmm...I find it's best not to actively discuss other women unless the one I'm with actively inquires about them..."

Recalling the existence of Vahn's rather vast harem, a hint of solemnity appeared in the depths of Sandora's deep blue eyes as she asked, "Is this...Kasukabe Yo one of your women...?"

Though they had yet to make things 'official', Vahn imagined that Yo would be sad if she heard him deny such a question. Thus, after a very brief moment of deliberation, he nodded his head and said, "Yes. While it would be more accurate to argue we're just close friends, the only thing preventing us from taking things further is Yo's desire to support her friends..."

Tilting her head in confusion, Sandora asked, "What do you mean...?" before immediately regretting it as Vahn detailed the situation between him, Jin, and, most importantly, Lily.

Under normal circumstances, Sandora would be over the moon to learn more about her two friends from childhood. She missed both of them dearly, and, even now, never understood why the Alliance between their two Communities had been annulled.

"Jin..."

As troubling as the information regarding Lily was, the thing that impacted Sandora most were the revelations related to Jin. Most people likened their relationship to the bond between brother and sister, but, deep down, Sandora had always had a crush on Jin. When they were both six years old, she attempted to get him to promise to marry her once they matured. She expected him to relent, but, shortly after she started pressuring him, Jin ran out of the bath with teary eyes and a blush on his face...

Though a faint smile developed across her face due to the fond memory, it faded rather quickly when Sandora noticed Vahn observing her with his characteristic smile. She immediately became embarrassed, cheeks tinting red as she averted her eyes and remarked, "I...it's nothing..."

Adopting a marginally more affectionate smile, Vahn answered, "It isn't nothing. In fact, it's perfectly understandable. Never suppress your emotions for the benefit of others. Openness and honesty are two of the most important pillars of a lasting relationship. This may come as a surprise, but many of the women I'm closest to even had families and children long before I came along..."

Emphasizing his point, Vahn showed projections of Hephaestus, Loki, Aki, Chloe, Lunoire, Anubis, Tsubaki, Milan, Freya, Demeter, Shizune, Rufina, Aisha, Kali, Rin, Ereshkigal, and many, many others. Each was a woman who had formerly been in love with someone else, married, or had children. The case of Demeter was one of the most noteworthy, as, prior to settling down with him, she had given birth to hundreds of children and married multiple times.

Such matters may concern others, but, in Vahn's case, he actually found motherly and experienced women the most relaxing to be around. They knew exactly what they want, and, unlike some of the younger and more inexperienced women, they felt significantly less inclined to experiment or push boundaries in the bedroom. Even Loki was no exception to this. The moment she noticed he was pushing himself or suffering from mental fatigue, she would practically force him to just stop and relax. It was something few would expect from such a chaotic entity, and, over time, it became one of the aspects Vahn most loved about her...

Seeing the startling number of women that apparently had relationships prior to Vahn, Sandora was at a complete and utter loss for words. She knew, or, at the very least believed Vahn wasn't the type to intrude on other people's relationships for his personal benefit. There were just so many...

"..."

Noticing the pensive expression on Sandora's face, Vahn asked, "Is something the matter?" while tilting his head to the side to get a better look at her.

Turning to meet Vahn's gaze, Sandora hesitated for a brief moment before asking, "Have...have any of your wives or lovers ever left you? Have you ever left any of them...?"

Providing Sandora considerable relief, Vahn immediately shook his head, answering, "None. From the moment of my first confession till now, there has never been a single instance of anyone falling out of love with me or vice-versa. There have been quite a few bumps along the way, but, no matter how difficult or strained things became, we always managed to overcome it together..."

Though images of Scathach briefly flashed across his mind, Vahn knew she had never left him. Her desire for death may have exceeded his ability to remedy, but, at no point in time did he ever lose her heart. In fact, she had gone out of her way to leave it with him...

Noticing the hint of loneliness in Vahn's eyes, an indescribable pain manifested in Sandora's heart. She didn't know why but it felt 'wrong' for Vahn to have such an expression, so, after a moment of hesitation, she grabbed the sides of his face and parroted his words to her, promising, "No matter what...I will always be with you..."

With an affectionate yet wry smile on his face, Vahn prepared himself for the inevitable kiss that was coming. To his surprise, Sandora didn't aim for his lips when she drew his head towards her. Instead, show borrowed another page out of his book by planting a chaste yet lasting kiss on his forehead.

Separating her lips from Vahn's head, Sandora couldn't help giggling when she saw the befuddled look on his face. Immediately thereafter, a remarkably radiant smile developed across her face as she playfully inquired, "What? Were you expecting something else...?"

Supplying a chuckle of his own, Vahn returned Sandora's forehead kiss with one atop her crown before holding her close and whispering, "You become more amazing with each passing day..."

Leaning into Vahn's embrace, the smile on Sandora's face relaxed into the content expression she had been wearing with increasing frequency. She was still a little worried regarding the situation with Lily and Jin, but, having already made her choice, she decided to prioritize her own happiness over the concerns of others. She had lived her entire life trying to make other people happy. It was her turn to experience it...

...

..

After observing the Palace for several minutes, Yo was thoroughly convinced that Vahn was inside. Since she didn't have their invitation, however, she made no attempt to approach the palace guards or break inside. Instead, she made her way over to the coliseum in order to register for the Battle of the Creators. Today was the final day of registration, so, as much as she wanted to drop in and see what Vahn was up to, Yo decided to focus on her original objective.

Approaching one of the many kiosks separating the coliseum's interior from the outside, Yo was pleasantly surprised to find a Lizardman with vaguely feminine features manning the window. While fluff was supreme, the ruggedness of scales had a charm of its own. Yo also noticed the woman put a considerable amount of effort into her grooming, so, the moment it was her turn to approach the window, she couldn't help remarking, "You have very pretty scales." with a sincere and unmistakably excited smile on her face.

Though she was briefly taken aback by Yo's sudden compliment, a somewhat scary smile, at least to the vast majority of people, developed across the Lizardwoman's face as she rebutted, "You ain't so bad yourself, girly. Now, how can I help you? Don't think flattery will get you free entry..."

Shaking her head, Yo reached into her pocket to pull out a tiny pouch filled with gem-like crystals. She had made a habit out of accepting simple Quests from the Quest Board, so, while most of the items she received were junk, a few rewarded her with things like Mana Crystals and Magic Stones. Yo didn't really understand what the difference was but most businesses eagerly accepted them as a form of payment.

Sensing the magical energy contained within the tiny pouch, the Lizardwoman flickered her tongue out of sheer instinct. Items containing magical energy weren't particularly rare in the Little Garden but no one in their right mind used them for simple transactions. In the Lower Realms, Yo's actions were the equivalent of pulling out a pouch full of gold coins to pay for a single stick of gum.

"I wish to register my Community for the Battle of Creators. My Community doesn't have a name but I have a referral letter from Shiroyasha-sama, the Eastern Floor Master. If this isn't the correct place, please tell me where I need to go."

Hearing the woman before her casually mention possessing a referral letter from the Eastern, aka the Strongest Floor Master, the Lizardwoman's jaw muscles promptly loosened into a slack-jawed expression. Fortunately, one of her Managers, a young woman with dark skin, purple hair, and cat-like features had been close by. When she heard Yo mention the letter, she immediately sauntered over, asking, "May I please see the letter? Once I have confirmed its authenticity, we'll also need you to follow us somewhere to verify your identity."

As Shiroyasha had mentioned that something like this might occur, Yo nodded her head but didn't hand over the letter. She had been told to keep it on her person at all times, so, in response to the woman's words, she explained, "You'll need to verify it without touching it directly. Shiroyasha-sama told me to hold onto it no matter what."

To Yo's surprise, the feline woman actually relaxed when she heard her response. What she didn't know was that the woman's words had been a test of sorts. Had she actually handed over the letter, they would have been forced to detain her in accordance with protocol. A surprisingly high number of people thought they could get away with pretty much anything by forging the seal or signature of a Floor Master. By invoking Shiroyasha's name and refusing to hand over the document despite scrutiny, Yo had effectively proven her identity. Had she been lying, the letter would have burst into flames.

"I understand. Please follow me to my office. I will help process your registration, and, if necessary, help you check into a room. We don't normally allow contestants to stay in the coliseum during the festival but we're more than willing to make an exception for a VIP such as yourself."

Though she followed after the woman, Yo refused the offer for a room by explaining she would be staying at the Palace. She wasn't aware of it, but this immediately elevated her position in the mind of the Manager. Once Yo's registration had been completed, she even gave her a ruby-red keycard that would allow her access to most of the coliseum's facilities. More importantly, it allowed her to basically take anything she wanted from the various stores and gift shops found within. As a guest of the Salamandra Royal Family, she wasn't merely a VIP. She was a Super VIP.

...

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Jin can't catch a break...','Sandora got them uno reverse card strats...','Yo is an equal opportunity Mofu Master (U w U)...')