After accepting Anubis as a subordinate, Vahn quickly scanned the notifications in his system and saw she had a Loyalty value of 70, which seed pretty high considering the circ.u.mstances. Anubis, who had heard Vahn agree to allow her to repay her debt, bowed low in a deferential manner while saying, "Please order as you will. As long as it does not go against my principles, I will do my best to fulfill your commands."
Seeing the sowhat mature exotic beauty bow to him, Vahn felt his heart palpitate a bit before he turned to look at Hephaestus. She seed to be looking at Anubis with a contemplative look but, noticing Vahn’s gaze, she turned toward him and spoke. "You should have her make a vow, or there is nothing binding her to the debt. If things are left as they are, she could just flee the City the mont you drop your guard."
Anubis raised her head and frowned at Hephaestus’s accusation, but before she could refute she saw Vahn shaking her head. "That isn’t necessary Hephaestus. Even if she fled the City, I wouldn’t stop her. Though she may have acted a bit rashly, she is also one of the victims of this event. I don’t mind if she takes her children and continues to live as she pleases." As Vahn finished his words, he noticed the Loyalty value of Anubis increase to 74 which surprised him a little.
"I will never forsake my pride and do sothing so shaless. I don’t mind making a vow, and I certainly will not flee the City. Even if Vahn-sama has no use for , I will do my best to ensure his life is not burdened by my presence." Anubis spoke the worlds boldly and without hesitation while looking into Hephaestus’s eyes. Hephaestus didn’t seem entirely convinced as she asked, "And how long do you plan to serve him? When is your debt ’repaid’?"
Anubis tilted her head slightly like she was confused. After a brief mont, she said, "My actions may have resulted in the death of an innocent. I will repent for a life with a life. As long as Vahn-sama draws breath, I will continue to serve him." Vahn noticed that, once again, Anubis’s loyalty had increased. She now had a value of 77, but Vahn wasn’t entirely focused on that as his eyes were drawn to the twitching ears on her head.
Hephaestus sighed as she could see how serious Anubis was being. She felt a headache begin to build inside her head as she ntally added another potential ’problem’ that she would have to deal with in the future. Gathering her thoughts, Hephaestus spoke while looking into Anubis’s eyes, "Then go ahead and make your vow-" Before she could finish, Vahn interrupted, "I said that wasn’t necessary. Even if I accept her as a subordinate so she can repay her debts, I will not bind soone into a life-bound contract or vow. The idea of restricting the freedom of another person makes my stomach sour..."
Both Anubis and Hephaestus were surprised by Vahn’s interruption but strangely, after a bit of ti had passed, they both issued subtle smiles toward the boy. Hephaestus felt a little proud at seeing Vahn’s firm stance on the matter, but she still had to make a compromise of her own. She looked towards the smiling face of Anubis before sighing, "If that is his decision, I won’t interfere. However, I will have you make a vow to cooperate with the Guild’s investigation to deal with Osiris. I assu that will not be a problem for you?"
Hearing Hephaestus ntion Osiris, Anubis couldn’t help but frown in dissatisfaction as she said, "That scoundrel deserves everything coming to him. The night of the raid, I couldn’t believe how many criminals he had been keeping as ’children’. As he can also see souls, he had to know what kind of people were in his Familia. The fact he allowed murderers and other foul-hearted people to represent him sickens ." For those that could see souls, they also had the power to roughly determine what kind of person soone was based on the colors contained within. For murderers, rapists, and scoundrels, they would often have flakes of black or putrid greens contaminating their souls.
After their agreent, Hephaestus and Anubis went through the process of establishing the vow and arranging when they would report to the Guild. Since it was very difficult to detain a god for long without charges, they decided to take care of it within the next two days. After they had co to an agreent, Hephaestus brought up a subject that had been overlooked till now.
"So, what about those kids? If you’re going to follow Vahn, are you going to release them?" Hephaestus pointed to the seven children that had been sitting in silence for the entire discussion. The previously large pointy ears on their heads now drooped low, and they each had sad expressions after everything that had happened. Anubis saw their lancholic deanors and couldn’t help but release a sad sigh. "We ca to this City because of the invitation from Osiris, and now that our funds have run low, there is little I can do to ensure their livelihoods. Though they are considered strong back in our ho country, they have so difficulties within the dungeon. I don’t want them to have to suffer while trying to support the Familia."
Anubis looked towards Vahn with a hopeful expression in her eyes, "I cannot bring them with , as my debts are not their burden. The choice ultimately lays in what Vahn-sama wishes to do..." Vahn recognized the look in her eyes and he turned towards the children who had previously feared him. Now, instead of fear, there was a pleading look on each of their faces. For so reason, the combination of the drooping ears and large eyes of the children had a big impact on Vahn and he began to smile before saying, "If they are willing to follow you, I will do my best to ensure they are taken care of. Even if you say you are willing to serve , I have no need for servants or anything like that. Besides, there is no way I can say no if they look at like that..."
Anubis began to laugh like a bell as she squinted her eyes with a large smile on her face. "I had hoped, but I never expected Vahn-sama to be so magnanimous. Well, children, are you willing to follow Vahn-sama alongside ?" The mont she asked the question, almost as if they had rehearsed it previously, the entire group of kids jumped to their feet and bowed together. "Please, Vahn-sama, allow us to follow you!"
Vahn could see excitent and expectation in their eyes as he nodded his head with an awkward smile. The mont they saw him agree, their tails began to wag excitedly before they resud sitting in silence. Unlike the previous gloom, they now looked remarkably happy. Vahn wondered why children were so easily influenced, but he attributed their current ntality to their devotion toward Anubis.
At the sa ti as Vahn accepted the children, Anubis’s affection reached 81 as she showed a gratified smile on her face. Hephaestus, who had been watching the ’play’ with a skeptical look on her face, spoke out again, "And, where will you and your Familia be staying from now on?" The mont Hephaestus asked the question, the tails of the children imdiately froze while even Anubis seed to be sowhat awed by the question.
Clearing her throat for a few seconds, Anubis lowered her head a bit before she looked toward Vahn and Hephaestus and said in a low voice, "We...don’t have a place to stay. Our funds ran out two days ago and we had been living around the Babel Tower since then..." Anubis seed incredibly embarrassed by her own admission, and it only got worse when she saw the incredulous look on Hephaestus’s face.
Vahn started laughing after hearing that the goddess who had committed to serving him ended up being holess. He began to suspect that the only reason she wanted to be his subordinate was so that they had a place to live. Anubis seed to be even more embarrassed after Vahn began to laugh and Vahn saw a blush cover her cheeks for the first ti. Before the situation devolved any further, Vahn said with confidence, "Don’t worry about it, I may not have much, but I should be able to pay for a place for you and you Familia for the ti being. Though I won’t do it for free and I’ll expect everyone to work hard to earn their keep." Right now Vahn had 171,530V, which was enough to lease a small house if he wanted. It wouldn’t be the highest quality place to live, but it should be enough for the small Familia.
Hephaestus shook her head and brought up a matter before Vahn continued, "You actually have a lot more funds than you might think. Rember the reward and reparations given by the Loki Familia? You will be able to pick them up when you go to the Guild, and I’m certain it will be more than enough to cover living expenses for a while. But, I have to ask this, are you not intending to stay with Tsubaki anymore?"
Hearing Hephaestus’s words, Vahn began to beco excited until she continued further. He had never considered leaving Tsubaki’s place, but if he had agreed to help take care of another Familia, it wouldn’t make sense for him to live elsewhere. Vahn began to worry that he had gotten himself into a matter that would be difficult to resolve, but luckily, Hephaestus seed to already have a solution.
With a sigh, Hephaestus said, "Don’t worry about it too much. When you had joined the Familia long ago, you were guaranteed a place to live as well as your own workshop. I had arranged matters to have your workshop located in the lot behind Tsubaki’s current manor. It’s not nearly the sa size, but it should be more than enough for your current needs..." Vahn was incredibly grateful for what Hephaestus had done, and he verbalized it the only way he could think of, "Thank you, Hephaestus, I love you."
Hearing Vahn’s sudden bomb and seeing the affectionate smile on his face, Hephaestus’s heart began to race and she was unable to form any thoughts. She just kept repeating the words over and over in her mind as the pressure began to build up in her face causing a blush to touch her cheeks. Anubis saw the reaction and heard Vahn’s declaration before asking, "Are you two lovers~?" She seed sowhat intrigued by the notion as there was extra inflection on the end of her words.
Hephaestus seed to want to say sothing, but because of her dazed state, Vahn managed to speak first. "We will be. I promised that, once I manage to forge an item that ets her standards, I will make her my lover, no matter what." Vahn’s eyes were wide and his brows were furrowed as he loudly proclaid the words. Anubis seed a bit surprised, but she just smiled before looking toward the fiercely blushing Hephaestus. At this point, she was literally covering her face with both hands and refused to look at anyone. Anubis thought that the Hephaestus that acted cutely was much more preferable than the wrathful demon that had struck fear in her a few days ago.
Vahn seed to agree, as he reached out his hand and began channeling [Hands of Nirvana] to help ease Hephaestus’s chaotic mind. The duality of her situation seed to influence her even more, as Hephaestus glared at Vahn between her fingers. However, though she tried to look angry, Vahn could see the smile hidden behind her palms.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Declaration of LOVE!’,’Cunny doge’,’Bundle of Puppies’)
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