Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While Vahn had been observing her body, making sure there were no problems, Riveria had calmed down a great deal but continued holding onto him for a while longer. He really was very warm and, even though he was much younger than her, Riveria felt a strange sense of security being held like this. She could tell he was very serious about things as well and, when she focused her mind, Riveria sensed his ’intent’ moving around in her body as he helped calm her down using his strangely comfortable hands. His [Petting] ability wasn’t a secret to her but she didn’t think it would be so ’helpful’ in times like this...it made it surprisingly difficult to want to separate from him.

After releasing a hot sigh, Riveria loosened her grip on Vahn and allowed her legs to drop to the bed after she stopped squeezing Vahn’s h.i.p.s. She realized how embarrassing her actions had been in retrospect but couldn’t really muster up enough desire to care right now as a strange calm settled in her body. Even though the massive wave of energy had passed, Rivera felt a pleasant tingling sensation in her lower body and, when she closed her eyes, she sensed a powerful vitality looping between her navel and an area she assumed was her w.o.m.b. She lacked Vahn’s ability to look within a person’s body but had long since learned to detect the flow of energy in her own...

Vahn moved back a little because Riveria’s butt was still on his thighs and she couldn’t actually rest against the bed properly after dropping her legs. He also loosened up his grip and was surprised when Riveria didn’t actually let him go at first, even though he could tell she was fatigued. Looking into her face, she had partly closed eyes that snapped to awareness the moment he made eye contact with her. With a bit of an awkward smile on her face, Riveria asked in a quiet and sheepish manner, "Will it always be like this...?" She wasn’t putting any effort into sound masculine so Riveria currently sounded like a young woman with a bell-like voice that rung in Vahn’s ears.

Realizing what she was asking, Vahn smiled and honestly answered, "It will get both easier while also increasing in intensity a bit. Things are somewhat difficult the first time around but, just like when you first got the formation tattooed on your stomach, your body will adapt..." Riveria’s eyes closed as if she was in silent contemplation and Vahn could feel both anticipation and ’fear’ from the mixture of chaotic yellows and strands of purple in her aura. Eventually, the strands slowly dissipated though so Vahn felt very relieved when Riveria opened her eyes and said, "Very well...I will do my best...darling..."

Vahn’s smile widened greatly and he brought his face very close to Riveria’s, gingerly placing his forehead against her’s, almost as if they were about to kiss. However, the contact she anticipated didn’t come and Vahn instead squinted his eyes slightly and said, "It isn’t absolutely guaranteed, but congratulations on getting pregnant...my adorable little wife~." Riveria’s eyes widened when she heard Vahn’s words but this was also the same time he started kissing her, forcing her to swallow the words she wanted to say as his tongue invaded her mouth. Even though she knew this was the inevitable outcome, it still made her muddle-headed to hear Vahn say she was most likely pregnant. His kiss just added to the chaos in her mind so Riveria found it very hard to think and just focused on the fluttery feelings in her heart while returning Vahn’s kiss in her own awkward way...

After a few minutes of tumbling around, Vahn eventually let up on Riveria and they ended up cuddling, still n.a.k.e.d, looking towards the clear blue sky overhead. It was still early in the afternoon so they were in no rush to return just yet as the entire afternoon and evening had been set aside solely for their ’honeymoon’. Riveria was leaning somewhat awkwardly against Vahn’s shoulder as he held her around the waist in a somewhat ’possessive’ manner that strangely made her feel safe. He had already explained to her his observations during their union and she had felt a little sad when he talked about the eggs he had to remove, even though she knew it was necessary.

In the entire history of the Elven Kingdom, there had never been a single instance of more than one child being born and it was simply too dangerous to risk the chance of something happening. When Vahn described there were five different eggs, Riveria actually felt a little more relieved and that was also when he held her closely. She spent a little time listening to his heartbeat before turning to the sky where he had been staring, watching the billowy white clouds slowly make their way overhead.

Vahn had been waiting for Riveria’s aura to stabilize for a while before asking, "How is your body feeling, Riveria...?" Riveria had been somewhat absentmindedly tapping against Vahn’s chest and was a little surprised by his sudden question, closing her eyes in serious consideration before saying, "I can feel a constant loop of natural energy within my body and it seems to be sustained by the [Sage Aldrnari’s Blessing]. I think your hypothesis about being able to nourish the fetus directly with the band is accurate since I don’t feel any interference with the flow of mana in my body..." One of the biggest issues with High Elves getting pregnant was the fact that, a few weeks into the pregnancy, they wouldn’t even be able to cast magic without great difficulty. Using it put the baby at risk and there are several instances of women having miscarriages during times of war, sometimes losing their own lives in the process as a result of overtaxing their vital energies.

Pulling Riveria a little closer, even though she furrowed her brows slightly in response, Vahn gave her a quick kiss and smiled, saying, "That is great to hear...please take care of your body and, if there are any issues at all, come to me immediately. From now on, you have to act out of consideration for the child in your belly and avoid taking risks..." Riveria wasn’t fond of Vahn suddenly ’forcing’ her to move but his kiss made her frustrations lesson greatly while his follow-up words made her completely forgive him. She felt a lingering warmth in her chest now and, every time he said something out of concern for her, Riveria felt the warmth flare up a bit and it made it hard to mind his ’uncouth’ actions.

Instead of responding to Vahn’s words, Riveria just laid back against his chest and closed her eyes, listening to his powerful and steady heartbeat. Vahn watched her actions with interest before just kissing the top of her head and spreading warm and calming energy through his domain to make her more comfortable. He didn’t mind spending the whole afternoon just laying with her like this, especially considering she was still n.a.k.e.d and had one of her legs interlocked with his. Having a capable and intelligent woman like Riveria acting so ’reliant’ on him made Vahn feel an incredible sense of self-worth, especially considering they were now married and she was very likely carrying his child. There was no reason the ’loop’ would stay active if that wasn’t the case so Vahn felt the odds were very close to 100%, even if it was a few decimals off...

After nearly two hours, as Riveria had actually dozed off, she opened her jade-green eyes and stared off into space for a while before staring down at her left leg. She could feel the heat coming from Vahn’s lower body and, now that she looked down, Riveria also saw his p.e.n.i.s at rest against her thigh. The moment she became aware of it, Riveria felt a heat spread in her lower body while her ears became hot moments later. She released a hot sigh and felt ashamed of her own body’s reaction since it seemed like she had suddenly become a ’loose’ woman after a single s.e.x.u.a.l encounter. Since Vahn was probably paying attention to her aura, Riveria knew he was aware of her reaction too and this made her even more embarrassed.

As she suspected, Vahn was indeed aware of Riveria’s sudden change and he honestly couldn’t blame her since she hadn’t yet adapted to the excess natural energy in her body. Even if he wasn’t around, she would probably become ’heated’ after a while and needed to ’release’ some of the pent up energy or the frustration would just continue to build. She would eventually adapt, but that could take anywhere between ten and twenty-three days but Vahn’s estimates. Considering that she probably didn’t ’want’ to have s.e.x again, Vahn just kissed the top of Riveria’s head and said, "Shhh, just listen to my heartbeat and relax..." in a calming tone.

Hearing Vahn’s words, Riveria closed her eyes and continued to listen to his heartbeat, trembling a little when she felt his hand begin to move around. Soon after, however, Riveria felt like the heat in her body began to slowly vanish as it was replaced by a very comfortable feeling. Vahn was using his [Petting] to help her relax while also redirecting the flow of mana in Riveria’s body so that some of the excess natural energy could escape through her pores. He didn’t want her to feel ashamed of how her body was reacting and also wanted to give her time to sort through her emotions before they did anything else. Riveria would undoubtedly become more intimate with him in the future and there was no need to ’rush’ things along just because she had urges beyond her control.

The calmer Riveria felt, the more melancholic she felt because, once again, she knew that Vahn had helped her in a very selfless manner. She was always relying on him and, even though she had resolved several times to do better by him, Riveria found that she lacked the ability to follow through. It made her feel a little pathetic, especially considering the vast difference in their ages, and Riveria lamented her own weakness. The fact that Vahn brought her so much comfort actually made her feel a little bit of anguish in her heart and, even though she tried to stop them, Riveria released a few tears to stain Vahn’s fair white chest. He had even transformed into an entirely different race, just for her...something she couldn’t even hope to do if he had needed her to do the same...

Vahn reached his fingers to Riveria’s face and gently wiped away her tears, saying, "Riveria, it is my ’pride’ to have you rely on me...you are a strong girl, never forget that. Don’t become weak just for my sake..." Riveria, however, shook her head and said, "Vahn...I’ve always been a weak woman...even when I tried my best, it wasn’t enough...I-" Vahn placed his index finger against Riveria’s lips, silencing her words as he said, "Remember the vow we made while overlooking the continent just a few hours ago...Riveria, you are a strong person. You may not always have been, but you certainly are now...that is why I respect and admire you so much. Without your help, I wouldn’t have been able to get to the point I’m at now since I would have lacked the confidence to continue forward. You inspired me to continue working hard and always showed a sincere interest in everything I was working on, even when I did inarguably silly things...thank you, Riveria."

At the end of his words, Vahn showed the most sincere smile he could manage before leaning forward and kissing Riveria’s lips once again. She still had watery eyes, the sign of the conflicting emotions she was currently feeling, but made no effort to extricate herself. Instead, Riveria brought her left hand to Vahn’s face and reciprocated his kiss, eventually turning her body to lay against his as the intertwined for several minutes. When the passionate embrace came to an end, Riveria was breathing a little heavily and had a ruddy blush on her face as she looked into Vahn’s eyes and said, "You’re a good man, Vahn...I want to be a good wife..."

Without any further explanation, Riveria brought her leg across Vahn’s body and straddled his h.i.p.s, sticking close to him as he brought his frustratingly hot member against her embarrassingly soppy entrance. Even though she still had to leave it to him to do most of the work, Riveria did her best to try to make Vahn happy, finding solace in his smile and comfort in his warm embrace. By the time they parted, the sun had already started to fall from the sky and Riveria felt like she had fought against several waves of monsters, both exhausted and proud of her achievement...

Riveria had ended up passing out while laying against him, so Vahn wiped down her n.a.k.e.d body and before wrapping her in a loose blanket and carrying her all the way back to the Manor. He had been a little surprised by her ’eagerness’ but didn’t do anything to stop her since he could tell it was very ’important’ to her. Besides, they were married now and Vahn knew that was a very important step for them if they wanted to share more intimate moments in the future. If Rivera continued to have inhibitions now, it would likely become even worse as her pregnancy developed and Vahn didn’t want her to feel s.e.x was an ’obligation’ in the end.

Just as he had been ’taught’ to enjoy s.e.x over time, without indulging in it, Vahn wanted Riveria to be able to enjoy it and relax more. She really did work hard, especially when it came to her research, so it was good for her to have an outlet for her stress. Since she had been bottling up so many negative emotions for decades, it could actually be a very healthy form of therapy if she received proper guidance. Fortunately, there were many girls without the Manor she could rely on, especially since Aina would be around for a few days, potentially even weeks. Besides, it’s not that they actually had to have s.e.x, as there were several other forms of intimacy they could share that were arguably even better for her...

Vahn imagined giving Riveria sensual massages, taking private baths together, or even sneaking away to the hidden area in the Library and just cuddling up while talking about their research. She might conceal it with great effort, but Vahn had seen her ’cute’ side and wanted to at least help her reach the point where she could show it off to him. In fact, if it became something unique they shared between themselves, Vahn felt like it would be even better. That singular ’squeak’ had become a strange goal that firmly rooted itself in his heart and he was now absolutely determined to hear it again. The fact she hadn’t issued one, later on, showed that it was likely something that only happened when she was ’receiving’ affection so he would probably have to tease her a bit to coax one out...

So that she wouldn’t be embarrassed later, Vahn made sure to avoid any routes where they might encounter the other girls. Since the Manor now looped around like a massive square, Vahn entered in through the unoccupied area to the West and followed the empty corridors leading to Riveria’s room. He did sense that Risna was out and about, almost like she was looking to trigger an ’event’, but Vahn easily managed to evade her and slip into Riveria’s room. After laying her down on the bed, Vahn set up a sound-proof barrier while looking around her room for a bit, not that he invaded her privacy by going through her stuff.

Making sure the door was locked firmly behind him, Vahn set up a simple candle that smelled like apple pie before climbing into the bed with Riveria and snuggling up with her. She seemed to be drawn to his warmth as well and, even though she was still asleep, loosely gripped his body in return. Vahn then spent about twenty minutes just stroking her silky hair with his fingers, making use of his [Petting] ability to the fullest, hoping that she was having a pleasant dream. Given that she had a soft smile on her face, Vahn believed this was the case and gave her one last kiss on the forehead before drifting off to bed himself...

Though it wasn’t her first night within the Manor, Risna was currently lost and aimlessly made her way through the dark corridors of the West Wing. He wouldn’t really be able to draw the comparison himself, but it was very similar to walking through a school during the evening since the West Wing had actually been designed for ’schooling’ the future children within the Manor. Risna had wandered into it while looking for a nearby bathroom and, after barely managing to find one, ended up getting lost on the return trip.

This happened when she ended up going further into the West Wing, instead of doubling back the way she came, finding a false panel that led into a secret chamber. Since her ’spirit’ as an Author had been ignited, she foolishly entered the path and quickly got lost after turning through a few tricky passages. Though it was fun at first, she regretted her actions soon after because the lighting in the Manor quickly turned dark after the sun fell. Even calling out didn’t do any good because there wasn’t anyone on this side of the Manor other than Riveria and herself, the former currently on her ’honeymoon’ with Vahn.

Thinking of Vahn, Risna felt very conflicted because he seemed like a heroic boy straight out of a fairy tale and was a very ’suitable’ candidate for the leading role in one of her books. Most of the books she read were romance novels in fantastical settings and she could easily self insert herself into the role of the heroine with the handsome Vahn as her hero. She even began to hope that he would come to rescue her from this current plight, sweeping her away in his arms and carrying her to safety in his warm embrace. Unfortunately, reality wasn’t as fantastical as her novels and, even though she strangely felt he was near at one point, Vahn never showed up for her...

Tired of wandering around aimlessly, Risna sat down on one of the few pieces of furniture she had found and curled up into a ball, feeling fortunate that the air within the Manor was warm since she didn’t have a blanket. However, soon after the laid down, Risna heard the sounds of footsteps nearby and was both excited and scared at the same time. She hoped this wasn’t one of those haunted Manors from some of the scary stories she read in the past and that the footsteps might actually belong to Vahn or, at the very least, her sister coming to look for her.

Peeking over the edge of the sofa, Risna watched the door and listened as the footsteps got progressively closer. Eventually, they came to a stop right outside the door and there was silence for several seconds before the doorknob rattled about loudly without actually turning. Risna swallowed, fearful that the Manor was actually haunted and feeling slightly resentful that nobody had told her. When a scratching sound issued soon after, she felt even more terrified and cowered on the sofa, curling up into a small ball with her eyes closed. Moments later, the scratching sound vanished and the ’creaking’ sound of the door being opened resonated loudly in her eyes, causing Risna to cover them in denial of reality...

Several seconds passed after that and, though she expected the worst, nothing happened and Risna slowly found the courage to open her eyes to investigate. The moment she did so, however, she saw two glowing red eyes staring directly at her only a few inches away from her face. Though she had just gone to the bathroom a few hours prior, Risna felt a steady and warm stream flow from her lower body as she trembled under the bloody gaze of the shadowy figure. However, the figure just tilted its head to the side in confusion before ’sniffing’ the air and asking, "Why are you peeing? Did Fenrir scare you~?"

Hearing the voice, Risna finally looked directly at the figure and her eyes quickly adapted to the low light of the room and she saw that it was the same girl that had followed Vahn to her house previously. Her cheeks immediately became hot and she stammered, "I-I got lost on the way to find the bathroom and then y-you showed! Ah, please don’t tell anyone~! Nnnnuuuu..." Fenrir flopped her head from side to side, both confused and intrigued by Risna’s reaction. She never had to use the bathroom herself but knew it was very ’important’ for other girls, often guarding them when they were in the Dungeon. Since it was called an ’emergency’, Fenrir believed that Risna wasn’t at fault and she didn’t want to bully the small girl, especially since she was the little sister of her Master’s important person.

Thumping her chest, Fenrir said proudly, "Fenrir will protect your secret!" before standing up and saying, "Let’s go, Fenrir will take you back to your room. Ah, unless you still need to use the bathroom? Fenrir knows the way~!" Risna didn’t really know how to deal with this strange girl in front of her but decided she was a ’good’ person since it seemed she was willing to keep her secret. Shaking her head, she muttered, "I don’t need to use the bathroom anymore...please just help me find my room..." Fenrir nodded her head and said, "Follow Fenrir~!" before marching away with almost comical steps. Risna did follow her, but only with her eyes at first before Fenrir turned back with a questioning look that urged her forward.

Along the way, Risna hung her head and futilely tried to hide the large stain on her light pink pajamas. Though she didn’t plan to pee herself in the future, she promised to wear darker clothes in the future so it wouldn’t be so obvious at a glance. After a while, she suddenly realized something, however, and the matter of her own disgrace moved to the back of her mind as she asked, "Fenrir, how did you find me...?" Risna knew that Fenrir actually stayed very far away from her room and she couldn’t understand why the strange girl would come looking for her, even finding her with seemingly no difficulty. Fenrir, hearing her question, turned to her and said, "Ah, Master sent Fenrir to look for you since he thought you might have been lost~!"

Risna’s feet slowed to a crawl when she heard Fenrir’s words and she recalled the ’feeling’ she had earlier when she thought Vahn was nearby. It seemed like he actually had passed but, instead of coming to ’save’ her, he had sent someone else to escort her instead. It made her feel a little sad and resentful, especially since she had gotten her hopes up about being whisked away by her prince charming. Fenrir, sensing her change, looked back with a curious expression on her face and said, "Master can’t always look after everyone, especially when he is taking care of someone else. We have to all work together to make the world a happy place so don’t be selfish, okay~?"

Hearing Fenrir’s words, Risna felt very startled and remembered that Vahn was actually still on his honeymoon with Riveria. Her expecting him to suddenly come to her, even ’whisking’ her away, was indeed a very selfish and baseless thought on her part. She actually didn’t have any involvement with him whatsoever and he had already done plenty of things to help her out, even giving her a tone of books and materials. Though he didn’t save her himself, he sent someone after her, clearly concerned for her well being even if he couldn’t show it personally. Realizing this, Risna didn’t feel as bitter and instead felt kind of guilty as she nodded her head and said, "I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to..." Fenrir showed a somewhat ’scary’ smile and Risna noticed she actually had a few ’sharp’ teeth compared to other people as she said, "Risna is a ’good’ girl. If you keep being good, Master will definitely reward you lots and lots~!" in a happy tone...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Riveria is a strong woman’,’RIP Sofa-san...’,’Fenrir catch flag for Master~!’)