Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 1947: Pride, Prudence, and a Marginal Amount of Prejudice

With the conversation starting with her wearing little more than a blue negligee and matching thong, it wasn't long before Vahn had Maschenny lying on her stomach wearing nothing but the latter. This provided him a view that some in the Tower would have literally killed for, but, as it was something he had experienced numerous times due to the Law of Identity antics, Vahn was largely unfazed by the blue-haired beauty's lean yet shapely figure.

Not content with simply remaining silent throughout the process, Maschenny, using her crossed arms as a pillow, decided to take advantage of the situation by making idle conversation, playfully kicking her legs as she asking things like, "So, have you and Yuri already had sex? I always imagined that girl going crazy and kidnapping a few young boys, but I guess her instincts as a member of the Ha Family won out."

Without pausing his hands, Vahn's tone remained unperturbed as he relaxedly replied, "That mouth of yours is going to get you in a lot of trouble. There is a difference between being direct and being uncouth."

Humming in response to Vahn's words, Maschenny seemed to consider them for a brief moment before ultimately shaking her head and saying, "If I thought it would help my chances, I wouldn't mind behaving like a proper Princess. Fortunately, you're the type of man who can enter a maiden's bedchamber without batting an eye. You also chose to compromise when you really didn't have to, so I'm pretty confident you won't harm me just because I said something that upset you."

Considering Maschenny's reputation, Vahn wasn't too surprised by the boldness of her words. She was known to be quite clever when she needed to be, so, while her base nature was that of a battle maniac, she wasn't an idiot. This was one of the reasons he had avoided her prior to this, as, despite a number of noteworthy differences, she was a lot like Loki. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but, left unattended, it was only a matter of time before her nature incited chaos...

Demonstrating this capacity, Maschenny turned her head slightly, a mischievous look in her electric blue eyes as she mused, "Given your attempt to divert the conversation, I take it the two of you did, actually, fuck? That brat really has all the luck. What is she, like, six-hundred-years-old? If the others find out, they're going to be super pissed. Do you have any idea how tough it is to be a Princess of Jahad when you can't even masturbate without having to worry about your adoptive father peeking in on you? It's even worse when we're prevented from fighting as we please. I mean, seriously, what point is there in becoming a Princess when everything you do is stringently scrutinized? Yuri has no idea how lucky she is to be a member of the Ha Family. Though, I guess I'm pretty fortunate myself considering my own father probably would have knocked me if I hadn't become a Princess~"

Deadpanning in response to Maschenny's words, Vahn was seriously considering leaving the Familia Induction Ceremony half-finished. He had known for a while that she had no filter unless she was in a situation where she 'needed' to behave, but, with her chibi self being relatively quiet, Vahn hadn't expected the original to be so...chatty...

Annoyed by Vahn's silence, Maschenny lightly furrowed her brows and scrunched her nose as she added, "Oh come on. Can't you take a joke? What happened to that intense and confident version of you from earlier? Don't suddenly turn into a herbivore on me. I'm still expecting you to eat me up at some point. I would be severely disappointed if you turned out to be the type of man who half-asses things."

Raising his brow, Vahn was about to ask what made her think he was going to 'eat her up' when Maschenny adopted a predatory smile and asked, "What? You're not going to try and collect all the Princesses for yourself? I'm absolutely certain you're responsible for that blonde bimbo going crazy and stealing our panties. If I had to guess, it must be related to that Quest System you were talking about earlier, right? Why else would she do something so inexplicable after staying relatively silent all these years?"

Though he had always known that Ureko's Quest would bring him future troubles, Vahn couldn't help releasing a sigh in response to Maschenny's words. Her statements, combined with the fact that Ureko had gifted him the panties with similar intentions, made it pretty clear that the general consensus among those in the know was that he was the 'mastermind' behind the entire fiasco. His most recent actions regarding the research team had likely reinforced this point of view, so, while it wasn't actually his intention, Vahn had a difficult time outright refuting such accusations. There was also the fact that, if it would help him prevent a tragedy and limit the amount of bloodshed, he was more than willing to employ such a method...

Noticing the slight glimmer in Vahn's eyes, despite his pensive look, a taunting smile developed across Maschenny's face as she flexed her rather pert posterior and said, "I can't speak for all of us, but most of us wouldn't mind, you know? I mean, there are Princesses that have been around for more than six-thousand-years at this point. Do you have any idea how maddening it can be to be denied something that even the most base of peasants have relatively easy access to? Some might consider it an honor to be chosen as a bride candidate for the King, but we both know my adoptive father has never had the intention of marrying a single one of us..."

With Maschenny wearing nothing but an electric-blue thong, flexing the muscles of her butt made it remarkably difficult to maintain focus on anything else. It didn't help that her aura had turned an almost sickly shade of pink, not because she had spontaneously fallen in love with him, but because her desire to have sex was almost overwhelming. It was akin to Eve's desire to sample the forbidden fruit of knowledge, an instinctual urge to experience something that had been denied to her for no better reason than someone else forbidding it...

Finished with the application of his Familia Crest, Vahn retracted his hand from Maschenny exposed back, his expression a mask of calm as he explained, "I'm afraid you are mistaken. Though I possess the means, my relationship with Yuri hasn't developed to the point you are imagining. I didn't want her becoming overly attached to me, and, prior to our encounter on the 40th Floor, developing our relationship in any meaningful way would have unnecessarily complicated things during my ascent. I imagine our relationship will move forward by leaps and bounds in the near future, but, until then, I have no particular interest in developing my relationship with more problematic Princesses..."

Having been at odds with Yuri for quite some time, Maschenny was genuinely surprised by Vahn's admission of innocence. If he had demonstrated even a fraction of the power he had displayed on the 40th Floor, it was difficult to imagine someone like Yuri simply letting him walk free. She might be a Princess of Jahad, but, unlike the majority of Princesses, she had never really taken her duties seriously. She also had the support of her Great-Great-Grandmother, the Leader of the Ha Family, so, hearing that nothing had happened between them, Maschenny couldn't help feeling genuinely astonished. Almost immediately thereafter, however, a competitive flame was lit in her heart as she instinctually licked her lips and replied, "I see..." in a contemplative tone.

Even without the Law of Identity's narration, Vahn could easily imagine the thoughts dancing across Maschenny's mind. She was the type of woman that enjoyed standing above others and lording her accomplishments over those she didn't like. This just so happened to be anyone who was stronger or even marginally more 'fortunate' than her, so, with Yuri being one of the most fortunate among the Princesses, Maschenny had an almost instinctual desire to claim ground where her counterpart had 'failed'.

Unfortunately, just as she was about to try her luck, Vahn threw a rather sizeable wrench into her plans by plainly stating, "Unlike you, my words are not spoken carelessly. I have no intention of becoming involved with any Princesses prior to fulfilling my promise with Yuri and reaching an accord with the Ha Family. Besides, while you might have sufficient reason to be confident in your appearance, your character leaves a lot to be desired. If you are to have any hope of fulfilling your ambitions, you will behave yourself until I have completed my objectives..."

Having witnessed his power during their encounter on the 40th Floor, Maschenny knew it wouldn't be the wisest decision to overly antagonize Vahn. He had already demonstrated an inclination to act with prejudice whenever he was triggered, so, with his crest now inscribed on her back, she did her best to maintain her composure as she answered, "I understand. So long as you don't beat around the bush when the time comes, I'll do my best to 'behave' until then. Of course, a bit of an incentive would go a long way towards ensuring I'm on my best behavior..."

Though he was tempted to point out that the Quest System should be more than enough incentive, Vahn understood that women weren't always rational creatures. The same argument could be made for men, but, due to his considerable exposure to the fairer sex, Vahn understood there were times when they needed something more 'meaningful' to help them stay the course. Some might mistake this as a matter related to emotions, but, from personal experience, Vahn had come to realize it was more so a matter of 'sincerity' and 'willful acquiescence' than anything else. This was especially true of prideful women, so, after a moment of consideration, Vahn nodded his head before rising to his feet and saying, "Very well then..."

---

Using a clean white towel to wipe away the excess oil from his hands, Vahn turned his back to the red-faced beauty, ignoring her unfocused gaze as he said, "Though it isn't all that important, try to keep matters related to the Quest System a secret. I don't really care if the Tower comes to know of my status as a God, but it will make things unnecessarily complicated if they start trying to impose their ideals and expectations on me. I have enough trouble with FUG, as is. I don't need a bunch of opportunistic assholes using my name and status as a justification to stir up trouble."

Unable to respond in a more meaningful way, Maschenny just issued a nasally "Nn..." in response to Vahn's words before trying and failing to roll onto her back. Her muscles simply refused to obey her command, and, as a result of the echoing waves of pleasure, a soft moan emanated from her throat every time she tried to move. Fortunately, rather than simply ignoring her plight, Vahn at least had the decency to turn around and help her to roll over. This made it easier to breathe, and, though it exposed her breasts in their entirety, she actually considered this a win since Vahn's eyes had very briefly lingered on her pert, pale-pink, rosebuds...

Managing a smile, Maschenny attempted to communicate with Vahn via her thoughts, but, with the Law of Identity traditionally disappearing whenever his attention was focused on other matters, her thoughts went entirely unheard. This left her feeling slightly pouty, as, immediately after helping her to roll over, Vahn covered her breasts with his towel and said, "I'll see you around. Try and stay out of trouble, okay?"

With that said, Vahn placed a tea set and a few snacks on the nearby nightstand before promptly disappearing from Maschenny's room. This would have normally left the Princess feeling resentful, but, with persistent waves of pleasure washing over her body, it was difficult to stay mad. Instead, she began uncharacteristically lonely, her thoughts wandering far more than usual as the silence of the room gradually descended upon her...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Someone needs to wash this girl's mouth out with soap...','Get this woman a glass of water...!','Ah, yes, the existentialism that follows a first, second, and virtually all encounters with the Godhand...')

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