Small Steps Forward

While willfully ignoring the conversation between Eva, Arika, and Theo, Vahn was helping Asuna prepare for her big day. Today was the last day of the school year, and, considering she was going to be traveling the world with them, it was the last time she would be attending the same class as all her friends. Though this didn't seem to bother Asuna too much, Vahn still wanted her to be able to say a proper goodbye.

Since it was the last day of school, making it a half-day, everyone had been allowed to wear casual clothes. Vahn had prepared a prim and proper dress for her, but, perhaps indicating she was about to enter her rebellious phase, Asuna surprised him by refusing to wear it. Instead, she opted to wear a comfortable white t-shirt beneath a red cashmere tank top. This suited her fairly well, but, seeing the rest of her ensemble, a number of questions sprouted within Vahn's mind as he asked, "Are you sure you want to wear that...?"

After lightly scrunching up her face into a bitter expression, Asuna matter-of-factly stated, "I don't want to have to wear dresses all the time like Arika. Clothes like this are more comfortable. Besides, don't they look cute?"

Restraining an awkward laugh, Vahn did his best to smile casually as he answered, "You would look cute in anything, Asuna. I'm just worried the skirt might be a little too short..."

Though it wasn't the first time Asuna had worn a skirt, she normally wore pants, leggings, or spats to cover herself. Her current outfit was a stark contrast to her normal wear, as, not only was her skirt much shorter, barely covering the upper-third of her thighs, but, other than her striped socks, she wore nothing else to cover her legs. This made Vahn feel slightly fretful, as, even though Asuna had 'vehemently' refused to become his daughter, he couldn't help worrying about her...

As if it wasn't a big deal, Asuna crossed her arms with a relatively casual expression on her face as she said, "You really don't have to worry so much. Even if a pervert did try to look at my panties, I would just beat them up. Besides, I'm almost five and all the older students wear short skirts. Since I'm already qualified to graduate, I don't want to continue wearing childish clothes. These are a lot more comfortable and I kind of enjoy the breeze."

Hearing Asuna's 'logical' retort, Vahn couldn't help but adopt a wry smile. She had become a lot more personable and outgoing over the years, but, at the core of her character, Asuna was still a very frank young lady. Unless you had a reasonable argument to convince her otherwise, she was the type that stuck to her decisions once they had been made. She was very similar to Aoko in that regard, and, while it wasn't exactly a bad trait, Vahn often found himself in awkward situations as a result of her willful personality.

Realizing there was no sense in trying to argue, as everything Asuna said was the truth, Vahn just plopped his hand down on her head, adopting his usual smile as he said, "I sometimes forget just how mature you are...if this is what you're most comfortable with, I won't force you to change..."

Though she was used to getting her way, Asuna still smiled radiantly when she heard Vahn's words. She actually just wanted him to start seeing her as more of an adult, and, though it was a little early, she wanted to start sculpting her future image. She had researched adolescence quite a bit so she was confident she could fast-track through all the developmental stages. It would take a few years, at the very least, but she should be able to get Vahn to recognize her as a woman by the time she was nine years old. Though she wasn't against waiting until she was ten, her instincts told her that it would be harder to convince Vahn if she didn't take the necessary steps early on...

Unaware of Asuna's forward-thinking mentality, Vahn dutifully brushed her hair before helping tie it into her usual style. He had tried to style it in other ways, but, after humoring him, she would always ask him to change it back. When asked why she was so attached to the style, she would remark that it simply 'felt' right. She even wore the style to bed, so, for more than 95% of her life, the only real exception being during baths, Asuna always wore her hair in twin-tails.

Immediately after Vahn tied the bells to her hair, Asuna hopped up from the chair, a radiant smile on her face as she gave him a quick hug, saying, "Thank you." Then, without waiting for his usual response, she dodged his hand, picking up her backpack as she added, "I'm gonna visit Grandpa Qing. I'll be waiting outside."

The moment Asuna's words fell, her figure vanished into motes of magical light. This denoted her departure from the Diorama, leaving Vahn smiling awkwardly as he looked to Fenrir and asked, "Did I miss some kind of major development...?"

As if she was seriously considering her response, Fenrir brought her index finger near the corner of her mouth, pressing into her squishy cheek with a thoughtful look on her face. Then, after around a minute of reflective silence, she answered, "Asuna has always been a good girl, but she is also very clever. She already has Master wrapped her little finger, so this is probably a way to make you more conscious of her? Do you want me to check and see if she is wearing adult panties...?"

Hearing Fenrir's question, Vahn felt like his thought process had ground to a stop as he imagined the adorable Asuna following a similar route to her cousin. As Fenrir stated, she was a 'very' clever young girl, so, after Arika and Theo established a precedent, she would have grounds to argue that it wasn't a big deal if she did the same. This thought caused him to take a seat on the chair Asuna had been using, a potent feeling of exasperation momentarily overtaking him.

Vahn was well aware of the fact that Asuna had decided to pursue him, to the point he had even discussed the matter with Vesperina, but, in spite of this, he wasn't prepared for her to start taking 'proactive' measures so soon. He could tolerate her aiming for him in the distant future, but, if she suddenly became precocious, he wouldn't really know what to do. Mentally, she was more mature than most adults, so, if she got serious, she would be even worse than Tina with her ridiculous luck...

Though she would normally go to comfort her Master, Fenrir discreetly pulled out a tiny crystal to record his current state. She had become very close to Asuna over the last four years so she had a decent understanding of the fateful girl's character. She was very sensitive to anything concerning Vahn, so, if Fenrir showed his current state to her, Asuna was bound to change her approach. If she believed her actions were causing Vahn genuine duress, there was no way she would continue using the same method.

After recording the scene for a few seconds, Fenrir pocketed the tiny crystal in the pouch she had kept at her hip for more than a hundred years. It wasn't the original one her Master had gifted her, but, ever since the time she used to carry around her favorite brush, Fenrir had always kept a small pouch on her side. Her current one effectively served as a pocket dimension, as, with the exception of her collar, she had never liked wearing accessories. She kept all her interspatial rings inside of her pouch, each neatly arranged on an indestructible silver chain...

With the crystal safely stowed away, Fenrir approached her Master, grabbing his head and allowing his face to nestle into her breasts. They weren't the largest, but she was supremely confident in their softness. She knew her Master was more interested in her ears, tail, butt, and paws than her breasts, so, while others might worry about it, Fenrir didn't particularly mind. Instead, she used an unnamed transformation magic to make her body even softer, lightly humming the same tune she had stolen from Tiona nearly a hundred years prior...

---

Unaware of the piddling existential dilemma she had put Vahn through, Asuna was enjoying a few snacks as she sat atop the lap of a kindly middle-aged man. Though he had delicate features that made him appear similar to someone in their mid-twenties, there were streaks of grey and white in his otherwise long black hair. He wore ornate white robes that made him appear like an Immortal cultivator, but, much like Vahn in his previous Qinglong transformation, the man had two antler-like azure horns and long, elf-like, ears.

Though everything about the man stood out quite a bit, his azure-blue eyes, set within a handsome, cold, and detached face, were his most noteworthy features. Those with lesser willpower would find it very difficult to stare directly at the man, and, if he turned his eyes upon them, they would feel an instinctual compulsion to look away. Those daring enough to make eye contact with him would find a pair of golden slits that seemed to look straight through them, rending their soul asunder as if the Heavens themselves were about to pass judgment upon them...

Completely ignoring any intimidation factor the man might have, Asuna fearlessly dangled her feet from atop the man's lap. He had tried to intimidate her in the past, but, the moment she found out his weakness, he had little choice but to acquiesce to the pampered princess' demands.

People wouldn't think it by looking at him, but the draconic man, Qinglong, was exceptionally weak when it came to being complimented. After convincing him to allow her to sit atop his lap, pointing out that Vahn let her sit on his, Asuna had managed to pacify him with a few compliments. He was especially weak to being compared to Vahn, so, after saying his lap was nearly as comfortable as the latter's, 'Grandpa Qing' became the second person to dote upon her.

After eating a few of the animal crackers that Grandpa Qing had prepared for her, Asuna displayed her most radiant smile as she said, "Thanks for the snack, Grandpa Qing. Your baking skills improve every time I taste your cookies!"

Hearing Asuna's compliment, Qinglong's long ears twitched slightly as he averted his cold gaze to the side and remarked, "It is to be expected...I have put a lot of effort into improving..."

Resisting the urge to laugh, Asuna just nodded her head, an even wider smile on her face as she added, "I can't wait to try the next batch. Though I still like Vahn's best, your cookies are getting pretty close to his. I'm looking forward to the day you are able to bake just as well as him~."

Though it was very subtle, a slight smile appeared on Qinglong's face as he heard Asuna's words. He used to feel troubled by her referring to him as a Grandpa, but, after dealing with her antics for the last month, she had grown on him. She was also important to his Master, so, even if he wanted to correct her behavior, he had learned to tolerate her. Rather, he felt she was also pretty cute, and, though she lacked the dignity of a Dragon, she was still very impressive...

Just as Qinglong was about to question Asuna about the results of her training, Qinglong smoothly transitioned her from his lap to the floor as he rose to his feet. He sensed the subtle fluctuations in the surrounding space the moment it had been initiated on the opposite side, so, by the time Vahn, Eva, Arika, and Theo appeared, he was already on his feet. His dignity as his Master's most powerful subordinate did not allow him to disrespect him in any way. Unless Vahn directly gave him leniency to sit, Qinglong would never be caught idle in his Master's presence.

Cupping his hands in a highly reverential manner, Qinglong bowed low as he said, "This lowly Qing greets the Supreme One..."

Having already grown accustomed to Qinglong's greetings, Vahn cupped his hands politely in turn, a casual smile on his face as he answered, "It has been less than a day since our last meeting, but it is good to see you in excellent health, Qinglong. Please, raise your head. Tell me, did you notice any rats skulking about...?"

After raising his head, Qinglong gave a very slight nod as he explained, "Though there has been an increase in the security presence around the estate, it has not deterred several people from trying to scout the perimeter. As per Master's request, I have ignored those with the wherewithal to stay outside the estate. Fortunately, after the last batch was dispatched, none have been foolish enough to enter the premises directly..."

Nodding his head in understanding, Vahn turned to Theo, a concerned look in his eyes as he lightly stated, "After today, this will be your matter to resolve...just remember-"

Before Vahn could continue any further, Theo grinned wide enough to show her teeth as she flexed the muscles of her right arm, saying, "I'm not a dainty maiden, Vahn. Just you wait, I'm going to turn the Empire on its head after I return. At this point, I might even be able to give that idiotic gorilla a run for his money~!"

Though the odds of her defeating Jack were very slim, Vahn knew there was a fair amount of truth behind her words. He didn't know how strong the man had become since their battle, but, if he was the same as before, the current Theo wouldn't be helpless against him. Her Pactio might even allow her to directly contend against him, and, if she managed to awaken her Zanpakuto, she might even be able to win outright...

Understanding Theo was trying to prove herself in her own way, Vahn just adopted an affectionate smile as he extended his hand to caress her head. She had worked hard to continually surpass her limits over the last four years, so, while it was easy to forget at times, Vahn knew she was already one of the strongest people in the world. He also knew she wanted him to trust her, so, while he couldn't help but worry, he could, at the very least, keep his concerns hidden...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Asuna is scary o_o...','Tsundere Dragon','Vahn still has trust issues after more than 270 years xD...')

(A/N: Regarding Asuna's comments about being 9-10 years old. This would make her between seventeen and nineteen-years-old in a world where it is 'normal' for people much younger to get married and have children. Mundus Magicus might have advanced technology, but, unless you are born into the privileged class, accessing it is almost impossible. Depending on the country, between 25-30% of people don't even survive until adulthood. This is a world where exiting your walled city or village, even for a few hours, might very well end in a violent death. Even foraging in the woods is extremely dangerous, as, at any point in time, some magical creature might make you its lunch xD...)

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