Persistence

After idling about for a few hours in the outer rings, Vahn returned alongside Latias to the central island. There, he helped her apologize to Endorsi and Anak before joining the celebratory banquet that had only recently gotten underway.

Since he simply couldn't help himself at times, Shibisu used the opportunity to inquire about the subject most of the guys had been curious about, tentatively probing, "So...Vahn...what's the deal with all these beauties that keep appearing around you? They can't all be your wives, can they...?"

Rather than take offense to Shibisu's probing question, Vahn just chuckled lightly before answering in a casual tone, "Hinata, Yoruichi, and Mirajane are off-limits. If you want to try and woo one of the other women, that's your own prerogative. Just know you are fighting an uphill battle if you think of them as some kind of conquest."

Laughing awkwardly in response to Vahn's words, Shibisu rubbed the back of his head as he said, "I was just curious. Besides, those girls are way out of my league. Especially that Madara chick. I don't think I've ever seen such a scary yet beautiful woman before..."

Hearing Shibisu mention Madara, Vahn's smile became even more prominent as he advised, "Things like 'league' don't really matter. Those who have experienced true love rarely care about things like appearance. So long as you can provide for them emotionally and physically, most women care less about appearance than they do status and financial security. Though looks help out quite a bit, they will only get you so far if you lack competence. As for Madara...well, she might give you a chance if you can defeat her in battle? The odds of that happening are pretty slim..."

Disregarding the notion that he could ever beat such a scary woman, Shibisu used Vahn's words as a segue to ask, "How strong are the newest members? Like, how do they compare against Yoruichi and Hinata? I know you're probably the strongest, but what about the others? Is there something like a ranking system within the Empire?"

Though he was already familiar with Shibisu's nature, Vahn couldn't help but shake his head as he remarked, "There is nothing wrong with being curious, but you have a tendency to take things too far. I've never been fond of being interrogated. Besides, there is no meaning in questioning who is the strongest unless you are trying to establish some kind of social or political hierarchy. Rankings only matter when you want to suppress or lord yourself over someone else. Rather than waste your time on things like that, you should just try to be the best version of yourself that you can be."

Realizing he wasn't going to get anything else out of Vahn, at least for the time being, Shibisu just nodded his head in understanding before picking up his mug and emptying half the contents in a single go. He already had a few ideas regarding who the strongest members of the Empire were, so, even without Vahn answering his questions, he was confident he could increase his rapport with the most important members. This might not be that important short-term, but, as they moved further up the Tower, Shibisu believed it would benefit him greatly.

Understanding the purple-clad man's thoughts, Vahn resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he looked around the table and noticed the majority had been listening closely to the conversation. They were equally as interested in the Empire as Shibisu, but, unlike the latter, they had enough awareness not to ask the Emperor, directly, about its secrets...

---

Following the rather lively brunch, Vahn was lounging about in the manor's library alongside Phae, Khun, and Shibisu as they listened to Gandr's report. His wasn't at all amused by the revelations of his protege, but, thanks to Kushina allowing him to play with her ears as she nestled into his chest in her kitsune form, his mood wasn't terrible. Her fur was very soft, and, though they didn't have an 'intimate' relationship, she was part of his usual entourage of snuggle buddies.

While absentmindedly pulling and massaging Kushina's squishy cheeks, Vahn looked over at Khun, his expression a mask of calm as he said, "We will go with Gandr's proposal and establish an atelier along the outskirts of the A-Class District. Phae and I will handle item production and the treatment of Regulars. You will be in charge of operating the business and handling surface-level negotiations with other factions. Gandr will directly assist you this time around so don't be afraid to play hardball with the representatives of the Ten Great Families."

Understanding Vahn's intentions, a devilish grin spread across Khun's face as he asked, "Should we be willing to ally with anyone? Though there is a lot of infighting within the Khun Family, I am pretty confident that I can take charge."

Though Vahn wanted to avoid the idea of 'affiliation' with any of the Ten Great Families, the fact he was placing Khun in charge already complicated things. Fortunately, he didn't actually care all that much, so, after briefly considering his response, he nodded his head and said, "I'll leave that up to you. Just try to avoid killing anyone unless it is absolutely necessary. Gandr's primary responsibility will be protecting you, not executing your enemies. So long as you keep that in mind, I will trust in your judgment. You are a very reliable young man, Khun Aguero Agnes."

Feeling slightly gratified by Vahn's words, Khun's smile turned more natural as he said, "Thank you. I will do my best to meet your expectations."

Nodding his head in approval, Vahn dismissed the youth alongside Shibisu and Gandr. He knew the latter was pretty hungry so he didn't want to keep them for too long. This left him alone with Phae and Kushina, the latter returning to her human form with a look of mock indignation on her face as she vengefully pulled his cheeks...

---

Though the Little Garden didn't have a proper day-night cycle, there were several powerful barriers in place that emulated both. This gave the impression that there was a sun shining brightly during the day, but, far more impressively, there was a massive moon and an endless ocean of stars visible at night. This was enough to completely awe the members of Team Wolf Pack; and, though it was a little chilly, most of them ended up sprawling out in the grassy meadow that dominated the central island, stargazing late into the evening.

While that was going on, Vahn could be found within the manor's master bedroom, a wry smile on his face as he asked the redheaded woman performing a flawless dogeza at his feet to repeat her previous words. In response, Hwa Ryun kept her forehead touching the ground as she unhesitantly replied, "I would like Master to turn me into a Vanargandr so that I can serve and be pampered by you...please..."

Confirming that he had, indeed, heard correctly, Vahn suppressed his instinct to sigh as the image of Hwa Ryun with fluffy ears and a tail entered his mind. He had to admit that they suited her quite a bit, so, after remaining silent for around twenty seconds, he ultimately nodded his head and said, "Very well. You have already proven your dedication these past few months so I have no reason to keep refusing you. Take off your clothes and point your butt towards me. Before I change your race, I will make you my woman."

Hearing Vahn's words, Hwa Ryun found herself unable to rise from the floor for several seconds, her heart palpitating madly within her chest. She thought it would take several more weeks, at the very least, for her to convince him to accept her as his woman. She had even constructed a carefully laid plan to slowly whittle away at his defenses, becoming a Vanargandr being just the first of more than a hundred steps...

Noticing Hwa Ryun's aura going haywire, an amused smile spread across Vahn's face as he lightly remarked, "Perhaps I misunderstood your intentions...what a shame..."

Worried that Vahn might change his mind, Hwa Ryun practically bounced up to her feet, discarding her [REquip] system without any hesitation. This caused her clothes to promptly evaporate into thin air, exposing everything but her nether region. Phae had explained the risks of the [REquip] system breaking down or getting damaged in the middle of combat, so, for the most part, everyone made sure to wear proper undergarments beneath the clothes generated by the system.

Raising his hand, Vahn attempted to stop Hwa Ryun from removing her panties. He liked to remove them himself, and, though she would undoubtedly be beautiful completely nude, he was quite fond of seeing a panty-clad beauty bending over. Unfortunately, that would have to wait until next time as Hwa Ryun dropped her panties with the fervor of someone who had been holding their bladder for months.

Deciding to save himself some embarrassment, Vahn used his extended hand to stroke Hwa Ryun's head, his expression softening as he said, "I appreciate your eagerness, Ryun, but there is no need to be in such a hurry. We have the entire night ahead of us..."

Realizing how her actions could be interpreted, combined with the fact he had intimately referred to her as Ryun, Hwa Ryun's face became beet red as she bashfully lowered her head. Her body felt like it was on fire, but, thanks to her God's gentle caress, she was able to calm down in a relatively short period of time. Then, doing her best to not appear impatient, she looked up at him, smiling as she said, "Thank you...I'm fine now..." in a demure tone.

Nodding his head, Vahn guided his hand from the top of Ryun's, briefly caressing the side of her face before raising her chin. He would feel guilty if they had sex before they had even kissed, so, before she could make sense of his intentions, Vahn planted a fairly tame kiss on the statuesque woman's lips. Then, with his hand framing the left side of her face, he combed through her fringe bangs as he muttered, "Thank you for choosing me...though it might take some time before I can convince you, I promise to love and cherish you..."

Not expecting a confession, Ryun uttered a surprised, 'Eh?' in response to Vahn's words. This caused the latter to chuckle softly before planting another kiss on her lips, this time increasing the intensity quite a bit. He knew that Ryun had more devotion toward him than feelings of love, but, with ample guidance and plentiful pampering, Vahn was certain he could change her mind. Until then, he could only convince her through actions, as, for reasons even Da Vinci couldn't understand, Belief seemed to leave people prone to misunderstandings...

---

Several hours later, moving from the edge of the bed to the actual mattress, Vahn had Ryun pinned below him, gasping for air with her legs locked around his hips. Her eyepatch had fallen off at some point so he could clearly see the passion contained in her scarlet-red eyes, now even more radiant and beautiful than before.

Quickening his pace, causing a loud slapping sound to reverberate through the room, Vahn buried himself deep inside of Ryun's writhing cavern, pressing into her cervix with all of his weight as he released a veritable tidal wave of sexual fluids and vital energy into her body. This caused her tail to curl up between his butt, tickling him as she desperately adhered to his body. At the same time, the large ears atop her head twitched madly, tears flowing from the corners of her eyes as she mewled, "Mashtah..." in a sonorous, impassioned, tone.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Shibisu over here playing with fire','The Blue Devil gets permission to play','A very sudden shift in dynamics...')

(A/N: I am not feeling so great this morning so I'm not sure how many chapters I will release today. Also, I know there are some people who have been wanting some 'real' lemon chapters. I'll do my best to incorporate a few, but it can be difficult to do so without destroying the pacing of the novel. If nothing else, I could always add some side chapters on my Patreon. Don't worry, even if I do end up doing that, I won't hide them behind a paywall.)

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