Pace : Lament

After their not-so-brief spell within the Little Garden, Vahn, accompanied by Yuri, returned to the outside world in high spirits. Then, before Evan could even inquire about what they had been up to, the latter looked towards Vahn, saying, "Now that we're outside, there is something I wanted to ask you. Those people...did they really come from your Empire? They don't give off the impression of vassals or servants. It's more like you're all one big family? No...even that doesn't seem right...you're all way too close. Even family shouldn't be that comfortable around each other...?"

Though he knew she had been pondering something during their stay in the Little Garden, Vahn was still a little taken aback by Yuri's sudden question and observation. In the end, however, he just returned a smile as he explained, "In many ways, they are even closer than family. After all, they are all a part of me, beings created from my very essence and shaped by my intent. Though they are all individual existences, it isn't an exaggeration to say that the bulk of the Emerald Grove's inhabitants were created by me."

Hearing Vahn's assertion, Evan showed a considerable amount of shock, his eyes widening to full circles. Yuri, however, just adopted an excited smile as she grabbed his shoulders and said, "I knew it! That means you created that crazy chef and all those Pokemon, right!? Tell me, what do I need to do to get a chef like that for myself!? Seriously, you can't just hog all the good stuff! We're friends, no, partners, right!?"

With Rindo's food possessing an addictive quality that could even rival a serious Circe, Vahn wasn't too surprised by Yuri's fervor. Even he had to admit that he had created a 'monster' when he came up with the concept of the [Ultimate Culinary God System]. It had only been around a month since then, but, as if to demonstrate just how broken a System could be when exploited without restraint, she had already created more than six-thousand Recipes, several of which could even qualitatively increase a person's strength for short periods of time.

Unfortunately for Yuri, Vahn had no intention of creating a Template to specifically pander to her whims. Though he created many of his Templates with a specific purpose in mind, he also instilled in them the 'awareness' that they were allowed to make their own decisions. As a result, there were times when even he would butt heads with one of his Templates, the two most common offenders being Roger and Whitebeard. This helped to cultivate mutual respect between each of them, and, though he couldn't deny that certain Templates could be difficult to deal with, he still enjoyed every moment of their interactions.

Doing his best to restrain the excitable woman's enthusiasm, Vahn grabbed her wrists, guiding her hands away from his shoulders as he calmly affirmed, "Though I understand where you're coming from, you should know better than to ask me such a thing. As someone who is fighting against the expectations forced upon you by a system you resent, you know better than most how agonizing it can be to have your actions dictated by others. I won't stop you from trying to befriend the others, but it wouldn't be fair of you to expect me to create someone for the sole purpose of pandering to your wants and desires."

Though she felt a slight inclination to point out that there were several residents in the Emerald Grove who had been clearly created with his desires in mind, she managed to restrain herself. After all, it was Vahn's power, and, just as she used her own to act however she pleased, he had the right to do the same. Rather, as both a God and an Emperor, it could be argued that he had a far greater right to act without inhibitions. Instead, he had a strong sense of responsibility, and, though he was far from perfect, he did his best to make the world a better place.

Realizing she was more than likely in the wrong, Yuri offered a thoughtful nod before saying, "Sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly. It's just that, even now, I can still taste that food. Seriously, that woman is a monster...I can't even recall the taste of anything I ate previously. Damnit, even though I understand what you're trying to say, that doesn't make it any less frustrating...!"

Chuckling in response to Yuri's lamentations, Vahn extended his hand to caress her head as he said, "Don't worry. As I stated previously, they are all created from my essence and intentions. Though I dare not compare myself directly to Rindo, I am knowledgeable of the majority of her dishes. When the opportunity presents itself, I'll cook something up for the both of you. I imagine Evan wouldn't mind tasting the dishes that are making you behave like this..."

Hearing Vahn mention his name, Evan couldn't help but issue a dry laugh as he remarked, "I was starting to think you had forgotten about me. Truthfully, while I'm interested in the cuisine of the Empire, I'd much rather the two of you stop putting me in such stressful situations. There were no less than thirteen attempts to probe the suite while you were away. Most of these were just simple scans using Observers, but three of the attempts were made using Lighthouses. I can hack into a B-Rank Lighthouse without much effort, so it is safe to say these were at least A-Rank. You should be very careful in the future. Though you might be able to create a barrier to prevent such intrusions, I fear this would just 'confirm' their suspicions and cause them to take action..."

Though he had already reached a similar conclusion, Vahn nodded his head in response to Evan's advice, saying, "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind. For now, the two of you should probably book a room of your own. Though I imagine there are more distinguished hotels in the areas reserved for Rankers, I left the most expensive suite open. You should be able to justify reserving a room if you spread a rumor that I have been scouted by the Ha Family. This will put you in a position to regulate the other forces trying to establish contact with me. After all, there aren't many people who would actively offend the Ha Family, much less a Princess of Jahad."

With an excited smile blossoming across her face, Yuri didn't hesitate for a single moment as she crossed her arms under her breasts and asserted, "Leave it to me! I'll beat those flaming chickens back with a broom if I have to~!"

Showing considerably less excitement, the light in Evan's silver eyes seemed to dim slightly as he remarked, "I thought you wanted us to stay out of things...isn't this contrary to everything you said earlier? What happened while you were in the Little Garden...?"

Waving his hand in a dismissive manner, Vahn preempted Yuri's mildly annoyed response by saying, "You're misunderstanding. The Leader of the Ha Family has already sent a delegation and even gave Yuri permission to contact me directly. With Yuri's reputation and status, it would be strange for me to refuse and even stranger for her to just 'give up'. If the two of you simply left, it would arouse a considerable amount of suspicion from everyone who is aware of Yuri's character. Besides, this also puts you in a position to directly coordinate with the members of the Royal Enforcement Division. If push comes to shove, you can openly ally yourselves with them in order to secure Yuri's standing as a Princess. My next objective is the Hell Train, so I can easily lay low for a few months once this is all taken care of."

Realizing the truth contained within Vahn's words, Evan's expression became more serious. Before he could say anything, however, Yuri interrupted by asking, "Oh? You have some business on the Hell Express?" with a mischievous grin on her face. This caused his face to morph into an expression of sheer incredulity, a feature both he and Vahn, momentarily, shared...

---

After ironing out the most important details, Vahn saw Yuri and Evan off after promising the former they would meet during lunch the coming day. She actually wanted to stay inside the Little Garden, but, for obvious reasons, this couldn't be allowed. He wasn't the only one under observation at this point, so, while meetings could be arranged between them, it would set off a considerable number of red flags if they were spending too much time together.

Though he would never openly admit it, one of the tertiary reasons behind Vahn's insistence that Yuri stay elsewhere was the fact that he simply couldn't keep up with her. She was as animated and temperamental as a mischievous child, and, though he found this to be one of her most endearing qualities, it was also mentally and physically exhausting to be around her. The only moment he was in control was when they were 'alone' together. In virtually every other instance, it was like he was the one being pulled around at her own, seemingly inexhaustible, pace.

Truth be told, Vahn was rather fond of willful women, but, while he enjoyed the excitement exuded by Yuri, it contrasted his usual, rather carefree, lifestyle. He was used to going at his own pace, and, though it was fun to spend time with her, he would much rather spend time napping in a meadow with his usual cuddle buddies. His pursuits already required him to make a considerable amount of effort, so, whenever he had 'free time', he simply wanted to relax and spend time with the people he cared about.

With this thought in mind, Vahn manifested the Little Garden and communicated his intent to the interior. Shortly thereafter, the subtle sound of spatial tearing could be heard as Fenrir, Ryun, and Yoruichi appeared in their wolf and cat forms. Then, despite it being rather early in the afternoon, he decided to spend the rest of the evening 'recharging' his mental and spiritual energy by having the trio of fluffy women keep him company. The next three and a half weeks were bound to take a lot out of him, so, in anticipation for the long night ahead, he wanted to enjoy the tranquility that always seemed to herald an impending storm...

---

While Vahn was gradually 'recuperating' his mental and spiritual energies, the factions tasked with keeping an eye on him were also lamenting the fact that Yuri had become involved. This made their job infinitely more difficult, as, even if they tried negotiating with her, the Princess was notoriously difficult to work with. She had a propensity for outright ignoring orders, and, though it had brought her a considerable amount of censure, she didn't even try to hide the fact that she was close friends with members of Wolhaiksong.

With Yuri checking into the same hotel as Vahn, they immediately lost any chance they had at trying to approach him directly. Her presence was clearly meant to be a deterrent, so, unless they targeted him indirectly, the only way to approach Vahn was by going through her. This caused those familiar with Yuri's character to immediately experience a migraine, as it was simply impossible to take away a 'toy' that the Princess had expressed an interest in. She also had the blessing of the Ha Family, so, unless they received a direct order from Jahad, superseding all other authorities, even the hands of the Royal Enforcement Division were tied...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Welcome to the Little Garden. When you're here, you're closer than family.','I can't help but feel bad for Evan every time he appears...','Yuri is more infamous than famous xD...')

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