Trust

After lying on the ground for the better part of a minute, the green-haired man promptly performed a kip-up, leaping from his back to his feet in a single deft motion. Then, no longer appearing drunk, he made his way over to where Vahn and co were seated, a lazy smile on his face as he asked, "So? Out with it. What brings a couple of Princesses and their Dragon escort into my abode?"

Though it had been pretty obvious from the start, the green-haired vagrant-like man was none other than the Great Spirit of Wind, Brave Enlil. He was the only Great Spirit that routinely took on the form of a human, and, unlike the rest of his kin, he enjoyed interacting with people. His fondness for people was so great that, several hundred years prior, he even took on a human lover, the one and only Crimson Scarlet.

In response to the Great Spirit's question, Vahn brought a chair out of his Inventory so the man could sit near the edge of their table. He then produced another pint of the same green liquor from before, a type of ale that was fermented from the sap of a World Tree, saying, "As I told Nyon previously, my primary reason for visiting is to meet and befriend the Great Spirits. I have decided to protect this world so I figured it would be prudent of me to meet those who came before."

Sensing no falsehoods in Vahn's words, Brave Enlil plopped onto the chair that had been set out for him, ignoring the pint of alcohol as he said, "I thought I smelled that fat cat's aroma in the air. You, Goldilocks, show me your forehead."

Though she didn't particularly enjoy being addressed by a nickname, Arika decided not to let it get to her. Instead, she just lifted her bangs, and, after a few seconds had passed, a tiny paw print began to illuminate. This caused Brave Enlil's brows to rise slightly before he shifted his attention back to Vahn, asking, "What is your relationship with this woman? Nyon wouldn't just entrust their Blessing to anyone. Are you her guarantor or something?"

Shaking his head, Vahn adopted an appreciative smile as he plainly said, "Arika doesn't need something like a guarantor. Though I do support her, she is perfectly capable of achieving her goals without my assistance. She managed to convince Nyon through her own words, and, if you give her a chance, I believe she will be able to win your trust as well."

Hearing Vahn's words, Brave Enlil adopted a thoughtful expression as he shifted his focus to the paw print on Arika's head. Nyon didn't just give out their Blessing arbitrarily, and, though there was no true leader among them, the chubby cat often acted as the voice of reason when they gathered together. Because of this, Brave was very indebted to them, so, after a moment of silence, he adopted a challenging smile as he said, "Sounds interesting. As fate would have it, I even have the perfect Quest for you...how about it, you willing to accept, Princess?"

Though others might be prompted to ask about the conditions of the Quest, Arika's adopted a serious expression as she immediately replied, "So long as it does not go against my beliefs or require me to compromise my integrity, I will accept. My only concern is that I would not be able to complete it before official duties require my attention."

Understanding that Arika was talking about the coming war, Brave adopted an amused smile as he said, "Looks like Nyon's blessing really has affected your luck. You see, a good friend of mine has been stressed ever since the Confederacy began snooping around in their territory. I want you to go and lend a hand."

Even without Brave explaining in greater detail, Arika could guess who he was talking about, as, in the original timeline, one of the Great Spirits slain by Megalomesembria had been the Great Spirit of Water, Eulimene Ea. They had never forgotten the indignities they had suffered at the hands of Eulimene and Brave, so, during the early stages of the war, Megalomesembria made a concerted effort to kill all of the Great Spirits bordering their country.

Since the home of Eulimene Ea was relatively close to their next destination, Arika didn't have to consider her response for very long. Rather, ensuring the safety of Great Spirits was one of her primary objectives, so, even if Brave Enlil hadn't asked, she would have done her best to prevent Eulimene Ea's death. The sea may be exceptionally dangerous due to the rampaging of the Leviathan, but, without its plentiful bounty, millions would starve.

Eulimene Ea's territory, Al Jamira, was the only maritime nation in the entire world, so, while it was possible to fish elsewhere, they contributed to nearly 40% of Mundus Magicus' seafood market. This would have normally made them an exceptionally wealthy nation, but, as a result of their relatively unique culture, most Al Jamirans cared very little about stockpiling wealth. Instead, they exchanged their catch for raw materials and resources, refusing any long-term contracts and forbidding the establishment of corporate entities within their lands. As a result, they lived relatively simple lives, but, compared to almost every other nation in the world, they were, inarguably, one of the happiest groups of people in the entirety of Mundus Magicus...

Refusing to allow one of the few 'gems' of Mundus Magicus to be destroyed as a result of the Confederacy's greed, Arika's expression became especially serious as she stated, "I will carry out this task without fail."

Amused by Arika's response, a massive grin spread across Brave Enlil's face as he said, "I can see why my friend here is so taken with you. You're quite the passionate woman, ain'tcha?"

Not expecting Brave Enlil's remark, the tips of Arika's ears became slightly red as she found herself at a momentary loss for words. Vahn, however, didn't hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity, smiling as he said, "She certainly is..."

---

While the meeting with Brave Enlil was ongoing, Vahn, accompanied by Eva, decided to investigate the remains of Secundum's hideout. It had been completely destroyed during the man's flight, but, unless certain measures were taken, it was almost impossible to erase all traces. Everyone had their own magical signature, and, when powerful magic was used, it greatly affected the balance of mana and elemental energy within the air.

When powerful beings traded blows, it was possible that their energy would persist for thousands of years after the conflict, so, even if Secundum had glassed the entire hideout, it wasn't enough to erase his presence. Instead, it made him easier to track, as, unlike a normal High Spirit, his Demonic template had a corruptive influence on his surroundings. This created noticeable gaps in the density of elemental energy as the Nascent Elementals in the environment proactively avoided filling it back in.

With his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn could even see the infinitesimally small magical particles that existed within the interior Elementary Particles, so, unless they had an abnormally powerful Innate, escaping his notice once he had found your trail was virtually impossible. As a result, it only took around five minutes before he and Eva found themselves near the crater created by Secundum's crash landing.

Seeing the 130m long channel that had been carved in the land, Vahn couldn't help but frown. At nearly the exact same moment, Eva spoke the words that had crossed his mind, her voice ice-cold as she said, "The person who recovered the body...they have similar abilities to my own. They have access to the Black of Venus and seem to be able to move through the shadows. Do you want me to force it open...?"

Though it would be exceptionally difficult, there were few people as gifted in the manipulation of Darkness and Shadows as Eva. If she forced it, following after the shadow user through their own Shadow Dimension wasn't impossible. The only problem with this, other than an exceedingly high probability of traps, was that it might take them directly to the enemy hideout...

Charging straight into the enemy's base wasn't necessarily the worst course of action, but, from that moment onward, it would become impossible to predict their actions. There was even a chance that the shadow dimension simply didn't connect to the enemy base. This might result in them exposing their hand for no real benefit, but, rather than refuse, Vahn decided to leave it up to Eva, saying, "I'll follow your lead. This is your revenge so I will support your decision."

Hearing Vahn's remark, Eva released an exasperated sigh, but, despite her efforts, she was unable to prevent the corners of her mouth from curling up. Then, following a period of reflective silence, she shook her head before saying, "I have grown a lot stronger than I ever thought possible, but, even if I went all out, I'm not sure of my chances against that freakish monster. If our speculation regarding her origin proves true, it might not even be possible to kill her without relying on that chibi..."

Disheartened by her own words, Eva released another sight as she walked over to Vahn's side and rested her forehead against his chest. This resulted in the latter dutifully wrapping his arms around her body, greatly easing her tensions by replacing them with a gentle warmth. The opportunity to track down her most hated enemy was difficult to pass up, but, understanding the significance of gathering information and consolidating power, Eva fought back the urge to follow her instincts...

While holding Eva in his embrace, Vahn considered her remark regarding Asuna. He also suspected that the Mage of the Beginning wouldn't fall so easily without the so-called 'White of Mars', but, as it seemed to be little more than the power of Creation, he should be able to defeat her without any major issues. Even if that wasn't the case, Vahn was confident their Zanpakutos would be extremely effective, as, unlike normal weapons, they were specialized in damaging the Spiritual Body and Ego directly...

---

After taking a few minutes to 'recharge', Eva extricated herself from Vahn's embrace, her expression defaulting to her usual calm and confident mask as she said, "After parting ways with Arika, I want to get in contact with some of my former associates. I might not have anyone I can call a friend but there are a few people I believe we can trust. While you go around playing Hero, I want to focus on gathering information and building an organization to directly oppose our enemies."

Though he was unable to prevent a slight frown from developing across his face, Vahn didn't refute Eva's words. It was important to him that his women retained their independence, so, as long as she didn't take things too far, he wouldn't interfere with her actions. Instead, he decided to support her, saying, "When the time comes, I'll put you in contact with Fairy Xuan. It hasn't grown as quickly as I would have hoped but she was still able to establish herself in the Megalomesembrian underworld."

Hearing Vahn's supportive words, Eva felt a bit of warmth spread through her chest. She was a little worried that he would try and convince her against taking action on her own so it was a great relief to hear him support her in spite of his protective instincts. It showed just how much trust he placed in her, and, though she sometimes felt undeserving of his love, Eva had come to appreciate it more than she ever thought possible...

Feeling emboldened, Eva closed the distance between herself and Vahn, this time wrapping her arms around his neck as she pressed her breasts against his chest. A teasing smile naturally spread across her lips as she brought her face within a few centimeters of his before saying, "It occurs to me that I haven't been rewarding you properly as of late...shall we return and take advantage of our time together~?"

Though Vahn had been intending to ask about Eva's 'associates', as even her Memory Fragment had rarely talked about her relationships with other people, he decided to shelve it until later. Eva's switch often flipped at completely random times, and, if he missed the opportunity to share some intimacy with her, he was bound to regret it. Thus, around the same time she lightly nibbled on his bottom lip, he instinctually moved his hands to grab her plump posterior before teleporting them back to the Custos Rosea to take advantage of the empty Captain's quarters...

(A/N: Sorry for the late/short chapter. I'm getting ready to move between the 20th~25th so there are a few things requiring my attention. I'll try to get out two more before the reset, but I can't make any promises atm. Also, I'll be closing the poll early due to botting so you'll have until the end of the day to cast your vote. I'll be taking the top three and throwing them into a randomizer and announcing the winner tomorrow morning.)

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