Since Endorsi had been pestering Gandr for several months at this point, none of Team Wolf Pack was particularly surprised to find her hugging the boy first thing in the morning. What did surprise them was the fact that she was sitting behind him, effectively straddling his tail while nestling her face in between his ears. There were also several maroon blemishes dotting Gandr's neck; bruises caused by love bites, and excessive suckling of the skin.
As one of the first to arrive for morning training, Hatsu said absolutely nothing when he first saw the duo idling in their usual gathering area. Despite this, Endorsi still went out of her way to say, "Hatsu~! Gandr and I have officially become a couple~." in a happy tone.
Feeling as though he had been put on the spot, Hatsu offered a wry smile in response before cupping his hands in a polite gesture and saying, "Congratulations…I pray the two of you are able to find happiness in each others' company…"
Seemingly pleased with Hatsu's choice of words, Endorsi tightened her hold on Gandr as a girlish giggle escaped her throat. As for the latter, he had a tired yet relaxed smile on his face, his golden eyes reflecting the placidity of a lake as he willfully ignored the heat and subtle moisture against his tail. He actually didn't dislike being doted upon and cuddled, so, while her behavior was somewhat troubling, Gandr didn't particularly mind so long as she didn't go overboard.
Seeing Hatsu's relatively normal reaction, Gandr was able to confirm that the unique pheromones produced by Endorsi's [Champion of Lust] only affected him. This wasn't too unexpected, but it was still a considerable relief. If her pheromones had affected everyone equally, things would have been extremely troublesome following her awakening…
—
With 5 AM steadily approaching, the rest of Team Wolf Pack began to gradually file into the central courtyard. Endorsi took the opportunity to announce their relationship to each of the new arrivals, surprising virtually no one except the ever-innocent Baam. As for Anak, she just frowned slightly at the revelation before taking her usual seat near Gandr's right.
Endorsi was a little annoyed that Anak chose to sit right next to Gandr, but, having discussed things the previous night, she was ultimately able to remain calm. Gandr assured her that he didn't have a romantic interest in Anak, and, unless something drastic happened, he intended to continue acting like an older brother to her. If she couldn't accept that, their relationship would simply never work…
Fortunately, Endorsi cared about Anak quite a bit, so, while she wanted to keep him to herself for as long as possible, she was already prepared to share Gandr with others. This was actually something she herself had proposed more than a month ago, back when she had first pushed Gandr down and stolen his lips. His massage had left a 'very' deep impression on her, and, though she didn't want to admit it, Endorsi couldn't deny that she was a little anxious about trying to tackle the boy's not-so-little monster on her own…
—
With 5 AM finally rolling around, several flashes of light appeared nearby the usual gathering spot of Team Wolf Pack. Immediately after that, Fenrir, Yoruichi, Phae, Morgiana, and Madara appeared in a loose circle. The first three were still responsible for their original students. As for the latter two, Morgiana had taken over Hinata's position, teaching Endorsi and Anak how to fight using powerful kicks, while Madara had taken over the Wave Controller's class in lieu of Vahn.
Morgiana had exceptionally strong legs, and, though she had yet to receive a True Name, she had been created willfully after the upgrade to Vahn's [Universal Mind]. As for Madara, her power had increased exponentially following the naming of Hinata. Even before that, however, she had been teaching Baam various martial arts while having Laure practice converting his Shinsu into blades of wind and powerful gales. The latter had also learned to become a lot more attentive, as, compared to Vahn, Madara was considerably less 'tolerant'…
Before anyone could offer so much as a greeting, Fenrir's eyes immediately shifted to where Gandr, Endorsi, and Anak were seated. This caused the hairs on Gandr's and Anak's bodies to stand on end while Endoris, the focus of Fenrir's frosty gaze, began to sweat nervously as the latter asked, "What are you doing with my little brother…?"
Though she had been happily flaunting her relationship just moments prior, Endorsi instinctually released her hold on Gandr's waist, averting her eyes as she found herself at a loss for words. This caused the atmosphere to become even icier, but, before things could become too uncomfortable, Gandr was the one to step in, saying, "Endorsi and I have started dating…don't bully her too much, Aneue…"
Shifting her gaze from Endorsi, Fenrir squinted her eyes as she met Gandr's gaze. She had originally been given the task of protecting him from any females that might covet him. Though this objective had changed ever since he received his True Name, his identity as both a Vanargandr and her little brother gave her a strong compulsion to protect him. He was also a member of her 'pack', so, while she wanted to respect his decision, she couldn't accept a 'bad girl' like Endorsi.
Unwilling to see her little brother get taken advantage of, Fenrir shifted her gaze to Aleksai and Rak, declaring, "Your training will be overseen by Mira and Morgiana for the time being." Then, in a tone that left no room for discussion, she squinted back at Endorsi and Anak, adding "The two of you will be training with me from now on…"
Before Fenrir could lose her cool and attempt to forcibly convert Endorsi and Anak into 'good girls', Phae decided to intervene, superseding the Vanargandr's tyranny by suggesting, "Allow me to take over the girls' training. Khun has been pushing himself quite a bit lately so he could benefit from a momentary reprieve. I'll have him observe everyone else's training so he has a better grasp of their individual abilities. You should continue your lessons with Rak and Aleksai. Leave the Princesses to me."
Though she scrunched up her nose slightly, ears twitching in frustration, Fenrir didn't try to argue against Phae's suggestion. The latter had been placed in charge when their Master wasn't around so she didn't really have a platform to stand on. Thus, after staring at Endorsi for several seconds, Fenrir ultimately nodded her head in acquiescence before saying, "I'll leave it to you…" in a slightly sullen tone.
Finding Fenrir's overprotective nature rather adorable, Phae couldn't help but giggle in amusement before lightly clapping her hands and exclaiming, "Okay, then! Let's all do our best today as well~!"
—
Unaware of what was taking place inside the Little Garden, Vahn was preparing to step back inside the House of Miracles when he sensed what could only be described as an 'abnormality' within his perception. It was similar to the impression he got whenever he tried to sense a Pocket or an Arms Inventory that had been placed into 'Invisible' mode. It was a very strange feeling because he could tell there was 'something' nearby, but, even with his domain, he couldn't actually sense it…
Maintaining a calm and unflustered appearance, Vahn opened the door to the House of Miracles before casually closing it behind him and musing, "Even if you can conceal your presence, I can still sense you through your intent. Tell me, what business do you have in the House of Miracles…?"
Though he appeared to be speaking to an empty room, the genial chuckle of an old man could be heard echoing in response to Vahn's words. Moments later, an old man attired in pure white robes appeared out of thin air, smiling as he stroked his long grey beard. His garb resembled something that a scientist or a doctor might wear, and, though he gave off an exceptionally dangerous feeling, his aura was extremely vibrant and calm.
Despite feeling as though the man before him was even more dangerous than Yuri, Vahn managed to appear completely unphased. All the people he wanted to protect were currently safe within the Little Garden, so, even if Jahad and the Ten Great Family Leaders appeared before him, he wouldn't show even a marginal amount of fear. Instead, his smile radiated absolute confidence as he looked into the elderly man's silver eyes and said, "I am Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the Sage Dragon Emperor. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit…?"
Impressed by Vahn's composure, the elderly man returned an approving nod before replying, "My name is Graham Bell, the Rank 37 Teacher of the Workshop. You may refer to me as Graham. As for the purpose of my visit, there are two reasons. First and foremost, I wanted to inspect the workshop and items produced by Ms. Ha Phae Stios. Secondly, I wished to discuss the possibility of having the person in question become a Disciple within the Workshop…"
Noticing no noteworthy changes in Vahn's expression, a curious glimmer flashed across Graham's eyes as he began to suspect that his visit wasn't unexpected. The former actually seemed to relax upon hearing his introduction, something even High Rankers struggled with. After all, even Jahad and the Ten Great Families respected, and, to a lesser extent, feared the Workshop. Were this not the case, the former would have attacked and attempted to consume the latter long ago.
Meeting Graham's expectations, Vahn pulled two chairs out of his Inventory before manifesting a fresh pot of black tea and answering, "I planned to have Phae join the Workshop once we reached the 20th Floor. Though I can arrange a meeting between the two of you, know that it is impossible to convince her to abandon her duties. You would have an easier time convincing an inert stone to turn into a planetoid."
Raising his left brow slightly, Graham poured a cup of tea for himself, savoring the fragrant aroma as he mused, "It seems Ms. Phae is not the only exceptional person among your group. Your aura reminds me of the Great Warriors, back when they had first started their journey up the Tower…how very interesting…"
Understanding that Graham was calling attention to the fact that he was an Irregular, Vahn returned an amused smile of his own as he muttered, "I cannot deny there are parallels between us…but I am so much more than Jahad and his Great Warriors could aspire to be. As a Teacher of the Workshop, you should be aware of it…the existence of beings that transcend the Gods…"
Though it didn't show on his face, Graham's mind was operating like a supercomputer as he tried to determine the veracity of Vahn's words. If he was telling the truth, it meant there was another entity on the level of Phantaminum within the Tower. The latter was a monster that even Jahad and Enryu could never hope to oppose; so, if it turned out that Vahn was also an Axis User, there was virtually nothing anyone could do to hinder his plans…
The Workshop existed both inside and outside the Tower, so, while others might not be aware of their existence, most high-ranking Teachers were aware of the existence of Axis Users. They were the most powerful existences within their respective domains. The only thing that could contend against an Axis User was another Axis User, as, within their field of control, the very laws of reality and fate could be rewritten. This led to them being known as 'Authors of Fate', incomprehensible entities that were responsible for controlling the structure and direction of various 'stories' within the infinite macrocosm.
Since there was no sense in asking Vahn to prove he was an Axis, Graham decided to get straight to the point, asking, "Why have you come here? What is the purpose behind having Ms. Phae join the Workshop? Your kind has never taken an interest in the Workshop before…"
Though he was pretty sure that Graham had misunderstood something, Vahn managed an amused smile in response to the man's words before answering, "I am simply passing through…"
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Anak be like, "Did you get punched in the neck?"','Fenrir has little tolerance for 'bad girls' xD…','*Loudly Sips Tea*')
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