Chapter 494 - Changes at Home

The smile on Vahn's face had frozen up a bit but he eventually managed to thaw out and say, "No, it's fine, you don't have to worry about it. However, I may...ask for your assistance in the future?" Vahn knew Terra would eventually have to relieve her body of the relatively valuable fluid and he was wondering how the organ functioned in her dragon form. It was a very awkward part of the body to obtain the sap from, but it wasn't as though Terra was actually a human so he would have to get over his discomfort eventually. For the time being, however, Vahn would ask for the assistance of Riveria or...

As Vahn was thinking about the reliable High Elf, he could feel a cold sweat on his brow as Sis immediately said, (*I'm sorry, Vahn, I completely forgot about that matter...*) Though Sis was very reliable most of the time, she was still part of Vahn and could make mistakes and oversights on occasion. She had been analyzing data for Vahn earlier and had forgotten to remind him that he promised to let Riveria observe the naming ceremony. He had been so 'intent' of taking care of it right after reaching the surface that his confidence had thrown her off. It happened very rarely, but this wasn't the first time Sis had made a mistake, not that it was actually her responsibility to remember things for him. Vahn would have to apologize to Riveria tomorrow when he introduced her to Terra...

After shaking the image of Riveria's cold gaze from his mind, Vahn gave Terra one last pat on the head before pulling his hand away. The corners of her eyes twitched slightly and she had a somewhat sad expression on her face before smiling gently. Vahn returned her smile and said, "Don't worry, I treat my Familiars like my actual family, so I will pamper you a little in the future..." Terra's ears twitched in response to his words and Vahn's eyes were drawn to the pointed ears that were actually lined with leafy-green scales that made them blend in with her hair. They were so similar that Vahn had completely overlooked them earlier because of how curly and long Terra's hair was. It extended nearly to the middle of her back, stopping just before her wings sprouted, and even her bangs nearly reached her brows.

Terra was a very 'interesting' woman, but Vahn would wait until she was more comfortable in her form, and had more loyalty toward him before he approached her in a studious manner. For the time being, he would let her adapt to the changes in her life while trying to ensure she can enjoy the peace she sought as the Green Dragon. Looking toward the other girls, who had slightly dazed expressions Vahn laughed and said, "Okay, I think it's time for us to return home. Remember, Terra is part of our family from now on, so look after her until she matures. She'll need everyone's help for her education, and make sure you don't teach her anything strange!" Though Vahn had already said it once, he felt like he needed to emphasize it seeing Haruhime's 'mischevious' smile.

Afterward, everyone climbed on Fafnir's back to prepare for the return trip, everyone except for Terra that is. As she watched the others climb aboard Fafnir, Terra actually felt a strange emotion that made her a little anxious, especially when she saw Vahn board as well. She didn't understand the reason, but it felt a little lonely and she was somewhat envious of the 'happy' look on Fafnir's expressionless face. Though other people might not be susceptible to its emotions, Terra could see through it and Fafnir was obviously very 'proud' to be giving everyone else a ride.

As Vahn turned to look toward her, Terra's frown turned into a smile and she said, "I haven't had the opportunity to spread my wings since obtaining this form. I'll follow behind, though please don't fly too quickly until I get used to things. My body feels a little unbalanced in my current state..." Hearing her words, Vahn's brows raised slightly before an intrigued expression appeared on his face and he asked, "Are you sure you can fly in that form?" Though her wings were 4m wide, Vahn didn't think they would be able to support Terra's weight. Because her bones weren't hollow like a bird, Terra was actually much heavier than her appearance might indicate. He hadn't verified it himself, but she was likely close to 170kg, much heavier than a normal person.

Terra didn't seem to be worried at all and simply spread her wings and the 'feathers' began to rustle slightly before she spread her arms to stabilize herself. Without actually needing to flap her wings, much like Fafnir, Terra lifted off the ground and Vahn could see mana flowing in a loop underneath her wings to allow her flight. Seeing that she was actually capable of replicating the feat in her human form, Vahn's intrigue was ignited and he began considering making a 'wing-suit' in the future. He could imagine the twins, Maemi and Emiru, flying around the sky in the Valkyrie armor he was going to forge for them and it was an awe-inspiring sight, even though it was just in his mind.

After wobbling about for a bit, Terra flapped her wings once and lifted herself nearly 30m into the air in an instant before spread her wings wide to stop her acceleration. Though she had shot above them, her voice still carried easily as she said, "It is very strange, but I think I'll be able to get used to it with a little bit of practice..." Vahn had noticed her speed was actually quite fast, which made sense considering she was a Level 4 monster evolved by the Akashic Tome. He wasn't sure how the two records influenced her growth, but she was already very powerful even without the blessing of a god. With her human form, she would be able to obtain the blessing in the future and this would promote her growth even further, at least in theory.

Vahn stroked Fafnir's back, as it had been focusing its gaze on Terra in the sky with a somewhat competitive glint in its eyes. Fafnir seemed very fond of Terra, but it also had the natural 'pride' of a dragon that often shone through. It was a little concerning to think about, but Vahn felt like it had been influenced by his tendency to show off a bit, even though they didn't interact that often. During the exhibition, Fafnir had even gotten a little carried away and had taunted Riveria quite a bit, something Vahn had lectured it on later on. Now that it had a companion, one which wasn't that much weaker than itself, Fafnir's competitive spirit was burning even stronger.

With Vahn's signal, Fafnir spread its own wings and sent out a powerful gust before shooting up into the air with a fierce momentum. However, as Terra had requested, it didn't actually fly that fast and their pace was closer to a 'glide' than accelerated flight. Fafnir could easily reach upwards of 4,000km/h, but their current pace was less than 350km/h. Terra seemed to be able to keep up, but her hair was obviously getting in her way since she couldn't control her own wind barrier properly. As she was still adapting to her body, this included her control over her own energy and she couldn't form an energy barrier to prevent her hair for fluttering about chaotically.

Vahn watched her flight with a bit of concern as she held both of her hands to her face to prevent her somewhat long sideburns from poking her in the eyes. Since she wouldn't be able to hear him otherwise, Vahn sent her an order to use the 'wake' of Fafnir as a shield since it created a somewhat calm cone of air behind it as it cut through the wind. Following Vahn's advice, Terra flicked her wings before tumbling through the air as she dropped into position behind Fafnir in a surprising display of skill. Even though she wasn't used to her current form, it was obvious she was very accustomed to flying as even her Green Dragon form had allowed her to do so. She seemed to realize that having a smaller body increased her mobility even further and, now that the wind wasn't battering her so strongly, she began to smoothly fly behind Fafnir with a smile on her face.

From his right, Vahn could feel someone tugging at his tunic and turned to see Lili with a somewhat concerned expression on her face as she asked, "Do you really prefer girls with tails and big butts so much, Vahn?" Vahn's smile twitched several times until he eventually released an exasperated sigh and hung his head a bit as he responded, "Though they are certainly interesting, I don't think I have any kind of preference like that Lili. There are things I like about everyone, and I never really consider things like that..." It was true as, even though Vahn was fond of girls with plump butts, it was mainly because he thought they suited the women that had them very well. He couldn't even imagine a Hephaestus or Tsubaki with a thin butt, so Lili's question wasn't something he was really fond of hearing.

Lili realized she had 'hurt' Vahn a bit and she could see the tired expression on his face as he spoke honestly, even if it was in an exasperated manner. She felt guilty and hung her head before looking around at everyone else to see their take on things. Haruhime had the same 'annoying' look on her face as she tried to act like an elegant lady, while Mikoto was gripping the handle on Fafnir's back with a pale expression. Naaza had a slightly troubled expression and showed a wry smile when their eyes met while Fenrir simply gave her a stink eye for 'upsetting' Vahn. Turning her head up, Lili saw Vahn's expression had softened as he reached out his hand and said, "It's okay, Lili, just remember that I have my reasons for liking everyone. I don't compare any of you, at least not intentionally...just be who you are, that is enough."

Vahn's words made her feel even more guilty, but she also felt happy at the same time so she showed an apologetic smile and said, "Sorry, Vahn...and thank you for being so nice to me." As he stroked her hair a bit roughly, Vahn chuckled and said, "You're welcome, Lili..." For the