Chapter 77: Familiarity
"This is your bedroom? Isn't it a bit small for someone of your status and import?" asked Serafall, looking around Vahn's repurposed club room with a curious gleam in her eyes.
"Rias and Sona offered me a villa of my own, but I don't really like excess and extravagance..." explained Vahn, removing his ribbon and unbuttoning his dress shirt.
"That's more common than you might think," responded Serafall, turning to face Vahn with a playful smile as she explained, "But there is a meaning behind such extravagance. Because of the nature of Magic, the resilience and efficacy of barriers and seals are greatly influenced by the perception of large groups of people. If the average person were to see a shack, they would assume its defenses are weak and that it can be toppled easily. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a fortress the size of a mountain gives the impression of impregnability, strengthening its foundation and making the barriers protecting it more resilient."
"Makes sense," assented Vahn, nodding. He had learned the importance of symbology and the power of belief from his magical studies with Rias, Sona, Akeno, and Grayfia. However, as it would be rude to tell Serafall he already knew what she was trying to teach, he accepted her lesson with a smile and proposed, "Do you want to relocate to the Corridor? We have a hot springs villa and a castle we use for recreation."
"Are you sure you're not asking that to extend your sixty-five minutes to multiple hours~?" asked Serafall, angling her head downward to stare at Vahn with upturned eyes as she tentatively pulled at the green cord that kept her obi in place.
"I wouldn't mind if that ended up being the case..." responded Vahn, his tone calm as his expression eased into a smoldering look.
"Then let's make things official~" hummed Serafall, raising and spreading her hands as a large hourglass appeared from a burst of pink smoke with illusory stars and sparkles.
"The sands in this hourglass will stream for precisely sixty-five minutes," explained Serafall, flipping the hourglass upside down and releasing it to float in the air as she added, "You have until it's empty to impress me with your capabilities and manliness."
"Alright," responded Vahn, nodding and approaching Serafall without fear, grasping her waist as he casually affirmed, "I'll be sure to give it my all..." before transferring them to the Checkpoint housing the hot springs and Ryokan. Serafall immediately released a faint pulse of Demonic Energy the moment they arrived, but her blue eyes were focused on him as he slid his hands to her bottom and raised her to the tips of her toes.