Chapter 203: Visit
'I was beginning to think that would never end...' mused Vahn, sporting a contented smile after parting ways with Aqua after seventy-six days. This wasn't the lengthiest stint he had spent with one of his women, but he felt they could have continued much longer if not for her translucent, gradient blue hair gaining a pink hue and glowing, pale pink hearts appearing in her eyes, causing her worry that she was becoming a Dark or Fallen Goddess of Lust. Fortunately, though Vahn didn't think it was an issue, she returned to her usual appearance after settling down and spending time sitting and praying in waist-high holy water...
'I should probably reset my mental state...' concluded Vahn, deciding to extend the evening into a brief stint with Lupheria, Dizzy, and Jack-O on the eighth floor. He would have invited Kunou to join them, but she wasn't in the palace, alternating between dwelling there and her mother's shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto...
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[November 17th DxD/July 11th DBT]
"And, lastly, you've received a formal complaint..." revealed Venelana, sporting a narrow-eyed, amused smile as she supplied Vahn's morning briefing, catching him by surprise.
"A complaint? From who? And what about...?" asked Vahn, genuinely bewildered as he felt he generally went out of his way to ensure those visiting the palace received their Tower Points' worth. Sure, there were times when he would sour the mood by inserting himself into a situation where he wasn't expected or invited, but he only did so when someone within the group stepped out of line and did something that toed the line of the palace's policies...
"It's from Satou Kazuma..." revealed Venelana, looking as though she was suppressing the urge to laugh aloud as she clarified, "He contends that you've sabotaged his party by corrupting their Arch Priestess and making her even lazier than she already was. It would appear that whenever she feels annoyed or simply wishes to avoid work, Aqua-sama sneaks away to the palace using her crystal key."
"Mmn...alright, that's fair..." conceded Vahn, understanding how vital Aqua was to Kazuma's party as she reminded him of it constantly. Even with the benefits of being an Ascendee, Kazuma had died and needed to be raised twice by Aqua. He might frequently refer to her as a Useless Goddess, but he was bound to struggle immensely without her on-demand, inordinately powerful Holy and Water-based Purification Magic.
Nodding, Vahn added, "Once I return from the Black Tower, I'll drop by his world to assess the situation and see what kind of remuneration he has in mind."