Chapter 279: Biding Time
[February 9th TST/October 2nd DBT]
'This is a lot of people...' noted Vahn, looking over the list of those who had expressed an interest in the five-year training mission scheduled for that weekend. Wendy, Carla, and Fran had agreed to accompany Bonney, and through them, word had naturally spread to Fairy Tail, the Kingdom of Fiore, the youth troupe, and many others.
With the Dragon's Pavilion having become fairly well-known throughout Earthland, the Kingdom of Fiore and the Magic Council had been vying to expand and, more importantly, compete with Fairy Tail's influence abroad. As such, twenty-seven Guild-affiliated Mages, two representatives of the Magic Council, ten Holy Knights, and, most notably, the Crown Princess of the Fiore Kingdom, Hisui E. Fiore, were among those who had volunteered for the five-year training mission.
'Reason for volunteering...to become stronger and strengthen ties with the Dragon's Pavilion...' read Vahn, pulling up Hisui's file to find a young woman with light green hair fixed into a spiky ponytail, intelligent green eyes, and a petite build with modest but well-shaped breasts, a slender waist, tight hips, and soft-looking thighs.
'I certainly wouldn't mind strengthening ties with her...' thought Vahn, prompting Sis to hum (I'm certain the thought has crossed her mind...) in a playful, amused tone.
'Mmn...maybe if I weren't already involved with so many other women from her world...' responded Vahn, contending, 'Her status as Crown Princess and future Queen of Fiore would complicate things even more than they already are...'
(On that note, Lucy and Carla will have five years to spend with Natsu and Happy, respectively) noted Sis. (*If things had continued along their current course, I estimated the odds of Lucy sleeping with you before the next Tower cycle to be 74.29%. Being one of the few girls in her circle who hasn't slept with you isn't easy.*)
'That would be ideal...' affirmed Vahn, the image of Carla's human form appearing in his mind as he added, 'Though, considering Carla shunned Happy's affections to the end of the series, I'm not sure how things will work between them. In my memories, I recall him entering a relationship with a separate Exceed named Touka.'
(Five years is nearly as long as Happy and Carla have been alive,) noted Sis. (And with several boys near their age entering the Room of Spirit and Time, even Bonney and Wendy could return with boyfriends. Girls are very fickle at their age.)
'One can hope...' sighed Vahn, closing his eyes and exhaling audibly from his nose. He wouldn't stop Bonney, Wendy, Rico, and others from setting him as their goal, but as much as he relished having a harem, he believed monogamy was the healthiest form of a relationship. He would do his best to provide for and make them happy, but if they found someone willing to dedicate their everything to them, he believed they would be happier and freer in the long run.
(That isn't necessarily the case, Vahn) said Sis, catching Vahn a little off guard before she explained (From what I've observed across more than a thousand worlds, romance isn't nearly as important to people as a sense of community. Passion is a flame that requires persistent care to maintain, so while people may feel that their partner is their entire world when they first fall in love, such sentiments inevitably fade, replaced by comfort and, ultimately, monotony. What keeps people together past that is usually the life they've built together and the expectations of their family, friends, and community.)