Chapter 321: Tit for Tat
With Sunraku being declared the victor of their match by technical knockout, Riko found herself in a gloomy mood. She was upset that she had lost, but more than that, she was embarrassed to have broken down and cried in front of so many people—so much so that she wished there had been an Abyss-sized hole nearby she could fling herself into.
"Feeling better...?" asked Vahn, kneeling in front of Riko on a sofa after wrapping her in a thick and soft blanket and providing her a milkshake and a long straw to drink it with.
"Mn..." responded Riko, her cheeks flushed and eyes a little red and puffy as she loudly slurped her milkshake.
"Don’t worry. Faputa—we will take care of her," asserted Faputa, resting her chin and forepaws atop Riko’s head from behind the sofa.
"You have my gratitude," said Vahn, rising to his full height and caressing the sides of Faputa’s face with his hands, causing her to narrow her eyes and emit a faint purring sound from her throat.
"Now, before I go..." started Vahn, waiting for Riko to look up at him with her head tilted downward in a sad, puppy-eyed expression before smiling affectionately as he stated, "You should know I’m very proud of you, Riko. You may not have performed as well as you wanted, but that’s a matter of setting your expectations too high..."
"I really wanted to win..." muttered Riko, lowering her gaze and nearly disappearing into her blanket like a turtle retracting into the safety of its shell.
Shaking his head, Vahn’s expression softened as he cupped the right side of Riko’s face, caressing her warm and damp cheekbone with his thumb as he stated, "You’ve never been a warrior or a combat specialist. You’re someone who delves into the unknown, seeks knowledge, and shares it with others. It’s fine to want more, but expectations should be a reflection of the foundation and the skill sets we’ve established ourselves atop. If you sincerely desire to become someone who never loses, consider what you need to do and lay out clear expectations for yourself. After that, you need only to follow the path you’ve constructed to the destination of your choosing..."
Raising her gaze, Riko stared deeply into Vahn’s eyes as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. Fortunately, he knew what she wanted to express, a faint sigh escaping his nose as he grabbed the sides of her face, planted a lingering kiss on her forehead, and stated, "Another person, be they God or man, should never be what lies at the end of your chosen path. But when you reach the point where our courses intersect, I will be privileged to help you move closer to your goal..."
"You’re really unfair sometimes..." muttered Riko, turning her face to the side and puffing her practically glowing cheeks as Vahn rose back to his full height. She was hoping he would kiss her as he had Kunou, but since she didn’t want to become a source of exasperation for him like Bonney, she didn’t pressure him.
"I do try to be..." countered Vahn, his form breaking down into fragrant golden flower petals that left behind a lingering warmth as he vanished, prompting Faputa to climb over the sofa and circle around where he had been standing before plopping down and loafing like a cat...
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