Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos Chapter 1873: Roots

Rather than the original two weeks, Vahn ended up staying in the Actualized world of Dog Days for a total of sixteen days. Leo had taken advantage of his extended stay to declare war on the Biscotti Republic, and, though they generally avoided 'conflict', even the Principality of Pastillage, Kamiberu Kingdom, Sankt Halver, and Endou Duchy joined in to make things more interesting.Vahn found it rather amusing that the prize for victory was earning the right to enshrine him within their respective nations. His popularity within each was rather extreme, so much so that the Biscotti Republic's population had increased by nearly eighteen percent since he started living there. People from all over the Continent flocked there to receive his blessing, and, as a result, Biscotti's economy had been booming due to the drastic increase in tourism.With very few exceptions, the rulers of the various nations of Flognarde, despite being Royalty, were elected to their positions. This was one of the main reasons why they had never fallen to corruption, as, the moment people felt disenfranchised with their current leadership, they would elect someone new to act as their representative. There were also strict regulations regarding removing funds from the national treasury, and, more often than not, you needed support from the public and a majority vote in the Senate before such expenses could be authorized.Since the people would feel fatigued if their ruler was the same person for a long period of time, it was rather common for new representatives to be chosen every 10~15 years. These were often the children of the previous representatives, and, as a result, it was common for people to be elected as early as ten years old. This was the case for Millhi, and, though she had inherited her position, Leo had also become the ruler of her country at only fourteen-years-old. Now, the former was coming up on fourteen, and, though she was beginning to complain about her age, Leo had only recently turned seventeen.With the average life expectancy of Flongnarde being scarily low, ranging between 39~54 in most regions, it wasn't difficult to understand why someone like Leo was feeling pressured. Most people gave birth between the ages of 13~25, as, any later and they might miss seeing their children grow into adulthood. Because of this, Vahn hadn't been surprised when Leo managed to lead her forces into the very heart of Biscottian territory, war ax in hand as she challenged him to their fifth 'official' duel. Follow current on novelenglish.net

The Galette Lion Territory, despite being relatively small compared to others, was one of the most powerful nations on the entire Continent. Their people were descended from the Great Lion Spirit, and, as a result, even their average footsoldier was much stronger than the Knights found within some countries. This allowed them to secure victory in a number of wars, and, though he had done his best to help the Knights of Biscotti with their training, Gaul hadn't been the only one to benefit from the presence of Xiao Bai in the neighboring Galette Lion Territory.Truth be told, Leo was a remarkably beautiful girl, and, though she was somewhat petite, a common trait among women in Flongnarde, her figure was incredible. She had a toned and flat stomach, full breasts, and paradoxically soft yet muscular thighs. This, combined with the fact she had pure white hair, golden eyes, and lion-like features made Leo one of the most breathtakingly beautiful women in all of Flognarde. Though he wouldn't mind taking a tumble with charismatic and persistent Princess, the pragmatic way in which the people of Flongnarde viewed sex made him reluctant to do so. They weren't the type of people who sought out sensual pleasures, and, though they could be remarkably passionate during the act, their main reason for coupling was, very specifically, to produce offspring. Vahn didn't particularly mind having children with Leo. After all, she had basically acted as Gaul's surrogate mother, and, despite her brave and forward nature, she was an exceptionally kind and caring woman who would make a great mother to any child fortunate enough to be born in her care. The problems arose when he took into consideration his influence on women, Leo's tragically short lifespan, and the impact his children would have on the world around them.Leo had been born rather 'late' based on the sentiments of Flongnarde, and, by the time Gaul had been born, he was considered to be a 'miracle child' due to the fact her mother was 41 at the time. This had placed a tremendous burden on the former, so, seven months after the new Prince's birth, their mother ended up passing away. Their father followed suit shortly thereafter, so, from the time she was four, Leo had been doing her best to look after Gaul while training hard to become strong enough to win back the territories they hemorrhaged after the deaths of her parents.The idea of children growing up without their parents was a tragedy that touched the very core of Vahn's being. As a result, he would never allow the mothers of any of his children to simply die off due to something like old age or medical complications. This meant that Leo would effectively live forever, and, while this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it would gradually become a problem as the number of pseudo-immortals in the world gradually increased. Follow current on novel-online.com

Vahn speculated that the limited lifespan of the populace was the primary reason for the relatively peaceful state Flognarde had found itself in. Their lives were 'very' short, so, rather than waste time on trying to establish dynasties, consolidate wealth, and wage wars that lasted decades, everything was designed to be rather 'transient' in nature. Even the 'Elders' in the Senate were only in their mid to late forties, an age where most humans were just beginning to think about things like retirement and truly settling down...By siring children with the residents of Flognarde, Vahn would effectively be upsetting the balance of the entire world just to indulge himself and pander to a beautiful woman. While this, technically, applied to every Record he had visited, acting selfishly in such a peaceful world just felt wrong. He would also be opening the proverbial pandora's box, as, the moment he gave into Leo's insistence, a number of other women were bound to approach him. Though he could always hold himself back, Vahn had become well aware of the influence he had on the women he slept with. He could even make a frigid woman like Altria behave like an affectionate kitten, so, after experiencing the pleasures he could bring, Vahn was afraid that his presence, alone, would be enough to cause the women around him to go into heat. From that moment onward, the Actualized world of Dog Days would no longer be a place for him to simply relax. Instead, it would gradually become the origin of yet another expansive harem, as, even if he held himself back, it was only a matter of time before the endearing qualities of other women compelled him to act...'Unfortunately', Vahn had always been weak against persistent and sincere women, so, following the Winter War, he spent an additional two days in the Galette Lion Territory. From there, he went on to explain his reasoning and justifications to Leo, informing her of the true nature of his existence and allowing her to make an informed decision about her own future. This ended up causing her quite a bit of confusion, but, after a brief trip to one of the nearby moons, upon which he created an entire palace, she understood he wasn't just making things up.Though she was a little annoyed at the realization that she would never be able to defeat him in a fight, Leo was excited by the prospect of exploring other worlds and reaching heights others had only ever dreamed of. She also felt a considerable amount of relief knowing that, even if she died, Vahn would always be around to watch over their children in her stead. Thus, almost immediately after their return to the Galette Lion Territory, she pounced on him like a lioness stalking its prey, her restraint thrown to the wind as she attempted to push him down in the middle of a corridor...As tempting as it was, Vahn understood he couldn't just stay in the Actualized world of Dog Days for the rest of life. He still had a lot of important things to accomplish outside, and, though he could technically stay inside for a literal eternity without any time passing in 'reality', doing so was bound to have adverse consequences. Thus, with visible reluctance on his face, he caressed the head of the woman who had fallen asleep against him in the bath, a contented smile on her face as she nestled close to his chest. Follow current on storynovel.net

Feeling the familiar sensation, combined with the subtly stimulating energy flowing into her mind, Leo's golden eyes gradually opened, confusion visible in their depths until she remembered where and what she had been doing. Then, with a wry smile on her face, she turned her head up to look at him, arms linking around his neck as she cheerfully mused, "You won't let me have any victories, will you...?"Before answering the woman's question, Vahn tightened his hold on her plump yet muscular butt, lifting her body slightly to liberate his penis from her maddeningly hot cavern as he asked, "Would you be satisfied if you knew I let you win?"Exhaling an impassioned sigh in response to Vahn's actions, Leo began to breathe a little faster, a ruddier hue spreading through her cheeks as she confidently replied, "Hell no. You might be a God, but I still have my pride as a Princess of Galette. Even if it takes me a thousand years, I'll eventually get a win against you...one way or another..."To punctuate her words, Leo attempted to pull Vahn's face closer to her own. Instead, she ended up pulling herself towards him, a slight chuckle emanating from her throat prior to her inexperiencedly seizing his lips. In response, Vahn began to lightly massage her butt, momentarily forgetting about his intended departure. After all, with a functionally infinite amount of time on his hands, refusing the advances of a beautiful woman seemed rather senseless...Since it was already pretty late in the day, Vahn decided to spend the rest of the evening tending to Leo before informing her of his decision to depart. Fortunately, she didn't take this news negatively. Rather, after indulging herself for the better part of two days, she had started to feel guilty about neglecting her duties as Galette's representative. She also needed to explain her decision to Gaul and have an important discussion with several other heads of state, so, rather than fretting over his departure, Leo actually felt a little relieved.Though she was lacking in experience, Leo understood that having sex with Vahn was very different from conventional intercourse. The latter was biologically driven, and, though it was rumored to be quite enjoyable, it's primary purpose was to produce the next generation. The former, however, was like a true union between two people, and, for a brief moment, Leo felt as though she had become a part of something much greater than herself. This made it very difficult to separate, and, if not for Vahn mentioning his coming departure, they might have remained together for several days longer.Fortunately, thanks to the explanation she had received prior to their union, Leo wasn't taken aback by her sudden and overwhelming urge to be with Vahn. Instead, she was able to remain surprisingly calm, and, though she doubted her ability to refuse his advances, she was confident in her ability to keep her urges under control. At the very least, she needed to lead her people until Gaul was ready to take control, a day that was fast approaching considering the latter was already nearing fourteen years of age...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'That life expectancy tho...','Who else but Quag-, I mean, Vahn?','Fortunately, there are plenty of other worlds in the Dog Days metaverse xD...')