Chapter 2212 Contentedness
With the conversation between Sarina, Bulma, and Tights lasting for several hours, Vahn wasn't surprised when he learned that the sisters would be staying the night.
Bulma initially wanted to stay in the room next to the master bedroom, but, upon learning that Chi-Chi was already staying there, she grumbled for a bit before ultimately choosing to stay in the same room as her sister.
Having anticipated this scenario from the start, Vahn outfitted Tights's room with a large bed that could be split down the center. As for their furnishings, he included a large television, a set of chairs that hovered off the ground, an ultra-high-definition hologram projector, several bookshelves filled with engineering manuals, and a rack of his favorite mecha and battle anime.
Though Tights had become one of the most famous science-fiction novels on Earth, the popularity of books, in general, had waned with the rapid progression of technology. It didn't help that most of the people outside the cities were uneducated farmers, so, even if they did get their hands on a science-fiction novel, they simply couldn't understand the contents.
If she asked him for advice, Vahn was going to push Tights towards storyboarding, graphic novels, and developing anime. People had a much easier time getting into movies, cartoons, and TV shows compared to books as they didn't have to imagine what people looked like and how things worked. This made it significantly easier for people to imagine what it would be like to live within the worlds you had created, so, as much as he could appreciate novels, Vahn enjoyed manga and anime a lot more.
Of course, the penultimate form of entertainment was Virtual Reality, but, after seeing its influence on the Aldrnari Empire of Gaia, Vahn wasn't too enthusiastic about introducing it elsewhere. There had been a significant amount of support for having the restrictions he placed on it removed, and, as a result, the Mother System eventually updated the Common Law so that people above a certain age were basically able to upload their consciousness to the Virtual World.
Though he didn't really mind people wanting to spend all their time in fictional worlds, witnessing the mass exodus that followed had caused Vahn to have mixed feelings. Both he and Da Vinci had severely underestimated just how willing people were to abandon everything that made them who they were just to experience an easier life in an entirely simulated world. Many had even set up their profiles so that their memories were inhibited whenever they entered one of the thematic worlds. In other words, just for the sake of greater immersion, they became NPCs without any knowledge of the world beyond the simulation.
As someone who had experienced the exact opposite scenario in the Tri-Ace Anthology, Vahn was a little taken aback when he heard about the peculiar development from Da Vinci. He didn't take any action to prevent it but it was still eye-opening to know there were literally hundreds of millions of people who would rather risk being reborn as simple farmers and filler characters despite having all of their needs provided for in reality...
Fortunately, most of the people that had participated in the digitalization exodus were those born before The Fall. Those born during and after it had openly embraced the lifestyle provided by the Empire. There were even a number of people that had become explorers, adventurers, and other fantasy-esque professions in order to set out and explore the various Textures that comprised Gaia. Others became Heroes, Knights, and Mages, staunch protectors of the Surface and the people who called the Aldrnari Empire home.
At the end of the day, Vahn was happy so long as the people were happy. He might not be able to truly understand the reason that drove each individual person's actions, but, in the grand scheme of things, he didn't have to. Rather, if a time came where he did know absolutely everything, he would probably become extremely bored.
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Like many of the Gods he had encountered during his journey, Vahn had learned that omniscience wasn't everything it was cracked up to be. In fact, without a Mind Innate and the proper mentality, there was a good chance it would simply break you...
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With the evening passing uneventfully, Vahn woke up early the next morning to prepare breakfast for the growing number of people living within the manor.
As per usual, Chi-Chi was the first to appear. Watching him prepare meals had become a habit of hers, but, more than that, she wanted to be the first person he saw each day. This was impossible due to the fact he shared a bed with Sarina, but, as the latter often slept in, Chi-Chi had convinced herself it was better to be the first person he saw awake...
Without turning to face the sleepy-looking Princess, a casual smile developed across Vahn's face as he mused, "Good morning, Chi-Chi. Sleep well...?"
Suppressing a yawn to the best of her ability, Chi-Chi nodded her head before remarking, "I would have slept better if we shared the same bed..."
As he had already gotten used to Chi-Chi's remarkably brazen assertations, Vahn simply chuckled in response to the willful Princess's remark. This caused an adorable pout to develop across Chi-Chi's face, but, instead of pressing further, she ultimately trotted over to her usual spot before taking a seat and observing him with a listless, dreamy look on her face...
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With the others beginning to arrive nearly twenty minutes later, Vahn acquiesced to Chi-Chi's offer to clean the stove and kitchen utensils before heading out to the dining room with all the food he had prepared in his Inventory.
"Good morning, Tights, Cheelai, Broly. Did you sleep well...?"
Answering before even Cheelai, Tights replied, "Almost too well. That bed is basically a trap. I don't think I've ever slept on something so comfortable in my entire life."
Though she didn't mean them as such, Vahn accepted Tights's words as a compliment, smiling as he smoothly asserted, "I don't cut corners when it comes to accommodating family and friends. So long as you reside here, expect nothing but the best."
Punctuating his words, Vahn waved his hand over the table to produce a plethora of food items. He had stockpiled quite a few over the years, and, thanks to his Inventory keeping things fresh forever, he could provide for an entire city if required.
Seeing the ridiculous spread, memories of the previous night resurfaced in Tights's mind. Vahn had brought food for her, Bulma, and Sarina partway through their conversation. Immediately after that, the awkward tensions between them gradually eased as even Bulma's mood qualitatively improved the moment she sampled Vahn's food. The strangest thing about this was that she couldn't actually recall what most of the food tasted like. If someone were to ask, she would only be able to tell them how it made her feel...it was almost like the food had been prepared with joy and happiness rather than conventional ingredients...
With this in mind, Tights decided she might as well ask, stacking her plate as she inquired, "Where do you acquire your ingredients from? I heard from Bulma that she actually lost half a kilo despite stuffing herself at every meal."
Raising her brows in response to Tights's words, Cheelai swallowed the thick piece of bacon she was engorging herself on before asking, "Really? I actually put on a lot of weight. Not enough to get fat but more than enough to recover from the skin and bones state I was in previously."
Surprised by Cheelai's words, Tights was about to ask about the peculiar, green-skinned girl's background when Vahn preempted her, answering, "The food I prepare has some pretty unique qualities. Not only does it strengthen your immune system, it helps you cultivate the figure you want while also unlocking your hidden potential. In other words, if you want to gain weight, you'll gain weight. If you want to lose weight, you'll lose it. Either way, you're guaranteed to be healthy."
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Blinking in surprise, Tights was tempted to ask how Vahn could prepare such mystical food, but, remembering he was supposed to be a God, she decided against it. Instead, she looked down at her lean and petite figure. When she was in her teens, a lot of people said she resembled a junior idol. This changed quite a bit once she got older. Now, unless she kept her hair long and donned slightly revealing clothing, there were people who genuinely mistook her for a young boy...
Noticing Tights's gaze, an amused smile developed across Cheelai's face as she asked, "What's the matter? You're literally sitting at a table with a God. If you're that dissatisfied with your figure, why not ask Vahn to lend you a hand? He helped me grow 5cm just to prove he could. I'm sure he can give you some breasts if you really want."
Hearing Cheelai's words, the person who was most surprised was Vahn. He nearly did a spit take, as, thanks to the green-skinned woman's carelessness, stars had appeared in the recently arrived Chi-Chi's eyes. As for Tights, she appeared somewhat skeptical, asking, "Is that how Sarina's tits got so big...?"
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Vahn answered, "Sarina's development had very little to do with me. She ended up that way as a result of her own wants and desires. From my point of view, every woman has their charms. It doesn't matter if they're petite, tall, mature, or flat as a board. All that matters, at least to me, is that they're content. People who attempt to change themselves to match the expectations of others have a hard time being happy. I prefer confident women who embrace what makes them unique..."
Though she was a little surprised by Vahn's words, that didn't mean Tights accepted them at face value. She hadn't dated ever since she was exploited by her previous boyfriend, so, while she was certain Vahn was different, she couldn't help being skeptical of men who readily told her what she wanted to hear. Thus, after picking at her food for a short while, she said, "Prove it. You should be able to show us what each of your wives and lovers looks like, right? Show me one of the girls you ended up with that doesn't meet the conventional standards of beauty..."
Raising his brows, Vahn met Tights's gaze, asking, "If you can't believe my previous statement, how does revealing the appearances of my wives and lovers help? It wouldn't exactly be difficult for me to create a projection that coincides with your expectations..."
Snorting through her nose, Tights's stated, "Bulma said you're unable to lie but that doesn't prevent you from spewing platitudes and telling people what they want to hear. Now that I've asked you to show me what they look like, you'll either reveal their actual appearances or expose the fact you can tell a lie. Either way, I'm can see that everyone here is interested in seeing what they look like. If you can show them standing next to or surrounding a projection of yourself, that would be even better."
Seeing the expectant looks on Chi-Chi's, Cheelai's, and even the young Broly's faces, an exasperated sigh escaped from Vahn's throat. Instead of refusing Tights's request, however, he insisted they wait for Bulma and Sarina to arrive. After all, if he was going to talk about his wives and lovers, he might as well recount for them his story up until this point. With that in mind, he waited until the drowsy duo dragged their feet into the dining room before creating an extremely realistic projection of the form he had taken near the start of his adventures in Danmachi...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Singularity vibes...','Chi-Chi is super impressionable...','And thus the story of EPIC was spread to another world (U w U)...')