Selfishness

Though he felt it was excessive, Vahn accepted Venelana's suggestion that she be punished by permitting her to maintain a forehead-to-floor dogeza as he sat on the sofa in his room and communicated with Himmel regarding the Frieren situation.

[So that's how she views me...] muttered Himmel, his telepathic voice poised but tinged with melancholy.

[Since it's something she decided for herself, I didn't refuse her request] stated Vahn, exhaling faintly from his nose as he added. [However, I have no intention of laying a hand on her, and given what I know of her, I don't imagine she'll come onto me anytime soon. You still have time to sway her heart and mind.]

[Haaaa...perhaps...] responded Himmel, the exasperation in his tone clear.

Feeling the conversation was taking a turn for the worse, Vahn decided to shift topics, albeit within the same general subject, asking [I should have asked this previously, but when you confessed, how did you go about it? I find it odd she didn't at least give you a chance, considering what you told me when we first discussed her.]

Following a lengthy pause, Himmel eventually revealed [I tried following your advice by expressing my feelings and willingness to court her for as long as it took.]

[I hope you didn't use those exact words...] remarked Vahn, his brows furrowing as he pointed out [Because spoken plainly, it comes across as overly forward, bordering on selfish.]

[Selfish...?] repeated Himmel, clearly confused.

[I mean, try putting yourself in Frieren's shoes] said Vahn, clarifying [She has more than a thousand years and, as you've said, Elves are remarkably slow to change. Her Master was a human Mage who perished long ago, so the notion that there is a vast disparity between the lifespan of Elves and humans is likely deeply ingrained in her mind, attached to a feeling of loss she may never have reconciled. Confessing to her was the right thing to do, but the part about courting her for as long as it took was too much, presumably leading her to believe you were prepared to throw your life or humanity away for the possibility of being with her. At the very least, that would explain her conspicuous attempt to distance herself from you. She is likely far more concerned for your future than her own...]

Though he felt uncertain near the beginning, Himmel found Vahn's words increasingly persuasive, compelling him to dryly, jokingly remark [It would appear I have erred rather spectacularly...]

Regaining a faint smile, Vahn asserted [Fortunately, time moves forward, and the events of the past generally only exist in our memories. It might take some time, but as an Ascendee, you conceivably have thousands of years to convince Frieren of your feelings. And once she realizes it isn't a bother but a blessing to have you around, the two of you can study Magic and build a life together.]

[You're right] affirmed Himmel, ostensibly regaining his confidence until he added [But, at this point in time, I believe the best thing I can do for Frieren is give her the space she desires. She has just made an important decision that will shape her future for years to come. Once she is ready to turn a new page or begin a new chapter in her life...I will be there with my hand extended...]

'This is annoying...' thought Vahn, his expression scrunching into a deep frown. He understood that Himmel believed he was doing the right thing out of consideration for Frieren's feelings, but he was failing to consider how she would react to discovering he had waited years, potentially even centuries, for her to realize his sincerity. Even if they did end up together, it would likely be because she feared he would continue waiting, wasting his life and potential away...

[If that's truly how you feel...I will interfere no longer...] said Vahn, lying through his telepathic teeth as, the moment his and Himmel's discussion concluded, he asked Venelana to rise and retrieve Frieren for him...

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Arriving at the small, private theater that Vahn had asked Venelana to bring her to, Frieren, sporting a white, spaghetti-string crop top and a black thong, impassively remarked, "I didn't expect you to call for me so soon. But since your side has made good on your promises, I shall honor my end of our agreement."

As if to reinforce her preparedness, Frieren punctuated her statement by climbing onto Vahn's lap, straddling him atop the plush, three-person sofa he was sitting on as if it were completely natural. Vahn permitted this and even cupped her small but well-shaped bottom, but he had little intention of going further as he calmly revealed, "Truth be told, I wasn't planning to request your services out of consideration for my friendship with Himmel, and, to an extent, that remains the case..."

"Oh? Then what's this pressing against my nethers and nestled between my rear...?" asked Frieren, the only change in her expression being a slight raise of her right brow.

"A natural, physiological reaction that any man would have to an attractive woman sitting on his lap..." responded Vahn. "More to the point, I brought you here because I wanted you to see something. It will provide you with a unique perspective and shed some insight into the very nature of reality. I imagine that is something that interests you?"

"Quite a bit..." confirmed Frieren, nodding. Then, instead of relocating to one of the cushions flanking Vahn, she briefly got up from his lap, turned around, placed her hands on his knees, and shifted her weight back until her pussy briefly squished against his bulge before adjusting her position to sit between his thighs. From there, she reclined against him and asked, "I presume we will be watching what you have planned on this large silver tarp...?"

"You know...you're a lot bolder than I expected..." remarked Vahn, feeling that Frieren was behaving too comfortably with him.

"Mmm...this is, admittedly, abnormal for me..." conceded Frieren, closing her eyes, her long, somewhat droopy Elven ears twitching slightly as she reasoned, "But the Mana within your body is exceptionally pure, untainted by greed, malice, or other negative emotions. Sitting here like this is very pleasant, like sinking into a warm bath after exploring a Dungeon..."

"Well, as long as you're comfortable..." muttered Vahn, suppressing the almost instinctual urge to cup and massage Frieren's modest breasts as he had Sis create a large, holographic display. Frieren initially didn't bat an eye at this, but a few seconds into the anime opening that began playing, her brows rose, a look of recognition adorning her face as the image of a sleeping Elf with features uncannily similar to her own appeared, followed by the appearance of strange characters and the text: FRIEREN: Beyond Journey's End...

"I have many questions..." muttered Frieren, her gaze fixed unblinkingly on the screen as it briefly showed her companions in Himmel's Party before herself, standing amid a crowd of silhouettes as what appeared to be rain fell around her. Shortly after, people she didn't recognize appeared, but it wasn't difficult to grasp that they were acquainted with the version of her that was appearing in the display.

"I have accelerated the flow of time within this space to 2,520 times the rate outside..." stated Vahn. "Once we have finished watching everything, I will answer your questions to the best of my ability..."

"Understood..." responded Frieren, correcting her posture and focusing on the screen attentively for the entirety of the 36.4 hours it took for them to complete the first three seasons of her anime...

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Expecting Vahn to show her even more, Frieren felt a brief sense of loss when he closed the display at the end of her third season, stating, "That's enough for the time being. The next season is the last, and while the odds of these particular events coming to pass are slim, the future is something you should shape with your own hands, not have shown to you."

"Then my hypothesis was correct? These projections depict the course of my future...?" asked Frieren, half-turning between Vahn's legs to stare him in the eye.

"As I said, I will answer your questions to the best of my ability," affirmed Vahn, appending, "However, before that, I want to know if you understood why I showed you this."

Nodding, Frieren calmly and correctly surmised, "You wished to show me that Himmel's love for me is genuine and that, should I continue living as I am, I will come to harbor many regrets..."

Smiling, Vahn was about to affirm Frieren's conjecture before she, just as calmly, added, "But even the version of me that was shown at the start of these projections had already been traveling with Himmel's Party for ten full years. I have yet to experience the events that forged their bond, and because Himmel chose to become an Ascendee, our very world is walking a different path. Simply put, I cannot care about happenings that have yet occurred or hold dear sentiments that never developed..."

"But you recognize that his feelings for you are genuine...can't you at least give him a chance?" asked Vahn.

Lowering her gaze, Frieren appeared to seriously consider Vahn's words as she didn't say or do anything for several minutes. Unfortunately, while she had learned much from watching her anime, including the importance of forming and cherishing bonds in the present, Vahn's wisdom regarding the future being something you shaped with your own hands was fresh in her mind.

Nodding in affirmation of her conclusion, Frieren raised her gaze to meet Vahn's before calmly but firmly asserting, "I do sympathize with Himmel, but I have already made my decision and will not renege on a contract I agreed to of my own volition. I did not require the status of a First-Grade Maid to gain access to the knowledge and information I desired. It was a decision I made so that when the Elders of my people ask, I would not be lying about being in your service as a concubine of sorts. It is something I did to protect myself and avoid the obligation of aiding in the repopulation of my species."

"Would you not enjoy similar protections as the spouse of the Hero who defeated the Demon King...?" questioned Vahn, his expression becoming a neutral mask as Frieren rested her left hand atop his bulge and confirmed, "It is possible, at least for a time. But humans are a very superstitious and easily frightened race. Once those in power learn that Himmel had ties to a God from another world and his reduced aging becomes apparent, they might well declare him the next Demon King..."

"And why can't you—" started Vahn, prompting Frieren to narrow her leaf-green eyes and interject, "I have lived one-thousand-four-hundred-and-thirty-seven years. I am perfectly capable of making decisions for myself. Would you place the wants of a seventeen-year-old boy over my own and deny me the agency to live and make decisions for myself?"

'When she puts it that way, there's a pretty extreme difference in their ages and experience...' thought Vahn. He didn't believe it was a hurdle that couldn't be overcome—speaking from experience—but the simple fact of the matter was that Frieren had no interest in trying. And, as she had asserted, she had every right to refuse Himmel's advances and walk the path of her choosing...

"So the question is..." appended Frieren, continuing to caress Vahn's bulge as she asked, "Do you desire my willing services as a First-Grade Maid, or can we proceed to you answering my many questions? With the time you have granted us, I do not mind fettering my curiosity until you are fully or partially satisfied. That is your decision to make...for I have already made mine..."

"So it would seem..." remarked Vahn, surprising and confusing Frieren by gently pinching and pulling her surprisingly squishy cheeks as he added, "But I've also made up mine. I won't rescind your status as a First-Grade Maid, but, at least for the time being, I have no intention of claiming you as one of my women. You may never give him a chance, nor do you need to, but I, personally, want to give Himmel the opportunity to change your mind..."

"Mmn...I see..." muttered Frieren, closing her eyes and adopting a slight frown as she acknowledged, "Well...it's not as though I feel compelled to serve or have sex with you. If you do not desire my services, I simply will not provide them..."

"Then we're on the same page..." affirmed Vahn, nodding approvingly and releasing his hold on Frieren's cheeks as he added, "Now, ask away. I will answer what I can, and if you touch upon a subject I cannot, I will at least explain why..."

"Understood..." responded Frieren, supplying a nod of her own before she spent the better part of nine hours questioning and conversing with Vahn, ostensibly enjoying the exchange quite a bit as she smiled with increasing frequency and even exhaled a short and soft laugh a few times, reminding him of their first encounter on the 0th Floor...

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