'So that's Judgment, huh? It was surprisingly effective...' thought Vahn, shouldering his mace and approaching the downed Mage with unhurried steps. It was his first time utilizing the B-Ranked Skill, so he wasn't sure if it would be enough to eliminate the Skeletal Dragon outright.
Stopping in front of the Mage, Vahn placed everything but the man's robes into his Inventory before saying, "Wake up," in a deep voice that reverberated with the surrounding space.
tha-thump
"Uwaaaagh! Wh-What just happened!? Just who—no, what are you...!?" exclaimed the Mage, waking with a start and retreating backward on his hands and butt after Vahn's command compelled his mind to rouse from unconsciousness.
Extending his left hand, Vahn used his Domain as a medium to raise the Mage from the ground, preventing his retreat. As he tensed his fingers, a gradually increasing pressure squeezed the Mage's body from all sides, forcing him to remain still as Vahn answered, "I told you before. My name is Vahn Mason—leader of the Mithril-Ranked Party, Retinue of the Dragon. Now, isn't it about time you tell me who you are?"
"I...I would rather die...!" groaned the Mage, attempting to free himself but failing miserably.
"Mmn...that will be for the city's judiciary to decide..." countered Vahn, placing greater strain on the Mage's body as he turned his attention to Lupusregina. The salacious redhead had heeded his words and avoided killing, but some of the hooded men probably wished they were dead as she had severed or torn their limbs from their bodies before utilizing her healing magic to close their wounds...
"That was way too easy~" Lupusregina remarked, smiling sadistically as she licked fresh blood from her left hand, which noticeably sported sharp claws.
"It is a little strange," Vahn affirmed, returning his gaze to the Mage as he noted, "This is a pretty intricate setup, and this guy seemed assured of his victory despite my introducing myself as Mithril Rank. I've yet to meet any Adamantite Ranks, but based on what I've witnessed so far, they can't be much higher than Level 30..."
Since he didn't want anyone overhearing him and Lupusregina discussing gaming terminology, Vahn robbed the Mage and his hooded subordinates of their consciousness before allowing the former's body to plummet like a ragdoll onto the cavern's hard stone floor.
"That's a good thing, right?" asked Lupusregina, using magic to clean the remaining blood from her body as she reasoned, "If the strongest people in this world are around Level 30, then there's no one who can prevent us from spreading our influence and conquering everything."
"Oh? And what would that accomplish...?" asked Vahn, slipping his hand around Lupusregina's lower back and staring at her curiously as she drew nearer to him and nestled into the space between his jaw and shoulder to give his artery a lick.
"What better way is there to acquire information than to rule everything?" asked Lupusregina, her voice low and sensual before she began suckling on Vahn's neck to give him a hickey.
"There are ways to spread your influence without the need for conquest," Vahn countered, simultaneously giving Lupusregina's ass a moan-eliciting squeeze before adding, "More to the point, if Nazarick were to attempt to conquer the world, it would spread your forces thin and overburden those in positions of power and authority with administrative responsibilities and paperwork. It's considerably easier to—"
"These kinds of things are best discussed with Lord Ainz..." Lupusregina interjected, exhaling a faint, husky chuckle and running her tongue along Vahn's neck before humming, "I'm just here to serve you and ensure your godly cock never feels lonely..."
With Lupusregina punctuating her statement by grabbing and caressing his bulge, Vahn nodded and made the executive decision to wrap up their investigation after a cursory sweep of the labyrinthine complex connected to the cavern. Doing so enabled him to create a map of the area using The Path's Map Function. Better still, it allowed him and Lupusregina to locate and disable several traps, including one that would have buried the entire complex and anyone inside. That very likely saved tens of lives, so while it delayed their return by several hours, Vahn and Lupusregina did their due diligence before returning to the surface to turn over the mutilated Mages and report what they had discovered around sunrise...
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toktoktok
"Mmn...that must be a messenger from the Guild or a representative of the Mayor..." Vahn supposed aloud, his tone relaxed as he continued to smack his hips against Lupusregina's ass from behind.
"We should ignore them..." Lupusregina asserted, her face red, her body coated with sweat, and a thick pillow with an indentation for her breasts, helping to prop up her body as Vahn fucked her tirelessly.
"Now, now...we'll have plenty of opportunities to continue this..." stated Vahn, pulling Lupusregina flush against him and filling her womb with his energy-rich seed as he hummed, "Work comes first..."
Instead of responding to Vahn's words, Lupusregina trembled from her core and squeezed the pillow beneath her tightly. At the same time, she bent her knees and hooked her feet behind Vahn's thighs, holding him in place until he placed his hands on her butt and pushed against her with increasing strength. For several seconds, she defiantly resisted. But since she didn't want him to be angry with her, she eventually released his cock from the confines of her hot, sopping wet pussy.
"Good girl..." Vahn hummed, covering Lupusregina's naked body with a cool blanket before alighting from the bed and making his way over to the room's entrance. By the time he reached it, he had donned his usual black and gold yukata, sparing whoever had knocked the indignity of having to see him in the nude.
Opening the door wide, startling the trio of guards standing outside, Vahn asked, "What do you want...?" with a flat expression and tone.
"You...you're Vahn Mason, the leader of Retinue of the Dragon, correct?" asked the middle-aged guard at the center of the group, simultaneously removing his helmet to reveal a head of thinning, brown, notably greasy hair.
"I am," confirmed Vahn, nodding.
Straightening his body and tucking his helmet under his right arm, the guard revealed, "Your party has been summoned to the mayoral estate. We have been tasked with escorting you."
"And if we refuse...?" asked Vahn, raising his right brow and adopting a faint, challenging smile.
Shaking his head from side to side, the guard hurriedly answered, "We've only been tasked with serving as Sir Mason's escort. We didn't come with a warrant to arrest or detain you if you refused."
"Then, for the time being, return and inform your Mayor that my Party is still recuperating after a long night of investigation..." stated Vahn, taking a moment to feign a lengthy, infectious yawn before meeting the guard's gaze and adding, "We'll head that way sometime after the fourth bell and before the fifth. If he wishes to send someone to pick us up around then, have them wait out front."
"Right...I understand..." responded the guard, nearly backing into his two subordinates as he instinctively backed away from Vahn and the door. It was clear to him from the latter's words that they weren't welcome there, so he hastily gave the order to depart, leaving Vahn to follow them with a lazy, half-lidded glower.
'I guess it's time for me to meet what passes for a Noble in this world...' Vahn droned internally, prompting Sis to exhale a soft chuckle in the back of his mind. Then, closing the door, he diverted his attention to the bed, where Lupusregina had removed the cooling blanket from her body, rolled onto her back, and pulled her feet up to her butt with her legs spread and her tail curled up to cover her belly.
"I don't mind taking a break, but I have a request..." purred Lupusregina, her golden eyes gleaming with desire as she ran her hands up her fluffy tail and playfully hummed, "My insides feel lonely when you're not filling them..."
"Mmn...we can't have that..." Vahn responded, approaching and climbing onto the bed. Fortunately for Lupusregina, she wasn't the first woman to request sleeping with his cock nestled within her pussy. Thus, with highly practiced movements, he maneuvered her into the requisite position and blanketed her body with his own. Then, while channeling calming energy into her body, he buried his face into her neck and gently nuzzled her until she fell asleep holding him...
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Following a short carriage ride to the innermost district of E-Rantel, Vahn and Lupusregina found themselves escorted into the interior of the third-largest villa in the city. There, after waiting for several minutes in a well-lit room lined with dark wooden floorboards and muted blue carpets, a well-dressed, pear-shaped man with rounded jowls, wispy white hair that was absent from the top of his head, and a tufted beard and mustache arrived in noble attire conspicuously adorned with gold.
"Ahem...please allow me to apologize for my belated arrival. I had a small matter to attend..." expressed the man, making his way to the sofa across from Vahn's with his cane, lined with a large crimson gem, tapping against the floor with each step.
"Of course..." responded Vahn, taking in every feature of the remarkably rotund Mayor with a single glance. The buttons of his two-layer blue vest, white undershirt, and crimson, gold-lined petticoat were pure gold—same as the gem-encrusted rings adorning seven of his fingers and the banded golden belt around his waist. Rather than a wartime Mayor of a fortress city, he had the appearance of an especially wealthy merchant—starkly contrasting the comparably homely, nutrition-deprived appearance of his citizens...
Diminishing Vahn's impression of him even further, the Mayor shifted his gaze to Lupusregina before cracking his beady brown eyes and openly admiring her.
"Goodness...I had heard from my men that the two of you had striking appearances, but you might very well be the most handsome man and most stunning woman I have ever laid eyes on..." remarked the Mayor, a glimmer of greed flashing across his eyes before he wisely restrained it to meet Vahn's gaze, adding, "First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to the two of you for the tremendous service you have provided my city. Secondly, allow me to introduce myself..."
Shifting his scepter-like cane to his left hand, the Mayor placed his right hand over his chest, offered a slight bow, and introduced, "I am Viscount Panasolei Gruze Day Rettenmaier, Mayor of E-Rantel and humble servant of His Majesty, King Ramposa."
Deliberately remaining seated, Vahn responded, "And I am Vahn Mason, leader of the Mithril-Ranked Party, Retinue of the Dragon. Now, for what purpose has Your Lordship summoned us here?"
"Hmmn...straight to business, then..." acquiesced the Mayor, taking a seat with his feet notably failing to reach the floor as he explained, "Those men you captured belonged to a particularly nasty cult that has been plaguing Re-Estize for many years—Zurrernorn. More pertinently, the leader of the group you captured happens to be one of Zurrernorn's Twelve Executives, Khajiit Dale Badanteel. As such, at the behest of His Majesty, I have been ordered to thank you and to ensure that you receive every gold piece you are warranted for his capture."
"And this group, Zurrernorn. Is it considered powerful?" asked Vahn, the casualness of his tone and his apparent disinterest in the reward he was owed leaving the Mayor at a brief loss for words. Most Adventurers only cared about fame and money, but it was clear from Vahn's response and the rumors surrounding his exploits that his reasons were more personal.
Pulling out an embroidered handkerchief, the Mayor dabbed at his brows while affirming, "While I am unaware of the particulars of the organization and its members, their executives are known to be capable Necromancers and Assassins who worship and revel in death. Because of that, requests related to their investigation and elimination are typically commissioned to Adamantite-Ranked Adventurers..."
"I see..." responded Vahn, making no effort to conceal his disappointment. It was objectively a good thing that criminal organizations like Zurrernorn were composed of weaklings. But as he had come to OL-2138 to increase his strength and accumulate experience, he couldn't help but feel at least a little disappointed by the revelation...
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