"Alongside his gratitude, I have also been instructed by His Majesty to convey his desire to meet the Retinue of the Dragon. With the skills Sir Mason has demonstrated, your aid would prove invaluable in rooting out the remainder of Zurrernorn's influence from our war-stricken Kingdom..." revealed the Mayor, dabbing at his forehead with his handkerchief.
"Mmn...I can understand the Kingdom's desire to receive assistance in this matter, but Zurrernorn is ultimately your enemy, not mine. I will deal with them accordingly if our paths cross or they seek retaliation, but I will not become the Re-Estize Kingdom's hound or pawn," stated Vahn, sitting back and crossing his arms.
"You would refuse His Majesty's invitation?" asked the Mayor, raising his brows as he noted, "Not to be pugilistic, but that may make it difficult for Sir Mason and his Party to remain active within the Kingdom."
"I never said I wouldn't meet your King," countered Vahn, his expression and tone as calm as a subterranean lake as he added, "But I will travel to the capital at my discretion and seek an audience with him at a time of my choosing. I am ultimately not a citizen of the Re-Estize Kingdom. I would not run to your neighboring Emperor if he were to send me a summons, so why would I run to your King's side? If someone has a request of me, the very least they can do is come and make it themselves."
'Such disregard for another nation's Sovereign. This man's background must be exceptional...' noted the Mayor, his face greasy with sweat, as, even while sitting idle, Vahn emitted a subtle pressure that caused him to feel as though he was standing on the edge of a cliff with an oppressively clear and vast sky looming overhead.
"Now, unless there is another matter for us to discuss, my companion and I will be on our way," stated Vahn, rising to his feet and narrowing his eyes slightly at the Mayor as he pointedly noted, "Though, considering you had us wait for nearly half an hour despite knowing the timeframe in which we would arrive, I do not believe that to be the case."
'I have made a grave mistake...' realized the Mayor, his mouth opening but no words coming out. It was common for those of higher standing to have those lower than them wait for hours, days, or even weeks, depending on how much they valued the other person's time. Vahn's calm but withering stare as he turned to leave made it clear he valued his time far more than others'. And anyone who failed to grasp that was accordingly unworthy of his attention—be they a Viscount or even a King...
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"You were super cool back there..." remarked Lupusregina, her cheeks lightly flushed as she departed the mayoral estate with Vahn and walked slightly behind him through the cobbled streets of E-Rantel's innermost, heavily patrolled district.
"I have my moments," responded Vahn, adopting a faint, gratified smile as he glanced back at Lupusregina and remarked, "But I'm interested to hear your take. Do you think we should travel to the capital to meet the King, or should we remain here a while longer? I was originally thinking we should find somewhere to increase our Levels, but I'm honestly not sure it's even necessary to increase my power in this world..."
"Would it not be better to discuss this kind of thing with Lord Ainz or Lady Albedo? I don't consider myself an idiot, but I prefer to do my job and not be in a position to make important decisions," responded Lupusregina, her narrowed golden eyes and subsequent licking of her lips making it evident how she would prefer to spend their time.
'Mmn...I should probably stop fucking her at every opportunity...' thought Vahn, matching Lupusregina's gaze with a smoldering grin before looking forward and raising his gaze to the sky thoughtfully. It wasn't particularly difficult to infer that, had he not been present, Ainz would eventually have been tasked to deal with the group in the cemetery. In other words, it was highly likely that the investigation and presumed eradication of Zurrernorn were undertakings meant to fall upon Ainz as he rose through the ranks of Adventurers as Momon...
'If nothing else, I should inform Ainz of Zurrernorn's existence. With the resources of Nazarick, he should be able to obtain more information and decide for himself how he wants to deal with them...' Vahn concluded. At the same time, he decided to forgo accepting requests unrelated to relief and support. He didn't want to inadvertently snip threads meant to aid in the growth of Ainz and other narratively significant characters, so after he and Lupusregina reached their inn, he permitted the redheaded Werewolf to have her way with him as he contacted Nazarick to apprise them of the situation...
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[September 19th DxD/May 13th DBT]
As nothing much was happening in the world of OL-2138, much of Vahn's focus was on his backup, enjoying a day at the beach with the members of Fairy Tail and several other Guilds from Earthland and Edolas. As such, he was somewhat surprised when Lupusregina abruptly stopped tracing her tongue across his body and sat up, her brows rising in response to the Message she had received.
"What's up...?" asked Vahn, sporting a curious look of his own. He could tell from the frown that marred Lupusregina's face that the news she had received wasn't pleasant, but he doubted it was anything too concerning, given the immense power disparity between Nazarick's forces and those operating around the Re-Estize Kingdom.
"I've just received word that Shalltear Bloodfallen has betrayed us. We're being asked to return to The Great Tomb as soon as possible..." revealed Lupusregina, her brows creasing to their limits as a mix of frustration and rage intermingled with her untouched beauty.
"I find that difficult to believe..." responded Vahn, recalling how zealously Shalltear revered Ainz. She had gone on a bit of a rampage upon learning that Ainz and Albedo had become a couple, but after being informed that he would likely be accepting multiple wives once Nazarick became better established, she calmed down and began proactively working toward that goal.
"But the request for our return stems from Lord Ainz. Surely he wouldn't have given it without reason," Lupusregina argued, leaving Vahn with little choice but to reconsider his assessment.
"Mmn...alright, then. Better safe than sorry..." Vahn affirmed, followed by him and Lupusregina departing their mostly destroyed bed to prepare for their pick-up. He had politely declined when Ainz offered him a ring that would have allowed him to teleport back to and move around Nazarick at his leisure, so he and Lupusregina had to venture outside the city and wait for the crossdressing Mare to open a Gate and retrieve them...
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"Oh, hey! It's Vahn! Welcome back~!" chimed Aura, hopping up from the blue-cushioned, gold-lined sofa she was sitting on as Vahn entered the room where she and Cocytus were gathered alongside her twin brother.
"You're in surprisingly high spirits..." Vahn remarked, catching Aura by her sides as she bounded toward him. Like many Elves and Spirits before her, she had developed a fondness for his pure, naturalistic aura. And since he could transform into just about any creature she could imagine, she had a powerful but suppressed desire to tame him.
"Well, obviously. With you and Lord Ainz on our side, there isn't a single problem that can't be solved~!" Aura asserted, beaming happily as Vahn set her down and habitually caressed her head. This caused Mare to look forlorn and slightly envious, so Vahn promptly found himself caressing the heads of both twins as Cocytus emitted plumes of icy mist from the ports beneath his mandibles from afar.
"Cocytus. Though it's only been a few days, it's good to see you again," expressed Vahn, removing his hands from the twins' heads and stepping forward. He nearly lost his balance when Aura abruptly jumped onto his back and clambered up to his shoulders, but he quickly regained it as the icy insectoid offered a bow and responded, "Lord Vahn. Your words honor me more than I deserve..."
"If that's how you choose to interpret them, I have nothing to say on the matter. More to the point, where are the others? I expected Ainz, Albedo, and Demiurge to be here as well," stated Vahn, maintaining a straight face even as Aura crossed her arms and leaned atop his head as if she refused to be ignored.
"Lord Ainz left with Lady Albedo and Yuri Alpha to retrieve several items from Nazarick's Treasury," stated Cocytus. "As for Lord Demiurge, he has been tasked with preparing our defense. I believe they will all return here shortly."
psssht
As Cocytus punctuated his explanation by expelling more icy steam from his mouth ports, Vahn offered a curt nod and affirmed, "Very good. Then, while the four of us await their arrival, is there anything you would like to eat or drink? We can eat while discussing the specifics of what transpired. I might not be able to settle the matter outright, but I'm certain I can help guide everyone toward a solution."
"Oh! I want one of those Meat Apples you gave us last time! Those things are delicious~!" exclaimed Aura, offering no resistance as Vahn raised her from his shoulders by pushing up on her outer thighs. From there, he set her down on the sofa, where she stood expectantly on the cushions and waited for him to sit before perching herself atop his right thigh with Mare sitting on his left.
"If it's not too much trouble...I would also like a Meat Apple..." expressed Mare, his elongated, droopy ears waggling as Vahn unhesitantly provided both him and his sister a seemingly ordinary-looking apple. Their exteriors were red and glossy, but when bitten into, they emitted the unmistakable aroma of perfectly cooked, honey-glazed pork.
"Awesome! I can't get enough of these things!" Aura chimed, biting into the inordinately juicy apple, producing a crisp-sounding crunch. In turn, Mare offered a timid, "Thank you..." before taking markedly smaller bites than his sister.
'These two need to eat more...' Vahn thought, taking note of how slender Aura's and Mare's waists were. They were also exceptionally light, to the point they felt more like cushions seated atop his lap than people—albeit with Mare's butt being noticeably bonier than his sister's.
Meeting Cocytus's unblinking, blue, orb-like eyes, Vahn adopted a faint, knowing smile and asked, "Would you also like the usual...?"
"I am grateful that Lord Vahn would even consider bestowing me with yet another of his treasures..." responded Cocytus, exhaling two large plumes of icy vapor as, before he could finish speaking, Vahn produced a sizeable bottle of sake that resembled an ornate white vase with pale blue flowers painted on the sides. Its surface immediately accumulated a layer of frost when exposed to the moisture in the air, and even with a body composed primarily of ice, Cocytus felt a chill when picking up the vessel, uncorking its lid, and extending a long proboscis into the frigid, energy-rich solution without further protest.
"Does alcohol really taste that good...?" asked Aura, watching curiously as Cocytus downed the contents of the nine-liter vase as if his life depended on his ability to finish it quickly.
"It's similar to food. There are dry, tart, sweet, bitter, and even extremely savory alcohols that taste like soy sauce. In the end, it ultimately comes down to personal preference," explained Vahn, gently tousling the curious Elf's hair before he and everyone else in the room shifted their gaze to the back of the chamber in relation to its entrance. A fairly sizeable black and purple gate had just appeared, and from its interior, Ainz, followed closely by Albedo, emerged with several curious items in hand. The most notable of these, at least to Vahn, was a giant crimson scroll of oriental design, as it reminded him of the sealing scrolls carried in Naruto. And based on the way space subtly fluctuated around it, he could infer from experience that it served a similar function...
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