"So, what brings the King of a nation to my humble, temporary abode...?" Vahn questioned, pouring King Ramposa, Gazef, and himself a cup of tea while the remainder of their retinue waited outside.
"I would like to request your counsel and possibly your assistance in a matter of grave importance to my nation," King Ramposa responded, his expression grave as he revealed, "Early yesterday morning, a messenger arrived from the Baharuth Empire. They have proclaimed that one of our cities, E-Rantel, lies in the ancestral domain of a nation calling itself the Sorcerer Kingdom..."
With King Ramposa glancing his way, Gazef nodded in understanding before explaining, "The Sorcerer Kingdom is ruled by the Mage we met many months ago in Carne Village—Lord Ainz Ooal Gown. Our scholars were unable to find any evidence of Lord—or should I say His Majesty Gown's claim to the region. As such, it has been determined that we will wage war with both the Sorcerer Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire that is supporting them this winter..."
"Mmn...that would be a great misstep on the part of your Kingdom," Vahn stated, meeting King Ramposa's gaze as he stated, "I have met this Ainz Ooal Gown. The power he possesses is far beyond anything that exists in this or the surrounding nations. If you face him, you will suffer casualties on a level you can scarcely imagine."
"Is he so mighty that even a Dragon such as yourself would not dare to challenge him...?" King Ramposa questioned, the lines denoting his age suddenly appearing deeper.
Shaking his head, Vahn calmly responded, "That isn't the case. If the two of us were to fight seriously, it is all but inevitable that I would emerge as the victor."
Raising his left hand to prevent King Ramposa or Gazef from interrupting him, Vahn added, "But as I told Master Gazef when he first requested my assistance, it is not my place to promote or defend a sovereign nation's interests. I will not turn a blind eye to injustices that occur before me, but if a nation is unable to resolve problems like this on its own, it is its fate to decline."
"I see...while it is not the answer I desired, I cannot deny that there is a certain, fundamental truth to what Lord Vahn has said..." King Ramposa sighed. Then, meeting Vahn's gaze with a steely, resolute look, he asked, "Is there nothing we could offer Your Lordship to secure your cooperation or an alliance? Even if you remained at the rear of our formation and only treated our wounded, we would greatly appreciate it..."
"Your Majesty..." Gazef muttered.
Seeing King Ramposa grab his knees and bow his head pleadingly, Vahn found himself at a crossroads. Demiurge had approached him beforehand to explain that the forthcoming war was important to exhibit the power of the Sorcerer Kingdom and secure its legitimacy. More pressingly, the war, or, more accurately, the demonstration, was meant to substitute and bring a decisive end to the annual war between the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire.
"Suppose I did support your forces..." Vahn started, prompting King Ramposa to raise his head hopefully before he questioned, "What do you hope to gain from this conflict? I just informed you that Ainz Ooal Gown's power is beyond your forces' ability to oppose. And, beyond that, the man saved Carne Village and the life of your Chief Warrior. I would understand if you went to war with him over attacking your land, but with his power, it would benefit you more to cede the city than to defend it."
"Your Majesty...please excuse me for saying this, but I agree with Lord Vahn. His Majesty, the Sorcerer King, is not an opponent we can afford to offend..." Gazef appended, his expression and tone solemn.
"But it is the duty of a King to protect his people and the territories under his control..." King Ramposa argued weakly, doubt written across his face. E-Rantel and its surroundings were personally owned by the Royal Family. If he were to cede it without a fight, then his already declining power and authority would suffer a heavy blow.
"Are the hundreds of thousands you would rally and send to their deaths not your people as well...?" Vahn questioned, preempting King Ramposa's response by asking, "And have you considered that ceding E-Rantel would functionally cut off the Baharuth Empire's access to your Kingdom? There is the sea route to the north, but the Empire isn't going to invest heavily in the production of an invasion fleet when its Bloody Empire is dealing with the aftermath of the reforms he has introduced."
"Now that Lord Vahn mentions it...unless the Sorcerer Kingdom is a proxy for the Empire, it would function as a buffer between our Kingdom and our two greatest rivals..." Gazef acknowledged, caressing his chin and smiling thoughtfully.
"I hadn't considered that..." King Ramposa conceded, lowering his gaze as if he were picturing the layout of his Kingdom and its surroundings in his mind. As Vahn suggested, ceding E-Rantel to the Sorcerer Kingdom would prevent the Empire and Theocracy from advancing on their lands without first going through the newly established Kingdom. And while it could eventually serve as a staging ground for the Empire's forces, they would be able to use the latter's occupation as evidence to surrounding nations that the Sorcerer Kingdom's claim to the territory had been made under falsified pretenses, allowing them to turn to the Council State, Holy Kingdom, and possibly even the Theocracy for support...
'My mind feels much sharper than usual...' King Ramposa noted, his gaze turning to the cup of tea Vahn had prepared for him. He hadn't sampled it just yet, but just the vapors rising from it made him feel calm.
Taking advantage of the conversational lull, King Ramposa raised the teacup to his lips and sipped its contents. Vahn hadn't put any sugar or honey in it, but it tasted of sweet peppermint, paradoxically warming and cooling his throat before spreading through his chest as a refreshing chill that made him sigh with satisfaction.
"Truly...the beverages Lord Vahn offers are of a quality that can't be found anywhere else..." King Ramposa sighed, setting his cup down and meeting Vahn's gaze with a smile as he added, "Your council has also proven to be illuminating. There is bound to be considerable pushback, but for the sake of my people and my Kingdom as a whole, I will surrender E-Rantel to this Ainz Ooal Gown and his Sorcerer Kingdom."
"I, too, believe that is the best decision. I am honored to be in the service of such a wise King..." Gazef expressed, turning his body, closing his eyes, and presenting King Ramposa the steepest, most respectful bow he could manage while remaining seated.
"It is I who am fortunate to be blessed with such a loyal friend and Chief Warrior, Gazef. And while I may not be worthy to regard someone of your great esteem as a friend, I am thankful to Lord Vahn for his counsel and hospitality..." King Ramposa declared, offering Vahn a slow, closed-eyed, respect-filled nod.
"Any ruler who can humble themselves to visit me within my abode and accept my hospitality is more than warranted to consider themselves my friend," Vahn countered, smiling as he proposed, "If and when you decide to meet the Sorcerer King yourself, I will act as your guarantor and, if you would have me, your escort."
"I would be honored and reassured to have you," King Ramposa affirmed, once again grasping his knees and attempting to bow. To his surprise, he found it impossible—as if an invisible membrane were preventing his body from inclining forward.
"If it wasn't obvious, this is a place where people canspeak as equals. I will readily accept your gratitude, but I have no need for your obeisance. Keep your head raised, King Ramposa, for your decisions here today have proven yourself worthy of your label..." Vahn declared, lowering his raised right hand.
"You honor me, Lord Vahn..." King Ramposa repeated, his tone faint and his aged expression tinged with awe. He had encountered many Dragons in his reign as King of Re-Estize, but they weren't half as approachable as Vahn presented himself.
'I shouldn't miss this opportunity...'
Following a moment of deliberation, King Ramposa left Gazef at a loss for words as he removed the crown from his head and set it on the floor next to him. A Dragon of immeasurable power had given him an opportunity to be acknowledged as a friend. So, even if it was only for the duration of his stay within the tent, he set aside his status as a King and conversed freely with both Vahn and Gazef until it was time for his return...
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Following the departure of King Ramposa's delegation, Vahn naturally reported what had transpired to Nazarick. Half an hour later, he and Ainz found themselves on the embankment of the Seven Lotus Spring's center island, tossing pale golden pellets to rainbow-scaled koi.
"To think you were able to so easily persuade King to relinquish one of his Kingdom's most vital cities over the span of a tea ceremony. Your actions make my own feel heavy-handed and inefficient..." Ainz sighed, the lights of his eyes dimming as he briefly considered if things would go smoother if he left everything to Vahn. Unfortunately, the latter had made it clear he had no intention of ruling or governing in other people's stead.
"That's not true at all. It's because Demiurge laid things out for me that I was able to speak to the King with such confidence," Vahn countered. "As for you demonstrating your power, nothing is preventing you from inviting representatives from multiple nations to witness it. Most would only need to glimpse you casting a single Super Tier spell to comprehend the futility of opposing you with conventional means. And with entities like the Level 80 Hanzo and Level 60 Greater Doppelgangers on your side, you have the means to gather intelligence and hold to account anyone who would dare to oppose you using indirect means."
"There's also the option of having Aura and Mare perform a demonstration like the one they performed before Emperor Jircniv..." Ainz acknowledged, cupping his inordinately pointy chin in thought. All it had required to bring the famed Bloody Emperor to his doorstep was one of Aura's Dragons and a single spell from Mare. As long as they had a suitable pretext and knew what the enemy was capable of, there was no reason they couldn't do the same in Re-Estize—or any other nation that opposed them.
"I believe I'm beginning to comprehend the path you wish Nazarick and me to walk. And by doing so, we shall uphold the honor and prestige of the Sorcerer Kingdom by achieving legitimacy through the prosperity of its people and the fear we induce directly in the hearts of our would-be rivals..." Ainz remarked, glancing at Vahn with his eyes flashing like fiery crimson stars.
"As a former salaryman, I'm certain you can understand that change is easier to achieve when CEOs and board members are held accountable over their comparably powerless, frequently innocent employees..." Vahn remarked, his usually relaxed smile gaining a hint of slyness.
"When you put it that way, it does seem unfair to instigate a war and have the people of a nation pay the price for their leadership's mistakes..." Ainz affirmed, nodding sagely. Demiurge was bound to be displeased that they would no longer be receiving a surplus of corpses to convert into Undead or perform experiments on, but he hadn't exactly been gung-ho about the prospect of personally slaughtering hundreds of thousands of people as a demonstration.
'And now I won't have to justify why such extreme action was necessary to my friends...' Ainz noted, closing his non-existent eyelids and picturing the faces of his former comrades. The first to enter his mind was the face of Touch Me, who, given his sense of justice, might very well have cut him down on the spot...
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