Following the first group of Workers, three others arrived, were heard out, and ultimately judged by Ainz. Two failed to make a favorable impression and were promptly disciplined, but one received clemency after revealing that their reason for being there was to help one of their members pay off their spendthrift parents' debtors and flee with her younger siblings. They also wisely surrendered their weapons when Ainz gave his word that they would not be harmed, sparing them considerable anguish...
...
..
.
[December 11th DxD/August 4th DBT]
"Alright, here I come...!" Lupusregina exclaimed, charging toward Vahn with her claws bared and her forearms covered in thick red fur. Her wolf ears and tail were also out, so as she accelerated forward, she was able to remain much lower to the ground than usual.
With his dark brown, Saiyan-esque tail flicking behind him, Vahn calmly sidestepped Lupusregina's attempts to claw his throat out with her left hand and claws. Pressing his hand to the back of her forearm caused her to twist off her central axis, but instead of tripping and falling, she tucked in her arm, accelerated her rotation, and slammed the sole of her left foot into his guard.
"Nice power," Vahn remarked, the blow sending him gliding back several meters, his toes just above the ground. With roughly a week passing since their return to the Seven Lotus Spring, he and Lupusregina had developed a habit of sparring to pass the time. More accurately, he was teaching her martial arts based on the techniques Miu and her Grandfather used while simultaneously getting accustomed to his present limitations.
"I'm just getting warmed up...!" Lupusregina exclaimed, a broad, battle-hungry grin stretched across her face as she leaped high into the air and performed a spinning heel drop. Vahn dodged backward, but as her heel made contact with the ground, a small crater was produced, and he found himself showered with moist, fragrant soil.
"You should know by now that blinding me doesn't work," Vahn remarked, closing his eyes but still managing to evade Lupusregina's follow-up claw attack by turning his body and spinning around her on his right heel. She was able to change directions nigh-instantaneously, but even though she was technically faster than him, her attacks appeared slow in Vahn's eyes, allowing him to control the tempo through defense.
"Fly...!" Lupusregina shouted, her body becoming veiled in a thin layer of vibrant, bluish-white energy that allowed her to perform a series of swift spin kicks without needing to make contact with the ground. Vahn could feel his health, colloquially known as life force, draining with each heavy blow. But thanks to his Touki and redirecting most of the force away from his body, he was regenerating just as quickly.
"Certain kill attack...!" Lupusregina chimed, her smile broadening as she leaped toward Vahn, left foot extended and thighs notably spread. Vahn could have easily dodged such a telegraphed blow. Instead, he allowed it to contact him, resulting in Lupusregina kissing him with lips different than the ones on her face.
Closing her legs around Vahn's head, Lupusregina attempted to smother him or crush his skull—whichever came first. Vahn pretended to struggle for a bit, but when he felt his head literally cracking down the center from the pressure produced by Lupusregina's thighs, he teleported behind her to freedom.
"Aha! You used teleportation! That means I win~!" Lupusregina cheered, pumping her fists and performing a cutesy, triumphant pose. Her victory meant Vahn had to prepare her a meal using special ingredients from the Black Tower and Toriko, but since the latter enjoyed cooking for people he cared about, he didn't feel he had lost.
"You're improving quickly," Vahn remarked, disabling his Touki barrier and flexing the tension out of his bruised arms. The bones in his left forearm had shattered into seven pieces, but thanks to his S-Rank Pain Tolerance, the pain was registered in his mind like background noise.
"You think?" Lupusregina asked, relaxing her posture and calming herself with the ease of flipping a switch as she contended, "But I bet my Big Sis, Yuri, would pick things up even faster."
"It's very possible," Vahn conceded, knowing better than to argue when any member of the Pleiades was complimenting another. Instead, he ran with the narrative, noting, "The martial arts she uses are similar to Fa Jin, a Chinese martial art from the same world as the techniques you've been learning. With that as her foundation, she should have no trouble learning even more."
"Of course! Big Sis Yuri is great~" Lupusregina chimed happily, pleased with Vahn's response. And with her tantalizing figure covered in nothing but a matte black Slime Biosuit, Vahn could see that she was feeling more than mere gratification.
"Hmmn...?"
Sensing someone or, more accurately, a delegation arriving at the edge of his territory, Vahn caused Lupusregina to exude a bit of killing intent as he looked in the direction the presences originated from and noted, "It would appear that we have guests."
"Can't we just pretend we're not here...?" Lupusregina asked, her tone flat, her yellow eyes half-lidded, and her arms crossed.
"We could," Vahn confirmed with a nod. Then, exhaling from his nose, he adopted a wry smile and remarked, "But those who expect courtesy and hospitality from others should be willing to provide it."
"Haaaaaa...you're the boss..." Lupusregina sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head before turning around and retreating in the direction of her and Vahn's shared lotus tent. The view from behind her gave Vahn a moment's pause, but since he could sense that at least one of the guests was Gazef, he felt compelled to greet the man.
'I should see to it that our guests don't dawdle...' Vahn sighed internally, prompting Sis to exhale a husky giggle at his expense...
...
..
.
'Oh? Now, this is a surprise...' Vahn mused, emerging from the fog barring entrance to his forest abode to discover Gazef and a veritable contingent of Knights. He had perceived that there were many people with Gazef, but he hadn't expected to see flagbearers waving the crest and colours of the Re-Estize Kingdom. And at the center of the contingent, seated atop a war horse in royal regalia, King Ramposa waited calmly.
"Ah. Squires, to me..." King Ramposa ordered, prompting two young men to approach and help him dismount.
'I guess he wasn't expecting me to show up personally...' Vahn surmised, an approving smile adorning his face as he poisedly and confidently drew nearer to the group.
"Lord Vahn! It pleases me to see you in good health!" Gazef expressed, buying his King time by stepping forward, bowing, and cupping his hands as Vahn had demonstrated months prior.
"The feeling is mutual, Master Gazef," Vahn stated, reciprocally cupping his hands and offering a slight nod. Gazef, despite his venerated status as Royal Chief Warrior, wasn't a Knight due to his Kingdom's laws stating that only Nobles could attain Knighthood. It was an utterly absurd rule, but as he didn't want to make things difficult for Gazef by addressing him as Sir, Vahn went with the familiar form of Master.
"Lord Vahn...please allow me to apologize for nearly greeting you from my mount..." King Ramposa expressed, sporting masked bags under his eyes. His fatigue was apparent to Vahn, but perhaps to preserve his dignity as a King, he was wearing makeup to appear healthy.
"Be at ease, King Ramposa. You have honored me plentily by coming here personally. Here. Drink this to regain your strength. Then you and a small complement of attendants and guards may accompany me to the humble sanctuary I've constructed here in your capital," Vahn stated, producing a long-necked crystalline pitcher filled with glistening yellow liquid.
"Please, Lord Vahn...allow me..." Gazef interjected, extending his hands and waiting for Vahn to entrust the pitcher to him. At the same time, King Ramposa gave one of his attendants a nod, prompting them to retrieve a gem-encrusted goblet with an ornate silver exterior and a polished golden interior. Ordinarily, presenting a nation's ruler with a drink was an extreme faux pas, but Vahn wanted to reinforce that he didn't abide by the rules or etiquette that others had established without his input.
Before Gazef could fill King Ramposa's goblet, Vahn waved his hand and produced several cafe tables topped with similar crystalline pitchers and trays of cookies.
"For your men—to ease their nerves and settle their stomachs while they wait for your return," Vahn explained calmly.
"Lord Vahn is truly considerate..." King Ramposa affirmed with a slow nod. Then, as none of the gemstones on his goblet gleamed, which would have indicated the presence of poison, he closed his eyes, brought the artifact-grade vessel to his lips, and took a long, slow sip of its icy contents.
"How refreshing..." King Ramposa sighed, feeling as though a cool breeze had washed over him on a warm, sunny day. The taste reminded him of pears, persimmons, and chestnuts combined into one sweet, fruity flavor. And as it wet his throat, he felt refreshed—as if all of his exhaustion and worries had melted away, leaving him in a state of serene, albeit fleeting, bliss.
Preempting any questions, Vahn explained, "What you just consumed is a beverage simply called Nectar. It's produced from the refined extract of a Supear, a rare, stimulating fruit that takes an average of 38 years to grow and ripen."
"Good Heavens...to think there are fruits that take longer to mature than many people live..." Gazef remarked, his awe apparent as he looked at the beverage contained in the pitcher as if it were liquid gold.
"It is a truly wondrous beverage..." King Ramposa acknowledged, closing his eyes and finishing what was left in his goblet. It was generally unwise to accept such a precious gift before entering a negotiation, but he chose to believe that Vahn wouldn't have gifted them multiple pitchers of Nectar if it was something he treasured.
"Feel free to take a few minutes to convene and enjoy it with your men. When Your Highness is ready, you need only to proceed forward on foot or horseback. The path will remain open for one hour. I shall be awaiting you within..." Vahn informed, offering a curt nod before proceeding to turn and depart with his hands behind him.
"Ah..."
Though Gazef startled slightly and opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, he ultimately remained silent as Vahn's figure gradually retreated along a moss-lined forest path that hadn't been there moments prior. He likened Vahn's status to that of a King, so while there were more than a few things he wanted to discuss with the enigmatic Dragon, Gazef dared not call out to or try to stop him—a sentiment he and King Ramposa shared...
...
..
.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable..." Vahn hummed, gesturing to an arrangement of circular, thatch-lined floor cushions positioned before him in the climate-controlled tent he had prepared for conversing and drinking with guests. The countenances of King Ramposa's attendants and guards darkened from the lotus tent's entrance, but without too much hesitation, the wisened King made his way forward and spread his arms.
Understanding what King Ramposa wanted from them, his attendants quickly moved forward to remove his ornate breastplate and the leather girdle that protected his stomach, kidney, and liver from stabbing. Once those impediments were removed, he waved away the attendants and sat on his own—an action that caused his brows to perk as he felt a surge of revitalizing energy flowing into him.
"You should take a seat as well, Gazef. These cushions were designed by Xiandao Cultivators—martial artists who pursue immortality through the study of myriad Laws. Sitting on them can increase a person's lifespan by an equivalent amount, so they're ideal for protracted discussions between friends and allies," Vahn explained, surprising all who heard him. They had absolutely no clue what Xiandao or Cultivation were. But they didn't need that to understand that the cushions strewn about on the floor were more valuable than most national treasures. Yet, to hear Vahn speak, they were simply convenient...
...
..
.