Chapter 2321: Slight
Though he was trying to limit his number of manifestations, Vahn created a fifth to pay a visit to Draco Greif, apprising him of the situation with Sala. He also gave the retiring Griffin a warning about Yvonne but promised the Empire wouldn"t just stand by if she attempted to conquer the South using more "forceful" methods.
After hearing Vahn"s account till the end, Draco Greif understood that the former was aware of the meeting between himself and the Leaders of the Draco Greif Alliance. However, instead of expressing offense at the notion that Vahn was spying on them, Draco Greif remained calm and composed as he replied, "Then it appears that Laulau Pantera, Leader of Five-Claws, will be the next Floor Master. Does the Aldrnari Empire have any counsel they wish to provide on this matter...?"
Shaking his head, Vahn answered, "The internal affairs of the Draco Greif Alliance are their own to manage. I"ve already inconvenienced you greatly by intervening in the matter between Sala and her sister. Instead of telling you what to do, I"m more inclined to ask if there"s anything the Empire can do to help ease the transition."
"Hmmm..."
Understanding that Vahn wasn"t simply being polite, Draco Greif closed his eyes and carefully considered his response. Vahn was known to make the impossible a reality, and there seemed to be no limits to the Empire"s resources and capabilities. Thus, the next few words that came out of his mouth could genuinely shape the future of the Draco Greif Alliance.
Not wanting to disturb Draco Greif"s thoughts, Vahn manifested an ornate jade teapot and served himself a cup of aromatic jasmine tea. This version of himself existed for the singular purpose of this discussion, so he wasn"t in any particular hurry.
After deliberating for several minutes, Draco Greif adopted a noticeably wry smile and asked, "Do you mind if I call for the Leader of Five-Claws? As the next Floor Master and Leader of the Draco Greif Alliance, I believe she should be present."
Though Draco Greif"s words raised a number of flags, Vahn didn"t hesitate to respond, "Sure, I don"t see why not? If the Draco Greif Alliance and the Aldrnari Empire are going to be allies in the future, it"s only natural that we meet at some point."
Nodding his head, Draco Greif responded with a curt, "Indeed," before using his Authority as Floor Master to send a telepathic communique to Laulau. She was busy dealing with a few drunken brawls that had broken out during the impromptu celebration but immediately dropped what she was doing when she heard the reason for her summoning...
Bursting into the conference room a few minutes later, Laulau"s luminous golden eyes briefly focused on Vahn before she turned to Draco Greif, cupping her hands and bowing as a sign of respect as she said, "Laulau Pantera, reporting as ordered..."
Getting straight to the point, Draco Greif revealed, "Due to circ.u.mstances related to her family, Sala Doldrake"s candidacy for Floor Master has been revoked. As such, you, Laulau Pantera, have been designated as the sole nominee for the positions of Floor Master and future Leader of the Draco Greif Alliance. I trust you have no objections?"
Cupping her hands together a second time, this time with enough force to generate a small shockwave, Laulau"s fur-covered ears twitched excitedly as she loudly exclaimed, "It would be my honor!"
Though he nodded his head in approval, Draco Greif took a bit of the wind out of Laulau"s sails, adding, "I"m confident you"ll lead the Alliance into an era of prosperity. To that end, I have invited you here to partic.i.p.ate in the discussion related to our..."cooperation" with the Aldrnari Empire..."
Furrowing her brows, Laulau directed a sidelong gaze toward Vahn as she asked, "Has the Aldrnari Empire requested something of us...?"
Catching the spirited warrior princess somewhat off guard, Draco Greif replied, "Quite the opposite. However, as I do not wish to put words into his mouth, the Sage Dragon Emperor can speak for himself."
Setting aside his cup of tea, Vahn offered a cordial smile as he explained, "As compensation for the troubles my actions have wrought, I was asking your Leader if there is anything I, or the Aldrnari Empire, could do to make the forthcoming transition smoother. I have technically robbed you of one of your most powerful allies, so it"s only natural that I compensate you for the loss."
Understanding that Vahn was referring to Sala, Laulau crossed her arms in defiance, retorting, "Sala might have been strong, but the Alliance existed before and will endure after her. Do not look down on us. We are not some helpless throng that needs your guidance and protection..."
"Laulau..."
Though he had somewhat antic.i.p.ated Laulau"s brazenness, Draco Greif couldn"t help covering his face with his taloned hand. He knew she didn"t trust Vahn, but her words undermined both the long and short-term future of the Alliance. If Vahn was half as bad as she believed him to be, such an overt slight could have resulted in their complete and total destruction...
Fortunately for the many inhabitants of Under and Overwood, Vahn just smiled in response to Laulau"s words, responding, "If that"s the way you feel, I have nothing more to say on the matter. Just know that the Aldrnari Empire does not turn its back on its allies. If there comes a time when the Draco Greif Alliance is in need, do not hesitate to seek us out. Pride at the expense of your peoples" lives is hubris."
Finished with what he had to say, Vahn rose to his feet, dusted himself off, and offered a curt nod toward Draco Greif as he said, "If you need to contact me during the festival, a version of me can be found at the side of One-Horn"s Leader, Merry. After that, the best way to contact me would presumably be through the Leader of Six-Scars, Garol Gundark."
Having risen at the same time as Vahn, Draco Greif offered a respectful nod of his own as he replied, "I"ll be sure to keep that in mind. Farewell, Vahn Aldrnari Mason."
As the corners of his smile curled upward, Vahn faded from existence like grains of sand being blown by the wind. The moment he had disappeared completely, the atmosphere within the room became oppressive as Draco Greif directed a fierce glare at Laulau, stating, "Though I have no intention of retracting your nomination, know I am disappointed with your handling of this matter. Had he the mind to, the Sage Dragon Emperor could stamp out our entire Alliance on a whim. We are beyond fortunate he didn"t take your careless words to heart..."
Cowed by the oppressive aura exuding from Draco Greif like a powerful gravitational force, Laulau appeared to shrink into herself, timidly pressing the tips of her index fingers together as she meekly replied, "I didn"t want to appear weak in front of the Leader of a foreign Community..."
Exhaling a profound and exasperated sigh, Draco Greif retracted his aura and plopped down into a seated position. He empathized with Laulau"s need to appear strong, but there was a time and a place for everything. The resources of the Aldrnari Empire could bolster their entire Alliance to new heights, but Laulau had effectively set fire to the bridge without even thinking about the consequences. Had Vahn been less magnanimous, her actions may have burned it down entirely.
Shaking his head, Draco Greif forced himself to regain his calm, advising, "I won"t tell you to apologize. However, it would be wise of you to make a concerted effort to befriend the Leaders of One-Horn and Six-Claws. You are ent.i.tled to govern the Alliance as you see fit, but a representative who ignores the will of the people will invariably become a tyrant..."
Hanging her head, Laulau silently reflected on Draco Greif"s words and her actions. With the benefit of hindsight, she realized that rejecting Vahn"s offer outright probably wasn"t the smartest thing she could have done. After all, it wasn"t like he was asking anything of them. Rather, he effectively gave them a blank check and invited them to fill in the blanks. She could have asked for all kinds of resources, yet she just ripped it up on principle...
Realizing her mistake, Laulau abruptly took a knee, her right fist touching the ground as she lowered her head and stated, "I"m not sure how, but I"ll make this right. You have my word."
Exhaling a slightly softer sigh, Draco Greif adopted an uncannily human smile as he replied, "It"s okay to make mistakes, Laulau. So long as you learn from them, you will continue to move forward as both a person and a leader. Now, away with you. I"m certain there are better ways you could be spending your time. Leave me to my rest."
Without another word, Laulau promptly cupped her hands together before backing out of the chamber and rus.h.i.+ng to Underwood. She was tempted to track down Vahn and apologize for her carelessness but didn"t want to intrude upon his and Merry"s time together. Instead, she locked onto the scent of Garol Gundark, leaping from the boughs of the Great Water Tree with the resolve to become a proper leader for her people...
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"Oh no...it"s spilling out..."
Though Vahn had insisted they take several breaks, Merry had thoroughly demonstrated that it wasn"t just her language lacking in decency. She was a veritable nymphomaniac, and due to her inordinately prolonged chast.i.ty, there were countless things she was eager to try.
Watching the pet.i.te beauty scoop up his s.e.m.e.n and try to force it back inside her, Vahn couldn"t help smiling wryly as he said, "I can always fill you up later. For now, we should get ourselves cleaned up and grab a bite to eat outside. Festivals shouldn"t be spent idling about indoors."
Adopting a pouty expression, Merry attempted to guilt Vahn into staying inside by tearing up and asking, "Do we have to? The outside world sucks, and I don"t like being around other people. They all stare at me with lewd gazes like they want to tear off my dress and **** me in the middle of the street..."
A stark contrast to the teary-eyed expression she had at the start of her argument, a ruddy hue spread through Merry"s cheeks as she imagined Vahn being the one to push her down. The thought, alone, was enough to make her feel embarra.s.sed, but she would be lying if she said it wasn"t as exciting...
Overwhelmed by her overactive imagination, Merry stared into s.p.a.ce for a few moments until a thin line of silvery blood trickled from her left nostril. Merry immediately noticed this, quickly wiping away the evidence before adopting an innocent smile as she looked at Vahn and asked, "What were we talking about?"
With Loi-chan enthusiastically narrating Merry"s libidinous thoughts, Vahn made a mental note not to inform her of his ability to separate from the Axes of Time, s.p.a.ce, and Reality. He didn"t mind doing it in public, but he didn"t want to encourage her "bad" behavior. Merry was clearly a little unstable, so he offered a smoldering smile and replied, "We were talking about going out on a date. I want everyone in Underwood to know we"re together, so I was hoping to show you off while you show me around. If you would prefer to keep our relations.h.i.+p a secret, however, I don"t mind staying inside..."
Though she was more than a little tempted by Vahn"s final few words, the chance to display her relations.h.i.+p in public was enough to convince Merry to go out. Thus, with a rather substantial volume of s.e.m.e.n dripping down her legs and thighs, she hopped out of bed and ran to the bath, shouting, "Hurry along, darling~! We musn"t keep the peasantry waiting~" in a sing-song tone.
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(A/N: Alternate t.i.tles: "Vahn has all the time in the world...","More muscle than brain...","Someone bonk this d.a.m.ned Unicorn...")