EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons-Chapter 450: Seven Lotus Spring
[November 28th DxD/July 22nd DBT]
"This place is coming together nicely," Vahn mused aloud, overlooking the clearing he had created and populated with seven lotus-shaped tents in a large circle. At their center was an artificial island, encircled by a pond of luminous blue water and accessible via four Japanese-style, dark crimson bridges. A large sakura tree with a prominent, near-crescent arch and a wide canopy dominated the island, from which was suspended a cushion-lined, flower-adorned wicker chair.
Though the sakura tree didn’t emit light itself, the shimmering sapphire glow of the pond, combined with the warm oranges emanating from the tents, gave the scene an ambiance reminiscent of a lantern festival. The seven tents also represented the seven wings of his personal crest, so it felt uniquely harmonious—at least from his point of view.
"Alright, I think it’s about time that you revealed yourself. I presume you have a message for me...?" Vahn asked, his tone raised as he glanced backward over his right shoulder. He had felt someone watching him for some time, and in response to his words, Tina, distinguishable from her sister by her equipment’s red accents, appeared from behind one of the lotus-shaped tents.
"You could perceive me? For how long...?" Tina asked, approaching Vahn with crossed arms and bold, cat-like movements. Were it not for her dark, metallic breastplate, which was crafted to conform to the contours of her fairly ample bosom, her cross-armed posture would have emphasized her bust even further.
"Around four hours...?" Vahn answered, causing Tina’s brows to tense as four hours was around how long she had been watching him.
"You have sharp senses. I’ve scouted numerous Dragon dens in the past, and none of them detected my presence..." Tina remarked flatly, stopping next to Vahn and taking in the picturesque scene he had hand-crafted in a mere three days.
"I’m fortunate to be acquainted with several highly capable Shinobi. But that’s beside the point. What brings you all this way, Miss Tina...?" Vahn asked.
"I’m Tia," Tina lied, turning her head slightly to meet Vahn’s gaze, finding him staring back at her with a slight, unwavering smile—making it clear he wasn’t fooled.
Exhaling faintly from her nose, Tina returned her gaze to the sight before her and revealed, "My evil boss tasked me to come and see what you’ve been up to since your release from the palace. I don’t have a message or anything, but I do have questions..."
"Ask away," Vahn encouraged.
"What’s your reason for setting up these tents and making this area look like this...?" Tina questioned, remarking, "It looks nice, but it has next to no security and little privacy. How will you receive guests like the Princess if she decides to visit you?"
"Like this," Vahn answered, making a casual gesture with his left hand that caused a cafe-style chair and table setup formed from crystal and gold to materialize from his Inventory.
Occupying one of the two seats he had prepared, Vahn produced a jade tea ceremony set and appended, "As for security, this place will soon be safer than the King’s bedchambers. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet, as there is nothing within the capital that could pose a meaningful threat to my companion or myself."
"That’s an arrogant statement—even for a Dragon," Tina asserted, taking the seat Vahn had presumably prepared for her. The tea he was preparing had a pleasant, slightly earthy aroma. And since it was being prepared by a Dragon, she felt it would be a waste not to try a cup.
"So, what has Blue Roses been up to these past couple of weeks?" Vahn asked, pouring some of the prepared tea over a dark brown ceramic cat and otter, causing them to gleam as if freshly glazed, before filling Tina’s and his tea cups in turn.
"That’s our business, not yours," Tina retorted flatly, taking a moment to sample her tea and briefly adopting the faintest of smiles before adding, "That kind of thing is something you should discuss with the evil boss. My job is to gather intel, not share it."
"Mmn...fair enough..." Vahn conceded, leading to a lengthy silence where he and Tina enjoyed their tea without speaking.
"Do you want to go a round before I head out...?" Tina asked, her neutral tone leaving Vahn confused about her intentions before she revealed, "I haven’t had a man since I joined Blue Roses, and your face and body are my type."
"I happen to find your appearance appealing as well. But for your sake, I should refuse..." Vahn answered, simultaneously producing a copy of the Bracelets of Dominion he once wore.
"These bracelets can interface with a weapon to allow you to recall it to your side. They can also completely mitigate the damage from a physical attack if you defend with the correct timing," Vahn explained, leaving Tina at a slight loss before he smiled and appended, "Ordinarily, I would gladly accept the proposition of such a striking woman. If the opportunity arises in the future, let’s invite your sister to join us."
Seeing Vahn wink at her, Tina couldn’t help but mutter, "Wow...soliciting me for my own sister...you have absolutely no shame..." while picking up and inspecting the pair of solid gold bracelets Vahn had gifted her. She couldn’t perceive any magic from them, but they felt denser than ordinary gold and much, much harder. She was strong enough to flatten gold coins with a pinch, but the gold forming the bracelets was notably warm to the touch and didn’t dent in the slightest.
"If you’ve no reason to remain here, you should return to your companions post-haste. And when you see her, remind Evileye that I’m still waiting for our match," Vahn stated casually, punctuating his words with an effortless smile.
"I’ll consider it," Tina responded, making a half-ram symbol with her right index and middle fingers before she vanished as if she had used the Body Flicker Technique. In reality, she had teleported approximately ten meters away, emerging from the shadow of the lotus tent she had earlier used to conceal herself. Then, with mostly soundless steps, she departed, fleeing into the darkened forest beyond and blending into its shadows like a hazy illusion.
"You’re not seriously planning to have sex with that woman, are you...?" Lupusregina questioned, materializing with crossed arms behind where Tina had been seated moments prior. Vahn could see her just fine, even without her revealing herself, but it was a habit she had developed from jump-scaring others.
"If the notion bothers you, I won’t..." Vahn responded calmly. "Though I feel compelled to remind you that my expanded harem consists of more than ten thousand people, the majority of whom are human. I will do my utmost to respect your feelings and boundaries, Lupusregina, but I’m not going to hate or suddenly stop sleeping with humans."
"You say that...but since I’ve never met them, your harem may as well not exist to me..." Lupusregina countered, knocking over the cafe table and tea set to sit atop Vahn’s lap, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and her firm, very voluminous breasts indenting against his chest as she hotly, sensually appealed, "Promise me that, as long as you’re here in this world, you won’t have sex with any women outside of Nazarick..."
"I’m not fond of promises that constrain my freedom to make decisions in the future..." Vahn noted, habitually sliding his hands along Lupusregina’s warm and immaculate ass as he conceded, "But, I can compromise and make this promise. As long as Ainz and I remain on friendly, or, at the very least, negotiable terms, I will respect your wishes..."
"That’s not an ideal answer, but I’ll take it..." Lupusregina exhaled, her breath warming Vahn’s neck before she rather abruptly bit down on his left shoulder, sinking her fang-like teeth into his flesh. This was normal when she was feeling frustrated, so without missing a beat, Vahn got up and carried her in the direction of their shared lotus tent as she slowly but surely transformed into a large werewolf and, crunch, tore a chunk out of his shoulder...
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[November 30th DxD/July 24th DBT]
Making good on what he had said to Tina, Vahn spent two days securing his lotus tent compound and the surrounding forest by carving runes into the trunks of trees, effectively turning the region into a Forest of Illusions using overlapping barriers. Anyone who wasn’t registered with the barrier or carrying a special runestone would inevitably find themselves back at the point they tried to enter, unable to penetrate more than a few meters into the supernaturally dense, mana-rich forest.
"This is quite the home you’ve prepared for yourself. It lacks the majesty of Nazarick, but it possesses an ethereal beauty that cannot be denied..." Ainz remarked, appreciating Vahn’s temporary abode after being granted preemptive access and teleporting over using a Gate. Notably, instead of appearing as Momon, he was present in his Overlord form and wearing his Divine-tier robes and equipment.
"Lupusregina came up with the idea of calling it the Seven Lotus Spring, just in case you need to refer to the location in the future..." Vahn stated, standing beside Ainz with his hands behind his back. The fog encircling the area made it feel like the summit of a secluded mountain, but an ever-present foehn breeze kept it warm and pleasantly humid.
"A fitting name..." Ainz sighed, the lights of his eyes dimming to the point of nearly appearing imperceptible as he tilted his head back and enjoyed the fragrant breeze caressing his skeletal features.
"Once Nazarick’s existence has been exposed, I don’t suppose I could persuade you to prepare a large-scale version of this forest with Aura and Mare, could I...?" Ainz questioned, glancing at Vahn with an opportunistic gleam in his crimson, flame-like eyes.
"It depends on how large you would want it to be and how you intend to use it. If you’re asking me to fill the plains surrounding Nazarick with an illusory forest for its protection, that’s within my power. But unless you’re planning to establish a capital elsewhere, that would hinder your ability to expand," Vahn answered.
"You have the ability to produce a forest on such a large scale...?" Ainz questioned, his tone tinged with awe. He knew from Demiurge’s report that Vahn possessed power on par with Super Tier Magic cast by a low-Level Player, but the plains surrounding Nazarick were vast. Even Mare, a Level 100 Druid, had needed several days to shape the area and populate it with artificial, obfuscating hills.
"My title is the Dragon God of Infinite Possibilities. Certain actions might require more effort than others, but if I put my mind to it, there is nothing I can’t do," Vahn reminded calmly, prompting Ainz to thoughtfully cup his chin and stare ahead at nothing in particular.
Interrupting the skeletal man’s thoughts, Vahn asked, "Were you able to visit the Baharuth Empire as we discussed during our last meeting? How was it...?"
"Ah...I should have anticipated that you would ask about that. In truth, it was a very fruitful trip. Though, knowing you, you will likely disagree with the pretense we’ve devised to reveal Nazarick’s existence..." Ainz sighed, his shoulders slumping as he exhaled.
"You’re making me sound like an overbearing father..." Vahn noted, a soft chuckle emanating from his throat. His expression turned stern when Ainz thereafter revealed Demiurge’s plan to have freelance mercenaries known as Workers invade The Great Tomb, serving as a pretense to summon the Emperor directly to their doorstep. Ainz reassured him that the Workers in question were greedy fools who were willing to risk their lives for wealth, even if it meant desecrating a tomb. However, as they were purposefully being baited into invading, an action that ultimately served Nazarick’s and Ainz Ooal Gown’s ends, Vahn disagreed with the sentiment that they were deserving of death...
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