EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons-Chapter 459: Insight

[December 29th DxD/August 22nd DBT]

With the Blue Roses having accepted his suggestion to stay at the Seven Lotus Spring while they awaited Lupusregina’s return, Vahn was humming to himself and preparing breakfast in the kitchen and dining tent. Tina and Tia had offered to help, but since the ingredients he used required careful preparation, he had them settle on watching him work.

fsssssh

"Hmmn?"

While adding several long strips of Eight-Horned Boar Bacon to a large frying pan, Vahn sensed a familiar presence at the entrance to his abode, compelling him to state, "It would appear that our mutual acquaintance from the palace has returned."

"Evil Boss, did you hear that...?" Tina questioned, directing her words at Lakyus, seated around a recessed dining table with Gagaran and Evileye. Notably, as it was the fourth day since their arrival, they weren’t wearing their armor but casual attire provided by Vahn. Evileye was the exception. But since she didn’t need to fear the sun, she had at least shed her bright crimson cloak and mask, exposing a delicate, doll-like face and blood-red eyes.

"Haaaaa...I shall go and retrieve her..." Lakyus sighed, understanding that if she sent Tina or Tia, they would almost certainly say something rude to Vahn’s returning guest...

...

..

.

A few minutes after Lakyus’s departure, the golden-haired beauty returned with two people—Princess Renner and Climb. They had been visiting every morning since the Blue Roses began staying at the Seven Lotus Spring. A contingent of escorts and Maids had arrived with them, but they were made to wait outside the barrier.

"Mmnh. What a fragrant, savory aroma. The ingredients that Lord Vahn utilizes in his cooking never fail to whet the appetite~" Renner hummed, closing her eyes and inhaling a deep breath through her nose.

"Come, sit, and enjoy—both of you," Vahn expressed, gesturing to the spread before him from the head of the recessed table. Climb couldn’t help but frown at his lack of decorum. But since Princess Renner had told him that not even her father dared to wear his crown within Vahn’s private domain, he silently trailed his Mistress and sat obediently to her left.

"Any news from the palace...?" Vahn asked, waiting for everyone to take their seats before speaking.

"Brother Barbro is continuing to make a fuss concerning our ceding of E-Rantel and not going to war, but Lord Vahn’s substantial endowment and gifts have made the Royalists stronger than ever~" Renner answered, her bell-like tone tinged with humor.

As recompense for the damages he had caused, Vahn had gifted King Ramposa a game-changing one million gold coins. There were only five million gold coins in circulation and roughly twenty million throughout the Kingdom, so it was an amount that allowed the Royal Family to settle its debts, pay its soldiers, and invest in the development of its privately held lands to compensate for the lost revenue stream of E-Rantel.

"That’s good. While there is nothing inherently wrong with a King being indebted to his vassals, it becomes a serious issue when those vassals use that debt as leverage to decentralize power," Vahn hummed, deftly slicing into his steak-sized piece of bacon before dipping it in a bowl of mashed potatoes and brown gravy. As he did, he noticed that everyone but Renner was staring at him with awe.

"Hmmn? Is there something on my face?" Vahn questioned, adopting a mischievous smile as he teased, "Or has my handsomeness left each of you speechless?"

"I imagine that, like me, they are wondering why Lord Vahn is willing to aid the Re-Estize Kingdom to this extent," Lakyus, smiling wryly as she appended, "Make no mistake—we are all immensely grateful for what Lord Vahn has done. But it’s rare for even people to act without expecting something in return..."

"Shall I persuade my father to offer Lord Vahn my hand in matrimony~?" Renner proposed casually, shocking everyone at the table—Climb most of all.

"P-Princess Renner! Even as a joke, that’s taking things too far..." Climb expressed nervously. He knew that it was only a matter of time before Princess Renner was married off to increase or secure the Royal Family’s standing, but he still clung to hope that she would be able to escape that fate.

"Really? I don’t see what the problem is," Gagaran remarked, adding, "If our Golden Princess here were to marry our resident Dragon, that would definitely make other countries think twice about attacking us. And with all the gifts Vahn has given the Kingdom, isn’t it expected that he be given something in return?"

"That might be true under normal circumstances, but Lord Vahn isn’t an ordinary Dragon," Evileye interjected, her expression and tone flat, and a tall glass of what looked like freshly-squeezed tomato juice in her hands as she stated, "Lord Vahn already has someone he cherishes. He also has no desire to bind himself to any particular group or nation. Find someone else to latch onto..."

With Evileye’s words and half-lidded stare directed at her, Renner partly covered her mouth and softly exclaimed, "Goodness! I wasn’t aware that Lady Evileye was on such familiar terms with Lord Vahn. To think you’ve become close enough in this fleeting period that you’re able to speak and make decisions for him..."

"That isn’t the case at all. You’re jumping to conclusions and trying to fluster me," Evileye retorted flatly, averting her eyes and sipping her drink through the straw Vahn had provided.

"Mmn...I can’t blame her. You would look cute flustered," Vahn hummed casually, causing Evileye to spit out her tomato juice. Fortunately for Tina and Tia, seated across from her, the droplets of juice remained suspended in the air rather than crossing the table or dousing the dishes below.

While performing a circling gesture with his right index finger, gathering the droplets of Evileye’s spittle and tomato juice, Vahn, meeting Renner’s gaze, stated, "That said, Evileye is correct about my position. I don’t mind maintaining a friendly relationship with the Re-Estize Kingdom, but I have no intention of becoming entrenched in its politics."

Shifting his gaze to Climb, Vahn smiled playfully and teased, "More to the point, I would feel sorry for your loyal Knight here if I were to claim you as my own. After all, it’s fairly apparent that the two of you hold each other in more than just high esteem..."

"L-Lord Vahn! Wha-What are you saying...!?" Climb stammered in a panic, his pupils dilating and his body breaking out in a cold sweat. He wanted to refute Vahn’s words plainly, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

Leaving Climb at an even greater loss, Renner questioned, "Then, would Lord Vahn be willing to officiate and bless our union? That might bring you into further contention with the Temple of the Four Great Gods, but unless I’m mistaken, you’re not the biggest fan of our religious system."

"Hoho...our little Princess has some fangs..." Gagaran remarked, cupping her chin and grinning. Meanwhile, Climb’s disbelief was so great that his mouth hung slack, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Forgive me if this is speaking out of turn...but even if Lord Vahn is one of the more powerful Dragon Lords, I don’t believe it would be wise to pick a fight with the Temple..." Lakyus expressed, looking and sounding nervous as she scratched her left cheek and contended, "They’re the backbone of human faith and society. Without the guidance of the Four Great Gods, we would be overwhelmed by the demi- and sub-humans that dominate most of the Continent and view us as livestock..."

"Have you observed that for yourself, or is that something you’ve been taught to believe...?" Vahn questioned, genuinely curious. He had heard what Lakyus was saying before, but since demi- and sub-humans weren’t exactly treated well in human societies, he couldn’t condemn non-humans for following their example when the roles were reversed.

Shaking her head, Evileye, with an expression of extreme severity, stated, "What Lakyus says is the truth. I’ve seen and experienced the horrors that humans are subjected to in non-human nations. In the Great Minotaur and Troll nations to the east, humans are literally reared like cattle, to be used as slaves or to be slaughtered and consumed..."

"Things aren’t much different in the Abelion Hills to the south..." Gagaran contributed grimly, setting down her utensils as she revealed, "Thousands of people are abducted and hauled into the hills each year. Those who are killed and eaten are the lucky ones..."

"Hmmn...perhaps I should visit the Abelion Hills once we’ve completed our business in the Sorcerer Kingdom..." Vahn proferred calmly, causing a sudden shift in the tent’s atmosphere.

"Are you thinking of wiping them out...?" Evileye questioned, her crimson eyes watching Vahn closely.

"That isn’t how I operate," Vahn responded. "More than likely, I will meet with the various tribal leaders and try to negotiate with them. Those who decline diplomacy will be met with claw or spear. But I will not massacre them."

"What, pray tell, would Lord Vahn’s end goal be?" Renner questioned, her blue eyes glistening with fascination.

"Coexistence," Vahn answered, explaining, "I don’t believe that any race has a particular right to this world. If it were the case that this world was created by the same God or Gods who created humans, you would have been conferred with the power to conquer. Instead, humans are at a clear disadvantage when compared one-for-one to the majority of non-human creatures."

Though his words elicited slight frowns from everyone but Renner, Vahn continued, stating, "I won’t become the spear driven through the hearts of mankind’s foes. But I possess the power to bring the heads of nations, states, and tribes together at the negotiating table. If a compromise can be achieved, everyone can prosper together. If a particular group refuses or is unable to see reason, they will learn the folly of believing that might makes right without being the mightiest in the room..."

"Sounds a lot like the Council State," Gagaran commented, noting, "They have humans and demi-humans living side-by-side. But the only reason it works is because they have a bunch of Dragons calling the shots."

"Yet another place I need to visit at some point..." Vahn hummed softly, staring down at the dark and fragrant contents of his jade teacup before closing his eyes and downing them in a single go.

Waiting until Vahn was finished drinking, Renner questioned, "Does Lord Vahn intend to take up residence in the Abelion Hills? If not, I worry that any changes you introduce will only be temporary."

Meeting Renner’s gaze, Vahn listened attentively as the clever Princess explained, "Even if Lord Vahn were to eliminate the current tribal leaders to weaken them, that would leave the region susceptible to being invaded by its bordering nations. The Roble Holy Kingdom, for example, holds the denizens of the Abelion Hills in deep contempt. And their belief system is fundamentally incompatible with the notion of peaceful coexistence with non-humans—particularly those who view humans as a food source or as breeding stock."

"Breeding stock..." Climb repeated softly, his dumbfounded look making it clear he never expected to hear his precious Princess utter such words in such a calm, neutral tone.

"Hmmn...that does complicate things..." Vahn conceded, crossing his arms and cupping his chin as he mused, "On one hand, the Roble Holy Kingdom likely has ample justification for invading a weakened Abelion Hills. On the other, if there are tribes willing to assent to coexistence, they shouldn’t be held to account for the actions of their forebears..."

"Then, at the risk of overstepping and coming across as insolent, might I offer my opinion on the matter and possible solutions?" Renner asked, the corners of her smile curling upward and her eyes narrowing with mirth as Vahn, after several seconds of deliberation, responded, "Very well," with a nod. Renner had proven herself to be a capable stateswoman. So while he might not dictate his course based on her recommendations, he saw little harm in hearing her out...

...

..

.