[October 7th DxD/May 31st DBT]
Following a second week of diligent pioneering, the investigation squad was finally able to reach its destination: the rainbow-hued, crystallized crater left in the wake of Ainz utilizing the Super-Tier Magic, Fallen Down.
"To think we would reach this place without a single casualty..." Tristain muttered, awed by the devastation before him but grounded by the reality that he hadn't lost a single man in its pursuit. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that he and his men had been written off from the moment they were ordered to carry out the investigation. But thanks to Vahn, they hadn't lost a single man. Rather, morale was at an all-time high, and those fortunate to have received his treatment were healthier now than when they initially set out...
"This is quite the sight to behold..."
Hearing the familiar, deep, humor-tinged voice, Tristain briefly tensed before turning to find Vahn approaching with Lupusregina close behind him.
Collecting himself, Tristain, attempting to be conversational, asked, "Has Sir Vahn ever witnessed this level of destruction?"
"Quite a few times," Vahn responded, once again leaving Tristain and his men at a loss for words with how casual his response was. To them, the scene before them was beyond comprehension. In stark contrast, Vahn didn't appear the slightest bit perturbed—as if the kilometer-wide crater before them were a simple pothole.
Meeting Tristain's gaze, Vahn smiled and calmly expressed, "I came here to remind you that the term of our contract was three weeks. To that end, I emphatically recommend that you complete your investigation within the next five days. That will give you and your men roughly two days to return before our contract expires."
"Are you—would you be willing to extend our contract...?" asked Tristain, straightening his back and using a considerably more polite tone to avoid coming across as rude.
"If the circumstances required..." Vahn confirmed, preempting Tristain's relief by appending, "But you arbitrarily choosing to prolong our stay is not a compelling reason. Complete what you came here to do. After that, return with your men and release them to their families. Assuming things will continue to go as well as they have is no different from goading fate to test your mettle. And believe me when I say—you do not wish to incite fate's challenge..."
"It is as Sir—it is as Lord Vahn says..." Tristain conceded, bowing his head low and respectfully. After what he had seen, he held Vahn in even higher regard than the most able and costly Priests. He had yet to witness Vahn returning the dead to life, but there wasn't a single doubt in his mind that it was within the enigmatic Adventurer's capabilities.
"Mmn...very good..." Vahn affirmed with a nod. Then, leaving Tristain and his men at a momentary loss, he added, "Lupusregina and I will head out to help secure the area. If a group of monsters appears, instruct your men to retreat to this crater. The ambient magical power will function as a kind of barrier, preventing you from being overwhelmed in our absence."
"I wasn't aware such a phenomenon existed..." Tristain expressed, looking more awed than doubtful of Vahn's words. In reality, Vahn had asked Aura to clear the area in advance so he could sneak away to discuss Cocytus's impending invasion of the Lizardmen with Ainz. The attack was scheduled to occur in precisely six days, seventeen hours, and thirteen minutes, so if he were going to intervene, the window to do so was closing.
"It's because this is the aftermath of inordinately powerful Light Magic. It serves as a natural repellent to all but the most powerful and persistent of monsters," Vahn explained casually, leaving Tristain and his men in a state of awe.
"That said, we bid you and your men adieu. Feel free to deduct the time we're away from our pay..." Vahn appended, offering a curt nod before he and Lupusregina departed in the direction of the forest. Tristain extended a silvery gauntleted hand as if he wanted to call out to him, but his words had either gotten stuck in his throat or he had decided against it. As such, Vahn and Lupusregina were able to depart without accosting, their figures disappearing into the treeline like phantoms into mist...
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Shortly after departing the clearing produced by Ainz's spell, Vahn was unsurprised when Aura appeared, landing on his shoulders and crossing her arms atop his head as she asked, "How do you want to head back to Nazarick? Should I contact Mare to have him open a Gate, or would you prefer to run back? I'm personally in favor of the latter."
"Oh? And what animal would you have me transform into this time...?" Vahn asked, tilting his head back to look up and meet Aura's expectant, heterochromic gaze from below.
"I would say a big dragon to scare the pants off of those Knights, but as weak as they are, they might pass out or die from shock~" Aura hummed, sitting up and leaning backward, nearly causing Vahn to lose his balance as she tilted her head back precariously to meet Lupusregina's gaze with a smug, upside-down grin.
Suppressing the urge to punch the crown of Aura's head, Lupusregina pointedly asked, "Lady Aura...is it really appropriate to regard a Supreme Being like Lord Vahn as a mount? Even if he permits it, it feels as though you might be overstepping your bounds..."
"Whether it's appropriate or not, isn't that for Vahn to decide...?" asked Aura, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around Vahn's head as if she were hugging him before asking, "How about it? You don't mind my asking to ride you, right?"
Though he felt like Aura was being deliberately obtuse and moderately suggestive, Vahn didn't hesitate to respond, "There are only a handful of patently evil and malicious acts that bother me. I would refuse if someone were to command me to serve as their mount, but as I quite enjoy running through forests and soaring through the sky, I don't mind lending my back to the blameless and deserving..."
Punctuating his words, Vahn transformed into his divine wolf form using the power of Yamato's Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami. Doing so caused Aura's eyes to gleam like gems reflecting light, and with there being plenty of space on his back, Lupusregina was similarly able to climb atop him before he took off like a surge of Spring wind, causing grass and flowers to sprout everywhere his paws made contact with the forest soil...
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With Ainz learning in advance that Vahn wanted to meet, it wasn't long after the latter's arrival that he found himself before the skeletal man in the usual dining hall.
"Ah, Vahn. It's good to see you, my friend. I've been told you wished to speak with me regarding Cocytus's up-and-coming invasion of the Great Lake," Ainz expressed, his tone cordial as he rose to his feet to welcome Vahn with open arms.
"I'm not asking that you call things off outright, but I wanted to confirm the justification for the invasion and what Nazarick stands to gain in the immediate aftermath," Vahn explained, taking his seat across from Ainz, prompting the latter to settle into his own.
"I see...truth be told, I also have doubts about antagonizing those who have done Nazarick no harm..." Ainz revealed, shaking his head before contending, "But doubt cannot dictate policy. The fact remains that my Guardians require real combat experience, and the Lizardmen happen to be the closest organized group that isn't human. We could wait until we are discovered and attacked, but after this recent incident with Shalltear, I fear what our enemies might employ if we do not take action to spread our influence and the scope of our defenses..."
"That concern is well-founded. But as the preponderance of Nazarick's denizens are non- or demi-humans, do you not find it in poor taste to launch an attack on a group of demi-humans that have not and will likely never pose a threat to Nazarick?" Vahn questioned, his tone calm, devoid of bite. He wasn't trying to be judgmental. He was simply curious to hear Ainz's justification. So long as it was well-reasoned, he would retract his doubts without further probing.
"Your words strike true..." Ainz conceded, the flames representing his eyes briefly dimming before regaining their intensity as he met Vahn's gaze and asked, "To that end, I will ask you directly—what would you have me do to preserve Nazarick and its denizens against factions and forces unknown to us?"
Leaning onto the bony, ring-adorned knuckles of his right hand, Ainz expressed, "To uncover this world's secrets and to ascertain the method by which Nazarick was brought here, I have little choice but to venture into the world abroad. Acquiring such information on my own could take years—if not centuries. And if I were to compel my Guardians to remain here, they might never grow beyond their programming. They would be prisoners in all but name..."
"Once again, I find no fault in your reasoning..." Vahn affirmed with a slow, acknowledging nod. "As for your question...the least contentious course is to repeat or expand upon what you did in Carne Village. If you continue to support and nurture them, it's only a matter of time before rumors of your greatness and their prosperity under your protection spread far and wide. That will invariably garner the attention of nobles, and depending on how they approach you, you can either cooperate with the Kingdom or expose its flaws."
Emulating Ainz's posture, Vahn leaned onto the knuckles of his right hand and admitted, "Admittedly, such a reactive course could take months to years to bear fruit. A faster alternative would be to intervene in the annual war between Re-Estize and the Baharuth Empire. From what I've heard, it isn't uncommon for both sides to field upwards of two hundred thousand men, many of whom are forcibly conscripted. If you can utilize your power to compel both sides to withdraw, you place yourself in a position to bring them to the negotiating table—with you dictating the terms."
"Hmmmn...just as you have made concessions in this discussion, I cannot deny there is merit to what you're suggesting..." Ainz conceded, caressing his inordinately pointed chin. He felt that the plans he had concocted with Albedo and Demiurge were more likely to result in favorable outcomes for Nazarick—at least in the short term. On the other hand, said plans all but necessitated a certain degree of cruelty and sacrifice. Many, many people would die. But if they were to draw out enemy Players and those who had targeted Shalltear, they needed to be bold and take action away from The Great Tomb...
Deciding on full transparency, Ainz nodded before detailing his concerns and intentions to Vahn. The latter was clearly a God who held righteous action in high regard, but he had also demonstrated a willingness to view things from alternative positions, accounting for individual circumstances. On a personal level, Ainz harbored absolutely no interest in inflicting harm on others, irrespective of species or birthplace. His determination to do so was purely the result of being backed into an existential corner, where he knew that threats to Nazarick existed but had no way of knowing when or where they would originate.
Fortunately for Ainz, Vahn found his argument very persuasive, especially given the imminent threat of the Anathema. He knew precisely how it felt to be in Ainz's situation, so while he couldn't in good conscience approve of the man's methods, Vahn couldn't fault him for doing what he believed was necessary to protect those he cherished. Thus, before returning with Lupusregina to the investigation squad, he reaffirmed that he would not intervene in Ainz's plans—so long as the man never indulged in or turned a blind eye to acts of cruelty performed by those who purported to act in accordance with his will, specifically Demiurge...
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