"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Your Majesty. I mean no disrespect to our esteemed guest here, but a Kingdom's stance cannot be dictated by rumor alone. If Lord Vahn is truly what he claims to be, would it not be prudent—purely for the sake of transparency—to have him reveal his true form?" questioned a tall, thin man with slicked-back blonde hair, pale skin, naturally narrowed blue eyes, and a too wide smile. Even in comparison to other nobles present, he was exceedingly well-dressed, including a fitted doublet of high-quality fabric—woven with golden thread and set with an intricate pattern of small jewels.
"Marquis Raeven...while there is wisdom in your words, Lord Vahn has already done more than enough to demonstrate his status and power by healing and blessing thousands of citizens from multiple domains. What I would personally like to know is what brought him to our Kingdom..." King Ramposa countered, his words identifying the pale man, Marquis Raeven, as one of the Kingdom's Six Great Nobles.
"Simply put, I am on a journey to explore the world and reconnect with mortals..." Vahn explained, his gaze shifting to Marquis Raeven and the members of the Noble Faction as he added, "To that end, I should warn those here. I have little patience for the callous, insensible, and overtly wicked. I will not go out of my way to tell you how to live or what policies to introduce, but I will not turn a blind eye to injustices that occur before me..."
"Even if Your Lordship is a Dragon, it does not give you a license to act as you please within the borders of a sovereign nation..." asserted the scar-faced noble who had formerly called Vahn an impertinent whelp. His tone was now much politer, but his expression remained stern, and there was a hint of dauntlessness in his deep brown eyes.
"M-Marquis Boullope is correct..." appended a second noble, his voice cracking and sweat beading his brows as he asserted, "According to the ancient covenant between the True Dragon Lords and the inhabitants of the Gaitt Continent, Dragons are strictly prohibited from intervening in the affairs of nations and peoples who have not antagonized or invaded their established domains..."
'So there was something like that...' Vahn noted internally. Outwardly, he caused a bit of a stir by asserting, "I am beholden to no such covenant..." in a firm, matter-of-fact tone.
"May I be so bold as to ask why that's the case...?" questioned Marquis Raeven, his pallid skin even paler as he did his best to appear calm in the face of the subtle pressure beginning to build within Vahn's Domain from his growing annoyance.
"Because I am free..." Vahn answered, emphasizing the word free without offering further clarification.
Returning his attention to King Ramposa, Vahn held the man's gaze as he asserted, "And I believe that should apply to all who do not go out of their way to hinder the freedoms of others..."
"A noble sentiment..." King Ramposa affirmed, nodding slowly and sagely before passing his steely blue eyes over the nobles present and stating, "This is a Royal Decree. I hereby recognize Lord Vahn's right to move with impunity within our borders. If anyone here should impede him out of fear of what he might uncover, the Kingdom will not shield you."
"Wha—"
"Your Majesty...!"
"This cannot be...!"
While the nobles of both factions reacted with varying degrees of shock and astonishment, Vahn held King Ramposa's gaze. The elderly man had genuinely surprised him. At a glance, granting him impunity didn't appear to change anything, as he had always intended to do as he pleased. Now, once it circulated that he was acting with King Ramposa's blessing, all of his actions within the Kingdom would be viewed through the lens of their affiliation. Any good he did would be attributed to the crown, and while he could always refute it, he had no reason to do so...
'He's more intelligent than I thought...' Vahn mused, outwardly adopting a slight smile as he reciprocated King Ramposa's nod with an approving one of his own...
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"To think you were a Dragon in human form. I apologize if any of my past words or actions displeased you in any way..." Gazef expressed, doing his best to appear calm and speak cordially.
"That's enough. If I were concerned with people treating me with respect or reverence, I would present myself in a way that leaves no doubt about my power or identity..." Vahn countered calmly. "I only revealed myself to avoid conflict born from misunderstandings. Now, any nobles who choose to antagonize me know precisely what they're up against."
Following his audience with King Ramposa, Vahn decided to put his newly acquired impunity to the test by exploring the palace with Lupusregina. To that end, he had Gazef acting as their guide.
"I see...you must greatly cherish life..." Gazef muttered, a bead of sweat following the contours of his right cheekbone and down to his beard. He knew for a fact that Vahn wasn't opposed to killing, as evidenced by how he dealt with those who had ambushed the convoy he was escorting. But his going around healing people and offering blessings suggested it was a last resort.
"Second only to upholding the right for that life to grow and develop as it pleases..." Vahn affirmed, raising his gaze to the tall ceiling of the green-carpeted corridor they were walking through. There were chandeliers of crystal and magical stones spaced every ten meters or so. And to his left, in between large, arched, crystalline-glass windows, statues of beautiful women hoisting five-pronged candleabras waited motionlessly for the fall of night.
With Vahn pausing mid-step, Gazef stopped and waited for him to either continue forward or resume speaking. His gaze felt drawn to Lupusregina, but after the menacing stare she directed at him previously, he managed to keep his eyes from wandering.
"Gaze Stronoff...what do you believe this Kingdom's people require most to prosper and live happily...?" Vahn questioned, turning his head to meet Gazef's gaze.
"Oh...well, I suppose it would be plentiful food, clean water, and money to purchase goods and services..." Gazef responded, taken aback but doing his best to answer Vahn's question without delay.
"Those certainly improve a person's quality of life..." Vahn confirmed. "But the correct answers are opportunity and purpose. Plentiful food and clean water are necessary for most beings to survive, but survival is the priority of animals. And while money to purchase goods and services might make a person feel fulfilled in the moment, there is a reason greed is a cardinal sin, which no amount of wealth can satisfy."
Shaking his head, Vahn calmly asserted, "What people require to be truly happy are opportunity and purpose—something to strive toward and the means to improve oneself. Companionship is also important, but past the base pursuit of pleasure, what drives people to form bonds is a longing to connect with and work alongside like-minded people toward a goal that is greater than any singular being..."
"I think I understand your meaning..." Gazef responded, staring down at the palm of his right hand as he revealed, "I was once a commoner. Were it not for the grace of His Majesty and the talents I was born with, my life would have been very different from what it is now. Back then, I resented the nobility for having things I could only dream of. Now, I would give my life for this Kindom and its people..."
"It is for that reason that people like myself and Ainz Ooal Gown hold you in high esteem," Vahn stated, causing Lupusregina to adopt a slight frown before he added, "You're a good man, Gazef Stronoff. But, in the end, that is all you are..."
"My Lord...?" Gazef muttered, unsure of what Vahn was trying to convey to him.
Stepping away from Gazef and Lupusregina, Vahn placed the palm of his left hand against the window's crystalline pane as he stated, "Being good is not enough. And while having the strength to protect others is good, it's infinitely better to help people acquire the strength to protect themselves. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I believe so. But I fear that in our current situation, the Kingdom lacks the means to invest in its people..." Gazef admitted, his expression serious as he noted, "With the Empire pressuring us in the lead-up to the harvest season, many fields are left to grow fallow or used to produce cash crops. The King is having to purchase more and more food and supplies from our neighbors to the north. Frankly, our situation grows increasingly dire each passing year..."
While listening to Gazef's grim admission, Vahn pictured the city far below burning. In the future that Demiurge had painted for him, Nazarick, once it had established itself as a proper power, would predominantly expand its influence via the cheap production and distribution of food. Their Undead workforce was inexhaustible and required nominal upkeep, allowing them to perform all manner of manual labor without tiring. Farming was just the tip of the iceberg. They could also assist with construction and be trained to complete simple tasks—all without requiring food, water, or payment as sustenance or motivation...
'I would prefer that no one had to die, but if it frees the people to pursue a life beyond simple farmers, it might be better to allow Nazarick to grow its influence...' Vahn concluded somberly. The alternative was personally deposing people he believed were impeding the Kingdom's growth. But if he went that route, it could take years to achieve meaningful change. Not to mention it would require him to basically take control of the Kingdom or become its central pillar of support...
'I could have solved this matter easily if I still possessed my Authority...' Vahn sighed, closing his eyes. He still possessed the means to empower OL-2138's inhabitants to resolve their own problems, but he was there to live among them, not fix things by throwing his functionally infinite wealth and resources at them.
Shaking his head, Vahn turned to face Gazef and Lupusregina, his gaze meeting the former's as he asserted, "Your Kingdom's hardships are not mine to ameliorate, but I will remain here in the capital for some time. If you require my assistance as you did previously, I will not turn you away without at least hearing you out. In the meantime, I will continue living as an Adventurer and observing the people of this Kingdom."
"It would be shameless of us to expect more of you..." Gazef expressed, closing his eyes and bowing as low as his armor allowed to Vahn. This left the latter feeling guilty and somewhat uncomfortable, so, after a moment of consideration, he produced an item from his Inventory.
"You have shown me respect and consideration from the moment we first met. Accept this as acknowledgment of your character..." Vahn expressed plainly, prompting Gazef to raise his head, his brows rising at the item that was being presented to him. After all, at a glance, it appeared to be an old belt with metal tassels and strange engravings.
"I would be honored..." Gazef expressed, inclining his body forward and extending his hands to accept Vahn's gift. He wanted to ask what it was, but he presumed that if Vahn wanted him to know, the enigmatic Dragon would explain it to him.
Causing Lupusregina's eyes to widen to their limits, Vahn explained, "This is a Divine-class item called Megingjord. Its enchanments are exceedingly simple, but effective. Its primary effect doubles the wearer's strength. Its secondary and tertiary effects imbue their weapons, armor, and even their body with Lightning, granting them immunity to the same."
"Such an extraordinary item...I am unworthy..." Gazef expressed—and he meant it. Even the Kingdom's Five Treasures couldn't compare to the belt Vahn was gifting him. So if it were to get out that he had received such an item, it was bound to invite trouble.
"You will accept it, all the same," Vahn declared, his tone suffused with a finality that made it clear he wouldn't be accepting the belt back. This left Gazef at a complete and total loss for words. Meanwhile, if unempowered looks could kill, Lupusregina would have killed him a thousand times over with how she was glaring at the man...
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