Though Ainz invited him to attend Shalltear's resurrection, Vahn politely refused. He didn't want to detract from the gravity of the incident with his presence, so while the upper echelons of Nazarick gathered in its throne room, he idled in his room, contemplating what he might gain from staying in OL-2138.
"Even if I were to remain here and reach Level 100, I don't think I would be able to increase my Soul Tier..." Vahn muttered, lying atop the canopy bed in his borrowed room with his hands behind his head.
(It doesn't seem particularly likely) affirmed Sis. (However, is that the sole reason you're traveling between worlds—to gain strength? I seem to recall differently.)
"Mmn...you're not wrong..." Vahn conceded, closing his eyes and exhaling through his nose. His penultimate objective was to become stronger, but the method by which he gained power was arguably more important than the outcome of that power. He didn't want to lose touch with his humanity and the lives of ordinary people. The frustration he felt during the ambush wasn't pleasant, but it was a reminder of the fragility of mortal life. Were it not for the uniqueness of his blood, his experience, and the opportunities that had been afforded to him, he knew first-hand how uncaring the world could be...
"I guess I just feel like I should be doing more..." Vahn reasoned, opening his eyes and staring listlessly at the dark canopy above him. He believed he had made the right decision by permitting Ainz to resolve the situation with Shalltear without his intervention. But he hadn't come to OL-2138 to be an observer and offer counsel. He didn't want to hinder Ainz's growth, but if he renounced his own, he was putting the proverbial cart before the horse.
kacha
Hearing the door to his room open, Vahn raised himself onto his elbows to see Entoma entering, her mauve-purple, chitinous, leg-like hair producing skittering stridulations as she stated, "Pardon my intrusion, Lord Vahn. But Lord Ainz requests your presence."
"Ah. Has the matter with Shalltear been resolved...?" asked Vahn, using short-range spatial transference to transition from the top of his bed to the floor in front of it in the blink of an eye.
"I don't know about resolved, but Lady Shalltear has been resurrected," confirmed Entoma, her red, unblinking eyes following Vahn as he moved toward her and the door.
drip
Noticing a thread of drool leaking from beneath the mask-like insect that served as Entoma's face, Vahn raised his right brow and asked, "Did you not eat lunch today...?"
"It's not that..." responded Entoma, using her billowy, kimono-like sleeve to cover her mouth as she confessed, "It's just that everyday food tastes like ash compared to Lord Vahn's flesh..."
"Have you been executing your duties diligently...?" asked Vahn, extending his left hand to caress the top of Entoma's head. As he did, her hair visibly flexed and wriggled like the segmented legs of an arachnid. Curiously, the sensation wasn't all that unpleasant. It felt like skimming velvet soaked in oil, but when he pulled his hand back, there was no residue.
"Entoma has been on her best behavior since Lord Vahn said he would reward her for doing well..." answered Entoma, her breath quickening in anticipation.
"Alright. I trust you," responded Vahn, casually detaching his left arm from his body using the power of the Operation Operation Fruit before handing it over to the monstrous but dutiful insectoid maid. As he did, she hugged it tightly to her body and rubbed her cheek against his wrist, transmitting the tepid softness of her cold-blooded body through the severed but still innervated appendage.
"Lord Vahn's munificence truly knows no bounds~" warbled Entoma, speaking with her true, watery-sounding voice rather than the worm-like insect she used to emulate human vocal cords.
"Munificence? That's a big word..." Vahn noted with humor, simultaneously sprouting himself a replacement arm. Then, as Entoma trailed behind him, still hugging his former arm as if it were a priceless treasure, he departed his room and followed her direction to the usual private dining hall, where Ainz patiently awaited his arrival...
...
..
.
Following a brief exchange of pleasantries and a conversation regarding Vahn's better-known powers, such as his ability to acquire items using OP, Ainz directly asked him, "What would it require for you to supply Nazarick with the materials and resources it needs to expand and potentially wage war?"
"You intend to seek out and wage war against those who placed Shalltear in that state? To what end?" asked Vahn, preempting Ainz's response by asserting, "Make no mistake, I would similarly go to extreme lengths to get to the bottom of this matter if my own ally had been mind-controlled. But as someone who once lived under the callousness of a societal class that prioritized its ends over the freedom and sanctity of life, do you truly wish to go down a route where countless innocents will die in the pursuit of what you perceive as justice?"
"You make a fair point..." Ainz conceded, lowering his head and cupping his chin thoughtfully. It hadn't occurred to him before Vahn pointed it out, but he had been regarding the denizens of the New World as resources in the possession of foreign powers and possible threats. But, at the end of the day, they were people who, much like his past self, wished to live and suffer as little as possible...
"However," Ainz continued, raising his head and meeting Vahn's gaze, the crimson flames forming his eyes blazing as he proclaimed, "My foremost responsibility is not to this world, but to Nazarick. If an enemy exists who can reach into my domain and violate one of its Guardians, then inaction is the same as emboldening our enemies. I am not opposed to compassion, but it is a luxury belief I will not indulge if it places those I am duty-bound to protect at risk..."
"That's fair," Vahn affirmed, nodding. He definitely wouldn't stand idle if Ainz declared war on the world and began slaughtering its inhabitants in the pursuit of suppressing all possible threats. However, as he and his Dragon's Pavilion were presently preparing for a war with the Anathema, he understood all too well the impulse to secure one's home against the machinations of would-be foes and the inevitability of fate...
"To answer your previous question," Vahn started, regaining a smile as he appended, "All I ask in exchange for supplying you is that you never place the ends before the means. I understand that war is a cold calculus, but if you devolve to cruelty or callousness in the pursuit of efficiency, you void your right to condemn or vilify the methods of others. Those who take life must be resolved to have their own taken in turn..."
Shaking his head, Vahn's expression turned serious as he asserted, "If you take deliberate action that results in the death or suffering of those who have never overtly wronged you, you can no longer claim there to be innocents on your side..."
"You have my word. I may not hesitate to wage war against Nazarick's enemies, but I will not order my people to raze villages and senselessly slaughter the innocent," Ainz asserted, his tone matching the unchanging solemnity of his expression. He might look like a skeleton, but he was still human at heart. He understood what it was to suffer under the weight of an oppressive, uncaring system. So, while he would do what he believed was necessary to protect Nazarick, he wasn't unwilling to compromise, so long as it didn't place him and his people at a disadvantage.
"Then, contingent upon that policy, you have my support," Vahn affirmed, rising to his feet and extending his right hand to Ainz to seal the compact with a handshake. In response, the skeletal man's eyes blazed before he stood and readily reciprocated by stating, "As Supreme Overlord—no, as a man to a God, you have my thanks."
Shaking his head, Vahn's smile broadened as he asserted, "I have never required gratitude nor expected others to apologize for wrongdoing, Ainz. Even Gods make mistakes. As long as you learn from them and remember who you are, you will never deviate so far from your original path that you can't find your way back."
"I'm certain that if I do, you will help guide me back to the path—like a shepherd guiding a lost lamb," Ainz hummed, his expression unchanging, but an undertone of humor bleeding into his usually ghastly, gravelly tone. Vahn exhaled a soft chuckle in response. Then, as the two still had much to discuss, including Ainz's plans to wage war on a group of Lizardmen so that Cocytus could gain experience as a commanding General, they spent the better part of six hours hammering out the specifics of what Nazarick needed to secure itself and expand its influence without being labeled as evil or indefensibly imperialistic...
...
..
.
[September 22nd DxD/May 16th DBT]
bangbangbangbang
Though he had perceived them long before they reached his door, Vahn couldn't help exhaling a tired sigh as a group of guardsmen pounded on the door to his and Lupusregina's inn room. They weren't being especially forceful, but metal gloves and gauntlets against wood produced a heavy, impactful sound.
"Shall I send them away...?" asked Lupusregina, her golden eyes flashing as she glanced back at the entrance while continuing to aggressively roll her hips atop Vahn. For a fleeting moment, Vahn entertained the idea of ignoring them. But as there was a non-negligible chance that the group would unlock and open the door to confirm the room was unoccupied, he ultimately gave Lupusregina's left ass cheek a light smack, stating, "Time to go to work..." in a relaxed, smoldering tone.
"If Lord Vahn insists..." Lupusregina exhaled hotly, feigning a pout as she reluctantly but obediently dismounted Vahn, freeing him to alight from the bed and don his usual black, grey, and gold yukata like a bathrobe. At the same time, she made her way behind the foldable divider he had put up to block the view of the bath he had produced from his Inventory.
Though he was briefly distracted by the sight of Lupusregina's figure and her tail swaying seductively behind her as she walked, Vahn returned his attention to the entrance and opened it to reveal a group of guardsmen in half-plate. They were noticeably better equipped than the previous group that came to him—not quite on the same level as Gazef's cavalry, but not far behind. As such, he wasn't too surprised when the leader of the group thumped his chest and stated...
"Greetings. I am Baron Tristain Ricewyne, Captain of His Majesty's Violet Chavre Knight Order. Are you the Great Healer, Vahn Mason?" questioned the fairly young-looking Knight Captain, possessing naturally windswept blonde hair, noble features, and striking blue eyes.
"Is that what they're calling me now?" asked Vahn, raising his right brow and adopting a wry smile as he scanned the rest of the group.
"I apologize for interrupting you while you're resting, Sir, but tales of your greatness have long reached the capital. If you are willing, I would like to commission your Party, Retinue of the Dragon. My unit has been tasked to investigate the appearance of a vampire and the site of a magical disaster within the Great Forest of Tob. We would greatly appreciate your support," stated Tristain, his expression and tone sincere.
"Are you fine with the commission fee being for an Adamantite-Ranked Party...?" asked Vahn, prompting the men behind Tristain to stir and look between themselves nervously.
"That is more than fair," affirmed Tristain, nodding. "We will also pay you the market rate for any healing you met out in the completion of our task. And if you and your Party are forced to take action to defend yourselves, you will naturally be entitled to compensation based on your contribution and expenditures."
"Then we'll be in your care, Captain," expressed Vahn, extending his right hand for a handshake. As he did, profound relief flashed across the faces of Tristain, as, based on what they had heard, the vampire they had been tasked to investigate was powerful enough to wipe out a group of famous brigands in a single night. Having someone who could purportedly utilize the Fifth Tier Holy Magic, Judgment, on their side would be a tremendous boon, to say the least...
...
..
.