After a quick preparatory period, Vahn and Lupusregina accompanied Tristain and his men to a staging area near E-Rantel's northern entrance gate.
"This looks like quite the operation..." Vahn noted, his senses spreading through the staging area. There were tens of people in armor, at least a handful of Knights in full plate, and a large number of laborers without any protection whatsoever. Between them were thirteen covered wagons and transports, forty-two normal, and thirteen war horses.
Nodding, Tristain explained, "The Great Forest of Tob is regarded as the most dangerous region in all of Re-Estize. Different groups have tried to develop it over the past five hundred years, but to no avail. Were it not for Sir Vahn and Lady Lupusregina joining us, I would not believe this number of men suitable to the task we've been assigned..."
"Did you express that sentiment to your superiors...?" Vahn asked, staring at Tristain with a raised brow.
"I did...but with the Empire and Theocracy becoming more active, able-bodied men are needed to prepare for the war effort..." Tristain responded soberly, looking unconvinced by his own assertion. Vahn noticed this, but as he had no stake in Re-Estize politics, he chose not to press the matter further.
"Well, as per our agreement, my Party will provide healing as needed. But I warn you now..." started Vahn, prompting Tristain to meet his gaze as he appended, "If your men or those under your command say or do anything discourteous toward my companion here, they should be prepared to lose a limb or two. You have been warned..."
"Aww...and here I was looking forward to teaching them the hard way..." Lupusregina hummed, her narrowed golden eyes glistening predatorily, sending chills up the backs of those escorting her and Vahn. Her beauty was such that many of them had been thinking about how they could get closer to her. Some were still determined to try, but they would at least be more tactful in their approach.
"I understand," responded Tristain. "Though I would request that penalty not come into effect before I've had the opportunity to meet with my men and disseminate Sir Vahn's warning. Please give us today and this evening as a grace period."
"Fair enough," Vahn conceded. "Though it depends on how your men and those under your command act. If bad actors attempt to take advantage of my clemency to say or commit inappropriate acts, they will be met with the consequences of their actions..."
"I understand..." repeated Tristain, his expression and tone serious as he met the gazes of those present, silently warning them not to try anything. The Kingdom still didn't fully understand the scope of Vahn's capabilities, but if he and Lupusregina were truly at the Adamantite Rank, they were as valuable as hundreds of soldiers. If they offended him and spurred him to ally with their enemies, it would be a disaster...
With such thoughts in mind, Tristain ensured that Vahn and Lupusregina would have a wagon entirely to themselves for the duration of the three-week expedition. There were bound to be complaints, particularly among those who would need to sleep outside. But if Vahn's healing magic were even half as potent as reported, it wouldn't be long before people came to terms with him receiving special treatment. After all, when even the plants and flowers would be trying to kill them, the presence of a capable healer was as integral as food and water...
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'So this is why it's expected to take three weeks to span thirty-seven kilometers...' Vahn noted, wandering around with Lupusregina as the laborers Tristain had brought with him cleared trees, dug up roots and stumps, and compacted the path for the wagons and horses. They even assembled watchtowers and barricades from the lumber they gathered, fortifying their defense against monster attacks before pressing further into the forest.
brrrrrrrrrrrwhbrrtbrrtbrrt
As a deep, reverberating horn sounded, Vahn watched as the laborers retreated to the wagons to form a hasty defensive perimeter with spears and wooden shields. At the same time, roughly half the soldiers and three Knights, trailing atop horses, charged in the direction of a large black bear with a thick mane. Its powerful arms tore through and knocked over trees as if they were chaff, but the soldiers worked together surprisingly well to assail it with weighted nets and crossbows.
"They're so weak...I almost feel bad for them..." remarked Lupusregina, her expression wholly unimpressed. She even went as far as covering her mouth to stifle a yawn, leaving Vahn to glance back at her curiously. The thought of pointing out that the soldiers were doing their best crossed his mind, but he ultimately kept his opinion to himself.
thump-a-thumpthump-a-thumpthump-a-thump
Galloping over to Vahn and Lupusregina atop his horse, Tristain reined it to a stop and expressed, "Sir Vahn. Lady Lupusregina. Please pull back to our central line of defense. We cannot guarantee you won't be attacked if you stand out in the open like this."
"Mmn...Lupusregina..." Vahn muttered. That was all that was required to get his point across before Lupusregina, sporting a toothy grin, affirmed, "On it~" before unsheathing her axe-like crosier from her back and making her way forward at a relaxed pace.
Realizing Lupusregina was preparing to take action, Tristain hesitated for half a breath before making a forward cutting gesture with his right hand and shouting, "Pull back and clear the path! The Retinue of the Dragon is taking to the field...!"
Though his men were more than a little confused by Tristain's order, they began retreating from the nearly four-meter-tall bear while maintaining a compact shield formation.
"Your men are well trained..." Vahn remarked casually, his calm smile and relaxed demeanor noted by Tristain and his attending Knights. Instead of offering a response, however, they focused their attention on Lupusregina as she made the soldiers clear a path for her to approach the tree-rending bear with her weapon resting on her shoulder.
Seeing Lupusregina approach it, the bear, known as an Iron-backed Black Grizzly, unleashed a spittle-spewing roar. Its body had been riddled with armor-piercing crossbow bolts, but its thick fur and hide had prevented it from sustaining serious injury.
"You're too loud..." Lupusregina remarked flatly, casually flourishing her crozier with such speed that the axe head briefly disappeared from view. Then, before most of the soldiers present had a chance to process what they were witnessing, a large chunk vanished from the bear's left flank as Lupusregina slipped past it faster than it could react.
thu-thump
Though it continued drooling and breathing heavily for several seconds longer, the soldiers were left in awe as the Iron-backed Black Grizzly was brought low in a single blow by the woman they had been forewarned not to cross. And as the bear in question generally required a group of Mithril-Ranked Adventurers to hunt safely, it became abundantly clear that Vahn and Lupusregina were at least Orichalcum.
"Alright, you boys have fun cleaning up~" hummed Lupusregina, forcing the group of soldiers to part a second as she made her way through the center of their formation with a smug grin. Those able to steal a glimpse at the contents of her mantle through the gap in the fabric couldn't help themselves, but none dared to let their gazes linger for fear of being the axe-wielding Adventurer's next victim...
Startling Tristain and his men from their stupefied states, Vahn calmly remarked, "This demonstration should help to maintain order and keep your men's morale high. If push comes to shove, we will fight alongside you. But that is not what you hired us to do. You would do well to keep that in mind, Captain."
"Yes...I understand..." responded Tristain, dismounting from his horse so as not to come across as rude by staring down at Vahn. The latter noted this and nodded, a faint smile adorning his lips as he remarked, "You have much in common with the Chief Royal Warrior. Your King was wise to send your order to approach me."
"Your words honor me more than I deserve," stated Tristain, thumping his chest and bowing his head with closed eyes. His men saw this and hastily followed suit, inadvertantly ensuring that, even if they were overrun in the coming days, Vahn would do his best to ensure they returned alive...
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[September 29th DxD/May 23rd DBT]
With little going on in the world of OL-2138, much of Vahn's focus was split between the Corridor and spending time with Rangiku, celebrating her birthday at a ryokan. By that point, she had all but retired from her responsibilities as a Shinigami to focus on being a mother, so while their daughter, Wakana, was preoccupied playing with her half-brothers and sisters, Vahn relaxed in a private hot spring with his arms around her and a very pregnant Isane.
"If you're really looking to reconnect with how normal people live their lives, why not settle down in one of our allied worlds...?" asked Rangiku, leaning into Vahn's body and holding up a small white cup of sake to his lips.
"This is more organic..." stated Vahn, taking a moment to sip the contents of the porcelain cup before explaining, "If I were to descend into a setting that's within the Pavilion's scope of influence, there are those like Grayfia, Venelana, and Medaka who wouldn't be able to resist attempting to make things easier for me. And, knowing myself very well, I wouldn't be able to refuse them..."
"You can be a pushover at times..." Rukia hummed with narrowed eyes, seated between Vahn's legs with her hands unabashedly kneading and caressing his cock. Next to her was Kiyone, sporting a slight belly bump as she refused to be the only Shinigami within the de facto friend group that hadn't given birth.
"It's because I'm surrounded by incredible women who warrant a certain degree of...concession..." Vahn asserted, prompting Rukia's violet eyes to narrow further, her tongue briefly tracing her lips before she lowered her head and began giving him a blowjob of her own volition.
"You had better be preparing him for me," Rangiku contributed, exhaling a faintly exasperated sigh through her nose as she reminded, "Don't forget that today is my birthday. If you attempt to skip the front of the line, we're going to have problems..."
"Calm yourself..." responded Rukia, raising her head to meet Rangiku's gaze with a challenging look as she asserted, "It's not as though Vahn's semen will be depleted with something as mundane as fellatio. You will receive your fair share and then some once we retire to our shared room for the evening..."
"Besides, you don't even like giving blowjobs..." Kiyone appended, staring at Vahn's cock and extending her left hand to polish its tip.
"L-Let's all try to get along and enjoy the moment..." Isane interposed, forcing a strained smile, as, from past experiences, she knew things were bound to devolve into a competition. It was generally acknowledged that Yoruichi was Vahn's favorite from their setting, but that didn't mean there wasn't room for them to strengthen their respective positions. It wasn't an exaggeration to state that Vahn's children with them represented the next generation of Soul Society nobility. And while it didn't matter to him which of them he married first, it was a point of contention among the members of the 14th Division...
Spurred by Rukia's and Kiyone's remarks, Rangiku pointedly accused the duo of getting ahead of themselves despite their distinct lack of feminine charm. Rukia retorted that Vahn didn't care about such things, but the not-so-subtle twitching of her right brow made it clear she was annoyed by Rangiku's remark. With the Pavilion's means, she could easily enlarge her bust. But as Vahn regularly reassured her that she was perfect as she was, she had largely remained the same since their meeting. More to the point, she and Vahn had done it nearly as much as everyone else present combined, a fact she routinely and smugly reminded Rangiku of each time they got in a row...
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