Chapter 2097: The Gears of Fate
Chapter 2097: The Gears of Fate
After arriving at the Workshop, Vahn was unsurprised to find Leticia waiting in the foyer for him. It was quite common for her to greet him upon his return. This time, however, she wasn't wearing her maid outfit. Instead, her body was garbed in a long-sleeved, blood-red overcoat, a black blouse, a short white skirt, grey and black stockings, red leather boots, and a grey tie. There were also a series of belts dangling her blouse which served as fasteners for a piece of white fabric that converted her skirt into a dress.
"Worried...?"
Since the outfit was basically Leticia's combat attire, Vahn could guess what she was thinking even without the aid of Loi-chan.
Raising her head, Leticia revealed a marginally concerned expression as she said, "Since I have never met them, I can't help feeling nervous about entrusting my former Community to them. Please give me permission to test them..."
Drawing closer to the anxious Vampire Princess, Vahn cradled the sides of Leticia's fair white face with his hands, a gentle look in his eyes as he said, "You don't need my permission for things like this. Just try not to get caught. That blond-haired boy, Izayoi, has supernatural sensory abilities. If you get too close, he would notice you without fail."
Punctuating his words, Vahn ran his thumbs along the upper ridge of Leticia's ears, a mixture of calming energies and source flowing into her body as he leaned in to give her a prolonged yet relatively tame kiss. She didn't really show it due to an Innate that basically gave her a calm and clear mind at all times, but she was the type to get riled up by even minor displays of affection.
"Vahn..."
With a slight pout on her face, Leticia stared up at Vahn, her carmine eyes glistening slightly as she habitually gripped his tunic. In response, Vahn just issued a light chuckle before gently grabbing her wrists and asking, "Didn't you have someplace to be...?"
Adopting a remarkably cute frown, Leticia released Vahn's tunic before sprouting a pair of shadowy wings with a red tint and saying, "I'll be back soon...". Then, without waiting for a response, she fell into her own shadow before vanishing in an instant.
Though most Vampires lacked a shadow, Leticia had earned hers after reaching the System Tree that served as the Nexus of the Little Garden's Central Network. It was basically a World Tree that served as a dimensional anchor for the Divine Realm, but, unlike the Yggdrasil located in the South, the System Tree resembled a giant crystal that glowed with countless circuit-like lines.
Very few people were given the opportunity to interact with the System Tree, but, due to the efforts of her people, Leticia had been elevated to the status of a Dragon Knight after reaching its base and placing her palm upon its trunk. That same event earned the Vampires the designation as the Little Garden's protectors, but, due to the failures of the Divine Army, the once-noble race was eventually wiped out due to greed.
Leticia was one of only three Vampires that still possessed a shadow in the present day. Rather than a normal shadow, however, Leticia could manipulate hers to produce shadowy constructs that could rival Divine Armaments at her peak. She was far from that level now, but, thanks to Vahn, it wouldn't be long before she managed to both regain and exceed her previous level of strength.
With such thoughts on his mind, Vahn transitioned to the kitchen where Shirayukihime, Sarina, and Nono were working on a massive pot of curry. Usalia was also present, but, instead of helping out, she was sitting face-down at the dining room table with several of their children playing around on and around her body.
Noticing Vahn's presence before anyone else, Usalia raised her head, tears in her eyes as she said, "Save me, plip..."
Chuckling in amusement, Vahn split himself into three to deal with the rambunctious bunnies and assist in the cooking. It didn't really bother him that Usalia struggled as a parent. Rather, he was a little happy she was having a few difficulties as it effectively nipped the idea of producing millions of babies in the bud. She relied on him to deal with the vast majority of the children, and, though he had never breastfed them, there were times when he even pretended to be Usalia so that their children wouldn't feel like she was avoiding them...
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"You're telling me those brats got baited into a Gift Game less than an hour after they registered as Players? How?"
Shrugging her shoulders in false helplessness, Shiroyasha maintained her usual smile as she said, "It has nothing to do with me. If anything, it was your overprotectiveness that led to this development. Ever since you erected that barrier, numerous groups have been keeping tabs on the No Names. It's only natural that something would happen when their Leader reveals himself for the first time in six months."
Exhaling a sigh, Vahn resisted the urge to ask about the specifics regarding the Community that had targetted the No Names. Jin might be lacking in quite a number of categories, but he was confident in the progress his young apprentice had made. There shouldn't be any Communities in the six and seven-digit Gates capable of defeating him in a 'fair' battle. He was also quite intelligent, so, even if they pulled a fast one on him, he should be fine. The real question was whether or not the Problem Children would listen to him...
Since he had already done quite a bit for the recovering Community, Vahn just shook his head. They had their own path to walk. They were also guided by a powerful fate, so, unless they requested his assistance, he should let them live and act as they pleased. If anything, he would just pop over in his non-existent state to check things out.
With that in mind, Vahn met Shiroyasha's gaze and said, "Your friends in the South have been pretty quiet ever since they sent that missive expressing their gratitude. Anything interesting happen since then?"
Exhaling a sigh of her own, Shiroyasha manifested the television remote before pointing it towards the TV. Once it had turned on, the screen reflected an army facing off against what appeared to be a monster horde as she explained, "Avalon had done a lot to allow Lesser Dragons and other types of mythical beasts to prosper in the lands surrounding the South's Outer Gates. Ever since their fall, the brood of various powerful creatures have been assaulting the South Side in an effort to weaken the Draco Grief Alliance and cause as much devastation as possible. It's quite the predicament."
Raising his brow, Vahn asked, "How hasn't news of this spread to the rest of the Little Garden? What is the Divine Army doing?"
Snorting through her nose, Shiroyasha stated, "The Gods in control of the Divine Realm are basically just a bunch bureaucrats. Unless an official request is filed and processed, they won't even consider mobilizing the Divine Army. The only two groups that had the authority to file such a request were the Knights and Aristocrats of the Little Garden. In other words, only Leticia and Black Rabbit could ever hope to make such a request. Even then, the odds of the big wigs taking action are pretty slim. Ever since the last battle against the Demon Dragon God, the Divine Army lost more than 90% of its members. They aren't exactly eager to fight another large-scale battle."
"So you're telling me a monster horde is allowed to freely attack the South Side without any form of repercussions? So much for everything being decided with Gift Games..."
Giggling in response to Vahn's remark, Shiroyasha surprised him by saying, "This is actually a Gift Game that has been going on for a very long time. The various Pantheons in the South have always been warmongers and battle-crazed idiots. Most of the people that live there are warriors of some kind. In other words, fighting is one of the things that gives their life purpose. As troublesome as the monster horde is, most of the people living in the South enjoy being able to cut loose without the stipulation of rules."
Recalling that the South was filled with people descended from the Norse, Greek, Roman, Woden, and Mesopotamian Gods, Vahn wasn't too surprised by Shiroyasha's statement. He just found the notion of an endless war somewhat mundane. He also knew that not everyone in the South would appreciate the never-ending slaughter. Rather, he had already met numerous individuals who had migrated from the South after getting fed up with their original Communities...
Shaking his head, Vahn said, "Whatever." before rising to his feet. This earned him a slight frown from Shiroyasha, who, over the last six months, had come to look forward to their various 'plays'.
Understanding the pale-haired imp's thoughts, Vahn said, "I promised Seraphina I would take her on a date once our contract with the No Names had expired. She may not have worked hard these past six months, but she did her best to avoid causing trouble. I should be back later this evening."
Though she was tempted to ask him to leave a version of himself behind, Shiroyasha was aware of the promise Vahn had made with Seraphina. He promised she would have him all to herself for an entire evening, so, unless something drastic happened, there was nothing that could get Vahn to go back on his words.
"At least give me a kiss before you leave..."
As he had been delaying his departure for that exact reason, a teasing smile developed across Vahn's face as he supported Shiroyasha by her butt and gave her a long and passionate kiss. There wasn't much to hold onto, but, ever since he had sprouted a tail for her, she never asked him to get rid of it. As a result, her tail flickered about in a manner reminiscent of a true Cat Person as he held her close for the better part of ten minutes...
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"After hearing that tale of tragedy, I expected this place to look a little more...desolate..."
Having followed Jin and Black Rabbit to the Land of the No Names, Izayoi was surprised to find grassy plains, a verdant forest, and vast fields of glistening golden wheat. There was also a rather sizeable village looming in the distance, and, most notably, a massive fortress-like castle with ivory walls and vibrant blue rooftops. Rather than the territory of a struggling Community, it looked like the kind of idyllic Castle Town you'd find in a fantasy novel.
Offering a friendly smile in response to Izayoi's words, Jin explained, "We have Vahn to thank for the quick recovery of the land. If you had arrived approximately six or seven months ago, much of what you see now would have been a wasteland. We didn't even have a Water Tree so the children would have to venture outside to collect water. Now that we no longer have his protection, we'll be relying on the three of you to prevent opportunistic Communities from targeting us."
Snorting through his nose, Izayoi made his way further into the territory as Asuka asked, "That man, Vahn. Just how powerful is he...?"
Shaking his head, Jin replied, "No one really knows. There are many mysteries surrounding the Sage Dragon Emperor and his Community. All anyone knows for certain is that he managed to defeat a 5-Digit Community without any effort whatsoever. Based on the rumors that have been circulating, many presume him to possess the strength of a God around the 3-Digit Gates. Given his status as a Pure-Blood Dragon, however, there is a very real chance he is much stronger than that..."
Though Asuka seemed somewhat taken aback by Jin's words, Yo perked up the moment she heard Vahn was a Dragon. She had always been fascinated by the various creatures found in myths and fantasy, so, while others might have been intimidated by such knowledge, she couldn't help but ask, "If I asked nicely, do you think he would become my friend?"
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Save me, plip...','Shiroyasha is slowly becoming a good kitty (UwU)...','Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes...!<---Is this a mother-f**kin' Jojo's reference!?')