With it being decided that they would depart immediately after breakfast, Vahn had everyone assemble in the clearing he had made for sparring and training his would-be apprentices.
"Why did we come over here? Are we going to test our new equipment...?" Gagaran questioned, readying her new warpick.
"Not quite," Vahn responded, walking ahead of the stopped group before rising into the air as if the force of gravity acting on his body had suddenly reversed.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Gagaran muttered, a wave of stupefaction and disbelief washing over her as Vahn suddenly transformed into golden light that filled the sky and expanded to proportions that seemed to strain the heavens themselves.
'Mmn...this is more difficult than I anticipated...' Vahn noted, his muscles straining to the point he felt like they might burst apart. He was normally able to reach a length of 3km without issue, but at that moment, he was struggling to surpass even 500m in his dragon form.
'Five hundred meters will have to suffice...' Vahn concluded, easing into his final form and taking a moment to acclimate as the clouds overhead rapidly increased in volume. Ordinarily, he would be able to control the weather in his dragon form. But with his Domain constrained to his body due to its size, he could prevent a storm from forming.
'Alright, climb on...' Vahn spoke telepathically, lowering his head so that the members of Blue Roses and his own Party could board his head via his elongated snout.
"Why are you fools just standing here? Lord Vahn has permitted us to board him. Consider yourselves blessed, and do not keep him waiting," Lupica chided, snorting contemptuously before seizing the initiative to board Vahn first, followed closely by Blanche.
"Sheesh...I know I joked about taking the guy for a ride, but are we really about to ride a Dragon into E-Rantel...?" Gagaran questioned, directing her words at Lakyus.
"I'm certain that Lord Vahn has a reason for his actions," Princess Renner interjected, her blue eyes gleaming with fascination as she took in Vahn's magnificent form and visage. Until that moment, she had harbored doubts about his claims of being a Dragon. Now that she was witnessing his true form, her mind and heart raced with thoughts on how to make him loyal to her and her alone.
"Princess Renner is right. If nothing else, this will force the Sorcerer Kingdom to take us seriously..." Lakyus reasoned, swallowing nervously before being the first in her Party to step toward Vahn's lowered snout. She had dreamed of riding on the back of a Dragon in her youth, but after interacting with Vahn in his human form for such an extended period, the thought of boarding him filled her with trepidation.
'Do you require assistance...?' Vahn questioned, wrapping his Domain around Lakyus's waist. The golden-haired Adventurer briefly tensed at the unexpected sensation, but instead of panicking, she forced a smile and responded, "If you would be so kind..."
Spurred by Lakyus's response, Vahn used his Domain to lift and carefully deposit her on his head—specifically in the nook between his brows and horns. There, he had already placed a circular wooden table for everyone to sit around, leaving Lakyus at a brief loss for words as she had expected to spend the trip holding onto him for dear life, not sitting around enjoying tea and snacks...
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Once everyone was in position atop his head, Vahn permitted Princess Renner free rein of the Seven Lotus Spring in his absence. She wouldn't be able to re-enter if she left, but for the remaining duration of her stay, she could make use of the location's facilities at her leisure. She thanked him for his hospitality. Then, alongside Climb and her escort, she watched as he took to the sky and vanished through the spring's barrier, leaving in his wake golden-tinged storm clouds that gradually dispersed without his power to fuel them...
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"Is this speed comfortable for everyone...?" Vahn asked, the focal point of everyone's gazes, as, shortly after taking off and speeding in the direction of E-Rantel, he used the power of the Flower Flower Fruit to appear on his own head.
"What the hell? How are you here in front of us and below us at the same time...?" Gagaran questioned.
"Just think of the me before you as a Shadow Clone. That should make things easy for you to understand, no...?" Vahn asked, sporting a cheeky smile.
"What I'm curious to know is why there isn't any wind. Is there some kind of barrier in place...?" Lakyus questioned.
"More specifically, I'm using my Domain to block the wind. If you've ever used Flight Magic, you would know that it gets extremely cold and windy at altitude," Vahn answered, simultaneously pouring himself a cup of hot black tea. Being able to drink liquids contradicted the claim that he was a Shadow Clone, but while Tina and Tia noticed this, neither called him out for it.
"Is there something you wanted to discuss with us that you couldn't talk about in front of Princess Renner and her pet...?" Keno questioned, taking a seat at the table. Before that, she had been inspecting the base of one of Vahn's horns utilizing Compositional Analysis Magic—an endeavor that bore no fruit.
"Nothing in particular..." Vahn answered. "Though, as you are involved in this matter, your Party should be aware of the reasons behind my arriving at the Sorcerer Kingdom in this fashion."
"Please, enlighten us..." Lakyus insisted, her brows creasing and her gaze turning serious.
"If a Dragon of my status appears at their doorstep, I anticipate that the Sorcerer King will personally come out to meet and possibly confront me," Vahn stated, causing the atmosphere atop his head to tense as he looked to Lakyus and reasoned, "As you mentioned before, my presence should compel the Sorcerer Kingdom to take us seriously. If they have nothing to hide, this should allow us to investigate them with impunity. I will entrust ascertaining the situation within the city to your Blue Roses. Meanwhile, I will explore his castle and investigate the Sorcerer King as an unaffiliated emissary..."
"In other words, you believe we would just be in the way if we were to investigate with you..." Keno contended, her expression morphing into an increasingly common pout.
Shaking his head, Vahn countered, "We have to take into consideration that we're dealing with a King—Undead or otherwise. It is unrealistic to expect such a person to subject themselves to an investigation by a third party. I can get away with requesting an audience and a tour because I'm a Dragon, famed for our arrogance. If your Party did the same, it could be
viewed as lese majeste. You might be able to escape consequences with Teleport, but there is a chance such actions would implicate the Re-Estize Kingdom and its people..."
"Indeed..." Lakyus acknowledged, her expression inordinately serious as she decided, "We shall leave the Sorcerer King and the investigation of the Sorcerer Kingdom's internal affairs to Lord Vahn and his Retinue of the Dragon. Blue Roses will go with our original plan of investigating the city and establishing contact with the Adamantite-ranked Adventurer, Momon of Darkness."
"On a related note, I will speak to the Sorcerer King about relocating the citizens of E-Rantel to Re-Estize territory," Vahn submitted. "I imagine that most of those living there presently simply lacked the finances to relocate when the city was surrendered. If the Sorcerer King is as reasonable as I believe him to be, he shouldn't oppose the relocation of those who do not wish to live under his rule."
"That would be huge. But do you seriously think an Undead would just free people to leave like that...?" Gagaran questioned, a conflicted frown marring her face.
"While it's true that a preponderance of undead are cruel, often mindless creatures who desire nothing more than to increase their numbers, I have encountered Ainz Ooal Gown in the past," Vahn stated. "Back then, he had personally intervened to rescue the village of Carne from destruction. He then went on to save the life of Gazef Stronoff, pitting himself against one of the Theocracy's most elite forces. Do these sound like the actions of an unreasonable, inhuman Undead?"
"I mean, when you explain it like that...he sounds like a downright decent guy..." Gagaran conceded. Lupica and Blanche narrowed their eyes at how informally she was speaking about their Lord. Fortunately, Vahn had given them both accessories that concealed bloodlust. That, combined with the fact that everyone's gazes were focused on him, helped the duo's hostility go unnoticed.
"I believe he is," Vahn affirmed. "But until I've had an opportunity to get to know him well, I can't speak with complete confidence. That is why I shall meet with him alone—so that we may speak as equals."
"I heard from Princess Renner that you did the same with her father, His Majesty..." Lakyus recalled, her expression relaxing into a slight smile as she asked, "Am I correct to assume you will be approaching the leaders of the Abelion Hills in the same manner?"
Nodding, Vahn confirmed, "I believe that all people, regardless of their race, status, or religion, are deserving of a certain degree of deference. So, despite my own status, I try to approach everyone I meet on equal terms. How they respond to that generally tells me everything I need to know about them..."
"That's an approach only someone who is supremely confident in their strength can take..." Gagaran contended, crossing her arms and nodding approvingly. If it had been anyone else speaking, she would have thought they were a fool. But when Vahn spoke, there was a certitude to his words that couldn't be ignored.
"This isn't the first time I've heard those words..." Vahn hummed, cracking a sly smile before he closed his eyes to savor the contents of his cup. The feeling of the wind blowing through his draconic mane was transmitted to his proliferated body, so as the warm tea slid down his throat and warmed him from within, a layer of goosebumps briefly spread across his skin.
'This is some damn good tea...' Vahn mused, having Sis make a note to remind him to replenish his reserves of the aptly named Relax Tea. He could always procure it through his System Shop, but it was costly, and he preferred the taste of naturally-grown ingredients—particularly those grown in the Black Tower.
With such thoughts in his mind, Vahn spent the remaining forty-three minutes until he reached the periphery of E-Rantel discussing various topics with the members of Blue Roses. Gagaran attempted to fish for information on Lupica and Blanche, but they all but refused to speak to the woman, leaving Vahn to excuse their behavior and explain that they were his bodyguards and attendants—sworn to secrecy. This naturally prompted further questions, but Lakyus interjected, reminding Gagaran that it was rude to press Adventurers about their pasts and secrets they didn't willfully share. With that, the topic shifted to the ingredients that Vahn used in his cooking, a subject that everyone gathered at the table had a vested interest in...
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As the walled city of E-Rantel came into view, the first thing that everyone riding on Vahn's head noticed were the enormous and intimidating statues of Ainz that were being constructed at its entrances. Each was more than a hundred meters, and they stood in pairs, flanking the gates like a pair of colossal stone golems that might come alive and smite anyone who dared to approach the city with malicious intent.
"What the hell...did the Sorcerer Kingdom ally with the Theocracy...?" Gagaran asked, her jaw slacking at the sight of hundreds of low, middle, and even high-tier Angels taking to the sky, denying entrance to the city from the air. Meanwhile, the ground was a veritable carpet of black, gold, and silver as Undead of various tiers formed neat rows and columns, with precisely one hundred dark crimson banners, each denoting between one hundred and one thousand troops...
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