บท 1639: Caution
Though he was the youngest person present, none of the other officials dared speak out against the decision made by the silver-haired man, Lars Laetorius Primulus. The majority had been hand-picked for their positions following the former's rise as Dictator, so, rather than speak against him, they patiently waiting for an explanation.
Satisfied with the room's response, Dictator Primulus gave a small nod before gesturing towards the man seated to his right. This caused all eyes to shift towards the elderly individual, who, despite his age, radiated a considerable amount of power. He had short grey hair that was combed back in a heroic manner, and, though he wore the traditional robes of a high-ranking Mage, it was possible to make out the powerful body concealed beneath.
With all eyes focused on him, the man, Magister Militum Arkan Vale Primulus, Director Primulus' Uncle and former Consul of the Megalomesembrian Senate, gave a small nod of acknowledgment before adopting a hawk-like countenance as he explained, "We cannot afford to overly antagonize the Sage Dragon Emperor. He might not be as dangerous as someone like the Dark Evangel, but his capabilities make him no less a threat. Unless we can lure him into a trap and seal him, there is little we can do against an opponent who has demonstrated the ability to freely teleport without the use of a magic circle..."
Nodding in approval of his Uncle's words, Dictator Primulus added, "Until we have collected more information regarding his characteristics and weaknesses, attacking the Sage Dragon Emperor is a waste of resources. Our priority should be seeking a compromise in an effort to lull him into a false sense of security. If we meet with him openly, we can reduce the amount of collateral damage while also limiting the number of people he will inevitably assassinate. The Sage Dragon Emperor seems to act according to a code, so, as long as we show a willingness to compromise, he will be limited in the actions he can take against us."
Though it wasn't the 'ideal' solution to their problems, none of the men present could argue against the statements made by their Dictator. The Sage Dragon Emperor had exhibited a number of truly troublesome capabilities, and, unless they could find a way to ensnare him, defeating him in a direct engagement would be extremely difficult. He managed to repel the Leviathan, destroy several War-God Soldiers, and ground two separate fleets without any discernible difficulty. None of these feats could be ignored, so, unless they were willing to sacrifice a considerable number of assets, trying to openly oppose him was the same as shooting themselves in the foot.
With similar thoughts running through their minds, nearly every official present decided to support their Dictator's decision. The only person against the idea was the man seated to the Dictator's left, an exceptionally wrinkled old-man with unnatural black sclera and golden irises.
Unlike the traditional black robes worn by most senior Mages, the elderly individual wore a blood-red variant that loosely hung from his languid and seemingly frail figure. He wore a peculiar golden apparatus inscribed with a series of complex runes around his neck, and, rather than sit in a normal chair, he was floating several centimeters from the ground in a throne reminiscent of a silver egg.
With all eyes focused on him, the elderly man opened his eyes a little wider than normal, his voice sounding like an echo from the depths of Hell as he warned, "We will not tolerate having our plans interrupted. If Megalomesembria cannot deal with a single Ancient Dragon, we will not hesitate to wipe you out ourselves. Everything that has been given to you can be taken away. Never forget that simple truth."
Finished with his words, the elderly man gripped the staff in his right hand. It had the appearance of a two branches that had been twisted together to appear as malevolent as possible. At the very top, where most catalysts could be found, a blackened heart could be seen pulsating with a mysterious purple light. A constant trickle of brackish-purple blood flowed from its valves, staining the wooden components of the staff and causing a perpetual hissing sound to resonate throughout the room...
After a series of simple taps against empty air, a complex magic formation appeared beneath the man's throne-like chair. In the next moment, a vibrant purple light enveloped his figure before the man, along with his chair, vanished completely. This left everyone in the room completely silent for several seconds until the Dictator, seemingly unperturbed by the man's warning, plainly stated, "We will continue with my plan. Any questions?"
Though some present were tempted to ask if it was wise to disregard the warning of the Supreme Consul, none were bold enough to speak out against their calmly smiling Dictator. He radiated an aura of absolute confidence, and, considering their own careers were riding on his success, nobody wanted to risk earning his ire by opposing his decision.
Satisfied with the silence following his question, a hint of a smile spread across Dictator Primulus' face as he nodded his head and stated, "Very well. We will send an emissary to intercept the Sage Dragon Emperor and his entourage. While they are buying time with pleasantries, I suggest each of you attempt to secure your assets and conceal your secrets. If you somehow manage to earn the ire of the Sage Dragon Emperor, the Confederation will not protect you."
With his words finished, Dictator Primulus rose to his feet, dismissing the group of officials before turning to his Uncle and stating, "I will leave you here for the time being. Establish contact with the facilities researching more...contentious subjects. They have less than an hour to relocate all of the more pertinent data and assets to a secure site. We should assume the Sage Dragon Emperor has the ability to sense everything within fifty kilometers. Unless it is secured safely within a sub-space, I want everything moved as quickly as possible."
Though the man before him was his much-younger nephew, the Magister Militum did not hesitate to bow low, answering, "I will see to it without fail!"
Nodding his head in approval, Dictator Primulus pat the shoulder of his Uncle in passing, his voice changing completely as he mused, "Remember, you are protecting your future assets. Do your best, dear Uncle..."
---
Though the presence of the military continued to grow, Vahn had a slight frown on his face after realizing they weren't going to attack. He hadn't expected them to respond in such a 'reasonable' manner, forcing him to either continue his casual act or shift to a more 'proactive' approach.
Sensing the civilian population was still relocating to secure bunkers located beneath the city's vast skyscrapers, Vahn decided to momentarily delay any destructive actions. Instead, he closed his eyes and began shifting his intent around, observing and analyzing various people, places, and things.
It didn't take a genius to realize that Megalomesembria would probably try to lure him into a trap, as, a few hundred years prior, they had attempted the same thing against Eva. She had decided to compromise with the nefarious superpower after a long drawn out battle that had gradually worn away at both sides. In response, Megalomesembria had attempted to trap her in a barrier infused with Chronoton. If she hadn't seen through their obvious attempt, circumventing their effort with a doll that perfectly emulated her appearance and magical signature, Megalomesembria would have conquered Earth long ago.
Imagining Megalomesembria trying to seal him away, Vahn felt both amused and incensed. A rather vicious glimmer flashed across his eyes, and, for a fleeting moment, he actually considered allowing them to succeed. He was largely immune to the effects of Chronoton as a God of Space, and, even if they could somehow seal a part of him, he could either use [Chainbreaker] to break free or simply sever his connection with the vessel, dispersing it and effectively liberating himself in an instant.
Vahn never kept all of his vessels in one place, so, unless they could discover the Garden of Avalon and locate the position of his hidden gemstone, located within the void, it was simply impossible to seal him away. As for killing him, that was even more difficult, as, without the ability to affect Source Energy in the slightest, he would perpetually revive, stronger, faster, and more resolute.
Though it might seem a little unfair, the truth of the matter was that any reasonably powerful Tier 5 entity was able to revive countless times. It took destroying their ego or erasing the concepts they represented to truly kill an entity above Tier 5. He also didn't particularly care about whether or not his resurrection was fair against his foes, as, more often than not, he was pitted against some of the vilest and most appalling people within the Record. They rarely showed mercy and fairness towards their victims, so, unless there were some extenuating circumstances, Vahn didn't mind turning the tables and allowing them to experience something similar.
As that thought cross his mind, Vahn set his sights on the group of people that had separated from the massive wall of troops that blockaded the entrance of Megalomesembria. He found it amusing that Megalomesembria would dare to send a Demihuman ambassador to meet with him, seemingly with the intent to demonstrate that 'not all' Demihumans within their country were slaves.
Unfortunately for whoever had made the decision, Vahn was not so easily fooled. He could sense a number of lingering injuries in each member of the approaching group, and, though she appeared calm and stoic on the outside, Vahn noticed that the female Ambassador actually had a number of piercings and a literal brand on her body...
Before Vahn realized it, the smile on his face had become slightly dangerous, prompting Asuna to lightly grip his hand and whisper, "Vahn..." in a concerned tone.
Looking down at the concerned young girl, Vahn's expression instantly softened as he used his free hand to caress her head, his tone gentle as he said, "Thanks for your concern, kiddo. Don't worry, I won't let this place corrupt me. Now, stay with Fenrir while I go see what these people want to talk about. I'm trusting the two of you to keep each other safe."
To punctuate his words, Vahn lifted up Asuna's bangs to plant a simple kiss on her forehead, a calm smile on his face as he turned away and used shundo to appear in front of the approaching group...
---
Seeing a figure suddenly appear in front of them, the group of emissaries tensed up quite a bit as their leader, a woman with droopy dog ears and a tail that curled like a shiba-inu bowed her head and said, "Welcome to Megalomesembria, Sage Dragon Emperor. It is our greatest honor to stand before such a legendary figure..."
Leaving the woman at a loss, Vahn didn't immediately reply to her words. Instead, he scanned his eyes over each of them, his irises blazing with a golden light that caused a layer of sweat to spread across their bodies.
After scanning each member of the group with his View Affection toggled on, Vahn was pretty sure these people were former slaves who had been specially trained to act as emissaries in Demihuman countries. They put on a strong front, as could be expected from people in their positions, but, with even a cursory look beyond the surface, it was easy to see they were all suffering.
Without beating around the bush, Vahn surprised the group of eleven by extending his hand and crushing the devices used to record their conversation. At the same time, the bracelets and anklets which served as replacements for slave collars flickered with golden light before crumbling to dust as he said, "I offer you freedom. If there is something or someone that binds you to this place, I will guarantee their freedom as well. I can't be held responsible for how you will live from now on, but I can send you to a place free from Megalomesembria's influence. Now, make your choice..."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Let's not piss off the dragon that can teleport around and throw miniature suns...','Vahn doesn't play fair','Well, that escalated quickly...')
(2/4)
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