Chương 1537: Lure
Though it was possible to fight multiple matches in a single day, it was more common to fight a single bout every two weeks. This was the main reason for the two-year sentencing, allowing you plenty of time to recover between bouts. In essence, Vahn had a little more than 1,374 days before his sentence would expire, as, in Mundus Magicus, one year was 687 days. There were systems and clocks that kept track of the date and time on Earth, but, for natives of the Magical World, this was the norm.
After retiring to his room, Vahn relaxed in his bed as he thought about his earlier actions. He felt like he might be taking things a little too far, even for him. The disgust and hatred that poured from the crowd like droplets in a rainstorm made him feel as though he was just wasting time. He didn't want to go back on his word, but, seeing the extent others were going to in order to sway public opinion against him, he was wondering whether or not it would be better to 'play nice'.
Shaking his head in exasperation, Vahn decided not to worry about it before turning his attention to a group of Earth Elementals that were forming a ladder as they tried to climb up the side of the bed. The nebulous little creatures worked together so naturally, making him wonder why people were so bad at it...
Interrupting him from his thoughts, even though he had already sensed them coming, Vahn said, "It is open..." before the servants outside could knock on the door. This caused the duo to fluster a bit, but, after a few seconds had passed, they managed to open the door, pushing in another large cart of food.
Since he could tell the girls wanted to ask something, Vahn sat up on the bed, a relaxed smile on his face as he said, "Out with it. There is something you wish to say to me...correct?"
Seemingly the bolder of the two cat-like women, the more petite girl stepped forward, cupping her hands around her mouth to make it harder for others to hear as she asked, "Did you really free Tilka? I heard one of the cooks say the girl assigned to attend you disappeared..."
Not surprised by the girl's inquiry, Vahn gave a curt nod that caused the feline duo to become a little giddy. They were both members of the Lesser Catkin tribe, so, unlike other Cat People, both girls had a layer of short fur covering much of their body, thick tails, and a dense coat of fluffy fur around their necks, forearms, calves, and 'paws'. In a way, they were almost like a fusion between Fenrir and Illya, a combination that made them, unfortunately, very popular as slaves.
Understanding what the girls wanted to ask, Vahn preempted them, stating, "There is nothing like a price. I can provide you with supplies and equipment, but you'll be on your own from then on. If you are confident in your ability to make a better life for yourselves, I don't mind freeing you."
Hearing Vahn's words, even the demure beauty behind the petite woman's back showed a hopeful smile on her face as she said, "We have friends outside of the Coliseum. If you can really remove our collars, we can escape the city and return to our homes. We'll go-"
Interrupting the woman before she could explain their plan to him, Vahn adopted a wry smile as he stated, "It is best you keep your plans a secret. I can't become your benefactor or the guarantor for your plan. Once I remove your collars and move you someplace safe, you'll be on your own. I don't mind if you tell people I helped you, but keep the methods I used a secret unless it endangers your life. I'm not afraid of trouble, but try not to bring too much my way, okay...?"
Vahn had always been against things like slavery, so, if he came across good people, he wouldn't mind helping them out. Though he couldn't be responsible for them after the fact, their gratitude would also provide him a small increase in strength due to his [Will of the Emperor], so, in a way, it was a win-win situation. He couldn't call himself a Vagrant Hero if he never helped anyone and just kept intimidating everyone who offended him...
Without trying to argue, both girls fell very silent until the smaller one asked in a hushed tone, "What do we need to do...?"
Rather than answer, Vahn gestured for the two girls to approach, surprising them both when he put his hands on their heads. Before they could complain, however, this surprise quickly turned to what could only be described as a 'melting' expression. His [Hands of Nirvana] were still SSS-Rank, and, if not for how peculiar it was, Vahn was certain he would have developed a Skill related to Petting Laws in every Record he visited.
Feeling as though their brains had turned into a pleasant mush, both servant girls began to purr in a rather adorable manner, bringing a smile to Vahn's face as he reached down and pressed his index finger to the small locks attached to their collars. It might not be possible for others to fabricate the key, but, with his understanding of the collar's structure, Vahn could, very easily, disable the function that caused it to explode. He could even erase and modify ritual grade magic while it was still being chanted, so there was little a magical lock could do to stop him.
While both girls were still in an absentminded state, Vahn removed both of their collars and tossed them onto the nearby table. Then, having made preparations for this inevitability, he pulled out two robes, a rucksack full of clothes, and a few other necessities that would aid in travel. There was even a tiny bag of gold nuggets, enough to exchange for more than enough Drachma to fund a long trip.
By the time the girls were coming back to their senses, Vahn had already prepared everything they would need, handing it to them with a smile as he explained, "There are clothes, supplies, and other valuables in this bag. There is also a good luck charm inside. It might look a little silly, but there is a chance it will save your life in an emergency. Now, are you ready? It will become a problem if others see you now that your collars are gone."
Hearing Vahn's words, both girls instinctually touched their necks to confirm whether or not he was telling the truth. When they felt nothing but soft fur, tears began to well up in their eyes, but, before they could express their gratitude, Vahn just lightly chuckled and said, "Take care of yourselves..." as they both vanished. He might not have any actual teleportation Magic, but, with a 94% mastery over Space Laws, Vahn could bend the rules quite a bit within his domain...
---
When two more Slaves were announced missing, the Coliseum Director couldn't help but punch a hole in the wall of his office. He had been warned by Jagoda not to seek trouble, but there was only so much he could tolerate. Now, one of his prisoners had not only killed dozens of his men, but he had also started arbitrarily freeing Slaves. There had also been reports of extra food, blankets, and other supplies just appearing out of thin air, interfering with the training of new recruits...
With an expression that could make a Demon blush, the Coliseum Director, a Hellas man named Igor Marceli Gayda, glared toward his 'Assistant' with a venomous gaze as he said, "If I find you snooping around that man's room, your mother and sister are history. Now, go tell those bastards to search all of the recruit quarters. If they find contraband, break the fingers of those who refuse to fork it over!"
Though she wanted to remind the Director about the Magistrate's words, the Slave-turned-Assistant ultimately just gave a polite bow before quickly carrying out her Master's orders. She couldn't deny that the thought of freedom had crossed her mind, but, with a sick mother and a younger sister, her Master had more than enough leverage to keep her in check. It was for them that she abandoned her rights as a Slave, becoming literal property that could be killed, maimed, or even worse, without any repercussions for her Master...
Seeing his Assistant leave the room, Igor plopped down in his lavish leather chair, running his hand through his spiky golden hair as he muttered, "What did I do to deserve another monster like Jack? If that bitch weren't an Aristocrat, I would stop at nothing to make her my slave...haaa. This is going to give me an aneurism..."
Feeling a powerful migraine sweeping over him, Igor pulled out a bottle of dark-brown liquor that would cost as much as a small house. It was usually reserved for special celebrations, but, feeling as if he 'deserved' something to ease off the tension, Igor poured a finger into a glass before throwing back the entire shot in a single gulp. The burning sensation allowed him to reminisce of all the good times he had while partaking of the special alcohol, but, due to the unique circumstances, he felt as though there was an especially bitter aftertaste this time around...
Sensing there was something more to the taste, a frown spread across Igor's face as he inspected the glass in hand. He held it up to eye level, squinting to see if there had been anything stuck to the bottom. What he didn't expect was to see someone standing in the doorway to his office, causing the cup to fall from his hand as he stammered, "Y-Y-You..."
Before Igor could rise to his feet and grab his trusty ax from the wall, the figure vanished from his view. Immediately afterward, a deathly chill ran through his body that caused his movements to slow to a crawl, his outstretched hand developing a thin layer of ice that quickly spread through the rest of his body. By the time his index finger reached the handle of his prized weapon, Igor's body had been frozen completely, his expression perpetually fixed into one of incredulity and horror...
---
Though he appeared to be 'behaving' within the confines of his room, the truth of the matter was very different than it seemed. Vahn wasn't able to create as many bodies as he could in the final few years he spent in the Nasuverse, but, with 95 years of practice, he had been able to push himself to manifest ten forms. This required being inside a Realm like a Marble Phantasm, but, so long as he had no distractions, he could keep them together without too much trouble.
At his current level, the most Vahn could manage without compromising his reserves was creating a second body. This was largely due to his attempts to 'condense' and store Source Energy within his Dantian. He wanted to summon Medusa and Fenrir as soon as possible, so, after determining there weren't many worthwhile enemies to face, Vahn decided to be more 'productive' with his time.
It was probably a terrible idea, but Vahn decided to start cleaning up the Coliseum using a second identity, his Master's. She would probably kill him a few times once she learned the truth, but, in the hopes of trying to lure her out, Vahn had decided to borrow Eva's appearance to teach some of the more troublesome people a lesson. This would allow him to remove a bit of the focus from himself, and, if she were paying attention to worldly affairs, Eva might actually come to investigate.
Vahn wasn't sure how long he would stay in the Hellas Empire, but his 'instincts' were telling him to stick around for a few months. He couldn't see the Flow of Fate very well, but he could still sense it to a certain extent. Unless he wanted to rush directly to Ostia, staying near one of the major players in the coming war would make tracking down and dealing with Cosmo Entelecheia easier. He knew they would have agents pulling the strings behind the scenes, so, after meeting with Jack, Vahn was intending to undermine their plans by weeding out the principal instigators behind the war.
Even without confirming it for himself, Vahn knew that the Second Prince was going to attempt a coup immediately following the Third Princess' kidnapping. This would ultimately end in failure, but it was a strong indicator he had ties to Cosmo Entelecheia. The fact they hadn't killed Theodora was a sure sign they had some use for her, especially as the contractor of the Ancient Dragon.
If his speculation was correct, Vahn imagined the agents of Cosmo Entelecheia basically bribing the Second Prince by promising to transfer or seal the Ancient Dragon into his own body. With both the Emperor and Theodora losing their lives in the conflict, he would be the only remaining member of the Imperial Family, so it was all but guaranteed he would receive the crown. He also had a powerful faction behind him, and, for whatever reason, had been placed in charge of the Coliseum.
Based on how shoddily things were run, it was pretty easy to understand what type of character the Second Prince was. If he had been a competent and righteous leader, the people working under him wouldn't be a bunch of thugs who enjoyed beating children and exploiting Slaves. Jagoda's reaction all but confirmed his suspicions, so, at some point in the near future, Vahn was expecting the Second Prince to send someone to 'negotiate' with him.
Regardless of what else happened, Vahn was certain Jack had already been recalled to try and deal with him. The Empire had a few measures they could resort to in order to deal with powerful people, including the use of Vrixho Nagasha, but such methods would result in a massive loss of face. To the type of people that embellished their dwellings just to show off to other affluent people, how others viewed them was a matter of supreme importance. They would go to great lengths to make others do things for them, avoiding any real responsibility unless it would further increase their prestige...
As Vahn was humoring the thought of robbing the Palace blind, his other self appeared within the room. He was still transformed as Eva, so, for a very brief moment, Vahn's heart ached as he saw the familiar figure of the lonely Vampiress. This was immediately followed by a feeling of awkwardness, causing him to revert his second vessel into an indestructible crystalline shard. To his amusement, the Elemental Spirits seemed to be very confused by the presence of two natural auras, fumbling about atop the bed in a fretful manner...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Fluff Sect grows stronger by the day','That's a nice plan you have there...it would be a shame if someone were to put it on ice o3o...','*fretful spirit sounds*')
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