EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons-Chapter 457: Capabilities

While searing some iridescent, visibly glowing Jewel Meat atop a 30cm-wide frying pan, Vahn asked, "How was your soak...?" to the approaching Lakyus.

"My body feels heavy, but I also feel refreshed and full of power. Thank you for allowing me to indulge in such a treasure. And thank you again for lending me these clothes. They're a tad too revealing, but I've never worn such fine garments..." Lakyus expressed, looking slightly uneasy in a pale blue bikini top with frilly white trim, dark blue bikini bottoms that matched the strings and ribbon decorating her top, and a blue and white, rose print pareo with blue tassels.

"You're free to keep them. They could prove invaluable if you ever need to battle aquatic or deep-sea creatures," Vahn stated with a smile. The bikini that Lakyus was wearing allowed the wearer to breathe underwater, resist the pressures of the deep sea, and increase swimming speed. And though it left quite a bit of her body exposed, it provided full-body protection that exceeded even her usual armor.

"Lord Vahn's generosity is great indeed..." Lakyus expressed nervously. She should have felt relieved that Vahn was so agreeable. But the more accommodating he was, the more she struggled to believe his intentions were pure. He was, after all, a Dragon.

"So, are you about ready to tell me what your request is...?" asked Vahn, flipping the steak he was cooking with a quick flick of his wrist, causing a loud hissing and a pleasant aroma to permeate the clearing.

"Yes, of course..." Lakyus answered, drawing closer to the grill Vahn was using, her green eyes gazing hungrily at the meat he was searing as she revealed, "Blue Roses has been tasked with investigating the situation in E-Rantel. If the citizens are living comfortably, we will withdraw without incident. But if they are being mistreated or used for wicked experiments, we will attempt to ally with the Adamantite-ranked Adventurer, Momon of Darkness, to assassinate the Sorcerer King."

Shaking his head, Vahn left Lakyus at a loss as he flatly stated, "That is an impossible feat at your Level. Your attacks would have no effect, and if he fought you seriously, not even Evileye, the most powerful member of your Party, would be able to endure a single spell from him."

"Are you suggesting that we should consign the citizens of E-Rantel to their fate...?" Lakyus questioned, her brows creasing deeply as she tore her gaze from the Jewel Meat and asserted, "If the Sorcerer King is truly as powerful as you say, then he represents an existential threat to all life. For life cannot survive where Undeath flourishes..."

"That's a presumption on your part—borne from your faith," Vahn refuted, shaking his head before adding, "You would be correct in most cases, but the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown, is no ordinary undead. For one, he has not forsaken his humanity. If that were the case, he would have destroyed E-Rantel and converted its population to Undead."

"Then our investigation should yield no reasons for us to antagonize him. Regardless, we must go—if for no other reason than he might have some affiliation with the cult called Zurrernorn," Lakyus asserted, asking, "If I'm not mistaken, Lord Vahn has had a run-in with them previously? If so, you should understand that they are not an organization that can be reasoned with."

"Hmmn..." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Recalling his encounter with the group called Zurrernorn, Vahn couldn't deny that they were problematic. He was still waiting for the individual called 'C' to reveal themselves, and if nothing else, allying with the Blue Roses would give him a suitable pretense to approach Ainz and fulfill his promise to publicly ally with him.

"When is your Party planning to depart...?" Vahn asked, causing Lakyus to blink in surprise.

"Does this mean that Lord Vahn is considering accepting our request...?" Lakyus questioned.

"I am," Vahn confirmed. "That aside, you should keep in mind that I'm not fond of having my questions answered with questions."

"Ah! Yes! That was terribly rude of me...!" Lakyus exclaimed, her voice cracking slightly as she raised her hands and waved them from side to side, flustered.

"Ahem..."

Regaining her composure with a cough into her left fist, Lakyus went on to answer, "We're prepared to depart today, but if Lord Vahn requires time to inform and organize his Party, we can wait."

"My Party member, Lupusregina, is currently away. She's expected back within a week, but it could be longer. Until then, your Party is welcome to stay here or return to your personal lodgings," Vahn proferred, sliding the Jewel Meat onto a chopping board and producing a sharp knife to slice it into glowing golden strips.

"To impose on Lord Vahn to such an extent...it's unconscionable..." Lakyus answered, her gaze fixed on the Jewel Meat as if she were on the cusp of slipping into a trance.

"I'll stay. You can go back, Evil Boss..." stated Tina, appearing from behind Vahn as she had been concealing herself there the entire time. Notably, in place of her previously black bikini-like bottoms and top, she was wearing a stylish, pale red bikini with a matte black trim, triple strings, and bodice-like lacework on the top.

"Tina...we shouldn't bother Lord Vahn more than circumstances require..." Lakyus maintained, her smile cramping, and right brow twitching as Tina boldly linked her hands around Vahn's bicep and asserted, "Lord Vahn has already given his permission..."

"Oh? What's going on over here? Something smells amazing," Gagaran noted, sporting a toothy grin as she approached in a green scale bikini, her sculpted muscles glistening like polished marble as she stood with her hands on her hips and her lats flared like a bodybuilder.

"I'm preparing a dish called Jewel Meat Donburi," Vahn answered, his disposition calm, unbothered by Tina's overfamiliarity as he detailed, "It combines its namesake, Jewel Meat, with Dream Rice to grant those who eat it the resolve to pursue their dreams and aspirations. The soy glaze is reduced from the extract of a beast called a Soy Sauce Grasshopper, and the garnish is Millennium Egg and Green Onion infused with the energy of the Blue Moon."

"Why do all of the ingredients you just listed off sound like something straight out of a fairy tale...?" Gagaran questioned, visibly taken aback by Vahn's explanation. To him, such ingredients were ordinary, providing only temporary benefits. To people unfamiliar with Toriko or Palace cuisine, he may as well have been offering them the cross-section of a Dragon Lord's tail, turned into a steak.

Shrugging, Vahn responded, "I believe that hospitality, or lack thereof, is the truest expression of a person's nobility. And it would be remiss of me not to prepare something special when a Party of golden-haired beauties has come to visit my home, temporary or otherwise."

"Oh? Does that label extend to all of us? Because I'm more than willing to take you into one of these tents and roll around with you for a few hours," Gagaran commented boldly, grinning with the confidence of a warrior and thumbing over her right shoulder.

"Anyone who has trained their body as diligently as Lady Gagaran more than deserves to be called beautiful," Vahn affirmed, causing Gagaran's brows to raise in surprise until he revealed, "But I have promised another that I would remain faithful to her. As such, I am obligated to refuse such propositions."

"Damn. That's a real shame..." Gagaran sighed, crossing her arms as she asserted, "But that lady friend of yours must be pretty incredible to have a Dragon of your caliber on a leash."

"She has her faults, but I value her as all women deserve to be valued," Vahn hummed, adding the strips of Jewel Meat to six large bowls full of faintly glowing, slightly transparent white rice. His comment left Lakyus, Gagaran, and Tina staring at him with a mix of appreciation and just the briefest hint of longing—not to be with him, but to find a man who valued them as greatly as he attested they deserved.

"Should I release your arm...?" Tina questioned, looking reluctant but prepared to comply if Vahn answered affirmatively.

"A bit of skinship is healthy between friends and colleagues prepared to entrust their backs to one another," Vahn stated, pointing out, "Your Party approached me, willing to trust me with your lives if things go south in the Sorcerer Kingdom. I have no reason to keep you at arm's length. Though I do expect you to respect my boundaries."

"I guess that means Tia and I shouldn't sneak into your tent, then..." Tina droned, releasing Vahn's arm and giving him space to finish preparing the donburi without her obstruction.

"Obviously..." Lakyus appended, looking and sounding exasperated as she exhaled a sigh of her own and crossed her arms.

Contrary to Lakyus's expectations, Vahn stated, "That would probably be for the best. Though if the two of you want to cuddle, that shouldn't be an issue. I'm known to be quite comfortable."

While responding to Tina, Vahn left the three women bewildered as he began cracking eggs that, outwardly, looked like large, highly polished, egg-shaped black stones. What came out was glowing, pale gold egg whites and a brightly glowing, comparably vibrant yolk that resembled a ball of luminous gold.

"Why is the food glowing...?" Evileye questioned, touching down a short distance from the group after flying around to get a look at the spring and forest from above. She was the only one who hadn't accepted a swimsuit from Vahn, so she was still wearing her tattered crimson cloak and hood, a frayed black dress, worn, partially torn hose, and her usual, creepy, off-white mask.

"Welcome back," Vahn responded, offering Evileye a curt nod before adding, "Also, I should have mentioned this earlier, but you don't need to wear your mask and hood while you're within my barrier. The sunlight that reaches here is highly filtered,"

"..."

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"..."

As Evileye hadn't revealed that she was a vampire, Vahn's comment left everyone present silent, the atmosphere palpably thick.

"Relax. I just got done telling your leader here that being Undead doesn't make someone evil. And you're far from the first or strongest Vampire I've met," Vahn attested, meeting Evileye's gaze through her mask as he flatly proferred, "And if it's something that troubles you, I can always revert you to your original race."

"You—I mean, Lord Vahn has the power to expel the curse of vampirism? I was under the impression that only the lost Grail of Saints, consecrated by the Water God, was capable of such a feat..." Lakyus muttered, visibly shaken. After all, her main Classes were Cleric, Priest, and Templar—with the origin of her Divine Power being the very Water God she was referring to.

"There are considerably more methods than just that. I know sixteen, just off the top of my head," Vahn answered smoothly, simultaneously topping each of the donburi with an egg before topping them with a soy glaze and finely diced Detoxifying Green Onion—infused with the energy of the Blue Moon. With that, the dishes were officially completed.

Since Tina was the closest to him, Vahn interrupted the stunned silence that followed his remark by offering her a bowl and saying, "Here, enjoy," with a relaxed smile.

"Oh...uh...thanks..." Tina responded, her cheeks gaining the faintest hint of red as she accepted the donburi and stared at it for several seconds, as if wondering if it was okay for her to eat something so...heavenly. When she finally brought a piece of the shimmering Jewel Meat to her mouth, it was like an explosion had been set off in her mind, her taste buds erupting into a chorus of rapturous glee.

"It's...delicious..." Tina muttered aloud, her usually impassive expression crumbling, her chin wrinkling, and tears streaming down her face as she began devouring the donburi as if it were the first meal she had had in a year. She had never eaten something so delicious, and the more she ate, the more emotional and relieved she felt. It was as though all the burdens she had accumulated in her life were melting away, replaced by a feeling of warmth that reminded her of the long-forgotten days when her mother would cradle her and her sisters in her arms, quietly reassuring them that everything would be okay...

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