<h4>Chapter 1602 Lurking</h4>


    As he kept a version of himself back at the Custos Rosea, it didn’t take long for Medusa to inform Vahn of what had transpired. At the same time, back at the banquet that had been prepared to entertain them, his genial smiled turned into a disappointed frown as he shook his head and said, "It seems the public order in Zephyria is even worse than expected..."


    Though there were a number of other people present, the Admiral, Katarina, was the first to react to Vahn’s words. Her expression instantly became more fierce as she passed her gaze around the room before asking, "Did the Sage Dragon Emperor notice something amiss? We will send someone to address the matter promptly."


    Shaking his head a second time, Vahn exined, "A group of seventeen people managed to approach our vessel and board it without any port officials interceding. Is the security of the Association sox that they are incapable of noticing nearly twenty approaching the craft of foreign dignitary within their own private docks?"


    Hearing Vahn’s words, Katarina’s expression turned progressively dour. Then, following the exnation, she looked towards an exceptionally tall man with a unique handlebar mustache that flowed into his sideburns, saying, "Beckham, see that Her Highness’ craft is well guarded for the remainder of her stay. Have someone investigate the on-duty officials to find out which of the mangy curs allowed something like this to happen. If they are unwilling to talk, have the coin melted down and swallowed by the bastards."


    Despite the ruthlessness of themand, the man named Beckham didn’t seem particrly concerned by his Admiral’s order. Instead, his expression turned solemn and determined as he said, "Aye. I’ll see to it. If I can’t get to tha bottom of this, I’ll put myself forward to be drawn an’ quartered."


    Without dying further, the man named Beckham briefly gazed toward the two people who had apanied him to the banquet. Then, together, they quickly alighted from the room as Katarina turned to the rest of the assembly and said, "If it turns out any of you were involved in this, I’ll personally see to it that your properties burn. That’ll be a mercypared to what the Sage Dragon Emperor would do to you. Now, get out of here. The ale and wine have bittered from this news."


    Though several people looked like they had something to say, Katarina hadn’t been elevated to the position of Admiral by virtue of her birth. She had worked her way up through the ranks bypleting countless difficult quests and earning the respect of Brave Enlil himself. Prior to her appointment, she had also made a name for herself by ruthlessly crushing the top five Sky Pirate crews over the course of a single year. Her reputation had been forged from hard effort and bloody conquest, so, rather than doubt her words, mostpeted to be the first to alight from the room...


    Of the original twenty-six guests, only four chose to dawdle after the Admiral’s warning. These were some of the most affluent people in all of Zephyria, and, though they were well-aware of the promise contained within the Admiral’s words, they were undaunted. After all, despite the status she held, it wasn’t as if Katarina was the ’ruler’ of Zephyria. Her position might be one of the highest in the entire country, but, unless she had the support of the Council of Seven, her authority was limited to the Skyfarers Association.


    Seeing the four choose to ’ignore’ her words, Katarina’s expression became especially vicious as she asked, "Have you forgotten where you are right now? There is a fine line between pride and arrogance...need I show you where it lies?"


    Of the four who chose to remain, the first to speak was a man with a broad chest and arms as thicker than most people’s thighs crossed his arms as he said, "It is you who forgets yourself, Admiral. We represent a majority in the Council of Seven. Are you trying to force us away so that you might pander to a foreign power in secrecy?"


    Hearing the man’s words, Katarina’s expression became venomous but it was Arika who said, "You should leave. Ostia has no interest in establishing trade rtions with Zephyria so your worries are unfounded. The only thing you aplish by behaving in this manner is earning my disapproval. I have no interest in your pursuit of profiteering."


    Not expecting Arika to speak out, the burly man was slightly taken aback by her words. The same could be said for his otherpanions, the only exception being the woman among the group. She had a ratherscivious look, and, due to her unique choice of garb, she had the appearance of a ’very’ sessful gypsy woman.


    Breaking the tense silence with her sonorousughter, the woman passed her gaze over Arika as if she was appraising a rare treasure before saying, "It be seeming to me dat de Ostians be knowin’ better den to cultivate their flowers without thorns. I’d rather be avoidin’ a prick so let me be away. Only fools be makin’ a fuss in de presence of a dragon."


    With her words finished, the gypsy-like woman passed her appraising gaze over Fenrir before briefly lingering on Vahn. Then, without another word, she alighted from the room, her waist snaking in a hypnotic pattern that drew the eyes of her threepanions until she ultimately departed.


    After having fallen silent for several seconds due to the woman’s departure, the atmosphere in the room had be slightly awkward. Even the burly man from before seemed to have lost his momentum, his brows furrowed slightly as he looked around the room before settling on the Admiral and saying, "This matter involves the entire Council. If it is discovered that you are prioritizing your benefits over Zephyria, I will be the first to censure you. Don’t be ying games, Katarina."


    Hearing the man’s words, it was Katarina’s turn to cross her arms, her expression cold enough to chill ice as she said, "Piss off, Kurtis. The next time you pull something like this, don’t me me for putting you in your ce. You must’ve had a bit too much to drink if you think you can get away with insultin’ me on my own turf. Were it not for the presence of the Princess and the Sage Dragon Emperor, you’d be lucky to avoid spendin’ the next three weeks in a wheelchair. Now, get the fuck out of my home."


    With an incensed expression on his face, Kurtis red back at Katarina, but, before he could say anything, Vahn chimed in, his casual smile fading as he said, "Leave. Now."


    The moment Vahn spoke, an oppressive aura descended upon the room in an instant. This left the trio without words, and, after looking directly at Vahn’s glowing golden eyes, any bravado they had been able to muster rapidly evaporated like a tidal pool on a hot day. They were well aware of his reputation, so, after an oppressive silence, even Kurtis, the wealthiest Merchant in all of Zephyria, decided to retreat without another word...


    ---


    Having finished their meal, Vahn, apanied by Eva and Asuna, had been leisurely making their way back to the Skyfarers Association. The city seemed to be more alive as the sun went down, but, unlike when Asuna had been wandering around previously, none tried to bar their passage. Though some bolder individuals tried to call out to Eva, it only took an icy cold re to immediately deter them. As for the women eyeing up Vahn, the presence of Eva and Asuna was more than enough to prevent them from approaching. It was almost impossible topare themselves to Eva’s beauty, and, though she wouldn’t hesitate to correct them, the vast majority of people assumed Asuna was the child of the inordinately attractive duo...


    Seeing Eva cause a trio of drunkards to fall onto their butts with a single nce, Vahn couldn’t help but issue a light chuckle. This earned him a not-so-gentle elbow from Eva, who, after the first few dozen people called out to her, quickly grew tired of it.


    Since Eva had infused Ki into her blow, Vahn’sughter was cut off by the air being forced out of his lungs. A sharp pain radiated from his ribs, and, though it healed almost instantly, it was always a little surprising to experience the potency of Eva’s attacks. His durability was a match for magically reinforced metals, but, due to the nature of Ki, Eva managed to fracture four of his ribs with rtive ease.


    Rather than make a big deal out of it, Vahn just smiled wryly before wrapping his hand around Eva’s waist and pulling her a little closer to him. He hadn’t missed the guilt that briefly shed across her eyes after she elbowed him, so, before she could fall into a dour mood, he took the initiative to hold her closer. She wasn’t fond of public disys of affection, so, by drawing her closer to him, Vahn was freeing her from the obligation of having to apologize.


    Understanding Vahn’s intentions, the tips of Eva’s ears became red. The confidence she had been showing moments prior quickly faded away, but, in spite of this, fewer people dared to call out to her. Instead, a considerable number of people began copsing on the spot, their consciousness robbed by the convergence of Vahn’s aura. This caused quite a scene, but, as it had ’nothing’ to do with them, Vahn continued to lead Eva and Asuna unobstructed...


    ---


    Resisting the urge to pass out, a main with pale-green, almost white, hair leaned against a wall for support. His expression showed a mixture of disbelief and terror as he used his right hand to try and stymy the flow of blood from his nose. Around him, a number of other individuals had already copsed, many bleeding from their seven orifices due to the wave of pressure that had spontaneously descended upon them.


    Using what remained of his willpower, the man pulled out a handful of pills before voraciously shoving them down his mouth. Anyone aware of the true nature of the pills would have been mortified to see such a scene, as, despite their exterior structure, each contained an artificial, intermediate-level, Spirit. They were traditionally single-use items that could be used to save a person’s life in a dangerous situation, but, as if he was a monster given human flesh, the man unhesitantly devoured the contained, horrified, spirits.


    Feeling power surge through his body, a greenish-blue aura surrounded the man’s body as the sound of crackling lightning surged through the room. His uncharacteristically spiky hair became even more prominent, and, after a few seconds had passed, lightning began to coil across his body. Immediately thereafter, his figure vanished from view, followed by the sound of a tumultuous thunderp. The temperature within the room increased to several thousand degrees in an instant, but, without caring about the pawns he had left behind, the man hastily alighted from Zephyria at the speed of lightning...


    After covering thousands of kilometers in an instant, the man crashed into the ground with meteoric force. When he emerged from the long trench his crash had formed, his body was in an even more ragged state than before, the lower half of his face and much of his upper body covered in blood. Despite this, he refused to fall, his expression vicious and unrelenting as he pulled out a magical re and muttered, "That monster can’t be allowed to wander freely. All of our efforts will be for naught if we continue ignoring him..."


    With a fiery determination welling inside his heart, the man aimed the re towards the sky, a fierce glimmer in his eyes as he used thest vestiges of his strength to pull the cord. Almost immediately thereafter, a pale-green orb of light ascended into the sky, but, unlike a normal re, it didn’t explode or linger at its apex. Instead, it vanished into the void, and, if not for the trail that was left behind, all signs of its existence would have faded away shortly thereafter.


    Having sessfully set off the re, the man allowed his tired body toy against the side of the crater. Darkness began to encroach on the edges of his vision as the cautionary words of his Master yed through his mind. She had warned him against approaching within fifteen kilometers of their target, but, unwilling to cower in fear, he unhesitantly entered within the danger zone. He was confident that he would be able to evade Vahn’s detection, and, when thetter showed even a moment ofcency, he intended to recover the Key of Twilight and receive his Master’s praise...


    Though he wasn’t sure what had caused Vahn to suddenly ’attack’ them, the man was certain their intentions hadn’t been seen through. Instead, it seemed like an indiscriminate attack that targetted anyone with malicious intent within a certain radius. The most terrifying thing about this ability, other than the fact it happened ’instantly’, was that it seemed topletely ignore all magical barriers and protective charms...


    Moments before his consciousness faded into darkness, the man noticed the length of his shadow extend before condensing into an inky ck substance. From within, a figure with dark skin, darker hair, and glimmering golden eyes appeared. His body was attired in flowing robes that seemed to be formed from the shadows themselves, the hem orbiting his figure as if he was the eye of a storm.


    Staring down at the man with pale-green hair, a contemptuous look shed across the dark-skinned man’s face, his voice deep and resonating as he said, "Secundum...I always knew it would be your hubris that led to your end..."


    Though the light had already faded from his eyes, the man named Secundum had yet to lose consciousness. His loyalty and sense of purpose were the strongest amongst his brothers and sisters, so, until he had passed on his message, he would not allow himself to rest.


    Forcing back his hatred and resentment, Secundum grit his teeth hard enough to draw blood before stating, "Listen closely...you defective piece of trash...we cannot allow that monster to hold onto the Key of Twilight...everything we’re working toward...will be undone...if we don’t do anything..."


    With the same contemptuous expression on his face, the dark-skinned man, Dynamis, just shook his head before saying, "Master told you to stay away and observe. I will report your failure alongside your final words..."


    Hearing the man’s words, Secundum’s expression turned even more vicious, a small amount of light returning to his eyes. Before he could say or do anything, however, a sickening feeling spread through his body. He could feel the life draining away from him as a series of shadowy spikes prated his body and began to coil around him. Then, as if the ground had be quicksand, he began to sink into his own shadow, an almost inaudible, "Dynamis..." escaping his lips before he waspletely subsumed.


    (A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Leave. Now.’,’Doki-Doki Eva-chan’,’Vahn’s domain is actually very terrifying (o w o)...’)


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