Chapter 492: Decision

"You wish for them to settle the moon? Assuming you can get them there—you expect us to accept the existence of a rival nation looming over our heads?" questioned the King of Brakmar, a tall and lanky man resembling a regally dressed Masquerade clown.

"From the moon’s surface, you would be looming over their heads as well. And far larger by comparison..." Vahn countered calmly.

"That’s beside the point. We already occupy this world, with the moon’s light as a shared environmental resource. If the Eliatrope establish their civilization there, they would be commandeering a cultural heritage that has belonged to The World of Twelve’s people since before the existence of nations or Classes," argued the Brakmarian King.

"Then they will develop in the moon’s shadow, preserving your ancestral view and serving as a shield against planetary threats..." Vahn stated, his expression beginning to flatten.

"And how will we know they’re not building an army where we can’t see them...!?" challenged the Brakmarian King, raising his voice.

"..."

"King of Brakmar. It has already been determined that the Eliatrope have as much a claim to this world as any of us here. The Zaap Portals we use to travel great distances are a remnant of their civilization. If they cannot inhabit the lands of existing nations and territories for fear of granting said nations the benefit of having them as citizens or neighbors, where should they settle...?" asked the Eniripsa Queen, golden eyes narrowed.

"It’s simple..." said the Brakmarian King, looking smug as he smiled and proffered, "Their people should be split between the nations, where they can earn their right to exist alongside us through sharing their knowledge and technology."

"My people will not be forced to work for the interests of people who don’t even believe we have a right to be here...!" Yugo interjected, his eyes glowing bluish-green as bands of Wakfu arced within his irises like electricity.

"No one has a right to be here, King of the Eliatrope," the Brakmarian King countered, his tone venomous as he proclaimed, "Those here earned that privilege through the efforts of our forebears. Did we benefit from the use of your Zaap Portals—assuming your people actually built them? Sure. But our forefathers and mothers spent centuries enduring beasts, nature, and Ogrest’s Chaos to establish a place for children and their children to grow and prosper. And now that your people have returned after—what was it? Ten thousand years? And you have the audacity to expect that we will just make space for you...?"

fwmm

Reacting to Vahn’s growing annoyance, the space within the grotto began to tremble and produce a faint hum as he asked, "King of Brakmar...you contend that the Eliatrope people need to provide value before they can inhabit this world with you. But what value have your people provided this world to justify your occupation of it...?"

"What value have we provided the world? What nonsense are you talking about...?" the Brakmarian King scoffed.

Shaking his head, Vahn cast his gaze over all those present as he stated, "All beings have a right to life and the pursuit of happiness, so long as that pursuit does not purposefully infringe upon or devalue the quality of life of others. The King of Brakmar is correct in that your people have earned the right to inhabit this world. Where his argument falls apart relates to how you came to inhabit this world in the first place..."

"The Gods..." muttered a short, turquoise-cloaked man with a long white nose and eyes obscured in shadow. The King of Bonta was too ill to leave his palace, so the pint-sized man, Master Joris, was there as the former’s representative.

"That is correct..." Vahn affirmed, nodding. Then, sparing the delegation the need to ask for clarification, he explained, "Your people were seeded on this world for the purpose of providing nourishment to the Gods. And they do not care if your actions invariably lead to its destruction, as they are not dependent on the loyalty of a single world’s population to sustain themselves."

Setting his gaze on the King of Brakmar, Vahn’s expression flattened as he declared, "Your presence in this world is a burden forced upon it by forces beyond its ontological scope. You lay claim to and deplete its resources to survive and spread your spheres of influence. And through your faith, you exhaust the world of the Wakfu that makes life possible, converting it into nutrition for your Gods..."

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"..."

"Wait...the Gods are the bad guys...?" questioned the Iop King, leaning toward the Pandawan Queen. He raised his hand to shield his mouth like he was trying to be discreet. But instead of whispering, he spoke in his normal, excessively loud tone.

"Nonsense! Who would believe such an absurd claim...!?" exclaimed the Brakmarian King, the pitch of his voice rising to a shriek.

Making a closing gesture with the fingers of his left hand, Vahn inhibited the Brakmarian King and Prince’s ability to scream as he repeated, "As I said before, all beings have the right to life and the pursuit of happiness. Your forebears cannot be held to account for the self-serving actions of those who placed them here. And this world having an end applies to all worlds, the Krosmoz, and even the Gods themselves. Do not lament what is to come. Make the most of what is. And at this moment, that is a reality where the Eliatrope have returned to share your burdens—not to impose a historic claim that predates your entire civilization."

"..."

"..."

"..."

As Vahn’s words settled over the delegation, excluding the silently raging King of Brakmar, the first to speak was Yugo, stating, "Before I was made aware of my origins, I lived among the inhabitants of this world as the son of a village innkeeper. I only left because my village was attacked, first by Polters and then by the Xelor called Nox, who had attacked the Great Oak Tree. During our pursuit of Nox, I have come to love this world even more. There are so many different people. And what you have built never ceases to amaze me..."

Adopting a broad, self-deprecating smile, Yugo conceded, "I understand that you have suspicions. And while I can’t promise there won’t be those among my people who bring harm to others, I will do my best as King to hold them to account and build a favorable relationship with every nation willing to accept our friendship."

Acknowledging Yugo’s sincerity, the Class Kings and Queens exchanged looks before the Eniripsa Queen proposed the simple solution of putting the matter to a vote. The King of Brakmar, unsurprisingly, was vehemently opposed to the idea of the Eliatrope people settling autonomously, but his vote was the sole opposition. Even the Enutrof King voted in favor of the motion—albeit on the condition that external merchants would be allowed to purchase land and set up shops once the Eliatrope Kingdom began to take shape. With that, Yugo’s people were effectively granted sovereignty over the far side of the moon...

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[February 11th DxD/October 4th DBT]

pap

pappap

After hosting and attending a grand banquet celebrating her birthday, as had become tradition, Vahn watched with a relaxed smolder as Sui Feng danced nakedly over him. She had him lying on his back on the floor, and as her hips swayed and rolled seductively, her fluids leaked onto his face and chest. And that was just the version above him...

shlp...shlllp...schmp...

Thanks to the Doppel Doppel Fruit she had consumed, turning her into a Doppelganger Human, Sui Feng had gained the ability to separate herself into two identical copies. This made her Zanpakuto even more dangerous, but that wasn’t the reason Vahn had gifted it to her. The main reason was to let her spend time with both him and Yoruichi. But at present, Sui Feng was using it to dance above him while her Doppelganger sat between his legs, hunched over his waist and giving him an assertive, unrelenting, and very loud deepthroat...

’It would be so easy to stop caring and just live like this every day...’ Vahn mused to himself, stroking Sui Feng’s head with his left hand, causing her cat-like ears to twitch. He was far too meddlesome to actually turn a blind eye to what happened outside his palace. But whenever he saw otherwise cold and heartless women serving him as diligently as Sui Feng was, Vahn experienced an overwhelming desire to indulge and pamper them...

Feeling Vahn’s cock twitch tellingly within her throat, the Sui Feng giving him a deepthroat did her best to swallow the entire thing while her other self sat down, entrusting her weight to his face. Vahn readily dug in. And as the two women shared a sensorily linked climax, a second version of himself appeared behind the Sui Feng doing her best to swallow his seed, spurring her to raise her butt of her own accord...

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[February 15th DxD/October 8th DBT]

"Ah, Armant...bad news...?" Vahn asked, relaxing behind his desk as the paperwork atop it appeared to complete itself.

"Regrettably, I am here to inform Your Majesty that Prince Adale and the nation of Sufokia have not responded favorably to our request to have the former appear before the Council of Twelve..." Armant revealed, exhaling from his nose. This was the third time he was informing Vahn of Sufokia’s refusal to answer their summons. But despite intensifying pressure from other nations to explain their involvement in what was now known as the Crimson Claw Incident, Sufokia appeared determined to feign ignorance until the end.

"Have you considered an appropriate remedy...?" Vahn asked, knowing well how he, personally, would handle things. He had secretly scouted Sufokia’s underwater capital, confirming Prince Adale’s location and that his parents knew full well what he’d done. The only reason he didn’t just teleport Prince Adale before the Council was that it would establish that he put his methods over established diplomatic procedure...

"My recommendation is that we push forward with proceedings and have the pertinent witnesses provide their testimony. From there, the most apt response—bar direct military intervention—would be to increase tariffs on all Sufokian goods..." Armant proffered confidently.

"Mmn..."

Though Armant’s recommendation was politically correct, Vahn knew it wouldn’t work. It might if every nation refused to trade with Sufokia, but independent merchant groups and nations like Brakmar would readily take advantage of the situation to turn a profit. And since Sufokia’s technology was leagues ahead of any other nation, forcing them into a position where they had no choice but to join hands with the greedy, corrupt, and morally bankrupt could result in the formation of an axial power that destabilized the entire world...

’At the end of the day, the real existential threat is Nox...’ Vahn reminded himself, prompting Sis to confirm (Indeed. If he manages to awaken the full power of the Eliacube or release the Eliatrope known as Qilby, this will no longer be an issue between competing nations. The world itself would be in imminent danger...)

"We will proceed with your recommendation, but you should be aware of the second- and third-order consequences..." Vahn decided, followed by an extensive explanation of how the situation could evolve if Sufokia and Brakmar joined hands. By that point, Armant had learned to consider his counsel very seriously. So, while making preparations elsewhere for how to deal with Nox, Vahn did his best to help the future King understand the inevitability of greed- and opportunism-driven conflict from the viewpoint of karmic balance...

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"Yes...yes...I’m so very close now. I can feel it..." muttered Nox, standing over the Eliacube as it spun rapidly and emitted sparks of Wakfu-infused electricity through his hidden laboratory. Floating above it was a pulsating egg that shone with the purple-pink glow of Stasis. And as the light from within intensified, the vague outline of a fetal Dragon could be seen at its core...

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