Machinations

After waiting for around three days, standard axis, Vahn decided it was time to leave the Heavenly Domain. He had half-expected Meng Zhang to seek him out to confirm their relationship, but, after conferring with Loi-chan, Vahn discovered that the opposite was true. Meng Zhang, as if he were an elder expecting his descendant to come and pay respect, was waiting for him.

Since Meng Zhang hadn't even bothered to send a courier, Vahn decided he wasn't going to play the prideful dragon's game. Instead, he wrapped up a few small matters with Erlang Shen, Nuuba, and Xiao Yue before informing Wu of his departure. They had been cohabitating the Celestial Star Gazing Pavilion for the past two and a half months, divergent axis, so he was fully expecting her to make a scene.

"Huh? You're leaving...?"

Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn explained, "I have a Community to manage and a number of preparations to complete before our promotional Gift Game. Hanging out with you has been pretty fun but there are more important matters for me to attend."

Demonstrating none of the pep and vigor she was known for, Wu was clearly searching her head for a solution when she suddenly placed her hand over her belly and stated, "I'm pregnant..." in an uncharacteristically meek tone.

As it was quite literally impossible for him not to know, Vahn adopted a deadpan expression on his face as he said, "No, you're not..."

Clicking her tongue, Wu grumbled, "Asshole..." before entering another ruminative silence. She had become rather fond of lazing about and having Vahn take care of her so the prospect of his sudden departure was...inconvenient, to say the least...

"This is too sudden. You should have told me at least a month ago if you were going to leave. You can't alter my tastebuds to your cooking and change my insides to the shape of your cock and just leave. At least give me time to wean..."

Having already anticipated such an argument, Vahn produced a jade ring from his Inventory. There was more than a decade's worth of food on the inside, so, even if Wu stuffed herself to the brim, it should still last her a month or two.

While other girls might have been excited by the prospect of receiving a ring, Wu snorted through her nose before swatting it at a reality-altering speed. The ring's durability allowed it to withstand the blow, but, as a result, it ended up penetrating through the foundation of the Jade Palace like a laser before descending into the Mortal Domain like a meteor...

"..."

Seeing the unamused deadpan on Vahn's face, Wu adopted a somewhat defiant look as she asked, "What? Do I look like the kind of woman who wears trinkets and accessories? I might consider it if you begged me to marry you. Other than that, there's no way in hell you can pacify me with just a ring..."

Conveniently ignoring the fact she was wearing no less than seven accessories, two of which were rings, Wu crossed her arms in preparation for what Vahn would say or do next.

Rolling his eyes, Vahn undermined Wu's defiant posture by extending his hands to frame the sides of her face. Her rounded, monkey-like ears grew on the sides of her head rather than the top, so, as his thumbs rested on her slightly flushed cheeks, the tips of his fingers dug into the fringe located behind her ears. This quickly shattered the illusion of her defiance, as, even if she wanted to resist, Wu was powerless in the face of his Godhand...

"Listen closely, Wu..."

Opening her half-lidded eyes, an embarrassed and somewhat melancholic expression developed across Wu's face as she looked up to meet Vahn's gaze. When she saw him smiling down at her, a faint yet audible throbbing could be heard as he said, "You don't need to make excuses if you want to spend more time together. If you want me to stay just say it. I'm a God of Time. While there are a number of pressing matters that require my attention, I also have all the time in the world..."

Though she had gradually gotten used to Vahn's almost overbearing sincerity, Wu couldn't prevent the palpitation of her heart whenever he held her gently or stared into her eyes. It was like he could see through to the most vulnerable parts of her existence, but, rather than condemning her for her weakness, there was nothing but empathy and compassion in his unfathomably deep, aquamarine eyes...

Feeling as though she might get lost in said eyes, Wu promptly averted her own as she muttered, "I don't know what you're talking about..."

Restraining a light chuckle, Vahn tilted his head slightly to draw Wu's gaze as he whispered, "That's a shame...I was looking forward to preparing a banquet and binge-watching some anime. I suppose that'll have to wait till my next visit..."

Releasing his hold on Wu's head, Vahn motioned to leave only to feign surprise when Wu promptly pounced on his back, her arms, legs, and tail wrapping around him like indestructible chains as she bit the tip of his ear in frustration. She really wanted to ask him to stay but it was almost impossible for her to vocalize such sentiments. This was something she had hinted at multiple times, so, unless he was unbelievably dense, Wu knew Vahn was just teasing her.

Proving her suspicions, Wu was slightly creeped out when Vahn's body suddenly 'inverted' on itself so that she was suddenly straddling his front. Then, as per usual, his hands gravitated towards her butt as he leaned down to whisper, "You're adorable..." before planting a kiss on her lips. This gave Wu an almost overwhelming urge to bite his lips, but, the moment Vahn's fingers began to knead her bottom, such notions were quickly banished to the back of her mind...

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"With the support of the Jade Palace, the only thing we're really lacking is the requisite number of subordinate Communities. How are things going in the West and North?"

Though there was a teleportation nexus in the basement of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, Vahn had gathered each of his Subordinate Community Leaders via projection magic. They were all seated around an oval-shaped table, as, despite regarding his lovers as his equals, the guidelines of the Central Network required that conference rooms be structured in such a way that the hierarchy between attending Communities was apparent.

As the de facto head of operations in the West, it was Da Vinci who replied, "We experienced a few minor issues at the start but things have been going smoothly ever since our Alliance with the Sage Dragon Riders was made public."

Piggybacking off of Da Vinci's words, Mordred rubbed the underside of her nose with a massive grin on her face as she said, "Those bastards thought they could pressure us with their tech but their mechs might as well be toys in front of an Imperial Dragon. My Community is undefeated in seventeen Gift Games thus far. If it wasn't for those paper-pushing scumbags and those wannabe heroes mucking things up with their deceptions and schemes, we would have already secured our status as a 5-Digit Community."

As Communities in the West were effectively nations, the requirements for occupying a lower-digit Gate were different than the other three regions. More specifically, there were infrastructure and population requirements that could only be circumvented if you were part of an existing Nation or Alliance. It was possible to start a business and climb through the ranks of an existing Community, but, more often than not, this involved cutting deals and compromising on your principles just to become a cog in a broken machine.

Da Vinci was basically starting her own country, so, from the moment her intentions were made clear, the existing factions had been doing everything in their power to slander and put pressure on her. They have even tried labeling her a Supervillain imposing sanctions on the goods her company was producing, but, unlike the majority of Communities in the West, Da Vinci didn't have to concern herself with profits or purchasing supplies. If it weren't for the deadline Vahn had given them at the start, she wouldn't even require the assistance of the Sage Dragon Riders.

"That's good to hear. The West Side has more than 40% of the Little Garden's population. It is also the region that will require the most oversight once the Aldrnari Empire has been established so the work you're doing now will serve as the foundation for our future endeavors."

Smiling faintly in response to Vahn's words, Da Vinci playfully teased, "Oh my...it seems I'll need to work a little harder...". As for Mordred, she simply adopted a toothy and somewhat fierce smile, as, ever since she had become the Leader of a Community, her Divinity related to War was seeing a lot of use...

After chuckling in response to Da Vinci's playful retort, Vahn briefly directed an affectionate smile toward Mordred before turning to meet the gaze of Semiramis. The North was the most peaceful region after the East so her Community, the Hanging Gardens, was alone in its task of gathering information in preparation for his future takeover.

Though it was lacking the undertones of love and affection she exhibited towards Vahn and her daughters, Semiramis managed a smile in spite of the general disdain she had for nearly every other woman in the room. It had only been thirteen years since the time of her summoning, so, while she had made an effort to befriend people like Eva, Iris, and Medusa, Semiramis tended to avoid interacting with people outside her very small social circle.

"If things go well, Ebony and Raven should be infiltrating the Salamandra Community as attendants of their future Leader, Sandora Doldrake. Their ages are less than two years apart so they have had little trouble befriending the troubled heiress."

Having 'suffered' at the hands of his mischievous daughters quite a bit, Vahn couldn't help smiling wryly in response to Semiramis's words. At the same time, he was happy they were making friends, as, due to their peculiarities, they typically only associated with each other. It was simply 'easier' that way, as, much like Maemi and Emiru, the two shared a remarkable bond that allowed them to know each other's thoughts without direct communication.

"Just make sure they don't go poisoning the poor lass. There's a decent chance that Sandora might become my adoptive daughter in the future so don't allow them to bully her..."

Though the look in her eyes was reminiscent of a snake that had just stumbled upon a rat, the smile on Semiramis's face appeared more amused than malicious as she sensually replied, "Worry not, my beloved Emperor. Though I cannot predict what the future may hold, there is currently only a single person our daughters are interested in poisoning..."

Understanding exactly who Semiramis' was referring to, a dry laugh emanated from Vahn's throat. Fortunately, while Semiramis was a literal disaster in the kitchen, Ebony and Raven had learned the art of cooking from Bennienma. Thus, while everything they prepared was poisoned, Vahn enjoyed their meals nearly as much as he enjoyed Rindo's...

Adopting a reminiscent smile, Vahn nodded in approval before answering, "I see. I'll be sure to stop by more often to make sure that remains the case for the foreseeable future. Do you mind if I bring Stheno and Euryale along? It's been a while since they had a playdate with Ebony and Raven."

As Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale were among the people she allowed free passage in the Hanging Gardens, Semiramis didn't hesitate to nod in affirmation. The trio of Gorgons had some of the most powerful venoms she had ever analyzed, so, even if Vahn hadn't given the excuse of a playdate, she would have happily accepted them into her home...

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn really enjoys teasing strong-willed women xD...','Da Vinci was already Last Boss material. Now she has Boss level adds!?','Only in the Aldrnari Clan...')

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