Chapter 1985: Forward

With nothing of interest happening on the 98th and 99th Floors, sans news regarding Ureko's rampage on the 97th, Vahn finally reached one of the most famous Floors in the entire Tower, the 100th. Here was where, prior to the Age of Genesis, Jahad and the Great Warriors overcame their most difficult trial, and, as a result, were granted immortality for their efforts. It could be argued that, with the exception of Revolution Road, this was one of the most symbolic places in the entire Tower, as, from the moment he became immortal, nothing could stand in the way of Jahad and his rise to prominence.

Looking around, Vahn was unsurprised to find a vast cityscape that seemed to extend outward far beyond the horizon. The 100th Floor also served as the boundary separating the Lower, Middle, and Higher Floors. It was also the seat of power for the Arie Family, and, most importantly, the first Floor wholly dedicated to the Empire. Thus, compared to the Floors preceding it, the population was vast, and, more importantly, powerful. It was almost like stepping into another world, and, based on what he could sense, the density of Shinsu was several times higher than even the 99th Floor.

Vocalizing the thoughts of nearly everyone present, Mikoto stared wide-eyed at the inordinately tall and ivory white buildings that dominated their surroundings, whispering, "It's beautiful..." in a voice filled with awe. In response to this, Vahn nodded his head, memories of Ostia briefly surfacing in his mind as he said, "It's no wonder people at the bottom believe 'anything' can be found at the top of the Tower. This place is heaven compared to some of the Floors below..."

With countless automatons flying around to clean buildings, picking up trash, and run errands, the setting of the 100th Floor gave newcomers the impression they had stepped hundreds of years into the future. Even the various types of flora were all neatly trimmed, and, high in the sky, a seemingly endless stream of silvery-white Suspend Ships, reminiscent of a school of fish, could be seen flying in neat lanes as they transported their passengers to their destination.

Shifting his attention from the sky, Vahn looked at the relatively small crowd gathered around. The 100th Floor, and beyond, was nothing like the preceding Floors, so, while there were still a number of people seeking treatment, everything was far more organized. He also noticed that, while there were still members of the 2nd Army Corps present, public order was actually being kept by a group of people with varying shades of white hair and neat outfits, clearly members of the Arie Family.

As this thought crossed his mind, Vahn shifted his gaze towards the horizon, smiling as he mused, "Long time no see." in a carefree tone. In response, the woman standing in the distance promptly snorted, and, though there were more than ten kilometers separating them, Vahn could understand her when she stated, "My father wishes to meet with you. When you are finished with your business, head towards the Palace of Swords..."

Having conveyed her message, the woman, none other than Arie Hagipherione Jahad, immediately vanished. This gave Vahn the urge to chuckle, but, having noticed the ashen-haired swordswoman's presence, Yuri interrupted, asking, "Was that the grey-haired hag?" before immediately following it with stating, "Collecting her won't be easy. Though it's mostly just speculation, she is pretty famous for her father complex. I don't think she would appreciate it if you beat her daddy."

Sending a glance towards Yuri, Vahn immediately noticed the woman's mischievous grin, rolling his eyes as he flatly replied, "I don't regard women as collector's items..."

Mirroring Vahn's actions, Yuri made a show of rolling her own eyes, arms crossed as she mused, "If you say so~" in a sing-song tone. Then, without waiting for his reply, she pulled Lotte's arm, adding, "We're gonna go shopping. The 100th Floor has some pretty interesting stores. Call me if anything interesting happens. Okay?"

Though he shooed her away with a casual gesture, Vahn also nodded his head in response to Yuri's words, saying, "Yeah, yeah, I know. Stay out of trouble." while stepping towards the group of white-haired people who were clearly waiting to receive them.

Shifting his attention from the departing duo to the approaching trio, the leader of the group, an inordinately handsome man dressed in predominately white clothing reminiscent of attire found in the far east, offered a courteous bow as he said, "We welcome the Sage Dragon Emperor to the City of White Lilies. My name is Arie Hien, son of Arie Hon and leader of the Civil Defense Corps. It is an honor to receive you."

Passing his gaze over the youthful-looking man with short white hair and pale golden eyes, a smile spread across Vahn's face as he explained, "No matter how hard you strain your senses, you will not be able to detect my sword intent. Yours is certainly remarkable, but, compared to my own, it is the difference between a small bonfire and a star on the verge of a supernova."

Though he didn't consider himself a braggart, Vahn rarely shied away from the opportunity to talk down to people who thought too highly of themselves. Hien might be able to hide it from others, but, even without the Law of Identity, Vahn could sense the threads of disdain and self-confidence mixed within the man's sword intent. His apathetic expression also did little to conceal the glimmer of pride contained within his eyes, each radiating a subtle light that greatly emphasized his slit-like pupils.

Demonstrating just how confident he was in his abilities, Hien's response was to offer another bow, a nascent smile developing across his inordinately handsome face as she answered, "If fate allows, I would relish the opportunity to exchange pointers with His Imperial Majesty. Before that, however, I have other duties to attend. First and foremost, we would be honored if you would allow us to host you and your companions for the duration of your stay. We have prepared one of our most famous private residences, the Snow Apple Pavilion, to accommodate you."

Without needing to consider his response, Vahn shook his head, saying, "Now that I've reached the 100th Floor, it's time for a change in pace. I mentioned, long ago, that I wouldn't be turning a blind eye to the tragedies wrought by the Great Families. To that end, I intend to investigate the Palace of Swords, and, if necessary, I will be passing judgment on your father, your elders, and everyone else who can be held accountable for your family's crimes. Now, unless you're eager to receive your own punishment, I would advise you to run along. I'm not here to play games."

Squinting his eyes, Hien motioned to rest his hand on the hilt of his katana-like sword, but, before the muscles in his arms could respond to the input from his brain, Vahn's index finger had already come to rest on his forehead. This caused Hien's eyes to instantaneously widen, not because Vahn had closed the distance between them in an instant, but because he felt an indescribably powerful sword intent radiating from the tip of his finger.

Shaking his head, Vahn retracted his finger from the youthful-looking man's head, saying, "You're still green..." before walking past him with Fenrir and Mikoto following close behind. This caused the other members of the Arie Family to tense up, but, the moment they got into their stances, it was as if time around them had come to a stop. The only thing distinguishing them from a group of statues were the beads of sweat appearing across their body, and, if you looked closely, the thin red lines covering their faces, necks, and wrists...

---

Unaware of the incident that had occurred immediately following her departure, Yuri dragged Lotte to a relatively famous clothing store before explaining, "We need to get you some new threads. The options in the [REquip] system aren't bad, but they lack the oomph needed to really capture Vahn's attention."

Though she understood what Yuri was trying to say, Lotte immediately averted her eyes to the side, a ruddy glow spreading through her cheeks as she meekly replied, "I don't think that's appropriate. Vahn-sama has already done so much for me and my family. I have no right to demand even more from him..."

Balling her hand into a fist, Yuri flashed behind Lotte, punching the latter in the back of her head with enough force to produce a small burst of steam. This alerted the store owner, but, recognizing the identity of the two women, he ultimately gestured for his security to stand down before pulling out a handkerchief and wiping a bit of nervous sweat from his brow.

Shaking her wrist, Yuri adopted an uncharacteristically grave expression as she said, "How is your Intelligence supposed to be higher than mine? I swear, the only thing in that skull of yours is a lump of metal..."

Suppressing her almost instinctual urge to smile, Lotte rubbed the knot on the back of her head, an awkward expression on her face as she asked, "What are you talking about? What does that have to do with anything...?"

Exhaling an exasperated sigh, Yuri began to pull random outfits from the neatly arranged clothing racks, tossing them to Lotte as she explained, "He might be one of the smartest people you'll ever meet, but, when it comes down to it, Vahn is both a man and an idiot. Do you really think he would let you share a bath and a bed with him if he didn't have some form of affection for you? If I had to guess, the only reason he hasn't made a move on you is because of your uncertainty. All you really need to do is show him how serious you are and there is no way he'll refuse. Now, try those on. I'm not really sure how they would look on someone of your 'stature', but, considering you walk around in nothing but a halter-top and a thong, anything you wear is bound to catch his attention."

Furrowing her brows in response to Yuri's words, Lotte remarked, "Everything you've picked thus far is either a dress or something that covers up a lot of skin...isn't that a little counter-intuitive? I'm not a child, Yuri. I know men like it more when women wear more revealing clothing."

Rather than refuting Lotte's words, Yuri responded with an affirmative nod. Immediately after that, however, she went on to explain, "For most women, that is, indeed, the case. The problem, at least in your case, is that you are always wearing skimpy clothing. Once you get to know him a bit better, you'll realize that Vahn actually has something of a fashion fetish. I mean, the guy has literally hand-crafted panties, stockings, and other garments. If you really want to appeal to him, you'll need to do more than just expose your body. Here, try this on. It might just be a sweater, but the exposed back and high-cut hem would allow you to walk around without panties on. Combine that with stockings and you'll have created an outfit that would turn most men, even dragons, into wolves."

Though she wasn't particularly known for her imagination, seeing Yuri hold the sweater up to her body allowed Lotte to envision what she might look like wearing something similar. Truth be told, she had actually been feeling a little self-conscious as of late, so, while she didn't want to endanger her relationship with Vahn by putting pressure on him after his refusal, she couldn't help but believe Yuri's words. More importantly, she had something similar from Mash in the past, so, remembering all the times Vahn had treated her tenderly, she ultimately accepted the sweater, forcing a smile as she muttered, "We'll need to find a bigger size..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The disparity between the elite and the mundane...','Hien be like, "I can slice a mountain in two with a single cut...!". Vahn be like, "I can slice through a trichiliocosm without even needing to draw..."','Preparing for a climactic battle (O w O)...')

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