Chapter 274: Resentment
Arriving at the conference room where Dragon and his cohort awaited his arrival, Vahn entered behind Venelana, followed closely by Grayfia. There, his gaze was immediately drawn to the towering, nearly seven-meter-tall Kuma and a notably buxom woman wearing scant, predominately red and pink attire with short purple hair in a bob cut, an open-front blouse with a red tie nestled between her breasts, a frilly skirt that was shorter than the length of a person's hand at the front and long in the back, and thigh-high lace stockings that flowed into long red boots.
'That's quite the outfit...' thought Vahn, briefly meeting the woman's pale green eyes through her red, purple-rimmed half-moon sunglass before he shifted his gaze to the guest of honor, a 256cm-tall man with a long mane of spiky black hair, a pronounced widow's peak, a crisscrossing red tattoo on the left side of his rugged, especially serious face. Notably, in place of the dark green cloak Vahn was expecting, he was adorned in a dark blue, nearly black suit and red tie, giving the impression he had dressed for the occasion.
"Dragon God Vahn Mason...on behalf of the Revolutionary Army, I thank you for allowing us to meet today and tour your palace. The capacities of the Dragon's Pavilion are as vast as they are wonderous..." stated Dragon, his voice serious, borderline solemn, as he offered a slow nod in place of a bow.
"Mmn...you don't seem particularly happy about it..." noted Vahn, sensing a deep, suppressed enmity from Dragon. It wasn't directed at him or the Dragon's Pavilion, per se, but more of a general scorn for those who lived in excess while others lived in squalor.
"The Dragon God is discerning..." noted Dragon, offering a cut nod before affirming, "But, rest assured. I harbor no resentment towards the Pavilion and am grateful beyond words for your assistance in the matter involving Kuma."
"Truly...if not for Dragon God-sama, I might have never been able to see my daughter again..." expressed Kuma, closing his eyes and bowing as far as his immense, disproportionate frame permitted.
"You've thanked me plenty, Batholomew-san. Please, raise your head," stated Vahn, offering a faint smile before shifting his gaze to the purple-haired woman, who he knew to be called Belo Betty, the Commander of the East Army. She had been sizing him up with her arms crossed and a lit cigarette, so he couldn't help saying, "Pardon me..." before pinching at the air with his right index finger and thumb, extinguishing the cigarette as he appended, "But it's not very considerate to be smoking in the presence of pregnant women..." in a warning tone.
"Jeez...you could have just asked me to put it out..." grumbled Betty, her standoffishness and tongue click earning her a warning look from Dragon. He would have preferred to bring his Chief of Staff, Sabo, for the meeting, but since the latter was on an important mission and they couldn't exactly ask Vahn to adjust his schedule around theirs, Betty was brought along at her insistence.
"Let's be seated," suggested Vahn, using his Domain to pull out Grayfia's and Venelana's chairs before they sat simultaneously. Once the trio from the Revolutionary Army had done the same, he added, "By now, you have been apprised of our offer. We will provide training, resources, and time to up to one hundred of your members. After they return, we will work with the Revolutionary Army, supplying logistical support and intel to ensure your revolution's success. In its wake, once you've overthrown the World Government and successfully implemented your own, your world will join our transdimensional network as a core reality."