Chapter 2278: Compounding Troubles

With Frey leading the way, Vahn and Shiroyasha found themselves in a waiting room reserved for foreign dignitaries and important guests. The interior was decorated like an extraordinarily high-class parlor, complete with a fully stocked bar, a performance-style cooking range, and a small stage where three remarkably beautiful and scantily clad dancers were waiting to perform a traditional sword dance.

The Salamandra Community had gone to great lengths to ensure Vahn and Shiroyasha were thoroughly entertained and occupied before their scheduled appearance. Shiroyasha's perverse nature was well-known to the majority of the Little Garden's residents, and rumors of Vahn's harem and preferences had been circulating ever since the celebration following his ascension as the Sage Dragon Emperor.

In the opinion of a growing number of people, winning Vahn's favor and becoming an affiliate of the Aldrnari Empire were the fastest methods to achieve virtually any goal. The number of personal messages and hand-written letters he received daily had long exceeded one million. It was for this reason that Sandora employed Shiroyasha to act as an intermediary. Without one, it was nearly impossible to get a private message through to Vahn.

Unfortunately for the team of hopeful Maids, skilled Chefs, and tastefully exotic dancers, the first thing Vahn did after looking around the room was ask them to withdraw. Since Shiroyasha didn't contradict him, the sixteen individuals within, many having used all their connections just to get into the same room as Vahn, began to file out. The only exceptions were two of the dancers, twins whose only visible differences were their skin and eye colors.

Waiting until everyone else had departed, Vahn spread his domain to seal off the room before turning towards Shiroyasha and asking, "Why did you ask these two to stay...?"

Though he could have ascertained the answer for himself, Vahn wanted to hear what Shiroyasha had to say. In response, she stuck her tongue out at him before clasping her hands together and suggesting, "For now, why don't we all make ourselves comfortable?"

Despite squinting his eyes, Vahn didn't oppose Shiroyasha's suggestion. Instead, he cast his gaze over the equally fretful and excited twins. Each had short, white-blonde hair, slender waists ideal for belly dancing, and fairly ample breasts. What distinguished them from one another was that one was dark-skinned and had a black horn protruding from the center of her head, while the other perfectly contrasted her sister with fair skin and a white horn. The tone of their eyes was subtly different, but both sisters had amber-grey irises and large pupils that were nearly the same color.

"What are your names?"

Instead of answering Vahn's question, the two girls exchanged nervous glances with one another until Shiroyasha explained, "They can't speak. Those collar-like markings around their neck have the function of limiting the development of a person's vocal cords. They were originally intended to be assassins but were recruited into the Salamandra Community when they were eight years old. It's probably better you didn't know what came after. Just know that, compared to what they would have been forced to endure, it was relatively tame."

Not expecting Shiroyasha to spontaneously reveal their pasts, the two sisters hung their heads in shame. They were instructed never to show their emotions, but certain situations made it a lot harder than usual. If Vahn viewed them as dirty or soiled goods, they would probably break down and cry.

"Raise your heads..."

Compelled by the resonating tone of Vahn's voice, both girls promptly raised their heads to the point their chins were jutting outwards. For a brief moment, terror unlike anything they had experienced since their childhood washed over them as Vahn suddenly extended his large yet remarkably soft hands to grasp their necks.

"Speak..."

With Vahn's voice carrying the same compulsion as before, both sisters simultaneously replied, "We can't..." in a frightened yet considerably more surprised tone.

Nodding his head in approval, Vahn retracted his hands from the sister's necks, declaring, "From this moment onward, the two of you are free. So long as I draw breath, there isn't a force in all of Creation that can change that..."

Since they weren't used to speaking or straining their vocal cords, the two sisters fell to the floor and began crying in painful silence. It wasn't until Vahn said, "Let is out..." in his captivatingly reverberating voice that their own came forward, anguished wails escaping their throats, accompanied by a deluge of tears...

...

..

.

Though he wasn't even remotely surprised by the development, Vahn couldn't help smiling wryly when the two sisters invariably prostrated themselves before him, pleading, "Please allow us to serve you!" in soft yet resolute tones.

Ignoring the prompt from his Unit Management, Vahn said, "The Aldrnari Empire is fundamentally different from other nations and organizations. I have quite a few, but no need for servants, slaves, or private entertainers. If you are concerned about what to do with your newfound freedom, then the answer is simple. I'm sure the two of you have always harbored hopes and dreams of some kind. Now is your