novelVolume 8
| ← Ch.077 | Ch.079 → |
Overlord Volume 8 Side 2 (2/2)
Retranslated by Nigel
Edited/Proofread by Deus Ex Machina
Part 3
10:30 Nazarick Time
"You're making too much noise. Quiet down."
Ainz motioned with his left hand, and held that pose.
He took a step back and returned to his original position.
"You're making too much noise. Quiet down."
Once again, he motioned with his left hand and froze mid-pose. He checked the reflection of himself in the mirror and slightly adjusted the position of his left hand.
"... Good?... Is this the spot? No... Would it be cooler if I extended my hand a bit more to the left?"
He returned to his initial position.
"You're making too much noise. Quiet down."
Finally satisfied with the pose, Ainz grabbed the memo pad on the table beside him.
"Since I've finished the pose... I should practice the lines while I have extra time."
He circled the phrase he was practicing earlier with a pen, and then turned a page.
The majority of the sentences written on there were variations on the phrase "I shall consider it." The phrases that were too dull or too over-the-top and thus too lame were all crossed out.
For Ainz, who used to be an average person, acting like a leader was difficult. Thus, he repeatedly practiced playing that role just in case a situation called for it. Of course, the entire memo pad was filled with phrases Ainz came up with.
Even though an hour had passed since Ainz started practicing, he did not require any rest.
Ainz was the supreme overlord, but in reality, he barely did anything. Unless there were important decisions or emergency situation that required his leadership, there was nothing to do. Albedo took care of all the details and all Ainz had to do was skim through the reports.
Since there was never anything in the reports that required his attention, he really just skimmed through them all. It was a little dangerous for a ruler, but as long as Albedo was around, and there was no emergency, there would be no problem.
All proper organizations should be like this anyways. It's not good for someone who stands above others to work on the frontlines.
It was a foolish move for the supreme commander of an army to participate in the fighting on the frontlines unless he was there to raise morale. If he did, it would be very dangerous.
I should give up this adventurer business and gather knowledge to deal with emergency situations— I know I have to train my mind as well, but what should I do? Who's going to teach me... ? How can I not ruin the image of Ainz Ooal Gown that everybody believes in...
Everyone inside Nazarick respected Ainz as an absolute ruler and knelt before him. That was right. Ainz received respect from his subordinates which his had former comrades created, who were, in some ways, their children. Just like how a father could not the respect his children placed in him, he could not betray them as well. That was why he practiced acting, in the hope that he could at least appear to play the part.
Of ciue0rse, Ainz was fully aware that it was embarrassing.
Otherwise, why would he lock the door and forbid the maids and the Eight Edge Assassins that guarded him from entering? Sometimes, he would even plant his face in the pillow and scream "Arrrgghhh—!" when he could not stand it anymore.
"Something fitting the supreme overlord of Nazarick... A form that one can respect..."
Ainz felt like he would cough up blood as he flipped through the pages. There were still many more lines which he had come up with in his spare time, and the finish line seemed nowhere in sight.
Ainz Ooal Gown was undead and emotions over a certain threshold were suppressed. But—
"I need a break..."
The remnant of Suzuki Satoru was weary from mental fatigue, and he wailed."I'm sick of this, " he cried.
However ─ Ainz silenced that cry with a grinding of his teeth,
"What am I doing? I need to work harder."
After rebuking himself for trying to run away, AInz's eyes filled with strength, and he looked himself in the mirror again.
Suddenly, a digital "pipipipipi" noise rang out.
The sound coming from the bracelet on his left arm was like music to Ainz's ears. He turned off the sudden beeping and sighed deeply.
"If time's up, then it can't be helped. Yes, time's up."
Ainz returned the memo pad to a box. When he closed the lid, he could hear the sound of several locks engaging. If someone tried to forcefully open the box, it would trigger an extensive array of attack spells, all of which would be centered on the box to destroy it. The defenses on the box were formidable enough that nobody but a level 90 rogue-type character or a level 80 specialized rogue character could breach them.
After securely locking the item, he returned it to his pocket dimension. There were many other rare items in there as well. Still, a high level thief could steal items from a place like that as well. That said, a thief could not just immobilize his opponents and rob them blind. They were limited to one or two items at the most. Still, the prospect of being robbed just once or twice made Ainz —who should have known no fear as one of the undead— shudder in terror.
In addition, unknown powers such as Talents existed as well.. That was why he placed the box among other rare items, so thieves would steal them instead of the box.
After he put it away, he checked it again to make sure.
It was as though he were a housewife checking that the main door was locked before heading on a trip. After he did so, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Only after doing all that did Ainz finally leave his bedroom. The place he was headed to was the room he regularly used as the study. The ones who bowed deeply to him there were the regular maid, Albedo, and Mare.
The first two were hardly a rare sight, but the boy did not come here often, and it surprised Ainz. He cut across the room, circle around his ebony table and sat down, in a way which he had practiced over 30 times before.
Sitting in this way meant not stepping on his robe or making noise when pushing his chair out of the way.
After that, he had to be careful about how he leaned back in the chair. It would not look good if his movements were too rushed or if he put too much weight into the back of his chair. Kings had a kingly way — maybe — of sitting down.
But I don't know how kings take a seat... I should go observe how a king sits down...
It was recommended for company men to lightly sit in the middle of the chair without leaning on the backrest. But Ainz Ooal Gown was no longer a company man.
Therefore, all Ainz could do was realize the image of an ideal king within his mind.
"Raise your heads."
It was only than that the three of them looked up. Ainz was annoyed by the fact that they would not raise their heads without an explicit command, and he felt that it was a waste of time. Still, he could not disregard the loyalty they showed their master. Therefore, Ainz bore with it every time and replied in the same way.
"Then I shall begin with a question. Mare. What business do you have?"
"Ah, yes!"
Perhaps Mare was nervous, but his voice cracked a little. Ainz smiled. Of course, there was no way his fleshless face could twist itself, but he still did his best to exude an air of kindness. Perhaps Mare had sensed it, but he breathed a sigh of relief. He seemed less stiff now.
"Ah... that, this, er, I brought it."
Ainz was not a cruel superior who would go, "what did you bring". Since Mare had brought it, Ainz ought to receive it from him. For all he knew, it might have been an order he had given and forgotten about.
"Really now ─ no, that's fine."
Ainz reached out a hand to stop the day's duty maid as she sought to take the item from Mare.
"Mare, hand it to me in person."
"Yes!"
Mare held his chest high as he walked up to Ainz and gave him the folder he was holding.
AInz magnanimously accepted the folder and opened it.
This is... the circular I sent out.
All three Guardians had circled "Going" to Ainz's invitation.
"By right, Cocytus should have sent a minion to deliver this to me. Thank you for going to all this trouble, Mare."
"N-not at all, it's nothing, nothing of the sort! Cocytus-san was busy, so I insisted on helping him. And besides─"
Mare lovingly caressed the ring on his left ring finger.
... That's the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown. No, I'm glad he values it so highly, but putting it on that finger means... More to the point, why is that boy looking at me with dewy eyes...
Ainz shivered, and then he glanced aside to Albedo. She was smiling kindly, as always.
Ainz line of sight shifted to Albedo's left ring finger.
As expected, she had worn her Ring there, just like Mare. It seemed as though it was the right place to wear the ring.
Where did that practice come from? It was from ancient Greece, right?
He recalled what Yamaiko had once told him about the meaning of wearing a ring on different fingers.
Apparently, the ancient Greeks believed there was a blood vessel which ran from the left ring finger to the heart, and so if the left ring finger touched something harmful to the body, it would send a signal to the heart, which was why they dispensed medicine with their left ring fingers... Does Sous-Chef do the same thing too? Ah, this is bad... he's gazing at me again.
Ainz meshed his fingers on the table.
"What is it, Mare? Did you see something? Has something gotten onto my face?"
He chose his words carefully, making sure his reply did not sound like mockery.
"No... not at all. I simply thought you looked very handsome, Ainz-sama."
"I... am handsome?"
Ainz unconsciously stroked his bony face.
"Fuhaha... You're quite the flatterer, Mare."
"It's not flattery!"
The loudness of that voice did not sound like it could have come from Mare.
"F-forgive me, Ainz-sama. But, I really do think you look handsome. Even just now, the way you sat down looked just like how the supreme ruler of Nazarick ought to be..."
Ainz looked questioningly at the duty maid. The homunculus sensed her master's intentions and nodded silently and vigorously, as if to say, "precisely". Ainz did not look at Albedo, yet she was also nodding vigorously, and there was a patapata sound as her wings flapped.
"Really now. That is good to hear."
After that brief reply, Ainz rose from his seat and walked before Mare, then gently patted the head of the boy who had tensed up in anticipation of a scolding.
It was a casual act, yet one filled with kindness.
"Ai-Ainz-sama..."
"Thank you, Mare. Your words have always pleased me."
It was incredibly embarrassing to say that, but he did not display any of these Suzuki Satoru-like emotions.
"I have always been thinking this; I ought to thank my friends."
"Do you mean the Supreme Beings?"
Ainz knelt, so his eyes were level with Mare's.
"Precisely. I want to thank them for making the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, and for making you and everyone else. You ─ and by this I mean Albedo and Sixth as well ─"
Albedo's wings stood fully erect.
The maid who had just been suddenly addressed was in a panic. She was typically calm, so after seeing this rare side of her, Ainz laughed cheerfully.
"You are all my treasures."
Ainz scooped up Mare.
"I can hardly bear to let Bukubukuchagama-san have you."
"Thank you, Ainz-sama."
Tears of joys streamed down Sixth's cheeks as she answered on behalf of Mare.
"When all the Supreme Beings left this place, only you remained here until the end, and everyone in Nazarick is grateful for that. Perhaps we have failed to meet your expectations and perhaps we have often upset you. I understand that speaking in this way to our creator is deeply rude, but I pray you will allow ─ that you will permit us to pledge our undying loyalty to you."
"I permit this. I recall that in the past, Albedo and Demiurge said something similar to me, so hear this ─ I am the master of Nazarick; I am your master, Ainz Ooal Gown."
Ainz had never rehearsed these lines before, so he was quite surprised by how smoothly he could recite them. However, when he thought about it, that was only to be expected. Since he was speaking from the heart, it made sense that he could do so in such a natural manner.
Mare hugged Ainz and buried his face in Ainz's shoulder.
Good thing I'm not wearing my usual gear, the calm part of Ainz's mind said.
He felt a wet sensation spreading through the shoulder of his robe, but Ainz left Mare where he was. As the sound of Mare's sniffling gradually died down. Ainz gently caressed his head.
Ainz produced a handkerchief from his pocket.
He had never wiped someone else's face before, so perhaps his movements were a bit rough, but Mare allowed Ainz to wipe him.
"Come now, Mare. Go wash your face."
"Ah... what about you, Ainz-sama?"
"Ah, I'll be heading over to E-Rantel afterwards. I need to meet the Guildmaster. I've been putting it off because it's annoying, but I can't delay it any longer. Now then ─"
Ainz glanced at Albedo, who had been remaining silent all this while. Her long hair covered her face, and he could not see her expression. However, the non-stop quivering of her body was enough to strike terror into Ainz's heart. The image of a volcano simmering with anger, on the verge of eruption, flashed through his mind.
"What's wrong, Albedo?"
And in that moment─
"─Gu-guwaargh!"
─Ainz's field of vision shifted just as he felt an impact on his back.
Naturally, it did not hurt. Ainz's body could only be harmed by magical means. He did not feel pain from the light impacts which resulted from bumping into things. However, the remnants of his humanity made him shut his eyes in reflex.
This sudden development left him unable to think. The mental makeup of the undead meant that they did not panic or the like, so this confusion must have been Suzuki Satoru's.
"Nh, ngghhh..."
He opened his eyes, and saw the Eight Edge Assassins on the ceiling. In other words, he was on his back. When he realized this, Ainz immediately tried to stand up, but a strangely soft object pinned his entire body down, and thanks to that, it was hard to move.
Impossible. My items grant me immunity to mobility impediments such as pinning. I should have been liberated the moment I was completely immobilized... in other words, someone's using a very powerful binding technique on me!
Ainz checked to see what was the soft lifeform pinning him down, and as expected ─ it was Albedo.
"Ainz-samaaa!"
Albedo was straddling Ainz in a full mount and pushed him back down as he tried to rise.
"What... what's this? What's happening?"
"I─ I can't take it any more!"
Albedo's suddenly opened her eyes. Her flaring golden pupils sent a chill down Ainz's spine.
"You... what are you saying?!"
Albedo ignored Ainz's panicked question and instead brought her hands to the front of her dress. With a "hng" of effort, she tried to pull it off, but she could not budge it.
"Magical clothing is so annoying. You need a skill to destroy it or take it off normally."
"Calm yourself, Albedo! Get off me!"
Ainz thought to push her off with sheer brute force, but Albedo was a level 100 warrior. Also, whenever Ainz tried to push her away, his hands made contact with something soft and squishy, so he could not use his full strength. Albedo's hands moved, seeking to remove Ainz's robe.
"Don't take my clothes off! Stop wiggling your hips! Wai─"
"Ah, awawawawa..."
"It's your fault, Ainz-sama! I've been bearing with it for so long, but then you said that and I couldn't take it any more! It's all your fault, Ainz-sama! I just need a little bit! Just a bit! Just a little bit! A little bit of your love! Just count the Eight Edge Assassins on the ceiling and it'll be over before you're done!"
If Albedo had chosen this moment to scold Ainz for changing her backstory, perhaps he would have lost the will to resist. However, Albedo looked like she was going to swallow him whole, and so he did not feel guilt, but the terror of one who was about to be devoured. That instead caused him to struggle even more desperately.
It was only then that his subordinates, who had been stunned by the sudden development, finally went into action.
"Albedo-sama has gone mad!"
"Albedo-sama has gone mad!"
The Eight Edge Assassins descended as one from the ceiling.
"Pull her off Ainz-sama! No, don't try to immobilize her, she'll slip free right away! Just pull her away with brute force!"
"No good! What's with this strength! I'd expect nothing less of the Guardian Overseer! Mare-sama, we request your aid!"
"─Awawa! O-okay!"
***
In the end, Ainz was finally freed, and after smoothing out his rumpled robes, he looked to Albedo, who was seized hand and foot by the Eight Edge Assassins, and said:
"Albedo shall be confined for three days."
The Eight Edge Assassins dragged Albedo from the room.
"Ah... Ainz-sama... are you alright?"
"I'm perfectly fine... has Albedo always been that strange? Did she eat something funny?... Granted, demons don't need to eat or drink, but it's not like they can't."
As Ainz asked that question, Mare averted his eyes.
"I see... no, well, hm. She must have a lot going on. For all I know, it could be pent-up stress from work."
Ainz rose to his feet and called out to the maid. He regained his dignity ─ which had been previously scattered to the winds ─ and spoke in a commanding tone.
"... Summon Narberal and Hamsuke. It is time for me to leave for E-Rantel."
***
13:35 Nazarick Time
Ainz pulled on the reins from where he was mounted on Hamsuke's back, bringing Hamsuke to a halt. He silently regarded E-Rantel's city gates.
Ainz quite liked these thick and sturdy gates, which looked like they could repel an army. While there were many gates in YGGDRASIL which were bigger and cooler-looking than this one, this gate was not a mass of data, but made by the hands of mankind ─ although they might have had magical assistance.
As he stood before these gigantic steel gates, an indescribable feeling welled up inside him.
There were guilds in YGGDRASIL who conquered cities too. In the past, I thought it was troublesome to use a location that was so difficult to defend as a guild base, but... I think I can understand those guilds now. Ruling a big city might be a male ambition.
In YGGDRASIL, there were frequent city battles between guilds. Many of Ainz Ooal Gown's members simply watched coldly from the side, unable to understand them, but there had been those who said they wanted to take part.
Were they battle maniacs...
In the past, Ainz had not like those words much, but when he thought about it now, they were good memories.
"Is something the matter, milord?"
"Not at all, don't worry about it."
Hamsuke had been curious and asked its question because its master had bade it stop, and yet had not done anything. Ainz's flat reply had shut down that topic. He felt embarrassed about letting Hamsuke know that he was reminiscing about the past.
"Now then, to the Adventurer's Guild, where we'll show our faces for the meeting and then immediately take on a monster extermination quest."
He could have stayed in an E-Rantel inn, but he did not have the luxury of making such pointless expenditures. The reason why Ainz ─ who did not eat or drink ─ had to book a room in the highest-end inns was purely to highlight his status as the most highly-placed of adventurers. After that, it was a matter of making connections. However, he had already met all the influential people in this city, and he was assured that they would receive him warmly if he sought them out. Therefore, Ainz had no need to book a room at an inn.
Besides, whenever AInz checked into an inn, he would immediately teleport back to Nazarick, where he would produce undead and work on other things. That being the case, it would be wiser to take a monster extermination mission and leave the city as soon as possible.
Frankly speaking, he did not feel that there was further merit in staying around E-Rantel.
"Is that so? Verily, milord does enjoy battle."
"It's not like I enjoy it or anything. Besides, when I wipe out monsters, I take them out right away and spend most of the time in Nazarick."
Ainz lightly rapped Hamsuke's large head.
"I intend to give you all sorts of training so you can use weapons and armor."
"This one has always been working hard! This one has asked the Lizardmen to teach this one all manner of tricks, and soon this one will surely be able to learn a super move!"
"Ho. Well now, it would be perfect if you could learn martial arts. Also, how about your fellow disciple? Do you think he'll be able to use martial arts?"
"You mean him? He never speaks so this one does not know. However, this one feels he cannot use them yet."
Indeed, Ainz thought. There was no way that one would enjoy speaking, and Ainz felt that the chances of it being able to learn martial arts were slim. It was little more than an experiment. That said, if it ─ a Death Knight created by Ainz ─ could actually learn warrior techniques, their future plans would have to be greatly altered. That was because if he could strengthen monsters by training them, then it would most likely become a top priority.
"The undead do not need to sleep, and neither do they tire. They can perform combat training forever. So in theory, he ought to have learned martial arts before Hamsuke. The fact that he has not probably indicates that it's not possible."
"A moment please! He strives hard in his own way! Even after this one returns to this one's abode, he continues training without a single word of complaint... I pray thee spare his life!"
"... No, I did not intend to kill him, you know? What exactly did you take me for?"
"Indeed, there is nobody more merciful in all this world than Ainz-sama. Ainz-sama even took pity on a pathetic little creature like you and spared your life."
Those frigid words came from Narberal, who was riding behind them, and they made Hamsuke shudder.
"─Nabe, we're coming up on E-Rantel. Address me as Momon from now on."
"Understood."
"Also, Hamsuke is a being with an important part to play in the plan to strengthen Nazarick... you must take the appropriate attitude with those who work for Nazarick's sake. I am not simply referring to Hamsuke, so keep that in mind."
"Yes! My deepest apologies."
Also, stop calling humans ticks or lice or whatever, Ainz wanted to say, but no matter how he ordered her, Narberal would not listen, so recently he had decided not to bother. That was because if Narberal Gamma had been designed to unconsciously refer to human beings in such a manner, forcing her to correct herself would essentially be trampling the wishes of his friend who had designed her that way.
"Alright, let's go."
"Yes, milord."
Ainz rode forth on Hamsuke.
He could see several people lined up in front of the gate. It was only to be expected that immigration would be more strictly vetted than emigration, and all items they carried would be carefully inspected. Therefore, if travelling merchants or peddlers wanted to enter E-Rantel, they might have to spend a long time queuing up for an inspection.
"I hope it won't take too long..."
"Should you not have priority in going in, Momon sa─n?" Narberal asked while they were lined up behind several travellers ─ including a group in adventurer's garb.
She was right. When Ainz had first come here, he too had been subjected to extremely troublesome checks, but as his adventuring record grew, the inspection process had grown simpler, and now he practically had a free pass to walk right past them. In addition to that, sometimes he received permission for preferential entry to the city.
This privilege was not unique to Darkness; just about all mithril-ranked adventurers and above received such special treatment. Perhaps it was because the city did not want to displease their trump cards.
In that case, why not just do away with the entry toll as well...
The tolls were inexpensive compared to the payments adventurers received, but Ainz was the top outside earner for Nazarick and having to pay displeased him. That said, he could not bypass the walls with flight magic either.
Momon was a hero. Therefore─
"We can't cut in line... unless there's an emergency, or we have to enter the city with all due haste.
He saw Narberal bow from the corner of his eye, and Ainz looked ahead of him from where he was mounted on Hamsuke's back.
"Still, they're not moving at all..."
The queue was just like a highway choked up by a traffic jam; nobody was moving.
"What's this... ? It looks like they're inspecting a cargo wagon... and doing a pretty good job of it too. No, they're just surrounding it. Did they find some contraband? Excuse me."
Ainz called out to an unsophisticated-looking man in front of him.
"Ah, yes. What is it?"
"Don't worry, I just noticed that the line wasn't moving, so I was wondering if you knew what was going on."
"I'm not too clear about what's going on, just that they took a village girl to the duty station. And then─"
After listening to the man, Ainz still had no idea what was going on. He stuck his neck out towards the duty station. He tilted his head to listen in, and heard the sound of an argument.
Suddenly, something piqued Ainz's curiosity.
When he had first come to this city, they had asked him a whole pile of questions at the main gate, but he had not expected to be let past so easily. He had been surprised at the time, and thought that this world was surprisingly kind to rootless people like mercenaries, adventurers or travellers, but the truth had not been what he had expected. In that case, what were they asking this village girl?
Currently, Ainz's status as an adamantite-ranked adventurer meant that very few cities would refuse him entry.
That was why Ainz wanted to know exactly what sort of questions were being asked. In the future, he might have to infiltrate a city in future outside the guise of Momon the adamantite-ranked adventurer. He had to learn more so there would be no difficulties when the time came.
"You two wait here for a while. I'll go see what's going on."
"Please allow me to accompany you."
"There's no need for that. I'm just taking a look."
He dismounted from Hamsuke's back, and walked towards the duty station.
All the soldiers exclaimed in surprise as they saw Ainz. There was nobody here who did not know the adventurer Momon in E-Rantel.
Ainz took care to look as cool as possible as he approached the duty station. He saw an excited-looking magic caster, a soldier, and a seated village girl.
"We wish to enter the city, but... what's going on?"
"Uooooh!"
The two men exclaimed in the same surprise as the soldiers outside. The village girl was stunned when she saw it.
"If... if it isn't Momon-sama himself! Forgive us!"
"Now, what's going on here... hm? This girl is..."
She seemed familiar. Ainz felt that he knew her, and he searched his hippocampus ─ though he did not possess such an organ ─ for information confirming her.
"Yes! We were investigating a suspicious girl, which took some time. We sincerely apologize for inconveniencing you, Momon-sama─"
Ainz was beginning to find the man's chatter intolerable. Then, inspiration struck, and he recalled the village girl's name.
"─Enri, right. You must be Enri Emmot, am I correct?"
"Er, ah, who're you... er, no, I am. Ah, you were the one who came with Nfirea that time, right? I don't remember speaking to you... DId Nfirea tell you my name?"
At that moment, Ainz instinctively pressed his hand over his mouth.
He had met Enri when he was the masked magic caster Ainz Ooal Gown. Now, he was the adamantite-ranked adventurer in jet-black armor, Momon.
Crap! I spoke in my normal voice! This is terrible. I need to leave here right away. But still, what's that village girl doing here? Won't it be troublesome if she finds me ─ no, finds Ainz Ooal Gown here? I need to clarify the details with her.
She did not seem to have divined his true identity from the conversation just now, but he could not rule out the possibility that he had been exposed. Granted, he did not think she would have matched his voice from several months ago to a few words spoken through a layer of armor, but it was best to be prudent.
Ainz beckoned the magic caster over. He felt that the man ought to know more than the soldiers.
He led the magic caster out of the duty station, and they went some distance away to avoid being overheard by the sentries.
"It's like this... that girl's a friend of a friend. Can you tell me what happened with her?"
He was not lying, since Nfirea was indeed a friend of Ainz and Momon.
The magic caster's eyes went wide. He appeared to be shocked, but that was not the case. It was more like connecting points of data to form a beautiful line. It was as though a mystery in his heart had been solved.
"I see... as I thought..."
Could you please hurry up the process of accepting the facts? Ainz very much wanted to say that, but he bore with it and waited for the man to speak.
"She said she was just a village girl, but she was carrying a powerful horn-shaped magic item. I wasn't sure why she had such a powerful item, and I had other questions of my own, so I wanted to clarify things."
"What sort of horn was it? What effects did it have?"
"Its effects were─"
After listening to the whole explanation, Ainz could not help looking up to the sky.
That was because he was trying to run away from the knowledge that it was an item which he had given her.
At that time, Ainz had not known that such an item was beyond the comprehension of this world. He had given her the horn simply for her to protect herself. Who could have imagined that it would have created so much trouble for her? Ainz could probably have come up with an excuse along the lines of "I did nothing wrong", but ignoring her plight was not good either.
I'll help her out a little. I didn't do anything wrong, but I did give her the item, after all, so the responsibility lies with me... if I abandon her and it falls into someone else's hands, it'll end up being more troublesome for me. Besides, if she gets locked up─
Nfirea knew that Momon and Ainz Ooal Gown were one and the same. Given these circumstances, if Enri told him about this, he would surely think that Ainz had left her to her fate.
It'll definitely leave a bad aftertaste between us... I don't care about causing difficulties with worthless humans, but he's a very valuable being. As the saying goes, I ought to turn this danger into an opportunity. If I lend her a hand, Nfirea ought to be grateful to me. If I do this, I can chain his heart closer to me with more obligations.
Ainz spoke, in a tone which he believed combined calmness and dignity:
"There is no need for you to worry. I am very familiar with her character. She will not go around causing trouble, so could I impose upon you to let her pass? ─Could you?"
"But of course. If she is a friend of Momon from 'Darkness', and you are vouching for her, then we would allow her in, no matter how vicious a criminal she was."
"Really now, my apologies, then. In that case, I'll leave that to you. Also, I apologize for this, but could you allow us ─ Darkness ─ to enter the city first?"
After receiving permission, Ainz returned to Narberal and Hamsuke.
"We've been allowed in. Let's enter the city."
He mounted up on Hamsuke's back and bypassed the line of people. The queuing people all looked at him, but once they saw his black armor, his greatswords, Hamsuke and Narberal, they all averted their eyes. They understood that Ainz's status was far greater than theirs.
The gate sentries bowed deeply to them as they passed by, and then they entered E-Rantel.
"Now then, Nabe. I have something to ask of you."
"Understood. Please command me as you see fit."
SInce they were both adventurers, it did not seem good for her to display such loyalty on the streets. However, Ainz had gradually realized that it was pointless to lecture her, and so he continued speaking:
"The girl driving the wagon from just now ─ Enri ─ will be entering the city soon. Go ask her why she came to E-Rantel."
After that, Ainz found a place to hide himself. This was because he wanted to avoid speaking with Enri too much.
He surveyed his surroundings and saw a stack of tall wooden crates he could probably hide behind, and so he commanded Hamsuke to make haste towards it. The soldiers working there panicked when they saw Ainz and Hamsuke approaching them.
"Gentlemen, are you free? I'd like to ask about these crates."
Once he was certain that he would not be spotted from the city gates, Ainz addressed one of the soldiers. Of course, he was not interested in the crates at all. He had simply made up a pretext to be there because he was worried others might chase him away for interfering with their work.
"Ah... alright. We're very glad that you'd take an interest in our work, Momon-sama. The crates are filled with vegetables from the Grandel Province, known as Kinshu. These vegetables─"
As Ainz listened to the soldier's earnest explanation, he mumbled replies like "I see" and "So that's how it is". The soldier did not seem to mind the half-hearted responses and continued his lecture. After learning how to cook the vegetables called Kinshu in exacting detail, he sensed Narberal approaching from behind him.
"─Forgive me for interrupting your explanation. I learned a lot, thank you. However, my companion has returned, and so I must leave."
After his one-sided farewell to the soldier, Ainz ordered Hamsuke forward.
"How did it go?"
"Firstly, she wanted me to thank you, Momon-san. After that, she said that she had three aims, namely selling off the herbs she had collected, checking the temples for people who might want to move to the village, and finally, travelling to the Adventurer's Guild."
"The Adventurer's Guild? What kind of request is she putting in?"
"Forgive me, but I did not ask about that. Shall I capture her and force her to talk?"
"There's no need for that. Besides, we'll be heading to the Adventurer's Guild too, so we can just ask the Guild when we get there."
Surely she did not intend to directly thank Ainz Ooal Gown. If it was for that objective, she could simply leave a message with Lupusregina, whom he occasionally sent to the village.
"Oh yes, Nabe. Have you received any special reports from Lupusregina?"
Narberal shook her head, and Ainz furrowed his ─ naturally, they were nonexistent ─ brows.
He had originally planned to station a Shadow Demon in the village, but he had instead sent Lupusregina over in order to forge friendly relations. He had ordered Lupusregina to report anything that happened in the village to him immediately. However, no information had made its way to Ainz up till this point.
Therefore, he had believed that Carne VIllage was fine. Was that not the case?
While there was no need to tell him about trivia such as "Enri went to E-Rantel by herself", uneasiness still shrouded Ainz's heart like a cloud.
"I've always thought Lupusregina was a hard worker. Nabe, what do you think?"
"It is as you say, Ainz-sama. While her tone makes her seem very casual, that is only an act. She is cruel and cunning; an excellent maid."
There was no way cruelty and slyness could be taken as compliments. Ainz glanced at Narberal's face, wondering if she thought ill of Lupusregina, but her cool expression only contained her respect for a colleague.
"Then milord, shall we proceed presently to the Adventurer's Guild as you said earlier?"
"Yes, do you know its location? Narberal, you sit behind me. Since you've already put away the Statue of Animal: Warhorse, there's no need to go to the trouble of taking it out again."
Ainz grabbed Narberal's hand and sat her behind him. Hamsuke seemed eager to move off and picked up the pace. He was no longer embarrassed to ride Hamsuke through the streets. In addition, Hamsuke could understand language and take orders, which pleased him. It felt just like riding a cab.
Soon, the Adventurer's Guild appeared before his eyes. At the same time, he saw the wagon from earlier, and Enri's back as she entered the Guild.
"... There's nothing else to be done. Hamsuke, we'll go in through the back door. Circle round the back."
"Understood, milord!"
Usually, adventurers were not allowed to enter the Guild through the back door. However, anything was possible for adamantite-ranked adventurers. Incidentally, it was also Ainz's first time doing this. He might be of a privileged class, but abusing his privileges would damage his reputation.
After entering the Guild through the back door, he asked the first Guild employee he saw to take him to the Guildmaster's room. Fortunately, the Guildmaster was in.
"Oh, if it isn't Momon-kun! Welcome!"
The Guildmaster ─ Ainzach ─ opened his arms wide to welcome Ainz, and then he warmly embraced Ainz. While he thought nothing of it because he was wearing his armor and a helmet, there were many reasons which would have chosen made him avoid that ardent embrace if he were in a thin layer of clothing. He patted Ainz intimately on the back before slowly releasing him.
"I've been so lonely because you haven't come around lately. Come, come, have a seat. Let's chat a bit before the others show up."
The Guildmaster looked like he was welcoming a friend he had not seen for a long time as he happily indicated the sofa.
"Thank you."
After Ainz took a seat, the Guildmaster sat down beside him.
The two of them were very close. Their knees were touching, and it was stifling.
"Momon-kun, we've known each other for so long; surely we can speak more freely around each other, hm?"
"No, there must be politeness even as there's familiarity. This is very important; it's what my seniors taught me."
Granted, if he were a salaryman, he would have spoken with more closeness ─ sometimes, he even spoke to customers in a normal tone. However, he did not wish to get so close to the Guildmaster. He felt that maintaining a business-like attitude was the right answer.
Getting too close to the group will only become a burden. I don't want to be too closely tied to the Adventurer's Guild of a single city. Should I leave for greener pastures soon? Besides─
Ainz glanced at the Guildmaster through the eyeslits of his helmet.
Besides, why the heck is he sitting so close to me? Normally, you'd let Narberal sit beside me, and you'd sit opposite me, right?
Their proximity made him feel uncomfortable; it was no wonder Ainz began to suspect if the Guildmaster was gay.
I heard the Magician's Guildmaster say he had a wife... or is his wife just a beard? I thought he was just trying to get me on his side... but it's having the opposite effect. Or does he think I'm gay?
That final mental image made Ainz shudder.
Ainz was heterosexual. No, to be precise, he used to be. Incidentally, Suzuki Satoru preferred larger breasts. That point had (probably) not changed, even after gaining this body. That was because he preferred Albedo slightly more to, say, Cocytus.
Ainz adjusted his sitting position, moving slightly away from the Guildmaster, and then he turned to face him.
"Forgive my rudeness, but I came here with a question. It's like this ─ one of my friends should have come to the Adventurer's Guild by now, and I'd like to know what sort of request she put in."
"Well, the rules make it somewhat difficult to tell you about this."
"Thus, I seek your understanding in the matter. I do understand I'm imposing, and I understand the need to obey the Guild's rules. However, I hope you will lend me your help in this."
Ainz bowed his head, to which the Guildmaster responded by folding his arms and staring at the ceiling, a stern look on his face. However, he only held that pose for a short while.
"I understand, " he smiled to Ainz."Since it's you asking, Momon-kun, I can't exactly reject it either. Then, could you tell me that person's name?"
"She is Enri of Carne VIllage, no, Enri Emmot."
"Enri, is it? Then, could you give me a little time?"
***
Before long, the Guildmaster returned. He was followed by one of the receptionists which Ainz had seen before. She moved stiffly as she entered the room.
"Momon-sama! My apologies!"
This was the first time Ainz had ever seen someone walk while moving both the arms and legs on the same sides of their body at the same time. He thought, that's quite something and there's no need to be so tense, but in the end, he still nodded haughtily. Part of the challenge of being an adamantite-ranked adventurer that he could not appear too relaxed.
"This receptionist attended to Enri Emmot of Carne Village. It would be better for you to ask her directly. Ask her anything you wish to know."
"Is that so? Then ─ no, before that, perhaps she should have a seat, Guildmaster. But this is your room, and it is not up to me to─"
"No! There's no need to bother you! I'm fine with standing!"
Perhaps Suzuki Satoru might have felt that it was very wrong to be seated while his opposite number was standing. However, in the process of being Ainz Ooal Gown ─ of being the leader of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick ─ he had gradually lost such feelings. He was slowly becoming used to the difference between a leader and a follower. Perhaps this was an indication that his actions as a master (roleplaying) were not a waste of effort, but he had indeed accumulated experience points.
... How much more until I level up... Oops.
"I see. Then, let' get down to business. I would like you to tell me about her request, in as much detail and possible. This is a very important matter, so can you tell me everything about it?"
"Y-yes!"
The receptionist's forehead was beaded in cold sweat.
"What is it? Is there a problem?"
"No, I mean...:"
The receptionist's eyes were flickering from side to side.
"Am I asking the wrong questions?... Perhaps, so let's try this. Was she looking for someone in particular to help with her request?"
"No... it's not, it's not like that."
"Ah, I see... then, what sort of request was it? Or was it not even a request?"
"... Actually, she did not make a request right away, just said that she might make one in future. And then she mentioned something about monsters called the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West, who were comparable to the Wise King of the Forest which you tamed, Momon-sama. That, er, that's all."
Ainz was quite surprised by how tongue-tied she sounded, but he continued asking:
"So it's a future request, then?"
"No... it's not! I... I didn't know she was a friend of yours, Momon-sama! If I'd known, I would have asked more carefully! Really!"
AInz was quite perturbed by the receptionist, who was wailing while on the verge of tears. Could someone as emotional as this really man a counter?
"─Guildmaster."
"... My apologies. We did not oversee this adequately."
"Why's it like that? Isn't that how the guild's rules work?!"
After listening to their conversation, Ainz realized how they had misinterpreted his intentions.
The receptionist and Guildmaster believed that Ainz and Enri were friends, and while he had intended to take her job for free, he had decided to give the Adventurer's Guild their due deference and thus they hand arranged for him to accept her request through the Guild.
However, the receptionist had coldly chased away Enri by bringing up the manner of fees. Therefore, the two of them were arguing about who should be taking the responsibility for chasing away the friend of an adamantite-ranked adventurer.
No, if this was a rule of the organization, then wouldn't she be right to have obeyed it?
Ainz stared at the Guildmaster as he rebuked the receptionist, and his opinion of the man took a sharp dive in his eyes.
If a subordinate makes a mistake, her superior ought to cover for her. Or is this some sort of high-level technique where he savagely scolds her in front of a customer to earn the customer's sympathy and thus his forgiveness? I mean, look at how he's laying into her.
Ainz felt that that the receptionist had handled this correctly, and the Guildmaster should have known that as well. However, just like how he had come in through the back door and leaned on the Guildmaster for a favor, adamantite-ranked adventurers could easily bend the rules. That was because they were valuable enough that the Guild wanted to keep them around, even if they flouted the rules. That was probably why the two of them were arguing now.
"I didn't know!"
Ainz gently spoke to comfort the weeping receptionist.
"The fault is not yours."
The receptionist's eyes went wide, and her tears flowed out from them and rolled down her cheeks.
"Obeying the organization's rules is very important, even if they must be overlooked from time to time. I will not hold this incident against you."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"Then, I hope I can trouble you to go get the details from her. Please don't say I'll be taking it, only that I want to be ready to make a move at any time."
"I understand! I! I'll go ask now! I'm very sorry!"
The receptionist turned and ran off like the passing of a typhoon.
"... While I know you wanted to gain my sympathy, I would prefer if you did not falsely blame someone who was innocent. It displeases me."
"As I thought... I can't pull the wool over your eyes, Momon-kun."
Those words sounded like they had been squeezed out of the depths of his soul, and Ainz knew that his guess had been correct.
So the techniques of the Japanese salaryman are universally applicable. However, the problem is─
The form of Lupusregina came to Ainz's mind.
Why didn't Lupusregina have any information about monsters that even a village girl like Enri was aware of? Was it a failure in the construction of the intelligence network? I need to make sure.
As Ainz waited for the receptionist to report to him, he mused that he would need to return to Nazarick and sort this out.
♦ ♦ ♦
16:41 Nazarick Time
A nervous-looking Lupusregina entered Ainz's office. The panic and unease of being suddenly summoned was written all over her face. Inside the office were Lupusregina, the regular maid Sixth, the battle maid Narberal, Aura, who was the one most familiar with the forest, the Eight Edge Assassins on the ceiling, and the owner of the room, Ainz. Incidentally, Albedo was still in confinement.
Lupusregina was about to prostrate before Ainz when he interrupted her.
"Lupusregina, is there something you've kept from me?"
After seeing the confused look on her face, he wondered if she did not know about it after all. Ainz decided to repeat what he had heard about the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West from the Adventurer's Guild.
However, as he saw that Lupusregina seemed to have known about this long before, Ainz's mood rapidly deteriorated. He exhaled long and loud.
"So you were aware of this, then?"
"Yes. About that—"
"You fool!"
Ruled by anger, Ainz's wrath-filled shout echoed through the room.
As the others recoiled like they had been struck by lightning, Ainz felt something suppress his emotions, but even after the peak of rage was cut off, his anger surged up again, and there was no way he could fully rein in his ire.
"Why did you not report this to me? Were you trying to keep this from me?"
"N-no! Nothing like that!"
"Then why? Why did none of this reach me at all! What was the reason for that?"
"B-because I th-thought it wasn't a big deal, s-so I didn't report..."
For some reason, the sight of the frightened battle maid peeking up at him only incensed him further.
"Lupusregina Beta! I am thoroughly disappointed in you!!"
Lupusregina was not the only one who flinched at this. Nabe and Sixth were trembling too, and the Eight Edge Assassins on the ceiling seemed to have frozen up as well.
"I gave you discretion over handling the village, but that does not mean you can do as you please! You were told to report anything that happened in the village, anything at all, so what is the meaning of this!"
"That's..."
Ainz's face twisted as he looked down on Lupusregina, who was unable to answer him.
This was an unforgivable sin for a worker; no, for anyone.
These rules were obvious for anyone who did business, or rather, for anyone who worked in society at all: "Report, Communicate, Discuss". It was an abbreviation of reporting what you had learned, communicating clearly with others and discussing issues as they came up. They were very important; the lifeblood of the giant that was working society.
If she can't even do that, I don't think I can forgive her from the perspective of a leader... no...
As he looked on the terrified Lupusregina, Ainz could not help but think that he was at least partially to blame. These mistakes would only result if a superior was unreliable and could not properly direct his subordinates.
A failure in the group's communications is my fault. I couldn't take proper control of this... maybe I should step back and let Demiurge or Albedo handle this sort of thing.
"... Lupusregina, are you aware of Carne Village's value to Nazarick?"
"Hah? No... yes. Er, I heard you say that village is very valuable, Ainz-sama..."
"No, no, I mean, what do you, personally, feel is valuable about the village?"
"W-well, there's a lot of toys there, and..."
"Ah, that's how it is. Well then... I'm sorry. It was my mistake. I did not realize you thought like that..." Ainz laughed tiredly. He realized it had been his fault after all."I take back what I said about you being a disappointment. I went too far. Please forgive me."
"W-what are you saying? It was my foolish mistake!"
"In that case, just be more careful next time. Now then, I'll explain again, so pay close attention. That village is very valuable to us. Especially that boy, Nfirea, and his grandmother Lizzie. They are of great importance to Nazarick."
"Eeh? Is-is that so?"
"Indeed. I have handed the task of creating new potions to those two."
"Ah, that-that's right! I have something to show you, Ainz-sama!"
Lupusregina suddenly shouted that last part as her face turned pale. She took out a vial of purple potion and Narberal, who was closest to her, took it and handed it to Ainz.
"This is..."
Ainz looked at the potion through the light.
"Y-yes! This is Nfirea's new healing potion!"
Ainz's anger flared again, and he tried his best to quash it.
"With this potion, the Bareare family's importance has risen again."
Ainz laughed quietly as he saw Lupusregina's clueless face.
This purple potion Nfirea made had been concocted using various items provided by Nazarick. The most important thing was that without possessing Yggdrasil's potion creation skills, they had managed to use ingredients from Yggdrasil to create something other than this world's "blue" potions or Yggdrasil's "red" potions.
"For starters, the healing potions of this world are blue. But the healing potions I know of are red. Curious, don't you think?" Ainz rambled.
The knowledge and powers of YGGDRASIL could be used in this world. From the angels he had first encountered, to the apparent existence of World-Class Items, there was a very high chance that players had been here in the past. In that case, why was it that the potions were not red like in YGGDRASIL?
There were three possibilities.
First, the downfall of a country might have resulted in the loss of those potion-making techniques. These techniques should have been quite widespread, and nothing short of an entire country's destruction would be able to wipe them out.
The second reason might have been that Nfirea simply did not know these techniques since they had not spread to the nearby countries. Perhaps distant countries might be using red potions. After all, in Japan, the same noodle soup looked completely different when prepared on different sides of the country.
The third reason was optimization: making YGGDRASIL potions would require YGGDRASIL materials. Maybe those materials were difficult to find here, or they were not available at all, and that was why only blue potions were the best that could be made with this world's materials.
"That is to say, except for the second possibility, this potion that Nfirea made—" Ainz swirled the purple potion in its vial."This might be a once-in-a-century technological revolution, for all I know. Well, if it's the third possibility, this might turn out to be a failed product after all. His hard work in the future will give me the answer."
Wat Ainz wanted from Nfirea was for him to make YGGDRASIL potions without using YGGDRASIL materials. Or he might come up with something else and end up making a third, completely different potion.
"In that case, would it not be more effective to let more people research the subject?"
Narberal's question made Ainz frown.
"That is a foolish question. Narberal. Indeed, the work would proceed more quickly, but it would be very dangerous. Knowledge is power, and freely distributing it is a foolish action."
YGGDRASIL was also like that, so Ainz could confidently say that.
"For example, there is a possibility that his potion could be refined to the point where it could kill me with a single attack. Then, it would be safer to monopolize this knowledge than to spread it... It's better for slaves to be a little ignorant, but one must always keep abreast of technological advancements. This is the same for Nfirea and his potions. Though I would like to lock him up in Nazarick and make him focus solely on research and development..."
This would both prevent the spread of the technique and the usage of the potion.
"Then, then why have you not done so?"
Narberal's eyes seemed to say that she would do it immediately if ordered, and so AInz hurriedly squeezed out a reply.
"Rather than imprison him and force him to work, I will build his trust in us, as a long-term scheme that will bring better benefits to Nazarick. Demiurge analyzed the situation and concluded that it was better to shackle him to us with a debt of obligation— Hm? What's wrong, Lupusregina?"
"There's one thing I don't understand, could you explain it to a fool like me? Why did you give the potion to someone like Brita, Ainz-sama?"
Ainz had no idea who Brita was, going by her name alone. While trying to maintain a look which said "all is within the palm of my hand" —which was to say, a carefully blank expression— he struggled frantically to think of a solution.
Could it be that potion?
Ainz recalled the first night he spent in E-Rantel.
As he remembered what he had said then, Ainz was grateful that his body could no longer sweat.
—What should I do? What should I say?
He could not keep silent forever.
Demiurge! Albedo! Why aren't you here! No, Demiurge is currently abroad performing his tasks, and Albedo is in confinement! It's too late to call her over!
"—Is that so? You really don't understand?"
"Yes. I apologize for my lack of knowledge. Please enlighten me."
Just don't ask! Ainz wanted to shout. However, he had no other options, so all he could do was roll the dice and hope for the best. Courage filled him as he decided on his course.
"Fufu... hahahaha. Indeed, it was a dangerous move that you, Lupusregina, have the right to be curious about. It could have resulted in a development that we would not be able to control. However, there was a motive for taking such risks."
"A-a motive? Wasn't it just meant to compensate her for the loss of her potion?"
Narberal's interruption made Ainz swallow the words he was about to say. His brain spun into high gear, and he struggled to recall that encounter in E-Rantel.
That's right! At that time, I just did it so I wouldn't get a bad rep! Damn!
Ainz maintained his calm demeanour. He would have to lie to cover up another lie. He struggled to muster up the vestiges of his rapidly-vanishing courage.
"... Is that all you thought I was doing, Narberal?"
"I am very sorry!"
"... No, this isn't something you should apologize for. At the time, I wasn't confident my plan would work out, so I chose a simpler explanation."
"Then... what was your real aim?"
In the face of Narberal's questions, Ainz's jaw hung open for a moment at a loss for words. But in that moment, inspiration struck. With that as the basis for his confidence, Ainz prepared to speak.
"... It was Nfirea..."
As Ainz slowly opened his mouth, he took in the subordinates around him. If Demiurge or Albedo were present, they would probably interrupt and say, "Ah, so that's how it is. As expected of Ainz-sama."
Narberal, on the other hand, could only furiously furrow her brows.
"... Nfirea... ?"
Ainz cupped his chin with a silent "Umu". Fear began creeping over the faces of Narberal and the others, because they thought Ainz's pose meant, "do you still not understand, even after I've said this much?" In truth, Ainz had made that gesture unconsciously, not knowing what to do with his hands.
In a short period of time, Ainz had been subjected to extreme tension and the emotion suppression that blanked it out. Between these two clashing forces, an epiphany came upon Ainz. Without knowing where he would end up, Ainz clung to that last straw and took a step into the darkness.
"... Mm. I managed to get the attention of the pharmacist known as Nfirea; was that enough of an answer... ? That's right... Normally, what would you do if you got your hands on a potion that was completely different from any other potion that you had ever encountered?"
"... Discuss it with someone?"
"Exactly! Lupusregina, it is exactly as you said. As I predicted, Brita brought the potion to the pharmacist she trusted the most. That was how I came into contact with Nfirea."
He remembered that Nfirea had apparently said something similar when they met at Carne Village.
"Ah! So that's how it is! That was your objective all along!"
"You seem to get it. That was the bait for my hook to catch a master alchemist. Although there was a chance it could have ended up in a strange place and caused problems, it was still worth a try."
A sense of understanding filled the air, and there were looks of admiration on their faces.
I managed to join the stories together...
Just as Ainz was about to mentally sigh in relief, a sudden, unexpected question came.
"Then... I understand I'm being very rude, but could I ask one more question..."
No. Stop. Please don't ask any more questions. Ainz was crying inside, but his face remained impassive.
"What's the matter, Lupusregina? If you have something you need to discuss, feel free to look me up."
"Yes, " Lupusregina swallowed, and with a serious expression on her face, she asked, "Do you always think two or three steps ahead when making plans, Ainz-sama?"
Most of the time, Ainz made things up on the spot. Of course, sometimes he tried to plan his next move, but more often than not, the results were completely different from what he intended. Of course, he could not say any of that.
Ainz laughed quietly. It was a practiced laugh.
"Of course. I am the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown, am I not?"
Quiet exclamations of "Ohhhh!" rose up from all around him, and Lupusregina's eyes went wide.
"What's wrong, Lupusregina?"
"A wise king..."
Lupusregina's gasped words made Aura frown, and she took a step forward. However, Ainz stopped her.
"Pay it no heed. Is that all you have to ask?"
"Then, er, then, I've got another one. Wouldn't it be better if we let the monsters attack the village, and then Ainz-sama would swoop in to save them, wouldn't that be better? I mean, wouldn't Nfirea and his grandmother feel extra grateful to Ainz-sama for plucking them out of the fire? That would make them more useful... right?"
"Well, that is a very good plan, and worth considering, However, if that happened, Nfirea might end up hating the monsters too much and then he would no longer be willing to cooperate with us... now, it would be a different matter if it was humans who did it. In that case, perhaps it would be more effective if we saved Enri Emmot as well, the better to chain his heart up further."
However, Carne Village was a village that had been saved by the magic caster Ainz Ooal Gown. It had its uses, so burning it down was of questionable value.
"By the way, the most important people in that village are —in descending order— Nfirea, his crush Enri Emmot and finally his grandmother Lizzie. You must protect these three people no matter the cost. Everyone else is expendable. If need be, sacrifice your life to protect Nfirea. That's it. Is that all, Lupusregina?"
"Yes! Thank you very much!"
"Now then, Lupusregina, I will forgive you for this lapse. Now that you know my objectives, you will not be forgiven next time. Do you understand?"
"Of course!"
"Very good. Then go. Complete your assigned tasks."
Lupusregina bowed and exited the room, followed closely by Narberal, who seemed more like a policeman escorting a criminal. After the two of them vanished out the door, Ainz turned to the Guardian beside him.
"Now then, Aura. Do you know anything about the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West—"
Suddenly, a loud shout came from outside the room.
"Seriously, Ainz-sama is amazing ~su! I can't believe he thought so far ahead, and in such detail! He must be some kind of monster ~su!"
The voice that came through the thick door was not very loud, but it was enough to interrupt their conversation. Given that they could hear her words so clearly, how loudly was she yelling in the corridor, just outside?
"... Should we tell her how thin the doors are?"
"I think she's just too excited, let me go pound some sense—"
There was a smashing sound from outside the door, and then the sound of something heavy being dragged into the distance.
"... Aura, I don't think you need to go any more. Back to the previous topic; let me know what you've found."
"Yes. Er, I'm very sorry, but I haven't heard anything about the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West. After we fought that tree monster called Zy'tl Q'ae, I did a quick sweep of the forest, aside from the underground caverns, which I didn't investigate. I didn't find any strong enemies..."
"Well, if they're only as strong as Hamsuke, I understand why you wouldn't have paid any attention to them."
Even a gardener could not be expected to know how many ants were crawling in his domain. Missing out on things due to the difference in strength was a problem.
"I am truly sorry. Then, Ainz-sama, will we be doing house-cleaning?"
"That sounds like a good idea. We'll swat those pesky flies and put the forest under Nazarick's complete control."
"Got it! Then, I'll send some of my pets along!"
"Umu. It seems a little boring that way. I'd like to see what sort of monsters this Giant of the East and Serpent of the West are, who can rival Hamsuke."
"Then, shall I drag them here in chains?"
"No, I think I shall go visit them in person. Thanks to Hamsuke, I've found another way of appreciating the value of antiques as well."
Ainz laughed at the puzzled expression on Aura's face.
"Well, of course that's not all. I also want to see if I can arrange a test for Lupusregina..."
***
Nazarick Time 19:16
Fenrir crept leisurely through the night-time forest. Neither the branches which stuck out or the coiling vines hampered Fenrir's movements or the two people on its back. In fact, they seemed to move like incorporeal wraiths, without even disturbing a twig.
This was the effect of one of Fenrir's skills, [Landwalker].
"According to my vassals' reports, the Giant of the East's lair seems to be just ahead."
There was no tension in Aura's voice, even in this world of darkness, cut off from the starlight by the densely-packed trees. Ainz and the others were not like humans, who lacked special visual modes. They took in the darkened forest around them like it was broad daylight.
"Is that so. We would be very lucky if the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West were to gather in the same place. However, that's probably being greedy. If the Serpent of the West is not here, then I'll leave its disposal to you, Aura."
"Yes! I'll do my best! But how shall I deal with these fools who dare make hostile moves on you, Ainz-sama?"
"Let's try communication first."
Aura looked behind herself ─ at Ainz ─ with a puzzled look on her face.
"Eh? Weren't we going to make them swear themselves to us?"
"That's because the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West are unknown monsters. Starting with an attempt at rational communication ought to be better from just about every angle. If they're monsters which don't exist in YGGDRASIL, then I would like to keep them.
"You're so kind, Ainz-sama."
There was no mockery within Aura's tone.
"Is... is that so? I feel that only the worthy deserve my kindness ─ followed by those who belong to Nazarick... I'm doing this because they might have some value if they're on Hamsuke's level. I suppose you could call this seizing an opportunity?"
"You mentioned Hamsuke just now, but is it really that valuable?"
"Oh yes. It's quite useful as a guinea pig."
Hamsuke was currently studying to be a warrior under Zaryusu of the Lizardmen. Incidentally, one of the Death Knights made by Ainz was also studying under him.
Training the two of them ─ a hamster and a monster ─ was intended to see if they could acquire warrior class levels. This was particularly true for the Death Knight. If he could gain warrior levels, that would greatly increase Nazarick's combat power.
While he felt it was probably impossible, he still had to conduct the experiment to be sure.
"Are you having the blacksmith make armor for Hamsuke because it's that important?"
"You're quite well-informed. That's also one of the reasons. If I have to ride it onto the battlefield in future, so enhancing its defense might be critical."
Hamsuke should have no problem wearing full plate armor once he had warrior class levels. Currently, putting it in armor greatly decreased its evasion and mobility rates due to its weight. Ainz felt that it needed training for that reason. However─
Armor hampers its movements since it doesn't have warrior levels, that much is the same as the game... no, I can't even wear metal armor at all due to the game's restrictions. From that point of view, its restrictions are a lot more lax... if only there were a second Hamsuke, then I could study the differences between the two..."
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