novelVolume 7
| ← Ch.068 | Ch.070 → |
Shalltear bowed deeply to Ainz before setting forth. Every step she took was one closer to ending Arche's life, but even if Imina knew it in her mind, there was nothing they could do about it. Imina and Roberdyck were both unable to move.
Shalltear walked past them without any sign that she had noticed them, without paying them the slightest bit of attention. Perhaps Foresight could close the distance between themselves and Shalltear immediately if they ran after her, but she seemed so far away.
"What's this? Still not coming? If you have time to talk, you have time to fight... How unexpectedly honorable of you."
He was not looking down on her. His sentiment was genuine. In response to it, Imina's fighting spirit recovered somewhat.
"Wait! A question, please! What happened there, where is the mercy in that?"
"A priest... then, I will tell you. In Nazarick, a death without further suffering is mercy enough."
Silence descended upon them. They would no longer speak with words, but weapons.
"Let's go, Rober!"
"Yes! Ohhhhhhh!"
With an uncharacteristic battlecry, the charging Roberdyck brought his mace down on Ainz's face. It was a strike made with all his strength. It was precisely because he thought that Ainz would not evade it that he put all his might into the blow.
Although Ainz took the full-power strike in the face, he did not react with pain as expected. Roberdyck followed up his attack, reaching out with his bare hand.
"[Middle Cure Wounds]!"
The healing spell was targeted at Ainz. When exposed to healing-type magic, undead would take damage instead. However, like the attack spell Arche cast earlier, it vanished uselessly against an invisible wall.
"Ahhhhh!"
Imina tensed her bowstring as she cried out. Then—she loosed. Although Roberdyck was next to Ainz, she was not nearly bad enough to actually hit him. Rather, at this range, there was no way she could miss.
Yet—the arrows struck Ainz, and fell to the ground without doing any damage whatsoever.
Ainz vanished.
It was the same tactic as earlier.
"Teleportation!"
"Not quite."
As expected, the voice came from behind.
"I—"
Before Roberdyck could finish, Ainz's hand gently settled on Imina's shoulder. There was no hostility in that gesture.
However, it had a telling effect. All the strength in her body vanished, and she slumped to the ground. Although her mind was fully functional and conscious, her body felt like a puddle of immobile, insensate slime.
"What did you do to her?"
Roberdyck asked his question in a trembling voice, as his eyes went from the collapsed Imina to Ainz, who stood by her side.
"Was that a surprise? It's nothing special."
Ainz proceeded to explain in such a way as to break Roberdyck's spirit.
"It was almost the same as just now. After casting a silent [Time Stop] I moved over here and cast the same spell I used on that man, [Touch of Undeath]. And then, I just touched her."
The air between them froze into silence. The sound of Roberdyck swallowing was exceptionally loud in comparison,
"... You stopped time..."
"Oh yes. Anti-time stop countermeasures are very important, don't you know? You'll need to have them by the time you hit level 70. Oh well, you're going to die here, so in your case, it's largely academic."
Roberdyck ground his teeth.
He was lying. If only he could say that. If only he could deny everything this monster—this god—was saying. It would be better if he fell to his knees and clutched his ears to shut the words out.
He understood that Ainz was very powerful.
However, even with that considered, stopping time and the like was something that should not exist in this world.
The march of time was a flow that could not be mastered or controlled by humanity. What could he do against a foe who was capable of such a feat? Cutting down an entire forest with a single sword would be an easier goal in comparison.
Ainz Ooal Gown. He was a being that the human race could never defeat. He was a man who stood in the realm of divinity.
He gripped his mace in both hands—
—and he felt a light tap on his shoulder.
"Ah..."
Roberdyck's body stopped moving. He did not have to look to know who had done it. It was Ainz Ooal Gown—that godlike being who could control the passage of time—who was supposed to be standing in front of him. When had he vanished from his field of vision?
The cold flowing into him made him feel as though he had turned into an ice sculpture. Thus, any feeling and freedom were stripped from his body.
"—It was useless, wasn't it?"
So spoke the gentle voice which carried no trace of enmity to Roberdyck. The mace fell from nerveless fingers, to the ground—
Then, Ainz muttered as he looked to Roberdyck who had lost all will to fight.
"Well, that was a waste of effort. I think I might have actually broken a sweat."
—It was completely useless. Every tactic and trick he had tried could not do even the slightest bit of damage to Ainz. Thoroughly defeated, Roberdyck looked quietly at Ainz, and calmly asked him a question
"I have something to ask. What is to become of me afterwards?"
"Mm? Is it because you're a divine magic caster and you think you won't end up in the same state as those other two?"
With that as a premise, Ainz began his explanation.
"Well, let's start with those two. Aura, take them to the Large Cave. Gashokukochuuou says he's running out of nests."
The Dark Elf's ears twitched, and her eyes went wide.
"Ai-Ainz-sama! Mare! I can order Mare to go instead, right? Make him go there instead!"
"Oh, hm. Fine with me."
"Understood! I'll let Mare go instead!"
"As for that, I apologize. There will be no kind fate in store for them. As for you—the subordinate I sent in pursuit is also a divine magic caster, but the god she believes in is completely different from the gods you worship. When it comes down to it, I have no idea what the Four Great Gods you worship are. As such, I need to confirm the details on them. As their subordinates, you have names for them, but whether they're the Four Gods or the Six Gods, these names are little more than job titles, like the Fire God, Earth God, is that it?"
"I, I don't know about that."
"I see... so they're not superior beings who possess a mysterious power, they're nothing more than great men of the past who've been deified—"
"—Impossible!"
"Well, do listen. That's just my theory. But if that were the case, if you do borrow the power of the gods to work your magic, could dead people provide it to you? Or rather, what are the gods? Do they even exist? Are you really using the power of the gods?"
"... What are you trying to say?"
"... Have you ever seen the gods?"
"The gods are always by my side!"
"That is to say, you've never actually seen them directly, then?"
"No! When we use our spells, we feel the presence of a mighty being. That is our god!"
"... And who declared that that presence to be a god? The god himself? Or someone else drawing on that power?"
Roberdyck recalled the theological debates he had taken part in. There was no clear answer to Ainz's questions. Until today, the priests still debated hotly over whether that was the proof of the gods' existence.
Just as Roberdyck was about to speak, Ainz interrupted him.
"... Well, supposing these super-dimensional beings—which we shall generously term gods for our purposes—do exist, I wonder if that means they were originally colorless entities. Simply put, they are masses of power. Because drawing on their power dyes them in a different color and changes the thing... well, they do exist in a world with magical laws, I just wanted someone to chat with someone about this. It wouldn't be funny if there really were gods."
"..."
"My apologies. That was off-topic. The power of the god you believe in. I think we won't be able to learn it... so do you want to take part in a human experiment?"
"... A human experiment?"
"That's right. For instance, when we alter your memories so the god you believe in is someone else, what will happen after that?"
He's insane. That was Roberdyck's deepest and most honest thought about the situation.
No, he's undead. It wouldn't be strange no matter what he did.
Ainz took a step back, looking with deep interest at Roberdyck. That look was the way a scholar would examine a laboratory animal, and it made Roberdyck want to throw up.
"Why, why do you want to do that?"
"To prove that god exists... eh, I'm not going to bother going on with that joke. Truthfully, I want to become stronger by understanding the nature of that power. And if those beings you call gods really exist, I want to know if they have emotions or thoughts. I want to confirm that. As for me, I have never thought of myself as a chosen being. In truth, there are many others like that."
Roberdyck had no idea what Ainz was talking about.
"Therefore, expanding military preparations is essential. Of course, it may be that no enemies exist, or if they do exist, none of them are as strong as we are. However, don't you think that the leader of an organization shouldn't be negligent? After all, if we rest on our laurels, we're likely to have our feet cut out from under us when we least expect it. Confirming the existence of gods is part of that."
Ainz shrugged as he finished.
Part 2
Arche panted heavily.
Her body trembled every time the grass rustled in the wind. Like a small animal, she looked fearfully in every direction.
She was surrounded by forest, and there were few places here where the light could reach. The spreading canopies of the densely-packed vegetarion blocked out any illumination from the sky, and so there was almost none on the surface.
Although this environment would normally be difficult for a human being to navigate, in lieu of illumination, Arche used the [Darkvision] spell, which made her surroundings seem as bright as day.
However, even with this spell, she still needed a lot of concentration to pick out grass patches which people could be hiding in, tree trunks that might conceal enemies behind them, and listen to the branches creaking as they swayed in the wind.
As an arcane magic caster, Arche could not count on her own physical strength to shake off any monsters if they leaped onto her and pinned her down. Normally, she would have help from her friends, but now there was nobody to support her, nobody to cover her, and nobody to heal her.
In other words, all she could do was remain alert for foes who were trying to advance into close quarters, keep her distance, and flee. She was on edge because she was keenly aware of this fact, and it sapped her mental strength even more than normal.
Her original plan was to use a [Fly] spell to make her getaway, since she was outside. But once she flew above the trees, she saw a huge black shape in the sky which seemed to be searching for something, so she abandoned that plan.
Once she detected the presence of the giant bat, she could not find it in herself to try and turn it into a contest of speed. That was because even though [Invisibility] could fool visual senses, it could not deceive the special sensory organs of a bat.
After verifying that her surroundings were safe, Arche took flight once more, at a snail's pace.
She was proceeding as slowly as possible with her [Fly] spell because she wanted to observe her surroundings. If she went at full speed, she would not be able to react quickly enough even if she were on alert and spotted a threat, and that would mean she would be leaping into the mouth of any monsters which pursued her. In order to avoid this, she deliberately lowered her speed.
Finally, Arche felt the layer of magic energy surrounding her growing thin. Her [Fly] spell's duration was about to run out.
She slowly descended to the ground.
The question now was what should she do. Casting [Fly] again would not be a problem. She could feel that she had enough mana for it. However, [Darkvision] was also a crucial spell, and she also had to reserve enough mana for defensive spells in case of combat.
The 3rd tier spell [Fly] was one of the highest-ranked spells Arche knew how to use. This also meant that it was one of the most draining spells she had. If possible, she wanted to avoid using it.
Ignoring the present circumstances, even she did not know how long it would take to get out of this forest without the use of spells that would stave off her fatigue. And without the ability to fly, she could not even confirm her current location.
On the way here, Arche had occasionally risen above the forest canopy and used the big tree beside the coliseum as a landmark. WHen she used [Fly] to travel, she lost her sense of direction. If she stayed in the forest, she could not spot the big tree, and she was not able to climb trees either.
"—Where can I rest..." Arche mumbled to herself.
Certainly, if she restored her mana through sleep, she could use [Fly] more often, and movement under the sun would be safer. This was particularly true for the forest, where the monsters tended to be nocturnal.
It might be better for her to curl up somewhere and wait for daybreak, rather than force herself to carry on in the dark forest.
However, Arche had no idea where the safe places were.
If Imina were here, she would probably know. And if Roberdyck or Hekkeran were around, she could rest easy even in dangerous areas. However, her reliable companions were not with her.
"—Imina, Roberdyck..."
Arche curled up beside a huge tree, and thought of her comrades.
"—Liars."
There had been no word from them after so long.
As expected, they had not been able to escape.
No, that was something she had known from the beginning. There was no way they could beat the ridiculous entity known as Ainz. Even so, was she a fool for holding on to the faint hope of seeing them again?
Arche sat on the ground, leaned her back on the great tree, and closed her eyes. She knew it was dangerous.
Still, she wanted to close her eyes.
As the memory of the three of them came to mind, she squeezed her eyelids shut.
The icy-cool sensation of the bark against her head was very comfortable. It was only after she had rested for a while that she realized just how tired she had been. Her stress turned into emotional exhaustion, and it rose without stopping.
"—Haaaaa..."
She let her head rest against the tree.
And then she opened her eyes wide.
[Darkvision] painted the world of night in fresh, bright colors, but she had no explanation for what she saw in her field of vision.
Someone was watching Arche.
It was like nothing Arche had ever seen before, and her eyes seemed transfixed on the sight of the beautiful girl.
She was dressed in a velvet-soft ball gown dyed in the darkest shade of black, a garment that seemed thoroughly unsuited for her present environment. Her skin was as pale as wax. A single hand stroked her long, platinum hair, which seemed about to brush across Arche's face.
Though she was a noble daughter, Arche had never seen a girl this beautiful before. If she were to show up at a formal dance, men would flock to her like moths to a flame, purely out of desire for her beauty. Her crimson pupils radiated an irresistible charm that seemed to draw Arche's soul into them.
But Arche immediately returned to her senses. There was no way someone like that would be in a place like this. Especially not someone with both feet on the tree trunk, standing parallel to the ground in utter defiance of gravity.
It was obvious that this was a pursuer sent by Ainz. Still, it was not completely impossible that she might have been a resident in the forest for a long time.
"Tag. You're it."
Her fleeting hopes had been utterly dashed.
"—A pursuer."
Arche leapt away to open up a gap, pointing her staff at the girl. The girl seemed disinterested in Arche, and neatly walked down the tree trunk and onto the floor.
"Come now, start running."
"—if I defeat you here, I can flee more safely."
Even as she said this, Arche smiled bitterly in her heart. There was no way she could beat any pursuer sent by Ainz, a being who existed outside the bounds of common sense.
Knowing this, the reason why she said so was to gauge the other party's reaction.
"Then, by all means, although I can only play with you for a while."
Her attitude said that she completely understood the difference in power between the two of them. Which was to say, if she fought Arche, it would be nothing more than toying with her.
"—[Fly]!"
Arche cast her spell and began to flee. There was not the leisurely, slow flight she had demonstrated on the ground. In one swift movement she was aloft, covering her face with her arms as she broke through the forest canopy and soared into the air.
Under the night sky, Arche looked around once more. She was on guard for the bat-like monster she had seen earlier. However, it seemed that it was nowhere around. And so, all that was left was to escape.
"Yes, yes, keep it up, keep it up, "
The beautiful voice called out to Arche, who was desperately trying to flee. Her heart lurched. Casting frantic glances around, Arche tried to see where it was coming from.
It was from in front and above her.
When had she—the girl from just now was there.
"—[Lightning]!"
Bluish-white lightning leapt from her staff's head and cleaved through the night. This was Arche's strongest attack spell. Even though it pierced the girl, the smile did not vanish from her face.
Arche was sure of it. This was a being on par with Ainz, which meant that there was no way Arche could defeat her. The girl cheerfully spoke to Arche, who was eager to flee.
"[Come, my familiars. ]"
An enormous pair of wings extended from behind the girl's back. They were like a bat's in shape, but far, far larger. An enormous bat flew out from behind her, like it had detached from her body. And of course, no bat with glowing crimson eyes like that could be a mere beast.
The girl smiled from beside the giant bat, whose wings beat steadily through the air. It was a smile that froze Arche's body like ice, a smile that did not seem to belong on someone her age at all.
"Well then, do continue to flee~"
***
Arche fled.
All she did was flee.
She flew into the forest to lose her pursuer, and the branches scratched her body as she fled.
Since she had discarded her companions to escape, that meant she had to make it out of here no matter what. In her mind, she would do anything to make that happen.
And after a flight of who knew how long, Arche stared despair in the face.
It was a wall.
An invisible wall stood in front of her.
The world went on beyond it, but Arche's body was blocked by that wall. Arche was now two hundred meters above ground level and the invisible wall had reached this high.
"—This is—"
Arche muttered to herself as despair seeped into her heart. She flew and felt around with her hands. But... wall, wall, wall, still a wall.
No matter where she flew, her hands told her there was something hard in her way.
"What is this?!"
"A wall, of course."
It was an answer to her self-directed mutterings. Arche turned around, with an idea of who she might see.
It was as she had expected. The girl from earlier. But now she had a trio of giant bats as her escorts.
"Though it seems you've gotten the wrong impression. This is the 6th floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. That is to say, you're underground."
"... This?"
Arche pointed to the world. The sky, the stars, the gently-blowing wind, the forest which stretched as far as the eye could see. Although she did not think this place could be under the earth, when it came to these people, even that might be a possibility.
"The 41 Supreme Beings, our most august creators, once ruled this place. It was created by them, and even we don't understand all of it."
"—They created a world? That would make them like gods..."
"That's correct. To us, they are beings on the same level as gods. Gods with Ainz-sama as their leader."
Arche looked around.
She had accepted it. As expected, after seeing all this, the only thing she could do was accept it.
There was no way she would be returning alive.
"Well then, not fleeing?"
"—Would it even be possible?"
"Of course not. There was never any intention to allow you to escape to begin with."
"—Is that so."
Arche gripped her staff tightly with both hands and charged the girl. She could no longer use spells since she was out of mana. However, even in this most hopeless of situations she still had to try her best until the very last moment. This was the duty of Arche, the sole surviving member of Foresight.
"There, there, you've done your best."
The girl's reply to Arche's fully-determined charge was little more than bored dismissal.
"Then, your sad little escape attempt ends here... though it's a shame I couldn't see you break down in tears."
The girl easily caught the staff with one hand, and yanked it toward herself. Arche was thrown off balance and fell into the arms of the girl. The two of them ended up embracing in mid-air.
In this position, the girl buried her face into Arche's neck. Although Arche tried to struggle, the girl who stuck to her like glue could not be shaken off. She breathed hotly on Arche's neck, and Arche's body quivered.
"... Mm, the stink of sweat..."
Not being able to keep one's body clean was part and parcel of the worker's life for Arche. This was true for all Workers, adventurers, travellers, and anyone who spent time moving around outside. Even if they got dirty, the appropriate response would be "So what?"
However, she still felt deeply ashamed at being told this by a girl who was younger and more beautiful than her.
The girl's face left Arche's neck. A feeling of revulsion swept up over Arche as she looked into those crimson eyes. Within those eyes burned a lust for the female body, stained with the same carnal desire that men possessed for women.
"Be at ease. You will die without experiencing any suffering. Be grateful to Ainz-sama for his mercy."
"——!"
Arche wanted to respond, but instead all she felt was surprise - surprise at the fact that her body had been immobilized. It was as though those crimson pupils had stolen away her soul.
At last, Arche realised the true identity of the girl. She was not human — she was a Vampire.
"... And then..."
The girl's face drew closer to Arche's, her tongue slipping past her lips to lightly lick at Arche's cheeks.
"... Salty..."
The girl laughed, and despair swallowed Arche's soul.
That only made the girl laugh harder.
Her lips split apart to her ears. The red of her irises spread to engulf their respective eyeballs.
With a cracking sound, she opened her mouth. What had once been neat, pearly white teeth were now things that made people think of medical syringes, in multiple rows like those of a shark. Her lascivious voice was laced with lewd undertones, and clear drool oozed from the corners of her mouth.
And then, terror enveloped Arche completely.
"Ahahahahaha!"
Arche's mind lost hold on consciousness in the face of the laughing monster that reeked of blood.
The last thing that went through her mind was the faces of her two sisters waiting for her.
"Ooooooh? Fainted already?... Then there's no need to knock you out with magic. You can embrace Death in your dreams~"
Part 3
After handing the intruders over to his subordinates to handle, Ainz activated the monitor within the Throne Room and scrolled through Nazarick's data. The figure which most concerned him — their remaining funds — had only shifted very slightly. That was because they had hardly activated any cash-item traps. Thus, it could be counted as a very successful training exercise.
Ainz turned to Albedo — who was nervously awaiting Ainz's opinion — and smiled broadly — although a skeletal face could not show any expressions — before praising her:
"Very well done. While the intruders were all weak, they were fairly skilled among the humans of this world. In addition, you eliminated them with barely any expenditures. It would seem I can entrust the task of defense to you in future."
"Thank you for your praise."
Albedo looked visibly relieved as she bowed her head in gratitude.
"Then, Ainz-sama, are there any problems with the time?"
"It's fine. I've asked Pandora's Actor; while the people on top think the Workers are taking their time, they've decided to wait one day, or until there's some change in the ruins."
After seeing that none of the Workers had returned by dawn, the adventurers had flown into a panic, but Momon — Pandora's Actor — suggested that they wait another day and see. While they had already arranged that to leave the campsite and observe from further away in case of emergency, the word of an adamantite-ranked adventurer carried more weight than their previous plans.
"Then, may I occupy a bit of your precious time? In truth, I have a question to ask, Ainz-sama."
"What is it, Albedo? A moment please... alright, it's fine."
Ainz turned around after making a final check on Hamsuke and the Lizardmen through the monitor.
"What is this question?"
"—Yes." She looked around before speaking."This concerns what those fools said just now; how high is searching for the Supreme Beings on your list of priorities, Ainz-sama?"
"At the top. So long as it does not place the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick in danger, it will be our topmost priority, "Ainz answered without delay.
"I see. I understand. Then, I have a proposal, that you will allow me to put together a unit under me that will search for the Supreme Beings."
"What do you mean?"
Ainz's tone had unconsciously grown stiff, because he realised the dark side lurking within his heart.
Until this date, he had several opportunities to actively search for his friends. However, he had kept pushing those plans back because he "lacked manpower" or "had insufficient information".
This was because he was afraid of scouring every corner of the world and finding nothing, so he could not make that decision. Rather than work hard just to confirm that he was alone, becoming a famous monster held more hope.
"Yes. The lies those fools told just now were of a very low grade and were instantly seen through. However, we might encounter information in future whose veracity cannot be easily determined. Therefore, I would like to form a team to verify the reliability of this information, and at the same time investigate the whereabouts of the Supreme Beings. After I investigate in detail, I can report the results to you, Ainz-sama."
Ainz caressed his chin with a bony hand.
"Is that so..." he murmured to himself. He thought about his conversation with the Workers, and what he felt was not anger, but emptiness. Wavering between hope and despair was truly a heart-wrenching thing. His own sentimentality aside, it would seem that as the group's leader, it was time for him to decide to advance, even if it was only by a small step.
"You do not need to do everything on your own, Albedo. I hope you will be able to continue administering Nazarick well. If you intend to gather information by heading outside... would Mare or Aura not be better choices? I hear there are Dark Elves in the outside world."
"It is as you say. However, there is one factor which makes me uneasy; 'loss of control'. For instance, if she caught wind of Peroroncino-sama, Shalltear would surely abandon everything and do as she pleased. Similarly, if Aura and Mare learned of Bukubukuchagama, there is no telling what Aura and Mare will do."
"I see..." Ainz smiled bitterly as he thought of Shalltear."Indeed, I feel that is a possibility."
"In order to avoid that, I feel a team which is directly loyal to me would be more appropriate."
"... So you will not go berserk when you learn about Tabula-san?"
"Please be at ease. As the Guardian Overseer of Nazarick, I will not do so under any circumstances. I promise."
"I see..."
When it came to Albedo, a wise person who was the most skilled at the internal administration of Nazarick, the chances of her going out of control due to her emotions ought to be very low. While she was a little off-kilter from time to time, there had never been any problems with the running of Nazarick while Ainz had been gone, and she was worthy of trust.
"Personally, I feel Demiurge would also be acceptable, but he has many other duties to cover. Having him bear the weighty task of gathering information about the other Supreme Beings in addition to those tasks would be somewhat burdensome."
"What you said also makes sense. Then how about dispatching Pandora's Actor?"
"I was about to mention that. If possible, I would like to ask you to assign me Pandora's Actor as my adjutant, Ainz-sama."
"I see. Having two of Nazarick's most intelligent people working together will reduce the chances of mistakes compared to just one person, but... he still has his duties in the Treasury. I will lend him to you when the need arises."
"Thank you, Ainz-sama. May I make several other requests?"
Ainz raised his chin, indicating that she should continue.
"I would like my subordinates for the Supreme Being search team to be powerful."
"Of course, I will assign you a group of the highest-levelled vassals."
"Thank you, Ainz-sama. In addition, I feel it would be very helpful if you could bestow upon an undead lieutenant hand-crafted by yourself."
"That, I cannot approve. Indeed, the lieutenants I can make are level 90, but—"
Rather than mercenary NPCs, one of Ainz's skills allowed him to use experience points to create undead beings — an Overlord Wiseman or a Grim Reaper Thanatos. Since he could only have one at a time, they were very powerful. However, this world was not like YGGDRASIL where large amounts of experience points were easy to come by, and so he wanted to avoid skills which consumed experience points.
"Yes, I'll pass on that. Albedo, you will be in charge of the team, your adjutant will be Pandora's Actor, and the other team members will be monsters."
"Understood. There is also one more thing; I would like to keep this group secret and not let the other Guardians know about it."
"Why is that? Won't it be better to have the Guardians' help?"
"No. If news is carelessly leaked, the Guardians or the other creations of the Supreme Beings might ask us to bring them along in order to visually confirm the sightings. In that case, they might end up falling into a trap if that news was bait. My abilities are oriented towards defense, so I might be able to escape on my own, but it would be more difficult if I had to protect others as well."
"That makes sense. Very well, Albedo. We will proceed as you see fit."
"Thank you, Ainz-sama!"
Albedo bowed deeply in thanks, and her long hair hung down, covering her face.
"That's fine. Then, I'll leave this to you."
"Please be at ease, Ainz-sama! The secret unit executing your most important order will not disappoint you."
Ainz was puzzled. The phrasing of her reply seemed a little strange.
Forget it, it's fine.
"Then let us select your subordinates. I won't touch the vassals already assigned to the various floors, but make new ones instead. How many level 80-odd monsters do you need?"
"Let's start with 15."
"15? That's a bit too..."
Halfway through, Ainz shook his head. Searching for his past friends was an important task; he should not be considering the expense at all.
"No, that's fine. I understand."
"There is another thing I would like to ask; may I have command authority over Rubedo?"
"Denied."
Ainz replied instantly.
Rubedo was the single most powerful individual in Nazarick. Purely in terms of melee combat, she was stronger than Sebas, Cocytus and Albedo. In all likelihood, even a fully-equipped Ainz could not beat her, and even Shalltear would be considered weak in comparison to her.
The only people who can beat her are the ones from the 8th Floor, and they'd have to use World-Class Items. No matter how strong she is, she probably wouldn't be able to fight one of them to a draw, but...
"While the activation experiment was a success, I do not intend to mobilize it for the moment. I wish to ask you; why do you need so much fighting power?"
"It embarrasses me to say it, but would you be willing to listen, Ainz-sama?"
"Go ahead."
"Since this is a rare chance to do so, I wanted to put together the strongest possible team."
"Hahahaha—!"
Albedo's wish might have sounded like that of a child, but Ainz keenly understood it, and he could not help laughing. The emotion was promptly suppressed, but ripples of mirth remained in its wake.
"Ainz-sama!"
Upon seeing the distressed look on Albedo's face, Ainz smiled congenially to her — although his face did not move — and replied:
"Sorry, sorry. No, hm, that is quite interesting. So that's it. In that case, since she's your sister, I shall turn command authority over to you."
"Will you really permit that?"
"Of course; go assemble your dream team. For all we know, we might need to use that team's power in the future."
"Thank you very much, Ainz-sama!"
Albedo bowed deeply, and so he could not see her face, but Ainz imagined she would be smiling benignly as always, and so he turned his attention to the monitors once more. Just then, someone entered the Throne Room; it was Entoma. She walked up to the Throne, then genuflected before him and bowed her head.
"My apologies."
"What is it, Entoma?"
Albedo's voice sounded very stiff. Entoma replied with a "Yes" and continued answering from her kneeling position.
"Aura-sama and Mare-sama are due to set out, and so I have come to report it to you, "
"Is that so... raise your head."
Entoma replied with a clipped "Yes" once more and then looked up.
"There's still time, so I will go send them off. Communicating with magic is far too boring. Entoma, pardon me, but go inform the two of them."
"Understood.
Entoma rose and made to leave. Albedo watched her back as she went, then leaned over to Ainz and asked:
"... Ainz-sama, are you not displeased? They should have sent a maid other than Entoma. I will scold them later."
"... Why do you say that?"
"No, I simply felt that they should not have let you hear that rude girl's voice, Ainz-sama—"
"Oh, I don't mind. In fact, it was my suggestion that Entoma take her — wait! Entoma!"
"Yes! Is something the matter?"
Entoma was just about to rush back when Ainz held out his hand to stop her, indicating that she should answer him from her current location.
"What happened to the other parts? Were they well-utilized?"
"Yes. The head went to a Silk Hat. The arms were shared between the Deadman Struggles. Demiurge-sama took the skin. The other parts were fodder for Grant's children. I believe there was no wastage."
"Really now? Very good. A hunter's duty is to make good use of every bit of his kill. If all hunters did that, it would be called provision."
"You really are... too kind. As expected of the Supreme One, you show kindness even to such filthy little thieves. Surely everyone in Nazarick would shed a tear if they heard what you just said, Ainz-sama."
Albedo's voice trembled with emotion as she spoke. Entoma's eyes were filled with a respect that transcended the norm.
"... Umu. Ah, it's fine... that's just my personal opinion, it's not meant to force you to be like me. Although, I still... feel that making full use of it is just common courtesy."
"Understood, I'm certain the others will make good use of theirs too!"
As he saw the two of them bowing deeply before him, Ainz had a feeling like he had missed something somewhere, and all he could reply with was "Umu."
Part 4
The Ministry of Magic had several meeting rooms and guest rooms. Fluder was headed to the most lavishly-furnished guest room of them all. It was a room which was only used for visits from the Emperor or other highly-placed people.
Fluder stood by the door of the room and checked his grooming.
His robe was exquisite and fit to be worn to the evening galas organized by the Emperor, while the splash of cologne on his collar and sleeves radiated a heartening fragrance.
Fluder had no interest in politics or social interactions. Rather, he hoped to be able to focus all his efforts on magical research, so he found all other matters annoying. However, he knew that he could not completely ignore such problems.
He did not want to wound the Empire's dignity by appearing unkempt.
Very good, all's well.
After assuring himself that his clothes were in an immaculate state, he knocked on the door, and then entered.
There were two adventurers in the luxurious room. One was a warrior, dressed in jet black plate armor like the Death Knight from just now. And then, the other one was a beautiful woman who was so fair that she even managed to mesmerize Fluder for a moment.
So they are Momon of Darkness and the Beautiful Princess Nabe, then?
"Forgive me for keeping the two of you waiting."
As Fluder quietly closed the door, he suddenly had a strange feeling.
"... Odd..."
He remained at the door, staring at the jaw-dropping beauty.
... I can't see it?
Fluder's eyes should have been able to see an image superimposed over her. However, he could not see it now, which left him speechless from shock and puzzlement.
Fluder's natural Talent was the ability to see the auras around arcane magic casters, and thus the tier of spells they could use.
However, Fluder's talent could not sense the auras from around them, despite hearing that the Beautiful Princess Nabe of Darkness was an arcane magic caster.
Protection from divinations?
That was the only possibility, but that in turn raised new questions of its own. Why had she warded herself against divinations? Normal adventurers would not erect such defenses. That was because using their strength on such matters was too troublesome and few situations arose where one needed to be constantly aware of such things. Besides, not taking off one's protection for divinations when meeting them was quite rude.
Well, I used a detection ability myself, which was somewhat impolite too... but why does she have to hide her power?
Fluder's Talent was well known, and perhaps she had done so to protect herself, but he still did not know the reason for it.
Upon seeing Fluder frozen in place, his somewhat surprised guests asked:
"Is something the matter?"
"Ohh, please forgive my rudeness."
Fluder sat before Momon, but he could not help sneaking peeks at Nabe.
"Ah, I see. Let's begin, then."
Begin what? Before Fluder could ask, Momon took the initiative and said:
"... Nabe, it's time for you to take your ring off."
"Understood."
Nabe removed her ring. In that moment—
***
It felt like an explosion had gone off in his face.
A cry of "What—!" escaped his throat.
Nabe's body radiated a world-shaking wave of power.
His body was not truly being assaulted by a wave of overpressure. This was a surge of might which only someone with Fluder's talents could see.
Fluder curled up into a ball and trembled, like a man lashed by icy winds.
"Im... possible..."
It was not possible, it could not be possible. There was no way — no way that there was someone more powerful than himself.
But he could not reject it out of hand, because the scene before him was reality. His ability had never betrayed him before — her power was far in excess of his. That was the pure and undeniable truth.
"The 7th... no, don't tell me, this flow of power is... the proof of the 8th... ?"
If that were so, then it would be the stuff of legends.
Fluder could no longer speak, because magic of the 5th tier was the domain of heroes. And the 6th tier which Fluder had reached was terra incognita. And now, someone who had easily gone a tier beyond had suddenly appeared before his eyes.
And she was such a young and beautiful woman too.
Could it be that her appearance doesn't correspond to her age?
As Fluder trembled in shock, he noticed Momon removing one of his black gauntlets, and then he removed one of the rings he wore.
"—!"
In that instant, the world was subsumed into light, and Fluder felt his consciousness flee him.
He could not understand what had just taken place before his eyes. Even Fluder, who had lived over 200 years, even this man who could use the highest tiers of magic humanity could reach, could not comprehend this reality.
"This... this... this is... this is too unbelievable."
Hot fluid coursed down Fluder's cheeks. However, he did not have the presence of mind or the composure to wipe it away. The immense shock had overwhelmed his mind.
Who could have imagined this? That the Dark Warrior of song and story was actually an arcane magic caster, and one who occupied a height so great that Fluder could not hope to reach the soles of his feet?.
"If that is the 8th tier... then this is the 9th... no... this really is... oh, gods..."
The overwhelming might emanating from the Dark Warrior Momon far exceeded that of Nabe, who sat by his side. Since he had surpassed Nabe, a magic caster estimated to be of the 8th tier, then exactly what heights of magic could this Momon reach?
Fluder's soul answered the question that had appeared in the corner of his mind.
***
—The 10th tier. It was an absolute zenith whose existence was known, but which had never been verified. And now, a man who came from that exalted domain had appeared before his eyes.
***
Fluder rose to his feet, then knelt before Momon, tears streaming from his eyes
"... In the past, I believed in a lesser deity who governed magic. However, if you are not that god, then I shall promptly renounce my faith. That is because the true god has deigned to appear before me."
Fluder kowtowed with all his might, plastering his head to the ground. There was pain, but the uncontrollable joy in his heart meant that the pain lost all meaning to him.
"I know this is extremely rude, but I beg a favor of you, upon my hands and knees! Please, bestow your teachings upon me! I wish to glimpse the abyss of magic! I beg you! I beg you!"
"—And what sort of price are you willing to pay for that?"
That voice was as cold as an iceberg. Fully a hundred out of a hundred would describe it that way; yet to Fluder's ears, it was a sweet and pleasant voice that set his heart aflutter. Of course, he knew of the venom concealed within those words. Still — what of it?
Fluder did not hesitate for even a moment. He was willing to pay the price. He was willing to hand over his soul.
"Everything! Yes, I will pledge everything I have to you! O Lord of the Abyss! O unfathomable one!"
"... Very well. If you are willing to give me everything, then my knowledge shall be yours. I shall grant your wish."
"Ohhh! Ohhhhh!"
Fluder ground his forehead into the floor as he shed tears of joy. His heart, frozen and stiff from jealousy, had melted. After waiting over 200 years, he had finally obtained a chance to fulfil the wish he had held for so long.
The utterly excited Fluder kept his forehead touched to the floor as he crawled over to Momon's feet and kissed his boots. He had originally planned to lick them clean. However, the calm portion of his mind worried that his master and god would be revolted by him, and so he settled for politeness instead.
"That's enough, I understand your loyalty."
"Ohhh! Thank you!... My Master!"
"Now then, your first order. Deliver live sacrifices to my fortress—"
***
"Gramps! Gramps! What's wrong, Gramps?"
Lost in thought, Fluder came round when he heard someone calling out to him.
Fluder blinked a few times, then he remembered where he was, and nodded to the person who had called out to him.
"Forgive me, your Majesty. I was thinking about something."
Before Fluder was the only person who could call him "Gramps". That person was the Emperor of the Baharuth Empire, Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix.
Normally, there would only be a few people in this room, but right now, there were many people gathered here. There was Emperor Jircniv and four bodyguards. There was Fluder Paradyne, the highest-ranking magic caster in the Empire. Then there were 10 loyal and capable ministers, whose abilities could effectively support their outstandingly intelligent Emperor. In addition, one of the people hailed as the strongest in the Empire — "Lightning Bolt" Baziwood Peshmel of the Empire's Four Knights — was present.
All of them sat where they pleased, and they had been discussing the direction that the Empire would take since just now. The sheets of paper scattered all around bore witness to the intensity of their debate. One of them had even shouted himself hoarse.
The young Empeoror with the title of Bloody spoke something to Fluder that he would never have said to anyone else.
"No, don't worry about it. After all, I've made you worry about a lot of things. You're getting on in years, so I'd like to let you enjoy them. Unfortunately, there are many things which I must bother you about, so please forgive me."
"I thank your Majesty for his concern. However, I am a faithful servant of your Majesty. Please, order me around as you see fit."
After being thanked for his service, Fluder nodded his head slightly.
I've raised a good boy.
Those thoughts went through Fluder's mind as he looked upon the handsome young man.
Fluder had begun working for the Empire about six generations ago.
His relationship with the Emperor at that time — the sixth Emperor before Jircniv — had been quite bad. However, Fluder was a skilled magic caster who could cast spells of a high tier, so after entering public service, he soon reached the middle to upper ranks of the Court Wizards.
For this reason, Fluder had become closer to the fifth Emperor before Jircniv. After becoming the Head Court Wizard, he began teaching the fourth Emperor before Jricniv about magic.
Ever since the third Emperor before Jircniv ascended to the throne, he had taken on the role of teaching the Emperor about all sorts of knowledge, and he had considerable influence in implementing policy.
And now, there was the present Emperor — his beloved boy.
None of the Emperors he had served through the generations were incompetent. The heavens seemed to have smiled upon every one of them; they were all talented and intelligent boys — thought the sixth Emperor before Jircniv had been old at the time. And among all of them, the current Emperor possessed intelligence to surpass all of them. He might have been begun laying the foundations for it since two generations ago, but the fact that he could successfully institute himself as an autocrat was thanks to his excellent competence.
Fluder deeply doted on Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix.
Fluder had taught him like he was his own son. He was certain that the Emperor too loved and respected him like a second father.
Even so—
***
Fluder could discard a man he loved like his own son.
I want to see the abyss of magic, Jir. I will cast aside anything for it without hesitation. Even a darling lad like you.
***
"Then, your Majesty, we've decided to completely halt the offensive against the Kingdom, is it?"
"Indeed. That's because investigating the demon Jaldabaoth is more important. Gramps, did you learn anything?"
"I regret to say that despite my investigations, I have not found any information yet, your Majesty."
Indeed, it had all been arranged beforehand.
"Paradyne-sama. Can you not use magic to investigate?"
Fluder turned to the man who had addressed him, carefully faked an expression, and then looked coldly at him.
"Indeed, magic is potentially capable of performing the impossible. That is—"
"—Forgive me, gramps. Once you start talking about this sort of thing, you tend to ramble on all day. Please dispense with that for now."
"I understand, your Majesty, " Fluder replied with a somewhat unhappy look on his face. Then, he started speaking again in a pedagogical tone: "There are ways to resist magical investigation. For instance, this room is soundproofed; you all should know this. Similarly, impeding divination magic is also simple enough to accomplish."
"... I see. In other words, there are ways to resist it, so it's very difficult."
"Precisely. However, you would be lucky to get away with a simple spell failure. High-end magic casters can even prepare counterattacks against this sort of magic; if things go badly, those can directly kill the diviner who is casting spells on them."
What use would my pitiful grasp of magic be to the Supreme One... nobody is more fitting of being called the Supreme One. I need to demonstrate my usefulness as soon as possible—
Several people had disgusted looks on their faces when they learned that their adversary could instantly kill people in the process of striking back, but Fluder was utterly uninterested.
"So according to your words, " one of the ministers said as he picked up a sheet of paper."Does the fact that you could detect the base of this Ainz Ooal Gown magic caster with a spell not imply that his abilities are beneath yours, Paradyne-sama?"
"Naive!"
Fluder struggled to keep himself from smiling bitterly as he continued in a harsh tone, the better to impress the depths of his annoyance on the other party.
"You are too naive. It was only after I witnessed him saving Carne Village... no, I noticed he had only saved Carne Village and then conducted magical surveillance of the area, which was how I noticed the ruins. Since I had no recollection of the ruins being there, I continued my observation, which was how I noticed a magic caster who looked like like Ainz Ooal Gown entering those ruins. You must remember that I discovered him entirely by chance, else you will be inviting disaster upon your own head!"
Part of that was the truth. Only a fool would take such a great being lightly. No, he too had been such a fool; ignorance was a truly tragic thing.
Fluder quietly laughed at his foolish self from the past. At that time, he had truly been clueless.
"Forgive me."
Fluder waved his hand to accept the man's apology.
"Oh, that's right, Gramps. What about the Workers you sent into his home?"
"One of the spies following them sent back a report via [Message]. It seems they are all dead."
Jircniv counted the days on his fingers, and then his eyes widened slightly. He had heard that the people who had been sent out were quite capable Workers. The fact that such fighting power had been annihilated in a day or less was quite surprising.
Needless to say, Fluder was not surprised. He felt that such an outcome was inevitable. However, the look on his face was one of disbelief.
"... Is that so? That said, magical information alone is not completely reliable. How long until the adventurers return?"
"They decided to fall back immediately since nobody came back alive, but it seems it will take them four days to come back."
"Waiting for the returning adventurers to provide us with their information... That'll be at least five days. Until then, our hands are tied."
[Message] was a very unreliable way of transmitting information. That was because it became less clear the longer the distance between them. In addition, there was another reason why the Empire did not place its trust in methods like [Message].
The most famous example was the tragedy of Gartenberg.
Roughly 300 years ago, that country had set up a [Message] network between their cities to increase the speed of information transfer. It was a humanoid nation ruled by magic casters. Due to their over-reliance on [Message], it fell into chaos after receiving just three false reports. The cities warred against each other and on top of that they were attacked by monsters and demihumans, and thus the country perished.
Apart from that, the bards also sang songs about husbands who murdered their wives after being informed of the latter's betrayal, only to find out that it had been fake news all along.
As a result, very few people trusted [Message] for passing on information. Rather, those who placed too much faith in [Message] were treated as idiots. Jircniv was one of them. He made use of [Message]. However, he corroborated it with intelligence from other sources; he would never solely rely on magic.
"Still, that man was a moron. If he had hired Workers from E-Rantel, things would have fitted our plan better. Of course, it's precisely because he's incompetent that he was dancing in the palm of my hand, but being too useless is problematic too. He ought to be better bait, at least."
"It is as your Majesty says."
***
Jircniv furrowed his brows as he heard Fluder agree with him.
Fluder had proposed a plan several days ago, which he had accepted. Said plan had two aims.
The first was to grasp Ainz Ooal Gown's personality.
According to Fluder's investigations, Ainz Ooal Gown's reaction was to not leave the tomb for several days, so they determined that said tomb was his home base. Thus, they dispatched the Workers there, to observe how Ainz Ooal Gown would react.
Would he treat the people who barged into his domicile kindly, or mount stiff resistance?
In the end, the Workers had been slaughtered to the last, and from there, they had learned about part of his character.
The other aim was to ruin the Kingdom's relationship with Ainz Ooal Gown. It would have been better to hire Workers in E-Rantel, but unfortunately things had not gone that smoothly.
It seems he was not that stupid after all.
All the Count had been told was that those were unknown ruins. It had been enough of a risk for a noble of the Empire to barge into ruins within Kingdom territory, and hiring workers from the Kingdom would have required even more courage. It was hard to fault him for using Empire Workers.
However that would mean they could not spoil the relationship between E-Rantel — or perhaps the Re-Estize Kingdom — and Ainz Ooal Gown. Therefore, in order to achieve their second aim, they had to send information on this unknown tomb to the Kingdom's Adventurer's Guild.
"Momon's arrival at the Empire played right into our hands."
"Indeed. Now, he will tell the Guild over there about the unknown ruins and how the Workers were all wiped out. This way, the Kingdom will know the Empire wants to search those ruins, and they'll mount an official investigation on their own."
It was in order to achieve that objective that they had forced the involvement of the Adventurer's Guild in this. Of course, they had not done so in the Emperor's name. They had simply spread some rumors through their spies to encourage such an occurrence.
This incident had to be treated as a foolish noble running wild. In this way, even if the Empire's involvement were revealed, Ainz Ooal Gown's hostility would be directed to the manipulated Count, and Jircniv could instead build a friendly relationship with him.
"Naturally, the Kingdom's adventurers will invade the lair of Ainz Ooal Gown, who responds to intrusions with deadly force. What sort of response will a powerful magic caster make against the Kingdom? And what will the Kingdom do when it is attacked? I do look forward to it, " Jircniv laughed. Then, just in case, he asked:
"I already know the power of Ainz Ooal Gown. He can easily eliminate Worker teams. This matter ought to be neatly handled and taken care of by offering up the head of a single foolish noble."
"But of course. We have taken great pains to handle this, and only the people here know the truth."
"Good. But just in case — what was that?"
A tremor interrupted Jircniv's words. The windows in the room and furniture rattled. However, it did not seem to be an earthquake. It was more like a single great shaking caused by some massive entity crashing into the ground.
"What happened? Hurry up and check — what's this ruckus about?! What's going on!"
The wails Jircniv heard were not just from inside the room, but outside as well. The walls of this room were thick and sturdy. In that case, just how loudly were the people outside screaming? What had brought about this screaming — the least suitable sound for this place?
One of his vassals looked at the courtyard from whence the screaming came and after examining the situation, his face turned pale as he answered Jircniv's question.
"Your Majesty! A Dragon! A Dragon has landed in the courtyard!"
For a brief moment, a wave of stupefaction passed through the room. Nobody could immediately parse the meaning of that sentence. No, they could not understand it. Everyone knew that he could not be lying, yet they all ran to the window to witness it with their own eyes.
They practically tore open the heavy curtains. After seeing what lay beyond them, the scene outside the translucent glass window — that of a Dragon in the middle of the courtyard — every single one of them was speechless and gawping with their mouths open.
"Why... why is there a Dragon there? Where did that Dragon come from?"
"Foreign Affairs! Which Dragon-riding boor was scheduled to barge into the courtyard today?!"
"I don't know anything about this!"
"Have you seen the Council Alliance's Dragons before? Could that be a Dragon from the Council Alliance?"
"... That Dragon doesn't match the description I was given. A diplomat told me, so it ought to be reliable."
"All that isn't important; surely the biggest problem is letting the opposition force their way into the Imperial Palace, right!? His Majesty is here; what are the Royal Air Guards doing!"
Dragons possessed powerful bodies sheathed in thick scales, their lifespans vastly exceeded those of mankind, they had all manner of special abilities and magic, and they were the mightiest beings in the world. Of course, Dragons' strength varied between individuals, and there were occasional stories of an adventurer defeating a Dragon. But throughout the course of history, there were also cities devastated by a wrathful Dragon, and sometimes even entire countries. A city in a country from the south had been destroyed by a Dragon some twenty-odd years ago, and it was still fresh in people's memory.
The fact that such a being had appeared in the middle of the Imperial Palace was a grave situation.
Even Jircniv held his breath as he surveyed the situation. Just then, he saw two people hop down from the Dragon's back.
He squinted, and saw that they were two children whose skin had been tanned by the sun.
"Those ought to be Dark Elves."
Fluder calmly stated the species of those two.
"Paradyne-sama! Where did that Dragon come from! And who are those two people?"
"Well, I don't recognize that Dragon..."
The Dragon in the courtyard was surrounded by knights, to say nothing of the two people who had just alighted from it. Those knights were the pride of Empire, yet he could not bring himself to put his faith in them when they stood before a Dragon. That was the strongest living being for you.
A man strode forth from among the knights, a man who carried a shield in each hand.
"Oi, oi, is he going out there? While it can't be helped... losing him like this would be a shame."
The person who had stepped forth was one of the Empire's Four Knights, "The Immovable" Nazami Enec.
He was one of the topmost warriors in the Kingdom, the most adept of the Four Knights at defensive battles. This warrior might be able to resist many energy attacks, but he seemed awfully insignificant when compared to a Dragon. Everyone could only nod in agreement at "Lightning Bolt" Baziwood Peshmel's prediction of his colleague's fate.
"Your Majesty, please take shelter!"
"Where can we run? Tell me where can we find safety?"
Jircniv snorted at the suggestion from the minister who had come to his senses.
"But!"
"—I understand what you want to say. But if we abandon the Imperial Palace and run, we will become the butt of jokes. The same applies even if our adversary is a Dragon. While it does not look like a Dragon of the Council Alliance, if our foe did this while knowing I would not flee... they say Dragons are very intelligent; it seems it knows the Empire's political situation very well."
Jircniv could apply pressure to the nobles because he had the military power of the knights as backing. If the Emperor and his knights quit the Imperial Palace and fled because a Dragon appeared there, they would certainly make light of the Emperor's military power and revolt. He did not think he would lose to whatever ragtag bunch of misfits they could scrape together, but it would severely weaken the Empire.
Whether we fight or flee, we still lose. What a troublesome move. Where did that Dragon come from?
Soon, more and more people gathered in the courtyard. There were 40 Imperial Guardsmen surrounding the Dragon and the two people, as well as 60 knights. In addition to that, there were arcane and divine magic casters scattered throughout their number.
"120 people will not be enough to deal with them. I think I should go over too, your Majesty."
Jircniv furrowed his brow slightly. Fluder was the trump card of the Empire. He was not sure whether playing that card against a mighty being like the Dragon would do any good. However, he was confident that Fluder could escape even after being pressed into dire straits, and that trust cut through his hesitation.
Jircniv did not know the truth.
He did not know that Fluder's offer to go forth was to avoid Jircniv asking him to retreat with teleportation magic.
"I'll leave it to you, gramps. Also, could you ask The Immovable to stand down?"
"Understood. However, those people are unfathomable. I feel they are incredibly strong; please prepare yourself to flee, your Majesty."
With that, Fluder opened the window. He jumped straight out and flew into the sky with a flight spell.
***
"Er, can everyone hear me? I'm a subordinate of Ainz Ooal Gown-sama, and my name's Aura Bella Fiora!"
***
Just then, an incredibly loud voice echoed through the surroundings.
***
"The Emperor of this nation sent a bunch of rude chaps to the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, where Ainz-sama stays! Ainz-sama is very unhappy. So if you don't apologize, we'll wipe this country out!"
***
Jircniv's face twisted. Who had learned this answer, and how? How had he followed the clues back to the truth?
He looked around the room. Everyone was staring in shock at the Emperor. The people who understood the doubts in Jircniv's heart all shook their heads.
***
"For starters, we're going to kill all the people here! Mare!"
***
The other Dark Elf plunged his staff into the surface of the courtyard. In that moment, it was as though a localized earthquake had occurred in the courtyard. It was "as though" because Jircniv did not feel the earth move at all. However, the ground still split open around the Dragon and the Dark Elves, crevasses yawning open in patterns more complex than a spider's web.
The knights, the Imperial Guardsmen, the magic casters — apart from the airborne Fluder, everyone was swallowed up by the earth.
The Dark Elf seemed to have skilfully excluded herself and her allies from the effective radius of the attack. She stood there nonchalantly, and once she pulled out her staff, the ground hurriedly put itself back together, just like when the earthquake had occurred. However, since it had come together too quickly, the ground swelled up, following the previous spiderweb pattern, and it became a small hillock.
The knights who had been gathered in the courtyard just now had all vanished without a trace. The end had come too suddenly.
***
"Alright~ we killed them all. Now then, for all the humans in this city... er, I don't know who's the Emperor, so never mind! If the Emperor doesn't show himself right now, we'll destroy this city! Emperor-san, please come out now!"
***
"Your... your Majesty."
The Chief Minister was trembling, his face deathly pale as he ushered Jircniv forward.
"... So they rode a Dragon here because we trod on the Dragon's tail, then?"
Jircniv fought to quash the trembling in his voice. The supreme being in the Empire, the Emperor who held all power in his hand, could not show fear before his subjects.
"Ainz Ooal Gown... what manner of man... no, now's not the time to think about that sort of thing."
Jircniv shouted from the window:
"I am the Emperor, Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix! I wish to speak with you! May I trouble you fine envoys to enter the palace!"
He turned to the Chief Minister:
"Prepare the finest reception for them! Right now!"
The ministers scrambled out of the room, and Jircniv's eyes went from their backs to the Dark Elves, who were looking at him.
"... I underestimated them. If those are just subordinates... don't tell me I can't handle these people... that said, I won't back down here. If they wish to parley... then we shall fight a war of words. Ainz Ooal Gown, watch as I break your ambitions!"
| ← Ch. 068 | Ch. 070 → |