novelVolume 8
| ← Ch.076 | Ch.078 → |
Overlord Volume 8 Side 2 (1/2)
A day in Nazarick (2)
Albedo sighed, then casually regarded the fields. It was then that she noticed that she had seen the leaves of a row of certain plants before.
"Those are carrots... no, are they magic carrots?"
"No, they are not. Have you not heard of them before, Overseer-dono?"
"What do you mean?"
Sous-Chef's eyes turned to Aura.
"Ah, she did not... I see, she did not tell you about them. Then, what shall we do, Aura-sama? Will you call them, Aura-sama? Surely you must have trained them by now?"
"I already filed a report on it─" Aura smiled wickedly. Then, she took a deep breath, then bellowed "─Long live Ainz Ooal Gown!"
Suddenly, the row of leaves reacted to her words and began moving. They wiggled vigorously from side to side, then pulled themselves out of the earth, and their carrot-like roots popped up onto the surface.
They resembled Asian ginsengs, but they were distinctly different from those. They had four discrete limbs, and they moved deliberately and not through reflex. The uppermost parts of the roots ─ near the stem ─ bore cavities and shadows which resembled eyes and mouths.
Shalltear's eyes went wide and she spoke the name of these monsters.
"Could those be Mandrakes? We shouldn't have anything like that in Nazarick..."
"Ah! That's it! I saw the report, but this is the first time I've personally seen one."
The Mandrakes chorused "Long live Ainz Ooal Gown", "Long Live Ainz Ooal Gown" as they formed up into ranks.
"They aren't too smart really. Their relatives such as the Galgenmännlein, Alrunas and Alraunes ought to be smarter... but I didn't find any of those when I did a quick search of that forest. However, the forest is big, so maybe I just haven't found them yet. Also, there's a huge underground cave that leads into the mountains. There seems to be a Myconid settlement there, but I haven't made a move on them yet."
"Still, teaching them to speak like that must have been difficult. I'm very impressed, " Sous-Chef explained as he picked up one of the Mandrakes who were lined up in a row.
The Mandrake struggled; apparently having its stem grabbed was painful.
"Long live Ainz Ooal Gown!"
"Long live Ainz Ooal Gown!"
The Mandrakes broke their ranks to encircle Sous-Chef, as though to protest the mistreatment of their friend. During this time, they said the same thing as before.
"Forgive my rudeness. Aura-sama, can you ask them to return?"
"Okay~ Right! Go back!"
Sous-Chef gently placed the Mandrake back on the ground, and the others followed it as they crawled back into the holes they had occupied just now. In just a few seconds, the Mandrakes were back underground, as though they were hibernating for winter.
"I see, it's like an animal's call."
"You could say that. They simply cry it out like a parrot imitating speech; they don't really know what they're saying. Apparently, there's a minimum level of intelligence, below which you can't understand speech. However, that's still under investigation."
"Although, all that is from Demiurge-sama; I am simply repeating what I have heard, " Sous-Chef said.
"Hm ─ that's right, Albedo, can I ask you a question? As the Guardian Overseer, isn't it bad that you don't know about the newcomers? What if a spy came in with them?"
Before Albedo could answer, somebody else voiced an objection.
"Ahahaha, that's funny, Shalltear. It's true that the 6th Floor is very large, so it's only natural that you might think that capturing and slaughtering intruders would be difficult. Certainly, it would be troublesome if they managed to escape from the Colosseum and ran around like little spiders."
Her laughter was hollow, and her eyes were as cold as ice.
"But don't you think you're looking down on me? This place is my hunting ground. Even if they dispersed, I could swiftly hunt down and kill every last one of them. Honestly, even if those people somehow managed to escape the 6th Floor and tried to harm Ainz-sama, they would have to pass through the blazing world of the 7th Floor, and then there's the inviolable 8th Floor to worry about. Even if they wanted to escape, they would have to pass through the frozen hell of the 5th Floor, the dark waters of the 4th Floor, and then your levels... do you think that's possible?"
Shalltear shook her head.
"Not at all."
"And that's how it is. Therefore, there's no need to worry no matter how many newcomers there are on this Floor."
"Aura took the words out of my mouth. Mm, in any case, there's a plan going on now to gather all kinds of creatures here."
"Huh? isn't it just plant-type monsters?"
As she heard Aura's surprised question, Albedo smiled and answered:
"That was the plan in the beginning, but after some observation, we found that no problems came up thanks to Aura and Mare's hard work, so the plan was amended and expanded. That said, this is only at a draft stage, and there's no guarantee that it'll be put into practice. Therefore, even a Floor Guardian like yourself has not been informed yet."
Albedo told them to keep it a secret, and then she described the plan:
"The name of the plan is 'Project Utopia'. It is a large-scale project beginning with the secret base that Aura built, and its end stage is to gather monsters who can get along with humanity and have them live here."
"Why is getting along with humanity in particular a condition?"
Albedo smiled, as though implying "I knew you'd say". That smile looked terribly evil.
"That is the key to the entire plan, the focus of Project Utopia."
"Permit me to be blunt, but I find it hard to understand. This Nazarick is a haven for the Supreme Beings, and we labor for its sake. Why has it been named that way?"
"This is in order to let the outside world believe that we can coexist with other races."
"I see... so that was the aim."
"No way, Shalltear actually understood it..."
Shalltear's face filled with an expression that could shatter a million year-old love, and she glared angrily at Aura.
"Do you take me for a retard?!"
"... Wait... hang on, Shalltear. Might I trouble you to reflect on what you usually say and do before asking me that? Please, just think about it for just a bit."
And indeed, for just a moment, Shalltear thought back on everything she had said and done until now, and her pupils widened like that of a dead creature. After that, her eyes roved all over, like they were being tossed in stormy waves.
After seeing her utterly pathetic state, Albedo graciously steered the conversation back on track.
"Er, in any case, Ainz-sama came up with this plan. When we discussed the 6th Floor, Ainz-sama once mentioned that he would like to collect various monsters. Surely someone with a limited understanding of the world would never have been able to come up with an idea like that. In the past, I discussed Ainz-sama's wisdom with Demiurge, and the conclusion we reached was that Ainz-sama is a true genius."
"Anyone would know that Ainz-sama is a genius, though I hear great men tend to speak little."
"Did Demiurge say that? Honestly... Ainz-sama never simply states his thoughts, and sometimes he does mysterious things. Still, as the saying goes, 'true courage seems cowardly, while great wisdom appears foolish'. That's the sort of person Ainz-sama is."
Albedo's eyes were moist, and she shook her head.
"I did not even expect Ainz-sama to create the persona of the adventurer Momon. Truly, he is an awesome man... I did not expect everything that took place until now to be in the palm of Ainz-sama's hand..."
"Momon is Ainz-sama posing as an adventurer, right? What's it for?"
"Soon you will understand... the Momon persona will become the bedrock of Ainz-sama's rule. Ainz-sama is far too amazing... perhaps it was his hidden hand at work behind Demiurge's suggestion─"
"What are you mumbling about over there? It's kind of scary."
Shalltear's voice called Albedo back to her senses, and after coughing lightly, she regarded the faces of the other three.
"Er, where was I? Right right right! Everything Ainz-sama says and does contains great meaning. Therefore, even if you can't reach his level, you need to try your best to Ainz-sama's true intentions from his words."
"That'll be hard. Ainz-sama's just too smart ─ ah, it's a Spear Needle."
Two balls of white fluff, each over two meters tall, appeared from inside the village and slowly made their way to Aura's side. They were magical beasts who looked like Angora rabbits.
"They're cute."
Shalltear stroked one of the furballs standing beside Aura.
"They're so soft, I want to raise one."
"They feel comfortable, don't they? However, when they encounter enemies, they become as sharp as needles, you know?"
Spear Needles were level 67 monsters.
Once they entered combat mode, they would become a ball of extremely dense spines. If the Spear Needles were killed in this state, their fur would not return to their original soft state. Therefore, when hunting them, one would have to take them unawares and instantly kill them. That was why the players who hunted them were often much higher level than they were.
"Ehh? Really? That's scary..."
Shalltear might have said that, but she was still caressing them nonstop.
"However, if I don't give the order, they won't go into a combat state. Now, if there were enemies nearby it would be a different matter, but no hostile invaders would be able to make it all the way in here. At the very least, the other Floors would send a report."
"That's true. It's only to be expected. The top three floors are filled with vassals that have excellent detection abilities. It would be very difficult for someone to sneak in here without being noticed by them."
Just then, Aura froze, and she turned to the Colosseum.
"What's wrong, Aura-san?"
"The teleport gate to the 7th Floor just activated."
"From below? Demiurge ought to be outside now, so... could it be one of your subordinates? Is it alright to not take a look?"
"Hm ─ Mare's around, so there's no need to worry. If anything happens, he'll contact me."
Aura tapped the earring around her neck.
"Besides, it's hardly a rare thing. You need to take teleport gates at specific locations and go up level by level if you want to go from a lower Floor to an upper Floor. Oh yeah, didn't somebody use magic because they didn't want to run─"
"Ahem! Nazarick is an impregnable fortress."
"Indeed. Not even that super-tier spell [Sword of Damocles] or my World-Class Item could destroy an entire Floor at once. That's why we must not let the Ring which allows for at-will teleportation to be taken."
All eyes went to the ring on Albedo's left ring finger.
"Mare apparently hands the ring to someone else for safekeeping when he heads out. From that, you can tell how important the rings are ─ ah, Mare contacted me."
Aura moved away from the others and grabbed at her earring, and then she began a conversation with the absent Mare. The three of them looked at Aura, whose face was slowly turning serious, and by the time they had finished talking, she looked very unhappy.
"I'm sorry. Mare apparently needs to head out for something, so just in case, I'll be going back."
"I see. Then... why don't we head back ourselves, Shalltear?"
"I don't mind."
"I'd like to do something in the fields first before I go. Also, I'd like to chat with the Dryads and the Treants."
"Then we'll each go our own ways. Thank you for coming, everyone. Thanks to you, I know how to spend my vacation time. If we're free some other day... yes, next time, we should all bathe together."
Part 2
9:28 Nazarick Time
Mare looked up from the book he was reading, slowly shifting his eyes to peek at the teleport gate which led to the 7th Floor.
Sensing a faint wave of power, he put his bookmark between the open pages and quietly laid it on the chair beside him. He then picked up the staff beside him, the divine-class item known as "Shadow of YGGDRASIL."
Mare brought his empty hand to the magical item dangling before his chest, but then it stopped halfway.
There was no need to contact his sister. He had not received any reports of an intrusion, so the person who came must have been a friend.
He moved his legs and jogged over to the teleport gate directly below him.
His big sister enjoyed jumping down directly from the spectator seats, but Mare did not like to do that. He felt that since there were stairs installed in the arena, he ought to take them on the way down. That was how one showed their faithfulness to the Supreme Beings. The stairs were meant to be used, after all.
But I don't dare tell onee-chan that... she'll look at me in a scary way...
Mare decided that at the very least, he would not waste the Supreme Beings' efforts, and so he ran down the steps, and then he ran past the resting area. It was then that he saw someone standing before a huge round mirror that flashed with all the colors of the rainbow.
"For... forgive me for keeping you waiting."
"Oh! If it isn't the Floor Guardian, Mare-sama! Thank you for coming all the way here. I am utterly delighted."
The clown before him was dressed in pure white and wore a mask that resembled a crow's beak. He bowed, and Mare nodded in response.
"Hello, Pulcinella. What happened today?"
"Oh yes, as you know, Mare-sama, I am currently working under Demiurge-sama, and today I have come as an envoy from Demiurge-sama. Please, take this."
The clown swiftly handed over the folder he was carrying.
"If Demiurge-san wants me to have this, does this mean it's a circular?"
"Precisely. Ah, I'm so glad it was you who came, Mare-sama. How fortunate. If Aura-sama had come, I would have to ask her to fetch you."
"Why? Is... is that so?"
The circular notice system had been invented by the ruler of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown. While it was little more than writing down non-urgent news and other miscellaneous matters on a piece of paper and letting the various Floor Guardians circulate and read it among themselves, something like this had never been practically used before.
Therefore, Mare stared in bafflement at the folder he had just received, muttering "So this is..." to himself.
"H-huh? W-why can't you give it to onee-chan?"
Aura and Mare were both Floor Guardians, so there was no reason not to give it to her. In addition, she was actually quite careful about these things, and she would not simply toss the circular away.
"I am unclear about that myself. All I know is that Demiurge-sama instructed me to hand it directly to you, Mare-sama, and not to Aura-sama."
"Is that so... ah... then, how about Demiurge-san?"
It was a somewhat vague question, but Pulcinella seemed to understand what he was asking.
"... Well, I do not quite understand his intentions. But I feel the answer or reason may lie within that folder."
"I see... er, then, yes, that's right, Demiurge-san, what... what is he doing now?"
"Conducting breeding experiments. Humanoids can breed among themselves, but demihumans cannot breed with humanoids; what a tragic state of affairs. A loving couple is denied the chance to bear the fruition of their love just because of the differences in their race. Demiurge-sama is working hard in order to save these poor souls. He will create possibilities between humanoids and demihumans!"
The clown practically sang his reply, spreading his arms and looking up to the sky. Pulcinella's sudden change in mood made Mare roll his eyes.
"Ah, how rude of me. I could not help but be excited by Demiurge-sama's kindness as he works to make people smile. Please forgive me."
"Er, okay, I don't mind."
"Demiurge-sama has even said that he would allow himself and the others ─ the demons ─ to be sacrifices so as not to make others hate themselves. What a noble spirit of self-sacrifice! I, Pulcinella, am moved to tears by it."
Pulcinella rubbed at his eyes through its mask. Of course, he was not crying. Even his voice sounded the same as always. He did not sound sad at all.
"... Why do people hate him?"
"I do not understand either. Why would the kind Demiurge-sama incur the hatred of others? But Demiurge-sama said so himself. Yes, yes, please listen to this, of how kind Demiurge-sama really is. Last time, Demiurge-sama said that it would be a shame to let the livestock starve, and so he roasted up the children of both sides whole, and served them up to each other. Surely a cruel and merciless person would not have swapped them first, but served them up directly, no?"
"R-really?"
"But of course. And in order to allow the parents of both sides to bid their children farewell, Demiurge-sama even invited them to the dinner table... Demiurge-sama specially allowed them to say goodbye with a smile... I am sure that nobody other than the Supreme Beings could be as compassionate a person as he is."
As he watched Pulcinella prattle on, Mare went "oh" in an uninterested tone.
Those people were not entities of Nazarick, so it did not matter what happened to them. His feelings about Demiurge's livestock vanished from his heart after a couple of seconds.
"And when one is hungry, the gut may be unable to digest food even when the brain desires it. Demiurge-sama even considered that point as he warned them to eat well. His kindness is truly beyond compare~"
Mare felt that this was go on forever, and so he hurriedly cut in:
"─Ah, then, how... how about Guren-san? I thought he would be the one sending it, but what's he doing now?"
"... Is it him, or perhaps her? I believe Guren-sama has no gender, but when I saw him a couple of days ago, he was waiting in ambush near the 7th Floor's teleport gate while Demiurge-sama was gone."
"I... I see."
Mare thought of Guren's appearance.
Guren ─ an Area Guardian who hid his massive body within flowing lava and dragged careless foes into a battlefield where he had the advantage and fought them. Though he was only level 90, he was optimized for combat, and so by sheer fighting prowess alone, he was among the top few combatants of Nazarick, and could even hold his own against some of the Floor Guardians. Thus, there was no better guardian for the 7th Floor in Demiurge's absence.
"Ah, I seem to have spoken too much. Now that I have delivered the circular to your hands, Mare-sama, I must now go spread more smiles to others."
"Thank... thank you."
Mare bowed, and Pulcinella gently replied:
"There is no need for thanks. I am satisfied by being able to see your smile, Mare-sama."
The clown shrugged in a joking manner."Well then, till we meet again." He waved, and then vanished into the teleport gate which led to the 7th Floor.
After Mare watched him leave, he opened the circular. The fact that it was meant for his eyes and not those of his sister filled him with a mix of emotions ─ superiority and guilt ─ and after he quickly scanned the contents, he blinked a few times.
This... isn't so much a circular as a message Ainz-sama wanted to send to the Guardians.
It read, "To all male Guardians" and contained appreciation and praise for their daily work. In summary, this was an invitation to "bathe together and relieve fatigue".
There was a list of participants, reading Ainz, Demiurge, Mare and Cocytus from top to bottom, each with a Going/Not Going option beside them. The top two entries already had "Going" circled. Sebas' name should have been in there too, but he was currently under orders to gather information with Solution in a human city.
Er, the date is...
The circular stated that the date was not fixed, and that it would be held when it was most convenient for the participants, which was why he could circle "Going" without any hesitation. While the circular stated that he could refuse, there was no way Mare could refuse the invitation of his generous and compassionate master. No, nobody in Nazarick would do so.
He picked up the pencil in the folder and circled the "Going" beside his name.
"... Ehehehe, " he giggled as he looked at the circled "Going". However, before long, clouds shrouded his heart.
"Ah, but... how am I going to get this to Cocytus?"
The circular repeatedly emphasised not to inform the female Guardians about this, so it was clear that his master wanted to keep this a secret between men. In that case, the best way was to bring it over himself.
It's not good to keep things from onee-chan... right? Because while I'm receiving his... er, should I call it affection, I'll need onee-chan to guard the Floor by herself.
It was one thing to leave when under orders, but when they had to visit the other Guardians for fun or do other things, Mare and Aura would always tell each other where they were headed. That was because Aura and Mare were assigned to guard this Floor by order of the Supreme Beings, so doing that much was only to be expected.
Mare grabbed the magic item hanging around his neck.
"O-oneechan? Can you hear me?"
He received an immediate reply.
『I can hear you. What's up, Mare?』
"Ah, that's great. Er, um, it's like this. Ah, I need to visit Cocytus for a while. I'll be back soon."
『Visit Cocytus?』
"Mm, I need to get there in a hurry."
『What happened?』
Mare's shoulders quivered in fright. He almost squeaked instead of speaking, and he barely managed to squeeze out a normal voice.
"N-nothing? It's nothing, just... I feel I have to go there."
『Oh─... 』
Aura clearly sounded suspicious, and Mare's palms grew clammy with sweat as he heard it.
But, um, it can't be helped. Ainz-sama ordered it.
Other than the words of Aura and Mare's creator Bukubukuchagama, Ainz's words were the most highly placed of all the Supreme Beings. It was only natural to place what he said as his topmost priority.
『Well, I guess that's fine. Go, then. However, the 5th Floor is very cold, so don't forget to protect yourself against the cold... oh yeah, you should be fine there, Mare. 』
"Mm, um. I can handle it with magic. Don't worry. I'll go there and come right back."
If he continued talking, he might end up saying something strange. Therefore, Mare hurriedly released the magic item. It would seem his sister wanted to say something else right at the end, but whether it was good or ill fortune, he did not hear it.
"All... all right! I need to move quickly!"
Mare activated the power of the Ring which his master had given him.
***
After teleporting, chunks of a white substance flew right at Mare and stuck to his face. This was snow, carried by the wind.
The cloud of white breath that Mare exhaled instantly flowed behind him. That was because of the supercooled wind shear.
The snow driven by the blizzard went in all directions, obscuring all vision and covering up footprints. This was to waylay any intruders, but under normal circumstances the weather on the 5th Floor was not so bad. The clouds which covered the sky would only dispense scattered snowflakes, and while the mood was gloomy, visibility was excellent.
"... Hm."
Mare looked around. Since he had teleported via the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown, he must be close to his destination.
Once he found the place where he had to go, Mare advanced with light steps. He left no footprints on the snow where he had trod. His feet did not sink into the snow, as though he were walking on solid ground.
In this lonely world of white, the sound of falling snow seemed to carry directly into Mare's ears. Of course, Mare 's always-on extrasensory perception spell let him know that this place was not truly deserted. The ambushers knew he was the 6th Floor's Guardian, and so they did not show themselves.
Mare arrived at his destination in silence.
Before him was a large white sphere, which looked like an inverted hornet's nest.
Six gigantic crystals surrounded the white sphere, their sharp tips pointing to the heavens. The crystals were transparent, and there were people visible inside.
Mare took a step, and a distasteful sound which made him uneasy issued from beneath his feet. Looking down, he saw that the ground below was different from the snowdrift just now; it was a shiny layer of ice. It looked thick enough, but there was nothing but inky blackness beneath the ice layer. It was clearly a big hole.
Mare stepped onto the ice. He walked without any hesitation, as though he was certain that the ice below him would not crack. He trod on the ice, which made a trembling, creaking noise, and arrived at the vicinity of the white sphere.
"Ah... um, is Cocytus-san in?"
Mare was not addressing the huge white sphere, but the crystals around it.
Monsters which resembled human females emerged from the crystals in response to his voice. There were as many monsters as there were crystals, and they were dressed all in white. Their skin was pale, and their long hair was black.
They were Frost Virgins ─ level 82 ice-type monsters, responsible for defending Snowball Earth, which was Cocytus' home. They were something like a bodyguard team.
"Welcome, Mare-sama. We are pleased that you came to visit in person."
"Ah... um, where is Cocytus-san?"
"Cocytus-sama is currently outside the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. He is visiting the Lizardman village.
"Is... is that so?"
The Frost Virgin bowed her head as an affirmative.
"May I take a message for you?"
Mare hesitated.
Since he had come all this way, he could probably leave the circular in Cocytus' room and then let the Frost Virgins inform him. However, after thinking about the contents of the circular, handing it directly to him might be the best way to carry out his master's intentions.
But how could he go outside to find Cocytus?
There was no rule preventing them from leaving Nazarick. However, there was a requirement that had to be met in order to step outside. This was because their master had strictly forbidden anyone from moving around alone outside Nazarick.
After analyzing the data they had collected so far, the level 100 Guardians of Nazarick were unimaginably powerful compared to the outside world, comparable to walking disasters. Thus, as one of those walking disasters, Mare would not be in danger when moving around alone outside. On the other hand, it was the world that ought to be afraid of him. However, anyone with such a reckless mindset must surely have forgotten something.
That was the fact that Shalltear had been brainwashed by an enemy who ─ in all likelihood ─ possessed a World-Class Item. And there were also traces of players' existence throughout the world.
They did not know how powerful and how broad in reach these people were, so they had to be extra careful.
"Er... hm ─ what should I do..."
Anyone going outside had to be escorted by five vassals of level 75 and above, as a bare minimum. Mare had two Dragons who were directly assigned to him as vassals, but bringing them around with him would be too conspicuous. The fastest way would be to ask his sister, but when he thought about what had happened when he came here, he could not muster up the courage to do so.
Just then, a revelation flashed across his mind. Their numbers and levels were just right.
"Ah, could I ask you to come and look for him with me?"
"I... I am very sorry. Cocytus-sama has ordered us to defend this place. Unless Ainz-sama himself orders it, we cannot disobey Cocytus-sama's orders... we beg your forgiveness!"
"Ah, no, not at all. It's fine."
That could not be helped; or rather, he would have realized it if he had thought of it. After that, he hit on a second good idea, which was to borrow the Evil Lords from the 7th Floor. However, if he simply asked them normally, his request would probably be denied like this. Still, he could only count on Demiurge for aid.
That was because he wanted to do his best to avoid asking Guardians whose names were not written on the circular for help. In addition, most of the vassals who were above level 80 were the direct subordinates of a Guardian, and very few were independent.
Due to these two reasons, he would need to contact Demiurge in order to borrow his Evil Lords.
But how will I contact him?
In order to reach Demiurge, who was outside, he would need to dispatch a vassal or use magic.
Then, there's─
Mare thought of the book he had just read.
He has subordinates of level 75 and above too, right? But he's not a Guardian... hm ─ well, he's male, so it should be alright. I'll just have to swear him to secrecy...
"Ah... ah, thank you all. Er, I think I'll figure something out myself."
"Really? Understood."
Mare activated the power of the ring. His destination was the massive library on the 10th Floor of Nazarick ─ Ashurbanipal.
***
9:54 Nazarick Time
After teleporting, the scenery before Mare's eyes changed from a snowfield to an expansive room. The basic color of the room's furnishings was an ebony brown, and it appeared quite dignified as it was illuminated by warm lighting. The ceiling was a gentle dome and there were a pair of double doors opposite him.
These massive doors were big enough to rival the ones which opened to the Throne Room, and they were flanked by a pair of Golems which were each almost three meters tall. Both Golems resembled warriors and had been built from rare metals by a Supreme Being, so they were more powerful than regular Golems.
"Ah, please help me open the door."
In response to Mare's words, the golem on each side placed their hands on the door and slowly pushed it open. There was a weighty sound as the the doors opened to the point where several people could walk through them side by side, and Mare stepped through them.
The scene which unfolded before him did not resemble a library so much as a view from a similar institute ─ yes, it looked like an art gallery. The floor and bookshelves were elaborately decorated, and the neat rows of books on them looked like ornaments as well.
The shining, spotless floor was an intricately-patterned parquet mosaic.
Above was a towering ceiling, and there was a mezzanine balcony on the second floor. Beyond that was a room girdled by countless bookshelves. Every inch of the hemispherical ceiling was covered in magnificent frescoes.
There were glass showcases scattered throughout the room, each displaying several books.
While there were countless light sources, they did not produce strong illumination. A human being would surely frown in resentment at the dimness of the room..
One could not take the entire room in with a single look. The bookshelves blocked one's view.
The doors slowly closed behind Mare amidst this library-appropriate silence. Without the light from the outside, the room's interior seemed even darker. That, combined with the profound silence, filled the room with a creepy atmosphere.
Of course, Mare could see in the dark like it was broad daylight, and so he did not feel creeped out at all.
Mare walked inside, somewhat quickening his pace.
He was currently in the Hall of Reason. This library was divided into the Hall of Knowledge, the Hall of Reason, the Hall of Magic, and various other smaller rooms with their own specific purposes ─ such as the individual rooms for each of the staff. With that in mind, his destination seemed quite a ways off.
Countless books filled the neat rows of bookshelves which lined the passage on either side.
***
There were roughly five kinds of books in YGGDRASIL.
The first kind was monster data, which could be used to summon mercenary monsters.
There were three types of monsters in Nazarick: the first were the NPCs, who were made just like the players were; the second were the automatically spawning monsters of level 30 and below, and the last ones were the summoned monsters who could serve as mercenaries. These mercenary monsters had to be summoned via a ritual which used a book and then expending an appropriate amount of currency according to their level. Therefore, one could not summon them without a book.
The second kind were magic items.
Certain data crystals could only be imbued into book-type items. For the most part, book-type items were one-use magic items. The difference between them and scrolls were that one needed to be of a spellcasting job class to use a scroll, while book-type items could be used by anybody.
The third kind were event items. It was not uncommon for the items required for changing to a specific job class to take the form of books. When Ainz had gone from a Skeleton Mage to an Elder Lich, he had needed the item known as the Book of the Dead. There were also things like the Martial Arts Monograph and the Tales of the Four Great Elementals. Apart from these job-change items, there were also items which allowed one to learn new spells when used.
The fourth kind was visual data.
In other words, they were books which contained visual data for swords, shields, armor and the like. Anyone with specific blacksmithing skills could use these books with the required raw materials to produce an item skin.
The fifth kind were novels distributed in book form. The most commonly seen examples were pieces of classic literature whose copyright had expired, followed by background material from the development team, and then original stories created by YGGDRASIL's players. There were also a few secondary creations set in YGGDRASIL's universe, or diary-style walkthroughs for the game.
Within the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, the vast majority of the books within its library belonged to the first kind ─ books gathered in order to summon mercenary monsters. Of course, there was no need to collect that many books.
In truth, even if one dumped the guild's coffers into the task, one could not summon even a tenth of the monsters from the books which filled this place. Then why did they have so many books? That was because the summoning books were not particularly expensive, so the guild members decided to mess around and made a huge stack of copies. This also served the purpose of hiding important items.
***
Mare looked at the books on either side as he walked.
Suddenly, a ghostly form appeared from between the bookshelves, as though to block his path.
The ghost wore a black robe, and it seemed to meld into the darkness of the library. There was a jewelled wand on its waist, and several jewels tied to its belt.
There was a waxy, corpse-like face beneath the robe's hood. Its hands were skin and bones. Every time it moved, the faint darkness surrounding it shifted as well.
It was an especially famous monster among the undead magic casters known as Elder Liches.
In YGGDRASIL, they were nicknamed White Counterfeiters. Monsters like these were level 30 and were ranked second among the Elder Lich family. There were other, palette-swapped monsters like these in YGGDRASIL, colloquially known as the Red Counterfeiters and the Black Counterfeiters.
However, he differed from the average Elder Lich in that he had an armband on his left arm.
The armband read "Librarian J".
"Welcome, Mare-sama."
The Elder Lich spoke in a hoarse, garbled voice, then bowed in deference, slowly but deeply, with one hand clasped to its chest in a prim and proper movement.
"Ah... ah, I came to look for the Head Librarian. Er, is he in?"
The Elder Lich struck a thinker's pose, and then replied:
"The Head Librarian is currently making scrolls, so he is in the workroom."
"Thank you."
"Allow me to show you the way. Please, follow me."
"How could I impose on you like that? I can't keep you from your work."
"Think nothing of it. Aiding users of the library is my duty."
Since he had already said as much, continuing to refuse would be rude.
"I understand, then I'll have to trouble you."
A smile appeared on the Elder Lich's ghastly face, and then it led the way forward.
As Mare followed him, he glanced at the other Elder Liches and caster-type undead they passed along the way.
"Oh yes, would you like me to put that book back for you?"
"Ah, please do.:
The Elder Lich took the book from Mare and looked at the title.
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, hm. Did you enjoy it?"
"Mm, it was very interesting! I'm thinking about what I should read next."
"Then allow me to recommend you a book. This one is very funny, it concerns a murder ─ ah, we have arrived."
"Thank you very much."
Mare opened the door which the Elder Lich had guided him to.
What was supposed to have been a spacious room felt oppressive and cramped, thanks to the large shelves on all sides.
The shelves were filled with countless reagents ─ ores, precious metals, element-imbued rocks, various powders, organs from several animals ─ all arranged in neat rows. There was also several stacks of parchment ─ some were rolled up, while some were simply laid there.
All these were the materials needed to make scrolls.
Of course these were not all the resources which the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick possessed. There were several hundred times this amount stored within the Treasury.
Only those supplies which would be promptly used were stored in this room.
There was an extra-large drawing table in the center of the room, with a piece of parchment opened upon it.
Before the table stood a skeleton which looked like a fusion of human and animal bones.
It was not very tall. It was around 150 cm in height.
Two demonic-looking horns protruded from its head, and it had four-fingered hands. Below its ankles were cloven feet.
This bizarre creature was wrapped in a saffron himation. Apart from that, a hood of similar material lightly shrouded its head without being pierced by the horns, and there was another piece of cloth around its waist.
(TL Note: A himation is an ancient Greek garment worn over the shoulder)
In addition, it wore a silver bracelet with a multi-colored jewel set into it, while there was a golden ankh around its neck, and it had several complex-looking and strange rings on its bony fingers, which looked like they were twined around the digits. There were jewels attached to the himation which took the place of a sash. Each of them was a fairly potent magic item.
It wore several scrolls at its belt, like they were swords.
While it had a unique outfit, it was actually a Skeleton Mage. It was one of the basic undead species, and the stage before the Elder Lich.
However, this Skeleton Mage was the Head Librarian of this massive library ─ Titus Annaeus Secundus.
This being had not been created by the Supreme Beings to focus on combat power, but production ability. In fact, its total level was higher than that of the Elder Lich just now.
"You have come just in time, Guardian Mare. I bid you welcome."
"Ah, nice to meet you, Titus-san. I came to ask a favor of you."
"I see. Then tell me what business you have here."
"Ah... yes. Um. I'd like to borrow your vassals here who are above level 75."
"I understand. You intend an excursion, I believe?"
"Eh? Y-yes, that's right. How did you know?"
"... I have never forgotten the words of my ruler, Ainz-sama. After that, I considered your situation and I guessed it immediately ─ very well."
He spent only a moment in contemplation.
"I shall lend you the Overlords within this library ─ Cocceius, Ulpius, Aelius, Fulvius and Aurelius."
(TL Note: These are all the second names of various Roman Emperors)
"Eh? Really?!"
"But of course. In all honesty, their battle potential is somewhat excessive for the library. Rather than have them do dusting all day, far better to have them be your escorts. I am sure it would make them very happy."
"Ah... ah, er, thank you very much!"
"That said, some recompense is due. I would have you assist me with a task, the creation of scrolls."
"Ah, certainly! What should I do?"
"Fret not. Once I say 'now', kindly cast a 4th tier spell upon this scroll. That is all.
"What... what sort of spell should I cast?"
"The choice is yours."
Mare looked puzzled. Being told to decide for himself was quite difficult. He did not know if he should just use an ordinary spell.
There was a small desk beside the drawing table with the parchment. Titus reached a bony hand out at the desk and touched a pile of glittering gold ─ YGGDRASIL gold coins.
Suddenly, the gold YGGDRASIL coins melted below his bony palm, and they flowed along the parchment like they were sentient.
The golden serpent crawled along the parchment, and then dispersed, as though it had already decided where to go.
In the time between breaths, a golden magic circle covered the parchment. The mystic tracery was both complex and delicate.
"Now."
Mare ─ who was nervously awaiting his cue ─ cast his spell like he had been startled.
Mare felt his spell being sucked up by the magic circle.
Normally, that would have completed the scroll. That was what Mare had thought.
Until that moment ─
***
There was a bright red blaze.
Something impossible happened upon the drawing table.
Mare looked in shock as the parchment burned like it had been soaked in alcohol, but within a couple of moments, the fire had gone out.
***
The events just now felt like an illusion. There was no trace of a fire within the room. Not even the smell of burning lingered.
However, there was evidence on the table which proved what had just happened was no illusion.
That was the remains of the parchment ─ its ashes.
Titus seemed to have anticipated this, and he calmly picked up the ashes to examine them.
"So you can't imbue them with 4th-tier spells. I seem to have confirmed that it has nothing to do with the caster's power."
Titus muttered, "ten years old was a failure" and made notes.
"Er, what... what just happened? What did I do wrong?"
"Pay it no heed. I attempted to use the materials of this world to make scrolls in order to save on parchment costs, but their quality is simply atrocious."
***
The tier of a spell limited the materials that could be used to make a scroll which contained it.
For example, scrolls made from average parchment could hold a 2nd tier spell at the very most, but not spells of a higher tier. If one used the highest grade of parchment ─ that made of dragonhide ─ one could scribe a 10th-tier spell into it.
Naturally, dragonhide was a special material, which required one to slay a Dragon.
For that reason, the guild Ainz Ooal Gown's members had banded together to farm Dragons, but that was from the YGGDRASIL days. Until they could verify that this world contained Dragons ─ as well as other beasts ─ Ainz had sensibly imposed a restriction on the use of dragonhide.
He could not do something foolish like expend a non-renewable resource. After all, there was no telling when he might need to use it.
***
"You can't use my Dragons!"
"But of course. I will not do such a thing. Beginning with your Dragons, all these specially-summoned beings are the will of the Supreme Beings made manifest. Harming them is strictly forbidden."
Mare breathed a sigh of relief. Titus looked at him with interest in his eyes, then swept the ashes into a bin.
"Er, then, does that mean this world's parchment isn't suitable for making scrolls?"
Mare's eyes looked toward the remains.
"That is quite possible. No, I do not know yet. It might be that my manufacturing methods are unorthodox in this world. For instance, they seem to produce potions in a markedly different way."
"But... is that really so? If it's just one failure, couldn't it be the parchment's fault?"
"Just one, you say? I have already used the parchment from the outside for various experiments, but whenever I attempt to imbue a spell above the 3rd tier into them, I receive the same result each time ─ destruction. It is quite likely that the parchment burns because the magical power cannot be infused into it."
"... But the magic casters in this world all use that sort of parchment, right?"
"No, what I just disposed of is probably not a typical piece of parchment used by the magic casters of this world. Of course, after considering that there are various nations in this world, I cannot guarantee that nobody has used a parchment like this one. When I used the parchments of the nations near Nazarick─"
Titus produced a stack of parchment which seemed different from the piece just now.
"─The experimental results were even worse; they were limited to 1st-tier spells."
"So that means the humans know how to make good use of poorer materials?"
"No. I believe it might be a technological difference. While it pains me to admit it, their technique is, to some extent, more refined than ours. I would love to acquire this new technology and improve my skills."
"That's amazing!"
Mare felt nothing but respect for the Head Librarian's spirit of self-improvement.
"All this is for the Supreme One's sake. Then, Guardian Mare, as we agreed, I shall lend you the Overlords. Come with me."
***
10:28 Nazarick Time
He handed his ring to someone else along the way and then reached the surface. There, Mare and company performed a mass teleport and arrived in the middle of a room within a stone structure in the Lizardman village.
This building was constructed of sturdy, heavy stone. Iit could only be built in a place with sufficiently firm ground, thus requiring construction techniques the Lizardmen did not possess. Needless to say, the people who had built this place were a third party ─ a group from the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.
The reason to have people come all the way from Nazarick to build this structure stood behind Mare's back. The object which stood within the depths of this building explained everything.
Mare bowed deeply to the object in question. The Overlords travelling with him bowed as well.
A stone statue made in the image of Ainz Ooal Gown, ruler of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, stood upon an elevated platform. It was so lifelike that it seemed as though the original had been turned to stone. The way it raised its staff radiated the dignity and gravitas of a ruler.
All manner of offerings adorned the altar before the statue. Naturally, those offerings were worthless in Mare's eyes, meager tributes of flowers and fish and the like.
However, Mare was not displeased.
That was because the ones who had made those offerings were filled with genuine respect and reverence. For instance, fresh flowers did not grow in the swampland, but in the forests which were very dangerous to the Lizardmen ─ they must have risked their lives to pick them. The fish were the Lizardmen's staple diet, but the offerings were much bigger than the average fish. Mare understood that they had only chosen the most impressive specimens to offer up.
"Mm, " Mare nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing common riffraff express their respect for his great master made him very happy.
"Well done."
He spoke to reassure the Lizardmen who were peeking fearfully at him.
They were the personnel responsible for cleaning this sanctuary. They possessed druidic abilities, which were rare among the Lizardmen, and they wore badges with the guild emblem of Ainz Ooal Gown around their neck.
There was a vast difference between their stations and that of Mare, between that of the conquered and their conquerors, so there was no need to thank them for their hard work. However, for the reasons mentioned earlier, Mare had been so satisfied with their labors that he had decided to thank them for it.
Mare left the Lizardmen bowing nonstop behind him, and led the five Overlords out of the sanctuary.
Before him was a patch of swamp, the Lizardman settlement. It seemed more developed than before.
Indeed, they had lost many people during that war. However, the five tribes were now one, and in the end they had formed a stronger, larger village.
The boundary fence encompassed a wide area. At some point, watchtowers had been built in the muddy swamp, and upon each of them stood a skeleton ─ probably a Nazarick Old Guarder ─ scanning the surroundings with an arrow nocked to its bow. Several Nazarick Old Guarders could be seen walking around in the swamp; presumably, they were conducting reconnaissance in case of enemy attack.
"Ah, where's Cocytus-san?"
Cocytus stood out in many ways. If he were in the village, then he ought to be instantly visible from here; if he were inside a building, there ought to be vassals like the ones Mare brought along waiting outside. With that in mind, he looked around the entire village, but could not find him.
"Could one of you please ask where Cocytus-san is?"
"Certainly. A moment, please."
One of the Overlords ─ Aurelius ─ headed back into the sanctuary.
Mare looked out at the swamp ─ at the Lizardmen's peaceful and quiet village. Nobody here was wary of the Nazarick Old Guarders. Even the Lizardman children were the same way. Both sides seemed to be coexisting like it was the natural thing to do.
Though they were attacked and conquered by the undead, they don't seem to bear any resentment for them. Was this because of Cocytus-san' policy of friendliness? Or is this the nature of the Lizardmen?
As he idly pondered the matter, Aurelius soon returned.
"Forgive the delay, Mare-sama. The people in the sanctuary do not know the whereabouts of Cocytus-sama. However, they say that Shasuryu Shasha ─ the leader of the tribal alliance ─ might know."
"Ah, then, um, let's go visit him and take a look."
Mare's entourage proceeded under Aurelius' leadership. They did not cross over the swamp to go to the Lizardman village, but followed the edge of the lake, walking a short distance through the forest. The forms of Nazarick Old Guarders could be seen in the distance.
Once the group exited the forest, they saw a large-scale construction project under way on the other side of the swamp.
The flow of water here had been dammed, and roughly ten Stone Golems were excavating the soil. The sand and mud they dug up were carried away by Lizardmen with pushcarts on the shore.
As Mare watched what they were doing, a strapping Lizardman ran over in a hurry.
This Lizardman was covered in old wounds. His physique was imposing and he was distinctly different from the average Lizardman. The medal around his neck swung wildly due to his haste in running over.
The medal was a symbol of loyalty, and also a mark of protection. It was not magical in itself, but by wearing it, they could prove that they were Ainz's property. Therefore, nobody from the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick who revered the Supreme Beings as gods could harm the Lizardmen intentionally. Of course, it would be a different matter if they deserved death, but fortunately, the Lizardmen were not that stupid. They knew their place and acknowledged the strong as their masters.
"I welcome you, Mare-sama. My name is ─"
"You're Shasuryu Shasha-san, right?"
"Indeed, I am. I am honored that you know my name."
"Ah, I... I heard it from Cocytus-san... ah, do you know where Cocytus-san is now?"
Shasuryu waxed thoughtful for a bit.
"I recall Cocytus-sama brought several of his subordinates and several dozen trainee Lizardmen on his expedition to subjugate the Toadmen."
"Toadmen?"
"They are the demihumans who live in the northeastern reaches of the lake. They look like frogs, and we do not get along too well with them. They possess the ability to control large monsters and magical beasts, so they are very tricky opponents for us. I hear that there was a war once during my grandfather's time. We were soundly defeated and one of our tribes was dissolved as a result."
"As... as expected of the northern species, they're quite strong."
This lake was shaped like two smaller lakes joined together, or an inverted gourd. The smaller lake on the south where the Lizardmen dwelled was half swamp and half lake, and due to the shallow water there were few large monsters there. In comparison, the water in the larger northern lake was deeper, so many large monsters lived there, and they were stronger than the monsters of the south. Of course, it made little difference to Mare.
"That's right, when you mentioned Toadmen, were you talking about a species called the Tuvegs?"
Mare was referring to the monsters who lived in the poison swamp around Nazarick in the past. He knew his sister had several of those monsters as servitors.
"Well, I am not too sure about that. Perhaps you could ask Cocytus-sama after he comes back? He will probably return soon."
"I understand. Then, I'll ask about something else, about... about that. You seem to be building something big here, but what is it? It's quite a distance from the village, but it doesn't look like a fence or some other kind of defense..."
"Yes. In truth, we are building our fourth fish preserve here."
As he heard Shasuryu's words, enlightenment dawned on Mare.
It was good that the Lizardman tribes could be united. But once their population grew, food shortages would naturally result. While many people had died during the war, they could not hunt or trap enough to feed their people. Of course, they could solve that problem by returning to their former villages to fish, but Cocytus, the new ruler of the Lizardmen, did not agree.
It was one thing for the entire village to move as one to another part of the swamp, but if only a few people moved by themselves, there was a high chance they would be attacked by monsters. The Lizardmen's numbers were already greatly decreased. Cocytus did not want to lose more of them.
In order to ensure the prosperity of the Lizardmen, Cocytus took action to solve this problem ─ the food problem.
First, he imported rations from Nazarick ─ with Ainz's permission, naturally ─ and distributed it to the Lizardmen. After that, he began studying methods to ensure a sustainable food supply. It went without saying that the solution he had discovered was the fish farms built by Zaryusu. After that, he discussed the matter with Demiurge, and began to build superior fish farms.
They had worked at a fever pitch and built three gigantic fish farms, and this was the fourth one.
"But the fries haven't been raised yet, am I right?"
"Yes. What we... no, what my brother learned was not raising them from fries, but breeding already-grown fish. However, thanks to Demiurge-sama's guidance, we have made preparations to farm fish fries. If all goes according to plan, we should be able to support twice the present population of Lizardmen through the produce of the fish farms."
"I... I see. In a few years' time, you won't need to take fish from Nazarick. Ah, of course, if an emergency crops up, I imagine you are always welcome to take fish."
"Every member of our tribe is deeply grateful to Ainz-sama's merciful kindness in giving us so much fish... although, the fish Ainz-sama gave us lack internal organs, so how do they live? Are they like certain monsters who do not need to eat? No, they do not even have bones; what sort of lifeforms are they?"
"They are the food which was made by the power of Ainz-sama and the other Supreme Beings."
The food Cocytus had given them was made with a magic item called Dagda's Cauldron.
"What!? Ainz-sama could actually make enough fish to feed us all!?"
Shasuryu shook his head.
"When Zaryusu and the others visited the fortress of the Supreme Ones and came back with tales of what they had seen, it sounded like they were dreaming. They said the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick contained many smaller worlds within it, a true land of the gods. Is Ainz Ooal Gown-sama truly a god... ?"
"But of course."
Why was this Lizardman stating the obvious? Mare could not understand him and tilted his head in confusion.
Ainz Ooal Gown was the greatest of the gods. He was their creator.
"I see. So all this was bestowed upon us by Ainz-sama. My thanks to Ainz-sama."
"Mm. I'll let Ainz-sama know that."
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