Chapter 29

Bab 5: Dewa Yang Membeku

Bagian 1

Markas besar Ainz sama dengan tempat yang digunakan Cocytus kemarin – benteng yang sedang dibangun Aura. Jika seseorang mendengarkan dengan seksama, seseorang dapat mendengar suara samar pekerjaan yang sedang berlangsung datang dari kejauhan.

Begitu mereka memasuki ruangan, Korban yang diam sampai saat itu tiba-tiba berbicara kepada Ainz:

“Emoh gniog aku, syug uoy wercs. (Kalau begitu, aku akan pergi sekarang, Ainz-sama.) ”

“Terima kasih atas kerja kerasmu. Tolong rawat Lantai Pertama Nazarick untukku sebelum kita kembali. "

“Kek esiarp. (Dimengerti.) "

""Gerbang"."

Korban melewati pintu kegelapan yang disulap Ainz. Itu mengarah ke Lantai Pertama Makam Besar Bawah Tanah Nazarick.

Setelah menonton Guardian itu – yang kematiannya akan mengaktifkan keterampilan pembatasan gerakan yang kuat – pergi melalui 「Gerbang」, Ainz kembali ke seluruh ruangan. Pada saat yang sama, dia merasakan Aura di belakangnya, kepalanya tertunduk.

Tampaknya dia telah melakukan yang terbaik untuk merapikan kamar untuk menyambut Ainz. Sungguh mengharukan melihat tanda-tanda kerja kerasnya yang bisa dilihat di setiap sudut ruangan. Namun, ruangan ini jauh lebih jelas daripada Nazarick. Mungkin Aura merasa malu karenanya.

Tidak seperti itu seburuk itu …

Ainz awalnya adalah seorang plebeian, jadi dia tidak terlalu keberatan. Sementara kamarnya sebagai penguasa Nazarick bukanlah hal yang buruk, terkadang kemewahan yang berlebihan membuatnya merasa tidak nyaman. Dia bisa sedikit bersantai di tempat ini, jadi itu cukup bagus.

Saya ingin delapan kamar tatami. Mungkin saya harus diam-diam mengaturnya di suatu tempat. Ah, saya harus memberi hadiah kepada bawahan saya. Saya perlu memberi tahu Aura bahwa saya senang dengan kerja kerasnya.

Orang harus berterima kasih dan mengandalkan orang lain untuk kerja keras mereka agar berhasil.

Ainz ingat ketika dia menjalankan tugas di perusahaan tertentu, dan telah mendengar sesuatu dari kamar direktur. Dia tidak tahu siapa yang mengatakannya, tetapi itu adalah kalimat yang benar-benar indah. Itu membuatnya berpikir bahwa seharusnya seorang atasan yang ideal.

Anda perlu mengungkapkan rasa terima kasih di hati Anda. Jika Anda tidak memuji orang-orang Anda, mereka tidak akan bekerja … sesuatu seperti itu?

"Maafkan aku karena membuatmu tetap di sini, Aura. Saya tidak senang sedikit pun. Saya sangat puas dengan kerja keras Anda, dan itu setara dengan Nazarick karena Anda menghiasnya untuk saya. "

"…Iya."

Mata Aura sedikit melebar. Ainz tidak tahu apakah itu dianggap menghiburnya, tetapi dia kehabisan ide. Yang bisa dia lakukan adalah mencoba dan menggertak jalannya dengan melihat sekeliling.

Kamar itu masih berbau kayu.

Dalam keadaan normal, akan lebih baik untuk kembali ke Nazarick daripada tinggal di tempat yang hampir tidak dapat dipertahankan ini. Itu karena tanpa penerapan mantra pertahanan, lokasi ini tidak lebih dari sebuah rumah bubur kertas. Di sisi lain, ini adalah tempat yang sangat bagus untuk menggunakan diri sendiri sebagai umpan untuk memancing ikan besar.

Itu cukup jauh dari danau, jadi siapa pun yang bisa mengejar mereka di sini – jika ada – mungkin akan menjadi pemain YGGDRASIL atau orang-orang dengan kekuatan yang sebanding dengan mereka.

Dengan kata lain, tempat ini telah dibangun untuk mengambil serangan lawan yang kuat.

Itu berbahaya, tentu saja. Tetapi Ainz merasa bahwa seseorang tidak dapat merebut anak harimau tanpa memasuki sarangnya.

Jadi mereka masih belum datang. Atau apakah itu … operasi ini gagal juga? Tetap saja … apa itu?

“… Aura, sebuah pertanyaan untukmu. Ada apa di sana? ”

Tatapan Ainz jatuh pada kursi berwarna putih di dalam ruangan. Punggungnya tinggi dan terlihat sangat kokoh. Karena pengerjaan indah yang telah masuk ke konstruksi, dengan mudah memenuhi syarat sebagai karya seni. Nah, selama seseorang tidak memikirkan kesalahannya sendiri.

"Itu sedikit polos, tapi itu adalah takhta yang khusus dibuat untukmu."

Salah satu bawahan di belakangnya – Demiurge – dengan percaya diri merespons atas nama Aura. Setelah mengantisipasinya, Ainz terus bertanya:

"… Dan tulang siapa yang masuk ke konstruksinya?"

“Mereka datang dari semua jenis hewan. Saya memilih tulang pilihan dari Griffins dan Wyvern. ”

"… Begitu … Begitukah …"

Tahta tulang ini bukanlah furnitur dari Nazarick, jadi itu mungkin sesuatu yang dibuat Demiurge di luar sebelum membawanya ke sini. Juga, konstruksi takhta tampaknya menggunakan banyak tulang manusia atau manusia. Sementara itu tidak ternoda oleh darah atau daging dan sepenuhnya terbuat dari tulang putih murni, dia masih membayangkan bahwa dia bisa mencium bau darah kental.

Sedikit jijik, Ainz ragu-ragu apakah akan duduk atau tidak di atasnya. Namun, akan sulit untuk mengabaikan kursi yang khusus dibuat untuknya. Yang mengatakan, jika dia punya alasan yang bagus, itu akan menjadi masalah yang berbeda—

Ainz memikirkan masalah ini, dan kemudian dia tiba-tiba menyatukan tangannya.

"… Shalltear, aku yakin aku berkata aku akan menghukummu lebih awal? Sekarang saya akan membagikannya. Ya … saya akan mempermalukan Anda. "

"Iya!"

Shalltear tampak agak terkejut karena disebutkan.

“Berlutut di sana dan turunkan kepalamu. Berlututlah. ”

"Iya!"

Bingung, Shalltear pergi ke tempat yang ditunjukkan Ainz – pusat ruangan – sebelum masuk ke posisi memohon.

Setelah pindah ke sisi Shalltear, Ainz segera duduk di punggungnya yang ramping.

"—Ai-Ainz-sama!"

Teriakan terkejut Shalltear yang keluar muncul sebagai sesuatu seperti "Heinzsh-sama." Dia tampak panik, tetapi dia tetap diam, karena Ainz duduk di punggungnya.

"Kau di sini untuk menjadi kursiku, mengerti?"

"Iya!"

Ainz berpaling dari Shalltear yang bahagia dan tidak normal untuk melihat Demiurge.

“—Maafkan aku, Demiurge. Begitulah adanya. "

"Saya melihat! Sungguh luar biasa! Untuk berpikir Anda akan duduk di atas Guardian! Memang, itu adalah kursi yang tidak dapat dibuat oleh siapa pun – dengan kata lain, kursi yang tepat untuk Makhluk Tertinggi. Ainz-sama, Anda telah melampaui harapan saya sekali lagi, seperti yang sesuai untuk diri Anda sendiri! "

"Ya, begitukah …"

Demiurge berseri-seri saat ia memancarkan kesetiaannya kepada tuannya. Ainz tidak tahu mengapa dia tersenyum begitu cerah dan berbalik dengan gelisah. Kemudian, seorang wanita cantik yang semuanya tersenyum berbicara kepada Ainz.

"Maafkan aku, Ainz-sama, bisakah aku minta izin sebentar? Saya akan segera kembali."

"Ada apa, Albedo? Sudahlah, tidak apa-apa. Pergilah."

Setelah berterima kasih kepada Ainz, Albedo meninggalkan ruangan. Setelah itu, terdengar suara feminin “DORYAAAAA—!” Dari luar ruangan, diikuti dengan dampak luar biasa pada dinding, yang membuat rumah itu bergetar hebat.

Sekitar satu menit kemudian, Albedo kembali ke kamar yang sunyi, dengan senyum lembut yang biasa di wajahnya.

"Aku kembali, Ainz-sama. Oh ya, Aura, aku tidak sengaja menabrak dinding saat keluar, dan sepertinya ada beberapa kerusakan. Bisakah Anda memperbaikinya nanti? Maaf tentang itu. "

"Ah, er, baiklah … baiklah ~ aku akan memperbaikinya."

Ainz menghela nafas, menelan banyak hal yang ingin dia katakan. Dia teringat tatapannya yang hampir melayang pergi dan memusatkannya pada tongkat yang memancarkan aura jahat.

Jelas, dia tidak akan membawa Staf Ainz Ooal Gown yang benar ke tempat yang berbahaya. Ini adalah spesimen eksperimental yang dibangun meniru Persekutuan Senjata. Setelah pas dengan item sihir yang digunakan untuk pengujian efek khusus di Departemen Keuangan, itu tampak hampir seperti hal yang nyata, dan itu membuat umpan yang bagus.

Guild akan bubar jika Persekutuan Senjata dihancurkan. Karena itu, dia tidak bisa dengan santai membawanya. Saat ini sedang dalam perawatan Guardian of Sakura Sanctuary di Eighth Floor.

Saya telah mempertimbangkan tindakan balasan terhadap Cincin yang dicuri juga, tetapi saya tidak dapat menemukan tempat di mana saya dapat melakukan percobaan …

Saat Ainz memikirkan hal ini, tubuh Shalltear tiba-tiba bergerak. Gerakan itu tampak seperti penyesuaian sehingga Ainz bisa duduk lebih nyaman. Rasa gelisah yang aneh membuat Ainz melihat bagian belakang kepala Shalltear.

Dia terengah-engah.

Dia mungkin terlalu berat untuknya. Punggung Shalltear yang didudukinya hampir sama rampingnya dengan gadis berusia empat belas tahun dan cukup ramping. Membayangkan orang dewasa akan duduk dengan punggung yang ramping. Ainz sangat yakin bahwa dia adalah seorang cabul yang kejam tanpa malu-malu, dan telah bertindak terlalu jauh.

Shalltear adalah NPC yang dibuat oleh salah satu temannya dari masa lalu, Peroroncino. Kemungkinan besar, dia tidak menyangka Shalltear akan berakhir disiksa seperti ini. Karena ini pada dasarnya adalah tindakan yang mempermalukan mantan rekannya, Ainz percaya bahwa ini adalah bentuk hukuman untuk dirinya sendiri juga. Namun, dia sekarang menyadari bahwa dia bodoh karena mengira begitu.

Untuk berpikir saya benar-benar menyiksa Shalltear seperti ini … Saya tidak bisa menabung.

"Shalltear, apa tidak nyaman?"

Jika ya, maka saya akan menghentikannya – tepat ketika Ainz akan mengatakan itu, Shalltear melihat ke belakang, menatap Ainz. Wajahnya memerah, dan matanya menyala terang.

"Tidak semuanya! Sebenarnya, saya merasa ini adalah hadiah praktis! ”

Setiap kata yang dia ucapkan membawa panas yang menyeduh di dalam tubuhnya, dan matanya yang berkaca-kaca mencerminkan wajah Ainz. Lidah merahnya yang cerah menjilat bibirnya, meninggalkan kilau yang menggoda. Cara tubuhnya menggeliat sedikit mengingatkan pada ular.

Tidak ada yang salah dengan ini selain dari keinginan duniawi.

"… Uwah …"

Itu membuatnya ingin lari.

Ainz hampir berdiri.

Saya tidak bisa, bagaimana saya bisa melakukan itu?

Ini adalah hukuman untuk Shalltear, dan kesalahan Shalltear adalah karena kesalahan perhitungan Ainz. Karena itu, menahan keinginan untuk berdiri juga merupakan cara untuk menghukum dirinya sendiri.

Ainz menghancurkan gelombang emosi yang kompleks dalam dirinya.

Dia mencoba yang terbaik untuk menanggung dengan kursi, terengah-engah di bawahnya. Meski begitu, dia tidak bisa membantu tetapi bertanya-tanya Bagaimana Peroroncino membuatnya sesat, toh?

"… Kalau begitu, mari kita bicara bisnis. Apakah Lizardmen setakut yang diharapkan? ”

"Memang, Ainz-sama."

"Itu benar, lihat saja wajah Lizardmen."

Ainz tertawa ketika dia mendengar jawaban Guardian. Sebenarnya, dia hampir tidak bisa mengatakan bagaimana ekspresi Lizardmen telah berubah. Sementara Lizardmen lebih mirip manusia daripada reptil, ekspresi wajah mereka benar-benar berbeda dari manusia.

"Benar-benar sekarang. Kemudian, kita dapat mempertimbangkan bagian pertama dari kesan mana Cocytus akan membuat kesuksesan. "

Ainz menghela nafas lega.

Dia telah berharap setidaknya sebanyak itu dari mantra tingkat super, yang hanya bisa digunakan empat kali sehari. Ainz berusaha untuk menggunakan salah satu dari mereka – 「The Creation」 – dan jika itu gagal mengesankan, maka yang bisa dia katakan adalah bahwa itu menyedihkan.

"Lalu, Demiurge, kapan kamu akan selesai menghitung informasi tentang seberapa jauh danau itu beku?"

“Kami masih mengumpulkan data yang relevan, tetapi radius pembekuan lebih besar dari yang diharapkan, yang menghadirkan beberapa kesulitan. Jika memungkinkan, saya harap kita diberi waktu lebih lama. ”

Ainz mengulurkan tangan untuk menghentikan Demiurge dari berlutut, dan kemudian menangkupkan rahangnya dengan tangan kerangka, sebelum akhirnya merenung. Tampaknya jari-jari efektif mantra itu lebih besar dari yang dia bayangkan, tetapi sebagai percobaan ajaib, itu cukup sukses.

「The Creation」 adalah mantra tingkat super yang dapat mengubah efek khusus medan. Dalam YGGDRASIL, orang akan menggunakannya untuk menangkal panas di daerah panas atau untuk menekan dinginnya pembekuan di daerah es.

Sebenarnya, dia bisa membuat mereka tunduk tanpa menggunakan mantra tingkat super.

Namun, dia tetap menggunakannya karena dia ingin melakukan percobaan pada seberapa besar radius mantra bisa. Di YGGDRASIL, 「The Creation」 dapat memengaruhi area yang cukup luas, dan ketika mereka mengujinya di Nazarick, ia berhasil mencakup seluruh Lantai Delapan. Namun, mereka tidak tahu bagaimana hal itu terjadi di luar ruangan.

Di YGGDRASIL, itu bisa mencakup satu area, tapi dia ingin tahu seberapa besar zona itu di dunia ini. Akan terlalu banyak jika dia melemparkannya di dataran dan menutupi seluruh dataran.

Demikian pula, akan terlalu banyak jika menutupi seluruh danau. Tampaknya dia harus sangat berhati-hati ketika menggunakan sihir tingkat super.

"Lalu, Aura, bagaimana dengan jaring keamanan kita?"

"Iya! Kami telah mengirim mayat hidup yang kami pinjam dari Anda untuk berpatroli dalam radius dua kilometer, tetapi kami belum mengambil gangguan luar biasa apa pun. Juga, saya telah mengirimkan beberapa binatang ajaib saya yang mahir dalam pengintaian untuk berpatroli dalam radius empat kilometer di sekitar kami, tetapi belum ada laporan tentang sesuatu yang mencurigakan sejauh ini. "

"Begitukah … Musuh kita mungkin melakukan pendekatan mereka dengan cara yang tidak terdeteksi sepenuhnya. Sudahkah Anda bersiap untuk itu? "

"Itu akan baik-baik saja. Shalltear membantu saya, jadi kami juga menggunakan mayat hidup yang bagus dalam pengawasan. "

"Baik sekali."

Aura tersenyum setelah pujian Ainz. Depresi sebelumnya tidak terlihat.

"Tetap saja, apakah orang yang menggunakan Item Kelas Dunia di Shalltear masih belum bergerak bahkan setelah kita mengekspos diri kita seperti ini?"

Semua mata tertuju pada Ainz saat dia menanyakan pertanyaan itu lagi, tapi dia tidak mengarahkannya pada siapa pun secara khusus.

"Mengapa oposisi tidak memata-matai tempat ini dan Nazarick?"

"Mungkinkah musuh mengawasi kita dengan Item Kelas Dunia yang membuatnya kebal terhadap pengawasan rutin?"

Ainz memiringkan kepalanya dengan bingung setelah Demiurge menjawab dengan pertanyaannya.

"… Aku menggunakan Momon karena kupikir mereka mungkin menggunakan cara seperti itu … jika musuh menggunakan Item Kelas Dunia untuk memata-matai kita, mereka tidak akan bisa mengamati Momon, karena dia juga memiliki Item Kelas Dunia. Oleh karena itu, saya telah beroperasi dengan asumsi bahwa mereka akan menggunakan pengamatan fisik atau langsung … yah, itu mungkin juga ajaib, tetapi singkatnya, saya berasumsi bahwa mereka akan menggunakan metode yang lebih konvensional untuk mengawasi pada kita … "

Ainz merasakan bahwa Penjaga di sekelilingnya tampak bingung, dan dia menyadari bahwa penjelasannya tidak cukup jelas.

"Yah … bagaimana aku harus meletakkan ini … di masa lalu, kami pernah memiliki tambang yang menghasilkan logam langka. Harganya naik melalui atap karena kami memonopolinya, jadi sekelompok orang berencana mencurinya dari kami. Saat itu, oposisi kami menggunakan 「οὐροβόρος」. Itu adalah salah satu Item Kelas Dunia yang dikenal sebagai The Twenty. ”

(TL Note: Ouroboros)

Ainz menyipitkan matanya.

Dia sangat marah ketika tambang telah dicuri, tetapi mengingatnya sekarang, itu adalah kenangan yang baik. Itu benar bahkan ketika dia mengingat bagaimana mereka telah diburu dan kehilangan beberapa potong peralatan langka.

"Apa!? Seseorang benar-benar berani merebut wilayah yang telah diklaim oleh Makhluk Tertinggi? Tak termaafkan! Silakan perintahkan kami untuk mengambilnya kembali sekaligus! ”

Ainz buru-buru mengalihkan pandangannya saat dia mendengar Albedo melampiaskan amarahnya.

Dia melihat semua Wali bergolak dengan permusuhan dan niat membunuh. Bahkan Demiurge yang selalu tenteram memiliki ekspresi buas di wajahnya. Bukan itu saja; Ainz bisa melihat tekad untuk mengembalikannya pada wajah Mare yang pemalu dan pensiunan.

Kebetulan, Ainz tidak bisa melihat ekspresi Shalltear karena dia adalah kursi, tetapi dia bisa merasakan tubuhnya tegang, mengirimkan besi padanya akan naik melewati pantatnya.

"Tenang! Itu di masa lalu. "

Ainz mengangkat tangan untuk memerintahkan Guardian untuk mendinginkan kepala mereka. Sementara itu tampak seolah-olah mereka agak tenang kembali, mereka masih tampak tidak stabil, seolah-olah magma mengalir di bawah permukaan. Ainz memutuskan untuk mengambil topik sebelumnya untuk mengganti topik pembicaraan.

"Musuh kita menggunakan「 οὐροβόρος 」dan membuat tidak mungkin bagi kita untuk memasuki dunia tempat tambang itu berada. Mereka mungkin menggunakan waktu itu untuk mencari dan menemukan tambang. Setelah segelnya rusak dan kami bisa memasuki dunia, kami menemukan bahwa tambang sudah diambil. ”

Mereka telah bertarung dengan ceroboh untuk merebut kembali tambang dan banyak anggota guild telah mati setidaknya satu kali, tetapi Ainz menahan keinginan untuk berbicara tentang itu.

“Lalu, inilah poin yang ingin aku sampaikan. Sementara aku mengatakan dunia disegel, orang-orang dengan item Kelas Dunia masih bisa memasuki dunia itu selama waktu itu. Oleh karena itu, seharusnya tidak mungkin bagi mereka untuk mengenali kami bahkan jika mereka menggunakan Item Kelas Dunia untuk pengawasan.

Ketika Ainz mendengarkan desah tercerahkan dari bawahannya, dia bertanya-tanya apakah itu benar-benar masalahnya.

Sangat mungkin, tetapi tidak ada bukti bahwa mereka tidak dapat ditemukan.

Ketika Progression Kemajuan Lima Elemen 」- salah satu dari Dua Puluh, seperti「 「ὐ ὐ」 – telah digunakan, perusahaan game mengirim pesan ke semua pemegang Item Kelas Dunia. Selain permintaan maaf, mereka juga memasukkan item sebagai kompensasi. Permintaan maafnya berbunyi, “Pemegang Item Kelas Dunia yang terhormat, Anda seharusnya tidak terpengaruh oleh perubahan di dunia, tetapi kami telah belajar bahwa menjaga data Anda tidak terpengaruh akan menjadi tugas yang sangat sulit bagi sistem. Karena itu, kami membuat pengecualian khusus dan mengubah data Anda juga. "

Karena itu, dia tidak dapat menyimpulkan bahwa itu adalah pertahanan yang sempurna. Namun, insiden itu merupakan kasus khusus.

Secara khusus, salah satu Item Kelas Dunia membela Nazarick memiliki efek melindungi terhadap mantra ramalan. Jika itu tidak dapat memblokir pengawasan dari Item Kelas Dunia, maka itu akan menjadi tidak berarti.

"Karena itu, aku merasa musuh akan mencoba mendekati Momon … tetapi yang datang kepadanya semua adalah ibu yang sedang menggendong anak-anak atau petualang yang baru lahir."

Orang-orang yang datang memohon padanya untuk menyentuh kepala anak-anak mereka dengan harapan mereka akan tumbuh kuat, atau mereka meminta untuk berjabat tangan dengannya dengan harapan untuk menjadi lebih kuat. Tak satu pun dari mereka yang meminta untuk berbicara dengannya secara pribadi.

Karena itu, Ainz sengaja menciptakan banyak bukaan seperti ini, menunggu musuh untuk bergerak.

Tidak memberi Cocytus Item Kelas Dunia adalah bagian dari rencana itu. Ainz bermaksud menggunakannya sebagai umpan untuk menarik keluar oposisi. Musuh mereka menakutkan justru karena dia tidak tahu identitas mereka. Karena itu, mempelajari tentang lawan mereka mungkin akan membantu mereka menemukan cara untuk berurusan dengan mereka.

"Bolehkah aku berbagi pendapat rendah hati tentang masalah ini?"

"Ada apa, Albedo?"

"Ainz-sama, seperti yang kamu katakan tadi, tujuanmu adalah untuk mengetahui identitas musuh dan belajar lebih banyak tentang mereka. Kalau begitu, apakah mungkin musuh tidak mau mendekat karena mereka belum terekspos? ”

…Ah.

"Ini … tidak apa-apa, Albedo. Saya telah mempertimbangkan poin itu juga. "

Seolah-olah. Ainz sudah berasumsi bahwa musuhnya seperti dirinya sendiri, dan ingin mengetahui tentang oposisi mereka.

… Sungguh suatu kesalahan. Bagaimana jika saya sudah salah tentang semuanya dari awal?

"Maafkan aku. Juga…"

Albedo, bisakah kau berhenti – Ainz tidak bisa memaksa dirinya memintanya. Dia merasa seperti telah menyelesaikan ujian pilihan ganda, dan kemudian, ketika dia melakukan pekerjaannya sekali lagi, dia menemukan bahwa semua jawabannya salah bergeser satu ruang ke bawah.

"Ada masalah mengumumkan bahwa Shalltear dikalahkan oleh benda sihir …"

"Iya. Saya melaporkan sebanyak mungkin ke Persekutuan. Itu untuk menghindari orang-orang takut pada kekuatan Momon. Kristal penyegelan ejaan adalah barang yang sangat langka, jadi mematahkan satu untuk eksperimen seharusnya sulit. Oleh karena itu, mengatakan bahwa kristal penyegel mantra tidak terkendali – bahwa monster itu dikalahkan melalui penggunaan item sihir – lebih meyakinkan dan itu berarti lebih sedikit orang yang akan berjaga-jaga terhadap Momon. "

“Memang, seperti yang kamu katakan. Itu akan bekerja dengan baik terhadap orang-orang yang berpikir kristal penyegel ejaan adalah barang langka. ”

Kualifikasi Albedo yang halus tentang pernyataannya membuat Ainz merasa sangat gelisah.

"… Namun, bagaimana jika musuh kita memiliki beberapa kristal seperti dirimu, Ainz-sama?"

“… Hm? Ah, jadi itu yang kamu maksud. "

Ainz menunjukkan kesadaran yang tiba-tiba, tetapi dia tidak tahu apa maksudnya.

Jadi bagaimana jika oposisi memiliki banyak kristal penyegel ejaan? Faktanya adalah mereka adalah barang yang sangat berharga di dunia ini. Apakah Albedo khawatir bahwa seseorang akan memecahkan kristal sebagai percobaan?

Tetap saja, tidak terasa seperti itu.

Perasaan firasat memenuhi hati Ainz. Dia ingin Albedo menjelaskan dirinya sendiri, tetapi dia tidak suka berpura-pura memiliki pengetahuan yang baru saja dia pakai.

Kalau dipikir-pikir, apakah benar kalau aku bertindak sebagai penguasa dan memutuskan arah Nazarick? Bagaimana jika saya akhirnya mengarahkan kami ke gunung es?

Dia ingin lari dari semua ini dan selesai dengan itu.

Tidak dapat menanggung tekanan kepemimpinan – yang hanya diperkuat ketika dia mengacaukannya – dia menangis dalam jiwanya.

Namun, dia tidak bisa lari begitu saja. Karena dia menyebut dirinya Ainz Ooal Gown, dia tidak bisa meninggalkan barang-barang – NPC dan harta karun Nazarick – yang dibuat oleh teman-temannya. Yang paling penting adalah dia tidak ingin menjadi ayah yang gagal.

Saya terkadang khawatir jika Anda akan mengkhianati, meninggalkan, atau menyerah pada saya. Namun, itu hanya berarti aku harus menjadi Ainz Ooal Gown yang kamu harapkan dan yakini.

Oleh karena itu, Ainz memasang wajah percaya diri, pose seorang penguasa dengan keyakinan penuh pada dirinya sendiri, yang telah dia praktikkan di cermin.

"Tidak apa-apa. Namun, saya mengerti kegelisahan Anda. "

Kemudian, Ainz melihat sekeliling.

"Albedo … bagikan kekhawatiranmu dengan Wali lainnya."

"Ah iya! Jika oposisi memiliki banyak kristal seperti kamu, Ainz-sama … siapa pun yang mengetahui kemampuan mereka mungkin akan segera melihat berita itu. Dengan kata lain, mereka akan percaya bahwa Shalltear tidak dikalahkan oleh kristal. Meskipun musuh mungkin tidak tahu jika Shalltear bertarung dengan semua kekuatannya, siapa pun dengan Item Kelas Dunia mungkin akan berpikir bahwa Shalltear dan Momon memiliki kekuatan yang setara. Karena itu, mereka mungkin akan menganggap Momon – seorang pejuang misterius yang tiba-tiba muncul di E-Rantel – sebuah ancaman, bukan? Selain itu, oposisi mungkin juga mencurigai sesuatu tentang hubungan antara Shalltear dan Momon … "

"… Albedo, dan Penjaga. Menurut Anda apa yang akan dilakukan musuh selanjutnya? ”

"Kalau begitu, izinkan aku untuk menjawab. Saya merasa bahwa jika musuh kami bermaksud menentang Anda, Ainz-sama, mereka akan merespons dengan menyebarkan desas-desus tentang Momon dan Vampir yang bersekutu satu sama lain – bahkan jika tidak ada dasar bagi mereka – dan membalasnya. Oposisi kita pasti tidak ingin Momon menjadi semakin terkenal. ”

Uwah, Ainz mengerang dalam hati.

Tujuan awalnya pergi ke E-Rantel adalah untuk mengumpulkan informasi, tetapi tujuan utamanya adalah untuk membuat karakter Momon terkenal – itu, dan dia juga ingin pergi dari semua ini. Rencana awal adalah mengubah Momon menjadi pahlawan besar dan kemudian mengungkapkan identitas aslinya, dimana ketenaran dan kemuliaan yang telah dia kumpulkan akan ditransfer ke Ainz Ooal Gown, dan bergema di seluruh dunia.

Selain itu, itu juga akan berfungsi untuk menunjukkan bahwa mantan guild PK telah mengubah citranya, melawan ketidakadilan melalui nama Momon. Tapi sekarang, rencana itu sedikit lebih dari gelembung sabun menghilang di angin.

"Oh? Demiurge, saya punya pertanyaan. Bukankah lebih merusak menyebarkan desas-desus bekerja dengan Vampir itu setelah ia menjadi terkenal? "

"Aura, melakukan itu pada saat itu akan menjadi langkah yang buruk. Setelah Ainz-sama cukup terkenal, orang akan menganggap rumor itu gosip berbahaya. Reputasi itu harus dihilangkan sebelum tumbuh dan meluas. ”

"Pengamatan yang sangat cerdik, Demiurge."

Ainz mengangguk dengan anggun sebagai jawaban atas haluan Demiurge, seolah-olah dia juga memikirkan hal yang sama.

"Lalu, aku punya pertanyaan lain. Jika itu masalahnya, mengapa musuh belum menyebarkan desas-desus ini? ”

Demiurge mengangkat jari setelah mendengar pertanyaan Ainz.

“Pertama, musuh belum menyelesaikan penyelidikan mereka terhadap Momon-sama. Jika ternyata Momon-sama mengalahkan Shalltear dalam pertempuran terbuka, mereka ingin menghindari kemarahannya, atau mungkin mereka ingin merekrutnya ke pihak mereka. Kedua-"

Dia mengangkat jari lainnya.

“Bagaimana jika oposisi hanya bertemu Shalltear secara kebetulan? Atau bagaimana jika mereka bertemu dengannya dalam perjalanan ke tujuan lain, dan mereka adalah pihak ketiga yang sama sekali tidak berhubungan? "

"Itu tidak mungkin sekarang, kan, Demiurge. Betapa tidak mungkin itu … "

Ainz mengatakan itu, tetapi di dalam hatinya, dia menyadari bahwa itu tidak mustahil.

Dia sangat marah pada gagasan bahwa ini adalah serangan yang ditargetkan pada Shalltear – atau personel Makam Besar Bawah Tanah Nazarick. Namun, Shalltear telah diserang tak lama setelah mereka semua dibawa ke dunia baru ini. Dalam situasi seperti itu, dibutuhkan ketelitian pra-alami untuk menargetkan dan menyerang Shalltear.

Apakah dia terlalu paranoid terhadap dalang tersembunyi?

Ainz menyipitkan matanya – titik-titik lampu merah di rongga matanya.

Pada akhirnya, kurangnya informasi tetap menjadi masalah. Dia tidak memiliki tenaga kerja yang cukup dan dia membutuhkan lebih banyak kekuatan.

Bagaimanapun, masalah terbesar saat ini adalah kurangnya jaringan pengumpulan-intelijen kami.

Saat ini, ia telah memerintahkan Sebas untuk menangani pekerjaan semacam ini. Namun, ada batasan seberapa banyak intelijen yang dapat dikumpulkan oleh jumlah personil intelijen yang terbatas. Pada awalnya, dia hanya ingin mempelajari fakta-fakta dasar dunia ini, tetapi mereka sekarang berada pada tahap di mana informasi seperti itu tidak lagi memadai.

Mereka tidak dapat mempelajari apa yang ingin mereka ketahui dengan melalui petualang dan pedagang sendirian. Itu mirip dengan bagaimana seorang warga negara biasa dan pejabat tinggi pemerintah memiliki akses ke informasi yang berbeda kepentingannya.

Selain itu, dia tidak tahu orang macam apa yang bisa menganalisis data yang telah mereka kumpulkan dan menentukan apakah informasi tertentu itu penting atau tidak.

"Kesedihan yang bagus. Bagaimanapun, tantangan utama kami sekarang adalah kurangnya informasi. Tangan kita terikat karena kita harus waspada terhadap musuh yang tak terlihat … ”

Demiurge memberi Ainz senyum konspirasi saat dia mendengar Ainz bergumam.

"Kalau begitu, mengapa tidak mencari negara untuk mendukungmu?"

Setelah keheningan singkat, Albedo pergi "Oh" untuk menunjukkan bahwa dia mengerti. Segera, Ainz membuat suara yang sama.

"Aku mengerti, Demiurge. Jadi itu yang kamu maksud. "

Namun, tiga Wali lainnya masih terlihat agak bingung. Setelah itu, Aura keluar dan bertanya:

"Ainz-sama, ada apa ini?"

Ketika Aura mengajukan pertanyaan itu, Ainz bersyukur bahwa dia tidak memiliki ekspresi wajah.

"Jujur … Mare, Shalltear, apakah kamu tidak mengerti apa yang Demiurge katakan?"

Mereka berdua menggelengkan kepala bersamaan.

"Saya melihat. Maka itu tidak dapat membantu. Katakan pada mereka, Demiurge. "

"Ya saya mengerti. Sekarang, semuanya. Ainz-sama khawatir tentang keberadaan musuh yang kuat dan tersembunyi. Saya merasa bahwa jika kita bertemu musuh dan mereka memusuhi kita, kita perlu memiliki semacam pengaruh yang dapat kita gunakan selama negosiasi. "

Sensei, aku tidak mengerti – tatapan itu muncul di wajah tiga siswa dan satu orang dewasa. Demiurge-sensei tampaknya menyadari bahwa penjelasannya terlalu rumit dan memutuskan untuk terus menjelaskan setelah membius dirinya sendiri untuk menyamai para siswa.

"Apa yang akan kamu lakukan jika Ainz-sama didominasi oleh beberapa Item Kelas Dunia?"

"Aku akan membunuh bajingan yang melakukannya."

"… Tidak, bukan itu yang kumaksud, Aura. Apa yang ingin saya katakan adalah, bukankah menurut Anda fakta bahwa mengendalikan pikiran akan dianggap sebagai alibi? Faktanya adalah ada orang-orang di luar sana yang benar-benar dapat mendominasi oposisi mereka dengan Item Kelas Dunia, jadi kita dapat dengan meyakinkan mengatakan bahwa Ainz-sama dikendalikan oleh Item Kelas Dunia. ”

Asisten Guru Albedo melengkapi kuliah Kepala Guru Demiurge:

“Dengan kata lain, dengan berpura-pura mendukung negara lain, kami memiliki alasan untuk tindakan apa pun yang dilakukan Nazarick. Dengan mengatakan bahwa kami diperintahkan untuk melakukannya oleh negara itu dan kami tidak punya pilihan selain menaatinya, kami bisa menggunakannya untuk menangkis kesalahan dari diri kami sendiri, dengan asumsi ada musuh di tingkat kami. Juga, jika pihak lain tidak menginginkan konflik terbuka, mereka tidak akan memiliki pilihan selain menanggungnya. "

"Aku mengerti … jadi bahkan jika seseorang tidak senang dengan apa yang kita lakukan, selama kita punya alasan yang bagus, kita bisa menyeret pihak ketiga untuk menjadi sekutu … jadi itulah yang terjadi, seperti yang diharapkan dari Ainz-sama … ”

Ainz mengulurkan tangan dan membelai kepala Shalltear kursi. Itu seperti bos gerombolan membelai kucing siam

"Demiurge datang dengan skema itu, bukan aku, jadi terima kasihmu harus pergi padanya."

"Tidak itu tidak benar. Sepertinya kamu sudah sampai pada jawaban yang sama, Ainz-sama. ”

"Ah, er … um. Rasanya seperti saya mengambil kredit untuk kerja keras Anda. Maaf soal itu. Juga … Saya percaya akan lebih mudah untuk mendapatkan informasi jika kita mendukung negara lain. "

Suatu negara mungkin akan memiliki jaringan pengumpulan-intelijen yang sedang mereka perjuangkan. Karena itu, menyusup ke mereka dengan orang-orang Nazarick seharusnya jauh lebih baik untuk mengumpulkan informasi yang dapat digunakan.

Demiurge tersenyum pada pemikiran bahwa sarannya berguna pada sesuatu yang mengganggu Ainz, dan pada kata-kata Ainz, yang tampaknya membenarkan pendapatnya dan Albedo.

"Memang."

Ainz menyadari subteksnya: "Kamu juga mengambilnya, Ainz-sama."

"Ah, memang. Seperti yang diharapkan dari Ainz-sama – untuk berpikir kamu memiliki wawasan yang jelas … dalam hal itu, bahkan bentuk kehidupan yang lebih rendah seperti manusia bisa terbukti sangat berguna. "

Setelah Albedo berbicara, Wali lainnya – termasuk Shalltear kursi – memandang Ainz dengan mata berbinar penuh dengan kesetiaan murni.

Ainz merasa sangat tidak nyaman, tetapi dia menghibur dirinya dengan kenyataan bahwa mereka berdua telah memberinya persetujuan.

"Lalu … mari kita cari negara untuk menyusup. Negara mana itu? ”

"Jika kita memilih dari negara-negara tetangga, kita akan memiliki Kerajaan, Kekaisaran, dan Teokrasi."

“Bagaimana, bagaimana dengan negara yang jauh? Seperti misalnya, Aliansi Dewan atau Kerajaan Suci … "

“Saya lebih suka tidak memilih negara yang jauh, dan saya lebih suka untuk tidak melakukan kontak dengan Teokrasi sebelum kita cukup belajar tentang mereka. Itu membuat Kerajaan dan Kekaisaran … dilihat dari laporan Sebas, Kerajaan itu tidak terlalu menarik. Namun … hal ini membutuhkan studi lebih lanjut. Bagaimanapun-"

Ainz menyela pembicaraan dengan mengulurkan tangannya ke cermin.

"Kami telah memberi Lizardmen waktu. Mari kita lihat apakah mereka telah melakukan sesuatu yang tidak terduga. "

Pandangan burung dari desa Lizardmen muncul di Mirror of Remote Viewing.

Ainz mengulurkan tangan ke cermin dan dengan gerakan tangannya yang halus, dia mengubah pemandangan yang ditunjukkannya.

Secara alami, ia mulai dengan memperbesar gambar.

Dengan cara ini, mereka bisa melihat setiap detail persiapan Lizardmen untuk pertempuran.

"Usaha yang sia-sia," Demiurge bergumam dengan lembut kepada Lizardmen.

Coba lihat, di mana mereka? Sulit untuk mengatakan satu Lizardman dari yang lain.

Ainz mengerutkan kening saat dia mencari keenam Lizardmen yang dia lihat sebelumnya.

"Oh – itu zirahnya. Apakah ini orang yang melempar batu? Dan kemudian, yang memiliki pedang besar ada di sini. Perbedaannya sangat baik. Mungkin warna, peralatan, atau variasi fisik yang jelas akan menjadi cara yang baik untuk membedakan mereka … ah, ada yang berbeda. "

Setelah itu, Ainz memindahkan gambar cermin dengan bingung.

"… Aku tidak melihat Lizardman putih itu dan yang memiliki senjata ajaib."

"Hm … apakah namanya Zaryusu?"

"Ah, itu benar, itu namanya."

Setelah Aura mengingatkannya, Ainz ingat nama Lizardman yang telah melangkah maju untuk bernegosiasi dengannya.

“Could he be in his house?”

“Perhaps.”

The Mirror of Remote Viewing could not peer into structures. However, that was only under normal circumstances.

“Demiurge, fetch me the Infinite Haversack.”

"Dimengerti."

With a bow, Demiurge picked up the Infinite Backpack which lay on the table which had been shifted to the corner of the room before courteously presenting it to Ainz. Ainz took a scroll out of it.

After that, he cast the spell inscribed within it.

The spell produced an invisible and incorporeal sensor. It could not penetrate magical barriers, but it could pass through conventional walls regardless of their thickness. If it could not pass through said walls, that would imply there was a powerful foe present, and they had to be wary.

He linked the sensor to the Mirror of Remote Viewing, so the Guardians could see what Ainz could see. Then he moved the eye-like, floating sensor.

“Let’s see what’s inside this house.”

Ainz selected one of the nearest houses — a pretty run-down affair — and sent the sensor inside. Despite the darkness of the interior, it appeared as bright as day through the eyes of the sensor.

The white Lizardman was pressed against the floor of the house. Her tail was tucked up and there was a black Lizardman mounted on her.

Ainz was utterly confused.

For a moment, he had no idea what was going on. In the next moment, he had no idea why they would be doing something like that at a time like this.

After that, Ainz silently steered the sensor outside.

"…"

Ainz grabbed his head in a moment of infinite weakness. The Guardians around him had no idea what to say, and looked at the ground with puzzled expressions on their faces.

“—What a displeasing lot. Cocytus will be attacking any moment now and they’re still indulging themselves!”

“Exactly!”

“Er, ah, a-about that…”

“Demiurge’s right! We need to make those two suffer!”

“I’m so jealous…”

Ainz waved his hand to silence the Guardians.

“…Forget it, they’ll all be dead soon. I once saw a movie which said that situations like these stimulate the desire to propagate the species.”

Ainz nodded, certain of his opinion.

“Indeed, it is so!”

“Well, if that’s all, we should probably let them off the hook.”

“Exactly!”

“Er, ah, a-about that…”

“I agree with Demiurge-sama…”

“…Quiet, all of you.”

After the Guardians had fallen silent, Ainz sighed.

“…Well, there goes my motivation. Never mind, there’s probably nobody to worry about in the Lizardman village. Still, we can’t be careless, because someone might be heading for us right now. Aura…”

Ainz froze, and looked at the twins.

Sampah! What should I do now!? Those two haven’t been given sex education yet… no, it’s too early for that!

Ainz suddenly understood what it was like for a father to see a lewd scene on the television during a family gathering.

Dammit, how would a father or mother answer if they were asked where babies came from!? Ini buruk! I can’t believe I let Bukubukuchagama’s children see that — though, it shouldn’t be too bad. Let’s not consider Albedo, and Demiurge… he’d probably teach them from a clinical perspective. Shalltear… not too bad either. Let’s handle this another day.

After pushing the question to the back of his mind, Ainz coughed and asked:

“If the security net picks up anything, all the Guardians — myself included — will move out together.”

If there were any other players around, he would not adhere to his agreement of sparing the Lizardmen. If they would not become allies, then they would have to be terminated with extreme prejudice to avoid any information leaks. When they happened, they would destroy the village, even if they had to draw on all the forces of the Eighth Floor to do so.

Ainz thrust aside the guilt he felt at violating his promise to Cocytus. A little white lie would be preferable if it was for a good reason.

“…Now then, the show’s about to begin… let’s enjoy watching Cocytus in action.”

Bagian 2

The four hours passed in a flash.

The frozen marsh had long since melted, and the warriors were gathered there — at the main gate of the village. After the intense battle several days ago, there were precious few of them who had survived to fight in this battle.

There were three hundred and sixteen of them in total.

Nobody but the warriors would participate in this battle, because Shasuryu had said, “The enemy is few in number, so too many people on our part will just get in the way.”

That seemed like a logical enough explanation, but that was not all.

Zaryusu stood some distance ahead of the Lizardmen and looked on the warriors.

Everyone was painted with markings which showed that the ancestors had descended upon them. Their iron will was readily apparent on their faces, and they looked confident of victory.

The Lizardmen around them were cheering their warriors on. Still, he could see quite a few worried-looking people in the crowd.

Zaryusu strove to keep a nonchalant expression in order to keep his uneasiness from showing on his face. He did not want the other Lizardmen to know that this battle was essentially a live sacrifice to the king of death.

Indeed, this was a battle that was intended to demonstrate the undead king’s power to the Lizardmen. Its purpose was to thoroughly eradicate the very possibility of rebellion among the Lizardmen. They had no chance of surviving, which meant that the subtext behind Shasuryu’s words was “so that we can reduce casualties to the minimum.”

Zaryusu looked away from the Lizardmen, and he turned his keen gaze on the enemy formation.

The skeletal army remained where it was. There was no sign of the monster called Cocytus among them. Zaryusu doubted that it was a skeleton. As a trusted subordinate of that king of death, how could he be a mook like that? He must be some being whose strength was apparent at a glance.

A loud splashing came from behind the worried Zaryusu—

“—Hey, Zaryusu.”

—And Zenberu greeted him as casually as always. He was the same person even when he was headed for certain death.

“Morale’s at its peak.”

“Well, it would be nice if it could stay that way when we faced that Cocytus fellow…”

"Ya. Oh, is it time?”

Shasuryu was at the main gate, and all the Lizardmen’s eyes were on the two Swamp Elementals by his side.

Crusch was not here because she had spent all her mana on summoning the elementals. The drain of that, on top of casting a plethora of long-duration defensive spells on Zaryusu, had left her almost immobile. In fact, when they had left their house, Crusch had already told him that she would be passing out from using too much mana, and they would never see each other again.

Alone now, Zaryusu looked towards the place where Crusch was. The way she had looked when they had parted made Zaryusu feel like he had been stabbed in the heart.

“Warriors, let’s go!”

With a rousing cry, Shasuryu stoked the flames of the Lizardmen’s fighting spirit, and the air was filled with eager tension.

He had to think like a warrior again. Zaryusu reined in his rampaging thoughts.

The Lizardmen advanced slowly, led by Shasuryu and the two Swamp Elementals.

They were leaving the village so it would not be caught up in the fighting.

Zaryusu and Zenberu followed behind them.

Just then, Zaryusu suddenly looked back to the village. There were the broken-down dirt walls, the worried Lizardmen watching them go, and—

Zaryusu sighed quietly, and cast all his worries away as he strode forward. He did not speak the name of the female which was on his lips.

♦ ♦ ♦

The Lizardmen marched into the marsh, and formed up at the region between the skeletal army and the village.

That said, they had no formation to speak of. They simply sprawled themselves out to wait for the fight. At their head were the various tribal chiefs and the two Swamp Elementals.

The skeletal army had probably been waiting for their arrival. They banged on their shields and stomped.

The many small delays between footfalls would normally make an army’s march sound like a shower of bird droppings. However, the undead army marched with perfect coordination, producing a harmonious sound. If the circumstances were any different, it would be worthy of applause.

Just as the Lizardmen were drawn in by the sound of their movements, several trees fell — behind the skeletal army.

There was only one reason why those gigantic trees would fall — because someone had cut them down.

This sparked a commotion among the Lizardmen.

Since nobody was visible yet, it was reasonable to assume that several people had worked together to fell those trees. However, if that were the case, then the trees were falling with far too much uniformity. Granted, after seeing the unity of the skeletal army, an observer might think that they could chop down trees with such precision, but none of the Lizardmen felt that way.

A bizarre thought ran through their minds — that all this had been done by one person.

That was because there was no sound of blades striking wood before the trees fell. In other words, it might be possible (however surprising it was) that some incredibly strong person had chopped the trees down with one swing.

How strong an arm and how mighty a weapon would be needed to cut a massive tree in half with a single stroke?

The earthshaking tremors of the falling trees blended with the sound of the skeletons pounding on their shields, and both crept closer to the Lizardmen.

Anxiety began to brew. That was only to be expected — who could remain calm under such circumstances? Even Zenberu — who was prepared to die — was shaken, though he tried to hide it.

Soon, the creature which had cleaved a path through the forest finally appeared. At the same time, the pounding on the shields suddenly stopped.

In the preternatural silence, the first thing they saw was a mass of glossy blue light. How much more brightly would it have shone had the sky not been overcast?

It looked like a two-legged insect, its massive body standing around two hundred fifty centimeters high. It resembled an ant or a mantis, and it looked like some hybrid made by an utterly depraved fiend.

Its hard exoskeleton was wreathed in freezing cold, and it glittered like diamond dust.

It had a savage tail that was as long as its body and studded with countless spikes. Its mighty jaws looked like they could easily bite a man’s hands clean off.

It had four arms tipped in razor-sharp claws, each of which was sheathed in a shiny gauntlet. It wore a disc-like amulet on a golden necklace and platinum rings around its ankles.

This was how the being of matchless might, follower of the king of death, made its entrance.

♦ ♦ ♦

Was he Cocytus?

Zaryusu’s heart pounded. Unconsciously, his breathing had grown faster.

None of the Lizardmen spoke. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the monster that had shown itself, and they were so frightened that they could not tear their eyes away.

They had begun backing away slowly without realizing it. Be they Lizardman warriors who had come in high spirits, or Zaryusu and the others who had come here prepared to die, all of them were shocked to the core by the appearance of this unimaginably powerful entity.

I know the king of death didn’t use his full strength on us, but even so, I didn’t expect the warrior he sent to fight in earnest to be so frightening.

Even with a spell that removed his fear, the impulse to run away still surged within Zaryusu’s heart. It was a miracle that the warriors, who were not protected by such magic, were not already trampling each other as they fled.

Cocytus slowly drew closer.

He strode proudly into the marsh, past the skeletal army—

—And then Cocytus stopped, roughly thirty meters away from the Lizardmen. After that, his insectoid face swivelled atop his slender neck, as though looking for someone.

Zaryusu had the feeling that Cocytus’s eyes were on him.

“—All right. Since. Ainz-sama. Aku s. Watching. I Shall. Ensure. Kamu. Get. A. Chance. Untuk. Shine. Namun. Before. That. 「Ice Pillar」.”

As the spell activated, two pillars of ice erupted from the water between the Lizardmen and Cocytus, about twenty meters apart.

"Ini. Might. Be. Rude. Untuk. Warriors. Who. Are. Siap. Untuk. Give. Their. Lives. Tapi. I. Must. Inform. Kamu. That. My. Side. Of. These. Pillars. Will. Be. Anda. Grave. Any. Who. Cross. It. Shall. Mati."

Cocytus folded his arms, as though to say, The choice is yours.

“Oi oi oi, he doesn’t look like it but he’s a pretty decent chap, isn’t he?”

Zaryusu nodded deeply at Zenberu’s words.

Then, he stepped forward. Zenberu and the other two chiefs followed him.

Shasuryu looked back, at the warriors who were about to follow him.

“You should stay here… no, return to the village. Otherwise… you’ll die with us.”

“What!? We want to fight too! It’s scary, but… even if it’s scary, we still want to fight!”

“Retreat is not cowardice. Living is true courage.”

"Kemudian-"

“There’s some of us who can’t fall back either. Besides, as chiefs, we can’t accept other people ruling us without a fight, no?”

“We still want to fight, Chief.”

“Hold on a second! Get out of here, young ones! This is a job for us old folks!”

The Lizardmen who shoved their way forward were all advanced in years, but none of them was old enough to be considered elderly. There were fifty seven of them, and none of the others could say anything after seeing their faces.

Perhaps if they looked like they were resolved to die or had given up on themselves, they would have asked to come along. However, their expressions were a plea for the younger Lizardmen to live on and celebrate the miracle of life.

With nothing left to say, the rest of the warriors turned back.

Shasuryu turned to face Cocytus once more.

“…Sorry for the wait, Cocytus.”

Cocytus extended a hand to the Lizardmen and curled it towards him. “Bring it,” the gesture seemed to say. In response to this taunt, Shasuryu shouted:

“CHARGE—!”

“Ohhhhh!”

Fully resolved to die, the Lizardmen gave voice to a cry from the depths of their souls, a roar which seemed to split the very sky, and rushed at Cocytus.

Cocytus calmly regarded the warriors charging him.

“…This. Might. Be. A. Bit. Disrespectful. Untuk. Warriors. Like. Kamu. Tapi. I. Shall. Cull. Anda. Numbers.”

Cocytus was sure that he would not be defeated even if all of the warriors reached him, but still, he had to weed his opponents out.

Personally speaking, Cocytus would have liked to allow his foes to reach a range where they could fight. However, he had received far more largesse than he deserved, and allowing this ragtag band of misfits to do battle with a Guardian of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick would be disrespectful to Ainz-sama.

Thus, he unleashed his aura.

It was a skill derived from the Knight of Niflheim class — 「Frost Aura」. This special ability damaged and slowed the foe through the use of extreme cold temperatures. At full power, it could even engulf the Lizardmen spectating from the sides.

So he had to suppress its power.

He had to narrow its radius and reduce its damage.

“This ought to do it…”

A wave of freezing cold expanded from Cocytus, instantly filling a radius of twenty five meters across.

The temperature plummeted upon exposure to the intense cold, and the very air seemed to groan.

“…Hm. That. Ought. Untuk. Do.”

He drew back his aura.

The momentary exposure meant that the savage, blizzard like snap-frost had vanished like it had never been. However, it was no illusion or trick of the senses. The best proof of that was the fifty seven Lizardman corpses that covered the marsh.

Only five more still remained. However, they were the five strongest Lizardmen. Unfazed by Cocytus’s might or the deaths of their comrades, they moved out as one.

A stone flew through the air. The armored Lizardman led the charge, followed by two more behind it. In addition, the two Swamp Elementals had cracks all over them after the cold attack, and lagged behind the Lizardmen because they were slower. The one at the rear incanted spell after spell.

♦ ♦ ♦

The first strike was a stone, which was aimed at Cocytus’s throat. However, it was completely meaningless, because—

“—We. Guardians. Are. Equipped. With. Items. That. Resist. Ranged. Attacks.”

—An invisible barrier which appeared to cover his body deflected the stone.

It was followed by a charging Lizardman. The armor he wore was an ancestral heirloom, one of the Four Treasures — the White Dragon Bone. It was strong enough to deflect Frost Pain, itself one of the Four Treasures, and it was hailed as the hardest armor among the Lizardmen.

Facing it was a sword which Cocytus drew out of nothing, as though it had been sheathed in the air.

The sword Cocytus unsheathed was an odachi — its blade over one hundred eighty centimeters long, named God-Slaying Slash Emperor. It was the sharpest of the twenty one weapons which Cocytus possessed.

Then, he swung it at the incoming Lizardman.

The fluid cut whooshed quietly through the air. If not for the present situation, it would have been a sound which people would want to listen for.

After that sound, the chief’s body and his armor split into two halves from head to tail, which fell to the left and right, into the marsh.

God-Slaying Slash Emperor was unscathed despite cleaving through the strongest armor of the Lizardmen.

The other two Lizardmen did not seem affected by the death of their comrade. They raised their weapons and executed a pincer attack.

“Yeeart!”

On the right, Zenberu sent a karate chop at Cocytus’s face, having enhanced it with 「Iron Natural Weapon」 and 「Iron Skin」.

“Guooooh—!”

On the left was Frost Pain, stabbing at the belly.

This attack was calculated to exploit the fact that long weapons were unwieldy in melee combat.

Of course, that only applied to regular people.

Cocytus shifted slightly and intercepted Zenberu’s arm with the blade of God-Slaying Slash Emperor. His preternatural movements made it seem as though the weapon in his hand was an extension of his limbs.

Zenberu’s skin could rival the hardness of steel under the effects of Iron Skin, but the armor from just now had already proven the sharpness of God-Slaying Slash Emperor.

The blade which entered Zenberu’s arm carved it off like it was going through water.

“Guwaaargh—!”

As Zenberu’s severed right arm sprayed fresh arterial blood, Cocytus’s other hand casually gripped Frost Pain, which was headed at his belly.

“—Oh. I. See. Ini. Aku s. A. Pretty. Baik. Sword.”

“Waaah!”

Zaryusu gave up on pulling back the immovable Frost Pain, and immediately lashed out at Cocytus’s knee with a kick. Cocytus did not dodge it; he simply took the blow. In the end, when Zaryusu’s foot connected with Cocytus’s knee, it was Zaryusu who felt the pain.

It felt just like kicking an iron wall with all his might.

“「Over Magic – Mass Light Cure Wounds」.”

Through the use of prodigious amounts of mana, one could forcibly cast a spell that should not have been normally usable. Aided by this metamagic enhancement, Shasuryu cast a spell that healed everyone’s wounds.

"Oh …"

Cocytus looked at Shasuryu with interest as the latter used a metamagic technique he had never heard of before. However, the two Swamp Elementals blocked his line of sight. While Zenberu’s arm gradually resumed its original form, the two Swamp Elementals attacked Cocytus with their tentacles. However, Cocytus had already slashed at the Swamp Elementals’ bodies.

Just as the the Swamp Elementals dissolved into clumps of mud, Zaryusu punched at Cocytus’s  compound eyes, his belly, and his chest. Naturally, it was Zaryusu who was hurt instead. The skin on his knuckles split and wept tears of fresh blood.

“How. Bothersome.”

Cocytus swatted at Zaryusu’s chest with his spiked tail.

♦ ♦ ♦

“Guaargh!”

Zaryusu flew into the distance like he had been hit by a baseball bat, accompanied by the sound of cracking. In the end, he hit the marsh, rolling several times before coming to a halt. However, the agony in his chest and the bright red blood he was coughing up made it hard for Zaryusu to breathe.

The broken ribs had probably pierced his lungs, because he could not take air in no matter how hard he tried to breathe. It felt as though he were in water. The hot fluid pouring into his throat made him want to vomit. He looked down at his chest, and the wound — which looked like someone had stabbed him with a sharp blade — was gushing with blood.

—-Just one hit had reduced Zaryusu to this pitiful state.

Zaryusu glared at Cocytus, the fighting spirit still burning in his eyes even as he struggled to keep breathing.

"Begitu. Kamu. Still. Wish. Untuk. Pertarungan. Kemudian. I. Shall. Kembali. Ini. Untuk. You.”

After casually tossing Frost Pain back to the fallen Zaryusu, Cocytus ignored him and turned to the remaining Lizardmen.

Shasuryu cast a healing spell on Zenberu, who had regrown his arm, but whose health had been greatly depleted.

Just as Cocytus was about to reach them, another stone flew at him, attempting to divert his attention — however, the attack was useless, and was easily deflected.

“—How. Annoying,” Cocytus grumbled, and then extended his hand at the Small Fang’s chief.

“「Piercing Icicle」.”

Several dozen razor-sharp icicles, each the size of an arm, showered down on a large area.

One of the Lizardmen was within the attack radius and the icicles pierced him instantly.

He took one in the chest, two in the belly, and one in the right thigh — each of them easily penetrated his body

The Small Fang chief — the best ranger among the Lizardmen, crumpled to the swamp like a puppet whose strings had been cut, where he expired.

“Uoooooh—!”

“「Over Magic – Mass Light Cure Wounds」!”

Zenberu charged ahead while Shasuryu cast a healing spell again. Zenberu was trying to buy time for Zaryusu’s wounds to mend.

He knew this was a reckless course of action, and that he was nothing before the might of Cocytus. Even so, Zenberu sprinted ahead without a moment’s hesitation.

Cocytus swung lightly at Zenberu, who had entered his attack range.

The swing was faster than Zenberu could see—

Its speed was beyond Zenberu’s dexterity—

The blade sheared easily through Zenberu’s flesh—

The decapitated corpse of Zenberu spurted blood like a geyser as it collapsed gently to the marshlands. Shortly after that, his head joined it on the sod.

“…Now. Only. Itu. Two. Of. Kamu. Are. Left… I. Had. Heard. Of. Anda. Strength. From. Ainz-sama. Tapi. In. Itu. End. Only. Itu. Two. Of. Kamu. Remained.”

Cocytus — who had not moved so much as an inch since the battle had started — studied the two of them, and flicked his sword. There was no trace of blood or fat on the gleaming white blade. That beautiful movement looked like it could sweep everything away in a single stroke.

Facing it was Zaryusu, who had recovered to the point where he could barely stand, and Shasuryu, who had drawn his greatsword. The two of them flanked Cocytus front and rear. Zaryusu dabbed his fingers in the blood flowing from his chest and smeared it on his face.

The way he applied the blood to himself made it seem as though he was summoning the ancestral spirits down upon himself.

“—Zaryusu, how are your wounds?”

“Not good. It’s still aching. Still, I can take a few more swings.”

“Really now… that should be enough, right? Frankly speaking, I’m almost out of mana. If I’m not careful, I might keel over.”

Shasuryu’s teeth ground against each other. Perhaps he was laughing. As Zaryusu heard this, his expression changed as well.

“…Oh, really? Ani-ja, you’re pushing yourself pretty hard too.”

Zaryusu smiled, and then he sighed, relaxing his shoulders. His sword arm sagged.

A torrent of pain erupted from near his chest, but Zaryusu fought to ignore it.

He would not give up until the last moment — Zaryusu intended to fight until the end.

From the beginning, he had known full well that victory was impossible.

Defeat was unavoidable, yet they could not accept it.

That was because it would be like lying to countless people, telling them that they could win. Since others had actually believed them, they could not accept the fact that they would be defeated.

They had to give everything they had until the final moment—

“Then swing that sword you’re wielding!!”

Zaryusu’s cry echoed throughout the surrounding area.

The sound of clacking came from Cocytus’s mandibles.

“A. Baik. Cry.”

Cocytus was probably laughing. But this was not the laughter of the strong mocking the weak, but a warrior laughing with a fellow fighter.

“Very well, Zaryusu. That’s it, then. I’ll fight with you to the bitter end as well.”

Shasuryu smiled as well.

“Then… Sorry to keep you waiting, Cocytus-dono.”

Cocytus shrugged as Shasuryu said this.

“It. Aku s. Baik. I. Am. Tidak. Begitu. Thoughtless. As. Untuk. Interrupt. A. Farewell. Between. Brothers. Sekarang. Prepare. To Meet. Anda. Fate… No. Pardon. Me. Kamu. Were. Siap. For. It. From. Itu. Start.”

As Zaryusu and Shasuryu began moving, Cocytus flourished God-Slaying Slash Emperor and asked:

“State. Anda. Names.”

“Shasuryu Shasha.”

”Zaryusu Shasha.”

“…I. Will. Remember. Kamu. Warriors. Also. I. Apologise. Ahead. Of. Time. For. Tidak. Using. Itu. Weapons. In. All. My. Hands. It. Aku s. Tidak. That. I. Wish. Untuk. Scorn. Kamu. Tapi. Kamu. Are. Simply. Tidak. Strong. Cukup. Untuk. Warrant. Their. Use.”

“What a shame.”

“Indeed — here I come!”

♦ ♦ ♦

The two of them lunged at Cocytus, splashing across the marsh.

The uncoordinated timing of their attacks baffled Cocytus.

The two of them did not enter his range at the same time. Shasuryu was the first to do so. Sensing a scheme, Cocytus awaited their next move.

Since Shasuryu was the first to enter his strike zone, Cocytus carefully studied Shasuryu’s next move.

Shasuryu stopped just before Cocytus could reach him, and—

“「Earth Bind」!”

—And cast a spell.

Countless chains formed of mud leapt at Cocytus, and Zaryusu broke into a wild sprint. He had even hidden Frost Pain behind his back so his opponent would not be able to gauge his attack range.

Shasuryu’s declaration that “I’m almost out of mana,” was merely a ruse to deceive Cocytus. If he had taken the bait, perhaps he might have been bound by the mystic chains and been hit by Zaryusu’s charge from behind.

However tough their opponent’s exoskeleton was, he should still be able to break through if he poured all his strength into the edge. With that in mind, Zaryusu had abandoned defense to focus on the attack, and the resulting strike should have been quite strong.

He seems quite confident in his sword.

Cocytus could understand how he felt, because much like him, Cocytus felt strongly about the weapons he owned. In particular, the sword he now wielded — which had once been used by his creator — was especially significant to him. Therefore, despite how lopsided it would make the battle, Cocytus insisted on doing battle with God-Slaying Slash Emperor in hand, as a sign of his supreme respect.

However, they had made a miscalculation; which was that their opponent was Cocytus, Guardian of the Fifth Floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.

“…My. Defenses. Cannot. Be. Breached. By. Someone. Whose. Level. Aku s. Below. Mine.”

The chains of mud rebounded off Cocytus an instant before they reached him, reverting to regular dirt and sinking back into the mire. Low tier spells could not pierce Cocytus’s magical defenses.

“—「Icy Burst」!”

As the shout rang out, a vortex of ivory fog swirled out and surrounded Cocytus.

A futile effort.

Cocytus was immune to cold damage, so as the gentle breeze of the supercooled mist blew around him, he patiently waited for Zaryusu and Shasuryu to enter his attack range.

Soon enough, the moment he had been waiting for arrived. However, Cocytus hesitated briefly; he thought, Can my foe be stopped just by cutting off his head?

In the face of Zaryusu’s full attack, Cocytus did not think that mere decapitation would stop his advance. The mental image of a headless body rushing him appeared in his mind.

In that case, he ought to chop his hands off first, and then his head.

No, that wouldn’t be clean enough. Best to finish him off in one stroke.

Zaryusu charged with all his strength, devoting every fiber of his being to the attack, but he was still too slow for Cocytus.

A black shadow appeared amidst the white mist — Zaryusu thrust his sword, and Cocytus caught it lightly between his fingers, like before.

Cocytus did not feel any cold from his fingertips. Perhaps Zaryusu knew that Cocytus was immune to the cold and did not use the ability.

The charge was fast, but he had blocked it so easily. That puzzled Cocytus. However, those doubts faded in an instant. His foe’s life would end with a swing of God-Slaying Slash Emperor, so there was nothing more to think about.

And then there would only be one of them left.

So it was just an unplanned charge, then…

Just as a somewhat disappointed Cocytus was about to strike, he changed his mind.

“Ohhhhh!”

With a mighty roar, the greatsword hacked down through the freezing mist which hung in the air. Shasuryu’s swing carried a gale in its wake, which dispersed the frozen fog.

The 「Earth Bind」, Zaryusu’s charge, 「Icy Burst」, all of them were decoys.

While he had to be wary of Zaryusu stabbing him with Frost Pain, Shasuryu’s overhead chop with the greatsword was more damaging, so that must have been their true intention. However—

“Surprise attacks ought to be conducted in silence.”

As long as they could not erase the sound they made as they ran across the marsh, it could not truly qualify as an unexpected attack. Cocytus was puzzled — was this really worth taking cold damage? Or was it just a meaningless struggle.

Still, it was true that his foe had entered his strike zone.

Now that Zaryusu’s weapon was within his grasp, there was nothing to fear from him. Only the order in which they died would change. Having decided that, Cocytus swung God-Slaying Slash Emperor.

It struck.

Shasuryu was cloven in half along with his greatsword. Before the body could hit the ground, Cocytus withdrew his blade, planning to attack Zaryusu—

♦ ♦ ♦

—And then, the fingers grasping Frost Pain slipped.

Surprised, Cocytus looked at his fingers to see what had made it slide forward.

He saw the bright red of blood amidst the white mist hanging in the air.

In an instant, Cocytus realised why his fingers had slipped.

—Blood?

He was confused.

He wondered when it had gotten there, and then as he saw Zaryusu’s face through the mist, it suddenly dawned on him.

The blood smeared on his face was not to paint himself, but to coat his sword.

Neither had 「Icy Burst」 been intended to hurt Cocytus, or conceal Shasuryu’s form. Its purpose had been to hide the blood coating the sword. So was keeping it behind his back.

When he blocked Zaryusu’s attack, Cocytus had done so with his fingers. Zaryusu remembered it, and had bet on the slim chance that he would do it again. Thus he had gone to these lengths to set up the battlefield to pull it off. Just then, a flash of lightning surged through Cocytus’s  brain.

So that was why his thrust felt so weak! No wonder! There’s no way the plan to lubricate the sword with blood so it could pierce through would work every time. In order to create this chance, he slowed his strike to make me think it was easy to catch!

The blade slowly slid over, inching towards Cocytus’s pale blue body. Now that Zaryusu had thrown his full strength and even body weight into the thrust, not even Cocytus could stop it — not with two bloodstained fingers.

If he had grasped it further away from him, there might be something else he could do. But at this short range, he was out of options.

Cocytus was so moved that he trembled.

While it had relied on a bit of luck, this was an attack which had required multiple gambles, each of which had paid off. The most important thing was that without Shasuryu, none of this would have been possible.

Shasuryu should not have understood Zaryusu’s gambit, but as an elder brother, he had placed all his trust in his younger brother, to the point of sacrificing his own life. That pointless surprise attack and shouting were all to divert Cocytus’s attention from his brother for just a moment.

A single moment.

And for just a single moment — as Zaryusu was forcing Frost Pain at him with all his might — Cocytus’s mandibles trembled.

“Truly. Marvellous—”

And so the blade struck Cocytus’s body — only to deflect lightly off. His body, which glowed a faint blue, did not have so much as a scratch on it.

This was the result of the impassable gulf that separated the highest level NPCs of Nazarick from mere Lizardmen.

“—Forgive. Me. Tapi. I. Possess. A. Skill. Which. Briefly. Negates. Weakly-Enchanted. Weapon. Attacks. Once. I Activate. It. Anda. Attack. Aku s. Useless.”

That blow had been well-struck, and Cocytus felt that leaving a scar as a mark of respect for these warriors would be appropriate. However, he was under the eyes of a Supreme Being, and he could not do so in his position as a Guardian.

Cocytus deliberately took one step back, splashing up the mud and staining his beautiful blue body.

It was just a single step.

There was no meaning to it. Backing up would not have made any difference to him. Zaryusu would still die, and Cocytus would still win.

However, that step back was a sign of praise from the strong — Cocytus — to the weak — Zaryusu.

Zaryusu smiled, in the way someone did when he knew full well what sort of fate was in store for him, yet ran towards it anyway. As he did, Cocytus swung his sword down—

Part 3

“That was a spectacular battle,” Ainz said in praise to Cocytus, who was kneeling before him.

“Thank. You.”

“However, I trust you understand that while we we used the stick this time, you must employ the carrot in the future. You are not to rule them through fear.”

“I. Understand.”

After Ainz nodded, he looked to the other Guardians in the room.

"Baik sekali. Now then, listen well, you Guardians. Like I said earlier in the Throne Room, Cocytus will administer the Lizardman village. If he needs help, I hope you will give it to him. Cocytus, I hope you will foster a deeply-rooted loyalty to Nazarick in the Lizardmen. I also hope that you will cultivate the growth of talented members of their species. I will leave these tasks to you. If you need 「Wings of Ascension」 or other special items, let me know. I will also lend you a 「Powered Suit」 for the time being.”

Players could change their character races in YGGDRASIL, but that did not imply that one could freely change race. Some requirements had to be met for the change, and the changes were irreversible.

Part of the requirements were items. Someone who wanted to become an Elder Lich would need a 「Book of the Dead」. Someone who wanted to become an Imp would need a 「Fallen Seed」. The 「Angel Wing」 item which Ainz had mentioned was used for becoming an Angel.

Ainz had mentioned it because he thought that it might be possible to change races in that manner.

“I. Shall. Count. Di. Kamu. When. Itu. Time. Comes. Ainz-sama. May. I. Know. How. Kamu. Wish. Untuk. Berurusan. With. Those. Lizardmen?”

“Those Lizardmen?”

"Iya. Itu. Ones. Called. Zaryusu. And. Shasuryu.”

The two who fought to the end. Their corpses should still be in the marsh. However, why did he bring them up?

“Hmm… Recover their corpses and use them for raw materials when I’m not making undead with my skills.”

“—That. Would. Be. A. Bit. Of. A. Waste.”

"Oh? Mengapa demikian? Are they that valuable?”

Ainz had watched the battle through the Mirror of Remote Viewing and saw an overwhelming victory. Nothing about them recommended themselves to his eye.

“…They. Might. Be. Weak. Namun. I. Saw. Their. Fearless. Warrior. Spirit. Turning. Them. Into. Raw. Materials. Aku s. A. Bit. Of. A. Waste. I. Feel. That. They. Could. Become. Stronger. Mungkin. Even. Exceeding. Our. Expectations. Ainz-sama. I. Believe. Kamu. Have. Tidak. Yet. Conducted. Any. Practical. Experiments. With. Resurrecting. Itu. Dead. Could. Kamu. Tidak. Do. Begitu. With. Them?”

…Does he like those Lizardmen?

In all honesty, Ainz did not feel anything when he heard things like “warrior spirit.” He had heard of terms like “killing intent” in manga and light novels, but he thought nothing of them. It was kind of like how Narberal responded with, “Ah, so that’s what it is, oh~” and so on while he was lecturing her. Similarly, Ainz had no idea what this warrior’s empathy business was about.

That was because Ainz had originally been a normal salaryman, despite his current state. An average citizen who actually knew about a warrior’s spirit or killing intent would probably be considered dangerous. Now, he could understand something like a bureaucrat’s spirit instead.

“I see… So it would be a shame, then?”

However, when Ainz heard about Cocytus’s approval of the Lizardmen, his true thoughts were, Well, you might call it a shame, but I have no idea what that means.

Still, when he thought about it, Cocytus’s words made a lot of sense.

He had wanted to find a place to experiment with resurrection anyway, and Ainz felt that using them for those experiments would be very beneficial. In addition, unlike how Cocytus had been waffling around in the Throne Room, he had now proposed a useful solution for them. If that was a sign of improvement, then he had passed with flying colors.

He paused briefly to think, and then Ainz thought of his other exceptional subordinates.

He thought of them as they stood around him, in a suitably subservient posture — silent and unmoving.

“Albedo, what is your opinion?”

“It would be the same as yours, Ainz-sama.”

“…What do you think, Demiurge?”

“I feel whatever you decide would be best, Ainz-sama.”

“…How about you, Shalltear?”

“Like Demiurge, I shall abide by your ruling, Ainz-sama.”

“…Aura?”

“Yeah, I’m with everyone else.”

“…Mare.”

“Ah, ah, ah… yes. I think so too.”

They might as well not have answered at all. Ainz’s head ached.

Ainz thought hard, and finally realized something — perhaps the Guardians did not think it was a big deal. In other words, no matter how he decided, they did not feel there would be any major benefits or drawbacks.

Of course, he had to consider their respective situations. Sometimes, problems might arise due to their varying circumstances.

Simply put, when a rich person said, “Oh, that sum’s not a problem,” one would immediately doubt the truth of those words. In other words, it was the result of differing values and priorities.

I wasted my time asking… still, that means resurrecting the Lizardmen should be fine, right? I was planning to think carefully on this, because I’ve made too many mistakes recently.

With no recourse, Ainz had to ponder the merits and demerits of the situation by himself.

“…We have decided to subordinate the Lizardman village to our rule, but is there a suitable candidate for leader? Do they have a group that manages the entire village?”

“No, but there is a person who is suitable to be the village’s representative.”

"Oh? Who is that?”

“It. Aku s. Itu. White. Lizardman. Who. Did. Tidak. Take. Part. In. Itu. Fighting. She. Appears. Untuk. Have. Druidic. Powers.”

“Her, then! Hm, well, that is workable…

She should be worth using, Ainz thought. We could also use her to keep an eye on the others.

However, having her execute Ainz’s plan might undermine Cocytus’s  plan to administer the village. That being the case, what should he do?

At this point, a flash of inspiration struck Ainz.

…Wouldn’t it be faster to ask her directly? Granted, I didn’t get any usable answers just now…

Ainz shared his plans with Cocytus, who replied in the affirmative.

Given Cocytus’s reaction, the fact that he might be caving in to his master’s wishes could not be ruled out. However, after glancing at Demiurge and Albedo, he noted that neither of them seemed to be acting out of the ordinary, which reassured Ainz that he was doing the right thing.

"Sangat baik. How soon before she can be brought here?”

“Forgive. Me. If. I. Have. Overstepped. Myself. Tapi. I. Sensed. That. Kamu. Might. Wish. Untuk. Lihat. Nya. And. Begitu. I. Ordered. Nya. Untuk. Tunggu. In. A. Nearby. Room.”

Ainz glanced at Demiurge, who shook his head.

Nicely done indeed. He’s settled the matter without anyone’s instructions and it doesn’t look like someone else gave him the idea.

Ainz wondered if this was how a superior felt when he saw his subordinate grow as a person. He was all smiles — although one could not tell his expression given that he was a skeleton.

“No no no, you’ve done well, Cocytus. Wasting time is foolish, and your judgement was correct. All right, bring her in, then.”

“Ah, please wait!”

“What’s the matter, Aura?”

“While they are not strangers, meeting them in an unremarkable place like this will damage your reputation, Ainz-sama. I feel you should receive her in Nazarick’s Throne Room.”

The other Guardians nodded, with the exception of Mare.

“…My. Apologies. I. Had. Tidak. Considered. That. Silahkan. Forgive. Saya!"

"Hm …"

I hadn’t thought of that at all. With that in mind, Ainz wondered how he should resolve this problem. At that moment, he remembered the words from back then. In that case —

“—Aura.”

"Iya!"

“Did you not once say that you built this place in imitation of Nazarick? Kamu benar. Cocytus, bring her over. I shall meet her here.”

“Ai—Ainz-sama!”

“Aura, that’s enough.”

“Albedo!”

Not knowing why she had been told to stand down, Aura looked at Albedo, her face red with protest. However, Albedo merely glanced at her and then paid her no heed, looking at the main door instead. It was Demiurge who answered the angry Aura.

“…Ainz-sama would not make a mistake. That being the case, if Ainz-sama says this place is as good as Nazarick, then—”

“—It can’t be wrong,” Shalltear continued.

Well, I don’t think I’m totally correct, and I hope they don’t think that way… Still, it ended up helping me out here.

“Aura, I shall say it again. I feel that this place — built by you, one of my most trusted subordinates — is as good as Nazarick, even if it is still a work in progress… Do you understand?”

“…Thank you, Ainz-sama!”

Aura bowed in gratitude, and so did the other Guardians.

There’s no need to be so moved, I guess… I feel so embarrassed now.

“In that case, bring her over, Cocytus.”

“At. Once!”

♦ ♦ ♦

Cocytus immediately brought the white Lizardman to the room. She knelt with her head bowed before Ainz.

"Siapa namamu?"

“I am Crusch Lulu, representative of the Lizardmen, oh Supreme Overlord of Death, Ainz Ooal Gown-sama.”

Well, that’s pretty far-fetched. Ainz wondered who had come up with that title, but in the end he decided to adopt the calm, poised attitude of a king.

“…Mm, welcome.”

“Thank you, Gown-sama. Please accept the utmost loyalty of we, the Lizardmen.”

"Hm …"

Ainz studied Crusch carefully.

These scales are beautiful. They glittered under the light of the magical lighting.

I wonder how they’d feel, Ainz wondered out of curiosity.

Just as Ainz lost himself in his thoughts, he realised that Crusch’s shoulders were trembling. Cocytus should have disabled his cold-emanating skills, so it was probably due to some other reason.

As he thought on the matter, Ainz realised that her shuddering made perfect sense.

If Ainz said that he was displeased with the Lizardmen, every single one of them would be deprived of their heads. Therefore, Crusch was hanging on to every word Ainz said. Given that she was jumpy and nervous as it was, Ainz’s unnatural silence would have filled her with terror.

Ainz was not the sort of person who amused himself by tormenting the weak. He could commit atrocities for the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, but his mental state had not degraded to the point where he would perform such acts as part of daily life.

“The Lizardmen shall live under my banner from this day forth. However, Cocytus will be ruling you in my place. I trust there are no problems with that?”

“—No.”

“That’s it, then. You may return.”

"Eh? May I?” Crusch exclaimed in surprise from where she was bowing. She had thought Ainz would demand the moon from her, so this utter betrayal of her expectations brought that reaction forth from her.

“You may go back for the time being, Crusch Lulu. The Lizardmen will soon enter a period of prosperity. Your future generations will give thanks with all their hearts that they were allowed to swear themselves to me.”

“You are too kind. We are already deeply grateful for the mercy you have shown us despite our opposition to a supreme being like yourself.”

Ainz slowly rose from his throne, and then approached Crusch. He knelt down, and put a hand on her shoulder.

Surprised, Crusch shuddered, and the vibration travelled up Ainz’s hand.

“Also, I have a special request for you.”

“May I know what it is? If it is within my power, then I shall strive to fulfill your desires as your faithful servant, Gown-dono…”

“The idea was not originally mine — but if you agree, I shall restore Zaryusu to life in exchange.”

As he spoke the name he had heard from Cocytus, Crusch suddenly raised her head, the very picture of shock.

Ainz smugly studied Crusch’s face. She seemed to be trying to hide her feelings, but her expression changed by the moment. Lizardmen and humans had very different facial expressions, so Ainz could not be certain what was there, but at the very least he could pick out joy, anger, and sorrow.

“Is that even possible…?”

“I possess power over life and death. Death is nothing more than a state of being to me.”

After hearing Crusch’s almost imperceptible words, Ainz continued:

“It is like being sick or poisoned, but I cannot extend one’s lifespan.”

Perhaps it would be impossible to do so through conventional means, but it might be possible with 「Wish Upon A Star」… but now was not the time for such things.

“…Then, what do you wish of your loyal slave? … My body, perhaps?”

Ainz was dumbfounded.

“No, that’s a bit too…”

As if! Even if I did desire that sort of thing, it’s not as though I’d go so far as to breed with a reptile… Having nearly said that, Ainz struggled to maintain his image.

He decided to ignore the sound of grinding teeth that came from nearby.

“Ahem! Tentu saja tidak. It is simple — I want you to observe the Lizardmen and see if any of them are going to betray me.”

“No Lizardman will betray you.”

After hearing Crusch’s firm reply, Ainz smiled coldly to her.

“I am not nearly stupid enough to believe that. Indeed, I am not mighty enough to know what every Lizardman thinks, but if they are sufficiently human-like, treachery will be common enough. Therefore, I would like someone to quietly keep an eye on them.”

Crusch resumed her blank expression, which made Ainz worry that he had phrased it poorly. While he had wanted to resurrect Zaryusu from the beginning, Ainz wanted her to ask for it and thus bind her to him with chains of obligation. What should he do if she refused?

If I’d known, I shouldn’t have been so greedy… Well, I guess there’s no point crying over spilt milk.

“…A miracle hangs before you right now, but it will not last forever. If you do not seize the moment, it will be gone forever.”

Crusch’s face seemed to be twitching.

“It is not as though I am going to conduct some horrific ceremony. Does resurrection magic not exist in this world? I am simply going to use a spell like that.”

“That’s legendary…”

As Crusch hesitated over whether or not to speak, Ainz spoke to her in tender tones, but with an arrogant attitude.

“Crusch, I would like you to think about what is most important to you.”

Ainz watched Crusch’s eyes as his words slowly got to her. It felt like he was about to clinch a sale.

After this, Ainz would need to impress upon Crusch that the miracle he provided did not come free of charge. After all, people would suspect free things, but their suspicions would be eased if there was a reasonable fee attached to them.

“I want you to secretly observe your fellow Lizardmen. Depending on how things turn out, you may be faced with a dangerous choice. In addition, to guard against your treachery, I will cast a certain spell on Zaryusu when I resurrect him. It is a spell that will instantly kill Zaryusu if I judge that you have betrayed me. It might be hard on you, but it ought to be worth it if you can get Zaryusu back, am I wrong?”

That said, there’s no such spell.

Ainz stood up, as though to say that he had said his piece, and then he spread his arms.

Crusch looked at Ainz with a tormented expression in her eyes.

“Ah, yes, when Zaryusu is resurrected, I will tell him that he was recalled to life because he was useful to me. I can guarantee that your name will not come up. Well then, Crusch Lulu, make your choice. This is the last chance you have to return your beloved Zaryusu to your side. What will you do? Will you seize this opportunity, or abandon it? Decide.”

Ainz slowly extended a hand to Crusch as he looked to the Guardians and said:

“If she refuses, none of you are to do anything. Well then, Crusch Lulu, what is your answer?”