Chapter 28

Bab 4: Dawn of Despair

Bagian 1

Langkah kaki Cocytus terasa berat saat ia berjalan dengan susah payah menuju Ruang Singgasana. Tampaknya itu menular, karena tapak pengikut di belakangnya juga lambat dan berat.

Alasan untuk itu adalah karena dia kalah melawan Lizardmen. Mereka telah memimpin pasukan Nazarick ke pertempuran, dan itu berakhir dengan kekalahan.

Cocytus secara pribadi menganggap cukup tinggi Lizardmen. Karena telah diciptakan sebagai seorang prajurit sendiri, Cocytus memiliki rasa hormat yang dalam terhadap para pejuang yang hebat.

Namun, ini adalah sesuatu yang sepenuhnya berbeda.

Nazarick tidak bisa diizinkan menderita kekalahan. Selain itu, ini bukan pertempuran defensif, tetapi kampanye pertama mereka ke dunia luar. Siapa pun akan kesal karena pertempuran pertama yang mulia seperti itu berakhir dengan kekalahan memalukan.

Memang benar bahwa pasukannya tidak memadai. Itu membuatnya mengingat kata-kata Demiurge. Namun, itu hanyalah alasan. Bahkan jika tuannya telah mempertimbangkan kemungkinan kegagalan, masih akan lebih baik untuk menang.

Segera, dia melihat ruangan di depan Ruang Tahta – Kunci Kecil Solomon (Lemegeton). Langkah-langkahnya semakin berat, ke titik di mana penonton mungkin berpikir dia telah terkena semacam mantra.

Cocytus tidak keberatan jika tuannya menegurnya. Dia sudah mempersiapkan dirinya untuk dibunuh atau diperintahkan bunuh diri untuk menghapus noda penghinaannya.

Apa yang ditakutkan Cocytus mengecewakan tuannya.

Apa yang harus dia lakukan jika mereka ditinggalkan oleh Yang Mahatinggi yang tersisa?

Cocytus menganggap dirinya sebagai pedang. Dia adalah pedang yang dipegang oleh tuannya, yang dipotong dengan patuh ketika diayunkan. Karena itu, hal paling menakutkan yang bisa dia bayangkan adalah dianggap tidak berguna dan tidak membantu.

Lebih buruk lagi, bagaimana dia bisa menebus Guardian lain jika mereka diusir juga?

Mereka. Akan. Tidak pernah. Mengampuni. Saya. Jika. Sesuatu. Mendapatkan. Bahwa. Buruk. Tidak. Bahkan. Saya. Kehidupan. Akan. Menjadi. Cukup. Untuk. Menebus.

Dan juga-

Jika. Itu. Menguasai. Aku s. Kecewa. Dan. Daun-daun. Suka. Itu. Lain. Tertinggi. Makhluk. Apa. Harus. Saya …

Cocytus bergetar. Dia kebal terhadap dingin, jadi gemetaran bukan karena sumber eksternal, tetapi penyebab internal. Seandainya Cocytus menjadi manusia, dia akan mulai muntah di bawah tekanan mental yang luar biasa yang memenuhi dirinya.

Bukan itu. Tidak bisa. Menjadi. Ainz-sama. Akan. Tidak pernah … Abaikan. Kami.

Dia adalah satu-satunya Makhluk Tertinggi yang tersisa di Makam Besar, setelah semua yang lain pergi.

Dia adalah penguasa tertinggi mereka, dan penguasa mutlak mereka.

Bagaimana. Bisa. Seperti itu. A. Penyayang. Menguasai. Mengabaikan. Kami?

Dia mencoba menghibur dirinya dengan pikiran itu, tetapi jauh di lubuk hatinya, suara penyangkalan yang tenang mengatakan bahwa hal seperti itu bukan tidak mungkin.

Dia mencapai Lemegeton.

Dalam keadaan normal, tidak akan ada orang di sini selain Golem di sekitarnya dan monster kristal. Namun, ada banyak makhluk hidup. Secara khusus, mereka adalah Demiurge, Aura, Mare, dan Shalltear, bersama dengan bawahan tingkat tinggi yang mereka pilih sendiri.

Mata mereka tertuju pada Cocytus, dan rasa bersalahnya menyebabkan kepanikan melintas di wajahnya.

Ini karena dia merasa seolah-olah semua orang menghukumnya karena kegagalannya. Atau tidak – Cocytus merasa bahwa mereka mungkin menyalahkan diri mereka sendiri sebagai gantinya. Pikiran yang barusan terlintas di benaknya sekali lagi. Siapa yang mengatakan bahwa mereka mungkin tidak merasakan hal yang sama?

Setelah diperiksa lebih dekat, ia menemukan bahwa tidak ada tanda-tanda teguran di mata mereka.

"Mengampuni. Saya. Terlambat. Bahkan. Pencipta dunia. Siapa. Dulu. Di. A. Jauh. Tugas. Tercapai. Sini. Sebelum. Saya."

“Jangan pikirkan itu. Tidak perlu meminta maaf untuk masalah sepele seperti itu. "

Demiurge berbicara untuk yang lain.

Nada suaranya setenang biasanya, tanpa ada tanda-tanda emosi negatif di dalamnya. Namun, Demiurge adalah Guardian yang mahir dalam perencanaan, terampil memanipulasi emosi, dan menyembunyikan perasaannya yang sebenarnya, sehingga Cocytus tidak bisa memastikan apakah dia benar-benar tidak senang atau tidak.

Dari sudut pandang itu, bisa dikatakan bahwa keadaan Demiurge saat menyaksikan pertempuran antara Ainz dan Shalltear adalah hal yang sangat langka baginya. Memang, itu adalah tampilan kedalaman pengabdiannya.

"Aku sudah memberi tahu Penjaga lain, tapi aku akan menggantikan Albedo sebagai Pengawas kali ini. Apakah ada keberatan? "

"Tidak. Semuanya akan baik-baik saja jika Anda yang bertanggung jawab. "

Albedo tidak ada karena dia menemani tuannya di tempat Sebas.

"Baik. Kemudian, setelah semua orang ada di sini, kita akan melanjutkan ke Ruang Singgasana bersama-sama. Namun, karena Albedo tidak ada di sini, saya ingin memilah urutan kami menunjukkan rasa hormat kami. Sementara hal semacam ini harus dilatih sebelumnya, tidak ada waktu untuk itu sekarang. Dengan demikian saya akan memberikan penjelasan verbal untuk mempercepat, jadi harap perhatikan. "

Para Penjaga dan pelayan mereka menunjukkan pemahaman mereka, tetapi meskipun begitu, Cocytus punya pertanyaan. Semua Wali ada di sini, jadi siapa sebenarnya yang mereka tunggu?

Namun, pertanyaannya dijawab begitu orang itu muncul.

Cocytus merasakan keberadaan makhluk hidup yang bergerak menuju tempat ini.

Ketika dia melihat ke arah itu, dia melihat makhluk heteromorfik mengambang di udara, menuju Lemegeton.

Itu menyerupai bayi – tidak, mungkin embrio mungkin lebih akurat. Ekornya panjang, dan tubuhnya merah muda cerah. Ada lingkaran malaikat di kepalanya, dan sepasang sayap layu tanpa bulu di punggungnya. Panjangnya kira-kira satu meter, dan perlahan-lahan menuju ke sini.

"Siapa itu?"

Demiurge menjawab pertanyaan Aura:

"Dia adalah Korban, Penjaga Lantai Delapan."

"Jadi itu Korban …"

Korban mencapai Lemegeton, dan kemudian memutar lingkaran penuh. Cocytus punya firasat dia melihat sekeliling.

Karena Korban tidak memiliki leher, dia harus memutar seluruh tubuhnya untuk melihat sekelilingnya.

“KeK esiarp, sbud esoht kcehc. (Bagaimana kabarmu, semuanya? Aku Korban.) "

Demiurge tampaknya sama sekali tidak terpengaruh oleh cara bicara khusus Korban, dan merespons atas nama orang lain:

“Selamat datang, Korban. Saya Demiurge, dan saya menggantikan Albedo untuk pertemuan ini. "

“Krelc rajutan edarg-wol dan ecnaraeppa eht dna, gar pmad a fo amsirahc eht evah uoy. (Aku mendengarnya dari Ainz-sama). ”

Setelah mengatakan itu, Korban membalikkan seluruh tubuhnya untuk menganggap semua orang sekali lagi.

“Bersiul doog edam eh -nam a rof ref tfel dnabsuh remrof reh yhw dnatsrednu ylluf I .tuo dna edisni htob evitcarttanu si notgniffuH anaira. (Saya tahu tentang semua orang, jadi saya harap Anda akan mengerti jika saya meminta kami membuang perkenalannya.) "

"Apakah begitu? Saya melihat. Lalu, karena kita semua ada di sini, saya akan menjelaskan apa yang baru saja saya bicarakan. "

Semua orang memperhatikan dengan cermat penjelasan Demiurge, karena mereka akan segera bertemu dengan pemimpin tertinggi mereka, Ainz-sama, di jantung Makam Bawah Tanah Besar Nazarick. Kesalahan sekecil apa pun mungkin dihukum mati.

Setelah dia selesai berbicara, Demiurge memberi waktu pada semua orang untuk mencerna apa yang telah mereka dengar sebelum dia membawa Guardian dan pengikut mereka ke Ruang Singgasana.

Jantung Cocytus melonjak ketika dia masuk ke ruangan ini, yang baru saja dia masuki beberapa kali sebelumnya.

Dengan konstruksinya yang luar biasa, bendera-bendera yang mewakili Makhluk Tertinggi dan Barang Kelas Dunia di kedalamannya, ruangan ini benar-benar pantas namanya sebagai jantung Nazarick. Tampilan spektakuler di hadapannya memungkinkannya untuk melupakan siksaan di dalam jiwanya.

Sepanjang jalan, Guardian meninggalkan pengikut mereka di belakang dan membentuk garis di tangga di depan tahta. Kemudian, mereka memberi hormat lambang guild dari Ainz Ooal Gown yang tergantung di dinding sebagai tanda rasa hormat dan kesetiaan mereka.

Setelah itu, mereka berlutut dengan kepala menunduk, menunggu kedatangan tuan mereka.

Segera, suara pintu yang berat membuka datang dari belakang, dan sepasang langkah kaki berjalan ke aula. Tak perlu dikatakan, itu bukan suara tuan mereka, karena pemilik Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick tidak akan pernah bergerak tanpa ditemani.

"Sambutan hangat untuk Ainz Ooal Gown-sama, Pemimpin Tertinggi dari Makam Besar Bawah Tanah Nazarick, serta Albedo-sama, Pengawas Penjaga."

Suara itu milik Yuri Alpha, dari Pleiades.

Mereka bisa mendengar pintu-pintu terbuka sekali lagi, dan kali ini ada suara kaki boot yang tajam dan sebuah tongkat mengetuk tanah. Itu diikuti oleh sepatu hak tinggi yang menginjak tanah.

Biasanya, ketika tuan mereka masuk, mereka seharusnya membungkuk untuk menunjukkan rasa hormat mereka kepadanya. Namun, tidak ada yang hadir melakukannya. Itu karena mereka sudah menunjukkan rasa hormat mereka.

Namun, itu tidak berlaku untuk Cocytus.

Ketidaknyamanan yang mengisi jiwanya terwujud dalam tubuhnya sebagai gerakan fisik. Itu adalah hal kecil, tetapi sangat mempengaruhi suasana di udara.

Melalui penggunaan skill, Cocytus bisa merasakan Guardian lain mengalihkan perhatian mereka padanya. Albedo, berjalan di belakang tuannya, juga memancarkan kemarahan bahwa ia berusaha dengan sia-sia untuk menekan. Namun, tidak ada yang berani berbicara dalam situasi seperti ini.

Langkah kaki perlahan-lahan melewati garis Guardian, menaiki tangga, dan kemudian mencapai tahta, yang berakhir dengan suara seseorang yang duduk. Suara Albedo kemudian bergema keras melalui Ruang Singgasana.

"Kamu bisa mengangkat kepalamu untuk memandang kemuliaan Ainz Ooal Gown-sama."

Guardian yang berkumpul memandang ke atas – suara gerakan mereka terkoordinasi dengan sempurna – kepada tuan mereka yang duduk di singgasananya.

Cocytus juga segera mengangkat kepalanya.

Di sana, dia melihat penguasa tertinggi dari Makam Bawah Tanah Besar Nazarick, Makhluk Tertinggi yang staf kantornya dilingkari dalam aura yang mengerikan, diterangi oleh cahaya hitam misterius – Ainz Ooal Gown.

Di depannya berdiri Albedo, yang melemparkan pandangannya ke bawah pada Guardian yang berkumpul, termasuk Cocytus. Puas dengan apa yang dilihatnya, dia mengangguk dan kemudian berbalik ke Ainz.

"Ainz-sama, Para Penjaga Nazarick berkumpul di hadapanmu. Mohon berikan pesanan Anda pada kami. "

Ainz pergi "Umu" dengan nada yang dalam, agung, sebelum memukul stafnya dengan keras di lantai. Gerakan itu menarik perhatian semua orang, dan kemudian Ainz perlahan berbicara:

“Selamat datang, kalian para Penjaga yang berkumpul di hadapanku. Nah, pertama saya akan menyampaikan terima kasih. Pencipta dunia!"

"Iya!"

"Aku sudah memanggilmu setiap kali sesuatu muncul. Sudah selesai dilakukan dengan baik. Terima kasih atas layanan setianya. ”

"Oh, pujianmu terlalu mewah, Ainz-sama. Aku hanyalah hambamu yang rendah hati; itu wajar bagiku untuk muncul di hadapanmu setiap kali aku dipanggil. Itu tidak membutuhkan terima kasih. "

Demiurge membungkuk dalam-dalam. Dia tampak gemetar karena senang.

"Apakah begitu? Ah, benar juga. Adakah yang mencurigakan muncul di pihakmu? ”

"Tidak. Saya sangat berhati-hati, dan seharusnya mudah untuk mendeteksi siapa pun yang mendekat … "

"…Itu bagus. Namun, jangan biarkan diri Anda tumbuh lemah. Lagipula, musuh kita mungkin muncul dengan cara yang belum kita antisipasi. Selain itu, ada masalah kulit yang Anda bawa saya … menurut Kepala Pustakawan, itu dapat digunakan untuk membuat gulungan mantra tingkat rendah. Bisakah Anda memastikan pasokan yang stabil? "

"Iya! Tidak akan ada masalah sama sekali dalam hal itu. Kami sudah mendapatkan jumlah yang memadai. ”

"Sungguh sekarang … Lalu, apa nama binatang-binatang itu lagi?"

"Binatang buas …? Ah! Hewan buas yang kamu ajak bicara, Ainz-sama … "

Demiurge berhenti sejenak untuk berpikir, dan kemudian melanjutkan:

“Mereka adalah dua domba berkaki dari Kerajaan Suci. Bagaimana menurutmu nama Abelion Sheep? ”

Nada gembira Demiurge membingungkan Cocytus. Demiurge pada dasarnya adalah orang yang pemarah, bahkan mungkin orang yang penuh kasih sayang. Namun, itu hanya di mana sesama ciptaannya dari Makhluk Tertinggi yang bersangkutan. Dia sangat kejam terhadap semua orang.

Orang bisa melihat bayangan kekejaman itu di bawah penampilannya yang baik. Sementara kebenciannya yang mendalam seharusnya diarahkan pada binatang buas tersebut, akankah dia benar-benar merujuk pada makhluk tidak cerdas dengan sikap seperti itu?

Mengingat kepribadian Demiurge, ada sesuatu yang aneh. Namun, sekarang bukan saatnya untuk bertanya lebih lanjut.

"Aku mengerti … domba, kalau begitu."

Tuan mereka tampak geli, yang pada gilirannya membuat senyum di wajah Demiurge dan Albedo.

“Sementara kupikir kambing akan lebih baik … nama itu cocok. Lalu, kuliti domba-domba itu, tentu saja … Apakah penangkapan berlebihan akan mempengaruhi ekosistem lokal? "

"Aku meragukan itu. Selain itu, penggunaan sihir penyembuhan memungkinkan kita untuk mengulitinya lagi. Oleh karena itu, kita tidak perlu menangkap mereka secara massal jika kita tidak terlibat dalam produksi skala besar. Itu juga berkat monster yang disebut Penyiksa. ”

"Hm? Jangan potong bagian tubuh yang hilang ketika sihir penyembuhan diterapkan? "

"Tentang itu … kita telah mempelajari sesuatu selama percobaan kita dengan sihir penyembuhan. Setelah beberapa perubahan besar terjadi pada bagian-bagian tubuh yang terputus – cincang, misalnya – bagian-bagian itu akan tetap ada. Dengan kata lain, setelah kulit yang mengelupas telah diproses, sihir penyembuhan tidak lagi mengenalinya sebagai bagian dari tubuh dan tidak akan hilang bahkan ketika sumbernya disembuhkan. Ini juga sebabnya mereka tidak akan mati ketika diberi makan daging. Juga, ini tidak persis terkait, tetapi ketika penyembuh atau yang disembuhkan menolak sihir, itu tidak akan dapat beroperasi dengan baik dan akan meninggalkan bekas luka. Demikian pula, mantra tingkat rendah lebih cenderung meninggalkan bekas luka seiring berjalannya waktu. ”

"Begitu … sihir itu sangat mengesankan. Baiklah, lanjutkan, kalau begitu. ”

"Dimengerti. Saya akan mulai memanennya sesuai usia dan jenis kelamin. Setelah itu selesai, bisakah Anda memberi tahu saya usia kulit mana yang paling cocok? ”

“Aku akan membiarkan Kepala Perpustakaan menangani itu. Selanjutnya, Korban. "

“Untuk menghentikan, tif gnihguoc. (Ya, Ainz-sama.) "

"Aku memanggilmu di sini hanya karena satu alasan. Jika sesuatu yang tidak terduga terjadi, saya mungkin membutuhkan Anda untuk melindungi kami dan Wali lainnya dengan keahlian Anda … Saya minta maaf untuk itu, dan saya berjanji saya akan membangkitkan Anda segera. Saya harap Anda mengerti."

“Retteb eht, ssarg ot tuo tup er'uoy renoos eht dna, uoy tnaw t'nod ew, uoy wonk t'nod eW: gniyas ni elpoep hsitirB untuk ytirojam eht untuk flaheb no kaeps I taht ecnedifnoc htiw ta boj siht ni ycamitigel pada evah uoy, riS .etarotcetorp a naht erom gnihton ot decuder eceerG nees ev'ew, revo koot uoy ecnis tuB .yrtnuoc-non a hcum ytterp si hcihw, muigleB morf emocu noitan untuk ecnetsixe eht untuk tpecnoc yrev eht rof gnihtaol a evah ot raeppa uoy. (Demiurge telah memberitahuku tentang itu. Tolong jangan khawatir, Ainz-sama. Lagi pula, aku juga pelayanmu. Selain itu, tujuan hidupku adalah kematian, jadi tidak ada kesenangan yang lebih besar bagiku daripada membantu para Makhluk Tertinggi bahkan dalam cara sekecil apa pun. "

"Begitukah … tetap, maafkan aku."

Korban tersentak kaget ketika dia melihat tuannya membungkuk padanya. Ada ekspresi bingung dan kaget di wajahnya.

“Yssup eht yb reh barg tsuj! (Saya tidak akan berani!) "

"Jika keadaan khusus muncul, kami mungkin perlu membunuhmu untuk mencegah musuh melarikan diri. Bahkan dalam kasus itu, saya harap Anda akan menerima bahwa kami tidak membunuh Anda karena kedengkian. Kamu adalah salah satu dari anak-anakku yang terkasih dan aku tidak ingin melukaimu, tetapi kita semua mungkin menderita jika kita membiarkan musuh yang tidak dikenal. ”

“Nuf erom era semeM .sgniht rehto dna sroloc fo sgnirts sselgninaem s'ti, ees nac uoy s. siht. (Tidak perlu menjelaskan, Ainz-sama. Saya sepenuhnya menyadari niat Anda.) "

“Ada frasa yang digunakan dalam salah satu mekanisme Nazarick. Begini, ‘Cinta yang lebih besar tidak memiliki manusia selain ini, bahwa seorang pria menyerahkan hidupnya untuk teman-temannya. 'Ungkapan itu menggambarkan Anda dengan sempurna. Terima kasih atas cintamu."

Tatapan Ainz beralih dari Guardian yang telah berjanji kesetiaannya pada kematian, dan beralih ke Guardian lain.

"Selanjutnya, Shalltear."

Bahu Shalltear bergetar. Dia tidak menyangka akan dipanggil, dan jawabannya sepertinya tidak normal.

"Y-Ya!"

"…Datanglah padaku."

Berbeda dengan Guardian lain, Shalltear adalah satu-satunya yang telah dipanggil ke sisi tuannya. Dia bangkit, terkejut dan panik. Kegelisahannya jelas terlihat dari punggungnya, dan dia tampak seperti penjahat yang dihukum dikirim ke blok memotong. Tetap saja, dia mengangkat kepalanya tinggi-tinggi dan mengulurkan dadanya, seolah-olah dia berjalan menuju kemuliaan.

Setelah menaiki tangga, Shalltear segera genuflected jarak pendek sebelum tahta.

"Shalltear, aku ingin berbicara tentang masalah yang melilit hatimu di duri."

Ketika tuannya mengucapkan kata-kata itu, Shalltear segera tahu apa yang dia bicarakan, dan wajahnya dipenuhi rasa malu dan bersalah.

"Ahhh! Ainz-sama! Tolong, tolong beri hukuman Anda! Saya seorang Guardian, tapi tetap saja saya melakukan kesalahan bodoh! Tolong beri saya hukuman sekeras mungkin! ”

Ratapan kesedihan Shalltear menggema melalui Ruang Singgasana, dan Cocytus mendapati dirinya berempati dengannya. Tidak, Wali manapun – pada kenyataannya, siapa pun yang dibuat oleh Makhluk Tertinggi – akan dapat memahami bagaimana perasaannya.

Bahkan jika dia telah dikendalikan pikiran, dia tidak bisa memaafkan dirinya sendiri karena mengalihkan tombaknya pada Makhluk Tertinggi.

"Sungguh sekarang … lalu, Shalltear, datang ke sini."

Saat dia melihat tuannya memanggilnya, Shalltear perlahan merangkak menuju Tahta.

Ainz mengulurkan tangan kurus ke Shalltear, yang kepalanya ditundukkan di hadapan takhta, dan dengan lembut membelai kepalanya.

"Ai-Ainz-sama …" Shalltear memberanikan diri saat dia dengan gugup mengangkat kepalanya, hampir ketakutan sampai mati.

“… Kegagalan itu karena kesalahan perhitungan di pihakku. Selain itu, Anda berurusan dengan Item Kelas Dunia, yang berarti Anda berada pada posisi yang sangat dirugikan. Shalltear – Saya mencintai Anda semua yang melayani Nazarick dengan loyal, Anda yang diciptakan dari ketiadaan. Itu termasuk Anda juga. Apakah Anda ingin memaksa saya untuk menghukum Anda, yang tidak memiliki dosa, dan siapa yang saya cintai? "

Tuan itu mengalihkan pandangannya, seolah dia merasa tidak nyaman. Cocytus tidak tahu ke mana tuannya melihat, tetapi dia sepertinya berbicara pelan. Wajah tuannya kurus, jadi tidak ada bibir yang bisa dia baca, tapi dia mungkin mengatakan nama seseorang.

"Oh, Ainz-sama! Kamu sebenarnya bilang kamu mencintaiku! ”

Suara bergerak Shalltear menggema melalui aula.

Cocytus ada di belakang Shalltear, jadi dia tidak bisa melihat wajahnya. Namun, sikapnya mengatakan segalanya. Suaranya terdengar tercekat, sementara bahunya berkedut.

Dia bisa melihat tangan tuannya yang lain membelai wajah Shalltear dengan lembut. Itu memegang saputangan putih.

"Di sana, Shalltear. Jangan menangis. Itu akan merusak kecantikan Anda. "

Shalltear tidak menjawab. Dia hanya menempelkan wajahnya – mungkin bibirnya – ke belakang tangan membelai rambutnya.

Mare dan Aura sudah menangis.

Demiurge juga mengoleskan sudut matanya. Cocytus agak iri pada orang-orang yang bisa menangis, dan dia menatap punggung rekan-rekannya yang sangat loyal.

Apa yang paling ditakuti Shalltear adalah dianggap tidak berguna, pembuat onar dan tidak loyal, dan kemudian ditinggalkan oleh Yang Mahatinggi, penyayang yang tetap bersama mereka.

Namun, tuannya benar-benar menghilangkan kegelisahan itu.

Dia melakukannya dengan kata "cinta."

Seberapa bahagia seharusnya Shalltear sekarang? Sebagai seseorang dalam situasi yang sama dengannya – tidak, situasinya sendiri lebih buruk – Cocytus hanya bisa melihatnya kembali dengan diam-diam, dengan iri hati yang tak terkendali di matanya.

"Kalau begitu, Shalltear, kamu mungkin lea—"

"—Ainz-sama."

Suara dingin memotong kata-kata tuannya. Cocytus menatap Albedo dengan marah karena rasa tidak hormatnya. Dan kemudian, sensasi ketakutan menjalari dirinya ketika gumpalan kegelisahan meringkuk di dalam hatinya.

“Pemberian hukuman dan hadiah yang pantas adalah jalan dunia. Saya merasa dia masih harus dihukum. ”

"… Albedo, apakah kamu membantah keputusanku …"

Kata-kata tuannya terhenti. Dia pasti tidak bisa berbicara dengan alasan mengapa Cocytus tidak tahu apa-apa, Pada akhirnya, kata-kata Shalltear yang mempengaruhi keputusan terakhirnya.

"Ainz-sama, aku setuju dengan apa yang dikatakan Albedo. Silakan hukum saya sesuai keinginan Anda. Kesempatan untuk mengekspresikan kesetiaan saya sepenuhnya akan menyenangkan saya juga. "

"…Saya mengerti. Saya akan melakukannya setelah memutuskan bentuk hukuman yang tepat. Anda dapat kembali ke tempat Anda. "

"Ya, Ainz-sama."

Shalltear turun menuruni tangga, matanya yang sudah merah semakin merah. Dia kembali ke posisi semula, dan membungkuk dengan penuh pengabdian kepada tuannya.

Lalu-

"Cocytus, Ainz-sama memiliki sesuatu untuk diberitahumu. Perhatikan baik-baik."

Udara dipenuhi ketegangan.

Gilirannya sekarang.

Kepala Cocytus tertunduk sangat rendah. Sementara postur itu, yang hanya memungkinkannya untuk melihat lantai, jelas menunjukkan rasa hormat, Cocytus melakukannya karena dia tidak memiliki keberanian untuk menatap langsung ke tuannya.

"Aku telah melihat pertarunganmu dengan Lizardmen, Cocytus."

"Iya!"

"Itu berakhir dengan kekalahan."

"Iya! Itu. Menyalahkan. Untuk. Bahwa. Kegagalan. Kebohongan. Dengan. Saya. Silahkan. Menerima. Saya. Hormat kami. Permintaan maaf. Dan. Saya berdoa. Kamu. Akan. Mengizinkan. Saya. Untuk-"

Suara staf yang memukul tanah mengganggu permintaan maaf Cocytus. Kemudian, suara dingin Albedo membuat organ pendengarannya bergetar.

"… Kamu bersikap kasar pada Ainz-sama, Cocytus. Jika Anda ingin meminta maaf, lakukan dengan kepala tegak. ”

"Mengampuni. Saya!"

Dia mengangkat kepalanya dan memandang tuannya, yang duduk di puncak tangga.

“… Cocytus, apa yang harus kamu katakan sebagai jenderal pasukan yang kalah? Bagaimana perasaan Anda, mengingat Anda tidak mengambil bidang dan hanya bertindak sebagai komandan? "

"SAYA. Saya. Dalam. Menyesal. Untuk. Saya. Ketidakmampuan. Untuk. Mencapai. Kemenangan. Bahkan. Setelah. Menerima. Perintah. Dari. Saya. Sendiri. Pasukan. Dan. Untuk. Itu. Kerugian. Dari. Itu. Lebih tua. Lich. Komandan. Bahwa. Kamu. Sendiri. Terbuat. Ainz-sama. "

"Hm? Ah, Anda bisa mendapatkan mayat hidup seperti itu dari mana saja, jadi itu sangat memalukan. Tidak perlu khawatir tentang itu, Cocytus. Yang ingin saya tanyakan adalah bagaimana perasaan Anda saat memimpin pertempuran. Biarkan saya menyingkir dulu – saya tidak bermaksud menyalahkan Anda atas kekalahan ini. "

Para Wali dan pengikut di belakang mereka bingung dengan kata-kata itu, kecuali Albedo dan Demiurge.

Jadi Demiurge benar … oh!

Cocytus merasa tuannya akan terus berbicara, dan buru-buru kembali fokus padanya.

“Lagipula, siapa pun bisa gagal. Bahkan aku. ”

Udara di Ruang Singgasana berubah menjadi tidak nyaman. Bagaimana mungkin Supreme Being Ainz Ooal Gown gagal? Bahkan, dia belum pernah melakukan kesalahan sampai sekarang.

Dengan kata lain, dia hanya mengatakan ini untuk menghibur Cocytus.

“Namun, pertanyaannya adalah apa yang kamu pelajari dari pertempuran itu. Dengan kata lain, menurutmu apa yang harus kamu lakukan untuk menang, Cocytus? "

Cocytus mulai berpikir dalam diam. Dia sekarang tahu apa yang harus dia lakukan untuk menang, jadi dia berbicara dengan bebas tentang kekurangannya sendiri.

"SAYA. Diremehkan. Itu. Lizardmen. Saya harus. Memiliki. Telah. Lebih. Cermat."

"Umu. Hanya begitu. Tidak peduli seberapa lemah lawan Anda, Anda tidak dapat memandang rendah mereka … Saya seharusnya membiarkan Narberal melihat pertempuran itu juga. Apakah ada hal lain? "

"Iya. Aku melakukannya. Tidak. Memiliki. Cukup. Informasi. Dari. Ini. Pertarungan. Aku telah belajar. Bahwa. Saya. Peluang. Dari. Kemenangan. Akan. Menjadi. Ramping. Jika. Aku melakukannya. Tidak. Tahu. Itu. Musuh Kekuatan. Dan. Itu. Medan."

"Baik sekali. Ada yang lain?"

"Itu. Komandan. Dulu. Tidak memadai Sejak. Itu. Pasukan. Di. Itu. Bidang. Apakah. Undead Tingkat Rendah. Saya harus. Memiliki. Ditemani. Mereka. Dengan. Komandan. Siapa. Bisa. Menyesuaikan. Untuk. Itu. Keadaan. Dan. Isu. Tepat waktu. Dan. Tepat. Pesanan. Di. Tambahan. Setelah. Mengingat. Itu. Lizardman. Persenjataan. Saya harus. Memiliki. Terserang. Dengan. Itu. Zombie Untuk. Ban. Itu. Musuh. Atau. Di. Paling sedikit. Terus Itu. Pasukan. Bersama. Dan. Terserang. Semua. Di. Sekali."

"Apakah itu semuanya?"

"…Saya. Terdalam Permintaan maaf. Tapi. Bahwa. Aku s. Semua. Saya bisa. Berpikir. Dari. Untuk sekarang."

“Tidak perlu meminta maaf. Anda telah mengatakan tidak ada yang salah, dan itu adalah analisis yang sangat baik. Tentu saja, ada ruang untuk perbaikan, tetapi Anda tampaknya telah belajar cukup banyak. Sebenarnya, saya berharap Anda tidak perlu berkonsultasi dengan orang lain dan menemukan kekurangan itu sendiri … tetapi itu masih bisa diterima. Lalu, mengapa kamu tidak melakukan semua hal itu sebelumnya? "

"…SAYA. Melakukan. Tidak. Berpikir. Dari. Mereka. Aku merasa. Bahwa. Saya bisa. Membanjiri. Mereka. Dengan. Saya. Pasukan. "

"Saya melihat. Namun, Anda memang memikirkan mereka setelah mayat hidup dihancurkan, bukan? Baik sekali! Selama Anda dapat meningkatkan diri dan menghindari kesalahan di masa depan, maka ada arti dari kekalahan ini. "

Cocytus merasakan bahwa tuannya sedang tersenyum.

"Ada banyak jenis kegagalan, tetapi milikmu bukan dari jenis yang mematikan. Semua undead save Elder Lich adalah spawns otomatis. Kehancuran mereka tidak mempengaruhi Nazarick dengan cara apa pun. Sebaliknya, jika mereka memungkinkan Guardian belajar sesuatu dan menghindari kesalahan di masa depan, maka kegagalan ini sebenarnya cukup murah. ”

"Terima kasih. Kamu. Sangat. Banyak. Ainz-sama! "

“Namun, faktanya kamu dikalahkan. Dengan demikian, Anda harus dihukum seperti Shalltear … "

Pada titik ini, tuannya terdiam. Gangguan singkat ini membuat Cocytus gelisah ketika dia menunggu tuannya memutuskan. Yang mengatakan, dia sangat lega sekarang dia tahu bahwa dia tidak mengecewakan tuannya. Namun, apa yang dia dengar selanjutnya membuat Cocytus membeku.

"Aku awalnya merencanakan untuk membuatmu mundur dan bertindak sebagai penjaga belakang, tapi kupikir akan lebih baik begini. Cocytus, Anda secara pribadi akan menghapus noda rasa malu Anda … dengan kata lain, Anda akan memusnahkan Lizardmen. Kali ini, Anda tidak diperbolehkan memanggil orang lain untuk meminta bantuan. "

Jika mereka memusnahkan Lizardmen dan menjaga agar tidak keluar, maka ini tidak akan dihitung sebagai kekalahan bagi Nazarick.

Mereka yang memandang semua orang di luar Nazarick sebagai bentuk kehidupan yang lebih rendah akan dengan senang hati menerima tugas ini, menghapus rasa malu mereka dan bahwa Nazarick dengan pembantaian. Memang, jika ini adalah Cocytus dari sebelumnya, dia akan menerima pesanan ini tanpa ragu-ragu. Namun-

Cocytus bergidik.

Ini karena dia tahu apa arti perintah itu.

Dia menghela nafas beberapa kali.

Ketika semua orang mulai bertanya-tanya mengapa Cocytus tidak menanggapi perintah tuannya, dia akhirnya berbicara.

"SAYA. Memiliki. Permintaan. Ainz-sama! "

Dunia tampak berdiri diam ketika perhatian semua orang tertuju pada Cocytus.

Cocytus adalah Guardian, salah satu makhluk Nazarick yang paling kuat dan berperingkat tertinggi. Hanya ada sedikit orang yang ada di liga, tetapi bahkan seseorang seperti dirinya merasakan hawa dingin menjalari seluruh tubuhnya.

Sementara penyesalan membasahi hatinya seperti longsoran salju, sudah terlambat sekarang.

Karena dia mengatakannya, tidak ada jalan untuk kembali.

Cocytus memiliki mata majemuk dan dengan demikian bidang penglihatan yang sangat luas, tetapi dari posturnya yang tertunduk, dia tidak bisa melihat wajah tuannya. Itulah satu-satunya pelipur lara yang dimilikinya. Jika tuannya menunjukkan kemarahan atau ketidaksenangan, Cocytus akan gemetar begitu keras sehingga dia tidak akan bisa melakukan apa-apa.

"Silahkan. Mendengar. Saya. Di luar. Ainz-sama! "

Sebelum tuannya bisa menjawab, orang lain menyela Cocytus.

"Beraninya kau!"

Itu adalah Albedo. Teriakannya yang memekakkan telinga meraung seperti guntur, dipenuhi dengan gravitas yang sesuai dengan Guardian Overser. Cocytus bergidik, seperti anak kecil yang ditegur oleh ibunya.

"Apa hakmu untuk meminta sesuatu dari Ainz-sama setelah menodai kemuliaan Nazarick dengan kekalahan? Keberanian! "

Cocytus tetap diam. Dia bertekad untuk tidak mengangkat kepalanya sampai tuannya mengakui dia. Dia akan tetap seperti dia bahkan jika Albedo memukulnya dengan kekuatan penuh kemarahannya.

"Cepat dan—"

Namun, suara lelaki yang tenang menyebarkan gemuruh Albedo seperti kabut di bawah sinar matahari.

"—Tidak apa-apa, Albedo."

Tuannya mengulangi dirinya sendiri, untuk menenangkan Albedo yang terkejut.

“Angkat kepalamu, Cocytus. Bisakah Anda memberi tahu saya permintaan Anda? ”

Tidak ada kemarahan dalam suara itu, yang hanya membuatnya lebih menakutkan. Ketakutan yang dirasakan Cocytus mirip dengan melihat dasar danau yang jernih dan mengetahui bahwa seseorang akan tersedot ke dalam.

Peralatan Cocytus memberinya ketahanan terhadap rasa takut dan efek yang memengaruhi pikiran yang berasal dari sumber eksternal. Karena itu, ketakutan yang menyerangnya sekarang muncul dari dalam hatinya sendiri.

Setelah menelan – tepatnya, itu seperti menelan seteguk racun – Cocytus perlahan mengangkat kepalanya dan menatap tuan dan penguasa.

Titik-titik api merah terang menari-nari di orbit kosong rongga matanya.

"Aku bilang lagi, bisakah kau memberitahuku permintaanmu?"

Dia tidak bisa berbicara. Dia telah mencoba beberapa kali, tetapi kata-kata tersangkut di tenggorokannya dan tidak ada yang keluar dari mulutnya.

"Apa yang salah? Cocytus? "

Keheningan berat memenuhi udara.

"… Aku tidak marah padamu. Saya hanya ingin tahu apa yang Anda pikirkan, dan apa yang Anda minta. "

Nada suaranya lembut, seolah berusaha menenangkan anak yang pendiam. Menghadapi ini, Cocytus akhirnya berhasil berbicara

"Aku menentang pemusnahan Lizardmen, dan aku harap kamu akan menunjukkan belas kasihan mereka pada mereka, Ainz-sama."

Setelah pernyataan langsung dan sederhana itu, Cocytus berpikir bahwa udara bergetar. Tidak, itu benar-benar gemetar.

Sumber terbesar darinya datang dari depannya – dari niat membunuh Albedo, diikuti oleh gemuruh hati para Penjaga lainnya. Sebaliknya, Demiurge dan tuannya tampak setenang air.

"… Cocytus, apakah kamu mengerti apa yang kamu katakan?"

Nada membunuh Albedo yang dingin dan mematikan membuat Cocytus bergidik, terlepas dari kekebalannya terhadap dingin.

"Ainz-sama memerintahkanmu untuk memusnahkan Lizardman untuk menebus dosa-dosamu, tetapi kamu akan menyangkal kehendaknya, sebagai pihak yang bersalah … Cocytus, Penjaga Lantai Lima, apakah kamu takut dengan Lizardmen?"

Dia terdengar seperti mengejeknya, tapi Cocytus tidak bisa membalas dengan apa pun.

Sikap Albedo hanya bisa diharapkan. Jika dia ada di tempatnya, Cocytus kemungkinan besar akan sangat marah juga.

"Kenapa kamu tidak berbicara—"

Yang membungkam Albedo bukanlah bunyi ujaran, melainkan bunyi tabrakan. Itu adalah dampak bernada tinggi dari staf di tanah.

“Diam, Albedo. Saya mengajukan pertanyaan kepada Cocytus. Tahan dirimu. ”

“Permintaan maafku yang terdalam! Aku, aku mohon maaf! ”

Albedo membungkuk meminta maaf dan kembali ke lokasi sebelumnya.

Tuan Cocytus menoleh untuk menatapnya dengan tatapan tajam. Tidak ada yang membaca ekspresinya. Dia tampak seperti penuh dengan kemarahan, tetapi pada saat yang sama dia tampak cukup bingung.

"Lalu, Cocytus, apakah permintaanmu itu bermanfaat bagi Makam Besar Bawah Tanah Nazarick? Katakan padaku."

"Iya! Di. Itu. Masa depan. Mereka. Mungkin. Berkembang biak. Kuat. Prajurit. Karena itu. Saya t. Akan. Menjadi. Memalukan. Untuk. Menghapus. Mereka. Semua. Di luar. Baik. Sekarang. Anda. Pelayan. Mengajukan. Bahwa. Saya t. Akan. Menjadi. Lebih baik. Untuk .. Tanamkan. Kuat. Merasakan. Dari. Loyalitas. Antara. Mereka. Begitu. Bahwa. Kapan. Lebih kuat. Lizardmen. Muncul. Kita. Bisa. Mengambil. Mereka. Sebagai. Pelayan. "

“… Itu ide yang bagus. Ada sedikit perbedaan dalam tingkat mayat hidup yang dibuat dari mayat Lizardman dibandingkan dengan yang dibuat dengan mayat manusia. Tidak perlu khawatir tentang mayat Lizardman jika kita dapat secara efisien memulihkan mayat yang terkubur di E-Rantel. ”

Ketika Cocytus akan melanjutkan, dia merasakan bahwa tuannya belum selesai. Ketidaknyamanan di dalam hatinya mengambil bentuk materi.

“Namun, mayat hidup yang kubuat dengan mayat lebih ekonomis daripada memanfaatkan Lizardmen. Kita tidak hanya dapat yakin akan kesetiaan mereka, tetapi kita tidak perlu khawatir tentang perawatan dan pemberian makanan mereka. Satu-satunya keuntungan yang dapat saya lihat dalam Lizardmen adalah bahwa mereka secara alami akan meningkat dalam populasi, dan peningkatan itu akan memakan waktu lama untuk dilihat … Katakan padaku jika saya kehilangan sesuatu. Apakah ada keuntungan yang cukup meyakinkan yang mereka miliki? ”

Jika Cocytus bisa membujuk tuannya yang pengasih, keinginannya bisa terkabul. Namun, Cocytus tidak bisa memikirkan apa pun.

Dia selalu menganggap dirinya sebagai senjata untuk digunakan oleh tuannya. As a result, he had never thought on his own account before, which was why he could not convince his master. He had not considered what to do in order to benefit the group.

In addition, his master desired gains for the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. Cocytus did not wish to exterminate the Lizardmen because they had outstandingly brilliant people among them. In other words, he wished to spare the Lizardmen because he wanted to spare those talented individuals. That was a personal consideration, paying no heed to the bigger picture.

Cocytus’s heart burned with anxiety.

If he displeased or angered his silent master, this miraculous chance to make a suggestion would be all for naught, leaving him with the order to exterminate the Lizardmen.

He racked his brains as hard as he could, but he could not find an answer.

“What’s wrong, Cocytus? Can’t think of anything? Then it’ll be extermination, no?”

It was the same question from before.

Cocytus’s mind was a complete blank. His mouth felt like it weighed a ton, and his thoughts simply spun in circles.

A quiet muttering filtered through the silent Throne Room:

“…Really now. What a shame.”

Just as those words of whispered regret threatened to crush the very breath from Cocytus, he was aided by a calm voice.

“Ainz-sama, please permit me to interject.”

“…What is it, Demiurge? Is something the matter?”

"Iya. It concerns the decision you made just now, Ainz-sama. If it pleases you, may I be allowed to supply my humble opinion?”

“…By all means.”

"Iya! Ainz-sama, I am certain you understand the importance of experiments. Therefore, should we not use the Lizardmen for experiments as well?”

“Oh, now that does sound interesting.”

Cocytus imagined that when his master leaned forward from his throne, his red eyes had met his own for a fraction of a second.

"Iya. To begin with, regardless of how Nazarick turns out in the end, we will ultimately need to gather various forces or exert control over various species. Your servant submits that when that time comes, there will be a great difference in the results depending on whether or not we have performed experiments in rulership.”

Demiurge straightened himself up further, looking his master — who was seated upon his throne — straight in the eye, and delivered his summation.

“I feel that we should take control of the Lizardman village and conduct experiments in ruling without the use of terror.”

The high-pitched ringing of the staff slamming into the floor echoed all around.

“…An excellent suggestion, Demiurge.”

“I am deeply grateful.”

“Then, I shall make use of Demiurge’s suggestion concerning the Lizardmen. They are not to be exterminated, but subjugated. Are there any objections? Raise your hands if there are.”

The crimson eyes swept across all the Guardians.

“…It seems there are none. Then it is decided.”

Everyone bowed in acknowledgement.

“That said, your suggestion was quite outstanding, Demiurge. Very impressive.”

Demiurge smiled.

“I would not dare, Ainz-sama. I imagine you must have already known about that, but you were only waiting for Cocytus to bring it up.”

His master did not answer, only smiled bitterly. However, his master’s attitude said everything.

Cocytus felt that his body had gone slack all of a sudden.

He had suffered an ignominious defeat while commanding the glorious armies of Nazarick. He had opposed his master’s wishes without preparing any other alternatives to his will. How could he describe his performance? He had been so—

Incompetent. How incompetent am I, anyway?

“…No, there’s nothing of the sort, Demiurge. You praise me too highly. I was merely hoping that you would express your opinions, regardless of what they were.”

His master’s gaze shifted again, lingering on Cocytus for the longest time. He understood what his master was implying, but he could not lower his head.

“The most important thing is to understand the true meaning of your orders. After doing so, you must take the most appropriate action. Listen well, Guardians. Do not blindly follow orders. You must think before you act, and consider how best Nazarick can prosper from your actions. If you feel your orders are in error, or if you have a better alternative, then you must tell me or the person proposing the idea. Then — Cocytus, I believe I said I was going to punish you, did I not?”

"Iya. Kamu. Ordered. Me. Untuk. Exterminate. The Lizardmen.”

"Memang. Now, however, we will not destroy them, but place them under our rule. As a result, I will alter your punishment. You will rule the Lizardmen, and you will instil a deeply-rooted loyalty to Nazarick within them. You are forbidden from ruling them with fear. Instead, you will turn the Lizardmen into a model of rulership without terror.”

Cocytus had never borne such a weighty responsibility before — no, among the Guardians, only Demiurge had this sort of experience.

It’ll be hard to complete this mission by myself.

That thought appeared briefly in Cocytus’s mind, but how could he admit to such weakness now? He could not say such things to the compassionate ruler to whom he owed his ultimate fealty, or to the colleague who had lent him a helping hand

"Dimengerti. I. Have. My. Concerns. About. Itu. Task. Begitu. I. May. Need. Untuk. Call. Di. Itu. Aid. Of. Others.”

"Tentu saja. In addition, this matter will require considerable resources, rations, and manpower. Nazarick will supply those.”

“Thank. Kamu. Sangat. Much. I. Cocytus. Guarantee. That. I. Will. Menunjukkan. Kamu. Baik. Results. And. That. Itu. Mercy. Kamu. Have. Shown. Will. Tidak. Be. In. Vain. Ainz-sama!” Cocytus shouted.

"Sangat baik. Then, I now order all the Guardians to move out. One team shall serve as distractions while another will demonstrate our power and show the Lizardmen that our strength is not limited to what they have seen. Of course, if you feel that may affect your future rule, I can rescind that order, Cocytus.”

Cocytus thought carefully about the matter and then replied:

“I. Feel. That. It. Will. Tidak. Pose. Any. Problems.”

"Saya melihat. Then, all Guardians, prepare to move out.”

As one, the gathered Guardians indicated their assent.

“Albedo, I will be heading out as well. Prepare our forces.”

"Dimengerti. After considering that we may have foes who enjoy spying on us, can I assume that this is intended to deceive them about our true intentions?”

“Just so. However, do not forget that we must strike fear into the hearts of our opposition.”

“Then, perhaps we can send out the Old Guard of Nazarick as the main body of our forces so they will look more impressive.”

Cocytus agreed with Albedo’s response.

There was a type of undead guard called the Old Guard.

The Old Guard of Nazarick were high level undead sentries which were only found within the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. They wielded weapons with all sorts of magical effects, and they were equipped with enchanted armor and shields. In addition, they possessed many refined combat skills, making them excellent undead sentries.

“That should be fine. How many of them are there?”

“They number three thousand.”

“Seems a bit too little. It’ll be hard to convey the desired shock effect with those numbers… Our objective is to win a complete victory and frighten those who underestimate Nazarick. If we field fewer troops than before, it’ll mean nothing, so I would like to deploy at least double the forces from the previous engagement. What other forces can we use?”

“Then, how about mobilizing the Nazarick Elder Guards and the Nazarick Master Guards? That way we will have six thousand people.”

As expected of the Guardian Overseer, Albedo replied smoothly and immediately. Ainz’s response was simple and clear.

“Excellent! Then, were there any problems when activating Gargantua?”

“No, Ainz-sama. There were no problems in its activation.”

“Then, use 「Gate」 to send our forces over together.”

“However, my mana might run out if I have to do it alone.”

“Ask Pestonya to help. Have her transfer mana to you. If that’s not enough, get Lupusregina to help as well.”

"Dimengerti."

“After that, transfer Nigredo’s and Pandora’s Actor’s warning grid to me. This will weaken our surveillance on Sebas… but that just means we’ll need to focus on physical observation. Sangat baik! Then, carry on, everyone. Tomorrow, we shall show the Lizardmen the power of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.”

Bagian 2

“Thank. Kamu. Demiurge.”

Once his master left, the first thing Cocytus did was express his gratitude to Demiurge. Demiurge responded to the deeply bowed Cocytus with the same serene smile as always.

“No, there’s no need for thanks.”

“How. Could. That. Be? Without. Anda. Help. Itu. Lizardmen. Would. Have. Been. Exterminated.”

“…Cocytus, I believe the reason why Ainz-sama approved of your suggestion was because Ainz-sama had foreseen such a development.”

As Demiurge delivered his summation with an upraised finger, a startled gasp rang through the air. The sound seemed to have come from himself, or the Guardians around him.

“In other words, I believe Ainz-sama anticipated that you would say such a thing. That was why he sent you to the Lizardman village. I felt that was the case because Ainz-sama seemed most delighted to hear you oppose the destruction of the Lizardmen village. In contrast, he sounded quite disappointed when you could not bring up an alternative solution.”

"Kamu. Mean. Untuk. Say. Ainz-sama. Was. Disappointed. Because. Things. Did. Tidak. Pergi. According. Untuk. Plan?”

"Tepat. In other words, even the conversation we are having now might well have been foreseen by Ainz-sama.”

“As. Expected. Of. Ainz-sama. He. Has. Planned. Everything. Out. With. Meticulous. Perfection.”

“B-But, a-ah…”

“…Spit it out.”

Aura bade her little brother Mare to speak, in a stern tone of voice.

“Ah, y-yes. Ah, I was wondering why he had sent out such weak undead at first. Ah, ah.. per-perhaps… Ainz-sama had planned on the attack failing from the start…”

“Well, rather than say that he had planned to be defeated, isn’t it more like our master had anticipated that Cocytus would have investigated the Lizardmen’s strength and then mentioned that victory might be in doubt?”

A profound sense of shame fell over Cocytus as he remembered his exchange with Demiurge back then. After all, he had messed everything up.

“He couldn’t have come up with something like that if he didn’t understand Cocytus so well. Well, that’s Ainz-sama for you…”

“While we have already seen Ainz-sama’s outstanding warrior prowess during the battle with Shalltear, to think he also possessed such extraordinary talent as a schemer. I cannot help but prostrate myself before him in awe. While Ainz-sama may have said otherwise, I feel that nothing can go wrong if we simply obey Ainz-sama’s orders…”

“He’s really amazing. He truly lives up to the name of the one who united all the Supreme Beings.”

Shalltear excitedly added her own praise after Demiurge’s. The other Guardians nodded in agreement.

♦ ♦ ♦

After returning to his room, Ainz jumped onto his bed. He hung briefly in the air before his body sank into the bed — and then he started to roll.

He rolled right, and then he rolled left.

The bed was big enough for him to do so.

His luxurious robe was crumpled from this, but Ainz paid it no heed, giggling quietly as he rolled around. The reason Ainz was doing such a childish thing was because there was nobody in this room besides him.

Soon, Ainz had indulged his childish desire for the soft sheets. He then lay on his back, facing the ceiling.

“Ahhh, I’m so tired… ah, I want to loosen up and get drunk… although I can’t do that now.”

After complaining to the air, he sighed deeply — although Ainz could not breathe, so he was just going through the motions.

Ainz was undead, so physical and mental exhaustion were foreign to him. However, in human terms, he had spent every day hard at work for the past month. If he had a stomach, it would be in ruins by now.

Ainz was currently filled with stress.

The warrior Momon had defeated the silver-haired Vampire — Shalltear. Perhaps someone who was not in full possession of the facts might think it was simply impressive, but to the mysterious person who had used a World Class Item on Shalltear, it would mean something else. The opposition might have their eye on Ainz, or they might try to make contact with him.

Therefore, Ainz spent his days on high alert, with many cash items ready so he could make his escape at any time. During his free time, he indulged in a little bit of mental roleplay — or exercising his imagination, more like — and studied whether he would be able to escape if the enemy came for him, while at the same time gathering information about his foe.

This nerve-wracking daily life had little effect on Ainz Ooal Gown, but it tired out the remnants of his humanity — of Suzuki Satoru’s personality. The reason why he indulged in immature behavior when he was alone and had free time was probably a sign that Suzuki Satoru was under a lot of stress, hidden beneath the facade of Ainz.

“I don’t remember ever working without rest or sleep like this… I wonder how much overtime I’ll get this month?”

Perhaps that griping had come from the personality of Suzuki Satoru overriding that of Ainz’s.

“The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick… no, Ainz Ooal Gown… isn’t a stock corporation. As a joint venture company, we’re supposed to be a moral enterprise, so we ought to pay all employees the overtime they’re due…”

After whining to himself like that, Ainz furrowed his nonexistent eyebrows.

"Hm? …Don’t tell me I’m not entitled to overtime because I have a post allowance? Uwah…”

Ainz rolled around again, and then froze after about half a dozen iterations.

“All right… that’s enough useless thinking for one day… That said, I’m really impressed that Cocytus actually said something like that.”

It had come as quite a surprise. To think Cocytus actually felt sympathy for the Lizardmen.

In truth, Cocytus’s actions had been a big headache for Ainz.

Suzuki Satoru was the sort of person who would thoroughly research his sources and regurgitate them by rote when called upon to deliver a briefing. Therefore, he was not used to dealing with unexpected things. However, as long as it was written down in his notes, he could use them to deal with it. In other words, the success of Suzuki Satoru’s briefings rested on how much research he did and how well he could use it to respond to the circumstances. He was extremely inept in dealing with situations which required adaptability; in fact, he hated them.

He could not bring his notes into the Throne Room and say, “Ah, please look at the next page.” Therefore, Ainz had mentally rehearsed the events in the Throne Room over ten times beforehand. As he did, he prayed that nobody would do anything surprising.

And then, Cocytus had shattered that tiny wish of his.

He had been extremely worried about what Cocytus would say, but he was also very happy.

That was the joy a parent might have — as though a hitherto docile and obedient child had expressed his own opinion for once. The important thing was that Cocytus’s growth had far exceeded Ainz’s expectations.

When Ainz had returned to Nazarick earlier, he had asked one of the maids to cook something — a steak. Perhaps she might need practice when it came to the doneness and other major points of the meal, but Ainz did not have such high expectations of the steak. Neither did he want food which granted bonuses, like food in YGGDRASIL. All he wanted was something edible.

However, the result could only be described as a lump of charcoal.

No matter how often that maid practiced, she could only make chunks of charred meat.

Ainz had accepted that outcome as he accepted the maid’s heartfelt apologies. After all, it was the same as him trying to equip the greatsword in his wardrobe.

In YGGDRASIL, one needed specialized skills to make food. It was only to be expected, since food and drink could grant special bonuses when consumed. However, that maid did not possess such skills.

In other words, if one lacked the proper skills to perform a task, it would end in failure.

The matter of Cocytus was also an experiment of sorts. Ainz wanted to see if finalized characters like himself and the NPCs could learn anything new. This experiment was designed to see if they could grow strong by learning tactics and strategy.

He had given Cocytus command over the weak undead because he felt that he would be able to learn more from their defeat.

In the end, Ainz had been pleased with the results. Cocytus had shown Ainz that he had the possibility for growth.

Of course, there was a huge different between theory and practice.

Ainz’s upcoming objective was to thoroughly master the details of this world’s unique magic — if such magic existed. Currently, Ainz was still unclear whether magic was a skill or knowledge.

However, this experiment showed that one’s knowledge could still grow.

Cocytus had proved the possibility of that development. He had done very well.

Ainz thought.

A lack of growth was equivalent to stagnation. Even if he was powerful now, he might be surpassed one day.

Even if he had a hundred years’ advantage in military technology, he would still lose his pole position if he did not continue improving himself. There might be a strong nation nearby, but they would be utter fools if they assumed that they would always be a strong nation and did not seek improvement.

“Well, I think that… but while I’m happy that the kids have grown, I’m also worried if I’m a ruler who’s worthy of their loyalty…”

Ainz looked at the veiling as he muttered this.

“Ahhh, it’s so scary, I’m so scared…”

The remnants of Suzuki Satoru’s personality wailed in fear of the unknown.

Growth was change. Then, who could guarantee that their absolute loyalty would not change? Even if it did not, he was still afraid that someday they would consider him unworthy of being the ruler of the glorious Nazarick. He feared being forced out of his position as guildmaster.

“…I have to become a leader that the Guardians will want to follow… Why isn’t there anyone to teach me the path of rulership…”

There was probably nobody in Nazarick who was designed for such a purpose.

As Ainz fell into contemplation, he thought of two people, from the Five Worsts of Nazarick. One of them was Kyouhukou, who bore the title of Duke, and the other was Gashokukochuuou, who had the title of King. Ainz wondered if he could ask them to teach him, and his answer was simple and succinct.

“…Hell no.”

He did not want to learn from them unless he had no other choice,

“Forget it… as long as I don’t mess up too much, I won’t need to retire. Also… yes, about those two-legged sheep…”

Ainz had already surmised the true identity of the two-legged sheep which was why he had not asked about their appearance. They were monsters he had seen in YGGDRASIL before.

“They have the heads of a lion and a goat, and a serpentine tail. Their hands are those of lions and their feet are those of goats. They are Chimerae…”

In YGGDRASIL, Chimerae walked on two legs, attacking with lion’s paws, which served as arms. Each of them had two heads, one of a lion and one of a goat. That was because these monsters were based on the visual data of monsters known as Baphomets.

So why had Demiurge not come out and said that they were Chimerae? Ainz had his doubts, but then he also had an answer.

“In other words, they’re mutant Chimerae. Am I right, Demiurge?”

Ainz chuckled, and then he added a mental note to his opinion of Demiurge: he had terrible naming sense.

“Well, the Chimera Lords in YGGDRASIL looked kind of… no, fish-like Chimerae look disgusting. So these two-legged sheep are a new breed of Chimera… that makes them Holy Kingdom Chimerae… it might be good to bring one of them to Nazarick. And then there’s Victim… hm.”

Victim looked just like how Ainz remembered, but one thing stood out in his mind.

“The language he’s using… is that Enochian, the language of angels? It feels like he’s saying something else entirely…”

It was translated, so Ainz did not know what sort of language he was using, but it felt weird to him. Of course, that might be because Ainz did not know Enochian at all.

“Forget it, let’s not worry about it. All right, it’s about time to set out…”

Ainz rolled around again. He stopped when he was face down, to verify something that had been bothering him since just now.

He pressed his face to the bed, and sniffed.

Ainz had no lungs, so he was merely going through the motions. Strangely enough, he could smell something.

“This is the smell of flowers… did someone spray perfume on this bed? Are the beds of the wealthy like this? That’s pretty surprising… maybe I should keep them in mind when I’m pretending to be wealthy, then? Umu…”

Part 3

There was an ability known as danger sensing.

Among adventurers, thieves and those with sensory skills prized that ability. As the name implied, it allowed its user to sense danger.

There were two main variations of this ability. One kind disregarded logic and analysis, making snap decisions based on one’s perceptions. The other was the product of experienced reasoning and deduction. The proverbial sixth sense and intuition belonged to the first category, while those who picked up on minute sensory traces and observed changes in the environment fell into the latter category.

One would naturally learn the second type when on the battlefield or when travelling alone, even if one did not go out of the way to hone it. It was a form of experience gained from being in hazardous environments.

The Lizardmen were superior to humans in that aspect. This was because their biological abilities — their senses — were sharper, and because they lived in more hostile conditions. A human being would typically live in a safe place that was far away from monsters, but Lizardmen often had monsters as neighbors.

In Zaryusu’s case, he was a traveller, and thus used to long, solo journeys. Thus, he could accurately and keenly gauge the changes in the air and mood.

His eyes snapped open as he sensed a tension filtering through the air.

The familiar sight of the room — although he had only lived there for a few days — greeted him. However closely a human looked, they would not be able to see within the lightless interior, but that was not a problem for Lizardmen.

There was nothing unusual about the room.

Zaryusu looked around, and breathed a sigh of relief after making sure that there was nothing unusual around. At the same time, he sat up.

As an outstanding warrior, Zaryusu could go from sound asleep to fully awake in an instant. His eyes would not be weighed down by sleep — he could charge into battle right now with no problems.

This was also related to the Lizardman habit of light sleeping.

However, Crusch showed no signs of stirring from where she was sleeping beside him.

All she did was moan softly as she was deprived of Zaryusu’s warmth.

Under normal circumstances, Crusch should have sensed the change in the air and woken from her slumber. However, she did not seem to have done so.

A sense of regret filled Zaryusu — had he placed too much of a burden on Crusch?

As he recalled last night, he felt that perhaps Crusch’s burden was greater than his own. It would seem that the female Crusch had been under more strain than the male Zaryusu during the process of defeating the Elder Lich.

He would have liked for her to be able to continue sleeping, but upon listening carefully, he could hear the sounds of many Lizardmen hurrying around. In an emergency like this, it would be more dangerous to let her sleep than to wake her up.

“Crusch, Crusch.”

Zaryusu shook Crusch several times, using some force.

"Hm? Mmm … "

After twitching her tail, she opened her crimson eyes.

"Hm? Uuuu…?”

“Seems like something’s happened.”

Those words snapped a half-asleep Crusch to full wakefulness. Frost Pain lay by his side, and after taking it up he rose to his feet, followed shortly by Crusch.

The two of them headed outside, and they immediately realised the source of the disturbance.

The sky above the village was covered in a thick layer of dark clouds.

When they looked into the distance, they realized that these clouds were different from regular clouds, because the sky in the distance was bright and clear.

In other words, this meant that—

“They’re… coming again?”

A signal of another enemy attack—

“Looks like it.”

Crusch agreed with his assessment. Debate broke out among the Lizardmen of the Five Tribes as they gazed into the cloudy sky. However, there was no fear on their faces.

That was because they had achieved victory even in these dire circumstances, and it had made them all stronger.

The two of them ran to the main gate of the village, accompanied by the sound of splashing. They passed several Lizardmen preparing for battle, and reached their destination before long.

There were many warrior Lizardmen gathered at the main gate, and everyone was peering outside. There were some familiar faces among them, including Zenberu, who had fought and bled with them, and the chief of the Little Fang Tribe beside him.

Zenberu waved to the two of them as they splashed over, and then jerked his chin to indicate that they should look outside the gate.

Zaryusu and Crusch stood by Zenberu’s side and looked in that direction.

Facing them, on the other side of the boundary between the marsh and the forest, were serried ranks of skeletons.

“So they’ve come again.”

"Hm …"

Zaryusu clicked his tongue after answering Zenberu.

They had expected as much, but this was still too quick. They had thought that the heavy losses that they had inflicted would take the enemy some time to replace.

As it turned out they had been completely off the mark. Their foe had actually mobilized such a large army in such a short time.

“…Still, they ought to be weaker than the skeletons which that Elder Lich summoned.”

There was a hidden meaning to those words. Zenberu was implying that the skeletons before then were stronger than the Skeletons that had attacked earlier.

Zaryusu kept his eyes trained on the skeletons facing them. This was in order to grasp their opponents’ strength and prepare the appropriate defenses.

Indeed, they were all skeletal creatures, but they were dramatically different from the Skeletons they had fought previously.

By looks alone, the biggest difference lay in their equipment. The previous Skeletons were only armed with rusted swords, but these skeletons had full sets of gear. In addition, they looked more presentable than those from the earlier encounter. There seemed to be three broad classes of personal equipment on the skeletons present.

Most of the skeletons were outfitted in breastplates, bearing an inverted-triangle shield — a heater shield — in one hand, and all manner of hand weapons in the other. They even had quivers and bows on their backs. These armed skeletons were fully equipped for attack and defense and for fighting at close or long range.

Then, there were skeletons who were similarly accoutred with breastplates, but sporting tattered red capes and helmets, wielding bastard swords and round shields.

The last group comprised the least numerous, but best-equipped skeletons. They wore suits of shiny golden full plate armor and gripped shiny pikes. Not a single spot of dirt marred their brilliant red capes.

As Zaryusu inspected them, he realized something. He rubbed his eyes several times, wondering if they were mistaken. However, the reality before him remained as it was.

"Eh …? No way…”

“How, how could this be…”

Crusch realized that Zaryusu was muttering in a pained voice as she gasped in shock. Just then, Zenberu spoke up:

“…Oh, it seems you noticed too.”

Zenberu’s  voice sounded similarly tortured.

“Mm…”

Zaryusu stopped there. He did not want to continue, because he would be afraid if he continued to speak, but he had to say it:

“…Those look like magic weapons.”

Crusch nodded steadily from beside him.

All the weapons wielded by the skeleton army were magical in nature. Some had flaming swords, while others had hammers crackling with electricity. Some had pikes whose heads were sheathed in green light, while others had scythes which dripped a viscous purple fluid.

“Not just that. Take a look at their armor and shields. They’re all… enchanted as well.”

Zaryusu took a closer look as he heard Zenberu speak.

And then, he groaned in dismay. That was because Zaryusu realized that those shiny suits of armor did not reflect the sun’s light, but seemed to glow from within.

What kind of ruler could outfit this many skeletons in magic items? If it was only a matter of simple sharpening enchantments, Zaryusu had heard that certain great nations could amass quantities like this after long planning. However, imbuing this many magic weapons with elemental properties — and in the variety before him — was another matter entirely.

Zaryusu remembered the Dwarves Zenberu had spoken of several days ago.

The Dwarves were a mountain-dwelling species, who possessed exceptional skill concerning metal. During a drinking party, the Dwarves had once shared a heroic legend — that of the Emperor who founded the Dwarven Empire, a hero clad in adamantite armor, a man who felled Dragons by himself, and the “Magesmith” of the Thirteen Heroes. Even those legends had not spoken of an army — over five thousand strong — of this size, outfitted in magical equipment like this.

Then, what was Zaryusu looking at now?

“…Is that an army from the legends?”

If they had not come from a human myth, then it must have come from some kind of divine legend.

Zaryusu shuddered. He realized that he had challenged a foe who was not only beyond his expectations, but one that should never have been provoked.

However, he had gathered everyone here with the intention to die. How could someone who had come up with such a ridiculous plan be afraid now? He already knew this foe was beyond the bounds of his imagination. The solution was how they would deal with it.

“It can’t be. That must be an illusion or something.”

As everyone heard those words, a look crossed their faces which seemed to say, “What rubbish are you spouting?” Their enemy was not moving, but they felt real enough. They emanated a frightful presence and they could not possibly be mere illusions.

Still, these doubt-inducing words were spoken by the chief of the Small Fang Tribe. He had not said them because he had gone mad.

“What basis do you have for that?”

In response to Zaryusu’s question, the Small Fang chieftain replied confidently:

“We’ve sent out rotating scout patrols, but nobody reported seeing undead like that. There’s no way we wouldn’t have spotted them if they were in such numbers. Of course, all the scouts we sent out returned safely.”

“I see… Still, I don’t think they’re illusions.”

“…But… no, maybe they’re not. If they aren’t illusions, maybe they burrowed through the earth or used similar means of movement. A tunnel would explain why they weren’t spotted earlier.”

“It doesn’t matter if they dug through the ground or flew through the sky, what do we do about them? Though it doesn’t look like they’re going to fight just yet, they don’t look like they want to negotiate either.”

“That seems to be the case… although, given the present circumstances, I feel the enemy is going to try something…”

Zaryusu stared at the skeletal army.

He was looking for their commander — and then, a gust of bone-freezing wind blew over them. It was not a one-time occurrence — the chill wind blew over and over.

This preternaturally frigid wind was not a natural phenomenon. There was no doubt that it was the result of magic.

“Wind? Eh… it can’t be! Isn’t this the same kind of magic… how is that even possible…”

Crusch trembled as she hugged herself. She did not look like she was doing so purely because of the cold, so Zaryusu asked:

“Crusch, what’s with this cold wind…”

“…You might not believe me if I say this, but please listen to me. I originally thought that the weather changes from before were the result of the fourth tier spell 「Control Clouds」, but I was wrong. 「Control Clouds」 can control clouds, but it cannot generate cold winds like this. Therefore… this isn’t just controlling clouds, but altering the weather. In other words, I think the enemy used a sixth tier spell… 「Control Weather」.”

Crusch lowered her voice so nobody could hear, and continued, “However, that spell is beyond my ability to use, so I’m not too sure if that’s the case.”

Zaryusu knew how shocking spells of the sixth tier were. Magic like that was beyond even Igva, the strongest opponent Zaryusu had ever fought, and it was considered the most powerful form of magic in the world.

“Is this… the power of the Supreme One? I see… that would explain it.”

If he could use magic of the sixth tier, then the title of “Supreme” would be well-deserved.

“Oi oi oi, when I look around at everyone, it doesn’t look good.”

Zenberu’s mumbling highlighted the mood in the air.

Such cold winds could not blow in this weather — in other words, this was a supernatural change in the environment that was beyond their ability to comprehend. The Lizardmen’s morale plummeted to rock bottom.

Previously, only clouds had appeared. The priests could still control clouds if they gathered together, built a huge bonfire, and conducted a ritual. However, when the Lizardmen felt the chill kiss of this autumn-like wind, they realized how powerful their foe was to be able to manipulate such normally uncontrollable natural phenomena.

Even without Crusch’s words, the constantly-blowing wind clearly illustrated just how powerful their upcoming opponent was.

“Cheh, they’re making their move.”

Zaryusu gritted his teeth and suppressed the urge to swish his tail with sheer force of will. So they’re moving out now? dia pikir.

The warrior Lizardmen panicked as the skeletal army advanced with steps with such regularity that they seemed to have been measured with a pace stick. Some of them even growled in warning. However, Zaryusu was baffled as he watched the skeletal army move.

That was not a prelude to battle.

Just as Zaryusu and Zenberu were about to ask the panicking Lizardmen to calm down—

“—Calm yourselves!”

A shout that swallowed the land and shattered the sky rang forth.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. Their eyes settled on Shasuryu.

“I say again, calm yourselves.”

The only thing that could be heard in this silent space was his confident, dignified voice, echoing in their ears.

“Also, do not be afraid, warriors. Do not disappoint the ancestors who stand behind you.”

Shasuryu passed through the quiet, now-calm Lizardmen, and came to Zaryusu’s side.

“Little brother, what’s the enemy done now?”

“Mm, Ani-ja. They’ve started moving… but they don’t seem to be getting ready for a fight.”

“Muu.”

The five hundred skeletons who moved out formed up into ten ranks.

“What are they doing?”

As though waiting for that question, the skeletal army moved again.

With perfect coordination, they split in two from the center, leaving a space between them that was roughly twenty skeletons in size. Within that space was a figure.

It was not very large. Even at a distance of two hundred fifty meters, it was clearly smaller than Zaryusu.

It wore a black robe, and radiated a dreadful aura of evil. It looked similar to the Elder Lich they had fought yesterday, so it was probably a magic caster as well.

However, the key difference between the two was their power.

A chill ran up Zaryusu’s spine as he saw it. His instincts told him that the difference between the being before him and the Elder Lich from yesterday was like the difference between a warrior and an infant.

Even at this range, he could feel the ice-cold and malevolent presence it emanated. In addition, its equipment was in a league of its own.

It was like an avatar of irresistible death — an absolute ruler.

“A ruler of death… is it?

The words which fell unbidden from Zaryusu’s mouth perfectly described the monster before him.

Indeed, that person was a king that ruled death.

“…Oh!”

What did this ruler of death have in mind?

The Lizardmen panicked as one as they looked at that lord of extinction. Just then, an magic array roughly ten meters across expanded from around that magic caster in a hemisphere.

On the hemisphere were translucent sigils that resembled letters and symbols, glowing with a bluish-white light. These sigils shifted with bewildering speed, each different from one moment to the next.

The clear blue light changed shape continuously, illuminating the surroundings in phantasmagoric radiance. If this were not the work of an enemy, perhaps they might have been entranced by it, but right now they were not in the mood for such things.

Zaryusu, unable to understand what was going on, felt confused.

Most magic casters would not project magic arrays like that into the air when casting their spells. The enemy’s actions were far beyond Zaryusu’s knowledge. Therefore, Zaryusu asked the female who knew the most about magic:

"Apa itu?"

“I, I don’t know. I don’t know what that is either—”

Crusch’s reply sounded a little afraid. It would seem her knowledge of magic made her even more frightened of this unknown phenomenon.

Just as Zaryusu was about to comfort her with a pat—

Perhaps the spell had cast, but the magic circle fragmented and transformed into countless motes of light, which flew to the sky. And then, they spread from the air, like an explosion —

—And the lake froze over.

Nobody had any idea what was going on.

There was the outstanding chief Shasuryu, the incredibly talented priestess Crusch, and the widely-travelled Zaryusu. Even these individuals, who were extraordinarily gifted in their respective fields, could not immediately comprehend what was happening at the moment.

They had no idea why their feet were stuck in the ice.

Soon — after their brains managed to parse what was going on — the cries of despair rang out.

Indeed, every Lizardman was wailing.

Even Zaryusu was doing so. Crusch, Shasuryu, and even Zenberu, the boldest of them all, was no exception. The terror which sprang from the deepest reaches of their souls drove them to cry out in fear.

The scene before their eyes was too horrific to bear. The lake which could never freeze, which had never frozen ever since they had been born, was now a solid sheet of ice.

The Lizardmen hurriedly raised their feet. Fortunately, the ice was not very thick and broke immediately, but the shattered portions immediately froze back over. The bone-chilling cold from below proved that this was no mirage.

In a panic, Zaryusu hurriedly scaled a dirt wall and looked around, and then he was dumbstruck by the ridiculous sight around him.

Everything, as far as his eyes could see, was frozen over.

It was impossible to imagine that such a huge lake could have frozen solid, yet the glittering ice before his eyes was reality.

Zaryusu feared for the fish farms, but now was not the time to worry about such things.

"Tidak mungkin…"

Crusch, who had climbed up with Zaryusu to look around, was just as dumbfounded as he was. A despondent voice came from her gaping mouth.

Much like Zaryusu, she could not believe what she was seeing.

“Monster!”

He cursed loudly. At the same time, he hoped that the cursing would somewhat ameliorate the terror in his heart.

“Get them up here!” his brother Shasuryu bellowed.

Several Lizardmen had already collapsed. The warrior Lizardmen who could still move worked together to extricate their fallen friends from the frozen swamp.

The Lizardmen who had collapsed were ghastly pale and shook uncontrollably. Perhaps the cold had stolen their vitality.

“Ani-ja, I’ll go take a look around!”

With Frost Pain in hand, Zaryusu would not be affected by cold effects of that level.

"Tidak … jangan pergi!"

“Why, Ani-ja!?”

“The enemy ought to be making their move soon! I forbid you to leave this place! Grasp the situation and don’t let any information slip past you! You’ve travelled the world and accumulated all sorts of knowledge; you’re the only one who can handle that task!”

Shasuryu’s eyes left Zaryusu, and he spoke to the warriors around him.

“I will now cast a spell that will defend against the cold, 「Protection Energy – Ice」. Tell everyone in the village not to touch the ice.”

“I’ll help with the spells too.”

“Thank you! Crusch, you split up from me. Heal anyone in critical condition!”

Crusch and Shasuryu began casting spells on the now-safe Lizardmen.

Zaryusu remained on the dirt wall, his keen gaze intently focused on the enemy formation and taking in every move the enemy made. He had to carry out the mission his elder brother had entrusted to him.

“There we go.”

Zenberu, who had climbed up beside him, leisurely regarded the enemy forces.

“Come on, loosen up a little. Your big bro’s counting on your knowledge, right? He won’t scold you if you miss something. What’s more important is that you don’t get overly focused and develop tunnel vision.”

Zenberu’s relaxed tone helped cool Zaryusu’s head down.

Much like how they had done in the battle with the Elder Lich, they could divide the load among themselves and work together, while he oversaw everything.

Zaryusu looked around and found that the warriors were climbing the dirt walls and observing the enemy. Indeed, he was not fighting alone, but with everyone.

It would seem he had been rattled by that overpowering force — by that spell.

Zaryusu exhaled, as if to expel the accumulated unclean air within himself.

"Maaf."

“Nothing to be sorry about.”

“…That’s true, because you’re here too, Zenberu.”

“Haah, don’t look at me when it comes to brainwork.”

Their eyes met and they laughed. Then they turned their attention back on the enemy.

“Still, that’s one hell of a monster out there.”

“Yes, it’s on a completely different level.”

The King of Death regarded Zaryusu and the Lizardman village with a majestic gaze as he stood, like the ruler of this world and the next. What should have been a tiny object in the distance seemed to have expanded to dozens of times its actual size.

“…He ought to be that Supreme One they were talking about.”

“Most likely. I hope he’s the only one who can freeze a lake with magic like that.”

“Yeah, me too. We Lizardmen must look like tiny ants to someone who can pull off something like that. Damn, dammit! We’re nothing more than worms to him. Speaking of which… they’re moving.”

The magic caster who had frozen the lake raised the hand which was not holding a staff and waved it at the village. He must be giving an order, Zaryusu’s instincts told him, and in the next moment his instincts were validated in a horrifying way.

“Ohhhhh!”

The voices came from everywhere in the village.

“What… what is that!? What the hell is going on!?”

Zaryusu had thought he could no longer be surprised, but after seeing what was before him, he could not help but wail in response.

Before his eyes was a massive statue hewn of stone, with a pair of arms and legs.

Its sturdy, slab-like chest pulsed with red light, like a heartbeat. Its limbs were thick and stubby, and it looked almost adorable… well, it would have been, if it were not over thirty meters tall.

This massive stone statue suddenly appeared from the forest. Calling it an illusion might actually have been easier to swallow.

The statue moved slowly, and produced a gigantic boulder out of nowhere.

And then, it tossed the boulder.

Zaryusu reflexively shielded his eyes. Certain death awaited anyone who was hit by that huge rock.

The earth shuddered and a tremendous crash assaulted Zaryusu in that world of darkness. The dirt wall shook violently.

After that was the sound of heavy rain — of the sand and debris which had been tossed up falling back to the earth. It was accompanied by surprised cries from the village.

They were prepared to die, but they were not prepared for this unimaginable terror. The shocking lesson from just now made even the veterans of that battle shriek like children.

Zaryusu breathed a sigh of relief as he realised that he was still alive. As he nervously opened his eyes, he saw the undead army on the move, and he noticed that the gigantic statue was nowhere to be seen.

The huge rock which had not been there before now stood between the two forces. The undead troops approached the rock, and then they fell to one knee after raising their shields as if to block the sky. The other skeletons jumped up on those shields, and after nimbly maintaining their balance, they raised their shields as well.

In the moment that Zaryusu realised what the enemy was doing, he trembled all over, as if he had been struck by lightning.

“Don’t tell me… stairs? They’re using a legendary army like that as stairs!?”

The skeletons drew close to the giant rock with startling speed, and then the staircase formed by the undead army finally took shape.

Then, the other undead soldiers made their move. They looked more refined than the skeletons from earlier, and there were about a hundred of them. They held lances with banners attached, of the kind that lancers might carry.

The bright red cloth — their banners — were embroidered with the same sigil.

Their capes rippling in the wind, these undead marched onto the marsh with immaculate coordination. They crunched the ice under their feet as they advanced in silence. Then, another group of skeletons marched onto the marsh with the same fluid movements, taking care to maintain the proper spacing from the first group. They crossed their lances with those of the warriors opposite them.

The crossed lances formed a passage which led to the huge rock.

“…Is that a king’s path?”

Zenberu was right.

The magic caster of death walked down the path made by the undead. The silhouettes of several people were visible behind it. Nobody had noticed their arrival.

At their head walked the magic caster of unfathomable might.

He was dressed in a black robe that seemed to be made of darkness itself, and an ebony radiance emanated from the staff he carried. That radiance shaped itself into the tormented faces of human beings, which dissolved and disappeared into nothing. Beneath the hood of his robe was a skeletal face, and within its empty eye sockets danced points of bright red light.

He was adorned with countless items of magical jewelry, the likes of which were beyond Zaryusu’s comprehension. He strode forth with the air of a monarch.

A pale-skinned female trailed behind the king of death. She resembled a human being, but she differed from them in one key respect — which would be the wings at her waist.

“Could she be a… demon?”

♦ ♦ ♦

Demons.

There were devils who destroyed with brute force and fiends who corrupted with intellect. These outsiders were collectively known as demons. They were said to be monsters of legendary cruelty and malice, who existed to destroy all intelligent beings of good alignment. Their names were a byword for evil.

Zaryusu had heard of demons during his travels.

He had heard of their fearsome nature. Apparently, two hundred years ago there was a monster who was a king of demons — the Demon God, who rallied demons to his banner and nearly destroyed the world.

The Demon God was finally defeated by the Thirteen Heroes, and the traces of that battle could still be seen to this day.

If the undead were monsters that hated the living, then demons were monsters who wanted to make the living suffer.

Behind the demoness was a pair of Dark Elf twins, and then a silver-haired girl. In addition, there was a sinister-looking monster which floated in mid-air, and finally a tailed being who resembled a human male.

The creepy monster alone did not seem very strong, but the tip of his tail began to twitch just by looking at each of them. His primal instincts screamed at him to flee with all his might.

The group advanced in silence, passing beneath the lances and banners, climbing the stairs leading up the huge rock. They trod the undead soldiers with no hesitation whatsoever, standing like kings and queens atop the massive boulder. The king of death at their head waved his hand.

In an instant, a high-backed throne which glowed with a black light appeared, and the undead king promptly sat upon it.

Behind them, the people who seemed to be his confidantes formed a line, looking at the village as though they were waiting for something. However, they did not do anything else beyond that.

Apa yang sedang terjadi?

Several Lizardmen looked uncomfortably at each other, and in the end they finally decided to let the wisest of their number do the talking.

“…Ah, could, could you tell us  what we should do, Zaryusu-san? Should we prepare to run?”

That voice was utterly devoid of fighting spirit. The drooping tail spoke volumes about what was in his heart.

“No, there’s no need for that. Consider the Elder Lich from before. We now face a magic caster who vastly exceeds that Elder Lich, so it should be child’s play for him to launch an attack from a distance like this. In all likelihood… he wants to tell us something.”

Looks of understanding dawned on the Lizardmen’s faces.

Through all of this, Zaryusu’s eyes had been firmly fixed on the group before them. He was like a peasant looking up to his king as he ceaselessly examined the monsters atop that huge rock.

He did this so he would not miss anything about them.

Now that they were so close, he could examine them in great detail, and they could even meet each other’s eyes.

Was that king of death observing the Lizardmen from his place atop his throne? The Dark Elves did not seem particularly hostile. The silver-haired girl had a mocking smile on her face. The demoness’s gentle expression was paradoxically spine-chilling. The creepy monster’s expression was unreadable. The tailed man’s eyes were devoid of any emotion.

After they studied each other for a while, the undead king once more raised his free hand to his chest. Several Lizardmen saw this, and their tails thrashed violently.

“—Don’t be afraid. Don’t disgrace us in front of our opponents.”

Zaryusu’s razor-edged criticism drove all the Lizardmen to stand up straight and thrust out their chests.

Numerous clouds of black fog appeared before the king of death — twenty of them in total. They whirled ceaselessly, growing larger and larger, until they formed a single cloud of black fog about one hundred fifty centimeters in size. Soon, countless frightening faces appeared in the fog.

"Itu …"

Zaryusu recalled the monsters who had come to the villages as messengers, and the undead creatures he had seen during his travels.

Crusch had already explained this once in the village, but it was very difficult to harm incorporeal monsters without the aid of enchanted weapons, weapons made of special metals, magic, or specialized martial arts.

Even if one put all the Lizardman tribes together, they would only have a few magic weapons. In other words. Just defeating one would be very challenging.

To think that their foe could casually summon twenty such monsters with a wave of his hand.

“…So this is what they mean when they say one can control death.”

Our enemy is an incredibly powerful monster, one whom that powerful Elder Lich would pledge his loyalty to, Zaryusu thought despondently.

The king of the dead muttered something, and then cast his hand out, like he was ordering an attack. The monsters than flew over to encircle the village, and they began to recite in unison:

“We hereby relay the will of the Supreme One.”

“The Supreme One requests a dialogue. Dispatch your representatives forthwith.”

“Any delays will only incur the wrath of the Supreme One.”

After their monologue, the incorporeal undead returned to their master’s side.

“Wha? …Don’t tell me… that’s it?” Zaryusu asked, with a stupid look on his face.

He sent such powerful undead just to pass on a message?

However, the more unbelievable thing was what came next. After receiving directions from the ruler of death, the silver-haired girl behind him clapped forcefully.

WIth that clap — all those undead were annihilated.

"Apa!?"

Zaryusu could not hold back his cry of shock.

Those summoned monsters had not been recalled, but destroyed.

Clerics could destroy the undead. While just banishing them was hard enough, with a sufficient disparity in power levels, a cleric could not only turn undead, but outright destroy them. However, doing so to many undead at once was an arduous task.

In other words, the silver-haired girl was a follower who was as powerful as the king of death. That being the case, the people beside her might well be similarly puissant.

“Hahahaha—”

Zaryusu could not stop himself from laughing.

That was only to be expected. What else could he do but laugh? They were so much more powerful—

“Brother!”

“—Ah, Ani-ja!”

Zaryusu looked down in response to the call from below and found that Shasuryu and Crusch were at the foot of the wall. The two of them climbed the dirt wall and together they looked at the magic caster.

Crusch forced herself into the space between Zaryusu and Zenberu, almost making Zenberu fall. However, that should still have been forgivable.

“Is that the enemy general? He feels so powerful that I’m getting chills down my spine just looking at him. While he looks like the Elder Lich you defeated… there’s no comparing their strength, is there…”

“…Ani-ja, are you done on your side?”

“Muu. It’s over for the most part. Crusch and I have exhausted our mana. And after hearing those messengers… we felt that it would be better to settle this matter first. As for what those messengers said… Zaryusu, would you be willing to come with me?”

Zaryusu looked silently at Shasuryu, and then nodded deeply. Shasuryu looked briefly uncomfortable, but resumed his usual expression right away, so quickly that nobody had realized he had ever looked that way.

"Maafkan saya."

“Don’t worry, Ani-ja.”

Shasuryu jumped off the dirt wall with that apology, landing with a splash as he broke through the narrow ice of the marsh.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Be careful.”

Zaryusu hugged Crusch tightly, and then he jumped off into the marsh after Zaryusu.

Zaryusu and Shasuryu trod the thin ice on the surface of the lake underfoot as they set forth together. After leaving the main gate, Zaryusu could sense the undead king’s entourage eying them, as though their gazes were exerting an actual physical pressure. He could also sense the uneasy looks from behind him, and the most worried of them probably belonged to Crusch.

Zaryusu fought the urge to stay with her.

Just then, Shasuryu spoke.

“…I’m sorry.”

“…What are you sorry for, Ani-ja?”

“…If negotiations break down, they might kill us as an example to the others.”

Zaryusu had been prepared for this. That was why he had hugged Crusch tightly before going.

“…Given their numbers, I couldn’t let you go alone, Ani-ja. If only one person went, they’d probably think we were snubbing them.”

Zaryusu was a famous individual among the Lizardmen and he was ideal for negotiations. However, he was a traveler, and his death would not harm the unity of the Lizardmen. From that point of view, there would be no regrets if he died.

Even if a hero died, the tribe could still keep fighting as long as there were other chiefs around. The shame would be the loss of the Frost Pain he carried; without it, they would be unable to withstand the cold of the lake.

The two of them walked forward in silence, every step taking them closer to death.

They reached the stairway of undead which led to the throne, and raised their voices. If the throne had been set further back, perhaps they might have been allowed to climb up, but given that it was situated at the edge of the rock, it probably meant that they did not want to let the Lizardmen climb up.

Kings had to have a commanding vantage, after all.

There was no such rule among the Lizardmen, but many species had the practice of superior beings overlooking inferior ones. Granted, this would be very rude if they had come to conduct a dialogue.

In other words, this was a dialogue in name only. There was no intention to speak to them on even terms.

Instead, actually expecting equal treatment was a sign of their ignorance. Zaryusu and the others might have won the earlier battle, but after seeing the array of the enemy’s top people upon the huge rock, even they would be forced to conclude that their prior victory held no meaning whatsoever. It was nothing more than child’s play.

“We have arrived! I am Shasuryu Shasha, representative of the Lizardmen, and this is the greatest hero of the lizardmen!”

“I am Zaryusu Shasha!”

Even so, there was no flattery in their strident voices. They knew it was a foolish gesture, but it was the last inch of dignity they possessed. The earlier battle might have been a sideshow in the eyes of their opponents, but they could not abandon the pride of the warriors who had fallen on that battlefield.

Tidak ada jawaban. The king of death merely swiveled his head to regard them from atop his throne, eying them with no reservation whatsoever. There was no sign that he was going to do anything at all.

The person who answered them was the demoness who sprouted black wings from her waist.

“Our master feels you have not adopted a sufficiently respectful listening posture.”

"…Apa?"

After hearing their doubt-filled voices, she called on the tailed being who looked like a human male.

“—Demiurge.”

“『Kneel』.”

Zaryusu and Shasuryu suddenly fell to their knees, their heads sinking into the marsh. It seemed like a perfectly natural motion to onlookers.

The cold mud caked their bodies, and the shattered ice immediately froze over once more.

They could not stand. No matter how hard they tried, their bodies would not budge an inch. It was as though a pair of huge, invisible hands were pressing down on them and taking the freedom from their bodies.

“『Do not resist』.”

In the instant that voice filtered into their ears again, Zaryusu and Shasuryu felt as though their bodies had suddenly grown an additional brain — an organ that received commands from others, and which their bodies obeyed.

After seeing their powerless bodies kneeling pathetically in the mud, the demoness seemed quite pleased as she reported to her master:

“Ainz-sama, they are now ready to listen to you.”

“Thank you — raise your heads.”

“『You are permitted to raise your heads』.”

Zaryusu and Shasuryu turned their heads, the sole part of their bodies they could move, and looked up like they were desperate to see their king.

“I am… Ainz Ooal Gown, master of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. Firstly, I would like to thank you for helping me complete an experiment.”

An experiment? You killed so many of us (the Lizardmen) and you dare call it an experiment!?

His resentment fanned the flames of anger in his heart, but he resisted it. After all, now was not the time to make a scene.

“Well then, let’s get to the point… submit to my rule.”

The magic caster Ainz raised his hand, silencing Shasuryu, who was about to speak.

Shasuryu knew that trying to speak anyway would not be wise, so he could only keep his mouth shut.

“—However, you have just defeated us, and you are unwilling to be ruled by me. Therefore, we will attack again in four hours. If you can still win, I shall no longer act against you. In fact, I guarantee that I will pay you the appropriate reparations.”

“…May I ask a question?”

“That is fine. Ask away.”

“Will you be the one leading the attack… Gown-dono?”

The silver-haired girl behind him frowned, while the demoness’s smile only grew wider. Perhaps they were displeased by the addition of that honorific. However, they did not do anything out of the ordinary, possibly because their master had not brought it up either.

Ainz ignored them, and continued speaking.

“Hardly. I will not be making a move. The attacker shall be one of my trusted aides… and only him. His name is Cocytus.”

As Zaryusu heard this, a deep seated sense of despair filled him, like it was the end of the world.

If Ainz attacked with an army, the Lizardmen might have a chance of victory. In other words, he would be hoping to prolong that distasteful war he called an experiment. In that case, they might have a scant, fleeting chance of victory.

However, he was not dispatching an army.

Only one person would be attacking.

An army which had been defeated had arrayed its troops in a grand display, yet they were only sending one person to attack. Unless this was a punishment, what Ainz’s words meant was that he was absolutely confident in that person.

A person who had the trust of that unbelievably powerful king of death. Then, the only answer was that the person in question was also incredibly powerful, to the point where the Lizardmen had no hope of victory.

“We choose to surrender…”

“It would be too boring to surrender without a fight. Do put up some token resistance. We would like to enjoy our victory.”

Ainz interrupted Shasuryu, preventing him from speaking further.

So you’re going to make an example of us, you bastard!? Zaryusu cursed in his heart.

The reality was that the strong would use slaughter to wash away the stain of defeat.

In other words, they were going to carry out a live sacrifice. This would be a show of utter dominion, designed to wipe out any trace of rebellion within the Lizardmen.

“That is all I wish to say. Then, I shall look forward to the events of four hour’s time.”

“A moment please — will this ice melt?”

Whether they won or lost, it would be very hard for the Lizardmen to survive if the lake was frozen over.

“…Ah, I almost forgot,” Ainz replied casually. “I merely wished to avoid staining my robes in the marsh. I will dispel the magic once I return to the shore.”

What!?

Zaryusu and Shasuryu were so shocked that they could not speak. In fact, they wondered if they had misheard him.

He froze the lake just because he didn’t want to get dirty?

This was no longer merely unbelievable. They were going up against someone with such shocking power, who could easily bend the world to his whims, and for such a pointless little reason to boot.

So this was the kind of mighty being who was their opponent. Zaryusu and Shasuryu felt a terror they had experienced when they were alone by themselves as children.

“Then, see you later, Lizardmen — 「Gate」.”

Having said his piece, Ainz waved his hand, and a hemisphere of darkness appeared in front of the throne. He then stepped into the darkness.

“Farewell, Lizardmen.”

“Goodbye, Lizardman-sans.”

“Seeya, Lizardmen.”

The two women and the Dark Elf boy attending Ainz bade farewell to the lizardmen in a disinterested tone before stepping into the darkness as well.

“Er, erm, then, ah, bye bye, take care.”

“Kcab og ot evah uoy. (Goodbye, then.)”

The creepy monster vanished into the darkness after the Dark Elf girl.

“『Releasing control』. Then, do enjoy yourselves, Lizardmen.”

Finally, the tailed man stepped into the darkness. There was a gentle sound, and the force binding the two of them vanished with him.

Zaryusu and Shasuryu remained kneeling in the mud where they had been abandoned, without the strength to stand up.

They did not even pay attention to the continuous pain which came from the freezing cold filtering up into them. That was because the shock they had just experienced far exceeded any physical pain they might have felt.

“Bastards…”

That uncharacteristic curse from Shasuryu was filled with a complex blend of emotions.

♦ ♦ ♦

They were greeted by the various chiefs, who had climbed up onto the dirt walls to avoid the cold. There were no other Lizardmen around.

They had probably done so because they were looking forward to discussing matters in private. Sensing this, Shasuryu decided not to mince words and told them the events of the dialogue that was not a dialogue.

There was no great reaction to Shasuryu’s somber narrative, only mild surprise. It was probably because they had expected a conclusion like that.

“I see… but will the ice melt? If it doesn’t, we won’t even be able to fight.”

"Itu akan baik-baik saja. They said they would melt the ice.”

“Did you bargain for it?”

Shasuryu did not answer the question from the Small Fang Tribe’s chief, merely smiling by way of reply. The chief knew what that meant, and shook his head in resignation.

“While you were heading out for those talks, we looked around… and we found traces of the enemy in the lake. probably skeletal troops. In all likelihood, they were surrounding us and awaiting orders.

“Don’t think… enemy… will let us go.”

“They seem quite serious about this, which means…”

“It’s probably as you’re guessing.”

The four chiefs who did not take part sighed deeply. They had probably reached the conclusion that what awaited them was a live sacrifice.

“Then, what should we do?”

“…Mobilize all the warrior Lizardmen, and… the ones present…”

“Ani-ja… can you allow only five people to take part?”

Zaryusu glanced at the baffled Crusch from the corner of his eye, and pleaded with all the males present.

“If the enemy’s aim is to demonstrate his power, they will probably not exterminate the Lizardmen. That being the case, we ought to have someone who can lead the surviving Lizardmen. If all of us here perish, it will be a great blow to the future of the Lizardmen.”

“…He’s got a point, doesn’t he, Shasuryu?”

“Mm, Zaryusu… you’re right.”

The two chiefs looked at Zaryusu and Crusch, and nodded.

“—That’s fine. I approve of it.”

After receiving the approval of Zenberu, the last chief, Shasuryu could no longer find any reason to deny his younger brother’s request.

“Then it’s decided. I also thought that someone would have to stay alive to lead the united tribes — Crusch ought to be good for that duty. Perhaps her albinism might affect her duties, but her priestly powers are irreplaceable.”

“Please wait, I want to fight too!” Crusch shouted as she protested her exclusion at this juncture. “Besides, if one of us has to stay behind, wouldn’t it be better if it was Shasuryu? He’s the chief that everyone trusts most!”

“It’s for precisely that reason that we can’t spare him. The enemy wants to fill us with despair and make us tractable with a show of overwhelming force. However, do you think they would spare a Lizardman who could inspire hope like him? I don’t think so.. right?”

“Also… Crusch is the least popular of the chiefs due to her albinism.”

Crusch was speechless. It was an unarguable fact that others thought poorly of her because of her condition.

Crusch knew she could not persuade the others, and instead turned to Zaryusu.

"Aku juga ingin pergi. When you called me here, I had already prepared myself. Why are you still saying something like this?”

“…At that time, I thought we might all die, but now there’s a chance that one of us might live.”

“Are you kidding me!?”

The air trembled, as if in response to Crusch’s anger. The sound of slapping resounded from the dirt wall, as Crusch’s tail thrashed wildly in the grip of her emotions.

“—Zaryusu, go convince her. See you in four hours.”

Shasuryu strode off after leaving those words behind. Then, there was the sound of ice cracking and water splashing. The other three chiefs leapt off the dirt wall, following behind Shasuryu. Zenberu waved to the two who remained as he left.

After watching them leave, Zaryusu turned to Crusch.

“Crusch, please understand.”

“What’s there to understand!? Besides, you might not lose! If I contributed with my priestly powers, we might win!”

How hollow those words sounded. Even Crusch, who had spoken them, could not bring herself to believe what she had just said.

“I don’t want the female I love to die. Please grant the last wish of this foolish male.”

Crusch embraced Zaryusu, a pained expression on her face.

“You’re too selfish!”

"Maafkan saya…"

“You’re probably going to die…”

“Mm…”

Indeed, his chances of survival were very slim. No, he could conclude that they were nonexistent.

“In just a week you won my heart, and now you want me to watch you die?”

“Mm…”

“Meeting you was my fortune, and also my misfortune.”

Crusch poured her strength into the arms embracing Zaryusu, as though she never wanted to let go.

Zaryusu could not speak.

What should he say?

What could he say?

His mind revolved around the same question.

After some time, Crusch raised her head, her face filled with determination.

A wave of unease washed over Zaryusu. He had the feeling that Crusch would insist on following him. Then, Crusch issued a simple and forceful ultimatum to Zaryusu.

“—Get me pregnant.”

“—What?”

“Hurry!”