Chapter 80

Bab 1: Mempersiapkan Tanah yang Tidak Diketahui

1

Setelah kembali dari Kekaisaran, Ainz duduk di mejanya di E-Rantel dan bersandar di sandaran kursinya.

Sementara dia sudah mulai merekrut untuk Adventurer's Guild of the Sorcerous Kingdom yang baru didirikan, itu akan memakan waktu cukup lama sebelum hasilnya dapat dilihat. Sampai saat itu, dia harus mempersiapkan dirinya dengan baik.

Prioritas utamanya adalah mendirikan sekolah untuk melatih para petualang, tetapi jika keadaan memungkinkan, dia bisa menggunakan Adventurer's Guild itu sendiri. Mungkin akan menjadi pertanda keramahtamahan untuk menyiapkan sebuah asrama bagi para sukarelawan yang telah menempuh perjalanan jauh untuk mencarinya. Instruktur mereka adalah para petualang yang telah memilih untuk tetap berada di dalam Kerajaan Sorcerous.

Saya mungkin harus bertanya kepada Albedo dan yang lainnya tentang cara mengelola wilayah … tetapi sebelum itu … mengapa ia mengemukakan masalah pengasingan … akan merepotkan Albedo dan Demiurge, kan? …?

Ainz tidak tahu apa yang dipikirkan Jircniv. Dia juga tidak tahu bagaimana menjelaskan situasinya kepada dua orang yang bijaksana. Mengapa Jircniv membuat proposal seperti itu? Sejauh yang dia tahu, Demiurge mungkin bekerja di belakang layar di sini.

Aku seharusnya mendiskusikan semua ini dengan Demiurge sebelumnya. Ah, tapi dia pergi ke tempat yang jauh, dan sekarang yang bisa kulakukan hanyalah memikirkan bagaimana cara merawatnya antara Albedo dan aku sendiri … seperti yang kupikirkan, itu mustahil, ya …

Haaa, dia menghela nafas internal. Kegelisahan dan kebingungannya membuat perutnya yang tidak ada terasa sakit. Dan kemudian, ketika dia memikirkan tentang apa yang akan terjadi ketika mereka kembali, rasa sakit itu meningkat.

Ainz menggelengkan kepalanya, dan kemudian menganggap informasi yang telah dia pelajari di Kekaisaran sebagai cara untuk menghindari memikirkan apa yang tampak di depannya.

"… Berlari, ya."

Potongan-potongan pengetahuan dari YGGDRASIL tersebar di seluruh dunia baru yang misterius ini, seperti bintang yang berkilauan di malam hari. Dia telah menemukan jejak pemain lain, keberadaan Item Kelas Dunia, dan sebagainya.

Dia sekarang dapat menambahkan keberadaan rune – bentuk tulisan dari dunia Suzuki Satoru – ke daftar itu.

Alasan mengapa orang-orang Teokrasi dapat memanggil malaikat dari agama-agama dunia Suzuki Satoru mungkin karena sihir yang berasal dari YGGDRASIL.

Lalu, bagaimana dengan rune ini? Bagaimana mereka bisa ada di dunia ini? Apakah rune di dunia ini sama dengan rune di dunia Suzuki Satoru? Atau apakah mereka hanya bentuk tulisan magis yang mirip dengan mereka, dan dengan demikian istilah tersebut secara otomatis diterjemahkan sebagai "rune"?

… Kerajaan Dwarven terletak di Pegunungan Azellisia di dekatnya. Saya harus menyelidikinya secara menyeluruh. Seperti yang saya pikirkan … saya tidak bisa menghindari pergi ke sana, bukan?

Secara alami, Ainz bertanya kepada Fluder tentang tanda sebelum kembali ke E-Rantel.

Namun, yang dia tahu adalah bahwa Raja yang berasal dari bangsa Kurcaci Azellisian pernah mengunjungi Kekaisaran, bahwa dia adalah seorang runesmith, dan bahwa Kekaisaran membeli senjata dan baju besi dari Kerajaan Kurcaci. Namun, sekitar seratus tahun yang lalu, semua jejak benda sihir berukir hilang.

Walaupun ini adalah informasi yang sangat berharga bagi Ainz, bukan itu yang benar-benar ingin dia ketahui.

Tidak ada kelas pekerjaan runesmith di YGGDRASIL. Jika itu adalah profesi yang unik untuk dunia ini, maka ada kemungkinan bahwa teknologi kedua dunia dapat digabungkan menjadi satu. Karenanya, saya perlu menyelidiki masalah ini secara lebih rinci. Namun, siapa yang harus saya kirim ke sana?

Yang dia inginkan adalah mengunjungi Kerajaan Dwarven dan bertanya tentang tanda dan sejenisnya. Adapun profesi runesmith – yah, itu masalah teknis dan rahasia negara yang potensial. Dalam skenario terburuk, dia bisa membuat mereka berbicara dengan menggunakan mantra mantra dan sejenisnya jika mereka sangat bungkam tentang hal itu.

Jika itu hanya masalah menggunakan sihir mantra atau dominasi, atau menculik orang-orang dengan sihir teleportasi, maka hampir semua orang akan melakukannya. Tetapi bagaimana jika ada pemain di belakang rune ini? Yang dia tahu, orang yang mencuci otak Shalltear bersembunyi di sana.

Saya ingin belajar lebih banyak sebelum masuk, tetapi tidak mudah untuk mencari tahu tentang sesuatu yang bahkan Fluder tidak tahu.

Ainz perlahan bangkit dari tempat duduknya.

Dalam sekejap, wanita di sampingnya beraksi. Dia memiliki ekspresi energik di wajahnya yang cocok dengan potongan rambut kekanakannya. Dia adalah Decrement, maid tugas Ainz untuk hari itu.

Ainz mengulurkan tangan untuk menghentikan Decrement, dan kemudian mulai mondar-mandir perlahan di kantornya.

Ketika Ainz secara logis mempertimbangkan potensi untung dan rugi dari usaha ini, ingatan lama muncul tanpa terpikir dalam celah di antara angka-angka. Dia mengingat bahaya yang dia temui di daerah yang belum dijelajahi, kegembiraan menemukan hal-hal baru, kesedihan karena gagal dalam pencarian, dan ekspresi serta kata-kata dari kawan-kawan yang dengannya dia berbagi pengalaman ini. Itu hanya kenangan, tetapi bahkan ingatannya tentang tisu pesta diubah menjadi cahaya cemerlang yang menyalakan tengkorak kosong Ainz.

Setelah perlahan-lahan menyingkirkan kenangan menyakitkan ini ke dalam hatinya, pikiran Ainz akhirnya terbentuk.

… Saya kira saya harus masuk, meskipun saya tahu mungkin ada bahaya.

Serikat bernama Ainz Ooal Gown adalah organisasi yang didirikan berdasarkan prinsip-prinsip itu.

Tentu saja, beberapa orang mungkin mencemooh gagasan membandingkan permainan – yang tidak membahayakan pemain mereka – dengan kenyataan. Namun, keraguan bisa membuat seseorang kehilangan kesempatan untuk mendapatkan pengetahuan baru, dan mengakibatkan orang kehilangan inisiatif. Siapa yang bisa mengatakan itu tidak mungkin?

Setelah ia memutuskan untuk menyelidiki tanda-tanda Kerajaan Dwarven, sebuah pertanyaan muncul di benak Ainz.

Itu akan menjadi pilihan personel.

Siapa yang akan menjadi kandidat terbaik untuk dikirim ke sana?

Haruskah saya menanyakan pendapat Demiurge dan Albedo? Tidak, jika saya melakukan itu, saya tidak akan bisa mengirimkan petarung yang paling mampu.

Orang itu adalah Ainz sendiri.

Ainz dapat mengatakan tanpa kebanggaan palsu bahwa tidak ada seorang pun di Makam Besar Bawah Tanah Nazarick yang lebih baik dalam beradaptasi dengan fenomena dan sihir yang tidak diketahui. Sederhananya, tindakan yang paling efisien adalah Ainz melanjutkan sendiri. Namun, jika benar-benar ada pemain musuh di sana, itu juga akan menjadi langkah paling bodoh yang bisa ia lakukan.

… Jika hanya ada beberapa dari kita, setidaknya aku bisa membawa mereka ketika aku melarikan diri. Itu berarti saya harus memilih orang yang bisa memberi saya waktu sementara saya bersiap untuk melarikan diri.

Orang pertama yang muncul dalam benaknya adalah Floor Guardians.

Sebagai NPC level 100, mereka akan dapat membeli waktu bagi Ainz untuk melarikan diri, bahkan melawan pemain lain. Konon, bisakah dia benar-benar menggunakan NPC, anak-anak tercinta dari teman-teman sebelumnya, sedemikian rupa?

Bagaimana jika saya menggunakan pengikut tingkat tinggi yang dipimpin oleh seorang letnan mayat hidup? Tidak, fleksibilitasnya terlalu rendah, dibandingkan dengan NPC yang dibangun dari awal.

Vassal memiliki kelebihan karena lebih mudah sekali pakai, dibandingkan dengan NPC. Tetapi pada saat yang sama, kemampuan mereka kurang luas dan dengan demikian kurangnya kemampuan beradaptasi mereka adalah kelemahan.

Ketika dia mengesampingkan sisi emosional masalah ini dari pertimbangannya, NPC adalah pilihan ideal. Ainz sang pemain tidak melakukan percobaan untuk efek itu, dan dengan demikian dia tidak bisa memastikan apakah dia bisa dibangkitkan. Namun, tidak ada keraguan bahwa NPC dapat dibangkitkan, seperti yang telah dilakukannya dengan Shalltear.

Ainz duduk di kursinya sekali lagi.

"Hmm …"

Ainz menajamkan jari-jarinya di depan wajahnya, dan merenungkan pilihan terbaik yang harus diambil.

Tetapi pada akhirnya, dia masih belum bisa mencapai kesimpulan.

Mungkinkah para idiot tidak dapat menemukan jawabannya tidak peduli seberapa banyak mereka berpikir?

Dengan senyum mencela diri sendiri, Ainz memandang ke arah Decrement.

"Apakah kamu bersedia mati untukku?"

"Tentu saja, Ainz-sama. Anda harus memberi perintah dan saya akan menyerahkan hidup saya untuk Anda, "Decrement menanggapi, tanpa ragu sedikit pun.

“Apakah yang lain berpikir dengan cara yang sama? Apakah mereka akan mengira aku adalah tuan yang kejam? ”

“Aku percaya semua orang akan dengan senang hati menerima kematian tanpa berpikir dua kali. Tidak ada yang akan berpikir untuk menolak. Kami dibuat oleh Makhluk Tertinggi, dan dengan demikian kami hanya ada untuk Makhluk Tertinggi. Tidak ada sukacita yang lebih besar bagi kita daripada melakukan perintah apa pun yang mereka berikan kepada kita. ”

"Sungguh sekarang … Juga, aku hanya bertanya karena penasaran. Tidak ada arti yang lebih dalam pada pertanyaan saya. Lupakan itu. ”

Saat Decrement membungkuk, Ainz mengambil keputusan.

—Dia akan menggunakan NPC.

Ainz mengeluarkan peta area sekitarnya.

Peta ini disusun dari temuan eksplorasi Aura. Secara khusus, Ainz yakin bahwa tidak ada peta lain yang mencakup bagian dalam Hutan Hebat Tob lebih detail. Sedihnya, dia tidak bisa memastikan keakuratan skalanya, jadi dia tidak bisa menyimpulkan bahwa itu adalah peta yang sempurna. Namun, dengan ini di tangannya, kecil kemungkinannya dia akan tersesat.

Ainz menaruh jari pada E-Rantel, dan kemudian perlahan-lahan menelusuri garis utara, melewati Hutan Hebat. Tidak ada masalah hingga saat ini. Sebagian besar Hutan sekarang berada di bawah kendali Nazarick. Setelah melenyapkan monster dan binatang buas dengan kecerdasan rendah, mereka mengendalikan beberapa pemukiman demihuman dan heteromorf dan itulah akhirnya. Ada gua besar di bawah tanah, tapi dia tidak berniat mengacaukannya untuk saat ini. Tentu saja, dia bisa mengendalikannya jika hal itu menguntungkan baginya.

Jarinya mencapai danau berbentuk labu di ujung utara hutan.

Lebih jauh di utara ada Pegunungan Azellisia. Itu adalah wilayah yang belum dipetakan.

"Wilayah yang tidak dikenal, ya …"

Hmph, Ainz tersenyum.

Dia baru saja mengesankan pada para petualang tentang pentingnya menjelajahi yang tidak diketahui. Mempraktikkan apa yang dia khotbahkan akan membuat publikasi yang bagus.

"Ayo cari Kerajaan Kurcaci dari Pegunungan Azellisian."

Kedengarannya seperti slogan yang akan didengar di acara televisi.

Dia melambaikan senyum yang datang secara alami, dan memulai perenungannya dengan sungguh-sungguh.

Dia mempertimbangkan keuntungan yang akan datang dari secara pribadi pergi ke tempat di mana mungkin ada pemain lain.

Jelas, memiliki Raja Sorcerer muncul secara langsung adalah tanda yang jelas dari ketulusannya.

Itu seperti bos perusahaan yang secara pribadi pergi ke perusahaan lain untuk melakukan negosiasi. Efek dari hal itu langsung terbukti, dalam pengalaman Suzuki Satoru.

Selain itu, sudut pandangnya tidak seperti bawahannya, yang cenderung memandang orang-orang di luar Nazarick sebagai bentuk kehidupan yang lebih rendah. Ainz memenuhi syarat sebagai moderat di antara anggota Nazarick. Akibatnya, dia merasa bahwa dia bukan pilihan yang buruk untuk bernegosiasi dengan Kerajaan Dwarven – atau pilihan yang tidak berani, jika dia jujur ​​pada dirinya sendiri.

Selain itu, ia selalu bisa mengirim Pandora's Actor ke sana.

Dia adalah pilihan ideal, baik itu dalam hal kecerdasan, kemampuan beradaptasi atau bidang lainnya.

Namun-

Siapa yang akan mengelola negara ini sementara itu?

Orang lain harus menjawab pertanyaan itu.

Orang itu secara alami Ainz Ooal Gown.

Saya tidak bisa melakukannya.

Ainz menjerit internal, berulang-ulang.

Jika dia harus memilih di antara keduanya, dia lebih suka pergi ke Kerajaan Kurcaci.

Lebih penting lagi, yang perlu dia lakukan adalah mengunjungi sekali dan dia akan bisa berteleportasi di sana di masa depan. Jika ada masalah, yang harus dia lakukan adalah memainkan kartu truf-nya "Saya akan mempertimbangkan ini secara lebih rinci di rumah". Bahkan jika pihak lain membalas dengan "Kami harap Anda akan memutuskan di tempat", dia bisa saja melemparkan alasan lain bersama-sama dengan cepat.

Ainz tahu banyak teknik untuk melarikan diri dari situasi seperti itu.

Saya memiliki Ainzach terakhir kali, tetapi sekarang saya akan memainkan peran sebagai salesman dari pintu ke pintu untuk barang-barang saya. Ini tidak seperti saya perlu meraih penjualan juga, jadi itu harus mudah.

Ainz tersenyum ketika dia mengambil ekspresi Suzuki Satoru si penjual. Kemudian, konteks senyumnya berubah.

Ditambah … seiring berjalannya waktu, aku mungkin bisa menyerahkan vassalization of the Empire ke Demiurge dan Albedo, dan membiarkan mereka menyusun rencana untuk itu. Iya! Itu tidak bisa membantu. Bukannya saya ingin lari dari pekerjaan saya atau apa pun!

Saat dia dengan kuat membuat alasan untuk perilakunya, Ainz mulai memikirkan masalah berikutnya:

Siapa yang akan dia bawa?

Ainz melipat tangannya dengan ekspresi bingung di wajahnya.

Sementara dia ingin tidak lebih dari memiliki Albedo atau Demiurge di sekitar, mereka memiliki hal-hal yang lebih penting untuk dilakukan dan mereka juga pemimpin proyek. Jika dia membawa salah satu dari mereka, maka masalah akan muncul dalam urusan mereka.

Aura dan Mare adalah pilihan yang sangat baik, terutama karena mereka adalah makhluk manusia seperti Kurcaci. Dengan demikian, rekan-rekan mereka tidak akan terlalu mewaspadai mereka.

Cocytus akan sulit. Memang, dia adalah pilihan yang baik untuk mengunjungi daerah yang dingin dan bergunung-gunung, tetapi dia sekarang bertanggung jawab atas Hutan Hebat Tob, yang juga membuatnya menjadi semacam pemimpin proyek. Ainz berharap dia bisa memfokuskan energinya pada tugas itu. Selain itu, penampilannya yang tidak biasa – dikombinasikan dengan Ainz – mungkin akan membuat pihak lain tidak perlu gugup.

Sebas juga merupakan pilihan yang baik.

Dia saat ini memberikan dukungan administratif di E-Rantel, dengan Tsuareninya sebagai asistennya. Seharusnya tidak masalah untuk membawanya keluar bersama Pandora's Actor, tetapi Ainz memiliki beberapa keraguan tentang kemampuan bertarungnya.

Gargantua dan Korban tentu saja keluar dari pertanyaan. Gambar-gambar beberapa NPC lain menjulang di benak Ainz, tetapi kebanyakan dari mereka tidak cocok untuk mengikuti Ainz sebagai pengawal.

Jika itu masalahnya, maka harus – Aura dan Shalltear.

Aura – dan monster yang dia perintahkan – bisa dianggap sebagai pilihan ideal untuk peran tank. Dalam skenario terburuk, dia bisa mengorbankan binatang buasnya dan melarikan diri dengan Aura. Dan kemudian ada Shalltear, petarung satu lawan satu terbaik. Dia bisa berfungsi sebagai kartu truf melawan musuh yang kuat. Selain itu, ada alasan lain mengapa dia ingin menggunakan Shalltear.

Dia seharusnya membawa Mare sebagai gantinya, mengingat dia mungkin menghadapi pasukan. Namun, jika mereka bertemu pemain, prioritas mereka adalah mundur dan tidak membasmi musuh. Jadi, dia akan meninggalkan Mare di belakang kali ini.

"Jika itu masalahnya …"

Tepat ketika Ainz hendak bergerak, suara (Pesan) terdengar di dalam kepalanya.

『Ainz-sama.』

"Oh, itu Entoma."

"Iya. Saya saat ini bepergian dengan Shalltear-sama dan kami telah mencapai desa Lizardmen. Cocytus-sama ingin mengirim Lizardman dengan laporan tentang status desa dan meminta izin Anda untuk membuka (Gerbang). Apa yang harus dilakukan, Ainz-sama? 』

Cocytus sesekali akan mengirimkan laporan tentang desa yang ditugaskan kepadanya.

Ainz tidak benar-benar tahu seberapa baik yang dilakukan Cocytus, jadi biasanya dia akan memberikan laporan ini dengan cepat sekali dan menjawab dengan "Kerja bagus." Ada saat-saat dia ingin mengatakan, "Kamu tidak harus melakukan ini lagi ”, tetapi melaporkan kepada atasan seseorang adalah sikap yang pantas untuk dimiliki, dan pada gilirannya, ia harus memenuhi tanggung jawabnya sebagai atasan Cocytus.

"Lalu buka (Gerbang) di tempat biasa … ah, tidak, mantra pertahanan masih harus aktif. Tunggu satu jam sebelum … "

Ainz mengeluarkan lembar jadwal dan memastikan waktu.

"Keluarkan mantranya pada pukul 13:46. Saya akan menurunkan pertahanan selama sekitar dua menit pada saat itu. "

Meskipun bangunan ini bukan Nazarick, bangunan itu masih diselimuti bidang magis yang menghambat teleportasi dan sejenisnya, yang ditenagai oleh anggota parlemen dari vassal tingkat tinggi. Ladang-ladang ini cukup kuat untuk menghalangi mantra tingkat tinggi, tetapi mereka menghabiskan vassal ke titik di mana dia harus memutarnya beberapa kali sehari. Selain itu, mereka juga menghambat teleportasi yang bersahabat.

Ini karena efek api bersahabat, yang tidak ada di YGGDRASIL.

Karena itu, ada saatnya dia perlu menonaktifkan jaringan pertahanan untuk mengizinkan teleportasi langsung ke tempat ini. Tentu saja, menurunkan pertahanan berarti bahwa musuh dapat berteleportasi juga. Agar mereka tidak terkena "ledakan" – sebagaimana mereka menyebutnya dalam YGGDRASIL – Ainz memutuskan untuk membatasi celah singkat ini ke periode yang telah ditentukan.

『Dipahami. Saya akan menyampaikan pesan Anda ke Shalltear-sama. 』

Ainz menjawab, "Bagus" sebelum memotong (Pesan) dan bangkit berdiri.

"… Aku akan menyerahkan pilihan pakaianku padamu. Lizardman akan datang sebagai utusan Cocytus. Pilih sesuatu yang tidak akan membuatku malu. "

"Ya pak!"

Api berkobar di mata Decrement.

Dia juga? Ainz berpikir, tapi dia tidak menyuarakan kata-kata itu. Seorang pria tanpa rasa percaya diri dalam gaya bicaranya tidak bisa mengatakan hal-hal seperti itu.

Dengan Decrement di belakangnya, Ainz berjalan sambil memberi perintah pada mayat hidup yang telah ia ciptakan dengan cepat. Perintah itu untuk memberi tahu mayat hidup yang menjaga aula besar manor ini tentang kedatangan Lizardman via (Gerbang).

Ketika dia menyaksikannya menghilang di kejauhan, Ainz merenungkan penggunaan efektif mayat hidup yang telah dia ciptakan.

Jika mayat hidup Ainz dapat melapor kepadanya, maka ia dapat menempatkan mereka di seluruh dunia dan membuat jaringan intelijen mayat hidup. Sayangnya, itu akan sangat sulit untuk dicapai. Bahkan jika Ainz memberi perintah, mayat hidup hanya bisa memberikan respons yang samar. Selain itu, sangat sulit bagi Ainz untuk mengelola peningkatan besar dalam jumlah mayat hidup yang telah ia ciptakan. Selalu ada risiko bahwa ia mungkin tergelincir dan memberi perintah kepada antek mayat hidup yang sama sekali tidak terkait karena kecelakaan.

Di masa depan, dia mungkin dapat mengatur semacam sistem untuk mengatasi masalah ini, tapi itu tidak mungkin mengingat keadaan saat ini.

Mungkin saya bisa membiarkan Pandora's Actor menangani hal semacam itu di tempat saya. Tapi kemudian aku harus berurusan dengan masalah semua mayat hidup yang dia buat membeku ketika dia tidak dalam wujudku.

Dia harus mempertimbangkan masalah ini dengan sungguh-sungguh setelah mencari pendapat Albedo dan Demiurge. Sambil memikirkan masalah ini, Ainz mencapai ruang ganti.

Seperti biasa, dua garis pelayan menyambutnya dengan mata lebih cerah. Secara khusus, mata Decrement – sebagai pembantu tugas Ainz – praktis merah.

Ainz mengizinkan pelayan untuk membantunya berubah sambil bertanya tentang lokasi Aura.

Hari ini, dia akan mengenakan sesuatu yang berwarna putih murni.

Tampaknya terlalu mencolok untuk seseorang seperti Ainz, yang terbiasa mengenakan cokelat gelap.

Selain itu, para pelayan menghiasi dia dengan kalung raksasa yang terbuat dari emas dan logam lainnya. Itu membuatnya khawatir bahwa burung gagak akan mencoba mencurinya karena kemilau nya.

Tetapi bagian dari pakaian yang paling tidak masuk akal adalah bulu-bulu yang menonjol dari punggungnya.

Apakah saya seekor merak atau sesuatu? Ainz ingin mengatakan, tetapi ketika dia melihat sekeliling, dia melihat ekspresi kebanggaan dan kepuasan yang sama di semua wajah pelayan. Tak satu pun dari mereka yang tampak khawatir, atau memiliki ekspresi yang dapat dianggap negatif. Mereka semua memiliki wajah yang sama dengan kekaguman yang gelisah di wajah mereka, pipi mereka berwarna merah muda.

Mereka seperti sekelompok fangirl yang berdiri di hadapan seorang idola tercinta.

Apakah ini benar? Apakah ini benar-benar menarik bagi wanita? … Sepertinya aku tidak punya selera mode, toh.

Saat Ainz menorehkan melankolis di dalam jiwanya, para pelayan selesai mendandani dia.

Dari cermin, dia menyadari ada bulu yang tumbuh dari bawah lengannya, yang membuat Ainz memikirkan monster dari YGGDRASIL.

Apakah itu Archaeopteryx atau sesuatu … Saya pikir mereka adalah dinosaurus peliharaan untuk druid.

Mereka mengacak-acak ketika dia melipat tangannya di depan dirinya, yang sangat mengganggu.

Tapi apa yang akan mereka katakan jika dia memberi tahu mereka, "pakaian ini tidak akan melakukan"? Mereka akan menjawab dengan sesuatu di sepanjang baris “Bagaimana ini tidak cocok? Tolong beri tahu kami pakaian apa yang harus kami pilih di masa depan. ”

"Baik!"

Pada akhirnya, Ainz memutuskan untuk mengesampingkan hal-hal yang mengganggu ini.

"Ayo pergi!"

***

Ketika waktu yang ditentukan tiba, Ainz merasakan portal ajaib – (Gerbang) – terbuka di aula besar.

Sementara dia sudah mengusir bidang sihir yang mengelilingi bangunan ini, orang yang melewati (Gerbang) tidak segera muncul, berkat mantra (Delay Teleportasi) yang telah dia berikan. Ini adalah mantra yang sama yang dia gunakan selama pertempuran dengan Shalltear.

(Tunda Teleportasi) secara singkat menghalangi efek teleportasi yang memiliki tujuan mereka di dekat kastor, membelinya beberapa detik, yang biasanya digunakan kastor untuk melarikan diri atau menyiapkan serangan. Selain itu, mantra itu juga memberi tahu kastor berapa banyak makhluk yang akan berteleportasi ke sekitarnya.

Dengan demikian, Ainz tahu bahwa hanya satu orang yang berteleportasi di sini.

Entoma mungkin tidak datang ke sini bersama Shalltear, tapi dia mungkin akan segera tiba.

(Tunda Teleportasi) hanya menunda teleportasi. Itu tidak bisa membatalkan sepenuhnya. Jadi, beberapa waktu kemudian, setengah bola hitam muncul di area mantra (Tunda Teleportasi).

Tak lama setelah itu, seorang Lizardman dengan ketakutan menjulurkan kepalanya keluar dari dalam.

Saat dia – seharusnya dia, kan? – Melihat sekeliling, garis pandangnya bertemu dengan Ainz, yang duduk di atas takhta sederhana di tengah aula besar.

"Kamu, Yang Mulia, Ainz Ooal Gown. Maafkan kekasaran pelayan Anda sebelum Anda. "

Ainz tidak bisa sepenuhnya menyembunyikan kekhawatirannya pada pidato Lizardman yang lancar. Sementara Zaryusu adalah luka di atas sisa sukunya, diksi Lizardman ini terdengar halus dan alami.

Apakah ini hasil dari pelatihan Cocytus?

Pertanyaan itu meresap dalam benaknya, tetapi ada sesuatu yang harus dilakukan sebelum itu.

Mantra Ainz (Delay Teleportation) telah memberitahunya bahwa hanya satu orang yang akan datang. Setelah dia yakin bahwa tidak ada orang lain yang datang, dia memerintahkan Death Knight berdiri di sela-sela untuk mengaktifkan kembali item sihirnya. The Death Knight mengangguk sebagai pengakuan dan melangkah maju, dan kemudian Ainz mengalihkan pandangannya ke Lizardman yang sedang berlutut.

Pada saat yang sama, Decrement – yang berdiri di sisi Ainz – menimpali dengan waktu ahli.

"Lizardman, kamu diberikan audiensi."

Ini benar-benar berbeda dari bagaimana dia ketika memilih pakaian untuk Ainz.

Dia memancarkan udara dari putri es.

Dalam keadaan normal, kebanyakan orang akan kesal pada pelayan di istana (atau lokasi serupa) membawa nada ini dengan mereka. Pemohon mungkin akan menyeringai ketika dia mencatat bahwa penguasa yang melakukan itu hanya ditemani oleh seorang pelayan. Bergantian, ia mungkin mengasihani Kerajaan Sorcerous karena memiliki tenaga kerja yang begitu sedikit sehingga seorang pelayan harus melakukan tugas seperti itu.

Namun, Lizardmen ini dilatih oleh Cocytus, dan mereka sepenuhnya memahami bahwa salah satu NPC jauh lebih unggul dari mereka. Karena itu, mereka tidak mempertanyakan sikap Decrement.

Ah, sakit sekali. Mengapa Anda tidak bisa membuang omong kosong ini dan berbicara dengan jelas? Yah, itulah yang saya pikirkan, tetapi seperti kata pepatah, ketika di Roma, lakukan seperti yang dilakukan orang Romawi.

Ainz Ooal Gown sempat terganggu oleh sisa-sisa roh milik Suzuki Satoru sang pegawai, tetapi itu tidak bisa membantu.

Lizardman bangkit, tidak menyadari gejolak batin Ainz. Sebenarnya, Ainz tidak bisa membedakan antara satu Lizardman dan yang lain. Jika sisik mereka memiliki warna yang berbeda, atau jika mereka memiliki ciri khas yang jelas – merek atau lengan yang tidak normal, misalnya – itu mungkin saja terjadi, tetapi dia tidak bisa mengatakan bagaimana Lizardman sebelum dia berbeda dari yang lain.

Bagaimanapun, Ainz memerintahkan Decrement sang Lizardman untuk mengidentifikasi dirinya.

"Ainz-sama dengan ramah mengizinkanmu untuk menyebutkan namamu."

“Dipahami! Saya berterima kasih atas kebaikan Anda! Hambamu adalah Kyuku Zuzu, mantan kepala suku suku Razor Tail! ”

Ainz belum pernah mendengar nama itu sebelumnya.

Haruskah dia secara terbuka menunjukkan ketidaktahuannya, atau berpura-pura tahu? Ainz tidak memilih keduanya, tetapi memilih opsi ketiga – dengan kata lain, dia mengangguk untuk melanjutkan alur pembicaraan. Bagaimanapun, Cocytus mungkin telah menyebutkan ini selama laporan sebelumnya.

Setelah itu, Ainz memerintahkan Decrement agar Lizardman memberitahunya mengapa dia datang ke sini.

Sungguh menyakitkan!

Pada dasarnya inilah yang terjadi setiap kali dia bertemu dengan seorang bawahan — para pelayannya.

Jika saya tidak khawatir tentang orang-orang yang memandang rendah Kerajaan Sorcerous, saya akan menyarankan untuk menyingkirkan bisnis yang menyusahkan ini …

Saat Ainz menghela nafas di dalam, Decrement memberi Lizardman perintah.

"Dalam rahmatnya, Ainz-sama memungkinkan Anda untuk menyatakan alasan mencari audiensi dengannya."

“Dipahami! Cocytus-sama, penguasa desa kami dan penguasa danau, ingin mempersembahkan sesuatu kepada Yang Mulia Sang Penyihir Raja Ainz Ooal Gown, Penguasa Tertinggi dan penguasa Makam Bawah Tanah Besar Nazarick, serta bujukan Cocytus- sama. "

Ainz terkejut dengan berapa banyak judul yang berhasil dirangkai Lizardman, tetapi dia tidak menunjukkannya di wajahnya. Sebagai gantinya, dia memiringkan kepalanya ke arah Decrement, yang melangkah maju dan menerima gulungan dari Lizardman. Kemudian, Ainz harus menunggu Decrement kembali dan memberikannya sebelum dia akhirnya bisa membacanya.

Itu tercakup dalam naskah Cocytus. Ada begitu banyak angka yang terekam di dalam sehingga butuh waktu cukup lama untuk membacanya di sini.

Karena itu, Ainz menggulung gulungan itu kembali dan memberikannya kepada Death Knight yang berdiri di dekatnya. Baru saat itulah dia akhirnya bisa berbicara dengan Lizardman secara langsung.

"Sudah selesai dilakukan dengan baik."

"Terima kasih!"

Sementara itu yang bisa Ainz katakan, dia tidak berniat untuk mengakhiri pembicaraan di sana.

Ainz bangkit dari singgasananya, dan berbicara kepada Lizardman.

"Nah, sekarang, aku akan bertanya padamu, bukan dalam kapasitasku sebagai Sorcerer King, tetapi sebagai master dari Cocytus. Lagipula, mereka mengatakan berbicara dengan pengikut seseorang secara langsung akan memperdalam saling pengertian mereka. "

Lizardman tampak agak bingung. Ini karena dia tidak tahu bagaimana menangani pertanyaan langsung. Setidaknya, itulah yang dia pikir sedang terjadi, meskipun kesulitan membaca wajah Lizardman.

“Tenanglah. Ini bukan wawancara formal. Setelah Anda meninggalkan tempat ini, tidak ada jejak peristiwa di sini yang akan melekat dalam pikiran atau ingatan siapa pun. Saya juga tidak akan mengecam Anda karena tidak menghargai perilaku Anda. ”

Kata-kata ini ditujukan kepada Decrement dan Death Knight di sekitarnya, sebanyak kata-kata itu ditujukan pada Lizardman di depannya.

“Nah, bagaimana kabar Zaryusu? Saya mengerti dia tetap berada di dalam Makam Bawah Tanah Besar Nazarick pada akhir-akhir ini? ”

"Memang! Dengan rahmat Yang Mulia, dia dalam kondisi baik. Dia adalah ayah dari anak yang sehat, dan hubungannya dengan istrinya juga sangat baik. ”

"Oh, begitu! Saya mengizinkannya untuk kembali karena anaknya akan lahir, dan sekarang sudah. Begitu, begitu. Yah, bagus bahwa pasangan yang bahagia itu rukun. ”

Ada orang-orang yang sudah menikah di dalam guild Ainz Ooal Gown. Ainz tidak bisa tidak mengingatnya. "Istri saya merasa agak kesal" menjadi kata ajaib yang memungkinkan siapa pun untuk memutuskan sambungan di tengah permainan, dan tidak ada yang bisa menemukan kesalahan pada mereka untuk itu.

Tersenyum dari ingatan masa lalu – meskipun ekspresinya tidak berubah – Ainz terus bertanya.

"Apakah anak itu putih juga?"

Istri Zaryusu adalah Lizardman putih. Karena dia adalah jenis Lizardman yang sangat langka, dia membangkitkan semangat kolektor di dalam Ainz, dan meninggalkan kesan mendalam padanya.

"Ya yang Mulia. Ini seperti Yang Mulia duga. Sementara anak itu pasti akan menjadi individu yang unggul terlepas dari siapa keturunannya, kelihatannya ia cenderung mengarah pada nenek moyang ibunya, karena sisiknya putih salju. "

"Oh, jadi hanya ada—"

Ainz menutup mulutnya sebelum dia bisa mengatakan "satu penetasan". Merujuk mereka sebagai orang mungkin akan lebih bijaksana. Meskipun tidak ada dari mereka yang benar-benar mengungkapkan ketidaksenangan atas pilihan kata-katanya, itu tidak berarti Ainz dengan santai bisa membuat kesalahan. Jika kata-katanya yang dipilih dengan buruk menyebabkan masalah dalam aturan Cocytus, Ainz tidak akan tahu harus mulai dari mana meminta maaf.

“—Hanya satu anak saja?”

"Ya yang Mulia. Hanya satu."

"Oh begitu. Hanya satu anak, kalau begitu. "

Tampaknya mereka berbeda dari reptil, yang memiliki cengkeraman besar. Namun, selama pasangan memiliki hubungan yang baik, mereka mungkin memiliki lebih banyak anak di masa depan.

Ainz merasakan darah kolektor bergerak di dalam dirinya. Dia agak ingin tahu apakah dia bisa memiliki salah satu dari mereka untuk bermain, tetapi dengan paksa memisahkan anak dari orang tuanya adalah hal yang buruk untuk dilakukan.

Namun, dia telah mendengar bahwa Lizardmen memiliki tradisi merek sendiri sebelum melakukan perjalanan panjang. Jika anak Zaryusu memilih jalan itu, maka dia mungkin bisa melatih mereka sebagai seorang petualang.

Persekutuan Adventurer Ainz adalah organisasi yang terdiri dari banyak spesies. Jika dia bisa mendapatkan Lizardman yang jarang terlihat di sana, itu mungkin berakhir dengan publisitas, seperti idola yang mendaftar di sekolah.

“Bagaimana keadaan ibu dan anaknya? Apakah mereka diberi makan dengan baik? "

"Ya yang Mulia. Terima kasih banyak atas perhatiannya. Ibu dan anak dalam kesehatan yang baik, dan anak itu kelihatannya akan tumbuh menjadi sangat hidup. ”

“Sungguh sekarang, begitu ya. Ini tentu saja menyebabkan perayaan. Kemudian, untuk memperingati kelahiran seorang anak dengan masa depan yang gemilang di depannya, izinkan saya untuk memberikan hadiah. Namun, saya tidak sepenuhnya mengetahui seluk-beluk hadiah kelahiran dalam budaya Lizardman. Bagikan pendapat Anda dengan saya, lalu; apa hadiah yang bagus? ”

Akan sangat membosankan untuk memberikan ikan atau sesuatu sebagai pengganti kue ulang tahun. Dia lebih suka memberi mereka sesuatu yang lebih nyata dan permanen.

"Saya mengerti. Sementara suku saya tidak memiliki praktik memberikan hadiah untuk merayakan kelahiran … Saya merasa bahwa Zaryusu akan senang menerima senjata dan baju besi. "

"Wargear, kalau begitu … umu."

Jika memungkinkan, dia ingin memberikan sesuatu yang akan menyenangkan istrinya juga, tetapi karena baju besi akan melindungi kehidupan suaminya, orang dapat mengatakan bahwa itu secara tidak langsung akan membuatnya bahagia.

Saat itu, Kyuku dengan takut berbicara.

"—Mungkin pelayanmu mengajukan pertanyaan, Yang Mulia?"

"Apa itu?"

"Mengapa Zaryusu layak mendapatkan pujian setinggi itu?"

Faktanya adalah bahwa Ainz tidak berniat memuji Zaryusu. Dia hanya menganggapnya sebagai suami Lizardman kulit putih yang langka. Tetap saja, dia tidak bisa mengatakan itu, jadi dia memutar otak untuk mencari alasan.

“… Dia adalah pria yang luar biasa. Sebenarnya, saya mendengar bahwa pelatihannya di Nazarick telah menunjukkan hasil yang mengagumkan. Karena itu, saya akan menghargai kesetiaan dan keunggulan dengan hadiah yang sesuai. ”

"Saya selamanya berterima kasih atas kata-kata baik Anda, Yang Mulia. Kami akan berusaha untuk menunjukkan kesetiaan dan pengabdian yang lebih besar di masa depan. "

"Mm. Pertahankan tekadmu itu. ”

Setelah mengangguk dengan murah hati, Ainz mempertimbangkan apakah ada hal lain yang ingin dia tanyakan. Penguasa yang benar-benar hebat mungkin ingin mendengar tentang status desa Lizardmen dan membandingkannya dengan laporan Cocytus, dan karena itu ia akan segera memiliki pertanyaan yang lebih mendalam untuk ditanyakan. Namun, Ainz tidak bisa melakukan itu.

Tepat ketika Ainz akan memecatnya, sesuatu muncul di pikiran.

"Ini mungkin bukan urusan desamu, tapi apa yang kamu ketahui tentang Kurcaci Pegunungan Azellisia?"

Desa Lizardmen terletak di dasar Pegunungan Azellisia.

“Your Majesty, I have heard about them before.”

Ainz had not expected an answer to his casually-posed question. Ainz ordered the Lizardman to tell him about the Dwarves as he rejoiced within his heart.

“With the greatest respect, your servant submits that the following was merely overheard from an acquaintance. The Dwarves are a species which builds cities in productive mines, and they use the ores thus extracted to manufacture all manner of wargear. Among those are weapons and armor made of very rare metals.”

“Very rare metals, you say?”

For a moment, Ainz thought that he had gulped in surprise.

Those words were extremely tempting to a player that loved collecting rare items.

“Do you know what these metals are called?”

“Regretfully, your servant does not, Your Majesty. My understanding does not reach that far.”

Disappointment set in for Ainz, and he chided himself for his foolish expectations.

While adventuring as Momon, he had learned about metals, but there had been no news about anything harder than adamantite. In this world, even orichalcum and adamantite qualified as ultra-rare metals. It was hard to imagine the exotic metals which the Lizardman had described being anything more than that.

Even so, Ainz could not suppress the swelling anticipation within him.

If they were a race that lived within the earth, would they have access to metals which were rare even by Ainz’s standards?

If… yes, if. What if this world possesses the prismatic ores of YGGDRASIL, and the Dwarves are mining them? Granted, that assumes that there are prismatic ores in this world, but if that was really the case, could it be possible to have them produce a (Caloric Stone) — one of the hidden items of YGGDRASIL?

The (Caloric Stone) was a World-Class Item. It could only be obtained by gathering vast quantities of the prismatic ores and then expending a certain amount of them. Usually, that would entail an extremely difficult process, but Ainz Ooal Gown had accomplished it once.

They had found a hitherto undiscovered mine for Celestial Uranium, one of the seven prismatic ores, and a critical element for the (Caloric Stone).

Under normal circumstances, a guild which found a new mine would thoroughly exploit it before selling its ores on the market. That was because tapped-out mines in YGGDRASIL would slowly recover and be ready for further harvesting. Ainz Ooal Gown had planned to do just that.

That said, the reason why they had managed to attain that World-Class item was entirely due to an extraordinary stroke of luck.

At first, they had let the prismatic ores trickle into the market, hoping to drive the price up due to their rarity. And then, the large stockpiles of prismatic ore in the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick underwent a spontaneous reaction.

Ainz could still vividly recall the bizarre mood in the air, generated by everyone as they realised almost all the prismatic ores had disappeared, and in their place was an item which had rolled to the ground. Should we be happy for this, they wondered as they glanced at each other, a vague look of emptiness on their faces.

After that, they used the (Caloric Stone) when they learned that they could obtain that expendable-type World-Class Item in the same way as before. Then, they tried to produce it again, but sadly, the Celestial Uranium mine was taken from them, and that dream had gone up in smoke.

As Ainz and the others saw the Celestial Uranium being sold at a high price, they were equal parts happy and disgruntled. Given the way it was being handled, there was no way for them to produce a World-Class Item.

A wicked smile appeared on Ainz’s face as he basked in his memories, and he mocked them in his heart.

You idiots. The whole point of monopolizing it is to store up the necessary amount. There’s no way you could make it if you put the ores up for sale. Kecuali kalau-

Ainz recalled Punitto Moe’s words.

“There should be other sources of Celestial Uranium besides the one which Ainz Ooal Gown (we) discovered. For all we know, they actually have other mines for it, and they took ours in order to keep it hidden from outsiders,” he had said.

However, he quickly refuted his own deduction. That was because he learned that the guild in question had used the World-Class Item (οὐροβόρος) to banish Ainz Ooal Gown from that mine. “Even if they wanted the ability to reliably produce the (Caloric Stone), was it really worth expending one of the World-Class Items known as The Twenty?” he had wondered.

(TL Note: Ouroboros)

Ainz shook his head, chasing away the memories of the past from his mind. Even so, he could not fully eliminate the idea that had come to mind.

…Even if there’s no prismatic ore there, the Dwarves might know about other metals. What if there was knowledge there which had not spread to the outside world? If I used a charm spell or the like — oh, I’m being too hasty. I shouldn’t let my imagination run wild. Still, this does involve runes as well. As I thought, this is a top priority and should be addressed immediately.

Just then, Ainz noticed the Lizardman sneaking peeks at him. Apparently he had been lost in a world of his own.

“…It seems I was lost in my contemplation.Tell me, who told you about the Dwarves?”

“Your Majesty, that would be Zenberu, a former tribe leader like myself.”

“Hoh! That Zenberu, hm? …Umu. Are you saying that Frost Pain was also a creation of the Dwarves? Was it a gift Zenberu gave to Zaryusu as a sign of their friendship?”

He had heard about the origins of the sword from Zaryusu. However, it would be wise to ask others about it as well.

“That was an heirloom from days past, and it did not come from Zenberu.”

“Is that so…”

It was exactly as he had heard. However, there might be something there which the Lizardmen did not know about.

There are many weapons in this world which could not be made in YGGDRASIL. For example, there’s that weapon with the passive ability to cut through defenses…

The magic weapons in this world were made by having a magic caster enchant a weapon produced by a blacksmith. In other words, a skilled magic caster was more important than a skilled blacksmith when it came to making a powerful magic weapon.

However, there were exceptions to that rule. Fluder could make the stilettos which Clementine carried through his magical knowledge, but the same could not be said for Gazef’s sword.

“Perhaps,” Fluder had begun by saying, “Gazef’s sword was spontaneously created by the natural absorption of mana, or perhaps through the magic of the Dragons.”

Still, I can’t be certain that he was correct. There’s many things Fluder himself does not understand. Could the Dwarves make a weapon like that as well? While I know I’m looking forward to this a little too much…

YGGDRASIL’s weapons — Guild Weapons and a few others aside — possessed a data capacity that was determined by the value of the materials used in their construction and the skill of their maker. This data capacity limited the number of data crystals which could be added to it. Thus, rarer metals allowed for the creation of a correspondingly more powerful weapon.

The smith was also a key part of the equation. Much like it was in this world, the humanoids called Dwarves in YGGDRASIL had bonuses to craftsman-type classes. Therefore, Dwarves were very popular among those people who wanted to play weaponsmith or armorsmith characters.

That being the case, would they possess weapon-crafting knowledge which Fluder did not?

Does that mean runes are part of it? Ny. Taking control of the Dwarves… Not bad. The Head Librarian and Demiurge are conducting experiments with scrolls. Nfirea is working on potions. Fluder is handling magic items. Then I shall let the dwarves take charge of weapons manufacture.

All sorts of experiments to strengthen Nazarick were taking place concurrently. Ainz smiled in satisfaction as he thought about them. And then, he realised that if the Six Great Gods really were players, then Ainz might well be 600 years behind them.

We may need to spend the next few years, no, the next few decades on technological development. We can’t be careless here.

For all he knew, others may have noticed those things which even he had picked up on. As a leader, he had to eliminate the baseless notion that he was special or unique.

If someone was thinking along the same lines as me, then there’d be a higher chance of discovering something useful among the Dwarves. Other players might have asked the Dwarves to help develop technologies or commissioned weapons from them, and in the process they would have learned about their application of runes. …Should I get Albedo and Demiurge’s opinion on this, and ready our forces for a full-scale operation?

An hour ago, he was still thinking about visiting the Dwarven Kingdom with just himself and Aura for company. However, given that the Dwarven Kingdom had just gone up in priority, the plan for that excursion had to be remade.

He had to learn about the Dwarven Kingdom and ensure that his spy could gather information in a clandestine manner. At the same time, avoiding magical surveillance was very important.

The problem now was how long all this would take.

If the player who brainwashed Shalltear was hiding there, it would be extremely dangerous to give the opposition too much time. If he took a passive stance, the enemy might well pick the most opportune moment to launch an attack. In order to avoid this, they had to take the initiative and make the first move.

…So this will be a gamble, after all. An ambassadorial party, hm. We will establish diplomatic relations with the Dwarven Kingdom. If a player launches an attack, it will be a casus belli for us to mount an invasion in turn. We can then dig out the necessary information from the debris.

Ainz enumerated the things he had to do after meeting the Dwarves.

One: verify the presence or absence of players.

Two: investigate the runes and their origins.

Three: Obtain information and samples of their metallurgy and ores.

Sesuatu seperti itu.

However, they would hardly tell all of that to Ainz up front. It was only natural to conceal one’s technological prowess. Information was more valuable the more hidden it was.

If there were YGGDRASIL players who let their knowledge leak out all over the place, Punitto Moe would surely give them a vicious tongue-lashing.

…Also, what if I could get them to export weapons to the Sorcerous Kingdom so our adventurers could acquire them at a lower price? Pretty attractive, no? But in order for that to take place, I’ll have to be on good terms with the Dwarves. While I could always take them as slaves within Nazarick, that will be a last resort. I’d like to make my words to Ainzach that much more convincing.

Still, all this was ultimately nothing but a conjecture.

“…Lizardman. Does Zenberu know about the Dwarven city?”

"Iya. He told me that he had lived in the Dwarven city for some time.”

"Apakah begitu. Do you think Zenberu would take me there?”

The Lizardman fell into thought, and then tilted his head.

“My deepest apologies, but your servant cannot answer that question. Of course, I am certain that if Your Majesty orders something, Zenberu will strive eagerly to fulfil it. However, it has been several winters since he returned from the Dwarven City, so I am not sure how much he still remembers…”

“Really now… Well, if that’s the case, I can deal with it using magic. It’ll be fine.”

(Control Amnesia) might well be able to clear things up.

After praying that Ainzach or Fluder knew something about this, Ainz permitted the Lizardman to leave.

2

Two hours after meeting the Lizardman, Ainz sighed quietly within his room.

That was because he had just finished communicating with Fluder and Ainzach via (Message).

Why do I have to teleport over there in person to prove my identity? Especially Fluder. I thought he’d be used to it by now, but I guess I was wrong.

When he used (Message), neither of them believed that he was Ainz, so he had no choice but to (Teleport) to where they were and speak to them in person.

The way in which they apologized for the inconvenience in the same way and asked Ainz to only use (Message) in times of emergency made him feel like they had planned it out beforehand.

Ainzach aside, you’d think Fluder wouldn’t want to waste time on other matters, considering the book which I gave him.

Of course, Ainz was wise enough to remain silent.

Speaking of which, while he had heard of the tragedies caused by the use of (Message) in the past, it was hard for him to understand why they could not put their faith in the spell until now. That said, it probably was not something they could accept so easily. In addition, it would be quite damaging if they, as his collaborators, were deceived in such a way. In that case, all he could do was suck it up and accept that the MP cost of teleportation magic as a necessary expense.

His dejection was also related to the results of his conversations with the two of them. The use of teleportation would have been worthwhile if it had yielded good information. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Ainzach knew that there was a Dwarven Kingdom in the Azellisia Mountain Range, but he was not sure of its location. The Kingdom had not attempted to forge any national-level ties with the Dwarves either. Even if they had, those would probably be limited to small deals within the mining city of Re-Brumelashul. Ties like these would be closely linked to the city’s profits, in any case, and so it would be hard to try and cut in on them.

(TL Note: リ.ブルムラシユール)

Fluder felt the same way too.

Although he had heard of Dwarven culture and their government, the fact was that he knew next to nothing about them. There was something about how a powerful Dragon had caused great damage to a Dwarven city, but he had no clue about the name of the city, or the name and abilities of the Dragon.

It would seem Fluder had not investigated the matter because it did not interest him. However, they could probably begin researching it through Imperial channels after this. At least, that was what Fluder suggested, but Ainz shot that suggestion down. It would take too much time, and having an exposed traitor like himself perform said research might lead to trouble.

In the end, the only person he could count on was Zenberu the Lizardman.

It’s about time I sent a (Message) to those two and told them about the Dwarves.

“I’ll contact Shalltear first. Hm… the right person for the job?”

That was high praise and cruel criticism at the same time.

Ainz closed his eyes — though he had no eyeballs — and thought about the matter for a few minutes. Then, he opened his eyes and cast the (Message) spell.

“—Shalltear Bloodfallen.”

『Is, is that you, Ainz-sama? Where do you need a (Gate) opened at this time?』

Shalltear was the strongest of the Floor Guardians, and the only one to administer multiple floors. The fact that the first thing she asked was where to open a (Gate) was terribly sad. At the same time, Ainz felt a little guilty about assigning that task to her.

"Tidak. This time, I shall entrust a weighty duty to you.”

『A, a weighty duty?』

"Umu. You shall accompany me on my travels, and ensure my safety.”

The silence lasted several seconds.

Don’t tell me she didn’t hear that. Apa yang sedang terjadi? Just as Ainz began to wonder if something was wrong, Shalltear’s voice — off-key, probably from over-excitement — rang through his head.

『Your servant shall fulfil this task, even if she must grind herself to dust in the process!!!』

“U-umu. Then I shall explain in greater detail. Come to my quarters in E-Rantel.”

If he did not specify that, it was quite likely that she would teleport to Ainz’s room in Nazarick. However, that had only happened once. He had sent a (Message) to Narberal telling her to come to his room, and after waiting and waiting for ages she had not arrived. It was only after he sent another (Message) to her that he discovered she had been waiting at his room in Nazarick.

Ainz reflected on it, and realized that the fault lay with the order which he had given. Thus, he resolved never to make that mistake again.

『Understood! Your servant shall come immediately!!!』

“Also, give Mare your task of maintaining surveillance on the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. Inform him of whatever he needs to know when you hand your duties over to him. Considering the time needed for that… Come over when you’ve settled your affairs over there. I don’t have any appointments which will take me away from my chambers, so I will wait until you arrive.”

『Yes!! I, Shalltear Bloodfallen, shall carry out your orders faithfully and without delay!!』

“The handing and taking over of duties is very important. Don’t rush and make a mess of it just because I’m waiting, got that? I shall order Mare to proceed to your room, the Adipocere Chamber.”

『Understood!! Then I shall commit the tasks which I will be handing over onto paper!!』

“Also, I trust I don’t need to say this, but you are to give your ring to Mare.”

『Of course!! I understand that it will only be in his safekeeping for a while!!』

It was very dangerous to bring that ring outside of Nazarick. On the other hand, as long as it and the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown were not taken, there would be enough time for all the Guardians to gather. Therefore, the rings were hidden within the piles of gold within the Treasury, apart from the one which Ainz wore and the ones issued to certain people within Nazarick.

The reason why Ainz wore the ring despite knowing the danger was because it would be impossible to enter Nazarick if nobody wore it and the enemy had blockaded the entrance to Nazarick.

"Sangat baik. Begin your preparations, then.”

『Yes!! Then, is there anything I should bring to your room, Ainz-sama?』

“A reasonable question, but there is nothing you need to bring. I will explain my plan to you when the time comes, and then I will give you time to ready yourself.”

『Understood!!』

Shalltear’s passionate response vanished as the spell terminated.

Then, he sent Mare a (Message). There was little difference in the contents of their conversation, save that he told him to take Shalltear’s place as the protector of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.

After hearing Mare’s still, small yet clear voice, Ainz ended the (Message).

Finally, Ainz sent Aura a (Message).

“Aura, it’s me.”

『Yes, Ainz-sama! What do you need me to do?』

"Umu. I would like you to accompany me to the Dwarven Kingdom.”

『Understood!』

“First, I hope you will meet me in my chambers at E-Rantel while we wait for Shalltear”

『Shalltear?!』

The ensuing cry of disbelief made Ainz grateful that he did not need eardrums to hear.

“Aura, lower your voice.”

『I, I’m very sorry, Ainz-sama!』

Like I said, lower your voice… Ainz thought that, but did not say it.

『Ah, are we going to destroy the Dwarven Kingdom?』

"Tidak. How did you reach that dangerous misunderstanding? I just want to conduct some friendly negotiations.”

『Ah, I see! So you’ve already foreseen that peaceful negotiations will break down, then?』

“Aura, your—”

『Ainz-sama, I’m here!』

"Apa? You mean you’ve already arrived at my room?”

『Yes, exactly!』

A knock came from the door just as she said this.

Ainz smiled bitterly as he watched Decrement go to answer it.

“Ainz-sama, Aura-sama requests your permission to enter.”

Ainz gestured his approval, and Decrement took one step away from the door.

『”Sorry to disturb you, Ainz-sama!”』

Aura’s voice overlapped with that of the (Message) spell as the Dark Elf girl greeted him.

“All right, then. Have a seat and we’ll talk.”

Ainz indicated a pair of sofas which faced each other, and then turned to Decrement.

“Prepare refreshments for Aura.”

“Yes, Ainz-sama. We have apple juice, orange juice, lemon squash, tea and coffee on hand at the moment.”

Decrement placed the apple juice which Aura requested on the small table between the two sofas. As Aura began sipping at it, Ainz began his explanation.

“First, let me explain myself about your question concerning the destruction of the Dwarven Kingdom. Bringing Shalltear along does fulfil a requirement for combat power, but there is another reason for that.”

“Eh?!”

Aura’s eyes went wide. Given her attitude, it was clear that she considered Shalltear to have very limited uses. Still — Ainz found it hard to hold back the warmth surging within his chest.

It reminded him of Bukubukuchagama and Peroroncino’s relationship.

Every now and then, Bukubukuchagama would ask, “Has my stupid little brother given you any trouble?”

When people replied with an, “Uh, I don’t think so?” she would immediately respond like Aura had, with a “Seriously?!”

It was hard for Ainz to contain himself as he realized that Aura and Shalltear were carrying on that same relationship. The memories fell like powdery snow, filling his heart with bliss. His joy welled up, and just as he was about to laugh — the emotion was suppressed.

“…Shit.”

Ainz quietly cursed as his moment of happiness was ruined by his emotional suppression. It had helped him out many times in the past, but he found it tiresome when it got in his way. Ainz knew he was being selfish and hypocritical, but he still found it hard to accept this interruption of the memories of his former friends.

“Ah, er… Ainz-sama? Apa yang salah?"

However, his displeasure vanished like smoke in the wind as he heard the girl’s tremulous voice. He could not allow himself to express these negative emotions in a way which even a child could see. Ainz took a deep breath, and smiled to Aura.

“No, my apologies. Tidak apa. As I was saying earlier, I’m bringing Shalltear along this time around to investigate her adaptability. She was created to be the strongest Guardian. At that time, if she had fought properly, even I might not have been able to beat her.”

“Well, if it’s for something like that—”

“—No, it’s not like that. If I were Shalltear, I would have summoned my Einherjar right away and then prepared for battle while it engaged my enemy, then attacked with magic as my MP permitted, followed by the use of my skills. Then, I would have triggered my Blood Frenzy in some way  and then charged into melee with the Spuit Lance while my attack power was increased.”

Ainz smiled, a little uncomfortable.

“If that had happened, I would have run away without a second thought.”

His skill as a player aside, Ainz’s character could only be considered to be in the upper portion of the middle tier of all players. Shalltear’s character build and equipment placed her in the lower portion of the top tier. If she was fully equipped — with divine-class items — she would be in the middle portion of the top tier. If she could change her gear to match her opponent, she might well be able to fight on even terms with the upper echelons of the top tier.

“However, her reputation as the strongest Guardian has instead hampered Shalltear’s growth.”

"Eh?"

“The most effective use for Shalltear is to deplete the enemy’s resources, so she has to be launched out like an arrow. Once she is deployed, she has to be left to run amok through the enemy lines. However — is that really the right thing to do? It might be the best way to fully utilize Shalltear’s strength, but can we really say that it’s the most suitable method to use?”

“I don’t quite understand… but if you feel that it’s right, then it should be correct, Ainz-sama.”

That sort of answer really makes it hard to keep the conversation going. What Ainz truly wanted to hear right now was a carefully reasoned reply about the pros and cons of Ainz’s statement, which was what a proper adult would have said. Still, children were expected to be frank, after all.

“Is, is that so. However, I don’t think that is the case. When I said that it was the best way, it was only in terms of fully utilizing her strengths. However, it might not be the best way once Shalltear starts accumulating experience.”

Ainz was making progress as a warrior. No, it would be best to say that he had learned to make full use of all his abilities. While his physical abilities might not have improved, other parts of him were still growing.

Unlike how they had been when they were merely data, the NPCs now had minds and the capacity for independent thought. The same applied to Shalltear. The Shalltear of tomorrow would be different from the Shalltear of today.

“Having her do different things instead of repeating the same old tasks might help her grow… Of course, she might fail, although I do not wish for that. Still, even if she does mess up, all we need to do is to have someone beside her to pick up the slack. That is precisely why I asked for you, Aura.”

Aura had a better relationship with Shalltear than Mare. Ainz had selected the elder sister of the twins because she could keep Shalltear in line.

Having listened attentively to all of this, Aura forcefully nodded in acknowledgement.

“…Still, while I said that I want her to accumulate various experiences, that might violate the social contract, and it would cause problems for the company — for the group.”

"Eh? What does that mean?”

“…Think of it this way. It would not be good to force Shalltear to do things she does not want to do.”

“Obeying you is what we should do, Ainz-sama!”

“…Don’t you think it would be wrong to make her do something that goes against Peroroncino-san’s wishes? If my orders conflicted with Bukubukuchagama’s desires, how would you feel about obeying them, Aura?”

“Ng! Well, I, ah, I would…”

Aura nervously lowered her head, and muttered something along the lines of, “It’s hard to say.”

“All right, don’t worry about it. It was just a comparison. My reason for picking Shalltear this time around was to challenge her and see if she has grown.”

"Saya melihat! That’s Ainz-sama for you, your complex insights run so deep!”

A superior had to let his subordinates experience challenges in order for them to grow.

This was one of the secrets he had gleaned from a book he had read not long after coming to this world.

The reason why he had not given Shalltear an opportunity like this until now was because the situation had been very dangerous, and also because there was no time for such things. Now, however… no, there would be no better chance than this..

“I’ll tell you the rest when Shalltear arrives. That way, I won’t have to explain myself twice.”

Just as Ainz said so, knocking came from the door, followed by Decrement going over to check on the visitor.

“It is Shalltear-sama.”

The person he was waiting for had arrived. Ainz indicated that Decrement should let her in.

As the door opened, he saw someone in the doorway.

“Shalltear Bloodfallen is ready to go!!”

Ainz — who was prepared to thank her for her coming all this way — froze up for a moment, and it took him a while before he could gather his wits and speak.

“Why… why are you in your full battle gear?”

Not only was she in her full plate, but she was even holding her Spuit Lance.

“Yes!!! I am fully prepared to protect you, Ainz-sama!!!! I shall exterminate anyone who dares to oppose you, Ainz-sama!!!!!”

Ainz glanced at the panting Shalltear, her eyes wide open. Then, he glanced to Aura, as if to say, what should I do about this? It was not as though he could say Shalltear had gotten the wrong idea.

“Haaa~ you’re being too hasty. How about taking action after Ainz-sama finishes speaking?”

Shalltear pouted as Aura took a jab at her. Before the two of them could start quarrelling, Ainz raised his hand to get their attention.

“Shalltear. You might have the right idea, but things are different this time. Forgive me for not explaining things to you.”

Ainz hurriedly explained the objectives of this operation to Shalltear — and his plans to forge friendly relations with the Dwarven Kingdom.

A baffled look appeared on Shalltear’s face after she took it all in.

“If, if that’s what you want, is it really alright to bring me along?”

“…I have many reasons for choosing you. Having you protect me is one of them. But the greatest reason is so that you can gain experience. It is my selfish opinion that you consider yourself unsuitable for this task due to your Blood Frenzy. Perhaps after you give it a try, you might discover that you are surprisingly suited for this sort of thing.”

Shalltear’s eyes went wide.

“I understand, Ainz-sama!! I shall make sure you do not regret your decision!!”

“…Umu. Then, Shalltear, I will be placing you under Aura’s command for this journey. Since Aura is in charge of you, I hope you will obey her.”

“Understood!!”

Shalltear bowed to him.

Ainz wondered if her response was too high-strung, but it was better than a dispirited answer. Still, it would be troublesome if it all turned out to be for nothing.

“I appreciate your eagerness, but you should calm yourself down, Shalltear. …Then, let us consider the matter of followers. Who else should we bring along?”

“Ainz-sama — may I be allowed to speak?”

Ainz was somewhat startled because the response had come from an unexpected quarter, but he coolly turned to face Decrement.

"Apa itu? Apakah ada masalah?"

“Ah, I was wondering how you would feel about bringing some of us maids along to serve as your attendants during your trip to the Dwarven Kingdom. Traditionally speaking, those in power have always brought followers with them to handle miscellaneous tasks. I feel that the Dwarven Kingdom will think poorly of you if you do not bring handmaidens with you, Ainz-sama.”

"Saya melihat. …You do have a point there.”

While spying on Jircniv, he noticed that the man went out escorted by several carriages, and some of them contained well-dressed ladies. They must be the people who waited on him. If he had stayed in Nazarick back then, Ainz would have observed him more carefully, but regrettably he had not, which was a bit of a shame.

No, the fact was that Jircniv had come a long way to visit Ainz, and Ainz had been terribly rude to Jircniv by not insisting that he stay the night. Granted, the man had firmly refused every offer of lodging Ainz had made, but perhaps the right thing to do was to make him change his mind.

Perhaps if they had established good relations back then, the matter of vassalage might not have come up at the arena.

Oops, I’m getting off-track… Decrement has a point, but—

Ainz considered her data. The 41 regular maids might look different, but their equipment and statistics were identical.

The heteromorphic species known as Homunculi were not particularly outstanding, and they were very weak, being only level 1. While they were still superior to level 1 human beings in terms of stats, if it came down to a fight, a Homunculus would only have a 60% chance of victory.

The maid uniforms they wore did provide them with a measure of defensive strength, but that was only on the level of a high-class item. Those might seem incredibly resilient to the inhabitants of these world, but they were nothing more than scraps of paper to a YGGDRASIL player.

Frankly speaking, there was no way he could bring them to the Dwarven Kingdom, given that he knew next to nothing about it. There was a chance that a player might be waiting with his forces deployed and ready for battle.

“Still… Unfortunately, I cannot do that. If we must have followers — Shalltear, can I bring your Vampire Brides with us?”

“There is no need to ask. Everyone in Nazarick serves you. You have but to order us.”

"Apakah begitu. —Decrement, your proposal is very reasonable. However, it contains a problem, in that you are weak and I am uneasy about your safety when travelling into unknown lands.”

“We are all prepared to face any form of danger!”

Ainz raised a hand to calm Decrement down.

“I am pleased by the loyalty which you — which you all show. Therefore, once I ensure that the Dwarven Kingdom is safe, I shall send for you via teleportation. Until then, what do you think about handing the matter to the Vampire Brides?”

Decrement’s mouth moved several times, but no words came out. Eventually, she bowed her head. Ainz hoped that she was not agreeing because he had ordered her to, but that was most likely not the case.

Since he had nothing else to persuade her with, and he would not change his mind no matter what she said, Ainz turned his eyes from Decrement.

Resurrecting level 1 NPCs was cheap, but that was not the problem here.

Nobody would bring their friends’ children into a dangerous place.

“Then, Shalltear, bring — let me see — six Vampire Brides along. Then add 30 more riders on top of that. Five of them will be the recently summoned Hanzos.”

There was no particular significance behind the number 30. It was simply that he felt that number would be sufficient. Perhaps it was because this was the amount of players allowed in a raid group?

“I’ll contact Cocytus while waiting for everyone to gather. Right, I should finish up first. Once everyone is assembled, the two of you will travel to the Lizardman village through Shalltear’s (Gate). After that, we’ll head north to find the Dwarven Kingdom. Bagaimana menurut anda?"

"Dimengerti!"

"Ya, mari kita lakukan itu."

The two Guardians replied in the affirmative. They did not suggest a better idea, which Ainz had hoped for. While the two of them were hardly yes-women, the fact that they had said exactly that in response to his suggestion made Ainz feel a little uneasy. This was because Ainz did not have much confidence in his own idea.

“Then, do you have any suggestions on who the other followers should be?”

“My magical beasts—”

“My undead—”

The two of them spoke up at the same time, and then glared at each other. Just as he thought they would start arguing, Shalltear looked away first.

“After you.”

“…What? Did you eat something weird?”

“It’s just that I was ordered to listen to you.”

“…It just feels gross.”

Shalltear’s eyebrow twitched, but she said nothing.

“In that case, how about having 25 of your undead ride my magical beasts?”

“I don’t mind —” Shalltear looked to Ainz “—But that would be more than the number you mentioned, Ainz-sama. Would that be all right?”

"Tidak apa-apa."

“We’ll do that, then.”

Since the two of them seemed to have reached a consensus, Ainz continued speaking.

“Then, let’s get to work on our own accounts. I’ll give you two hours to select your personnel. Keep in mind that you may not be able to return for a while after leaving, and do not think that you can teleport back to Nazarick with teleportation magic. Aura, you need to be particularly careful about this as one of the living. If that’s all, let’s split up. I have a lot of things to discuss with Pandora’s Actor.”

At the same time, he made a mental note to contact Albedo about this with a (Message).

***

“At last, the time has come!”

After she was sufficiently far away from the supreme being’s room that her voice would not reach it, Shalltear clenched her fists and shouted in joy.

“It’s been so long… but at last, I can make up for my past failure and let everyone know that Shalltear Bloodfallen can be of use to everyone!”

Shalltear gazed off into the distance.

Aura was quite aware of the feelings contained within Shalltear’s voice, which was unusual for her. Although Shalltear had already been punished for her mistakes and Ainz-sama had personally told her that it was not her fault, Shalltear still wanted to erase the mistakes she had made. As a fellow Floor Guardian, Aura could understand her feelings very well. Still — she was a little uneasy.

“It’s been a long time coming… All the work I’ve been given until now had been so easy that anyone could do it. However… However…”

“Ah~ I feel that the work Ainz-sama gave you was very important, Shalltear.”

“Well, it is as you say, to some extent. Still, was that work really important?”

“Protecting Nazarick is pretty important, no? After all, being the first line of defense against any invader is a task you’d give to reliable Guardians, right?”

“Nngg!”

Shalltear could not deny that.

Then, she nervously pressed her fingertips together and pulled them apart again.

“Does Ainz-sama really think that way?”

“Mm~ probably. Ainz-sama said that you were very strong, Shalltear.”

Shalltear smiled broadly. That response let Aura sigh in relief. If she had let her go on like that, Shalltear would surely have gone to a lot of trouble for nothing and that would only inconvenience Ainz-sama. If that happened, she had no idea how she would apologize to him for it. In addition, she felt pity for Shalltear.

“But when I was in the human city, Demiurge singled me out. He must have felt I was useless. If that was what Demiurge — the greatest mind of Nazarick — thought about me, then wouldn’t the others, especially Ainz-sama — whose wisdom surpasses that of Demiurge — feel the same way?”

“Hm, you can’t really say that. Perhaps it’s because Ainz-sama is smarter than Demiurge that he felt that way about you.”

In that moment, Shalltear moaned wetly with a “Ho…”

“As expected of Ainz-sama…”

“…Haah.”

Aura was starting to feel a little tired. However, she had the feeling that being direct with Shalltear would not work, so perhaps an indirect method would be effective.

“Still, that means that the others feel the same way as Demiurge.”

“…I can’t deny that.”

Or rather, that was definitely the case. Aura spoke up before the wide-eyed Shalltear could continue.

“Ainz-sama wanted to test your flexibility by exposing you to various situations, so I think encountering difficulty isn’t a bad thing. Until then, if you take notes and learn from around you, you’ll be able to impress Ainz-sama and the others.”

“So I should study up before that?”

"Tepat sekali. Think about it, you’re travelling with the greatest person in all of Nazarick, right? Doesn’t that mean you can learn something from Ainz-sama?”

"Saya melihat! …But, what should I do?”

“Shalltear, that’s where the learning starts.”

“That – that’s right!”

At a loss for words, Aura had simply thrown that question back to her.

That ought to be okay… right?

A flicker of unease passed through Aura’s heart. Still, the ball was in Shalltear’s court now, and there was nothing else she could do.

Will she behave herself…

Aura offered up a prayer to Bukubukuchagama, the Supreme Being who was also her god:

Bukubukuchagama-sama, please watch over Shalltear, who was made by your little brother Peroroncino-sama!

3

Ainz travelled to the Lizardman village through a (Gate).

He was escorted by Hanzos for his protection. Of the five Hanzos, one had a red cloth tied to his right arm.

It was not enchanted in any way; it merely indicated that he was their leader.

At first, he had simply thought that doing so would make it easier to manage them. However, the newly appointed leader was delighted at being chosen, and Ainz could tell that he was smiling under his mask.

Frankly speaking, Ainz felt somewhat guilty. After all, he had merely given him a piece of cloth.

Defended by his vassals, Ainz could now see the statue of himself.

Ainz had already been here several times before, since it was a pre-arranged teleport destination. Still, it deeply embarrassed him.

There were statues of historical figures and so on in Suzuki Satoru’s world, but surely anyone would be ashamed to witness a monument to themselves while they were still alive.

What truly disturbed him was the fact that the facial bones were slightly different from his own. It would seem they were trying to beautify him

Do the cheekbones look more handsome when they’re like that? I don’t get it at all. What kind of aesthetic sense could have produced this?

As Ainz contemplated the matter, he turned and noticed Cocytus and his Lizardmen kneeling before him.

He was used to such genuflection now that he was more experienced in playing the role of a superior being. Still, it did not please Suzuki Satoru the salaryman. That said, he understood that it was a sign of their loyalty, so he did not ask them to stop.

“—Raise your heads.”

After that permission — given with mixed feelings — was granted, the Lizardmen looked back up, as though they had come back to life.

“Thank. Kamu. For. Coming. All. Ini. Way. Ainz-sama.”

Ainz indicated to the still-kneeling Cocytus that he should rise.

"Umu. Thank you for your hard work. I have received your report on the village. Though I only glanced through it, I did not see any problems, which is good. Your accomplishments here are worthy of praise.”

“Many. Terima kasih! All. Ini. Was. Accomplished. By. Anda. Glory. Ainz-sama.”

I didn’t do anything, Ainz wanted to say. Instead, he accepted Cocytus’ loyal praise with dignified grace. After all, if he had said anything else, it would have devolved into an infinite loop of “Nono,” “Nonono”, “Nononono” and so on. Ainz was quite certain of that.

“…That said, the excellent results you have shown deserve to be rewarded.”

Thinking back, Albedo and Mare had already received a Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown each, Aura had received a watch with Bukubukuchagama’s voice recorded into it, Shalltear had been given Peroroncino’s bestiary, and Demiurge — he had given Demiurge that demonic statue made by Urbelt.

His gift to Cocytus was the lives of these Lizardmen, but it was probably time for some other reward.

“Perhaps you might say it is not needed, but it is only natural that rewards and punishment must be handed out as they are deemed necessary. …Tell me, Cocytus, what do you want?”

"Tidak. Ainz-sama. I. Desire. No. Reward. Other. Than. Untuk. Serve. Kamu. Loyally.”

While Solution’s request for “innocent humans” was quite disturbing, a request like Cocytus’ was also quite hard to grant.

One of his guild members had complained about a certain type of annoying woman, the kind who said, “Anywhere is fine” when you asked “Where do you want to go for lunch”, and then went on to say, “We should have gone to an Italian place after all”. Ainz felt the same way. It was a hundred times easier to get along with someone who plainly stated what they wanted.

“…Cocytus. A lack of desire can sometimes be more troubling than greed. I now command you — tell me what you want within a week’s time, limited to material objects. Apakah kamu mengerti?"

A distressed look appeared on Cocytus’ face. Ainz paid it no heed.

“Do you understand?” he repeated.

“If. That. Aku s. Anda. Will. Ainz-sama.”

"Umu. That is my will. Alright, then. Cocytus, it is time to move onto my reason for coming to this village. I wish to speak to Zenberu.”

“Dipahami! I. Have. Already. Brought. Dia. Sini. Silahkan. Datang. Ini. Way. Ainz-sama.”

Cocytus moved behind and to the side of Ainz, and then addressed the kneeling Lizardmen.

“Zenberu. Menjawab. Ainz-sama’s. Questions. Kamu. Are. Diizinkan Untuk. Directly. Address. Him.”

Zenberu raised his head with a “Yes”, but there was confusion in his voice.

“Then, I shall get to the point. I wish to visit the Dwarven Kingdom. Thus, I wish to employ you as a guide. Can you take me there?”

The Lizardman looked like he had narrowed his eyes.

He did not understand the expressions of Lizardmen, and he could not tell what kind of look he had on his face, but it did not seem like a good one.

“My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty, but may I ask your intentions for heading to the Dwarven Kingdom?”

As he finished speaking those words, a clacking of mandibles issued from behind Ainz.

“…Zenberu. Seeking. Untuk. Know. Itu. Intention. Behind. Ainz-sama’s. Decisions. Aku s. Itu. Height. Of. Disrespect.. All. Kamu. Need. Untuk. Do. Aku s. Menjawab. Itu. Question. Sesungguhnya."

Cocytus was using the same tone he always did, but there was distinct displeasure in his words.

Ainz wanted to shrink away from the clearly unhappy voice coming from behind him.

Still, while Ainz was already like this despite not being the target of Cocytus’ aggression, Zenberu remained silent. He watched Ainz’s reaction, his gaze unwavering.

Tension filled the air amidst the fearsome silence, which was broken only by the threatening sounds from Cocytus. Not much time should have passed, Ainz thought. when he suddenly realised that Cocytus was about to make a move and stepped in to block him. Not doing so would be dangerous.

“It’s fine, Cocytus. Zenberu did not show me any disrespect.”

“But. Ainz-sama—”

"Itu baik-baik saja. Then, I shall take a small measure of pity on you, Zenberu. What gave rise to the misconception you now hold?”

Zenberu’s reaction was only natural considering what he had done to this village. Still, Ainz did not let those thoughts show on his face. If Ainz willed it, then no blame could be attached to the servants of Nazarick for their actions. Acting otherwise in front of his subordinates might make them doubt themselves and affect their future activities.

“Zenberu. I have no intention of harming the Dwarves. I have come in person because I wish to form a friendly relationship with the Dwarves.”

“Is that really true?”

“You—”

Ainz turned to Cocytus.

“Cocytus. Your loyalty pleases me. But I have already said that it is fine. Pay no heed to what Zenberu says here and forget it.”

"Dimengerti!"

Was this what they meant by “speaking your mind frankly”? If the boss asked you to “speak your mind frankly”, it was clearly a trap.

Ainz turned back to Zenberu.

“Indeed, that is so, Zenberu. I will swear it on my name if need be. I wish to forge a friendly relationship with the Dwarves. However, it is also possible that the use of force may be required if it is warranted by their response. Can you understand that such a course of action might be unavoidable?”

"Tentu saja. It makes perfect sense. In this world, might makes right. Even so, how shall I say this… I do not wish to repay kindness with malice.”

Zenberu paused to take a quiet breath. Ainz was reminded of how warriors breathed when they were about to launch an attack.

“In addition, if you launch a surprise attack and begin their extermination after I lead you there, I pray you will forgive me for taking up arms against you.”

A quiet grinding came from behind him, and Ainz said, “It’s fine” to Cocytus.

Even without checking, he already knew it was the sound of Cocytus tightening his grip on his weapons.

What shall I do with you, Ainz thought as he looked haughtily upon Zenberu. It would seem his repeated practice had paid off, because Zenberu’s body froze in terror.

“Well, if that happens, I shall simply have to destroy you as well. Not that I mind… But that is quite a brave thing to say. Have you considered the fact that your betrayal might end up destroying all the Lizardmen in the village as well?”

“…I trust you would not really do that, Your Majesty?”

As Zenberu stared hard at him, Ainz cupped his chin with his thumb and forefinger. Then, he made an announcement.

“It seems you are mistaken. I consider matters in terms of benefits and liabilities. While I will probably not destroy the entire group for the treachery of one man, if it turns out that similar betrayals might occur in the future, and that the drawbacks outweigh the benefits of leaving them alive, do you not think I will exterminate them all without delay? Or do you think I am a brainless, all-loving being?”

Zenberu’s expression changed.

However, Ainz did not know what kind of expression it had changed to.

It seemed odd to be saying this as an undead being himself, but he felt that the Lizardmen were sly.

There was no need to understand the expressions of other races. After all, he was merely an undead being with the memories and experiences of the human being called Suzuki Satoru.

Since Zenberu did not look like he was going to continue speaking, Ainz carried on:

“Ah, don’t worry. I will not destroy this village even if you do betray me. After all, it would not be an organized uprising, and your reaction is quite understandable given your personality and history. They are your old friends — your benefactors? I understand why you would side with them. However, allow me to repeat myself: I will not destroy the Dwarven Kingdom for no reason.”

Whether players were present or not, Ainz did not want to launch straight into hostilities without a dialogue.

After all, things were not progressing very well with the neighboring countries.

Now that they had to vassalize the country which they appeared to have had the best relations with, their name would live in infamy if they ended up waging war on the Dwarves as well.

Therefore, they had to do their best to sign a treaty of friendship with the Dwarves. This way, they could show the nearby countries that the Sorcerous Kingdom was an entity which could abide by pacts and agreements. This would also give them the moral high ground and allow them to limit the actions which could be taken by any players hiding out there.

What would players do if they were wary of the Sorcerous Kingdom?

The most likely outcome was that they would deem the Sorcerous Kingdom an evil empire, and use that as a rallying cry to make war on them.

On the flip side, what would they do if they heard that the Sorcerous Kingdom had signed a treaty of friendship with the Dwarven Kingdom, like a proper, decent nation?

Some people might think that it was signed under duress or that it was gunboat diplomacy. However, on the surface it would appear to be a fair and normal treaty.

Hypothetically speaking, if a player decided to wage war on the Sorcerous Kingdom, that player would certainly invite entities on his level — most likely other players — to join him in his crusade. However, some of these people might think of the Sorcerous Kingdom as a decent nation. These war-averse people might cite the Dwarven treaty as a reason to stay out of the conflict.

Granted, this was a presumptuous conjecture, but he might even be able to strike while the foe was in disunity and defeat them, whereupon the bombshell of “That’s why I didn’t want to fight” would go off and tear the enemy apart.

This was the reason why he wanted to place himself on the moral high ground.

After all, the only thing Ainz feared was a group of players, not just one or two other players.

It was true that players with World-Class Items were fearsome, and so were players with very powerful classes, like World Champion. That said, if they were alone, they would not be able to defeat Nazarick without using one of the Twenty.

“So you can be at ease.”

“—I understand that now.”

"Umu. That is for the best. Can I entrust that task to you then, Zenberu?”

“I understand, Your Majesty. I will take you to that cave city of the Dwarves where I once briefly resided.”

Ainz nodded in satisfaction, and then turned to Zaryusu.

“Good, I will address Zaryusu now. Please accept my felicitations on the birth in the family. Are both mother and child well?”

Zaryusu nervously(?) answered:

“Yes, Your Majesty. They are doing fine. It seems my child is about ready to start walking.”

“That’s fast!”

That said, his investigations revealed that the human children in this world developed faster than those in Suzuki Satoru’s world in all aspects, be it in terms of teething, speaking or walking on their own. Of course, that was merely something he had come up with after comparing his observations to his recollections of what Touch Me had said in the past.

"Apakah begitu? I feel it is quite normal…”

“Ah, begitu. I seem to have considered that from a human’s point of view. Children… hm. Currently, I am in the process of building a nation composed of beings from various species working together. If I asked you to live in a nation of humans under my rule for the purpose of advancing that agenda, would you accept?”

“I cannot refuse Your Majesty’s orders.”

“Oh, don’t be like that.”

While Zaryusu might not have intended it to come out that way, it sounded like mockery.

The same thing happened with Ainzach earlier, Ainz mused as he continued speaking.

“I wish to hear your opinion on the matter. Having left the Lizardmen as a Traveler, you should have experience with this sort of thing, am I wrong? In other words, you should be able to think in ways that differ from regular Lizardmen. Because of that, I would like to hear what you think and feel about the ever-changing world that lies ahead of you.”

“I became a Traveler because I felt that things could not go on as they had. I was forced to do so by my circumstances.”

“Even if that was the case, your perspective should have been broadened by seeing the world. If possible, why not substitute yourself with a regular Lizardman and thus evaluate the merits of Lizardmen travelling to a human nation?”

"Iya…"

After thinking briefly, Zaryusu spoke once more.

“Personally speaking, I would not want to travel to a human city. I would feel uneasy about doing so with a wife and child in tow. Even if it was a country ruled by Your Majesty… it would be quite difficult.”

Having to abandon familiar surroundings and travel to a completely different environment was deeply distressing. It was only natural that one would want to preserve the surroundings which they were used to. This was especially true for Zaryusu, who was a man that had to shoulder the burden of a family.

There might be some people who did not want to be protected for their entire lives. But Ainz felt that people who could not accept protection when the circumstances called for it were weak, be they PKs or PKKs.

"Saya melihat. Then… Is it possible for the children to become accustomed to that sort of thing?”

“Does that mean you only intend to take the children, Your Majesty?”

Ainz sensed faint criticism within those words.

Zaryusu must have thought that Ainz would forcibly separate the children from their parents.

“Don’t let your imagination run wild. I intend to build a nation where different races can coexist in harmony. The first step of that is to create a place where the children of Lizardmen, humans, Goblins and so on can come together and play happily. That is all. …Still, I trust that all of you do not intend to live and die in this tiny little world of a lake, but that you plan to step into the world at large?”

The faces of the Lizardmen filled with complicated expressions.

“Do you mean… You want more people to become Travellers?”

“I take it the job of Traveller is not very glamorous among the Lizardmen, am I wrong? I am simply saying that you should broaden your minds. …I am not quite clear on this, but could it be that you and your wife do not intend to grant your child a wider view of the world?”

A strange look crossed Zaryusu’s face.

“That… is hard to say. I would like to have our children live in a village that is safe and does not lack food, but times are different now.”

He must have been speaking in his capacity as a parent. This was little different from how Ainz wanted the NPCs to live in happiness. As he mused on that, Ainz began feeling a certain kinship with Zaryusu.

“I understand how you feel. One cannot expect change from those who are set in their ways. The quicker the change, the more the older generation will whine and reject it.”

Ainz shrugged while Zaryusu and Zenberu smiled.

“It is as Your Majesty says,” Zaryusu replied. “The elders still complain every now and then.”

“Doesn’t that mean you’re one of those old folks then, Zaryusu?”

Zaryusu looked at Zenberu in bafflement, but even Ainz had picked up on it.

“Parents with children, then? —Yes. Exactly.”

Ainz looked fondly upon Cocytus, who stood by his side.

“Well, it seems I will have to make this point clear. Cocytus, I shall now give you an order.”

"Dimengerti!"

“Even if Zenberu chooses to oppose me, you are forbidden to harm his friends within this village.”

“I. Hear. And. Obey. Oh Supreme. One!”

Ainz nodded in satisfaction to the deeply bowing Cocytus, and then looked back at Zenberu.

“Then, Zenberu. I would like to know everything you know. Tell me where you met the Dwarves, what sort of life you had with them, what sort of gifts please them, and so on. Tell me everything.”

“No problem, Your Majesty.”

“Such. Rudeness—”

“It’s fine, Cocytus. He would lose his head for something like that under official circumstances—”

Ainz looked around.

“However, this is hardly a formal setting. I shall allow this to go unpunished. I believe I am capable of that much.”

Ainz chuckled, and Cocytus spoke again, confused.

“Ai-Ainz-sama…”

Ainz reached out to interrupt Cocytus, and then glared coldly at Zenberu. Then, he used a move he had practiced countless times before the mirror.

“However, Zenberu, there is one thing you should not forget. Cocytus will feel guilty because of the shameful tone you take with me.”

Zenberu’s body shuddered, possibly out of fear.

Are these pre-battle tremors?

“…My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty. Your servant has overstepped himself.”

“—It is fine, You should be grateful to Cocytus, the administrator of this village. Because of him, I will not harm it directly… hm, it seems I have said something pointless. Shall we begin discussing the Dwarven Kingdom?”

“Before. That. Will. Kamu. Tidak. Take. A. Seat. Ainz-sama?”

Ainz was mildly discomforted by Cocytus’ suggestion.

Ainz did not feel fatigue, so he did not need to sit down. However, he could not simply ignore a valuable suggestion like that.

"Memang. Let us do so. Cocytus, don’t use something too decadent. Anything I can sit on will be fine.”

“Dipahami! Kemudian. Silahkan. Excuse. Me.”

Cocytus went to his hands and knees, prostrating himself on the ground.

The image of Shalltear overlaid itself on Cocytus from Ainz’s memory.

“…I think I know what is going on, but it might be best to ask, just in case. Apa yang sedang kamu lakukan?"

“I. Heard. That. Shalltear. Once. Did. Ini. As. Well. Therefore. I. Sought. Untuk. Imitate. Her.”

“That was a punishment for her. There is no need for you to do this.”

“But. Itu. Lizardmen. Under. Me. Have. Spoken. Disrespectfully. Untuk. Kamu. Ainz-sama—”

“There is no need to bring up the past. I already said I did not mind. Did you not hear me?”

“That. Aku s. Benar. But—”

Haa—

Ainz had tried to talk him around, but Cocytus was proving unexpectedly stubborn. Despite the fact that the undead did not get tired, fatigue filled Ainz’s soul. Sensing difficulty all around him, Ainz decided to abandon his resistance and made a pronouncement.

“—Ah, that’s enough. Then, I shall be taking a seat, Cocytus.”

"Dimengerti!"

His reply was quite forceful.

Sitting down like this in front of others was very — well, to some extent, it was embarrassing.

Still, the others would find it strange if he hesitated here. What he should have done was to adopt the air of an absolute ruler and matter-of-factly sit upon the body of his vassal.

Ainz bent at the waist. In truth, it was very uncomfortable. In truth, it was very uneven. And in truth, it was very cold.

On top of that, Cocytus seemed to be huffing and puffing in excitement, leaking an ever-thickening white mist, so it looked as though someone had sprinkled water on dry ice and the vapors were billowing out from between Ainz’s legs. It looked like some cut-rate special effect used to make someone look more impressive, and it made him feel like he was sitting on a bed of nails.

“Does. It. Silahkan. Kamu. Ainz-sama?”

Crap. He could not be honest here.

A bizarrely curious part of him wanted to know what would happen if he did speak his mind, but the thought of Cocytus’ reaction was too frightening.

“Mm, it’s not bad…”

Will I sound like a pervert if I say that, Ainz frantically thought. However, he could not think of anything else to say.

“Then. May. I. Know. Whether. Kamu. Prefer. Shalltear. Or. Myself?”

"…"

Ainz was struck dumb. How should he answer?

“Eh… Why, why do you want to know?”

"Iya! I. Feel. That. I. Must. Practice. For. When. I. Must. Someday. Bear. My. Menguasai. Upon. My. Back.”

“…Eh?!”

What the hell was he talking about?

Was Cocytus of a species which allowed the female to mount them during reproduction? Or was he just a sexual masochist?

Takemikazuchi-san!

No, he should have been more decent than that. He might have loved fighting, but he should have been a good man who rarely gave people trouble.

But why did Cocytus turn out this way? Ainz was shaken to the core, as though he had discovered someone else’s secret fetish.

“Is, is that so. Itu bagus."

Although, Ainz did not know whether it was good at all.

"Iya! Kemudian. Dare. I. Ask. Apa. Anda. Menjawab. Aku s. Ainz-sama?”

“It’s slightly uneven, but not to the extent that I can’t sit down. In that sense, Shalltear is slightly better.”

“Is. That. So…”

"Tidak! No, I mean, you have your advantages as well. Ah, how shall I put this, cold… yes, this cool sensation would be best on summer days.”

Ainz could not help but wonder why he was so desperate to comfort Cocytus.

“I. See! However… Mm.”

While silently rejoicing that Cocytus had fallen silent to think, Ainz addressed the Lizardman.

“Th-then! Pay no attention to what is happening over here. Come, Zenberu, tell me.”

"Ah iya."

According to Zenberu, he had climbed up and down slopes and peaks to find the Dwarves, spending a month in a fruitless search. It was only when he was about to give up that he encountered a Dwarf who came out to explore the surface. After that, various things happened, and he earned the Dwarves’ trust and was brought to their city.

His appearance had not done him any favors at first, but he had apparently gained their trust after baring his heart to them.

After that, he had learned martial arts in the Dwarven city. He left once he gained enough confidence in himself and returned to the Lizardman village.

The most important thing among all this was whether or not Zenberu could lead Ainz and his party to the Dwarven city.

Zenberu looked a little uncomfortable, but in the end he replied that he could probably do it.

The Dwarven city was underground, in the depths of a cavern, so he should be able to lead him there as long as the mountain’s terrain did not change. When he heard this, Ainz was reminded of the underground cities in YGGDRASIL, and he could not help but get excited.

The last thing he asked about was the distance to the Dwarven city.

Zenberu replied that the journey back from the Dwarven Kingdom had taken about a week along the mountain trails. That had brought him to the northernmost tip of the lake.

Given the Lizardmen were not used to walking on land, a week’s journey on foot roughly translated to about 100 kilometers.

Unfortunately, they had to rely on Zenberu’s memories, so they could not plot the shortest course on a map.

I should be prepared to stray off course repeatedly.

It made him think of his adventures in YGGDRASIL, and Ainz smiled broadly.

“…Is this information useful to you, Your Majesty?”

"Tentu saja. I welcome expeditions in the dark with only a feeble lantern to light the way. That is what they call excitement, no?”

Perhaps they thought Ainz was making a joke, but quiet laughter came from the ranks of the Lizardmen.

Ainz did not intend to correct their mistake. People who did not know YGGDRASIL would find it hard to understand.

“Then, I shall appoint Zenberu as my guide, and we shall prepare to set out according to what he has told me. Aura and Shalltear will arrive soon with their followers in tow, so you should get yourself ready too.”

“I hear and obey, Your Majesty.”

Ainz nodded graciously to him, and then rose from Cocytus’ body.

He paid no heed to the quiet, mournful sound from below him.