Chapter 83

Bab 3: Krisis yang Akan Datang

1

Keretakan Hebat.

Itu mengacu pada jurang besar yang membentang di sepanjang sisi barat Ibukota Kerdil, Feoh Gēr.

Itu adalah celah besar, lebih dari 60 km panjang dan 120m di pada titik tersempitnya. Kedalamannya tidak diketahui. Tidak ada yang tahu apa yang menunggu di sana, dan tidak ada yang kembali hidup-hidup dari dua ekspedisi yang dikirim untuk menyelidikinya.

Untuk waktu yang lama, penghalang alami ini telah melindungi Feoh Gēr dari segala macam serangan mengerikan. Mereka dapat menggagalkan monster mana pun dari barat yang mencoba menyerang selama mereka mempertahankan jembatan gantung yang membentang di Great Rift.

Namun hari ini, pasukan Feoh Gohr – pangkalan militer yang berdiri di antara Great Rift dan Feoh Gēr – berada dalam pusaran teriakan dan kebingungan.

"Apa yang sedang terjadi? Seseorang memberi tahu saya apa yang sedang terjadi! ”

Teriakan itu datang dari panglima tertinggi Angkatan Darat Dwarven, seorang veteran yang berpengalaman lebih dari 10 tahun.

Informasi yang masuk kacau dan kontradiktif, dan tidak ada yang tahu apa yang terjadi. Satu-satunya hal yang bisa dia yakini adalah bahwa sesuatu telah terjadi di benteng yang membela Keretakan Hebat.

"Informasi terbaru yang kami miliki mengatakan bahwa Quagoa sedang menyerang!" Kata salah seorang komandan pleton, mengulangi laporan dari benteng.

Berita seperti itu tidak jarang. Quagoa dan Kurcaci adalah musuh bebuyutan, dan mereka sering menyerang dalam kelompok ratusan. Ada lebih banyak serangan selama sepuluh tahun pelayanan komandan-in-chief dari yang dia ingat, tetapi sampai sekarang semuanya telah ditolak di benteng. Tak satu pun dari mereka yang berhasil mendekati garnisun, apalagi Feoh Gēr sendiri.

Ini karena Quagoa adalah ras yang kuat melawan serangan senjata, tetapi sangat lemah terhadap serangan listrik. Mengetahui hal ini, mereka telah mengisi benteng dengan item sihir yang bisa menghasilkan (Petir) dan efek yang sebanding.

(Petir) adalah mantra yang menembus musuh dalam garis lurus, dan dengan demikian sangat efektif melawan musuh yang berbaris untuk menyerang jembatan. Itu bisa melenyapkan seluruh gelombang Quagoa dalam satu tembakan, dan di atas itu, para Kurcaci yang menjaga tempat itu dipersenjatai dengan busur panah yang terpesona dengan kemampuan untuk menimbulkan kerusakan listrik tambahan.

Sebaliknya, para Dwarf di garnisun lebih rendah dalam hal gigi dan angka. Namun, itu bukan karena mereka tidak ingin mengalokasikan kekuatan militer ke pangkalan penting, tetapi karena Tentara Kurcaci selalu kekurangan tenaga kerja. Jadi, benteng harus menarik para pembela dari pasukan pasukan mereka yang sedikit, dan mereka harus melakukannya dalam jumlah yang tidak akan mengundang kecaman.

Terlepas dari semua spesialisasi ini terhadap serangan Quagoa, benteng itu sekarang berada dalam keadaan di mana mereka bahkan tidak menyuruh orang pergi untuk meminta bantuan. Apa artinya itu?

“Jangan bilang mereka diserang oleh terlalu banyak musuh untuk dilawan! Apakah ada pesan lain dari benteng? "

"Tidak ada sampai sekarang."

Keringat dingin mengguyur punggung komandan.

Kata-kata "invasi besar" muncul di depan matanya. Ada desas-desus tentang hal seperti itu beberapa tahun yang lalu, tetapi meskipun demikian, dia telah berusaha sebaik-baiknya untuk menipu dirinya sendiri, mengatakan bahwa tidak ada hal seperti itu. Namun, itu terbuka di depan matanya.

Panglima militer menyatukan dirinya. Sekarang bukan waktunya untuk merenungkan hal-hal mengerikan seperti itu.

Apa hal yang benar untuk dilakukan sekarang?

Terowongan yang landai dalam bentuk spiral yang dipimpin dari garnisun ini ke benteng, dan di depan mereka adalah ibu kota Feoh Gēr. Gua tempat garnisun itu berada adalah garis pertahanan terakhir mereka, dan di atas itu, mereka memiliki gerbang mithril yang dicampur dengan orichalcum. Mereka bisa menahan serangan musuh dari terowongan jika mereka menutup gerbang.

Haruskah mereka menutup gerbang?

Jika mereka melakukannya, mereka tidak akan dapat mengirim bala bantuan dari sini. Dengan kata lain, mereka akan meninggalkan kawan-kawan mereka, yang mungkin berjuang untuk hidup mereka di benteng.

Tetap saja, keraguannya hanya berlangsung sesaat.

Ada kurang dari 20 orang di benteng. Ada lebih dari 100.000 Kurcaci di Feoh Gēr. Hanya ada satu jawaban ketika seseorang memikirkan sisi mana yang mendapat prioritas.

"Tutup gerbangnya!"

“Kirimkan pesanan! Tutup gerbangnya! ”

Sebelum gema memudar dari udara, suara gemuruh datang dari bumi. Perlahan, gerbang menutupi pintu masuk. Gerbang ini, yang belum tersentuh kecuali selama pelatihan, sekarang digunakan untuk tujuan mereka yang sebenarnya.

"Tuan! Ini Quagoa! "

"Apa?!"

Setelah mendengar teriakan dari tentara yang menjaga pintu masuk terowongan, panglima berbalik untuk melihat. Dia melihat bentuk menjijikkan dari seorang demihuman, berbusa di mulut, matanya merah.

Tanpa senjata petir, bahkan salah satu dari mereka adalah musuh yang tangguh. Dan sekarang, gerombolan mereka, begitu banyak sehingga mereka tidak bisa menghitung dengan kedua tangan, berlari ke arah mereka.

Bagaimana ini bisa terjadi? Apakah benteng itu benar-benar jatuh? Berapa banyak lelaki yang dibawa Quagoa? Bisakah mereka bertahan melawan mereka bahkan jika mereka menutup gerbang?

Panglima Tertinggi memiliki pertanyaan-pertanyaan ini dan banyak pertanyaan lain di dalam hatinya, tetapi pada akhirnya dia menggelengkan kepalanya.

"Jangan biarkan mereka masuk! Spearmen, maju! "

Dengan tangisan yang luar biasa, para prajurit membentuk barisan tombak.

Bahkan melihat ini tidak memperlambat kecepatan muatan Quagoa. Ini karena mereka mempercayai bulu mereka dan bersembunyi untuk melindungi mereka dari logam.

Panglima Tertinggi mendecakkan lidahnya. Quagoa telah membuat pilihan yang bijak. Kulit mereka sedemikian rupa sehingga baut panah mungkin memantul ketika menembaki mereka. Satu-satunya hal yang bisa dilakukan oleh tombak adalah menahannya. Namun, orang-orang di sini telah mengantisipasi bahwa Quagoa akan mencoba sesuatu seperti ini, dan mereka secara alami mengambil langkah menentangnya.

"Penyihir! Serangan kilat!"

Mantra efek tingkat ketiga, (Thunderball) dan dua mantra lapis kedua, (Thunderlances) datang dari balkon yang menghadap ke tombak, pada sudut yang tidak akan mengenai mereka.

Kastor mantra ini adalah tiga penyihir terkuat di pasukan.

Kelompok yang berlari di kepala gerombolan itu langsung dibunuh oleh (Thunderball), seperti yang bisa diduga dari kutukan Quagoa. Quagoa di belakang mereka berhenti untuk menghindari terkena juga.

Itu hanya untuk waktu yang singkat, tetapi itu memberi mereka ruang bernapas.

Gerbang ditutup dengan dentang yang bagus. Suara memalu dan menggedor keluar dari sisi lain pintu yang kokoh.

Suasana tegang di udara agak mereda. Namun, panglima tertinggi, orang-orang di sekitarnya, dan semua orang di sini tahu bahwa ini belum berakhir.

Gerbang itu sangat sulit. Gigi dan cakar Quagoa biasa tidak akan bisa merusaknya. Namun, beberapa Quagoa memiliki gigi yang dikatakan menyaingi kekerasan mithril. Walaupun ini adalah makhluk tingkat pemimpin, tidak aneh untuk menemukan entitas seperti itu berpartisipasi dalam serangan seperti ini. Tidak ada cara untuk menyingkirkan masalah.

"Sialan! Kalau saja gerbang itu dialiri listrik! ”

Itu adalah saran yang dibuat komandan ketika dia pertama kali mengambil posisi. Bagaimanapun, gerbang saja tidak cukup andal sebagai garis pertahanan terakhir. Tentu saja, ada berbagai alasan mengapa mereka tidak dapat mempesona gerbang, seperti kurangnya kekuatan nasional, tetapi sebagian besar dari itu karena benteng selalu berhasil menghentikan invasi musuh. Dengan demikian, para petinggi memiliki sikap bahwa "selama benteng itu bertahan, semuanya akan baik-baik saja".

Melihat sekeliling, dia melihat ekspresi suram dan gelap di wajah semua orang.

Ini buruk. Jika mereka kehilangan harapan untuk masa depan, mereka akhirnya akan kalah ketika pertempuran menjadi putus asa.

Panglima memutuskan untuk membalikkan keadaan, dan berteriak:

"Sudah selesai dilakukan dengan baik! Kami telah memastikan keamanan kota! Tapi itu tidak dijamin dengan cara apa pun! Mulailah mengatur barikade kalau-kalau musuh menerobos gerbang! Percepat!"

Tekad baru memenuhi wajah para prajurit Kurcaci. Pengetahuan bahwa masih ada sesuatu yang bisa mereka lakukan menghidupkan kembali motivasi mereka. Bahkan harapan yang rapuh lebih baik daripada tidak sama sekali.

Kepala staf panglima berdiri di sampingnya dan berbisik ke telinganya.

"Tuan, haruskah kita mengubur gerbang dengan pasir dan tanah?"

Panglima merenungkan kata-kata Kurcaci lainnya.

Jika mereka menyegelnya sepenuhnya, banyak Kurcaci akan menyatakan ketidaksetujuan mereka.

"Mereka tidak tahu apa yang sedang terjadi."

Panglima memperhatikan ekspresi kepala stafnya. Dia mungkin menganggap pernyataan panglima itu sebagai jawaban atas pertanyaannya.

"Maaf, aku tidak bermaksud seperti kamu. Saya sangat berarti – Dewan Bupati. "

"Kamu juga salah satu dari mereka, bukan, panglima? Jadi itu respons mereka terhadap kuncian lengkap? Secara pribadi, saya tidak berpikir menutupnya sudah cukup. Kita harus meninggalkan Feoh Gēr. ”

Panglima itu menyipitkan matanya dan menyeret kepala stafnya ke tempat di mana orang-orang itu tidak akan mendengar mereka.

Dia tidak ingin pembicaraan mereka didengar oleh siapa pun.

"Kamu juga berpikir begitu?"

Mereka tidak tahu berapa banyak Quagoa di sisi lain gerbang itu.

Serangan musuh terlalu cepat dan mereka dipaksa ke kaki belakang. Dengan demikian, mereka telah kehilangan banyak peluang untuk belajar tentang musuh. Apa yang mereka lakukan sekarang adalah seperti mengunci diri dan menutup mata.

Satu-satunya data yang solid yang mereka miliki adalah bahwa musuh memiliki kekuatan tempur yang cukup untuk menjatuhkan benteng yang sebelumnya tak tertembus, dan mereka harus memikirkan cara untuk menghadapinya.

Dalam keadaan seperti ini, dan setelah mempertimbangkan kekuatan bertarung mereka, akan sangat sulit bagi para Kurcaci untuk membuka gerbang dan memukul mundur musuh. Solusi terbaik mungkin dengan meninggalkan modal mereka.

"Lalu, berapa banyak waktu yang akan menguburnya di tanah dan tanah membeli kita?"

"Jika kita runtuh gua, kita akan dapat membeli banyak waktu, tetapi jika kita menggunakan pasir dan kotoran saja, kita hanya akan mendapatkan beberapa hari paling banyak."

"Bahaya apa yang akan ditimbulkan oleh keruntuhan?"

"Seperti yang Anda tahu, kami tidak jauh dari Feoh Gēr. Meskipun saya benar-benar tidak bisa memastikan tanpa memeriksakan Terowongan Dokter, ada kemungkinan bahwa hal itu dapat mempengaruhi kota juga. Skenario kasus terburuk adalah bahwa jalan pintas terbuka dari luar gerbang dan Quagoa menuangkannya ke Feoh Gohr … "

“Dengan kata lain, kita perlu mencari tahu sekarang. Lalu, pertanyaan selanjutnya. Apakah Anda pikir benteng itu jatuh karena banyaknya angka? Mengapa orang-orang di benteng tidak memberi tahu kami lebih awal? "

“Saya memikirkan beberapa kemungkinan. Secara pribadi, opsi yang paling mungkin adalah bahwa Quagoa telah meminta bantuan spesies lain. "

"Mungkinkah Frost Dragons?"

Quagoa telah menaklukkan bekas ibukota Dwarven Feoh Berkanan, dan menjadikannya sebagai rumah mereka. Namun, Istana Kerajaan di jantung kota diperintah oleh Frost Dragon.

Kedua belah pihak tidak memiliki hubungan kerja sama yang sempurna, tetapi karena mereka hidup bersama, mereka mungkin saling membantu.

Wajah panglima itu memucat. Frost Dragons pada dasarnya adalah bencana alam begitu mereka mencapai usia tertentu.

Awalnya ada empat kota Kurcaci.

Feoh Berkanan, yang telah ditinggalkan selama serangan Dewa Setan 200 tahun yang lalu.

Feoh Gēr dari timur, yang merupakan ibukota mereka saat ini.

Feoh Raiđō ke selatan, yang telah ditinggalkan beberapa tahun yang lalu.

Dan akhirnya, Feoh Tiwaz, ke barat.

Kota barat ini telah dihancurkan selama pertempuran antara dua Naga Frost – Olasird’arc = Haylilyal dan Munuinia = Ilyslym, dan itu hanyalah reruntuhan yang runtuh.

"Saya merasa sangat mungkin. Meskipun saya tidak tahu apa yang mereka lakukan untuk mendorong banyak orang sombong untuk mengambil tindakan, alternatif lain adalah mereka melakukannya sendiri; entah mereka menciptakan semacam mantra, atau mereka menemukan rute yang melewati Rift Besar. ”

"Bahkan kita, Kurcaci pun belum menemukan jalan keluar di Great Rift."

“Tetap saja, berapa tahun yang lalu itu? Mungkin Quagoa menggali terowongan atau sesuatu ketika monster lain bergerak, atau kerak bumi bergeser dan memberi mereka jalan memutar. Jika Anda berpikir tentang hal itu, mereka mungkin telah pergi di atas tanah juga. "

"Quagoa di permukaan?"

"Mungkin ada seseorang dengan kemampuan itu."

Quagoa benar-benar buta di bawah matahari, jadi tidak mungkin bagi Quagoa untuk memindahkan pasukan mereka di permukaan.

Namun, itu hanyalah angan-angan dari pihaknya.

Tidak, sudah terlambat untuk menyesalinya sekarang. Dia harus mempertimbangkan itu ketika merencanakan strategi masa depan.

“Kepala Staf, kita perlu mempertimbangkan bahwa mereka mungkin dapat melakukan perjalanan di atas permukaan tanah dan meningkatkan pertahanan permukaan kita. Kirim beberapa orang ke sini tanpa membahayakan pertahanan kita di sini. Kami juga perlu menyampaikan kabar kepada Dewan dan meminta mereka mengungsi ke selatan. "

Selain garnisun ini, benteng di depan Rift Besar dan Dewan Dewan di kota itu sendiri, ada satu lagi pangkalan militer di kota Dohar Feoh Gēr.

Itu adalah benteng yang didirikan untuk kepentingan orang-orang yang lebih tinggi daripada Kurcaci – manusia, misalnya – di pintu keluar yang mengarah ke permukaan. Panglima memberikan perintah untuk memperkuat daerah itu dan tetap waspada untuk setiap serangan permukaan.

"Dimengerti!"

“Juga, mintalah para pria bersiap untuk mengubur pintu. Jika kami membutuhkan izin Dewan, saya akan menemukan cara untuk meyakinkan mereka. "

"Bagaimana jika Dewan mengambil waktu untuk berunding?"

"Lakukan yang terbaik. Saya akan melakukan yang terbaik juga. "

Hanya itu yang bisa dia katakan. Tentu saja, rencananya adalah mendorongnya sekuat mungkin, dalam posisinya sebagai salah satu dari delapan anggota dewan, tetapi jika yang lain memveto dia, maka yang bisa dia lakukan adalah berusaha sekeras yang dia bisa pada dirinya sendiri.

"Melaporkan! Melaporkan! Saya punya laporan! Di mana Panglima Tertinggi ?! "

Melihat ke arah sumber suara itu, panglima melihat seorang prajurit Kurcaci yang menaiki Kuda Lizard.

Kuda Kadal adalah sejenis Kadal Raksasa. Mereka adalah reptil besar yang berukuran tiga meter dari kepala ke ekor. Jumlah mereka tidak banyak, jadi para Dwarf mengangkat mereka sebagai tunggangan dan menggunakannya sebagai binatang buas untuk pekerjaan sehari-hari.

Namun, sebagian besar pelari tidak akan menggunakannya untuk menyampaikan pesan. Mereka hanya dipekerjakan dalam keadaan yang mengerikan – ketika mereka perlu memberi tahu garnisun tentang kondisi di garis depan.

Kegelisahan memenuhi hati kepala komandan.

"Dari mana pria itu?"

"Dia seharusnya dikirim ke benteng di pintu masuk permukaan minggu ini."

Itu membuktikan perasaan takut di hati komandan. Tidak, mengingat ekspresi pria itu dan nadanya yang hampir gila, itu jelas jelas. Bertanya sebanyak itu hanya karena dia tidak mau mengakui kenyataan di depan matanya.

"Aku disini! Apa itu?"

Utusan itu berlari menuju panglima dengan kecepatan penuh. Itu tidak bisa ditunda. Ini adalah sesuatu yang harus didengar segera sehingga tindakan dapat segera ditentukan.

Utusan itu jatuh dari punggung Kadal, dan berteriak ketika dia berusaha keras untuk memperbaiki dirinya sendiri.

"Panglima! Ada keadaan darurat! Mon-monster! Ada monster! "

Dia mengira itu tentang Quagoa, tapi dia dengan cepat mengesampingkannya. Pria itu tidak akan menggunakan kata-kata itu untuk menggambarkan Quagoa.

"Tenang! Kami tidak tahu apa yang Anda katakan! Apa yang terjadi? Apakah semua orang baik-baik saja? "

"Y-ya! Ada monster menakutkan di pintu masuk! Mereka mengatakan ingin berbicara tentang pasukan Quagoa yang menuju ke sini! ”

"Whaaaaaaaa ?!"

Waktu mereka terlalu sempurna. Dia tidak bisa membayangkan bahwa kedua peristiwa itu tidak terhubung. Mungkinkah mereka bos dari Quagoa, atau orang-orang yang membantu mereka menyeberangi Great Rift?

"Siapa, siapa mereka? Mereka terlihat seperti apa! Kepala Staf! Kumpulkan setiap orang yang bisa bergerak sekarang! "

"Dimengerti!"

Panglima bahkan tidak punya waktu untuk menyaksikan kepergian bawahannya yang panik.

“Ada berapa banyak monster di sana ?! Apa kerugianmu ?! ”

“Y-ya! Ada sekitar 30 di antaranya. Tapi mereka sepertinya tidak mau bertarung! Mereka bahkan mengatakan ingin membuat kesepakatan dengan kami, tetapi mereka terlihat sangat jahat, jadi saya tidak berpikir itu adalah niat mereka yang sebenarnya. Pasti ada semacam skema di tempat kerja! "

Bagaimana tepatnya mereka memenuhi syarat sebagai kejahatan? Lebih penting lagi, pria ini belum menggambarkan mereka. Setelah diinterogasi lagi, prajurit itu menelan ludah dan menjelaskan,

"Mereka mayat hidup yang tampak menakutkan dikelilingi oleh aura yang tampak tidak menguntungkan!"

"Apa?! Mayat hidup ?! ”

Makhluk yang membenci yang hidup, yang menabur maut di belakangnya, musuh dari segala yang hidup.

Beberapa gambar muncul di benak komandan ketika dia mendengar kata "undead". Misalnya, Zombie Pembekuan, Frost Bones, dan sejenisnya. Namun, tidak satupun dari mayat hidup itu adalah musuh yang kuat. Pria ini seharusnya tahu itu. Kalau begitu, mengapa dia begitu takut?

Selain itu, mengapa mayat hidup datang ke sini? Apakah mereka di sini untuk menikmati pembantaian bersama para Kurcaci dan Quagoa, yang keduanya adalah makhluk hidup?

"Kepala Staf, apakah kamu sudah siap? Pindah begitu Anda selesai! Kami tidak tahu jenis mayat hidup apa yang ada di sana, tetapi jangan anggap enteng! Jangan biarkan mereka meremehkan kami! Mereka mungkin tidak bertindak dengan angkuh, tetapi jika mereka memandang rendah kita, kita akan berada dalam bahaya !! "

2

Grup ini maju, dengan Gondo memimpin.

Karena Gondo biasanya melakukan perjalanan di bawah tanah, ia tidak terlalu mengenal permukaan. Karena itu, ia harus mengandalkan indera pengarahannya di medan ketika harus bergerak maju. Awalnya, Ainz khawatir tentang ini. Tetapi setelah melihat Gondo maju tanpa ragu-ragu, dia mulai memercayai pria itu. Sekarang, dia sepenuhnya mempercayakan tugas bimbingan kepadanya.

Faktanya adalah bahwa Gondo tidak punya alasan untuk sengaja menyesatkan Ainz sekarang karena Quagoa menyerang ibukota Kurcaci. Karena itu, seharusnya tidak ada masalah dengan dia memimpin jalan.

Di bawah kepemimpinan Gondo, binatang ajaib Aura bergerak melintasi salju seperti dataran berumput.

Mereka membual ketangkasan tinggi dan stamina yang hebat, seperti yang diharapkan dari binatang buas tingkat tinggi. Bahkan di udara tipis pegunungan bersalju dan membawa Ainz dan yang lainnya di punggung mereka, kecepatan mereka tidak berkurang sedikit pun. Mereka menuju utara dengan kecepatan lebih dari 100 km per jam.

Mereka telah melihat beberapa monster terbang selama perjalanan mereka, tetapi beberapa geraman mengancam dari binatang buas membuat mereka takut. Berkat itu, waktu perjalanan mereka dikurangi menjadi minimum.

Dalam waktu kurang dari sehari, mereka telah mencapai satu-satunya kota Dwarven yang tersisa, Feoh Gēr.

Ainz menuntun binatang buasnya ke Gondo dan mengajukan pertanyaan kepadanya.

“… Baiklah, Gondo. Kota selatan Feoh Raiđō diakses melalui celah di sebuah gua. Apakah Feoh G liker juga seperti itu? ”

Jika itu masalahnya, mereka perlu mencari jalan masuk. Gondo – yang awalnya takut dengan binatang ajaibnya, tetapi sekarang terbiasa mengendarai itu – menjawab:

"Umu. Sebagian besar kota tempat para Kurcaci tinggal seperti itu. Namun, Feoh Gēr dirancang dengan pertimbangan untuk perdagangan skala besar dengan manusia, jadi ini sedikit berbeda dari Feoh Raiđō. Pertama, mudah bagi manusia untuk menemukannya, dan untuk meminimalkan ketidaknyamanan bagi pengunjung, mereka membangun benteng besar di luar. Anda akan tahu ketika Anda melihatnya. "

Ainz melihat sekeliling setelah mendengar itu, tapi dia masih tidak dapat menemukan jejak struktur.

"Kamu tidak akan melihatnya jika kamu tidak pergi lebih jauh ke timur laut."

Kata-kata Gondo penuh percaya diri. Tampaknya dia cukup yakin di mana tujuan mereka. Karena dia adalah satu-satunya yang bisa memimpin mereka, tidak ada yang bisa Ainz lakukan jika dia salah, jadi yang bisa dia lakukan hanyalah mempercayainya.

Sambil mengatakan "Begitukah," Ainz mengucapkan mantra (Pesan) -nya.

Quagoa yang ditangkap telah dibawa ke Nazarick. Di sana, mereka telah ditanyai, dan pengetahuan mereka digunakan untuk melengkapi laporan Gondo.

Quagoa adalah ras yang tunduk pada yang kuat, tetapi Quagoa dari Pegunungan Azellisian dibagi menjadi delapan klan, yang semuanya dipersatukan di bawah Tuan Klan. Mereka berjumlah 80.000 total.

Setelah menganalisis informasi ini, Ainz mencap mereka sebagai ras yang tidak memiliki pesona baginya.

Jika dia harus memilih antara membantu para Kurcaci atau Quagoa, Ainz akan memilih yang pertama tanpa ragu-ragu.

Namun, dia mengetahui bahwa logam yang dimakan Quagoa ketika mereka muda menentukan kekuatan mereka ketika mereka dewasa. Jika dia membiarkan mereka memakan logam Nazarick, itu bisa memunculkan individu yang kuat.

Kemudian, dia berpikir tentang bijih prismatik di Kerajaan Kurcaci.

Bahkan jika dia belum makan salah satu bijih prismatik, mungkin Klan Tuan ini telah mencapai posisinya dengan memakan salah satu logam langka YGGDRASIL.

Jika dia cukup kuat untuk ditangkap, maka itu layak untuk diselidiki.

Saya harus mempertimbangkan membawa mereka jika mereka dapat mematuhi Kerajaan Sorcerous, meskipun saya tidak yakin memberi makan 80.000 orang. Lagipula, itulah jenis negara yang saya inginkan.

Negara yang diinginkan Ainz.

Itu adalah negara di mana banyak ras hidup dalam harmoni di bawah pemerintahannya. Itu adalah negara yang mereproduksi gambar yang dimiliki oleh guild Ainz Ooal Gown.

Itu adalah negara tempat teman-temannya, di mana pun mereka berada, bisa hidup dan tersenyum.

Karena itu, dia harus menunjukkan belas kasihan pada Quagoa ini.

Namun, jika mereka bersumpah kesetiaan mereka kepada saya, di mana saya harus menempatkan mereka? Gunung ini sedikit jarang … bagaimana dengan pegunungan di sebelah selatan E-Rantel? Tapi mungkin ada penghuni di sana juga … Umu, sungguh menyebalkan. Lizardmen memiliki tingkat teknologi yang sama dengan mereka. Mungkin pengalaman saya dalam memerintah mereka bisa dimanfaatkan. Mungkin ide yang bagus untuk membiarkan Cocytus menanganinya.

Setelah berpikir sejauh ini, Ainz mempertimbangkan sisi berlawanan dari koin.

Bagaimana jika mereka tidak menekuk lutut? Haruskah saya memerintah mereka dengan paksa? Haruskah saya memusnahkan mereka? Atau haruskah saya membunuh semua orang dewasa dan menggunakan anak-anak untuk eksperimen? Apakah memaksa mereka menjadi satu klan dan kemudian memerintah mereka dengan cara terbaik?

Saat ia mempertimbangkan berbagai hal, teriakan Gondo menyela pemikiran Ainz.

"Di sana!"

Ainz melihat ke mana Gondo menunjuk, dan tentu saja, ada sesuatu yang tampak seperti benteng yang dibangun di sisi gunung.

Kelompok itu langsung menuju ke sana. Meskipun ada banyak cara untuk menyembunyikan diri, tidak ada gunanya melakukannya, dan dengan demikian mereka melanjutkan secara langsung dan terbuka.

Ketika mereka menutup jarak ke benteng, para pembela di benteng melihat mereka, dan para penjaga mulai hidup.

Sama seperti apa yang akan dia lakukan sebelum promosi penjualan, Ainz memeriksa pakaiannya, dan memastikan jubahnya rapi dan rapi. Tentu saja, itu adalah benda ajaib dan tidak bisa robek atau berkerut, tetapi ingatannya ketika Suzuki Satoru mengatakan kepadanya bahwa ia harus memeriksanya.

Setelah mereka mendekati benteng, Kurcaci memiringkan busur mereka dan membidik dari jendela.

Satu-satunya orang yang mungkin terluka parah oleh baut adalah Gondo dan Zenberu.

Sementara dia berpikir mengirim mereka untuk bernegosiasi untuk membuktikan bahwa mereka tidak memiliki niat bermusuhan, mereka mungkin akan ditembak oleh baut jika ada yang salah, jadi dia meninggalkan ide itu. Sebaliknya, Ainz akan melanjutkan terlebih dahulu, sementara Gondo dan Zenberu akan muncul nanti.

Dia menghentikan binatang buasnya di luar jangkauan efektif busur panah mereka dan kemudian turun. Karena dia masih dalam jangkauan maksimum dari busur panah, dia memerintahkan Shalltear dan Aura untuk berdiri dan melindungi Gondo dan Zenberu.

Setelah itu, yang tersisa hanyalah strategi anti-pemain.

Jika ada pemain, mereka akan segera mengambil sikap bertahan dan jatuh kembali. Sementara dia tidak bisa mengkonfirmasi ada atau tidaknya pemain selama pembicaraannya dengan Gondo di jalan, itu lebih mungkin bahwa mereka tidak ada. Namun, jika dia ceroboh, dia mungkin akan kehilangan NPC (anak-anak) dan Ainz tidak ingin mengalami itu untuk kedua kalinya.

Semua Kurcaci yang mengawasinya dari jendela memiliki ekspresi beku yang sama di wajah mereka. Berkat janggutnya yang berantakan, dia tidak bisa membedakan satu individu Dwarf dari yang lain, tapi bagaimana dia mengatakannya – mereka terlihat lucu.

Menekan keinginan untuk tertawa, Ainz melangkah maju, berpura-pura tenang.

Tangannya terangkat, untuk menunjukkan bahwa dia tidak punya niat bermusuhan.

Saat dia semakin dekat ke benteng—

"Tahan di sana!"

—Peringatan peringatan terdengar. Sepertinya pemiliknya sedang kejang. Memang, dia adalah mayat hidup, tetapi Ainz tidak bisa menahan nafas saat dia merenung, ini adalah penerimaan yang sangat buruk untuk seseorang yang tidak menunjukkan tanda-tanda permusuhan.

"Kenapa kamu datang ke sini, mayat hidup!"

Ainz membelai tulang pipinya yang mengkilap.

“Aku adalah Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown dari Kerajaan Sorcerous, dan aku datang untuk menjalin hubungan persahabatan dengan bangsa Kurcaci. Kami tidak akan menyerang Anda jika Anda tidak menyerang kami, jadi tolong turunkan senjatamu. ”

Kebingungan muncul di mata Kurcaci yang menonton dari jendela. Ainz mengambil kesempatan ini untuk terus berbicara:

“Setelah menangkap Quagoa yang menyerbu Feoh Raiđō, aku mengetahui rencana mereka untuk menyerang tempat ini. Jika Anda tidak percaya pada kekuatan senjata Anda, maka saya – Kerajaan saya – akan dengan senang hati memberikan bantuan. Ya, itu benar – itu akan menjadi pertunjukkan persahabatan yang baik. "

Dia tersenyum, tetapi karena dia tidak memiliki kulit, kebajikan dari gerakannya tidak terbawa ke sisi yang berlawanan.

"Bagaimana dengan Kurcaci di belakangmu? Apakah dia sandera ?! "

Tampaknya para Kurcaci masih mewaspadai dirinya.

"Betapa kejam. Saya seorang raja, Anda tahu? Apakah itu cara untuk berbicara dengan seorang raja? "

Para Kurcaci saling memandang, dan kemudian salah satu dari mereka merespons.

"Tidak, tidak … tunggu, tunjukkan pada kami beberapa bukti bahwa Anda benar-benar seorang raja!"

"–Saya melihat. Itu masuk akal, ”Ainz setuju. "Lalu, izinkan saya untuk memperkenalkannya. Dia adalah salah satu dari kalian, Gondo si pandai besi, yang kutemui di Feoh Raiđō. ”

Ainz memamerkan gerakan raja yang telah dia lakukan dengan susah payah untuk berlatih.

Dengan suasana seorang pemimpin yang lahir alami, dia memberi isyarat kepada bawahannya untuk melangkah maju.

Rasa kepuasan yang mendalam memenuhi Ainz saat dia mendengar desah kekaguman yang datang dari para Kurcaci. Tampaknya jam latihannya yang panjang tidak sia-sia.

Sekarang setelah Gondo ada di sini, Ainz – yang dalam suasana hati yang baik – memamerkan pose lain dari seorang raja yang ramah dan memberikan lantai kepadanya.

"Maaf, tapi bisakah kamu memasuki benteng dan menjelaskan situasinya kepada mereka secara detail?"

"Umu, serahkan padaku."

Gondo maju ke gerbang benteng dan meminta izin untuk masuk, tetapi gerbang tidak terbuka.

"…Apa yang salah?"

"Aku tidak tahu. Mungkin sesuatu terjadi? "

"… Apakah, apakah itu benar-benar dia ?! Apakah itu benar-benar Gondo si Weirdo? Mungkin seseorang menggunakan sihir untuk mengambil wajahnya! ”

Ainz mengerutkan kening saat dia mendengar suara Kurcaci. Tetap waspada sangat penting, dan bahkan Ainz menyetujuinya. Namun, mereka tidak akan dapat membuat kemajuan jika tidak ada yang memercayai mereka.

Namun, dia telah mendengar sesuatu tentang kemungkinan bertemu kenalan di sini. Jika itu masalahnya, mereka akan sangat beruntung.

“Aku berkata, Gondo, bisakah kamu membuktikan diri kepada mereka dengan menunjukkan pengetahuanmu tentang kota ini? Seperti katakan, di mana Anda tinggal, sesuatu yang hanya orang yang tinggal di kota ini akan tahu? "

"Oh, ohhh, ya … aku akan memberitahu rahasianya kepada istri orang itu. Ah, ada restoran bernama Paviliun Jenggot Emas Hitam! Dijalankan oleh seorang pria yang wajahnya terlihat seperti landasan. Makanannya terasa sangat enak, dan satu-satunya yang layak adalah sup! ”

Kurcaci terdiam. Ainz memandang Gondo, agak kehilangan kata-kata. Jawabannya sepertinya dia berusaha terlalu keras.

“Bodoh! Tempat itu bukan untuk makan, tapi untuk minum! Kekar ​​mereka terasa paling enak! ”

"Pembohong! Ini bir jamur merah yang paling enak! "

"Apa yang kamu katakan, anggur berawan mereka adalah yang terbaik! Bayangkan saja aroma ceria itu! ”

(TL Note: 濁 り 酒 – nigorizake)

“Tidak ada di antara kalian yang tahu bagaimana rasanya bir yang sesungguhnya! Bearded Lady's the best! "

Ainz membuat catatan mental bahwa Kurcaci sangat menyukai bir mereka, dan kemudian menjawab:

"Bagaimana? Bisakah Anda menerima bahwa ini adalah Gondo yang asli? Omong-omong, semua yang ingin kami lakukan adalah memberi tahu Anda bahwa Quagoa sedang berusaha mengelilingi Great Rift dan menyerang kota ini. Yang harus Anda lakukan adalah mengirimkan peringatan kepada orang-orang di atas. Dengan cara ini, negara kita akan menjalankan tugasnya, bahkan jika serangan Quagoa adalah yang sengit. Akan sangat mengecewakan jika Anda menghukum kami setelah itu. "

Beberapa Kurcaci menarik kepala mereka kembali dari jendela.

Beberapa waktu berlalu. Tampaknya beberapa orang berdiskusi.

"Tunggu di sana! Kami akan mengirim laporan kepada komandan tertinggi kami! "

Menurut Gondo, orang itu adalah pemegang penunjukan tertinggi di militer negara ini.

Tampaknya mereka menyadari bahwa ini harus pergi ke otoritas tertinggi mereka.

"Kukuku ~"

Ainz tidak menekan tawanya.

Ada suara gemerincing, dan ketika Ainz melirik ke sumbernya, dia melihat bahwa Kurcaci telah melatih panah mereka padanya sekali lagi. Napas mereka compang-camping; mereka tampaknya berada dalam cengkeraman emosi yang kuat.

Sampah. Apakah mereka marah karena saya tertawa?

"Maafkan aku. Dalam hal apa pun, apakah boleh jika hanya Gondo yang masuk? Dia membuktikan asal usulnya, bukan? "

"Tidak, dia tidak bisa, tidak, itu tidak diizinkan, tetap di sana! Tunggu di sana!"

Dia tidak menertawakan mereka, tetapi sepertinya dia telah membuat mereka semua kesal.

Emosi Ainz yang kuat ditekan, tetapi riak emosi kecil bisa menyelinap lewat.

Bagaimana reaksi sebuah perusahaan jika seorang salesman yang belum pernah mereka temui sebelumnya tersenyum kepada mereka seolah-olah dia memiliki sesuatu untuk disembunyikan? Ainz kesal pada dirinya sendiri karena tidak memikirkan hal itu. Itu menghasilkan kesalahan.

Aku harus lebih berhati-hati, pikir Ainz sambil mundur bersama Gondo.

Maka mereka berdiri di sana selama beberapa waktu.

Ketika Jircniv datang berkunjung, saya menyediakan minuman, perabot dan membuat segala macam persiapan untuk menyambut mereka. Tidakkah para Kurcaci melakukan hal seperti itu? … Tidak, keadaan sekarang berbeda dari dulu.

Berbeda dengan kunjungan Jircniv yang telah diatur sebelumnya, Ainz pada dasarnya adalah salesman dari pintu ke pintu yang dingin. Dia harus bersyukur bahwa mereka tidak mengejarnya di tempat.

Selain itu, dia tidak akan bisa menikmati minuman apa pun yang mereka berikan kepadanya, mengingat tubuhnya.

Tetap saja, kami memang memberikan informasi yang sangat berharga kepada para Dwarf. Saya mengharapkan tanggapan yang tepat. Yah, saya bisa menggunakannya sebagai makanan untuk negosiasi selama hubungan diplomatik resmi. Saya akan menanggungnya untuk saat ini.

Namun, mungkin akan lebih baik untuk berubah dan menghindari pelanggaran.

Pertama, dia mengeluarkan Staf palsu Ainz Ooal Gown. Itu adalah salinan kosmetik yang sempurna, hingga logam yang digunakan dalam konstruksinya. Namun, itu saja; bahkan tidak memiliki sepersepuluh dari kekuatan aslinya, dan itu hanya diisi dengan perhiasan yang memiliki warna yang sama dengan aslinya.

Ainz memberi staf cahaya yang merah, yang dengan cepat menjadi gelap. Mengapa ia memiliki fungsi penyesuaian seperti itu? Obsesi teman-teman masa lalunya membuat dia jengkel.

Tampaknya tidak terkait dengan auranya sendiri.

Ainz memancarkan lingkaran hitam dari belakangnya, tapi seperti yang diharapkan, aura staf tidak berubah.

Apakah ini hanya efek visual?

Tiba-tiba terdengar suara ribut, yang membuat Ainz tersentak dari pikirannya. When he turned to look at the source of the sound, he saw three Dwarves seated on the ground.

They looked like the Dwarves manning the fortress, but at the same time they seemed more impressive. In truth, two of them were better-dressed than the other. That one must have been a soldier in this fortress, and the other two would probably be his superiors.

…Why are the three of them sitting there? Is sitting down to talk the proper etiquette amongst Dwarves? …They’re staring at me with eyes wide open. It would be annoying if it’s a Dwarf-only expression.

Their mouths were hidden by their beards, so it was difficult to see the looks they had on their faces.

Baffled, Ainz nevertheless extended a hand to the seated Dwarfs.

One could take that as the intention to help them up, or that he wanted to shake hands. But in truth, he wanted to tell them that he would rather talk while standing.

It was hard adjusting to different cultures. If he handled this poorly, the other side might take offense.

If they attacked him with something like, “You should have done some research on our country’s customs since you wanted to form a relationship with us”, he would have nothing to say in response.

Though he was very uneasy about this, Ainz gave thanks to his unmoving face, and kept his hand extended.

The Dwarves glanced back and forth between Ainz’s face and hands, a troubled look on their faces.

Hm? Could it be that they’re afraid of me?! …Well, given that I look like this… it can’t be helped, right? Reactions like this are kind of expected from humanoid society…

Although they feared him in E-Rantel as well, they had not reacted in this way. Therefore, it might be that taking the hand of a highly-placed person was impolite in their society.

In the end, the worried Ainz decided to pull them up by the hand.

Since they have the time to waste on this pointless business, it should mean that the Quagoa haven’t attacked yet. If they did attack, we could have them owe us a big one, but just warning them about it would count as a small favor, so I should bear with it. Ahhh, what a shame. Still, which one of them is their leader?

“Well then, I am the Sorcerer-King Ainz Ooal Gown. Are you the gentlemen who are in charge of welcoming me?”

He did not know which of the higher-ups was of higher rank, so he addressed the space between them. Then one of the Dwarves nodded forcefully, like he was trying to shake something off his face.

“Ahem! I, I am the man in charge of the military—”

“The military— I see.”

So this was the commander-in-chief. Ainz was surprised. He had not expected their top man to come down in person.

Could it be that this country has heard of the Sorcerous Kingdom before? Or rather… was it because I brought them news at a very opportune time?

“—Are there any problems with the Quagoa? I do apologize for making you come down in person during a busy time, commander-in-chief.”

The commander-in-chief’s eyes went wide.

“I see… so you already know why I came, then?”

What the hell is he talking about, Ainz thought. Naturally, he did not actually say it.

“—Of course. That is correct.”

He nodded magnanimously, in the regal manner he had practiced many times before.

"…Saya melihat. …Well, as you know, we’ve somehow halted the Quagoa advance for now — no, we’re trying to hold them back.”

“Ho. Hoho. …And?”

Ainz wanted to ask the Dwarf what he thought Ainz knew, but since Ainz had already pretended that he was well-informed, that line of questioning was ruled out.

But has anything leaked out about me?

All he could do was hang on to that thought as he looked forward to their response.

“Before that, I heard from my men that you obtained your information after questioning some Quagoa captured in Feoh Raiđō. Do you have any evidence to support it?”

“There is Gondo, a citizen of this country—”

“—Material evidence.”

“Hm, so, you want to see the captured Quagoa, then? I can bring forth several of them and you can ask them yourselves.”

“An immediate answer… It seems I will have to be frank with you, then. …At this rate, an evacuation to Feoh Raiđō will be very difficult.”

“Commander…!”

Judging by the reproachful tone taken by the man beside the commander-in-chief, Ainz guessed that the man was harping on the fact that the commander-in-chief was talking about military secrets in front of Ainz. However the commander-in-chief calmly continued:

“His Majesty already knows everything. It is as he said — the fact that someone who should be commanding at the frontlines is here is a clear sign of a stalemate. Since he already knows that, it should also be easy to imagine what our troops — who cannot look forward to any reinforcements — intend to do.”

No, I was just asking to be polite. However, Ainz could not speak the truth, and instead he nodded, in the practiced manner of a true ruler.

The commander-in-chief described the terrible state they were in.

The fortress defending the Great Rift had fallen, and they had been pushed back to their final defensive line. Only one gate stood between them and the enemy, and if it fell, the foe would pour into the city and many Dwarves would die. While they had originally planned to buy some time for people to flee to Feoh Raiđō, it was clear that the survival of the entire species would be in doubt if the plan was not radically altered.

After Ainz learned of the Dwarves’ dire straits, he smiled in his heart. Everything was developing in a favorable direction for him.

"Bagaimana dengan ini? I will lend you the use of my forces to beat back the Quagoa for the time being. Bagaimana menurut anda?"

The commander narrowed his eyes, as though to hide the emotion within them.

“Can you do that? Tapi…"

Traditionally speaking, one would need to put down the terms of a deal in writing before a contract could be signed. There were many advantages in handling matters in that way. However, if he freely lent them his strength, he would earn the gratitude of everyone present. One could make gains with a loan that one could not with a written agreement, and Ainz was gunning for that.

Between the fixed and the formless, the formless was generally more troublesome. It was like paying for a meal at a restaurant based on one’s mood. There was the chance that one would be overcharged compared to paying a fixed price.

Generosity is often similar to greed, hm? Did Punitto Moe-san say that?

“After coming all this way and taking so much effort to find you, it would be quite troublesome for me if the country I wished to befriend was destroyed. Won’t you accept my help?”

“…But if we don’t have the approval of the Council…”

“Well, as long as there’s enough time, it should be alright. This is simply an offer of assistance from me. The final decision is yours. Of course, the Council should settle important things in session… but you should know how this sort of thing usually ends up. Meetings go on from dawn to dusk and in the end nobody can come to a conclusion. While it would be a shame to let my journey up to now go to waste, it can’t be helped.”

“…Your Majesty, are you confident in your ability to repulse the Quagoa?”

“If they are only of the calibre that we saw in Feoh Raiđō, then it should be child’s play.”

Mm, Gondo nodded from the side.

“Of course, that is before the Quagoa break into the city. It is very difficult to eliminate only the enemy during a chaotic melee. I trust you wouldn’t want to stand by and let the fighting spill over into the Dwarven city? So I think that right now, your one little door is your last chance, right?”

A bitter expression came over the commander-in-chief’s face—

“—How much longer do you have? How many more days can the gate hold out?”

Ainz’s repeated hammering on the point seemed to have made up the commander-in-chief’s mind for him.

"…Saya mengerti. Your Majesty, I pray you will lend us your nation’s strength.”

“Commander-in-chief!”

Another soldier called out in a panicked voice, and the commander-in-chief glared sharply at him.

Then, the commander-in-chief apologized briefly to Ainz before taking the other man some distance away, so he could not hear.

Then, they talked.

He could hear fragments of conversation, like “this is bad”, “un—”, “Quagoa”, “we still”, “danger before us”, “in any case” and so on.

The general idea seemed to be that it would be hard for them to deal with the Quagoa on their own, so they should take advantage of this opportunity and gamble on it.

It would seem the time had come for one last push.

Infusing strength into his voice, Ainz called out:

“Don’t you think it’s about time to decide your future plans now?”

3

There were eight clans of Quagoa living in the Azellisia Mountain Range.

They were the Pu Rimidol clan, the Pu Randel clan, the Pu Surix clan, the Po Ram clan, the Po Shyunem clan, the Po Gusua clan, the Zu Aygen clan and the Zu Riyushuk clan.

The children of Pu — the hero of old — formed three clans that took his name, and they feuded with the clans which named themselves Po and Zu. There were slight differences between each individual clan, but on the whole each was composed of 10’000 Quagoa, for a total of 80’000 Quagoa distributed throughout the Azellisia Mountain Range.

Now, if someone wanted to know if the Quagoa people were strong, the answer was that they were not.

Even if one clan had 10’000 members, the Quagoa had little in the way of technology or civilization, and ranked among the lesser races of the mountains. They were little more than prey for the strong.

Now, if one asked who the greatest enemy of the Quagoa race was, the answer would be the fellow clans of their race. No, sometimes even the people of their own clans could become their enemies. Other monsters viewed the Quagoa as little more than food. They did not hate the Quagoa, nor did they compete with them. However, their fellow Quagoa thought differently.

That was due to the way in which the Quagoa grew.

The ores and rocks which the Quagoa ate at a young age determined their abilities later in life. In other words, they had to compete with their own people for rare ores and metals to strengthen their bloodline. Thus, their fellow clans were their enemies, but it was only natural that the nearby foe was more troublesome than a distant one.

Similarly, the Dwarves who contended with them for ores were also their enemies, but it was more likely that the dwarves would chase them away with their lightning-enchanted weapons.

However, at some point, a hero of legends — one who surpassed Pu, the hero of old — was born.

He was the Lord of the Clans, Pe Riyuro.

His might far surpassed that of the Blue and Red Quagoa. His overwhelming power allowed him to unite the clans.

Riyuro’s revolution did not stop there.

After discovering an abandoned dwarven city, he gathered the clans there and formed monster-fighting units, using Dwarven prisoners to develop agriculture and animal husbandry.

Bukan itu saja. Usually, when a new clan leader was born, he would exterminate the bloodline of the previous clan leader. This was the commonly-accepted means by which power was exchanged within the Quagoa people. However, Riyuro did not do that. Instead, he chose to let the leaders of the various clans rule themselves. However, Riyuro ordered all the ores to be brought to him. Those who obeyed Riyuro and performed well would be given rare ores, regardless of their status.

For instance, those clans that defeated monster invasions would be known as brave, while those clans that found more gold or precious stones would gain favor and more members. He would reward them for their work with the appropriate ores.

Their competition against their lord turned into competition with each other, and the Lord’s seat was secure.

He had done all these things which no Quagoa had even dreamed of to expand his influence and to set into motion a certain plan.

That plan was to attack the Dwarven city.

The clans gathered their best warriors in response to their Lord’s summons. They sent 2’000 people per clan, for a total fighting strength of 16’000.

This was an army never before seen in history. However, even with that much manpower, a direct attack across the suspension bridge would lead to horrendous casualties. Not only would that defeat the purpose of gathering such numbers, but it ran the risk of being defeated without being able to bring down the fortress.

Thus, Riyuro ordered them to find a way around the fortress.

Although several of the scouting teams did not come back, they managed to find a route to bypass the Great Rift in the end. After that, his troops divided themselves up into three to carry out their tasks.

One group was assigned to find and capture fleeing Dwarves. This task was divided among many smaller squads.

One group was designated as the main force. They were to conquer and loot the Dwarven city. If the elite group took too long in bringing down the fortress, they would step in to help.

The last group was filled with elite Quagoa, who would bring down the Dwarven fortress. This group would move ahead of the main force, bring down the fortress and they might be used to conquer the city as well.

The third group, the vanguard, was led by a Quagoa called Yozu.

He was one of Riyuro’s top men, an exceptional Red Quagoa. His mind was sharp, he was a capable fighter, and he was one of the top candidates for the spot of leader within his own clan.

Even so, it was not easy for someone like him to command his mixed battle group.

After all, the elites from the various clans held deep-seated grudges against each other. However, Yozu could even managed to make use of that.

By fanning the flames of competition between the clans, he brought down the fortress.

Their victory was assured by taking the flanking route and then the fortress, but even then, nobody could doubt his extraordinary command ability.

In truth, nobody else among the Quagoa could match his skill as a commander.

And now, the Quagoa were preparing to checkmate the Dwarves.

***

The first Quagoa among the vanguard who attacked the fortress were assault troops composed of the best of the best. These Quagoa clawed savagely at the hateful gate, but they could not break through.

One more step. Just one step closer, and they could break through that door and trample their hated enemies, the Dwarves. One more step, and they could take this entire domain for their own. They would be ranked first for their achievements, and as their reward, they would receive enough ore to make their heads spin.

However, that chance was denied and sealed away by the cold gate before them.

The Quagoa had a saying; the worm that hides deeper grows bigger.

One of the Quagoa was so angry at being so close but so far that he tried biting the gate. Naturally, he did nothing more than scratch the surface.

Seeing him, several others tried the same thing.

However, regular Quagoa could not harm it at all. They could try for a hundred years and still get nowhere.

Even when they thought to burrow through the rock and bypass the gate, they found that the walls were reinforced by lattices of the same metal which made up the gate.

Regular Quagoa could not breach that gate. Their rare elites like the Blue or Red Quagoa were held in reserve as a secret weapon and not assigned to those assault teams. In other words, their advance was briefly halted here.

Anyone would be frustrated by being denied their glory at their very last moment. However, they were not anxious. This was because they had already reported this to the vanguard commander. If the great Yozu was here, he would surely think of a way that they could not.

Even so, they formed up in clans to rest, because they did not know how much time it would take.

If they were regular troops, they might fidget and wander from stress, or start fighting with other clans. However, everyone here was the best of the best. They rested when it was time to rest, saving their rage and strength for the next battle.

And then, after resting for some time, the Quagoa suddenly looked up, as though their heads were mounted on springs.

There was a low bass creaking that sounded like it came from deep beneath the earth, and the gates began to slowly open.

The assault Quagoa looked at each other.

The Dwarves had sealed the gates in a panic. Why had they opened them again? Did they want to surrender? There were many Quagoa who thought that way, and they laughed mockingly as they bared their teeth.

As if they would accept a surrender.

Their plan was to exterminate the Dwarves. They would not give the Dwarves the time to spout useless words.

They would flood in like an avalanche through the opened gates and brutally slaughter all the Dwarves in their way. After that, they would trample the city underfoot and massacre with all their strength.

A gap slowly opened before the bloodthirsty Quagoa. It was still too small to fit through. One of the murderous Quagoa worked his arm into that gap.

He ventured his sharp claws forth, trying to murder any Dwarves in front of the Gate.

Lalu-

“Gyaaaaaaaaah!”

The Quagoa who wanted to be number one screamed and rolled back. The arm he thrust in was gone, replaced by a fountain of fresh blood.

Their shock at this development was like dumping cold water on the fires of their bloodlust.

It was easy to imagine what had happened.

In all likelihood, someone had cut his arm off with some kind of weapon, but was that even possible?

The Quagoa special ability was that they were extremely resistant to the weapons which the Dwarves typically used. During their surprise attack on the fortress, some of them had been hurt but none of them had died. That should have held true as long as they were not hit by electrical attacks.

But then, why had their comrade’s arm been chopped off?

There was only one reason for that.

That would be the existence of an extraordinary swordsman, who could easily cut through the arm of a Quagoa, a member of a race whose skin and hide repelled all blades.

In other words, there was an unimaginably powerful warrior behind the slowly-opening door.

The Quagoa stepped back, gripped by an emotion they had not yet felt in this battle — fear. During this time, the gap in the door continued to widen.

“Why are you backing down?” called a powerful voice from the rear of the assault team.

“There are no cowards among Clan Pu Rimidol!”

“Ohhhhh!”

That cry of agreement must have come from the members of Clan Pu Rimidol who had been chosen for this assault team. Panicked, those from the other clans shouted as well, proclaiming their strength.

“Clan Po Gusua knows no cowards either!”

“Nobody from the Zu Aygen Clan will lose to the Pu or the Po! How can we let our ancestors laugh at us from the Land of Derey?!”

To the Quagoa, the valorous dead would watch their children prosper from the Land of Derey. It was said that the ancestors would mock those who shamed themselves.

Those words were the trigger that reignited the fighting spirit of the Quagoa.

They dragged the disarmed Quagoa aside, to the wall. The assault teams kept their distance and took a close formation, ready to slaughter this mighty swordsman.

“Charge! No matter how strong he is, the enemy only has one sword! We’ll hit him with more people than he can handle,” someone said.

“No, we just need to rush straight ahead once the door opens. Once we knock him down, we’ll trample him. Then we’ll sack the city.”

“Then, let me take the lead!”

There was a mineral called Nuran which was crushed into powder and mixed into paint. The courageous would take this paint and draw two stripes through their fur as proof of their bravery.

The Quagoa gathered behind one such brave soul. If he was struck down by that sword, they could still shove him in.

The gap in the door was now big enough for a single Quagoa to pass through. While it was too cramped to burst through, they would be losing men for nothing if they hit the entrance with the lightning magic from just now and then closed the doors again.

"Biaya!"

With a valorous cry, over 10 Quagoa made their move.

The brave Quagoa at their head stiffened. The people pushing him from behind felt him being killed by the swordsman. However, they could not stop. If they stopped now, they would be insulting his courage.

Because of that, the Quagoa from behind pushed forward with single-minded intensity, intent on letting their momentum carry them into the Dwarven city to loot and pillage it…

—And then they stopped.

No matter how hard they pushed, they could not carry on. It was as though a thick, massive wall was blocking them.

One of the Quagoa raised his head and looked forward.

It was only natural to wonder if the Dwarves had made a wall.

Because indeed, there was a jet-black wall there.

All their eyes could see was the wall. And then it started moving.

“OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

It was a mighty cry that made the air quiver.

What they had thought was a wall was in actual fact a gigantic shield.

The Quagoa had no history of weapon or armor use, but they had seen the Dwarves use them before. However, they had never seen anything this big. Before them was a shield that could have been mistaken for a wall.

As the Quagoa were baffled by this development, the loathsome creature behind the shield revealed itself.

It was a creature sheathed in black full plate armor, its crimson eyes glowing with hatred.

Even the ignorant Quagoa could understand that it was evil, it was violence — it was Death itself.

A pyun! rang out.

In that instant, the heads of three Quagoa took flight as one.

“UUUOOOOHHHHHHHH!!”

The roar battered at the bodies of the Quagoa.

The hair-raising impact made the Quagoa want to run away with all their heart.

Within their tribes, they considered themselves courageous warriors who did not fear death. However, they had never imagined a being like this in their wildest dreams. The monster before them obliterated their courage.

That being the case, why did they not flee right away?

That was because they lacked the strength to do so. Their instincts told them that if they ran, they would be slain in a single blow from behind. Even so, the eyes of that black being reminded the Quagoa of their desire to live.

“OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

That roar seemed to come from deep beneath the earth. The Quagoa whimpered in response, and took several steps back.

And then, as though to seize the opportunity which had presented itself, another being identical to it appeared. Lalu-

“Hiiiiiii!”

One of the Quagoa screamed.

As they looked toward the owner of that voice, they saw their comrade who had lost his head.

Dia sudah mati. There was no doubt about that. However, his arms started moving, as though grasping for something. It was clearly not a spasm or anything like that.

The only conclusion they could draw was that the corpse was moving.

As though trapped into a nightmare, the still-living Quagoa found themselves imprisoned in a cage of fear.

Clang, clang, went the two massive suits of armor, and then they raised identical, bizarre swords: flamberges.

***

“So, according to the assault team’s report, they haven’t found a way to bring down the door yet, am I right?”

"Iya!"

The Quagoa whose pelt was streaked with red frowned as he listened to his underling’s report.

He was Yozu, commander of the Quagoa vanguard. He possessed a hide that was as tough as orichalcum and his resistance to metal weaponry was even greater than that of regular Quagoa. He was a superior member of his species, a Red Quagoa.

Yozu turned his eyes from his bowing subordinate to the fortress on the other side of the suspension bridge. Beyond the fortress was a tunnel, and after the tunnel was the Dwarven city.

After conquering it, they would have a good location for a base and all their competition for ores would also be eliminated at the same time.

The combination of expanded territory and an unprecedented haul of ores and minerals would make the Quagoa great.

Once that happened, the Quagoa would someday come to rule the entire mountain range.

“If only we could defeat those Dragons…”

Yozu looked around worriedly after accidentally blurting out his true thoughts.

If anyone reacted, they gave absolutely no sign.

That put Yozu somewhat at ease.

The Quagoa had taken the former Dwarven capital as their home base.

The Royal Palace still stood proud within the city, but it was now the domain of the White Dragon. He was a Frost Dragon, who could exhale freezing breath.

The Quagoa had forged an alliance with the Frost Dragons. However, anyone who knew even a little bit about the truth would know that this was nothing like a relationship of equals. The Clan Lord might have prettied it up by saying that it was for mutual co-prosperity and whatnot, but not even the Lord himself believed what he was saying.

The truth was that the Dragons were strong, and their servants, the Quagoa were weak.

To the Dragons, the Quagoa were little more than emergency rations or convenient pawns.

Yozu had once met the Dragons in the presence of the Lord of the Clans, and that was the impression he got after hearing the mighty voice which emanated from its massive jaw. He was also shocked at the sight of the Lord grovelling before the Dragons.

He did not want to see a great hero reduced to that state, but Yozu was not stupid. He keenly understood the insurmountable difference between the might of the Dragons and the Quagoa.

Even so, he could not permit the Dragons to treat them like idiots.

…We can’t do anything about it now. If we fight that Dragon Lord, the Quagoa race (we) will suffer irrecoverable damage even if we win. But… someday.

He was not the only one holding that wish in his heart. All the Quagoa who had met the Dragons — in other words, all the upper-class Quagoa — had the same desire.

To begin with, they needed to find a way to become immune to freezing breath. If Quagoa like that were not born, they would take terrible losses.

The search for that way would take a lot of time.

Yozu swept away his dark emotions. Right now, he had to destroy the Dwarves. That had not been done yet. It would be foolish to let worrying about the future affect what he could do in the present.

Yozu summoned his subordinates.

“Oi, destroy the fortress and then see if we can widen the tunnel walls to let more people in. We need to prepare as much as possible before the main force—”

Suddenly, Yozu’s ears stood up. He thought he had heard a scream from somewhere.

No, it might not have been a scream. It might have been a threatening noise made by a monster. The problem with being underground was that it was very difficult to tell where sounds came from.

This time, however, he knew instantly.

That was because he saw the Quagoa from the assault team fleeing from the fortress while screaming at the top of their lungs.

A hubbub came from the Quagoa around Yozu.

Given the state of the Quagoa who had come back, it was very clear that they were terrified and confused. Several Quagoa even shoved their buddies from behind, and the latter tumbled into the Great Rift.

"Apa yang salah? Is there an emergency?”

One of Yozu’s subordinates answered: “We’re not sure. Could it be a Dwarven counterattack?”

That was not possible. A Dwarven counterattack was well within the expected range of responses. It would not cause the assault teams to flee in panic.

It must have been some sort of special attack. Yozu had once heard that boiling oil was very painful.

“Gather the men and find out what’s going on. If it’s a Dwarven counterattack, continue the advance. We must not let them take the fortress back.”

Yozu’s men formed up into a company per his instructions, and they began crossing the bridge.

The screams continued during this time, and the assault team continued fleeing.

What were they running from? Was it the result of the mysterious power called magic?

As Yozu thought about the matter, a pair of silhouettes appeared at the door of the fortress.

They were big, black… somethings.

“—What, what are those? Giant Dwarves? Dwarf Lords?”

Yozu had never seen such beings before. Although he knew that the Dwarves used armor as part of their equipment, and that some sets of armor covered the entire body, what he saw now was completely different from what he had seen then.

In their right hands they carried wavy-bladed greatswords, while in their left they had massive shields.

Given that the Lord of the Clans was slightly different from regular Quagoa in appearance, the Dwarven Lords probably looked different from regular Dwarves.

Yozu did not know the true identity of the beings which stood at the entrance of the fortress like Nio statues. However, his animal instincts told him that they were dangerous entities.

(TL Note: Nio statues = temple guardian statues modelled after the Bright Kings of Buddhism)

He also understood why the assault teams had fled from those monsters with all their might.

His subordinates around him were frozen in shock, the same way he was. The only beings that still moved were the Quagoa running from the fortress. They did not look back; their energies were fully focused on getting across the suspension bridge.

The black suits of armor roared.

Even at such a great distance, the cry ripped through the air and made his fur stand on end. Yozu’s guts clenched and turned cold. It was like feeling a Dragon’s roar through his entire body.

As though on cue, he saw Quagoa slowly emerge from beside the black suits of armor.

Did they escape? Or did they betray us? No, that’s not—

Yozu’s eyes went wide.

One of the Quagoa he saw was missing its head.

He squinted, and saw that several Quagoa were trailing their innards behind them, while others seemed to be shambling in an uncoordinated manner, the left and right halves of their bodies moving out of sync,  as though they had been cut in half.

Beings that moved even when they could not be alive were —

Sihir! Magic that controls the dead!

“Is that the Dwarves’ secret weapon?”

Yozu agreed with what his subordinate had said.

Did they have an ace in the hole besides lightning-enchanted weaponry?

“…Are they Golems?”

It was said that when the Dragon took possession of the Royal Palace, it had fought monsters with those names. Apparently, they looked like armored statues.

“Are those the Dwarves called Golems?”

Yozu shook his head at his subordinate’s question.

“No, Golems are monsters. The Dwarves probably raised those.”

“Like the Nuks we tamed, then?”

(TL Note: ヌーク)

These Nuks were magical beasts.

Their males were 3.5 meters long and weighed 1200 kg. They were shaggy four-legged herbivores who could survive on even a little bit of algae. They were tough enough to survive in heavy snowfalls, so many monsters in the Azellisia Mountain Range fed on them.

In any event, there was no telling how well those black Golems could fight, but given the fleeing Quagoa and the assault teams’ diminished numbers… no, more than that, Yozu’s goosebumps and his cold sweat told him everything.

Beating them would not be easy, but fortunately, they only seemed to be watching them from afar and not trying to cross the bridge.

“It, it seems they came to take back the fortress.”

“Y-yes, that’s right. Alright, form up again while they’re still stopped. At the same time, we’ll prepare to — they’re moving!”

The black suits of armor broke into a run, charging at the suspension bridge.

“Who was that! Who said that they were there to take back the fortress?!”

“Commander! Now’s not the time for that! What should we do!?”

The Quagoa  which Yozu had sent out bared their claws, ready for battle.

The black suits of armor braced their shields and blew through the Quagoa where they made contact.

Sent flying by overwhelming power, many Quagoa fell from the suspension bridge. The black suits of armor did not stop. Though they slowed down a little, they continued their charge forward with shields raised, like rampaging walls.

If this kept up, they would soon cross the bridge completely and reach this place.

And then, when that happened… what would happen? Realizing the mortal danger which awaited him, Yozu shouted.

“Cut, cut the bridge!”

If they destroyed the bridge, the main force would only be able to use the flanking route, and that would waste a lot of time. The Dwarves would probably strengthen their defense in the interim. Thus, one could consider their first objective of taking the fortress to be a failure.

After the loss of manpower and resources during this operation, failure would not be a matter that could be simply excused by a rebuke. However, all that paled in comparison to the danger of letting those black suits of armor cross the bridge.

If they reached this place, everybody here would die. The black suits of armor were such beings.

“Didn’t I tell you to cut the bridge?!”

The Quagoa could not help but watch the black suits of armor smash their men away with their unimaginable might. At the second cry, they finally managed to move. However, almost all the Quagoa who had been sent out from the rear were had been sent flying into the abyss, and there were only a few Quagoa left on the bridge to face the black suits of armor.

All of those Quagoa desperately bit and clawed at the steel suspension cables of the bridge.

“Have one of the assault teams stall their advance!”

Being told to stop the Golems right after hearing the command to destroy the bridge was no different from a suicide mission. Even so, a suicide squad immediately assembled and bravely went forth.

As expected, the suicide squad bounced off the shields, but some of them managed to get past and hurled themselves upon the black suits of armor. However, the black suits of armor paid them no heed. Being bitten did not seem to hurt them, and they continued their advance.

The bridge had not yet fallen.

If this kept up, the black suits of armor would make it all the way across.

As Yozu realized this, his body began moving on its own. He leapt down from his command post high above, and used the force of his landing and the sharpness of his claws to deliver a hit to the steel cables of the bridge.

A great ping tore through the air.

The suspension bridge rose and fell like a gigantic wave, and broke.

Yozu could not withstand the serpentine thrashing of the suspension bridge and was thrown into the air. However, he managed to grab a dancing cable before he was swallowed up by the yawning darkness beneath him. Since Yozu could not control his movements in mid-air, it was an unimaginable stroke of luck for him. He pulled himself along the cable as his body swayed in mid-air, and managed to make contact with the edge of the cliff.

However, he did not even have the time to catch his breath. A malevolent cold filled his body. Yozu listened to his instincts and threw himself prone.

In that instant, a screaming object swept past the fur on Yozu’s back. Unbelievably enough, that object was a flying Quagoa. Under these dire circumstances, the black suit of armor had managed to throw one of the suicide squad members at Yozu with its ridiculous arm strength.

The thrown Quagoa hit one of Yozu’s men, who was still frozen in shock. The two of them disintegrated into chunks of gory meat with a brief, agonized cry of “Pigya!”

However, that was all, because the suicide squad and the black suits of armor vanished into the Great Rift.

Silence filled the air.

Yozu slowly peered into the darkness of the Great Rift. He was not the only one to do so; all the survivors looked into the darkness that had swallowed everything. All of them knew that there was no surviving that drop; even so, they could not erase their fear that the black suits of armor would come clambering up the sides of the chasm.

After what seemed like forever, Yozu finally sighed in relief.

They did not look like they would be coming back.

Looking around, he saw that there were precious few of his men who had survived.

Even so, the fact that they had survived against those black suits of armor was worthy of praise.

“We’re pulling back!”

If they did not report those Golems to the people on top, things would be very bad for them.

If those were being mass-produced, it was the Quagoa who would be annihilated instead. Yozu did not feel that there were only two of them.

“…How fearsome those Dwarves are.”

Yozu deeply regretted underestimating the Dwarves. To think they knew how to produce such monsters—

“In any case, we need to inform the main body about this. Messengers!”

The people who ran over in response to Yozu’s call were the Quagoa Riders, who far exceeded the average Quagoa in mobility. They possessed a special ability which made them immune to the fatigue caused by extended sprinting.

The reason why he had called this many of them over was because moving in small numbers ran the risk of the entire group being wiped out by a monster ambush. That was not to say that moving in force guaranteed safety, but that it did not matter how many died as long as one of them survived to pass their message on to headquarters.

"Baik! Pergi! Don’t forget, your mission is very important!”

Yozu gave another order as he watched them leave.

Needless to say, it was to fall back immediately to meet with the Lord of the Clans.