Chapter 110

"Yes?" Ainz asked, briefly worried that he jinxed the moment with his excitement.

Lupusregina spoke through the door. "My Lord, Lord Demiurge states that he is always ready to serve you… but that he requires one day more to complete the hand off to Albedo, if that pleases you."

The door was, like the rest of the rooms of Nazarick, enchanted so that sound would not carry out, while a voice going in would only carry if there was a knock first. Convenient for privacy, which was an understatement, but still insecure, Ainz was glad he hadn't shouted with relief and happiness at his ability to solve a problem.

"Good!" He shouted back, "Have Foresight and Leinas Rockbruise sent to me immediately…" He felt his gut tighten for a moment… "Make sure Shalltear knows to send Leinas dressed for battle and without her tail."

"My Lord." Lupusregina acknowledged and withdrew.

When she was gone, Ainz thought of the other knights, once powerful figures in their own right, they were handily defeated by a much elevated and much better equipped Foresight, and yet they might still be useful.

Then there were the bodies of the dead which hadn't immediately responded to the minor seventh tier spell to raise them as skeletons. They had to have been higher level than the low range intended by the spell he'd cast. 'Something might be made of them too… I thought about returning them to Jircniv but… maybe something else instead…'

A guild needed members, a new organization especially required loyal persons, capable persons. 'I have too few from outside of Nazarick, supplies are a problem, a lack of extra available talent is a problem…'

But loyalty was not a problem for those who were 'turned'.

A knock at the door resounded in three steady blows, "Lord Ainz, your faithful have come at your calling."

'Roberdyck.' Ainz recognized the voice, now a Templar of considerable power relative to the outside world, he endeared himself to other Nazarick denizens by insisting that Ainz was in fact a God.

Ainz opened the door and found all five kneeling outside, not daring to even think of entering his chamber.

"I have an assignment… a mission of goodwill to a neighbor state. The Draconic Kingdom is in a fair amount of trouble with the advances of the Beastman Kingdom. The beastmen don't seem like the sorts of neighbors who will respect boundaries or borders. Moreover, the Draconic Kingdom seems more open to working across racial lines. For that reason, you will travel to her Kingdom and aid her in holding back the beastmen. A token of goodwill from the Kingdom of Nazarick to our neighbors."

"My Lord." They acknowledged with heads bowed.

"You will state that you are from our nationalized Adventurer's guild," he tried not to smile when the five of them immediately got little smiles of their own at his statement, "and that I trust it will be no issue that I have nonhumans in my employ."

Leinas raised her hand and her head, and when Ainz acknowledged her with a glance she said, "My Lord… pardon me… but you said nonhumans. But should-"

Ainz stopped her, "Your late comrades. I will have them raised and turned. Another vampire and a pair of werewolves should make a flexible enough team. We'll just have to change your faces to ensure you aren't recognized, and equip you in materials of your own. Carry the order to Pandora's Actor, Lupusregina, and Shalltear to see it done."

"As my Lord commands." Leinas said and bowed her head again.

"Have you any other tasks for us while there, my lord?" Hekkeran asked.

"Just one thing… spread word that the Kingdom of Nazarick will be nationalizing our adventurer's guild, providing training and equipment for those who will serve the King with loyalty. Invite them to come to my kingdom, if they wish to become more than mere monster hunters… if they wish to become adventurers."

He placed special emphasis on the final word and he could all but see the goosebumps rise on their skin.

"We hear and obey… with happiness." Arche said with reverence and a head that seemed somehow more deeply bowed than before.

"Then go, and see it done." He gave the order, and they stood as one with hands closed into fists still pressed over their hearts, they backed away several steps, and withdrew from his presence. Alone again, Ainz turned back to the matter at hand.

"The dwarves… what kind of people will they prove to be?" He muttered and went over what few documents his subordinates had been able to gather, for over a century the dwarves had largely ceased to take an interest in the outside world. Instead they seemed only to care for their life under the mountain range and nothing more.

But what he did find was more than a little interesting. Runecraft was once exceedingly popular and expensive, but two facts stood out above all else. 'Only dwarves can do it. And the oldest known references to runecraft predate the six Great Gods and the arrival of Tier magic. That means this is more closely aligned to either Wild Magic… or a kind of unique racial skill. The dwarves may be the most valuable ally I could make in this world for the foreseeable future.' Excitement at such a tremendous success was hard to suppress, and alone as he was, he didn't bother to try.

"Ha! What a win… cost free enchantment limited only by time! How is it that every Kingdom hasn't tried to monopolize this for themselves?!" He all but shouted and then it hit him.

He slammed the paper in his hands down and held his hand hard over it as if afraid it might blow away. "Maybe they have… perhaps that is why the dwarves have been so withdrawn for so long? He tried to recall his time as a salaryman and what it meant to deal with recalcitrant potential clients and customers. 'They would always be the toughest to win over… Okay, Suzuki Satoru… this might be the toughest sale of your life… but you can do this!' He tried to tell himself that, but was briefly lost in all the ways it could go wrong, including darker imaginings.

A scene from a very old movie came to mind, The Lord of the Rings, and the scene in which they sought to go under the mountain and found the dwarven hall dark and empty. The threats that lurked hot on the heels of the main characters.

The prospect of shadows and torchlight, the prospect of danger and the unknown, it was all in his head. 'Don't be ridiculous. This will be a very casual meeting establishing trade ties and a chance to get a deeper look into Demiurge's loyalties, nothing could possibly go wrong on something as simple as this… a guide… yes… if I just show up by magic I will appear far too intimidating to trust. But if I go with someone familiar to them? The Lizardmen knew something about this, as they have travelers perhaps… perhaps they would know more.'

The prospect of greater knowledge and a 'friendly face' to present to the dwarves on arrival was far too advantageous not to consider, and it solidified his decision. 'First, a trip to Green Claw Village.' He decided, and releasing the pressure on the document, he turned and walked toward the door of his room, ready to leave.