Chapter 335

"What are we doing here, my lord?" Nua asked as they stood in front of the orphanage. It wasn't a large building, being only two stories and made of logs sealed together with pitch. But it was wide and deep.

"Getting your... replacement." Raymond replied.

Nua stopped dead. "You're... you're going to let me go?"

"For the carriage. You will ride with me." Raymond replied without looking at her a second time.

"I-I understand." Nua replied to him and lowered her eyes, "But... how will an orphanage help?"

"They have no slaves here, but because of how many were killed in the Allfather's war there were many orphans. The frogmen slew large numbers of border villagers, the knights left behind wives and children, a great many of their young ended up here or in places like it." Raymond explained to her, and watched the dawning light in her eyes. He went on, "When they get older, they're released from the orphanage, and there's always ones who struggle to find work."

He reached the door and pulled it open while Nua followed behind him. The floor was of varnished wood, and the door opened to a wide entryway with a single desk at the center where an aged human woman sat scribbling something on some papers in front of her. When Raymond and Nua entered, she set the quill into her inkwell and looked up at him. Her hair was short and gray and done in a tight bun, her features were wrinkled and her hooked nose was distinctly crone-like. "Name and purpose." She said, clearly by rote.

"Raymond and Nua. We're here to acquire someone." Raymond explained.

"Are you looking for a boy, a girl, and for what purpose? Do you have a farm, do you need a wife for you, a husband for her, or are you seeking an apprentice for your craft? Be specific please." She folded her hands together and though he couldn't see it, he could hear her foot tapping beneath her thick wooden desk.

"Ah, a driver for my carriage." Raymond almost stammered the words but he cleared his throat, "Boy or girl will be fine as long as they're old enough to look after themselves when not driving."

"I see... do you want a labor contract then?" She asked, "Something long term?"

"I want no questions, but in addition..." He answered with a shake of his head, "Some experience is preferred, but not vital, Nua can train them."

"I see. Very well, I can select a few who are about to be removed from here." The old woman replied and pushed herself up from the desk. "Please wait where you are, I will bring out the most promising."

She took up a walking stick that leaned against her desk and carried herself down the hall and into a door large enough for one single person to pass through. They heard her muffled voice, and Nua's ears twitched a bit before she went completely stiff at his back. He could feel her eyes on him, and her unhappiness.

There was no chance to discuss it as the old woman emerged again, this time she had three young people in tow. They were young humans, two male and a female, Nua noticed, and they shuffled out behind the old woman with eyes downcast and with small, shuffling steps. They were clad in relatively cheap clothing, simple brown shirts and pants that must have been white once, but had faded to gray. Their hair was closely cropped to their heads, though not completely shaved, and was uniformly brown. Their shoes were not in the best condition, being simply leather strips nailed into wood with laces over the top to hold the two wrapping sides together.

Notably, they were at least 'personally' clean. "These three are due to leave tomorrow, but you can have one or more of them today. However, there is the matter of..." She held up her withered hand and rubbed her thumb, fore, and middle fingers together, "coin. You see caring for children is such a... 'costly' enterprise, and we do so want the best for them even after they leave us. So... expenses must be paid for."

Raymond looked the trio over. "You, girl. What's your name?" The cardinal pointed to her, she raised her eyes.

"Sylia." She said and snapped her eyes back down when she saw his stern countenance.

"You, boy?" He asked and pointed to the young man to her left.

"Soren." The boy muttered, he too darted his eyes up and then back down again.

"And you?" Raymond spoke to the last.

"Lores." It was a slightly deeper voice, but only just.

"Triplets?" He asked as he looked them over.

"Yessir..." The bigger of the trio uttered. "Father died in the war... mother died after... lost the farm... debts too big... ended up here."

"I see." Raymond muttered. He rubbed his beard, "I planned on only getting one... but I budgeted more for this journey than I needed. You three were farmers, you say?"

"Yessir..." Lores answered.

"Which of you can drive a carriage and work with horses?" Raymond asked the most pointed question, and scanned the trio, Nua stood still, silent.

A well of pity rose in the elf to watch the three young people considered as they were, almost like livestock themselves.

"I... I can, sir. I was the best at it." Sylia's hand went up with a hesitant half gesture as if she wasn't sure whether her answer was wise or not, her eyes darted left and right, but she hastened to add, "I-I was the best at it, I drove the cart at least, never a carriage, and I know how to take care of horses real good, they like me." A smile more fragile than glass formed on her face and then fell apart under the weight of Raymond's steady examination.

He looked past them toward the old woman, "I'll take all three. And tell me where I can purchase some farmland on our way to the next large city."

"Ah, Peronia is two days travel from here by a swift carriage ride... the land there is very good." She said and watched as his hand vanished into his pouch and three gold coins emerged.

"That's each." She said and licked her lips.

"No, it isn't." Raymond retorted and held the coins out.

She snatched them away, her mouth opened for a moment, and then spoke to the trio. "You're his problem now." She said, and the trio lowered their eyes to his feet.

"Follow." Raymond replied and as they followed with a steady trudge, with Nua taking up the rear position he said, "Lores, Soren, how quickly can you acquire a pair of horses and a cart if you have the money?"

"Ah, two hours, sir, maybe less if we don't haggle." Lores answered, his voice going deeper as his confidence went up.

"Good." Raymond drew out a handful of coins from his pouch, "Go purchase a cart and two horses, and supplies enough for the five of us, but see that there's ample remainder." He then turned to Sylia, "You, Sylia, go with Nua, show her what you know and take instructions from her as needed. Be ready to drive my carriage by the time your brothers get back."

"Yessir..." The trio said, and Raymond stood aside to watch as they followed his instructions. Nua kept glancing back at him as she led the girl over to the carriage, confusion etched on her face while Raymond stood with seeming indifference and waited.

Lores proved to be less than accurate, he and his brother returned within the hour, and Nua presented herself to her master just as they pulled up in an old cart drawn by two young horses. The creatures snorted and pawed at the ground, and Lores patted several sacks behind him.

"Sir, we've got enough food here for a good long time." Soren spoke for his big brother and Raymond pointed to the carriage.

"Nua, get in. Sylia, drive. Lores and Soren, follow, we're following this road all the way to Peronia."

When they were alone inside the carriage Nua sat across from him and crossed her arms. Neither spoke until the carriage lurched forward, after which she spoke. "So, let's talk, Raymond."

"Yes, let's." He said and slapped his hands down onto his knees. "You don't like what happened there." He guessed.

"It may not be a slave auction but… if you'd asked for them to be stripped and show their teeth, I think the old woman would have done it." Nua answered and narrowed her eyes, "First I want to know how you knew, second… why all three? And the extra horses, and all those supplies? Are you planning something lewd with that girl?" She raised her golden brow at him until he leaned back in his seat.

"Because we planned out my path of travel long before I got here. So of course we investigated the local laws and issues… orphans are a problem between both the Kingdom of Carne and the Kingdom of Nazarick, both wars made a lot of orphans. And they end up in places like that. These are actually fairly nice, these are at least fed. They end up getting 'adopted' for money, or taken on as 'apprentices' but it's really just cheap labor. They work farms, they work for smiths or… whatever. I suppose I should be impressed that these places do as much as they are. But at the end of the day, children with no parents are a commodity."

Nua looked at him long and hard, her eyes never blinked.

"I'm not endorsing, this, only telling you how it is." Raymond said after the stare lingered for too long, the carriage bounced around a little as Sylia showed her 'skill' might have been slightly overstated.

"So…?" Nua prompted.

"I'll keep Sylia as a driver for the duration and you'll be more of a personal attendant. In Peronia I'll buy a farm and let the brothers work it, on the way back, I will leave Sylia with them, if I don't return in a few years, I'll tell them the farm is theirs." Raymond said and glanced out the window to watch the distant lands pass by.

"So… you're letting them go." Nua answered.

"Of course." Raymond said as if it were self-evident.

"But not me?" Nua asked. Her crossed arms tightened.

"No." Raymond replied. "They're humans from a foreign country. You're a slave of Cardinal Dominic Ihre Partouche."

Nua took that in with great calm. "So… you're going to give me back to Dominic. You know what he's going to do to me. You know talking to him won't stop it."

"Maybe I can buy you from him, tell him I've grown fond of you. He might laugh, but I don't think he would mind." Raymond pointed out.

"What if I don't want that? What if I don't want to end up as… I don't have a future there, Raymond." She asserted with an edge to her voice while she ground her teeth.

"I'll treat you well, I have only humans in my employ… but you know I won't hurt you. I won't force you to do anything." He tried to reassure her, but she inched away from him on the seat.

"You're making me go back." She said pointedly and he nodded.

"Of course I am. I-I have… a favorable view of you." He said and shifted a little under her withering stare.

"Lucky me." Nua dripped the words from her tongue. "I'm so well loved by my master that he'll keep me as his personal pet so his friend doesn't make me scream. You could just… stop the carriage and let me go…"

"I'm not going to do that." Raymond said, "What kind of monster do you take me for?"

"A monster… for letting me go?" Nua asked. "What are you talking about?"

"If I release you, you're as good as dead." Raymond said, and the cold silence thawed as the fires of confusion warred on Nua's face.

"Why do you think Dominic sent a broken in elf?" Raymond asked her and then leaned forward, "Because you're easy to hunt outside the Theocracy. Wood elves are found in only a few places, and you may hide well in shadows, but not in populations. If you run, the Agante will hunt you down, or the half elves will. If I try to tell them you're dead?" He pointed to the collar around her neck, "He'll know you're still alive. Why do you think you never hear of high placed elf slaves just making a run for it, or betraying their owners? Enchantments like this are rare and expensive… but for the ones who attend cardinals directly? You can expect it."

"So… so I'm…" Nua's face paled.

"It's worse than you thought, yes. I'm sorry… the best I can do is make sure you don't go back to him… after that, once you're in my house? I can… I can make some kind of an arrangement. But you are still leashed to Dominic whether you're with him or not." Raymond said and looked away from her. "I… I am truly sorry."

"What if I tried to appeal to one of the leaders we're going to see?" Nua asked, then shook her head at her own question. "No, no nation is going to start a conflict over one woman. I'm alone… completely alone." She whispered.

"No… no, you're not. I'll- I'll protect you… it's the least I can do after I- after I- after the things I tried to do to you… I'll never forgive myself for that… never, not if I live to be ten thousand years old…" Raymond said to her with a pallid expression of utter horror as his own memories tore at his conscience.

"I'll believe it when I see it, Raymond." Nua said, though her crossed arms relaxed a little.

"If I could do anything… do you have any ideas?" He asked, half in accusation, but to her credit, Nua looked him in the eyes to answer…

"No. So… for now, I'll play my role with you in public and in private we're what? And don't say 'Raymond and Nua'. You know that's not what I mean."

"Just think of us as colleagues… for now?" Raymond suggested, and Nua gave that a slow, measured nod.

"I can accept that. On one condition." Nua said, and Raymond waited for her to name it.

"Teach me how to use that knife." She said, and Raymond quickly nodded in assent to her wishes.

"Consider it done." He said.

Their travel after that was swift, with the drivers operating in shifts, they reached the city of Peronia in the Kingdom of Nazarick, acquired a good plot of land with a small hut… in need of some repair, lay waiting, and in short order, two brothers were left behind with horses and supplies and watched their sister drive the carriage away.

"Do you think they'll worry about her?" Raymond asked as he looked out the back window, the two boys were already beginning to work with the supplies they'd acquired from Raymond and their lingering eyes became far more fleeting and then stopped entirely long before his carriage was out of sight.

"No. They assume you're sleeping with me." Nua answered without a smile on her face.

"Oh." He answered while keeping his face completely blank.

"They believed me completely when I told them so." Nua answered with her face just as blank as his.

"So… now what?" She asked and began to look out the window.

"The carriage has a scribal kit under the seat. We'll be meeting with the other national leaders today to get an update on the search for the missing Queen Draudillon. I'm sure my colleagues are furious at my decision to let nonhumans roam my country, but…" He almost laughed, briefly tightening his lips together to stifle it, "I also know that they had no better ideas on how to salvage the situation… especially since they were mostly at fault."

"How's that, Raymond?" Nua had to ask, her curiosity piqued at the rare insight into the decisions of those who ruled her personal hell.

"The Draconic Queen was distancing herself from us politically, trade terms were tightening to become more favorable to her country than to ours, and they were no longer selling land to our nobles." Raymond explained, but Nua only stared blankly.

"Right… you wouldn't know." He muttered, "Our nobles used to buy and trade Draconic Kingdom land in the… danger zones. Places that could be farmed, and more importantly… rented. When the beastmen invaded, we would buy it up cheaply, when they went back, we would sell the land for a profit to those who were desperate for a place to farm, or more commonly 'rent' it for high prices, and the nobles would trade it among themselves like currency."

He watched Nua's eyes spark with understanding. "I see, so it kept… a lot of money flowing west into your country's hands, I'll bet."

"Money that helped pay for the war against your people. And that flow has begun to dry up. The Draconic Queen 'borrowed' a lot of money from the Allfather and bought some of it, a lot more she simply 'cancelled' the sales to our nobles, and it hit our national purse strings hard. Things got petty and our council in its wisdom… namely Yvon, Dominic, and Maximillian, decided that if she wanted to travel through our lands, she had to do so on a path we specified which was… very roundabout. I suppose it put her in the path of the elf King."

"Do you think they were hoping that would happen, to get rid of her? Maybe even told him where she was?" Nua asked, and Raymond was for a brief time, still.

"I-I doubt it. If they did, they didn't tell me about it. Dominic controls the Agante secret police, but even as rash as he is, he wouldn't do that. No, no definitely not." Raymond concluded, "Sometimes things just have unexpected results, and this is one of them."

Nua raised a brow, clearly skeptical, she didn't press the matter, "I suppose…" She let the thought dangle unfinished and looked out the window of the carriage. The city was the definition of 'booming', with countless figures going to and fro, most notably with construction and farming equipment, but there was no shortage of commercial goods loaded on wagons, the smell of animals and large numbers hung in the air and caused her to wrinkle her nose.

She shut the curtain with a snap of her wrist. "I swear… if I were ever to run a city… I will put public baths on every city block, and require that animals be washed at least once a week." Nua pinched her nose for emphasis, and it drew a laugh from the cardinal.

"I suppose I would too if I had your sense of smell." Raymond answered, "But it won't be so bad, the main estates are in the city center and we're meeting in one of those.

"You're really not worried I'll just… ask for asylum? That I'll throw myself at their mercy and hope they take me in… maybe in exchange for information?" Nua asked the cardinal who sat across from her on the far side of his seat.

Raymond's deep brown eyes found hers, "If you really think they'd do so… I won't even object. I'll let them take you away without a fight, without a single word of protest. But after that, you'll always be hunted. The Agante are trained from birth for their work, they're not scripture members, but they're dangerous spies and killers. They've kept the dark elves disunited for generations and murdered every heretic they've ever found. Maybe you'll be safe… I hope for it. But you'll always be wondering if the merchant you buy from has poisoned your food or if a knife is coming at you in the dark."

Nua didn't shiver. "I understand… I'll… play my part. For now at least." She replied, "But you have to promise me again… you won't let Dominic have me… I haven't… emerged… been myself… for over a hundred years. I'd forgotten how good this feels." She slid across the seat so that they were closer to one another, leaned forward and grabbed his thighs, her nails digging into his skin between the fabric. "I can't go back to the way I was… I'll kill myself before I do."

"Dominic will never lay a hand on you again." Raymond answered, he covered her hands with his. "You asked if I'd have helped a wounded dog, and I didn't answer you then. The answer is yes… and if I'd do that…? I'll help you."

She closed her eyes. "Now… let me get into character." Nua said, and Raymond watched, almost 'feeling' the change in her as her body posture shifted in subtle ways. Before his eyes.

Before long they were entering the small noble estate and were led to a large double door seemingly carved out of a single piece of wood.

Nua stood one pace behind him to his left. "Master." She said when she saw his side look at her, she graced him with a reassuring little smile. "I've attended meetings of the powerful before, I know proper etiquette. I won't shame you."

"That wasn't what I was worried about, Nua. Not at all." Raymond answered, "But thank you for saying that."

Aurelion slept in his rocker, with Calca's hand slowly pushing and pulling. The little bassinet was fit for the Prince of two Kingdoms, carved out of one giant dragon's tooth the curve was nearly perfect. The inside of it was lined with silk with down stuffing and tiny, hand carved springs to make for great comfort. His blanket and pillow were no less luxurious, and unsurprisingly, he slept like it.

Gustav Montagne stood at hand as the child's personal bodyguard as the royals sat in the manor of a dark elf lord appointed by Albedo herself. The estate was relatively new, being in a 'new city' established for those dark elves and other slaves liberated by treaty with the Kingdom of Nazarick, countless dark elves and humans dwelled in the area, with numerous buildings rising up even two years after the great victory… or debacle, depending on preference.

This estate held numerous treasures that, at a glance, Ainz suspected were lifted from the former masters' homes, the nobles Albedo appointed, he himself had largely rubberstamped, trusting to her judgement, and given the orderly nature of the bustling city, she seemed to have been right.

Their host made himself scarce, and the totality of the royal party of five nations sat at ease with one another, waiting on the sixth.

The double door swung wide and Raymond entered the room, the other monarchs stood until the elf at his back approached his chair, drew it out, and pushed it beneath him so that he could join the others.

Nua's scribal kit was out and ready, as were those of other Kingdoms, and Albedo rose to her feet.

"Now that we're all here… we have something." The radiant Allmother said and slid a stack of documents to her left. It passed from one pair of hands to the next until it made its way back to her with only one copy remaining.

Raymond looked down at the document, skimmed it, then leaned back and handed it to Nua. "That will go straight to the Cardinals." He said in a hushed voice so as not to interrupt his counterparts.

Nua accepted the document without question. The scribal kit she carried was a simple device, a strap looped over her neck and a small box that curved on one side that rested against her waist to keep it flat, within the box a scribe would carry ink, quills, paper or parchment, and other materials to be brought out at need. The side of the box held small tight 'cups' into which the inkwells and quills fit snugly to allow repeated access to the box for fresh paper.

She stored the document within and laid a blank sheet down to begin to write as Albedo spoke.

"A few days ago our servants in Arwintar took notice of a column of smoke rising within the center of the city, and some of our more 'astute' observers noted the smell of burning flesh. A funeral pyre. Of course we had them inquire about who lived there, as we should offer condolences to any noble family in the city while we are present… only to find it was occupied by, of all things, a delegate for the tournament." Albedo let them take that in, and scribes for various Kingdoms began taking their own notes in turn.

"Elf delegates." Albedo said emphatically.

"But… the elf King wouldn't send someone there, and how could he reach it that fast?!" Calca objected.

The room focused their attention on Raymond.

"He wouldn't… but he might go there himself." The Cardinal said and crossed his hands together one over the other on the table. "That monster loves only one thing."

"Rape." The Frost Queen hissed the word like a curse.

"Yes. But he doesn't do it for no reason… he wants strong heirs, the last time he ventured outside of his country it was to kidnap one of our strongest warrior women expressly to force her to bear his child." Raymond explained, and Ainz perked up.

'This sounds very… familiar…' He thought and began to rub his jaw.

"Other than that, he never leaves his Kingdom, capital, or even palace." Raymond's hands tensed, "It is… possible, that we… we all made a grave mistake." The Cardinal cleared his throat again, "This 'tournament' will no doubt have many warrior women, a temptation like that would be too much. The elf King may have taken Queen Draudillon, but if he did, and I believe that is what happened, then she isn't in the elf Kingdom."

"She is in Arwintar… you think she's in that estate, don't you?" Queen Renner guessed immediately.

"Then that is where we go to rescue her and her surviving party." The Queen of Frost rose to her feet as if the matter were settled.

"Wait, Queen Baraja." Ainz said and held a palm out, "My wife asked a pertinent question, one that the Cardinal hasn't answered."

Neia stopped, and slowly, reluctantly sat.

Cardinal Raymond exhaled a loud breath and said, "This is a state secret that you're asking me to divulge."

"You want us to rescue your ally. We should know what we're up against, or will you put the Queen at greater risk, Cardinal?" Albedo pointed out.

"Do you not have authority to determine what your neighbors should know?" Ainz asked. "You were endowed with the right to represent your nation's interests weren't you?" He asked, and Raymond felt his spine tingle with the Allfather addressed him. The foreign monarch's voice and manner, everything about him was almost seductively appealing, entrancing… like he was the perfect monarch…

"You're right… the elf King is a monk. A monk of supreme power. We rescued our own from him only by way of distraction, no attempt at assassination has ever worked. We can't pierce his skin, he's shrugged off spells that have killed monsters that guilds rated ninety to one hundred or more. You wonder how he got to Arwintar so quickly? The most powerful monks we have can imbue their energy into a living thing for a few minutes… but the elf King can do it for hours. If he imbues energy into horses then they can run at full speed for an extended period of time, if he does it frequently?" Raymond snapped his fingers. "He'll arrive anywhere he wants, quickly."

The cardinal swallowed. "This information must not leave this room. Speaking to… some of you, is something every fiber of me tells me I should not be doing, let alone revealing this. If my comrades ever learn what I'm about to say, I'll be disgraced, cast out, and possibly even charged with treason. Even though I'm empowered to speak for my government, this won't be overlooked. I'm putting my life in your hands as a leap of faith…"

"With two nonhuman rulers?" Queen Baraja asked, her wings spread a little as if to emphasize her inhumanity, and whether intended or not, the Allmother did the same.

"Must you rub it in?" Raymond asked, "I have… had time to think. It doesn't matter what, not now. What matters is that the only lawful heir to the Draconic Kingdom's life is at stake. Now can I trust you or not, Frost Queen?"

The delegates cast their eyes about at one another, and one by one they answered…

"You can."

"And he appears to be a god… on par with one, at least." Raymond spat the words out, "He produced one child of great power, more powerful than our most powerful godkin. This is not possible unless he is like the Six. An elven God… part of why we progress so slowly with the elves is because we do not actually want to fight him."

"Could you draw a portrait of him?" Ainz said as he leaned forward. "What is the elf King's actual name, does he have one?"

"We assume he does, but we've never heard it, he only calls himself the 'elf King' and nothing more." Raymond answered the question, "As far as drawing him? I'm not much of an artist, but I can try."

He held his hand up and Nua wordlessly removed a blank piece of paper and handed it to him along with a quill already dipped in ink.

Raymond's hand flew over the paper, the scratch of the quill was quick to the extreme, and when he was done, he blew gently on his work and gave it a quick nod of approval. He handed it to the Golden Queen who passed it around until it reached the Allfather.

"You sell yourself short." Ainz said as he looked down at the portrait he'd been given. "It's not half bad, I never thought I'd see this face again."

"You- know him? How?" Raymond asked, and for a moment the Allfather said nothing.

"He came from the same place your gods came from, if the relics you have are any indication." Ainz answered him without really thinking, he was recalling the battle with the elf king when the guild was young, he was so lost in thought that he said nothing and did not look up until Albedo's hand touched his shoulder.

"My husband?" She asked, and Ainz cleared his throat before setting the paper down.

"You put your life into my hands to help rescue the Draconic Queen, Cardinal Raymond. I won't forget it. So… in that spirit, one secret for another. I'll tell you how I know him, and where I know him from. What you choose to do with that information, I leave to you."

"Settle in. This is quite a story." Ainz added, and looking around to the various secretaries he added, "But they must leave."

"Not mine." Raymond replied. "She does not leave my side."

Nua took one step closer to him, and for a moment, as the other secretaries filed out, a battle of wills, weighing and measuring one another's intents raged between them.

"It's like that, is it? Very well." Ainz said, and took a deep breath to begin.