Chapter 4 A Handful of Hope Part 2

Ainz left the job of disposing of the raiders to the others, booted up the

monitor in the Throne Room, and browsed Nazarick's data. The thing he'd

been most worried about, their available funds, had barely changed at all,

because they hadn't used any traps that cost money. This was plenty worthy

of being called a success.

He smiled—although his skull face didn't move—at Albedo, who was

waiting nervously for his critique, and praised her. "Magnificent. Those

raiders were weak, but for humans in this world, they were on the strong side.

If you were able to get rid of them with so few expenses, then I have no

problem leaving Nazarick's defenses up to you."

"Thank you." Visibly relieved, she bowed deeply. "Lord Ainz, how are

you doing on time?"

"Fine. I heard from Pandora's Actor that although the workers are running

late, they decided to wait a day or until they notice some change in the ruins."

Faced with the reality of not a single worker returning in the morning, the

adventurers panicked, but Momon—Pandora's Actor—proposed that they

wait a day. In the event of an emergency, the plan had been to evacuate the

base and watch from a safer distance, but an adamantite-rank adventurer's

words carried more weight.

"Then could I trouble you for a moment? I wanted to suggest

something…"

"What is it, Albedo? Wait just a second… Okay, no problem." He

checked Hamusuke and the lizardmen on the monitor before turning back

around. "Okay, what's your suggestion?"

"Ahem." She looked around the room before speaking. "It's related to

something those fools said earlier. I'm wondering how high you are

prioritizing finding the other Supreme Beings."

"It's our most important task. As long as we're not putting the Great

Tomb of Nazarick in danger, it's my highest priority," Ainz answered

immediately.

"Okay. I understand. Then I want to propose this all the more. I'd like

permission to form a team directly under me that will search for them."

"What do you mean?"

His tone was unintentionally sharp—because she'd hit on his heart's

hidden desire.

There had been plenty of opportunities to search for his guildmates. But

each time he didn't have anyone to help, or they didn't have enough

intelligence, so he had been continuously putting off making a plan.

What if we searched every corner of this world and didn't find them?

When he thought of that possibility, it was hard to get started. Rather than

putting in a lot of effort only to confirm he was alone, he would become a

monster bent on improving his reputation; that allowed him to hold on to

some hope.

"It was immediately clear that the claims the fools were making earlier

were false, but in the future, there may be times when the truth of such a

claim is more difficult to ascertain. I would like to form a team that both

confirms the reliability of our information and searches for the Supreme

Beings. I thought it might be good if I did a detailed investigation and then

reported to you."

Ainz put a hand to his chin and groaned. "I see…" Recalling his earlier

conversation with the workers, he felt not anger but emptiness. There was

nothing more painful than being kept hovering on the border between hope

and despair. It seemed that whatever his personal feelings were, it was time,

as head of the organization, to take a decisive step forward, even if it were a

small one.

"It wouldn't have to be you, would it? I want you to continue the fine job

you do managing the tomb. Assuming such a team would be outside Nazarick

gathering intelligence…it seems like Mare and Aura would be appropriate?

Supposedly, there are dark elves out there, so they would even fit in."

"It's as you say, my lord. However, there is one thing that worries me, and

that is the possibility of reckless actions. For example, just how we might

suppose Shalltear would behave recklessly if she caught wind of Lord

Peroroncino, it is unclear how Mare and Aura would react if they heard

something about Lady BubblingTeapot."

"I see…" Ainz winced as he recalled Shalltear. "Yeah, you may be right."

"So I humbly arrived at the conclusion that we should create a team under

me."

"…You wouldn't get reckless if you found out something about Tabula?"

"You can rest at ease. As the captain of Nazarick's guardians, I would

never do such a thing. I promise."

"I see…"

The chances of wise Albedo, so skilled in managing Nazarick's internal

organization, running wild were low. Now and then, she did something a

little stupid, but she still handled Nazarick while Ainz was away with no

problem, so he trusted her.

"Personally, I think Demiurge would also be a good choice, but he's busy

with various other things. Adding the important role of gathering intelligence

about the Supreme Beings to his workload would be too much, I think."

"That's reasonable. What about using Pandora's Actor?"

"That is precisely what I would like to do. Please allow me to borrow him

as my aide-de-camp."

"I see. Two of Nazarick's best minds are unmistakably better than one,

but…he also has to manage the treasury. Let me lend him to you when you

need him."

"Thank you. And may I inquire about some related matters?"

Ainz gestured with his chin that she should go ahead.

"If possible, I'd like this Supreme Being search party under me to have

strong members."

"That's only natural. I'll provide you with our most elite minions."

"Thank you. It would also be great if I could get the undead aide you

created."

"That's a no. That one is level ninety if I remember correctly, but…" The

undead Ainz could create with a skill using experience points, such as an

overlord wiseman or a grim reaper thanatos, were stronger than NPCs for

hire; he could only make one, but it was powerful. The problem was that as

long as he didn't have a way to gain vast amounts of experience here like he

could in Yggdrasil, he wanted to avoid using skills that consumed it. "Yeah,

no. You'll be responsible for the team, and Pandora's Actor will aid you.

Let's make the rest monsters."

"Understood. Then one other thing: I'd like to keep this team secret from

the other guardians."

"Why? Wouldn't it be better to have their cooperation?"

"No. If word got out, the guardians and others created by the Supreme

Beings may ask to be taken along so they can see for themselves. In the case

of a trap, that would mean leaping needlessly into danger. I have superior

defensive skills, so I'm confident that I could escape and make it back if it

was just me, but with others along…"

"That makes sense. Okay, Albedo. We'll do it your way."

"Thank you, Lord Ainz!" She bowed so low her long hair completely

covered her face.

"That's fine. More importantly, I'm counting on you, you know!"

"Yes, my lord! My secret special-ops group on orders of the utmost

importance will be sure not to disappoint you!"

Ainz cocked his head in his mind. That seemed like a strange way to

respond. Well, whatever.

"Okay, let's select your subordinates. Instead of having you pull ones who

are stationed in Nazarick, how about we create some new ones? How many

in their eighties do you want?"

"For now, fifteen would suffice."

"Fifteen? Isn't that kind of a…?" Having said that much, Ainz shook his

head. Searching for his old friends was critical. In that case, fifteen was

barely even an expense. "No, you're right. Okay."

"I also wanted to ask your permission to grant Rubedo commanding

authority…"

"Rejected." His answer was immediate.

Rubedo was the strongest individual in Nazarick. In a pure melee fight,

she was stronger than Sebas, Cocytus, or Albedo. Compared to Rubedo,

whom Ainz probably couldn't beat fully equipped, even Shalltear seemed

weak.

The only ones who can beat her are those stationed on the eighth level,

and that's only if we also use a World Item. I doubt she could actually take

one of them, but…

"Since the test to boot her up was successful, I don't feel the need to do

anything with her for the time being. More importantly, why would you need

that much combat power?"

"It's embarrassing, but shall I tell you?"

"Go ahead?"

"I just thought since I had the opportunity, I should try to make the

strongest team possible."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" It was incredibly childish, but still, Ainz could understand

how she felt, so he burst out laughing. The emotion was suppressed at once,

but he still felt ripples of pleasant feelings.

"Lord Ainz!"

Albedo seemed upset, but Ainz grinned at her—although his face didn't

move—and said, "Sorry, sorry. Er, yeah. That's very interesting. I see. Then

let's give your little sister commanding authority."

"Are you sure it's all right?"

"Sure, it's fine. You should make your dream team. Besides, maybe I'll

make use of their power for something else in the future."

"Thank you, Lord Ainz!"

She was bowing so deeply he couldn't see her expression, but he assumed

it was her usual smile. When he turned his attention back to the monitor,

Entoma entered the Throne Room.

She strode directly to a place near the throne, got down on one knee, and

bowed her head low.

"Do excuse me."

"What is it, Entoma?"

She verbally acknowledged Albedo's stern query without changing her

posture and then replied, "I'm here to report that it's time for Mistress Aura

and Master Mare to depart."

"I see… Raise your head."

"Yes, ma'am!" Entoma gave another clipped acknowledgment and looked

up.

"I have some time, so I'll go see them off. It would be tactless to just say

good-bye via magic. Sorry, Entoma, but please go ahead of me and tell them

I'm coming."

"Understood."

With her eyes on Entoma as she stood and walked away, Albedo asked

Ainz, "Lord Ainz, did that not displease you? It shouldn't have been Entoma

but one of the other maids. I'll reprimand them."

"…What?"

"I just thought hearing that rude little girl's voice would—"

"Ohh, don't worry about that. On the contrary, I was the one who

recommended it—wait, Entoma!"

"My lord! What is it?" She turned around flustered, but Ainz stopped her

from returning and instructed her to speak to him from where she was.

"What did you do with the rest of her? Were you sure to make good use of

all her parts?"

"Yes. One of the silk hats took her head. The dead man's struggles shared

her arms. Master Demiurge took her skin. The rest went to feed Grant's

children, so I think we can say everything was put to good use."

"Okay. That's fine, then. It's our responsibility as the ones who hunted

and killed her to not waste anything. Any hunter would surely do the same.

It's like a memorial offering."

"How kind you are, Lord Ainz. But of course a Supreme Being would

show such mercy, even to a dirty thief. Any member of Nazarick would

surely be moved to tears if they heard what you said just now." Albedo's

voice had become emotional.

Even Entoma's unusual eyes seemed to contain a hint of respect.

"Er, well, sure… In the end, it's my feeling on the matter; I don't intend

to coerce you all into it. That said, I still think it's polite to use all the parts of

those we kill to our advantage."

"Understood! Then we'll make sure to use the others to the fullest as

well."

As the pair of them bowed, Ainz had the same sensation he did when his

buttons were done up a hole off, but he answered "good" nonetheless.

4

There were a number of meeting and sitting rooms inside the Ministry of

Magic complex. The one Fluder was heading for was the sitting room with

the most luxurious furnishings. It was only used when the emperor or

someone of similar rank visited.

He stood outside and checked his appearance.

His robe was a first-rate article he could have worn to a soiree hosted by

the emperor, and the perfume he'd applied on the sleeves and collar was

giving off a pleasant scent.

Normally, Fluder had nothing to do with politics or society. Or rather, his

wish was to focus solely on his magic research, so he found other things

bothersome. Still, he knew he wasn't in a position where he could insist on

ignoring them.

He didn't want his appearance to tarnish the empire's dignity.

All right, I'm fine.

After confirming nothing was amiss, he knocked on the door and opened

it.

There were two adventurers in the splendid room: a warrior wearing

raven-black armor almost like the kind the death knight he had just visited

wore and an eye-catching—even Fluder's, for a moment—beauty.

Momon from Raven Black. Beautiful Princess Nabe…

"Apologies for keeping you waiting." Fluder quietly closed the door and

suddenly realized something felt strange.

That's odd…

Still at the door, he squinted at the peerless beauty.

"…I can't see it?" Fluder, with his eyes, should have been able to see

something else overlapping her figure. He was so shocked that he couldn't,

he murmured in spite of himself.

Fluder had been born with a talent: He could see auras around casters that

showed what tiers of magic they could use.

But even though Raven Back's Beautiful Princess Nabe was a caster, he

couldn't detect an aura.

Detection defense?

That was all he could think. In that case, a question arose: Why would she

be using detection defense? Normal adventurers normally didn't go so far. It

was a nuisance to allot some of their power for that, and they weren't often in

a position where they had to be wary in such a manner. On top of that,

meeting someone with detection defense active could be considered rude.

Of course, the side using a detection ability has no manners, either…but

why would she conceal her power?

Fluder's talent was known far and wide, so perhaps it was a measure

against it, but that didn't answer the question.

A suspicious voice called out to Fluder. "Is something the matter?"

"Ohhh, how rude of me." Fluder took a seat facing Momon. Still, he

couldn't help glancing at Nabe out of the corner of his eye.

"Ahh, I see. Well, shall we begin?"

Begin what?

Before Fluder could ask, Momon continued, "Nabe, maybe it's about time

you took off your ring."

"Understood."

She took off her ring. That moment—

—it was like being hit with a bomb blast.

"Wha—?!"

He thought he might scream.

Nabe was giving off an overpowering amount of energy.

It wasn't as if he could feel actual air pressure. This was a torrent of

power only people with the same talent as Fluder could see.

He curled up and shivered like someone being blown on by a northerly

wind.

"This…this can't…"

This can't be. It's just not possible. This kind of power, greater than his

own, shouldn't have existed.

And yet, he couldn't force the rest of his denial out. The scene before his

eyes was reality. His ability had never betrayed him before. That meant it was

true that this woman's power far surpassed his own.

"Tier seven…? No… Could this immense rush of energy…be proof of…

tier eight…?"

If that were the case, she had reached the mythological realm.

Fluder could no longer speak. The fifth tier of magic was the heroic realm.

And the sixth tier, which Fluder had reached, was untrodden territory.

Someone who, nevertheless, could effortlessly enter the next tier had

suddenly appeared before him; no wonder he was speechless.

And she was such a pretty young lady.

Maybe her appearance doesn't reflect her age?!

As he trembled with astonishment, Fluder noticed out of the corner of his

eye that Momon was removing his black gauntlets. Then he took off one of

his rings.

"!"

For an instant, the world whited out in a flash, and Fluder had the feeling

he had lost consciousness.

What had just happened was incomprehensible. Even Fluder, who had

been alive over two hundred years, who could use the highest tier of magic

humans had ever reached, could not understand it.

"Wh-wh-wh-what—what in the world?!"

Something hot flowed onto Fluder's cheeks, but he had neither the

presence of mind nor the energy to wipe it away. The shock was that

upsetting.

Who could have predicted it? Who could have guessed that the man

hailed as the Dark Warrior was actually an arcane caster at a level Fluder

could only dream of?

"If she's tier eight, then…tier nine? No… What…? Ohh, dear gods…"

The overwhelming amount of energy bursting from Momon the Dark

Warrior easily transcended Nabe's. If he's beyond Nabe, who's at tier eight,

then how high is the tier he uses?

The question from a corner of his brain was answered by his soul.

The tenth tier… It was the absolute realm, presumed to exist, but which no

one had ever confirmed. A being from that supreme realm had arrived before

him.

Fluder had stood and now kneeled before Momon, tears still streaming

down his face.

"I believed in lesser deities who governed magic. However, if you are not

one of them, my faith has just been extinguished—because a true god has just

appeared before me." Fluder vigorously prostrated himself, banging his head

into the floor. The pain was nothing compared to the irrepressible joy in his

heart. "I realize it's impertinent, but you have my gratitude in advance!

Please grant me your wisdom! I wish to peer into the abyss of magic! I beg

you! I beg you!"

"And how much will you pay for it?"

The voice was cold like a sheet of ice—ask anyone and they would have

agreed—but Fluder could only hear it as sweet music to his ears. He knew, of

course, that it was toxic, but what did that matter?

He would pay any price with zero hesitation, even offer his soul.

"Everything! Yes, I will give everything I have to you, my lord, master of

the abyss, the ever profound one."

"…Very well. If you will give me everything, then I will make my

knowledge yours. I'll grant your wish."

"Ohhh! Ohhhhhh!" Fluder cried tears of joy, still grinding his head into

the floor. His heart, which had been a hard nugget of envy, melted. He had

been waiting over two hundred years, but the possibility of realizing his

dream was finally at hand.

Ecstatic with excitement, he edged toward Ainz without raising his head

and kissed his master's greaves. He had originally planned to lick them, but

he worried it would displease this god, so he compromised by taking a tip

from a composed corner of his mind and drawing the line at using his lips.

"That's enough. I acknowledge your devotion."

"Ohhhh! Thank you...master!"

"Your first order is to send sacrifices to my castle!"

"Gramps! Gramps! What's wrong, Gramps?"

Fluder, lost in thought, came back to himself at the sound of a voice

calling him. The shocking encounter from several days before still loomed

large in his mind and immediately beckoned him to a fantasy land if he

relaxed his focus.

Fluder blinked several times and remembered where he was, then bobbed

his head to the one addressing him.

"I beg your pardon, Your Imperial Majesty. I was just thinking."

There was only one person who called Fluder "Gramps"—the emperor of

the Baharuth Empire, Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix. And this was his office.

Normally, the room didn't have so many people in it, but today it was

unusually crowded. There was Jircniv himself, along with four guards; Fluder

Paradyne, the empire's most powerful wizard; ten of Jircniv's most trusted

retainers, who were sharp enough to supplement even the emperor's

unparalleled intelligence; as well as one of the Four, said to be the strongest

knights in the empire, Lightning Baswood Peshmel.

They all sat where they pleased and had been debating imperial policy.

The papers scattered everywhere spoke to how heated the meeting had

become. Some of the participants were even starting to lose their voices.

The young emperor, known also as the Fresh Blood Emperor, said

something to Fluder that he never said to anyone: "Don't worry about it. I

cause a lot of trouble for you. I'd like to hold back a bit, since you're getting

older, but I can't seem to help but rely on you. Forgive me."

"I'm grateful for your kind consideration, Your Imperial Majesty, but I

am your faithful servant. Please order me without compunction." Fluder

accepted the emperor's sentiments and bowed slightly.

He's grown into a fine young man, thought Fluder, looking at the

handsome youth.

Fluder had begun serving the empire about six generations previous.

He hadn't gotten along with the emperor at the time, six emperors ago.

Still, his elite magic ability found him in one of the highest positions at court

almost immediately after he was invited.

Consequently, he was a little closer with the following emperor, and at the

same time he was granted the position of principal court wizard, he was

engaged in the magic education of the emperor's heir.

Three emperors ago, he began passing on all sorts of wisdom as a more

general teacher and became deeply involved in policy.

Then came the current emperor, so precious to him.

Fluder had witnessed generations of emperors, and there was not a single

incompetent one among them. Each of them seemed chosen by the gods in

their excellence; they were all children blessed with aptitude (although the

first one he served was in the prime of his life). Even in that splendid

company, the current emperor was exceedingly bright. Although it had been

in the works for two generations, the reason they were able to declare the

country an absolute monarchy was his ability.

Fluder loved Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix.

He'd poured himself into his education as if he were his own son. He was

sure the emperor thought of him as a second father, too.

Still…

Even if he loved him like his own son, he would cut him off.

I want to peer into the abyss of magic, Jir. To do that, there is nothing I

wouldn't abandon, even a charming boy like you.

"So, Your Imperial Majesty, are you all right with completely canceling

this season's invasion of the kingdom?"

"Yeah. Looking into that demon Jaldabaoth is more important. Gramps,

did you come up with anything?"

"I'm afraid not, Your Imperial Majesty. We're looking, but we haven't

found any documentation."

Yes. That was his story.

"Sir Paradyne, can you not investigate using magic?"

Fluder put on a prudent expression and half closed his eyes. "Certainly

magic possesses omnipotent potential, but…"

"Sorry, Gramps. You tend to ramble about that stuff. Better skip ahead."

"Understood, Your Imperial Majesty." Fluder looked disappointed and

continued in the tone of a teacher instructing a dull-witted child. "There are

ways to counter magical searches. For instance, do you know the walls of this

room have a barrier to keep sound from escaping? There are other examples.

Detection magic obstruction is one."

"Aha… So there are all sorts of methods for countering, and that makes it

difficult…"

"Yes. And we would have to consider ourselves lucky if our spell getting

negated were the end of it. Casters in higher realms sometimes prepare

counterattacks against detection magic—spells that could even kill someone

if they weren't careful."

What use could my level of magic be to the Supreme One? …There is truly

no one more worthy of the words Supreme One than him… I must show him I

can be useful as soon as possible…

Several people made sour faces when he mentioned that one could be

instantly killed in a counterattack, but Fluder wasn't interested in their

opinions.

"In that case"—one of the retainers picked up a sheet of paper—"does the

fact that you managed to locate what appears to be the base of the caster Ainz

Ooal Gown mean that you're superior to him?"

"Don't be naive!" He suppressed a bitter grin and spoke forcefully so they

would sense his irritation. "You're being too optimistic. When we noticed

that he had saved the village of Carne—no, that he had saved only the village

of Carne—we were monitoring the entire vicinity when we discovered the

ruins. Since we had never heard of them before, we continued monitoring and

just happened to see the caster Ainz Ooal Gown enter them. You'll land

yourself in trouble if you forget that it was nothing more than serendipity!"

He meant it in part. Only a fool would take the Supreme One lightly.

Well, he'd done it, too, but how pitiful it was to be ignorant.

Fluder inwardly sneered at his previous, foolish self. What a truly dark

time that was.

"I beg your pardon."

Fluder accepted the apology with a raised hand.

"Oh, speaking of which, Gramps, what happened with the workers we

sent in?"

"I received the first report via Message from a spy I had tail them, and it

appears they've been wiped out."

Jircniv counted the days on his fingers, and his eyes widened just a little.

He had heard they sent multiple rather outstanding teams. If they were really

all annihilated in a day, or maybe even only half a day, that would be

surprising.

Of course, Fluder wasn't surprised. He thought it was an utterly natural

outcome. But the expression he put on his face was one of disbelief.

"…Really? Still, we can't rely only on magic intelligence. When will the

adventurers be back?"

"When no one returned, they decided to withdraw immediately, but it will

take about four more days."

"So to get information from the returned adventurers, it will take…at least

five days? I guess we can't make any moves during that time, then?"

Message was not a very reliable source of intelligence. The farther away

someone was, the harder it was to hear them. But there were other reasons

that many nations didn't trust the spell enough to use it for important matters.

The most famous incident was probably the tragedy of the country called

Gattenburg.

Gattenburg was a human nation of mainly casters that three hundred years

ago made it possible to rapidly share information by connecting its cities with

Message. They trusted Message too much, and just three pieces of false

intelligence plunged the country into civil war. The cities fought one another,

and when monsters and subhumans attacked on top of that, the country fell to

ruin.

The bards sang many other tragic tales, such as the one about the man

who killed his wife after hearing she was unfaithful, but it turned out to be a

lie.

For all those reasons, there were few people who trusted Message. Rather,

people who trusted it too much were liable to be called fools. Jircniv was one

of the people who didn't put much faith in the spell. He did use it, but he

made it a rule to have an additional source for his information. He never

relied solely on magic.

"But what an idiot. If he had hired a worker team out of E-Rantel, things

would have gone more our way. His incompetence is why we can have him

dance in the palm of our hand, but at the same time, it's a problem if he's too

incompetent. We need him to be a better decoy."

"It's just as you say, Your Imperial Majesty."

Jircniv furrowed his brow at Fluder's agreement.

The plan they had created upon accepting Fluder's proposal at a meeting

several days ago had two objectives.

One was to grasp Ainz Ooal Gown's personality.

Fluder had noticed that Ainz Ooal Gown's presence hadn't moved from

the ruins for a few days. This led them to conclude the ruins were the caster's

base, so they sent the worker teams in to gauge Ainz's reaction.

How would he react to someone intruding into his home—moderately or

severely?

From the fact that the workers had been wiped out, they had grasped one

facet of his personality.

The other object was to sour the relationship between Ainz Ooal Gown

and the kingdom. The best would have been to hire workers from E-Rantel,

but unfortunately that's not how it happened.

He wasn't that stupid…

The only information that had gone to the count was that there were some

unexplored ruins. It would have taken guts to hire kingdom workers for the

shady purpose of ransacking ruins in kingdom territory on behalf of a noble

from the empire. Hiring workers from the empire was the best they could

have expected him to do.

But that wouldn't sour the relationship between Ainz Ooal Gown and ERantel, much less the relationship between him and Re-Estize as a whole. So

to accomplish the second goal, they had to make sure word of the ruins got to

the Adventurers Guild in the kingdom as well.

"Momon's visit to the empire worked in our favor."

"It sure did. He'll probably be the one to tell the guild over there that the

workers were all killed in those unexplored ruins. Once they know the empire

is targeting the ruins, they'll get serious and mount their own expedition."

They had shoehorned adventurers into this plan expressly for that purpose.

Of course, they hadn't exercised the emperor's authority at all. They had used

spies to spread intelligence.

They had to make sure the story of this incident ended simply as one lone

noble acting recklessly. That way, even if the empire's involvement came

out, Ainz Ooal Gown's anger would be directed at the count they had

manipulated, and Jircniv would be able to work things to his favor.

"So then we'll have kingdom adventurers invading the residence of Ainz

Ooal Gown, who is known to react severely. How will this immensely

powerful caster respond to the kingdom? And what will the guild do after he

inflicts his revenge on them?"

Looking forward to it. Jircniv smiled and then confirmed just to be sure,

"So we understand the power of Ainz Ooal Gown. He's strong enough to

obliterate worker teams with no trouble. And we can pin all this neatly on one

stupid noble, right?"

"Of course. We were very discreet, so only the people in this room know

what really happened."

"Okay, that's fine, then. I just wanted to— Huh?!"

A vibration like the rumbling of the earth interrupted him. The furniture

shook and the windows rattled, but it didn't feel like an earthquake. It was

more like something huge had crashed into the ground, with one big jolt.

"What was that?! Find ou— What a racket. What's going on?!"

Jircniv could hear screams coming from not only inside the room but

outside as well. The room had thick, sturdy walls, so the voice had to be

incredibly loud. Or was it more than one? What could have caused something

so out of place as a shriek in this place?

A guard who had peeked through a gap in the curtains into the courtyard,

where the screams seemed to be coming from, answered with a pale face.

"Your Imperial Majesty! It's a dragon! A dragon has landed in the

courtyard!"

For a moment, everyone was dazed. The couldn't understand what had

just been said. Well, how could they have? Though they knew he wouldn't

lie, they all rushed to the window to confirm with their own eyes.

They practically ripped the curtains off the window, they yanked them so

hard. When they looked through the semitransparent glass and saw the

dragon sitting imposingly in the middle of the courtyard, all their jaws

dropped.

"Wh-why is there a dragon here? Where did it come from?"

"Foreign affairs minister! Was anyone outrageous enough to ride a dragon

into our courtyard supposed to visit today?!"

"No, I've heard nothing of the sort."

"Have you ever met the dragons from the Council State? Is it one of

those?"

"…It doesn't look anything like descriptions I've heard, and I heard them

from a diplomat, so they should be reliable."

"Still, the biggest problem is how it was allowed to penetrate this far! The

emperor is here! What is the Imperial Air Guard doing?!"

With their tough bodies wrapped in hard scales, life spans far longer than

humans', and magical ability on top of various skills, dragons were the most

powerful beings in the world. Of course, their strength ran the gamut; there

was no lack of dragons who had been slain by adventurers, but looking back

through history, neither was it rare for cities or even whole countries to be

destroyed by angry dragons. The destruction of a city in a country to the

south twenty-odd years ago was still fresh in everyone's memory.

One of those fearsome beings landing in the courtyard of the imperial

palace was an unthinkable emergency.

Even Jircniv himself was swallowing hard and waiting to see what would

happen when he saw two small figures get off the dragon.

If he squinted, he could make out two children with brown skin like they

had suntans.

"They must be dark elves." Fluder calmly stated the pair's race.

"Sir Paradyne! What is that dragon?! Who are those elves?!"

"Well, I don't know this dragon, either…"

Knights surrounded the children who had dismounted, as well as the

dragon itself, as a matter of protocol. The knights were the empire's pride,

but they looked awfully unreliable opposite a dragon. It truly was the

strongest creature in existence.

From the knights' ranks, one man with a shield in either hand stepped

forward.

"Whoa, whoa. He's going? Well, he's the only one who really could…but

wouldn't it be a shame to lose him?"

The one who approached the dragon was Unshakable Nazami Eneck.

He was one of the empire's top fighters, said to be the strongest of the

Four in a defensive battle. He was resistant to many different types of

energies but looked utterly flimsy compared to the dragon. Everyone had to

nod in response to the comment that seemed to imply it was Lightning

Baswood Peshmel's comrade's final hour.

"Your Imperial Majesty, please evacuate!"

"Where would I go? Where's even safe?"

The retainer regained composure at Jircniv's scoffing reply.

"But!"

"I get it. I get what you're trying to say. But I'd be a laughingstock if I

fled the imperial palace, even if were up against a dragon. It doesn't seem

like a Council State dragon, but if it did this knowing I wouldn't be able to

run away… I've heard dragons are clever, but this one appears informed of

our political situation as well."

He was purging the nobles, but that was on the military strength of the

knights. If word got out that he abandoned the castle when a dragon

appeared, there was a good chance the nobles would think, So that's the

extent of his power? and rebel all at once.

He wasn't about to let a mob defeat him, but the empire would still lose a

chunk of its might.

Whether I fight or run, it'll end in a loss. What a nasty move to make. Who

is that dragon?

More people had gathered in the courtyard. There were the forty men

from the emperor's guard and sixty knights, plus arcane and faith casters.

"I'm not sure a hundred and twenty people is enough. I think I should go,

too, Your Imperial Majesty."

Jircniv furrowed his brow slightly. Fluder was the empire's greatest trump

card. He wasn't sure if it would be profitable to play him against a dragon.

The thing that finally ended his hesitation was his belief that Fluder would

surely be able to escape in a worst-case scenario.

But Jircniv didn't know that Fluder volunteered to go to avoid having to

teleport the emperor to safety.

"Thanks, Gramps. If possible, can you get Unshakable to fall back?"

"Understood. However, our opponents are unfathomable. They may be

astonishingly powerful, so you should prepare to run."

With that, Fluder flung open the window. Then he threw himself into the

air and flew up into the sky with a flying spell.

"Uh, can everyone hear me all right? I am Aura Bella Fiora, servant

of Ainz Ooal Gown."

Just then an incredibly loud voice echoed out.

"The emperor of this place sent some rude guys to Lord Ainz's home,

the Great Tomb of Nazarick! Lord Ainz is not amused. So if the emperor

doesn't come to apologize, we'll destroy the country!"

Jircniv grimaced. Who reached that conclusion and how? How had they

followed such a fine trail of evidence?

Looking around the room, he was met with shocked faces. Realizing what

he had in mind, they all shook their heads.

"For starters, we'll kill all the humans here! Mare!"

The dark elf standing next to him thrust a staff into the ground. That

instant, it seemed like a huge, localized earthquake occurred in the courtyard

—the only reason there was any doubt was because Jircniv didn't feel a

thing. Still, with the dragon and the dark elves as the epicenter, the ground

shrieked, ripping open a pattern of gaping fissures more intricate than a

spider's web.

Knights, guards, casters—everyone except Fluder in the sky was

swallowed up by the earth.

The dark elf, casually standing there, must have skillfully kept her allies

out of the area of effect. When she pulled the staff out of the ground, the

fissures sealed up just as suddenly as they had opened. In fact, they closed up

so quickly that the spiderweb shape appeared again as ridges of dirt.

None of the knights who had been gathered in the courtyard were

anywhere to be found. Everything was over all too quickly.

"Okay, then! We killed them all. Next, we'll kill everyone in the

castle… Er, wait, we don't know which one is the emperor, so I guess we

won't do that! But if he doesn't come out soon, we'll destroy the city!

Emperor, please hurry up and get out here!"

"Y-your Imperial Majesty," a retainer asked, pale faced and shuddering.

"…Do you think by coming on a dragon they mean to say we 'stepped on the

dragon's tail'?"

Jircniv willed himself to stop trembling. It wouldn't do for the emperor,

the only absolute being, the man who held all power in his hand, to show fear

in front of his retainers. "Ainz Ooal Gown… Who is he? No…this isn't the

time." He shouted out the window, "I am the emperor, Jircniv Rune Farlord

El Nix! I want to talk! Messengers, would you mind coming over here?" He

faced his retainers. "Prepare our warmest welcome! On the double!"

He turned from his retainers as they practically fell over one another

rushing out of the room, back to the dark elves, who were watching him. "…I

underestimated him. If these are his subordinates… Maybe he's too much for

me to handle…? But I can't back down now. If you want to negotiate…then

our next battle will be fought with words, Ainz Ooal Gown! I'll thwart

whatever it is you're planning!"