The Baharuth Empire *2

Indeed.

All this was a conspiracy of Ainz Ooal Gown. If they did not understand that ― no, if they could not accept that, the situation would become very dire.

"A trap laid by the Sorcerous Kingdom? Or by someone else? After all, this is the place you specified, Your Majesty, and we only learned about it a few hours ago."

That was correct. He had been keeping everything hidden until the last moment in order to reduce the risk of information leaking out.

Jircniv desperately tried to recall who knew about this matter. The number was very small, and all of them were reliable people. Or was that really the case?

No―

"―It's possible that the information was extracted through magical domination. This is definitely not a part of my plan. This is the proof. If I had set this trap, would I be so panicked right now?"

"You expect us to believe that? Were you doing this to draw us in? Or perhaps, to sell us out?!"

They did not trust him at all.

No, that was to be expected. Jircniv would be castigating them if he were in their place.

Still, where was the leak? No, did it really leak? Could it be all this was all within the palm of his hand? He set out the bait, and waited for me to take the hook―

Suddenly , a chill wind blew across his back.

How many of his actions had the Sorcerer King predicted?

It was very possible that everything that had happened until now was part of his plan.

The Sorcerer King is such an opponent, Jircniv's brilliant mind concluded.

How elaborate was his scheme, anyway? No, now's not the time to be afraid of his cunning! If I don't act quickly―!

"No good, we have to leave now―"

However, it was too late.

The intruder's voice was like that of a hunter who had seen his prey fall into a carefully-laid trap.

"Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix-dono. It has been a while."

As he struggled to control his panicked breathing, he saw the form of the Sorcerer King, who had ascended from the heart of the arena to the same height as that of the VIP room.

That hateful face of his was on full display. It must have been to let everyone know that it was the man himself.

"Thuh, the― huu. The same to you, Gown-dono. I did not think I would meet you in a place like this."

He had no idea what to say. Just about anything he said could be held against him. However, Jircniv's lips did not open, as if they had been glued shut.

"The feeling is mutual. What a coincidence!"

Kuku, the Sorcerer King laughed evilly. He obviously did not feel it was a coincidence.

It was not a coincidence at all.

Jircniv was certain that all this was part of Ainz Ooal Gown's scheme.

By taking control of the secret talks with the Theocracy, he would simultaneously apply pressure on both Jircniv and the Theocracy and prevent them from allying with each other.

That was a truly twisted genius.

He wiped his sweaty palms on his clothes.

A lot of information must have leaked out. The question was, how much of it did he know?

Just as Jircniv was struggling to think, the hateful lights in the Sorcerer King's eye sockets turned to regard the Theocracy's emissaries.

"Friends of yours, Your Majesty?"

Jircniv had no way of answering Ainz's question.

This was no simple question.

It was a test of his intentions.

Would he lie to protect the people of the Theocracy, or sell them out, as a friend of the Sorcerous Kingdom?

It was such a malicious scheme that Jircniv began feeling nauseous.

That emotionless skull looked like it was twisted by evil. It must be mocking him, Jircniv, who could not speak.

"What's wrong? El-Nix ― no, Jircniv-dono. You look pale. Are you unwell?"

The fact that he sounded genuinely concerned first disgusted, and then terrified him. He felt like a small animal, squirming within a loving hand. As a human being, it was only natural to feel that terror wrapped up in that joy.

"It, it's fine, it's nothing. I seem to have gotten a little dizzy from standing up so suddenly."

"Is that so. Well, they say your body is your best asset, you'd best take care of it."

Jircniv's excuse sounded very unnatural, but at least he was off the hook for now. Was he waiting for the right moment to finish off his prey, or was he indulging his beloved hobby of sadism? Or perhaps―

"Then, would you gentlemen like to introduce yourselves? I am the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown."

―Perhaps that was what he was aiming for.

Since he, as the leader of a country, had already stated his name, the other side could not retreat without saying a word. If they gave a false name, if the Sorcerer King learned their real names, how would he react then?

Stop toying with us!!!

His expression had not changed, or rather, that was because it was a skinless and fleshless skull. Not only did he not have eyes, the empty orbits of his eyes were occupied only by dancing crimson flames, from which no emotions could be read. Yet, Jircniv could feel that evil grin widening.

"Thank you very much, and in truth we would have introduced ourselves as well. However, a dire emergency awaits our attention, so we must leave immediately. I am sure His Majesty will be more than happy to tell you about us afterwards."

The emissaries rose from their seats.

"Is that so? What a shame. I do hope we will meet again. Please be well until then. Then, there is still the matter of the match, so please excuse me."

With those parting words of mockery (probably), the Sorcerer King descended.

As his shape vanished below, the emissaries glared at Jircniv.

"How dare you set us up."

"No, I didn't!"

"You didn't? No matter how you look at it, he knew everything about his place. Everything he has done is clearly to mock a bunch of fools who are moving exactly as he predicted ...How much of this did you tell him? How many people were you going to betray to save your own country? You must have asked him to use that illogically destructive spell too, did you not?"

Jircniv desperately cast his eyes toward the priests, seeking help.

However, he did not see suspicion and doubt in their eyes, but hostility and disappointment.

The Sorcerer King had struck a magnificent blow at the moment when it was most effective. It was one which would utterly cripple the Empire. It told the Empire that they had no choice left other than to betray humanity―

"Please believe me, I didn't sell this information to him―"

"...Even if we did believe you, there's no way you can deny the fact that your entire operation has been compromised. Your Majesty, I am sad to say that we will not be meeting again."

After saying that, the emissaries made to leave, followed by the priests.

"Wait! I forbid you to leave this room until I hear your opinions!"

Nimble and Baziwood drew their weapons and prepared to make their move.

As Jircniv struggled to restore some life to his shattered heart, he stared at the two High Priests. The emissaries did not even look back as they left.

"You, tell me what the temples think. What do you think about the Sorcerer King!"

"...The Sorcerer King is a wicked, undead being, and we will not suffer it to call itself King."

Before Jircniv could answer, the High Priest of the God of Fire continued: "However, we cannot defeat it in battle, so we must find some way to destroy it."

"Betray us if you will, oh Emperor, you who have been seduced by the power of evil."

That statement, made by the High Priest of the Wind God, clearly illustrated their hostility towards Jircniv.

This was extremely bad.

The temples could not influence the government. However, they might well decide to excommunicate an Emperor who was in league with the universal enemy, the undead.

He could not purge them, because the temples were in charge of healing, as well as the saviors of the peoples' souls.

If he did that, the Empire would fall apart from the inside.

To Jircniv, that single move by Ainz Ooal Gown felt like the sweep of the Grim Reaper's scythe. Even if he did nothing, the Empire would collapse. Then, the Sorcerous Kingdom would find some reason to come calling.

If it was Jircniv doing it, he would use an excuse along the lines of "The country of our ally is in chaos, so we're sending troops over to help maintain public order."

Judging by their reaction, the Slaine Theocracy would not criticize the Sorcerous Kingdom for doing such a thing. The Kingdom would not have the strength to do anything about it, while the City-State Alliance would take a while to make such a statement.

What kind of enticements could he offer to remove the doubts from their hearts? Or rather, to keep to their commitments, even if they had doubts?

Jircniv had always placed that topic foremost in his heart when he spoke to others in his capacity as Emperor. The simplest way to get people to take action was to appeal to their desires. Jircniv had grown up knowing this to be the right way to view things. There were so many humans who were ruled by desire for a pretty face that it was hardly surprising.

However, at this moment, Jircniv could not find an answer.

Now that others thought he had betrayed humanity to work with the undead, there was nothing he could offer them.

All he could do was sincerely and earnestly tell his side of the story.

"Please allow me to say one last thing. That fellow's cunning surpasses mine. These developments might well be his doing. ...While I know I would not believe that so easily if I were in your shoes... I truly did not sell you out. And while you might not believe this either, as a human being I wish to tell you one thing. The Sorcerer King's reign is very merciful. The people of E-Rantel still live in peace."

"But we have no idea how long that will last, do we?"

"Perhaps. But for the time being, at least, they are safe. If we embark on a war which we cannot win, our country will start going down the road to annihilation. So I hope you will think carefully and not make any rash moves."

The two High Priests looked at each other.

Then, their previous hostility toward Jircniv seemed to mellow a little.

"...It seems we may have been too emotional. If that undead creature truly is as the rumors say he is, we cannot discard the possibility that all this might have been part of his plan. Then, may we meet again somewhere, if it is meant to be."

"Thank you. And before that, I have a request. No matter where, please watch that fellow fight in the arena. If you can see a way to defeat him, please tell me."

Jircniv lowered his head.

Conspiracies included, there was no way to beat Ainz in a battle of wits. The human heart was the sole trump card left to those who wished to fight him evenly.

Cheering came from downstairs, and Jircniv turned to look at it.

"...Good luck, Martial Lord. Oh, gods!"

Jircniv prayed in earnest for the victory of the Martial Lord.

-x-X-x-

[ Part 3 ]

The much-awaited Imperial Capital.

As he peered through the slight gap he had opened in the coach's window, Ainz felt a terrible sense of defeat.

Life and energy abounded here.

The faces of the people were bright. It was a bustling city, completely unlike the dreary Sorcerous Kingdom.

And then, the sense of defeat soon faded away. After all, his city had been annexed recently. When a city was taken over by a new ruler, life would change. It was only natural that people would feel uneasy, leading to a temporary state of low energy.

Punitto Moe had once taught Ainz about strategy games. When one conquered territory during a war, the happiness value of the people would plummet. Also―

―What did he say about partisans appearing? The heck? Why would a large amount of weapons appear all of a sudden?

The first part was completely unrelated to the second. He had the feeling that he had gotten something wrong somewhere.

Since the game had nothing to do with YGGDRASIL, he had lost interest halfway. However, they should have been vaguely related, at least.

He was probably talking about some kind of betrayal. Or maybe it was some form of player slang, huh... Partisans... seems to be a kind of polearm. So, when he talked about weapons being sold in large quantities, he was talking about a reason to fight? Citizen levies, maybe? Hm? Maybe they're fighting the new ruler, but that would be an uprising, right? Then it should have just been called a rebellion from the beginning. Why partisans? Well, it doesn't matter anyway...

The reason why there had been no rebellion in E-Rantel was because the Death Knights were patrolling to maintain public order. Or was it because the character of Momon had a calming effect on them? No, perhaps the root reason was because of his benevolent social policies.

...Nothing's better than a peaceful reign. Killing the goose for the golden eggs is utter foolishness. I guess I need to make the occasional concession like returning dropped items to an opponent after PKing them, perhaps.

As he recalled the contents of "PKing for Dummies", Ainz realised that he had gotten distracted, and hurriedly got his thoughts back on track.

Hang on, I was thinking about high energy. Well, no matter what, I only rule one city, and this is the capital of the Empire, which has many cities, so the difference in their energy levels can't be helped. Even their populations are different... So I guess as long as the number of people increases, the Sorcerous Kingdom will also become more vibrant... I guess I need to focus on policies which encourage a population increase. Albedo can carry them out.

After Ainz comforted himself, he decided upon a new direction to take, in his capacity as a ruler.

"Then, ah, Your Majesty..."

The man who was looking out the window as well spoke to him, and it brought Ainz back from his thoughts.

"I, I fear to ask, Your Majesty, but is this not the Imperial Capital, Arwintar?"

The man ― who had practically been kidnapped ― asked that question in a trembling voice.

"Indeed it is. As expected of the Adventurer's Guildmaster, you recognized this place at a glance."

"Thank, thank you very ― no, wait! I don't recall us passing through any checkpoints! Isn't this illegal immigration?"

That was, in fact, what had happened. Since they had used the [Gate] spell to directly transit to the Imperial Capital, they would not have passed through any checkpoints.

"―Details, details."

"These aren't just details! A king crossing the border illegally into another country is an international incident!

Jircniv did the same thing when he came to Nazarick. Ainz did not say that, of course. Common sense would dictate that the Guildmaster was right and Ainz was wrong.

After thinking as hard as he could, he still could not think of an explanation which Ainzach would accept. Instead, he ended up sighing at the man's surprising stubbornness. He had thought he would be the kind of man to say, "Well, as long as you don't get caught".

His opinion of the man changed a little.

"...Guildmaster, I have a very good relationship with El-Nix-dono. I've even acceded to his requests in the past."

Ainz recalled what had happened during that war.

"Well, I know it's hardly the same thing, but I'm sure he would gladly approve if I just asked him. Granted, it would be after the fact... but wouldn't it be alright if the Emperor himself permitted it?"

"If, if you put it that way..."

"The most important thing is that neither you nor I have brought anything bad with us. Doesn't that mean it's fine?"

"Muu," Ainzach mused.

Ainz smiled in his heart, believing that he had convinced the other man.

In truth, there were two reasons for their clandestine crossing of the border.

If Jircniv knew about this, he would probably prepare a reception for me. He might be wary of Nazarick, but since I'm the king of an allied country, he would have to welcome me at the front door. That would be very bad.

The Emperor would surely host some kind of ceremony to welcome the king of an ally's country. That was something which Ainz, who was unfamiliar with the customs of noble society, had to avoid at all costs.

If he became a laughingstock because of that, he would not be able to look the Guardians ― who were working hard for the Sorcerous Kingdom ― in the eye.

There was also another reason.

Now, I need to think about how to get Ainzach involved in this. Perhaps I should ask for his help like I did when I spun that story at the guild?

The other reason was because he wanted to pressure Guildmaster Ainzach into his schemes.

Ainz's objective in coming here was to recruit adventurers.

He had already incorporated the Adventurer's Guild as a national organization. However, even if the shell was ready, filling it up would take a long time. This was quite bad for the Sorcerous Kingdom, since it only controlled one city and the number of adventurers they could draw on was completely insufficient. Using adventurers of other races ― like Lizardmen, for example ― was a matter for later. Right now, he had to increase the number of human adventurers.

This was why he had to come here to do talent scouting. If it was not enough, he could recruit from the surrounding countries as well.

However, this sort of recruitment was not easy, especially since Ainz was essentially going to do door-to-door sales ― one of the hardest kinds of work in the sales business.

According to Ainzach, adventurers were supposedly freelancers, but in truth, they were a form of national defense against monsters. Headhunting them aggressively would lead to stiff backlash.

Of course, Ainz did not think he would lose, even if the Adventurer's Guilds of every single nation mounted a full-scale campaign against him. However, that would reduce the morale of any adventurers he did manage to recruit. It was quite easy to see how they would lose their motivation when seeing a conflict between their new allegiance and their former home.

This was why he had to involve Ainzach ― who understood Ainz's aims and concepts ― in all of this. Surely things would go smoothly if he was the middleman. He had considered that Ainzach would flat-out refuse if he told him about this in E-Rantel, so he had dragged him along like this.

In addition, he was also considering the fact that Ainzach would have something in common with the other side.

That was a secret of salesmanship. People tended to gravitate towards those who were similar to them.

Ainz ― no, Suzuki Satoru had seen colleagues leverage the fact that they had been born in the same place or that they supported the same team as prospective clients to clinch a sale.

Having once been Momon the adventurer, Ainz understood the life of the adventurer, to some extent. However, he had risen through the ranks so quickly that he could not say that he truly knew the hardships of being an adventurer. Thus, he had to let Ainzach ― who was a veteran adventurer and also the Adventurer's Guildmaster ― speak for him to improve the other side's closeness to him.

In other words, the success of their little expedition to the Empire was reliant on Ainzach's performance.

Still, the question is, how can I truly motivate Ainzach to help?

If it was a matter of money, he could certainly pay. However, he did not imagine that such means would make Ainzach give his all.

"Let's go."

After commanding the driver, the coach began moving quietly. The driver in question was a creature which Ainz had summoned with what little gold he had left, a monster whose level was over 80, called Hanzo.

Hanzo was a humanoid ninja-type monster, and was skilled in countering stealth. There were others of roughly the same level, such as Kashin Koji, which was skilled in illusion. Fuuma, which was skilled in hand-to-hand combat and special techniques, Tobi Kato, which was skilled with weapons, and so on.

The interior of the coach clattered noisily as it travelled forward.

Ainz had considered that using a heavily-enchanted coach would be very suspicious. Thus, he had chosen a regular stagecoach instead.

"...Then, Your Majesty. Since we have already arrived at the Imperial Capital, can you tell me what we will be doing here?"

Ainzach furrowed his brows.

"We will be recruiting adventurers for our country."

A bitter expression crossed Ainzach's face. It was clear he was having trouble accepting that.

"...Could it be that you intend to persuade the adventurers of the Empire to join you?"

"Indeed. We will be headhunting in this country."

While it had been done during a time of war, the fact that he had killed so many soldiers of the Kingdom would make it very difficult to attract the adventurers from the Kingdom to his camp. In addition, Albedo was visiting the Kingdom, so he could not make things difficult for her. That being the case, their allied country, the Empire, was the ideal option.

The City-State Alliance was some distance away from here, according to Fluder's intelligence on the countries. However, after consulting Demiurge and Albedo, he decided that intervening there was not wise.

"In what way will you proceed? I..."

Ainzach took a deep breath.

"...Your Majesty, I have engraved your views on adventurers deep into my heart. Thus, I wish to aid Your Majesty with all my strength. That said, I am still a man of the system, for the most part. I feel that having adventurers abandon everything they have known up till now would be very difficult. This is particularly true for the adventurers of the Empire."

A sensation of new, fresh joy welled up within Ainz's chest.

Indeed, Ainz wanted opinions like this.

It was not that the Guardians were at fault, but they took everything he said as a divine pronouncement and rushed to execute them. Thus, Ainz was frequently uneasy about whether or not he had given the right orders. Because of that, he had longed to hear someone oppose one of his statements. That way, he would know where the problems lay.

Ainz's opinion of Ainzach went up by a notch.

Still, he could not completely accept his views.

Heaven only knew why, but all his subordinates seemed to think that the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown was a genius. Thus, Ainz could not say or do anything to betray that faith. He could not disappoint them.

"...How baffling. The benefits ought to outweigh the drawbacks. I do not understand. It seems I do not know enough about adventurers."

His face ― which showed no emotion ― was a great help, because nobody could tell he was lying. It was the ultimate poker face.

At this point, Ainz stopped for a moment and looked Ainzach straight in the eyes. He could not imply that he was waiting for the man's response.

"What would you do, if it was up to you? Is there a proposal which would be attractive enough to make adventurers who have already picked out a home base change their minds?"

"...Your Majesty, must we start headhunting right now?"

"What?"

"Are we going to start trying to entice the adventurers of the Imperial Capital right away?"

Ainz cupped his chin with a hand as he thought.

If possible, he would like to do so as soon as possible. However, if he could not, he did not mind waiting. After all, the aim was to sing the praises of the Sorcerous Kingdom.

Heteromorphs did not possess the concept of a lifespan. In that sense, there was more than enough time.

"Indeed, it is not particularly urgent."

"Then, should we not lay a strong foundation first? We should build the desired organization within the Sorcerous Kingdom, and then make various other preparations as needed. Once the shell is ready, we can fill it at leisure, is that wrong?"

"That is an excellent suggestion, one which I have considered before. However, it poses a problem of its own. If we do not estimate the contents before we begin to build, the finished vessel may be too large or too small... Would you care to try?"

"In-indeed, that task is beyond me. After all, I remain unsure of how Your Majesty wishes to nurture adventurers, and I do not understand the extent of your plans for the Sorcerous Kingdom."

"Indeed. Frankly speaking, I am still feeling things out. In particular ― I know you are interested in my words, but I do not know how many hearts they can move. In order to observe their reactions, I have come to the Empire to attempt a test recruitment, and to see the outcome."

"I see... as expected of Your Majesty, you have already planned so far ahead. I am ashamed of my shallow thinking."

"Certainly not. You and I are different beings. Because of that, I might make a mistake when it comes to the reactions of human beings. For all I know, I might say something which upsets others. Please tell me if such a situation occurs. In that respect, I will need a helper... Ainzach."

"Yes!"

"Then, I'll be counting on you in the future."

Ainzach paused to think for about a second, and then he bowed his head deeply.

It looked just like how the Guardians of Nazarick did it.

Ainz graciously nodded as he reflected on his previous words.

In any case, can I really leave the task of appealing to the Empire's adventurers to Ainzach alone?

This was a very important point.

He could do the presentation himself if need be, but it was not because he particularly liked it. If someone was more adept at a task and more capable, then he should hand it to them. However―

―I can't leave it all to him. If a problem comes up, I ought to deal with it as his superior.

He did not want to be a bad boss. Ainz clung to that determination. Just then, he realized that Ainzach seemed to have fallen into contemplation.

"Is something wrong?"

"...Your Majesty, could it be that you do not intend to limit yourself to the current crop of adventurers, but to incorporate the adventurers of the future into your organization and have them explore the unknown world?

"That was my intention."

"With that in mind, I feel trying to persuade the present batch of adventurers will be very difficult. However, it might be possible to have those people who wish to become adventurers come to our Sorcerous Kingdom. That is to say, we will gather the hatchlings and then raise them."

While adventurers knew no borders, the people who became adventurers belonged to a certain country. Ainz had thought of this point as well, but since this man ― who was more familiar with this world than Ainz ― shared his opinion, then it should be fine.

"I see. Then, what should we do?"

"The strong have always been admired. Thus, may I ask how your Majesty feels about showing his might as a form of advertisement?"

And what would that accomplish? Ainz thought.

That said, publicity was very important. After all, the reason why he was founding his own Adventurer's Guild was to spread the name of the Sorcerous Kingdom of Ainz Ooal Gown.

"...So I have to show my might and do what adventurers do?"

All I have to do is make an Empire-brand Momon, then, Ainz thought. However, Ainzach shook his head.

"On that note, Your Majesty. This is the Imperial Capital. How would you feel about displaying your might in the arena?"

"Hoh...? That sounds interesting. Elaborate."

***

The coach stopped in a spacious courtyard.

Momon and Nabe had walked the streets of the Imperial Capital, but Ainz had never seen such a huge personal home during that time. Not even in E-Rantel had he seen a mansion more impressive than this.

"Is this the home of the arena's owner? This is quite an impressive place."

Ainzach's response to Ainz's question was along the lines of "That might be stretching it."

"The arena itself is state property. People rent it for events, so calling them 'promoters' might be more accurate. The person who lives here is among the most powerful of those people."

"I see... a friend of yours?"

It would be good if that was the case. Regretfully, Ainzach shook his head.

"There are many events in the arena, and sometimes adventurers end up fighting monsters. I've only met this person a few times, when I captured those monsters and shipped them here."

"Is that so. Still, it ended up being quite useful indeed, so I must thank you for your connection. That said, what sort of monsters did you capture around the outskirts of E-Rantel?"

Ainzach had an uncomfortable look on his face.

"We captured the undead from the Katze Plains. The undead didn't need food, so they didn't incur additional expenses after we captured them."

"Hoh. Good eye. You do know your stuff, after all."

"Is that so? I don't strike myself as a very likeable person... still, Your Majesty. I fear to offend you, but is it really alright to speak of capturing your kind?"

Ainz looked straight at Ainzach.

What on earth was he on about?

"Because they're undead..."

"Ahh, I see ― well, there are many kinds of undead. I do not count all undead as my kin."

"Forgive my disrespect... Then, may I inquire as to what type of undead Your Majesty might be? If it does not offend, of course."

"I am an Overlord. Have you heard of them before?"

"My deepest apologies, but I have not. I was not inclined toward my studies, so I do not know."

Well, that's to be expected, Ainz thought.

In YGGDRASIL, there were several types of monsters in the Overlord family: the Overlord Wiseman, which was skilled in magic, the Overlord Kronos Master, which could use time-related special abilities, the Overlord General, which was adept at controlling armies of the undead, among others. Even the weakest of those was at least level 80.

He had a rough grasp of the strength of this world and the amount of strength one needed to be considered powerful in this world. That being the case, the appearance of an undead being like an Overlord would cause a huge disturbance, particularly because the undead did not age, so they would continue ruling the land for all eternity until it was defeated.

In other words, the fact that nothing like this had happened implied that there were no Overlords here.

"Is that so. Well, I intend to send adventurers into the unknown reaches of the world to collect information of that sort. It would be quite troublesome if others of my kind were around, bearing a hatred for the living. Do you understand?"

Ainzach's eyes went wide, and he nodded.

"It is as you say. I now thoroughly understand the true nature of adventurers."

"Indeed. Consider me an undead being that is an exception to the rules. I understand the value of humanity, so I will not engage in meaningless slaughter. However, other Overlords might not think the same way, no?"

"Is that really the case?"

"That remains to be seen. I do not know if I am the exception, or if my species is an exception in itself. However, should we not assume the worst-case scenario and prepare accordingly?"

"...It is as Your Majesty says. I shall engrave it into my heart."

Ainzach nodded.

If there were traces of one having appeared, and having being defeated ― it might have had some involvement with whoever brainwashed Shalltear. No, one could not rule out an Overlord being dominated the same way Shalltear had been.

"Then, I shall go secure an appointment for the meeting."

"Thank you."

Ainzach got off the coach. After Ainz watched him leave, he took out his mask and put it on. He could go around barefaced in E-Rantel, but this was the Imperial Capital ― and he had crossed borders illegally to be here ― so at the very least it was better to hide his true face. His robe was also something that was more subdued.

Although it meant that his personal equipment would go down by one class, it could not be helped. After all, Ainz only had one set of divine-class robes. While he still had the things left behind by his friends, in the end, the armor his friends left behind was more customised than their weapons. Therefore, it was not so much that he could not equip them, but that he could not bring out their full power, being that he could not make use of the large amounts of data that were used to benefit their abilities. That being the case, it was still better for Ainz to use the items which had been made for him, even if they were a little weaker.

After swapping out his gear, a knocking came from the door of the carriage, followed by Ainzach's voice.

It would seem less than five minutes had passed.

"My deepest apologies, Your Majesty."

"What happened?

"I regret to say that today does not seem convenient. The other party hopes we can come again tomorrow. However, I believe we can force our way in to convey Your Majesty's words to his ears. What shall we do?"

"There is no need for that."

Forcing an unsolicited meeting during a busy period would not endear anyone to him. On the contrary, when one looked at it from a business' point of view, the very fact that they had come uninvited and not been chased away, but given a time to visit again could be considered a major accomplishment.

"Then, we'll come again tomorrow. Good thing there's been a lot of free time lately ― what's wrong?"

Ainz realised Ainzach was goggling at him, and so he asked him why.

"No, it's nothing. I just felt that Your Majesty is a truly generous person... after all, there are those nobles who look down on merchants..."

"And you believed I would insist on a meeting?"

The fact that Ainz did not answer immediately told him "I did believe that" in a way that words could not convey.

Would that be the right thing to do from a ruler's point of view, Ainz wondered. While it seemed a bit too late to think of that now, Ainz Ooal Gown was a king. If that was what a ruler ought to do, then he needed to do it, even if it seemed strange to Suzuki Satoru.

"This is my first time occupying a position over humans. Should I not do so, if it was appropriate?"

An uncomfortable look appeared on Ainzach's face again:

"I am unsure, Your Majesty. I have never met the King, so I cannot say if it is true or not. Although, personally speaking, I prefer Your Majesty's point of view. That said, high-ranking nobles might consider such forcefulness to be appropriate."

"Human society is so complicated."

For some reason, Ainzach smiled warmly to Ainz after he muttered that.

"It might well be as Your Majesty says. There are many complicated things indeed."

Their chuckling filled the coach.

Ainz clenched his right fist where nobody could see. It would seem Ainzach was no longer so guarded. He was sure of it.

"―Then, did you tell him them that I would be coming tomorrow as well?"

"No, I did not do that. I wanted to hear what you thought of it first, Your Majesty. Or am I permitted to use Your Majesty's name?"

"...It's fine as long as they are not humans who will make a fuss. Since they are friends of yours, I will leave it to your own discretion."

"Understood. Then I shall not disclose it for now."

After discussing details like the time and so on, Ainzach stepped down from the coach again.

Ainz felt a bit guilty about using him as a runner. While he knew this was not a world where seniority mattered, Suzuki Satoru was a working man, and it bothered him to order an older person around.

Now I understand why people dislike having old subordinates.

He would not have had a problem ordering someone around from a completely different company. For instance, if Ainzach was from the Empire, he could point and dictate with no problems at all. The reason why Ainz could not do so was because he had come to see Ainzach as one of his subordinates.

I need to reward him appropriately. The people of Nazarick don't ask for payment, but they're an exception. If I forget this, they'll think of me as a terrible ruler. I must not become the boss of a black-hearted enterprise.

Ainz vowed that to the voice of Herohero in his mind.

Although, when it comes to rewarding Ainzach... how much should I pay him, as a king? The same as a mithril-ranked adventurer? No, there should be a duty allowance as well... so another 5% on top of that? Is there anyone I can ask about how much is appropriate?

He could discuss it with Demiurge or Albedo, but it was unclear whether the two of them had any idea of what kind of payment was appropriate. He had the feeling they would reply with something along the lines of "He should be glad to serve you, Ainz-sama".

As expected... I need to find a wise human. Fluder said he was very confident in his magical knowledge, but knew next to nothing about other matters.

Nazarick was arguably invincible, but he felt uneasy about his lack of knowledge concerning human society.

"...So I'll start by using him until someone better comes along, then? I guess agreeing with Demiurge's proposal was the right choice. Then again, I had no intention of denying him when he brought it up..."

(TL Note: This part is fairly complex; Ainz uses a saying here which refers to taking the first step with something sub-par. However, Ainz has mis-stated one word, going from 隗より始めよ to 貝より始めよ. )

As Ainz drifted off into contemplation once more, someone knocked on the door.

"Forgive the delay, Your Majesty."

It's not as though I was waiting for you. However, Ainz decided to allow Ainzach to continue, with a magnanimous attitude that best fitted a ruler.

"As you have desired, the appointment has been made to meet at ten in the morning tomorrow, Your Majesty."

"Umu. Then, there's just the matter of waiting until tomorrow... Next, I shall use teleportation magic to send you to E-Rantel. Relax and accept the spell. [Greater Teleportation]."

Ainzach's body disappeared in an instant.

The [Greater Teleportation] would safely transport him to the outermost of E-Rantel's triple gates. Even if there was someone at the destination, the spell would deposit him at the nearest safe location, so there was no need to verify the destination with magic.

"Then, I should contact that guy with [Message]."

Ainz muttered to himself. This was a distasteful task, so he did that to pull himself together.

He was sending the [Message] to Fluder, who had offered everything to him. The reason why he had been dragging his feet on giving the man what he had promised was because he did not feel confident he could actually give that old man what he wanted.

Fluder wanted Ainz to teach him everything he knew about magic.

Yet, Ainz's power did not come from the study of magic.

Perhaps if this was YGGDRASIL, he might be qualified to talk about magic. Sadly, the magic system of this world worked slightly different from that of YGGDRASIL.

Why was it that they learned the same spells in different ways? He had asked himself that question many times, but he could not find an answer. In addition, there was a veritable mountain of other unanswered questions. In the worst-case scenario, he had to consider that he might not be able to use his powers from YGGDRASIL.

Perhaps he could find the answer by using the level-draining option of the super-tier spell [Wish Upon A Star]. In this world, that spell could alter reality itself, and by draining multiple levels, it could fulfil a greater wish.

However, that was a very risky gamble.

It was unknown if he would find the answer even if he used it. It was very likely he would just be wasting effort. More importantly, he was afraid to use a spell which qualified as a trump card. Of course, it would be a different matter if he had a way to obtain large amounts of experience, but sadly, he had not discovered such a way so far.

Although he had no lungs, Ainz went "Haaah~" as he sighed. He had the attitude of a salesman who was prepared to to apologize for failing to deliver the requested goods to a client as he cast the [Message] spell.

"Fluder Paradyne. It is I, Ainz Ooal Gown."

Once he reached him, he continued speaking the pre-arranged words.

"You were born in Belmous Village. Your earliest contact with magic was through the spellcaster in your village."

『Ohhhh! It is you, Teacher! Long have I awaited this!』

He could feel the gratitude from Fluder.

Those pre-arranged words were a form of code, because Fluder had said that there was no way to tell if the person on the other side of a [Message] was a friend or a stranger. Thus, they had arranged to verify their identity by mentioning the (already-changed) name of his village and his memory.

Still, even after doing that, Fluder's doubts about the [Message] spell remained.

He's got it pretty bad. That said, there was not much Ainz could do about it.

Ainz made his reply, feeling slightly intimidated by the burning intensity of Fluder's enthusiasm.

"Forgive the slight delay. I believe it is time to teach you magic, as we agreed. Are you free now?"

『Of course! I will make as much time as needed for you, Teacher!』

He wanted to say, "You don't have to try so hard", but Fluder's enthusiasm about magic was the truest expression of his character. In the face of this magic-crazed madman, Ainz could not help but feel a little tongue-tied, as a regular person.

As he considered this great task, which seemed like settling a claim by a difficult customer, his stomach began to ache.

...My stomach must hurt the worst of anyone in the Imperial Capital.

Still, he could not delay it any further.

Before teleporting to Fluder's room, Ainz decided to verify his destination with a divination spell.

"All right. I shall now cast [Greater Teleportation] to reach your chambers."

『Ohhh! Not [Teleportation], but [Greater Teleportation]! Dare I ask which tier of magic it belongs to?』

"...Let's leave that for later. The [Message] will not last forever. Neither do I have levels in commander-type classes... Still, I would like to ask you something before that. What sort of anti-divination countermeasures have you taken? What spells have you cast? How did you cast them? Did you do anything to ward against teleportation?"

『None, none at all, I have not taken any such measures.』

Ainz's non-existent brows twitched as Fluder replied.

"Isn't doing nothing at all a little careless...?"

In other words, everything he said in Fluder's room might well be leaked to a third party.

『My sincerest apologies. However, I am not adept in that field of magic.』

"In that case, you should use magic items to substitute for that, right? I have seen many magic items in the Imperial Capital, all purportedly made by you."

Ainz recalled what he had seen when he first came to the Imperial Capital. He had been startled by the fact that they had things like refrigerators on sale.

『It is as you say, but as you must surely know, one must know a related spell in order to make a magic item. For instance, one must know the [Fireball] spell to make a flaming weapon. However, only a few people are willing to learn anti-divination spells...』

"I see," Ainz muttered.

In YGGDRASIL, one could normally only learn three spells per level. A level 20 character would thus be able to learn a maximum of 60 spells. It would be quite difficult to incorporate anti-divination magic into such a limited selection of spells.

Perhaps those who were not in the know might think 60 was a sizable sum, but if Ainz was limited to 60 spells from the 3rd tier of magic, he would probably have to spend all day worrying over his choices.

This was because he had to consider future uses, whether or not he would change his class and so on. There were many things which needed to be planned for and anticipated .

From that point of view, his rebuke of Fluder was petty and sad.

"Indeed, I misspoke. It is as you say. Divination magic would necessarily be a lower priority when studying offensive and defensive spells."

In the game, he could say, "I'll learn this, so I'll leave that to you" and easily settle things. However, the choice of spells was a life-changing decision to the people of this world. It would take a very brave person to learn an unpopular spell.

In addition, the divination school of spells was quite deep. One needed to anticipate the means that the foe would use to collect information.

Simply put, becoming a divination specialist was something which one would stake their lives on.

"Alright. Then I shall give you the anti-divination item I possess. Use that to ward yourself in future."

『Yes!』

Even without looking, he could tell that Fluder's head was deeply lowered. For all he knew, he might even be genuflecting.

『I have certainly received your loving words, Teacher!』

Ainz had originally planned to give him a decent item, but the thought of that pained his heart.

"Ah, ahhh... Then I shall scry your room now."

Ainz cast his spell on Fluder's chambers.

He looked down upon the genuflecting Fluder.

Then, he decided to check for magical auras, and as expected of Fluder, there were many different colors in his room. However, none of them looked like a dangerous color which would impede teleportation. After verifying that, he cast [Greater Teleportation].

His field of view changed, showing that he had successfully teleported to Fluder's room. Though there had been no delays, and he did not sense anyone spying on him, and he was quite certain that he had not jumped into the enemy's base, he still took a quick look around himself.

In truth, there was no need to be so worried. However the brief period of vulnerability after teleportation was when it was easiest to be attacked. These protective actions ― to defend against being PKed ― had been long drilled into Suzuki Satoru's body.

"I bid you welcome, my Teacher."

"...Raise your head," Ainz commanded Fluder. In all honesty, there was no need for him to go that far.

That sort of loyalty ― or rather, his thirst for knowledge that led to a desire to obey ― was abnormal.

It was quite similar to how the people of Nazarick acted. Although Ainz had finally started getting used to that sort of thing, seeing it from someone he barely knew made him want to back away.

"Yes!"

"Speaking while standing is not good. I'll take a seat."

"Yes! Everything I have is yours, Teacher. Please, sit anywhere you like!"

Complex feelings of whether or not to get used to this ran through Ainz's heart as he sat on the sofa. However, Fluder did not take the seat opposite him. Instead, he remained as he was, kneeling on the ground with his head raised.

"It's fine. Have a seat."

"Is, is it really alright? That is, for me to sit in the same way as you, Teacher."

"...You should have disciples too, right? Do you treat them this way as well?"

This sort of sports-team attitude alarmed Ainz, which prompted his question. In response, Fluder shook his head.

"Not like that, but the difference between myself and you is like that between the heavens and the earth, Teacher. I fear to even begin to mention myself in the same breath as―"

"―It's fine. I grant you permission to sit down. Come. have a seat."

"Yes!"

After he made sure Fluder was seated, Ainz thought, my belly really hurts as he spoke.

"First, how is the matter that I as―"

He changed his mind halfways through the word "asked".

"―that I ordered you to handle? That is to say, making a written record of the Empire's information on the various countries?"

"Yes! Most of the information pertaining to the neighboring countries has already been completed. However―"

"What happened? Is there a problem?"

"Yes! Or rather, I should say, as expected of the Emperor."

A look of pride crossed his face. It was the expression a teacher might have toward an outstanding pupil.

"He seems to have noticed my treachery."

It was only natural for employees to swear not to reveal their former company's secrets before job-hopping. With that in mind, Ainz was a villain for making Fluder feed him sensitive information on the Empire.

However, Ainz knew well that he did not run a company, but a country. Nothing was off-limits for the sake of his nation's prosperity ― for the happiness of the people who belonged to the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.

Ainz held no grudge against Jircniv. However, that meant nothing in comparison to the well-being of his own country. If his misfortune made the Sorcerous Kingdom prosper, then he would simply have to suffer.

That said, Ainz still preferred coexistence and mutual prosperity over conflict.

Punitto Moe once said something about Mr. Nash and prisoner's conditions and something along those lines, but the gist of it was, if opportunities were unlimited, cooperation would reap the greatest benefits for all parties involved.

(TL Note: Ainz is getting it wrong again – see Nash Equilibrium and the Prisoner's Dilemma)

Ainz knew that international relations were basically a matter of each party using the other, but he wanted to maintain a good relationship with Jircniv.

I kept the number of Imperial casualties to a minimum as the price of poaching Fluder, so we're probably even on that count. I feel a sense of closeness to him now. It must be because of all the times I've spied on him.

"...Is something the matter, Teacher?"

"Er, um, nothing. Just thinking about certain matters."

"Really? My deepest apologies for interrupting your thoughts, Teacher!"

"There's no need to apologise. I am here today because of you."

"Ohhh! Thank you very much, Teacher!"

Why is he thanking me so vigorously? Though Ainz was puzzled, he eventually managed to get the topic back on track.

"Ah― yes, the fact that you've been turned. Well, it's alright for you to be exposed, but there is a problem. That is to say, your safety."

"Ohh! To think you would actually be worried about the safety of someone like me, Teacher!"

Why did this old man have to overreact to everything? The basic duty of a boss was to look out for the well-being of anyone he did not intend to discard from the beginning. Or did they do things differently in the Empire?

If it's the latter, that would be scary... Well, I might kill people who got in my way, but killing someone who was once my subordinate is still...

"Fluder, that's right, do not get too excited. It would be odd if anyone around you noticed."

"That will not be a problem. This floor is exclusively for my use. Nobody else is around."

He had come here before. That said, this tower was quite large, so it was no wonder the greatest magic caster of the Empire was allowed an entire floor to himself.

"Back to the matter of your personal safety. Has anyone tried to kill you after your treachery came to light?"

"Nothing of the sort. However, my responsibilities have steadily decreased, and while the Emperor frequently came to consult me in the past, he has not summoned me ever since he returned from the glorious domain that you rule, Teacher."

"I see... Then, Fluder. Do you want to come to my side?"

"Ohhh! Gladly!"

He answered right away...

"Then, after considering your profession ― no, before that, there is something I must do. It concerns your reward."

After saying that, Ainz exhaled, and then reached into his pocket dimension. He had rehearsed the flow of the conversation which would follow many times, poking fun at the words even as he corrected them.

Although he had no way to be sure if Fluder would react as Ainz imagined, he had put in enough practice already.

"As agreed, I shall now impart a portion of my knowledge to you. Take and study this book."

Ainz handed a tome called The Book of the Dead to him.

It was a fairly ancient volume, which gave off a musty smell. Surprisingly enough, the book itself was very sturdy, with no trace of being worm-eaten.

Fluder accepted the book Ainz offered with trembling hands. Ainz was glad that he was undead. If he was still human, the book might be wobbling nonstop from nervousness.

Fluder's goal was to plumb the abyss of magic, but Ainz did not know what the abyss of magic was. He could teach him about YGGDRASIL, but the abyss of magic or whatnot was another topic entirely.

That said, not giving it to him would be a betrayal of his loyalty. One had to repay good unto good and reward loyal service. Thus, Ainz had given him a book from his collection, which seemed the most likely to hold the secrets of magical knowledge. The parts he had flipped through seemed to contain something about magic which he could not understand.

"Then, please excuse me."

Fluder reached out to the book, and that delighted expression of his soon twisted into despair after flipping though a few pages.

"―What's the matter? Is this not what you sought?"

Ainz suppressed his unease as he asked that question. It was fine even if it was not what he wanted. He had already practiced for that eventuality.

"No, it is nothing like that. I simply cannot understand this."

"Ah, I see."

Ainz took the book from Fluder, flipped through it, and stopped at a certain page.

"This chapter concerns the transformation of the dead into souls; specifically, the section about differentiation."

It was written in Japanese, so obviously Fluder could not understand it. However ―

This looks more like a setting book for a fantasy world than a fantasy novel. The hell is this differentiation stuff. And then there's souls as clouds and so on. It looks really hard and I can't wrap my brain around it at all. Feels like I can only scratch the surface... Could it be that I can't understand this book, even though I can read it?

Books were like the occult, or rather, this book was pretty much an occult volume. To Suzuki Satoru, who had no knowledge in this field, all he saw was a collection of scribblings. Still, all this seemed to have been taken from some kind of mythology. If Tabula Smaragdina was around, he would probably be able to explain it to him.

"Ohhh!"

The sense of guilt in Ainz's heart grew as he watched Fluder look at him with joyful eyes.

"Indeed... Well, I cannot give this to you because I only have one set, but give this a try."

Ainz placed a pair of glasses on the book and handed it to him. Fluder put it on and hurriedly flipped through the pages.

"This, this is! It's saying that souls are entities like the foam left by the waves of this great world, and so whether great or small, they are fundamentally the same. That meeeeaaaannnns!!!"

Hieh~ he's gone mad.

Even Ainz was startled, to the point where he nearly shrank back.

The way Fluder's eyes were wide open and bloodshot, his breathing like a wild beast's, made it seem as though he was about to pounce on someone.

"How, how is it?"

Fluder's eyes pivoted and stared straight at Ainz.

"This, this is amazing, Teacher! This is the lore that I sooooooooooouuuuught! Hyaaaaah!"

The alarm he felt at the old man's mania exceeded a predetermined threshold, and Ainz swiftly calmed down again.

"―Is that so. Then, return me the glasses."

"Wha! But, this.."

"Consider the translation of that book to be your training. Once you can understand and digest it, you will be able to set foot in a higher domain. It would be pointless for you to use these glasses."

"How could this be... Then, may I be allowed to give this book a once-over first?"

"One page should still be all right. But if you continue after that, it will negatively affect your growth."

Fluder closed the book shut with a patan, and then closed his eyes.

After several seconds, he opened his eyes and spoke. His voice had returned to normal.

"Understood. I will abide by your teachings, oh Teacher. May I seek your aid if there are matters I do not understand?"

"Umu. As long as it is within my power to answer."

"Yes!"

Fluder removed the glasses and returned them to Ainz.

Excellent! I won't hear anything from Fluder for a while now. Ah, I need to instruct him about this first. That... how shall I say this...

Ainz struggled to pry open the vaults of his memory. Then, in solemn, heavy tones ― which made one think of the voice a leader would have ― Ainz spoke:

"Fluder."

"Yes!!"

"I have entrusted you with this book of arcana because I trust you. You must never hand it to a third party. The same applies to any notes you make to study it. Nothing about this book can be allowed to spread."

"Yes!!!"

"There is hardly a need to tell you the reason for that, but this is knowledge that surpasses what humans can comprehend. It would be very troublesome if others came to learn of it... Although someone of your talent might not be beyond salvation. I do not want to have to clean up behind you ten years down the road."

"But of course. I will not leak any of the knowledge I have obtained from you to others. I swear it."

"―I trust you, Fluder. Do not disappoint me."

"Yes!!!!"

Fluder got up from his chair and knelt on the ground.

He wanted to say that there was no need to go to that extent, but this too was proof of how effective his air of majesty had been. Ainz could not help but feel proud that his hours of acting and vocalization practice had been put to good use.

"Enough. Since you understand, I shall say no more. Return to your seat. Still, it will be very difficult for you to decipher an unknown language without any help. Do you have some way of overcoming that?"

"Yes! I can use a translation spell, though its efficacy is very limited. I believe that with that, I can slowly decipher the text."

"Really now. Really now! Marvellous."

This answer was exactly what Ainz wanted to hear. By slowly giving him the appropriate practice, he would be able to buy himself time. In addition, a problem like that would not be enough to make Fluder give up.

"Then I shall hand this to you... no, that's it. I will lend you a box for you to store it in. I do not think that you will treat it lightly, but someone might wish to steal it from you."

Ainz pulled a box out of his pocket space. It was an item of the same grade which he used to store his personal notebook.

"Once you store the book in here, even if this box is stolen, it will take quite some time to open it. Of course, it will all be for nothing if someone overhears the command word to open the box... so be careful."

"Of course, Teacher! I will never do anything like that!"

"Good."

Ainz shifted his gaze from Fluder ― who was caressing the book in delight ― to the ceiling. Now, what would he talk about next?

"Ah, that's right. The matter of your treachery coming to light, and thus you coming over to me. When can you leave?"

"If Teacher wishes it, I can leave at any time. I have no attachments to this country."

Ainz mentally furrowed his brows.

He had no idea what to say to someone who could casually discard his position of trust. He might well do the same thing to Ainz in the future.

Ainz marked Fluder down several points with a red pen in his heart's ledger.

"...Then, Fluder. I wish to have you participate in the magical research of the Sorcerous Kingdom. However, your spells will not be put into circulation. They will only be shared with me and those whom I trust. Can you bear it? Can you forsake your desire for fame?"

"There will be no problem at all. The only thing I desire is to glimpse the secrets of magic. I desire nothing else."

Ainz studied Fluder in earnest, the man who could make such a statement.

Ainz had no ability to evaluate a person's character. As human beings, it was obvious that Fluder ― a genius sage who had lived far beyond the span of a normal human being and who was deeply involved in the operations of the vast nation called the Empire ― was superior to him. There was no way for him to see through any attempt by Fluder to deceive him.

However, being unable to see through such things and not trying to see through such things were two different matters. With that attitude in mind, Ainz stared at Fluder, and in the end he simply said, "Good."

"I will entrust you with all the powers and privileges of your office once you arrive in the Sorcerous Kingdom. I also intend to help you with magical research as much as possible. Then―"

Now, there would be one more person helping Nazarick, beyond the Bareares. If he could obtain the woman which Demiurge and Albedo had recommended, Nazarick would be further strengthened.

He had to increase his power as much as possible, so long as he could not see the true face of his enemy.

The enemy possessed a World-Class Item, so he had to obtain a power aside from YGGDRASIL's as soon as possible. He had to assume that anything he could do, the enemy could as well.

However, there was one more problem.

That would be, how would he protect the Empire.

Demiurge felt that the Empire was a potential enemy, but Ainz did not think so.

Although the future was unclear, the use of force alone in world conquest was not a wise decision. If the Sorcerous Kingdom was painted as a nation which annihilated everyone who stood against it, countries which could have been friends would probably end up as enemies.

That being the case, why not form a deep friendship with his fellow dictator Jircniv, and send that message to their subordinates?

This way, I'll be able to minimize the force Demiurge and the others use in world conquest. What a brilliant plan. More than the alliance of nations, or the alliance of guilds... friendship?

The shapes of his heteromorphic friends appeared in Ainz's mind.

Still, how should I make friends with him? Giving people things isn't the right way to make friends, right... Thus, protecting the Empire, the most precious thing to Jircniv, should be the best way. It's quite likely that my enemies will set their sights upon it.

He put himself in the role of the people who brainwashed Shalltear. If they used the methods Ainz used, then―

In the worst-case scenario, they might use [Ia Shub-Niggurath] on the Imperial Capital. Everyone would think I did it, regardless of the actual culprit... Then, they would spread that news throughout the world. That would greatly decrease the Sorcerous Kingdom's influence.

Ainz recalled his YGGDRASIL days.

It was foolish to directly fight a powerful guild, so it was quite common to instigate wars with other guilds to weaken the powerful guild's influence. These methods would probably be applicable here. Ainz would probably do so if placed in that situation, and so it was very likely his foe would do the same thing.

In order to prevent this sort of thing from happening, Ainz considered allowing Fluder to spread rumors that he could not use that spell again (a lie, naturally). However, Fluder could no longer be used, so he had to consider some other method.

This is close to forbidding the carrying of palm-sized dangerous objects... As expected, I'll need to discuss the matter with Demiurge, maybe order him to think of a way to deal with this. However, would he not think it strange? Ahh, how troublesome, I can't figure it out.

If only he could hand everything to those two. However, if he did that, it would damage his image as an absolute ruler. He had to think of a way to solve his problems while maintaining his position.

"Teacher, what is wrong?"

"...Fluder, I intend to protect the Empire for some time. Do you have any ideas?"

"...May I know why you ask?"

"Conquering it would be easy, but I have no interest in standing atop a pile of rubble. I wish to keep the Empire intact, and so I would like to prevent the loss of fighting power that would result when they lose you."

Fluder's wrinkles deepened.

"It is difficult to answer that question immediately. I believe that there will be no problems for a while even if I am not around. That said, it is also true that nobody can fill the void that I will leave... If it is fine, then I shall stay for the time being."

"Are you willing to do so? Then, I will contact you again tomorrow, after the discussions are complete."

"Yes!"

"Right, there are two more things I want to ask you. First, I would like to know the details of the Martial Lord. The second matter concerns Death Knights..."

-x-X-x-

As the appointed time drew near, Ainz cast a detection spell. Normally, he would have stacked numerous defensive spells on himself first, but it would be too wasteful to expend a lot of valuable scrolls. Unlike how things were at the graveyard, when he was sure there were hostiles present, Ainz simply cast the spell.

That said, he picked a place where any counterattacks would not strike others.

A different scene appeared in his field of vision. This was the interior of a coach. Ainz manipulated the floating point of view and observed the exterior of the coach.

Then, Ainz cast [Greater Teleportation].

The teleport took place without incident, and Ainz opened the door to the coach. Ainzach, who was seated within, had a look of shock on his face. However, Ainz nonchalantly boarded, closed the door, and dispelled the invisibility spell he had cast on himself.

"As I thought, it was Your Majesty. Although I understand the need for secrecy, could you please not use an invisibility spell next time?

"If I do not use invisibility, I will be spotted, no?"

"It should be fine because of Your Majesty's mask, am I wrong?

"Indeed, that might be the case, but I used a teleportation spell. I would like to avoid being drawn into troublesome matters."

"Indeed..."

"Well, since you understand, shall we leave?"

"All right. Let us depart."

The coach passed through the opened gate, and reached the place designated by the doorman. This was a parking area which could accommodate several coaches.

"Then, let us proceed."

Ainz dismounted from the coach after Ainzach.

An old man in a butler's uniform awaited them there. He was accompanied by a maid.

Though he looked like a butler, he did not feel as powerful as Sebas. He seemed like a very ordinary, albeit well-bred old man. The butler was human, though the same was not true for the maid.

A pair of ears adorned the top of the maid's head; not human ears, but ears from some kind of animal. Although it was hard to be sure since they were obscured by her hair, there was no swelling at the site where normal humans had their ears. She had a cute face, but it was not the same way a human being was cute ― more like an animal sort of cute.

"Welcome, Ainzach-sama and ― Your Majesty the Sorcerer King, I believe. The master awaits you. Please allow us to lead the way. May I ask you to follow behind us?"

"Wha?!"

After he heard the butler's speech, a strangled cry of surprise escaped Ainzach's mouth.

Ainzach had said in yesterday's talk that he would not bring up Ainz's true identity, so he must have been shocked because they had managed to guess who Ainz was. For Ainz, however, this was nothing to be alarmed about. His mask might have concealed his face, but he had not changed his clothes. Anyone with a good information network would have heard about him. Under these circumstances, not replying would be rude.

"Thank you. Then, please show us the way."

"Yes."

The butler lowered his head. A beat later, so did the maid.

After the two of them started walking, Ainzach quietly told Ainz:

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty."

His thanks was because Ainz had responded to the butler.

No need for that, Ainz wanted to say, but in the end he accepted the thanks in silence.

To Suzuki Satoru, a superior ought to cover for his subordinates if the latter made a mistake. Ainzach's thanks was a natural reaction. It was an unavoidable step in his future growth as one of Ainz's subordinates.

Once more, Ainz keenly realized that being a boss was not relaxing at all.

Suddenly, Ainz realized that he had never once said "Thanks" while he was playing the role of a ruler.

I need to find a time to thank the Guardians and all the NPCs. I need to show my appreciation for their hard work.

Ainz's objective was to run the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick like a benevolent company. As he idly pondered the matter, he did not stop moving, but continued walking toward the direction where he was being led.

"Although, it was quite surprising to actually encounter a Rabbit Man, Your Majesty."

Wouldn't it be better to discuss this sort of thing after the person in question was gone? Ainz thought that, but the topic interested him, so he decided to go with the flow.

"Shouldn't it be Rabbit Woman?"

"No... well... their species name is Rabbit Man."

"Ainzach, it was merely a joke. Taking it so seriously is somewhat troubling."

"...I wonder if she came from further east than the City-State Alliance. How exotic."

"Hm..."

Ainz had no idea how far away "east of the City-State Alliance" was. His information did not yet cover such distant regions.

Still, he had not seen any in the Kingdom, and she was the only Rabbit Man he had encountered in the Imperial Capital. It must be hard to live in a place without other members of one's kind, even without considering discrimination from other races.

Ainz was curious and wanted to ask her some questions, but he could not do so. It would be troublesome if he stepped on a landmine during their conversation.

Before long, they reached a house.

"The master awaits you within. Please."

The interior of the house was decorated with many articles of lovingly-oiled and maintained weapons and armor. They were clean, free of dust and displayed in neat rows.

Upon closer inspection, many of the weapons were scuffed and dented on their business ends. It was clear that these weapons had been used in actual combat.

Rather than a weapon merchant's shop display, it seemed more like the gallery owner displaying the weapons of his glorious past.

After a hasty glance around, Ainz's gaze returned to the sword he saw first.

It was the most beautiful of all the weapons in the room.

There was no sign of damage on the sword. The gallery's owner must have been quite fond of it, judging by how it had been placed to be the first thing anyone would see when they entered the room.

"Does it please you?"

"Ah, truly an excellent collection."

Thus did Ainz answer the room's owner seated on the sofa ― in other words, the owner of this gallery. The owner was stout-bodied and his hair was cut so short that one could see his scalp.

They did not bother with greetings, but continued talking about weapons.

"So, which piece do you favor most ― ah, that one. Everyone who comes into this room says that."

Ainz entered the room and stood before the sword.

"May I pick it up?"

"Of course, by all means."

Ainz thanked him and picked up the sword. Of course, it would drop if he actually tried to wield it in earnest, but holding it was fine.

He peered at the sword, and then he noticed the characters carved on the blade. These bizarre characters were vaguely familiar to Ainz. He searched his memories, and finally found the answer.

"Runes?"

"Ohhh! As expected of Your Majesty. You know of these letters!"

What? Seriously? ...Are runes commonly used in this world?

Runes were an alphabet which had apparently been used in the past of Suzuki Satoru's world. The fact that such characters existed in this world meant that it was very likely someone from the same world as Suzuki Satoru had spread them here. Thus, Ainz carefully answered:

"...Probably, I believe. I only know of them. I cannot create rune-engraved items. May I know which smith made this?"

"Ohhh, that was a good question. That sword was forged by a runesmith of the Dwarven Kingdom in the Azellisian Mountain Range. It is about 150 years old. The blade can accumulate electricity, and there's a maker's mark on the hilt. Did you see it?"

The gallery owner was standing next to Ainz.

The overwhelming smell of cologne assaulted his nose.

"This is a piece by Stonenel, a famous artisan."

A Dwarven artisan? ...Looks like I'll have to learn more about that.

"Hoh. That does sound like a famous artisan. Are there any more examples of his work here?"

Ainz looked around, and the man laughed heartily.

"Hahahaha. No, not in here. I store them elsewhere. However, this is the only piece which bears such a powerful enchantment."

"Hoh."

Ainz concealed his disappointment as he quietly emoted.

That said, he had still learned something about the artisan called Stonenel. He had to see if there was a player there.

"I've heard that the weapons made by dwarven runesmiths rarely circulate on the market. And you actually have more of them in store?"

Ainz gave Ainzach a mental thumbs-up for asking that question.

"Indeed I do, Ainzach," the man smiled. "I snatch them up whenever they're on auction. Recently, there was a really persistent adventurer trying to outbid me. I ended up paying three times what I had originally planned."

Ainzach shook his head incredulously (sort of), while Ainz nodded in approval. This was how things were for a collector. An outsider would never be able to understand. At times, even Ainz did not understand the actions of his past self.

Ainz wanted to keep asking, but in the end he decided to return the sword to its original place.

"It seems I was entranced by your marvellous collection without even greeting you. Do forgive my lack of respect."

The man was all smiles.

"Your Majesty has a way with words. Then, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Osk, an insignificant merchant."

"You will surely anger the other merchants of the Empire if you call yourself insignificant. I remain the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown."

"Not a day goes by when I do not hear of your mighty name. Please, have a seat. I will have the servants prepare drinks."

"...While this is a rare opportunity... there is no need to prepare my share."

Osk's eyes did not seem quite proportional to his head. He studied Ainz with those eyes.

"Your Majesty, I have heard the rumors... but could I trouble you to remove that mask?"

"...Since this is a request of the home's owner, I must comply."

Ainz took off his mask, revealing his bare face.

There was no look of surprise on Osk's face. His eyes were very small, so once he narrowed his eyes to smile, there was no way to look into their depths.

"Ohhh... I see, I see..."

Osk nodded several times before speaking again.

"In truth, I was worried that I would not be able to prepare tea that would be able to satisfy the tastes of the renowned Sorcerer King, but it would seem that was wasted effort on my part."

After those cheerful words, Osk's belly wobbled with laughter.

"Say, Osk. Why did you think His Majesty would come with me?"

"Ahhh, it's not hard to tell, right? E-Rantel is under the control of His Majesty. When I heard that the Guildmaster of E-Rantel's Adventurer's Guild was visiting, in the company of someone more important than himself, only one person came to mind. Granted, it could have been some other confidant of the Sorcerer King, but my instincts told me otherwise," Osk said.

"Then, is it my turn to ask questions now? Did you once use the weapons displayed here?"

Osk chuckled at Ainz's question.

"How could that be? Your Majesty, do consider my body! I can wield an abacus, but I have never once swung a sword. That is just a hobby of mine... Since I was a child, I have always admired the strong, as well as swords and other weapons."

"I see..."

"It seems you understand. Now then, I have a question of my own. I have heard of Your Majesty's unstoppable might; was that due to the long time you have lived ― well, I suppose it does count as living?"

"That is correct, in comparison to the lifespans of you humans."

As Ainz said this, he thought of something. What kind of being was the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown?

Obviously he could not say, "Certainly not, you two are older than me." Even if he did say so, they would not believe him. So he had to speak while in-character as the Sorcerer King. However, if he did not lock down the exact details of the Sorcerer King's character, things might turn out badly.

In any case, it's confirmed that the undead live a long time. If anyone asks why I do not know certain things despite my long life, I can reply that I was focused on researching magic. Let's use that as a basic detail for the Sorcerer King's character.

"That being the case, do you possess weapons of the past?"

Judging by that question, Osk did not intend to hide his curiosity.

"Of course I do. However, I cannot just give them to you, no?"

"For a suitable amount ― no, I will try to pay three times the market value."

Ainz could not reject him on the spot. This was because he recalled the precarious state of his personal finances. However, it would hardly be dignified for the ruler of a country to go "Sure, let's do it."

"...Money does not exactly appeal to me."

"I sincerely apologize. Saying so to Your Majesty ― who is the ruler of a country ― was terribly rude of me... Then, what can I offer to make you want to trade them to me?"

So he wants to phrase it as receiving a bounty for meritorious service to my country, or something like that? Hm? Well, in that case...

Ainz took out a shortsword. It was wreathed in a billowing mist effect. Its faintly translucent blue blade was made of blue crystal metal, and it contained little mana. That said, its overall ability classified it as a high-class item in YGGDRASIL, and it was certainly more powerful than the average magic item in this world.

"This, this is!"

Two voices cried out those words.

Ainzach's eyes went wide as he stared at the shortsword. "Umu," Ainz muttered, before placing it in front of Ainzach.

"Take it."

"Hah?!"

Once more, those words were spoken by two voices.

"Ainzach, this is a gift for your hard work. That said, this is not an award, nor is this meant to symbolize your station, I simply felt that this sort of thing is similar to the reward I wish to hand out in my ideal nation, so I give this to you. If you require cash instead, it is fine to sell it off."

This shortsword did not contain enough data to harm Ainz. Nor was it one of the weapons made by his former guildmates and thus filled with memories.

"I, how could I dare accept such..."

Ainzach's body shuddered uncontrollably.

"This is nothing amazing. Well, if you do not want it, I can change it for something else when the time comes. A healing potion, perhaps. That should be fine. What do you think?"

Ainzach hesitated for a while, but in the end he decided to keep the shortsword.

"I shall accept it. Thank you very much, Your Majesty! I will continue serving Your Majesty with all my strength, with effort that will not be outshone by this sword!"

"Congratulations, Ainzach. If you run into any trouble, remember to think of this friend of yours."

Osk eyed the shortsword as he said this. Ainzach had a look on his face like a mother bear protecting her cubs.

"It won't happen. Never."

Ainz decided to change his tone.

"Well then. Let us move on to the real business."

Osk reluctantly pulled his eyes away from the handkerchief that Ainzach had used to wrap the sword, and replied:

"...Understood. May I ask why you have graced my humble estate with your presence?"

"Umu... I am not given to dressing up my words. Let me get to the point.... I would like you to arrange a bout with the Martial Lord of the arena."

Osk's eyes widened, but soon they returned to their normal shape.

"I have heard that the Martial Lord is not part of the arena personnel, but a gladiator you have raised since he was a child. Ainzach told me that you can quickly put a fight on the cards if you agree to have the Martial Lord fight, which is why I came to make this request of you."

"Fuhahahaha. Are you serious, Your Majesty? You do know that the Martial Lord is the mightiest man in the arena, with a monster's body and outstanding fighting skills? He might be the strongest one in history. Perhaps Your Majesty counts strong individuals among his followers as well, but defeating him is..."

Osk shook his head with pride.

"...Is he stronger than Fluder?"

"No, this is from the perspective of a warrior. It's not applicable to a magic caster. All they have to do is fly up and attack repeatedly with magic and that's the end of it."

Osk's quiet grumbling somewhat perturbed Ainz, and then Ainzach chimed in:

"Once, an adventurer team took to the sky and won by raining spells and arrows on him from a distance. That was a pretty disappointing fight. Ever since, the arena has forbidden teleportation and flight magic."

Then, Osk looked at Ainz. He seemed to have recovered.

"Cough! Well, that was rude of me, Your Majesty. I recalled some bitter memories... Then, back to the topic, Your Majesty. May I ask who intends to fight the Martial Lord? Are they human?"

Ainz and Ainzach looked at each other. Then, Ainz answered:

"That would be me."

"...Eh?!"

"I, Ainz Ooal Gown, shall be his opponent."

After a brief period of silence, Osk asked in a panic:

"But, but but, but are you not the ruler of a country, Your Majesty?"

"Indeed I am. What of it?"

"Eh? No, that's correct, but... that..."

"Ahh, I understand what worries you. You must be thinking, what would happen if I came to be hurt?"

"It would be fine if it ended in just getting hurt," Osk muttered under his breath. Ainz pretended not to notice.

"Be at ease. There will not be a problem, no matter what happens to me. I will leave written proof of that."

"But if that sort of thing does happen, I won't be able to do business any more. I have heard that the Empire is supposed to be an ally of the Sorcerous Kingdom. If I allow the king of an allied country to be seriously injured, the state will have its eye on me."

"I promise you ― you will not be inconvenienced by this."

"Even if you say so..." Osk paused to think, and then asked again: "These words might be unpleasant to the ear, but could you offer up something as a guarantee?"

"A guarantee? Like what?"

"...Please give me something like what you gave Ainzach earlier. If anything happens, it'll be fine as long as I can keep that item."

"If that is what it takes to satisfy you, then I shall make that promise. However, I cannot give it to you right away. I promise it will reach you by tomorrow."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty. ...There is also another matter I would like to ask, though I fear it is inappropriate."

Ainz waved, indicating that Osk should continue.

"As a promoter, I collect a lot of information. Much of that information pertains to powerful beings which might appear in the arena, or monsters. There are also rumors concerning Your Majesty ― dare I ask if it is true that Your Majesty slew tens of thousands of the Kingdom's people with a single spell?"

"Koff!"

Ainzach coughed in a very contrived way. He was glaring at Osk with reproachful eyes, but this was nothing that had to be hidden, nor was it something to be ashamed of.

"Indeed, that is true. I slew them with my magic. Will you reproach me for it?"

"No, I was simply asking to gauge the extent of Your Majesty's mystical powers. After all, if you did use that spell from the rumors, it would be... very bad. After all, the arena is within the Imperial Capital."

"No, no, I will not cast a spell like that."

Even Ainz had no intention of using such a spell in the middle of an allied country. What kind of terrorist would do that sort of thing?

"Of course, I feel the same way as well. Unlike the common image of the undead, Your Majesty is a noble and rational man. I do not believe you will enact a great slaughter because you hate the living. That said, making assumptions and neglecting to confirm these things might lead to failure."

Ainz agreed on that point as well. This was one of the dangers that came with allowing a new person to join. In truth, Suzuki Satoru had failed like this in the past.

"Your concerns are valid. Allow me to repeat myself ― I will not use that spell."

"Why is that? Is it because it has something to do with the alignment of the stars?"

"While that is not related to the mat-"

A lightbulb went off over Ainz's head.