Chapter 1: Lost

Ainz stares into a mirror. There he is—a true skeleton, an overlord. Trying one last time to see if he isn't in a dream, he gives himself a hard punch to the stomach, or where the stomach would be. As with the other times, the blow goes through where his skin and organs should be. He looks around; he is truly in Nazarick's throne room. The pristine walls are just like the ones he built with his friends so many years ago. "Maybe this won't be so bad; anything beats going back to my 5am to 9pm job," Ainz thinks to himself.

"It has been a few days since I entered the new world," Ainz reflects in his throne room. "Defending Carne Village has reinforced the idea that I am truly alone in Nazarick. Of course, there are the NPCs, but are they really human? Well, not human; Ainz Ooal Gown never had human members."

As Ainz is lost in his thoughts, Sebas enters the room and bows before Ainz, who takes a few moments to realize he is there. Sebas wears a proper suit and has facial hair that is groomed to perfection. He is definitely the most gentlemanly in all of Nazarick.

"Speak," Ainz says, still trying to maintain the guise of authority that is expected of him.

"Lord Ainz, the Pleiades have returned from their individual scouting missions," Sebas relays with such a serious tone that puts Ainz a little on edge.

"Excellent, anything of note to report?"

"Yes, Yuri Alpha investigated Carne Village's local leaders and learned that a group of wolves has been stalking the local area. She suspects they ambush travelers and merchants on the roads to Carne Village…"

'Hopefully, they are able to defend themselves. It would be nice to keep that village around for more information on this new world. I'm glad Lord Touch Me and I agreed Sebas should lead the battle maids,' Ainz thinks to himself.

"…and Entoma reported an extensive cave system near Nazarick as well."

"Interesting, did she say anything about the contents of the caves?"

"She reported many creatures down there, most hostile. She also stated that the entrances could be destroyed if necessary."

"Interesting. It would be beneficial to see what type of new creatures are out there, in case they pose a threat to us. We could also use the caves to see if there are any new resources we could use."

"A wonderful idea, my lord."

"Thank you, Sebas. You are dismissed."

"Yes, my lord!" Sebas exclaims as he quickly gets up and leaves the throne room.

Ainz watches him leave and then slumps into his throne. "This is so much work! Talking to Sebas felt like a real conversation but scripted at the same time!" Soon after being overwhelmed by his stress, an aura of peace surrounds Ainz, an emotional suppression, a feature of being undead. He looks up at the large columns and chandeliers. His eyes fall on the large banners, each one representing a member of Ainz Ooal Gown. More than that, they represent a friend. These NPCs display characteristics similar to their creators, but they aren't his friends. He isn't even sure if they are real. Another emotional suppression activates, this time suppressing the sadness he feels for his lost comrades.

Ainz knows he can't stay in this sorry state for long; he needs to protect the last remaining memories of his friends. "Message," Ainz exclaims, calling upon a magical ability that lets him telepathically communicate with others.

"Albedo."

"YES? I-I mean—yes, Lord Ainz?" Albedo replies with a bit too much enthusiasm.

"Call Aura to the throne room."

"Oh, Ainz! Wouldn't you rather have me help you instead?"

"Wha—" Ainz pauses for a moment, silently regretting making Albedo madly in love with him. "I just need to talk with her about Carne Village."

"I understand! Right away, Lord Ainz!"

After a few minutes alone with his thoughts, a small figure appears at the opposite end of the throne room—Aura Bella Fiora, a young female dark elf with golden hair and mismatched eyes. She is a guardian of the 6th floor, along with her twin brother, Mare Bello Fiore. Aura was picked specifically because of her unique class as a beast tamer.

"Lord Ainz!" Aura shouts as she quickly dashes to Ainz's throne. "How was your day? Do you need help? Is it an important mission? Can I have a hug?"

"Uh, sure?" Aura quickly jumps into Ainz's bony yet unusually strong arms. "So, I require your assistance in helping me extinguish a wolf pack that has been harassing Carne Village."

Aura, letting go of the hug, looks up at Ainz with a hint of confusion on her face. "A wolf pack? I bet we don't need you for a small wolf pack! Just say the word and I'll have that whole pack exterminated!"

"Slow down, Aura. Remember, we don't know what is out there, or if those are regular wolves."

"That's true; they could be changed or stronger than the ones before."

"Exactly. I will accompany you to ensure your safety and also learn about the new world."

"Lord Ainz is as graceful as ever!" Aura cheers as she goes in for one final hug.

"Y-Yes," Ainz hesitantly states, not fully sure how to handle the situation. "Ahem, we will meet in an hour. Bring Fenrir and have Iris and Kirin ready in case the situation becomes dire."

"Understood, Lord Ainz!"

"Perfect, you are dismissed, Aura."

"Byeeeeeee, Lord Ainzzzzzzzz!" Aura shouts as she bolts to the door of the throne room.

As Aura leaves the room, Ainz once again slumps into his throne. "Ah, they are so human-like! I felt like I was talking to—to…" Ainz hesitates in realization, "My friends. My friends! These NPCs were made and act like my friends! I see, I cannot allow anything to happen to them; they may be the last connection I had to the people I love." However, once again, a calming aura nullifies his growing emotion, returning him to his seemingly stone-cold state of mind.

With his new ideals in mind, Ainz begins preparing himself for his journey into the forest. He spends the next hour casting several high-level protection spells on himself and Aura and discussing with Albedo about her leadership when he isn't present in Nazarick.

After the hour passes, Ainz and Aura are at the edge of Carne Village. They contemplate their next actions and decide to first investigate the wolves directly. After getting further details from Yuri, Ainz knows that the wolves often attack from the north side of Carne Village. With this knowledge, Ainz and Aura settle into an abandoned building, no doubt abandoned due to the attacks, in case the wolves strike again. Fenrir scouts the forest and will notify them when he discovers something. This is a passive-aggressive approach to finding the wolves.

Near the end of the first night, Aura and Ainz are sitting in a bed and chair, respectively. Aura has a look of anger and discomfort on her face.

"What is the problem, Aura?" Ainz asks with a faint hint of concern in his voice.

"I just think a being as great as you shouldn't be forced to live in this dum—" Aura stops at the sight of Ainz holding up a hand to stop her.

Ainz stands up and peers into the dark forest from the shattered window. "I understand, but right now we must focus on more important matters than comfort. Go to bed; I will continue scouting the area with the mirror."

"If you say so, Lord Ainz," Aura says as she lies down on an uncomfortable bed made of hard wood and straw. "Goodnight, Lord Ainz."

"Goodnight, Aura," Ainz replies in a more relaxed tone than the rest of the day.

Into the next morning, Fenrir comes back and reports to Aura that a goblin village was spotted north of Carne. After deliberation, Ainz and Aura decide to investigate the village for more information on both the wolves and the new world. The journey to the goblin village is usually about a two-hour hike, but Ainz, being able to fly at incredible speeds even with Aura, reduces the trip to a quick ten minutes. During the flight, Ainz takes note of the surrounding area and the lush green forest below him. He gazes upon the high mountains in the far northern distance. He feels… at peace, enjoying the freedom of a clean sky with life brimming around him, something that didn't exist in his "real" world. However, his emotion suppression soon takes over, and he returns to his usual self.

Soon, in the distance, they notice smoke similar to that of a campfire coming from a large clearing. It belongs to the goblin village they have been searching for. The village is positioned in an open clearing. On three sides of it are dense forests, but its entrance is marked with a decently sized hill. The houses or buildings of the goblins are impressive—homes made of wood, stone, and straw, looking more like big tents than proper housing. However, the village is well-fortified with many wooden spike barricades surrounding it, especially facing the hill. Once they approach the village, they notice something atop the hill overlooking the goblin village. It is the pack of wolves reported by Yuri and the local leaders. However, these are unlike anything Ainz has ever seen. They are massive, easily double the size he is used to in Yggdrasil. There are easily 100 of them, all seemingly preparing to send their full weight at the goblin village.

"Lord Ainz! There are the wolves! They seem ready to attack the village. Should we watch and see who wins? I love a good fight!" Aura exclaims, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Ainz considers her suggestion briefly. "An interesting idea, Aura, but remember, we need information. I'd rather not waste resurrection spells on mere goblins."

"Should we intervene then?" Aura asks, her voice brimming with excitement.

"Yes," Ainz nods. "I will position myself in front of the village while you ensure none of the wolves get past me."

"Understood! Hopefully, those goblins will know we are trying to help," Aura responds eagerly.

With that, Ainz and Aura approach the village. The goblins immediately notice and raise their crudely made arms against them. However, the skeleton before them has a crushing aura to him. They are frozen in fear and don't know whether to flee, fight, or beg. They lower their weapons, realizing they probably don't stand a chance. A frail goblin stands in front of the crowd and can quickly be identified as the leader due to its old age. Ainz looks among them and notices a small blue slime looking at them from behind one of the goblins.

"Look at that! Is that your pet slime?" Aura asks the goblin while kneeling down and holding out her small palm to the slime.

The slime looks back with a scared and confused expression. Just as the frail goblin is about to speak, a sudden voice comes from the slime, even though it has no visible mouth.

"I-I'm not their pet! My name is Rimuru Tempest! I was here to help the goblins." The voice whimpers with clear hesitation yet a hint of bravery.

The voice causes Aura to blink a few times in confusion, but she preserves her friendly demeanor. Ainz looks down at the slime, his bony fingers scratching his chin in curiosity. He has never encountered a creature like this before—intelligent, articulate, and seemingly harmless. "Rimuru Tempest," Ainz repeats, his mind racing. Could this slime be another player from Yggdrasil? If so, are they friend or foe? The unknown is both intriguing and dangerous. "I am Ainz Ooal Gown, and this is my companion, Aura." He gestures to Aura, who flashes a quick peace sign at Rimuru and the goblins. "We are here to offer aid against the wolves threatening this village. In return, we seek information about this world," Ainz says, his tone measured and cautious, concealing his true intentions.

"Well, we could use the help. They aren't very powerful, but they are very strong as a pack. With you two on our side, I think we can win!"

"Lord Ainz, I want to know more about this cute slime and these weird goblins," Aura says as she squishes Rimuru to see how mushy he is. "I also want to see if I could tame one of these wolves. Can we help them?"

Ainz deliberates for a few moments, then speaks again, "Very well, we will help you defend this village. In exchange, you and the goblins will answer our questions about this world."

Rimuru hesitates for a moment, not knowing much about this world himself but agrees nonetheless. "D-Deal."

Ainz is relieved that this new 'player' seems to be afraid of him as well. "Wonderful! The two of us will be on the front lines. I would like to see how strong you are if you don't mind."

"I was thinking the same thing!" Rimuru replies, now fully embraced by Aura.

As they finish speaking, the wolves seem to have gathered more members to attack the village. Now at their full strength and seeing a tasty pile of bones in the distance, they swiftly advance downhill, snarling and growling. Ainz notices a large one in front of the pack, draped in distinct white fur, with a massive red scar over its right eye. Their eyes glow yellow, filled with either hunger or hatred.

"Watch out! They are coming!" Rimuru shouts as he leaps out of Aura's arms and moves closer to the advancing wolves.

"Let's go, show me what you've got!" exclaims Ainz as he prepares a spell.