Chapter 202 / Epilogue / End Volume 5

Epilogue

...One month after the Great Purge began in the Roble Holy Kingdom…

Ainz sat behind his desk with Demiurge near at hand, the stack of reports was higher now, and yet he found himself able to get through it, in no small part because of the company he was keeping. That, and the occasional unwritten report was a welcome relief, a relief and a distraction. "How are the two human children? Arche's sisters… Ureirika and Kuuderika?" Ainz asked when they took a brief respite from the ceaseless reviewing of new information.

Demiurge's smile was far more broad than it should have been when it came to what he counted as inferior races, and recalling what the boy, for so Ainz thought of him, had done, that made the Allfather more than a little suspicious.

Demiurge pressed his glasses against his face with his palm, "My Lord, the two continue to progress under Fluder's tutelage, their loyalty to Nazarick and yourself as the savior of their lives is drilled into them every day. In their eyes, you are a God. They do ask if their sister will stop adventuring after she settles into marriage, however."

'That wasn't quite what I meant, but… that does explain his happiness, but perhaps that would be the foundation for a larger plan, to take in orphans from various wars and raise them with absolute loyalty to my Kingdom and myself. Get them early and in only ten to twelve years I have a supremely loyal force that is educated and ready to work at anything I need.' Ainz made a mental note of that idea, then thought better of it and scribbled it down on a piece of paper at his side.

[Orphan raise loyal srv]. It was just a quick reminder, but out of the corner of his eye, Demiurge caught the scribble, and in one moment his mind was spiralling into possibilities. 'Yes of course, we can raise orphans as loyal servants to run the bureaucracy while we take our time with the undead corps of servants for the broader control of the land around us… it is utterly genius.' Above that lay another document that mentioned the reformed adventurers guild. 'Of course! That can't be a coincidence, he asked about them to prompt this very line of thought! Our adventurers of the future could be identified in childhood and trained from infancy to become a loyal core of adventurers, fanatically devoted to The One Who Stayed…'

Ainz however, moved on while the archdevil's plans continued to spiral into ever broader implications of the years ahead.

"And how are the two teams doing in the Draconic Kingdom?" Ainz asked.

"My Lord, the four former Imperial Knights are slowly gaining strength and experience with their new bodies, Leinas made some mention of being rewarded with a 'new tail' from Shalltear, but I'm afraid I am not clear on the specifics. But they are all holding their positions and keeping the beastmen at bay. The adventurers of Foresight are proving fanatically loyal, the priest, Roberdyck, openly proclaims you to be a God and preaches your name to those they rescue. Their considerable power seems to have plateaued, and I am currently researching level cap restriction breaking." Demiurge shifted uncomfortably on his feet and looked away from his Master. The lack of knowledge on just why their limits were reached, clearly bothered him.

Ainz held out a hand to the archdevil, "Demiurge, the entire reason you research is because you don't know, if 'I' knew the answer, I wouldn't have you working these things out. Seek the answer, and know that I trust you to find it, you, my boy, are capable of more than you know."

The Allfather removed his hand and the Archdevil bowed his head. "As you say, Allfather, but I am not less vexed."

Ainz chuckled, "That is true for all of us." He said, "But how do they perform?"

"Foresight and the Four, My Lord," Demiurge said as he returned seamlessly to the subject, "are competing with another in prisoners taken and rescues achieved, while they have not ventured against the cities taken by the Beastmen, they and the other teams you have dispatched are allowing no further ground to be taken. Pandora's Actor, Lupusregina, and Blue Rose have been establishing themselves as well, and both teams are rapidly approaching a 'tie' with the others." Demiurge explained, "in addition, both Queen Renner and the Wolf King and Wolf Queen of the Kingdom of Carne have asked your permission to send reinforcements to their 'sister Queen' Draudillon."

Ainz nodded, "Make it so. Have them establish a system of forts and further tie down the beastmen, and send out additional adventurer teams of gold rank and above. The time will come when I will have to test the beastmen myself, and perhaps, as you suggested earlier, find a use for the Queen's wild magic."

Demiurge's sharp featured face lit up like the sun at the possibility of his work coming to fruition.

"Now…" Ainz shuffled through the papers on his desk, "The dwarves and the quagoa?"

"My Lord, the false history you so cunningly created has taken root in their mythologies, and while hatred remains over more recent history, the struggle against Jaldabaoth and their service to yourself in common has forced them to set it aside. The dwarves are slowly repopulating their old capital, and the runesmiths have had a great many children since the restoration of their craft. It seems any time they visit home, they come back with new names of dwarf women on their lips. Also, Gondo's work continues to bear fruit now that he has the time and resources he needs, as a result we have equipped our most important teams with runecrafted equipment and are ready to start expanding to common adventurers and military recruits from the local populations. In particular the former dark elf slaves."

"Right… them, and the lizardmen and frogmen…" Ainz muttered as he refreshed his memory.

"The Lizardmen control of the lake and forest, together with Shalltear's occasional resource contributions, has them preparing or rebuilding multiple settlements as far as the border with the Baharuth Empire. Including the former frogmen capital." Demiurge explained and gave his master a little smile. "Shalltear made sure to tell me to let you know how grateful she was for the opportunity to personally attend you."

Ainz coughed into his hand, "Yes, well… that is to be expected, and she did well."

"Yes, My Lord. And on that note, the frogmen population has begun to bounce back in their new home, and they are even sending out small trade resources using Hejinmal and his family as short range couriers to the Kingdom of Carne." Demiurge smirked, "You were wise to spare the dragons, My Lord. Who else would think to use them as couriers to speed trade?"

'Not me.' Ainz thought with dry annoyance and a smidgen of worry about the false credit attribution. 'Why must they always credit me? If it ever comes out that something they thought was me, wasn't me at all, what can I say?' He kept the sigh of worry at bay and shifted the subject again.

Albedo's correspondence stared up at him from the stack… and so he shifted from his shift, instead thinking of the new 'Queen of Frost'.

"This… Queen of Frost, Queen Baraja, what are your thoughts, Demiurge?" Ainz asked.

"Above average intelligence, but not a genius, still she is clever, using the spider people to create steel strong silk for construction as well as sale to the Dark Dwarves was inspired. Now that trade is opened up there she has imported many experts from the Understone Empire to help build her capital and has reached out to the Dark Elves for a mutual treaty of defense against Theocracy incursions. I took a look at her 'capital' recently." He said, glancing at the mirror of remote viewing.

"It wasn't much, I take it?" Ainz asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not as such, no, My Lord. But… It is interesting. The dwarves build underground, but also above, creating a tiered surface city, a series of bridges along the seven hills, and an undercity. With total control over the hills and mines and fertile fields, within a handful of generations they could be a true civilization on par with anything we have seen thus far." Demiurge admitted, leaving out just how little that meant compared to Nazarick.

"I see. So someone we can work with." Ainz mentally sighed and reached for the document containing Albedo's correspondence, the lipstick impression in the corner and the faint scent of her perfume filled him with both desire and guilt. At night his dreams were filled with lust for her, it consumed him so often that he delayed his resting hours far more than he should have, and it kept him at times from thinking of anything else for longer than he could admit even to himself.

"So it's done, then." Ainz said with a grim face. "The South has declared independence from the North due to the 'defunct administration, corrupt government, and the violent purges. That can only mean one thing…"

Ainz went to the next page. It was what he expected.

'I, Holy Queen Calca Bessarez of the Roble Holy Kingdom, send greetings to our Royal Brother, Allfather Ainz Ooal Gown of the Kingdom of Nazarick. While it distresses us to write of dire things, dire times demand we must seek the aid of our fellow man when threats arise. Our Southern Kingdom has risen in rebellion against our rightful rule, and to that end they have sought the aid of our national enemies, demihumans under the fell rule of the Queen of Frost, Neia Baraja of the newly founded Kingdom of Demalbion. Beset from all sides, we cannot endure this trial alone. If you would send but a fragment of your mighty host, it is our belief that we may survive this trial by the gods and restore our nation to its proper glory. We call upon you as a lover of law, righteous rule, justice, and security, to come to our aid in this time of need. If you should avail your esteemed nation of this request, what is within my power to grant, even if it be my very hand in marriage, is yours for the asking.'

~Holy Queen Calca Bessarez

"Hmm, thankfully this did not pass through Albedo's hands, or there would likely be no Holy Queen at all." Ainz remarked offhandedly as he read through the brief letter.

He flipped to the next document, true to expectation, it was from Albedo. Ainz bit his tongue to the point of drawing blood.

'If it pleases My Lord, my work has reached a stage of development suitable for your intervention, I plead with you, my Master, to come and see the fruits of my labor. This Unholy Kingdom is ripe for your rule, sickened by corruption, weakened by strife, anyone who offers peace, they will embrace. Anyone who gives them justice, they will revere. Anyone who promises safety and can deliver it, they will love as a father. All my work has led to this moment, if I predict it properly, you should receive correspondence soon, or you may have already, from the Holy Queen pleading for your aid to salvage her Kingdom from complete collapse. I can only hope and pray that my work satisfies you, and that you will find favor in the loving servant's most abject devotion to your will. Until then, I await your deepest pleasures.

With eternal love,

Albedo'

Ainz swallowed, "Time is up. I have to go. Demiurge," Ainz said and stood, "I leave my Kingdom in your hands, I… I must go to Albedo, you know what that means."

Demiurge immediately knelt.

"My Lord… if she refuses you, if she cannot bear your form… only let those of us who treasure you, follow you wherever you go, we don't need a Kingdom, only our King. Only our Allfather…" The archdevil vowed, and Ainz could only rest his hand on the dark haired boy's head.

"You are my beloved children, and whatever happens, whatever she does, I must accept it as the price for all my sins… but if I have to leave, if I must go… I will not tell you that you cannot go with me, I can promise you that much, my boy." Ainz answered as only a father could, and when the gate appeared, he left Demiurge behind in the office, both of them silent, both of them going to their own tasks, and both of them were…

...Hoping for the best.

Nor were they alone in that.

-End Volume Five-