Chương 30: Chapter 7
Nfirea let out a frustrated sigh. It was his first workday, and he was already completely lost in his new environment. He surveyed around for the fiftieth time, squinting his eyes which had gotten too used to the bright daylight due to him not working for weeks.
Half of the equipment his employer had provided didn't have any instructions on how to operate those complex machines, and the other half that did were cryptic and written in some advanced hieroglyphic writing. Without any means to translate even the meager manuals he did have, he couldn't even tell what most of them did.
The rows of strange devices decorated the polished wooden tables that appeared out of place in the simple stone building. To a random passerby, this palace surely would seem like an illegal drug factory with the pungent smell of various herbs gathered in large woven wood baskets.
'I guess I make a batch of regular healing potions and then try using whatever all this is and see what changed. There's no deadline for concrete results for now.' The boy decided.
Still, fumbling around blind wasn't the best option. If he ever wanted to impress Enri and be given a chance, he needed to be better, to do better. The only saving grace was that there were no other boys his age in the village, nor did he know anyone else of his age who could manipulate these devices, so he didn't have to fear that someone would snatch away the girl he loved anytime soon.
This knowledge, however, was a small consolation since both she and him were old enough to marry and begin families, and it would be unfair to expect her to wait for years till he manned up and became the provider she deserved.
With the thoughts of work and Enri swirling through his mind, he poured a batch of herbs into the pressure kettle to boil the first batch for distillation. At least that part of the work was familiar to him. Now he just had to investigate more…
"Enfi, you missed breakfast again!" Enri interrupted, sounding not one bit amused about his forgetfulness as she barged into the room.
"Sorry, I… I wanted to start working and…" He stammered in response, flipping around.
Enri was standing in the doorway with arms on her hips, leaning a bit forward and wrinkling her nose in discontent, looking far too cute for her own good and bringing in the all too familiar aroma of the meat and vegetable stew they ate most mornings.
"Come, food is getting cold," She ordered.
"Y-yes," Nfirea mumbled, following her outside.
The goblins, Nemu and Mili, were already sat around the table, filling their bowls with stew and distributing pieces of bread. With so many mouths to feed, mealtime was spent outside with assurances that the tradition would be kept while the weather was still warm enough and while the rainy season had not yet started. Noticing the young pair approaching, Nemu picked up her bowl and went to another seat, ensuring that Nfirea and Enri would sit next to one another.
Even she could see both liked each other a lot and how nervously happy her sister was around Nfirea. Her big sister was her world and Nemu would never do anything to make her unhappy. She and the goblins were playing matchmakers, trying to get the pair together any chance they could. Unfortunately, their efforts hadn't worked so far, no matter what they did.
Enri pushed a bowl under Nfirea's nose with a smile, announcing, "I added boar meat today, Kyumei and Chosuke killed it yesterday."
"Aren't boars too dangerous to hunt? Someone might get hurt." Nfirea commented while putting a mouthful of the stew in his mouth. "This is tasty."
"We didn't go after that fat beast. He picked a fight with us and lost. Pig, wolf, deer, nothing is too much for us goblins." Chosuke proudly stated and flexed his muscles.
"Enfi is right. Those animals are dangerous. You should be careful." Enri shut down the goblin's boasting without skipping a beat, accepting their bowl.
"Of course bo- Enri." Chosuke glanced down, becoming a shade greener.
"Hey, it's Miss, Yuri!" Nemu shouted upon noticing the maid approaching the table.
"Nemu, don't scream, it's not polite. Good morning, Miss Yuri." Enri was first to greet her with the rest following suit.
"Good morning. Nfirea, Lord Tabula wishes to know if your workstation provides everything you need. Please contact him through the orb when you resume your work." Yuri returned the greeting with a light bow and then turned to Nfirea.
"I will-" Nfirea was about to jump to his feet when Enri dragged him back in his seat. "Breakfast first!"
"Miss Yuri, Enfi can eat breakfast first, right?" She confirmed just in case. When dealing with their mysterious saviors, it was best to ensure they wouldn't be offended before doing anything else.
"Lord Tabula has stated he wishes for his employees to have a pleasant work environment, which obviously would include free time to have meals," Yuri nodded. "Please enjoy the breakfast and I will notify Lord Tabula."
"Thanks," Enri called after the already departing maid. Though Yuri had a near-constant presence in the village, she didn't participate in any of the activities involving the village's people. Enri couldn't even remember if she had seen Yuri eat or rest. The maid was an enigma for sure. Beautiful beyond belief, pale as the full moon without getting even a half-shade of tan, and carrying an air of nobility as if she was a long-lost daughter of an unknown noble family working as a simple maid.
And her physical capabilities! Yuri alone was stronger than all of the goblins combined, who already were stronger than humans, according to the goblins' testimony.
Despite his nervousness about facing his boss, Nfirea did his best to enjoy the meal, periodically glancing at Enri. By the confident smile she wore, the girl was satisfied she got her way.
After breakfast, Nfirea returned to his lab and nervously picked up the orb that started to glow the moment his hands touched it.
"Ah Nfirea, how have you been my boy? Is the laboratory to your liking?" Nfirea's employer's deep and guttural voice came through, and as with the few previous times, Nfirea wrote it off as a side effect of using such a powerful magical artifact.
"G-good morning sir, I mean Lord Tabula. I… have not used most of the devices before and the instructions… I'm sorry, but, but, but I can't understand the language in which the instructions are written," Nfirea's voice cracked.
Silence. Nfirea nervously gulped, expecting to either be fired on the spot or called incompetent and disciplined in some manner.
"Oh… right I completely forgot you can't read kanji. Sh- I will send translation glasses. Once you get them, can you make a list of which apparatus you need additional instructions on? There should be base descriptions on all of them in one of the manuals." Tabula sounded very apologetic.
'Huh? It wasn't my fault. It seems Lord Tabula and I are not that different.' A mistake most of the learned people made at least once when interacting with those who were not familiar with their fields of expertise.
"I will do just that, Lord Tabula," Nfirea replied, hugely relieved.
"Good. If there are any more problems, contact me or tell Yuri. I would like to get results as soon as possible." Tabula ended the communication, the orb shutting off.
True to his employer's word, Nfirea soon received translation glasses from Yuri that now opened information floodgates. The hieroglyphic writing contained a lot more information than he anticipated, giving knowledge likely no pharmacist in the world knew in the world. He had a lot to learn and even more to do, to say the least.
One thing was clear, his journey to become a true alchemist had only just begun and he couldn't be more excited to walk this path.
<X>
The subtle sense of danger grew with each moment. Even from a distance, it was easy to feel the power this vampire radiated in waves, constantly.
The Captain of the Black Scripture walked a bit ahead of others, gripping his spear and ready to fight. There was a large chance that the monster would act with immediate hostility, and his action was a given.
With each step he took as his last, he sensed that the beast was now walking in his direction. Steeling his heart for possibly the most difficult fight of his life, the captain moved towards her with grim determination.
Then the momentous truth came. Both parties met each other in a small clearing, barely large enough for everyone to fit in without bumping into one another.
The captain stared the monster right into her enchanting red eyes, without showing any outward fear. The vampire was seemingly just as tense, probably not too eager to start a confrontation either.
'She is cautious. That is good, I can try to communicate with her.'
"Greetings. I am the captain of this group, could you state your name and intentions of being in human lands?" He asked in a clear, authoritative tone.
"Oh, good sir, I was ambushed by bandits on my way to perform a diplomatic mission for my masters. I am a bit lost so could you please point me in the direction of E-Pespel?" The vampire responded in a childish voice with a bald-faced lie, cupping her cheeks with both hands.
"I will have to ask you to state your name and who you are working for. We need to know such details before offering an escort. Vampires are rare in this part of the land." The captain didn't fall for the trick. 'Most men would fall over their heels to carry out her request. This vampire is far too beautiful for her monstrous nature, and she uses her looks as a weapon.'
"So, a vampire could not be on a diplomatic mission?" The vampire asked almost innocently. "Is my kind unwelcomed here?"
"I didn't claim that. But I do not know any nation or organization that would utilize a vampire for a diplomat. There is only one exception I could think of." The captain tried his best to be diplomatic and not mention that she likely saw humans as nothing more than food.
"And that would be?" The vampire inquired.
"Are you by any chance connected to the God of Life and Death?" The captain questioned, hoping to get a straight answer.
The surprise on the youthful face told him all he needed to know. The vampire nervously shifted around, shifting her gaze away from his face. Using the opportunity, the captain decided to press on the matter even more.
"We are on a diplomatic mission to establish contact with this God. If you are connected to him or other players, I request you answer truthfully, and we can use this opportunity to proceed. We will provide escort to the nearest safe dwelling, either way, miss."
Shalltear was stunned without a clear idea of how to react. In front of her was a group of humans clad in gear from Yggdrasil. Although they were weaker than her, the possibility they hid their true power existed, especially since she sensed incredible danger in their presence. She would have to tread carefully.
'How should I respond? They know I serve the Supreme Ones. I guess I should act like I am meeting players and contact either Albedo or Lord Ainz once I get introductions out of the way. Aghr… they will call me a child for not handling the situation on my own. I am a floor guardian, I can represent Nazarick!'
"Very well. I am Shalltear Bloodfallen, servant of the Supreme Beings. The Guardian of the first three floors of Nazarick. Introduce yourselves properly as well." She curtsied, her vampire brides doing silent bows with her.
The blood drained from the captain's face upon hearing the name of the accursed place the dark Gods ruled over.
'Godkiller. This is the same god killer mentioned in the holy texts.' Captain placed one hand behind his back, signaling Kaire to use the artifact on the detestable creature while leaning forward to bow. His attempt at stalling failed immediately as the vampire snarled and moved forward with such impossible speed he failed to get in her way.
He flipped around to strike her as fast as he could, witnessing an unfolding scene in slow motion, adrenaline pushing his senses beyond all limits.
Cedran pushed Kaire aside just before the Vampire's outstretched arm reached her head and she fell victim to the monster's brutal attack. The man's head exploded like a melon under an impossibly strong grip, showering the nearby surroundings with his blood and brains. His teammates jumped the two other vampires, killing them with relative ease.
And then the vampire stopped. She let go of what remained of the eighth seat and stood like a statue, without a doubt under the control of the divine artifact. The captain rushed over to Kaire to help her, but Divine Chant was faster.
The old woman was moaning in pain as the priest of the group cast a healing spell on her.
"Are you alright, Lady Kaire?" The Captain asked, concerned.
"I'll live. The fall broke my hip," She responded as the younger woman helped her back to her feet.
The captain took a step back and let Divine Chant handle things, putting his attention back on the monster. "Is the beast under your control?"
"Yes. There is no time to waste. We need to get out of her as much information as we can and immediately decide on further actions," Keira stated while leaning on Divine Chant's arm.
"Agreed. I will rely on your wisdom in this instance, Lady Kaire." The captain stepped aside waiting for Lady Kaire to do something.
The old woman walked closer to the monster she now held in her control and started the interrogation.
"How many players are present and what abilities do they have?"
The monster described five players, the dreaded Ruler of Death among them. The most disturbing fact was that the undead God could wield holy magic and was the one who saved E-Rantel.
"Is Nazarick present and where is it located?" Kaire continued questioning.
The vampire gave detailed answers without hesitation. The control of the artifact was so absolute even a God's servant couldn't resist it.
Their worst fears came through. The monster den now existed in this world. The depths of hell not even armies of Gods could conquer. If nothing was done, then the world would surely end soon. Its location was in Re-Estize, the first kingdom likely to fall to the wickedness of the monster Gods.
"Do you have the means to instantly return home and reach players?" Keira asked.
The captain looked at her confused but quickly realized what she was planning to do. The only thing they reliably could do was to pit the monsters against one another.
"Yes. I can cast gate back to Nazarick." Shalltear confirmed, her voice monotone, without emotion, thought, or intelligence.
"Good. Now listen and obey. You will not tell anyone you met us. You will return home and kill Ainz Ooal Gown and anyone else getting in your way. If you are successful, you will kill the rest of the players. Do not stop until the entirety of Nazarick is cleared of all monsters." Kaire gave the order to the monster, who quickly disappeared through a transportation spell of her own making.
"Are you sure she can do it?" The captain asked.
"Who knows? In either case, there will be at least one less monster left. We should return home and report our findings. This confrontation has shown me that I am too old to react to such monsters. Someone else will have to take my place during the next operation. Controlling that monster is just the first step to defeat the Dark Gods." Kaire stated with a tired sigh.
Captain didn't say anything in return. 'Why do I feel dread for the future? We should be able to win with the help of the Divine artifact. What if the cardinals decide Zesshi should be one to wield it next?'
For now, it was impossible to tell how the clash between the righteous faithful and the monster's pit would play out, but he knew the world would not be the same afterward, no matter what happened.
Editing by aidan_lo.
Proofreading by Sluethen, clagan, Saphire_Drake, nate051499j6, Clagan, Antilene, Thea, LionLover, Lighflan, aidan_lo, and NuggetLover.
AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (https://discord.gg/WmGKVU3XG2) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader (gives access to chapters months ahead of regular readers).
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