Chương 503: 12
Chapter 12 - Mistakes.
Most members of the lizardmen Dragon Tusk tribe were gathered around the small arena at the center of their village. Two young warriors fought for the same female, a rather usual sight for the warrior tribe. Dragon Tusk valued strength above anything else, so at least five or six daily fights in a small arena were the norm.
With one's power determining the status in the tribe, Dragon Tusk could duel for the tiniest of reasons, beating each other into bloodied pulp one moment and sharing a drink moments later.
Village chief Zenberu rang the start of the fight and took a big gulp from the cup of wine, indulging in the tribe's second most favorite pastime besides fighting.
Since becoming a chieftain, he had stepped into the arena only three times, crushing his opponents with ease. Zenberu possessed a body large and strong even for lizardmen standards, but his most striking feature was the one abnormally large arm. One would think that in a tribe where its strongest warrior is also the chieftain, he would have to defend his position daily, but it simply wasn't the case. After the first few victories, none challenged him anymore.
He was the only monk in the entire tribe with fists strong enough to crush boulders. Even the most hotheaded didn't want to be on the receiving end of his punches.
Watching fights wasn't as fun as being part of them. Youngsters put up a decent show, but Zenberu longed for combat.
"Chief, chief, an undead army is approaching!" Suddenly, a scout ran up to him and shouted.
"We knew they would come. How many?"
"Thousands."
Zenberu had expected retaliation from the strange new undead faction that resided just outside the tribe's territory. He had warned scouting patrols to not go near. Despite that, one of the more hotheaded squad leaders disobeyed him and got killed in a foolish attack. However, he didn't expect an army of such size to appear.
"Gather warriors, everyone who is willing to die today," he says to the scout and then addresses his second in command.
"Sharhu, gather the remaining tribe, tell them to grab what resources they can, and lead them to Green Claws. Tell them about the undead."
"Chief, I want to fight, I will not flee."
"Sharhu, that is an order. Live to fight another day. It will come soon, this army will not stop at just wiping us out."
'Careful what you wish for, I guess. I hope it is a good day to die.' Zenberu muses.
The village erupts into a chaotic mess. Those willing to fight gather around the chieftain while the rest pick what they can and gather around Sharhu. Far too many stayed, some not even grown up yet. To stand up and fight, it was the life of a Dragon Tusk.
While the rest of the tribe retreated, Zenberu marched his troop towards the hordes of skeletons. They didn't seem even that particularly organized. Armed with a polearm in his normal-sized arm, Zenberu lets out a battle shout and charges into the enemy lines. His warriors follow suit with similar shouts and charge crushing into the undead masses.
A skeleton on his own wasn't a worthy opponent to lizardmen, so at first, they didn't offer that much of a resistance to Zenberu, even in numbers. He had crushed at least two dozen of them with his arm and weapon when a fireball hit him from the side, blinding him in one eye and burning part of his scales off. A cloaked figure had emerged from the skeleton sea and cast it.
Zenberu recast his defensive abilities knowing that it would not protect much against another direct hit. His opponent cast a fireball again, making Zenberu jump out of the way. Before he could charge at the undead caster sea of skeletons surrounded him again. He grits his teeth in frustration. There will be the next strike soon, but he could even guess from which direction.
As on cue, another fireball hits him at his unhurt side, this time blinding him completely. He swung his polearm blindly, hoping to hit at least something before his inevitable death. Fireball hits him again, and he passes out, overwhelmed with pain.
The next thing he knows, he is opening his eyes and feeling soothing warmth. One of the tribe's shamans is kneeling over him and casting heal.
"What happened, why I'm alive?" Zenberu asks confused.
"Undead surrounded us near to our village and offered for us to surrender for our lives. We had no other option. They captured us all." shaman answers.
"Did anyone escape? Other tribes must know."
"Yes, few managed to break through." Shaman says while finishing up healing Zenberu.
Zenberu sits up and looks around. He is back in the village, most of the tribe are standing in the crowds. Undead are dropping the dead warriors in one pile as they carry them back from the battlefield. Then a monster in a light blue carapace comes into the view. He oozes the warrior spirit out of him.
Their eyes meet in acknowledgment for a moment, with no words needed. This warrior leads the undead.
'Why wasn't he on the battlefield. Should I challenge him to a duel?'
Before he can wonder for too long, a black void appears beside the carapace-clad warrior. A slim Elven woman covered in plate armors comes through. She wears the face of confidence and looks around with light amusement.
As one of those rare lizardmen, who had ventured outside his tribe's territory to see the world, he had learned expressions of other races and what they found attractive. Zenberu even had the brand of traveler on his chest. They branded everyone who leaves his or her tribe to travel in such a way. In most other tribes it would prevent one to hold any position of prestige but not in Dragon Tusk.
This woman was clearly beautiful by the standards of her race and carried herself with a confidence of a leader. They confirmed it when moments after her arrival, every single undead, and even the warrior, kneeled while addressing her.
"LADY BUKUMA, VILLAGE IS IN OUR CONTROL AS YOU COMMANDED."
"Excellent, general Cocytus, everyone may arise, and don't let my presence impede your work."
Zenberu gets up and starts walking towards her with a shout.
"You there, I challenge you to a duel!"
"She turns to him with an amused expression," saying,
"You think you can challenge me?"
"We Dragon Tusk follow the strong, defeat me the chieftain in duel and clan will follow you!"
"Is that so, and you big beastie want to fight little me?" She says with a melodic laugh.
Zenberu, who is the same height as Cocytus, towers over the elf. However, it is clear she is looking at the issued challenge with amusement, showing not the slightest amount of fear.
"Let me show you how stupid of an idea it is. Cocytus strike me with your best shot." She says and raises her shield.
"LADY BUKUMA?"
"Strike me with your best shot, I need to prove a point to the beastie here."
"AS YOU WISH."
Zenberu saw neither the attack nor how it was blocked, but only felt the shock wave and sound of a loud explosion following it. He flew backward and crashed into a hut with an unpleasant thud.
He gets up with a groan and sees Bukuma standing in a wide crater unscathed. The same couldn't be said about the village. His tribesmen also got tossed all around and were slowly standing up one by one and then he saw some huts were missing their roofs.
'What just happened. Just how strong those two are?'
"Now beastie, you still want a duel?" Came a question but this time voice doesn't sound pleasant anymore.
Zenberu understood the tone. He and his tribe can either submit or be crushed by beings whose power he couldn't even comprehend. The weak follow the strong and with him being the weaker one, he drops on one knee, lowers his head, and says,
"We submit to your rule, chief Bukuma."
"Nazarick's rule, not mine. I'm just the commander of armies, and you will address me as either Grand Marshal or Lady Bukuma. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Grand Marshal," comes the answer from the entire tribe.
Bukuma then turns to Cocytus and says,
"Anything to report, general?"
"YES GRAND MARSHAL. LICHES HAVE ALMOST FINISHED REVIVING THE FALLEN UNDEAD AND ALL THE CORPSES OF SLAIN LIZARDMEN ARE COLLECTED FOR PICKUP. WE ARE READY TO SET OUT FOR THE NEXT VILLAGE. UNFORTUNATELY, A SMALL DETACHMENT OF LIZARDMEN SLIPPED THROUGH AND MAY HAVE WARNED OTHER TRIBES OF OUR ADVANCE."
"Noted, anything else?"
"THAT IS ALL FOR THE MOMENT."
Bukuma looks silently at Cocytus for a few seconds, as if expecting more, and then says,
"Cary on then. Report when needed," and leaves through the portal.
Cocytus orders lizardmen to gather and address them,
"FROM THIS DAY FORWARD YOU ARE RULED OVER BY THE LORD AINZ OOAL GOWN, THE SUPREME LEADER OF NAZARICK. YOU WILL REMAIN IN YOUR TRIBES TERRITORY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. DISOBEY AND YOU WILL JOIN THEM."
Cocytus points at the pile of dead lizardmen.
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Sebas slowly walks towards the room where his two 'guests' reside, a plater with two bowls in his hands. He had repeated this routine three times a day for the last few days. Solution was growing increasingly suspicious, but after the first confrontation hadn't asked him for his reasoning for keeping the two girls alive.
He felt most of the guilt for the fact that he hadn't reported to supreme ones about his decision. Was it a betrayal? Lord Ainz had given him free rein about how to approach the mission at hand as long as he did nothing to compromise it. But that exactly was the problem. Doppelgangers already replaced two girls and letting them live only posed an unneeded risk of exposure. Yet each time he hardened himself to kill the girls his creator's parting words rang in his head, 'Always strive for justice Sebas, I am counting on you.'
He knocks on the door and comes in. Both girls show a face of panic for a bit, but seeing him calm down a bit. Sebas knew Solution was visiting them to feed on their fears. These girls already lived in constant fear, but the sadistic maid made it so much worse for them.
"Good morning, young ladies, I brought breakfast," Sebas says in a kind voice.
"Thank you, Lord Sebas." Responds Tuare while Lusja just stares at the floor.
The difference between mindsets is noticeable. Tuare still held some resemblance of hope and, despite already knowing that hosts were not human, still tried to be polite while Lusja just gave up and stared at the floor awaiting her end.
Sebas puts both bowls on the small table in the middle of the room and prepares to leave when Tuare speaks again.
"Lord Sebas, I don't want to be a burden. Please, I will do anything, clean, cook, or if you want to…" She says last words while looking down as well.
"Miss Tuare, there is no need for that."
"Please, Lord Sebas, I don't want to die," Tuare speaks in tears.
"Please."
After a moment of silence, Sebas responds,
"If you wish to be put to work, miss Tuare, I will find a task for you. But you can't leave the house and when asked you must return to this room immediately."
"Thank you, Lord Sebas I will not let you down."
Sebas leaves the room with a small smile. Only to run into Solution who stands nearby with a disproving look.
"Is there a problem Solution?"
"No, Lord Sebas."
"Good, then I will leave you in charge of the house. Lord Ainz has tasked me with buying magic scrolls from the kingdoms Magician's Guild."
The walk outside was calming at first. The residential noble district was calm and peaceful, with occasional guards passing by. Sebas walks at his usual firm pace and soon enters the trade district. Air fills up with various noises quickly. From street merchants advertising their goods to horse-drawn carriages navigating the narrow roads with people going with their lives in between.
Sebas as always gets some attention by helping more noble ladies cross the street to carrying bags of older folk on the way to his destination. He was unsure how to react to subtle and not-so-subtle flirting from women. He found it weird that it was done, not only by the women appropriate to age he looked but from much younger too. Even some clerks in Magician's guild eyed him openly with rather dreamy looks.
Purchase of all kinds of scrolls caused no problem. A rich merchant sampling local magical goods didn't raise any suspicions.
On his way back, Sebas noticed a commotion on the street. Few drunken brutes are beating up a small boy while shouting insults. They have already beaten the boy into a pulp and Sebas simply couldn't stand for it. With swift motions, he moves through the crowd and knocks out the drunk holding the boy by the shirt. Seeing an opponent that can fight back, the rest of the drunks run away.
Sebas kneels before the beaten boy to see what he can do. The boy is still breathing, but unfortunately, Sebas didn't have any healing potions or scrolls with him. Another, much older boy broke through the crowd and ran up to the beaten-up kid. About sixteen years old, light blonde hair and blue eyes. The boy is dressed in rather simple but well-maintained clothing with barely noticeable chain armor under his shirt. With a swift motion, he takes out a blue healing potion and makes the kid drink it.
Seeing that situation is handled, Sebas leaves. Not even minutes later, he noticed that the older boy was following him. He intentionally walks into a sidestreet and makes a sharp turn to disappear from the view.
The boy followed him anyway, and with a swift motion, Sebas stood behind him. Right away, he notices a shadow demon following the boy.
'Supreme ones deem this young one to be worth observing.' Sebas thinks, sensing the shadow demon.
"Can I help you, young man?" Sebas asks, startling the boy who couldn't figure out how the old men got behind him.
"S-Sorry, sir, I just wanted to thank you for saving that kid. It was kingdom's and my duty to protect and I failed that task."
"It was no problem. I was happy to help." Says Sebas and notices that at least six figures are blocking all exits.
{ Sebas, that boy is important to Lord Ulbert's servant. Could you please dispatch the ambushers? }
{ Yes, I can do that Demiurge. }
{ Excellent, proceed then. }
As Sebas gets a message from Demiurge, six cloaked figures emerge. One of them says,
"Kill the old man, we only need the boy alive."
Seeing no reason to discuss peaceful options anymore, Sebas executes all six ambushers by punches to the head, moving in a precise and fluid motion. Boy just blinks in confusion.
"What just… who were those men?" Boy asks.
"I cannot say who they were, but It's clear their goal was to kidnap you."
"Kidnap me, but I'm just a commoner, a nobody." The boy says in confusion.
"There must be at least some reason for them to ambush you, young man."
"They wanted to hurt my mistress by kidnapping me then… Thank you for helping me once again, sir."
"You can call me Sebas."
"My name is Climb."
"It was a pleasure to meet you, young Climb. I'll be on my way then."
Before Climb can respond, Sebas is already gone, leaving the confused boy with six corpses.
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Two days later Cocytus surveys the upcoming battle area via the mirror of remote viewing. His army was almost in position. This time it wasn't against a single isolated lizardmen tribe. The last four remaining tribes had united and grouped in one spot, preparing for a battle. The previous strategy to surround the area and cut off fleeing non-combatants was also useless as few lizardmen escaped the first battle and had warned the rest of such tactics.
Although his army outnumbered the lizardmen, three to one there was a reason to worry. As his newly acquired aide, Zenberu had put, a single lizardmen warrior could kill at least a dozen of skeletons. Even with seven liches on the field chance to lose the battle was way too big for his comfort.
Did Grand Marshal not notice this possibility when giving him such an army? Or maybe it was the test to see how he would manage with limited resources? Supreme ones planted world domination and surely wanted to know what armies they needed for such endeavor.
Seeing Cocytus unease Zenberu speaks up,
"Is there a problem, General?"
"YOUR KIN IS WELL PREPARED FOR OUR ADVANCE."
"Shouldn't we join the battlefield than to even out the scales?"
"I MAY NOT DIRECTLY TAKE PART IN THIS CONQUEST BY LORD AINZ'S ORDERS."
"A shame. It would be an honor to fight by your side General."
After some deliberation, Cocytus sends an order to liches to start the battle but be careful and fight a defensive battle if needed to dwindle enemies' numbers. Left with a bad feeling, Cocytus continues observing the battlefield.
The Undead army starts its advance towards the reinforced settlement with liches casting fireballs at the wooden walls to force an open confrontation. In response, hundreds of lizardmen warriors pour out of the gates, charging into the first rows of skeletons.
Regular skeletons are no match for the bigger and stronger lizardmen armed with maces who are crushing them left and right with ease from the first minutes of the battle. However, Liches with long-range magic even out the two armies and cause mass casualties for opponents.
For a while, Cocytus sighs in relief. The battle is going in his favor. The appearance of freshly summoned nature elementals complicated the situation, but liches still kept an upper hand. It gets clear that lizardmen are fighting a losing battle even despite the much larger casualties on the undead side.
Then a five-headed hydra shows up on battlefields ridden by four lizardmen and charges at the nearest lich, stomping and tossing skeletons aside with relative ease. With even direct hits of fireballs not slowing it down, hydra reaches the first lich. One of the lizardmen jumps off the hydra, charging at the lich and cutting off its head with a weapon radiating cold.
Two of seven liches are already lost. The Skeleton army gets progressively disorganized. Hydra gets healed and the same tactic gets repeated. Cocytus sense a desperate command for remaining liches to team up and destroy the strike team but it comes too late as another two are down by the time the remaining three get in one spot.
Skeletal masses, losing field commanders, get very ineffective and are mowed down by lizardmen in rapid succession. The battle is lost. There was no doubt anymore. With a heavy sigh, Cocytus orders a retreat.
The first task was given to him by the supreme ones, and he had failed it spectacularly. He sits in silence for a moment, contemplating if there is a way to fix the situation. With most of the commanders and more than half of skeletons lost, and opponents losing about one-fifth of their forces.
Zenberu standing beside him tactically remains silent. There was nothing to add to this situation.
With no option left, Cocytus sends his report via message.
{ LADY BUKUMA, THE BATTLE IS LOST. }
{ Hmm, and how did that happen? }
He quickly retells the events with his voice shaking a bit, even though the message. Bukuma is silent for a moment and then responds.
{ I suggest you draw a conclusion on what went wrong and I will report to Ainz. Not much else to do at the moment. }
With that, Cocytus is left in silent contemplation. Lord Ainz will not be happy at this failure.
Meanwhile, the united lizardmen coalition celebrates victory. Despite the hard-earned victory, there is still unease among the celebrating tribes. Even with the necessity to unite old gripes remain.
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Hilma gets out of the carriage, storming past the butler, and goes straight for Zoran's office. The situation has gotten complicated. Cocco Doll had ordered the kidnapping of Princesse's toy, a boy named Climb, hoping to blackmail her, and the merchant Sebas interrupted the attempt by killing all six agents with ease.
Hilma was furious at how that moron Cocco Doll fell for such an obvious Renner's trap. There will be retaliation not only from the princess but most likely from her benefactors as well. Her migraine was in full swing, and even the drug she was smoking didn't help. She hoped Zoran had at least some solution.
To her surprise, she finds Zoran actively stashing his jewelry and money chests frantically.
"Zoran, what are you doing?"
"Hilma, didn't you heard. The Six arms are going after the merchant to retaliate for the attack. We need to leave the country before this all goes to hell."
"Leave? You know you can't leave the Eight Fingers, right?" Hilma says in surprise. Seeing her old friend in such panic wasn't the thing she hoped to see.
"Yes, I am aware, that they might find me, that is, if there even will be anything left of the Eight Fingers by the end of the week."
"What are you on about?"
"Think, Hilma, think. The Six arms are going after the merchant who serves the enigmatic Lords of Ooal Gown, who, we know for a fact, can wipe the floor with The Six Arms. They saved Gazef from certain death, after all. I don't expect a group of such power to just sit idly even if that was a freak accident."
"You think it wasn't an accident?" Asks Hilma with her voice breaking.
"Sebas just happens to save princesses toy in a small side street? It was a setup. A clear fucking setup and now we are in the middle of it. Hilma we need to run, you know, as we wanted all those years ago." Zoran says while stashing the last of his values in a chest.
"Run where? Do you want me to just give up all that I have achieved and run with you? I can't and I will not. Cocco Doll made this mess, it has nothing to do with me." Hilma says.
"I have a place prepared in another country. I hope it will work out for you if you stay, I really do. This is a goodbye then, I guess." Zoran says somberly.
"I guess it is," Hilma says with a hint of sadness in her voice.
Zoran's decision to run had left a sour taste in her mouth. To not be suspicious, she will have to report this to other branches of the Eight Fingers, but she still planned to give Zoran enough time to at least leave Re-Estize. That, unfortunately, wasn't her biggest problem. If there indeed was an incoming war with these Lords of Ooal Gown, she had to get out of it on the top and avoid getting in the middle of it.
'Maybe I should find a way to pay off that little monster to not harass my production anymore?' Hilma thinks.
But the princess was holding all the cards right now and most likely would squeeze her dry.
Lost in thought Hilma enters her mansion only to find an imposing man sitting in the guest room waiting for her.
The chair he was sitting on was almost comically small for him. Bald, covered in animal tattoos with muscles that made even warrior captain look like a scrawny boy. The man stands up, towering over Hilma, and says with a grin,
"Hilma, I was just waiting for you."
"Zero! Can't say it is a surprise to see you."
Zero, chief of the Eight Fingers security division. The Leader of its most elite strike unit the Six Arms. His almost inhuman look could strike fear in anyone. At first glance, one would think he was just a towering brute, but it was far from true. Behind the imposing stature hides a sharp and calculating mind.
"Clever as always. I get to the point right away then. I need a layout of that little mansion of yours. All the hidden exits and hiding places."
"Of course, everything for a friend," Hilma says and starts drawing the layout on the piece of paper. She hands it to Zero, saying,
"Try not to damage my property too much if you can."
"We are going after the girl, so no fight with the old man inside."
There is a noticeable disappointment in his voice. For a moment Hilma considered telling him that the girl, Salsa, was most likely just as dangerous as Sebas. Ultimately, she decides against warning Zero. First, she wasn't sure how it would play out. With Zoran running away, she had a growing fear that maybe even the Six Arms wasn't enough. And second, Zero was far too arrogant to even consider the possibility of a loss.
Zero notices the worried look on Hilma's face but just writes it off on her worrying about the property. After all, what could one spoiled girl do? Even if her father had trained her well, there was no way she would be capable of standing against the weakest six arms member, Succulent, not to mention the whole team. He found suspicious the fact that neither of them used any guards, but even a mithril level fighter would not need guards against regular thugs.
With the mansion's layout in his possession, he reunites with his team. Besides him in the team were five more people, hence the name Six Arms.
The second member, called Daveroch or the Undead King, is an elder lich. As a lich, he is a powerful spell caster. As a naturally spawned undead, he hates all living creatures but manages his hate towards them for the benefit of gathering knowledge and growing in power as a caster.
The third is Edström or Dancing Scimitar possesses unrivaled spatial awareness and is armed with various blades enchanted with dance magic. Because of her special talent, she can move them simultaneously and independently from each other. As a cold and calculating woman, she had garnered the reputation of someone to not mess with despite her good looks.
Forth, Succulent or The Phantom Devil is skilled both as a warrior and illusionist making him a very dangerous opponent to an unprepared foe. He is the weakest member of the team and poses the least threat to a prepared opponent.
The fifth member named Peshurian or Spatial Slash is a warrior clad in black plate armor equipped with an extremely thin razor-like sword that moves like a whip. Because of the fast slashes and elastic nature of his weapon, defense against his attacks is almost impossible.
The last member, Malmvist or Thousand Kills, is an assassin whose kill count goes into thousands. He uses a rapier covered in a mixture of poisons, making the weapon kill with even the tiniest of scratches. Few have entered a fight with him and lived, making Malmvist overly confident in his abilities.
They quickly reach the target, but had to wait until the old man named Sebas left the house. Once he was out of the way team went in thinking they will get a minor resistance at best from the girl.
Zero opens the unlocked door and is met with a sight of a girl in a short maid's outfit holding a long knife in one hand and several darts between her fingers in another, smiling unnaturally wide smile. Still confident in an easy victory, he fully enters the house with his team behind him.
"Salsa was it, how about you put down those toothpicks before you hurt yourself and we promise to be gentle?" Zero says, baring his teeth in a grin.
"Oh, where is fun in that? I need to get you all properly afraid. It tastes so much better when you are afraid inside me." Solution answers, with drool escaping the side of her mouth.
Zero is taken back and creeped out by her answer but before he can say anything else girl is already moving with unnatural speed.
Within a blink of an eye, Daveroch's head is cleanly cut off at his neck with the dagger, and a dart hits Edström in the neck, paralyzing her.
Zero puts up his arms to protect his face, and the dagger leaves a long deep gash in them. He jumps back in panic to see another dart hitting Malmvist who drops immediately and dagger being thrown and hitting succulent in the spine while he tried to sneak away invisible.
Left without weapons in her hands' girl hits the sides of Peshurian's helm with her palms bending it inwards with the sound of his skull being crushed. The elegance of her avoiding his blade hitting her was a sight to see.
Within the seconds Zero is only one left standing. Facing something so unbelievable he feels fear, something he had almost forgotten being the strongest in an entire crime organization.
'A trap, this was a trap all along.' He thinks while trying to see a way out of the situation.
He raises his bleeding hand and says,
"Hey there, how about we strike a deal?"
"A deal, okay. Drop on your knees and beg for a quick death and I may give you one." Solution says with a mocking sneer, while her fingernails grow long and turn metallic.
Zero grits his teeth, in his pride he would not beg even in face of torture. He activates his buffs one by one. Solution moves with a speed he can't follow. He feels a sharp pain in his legs at the back of his knees and drops to the ground. Solution then stabs him in the neck, paralyzing him from the neck down.
While he lays down on the floor, he sees Solution picking up Edström. She drops her victim right in front of Zero, grows razor-like teeth and tears into Edström's face, biting out large chunks and letting out satisfied moans and grunts. The fully conscious Edström lightly shakes despite her paralysis, with visible tears streaming down her eyes.
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Ainz sits in his office with Albedo beside him. He just received a report from Bukuma about the lizardmen situation. Everything went as she expected. Cocytus used only army provided and failed. The army itself didn't bother him, it was just a fee spawning NPC's after all, so there was no loss of power at all. It disappointed him that Cocytus didn't see that forces provided weren't enough.
"Albedo, please start accumulating first through the third floor spawns again."
"Did campaign in the forest of Tob failed?"
"Partly, it went according to prediction."
Albedo growls,
"Cocytus failed! We will punish him for his incompetence."
"Buku and I planed that failure, he just followed an order to the letter," Ainz says calmly.
Answer confuses Albedo. She understood that the minds of supreme ones were beyond her understanding, despite her beloved saying otherwise.
"Ainz, why did you set Cocytus for failure?"
Flames in Ainz's eyes dances in a happy gesture. It took him some time to drill into Albedo to address him casually, as he wanted his and Albedo's relationship to be on equal terms. Fact that Albedo asked such a question also filled him with delight.
"I wanted him and everyone in Nazarick to understand that my and orders of other Lords are not infallible laws that need to be followed without questioning them. Everyone can make mistakes."
Albedo sit's silently for a moment and then asks,
"That means we should think more for ourselves not just rely on orders of supreme ones?"
"Exactly. Now, what is next on our list?"
"Solutions report. She successfully stopped the attack from a unit called Six Arms, with four of its members alive and stored within her. She also additionally reports that Sebas still keeps the two spies alive."
"Have Sebas sent any information in his reports about why he is doing so?"
"No, this action is suspicious. There is a chance he has turned on us."
"Let's not be hasty, Albedo. I will investigate it myself once the full report on Ulbert's next steps in Re-Estize comes in."
"Beloved, if I may, I think Ulbert is hiding things from you."
"Hmm, what makes you think Ulbert is hiding information?"
"For one, his and Demiurge's reports are very precise but often information is often left out on purpose."
"You think it's a problem?"
"They are hiding things from you."
"Have more trust in them both. They both are somewhat eccentric, but I trust them. As you will one day rule beside me you should too." The moment Ainz speaks the words, he realizes what he just said, but it was too late already.
"We are getting MARRIED! I need to plan, the dress, the cake, the guests and the…"
"Albedo!"
"Flowers, the ceremony, the…"
"ALBEDO!"
She finally snaps out of her daydream with cheeks flushing red.
"Sorry Ainz, I got excited."
Ainz strokes her cheek in response and says,
"I know you get excited but we should wait till the future is more certain."
He could only hope to not slip again. Albedo always got overly excited about their future together.
"Returning to the topic of Ulbert and Demiurge, it's not that I don't trust them I just want to make sure nothing threatens you, my beloved."
"I understand. How about I increase your potential so you can grow stronger and protect me if the need comes?"
"I will do anything to grow stronger and be your shield," Albedo says with a warm smile.
In response, Ainz takes out 'Endless Strive' and activates it. He feels the effect taking place on Albedo and then the item disappears from his hand. After a moment of panic, he realizes that 'Endless Strive' fused with his soul completely. Limitless progress is written in his very soul.
That raises a question right away. If other world items would fuse with their owner's souls after a certain amount of use. For now, he couldn't find a simple answer. The only thing that now was clearly any kind of limitation was removed from him, in essence, making his progress theoretically limitless.
After Albedo left his office to perform her other daily duties, Ainz was left thinking. Did he have a reason to put blind trust in his friends? What if he doesn't see minor problems and one day it snowballs into a catastrophe? He realized he needed agents to just in case observe others unimpeded from time to time, even if he trusted them.
He knew where to seek an answer. Each member of Ainz Ooal Gown had their dedicated corner in the library. One of them, Legionmaster, specialized in summoning and had collected a sizable amount of skill tomes on the topic. The answer to his problem was somewhere in that collection.
One book stood out right away. A tome about special advanced class spymaster that almost no player had in Yggdrasil. It was almost purely RP class that let summon almost undetectable creatures. There, of course, were workarounds that most guilds employed to prevent the use of them, but unless you know they were near, there was no way of sensing them. Shade, a level 70 unit uses 'Perfect unknowable' and specter, a level 95 unit uses 'Veil of Unreality'.
With class restrictions not being a thing in the new world, Ainz could learn the proper summoning rituals without a hitch. With some free time on his hands, he decides to learn a few more summoning spells. Knowing how to summon various mounts and specialized units could be useful after all. And spending his mana on extra forces would not only increase Nazarick's strength, but also let him grow more powerful.
The next step was to test the newfound summons. Ainz starts with two specters. In theory, no one besides Nazarick's anti-stealth sentries could detect them. To not start peeping on his friends too much, he planned to just send them to observe the farm with sheep Ulbert and Demiurge had set up to produce skins necessary for low-tier magic scrolls. Until now, he had no reason to even visit the place, but it sounded like an accurate test for his new agents' abilities.
Bonus Story - The Heist.
Entoma sits on a tree in a quiet forested area. Lord Ulbert had given her a task to eliminate a target and collect the valuables he carried. It was almost like in the movies she and her sister constantly borrowed from the library and watched with help of Shizu's projector.
She loves watching old movies with her sisters that supreme ones had collected and put in the library. It was weird that everyone was a human in them, but she guessed that it all came from a human-dominated world. It didn't take away any of the enjoyment, but sometimes Entoma got hungry by watching them.
Forest gently sways with the wind. Some bugs are flying around making decent snacks during the long wait. She was getting impatient about when the carriage will finally show up. Shadow demons reported. It was on the way, and she was in the perfect ambush spot.
"How much longer I will have to wait?" she quietly whines to herself.
With nothing else to do, Entoma set up some web traps nearby, hoping to catch an animal or two. Unfortunately, nothing came close, and she started to get hungry.
Finally, her target came into the view.
She quickly summoned a swarm of bullet bugs, collected them in her long sleeves, and with a quick motion jumped in the middle of the dusty road. The carriage stopped some distance away, with the coachman looking more confused than anything.
Entoma walks closer, as the coachman just continues staring. Carriage doors open and her primary target Zoran steps out and shouts,
"Can we help you somehow, young lady?"
Entoma raises her hands and shouts back in a cheerful cute voice,
"Say hello to my little friends," unleashes the torrent of bullet bugs at her victims, shedding everything to pieces.
With a cheerful hum, Entoma picks up the chest with gold and jewelry, giving it to the Giant Beetle to deliver it back to Nazarick. She then grabs the bodies of Zoran, coachman, and the few guards Zoran had and carries them deeper into the woods for a quick feast.
Mission was a glorious success. Money retrieved, nice snacks as a bonus, and she even had an opportunity to use her favorite movie line.
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