Chương 505: 14
Chapter 14 – The Preparations.
The leader of united lizardmen clans, Shasuryu Shasha, walks around the newly expanded dwelling of his people. Until recently this was a Razor Tail village, but with the undead attack, the remaining four free tribes united into one and repelled the attackers.
Still many were without housing, and they erected new huts each day to solve the problem. Hunters and warriors were one's living under the sky as the more durable ones of their kin. There were many conflicts between the tribes, but it was unanimously agreed to give females with young children housing first and then slowly expand it to a more durable part of their society. With one clan presumably wiped out, their kind was in danger of extinction.
It filled Shasuryu with joy to see younger children happily run around and play while the older ones were trying to help the adults however they could. His stomach growls while he walks to remind him he had given the last few meals away to those who needed it more. As a warrior, he should be in top shape in case of another attack, but he felt that skipping, few meals would not do much damage. The Food was scarce, at least until hunters and fishers get the hold of all their united territory.
Shasuryu spots his brother Zaryusu with his newfound mate Crusch Lulu, the leader of the Red eye tribe. Crush was the one of very few with white scales and had ensnared Zaryusu's heart from the moment they met. Zaryusu had played an instrumental role uniting the tribes and even being adamant to never marry as a traveler had returned home with a mate.
Not wanting to pass the chance to tease his brother, he shouts,
"Hey, shouldn't you two be busy with baby-making!"
Zaryusu responded by throwing a wooden plank at him and Crusch getting red in the face. Shasuryu jumps aside with a laugh and comes closer and asking with a more serious tone,
"Any news from the scouts?"
"New armies of undead were spotted this morning. They are moving to surround us." Zaryusu responds.
"That is bad news. But we crushed them once already, we can do it again."
"The undead are better equipped and in larger numbers this time."
"They are trapping us, it seems. Is Rororo ready for another battle?" Shasuryu asks.
He had a feeling that the same tactic will not work the second time, but it was the best they got. Shasuryu knew already that there was nowhere to run. Marshlands were split between them and the toadmen, with both races not being fond of each other. Running away would mean death, and staying and fighting seem to offer the same fate.
"Yes, shamans healed him and I got enough fish to fill his belly," Zaryusu says with a sigh. Another charge like they did against the commanding liches sounded like a suicide. For now, all they could do was sit and wait.
During the next two days, the enemy armies surrounded them completely. By Shasuryu estimate, at least ten thousand skeletons, now armored in a plate and wielding enchanted weapons, made the bulk of the enemy's army. Additionally, a lot more liches organized the armies in almost perfect unison.
Shasuryu with his brother stood on the freshly made wooden wall and looked into the enemy lines. They weren't attacking. In fact, they weren't moving at all, slowly turning the whole thing into a staring contest.
This standoff went on for a few hours, with neither side making a move.
Finally, the sea of skeletons parted and two figures stepped through. A large light blue insectoid and a lizardman matching the size of the insectoid. Both stopped at the middle between their armies and the lizardmen settlement.
Shasuryu and the other tribe leaders watched the scene until Shasuryu speaks,
"Looks like they want to parley. Are we surrendering if terms are favorable?" He asked other tribe leaders to get a consensus on the decision he already had made. With nods of agreement, he jumps down outside the wall and says,
"Brother, will you accompany me?"
Zaryusu jumps down as well, landing next to his brother as both walk towards the opponents. For leaders or their representatives to meet in the center of the battlefield to parley was a common thing, so an ambush was unlikely. Shasuryu hoped that some kind of agreement could be made.
Once both parties stand a few meters apart, Shasuryu speaks.
"Leaders of undead, united lizardmen tribes wish to end this conflict. What are your terms of peace?"
"BY THE ORDER OF SUPREME LEADER OF NAZARICK, LORD AINZ OOAL GOWN, ENTIRE FOREST OF TOB IS TO BE BROUGHT UNDER NAZARICKS CONTROL. IF YOU SURRENDER, THE LIVES OF YOUR KIN WILL BE SPARED. TO SEE THE FUTILITY OF YOUR RESISTANCE LET YOUR CHAMPION STEP FORWARD AND DUEL THE CHAMPION OF OUR SIDE. IF OUR CHOSEN WARRIOR ZENBERU LOSES I WILL WITHDRAW THE ARMIES AND YOUR CLANS WILL REMAIN INDEPENDENT." Speaks Cocytus.
Zaryusu takes his weapon, the Forst Pain, in his hand and steps forward to answer the challenge. For a moment Shasuryu wanted to stop his brother and step up as duelist himself, but he swallows his pride and admits to himself that Zaryusu is a better fighter than him and on top of that wields an artifact.
Zenberu also steps forward, walking up to his opponent, and says to Zaryusu while looking down,
"You may forfeit any time you want wielder of the Frost Pain. I have been looking forward to our battle for a long time."
Zaryusu meets his gaze and replies,
"Then I give you the same option."
Zenberu smiles, takes a few steps back and waits for Cocytus to give a signal.
Cocytus lifts his sword, and with swing down, shouts,
"BEGIN!"
Zenberu charges his opponent and strikes with his gauntlet-covered fist. Zaryusu raises his weapon to block but is caught by surprise at how strong the strike is. His hands go numb and he takes a step back, almost losing his footing. Zenberu continues with rapid strikes putting Zaryusu on defense. Normally Zaryusu would prefer this kind of fight as one of his weapons effects is to inflict frost damage on the attacker each time weapon is struck.
However, after the fifth strike, a chip breaks off his weapon and more and more cracks appear. With no other option remaining, Zaryusu goes to offensive but his rapid strikes are easily dogged by the much larger Zenberu who now gives the impression of just toying with his opponent. As a cautious fighter, Zaryusu does not leave an opening for a counter-attack despite that, his opponent blocks the swing with one of his gauntlet-covered hands and then strikes him in the chest with other one.
Strike sends him tumbling backward, and he loses grip on his sword, leaving it in the hand of his opponent. Zaryusu quickly gets back on his feet but now unarmed knows the duel is lost.
Zenberu tosses the weapon at Zaryusu's feet and says,
"Wielder of the Frost Pain, you are a formidable opponent but still no match for current me, don't toss your life away and surrender."
He had to admit, without some kind of miracle, he couldn't win. But a few days ago he would be happy to die in an honorable duel but now someone waited for him to come back, and with the clear loss, he doesn't want to leave Crusch alone under the boot of their new masters. With a heavy sigh, he says,
"I admit my defeat."
With his brother's defeat, Shasuryu addresses the enemy leader.
"As the leader of united lizardmen alliance, I surrender and submit to your rule."
"RETURN TO YOUR PEOPLE, OPEN THE GATES, AND LAY DOWN THE WEAPONS. NO ONE WILL BE HARMED."
Both brothers lower their heads in submission for a moment and then walk back to the settlement.
Most of their kin already know the outcome as the duel was watched from the wall by many. The mood is grim, but a promise of no harm gives them at least some hope.
Brothers return to the camp and inform tribes they are to lay down the weapons and accept the rule of Nazarick. With the futility of any kind of resistance, most drop their weapons and wait for their new masters. Very few dissatisfied voices of desire to fight anyway are heard. Even warriors know that pointless death will only bring misery to their people.
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The Denizens of the Re-Estize capital were distracted by a lone woman walking with a casual stride. Some looked at her intricately decorated black and red plate armor. Most were just stunned by her unnatural beauty. The most striking feature was her different colored eyes with one green and the other blue.
She radiated an aura of danger as she walked, and even the most daring and arrogant stepped out of her way on instinct. Those in her path speculated she must be a part of some high-ranking adventurer team to walk around alone with such confidence.
It is the first time Bukuma walks among humans in her Elven form, or what she herself preferred to consider her true looks now. A hood covers her head, so her ears are hidden. Her looks draw enough attention already, without the clear sign of her inhuman nature.
Bukuma has a simple goal in mind, the warrior captain's mansion. She hopes to convince Gazef to join her and her friends and leave the service of the rotten kingdom.
As she walks Bukuma noticed someone stalking her. Someone way above the usual people walking around. A small shadow, barely noticeable, lurked in the side streets, watching her move.
'Hmm, I'll deal with the little stalker after the talk with the captain.' Bukuma thinks as she approaches Gazef's mansion.
She knocks on the door and to her surprise, Gazef himself opens the door. She expected if not a butler, then at least a servant.
"Lady Bukuma?" He says with eyes wide.
"Glad you remember me, captain," Bukuma answers with a smirk.
Gazef steps aside, inviting her in, and leads her to the living room. A blue-haired man sits in one of the chairs, staring at the fire absentmindedly.
"Brain, this is lady Bukuma. Lady Bukuma, Brain, a friend and a rival of sorts."
Bukuma flashes a charming smile as brain jumps up from the chair in shock and then says after a moment,
"So this is one of your saviors, Gazef, a pleasure to meet you, lady."
"Oh, I hope I didn't interrupt a boys' night," Bukuma says while removing her hood as her long ears pop out. She hoped to get more reaction from Brain, but Gazef's barely hidden stare was enough for now.
"Not at all Lady Bukuma. For what do I owe the pleasure?" Gazef asks and motions for her to sit down.
Bukuma sits down and responds with a smile.
"I have an offer I hope you will be interested in."
"An offer?"
"Yes, I want to invite you to join us. Become part of my home, Nazarick."
"Lady Bukuma, my duty is with the kingdom."
Bukuma's smile disappears, and she speaks in a deeper, more menacing voice.
"The kingdom you want to defend is rotten to the core. You already know better than me, when the crown prince takes the trone kingdom will fall one way or another. My friends and I are trying to salvage what we can before it is too late and the competent die stupid deaths when the fools take the power."
Both Gazef and Brain shudder a bit at her tone, but Gazef as a man of conviction cannot just abandon his duties and oaths he has made. So, even in fear of her wrath, he speaks.
"I have sworn to protect the King and my kingdom. I will not break those oaths, no matter what. Besides, as grateful as I am for saving me and my men, I have heard some unsettling things about a servant of yours."
"What you have heard?" Bukuma asks. She had followed the report of her friends and she is wary of what Gazef could have found out.
"A vampire named Shalltear killing the bandits in outskirts of E-Rantel."
Remembering events, Bukuma's face twists in wrath as she asks,
"What do you know about her? She was just eliminating some lowlife scum that prayed on travelers."
Brain then speaks up with a shaking voice.
"Lady, I was one of those scum. I know I deserved it and I can't blame neither her nor you for what happened but I still see her in my nightmares."
Bukuma's expression relaxes a bit, and she changes her tone to a bit more friendly one.
"How did you survive or escape her?"
"For some reason, she put a spell on me and dragged me along, but then what I now know was the Black Scripture from Slane Theocracy confronted her, and spell on me was at least partly broken. I ran… I ran as far away as I could."
Bukuma slumps back in her chair a bit, touches her forehead with few fingers, and thinks what to do. Gazef was too high of a profile man to just disappear and many people may have seen her come to his house.
"You got lucky, that's all is to it. I will not ask what warrior captain is doing with a common criminal, it is not my business. To be honest, we needed information and did kingdom a favor while we gathered it. Those bandits are long gone and their living victims are safe and taken care of."
She guesses Gazef would not want Brain's past to be revealed to the nobles. A criminal in the warrior captain's house would spell the end of his career.
"Then I must thank you again for service towards the kingdom, but I can't abandon it. I am sorry." Gazef says. He was still unsure about the motives of the Lords of Ooal Gown, but killing criminals that plagued his kingdom was a service, not a crime in his eyes.
It sickened him to know that local nobles even cowered up the lawless in exchange for the cut of their profits.
"Gazef, it saddens me you want to stay of sinking ship but I understand. Let us hope we never have to meet on a battlefield on opposite sides."
The thought made Gazef shudder and Brain just shakes in the horror of that possibility. Knowing how monstrous the servant was, he didn't want to know what one of Shalltear's masters is capable of. Bukuma was already standing up, preparing to leave. Gazef could only respond in kind.
"I too pray that day never comes Lady Bukuma."
"Then I will take my leave. Best of luck in your endeavors warrior captain."
"Same to you Lady Bukuma."
Bukuma was outside again, moments later. The conversation had left a sour taste in her mouth. Gazef was a fool, but she understood him. She too would stay with her friends even in face of death.
Her little stalker lurked nearby. She sensed it.
Now it was time to trap whoever was following her. She intentionally walked through dark side streets, forcing the stalker to come much closer. She takes a sharp turn and waits in shadows. A slim hooded figure came creeping silently.
Bukuma takes out a sword and with full speed closes the distance, grabbing the stalker by the neck gently enough to not break it. Stalker makes a high pitch yelp as Bukuma tears off the hood with her sword, revealing a young girl. She instantly recognizes the black and white hair and short, pointy ears.
"You! Ainz told you to not get in our way girl."
Zesshi struggling against Bukuma's grip gurgles,
"I was not in your way. I need to know, I need to know."
"Know what?"
"You are a god, I need to know my purpose."
Bukuma lets her go, surprised, and asks,
"How should I know your purpose?"
Zesshi takes a few deep breaths and speaks.
"He told me I can be so much more, I need to know what that meant."
"Ainz meant you don't need to be a tool for those Theocracy shitheads."
Zesshi looks down, lost in thought. All Bukuma sees is a lost teenager without guidance. She could guess that Zesshi as half-elf is most likely physically much older than her, but mentally still a teen or a young woman at best. She changes her tone to a gentle, motherly one and asks,
"What do you want for yourself?"
Question stuns Zesshi. Her two previous goals seemed unattainable, at least on her own, but she has one desire above that,
"A place to belong."
"Well, if you can behave and know your place, we can take you in. But be warned in my home you will not be even in top fifty in terms of power, and we will not tolerate any acting out against our own."
"To be a tool again?"
"A servant. You could be useful, but don't think we need you that much. Serve us and we will take care of you like we take care of all our servants."
Zesshi is silent for a moment and then says,
"I have just one request."
"Go on."
"If you ever go to Elf country, I want to kill my father myself."
"That seems fair. I'll be sure to relay that information to others."
Bukuma continues her walk back to an empty warehouse where the gate can be safely cast, now with a half-elf girl walking beside her. She couldn't help but wonder if she will end up with another child in her care, ironically much older than her.
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Across the princess, Renner sits a young blond woman with green eyes. Leader of the famous adamantite rank team, the Blue Roses, Lakyus is one of the princess's closest friends. At least Lakyus thinks she is.
Both are watched by Tina and Tia, a pair of slender blonde twin sisters. They too are members of Blue Roses and in official visits fill the role of Lakyus' bodyguards. Not that their boss isn't more than capable of defending herself, it's more for appearance's sake. Both Tina and Tia are former assassins with both rogue and ninja skill sets.
Lately, both Renner and Lakyus are cooperating to fight against the crime syndicate, The Eight Fingers. Lakyus could not wish for a better friend and ally than the brilliant and compassionate golden princess.
Today's visit was mostly to use her skills as Blue Roses' last raid against one of the drug farms had yielded an unexpected find. An encoded note of some sort.
Renner recognizes the code right away. One of her masters, Demiurge, uses it for communication with the Eight fingers operatives. They let her in on the recent takeover and the princess even exchanged brief communication with the only remaining leader, Hilma, to not interfere with each other's plans.
"Hmm, if I get it right, this is a plan for some kind of guest showing up. Someone important from Slane Theocracy." Renner says while pointing at specific symbols.
Lakyus exclaims with a shocked expression.
"What would Theocracy have in common with common criminals."
"They did attempt to assassinate the warrior captain, even with their current isolation policy they continue meddling with our country," Renner says.
"Renner, you think we should investigate?"
"I would say so. I think they are planing something. The representatives of Slane Theocracy arrive tomorrow to this location." Renner says as she hands Lakyus a small note.
"Then we will handle it," Lakyus responds with determination.
"Please be careful, Lakyus. I worry so much each time I send you all on such a dangerous mission."
"Do not worry princess, we will watch our evil boss's back," twins respond from the shadows making Renner smile warmly.
Right after her guests leave Renner sends a message to Demiurge,
{ Witnesses are informed, they will strike the target tomorrow. }
{ Good job princess. Is the rest of the plan prepared? }
{ Yes Lord Demiurge, I set up everything for the show. }
{ Excellent. Lord Ulbert will be pleased with your work. }
Meanwhile, Lakyus and the twins meet up with the remaining two members of Blue Roses. A gigantic warrior named Gagaran, who looks more man than a woman. Her extremely muscular physique and broad shoulders put most men to shame. She is wearing her usual crimson-colored plate armor despite not being on a mission. Few people have seen her dressed in anything else. The last member of the team is a tiny masked woman, Evileye, whose true nature is a mystery even to her own teammates. She can easily be mistaken for a child of age around twelve.
Lakyus relays the news to them right away. None of them had a reason to mistrust the princess, so the decision to interrupt whatever the Eight Fingers and the Theocracy planned is unanimous.
All that remains is to wait for the next night and hit the target. A mansion belonging to a minor noble in the trade district. Tina and Tia scout ahead and silently take out a few thugs guarding the property, letting the rest of the team move with ease. Once they get inside the mansion, they are met by a gruesome scene. The Dead bodies are everywhere and walls are decorated with strange symbols drawn with blood from the slain men.
With Lakyus in lead, they follow the bloody trail leading to the basement. Someone is loudly chanting downstairs. The team slowly walks down the steps in the dark as chanting gets louder.
In the middle of the large basement room stands the man in his fifties with white hair and clean-shaven face dressed in outfit used by bishops of Slane Theocracy, namely one's following the god of light, Alah Alaf. He sees them approaching and exclaims with maniacal glee.
"More heretics, you will witness the return of a great God. My body shall serve as his vessel."
While he rambles, they notice the bishop is standing in the middle of an intricately drawn circle of blood. Before they can strike him down, the man stabs his hand with a knife and drops on his knees convulsing. Leathery wings sprout out of his back, tearing the robe and curved horns grow out of his temples.
As five women watch in shock, the demon gets up, dusting off his robe, and his face changes to one of amusement and curiosity.
"Oh, my, five maidens to consume. The fool could not have chosen a better location to summon me." Demon says casually.
Lakyus raises her hands and with a shout "Holy Lance," casts a 5th tier holy spell, shooting a spear of light towards the demon.
The demon doesn't even flinch as he is hit in the chest, but his demeanor changes to anger, taking the attack as an insult.
"What do you take me for, a low-tier demon, to use such a pathetic spell against me? I am an archdemon fight me like one."
Upon the revelation. Evileye shouts in a panicked voice,
"Run, I will hold him back long enough for the rest of you to get away."
"We are not leaving you behind shorty," Gagaran responds.
"Once you are safe I teleport away, get help, gather everyone you can."
The Demon just watches the exchange with a smirk and then casts a hellfire bolt towards Evileye. She casts a mana shield on reflex, but a single hit is enough to burn most of her mana. At least her friends are getting away. She only needs to leave enough mana for a single teleport to survive.
The demon makes a small clap and says,
"Impressive I didn't think a child like you would survive it."
"I am not a child!" Evileye snarls.
"I'm sorry, I must not be familiar with your kin then. I assume females of your species don't possess the curves of a human woman?"
'Striking where it hurts. Typical demon.'
Evileye sees the demon is casting another hellfire bolt and uses the opportunity to teleport out of the mansion. She sees her friends waiting for her outside with grim expressions.
"How do we stop that monster?" Gagaran asks.
"We need to inform guild and king. Hopefully, with other teams, we can take it down." Lakyus responds.
"That demon didn't even get hurt by your spell, Lakyus!" Evileye shouts.
"I know but can that evil beast just roam around…" Lakyus says and then turns her head as the mansion's doors fly off the hinges and hordes of demons pour out of it.
"Evileye, get to the guild, warn the kind we will try to stop their advance," Lakyus says to her exhausted friend as she prepares to fight.
Evileye casts fly with her remaining mana and quickly takes to the sky, flying towards the adventurer's guild. As she turns to look back for a moment, she sees her friends are slowly pushed back as demonic hordes spread out. She could only pray there is a way to stop this before capital is consumed.
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After a long and exhausting day, queen Draudillon, the ruler of the Dragon Kingdom, drinks her third wine bottle already. Each day the same thing, useless nobles bickering how to solve the crisis. The beastmen, sensing the weakening of her kingdom and lack of Theocracy's support, crossed the border with an army and laid waste to the border villages.
Each day her own armies were being pushed back. The adamantine ranked team Crystal Tear helped little. Few adventurers, no matter how strong, couldn't turn the war around. Besides, Draudillon disliked their leader, Cerabrate, who openly fancied little girls. He was one of the main reasons the queen herself took a form of a young girl. She dreaded the day when she will have to lay with him just to keep the team in her failing homeland.
Feeling particularly desperate today, she couldn't calm down, even with the amount of alcohol already consumed. The prime minister had covertly left the bucket, seeing that his queen will not stop anytime soon.
Suddenly a voice in her head says,
{ Alcohol cannot wash the reality away, drink as much as you must, tomorrow will bring the same misery. }
"What, who…?" Draudillon asked out loud in her drunken stupor.
{ There is a way out for you if you will make a deal! }
"Anything, I will give anything."
She hears a snap of fingers, and she is completely sober, sitting in her bed. A very unassuming man sits in a simple chair at the side of her luxurious bed, looking out of place. Draudillon looks at him with a surprise and asks,
"Who, what are you?"
"I am not important, just a man with a proposition."
"You can save my kingdom?"
"Not me, but there are forces who can. Are you willing to pay the price for their services?"
"What I must give?"
The man smiles, and after a short dramatic pause says calmly,
"You will tell them what wild magic is. You will show them that little black book you are hiding from everyone."
"No! I can't, that knowledge cannot be spread!"
The man continues smiling, and then Draudillon is thrown into a vision. She is standing on top of her castle as beastmen ravage the last remnants of her home. She sees in great detail the brutality of their actions. Most eager ones are eating live victims, her people. A child wails just under the castle as a lion beastman is tearing in his flesh.
A distinct voice, one of forgotten horror, whispers in her ear. Use the power to burn the souls, feed the sleeper. Do as your kin once did. Draudillon tries to resist it, but the dark whispers cloud her mind. She is of a higher race, even if it's just a small part of her she is of dragon blood. The power of wild magic is her birthright.
Just a moment's later a flame of burning souls wipes the enemy off the streets with a single spell of the queen's hands. Her people a necessary fuel to cleanse what belongs to her. When clarity comes, vision grows darker once again. Her spell and the lives taken were the last necessary fuel to awoken one who sleeps below. He rises from the sea to retake the world that was once his.
Not being able to take it, Draudillon drops on her knees and weeps, unable to distinguish visions from reality anymore.
Then just as suddenly as it started, the dark vision ends, and she is back in her bed. She screams at the man who still sits and calmly smiles.
"It will not end like this. You are showing me LIES!"
"You can believe whatever you wish, o queen. I made an offer, you can freely reject it."
Draudillon had to admit to herself that unless outside help comes, her country is doomed. She could only hope that this being wasn't interested in waking up the sleeper from the forgotten legends.
"Fine, I accept the deal."
"I knew you would see the reason. Soon beings know as Lords of Ooal Gown will present themselves to the wider world. They are your salvation. Ask for their help and they will come, and when they do, you will fulfill your part of the bargain. Is this clear?"
"Yes."
"Then deal is made. Good luck queen Draudillon of the Dragon Kingdom."
With a blink of an eye, she was again alone in her room. Salvation will come, but she could only hope her saviors will heed the warning about the dangers of the old magic. She had the feeling that backing out of the deal was not an option anymore.
Bonus Story 1 - Different Fates.
From the moment Zesshi stepped foot inside the Nazarick he had to admit, something so grandiose could only be made by the gods. They had given her a small room and warned her to not interfere with others for no reason, so Zesshi just wandered around with no real aim in mind.
For first few days she spend in area what they called the ninth floor, making her wonder what were the first eight like. Almost no one cared about her presence if she didn't get in anyone's way, making her feel weird. She was used to either being treated as an important tool or a disgusting lesser being, but here she is nothing, just some outsider who serves one of their gods.
Then she was sent to the sixth floor to help train some team serving Lord Peros. She remembered the avian well, and pissing him off definitely wasn't on her to-do list.
The first thing she couldn't believe was the sky above. It was her first step into fully believing that actual gods, not just beings with incredible power, made this place.
Zesshi could wander for long as she knew the team was already waiting for her. All of them besides the one girl looked nonhuman. She didn't particularly care, but they explained their story, anyway. Just some former humans who were brought back to life.
After the first mock battle, it was clear they were nothing special, just above the average Black Scripture member in terms of power. The only thing she could give them credit for was how well they worked as a team.
Once training was over, she was allowed to roam around the sixth floor, which turned out to be a lush forest with a lake. After a short walk, she sits down on the grass by the lake. A small village is seen on the opposite side of the lake. She was curious about who lived there but decided against visiting it to not draw unneeded attention to herself.
Zesshi senses that someone was watching her from the tree some distance away. Her watcher then jumps down the tree and approaches her slowly, trying to not make a noise. Zesshi just puts a hand on her scythe beside her to show that sneaking up isn't an option.
"Leagues above me as usual Zesshi." A voice she recognizes says.
"Clementine, from what gutter did they fish you out?"
"No need to be rude, we serve the same gods after all," Clementine responds and sits beside her.
"You never strike me as serving type. What changed?"
"I got in their way and paid for my sins. But I had my chance to repent and now I can serve the God of Murder with my full conviction."
Clementine sounded just like the religious nut jobs from her former home. Zesshi didn't have any reason or desire to respond, so Clementine just talked alone.
"You know Relzanu is also in Nazarick."
"And I should care?"
"I guess not. Just wanted to tell you how she is doing. You and I got off easy. They turned Relzanu into a pet for my God's daughter. The last time I saw her she had a tail plugged in her ass and she told me she was a good pet and her mistress was nice."
Did she get off easy? The heavy beating she got was a favorable outcome compared to being a pet for someone. Clementine sounded insane. Zesshi didn't even want to know how they broke Clementine into what she was now. A revelation came that Lady Bukuma treated her nicer than others were treated. With that came the realization that falling out of the good graces of her new master would be a terrible idea.
Bonus Story 2 - Empire's first citizens.
At first, Zaryusu Shasha looked at the new master with fear. Only a few days after the occupation Cocytus did a mock duel with Zenberu to show the power difference between them in case someone got the stupid idea that they could fight for their freedom.
Zaryusu had felt the almost monstrous power of Zenberu first hand and seeing him comically underpowered compared to the General almost broke Zaryusu's spirit. Any kind of resistance was simply unthinkable. With hope for freedom lost, he worked on bettering their current condition.
Help in that regard came from an unexpected source. Their new masters. First, the Nazarick provided them with food to prevent starvation and set tribes back on track. Then came the undead to help with construction and planning.
What he until recently considered just monsters turned out to be the best allies he could ask for. Zaryusu quickly allied with the elder lich tasked to oversee the construction of new settlements and tried to suggest building fish farms for long-term sustainability.
Quickly Zaryusu realized how much his kind was behind, even in the basic technology. Almost instantly elder lich made many improvements to his rather primitive design. As an interesting side effect, the elder lich taught him to read and write and math basics to make Zaryusu capable of overseeing at least some of the rapid changes lizardmen would face.
Within a month everyone was but forgotten even the idea of starvation. First citizens of the soon emerging Empire of Nazarick lived much better lives than when they were free.
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