Chương 26: Chapter 26
Ainz gradually leafed through the extensive report, his skeletal fingers deftly flipping the parchment pages as he skimmed the details and soaked the important bits. Edwin VanCleef provided information about all the brotherhood activities from top to bottom. The sheer scale of the organization far exceeded even his expectations. They were no mere rabble of disgruntled stonemasons based on their origins. This was an organization that spanned the entire Kingdom of Stormwind and beyond. They were allied with all kinds of groups from pirates to creatures called Naga across the world, a criminal ring that had immense power rivaling that of nations.
There was even a short list of nobles in cahoots with them. One name, however, stood out, Katrana Prestor. It immediately caught his attention. He already suspected her involvement in the Stockade riots, but this all but confirmed it. The woman seemed to have her fingers in more pies than the entirety of Stormwind's royal court combined. Yet, there were still some things that didn't sit right with him, matters that needed to be clarified.
Ainz glanced up from the stack of parchments, his hollow gaze resting on Edwin VanCleef, who stood awkwardly before him. The scent of alcohol lingered faintly in the air, a reminder that Edwin wasn't exactly a paragon of restraint. Yet, despite the stench, the man's sharp, calculating gaze hadn't dulled. In fact, he seemed as keen as ever.
"You should refrain from using substances during working hours," Ainz commented, watching for the subordinate's reaction.
Edwin stiffened, though he managed to maintain his composure. "I assure you, I am not impaired in any manner at the moment, Lord Ainz. But I will heed your advice," he replied, his fearful words carrying a slight shudder.
It was clear that Edwin's vocabulary and general demeanor had improved over the last few days. His speech was refined and articulate, as though a buried part of him had resurfaced. Buku's inquiries into his past had revealed a tragic story - a highly educated and talented man better suited for large-scale construction and planning, forced to run a crime cartel due to the schemes of corrupt nobility. These skills, no doubt, would prove useful in the future as their domain inevitably grew, especially once they got around to remodeling their territories.
"Very well," Ainz said, his tone even. "Let's carry on. Do you know why Katrana Prestor is working with the Defias, and what her role was in the stockades incident? And what about these other nobles on the list? As I understand, your goal was to destroy Stormwind and get revenge on the nobles, not collaborate with the people you despise."
Edwin's lip curled ever so slightly at the mention of Katrana's name, a flash of anger crossing his face. "Katrana is one of the most despicable humans you'll ever meet," he began, his voice low, "but she unknowingly gave us the resources we needed to fulfill our goals. We even kidnapped the King for her after he refused to marry her. As for the other nobles, they're in the dark. They believe I'm helping her overthrow the Kingdom, that I'll serve as her patsy and their voice to the new regime. The Stockade riots were, unfortunately, stopped by some meddling adventurers. Details were sparse, but from what I hear, those adventurers were killed in Kalimdor."
It wasn't hard to see the burning hatred he felt for the nobles and likely wasn't happy either about hundreds of his subordinates being killed.
"It was I and Buku who cleared out the Stockades. It was this conspiracy that led us to seek out who ran Defias and take over," Ainz calmly explained.
Edwin's expression faltered, his eyes widening for a moment in disbelief. He swallowed hard, his posture stiffening, and his hand twitched toward his pocket before he caught himself. "You… I see," he stammered, visibly shaken "That surely does explain it."
Ainz let the man's discomfort hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "Moving on to the next point. I don't see any details about what happened to the previous King of Stormwind after he was delivered to the Naga. What became of him?"
There wasn't a lot of information about these creatures save for sparse descriptions depicting them as an intelligent aquatic race that was hostile towards almost all land-dwellers regardless of race or intent.
Edwin's face tightened at the question, "Our job was only to kidnap and deliver King Varian alive, which we did. As for what happened after, I can only assume he's still alive. Otherwise, there would have been no point in keeping him alive during the capture. The Naga don't hire mercenaries for nothing. What they did with him afterward wasn't in our deal, nor do we have the means to investigate them thoroughly."
Ainz tapped his skeletal fingers lightly on the desk, contemplating. "A fair assessment. Though it does complicate matters. If King Varian were to return one day, it would destabilize any progress we make in consolidating power, especially among the nobility formerly loyal to him. For now, however, we'll shift focus. The destruction of Stormwind is no longer our goal." He paused, looking directly at Edwin. "But the elimination of certain nobles may still be required. We'll need to rule from the shadows, through proxies."
Ever since he became an Overlord, his intellectual capabilities had only grown and his mind naturally fell into creating ruthless, calculating patterns towards everything he wasn't personally attached to, determining the most efficient, quickest, and cheapest ways to topple their leaders and take over.
Edwin's eyes lit up at this shift in strategy, even if he was still clearly disgruntled by the earlier admission. "As you command, Lord Ainz. The nobles will be dealt with as opportunities arise."
Ainz leaned back in his chair, his mind already formulating the next steps. One of the first things he and Buku had agreed on was that they didn't want to rule over ruins. No, they wanted a kingdom at its peak, vibrant with life, economy, and potential, brimming with life and satisfaction. If they could take over Stormwind through subtle means then such an opportunity would not be overlooked in their pursuit of power.
Edwin caught the thoughtful pause. "Then what are your plans, my Lord?" His voice carried a hint of expectation. "The Dreadnaught's construction is nearing completion, and our men are prepared to launch an assault on the city while Stormwind's fleets remain scattered across the seas."
Ainz's empty gaze fell on Edwin, his mind already far ahead. "The Dreadnaught's construction should continue. However, the assault is no longer the immediate priority. We will find other uses for the ship, there are other ways to use it more effectively. Meanwhile, Defias will need to be reorganized. I want the Brotherhood to evolve into an intelligence network, with all full criminal elements purged. When Buku is done with her assessments of the leaders, we will cull the useless ones and repurpose them as… undead foot soldiers." Ainz laid out the base plan, his tone calm yet ruthless.
Edwin flinched slightly at the casual mention of turning people into undead soldiers but masked it with a well-practiced nod. "Lord, if we remove the Brotherhood's criminal side, how will we fund our operations? Banditry provides a majority of our gold and food supplies, especially those targeted at the wealthy."
Ainz smiled inwardly at the question, as though he'd anticipated it, "We will gradually look for ways to harvest food in covert ways, perhaps creating a public company that works with farmers to secure food in a more… respectable manner. Self-sustainability is the ultimate goal once the labor force has been completely reorganized. As for gold…" Ainz raised a hand, the air shimmering as his inventory opened like a rip in the fabric of reality. From the tear, about fifty thousand Yggdrasil coins poured onto the ground, forming a veritable small mountain of gleaming gold next to the desk. Edwin's eyes widened, betraying the awe he still regularly felt when Ainz casually displayed his otherworldly powers to his subordinates.
"Use this to fuel the minting operation of the local currency," Ainz stated matter of factly, "Banditry can continue for now, but only to weaken the kingdom. Eventually, the people must feel safe and protected, or at the bare minimum not threatened by our forces. The nobility, however, are approved as primary targets."
Edwin cautiously approached the pile of gold, picking up a few of the unfamiliar coins and twirling them between his fingers. They were far more intricate than any he had ever seen, their design foreign to the eye. "I have never seen such coins before. Their craftsmanship is... exquisite." He hesitated before continuing. "How fast should I begin the culling of the undesirable elements?"
"I will leave it at your discretion. You know your organization better than I do to ensure the peace is kept. But make no mistake… there will be no room for error. Make sure there are no revolts," Ainz ordered, a subtle warning wrapped in the command.
Edwin swallowed, understanding the gravity of the task before him. "It will be done, Lord Ainz."
With the more immediate topics addressed, Ainz turned his attention to something that had gnawed at his mind ever since he first read the report; a rising group of adventurers. A mere group of five had managed to wrestle control of several key mines in Elwynn Forest from the Brotherhood's Gnoll and kobold allies just recently. This small group had caused notable damages to the whole organization; significant setbacks in manpower, crippling resource flow and drawing the attention of the Kingdom's military in just a few weeks.
"What of the mines in Elwynn Forest?" Ainz asked, his tone more clipped now. "I see here that a group of adventurers has disrupted operations. What is being done to regain control and finish the construction of the ship?"
Edwin's face darkened with frustration. "The military presence has increased significantly in the region, my Lord. As much as I'd like to retake the mines, our agents are laying low for a while, we judged it better to preserve what we had than to risk it all. But rest assured, Lord, we have enough metal reserves from Westfall mines to continue construction for at least three months without disruption."
Ainz considered this carefully, tapping his fingers against the desk. "In that case then, focus on reorganization of the brotherhood for now. We'll plan on how to resume control over Elvynn when the task is done and our people are ready. Later on, we will deal with the adventurers, should they grow too bothersome. The longer they think they've won, the more complacent they'll become, and that is when we'll strike."
It was better to have a cautious and conservative approach. For now, time was on his side, and if worse came to worst, Defias could go into hiding for a while and still function at a skeletal level. The more concerning issue was Katrana and her agendas. He still had no idea what she was and that meant it was better to assume the worst and consider her on the same level as him and Buku at the bare minimum, if not more powerful. It was better for him to prepare for contingencies. If it came to a confrontation, he would want to be ready for any surprises that could be hurled his way.
<X>
The chair Katrana hurled shattered against the stone wall, sending jagged splinters flying in all directions. Her fury was palpable in the air. She wanted to scream in rage and frustration. The carefully laid schemes she had woven over years were unraveling at the hands of two unknown, new creatures. The meddling creatures - Ainz and Buku - were not only spared from death by her brother's goons, but they also took over the Defias Brotherhood in one fell swoop, one of her largest controls over the Kingdom.
"Bastards! BASTARDS! BASTARDS!" Her voice trembled with rage, each word growing louder, more unhinged, until it devolved into a feral snarl that could scare armies. Katrana Prestor, the respected noblewoman, now stood at the edge of her own composure, her regal façade shattered into smithereens just like the chair she had thrown. Her normally pristine office now lay in disarray - scrolls, parchments, and once-organized plans lay scattered like the broken fragments of her ambition, fractured into bits and pieces.
The situation was spiraling out of her control. Two of the five covert agents assigned to monitor and manipulate Vancleef had already been killed and there was a chance the rest would follow soon, purged at the hands of Buku. All her plans were rapidly falling apart.
She ground her teeth seething with anger as she stomped out of her office, her heeled boots striking the stone floor with a chaotic staccato rhythm that echoed down the castle's corridors. Each step felt like a desperate attempt to hold onto her dwindling self-control. She needed to leave the castle before she lost her temper completely and started to indiscriminately kill the castle staff, which would only ruin her plans even further.
'Blinded by rage. The paths close. Death. Failure. Useless.' The whispers of the Dark God slithered into her mind like deadly venom. The sense of dread seeped into her mind alongside her already tumultuous emotions.
'SHUT UP!' Katrana shrieked internally. She wasn't a failure. She wouldn't fail. She had spent years… decades manipulating the mortal fools of Stormwind, embedding herself in their political and royal circles like an insidious parasite. Failure was not an option, it never could be.
She teleported out of the castle, appearing in the ash-covered planes of the Burning Steppes. The familiar heat and ash-choked air hit her like a wall. Beneath her feet, the cracked earth smoldered, and the sky overhead was a hellish orange, tinged with the smoke of distant volcanoes. It was here, among the molten rivers and jagged rocks, that she could shed her human guise and release her rage. Reverting to her true form as the mighty black dragon Onyxia, she took to the sky her wings, leaving behind clouds of ash that choked what little life remained nearby.
There, she didn't need to hold back. Her frustrated roars echoed through Nefarian's domain, parting clouds and stirring storms. Her lesser brethren kept a distance, noticing her flying towards the entrance into the Black Rock Spire.
'Only darkness. Drowning. Weak. All too weak. No use for me.' The Old God's whispers returned, more insidious than ever. Each word felt like a dagger twisting deeper into her pride, scraping away at the armor of arrogance she had built over centuries.
'SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I AM NOT A FAILURE!' Her wordless voice thundered through the skies, shaking the molten valleys below as she let out a roar so loud it made the mortal worms below hide in fear. Even in her true form, the whispers followed, haunting her, mocking her. Onyxia, one of the mightiest dragons to walk Azeroth, now felt the cold, creeping fingers of doubt clutch at her heart. The Old Gods, they never let her forget. Always whispering. Always taunting. Always trying to break her down.
Onyxia didn't slow down as she reached the balcony of the spire, crashing into it with full force. One of the two columns shattered under the impact as did the stone floor. A beast of her size was a force of nature, comparable to the most dangerous storms or earthquakes. Feeling pain was the only way she could keep herself from losing all control, reminding her that she was still alive and herself.
Her brother wasn't seated on his throne nor was he anywhere near either. Either his agents hadn't bothered to inform him or her bastard of a brother chose to ignore her. No minions approached her to announce his presence either.
{ NEFARIAN! } She roared throughout the spire.
Suddenly, from behind her, a commanding voice sliced through the chaos.
"Enough!" Nefarian shouted from behind her, his full authority on display. She might have been the brood mother of the black dragons, but in their father's absence, Nefarian was the absolute ruler of their aspect. His was the strength of cunning and cruel intellect, the cold, calculating ruler of Blackwing.
Onyxia reverted back to her visage and spun around to face her brother, whose piercing, silent gaze was more demanding than any shout.
"You failed to kill them and now they're ruining everything!" She spat, venom lacing her every word. Her fury could not be contained, boiling over in her voice as she stalked toward him, her hands clenched into fists.
Nefarian raised his brow slightly, more amused than threatened. In a swift and brutal motion, his hand lashed out, striking her across the face. The sound of this assault echoed through the balcony throne room. Katrana stumbled back, clutching her cheek, her eyes wide with shock as the sting of the blow radiated through her skin. The faint red mark on her pale face was a cruel reminder of her brother's superiority as dictated by their power difference.
"You better watch your tone, sister." His voice was cold, unyielding. "I am in no mood to deal with your tantrums."
Her defiance melted into a hiss, a low and dangerous sound escaping her throat, but she stepped back, knowing better than to challenge him further. Despite the pain, her pride was what truly stung. A fight with her brother was the last thing she needed right now and in terms of raw power, he would stomp her into the ground if it came to a brawl. Despite being clutch mates, Nefarian surpassed her in many ways.
"What happened this time?" Nefarian asked as he took a step towards her, his right arm ready for another strike.
"They took over the Defias!" Katrana growled, trying to keep her voice steady despite the lingering humiliation. "It's only a matter of time before they ruin all my plans and Firemaw failed to stop them!"
At the mention of Firemaw, Nefarian's eyes narrowed, a flash of cold anger cutting through his usual detached demeanor. "Firemaw is dead. The fool attacked them directly in Orgrimmar. Got himself killed like the incompetent lizard he was."
Katrana's breath hitched. Orgrimmar? How had things escalated that far without her knowing?
"We need to stop them now," she insisted. She could feel her carefully laid plans slipping through her fingers like ash in the wind.
Nefarian's gaze remained locked on hers. "I know," he replied, his tone dismissive, as if the entire ordeal was a minor inconvenience at best. "But I won't take unnecessary risks."
"The ship your pawns are building…?" He began to ask, stepping closer to her as he lowered his arm behind his back.
"It's combat-ready, but they lack ammunition. They can't use it against you," she replied quickly, sensing the shift in her brother's demeanor. She recognized the glint in his eyes that meant he was taking matters into his own hands. He was planning to deal with Ainz and Buku himself.
"Us… You are coming with me. We will deal with those insects and we will be going right at this moment." His voice was final, the conversation already over in his mind as he turned away from her and began shifting back into his natural form, the floor cracking beneath them.
The transformation was awe-inspiring. Neferian was a massive and majestic dragon, a colossal beast of earthen might mixed with the seeping dread of the Old Gods, his scales gleaming obsidian black in the dim light of the Spire. His wings, seemingly wide as the sky itself, unfurled with a terrifying majesty. He was, without question, the embodiment of draconic power; far larger and more imposing than Onyxia could ever be. By comparison, she might as well have been a mere whelp at his side.
{ Shouldn't we gather an army? } She inquired. Onyxia had never been a frontline fighter and preferred to use the hands of others to strike her enemies, hence why she had chosen to scheme her way up the political ladder.
{ In a cavern? Don't be ridiculous. Two of us are more than enough to deal with them and if they proved too difficult to kill it will be easier to retreat if we don't have to babysit an army. } Nefarian wings beat powerfully, sending gusts of hot wind across the Spire as he took flight.
{ Fine. } Onyxia replied, but she was far from convinced, following him.
Nefarian's cold, calculating voice cut through her thoughts. { You'll have to change your plans anyway. If they killed Firemaw, collateral damage will be unavoidable and that precious ship of yours is as good as gone. Perhaps force that child king to marry you right away. } Nefarian suggested.
{ I need to get rid of Bolvar first. } She replied.
{ Then do so. What is so difficult about killing one human? }
{ I can't do it openly and Shaw is not fully under my control just yet. Argh, } Her growl was filled with impatience. { I need time. }
Nefarian laughed, a dark, humorless sound. { Then be patient. I'll order the orcs to increase pressure in Redridge. That should buy you some breathing room. } Nefarian suggested his demeanor as calm as ever. Unlike his more explosive sister, he could control his emotions and not regularly fall into fits of rage, always calculating the next best way to achieve his goals.
{ That might be just what I need. } She admitted, her mind already working on how best to exploit the new chaos her brother promised to sow.
But first, they would deal with the two meddling creatures and then undo the damage the troublesome pair had caused. They were the black dragons, the pinnacle of all life in Azeroth, the rulers of the world. Whatever Ainz and Buku were, they would fall before the might of Onyxia and Nefarian - that much was certain.
Edited by NabeisWaifu and aidan_lo.
Proofreading by IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, nate051499j6, I AM THE STRING CUTTER, and aidan_lo.
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