章節 517: 27
Chapter 27 - Aftermath.
E-Rantel Adventurer Guild's guild master Ainzach squeeze's bridge of his nose while signing report after report. A few hours ago, the first survivors of the so-called "Katze Plains Massacre" arrived in E-Rantel. The news spread fast, people panicked. He could hear the commotion outside. Many wanted to leave the city before invaders arrive.
The monstrous army of the Empire of Nazarick was on its way here, and nothing in this world could stop it. At least, that is what surviving soldiers shouted on the streets.
Ainzach had already decided to stay. E-Rantel was his home and will be till his last breath. That could not be said about most of the guild. Adventurers planned to flee the city in droves. To his surprise, team Darkness planned to stay. To not lose the city's strongest team gave at least some solace.
By the reports from the village of Carne, Nazarick's rule sounded more reasonable than Re-Estize. And he couldn't leave the city behind and flee. This was his home and in case the monstrous army ravages E-Rantel, he will die protecting it.
The noise outside reaches a new high, forcing Ainzach to stop his work and look through the window. Angels, an army of them. Even as a seasoned adventurer, he did not know what most of them even were, and that could mean only one thing - they were far more powerful than ones he could recognize.
Ainzach rushes out of his office and ascends the stairs to reach the guild's watchtower. From the looks of it, Angels were all over the city. He could see some small skirmishes, but everyone, even attempting to fight an angel, was cut down instantly.
Before violence could ramp up, a nova of light explodes from the shining angel, engulfing the city in a warm, calming peace.
"You are now under the rule of the Empire of Nazarick. Do not resist. Submit and you will be spared." The gentle voice booms reaching even the furthest outskirts of E-Rantel. Despite sounding like an ultimatum, it sure felt like assurance. For now, Ainzach had no other option to just observe what will happen and hope for the best.
Next, he notices team Darkness heading for the city square. Are they planning to fight angels? Even for a team as strong as Darkness, it would be a suicide. As a guild-master, he was well aware of details surrounding the archdemon's appearance in the Capital. Lords of Ooal Gown were much more powerful than even the strongest teams of adventurers.
With dread, he awaits what will happen next. But to his surprise, team Darkness reaches the city center and then just stands unmoving, as if awaiting something. Few four-winged angels surround them in battle positions but don't engage them.
Seeing the champions not seeking conflict, most adventurers follow their example and also take relaxed stances. Ainzach lets out a relieved sigh. It seems they are trying to help others by showing an example of non-engagement.
With an angel on every street corner, many of the citizens resign to their fates and return to their homes, abandoning the hope of getting away from the city. The line of carts near the city gate disperses. Some of the more impatient merchants open their shops again. If you can't get out of the city either way might as well return to usual business. People slowly returned to the streets, avoiding the imposing angels who didn't react to anyone unless provoked.
Renewed peace, however, was not long-lasting. The news of the main city gate opening quickly spread throughout the city. Panic once again set in once first denizens of E-Rantel saw the monstrous undead marching in the city. Their leader, a dark-plated figure, rides his skeletal horse towards the city square, not paying attention to the fear and dread his army causes to humans.
To call the sigh surreal was an understatement, angels and undead side by side, making orderly rows at the side of the main street. One of the Nazarick's leaders would arrive soon. With his vantage point, Ainzach could see almost to the city gate, awaiting to see which lord would arrive as curiosity ate at him.
He snaps back to his surroundings once he notices one angel rapidly approaching him. For a moment, he wants to give in to his instinct and flee. Not that he would get far in the first place. With a deep breath, he assumes a calm expression and turns to await the incoming angel.
Close up, the four-winged angel looks even more majestic than he could have imagined.
"Pluton Ainzach, the guild master of the Re-Estize adventurer's guild, Emperor Ainz Ooal Gown, will wish to speak with you. Go to the city square immediately!"
Not the news he wanted to hear. The Emperor himself will want to speak with him. The same one that summoned an army of the undead by himself. It was too late to run either way. Resigning to his fate, Ainzach descends the steps of the watchtower and heads towards the city square.
Guild-master of the magician's guild, Theo was already ahead of him and stood near the team Darkness. With a short greeting, Ainzach stands on the other side of the legendary team and awaits the leader of the country they are now part of.
Not long after them arrives the mayor of the E-Rantel Panasolei Gruze Day Rettenmaier. Ainzach expected the fat noble to flee the city in fear of execution, but at the same time couldn't deny that mayor Rettenmaier was among very few of Re-Estize leaders who cared about the common folk and did his best to improve their living situation.
It was very noticeable that the Mayor was doing his very best to not openly shake in fear. A fair guess was that he wanted to flee, but angels arrived before he could do so.
After a brief wait, a dark void appears in front of them. The leader of the undead force steps down from horse and kneels at the one side and the six winged angel descends and kneel at the other. Taking the cue, Ainzach also drops on his knees with people around him doing the same. He could even hear Mayor wheeze as he clearly was trying to get on his knees as well.
First comes an angel with metallic wings and hovers above the void with metallic balls rotating above her head. Finally, Emperor arrives with a beautiful demoness by his side. He did not know who she was but carried herself as an equal to the undead emperor, so Ainzach assumed she was the rumored Empress.
"Rise!" Emperor Ainz says in a deep, regal voice and continues. "Be at ease citizens of Re-Estize, you are now part of Empire of Nazarick and thus will abide by our laws. For now, my forces will ensure the safety and basic needs of every single one of you. As a sign of goodwill, I will cut taxes in half till the end of the year until a more permanent system can be established."
The crowd listens in frozen silence. The God of Life and Death clearly sounded and looked the part. Ainz, seeing no reaction from the crowd, motions for Mayor to come closer. The fat man does his best to approach Emperor in a dignified manner while leaning on his cane.
"Mayor Rettenmaier, our observation of your actions as administrator of this city makes us believe you are a competent enough to remain in your position. You have two choices. You can leave the city with belongings you can take with you or remain and help integrate the city of E-Rantel properly into the Empire of Nazarick and remain its mayor."
"I will remain and continue my work to the best of my ability, your highness." Mayor Rettenmaier says with a small bow.
Ainzach was surprised, to say the least. Not only noble was spared, but even allowed to remain in his position. But it made sense. Nazarick would likely want to paint themselves as just and reasonable rulers to prevent the mass exodus of citizens or turn the city into a prison.
Meanwhile, Emperor moves on. "Theo Rakheshir, Guild-master of the Magician's Guild, I will give you the same choice. You and any other members of Magician's Guild are permitted to leave. If you choose to stay, you can assist with integrating your guild in Lord Tabula's magical research department and be fully funded by the empire."
The extremely thin and neurotic-looking man wearing a robe is silent for a moment and then answers with a bow.
"Thank you for the opportunity, your highness. I will stay and accept the task."
Finally, his turn comes. Emperor Ainz turns his gaze to Ainzach and says.
"Pluton Ainzach, the guild master of the Re-Estize adventurer's guild, unfortunately adventurer's guild, as it is, will lose its current purpose within the Empire of Nazarick. But I have an alternative offer. Adventurer's Guild will become more what its name entails. Its members will be adventurers exploring new lands and mysteries of this world, with my Empire paying their salaries. You have the same choice as others."
Ainzach quickly realizes that as Nazarick spreads adventurers' guild, as it is, will become a thing of the past. With the reported overwhelming might, it was just a matter of time before everyone falls under its rule. Choice was simple.
"I agree, your highness."
Emperor then turns to the team Darkness and says, "You have done well upholding your honor and protecting those in need. Continue doing so in my name."
"We will not fail you, Emperor Ainz," all five say in unison.
It's sounded like they served Nazarick from the very start. Now it all made sense. Five extremely powerful people show up out of nowhere at about the same time as Nazarick. The only question remained if they even were humans? The undead Emperor and the rest of the Lords of Nazarick can look human when needed. Who says team Darkness wasn't the same. For now, he had other things to worry about. He, as the guild-master, will have to spearhead the changes the new rulers want to see in the guild.
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It was the second day in the royal castle after the return from Katze Plains. Night sleep in his own bed was just what Zanac needed to restore some sense of normalcy again. The losses during the battle were far from calculated, but during his stay in E-Pespel, at least the remaining nobles were accounted for. He, of course, already knew which nobles were permitted to live, but still needed to play his role and give all the appropriate orders.
Even before his return to the capital, all the noble houses were informed about losses. The majority of newly assigned heads of various noble houses now were either the second or third sons. In the case of the second sons, they educated them at least on how to act like nobles. The rest of them were a step above a peasant. And now Re-Estize was left with inexperienced, uneducated nobles on top of rapidly depleting food reserves and lack of workforce for the harvest season. Just as his sister had planned. Kingdom was on the verge of collapsing.
Zanac walks towards the throne room at a slow pace with Gazef a few steps behind him. His presence was more than necessary to enforce the nobles to each pay their share of gold Nazarick demanded in exchange for peace. One million, the sum of gold had doubled after the battle. Even officially, Nazarick holds all the cards. Re-Estize had no allies, while Nazarick had the support of Baharuth and Dragon Kingdom. Their army was unstoppable by any known means. All that Re-Estize could do was a bow and give everything the monstrous empire demanded.
"Your Highness!"
Zanac turns and sees Raeven approaching him. The tall man was a shade whiter than he use to with eyes sunken in. But who could blame him after everything that had recently transpired?
"Raeven, good to see you. Did your troops manage to get back? How is your family faring?"
"Most of my forces are stationed in the capital. I only left a small regiment behind to observe Nazarick's movements. My wife and son are doing fine, at least considering the current circumstances. Are you prepared for the announcement, your highness?"
"As well as I can. With both of our forces in the capital, we should be able to keep everything under control for a while."
"We can only hope," Raeven says as both enter the throne room.
The difference between the newly assigned nobles and the more experienced ones was noticeable. Only two remained of the Noble faction and small fry at that. Royal faction fared better, even so, most members were gone. The newcomers, mostly, kept to themselves forming small groups. There were few individuals not part of any group.
The third sons of smaller houses, the bottom feeders. Clad in out of style or somewhat worn clothing, lacking even a basic understanding of what to do. Ones whose only hope to rise in status was to join a larger faction and kiss up to leaders.
With no reason to drag things out, Zanac sits down on his throne and addresses nobles.
"As you all know by now, the battle at Katze plains was lost. The overwhelming might of Nazarick's monster armies leaves us with no hope of victory. Thus, we are accepting the peace offering and giving Nazarick E-Rantel and its surrounding lands and one million gold coins as payment. This sum will be contributed by all of us calculated by lands we each hold."
Before shouts of protest can even erupt, Zanac raises his voice and continues.
"Everyone will pay their contribution within three weeks. Refusal will be treated as treason with the offending party losing its titles and lands!"
"My king, we can't pay such an amount of money, it will bankrupt us." One of the newly assigned nobles shouts.
Raven steps beside the throne and says in a grim voice,
"You weren't there. You didn't see what happened to those who tried to fight. It wasn't even a battle, it was a slaughter. WE ALL WILL PAY." He sighs loudly, "We have no choice but to agree to all their demands at this point."
With Raeven, the most influential remaining noble by far, giving full support to the king's decision, the room quiets down rather quickly. His haunted expression works as an additional tool to drive the point home.
The next few hours spent interacting with various ministers and clerks to calculate proper amounts of money each was to contribute was grueling, to say the least. Zanac resisted the impulse to tear his hair out at the long pointless bickering over the smallest of details. Even without the bigger picture, it was just stupid and pointless, but knowing that they were just the next set of tools that will be disposed of made their rapidly growing arrogance even more ironic.
The sudden touch of Zalarta's invisible hands on his shoulders made him almost jump from the throne.
{ You seem tense, my king. Once the talks are over, I will help you relax. }
Once again, he danced on the border between soothing and annoyingly playful. During his time with her, he had learned a bit more about her playful personality. She liked to tease and spook him from time to time, but not overly so. Compared to the stiff and arrogant nobility he interacted with almost exclusively, her playfulness was a breath of fresh air.
{ That would be nice, but please don't scare me like that. They may notice you. }
{ I'm sorry, I didn't intend to scare you, my love. }
Her tone sounded overly cute and innocent in his mind. It almost sounded like she had taken some cues from his sister on how to play innocence. At least it broke the monotony for a moment.
Once the talks were over and they made at least some agreement about how much each noble house would pay, only one task remains. Deliver his sister the 'news' about the battle lost and he could go rest after that charade.
Castle corridors feel so much more empty as he walks towards Renner's quarters. So many lives were lost in battle on top of all the accidents with those who Renner disliked personally. Guards would be replaced and maids hired, the lesser nobles were always so eager to send their children to work in the Royal castle. One family's loss was another's gain.
As usual, Renner wore her mask of a kind, innocent princess. At this point, Zanac didn't know what he hated more, her natural soulless expressions or her fake ones. Even with just Zanac present, she hadn't dropped it yet.
"So brother, did you like the show? All the pathetic soldiers and nobles crushed like bugs they are." Renner asks, smiling.
The kind tone and warm smile she wore made it that much worse. He was so tired. All the horrors he witnessed, all the surviving broken souls, and she smiled about it.
"Renner, can we just skip this part? I just…"
"Of course, my dear brother. I know you don't share my joy of witnessing the might of the gods." Renner speaks with a sweet voice with a slight tint of venom. "One hundred fifteen thousand forty-seven corpses were collected. So much material for them to work on. But I will spare you the details. I see agreement was made and nobles will pay. You can rest. I will inform you when the next steps begin."
"As you wish, Renner," Zanac says and leaves.
With her brother out of the way, there was another thing she wanted to address. Her trio was back and while all she wanted was to drag Climb into bed, it still had to wait until everything falls into place, a few more months at worst. There was a more pressing matter to address, Gazef and Brain.
She calls both inside and silently looks at them with a mask of worried expression. Both men clearly looked nervous. How much she wanted to scream at them for dragging her precious Climb to drink and look at some common whores. But they were smart enough to figure out what was going on and it needed to be addressed. She sits down on a chair and says with a neutral expression.
"Gazef, after seeing what is happening, do you wish to retire?"
"I swore loyalty to you, your highness, I will serve till my last breath."
"Let me ask you both again. Do you wish to be relieved from my service and retire with enough money to live the rest of your lives in comfort elsewhere, away from all the trouble?" Her voice sounded strained, as if she begged them to accept.
Rener could see they finally understood what she asked. They both were smart enough to do so. She even offered them a way out. Their faces showed uncertainty and worry, especially Gazef. He was a man who always served others. He was worried about her. This was too precious.
After a moment of deliberation, Gazef drops to one knee and says,
"I swore my oath to protect you, your highness. No matter the circumstance."
Brain follows suit, also dropping on one knee, "Gazef and I are in this together, we will follow you no matter your choices."
Renner sits down and turns her face away from them and says quietly,
"You know who you… we are serving?"
"Yes, and we understand why you made that choice. You and Climb deserve better than this." Brain says.
'This was perfect. Now the finishing act.'
Tears start falling as she speaks with a broken voice.
"Masters wanted to solve it peacefully. They are kind. They want to help humanity, to help everyone live in peace and prosperity. If only our home wasn't in hands of nobles who don't care about people."
Tears continue to drop as she continues speaking. "I tried to prevent the war, but I failed. So many people died because I couldn't stop it. Nazarick needed to show its power to prevent others from attacking again. To make them stop wasting lives."
"Princess, we will help however we can." Brain says, clearly moved by her tears.
It was far too easy. Renner gracefully wipes her tears with a handkerchief and gives a small smile, saying.
"Thank you. I truly appreciate your help. It gives me strength to know you both stand with me, even if you don't have to. Thank you."
"What are your orders? How can we help you?" Gazef asks with a kind voice. Clearly, even he was moved by the tears of the young princess trying her best to help her people and carrying this burden alone.
"Protect my brother. With him agreeing on Nazarick's terms, I fear some might target him in their greed."
Both men bought her act. It was so easy to read their faces. Now she just needed to instruct Raven and Zanac accordingly.
She then twists her face in a small smile and says quietly,
"And if you can, help Climb. He looks up to you both."
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Queen Calca of the Roble Holy Kingdom sat on her throne listening to requests and reports. Graceful with a beauty unmatched. her long blonde hair shines in the sunlight. Her face, despite the tired and worried look, had a warm, welcoming appearance.
Many nobles had offered their hands in marriage, but she had rejected them all. For them, it was just a political marriage to increase influence. For her, marriage was a ritual to unite two loving souls, something more than simple political maneuvers. She knew it was naïve for a Queen to think like that and she was approaching the age where she would be considered an old maiden. But the hope that one day she would find true love remained.
But those were dreams of the future. Now there were more pressing matters. With the Slane Theocracy isolating themselves from the world, predictably, the beastmen attacks on the wall had increased. Nobles in charge of the border provinces were one making constant petitions and requests to do something about the situation.
The beastmen situation was slowly getting worse. It was still manageable but with more and more paladins stationed at the border wall, the overall crime rate had risen. Without the shining embodiments of justice, some of her more unscrupulous subjects took it as a sign of free rein.
It felt like problems just piled up one after another. If it goes on for too long, more opportunistic nobles could call her ability to lead in question and try to dethrone her. Still, the facade must be kept, and she listens with a calm face as the long talks go on.
Finally, one of the ministers presents her with a sealed spy's report from Katze plains. The mysterious Empire of Nazarick had finally revealed its forces. It wasn't a big concern, as it was rather far removed from Roble. But Nazarick was a sudden wild card and with claims of Nazarick's leaders being the same type of beings as the six great gods, it was necessary to at least know what to expect.
Calca breaks the seal and starts reading as everyone around her sees all color disappearing from her face. She looks up from it and says,
"This can't be true. Could this be forged, tempered?"
"It was delivered directly from our field agent. Is something wrong?"
"Read it aloud!" Calca says and shoves the letter in minster's hand.
"My Queen?"
"Read it!"
Minister clears his throat and starts reading the report. Emperor of Nazarick, summoning an entire army of undead with a single spell, was an impossible threat on its own. But to everyone's horror, it was just a start. The next paragraph describes the army of angels, many of them completely unknown to even the experienced field agent that could identify a dominion authority by description.
Then detailed descriptions of various monster armies that also were presently totaling in force that would be impossible to stop even if all human nations combined their forces.
Minister chokes a bit as he reads out loud the information about the teleporting assassins that decimated Re-Estize officers and nobles.
Silence, deafening silence, is all that follows. It sounded like a raving of a madman, not a serious report. As much as Calca wanted for it all to be just made-up nonsense, it made sense. Only force like that could scare Slane Theocracy into isolationism.
It surprised her to hear most nobles and even ministers, just denounce the claims as absurd and dismiss them as such.
Only after the official meetings does she have a chance to speak with her closest friends and confidants, the Roble's high priestess Kelart and her sister Remedios, the grandmaster of the Paladin order.
Although a single glance would tell that both are sisters, Remedios was taller and bulkier than her slender sister. With Remedios clad in the traditional plate armor of a grandmaster, the contrast was even greater. Both, however, had brown hair affixed with white hairbands. Although Remedios, like a close-range combatant, keeps her hair at shoulder length.
Both beauties in their own right, even with Remedios cold and sharp gaze and Kelart's eye shape, making the impression that she is always plotting something
Calca knew better than to even consult with Remedios on this matter, as her stubborn, single-minded view of the world would not help in the current situation.
"So what is your opinion on what should we do?" Calca asks.
"They are monsters! What there is to think about. If they come, we kill them all!" Remedios interjects.
"Sister, for once, use your head. Nazarick has angels, and the types we don't even recognize. If they are as powerful as the six great gods, we cannot oppose them in any meaningful way." Kelart says while putting one finger to her lips.
Calca sighs, stands up from her throne, and walks up to one of the wide throne room windows. The bustling city outside was unaware of the looming danger far beyond the Holy Kingdom. The burden of a ruler weighs particularly heavily on her shoulders today.
"If I as much as suggest even a neutral stance with that monster empire, people will riot and nobles will push for me to give up the throne."
She was at a loss on what to do. With no remaining allies, her kingdom was getting increasingly vulnerable to the underlying dangers of the world.
Kelart, sensing her friend's mood, stands beside her and says,
"They don't need to know. You can establish a contact in secret. We just need to find someone with a more flexible worldview, someone expendable."
"That might work. Can I entrust both of you to find a suitable candidate?"
Surprisingly, it is Remedios who responded first.
"My Queen, some of the soldiers guarding the wall are what you are looking for. They have clashed with my paladins more than once on matters of conviction and proper chain of command."
"Remedios, can I trust you to pick the right people?"
"Yes, my Queen," Remedios says with a bow.
It was unusual for Remedios to show such initiative, as she was not the thinking type, but at the same time, Calca didn't believe her most trusted guard would have an ulterior motive either. For now, all Calca could do was to put faith in her closest friends and pray for a better future.
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At the very outskirts of the Katze Plains stands Rigrit and Tsar. The dreaded Ainz Ooal Gown would arrive soon. How many members of that guild had arrived was hard to tell, but from what they had gathered, there were at least five. Ulbert had promised that both would not be harmed unless they were the ones attacking, but to blindly trust a demon was a foolish thing to do.
Rigrit sits on a tree stump reading a book while Tsar sits beside her, looking particularly shiny and majestic in the rays of the morning sun. He was carefully eyeing the movements of the undead within the plains as few sentries from distant watch towers stare back at him.
"I hope this is not a huge mistake," Tsar says, a bit absentminded.
"Just avoid calling them Yggdrasil trash or provoke them to fight."
"How can you think so low of me, my friend? I knew the proper manners before the first player stepped into this world. It doesn't mean I should trust them blindly."
"Teleporting will likely be out of the question, so if things go south you will have to get us out by any means necessary."
"I have a few spells prepared to give us an opportunity to flee if need be," Tsar says with both falling silent once again.
Right at the agreed time, a familiar dark void of gate spell appears. A demon in a striped orange suit steps through, followed by a demoness in black plate armor with bardiche in her hand. Right after them, various angels, demons, and other monsters pour out of the portal forming a half-circle around Rigrit and Tsar. Some remain on the ground and some fly above.
At least they gave a room for retreat. For Rigrit, it looked like a precaution, not an ambush. No doubt their guild base housed armies of servants willing to be shields for their masters. They were wary, but not openly hostile. If anything, that alone was a good sign.
Finally, three figures step through the gate. Rigrit recognizes Ulbert and Emperor Ainz, but the third that by her knowledge was a brain eater was a figure not seen before.
Tsar raises one of his paws to his chest, still in sitting position, and lowers his head in a polite bow saying,
"Greetings! I am Tsaindorcus Vaision, the Platinum Dragon Lord, son of the late Dragon Emperor."
Rigrit follows suit, bowing as well. "I'm Rigrit Bers Caurau. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Surprisingly, all three Lords introduce themselves with the same politeness. First is the brain eater mimics Tsar and bows with a hand on his chest.
"Tabula Ooal Gown, the God of Knowledge."
"Ulbert Ooal Gown, the God of Trickery." Says the demon goat with a graceful bow.
The undead emperor does a light bow as well,
"Emperor Ainz Ooal Gown, God of Life and Death."
Rigrit didn't know what to think. They were in this world for a few months and already called themselves gods. But then again, so did many players before them and, unlike many, they were above anything else she had seen.
"I heard you wish to ally with us. So I must ask what you offer and what you expect from us?" Emperor Ainz asks.
"My duty is to protect this world and my kind. I ask that Empire of Nazarick spare those of my kin that don't ally with the Great Old One. What I offer is the knowledge of the Great Old One and his followers and my might in battle."
"An interesting offer. I am curious, however. If you are the son of the former Emperor, doesn't that make you the Dragon Emperor, or one of your siblings have taken the role?"
"The old dragon empire is no more. Only Argland council state remains ruled by a council I am part of, but they are far too gone to be saved."
When Ainz had heard that a dragon wished to ally with a Nazarick, his collector's instinct had kicked full force. If there was a chance to get dragons on his side, he was going for it, even with the minor risk that followed. Draudillon had provided an extensive description of the dragons and how the Greed Kings defeated them. Even the most powerful dragon lords at best were only about level ninety to ninety-five. Otherwise, they would not fall so easily to eight decently geared players.
"Interesting. I have a counter offer then. Join us, unite dragons under you as part of Nazarick's empire. I will grant you a title of King and you will answer only to the five Lords."
Tsar looks at Ainz. he didn't expect such an offer.
"I am sorry, but until I know what your Empire plans for this world, I cannot outright join it."
Ainz takes out two small books from his inventory, handing one to Rigrit and one to Tsar.
"These are the base laws and outline how Empire of Nazarick operates."
Both take the small books. Rigrit flips through it using her increased intellect and accelerated speed to read the entire book within minutes, while Tsar holds his in his mighty paw and absorbs its contents directly with a spell as his size prevents him from reading it the normal way.
"Some punishments are a bit harsh but it's surprisingly progressive and just," Rigrit says, closing the book.
"I agree. If Nazarick abides by these laws, I am willing to accept your offer and join it. But many of my kind are beings of solitude and I would ask them not to be forced out of it."
"As long as they are not disruptive, I will force none of your kind to take part. It will be up to you to integrate Dragons into our empire." Ainz says.
"Then I agree, but for now, it must be a secret. My kind would seek to slay me if I joined players openly."
"I will leave it to your discretion when to reveal it to the wider world, then. And welcome to the Empire of Nazarick Tsaindorcus, the Dragon King."
"Thank you Emperor Ainz. Together we will protect this world and its denizens from the coming calamity."
"There is another thing I wanted to ask. Does your kind can shape-shift?"
"Some of us can but I never had a need for such a thing so I never learned it."
Ainz takes out a ring from his inventory. A test item Tabula made. It had a deeply hidden spell under the usual doppelganger enchant that allowed easily locate its wearer. Unless someone knew for what to look it was all but undetectable.
"Then I want to give you this gift. It will let you change into a more compact form when need be."
Tsar takes the ring that grows rapidly in his palm, adjusting to his finger size, and puts it on one of his fingers. He had no intention of using it often, but at the same time, had no reason to reject a gift that might come in handy.
"Thank you."
Then Ainz turns to Rigrit, who had been standing silently all this time.
"Miss Rigrit, are you planning to join us too?"
"Someone has to look after Tsar, so yes."
"Good, then I will grant you a special status as a player and assign you to be King Tsar's advisor. Do you wish your age reversed?"
"Bribing up me already, yes being young again would be useful," Rigrit says with a chuckle. As tense as the atmosphere was, she and Tsar had already agreed to join and she wasn't the type to grovel at anyone's feet and by the tone, Ainz used he didn't expect her to.
Ainz walks up to her and says, "it will hurt," as he grabs her head and de-ages her. Her skin smoothes out and her gray hair regains its original dark brown color.
"I will expect a detailed plan from you both soon. There will be a mansion prepared for you both when you stay at E-Rantel or we can prepare a dwelling in the forest of Tob for Tsar if he chooses to remain in his natural form."
Tsar, not wanting to make demands right away decides to test the ring and assume a human-like form. His form shrinks and a moment later a man in platinum-colored scaled plate armor stands beside Rigrit. As a reflection of his natural form, his eyes and hair have the same platinum color.
After exchanging a few more details and Tabula finally having his chance to barrage the Dragon with countless questions, they depart, leaving Tsar and Rigrit alone on the field.
"It went better than I expected." Tsar days after a moment of silence.
"They still can still kill at any point, you know."
"Possible, I assume we are heading for E-Rantel to establish a base in housing they provide us with?"
"That and a bit of shopping. Have to look good for you after all, now that you are so handsome." Rigrit says with a laugh.
"This again, you know I don't like when you joke in that manner."
"Oh, don't be so serious. It's not like anyone will spread rumors you have taken a human wife or something."
"Don't you dare! I am not like Bright."
"Ease up, I am just joking. I won't ever do something so cruel to you."
Tsar just snarls and returns to his natural form preparing to fly Towards E-Rantel.
Bonus Story - Grand Plans Made in Secrecy.
Albedo was going through the daily reports in her office. Ainz was out to get E-Rantel running smoothly, and she had too many other duties to accompany him this time. Various denizens of Nazarick came in and out of her office, delivering reports.
Yet another knock, only this time Ulbert comes in without waiting for an answer.
"Ulbert, can I help somehow?" she asks, a bit confused. Usually, he would send his assistant if he needed anything.
"Ah yes, I come with a proposition that you might like," Ulbert says and puts a large scroll on her desk.
"What is this?"
"A plan we need to execute without Ainz knowing about it at first."
"You want me to do something without Ainz knowing it?" Albedo lightly snarls.
"Calm down, it is in his best interests, but he is, you know… he tends to save as much money as possible and would be against something like this. Albedo, just look at it and tell me what you think."
Curious she raises her eyebrow and opens up the large scroll and sees a blueprint for a castle. One that would rival Nazarick itself. Something worthy of supreme beings to live in. The plan details every part. From the castle wings for each of the Lord with a few spare ones just in case to the throne room that would rival one in the Great Tomb. Something Ainz would simply not approve of being built over the Nazarick's location. On top of that, there is a plan to raise an imperial city around it, making it the center of a rapidly growing Empire.
"This is… wonderful. But how do you plan to keep it a secret from him?"
"This is where you come in. I can bribe Tabula to spend his mana and help me create raw materials, but you will have to divert the workforce in secret at least until it is too late to stop the project."
"I will see what I can do, but don't you dare to deny everything when it comes out."
"Don't worry, you have my word I will take full responsibility," Ulbert says with his maniacal cackling and leaves Albedo's office.
She knew that one specific part was included just to manipulate her and get her to accept it, but she didn't care. There was a specific part reserved to make quarters for hers and Ainz's future children. Albedo couldn't help but drag her finger over that specific part of the blueprint with a smile on her face.
每周推薦票狀態
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