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1Overlord [LN] Volume 13 
2...................
3CHAPTER 2
4....................
5Translated by "Nigel"
6
7
8
9 
10There were a total of four people within the room.
11
12There were two paladins, who had come straight in after the fighting and were thus covered in bloodstained armor -- Remedios Custodio and Gustav Montagnes. There was the person in charge of the surviving priests, a middle-aged man who could use third-tier spells -- Siliaco Naranho. And then there was Prince Caspond Bessarez.
13
14Two of them had come from the battlefield and one of them had been in charge of healing the wounded. As a result, Prince Caspond’s room was filled with the stench of blood.
15
16Remedios had not removed her helmet even now. That was not proper etiquette for visiting a prince’s chambers at all -- one could even call it disrespectful -- but Caspond did not seem bothered by it and he appeared very calm.
17
18At the same time, the air in the room was terrible, though not because of the preceding point. It was true that it reeked in here, but the reason was because the mood in the air was harsh. It was so weighty that it even seemed to dull the sunlight entering through the window..
19
20This was not how people who had beaten overwhelmingly unfavorable odds and emerged victorious ought to be.
21
22Caspond was the first person to speak in this weighty silence. Still, who else could speak first but him?
23
24“Tell me about our casualty situation.”
25
26“Of the 6’000 militiamen we brought onto the battlefield, 4’000 of them have been injured or killed.”
27
28“...If I may add to the Vice Captain-dono’s words, there are also a thousand people among the wounded who are being healed by the priests, but half of them perished because we could not reach them in time.”
29
30“...And then half the paladins survived, and eight priests died.”
31
32Caspond closed his eyes and shook his head as he heard Gustav’s words.
33
34“Against a demihuman army like that… while we can’t say losses like these are a good thing, should we be grateful that those were all we took? Or should we be sad for the sheer number of casualties--”
35
36“The latter.”
37
38Remedios’ still, small voice interrupted Caspond.
39
40“The latter.”
41
42“...Captain Custodio is right. We ought to be sad to have suffered such losses.”
43
44Gustav and Siliaco looked down as they heard Caspond’s words.
45
46They knew that against a 40’000-strong army of demihumans, it was a miracle that the woefully-outnumbered Holy Kingdom Liberation Army had so many survivors -- albeit a man-made one. However, they also understood that saying something like this would be disruptive and unproductive, so they had no choice but to do this instead.
47
48“Was it the Sorcerer King who defeated the demihuman forces in their formation?”
49
50“Yes. There were few eyewitness reports amidst the chaos of defending the city walls, so we’re unsure of the details, but there’s talk of mysterious undead beings destroying the army.”
51
52“I see. That matches up with what I heard from the Sorcerer KIng. So he used the undead he created to clean them up -- wiped out a massive army like that, hm? In that case… we can conclude that the Sorcerer King can defeat Jaldabaoth, am I right?”
53
54Caspond shifted his gaze to Remedios, but she simply pursed her lips and remained silent. The highly volatile air around the Holy KIngdom’s strongest paladin made her a figure of dread to the weak. Caspond turned away from her and toward Gustav, who immediately returned his gaze with a deeply apologetic look in his eyes and bowed his head.
55
56“Hahh… is it really alright to bet the entire KIngdom on him? Or rather -- should we think of what to do if the Sorcerer King loses to Jaldabaoth? Does anyone have any ideas for the next best thing we can do if that comes to pass?”
57
58He was answered by silence. Amidst all this, Remedios spoke up.
59
60“In that case, how about calling Momon over?”
61
62The three people other than Remedios looked at each other with severe expressions on their faces.
63
64Remedios -- who felt it was a good idea -- frowned.
65
66“What? Do you have any better ideas? It’s more proper than that damn undead creature, no?”
67
68“...Captain. We are now discussing what to do if the Sorcerer King dies. In such a situation, expecting to go to the Sorcerer Kingdom to get more help would be very risky.”
69
70“Not necessarily,” Siliaco said as he stroked his white moustache.
71
72“A moment please, Vice Captain-dono. The Captain-dono’s idea is risky, but not a bad move. How about lying about the Sorcerer King being captured by Jaldabaoth and getting Momon to come over?”
73
74“Priest-dono, that would be too dangerous. Even if Momon defeated Jaldabaoth, discovery of the lie could trigger a war. Even if all goes well, the Sorcerous Kingdom’s impression of our country will plunge to rock bottom. And if things go badly, Momon might very well become a second Jaldabaoth and lead the Sorcerous Kingdom’s undead army into our nation.”
75
76“Precisely, you two. And the worst thing is that the Sorcerous Kingdom will have a justified grievance against us.”
77
78Remedios tilted her head at Caspond’s explanation.
79
80“We’re not adjacent to the Sorcerous Kingdom, so that’s okay, right?”
81
82“...Captain Custodio, please stop thinking of dangerous things. I don’t want to adopt any policies that will endanger us… that said, I don’t have any good ideas. How about you two?”
83
84Siliaco and Gustav could not think of anything either.
85
86The room was plunged into a brief silence.
87
88Eventually, Caspond quietly spoke up.
89
90“...For the time being, let’s each go back and think about it on our own. There’ll be no problems if the Sorcerer King can defeat Jaldabaoth.” Caspond clapped his hands together. “Then let’s talk about something else. What about the rations that the demihumans brought? Can we eat them normally? And if we can consume them, how long can they last?”
91
92Normally, they would belong to the Sorcerer King since he had defeated the demihuman army, but he had already said that he would hand them over free of charge.
93
94Gustav answered. He was in charge of sundry tasks like that.
95
96“Sire. There seems to be a lot of hardened bread-like objects and vegetables that we should be able to eat. Thanks to the attack of the Sorcerer King’s undead creatures, they were captured intact, so they are in very good condition. In addition, there are also some food items which need to be further investigated, such as sour-smelling vegetables and so on.”
97
98Preserved food was very common in the Holy Kingdom. However, these were demihuman rations, so they might belong to a species which ate rotting food, which was why Gustav said they had to investigate further.
99
100“There is only one problem. That would be the meat.”
101
102“Which means?”
103
104Gustav’s face was dark as he looked at Caspond.
105
106“A portion of the meat looks like it came from humans. That conclusion came from looking at their shape and we’re not certain about it. Maybe we could tell if we ate it, but I’d rather not sample it, if you don’t mind.”
107
108“How much meat are we talking about here?”
109
110Siliaco had a disgusted look on his face. 
111
112“Many demihumans eat meat, so there was a lot of it. At a glance, it seems like half the rations they brought were meat.”
113
114“What!? Half of the rations for  an army of 40’000 troops is meat?”
115
116Hypothetically, if a demihuman ate a kilogram of meat a day, that would make 40 tons. If they had enough for two weeks, that would be 560 tons. In that case -- the Prince grabbed his face.
117
118“...How much of that is human meat?”
119
120“We don’t know. Checking each and every piece would take a lot of time, and if they aren’t in their original shapes…”
121
122“It would be a shame to toss out food when the future seems grim. I would like to separate the human meat from the other meat… Priest Naranho, can your spells do anything on that front?”
123
124“My apologies, Prince-denka. We cannot do something like that. I feel my colleagues among the paladins should be the same way.”
125
126Caspond saw Gustav nod and sighed deeply.
127
128“So magic can’t do everything huh? How about having the captive demihumans eat it to find out?”
129
130“We should let the dead rest in peace. If there’s human meat, we ought to return it to the earth.”
131
132“Exactly, Captain Custodio… what do you think, Vice-Captain Montagnes?”
133
134“Yes, I agree with the Captain. I feel that no amount of time will be enough to investigate each and every barrel of meat. We ought to use our time and effort on other areas.”
135
136“I see… very well, I understand. So with regards to the demihuman meat, we’ll dispose of everything that looks questionable. In that case how about the demihumans’ arms and armor?”
137
138The Sorcerer King had also handed them over for free, but he had also said that that he would be expecting something in gratitude, so they would have to hand over the appropriate items if the time came.
139
140If they could defeat Jaldabaoth or take back the Royal Capital, Caspond planned to announce to the people that he would be handing the nation’s riches over to the Sorcerous Kingdom.
141
142“Firstly, recovering the equipment from the demihumans and burying the corpses will need time, therefore we won’t even have time to check their quality… Priest-dono, if any undead spring up here, will they become the Sorcerer King’s minions?” 
143
144Undead spawned easily in places where many people died. A place where more than 10’000 demihumans had died fit perfectly.
145
146Upon being addressed, a profoundly worried look appeared on Siliaco’s face.
147
148“I do not know. I truly do not know. But anything could happen, so we ought to deal with the bodies and sanctify the land as soon as possible. I would like to rely on our strength alone for that, but we simply cannot manage that way, so I would like to get some help from the paladins.”
149
150“Ahh, leave it to us. We’re used to dealing with the undead, after all.”
151
152“I’d expect no less from Captain Remedios, it puts my heart at ease… If only the Holy Queen-sama or Kelart-sama were here…”
153
154Everyone fell silent as Siliaco’s words tapered off.
155
156After what seemed like a period of silent prayer, Caspond spoke.
157
158“Ah, something on that point, Vice-Captain Montagnes. The Sorcerer King seems to want to take the magic items back to his nation, so he picked them out first. Of course, he’ll return anything that belongs to the Holy Kingdom.”
159?
160“Understood. Still, while I can tell when it comes to swords and armor, I’ll have difficulty with other items. If anyone here has knowledge of magical items, I would like them to step up and help.”
161
162“I could help when it comes to items passed down through the royal family. As for religious items, however--” Siliaco nodded as Caspond looked to him. “--In that case, we’ll go get helpers from among the civilians. Still, this was really unexpected. No, we should say it was more than we hoped for. We ought to thank the Sorcerer King’s power for surpassing our expectations.”
163
164Nobody present voiced any objections. Amidst the silence, Caspond spoke again, like he was their representative.
165
166“This city was saved from conquest thanks to the Sorcerer King’s power.”
167
168There was a very audible sound of teeth grinding, and Caspond looked worriedly at Gustav.
169
170“After this, I will need to thank him on behalf of the Holy Kingdom. When the time comes, I hope you will all be present… in any event, being able to draw on the Sorcerer King’s power and achieve victory is a joyous occasion.”
171
172“Don’t forget we did our best too.”
173
174Remedios’ words seemed to freeze the air in the room. No, it was two people who had frozen up; Gustav and Siliaco.
175
176Gustav’s mouth opened and closed like a koi. He looked like he had no idea how to apologize for his superior’s outburst.
177
178“...Indeed. Captain Remedios, it is a fact that we would not have won this battle without the fierce resistance that you and the people put up.”
179
180Caspond saw Remedios nod, and then he continued speaking,
181
182“However -- it is also a fact that without the Sorcerer King’s help, we would have lost, and it is just as true that he could have won by himself. Am I wrong?”
183
184Remedios savagely ripped off her helmet and flung it at the wall, making a loud bang.
185
186“Your Highness! Did something happen!?”
187
188The door to the room flew open, and the paladins on guard outside rushed in.
189
190“Nothing happened. Continue waiting outside.”
191
192The paladins’ eyes went back and forth between Remedios’ helmet and the look on her face, and they realized what had happened. After indicating that they understood, they quietly left the room.
193
194“Captain Custodio, please do not get worked up. I ask you to be calm.”
195
196“How can’t I be worked up!? All the people I’ve met on the way here have only been praising the Sorcerer King! It’s as though he won the whole thing by himself! Didn’t he only show up halfway? How many people died before he won!? That was a victory paid for by the lives of the people, the paladins, the priests, men, women, elderly and children!”
197
198Remedios glared at Caspond.
199
200“It’s not true that he won by himself!”
201
202“Captain!”
203
204Gustav could no longer hide his fear at the way Remedios was acting in front of the prince. Remedios had never been one for thinking, but at the very least she was smart enough to know who was her superior. However, things were different now -- she seemed like a pain-maddened beast.
205
206“That boner bastard was flying around in the sky when it was all over to show himself off! Is war a game to that bastard!?”
207
208“...Captain Custodio, it seems witnessing the deaths of so many of the smallfolk has upset you. Would you like to take a rest?”
209
210In response to Caspond’s mature answer, Gustav shot the man a grateful look.
211
212“Before that, there’s one thing I’ve been thinking of. I’m sure Jaldabaoth and the Sorcerer King are in league with each other.”
213
214The three people other than Remedios looked at each other.
215
216“Do you have a single fact to back that up, Captain-dono?”
217
218Siliaco looked coolly at Remedios. If one looked calmly at what she had done until now, she was clearly saying that because she hated the Sorcerer King and wanted to bring him down. Now was clearly not the time to let one’s personal preferences dictate one’s decisions.
219
220“Isn’t he the only one gaining from this? Both the demihumans and the people of the Holy Kingdom are dead. He -- the Sorcerous Kingdom is wearing away at our fighting strength in order to someday take control of the nation and the hills! That’s why he came here!”
221
222“...I see. That certainly makes sense from the perspective of profit. What do the two of you think?”
223
224Gustav furrowed his brows as he answered Caspond’s question.
225
226“The Sorcerer King came here because we asked him. Also, was it not the Captain’s suggestion to have the two of them fight?”
227
228“...Indeed it was. That masked bitch in Blue Rose is also one of them. If not for what she said, we would never have gone to the Sorcerous Kingdom. If not for that suggestion, we would have gone to the Empire or the Theocracy. And who knows, he might have come anyway even if we didn’t say anything.”
229
230Haaaaah, Caspond sighed deeply.
231
232“Captain Custodio, your logic has been nothing but self-serving from the start. You’re simply twisting the facts to match what you’re saying. I recall the Sorcerer King saying he wanted maid demons, am I wrong?”
233
234“...Please forgive me for saying these things which are unbecoming of a priest. I hear that those maid demons are quite powerful. In that case, I can understand why the Sorcerer King would like to obtain them. Demons do not need to eat or drink and they do not have a maximum lifespan. Being able to dominate such a powerful demon might be better than gaining an army.
235
236“In that case, it would mean the Sorcerer King is aiding our nation because he felt there was sufficient value in it. It is only common sense for a king who rules a nation.”
237
238“Still, nobody’s seen those maid demons before, right!?”
239
240As Remedios screamed like a reeeeeetard, Caspond looked at her like she was a pitiful, sad child.
241
242“Captain Custodio. I would like to speak reasonably with you, and not speak with emotion… but it seems you are tired. Go and rest. That is an order.”
243
244The red-faced Remedios still looked like she wanted to shriek something else, but Caspond was a step ahead of her and continued speaking.
245
246“Go comfort the wounded men. That’s part of your duties as a field commander, am I wrong?”
247
248“...I understand.”
249
250Remedios picked up her helmet and left the room.
251
252There was no way to describe how the air in the room relaxed after that. It felt like the sense of fatigue one would have after a storm had passed and all the pieces had been picked up, mixed with a sense of relief at the fact that they had managed to survive.
253
254However, one man had unfinished business.
255
256“Your Highness! I sincerely apologize for Captain Custodio’s actions!”
257
258Caspond smiled bitterly to Gustav as the latter bowed his head.
259
260“You had a hard time too. However, could you think about the future? I honestly have no idea what’s going to become of this country after this war is over. If only we could find my sister, the Holy Queen… what happened to the Holy Queen in the battle of Kalinsha? Did you hear anything from Captain Custodio?”
261
262Gustav was Remedios’ personal assistant. Therefore, he would have been present when Remedios told Caspond about it.
263
264The fact that he knew but was asking again proved one thing -- the prince suspected that Remedios might be lying to him.
265
266“...My Prince, I heard the same thing from Captain Custodio that she told Your Highness when we met for the first time.”
267
268She had been sent flying by a shockwave and when she came to, the Holy Queen and her sister -- Kelart Custodio -- were nowhere to be seen. Though the corpses of paladins and adventurers and priests were strewn all around, the bodies of those two were nowhere to be found.
269
270“Is that so? Maybe I was worrying too much… Captain Custodio does not seem like one of those people who say one thing and mean another. It would be better if they were captured by him. Instead. If they were killed… the matter of the succession would become very complicated.”
271
272Startled, Siliaco asked him a question.
273
274“Caspond-sama, are you tired of the position of Holy King?”
275
276“Are you flattering me? In truth that might be the case if my sister had perished of an accident under normal circumstances. However, things are different now. The north is tired and the south is ready to fight. In that case, it’s very likely that the south might support someone to be Holy King. Frankly speaking, it’s very likely that one of the great nobles from the South might end up as Holy King.”
277
278“What!?”
279
280Caspond smiled as he looked at SIliaco’s shocked face.
281
282“I don’t think that’s something that should be so shocking… in that case, with regard to what Vice-Captain Montagnes said earlier, if things go well, the first thing the Southern nobles will do is request that Captain Custodio take responsibility for the whole affair and be placed under house arrest.”
283
284“Why would they do that?”
285
286“Then I’ll ask you, Vice-Captain Montagnes -- why would they not do that? Is a paladin who failed to protect Her Majesty not the perfect outlet for their unhappiness? And that’s not the only reason either. She can beat an army single-handedly. In that case, surely defanging your enemy is a basic tactic in warfare, am I wrong?”
287
288“The enemy!? Who’s the enemy!?”
289
290“The southern nobles are the enemy. In other words, the Holy Queen’s faction. Remedios Custodio was a confidant of the Holy Queen. Surely the paladins she leads would also be seen as the enemy, am I wrong?”
291
292“In that case, what about the priests, that Kelart Custodio-sama led?”
293
294“While there are priests who climbed the ranks thanks to their connections with the Southern nobles… don’t you think that would be the case too? Priestly magic is indispensable in everyday life. While I feel that anyone knows how stupid it is to put someone incompetent in high office, people sometimes do things that can only be described as foolish by others.”
295
296“My Prince… what should we do?”
297
298“Vice-Captain Montagnes, what do you mean by that? Do you want to keep her from being placed under house arrest? Or do you want to keep the paladins from getting involved?”
299
300“I mean, what should we do for a better future for the Holy Kingdom.”
301
302“...We need to find my sister. Then, we need an achievement that all the people will accept as having saved the nation. For instance, by driving out the enemy without having to draw on the strength of the South.”
303
304“That’s impossible… we can’t possibly win without the Sorcerer King’s power.”
305
306Caspond looked at Gustav, who was confessing his hardships, and shrugged.
307
308“Still, that has to be done. Otherwise there won’t be any way to stop the pressure from the South after we win. Hm, yes, or we could damage the South as badly as the North. All that matters is that the balance of power is preserved in the end.” Caspond looked up at the ceiling. “If only we’d made a deal with the South sooner. She was too kind for her own good. And I understand how all this might have struck a nerve with Captain Custodio. After all, the only one who looked good in this battle was the Sorcerer King. If things go badly, the Sorcerer King might end up becoming the Holy King as well, am I wrong?
309
310The other two felt it was impossible, but neither of them could deny it.
311
312“In that case, we need to start thinking about our plans from now on. While I would like Captain Custodio to be here, will she disobey a direct order?”
313
314“...I feel it would be fine as long as it’s in keeping with this country’s justice.”
315
316“I see… I’ve been thinking about how to attack the prison camps. The reason for that is--”
317
318Caspond began to explain.
319
320Roughly 100’000 demihumans had attacked the nation.
321
322Since they had not heard of any movements from the demihumans squaring off against the forces of the Southern Holy Kingdom, they estimated that the 40’000 demihumans that had attacked them this time round were a large portion of the forces assigned to manage the prison camps in the North.
323
324“I agree with your opinion. By attacking the undermanned prison camps, we can both destroy them piecemeal and increase our own forces at the same time. I feel it will kill two birds with one stone.”
325
326“Captain Montagnes, I am glad to hear you approve. How about yourself, Priest Naranho?”
327
328Siliaco also agreed with Caspond’s suggestion.
329
330“The Sorcerer King is in this city. Since he can keep us safe, I would like the paladins to attack the prison camps… can you do that? Also, one more thing. I would like Captain Remedios to stay here while you are launching the attack. Make her think that she’s in charge of bodyguarding me.”
331
332“Thank you very much, My Prince!”
333
334“...I don’t think I’ve said anything you need to thank me for, Vice-Captain Montagnes,” Caspond said as the smile faded from his face. “...The absence of the country’s strongest paladin means that if there’s someone like the Grand King at the prison camp you’re attacking, you might all be wiped out, am I wrong?”
335
336“Can we decide which camp to attack?”
337
338“But of course. I’ll leave it to you. There’s no need to force yourself to attack a large camp that’s more dangerous.”
339
340“Understood. In that case, I feel only we should go.”
341
342“Captain Montagnes, may several of our battle-capable priests go with you?”
343
344“Certainly. Then we’ll set out in a couple of days’ time.”
345
346
347***
348
349Ainz used [Greater Teleportation] to reach his destination, which was the log cabin on the surface of Nazarick. While he did not know how long they had been waiting for him, Albedo, Demiurge and Lupusregina were all standing there already.
350
351Albedo and Demiurge had been summoned by Ainz, while Lupusregina ought to have been on duty in the cabin.
352
353Since Lupusregina was in charge of all matters concerning Carne Village, she should have been excused from the log cabin’s duty roster, but that was not set in stone.
354
355Perhaps someone else might have been on duty, but they had not been able to make it, so Lupusregina had rushed over instead. If that were the case, it would be great. After all, that would imply that even if there was a lack of manpower after completing a mission, there was a system to immediately swap someone else in to make up the shortfall.
356
357Still, wait.
358
359While the Pleiades each had completely different job abilities, their maid skills were all equal. It only made sense that they could substitute for each other in a professional capacity.
360
361However, in contrast to that, there were also personnel who were hard to use. Starting with the Floor Guardians and the Guardian Overseer, there were some NPCs with highly specialized abilities who might need someone to take over them for one reason or another. In addition, Ainz had also been working hard towards establishing a vacation system.
362
363After all, letting Pandora’s Actor substitute for all of them is also dangerous.
364
365To take an extreme case, what if Ainz himself was not around? For instance, if he were imprisoned, or if he were charmed, or something else. While he did not think that everything would break down without him to make decisions, he had the feeling that Albedo and Demiurge would say, “Ainz-sama would never let that happen to himself” in the same voice and thus not think about such possibilities.
366
367I need to seriously assess the need for this, and quickly.
368
369In a grave tone, Ainz bade the three people bowing to him to raise their heads.
370
371“It has been a while, Demiurge.”
372
373“Yes!”
374
375In truth, Ainz had headaches about the Holy Kingdom’s affairs every day, and he also thought about Demiurge every day, so he did not actually feel that way. However, it had been quite a while since the last time they had met in person.
376
377“Now then, you probably have questions about why I did that. While I would like to answer you, doing so in this place is not quite appropriate. Let us move somewhere else.”
378
379Ainz went into the log cabin first.
380
381He could have taken a shortcut here because there was a Gate Mirror set up, but he did not use it today.
382
383There was a table in the center of the room, and there were two chairs facing each other on either side of it. Ainz took the seat of honor without hesitation, as if he were used to it. He had already experienced his share of troublesome things that had happened because he had not taken that place. While he had once had to ponder which seat it was before sitting down on it, he had now reached the point where he would unconsciously take his place.
384
385As he approached the chair, Lupusregina immediately pulled it out for him.
386
387In truth, he was of the opinion that he ought to pull his chair out himself. However, his observations of Jircniv had made him understand that it was very important for a ruler to let his subordinates work. Still, letting them handle even trivial tasks like this gave Ainz the commoner a bit of difficulty.
388
389After settling down into his chair Albedo and Demiurge did not sit down, but instead knelt on the floor. Behind them, Lupusregina went to her knees as well.
390
391“--I permit the two of you to take a seat.
392
393The two Guardians politely refused in unison. Ainz once again granted his permission to the two Guardians, whereupon they finally sat opposite Ainz after gushing their superlative gratitude to him. Lupusregina, on the other hand, stood stock still behind the two of them.
394
395This takes so long and it’s a waste of time. Couldn’t it be simpler like back then… ugh.
396
397“Then let us continue our previous topic. While I said there was nobody who needed to be saved, I rescued the people of the Holy Kingdom nonetheless. I am sure you have your questions about that, do you not?”
398
399“No, not at all.”
400
401--Er? W-why?
402
403Demiurge shook his head gently, as though he could not resist the urge to sigh in admiration.
404
405“Everything you do is correct, Ainz-sama. I feel that the reason why you acted was because you saw a value in it that I could not imagine.”
406
407“That is correct. If you feel it needs to be done, then it must be correct, Ainz-sama.”
408
409--Eh?
410
411Albedo’s words froze Ainz’s expression on his face. But of course, Ainz had no expression to speak of. 
412
413The way the two Guardians -- who were also the most knowledgeable Guardians in Nazarick -- nodded in unison before him filled him with various flavors of terror and anxiety.
414
415“Wait, wait. Indeed… yes, it is true.” Ainz began to panic. The conversation had travelled a path that was slightly different from what he had foreseen, and so he had become confused and could not clearly think of what he wanted to say. However-- “--Indeed, under normal circumstances I would have acted as you had imagined.”
416
417Huh? Ainz was slightly baffled by how the topic was beginning to stray. Off course. He had been struggling to piece some words together and throw them out offhandedly, but even so, the two of them were nodding vigorously, and Ainz found that a little odd. However, he continued praying for a last minute miracle as he carried on.
418
419“But, er, but. This time was slightly different. I did not do this because I was planning something.” Having found a way to amend his words, Ainz delightedly continued, “This time round, I was deliberately introducing a flaw into the plan.”
420
421“What would be the reason for that, Ainz-sama?”
422
423Ainz slowly leaned on the back of the chair with a “Hm”. Then he adopted a long-drilled posture that was befitting of a ruler, which a master ought to have, and then spoke.
424
425“Demiurge. Albedo. The two of you have always been more intelligent than me.”
426
427“That--”
428
429Ainz held up his hand to stop the two of them from speaking.
430
431“I am just saying that I have always felt this way. In that case, what would happen if something unexpected occurred during parts of the event described in your plan? If everything proceeded as you outlined, then everything would have been perfect and ended in excellent form.”
432
433That said, your plan was really over the top, Ainz grumbled in his heart. You threw all the details at me in your playbook and I had the feeling I would mess up somewhere.
434
435“Therefore, a question suddenly came to mind, Demiurge. A perfect tactical mind cannot only function when everything is going on course; it must also be usable when the situation changes dramatically or when it diverges from your expectations. That is to say, I wanted to know if your adaptability was also as laudable.”
436
437“I see, so that’s it!”
438
439Eh--!? He already got it!? And he sounds like he understands it all too!
440
441Ainz resisted the urge to make a jab about Demiurge’s preternatural processing speed, something along the lines of “You’re already so smart, why do you think I’m smarter? Is this some new way of bullying me!?”
442
443“As expected of, ah… you’re as impressive as I expected, Demiurge.”
444
445“Thank you very much, Ainz-sama.”
446
447“Still, I, ah, apologize, though it feels like I was testing you…”
448
449“Certainly not, Ainz-sama. To me, the fact that you would wish to assess my abilities is an honor that knows no equal. I will assuredly return results that match your expectations, Ainz-sama!”
450
451“Umu. I’ll leave that to you, Demiurge. In that case, during the course of our activities in the Holy Kingdom, I will cause problems as needed and you will amend the plan in response. Will that be alright?”
452
453“Yes! I understand!”
454
455All right--! Ainz rejoiced within his heart. He was so happy that the emotion was suppressed.
456
457Even so, excitement still remained inside him.
458
459Very good, very good. This way, even if I screw up, I can say that I was doing it on purpose! No, of course, I need to be careful not to screw up under normal circumstances. If I’d known, I should have said this from the start.
460
461While he did not have the bad habit of gloating when a subordinate’s plan went awry, it was possible that he might accidentally do something to make them worry. In this way, they would not have to guess if he had some intention in mind, but instead move on to revising the plan as needed. Ainz felt the sense of bliss which came with taking a heavy weight off his shoulders.
462
463“...Your servant understands your concerns, Ainz-sama. So does that mean that you will be simultaneously assessing the abilities of each Floor and Area Guardian as well?”
464
465As he heard Albedo’s question, Ainz was briefly puzzled for a moment and thought, what’s she saying? However--
466
467“There’s no need to be so hasty. I am doing so for Demiurge because he must work outside Nazarick for extended periods. As for the others, I will test them when it becomes necessary.”
468
469“I see…”
470
471“Umu. Now, for the next topic… the initial plan was to take those people of the Holy King who were enthralled with me and proceed to the eastern part of the Holy Kingdom, to the Abelion Hills where the demihumans lived. However, I am going to amend this part of the plan. I will go there first. From there, spread the news of my death.”
472
473It felt like time had stopped for a moment. And then--
474
475“--Eh? What are you saying, Ainz-sama!? How could we announce the death of the Supreme One, Ainz-sama!?”
476
477That protest came from Albedo. This might have been the first time he had seen Albedo’s expression crumble down like this. At least, the look on her face made him feel that way. But before Ainz could explain his true intentions to Albedo, it was Demiurge’s turn to speak up.
478
479“Albedo. Since Ainz-sama has stated this, he must have some aim in mind that we cannot hope to imagine. Do you not think rejecting it on an emotional basis is inappropriate?”
480
481“Demiurge. I question where your calm comes from. Would you react in this way if Ulbert Alain Odle …-sama were to say the same thing? Or…?”
482
483“Fufu… Albedo. Could you tell me what you mean by that? Or do you mean that you have something to say to me afterwards?”
484
485The two Guardians directed freezing-cold glares and blazing-hot stares by turn, and a strange atmosphere began to brew between the two of them. This choking sensation was just like what he had felt when he was fighting Shalltear. Perhaps it was fear or tension, but even Lupusregina was starting to pant heavily. 
486
487
488
489
490“--Enough!”
491
492The dangerous mood in the air instantly vanished as Ainz shouted. The sudden change made Ainz wonder if everything just now had been a delusion. However, Lupusregina’s labored breathing proved that it had not been a vision.
493
494“Calm down, both of you. This is the reason why I must fake my death. There is an activity called a disaster drill. We must mentally prepare ourselves and plan ahead of time in case of an emergency. In that case, what would you do if I died? I’ll start with you, Albedo. Tell me what you have in mind.”
495
496“Yes! I would immediately subject the person who dared disrespect you to all the suffering in this world, and then prepare to resurrect you, Ainz-sama!”
497
498“I see. Your turn, Demiurge.”
499
500“Yes! While preparing for your resurrection, I would strengthen Nazarick’s defenses and then obtain information on the person who offended you.”
501
502Albedo glared at Demiurge out of the corner of her eye.
503
504“Merely gathering information is too lax. Regardless of who dares offend the Supreme One, they must be captured with all the strength Nazarick can bring to bear and then tormented to the point where their ego breaks down.”
505
506“Albedo, I feel what you say is very sensible. However, the enemy is someone who can kill Ainz-sama. Thus, we cannot be careless. Learning the enemy’s movements and strengths is vital. If the enemy is stronger than we can imagine, then the place in which we resurrect Ainz-sama will become very important.”
507
508Before Albedo’s expression could turn even more grim, Ainz rapped his staff on the floorboards. The hard impact was like splashing a bucket of ice water on the two of them, and their faces immediately regained their calm.
509
510“I did not say I was killed by someone. If things go badly… it is not impossible that I might end up dying naturally from some unforeseen circumstances.”
511
512In truth, he could not think of any natural cause from which he could die, which was why he was using such vague terms.
513
514“However, it would seem that even the two people that I consider the most intelligent of all have differing opinions. That distresses me. That is why we must undertake this training, so that there will be no problems if this imagined scenario comes to pass.”
515
516The two of them bowed their heads.
517
518“Of course, I am not the only one that this could happen to. Demiurge, as Nazarick’s defensive commander during a time of attack, if an unexpected situation occurs and you are struck down, could Nazarick continue functioning normally?”
519
520“Yes! I have made thorough preparations in that respect. I recall submitting a report on that to you in the past, Ainz-sama.”
521
522Eh, did I receive something like that? Ainz decided that it would be better to trust Demiurge’s memory than his own.
523
524“Umu. Still, that is only in documentation, is it not? The reason I am asking is because I would like to know if you have checked to see if normal operations can be continued.”
525
526“I sincerely apologize! I have not carried it out!”
527
528Demiurge bowed his head, his face a mask of deepest regret and his voice trembling.
529
530“My, my deepest apologies, Ainz-sama! I was utterly foolish for signing off on the document but not making that suggestion!”
531
532Albedo had the same look on her face as Demiurge as she bowed her head.
533
534Ainz was filled with a tremendous sense of guilt. Whose fault was it? The answer was that it was his own. If he had been more reliable, the two of them would not need to apologize like this. Was he not a scummy boss?
535**???????
536“--There is no need for you two to apologize. It was my fault for not properly explaining matters to you. I was the one who should not have noticed that no test had occurred. The mistake is mine.” Ainz bowed his head until his forehead touched the desk. “All this was due to my unworthiness, and I seek everyone’s forgiveness.”
537
538“What!? Ainz-sama!”
539
540“Please, please do not do that!”
541
542The two of them hurriedly tried to stop Ainz. However, Ainz did not raise his head. He was too ashamed to show them his face, because he knew that he was so shallow that he could not even come clean when apologizing.
543
544“Lu-Lupusregina! Hurry and raise Ainz’s head!”
545
546“Eh! Me? Please, please forgive me, I can’t possibly raise Ainz-sama’s head by force!”
547
548“Please, please raise your head!”
549
550It was only after the three of them -- Demiurge in particular -- started looking especially flustered that Ainz hurriedly looked up. After that, he heard sighs of relief from the three of them.
551
552“...I am grateful that you have accepted my apology. Now then, when I reach the Abelion Hills, we will use my death as the basis for an exercise. Yes. Since this is a rare opportunity, why don’t we conduct other exercises as well? For instance, if Demiurge and I were killed off by someone, that sort of thing…”
553……?
554At this point, Ainz began to feel uneasy about his own suggestions.
555
556“That said, even I have not fully planned out the details when it comes to this training. Therefore, if you have come up with an even better plan, then go ahead and carry it out. Ahh, no need to ask my permission. After all, this is an exercise founded on the premise that I am dead.
557
558The two of them smiled bitterly.
559
560“Ainz-sama, having to consider you dead from the start of the exercise’s planning phase is a little…”
561
562“It is as Demiurge says, Ainz-sama.”
563
564Hahahaha, the laughter of three people rang through the cabin.
565
566Two of them were laughing from the heart, but one was merely pretending.
567
568“Still, you don’t need to take it too seriously, you know? After all, the objective of this exercise is not to spread ill-will throughout Nazarick, like what happened with the two of you just now. However, I would like to conduct various kinds of training and storing up knowledge in that field, so that every Guardian can become interchangeable -- well, I know what I’ve said is pointless given your respective intellects. Do what you feel needs to be done, to whatever extent you deem fit. Can I leave that to you?”
569
570Now that he thought about it, Suzuki Satoru had never been the type of person who had seriously carried out disaster drills, so was it really convincing when someone like that told others to do their best? That was why he could not forget to tell them to take it easy.
571
572After seeing the two of them had deeply bowed their heads, Ainz said, “Now then, while this is a different matter--”
573
574Let’s go, me!
575
576The reason why he had drawn up all these flowcharts and simulated ways of talking down the two Guardians was for this aim.
577
578“--You are to freeze all progress on the planned giant statue of me.”
579
580“I understand. We will do as you direct.”
581
582Albedo’s single sentence seemed to put an end to the entire topic.
583
584Huh? Ainz’s attitude turned from baffled to fearful as he nervously asked what he had in mind.
585
586“...Is that alright? It was your idea, was it not, Albedo?”
587
588“How could anyone contradict a decision that the Supreme Being has made, Ainz-sama? If you say it is white, then it will be white even though it is black. That is all, Ainz-sama.”
589
590Ainz gulped. That line of thinking frightened him, and he trembled.
591
592“...I do not like that way of thinking, Albedo. That is just like abandoning all thought, and even I will most certainly make mistakes at some point.”
593
594He was just saying “most certainly”, but it felt like it had been happening all the time.
595
596“And in that case, won’t everything be over if I’m captured? The person who brainwashed Shalltear is still out there, you know? While there is no need to question each and every one of my aims, if I suggest something and you think of something, you ought to bring it up.”
597
598“I understand.”
599
600Albedo and Demiurge glanced briefly at each other through narrowed eyes.
601
602“Then, may I ask why you wish to cease construction? Is the aim of that statue not to let the world better understand your glory, Ainz-sama?”
603
604“Umu,” Ainz laughed in his heart. “My greatness is not something that can only be expressed through material objects.
605
606He recalled that this line had received approval from Neia.
607
608--It’s perfect.
609
610“Would it not be better to teach them with material objects? Fools, as they say, are those who can only understand what they see before their eyes.”
611
612Albedo’s words froze Ainz in place. It was just like a pitcher throwing a ball at a batter, but instead of having it being hit back at him the batter caught it and threw it back at full force.
613
614“...I see. You have a point, Albedo, but--”
615
616As Ainz thanked his voice for not trembling, he struggled to work his brain, and then gave up when nothing came to mind. While he nearly rounded his shoulders, he could not allow his image as a ruler to crumble before his subordinates.
617
618“--No, forget it. I’m sure that Albedo can pick out at least five of the flaws I’ve spotted, and the merits outweigh them. In that case, there is nothing else for me to say.”
619
620“Five, five flaws? ...Demiurge, I need to discuss something with you later. May I borrow your intellect for a while?”
621
622“But, but of course. I, I expected nothing less of you, Ainz-sama, to think you would say our minds were superior… truly, you are too humble.”
623
624The two of them began to get flustered, and Albedo bowed her head deeply.
625
626“I, I am truly sorry, Ainz-sama. While my plan to build your statue has already received your approval, please allow me to temporarily suspend construction. I sincerely apologize.”
627
628“Hm, mm. Well, it can’t be helped then. Proceed, Albedo.”
629
630Ainz had merely tossed out an offhand remark, but Albedo and Demiurge seemed abnormally shaken by it. He could even hear Lupusregina whisper “amazing” from the rear.
631
632Ainz averted his eyes, feeling guilty because he had confused the two of them by talking nonsense. However, he was glad that the plan to build the giant statue would be briefly halted.
633
634Next, I need to do something about the four festivals with my name on it, like the Sorcerer King Grand Thanksgiving, the Sorcerer King’s Birthday and so on! If the Sorcerer King Grand Thanksgiving is cancelled because the statue’s been cancelled as well, that just leaves three of them! Besides, if these were normal festivals, I wouldn’t want to stop them either!
635
636In truth, Ainz had once pretended innocence and suggested a plan for organizing festivals. However, that had led to the formation of a strange and embarrassing festival committee. Ainz sighed long and loud in his heart, and then looked at Demiurge.
637
638“Alright, that leaves the details which I need to discuss with Demiurge. After this, you’ll have the demon you summoned, that is to say, Jaldabaoth, attack that city, right?”
639
640“Yes. Indeed, that is so.”
641
642“Therefore… I have a couple of requests. The first concerns a personal project I am carrying out which is not going too well, for which I will need your help. Ah, don’t worry, there’s no need to get too flashy with it. And the second thing is, can you command that summoned demon to fight a serious battle with me?”
643
644
645Neia quietly closed the door to the Sorcerer King’s room and turned on her heel. And then…  her body quivered.
646
647She lightly patted her somewhat scalding cheeks to force her face to tighten up before it completely collapsed. One reason for that was because she knew how her relaxed face made others wary, while the other, more important reason was because it deeply embarrassed her.
648
649Neia did not want to walk around outside with an unseemly look on her face. She would have to meet others later, so at the very least she had to look presentable. 
650
651More to the point, Neia was the squire of the Sorcerer King, so anything disgraceful that she did would also damage the Sorcerer King’s reputation.
652
653Still, I’m only acting as his temporary squire, so it’s the Holy Kingdom which would be disgraced...
654
655However, the people who hated the Sorcerer King would not think that way. As the saying went, one was blinded by one’s hate. Or rather, those who hated swords hated swordsmiths as well.
656
657Alright!
658
659Neia did not want the Sorcerer King to regret the fact that she was his squire. In other words, all Neia had to do was her job.
660
661As Neia headed for the place where she had arranged to meet, she thought incessantly about the kindness that the Sorcerer King had shown just now.
662
663--Is that so, is that how it is, what a shame.
664
665She had sensed deep regret from the Sorcerer King when he said those words back then. There was no way he could have been rattling them off casually.
666
667...His Majesty really is a kind person...
668
669The Sorcerer King had grieved for someone from another country who had died in battle as though she had been one of his own people. Where in the world could you find a king like that? Of course, Neia did not know any other kings, so perhaps that simply reflected her dreams.
670
671For instance, if Neia and the others had held on a little longer, they would have been saved along with Neia, and that father who had lost his child would also have survived.
672
673Neia was not unhappy that the Sorcerer King had been late in his rescue. In the first place, she was grateful for the fact that he had come to rescue her, because he had already said that he had to conserve his mana for the battle with Jaldabaoth. In addition, she had heard some of the militiamen in Remedios’ unit say that he had fought several powerful demihumans at the west gate before he had come to rescue Neia.
674
675The Sorcerer King had fought two demihumans who could each kill a paladin in a single attack and another one whose strength was on par with that of the Holy Kingdom’s strongest paladin.
676
677The militiaman telling Neia all this had been hard-pressed to hide his excitement as he rattled the proceedings off like a machine gun, and he added, “We’d all have been killed if not for the Sorcerer King.”
678
679Indeed. Neia felt her panties moisten.
680
681The Sorcerer King had gone elsewhere to help others before coming to save Neia.
682
683While she was slightly disappointed that the Sorcerer King had not prioritized helping her, it was wrong to feel that way. The defense of the city wall was important, but it would be a far worse matter if the city gate were to fall. If the gate had been breached and the demihumans managed to get into the city, there would have been merciless slaughters everywhere.
684
685Anyone with any sense would have prioritized the city gate to save more lives.
686
687People who acted according to logic were more reliable than people who were ruled by their emotions.
688
689That’s the Sorcerer King for you!
690
691Neia thought of the strongest paladin in her country.
692
693Comparing His Majesty to a retard like that is an insult to him!
694
695After that, the Sorcerer King had also hunted down the few demihumans who had made it into the city, and many people had been saved as a result. In fact--
696
697“Ohhh! Squire-sama! Did you tell His Majesty for us?”
698
699It would seem that Neia had reached her meeting point while she was pondering how cool the Sorcerer King had been. 
700
701In a certain sector of the city, six men gathered on a street which still smelled of the battlefield.
702
703They addressed Neia like they had been waiting anxiously for her. In fact, they had actually been very anxious 
704
705“Yes, I’ve relayed your gratitude to His Majesty.”
706
707Several people unconsciously went on the defensive as Neia looked at them, but after hearing her words, they smiled and thanked her.
708
709“Ah, thank you very much. It’s hard to thank the king of another nation. Ah, although, it’s hard to thank even the Holy Queen-sama.”
710
711“That’s true, you can’t even see her, to say nothing of actually thanking her.”
712
713The people before her had ages which ranged from 14 to 40. However, all of them were squad leaders. Some of them had even been professional soldiers once.
714
715Judging by their attitude, they did not feel any sense of dread toward the Sorcerer King because he was undead.
716
717It was true that some people were still wary of the Sorcerer King because of his undead nature. In addition, people like that were more common among the smallfolk than the priests or paladin. They often said that the Sorcerer King was being kind in order to betray them at the right moment, and other such things.
718
719However, Neia felt that their reaction was because they did not understand the Sorcerer King and had simply acted out of the usual disdain for the undead. The reason for that was the group of people before her. There were many people who had changed their way of thinking once they got to know the Sorcerer King.
720
721“No, please don’t worry about it. I simply conveyed your gratitude intact to His Majesty. Ah, yes, His Majesty said that your thanks made him very happy.”
722
723There were bashful looks on the representatives from the militiamen.
724
725“Nonono, we’re the ones who should be happy… oh, what should we do…”
726
727“That’s right, His Majesty really is compassionate. I’m embarrassed by how we used to fear His Majesty because he was undead.”
728
729“Indeed, his Majesty is a kind person. However, I hope you will not expect such good fortune to happen again and again. After all, His Majesty did say that he had used a great deal of mana in this battle, and he would not be able to help you again next time.”
730
731The group’s faces immediately sobered up.
732
733“So we might not have His Majesty’s help next time… this is bad.”
734
735“A lot of people will be afraid if they know they can’t borrow His Majesty’s power. My team especially.”
736
737“You aren’t the only one. It’s the same on my side too… we can’t tell them about this.”
738
739Neia quietly addressed the shaken group.
740
741“Everyone, I have come to understand one thing. That is: weakness itself is a sin.”
742
743Neia slowly explained herself to the people who had puzzled looks on their faces.
744
745“Do you get it? If we were strong enough, things would not have gotten to where they are now. We could have saved our parents, our children, our wives, our friends, we could have saved all of them with our own strength. The Sorcerer King once said that we are the ones who value the things important to us the most highly. After all, His Majesty is not the king of this country, and he simply came to assist us for a special reason.”
746
747Neia took a breath.
748
749Neia raised her voice, in order to let the people watching her and the people of the Holy Kingdom passing by hear her words.
750
751“...When the Sorcerer King defeats Jaldabaoth and returns to his own country, what will we do when the demihumans attack again? Will we cry and beg the Sorcerer King, the king of another country, for help once more? For all we know, the Sorcerer King might not help us next time. That’s because this time was an exception. Have you ever heard of a country’s king working so hard for another nation?”
752
753Nobody answered Neia, because such a thing did not exist at all.
754
755“Maybe you don’t feel happy that a girl like me is telling you this. But who else can protect the things that are important to you other than yourselves? That’s why I feel we need to become stronger. We need to be strong enough to protect others, strong enough that we don’t need to rely on the Sorcerer King’s strength.”
756
757“Yes, you’re right. Exactly. I’m going to train myself.”
758
759“Ah, me too. Next time, I’ll be the one to protect my wife and kids.”
760
761I want to train too. I didn’t want to when I was first conscripted… but now I feel glad that I was drafted.”
762
763“Still, the Sorcerer King does make a lot of sense. Valuing the things important to us… mm, when you think about it, that really is true.”
764
765“So if someone else values my wife the most highly, I have to kill him, then?”
766
767“...I, I don’t think so, right? I don’t think the Sorcerer King was talking about something like that, right?”
768
769“...Hey, I’m just kidding, you know?”
770
771“It didn’t sound like a joke...”
772
773As the crowd laughed, Neia made a suggestion.
774
775“Everyone, would you like to train with me? While I can’t teach you all swordsmanship, I know a thing or two about archery.” 
776
777Weakness was a sin. That was because the weak only created problems for the Sorcerer King, who was justice. In that case, all they had to do was become strong. She could not allow herself to cause trouble for the Sorcerer King next time. She had to allow His Majesty to focus on fighting Jaldabaoth. That was what she ought to do, as a squire.
778
779“Ah, that’s a good idea.”
780
781“We need to become strong. I’ll protect my family next time.”
782
783“--Why are you all gathering here? Are you discussing something?”
784
785“Ah -- Captain.”
786
787After being questioned out of nowhere, Neia looked back and saw Remedios Custodio standing behind her. In fact, Neia had heard her footsteps approaching, but she had not thought that it would be Remedios.
788
789Someone annoying showed up, Neia thought as she tried to keep her face from showing how she felt. The militiamen representatives, on the other hand, looked like they were in distress.
790
791“Can’t you answer my question?”
792
793“Yes, ma’am! I was telling these gentlemen that I had conveyed their gratitude to His Majesty.”
794
795“To him, you say?”
796
797“...It is hardly appropriate to address the king of another nation as ‘him’.”
798
799Remedios glared at Neia.
800
801“The strong protecting the weak is common sense, is it not?”
802
803“...I do not know if it is common sense, but I feel that only the strong are qualified to say such things, and not the weak.”
804
805“What!? Are you saying that I’m weak?”
806
807“Yes,” Neia replied on the spot. “Compared to His Majesty, you are weak… Captain, have I said something wrong?”
808
809Neia stared back forcefully at Remedios.
810
811“Hmph, it doesn’t matter if you want to be friends with the Sorcerer King, but he’s undead, you know that, right? A monster who inhabits a different world from the living.”
812
813“Yes, I know that.”
814
815“I said that because I was worried about you. It seems it was for nothing.”
816
817While Remedios looked like she was disappointed, it felt very fake to Neia. That was not what the paladin before her really thought.
818
819“I’m certain you must be busy with many things, Captain, and I would not dare take up your time. In addition, I have things to tell the others. Would it not be better for yourself to move on to the other places you have to be, Captain? 
820
821“...Very well then. You lot, it’s only natural for the Sorcerer King to help you. You don’t need to think too much about it, got that?”
822
823Remedios left after saying so. As they watched her go, someone from the militia representatives spoke up.
824
825“How should I say this… that was amazing… is that the strongest paladin of this country…”
826
827“Yes, that’s what she is.”
828
829After hearing the representative speak his mind, Neia unconsciously replied to him. After that, the militia representatives covered their faces with their hands. It would seem they had suffered quite a shock.
830
831Although Neia had not done anything wrong, she still felt a little guilty.
832
833“The, the paladins aren’t, aren’t all like that. How shall I put it… she’s a special education case. And she’s… ah, like that. Yes.”
834
835“It’s hard for you, Squire-sama… I’d like to buy you a drink, if you can drink.”
836
837“I appreciate your goodwill… uh, where was I again? Yes, training together. I can find a way to borrow a training area and equipment. Can I contact you later once everything’s ready?”
838
839“We’ll let you handle that”, “Alright, we’ll wait,” the men answered cheerily.
840
841
842Part 2
843..........
844
845Neia smoothly drew her bowstring.
846
847She turned her keen gaze toon the target, and she could see the silent white wisps of her breath drawn to the edges of her vision by the wind, where it disappeared. Spring was close, but the weather was still cold.
848
849Neia buried the random notions in her mind deep within her, staring at the target in a state of no-thought, and then she slowly drew herself back.
850
851During the defense of the city, Neia had come to understand that nobody had time to slowly take aim on the battlefield, but right now they were training to improve their accuracy, so quick-fire drills could be left for another time.
852
853And then -- she released her arrow.
854
855The arrow whistled as it tore through the air and flew in a straight line that ended in it striking the target dead on.
856
857Hoo, Neia exhaled.
858
859Of the ten arrows she had fired, not a single one had been off target.
860
861This was an outstanding accuracy rate, but Neia took no joy in it.
862
863She could not do it in the past, but right now, Neia could even split the arrow she had just launched. Of course, she would damage the arrow if she did that, so she did not.
864
865The reason why she had ended up like this, why she could do something that was previously impossible for her was because after that battle, she was not just capable of archery, but of harnessing what they called divine power. However, the strange thing was that it was slightly different from the abilities that paladins were said to possess. This was because normally, paladins could only channel their powers through melee weapons, while she could imbue ranged weapons with her powers.
866
867While she did not quite understand what that meant, the Sorcerer King had seemed quite happy when he had heard about this. Still, even the Sorcerer King had only said, “It’s hard to tell from just that, let me know if other abilities awaken.”
868
869Applause rang out, and Neia smiled bitterly, because she felt uncomfortable.
870
871“Wow, you’re amazing, Baraja-chan.”
872
873“Oh yes, it’s the first time I’ve seen anyone with such great shooting, nobody in my village could do that.”
874
875“Ahh, it’s true. I used to be a hunter by trade, and I knew a few people in my own right, but none of them had Baraja-chan’s skills.”
876
877The people praising Neia were the majority of the people practicing archery in the same training field as Neia. Many of their faces had not been seen on these streets during the defense of the city three weeks ago.
878
879The reason for that was because people were being rescued from the nearby prison camps and the city’s population has risen swiftly as a result. The people among them with a talent for archery or who had used bows before were drafted into archery units and placed under Neia’s command.
880
881Normally, people would balk at being made subordinate to a squire girl, especially if some of them were old enough to be her father. However, none of the men -- and women -- gathered here protested.
882
883The main reason was because nobody dared voice any objections after being subjected to her vicious gaze, and also because they had to acknowledge her skill with the bow. Some of them were even more grateful to Neia after learning that she was the Sorcerer King’s squire.
884
885There were also some who were afraid she was undead because they had heard that she was the Sorcerer King’s squire, but not everyone was like that. 
886
887In these three weeks, the paladins had been sent out to liberate prison camps, but at the same time, the Sorcerer King and Neia had also gone out to attack camps and rescue prisoners.
888
889When the Sorcerer King had first broached the subject, there had been a shocking number of objections. However, the Sorcerer King then said, “Now that the Demihuman Alliance is short on manpower, they will start to execute the captives if they judge that they lack the ability to run the prison camps, so they must be rescued without delay”, and that had convinced Caspond to accept the Sorcerer King’s suggestion and send the two of them out. 
890
891Neia had originally wanted to argue that the Sorcerer King ought to conserve his mana in order to battle Jaldabaoth. However, Neia admired how he acted to protect the people of another country and felt the justice emanating from him, so she could not bring herself to stop him.
892
893And so, Neia and the Sorcerer King had freed many captives and brought them to this city. For this reason, there were people who were happy to serve under Neia.
894
895“Ahhh~ I ought to learn a few things from Baraja-chan.”
896
897“Yeah, that’s right. She’s amazing. Also, that bow you borrowed from the Sorcerer King -- the Ultimate Shootingstar Super -- you can do even more amazing things with that bow, right?”
898
899“The Ultimate Shootingstar Super, huh. What an amazing bow…”
900
901All their eyes went to the bow stowed behind Neia’s back -- the Ultimate Shootingstar Super.
902
903She ought to have used it during her training, but she had avoided doing so because she did not want to rely too heavily on her weapon.
904
905“Yes, during the battle for the city walls, it was thanks to the Ultimate Shootingstar Super that I was able to survive until His Majesty arrived… no, that’s not it. It wasn’t just the Ultimate Shootingstar Super, but the armor I borrowed from His Majesty and all his other items that helped me too…”
906
907Neia caressed Buser’s armor.
908
909“This armor came from a renowned demihuman, it looks amazing to me no matter how many times I look at it…”
910
911“She let me touch it once, and its hardness is amazing. I chopped at it with a sword and it just bounced off.”
912
913“Seriously? I’ve never heard that before?”
914
915As Neia’s wargear became a hot topic, she clapped to get everyone’s attention.
916
917“Alright, enough chitchat, back to training. According to the Sorcerer King, Jaldabaoth’s preparing to make another move soon, so we can’t waste a single moment. 
918
919There was a chorus of acknowledgements.
920
921“Alright, it’s time to begin practical shooting. Let’s start, everyone.”
922
923As she watched her subordinates -- the word sounded really grand, and it embarrassed her a little -- disperse, Neia removed the item which covered half her face. It was an item she had borrowed from the Sorcerer King.
924
925This magic item was a visor-shaped set of mirrorshades that allowed her to use a special ability known as the Serpent Shot once every three minutes. It was a technique that allowed an arrow to twist and turn in front of one’s opponent, like an animal bringing down its prey.
926
927She was not too sure what it did because she had not fired it at anyone, but in all likelihood, one would need to be very agile to avoid it.
928
929It was a very handy item for someone like Neia, who used the bow as her main weapon, but more importantly, the fact that it hid her eyes was amazing. Or rather, without that item, she could not have gotten along so well with the others.
930
931Neia put her visor on, and took up her bow again.
932
933Everyone here was experienced, and now that time was tight, she did not need to instruct them on the finer points of finger positioning. She had touched briefly on how to fire quickly, and after that all that was needed was to give them individual coaching and have them practice until their fingers ached. The most important thing for them was to accumulate shooting experience.
934
935As usual, Neia wondered about requesting healing magic from the priests as she loosed an arrow. 
936
937Just at that moment, Neia’s keen ears picked up a noise.
938
939It had come from the outside. While Neia’s shooting form nearly broke down, she managed to keep it together. It might not have been what she expected, and even if it was the person she had hoped to meet, they might have only been passing by, and not intended to come here.
940
941However, the being that appeared at the door to the training yard was the great king with the skeletal face -- the Sorcerer King.
942
943In the beginning, everyone had feared the undead, but many of them had been rescued by the Sorcerer King during the defense of the city and from the prison camps. The clamor of respectful and thankful voices soon came to herald the arrival of the Sorcerer King.
944
945However, nobody stopped practicing. Normally, they would have knelt before the Sorcerer King when he appeared, but the Sorcerer King himself had put a stop to it.
946
947This isn’t a public place, so you don’t need to do that when I’m just showing my face, am I wrong?
948
949No king, especially the savior of a nation should have been treated that way.
950
951Even so, the Sorcerer King had said that they did not need to do so.
952
953What a great person he is...
954
955After sighing in awe, Neia went to the Sorcerer King’s side, and forced her slackening face to tighten up.
956
957She kept her visor on.
958
959That was because the Sorcerer King had said that she ought to be ready to fight at any time, so she did not need to take it off.
960
961He was probably concerned about whether she could use a magic item like it was part of her own body and thinking that she ought to be on guard no matter what unexpected things happened. Neia was deeply impressed by the depth of the Sorcerer King’s considerations.
962
963Neia understood that the Sorcerer King’s eyes had gone from looking into his hands to herself as she ran over. For some reason, observing the Sorcerer King’s habitual movements made Neia a little happy.
964
965The thought that she understood the tiny quirks of an extraordinary individual made Neia’s cheeks relax.
966
967“Your Majesty! We are grateful that you have chosen to visit this place in person!”
968
969Neia was still the Sorcerer King’s squire, even after being appointed the commander of the archery unit. That said, it was hard to say that she had done a squire’s job properly, while leaving his side to train others in archery instead, not to mention she had even made him come here instead.
970
971Neia wanted to prioritize her work as the Sorcerer King’s squire, but instead she had chosen to do this, because she no longer wanted to be a burden to him. And there was also another reason, which she had not told anyone else.
972
973That was because the Sorcerer King refused to have anyone except Neia serve as his follower. He had said that to Caspond’s face with Neia in attendance.
974
975As more and more people gathered, there were many more skilful or charming people than this mad-eyed maiden. Even so, he had said that Neia would be fine. The person she viewed as justice had said that about her. 
976
977Could anything have made her happier?
978
979“--Umu. While I know you’re being humble, I don’t think this is a mere ‘place’. After all, it is where you sharpen your fangs, is it not?”
980
981“Thank you very much, Your Majesty!”
982
983She looked around -- perhaps it would be disrespectful to look away from the Sorcerer King, but the visor she wore made it possible -- and saw that her people had heard it and the tips of their ears were turning red. The problem was that their performance deteriorated, possibly because they were nervous, or because they had stiffened up their shoulders in order to look good for the Sorcerer King.
984
985That said, her own ears felt a little hot too.
986
987“...Miss Baraja. Your men have made a great deal of progress since last time. Surely that must be your accomplishment as their leader.”
988
989His pleasantries both embarrassed Neia and left her at a loss for how to answer.
990
991It would be embarrassing to say that they got nervous and can’t show their full ability because Your Majesty arrived. They would think so too.
992
993Therefore, Neia decided to take his words as they were given. However--
994
995“No, it’s nothing of the sort. I hardly taught them anything. They could have done that by themselves.”
996
997“Is that so? Well, if you say so, then it must be true.”
998
999In other words -- the Sorcerer King did not think so. Which meant that the Sorcerer King thought very highly of Neia.
1000
1001Neia raised her voice a little to try and hide her soaring emotions.
1002
1003“In, in that case, Your Majesty, does your presence here mean that the meeting is already over?”
1004
1005“Ah, yes. They’re done for the day, but that said, I did not make any special suggestions.”
1006
1007Right now, this city had a mountain of problems, all of which stemmed from the increasing population of the city. The original population of this small city of Lloyds had been less than 20’000, but after gathering the people from the liberated camps, it was now in excess of 150’000.
1008
1009The most recent of these overpopulation problems was the slimes used in the sewers -- the Sanitary Slimes -- whose own population had surged due to an abundance in food and had thus caused a panic when they erupted from the waterways.
1010
1011When the slime population grew, they were typically burned back down with magic items, but the unexpectedly rapid growth meant that this was not done in time and several men and women had been attacked.
1012
1013When these men and women were surrounded by the slimes, a group of rubbish-clearing monsters called the Filth Eaters appeared from the sewers to help them.
1014
1015Unlike how they appeared, the Filth Eaters were intelligent monsters, and they knew that humans could produce a great deal of their food, and so they saved the people with their acidic bodies.
1016
1017However, the people were not grateful to the Filth Eaters. That was because Sanitary Slimes were not infectious themselves, but the Filth Eaters who helped them were colonies of pathogens. Thus, the people they had helped had been infected by disease and were in a very bad state, particularly those who had contracted encephalitis.
1018
1019In addition, it was winter now, so firewood and other fuels were scarce. Then there was the fact that there had been delays in the construction of housing. While there was no food shortage yet, that would become a danger in the future.
1020
1021The Sorcerer King had been invited to many of the meetings to deal with these problems, possibly because they were counting on his prodigious knowledge to solve their problems.
1022
1023While the Sorcerer King had simply said that he did not know that much and had merely sat aside to listen, such a person could not have been summoned to meetings time and time again.
1024
1025The fact that he conducted himself so humbly despite being the king of a nation only deepened Neia’s respect for him.
1026
1027“What do you intend to do next, Your Majesty?”
1028
1029“Umu. I had intended to see if the moving of logs was going well… Are you busy with practice, Miss Baraja? If you don’t mind, would you like to accompany me?”
1030
1031In order to solve the lack of fuel and housing, they were using the Sorcerer King’s undead horses to transport logs from a distant forest. Initially, many people had been averse to using undead horses for transport, but now there was a steady stream of praise for the merits of these undead horses.
1032
1033“Ah, please allow me to go with you! I am Your Majesty’s Squire, after all!”
1034
1035The knowledge that she would be able to perform her squirely duties at long last and her delight at being alone with the Sorcerer King caused Neia to unconsciously speak faster and louder. As a result, Neia’s ears burned.
1036
1037
1038“Is, is that so? Then let us proceed.”
1039
1040“Yes! Please--”
1041
1042Then, as though to interrupt her, a sky-blackening inferno erupted in the distance.
1043
1044For a moment, Neia wondered what was burning.
1045
1046But that was wrong. She had been too far off. That could not have been caused by any form of natural combustion.
1047
1048That fire seemed to be enveloping the city. In other words, it was a wall of fire -- Neia’s mind immediately recalled what the members of Blue Rose had said.
1049
1050“--Your Majesty! That’s--”
1051
1052“Ah, it is as you are thinking, and the same as what I heard from Momon… the time has come at last. It seems that bastard Jaldabaoth is attacking. Miss Baraja, I’m heading out.”
1053
1054Had he anticipated this series of events? As though influenced by the Sorcerer King’s calm attitude, Neia’s heart calmed down as well. Or no, it would be better to say that the presence of a supreme being like the Sorcerer King gave her peace of mind.
1055
1056“Where to!?”
1057
1058“Ah -- hm. Jaldabaoth’s aim is still unclear. So, ah -- he might just be here to slaughter indiscriminately. However, if he has an objective, he’ll either be targeting me or the Holy Kingdom’s leadership, so it would be best if we met up. Tell your men to get ready for battle and then have them flee to a safe district.”
1059
1060“Eh!?”
1061
1062“They’ll be of no use against Jaldabaoth. In that case, it would be better to have them prepare to deal with any demons which might appear. Since the city will probably be in chaos now, once you form up your unit, won’t it be better to have them head outside the city?”
1063
1064While his words had been unclear at first, perhaps he had organized his thoughts later on, because the middle part onwards was a nonstop series of instructions to Neia.
1065
1066“Yes! Thank you very much, Your Majesty! Alright, everyone!”
1067
1068While they had made plans in case Jaldabaoth led an army against them, they had not expected a blaze to surround the entire city. Another big problem was the fact that they did not know the extent of the preparations that the enemy had made.
1069
1070Neia gave her instructions. There was only a single squad here and they could not do as they pleased, but as a team leader, she had a responsibility to do several things before her orders came.
1071
1072The instructions were something like this:
1073
1074Everyone in the squad was to take their families and head to the east gate, because if the enemy attacked, it was more likely that they would attack from the west gate. After that, they would form up at the east gate, and if there were demons outside the east gate, they would climb the walls near the east gate and attack them. In addition, they were to listen to Neia’s adjutant until she arrived and adapt to changes in the battlefield conditions.
1075
1076Neia’s subordinates obeyed her instructions and moved swiftly into action.
1077
1078“Your Majesty!”
1079
1080After giving her orders, Neia turned back and saw that the Sorcerer King’s eyes were on his hands, while he had used a flight spell to rise to somewhere around the level of Neia’s head.
1081
1082“Your Majesty! Let me go with you!”
1083
1084Perhaps he was startled by Neia’s shout, but the Sorcerer King suddenly closed his hand and a quiet sound came from within.
1085
1086“Hmm… well, alright.”
1087
1088The Sorcerer King cast a flying spell on Neia as well. In that moment, she realised the greatness of magic as she learned what it was to fly.
1089
1090Neia and the Sorcerer King moved as though they were skimming along the ground. They did not leave the surface except to soar over crowds of people, who had descended into chaos, because they could not get a grip on the situation. The reason for that was because flying in the air without cover made them very obvious, and if there were demons about, they might be subjected to attack spells from all directions.
1091
1092Neia bit her lip in unhappiness, feeling like she was being a burden. Whatever spells the demons used, they could not possibly pose a problem for the Sorcerer King. She could not help but think that he had chosen to go the long way around instead of flying directly to his destination because she was around.
1093
1094Eventually, they reached their destination -- the headquarters, which also doubled as Caspond’s chambers.
1095
1096The two paladins at the door had their hands full trying to manage the people jammed up near the door.
1097
1098“Miss Baraja, we’ll go in from above.”
1099
1100“Yes!”
1101
1102After seeing that it would be a little difficult to enter from the front door, the two of them floated up and arrived at the balcony. Just then, the window facing them opened up.
1103
1104“Your Majesty! Thank you for coming.”
1105
1106It was a paladin.”
1107
1108“Are the others here yet?”
1109
1110“No, Your Majesty. The priests are assembling. Vice-Captain Montagnes is off to liberate a prison camp and isn’t expected to return today. Right now, only Captain Custodio and Caspond-denka are present.”
1111
1112“Is that so. Still, it’s good that the two of them are here. Lead the way.”
1113
1114“Yes!”
1115
1116After the paladin led them to Caspond’s room, they could hear a loud discussion through the door. It seemed quite chaotic.
1117
1118The paladin opened the door for them, and over a dozen pairs of bloodshot eyes greeted them.
1119
1120“Sorry I’m late. We’re out of time, so what plans were you discussing just now?”
1121
1122Everyone looked at each other, and Caspond spoke up on their behalf.
1123
1124“We have not spotted Jaldabaoth yet. Your Majesty, could this fire have been made by a magic item or a demon other than Jaldabaoth?”
1125
1126“I am unsure. After all, even I could not do such a thing.”
1127
1128The others were shaken. The Sorcerer King employed magic that surpassed the imagination. How powerful must Jaldabaoth be if he could use a spell that even the Sorcerer King could not?
1129
1130“In that case, what effects does that fire have? Blue Rose said that they managed to pass through it, then surely normal people can do so as well, right?”
1131
1132After saying so, Remedios turned to look straight at the Sorcerer King.
1133
1134“That won’t be a problem. As for its effects, demons standing inside the fire benefit from improved attributes, negative-karma spells will do more damage, item drop rates will increase and many other effects. But according to the results from the investigation team, none of those effects exist. However, it still remains to be seen whether it has any other effects.”
1135
1136“Which means we can freely move in and out, right?”
1137
1138“Hm? Didn’t I say that at the beginning?”
1139
1140“In that case, we ought to evacuate as long as there are no demihumans or demons around, and then form up into units there. After all, I heard that demons appeared within the area surrounded by the fire when it was last seen in the Kingdom. Let’s go with that plan of action, everyone.”
1141
1142After giving the paladins their orders, he asked the Sorcerer King again, “Can you use your magic to pinpoint Jaldabaoth’s location, Your Majesty?”
1143
1144“If I could, I wouldn’t need to stay in this city now, would I?”
1145
1146“You have a point.”
1147
1148Just as the Sorcerer King was dealing with one question after another, everyone heard an ominous creaking.
1149
1150It started out quietly enough, and then it steadily grew to drown out the clamor in the room. One by one, they realised that the sound had died down, and finally, in the silence, the only thing that remained was the sound of creaking.
1151
1152Everyone looked around nervously in all directions, and just then, Neia noticed something odd on the outside wall of the building and exclaimed an “Ah--”
1153
1154A crack appeared on the wall, and as everyone watched, it began to spread. The wall bulged, and then--
1155
1156“Everyone, get away!”
1157
1158Just as Remedios shouted, the Sorcerer King stood in front of Neia.
1159
1160The wall broke apart and there was an explosion. Bricks flew through the room like a spray of shotgun pellets. Groans filled the air; they came from those people who had been hit by the high-speed chunks of bricks.
1161
1162If the Sorcerer King had not shielded Neia with his body, Neia might have ended up groaning on the ground with them.
1163
1164“Th-thank you--” 
1165
1166The Sorcerer King held up his hand to stop Neia before she could thank him, and then he pointed at the smoke-billowing gap in the wall to draw her attention there.
1167
1168There was a gigantic silhouette there, the color of a roaring blaze.
1169
1170“--Thank you for the warm welcome, humans.”
1171
1172It was a deep and powerful voice.
1173
1174As though cutting through the smoke, that being calmly poked itself through the hole in the outside wall and entered the room.
1175
1176It was -- a demon.
1177
1178Due to his size, he had to bend down in order to barely fit inside the room. His posture looked a little stupid, but now was definitely not the time for laughter. Her throat could not work properly; she wanted to swallow the saliva pooling in her mouth, but it stuck there instead.
1179
1180This was an overwhelming gathering of power.
1181
1182Neia had never been very good at judging the strength of her foes relative to herself, but she understood that she could not win against him even with tens of thousands of Neias. She was swallowed by a swell of might comparable to the Sorcerer King after removing his ring, and she could not move a muscle.
1183
1184It was then that she realised who she was facing.
1185
1186That, that’s Jaldabaoth… the Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth...
1187
1188His face was filled with wrath, his wings were red, and his burning arms -- he seemed to be holding something in one hand, and Neia could not help but doubt her eyes.
1189
1190That was -- though she dared not believe it -- a lower body. It emanated a vile stench, one of advanced decay.
1191
1192“Yeeeaaarrt!”
1193
1194It was a shout -- no, a scream. It was a sound that only one who had burst the shackles on their emotions and fallen into madness would make. It came from behind Neia.
1195
1196Neia’s back shuddered. The person making that sound was Remedios.
1197
1198Remedios raised her holy sword high and charged straight at Jaldabaoth, not caring about her own defense.
1199
1200This was too rash. Even Neia, who was not skilled with swords, felt that it was a foolish charge.
1201
1202“--Get lost.”
1203
1204Those weighty, quiet words were accompanied by the sound of splashing sound. At the same time, Remedios flew in a straight line and crashed into a wall. Her impact made such a crash that it seemed as though the entire building would collapse. After that, Remedios -- who had been swatted aside like a fly -- collapsed limply from the wall.
1205
1206It would seem Jaldabaoth had sent Remedios flying with the object that looked like a human’s lower body.
1207
1208Neia would surely have died if she had taken that hit. But as expected of the country’s strongest paladin, her life did not seem to be in danger.
1209
1210However, in its place, a revolting odor began to spread through the air.
1211
1212The room was filled with chunks of meat from the decayed lower body that Jaldabaoth had used to strike Remedios. 
1213
1214“Ahh… what a mess. I sincerely apologize for getting the room dirty. Of course, it would not have ended up like this if that woman had not charged at me without thinking -- well, that’s just an excuse. Please forgive me.”
1215
1216Jaldabaoth slowly bowed his head. He seemed genuinely apologetic, but that only made everyone else more afraid.
1217
1218And then, he casually dumped what he was holding -- something that looked like the charred remains of a human ankle -- to the ground.
1219
1220“My my, I guess I got too excited when swinging it around and the top half flew off somewhere. It’s a dirty little thing, so I’ve been looking for a chance to dispose of it… but in the end I managed to make good use of her. Am I not a kind demon? She must be thanking me from the afterlife.”
1221
1222Jaldabaoth muttered to himself.
1223
1224“Ahhhhhhhhhh!”
1225
1226Remedios touched herself as she wailed in anguish, fresh blood streaming from the corner of her mouth. No, she was collecting the chunks of meat that were stuck to her. What was she doing? Had she lost her mind at last, Neia wondered.
1227
1228No, there was a method to her seeming madness.
1229
1230Don’t tell me, that corpse was… how could this be...
1231
1232Although the lower body had tattered bits of what looked like armor stuck to it, it should have belonged to a woman. In that case, she could imagine two people that it could have been.
1233
1234If that was really the case...
1235
1236“What a lovely sound,” Jaldabaoth waved his hand like a conductor. “In that case, I believe this is the first time we have met, Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown-dono -- or perhaps -sama would be a better form of address?”
1237
1238“It doesn’t matter. Now then, I trust you’re here for a showdown with me?” 
1239
1240“Indeed. No amount of weaklings will make a difference.”
1241
1242“I concur on that point. I have no intention of generating meaningless deaths.”
1243
1244Still sniffling, Remedios looked towards the Sorcerer King.
1245
1246“Your Majesty, you are strong. Stronger even than Momon. I hope you will allow me to adopt a strategy that will guarantee my victory.”
1247
1248Jaldabaoth raised his hand, and a head poked itself through the hole.
1249
1250It was a woman wearing a mask and a maid’s outfit. There were two of them, in fact.
1251
1252“I trust you will not call me despicable?”
1253
1254“--Uh, hm. Well, this is… mhm… uh… um.” 
1255
1256The Sorcerer King was starting to get worried. That was only to be expected.
1257
1258Nobody could have expected Jaldabaoth to arrive with his maid demons in tow. However--
1259That’s probably not the case. The Sorcerer King is wise, and he must have anticipated this. In that case, why is he like this? Could it be that it’s because we’re here? Perhaps he’s not confident of protecting us all as well, so he’s worried!
1260
1261
1262“Your Majesty, please do not worry about us.”
1263
1264“Eh?”
1265
1266The Sorcerer King made a tiny exclamation of surprise.
1267
1268Neia knew very well that the maid demons were beings who could kill everyone in this room, and they were so powerful that she could not be at ease even if someone told her not to worry. Compared to someone on the Sorcerer King’s level, Neia and the others, probably including Remedios, were little more than valueless pawns.
1269
1270However -- she would rather die than get in his way.
1271
1272She had once heard that the Sorcerer King’s subordinates were prepared to die if they became hostages. While the Sorcerer King said he had felt distressed by it, Neia could finally understand how his subordinates had felt. They did not want to become a burden to the person they respected.
1273
1274“Hahaha! Do not worry, humans. I will torture you all to death afterwards. We will be waiting in the fountain at the center of town. Of course, you may flee if you wish, Sorcerer King.”
1275
1276“I take those words and return them to you, Jaldabaoth.”
1277
1278The Sorcerer King and Jaldabaoth stared each other down.
1279
1280After that, Jaldabaoth turned -- and Remedios jumped up, her holy sword in hand, and rushed at him.
1281
1282The weakly-glowing holy sword looked like a band of flowing light.
1283
1284“Dieeeeee!”
1285
1286And then, she stabbed it into Jaldabaoth’s back.
1287
1288“What’s this? This is… Are you satisfied?”
1289
1290--It was a cold, flat voice.
1291
1292“Why… why… after taking a strike from the holy sword… you should be evil…”
1293
1294Remedios’ back looked far too tiny and insignificant in comparison.
1295
1296“I have no idea what to make of that. Why? What do you mean by why? It felt like a little prick, how about that? If you’re done, would you mind getting out of the way? I don’t intend to kill you here. I’ll decide after I kill the Sorcerer King.”
1297
1298Jaldabaoth paid no heed to Remedios and spread his enormous, fiery wings before flying off. The maid demons followed him.
1299
1300“...Then I’ll be going too. You should go take shelter so you don’t get caught up in the fighting. While I don’t think it’ll be a problem, I hope you’ll understand if this city ends up wrecked.”
1301
1302“Your Majesty, will it be alright?”
1303
1304Caspond rose from where he had dived for cover to avoid the debris flying about the room. His eyes looked at Remedios, who looked utterly defeated and could not rise to her feet.
1305
1306“It’ll be fine -- I can’t say that for sure, but there ought to be a chance. It would have been very troublesome if he’d brought the demihumans along as shields. Looks like he’s still underestimating me, and this is also a chance to bring the maid demons into my fold.
1307
1308“It’ll be fine. It’s okay. My sister is still here. Kelart is still here. As long as she’s around, Calca-sama might…”
1309
1310Remedios smacked her face as she muttered to herself, and then she forcefully rose to her feet.
1311
1312“Sorcerer King! I’ll go too! Lend me a weapon that can harm him! I’ll become your sword for the time being!”
1313
1314The Sorcerer King looked at Remedios, her eyes bloodshot and filled with hate, and then shook his head.
1315
1316“...Forget about it. You would only get in the way.”
1317
1318“What are you saying!?”
1319
1320“Do you not understand? I speak of the disparity in strength. Or do you mean to say you understand it, but refuse to accept it? Simply put -- you are a burden.”
1321
1322Remedios glared at the Sorcerer King like he was her nemesis.
1323
1324The Sorcerer King’s words were very harsh, but they were also true. Or rather, they were hard to accept precisely because they were true.
1325
1326“Captain Remedios! I have another task for you. Evacuate these people outside the city!”
1327
1328Caspond gave the order in a stern, commanding tone.
1329
1330“The plan was to let His Majesty handle Jaldabaoth. You agreed to that too, didn’t you?”
1331
1332“...Ahh, I know,” Remedios bit her lip, and then she forced out her next words. “You must kill that bastard.”
1333
1334“Understood.”
1335
1336“--Paladins, carefully gather the remains of that body. Don’t leave a single piece behind.”
1337
1338“Captain… that body is…”
1339
1340The paladin had an idea of what was going on, and ventured his question in a trembling voice. Remedios replied in a tone that seemed to be telling him not to ask any more.
1341
1342“Don’t forget that there might be demonic trickery at work.”
1343
1344Remedios left without looking back. Several paladins followed her, with half-frightened looks on their faces.
1345
1346“Your Majesty, I sincerely apologize for the way she treated you… May I apologize on her behalf?” Caspond lowered his head. “Please, I beg your forgiveness.”
1347
1348“...I accept your apology. Now then, hurry up and evacuate. If he has to wait too long, he might decide to go back on his word. I’ll be heading off first to buy time, but I hope you understand that I can only give you about 30 minutes.”
1349
1350“I understand. Everyone heard that? Get moving!”
1351
1352Several priests and paladins moved out with Caspond.
1353
1354The only people left in the room were the Sorcerer King and Neia, as well as several paladins and priests who were stuffing the remains of a certain someone’s body into a bag. In that case--
1355
1356“Your Majesty, may I come with you!?”
1357
1358There were gasps of awe and sudden intakes of air from all around her. But Neia ignored those irrelevant people. She took off her visor and looked straight at the Sorcerer King.
1359
1360“...Umu. I cannot. He may have said all that just now, but he’s a demon. If pressed, he will reveal his true nature and use you as a hostage.
1361
1362“But if that happens, Your Majesty will kill me without hesitation, will you not?”
1363
1364“When you say that with such a serious look on your face, you make me sound like a cruel person. Well, if I can’t save you, I’ll discard you. I’ll hit you with an attack spell as well.”
1365
1366“In that case--”
1367
1368“--I am not doing this because I want to kill hostages, you know?”
1369
1370“Ah! Forgive me…”
1371
1372That was how it was. He would do it because it was the best choice available. If there were a better alternative, this merciful man would surely choose that instead. Thus, not letting Neia accompany him was because it was the best of the best alternatives.
1373
1374“But… Your Majesty, you have used many spells and even your magic items and mana in order to free this city. As a magic caster, surely you must be weakened now. Will that be alright?”
1375
1376“Mhm! Indeed, it might be dangerous, but I came here to defeat Jaldabaoth. Fortunately, he came to find me instead. Now I’ll destroy him and mape the raids… ugh, saying that I want the maids makes me sound like a dirty old man, hm…”
1377
1378Neia smiled bitterly at the Sorcerer King, who could still make a lame joke at a time like this. She wanted to speak, but the Sorcerer King cut her off with a raise of his hand.
1379
1380“Besides, I’ll be a laughingstock if I run away here.”
1381
1382The Sorcerer King shrugged, like he was kidding. Neia sensed that he was not being serious, and so she raised her voice.
1383
1384“Your Majesty! If they want to laugh, let them! I humbly submit that you should only fight him in top condition! Also, you came here to battle Jaldabaoth, but you ended up using a vast amount of mana and strength on the behalf of the Holy Kingdom. That’s not what you agreed to in the beginning. If we say that, the people of my country will…”
1385
1386“Indeed, that is true. But humans are creatures who only believe what they want to believe. Even if you spread the word, nobody would take it to heart, Miss Baraja.”
1387
1388“That…! In that case, I can be a witness! And…”
1389
1390Neia looked out the corner of her eye at the paladins and priests listening to their conversation, Surely they would be willing to be witnesses.
1391
1392“...Neia Baraja. I thank you, but there is no need for that. I will not change my intention to fight Jaldabaoth.”
1393
1394“This -- why is that?”
1395
1396“Simple. It is because it is a promise I have made as a king.”
1397
1398Neia had nothing to say. There was nothing she could say in response to that. A commoner like herself could not possibly say anything that could change the mind of a King.
1399
1400There were murmurs of admiration around her. Indeed, this great and proud person was none other than His Majesty the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown.
1401
1402Neia was filled with pride for the king that she held in such high esteem.
1403
1404“Your Majesty, I know this is deeply disrespectful, but if you feel there is danger, I beg you to flee.”
1405
1406Perhaps mentioning the possibility of his loss might make him unhappy, but even so she still had to say it.
1407
1408“...But of course. It is a fool who fights without preparing a means of escape. Even if you lose one battle, you can make good use of the information gained in the next one. It doesn’t matter if you lose the first battle.”
1409
1410“I expected nothing less of you, Your Majesty.”
1411
1412An extreme interpretation of that was that if his aim was to defeat Jaldabaoth, then all he needed was to be victorious in the end. Neia was excited by this line of thinking, which was not a warrior’s mindset, but that of a king.
1413
1414“Then I’ll be heading out first.”
1415
1416***
1417
1418Ainz walked toward the place Jaldabaoth had indicated. Along the way, he used [Message] to order the two Hanzos who had followed him to check for tails and if anyone was observing from afar.
1419
1420After receiving a negative report on both those items, Ainz had originally intended to terminate the transmission immediately, but then he received a somewhat confused report that there were members of the Pleiades present.
1421
1422Ainz acknowledged it and ended the [Message].
1423
1424...We didn’t find any other players or World-Class Item holders this time round either. I keep thinking they ought to have shown themselves by now… but if they don’t exist, how do you explain what happened to Shalltear? Was it some kind of coincidence? It should have been the effect of a World-Class Item, right? Or was it the work of some Talent?
1425
1426The fact that nothing had turned up despite going to these lengths made the whole thing feel like a trap for him. For all he knew, the opposition was waiting for him to lower his guard before striking.
1427
1428Honestly… well, it doesn’t matter. Careful planning for the future won’t be wasted.
1429
1430Therefore, Ainz contacted the other Hanzo squads with [Message] to verify their readiness and that his orders had been received.
1431
1432Alright, preparations are complete. The next part is simple, I just need to follow Demiurge’s playbook. Even if I make a mistake, I can always say “I was just testing you” and so on.
1433
1434That was good.
1435
1436Ainz was moved by how light his tread was. This the first time he had felt so relaxed since coming to this world, and it was like floating through the sky.
1437
1438Soon, Ainz came to an average-sized square.
1439
1440This  had originally been a periodically-activated fountain square for the citizens’ leisure. However, there was no water flowing through here after the demihumans had wrecked it. There were no plans to restore it for the time being, and the surroundings looked very austere.
1441
1442A demon stood proudly there.
1443
1444It was a huge demon with burning wings and two crimson, brawny fists.
1445
1446This was the Evil Lord of Wrath from Nazarick. However, what stood here was merely a monster that Demiurge had called up with his Evil Lord Summons. It could only be used once every 50 hours, but it could be freely controlled for a time. Nazarick would not be diminished even if it were killed.
1447
1448It was level 84.
1449
1450As a physical-attacker type Evil Lord, it had a very high HP total.
1451
1452Of all the special abilities that Evil Lords possessed, the most dangerous one was the ability to summon another Evil Lord which was lower level than themselves. However, summoned monsters could not in turn summon more monsters. Therefore, the Evil Lord of Wrath that Demiurge had summoned could not summon another Evil Lord.
1453
1454If this Evil Lord had been created or made, then it could summon additional another other creatures. For instance, the Evil Lord of Sloth would often summon pack after pack of demons and undead, making them very hard to deal with.
1455
1456In addition, one troublesome point about the Evil Lord of Wrath was that it was very hard to manage its hate.
1457
1458The Evil Lord of Wrath built aggro more easily than other Evil Lords. He had heard tanks say that the most aggravating thing about dealing with multiple Evil Lords at once was how to keep the Evil Lord of Wrath from going off-target.
1459
1460In addition, it had the special ability of doing more damage and gaining more defense the higher its hate value became. Still, that was not too frightening. The only thing that Ainz had to be worried about was its ability called [Soul-Bought Miracle], which produced unknown effects.
1461
1462
1463The spells it could cast included:
1464Tenth-tier spells: [Meteor Fall], [Time Stop], [Field of Unclean]
1465Ninth-tier spells: [Greater Rejection], [Vermillion Nova]
1466Eighth-tier spells: [Distort Moral], [Insanity], [Astral Smite], [Wave of Pain]
1467Seventh-tier spells: [Napalm], [Hellflame], [Greater Word of Curse], [Greater Teleportation], [Blasphemy]
1468Sixth-tier spells: [Flamewing]. [Wall of Hell]
1469Third-tier spells: [Fireball], [Slow]
1470
1471While the exact number of spells that monsters could use varied with their level and type, it was typically around 8. However, high-level monsters like Dragons, Demons and Angels were an exception.
1472
1473Still, as a pure warrior type, the Evil Lord of Wrath’s spells were not particularly fearsome.
1474
1475It had no skills to strengthen its spells, and its magic-related stats were very low. While the Evil Lord’s attack spells were fire-element and thus targeted a weakness of the undead, there was no need for him to be cautious. Its mind-affecting spells were also useless against the undead, and Ainz’s karma values had been negative to begin with, so spells like [Distort Moral] were a waste of time.
1476
1477To Ainz, who was of negative karma, Angels were harder for him to deal with than Demons.
1478
1479As he contemplated his opposition’s data, Ainz glanced at the two maids behind the Evil Lord. He would think about them later.
1480
1481“Now then, you have heard everything?”
1482
1483“But of course, Ainz-sama.”
1484
1485Hearing that weighty voice made Suzuki Satoru smile unconsciously from inside Ainz’s heart. That was because this demon -- and all the monsters of Nazarick -- were designed in accordance with their image.
1486
1487Those voices were probably what the developers or their creators had envisioned for them. In that case, who had come up with the adorable voice that Lip Bugs had before consuming any vocal cords? Or did the whole seiyuu-in-your-mind thing that Peroroncino was talking about really exist?
1488
1489No, that was impossible.
1490
1491Pandora’s Actor was a good example. He was a being who did not feel like he reflected what his creator had in mind. And then there was the fact that even a being without vocal cords like Ainz could speak. All he could say was that magical worlds were truly astounding.
1492
1493“If you’re addressing me in that tone, I take it the surroundings have been swept clean?”
1494
1495“Indeed.”
1496
1497“Then I will ask you the most important question. Are you prepared to fight with the intent of killing me?”
1498
1499“Yes, I was ordered to do so.”
1500
1501Ainz nodded as he heard the Evil Lord’s reply.
1502
1503One thing that had made Ainz uneasy all this time was a lack of strong opponents to fight.
1504
1505After the battle with Shalltear, Ainz had been worrying about not having chances to fight with all his strength.
1506
1507After that, he had gained experience in close combat, and he could skilfully move his body as Momon and fight as a warrior of roughly level 33. 
1508
1509But how would this body function in higher-level combat?
1510
1511He should have conducted combat training against high-level opponents. Unfortunately, he had not encountered such high-level monsters until now.
1512
1513That was why he had ordered Demiurge to command the Evil Lord to kill Ainz.
1514
1515He would defeat this powerful foe who wanted to kill him, and strengthen himself.
1516
1517That had been easier said than done. The two of them had been strongly opposed to the idea and persuading them had taken a lot of time. One could not fault a mentally exhausted Ainz from thinking, “I thought we agreed that my word was law...”
1518
1519In the end, after countless concessions and conditions, the stage had been set for this live battle.
1520
1521A chill coursed through his body as he thought that he might die. It was a completely different sensation from what he had felt during the battle with Shalltear, because this was an unnecessary battle.
1522
1523However--
1524
1525While I had a lot of PVP experience in YGGDRASIL, I realised in the battle against Shalltear that this world was not a game. If the time comes when I must face off against a level 100 player with a great deal of real combat experience, I won’t be able to win without an equivalent amount of experience. I have to know that fear is the road to defeat. 
1526
1527Ainz was very glad that he was undead and could suppress the fear he might have felt at the prospect of death. If he were still human, he might have curled up into a ball by now.
1528
1529“Now then, Yuri,” Ainz said to the maid behind the Evil Lord. “Since you and Lupusregina are here, does that mean you will be fighting me together with the Evil Lord? How about the others?”
1530
1531He saw no sign of Solution, Entoma or CZ. They must have been off doing work elsewhere.
1532
1533“We are the only two who have come here. We sisters will challenge you together with the Evil Lord of Wrath. The reason is because Albedo-sama feels that allowing the people of this country to witness the maid demons is not a bad thing. In addition, the Evil Lord of Wrath alone might not be enough to satisfy your request, Ainz-sama.”
1534
1535It was true that a single level 80ish Evil Lord would be hard-pressed to stand against Ainz. However, even the addition of Yuri and Lupusregina did not make it a very powerful opponent.
1536
1537However, unnecessary, troublesome factors can become a disadvantage. Suffering because I underestimated my opponent would be foolish. I’d best stay on my guard.
1538
1539“In addition, Albedo-sama ordered us to check something with you, Ainz-sama. Are you really alright with the condition that you will not leave Nazarick for the coming year if you are defeated?”
1540
1541“Ah, that was one of the conditions Albedo insisted on before agreeing to this bout. If I lose, I will spend the next year working hard within the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, with Albedo, in the same room… aren’t you going to check the conditions that Demiurge mentioned?”
1542
1543Ainz looked at the Evil Lord, but it said nothing. It probably felt that there was no need to check.
1544
1545“Thank you very much.”
1546
1547Yuri bowed.
1548
1549Now, there would be no room to change the plan. As he thought of how dire the situation was, Ainz could not help but sweat internally.
1550
1551It would be easy enough to kill Yuri and the others due to the tremendous disparity in their respective strength, but Ainz Ooal Gown would never allow that. Killing an NPC for the sake of training was utterly ridiculous.
1552
1553In other words--
1554
1555I have to kill the Evil Lord without harming Yuri and Lupusregina.
1556
1557Ainz could not help laughing. This would be one hell of a challenge. Still, there was nothing better for practice.
1558
1559“Is something wrong, Ainz-sama?”
1560
1561“No, it’s nothing, don’t worry.”
1562
1563“Also, Cocytus-sama requested that we record this battle so everyone in Nazarick can learn from it. Do you mind?”
1564
1565While he did not want to do so because he felt it was embarrassing, recording battles was very common in YGGDRASIL. With that in mind, he ought to approve that request.
1566
1567“Still, recording the battle proceedings will trigger interference from the anti-divination offensive barriers. Shall I lower it?”
1568
1569“Surely you mean the divination-detecting spell, do you not, Ainz-sama? And not the linked offensive spell model?”
1570
1571“Ah, yes, that’s the one. After all, if it were the latter, it would be bad if someone from Nazarick were trying to find my position and triggered it.”
1572
1573If he deployed the linked offensive spell barrier he had so carelessly done in the past, any member of Nazarick trying to cast a divination on Ainz would be very badly hurt. While he used to do that all the time because friendly fire was off, doing so now would be dangerous.
1574
1575Of course, the denizens of Nazarick would not be hurt by the offensive barrier, given that they were protected by a World-Class Item, but the defense would incur a cost in gold coins. Rather, expenses like that were more painful for him.
1576
1577“Then there’s no need to worry ~su.” 
1578
1579“No, I’d best deactivate it. Besides, offensive barriers disappear once they activate and have to be reset. In that case, I might as well just deactivate it from the start and have some peace of mind.”
1580
1581“I see ~su, then I’ll leave it to you ~su.”
1582
1583Ainz deactivated his offensive barrier.
1584
1585“Alright -- then let’s begin the combat recording. Whose point of view are you using? Mine is fine too.”
1586
1587“I think I was supposed to do the recording ~su.”
1588
1589In truth, Ainz was fine with anything. Anyone’s perspective would have been alright.
1590
1591In addition, the memories of sparring with his friends were coming back to him, and Ainz began to enjoy himself.
1592
1593Simulated battles with his friends were a fundamental part of devising new techniques and weapons.
1594
1595He had often sparred with Touch Me, but those battles did not count and had not been entered in Ainz’s PVP record.
1596
1597Since Ainz had never won even once, his win rate would have dropped if they had been recorded. He had never taken it seriously, simply treating it as “training” since he knew he could not win. Ainz always emphasized that.
1598
1599“Shall we begin, then? You need to prepare yourself to kill me. Of course, I won’t kill you.”
1600
1601“No, actually, it’s alright if you kill us.”
1602
1603Before Ainz could say that he did not want to do so, Yuri stated the reason.
1604
1605“Ainz-sama, we are not the actual members of the Pleiades. All of us are Greater Doppelgangers.”
1606
1607“W-what?”
1608
1609“We are musicians of the Erich String Orchestra under Chacmool-sama of the Five Worsts. By Albedo-sama’s order, we have transformed into members of the Pleiades.”
1610
1611“--Is that so?”
1612
1613He looked at them several more times, but Ainz could not tell the difference between them and the Yuri and Lupusregina which he knew. He could not help but wonder if this was a lie they were telling so he could kill them without worries during the fight.
1614
1615Perhaps one of them was fake. He had once heard that the best lies were those that were truths blended with some small falsehoods.
1616
1617Ainz could not see through the Greater Doppelgangers’ disguise. There was a spell that could dispel the Greater Doppelgangers’ shapeshifting, but using that spell would keep them from transforming again for a period of time due to the spell’s effect. In that case, having them transform into the Pleiades would be meaningless. It would be a different matter if Ainz had learned lower-tier spells but--
1618
1619No--
1620
1621“Hm, it does seem like Lupusregina is speaking differently from normal. What’s going on?”
1622
1623Lupusregina’s face went blank for a moment.
1624
1625“Is that strange, Ainz-sama?”
1626
1627The Greater Doppelganger pretending to be Lupusregina changed its way of speaking. That was probably its usual speech pattern.”
1628
1629“Ah, those aren’t the usual expressions she uses.”
1630
1631“But Lupusregina-sama always spoke like that in front of us…”
1632
1633When a Doppelganger impersonated someone, people closer to the target would find it more difficult to see through their disguise. That was because they used a form of telepathy during their shapeshifting to read the surface thoughts of the people they were speaking to and those around them in order to extract information related to the target they were impersonating and then apply it to their impersonation act -- at least, that was what the monster encyclopedia said.
1634
1635That was according to Pandora’s Actor, whose ability had become real in this world.
1636
1637However, that was simply to discern the possible reactions that the impersonated subject might have, and it did not read minds or search through memories.
1638
1639In addition, since this ability was a form of psychic attack, it was useless on Ainz and other undead creatures. One could also simply resist it if the level difference was great enough. That was probably why it could not discern Lupusregina’s possible reactions from Ainz and had revealed itself. 
1640
1641Incidentally, it was more likely that Doppelgangers would out themselves when facing multiple people, because each of them would have a different impression of the target.
1642
1643Umu. Why did Lupu always add a ~su at the end of her sentences in front of them? Ahh, I see, so it was to make them sound disturbing. Perhaps she was trying to help me. What a cute little rascal she is...
1644
1645“...Hm? My apologies. I have another question that is unrelated to combat. While that is Albedo’s order, if I were to tell you to abandon that order, who would have priority?
1646
1647“Naturally, your words would have priority, Ainz-sama. However, I must sincerely apologize that we will obey orders from our summoner, Anyami Shirabe-sama, above all else.”
1648
1649“...Hm? Who’s that?”
1650
1651Was there an NPC like that? As the question grew in his heart, the flames in Ainz’s eyes flared as he heard Yuri’s answer.
1652
1653“That would be Temperance-sama.”
1654
1655“Eh? Temperance-san? Anyami? Ahhh… well, that does work as a physical description… but still, Anyami Shirabe?”
1656
1657“Yes. Temperance-sama once asked to be addressed that way, so Chacmool-sama instructed us to do so as well.”
1658
1659“...After I return to Nazarick, I would like to hear all about this. Anyami Shirabe, is it.”
1660
1661This was the first time he had ever heard him refer to himself that way.
1662
1663Ainz could not help laughing as he learned that a former friend had referred to himself that way in a place where nobody else knew. This was truly a cunning trap, set to decrease his fighting spirit.
1664
1665Ahh, no, no. I mustn’t fall for Anyami Shirabe’s trap! Ku, kuku...
1666
1667Though he knew it was not the right time to do so, he recalled the guild member in question.
1668
1669How had he looked and felt when he had given that name?
1670
1671Ainz narrowed his eyes as he reminisced about his friend from the past, and then he saw a surprised look on the face of the Yuri-Doppelganger as it tilted its head. Ainz sensed that he had become careless and pulled himself together.
1672
1673He could remember his old friends later. Right now, he ought to analyze the Doppelganger’s speech.
1674
1675After this, I’d like to question all the vassals and NPCs about the secrets they’ve been hiding. Kukuku -- in that case, another question popped up.
1676
1677In the absence of a direct order, vassals like Doppelgangers would obey the NPC in charge of them. In that case, what would happen if a certain NPC wanted to kill Ainz and gathered many high-level vassals and ordered them to attack Ainz with their strongest moves? Of course, this would be happening while Ainz was unable to detect or stop them.
1678
1679Would they carry out that order? Or would they refuse orders like that?
1680
1681“...You’re also ready to come at me like you want to kill me, is that it?”
1682
1683“Yes. Those are the orders I have received, and I have determined that I also have your permission, Ainz-sama.”
1684
1685The Yuri-Doppelganger’s answer made Ainz wrinkle his -- nonexistent -- brows.
1686
1687...Isn’t this dangerous? It’s probably best to see exactly where the boundary lies here.
1688
1689If even Ainz could think of this, then Albedo had most likely inspected it herself, Still, he ought to make sure, just in case. He could not let a safety loophole sit unfilled.
1690
1691“...Indeed. I permit you to use your full abilities to kill me in this battle. Then swear on the name of Ainz Ooal Gown once more. Can you swear that what you said about your true identities just now was the truth?”
1692
1693“Yes. This we do swear, upon the names of all the Supreme Beings.”
1694
1695Yuri and Lupusregina transformed their hands into alien-looking objects.
1696
1697“--Ah!”
1698
1699“What? What is it, Doppel-Yuri?”
1700
1701“Ainz-sama, there is one thing I forgot. Our equipment was borrowed from the Pleiades. Therefore, can we trouble you to recover them for us if we are killed?”
1702
1703Doppelgangers could even copy the clothing and equipment of their targets if they wanted to. However, they could only duplicate appearances, and not the equipment’s abilities. Since they would gain no benefits from the gear, when fighting a magic caster like Ainz, the difference between them would be like that between heaven and earth. Therefore, they had no choice but to borrow the real thing from the originals.
1704
1705Greater Doppelgangers can imitate people of up to level 60. However, unlike the NPCs, they can only copy up to 90% of the originals’ abilities. Even if they possess gear from the Pleiades, there’s no need to be worried… is there? In that case, killing them would be too much of a waste. After all, they’re mercenary vassals, which means summoning them cost money -- as I thought, I should just remove their ability to fight. Do I need to put that into the rules after all?
1706
1707“Alright! I will add one more rule. Once you Greater Doppelgangers are near death, you are out. I will monitor your health with [Life Essence]. You can hide your HP totals, right?” After Yuri replied in the affirmative, Ainz nodded. “Then suppress that ability for a while. If I judge that you’ll die after a light hit, I will call your name and rule you out. In that case, you will count as dead. Leave the battle area immediately. In addition, the same thing applies to the Evil Lord of Wrath. If I declare victory, the combat will end. Do you understand?”
1708
1709The Evil  Lord of Wrath and the two Doppelgangers indicated that they understood.
1710
1711“Very well. Then we’ll start when the coin hits the ground… about 25 minutes has passed, so I guess they won’t complain even if we start.”
1712
1713Ainz cast [Life Essence] and then took out a gold coin. Of course, this was not a YGGDRASIL gold coin, but a trading gold coin used in this world.
1714
1715“Will you not buff yourself?”
1716
1717“Ensuring you have time to buff up is also part of combat training.”
1718
1719After replying thus to Doppel-Lupusregina, Ainz backed away from them, then flicked the coin up with his thumb so it landed between the two of them.
1720
1721As the coin hit the ground, Ainz jumped back, then threw his hands out and shouted:
1722
1723“Absolute Immunity Barrier!”
1724
1725He saw the Evil Lord and the two Doppelgangers freeze up for a moment. However, the Evil Lord and Doppel-Yuri immediately rushed in.
1726
1727That was it. That was the right answer. 
1728
1729Ainz’s previous actions were meaningless. There was no ability called Absolute Immunity Barrier in YGGDRASIL -- or at least, there should not have been, was far as Ainz knew. Still, Ainz had shouted that name not simply to fake them out, but also for a different reason.
1730
1731Ah-- it feels like they’re a little slow. Could it be that they think something was done to them and they’ve become a little timid now? Well, that’s what happens when you wonder if you’ve fallen into the enemy’s trap.
1732
1733The uneasiness that came from the fact that such a technique might actually exist in this world restricted their movements. One could say that this feint had succeeded because there were still unknown things out there.
1734
1735Of course, that  was not simply because of the unknown. Special abilities like the kind that were innate to Ainz were a good example.
1736
1737During YGGDRASIL, there was no such thing as using a corpse as a medium to ignore the duration on created undead. This aberration had only sprung up after coming to this world. One could imagine that there were many other such changes that had happened in the process of coming to this world from the game. No, only a fool would think no such thing had happened.
1738
1739In other words, making decisions with YGGDRASIL knowledge alone was very dangerous.
1740
1741I ought to discuss this with Albedo… and the others, Cocytus included.
1742
1743Ainz cast a silent [Fly] spell and began thinking as he retreated to the rear while keeping a fixed distance from his pursuers.
1744
1745Albedo said that it would take about two years of preparation before destroying the Kingdom. Should I collect information until then? Expanding one’s nation means expanding the area that will be in contact with the outside...
1746
1747I ought to throw these questions at Albedo and Demiurge and get their opinions. Hm -- illusions seem to be surprisingly powerful, it might be very bad if we don’t watch out for them. It feels like you could do a lot with them if you were smart. If I meet a skilled illusionist, I should probably treat them well to recruit them. Fluder -- whoa!
1748
1749The Evil Lord had outpaced Ainz’s [Fly] spell on foot. Unfortunately, flying was not that fast.
1750
1751“!”
1752
1753After taking the Evil Lord’s maul-like fist, Ainz felt pain -- though it was immediately suppressed. Though he had felt the same way during the fight with Shalltear, he was once against thankful for this body of his that could even suppress his pain. It was thanks to it that Ainz could fight.
1754
1755After that, the Evil Lord pursued Ainz -- who had been knocked flying -- and closed the distance to him.
1756
1757To Ainz, this was the worst possible thing they could have done.
1758
1759Yuri’s circled around behind me. They’re using a pincer attack of two people who can do bludgeoning damage, which is my weakness. Meanwhile, Lupusregina’s keeping her distance and casting spells…  hm, that’s a buff. Good grief, this is the best way to deal with magic casters. Is this because of the Evil Lord’s combat AI? Or is it because it’s choosing moves from the mind of its summoner, Demiurge? Ah, never mind.
1760
1761If they would not let him keep his distance, then he would make his own space.
1762
1763“[Greater Teleportation].”
1764
1765His field of vision immediately opened up, and the city spread below him. Under normal circumstances, he would not have been able to teleport to an unknown destination, but it would be alright as long as it was within line of sight. Having teleported 1 kilometer above the ground without any hesitation whatsoever, Ainz cast a spell. It was [Body of Effulgent Beryl].
1766
1767>[Body of Effulgent Beryl]?
1768This spell was exceptionally effective because Yuri and the Evil Lord both did bludgeoning damage.
1769
1770As he muttered, “Of course, that’s not all”, Ainz looked to the ground. “...If Bukubukuchagama-san or Variable Talisman-san were here, the backliners wouldn’t be getting beaten up.”
1771
1772When playing as a party, skilled aggro managers like tanks would not make mistakes like allowing the magic casters in the backline to be attacked.
1773
1774During the time when they had stopped playing the game -- when he had gone out to earn the money to pay for Nazarick’s upkeep by himself, he had used mercenary NPCs to allow him to act with impunity. The only time he had truly fought alone was the battle with Shalltear. Perhaps that was why he could not help complaining.
1775
1776It had been a while, so he had no idea where the Evil Lord was, but he had a rough idea of where the square was. While carpetbombing the location with attack spells was a valid tactic, that would be pointless. One could say that the objective this time round was to win in a full-powered contest with the opposition.
1777
1778“[Widen Magic Delay Teleportation]!”
1779
1780Come to think of it, I used to get pissed off by the mercenary NPCs’ poor management of aggro. That was probably the devs’ way of saying “please group up with other players” or something.
1781
1782He then confirmed that there was something large that was going to teleport above him, within the area of the [Delay Teleportation] spell -- the Evil Lord.  Thanks to the effect of the [Delay Teleportation], it would take a while before it appeared in the real world. In other words, it meant that these two weak enemies which had lost their strongest shield were completely exposed before him.
1783
1784In order to weaken the enemy’s fighting strength, he ought to defeat the weaker two first. Ainz let gravity claim him, and then accelerated further with [Fly].
1785
1786The added speed of the freefall meant that he was moving quite fast. The air struck Ainz’s face and flowed past him. At the same time, Ainz opened his eyes and observed the square.
1787
1788“Though I think hiding in a house would have been better…”
1789
1790Ainz muttered quietly and then selected Lupusregina -- who was proudly standing in the middle of the square -- as his target.
1791 
1792Yuri was some distance away. While she could see him, she did not look like she was prepared to intercept him. Leaving a healer alone was quite frustrating, but Yuri had made the right decision considering that she had to be wary of area-effect spells,.
1793 
1794Ainz ground to a halt -- in truth, Ainz would not have been hurt even if he had crashed straight into the ground -- and cast his spell.
1795 
1796Ainz chose one of the most destructive tenth-tier spells in his arsenal. At the same time, he used a special ability to maximize the spell. While he could have tripled the spell or something similar to do a great deal of damage, it would be very dangerous while he did not know how much damage the Doppelgangers had taken. He had to avoid the dangerous possibility that he might kill them by accident.
1797  
1798“[Maximize Magic--]”
1799
1800As he raised his hand, his hand was struck and damaged, and the spell fizzled. The mana spent on casting the spell was wasted.
1801 
1802What? Interfering with a spell through a ranged attack? Is it some kind of special ability?
1803 
1804Perhaps it was because he was undead, or because he was a veteran player, but his confusion only lasted for a moment. Ainz immediately analyzed the attack he had received.
1805 
1806Neither the Evil Lord nor Yuri nor Lupusregina possessed abilities like this.
1807 
1808Perhaps it’s the World-Clas Item holder who brainwashed Shalltear--
1809  
1810To think the Hanzos missed him--
1811 
1812And if it was a ranged weapon user--
1813  
1814If it was her, she could use a special ability to interfere with spell--
1815  
1816“--I fell for it!”
1817 
1818Ainz shouted as he found the answer.
1819 
1820Although Yuri closed in and delivered a punch, Ainz had already enhanced his defense with a spell, so he did not need to be so wary of her. After all, there was something more important than that.
1821 
1822The whole thing was a trap from the start! No, Yuri -- I see! “Here” was referring to the square! That was why the Hanzos said “the Pleiades” were present! Dammit! I was wondering why they said “all of us” when it was just the two of them!”
1823  
1824All the points of data made a beautiful line.
1825 
1826CZ was attacking now. 
1827 
1828It was not just Yuri and Lupusregina who were present. CZ was also on the battlefield. In all likelihood, Solution and Entoma were here too. All the Doppel-Pleiades were present in the city.
1829 
1830No, no, I need to calm down. Doppel-CZ was just lucky. It was easy enough for me to resist that because of the level difference between us. She won’t be so lucky -- well, unlucky for me -- next time.
1831  
1832“[Greater Word of Curse]!”
1833 
1834The Evil Lord has finally caught up and he cast a spell, but Ainz resisted it without any problems. It was only threatening in close combat, so all he had to do was keep his distance.
1835 
1836Ainz ignored the Evil Lord above him and ignored Yuri, who had only done minimal damage to him from the start. He lunged straight at Lupusregina.
1837 
1838In that moment--
1839 
1840Countless Bullet Bugs flew over from the side. There was no doubt that it was Entoma.
1841 
1842He did not even need to use his High-Tier Physical Immunity to stop it. That was because non-magical ranged attacks could not harm Ainz.
1843 
1844Perhaps it was a weapon carried by the Pleiades, Ainz’s immunity would have been defeated thanks to the massive amount of data within them. The best example of that was CZ and Yuri’s attacks from just now. However, certain skills were calculated based on the user’s level. Entoma was a prime example, since she possessed many of these user level-based attacks.
1845 
1846Entoma was only around level 50, so her attacks did not bother Ainz at all. In addition, if all damage from an attack was nullified, none of the rider effects would take place either.
1847 
1848Therefore, he could ignore it.
1849 
1850Ainz did not even spare Entoma a glance as he moved in to finish off the healer, but just then, Solution erupted from her ambush point in front of Lupusregina. It would have been a futile gesture if she was facing an area-effect attack, but that was the only way to protect the healer.
1851 
1852 
1853However, Solution had made a fatal mistake. Ainz was a magic caster and did not need to close to attack. All he needed to do was cast attack spells from a distance. He had to think about why she would charge out from in front of Lupusregina.
1854  
1855Ainz had only one aim.
1856 
1857He wanted to expose the enemy and reveal whatever card they had up their sleeve.
1858 
1859Narberal’s not around?
1860 
1861He did not understand. She was not among the maid demons who had attacked the Royal Capital. However, one could not rule her out if all the Pleiades were present. It was possible that they were saving their ace in the hole for the last moment. Still, since he knew what kind of hand the opposition had, there was no reason to continue fighting in the middle of the enemy.
1862 
1863“[Greater Teleportation].”
1864 
1865CZ did not interrupt his spell, and he managed to teleport under a roof within line of sight.
1866 
1867I need to remember what Yuri and the others can do. Who should I kill first? --Lupusregina, the healer. While I need to be very careful of CZ… I have no idea where she is… so I’ll let the others go first. The Evil Lord will take the most time, so I’ll save him for last.
1868 
1869He saw Lupusregina casting a spell on Solution. Had they not pursued Ainz because drawing out the battle was not a problem for them? No, it was because they understood that since Ainz could move at will with [Greater Teleportation], they could be easily scattered and individually defeated. After all, Ainz was hoping for that too.
1870 
1871It did not matter if they saw through him.
1872 
1873All he had to do was worry them with ranged spells and then take them out one by one. While CZ the ranged combat specialist was present, she would eventually expose herself if she attacked continuously. Therefore, she would only attack at critical moments. In that case, she would not be so frightening. Or rather--
1874 
1875“I didn’t see her, so let me guess, you’re standing in for Narberal.”
1876 
1877Ainz muttered to himself as he watched the Evil Lord land.
1878 
1879 
1880“Haha, you’ve become fat, Narberal. Shall we call you Gorillal now? And your element’s changed greatly too. Well -- this is interesting. If the Doppel-Pleiades are my opponents--” Ainz flourished his cape. Of course, there was no meaning to it; he simply wanted to show off in a kingly way. “Then I ought to get a little serious.”
1881   
1882Don’t die~
1883  
1884“[Twin Maximize Magic Re--”
1885 
1886Just as Ainz was about to cast a spell at Lupusregina, another bullet hit Ainz’s arms and interrupted his spell.
1887 
1888“--Hah?”
1889
1890Impossible.
1891 
1892Even if she had succeeded once by luck, she could not have interrupted his spell twice in a row. CZ was far lower level than Ainz.
1893 
1894Could  he have been unlucky enough to fail his resistance check twice in a row? How unlikely were those odds? Or perhaps this was not bad luck, but certainty -- for instance, if his opponent was not CZ at all?
1895  
1896The Evil Lord of Wrath spread his fiery wings and closed in on Ainz. Yuri came in from the right, and Entoma flew in from the left in a roundabout fashion.
1897 
1898What’s going on? Why is this happening? Is this some change that occurred after coming to this world? Or did Garnet-san give CZ something? Or is it not CZ? What did Yuri say just now? They’re sisters, but they’re Doppel… Pando--ahhhh!
1899
1900The Evil Lord had closed the distance and then cocked his hand back, preparing to deliver a haymaker.
1901 
1902Dammit! I hate people like that who just rush straight in and start punching! If you’re a substitute for Narberal than attack with magic! You damn Gorrilal!
1903 
1904Well, if he had really cast a spell on him he would have resisted it, so it would have been boring anyway.
1905 
1906Ainz did not hesitate; he stepped in before his enemy could fully close the distance.
1907 
1908The Evil Lord had guessed that Ainz would flee, so his movements slowed by a beat. Behind him was Yuri, who was probably planning to completely surround Ainz with the Evil Lord.
1909 
1910The strike from the flaming fist -- was a feint, which was why Ainz had managed to evade it by stepping into the range of the blow.
1911  
1912 
1913A pure mage had evaded the attack of a warrior-type monster.
1914 
1915While he thought that this would be impossible if he were a YGGDRASIL player, this was not due to luck. As mentioned before, the Evil Lord had not expected Ainz to step into the attack, so he had not used his full force. And then there was another point, which was that this was the result of his training.
1916  
1917Ainz had practiced this method of evading his opponent by closing in with them several hundred times with Cocytus. About one in every ten times, if Cocytus was not attacking in earliest, he could completely slip past an attack.
1918 
1919Cocytus did say that a good warrior would never make such incredibly flashy and telegraphed attacks, so I shouldn’t get careless… but it’s pretty useful in an actual fight, isn’t it?
1920  
1921And so, Ainz placed his bony hand on the Evil Lord’s sturdy chest.
1922  
1923And then he cast a touch spell.
1924 
1925While most spells had an effective range, some spells had a range that was practically zero. Such spells needed direct contact with the target to be cast, so only people with levels in spellcaster and warrior classes could use them well. It was because they were so inconvenient that they were more powerful than spells of a similar tier, being roughly a tier more effective, 
1926 
1927Ainz used an eighth-tier spell from his specialty of necromancy, [Energy Drain]. It was a spell that drained the opponent’s levels and granted various benefits depending on the amount of levels drained. Naturally, this spell had also been maximized.
1928 
1929He beat the Evil Lord’s spell resistance and drained his levels. Thanks to that, he recovered almost all the damage Yuri had inflicted. That said, that was about as much as that spell could do in the way of healing.
1930 
1931Ainz’s parameters were all temporarily enhanced, and he received a special buff which would fade in a short time. On the other hand, the Evil Lord had received a level down debuff which could not be removed by the passage of time as thanks.
1932 
1933This time, the Evil Lord backed away.
1934 
1935His wrathful visage was tinted by something else.
1936 
1937Was it surprise, or was it admiration?
1938 
1939Ainz wanted to praise himself for successfully evading that blow too. That said, he had managed it because his opposition had been far too cocky. Just like how a magic trick became boring once you pointed out the gimmick, this move would probably not work a second time.
1940 
1941“Well, however good a plan is, only an idiot would use it more than once. Isn’t that right -- Pleiades! Aureole Omega!”
1942   
1943That was how it was.
1944 
1945He was fighting five Doppelgangers, the Evil Lord of Wrath and a level 100 NPC.
1946  
1947Is Albedo trying to make me lose? I didn’t think she’s even use Aureole.
1948 
1949Aureole Omega was the lastborn of the Pleiades Seven Sisters. She was an Area Guardian of the 8th Floor and a level 100 NPC specialized in commander-type classes. As a commander, she could issue orders which buffed her allies. CZ must have been able to beat their level difference thanks to that.
1950 
1951While he had no idea what kind of special ability Aureole had used, if one looked at party roles such as physical attacker, magical attacker, healer and so on, then she would be a wild card -- an allrounder. It was hardly strange that she would be able to do anything.
1952  
1953What exactly could Punitto Moe-san do?
1954 
1955Ainz never went head to head with his opponents during PVP< so Ainz had little experience in dealing with commander-type opponents.
1956
1957She could not have left the 8th Floor and come here without my permission. That would mean that she must have buffed the Doppelgangers before they came here. That would mean she probably didn’t buff them too carefully - or no, is there a Doppegnger of Aureole here? 
1958  
1959--No. There was no time to think about such pointless things. Only one thing mattered. Could they completely shut down Ainz’s spellcasting, and could they keep it up forever?
1960 
1961There were two kinds of special abilities in YGGDRASIL. One kind had a cooldown period after use. The other had a limited period of uses within a certain period. There were also combinations of the two.
1962 
1963In general, the more powerful the ability, the longer the cooldown or the fewer times it could be used. Ainz’s trump card of [The Goal Of All Life Is Death] that could only be used once every 100 hours was just such an ability.
1964 
1965In that case, which type did CZ’s ability to interrupt Ainz’s spellcasting belong to?
1966 
1967That move just now was very handy, but it did not seem to have a long cooldown time. That would mean it was the use-limited type.
1968 
1969However, he could not tell how long it would take for her to recover her uses. All he could do was hope that she could not recover them during the course of the battle after they were depleted.
1970 
1971--Though I think I ought to save my tenth-tier spells for when they’ve been depleted...
1972  
1973Ainz quickly verified the positions of the Pleiades and the Evil Lord. The Evil Lord was in front of him. Yuri was behind him -- and preparing to slug Ainz. While her ki-enhanced attacks could even shatter steel, they were little impediment in the face of Ainz’s levels. After reconfirming that the Evil Lord would soon be a threat, he turned his attention to the others.
1974  
1975Entoma was inside a house on the left side of the square. Lupusregina was in the square. Solution stood in front of her, like she was protecting her. CZ’s location was unknown.
1976 
1977While not knowing a sniper’s position was the worst possible scenario, the fact that the enemy was now dispersed was the best case for him.
1978 
1979Ainz snorted.
1980 
1981Though he knew that now was hardly a time to laugh, he could not resist the mirth welling up inside him.
1982 
1983Now this is interesting!
1984 
1985“Alright, now get out of my face. [Maximize Magic Nuclear Blast]!”
1986 
1987“!”
1988
1989Before Ainz’s eyes, the space between him and the Evil Lord flashed and swelled, consuming everything in an instant. Yuri was surprised, but that was only to be expected, because Ainz had been caught in it as well.
1990 
1991Using the ninth-tier spell [Nuclear Blast] as an attack was a questionable choice. It did composite damage -- half fire, half bludgeoning -- and it was one of the weaker 9th-tier spells in terms of damage.
1992 
1993Considering the Evil Lord of Wrath was immune to fire, this spell should not have even been considered for use. Even so, Ainz had his reasons for using this spell.
1994 
1995First of all, it had a very large area of effect. In that respect, this spell was superior to almost all others. In addition, this spell also generated all kinds of negative status effects such as poisoning, blindness, deafness, and so on. Anything of the Evil Lord’s level would be able to resist it with their raw statistics alone. The Pleiades ought to have countermeasures against all these effects. The main reason he had chosen this spell was because it also possessed a very powerful knockback effect.
1996 
1997Of course, Ainz would also be damaged by this spell. While friendly fire was off in YGGDRASIL and so using a spell this recklessly would not be a problem, right now he would be hurting himself. Even if his magical defense was very high, there was no need for him to go out of the way to take damage to cast his spell. Rather than act like a suicide bomber, he ought to have chosen another spell. 
1998  
1999However, Ainz had it all worked out.
2000 
2001If he expended the [Body of Effulgent Beryl] spell to stop all the bludgeoning damage, the fire-elemental damage would also be negated, which would mean he would not be harmed. In addition, all those negative statuses were ineffective on the undead.
2002 
2003In other words, Ainz was undamaged by the spell.
2004 
2005Since he had completely resisted its damage, the knockback did not take effect either, and so Ainz was the only one left standing in the heart of the explosion.
2006 
2007“Hahah.”
2008 
2009Ainz laughed. The feeling of everything going as planned was very refreshing, after all.
2010 
2011Ainzs’ aim was to send the enemy flying and tear the enemy formation to shreds. 
2012 
2013For a moment, Ainz briefly saw the guild members who had taught him various things -- including this tactic.
2014 
2015Both the earlier simulated battle but even this battle where failure meant death reminded Ainz of YGGDRASIL, and made him strangely happy.
2016  
2017I wondered about this before, but I don’t think I’m a battle maniac...
2018 
2019“Come, it’s not over yet. The battle’s just beginning. I’ll show you the strength that I trained with everyone.
2020 
2021Unleashing the fury of that 9th-tier spell meant that the surrounding buildings had all been swept away, and there was much more space all of a sudden.
2022 
2023That could not be helped. After all, this city had outlived its usefulness.
2024 
2025However, he could have widened the spell to try and catch CZ in the blast. However, Ainz was worried about the problems that might result from destroying too much of the city, hence this method. For all he knew, it might have been a mistake.
2026 
2027Forget it, let’s leave it at that. What’s left is--
2028  
2029Ainz looked in Lupusregina’s direction. The enemy envelopment was in shambles.
2030 
2031Even with Aureole’s buffs, they could not avoid the knockback, and Ainz could see the enemy hurriedly getting to their feet.
2032 
2033“That’s about all the damage [Nuclear Blast] ought to be able to do, so--”
2034 
2035Ainz flew towards Lupusregina and cast [Reality Slash].
2036  
2037This time, he was not interrupted by CZ, and Lupusregina’s body fountained blood.
2038 
2039“[Widen Magic Sharks Cyclone].”
2040 
2041An extra-large cyclone came into existence behind him, swallowing up Yuri and the Evil Lord. This was both to obscure Yuri and the Evil Lord’s vision and also to buy Ainz time. In truth, Ainz had planned to create a cyclone before the [Nuclear Blast] to block their vision and then get rid of Yuri first, but after considering that the Evil Lord could probably break out of the spell easily he decided not to go with that plan. Instead, he had decided to use it when the enemy was confused.
2042 
2043There was the sound of rolling stones as Ainz saw Entoma push a pillar off herself as she rose to her feet.
2044 
2045He had no idea where CZ was even now. Ideally, she would be pinned under a fallen house.
2046 
2047“He’s coming here! Stop him!”
2048 
2049Solution shouted from her place in front of Lupusregina, but her voice could not reach the ears of Yuri and the Evil Lord, who were inside the cyclone. In particular, Yuri was shifting desperately within the cyclone to avoid being blown away. While certain classes could use spells or special abilities to teleport or go incorporeal and thus escape the cyclone easily, she did not seem to possess such an ability.
2050 
2051And that would mean Yuri had focused on strengthening other things--
2052  
2053After reviewing this battle, they ought to understand what gear they need to have and what preparations they need to make, right? No, that’s not it...
2054  
2055If they were the true Pleiades, they might have been able to deal with this this better. They were simply Doppelgangers copying the Pleiades’ abilities, after all. It only made sense that they would lose out to the real deal in terms of combat skills.
2056 
2057As Ainz closed the distance and prepared to cast [Reality Slash], bugs fell from the sky one after the other. They were large transport insects with no combat ability. The objective of this action was simply to block Ainz’ line of sight.
2058 
2059Such a use would not be possible in YGGDRASIL. Even so, Entoma -- though actually a Doppelganger -- could use them in this way. Ainz gave thanks in his heart as he incanted a spell.
2060 
2061“[Greater Teleportation].”
2062 
2063After teleporting into the air and avoiding the rain of bugs, Ainz cast [Double Maximize Magic Reality Slash].
2064 
2065Even if CZ had Ainz in his sights, the fact that her target had suddenly teleported into the air meant that she would lose him. After all, the weakness of the humanoid body was its inability to follow sudden up and down movement with the eyes.
2066 
2067That said, if he were facing an experienced sharpshooter like Peroroncino, for example, they would be able to anticipate their opponent’s movements, even in the vertical plane. Therefore, it was possible that one could not even escape with teleportation magic,
2068 
2069Peroroncino-san’s aiming would have been like locking on to his target… CZ, you need to work hard to get on his level...
2070 
2071As he basked in the nostalgia, Ainz shouted:
2072 
2073“Lupusregina, out!”
2074 
2075Having to fight while keeping an eye on the HP of his opponents was very difficult. One could even call it a handicap. Therefore, if he was asked if Lupusregina’s HP was really depleted, Ainz could not reply with any confidence. Even so, he had to avoid any chance of killing Lupusregina because of a moment’s carelessness.
2076 
2077She’s a Doppelganger, so not only is she weaker than the original, but her HP isn’t the same as the original Lupusregina’s. Alright, now that I’ve taken out the enemy’s magic caster, it’s time to be a real bastard. [Perfect Unknowable].”
2078  
2079While there were ways to discover Ainz after he had cast [Perfect Unknowable], without the aid of magic items, the only member of the Pleiades who could do it was Lupusregina, and the Evil Lord ought to be unable to detect him too. Therefore, it would probably be safe to say that they had no way to deal with this underhanded means of attack.
2080  
2081Since I’ve taken out the enemy healer, I should go search for CZ. Don’t tell me she’s burning up consumable items?
2082 
2083Personally, Ainz could not forgive wasting the wealth of Nazarick on a battle like this.
2084 
2085“Where is he?”
2086 
2087“He’s gone! Is he using [Invisibility]?”
2088 
2089“I can find him if he’s invisible! But he’s not there!”
2090 
2091“Is this some other kind of invisibility?”
2092 
2093He could hear their confusion.
2094 
2095“You Narberals! He’s using [Perfect Unknowable]!”
2096  
2097“Lupusregina! You’re cheating!” Ainz shouted, but thanks to [Perfect Unknowable], others could not hear him.
2098  
2099Ainz scratched his head.
2100 
2101The Evil Lord and Yuri seemed to have broken out of the cyclone, and they were now looking all around for Ainz. While the best option would have been to drop another [Nuclear Blast] on them, that might end up killing Lupusregina, so Ainz abandoned that notion. Instead, he descended and kept tabs on Yuri’s position at the same time. After that, he compared the amount of HP Yuri was missing to that of the others, and verified that she had taken fire damage from the earlier magical attack--
2102  
2103“[Triplet Maximize Magic Vermilion Nova]!”
2104 
2105Ainz used the highest-level -- super-tier magic notwithstanding -- anti-personnel fire-element attack spell on Yuri.
2106 
2107It was only to be expected that there would be tenth-tier spells that could do fire-element damage.
2108 
2109For instance, [Stream of Lava], [Uriel], and the like. However, the use of both of them presented problems for Ainz.
2110 
2111First off, [Stream of Lava] was a divine spell which only a druid like Mare could cast. Therefore, Ainz could not cast it. [Uriel], on the other hand, was a spell that could be learned by a magic caster of any type as long as the requirements to learn it were met, but it only did its listed damage when cast by a magic caster with a maxed-out positive karma value. Its damage decreased as one’s karma value decreased, and for someone like Ainz, it would do less damage than a first-tier spell.
2112 
2113Therefore, this spell was Ainz’s only choice when it came to handiness.
2114 
2115Yuri’s health dropped drastically.
2116  
2117“[Perfect Unknowable].”
2118
2119“He disappeared again!”
2120 
2121“He can’t keep getting away with this!”
2122 
2123“If only Ainz-sama would fight us fair and square!”
2124 
2125No, no, you’re in the wrong for not even thinking of a way around this.
2126 
2127“And besides, I have no idea where CZ is! You three never said anything about who was taking part in this battle! Now who’s being treacherous!?”
2128 
2129Ainz shouted, even though he knew the opposition could not hear him.
2130 
2131After coming to his senses, the Evil Lord charged at the place Ainz had been.
2132 
2133“Too bad, I’m not there anymore~”
2134 
2135Ainz had begun moving, so he was not there anymore, However, he would still be within the area of effect if the Evil Lord decided to cast area-attack spells, but just as Ainz thought that, the Evil Lord suddenly changed direction and came straight at Ainz.
2136 
2137“Hah?”
2138 
2139Was he not invisible? That question was soon pounded out of existence by the pain he felt.
2140 
2141The Evil Lord sent Ainz flying back. Since he was much more serious than just now, Ainz found it hard to defend against or evade the attack. No, Ainz had been too relaxed -- he had not even thought of evading.
2142  
2143Fortunately, the [Fly] spell helped control his posture and spared him the ignominy of rolling across the ground. It was just like how it had been in the Shalltear battle.
2144 
2145The Evil Lord jumped over, hot on Ainz’s heels, and his line of sight was most definitely tracking Ainz’s flight path.
2146 
2147...The Evil Lord of Wrath shouldn’t have the ability to see through it… Ah, he used it! His trump card, [Soul-Bought Miracle]!”
2148 
2149Inspired by stories of selling one’s soul to the devil to fulfil one’s wishes, this ability was truly miraculous. While he was not sure how the procedure worked, once one used this ability, one could use any one spell of under the 8th tier once.
2150 
2151Normally, when Evil Lords used this ability, they would almost always use healing spells -- that was an unwritten rule. However, this time he had probably used a spell to see through [Perfect Unknowable]
2152 
2153Ainz silently gave thanks that the Evil Lord had used the ability of which he was the most wary even as he felt the pressing need to formulate a new battle plan.
2154 
2155As the Evil Lord closed in and punched him again, Ainz began to get worried.
2156 
2157While there was quite a large level difference between the two and he still had some room for laxity, he could not simply allow himself to continue getting beaten up like this.
2158 
2159“Cheh. Here, have some back. [Triplet Maximize Magic Call Greater Thunder].”
2160 
2161High-level demons had very high elemental resistances. While their exact resistance varied between type, electricity was one of the more effective energy types. After taking three hits of a maximized elemental attack spell, the Evil Lord’s body trembled.
2162 
2163Ainz cast another spell.
2164 
2165“[Perfect Unknowable].”
2166 
2167“Cheeeeeap! Ainz-sama, you’re so cheeeeeeap!”
2168 
2169“Ahhh, seriously!”
2170 
2171Entoma was literally hopping mad, while Lupusregina was rolling around on the ground. Solution was the only one who was surveying her surroundings with a razor-sharp gaze.
2172 
2173In theory, each individual mercenary vassal should have been identical, yet they had developed divergent personalities like this. Was it because they had copied the relationships between the members of the Pleiades? Or had their personalities changed over time? The Evil Lord before Ainz followed his movements closely and shouted:
2174 
2175“Here! Use area attacks here, hit me with it too!”
2176 
2177Entoma breathed a black cloud from her mouth. It was her trump card, her fly breath.
2178 
2179However, it was useless against Ainz, because that move did piercing damage. In addition, Ainz was a skeleton; what would the flies eat? In the end, it only served to annoy the Evil Lord.
2180 
2181“Hey! It didn’t work on him! It only works on me!”
2182 
2183“Eh!?”
2184 
2185Being able to copy an ability and use it well were two different things altogether. Surely the real Entoma would not have made such an amateur mistake.
2186 
2187“I don’t have any area-effect attacks, how about you, Yuri-nee?”
2188 
2189“I’ve got this!”
2190 
2191Yuri gathered light between her palms.
2192 
2193The Kibakushou was a technique that acted as an anti-individual attack when it touched the enemy, but which became a spreading shockwave if it did not make contact. Naturally, as an attack intended for direct contact, it became very weak when used as a spread effect. Since monks were a class focused on fighting individuals, they had very few area-effect attacks -- practically none, in fact -- therefore one could say that it was completely useless.
2194   
2195“There! He moved!”
2196 
2197“Here?”
2198 
2199Yuri launched her area Kibakushou at the location where Ainz had been. Ainz wrinkled his brow -- despite having no brow -- as he saw this and reached a hand out.
2200   
2201“...No, no, you should have prioritized healing.”
2202 
2203Yuri could have healed herself with her qigong. 
2204 
2205After making his jab at Yuri, Ainz cast his spell. Needless to say, it was a spell that he already knew to be effective.
2206 
2207“[Double Maximize Magic Vermilion Nova].”
2208 
2209Having cast an attack spell, Ainz came into view. He looked at Yuri, who was wreathed in flames, and made a cold pronouncement.
2210 
2211“Yuri, out -- [Perfect Unknowable].”
2212 
2213Now then, things will get bad if I don’t find CZ. Having made that decision, Ainz began making a big detour as he kept an eye on the Evil Lord.
2214 
2215
2216Many people stood on the city walls with Neia, watching the battle unfold.
2217 
2218While many people of them were had been swayed to the Sorcerer King’s side after being rescued by him, they were not the only ones here.
2219 
2220There were priests and paladins here as well. Neia could not see Remedios from where she was standing, but she was close enough that Neia could hear her speak.
2221 
2222The only members of the command staff who were not here were Gustav and Caspond.
2223 
2224Everyone watching the battle was silent -- no, it was simply because there were no words to describe the battle.
2225  
2226They should have known this.
2227 
2228The members of Blue Rose had said that Jaldabaoth’s difficulty rating was above 200. In other words, this was like fighting a huge dragon in the form of a human. Just fighting said battle in the land of men would lead to a great tragedy.
2229 
2230They ought to have been grateful that only a single city district was destroyed. Many houses were on fire and white plumes of smoke reached to the sky, but the total casualties were almost nil.
2231 
2232While watching the battle, she had seen  cyclones, blazes, strokes of lightning and other tremendous manifestations of power that were beyond man’s knowledge running wild. Each of these discharges of energy could have easily taken countless lives.
2233 
2234Especially--
2235  
2236“It’s beautiful…”
2237  
2238What had truly moved Neia’s heart was the ball of white light that she had seen twice.
2239 
2240It was power which consumed everything and made it disappear without a trace. It felt like something good to Neia, although she could not confirm whether it was truly the work of divine might. The incredible devastation she saw in the wake of the light’s disappearance frightened her, but her admiration of its great power had won out in the end.
2241 
2242It seems the fighting is still going on. I can’t believe the battle still isn’t over after using all those spells… Jaldabaoth is really strong.
2243 
2244She had heard about it, and she had even seen it with her own eyes. Yet, Neia’s thinking had still been too naive. That naivete was now thoroughly eradicated.
2245 
2246The king she served -- though only temporarily, and only within the Holy Kingdom -- was fighting. She felt that searing his heroic visage into her eyes was only natural as part of her squire’s duties, which was why Neia was keeping watch from here. Yet, if she could--
2247  
2248--Neia tightly squeezed the bow she was carrying.
2249 
2250If one looked closely, they would see several other shapes battling the Sorcerer King in addition to Jaldabaoth. Those were the maid demons, who were rated at difficulty 150. Neia could not do anything but admire the Sorcerer King’s power for fighting so many powerful adversaries at once without giving ground.
2251 
2252It was at this moment that Neia finally realized something about herself. She envied the people of the Sorcerous Kingdom -- those people who were protected by justice. How happy they must be to live in a country ruled by such a being.
2253  
2254“Weakness is a sin, so one must become strong, or humbly accept justice similar to that of His Majesty.”
2255 
2256It was at this moment that Neia voiced the words she had been mulling over all this time. The way she repeated it several times sounded very much like a prayer.
2257 
2258Suddenly, there was a large explosion as a meteor fell.
2259 
2260It threw the carcasses of buildings high into the air, and they rained back down to the earth amidst a shower of gravel and sand.
2261 
2262“Captain… isn’t Jaldabaoth… too powerful?”
2263 
2264“Yes, that’s right.”
2265 
2266“The Sorcerer King -- His Majesty is also incredibly strong. If he becomes an enemy of our nation… what will we do?”
2267  
2268“Yes, that’s right.”
2269 
2270“Captain?”
2271 
2272“Yes, that’s right.”
2273 
2274She could hear Remedios talking to three paladins.
2275 
2276The paladins asking her questions had probably not seen how Remedios had ended up being toyed with like a child even after unleashing the holy sword’s power and stabbing Jaldabaoth in the back.
2277 
2278Ahh, maybe they didn’t see it. Still, anyone who saw that fight would understand. Both the Sorcerer King and Jaldabaoth were unimaginably powerful. Still, it was too late to think about things like that now. No--
2279  
2280If His Majesty could take this country under his rule, we would not have to suffer demihuman invasions again.
2281 
2282Neia was startled at how perfect that idea was, and even a little afraid.
2283 
2284Merging with the Holy Kingdom… if he were a frightening tyrant, even I wouldn’t think about it. But the Sorcerer King isn’t like that. He is justice. In that case… I ought to gather people who feel the same way as me!
2285 
2286Neia pondered the matter.
2287 
2288Many people had come to respect and idolize the Sorcerer King. There were those who were drawn to his overwhelming power, those who were grateful for being freed from suffering, those who hated the demihumans and who were glad that he had taken revenge on their behalf, and many such others.
2289 
2290From them she would select those people who had always been praying for the peace of this country, and then let them hear her words.
2291 
2292Neia knew that she was still young and lacked life experience. However, adults with good sense could stop Neia if they felt that her judgement was in error.
2293 
2294Let’s start by looking among my subordinates in the archery unit.
2295 
2296There were people among them who had lost their loved ones and harbored hate in their hearts. It might be better to try persuading them, because Neia could understand how they felt.
2297 
2298As she pondered this, she heard a doom as an exceptionally large explosion rang out.
2299 
2300After that, far in the distance, a tall building began to collapse.
2301 
2302The Sorcerer King would not have destroyed that building for no reason. Neia narrowed her eyes to try and see what was going on, but she could not tell what was happening in the building as it collapsed amidst billowing clouds of dust.
2303 
2304It was followed by a massive stroke of lightning from the sky.
2305 
2306It would seem he was working towards some objective here, as she had expected.
2307 
2308After a while, all manner of spells wrecked the city, and the situation repeated itself.
2309 
2310Neia was uneasy.
2311 
2312That they were incredible spells went without saying, but could the Sorcerer King’s mana really hold out?
2313 
2314Neia shook her head and banished the fear and unease from her heart.
2315 
2316It’ll be fine! The Sorcerer King must have taken all this into account! He’s already wasted so much mana on this country, but even so--
2317  
2318Still, hypothetically, if Jaldabaoth won, there would be no salvation for this world, only despair. What should she do if that happened?
2319 
2320Your Majesty, I’m counting on you!
2321 
2322And then, two shapes soared into the sky, as though Neia’s wish had gotten through.
2323 
2324The first to ascend trailed darkness in his wake, while the one pursuing him flapped his crimson wings and left a streak of fire behind him. 
2325The fact that the maids were not pursuing them meant one thing -- the Sorcerer King had defeated those difficulty 150 monsters among monsters while battling Jaldabaoth.
2326 
2327--He’s amazing!
2328 
2329Neia was so moved that she shivered.
2330 
2331His Majesty is more powerful than Jaldabaoth!
2332 
2333Indeed. There was no need to think anything else.
2334 
2335In turn, the maids were far weaker than Jaldabaoth, who was a notch below the Sorcerer King. That was why he could defeat them while fighting Jaldabaoth.
2336 
2337Neia struggled to contain her delight. As she carefully engraved the greatness of the person she respected into her eyes, she was so filled with joy that it seemed like it would explode out of her.
2338 
2339Neia’s heart pounded, to the point where it almost hurt.
2340 
2341They were all watching a scene that would one day be enshrined in a heroic saga.
2342 
2343--No, that’s not right.
2344 
2345It would seem they were going to fight again in the air.
2346 
2347Crimson spheres and glowing spheres blossomed in the sky.
2348 
2349Each of these spells could probably destroy an entire city district by themselves, and they were hurling them at each other in wild flurries. However, they looked kind of cute from a distance. 
2350 
2351Even so, that was an exchange of power within a realm that mankind could never reach.
2352 
2353This is...
2354 
2355As she looked out the corner of her eyes, she saw the people lining the city walls gulping as they saw all this. It would seem that they understood as well. They watched the aerial battle in silence, with earnest looks on their faces.
2356 
2357Someone put his hands together in prayer, and the people beside him followed suit -- and soon almost everyone on the city walls had their hands together as they looked to the sky.
2358  
2359It felt like they were at worship.
2360 
2361...This is mythology...
2362 
2363Neia did not know how much time had passed, but eventually -- there was a commotion among the people.
2364  
2365Before everyone’s eyes, one of the shapes in the sky fell towards the east -- and then it vanished.
2366  
2367The battle was over.
2368 
2369As everyone watched closely, the remaining shape slowly descended. Neia’s vision was better than most, and so she saw it first. It shocked her so much that she covered her mouth.
2370 
2371When the others saw the crimson fire, the city walls were silent. However, nobody tried to flee. Everyone who had seen the battle knew that there was no point in running.
2372 
2373With a flap of his fiery wings, the victor (Jaldabaoth) showed himself.
2374  
2375Though he was the victor in name, he was a tragic sight.
2376 
2377His entire body was covered in electrical scorch marks. Half his face seemed to have been crushed, and his deep wounds oozed fresh blood. Perhaps it was due to its temperature, but the blood sizzled as it touched the city walls, and the sound did not stop for a moment.
2378 
2379The way he looked was a better testament to the intensity of their battle than words could ever be.
2380 
2381“No way…”
2382 
2383A weighty, yet somewhat pained voice echoed across the city walls, as though to wipe away Neia’s muttering.
2384 
2385“...What a mighty opponent. He was one of the strongest I faced since Momon. I underestimated him. How foolish. Leading the demihumans nearly became meaningless. However -- yes, however, he is dead.”
2386  
2387Neia could not believe this. Therefore, she cried out:
2388 
2389“You’re lying!”
2390 
2391Jaldabaoth turned his intact eye toward Neia, but she did not budge despite being bathed in the gaze of a creature from a completely different order of life. The intense emotions within her heart left no room for fear to enter.
2392 
2393“I am not lying.”
2394 
2395“His Majesty is very bad at jokes… so you’re lying, right?”
2396 
2397“I am not lying.”
2398 
2399The words Jaldabaoth had repeated hit Neia hard enough to shatter her soul.
2400 
2401The world seemed to shake under her feet.
2402 
2403Neia instantly understood why the Sorcerer King had lost to Jaldabaoth. There was no need to even think about it.
2404 
2405It was simply because this country lacked Blue Rose’s Evileye and Darkness’ Nabe, the two magic casters who could hold the maid demons in check.
2406 
2407No, there was another reason apart from that.
2408 
2409“If that undead had been in top condition, I might have been defeated instead. But to think he actually expended his mana for the sake of humans like you -- truly, he was a fool who did not know his priorities. For that, I thank you.”
2410  
2411I knew it, weakness truly is a sin!
2412 
2413Neia was certain that she was correct.
2414 
2415“For that I shall reward you. The reward shall be your lives.”
2416 
2417“...What does that mean?”
2418 
2419Jaldabaoth snorted in delight at the question from an unknown source.
2420 
2421“I’m saying that I will spare you, at least for now.”
2422 
2423Someone sighed in relief, but Neia was furious.
2424  
2425“Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit! It’s all a pack of lies! Everything you say is a lie! Who would believe what a devil says!?”
2426 
2427“It seems you are unable to accept reality. Are you mad, human? Pitiful.” Jaldabaoth pointed to Neia. “Disapp… I see,” and then he immediately withdrew the finger.
2428 
2429“What’s wrong! Jaldabaoth!”
2430 
2431“You intend to provoke me and thus prove I am lying? ...Is losing your life worth that much? I cannot understand it, but it seems to be the case.”
2432 
2433Neia’s teeth creaked as she clenched them.
2434 
2435Jaldabaoth had to be lying.
2436 
2437He had to be a liar, the kind who would tell a ridiculous lie like the Sorcerer King was dead.
2438 
2439“I will not allow it. Your lives have been saved. Now then, I will return for now. I must recover from these wounds. During that time, you may weep your tears of despair.”
2440 
2441As Jaldabaoth was about to take off with a flap of his wings, Neia’s hands moved with a mind of their own.
2442 
2443She readied her bow -- and let loose a shot. 
2444 
2445She had fired at him from the back, without giving him any warning of her shot.
2446 
2447However, Jaldabaoth immediately turned and seized the arrow. Despite his terrible wounds, he was still very agile. 
2448 
2449Jaldabaoth turned to face Neia, and then his eyes went to Neia’s bow, the Ultimate Shootingstar Super. After that, his wrath-twisted feature changed slightly.
2450  
2451“Ohh!? Ah! What an incredible weapon this is! I haven’t seen a weapon like this in so long! That was close, it almost finished me off!”
2452 
2453Jaldabaoth gesticulated wildly with his limbs as he said that. He seemed composed, but also quite anxious.
2454 
2455“What kind of weapon is this! How was it made?”
2456 
2457“As if I’d tell you!”
2458 
2459What on earth is he thinking? Neia’s mind boiled over with scorching hate.
2460 
2461How could she tell this liar what she had learned from the Sorcerer King?
2462 
2463“How could I tell a liar like you!?”
2464 
2465“Muu, ah, don’t, don’t tell me, was it made by runecraft?”
2466 
2467Naia’s heart lurched for a moment as he hit the nail on the head. Although she had managed to calm down a little, as her broken heart recalled the compassionate figure of the Sorcerer King once more, her anger reawakened.
2468 
2469“You’re wrong!”
2470 
2471Neia screamed like she had abandoned everything else, and Jaldabaoth groaned. Taking that as an opening, Neia fired again.
2472 
2473Her next target was his feet, which were hard for the hands to reach.
2474 
2475This time, Jaldabaoth frantically moved his feet to avoid the arrow.
2476 
2477He’s wary of it! Maybe this bow could--!
2478  
2479There could only be one reason why Jaldabaoth had so desperately evaded her shot when he had been indifferent to being stabbed in the back by the holy sword. What else could it be if not that this bow could harm him.
2480 
2481Neia’s heart filled with regret as her eyes filled with tears.
2482 
2483She realized that she should have joined that battle even if she would have perished swiftly, if it was possible that she could strike him with the Ultimate Shootingstar Super. She should have taken part, even if it was just to be a shield. If she had, then maybe--
2484  
2485Neia launched another arrow.
2486 
2487Jaldabaoth moved his head. The arrow missed and flew off to parts unknown.
2488 
2489“Hit, damn you!”
2490 
2491She fired again.
2492 
2493And again.
2494 
2495But none of her shots found their mark. Despite his size and his severe wounds, he had still evaded Neia’s attacks with startling ease.
2496 
2497“Rune--”
2498  
2499“--Shut up!”
2500 
2501Neia fired another arrow to shut Jaldabaoth up.
2502 
2503However, it too missed.
2504 
2505Why, why isn’t anyone attacking?
2506 
2507She could understand their inability to strike Jaldabaoth because he was airborne. However, even so, how could they simply let the lying demon who had killed the most merciful Sorcerer King go free?
2508 
2509“..Muu. Well, eh, I guess it can’t be helped… no? [Greater Teleportation].”
2510  
2511Jaldabaoth suddenly vanished.
2512 
2513“Get back here!!!”
2514 
2515Neia looked around.
2516 
2517All she saw were the wide-eyed faces of people who were shocked by what Neia had done. Jaldabaoth was nowhere in sight.
2518 
2519“Motherfucker! He ran away!”
2520 
2521“Calm down!” Remedios shouted.
2522 
2523The angry cry of a mighty being could exert a pressure of its own, and normally it would have brought Neia back to her senses or even made her freeze up. However, it did little more than annoy Neia right now.
2524 
2525“How can I calm down!?”
2526 
2527“Squire Neia Baraja! Did you borrow that weapon from the Sorcerer King? Why was he so interested in it?”
2528  
2529“Don’t ask me irrelevant questions like that! More importantly, we need to find His Majesty! I saw him fall to the east! We need to send out a rescue party!”
2530 
2531“Surely he must be dead.”
2532 
2533“How could he be dead!? How could His Majesty die!?”
2534 
2535Neia instinctively grabbed Remedios, but Remedios easily swept her aside and Neia fell to the ground.
2536 
2537“Are you calmer now? Nobody could survive a fall from that height.”
2538 
2539“Calm? You actually believe that demon’s words? Captain, did you sell your soul to him!?”
2540 
2541Remedios’ expression changed, and then it twisted.
2542 
2543“Squire! Damn you, there are things you can and can’t say!”
2544 
2545She grabbed Neia’s collar with tremendous force, and Neia found it hard to breathe.
2546 
2547“You two! Cool it! Cool it right now!”
2548 
2549The paladins, priests, soldiers and so on hurriedly made their way between Neia and Remedios, pulling them apart.
2550 
2551Neia panted heavily as she shouted:
2552 
2553“We need to send out a team to rescue His Majesty!”
2554 
2555“We can’t waste our resources on that!”
2556 
2557“How dare you call it a waste!”
2558 
2559Neia wanted to go up and punch Remedios, but the people between them stopped her.
2560 
2561“I’ve got nothing to say to you!” Having cooled down a little, Neia addressed the people holding her.
2562 
2563“Could you let go of me? There’s something I have to do.”
2564 
2565“Where are you going !?”
2566 
2567In response to that question, Neia looked at Remedios with an utterly incredulous expression on her face.
2568 
2569“What kind of eyes are those!? Is that how a squire should look at a paladin!?”
2570 
2571Hmph, Neia snorted.
2572 
2573“First, I will be asking His Highness the Prince to organize a rescue party for the Sorcerer King. After that, I will go straight to the Sorcerous Kingdom and tell them exactly what happened to His Majesty, and then I will ask for aid for His Majesty.”
2574 
2575Given the circumstances, nothing good would come of going to the Sorcerous Kingdom. Even so, she was still the Sorcerer King’s squire, and she had to complete her duty.
2576 
2577Neia was unsure if she could safely reach the Sorcerous Kingdom from here, but she had to go, even if it meant her death.
2578 
2579“Ohhh, if you’re going to the Sorcerous Kingdom, let me go with you, Baraja-san!”
2580 
2581The person who spoke was an ex-soldier, who had retired and become a hunter. He had been lauded for his archery and had joined Neia’s unit.
2582 
2583“Don’t worry about me, I’m old enough as it is, I don’t have much longer left.”
2584 
2585“Baldem-san!”
2586 
2587From his tone, she knew that he understood what sort of fate awaited him even if they reached the Sorcerous Kingdom safely.
2588 
2589“Hey, Neia-chan. Don’t forget me!”
2590 
2591“You too, Codina-san!?”
2592 
2593“I’ll go too. Not for you, but if it’s for the Sorcerer King then it can’t be helped.”
2594 
2595“Even Mena-san?”
2596 
2597All the skilled people in Neia’s unit stepped forward, one after the other. With their help, it might be possible for them to reach the Sorcerous Kingdom safely. However--
2598  
2599“Thank you very much.  But everyone, could you join the rescue party?”
2600 
2601“What are you saying? You were all gathered to rescue the Holy Kingdom and the suffering people from the clutches of that demon, weren’t you? Where are your priorities!?”
2602 
2603“What are you saying, Captain!? Could anything be more important than rescuing His Majesty!?”
2604 
2605“Of course! Right now, at this very moment, how many people of the Holy Kingdom do you think there are living in the hell the demihumans made for them!? Could anything be more important than rescuing them!?”
2606 
2607“Of course! That’s--”
2608  
2609“--What on earth are you doing!? What’s all this shouting for!?”
2610 
2611The argument immediately stopped when the interloper showed up. It was Caspond.
2612 
2613“Captain Custodio, should you not have returned immediately? Where is His Majesty? What about Jaldabaoth? What happened? Could somebody please explain?”
2614 
2615Caspond sounded like he had lost his bearings, and his voice echoed loudly in the miserable silence.
2616 
2617
2618***
2619
2620The meeting room was very cramped, with paladins, priests, nobles who had been prisoners until recently and honorary paladins who had been summoned here. That said, there were no better rooms for them to use, since Jaldabaoth had destroyed the one which Caspond had previously used.
2621 
2622Caspond had called an emergency meeting after receiving a report from a paladin, and he had instructed all key personnel to gather in this room.
2623 
2624After everyone had assembled, Caspond and Remedios entered with quick strides.
2625 
2626Everyone bowed as the prince entered. Neia was one of them, because she held no grudges against Caspond.
2627 
2628Caspond stood in front of everyone and began to speak.
2629 
2630“Thank you all for coming here. I wish to discuss our future actions.
2631 
2632Although it was supposed to be a discussion, there was only one thing Neia had to do, and she was certain that it was the right thing to do. Just as Neia was about to speak, Caspond raised his hand to stop her.
2633 
2634“I’m sure everyone has concerns of their own, but I pray you will hear me out first.
2635 
2636Caspond looked out at everyone gathered here.
2637 
2638“I believe many people have witnessed the extent to which Jaldabaoth’s strength exceeds ourimagination… yes. While I regret to say this, we must accept the fact that nobody in this country can triumph over him.”
2639 
2640Several people frowned in silence, then peeked at Remedios, who had been hailed as the strongest in the Holy Kingdom. After learning that she agreed with Caspond’s opinion, hints of fear and disappointment appeared on their faces.
2641 
2642“However, it is too early to give in to despair. If we cannot defeat him, then we will derail his plans in some other way and make him give up on trying to conquer the Holy Kingdom. We will not drive him out directly, but indirectly. Caspond waited several seconds for his words to sink in, and then spoke his conclusion. “What we will do is slaughter all the demihumans he leads.”
2643 
2644“Why are we doing that?
2645 
2646Caspond saw someone asking a question and nodded to them.
2647 
2648“In the past, Jaldabaoth made trouble in the Kingdom. Back then, he fought a certain warrior in a duel, and then he lost and ran away. At that time, he led an army of demons, but not an army of demihumans. In other words, he came to lead the demihuman army after losing to that warrior.”
2649 
2650Caspond looked around, as if to see if everyone understood.
2651 
2652“In other words, he is using the demihuman army as meat shields to avoid being forced into a one-on-one battle with that warrior. Didn’t Jaldabaoth say something like that when he defeated His Majesty? Something about leading the demihuman army almost becoming meaningless, or something.”
2653 
2654It made sense.
2655 
2656Back then, it had made no sense, but after hearing that explanation, it was hard to think of any other reason.
2657 
2658“In other words, the demihuman army is like armor and stamina for when he fights that warrior again. What will Jaldabaoth do if he loses the demihuman army? Will he remain stripped of his armor and stamina? When that warrior might appear in front of him again at any moment? Or perhaps -- would he choose to flee?”
2659  
2660“I see… then do you intend to abandon this city, defeat the southern demihuman army, and then join forces with the South to drive out the demihumans?”
2661 
2662After a certain priest asked his question, a certain rescued noble answered him.”
2663 
2664“That would be good. Thanks to the Sorcerer King’s power, almost 40’000 demihumans have been wiped out. The demihumans have lost a great deal of their fighting strength, no? The remainder ought to be staring down the South. If we rally all the people this city has rescued for an all-out attack and strike them from the back in a pincer attack, we ought to be able to rout the demihuman army. That way, we will be able to join up with the Southern forces and take back our land.
2665  
2666 
2667“--I propose the opposite. We will take back the closest major city on the west, which is the northern stronghold of Kalinsha.”
2668 
2669“Why is that, may I ask?”
2670 
2671“He’s right. All the major cities to the west such as Kalinsha, Prart, Rimun and the capital of Hoburns will be very hard to take. Many lives will be lost. Why don’t we fight the southern demihumans instead? Would destroying the demihumans’ fighting power not fit more with your plans, Prince-denka?”
2672 
2673“I see. All of your concerns are valid. I am grateful for the fact that many of the people present here are wise. However, is that an action which everyone can understand?”
2674 
2675There were baffled looks on the faces of many of the people here.
2676 
2677“How about this? Going to the south implies that we will be abandoning -- though it is only temporary, we are still abandoning them -- all the imprisoned people that we will not rescue as a result. Can the masses -- can the people understand that?”
2678   
2679“That, that… but that makes more sense, there’ll be a higher chance of saving them, no?
2680 
2681“You’re a baron, I believe?”
2682 
2683Caspond turned to look at the middle-aged man who had asked the question.
2684 
2685“Y-yes. I believe we met once, Prince-denka.”
2686 
2687“Ahh, just so. Now, have all the people of your domain been rescued?”
2688 
2689“Ah, no, not yet. I was imprisoned when I took the field beside Her Majesty, so I don’t know about my domain…”
2690 
2691“I see. So when you join up with the Southern forces and take back the North, people might say you fled to the South.”
2692 
2693The nobleman’s face froze up.
2694 
2695When one thought calmly about it, the nobleman was right. However, there was no guarantee that everyone -- especially those who were writhing in agony -- would be able to see the sense in what the nobleman had said. It was possible that there would be people who would say “why didn’t you save us earlier, our families were slaughtered by the demihumans” and turn the blades of their hatred on the nobles. Neia had seen such people before. 
2696 
2697However, nobody had said that in the prison camps which the Sorcerer King had liberated. Given his overwhelmingly potent magic -- which could sometimes wreck city walls in a single blast -- and the fact that he was the king of another nation, nobody would dare anger him for personal reasons.
2698  
2699“Also, I had been intending to speak to the landholders one-on-one after this. In this case, we might as well do it now.”
2700 
2701“...We are all exhausted. In contrast, what will the nobles of the South do? In particular, what will the other nobles do about nobles who have abandoned their fiefs?
2702 
2703The sticky scent of politics and privileges began to fill the air.
2704 
2705While it sounded unbelievable to Neia, was this what the nobles wanted? They nodded repeatedly.
2706 
2707“Prince-denka. Our domains…”
2708 
2709“I want you to pretend that you did not hear what comes next. That is because I cannot guarantee you anything. However, the privileges of the Southern nobles will probably increase all of a sudden. That is why you must pick the best methods for post-war conditions.”
2710 
2711“A moment please!”
2712 
2713One of the paladins called out to him.
2714 
2715“How can we shed more of the people’s blood for courtly disputes!?”
2716 
2717“Indeed! Indeed!” The priest called Siliaco shouted in a voice which was said to have been trained for volume. “What’s important is how to save more people!”
2718 
2719“...Driving out the demihumans doesn’t mean it’s all over, you know? If the South takes all the advantages, then we’ll have a hard time refusing the demands of the Southern nobles. And there’s no guarantee that they won’t impose heavy taxes on the exhausted people.”
2720 
2721“...Now that the Holy Queen is dead, it would be very bad if the next Holy King were to be chosen by the Southern nobles. However, if we can show concrete results with our strength, then at least…”
2722 
2723There were two factions in the room now.
2724 
2725The nobles’ faction and the paladins and priests’ faction.
2726 
2727Both sides were at odds. Speaking of Remedios, the paladins were trying to spoonfeed her a simplified version of what the Prince had said.
2728 
2729Neia was not part of either faction. She simply followed the flow of the conversation in silence. That was because Neia had already made up her mind about what she would be doing, so it did not matter what conclusion they reached in the end. Rather she wanted to bring up her own suggestion and set out as soon as possible.
2730 
2731That said, talking about irrelevant things here will only ruin the mood, and people who might have helped me won’t come to my aid...
2732 
2733Shortly after listening to numerous boring topics, she decided to toss the ball back to Caspond once both sides had worn themselves out with arguing.
2734 
2735“The Prince-denka brought up this topic. Perhaps we should let him finish speaking?”
2736 
2737“Ahh. Like I said earlier, I intend to take back Kalinsha. This is also militarily advantageous. In truth, this city is far too cramped, and much of it has already been destroyed. Living here is difficult, so I would like to have a larger, more solid home base. In addition, by taking back a major city, we’ll have an advantage when dealing with the Southern nobles. Also, Kalinsha was meant to stop enemy advances, so it ought to have military stores, assuming they haven’t been moved out yet.”
2738 
2739“...I approve the proposal to secure a better base.”
2740 
2741“Ahhh, I’m a little uneasy about the sanitation of a city like this. Many people are shivering from the cold too.”
2742 
2743However, they went on to say, “we need to avoid large numbers of deaths”.
2744 
2745“Indeed. That is why it is the best time to attack the enemy strongholds. After all, Jaldabaoth cannot take action now.”
2746 
2747There was no telling how long Jaldabaoth’s wounds would take to heal, but surely he would recover before the demihuman army was completely defeated.
2748 
2749In addition, it was very unlikely that he would show his face before making a complete recovery. After knowing of the existence of a powerful warrior like Momon, he would surely take the possibility of Momon showing up into consideration before taking action. Therefore, if he acted, it would not  happen before he was almost completely recovered.
2750 
2751That said, no matter how many forces they had, the Holy Kingdom would be at a loss once Jaldabaoth took the field. Therefore they had to take the fortress now.
2752 
2753So that was it. After listening to that agreeable explanation, Neia expressed her approval as well.
2754 
2755
2756“--In that case, it seems the only thing you are unhappy with is the number of people who must die for this. Can I take that to mean that you will give me your support if I can minimize the number of deaths?”
2757
2758Everyone present nodded, with the exception of Remedios. Neia did not mind either way, but after considering the flow of the conversation, she realised that it would be bad if only one person was not nodding, and so she nodded with everyone else.
2759
2760As for Remedios, several people looked at her face and saw that she did not seem to have any special reasons, so they chose to ignore her.
2761
2762“It’s decided then. We will discuss the details of retaking Kalinsha afterwards. Now then -- our next item.”
2763
2764Caspond sighed loudly and then turned to Neia.
2765
2766“This concerns the death of the Sorcerer King.”
2767
2768“Prince-denka, I sincerely apologize, but I hope you will amend that statement immediately. The Sorcerer King’s death remains in question. That was simply what Jaldabaoth told us. It would be foolish to take a demon’s words at face value.” 
2769
2770Neia eyed Remedios and continued, “I think it it more likely that he is trying to deceive us.”
2771
2772“In that case, why has he not come back? He can cast teleportation spells, can’t he?”
2773
2774“Perhaps he was immobilized by his wounds, perhaps he’s out of mana, there could be many reasons for it.”
2775
2776Remedios did not ask any further.
2777
2778“That’s true. That’s why I’d like to hear from all of you. What do you think we should do?”
2779
2780“There’s no point in asking what we should do!” Neia shouted, forcing the words out like she was trying to strain them out through her teeth. “...I think we should dispatch a rescue party and relay this news to the Sorcerous Kingdom at the same time. If possible, I would like to be the messenger.”
2781
2782“I see. That’s what you think, Squire Baraja. How about the others?”
2783
2784As Caspon looked up and down the gathered people, one of the nobles spoke up.
2785
2786“I have a question. While the Sorcerer King was supposed to have gone down in the east, considering we will be mounting a rescue operation in demihuman-controlled territory, would it not be better to wait until we have some concrete intelligence before…”
2787
2788“It’ll be too late by then,” Neia immediately shot back. “The more we delay, the more His Majesty will be exposed to danger. I suggest we make our rescue as soon as possible.”
2789
2790The majority agreed with Neia’s opinion. What she said made perfect sense.
2791
2792“In that case, we ought to send out a search party at the same time as the envoys to the Sorcerous Kingdom.”
2793
2794“...I have something I would like to confirm with you, since you have the role of His Majesty’s squire. Do you think the Sorcerer King told the people of his country that he was coming to the Holy Kingdom?”
2795
2796Neia began to think.
2797
2798“I apologize, but I am not sure. However, I feel it would not be strange for him to have told the people of the Sorcerous Kingdom, because there were times when he returned to his country with teleportation spells.”
2799
2800“In that case, I feel you should not send an envoy to the Sorcerous Kingdom.”
2801
2802“Why!?”
2803
2804Neia glared at the noble who had done nothing but naysay. The noble retreated two steps and his face went pale under that glare. The people around that noble also backed away from him.
2805
2806“No, ah, please calm down and listen. That, uh, that is because it will bring trouble. Wait! Please calm down and listen to me. When you think about it normally, the possibility exists that the Sorcerous Kingdom’s undead armies would take revenge on us, am I wrong? And revenge would be one thing; they might annex the Holy Kingdom as well. And… ah, why is that? Who’s to say the Sorcerer King was not aiming for that all along?”
2807
2808“Excuse me!” Neia was so angry that she actually felt dizzy. “In that case, permit me to ask a question of my own! If His Majesty returned to his country by teleportation, what will he think of the Holy Kingdom, who knew what happened but said nothing?”
2809
2810Everyone she could see nodded in agreement. Amidst all this, Remedios spoke.
2811
2812“Well, it can’t be helped then, can it? Our country doesn’t have the luxury of doing that now. We’ll apologize after everything is over.”
2813
2814“Even if you--”
2815
2816
2817
2818Neia was so worked up that she was about to shout, and then she heard the sound of clapping from beside her. She looked over, and saw that it was Caspond. Since the Prince wanted to speak, all Neia could do was remain silent.
2819
2820“Squire Baraja. Allow me to pick the people who will go to the Sorcerous Kingdom. How about that? After all, if we send over a mere squire as a messenger, won’t the other country think we’re making fun of them?”
2821
2822“That, that is as you say…”
2823
2824His explanation made perfect sense. Under normal circumstances, they would surely pick a country’s ambassador over a squire who had borrowed a magic bow from the Sorcerer King. However, would he really send out an envoy? She found that part hard to believe. Even so, it would be very bad to show that she did not trust the Prince’s words.
2825
2826“I am glad that you understand.”
2827
2828“In that case, please allow me to lead several people to the east.”
2829
2830“Indeed. I would very much like to send you as well, but we still do not know where the Sorcerer King fell. He might be ten kilometers away or a hundred. If things go badly, he might have fallen into the Abelion Hills, which Jaldabaoth controls. Even if I allowed you to go to such a desolate place, would you have any means of finding the Sorcerer King?
2831
2832Neia could not answer him.
2833
2834Finding where the demihumans lived in unfamiliar terrain was an impossible task. She could easily imagine the scouting team meeting with difficulty and being wiped out.
2835
2836“Surviving in the hills, slipping past demihuman observation and gathering information,” Caspond counted off on his fingers. If you go there without preparing, you will simply be killing yourself indirectly, and what good is a rescue party that ends in failure?”
2837
2838“Then, then do you have another way!?”
2839
2840“Of course.”
2841
2842“Eh?”
2843
2844How could there be? As she thought about that question, it was easily answered. Neia’s eyes went wide in surprise, and then Caspond adjusted himself before telling Neia the answer.
2845
2846“All you need is to find someone who knows the hills.”
2847
2848Neia blinked, and Caspond smiled to her.
2849
2850“Listen. All we need to do is to take a demihuman captive and have him lead the way. Would it not be safer to order a demihuman to act as your guide?”
2851
2852“Ah.”
2853
2854Indeed, that was the case. Humans would be taking an absurd risk in entering that land. However, it would be a different matter if they had guides.
2855
2856However, there were also problems with it which could not be ignored.
2857
2858If they simply threatened a demihuman prisoner into showing them the way, then if the prisoner was willing to take them with him, the searching party would be going to their deaths. The Orcs she had met earlier seemed like the type who did not care about whether they lived or died.
2859
2860They would need trustworthy demihumans, but where would they find those?
2861
2862What could she do to make a demihuman act as a reliable guide?
2863
2864Neia racked her brains, but when she thought of demihumans, she could only think of them coming at her murderously, and she could not imagine them accepting an offer to turn their coats.
2865
2866No, the Orcs and the Grand King Buser felt like humans -- I see, take their relatives hostage… no, if we could take a king like Buser prisoner, his tribe would probably obey us.
2867
2868Or on the other hand, the angered tribe might put up stiff resistance. Besides, how would they capture a mighty demihuman king like Buser--
2869
2870As Neia wandered aimlessly in a mental labyrinth, chasing an answer she could not find, the room’s door swung open and a paladin barged in.
2871
2872He panted heavily and looked around the interior of the room, but he approached Caspond instead of Remedios.
2873
2874Perhaps he did not want others to hear what news he had. He brought the Prince to a corner of the room and whispered in his ear, but Neia’s keen hearing picked up snatches of their exchange. Among them, the last piece of information piqued her interest.
2875
2876He had said “maid demons”.
2877
2878“Gentlemen, something urgent has come up, Unfortunately, the meeting will end here. I hope you will begin working on ways to take back Kalinsha. Also, Captain Custodio, come with me.”
2879
2880
2881
2882
2883
2884
2885
2886...............................
2887INTERMISSION
2888..............................
2889
2890
2891
2892
2893
2894Recently, Jircniv had been in great shape.
2895 
2896Terrific, even.
2897 
2898In any case, life was good.
2899 
2900After visiting the nightmare that was Nazarick, the stomach cramps that had been plaguing him all this time were gone. The cabinet which had once held potions now contained neat stacks of documents. He was free of all his troubles, he no longer collected hair from his pillow and he was no longer shocked by how much of it there was.
2901 
2902How refreshing!
2903 
2904How pleasant!
2905 
2906How comfortable!
2907 
2908This was probably the first time he had been filled with such a feeling of liberation. He felt so good that he could not help but imagine he had sprouted wings with which he could flap into the sky.
2909 
2910He put his heartfelt smile away and faced his subordinate. You smile more often now, his not-beautiful concubine had said, but this was not a time to let others see him smile. Dignity was a thing that caused a lot of problems when one lost it.
2911 
2912And so, the usual morning meeting began.
2913 
2914Jircniv had many scribes, but the one before him now was an excellent man called Roune Varmilinen.
2915  
2916At first, he had been worried that something had been done to him after he had returned from the Sorcerer King’s palace, and so he had placed him in a sinecure. However, that too was a thing of the past. Roune’s position as head scribe was now secure. This was not because he was certain that nothing had been done to him. It was simply to prove that he had nothing to hide from the Sorcerous Kingdom. In addition, it was also a fact that Roune was very skilled.
2917 
2918He glanced over the document he had taken from Roune, and due to the ridiculous content within, Jircniv lost control of himself and burst into laughter.
2919 
2920“Whoever wrote this was quite the comedian. What do you think of the Sorcerer King’s death?”
2921 
2922“I am absolutely certain that this is one hell of a lie.”
2923 
2924Jircniv agreed with what Roune had said.
2925 
2926“Ahh, that’s right. It must be fake. Besides, it’s impossible that His Majesty would lose or die or whatever.”
2927 
2928Nobody could possibly kill a magic caster who could crush an army of 200’000 with a single spell and fight in armed combat with the Martial Lord, the Empire’s mightiest warrior. Jircniv was certain of that.
2929 
2930Of course, one could not poison him either, and he could not fall to disease or die of old age. It felt more realistic that someone was spreading a bad joke on a massive scale in order to make the punchline of “...because he was already dead to begin with”.
2931 
2932“Well, it’s probably to root out any malcontents. Still, I have a question.”
2933 
2934“Which is?”
2935 
2936“That is to say, I am wondering why is His Majesty, who possesses unrivalled intellect, resorting to a lame little scheme like this which anyone can see through. Unless it means there’s some other… yes, it’s possible there may be some grand conspiracy brewing that even I cannot discern…”
2937   
2938Who could say for sure there was none? No, if this was a scheme laid by the monstrous intellect who knew every detail of Jircniv’s movements, then Jircniv was certain that this was nothing but the tip of the iceberg.
2939 
2940For all Jircniv knew, even thinking that way might have been part of his plan.
2941 
2942However, what if this was not a scheme hatched by the Sorcerer King, but by one of his underlings -- for instance, that utterly imbecilic-looking toad monster?
2943  
2944“...I don’t know. Besides, if you can’t figure out something you want to figure out, you can only abandon it. More to the point, all we need to do is obey Albedo-sama, the prime minister of the Sorcerous Kingdom, and do what she says. There’ll be no problems so long as we don’t betray them and complete our tasks. As the ruler of a vassal nation, I won’t be so easily purged if I’m appropriately incompetent.
2945 
2946“It is as you say.”
2947 
2948Roune shrugged.
2949 
2950In the past, he was a person who would not make such movements, It would seem he had trained himself to do so after his many experiences. Or perhaps it was because he had grown bold.
2951 
2952Regardless of the Sorcerer King’s vital status, all would be well as long as the Empire did not stop being a vassal of the Sorcerous Kingdom. In this way, they would be immune to any stratagem the opposition employed. Loyalty was the best defense. If they were killed even after giving their loyalty, then all they could do was laugh at the pettiness of the other party and go to the grave in peace.
2953 
2954“Now then, is that all the work for today?”
2955 
2956Ever since he had become a vassal nation, Jircniv’s administrative workload had dropped to around half of before, Still, today’s workload seemed too light.
2957 
2958“No, Your Majesty, there’s still something else. This is a document we received this morning. It was submitted by the knight legions.”
2959 
2960Unfortunately, his work was not yet done.
2961 
2962Jircniv accepted the proffered document with a mocking smile on his face.
2963 
2964He glanced briefly through it. It seemed to contain the knights’ complaints about their legion being reconstituted.
2965 
2966In the past, he would have given a certain amount of special consideration to the knights. Or rather, considering Jircniv had many nobles as his enemies, he could not allow the enemy to snatch away the martial force which the knights represented. However, things were different now.
2967 
2968“Tell them this: you can tell His Majesty the Sorcerer King in person. I can’t believe they wasted paper on this.”
2969 
2970Paper used in these reports was made by utility magic, and it cost more regardless of what tier of spell was used to make it. Jircniv could have thrown it away after use without any concerns, but he did not intend to keep quiet about excessive expenses.
2971 
2972Paper made from zero-tier spells was crumpled. It was coarse and discolored.
2973 
2974Paper conjured from first-tier utility spells was thinner and whiter. Papermaking could produce paper of this quality as well, but spells of this tier produced less paper and so it was more expensive.
2975 
2976Second-tier utility spells produced very sheer and very clean paper. Of course, one could color magically-created paper to a certain extent. Spells of this tier could produce a very soft paper known as noble paper, and all productivity went to that aspect.
2977 
2978“Still I don’t understand why they’re so resistant to letting another country handle our national defense.”
2979 
2980“Don’t complain about that to me, tell Albedo-sama. Also, didn’t we already say that we weren’t entrusting everything to them?”
2981 
2982This came from Prime Minister Albedo’s instructions to supplement the Empire’s military manpower with the Sorcerous Kingdom’s undead armies.
2983 
2984Jircniv believed that this was part of the program to complete the vassalization process, and so he obeyed it. He planned to let some of the knights retire and disbanded two of the Empire’s eight legions.
2985 
2986This ought to have been a good idea since there were many people who were mentally exhausted from that massacre, but there had still been some disgruntlement about the lack of seats which could be taken.
2987 
2988“And I even prepared positions for them to transfer into…”
2989  
2990“People are just unhappy at losing their privileges and uneasy about doing jobs they’ve never done before, I think.”
2991 
2992“If it’s the latter, then they just have to work hard, but if it’s the former then it’s only to be expected. Or am I expected to pay people who simply do their job and engage in physical labor the same amount that people in hazardous and deadly jobs receive?”
2993 
2994Jircniv snorted and disregarded it.
2995 
2996Perhaps he would have needed to masterfully manipulate them in the past, but now there was no need for that.
2997 
2998Jircniv had the backing of someone called the Sorcerer King who possessed absolute power. No matter what happened, all he had to do was say, “please tell His Majesty yourself” and all dissent was quashed in an instant.
2999 
3000Nobody in the Empire could express their displeasure to someone who could slaughter on such a scale and even defeat the Martial Lord in combat.
3001 
3002While they had used to field their complaints to Jircniv in the past, his position was now secure, given that he was a servant of the Sorcerer King. No, because he was feared, he ought to say it was more secure than secure. Immovable, perhaps?
3003 
3004And frankly, there were shockingly few people in the Empire who were unhappy about becoming vassals of the Sorcerous kingdom. That was because the Sorcerous Kingdom made very few demands. There were quite a few finely-detailed requests, but there were only two main demands.
3005 
3006The first was to amend a part of the Empire’s law -- this was to emphasize the absolute nature of the Sorcerer King and his confidants.
3007  
3008The second was to hand over criminals sentenced to the death penalty. This was shocking in the opposite sense. While he had felt that they would suffer horrible fates, one of them had been safely returned because “he was framed, and so he was innocent”.
3009 
3010And so, one could say that there was practically no change from daily life.
3011 
3012“Come, let’s finish up quick so I can meet my friend.”
3013 
3014Today, a true, freshly-made friend was scheduled to visit Jircniv. All the preparations for his welcome were complete, and all that was left was Jircniv’s part of the work.
3015 
3016He spent half an hour taking care of sundry tasks, and then his subordinate entered the room after receiving the approval of his guards and Jircniv himself.
3017 
3018“Your Majesty, your guest has arrived--”
3019  
3020“Ohh! Hurry and let him in!”
3021 
3022His work was not finished. Still, what about it? What could be more important than greeting a friend?
3023 
3024Soon, his friend was led into the room by his subordinates.
3025 
3026Jircniv rose, his face all smiles, and he spread his arms in welcome and invited his guest in.
3027 
3028It was a demihuman who looked like a short, squat mole. The enchanted pendant he had given him dangled back and forth.
3029 
3030“Ohhh! Welcome! My true friend, Riyuro!”
3031 
3032Jircniv embraced Riyuro without any hesitation and wrapped his arms around him.
3033 
3034“Ahhh! Jircniv, oh friend with whom I have shared my troubles! I am deeply grateful for your welcome!
3035 
3036Riyuro embraced Jircniv as well. Given the sharp claws on his forelimbs, one could see the gentleness in his movements as he took care not to hurt Jircniv with them.
3037 
3038They held each other for a while, and then slowly broke apart.
3039 
3040“--What are you saying? My doors are always open to Riyuro.”
3041 
3042Riyuro smiled savagely.
3043 
3044While the smile looked very menacing on a demihuman, Jircniv understood that he was smiling. Such was the intimacy of their relationship.
3045 
3046Jircniv was suddenly struck by how interesting this was.
3047 
3048He had been born and raised as a candidate to be the next Emperor, and everyone around him of his age considered him the Crown Prince. Therefore, he had not had anyone he could call a friend. But now, the fact that his first friend was a demihuman--
3049  
3050--Hmph. If I had told myself from 10 or 15 years ago about this, I wouldn’t have believed it… For this, if nothing else, I have to thank that undead being.
3051  
3052He had first met this dear friend before him in a waiting room when he had gone to see the Sorcerer King.
3053 
3054At that time, he had simply wondered where this demihuman had come from and how far the Sorcerer King’s domination reached.
3055 
3056But after that, they met again, and engaged each other in conversation to learn more about each other -- and then they forged a spiritual bond. After a minute together that could have been a month, a deep friendship was born.
3057  
3058That was why they no longer addressed each other with honorifics, This was not because they were both kings.
3059 
3060Indeed, it was because the two of them--
3061 
3062
3063--Were both being tormented by the same oppressor -- they were comrades in suffering.
3064  
3065
3066“Come, I’ve prepared all sorts of delicacies that will surprise you. Why not come enjoy yourself for all your labors?”
3067 
3068“Ah, I look forward to it, Jircniv. I too have brought many of the mushrooms you said were delicious. Let us eat them together when we have the time.”
3069 
3070“Ohhh! Thank you, Riyuro.”
3071 
3072The mushrooms Riyuro had brought were fragrant and meaty, and they were a luxury ingredient called Obsidian.
3073 
3074The two of them left the room side by side.
3075 
3076In the past, Jircniv had been uneasy when he heard that the Sorcerous Kingdom treated demihumans the same way it treated humans.
3077 
3078However he snuck a glance at Riyuro beside him and thought.
3079 
3080Demihumans aren’t bad. At least, compared to the undead -- the Sorcerer King.
3081  
3082“Speaking of which, have you heard, Riyuro? The Sorcerer King seems to have kicked the bucket.”
3083 
3084Riyuro expelled a great rush of air from his nose. This was his way of snorting in laughter.
3085 
3086“Jircniv, that is impossible. How -- how could someone like him die?”
3087  
3088“Indeed, I agree with that statement. However… which nation will see its people lamenting this time…?”
3089   
3090“Yes…”
3091 
3092Riyuro and Jircniv both looked to the sky.
3093 
3094There was pain in their eyes. They grieved for a tragedy that was happening in some faraway place, and the shared sympathy that soon they would gain a new comrade.
3095 
3096
3097“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
3098 
3099The cry that rang through the room made the man go stiff. He belonged to a secret organization called Eight Fingers, and while he had seen many things before, he had never seen an eruption of such dark emotions. It seemed like genuine hatred and unadulterated cursing. 
3100 
3101He would not have been shocked if it had come from an enemy. Indeed, he would be smiling serenely instead. However the people making that sound were his friends, friends with whom he had forged a spiritual connection due to having gone through the same suffering and misery.
3102 
3103Friends -- he thought that there could not be a word that was less applicable to him than that.
3104 
3105Even the organization he belonged to now simply hamstrung each other, struggled for power, and tried to suss out each others’ weaknesses. If there was a conflict of their interests, there would have been blood.
3106 
3107However, things were different now.
3108 
3109Even if there was only one less person, everyone would have to do more work and their probability of failure would go up. When that happened, they would be dragged into that hell as well, because they were responsible for them. Even being punished once would be enough to condemn one to a liquid diet and being plagued by nightmares. For all he knew, there were other hells waiting for him.
3110
3111With that in mind, whenever anyone began to fall behind in their work, everyone would immediately support him with all their might, worry about his health, and fret about his mental state. And they were desperate in their efforts.
3112 
3113They had become true companions, those who shared their fate, their lives, and their deaths.
3114 
3115And one of those friends of his was now screaming and rolling around on the ice-cold stone slab flooring. The fear called “if you don’t find out the reason soon, you’ll end up like that too” drove the man to action.
3116 
3117“What, what is it, Hilma? What happened?”
3118 
3119The wailing woman stopped moving, and her eyes slid up from below to look at the man.
3120 
3121“--I’ve had it! Swap with me! I need to watch that idiot’s movements! My stomach hurts! What the hell’s wrong with him! I lose my mind around idiots!”
3122? 
3123They knew only one man who could be called an idiot. While they had used the word “idiot” often until now, that man was enough to show others what it truly meant to be an idiot, and so they could no longer use the word idiot lightly.
3124 
3125“What is it? What’s that idiot done now?”
3126 
3127Hilma spoke quickly, like she was vomiting her pent-up rage.
3128 
3129“Ah, yes! You heard about it, right, how His Majesty perished!?”
3130 
3131He wanted her to slow down a little, but it sounded like Hilma was venting her stress, so he did not interrupt her, but listened patiently.
3132 
3133“Mm, of course.”
3134 
3135Eight Fingers had been the ones who spread the news. Of course it went without saying that they had used unrelated merchants to spread the news through the Kingdom.
3136 
3137“What do you think he said after hearing about it!?”
3138 
3139Well, he was an idiot, after all. He ought to have considered that point before answering. However, all he could think of were ordinary answers. Still, there was no telling what an idiot thought, so he gave up in the end and said something normal.
3140 
3141“...He said something about the burial?”
3142
3143“If that were all, my stomach wouldn’t hurt like this! He, he said that if he married Albedo-sama, he would be able to inherit the Sorcerous Kingdom!”
3144 
3145“Aiiieeee!”
3146 
3147The man squeaked and looked around himself.
3148 
3149The man could not sense them but there ought to be watchers from the Sorcerous Kingdom here. After making sure that they had not made their move, the man sighed in relief.
3150 
3151They had been ordered to prepare an idiot, but he would much rather not be pushed into that hell because he was an idiot beyond all limits.
3152 
3153“Oi oi oi! We were ordered to prepare an idiot, but why don’t we just kill him off? Wouldn’t it be better to prepare a more suitable idiot!?”
3154 
3155“Can we prepare anyone else at this point?”
3156 
3157The man’s answer made Hilma roll around while screaming “Ahhhhhhhh!” The hem of her dress rode up her leg and above her thigh.
3158 
3159She had originally been a high class whore and was as beautiful as one, but all the man could feel for her charmless, disgraceful state now was sympathy.
3160  
3161After all, he knew very well that if he had been assigned to the same task, he would be rolling around on the floor instead of Hilma.
3162 
3163“Come on Hilma, give it your best.”
3164 
3165She suddenly stopped and glared at the man before speaking.
3166 
3167“Wouldn’t it be alright if you manipulated that man… or made sure he didn’t do anything excessive?”
3168  
3169“Idiots like that ought to be controlled by women. Am I right?”
3170 
3171After hearing that question, Hilma went “Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!” again and continued rolling around on the ground.
3172 
3173“I think it won’t last much longer. We’ll move in earnest after another two or three years. Get more idiots together before that. We’ll do our best to help if you need to form a faction of idiots.”
3174 
3175“Two years is too long ahhhhhhhhh!”
3176 
3177“Still, those are our orders. Control the information they receive, and make a faction that will do even more foolish things.”
3178 
3179“That’s true ahhhhhhhh!”
3180 
3181Hilma suddenly stopped, and then she bolted upright.
3182 
3183“You’ve got it easy. All you need to do is mobilize the traders and spread the news of the Sorcerer King -- His Majesty’s! -- death to the Second Prince.”
3184  
3185You make it sound so easy, he thought,
3186 
3187In the past, he did not think that either of the princes was very bright. However, he had slowly come to realize that this was because of the First Prince, which had made him disguise himself.
3188 
3189It was because the Second Prince was intelligent that getting the news to him required extremely careful and complicated maneuvering.
3190 
3191This was to keep him from realizing that he worked for the Sorcerous Kingdom.
3192 
3193“...It’s not as easy as you say it is.”
3194 
3195“...Ahh, my apologies. It’s given you a lot of work too, right… how about tonight, coming?”
3196 
3197Hilma mimed the action of drinking a big mouthful of wine.
3198 
3199“Sure. I need to make sure I don’t leak anything even when I’m stinking drunk.”
3200 
3201They might not be able to eat solid foods, but drinking was a different matter.
3202 
3203“Haha,” a withered smile appeared on Hilma’s face. “It’ll be fine. Our watchers will help us take care of it.”
3204 
3205“Haha,” a similar look appeared on his face. “That… is true…”
3206   
3207“But now that you mention it, where’s that lucky fellow now…”
3208  
3209There was only one person among them who could be considered a lucky fellow.
3210 
3211“Coccodol’s still in jail because he lost his power during that struggle… lucky him.”
3212  
3213“You’re right… he really is…”