ã€ŠVolume 12: The Two Monstersã€‹


 Prologue

    Prologue

    The throne room of Nazarick was brightly lit by the magical chandeliers. Ainz Ooal Gown had gathered most of the floor guardians and Sebas for two reasons. One was to hear about and commend them on their progress. And the other¡­

    ¡°The. Lizardmen. Are. Very. Great. Full. For. The. Gifts. Bestowed. On. Them. By Ainz-sama,¡± wrapped up his report Cocytus.

    According to him the 3 adamantite armors crafted by the dwarfs were given to Zenberu, Zaryusu, and Shiryusu. Leaving the other lizardmen in awe of the armor''s craftsmanship and of their lord Ainz Ooal Gown''s generosity.

    ¡°Very good. The armor will protect Zaryusu from harm...¡± an image of the albino lizardmen with many albino children flashed in Ainz¡¯s mind. ¡°Zenberu deserved a reward for being our guide to the dwarfs, and Shasryu getting the armor as the leader of the lizardmen is also good.¡±

    ¡°You have done an excellent job Cocytus!¡± Ainz commended while nodding his head. ¡°I know you have requested armor and weapons for the lizardmen in the past. Now that we have the dwarf runesmiths working for us, your lizardmen will be amongst the first to receive rune crafted equipment.¡±

    ¡°Your. Servant. Is. Most. Great. Full.¡±

    ¡°Now, Albedo. I understand your visit to the Capital had gone quite well as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ainz-sama!¡± Replied Albedo, turning to face Ainz. ¡°With the help of Eight Fingers, we were able to prop up a worthless human, to create a third faction in the kingdom. Princess Renner is also proving to be a useful puppet. Although, if she can open the box she was given, she might even be worth welcoming as a servant of the great tomb of Nazzarick.¡±

    I still don¡¯t know what Albedo''s and Demiurge''s plan for this Princess is. But is letting someone so smart near me a good idea? Suzuki Satoru thought full of worry. His skull face betrayed no emotion, of course.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then!¡± Ainz said as he waved his hand gracefully. The many hours spent practicing such movements in front of the mirror had begun to pay off, as he was able to execute such a move with a regal appearance befit of a true ruler.

    ¡°I will do my best to please Ainz-sama,¡± replied Albedo, blushing a little as she bowed.

    Purging his mind of any thoughts about the reason for her blushing, he looked at Demiurge, the only one who hasn¡¯t yet given a report.

    ¡°Demiurge, can you share your progress in the Holy Kingdom with the other guardians?¡±

    ¡°As you command,¡± replied Demiurge with a bow. ¡°My preparation in the Holy kingdom is complete. We can move forward with the plan to use a doppelganger.¡±

    While Ainz was wondering why Demiurge would require a doppelganger, Shalltear spoke.

    ¡°Doppelganger? I thought the plan was to use Jaldabaoth to throw the Holy Kingdom into despair, forcing them to ask the Sorcerer Kingdom for help. Much like we did in the Kingdom¡¯s Capital.¡±

    Thankful that not all of his subordinates possessed genius level intelligence Ainz awaited Demiurge¡¯s reply.

    ¡°Kuku,¡± Demiurge laughed. ¡°Do you really think someone as unfathomable as Ainz-sama, the leader of all the Supreme Beings would play the same hand twice?¡±

    "What is he talking about?!" Thought Suzuki Satoru as he felt his none existent stomach ache. "Wasn¡¯t that exactly the plan?" Thankful for his undead emotional suppression and even more for his skull face, he listened on.

    ¡°Do you really know our master so little? Ainz-sama is a truly unimaginable being, whose plans go far beyond what any of us can comprehend.¡± Demiurge said smiling.

    Shalltear had a puzzled look on her face, as did the other guardians except for Albedo, who nodded approvingly during Demiurge speech.

    ¡°But.. wasn¡¯t subjugating the Holy Kingdom.. the next step in our... conquest?¡± Asked Mare, in his panicky voice.

    ¡°Please. Explain. It. To. This. Ungrateful. One.¡± Said Cocytus while looking at Ainz. Aura''s eyes were on him too, eager to learn about his incomparable plan.

    ¡°Explain what?! I know just as much as you!¡± Suzuki wanted to scream. Naturally, he did not do that, having anticipated this turn of events. In fact, the other reason for gathering all the guardians was to avoid being alone with Demiurge and Albedo while discussing the plans for the future.

    ¡°What was it that happened the last time.¡± Ainz thought about his last meeting with Demiurge. It was after the dwarfs allied with them. In a conversation with Demiurge, he got distracted and said something out loud at the most unfortunate time. ¡°Ten thousand years¡± was it? He tried to play it off as a joke, but it was obvious Demiurge didn''t take it as such.

    ¡°It seems Demiurge had seen through my plans once again,¡± Ainz said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Not at all Ainz-sama. I could never have imagined how far your plans go. If it wasn¡¯t for the light you shone, I would still be in complete darkness as to your true plans,¡± replied Demiurge, bowing to Ainz.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ainz thought. ¡°Why does he always make things so difficult for me?¡± Truly Suzuki was full of regrets. In the beginning, he could have easily told Demiurge and Albedo that they need to tell him their plans in order not to interfere with his brilliant schemes. However, he didn''t do that. Doing so now would make them both feel like they¡¯ve failed, that he could not trust them and that they needed his supervision. It could also reflect badly on his own image as an all-knowing ruler ¨C since the guardians were convinced that Ainz already knew their plans.

    Ainz sighed, and used a new variation of his usual escape tool: ¡°It seems that not all the guardians are as perceptive as you are. Do explain to them our plans for the Holy Kingdom,¡± he told Demiurge.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.After bowing to Ainz, Demiurge began.

    ¡°Like you, I thought Ainz-sama¡¯s goal was to conquer the world and rule it as a Supreme Being should. However, I began to doubt it after observing Ainz-sama¡¯s deeds in the Empire and the Dwarven Kingdom. World conquest seemed too simple of a goal for the leader of the Supreme Beings. And then in a recent conversation with Ainz-sama, he confirmed it. 10,000 years!¡± Demiurge proclaimed loudly.

    ¡°10,000 years! That¡¯s how far ahead our master had predicted the future of The Sorcerer Kingdom.¡±

    The throne room went silent before words of awe and admiration filled the air. Albedo¡¯s wings had opened and closed from excitement and her body shuddered.

    ¡°I told him it was a joke, didn¡¯t I?¡± Ainz thought desperately, his none existent stomach churning. ¡°Why did he have to bring it up here? Now everyone thinks it¡¯s true too.¡±

    ¡°It is as Demiurge says,¡± Ainz stated betraying none of his emotions. Still, even with his undead body and face, pulling off such a thing took most of his energy. ¡°Please proceed Demiurge.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ainz-sama! It finally made sense. If all Ainz-sama wanted was to conquer the world, he would need but to give a command to the legions of undead which have been created. They would overrun and conquer everything in their way. And allow us to observe anyone who could stop them, such as the party responsible for mind controlling Shalltear. We could then gather information on any such entities and eliminate them.¡±

    ¡°However, such a plan is short-sighted. It would bring immediate results but would cause many problems in the long term. On the other hand, Ainz-sama''s plan sacrifices some immediate results for the long-term advantages. His actions in the Empire and the Dwarven Kingdom had allowed me to peek at his true plans. Although I could never fully comprehend them.¡±

    ¡°What the hell is he talking about?¡± Wondered Ainz. ¡°All I did in Empire was duel the Arena Lord. And while recruiting runesmiths and reclaiming dwarven capital was a good achievement, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what Demiurge is speaking of.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand,¡± said Shalltear, looking like a student who just can¡¯t grasp the lesson.

    ¡°Me too,¡± added Aura, "doesn¡¯t Ainz-sama want to conquer the world?¡±

    ¡°There is a difference between doing so, and doing so in a way that will result in Sorcerer Kingdom reigning supreme for 10,000 years.¡± Said Albedo. All eyes were on her as she continued.

    ¡°From our research into this world¡¯s history we know that every two hundred years or so, powerful beings appear in this world. Similar to how Nazarick had been transported here. By all accounts, those beings might be on the same level as us.¡±

    There was a commotion in the throne room as gasps of surprise and exclamations of protest were heard.

    ¡°Naturally, no one can challenge the might of Nazarick!¡± Exclaimed Albedo, her wings opening and closing in excitement. ¡°But if we use force to conquer this world, its inhabitants would be chomping at the bit to join forces with anyone who''ll oppose us. Be it some newly transferred beings, or those already in this world.¡±

    Understanding dawned on all of the guardians.

    ¡°I see. Ainz-sama seeks to conquer the world in a way that would make The Sorcerer Kingdom not an enemy, but a hero to the people of this world. Preventing them from allying with our enemies in the future and even helping us find any of the ones already here,¡± Sebas said.

    ¡°Indeed. If you look at AInz-sama¡¯s accomplishments it''s clear that he has been pursuing this goal from the start. Carne village, lizardmen, Baharuth Empire, the Dwarven Kingdom, even his reorganization of the Adventurer''s Guild. He had not simply achieved victory over them by force, but inspired the kind of admiration and worship that such a Supreme Being deserves.¡±

    ¡°However, there are still obstacles ¨C some fools just don¡¯t know their place,¡± Demiurge said, a scowl on his face. ¡°That fool, Jircniv of the Baharuth Empire. It seems he had given up on opposing us openly but is still looking for a way out¡±

    ¡°Which bring us to the Holy Kingdom. We will use this country to make the legend of Ainz Ooal Gown, making him a hero to the people of this world. While flushing out those who oppose us and inspiring even greater loyalty

    from those loyal to The Sorcerer Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Demiurge has explained my goals quite well. Now that you know of my true plans, I hope you will work hard to fulfill them¡±

    All of the guardians bowed to acknowledge their master¡¯s words.

    ¡°Still your intelligence knows no limits Ainz-sama. To think that you have already predicted this course of action back when you¡¯ve created Pandora¡¯s Actor,¡± Demiurge threw cold water on Ainz who had begun to relax.

    ¡°What?!¡± Suzuki thought, thankful for his skull face which could not betray any emotions. ¡°Why is he mentioning Pandora¡¯s Actor now? I truly don¡¯t understand his plans¡±

    ¡°You give me too much credit Demiurge, it is just a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°I should be safe saying this, right?¡± Suzuki wondered.

    ¡°Still, the whole plan would be impossible if it wasn¡¯t for Pandora''s Actor¡¯s doppelganger ability. As the only one in Nazarick proficient enough to fully resemble anyone, could it truly be a coincidence since he is the one being created by Ainz-sama?¡± Demiurge asked with a smile.

    ¡°How should I answer him? I am not even sure what he needs Pandora''s Actor for, or why he¡¯s such a key to the plan.¡± Ainz agonized for a few seconds, before going with what he thought was his safest option.

    ¡°I had considered several possibilities at the time. Although, even I cannot see so far into the future. Now Demiurge, explain our exact plan of action for the Holy Kingdom so that everyone present here can understand it¡± Ainz ordered Demiurge.

 Chapter 1, Part 1

    Chapter 1, part 1

    The atmosphere in the tavern was quite rumbustious. But for ¡°Adventure Calls¡± - the main tavern of the Holy Kingdom''s capital and a favorite place for adventurers to get a drink, it was nothing out of the ordinary. The servers brought food and drinks to the tables, without paying too much attention to the loud conversations around them.

    ¡°And I am telling you it was dozens of them! I saw the corpses myself when we went to that village.¡± ¨C exclaimed a burly looking adventurer with a platinum plate hanging from his neck. His voice carried over to the corner of a tavern. Where a man in a chainmail set alone at the table, a drink in front of him.

    Marv Elen ¨C the leader of an orichalcum ranked adventurer group called ¡°The Young Blood¡± ¨C a name that was given to them by an acquaintance when they first started, due to the whole group being comprised of very young adventurers. 10 years later they were the youngest orichalcum adventurers in the kingdom.

    Having just returned from a quest he was eager to catch up on the latest news, he listened intently while waiting for the other members of his group to gather.

    Demons ¨C that was the talk of the town. Although he was not too sure about the details, as his group was away on a series of quests. It seemed like the trouble had started several months ago. There were reports of people disappearing in the remote villages on the east side of the kingdom. Adventurers were dispatched to investigate but were not able to find anything unusual.

    Then the contact was lost completely with several villages. Adventurers who were sent there reported the villages were abandoned, with many houses having broken doors, but no other signs of battle. It was quite strange, it was as if the people who lived there were taken away. Such disappearance began to spread to other, nearby villages. One by one, the residents of seven villages had disappeared without a trace. As he was recalling the events that followed a man in a robe approached and set at his table.

    Kiza Achin ¨C a magic caster from Marv¡¯s group, he was able to cast several 4th tier spells. A genius magic caster, in time he would certainly overtake Fluder Paradyne of the Baharuth Empire as the top magic caster. He also had an incredible innate talent, which allowed him, after some meditation, to store up to three spells in his mind, which could be used instantaneously at a later time. This skill was incredibly useful and had saved ¡°The Young Blood¡± group on several occasions. Much like Marv, he was on the cusp of adamantite rank.

    ¡°I just ran into Kiara. She was in a hurry, on her way to the Palace to report on her mission. But I asked her to stop by here afterward to share her information with us.¡± ¨C said Kiza, after ordering his drink.

    Kiara Guroal, a member of ¡°Devastation¡± - one of the two adamantite adventurer groups in the Holy Kingdom. She was a dual wielder like Marv, though instead of swords she used small axes, and instead of relying on strength she relied on her mind-blowing agility and drunk-like style of fighting. Nicknamed ¡°Whirlwind of Death¡± she was an incredible fighter. Marv had spared with her on a number of occasions, and the result was always the same. He could never land a hit ¨C her seemingly random, drunk-like movements made it impossible to predict her position, while her own weapons would come at him from the most impossible angles. For all his strength, Marv realized he still had a long way to go to stand at that level.

    ¡°So it¡¯s true, the ¡°Claw¡± had been killed,¡± Kiza¡¯s voice snapped Marv out of his thoughts. ¡°The situation appears to be quite dire. It¡¯s no wonder that the Empress had called most of the mithril and higher ranked adventurers to the Capital. The Palace certainly appears to be planning something."

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± replied Marv, taking a gulp from his cup, as his thoughts gone back to the events of the past month.

    Thanks to Potemur Dorland ¨C the highest ranked Holy Priest of the kingdom, a renowned strategist and an adviser to the Empress. They had discovered a pattern in the villagers'' disappearances and predicted the next village that will disappear. "Claw" - a mithril adventurers'' group and the highest ranked team in the town of Cressa was sent to the Kolea village.

    Unfortunately, Potemur underestimated the threat. ¡°Claw¡± did not return. The findings of an orichalcum group, along with two mithril groups that were sent to investigate Kolea village made it clear that ¡°Claw¡± was defeated. Unlike the previous villages, where no clues were present as to what occurred, there were plenty of such at Kolea village. Dozens of demon corpses lay on the ground near the entrance of the village.

    ¡°Claw¡± must have made it to the village just as the demons were taking away its residents. There was a large battle at the entrance to the village, dozens of corpses of various demons were laying all over. Hellhounds, devours, maulers and so on were among the slain demons. However, no human corpses were present. The adventurers believed that ¡°Claw¡± had suffered the same fate as the villagers.

    Their report had thrown the Holy Kingdom into a state of emergency. Mithril ranked adventurers, while not as rare as orichalcum were still few in numbers, and a loss of such a team was a blow to the country¡¯s ability to subdue monsters. On top of that, the Demon threat of such caliber needed immediate resolution. According to Potemur, the next most likely target would be the city of Cressa.

    By Empress decree, all of the mithril and above adventurers were called to the capital.

    Although the Holy Kingdom had little trade and no diplomatic relations with other nations, adventurers had connections in other countries and would often hear various rumors. According to some adventurers, a Demon army had recently attacked the capital of Re-Estize Kingdom. There were also rumors of a powerful undead magic caster devastating Kingdom¡¯s army and taking a chunk of its lands for himself. To investigate this rumors and gather information, Kiara and her adamantite group were sent to the Kingdom. The reason for sending them was due to Kiara having a close relationship with one of the Kingdom¡¯s adamantite adventurers ¨C Gagaran. Both of them were once trained by the same master swordsmen, though looking at their current styles it was hard to believe.

    The other adamantite team of the Holy Kingdom was sent to the city of Cressa, to protect it from the demons and to gather information on the attackers. Comprised of 5 holy paladins ¡°Fortress¡± was an impenetrable force, smashing its way through any quest they were given. The leader of this group was Baur Olan Valur ¨C the second strongest person in the country and the Empress''s brother. Marv did not think ¡°Fortress¡± could possibly be defeated. But what if he was wrong?

    Unease filled Marv¡¯s body, as he ordered another drink. Looking at Kiza he saw his expression was gloom as well. The two continued to drink as they waited for the rest of their companions to gather, as well as for Kiara to come by and tell them what she had learned.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    In the Palace of the Capital of the Holy Kingdom

    A winged beauty sat on the throne. Although Kiara had seen the Empress before, the sight of the remarkably beautiful woman took her breath away. Wearing a white gown, white wings protruding from her waist, she looked like an angel. Felvia Olan Valur ¨C Empress of the Holy Kingdom, a descendant of their God.

    Next to her stood a man in a garment of the holy priest ¨C the head of the Holy priests and her adviser, Potemur. At eighty years old he showed no signs of old age and possessed incredible divine magic powers.

    Kiara stood alone before them. Her teammates went to their hotel rooms to drop off their equipment and freshen up after the journey back from the Re-Estize Kingdom. They had agreed to meet at ¡°Adventure Calls¡± after she delivers her report.

    ¡°I am glad to see you have returned unharmed Kiara,¡± the Empress addressed her. ¡°Please tell us what you were able to find out about the Demons'' attack as well as the undead magic caster.¡±

    ¡°Yes, your Highness,¡± replied Kiara.

    She proceeded to explain that about ten months ago the capital of Re-Estize Kingdom was attacked by a horde of demons. Led by an incredibly powerful demon named Jaldabaoth, they were drawn to the Kingdom due to a certain magic item. The power of this item was such that even members of ¡°Blue Rose¡± the adamantite adventurers who were directly responsible for securing this item were not told what it did, or where it was being held. Rumors floated through the capital that the head of the magician guild, who had cast a spell to identify this item had gone mad after doing so.

    During Jaldabaoth¡¯s attack, a large number of Capital¡¯s citizens had gone missing, much like the villagers in the Holy Kingdom.

    ¡°And what happened to this Jaldabaoth? Did¡°Blue Rose¡± able to defeat him?¡± Asked Potemur.

    ¡°Amongst the hordes of demons at Jaldabaoth¡¯s command, the strongest were five masked maids. Gagaran, Tia, and Evileye encountered one of the maids and were able to defeat it. Also, Gagaran admitted to me that before Evileye joined them, they were about to get killed. However, before they could kill this maid, Jaldabaoth showed up. He killed Tia and Gagaran with a single attack. Evileye was unable to inflict any damage on Jaldabaoth, and would have been killed too if it wasn¡¯t for Momom.¡±

    Seeing the puzzled looks on the faces of her two listeners, Kiara explained:

    ¡°Momon is the leader of ¡°Darkness¡± - a new adamantite group in the Kingdom. The group consists of only two members - him and a magic caster called Nabe.¡±

    ¡°He was able to draw with Jaldabaoth and allowed the Kingdom¡¯s adventurers to regroup. Later that day he confronted Jaldabaoth again, while Evileye and Nabe fought the five maids. The two of them were able to stall the maids, while Momon and Jaldabaoth clashed. Although he was, again unable to defeat him, he was able to force Jaldabaoth to retreat,¡± Kiara concluded this portion of her report.

    She waited respectfully as the two in front of her conversed in voices too low for her to make out.

    ¡°Evileye is the strongest magic caster of the Kingdom, isn¡¯t she?¡± Asked Potemur after moving closer to the Empress. ¡°If she was unable to even damage this Jaldabaoth then he must be unimaginably powerful¡±

    ¡°And for Momon to have fought him evenly, that would mean Momon is an awakened God kin,¡± concluded Felvia. ¡°I wonder which lineage he is from. But let¡¯s leave that for later.¡±

    ¡°Please continue with your report Kiara. What have you found out about the undead magic caster?¡±

    ¡°Yes your Highness,¡± Kiara replied, as she continued. After telling them about the spell that the magic caster used at the Katze Plains, a shocked look appeared on both of her listeners'' faces.

    ¡°That, that power...¡± mumbled Potemur. ¡°It can¡¯t be..¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± replied Felvia in a low voice full of sadness ¨C ¡°That is not something that even a God-kin could pull off. That is undoubtedly the power of a God¡±

    ¡°Such incredible power, held by such an evil being. Are we doomed?¡± Potemur asked her. ¡°Even if we can defeat Jaldabaoth, there is no hope against this Ainz.¡±

    ¡°We are indeed in a dire situation. Please continue Kiara.¡±

    Her words brought Potemur back to his senses. ¡°I can imagine that after the devastation at the Katze Plains the Re-Estize Kingdom had no choice but to cede E-Rantel to this Sorcerer. But what happened after? Did all the residents of that city flee? Were they all killed once the undead begun to rule?¡± Felvia inquired.

    ¡°Your Highness is correct for the outcome of the battle, but E-Rantel¡¯s situation is quite different. It appears that E-Rantel is being ruled peacefully. The citizens were not massacred, nor did they revolt against their undead king. Remarkably, the living live beside the undead. Death Knights are used as city guards, Elder Liches as public servants and Soul Eaters as pull horses. And not long ago this Sorcerer King proclaimed that he wanted all species, human, demi-human and even heteromorphs to live peacefully and prosperously in his Sorcerer Kingdom.¡± An awkward smile appeared on Kiara¡¯s face. She understood how unbelievable it sounded, she didn¡¯t believe it when she heard it first herself, but that was the truth.

    ¡°The reason for this appears to be Momon,¡± Kiara continued. ¡°When the Sorcerer King took control of E-Rantel, Momon confronted him. During their confrontation Ainz offered him to become an enforcer ¨C Momon would make sure that the citizens of E-Rantel were not mistreated, and in exchange, he would have to deal with anyone who revolted against Ainz¡¯s rule.

    ¡°This.. is quite interesting,¡± mumbled Potemur while addressing the Empress. ¡°Normally undead should hate the living, and with his incredible power, Ainz could easily slaughter all of the living in his path. Yet he did no such thing. In fact, he wants to bring the different races to live together peacefully.¡±

    ¡°Could it be that his age and power had allowed him to glean beyond the hatred for the living that his kind is associated with?¡± Asked the Empress.

    ¡°Well, Surshana of the Six Great Gods was an undead as well, yet he did not bear any hatred for the living¡±

    ¡°Comparing this undead magic caster to a God? Such blasphemy!¡± The Empress admonished him. ¡°Also it¡¯s not unreasonable. We know he wields the power of a God and does not bear hatred for the living.¡±

    ¡°We should be able to negotiate with him to aid us, should such a need arise,¡± concluded Potemur.

    Kiara was stunned ¨C she did not expect them to come to such conclusion. If anything, she thought they would doubt her words. But to not simply accept them as truthful, but to come to such a ridiculous conclusion from her short report, the minds these two possessed were beyond hers.

    ¡°Still, to ask an undead being for help..¡± the Empress hesitated.

    ¡°I thank you for your hard work, Kiara!¡± She said loudly, addressing the one in front of her. ¡°Please take your time to relax and recuperate your energy, we might very well need your strength again in the near future.¡±

    With a bow, Kiara left the throne room and went to her hotel room before going to the tavern.

    After Kiara left the Empress addressed her adviser: ¡°I will contact my bother immediately via [message] and tell him about Jaldabaoth. If he shows up at the battle I doubt anyone but my brother will be able to damage to him.¡±

    Potemur nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Do you think the three of them could be related in some way?¡± she asked him.

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say. Jaldabaoth fought Momon, and Momon confronted Ainz, before deciding to join him. Ainz and Jaldabaoth seem to have opposing positions ¨C Ainz wants all races to live peacefully, while Jaldabaoth wants the demons to take over the world. Could they really be working together?¡± Potemur wondered.

    ¡°Also, Momon joining Ainz would indicate that Ainz is more powerful, no? Which should also mean that Ainz is more powerful than Jaldabaoth. It appears we should be able to rely on his strength to defeat Jaldabaoth, should our own power prove insufficient,¡± the Empress concluded.

    ¡°It is as you say, your Highness. Still, I¡¯d prefer not to owe any favors to this undead being.¡± Potemur replied. ¡°Also, Mir had sent me a [message] he should be back tomorrow¡±

    ¡°Although, we have not kept up our ties with the Slane Theocracy, our countries were once very close. They should be willing to assist us, at least with the information they have. It will be interesting to see what information your right-hand man had acquired,¡± Felvia told him.

 Chapter 1, Part 2

    Chapter 1, part 2

    </a>The guest room in the house of Cressa¡¯s Mayor was full of people. There was the mayor himself, the guild master of the local adventurers'' guild, the head of the city guards. Three members of ¡°Fortress¡± were present too, including Baur Olan Valur, the brother of the Empress.

    ¡°I am not sure how much assistance we can offer,¡± explained the guild master ¡°With ¡°Claw¡± gone, our highest ranked team is platinum. While they can take care of lesser demons, they won¡¯t be of much help against the ones who defeated ¡°Claw.¡±

    ¡°That is precisely what we¡¯ll need from your adventurers,¡± Baur assured him. ¡°We will take care of enemy¡¯s main forces. However, the demons numbers are such that just the five of us may not be enough to contain them all. That¡¯s where the other adventurers will come into play.¡±

    ¡°The city guards should only need to fight if the enemy breaks through the line of adventurers.¡± He continued to explain.

    The head of the city guards was quite pale, city guards were much weaker than adventurers, even an experienced city guard would be comparable to a silver ranked adventurer at most. If the guards had to fight the demons, their casualties would be enormous. However, according to Baur, the chances of the city guards fighting were quite slim. Relieved the head of the city guards nodded his acknowledgment and left the Mayor¡¯s house to explain the situation to his subordinates.

    Guild master had left as well, to gather all the adventurers presently in town and to organize their defense.

    ¡°We appreciate your understanding and help in this matter,¡± Baur addressed the mayor. ¡°Also it is troubling, we hope you will bear with us."

    ¡°Still, to use the citizens of this city as bait... Granted, if you are here we should be fine,¡± replied the mayor.

    ¡°Then we will head out and wait for the demon¡¯s attack. According to Potemur, it should commence today.¡± Baur said before bowing and heading out of the building.

    After leaving the mayor¡¯s house, he suddenly stopped, a look of concentration appeared on his face. A minute later it was replaced by one full of worry.

    ¡°Oi, oi! What is this? I¡¯ve never seen you so worried,¡± exclaimed one of his team members looking at his face. Leoh Bur was a hulking paladin clad in adamantite plate armor, a large 2 handed sword on his back.

    ¡°I got a [message] from the Empress.¡± ¨C replied Baur ¡°It appears we have been underestimating these demons all along. We need to call everyone together now, I will clarify the situation once everyone has gathered.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.Hurriedly they went to their meeting place on the city wall. The other two members of ¡°Fortress¡± were already there. With everyone huddled around him Baur began his explanation:

    ¡°I have received new information regarding the demons which we could be facing. Although our general assessment of their strength was correct, there are several incredibly powerful beings amongst them. First, there are five masked demons wearing maid uniforms.¡±

    ¡°Maids?¡± snorted Otoro ¨C the most imposing of the five paladins he wielded a huge two-handed mace. He, even more so than Leoh, was the main damage dealer of the party.

    ¡°Demons really have a heck of imagination¡± ¨C commented Beyrun Toumur ¨C short and thick, clad in plate armor with a large shield and mace, he looked like a moving fort.

    ¡°All jokes aside, these maids are incredibly powerful,¡± reigned them in Baur ¡°Just one was able to nearly kill two adamantine adventurers, and put up quite a fight against three.¡±

    All of his companions had grave looks on their faces. Maid outfit or not, a demon who could defeat two adamantite adventurers was no joke.

    ¡°And there are five of them?¡± Asked Pilin Sauro ¨C a tall, lanky guy, a sword at his side and a shield on his back. ¡°Even assuming we are stronger than the aforementioned adventurers, it¡¯s not the kind of odds I like.¡±

    The others responded in agreement.

    ¡°It gets worse,¡± Baur continued, a solemn look on his face. ¡°The one leading them, a masked demon called Jaldabaoth is even more powerful. Under no circumstances are you to engage him if you see him. I will be the only one fighting him.¡±

    ¡°Trying to hog all the glory for yourself?¡± Joked Leoh. ¡°Look, I understand you are the strongest amongst us, but shouldn¡¯t our power be of use to you?¡±

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t be able to do anything against that Demon. Frankly, I am not even sure if I can damage him,¡± Baur replied.

    ¡°Hey, hey! What are you saying? If you, the second strongest person in this country can¡¯t even damage him, who the hell is going to stop that demon?¡± Shouted Otoro. The thought that there was someone his leader couldn¡¯t even damage made him want to vomit.

    ¡°From what I was told, Evileye, the strongest magic caster of the Re-Estize Kingdom, capable of using 5th tier magic, was unable to inflict any damage on him,¡± Baur replied. ¡°While I am stronger, it is unclear how much so.¡±

    ¡°Could it be he had magic immunity?¡± Asked Beyrun.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, though a total magic immunity seems unlikely.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what we are here to uncover,¡± summarized the situation, Baur.

    ¡°Since our victory is uncertain, no, since our defeat is a likely outcome. Should we evacuate the citizens?¡± Asked Beyrun.

    ¡°No. If we do so, the demons will notice, and simply attack another place. We can¡¯t be everywhere at once, so this is our chance to gauge their strength. Moreover, there is a chance that these demons are not related to Jaldabaoth and his horde which attacked the Re-Estize Kingdom. In that case, we can defeat them here and now, putting an end to their threat.¡±

    ¡°In other words, we are gambling with the lives of the citizens of Cressa being our bet,¡± summarized Pilin.

    ¡°Our lives as well,¡± added Otoro.

    That was the truth. The empress was very clear that evacuating the citizens of Cressa would simply result in the demons attacking elsewhere. Not only that, but the demons could catch on to the fact that their attacks were predicted, and begin to attack randomly, making it impossible to defend against them. As much as it pained Baur, he had agreed to this plan, and to gamble on the power of his group.

 Chapter 1, Part 3

    Chapter 1, part 3

    ¡°That one,¡± he pointed at one of the five humans gathered on a city wall. ¡°He seems to be the leader and the one we have learned of from the humans we captured.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Jaldabaoth-sama. His equipment matches the description we got from the adventurers we¡¯ve captured at this village.¡± Replied Yuri Alpha respectfully.

    The other maids were looking at the image that was magically projected in front of them. [Observe] was the scroll used to watch the group gathered on the wall protecting Cressa. They did not take any measure to impede enemies from discovering their observation spell or even determining their own location. In fact, the possibility of being discovered, and counter-attacked was one of the myriad Demiurge had considered. That is why they wore masks, observing from Kolea village.

    ¡°He seems quite powerful,¡± remarked Entoma, while observing the person in question ¨C he was clad in plate armor, with a sword and a shield. The sword appeared to emit white light, making it stand out from the weapons of his companions. ¡°It feels that he is as powerful, no, slightly more powerful than me.¡± She continued.

    ¡°That is indeed the case. He¡¯s quite an interesting specimen, one I would like to examine in more details in my quarters.¡± Said Demiurge, a twisted smile of an evil scientist on his face. ¡°But,¡± the smile faded from his face ¡°we¡¯ll have to leave him be. It is a necessary step in order to make this kingdom taste the true meaning of despair¡±

    ¡°Then as we¡¯ve discussed, we will begin in three hours. My Evil Lords will begin to summon their minions and sending them to the city. A bit later the five of you will engage this group of paladins. Despite, only the leader being on your level, their ability to work together is something to be aware of. I will be observing from here and will interfere if anything goes astray. If things go as planned, I will show up at the finale and push them into the deepest pits of despair.¡±

    ¡°Also you can easily crush this bugs, you should restrain yourself and work as a team, instead of crushing them with your personal power. Do you have any proposals on how to engage this group?¡± Demiurge asked Yuri.

    After thinking about why Ainz-sama would take Shalltear along in his expedition to the dwarven kingdom, he realized that his master wanted Shalltear to gain experience and avoid making mistakes like she did in the past.

    As a loyal servant Demiurge, wanted the same for the Pleiades. Entoma¡¯s battle with Blue Rose''s members revealed that while Pleidas were powerful compared to the natives of this world, their tactical combat experience was somewhat lacking. This opportunity would be used to allow them to obtain combat experience against an experienced foe, in what should be a safe environment. That was why he would not join the fight until his part, save for an emergency that would require his interference.

    Yuri Alpha looked around at the other four maids before she began. As the leader of the battle maids, it was her burden to come up with the strategy to use against this group of adventurers.

    ¡°Although Solution is not allowed to reveal her true form, she should have no problems taking on the two of the paladins using two-handed weapons. Their strength will prove useless against Solution¡¯s body. Entoma will take on the tall one with sword and shield. I''ll take on the one with the mace and shield. Lupusregina will take on their leader, her main objective being to stall him. CZ will provide assistance to Entoma as well as a distraction as needed.¡±

    ¡°Once Entoma disposes of her opponent, it will create a domino effect where all but the leader will fall one by one,¡± Yuri concluded. After pushing up her glasses, she looked at Demiurge.

    ¡°A splendid plan, and a great way to show Entoma that she has the trust of the whole group.¡± Demiurge complimented her.

    ¡°I will show them the power of Nazarick!¡± Exclaimed Entoma, as the memories of her humiliating defeat incensed her. ¡°I will not be defeated this time!¡±

    ¡°This is an opportunity for you to gain combat experience, to practice teamwork, to learn how to quickly assess enemy strength and abilities, and adapt to them,¡± Demiurge explained.

    ¡°Yes, Jaldabaoth-sama,¡± all the maids bowed to him as an acknowledgment of their understanding.

    Three hours later in the palace of the Holy Kingdom''s capital

    ¡°The attack has begun; join me in observing it,¡± Felvia Olan Valur told her adviser.

    ¡°Yes, your highness. We should observe the enemy, in the heat of a battle many details can get lost.¡±

    She had asked her brother to [message] her once the attack begins so that she could observe it via scrying magic. In an office-like room with numerous cabinets full of parchments, she had retrieved several scrolls before sitting at the table with her adviser.

    After unfurling one of the scrolls she activated it - [observe] Cressa, the rank 3 spell of observation was cast, and a picture appeared to hang in front of them. It was centered on the town of Cressa.

    A wall of fire, some 30 feet high, burned about 500 meters in front of the main gates of the city. From those flames, she could see figures emerging. She manipulated the image in front of her to take a closer look.

    She saw figures of various demons emerge from the flames. Hellhounds, devours, maulers, soul screamers, and other low ranked demons were pouring out from the flames in steady numbers. There was no end to them.

    To meet this column of destruction, a line of adventurers had appeared from the city. Understandably they did not want to let the demons get inside the city, as it would be impossible to prevent civilian casualties in that case. At the center of the adventurer¡¯s line was ¡°Fortress¡± next to them were the five platinum ranked groups from Cressa. After them were gold, silver and iron ranked adventurers. City guards were posted on the walls, in case any demons managed to get that far.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.The strategy employed by ¡°Fortress¡± was simple but effective. Using A V-shaped formation, they would smash any demons in front of them, the remaining demons would be split into two groups and would be finished off by the platinum ranked adventurers. If any demons got by they would be finished off by the gold, silver and other adventurers that made up the flanks of the formation.

    This strategy would bear fruits so long as ¡°Fortress¡± did not run into enemies they could not decimate quickly. Observing the demons marching forward Felvia felt none of them posed such a threat. But what would happen if ¡°Fortress¡± had to fight the maids or Jaldabaoth himself? The platinum ranked adventurers alone would be hard pressed to contain the demons due to their sheer numbers.

    ¡°They don''t have enough people,¡± remarked Potemur, who came to the same conclusion.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know the enemy¡¯s strength. Sending additional reinforcement could result in the loss of these adventurers as well,¡± she replied. ¡°If my brother cannot inflict damage on Jaldabaoth, then any additional adventurers would simply get slaughtered in vain.¡±

    ¡°I have faith in my brother,¡± she added in a soft voice.

    Her adviser nodded in agreement.

    Baur Olan Valur was an awakened God-kin. His strength alone was greater than the rest of the kingdom''s adventurers combined. Equipped with shield and armor made of a metal no one in this country had ever seen ¨C an heirloom of their family. His sword, which radiated white light, added holy damage to attacks. It also amplified any holy spells cast by the wielder.

    If he could not even damage Jaldabaoth then their options for defeating that Demon would become frighteningly scarce. Pushing away such heavy thoughts Potemur focused his attention on the image in front of him. The battle was about to begin.

    The city of Cressa

    After sending a [message] to his sister that the demons have made their move, Baur assembled all of the adventurers in front of the city gates. He cast a quick look around at the adventurers, as they formed into a wedge formation.

    The looks on the platinum ranked adventurers were tense, but not nervous. In contrast, the looks of the lower ranked adventurers were quite timid and in some cases outright scared. Thinking about it he quickly issued a command.

    ¡°Copper ranked adventurers, please join the city guards on the walls to make sure no demons get into the city!¡± The lowest ranked adventurers lacked both strength and experience, it was unlikely they would make a difference if the gold and silver ranked adventurers failed. On the other hand, they were at least as strong as the city guards, and would improve the chance of a victory should a stray demon make it to the wall.

    ¡°The rest of you, prepare yourself! We will win this battle for our Holy Kingdom!¡± He shouted, and a roar answered his call.

    [mass fear ward] [mass protection energy: negative]

    He cast his spells on the gathered adventurers. He could hear the voices of those near him as they cast their buffs as well.

    [holy shield] [absorption] [holy armor]

    He heard Beyrun cast his defensive spells, and Otoro was enveloped in the corresponding spell effects. It was their usual tactic, those that were already proficient in defense would cast defensive spells on Otoro and Leoh, allowing them to focus on damage.

    [power of divine]

    Otoro cast his signature spell. It was a spell he could only cast 3 times a day. It imbued his two-handed mace with power, and when released it would create a large area explosion and a shock wave. Combined with his martial art [overhead smash] it produced the sort of results that could make one an instant legend. Although it was a bit of a waste to use such a move on low ranked demons that posed no threat to ¡°Fortress¡± Baur thought that opening with this move would bolster the spirits of the other adventurers, and would cause fear in the demon ranks. If demons could feel fear.

    With the preparations complete they began to advance. Forming the tip of the V formation Baur was in front, beside him were Otoro and Leoh and next to them were Beyrun and Pilin. They were followed by the platinum ranked groups, with gold and silver adventurers forming the flanks. In contrast, the column of approaching demons was about ten demons wide. Baur hoped that ¡°Fortress¡± would be able to eliminate 6 to 8 demons as they advanced, leaving the remaining ones to be finished off by the platinum ranked adventurers.

    When the two sides were about 30 meters apart, Baur slowed his pace and allowed his comrade to get in front of the line. Otoro rushed forward, when he was about 4 meters from the demons he executed his move ¨C he spun his mace in a 270 degree arc, facing his own friends momentarily, before turning to face the enemy line and using the momentum to bring the mace over his head and smash it into the ground, simultaneously releasing the power imbued in his weapon.

    [overhead smash] [release]

    The result was as spectacular as ever. The ground buckled under the enormous force of the attack, there was an explosion and a shock wave that ran forward from the point of impact. About 8 rows of demons were blown away, while the bits and parts of torn asunder bodies covered the ground where the first several rows of the demon column used to be.

    A roar of celebration came from the adventurers'' ranks as Otoro lifted his mace and moved back into formation. The demons responded with angry shouts and howls.

    ¡°Quite a show,¡± remarked Leoh ¡°if there are any survivors this fit will surely become a thing of legends¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like dying today,¡± replied Otoro ¡°so you better not die either. It¡¯s not good manners to tell your own legend.¡±

    ¡°We are just witnesses to his legendary feats,¡± laughed Pilin.

    With the heavy atmosphere fading away among the laughter of the surrounding adventurers the two sides clashed.

    Predictably ¡°Fortress¡± easily smashed through the ranks of low-level demons and begun to push forward, splitting the demon column into two. Their goal was to reach the firewall from which the demons emerged.

    They have been pushing forward for about 5 minutes but had made much less progress than anticipated. New demons would take the places of the slain ones, and ¡°Fortress¡± just couldn¡¯t kill them fast enough to make much progress in this never-ending cycle.

    ¡°Is it just me or are they getting tougher?¡± yelled Leoh.

    ¡°Oh, so you noticed it too?¡± -replied Beyrun. After blocking a Hellhound¡¯s attack with his shield, he smashed its head with his mace. Immediately another Hellhound jumped into the freed space and took a swipe at him. Hellhound¡¯s claw cut through the air as Beyrun evaded its attack by taking a step back, before moving forward.

    [shield bash]

    The mangled corpse of the Hellhound flew back with such force that the demons behind it were knocked back and Beyrun was able to advance several steps forward.

    ¡°Not good,¡± shouted Baur. ¡°The others are getting tired and we are not making enough progress.¡±

    He was right, while the demons in front of them posed little threat to the members of "Fortress," who slew them by the dozen while conserving their mana and mental stamina. For platinum ranked adventurers these demons posed an ever-increasing problem, one they had to use their martial arts and spells to overcome. If they exhausted their capacity to the point they could not cast spells or use martial arts, the entire formation would collapse.

    There was no solution to this problem. The constant stream of demons put incredible pressure on them. He could not reproach platinum ranked adventurers for not being able to defeat the endless column of demons, where each one possessed a similar power level to a platinum rank. As he was wondering what would happen if the demons simply continued with their assault for hours, a shout had interrupted his train of thought.

    ¡°Oi, over there!¡± Shouted Pilin, and pointed his sword in a direction a bit to the side of the emerging column of demons.

    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± replied Otoro after following the direction with his gaze. ¡°Looks like the real fight is about to start.¡±

 Chapter 1, Part 4

    Chapter 1, part 4

    ¡°That is?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve finally come. Then, these are Jaldabaoth¡¯s forces after all,¡± came a disheartening reply.

    Sitting at the table, staring at an image projected into the air in front of them, the two watched closely as the battle unfolded.

    Five masked maids have emerged from the wall of flames and were now observing the battle from a hill, about 100 meters away from where adventurers were battling the demons.

    ¡°They aren''t moving. Could it be they won''t attack unless we prove our strength by reaching them?¡± Ventured a guess Potemur, when the maids failed to launch an attack after several minutes.

    ¡°Arrogance of the demons? No. The arrogance of the strong. If you can¡¯t even reach us, then there is no need for us to fight you ourselves. Something like that¡± replied Felvia.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t pose too big of a problem for ¡°Fortress¡± to reach them. However, if they were to engage the maids the wedge formation would collapse and the adventurer¡¯s ranks would get overrun. They also cannot continue as they are now. The lower ranked adventurers are nearing exhaustion, it¡¯s just a matter of time before their formation collapses¡± Potemur commented as he observed the battlefield.

    ¡°We should¡¯ve sent more high ranked groups to aid ¡°Fortress¡± after all¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°Jaldabaoth killed two adamantite ranked adventurers with a single, area of attack spell. There is no point in sending lambs to the slaughter. We have to learn his true strength before we can commit the lives of our adventurous to battle this demon" exclaimed Felvia her nerves showing.

    ¡°Please accept my apologies, your Highness. I misspoke¡± Potemur said bowing his head to her. He knew that she felt the same way he did. Yet as empress of the Holy Kingdom, she had to weight the lives of a few against the lives of the many. Even the life of her brother could not sway her decision. No. Perhaps it was because it was her brother fighting, that she believed victory was possible.

    In front of the gates of Cressa

    ¡°It appears we¡¯ll have to make our way to them if we wish to engage them¡± shouted Baur while slicing a hellhound with his sword, after shield bashing a Mauler. ¡°Leoh! Make way for us.¡±

    Hearing his leader¡¯s orders he stepped in front and executed his skill.

    [Whirlwind]

    He spun in a circle, cutting down everything in his path. He did not spin in place but advanced as he spun.

    Chunks of sliced demons flew everywhere. His most devastating area of attack skill, it was on par with the one used earlier by Otoro. In a matter of seconds, he cut a bloody swath through the demons. However, the distance between them and the maids was still around 70 meters.

    ¡°Should we leave the column and rush to them? The wedge formation will collapse without us anyway,¡± Leoh pondered. As the adventurers were running forward to catch up to his position.

    ¡°I will use it!¡± Baur bellowed.

    He sprinted forward with ridiculous speed. Using his shield as a battering ram he smashed into the horde of demons. Pushing forward, knocking demons out of his way, he allowed his armor to protect him from their blows. He kept moving forward through the horde of demons. His superhuman strength allowing him to push ahead. Finally, after he was about 30 meters ahead of the adventurers, he stopped. He pointed his sword at the sky, before plunging it into the ground.

    [Holy Nova]

    Bright white light enveloped everything in 25 meters of him. This was the power of an awakened God kin. A tier 6 spell, amplified by his sword¡¯s effect ¨C all the demons in a 25-meter radius were wiped out. As ¡°Fortress¡± easily cut down the remaining demons behind him, the seemingly infinite column of demons was reduced to just a few rows. Although more were emerging from the flames.

    The maids strode forward. And one of them waved to the demons to stop advancing, though they began to encircle the city of Cressa instead. It wasn¡¯t much better, but at least for now he didn¡¯t have to worry about the other adventurers being slaughtered while they assaulted the maids.

    ¡°Retreat,¡± Baur told the platinum ranked adventurers besides ¡°Fortress¡±

    Although they looked quite exhausted the leader of one of the platinum groups asked: ¡°Are you certain? We can still provide help if the demons attack again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± waved his hand, Baur. ¡°If that was their plan they would¡¯ve attacked right away, instead of waiting for us to make our way to them.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± was the reply he got. As an experienced adventurer, the leader of the platinum group realized there was nothing his group could do to aid ¡°Fortress¡± in this circumstances.

    After the other adventurers withdrew, only ¡°Fortress¡± and the five masked maids remained on the battlefield.

    ¡°I commend you on making it to us to us,¡± ¨C said a maid with her hair in a bun, in a clear, loud voice. ¡°That was a splendid move that you pulled off. A human capable of using 6th tier spells. It will be a pleasure to fight you.¡±

    ¡°Then we shall accept your challenge!¡± Baur responded to the maid.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how strong they really are,¡± said Otoro, as he cast his spell.

    [power of divine]

    As the two sides approached each other, Otoro saw a maid with an eyepatch remained in her original position. She held some strange object in her hands, which he could not identify.

    ¡°A ranged attacker of some sort,¡± he warned the others. Which means her defense should be low, if I can eliminate her quickly, it would tip the scales in our favor.

    He faced two maids, though neither one appeared to want to square off with him. The one with her hair in a bun and spiked metal gauntlets was moving to engage Beyrun, on Otoro''s left. The other maid had her hair tied in two braids, armed with what looked like a scepter, she was moving toward the center of their group, to intercept Baur.

    Otoro felt this was a good chance to rush the maid in the back. He began to move in her direction and she pointed her item at him. Though he was unsure of what it was, he could guess it would fire some sort of a projectile. He raised his mace in front of himself, using it as a shield. The impact on his mace confirmed his suspicion.

    Although, he was focused on his target, in the corner of his vision he saw the maid with the gauntlets, who was already fighting Beyrun, racing toward him. He changed his stance and was about to swing at the approaching maid when another projectile hit him in his calf. With his footing compromised, his swing wasn''t nearly as powerful.

    The maid easily blocked his mace with her left arm, while punching him in the head with her right. He was sent tumbling towards the other side of their formation, where a blonde maid awaited him.

    ***

    Leoh, who was fighting the blonde maid previously used this moment to cast a healing spell on Otoro. His action seemed to anger her, still, she proceeded to attack Otoro as he got up. Leoh wouldn''t miss such an opening. He swiftly advanced and used his skill.

    [horizontal swing]

    His blade flew in a horizontal arc, ready to cut down anything in its path. Surprisingly the maid turned around and blocked his swing with her blade, seemingly with little effort. But Leoh was prepared for this. ¡°Don''t underestimate us, humans!¡± He thought as he quickly closed the distance between them and...

    It was a rather unusual move for a paladin, and that surprise factor had just paid off. With all of his strength and utilizing his momentum, Leoh headbutted the maid in the face. Under the force of his adamantite helm, the maids face buckled, blood splattered everywhere, and she fell to the ground. If she was still alive it was only due to her demonic origins.

    At least that''s what should''ve happened. However, Leoh did not feel the familiar sensation this attack produced, nor did the maid move or even show any pain. She simply stood in place as if nothing happened. Leoh was dumbfounded, it felt like he just headbutted a bag filled with water.

    He tried to move back but was not fast enough to evade the maid''s swing.

    [fortress] - he activated his skill to block her attack while backing away. He saw Otoro swing his mace, but the maid jumped away, evading the attack.

    "Looks like we''ll both have to fight her if we want to defeat this demon," he said to Otoro, as the two maneuvered around the maid.

    ***

    At the center, Baur was fighting a brown skinned maid with her hair in two long braids. He wanted to help his group mates, but the maid made it impossible. She used her scepter to attack and parry his blade with frightening speed and power. Of all the opponents he had faced, only his sister would be more powerful.

    Growing frustrated due to not being able to get any attacks through, he pointed his sword at the maid

    [smite]

    A 5th tier holy spell. A ray of bright white light appeared momentarily and shone at the maid. A scream of pain indicated that it worked. Baur wanted to cease this opportunity, but the maid had already recovered and responded in kind.

    [holy fire]

    He saw it just in time, a flame was rushing down from the sky, aimed at his position. Mobilizing all his strength he leapt out of the way, avoiding it.

    ¡°Guess I should stick to melee,¡± he thought after seeing the after effects of the maid''s spell.

    He advanced, swinging his sword at the maid but she blocked it with her scepter. Baur placed his shield in front of him, blocking her vision, changed his hand grip on his sword and used a skill

    [spinning stab]

    Twisting his body he executed a move similar to spinning back fist, plunging his blade into the maid''s body from the direction of his shield arm. Blindsided, even the maid''s reaction wasn''t quick enough to block the blade that arrived from an unexpected angle. However, she was only lightly wounded, as her armor absorbed most of the force. Still, he had momentum on his side.

    He unleashed a series of skills, and the maid was pushed back. Also, he had her on the defensive, and she was backing away from him, victory was far away.

    ***

    Meanwhile, Pilin was fighting a maid with brown hair with twin chignon, armed with strange weapons. In her left hand was what looked like a broad-sword in her right hand was a bizarre weapon that resembled a long whip, which seemed to be alive. Before he could get closer she swung the whip at him.

    Although he blocked it with his shield, he felt something wasn''t right. The end of the whip was wrapping around him at an abnormal speed. Sensing danger he rolled away before the whip could encircle him. As he did so he saw the maid throw something at him. He used his shield to block the explosion but was hit with a follow-up lightning attack.

    She swung her whip at him. Although he was just hit by a lightning attack, Pilin used his shield to block her whip, as it fell from the top. However, holding his shield above his head had left him completely exposed.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The blade-like item on the maid''s other hand flew forward and struck Pilin in the leg. At the same time, two bullets hit him in his shield hand and the same leg. A scream of agony escaped his lips as he fell.

    With his mobility compromised and his shield arm barely moving he saw the whip flying at him again. He used his sword to parry it, but the whip wrapped around him, and its blades wounded him deeply.

    ***

    ¡°Watch out, there is something weird about her,¡± Leoh told Otoro as they fought the blonde maid.

    ¡°Guess we can''t waste any time,¡± Otoro replied.

    Coming at her in a pincer maneuver they attacked.

    [horizontal slash]

    [smash]

    They each execute their moves. Leoh''s slash was blocked like before, which he anticipated, but there was no way the maid could block Otoro''s attack at the same time.

    She didn''t. Otoro''s mace smashed into her midsection with all its force. But instead of doubling over in pain the maid immediately swung her sword at Otoro, who was startled by the sight of his attack landing clean, yet producing no result.

    Also, he jumped back, and her attack only grazed him, the poison which was dripping from the maid''s blade began to seep in. Seeing his friend in agony, and losing strength quickly Leoh cast his spell

    [cure minor poison]

    A tier 2 spell. Light surrounded Otoro''s body, before fizzling out.

    ¡°It didn''t work?¡± Wondered Leoh.

    [cure poison] [heal]

    He heard Baur''s voice. The poison was cured this time, and Otoro motioned that he was good and ready to continue.

    ***

    Pilin had nearly lost consciousness, but his leader''s [heal] had rejuvenated him. The maid who defeated him was moving away, but when she saw him receive a heal she turned back and swiftly attacked.

    She used the same lightning attack as before while swinging her whip. He used the shield to block the lightning attack and was going to roll away from the whip. A bullet struck his shoulder, and before he could dodge the whip struck his back. It pierced his chest and knocked him forward, towards the maid. He fell to his knees, unable to get up he was struggling to lift his weapons as she approached.

    The last thing he saw was the strange blade on her left hand, as it pierced his heart.

    ¡°I will not be humiliated again!¡± The maid hissed.

    ***

    Beyrun had been fighting the maid with the gauntlets all this time. Well, fighting was an overstatement, getting beat was a more apt description.

    Normally his large shield made it hard to hit him. But against this opponent, it proved to be a hindrance. She was fast, and his large shield would obstruct his view when blocking. The maid would use his temporary blindness to move to the side and deliver a quick punch. He tried not to use his shield but parrying her one-two punch combination with his mace proved impossible.

    ¡°How the heck am I supposed to stop her?¡± He wondered. He hoped the others were having an easier time with their opponents, and would come to his aid. Though that was unlikely.

    The maid circled around him ¨C he was now facing the city of Cressa, with the wall of flames behind him.

    ¡°What is she planning?¡± - he pondered.

    Blood poured out of Beyrun''s mouth after he was struck in the back. Bang, bang, bang, three more projectiles hit his back. Stumbling forward, his shield and mace felt unbearably heavy, as they hung from his arms. He saw the maid''s punch before his vision went dark.

    ***

    Leoh and Otoro were growing desperate. They were fighting two against one but did not hold any advantage. The blonde maid parried and dodged their attacks, and even when they landed there was no visible damage.

    ¡°I am going to use it¡± - Otoro told him. And Leoh nodded.

    They once again executed a pincer maneuver. Leoh didn''t bother to use a martial skill, all he needed was to distract the maid. As expected she parried his sword with her blade.

    [overhead smash] [release]

    Otoro activated his skills. His mace smashed into the ground about a meter away from the maid ¨C it was very difficult to control the exact point of impact, but it didn''t matter, the explosion and shockwave that followed made precise targeting unnecessary.

    The two of them looked at the maid in shock. She wasn''t torn apart like the demons from earlier, nor was she blown back. Even her maid uniform remained intact. While they were staring at her with their mouths agape. She counter-attacked.

    Her blade swinging at his neck, Leoh used a skill.

    [fortress]

    He activated his martial skill to block her attack. He would''ve blocked this attack if it continued. However, instead of chopping at his neck, the maid used her demonic strength to switch the trajectory of the blade, executing a piercing attack aimed at his stomach instead.

    As he felt the blade sink into his body, an excruciating pain assailed his senses.

    ¡°Poison,¡± he understood. His strength quickly fled his body, he used all his power to hug the maid.

    ¡°Use it again!¡± - he shouted at Otoro.

    [power of divine]

    [smash] [release]

    There was no need for tactics, with Leoh using his remaining strength to hold onto the maid, she wasn''t going anywhere, nor could she use her blade to block.

    His mace smashed into her midsection like before. However this time there was a different result.

    With an ¡°uuuuaaahhh¡± groan the maid flew several meters through the air before hitting the ground. Although she had got up right away, there was some blood dripping from her mouth.

    Pondering what he should do next, his vision caught something flying towards him. He blocked the whip with his mace, knocking it to the side. However, the whip''s head made a circle around him and pierced his body from the side. As he groaned in pain a projectile hit him in a stomach and he fell to his knees.

    A moment later a blade pierced his helmet.

    ***

    After casting [cure poison] and [heal] on his allies Baur had lost the momentum he had in attacking the maid in front of him.

    He had barely noticed it in time, the maid had cast [holy fire] again. There was no time to dodge it, he had to use his shield, as a pillar of flame descended on top of him. He saw the maid advance and swing her weapon at him. Also, he was able to block it, he was knocked off balance and fell to the ground.

    When he got up he saw the maid, with her palm pointed at him

    [holy flame]

    Flame shot out of her palm aimed at him. He raised his shield to block the spell and lost vision of the maid for a moment. As her scepter crushed into his side, he realized the spell she cast was just a feint.

    ***

    ¡°To such a degree,¡± groaned Potemur, as he watched Baur''s body tumble to the ground.

    ¡°Aaaaarrrgghhh!!!¡± - yelled Empress, with her teeth gritted, a look of anger on her face. She had done this every time a member of ¡°Fortress¡± fell, and her look had gotten progressively ireful.

    On the other hand, Potemur got more and more pale as the fight progressed. To watch the strongest adamantite adventurers of the Holy Kingdom lose in less than two minutes... completely demolished, with the other side showing no signs of damage.. it was just too much.

    Even if they anticipated it, to see such power with your own eyes, it was different.

    They saw Baur get up, the strength of his armor had protected him from the maid''s blow. Alone, facing off against five maids, he pointed his sword at the sky ¨C they both knew what he was going to do. With his group members dead, there was no longer a need to worry about friendly fire, there was no need to hold back. Would his [holy nova] kill the maids? They did not want to think about it.

    Suddenly all the maids turned around and bowed to the figure which emerged from the flames.

    A masked man, wearing the type of garments popular in the south, a mask on his face and a tail behind him. There was no mistaking him, he was Jaldabaoth.

    The maids had retreated as the man walked towards Baur.

    They watched as Baur cast a spell to increase his strength before he engaged Jaldabaoth, who had stopped and spread his arms as if he wanted to give his attacker a hug.

    Baur cast a spell, a ray of white light appeared aimed at Jaldabaoth but fizzled out before reaching him. This was expected and did not phase Baur, who pointed his sword at the sky before plunging it into the ground.

    ¡°Come on, it has to work!¡± Yelled Potemur, no longer able to keep still.

    Everything within a 25-meter radius was covered in a blinding white light. When the light disappeared they saw seemingly unharmed Jaldabaoth standing there, his arms still outstretched.

    Baur rushed forward and attacked Jaldabaoth, he executed one martial art after another, but it had no effect. It was as if there was a barrier he could not get through.

    Jaldabaoth moved his left hand down, while the claws on his right hand became elongated, over 80 centimeters long they looked like blades. He stood like that for

    a moment before attacking Baur who was still swinging his sword at him.

    He pierced Baur''s chest, the demon''s claws easily slicing through the heirloom armor. Jaldabaoth lifted his right

    hand, lifting the body stuck on his claws off the ground, before casting it away.

    Surprisingly Baur was still alive. He tried to get up, but Jaldabaoth walked over to him and pierced him through the back, nailing Baur to the ground.

    ¡°Nooooooooooo!!!!!¡± yelled the Empress beside him, a pained look on her face. She smashed her fist into the table which nearly broke.

    Potemur felt the same way, but he had to watch it, maybe there is a clue he can glean.

    From the walls of Cressa city the guards, copper ranked adventurers and the citizens watched as the heroes that were there to protect them were killed one by one. When they saw the body of Baur Olan Valur fall to the ground a great wail of despair filled the air. Surrounded by a horde of demons, their saviors dead, there was no one who could protect them now.

    Accompanied by his maids Jaldabaoth walked towards the city gates. As he approached several platinum-ranked groups stepped forward to meet him. They didn''t think they could stop him, but it was better to die in battle than to die a coward. And then they felt it...

    His bloodlust, it was terrifying! Like staring at a powerful beast who was about to eat you, like seeing a hundred arrows fly at you. It was overwhelming, impossible to resist. As he walked by them, those brave platinum adventures fell on the ground. They wanted to attack him, but could not, they wanted to run away, but could not, they couldn''t even scream, their entire essence locked up by unimaginable fear.

    As he approached the city gates, those that were on the wall felt it too. Some of them cried, others wailed, some watched unable to look away, while some laughed hysterically. No doubt many had gone mad from being exposed to such a horrific aura.

    With everyone''s attention on him, Jaldabaoth stretched his arms out again and ...

 Chater 2, Part 1

    Chapter 2, part 1

    In an office-like room in Nazarick, Ainz, Albedo, and Cocytus were observing the fight between the maids and the adventurers on the Mirror of Remote Viewing.

    ¡°What do you think Cocytus?¡± Asked Ainz, as he saw Demiurge walk out of the wall of flame, signifying that the maids'' part was over.

    ¡°Although. The. Enemies. Were. Too. Weak. The. Pleiades. Displayed. Excellent. Team. Work. And. Good. Coordination," Cocytus replied.

    ¡°Did they really?¡± - wondered Ainz. To him, it looked like the maids quickly overpowered the low-level adventurers. Did Cocytus recognize something he didn''t? Perhaps as a level 100 warrior, Cocytus had a better perception for combat details?¡± He mused as they watched Demiurge act out his part.

    Ainz turned off the Mirror of Remote Viewing and looked at the two guardians in front of him. Were they satisfied with the way things went?

    ¡°Everything seems to be going according to Demiurge''s plan,¡± Ainz said, trying to assess their reaction.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Cocytus.

    ¡°There could be no other outcome for a plan designed by a Supreme Being,¡± Albedo said proudly.

    ¡°It was Demiurge who came up with this plan Albedo,¡± - corrected her Ainz. ¡°And it is an excellent one ¨C the Holy Kingdom has no option but to seek our aid and will be in our debt.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± acknowledged Albedo ¡°but your plan goes so much further than that. None of us could ever match your intellect and foresight.¡±

    Satoru''s none existent heart skipped. ¡°Why do they always do this?¡± He wondered. ¡°Can''t they just accept that it''s a simple plan and not think of some grandeur scheme I can''t understand?¡±

    ¡°After all,¡± - Albedo continued ¡°you had already predicted this course of action when you departed for Empire.¡±

    ¡°What? What is she talking about?¡± What does Baharuth Empire have to do with the Holy Kingdom?¡± Ainz wondered. ¡°Should I probe for details or would that be too dangerous. At least Cocytus is here.¡± Ainz did not want to be alone with Albedo when it came to his plans. Just like doing so with Demiurge, discussing future plans while being alone with Albedo could easily lead to him getting exposed.

    ¡°It''s hard to play an Overlord,¡± Suzuki thought, as he struggled to come up with a decision. Should I acknowledge it or deny it? ¡°Oh, no. I took too long!¡± He panicked under Albedo''s gaze.

    ¡°It is as you say Albedo. Although I could not be certain things would work out as projected.¡± He looked at Albedo and Cocytus trying to gauge their reactions.

    Cocytus seemed to be impressed, cold air escaped from his exoskeleton. Albedo''s wings opened in excitement, she had a happy and proud look on her face.

    ¡°As expected of the leader of the Supreme Beings,¡± Albedo said. ¡°Oh, Jircniv will be arriving in a week to sign the vassalization documents,¡± she added ¡°truly everyone dances in the palm of your hand.¡±

    ¡°Albedo and Demiurge put together the vassalization documents, so I should be fine signing those. But why is she so impressed?¡± Ainz wondered.

    ¡°Then let us proceed with the plan for the Holy Kingdom,¡± - he said, pushing this questions aside.

    In front of the city of Cressa''s gates:

    With everyone''s attention on him, Jaldabaoth stretched his arms out sideways in a stance similar to that of a commander and then...

    [prostrate]

    As they heard the demons voice everyone fell to their knees and prostrated in front of him. No matter how much they struggled they could not move a muscle, as if someone had taken control of their bodies.

    ¡°Lowly humans!¡± They heard the demon speak. ¡°The adventurers sent to protect you have died. Now it''s your turn.¡±

    As they realized that only death awaited them, all the people who heard the demon wept. How foolish were they to think that humans could stand up to a being such as this? That column of fearful demons. It was just a show, a play to amuse this demon. It made sense, as according to the folklore demons enjoyed tormenting humans.

    ¡°However, your pitiful display of resistance had amused me!¡± The demon spoke. ¡°I ache to see you struggle some more. I want you to understand the true meaning of despair!¡±

    As the humans wondered what else he could do besides killing them, the speech continued.

    ¡°Instead of destroying this city as I had planned, I will instead attack your capital. Two weeks from now I will destroy it, and consume this whole country with it! So, struggle foolish humans and fall in despair from your inevitable demise!¡±

    [releasing control]

    They had control of their bodies again, but none of them had the strength to stand up. Drained of all of their energy by the fear they''ve just experienced all they could do was lay there.

    After a while, they began to struggle to their feet one by one. The demon and his maids retreated and disappeared into the wall of flames. As the guards and adventurers recovered enough to go check on ¡°Fortress¡± members, they saw one of the paladins struggle to get up.

    The next day in the Palace of the capital of the Holy Kingdom:

    In the throne room were Empress and Potemur. In front of them Potemur''s second in command who had just delivered his report on what he had learned from the bishops of the Slane Theocracy, from where he had just returned.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°I see. The Theocracy thinks that Momon, Ainz, and Jaldabaoth all wield the power of the Gods.¡± Potemur summarized.

    ¡°No matter how powerful, a God-kin could not become so powerful as to render attacks from another awakened God-kin ineffective,¡± gave her response Felvia Olan Valu. ¡°Such bad luck, so much power in the hands of such an evil being.¡±

    ¡°Then what about Momon? He was able to draw with Jaldabaoth, which should mean he''s on his level as well,¡± Potemur mused. ¡°But his behavior is too humble. Could he be an extremely strong God-kin? Although there is a question of his lineage. Then there is that powerful vampire he defeated.¡±

    ¡°As I thought, we''ve got more questions than answers,¡± Feliva concluded. ¡°But let''sleave the unknowable aside, and focus on what we do know.¡±

    ¡°Jaldabaoth is an unimaginable existence. Even if I can damage him, there is no way I alone can defeat him. Then who can we enlist to help us?¡± She asked the other two.

    ¡°It is unlikely that the adamantite adventurers of the Kingdom, Empire or any other country will be effective. We need someone stronger than that,¡± Potemur replied.

    ¡°I''ve asked the bishops about providing help. Although they have humanity''s trump card, the Theocracy will not send her to our aid, nor are they willing to send the Black Scripture,¡± his second in command explained. ¡°They seem to be more concerned with the Sorcerer Kingdom and their scores of undead.¡±

    ¡°That doesn''t leave many options. Do you think the dragon councilors of the City State Alliance will aid us?¡± Felvia inquired, doubt in her voice.

    ¡°Dragons are unpredictable. However, given their previous encounter with the Eight Greed Kings, I cannot imagine any of them rushing to our aid, to confront another such existence,¡± Potemur replied.

    ¡°Then it appears our only choice is to ask this Sorcerer King for help. We can request Momon, that should not be asking too much, right? Even if he is no longer an adventurer and now serves as an enforcer under the undead.¡± Felvia summed up their position.

    ¡°Also it pains me to admit, that is our only option right now,¡± Potemur admitted while shaking his head. ¡°Still, to ask an undead to help in a fight against a demon. Who would''ve thought of such a thing.¡±

    ¡°The members of ¡°Fortress¡± need resurrection, and my brother needs to recover his strength. Although ¡°Devastation¡± cannot stop Jaldabaoth, having an adamantite adventurer''s group in the capital will raise everyone''s morale. Potemur, I want you to travel to the Kingdom, and ask Princess Renner to arrange for an Audience with the Sorcerer King. As the Kingdom''s envoy to the Sorcerer Kingdom, she should be able to do so. Take an orichalcum adventurer''s group ¡°The Young Blood¡± as your guards.

    ¡°As you command!¡± Potemur bowed to the Empress.

    ***

    The main tavern of the Capital was as loud as ever. But if one looked more closely they could see that the atmosphere was somehow depressed, and not rumbustious as usual. In a corner, several people sat at a table. They were members of ¡°Devastation¡± and ¡°The Young Blood.¡±

    ¡°So, you are the ones who will accompany Potemur on his journey?¡± asked Kiara.

    The Empress had asked her to arrange for a secret meeting between Potemur and Princess Renner, using Kiara''s connection with ¡°Blue Rose¡± whose leader was, in turn, a good friend of the Princess.

    ¡°Yea, I guess the Capital is on high alert after what happened in Cressa. Normally an orichalcum group would not be requested for protection when traveling to the Kingdom''s Capital,¡± - Marv responded.

    ¡°I still can''t believe ¡°Fortress,¡± no, Baur had lost,¡± sighed Kiza ¡°how powerful these demons must have been.¡±

    ¡°There are even rumors that this Jaldabaoth was unharmed even after taking Baur''s strongest attack,¡± - mentioned one of the people at the table.

    Marv''s body shuddered as he heard that. That paladin was an unimaginably powerful being. Much more so than he could ever hope to reach, Baur had transcended humanity and moved well into the realm of legendary heroes. How powerful would this demon have to be, if the gap between him and Baur was so immense? Could such beings even exist? Marv broke out in cold sweat as he thought about it.

    ¡°So, what does the Empress plan to do?¡± Kiza asked, hints of agitation in his voice, ¡°I''ve talked to the guild master of Cressa to confirm ¨C Jaldabaoth said he would destroy the Capital in two weeks.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything she can do?¡± Asked Marv in a heavy voice. ¡°Though she is a descendant of a God, can she overcome such a demon alone? And what about his maids? I heard the fight between them and ¡°Fortress¡± was as one-sided as us dueling a silver rank,¡± his deep sigh was full of despair.

    After looking around,

    Kiara lowered her voice before speaking: ¡°Keep it to yourself, but I have heard that she plans to ask the Sorcerer King for help.¡±

    ¡°The undead?!¡± Cried out Kiza, his eyes wide with shock.

    ¡°Quiet,¡± Marv punched him in the shoulder. ¡°Does she actually plan to ask that being for help? Also, you said he did not seem to hate the living, would an undead being even considered helping humans?¡±

    Shaking his head in disbelief they continued to discuss Jaldabaoth attack and proclamation. Tomorrow ¡°The Young Blood¡± were to depart on their journey to the Kingdom''s Capital, as Potemur''s guards.

 Chapter 2, Part 2

    Chapter 2, part 2

    The throne room of Nazarick was brightly lit by the chandeliers. The magical light illuminated the figures beneath. All the guardians were present, and on the throne in front of them sat the overlord of death ¨C Ainz Ooal Gown. It was a regular meeting for those gathered. Taking place five days after the events in the Holy Kingdom, that country was the main focus of the discussion.

    ¡°Everything is going as Ainz-sama had planned,¡± proclaimed Albedo. ¡°Princess Renner had informed us that a high ranked diplomat from the Holy Kingdom had asked her to arrange a meeting with the Sorcerer King. They should arrive in two days.¡±

    ¡°Jircniv will also arrive in two days,¡± nodded Demiurge ¡°as expected of Ainz-sama. To predict the outcome of my actions in the Holy Kingdom so far in advance. Truly marvelous¡±

    If it wasn''t for his skinless face, the expression on Suzuki Satour''s face would be a mix of confusion and a blank stare. ''Why did he and Albedo bring up Baharuth Empire?" He wondered, he felt a headache coming but chose to ignore the praise Demiurge was lavishing on him.

    ¡°Then once we accept their request for help, we will proceed with Demiurge''s plan,¡± Ainz said.

    ¡°Another kingdom will be in our debt. Only a Supreme Being could come up with such a flawless plan,¡± said Shalltear, looking at Ainz with eyes full of admiration.

    ¡°Defeating Jaldabaoth will make Ainz-sama the hero for the creatures of this world,¡± added Aura with a smile.

    ¡°And.. having Demiurge-sama there.. will remove any.. suspicion from.. Nazairck,¡± Mare added in his panicky voice.

    "Indeed, Demiurge had come up with an excellent plan,¡± Ainz thought, but before he could say it, a soft laughter came from his side.

    ¡°Kuku,¡± laughed Albedo ¡°do you think that is the extent of our Lord''s design?¡±

    ¡°Eh? What are you talking about?¡± Asked Shalltear.

    ¡°Do you honestly believe a plan by Ainz-sama would only accomplish two goals?¡± Albedo looked at Shalltear with a sense of superiority, the feeling that she understood her master better than Shalltear made her wings move with excitement.

    ¡°Ainz-sama will defeat Jaldabaoth and become the hero of the people, while the Holy Kingdom will be in our debt. Also, Pandora''s Actor will be used to take suspicion away from Demiurge for being Jaldabaoth. That''s all isn''t it?¡± Asked Aura while looking at Ainz.

    ¡°Please. Explain. To. This. Unworthy. One.¡± Cocytus wanted to know as well.

    "Don''t look at me like that! Aura mentioned everything. So I don''t know what other benefits Albedo assumed this plan will yield!¡± Suzuki wanted to cry. Unable to think of anything his only choice was to go back to his usual resolution.

    ¡°Albedo, it seems that not everyone understands me as well as you do. Please explain it to the other guardians,¡± Ainz told her with a hand wave that any king would be proud of.

    ¡°As you command,¡± Albedo bowed to Ainz. ¡°In the course of our interactions with the inhabitants of this world, there have been several instances that could create doubt in the minds of those weak creatures Ainz-sama wants to rule over. While drowning them in blood is the natural course, our merciful ruler does not wish to do that. He aspires to rule them peacefully. To do that we must remove these possible obstacles from his path.¡±

    ¡°Specifically, there are three such instances,¡± she continued. ¡°The first is Shalltear''s failed mission. We do not know all of the details, who she came in contact with and what they had learned. From reports of the Adventurer''s Guild we know that she encountered and killed a group of adventurers from E-Rantel.¡±

    As she heard this, Shalltear shifted uneasily, while Albedo continued.

    ¡°Also Ainz-sama was able to cover for Shalltear with the vampire Honyopenyoko, which he defeated as Momon. There is a possibility that there are those she encountered, either before or during being mind controlled, who could recognize her,¡± Albedo concluded her first point.

    ¡°A human named Brain Unglaus is likely one such individual,¡± added Demiurge, ¡°from Shalltear''s report, she had run into him during my invasion of Re-Estize, and even though she did not remember him, it seemed he knew her and her strength.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I''ve asked Renner to look into it. But there might be others,¡± continued Albedo. ¡°The second instance is Demiurge''s invasion of Re-Estize ¨C also he and the maids had worn masks, their clothing is the same. The maids are especially suspicious for obvious reasons. And Demiurge cannot keep using his frog form forever when interacting with humans.¡±

    ¡°The third instance were the corpses of the two fleas that Ainz-sama and Narberal Gamma killed in the cemetery of E-Rantel,¡± Albedo went on, ¡°Narberal''s target was beyond resurrection. However, the one Ainz-sama killed could be resurrected, and could reveal that Momon is Ainz.¡±

    ¡° Although no one would believe that and would attribute it to her brutal death and possible post-resurrection memory loss,¡± added Demiurge. ¡°Especially since everyone had seen Momon and Ainz-sama at the same time. Indeed, killing her in a way that allowed for resurrection and not taking her corpse back to Nazarick is no doubt just another cog in the plan of the Supreme Being we all serve.¡±

    "My plan huh?" Ainz thought self deprecatingly. Clementine''s body disappearance had slipped his mind with the slew of current events, however, it was still something that made him worry. ¡°At least Demiurge thinks it''s fine,¡± Ainz mused.

    ¡°We will devise a story to both covers up Nazarick''s involvement and explain the sudden appearance of Jaldabaoth, Nazairck, Shalltear, and Honyopenyoko. It should make our enemies less weary of attacking Nazarick,¡± concluded Demiurge.

    "Oh, a cover-up plan? Excellent," Ainz mused. The fact that both he and Jaldabaoth employed maids was bad enough, the fact that anyone who saw them would instantly recognize them, masks or not, was worse yet. Ainz wasted a good deal of time agonizing about how to resolve this quandary but came up empty-handed. To see that Demiurge had a solution made him feel pleased.

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.¡°Demiurge, explain the exact details of the cover-up story so all of the guardians can understand it,¡± Ainz commanded.

    Journey to Re-Estize and beyond

    Potemur and the four orichalcum adventurers comprising ¡°The Young Blood¡± traveled on horseback to the Re-Estize capital. Each of them utilized two horses switching to a fresh one when the other got tired. Additionally, Potemur would cast spells on both the riders and the horses to rejuvenate them. Traveling at such breakneck speed, they were able to reach Re-Estize on the morning of the fourth day of their travel.

    They made their way to a tavern where members of ¡°Blue Rose¡± awaited them. Once they arrived, Potemur and Lakyus left to visit princess Renner, while the rest settled in the tavern, to have a drink and chat about the recent events in the Holy Kingdom.

    Both groups were interested in hearing about Jaldabaoth, and time flew by quickly. About an hour later Lakyus and Potemur returned, and the later jolted the members of ¡°The Young Blood.¡±

    ¡°Everything has been arranged, we can now travel to the Sorcerer Kingdom to meet with the Sorcerer King.¡±

    ¡°Do what?!¡± cried out Shola, a cleric in Marv''s group.

    ¡°Don''t act so surprised, don''t you remember what Kiara told us?¡± Marv asked him. ¡°But are you sure it''s safe to travel there Potemur-sama?¡±

    ¡°We should accompany them to E-Rantel!¡± Said a masked magic caster loudly. ¡°We cannot allow any harm to happen to them. Especially since their group is so small. I.. I mean we should definitely accompany them!¡± she continued excitedly.

    ¡°They do not require our help Evileye. No one in the Kingdom can threaten a group of their caliber, and the Sorcerer Kingdom had exterminated most of the monsters on the roads, making them safe,¡± Lakyus retorted as she rolled her eyes.

    As she heard her leader Evileye''s shoulders sunk, while the rest of ¡°Blue Rose¡± laughed heartily. After that Marv''s group and Potemur embarked on their journey to E-Rantel. They hoped to arrive there around noon of the seventh day after the events at Cressa, which would leave them just enough time to make it back. Assuming, of course, the Sorcerer King would provide the help they sought.

    Two Days later in E-Rantel:

    Inside Ainz''s quarters in E-Rantel there were several figures. Ainz himself sat on a throne-like chair. Beside him stood Albedo, the guardian overseer. While Demiurge, Shalltear, Aura, and Mare stood in front of him. There was one more person there ¨C the former Emperor of the Baharuth Empire Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix. Having just finished signing vassalization papers, he could no longer be regarded as Emperor.

    Still, the vassalization terms were quite fair, and his loss of absolute authority aside, Jircniv could not claim that the Empire would be worse off as a vassal of the monster who sat in front of him. He was surprised that Ainz did not try to push for stiffer terms, given that he had all the advantages in this situation. Then again, he could not understand this monster and had effectively given up on trying to outsmart him.

    ¡°Well, Jircniv-dono, I hope you work hard to make Baharuth Empire great. Especially now that it''s my vassal,¡± the skeletal being said. ¡°Also, as my vassal, you should be aware of the territorial politics and events of the surrounding countries. I would like you to be present during my meeting with an envoy from the Holy Kingdom,¡± Ainz continued.

    ¡°Of course your Majesty,¡± Jircniv replied, saying ¡°your Majesty¡± felt weird to him who had been a king all his life. Still, this was his new reality. ¡°And when will they be arriving?¡±

    ¡°Oh, they should be here in about five minutes. They had already arrived at the gates of this city,¡± Ainz replied.

    There was a knock on the door, and a beautiful maid walked in. She was wearing glasses and had her hair in a bun. She looked

    at Ainz as if asking a permission to speak.

    ¡°What is it, Yuri?¡± Asked Ainz. The envoy from the Holy Kingdom was still a few minutes away, having just passed the Elder Lich which served as a manager at the gates.

    ¡°Ainz-sama, a man claiming to be a representative of the Slane Theocracy is seeking your audience,¡± - she reported.

    There was a cacophony of reactions to her words. Demiurge''s entire body shuddered and he seemed to tremble for several seconds, before looking at Ainz with eyes full of fear and admiration. Albedo opened and closed her wings with excitement, she looked at Ainz full of pride.

    ¡°This must be the look a woman gives her lover when she realizes how amazing he is,¡± - Ainz mused, as he scanned the room.

    But everyone else had surprised expressions on their faces.

    ¡°Theocracy? Why are they here?¡± Aura asked.

    ¡°They did not send any advance notice, should we punish them for showing such disrespect to Ainz-sama?¡± - asked Shalltear.

    "Hmm, what should I do? According to plan we were supposed to meet with the envoy from the Holy Kingdom, agree to their request for help and in the process leak the cover-up story to Jircniv. Should I meet with this representative of the Slane Theocracy?¡± Ainz struggled to make the right choice.

    "But wait a second. Why are Demiurge and Albedo acting this way? They should be as surprised as everyone, yet they act as if this is all according to plan.. wait, could it be? Is that the reason for their reaction? Ah, I see, this is indeed an excellent opportunity, looks like luck is on our side.¡±

    Having come to a decision he waved his hand with the regal bearings of a monarch.

    ¡°I will meet the representative of the Slane Theocracy,¡± he told the maid.

    As she left he looked at Demiurge and Albedo''s expressions, to make sure they did not show any signs of disapproval. He was relieved when there were no such signs, on the contrary, they looked to be elated at his decision.

    "I see, then my guess for their earlier reaction must be correct,¡± Ainz thought, as he smiled.

 Chapter 2, Part 3

    Chapter 2, part 3

    A short time later Yuri Alpha returned with a representative of the Slane Theocracy in tow. He was a man of average height and build, wearing a hooded robe, he had short black hair and piercing black eyes.

    After stopping in front of the gathered guardians he scanned the room with his eyes. His face twisted in an angry scowl when he saw Jircniv, who was standing in a similar position as if he was one of the guardians. But it was only momentarily and the man promptly regained his mask-like expression. He continued to scan the room and his sight came to the two dark elf children, he was already moving on to look at the winged beauty and the frog-like man, but then his eyes went wide.

    "What''s this?!" He almost cried out, "heteromorphic eyes... who are they and why are they here? Could they be the offspring of that damned elf? Does it mean he had already allied with the Sorcerer King?" - the thoughts raced through his head, but his face remained unchanged.

    With a bow, he introduced himself.

    ¡°I am Zeria Lasa, a representative of the Slane Theocracy,¡± he announced in a loud, crisp voice.

    ¡°I am Ainz Ooal Gown, the Sorcerer King of the Sorcerer Kingdom,¡± Ainz introduced himself.

    ¡°You did not give advance notice of your visit,¡± said the winged beauty, who stood next to Ainz. ¡°What is the reason for that?¡±

    ¡°We were doubtful if the rumors of the undead living peacefully alongside humans were true. I was sent here to discern if that was indeed so, in which case I was to seek an audience with the Sorcerer King,¡± he replied in a calm voice. He had already recovered from the temporary shock of seeing those dark elves, though his interest in them did not fade.

    ¡°Pftt, and how long have you been observing us?¡± Asked the dark elf boy, with a tone that showed he had no respect for Zeria.

    ¡°Long enough,¡± replied Zeria with a knowing smile. As he did so his mind raced ¨C "His tone is too arrogant to be a representative of the Elf Kingdom, nor is it a tone of a vassal. He must be one of the beings serving this undead monster.¡±

    ¡°Tell me then Zeria Lassa, why have you come to my Sorcerer Kingdom and sought me out?¡± Ainz asked him.

    ¡°Now that I have determined that your Majesty is indeed a being who does not bear hatred for the living, I have a proposal for you. The main reason for my journey here, the Slane Theocracy would like to establish friendly relations, and open up trade between our countries,¡± Zeria replied.

    Obviously, that was a lie. The true reason he was there was to gather information. After extensive deliberation, the Cardinals of the Slane Theocracy decided that they simply didn''t know enough about the powerful beings who recently appeared in the world. The vampire was dead, and Jaldabaoth was out of their reach. But both Momon and the Sorcerer King could easily be contacted. And seeing how the influence of the latter''s kingdom spread like a spilled drink...

    They had little choice. The Empire was undergoing vassalization. The Kingdom was in shambles, both politically and military power wise. After the slaughter at the Katze Plains, there was a huge shortage of men. The harvest was understandably poor, and the lack of food caused starvation in the Kingdom.

    Or it would have if it wasn''t for the Sorcerer Kingdom trading in grain with the Kingdom. In a brilliant move that revealed his inhuman intelligence, the Sorcerer King was able to earn praise and gratitude from the people of the Kingdom, for fixing a problem that he himself created.

    With the gratitude of the common people behind him, to an extent, a third faction came to power on the political landscape. Led by Philip, a third-rate noble, this faction pushed for closer ties with the Sorcerer Kingdom. The other factions lost too much power during the war. And it was hard to oppose closer ties with the Sorcerer King when he was the only reason the Kingdom did not experience mass starvation.

    The draconic Kingdom was half-consumed by the beastmen armies. Even the aid of retired Black Scripture members could not stem that tide of violence. And the recent visit from an envoy of the Holy Kingdom indicated that Jaldabaoth was hatching some plans there.

    The human nations in such disarray, Theocracy could no longer afford to sit back and take their time. They had to act and act quickly. Their first step was to learn as much as they could about the Sorcerer King and his subordinates. And if possible to approach Momon. That was the main reason he, a captain of the Windflower Scripture had been sent there.

    That said, Theocracy was interested in opening up trade as well. Trade was the basis of the economies of all the human countries. However with the Sorcerer Kingdom being off limit, Baharuth Empire about to become a vassal state and the Kingdom seemingly moving in that direction. The Theocracy was simply running out of neighboring countries to trade with. Plus, with open trade news and information would flow faster as well.

    ¡°Open trade? I thought the Slane Theocracy despises none humans,¡± Ainz said with a chuckle. ¡°Could Theocracy really have open trade and relations with a country where not just humans and other humanoids, but also demi-humans and even heteromorphs, including undead live in peace?¡±

    Naturally, Zeria had anticipated this question. He went on to explain that since Ainz did not massacre the citizens of E-Rantel like a normal undead would, the Theocracy was open to establishing relations with such a merciful being. As well as the current state of affairs as far as trade goes.

    As he heard the man explain, Ainz nodded in agreement ¨C "Even for Theocracy it was important to keep their economy from collapsing, so much so that they were willing to overlook him being an undead."

    ¡°Then we shall establish relations and open trade with the Salne Theocracy,¡± - announced Ainz.

    "Who should I send to handle this? Demiurge is busy with the Holy Kingdom. Albedo is an Overseer and has too much work as is, Aura is handling the Forest of Tob and Shalltear still needs more experience. Hmm, he appeared to get excited when he saw Aura and Mare, could it be he was relieved to see humanoids amongst my entourage?" Ainz thought.

    ¡°Mare, why don''t you handle this, since you have already completed the dungeon for adventurers,¡± Ainz said.

    Zeria''s eyes went wide again for a second when he saw the dark elf girl bow down and reply.

    ¡°Yes.. Ainz-sama. I will ... do as you command.¡±

    ¡°With this matter settled, why don''t you stay for my next meeting?¡± Ainz proposed. ¡°I was already briefed on the reason for this audience with an envoy from the Holy Kingdom. As a newly allied country, this is something that concerns you too. Truthfully, it concerns all beings.¡±

    ¡°Of course, your Majesty,¡± Zeria replied. Although his face was a poker mask, his mind was a mess.

    "Why is an envoy of the Holy Kingdom here? Did things get so bad they had decided to seek the help of this undead sorcerer? And why did he decide to send that small, panicky dark elf girl as his envoy? Her of all people!¡±

    There was a knock on the door and Yuri Alpha walked in to announce that the envoy from the Holy Kingdom was there.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "From here on everything should be going as planned," Ainz thought.

    Sometime earlier

    When Potemur and ¡°The Young Blood¡± rode their horses up the gates of E-Rantel, two guards had come out to greet them.

    ¡°Humans?¡± - wondered Kiza in a puzzled tone.

    The group stopped, and Potemur explained to the guards that he was seeking an audience with the Sorcerer King, which was arranged by Princess Renner. One of the guards went to ask his superior, an Elder Lich which stood some distance away.

    ¡°Say, why are there human guards at the gates? Wouldn''t undead serve as better guards?¡± - Potemur asked while they waited.

    ¡°It is as you say. However, undead guards would frighten newcomers. Thus it was determined that having human guards to greet those coming to the city would work better. Besides, there are still plenty of undead guards,¡± the man responded, gesturing at the undead beings staged on the walls not far from the gate.

    "Not only does he not feel hatred for the living, but he understands humans quite well. This Sorcerer King is quite crafty,¡± Potemur thought.

    The other guard returned, and their group was escorted by an undead being to the quarters of the Sorcerer King. It was hard not to shake in fear as they looked at their guide. Over two meters tall, wearing spiky metal armor, a helmet with two horns, a rotted face displayed beneath the helmet. It was the kind of enemy that would make ¡°The Young Blood¡± think twice about attacking. Yet here it was, leading the way like a good servant would.

    As they walked through the city of E-Rantel they took in the surroundings. The citizens seemed to be carrying on with their lives. No one showed any signs of panic or fear, in fact, no one really paid any attention to the occasional undead being that walked by.

    ¡°It appears Kiara''s intel was correct, though this is hard to believe.¡± assessed, Marv, as they made their way through the city. The others nodded in agreement.

    They came to a large building, and their guide indicated for them to wait there, while it went inside. A moment later it came back with a woman.

    Potemur''s eyes went wide ¨C the woman that came out of the building was a stunning beauty. But what caused his reaction was that she wore a maid''s outfit. It was the spitting image of one of the maids that accompanied Jaldabaoth...

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± He screamed, having lost all of his composure, ¡°Why is Jaldabaoth''s maid here?! Battle formation!¡±He shrieked having completely lost it.

    ¡°Calm yourself!¡± A loud, powerful voice filled his ears. ¡°Put your weapons away, she means you no harm.¡±

    When he turned around Potemur saw a warrior clad in full suit of black armor, two gigantic swords on his back, an adamantite

    adventurer''s plate hanging from his neck.

    ¡°I am Momon, the leader of the adamantite group ¡°Darkness¡± and currently an enforcer for the Sorcerer King,¡± he introduced himself ¡°And who might you be?¡±

    ¡°I am an envoy of the Holy Kingdom, here to see the Sorcerer King,¡± Potemur told him.

    ¡°Oh, I see. Then the reason for my summon was to listen to your issues. You mentioned Jaldabaoth earlier, how do you know of him?¡± Momon inquired.

    ¡°He had attacked our country,¡± Potemur replied with sadness in his voice.

    ¡°Then I understand your reaction just now. I had the same response myself when I first saw these maids,¡± - Momon continued. ¡°Do not worry, they serve the Sorcerer King and have nothing to do with Jaldabaoth.¡±

    ¡°But the resemblance... it''s uncanny,¡± his voice betrayed hints of doubt.

    ¡°I am sure the Sorcerer King will explain this to you shortly,¡± - Momon told him, before addressing the maid, who stood silently in front of them all this time.

    ¡°Then Yuri-san, can you inform the Sorcerer King that we are here?¡± He asked the maid.

    ¡°Yes, Momon-san,¡± she replied with a bow, before disappearing inside the building.

    A short while later she came back and ushered them in, ¡°The two of you can see Ainz-sama now." Then she addressed the group of adventurers that were with Potemur, ¡°You can wait in the guest house while the envoy talks to Ainz-sama,¡± she pointed at the building nearby.

    Marv and his group went to rest at the guest house, while Potemur and Momon were led to a set of large, heavy doors. She opened them and motioned for them to walk in.

    ¡°Ah, Momon-dono¡± - rang a voice as they walked in, ¡°it is good that you are here, as this situation concerns you as well.¡±

    Potemur saw a skeletal being, he was sitting on a throne-like chair, dressed in a very luxurious looking robe of pure black. The robe appeared to be sucking the light in, giving him an ominous feeling. As he walked toward the center of the room, he looked at the other figures present there. Two humans, two dark elf children, a frog looking humanoid and... For a moment Potemur stopped. He saw a winged beauty ¨C she looked similar to his Empress, except her wings were black and horns protruded from her head.

    "Ah, she is a devil, not an angel," he realized, as he approached the center of the room. Momon took his place near a human on his left, but closer to the throne.

    ¡°I am Potemur Dorland, an envoy of the Holy Kingdom,¡± he announced in a loud voice.

    ¡°I am Ainz Ooal Gown, the Sorcerer King of the Sorcerer Kingdom,¡± - introduced himself the one sitting on the throne. ¡°The man on your left is the emperor of the Baharuth Empire, he was here to sign the vassalisation documents. The one on your right is Zeria Lasa, a representative of the Slane Theocracy, he is here to establish friendly relations and open trade. I take it you''ve already met Momon. The rest are my subordinates,¡± - Ainz concluded, without going into further detail.

    ¡°I understand Princess Renner had already outlined my purpose for coming here, so I will be brief your Majesty. After several months of people and even entire villages disappearing, a demon force attacked one of our cities. These demons were led by a demon which according to our information fits the description of a demon called Jaldabaoth, who attacked the capital of Re-Estize Kingdom not long ago.¡±

    Momon seemed to perk up with interest.

    ¡°An adamantite group of adventurers was in Cressa at the time. They confronted the demons but were defeated once Jaldabaoth and his maids showed up,¡± Potemur told them.

    The man on his right shook his head in disbelief.

    ¡°After defeating those adventurers, Jaldabaoth did not destroy the city they fought to protect. Instead, he announced that in two weeks he will attack and destroy the capital of the Holy Kingdom. That happened seven days ago.¡±

    "No wonder they are so desperate, to lose one of their two adamantite groups, and have the enemy announce the destruction of their capital. Since Theocracy declined to provide help, the Holy Kingdom had no choice," recognized Zeria.

    ¡°On behalf of the Holy Kingdom, I plead to you to aid us,¡± Potemur continued with a trembling voice. ¡°You could dispatch Momon-dono, he had already proved that he can defeat Jaldabaoth. There is still time if we hurry we should be able to make it before the attack.¡± he pleaded.

    ¡°And what can you offer in return for our aid?¡± Asked the winged beauty in a dismissive tone.

    ¡°I.. I will..¡± - as he thought about what he would do to protect his country and his Empress Potemur steeled himself ¡°We will give everything¡±

    ¡°Everything huh¡± chuckled the undead being on the throne. ¡°There will be no need for such sacrifices.¡±

    As stunned Potemur was about to ask the meaning of this words. The Sorcerer King addressed the frog-like humanoid who stood before him.

    ¡°Looks like your brother is causing problems once again Demiurge.¡±

 Chapter 2, Part 4

    Chapter 2, part 4

    ¡°Looks like your brother is causing problems once again Demiurge,¡± - Ainz addressed Demiurge.

    ¡°My apologies Ainz-sama¡± - Demiurge replied with a bow.

    ¡°No, no. His actions have nothing to do with you,¡± - Ainz told him.

    While this conversation was going on, the three humans in the room stared at Ainz wide-eyed. After taking a few seconds to process what he heard Potemur addressed Ainz.

    ¡°Can... Can you explain your Majesty? If Jaldabaoth is a brother of this Demiurge, then does it mean Jaldabaoth is your subordinate? Did he attack the Holy Kingdom on your orders?!¡± he asked Ainz, a note of anger in his voice.

    ¡°Clam yourself Potemur. I told you it wasn''t like that,¡± - told him Momon in a loud voice, that made Potemur calm down a little.

    ¡°Long ago, Jaldabaoth was my subordinate,¡± the sound of Ainz''s voice appeared distant as if remembering events long past. ¡°However, he grew too powerful and chose to pursue his own goal. I want a world where all species live peacefully together, but Jaldabaoth wants to plunge the world into chaos and savor the despair of its inhabitants.¡±

    ¡°He and another fool rebelled against my rule. They were defeated and sealed away,¡± - he concluded.

    ¡°But nothing lasts forever. Jaldabaoth had broken his seal, and had come to this world once again,¡± - explained Albedo.

    ¡°Although his vision is the opposite of Ainz-sama. He still admires our master, and so he styled his own entourage after Ainz-sama, using demons in place of maids. Although they can only copy the body, their faces are still those of demons, hence the need for masks,¡± - Demiurge said.

    ¡°I.. I understand. Then your Majesty, will you help us in our fight against Jaldabaoth?¡± - Potemur asked. In the end, he was there to get help and get it quickly.

    ¡°I will be honored to face Jaldabaoth again,¡± announced Momon, as he faced Ainz.

    ¡°You are not strong enough, human,¡± - retorted him Albedo, her tone clearly revealing that she thought little of his strength.

    ¡°I have fought Jaldabaoth before, while I was unable to defeat him then, this time will be different,¡± - Momon replied.

    ¡°No. It is as Albedo says. You no longer have the power to defeat Jaldabaoth,¡± Ainz stated.

    ¡°What do you mean your Majesty? Please explain the meaning of your words,¡± Momon demanded.

    Ainz waves his hand at Demiurge, who was looking at him, indicating that he could explain.

    ¡°When he became the strongest demon my brother acquired a very powerful ability ¨C he becomes stronger the more time he spends in this world. That ability is what led to him becoming too powerful and choosing to challenge the Supreme Being we all serve."

    ¡°You were able to fight him evenly when he first came to this world and was weakened. However, he had been in this world far too long now. Your power is no longer enough to oppose him.¡±

    ¡°Truthfully, Jaldabaoth breaking his seal was the reason for my coming out of my slumber,¡± Ainz explained. ¡°Normally we would immediately engage and defeat him. However, I had slumbered too long, the world had changed and no one remembered the greatness of Nazarick. With no connection to the nearby countries, and being a feared undead, we could neither gather information about Jaldabaoth''s location nor move to confront him.¡±

    ¡°Luckily, Momon had faced Jaldabaoth and limited the amount of time he could spend in this world. As well as defeated the vampire Honyopenyoko,¡± said Demiurge. ¡°Still, we could not sit idly by, thus we made our move, allied with Baharuth Empire and claimed this territory. All of it in order to be in a position to gather information about Jaldabaoth''s movements and promptly move to confront him,¡± - finished his explanation Ainz.

    As understanding dawned on the three humans present, one could see their thoughts and emotions reflected on their faces. Even such experienced diplomats could not conceal their feelings, so shattering was the information they have heard.

    ¡°Although, this is not my place, may I ask about the vampire Honyopenyoko?¡± Zeria asked during the silence which followed Ainz''s explanation. ¡°I have heard of this vampire and its strength. What is her relationship with the Sorcerer Kingdom as well as Momon-san?¡±

    Momon looked at Ainz, who nodded to him that it was fine to answer.

    ¡°When I and Nabe were away on a quest, Honyopenyoko attacked my estate, killed everyone, and stole a powerful item my family passed through generations,¡± - Momon begun. ¡°My chase led me to E-Rantel, where I became an adventurer in order to be able to gather information which could lead me to Honyopenyoko. I''ve also learned that there was another vampire.¡±

    ¡°I believed the two were working together and sought to destroy them both. However, his Majesty explained that Honyopenyoko had apparently used the item she stole from my estate to take control of her twin sister Shalltear,¡± - he waved at the big-bosomed girl in a dress.

    ¡°Mind control?!¡± Gasped Zeria when he heard this.

    ¡°Not exactly. It does not take control over a target, rather it is a power of persuasion. For instance, if someone suggested to you that betraying Theocracy was the best way to save humanity, and used that item, then you would betray Theocracy of your own free will, convinced that your decision to do so was correct,¡± - Momon explained that monstrous power of the stolen item. ¡°The target does experience a temporary memory loss, similar to being mind controlled after the effect is dispelled.¡±

    ¡°Luckily it was a one-time use item. So we no longer have to worry about it,¡± added Momon.

    ¡°I understand now,¡± said Zeria with a look of relief on his face. ¡°But, how did you know that the vampire you confronted was Honyopenyoko and not Shalltear? If they were twins,¡± he asked.

    ¡°We are nothing alike. I would never betray Ainz-sama!¡± - Shalltear replied energetically, ¡°and despite being twins we were quite different, I got all the brains and Honyopenyoko got all the brawn.¡±

    "Ah I see, so Momon was able to tell who he was facing based on the strength described by the adventurer''s guild," thought Zeria.

    "Still, what''s with all these brothers and sisters," he mumbled.

    "The Supreme Beings had created us that way," - replied one of the dark elves, who somehow managed to pick up his words.

    For the sake of his mind, Zeria chose to ignore the words "Supreme Beings created us" and instead focused on what was in front of him. The two elves were clearly siblings, it was plausible the other two had siblings as well.

    ¡°Let''s get back to the Holy Kingdom. Your Majesty, if Momon is no longer strong enough to confront Jaldabaoth, what will you do?¡± Potemur brought the conversation back to the subject of his business. He was less concerned with the history of these beings and more with protecting his kingdom.

    ¡°Naturally, as the strongest being in the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick I will fight Jaldabaoth myself,¡± Ainz announced.

    ¡°For the crimes of imitating my maids, controlling Shalltear and most importantly, for going against my rule I will teach him what happens to those who oppose me!¡± Ainz proclaimed in a powerful voice, as he stood up and clenched his fist the red dots of his eyes shone brightly.

    All who were present at that moment had felt only one sensation as they saw him ¨C fear. Before them stood an Overlord of Death, announcing someone''s fate. There could be no doubt that the target of his speech would meet his end. And then it hit them...

    Panic. Dominating, overwhelming panic. All those present trembled before this visage of death. As his power washed over them, the thoughts of the humans present were rather alike. And then it passed as if it was a dream, and Ainz sat back down.

    ¡°As your vassal Baharuth Empire will do anything in our power to aid you!¡± - Jircniv proclaimed while prostrating before Ainz. His body was still trembling from the fear he had experienced.

    "Why is he doing this? Was using Aura of Despair II going too far?" Ainz wondered as he looked at Jircniv prostrating in front of him.

    ¡°Thank you Jircniv-done,¡± he replied, after deciding to ignore this and continue with the plan.

    Zeria couldn''t blame Jircniv for behaving in such an undignified way. Frankly, he himself was close to prostrating to the monster in front of him and pledging to serve him.

    "It''s impossible to fight this monster. No, even any attempt at opposition is foolish and will only be met with death. I should try my hardest to convince the Cardinals of this. Or should I betray Theocracy and pledge my loyalty to this monster right now?" - Zeria wavered as he tried to stop his body from shaking.

    ¡°But, Ainz-sama, Jaldabaoth had become quite powerful, is it not risky to confront him by yourself?¡±

    ¡°I will take Demiurge with me, he knows his brother''s ability best,¡± Ainz replied.

    ¡°But Demiurge is weakened. The link between him and his brother had allowed Jaldabaoth to siphon his strength!¡± Albedo interjected. ¡°He can''t even use his human form anymore.¡±

    ¡°Demiurge will advise me on strategy. I will be the only one fighting Jaldabaoth, ¡± replied Ainz.

    ¡°But... Ainz-sama is it.. not better to let us... come with.. you?¡± - asked Mare in his panicky voice.

    ¡°No. If we arrive with a large enough force to guarantee victory Jaldabaoth simply won''t show up,¡± Demiurge explained. ¡°He''d claim that causing humans despair as they agonized for two weeks about their demise was his goal all along.¡±

    ¡°Additionally, If we neglect E-Rantel''s defense it would leave us open to a counterattack by Jaldabaoth,¡± added Shalltear.

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    ¡°Then it is settled. I and Demiurge will go to the Holy Kingdom to defeat Jaldabaoth. Albedo will remain in E-Rantel as the Guardians Overseer, Aura and Shalltear will provide her assistance if needed. Mare will serve as an envoy to the Slane Theocracy,¡± - Ainz concluded.

    ¡°Oh, and Momon, I have studied the reports from the Draconic Kingdom. They are in rather dire straights. It is possible

    that they will request our aid. If that happens I want you to provide them the help they seek,¡± - he continued.

    ¡°Then your Majesty, when will we depart? It''s a long journey and we only have seven days left,¡± - Potemur inquired.

    ¡°Do not worry Potemur. We can get there in just two days. So please take your time to relax after your long journey. We will leave in three days,¡± - Ainz told him.

    ¡°You can get to the Holy Kingdom in just two days? But how?¡± Potemur asked surprised by this proclamation.

    ¡°We have.. a faster method of transportation,¡± - Ainz replied with a chuckle.

    Potemur decided not to ask further. As the meeting had been concluded, Ainz used a portal to send Jircniv back to the Baharuth Empire. Zeria, Potemur, and Momon had left as well.

    Zeria tried to talk to Momon but was stopped quickly. Leaning close to his ear the adventurer whispered: "I know what you want to ask me, but is the Sorcerer Kingdom a suitable place for such talk?" After saying that he excused himself and left Zeria alone.

    With the audience over Potemur went to the guest house where he informed ¡°The Young Blood¡± that they would stay in the city for three days, before leaving. Shrugging his shoulders when asked about how will they return so quickly, he suggested they explore the city and learn more about the Sorcerer King.

    Sometime later

    After resting for a few hours in their room in the ¡°Golden Pavilion¡± -- paid for by the Sorcerer Kingdom. Marv and Kiza decided to go to the adventurer''s guild.

    As they walked into the Adventurer''s Guild they were greeted by a strange sight. Although there were plenty of adventurers inside, there were very few jobs on the request board.

    They walked further inside and saw displays of weapons and armors. This was a strange sight, as normally the Adventurer''s Guild was not a place to buy equipment.

    ¡°Say, what is with this equipment displays?¡± Marv asked a receptionist.

    ¡°Oh, are you adventurers from another city?¡± She asked, taking a glance at the orichalcum plates the two wore. ¡°This is runic equipment, available exclusively to the adventurers of the Sorcerer Kingdom.¡±

    After getting their answer they went to take a closer look at the equipment displayed.

    ¡°This is some pretty good stuff!¡± Exclaimed Marv as he looked at the swords displayed. They weren''t necessarily better than his own. But he had to spend quite a bit of time to find materials to enhance his swords, and they cost him a fortune.

    Nearby Kiza was examining some daggers.

    ¡°Hey, how much are these swords?¡± - Marv asked the receptionist again, pointing at the display table he just left.

    ¡°Five silver tokens,¡± replied receptionist. When she saw Marv''s confused expression she explained:

    ¡°Tokens are the currency found in the Adventurer''s Dungeon near the city.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Adventurer''s Dungeon? What the heck is that?¡± - Marv asked, unable to understand what she was talking about.

    ¡°Oh, you must be one of the foreign adventurers I was told about. Then would you like to take a look at the Adventurer''s Dungeon, where our adventurers can gain battle experience and learn to fight as a team?¡± Asked a man with gray hair and a mustache. ¡°I am Pluton Ainzach, the guild master of the Adventurer''s Guild of the Sorcerer Kingdom,¡± - he introduced himself.

    After Marv and Kiza introduced themselve, the three of them left the guild and went to the Adventurer''s Dungeon, located outside the city.

    As they rode there, Ainzach explained the changes that had been implemented to the Guild under the rule of the Sorcerer King. And the new focus for adventurers, from being simple monster exterminators to becoming adventurers who would go to distant places and discover the unknown.

    As they listened to Ainzach''s passionate speech, they could not help but be jealous of the adventures of the Sorcerer Kingdom. To be able to adventure and discover new things, instead of completing quest after quest just to improve your equipment sounded very tempting.

    After about five minutes they''ve reached a spot that was cleared of all the trees. There was a massive arc ¨C an entrance leading to the dungeon. In front of it stood a death knight.

    They passed the undead being and descended down the stairs. At the bottom was a large room, with four corridors leading in different directions.

    ¡°On the left is the easiest difficulty, suitable for copper, iron and silver ranked adventurers. The final boss is of the gold ranked level,¡± - Ainzach began to explain as he motioned toward the corridor. ¡°Straight ahead is a wing suitable for gold and platinum adventurers. The corridor to our right is suitable for mithril and orichalcum adventurers. And the corridor behind us is suitable for adamantite. Although no one had been there except ¡°Darkness¡± when they tested the strengths of the monsters inhabiting it.¡±

    ¡°Each wing contains specific tokens, copper, iron, silver, and gold, found on bosses as well as hidden chests and such. These tokens can be traded in for corresponding equipment, ensuring that adventurers are properly equipped for their strength level,¡± - Ainzach explained enthusiastically.

    ¡°Hold on, then that means that silver tokens drop from the wing to our right? The one suitable for mithril and orichalcum adventurers?¡± Marv asked. His shoulders sunk a little as he realized that in the Sorcerer Kingdom, a mithril ranked adventurer would be able to obtain swords similar to his own.

    ¡°This certainly is a better way to prepare and equip adventurers than the traditional way.¡± - admitted Kiza. ¡°But doing the same dungeon over and over would result in one''s abilities being limited, just enough to complete that specific trial.¡±

    ¡°It as you say,¡± replied Ainzach, ¡°which is why we also have training grounds, where adventurers can train, duel, and even fight group vs group, to learn how to fight groups of adaptable enemies.¡±

    ¡°Oh, duel you say?¡± Marv asked, his interest piqued. In the Holy Kingdom, he was the strongest Orichalcum fighter. How would he rank here?

    ¡°Hoho, would you like to test your strength?¡± Laughed Ainzach, sensing that vibe from Marv.

    After he affirmed the guild master''s suspicion., they left the dungeon and Ainzach led them to a place nearby.

    Soon training grounds came into their view. There were dummies for archers to practice shooting at, as well as dummies for close range fighters to practice attacks. There were also people training in pairs, attacking and blocking. Amongst those training, Marv saw several lizardmen. They seemed to be giving instructions to the humans training.

    As they approached those training Ainzach called out to one of the lizardmen.

    ¡°Oi, Zaryusu Shasha, could you please come here.¡±

    A dark green and charcoal lizardman approached them, he wore what looked like an adamantite armor of a high level, on his belt was a peculiar weapon, a dagger made of a blue and white material, that seemed to glow dimly.

    Ainzach explained to the lizardman that Marv, an orichalcum adventurer from the Holy Kingdom desired to test his strength. After looking at Marv, the lizardmen agreed to duel him.

    ¡°Do not worry about injuries. Any injury sustained here will be healed for free,¡± Ainzach told Marv ¡°Also, you might find it difficult to injure Zaryusu-san.¡±

    Everyone in the training area stopped and looked at the two fighters take their position. Foreign adventurers were rare in the kingdom, and for them to challenge their instructor was even more so.

    ¡°Ready? Begin!¡± Shouted Ainzach.

    The two fighters shortened the distance between them. Marv was surprised to see how well the lizardman was moving ¨C he easily parried several of Marv''s attacks.

    "He''s gauging my ability. His armor is better, and I don''t know his abilities. Then ending it quickly is the way to go,¡± Marv concluded.

    His trump card was his ability to chain several attacks together, culminating with an attack using both swords in a pincer maneuver ¨C it was impossible to block both blades without a weapon or a shield in each hand. The lizardman in front of him only had his dagger.

    Marv smiled in his mind as he dashed toward his opponent.

    [slash]

    Marv activated the first martial skill in his chain.

    [Icy Burst]

    Marv was hit with a blast of cold air. His attack chain was interrupted. Additionally, with the cloud of icy air enveloping him, he couldn''t see his opponent.

    [tail swipe]

    Marv was swept off his feet and was momentarily disoriented when he flopped on his back. When he regained his senses the lizardmen''s blade pointed at his chest. He had no choice but to admit defeat.

    "That''s our instructor for you! Great job Zaryusu-sama. Awesome!¡± These and other exclamations resounded from the surrounding humans who observed their fight.

    The four of them talked a little afterward before Marv and Kiza went back to the ¡°Golden Pavilion.¡±

    ¡°A place to train, a place to gain experience as a group fighting monsters, and a way to ensure you are properly equipped for your strength level, all the while receiving salary and bonuses according to your rank... ¡° Marv was thinking out loud.

    ¡°Yea, the adventurers of this Kingdom have it made, don''t they?¡± Laughed Kiza.

    ¡°We are here for three days, let''s get the group together and explore the dungeon for our rank!¡± Marv suddenly suggested. It was only natural he wanted to demonstrate his strength after his defeat.

 Intermission

    Intermission:

    ¡°I am afraid our forces are not enough to stem the tide of their attacks, your Highness,¡± said an old man in front of her. He was bold, with a wrinkled face and hunched shoulders. He wore a long black robe with a pattern of golden thread. Few would suspect this old, frail man to be a powerful magic caster and a retired member of the Black Scripture.

    ¡°Then what about another attempt at killing their general?¡± Asked the minister, who stood next to the throne.

    ¡°Going by the report of the attack by ¡°Crystal Tear¡± I don''t believe we have a strong enough force to achieve a better result,¡± the man replied. ¡°Additionally, as per my report, we had encountered a foe of similar strength as well. So, there are at least two such powerful beastman.¡±

    The little girl on the throne sighed. She was Draudillon Oriculus, Queen of the Draconic Kingdom, what was left of it anyway. Her once powerful nation was now half devoured by the invading armies of the beastman.

    She faced an unwinnable situation. For a while things were looking better - ¡°Crystal Tear¡± was minimizing the beastman invasion. Their leader, Cerabrate, fueled by his lust was exceeding her and the minister''s expectations.

    And when a group of former Black Scripture members arrived from the Theocracy, she thought the tide would begin to change. And it did, for a bit. With the beastman mostly kept in check by this combination of powerful humans, they decided it would be a perfect time to kill the enemy general and scatter the remaining forces.

    They knew in which camp this general stayed, and so they launched their attack. Led by ¡°Crystal Tear¡± it successfully tore through the disorganized beastman and the adventurers engaged the enemy general. Unfortunately, that was the extent of their good fortune.

    ¡°Crystal Tear¡± had nearly killed the beastman general, when a new group of beastman showed up. It was a small, but a well-organized unit and it quickly pushed the other adventurers back. Meanwhile, the leader of this newcomers engaged ¡°Crystal Tear.¡± He was a minotaur warrior wielding a two-handed axe.

    He completely overpowered his opponents with a power they could hardly believe. Fighting alone, he killed one of the members of the adamantite group, gravely injured Cerebrate, and injured another member. ¡°Crystal Tear¡± had no choice but to retreat. With their retreat, the attacking forces completely collapsed, and the rest of the humans had to run for their lives.

    Not only did the strategy her minister had come up with to stop the invasion didn''t work. But the presence of such a powerful enemy implied that the beastman could invade any city they wanted, and as long as that Minotaur was present, there was nothing that could stop them.

    Worse yet, the former members of the Black Scripture who were sent by the Slane Theocracy to aid the Draconic Kingdom had run into another beastman of, supposedly, similar strength. A Minotaur shaman. Although they did not engage him, as experienced combatants they trusted their instinct.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    The morale of the humans was in shambles, and her nation appeared to be finished. The only saving grace of this situation was that the beastman had, for some inexplicable reason stopped their invasion.

    ¡°Well, what am I supposed to do?¡± She inquired the two men present. Also, she had a voice of a young girl, her attitude was that of a tired, older woman.

    ¡°Given these new developments, will the Slane Theocracy consider sending us additional reinforcements?¡± She asked Kraus, the old men in front of her. Capable of using 4th tier spells he was a formidable magic caster and the leader of the group sent to her kingdom.

    ¡°I am afraid that given the current political circumstances, they will not,¡± Kraus replied.

    ¡°Perhaps we could request help from the Baharuth Empire,¡± the Minister offered a suggestion.

    ¡°Hmm, they have that magic caster. Fluder? Whatever, he should be able to contend with this powerful minotaurs,¡± said Draudillon.

    ¡°It is as you say, your Highness. But the Empire would never send their trump card to help us. The more likely outcome is one, maybe two of the four imperial knights, along with one or two battalions. And that''s the best case scenario,¡± her minister poured cold water on her hopes. ¡°Even if they sent two knights and two battalions, it would do little but stall the beastman invasion,¡± he added.

    ¡°Actually, the Baharuth Empire had just signed the documents to become a vassal of the Sorcerer Kingdom a few days ago,¡± Kraus informed them. ¡°As a vassal state, they can no longer send aid to you without the Sorcerer Kingdom agreeing to it.¡±

    ¡°Then why don''t we ask the Sorcerer Kingdom for help? This Sorcerer King is beyond powerful according to what you''ve told me,¡± she addressed her minister.

    ¡°Would an undead even consider helping humans?¡± The minister shook his head as he expressed his doubt.

    ¡°I am afraid the Sorcerer King is currently occupied. The Holy Kingdom had requested his help against some demon they are facing,¡± interjected Kraus.

    ¡°Then what? We don''t have the gold to higher ¡°Optics¡± and the countries nearby either can''t or won''t provide us help. What am I supposed to do?!¡± - Draudillon shouted in a voice was full of anger, panic, and helplessness.

    ¡°If I can offer a suggestion,¡± Kraus began. ¡°Why not request the help of the adamantite group ¡°Darkness,¡± based in E-Rantel? After E-Rantel was taken by the Sorcerer King, Momon, the leader of the group, became his enforcer,¡± he explained.

    ¡°But would the Sorcerer King allow his enforcer to go to another country? Particularly at a time when he''s away as well?¡± Asked the minister in doubt.

    ¡°A representative of the Theocracy was present when the matter of aid for the Holy Kingdom was discussed. He says the Sorcerer King had anticipated the possibility of a request for help from the Draconic Kingdom. And had instructed Momon to respond to such a request, should it come,¡± replied Kraus.

    ¡°The Theocracy made contact with the undead?" amused, Draudillon said in a somewhat mocking voice. But she quickly regained her composure, while she disliked the Slane Theocracy, she was in no position to offend them.

    "How strong could this "Darkness" possibly be? Well, something is better than nothing. Then let''s send the Sorcerer King a request for help,¡± Draudillon instructed her minister.

 Chapter 3 , Part 1

    Chapter 3, Part 1

    After his meeting with the envoy of the Holy Kingdom was over, all of the guardians remained in the throne room. None of them displayed any signs of anger, and Demiurge looked pleased. Given the guardians'' mood Ainz, who hoped he had lived up to Demiurge''s expectations, decided to start the meeting without waiting for Pandora''s Actor to return.

    ¡°The plan Demiurge came up with had been set in motion. It will spread the name of Ainz Ooal Gown as a great hero who fights for the living. As well as allow us to explain the alike looks of Jaldabaoth and his maids to the servants of Nazairck,¡± Ainz proclaimed.

    ¡°But to predict that an agent of the Theocracy would show up as well. Truly everything rests in the hands of the Supreme One,¡± Demiurge bowed as he praised Ainz.

    ¡°Ainz-sama had predicted the action of these humans so far into the future. I am honored to serve such wise master,¡± said Albedo excitedly.

    Ainz ignored their praise. ¡°Demiurge''s plan really is excellent. The Holy Kingdom will be in our debt. Defeating Jaldabaoth will make the name of Ainz Ooal Gown known throughout the lands as a great hero. We can now gather information about the Theocracy, and it seems that Jircniv had abandoned his plans to oppose us from within,¡± he thought.

    ¡°I didn''t like pretending I was weak,¡± frowned Shalltear, ¡°but for Ainz-sama..,¡± she looked at Ainz with eyes full of lust.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± coughed Ainz, ¡°we are trying to plant the idea that I am the strongest being in Nazarick in their minds. We have tried to bait those who had brainwashed Shalltear on many occasions, but had been unsuccessful.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, with this plan, we can bait them into either attacking the Sorcerer Kingdom or approaching Momon,¡± added Albedo.

    ¡°Then.. telling Momon to.. respond to Draconic Kingomd''s.. request for aid was.. part of the plan? - asked Mare.

    ¡°Indeed. It would isolate Momon and make approaching him easier than doing so here in E-Rantel.¡±

    ¡°Oh, as expected of Ainz-sama,¡± said Aura, ¡°to accomplish so many goals with just one move.¡±

    Demiurge smiled. When he saw this smile Suzuki Satoru felt pain in his none existent stomach. That smile was terrifying.

    "What is it now? The plan is so straightforward, what else does he imagine I am trying to accomplish?" Ainz cried out inwardly as he looked at Demiurge.

    ¡°Become the great hero of the living? Have the Holy Kingdom owe us a debt of gratitude? Bait those who oppose us into attacking? Ainz-sama''s plans go far beyond that!¡± Demiurge proclaimed. ¡°Still, to take my plan and so vastly improve it. As expected of the leader of the Supreme beings,¡± his body trembled as he said that.

    ¡°We can''t just wait around for the party who brainwashed Shalltear to make their move. Allowing them the opportunity to choose the moment for their attack could prove costly. Instead, we should go on the offensive and learn about this world at a much faster pace than what we had been able to do so far. And with Ainz-sama''s plan, we will be able to do just that,¡± Albedo said excitedly.

    ¡°Eh? I don''t understand,¡± said Shalltear, her shoulders sinking. She looked at Ainz.

    ¡°I don''t really understand either,¡± admitted Aura ¡°Why would we now be able to look for information faster?¡±

    "That''s what I want to know!'' Suzuki wanted to shout. Of course, he did no such thing. "Should I ask Demiurge to explain as usual?" He wondered.

    ¡°Did you not pay attention to Ainz-sama''s words?¡± Asked Pandora''s Actor, he had returned in time to hear Demiurge''s proclamation.

    ¡°Jaldabaoth had been sealed. Now he had broken his seal. Notice that he was not defeated, but sealed. It shouldn''t be shocking when we announce that Jaldabaoth cannot be killed, but only sealed away,¡± Pandora''s Actor explained. ¡°We can further claim that the seal which was used in the past is no longer effective.¡±

    "Oh, I see," Ainz thought. "So that''s where Demiurge was going. It''s really good that Pandora''s Actor was here to explain it, I should have him attend more meetings.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. This gives us the perfect excuse to aggressively gather information about powerful beings, spells, and items of this world. After all, we are looking for a way to seal the evil demon Jaldabaoth, who would dare to deny us the knowledge we seek?¡± Albedo added.

    ¡°Ainz-sama is amazing,¡± moaned Shalltear, a bit too excitedly.

    ¡°I think.. so too,¡± said Mare, looking at Ainz with eyes full of admiration.

    ¡°You praise me too much," Ainz refuted the two, "Demiurge is the one who came up with this plan."

    Ainz was satisfied with the results of this meetings, he had learned a great deal about Demiurge''s plan. And so he dismissed the guardians.

    Inside the Adventurer''s guild in E-Rantel:

    The chatter inside the Adventurer''s Guild of E-Rantel was a bit more subdued than normal. The reason for this was a group of four people with orichalcum plates hanging from their necks. Why was a foreign adventurer''s group here? This and other whispers could be heard as the surrounding adventurers gossiped.

    ¡°Oh, Marv-kun. What brings you here today?¡± Ainzach asked as he descended down the stairs from his office. ¡°I was told you wanted to ask me something?¡±

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    ¡°Yes Ainzach-san, we will be staying in E-Rantel for two more days, and I was hoping we could have a go at the Adventurer''s Dungeon, while we are here,¡± - Marv explained.

    Whispers filled the guild again. Aside from Momon, the highest ranked adventurer group in the city was mithril. How would an orichalcum group do in the dungeon? It would be an interesting test of strengths.

    ¡°Well, normally only the adventurers of the Sorcerer Kingdom would be permitted to challenge the dungeon. But you are guests of his Majesty,¡± for a moment Ainzach considered what to do.

    ¡°Let me go and ask his Majesty if he''ll allow you to challenge a wing of the dungeon,¡± - Ainzach made his decision. ¡°Please wait here until I return.¡±

    After Ainzach left, Marv and his group sat down at a table. ¡°The Young Blood¡± was a pretty small adventurer''s group, with only four members. Marv himself ¨C a damage dealer and a frontline fighter. Kiza ¨C a magic caster. Shola ¨C a cleric and Zirek ¨C a ranger. It was a good set up to handle most requests. Now Marv wanted to see how well his group would do in a confined space of a dungeon.

    While they waited a man approached them. He had a look of an experienced adventurer, a mithril plate hung from his neck.

    ¡°I heard you wanted to take a crack at the dungeon?¡± He asked them. ¡°I am Moknak, the leader of ¡°Rainbow¡± - a mithril ranked adventurer group from this city.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that means you have challenged the same wing of the dungeon as we plan to?¡± Marv inquired after introducing himself and his group.

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Moknak, ¡°to tell you the truth I am very eager to see how you''ll do. As the second highest ranked adventurer group in the city, it''s hard to gauge our progress. Momon-sama and his group are far too powerful, and the lower ranked adventurers are quickly improving. It makes it hard to determine our rate of improvement,¡± he explained.

    ¡°I see. So you are wondering how close you are to an orichalcum rank?"

    ¡°That would be nice to determine. I know we improved enormously since the changes made by his Majesty to the Adventurer''s Guild in this city. But how much is another question.¡±

    ¡°By the way, doesn''t it get boring? Exploring the same place over and over?¡± Asked Zirek.

    ¡°Oh, right you don''t know much about the dungeon. Why don''t I tell you about it?¡± Moknak offered.

    ¡°As to your question, both the layout and the encounters change daily. Some passages will open up, while others will close, traps, hidden doors and such will change. So will the encounters, except for the final boss. As it is used to measure if one is ready to advance to the next rank, so it remains the same to accurately measure one''s ability,¡± he explained.

    ¡°Oh, and what kind of being poses as the final boss of the right wing of the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°I would not want to spoil it for you. But I actually don''t know. Depending on a configuration a dungeon will have four or five boss type encounters. We had only progressed up to the second to last boss so far.¡±

    ¡°I see. Although making it to second to the last boss would indicate you are above the mithril rank. I understand now why you want to see how we do, to measure your group''s progress against ours,¡± said Marv.

    Moknak nodded in agreement.

    ¡°But what happens when you engage the second to last boss, yet cannot defeat it? Normally attacking an enemy you cannot defeat would result in one''s death or severe injury. But I don''t imagine that''s the case here, is it?¡± Asked Shola.

    ¡°Correct. In the dungeon, there are Elder Liches with a red band around their arm. These Elder Liches are actually observers. They will take notes of your performance. They can also stop the fight if they decide your group is in danger,¡± Moknak explained. ¡°Also, in case of injury or death healing and resurrection will be provided, free of charge.¡±

    ¡°Free of charge? The Sorcerer King is really quite generous,¡± Shola shook his head in disbelief.

    ¡°His Majesty truly wants to help us become strong, his resources allow us to take our training to the next level. For instance, last week we had my group fight against three groups of gold ranked adventurers. Normally such a contest would never take place due to the dangers of injuring or even killing someone. But with a healer on sight, we could engage in full force and learn from our experience,¡± Moknak told them.

    "Such experience would certainly be very beneficial to one''s progress. And an experience like that is hard to gather in the wild. This Sorcerer King is quite smart in how he''s going about this," mused Marv about the information they''ve learned.

    Just then the doors to the Adventurer''s Guild opened and Ainzach walked in.

    ¡°Marv-kun, I have great news,¡± he said cheerfully. ¡°His Majesty had allowed you to

    challenge the appropriate wing of the Adventurer''s Dungeon. More than that, you can exchange the silver tokens you can get there for items of your choice here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Ainzach-san. And please thank his Majesty on our behalf as well,¡± Marv bowed to the guild master.

    ¡°Let''s go, I''ll take your group to the dungeon,¡± Ainzach told them as he turned around and walked outside.

    ¡°Let''s meet up here in the evening, and good luck out there,¡± Moknak said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± - replied Marv, as he and his group got up and walked outside to join Ainzach.

    After he walked outside and inhaled the fresh air, Marv''s body was filled with excitement.

 Chapter 3, Part 2

    Chapter 3, part 2

    During their journey, Ainzach had explained how the dungeon works, though they had already learned most it from their chat with Moknak. Once they arrived at the Adventurer''s Dungeon the guild master accompanied them to the right wing of the dungeon. About twenty feet into it they were met by an Elder Lich, wearing a red band on its arm.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Ainzach greeted the undead monster, ¡°this group of adventurers had been allowed to challenge this wing of the dungeon by his Majesty,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Understood,¡± replied the Lich a deep hoarse voice.

    ¡°Well, it''s all yours. I look forward to seeing how you fare,¡± Ainzach told them.

    ¡°Thank you Ainzach-san,¡± replied Marv, as he and his group walked inside, past the Elder Lich.

    They came to a room with a few undead monsters blocking the passage. However, as per Ainzach''s explanation, these monsters were meant to be challenged by a mithril group, so they posed little issues to orichalcum adventurers.

    After quickly fighting their way through half a dozen connected rooms, they came to a large, empty room. Once they walked in the door behind them closed, and a door on the side of the room opened, an undead being emerged from it.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Shouted Marv at his companions who were about to engage the Elder Lich. ¡°Look, it has the red band on its arm.¡±

    The Elder Lich that emerged to observe their fight with the first boss pointed at the door on the other side of the room. Another undead emerged from it. It was a skeleton with a large tower shield and a sword. About two meters tall it and a Death Knight looked alike, but without the powerful aura of oppression that the later radiated.

    ¡°Surround it and engage!¡± Marv ordered.

    He and Shola moved to engage the undead in a melee, while Kiza and Zirek moved around in a circle to position themselves behind the undead.

    They engaged and Marv quickly realized the foe was no match for them. While the undead was pretty strong and didn''t have much trouble blocking Marv''s attacks, it couldn''t simultaneously block Shola, who was attacking it from the side. Nor could it block Zirek''s arrows and Kiza''s spells, both of whom were attacking it from behind. All Marv had to do was parry and avoid the enemy''s attacks.

    The monster realized that it couldn''t hurt Marv, and decided to attack Kiza. However, it was too late, it had taken too much damage already, and with both Marv and Shola laying into it with their weapons, the undead didn''t make it far.

    After a thunderous head blow from Shola''s mace, it collapsed to the ground.

    ¡°Congratulations, here is your reward for defeating the first boss,¡± said the Elder Lich which was observing their fight.

    It handed Marv two silver coins, the likes of which he''d never seen before ¨C the silver tokens one could exchange for items in the Adventurer''s Guild.

    ¡°Well, that was pretty easy,¡± said Shola.

    ¡°Remember what Ainzach told us, the first boss is much easier than the rest, to allow newly qualified groups to get the next tier of equipment. It should become more difficult from here on,¡± Marv cautioned him.

    They continued on. Marv was right, the enemies they were facing now were a bit stronger. However, this was still a part of the dungeon meant to be a challenge for mithril ranked groups. It was a simple matter for an orichalcum group.

    They advanced through the dungeon, dispatching monsters that got in their way until they came to another boss room. Towards the end of it stood an Elder Lich, with a red band on its arm. And in the middle of it was an undead with a shield and sword, the same type they defeated previously.

    ¡°Hmm, this should be the next boss, but this doesn''t make sense, why would it be the same undead we''ve defeated already?¡±

    ¡°Stay on your toes. We will engage it in the same way as before, but watch out for a change in the situation,¡± Marv said.

    As they entered the room the undead ran at them. Just like the first boss, it was also engaged by Marv and Shola in melee combat, while Kiza and Zirek circled to attack it from behind.

    They were landing some nice hits on the monster when with a loud thud the side walls of the room came down to reveal metal bars. And behind those bars stood about eight skeletal archers.

    ¡°Quickly, move closer to Marv,¡± shouted Kiza at Zirek.

    He could cast a barrier that would protect them against ranged attacks, at least for some time. The two of them ran towards Marv.

    [Lesser Protection from Arrows] Kiza cast his spell once he was in range to cover the other two. It was a 3rd tier spell which could protect against ranged attacks, at least for some time.

    ¡°Keep fighting it. We''ll clear out the archers¡± Zirek shouted, as he notched an arrow to shoot at the skeletal archers. Although arrows were not very effective against skeletons, Zirek was using special arrows which inflicted bludgeoning damage.

    He shot and a Skeleton Archer crumbled to the ground after its head exploded from the impact.

    Next to Zirek Kiza was casting a [firestorm] a third tier area of attack spell.

    ¡°Behind us! Shola, engage the new enemy! Zirek move behind Marv!¡± Kiza shouted as he ran toward Marv.

    From behind a new enemy was approaching. It must''ve come from the door on the opposite side of the room, but they missed it due to their attention being drawn to the walls coming down and the Skeletal Archers. The new enemy was an undead soldier armed with a polearm. It was quickly approaching, just steps behind Kiza.

    After hearing Kiza''s shout Shola moved to intercept it. But the situation was becoming somewhat chaotic.

    They didn''t inflict as much damage on the first undead as it moved around to keep both Shola and Marv in front, and their ranged support had to run back almost as soon as they got behind it.

    ¡°Finish off the archers, then assist me!¡± Yelled Marv.

    However, the undead had other plans. The shield warrior he was fighting rushed Kiza who was almost next to Marv.

    ¡°uhh!¡± a groan came from Kiza''s lips as the undead shield bashed him. He was able to block it with his staff, but was still pushed back by the blow''s force and fell to the ground.

    After knocking down Kiza, the undead turned around and attacked Marv who was attacking its back. They exchanged several blows but neither side could inflict any damaged.

    ¡°Damn it! Watch out!¡± Shola yelled. The undead soldier ignored Shola and rushed the magic caster on the ground.

    A multitude of growls came from the corridor through which they entered the boss room. Casting a quick glance behind Marv cursed. Ghouls, about eight of them. Ghouls were rather easy to kill for adventurers of his caliber, but they were already being overwhelmed.

    ¡°Zirek, kill the ghouls behind us!¡± Marv called.

    Zirek who had killed four of the eight archers on his side quickly put his bow behind his back drew a sword and moved against the ghouls who were rushing towards them.

    [shield bash] Shola used his martial skill to stop the undead soldier from attacking Kiza. However, his target was able to turn and block the attack with the pole of his weapon. After blocking, the undead pushed back against the shield, but Shola held his ground. The two of them were pushing against each other when...

    [Fireball] Kiza cast his spell, and a ball of fire flew at the undead behind Shola''s shield. Momentarily disoriented by the noise of the explosion and the smoke from the attack Shola felt the pressure against his shield vanish.

    The undead, who was not affected by blindness or loud explosion moved to attack Kiza. The undead thrust his polearm at the magic caster. Kiza was again able to partially deflect the thrust with his staff, but the attack still grazed his shoulder.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Cursed Shola as his moment of disorientation caused an injury to his group mate. He rushed towards the unprotected back of the undead. But was met with the shield from the undead warrior, who moved to intercept him.

    This was a great opportunity for Marv to attack the undead warrior from behind. But he couldn''t do that, he had to engage the soldier with the polearm before it inflicted more damage to Kiza, who was just blown against a wall from the impact of blocking a full swing from the undead.

    Marv engaged the undead soldier to keep it from going after Kiza. Almost immediately he realized that he had an advantage. The undead was not fast enough to quickly parry and counter with its large weapon. On the other hand, Marv with his two swords was overwhelming it.

    ¡°Ghouls cleared! Taking out archers now!¡± Zirek shouted from somewhere behind.

    The once chaotic battle was coming to a close. Shola tied down the undead warrior, Marv was overpowering his opponent, while Kiza had recovered and joined Zirek in taking out archers.

    The archers were taken out, and the two of them helped Marv dispatch his target. After that, they finished off the undead warrior.

    ¡°Whew, almost got overrun there,¡± - said Zirek.

    ¡°I didn''t expect them to work so well together, switching targets and going after the least protected one,¡± sighed Shola. ¡°Makes it pretty hard to keep their attacks on me.¡±

    ¡°Congratulations. You have defeated the second boss of this wing,¡± said a hoarse voice. They saw the Elder Lich approach them. ¡°Here is your reward,¡± it added as it extended its skeletal hand and handed Marv three silver tokens.

    After a bit of rest, they continued through the dungeon. The enemies had become stronger yet. Groups of ghouls, skeletons, and other abominations attacked them as the advanced. However, they did not pose much of a threat ¨C their numbers weren''t large enough, and they didn''t possess high enough attack power.

    They were moving through some room where they had just defeated a bunch of skeletal archers when Zirek stopped.

    ¡°Hmm, something seems off here. Hold on!¡± He said as he approached a wall. He knocked on it and a deep ¡°boom. boom,¡± sound came from the wall.

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    ¡°A hidden passage?¡±

    Zirek placed his hands on the wall and pushed, it began to turn like a door would. The other joined in and soon it had opened up to reveal a narrow passage, at the end of which they could see a chest.

    ¡°Could be a trap,¡± said Marv, ¡°let me open it, Zirek you come with me but stay a bit behind, Shola stay further back so you can heal us. Kiza, stay here and look out so we don''t get rushed.¡±

    Marv walked up to the chest and looked around. The corridor was about six feet wide, and thirty feet long. Zirek was standing in the middle of it, Shola at the entrance, and Kiza was further behind, back in the room to keep watch.

    ¡°Alright, here goes!¡± Shouted Marv as he opened the chest.

    Nothing happened. With a sigh of relief, he looked inside and saw two silver tokens inside. He picked them up and started to walk back.

    Suddenly a hidden door opened up and ghouls began to rush in from the middle of the corridor.

    ¡°Engage!¡± Shouted Marv. It wasn''t too bad, ghouls could only attack in pairs due to the width of the corridor, and both he and Zirek would have no problems fighting off against two ghouls.

    Just then, with a screeching noise, a wall moved into place blocking the entrance to the corridor.

    ¡°Kiza!¡± Shola yelled, as he tried to push the wall aside, but to no avail.

    [firestorm] Kiza must''ve been facing a group of enemies.

    ¡°Finish them, quick!¡± bellowed Marv as he mowed down the ghouls in front of him in a frenzy.

    Zirek was doing the same from the other side and pretty soon all of the ghouls were dead. However, the wall blocking the entrance did not move aside. All they could do was stay behind it and listen to the battle raging on the other side.

    They heard Kiza cast [firestorm] two more times. As a magic caster, Kiza possessed high damage capability, but if he got mobbed, even if by what would be considered weak monsters such as ghouls, his ability to cast spells would be in jeopardy.

    [release spell 2] They heard Kiza use his innate talent, which allowed him to store up to three spells, which he could then activate instantly. His normal loadout for an unknown battle was either two single target spells and one area of effect, or if multiple targets were more likely, then two area spells. This time he went with the later.

    They did not hear anything else. And a few seconds later the wall section moved aside, allowing them to move back into the room where Kiza was.

    There ware about two dozen ghoul corpses on the ground, and Kiza was panting, leaning against the wall.

    ¡°After the wall sealed you away, they came out in groups of six,¡± he said pointing at the dead bodies, ¡°I managed to pick them off pretty quickly, but the last group got to me before I could cast. Had to use a stored spell.¡±

    ¡°It''s OK, you still have one more firestorm stored. We should be fine,¡± Shola reassured him.

    ¡°Well, we got two more tokens,¡± Marv told them.

    They continued and after clearing several more rooms they came to a large room with three Elder Liches.

    ¡°That one is wearing a red band, so he''s an observer,¡± Zirek pointed at a Lich standing next to the wall. ¡°The two in the center must be the boss encounter.¡±

    ¡°Still, two Elder Liches. Plus there could be more surprises,¡± Marv said. ¡°Let''s see if we can pull them back here?¡± he asked Zirek.

    ¡°Sure. Stay back and let me engage them.

    Elder Liches, like any magic caster, were fairly easy to overwhelm in melee combat. But they could cast a 3rd tier spell [fireball], it would do a good deal of damage, even to someone with Marv''s equipment. Getting hit by two such spells could be near fatal. Hence Marv decided to try and pull the Liches back to his group, while they waited behind a corner. Robbing the undead of the line of sight and forcing them to attack from melee range would make things much easier.

    After making sure that everyone hid behind a corner Zirek shot one of the Elder Liches and moved back behind a corner. He peeked around to see if the undead were coming, but he didn''t see them.

    ¡°Hmm, they aren''t coming, let me go check what''s going on,¡± he said to the rest of the group.

    A little while later he came back dispirited.

    ¡°Those bastards are staying on the opposite sides of the room, they have the entrance covered from both angles, there is no way to engage one without getting a fireball from the other,¡± Zirek reported the bad news.

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Kiza said, before explaining his plan.

    The four of them moved toward the entrance to the room with the undead. Zirek then moved into the line of sight of both Liches.

    [fireball] Both Elder Liches cast their spell simultaneously.

    Just then, Marv, Shola, and Kiza rushed in, while Zirek moved back out of sight. Both spells were interrupted. This gave Marv and Shola a bit of a head start as they rushed their respective targets.

    [Firebolt] Kiza cast his strongest magic ¨C a 4th tier single target spell. Marv saw the Lich in front of him begin casting [fireball] but before the spell could finish a bolt of fire flew from behind him and smashed into the undead, blowing it into a wall.

    "Good, we can finish it off quickly and then help Shola with the other one," Marv thought.

    [fireball], came a hoarse voice from behind him, and a second later Marv felt an explosion on his back. He was blown into a wall, not far from the Lich, and fell to the ground.

    ¡°Keep going! We''ve tied both of them down!¡± - Yelled Zirek, he and Kiza were attacking the damaged Lich. While Shola had engaged the other one.

    When Marv got on his feet he saw the Elder Lich he was trying to engage retreating from his group, toward the other side of the room. As it was being pelted by spells and arrows.

    A door on the other side of the room opened, and an undead soldier with a polearm came out. It started running towards them, while the Lich continued to move away.

    ¡°Behind us!¡± Shouted Zirek.

    [hail of arrows] He used his martial art, unleashing a volley of arrows. About 20 ghouls were rushing them from behind.

    [firestorm] Kiza joined him.

    [fireball] Marv heard from the other side of the room. A second later he heard Shola scream in pain. He saw the cleric getting up from the ground.

    [fireball] [fireball] The Liches cast in unison.

    ¡°Finish the ghouls quickly!¡± Yelled Kiza.

    [release spell 3] He activated his talent again. six more ghouls fell dead. Arrows were sticking out from the other two. But a new group of ten ghouls had emerged from around the corner and was now moving towards them.

    A fireball flew at Zirek and blew him forward. Meanwhile, he could hear an explosion and Marv''s groan from behind.

    [lesser heal] Shola cast a healing spell on Marv. Before smashing the Lich in front of him in the head with his mace, interrupting its spell.

    [fireball] Came from behind them.

    ¡°Watch out! Undead Soldier coming at you,¡± Marv yelled.

    "There are just too many enemies. I should finish off this Lich, and trust them to handle that Solider," Marv decided.

    [frost binding] Kiza cast a spell which slowed movement on the Undead Soldier.

    [release spell 1] A firebolt flew at the lich at the end of the room. In turn, the Lich had sent a fireball of its own towards... Shola.

    As Marv rushed forward, he heard Kiza release his final sealed spell. And a firebolt knocked the lich off its feet. He would not allow it to get up. Slashing at the undead in front of him with all his power he knocked it to the ground again, and with several, more slashed he had finished it.

    He turned around, but instead of a celebration, he saw a pretty desperate scene. The undead soldier had almost reached the group, Zirek and Kiza were swarmed by ghouls, Kiza was beating them away with his staff, trying to create some distance, while Zirek was swinging his sword wildly.

    Shola cast a healing spell on himself, having sustained two fireballs he was too close to death for comfort. The Elder Lich he was engaging used this time to cast a fireball aimed at Marv. Marv wasn''t the best target, but because of the swarming ghouls, the Lich only had a clear sight of him and Shola, who would just block the spell with his shield.

    Marv rolled away as he saw the fireball fly towards him. He was able to dodge it but the Lich was already casting another one.

    [shield bash] Shola smashed his shield into the Lich. He used his mace to kill a ghoul that was trying to attack him from behind. Before engaging the Lich again.

    ¡°Kiza, run towards me!¡± Marv shouted as he ran towards the undead.

    Kiza was in pretty rough shape, several ghouls were attacking him and the undead soldier was getting ready to attack him as well. A hit from a polearm could be fatal. The undead began to swing its weapon at him.

    [lesser smite] A flash of light hit the undead being, making it roar in anger. Kiza used this moment to run past the undead, although several ghouls were still chasing him.

    Marv blew these ghouls away and engaged the undead soldier. From his previous experience, he knew he could beat it one on one.

    ¡°Help the others!¡± He told Kiza.

    Several [firestorms] later the number of ghouls had been reduced considerably. Zirek was now able to fight off the ones which were attacking him. Also, he had sustained pretty severe damage.

    ¡°Keep going like this! Keep killing the ghouls, hold the lich down, we can win!¡±

    Kiza and Zirek focused on killing the ghouls, which kept coming in waves of ten. Shola bashed the Elder Lich with his mace, and Marv overwhelmed his opponent with speed.

    It went on for a while, but eventually, the Elder Lich crumbled to the floor. And then the undead soldier was finished off. The ghouls stopped coming once the last undead died.

    ¡°Congratulation, you had defeated the third boss,¡± came a familiar hoarse voice. The lich with a red armband which was observing the fight was walking towards them. ¡°Here''s your reward,¡± it said, as it handed Marv

    four silver tokens.

    ¡°That was a heck of a fight,¡± said Shola panting.

    ¡°Yea, I thought I was a goner, I would be if it wasn''t for that lesser smite,¡± replied Kiza, sitting on the ground.

    ¡°No wonder Moknak''s group can''t beat this encounter,¡± - said Marv as he sat on the ground too.

    ¡°Well, we''ve got 11 tokens,¡± he told the group, ¡°let''s rest here a bit and continue. I wonder what the last boss will be like.¡±

 Chapter 3, Part 3

    Chapter 3 part 3

    After stepping through the portal Jircniv found himself in the throne room. A man immediately rushed to his side, one of the four knights of the Empire, Braziwood Peshmel.

    ¡°You have returned, your Highness,¡± the knight greeted him. ¡°But your face, did it not work? Were you unable to learn anything new about the Sorcerer King?¡±

    Jircniv had a look of a madman. He had used all his resolve to keep his expression in check during the meeting with Ainz, but now that he was home, away from that monster, he could no longer restrain his emotions.

    Jircniv laughed, his face twisted into a mocking grimace.

    ¡°Oh, it worked alright! I was a fool, such a naive fool. Sabotage his minions? Instigate a betrayal from within? What a joke!¡± He snorted.

    ¡°Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°I give up. It was stupid to think this monster, Ainz Ooal Gown could be dealt with by someone like me,¡± Jircniv said shaking his head.

    ¡°But what about the plan to gather information about the Sorcerer King and his subordinates?¡± Asked Bzaiwood, uncertain as to what could cause the Emperor to have such a change of heart.

    ¡°Oh, I''ve gathered it, he had already been betrayed by one of his subordinates, that demon Jaldabaoth.¡±

    ¡°The demon which attacked the Kingdom''s capital some time ago?¡±

    ¡°Haha. An undead sorcerer of unimaginable power, whose schemes are beyond my comprehension, or an equally powerful demon who indulges in tormenting humans. Which one would you choose to rule this world? Because that''s our choices.¡±

    ¡°Why, why did it have to happen during my time? I thought I was a strong ruler, but this... it''s just beyond my ability,¡± Jircniv said as he sat on the throne, his body completely drained of energy.

    ¡°There is no point in trying to instigate a fight from within. Even if we are successful, the result will be even worse. At least Ainz does not appear to kill humans for no reason, unlike Jaldabaoth."

    ¡°No. We will abide by any requests the Sorcerer Kingdom has and will try to improve our position as an obedient vassal state.¡± - Jircniv shuddered as he remembered the bloodlust he felt when Ainz announced that he will destroy Jaldabaoth for opposing him.

    ¡°It''s the best we can do in our position. Trying to oppose that being will only lead to a disaster for the Empire.¡±

    ¡°I, I understand your Highness,¡± Baziwood replied, with a solemn face.

    ¡°Ah, this reminds me, call Fluder over. I have a message for him from the Sorcerer King.¡±

    Sometime later:

    ¡°You wanted to see me, your Highness?¡± Fluder asked the Emperor after he had entered the throne room.

    ¡°I have a message for you from the Sorcerer King, as well as another piece of news,¡± Jircniv told the magic caster.

    ¡°The demon Jaldabaoth is going to attack the capital of the Holy Kingdom in five days. They had requested help from the Sorcerer King and he had agreed. In five days he will fight Jaldabaoth in the Holy Kingdom. You can observe their fight, as a reward for your loyalty,¡± - Jircniv''s face twitched in pain as he said "loyalty."

    ¡°Oohhh! To be able to observe his Majesty''s battle... I am unworthy,¡± Fluder cried out as he genuflected on the floor, tears flowing from his eyes. ¡°Such a magnificent reward...¡±

    ¡°The other news is that the Empire had officially become a vassal state of the Sorcerer Kingdom. We are now once again on the same side Fluder,¡± he smiled bitterly.

    ¡°You have betrayed me, gramps! You of all people, or perhaps you were simply smart enough to recognize the truth which took me so long to accept,¡± it was an outburst of a child. Months of agonizing over his actions, trying to counter that monster''s schemes, the pressure he was under all this time had come crashing down at this moment. He no longer had the energy to keep up appearances.

    ¡°My dear Jir. You knew I would do anything to peer into the abyss of magic. How could I possibly refuse an offer from that God-like being?¡± Fluder replied, looking at his student. ¡°But it seems like you have realized his Majesty''s power, and have given up on your foolish plans.¡±

    Jircniv just nodded. It was painful, but he felt free, at ease like he had not felt ever since those elven twins had visited the capital.

    ¡°Then, since we now both serve the same power, would you like to join me to observe his Majesty''s fight with Jaldabaoth?¡±

    ¡°You know gramps, I would,¡± Jircniv replied.

    In the Adventurers'' Dungeon:

    After they had recovered from their fight, ¡°The Young Blood¡± continued to explore the dungeon. The monsters have become more difficult once again, though they were nothing compared to the previous fight. After clearing several rooms they came to a fork. Zirek was sent to scout both directions, while the rest of the group rested.

    A short while later Zirek returned with his report:

    ¡°The pass on the left leads to a corridor with about half a dozen undead in it, I could not scout further. The pass on the right leads to a room with a chest at the far end of it, guarded by an Elder Lich and an undead Soldier, there are some other, lower level monsters throughout the room as well. Also, there is an Elder Lich with the red armband, could it be the final boss?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, no, it''s probably just a chest, after all, there is the other passage, it wouldn''t make sense to have it if we''ve already reached the final boss," Kiza said.

    ¡°I agree, it''s probably just a chest, tempting, but since we are all nearly spent, trying for the chest seems too dangerous. I want to conserve our remaining power for the final boss,¡± Marv said.

    They agreed with their leader and took through the pass on the left. Several more rooms had been cleared of the various undead that inhibited them before the group came to a large room.

    There was an Elder Lich with a red armband near a wall. Toward the back of the room stood a large, winged demon. It held a large mace in one hand, the claws on its other hand didn''t promise anything good either. About 2.5 meters long, it''s body was dark green in color, covered by what looked like scales. It radiated quite a powerful, menacing aura.

    ¡°Heh, if this was in the wild I don''t think we would attack that thing,¡± Shola said after studying the demon.

    ¡°Well, Moknak said the Lich is supposed to stop the fight if things get too close, also I am not sure how well it actually works,¡± Kiza shrugged.

    ¡°We''ve come this far, we can''t retreat now.¡±

    ¡°OK, let''s attack it the same way we would an Elder Lich ¨C I and Shola will engage in melee. You two will flank it and attack from the back,¡± - Marv told the group.

    Everyone agreed, and cast their buffs, before stepping into the room. Marv and Shola rushed the demon, while Kiza and Zirek went around to flank it from both sides.

    As Marv came closer the demon took a leap forward and attacked with its mace.

    [Fortress] Marv activated his skill and stopped the massive mace, then he countered with his other sword.

    The demon grabbed Marv''s striking hand, halting the attack and revealing that It clearly had speed and power that far surpassed those of the humans it faced. Before he knew what was happening Marv was flung at Zirek who was trying to flank the demon from a side.

    Marv didn''t actually fly through the air, even the demon wasn''t powerful enough to do that, but he was pushed with enough force that he couldn''t stop and crashed into the ranger.

    Meanwhile, the demon launched an attack on Shola, who just got into melee range.

    He blocked the attack with his shield. But when he tried to counter he saw the demon had already moved away and was rushing the magic caster on the other side of the room. Shola gave chase after the demon.

    Kiza was still moving into position, trying to flank the demon, when he saw it rushing towards him. He didn''t have enough time to cast any spells, as the demon''s inhuman speed propelled it forward, instead he braced for the attack.

    The demon swung its weapon, and Kiza used his staff to obstruct it. The demon, however, was much stronger than the undead soldier from before, and also its power was reduced, the attack carried through and the mace crashed into Kiza''s body, knocking him to the ground.

    Shola had reached the demon and used his momentum to attack it with his weapon. Suddenly, a webbed wing stood in the way of his weapon, blocking it. Without missing a beat the demon took a few steps towards the downed magic caster and kicked, sending him flying towards the other end of the room.

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    Ignoring Shola''s [shield bash] which was blocked by its wings the demon ran after tumbling Kiza.

    ¡°Don''t let him attack Kiza anymore! Heal him!¡± Marv shouted as he ran after the demon.

    Shola began to cast [lesser heal] while Zirek shot several arrows at the demon''s back, but they were likewise blocked by the demon''s webbed wings.

    After receiving a heal Kiza was able to regain his senses just in time to see the demon rushing towards him. He tried to get away, but the demon grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around to face it, before shoving him back against the wall. After that the demon delivered a quick punch with its right hand ¨C Kiza''s head rang and he was disoriented momentarily, as blood dripped from his nose.

    ¡°Take this!¡± - Marv roared, [twin slash]

    Both of his swords sped towards the demon. But their immense power was deflected by the rotational force of the wings, as the demon spun around. A moment later Marv''s feet were kicked out from under him and he flopped on his back.

    "Oh, what the hell, a leg swipe," Marv cursed as he tried to regain his bearings.

    The demon meanwhile turned around and used its mace to attack Kiza. An unmitigated blow at full force, the magic caster''s body tumbled along the wall and he slumped on the ground unconscious.

    The demon turned around to face the other three adventurers. It extended its left hand towards the ranger, [fire ball]

    ¡°What!¡± Yelled Shola.

    For a demon with such formidable melee prowess, to also possess magic

    spell of such level. It defied logic. And yet there it was.

    Marv tried to get to his feet quickly but was not fast enough to interrupt the demon''s spell, which flew toward Zirek. Though the ranger had responded with an attack of his own. An arrow was now sticking out of the demon''s chest.

    Marv got up and attacked the demon. One of his swords was deflected by the mace, his other attack was once again stopped when the demon grabbed his hand. However, Marv was prepared for this, he immediately slashed at the demon''s arm with his other sword. The demon had to let go of his arm, and Marv continued to attack.

    Also, he was unable to land any hits, his barrage had given enough time for Shola to cast a healing spell on Zirek and Kiza, who was stumbling to get up.

    Just as Marv thought that they still had a chance, the demon began to spin, with its wings blocking both attacks and vision.

    Mindful of what happened the last time, Marv stepped back, to be out of range of any sneak attacks.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± He yelled a moment later.

    The demon used the distance that Marv himself created to jump backward and cast [fire ball.]

    The spell was aimed at Marv. He braced for the flying ball of fire and was blown back by the impact.

    The demon meanwhile used the opening thus created to smash its mace into the back of the magic caster, who was slowly getting up. The sound of crushed bones resounded through the room, as Kiza fell on the ground.

    [fire ball] The demon aimed at Shola, who had just cast a healing spell on Marv. Not only that but the demon took flight and was moving towards Shola as it cast the spell. The fireball struck Shola''s shield.

    [fire ball ]

    This time it was aimed at Zirek, who had shot several arrows into the demon''s body.

    Marv ran after the demon which was flying away. He had a clear view of the demon''s back, but before he could attack the demon dropped down, turned around and quickly stepped in to close the distance between them.

    Marv attacked with both swords but the demon had already begun it''s spinning defense, Marv''s swords were swept to the side. He continued to attack, to buy enough time for Shola to heal the other two members.

    ¡°Aaaahhhhh!¡± Marv screamed in agony as his lower legs were swept away by the mace. There was no doubt that his legs were broken and he fell on his back.

    The demon didn''t waste any time as it used its mace to smash Marv''s head.

    [fortress] Marv activated his skill to block the fatal blow. He could hear Shola casting a healing spell on someone.

    [lightning]

    Marv screamed in pain as his body was hit by the spell. With him down and incapacitated the demon once again attempted to smash Marv''s head.

    ¡°This is the end,¡± Marv thought as he watched the demon take the fatal swing, he couldn''t move, and even if Shola could cast a healing spell on him, he wouldn''t be able to dodge that attack, nor would he survive it.

    The mace descended towards Marv''s head...

    [Stop] [Reset]

    A hoarse voice ordered.

    The demon stopped its attack a few inches away from Marv''s head. Before it turned around and calmly returned to its original position in the back of the room.

    ¡°You have failed to defeat the final boss of this wing,¡± announced the Elder Lich as it walked towards Marv. ¡°Do you require healing?¡±

    ¡°..no. I think... we''ll manage,¡± replied Shola. He cast a healing spell on Marv, followed by another. As well as two healing spells on Kiza.

    ¡°Very well, you can leave the dungeon through that door,¡± the Lich pointed at a door that had appeared on one of the walls. ¡°It will lead you to the entrance of the dungeon.¡±

    Sometime later, in Ainz''s room in E-Rantel.

    "So, they lost to the final boss? I wonder how well they did. I should probably talk to them," Ainz thought as he read the report of the adventurer''s performance in the dungeon.

    He had enjoyed coming up with various encounters for the dungeon, it reminded him of his own adventures back in Yggdrasil. But he wasn''t sure if the difficulty of the encounters was set properly. The two lower wings got plenty of usages and he was able to fine-tune their difficulty. However, the third wing was only used by Moknak''s ¡°Rainbow,¡± and since they were only mithril ranked, they could not complete it.

    "Yes, I should definitely talk to them," Ainz repeated.

    In the Adventurer''s Guild of E-Rantel.

    ¡°You want to give it another try tomorrow?¡± Ainzach asked him. ¡°Well, I understand how you feel. Besides, even if you are unable to defeat the last boss you''d still get more tokens. Very well, his Majesty did say you can partake in the Adventurers'' Dungeon while you are here, so it should be fine.¡±

    With that Ainzach headed back to his office, leaving Marv alone.

    ¡°So you weren''t able to defeat the last boss. But you did beat the third boss. Want to tell me about it over a drink?¡±

    As he turned around Marv saw an adventurer he talked to earlier.

    ¡°Sure Moknak-dono, I''d like a drink after what I''ve been through today.¡±

    The two of them walked out of the Adventurer''s guild and went to a nearby tavern.

    ¡°I see, that does sound like one heck of a challenge,¡± Moknak said after hearing about the final boss. ¡°My group still has a ways to go before that though, we are still stuck on the third boss.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but don''t you have five members in your group? You should be able to get through it," Marv said.

    ¡°Well yes, but it would require perfect execution, and that''s hard to achieve. With three members occupied keeping the undead engaged, the other two members have to clear the undead archers and the ghouls, as well as continue to kill the ghouls while assisting with the three undead. We just don''t have the firepower to do that yet. Plus you''ve seen how tricky these monsters are, moving away, casting spells at opportune targets, creating chaos and opportunity to attack for other monsters.¡±

    ¡°Yea, we were pretty close to losing as well, it''s a really difficult encounter.¡±

    ¡°We''ll get there. It''s just a matter of time until our power and equipment improve enough. Just got this yesterday,¡± Moknak said pointing at his breastplate.

    ¡°Made of mithril, it increases regeneration and reduces magical damage taken by a certain amount¡±

    ¡°Whoa, that would''ve cost a fortune!¡± Marv couldn''t keep from exclaiming.

    ¡°Tell me about it. It was so hard to obtain even one piece of such gear. But now, with the backing of his Majesty, we are able to obtain a new piece of similar equipment for everyone in the group about every week,¡± Moknak''s voice was full of pride and admiration.

    ¡°I guess the Sorcerer King is serious about getting the adventurers to be strong enough to go out and explore the unknown,¡± mumbled Marv.

    ¡°Well, I am going to head out. By the way, you should talk to Momon-sama, he could offer you some advice on how to fight that boss. He did for my group, though we aren''t strong enough to pull it off yet,¡± - Moknak said, as he got up and headed out of the Tavern.

    "Momon huh? The man who was able to face Jaldabaoth? I certainly should talk to him," Marv thought as he headed out of the tavern as well.

 Chapter 3, Part 4

    Chapter 3 part 4

    After returning to the ¡°Golden Pavilion¡± where he was staying Marv asked the receptionist how he could get a hold of Momon. He was told that Momon also resides in the Golden Pavilion, but was currently away on his duties as the enforcer of the Sorcerer King. The receptionist offered to relay Marv''s desire to meet to Momon.

    Meanwhile, Ainz was agonizing about how to approach the adventurers from the Holy Kingdom. As he walked the streets of E-Rantel he was deep in thought.

    "I can''t just approach and ask them about their experience, that would seem suspicious. After all, as a higher ranked adventurer, I shouldn''t be that interested in their performance. Hmm, I could make it seem like I am asking about it as part of my duty to help calibrate the dungeon difficulty... no, that would make it sound like whoever designed the dungeon, wasn''t an all-knowing being... ah, playing an Overlord is so troublesome."

    He was still thinking of what to do when he found himself in front of the ¡°Golden Pavilion.¡±

    "This is where they are staying, perhaps I can accidentally bump into them inside?" With that thought, he headed inside.

    ¡°Welcome, Momon-sama. There is an orichalcum adventurer of the Holy Kingdom named Marv Elen, he wanted to speak to you,¡± Ainz was told by the receptionist.

    ¡°Is that so? And where is he now?¡± Ainz inquired.

    Upon learning that Marv was in his room, Ainz asked the receptionist to go ask him if he wanted to have that chat now. A minute later the receptionist came back with a tall and muscular man.

    ¡°Momon-dono it''s a great honor to meet you, I am Marv Elen, the leader of an orichalcum adventurer group ¡°The Young Blood¡± from the Holy Kingdom,¡± the man introduced himself.

    ¡°I am Momon, the leader of ¡°Darkness,¡± Ainz introduced himself. ¡°So, Marv-dono, you wanted to talk to me about something?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Moknak, an adventurer you know, had told me you might be able to offer some advice. You see, we had attempted the third wing of the Adventurer''s Dungeon today. Unfortunately, we were unable to defeat the last boss.¡± Marv explained. ¡°I was wondering if perhaps you had some insight on how we can defeat it.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I might be able to advise you, but first let me hear about your exact experience,¡± Ainz replied.

    Sometime later Marv had finished his story and Ainz nodded in satisfaction. It seemed the dungeon wing turned out just like he wanted, despite the issues of being unable to calibrate the exact difficulty of encounters. He had also learned some interesting things, especially about the talent that the magic caster in Marv''s group had.

    ¡°That seems like a very powerful talent,¡± Ainz commented upon learning the exact mechanics of it.

    ¡°Certainly, however, it''s only useful when possessed by someone with a great aptitude for magic. Such a talent would be wasted on me.¡±

    "That''s true. It''s not just about having useful talents, but also being trained in the art that can best make use of such a talent. Without a system to identify and then nurture such individuals, it falls upon chance, which would explain why there are so few people with properly developed abilities to fully utilize their innate talents." Ainz thought, as his mind raced over the possibilities.

    ¡°Truly, I think that demon was just too powerful for my group. But I would appreciate any advise from such a renowned adventurer as you, Momon-dono.¡±

    ¡°You might be right about the demon''s power, but you did not lose because of it, did you?¡±

    ¡°No, at least not entirely. We lost because it kept attacking our magic caster, and with its wings blocking our attacks we could not stop it from doing so. It also seized the initiative, rushing our magic caster almost immediately.¡±

    ¡°On top of that the demon''s defensive move by spinning leaves you at a disadvantage ¨C if you stay close you''ll get hit by a surprise attack if you stand back the demon can use the distance between you to rush other members or to cast spells,¡± Ainz said as Marv nodded his head an agreement. ¡°The main problem is that you are unable to control the flow of the battle.¡±

    ¡°That''s right. Our usual strategy clearly didn''t work against it.¡±

    ¡°But your ranger was able to land some shots, despite the demon''s defense. He was able to do so because he attacked at the same time as the demon. Meaning the demon cannot both defend and attack simultaneously. Armed with this information you should be able to win, as long as you can control the flow of the battle,¡± Ainz explained.

    ¡°But how? We were unable to do any damage to it, and it mostly ignored us when we... ¡° Marv began.

    ¡°You need to change your formation. Attacks from the flanks or back won''t work. You need to attack from the front, it''s also the most advantageous position for you,¡± Ainz interrupted the warrior.

    ¡°You at the front, Shola behind you, then ranger and then magic caster. It puts the magic caster behind the three of you, making it impossible to rush him. Shola behind you can either heal or engage the demon when it gets past you, giving you time to recover and re-engage,¡± without noticing it, Ainz got more and more into the strategy aspect of the encounter.

    ¡°Ranger and Magic caster can assist you and distract the demon when it tries to attack you. Additionally, it solves the issue with its defense ¨C if it tries to spin you can just step back and let the magic caster unload on it. It''s spinning wings defense should prove useless against spells. Your job isn''t so much to do damage, but to block it from attacking your party mates or letting it cast spells. If you can do that, you will win.¡±

    ¡°Ohh, that''s truly astonishing, you were able to come up with such a clear strategy, identifying our strengths and weaknesses in such a short time... even amongst adamantite adventurers your strategic insight is unmatched,¡± praised Marv, his voice full of admiration.

    ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± replied Ainz, after a quick glance to make sure the adventurer was not mocking him.

    ¡°Will you be challenging the dungeon tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°I wasn''t¡±t sure, but now, armed with your tactical insight, how could we pass up the chance?¡± Marv said, with a smile on his face. ¡°By the way, the third boss encounter was rather difficult as well. Two Elder Liches... Moknak mentioned that you''ve offered him advice on how to defeat it. I''d love to know what it was.¡±

    ¡°Ho, indeed. However, Moknak''s group is still lacking in power to properly execute it. On the other hand your group...¡±

    ¡°It''s simple, the Lich''s main strength is its formidable magic power. However, once engaged in a melee combat its capability decrease tremendously. In this way, the short distance inside the dungeon puts it at a disadvantage.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, attacking two Elder Liches in an open field would''ve been a suicide,¡± Marv nodded.

    ¡°This weakness also makes it very tempting to use a strategy where you tie up an Elder Lich in melee combat. This was the strategy you''ve used. However, it leaves you exposed should another opponent appear. Even if it works in this dungeon, what about the world out there? What if a powerful enemy which requires the entire group to defeat appears? You can''t leave the Liches alone, but your group also can''t survive without all its members engaging the new enemy. The goal of the dungeon is to teach adventurers how to best handle various situations, not to fine-tune them to handling a specific one. That''s why the encounters change.¡±

    ¡°I see, so you would suggest we try to take one of the Liches out as quickly as we can before the encounter gets more complicated.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Now, given your group''s composition here''s how I would go about it...¡± Ainz said as he once again began to explain various strategies one could use.

    He didn''t realize it, but Suzuki Satoru had really missed dungeon crawling with his friends. This conversation had reminded him of the time long ago after he met TouchMe-sama. Back when he and the other member''s of ¡±Nine''s Own Goal¡± adventured together as newbies through low ranked dungeons. Strategizing over encounters and the various tactics to beat them. Speaking to the adventurer in front of him Suzuki felt nostalgic.

    It was quite sometime later that the two of them parted ways.

    After Momon had left, Marv went to collect the other members of his group to inform them that they will be taking another crack at the Adventurer''s Dungeon the next day.

    Next day inside the adventurer''s guild

    Marv had come to the Adventurer''s Guild to have Ainzach accompany his group to the Dungeon once again. However, upon arriving at the guild a receptionist told him that the guild master was currently busy, and asked them to wait.

    While they spent the time looking at the equipment displayed for items one could get with the Dungeon tokens, a door opened upstairs and two people walked down. As expected one was the guild master, Pluton Ainzach, the other one was a dwarf.

    ¡°Next time I visit you I should have some real beauties for you,¡± the dwarf said.

    ¡°Oh, I look forward to seeing your newest creations, Gondo-dono. Although, the ones you''ve shown me today are quite impressive already,¡± - the guild master replied.

    Once they had descended the stairs the two shook hands, and the dwarf left.

    ¡°Oh, there you are. Here to have another crack at the dungeon, are you?¡± Ainzach asked Marv after greeting him.

    ¡°We are. Would you accompany us to the Dungeon again?¡±

    While the five of them rode to the Adventurer''s Dungeon Marv was talking to Ainzach about the dwarf. He learned about the runesmiths coming over to the Sorcerer Kingdom, as well as the dwarven kingdom, becoming an ally. Apparently, the dwarf he saw earlier was the point man between the runesmiths and E-Rantel. He had come over to deliver a new batch of equipment for the Adventurer''s Guild.

    ¡°Since we don''t have any adventurers ranked over mithril, except ¡°Darkness¡± who don''t need new equipment, we focused

    on getting enough of the lower level stuff at first, so we had enough for our lower ranked adventurers,¡± Ainzach explained.

    ¡°Now that we have a good amount of the lower level equipment, the dwarves have begun to focus on producing higher-end equipment.¡±

    ¡°The stuff one can get with the silver tokens looked pretty good to me, how much better is this ¡°higher end¡± equipment?¡± Marv asked.

    ¡°Well, as you''ve probably noticed, these equipment is enchanted via runes rather than magic. The items we currently have available for silver tokens have been enchanted with two runes. The items Gondo showed me today have three runes. And he says the next batch should have four,¡± Ainzach told him excitedly.

    ¡°Four?! Assuming the strength of each rune remains the same, it would make for some very powerful equipment. In fact, it would outclass most items out there, except the stuff of legends, and the Sorcerer King plans to make these items available for... gold tokens?¡±

    ¡°His Majesty wants adventurers to explore the unknown, and is committed to providing the resources necessary to adequately prepare such adventurers for what they might face.¡± It was easy to see that this topic was very dear to the guild master''s heart and made him very excited.

    They continued to chat the rest of the way. And soon they''ve arrived at the Dungeon. Ainzach once again wished them good luck, and Marv and his group had found themselves at the entrance of the Right wing of the dungeon.

    They made their way through the dungeon, easily clearing the first two bosses. There were no hidden passages this time, and they had made their way to the third boss uneventfully.

    After a bit of preparation, they were ready to begin.

    ¡°Now, remember what our plan is, also, keep in mind that the encounter might have changed, so be on the lookout for that,¡± Marv instructed his group, as everyone nodded.

    ¡°OK, everyone ready? Then Shola, go!¡±

    His shield raised, Shola advanced towards the two Elder Liches in the middles of the room. He was immediately met by echoing [Fire Ball] incantation, as both casters attacked.

    A moment later Marv started to rush towards the Lich on the left, his path was to the side of Shola''s and far enough that he wouldn''t get caught in a [Fire ball] aimed at the cleric. At the same time, both Kiza and Zirek stepped into range and began targeting the Lich on the right.

    [release spell 1]

    Kiza activated one of three spells he had stored with his talent, a [Firebolt] He followed it up by casting another [Firebolt]

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Two balls of fire flew across the room before exploding against their target. Though he was worried about his shield breaking from the damage, Shola was able to block both spells without losing his footing or taking any damage, his left hand going numb from the impact aside.

    Meanwhile, a ball of fire flew at the Liches from their side as well, followed shortly by another one along with some arrows. Aimed at the undead on the left, the first spell exploded, knocking the undead on its back. The second spell knocked it further, as its body tumbled along the floor.

    Marv saw the second Lich begin casting another [fireball.] Normally he would''ve tried to attack it, hoping to inflict enough damage to interrupt the spell. However, Momon had suggested a different strategy.

    Marv ran at the casting Lich, and crushed into it, using his shoulder as a battering ram. The undead, which was much lighter than Marv was thrown back, its spell coming to an end.

    He did not waste any time, as per their plan, Marv rushed towards the Lich which had been targeted by Kiza''s spells. Meanwhile, Kiza and Zirek had switched their attacks to the Lich which Marv crushed into.

    The Lich was still getting up when he got to it. Marv unleashed a fury of attacks on it. A few seconds later he was joined by Shola, who used his mace to inflict bludgeoning damage to the undead. A few more seconds their target would be dust...

    The walls of the room came down, and like before there were some skeletons behind metal bars, this time they were armed not with bows, but with vials of what must''ve been poisonous fluid.

    [lesser protection against arrow]

    Kiza cast his ranged barrier, though it did not extend far enough to cover Marv and Shola. Then he went back to casting [Firebolt] at the other Lich, while Zirek directed his arrows at the skeletons behind the bars while keeping an eye on their backs in case zombies or other monsters attack them from that direction.

    It was reasoned that as long as the Liches were prevented from casting, this encounter would be fairly simple. Additionally both Marv and Shola could take some damage from the undead archers, so they decided that keeping the Liches from casting was more important.

    The two of them continued to attack the downed undead magic caster. When they heard the sound of a large group of zombies coming from behind. At the same time, a door opened in front of the room and from there came out another undead.

    ¡°Another Lich?!¡± Shouted Kiza.

    ¡°I''ll handle them! Shola, smite that thing while I rush it,¡± Marv shouted.

    [lesser smite] A ray of light hit the Elder Lich that had emerged from the door. Undead did not feel pain, and so the Lich was unaffected and started to cast [fireball] without skipping a step.

    However the distance between them was too short, Marv easily closed in and used the same move as before to crush into the undead, which was sent into the wall behind it. As he did so he heard Kiza cast [fly] and [fire storm]

    According to the plan, Kiza and Zirek would slowly retreat towards the other two while eliminating zombies and archer skeletons which were attacking from behind. This meant that until Shola would finish the first Lich, Marv would have to occupy both Liches, preventing them from casting. Luckily both undead were near each other.

    Marv moved a few steps and unleashed a flurry on the other Lich, before moving back and kicking the undead he crashed into, which was trying to get up, then turning back to deliver more attacks to the other one. It was a frantic engagement, but he only needed to keep it up for a short time.

    ¡°I''ve got the other one!¡± Shola yelled from behind, as Marv moved towards the downed Lich.

    Running at full speed Shola used his shield to crush the undead against the wall, following it up with a devastating head smash with his mace. His target couldn''t have been far from dying.

    [4th tier summon undead] One of the Liches used a spell.

    This was a natural reaction from a magic caster which could not contend with Marv''s physical prowess. There were now eight skeletons behind Shola and Marv.

    [sweeping slash] Marv responded to the new arrivals with a martial skill that set his swords in a horizontal arc. The two undead closest to him fell to the floor. Seeing Shola shatter several skeletons as well, Marv decided to turn his attention back to the Lich.

    The magic caster was in the process of casting some spell, but a sword through its eye socket put a stop to it, although the undead didn''t die from the attack. He continued to attack and was joined by Shola shortly. The two of them quickly finishing the hapless Lich.

    ¡°Well, that sure went much easier than yesterday,¡± Said Kiza, after the Elder Lich with the red armband, congratulated them on clearing the third boss.

    ¡°Yea, Momon''s idea of quickly eliminating one of the Liches, while pushing the other one back towards where the third undead emerges worked splendidly.¡±

    They had barely sustained any damage, only Zirek needed a bit of healing from the damage he took fighting zombies. Better yet, Kiza still had two of his slotted spells available for the main fight.

    After a quick rest, they continued through the dungeon. Also, Zirek found a hidden pathway, they did not pursue it, choosing instead to focus on their goal ¨C beating the final boss of the dungeon. Sometime later they were standing in front of the room with the winged demon.

    ¡°OK, here we go,¡± said, Marv, after they''ve prepared for the battle.

    He and Shola moved towards the demon while behind them Kiza cast [firebolt.]

    The Demon took notice of their arrival and moved towards them. An arrow flew at it but was deflected by the demon''s wings.

    [release spell 2]

    Two flaming balls flew one after another at the demon, which had no choice but to use its wings to protect itself.

    ¡°Good, it seems it can''t protect itself from magic,¡± shouted Shola, after looking at the charred and burnt wings of the demon.

    Marv smiled as he finally reached the demon, in a sense, it was a one vs one fight. He swung his sword, which was deflected. Unlike the last time though, he didn''t commit to the attack, he didn''t need to.

    After his sword was deflected Marv stepped back, denying the demon an opportunity to grab his sword hand ¨C a tactic it used rather effectively the last time. The demon roared and swung its mace.

    [fortress] [instant counter]

    He blocked and countered. His counter-attack would likely be stopped, however, the demon was hit by an arrow and a [lesser smite] providing enough distraction for his sword to stab into the demon, which stumbled backward a few steps.

    Kiza cast [Firebolt.] After counting two seconds Marv jumped backward so he wouldn''t get caught up in the blast as the spell hit the demon. More arrows flew towards the smoke covered demon. While Marv closed the distance again right after, denying the demon an opportunity to cast its spells.

    Per Momon''s advice, fighting it with all party members being in front of it was proving to be very effective.

    Seeing Marv moving into melee, the demon began to spin, using its wings to block any attack. Prepared for this he simply retreated out of range of any attack, while the demon got hit by another [lesser smite.]

    The demon ended its spinning defense and moved towards Marv. After its mace attack was blocked the demon

    rushed forward and collided with Marv, sending him tumbling backward. It raised its left hand and cast [fireball.]

    However, the other three had already adjusted to Marv losing his position. A [lesser smite,] an arrow and two [firebolts] awaited the demon. It had no choice but to cancel its magic and use its wings to defend.

    The demon wanted to counter after the spells hit, but as its wings moved away it saw that Shola had already moved into melee range.

    Shola swung his mace, but the demon caught his hand and countered with its own weapon. He blocked the mace with his shield, but his hand went numb instantly. The demon was already preparing a follow-up attack when an arrow hit it in the face.

    Roaring, more in frustration than from damage, the demon shoved Shola backward with both hands, and as he stumbled back it jumped back as well.

    [fireball]

    ''That bastard!'' Shola thought to himself, the demon''s attack was aimed not at him, but at Kiza. He was too far to prevent the demon from casting.

    [lesser magic shield] Kiza had realized this too and prepared to take the damage. A few arrows hit the demon, but it had committed to this course of action. After a [fireball] flew from its hand it followed it up with [lightning]

    ¡°Switch! Heal Kiza,¡± bellowed Marv as he ran at the demon from behind Shola.

    Their strategy was to always stay in a line formation, which is why Marv moved behind him, instead of rushing the demon right away from the side.

    Another arrow hit the demon, but it didn''t care, it was going to hit Kiza with the [lightning] spell.

    [lesser heal] If Shola couldn''t prevent the damage, he would at least make sure that Kiza was fully recovered from it.

    Meanwhile Marv ran past the cleric towards the demon.

    [twin strike] Both swords stabbed deep into the demon''s flesh. In the middle of its spell, it tried to block the attack with the mace but was not effective. Using his momentum to stab even deeper Marv forced the demon to stumble back, as he pulled his swords out.

    The demon didn''t waste any time though and had caught Marv''s sword arm. He had anticipated this and immediately responded by slashing at the demon''s hand.

    Perhaps it was the damage it took, but the demon wasn''t able to respond in time and his strike had severed the tendons in its wrist. It swung its weapon at him, but Marv crouched and used the opportunity to stab the demon''s foot. Before jumping backward ¨C they were ahead, there was no need to over-commit to an attack.

    [lesser smite] [magic arrow]

    Two spells hit the demon, along with an arrow. It roared in blind rage and moved forward with a powerful swing. But due to its injured foot, the demon''s footing was unstable, and the attack lost most of its power.

    [fortress] Marv blocked the attack and stabbed it with his other sword. An arrow flew and pierced the demon''s eye, sending it into a roar of pain. Marv wasn''t going to let such an opportunity go.

    [twin strike] Once again both of his swords stabbed into flesh.

    Its blood spilling in copious amounts, the demon fell to its knees, before collapsing to the floor under the continued onslaught.

    ¡°Congratulations. You have defeated the final boss of this wing and can now be considered as adamantite ranked adventurers,¡± announced an Elder Lich with a red armband, which was observing their battle from the side.

    After handing Marv six silver tokens the Lich informed them that they can leave through the door which appeared on the side of the room.

    On their way back to the city they decided to go straight to the Adventurer''s Guild. After all, they''ve sustained very little damage, and they wanted to share their accomplishment and pick their rewards.

    ¡°I see, so you were able to defeat the final boss following Momon-sama''s strategy? To think he could grasp the strength and weaknesses of your group and come up with the right strategy after just one conversation. He really is something,¡± said Moknak after hearing Marv''s story.

    ¡°It''s a shame we don''t have the time to try the adamantite wing of the dungeon,¡± Marv said.

    ¡°Perhaps you can come back and give it a try another time?¡± Ainzach who came down to congratulate Marv and his group said. ¡°And as promised, you can purchase any of the rewards here, with your 26 silver tokens.¡±

    ¡°In that case, here are the items we would like to purchase,¡± Marv replied as he walked over the displays and pointed at the Runecraft? equipment they wanted.

    As they walked into the ¡°Golden Pavilion¡± a receptionist informed them that Potemur was looking for them and that he was in his room.

    Marv went upstairs and knocked on the door, Potemur opened the door and let him in.

    ¡°How did it go at the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°We were able to win, following Momon-san''s strategy,¡± - Marv replied with a smile, he was satisfied with their accomplishment, and their rewards.

    ¡°That''s good to hear. The Sorcerer King had asked us to prepare and to meet him at the gates of this town tomorrow, we will be going back to the Holy Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Did he say how? I still don''t understand how we will get there in time, is it magic?¡±

    ¡°I wasn''t told. However, given what you have seen here, in this town, do you doubt the King''s power to do so?¡±

    It was a rhetorical question. Marv was certain that they would make it to the Holy Kingdom in just two days. But he was still curious as to how.

    ¡°We''ll be ready tomorrow."

 Chapter 4, Part 1

    Chapter 4, part 1

    The next day, just before 10 o''clock Potemur and ¡°The Young Blood¡± were making their way through the city of E-Rantel, towards the outer gates. Today they would depart on their way back to the Holy Kingdom, along with the Sorcerer King and Demiurge. Everyone in the group was excited and a little nervous about how they will make the trip back in just two days.

    Once they were closer to the gates, they could see a large group of people, several guards among them, looking at something behind the gates. In fact, the few travelers coming into the city were also all looking in the same direction. The reason for this curious behavior became apparent once the group made their way to the gates.

    Imposing and majestic, radiating with power, their blue scales shining brightly in the morning sun.

    ¡°Dragons... Could it be the dragon councils of the Argrand Republic?¡± Potemur mumbled, ¡°no wait, are those saddles on their backs?¡±

    ¡°They are mounts? The Sorcerer Kingdom uses dragons as mounts?!¡± asked bewildered Kiza as the group looked at the three dragons just outside the gates.

    ¡°Indeed, some of his Majesty''s servants use them as mounts, though it''s still a rare sight here,¡± said one of the guards who overheard them.

    They were still admiring the majestic dragons when there was a commotion behind them. Turning around they saw Ainz, Demiurge and six angel-like beings approach. Everyone bowed and greeted the king, who in turn nodded approvingly with the grace of a royal.

    ¡°Oh, looks like our ride is here,¡± - said Ainz as he came closer to the gates from where he could see the dragons. ¡°We should arrive at the Holy Kingdom within two days,¡± he said, addressing Potemur and his group.

    As they walked towards the dragons, Ainz looked at Hejinmal.

    "Hmm, he seems leaner than before, should I tell Aura not to train him as much?"

    ¡°Thank you for allowing us to be of service to your Majesty!¡± said one of the dragons, as the three of them pressed their heads into the ground before the approaching undead.

    ¡°Um, we''ll take Hejinmal here,¡± Ainz said pointing at the somewhat fatter looking dragon who greeted them. ¡°The rest of you can split up between the other two. The Holy Kingdom is located south-west of here. We''ll fly until the sun sets, then set up for the night.¡±

    After everyone nodded in agreement they''ve climbed the dragons, Potemur and Marv taking one, while the rest of the ¡°Young Blood¡± took the other.

    The wings around them started to flap, and they were off. It was quite a breathtaking experience. Even for a magic caster like Kiza, who had experienced flying with [fly] spell, the height and the speed now was completely different.

    ¡°I thought I''ve had enough stories about my adventures, but this one just might take the cake,¡± said Marv looking at the city of E-Rantel below them.

    While enjoying the sights as they flew, Potemur and Marv shared their experiences in the Sorcerer Kingdom.

    In the throne room of Nazairck:

    ¡°I still don''t understand why he didn''t take you instead,¡± said Albedo addressing the one in front of her. ¡°Wouldn''t leaving Pandora''s Actor here to pose as Momon be more advantageous?¡±

    ¡°Indeed it would be. However, we don''t know what kind of accommodations will be provided by the Holy Kingdom, and switching places might not be possible,¡± Demiurge replied.

    ¡°I see, you are saying that Ainz-sama doesn''t wish to fight the one whom he created, even in a mock battle?¡±

    ¡°What other reason could there be?¡±

    ¡°I guess you are right. We are so lucky to serve such a compassionate leader,¡± Albedo replied with a smile.

    Although, Demiurge could detect a hint of jealousy in her voice he decided to leave it be.

    ***

    They flew for about seven hours, taking a quick break in the middle to let the dragons rest. As the sun began to set, Ainz told Hejinmal to land in the open field below them.

    After the dragons landed, Ainz announced that they will set up here for the night. While the adventurers wondered why neither Ainz nor Demiurge brought any camping gear (or really any gear at all) Ainz cast his spell.

    [create fortress]

    A large tower appeared out of nowhere. Some 30 meters high, it had massive doors, and the walls had spikes to prevent enemies from climbing inside. Looking at the fortification which appeared out of thin air, and apparently wasn''t of much problems for Ainz to cast, Potemur couldn''t help but mumble that such an ability ought to be quite useful during warfare.

    ¡°Eh? Um, the battles are won on the battlefield, not hiding in a castle,¡± Ainz replied to him, as he opened the doors of the tower and everyone walked inside.

    The dragons set up in the country yard, while the rest of them took up rooms in the tower. As the group of adventurers shared their experience flying on a dragon, Ainz and Potemur discussed the agenda for the next day when they reach the capital.

    The next day they rode the dragons once more. After about six more hours they had finally reached the capital of the Holy Kingdom. It was decided that in order to keep the residents from getting scared, they would land in front of the palace rather than outside the city.

    While seeing several dragons land in the city might be scary, seeing an undead and a frog-like monster with a tail walking through the city would be even more so. The queen chose the lesser of the two evils.

    After they dismounted several knights approached them. Amongst them a paladin in an impressive armor, who seemed to radiate power.

    ¡°I am Baur Olan Valur, leader of adamantite group ¡°Fortress¡± and the Queen''s brother. I understand your journey here had been uneventful. As uneventful as flying on dragons can be,¡± he added with a smile as he looked at the dragons.

    ¡°I am the Sorcerer King of the Sorcerer Kingdom, Ainz Ooal Gown and this is my subordinate Demiurge. Is the queen ready to see us?¡±

    ¡°She is, I will escort you to see her,¡± Baur replied to the undead monster in front of him.

    He thanked the ¡°Young Blood¡± group for keeping Potemur safe and asked them to relax from their journey, before walking away to lead the new arrivals to the queen. The dragons remained in the country yard, frightening the guards and curious citizens with their looks.

    Once they''ve reached the throne room, Ainz could see a beautiful winged woman sitting on the throne. He thought of Albedo, though the woman in front of him did not have horns, and her wings were white rather than black.

    "An angel? How interesting," Ainz thought.

    ¡°Allow me to present Felvia Olan Valur, Queen of the Holy Kingdom,¡± introduced her Baur.

    With a nod, Ainz introduced himself and Demiurge.

    Potemur and Baur took their places near the Queen, while Ainz and Demiurge stood in front of the throne.

    ¡°I want to thank you for agreeing to come to our aid in this hour of need,¡± said the queen in a lovely yet powerful voice. ¡°If there is anything we can do for you, please ask.¡±

    ¡°I understand Jaldabaoth is supposed to attack the capital the day after tomorrow?¡± Ainz asked.

    ¡°Indeed, we have prepared for his attack, though I don''t think we could defeat him with our forces alone.¡±

    ¡°There should be no need for that, I plan to fight Jaldabaoth one on one. Once I defeat him the hordes of demons should be easy to disperse,¡± Ainz said. ¡°I understand Potemur had familiarized you with our relations to Jaldabaoth?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Jaldabaoth is a former servant of yours who have had gone rogue.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. As such I consider it my personal responsibility to eliminate him from this world. As such we will not ask for anything from the Holy Kingdom for providing this aid.¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°I thank you for this once again. Still, if there is anything we can do for you, please ask,¡± - the Queen replied with a smile.

    ¡°Well, there is one thing. One of the dragons we''ve flown here on loves to read books, I would like to thank him for his service by allowing him to pursue some books while we are here. Would you permit him to use the library of the palace?¡±

    ¡°That is a small favor to ask. I don''t see any issues with that,¡± Replied the queen after Potemur nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Thank you. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?¡± Ainz asked.

    ¡°I do, but we can talk more tomorrow. There are some things I wish to discuss with my advisers first,¡± the Queen replied.

    ¡°I will escort you to your quarters,¡± said, Baur, as he led them out of the throne room.

    ¡°I would like to tell my dragon of the Queen''s decision, I am sure he''ll be excited to hear that tonight he will spend in the library surrounded by books, instead of the country yard,¡± Ainz told him.

    ¡°Of course, your Majesty. I will accompany you. Please lead Demiurge-sama to the guest quarters,¡± Baur addressed one of the nearby guards.

    ¡°Ah, y-yes, Baur-sama,¡± replied the guard after a bit of a stumble.

    Ainz was led to the country yard where the dragons were resting.

    ¡°Hejinmal, I want to reward you for your loyal service. The Queen had agreed to allow you into the palace''s library,¡± Ainz addressed one of the dragons.

    ¡°Oh, thank you, your Majesty,¡± the dragon replied while pressing its head into the ground. ¡°You truly are a benevolent master.¡±

    ¡°Remember what I told you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, your Majesty, I remember.¡± - the dragon replied, showing its respect once again.

    With that done, Ainz asked to be taken to his quarters.

    In the throne room of the palace of the Holy Kingdom

    ¡°That really is a monster. This is the first time I could physically feel someone''s power,¡± the Queen addressed her Adviser.

    ¡°It is as your Highness says. The King''s power is unfathomable.¡±

    ¡°Not asking for anything in return for his aid seems rather suspicious. Could he be after something else?¡±

    "What else could he be after? Power, wealth, military strength, he already has it all in abundance. Frankly, there isn''t much we could offer him. Also, if the bloodlust he released when talking about destroying Jaldabaoth

    for going against him is any indication, then defeating Jaldabaoth really might be the only thing he is after,¡± Potemur replied, recalling the oppressive aura of Ainz''s murderous intent he felt at that time, during his audience.

    ¡°That would be most fortunate for us. And what is your impression of this Demiurge?¡±

    ¡°Jaldabaoth''s brother, we haven''t interacted much, but Ainz seems to have complete faith in him, and he seems to hold a grudge against Jaldabaoth for going against their master.¡±

    ¡°Guess we''ll have to keep an eye on him as well. Also, there is something I''d like to talk to the Sorcerer King about in private. Can you arrange it tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Of course your Highness. Also, Marv, the leader of the orichalcum group which accompanied me to the Sorcerer Kingdom said he wanted to talk to you about something.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And what did he want to talk about?¡± - the Queen asked curiously.

    ¡°It is regarding the Adventurer''s Guild of the Sorcerer Kingdom. He said it was very important, but since it concerns the future of the Holy Kingdom, it can wait until the situation with Jaldabaoth is resolved. He didn''t want to add to your already full plate.¡± - Potemur said as he smiled wearily at the Queen.

    The innermost reaches of the Slane Theocracy

    The twelve people gathered here represented the top officials of the Slane Theocracy. The highest-ranked member of the Theocracy; the Pontifex Maximus. The six cardinals of the six sects, the heads of the judicial, legislative and executive branches of the Theocracy as well as the head of the Research Institute and the Grand Marshal, the highest appointment-holder in the military.

    The reason for their meeting was to discuss the new information regarding the Sorcerer Kingdom, delivered by Zeria Lasa, the captain of the windflower scripture.

    ¡°It appears sending Zeria to the Sorcerer Kingdom was the right thing to do. We have obtained a lot of information regarding this Ainz and his kingdom,¡± said Berenice, the Cardinal of Fire.

    ¡°Still, that was quite a revelation regarding Ainz''s connection to Jaldabaoth. Could it have been staged to mislead us?¡± Asked Ginedine, the Cardinal of Water, and the smartest of the twelve people gathered here.

    ¡°That''s rather unlikely. The reason for revealing his connection to Jaldabaoth was because the envoy of the Holy Kingdom was there to ask for Ainz''s help. But Zeria seeking an audience with Ainz should''ve been a complete surprise, and so his presence during the talks with Potemur was purely coincidental,¡± said Raymond, the Cardinal of Earth, and the one who commanded the six scriptures.

    ¡°Jircniv did claim that Ainz possesses a monstrous intellect and could easily predict and scheme around Jircniv''s plans.¡±

    ¡°True. But even if we assume the revelation was a lie. For what purpose was it given? If Jaldabaoth is working with Ainz, would it not make more sense to demand that the Holy Kingdom ally or become a vassal of the Sorcerer Kingdom in exchange for their aid in dealing with Jaldabaoth?¡± Asked the head of the research institute.

    ¡°Indeed. The way things are now Ainz is providing his aid for no apparent gain of his own. Additionally, the behavior of Ainz''s subordinates and the bloodlust he released when talking about destroying Jaldabaoth for disobeying him, point to it being the truth," added Raymond.

    ¡°Thinking about what could be will get us nowhere. Let us move on to other things. What about Ainz, Jaldabaoth, Momon, and Honyopenyoko. Previously we thought that the four of them were players, however, going by the revealed information that can''t be the case?¡± Asked Pontifex Maximus.

    ¡°Not necessarily. It''s possible that he is a player from the times past after all our history only goes back a bit over six hundred years. There could have been players in the past as well. Being an undead he would not die of old age. It''s hard to say if Jaldabaoth and the vampires are players as well. I tend to think that they are just powerful servants,¡± Ginedine said.

    ¡°Serving an undead monster of unimaginable power, the vampires are immortal as well, and the demons could be immortal or have a long lifespan as well. That would explain the power of his subordinates.¡±

    ¡°A powerful servant who decided to turn on his master? That''s not too different than what happened with those damnable Eight Grid Kings,¡± concluded Ginedine.

    ¡°Then what about Momon?¡±

    ¡°It would appear that Momon is a God-kin, probably from the bloodline of the Eight Grid Kings. It would explain why he had the spell sealing crystal. It also checks out against what he had told earlier ¨C about him chasing two vampires,¡± said Raymond.

    ¡°Then the vampire which the Black Scripture encountered and whom Momon slew is Honyopenyoko and she was working with Jaldabaoth. While her twin sister, this Shalltear, is a servant of Ainz. At least it shows that not all of his servants are incredibly powerful.¡±

    ¡°What about the two dark elves? Why would Ainz have two dark elves of royal blood as servants?¡±

    ¡°Could it be that heteromorphic eyes are a sign of power rather than royal blood?¡±

    ¡°As I thought, we still lack information,¡± - summed up Pontifex Maximus.

    ¡°Ainz is supposed to fight Jaldabaoth in two days. Also, the Thousand Mile Astrologer refuses to bear witness to their fight, she had agreed to observe the capital of the Holy Kingdom and to let us know when Jaldabaoth shows up. We, in turn, will be able to observe their fight via observation magic,¡± Raymond said. "We should be able to learn a great deal about their power from this battle."

 Chapter 4, Part 2

    Chapter 4, part 2

    The next morning Ainz and Demiurge were strolling through the capital of the Holy Kingdom towards the main gates. Ainz wanted to familiarize himself with the surroundings of where the battle against Jaldabaoth was to take place.

    Although they were accompanied by the Queen''s brother, the citizens passing by had terrified, if somewhat curious looks on their faces, as they stared at the undead monster and the frog-like demon with a metal tail.

    The news of the Sorcerer King, a mysterious undead magic caster, arriving in the Capital on a dragon had quickly circulated through the city. And curious onlookers have been gazing at the two dragons sleeping in the country yard all morning. The stories about a city where undead monsters served as guards and pull horses, told by the members of the ¡°Young Blood¡± who had instantly become the most popular people in the city, only added to people''s curiosity.

    Disregarding the gawkers, Ainz talked to Baur about his experience as an adventurer. He was also showed interest in Baur''s sword and armor.

    ¡°They are made of an unknown material and have been passed through generations as family heirlooms of immense power,¡± - replied Baur when Ainz asked about these items.

    "Immense power? Aren''t they made from the same trash metal I gave to that dwarf?" Ainz thought as he looked at the elegantly crafted armor with an intricate design.

    "I suppose the sword is a bit more interesting, though nothing impressive either. Still, those items are better than adamantite, so I should look into where they came from in more detail,¡± he continued to think, adding another item to his mental ¡°to do¡± list.

    The other things on his list included talking to the Queen regarding her unusual appearance, checking with Hejinmal to see if the library contained any information regarding a powerful item capable of mind control and checking in with Demiurge to discuss plans for tomorrow''s battle.

    While he was distracted by his thoughts, they had made their way to the front gates and were now standing on top of the rampart, overlooking the area in front of the city.

    ¡°This is an excellent location. There are no trees within one kilometer of the walls, there is no way to launch a sneak attack or approach the walls unannounced,¡± said Demiurge as the three of them looked at the vast, grassy field in front of the walls.

    ¡°It is the same around the rest of the wall as well. It can be a challenge to maintain it, but cutting down all the trees near the wall provides us an excellent defensive advantage,¡± said Baur proudly.

    After spending some time thinking of how exactly the battle will go, which spells will be cast etc. Ainz was satisfied with what he had seen. With this part done, he turned to Baur.

    ¡°Baur-dono, I would like to seek an audience with the Queen once more. There is something I wish to talk to her about, and I understand she has questions for me as well,¡± he addressed the paladin.

    ¡°I am happy to inform your Majesty that the Queen had also asked me to arrange such a meeting. She wasn''t sure how long you would spend devising your battle plan, so she asked the meeting to be scheduled for one o''clock. If that''s fine with you.¡±

    ¡°That''s fine. In that case, since I still have a bit of time, I will visit Hejinmal, the dragon in the library, before meeting the Queen. Got to make sure he''s behaving himself and the excitement at all the new books isn''t getting the best of him,¡± Ainz said with a chuckle.

    ¡°I would like to check out the market and a few other places in the city,¡± added Demiurge.

    ¡°Very well. I shall accompany Demiurge-sama, and I''ll have one of the guards lead the way back to the palace for your Majesty,¡± replied Baur while they descended from the rampart.

    Ainz was led back to the palace and then the library, where he saw Hejinmal reading one of several books he had piled up nearby. After seeing Ainz, the dragon got up and pressed its head to the ground.

    ¡°Thank you, your Majesty, for allowing this humble servant to be of use to you."

    ¡°Have you found anything interesting? Anything regarding the matter we''ve discussed?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately I haven''t been able to find any information regarding that. However, there are quite a few books that deal with the history of the Slane Theocracy and the Six Great Gods,¡± the Dragon replied excitedly.

    ¡°I see, that might be useful too, well, continue with your work,¡± Ainz told the dragon before leaving.

    A guard led Ainz to meet the queen. However, they did not go into the throne room like yesterday. Instead, they continued a bit further and when the guard opened a door, Ainz walked into a room that looked like an office or a small library.

    There were bookcases along one of the walls. Several tables with maps and various documents and letters were placed along the other wall. And at the end of the room was a fireplace, surrounded by several chairs and a small table. The queen rose from one of the chairs and greeted him.

    ¡°Welcome, Ainz-sama. I thought this setting would be more conducive to our conversation than the throne room. Come, sit down,¡± she pointed at the chair next to hers.

    After he sat down, Ainz looked at the Queen. She didn''t seem to be in a hurry to start the conversation though, passing the time by sampling some wine from her cup. Ainz felt the pressure, not unlike that when closing a sale. Who will go first and reveal their hand?

    Although he had several questions he wanted to ask the Queen, they were not that important. And so, he resolved to wait and let her speak first.

    After a few seconds of admiring the taste of her wine, and seeing how Ainz did not speak, the Queen began.

    ¡°I wanted to thank you once again for agreeing to offer us your help in dealing with Jaldabaoth.¡±

    ¡°Oh, think nothing of it. As his former master, it is my responsibility to remove him from this world.¡±

    ¡°Jaldabaoth is very powerful, to go against him requires a lot of power, especially given his ability to become stronger with time spent in this world. I have heard of your tremendous might, but are you certain you can handle him one on one?¡± The Queen asked.

    ¡°Well, there is the issue that defeating him will simply delay him. Ideally, we would need to find a way to seal him away. Unfortunately, the seal I had used previously won''t work again, now that Jaldabaoth had broken it,¡± Ainz explained, ¡°With that said, there is no question that I will defeat him tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I see, your confidence is highly reassuring. By the way, about your tremendous power... are you a player?¡± The Queen asked in a casual tone.

    ¡°P-player?¡± - Ainz mumbled in astonishment. He hadn''t found anyone who knew about the existence of the players so far, to be asked if he''s a player like that, point blank... Ainz was once again thankful for his undead character.

    ¡°Yes, players are unimaginably strong, God-like beings. Your power certainly fits such a level.¡±

    "Hmm, what should I say? Should I reveal that I am a player? No, that would be too dangerous, I don''t know what her angle is. It would be safer to play it off, but how?" Ainz agonized about what to do. This turn of events was entirely unexpected.

    ¡°I should try to learn more about the source of her knowledge, before deciding what to do. That''s what Punito Moe would say,¡± he decided.

    ¡°This is quite a surprise, you are the first to mention players to me. How do you know about them?¡± Ainz asked, hoping to buy more time and gain a better understanding.

    ¡°It shouldn''t be that surprising. I am a God-kin after all.¡±

    "What?! Is that supposed to tell me something? What the hell is a God-kin anyway?!" Ainz bemoaned under the watchful eyes of the Queen.

    ¡°I, I see,¡± he said.

    ¡°Then, is your majesty a player?¡± The Queen repeated her question.

    ¡°I... know about them,¡± Suzuki Satoru''s mind was a mess. He wasn''t prepared for such a conversation. If she pushed more, it''s possible he would get caught in his lies. He had to prevent that from happening at all costs. And then, a light bulb went off in his head.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    "Wait, Players have the power of the Gods. God-kin... are descendants of the players... yes, this should be right. I see, so she is descendant of some players from the past," Ainz mind was firing on all cylinders.

    ¡°And from which bloodline are you a descendant from?¡± Ainz asked the Queen before she could ask him.

    ¡°I am of the bloodline of Alah Alaf¡±

    ¡°The God of Life, one of the Six Great Gods of the Slane Theocracy?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty is well versed in the history of this world.¡±

    "Excellent! I now have confirmation that the Six Great Gods really were players. This is a rare chance to learn the hidden history of this world," Ainz thought.

    ¡°But why is the descendant of one of the Six great Gods leading the Holy Kingdom? I would expect you to be in the Slane Theocracy.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, my ancestors stayed there for centuries. However, during the rampage of the Demon Gods, the Theocracy took up an especially harsh stance against none humans. It was determined that the rampaging Demon Gods would cause more damage to the other beings than to humans. As such Theocracy did not join the call of the group of adventurers who became known as the thirteen heroes. After the Demon Gods were defeated, my ancestors decided to leave Theocracy and founded the Holy Kingdom, around two hundred years ago,¡± she explained.

    ¡°I see, that would explain the quality of equipment you and Baur-dono posses.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my ancestors were allowed to take some of the items of Alah Alaf when they left the Theocracy.¡±

    "Wait, some? That means..." Ainz thought.

    ¡°It sounds like Theocracy kept the best items for themselves,¡± he probed, with a chuckle intended to make it sound casual.

    ¡°Haha, indeed, that probably is the case,¡± the Queen replied with a laugh.

    ¡°Although your ancestors left Theocracy on friendly terms, the relations have been dormant for a while, as far as I understand?¡±

    Ainz asked, deciding to change the subject.

    ¡°We are a self-sufficient nation and do not require anyone''s support. Well, until now,¡± she replied with a weary smile.

    ¡°I see. By the way, I was curious, how come you have the wings but not your brother, if you are both descendants of the same bloodline?" Ainz asked, having been satisfied with the information he had obtained.

    ¡°Oh, that''s simple, Alah Alaf was a female, as such the traits are more pronounced in females than in males. Females are also more powerful.¡±

    ¡°That is quite interesting.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty mentioned that you know about players, may I ask how?¡±

    "Damn, and I thought that conversation was over. She won''t let me get away without an answer, will she?" Ainz cursed silently.

    ¡°I have had lived for a very long time. Long ago there were players with whom I have interacted. Though it seems their names have been forgotten by the history,¡± Ainz replied, his voice sounded distant as if he was recalling memories from long ago.

    "I should be fine saying that, right? That doesn''t bind me to anything," Suzuki agonized.

    ¡°Oh, to think there had been players before the Six great Gods. I suppose if they were not human it would make sense that human history doesn''t contain much knowledge about them,¡± the Queen mused.

    ¡°Indeed that is the case,¡± Ainz jumped at the lifesaver which was thrown to him. ¡°The players I knew were heteromorphs.¡±

    ¡°I see. I''d love for you to tell me more about these players of the past, but sadly we both have other matters that require our attention.¡±

    ¡°We do.¡±

    ¡°Well, as long as you are confident in your ability to defeat Jaldabaoth it''s fine.¡±

    ¡°I am, even in the worst case scenario, I have a trump card which guarantees his loss. Then, I shall return to my room and discuss the plan for tomorrow with my subordinate,¡± - Ainz nodded to the queen and left the room.

    A guard accompanied him to his quarters.

    "I guess Pandora''s Actor is still looking around the city," - Ainz thought after he entered the room and didn''t see Demiurge.

    "I guess I might as well do it now."

    After deciding that Ainz cast several anti surveillance spells which guaranteed no one could see or listen in on him. Before he settled into a chair and reached into his inventory...

    In a cave somewhere

    The Dragon lifted its head and looked in the direction of the newcomer.

    ¡°Your visits are becoming more frequent, old friend. Do you bring the news about the powerful items I''ve asked you to find?¡±

    ¡°These are interesting times,¡± responded Rigrit with a smile. ¡°My visit is due to a different reason.¡±

    The dragon moved a little, as it took a more comfortable position.

    "You know of the powerful undead magic caster who recently took control of E-Rantel," Rigrit begun.

    "Yes, Evileye came to me asking about the spell he used. According to the Nameless Book, it''s the so-called Super Tier spell. I am certain he is a player, new to this world."

    "You also know about the demon Jaldabaoth, who had devastated that crybaby''s group and was fought off by Momon."

    The dragon nodded its head. "Momon is an interesting character, but it''s hard to say if he''s also a player."

    ¡°According to her, his performance is quite impressive, so much so that the crybaby now has a crush on him,¡± Rigrit laughed.

    "Recently Jaldabaoth had attacked the Holy Kingdom. After defeating a group of adamantite adventurers, he had declared that he will lay waste to its capital in two weeks. An envoy of the Holy Kingdom thought help from the Sorcerer Kingdom. I am unclear on the details, but apparently, Ainz had agreed to help against Jaldabaoth.¡±

    ¡°Oh? An undead helping humans to fight against a demon? Although, the newcomers were never bound by the characteristics of their race.¡±

    ¡°Yes. The confrontation is supposed to be tomorrow. I thought you would like to join me in observing this fight.¡± - Rigrit said a mischievous smile on her face.

    Tsar showed his teeth, thanks to Rigrit he''ll have a chance to observe the power of two newcomers.

    In the palace in the Capital of the Holy Kingdom

    Pandora''s Actor opened a door and walked into the room, where he and Ainz were staying. After closing the door he saw Ainz sitting in a chair, in his skeletal hands he was holding a gold coin, which he would flip, again and again.

    ¡°Ainz-sama,¡± he addressed his creator after a brief silence.

    In response Ainz held up a hand, indicating that Pandora''s Actor should be quiet. He continued to flip the coin for another minute.

    ¡°Hmm, this is fascinating,¡± Ainz mumbled staring at the coin in his hand.

    ¡°Ainz-sama, may I ask what were you doing?¡± Asked Pandora''s Actor.

    ¡°I was conducting an experiment, give me a minute and I will explain what''s going on,¡± Ainz told him.

    He placed his hand to his temple and [message Demiurge]

    ¡°Yes, Ainz-sama?¡± He heard the demon''s voice.

    ¡°Demiurge, I am changing the plan for our battle tomorrow. Listen closely, you''ll need to explain it to Shalltear and the Pleiades. I will bring Pandora''s Actor up to speed myself.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ainz-sama,¡± Demiurge replied.

    Ainz explained the changes he wanted to make to their fight tomorrow.

    ¡°Truly, I could never hope to compete with you, Ainz-sama. As expected, your plan exceeds mine in every way. I will alert Shalltear and the Pleiades to the changes,¡± Demiurge praised his master before closing the message.

    [message Albedo]

    ¡°Albedo?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ainz-sama!¡± Albedo responded excitedly.

    ¡°Have there been any new information regarding an item capable of mind-controlling Shalltear, from Eight Fingers?¡±

    ¡°No, Ainz-sama. The item is proving to be especially difficult to locate.¡±

    ¡°I see. I have obtained some new information here. I want you to direct Eight Fingers to use all of their contacts to search for this item in the Slane Theocracy.¡±

    ¡°As expected of the leader of the Supreme Beings. I will carry out your orders immediately.¡±

 Chapter 4, Part 3

    Chapter 4, part 3

    ¡°That is the new battle plan, and your objectives after it''s over,¡± - Ainz told disguised Pandora''s Actor, after explaining the new plan he came up with.

    ¡°I understand, my Creator.¡±

    ¡°Then there is the matter of the test I had just conducted,¡± Ainz continued while leaning back in his chair and taking a more comfortable position, not that his undead body could feel it.

    ¡°For a while now I have been thinking, my luck had been rather incredible since coming to this New World. Carne village, which I saved on a whim, became a prototype of the nation I want to build, not to mention being the perfect place to settle the runesmiths. The potion I gave to that warrior adventurer, led me to Nfirea and his grandmother. Even the recent excursion to the dwarven country. Of all the dwarfs we could come across, we met Gondo ¨C the one dwarf whose lifelong goal is to see rune crafting made great again. The Quoga attack also couldn''t come at a better time."

    "Even Shalltear''s mind control, not only did it alert us to the presence of World Items in this world, but think of what could''ve happened if the mind control worked ¨C the enemy would learn everything about us, and could use Shalltear to attack or infiltrate Nazarick. Compared to that, what actually happened can only be seen as lucky, ¡± Ainz tried not to dwell on the enemy who mind controlled Shalltear, lest he loses his line of thought in anger.

    ¡°So, I''ve been thinking, could it be that the stats of my character are playing a role in this? When I came into this world, all of my physical attributes changed to mirror my character stats. Strengths, agility, speed. And I had simply accepted this fact. But what if that''s also true for the other stats, such as luck, charisma, and intellect?¡± Ainz continued, as Pandora''s Actor listened in silence.

    ¡°Let''s take charisma, I am a hated undead, yet I was able to completely turn around Ainzach and Moknak in their attitude towards me, with just a short conversation. I was able to reawaken the thirst to be the best and inspire the dwarven runesmiths with but a short speech. Then there is the fact that everyone says I have the bearing of a true ruler.¡±

    ¡°As expected of my Creator. Ainz-sama''s charisma knows no bounds,¡± Pandora''s Actor said in a dramatic voice.

    "This is not helping,"Ainz thought as he glared at his creation.

    ¡°Anyway, then there is luck as I had already explained. Fortunately, there is a simple way to test it. A coin flip should result in roughly similar ratios. I wanted the coin to land on tails after one hundred flips the ratio was 93 tails and 7 heads. So the luck stat appears to be working, and rather strongly.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡±, responded Pandora''s Actor.

    ¡°Which bring us to intellect, it should be active as well, but I don''t feel it. Could it be that I currently lack the ability to fully utilize the intellect stat of my character? And if that''s the case, are my actions subconsciously guided by the character''s intellect stat, even if I myself don''t realize it and think of some other reason to take the actions I do?¡± Ainz mused.

    ¡°Ainz-sama''s intellect is unmatched. To see so far into the future when creating Momon...¡±

    ¡°Stop. We are alone, and I wish to speak freely. Frankly, as my creation and with your intellect, you should already be aware of this. No one could see so far into the future. I certainly did not, well, not consciously. What happened with Momon was just a coincidence,¡± Ainz told Pandora''s Actor after interrupting him.

    ¡°... I am aware of your cautious nature. Still, you are the smartest one in Nazairck, father. Your intellect far surpassing that of myself, Demiurge and Albedo," Pandora''s Actor replied after a moment.

    ¡°I see, that is your perception of me. Perhaps my theory is correct. The conclusion I came to is that I should rely more on my instincts and gut feeling, while still being cautious of course. Then, tell me, what are the benefits you see that we will reap as a result of my plan for the upcoming battle?¡±

    Pandora''s Actor spent a few minutes listing the various advantages which Nazarick would achieve as a result of Ainz''s new plan...

    "I see, as expected with his high intellect he could see several benefits which I did not. His perception of my plan should be similar to that of Demiurge and Albedo. Hehe, will I finally be able to learn what is this ¡°plan¡± the two of them always go on about?" Ainz laughed internally.

    "Still, I should not completely rely on Pandora''s Actor''s perception of my plan. Since my Intel stat far surpasses his, it''s possible that I am pursuing a different goal, subconsciously, than what he can see. Oh, this stuff is giving me a headache already! As if being an Overlord wasn''t hard enough,¡± Ainz whined.

    ¡°I understand. I thank you for your help, Pandora''s Actor. In the future I might rely on you again, to see your interpretation of my future plans¡±

    ¡°Of course. It is an honor for me to be of service to you, father,¡± Pandora''s Actor replied.

    ***

    It was the day that all of the residents of the Capital waited for with baited breath. And those braver amongst them were on the city wall. Will the demon Jaldabaoth annihilate their city and kill everyone in it? Will their side be victorious? Every now and then they would cast a hopeful but frightened look at the dominating figure above the gates.

    Standing next to their Queen, surrounded by adamantite and orichalcum adventurers, he wore a luxurious black robe which seemed to suck in the light, in his skeletal hand he held an elaborate staff. It was a visage of death and their unlikely ally, Ainz Ooal Gown.

    Why was he here? What deal did the Queen make to gain the help of this undead monster? Wild rumors floated around the town ¨C about the power of the undead monster, about a city where humans and undead lived in harmony, about all kinds of things straight out of the bards'' stories. Yet there he was, ready to fight on their behalf.

    The Queen wore a suit of plate armor and wielded a two-handed sword, known as the Sacred Blade. The Valkyrie Knight, the strongest warrior in the Holy Kingdom.

    Her impressive equipment even piqued Ainz''s interest. He asked to borrow the sword so he could take a better look at it.

    "Hmm, level 75, but other than that nothing impressive. Well, it''s the best item I''ve seen in this world so far, and the second weapon which can hurt me," he thought after casting his spell.

    ¡°Very impressive, it''s the best weapon I have seen in quite a while,¡± He told her.

    ¡°Your praise honors me. Ainz-dono, how should we arrange our forces in case we have to engage?¡±

    ¡°That won''t be necessary, as I mentioned I have a trump card which guarantees Jaldabaoth''s defeat. Still, if you wish to put your people at ease by showing them that you are prepared for the fight, you can arrange your forces as you see fit,¡± Ainz replied.

    The Queen called over the head of the guards as well as the leader of the Capital''s Adventurer''s Guild and gave them their instructions. The forces were arranged with her, Ainz, Demiurge and the two adamantite groups at the center, above the gates, with orichalcum, mithril and lower ranked team along the wall''s perimeter.

    With everyone in place, all they could do now was wait for the demons to show up.

    ***

    About an hour later a wall of flames suddenly appeared some 500 meters in front of the city gate. Various demons began pouring out of the flames, arranging themselves in a formation, but not coming closer. This had gone on for about fifteen minutes, and the number of demons in front of the gates was large enough to make the adventurers murmur.

    ¡°Such great numbers.¡± ¡°This won''t be easy.¡± ¡°That''s a demon army alright.¡± And similar could be heard all around. However, those in the center knew that this wasn''t the real concern, the true enemy this day would be Jaldabaoth, not these lesser demons.

    Finally, the five masked maids walked out of the fire, standing slightly in front of the other demons. The entire demon formation had parted slightly and in the opening, a figure of a demon could be seen.

    Naturally, it was Jaldabaoth. He walked past the maids and continued to walk alone towards the city gate. An oppressive, evil aura radiated by this demon was overwhelming those gathered on the wall, as he walked closer and closer. Indeed, it was hard not to be overwhelmed, especially with the knowledge that even the strongest adamantite group could do nothing against him. Even adamantite adventurers couldn''t suppress their bodies from trembling as the demon approached the gate.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Fear mortals and despair, doom has come to this world!¡± Jaldabaoth proclaimed after he came sufficiently close. Waves of malicious power radiated from him, sweeping over those on the walls.

    ¡°Today this city will be destroyed, and your country will plunge into chaos.¡±

    A figure clothed in a black robe walked from behind a rampart and stood in full view of the demon. However, Jaldabaoth did not show signs of surprise.

    ¡°As expected of the great Ainz-sama. You have come to this puny humans'' aid in order to confront me,¡± Jaldabaoth said as he bowed, respectfully or perhaps mockingly.

    ¡°Why are you here? What do you want Jaldabaoth?¡± Ainz asked the masked demons.

    ¡°To plunge the world into chaos and to see these humans suffer, of course. And once I kill you, there will be no one to stop me,¡± Jaldabaoth replied.

    ¡°You dare to oppose our master? You will suffer for your insolence!¡± Demiurge shouted, appearing next to Ainz.

    ¡°Brother, it''s nice to see you too,¡± Jaldabaoth responded with a nod.

    It seems that this words had enraged Demiurge, but before he could do anything Ainz placed his hand on Demiurge''s shoulder, instantly calming him down.

    ¡°Centuries passed, but your arrogance is still as high as ever. Do you really believe you can kill me, Jaldabaoth?¡± Ainz said, as a wave of killing intent suddenly burst forth from

    him.

    ¡°Ainz-sama is indeed most powerful. However, you have given me too much time. Because of those silly humans and their kingdoms and rules you were not able to act as soon as I appeared. And now it''s too late, my power has grown beyond yours,¡± Jaldabaoth responded as he radiated waves of killing intent of his own.

    ¡°Since you think that, I suppose you want to kill me without destroying this city. So you can make these humans suffer as they watch their only hope perish?¡± Ainz asked with a chuckle.

    ¡°Nothing can be hidden from the Supreme One,¡± - Jaldabaoth bowed again, before turning around and going back to the horde of demons. He stopped about four hundred meters away from the city and waited for Ainz.

    ¡°Remember, do not join the battle no matter what happens,¡± Ainz told Demiurge. ¡°This is my only chance to defeat him. If you join the fight and Jaldabaoth escapes, he will be even more powerful the next time he shows up.¡±

    ¡°I am certain Ainz-sama will be victorious,¡± Demiurge said as he nodded in understanding.

    Ainz cast [fly] and flew towards Jaldabaoth as everyone on the wall looked on. He stopped about thirty meters away.

    For a few seconds, the two monsters simply stood in front of each other. Even from a distance of nearly half a kilometer, the defenders could feel the oppressive aura radiating from both of their figures.

    Ainz lifted his arm, pointing a finger at Jaldabaoth ¨C a lightning flashed forward. Jaldabaoth moved his arm forward, his palm increased in size making a shield, and blocked the lightning attack.

    From behind his gigantic palm Jaldabaoth cast his own spell ¨C a small, dark flame flew towards Ainz. As it landed on his shoulder it suddenly exploded engulfing his whole body. It was a powerful attack, those looking on at this fight could see Ainz suffering from the black flame.

    Jaldabaoth was going to follow up with another attack, but before he could a cloud suddenly appeared above him and he was hit with several successive lightning strikes. By the time he had recovered from this attack, Ainz had likewise.

    Jaldabaoth cast a spell and a line of a dark flame shot towards Ainz, who responded by creating a wall of skeletons in front of him. Demiurge used Ainz''s temporary lack of vision to charge forward, as the nails on his hand had extended some eighty centimeters turning into blades. The wall of skeletons had been destroyed by the line of black flames just as it did Jaldabaoth charged through it and slashed at Ainz.

    A green aura radiated from Ainz as he flew back, seemingly without taking any damage. Jaldabaoth tried to follow up when a circle had appeared under his feet and the electrical charge was released making him cry out in pain. He recovered from the electrical shock and saw that Ainz had already cast another spell ¨C three spheres in the sky had surrounded Jaldabaoth, each sphere released a lightning, with all three hitting Jaldabaoth at the same time, dropping him to his knees.

    Even though he dropped to his knees from the damage he had taken, Jaldabaoth pointed his arm at Ainz and made a downward motion with his fingers ¨C a column of black fire appeared on top of Ainz and quickly collapsed onto him.

    As the Queen of the Holy Kingdom watched the two fight, she was struck not only by the power of their spells but by their vitality as well. As she watched the two exchange spells after the spell she suddenly heard someone mumbling.

    ¡°No, no. This isn''t right, this can''t be right.¡±

    She looked over and discovered, to her surprise, that it was Demiurge.

    ¡°What is it Demiurge? What''s wrong?¡± She asked the frog-like demon in a panic.

    ¡°He shouldn''t be this powerful...¡± Demiurge replied as he shook his head.

    Her eyes full of worry, she turned back to the battle unfolding in front of the city.

    The fight went on for a while, with neither side able to claim victory. Jaldabaoth made several attempts to engage in melee combat, but Ainz was able to counter each time. Forcing Jaldabaoth into a shootout. The spells flew, flame and lightning, illuminating the skies. It looked more like a showdown between Gods than a battle between magic casters. Completely shocking those observing the fight. They knew that both the demons and the undead were powerful, but this level of power was just ridiculous.

    ¡°Mein Creator, Shalltear is in position, everyone else is ready as well¡±

    ¡°Good. Let''s begin the final stage,¡± Ainz replied after receiving Pandora''s Actor''s message, while he was trading attacks with Demiurge.

    Suddenly those on the walls felt an aura of killing intent radiate from Ainz. They watched him make a grabbing motion with each of his hands, to his left and right, an electrical sphere appeared in each hand. The power of the spheres was constantly increasing sending electrical currents through his body as if he himself was turning into lightning. A few seconds later Ainz slowly brought his hands together in front of him...

    ¡°Power, overwhelming.¡±

    He brought the two spheres together and an electromagnetic wave swept ahead in a cone area of effect. To the onlookers, it felt like this attack would disintegrate everything in its path.

    Also, Jaldabaoth used both of his hands to shield himself via his extending palms, it only blocked the frontal attack. He was still hit by the electromagnetic pulse from the sides. His body tumbled backward before coming to a stop, an occasional electric current running through his lifeless body.

    The defenders began to cheer when they saw this. Their cheers were short-lived, however. After several seconds Jaldabaoth started moving and slowly got to his feet. He spread his arms as if wanting to offer a hug, and a wave of killing intent radiated from him. His hands pointed forward and a massive wall of flames exploded forth, engulfing everything in its path.

    For a moment they could see the massive wall of dark flames engulf Ainz, but the flames continued to rush forward engulfing a huge area. It was impossible to see through the firewall.

    Suddenly, one of the defenders laughed while looking at upwards.

    ¡°Damn... is this really magic?¡± Asked someone else, looking up as well.

    ¡°Is this the power of a God?¡±

    A meteorite was coming down. About one hundred meters in diameter, it was flying towards where Jaldabaoth and Ainz fought, engulfed by the flames.

    Everyone¡¯s attention was on the meteorite. When it was a few moments away from the ground everyone was started by a soul-piercing scream ¨C it truly did sound like someone''s soul was screaming.

    ¡°Nooooo!!!!!¡± Demiurge cried falling down on his knees when he heard the soul-piercing scream. His face was contorted by anger and disbelief.

    Before the Queen could ask him anything the flames disappeared along with the demons, maids, and Jaldabaoth even the green grass was gone, replaced by sand. Except for Ainz who fell down on the ground. Before anyone could comprehend what they saw the meteorite crashed and dust and debris from its impact flew everywhere blocking everyone''s vision.

    It took a while for the dust to settle and when it did a stunning picture was displayed to the Queen''s view ¨C everyone was gone, Jaldabaoth, maids, the horde of demons, even Ainz. There was a crater from the meteorite''s impact and some sand on the sides of the debris-covered field.

    ¡°Demiurge, what happened? Where is Jaldabaoth? Where is the Sorcerer King?¡± She asked frantically the demon beside her.

    His face still a grimace of pain and regret, Demiurge slowly got up to his feet before he spoke.

    ¡°Ainz-sama has died..."

 Chapter 4, Part 4

    Chapter 4, Part 4

    ¡°Noooo! No, no, no. This can''t be happening, he can''t die!¡±

    Jircniv looked at the madman next to him, who was hollering at the sky. Not that he didn''t understand how Fluder felt, still, a look of annoyance showed on his face.

    ¡°Calm down Fluder!¡±

    ¡°How can I be calm?! If he dies, who will help me peer into the abyss of magic?¡± Fluder moaned.

    ¡°Your desire has clouded your mind, gramps. Do you honestly believe he would die just like that?¡± Asked Jircniv with a self-mocking smile on his face.

    ¡°But you saw it too, Jaldabaoth equaled his power, and now there is no trace of Teacher after that meteorite crushed.¡±

    ¡°Certainly his opponent was strong. But is that all it takes? If all it took to defeat the Sorcerer King was an equally strong opponent, then how could he become so powerful, to begin with?¡± Jircniv inquired.

    ¡°I have no doubt this is just a part of that being''s scheme.¡±

    ¡°You really think Teacher isn''t dead?¡± Fluder asked, a note of hope in his voice.

    ¡°I do. More so because he fought an opponent he knew, and he engaged willingly. How could a scheming monster like that miscalculate so much as to not just get defeated, but actually killed? That''s not the kind of being I had admitted defeat to,¡± the former Emperor concluded.

    ¡°I hope you are right,¡± Fluder agreed. He looked a bit calmer now.

    ¡°You should contact Loune Vermillion and confirm my suspicion. Go, it will make you feel better,¡± Jircniv told him.

    ¡°Thank you, Jir,¡± Fluder replied, before he exited the room, leaving Jircniv and Bzaiwood alone.

    ¡°Your majesty?¡± Baziwood said in a questioning tone.

    ¡°Are you wondering if I lied to Fluder? I didn''t mislead gramps, I am certain Ainz isn''t dead. As for what I will do now ¨C nothing. I will play a role of a loyal vassal. Whether Ainz is dead or alive makes no difference. If anything, now is our best chance to prove our loyalty. Besides, you saw their fight, it''s absurd to claim that humans can oppose such monsters.¡±

    There was a knock on the door and when permitted a guard entered.

    ¡°Your Majesty, your friend has arrived,¡± the guard reported.

    ¡°Oh, let him in,¡± said Jircniv excitedly, before he dismissed Baziwood.

    As he left the room, Baziwood crossed path with a short, squat, mole-like demihuman. As he walked further away he could still hear Jircniv speak to the newcomer excitedly.

    ¡°Welcome my true friend. By the way, do I have something for you. Did you hear, the Sorcerer King had been killed.¡± This tirade was followed by an unbridled laughter, but Baziwood had moved too far to make out what was said.

    ***

    ¡°What do you mean Ainz-dono has died? What about Jaldabaoth?¡± Inquired Felvia, her voice a pitch higher than normal.

    ¡°You saw it yourself, Jaldabaoth had become too powerful. Ainz-sama was forced to use his trump card. By sacrificing his life energy he can cast a spell that will kill everyone near him,¡± Demiurge explained.

    ¡°But, in return, he dies too?¡± Felvia guessed.

    ¡°Such a powerful spell could not be without a downside.¡± Shook his head the frog-like demon. ¡°Of course, Ainz-sama is a lich, as long as his phylactery isn''t destroyed he will revive.¡±

    ¡°But so will Jaldabaoth,¡± Demiurge poured cold water on the excitement of those surrounding him.

    ¡°How long will that take?¡± Felvia asked worryingly. The way Demiurge said it, she realized what he was hinting at.

    ¡°Two and a half years for Ainz-sama. Two years for Jaldabaoth,¡± the demon confirmed her suspicion. ¡°

    ¡°So, Jaldabaoth will revive first? What will happen to the world then?¡±

    ¡°We have two years to prepare. We must find a way to seal him, anything less is just stalling for time. That was Ainz-sama''s goal here, unfortunately, he underestimated the speed Jaldabaoth''s grows, and was forced to make this sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°I will be leaving for the Sorcerer Kingdom shortly, I must tell the others what happened here. But first I would like to talk to you privately,¡± continued Demiurge.

    ¡°Ah, yes, of course,¡± the Queen came to her senses. Surrounded by adventurers, guards, and citizens, the rampart was hardly a place to discuss such things.

    Sometime later in the throne room of the palace

    The Queen of the Holy Kingdom sat on the throne, while Potemur stood next to her. Both of them were listening to the demon''s explanation.

    ¡°I''ve already explained what happened. Now we have two years to find a way to seal Jaldabaoth and to prepare for his appearance. I hope your Holy Kingdom, as well as other countries, will aid us in our search. Ainz-sama''s sacrifice cannot be in vain,¡± Demiurge proclaimed.

    ¡°Of course we will provide any help we can to the savior of our kingdom,¡± assured him Felvia. ¡°But, I am still unsure why Ainz-dono chose to use his trump card. From what I saw they were evenly matched.¡±

    ¡°They were. However, Jaldabaoth had yet to use his trump card. So, Ainz-sama was actually at a disadvantage, and chose to use his ability while he could.¡±

    ¡°And what is Jaldabaoth trump card?¡± Felvia inquired.

    ¡°A powerful weapon, called ¡°The Holy Queen of Clubs.¡± It can drive enemies into madness, impair their decision making, and even stop them from attacking entirely,¡± the demon explained. He ignored Potemur''s mumbling, ¡°such a strange name.¡±

    ¡°I would like for Hejinmal, the dragon in your library, to be allowed to pursue the books therein. If we are lucky he might stumble upon a clue in how to seal Jaldabaoth.¡±

    ¡°I see no issues with that. You haven''t talked about what impact this will have on the Sorcerer Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°You don''t have to worry, we have already prepared for such a possibility. Albedo-sama will act as a temporary leader, everyone else''s tasks remain unchanged,¡± Demiurge explained.

    ¡°If there is nothing else, then I would like to talk to Hejinmal, to explain what happened. After that, I will return to the Sorcerer Kingdom.¡±

    The conversation over, Potemur called for a guard to escort Demiurge to the library. After he left, the two of them looked at each other.

    ¡°Interesting, he did not make any demands,¡± gave his thoughts Potemur.

    ¡°Could it be he couldn''t? The Sorcerer King already agreed to help us with no compensation, his subordinate couldn''t just alter the conditions of their aid, based on the outcome of the battle.¡±

    ¡°It is as you say. Still, we''ll need to carefully consider our position,¡± her adviser concluded.

    In the library of the palace

    Hejinmal was so shocked he forgot where he was.

    ¡°That being died?! There is actually someone who can oppose him?" As a dragon, he grew up believing dragons to be the rulers of this world. That illusion was thoroughly shattered when he met Ainz and his subordinates. He hasn''t known them for long, but he came to see them as Gods. Now he was confronted with the truth ¨C even Gods had enemies who could kill them.

    ¡°Hey, are you listening?¡±

    A voice had brought Hejinmal out of his support. He quickly pressed his head against the ground to show his compliance. Even if Gods could be killed, he wasn''t the one with such power, upsetting the being in front of him would only bring disaster.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Do you remember what your task was when we came here? Good. You are to go through all the books here to find it. Additionally, you need to look for a way to seal powerful beings. Report to your mistress immediately if you find anything,¡± Demiurge detailed the dragon his tasks.

    ¡°Yes, Demiurge-sama. I have already discovered a few promising volumes. I will work hard for the glory of Nazarick,¡± Hejinmal replied. A smile on the demon''s face showed him his expression of loyalty was approved.

    Inside the throne room of Nazarick

    All of the guardians including Pandora''s Actor had gathered in front of their master. Ainz was in a jovial mood. If it wasn''t for his skeletal face devoid of flesh and skin, he would no doubt be smiling. The reason for his mood wasn''t how things went in the Holy Kingdom. No, the reason for his joy was that for the first time he actually knew what plans the ever-mysterious ¡°Ainz¡± had.

    ¡°That''s right, now I don''t need to guess what Demiurge and Albedo are scheming. I already know!¡± He wanted to dance with joy. Unfortunately, his elation was short-lived, as his excitement bubbled it was suppressed by his undead mood dampener. With his excitement gone, he became paranoid again.

    ¡°Although I did talk this over with Pandora''s Actor, his intellect is a bit inferior to the other two. So it''s plausible that they see something in my actions that he doesn''t. I should still be careful,¡± reaching this conclusion Suzuki decided to play it safe.

    ¡°How did things go after I left?¡± Ainz asked.

    ¡°Everything went as planned. I have revealed the key details to the Queen of the Holy Kingdom with many witnesses, even if no one used scrying magic to listen in, it will still leak out quickly. Also, Hejinmal had been given permission to pursue the books in the library,¡± Pandora''s Actor reported.

    ¡°Excellent. Then everything is proceeding as planned,¡± Ainz concluded. ¡°And speaking of the Queen, I had an interesting conversation with her, the key points of which I will share with you now.¡±

    Ainz proceeded to tell the guardians about his conversation with the winged woman. Afterwards, the guardians were silent for a bit, processing this information. Demiurge spoke first.

    ¡°Then it''s confirmed, the Six Great Gods were players, the Eight Greed Kings were almost certainly players too. Then there are these powerful God-kins.¡±

    ¡°But Ainz-sama, why didn''t you capture this woman? We could extract all of the information out of her,¡± Albedo asked.

    ¡°If I did that then Demiurge''s hard work would be for naught. Besides, what information can she possibly be privy to? The Holy Kingdom and Theocracy aren''t close allies nowadays. Would they share the fact that they have Downfall of Castle and Country with her? Unlikely. What else is there? She already told us the most important things.¡±

    ¡°According to this information, the chances of the party who attacked Shalltear being

    the Slane Theocracy are extremely high. There are two possibilities: Shalltear was mind controlled by the Theocracy, or it was another entity, possibly other players, whom we have not found yet. The former is much more likely, but we''ll pursue both theories.¡±

    ¡°For the Slane Theocracy, four of their six Gods were human, they should be dead by now. The other two were an angel and an undead. Also, they should not die of old age, the angel must''ve died, otherwise the Holy Kingdom wouldn''t be founded by her descendants,¡± Ainz explained.

    ¡°As for the undead, Surshana, we will operate under the assumption that he is still alive. Then there are God-kins. It''s hard to say if the descendants of human players would be more numerous than those of an angel. But we should assume that the Theocracy has up to a hundred of them, let''s say level forty to eighty. Oh, they also have the equipment from those players, so we can assume they are armed similarly to us.¡±

    ¡°Mare, as our envoy to the Theocracy you will need to verify my assumptions and gather as much information as possible,¡± Ainz said.

    ¡°Yes, Ainz-sama, I, I will do my, best¡±

    ¡°But they pose quite a threat, a hundred level 80 God-kins, plus a player, all with powerful equipment,¡± Aura said.

    ¡°That''s only a theory of mine Aura and the worst case scenario at that. The fact they have not made a move against us, and are seeking Momon''s cooperation suggests they aren''t as powerful,¡± Ainz explained.

    ¡°As expected of Ainz-sama. Then the story we told about Momon works perfectly. He is a God-kin from the Eight Greed Kings. It explains his power without raising suspicion,¡± said Demiurge excitedly.

    ¡°Now we can use the need to seal Jaldabaoth as a pretense to ask Theocracy to share their hidden power. We can further use Ainz-sama''s death to force them into action against us. As befitting of the Supreme-one,¡± Albedo said.

    ¡°That about wraps things up. We will now use my death as a motive to aggressively seek out information regarding powerful items, skills, and beings in this world,¡± Ainz said. ¡°And avoid all of that paperwork,¡± he thought. His plan to simulate his death was truly a brilliant move.

    ¡°But why didn''t we demand the Holy Kingdom to become our vassal, or at least ally with us, in exchange for our help? Given their circumstances they would no doubt accept our terms,¡± inquired Shalltear.

    ¡°Because that would look too suspicious,¡± Ainz thought, ¡°besides, this way we look like the good guys who came to help with nothing to gain.¡± But before he could respond, Albedo laughed mockingly, and Demiurge revealed a smile. A smile which terrified Ainz, for he knew what was to come next.

    ¡°There is no need to do something that had already been accomplished long ago,¡± Demiurge said, throwing Suzuki''s mind into a panic.

    ¡°Ainz-sama''s brilliance is without limit,¡± added Albedo excitedly. ¡°To think our master could use such a small opportunity so skillfully. No, he must have predicted this course of action long ago.¡±

    ¡°Truly the Leader of the Supreme Beings, his act is like that of a magician ¨C he shows you one thing, while a myriad of others happens behind it. To be able to glimpse even a fraction of this brilliance is a great honor,¡± Demiurge lavished his praise.

    ¡°I. Don''t. Understand.¡± Cocytus said, cold air discharged from his exoskeleton demonstrating his frustration.

    ¡°What is Demiurge talking about? Pandora''s Actor didn''t mention anything like this,¡± Ainz felt his none existent stomach churn.

    ¡°Demiurge, can you explain?¡± Shalltear asked annoyed at her inability to grasp what the two were talking about. Her natural question had earned her a deep gratitude from Suzuki.

    The one to respond to her was Albedo.

    ¡°Ainz''s sama had allowed the humans from the Holy Kingdom to adventure in the dungeon Mare built.¡± She explained, a note of superiority in her voice. ¡°I was opposed to this initially, but then I understood the brilliance of our master.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, that human will do the work for us. The Holy Kingdom will submit to Ainz-sama shortly,¡± Demiurge exclaimed.

    ¡°Ah, this is a nightmare. I can''t understand any of it. I let them adventure through the dungeon to test the difficulty. Didn''t I tell Albedo as much? And what does it have to do with the Holy Kingdom submitting to us?¡± Ainz wanted to cry. Why did these two always imagine some unbelievable scheme behind even the simplest of his actions?

    ¡°I. Still. Don''t. Understand.¡± Cocytus''s frustration could be plainly heard.

    ¡°Do you remember when Ainz-sama visited Baharuth Empire and dueled the Martial Lord? The Empire had submitted to us as a result of that visit. But could that be the only goal our master was pursuing? Of course not! He had also promoted the new adventurer''s guild of the Sorcerer Kingdom. Which means that at that time he had already...¡± Demiurge stopped his explanation suddenly.

    As Ainz looked at the demon the later shuddered and a mix of fear and admiration appeared on his face before he knelt - ¡°to serve under such an unfathomable leader, I am truly blessed.¡±

    Although Demiurge was one of the weaker guardians, he was powerful enough that he never felt fear. But standing in front of the undead being he called master, he couldn''t help it. It wasn''t the being''s power, but his intellect that made the demon shudder.

    He was about to explain how the promotion of the new adventurer''s guild was a set up for taking over the Holy Kingdom. But then it hit him ¨C was that the beginning of this trap? Or was it set up earlier? Much earlier? As his thoughts raced, Demiurge realized the terrifying truth.

    The first step of this scheme wasn''t executed in the Baharuth Empire, nor earlier when Ainz spoke to the guild master of E-Rantel about the new adventurer''s guild. It was prior. Was it when Momon became an adamantite adventurer? Or earlier, still, when he joined the adventurer''s guild? No, it was even before that, it was when Ainz created Momon!

    But that would mean that within hours of being transported into an unknown world, his master had already foreseen into this future and begun to implement his plans. How truly terrifying his master was.

    As he saw the demon''s expression Ainz couldn''t help but shiver, ¡°What now? What is he imagining?¡± He thought.

    ¡°Albedo, please explain my designs to the other guardians,¡± he quickly commanded, not daring to let Demiurge speak.

    In the office room of the Holy Kingdom

    ¡°We can let things stay as they are, and maintain a sort of friendly relation with the Sorcerer Kingdom. Or we could officially ally with them. Both lead to mostly the same outcome, but allying would offer us better protection,¡± Potemur summarized their options.

    ¡°I agree, if we leave things as is, we might be perceived as ungrateful. Ainz sacrificed his life for us, but we won''t even ally with them in their struggle against Jaldabaoth,¡± Baur added.

    ¡°Is that why Demiurge didn''t make any demands? He already knew we would propose an alliance?¡± Felvia wondered.

    There was a knock on the door and a guard entered.

    ¡°Your Highness, Marv of ¡°The Young Blood¡± is seeking an audience with you,¡± he reported.

    ¡°Oh, please let him in,¡± responded Potemur.

    The guard left and soon Marv was standing in front of the three.

 Epilogue

    Epilogue

    Marv stood respectfully in front of the Queen and her advisors.

    ¡°I remember you said that you had something urgent to discuss with the Queen?¡± Potemur asked the adventurer.

    ¡°Yes. Now that Jaldabaoth isn''t an imminent threat, I want to talk about my experience in the Sorcerer Kingdom.¡± Marv explained. ¡°Specifically, about this new adventurer''s guild, which had been set up.¡±

    After getting a nod from the Queen he continued.

    ¡°As you know, adventurers are of high importance to any kingdom. They exterminate monsters and complete tasks regular military cannot. A kingdom without adventurers would find its ability to defend against monsters quite shallow. Despite this fact, adventurers receive little support, and are mostly left to fend for themselves.¡±

    His listeners'' agreed with his assessment, and he continued.

    ¡°There are three things that adventurers need: Gold to live on, powerful equipment, which makes the gold issue worse, and training or combat experience to become stronger.¡± His statement was obvious.

    ¡°Gold to live on is a big issue for lower ranked adventurers, as their jobs pay little. But it never really goes away, even as a high ranked adventurer you need gold to repair equipment and buy supplies. The need for powerful, magic equipment exacerbates it further. As for combat experience, the best way to become stronger is to fight in a life or death battle. But it''s hard to participate in many such battles without actually dying.¡±

    ¡°The new adventurer''s guild of the Sorcerer Kingdom solves all three problems. Adventurers earn a salary according to their rank. Combat experience is gained in the challenging but safe adventurer''s dungeon. It also provides tokens that can be used to purchase equipment, ensuring that the participating adventurers will always be properly equipped.¡±

    ¡°So, you are saying...¡± Potemur could already see where Marv was going. He didn''t like this conclusion, not one bit.

    ¡°Yes, once the news of these advantages spreads, most of the new adventurers will go to the Sorcerer Kingdom. When you compare his and traditional guilds, there is no reason to join the later.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, we could restrict travel and force them to stay in the Kingdom, but such actions are certain to backfire. Adventurers are freedom loving folk after all,¡± Felvia mused. ¡°Can we do the same thing they did?¡±

    ¡°We could provide healing by covering the tab from the Temples. A dungeon is out of the question, but training adventurers might be possible. Equipment, however, is impossible,¡± Poetmur said.

    ¡°How are they able to create so much magic equipment, and of such a high level?¡±

    ¡°The Sorcerer Kingdom had allied with the dwarfs and is using rune crafting to make their gear. Doing it this way requires almost no materials, just time,¡± explained Marv.

    ¡°So, if we ally with the dwarfs we too could offer rune crafted? weapons to our adventurers?¡±

    ¡°I am afraid that won''t work. Apparently, as part of their alliance, the Sorcerer King brought all the runesmiths to his kingdom, and they work for him exclusively. They also don''t want to sell, making rune crafted ? gear available only to their adventurers,¡± Marv corrected.

    ¡°It looks like we can''t compete with the Sorcerer Kingdom''s offer. Still, most of the current adventurers won''t leave for a new home. This won''t affect us until decades later,¡± Baur said.

    ¡°Decades, yes. But what are decades to an undead being with an unlimited lifespan? It''s entirely possible that he plans to gather all of the adventurers in his kingdom. A few decades for this plan to bear fruit doesn''t mean much to him.¡± Felvia retorted.

    ¡°It gets worse your Highness,¡± Marv chimed in, ¡°because combat in adventurer''s dungeon is safe, no adventurers will die before reaching their maximum potential. Based on our experience, I think it''s reasonable to assume that within a decade the Sorcerer Kingdom will have more adamantite adventurers than all the other kingdom''s combined.¡±

    ¡°What is he planning to do with them? It''s not like he needs military power,¡± wondered Potemur.

    ¡°It doesn''t matter what he wants to do with them. The main concern is the effect it will have on our nation.¡±

    "I thank you for this valuable information, Marv,¡± Felvia told him.

    After he left the Queen remained silent, deep in thought.

    ¡°So, this is why he made no demands. Ainz doesn''t care if we submit to him now, or in a few decades. Once all our adventurers retire or leave this nation, we''ll have no choice but to beg him to protect the Holy Kingdom from monsters,¡± Felvia voiced her thoughts.

    ¡°Such a devious plan. But one we can''t stop,¡± Potemur shook his head.

    ¡°Then, since we can''t stop his plan, the fate of this nation is sealed. All we can do is ask to become a vassal nation. But should we do it now, or when we have no adventurers left to fight off monsters? Which scenario gives us a stronger position?¡±

    ***

    In the innermost reaches of the Slane Theocracy, there was a room with six statues. Despite very few people ever visiting this place a dozen people with cleaning tools in hand were currently cleaning it. These twelve were the top brass of the Slane Theocracy. The Pontifex Maximus, the six Cardinals, the heads of the Legislative, Executive and Judiciary Branches of government, the Grand Marshal and the head of the Research Institute, which was in charge of magic affairs.

    Heavy atmosphere filled the room. They used to take pride in this activity. Cleaning this sacred room was a cleansing experience for their souls. To pay their respects and show their devotion to the Six Great Gods, whose statues stood as if in defense of this place.

    But now? The activity which once filled them with pride now felt like torture. All of them wanted to get on with their meeting, and just get it over with. In the past their meetings were fairly rare, maybe once every few months and the contents of their meetings, while important, could not disturb their clam.

    However, the meetings had become more frequent recently, and their subjects more and more awful. One bad news was followed by even worse news, at a speed that made these powerful officials lose their calm. As they cleaned the room thoughts of gratitude were pushed aside by the worries the terrible news brought. It was to the point where they were beginning to resent this ritual, that lasted for six centuries.

    And the culprit of their troubles? A single being, one whom they hated with burning passion. The undead magic caster, Ainz Ooal Gown. The mere mention of this name now caused madness to cloud their eyes.

    Finally, they finished cleaning, said their prayer of gratitude, used [Clean] spells to clear their clothes and equipment and took sits at the roundtable.

    The first to lose his cool was the Grand Marshall. Unable to hold back his emotions any longer he crushed his fist into a table.

    ¡°That God damned Holy Kingdom,¡± he wanted to continue but his face turned dark red. In the end, he was so mad that was all he managed to say.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Perhaps we made a mistake in not helping them, but it''s too late for regrets,¡± Pontifex Maximus tried to calm everyone down.

    ¡°It''s still uncertain why they declared the Holy Kingdom as a vassal state. According to Zeria''s report, Ainz made no such demands when he agreed to help. And even if he died fighting Jaldabaoth, altering their conditions for the aid rendered is unlikely,¡± Ginedine, the Cardinal of Water tried to move the conversation in the right direction.

    ¡°Died? Died?!¡± The Grand Marshall was on the verge of madness once again. ¡°It''s bad enough to see the power of his magic, but then we learn he can''t even die?¡± His voice turned into a high pitch shriek.

    ¡°Get a hold of yourself! Howling like madman won''t help us,¡± The head of the executive branch scolded.

    ¡°Let''s sum up what had happened during the month after Zeria returned from his mission,¡± said the Cardinal of Darkness. ¡°The Sorcerer King and one of his subordinates traveled to the Holy Kingdom.¡± He ignored the Grand Marshall''s moan ¡°on dragons, no less,¡± and continued.

    ¡°There he confronted Jaldabaoth, we all watched their battle. The result -- both monsters died. Then our spies reported that the two monsters will both revive. Two years for Jaldabaoth, two and a half for Ainz. Next, the Holy Kingdom had declared themselves a vassal state of the Sorcerer Kingdom. And now this,¡± he pointed at the report of the latest news.

    ¡°Such blasphemy, that girl''s actions are an affront to the Gods,¡± said Dominic.

    ¡°It truly is. The so-called Pope Neia, what a mockery,¡± Berenice agreed.

    ¡°Mockery or not, her following is growing at an alarming rate. Worse yet, she threatens to remove our main ally against the undead king. The temples would never accept the rule of the undead. Although not powerful, they could undermine the Sorcerer Kingdom from within and provide us with information. But this Neia girl and her religion... now they just need to replace the old religion practiced by the temples with this new one,¡± Ginedine once again tried to move their conversation in the right direction.

    ¡°We cannot allow this to happen. If they declare Ainz a God our own religion might collapse. After all, the Six Great Gods existed long ago, but Ainz is here and now, no one can doubt his power,¡± said Raymond.

    ¡°I will contact that man, we must learn his thoughts on this matter. If he shares our views, he might be willing to aid us,¡± said Maximilian, the Cardinal of Darkness.¡±

    ¡°It appears the undead is moving much faster than we anticipated. Then what else can we do?¡± Pontifex Maximus asked after nodding in agreement to Maximilian''s words...

    ¡°We must destroy the Sorcerer Kingdom before Ainz revives. If we allow him to come back, our job will become nearly impossible. Simultaneously moving forward with all the plans we''ve outlined during previous meetings should boost our chances, even if some of the plans don''t work out,¡± Ginedine proposed.

    Every one expressed agreement with this proposal.

    ¡°Then, let us hear the status of these plans.¡± Pontifex Maximus said, turning his sight on the head of the Research Institute.

    ¡°We had located it. We''ll need one of the scriptures to extract it, and will need time to examine it. However, based on the available information it could become a trump,¡± the man explained. ¡°We have also intensified the search for a replacement for lady Kaire, but have not found a suitable candidate yet.¡± The head of the Research Institute added.

    ¡°Our situation remains unchanged. But now that Ainz is gone, it''s almost a given that Momon will be sent to help the Draconic Kingdom, once their envoy arrives at the Sorcerer Kingdom. It appears Momon thinks Ainz is spying on him, so he didn''t talk to Zeria during their meeting,¡± said Raymond.

    ¡°Speaking of Zeria, it''s quite a shame he resigned,¡± said Berenice.

    ¡°It couldn''t be helped, he had apparently suffered mental damage when Ainz released his bloodlust. Mentally, he can no longer fight against that being,¡± Yvon said.

    ¡°Quite a shame to lose him, especially at this time. But back to Momon, if we can secure his help things would become much easier for us.¡±

    ¡°Our envoy visited the Sorcerer Kingdom, and they had agreed to send their envoy to us in two months. The envoy is the dark elf girl from Zeria''s report.¡± An evil grin decorated Dominic''s face as he continued. ¡°We have taken the steps needed to make sure her visit goes as we''ve planned.¡±

    After no one else had anything to add, the meeting came to a close. As the twelve of them left the room the Grand Marshall looked somewhat relieved, but the thought of the undead king still infuriated him.

    Inside Nazarick

    Ainz was sitting behind a desk while Albedo stood in front of him. The two were going over one document after another. With the Holy Kingdom becoming a vassal of his nation the amount of paperwork he had to do temporarily increased even more.

    He tried to focus on the piece of paper he was staring at, but his mind wandered elsewhere. As he thought about the events which transpired recently, there was one question that he struggled with. Also, asking Pandora''s Actor was the safer choice, he was playing the role of Momon, and was rarely in Nazarick. Ainz didn''t want to call him back just to ask this question.

    ¡°What is it Ainz-sama?¡± Albedo asked.

    ¡°Oh, no, I must''ve stared at her while my mind wandered,¡± Ainz snapped back from his thoughts.

    ¡°Ahem, I want to ask you something Albedo.¡±

    ¡°Anything you wish, my master,¡± Albedo replied, leaning closer. Ainz''s eyes couldn''t help but wander towards her ample bosom.

    He coughed, ¡°it''s about the cover-up story we told about Jaldabaoth and Honyopenyoko. Didn''t this revelation draw attention to us?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Albedo said disappointed, ¡°it is as you say.¡±

    ¡°Then why did we do it?¡± Ainz wanted to scream, as he felt a headache coming

    Albedo had apparently misinterpreted his silence.

    ¡°Only a Supreme Being could come up with such a wonderful plan to embolden our foes. Fufu, just how many traps did you set during that audience?¡± She continued excitedly.

    ¡°Traps huh? Well, it should be fine if Albedo doesn''t see a problem with it. Still, this paperwork is killing me, shouldn''t I have less to do now that I am ¡°dead¡±? Yet they still have me look over all these documents. Just how many documents had we already gone through this morning...¡±

    ¡°Twenty-four,¡± Suzuki said out loud as his mind wandered.

    ¡°Tw.. twenty-four?! As expected of the leader of the Supreme Beings. I only saw six. Fufu, I should tell Demiurge about this.¡± Albedo spoke, her wings moving excitedly.

    ¡°Ah, um, no, no, I was thinking about some other matters,¡± Ainz frantically tried to correct her.

    ¡°Oh, I understand. Then how many traps did you set, Ainz-sama?¡± Albedo inquired with a smile that terrified him.

    ¡°What should I do now? Albedo said she counted six, so I have to say a higher number. But what if she asks the details about the extra traps? I should''ve talked to Pandora''s Actor instead.¡± As Suzuki agonized over the answer, a flash of inspiration suddenly hit him.

    ¡°Was there anything we said that was not a trap?"