Chapter 3, Part 2

The carriage arrived at its destination in front of an above average estate in the part of the city commonly occupied by lower nobility and well-to-do merchants. The carriage’s door opened and Philip descended. The scenery was a familiar one – Hilma Cygnaeus was his oldest and best confidante, and he had been to her estate many times.

He walked to the entrance and knocked on the door. Soon a maid opened it and let him in, before leading him to the library where the mistress of the house awaited him. While walking through the house, Philip noted how it was tastefully set, colorful rugs on the floor, furniture that was decorated with exquisite designs, stylish curtains on the windows. For a moment he wondered how much all of this luxury cost, before waving that thought away.

I owe a lot of my success to Hilma. Of course, I’d be successful without her help too, but still, she did help me a lot. There is no need to wonder how much she benefited from our arrangement, especially right now, Philip thought as he entered the library.

Another observation struck him as he exchanged greetings with the Hilma – there was nothing black in the house. Not just black, but dark in general. Dark wooden furniture was very popular with the nobles at this time. However, in this estate everything was in light colors, even the bookcases in the library were made of some light-colored wood. But, there was no time to wonder about the peculiar taste of the home’s mistress.

“Welcome, Philip-san. Can you tell me why you sought me out so urgently? You seem troubled,” Hilma said.

“It’s those damned nobles. Dealing with them is driving me crazy,” Philip explained, after greeting her.

“We all have to work with people we despise,” Hilma smiled.

“But I don’t want to,” Philip complained. “Just today, I had to let another worthless leech in on my trade deal,” he continued.

“It can’t be helped. You know the conditions the Sorcerer Kingdom set were that you don’t raise the prices and that you build a faction of nobles by allowing them to get in on this trade deal. They even went so far as to sell you the grain on credit.”

“Yes, and now thanks to them I lead a huge cohort of leeches and have a certain power in the court. But, what’s the point?”

“You are becoming richer and more powerful every day, isn’t that what Philip-san wanted?”

“Yes, but you know, my plans go far beyond just becoming a powerful noble,” Philip replied with prideful expression.

“If things continue this way, perhaps you can become the ruler of this domain, once it is a part of the Sorcerer Kingdom.”

“I don’t think the other two factions would ever agree to such a union, no matter how much our power grows. In fact, you could say that our power is at its highest right now. Once the threat of a famine is over, this lucrative grain trade will come to an end, and my faction will fall apart,” Philip explained.

Oh, my. Did this moron become smarter since we last spoke? He was actually able to properly assess the situation he’s in. I wonder what brought this on, Hilma thought.

“That means you should try to seize as much power as you can, while you can,” she said.

“Right. So, I was thinking, most of my success today can be attributed to my dealings with the Sorcerer Kingdom.”

“That is true,” Hilma agreed.

“I thought of an excellent move I can make. One that would allow me to never have to deal with these stupid nobles, while also forcing the Re-Estize Kingdom to join the Sorcerer Kingdom.”

“Oh, please, do share your thoughts with me,” Hilma said, unsure if she should be impressed by Philip or be prepared for another stupid idea of his.

“If I married Albedo-sama, the power of my faction would rise exponentially, therefore increasing the pressure on the nobles to accept a unification,” Philip said with a smug smile as if he had just invented a product that will revolutionize the world.

“Philip-san, I’ve already told you, marrying that person is impossible for you,” Hilma said with a pained expression.

God damn this moron. Why do the fools have to also be stubborn? His infatuation with that monster is going to get me killed. No, not killed, they aren’t so merciful, it will get me back into that place… Hilma quickly placed a hand over her mouth, trying her best not to heave, as she momentarily recalled the things she had been subjected to in that horrible place.

“Is everything alright, Hilma-san? You look sick,” Philip asked, as he wondered at the landlady’s sudden change.

“No, I am, ah, I am fine. It’s just a side-effect of my, um, condition,” she replied.

Philip knew that a while ago something happened to Hilma that resulted in her being unable to digest solid foods, which led to her current appearance. She didn’t like to talk about it, and although he was curious, Philip didn’t really care much about it.

“I see. Anyway, I know I can’t marry Albedo-sama as I am right now, even with the power and wealth I have accumulated so far. But, that’s where my brilliant plan comes into play,” Philip said excitedly.

Hilma nodded with a pained expression, bidding him to go on. There is just no stopping this idiot, she thought.

“The Sorcerer King is currently dead, after his battle with the demon Jaldabaoth. But, he will revive thanks to him being a Lich, which makes him immortal so long as his phylactery isn’t destroyed.”

“Yes,” Hilma nodded, that was the official story.

“Then, where do you think this phylactery is stored?”

“I have no idea,” she replied confused.

“Yes, but if you had to guess, it’s probably somewhere safe, in the care of the Sorcerer King’s most trusted servants. Albedo being the prime suspect.”

Just where is he going with this, Hilma wondered.

“Then, if I married Albedo-sama, we could then destroy the Sorcerer King’s phylactery and declare me as the new King of the Sorcerer Kingdom! Albedo-sama is already acting as a de facto ruler, so there should be minimal backlash against her taking the powerfully. And by crowning me as the Sorcerer King, the Re-Estize Kingdom will be forced to join us, since absorbing my current faction would fracture it otherwise. What do you think, is this a great plan or what?” Philip asked Hilma who was staring at him in a complete shock, unable to utter a word due to his brilliance.

No, no, no, no! He didn’t just suggest killing the Sorcerer King, even a moron like him can’t be this stupid. Oh, this is a disaster. Maybe I can pretend I misheard him? No, that won’t work. Why did the Gods punish me by making me this moron’s handler? I should have told Albedo-sama about this fool’s desires so she would dispose of him. But now? Hilma was filled with regret. She wanted to howl at the sky while ripping her hair out. There is no choice, fancying Albedo-sama was one thing, but this is too much. If I don’t report it and they find out... her body began to tremble as she wrapped her arms around herself. Ugh, I can’t even escape this Hell by killing myself, she thought.

Normal resurrection required the target to accept it, in order to be resurrected. However, there was nothing “normal” about these monsters. Hilma, like the rest of the Eight Fingers, was certain that if she was to disobey her orders and commit suicide, she would be brought back to life and punished for her action. As such, once she was caught in their net, she had no choice but to serve until the end.

“So, what are your thoughts?” Philip asked, apparently oblivious to the suffering he had caused Hilma to experience.

“… time, I need more time… to consider your…” Hilma almost heaved as she thought about what Philip suggested doing. “Your plan is just so unexpected. I need some time to consider it,” she managed to say.

“I see. Well, it was unreasonable of me to think that you would be able to analyze it quickly. I mean, even I had to spend several hours to come up with it, so this result should be expected,” Philip nodded with a satisfied smile on his face.

“Then, can you please leave me alone, it seems like I am feeling sick after all,” Hilma said.

“Oh, of course. Please take good care of yourself, you are after all one of my best supporters,” Philip said.

Hilma rang a bell, a maid showed up and was instructed to lead Philip out of the house.

“I hope your health returns to normal,” Philip wished her before leaving.

“Thank you, Philip-sama. I’ll be sure to go over your plan,” Hilma replied with a smile.

After Philip left the smile on her face turned into a grimace of pain. She doubled over and dry heaved, though doing so didn’t make her feel any better.

That moron, what kind of mother raises such a useless piece of dung. After swearing, Hilma tried to control her breathing to calm down. Then, she thought of how to handle this terrible situation. How should I report this? If I submit a written report, there is a chance they will blow their anger before coming here, increasing my chances of survival. On the other hand, with a written report there is no way to adjust it based on their reaction… ah, that moron, why didn’t I have him killed when I had the chance.

After settling on a verbal report, she stood up and walked over to an impressive-looking bureau with carved patterns on its surface. She opened one of the doors, to reveal a built-in safe, and used a key to open it. She took out an item which she was given by Albedo-sama, and after steeling her resolve she used it.

A few minutes later a demon emerged from Hilma’s shadow. She wasn’t sure what it was called, or even if it was always there, spying on her, and the item she had used was nothing but a decoy. But such things didn’t matter to her now.

“I have information I would like to report to Albedo-sama. It’s regarding the puppet, Philip, and his atrocious desires,” she said.

“Understood,” the demon replied in a voice that sounded like it came out of a barrel.

Hilma nodded, trying her best to conceal the terror this demon made her feel. Just going about her day before being dragged back to that hell by this demon was one of her common nightmares.

After the demon disappeared back into her shadow, Hilma let out a sigh. It didn’t matter how many times she came in contact with the monsters she served, facing them was just as frightening as the first time.

She rang a bell and told the maid to help her up. Leaning on the maid’s shoulder she walked slowly to her bedroom.

“I am going to sleep for a day,” Hilma declared to the maid, who bowed and left the room.

Hilma took out a bottle and a measuring cup from a nearby drawer. An alchemical concoction, it was the only way she could sleep without waking up from the nightmares which besieged her dreams. She poured an appropriate amount of it into the cup and then drunk it.

Ah, finally, I can relax and fall into nothingness, Hilma thought as she felt her eyes closing.

In the Palace of the Argland Council State

Several human figures were walking through a corridor. Dressed in long, hooded coats, it was impossible to tell who they were, or even what gender. One might think that their presence in the palace would set off an alarm, but that was not the case.

They made their way to a door which was guarded by several large beastmen. The figures removed their hoods, revealing their faces – four men and one of a plump woman. A lion-kin beastman nodded and opened the door.

“He is expecting you,” he said to the woman.

She entered, leaving her companions outside. Inside she found a small, cozy office, or perhaps a library. Three of the walls were covered by bookcases, while in the middle stood a large, rectangular table. A man sat on a chair in front of the table, seemingly consumed by the book he was reading.

It took until she approached the table before the man looked up from the book?

“Ah, Berenice-dono, we meet once again. Please sit down, I am sure you are tired after coming all the way here,” he greeted her.

“I am glad this meeting is over a happier occasion,” said the Cardinal of Fire, Berenice Nagua Santini.

“Is that so? Then, do tell, why are you here?” the man asked with curiosity.

“You may have heard, the Slane Theocracy has reached an agreement with the Sorcerer Kingdom. The Theocracy is now putting together an allied force to assist the Sorcerer Kingdom in fighting against the demon Jaldabaoth.”

“And you want us to do what? Join your forces?”

“You Dragon Lords are quite powerful, if you join us, then our victory over the vile demon would be assured.”

“You seem quite riled up about this Jaldabaoth. I certainly don’t recall you being nearly this concerned about the Evil Deities, two hundred years ago,” the man said, his tone a mix of mockery and amusement.

“The Demon Gods were powerful, but they were mindless and fought alone. Although they caused a lot of damage, the destruction they were capable of was always limited. Jaldabaoth, on the other hand, has shown great intelligence and is using demonic servants quite heavily. His ability to become stronger the more time he spends in this world is particularly troublesome,” Berenice explained.

“That is to say, unlike the Demon Gods, Jaldabaoth has a chance to deal a lot of damage to the Theocracy, should he attack it. And so, you are no longer content to just sit back and watch the destruction of other nations, like you did during the rampage of the Demon Gods.”

The man chuckled as he looked at the Cardinal with contempt. His smile twisted into a clear expression of mockery by this point.

“Look, it doesn’t matter what happened two hundred years ago, I wasn’t around back then, I don’t know what the Cardinals of that time thought. Jaldabaoth is here and now, and we, the Theocracy, intend to confront him, even without your help. However, given the current circumstances, you should realize the benefits of allying with us,” Berenice tried to ignore the mocking gaze and to persuade him instead.

“I am afraid we don’t see the current events in the same light,” he paused, waiting for Berenice to comment, but she remained silent, waiting for him to continue. “We are content to sit back and watch the human nations deal with Jaldabaoth.”

“And what will you do when he comes for you?”

“Are you saying the Slane Theocracy we lose?” The man laughed. “I guess, we have more confidence in your forces defeating Jaldabaoth than you do. Still, should he scatter your forces and come for us, we’ll be able to deal with him.”

“So, this is your answer? You refuse to join the forces we are putting together, and will instead sit here, like some cowardly lizard and hope for the best?”

“There is no need to antagonize me, between the demon and the undead, you already have your hands full.”

The man in front of her had shoulder-length, straight, blue hair, dark skin, and blue eyes. This was the human appearance of the Blue Sky Dragon Lord. His mocking face, which gave an impression he was about to burst laughing clearly indicated he wasn’t taking this conversation seriously.

She glared at the man with open hatred, but there was nothing else to discuss. In truth, if the Argland Council State was in their position, the Theocracy would adopt the same approach as well. In fact, they did just that two hundred years ago, when the rampaging Demon Gods destroyed many nations. As such, this result was quite likely. And since the dragons didn’t even care to ally against Jaldabaoth, there was no point in bringing up the true purpose behind the allied forces – Jaldabaoth or Ainz Ooal Gown, the dragon’s answer was unlikely to change.

“I guess coming up here was a waste of time,” Berenice said as she stood up.

“Not at all. I now see that the Slane Theocracy can hold a civil conversation, without resorting to threats of our imminent demise,” the Dragon Lord chuckled. “By the way, I am surprised the Theocracy decided to ally with the undead king. Is that something your populace would support? Could it be, you have gone soft in your old age?” He mocked her.

“Damn lizard,” she cursed as she made her way out of the room, escorted by the man’s booming laughter.

Burning with anger, she left the room and was joined by her four companions. There was only one thought in her mind: I wish the Greed Kings would come back and put this overgrown lizard in his place.

 

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