Chapter 5, Part 14

Zanac returned to the waiting room, smiling at Raeven and Renner as he sat down on a leather-bound couch and poured himself a drink of orange juice, after catching its fragrant smell. The eyebrows on Raeven’s face rose in surprise, as he noted Zanac’s cheerful expression. However, he got up and followed Yuri Alpha without saying anything. Nearby, Renner inclined her head, as she also observed the change in Zanac’s disposition.

“Oh, wow! The taste is absolutely exquisite,” Zanac exclaimed, only to realize that Raeven had already departed. Undeterred, he glanced at Renner before looking at the four maids who stood respectfully nearby. “This orange juice is amazing. Is this something produced by the Sorcerer Kingdom?”

“Yes, it is created for Nazarick by our Sous-chef,” replied the large-breasted blonde.

Zanac nodded in acknowledgement, before taking another sip of the drink. Downing the drink, he poured himself another cup and took a cookie out of a vase. The taste was as exceptional as he anticipated. He looked around absently as he lost himself in the savory creation’s taste only to meet Renner’s gaze.

“You seem cheerful, older brother,” she said, smiling at him.

Zanac swallowed and took another sip as he considered her words. “His Majesty’s words have helped me resolve some things I’ve been struggling with. I am rather excited about the future.”

Seeing how Renner didn’t say anything further, Zanac shrugged and continued to sample the drinks and snacks present on the table. Meanwhile, Renner picked up her cup but didn’t drink, eyes closed, she was lost in thought. Zanac has been in a gloomy mood for a while now. Earlier, his mood was best described as apprehensive. Yet now it’s completely different. Relief would be a natural feeling, however, he’s actually feeling energized and even inspired. Just what was he told to cause such a drastic change? Ainz Ooal Gown, you truly are a terrifying existence.

Renner downed the contents of her cup in one gulp, placing the cup back on the table. She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, a small smile emerging across her lips before she quickly suppressed it. It’s been a long journey, now I just need to take one more step, she thought as memories of the past flashed through her mind.

***

Ever since she was little, she could put together bits and pieces of information to arrive at conclusions that seemed completely out of reach for others. A genius in this regard, she was just a naive little girl, oblivious to the social aspect of life. She was around five or six when she became interested in other people. Piecing together what information was available to her, she began to ask people questions about the inconsistency of their character, pointing out their hypocrisy.

A noble professing loyalty, yet driven by greed. Another claiming to be righteous, yet driven by lust. She thought they would be grateful as she pointed such things out, able to correct their actions so that their characters would be in line with their claims. However, all she got in response was anger and annoyance, as the adults disregarded her words as a rambling of a young child.

She tried to substantiate her points, to help them better understand, yet it only made them more dismissive. Even her father, who had previously shown genuine love and affection toward her, would become angry and dismissive when she pointed out some of his shortcomings. The more people refused to acknowledge her points, the more determined Renner became to prove her deductions correct.

It didn’t take long for her father to stop bringing her to meetings with nobles. Soon, her brothers and sisters began to avoid her too. Isolation from others only built the tower of her courage, and she continued her inquiries. Little monster, they called her, behind her back.

After a while, a rumor spread that the young princess was a little off. Armed with this excuse, the nobles could finally ignore her words. A laugh and a pat on the head was all she would get. Armed with this excuse, the nobles could finally ignore her words. A laugh and a pat on the head was all she would get, as the nobles pretended her words were nonsense.

It wasn’t until her seventh birthday that she finally understood — truth didn’t matter. Not to the person in question, nor to those around them. What mattered most was appearance. No one seemed to care if a noble’s character was rotten, so long as he pretended to espouse virtue. Renner had finally understood why people didn’t want to hear her, it wasn’t because they thought she was wrong, but because they had no plans to change.

This realization caused her quite a shock. The nobles were supposed to be the best humanity could offer, yet they had just as many, if not more shortcomings than any commoner. They were little more than monsters hiding behind the veneer of appearances. It was then, on the evening of her seventh birthday that Renner declared her resolve.

“If that is the case, then I too shall become a monster,” she said as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

She hid her emotions and began to pretend to be just a normal girl. Untold hours spent practicing facial expressions and body language in front of a mirror, allowed her to play the role perfectly. After a while, her interactions with others returned to normal, as the nobles appeared to dismiss her previous behavior as some sort of childhood quirk. Except for her second brother, the knowing smile that would surface on his lips when he interacted with her, a clear indication that her act didn’t fool him.

She continued her act to great effect, even her father seemed to believe it. Yet, a new issue suddenly appeared — the emotions she had worked hard to suppress appeared to vanish completely. She was becoming a real monster. No matter how cruel the consequences of her actions were, as long as she thought the benefits were worth it, she would have no qualms about taking them. It seemed that her resolution to become a monster worked too well.

Renner was genuinely frightened by this development. Unable to confide the truth in anyone, Forced to wear her mask, she felt her humanity slip away. Then, she found a puppy. Dirty, weak, and half-starved, he looked at her with his blue eyes. It was a look she hadn’t seen in years, one of pure admiration. In his eyes, she could only see admiration. It was the same look her father used to give her when she was little.

It was like a spark went off in her mind, so long as she could have those adoring eyes gaze at her, she would be able to retain her humanity no matter what actions she took. It was a silly notion, a cop-out really, but for all her intelligence, Renner was still just a frightened little girl. When a straw presented itself, she grabbed onto it with all her might.

She took the puppy with her, nurtured him, grew his loyalty, and was rewarded with the look of adoration that she so much craved. Naturally, she couldn’t let the others know about the true importance of Climb to her, instead passing her affection for him as a girl’s whim. Since she was powerless, she didn’t have any enemies among the nobles. Of course, they still tried to use her for political gain, attempts to arrange a marriage were quite frequent. However, their schemes were clumsy and easily seen through, allowing Renner to maneuver around them.

Years passed. The nobles have mostly given up their attempts at using her in their schemes, Climb was still looking at her in the same way as when she rescued him, and Renner had even begun to make political moves, subtle as they were. Her suggestions that the nobles and her father would dismiss as nonsensical had garnered her wide-spread support among the commoners. Even if most of her proposals were never implemented, it was clear that the princess wished to help the poor, trying to do what she could, even though she held no power. The Golden Princess, they called her affectionately, partly due to her looks and partly due to her heart of gold.

At the same time, the innovations she had proposed would be quietly implemented in the Baharuth Empire. In this way, Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix, the emperor of the Baharuth Empire became her taciturn ally. Not that the man viewed her with any fondness, but Renner was certain that if she had no choice but to flee to the Baharuth empire with CLimb, Jircniv wouldn’t turn her away. Not that such an outcome was likely. While marrying Climb was out of the question, arranging a marriage where she would be allowed to entertain Climb was an option she felt satisfied with.

Then the demon paid her a visit.

She was only vaguely aware that something strange was happening in E-Rantel, yet Demiurge had seen through her subtle schemes and decided that she was worthy of being used in his plans. It was the first time Renner had been outplayed, it left her feeling unsettled. Luckily, she managed to pretend that her infatuation with Climb was just a fetish. Her lack of reaction when Demiurge suggested they let Climb die during the rescue of the abducted people, apparently enough to convince the demon. She would even feel happy with the arrangement they agreed upon if it wasn’t for the fact that Demiurge was actually someone’s servant. Behind him stood Ainz, Opal Gown, a being of unfathomable power, and soon, Renner learned just how terrifying this creature was.

***

In the present, Renner opened her eyes and sucked in her lips, before regaining her composure. I’ve done what I was told, and helped them take over the Re-Estize Kingdom, that should be enough to satisfy him., she tried to reassure herself. But she knew it was a lie. The whole take-over was a joke. It was obvious that Ainz could take over the Kingdom in a short amount of time, perhaps just a few days. The only reason he didn’t do so was to allow his subordinates to showcase their ability. Her brief interactions with Demiurge and Albedo confirmed as much. It was no different than a smith letting his child take a few whacks at a piece of metal, before declaring that the child did a great job. With that in mind, could she really expect Ainz to feel impressed with her accomplishments?

Renner sighed softly, as she reached for the pitcher of orange juice and refilled her cup. She sipped on the delicious juice slowly, as she tried to calm herself down. It’s just like the two of them said, his schemes are unfathomable. I couldn’t follow him at all, she thought and sighed again. In the face of existence like Ainz Ool Gown, she could do little but admit defeat. Being unable to understand the other party left her feeling helpless, as if she was naked before the other party, unable to hide anything from their gaze. A shiver ran down her spine and her lips quivered slightly. Shaking her head, she placed the cup back on the table and once again leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes.

It wasn’t just what he did, but how he did it that had Renner stomped. Conquering everything in sight would be simple given Ainz’s power, but he never used force, not without an appropriate pretense. Letting his puppet, Jaldabaoth, attack the Holy Kingdom, and then offering to help them in exchange for political power was a simple enough move. The power of the players involved aside. But Ainz didn’t ask for any concessions. He offered his help for free and even admitted that Jaldabaoth was a former servant that went rogue. Yet, despite his seemingly counterintuitive action, the Holy Kingdom declared itself as a vassal shortly after Jaldabaoth’s defeat. And even went further than that, deciding to become a part of the Sorcerer Kingdom soon after. There were never any threats from Ainz, on that Renner was very clear. Yet, the Kingdom still fell into his hands in under a year.

Few details were known about what happened in the Elf Kingdom. But the fact that the elves viewed two of his servants, and by extent, Ainz himself, as Gods, made it clear that the take-over was peaceful. How did he do it? Renner couldn’t even guess. Even if they just removed the previous King, and said King was disliked, it was unlikely that the new rulers would be greeted with anything but apprehension.

Then there was the Baharuth Empire. After declaring themselves as an ally of the Sorcerer Kingdom, the status was soon adjusted to the more appropriate vassal state. Most thought it was due to the powerful showing by Ainz during the battle at Katze Plains. Others claimed it was seeing the Martial Lord, the strongest being in the Empire, get defeated by Ainz who didn’t even use magic. Yet Renner knew differently. Those two were contributing factors, naturally. But what really forced Jircniv to admit defeat was a simple sentence.

During Ainz’s fight with the Martial Lord, Jircniv was holding a secret meeting with the representatives of the temples, as well as the agents of the Slane Theocracy. However, before it could start, Ainz’s name was announced, he flew to the VIP box and greeted Jircniv. It was then that he played his hand. “Friends of yours?” Ainz asked as he pointed at the hooded agents of Theocracy. A simple sentence, but one so malicious it left Jircniv speechless. Replying affirmatively would be nothing less than declaring his intention to oppose Ainz, a negative answer would be equivalent to selling out those representatives of Theocracy and bailing out on the alliance between their countries before it could even begin. Zanac chose to remain silent. But the message was clear — Ainz had seen through his plans and crushed them. Scorned by his would-be allies, Jircniv was powerless before Ainz, his only option to declare the Empire a vassal state.

Waiting for her audience with Ainz, Renner could understand what Jircniv must’ve felt better than anyone. She opened her eyes and looked around — no sign of Raeven. For some reason, his audience was taking much longer than Zanac’s.

Pushing the memories and her tumbled thoughts away, she drew a long breath, exhaling slowly. The main question is if he realized the true importance Climb holds for me. As long as that remains a secret, I should be able to manage anything else, Renner thought. The idea of losing Climb, whose gaze was her only link to humanity was so terrifying that she would prefer death.

Some more time passed and finally, Marquis Raeven returned. Taking a quick peek, he looked refreshed and exuded a feeling of excitement. As expected, Renner thought, it took longer, but the same result as with Zanac.

“Renner-sama, please follow me,” Yuri Alpha called out to her.

Renner got up and followed the maid. She paid little attention to the domed hall with the statues and the chandeliers, all of her attention focused on the meeting.

“Please, go in,” Yuri said, waving toward the enormous wooden doors.

Renner walked closer and the doors swung open. Beyond them was a long hall, at the end of which several figures stood beside a throne. Renner advanced, not too slowly but also not too fast, doing either could be seen as disrespect. While walking, she looked at the figures beside the throne — as expected, both Albedo, and Demiurge were there, as well as a chesty girl with silver hair. Looking at her appearance one could be forgiven for thinking she was a concubine, but Renner knew exactly who she was — Shalltear Bloodfallen, the vampire that had nearly driven Brain Unglaus insane after she shattered his understanding of reality.

“Renner greets His Majesty, Ainz Ooal Gown,” Renner said as she fell to her knees and kowtowed, remaining in the position without lifting her head.

“Welcome, Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself,” Ainz greeted her using her full name, not at all bothered that it was longer than his. “Get up and let me take a good look at you,” he added.

Of course, he doesn’t care about the length of my name compared to his. He’s undead, the customs of human nobles probably sound silly to him, Renner chastised herself at the dumb thought that ran through her mind. Feeling unusually flustered, she got up and stood still under the piercing view of the Sorcerer King.

Ainz leaned forward on his throne as his eyes scanned Renner’s body. It was the first race change he had witnessed in the New World, and he was genuinely interested in the results. After a while, he nodded in satisfaction and leaned back on the throne.

“The transformation appears to have gone well. But, it seems you are still…” Ainz suddenly halted his words. The red dots in his eye sockets moved right and left, glancing at Albedo and then Demiurge. He coughed as if clearing his throat, before continuing. “Thank you for your help in orchestrating the take-over of the Re-Estize Kingdom. I trust you are satisfied with the reward you’ve received?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Renner replied with a bow. What the heck was that? It seems that I am still what?! Human? Don’t tell me, he had seen right through me? Renner schooled her face into a mask, even as she felt panic spread through her body.

“Good. I intend for you to remain in the Re-Estize, helping Marquis Raeven run things,” Ainz said.

“I shall do so with all my ability,” Renner replied.

“Mm, yes. But tell me, don’t you think it would be much easier for you to serve as my intermediary if you still had your human appearance? Your current look might make things… difficult,” Ainz suddenly voiced.

“Renner has been selfish,” she said, quickly bowing as her mind raced. “But, doesn’t Your Majesty wish to create a country where humans, demihumans, and heteromorphs all live together? My transformation could be used to change the perception the citizens of Re-Estize have of demons.”

“Huh, you are saying this was something you planned rather than an oversight?” Ainz asked with a chuckle.

For a moment Renner was stumped. She wouldn’t lie so blatantly, not to Ainz, on the other hand admitting to an oversight wasn’t good either. “I believe an ability to adapt to new circumstances is just as valuable as being able to plan ahead,” she finally replied, her eyes moving to glance at the others near the throne.

“Indeed, being able to adapt to one’s circumstances is important,” Ainz agreed. “Then, is there anything you wish to ask of me, while you are here? That boy Climb, perhaps you wish…” he trailed off.

Renner swallowed hard. He’s telling me he’s onto me. Huh, as expected, it was impossible to hide anything in front of him. All I can do is hope for the best. “Since Your Majesty is already aware of my circumstances, I shall dare to act selfishly once more. If Your Majesty can provide a similar race-change item for Climb, I, no, both of us will be your eternal servants,” she said, her hands trembling slightly from fear and excitement. Originally she planned to work for Ainz and hope that an opportunity to obtain such an item would present itself. However, since Ainz was already aware of her intentions, she decided to ask right then and there.

“Huh? You want…” Ainz mumbled in a surprised voice. Silence filled the room, Renner’s face turning exceedingly pale. Did I misunderstand him? No, that can’t be right. Then what? Did I say something he wasn’t expecting? Does that mean that my request is going too far? Renner couldn’t help but wonder as the silence continued to stretch.

Finally, Ainz spoke, “I see, so that’s how it is,” Ainz said softly as if speaking to himself. “Very well, I will think over this request of yours. In the meantime, you should work hard and not disappoint me. Now, Albedo, do you want to share some of our plans for the development of the Re-Estize Kingdom.”

“Yes, Ainz-sama,” Albedo said, giving him a quick bow. “Here is what we intend to achieve with the Kingdom,” Albedo began, as she addressed visibly relieved Renner.

*****

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