Chapter 5, Part 2

Chapter 5, Part 2

“I wish to announce the fate of the invaders,” Ainz said.

The throne room instantly fell into silence, while the Guardians exuded killing intent mixed with anticipation.

“First, try to revive the ones that were killed. If they don’t accept the resurrection spell, give their corpses to Entoma, I need to apologize to her for being unable to deliver Evileye to her at this time,” Ainz begun.

“There is no need to go that far, Ainz-sama. I am sure Entoma would gladly forgo her revenge completely if you ordered it. To serve you is our greatest pleasure, so there is no need for you to apologize for delaying her revenge,” Albedo said emotionally, the gathered Guardians nodding their heads in agreement.

“Mm, if you say so, though I do feel I should talk to her. By the way, beside Armoreth and Black Knight, did only two others die?” Ainz continued.

“Yes, one member of Zuranon fell into Mare’s [Earthquake] chasm. And I, um, got a bit too into attacking that guy with the time stop cloak,” Aura added frowning slightly when it came to her part.

“It’s fine, even if they decline our resurrection it doesn’t change anything,” Ainz nodded, he then cleared his throat before declaring: “Then, here are my orders: Have Neuronist Painkill focus her attention on the cardinals and the other leaders of the Slane Theocracy. They are hiding something and I want to know what. Afterward, if any of them choose to submit then we can use them to usher my rule over the Slane Theocracy. Demiurge, I am afraid I’ll have to burden you with this task.”

“How could serving you be a burden, Ainz-sama? I am honored to have your trust,” Demiurge replied with a bow.

“Zuranon members will be next. Find out the location of their bases, and scour them for anything useful. Specifically, I am interested in any notes from Yavon regarding the Six Great Gods, as well as what process he had used to become undead. Same for the other undead among their members. Yavon was able to continue to gain levels after turning undead, which means if we can duplicate it, we might be able to create an army of high-level undead. It’s certainly a direction worth researching. Pandora’s Actor, you are in charge of this part. Afterward, send Zuranon members to Demiurge, he can use their influence and connections to stabilize the transition of the Slane Theocracy.”

“Thy will be done,” Pandora’s Actor replied with an over-exaggerated bow, causing Ainz to stare at him in panic.

“Ahem,” he coughed before continuing: “The Black Scripture members belong to Shalltear, except for the woman who wore Downfall of the Castle and Country,” Ainz said.

“But, Ainz-sama,” Shalltear began but stopped when Ainz raised his hand.

“The woman, who had mind-controlled you, is dead now. This is a new one, there is no reason for you to seek revenge on her. The rest of the members are yours to do as you please,” Ainz declared.

“Thank you, Ainz-sama. I’ll make sure they suffer for every the pain their actions had caused you,” Shalltear bowed as she clenched her small fist.

“The Windflower Scripture… Demiurge, do you have a use for them?” Ainz asked.

“I can always use more test subjects, especially of such high quality,” the demon grinned happily.

“In that case, they will go to you, after Neuronist makes them regret their decision to attack us,” Ainz nodded.

“Blue Rose will remain here on the sixth floor for the time being. I’ll handle them as Momon. Hmm, Zesshi. For the time being Zesshi will remain in the Frozen Prison, though she is not to be mistreated. Once the Slane Theocracy falls, she’ll have a chance to swear fealty to me. If she is sincere, she will be released. Um, she can work with Mare and Aura,” Ainz proposed while caressing his chin.

“T-That would be w-wonderful. Th-Thank you, Ainz-sama,” Mare replied in his usual panicky voice.

“You better act more assertive, if Zesshi hears you stammering like that, she’ll lose whatever respect you’ve managed to gain in her eyes,” Aura began to admonish her brother.

Ainz laughed when he witnessed this familiar interaction, surprising the Guardians. Just like Peroronchino-san and Bukubukuchagama-sama. I wonder if Zesshi will make a good friend for these two, though from their reports they had established a pretty good connection. Friends are so important, Ainz thought. He pushed his thoughts aside and cleared his throat.

“Who else is there? That boy, Climb. Sebas, I know you are somewhat fond of him, you don’t have to worry, I won’t do anything to him,” Ainz said while looking at the old butler. “Albedo, Demiurge, how are things going in the Re-Estize Kingdom?” Ainz continued.

“Everything is proceeding as planned. We should be ready for the finale shortly after the fall of the Slane Theocracy,” Albedo replied.

“I see. In that case, Climb will remain in the Frozen Prison as well, until he’s needed. Also, since Demiurge will be quite busy with his tasks, I’ll leave this task to you, Albedo,” Ainz said.

“Of course, Ainz-sama. Renner will prove worthy of serving you and the Great Tomb of Nazarick,” Albedo replied.

Princess Renner, what a weird woman, Ainz thought. Even after discussing her with Pandora’s Actor, and learning the shocking truth behind the agreement she made with Demiurge, Ainz still couldn’t understand her. I guess Albedo’s assessment of her is true – she is a monster that was born in a human’s body. Well, whatever, Albedo is the one handling her, Ainz dismissed the misgivings he felt toward the Princess.

“Ah yes, there is also that human, Brain Unglaus. Shalltear, did you turn him into a vampire?” Ainz asked curiously.

“Yes, Ainz-sama. I want to see if he will retain the ability to gain levels despite being turned. I plan to do the same with the Captain of the Black Scripture after I am done tormenting him,” Shalltear explained.

“Oh, excellent idea. I am happy to see you working to increase Nazarick’s strength,” Ainz said.

“Albedo and Aura have helped me with this idea,” Shalltear replied, feeling somewhat weird for giving credit to Albedo.

“Um, you were the one who wanted to do more for Nazarick,” Aura said while scratching her head.

“Yes, the desire to do something for Nazarick came from you, we were happy to share our ideas with you,” Albedo agreed with Aura.

“Seeing such cooperation between you three pleases me as well,” Ainz said, his skinless skull gave off the feeling that he was smiling. “I think that wraps it up. So, if there is nothing else,” he continued.

“Um, actually, I was wondering about something. One of the Black Scripture members had this pet, Martimer. I was wondering if I could have it,” Aura asked, her eyes sparkling.

Ainz looked inquisitively at Pandora’s Actor. Catching his master’s look, Pandora’s Actor reached inside his military uniform and pulled out a sheet of paper. After scanning it for a few seconds he began describing the item.

“[Martimer’s Castle], level ninety unique item, treated as a weapon which can be used in either hand. The item has two commands: “Come our, Martimer,” will summon the battle version, while “Come play, Martimer,” will summon the pet version. Martimer itself appears to be some kind of slime, it’s immune to physical damage but is quite weak versus magical damage. It also has some kind of rage mechanic and can become immune to crowd control effects, though I am uncertain on the details,” Pandora’s Actor read the information he had gathered.

Hmm, that sounds vaguely familiar. Was it a gacha reward during the Spring Celebration event? Ainz wondered as he tried to recall it.

“Pandora’s Actor, give this item to Aura, she has done a good job and deserves a reward. As do you all. So, if there is anything you desire as a reward, let me know,” Ainz declared.

His words sparked quite a commotion among the Guardians. Ainz thought he would get an avalanche of requests, yet Cocytus was the only one to do so.

“Ainz-sama. I. Would. Like. To. Add. The. Sword. Armoreth. Used. To. My. Collection.” Cocytus made his request.

“Pandora’s Actor?” Ainz inquired.

“Level eighty uncommon item. There is nothing unusual about it,” Pandora’s Actor read off of his sheet.

“Then do give it to Cocytus. Anyone else has any requests?” Ainz continued.

“Um, w-we don’t have to m-make them right now?” Mare asked, his fingers tapping nervously against the staff in his hands.

“Naturally, you can take your time if you want to think about it,” Ainz replied with a smile.

“T-then, I shall trouble you a-at a later time,” Mare replied with a bow.

The other Guardians appeared to share his thoughts, as none of them made any requests either. And with that, the meeting came to an end. However, Ainz couldn’t relax just yet.

Now, I just need to handle Blue Rose. How should I get Evileye to spill the beans? Ainz thought as he felt a headache coming.

***

Evileye was awakening from her dream. Slowly at first, then the fuzziness faded and she remembered the fight in the arena and how her friends fell one by one. Her eyes opened wide as she set up and took a panicked look around. However, the arena was gone and she found herself in a dimly lit room. There were several beds beside hers, which her friends occupied, toward the front of the room stood a table with several chairs around it, one of which was occupied.

“You are finally awake,” Lakyus said as she turned to look at Evileye.

“Where are we? What’s going on?” Evileye whispered as she tried to quietly leave her bed.

“Don’t know. There is no imminent danger though,” Lakyus replied. “It looks like some sort of a village,” she added while motioning at the window nearby.

“Still, how did we get here? What happened to the fight in the arena?” Evileye mumbled as she looked out of the window.

She could see the side of a nearby building and several others of similar construction a bit further. There were some trees and flowers planted here and there, and the place seemed quite peaceful.

“Should we wake the others up?” Evileye asked.

“I suppose we really should find out what happened,” Lakyus nodded.

The two of them began to awaken their companions, briefly explaining their circumstances. Once everyone was up, Lakyus was about to order everyone to get ready and leave the house, when Tia placed her finger against her lips and shushed.

“Do you hear that?” Tia asked after a few seconds of silence.

“Hear what? I couldn’t hear anything,” Gagaran asked while looking at the others.

“It sounds like fighting, though it’s some distance away,” Tina nodded.

“Assassins have such good hearing,” Gagaran couldn’t help but praise the two after she failed to hear anything, despite moving right up against the door.

“Get ready everyone. If there is a fight and we can help the residents of this place, they will be more likely to explain how we got here. Suit up!” Lakyus gave the order.

Luckily, they were already fulled dressed, and their weapons and armor lay nearby, which suggested they were not being held as prisoners. Soon, everyone was ready for battle.

“Alright, Gagaran will go out first, followed by Tia and Tina, followed by Evileye, while I bring up the rear. We will move toward the battle and assess the situation once there,” Lakyus instructed the others.

Gagaran nearly took the door off its hinges, as she slammed through it, shoulder first. The rest quickly slipped out of the house, following her large silhouette. They didn’t see anyone outside, though the sounds of a battle were now audible enough that even Gagaran could hear them.

They ran toward the sounds, while carefully scanning their surroundings. Upon arriving at the end of the small village, they could see about three dozen figures fighting in a field some one hundred yards away. The most eye-catching among them was a figure of a huge troll wielding an enormous club. Fighting against it was some sort of a large, armored creature, though they were unable to identify it. They also spotted several hulking Death Knights among the fighters.

“Get ready, once we identify who’s fighting on behalf of this village, we’ll join their side,” Lakyus shouted as the group sprinted forward.

They were prepared to join the fight upon arrival, however, the closer they got, the slower their steps became. They finally came to a complete stop some fifty yards away from the fighters.

“They are… they are practicing?” Gagaran asked suspiciously.

“Sure seems that way. Notice how no one is going for a finishing blow, and there are no downed opponents,” Lakyus nodded.

“Should we approach them? Or are we better off going back to the village and knocking around?” Tia asked.

“Too late, they’ve spotted us,” Evileye broke the bad news. “Don’t let your guard down, we don’t know if they are friendly or not,” she added.

There was a bit of a commotion among the fighters after they noticed the approaching Blue Rose. A short while later the large creature, which was fighting against the troll, separated from the rest and shuffled toward them. As the beast approached, Blue Rose had a chance to take a better look at it. It was large – about the size of two humans if it stood on its hind legs. Beneath the strange armor it wore, it was covered in rich, silver fur. Its dark eyes sparkled with wisdom and intelligence. The beast stopped some twenty yards away and greeted them.

“This one welcomes the members of Blue Rose. I do,” the beast said.

“How do you know who we are?” Lakyus asked, not letting her guard down.

“This one’s master had informed me, he did,” the beast replied.

“And your master is?” Lakyus asked.

“The great warrior, Momon-sama.”

“Oh, then you are the Wise King of the Forest?” Evileye asked excitedly, although she had heard of the creature, this was her first time seeing it.

“This King is honored that you have heard of this one. I am,” Hamsuke said happily. “Then, I will let Momon-sama know that you have awakened. In the meantime, let me introduce you to someone who can give you a tour of this area,” she continued.

“Say, is that troll over there the famed Martial Lord of the Baharuth Arena?” Gagaran asked as she stole gazes at the troll’s massive frame.

“That’s him. He’s quite a handful, even while practicing,” Hamsuke replied while rubbing its side.

“Can you tell us where we are and what’s going on here?” Lakyus asked as they followed Hamsuke who was leading them toward a crop of trees nearby.

“This is the sixth floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, it is,” Hamsuke replied. “As for what’s going on here, do you mean us fighting? It’s just routine practice for the Lizardmen that live here. As for me, I am trying to learn martial arts and become the Warrior Hamsuke, worthy of accompanying my master.”

“The sixth floor… Wait, are we underground?” Lakyus shouted surprised. “But, the sky?” She added in a confused tone. Looking at the sky, she could see the clouds moving, making it obvious it wasn’t just a realistically painted ceiling.

“How is this possible?” Gagaran asked, her mouth agape.

“This one doesn’t know. Although, I have heard that long ago Ainz-sama created this place with his friends,” Hamsuke explained.

“He… created this?” Evileye mumbled. “Just who in the world did we choose to oppose,” she whispered to Lakyus, whose expression turned grave as well.

“Um, do you know how we ended up here?” Lakyus asked, trying to keep her composure.

“Momon-sama brought you here. He didn’t explain anything, just told me to let him know when you regain consciousness and to play a host until he gets here,” Hamsuke shrugged. “However, I don’t want to abandon Go Gin during practice, since I am the only one he can fight at full power. So, I’ll ask Pinison-san to accompany you,” she added.

Soon, they had arrived at the crop of trees, which turned out to be an apple orchard. They could see several dryads and treants tending to the trees, without showing any alarm toward the approaching humans.

“Pinison-san, these are the humans Momon-sama brought to the village. Would you mind entertaining them for a while?” Hamsuke addressed one of the dryads.

“Of course, I shall do my best to keep Momon-sama’s guests happy,” she replied. “My name is Pinison Pol Perlia, I am in charge of this apple orchard and several other projects on this sixth floor,” she introduced herself to Blue Rose members.

“Then, I shall leave them in your care,” Hamsuke nodded before returning to the fighting Lizardmen.

“Um, is there enough sun and rain here, despite this place being underground?” Tia asked while looking at the retreating hamster.

“Yes, in fact, it’s just the right amount of both. I found it quite amazing myself when I had first moved here,” Pinison replied while gesticulating wildly.

“You weren’t born here?” Evileye asked surprised.

“I was born in the Great Forest of Tob, and had only relocated here recently, after making a contract with Ainz-sama,” Pinison said.

“Um, do you mind me asking why you chose to move here?” Lakyus asked tactfully.

“I was too naive, I believed powerful beings able to destroy the entire world were rare. When in fact they are quite common. Faced with this reality, I was presented with a choice: Continue to live on my own, hoping not to run into any of these monsters, or come under the care of Ainz-sama and his reality-defying servants. I chose the latter, and now I can live my life worry-free,” Pinison explained.

Just what exactly did she witness to come to such a bizarre conclusion? Lakyus wondered. However, such a question could be too private, so she chose to ask it in a different way. “You have witnessed Ainz’s servants’ in combat?”

“I did. Their battle against the evil tree Zy’tl Q’ae completely defied my understanding of reality,” Pinison nodded energetically.

“Evil tree Zy’tl Q’ae,” Evileye repeated as her expression turned distant.

“You heard of it?” Tina picked up on her softly spoken words.

“Um, I heard the story of how it was defeated, though it was before I joined…” Evileye’s reply trailed off near the end.

“Oh, are you acquainted with the seven heroes that have defeated Zy’tl Q’ae, during its partial awakening?” Pinison asked. “I’d like to let them know that the monster had been taken care off, so they no longer need to keep their promise.”

“Their promise?” Evileye asked rather confused.

“To defeat it when it fully awakens,” Pinison explained.

“I see,” Evileye nodded. I guess the time really does flow differently for long-lived creatures like her, she’s not even aware of the possibility that those seven heroes are long dead, Evileye thought. “By the way, can you tell me more about the village here?” She chose to change the topic.

“It was built to house the various newcomers to this floor, though it’s mostly used by the Lizardmen that train here,” Pinison said.

“What about the native residents of this… floor?” Lakyus asked.

“They rarely bother us, though you will occasionally see the dragons fly by, or one of mistress Aura’s companions run by on patrol.”

Seeing the Blue Rose members didn’t follow up with another question, Pinison decided it was time to show her hospitality to these newcomers.

“Would any of you like an apple? I can promise that these will be the most delicious apples you’ve ever tasted. Their nectar-like contents will brighten your day and make you feel better,” Pinison exclaimed while pulling off a beautiful, ripe apple off of the tree and handing it to Lakyus.

Not wanting to seem rude, Lakyus and the rest of the ladies accepted the apples. Soon, their excited voices filled the air, mixed with the sounds of them biting and chewing. Looking at the scene in front of her, Evileye could only shake her head in remorse.

If only I could taste them. It’s times like this that remind me that being undead is a curse, not a blessing,” Evileye thought. Suddenly, her thoughts switched to Momon. What would Momon-sama do if he learned the truth? Would he choose to be with someone like me? Someone unable to bear his child. Someone who would live on long after he had passed away. She felt her undead heart clench.

She tried to calm herself down when a sudden realization hit her. Momon delivered my unconscious body to this place. He is, of course, too much of a gentleman to peek under my mask. But, what about checking my pulse to make sure I am alive? Doing so is quite natural. After realizing I had no pulse, he would become alarmed and look further into it. Then, has he already learned the truth?! Evileye thought frantically. She hadn’t felt this panicked even when facing Jaldabaoth.

*****

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