Chapter 5, Part 4

After walking a good distance away from the Lizardmen village, Ainz opened a [Gate] to the ninth floor. On the other side of the portal, he was greeted by several Eight Edge Assassins and two insectoid creatures guarding his bedroom.

“Wait here,” Ainz told Hamsuke as he walked inside, the Death Knight following behind.

Ainz circled around the desk taking his seat. He stared at the undead warrior while collecting his thoughts, then he began.

“Hamsuke told you that the members of Blue Rose had awoken and that you should contact me, right?”

“Yes, master,” the Death Knight responded in a deep, hoarse voice, after a few seconds.

“And what did you do?” Ainz asked.

“I’ve… informed… you,” it replied while pausing after each word as if it had problems saying the words.

“Informed me how? You can’t use [Message],” Ainz said.

“I used the… connection… between us,” the Death Knight replied.

“You can use the connection that was established between us upon your summoning to pass information to me?” Ainz asked to double-check.

“Yes. It was a few months ago that I realized I could do so,” the undead warrior replied, sounding a lot smoother than it did at first.

“That is to say, you could not do so when first summoned? How about my other summons? Can they do so too?” Ainz asked.

“I apologize, master, I wouldn’t know,” the Death Knight even managed to sound regretful in its reply.

“I see,” Ainz said as he focused his mind on the web of connections that extended from him toward the numerous undead he had created, instructing several of the ones nearby to come to him. “Now, while we wait, can you demonstrate your ability to share information via our connection?” Ainz asked.

“What information should I share?”

“Something I haven’t seen myself and wouldn’t know,” Ainz offered.

The Death Knight remained silent. One second passed after another, making Ainz drum a beat with his fingers on the desk. Then, it happened. A vision appeared in his mind – Hamsuke, in her armor, was walking toward him. “I just can’t get used to it. The feeling of having something over my fur is so strange. What about you, Death Knight-san? Does your armor feel natural?”

It’s… it’s his memory. This is unbelievable, so my summons can share not only information but even scenes from their memory? Amazing! Ainz was shocked by this discovery. In the past, he thought about creating a surveillance web by using his undead. However, there were too many undead connected to him, and the connection became weaker with longer distance. While inside Nazarick, he could still feel the existence of the undead patrolling the Sorcerer Kingdom’s borders, but sending them commands, much less understanding what happened near them, was impossible.

If my undead summons can use the connection to send me information, then my idea of using them for surveillance would be a total success, Ainz thought in delight. But, it’s not a given that the other summons can do this.

“Did something happen a few months ago that made you able to use this connection between us?” Ainz asked.

“No. I think… it was a gradual process.”

“A gradual process? Do you mean it’s just due to the amount of time you’ve been around?” If Ainz could have a facial expression, his eyebrows would be raised in surprise.

“Not exactly. I think it’s due to the hamster,” the Death Knight replied.

“Hamsuke? What does she have to do with this?”

“She just won’t shut up. Day after day I had to listen to her talk without pause. At least it’s gotten better since you took that Orb away. Before that, she and the orb would quarrel constantly, but I would only hear Hamsuke’s part of the conversation… it drove me nuts! I would have done something, but I was under strict restrictions not to harm her. And so, I had to endure her endless chatter day after day,” the Death Knight explained as it became more and more animated. “I think, having to bear that anger and not act on my annoyance made me… aware of my own emotions and… being.”

Punitto-san once said that: a machine that is confronted with a problem it’s not allowed to solve might become self-aware, or something like that. Could it really be the case? The conflict of wanting Hamsuke to shut up, but being unable to do so, made it aware of its feeling and therefore of its own self? Ugh, this is too much for me, if only someone like Punitto-san was here to make sense of it. Ainz sighed.

The exact reason aside, it’s not that surprising. While it seems that NPCs will follow their settings where possible, Cocytus and Shalltear could learn from their experience, and alter their behavior. As for Death Knights, they are only generally defined by their description. Therefore, it’s not impossible that they could undergo certain personality changes due to their experience. The only question is what exactly triggered its evolution. Was it the feeling of annoyance it had toward Hamsuke, or did Hamsuke’s constant chatter make the Death Knight smarter?

Ainz was still deep in thought when the doors to his bedroom opened and three Death Knights walked inside. Standing beside the one he spoke with earlier they awaited his orders.

“Can any of you use the connection you and I share to send information to me?” Ainz asked.

The three newly arrived undead exchanged looks before speaking.

“We… don’t…. understand…. master’s… order,” they replied in unison with an apologetic bow.

“Can you send information to them?” Ainz asked the original Death Knight.

“My apologies, master. My connection is to you, not them,” it replied.

“I see. You can get back to your posts,” Ainz waved to the three Death Knights. “And tell Hamsuke to come in,” he added.

Hamsuke bounded enthusiastically into the bedroom.

“Do you have a mission for this one?” She asked after stopping in front of Ainz’s desk.

“Mm, you’ll be relocating back to E-Rantel, for a while,” Ainz said.

“Yes, master. But, what about Go Gin? This king was the only able to challenge him. I was,” Hamsuked asked after a brief pause.

“I imagine Blue Rose can fill in for you, should they choose to do so. Anyway, let me open a [Gate] for you,” Ainz said.

“Thank you, master. Come along, Death Knight-san,” Hamsuke called out to the silent Death Knight, before entering the summoned portal.

Once he was alone, Ainz fell on his bed and rolled around for a bit. Laying on his back, he stared at the ceiling, as he organized his thoughts. I should discuss this, evolution, of my summons with Pandora’s Actor. Still, it took this Death Knight several years to evolve, so regardless of what exactly triggered it, we’ll need a lot of time to fully understand it and even more time to utilize it. After he came to this conclusion, his thoughts switched. Go Gin, eh? I invited him to join Nazarick on a whim back then, thinking it would produce a strong effect on the public, and because his eyes reminded me of Gazef’s. I should find some way to use exceptional specimen like that. Ah, being an Overlord is hard, Ainz sighed as he thought about everything he still needed to do.

***

Inside the Frozen Prison on the fifth floor, Zesshi laid on a crude, wooden bunk. The temperature in the cell was quite low, but she paid it no heed. Instead, her thoughts revolved around the battle in the arena. In the end, she could only conclude that Ainz’s servants were too strong. Even if I used my talent and managed to defeat one of them, it would just anger the rest. Looks like relying on Mare to get me through this was the right choice. She thought.

Sitting up, she looked around the cell – there wasn’t much to see, ten feet by ten feet space, nearly half of which was taken by the bed she was sitting on. She tried exerting force on the metal bars securing the cell, but they didn’t budge. It was obvious that this prison cell was built to contain even those with super-strength.

I wonder how long I am going to stay here, a lazy thought crossed her mind as she recalled various memories from her life in the Theocracy. There was nothing else to do. At first, Zesshi thought that she could chat with the other prisoners. However, after calling out for a bit, she realized that there was nobody nearby. At one point, she heard a commotion, with lots of raised voices screaming something in protest, but the source of the sounds was too far, and the noise died down pretty quickly. With a resigned sigh, Zesshi plopped down on the bed and closed her eyes, trying to recall more exciting memories.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she heard approaching steps. Faint at first, the steps became louder and louder as someone approached her cell. She jumped to her feet, eager to see who it was, as well as to break up the monotony she had experienced.

“Oh, you came to visit me,” she exclaimed when she saw Mare accompanied by several insectoid monsters.

“I’ve come for you,” Mare replied. However, seeing Zesshi’s raised eyebrow he quickly explained: “As a show Ainz-sama’s goodwill, you can stay with Aura and me, in our home on the sixth floor.”

The door to her cell was unlocked, and Zesshi was let out. Following Mare, all the cells along their way were empty, confirming her suspicion that she was separated from the others.

“By the way, what happened to the humans from the Theocracy?” Zesshi asked.

“They will be tortured before being killed,” Mare responded while shrugging.

Zesshi’s body instantly became tense. While she wasn’t particularly close with any of the humans, save for Loras, they were still her comrades, learning of the fate that awaited them made her feel unsettled. Equally as unsettling, was seeing Mare talk so nonchalantly about it. Sensing her tension Mare stopped and turned around to face her.

“The Theocracy’s forces attacked Nazarick – that is unforgivable. It’s even worse for the Black Scripture members since their run-in with Shalltear had caused great pain to my master and the rest of us. Their fate is sealed, and there is nothing that could change that. Instead of skulking, you should be praising Ainz-sama’s mercy, that he decided to oblige my selfish request to spare your life,” Mare said forcefully, looking into her eyes. He then turned around, motioning with his head for her to follow, and began to walk again.

“So, what will happen to me?” Zesshi asked somewhat dejectedly.

“I guess it will depend on you. What do you want to do, after all of this is over?” Mare asked.

“I suppose I should return to the Slane Theocracy and explain to the Cardinals what happened here,” she said slowly.

“The Theocracy will cease to exist by then, and the Cardinals already know about the strike force’s failure.”

Mare’s reply once again sent her thoughts into turmoil. The Slane Theocracy is no more… what, what will I do now? Zesshi wondered.

“Look, you don’t need to rush things. Why not take it slow and enjoy your stay with Aura and me? There are plenty of amazing things for you to see here,” Mare said cheerfully.

Zesshi nodded in agreement as she followed Mare, though her mind was still muddled by all sorts of thoughts. Soon, they exited the frozen prison and Zesshi had a chance to take in the view of a large, frozen expanse. While she was looking around, Mare nodded to the insectoid monsters accompanying them, and continued to walk, pulling Zesshi by the sleeve of her jacket.

“How can it be snowing? Aren’t we underground?” Zesshi asked when she noticed some snowflakes whirling in the air.

“That’s just how the forty-one Supreme Beings created this place,” Mare’s voice was full of pride and admiration.

“Forty-one Supreme Beings?’ Zesshi asked confused.

“Ainz-sama and his friends. They are the ones that created the Great Tomb of Nazarick, as well as all of the servants,” Mare explained.

“They created this place? But, how? Wait! As well as the servants? Aren’t you one of the servants in this place?” Zesshi exclaimed in shock.

“That’s right. Aura and I had been created by a wonderful Supreme Being,” Mare nodded.

“Y-You were created? How?” Zesshi was having trouble speaking. How is it possible? This is absurd, no one can just create life. Summoning undead, or maybe creating a golem is fine, but creating an actual sentient being? Simply laughable. And yet…

She followed Mare in silence, trying to organize her thoughts. One of her first thoughts was that these Supreme beings were clearly far more powerful than the Six Great Gods the Theocracy worshiped. In fact, the difference in their power seemed so great that even referring to the Six as Gods was laughable.

Truly, I was but a frog in a well, thinking myself the strongest, completely oblivious to what real power is. And we had the audacity to attack someone like that, and even entertain victory… how foolish. Zesshi could only shake her head and how silly all of the Theocracy’s actions toward the Sorcerer King were.

While she was busy with her thoughts, they came to the end of the enormous cave. An enormous gate, with a swirling portal inside of it, stood etched into the wall.

“Let’s go,” Mare said once more, grabbing Zesshi’s hand and pulling her after himself, as he stepped into the portal.

After going through the portal, Zesshi was confronted with a completely different view. Gone was the vast, frozen expanse, with its large icebergs, icy ground, and whirling snowflakes. In its place was a large jungle, green, thick grass underfoot and bright Sun overhead made one think of Summer. Zesshi blinked several times, but the scene in front of her didn’t change.

“We are… still underground?” She asked, half in disbelief.

“Yes. Do you like it? Aura and I are the Guardians of this sixth floor. It’s our job to make sure that no enemy makes it past us,” Mare explained.

“Sixth floor? Who could ever make it this far?” Zesshi mumbled, more so thinking out loud than asking a question.

“Once, some fifteen hundred players attacked Nazarick,” Mare said with a shrug, as he began to lead the way again.

“Players? Wait, Players as in Gods like the Six Great Gods?” Zesshi cried out.

“Um, yeah, I guess you refer to them as Gods,” Mare nodded after a few seconds.

“And, and… fifteen hundred of them attacked this place?” Zesshi asked as she struggled to imagine such a situation. “Wha-what happened to, to them?” She asked after Mare nodded.

“All of them were defeated,” Mare replied nonchalantly.

“By, by the forty-one Supreme Beings?” Zesshi asked feeling sick.

“No, they were defeated before they could make it far enough to face off against the Supreme Beings,” Mare shook his head.

As she followed Mare silently, Zesshi had trouble seeing the path she was on. She felt sick and bright spots appeared in her vision, making her feel like she was about to fall. Fifteen hundred Gods weren’t even able to get past the servants to face the creators of this place. Her previous assessment of Supreme Beings’ power was naught but a joke. The power scale was simply beyond her comprehension. Dealing with such entities, could a mere mortal like me do anything other than submit and beg for mercy? Truly, doing anything else could only be viewed as foolish.

“Ah, there they are. Our ride is here,” Mare announced happily.

Zesshi lifted her gaze off the ground to look at him. “There” Mare pointed in the bright sky – two large dragons were flying through the blue sky toward them.

***

Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix was seated in his office, Baziwood Peshmel, one of the Four Imperial Knights, at his side. In front of him was one of his secretaries, reading the latest report about the movement of the Empire’s Legions. However, while Jircniv pretended to listen to it, his mind was elsewhere.

Organize the other nations into a coalition, and use the combined forces to defeat the Sorcerer King? I can’t believe I could be so stupid. I really ought to thank my lucky stars that Ainz chose to mock my pathetic attempt at rebellion when he showed up in the Arena and faced the Martial Lord. If it wasn’t for that, I might’ve been successful in allying with the Theocracy. In which case, Jircniv gulped as he thought of what could have happened in that case.

“By using the [Gate] spell to move the legions and with the Sorcerer Kingdom providing provisions, our legions have been able to occupy over half of the Theocracy in under a week,” the secretary reported. “Here are the details for each of the legions,” he added while placing a stack of papers before Jircniv.

After dismissing the man, Jircniv slumped in his chair and drew a long breath.

“See what could have happened if I insisted on acting foolishly?” He asked after turning to face Baziwood.

“Your majesty is truly wise,” Baziwood replied with a bow.

“Compared to those poor bastards, I am doing as well as could be imagined,” Jircniv said as he thought about the fate of the captured Cardinals. “Let’s keep it this way, make sure that we perform our duties perfectly.”

*****

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