Overlord: Player Two
The Elder Lich hovered his hand near his head.
"Message"
The ability zoned out, trying its hardest to connect to a player. For a moment, it seemed to succeed, but Ains's repeated attempts to speak with whoever it connected to yielded no results.
"Hmm... that was odd... if that was a player... maybe... they couldn't understand me... unfortunate... but it does shine a bit of light on my predicament." He said.
"Lord Ains? Is there something wrong?" The tall woman asked him. She stood up a bit straighter as his gaze shifted to her, likely trying to add a bit more emphasis to her breasts. Her black hair, divided at the sides by her horns, shifted back and forth due to her slight sway.
"No... it's nothing. Oh, also... I leave for E-Rantel with Narberal Gamma to gather more information when dawn breaks, so be prepared to take charge in my absence." He said.
"Certainly, Lord Ains. I wish you well on your travels."
X
The man clamped his hands over his mouth as he wedged himself against the upper rafters, his back pressed firmly against the hardwood beam. He struggled to ignore his desire to speak out, until the Message disconnected.
That was Momonga's voice... I haven't spoken to him in almost three years... heh... I wonder if he remembers me. Too bad I couldn't say anything... but... there's five thousand gold at stake here!
He shifted his position, the man sat in a cushy chair directly below him entirely unaware of the immanent death hovering less than ten feet over his head.
"Skill: Bone Protrusion."
His hand tensed up as his knuckles began to pierce the flesh holding them back. Doing his utmost to utter even a sound of dissent, he slowly shifted down the angular beam supporting him, until he was mere inches out of eyesight of the man.
"Muffle."
He could feel his body become nearly weightless, the spell taking its full effect. He pushed himself from the beam and landed silently behind the man. Grinning ear to ear, he lifted his now spiky middle knuckle to the back of the man's neck, then whispered.
"And just like that... you've been killed."
The man clapped his hands, spinning around and facing his would be assailant.
"I see... you've certainly convinced me... damn... and here I trusted those adventurers to place "useful" barriers around my home... well, I suppose you've earned the gold that I would have paid them. Here."
The older man produced a large sack of gold, roughly the same size as his head, and handed it to the younger man.
"You know, if you cough up a bit more, I can put "useful" barriers around your home, I can cast fifth-tier magic, after all."
"Ah... well, I suppose I could afford your services once more... I'll throw in... another thousand gold. Um... what do I refer to you as, again?" He asked.
"Drake... just call me Drake, it's easier that way."
The older man left the room, then returned moments later with a smaller bag that clinked with the sound of gold. Handing it to the Drake, he cleared his throat rather loudly before speaking again.
"Well... it's rather late, if you'd like, you could spend the night in the guest room, after you've placed the barriers." He offered.
Despite his stoic gaze, Drake was bubbling with glee, deep inside.
Let's see if you try to pull the same trick with me as you did with them.
The two parted company, with Drake leaving for the guest bedroom, and the older man for his own room. The barren bedroom was small, but comfortable. Pulling off the brown wool shirt he had been wearing and tossing it to the floor next to the bed, he turned to face the solitary window in allowing visibility to the outside.
The darkness of night was all encompassing, even with the lanterns dotting the roofs of most houses. It comforted the adventurer as he watched the occasional shadow of a passerby flickered across the ground by the faint light of said lanterns. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned before thinking back to the world that he had come from. His mind flashed to the graveyard he had visited every day for a year and a half straight.
Hibiki... I haven't been by for a few weeks... I'm not sure I'll ever be able to again... sorry. I love you.
He turned back to the bed, then moved to get into it, before stopping. He lifted the two heavy sacks of gold, then grinned, thinking back to the conversation that had brought him to the old man's house in the first place.
"Man... screw that old bastard!
"What? What happened?"
"I took this damn request, right? Real easy one too, just had some old man ask me to fortify his house with some passive defensive spells... just some third-tier stuff. You know Lesser Undead Bane, Stone Strength. Things like that, you know. I did it, got the gold, then he offered to let me spend the night... and I did, since it was incredibly late.
"And? So what?"
"I woke up, and the gold was gone! I tried to talk to the old guy, but he was gone too!"
"Damn... that's harsh... what are you going to do?"
"What can I do? I'll just take another job, you up to party with me?"
"Sure, I need to get paid too, gold class jobs don't all pay that well."
He grinned a little wider.
"He'll try that shit with me tonight too... but what he doesn't know..."
He trailed off as he opened a dimension hole, where he placed the two bags, before closing it once more.
"Won't hurt him... maybe his wallet though."
He flopped onto the bed, pulling the thick sheets up to his bare collar bone. He flipped onto his side and cast a tier one wind spell towards the small lantern on the wall. With a near silent tff, the room went dark, and he surrendered to sleep.
X
It seemed mere moments had passed since sleep had overtaken him, but his eyes shot open, his body rejuvenated with ambient energy. He flung himself off of the bed after giving his mind a moment to adjust to his waking state. He clapped his hands together, having immediately decided upon the spells he would cast on the house.
"Heaven's Gate."
"Blood Barrier."
"Guardian Circle."
"Circle of Undead Bane."
"Hell Gate."
The culmination of higher tier spells brought with it a loud whir as they locked themselves into place.
"Fortunately, these are "leave-and-forget" type spells, so I can just tell the old codger he'll be fine."
He pushed his hands against his lower back, forcing his bones into a slightly more comfortable position. After the sound of his bones popping settled down, he activated a spell.
"Recorder: End. Replay."
A recording of the nights events began replaying on the wall closest to him. The first event was him activating the spell.
"Increase Speed: 100x."
His eyes scanned the recording, and he waited for a few moments, he quickly recognized the house, then him talking to the old man, then him preparing to prove to the old man the weakness of the barriers. A few moments passed once again, and he finally reached the point where he had fallen asleep.
"Well... nothing of note so far... but maybe..."
He stopped once the bedroom door on the recording opened. The old man poked his head in the opening, likely to assure that Drake was asleep. He moved quickly, scoping both sides of the bed before crouching down and looking beneath it.
The man stood back up, a look of frustration plastered to his face. It seemed that he was using every bit of self control in order to prevent an outburst. He stormed out of the room in a manner that surprised him, and made him wonder why he hadn't been woken up.
"I suppose it's irrelevant, he wouldn't have gotten the gold back even if I had woken up. Now... let's see... I think I'll just... teleport out. Yeah, as much as I'd like to gloat in front of that man... She might be waiting outside the front door." He grinned as he spoke, putting his shirt back on, tapping the tips of his index fingers together.
"Teleportation."
His vision blurred, and was then filled with a bright blue light. With a soft tug on his body, he felt his position change.
"That... feels different than I had expected... at least it wasn't uncomfortable. Now... I should be, ah, yes, I am."
A quick glance confirmed his location, a small alleyway near the Adventurer's Guild. The early morning streets were nearly empty, but were punctuated with the occasional passerby. He peeked around the corner, trying to see if the woman he had been expecting was waiting for him.
A pair of fingers pinched against the upper ridge of his ear.
"I bet you thought I wouldn't expect you to teleport here, did you?" She asked.
He smiled meekly, putting his hands in the air.
"Alright... you got me. Good on you for not giving me the chance to escape." He laughed.
"So... why did you stand me up on our dinner last night?" She asked.
"A job." Came his simple reply.
"And did this job pay more than a thousand gold pieces?" She asked.
"Six thousand." He answered.
She sighed, then made a noise of frustration.
"I... wanted to spend the night with you, but you ran off... I had prepared dinner... set a good mood... then... you made me look like a fool. Hmph... I don't why I like you at all." She growled.
"Look... I'm sorry... really, I am... but I wanted to make sure that things were okay." He said.
"And... is everything okay?" She asked.
"It will be soon, if you would, please go get a guard. I have something for them." He said.
"Fine, where are YOU going?" She asked.
"Guild hall. I have to go get my new Class." He explained.
"Ah... you're getting Orihalcum, aren't you? Well done, my dear. And yes, I'll go get a guard, we can meet up at the Guild."
The two parted ways, with her rushing past him out into the streets. He took a moment to appreciate her for a moment. Her long, braided black hair seemed flawless under the morning sun, and her bright green eyes gleamed like emeralds as she sprinted around the corner.
Hmph... strange... she looks nothing like Hibiki... but I get the same vibe from her... very strange."
Drake shouted around the corner after her.
"Hey, Allyra! I'll be IN the Guild Hall, at the receptionist desk!" His voice echoed through the alley and into the street.
A piercing whistle whipped through the air in response. He smiled, moving to leave the alley, and crossing the street to the Guild Hall. Opening the doors softly, the lone person, in this case the receptionist giving him a friendly nod as he entered.
"Morning sir, I have your new Plate, if that's what your here for, as well as the rewards from your previous venture." She said.
"Yeah... I'm here for that, so, how much do I get for saving literally everyone in the city?" He asked.
"Sixty Thousand, exactly what was agreed upon. The reports from those who watched you vary a little bit, but the overall consensus is that you killed twenty Great Ogres. Is that true?" She asked.
Twenty!? Uh, no, there were twelve, and I only killed seven of them. The other five ran off." He explained.
"I see... well, even still, it was more than anyone we had here could have hoped to have dealt with, so I'd say you definitely earned this." She said, giving him a wide, warm smile.
"I appreciate it, I'll take it, as well as the Plate, no need to burden yourself with carrying the gold any longer than needed." He said.
"Ah, quite a heavy sack you've earned. It's about as big as me, I'd say." She commented.
She lifted the enormous woven bag onto the counter, where it landed with a thud that dominated the otherwise quiet atmosphere of the Guild Hall. Drake gave a sharp whistle as he eyed the bag, a slightly tilted smile forming on the left corner of his mouth.
"Hmm... with wealth like this... I could live happily for the next ten years without so much as lifting a finger. Couldn't I?" He asked.
"Oh? Are you looking to take a break from all of the hustle and bustle of constant adventuring?" She asked.
He raised his hand in protest, chuckling, mostly to himself, as he spoke.
"Oh I have no intention of stopping at this point. I mean, if I can make this much gold just from killing a few Great Ogres... how much can I make doing Orihalcum and Adamantite level quests?" He said.
The woman cocked her head, smiling a little wider as she did.
"Hmm... most men who become adventurers do so for two things, money, and women... you have both now... so I guess you're here because you like something else about this kind of life." She said.
"Since when do I have women?" He teased.
"Oh come on, you have that cute little Priestess wrapped around your finger, and you can't hide it. The way she looks at you... I've only seen that kind of from a couple of people... but I know what it means." She giggled. "She's been in here a few times... but I've never caught her name..." She began.
"Allyra... I won't give you her last name, for your safety more than anything... anyway, speaking of the Priestess, we have a prior engagement." He said.
"Very well, if you wish to undertake another request, you know where to look, and... if we desperately need you, I'll send word to the Priestess." She said.
"Understood, well, I'll take my leave until then." He said, turning away with a single hand in the air.
"OH!" She shouted, causing him to spin around.
"I nearly forgot, I remember you asked me to keep you informed about major events outside the city... listen... a few days ago, Carne Village was attacked by a group of knights, and apparently... they were saved by some incredible Magic Caster." She said.
His ears perked up.
Momonga is a Magic Caster.
"Anyone catch this Magic Caster's name?" He asked.
"Umm... Ains... Ains Ooal something?" She said, attempting to remember the name that had quickly spread through the city.
"Ains... Ooal... Gown." He said slowly.
"That's it!" She said, happy to have figured out the name. "Do you... know him?" She asked.
He thought about his response for a few seconds, then spoke.
"You can say he and I have quite the storied history... a good one, mind. There's no bad blood between us... I'm just surprised to hear of him this far north." He explained.
"I see, well, that was all. Thank you for your work, as always." She said.
"Wait." He said.
His right hand darted behind his back, where he opened his dimension hole. Searching for less than a second, he pulled out the smallest bag of gold. He moved back to the counter, where he placed the bag.
"Here, as thanks, for keeping your word." He said.
"My... I've hardly done that much for you, especially... considering the sum... is there... another request you have of me?" She asked, eyeing the gold inside cautiously.
"Actually, yes, a friend of mine will likely be arriving in this city at some point soon. I'm sure he'll eventually find his way here, could you give him a message for me?" He asked.
"I certainly can. What is his name?" She asked.
That's tough... if he used the name Ains... he likely didn't disguise himself well... and if he did, he would have to much of a reputation to just wander into E-Rantel... I'm sure he probably stepped on some toes by saving that village, considering they were being attacked by knights... what would he call himself? Momonga is too... well... too obvious... if I had to guess...
"Momon... or maybe Momo, I can't keep up with what he calls himself these days. But, should you see him..." He began, before turning around, looking for something.
"Do you... have a quill and paper?" He asked.
She nodded, before retrieving the items in question from underneath the counter, then handing them to him.
"Thank you." He said.
I'll write it in kanji... he'll be able to understand it, but no one else will.
He began to write.
Hey Momo,
It's Drake, I received your previous Message but couldn't respond due to some outside inconveniences, once you've gotten this, you can send another, and we can meet up.
Signed,
Eulis Auxl Gown
P.S.: You and I are the only ones, I'm certain.
P.P.S.: I can't believe you spelled Auxl, Ooal.
He handed her the small note, which she attempted to read, but gave up the moment she realized that it was indecipherable for her.
"Very well, if that's all, have a wonderful day." She said.
This time he made it to the door, only to find a guard waiting just outside, with Allyra sat next to him.
"Ah, wonderful, I won't take much of your time."
X
Or so he claimed, but gathering the proper evidence and making the arrest took several hours, something that Allyra had several vocal complaints about. Eventually, however, they left the guard to complete his duty, wanting to have time alone as soon as possible. She pulled him along by the hand until they had reached the edge of the city, before stopping to take a breath.
"So... where are we headed?" Allyra asked between her ragged breaths.
Drake, significantly less winded than the girl, pulled to the front and took her hands.
"We're heading to the mountain, I'm going to use Teleportation, so close your eyes unless you want to get sick." He recommended.
Without warning OR listening to her objections, he clamped his hand over her mouth and activated his spell.
"Teleportation."
A brief flash, then a slight feeling of lightheadedness washed over them. Upon being granted their sight once more, they found themselves about halfway to the peak of the large mountain east of E-Rantel.
"What... what are we doing here?" She asked breathlessly.
"Well... I've been doing some research on the area, and I think something that I need can be found right here." He said.
"What in the hell could you need from the top of a mountain?" She asked.
A piercing screech filled the air, alerting the two to a cave a few dozen meters further up the mountain.
"I suppose... you'll just have to see." He said.
He disappeared for a moment through a Dimension Hole, frightening his companion, but returned soon after, clad in a cloak so black that it seemed as though it were made from the night sky itself. He raised his hand towards the cave and uttered a single phrase.
"Maximize Magic: True Dark."
A thin, pitch black beam erupted from his palm, launching towards the roof of the cave. It took less than a second for the spell to strike its target, where it slammed with a tremendous amount of force, before slicing cleanly through the rock, dislodging a massive amount of rock. Allyra wrapped her arms around Drake, huddling herself against him for protection from the ensuing rubble that crashed towards them. With a single swipe of his hand, he spoke once more.
"Gravity Pulse."
The rubble was flung far to their left, where it crashed harmlessly against the more craggy side of the mountain. Allyra's amazement with Drake's magic prowess was interrupted by a harsher, more aggressive screech, this one obviously closer to the front of the cave.
"Get down, it's coming." Were Drake's only words before a white winged figure burst from the cave entrance.
It moved quickly, darting across the air in front of them, before coming to a halt several dozen meters above their position. As it slowed, its wings unfurled, revealing its full figure. It had the body of a rather young woman, save its arms being replaced by wings. It sported dirty, golden blonde hair that covered its right eye, but left its ice blue adjacent eye in full view. It flapped its wings a few times, eyeing the pair with an intelligent gaze.
"What... is that thing?" Allyra asked quietly.
"That... is Nenufar, the youngest member of The Ten Great Angels of the World Tree. We've come to subjugate her." He said.
He raised his hand once more, this time directing it at the Angel, and smiled.
Hibiki... if I forget about our world... would you forgive me? I have... a new goal now... but even still... I love you.