Continuation people
Ill be quick about this
If you are confused of this, you just skipped chapter 5, which you need to OBVIOUSLY READ. Because i just uploaded 2 chapters and the 6th part is the stats.
NOW READ AND DONT WASTE ANY SHT TIME!
Back at the Outpost...
After a fast battle with the Lizardmen's elite warriors, Cocytus returned to Ainz to his forward outpost where they inspected the whole campaign.
"That was a spectacular battle." Ainz said in praise to Cocytus, who was kneeling before him.
"Aye, twas not bad." Alcatraz complimented.
"Thank. You."
"However, I trust you understand that while we we used the stick this time, you must employ the carrot in the future. You are not to rule them through fear."
"I. Understand."
After Ainz nodded, he looked to the other Guardians in the room.
"Very good. Now then, listen well, you Guardians. Like I said earlier in the Throne Room, Cocytus will administer the Lizardman village. If he needs help, I hope you will give it to him. Cocytus, I hope you will foster a deeply-rooted loyalty to Nazarick in the Lizardmen. I also hope that you will cultivate the growth of talented members of their species. I will leave these tasks to you. If you need [Wings of Ascension] or other special items, let me know. I will also lend you a [Powered Suit] for the time being."
Players could change their character races in YGGDRASIL, but that did not imply that one could freely change race. Some requirements had to be met for the change, and the changes were irreversible.
Part of the requirements were items. Someone who wanted to become an Elder Lich would need a [Book of the Dead]. Someone who wanted to become an Imp would need a [Fallen Seed]. The [Angel Wing] item which Ainz mentioned was used for becoming an Angel. For someone who wanted to become a Fallen Human, they would need [Dark Blood], stored in a vial.
Ainz had mentioned it because he thought that it might be possible to change races in that manner.
"I. Shall. Count. On. You. When. The. Time. Comes. Ainz-sama. May. I. Know. How. You. Wish. To. Deal. With. Those. Lizardmen?"
"Those Lizardmen?"
"Yes. The. Ones. Called. Zaryusu. And. Shasuryu."
The two who fought to the end. Their corpses should still be in the marsh. However, why did he bring them up?
"Hmm… Recover their corpses and use them for raw materials when I'm not making undead with my skills."
"-That would be a waste mi'lord." Alcatraz spoke before Cocytus did.
"Hm? Are they that valuable?" Ainz had watched the battle through the Mirror of Remote Viewing and saw an overwhelming victory. Nothing about them recommended themselves to his eye. But Alcatraz and Khorne did. As much as they played other games which requires teamwork and cooperation before they played YGGDRASIL. So they know what they are seeing and the Lizardmen portrayed almost a flawless teamwork.
"You really dont know the warriors code do you? Their skill and teamwork was almost flawless, they could be useful and can get stronger by time, and possibly exceed our expectations." Cocytus was glad, and also surprised, by the fact that the Supreme Being also supported his idea.
In all honesty, Ainz did not feel anything when he heard things like "warrior spirit". He had heard of terms like "killing intent" in manga and light novels, but he thought nothing of them. Similarly, Ainz had no idea what this warrior's empathy business was about.
That was because Ainz had originally been a normal salaryman, despite his current state. An average citizen who actually knew about a warrior's spirit or killing intent would probably be considered dangerous. Now, he could understand something like a bureaucrat's spirit instead.
"I see… So it would be a shame, then?"
Still, when he thought about it, Cocytus' words made a lot of sense.
He paused briefly to think, and then Ainz thought of his other exceptional subordinates.
He thought of them as they stood around him, in a suitably subservient posture - silent and unmoving.
"Albedo, what is your opinion?"
"It would be the same as yours, Ainz-sama."
"...What do you think, Demiurge?"
"I feel whatever you decide would be best, Ainz-sama."
"...How about you, Shalltear?"
"Like Demiurge, I shall abide by your ruling, Ainz-sama."
"...Aura?"
"Yeah, I'm with everyone else."
"...Mare."
"Ah, ah, ah… yes. I think so too."
"What about you Alcatraz-san?"
"Hmm..." He shrugged. "Its your choice. I only suggested on the idea, as well supporting it."
Ainz thought hard, and finally realized something - perhaps the Guardians did not think it was a big deal while his friend does. In other words, no matter how he decided, they would not feel there would be any major benefits or drawbacks.
Of course, he had to consider their respective situations. Sometimes, problems might arise due to their varying circumstances.
Simply put, when a rich person said, "Oh, that sum's not a problem", one would immediately doubt the truth of those words. In other words, it was the result of differing values and priorities.
[If you are thinking that its a waste of resurrecting these Lizardmen, they arent. Ill be the one to resurrect them, if you wish not it] He suggested.
[Hmmm... With magic or the item?]
[With item, but ill be using magic on the strong Lizardmen]
[Picky eh?]
[Dont judge]
'Still, that means resurrecting the Lizardmen should be fine, right? I was planning to think carefully on this, because I've made too many mistakes recently.'
With no recourse, Ainz had to ponder the merits and demerits of the situation by himself.
"...We have decided to subordinate the Lizardman village to our rule, but is there a suitable candidate for leader? Do they have a group that manages the entire village?"
"No, but there is a person who is suitable to be the village's representative."
"Oh? Who is that?"
"It. Is. The. White. Lizardman. Who. Did. Not. Take. Part. In. The. Fighting. She. Appears. To. Have. Druidic. Powers."
"Her, then! Hm, well, that is workable..."
[She could be useful]
[Thats what I also thought, she can keep out for others if they plan to rebel] Alcatraz told his thoughts to Ainz, which he also thinks about what he said.
Ainz shared his plans with Cocytus, who replied in the affirmative.
Given Cocytus' reaction, the fact that he might be caving in to his master's wishes could not be ruled out. However, after glancing at Demiurge and Albedo, he noted that neither of them seemed to be acting out of the ordinary, which reassured Ainz that he was doing the right thing.
"Very well. How soon before she can be brought here?"
"You haven't noticed do you mi'lord? Shes already here and was brought by Cocytus."
"Oh did he?" He looked at Cocytus.
"Forgive. Me. If. I. Have. Overstepped. Myself. But. I. Sensed. That. You. Might. Wish. To. See. Her. And. So. I. Ordered. Her. To. Wait. In. A. Nearby. Room."
Ainz wondered if this was how a superior felt when he saw his subordinate grow as a person. He was all smiles — although one could not tell his expression given that he was a skeleton.
"No no no, you've done well, Cocytus. Wasting time is foolish, and your judgement was correct. Alright, bring her in, then."
"Ah, please wait!"
"What's the matter, Aura?"
"While they are not strangers, meeting them in an unremarkable place like this will damage your reputation, Ainz-sama. I feel you should receive her in Nazarick's Throne Room." The other Guardians nodded, with the exception of Mare.
"...My. Apologies. I. Had. Not. Considered. That. Please. Forgive. Me!"
"Hm…"
'I had not thought of that at all.' With that in mind, Ainz wondered how he should resolve this problem. At that moment, he remembered the words from back then.
"That is not a problem, Aura. You did say that you built this place in a imitation of Nazarick? You were right. Cocytus, kindly bring her over. We shall meet her here."
"Ai- Ainz-sama!"
"Aura, thats enough."
"Albedo!"
Not knowing why she had been told to stand down, Aura looked at Albedo, her face red with protest. However, Albedo merely glanced at her and then paid her no heed, looking at the main door instead. It was Demiurge who answered the angry Aura.
"...Ainz-sama would not make a mistake. That being the case, if Ainz-sama says this place is as good as Nazarick, then—"
"—It can't be wrong," Shalltear continued.
'Well, I don't think I'm totally correct, and I hope they don't think that way… Still, it ended up helping me out here.'
"Aura, this place is built by you which I feel - built by you, one of our most trusted subordinates - is as good as Nazarick, even if its still work in progress. Do you understand?" Alcatraz finished for Ainz as he softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"...Thank you, Alcatraz-sama!" Aura bowed in gratitude, and so did the other Guardians.
'There's no need to be so moved, I guess… I feel so embarrassed now.'
"In that case, bring her over, Cocytus."
'At. Once!" Cocytus immediately brought the white Lizardman to the room. She knelt with her head bowed before Ainz.
"What is your name?"
"I am Crusch Lulu, representative of the Lizardmen, oh Supreme Overlord of Death, Ainz Ooal Gown-sama."
'Well, that's pretty far-fetched.' Ainz wondered who had come up with that title, but in the end he decided to adopt the calm, poised attitude of a king.
"...Mm, welcome."
Crusch then glanced around the room, she never saw the other 2 beings beside the Overlord of Death. One is wearing with a dark red obsidian-like armor, and the other is wearing a red colored bulky armor - same as the one who murdered the Lizardmen named Cocytus - and is wearing a enclosed-horned helmet, his face couldn't be seen by its dark shadow in his helmet. Alcatraz noticed this and took the opportunity to have some manners.
"Ah, excuse me for not introducing myself. I am Alcatraz, and here is Khorne if you are wondering." He gestured at Khorne.
She bowed and bowed to Ainz. "Thank you, Gown-sama. Please accept the utmost loyalty of we, the Lizardmen."
Ainz studied Crusch carefully.
'These scales are beautiful.' They glittered under the light of the magical lighting.
'I wonder how they'd feel.' Ainz wondered out of curiosity.
'Hmm her scales seem to be smooth.' Alcatraz also wondered.
Just as the two were lost in their thoughts, Ainz realized that Crusch's shoulders were trembling. Cocytus should have disabled his cold-emanating skills, so it was probably due to some other reason.
As he thought on the matter, Ainz realized that her shuddering made perfect sense.
If Ainz said that he was displeased with the Lizardmen, every single one of them would be deprived of their heads. Therefore, Crusch was hanging on to every word Ainz said. Given that she was jumpy and nervous as it was, Ainz's unnatural silence would have filled her with terror.
"The Lizardmen shall live under my banner from this day forth. However, Cocytus will be ruling you in my place. I trust there are no problems with that?"
"-No."
"That's it, then. You may return."
"Eh? May I?" Crusch exclaimed in surprise from where she was bowing. She had thought Ainz would demand the moon from her, so this utter betrayal of her expectations brought that reaction forth from her.
"Aye, we are finished." Alcatraz added.
"You may go back for the time being, Crusch Lulu. The Lizardmen will soon enter a period of prosperity. Your future generations will give thanks with all their hearts that they were allowed to swear themselves to me." Ainz continued.
"You are too kind. We are already deeply grateful for the mercy you have shown us despite our opposition to a supreme being like yourself."
Ainz then approached her. He knelt down, and put a hand on her shoulder.
Surprised, Crusch shuddered, and the vibration traveled up Ainz's hand.
"I, also has a special request for you."
"May I know what it is? If it is within my power, then I shall strive to fulfill your desires as your faithful servant, Ainz-dono…"
"Do not get this idea wrong, but if you agree, I shall restore Zaryusu to life in exchange."
As he spoke the name he had heard from Cocytus, Crusch suddenly raised her head, the very picture of shock.
Ainz smugly studied Crusch's face. She seemed to be trying to hide her feelings, but her expression changed by the moment. Lizardmen and humans had very different facial expressions, so he could not be certain what was there, but at the very least he could pick out joy, anger and sorrow.
"Is that even possible…?"
"Alcatraz-san and I possess power over life and death. Death is nothing more than a state of being to us." He spoke with a smug smile on his face.
After hearing Crusch's almost imperceptible words, Ainz continued. "It is like being sick or poisoned, but neither of us cannot extend one's lifespan." He spoke with tiny hint of disappointment there.
Perhaps it would be impossible to do so through conventional means, but it might be possible with [Wish Upon A Star]... but now was not the time for such things.
"...Then, what do you wish of your loyal slave? … My body, perhaps?" Ainz and Khorne were dumbfounded on what she said, they also heard the sound of grinding teeth that came from nearby. Alcatraz is just laughing silently, because he find it funny to see his friend's reactions.
'Remove your dirty thoughts man, remove it!' Alcatraz mentally screamed.
Ainz chuckled from her answer. "No, it is quite simple really- I want you to observe the Lizardmen and see if any of them are going to betray me."
"No Lizardman will betray you." After hearing Crusch's firm reply, Ainz smiled coldly to her.
"I am not nearly stupid enough to believe that. Indeed, I am not mighty enough to know what every Lizardman thinks, but if they are sufficiently human-like, treachery will be common enough. Therefore, I would like someone to quietly keep an eye on them."
Crusch resumed her blank expression, which made Ainz worry that he had phrased it poorly. While he had wanted to resurrect Zaryusu from the beginning, he wanted her to ask for it and thus bind her to him with chains of obligation. What should he do if she refused?
'If I'd known, I shouldn't act so greedy… Well damn it, I guess there's no point crying over spilt milk.'
"...A miracle hangs before you right now, but it will not last forever. If you do not seize the moment, it will be gone forever." Crusch's face seemed to be twitching.
'It seems he got that piece.' Alcatraz thought as he silently watches.
"It is not as though I am going to conduct some horrific ceremony. Does resurrection magic not exist in this world? I am simply going to use a spell like that."
"That's legendary…" As Crusch hesitated over whether or not to speak, Ainz spoke to her in tender tones, but with an arrogant attitude.
"Crusch, I would like you to think about what is most important to you."
Alcatraz and Khorne watched Crusch's eyes as his words slowly got to her. It felt like Ainz was about to clinch a sale.
'Looks like hes going to break her... Ok that came out wrong.' Khorne thought.
After this, Ainz would need to impress upon Crusch that the miracle he provided did not come free of charge. After all, people would suspect free things, but their suspicions would be eased if there was a reasonable fee attached to them.
"I want you to surreptitiously observe your fellow Lizardmen. Depending on how things turn out, you may be faced with a dangerous choice, In addition, to guard against your treachery. I will cast a certain spell on Zaryusu when I resurrect him. It is a spell that will instantly kill Zaryusu if I judge that you have betrayed me. It might be hard on you, but it ought to be worth it if you can get Zaryusu back, am I wrong?"
'Actually theres no such spell, quite the bullsht im doing, heh.'
Ainz stood up, as though to say that he had said his piece, and then he spread his arms. Crusch looked at the Overlord with a tormented expression in her eyes.
"Ah, yes, when Zaryusu is resurrected, I will tell him that he was recalled to life because he may be useful to me. I can guarantee that your name will not come up. Well then, Crusch Lulu, make your choice. This is the last and only chance you have to return your beloved Zaryusu to your side. What will you do? Will you seize this opportunity, or abandon it? Decide."
Ainz slowly extended a hand to Crusch as he looked to the Guardians and his comrades, and said.
"If she refuses, none of you are to do anything."
He looked back at Crusch. "Well then, Crusch Lulu, what is your answer?" He smiled.
A gentle sensation filled his body. It was as though a hand were trying to drag him up through deep water, but Zaryusu shrugged it off. That was because he felt something disgusting from that frightening hand.
After what seemed like an eternity had passed, he felt the hand reaching for him again. Zaryusu wanted to brush it off once more, but he stopped. That was because he heard a voice coming from beside him, that of the female he loved.
He hesitated... And hesitated... And still hesitated.
In this world where time might not have existed at all, Zaryusu waffled, and then, however reluctantly, he reached out to take that hand.
After that, someone pulled him up forcefully, dragging him into a brilliantly white world.
He felt powerless. He felt like his innards were a sack of mud.
He felt incredibly tired. Even intense physical activity had never left him this exhausted before.
Zaryusu struggled to open his heavy-lidded eyes.
Light stabbed into his field of vision. Lizardman's eyes could automatically adjust to ambient lighting, but they could not resist momentary flashes of light. Zaryusu blinked-
"-Zaryusu!" Someone was hugging him tightly.
"Cr-Crusch?" Logically speaking, he should never have heard that voice again. But that was because he believed that he would never hear that female's voice again.
As his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he looked on the female who embraced him.
She was the female he loved - Crusch Lulu.
'Why? What was going on?'
Zaryusu's heart filled with doubt and unease. His final memory was — his head falling to the marsh. He should have been killed by Cocytus.
Yet, why was he alive? Unless-
"-Crusch, could it be you were killed too?"
"Eh?"
Zaryusu worked his mouth, hard to control on account of feeling numbed, and asked a question.
Yet the answer he received was a baffled look on Crusch's face. As he saw it, Zaryusu breathed a sigh of relief, because he knew that Crusch was not dead. In that case, why was he still alive?
"Same as the villagers, he may gotten weaker and his thoughts seem to be muddled... That being the case, it ought to be roughly the same as it was in YGGDRASIL."
Before him stood the King of Death, a magic caster of extraordinary power. And beside him a strange person with bone-like armor similar to theirs. (Khorne is left at the outpost with the Guardians so hes left there with toture...Not really)
In the King of Death's, hand was a 30cm long wand, which radiated a holy air that was at odds with the undead monarch who held it. It was a beautiful wand which seemed to have been made of ivory and capped in gold, while its handle was inscribed with runes.
Zaryusu did not know this, but that wand was a Wand of Resurrection, a magic item which had recalled Zaryusu to life. Under normal circumstances, those who could not use clerical magic would not be able to use magic items imbued with cleric-type spells, but magic items of this type were an exception to that rule.
Zaryusu's gaze wandered, and he realized that he was in the Lizardman Village.
They were in the central square, and many Lizardmen were prostrate in a circle around them. Their unmoving stance displayed their tremendous respect.
"What on earth is going on...?"
It was only natural to kneel when faced with such awesome power. However, it was not just respect he felt from the Lizardmen, but something more intense than that. The Lizardmen did not worship any gods, and strictly speaking, their faith lay in their ancestors.
Now, he sensed something like the reverence for a god from the surrounding Lizardmen.
"Mm, you may leave, Lizardmen. Someone will tell you when you can come into the village again." Ainz commanded.
Nobody spoke out against that order. More than that, they obeyed without a single sound of protest. The Lizardmen left the village in silence, the only sound being that of their bodies and their splashing across the marsh.
Perhaps their very wills had been shattered after seeing such tremendous power. Granted, that may have also been due to the Lizardman practice of obeying the strong.
In other words, everything was proceeding as Ainz had planned it.
"Aura, are they all gone?"
"Yes, they've all left." The person who answered was a Dark Elf girl. She had been standing behind Ainz all this time, which was partly why Zaryusu had not noticed her, but the main reason was because of how incredibly quiet she was.
Ainz walked in front of the Lizardman.
"Really now. Then, Zaryusu Shasha, allow me to congratulate you on your resurrection." He complimented.
Resurrection. It took a while for Zaryusu to parse the meaning of that word. As he realized it, an impulse flowed out from his heart that set his whole body trembling.
Resurrection - does that mean he brought me back to life? He could not speak. All he could do was make gasping noises.
"Hm? What's wrong? I doubt the Lizardmen despise resurrection, do they? Or have you forgotten how to speak?"
"When resurrected, they're extremely exhausted from it. I learned this from the villagers we saved." He explained briefly.
"Hmm." He understood now.
"Ruh-resurrection… you… *cough* you can bring the dead back to life…?" He can barely speak properly from exhaustion.
"Exactly. What, you thought I could not raise the dead?"
"Was… was there a *cough* great ceremony of revival?" That made Alcatraz laugh wholeheartedly. Which also caused them to be surprised from it, only from the 2/two Lizardmen.
"No there is no Great ceremony, what is that even by the way? Ainz here just resurrected you only himself." He spoke with gentle tone but there is pride there.
Zaryusu had nothing else to say after hearing that.
Resurrection magic was a miracle which could only be performed by those legendary Lizardmen who bore the bloodline of the Dragon Lords.
And this stranger said he could do it by himself.
Zaryusu shakily rose to his feet and prostrated himself before Ainz. Crusch hurriedly rushed to follow suit.
"Supreme One."
Zaryusu felt something like confusion in the gaze which looked down upon him, but he assumed that he had been mistaken.
"Please accept my eternal loyalty."
"Very well. I shall grant you a boon in the name of Ainz Ooal Gown."
"Please grant the Lizardmen prosperity."
"Is that all? Of course I will guarantee the prosperity of all who serve under my flag"
"You have my deepest thanks."
"Come to think of it, you do have some trouble speaking. After some rest, you ought to get used to it. For now, take time to recover. There are many things which need to be decided, and the most important thing is how to take care of this village… You may contact Cocytus about matters regarding that." After saying so, Ainz prepared to leave. However, Zaryusu still had something to ask, a question which needed to be answered right now.
"I pray you will wait, but what of Zenberu and my brother?"
"Their corpses should be nearby." Ainz indicated the outside of the village with a jerk of his chin, just as he was about to depart with Aura.
"May I ask you to resurrect them?"
"...Hm…" He thought about it. But Alcatraz interjected.
"-I shall resurrect them myself. You go ahead now Ainz-san." He walked away before Ainz could say anything.
Ainz sighed. His robe swished as he walked, indicating that the conversation was over. Zaryusu finally recovered from his prostration, and let his body go slack.
'We still have a long way to go.' He thought.
E-Rantel
Alcatraz and Khorne, in their Adventurer Form. Now are in E-Rantel, Khorne now finally registered into the Adventurer's Guild. Both of them have done lots of quests to get the Adamantite rank, but they are only in Mythril while Ainz and Nabe in now in Adamantite rank since he told them he exterminated the vampire nearby E-Rantel.
Alcatraz asked permission (obviously) to go to E-Rantel so that they could roam around and possibly get some useful information, which Ainz just said yes to it. He will arrive there soon, from some request of "Elias Brandt Dale Raeven".
Alcatraz and Khorne were a little bit of bored and are sitting in the Adventurer's Guild, they were sometimes approached by other Adventurers to chat or to ask them for help in their quest, but both of them denied of it. They were both famous for defeating a Gigant Basilisk along with Momon, thats one of the few reasons they are known. For to defeat one, you will need support to defeat it, but only the 3/three of them managed to.
Alcatraz is checking and cleaning his gun, while the others gazing on it like a strange, foreign object which they think its some kind of a weapon. While Khorne lazily sitting at the bench thinking of something.
[Hey, dude I got an idea]
[Hm?] He didn't look at Khorne while he is cleaning.
[Want to dual?]
"... Until we both fall?" He inquired.
" 'Until we both fall'. Aye" The ones who heard this are quite confused on what they both talking about.
Alcatraz stopped cleaning his weapon and ponder of it. "... Lets do it."
They both stood up, weapons on their hands, adventurers gazing their eyes on them as they leave. Talking about them being mysterious and find it suspicious for them to rank up, as the same adventurer named Momon, in just a week.
They both went just outside of E-Rantel's walls. They stood on the grass plains, with wind making it look like they are about to kill each other. It is a good spot for them to play, and wide for them to dance.
Konrad placed some anti-detection spells and illusion on them so that they wont be seen in a open wide area. Both of them ready their weapons and turned into their stances.
Konrad smiled. "Lets do this."
After that they both charged at each other, for others it looked like they disappeared from a blink of an eye, but you can hear metals clanging against metal.
Few moments, both of them are now at a good distance and are preparing for other clash.
"Quite a good way to kill time eh?"
"Yeah... Unlike you stabbing me in the stomach you bastard." After that they both clashed at each other again.
About few hours later...
Both of them are now bloody asf. It is now afternoon and the sun is setting. Grass stained heavily with blood, both of them almost covered in blood and are still standing. Konrad was stabbed again in the stomach, while Kaiser also stabbed in the stomach as payback.
" *cough* Hurts like hell doesn't it? *cough*" He aggressively mocked his friend.
"Very... *pant* Funny... You Bastard. *pant*" Kaiser replied.
Kaiser kneeled down due to the pain he is receiving. Meanwhile, Konrad activated his racial skills which can absorb damage and wont feel any pain. (Alcatraz doesn't feel pain since he is a zombie, except from Holy magic and Divine Class Items, again he can deactivate them anytime he wants)
"How does it feel eh?" He mocked again.
He walked towards him, and crouched down, looking at his face. "How does it?" He repeated.
"F**k... Off."
"Heh. Ok fine ill pull it out." He gripped the handle of his sword.
"Wa-wait dont-!" Too late for him to speak, Konrad pulled out his [Infinity Blade] from Kaiser's stomach, spurting out blood. But just few seconds his wound healed.
Kaiser panting quickly from the pain he got. "Screw... You..." He replied with hate there.
Konrad pulled out the [Wind Blade] from his stomach with ease. "Quite a good decision I picked Zombie race heh."
"Yeah yeah... What are we gonna do with the grass?" Kaiser noticed the ground - they are standing on - is covered black and red blood.
"Uhh... Make it like a marker or something? Lets just leave it and make people who sees this as a marker of a 'demon' or something. You know? Scare shtless on them?" Konrad smiled quite widely. Also causing Kaiser to smile at this idea.
Kaiser just nodded, he liked the idea but still angry about Konrad just immediately pulled out the sword in his stomach.
[Alcatraz-san]
"Ok hold on for a moment dude, Ainz called me." Kaiser just nodded in response and checked around.
[Aye, mi'lord. What do you need?]
[Ok... Sebas has a pet]
[...Like a pet pet? Or-]
[Yea, a human]
[Oh... Did he have a harem?] Deadpanned Alcatraz.
[Alcatraz-san this is not the time to joke about!]
[Ok ok ok fine. What is it really?]
[Shes a sister of Ninya, one of the adventurer teams I was invited in. She's named, Tsuare, and is kidnapped by this organization so-called Eight/8 Fingers-] Ainz is currently giving him information to him.
After being fully given by the information, Konrad's face went serious. [You want me to rescue her?]
[No, Sebas is already heading to their location, I just want you to join the cover-up rescue]
He knows what Ainz is planning and getting the concept. [Finally im getting bored of waiting. So I'll be the villain or the hero?]
[Hmmm. Never thought of that...] Awkward...
[Ok here, Kaiser or Khorne will be a villain and I'll just be that 'mysterious dude who just arrived in time to save your ass'] He joked.
[No joking, this is serious, I swore my name to protect her]
Now that is quite a honorific, swearing to protect on their name on someone... Quite a honor. [... Alright, you already made a cover-up plan?]
[Yes, only 2/two. Demiurge is making the 3rd one]
[... I'll tell you about the plan then]
"So your telling me, I can be the evil dude?" Asked Khorne, with his 'Khorne Berserker' voice (heres the link: watch?v=wpKN-U1-bWk) , and equipped his armor, [The Butcher's Armor] (The Red Butchers Cataphractii Pattern Terminator Armour from the World Eaters) [Power Axe] and [Lighting Claws]. "And were joining in a cover-up rescue?" As they were changing their equipment differently.
"Yes, you dont want to join?" Konrad changing equipping his [Cursed Chains], placing his [Infinity Blade] and his rifle on his back. Also wearing a ragged, black cloak to hide his chains, they emit dread when expose to living creatures.
"...Dude I want to be a f**king Khorne Berserker in action, and I've been waiting to do this sh*t!" Shouted Khorne.
"Ok! OK! Shut the f**k up!"
Khorne was quiet.
"Alright, your name will be 'Abaddon', but I'll call you Butcher for short. But 'Abaddon' will be your villain name, there will be some plans on the later future."
"Aw dang it... Fine."
"Dont forget, you cant say 'Blood for the blood god' since you're f**king blood god." He reminded Khorne.
"Yeah yeah."
"Now-" He used {Shapeshift} to change his voice into a 'Illidan' from Warcraft III and WoW (Heres the link: watch?v=eyB5H7_zNuo) "- It has begun." (But less metallic and quite deep)
"Does it feel weird to change your voice using that?" He pointed out at the {Shapeshift} spell.
Alcatraz shrugged. "Not really, feels normal if you do it all the time."
(Timeskip a bit im not that good of a writer ok?)
Konrad and 'Red Butcher' or 'Abaddon' as he is taking an alias, they both separated their ways. Red Butcher is heading to where Jaldabaoth and the maids are preparing for an ambush which is planned, while Konrad is heading to where Momon and Nabe are confronting Jaldabaoth.
As Nabe and Momon confronted Jaldabaoth, which Ainz told him about Demiurge's alias. Konrad saw them at the time they were both talking, he also noticed a short person covered with red cloak.
'Why is a vampire here?' He took few moments to think about it, but just shrugged it off and will just talk to Ainz about it later.
"It appears I just arrived in time, Commander." He spoke loudly while walking beside to him. (With the Chaplain voice people from WH40k)
"You've came." He took a glance at Konrad, taking a moment about his voice. (Momon's voice is somewhat like the Grey Knights, but much deeper and less metallic. heres the link: watch?v=ilSDgI1JONw&t=13s)
"Of course, Sir. I am a soldier of the Damned, you're the Commander."
Evileye just stood there in silence, she heard rumors of 3/three warriors that defeated the Gigant Basilisk. 2/two of them were wearing dark armor, but one's design is slightly different. And the last is wearing red.
As they stood side by side, Jaldabaoth spoke.
"My, my, such an honor you pay us this night. Might I inquire as to your noble names? This one is known as Jaldabaoth."
'Jaldabaoth?' She heard the surprised voice of the man underneath the jet-black helm, followed by a mumbled "What a weird name."
She did not think it was weird. In fact, Evileye had no idea what to think of it. She knew quite a bit about the lore of demons and other infernal beings, but next to nothing about this name.
"Jaldabaoth, is it? I understand. My name is Momon, and like she said, I am an adamantite-ranked adventurer."
"-I am Konrad, a mythril-ranked adventurer." He slightly bowed.
'So that's what they're doing.' Evileye thought with approval. In order to draw his opponent out and learn from him, Momon exercised his iron discipline and kept his emotions from showing. It was clear why the man called Momon was recognized as a first-rate adventurer.
Evileye, who was ashamed of how easily her emotions had taken control of her, moved into the shadow of Momon's crimson cape in order not to distract the two of them from their exchange of words.
Even though Momon seemed willing enough to assist, she had the feeling that she would be getting in the way.
Momon and Jaldabaoth did not bother acknowledging Evileye's presence. In the moment that she moved, they began a duel of wits, each seeking the secrets of the other.
"Ah, I see. May I then inquire as to the reason you have graced us with your presence this evening?"
"It's for a request. A certain noble hired us to defend his estate... but as I flew through the skies above the Royal Capital, I saw this battle. I assumed that it was an emergency, and naturally I jumped in."
Said noble was Marquis Raeven, who had requested the presence of adamantite-ranked adventurers in the capital, heedless to the risk of running afoul of the unwritten adventurer's policy of not getting involved in politics. One could tell he was desperately in need of the manpower to deal with the Eight Fingers.
"And what is your objective?"
"A mighty item capable of summoning us to this plane and commanding us has found its way to this city. We are here in order to retrieve it, of course."
"And what if we gave it to you? Wouldn't that solve the problem?"
"Unfortunately, that would be impossible. There can only ever be hostility between us."
"What kind of conclusion is that? De- Jaldabaoth, must we be enemies?"
"That is precisely so."
Evileye tilted her head at the surreal sight before her. They were simply exchanging information. How did that even make sense? Konrad just listening is silence, smiling for Momon almost revealing Demiurge's name.
'Heh, he almost spoke of it.' He joked.
"Well, I understand, for the most part. In that case... you shall be defeated here, any problems with that?"
Momon spread both his arms, and the greatswords which were like an extension of his hands seemed to shine. Konrad drawing out his blade, with wind and lighting aura flickering around it.
"That... would be inconvenient. Do permit me to put up a bit of resistance."
"Commander, will it be me? Or shall it be you?" He asked who will fight him one on one.
"It shall be me." He answered Konrad, who nodded his head in response. Evileye, just dumbfounded on why would they have a one on one battle on a demon whose strength is almost beyond what she could imagine. Momon faced at Jaldabaoth, "Then- here I come."
He stepped forward - no, that was not right. The Momon standing in front of her had vanished. He was engaged in an intense melee with Jaldabaoth.
It had developed into a struggle that Evileye could not describe with words.
The after-images of countless swords, parried and countered by the extended claws of Jaldabaoth.
"Incredible..."
There were many ways to render praise, but at this moment, Evileye, who was entranced by the dazzling swordplay before her, could only offer up that single word. It exceeded the blows of all the swordsmen in her memory. She saw the form of a warrior who would cleave through the darkness that wrapped the world and all its evil in one stroke.
She felt like the princess in the songs of the bards. And the dark warrior before her seemed like a knight come to her rescue.
An electric current ran up her spine from between her legs, and Evileye's petite frame quivered.
The heart of hers that had been still for over 150 years seemed to beat quickly once more.
Placing her hands on her breast, she found that of course there was no movement there. Even so, it felt real enough to her.
"...Please win, Momon-sama." Evileye clasped her hands together in fervent prayer, hoping that her knight would triumph over the fearsome devil before her. Konrad heard this.
"Don't worry, he wont lose." Causing Evileye to jumped a bit for she just focused on Momon's fight for it is just too amazing to watch.
Clang!
Jaldabaoth was blown a good distance away, with a sound that did not seem like it could have come from a body of flesh and blood. Though he remained on his feet, he was still skidding over the cobblestone floor at a rate that would swiftly wear out the soles of his shoes. After several dozen meters, he finally came to a halt, and dusted himself off.
"Truly spectacular. Crossing blows with a genius warrior like yourself might have been a mistake on my part."
With a great wham, Momon stabbed his sword deep into the stone beneath him. Then, he used his free hand to sweep a chunk of stone away from his neck before calmly replying.
"Enough with the pleasantries. You're hiding your true power too, aren't you?" It seemed almost unbelievable that neither party was going all-out despite the scope of this battle.
"Could he be a God-kin?" She mumbled.
The offspring of the beings known as "Players" were people who might awaken incredible power from within themselves. The Slaine Theocracy called these people demigods. Or, more precisely, they were the ones who carried the bloodline of the Six Gods within their veins. If they had the blood of others, they would be termed differently.
It seemed very likely that this Momon was of the bloodline of a "Player". Or rather, it would be better to say that no human could have possessed such power.
Konrad heard what Evileye mumbled. 'God-kin? Does she know about Players? Hmmmm, looks like I'll need information from her later.'
"My my, it seems I couldn't hide it from you after all. You are Momon-sa—n, are you not?"
"Indeed, Jaldabaoth, my name is Momon after all."
"Very well, then. Here I come. {Aspect of the Devil: Tentacle Wings}."
Wings sprouted from Jaldabaoth's back, but the feathers covering them were abnormally long, evoking the appearance of tentacles. He spoke evenly to Momon, who remained on his guard.
"You are strong. There is no doubt that your might exceeds my own. Though it is not exactly to my tastes, permit me the use of this method. While your own defense is formidable, can the same be said of the small fry behind you? How will you deal with that, then? Perhaps you should focus on defending her, no?"
With that, he cast forth a hail of feathers. Their tips were razor-sharp, capable of slicing cleanly through muscle and bone.
Evileye was defenseless in the face of this onslaught. She had no more mana to cast 'Crystal Wall'. All she could do was wait and hope for a miracle.
As the sound of metal rang out, Evileye looked up, and saw a stout shield standing before her.
The shattered remains of the feathers were scattered everywhere. Even though they were capable of shredding a human being to pieces, it was still a beautiful sight.
Konrad was swinging his blade at incredible speed. Deflecting the feathers coming at them.
"Ah... ah... Ah! Your shoulder! Are you okay?" Konrad's pauldron had a feather stuck in it. Said feather had fallen powerlessly out of the air after being cut down. It looked like a decoration for his armor.
"Tis but a scratch." He chuckled.
"Marvelous! For defending her without letting her sustain so much as a scratch, I, Jaldabaoth, offer you my heartiest congratulations. Truly, a marvelous display."
"Like I said, enough with the pleasantries. Tell me, Jaldabaoth, why are you pulling away?" Momon readied his stance.
With that, Konrad scooped up Evileye in one arm and hugged her close to him.
"!"
...
'Bards throughout the world, I'm sorry! A true knight does indeed carry the frail maiden in his arms, fighting while protecting her. Uwah, what am I thinking! So embarrassing!'
And then, Evileye's joy fell flat in an instant. She imagine herself in a princess carry position. However, in reality—
"This is..."
-She was being carried like a piece of luggage under his left arm. No, that was actually the best way to do it. Compared to a mature adult woman, Evileye was small and light. In order to maintain his center of gravity, it made perfect sense for Konrad to carry her like this.
She knew she had no grounds to complain, and her heart still burned with the anger of seeing her companions murdered. She knew full well this was not the time for such foolishness. Even so, there was no way to fully quell the unhappiness inside her heart.
Konrad was just protecting her, but for him to carry her like this would also make him be able to defend them both at the same time.
Maybe if she had hugged him of her own accord, it might have made things easier for him. But she was not confident of being able to hang on to him if he chose to fight at those breakneck speeds again, so she kept quiet.
Evileye once again watched the battle unfolding between Momon and Jaldabaoth. The distance between the two of them had widened further than before, but for the top-class warrior and the super-class demon, it seemed little more than an extra step for both of them. Konrad just watching in the sidelines along with Nabe and Evileye.
"Then, shall we begin?"
"No, I believe that will be all for now. Like I said earlier, my objective is not to defeat you. We have already engulfed part of the capital in flames. Once we have established the breach, rest assured that we shall certainly send you to the underworld atop a pyre of purgatorial flame."
With that, Jaldabaoth turned and vanished. His movements did not seem hurried, but in moments the distance between them had lengthened, and he faded into the night.
"No. No, this isn't good, Momon-sama, if we don't pursue him—"
As Jaldabaoth vanished from sight, Evileye began to panic, but Momon shook his head as Konrad lowered his blade and sheathed it.
"I can't do that. He was retreating in order to carry out his plan. If I pursued him, he would fight with his full power. And if he did that..." Momon did not have to finish the sentence for Evileye to understand.
If he gets serious, you'll get caught in his attacks and die. Something to that effect.
But even if they stayed put, that despicable fiend would surely use attacks that would hit Evileye anyway.
The fact that Momon and Konrad were defending Evileye proved that Evileye had value as a hostage.
They had risked themselves to save her life, and she could not do anything to help them. She hated that. To think she had said such high-sounding things to Climb.
"Now then, Konrad-san. What do you think we should do?"
In response, the other dark warrior was called 'Konrad' walked slightly behind Momon.
A woman descended slowly from the sky. The Dark Hero Momon's team included the magic caster known as the Beautiful Princess. She was too beautiful. A foreigner... with looks like that, she must have come from the south. Evileye kept watching her, unable to look away.
"Why don't we head to the residence of the nobleman who hired us, Commander. As originally planned?"
"Should we ignore Jaldabaoth? Isn't stopping that fellow's plans the whole reason why I'm here?"
"Perhaps, but we should still obtain the permission of the client. That seems most important."
"...That is true."
Konrad then remembered something, he was holding Evilieye. "Ah, apologies. I was quite worried that you might have been hit by that attack just now."
He slowly lowered Evileye to the ground. "No-please, don't mind me. I understood your intentions."
Evileye bowed deeply toward them. "Thank you very much for all your help. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Evileye, of the adamantite ranked adventuring party Blue Rose."
"No need to be so formal, I am Momon, an adamantite-ranked adventurer like yourself. My comrade here is Konrad-" He bowed. "-, and the magic caster here is our companion, Nabe."
"So what will you do after this? Are those two your companions? If you need someone to carry them for you, it shouldn't be a problem." Konrad pointed at the corpses.
"I am deeply grateful for your offer, but there is no need. Our colleagues should be arriving soon. Perhaps they can cast the resurrection spell upon them here." They both narrowed their eyes upon that statement.
'So there are resurrection spells in the New World after all. Why am I not surprised.' Sarcastically thought Konrad.
"Resurrection spells... you can use them?"
"Ah... ah, yes. Our team leader Lakyus can bring the dead back to life."
"I see! Then... if I may ask, from how far away can one cast a resurrection spell?"
"What do you mean?"
"That is to say, let's say you wanted to resurrect these two. If you cast your spell from far away... in the Empire, for example, where would they resurrect? In the Empire, or where their bodies lay?"
"I'm not too clear on the details, but I heard Lakyus needs to be very close by in order to cast the resurrection spell. So, with regard to your question, it would be impossible to cast the spell from the Empire, Momon-sama."
"Mmm. Then, another question; after resurrection, would the two of them be able to fight immediately?"
"It would be impossible," Evileye replied.
The spell Lakyus cast was the 5th-tier spell {Raise Dead}. The process of resurrection drained tremendous amounts of life force. Iron-ranked adventurers and below would be reduced to ash without fail if it was cast on them. Adamantite-ranked adventurers could be revived without a problem, but the resurrection would drain so much life energy from them that they would not be able to move, and recovering this life energy would take a long time.
If Jaldabaoth was right, not only were they still in danger, but they would also be deprived of a great amount of fighting strength.
[Our suspicions are of these kind of spells... We are still looking for it are we?]
[Yes, for resurrection magic is quite a unique feat, for the people of the New World that is. They could be proven to be useful]
"I see… I think I have the general idea now. If possible, I think I would like to meet this Lakyus lady. Would it be possible for me to wait here with you?"
"Wha! W-w-w-why do you want to see Lakyus?!"
Evileye's words had already left her mouth before she could recover her composure. She did not understand the reason why she had spoken them either. In the instant she heard Momon saying that he wanted to see Lakyus, her heart was filled with resentment. It even shocked herself, and her outburst had alarmed Momon too.
Under her mask, her face began reddening with shame, and she was glad that the cloak covered up the tips of her ears which were also turning red.
"I... I was hoping to ask about revival magic, and also to meet with the leader of Blue Rose, who are fellow adventurers of the same rank as myself, and who are my seniors besides. That, and Jaldabaoth might be gone, but there's no guarantee he will not return. Is that so displeasing?"
"N-no, it's not like that... ah, I'm sorry I shouted at you."
[Heheh, she has a crush on your mi'lord]
[Wait... WHAT!?]
[I said she has a crush on you hehe] As they both comically argued mentally for awhile.
'Thinking carefully on what had already been said... I should have seen that coming. As for looking out for Jaldabaoth's return... That implies he wants to protect me? Fufu...'
"Then, while we wait, do you mind if I ask about what happened before?"
"Before that, I need to take care of my comrades' bodies. I can't just leave them here. There's no problem with moving them, is there?"
Of course there was no problem. With that, Evileye went over to the bodies.
She'd thought they would have been burned beyond recognition, but it seemed that the devil's flames had only burned the soul rather than the flesh. The corpses were immaculate. After closing their eyes and crossing their arms over their chests, Evileye withdrew a [Shroud of Sleep] from her pack, and began by wrapping up Tia.
"What is this?"
"This is a magic item that stops the decay and rigor mortis of a body when wrapped around it. It's very useful for those who use resurrection spells."
'Ooo quite useful, for my research purposes.' He is quite interested on these kind of magic items in the New World, like Clementine's silhouettes, they weren't found in YGGDRASIL.
While this was so, Momon and Konrad noticed during Evileye's reply that she was struggling to wrap up Gagaran's bulky frame, so they decided to lend a hand by lifting up her body with his incredible arm strength. When the bodies were wrapped up, Evileye solemnly clasped her palms together, praying for the souls of the dead and for Lakyus to revive them.
"Thank you for your help."
"Your welcome."
"Think nothing of it. As I was asking earlier, could you tell me what exactly happened here?"
Evileye nodded, and began recounting the events that had come to pass. What she knew, what they'd planned to do, and the story of their encounter with the insect maid and the battle where Jaldabaoth had made his entrance.
As she spoke of how she had nearly finished off the insect maid, a change came over 3/three, who had been quietly listening to her story up until now.
"Then, did you kill her?" Momon's words were neutral, but the anger behind them was unmistakable. Konrad is also angry, but with great control he managed to calm himself. *insert ok handsign*
"No, we didn't kill her. Jaldabaoth appeared before we could do that."
"...Is that so? I see, I see." The anger vanished, and Evileye wondered if he had even been angry in the first place. But, the silent Nabe's hard eyes were still filled with simmering wrath. It was difficult to tell if she disdained everyone in this way. The rage of Konrad disappeared.
Konrad gave a disappointed and a relieving sigh, and asked, "Then... if you hadn't tried to kill the insect maid, did you think that Jaldabaoth would have attacked you?"
Evileye instantly realized why they have been angry. The insect maid had been neutral, and for all she knew, the two of them attacking her might have been the trigger for the present events. They had trod on the tail of a tiger which they should not have.
It was only natural for adventurers to avoid unnecessary battles. If a group of high-level adventurers didn't know this, it would disgrace the name of adamantite-ranked adventurers, and even Momon himself. That should be the reason why he was upset. Even so, Evileye could not fully agree with that line of reasoning.
"Jaldabaoth said that he had consumed part of the Capital in hellfire. A maid following someone like that couldn't possibly be a normal person. I believe my colleagues' decision to fight her was the correct course of action."
That was the one thing she could not compromise on. That maid is stronger than Gagaran and Tia. Knowing this, they had still fought on- there had to be a reason for that. She had to believe that her comrades had had a good reason for what they did.
The defensive Evileye, the sidelined Konrad, and the silent Momon looked at each other, as though peering through her mask and his closed helm. Although neither could see each other's face, Evileye was certain that she was staring into Momon's eyes.
In the end, Momon sighed. "Fair enough." They both slightly lowered their head to her. That shocked Evileye. Even though her belief in her comrades was firm, she still couldn't make her savior humble himself like that.
"Ah! Please, raise your head! Such a wonderful person like you should... Ueeeeee?" As she realized what she had just said, Evileye let out a pathetic yelp.
While it was true that Momon was an outstanding individual, when you thought about it, using the word "wonderful" to describe him was...
Evileye squealed in her heart. 'Aaaaah! I can't help it, they're too damn cool!'
Given the way Evileye was looking at Momon like a lovestruck schoolgirl, if he felt embarrassed and said so, that meant she still had a chance. If not, her chances would be miniscule.
As Evileye gathered her courage to look at him, she found that Momon and Nabe were looking at the night sky instead.
She didn't quite know what they were doing at first, but when she remembered how she had wailed just now, it came to her. The two of them had taken her cry as a warning.
"I am not sure of you 2/two done bickering, but are you seeing what im seeing?" Konrad pointed at the direction with a huge ass fiery wall.
That caused them turned to look at the crimson radiance. Evileye's eyes widened, for she knew what had caused the fire.
"What? That's..."
The crimson fire spat tongues of flame toward the sky, as though it aimed to burn down the heavens. It was easily more than thirty meters high, and she could hardly imagine how wide it was— several hundred meters, maybe more.
The wall of flame swayed like a veil, and encircled the city like a girdle.
Evileye, who had been shocked senseless by the sight, heard a soft male voice in her ear.
"...The Flames of Gehenna?"
"May the emperor of mankind protect us." Konrad said quietly.
"That, that, what, what is that? Do you know what that huge wall of flame is?" Inquired Evileye.
Konrad turned toward her. "That... is for you not to know about it. Sorry."
"I need to discuss something with Konrad, please excuse us."
"Eh, can't I come along too?"
"Ah, no, it's a personal thing. Please, excuse us." Both of them went to a place where they cant be heard.
Momon was about to activate a cash item that has a power to prevent eavesdropping, but Konrad placed a 9th tier spell {Hidden}, a spell that only within the limited range that there are no sounds and makes creatures within the range invisible. Alcatraz uses this when he is taking an ambush point. (kinda like Corazon's devil fruit ability)
"Huh. Forgot you can do that."
"Well you should have. Anyways what should we do with her?"
"She did in fact hurt and almost killed Entoma. But the backfire is that; killing her would cause too much ruckus and questions."
"...Alright then. And by the way."
"?"
"Shes a vampire, in case you didn't noticed."
"Oh? How you know?"
Konrad shrugged. "I have passive that appraises creatures that are low level. Plus I can sense living beings with thermal, like heat vision. But limited range."
"Hmm. Do you think she knows?"
"Hm? On how she looks at us? No."
"What you mean?"
"...You can say she sees us as "idols"." He made a hand quotation marks. "But I cant be sure thought, we still need to keep our guard up, no one can know our identity or else we will have to..." He doesnt need to finish the sentence.
"Yes...I am also sorry for revealing my anger when she spoke about Entoma." He slightly lowered his head.
Konrad placed his hand on Momon's shoulder. "It is a normal reaction mi'lord, they are children made by our comrades'...We have to take care of each other, to live and survive in this New World."
Naberal was completely calm in the background, but in the inside she is quite 'honored' to see this kind of act from the Supreme Beings.
But inside of their minds, they are quite stressed and sweating bullets. Not sure what to do next, they just improvised.
But when the 2/two heard of Evileye telling almost killing Entoma, the 2/two almost used their powers to annihilate her from the face of reality. Ainz managed to calm down easily from his 'Emotion Suppression', and Alcatraz managed to control his rage from killing her. Which is quite weird, cause Alcatraz doesn't seem to have a problem with his emotions.
They already knew. And have grown control over themselves. Twas a great breakthrough, but they needed more to succeed. Their friend's NPC's were like a children to them.
If one dares to hurt them, they will receive vengeance. There wont be any mercy from it.
"Lets go. We dont want any suspicion from her. I'll send our situation to Albedo, we may join in the clearing of Jaldabaoth's forces."
Momon nodded in response and Konrad relayed his message to Albedo.
The 2/two slowly made their way back to Evileye.
E-Rantel/Palace/Receiving Room
Though it was in the middle of the night, a corner of the Royal Capital was lit up by torches as though it were broad daylight. A somewhat cramped room was packed full of men and women. They were all dressed in battle gear, but there was no unifying theme among them.
All of them are adventurers within the Royal Capital who had responded to a hasty summons. Orichalcum and mithril-ranked adventurers notwithstanding, even lowly iron and copper-ranked adventurers were present for this.
Momon used the [Ring of Change], which was given by Konrad, to change his race. His stats from being a Skeleton were still there but only penalized a little. And changed his race into Human but somehow there were few minor side effects, but he is safe to remove his helmet, which his face looks like Geralt of Rivia but seems to look quite kind (Witcher series). And black long hair, making him look majestic asf. There were female adventurer's looking at him with flirted expressions. (i have no idea what word i was suppose to put there) The [Ring of Change] can change the appearance and stats of the user, but for some reason it doesnt remove his emotional restriction when he turns into a living being. Doesnt matter, at least he can feel "normal" again.
Konrad just keeping his helmet on, his armor - including the helmet - consists cold enchantment and is making him comfortable, which means he doesn't want to remove his helmet. He did however used {Shapeshift} to change some features of his face/looks, his eyes are same as a dragon, but color white and red. His left cheek was covered with bony shards (he liked the looks of it) but was covered with a mask, but some seem to stick out of it. (like Kakashi's mask, but only covering his jaws)
The great door to the chamber suddenly opened, and what appeared was a group of women -and one man- causing a stir.
Every one of them was known to the adventurers within the Kingdom.
At their head was the leader of the adamantite ranked adventuring party "Blue Rose", Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra.
Close behind her was the Golden Princess Renner, along with the leader of the Adventurer's Guild in the capital. Then there was Evileye of Blue Rose and one of the twins. And at the back was the strongest warrior of the Kingdom, Gazef Stronoff.
As the group stood before the gathered adventurers, the youth in white armor unrolled the scroll in his hands, and pasted it onto the wall behind him.
It was a detailed map of the Royal Capital.
"Ladies and gentlemen, to begin with, I'd like to thank you for being able to be present for this emergency meeting." After the room had quietened down, she continued to address the adventurers with an earnest expression on her face.
"Normally, the Adventurer's Guild would never interfere in national affairs." Every eye turned to the members of Blue Rose, but they remained silent. After all, eyes could not speak like the mouth could.
"However, this is an exceptional case. The Adventurer's Guild has decided to cooperate fully with the Kingdom, in order to quickly resolve the problems facing us. The princess will relate the details to us, so I pray you will be quiet and listen."
The Princess slowly advanced, flanked by the members of Blue Rose and Gazef Stronoff.
"I am Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself, and I am deeply grateful that everyone here was able to respond to the extraordinary summons issued tonight."
[Quite a long name] Konrad complimented.
[It sure is] Momon noted.
She then explained her plan to those presented and answered the questions who asked. It only took few minutes or so, she then reached the climax of her speech.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you will be the bow of our Kingdom, drawn and loosed, to pierce our foe straight through the heart."
As the adventurers spread out, the enemy would follow them. This would also thin out the enemy's defenses. It would be easier to attack from the flanks than from the front.
Forming the adventurers up into a line was a feint intended to thin out the enemy.
"Our arrow will be Momon-sama here. When he sees the enemy lines open up, he will make a low-altitude flying assault to break through them."
"...how about Red Drop? Even if they are adamantite-ranked adventurers, I don't see how two people can break through by themselves. To be safe, don't we need someone to screen them before they reach Jaldabaoth?"
One of the adventurers asked that question, and the guildmaster, standing at the head of the crowd, answered on Renner's behalf.
"At the moment, they are performing a task within the borders of the Republic. We have already used [Message] to inform them of the situation, but returning will still them take half a day. By that time, it would be too late. So this time round, we are not counting their strength into our plans."
"Then how about Blue Rose? Will they be going in with Momon-san?"
"...Our battle strength has been greatly depleted with the loss of two of our members. Tina and I will join the battle line and fight. Evileye will be doing something else."
"...I will be accompanying Momon-dono as he makes his entry, so I have been focusing on restoring my mana up until now."
"Then let me ask another question. I'd like to ask the Warrior Captain something. What about the nobles' house troops and warriors? Blue Rose has already lost two members. You should be taking their place in battle. Couldn't you lead those troops into battle, and let Blue Rose handle the task of clearing the path for Momon-san?"
"Answer us!"
Gazef stepped forward. "The house troops are responsible for protecting their masters' estates, and the soldiers look to the defense of the capital. And the warriors I lead are tasked with defending the royal family."
There was a hubbub among the adventurers, and the same person spoke up again.
"So you're saying you won't be setting foot on the battlefield, Stronoff-sama?"
The air had changed. It had turned harsh. Gazef's words were could not be faulted, but even if one could understand them on an intellectual level, it was still unacceptable on an emotional level.
The ones who earned their coin in blood were the adventurers, and they were already prepared to sell their lives dearly in the coming battle.
The nobles and royalty should have been the same way. Having taken the money of the masses, they should be rushing to their rescue instead of holing up safe in their castles. Especially holding taking the Kingdom's Strongest man as their body guard.
Therefore, the one who spoke for him was unexpectedly, Konrad.
"Please do not be harsh with the Warrior Captain. He's duty requires protecting the royal family at whatever costs. But when the time comes, he will make his appearance in the battlefield." He glanced at Gazef. "Am I right Warrior Captain?"
Gazef stood dumbfounded for a moment. Then collected his thoughts and replied. "As you say Konrad-san." He bowed his head slightly.
Konrad nodded. "As Salaam Alaikum." Those words caused him to widen his eyes in shock, those were the exact same words his savior said.
'Is...Is he Alcatraz-dono?! Why is he here? No, his voice isnt the same as Alcatraz-dono.' He made a mental note to talk with him later.
He then calmly replied. "Wa Alaikum Salaam." He also nodded. Those words caused the ones in present to be confused, they never heard that kind of language. Except for Momon, he know what those words mean.
The adventurers then murmured for a moment then nodded their heads. Accepting Konrad's words.
[Why did you expose your identity!?]
[Dont worry, mi'lord. Gazef is not a foolish man to even attack us]
[...But that was a bad and risky move you did there Alcatraz-san!]
[Aye... It is...]
"...Climb. I have one task for you!"
"Yes, Princess!"
"Although it is a very dangerous task, I must still entrust you with it. When we enter the enemy stronghold, there might be survivors. Please rescue them."
Murmured whispers rose up from the adventurers. "Impossible", "it's too much", that sort of thing. Entering the heart of the enemy formation and looking for survivors was not so much dangerous as outright suicidal. And escorting powerless civilians back out through a war zone was practically impossible.
Still, Climb answered immediately.
"Yes, Your Majesty! I will stake my life to accomplish any task you ask of me!" Konrad smiled as his courage and determination.
Everyone looked at Climb as though he were mad.
"...Hime-san, Climb is just one man, and there might be some risk. Will you permit me to accompany him?"
"Will that be all right, Brain Unglaus-sama?"
That name raised another commotion from the adventurers. The name of Brain Unglaus was one which nobody who valued strength would ever forget.
"Ah, it's no problem for me."
[Thats one of the martial artist's Shalltear was hunting]
[How you know?]
[I asked one of the Vampire Brides who were accompanying with Shalltear, one of them said he has blue hair and a katana. So thats the person she was hunting and no mistake of it]
[So thats him...]
[Dont worry he has nothing to do with Shalltear's brain-washing incident]
[...I hope you're right]
"Then I will be counting on you. May I now ask the various party leaders to step forward?"
The leaders of their groups stepped forward and introduced themselves. People who looked like they were second-in-command for their adventuring parties were coming up to Ainz in twos and threes to speak to him.
After them, the lower ranked adventurers came to introduce themselves to Momon and Konrad. They paid attention to every newcomers.
The important thing was to remember the party name and what rank they were. And of course, they would only pay attention to the higher-ranking adventurers. Iron and copper-ranked adventurers came to greet him too, but they lived in different worlds, and so forgetting them was not an issue. It was like how a department head would not bother remembering the salaryman of a small company Ainz visited.
'Those long hours of practicing before the mirror, finally paid out. Man, being a leader is exhausting.'
[Whaddaya know? Someone with a pink hair, never thought I would see this kind again]
[Weird isnt it? Still dont get it why would anyone dye their hair pink, or any other bright colors]
[Its their act of weirdness mi'lord, we should annihilate them before any virus from them spreads!] Alcatraz joked, making Ainz laugh mentally.
[But still we need to focus mi'lord, the battle is going to start soon] They departed the topic of hair, and instead looked at the line of adventurers in front of them.
Konrad answered the questions from some adventurers of 'why is he a mythril ranked when Momon and Nabe are adamantite?' and similar to those. He just simply replied:
"I was late to join, that is all." Was his answer.
And there was the slim beauty Nabe, but obviously she wasn't approached by any adventurers due to she is emitting hostility.
Evileye approached, cutting in front of the person who was going to shake Ainz's hand. They couldn't complain, though. The adventurers had made their introductions in order of rank, from highest to lowest. Being at the tail end of the line, the ones remaining were the novices, and they certainly could not speak out against the adamantite-ranked Evileye.
"The introductions should be pretty much over, could you come over here for a bit?" Ainz glanced at her through the slit of his closed helm, and then he spied Gazef from the corner of his vision.
"Konrad, take my place and meet them. I'll come over after I finish here." The nearby listeners' eyes went wide.
'Heh. Nice save you bastard, you too lazy to go there?'
"I'm very sorry, but the ones who queued up came first." Ainz turned from Evileye and continued speaking to the adventurers who had come to see him.
Konrad then walked beside Evileye. "Pardon my Commander, he is quite a man of a self-made code."
"What kind of code?"
"That I am not sure. All I do know is that it is a complicated one." She doesn't need to ask how complicated.
"I got a question."
"Yes?"
"Why do you call Momon-sama, Commander?" She was quite curious why he called him Commander.
'Time to bullsht. Hehehehehe.'
"We were part of a militarized group, named 'NightLords'. We fight with fear in our backs, we use fear on our enemies so it will be an easy win. Psychological warfare is our style of combat."
"Psychological warfare?"
"Yes. It means we break the will of our enemies to fight, making them to either surrender or run away, thus we win with little resistance from the opposing side. It sounds cowardly, but we prefer to keep it safe."
"I see... Where do you come from?" Konrad paused for a moment to add dramatic effect, causing Evileye to fully pay attention to his story.
"...We were in a Kingdom called, Los Angeles... But it was fallen due to the monsters, they arrived out of nowhere. Now we are scattered, lost. There were others too, that survived. But Commander, Nabe, and I, are one of the survivors of our Nightlords kin... Time is at the essence, we must focus what is infront of us." Evileye looked at him with pity in her eyes, but he was right.
They have to focus on what is infront of them rather at their back.
'That... was some great acting! Nice one Alcatraz! Now go bullsht to the other one!' He thought comically.
Gazef walked towards to Konrad, they both exchanged a handshake.
"Gazef, nice to meet you."
"Indeed... But to be sure, are you Alcatraz-sama?" He narrowed his eyes.
"Hmm? No I am not him, and I never heard of him, why you must ask?" Konrad smiled.
"...He said the same strange greeting words as you do."
"Hmm. Then I guess he is also one of my brethren, those are our words to know if you have the blood of the Arabian within you."
"Is he one of these 'Arabian'?" Konrad chuckled.
"He may be, but our kin including Commander- " He gestured at Momon. " -learned different types of languages, and the Arabian language is one of them."
"I see..." He wanted to ask some questions more, but Konrad told him that he needed to do something important, making Gazef realizing it. They both then gave their byes and Gazef left. Evileye was about to raised her voice at him and arguing on letting the Warrior Captain leave.
"-The talks will continue later, we need to focus, or more will die." His tone gotten serious, making Evileye to remember what they were suppose to be doing, stopping Jaldabaoth.
"I see." She nodded.
The Adventurer's Guildmaster clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.
"The operation starts in one hour, so we'll be moving out shortly. Because we don't have much time, please relay the message to any of your party members who aren't here. In any event, once we leave the palace, just stick with me."
Before they go into a 'private briefing', Konrad managed to do a quick [Message] to Khorne.
[Khorne, you there?]
[Aye, Im at the place where Ainz told me to go. Anyways, when the hell is the action gonna start?! Im bored!]
[Just wait for few hours m8, and trust me were going to have a long fun battling each other. You know the drill when Ainz 'beats' Jaldabaoth right?]
[Aye]
[Good]
And that right there people, is a story/chapter for another day.
Now if yall got confused about this, then you missed chapter 5. I uploaded/posted A Chapter and Stats for Alcatraz and Khorne. Now go to Chapter 5 and read it! No wasting time CHOP CHOP!
If there is some grammar issues that i need to correct, please PM me about ok?