Chapter 10: The Event Begins
Not gonna lie, I had a lot of fun writing last chapter. That was the first real fight scene I've ever created, but it was the speech that was particularly challenging for me. I tried to make it more serious at first, but then I thought that it may be a bit cringey if I did that, so I added some humor to it. Please continue writing reviews, they are part of what keeps me motivated! Honestly, I've been procrastinating a lot on my real-life work so that I can work on this story. But I'm having fun so who cares, right?
Also, I'm not sure whether or not I should give Cerabrate some more depth and character development. I've heard people say that he should just be torn down for being a pedophile, and some wanting him to be a little more complex. I sort of want to make him a little more than just a horrible human being, but at the same time that might be controversial considering he's basically a child rapist. Why don't you guys comment/message me and tell me which you'd prefer?
One last thing before we continue on. I'm considering writing another arc after this where Ainz goes to the Baharuth Empire to visit the Mage Academy. Should I keep it in this story or publish a new one? I'm hoping for some feedback from the readers themselves. Well, enough of my talking, please enjoy!
PS: Shout out to Doommajor for taking the time to actually reach out to me! Honestly, he's the reason I decided to get back to this story sooner than I thought I would. If you're reading this, thanks man.
"As expected of Ainz-sama! It seems that your prediction has proven to be true! The trap has been successfully sprung!"
Shalltear's pale face flushed with excitement as she reported to her master. The true vampire's gaze was filled with longing and admiration as she looked at Ainz, but at the same time, her eyes carried a hint of raging bloodlust.
Finally, vengeance will be mine. Shalltear's lips curled into a cruel smile, revealing the tips of her razor-sharp fangs.
Having heard Shalltear's report, Ainz could not help but feel surprised.
Wow, it actually worked….
Under normal circumstances, the vampire would be kept away from public eyes or disguised with a mask in order to prevent her from being recognized as the rampaging vampire by the ones who had brainwashed her.
During the commencement ceremony, however, the Overlord had intentionally allowed Shalltear to stand out in the open while he was giving his speech. He had instructed the floor guardian to use her vampire senses to keep track of the reactions of everyone in the crowd. The goal, of course, was to see if there was anyone within the crowd that displayed any particularly intense emotion at the sight of Shalltear.
Ainz had suspicions that the group behind Shalltear's brainwashing would attempt to infiltrate this event as well. If what Shalltear said was true, it seems that he had been right.
"I sensed a man staring at me the entire time. He seemed completely stunned to see me there. I think he may be the key to finding out who was behind my….failure."
At the last word, Shalltear lowered her head in shame.
Ainz immediately felt a pang of anger as he remembered how he had been forced to kill his beloved subordinate due to the actions of an unknown group.
"Shalltear, rest assured that we will do everything within our power to find those who dare to insult Nazarick. Go and provide Demiurge with an in-depth description of the man, I'm sure he'll be able to find the best way to approach the situation."
Her head still lowered, Shalltear began shaking, as if suddenly seized by a torrent of emotion after hearing her master's words. She suddenly looked up at Ainz, her mouth open, as if hesitating as to whether or not to say something.
"Shalltear, is something the matter?"
"A-Ainz S-sama….I was actually wondering if…..y-you could let me personally carry out this mission…"
Ainz kept silent. Although she'd been improving since their trip to the Dwarven Kingdom, Shalltear definitely wasn't the most subtle of individuals. More importantly, her emotional stake in this venture made her prone to making rash decisions, especially with her "Blood Frenzy" trait.
"I-I'm sorry my lord, I-I know it's probably too much to ask…. Please forgive this one for speaking out of turn."
Shalltear lowered her head again. This time, Ainz saw teardrops falling to the ground.
She still hasn't completely moved on from that incident yet….
Ainz felt a wave of sadness wash over him as he watched his friend's creation hold back tears of shame.
Peroroncino would be heartbroken to see her like this…
Maybe letting her handle this will be the best way for her to forgive herself. I have to show that I have confidence in her abilities.
Ainz made up his mind.
"Shalltear, I hereby entrust this operation to you. Seek out this individual, but do not make any hasty decisions. You are to observe carefully from a distance and minimize contact until you feel that it is absolutely safe to do so. If you run into any difficulties or are unsure as to how to proceed, you are to immediately report to Albedo, Demiurge of myself. Is that clear?"
The vampire's face immediately lit up as she heard Ainz's decision. She hastily wiped away her tears before looking up at Ainz, her eyes full of reverence.
"Yes, Ainz-sama! I will not fail you this time! I can't begin to express this one's gratitude, you truly are the greatest of the Supreme Beings!"
"Hmmm….just for future reference, did you find out what the name of that man was?"
Shalltear nodded, a serious expression on her face.
'Yes, my lord. His name is Cerabrate, also known as the "Fierce Flash". He is the leader of the Adamantite Team "Crystal Tear".'
Well… Ainz thought This just got a lot more complicated.
I think it's time for me to play "Momon the Adventurer" again.
Nazarick Hotel, Grand Hall
"Wow, this place is….!"
As a former noblewoman and as an Adamantite-ranked adventurer, Lakyus had been to her fair share of luxurious places.
The Valencia Palace of the Re-Estize Kingdom, where her friend Princess Renner lived, was a place she frequented almost every week.
She had once been to the Baharuth Empire's capital of Arwintar, where she visited the Imperial Palace and the Temple of the Four Great Gods, both of which were breathtaking edifices.
While she had never been inside the floating fortress of Eryuentiu, she had once stood outside and beheld the magnificent home of the Platinum Dragon Lord, a legacy of the Eight Greed Kings that almost destroyed the entire world. That was one of the most memorable moments of her life.
This was another one of those moments.
In the center of the massive hall was a gigantic flag bearing the crest of Ainz Ooal Gown. Well, to call it flag may be…an over-simplification. The fabric was not mere cloth, but an almost ethereal golden tapestry that was literally wreathed in crimson flames. Emblazoned in the center, the intricate insignia of the Sorcerer King glowed in an otherworldly light. The "flag" was not hung on any pole, but levitated above the ground for all to see.
The walls of the hall were lined with magnificent statuettes. That itself was not uncommon, as many palaces and temples Lakyus had visited were often filled with impressive marble statuettes as well. However, the ones in the Nazarick Hotel were made from materials even Lakyus, an Adamantite Adventurer, had never seen before. Most amazing of all was the fact that the statuettes felt alive. Lakyus had seen golems before around E-Rantel after it was taken by the Sorcerer King, but the ones currently before her were of a completely different caliber. They shone with an otherworldly majesty, their eyes glowing with sentient light.
Lakyus suddenly realized why there were none of the monsters she had seen in the streets of E-Rantel inside the hotel. The statuettes came in many different forms: griffins, dragons, lions, serpents, and Lakyus had a feeling that they would be the ones to annihilate any intruder who dared to bring trouble into these halls.
Speaking of guards, Lakyus had initially been expecting to see plenty of undead servants within the hotel, much like in E-Rantel. However, since entering the building, the only staff members she could see were a gaggle of strange masked men dressed as butlers, as well as a group of very cute looking girls dressed as maids who went around offering refreshments. A few moments earlier, she could swear that she saw the masked butlers following what looked like a small, plump bird of black and white.
"Wow, this is quite a place, isn't it? We should go check out our room."
Seeing her friend's awestruck expression, Gagaran patted her friend, snapping the blonde leader of "Blue Rose" out of her trance.
"Ah, right, our rooms! Aren't we supposed to go to the front desk or something? How are they going to service so many people?"
Lakyus looked over to a spot where many adventurers had gathered. The area was filled with rows and rows of what looked like….mirrors? The adventurers seemed to be interacting with the glass by touching it. Lakyus saw that many of them had awe-struck expressions on their face, as if they could barely believe what they themselves were doing.
"What's going on over there?"
Evileye was the only one who could come up with an answer. Her voice was filled with utter shock.
"It seems that the hotel has set up some sort of magical service network by combining elements drawn from scrying and communication magic. I think the mirrors over there are portals that allow guests to access the system for information regarding their stay. But….to actually create a system of magic so complex, and to combine different groups of magic and incorporate them into physical objects in place of technology for use by normal people….that's…..I didn't think it was possible for…anyone…"
"Excuse me, do you ladies happen to be the Adamantite Adventurer team, 'Blue Rose'?"
A calm female voice from behind them interrupted their thoughts. Addressing them was a stunning woman dressed in a maid's outfit. A pair of stern, but not unfriendly eyes stared at them from behind a pair of elegant looking glasses.
"Yes, that would be us."
"Ah, my name is Yuri Alpha. I have been ordered to personally escort you to your room. Please come this way."
Yuri gestured for them to follow before walking in the direction of the stairs. As she did so, the Blue Roses could see that there was already someone else behind Yuri. A nervous looking woman with red hair and striking green eyes nodded at them in greeting.
'I'm Saphira from "Crystal Tear", nice to meet you all.'
The Blue Roses responded with their own greetings, and the six women began following the maid up the stairs.
"Everything so far has been a success, my lord. There have been no complications so far regarding the operation of the hotel."
Ainz felt relieved as he heard Albedo's message.
Thank god. It took me a ton of time to create those mirrors.
"Excellent, continue to make sure everything goes smoothly. Remember to inform Pandora's Actor of his role tomorrow during the start of the Master Dungeon event."
"Yes, Ainz-sama!"
Ainz put a finger to his black helmet, cutting off the message spell. He took a deep breath, or at least he tried to despite not having any lungs, before opening the double doors to the male Adamantite suite.
Two men were already inside. A dark hooded figure was strolling around, surveying the enormous room, while a gruff looking man in simple brown clothes lay sprawled atop a large couch, seemingly deep in thought.
The two of them turned to look at him the moment he entered the room.
"Ah, if it isn't Momon from Darkness. We've heard a lot about you."
Cowl turned and walked towards Ainz, stretching out his regular hand to shake.
Cerabrate heaved a reluctant sigh, before standing up as well to approach the newcomer.
Ainz shook both of their hands, taking a detailed look at both individuals as he did so. A particular thing immediately caught his attention.
'It is a pleasure to be of acquaintance to my fellow Adamantite adventurers. May I ask your names?"
"Ah, how rude of me! I am known as Cowl. Pleased to meet you."
"I'm Cerabrate."
So this is him….I wonder if the Draconic Kingdom has anything to do with Shalltear's brainwashing. I hear they have access to Wild Magic.
However, there was something else that intrigued Ainz. He tried not to stare at the crystal hook on Cowl's other hand.
The Claw of Houdini?! Where did he get that?
The "Claw of Houdini" was a trial or "newbie" item given to new players that had bought the "Deluxe Version" of the game. By equipping it, the player would be immune from drawing aggro or "threat" from monsters, and an interface would pop up that notified the player of the most optimal positioning and ability usage, as well as monster weaknesses. However, the item was really only useful for the earliest stages of the game for several reasons.
First, the strategic notifications given to the player were not some complex program designed to create the best tactical approach possible to defeat an encounter. It was just a basic beginner's tool to learn the fundamentals of gameplay and PvE mechanics.
Second, despite having the item equipped, any attacks the player made to a monster would immediately toggle the aggro-immunity off, and leave the player open to attack. Therefore, it had very limited usages in solo play.
Third, the Claw of Houdini actually took up the equipment slot for the off-hand weapon, meaning that having the Claw equipped meant that you could not use a shield, dual wield weapons or two-handed weapons.
Supposedly, the Claw was meant to be a tool for beginner players to learn a bit more about how to fight in the game without immediately putting themselves in danger. However, the Claw was quite popular within the game beyond that as many higher-level players liked how it looked, and many people used the data crystal of the Claw of Houdini to replace the appearance of their off-hand equipment.
Did this guy actually cut hit hand off to equip this thing? Ouch.
In Yggdrassil, in order to use things like bladed hands, arm cannons, metal legs etc., all one needed to do was select the item and put it in the appropriate equipment slot.
In the New World, it seems that actual surgical implants were necessary to do the same.
Poor guy. Wait…if Cowl is also from the Draconic Kingdom, does that mean that that place has items from Yggdrassil? Like the world item that mind-controlled Shalltear…
Ainz's suspicions deepened.
"Is it just the three of us then? It's quite a low number compared to the girls…."
Cerabrate's abrupt question interrupted Ainz's thoughts.
'Hmm..I believe that "Red Drop" will be arriving some time tomorrow. I've heard that most of their members are male."
"Oh, alright. Well, then, I'm going to go check out this hotel. I hear they have a good bar. Cowl, you coming?"
"You know I don't drink…"
Cerabrate shrugged. "Suit yourself."
With that, the "Fierce Flash" strode out of the room, leaving Ainz alone with Cowl.
"So…Momon-san, could you tell me about some of your exploits? I'm especially curious as to what you think of the Sorcerer King."
Narberal Gamma did not know why she had to stay here. All she knew was that Lord Ainz had ordered it, and his word was absolute. It was not her place to even slightly question his plans, and any personal discomfort or doubt was overruled by the sheer honor of carrying out the Supreme Being's wishes.
Even so, Narberal found it difficult to understand why her lord had gone to such measures to entertain a swarm of pests. Her feelings of distaste only intensified when one of the weaklings that had just entered the room approached her and began making typical human noises.
'My name is Saphira Irithyll from Crystal Tear, you must be Nabe from Darkness. It's hard to find high tier magic casters like us, so it's a real pleasure to meet you!"
Behind her, Evileye gave an amused chuckle, before being elbowed by Lakyus, who was shaking her head. Saphira looked at them momentarily in confusion before turning back to Nabe.
Narberal did not bother paying attention to Saphira's words, but her eyes twitched as she heard the words "high tier magic caster" and "us".
However, the battle maid recalled the instructions of her master. Looking at the red-haired human's outstretched hand, she tried hard to remember the lessons Lady Albedo had given her regarding interaction with lower life forms.
"Narberal Gamma, it is important to understand that Lord Ainz's magnanimity extends to even the most unworthy of creatures. Therefore, in order to satisfy our lord's expectations to the fullest, it is necessary to learn how to humour the petty humans who would bathe in the glory of Ainz-sama."
"Humans are weak-willed and easily swayed. A simple smile and touch from myself is more than sufficient and works just as well as any mind-control spell or Demiurge's [Command Mantra]."
'Know that when they extend their hand, they wish to make their worth known to you and to be acknowledged. Under normal circumstances, a simple decapitation would suffice to let them know their place. However, Lord Ainz has asked me to instruct you to do the opposite. In that case, you must perform what is known as a "handshake".'
Suppressing the repulse building inside her, Narberal extended her hand and gave Saphira a handshake.
"You will get used to it in time. Remember, Ainz Ooal Gown can be as beautiful as it is deadly to those who defy the Supreme Beings. I believe Lord Nishikienrai would want his creation to learn the same."
Remembering those words, Narberal even gave a practiced smile.
At the other side of the room, Evileye began choking. Even Lakyus was too shocked to reprimand her.
Gagaran cleared her throat, before making a suggestion.
"How about we all go to the sparring area before dinner? I hear they have some nice challenges there to warm us up for tomorrow. If it's half as spectacular as all the other parts of the hotel we've seen so far, it'll definitely be worth it."
The rest of the Blue Roses voiced their agreement, as did Saphira.
Narberal reluctantly nodded her head.