Leinas immediately checked, if her hair was still covering her face. She always made sure to hide it very good. How could he know?

"What did you do to my body, while I was unconscious?"

Geralt was visibly flustered, as he tried to defend himself.

"No, no, no, no. I did nothing like that. I would never act that inappropriately towards anyone. I could feel a weak reaction coming from my medallion. At first I was not sure, if it was some of your equipment. Then it was overwhelmed by his majesty's presence. Only during our conversation here, I figured it out. The only possible source of magical energy, was a curse."

Leinas began to calm down, as she heard his explanation. Ainz got curious, as he listened to him.

(A curse? I had no idea. What kind of curse could it be? I have heard of curses before, but there was no mechanic like that in Ygdrasil. Is it a magic native to this world? Or is it something else? What should I do? Should I pretend to have known from the beginning? But I really want to know more about this. I should probably ask him about it.)

"A curse?"

"Oh, I see. It was meant as some kind of test. You wanted to verify the Witchers abilities, before allowing me to join you?"

"Let's say, you could be right. So, what can you tell me about it?"

"Much more important, can you cure me?"

Leinas couldn't hold back her excitement and exploded. She has searched far and wide for a possibility to get rid of this burden. Nobody was able to help her. But right now, right in front of her was a person, who knew something about it. She sure as hell wouldn't let this chance slip.

"First, I would like to take a closer look. May I?"

Leinas closed her eyes and nodded. Geralt gently brushed away her strain of hair. Now it was clearly visible. The right half of her face was outright disgusting. Barely any skin was covering the flesh of her face. It has turned black on several places, and the rest was covered in pus-secreting bumps. Her eyelid was nearly nonexistent, so she couldn't close it. The difference between her right and left side was like day and night.

"The roots go very deep. It should be 10 years ago, it first appeared. Probably around your twelfth birthday. It started as a scratch at you check and got worse over time. It doesn't respond to healing magic or potions."

Ainz couldn't help but ask

"Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

"Not directly. I have only seen it in a book. But I am pretty sure it is a mark of envy."

"What does that mean?"

"That means, the source of this curse is a persons' envy. The fact that your face has been targeted is a proof of that."

"I guess what she means is, how can envy turn into a curse. Maybe you should explain it in simple terms. Simple enough for children to understand it."

Normally, Leinas would be offended by being treated like a child, but right now, she was thinking about other things. Geralt thought of it as a test, whether he could explain and teach his knowledge to less educated people and if he was fit to be an instructor for adventurers. Of course, Ainz motives were less deep. He simply tried to understand it himself by using his usual play "I let you explain it to the others.".

"I will try to-explain it as good as possible. At first you have to understand the difference between magic and curses. Magic is a controlled phenomenon, caused by a magic caster to bend reality to his will. Curses on the other hand can be caused even by non-magic casters."

"How is that possible?"

"Have you ever heard of ancient magic, or as you call it wild magic?"

"It's magic wielded by the dragon lords, right?"

"Well, yes and no. It is true that the dragon lords are the most prominen tusers of this magic, but others can use it too. Witchers for example, can use a small amount of that magic. It uses the natural magical energy, flowing in this world. Some species, dragon lords and us included, can feel the flow of this energy. That way, we can draw upon its power to use our magic. The amount of energy that can be used at once is limited by species and talent."

"What has that to do with curses? You said they were different from magic."

"Imagine the magical energy as water. It flows in rivers, remains in lakes and sometimes, it rains down on the earth. On extremely rare occasions, we are talking about a once in several years event, this rain forms puddles. These puddles are usually very short-lived, only a few hours at most. Then the energy disappears. But as long as this puddles are on the surface, they can be accessed. If a person with strong feelings comes across it, it can react on them. If a soldier on a battlefield feels hope and wishes to return to his family, it can keep him safe. Arrows will miss him and he can escape death. This will seem natural and nobody, not even the person in question, will, notice it, But if a person that holds very strong negative emotions in his heart happens to pass by such a puddle, the results can be very problematic. If the hate, envy or fear are directed at another living creature, it can be cursed. Depending on the nature of the emotions, the curse can cause bad luck, pain, injury of even death at some times. In your case, your face has been targeted. That's why I think of envy as the motive."

"That explains the how. But can you cure it?"

"That's hard to say. You have been suffering for a long time. The longer a curse lasts, the harder it is to remove. Basically, there are two ways to lift a curse like that. The first one is to die."

"What?"

Ainz and Leinas exclaimed unison.

"The curse uses the victims' life force to last. As soon as your life-force is used up, the curse will lose its' source of power and fade."

"You mean the curse dies with its' victim?"

"Yes."

"You said, there was another way?"

"The second way is much harder."

"Are you saying, dying is the easy method?"

"For the second method, you have to find the origin of the curse. The person that caused it. See, the emotions link the curse to the origin. That makes it possible to reflect the curse back at him or her and free you. We can do that, by conducting a special ritual. For it to work, you have to sit across of him or her and recite magic words."

"What if I can't find this person? What if that person is already dead?"

"In both cases, you would be unable to be freed."

A complicated mix of emotions - went across Leinas face. On the one hand, she had found the first solid hint on how to achieve her goal. On the other hand, she was worried all her efforts so far could have been for nothing. Geralt could see her worries.

"Maybe there is another way I can help you. But that depends on.."

"On what?"

"On how much pain you are willing to endure."

"t will endure whatever is necessary." Leinas had a very stern and convincing look on her face. Allthe worries she felt a second ago seemed ta have been lie.

"This method will not lift the curse, but it can suppress its' effects. Please wait here for a minute. I will be right back."

Geralt left the dining hall. After a short while he returned, holding a small bottle in his hand. The öiquid in it was green. 10 of 10 people would identify it as poison.

"This bottle contains a mixture of mandragora, nightingale roots, leaves of the Biran tree and some other ingredients. It will feel like a glowing piece of iron has been put on your face, but it will return your appearance to a natural state. At least for a while."

"How long?"

" I don't know. Curses like these are extremely rare, so I have never experienced its' use. I can't say for sure. Something between 10 to 14 days at 'most. After that, your face will return to its´cursed state. The problem comes if you want to use it again. Every use reuires more of this elixier. At one point, you won´t be able to take it and die."

"l don't care. I said I would do everything, so stop wasting my time and get started."

"OK. It's your first time, so a few drops should be enough. Please hold still."

Carefully, Geralt let three drops of the green potion fall on Leinas' face. For the first few seconds, nothing worse happened, than some light stinging.

"Is that all? You made it sound like it would be terrible. It seems like you were exagg..."

Then it hit her like lightning.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah"

Her screams echoed through the hall. She fell to the ground, unable to remain standing. The pain was worse than anything she could imagine. It felt like her skull was being crushed. The feeling of her burning flesh being ripped of her face was at least somewhat bearable. The worst part was in her right eye. It could be best describe as being gauged out with a rusty spoon, while glowing pieces of coal were placed in the eye socket. She lay on the ground, screaming and kicking, holding her face in agony. Geralt was standing next to her, crossing his arms and apparently unfazed. Ainz asked in a concerned tone

"That looks very painful. Will she be alright?"

"That depends solely on her. If she can withstand the pain, her curse will be suppressed."

"How long will it take?"

"It should be over in one or two minutes."

As if following Geralts predictions, Leinas seemed to calm down. She was still laying on the ground, but her breathing got calmer and her screams stopped. Geralt helped her to stand up, since she was unable to do it on her own. Exhaustion was written all over her face. Before she could muster the strength to ask for the results, Geralt picked up one of the metal plates laying on the table. He held it in front of her, so she could see the reflection. Maybe it was the exhaustion, but she wasn't immediately able to comprehend what she saw. The mirror image she saw was... normal. No necrotic flesh, no puss and no half rotten eyeball. Just a normal face with pretty features and hair wet from sweating. She couldn't believe it. She genuinely smiled from one ear to the other, as tears rolled down her cheeks. In the next instant, she collapsed. Geralt caught her and laid her carefully on the ground.

"Is she alright?" asked Ainz..

Geralt grabbed her wrist to check her pulse.

"No worries. She just passed cut from the exhaustion. I think we should let her rest for a while. I will bring her in one of the beds upstairs, so she can sleep."

He picked her up and carried her up the stairs. As soon as he left, Mare said to Ainz

"Excuse me, Ainz-sama, but I have to say, how incredible you are."

"What do you mean?"

"To be able to foresee the empires actions to such a degree is truly amazing. You manipulated the emperor to send this woman, so you could test the Witchers abilities. Furthermore you manipulated him masterfully into accepting you as his master."

"Ahm,yes. It is as you described it. Well done for understanding my plan. You did a very good job in convincing him to talk to me. I think you deserve a reward for it."

"I don't need a reward. Being praised by you makes me really happy, so I don't need another reward. And I didn't need to convince him. He was very friendly and helpful from the beginning."

"By the way, what do you think about him?"

"I think he is clever to immediately surrender to your grace, Lord Ainz."

"And about his character?"

"He seems to be honest. He spoke his mind freely but remained respectful! think he is a nice guy."

"Do you like him?"

"He seems to be a good person."

"If you-think he is a good person that is enough. He will be serving the Sorcerer Kingdom from now on,so I hope he will get along with you and the other guardians. I plan to have him supervised for the first time. Because you two seem to get along well, I want him to report to you. He will govern this place by himself, but if you think corrections are necessary, don't hesitate to inform me."

"Wouldn''t that make him, something like an area guardian?"

Mare asked in a timid voice

"No. This title is reserved for the residents of Nazarick. Maybe we should think of a title for servants coming from this world. Do you have suggestions?"

Mare was silent as he thought about it.

"I-I don't think this is a good idea."

"You don't have to worry. I was asking for your advice, because I value your ideas. You are intelligent and kind."

"Then how about 'Native Guardian', since these people are native to this world?"

"That is an excellent idea. From now on, we will use the term Native Guardian."

"For what?"

The voice belonged to Geralt, who just returned.

"Well, we were thinking of a new title for you. You will be serving my country from now on, so I thought you would need an official job description."

"And you picked Native Guardian? Why?"

"A Guardian is a protector. There are several Guardians among my people, Floor and Area Guardians are responsible for most of the important missions within my country. Whatever happens, you will have to protect and serve not only your domain, but also the Sorcerer Kingdom. I explained earlier, how a noble should be the first servant of a state. That's basically what it means, to be a Guardian."

"In that case, I will gladly accept this honor. I am very grateful for your trust. I just hope I can live up to your expectations."

"I have no doubt you will be a very valuable ally. But don't forget, I am also helping you in return. Take it as some sort of payment or compensation for your services. After all, hard work should be repaid. So if you need something, don't hesitate to ask for it. I thought of Mare to be your direct subordinate. You will send him reports regularly."

"What kind of reports?"

"How the training of the adventurers progresses, the status of the town I am going to build and of course the condition of the fortress and its' defensive abilities."

"Do you expect an attack on this place?"

"I don't know, but only a fool would not prepare for the worst. Because I am an undead, I have many enemies in this world. A lot of people would like to see me dead. Some see me as the incarnation of evil, because of what I did. I don't plan to keep this a secret. Because you are going to interact with my citizens, it would be pointless. Last year, in the war with the Re-Estize Kingdom, I killed many humans with my magic."

"I can't say like it, but I cannot judge you for that. I myself have killed many times. To judge you for that would be hypocrisy. In a war, it's kill or be killed. Nobody can expect you to sit on the battlefield and let yourself be killed. As much as I dislike war, I know it sometimes cannot be avoided."

"You are very understanding. But that is only a part of potential enemies. People with a personal grudge are relatively easy to deal with. Others disagree with me for ideological reasons. Fanatics cannot be convinced and can be extremely dangerous. They oppose not only me, but also my ideals."

"What are those ideals?"

"Now that you mention it, I haven't told you yet. My dream is to build a nation, where many different species can live in harmony. I want them to coexist and prosper. But that can only happen, if they are protected and safe. Therefore, I have to prepare."

"I understand. I am happy to help you with that. But I would like to say one more thing, if I am allowed to."

"Sure"

"Everybody who judges people not by their actions, but for what they are born as, is scum. I don't think of you as an undead, but as a great king and I will fight and even die for your cause."

"Let's hope that will not be necessary."

"If I remember correctly, I wanted to show you around."

"Yes, that would be nice. I am sure, I can learn many interesting things. What do you want to show me?"

"I don't think that our training grounds or the kitchen are very exciting for you, so we should skip these. There are three places that might interest you. The laboratory, the library and the vault. You previously asked about our transformation, so I will lead you to the laboratory first and explain it in detail. After that, I will show you the library and tell you more about our education and codex, At the end, I will let you enter the vault. The vault contains our most valuable possessions and is very well hidden."

"I am very excited. Seems like you planned our tour pretty well."