Update: Just edited some grammar/canon stuff
Despite the temperature, Jakarn felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple.
Mare fell silent.
Slowly, the mood changed.
The air reverberated and rippled as if the room itself had shrunk and then suddenly expanded.
The rage was palpable.
A tremendous overbearing aura threatened to engulf the room.
Loud cracks were heard as even the air itself began to fracture under the weight and pressure.
Jakarn looked at Mare.
He seemed to be getting bigger.
No, that's not right.
The room was shrinking.
No, that was not right either.
In a phenomena that defied logic, Mare seemed to be encompassing the entire room and yet not at the same time.
His body seemed to be engulfed in a sphere of pure energy.
Then Jakarn saw it.
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...
On Mare's right wrist, there was a small pink watch.
And there was a large crack on the glass.
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Jakarn's tried to run, but his legs were paralyzed.
He tried to talk, but no words would form.
He tried to turn away, but he was incapacitated.
He tried to avert his gaze, but even the muscles in his eyes were stunned by the intense presence emanating from the fearsome figure before him.
They had awakened a slumbering beast.
It was a terrifying predator, and they had foolishly provoked its wrath.
Olga was desperately mouthing prayers.
Tears flowed freely from her eyes.
She was a member of the temple's execution squad, but she has now been utterly consumed by fear.
A pair of blue and green eyes.
One was as deep as the ocean, and as blue as sapphires. The other was profound as the lush forests, and as green as emeralds. Both of them blazed with murderous intent.
Suddenly, Jakarn could not breathe.
The air seemed heavy, and his lungs were too weak to move.
The crushing pressure of Mare's bloodlust was suffocating.
Mare took a step forward.
The earth seemed to groan under his weight.
Mare took another step forward.
Faint tremors could be felt on the ground.
Meanwhile, Jakarn's eyes started to turn white. His lips were cyanosed.
Mare was angry.
Created by Bukubukuchagama, he was designed to have a shy and timid personality. He often stutters when speaking and maintained a subservient demeanor during conversations. On most days, he liked to nap and spend the time reading books.
This was an unfamiliar emotion to him.
He struggled to control it.
His breathing was fast, and his chest rose and fell rapidly.
His fists were clenched tightly, and trembling.
His lips were quivering, and no words would come out.
His mind was blank, and replaced with a torrential void of rage.
Mare was angry.
He was very angry.
He raised a single arm up.
The blood lust intensified.
The space around him grumbled, protested, and moaned as if it was about to be swallowed by an all-encompassing vortex.
As the floor guardian, Mare specialized in devastating area of effect magic, as evidenced by his feat of covering the entirety of the underground tomb of Nazarick with sand and dirt.
He opened his palm.
Intricate magic circles began to form underneath him.
10th tier magic.
The effect would even envelop the town itself.
This night would have forever been known as the Tragedy of the West
"Twin Maximise Magic: Gaia's Judgemen-"
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"Mare!"
He froze.
Even in the abyss of hatred and anger that swallowed him, he would never have mistaken that voice.
"Mare!"
"MARE!"
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….
"AURA?!"
He immediately looked around the room while searching for the source of the voice.
He did not see her.
"Ooi! Hey! Mare!"
Suddenly he realized where the origin of his sister's voice came from. It was [Message].
The terrible presence that threatened to fragment the room instantly dissipated. The enormous bloodlust that fractured the very air was scattered.
"What happened?! We were worried. The shadow demon that we sent to guard you got scared off!"
"What is going on over there?!"
There was silence.
A cascade of emotion welled up within him.
And then Mare cried.
His sobs were loud and wet and filled the room.
He cried for several minutes until his throat was hoarse.
Finally, he calmed himself down.
A soft, gentle voice spoke to him.
"Mare. Tell me what happened."
It was his Master, the supreme one, Ainz Ooal Gown.
Holding back his sniffles, Mare explained the situation.
"We can fix Bukubukuchagama's watch with magic, Mare. Do not worry."
When he broached the topic of the two agents, he detected a faint trace of animosity in Ainz's voice.
"I see. Is there anyone else in the room?"
He glanced around the room and saw four crumpled figures on the ground. The other guards were dead.
"No."
"Mare. Can you bring the four back to Nazarick?"
He nodded.
"Bring him back, and we will ask him why his guests decided to attack a servant of Nazarick"
There was anger in his voice.
"Yes, Ainz-sama"
He approached the body of the young child first, and gently draped him across his shoulder. He then proceeded to the Marquis, who had passed out from the blood lust, and draped him across his other shoulder.
Finally, he walked towards the bodies of the two Slane Theocracy agents. They had also collapsed from the pressure of his murderous aura.
Suddenly, Mare stopped and panicked.
"AINZ-SAMA!"
"Huh? What is it, Mare?"
"THEY'RE DEAD!"
It seems that they had suffocated and succumbed to the intense pressure exerted by Mare's fury. Their eyes were still open, but hollow and lifeless, while their mouths were transfixed in fear.
"That is unfortunate. Regardless, transport their bodies to Nazarick. They might be useful sources of information if we revive them. If they choose to decline the resurrection, we could always use the bodies for experimentation."
A [Gate] appeared in the center of the room. It was a swirling vortex of reds and blues. There was no one left in the room to witness the comical scene of a small petite young dark elf child effortlessly carry four people through the whirling portal.
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[If it has been a while, go back and read the middle of Chapter 2 as it sets up the following scene]
Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself had just finished explaining the declaration that the Sorcerer King had just made several weeks ago.
"Whhhaaatttt!?"
"That bastard!"
The Crown prince was livid.
The Martial Arts Tournament was a thinly veiled, nefarious scheme to tempt strong people to the Sorcerous Kingdom. By offering glory and wealth, he had effectively lured talent away from the Kingdom without bloodshed or war. The Sorcerer King was utilizing his vast wealth to drain the Kingdom of its most important resource: its people.
The Kingdom had intentionally left E-Rantel in its current state. It was a scorched earth tactic, a military strategy that specifically deprived territory that would have certainly be lost to the enemy of anything useful. In the case of E-Rantel, they had purposely evacuated all important and talented individuals, and only left the old, the infirm, the poor, and the prisoners in order to increase the Sorcerer's Kings burden.
However, by hosting this tournament, it would be diplomatically difficult for the Kingdom to stop the voluntary outflow of talent. If they issued a formal policy barring any emigration, it would be a political scandal and could easily be used as a casus belli for an attack.
Still.. I cannot just sit by while my Kingdom is slowly being drained away by that infernal creature.
He re-read the reward for achieving first place.
"The victor will receive the title of Warrior-Captain and will be awarded land and a title of nobility from both the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Sorcerous Kingdom."
"I will most certainly NOT award the victor even a morsel of hand, much less a title of nobility!"
He was seething in rage.
"Who agreed to this? My father?!"
"No dear brother. It was me."
The Crown prince was flabbergasted. Eventually, his bewilderment turned into anger.
"-And on whose authority, Renner!"
She simply smiled.
'Because this would be in our Kingdom's best interest"
He was taken aback.
"Explain!"
He spat menacingly.
"It is obvious, my dear brother. I intend to marry the victor."
Once again, Zanac was dumbfounded.
"What?"
"I intend to marry the victor."
He was not a moron like his older brother. By standard terms, his intellect was above average and he had years of experience in political scheming and fencing. However, in comparison to his sister, or even the Blood Emperor, he was but a mere child in terms of cunning and deceit.
Noticing his dismayed look, Renner innocently elaborated.
"Naturally, it would be a political marriage."
A political marriage, or a marriage of convenience, was a strategy often employed by royalty or nobility of rival nations to ensure a forced peace through familial and blood ties. These unions were utilized for both strategic and diplomatic reasons, and neither age nor love was taken into consideration. For instance, Marquis Bowlrob's daughter was the eldest prince's wife, and if he had been alive and inherited the throne, the Marquis would have been anointed head of the Six Great Families.
Renner continued onward.
"By marrying the victor who would possess both noble titles, and hence allegiances to both Kingdoms, we will be able to secure solid diplomatic ties and hopefully stave off utter destruction by that detestable creature."
"Their military might far surpass our own. Their wealth is beyond imagination. We are outclassed in every important aspect of war. The only thing we can hope is to secure a firm tie to that nation and establish amicable relations until other nations can come to our aid."
"With the Baharuth Empire agreeing to be a vassal state, it would only be a matter of time before the Sorcerer King sets his sights on the Kingdom."
Then it occurred to him
It made sense.
As expected of his brilliant sister.
The 'Monster'
Renner curtsied.
"If that is all, dear brother, I would like to return to my quarters"
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When Renner opened the door to her bedroom, she was surprised by what she saw.
Sitting on the chair in front of the coffee table was a bewitching allure that rivalled her own.
If she was to represent the golden beauty of the sun, then the person sitting across from her would be considered to represent the captivating beauty of the twilight.
Renner bowed deeply.
"I did not expect to see you here, Albedo-sama"
The succubus did not reply. She merely motioned for Renner to sit down.
Despite her shock, she hid it well and gracefully sat down as if there was nothing amidst. She also did not bother looking around the room as she was certain that Albedo had likely secured the room against any potential eavesdroppers.
"Since my servants were unaware of your arrival, I assume that you teleported here, Albedo-sama?"
"That is correct."
"May I inquire as to the reason for this unexpected pleasure?"
Albedo smiled, and placed two objects on the table.
One was a yellow vial with a sickly sweet citrus fragrance emanating from it.
The other was a simple silver etched ring.
"I felt that I should return these to you"
Renner did not seem surprised by the appearance of the items. In fact, she had expected it. It meant that the plan was progressing as expected.
"I assume the child is dead, and the Marquis' spirit is broken?"
She had predicted that the Marquis would try to contact the Slane Theocracy in order to secure a safe haven for his family. It was evident from his recent isolationist behaviors and his well-known love for his son. There was only one logical option after witnessing the genocide at Katze Plains. The Marquis still possessed a tremendous amount of influence, was a close confidant of the Crown Prince and the King, and had an envious trove of scandalous information and secrets that could be used to another nation's advantage. He was also a political rival, and needed to be eliminated.
The demise of his son was supposed to encourage the Marquis to make careless mistakes and irrational decisions. It would have made it easier to expose his deceit.
Albedo did not answer. Instead, she proclaimed.
"The Marquis has sworn loyalty to Ainz Ooal Gown."
Renner's eyes widened in astonishment.
That was too soon!
"This is unexpected. I would have assumed that his will would be broken after the demise of his son. What would have triggered him to swear fealty to our cause?"
"I did not say the child is dead. He has been revived through the grace of the Supreme One."
Understanding flared on Renner's face.
"I see."
"In order to save his son, the Marquis voluntarily promised his eternal servitude?"
It did not make sense.
"Why did he not go to the Slane Theocracy? They are well versed in revival magic, and would have gladly accepted his plea."
Albedo reached over the table and picked up the half empty vial.
"What is this strange liquid?"
"It is a powerful medicinal substance that can be a potent irritant in high doses. The plasma concentration would reach critical levels in a child far earlier as compared to an adult. Furthermore, it would be undetectable by standard magical means as it is not technically a poison. I also added in excessive sweeteners so that adults would find the taste repugnant"
"When consumed in excessive doses, it induces inflammation and irritation in the layers of the heart. This leads to unbearable chest pain. If left unchecked, the lining of the heart thickens, which limits the hearts ability to function normally. Eventually, from the friction, there would be fluid accumulation inside the heart lining and finally death."
Albedo eyed the liquid suspiciously.
"It seems like a very slow way to kill someone"
"I did not want to arouse suspicion. The symptoms mimic a natural disease pattern that can be often seen after a fever or infection. If the mind is convinced that the body it is dying from natural causes, it is less likely to be willing to accept magical revival "
Albedo picked up the simple silver etched ring. Runes glowed faintly when she held it to the light.
"This looks familiar. Is this the ring that you requested from Demiurge?"
"Yes."
[Ring of Minor Magic Immunity]
It granted the user the ability to be immune to all tier 1 and tier 2 magical spells. It was a coveted item by adventurers, but was utterly useless for the floor guardians of Nazarick as most of them had in-built passive abilities that nullified magic of even tier 5 spells.
Even in Yggdrasil, this was considered a useless item.
Although it granted magic immunity, it was unable to differentiate harmful or beneficial magic.
In other words, it conferred complete magical immunity to the bearer, whether it was an offensive spell, buff spell, or a healing spell.
"I suspect the Temple Priests were very perplexed as to why their healing spells did not affect the child. They would have likely attributed it to natural disease or a mental illness"
Albedo placed the ring back on the table.
"It was not the poison or disease that killed the child."
"It seems that my Lord felt that the Marquis would be a valuable asset, and made some adjustments to your scheme, Renner"
Albedo then explained the events that had transpired.
Renner was awestruck. Her usual calm demeanor was momentarily shattered. However, she expertly recomposed herself.
The Sorcerer King had managed to sow distrust amongst the Marquis and the Slane Theogracy agents. Furthermore, he had somehow managed to provoke them into slaying the child. The agents could be killed in the guise of self-defense, and the Slane Theocracy's act of aggression could be used for political warfare. With the untimely disappearance of their agents, it was likely that the Slane Theocracy would believe that the Marquis had betrayed them and no longer trust him. As such, the Marquis could no longer depend on them for assistance. With his child dead, and his deceit exposed, there was only one option left.
Renner shuddered.
Who was this Sorcerer King?
He truly was a being that surpassed even her prodigious intellect and cunning.
Renner got up and genuflected in front of Albedo.
"Please forward my thanks to Ainz-sama"
After exchanging several other pleasantries, Albedo departed through [Gate].
Once Renner was certain that she had left, she approached her closet and removed a small box from the secret compartment.
It was an ornate and intricately decorated box. It had elegant golden trimmings around the edges and sharp black markings which formed a gothic like web across all surfaces of the box except for the lid. In place of an opening, there was only a ruby red flawless surface like a maw of an ancient dwelling beast.
There was no apparent hinges or keyhole, just an eerie crimson reflective surface that gave the impression of a sanguine mirror. It bore several layers of seals that were impossible to open without fulfilling specific conditions. At the moment, one of those conditions had been met.
The onyx black, web-like markings had receded back, giving the top of the box an appearance of the mouth of a lamprey.
Renner smiled.
Only two more conditions were left until the black webs would recede all the way, unlocking the seal.
Whether it was just a trick of the light, or simply the imagination of the shadow demons that were sent to observe and guard her, one could almost swear that fangs were visible in that smile.
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Meanwhile, back in the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Albedo exited the portal and strolled down the opulent hall while humming.
"Ku ku ku… To think Ainz-sama had taught that far ahead!"
"He truly is befitting to be the ruler of Nazarick!"
She let out a squeak of delight.
Her black wings flapped passionately.
I need to know what of woman Ainz-sama wants.
I need to know what his interests are.
She clutched a red leather bound book close to her maiden chest.
I need to study this book
