SCENE II: DISCOVERY
CHAPTER I: SILVER
My silver shield raises as I block Cocytus' Piercing Icicle barrage, the shield's resistance to magic coupled with the spells Magic Resist, Magic Ward: Cold and Magic Shield barely stopping the damage of his single spell. I figured as much...he's a level 100 after all... He chuckles as I resist him, exhaling icy mist as he casts the spell again with relish. "You have grown, Basugul! I remember before that you could not resist my attacks!" he rumbles happily as he fires more icicles at me, my shield still raised as I try to inch forward in the face of his barrage. "Why did I agree to this again!?" I shout back as my Magic Shield breaks with the sound of shattering glass, my arm already lowering as I turn to my agility to dodge the rest of his spell.
With the enhancements to my dexterity via Lesser Dexterity, the icicles seem sluggish and easily avoided as I charge at Cocytus, his Frost Aura starting to slow me down as I approach. I drop into a foot-first slide and use the icy flooring to my advantage, sliding at high speed at him as he draws his God Slaying Emperor Blade. My Spearmace is in my left hand and as I reach him, I stab upwards at his lower half as he brings his blade down on me at an insane speed. My right arm raises my shield to block the blade but the shield shatters on impact and the blade keeps coming. I'm forced to use the Spearmace to rapidly parry the rest of his blade's momentum, my weapon warping out of shape as it resists the remainder of the strike enough for me to pass under him.
As I'm completing my slide, I can hear Cocytus laughing even as he turns around and raises his blade again to strike, my defence options now limited to Magic Shield that I project with both hands. The blade slams into the shield with colossal force and breaks it in a single hit but the shield gives me just enough time to evade the blade path as it strikes the ground harmlessly. My body flips backwards as I orient myself with his position, my mind silently casting Shield Repair and Richochet Shield to fix and return the item to my right arm.
I'm about to ready myself for his next strike when he laughs again and calls a halt to the training exercise, my body relaxing as I exhale in relief. "Good! You hold your own now but you still have much to learn still, Basugul. I am satisfied with your progress and wish for it to continue," he rumbles as he returns his sword to its inventory with a hand gesture, my items doing the same as we bow at the waist to each other. I reach up to remove my winged silver helm, unlatching it from my armour colour and putting it under my right arm so I can see Cocytus with my own eyes. My other hand wipes the sweat on my forehead, my gauntlets now damp with moisture and surprising me considering how cold it is in his training yard. "I already knew you'd beat me, Cocytus. I'm still too low level to defeat you-"
"The point is not that you defeat me. The point is that you try and you have indeed tried," he retorts as he exhales icy mist, hearty laughter following his words as he gestures towards the exit with his right most arms. "But do not be held up by my selfish demands. You have other duties to perform," he rumbles simply, my head nodding as I put my helmet back on and move to leave. "The Knight of Nazarick...such a strange title for you-"
"Not my idea. Shalltear said it once and it's stuck to me since then. You can come up with something better if you like," I say as I pass him, Cocytus laughing again as he speaks to my back. "You will always be simply Basugul to me. I do not spend time fabricating elaborate titles as you do," he rumbles in part humour and part mockery as it becomes my turn to laugh even as I keep moving to leave his training yard. When I'm far enough, I touch the badge strapped to my right shoulder armour and intone Gate, the portal opening in front of me as I continue to walk forward.
Just another day in Nazarick, I suppose...
Much had changed in the month after I went to Irlo and captured the cultist Briana Lowarm. She eventually broke after two weeks of interrogation to reveal the plan she was given, one formed by the Slane Theocracy as a means to combat the rising power of the Sorcerer Kingdom. I was created as others were created to combat the threat of the undead through the binding of powerful holy magic to an infant body. It was appalling to read of the deaths, only one in every ten children used in the ritual surviving the process and such an appalling idea started to decrease my value in the nobles of humanity. What kind of men would do this just to fight an enemy?
Blind faith was the answer as I learned more about Irlo and where it's situated in the southern part of the Slane Theocracy. It started to make sense why I thought the way I did and why my former parents were so religious, their teachings designed to make me into an unquestioning tool of war. When Titus Annaeus Secundus in the Ashurbanipal library told me these things, I knew my new purpose at that moment and what I would want to do once I had my full powers but knowing that it was ultimately Lord Ainz decision. I will prevent such atrocities from happening to more children...no one deserves this...
I informed Lord Ainz of my intentions and he seemed onboard, saying that the world considered Lord Ainz dead and that a new champion entering the world at the behest of the Great Tomb of Nazarick would help them immensely. He even approved of the direct approach, saying that when the time came and I was ready, I would personally lead a crusade against the Slane Theocracy and capture it for the Sorcerer Kingdom. I shared a laugh with him when I commented that he was an elder lich and was already dead so its old news that was given to the New World.
The adventuring team the Valkyries had made a name for itself but only got as far as Gold plates in a month's time. I myself was a Mythril plate due to my status as a level 65 Knight but I kept adventuring with them anyway just for friendship's sake. Bormu and Rassah had grown into their respective roles, Bormu becoming our level 35 Spearman with an apprenticeship in blacksmithing and Rassah becoming a level 32 Spellsword with a knack for magical lore. Krat had even stuck around as a level 36 Barbarian, his knack for tracking and hunting serving us well over the time we've known him. It was strange that a month didn't change them as radically as it did me but from what I've been through and the massive amount of resources I'm being allowed to use, it's understandable.
I did have to explain at some point how I was so strong so quickly to the others but my reason was that I served the nobles of E-Rantel, a lie that eventually got me an official audience and a knighting ceremony by Lord Ainz himself in front of the people of the city. Even the Raven Black Hero Momon was there but I knew that it was just Lord Ainz's body double known as Pandora's Actor, a shapeshifter that could impersonate anyone. What they didn't know was that when I became stronger, I was tasked to form a group of knights known as the Sorcerer Knights under the command of Lord Ainz, the force that would be sent as the vanguard for our invasion of the Slane Theocracy. It still felt strange considering the world thought Lord Ainz was dead and that I knew that Beric Lowarm was just a facade but the people didn't see through the ruse and went along with it.
After those who pulled my data from the Tracking Armguard saw my breakdown with Aura, it eventually circulated around Nazarick until it reached the eyes of Lord Ainz in the form of Sebas' report. Demiurge finally completed the research on my condition and presented the information to Lord Ainz at the same time. With both sets of knowledge, I had an audience with him and he explained what I truly was. After everything that happened, it came as no surprise that I was literally a weapon, a powerful holy magic bound to me with the Rosaries of Binding that were attached directly to my soul. The Divine Form's and the ability to call Divine Providence were a product of this binding but he did share Demiurge's concern that if I tried to use higher tier holy magic beyond my skill to wield, it would corrupt me into an angelic form and result in my eventual death at the hands of those in Nazarick. Luckily, I was among some of the most brilliant minds in the New World and knowing which magic to cast was as simple as walking through a door. In a way, the binding was a mixed blessing, robbing me of my origins but giving me a home in Nazarick and a new purpose for living.
Living with Aura and Mare was interesting but had its own hurdles. It came as a shocker that they worked together with relationships as well, Aura describing it best as "a package deal" and that if I was going to love one of them, I'd also have to love the other. Mare seemed on board with such an idea but when I agreed to their terms, the terms slowly started to evolve into a competition of who would I admit love to first once I hit level 100. Despite my efforts to dissuade such competition, I ended up going along with it since they seemed to enjoy the quarrel and it didn't cause any heavy damage to Nazarick. Shalltear Bloodfallen made it perfectly clear during my second manor visit that no matter the outcome, I'd love them both equally and not show favouritism. It still seemed strange that even Shalltear was giving me advice on how to proceed rather than dissuading me altogether but plenty had changed to make that possible.
Lord Ainz kept me from becoming arrogant by telling me about his fight with Shalltear Bloodfallen, a brutal struggle of allies turned enemies by hostile intent and the spending of 50 million platinum to save her from death. It was shocking to hear of the utter despair after the fight from all involved and the sheer lengths Lord Ainz went through to save one of his own, the tale inspiring me with a knowledge that he truly did care for his own more than anything in this world. He also shared something he didn't share with the other guardians, that the reason he fought alone against her was that he didn't want to see guardians killing their own. The tale ended on an ironic note because if any of us died now, we'd just be brought back by a True Resurrection spell or many of the other means that Lord Ainz had researched after the incident, making the sacrifice of so much wealth that much more devastating.
But Lord Ainz taught me that knowledge, not money, is the most powerful weapon we have in the New World.
Aura and Mare tackle me to the ground with the heavy impact of armour on furs and wood, the force of their combined weight and momentum too much for me to resist. I'm left slightly daze as I stare at the ceiling of the treehouse but the familiar sensation of them hugging me tightly and rubbing their faces against me breaking through the bewilderment. "You two seem more excited than normal. Did I miss anything?" I chuckle as I rub their heads, smiling when they don't answer as usual and I start to move upright. Aura hits me in the stomach with the palm of her hand but my armour absorbs most of the blow. "You were gone for three days! Why didn't you stop by when you had the chance!?" she exclaims in mock anger, both of them moving off me and to my sides to give me pouting faces. I nod my head and try to move to my feet but they both grab my shoulders and shove me back into a sitting position, laughter my response at their sudden rough treatment. "I told you through several messages, didn't I? I couldn't come back without it looking suspicious to the Valkyries. That last mission was a long one-"
"Excuses," Mare states without mercy but from his smile, he didn't mean it but when I try to move to my feet again, they both shove me back to a sitting position. "Alright, I'm sorry I couldn't Gate back in the middle of a dungeon operation with an adventuring group. What do you want me to do?" I ask in mock irritation, my skin crawling when I see them smile and look at each other. Bad choice of words. "Oh, you already know the answer to that," Aura states as she allows me to move to my feet. I smile at them knowing what they want and reach move my hand in front of them palm upwards, a clawed bird talon appearing in the hand. "Harpy legs, as you asked. I also have some wings that were left intact...and this," I say with amusement as I move my other hand into the same position, the head of the harpy queen appearing in my other hand.
Aura immediately reaches for the head and holds it in both her hands in surprise, a brilliant smile now on her face as she nods. "A harpy queen!? Those are usually around level 40! It's no problem for you but what about your friends?" she asks curiously as she moves the head to the table and starts intoning magic on it. Mare takes the talons from my hand and moves to do the same, my head tilting curiously with a smile as I follow them and sit down at the table. "They're fine. I made sure to distract a majority of them with my challenges and retorts. The woman can't resist my charm-"
"Oh, shut up," Aura retorts in good humour as the head starts to come apart and collect its essence into a jar she has, Mare smiling to himself as the talons on the claws in front of him fall off and the legs dice themselves into edible pieces. My mood shifts as I remember the dungeon itself, a large tree fortress, and the report I made to Demiurge before coming here. "I found another black Summoning Stone, a Tier 4 this time, at the top of that harpy nest. I'm not sure where these adventurer hunters are getting their resources but it's consistent and they keep deploying more powerful stones," I state but at the mention of adventurer hunters, Mare and Aura stop what they're doing and look at me in concern. I'm still whispering even as I take off my helm and move it to my magical inventory with gentle hand gestures. "Demiurge and Lord Ainz still don't know what the point is of setting up monster dens and the Adventurer's guild is turning a blind eye due to the good business angle despite the death toll. I think something's going down and I don't know what it is."
"Don't do anything stupid," Mare states firmly, my head nodding with a smile as I pull my chest plate off and watch it turn into magical essence. I'm still not used to this...magical storage... "Valkyries run to where they're needed but know when to run. Bormu came up with that motto today," I state with a chuckle but stop smiling when Aura gives me a harsh look. She snorts in frustration as she plugs the jar in her hands too forcefully and puts the jar away. "I swear, you talk about your team far too much. Bormu this, Rassah that, Krat this. Why don't you just come out and say that your interested in one of those girls?"
The content sets me on edge more than I thought it would, my face flashing anger for a moment before I exhale in annoyance and undo my gauntlets. "You already know the explanation, Aura. I can't mingle with people, on that level, without problems. And besides," I state as I look at my wrists, the world item Martyr's Bequest on one wrist and matching the Tracking Armband on the other wrist. "My place is here, not in the arms of people I risk my life with on a daily basis-"
"Lame," Aura states with a smile, my face smiling as I chuckle at her comment and eliciting a laugh from Mare in the process. "What? It's true," I retort as I undo my greaves, my body already feeling much lighter without the oppressive heavy armour. I thought silver plate armour was meant to be lighter than steel...though silver doesn't top platinum or mithril. "You wanna hang out with us tomorrow?" Aura asks out of the blue, my attention coming back to the room to see them both staring at me, their faces expectant and pouting. I exhale in response and smile, already knowing what my answer is.
"Do you really need to ask!? Of course, I will!"