CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: The God of Death
In a well-lit room sit several humans wearing robes that resembled the vestments of The Slane Theocracy sit at a large rectangle looking table. The mood seems grim as nobody has spoken since the finishing of the report. Every member here holds some powerful influence thought The Theocracy region in one way or another. The only time every member of the deciding council would gather like this is in times of dire need.
"So... as I just said, does anyone here have a suggestion on what to do when Ainz Ooal Gown simply decides to attack our borders?" The older man who delivered the report asked, annoyed not a single person here had any ideas. A few members whispered something to the ones seated next to them but again, nobody spoke up. This further angered the man, who just sat down, as he also had no suggestions.
"Yes, I have one... Surshana" One woman dressed in black robes asked. Most of the people in the room looked at her in confusion, only a few in fear.
"What about him? He was killed by The Greed Kings, why are you bringing him up now?" Another man asked. The woman in the black robe also had matching long black hair, her nails, eyeshadow, and lipstick all had that color in common as well.
"Yes, his body was destroyed that was true and passed on... however, what was NOT passed on as common knowledge was that... Surshana had done something or found a way to put his soul or essence of will as it were... into an object... a "phylactery" he called it." She told the room in a tone that meant they needed to take her words seriously.
"His books that were looted upon his death and then destroyed spoke how his followers could bring him back using it.." she said scowling. There were gasps around the room as men and women who assumed they knew everything, found out a mind-blowing revelation.
"If that was true those... YOU maniacs would have brought him back, it's all you ever talk about, "how he will decent once more!" blah blah blah" The man spat, standing up and pointing her accusingly.
"We've tried... as did our founders... as did the ones that taught them... and so on, we know it's possible... we just didn't know how. It's been the hidden agenda of our sect this whole time..." She said growling that the situation called for full disclosure like this, she waited for the mumbles to stop.
"So then why bring this up then?" Someone else asked, she waited and spoke.
"Because recently there has been a change, the phylactery all these centuries had always laid dormant... but well over a month ago something happened and it's begun... talking." She said. Now the sounds in the room were that of shock and even fear.
"You're saying... we may have a good chance at a revival of our most feared god?" The most respected man at this table asked. She nodded.
"You want to bring about yet ANOTHER undead god of death when we're facing down one ourselves... what if they simply joined forces?" The fattest man in the room yelled, near foaming at the mouth from anger.
"What difference would we be in now? We already are at the mercy of Ainz Ooal Gown..."
"And if Surshana wins? Who's to say he wouldn't be just as bad... if not worse than Ainz?" he retorted she only shrugged.
"He could also be thankful for our willing revival of him, and hold us as some kind of important slaves... that would be our best scenario we believe, as he was not known to hate humanity either... as this sorcerer kings claims to not do either."
"So... we either bend the knee to one undead god or another of our choosing? I fail to see this as a viable option." the oldest man said. But then he looked at the woman with grave eyes.
"However I expect you are only telling us this out of convenience? If you are speaking this feely of your self admitted hidden agenda then..." he said glaring. She smiled as it seemed they had figured it out already.
"Yes... we've already decided to go ahead with this plan... we know that his seat of power lays deep underground in his old crypt castle." She said, many people in the room were furious but said nothing, waiting for her to keep speaking.
"You see Surshana's phylactery was his castle, the entirety of it, and he protected it behind powerful magic after sending it deep underground. We don't know how or why, but a power source has been noted from the dormant castle as I explained earlier." She said.
"So... then you really aren't not DOING anything? Just waiting for him to come back, or what?" A man who had yet to speak up asked.
"No, while his power has awoken, we need to provide him with a suitable body for him to inhabit... we'd hoped that person would be Zesshi Zetsumei , but it seems she's betrayed us and is the queen of the elves as well a vassal state to The cursed nation to the north" He said, telling people something they already knew.
"So then... who were you planning on using another Black Scripture member? The powerful caster?" Someone barked out. The lady smiled.
"I was actually planning on giving myself to my Lord, body and soul, but only as a last resort... we've decided to lay a trap for the one known as Nabe "The Beautiful Princess", we'll make a request to The Sorcerer Kingdom Adventurers Guild through fake sources, as so they will not suspect our foul play. But before that can happen I need all of you to die and give me your bodies." She sneered and stood up as a dark aura radiated out of her as she cast [AURA OF DESPAIR]. The men tried to get up but her terrible aura of death was claiming their lives as they rose to their feet. Within seconds they all lay dead and only the woman in all black was standing. She clutched a menacing looking ring on her hand. It looked incredibly powerful with small bones woven together with a skull where a black stone sat.
"My Lord Surshana, with this ring you wed me with! I will provide you the ultimate wedding gift... a way to return to us!" She laughed as she walked out of the room, their bodies sinking into a black puddle that consumed them completely.
A little to the North-West, in the Dark Elf territories Bella rides on the back of her copy Fenrir. She didn't talk to her pets the way Aura did nor did she lovingly pet them, only issuing them commands. Aura had noted this did not like it... but it was not her business how Bella treated her own pets. Aura and Bella had split up to cover and explore this patch of forest and mountainous region.
The forest the Dark Elves lived in was not vast by any means, and in truth, the majority of the citizens lives in small caves they made using druid magic. The forest where Mare's seat of power sat for the Dark Elf nation was their only major city, and mostly consisted of merchant shops or other goods or services. Most dwellings were underground.
"Stop here," Bella ordered her Fenrir and it listened to her as she hopped off. She stood at a huge crack in the ground, she peered down it.
"Another one huh?" She'd been seeing more and more of these the deeper into the hilly area she went, and according to the residents that lived in these parts, they were all recently made. Bella pulled out a parchment and marked it's location on a map.
"Aura, I found another one, bigger than the last," She informed her sister by talking to a bird. the bird, that could copy any words it heard flew off to relay it's message to her. Bella looked at the ring on her hand that her Lord had given her, it contained around 50 weal pets, she wanted to send some down to explore these cracks but decided against it, deciding just to mark their locations on her map like she was doing. Bella jumped back on the back of her wolf.
"Let's go," She ordered and bolted off. Meanwhile, Aura was flying on the back of Hejinmal looking down from the air to map the area better as Bella was on the ground doing a more detailed mapping.
"Mistress Aura? Hejinmal asked." Aura looked at him.
"What's up Hejinmal?" She asked leaning down. He seemed uneasy.
"If your official title is now that of Mare's personal guard, is it really okay to be away from him this?" Hejinmal asked in a concerned tone. Aura patted his back affectionately.
"He'll be fine for the few hours he's... spending with Zesshi, our hearing is too good to sit outside their door when they um... are busy." Aura said thinking of last night and how... weird it'd had been, thank god Bella had been there to talk to her so they could not have to hear them giggling and moaning all night. Her dragon didn't seem to understand but didn't say anything.
"Anyway, Mare will [MESSAGE] us when they are done and we'll head back." She explained and he said nothing more to the matter. And a couple of hours later both girls were back with Mare and Zesshi.
"So how many of those crack did you find?" Mare asked as Bella handed him her map. He looked at it and shook his head.
"We're not sure what is causing this, but Lord Ainz wants us to investigate this," Mare said to his sisters.
"We going back underground?" Bella asked but Mare shook his head no.
"No, we're just going to send some expendable undead with divination magic attached to them to scout as much as we can, there is a chance this is related to The World Slug," Mare explained. Both Aura and Bella looked disappointed but understood. from what Lord Ainz had said only holy damage could wound The World Slug, and it was immune to world items... so she had no chance of fighting it off if she ran across it. To be honest, Aura was looking to fight something, she'd developed a new attack that she desperately wanted to show off!
"Alright, well... I guess we just wait here then?" Aura asked and Mare nodded.
"By the way Mare, if you and Zesshi are here... who's running things in The Elf Kingdom?" Aura asked.
"Albedo had been given administrative duties for The Elf Kingdom until I can appoint one myself, but she does such a good job and enjoys Zesshi so much, I'm finding it hard to appoint one," Mare admitted. Zesshi seemed to shiver a bit for some reason. Mare seemed to having trouble sitting comfortably. Aura and Bella looked at him as she seemed to be squirming, then their keen elf ears caught the sound of breathing on the room.
"Um... Mare?" Aura asked suspiciously. He looked up at her with a curious look.
"Yes?"
"Where is the wooden chair you usually sit on? Your current chair has no back, why is that?" Mare just nodded.
"Oh, well um, you see Nissa recently was very rude to Zesshi, and Zesshi demand I punish her... so I did what our Lord Ainz did when he punished Shalltear." Aura and Bella suddenly ran to the other side of the table and sure enough... there was Nissa, on her hands and knees with Mare sitting on her back. Their eyes went wide.
"Oh... Mare..." Bella groaned. Aura just facepalmed at how her innocent brother had... misinterpreted the time their Lord Ainz had used Shalltear as a chair... he thought this was just normal punishment!
"Uhhh Mare i don't think..." Aura began.
"NO! I was very rude to Lady Zesshi and deserve this! Please, Mistress Aura and Bella allow Master Mare to punish me until I have learned my lesson!" Nissa suddenly cried out.
"See? It's working." Mare said with an adorable smile. Aura and Bella looked at one another and shook their heads. They then cast their gaze to Zesshi who was just rubbing her tummy affectionately like an expecting mother would, apparently this did not bother her at all.
"Well, um... whatever just uh... take it easy on Nis..." Aura began.
"PLEASE! DO NOT!" Nissa blurted, cutting off Aura. Aura once again just facepalmed, as did Bella.
"Okay well... was there anything else you had planned on doing today Mare?" Aura asked taking a seat in a wooden chair. Bella looked around and realized there were no available chairs and just stood. Aura realized this and got up and kicked the cair over to Bella who smiled and nodded and sat down. Aura now stood.
"Well not really, you two did such a good job mapping the forest area that tomorrow when it gets light out we should have everything finished up with another day of map making.
"I'm going to catch a couple of hours sleep before my shift is up to guard Mare, you all good here?" Aura asked yawning. Mare and Bella nodded.
"Okay, I'll come to get you when my shift is up," Bella told her sister, Aura wove and left to go to the room that had been provided for her that was next to Mare's chambers... she had very mixed feeling about that given how wells he could hear.
Aura walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed yawning and laying on her back. Things seemed to be moving so fast lately... and she had this feeling she couldn't shake that bugger her. She ignored it but as time went on... this feeling had grown more over the past month or so. Part of her wanted to ask Mare or Bella about this feeling, but they would just worry about her if they didn't, and worrying them over a "feeling" didn't seem necessary at the moment. She just closed her eyes and took her rest as she waited for Bella to wake her.
"Guess you just can't do it, huh?" Shalltear asked as she walked up behind Ridda. Ridda stamped her heel into the ground in frustration.
"No... nothing I try works." she simply stated. Shalltear just nodded and stood next to her, admiring the piles of dead Demihumans.
"Well, you certainly get an A for effort... what the hell did you do to those ones?" Shalltear looked at many young and child demihumans hung upside down drained of their blood. Ridda shrugged and threw up her hands.
"Well, I wasn't getting any results with the adults, so..." She made the motion of neck cutting with her finger. Shalltear nodded in approval.
"Well, as I said, I'm not even sure you can learn blood magic, it'd just be a huge boon to you if you could is all, so no points deducted for failure, okay?" Shalltear said as she placed her fingers under Ridda's chin and made her look at her in the eyes. Shalltear looked Ridda up and down with a smile.
"I like the new hair." She finally said and turning to leave. Ridda looked over her shoulder to Shalltear.
"So... just keep trying then?" Ridda asked Shalltear gave her no response, which Rodda took as a yes. Ridda sat down roughly with her fingers to her chin, thinking if there was anything else she could do... something she was missing? The longer she thought the more frustrated she became, not only did she want to please her new teacher, but she wanted this blood magic she talked about, she wanted to show Nabe as well how strong she'd become! Several hours passed, and only more failure was discovered, then suddenly...
"YO!" A voice called out from nowhere making Ridda cry out in fear. Ridda spun to her feet and behind her was a familiar woman sitting up in a tree with a huge smile. She was dressed as a Maid and had long red braids and yellow eyes... she was the one who'd mocked her that one time... Lupusregina her name was. But why was she here? The main just smiled and laughed.
"What... why are you here?" Ridda asked. The maid just shrugged as she sat on the branch.
"Shalltear asked me to keep an eye on you but I got bored watching you fail over and over again~su." The maid said laughing. Ridda frowned.
"Is that so?" Lupusrgina nodded with the same smile.
"So do you have any input? Like... am I doing something wrong?" Ridda asked not expecting any real advice. Lupusrgina sat back thinking in a cute manner.
"Not really, it's not as if I know how to do it or anything," Ridda nodded, she'd thought as much.
"Well how about a back massage then? I give killer back rubs~su!" Lupsregina said smiling and brandishing her nails. Ridda just rolled her eyes.
"Don't distract me if you're going to stay here," Ridda said turning her attention back to her task. Lupusregina threw up her hands laughing but stayed silent.
Now Ridda felt the added pressure of having someone watch you as you fail at something.
"Great..." She muttered to herself. But after another day of failure, Shalltear returned.
"Alright, it looks like this isn't going to happen," Shalltear said as she talked with Lupuregina. Ridda bowed to Shalltear.
"I am sorry Mistress Shalltear for failing to learn the spell you asked me to," Ridda prostrated herself before Shalltear. Shalltear shook her head and stood Ridda up.
"Don't worry about it, as I said, this was just an experiment anyway... to be honest, we were just keeping you busy till we had your place in Nazarick ready." She said as she began casting [GATE].
"Nazarick? I'm going back there?" Ridda asked surprised. Lupusregina laughed.
"Yup, Lord Ainz wants to meet with you, so you better behave." The smile was gone from her face when she said that, Ridda nodded that she understood. They stepped through the [GATE] and were suddenly in a gallery room. There were pictures hanging from the walls that looked very well made and a large wooden door that was open and another maid was standing new to it.
"Lord Ainz Ooal Gown will see you Ridda, this way please." The cute maid, who appeared human, said. Ridda walked through the door and saw Ainz sitting behind a desk. He politely wove to her and motioned for her to take a seat. She sat nervously, he cut an impressive figure.
"Hello Ridda, I hear you've been doing better since your time with Demiurge?" He asked in a gentle voice, she nodded.
"Yes, I no longer feel sick, thank you." She said feeling nervous in his presence.
"So Ridda, I have decided that I would like you to stay here in Nazarick, I think given your particular talents we could do each other a lot of good. I believe Momon has said something to that effect?" Ridda nodded.
"But Ridda, I am not a slave driver, what is your price for my employment of you?" Ainz asked. Ridda blinked in confusion.
"Um... Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, am I not working off a debt to you?" She asked he tilted his head at her.
"Are you?" She nodded as she understood it.
"Your man Demiurge saved my life, and gave me this strong body... even Sir Momon, I owe him so much... and I assume he was operating under your wishes?" She asked, Ainz nodded.
"So... would I not be working off this kindness you and your people have shown me?" Ridda asked. Ainz chuckled.
"I like you Ridda, you have a good way of looking at things." She smiled and blushed a bit receiving a compliment from such a man. She just remained silent.
"Out of curiosity, how much adamantite can you make before losing your mana?" Ainz asked. Ridda produced an ingot of adamntite in front of Ainz on the desk.
"About thirty of those, then I need half day till I can make thirty more. so I could make around sixty a day for you comfortably, around eighty if I really pushed myself." She said honestly. Aniz nodded.
"But that is without any equpiment or enchanted gear that can give me a bigger mana pool." That part grabbed his attention.
"I see, so how many days would you work until you felt your debt to me is repaid?" He asked picking up the ingot and inspecting it. She was surprised that this man so was easy to get along with, he wasn't overbearing or anything, and even let her set the terms.
"How does one put money on a life? I had assumed I'd be paying off the debt till the day I died." She said shrugging slightly
"But you are immortal now?" She just nodded. Ainz laughed.
"So you assumed you would be working forever for me?" He asked chuckling. Ridda nodded once again.
"Well, I have no intention of enslaving a fourteen-year-old girl. So is there anything... other than the "debt" paid off that you would like?" Ainz asked folding his hands. Ridda thought for a second.
"I'd like to contuine raising my rank as an adventure and to stay with Nabe and Sir Momon, um on thier team that is!" She plainly said, basically, she was living the life that she wanted, a rare opportunity for people her age.
"Well, I see no reason why you can't do both? So we can work out a schedule of days you produce metals for me, and others you can adventure with Nabe, I'm afraid Momon will be too busy to travel, but I suspect you won't mind adventuring with her?" Ainz asked. Ridda blushed and shook her head back and forth, Ainz laughed.
"To be honest, she was saying she'd like to meet the "new you"... so whenever you feel ready we will return you to E-Rantel so you two can talk, but I'd like you to keep up training with Shalltear, I think those two can teach you a lot still." He explained, she had no issue with either.
"Thank you for this kindness Lord Ainz Ooal Gown... and may I say something?" She asked, he needed.
"This place... thing place called Nazarick, with it's incredible population, it's a bit scary but a huge honor to be allowed into these halls, I can only imagine what it must have taken to make such a place," She said in wonder. Ainz laughed.
"I rarely get to show outsiders this place, but thank you, I am actually quite proud of the place me and my friends built together." He said nodding in satisfaction.
"I would love to see more of it, if I am allowed to do so, and I'd like to meet your friends as well!" She said with a smile, but his mood seemed to change as soon as she brought up his friends.
"I'm afraid that is no longer possible, but thank you for the sentiment, if you don't have anything else you'd like to ask me," His voice almost sounded sad for a moment.
"No, just as to when you would like me to begin working for you?" Ridda asked. Ainz leaned back in his chair.
"We'll say, next week at some point, after you're settled in here. I will inform Nabe to be ready to go on an adventure with you as well if that's what you want?" Ridda nodded.
"Then... how would you like to take a job request, from me personally? I will have Nabe help you of course." Ridda became interested, completing a job for The Sorcerer king was a rare honor she guessed.
"A request came in asking for her by name, the job sounds easy, why not accompany her there, and it will give you two a chance to talk." He said nodding. Ridda stood up so that she may bow properly.
"Is that it then?" He asked again, she thought of one more thing.
"Um, just one... some time ago I was held captive by a man and woman..." Ridda began. Ainz looked at her with full attention.
"I was just curious as to what became of them?" She asked. Ainz nodded.
"Well the man is... not who he once believed he was, I used him in some experiments and they were mostly successful. But he would not recognize you if you two met I don't think. The girl names Tessika? We gave her to Shalltear I believe as a play thing, you may even talk with her if you'd like, I don't think Shalltear would have a problem with this." Ainz said. Ridda nodded that she was satisfied.
"Thank you Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, I will be ready to leave as soon as you'd like me to," she answered. he clapped his hands and nodded.
"Good, then we'll have you leave as soon as you get settled into your new room, I'll have Lupusregina here show you the way." Ainz said motioning to the maid why was waiting behind Ridda. She thanked him again and went to her new room in Nazarick.
It was a nice room, simple with a bed, that she would no longer need and a private bathroom with bath, now That she would need! She'sd been training and killing this past week... a bath would be nice. She was amazed that all she needed to do was turn a handle to make hot water come forth. Soon she was sinking into the hot water.
"Haaa!" she let out a sigh of relaxation as she sunk into the water. Ridda then frowned.
"You know... I can smell you in here." She said annoyed. Suddenly Lupusregina appeared next to the tub.
"Aww, you vampires can smell way too well!' she said clicking her tongue but giggling.
"Not sure what you were hoping to see, but you can leave or get in with me, I don't mind," Ridda said. Her bathtub could easily fit three or four people her size.
"Oh? Well, don't mind if I do! ~su!" Lupusregina said as she quickly removed all her clothes and plopped in across from Ridda in the warm water. Spilling out a lot of it and making waves, this annoyed Ridda.
"Hey! Not bad, this is nice!~su!" She laughed as she dunked her head under the water. Ridda smiled as she looked at the amazing body of Lupusrgina. She couldn't help but feel jealous of how her breasts floated naturally on the water like two perfect hills." She saw her looking at her breasts.
"Jealous~su?" She snickered. Ridda nodded slightly.
"I mean... I will never grow, will I? I'll be like this forever huh?" She asked looking at her own underdeveloped flat chest. Lupusregina laid back in the tub looking up at the ceiling.
"Yeah... but don't let it both you, plenty of guys are into girls with flat chests~su!" She snickered.
"Uh... what about women? Do they care?" Ridda asked beginning to blush as she stared at Lupusrginas's nude body. Lupusreginba's eye's shot open and she sat straight up with a smile.
"Wait... you... you're into girls?" She asked with huge yellow eyes and leaning in a bit. Now Ridda was blushing from the warm water but also at how close Lupusrgina was to her.
"Uh, well... I mean yeah, I suppose, not that I've really been with one or... anything like that." Ridda stammered out, this conversation took a turn she wasn't expecting. Lupusregina then tied her wet hair behind her with a smile.
"Say, you ain't still sore at me for laughing at cha that one time are ya ~su?" She asked sliding a little closer to Ridda with a grin on her face.
"Um, no... I get now that I wasn't in any real trouble... you just like seeing me in pain..." Ridda said as she said the truth about how she felt. The older maid chuckled.
"Yeah, so I was thinking about how I could make that up to you...and i just got a good idea!" She said scooting yet even closer. Ridda was moving away from her in the same manner with a slightly embarrassed and worried look on her face.
"Uh...w...w...what... um, Miss Lupusregina?" Ridda stammered out at The woman walked over to her on all fours like a cat stalking it's prey.
"Please Ridda... call me Lupu~su!"