As we are slowly coming to the end of this story, I wanted to thank you for your support and encouragement. I plan to release the next chapter by the beginning of 2020. I wish you all a merry christmas and a happy time with your family and friends.
PS: For those of you that haven´t seen the new Witcher series on Netflix, I can highly recommend it. I really liked it.
The next morning, Demiurge and Albedo were watching in delight as the troops of the Re-Esitze Kingdom started to move towards E-Rantel. The image that was depicted by the mirror of remote viewing showed the humans from above, small enough to be mistaken for ants.
"Everything is exactly like predicted."
Said Demiurge, pushing his glasses up with his sadistic grin.
"Of course, it was orchestrated by Ainz-sama. How could it go wrong?"
Aura, who just returned from their journey to the Elven Kingdom with Mare and Ainz said.
"Nevertheless, Lord Ainz seemed really upset when he heard about it. He was really angry."
Demiurge replied.
"Well, it can't be helped. Despite being expected, it is infuriating that these insects dare to defy him. To think they dared to disrespect the authority of the supreme one is blasphemy."
Albedo, with a glare like daggers and a voice full of ice said.
"By tomorrow morning, everything will be over. This things are unworthy of walking in the same world as Ainz-sama. They will soon learn the seriousness of their crime."
Demiurge, being the usual calm and analytic sadist he was.
"The only thing left to discuss is who will eradicate this pests. I don't think it would be appropriate for Lord Ainz to step to the front-lines once again."
Cocytus, who had been silent so far, said.
"I don't really enjoy fighting insignificant nuisances like them. It would be a different thing if there was a person I could respect as a warrior among them,but there is none."
"Understandable. But remember, this is not about your preferences. If our lord wishes for it, we will crush them."
"Of course."
"Unfortunately he hasn't decided yet."
Demiurge tried to hide it, but everyone present knew he was more than eager to slaughter every living being in their army. Shaltear said with no little amount of pride.
"Well, I would be the obvious choice, right? After all, even Lord Ainz himself said I was best used as an arrow to pierce the enemy."
Albedo said mockingly
"Is that so? I guess he must have taken pity on you. A little brat that can't control itself when sprinkled with a little bit of blood has no other use."
"Oho, it seems like you are thoroughly misinformed. I did very well when killing the rats in the Dwarven Kingdom. Shouldn't the guardian overseer be a little bit more aware of the abilities the guardians she is supposed to oversee possess?"
Shaitear maintained a calm tone, but the hostility between these two women made even Cocytus, a true warrior, feel uneasy.
"In any case, we will have to wait how our master decides."
Aura asked.
"But how close should we let them come? Can't we go now and just deal with them now?"
Demiurge replied
"No. It is necessary for them to be close enough to be seen from the city."
Aura and Shaltear both looked at him with question marks above their heads. The Demon sighed and explained.
"It is necessary for the people in E-Rantel to witness the events, so everyone can see that the kingdom is the aggressor and Lord Ainz simply defended his territory. That way we can strengthen their loyalty and, at the same time, suffocate any possible seed of rebellious thoughts."
"Aah, I see. Such an elaborate plan, just as you would expect from the leader of the supreme beings."
"They should be there in a couple of hours. Until then we should be patient."
The march had progressed without noteworthy incidences. The nobles were on horseback, gathered in the middle of the formation, surrounded by the 300.000 men they led here. E-Rantel wasn't yet in sight. Many of the nobles were in high spirits, eagerly distributing the spoils of war after their, what they imagined to be, glorious victory. However, the young Marquis Boulloupe didn't feel well. it was not so much the alcohol of the last night, or the, for a noble, harsh circumstances. What caused him unrest was an uncomfortable feeling in his guts. He had the feeling that something was about to go wrong. Last night he tried to voice his concerns to the other nobles, but they simply brushed him off as an inexperienced and overly cautious worrywart. The alcohol helped him calm this worries down, but now that he was sober, they returned all the more urgent. The idea of eventually being forced to kill humans in E-Rantel plagued his mind. But he knew it was necessary to act. He got annoyed when he heard the other nobles laugh in a carefree manner. It wasn't so much that he disliked them personally, but he had a hard time understanding their attitudes. Until the massacre at the Katze Plains, he wasn't considered an overly important figure. Sure, he was the son of a marquis, one of the six great nobles on top, but he was merely the second born and unlikely to be involved in his fathers' affairs. He didn't feel any resentments towards his father and older brother. They always had a good relationship. He didn't lack anything and was contempt with his position, so he had no desires. Then the war with the Baharuth Empire happened. At that time he didn't think much of it. It had almost become something like a tradition. But at that time, the empire allied himself with the Sorcerer King and destroyed the kingdoms' army utterly. Among the people that never returned were his father and older brother. Suddenly he, the only one that never wanted to be part of the noble society and being burdened with the responsibilities attached, was forced to take their place. He didn't lack the education er something like this. On the contrary. Because his fathers' influence and wealth he was just as well suited as his brother. The only thing he lacked was the desire. Intrigues and schemes were revolting to him. He only wanted to lead a simple and honest life. On top of that he loathed violence, war particularly. Yet he was leading troops to attack another nation. He knew the Sorcerer King took their land after the last war, but didn't they just recently sign a peace-contract? He looked around, observing the men marching next to him. Even without the Sorcerer King, they surely wouldn't go down without putting up a fight. Many would die today. Was he supposed to be happy about the wealth and land they would obtain? That's what made the other nobles so hard to understand. Did riches compensate for the loss of life? During his childhood he often played with the children of the servants, despite his father insisting they were beneath him. He didn't think their company was unpleasant. In fact he discovered many similarities between him and them. The only difference between them was the family they were born into, something they had no control over. If the only thing that distinguished the nobles from commoners was one simple stroke of luck, couldn't that reverse at any minute? Maybe it was now somebody else turn to be lucky. These were just some of the thoughts during their journey. Then finally, he could see the outer walls of E-Rantel on the horizon. Soon their army would be right in front of the enemy nations' capital. But something felt odd. So far, they hadn't faced any resistance. Even if their enemy is in a weakened state, they should have at least a couple undead to protect their border. But nothing had even attempted to stop them. Would they maybe be able to reclaim the city without bloodshed?
Ainz clicked his tongue in frustration. He sat in his office in E-Rantel and was surrounded by some of the people from the city he previously summoned. Among the the guild master of the adventurer guild, Pluton Ainzach. He explained them the current situation of advancing troops from the kingdom.
(That is truly infuriating. I did everything possible to build a friendly relationship with the kingdom and that is how they repay it?)
Ainzach hesitantly spoke to Ainz
"Y-your majesty. I am afraid to ask, but what are you planning to do?"
"There is only one way to react to an attack, isn´t there?"
"Wouldn´t it be possible to show them mercy? I am sure they would retreat once they see that you are still alive."
"That wouldn´t be sufficient. If the only thing that keeps them from invading is my presence, how could I ever know my citizens save? If someone were to break into your house and threaten to hurt your family, would you simply see him off with a stern scolding and hope nothing happens the next time you leave your house?"
"I guess not."
"It is even different from the war two years ago. They received a formal decleration of war and the opportunity to surrender. The don´t have enough decency for that. I showed mercy to these savages when I ceased my pursuit , but it seems like they haven´t learned anything. As much as it pains me, I have to deal with them once and for all."
"I know you have to do this and certainly take no joy in it, but I can´t help but feel guilty if I did nothing to save them."
"In that case I will give them one last chance. Go out and tell them to retreat. If they don´t listen to your warnings, you have nothing to feel guilty about, right?"
Ainzach nodded and rushed out of the room.
(I guess that settles that. Next I have to think about how to deal with Shaltear and Albedo. Demiurge said they were constantly at each others throats. Maybe I can do something for them. Is there a way they can deal with the tension and let of some steam?)
Only a short while later, the army was completely assembled and in formation. A six-hundred men column, 500 rows. Truly a breathtaking force. All the soldiers were here to free their brothers and sisters from the undeads' oppression. But nobody came to greet them. No joyful cheers could be heard from the city. In fact, nothing at all could be heard. Everything was dead silent. Was this a trap to lure them in, or was there nobody left alive in the city. The commanders could feel the soldiers getting restless. Should they simply advance, break down the gate and march into the city? As many of them were thinking these thoughts, one of the smaller side-gates was opened and one lonely rider came out. The person was a man in his mid to late 40s, with gray hair and a well-trained body. He rapidly approached the army, but it didn't seem likely to be an attack. As he caught sight of the nobles, he directed his horse to them. He dismounted and bowed politely, introducing himself.
"My name is Pluton Ainzach. I am the guild master of the adventurer guild."
Marquis Blumrush returned
"Greetings. As you can see, we, the people of the kingdom of Re-Estize, came to free you and all the other humans and drive out these monsters."
Ainzach scratched his head.
"Yeah, about that. We would rather you not."
"What?"
Several of the nobles said dumbfounded.
"You see, all of us are rather satisfied with how things are. Don't get us wrong, we are grateful for your efforts, but we don't have to be saved. Furthermore we don''t want you to feel his majestys' wrath, so it's in our and your best interest to simply go back."
"ls somebody forcing you to say this? Are there monsters inside holding the others as hostages to threaten you? I am sure you must be terrified to live in a town occupied by Demi-Humans and other monsters. Seeing your fellow human beings being killed and eaten before your eyes must be terrible."
"No, no, no. Nobody is being kept as a hostage and nobody threatens us. Sure, it took us a while to get used to the different species living here now, but most of them are actually pretty nice. The king is a very understanding man, but he will show no mercy when threatened. So please, I beg you all, go back home before he loses his patience."
The overweight noble, who couldn't stop talking about how he hopes for some pretty women as war slaves last night, said.
"Nice try. Go and say whoever is in charge that we are willing to accept their surrender. Then we will be merciful and grant them a swift death."
Ainzach sighed and shook his head. He turned around, mounted his horse and rode back to the city. After he vanished inside, the gate was closed again.
"I've had enough of this nonsense. Let's advance and get rid of them .It is... ooaah."
The suddenly shaking ground was accompanied by a thunderous grumbling. The nobleman was almost thrown off by his horse.
"What is happening?"
That wasn't an isolated incident. All of the soldiers were losing their balance, some of them falling to the ground. Then, a huge stone wall appeared behind the last row of soldiers and on either side of the army, surrounding them from three sides. The huge walls encircling them were ten meter stall. A great commotion broke out among the soldiers. One of the generals yelled.
"Is everyone alright? Report!"
Fortunately, apart from some light scratches and the shock, nobody was injured. Many of the men looked around, partly confused, partly scared. The sudden appearance of the huge walls, encircling them from three sides, left only one opening, towards E-Rantel. Despite the sudden development, many of the nobles and generals were still very arrogant.
"Looks like they wanted to trap us, but failed miserably. The most important part about a wall is to keep the enemy outside, not inside. Just what you'd expect from stupid monsters. Let's show them the magnitude of their mistake. Charge!"
The general ordered the attack, but before any of the soldiers could move, the great main gate,still in plain sight of the army, opened. Many of the soldiers of the kingdom expected an enemy attack and readied their weapons, but only a single figure emerged from the opened gate. It's frame was about as big as a human, but the oppressive aura it emitted made it seem ten times bigger. It was clad in a robe that appeared to be condensed darkness itself. Only it's white, fleshless, skinless skull was forming a contrast to that darkness. Small crimson flames were flickering in the skulls' hollow eye-sockets. Enclosed in its' bony hand, the skeleton held a magnificent golden staff, which looked like several snakes intertwining each other, with jewels in their mouths. If not for the grave-silence that had enveloped the complete area, nobody would have heard the whispering pleas of the overweight noble.
"But, but... He wasn't supposed to be alive."
Even though, nobody here has ever seen him, everybody has heard the description of the undead magic caster Ainz Ooal Gown. With a leisurely pace he walked towards the enemy army,his staff producing a metallic sound every time it hit the ground.
Klank
Klank
Klank
All the soldiers were sweating heavily, but nobody dared to move, feeling like the metallic sounds were the clocks of their life ticking away.
Klank
Klank
Klank
Perhaps overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of this god of death, nobody possessed the ability to think.
Klank
Klank
All that was left was the primary instinct of fear. The firm belief that their death was slowly but surely walking towards them.
Klank
Klank
Althoughit was probably not more than a minute, every step he took felt like an eternity. Deep inside their hollow minds was a little part that still clung to sanity. This part was praying for that monster to walk even slower, hoping to prolong their life for a couple of seconds more.
Klank
Klank
Despite all their prayers, he finally arrived before their army, the walls behind and on both sides and the Sorcerer King blocking the front. Of course he wasn't able to block the vast space. Left and right of him were more than a 100 meters of space, but nobody dared to escape that way, because it meant getting closer to him on their own. With a thunderous voice his words echoed through the soldiers' ranks.
"Invaders from the Re-Estize Kingdom. Although our two nations signed peace-contracts and even flourished in trade, you decided to use the silly rumors about my demise to try and seize what is mine. It seems like I was a fool to believe that our two nations could prosper and benefit from each other. You showed me the true face of your kingdom and the depth of your hatred towards everything that is not exactly like you. Despite all that I tried to show you mercy. I even went out of my way and sent someone to give you a last warning. Nevertheless you were blinded by greed and stupidity and refused to withdraw your invading forces. Therefore you have left me with no other choice but to deliver righteous and swift judgment."
He snapped with his fingers, how he did that with only bones remains a mystery. Two more people appeared on either side of him. One was wearing a black full-body armor, carrying a massive bardiche. Because of his closed helmet, the face wasn't visible. The other one was smaller, clad in a crimson-red armor, with a strangely shaped spear in hand. From the look of her face one could assume her being a girl of rather young age, but her crimson pupils and sadistic smile caused panic. Ainz said to the both of them.
"Please, take care of the rubbish that someone has dumped on my lawn."
He turned around and was attempting to leave, before he stopped and said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Before I forget it, please capture the nobles and generals with as less injuries as you see fit. Do with the rest of them what you want."
Both knights bowed respectfully and the robed magic caster left.
"Looks like we can finally decide who is better."
Said the smaller knight in red armor.
"Let me just remind you what rules we agreed on. No magic, no items besides our weapons, no world items and the first one to let one of them escape loses. The one with the more kills wins. The loser will have to openly declare that the winner is superior in any aspect."
The black-armored knight said.
"Yes, yes, yes. Can we finally start or are you going to waste the whole day."
Faster than any of the soldiers of the kingdoms' army could blink, their two opponents leaped forward. In the fraction of a second they arrived at the foremost line and started massacring the soldiers. The knight with the bardiche sent a couple dozen heads flying with every single swing, so fast that the decapitated soldiers were still standing, blood gushing out from their necks. The spear of the red-armored knight smashed everyone close enough to minced meat, raining down on the battlefield. After a couple of seconds the minds of the soldiers began working again, realizing what was happening to them. The whole army screamed and wailed, trying to run away as far as possible. Some brave ones tried to put up a futile resistance, only to be crushed like ants. The nobles, in an attempt to escape, pushed their horses faster than they thought possible, only to suddenly find themselves floating in midair, before crashing to the ground. Marquis Blumrush looked around, to see the other nobles in a horrible state. Many of the horses had been cut horizontal, with the legs of the riders still in the stirrup, but lacking everything from the knee upwards. They were lying on the ground, screaming in pain and with despair in their eyes. He quickly checked himself, but he was in a better state. His legs were still attached to him, but twisted in an unnatural way, clearly broken as he was thrown of his horse by a shock-wave. He saw the black-armored knight approaching him. When he heard the voice, he forgot his pain over the surprise. It was the voice of a woman. Not any woman, as he clearly remembered the radiant beauty that had visited the kingdom in the past. This voice belonged to the Prime Minister, Albedo.
"You are lucky lord Ainz ordered us to capture you alive. But fortunately he doesn't care in what state you are apart from "alive'."
She slowly lifted him up with ease, then threw him on a pile with the other nobles. She yelled at someone.
"Make sure they stay alive. Heal them if necessary. We can't afford to disappoint Lord Ainz."
Some shadowy creatures emerged from the ground, heading to the pile of nobles, then, for better or worse, every single one of them lost consciousness. The dying screams of soldiers fell silent as the sun set behind the horizon. By then, there was not a single living being on the plain before the city. The whole time, not a single citizen dared to take a look outside. They all hid inside their houses and kept their windows shut, but they could very well imagine what had happened and many of them prayed for the people that were slaughtered, but they were all well aware of the reason. They were an invading force and the Sorcerer King had even given them a chance to escape their fate. Many had witnessed how he ordered Pluton Ainzach, the guild master and respected man to go and warn them. By that point, everyone had to acknowledge that they had it coming. They couldn't condemn the Sorcerer King for his actions. They simply hoped the kings´ wrath wouldn't extend to them as well, but not many were concerned with that. None of the citizens could say anything bad about him. Apart from being undead he was like any other king. No, saying he was like any other king wasn´t quite right. In fact, he was much more generous and understanding than they ever thought possible. He was known to listen to the needs of the people. Not only did he reduce the overall tax-rate, he even provided the formerly homeless with means to care for themselves, by giving them a patch of land to farm on for free, as well as undead laborers. The overall standard of living had greatly improved and once they got used to the undead guards, they didn´t mind them anymore. There was almost no crime or poverty, no hunger or persecution in the Sorcerer Kingdom. No nobles or other wealthy people were harassing the common folk. Nobody in the city of E-Rantel desired to return to the state they were in before his majesty came along.