Chapter 16: The Librarian
Nazarick Hotel 2nd Floor, Bar
The Blue Roses lounged comfortably in one of the leather-padded mahogany booths that lined the walls of the Nazarick hotel cafe. An ornately furnished wooden table separated them and the two sharply dressed men seated on the other side of the booth. An awkward silence hung in the air between the two groups, interrupted only by the occasional frustrated tapping of Evileye's fingers.
Gagaran looked at Lakyus with concern. It was customary for the blond leader of the Blue Roses to take the initiative in such meetings, but her friend was staring meekly instead at the sweet caramel-colored drink in her hands, unwilling to speak or meet her gaze. The massively built female warrior could not help but feel a lingering mix of confusion and worry at the flustered state of her companion. Lakyus seemed to always act like this after being caught in the middle of one of her strange episodes.
Is she really okay? If that sword is finally getting to her….it could spell deep trouble for all of us….
Gagaran shot an inquisitive glance at Tina, who was lying slouched within the shadows in a corner of the booth. The blue eyed assassin had also been present when they discovered Lakyus chanting ominously to herself while hugging her sword. However, Tina and her sister were preoccupied with observing the movements of the strange creature tending to the bar. While the twins had yet to find any evidence of poison or magical tampering in any of the drinks provided thus far, they could not afford to let their guard down. Tia and Tina monitored the actions of the mushroom-headed bartender with utmost attention, ready to act upon any hint of suspicious activity.
Finally, Gagaran's gaze turned to the last and most powerful member of the Blue Roses. Unlike the rest of her companions, Gagaran could feel the vampire's eyes piercing through her mask to meet her own gaze. The two reached a silent agreement.
It's time to address the elephant in the room.
Evileye cleared her throat and prepared to speak, but one of the men seated across from her beat her to the chase.
"We know that meeting like this is strange, but certain circumstances have made it impossible for us to come here in person. We've been lent these simulacri by a certain...interested party in exchange for our assistance in doing reconnaissance within the Sorcerous Kingdom. "
As the person opened his mouth to "speak," the disjointed sound of a male voice came out. However, the man's lips did not move nor did his face show any kind of synchronization with the sound of the words. Upon closer inspection of the man's face and posture, one could see certain strange features that indicated something quite unnatural. The man did not blink, and his dull eyes contained no sign of emotion. He sat unnaturally upright and rigid, displaying none of the small movements typically seen in normal people.
Evileye drew a sharp intake of breath at the word "simulacri." She had heard of such constructs before, but this was her first time seeing it in person. They were extremely rare entities, created as physical projections of people and used to operate in their stead. While too crude in appearance to act as spies, they were very useful as messengers as the wild magic used to create them made them impervious to eavesdropping magic. Simulacri also possessed 40% of the combat capabilities of the original, making them quite formidable when used to copy powerful individuals. Simulacri were a truly unique existence. Based on what Evileye knew, the only type of construct that came close were the even rarer "homunculi," who were less useful in combat but far, far more human-like in appearance and behavior. Beyond that, there were legends of mythical creatures called doppelgangers that could wear the skins of people and impersonate them. However, Evileye dismissed these as little more than urban legend.
If she remembered correctly, there was only one type of power in the world capable of creating a simulacrum.
"Wild magic, huh? So you're working with him?"
The other simulacrum who had yet to speak shrugged his shoulders. This one had a mane of long blond hair that was the same color as Lakyus's, dyed with a streak of red and partially braided into a long strand behind his left ear. Evileye assumed that this was Lakyus's uncle and leader of Red Drop, Azuth Aindra.
The simulacrum's well-defined middle-aged features crinkled as it opened its mouth to deliver the words of the original.
"The Sorcerer King has shaken the foundations of this world. The powers that have passively watched for centuries are now moving again. Our team has been developing connections during our time in the Argland Council State. Me, Luisenberg here and the rest of our group are kind of tied down there at the moment. I have plans to relocate soon to look into the situation of the Re-estize Kingdom some time later, but coming here like this is the best I can do for now."
Evileye noticed that he was ignoring her question, so decided to ask a different one.
"Alberion-san mentioned that the two of you are assisting in reconnaissance. Does this mean you've visited E-Rantel already?"
The darker haired simulacrum representing Luisenberg Alberion cranked its head stiffly from side to side in what appeared to be a headshake.
"No, we've been avoiding E-Rantel because of how heavy surveillance and security is around those parts. One false move or word would be fatal. Anything we know about what's going on around that place is based solely off of rumors we've gathered around the hotel. Based on what we've heard, it doesn't sound all that bad. Actually, one of the reasons we wanted to talk with you girls is to confirm the reliability of these reports about E-Rantel."
Gagaran interjected with a concern she'd been having since the start of the conversation.
"Shouldn't we be having this talk somewhere more isolated if that's the case?"
The female warrior looked around the room. It was empty save for the two adamantite teams and the bartender as everyone was still in the grand dining hall.
Azuth Aindra's simulacrum nodded its head at the question.
"We did take that into consideration, but trying to arrange a private meeting around the outskirts of the hotel grounds whilst avoiding the attention of the Sorcerer King's minions is pretty much impossible. We'd probably attract even more attention that way in our attempt to isolate ourselves. Talking inside the hotel itself seems to be the best option. Oh, by the way…."
Azuth's tone turned playful.
"Lakyus, have you been doing that again."
Lakyus, who had been meekly silent up to this point, flushed a deep red.
Gagaran, Evileye and the twins looked back and forth between Lakyus and Azuth's simulacrum. A similar train of thought went through their heads.
Does Lakyus's uncle know something about her connection with Kilneiram? Is that why Lakyus seems so flustered?
The blushing Lakyus finally opened her mouth to speak:
"W-will the two of you be staying for the remainder of the event?"
The simulacri shook their heads in unison. Luisenberg's voice sounded in reply:
"It is already very difficult to avoid direct contact with the followers of the Sorcerer King. We've told them that we have much business to attend to in the Kingdom, and would only be visiting briefly. The Sorcerer King did not seem to mind but I'm sure we've raised some suspicions already. We've already seen enough to make this a worthwhile visit, and these constructs can only do so much. Our main goal is to get a rough evaluation of the Sorcerer King's capabilities and to give you guys a heads up regarding the current underlying operations being planned against the Sorcerer King."
Private Meeting Room, Nazarick Hotel 3rd Floor
"Umu, interesting…..so this is Wild Magic..."
Clasping his two skeletal hands together, Ainz mused as he observed the exchange between the Blue Roses and Red Drop from a scrying lens.
"Crude as they are, these Simulacri are truly an interesting specimen…"
Wild magic...perhaps some sort of fusion or interaction between Yggdrasil tier magic and the physical laws of the New World? Or perhaps it is the original form of magical power in this world, preceding even tier magic?
A sharp voice quickly interrupted his thinking.
"How dare these maggots plot against our lord, especially in the heart of our territory? Ainz-sama, please allow me to go and exterminate them right this instance!"
Oblivious to the thoughts running through her master's head, Shalltear piped up, her voice harsh with outrage.
Before Ainz could collect his thoughts and respond to Shalltear's abrupt request, Demiurge's calm voice spoke up in reassurance.
"There is no need for hasty action. Let the humans and their allies make their preparations. The machinations of Red Drop and their supporters are of no consequence. We can simply observe and wait."
Hearing the confidence in Demiurge's tone, Aura voiced her confusion:
"But shouldn't we take them out before they have time to ready their plans of defiance against Ainz-sama? Is it really okay to just let them be?"
Demiurge's lips curled upward into a peculiar smile, the light reflecting off his glasses in an eerie white glow.
"Why not? Everything is going according to Ainz-sama's grand predictions. The humans are concocting their petty schemes and playing their naive little games, and soon the fish will take the bait and meet us out in the open. By stepping out of the shadows, we have forced them to come into the light. Even now, they move their pawns under the impression that they can slowly outmaneuver us, but little do they know the chessboard is and has always been under our complete dominion."
"As. Expected. Of. Ainz. Sama. The. Lesser. Schemes. Of. These. Impudent. Humans. Are. Insignificant. In. The. Face. Of. Ainz. Sama's. Grand. Devices."
Trembling in admiration, Cocytus could barely contain his frigid breath as it emanated across the room as he spoke, his tone full of absolute reverence.
"As expected of Ainz-sama!"
The excited praises of Shalltear, Aura and Mare joined in unison.
"…"
Ainz could feel non-existent beads of sweat sliding down the back of his skull.
"Ahem, yes. It is as Demiurge has stated. We shall simply observe and wait."
Desperate to change the subject before any of the guardians could ask him about the details of his imaginary "plans", Ainz turned to Shalltear with a sudden inquiry.
"So, Shalltear, how goes your investigation of the matter we talked about earlier?"
"A-ainz-sama! You see...about that…."
Nazarick Hotel 3rd Floor, Library
Titus Annaeus Secundus surveyed the large opulent room around him. A long elegant walkway stretched from the enormous wooden doors denoting the entrance of the room to the center of the room where he sat, splitting the wide rectangular complex into two equal sections lined with countless rows of massive bookshelves stuffed to the brim with intricate tomes of varying proportions.
Titus recalled handpicking each and every one of these books from the Great Library of Ashurbanipal, a task that had been bestowed upon him by the Supreme Being of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown.
Lord Ainz had asked him to find an assortment of books that would prove interesting or useful to the average human adventurer. Of course, none of them could contain any sensitive information or relevancy that extended outside of the scope of the New World.
Using his impeccable familiarity with the contents of the Great Library of Ashurbanipal, Titus quickly amassed a wide collection of books ranging from bestiaries to strategy manuals, from adventurer novels to self-improvement guides.
Of course, much of the books stored in Ashurbanipal simply contained too much information that could be connected to the secrets of Nazarick. In the end, Titus decided that he would have to set his sights beyond Ashurbanipal in order to create a suitable collection to suit the needs of the Nazarick Hotel. The skeleton mage began looking for books, reports, documents from the archives of E-Rantel, and worked with Fluder Paradyne to collect different books from the Baharuth Empire's libraries to complete the Nazarick Hotel collection.
It was no simple task, even for an ancient undead librarian like Titus, but in the end, the efforts of the Head Librarian of Nazarick bore fruit; the room before him- the Nazarick Hotel Library-now serves as one of the most extensive and invaluable stores of adventurer-related information one could find in the entire New World.
There was just one problem…..
Titus Annaeus Secundus sighed as he thought to himself.
There hasn't been a single visitor since the opening of the hotel.
Adventurers were not known for their penchant for reading. With the plethora of fascinating facilities across the Nazarick Hotel such as the training grounds and the Runesmith, the library naturally fell short of the adventurers' priorities.
Nonetheless, Titus was not too fazed about the situation. Even in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ashurbanipal was not a place of great popularity amongst the denizens of the Tomb, and the skeleton mage would often find himself without any visitors for countless hours at the library. He had been quietly quite pleased with the induction of Fluder Paradyne into Nazarick, as the human magician spent almost all of his time poring through the magical tomes in Ashurbanipal, and would quite frequently ask for his guidance to find more magical knowledge. Mare had been visiting the library occasionally as well to find help regarding his work on the Master Dungeon.
Now however, Titus found himself alone amongst his books once again.
That is, until….
The light resting within the skeleton mage's eye sockets glowed in anticipation as the doors of the Nazarick Hotel finally began to rumble and open.
In the crack between the opening doors, Titus saw a lithe female silhouette draped in black…
Selena Magala gaped in awe at the massive library before her. Like every other part of the Nazarick Hotel, the library shone with a majestic grandeur that immediately made one feel small and insignificant.
And yet, the library contained a unique aura quite unlike the intimidating impression of the Training Area or the mysterious presence of the Master Dungeon. Here, a silent buzz of unspoken wisdom seemed to emanate from around the room. As she walked forward across the large central walkway, Selena could feel the aura intensify. In front of her at the center of the library was an elevated podium outfitted with a tall desk crafted from an obsidian-looking material. Seated at the desk and gazing down upon her was a skeleton mage adorned in a simple red robe, its head cloaked in silk.
As she stared into the blue light that flickered within the depths of the skeleton mage's sockets, she could tell that this undead being was none other than the source of the mystical atmosphere that permeated the library. Unlike the monstrous undead that guarded the streets of E-Rantel, this skeleton mage did not give off an aura of power and death. Instead, its very presence seemed ethereal in nature, as if it were one with the library, a manifestation of the knowledge contained inside this very room.
"Greetings, I am Titus Annaeus Secundus, and the librarian of this place. How may I help thee?"
Before Selena could fully take in her surroundings, the skeleton mage spoke, its calm and steady voice carrying just a hint of curiosity.
Drawing a deep breath to steel her nerves, Selena responded in a respectful tone:
"Hi, I was wondering if I could take a look at some books relating to the practice of necromancy."
The skeleton mage's head tilted slightly to the side as if in thought, but said nothing.
After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, Selena decided to speak up again and repeat her question. However, just as she opened her mouth to speak, a slight rumbling sound resonated across the library and a multitude of books began flying off of the shelves, traveling through the air and landing on the skeleton mage's desk.
"Let us see…."
The flickering blue flames within the skeleton mage's eyes intensified as the undead entered a state of concentration. He picked up one of the books on the desk, a moderate sized grimoire with black leather cover, and read the title aloud.
"An Introduction to the Necromantic Arts, from the Imperial Magic Academy of the Baharuth Empire."
Selena shook her head. She had already read this one many times while in the Baharuth magic academy. It was a very basic overview of the nature of necromancy and its role among magic casters.
Seeing that she was not satisfied, the skeleton mage moved on to the next book.
"Compilation of Basic Necromancer Spells, from the former Mage's Association archives in E-Rantel."
Again, Selena shook her head. This was one of the most basic Necromancer manuals available to the aspiring magic casters. It contained rudimentary spells like Reanimate, Summon Undead 1st and Corpse Skin. Nothing she did not already know.
"Bestiary: Undead Creatures, also from E-Rantel's archiv-"
"Are there any works containing more advanced information that may be hard to find elsewhere?"
Titus nodded, seemingly unbothered by the interruption. With a flick of his hand, half of the initially chosen books on his desk flew back to the shelves. From the remaining lot, the librarian picked up a book cased in a metallic green material.
"Iron Maiden: A Guide to Necromancer Body Augmentation, from the forbidden section of the Imperial Magic Academy library."
Before Selena could express her thoughts, the skeleton mage took one look at her and set the book aside.
"Not suitable for your style of combat. Next."
The librarian picked up a thin brown manual.
"Secrets of the Undead King Davernoch, looted from the territory of the Eight Fingers."
"Oh, that sounds-"
"A shallow investigation on an insignificant pretender. Next."
Ignoring Selena's expression of interest, Titus picked up the next work: a stack of papers loosely bound together.
"A Report on Corpse Manipulation, a paper compiling the research results on the puppeteer magic of one of the Evil Deities, from the forbidden section of the Baharuth magic academy library.."
Again, before Selena could say a word, Titus set the stack of papers aside and pulled out the next book.
"Apotheosis: Guide to Becoming a Lich, recovered from a Zuranon conclave by Re-Estize adventurers and stored in the Mage's Associations special archives."
"How to Tame a Skeletal Dragon, looted from the corpse of a Zuranon disciple…."
"Research on the Mysterious Undead Creature by Fluder Paradyne….."
"Elder Coffin Dragonlord: Myth or Reality by Imperial Magic Academy Research Team…."
The skeleton mage continued to rattle off book after book, seemingly oblivious to Selena's increasing speechlessness.
"My Vampire Fetish, by Peroro-"
"Ahem!"
Selena finally decided to interrupt the endless stream of titles.
"Perhaps there is something that could help me learn more about the necromantic powers wielded by His Majesty the Sorcerer King?"
At the sound of this request, Titus immediately paused in his motions, a small, pink journal still clutched in his hands. Slowly, the librarian turned its cold glowing eyes straight at Selena, and for a fleeting moment she felt as if her very soul was being read and assessed by the now-silent librarian.
The feeling quickly subsided, and the skeleton mage set down the pink journal. With a flick of his hand, all but two of the books from the pile on his desk flew back to their respective places on the bookshelves.
"Surshana, God of Death from the temple archives of the Roble Holy Kingdom."
"High Tier Necromancy: A Bygone Age by Rigrit Bers Carau, from the official archives of E-Rantel."
He then opened a desk drawer and took out one plain looking book..
"My Glimpse Into the Abyss of Magic, by Fluder Paradyne. from the library of Ashurbanipal."
Selena gracefully accepted the three recommended books, but she could not help but feel a strong sense of disappointment. After all, she had come in hopes of finding something written by the Sorcerer King himself. Both Surshana, God of Death and High Tier Necromancy were common reads accessible to many in the Baharuth Empire, and while she had never heard of the third book, she knew enough about Fluder Paradyne to know that that old man would unlikely be able to offer any sort of revolutionary insight into the practice of Necromancy..
Sensing her disappointment, Titus decided to reinforce his recommendations with a word of advice.
"If you wish to learn about the true power of necromancy, you can perhaps find certain clues contained within these works. I suggest taking a different perspective in reading these books, and approach them as an exploration of the potential of necromancy and its essence rather than as studies of necromancy's history in this world. My third recommendation is a newly written work by Court Magician Paradyne that may perhaps broaden your scope of thought sufficiently to understand the implications contained within these works. These books are to be returned within 3 days. Take care not to damage them."
Selena nodded her head in a quick thanks before turning and heading out of the library. Feeling the librarian's cold eyes boring into her retreating back, she hurried into a nervous trot before finally disappearing out of the librarian's sight. She delivered a sigh of relief as the library doors finally shut completely behind her, freeing her from the pressure of the librarian's gaze.
At the center of the library, Titus Annaeus Secundus allowed his gaze to linger a moment longer at the closed doors behind which Selena was now standing before turning to a cabinet behind him and opening it to find a stack of neatly assorted books. He reached in with his skeletal hand and selected a thick black grimoire adorned with golden engravings forming the outline of an inhuman skull. At the top of the intricate cover were a series of words denoting the title:
Yggdrasil Necromancy
Running his bony fingers across the cover of the book, Titus mused to himself as he recalled the eager expression on Selena's face as she asked to learn about Lord Ainz's necromantic powers. Seemingly coming to a decision, Titus set the book down on his desk before activating a spell.
[Message]
"Yes, Titus?"
The voice of his master, the Supreme Being Ainz Ooal Gown, responded from the other end of the message spell.
"Ainz-sama, it is as you and Demiurge predicted. It seems another useful piece has appeared."
I've kind of written myself into a corner here. Volume 14 has provided some background on Red Drop and Remedios that are...problematic for my fic in regards to who/where they are and their relationship with existing characters. Alas, this was not unexpected since fleshing out canon characters is always a risk for stories that are ongoing. That's why I tried to put in so many minor OCs, since I can be much more flexible with them. Regardless, I will try my best to stick with this current trajectory while staying consistent with the events of Volume 14. Thankfully, Crystal Tear was not mentioned in Vol 14 and the Draconic Kingdom's briefly mentioned subordinate relationship with the Sorcerous Kingdom in the newest volume actually meshes with what I already had in mind with this fanfic. If any glaring inconsistencies arise between this fic and any new information from the latest volume, do let me know in the comments.