...
E-Rantel Adventurer's Guild
Nabe was vigilant as ever, attentively watching the 4 people sitting across the table. She was patiently listening to them as they talked; figuring out any possible things they might have that could harm her master and evaluating each individual. But when they introduced themselves, she didn't think they were strong enough to remember their names.
The warrior seems to be the strongest out of all of them. I can feel more magic from this mage than the other ones downstairs. Their Druid is calm, keeping everyone level headed. Why does this ranger keep glancing at me? Did he determine my intent? Anyways, it doesn't matter; mosquitoes will always be mosquitoes regardless of how much blood they suck.
At the end of her analysis, she came to the conclusion that the four 'teammates' she has to work with for their upcoming quest are nothing more than meatbags, wasting space. If it were up to her, she would show them that the disparity between a simple maid like herself is impossible for them to cross. She couldn't discern her master's intent on pretending to be like these weaklings.
"And that's everyone in our party," Peter said. He exchanged words with Momon but looked at Nabe to see if she had any input on the matter.
But she didn't say anything.
"I'm sure we all know who you both are, or at least heard about you. But for the pleasantries, can you two formally introduce yourself?"
Momon rose from his seat, standing up.
Ainz-sama rising from his seat is so majestic, he really deserves to be called a Supreme Being. Nabe thought.
"Ahem- My name is Momon, and I'm a warrior like your leader, Peter. My partner here is Nabe. She's a Mage like Ninya." He said and then sat down.
"Now that we introduced ourselves, do you care to elaborate on the quest you intended us to complete? I take it you've an idea of what you wanted before approaching us?"
Peter let out a smile. He and all of Swords of Darkness let go of their carefree attitude and changed their expressions to that of a professional.
"It's as you say. But to be honest, it isn't so much a quest on the board. Adventurers can also slay monsters and bring proof of it back to the Guild and get paid. We were planning on leaving for a Monster Subjugation journey, heading towards the southern forest border and arriving at E-Pespel to resupply before coming back to E-Rantel. There's not much to it other than that. The deeper we go into the forest, the more dangerous monsters appear. It'll give your team a way to make a name quickly and the pay will be higher the more dangerous it is." Peter said. His face held a nice smile, but underneath it, he knew he sold his point successfully.
"It's not as grand as an Orichalcum ranked quest." Jokes Lukrut. "But it keeps the city safe and the pay not bad, putting food on our plates."
"We're really lucky the Princess fought to have this law passed. If she didn't, our party would probably have disbanded…" Ninya said to herself.
When she saw that everyone was looking at her, her face flushed red and she started shaking her hands in a dismissive way. "A-ah ahh I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that."
Peter sighed, so far he was so close to having Momon and Nabe join, but now they might not want to since they learned this face. He wasn't upset at Ninya, she was being honest and that's who she was as a person. But he felt a little frustrated, he built up the perfect plan to rope them in too.
"...This does seem to benefit us greatly. And I wouldn't be opposed to this joint quest with your party. But I have one question…"
Peter's eyes brimmed with joy when he heard Momon's words, but then knew inside, he would have to explain more about Ninya's words. He could feel Momon's intent clearly. But-
"...What does your team gain from it? I don't see any reason for you to want my partner and me. We're still new and don't have anything that makes us all this effort." Momon states matter-of-factly. Even though he knew the both of them could obliterate people with ease, they didn't prove anything to the populace. So it's weird that this party wanted them.
"Actually… there is… You arrived with the Warrior Captain. It may not seem like much, but we all discussed amongst ourselves and feel like there's more to you than everyone else might think, especially after what happened downstairs." Peter said.
"Wait what? Something happened?" Dyne asked. He was quiet this whole time, but he was logical and liked to be informed of everything.
"Uh, it's nothing important. I can tell you later if you want." Peter shyly replied. His focus turned back to Momon. "If we can see both of your skills in person, then perhaps we could pick up a thing or two. Although I hate to admit it, Ninya was right. Without the new laws of Monster Hunting, our team wouldn't have enough funds to keep running. We're only Iron ranked, so the quests we can take on don't pay much, forcing us to complete a lot of them if we want to eat. The new Monster Subjugation basically is like a year-round quest hired by the Kingdom, allowing us to practice more and gain experience so we can rank up."
Ahh, so that's what it was. Well, it's not like they're an evil organization trying to invade the city. They just wanted to solidify themselves. I don't see any cons of going along with them.
"Very well, we'll join Swords of Darkness for this joining quest," Momon said.
Peter and everyone else beamed smiles. But Lukrut was happy for a different reason. He jumped out of his chair and got his knees in front of Nabe.
"Nabe, Nabe. Tell me, would you be my girlfriend!" He said happily.
"Hmph! You dare to talk to me you worm? Learn your place." She said coldly.
"Argghhh! The pain! The Anguish! Nabe, you truly have taken my heart!" Lukrut said, making exaggerated poses like in a play. "Say, will you be my friend then?"
"Maggot." Nabe sneered.
Momon cut in to not have things escalate anymore. He leaned close to whisper in her ear. "Nabe, don't react so rashly."
His words cut through her like a hot knife and butter. She apologized and her face paled when she realized how she was acting. She didn't care about the humans, but if she continued like this, she would be breaking the rules placed down earlier.
"I'm sorry too Miss Nabe," Peter said. "Lukrut, what did I say about keeping your pants in check!" He scolded his friend.
With the atmosphere lightened, they could discuss their upcoming journey together in more depth.
"Now that we'll be working together, you should see my face," Momon said. He raised his hands to take off his helmet.
When his face was fully revealed, everyone in the room gasped. His face was perfect. To say so was being modest. He had dark brown hair that looked black unless the sunlight was hitting it. His face was white, with clear and smooth skin with an aura of beauty surrounding him. He had light brown eyes that enhanced his other facial features.
Everyone regained their senses when they heard the clicking of metal against metal. Momon put his helmet back on.
"As you can see, we're foreigners and not from around here. So I don't prefer to show my face and gather unwanted aggression."
The members of Swords of Darkness nodded in sympathy and understanding. Even the men had to acknowledge Momon's charm. If other people were to learn of this, then that alone would be enough to warrant other men's ire. And it would only pile up if he had the strength to go along with it.
"Well then, let's discuss in more detail the path we'll take so you know what to prepare for." Peter rolled out a map he had in his pocket as he spoke. The parchment laid in the middle of the table for everyone to see, with E-Rantel at the center of everything.
"As you can see, we're here in E-Rantel." He used his finger to point at the places he mentioned on the map as he spoke. "We won't take the paths merchants and travelers take. We'll journey East along with the grassy fields in a line parallel to the mountains South. Once we hit the forest line, we'll turn north and arrive at E-Pespel."
Peter explained the details of the course they would take, along with possible monsters they could encounter. It was expected for them to come across Goblins and Ogres, almost certain that they would, because of the multiple Goblin clans and tribes competing in the Southern Forest. Barghests and Trolls are possibilities if they leave the forest, but are highly unlikely. Things like Venom Worms or Ivy Vines would be nearly impossible to encounter. But Peter still mentioned them so they could prepare for the worst.
Momon asked questions about there being discrepancies in the strengths of the upcoming Monster's they'll face. In the game, wild Goblins capped at Level 25, but the strengths varied with factors such as location and time. He wanted to know if the monsters in the New World worked the same, capping at maximum strengths. Peter answered his questions and he learned that there were multiple Goblin Kings, normally one per forest. They united a majority of the tribes so their strength should be more than the average Gobin. But they didn't come out to attack the humans like the little tribes they're expected to face, so it wasn't something they needed to fear.
After they wrapped up their meeting, they were descending down the stairs to go their separate ways and gather their items. But-
"Are you Momon-dono?" A mellow voice asked.
Nabe was the first to react, putting herself between the voice and her master with a small jump. She didn't make any hostile moves, but she was prepared to do so at any time. The people around didn't notice her stance change, so they assumed she was startled.
Momon was already looking at the new person, noticing he was a young boy with dirty blonde hair hanging around his head evenly. He couldn't see his eyes since they were blocked by his bangs, but his dirtied apron told him he wasn't another one of those adventurers.
He didn't move any closer but turned his body to face the boy. "Mmm, that would be me. May I know why you ask?"
"Ah- um, you see… I'd like to hire you for a quest."
His reason caught the members of Swords of Darkness off guard, and they let out their shocked expressions.
"Wha-"
"Unbelievable!"
"No way…"
"...Wow..."
Each person had mixed feelings about this, but they all shared their surprise. It wasn't common for a New Adventurer to have a personal request. Not to mention, by someone important like this.
The boy stepped forward to create some friendly contact. But Momon raised his hand as a gesture for him to stop. "Woah, before we get all buddy-buddy, why don't you tell me who you are first?"
The boy's face flushed red with embarrassment and stepped back.
"It makes sense you don't know him…" Peter said, cutting the boy off before he could introduce himself.
"It seems you're familiar with him. Is he a friend of yours?"
"Ah no, no. We haven't met formally, but he's a famous Alchemist that works at the city's most distinguished Pharmacy. His grandmother is renowned across the continent and made many breakthroughs with potions."
Ah, so he's a genius then... Heh, Ulbert-san would've hated you a lot…
"Look, I appreciate you requesting my team, but I have to reject your offer," Momon said.
"I-I understand-"
"But Momon-san! It's a request specifically for you!" Peter interrupted the boy.
"It is so, but we've already agreed to take on a quest. The more time we waste here, the less time we'll have to make preparations." Momon replied.
More like the less time I have to plant a rigged Monster! So let's hurry up and get out of here so I can kill something cool in front of you all!
"Our journey isn't so much an actual quest, so we can always do it later. Why don't you at least listen to what he has to say before you make a decision."
"That is an option, but even if it's not an official quest, it's a job needed for the citizens of this city to stay safe. If I go back on our original agreement, it'll only reflect badly on my team. Besides, I already thought of ways to prepare for our Expedition. It would be a waste of brainpower if we didn't follow through with it." Momon spoke, but his inner thoughts differed.
C'mon dude, I just wanna hurry up and slay some things to rank up faster. Do I really need to spell it out for you? We literally created a perfect plan to elevate my reputation and now you're trying to have me take on this chocoshroom's request that I have no idea about or what I could gain from it!? People really are dull…
Peter shrugged his shoulder in defeat. He thought that if Momon took on the request, his reputation would rise more than if he slew a couple of goblins. Unfortunately, he didn't know Momon's true intentions.
"Very well, then." He said. He looked at the pharmacist in sympathy and turned back to his team.
Momon and Nabe left the Adventurer's Guild with Swords of Darkness shortly after, not giving a second thought about that boy.
When they were walking down the staircase taking them to the street, Ninya spoke out. "To think even he would take interest in you, Momon-san."
He could hear the awe in her voice. Is he really that famous around here?
"What makes him so famous? Isn't his grandmother the one who made the breakthroughs?" He asked Peter.
"That's true, but he's also famous for another reason. He's one of the only two Talent Holders in E-Rantel."
Talent Holder? If I remember correctly, that angel dude said he had one too. I think he said his one enhanced all his summons.
"And what gift was he born with?"
"He has the ability to use any Magical Item. Even the ones with racial restrictions." Ninya replied.
When he heard this, Momon almost lost his footing and tripped down the staircase.
W-what!? That's so broken! Does that mean he could wield the Guild Staff too? Wow…. I'm so lucky I didn't take his request. Imagine that, a human who isn't even level 20, equipped with an item that could destroy the continent. Lol.
After he recomposed his mind, he thought about what Peter said earlier. "You said there are 2 talent holders in E-Rantel, who's the other one?" He asked curiously. If the talents native to this world were unique and dangerous like that boy's one, then he would have to look into it and keep tabs on more people than he originally thought. Of course, he would try to sway them to his side to strengthen Nazarick, but first, he would need a way to identify who had these talents. At least there are only two in this city. He thought.
"W-well, that would be me." Ninya embarrassingly said.
"Hoh? And what can you do?"
"Ninya over here..." Lukrut put his arm around Ninya's shoulder. "...can learn Magic in half the time it takes others to learn!" He said proudly. Though he wasn't the one with the talent, he felt proud of being on the same team as a person with such a gift.
Hmm… That's not as cool as the other boy. Well, if everyone was born with an overpowered talent, perhaps humans wouldn't have been pushed to the point of extinction.
"That's why we call him the Gifted One." Peter chimed in.
Ninya covered his face in shame. "Ah c'mon guys, don't tease me like that." He said.
"It's true though, with your talent, you could probably reach heights similar to the Empire's leading Mage." Dyne stated calmly. His voice was like a father's. His single comment changed the group to admiring Ninya. But-
"I doubt I could compete with Fluder-sama. He reached his peak over the course of 200 years, there's no way I could manage that, even in half of the time."
They reached the bottom of the staircase when Ninya said that. It marked the end of their time together. The next time they meet up, it'll be at the Eastern gate, when they leave for their expedition.
As they parted ways, Momon and Nabe headed to an isolated alley away from the busy streets. With the people passing by, it was easy to get out of sight from everyone. Once they were alone, Nabe cast basic protection spells to prevent any outsiders from gathering intel on them.
He sent a [Message] to contact Aura. Her cheery voice instantly replied in his head.
"[Aura, are you busy right now?]"
[Ah, no. I'm taking my lunch break right now.]
"[Mm, make sure you're eating 3 meals a day and getting 8 hours of sleep.]"
[Yep! I'm doing it every day Ainz-sama! Anyways, What can I do for you?] She said proudly, following the specific orders given to her.
"[Did you finish the map yet and have time to help me with something?]"
[...No, not yet.] He couldn't see her, but he knew she was bowing her head in shame.
"[Is that so...]"
[A-Ainz-sama, please punish me for my failure!]
"[It's fine, don't worry about it. Right now I need you to prepare a Beast Summon. We're going to travel by a forest Southeast from Nazarick so have Shalltear [Gate] you and the Beast there and remain hidden until I send a signal.]"
[O-okay! Do you want a specific type of Beast?]
"[No, it doesn't matter as long as it has a forest habitat. But don't use any of the high-level Summoning Books. Choose a mid-level one. We should have an abundance of spares..]"
[Okay! I'll do it right away!] Getting her new instructions filled her with a new passion.
"[Very good… Also, bring a couple of your Stealth Beasts. We haven't looked into this area so there might be things we are unaware of… And prioritize your life. If you come across something you can't handle, then make sure you escape no matter what.]"
[Yes! I won't fail you Ainz-sama!]
The [Message] spell ended after that. Despite not being able to see her, he could tell that she was excited. He looked at Nabe to signal that they'll be moving. But-
Nabe's body was focused and her stance lowered, preparing to face an attack and launch one too. "Momon-sa-an, I sensed something following us."
Reacting to her words, he readied himself to take on whoever was about to come. He knew Nabe wasn't specialized in that field like Solution or Aura, but her level was high enough to detect it. Momon didn't think whoever was following them would pose a threat, so he wasn't worried for his life.
However, if the person managed to grasp the conversation he had, then that would be the worst case. Being exposed as a phone right off the bat…
What could be more embarrassing?
Well-
As he thought about it, something flashed around the wall's corner at a fast pace. But they were able to keep track of its movements with their eyes. The thing that came into sight headed straight for them, with no regards or caution.
The two of them didn't retreat or pull out their weapons. In fact, they did the opposite. They relaxed and watched as the Shadow Demon bowed before the Supreme Ruler.
"Ainz-sama, I've come to report everything going to your plans."
Both of them wanted to die of embarrassment. Nabe believed that one of her master's subordinates was an enemy. And Momon conjured up some plan about how to carefully kill the upcoming person and get away with it. But neither of them could see the other's blunder.
"Haah…" Momon let out a sigh. "When I'm like this, call me 'Momon'. Not Ainz-sama, not Momon-sama. Just Momon." It felt like he just had this conversation recently.
The Shadow Demon shivered in fear. The fear of disappointing the last Supreme Being. "I apologize Ai- Momon-sam-sa-an."
Wow, does everyone gain this speech impediment? Not even Narberal was that bad.
"Umu, What else did you have to say. I take it you didn't come here only to say that."
"Yes, it is as you say." The Shadow Demon used it's hand to pull something out of its body made of darkness. When its hand left, a bag of hefty weight was given to Momon. "Demiurge-sama sent me to give this to you for the next phase."
Huh!? Demiurge! What did you do? Next Phase!?
Among his thoughts, he almost forgot to take the bag. He didn't even know what was inside of it, but from the way it shook and bulged, he had an idea.
The Shadow Demon took his stillness as a sign of his failure. It placed the bag at the feet of its master and got down on its knees, bowing with his head crashing into the ground. "Please forgive my blunder O' Supreme Being. Take my life if you deem me not worthy to serve you." He said. The whole fiasco would have looked dramatic and sad, but the 2-Dimensional body forbids it.
The Shadow Demon looked like a piece of black paper stapled to the ground and fluttering as the wind blew through.
Momon just watched it and wanted to cry. Why does everyone think I want their life as compensation!?
He was about to pick up the bag when Nabe beat him to it. It would have looked like a kid grabbing the last bit of candy when suddenly the person behind him stole it for himself. But she quickly handed the bag over. She picked it up because she saw such actions below her master to do.
After all, she was still a maid. Serving is her number one purpose.
Momon looked into the bag to see shining a multitude of coins inside. Just like he guessed. But he wouldn't have thought there would be so many. Gold and Silvery coins. He picked up one of the silver ones since it wasn't as dirty as the ones he held before.
The moment he did, his jaw would have hung agape if it weren't for his helmet.
Platinum Coins! How did Demiurge get this many discreetly!?
The amount worth the bad he held onto in a single hand was worth a small country in this New World. If he knew attaining this much money would be that easy, he wouldn't have been so occupied thinking about ways to amass currency.
But he failed to wonder what methods were used for this result. He looked back at the Shadow Demon and gave his order.
"Tell Demiurge he did great work."
The Shadow Demon left shortly after, going back to fulfilling its duties. Momon placed the coins into the [Infinite Backpack] hanging on his side and he gave the empty bag to Nabe for her to burn into ashes. The two of them walked out of the alleyway like nothing happened, and went towards the Eastern Gate where they should be meeting Swords of Darkness soon.
E-Rantel Eastern Gate
Momon and Nabe met up with Swords of Darkness at the Eastern Gate of E-Rantel. After they grouped up, they left the city and traveled through the grass for the rest of the day.
There weren't any monsters they encountered, so most of the time they spent looking at the scenery. There were times when everyone had to take a break; for rest, lunch, and to pee and poop. Not everyone had an Undead body.
Momon noticed the mountains when they passed by and was quite curious about it. In the Old World, he read online about a famous Mt. Fuji, and how it was one of his country's main features. Well, that was before the environment went to shit. Now all that was left of it were a bunch of eroded rocks laced with poisonous air.
I'll definitely check that place out when I have the time…
A part of him felt giddy knowing that he now had so many options to choose from that weren't available to him. And that was before you factored in his Godly Powers. He could do anything and he knew it. Yet, another part of him felt hollow.
Perhaps it was him not fully getting used to this New World, or perhaps it was the gaping hole of loneliness. One of the true enemies of life that you could never get rid of, no matter how hard you try.
True loneliness didn't come from life only knowing solitude. It came from knowing the solitude after losing the people closest to you.
And that lingering feeling filled his soul right now.
If only one of you were here with me… That's why I have to make the most of this chance. To live the lives we never got to before and live in your memory. I'll definitely do everything you all wanted but couldn't attain…
As he was pledging to accomplish everything his friends strived for, Ninya noticed his interest in the mountains.
"They're nice aren't they." Ninya said.
Momon's attention shifted when he heard his voice. Yeah, they really are. You don't even know…
"It's a shame it's infested with Vampires."
"Vampires? Aren't there adventurer's strong enough to kill Vampires? I remember the Guild having a rating for them."
"Ah, I forgot you're new here. You see, in those mountains, there's supposed to be a strong Vampire that lives there. Rumors said that it destroyed an entire country by itself."
Dyne wasn't walking too far away from them, so he heard their conversation. "Are you still talking about that? The Thirteen Heroes slayed Landfall a long time ago. You shouldn't fill his head with lies." He added in.
"Th-There not lies!" Ninya protested.
Dyne sighed and shook his head in disbelief. "If Landfall was still alive, then why hasn't she laid waste to any of the countries nearby? There hasn't been a sighting of her since 200 years ago… It's because she's dead."
"Then why didn't any of the teams sent up to investigate it return. There's no way Orichalcum ranked Adventurers would die to something so petty. It has to be her!" Ninya rebutted.
Both men argued back and forth, not giving in. But Momon was listening to everything they said.
Landfall… Could it be another player? The Natives wouldn't have enough power to destroy an entire country, but she could be a normal Vampire. I haven't come across any native ones yet so I can't judge how strong one is accurately. Vampires have an infinite lifespan, so it wouldn't be weird for her to still be alive.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he got. Another reason to climb the Mountains, so regardless of who was right, he would win in the end. He could even say that he wanted to recruit the vampire as an excuse to go.
Thinking of all the new places he could discover, he lost track of time. Nightfall came in an instant, so their group had to halt and set up camp for the night.
Everyone did their share to help out. Peter and Dyne set up all the tents while Lukrut made the food. Ninya was busy casting spells for safety, using ones that were foreign to the game. Momon and Nabe were tasked with collecting firewood.
"Tsk. How dare they make a Supreme Being collect their wood. They should be begging to do everything and take pride in you allowing them to." Nabe caviled, but in her mind, she didn't think she was being petty and believed in every word she said.
Momon would have rubbed his head in frustration, but since his hands were full, he couldn't. "Helping out isn't anything bad. When we would go on different quests back then, we would all help out like this." He tried to convince her that even the 'Supreme Beings' did things like this.
"...In a way it's nostalgic…" He mumbled under his breath, but Nabe didn't hear it.
"If it's the Supreme Beings then I wouldn't have any objection. But these Mealworms are beneath you. Thinking they're your equal is disgusting."
I guess that approach didn't work, huh. Momon thought.
"Think of it like this- by helping them out, we're showing that we care about them and are willing to help. Which would lead to only praises and further raise our names. You have to pretend to like them, even if you don't." He said, and he was quite proud to think of it on the spot.
"It's necessary for your mission." He added on before she could respond.
I feel guilty about pulling that card, but I can't risk you butchering them. It'll totally ruin all the plans we set forward.
Nabe thought about her master's words and took it to heart. Yes, it's only pretending. If I can't even follow this simple order, then I'm not worthy of serving the Leader of the Supreme Beings; and it would've been a mistake to choose me. The Supreme Beings never falter so I can't fail him.
She took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself before they arrived back with the others. Her face was as cold as ever, finding it hard to believe that she was bottling up the desire to kill everything.
Both of them placed the wood by the side of where Lukrut was sitting, so he could add more wood to the fire as he needed. When their hands were free, Momon approached Ninya to inquire more about his magic. Nabe stayed close to him and tagged along.
"What was that spell you used earlier?"
"Huh? You mean [Alarm]?" Ninya asked, he was wiping his hands on his pants to get rid of the sweat.
"Is that what it's called... Could you tell me more about it?"
"B-But why me? Miss Nabe can use better magic than me, I'm sure she knows more than I do." Ninya replied. He was caught off guard by his question, after all, that simple first Tier spell was known by everyone…
Or so he thought.
Nabe was cursing herself inside her head since she was clueless about what the spell did. Her master needed something and she couldn't provide it. Even if it was a low-tier spell, she was still ashamed.
"Where we come from, we haven't heard about that spell. So both of us are ignorant in that matter." Momon said factly, without a trace of hesitation.
It's not like I'm lying. It really didn't exist in YGGDRASIL.
"It's only a basic first-tier spell, most people that can use magic can use it. [Alarm] alerts me if something passes the perimeter I set up earlier."
So that's what it does… It's like a detection Magic. What other spells are Native to this world? And can the Nazarick or I learn it too? He thought.
Ninya spent quite some time talking with them, telling them more about Magic and everything she knew. While she wasn't the most respectable or accomplished mage, she knew enough to help them. She told them about creating magic and how it can be used to make foods and items, albeit it was nothing special, only being able to create things like salt, sugar, or paper.
The other thing that he said that stood out was the existence of Tier 0 magic. It was similar to Tier 1 magic, but it could only be applied to practical daily living conditions, while still using the same amount of mana as a Tier 1 spell would use. Creation Magic was an example of this. It's not like people could fight ogres and dragons with a handful of salt. Perhaps they could throw it over their shoulder and pray nothing will befall them, but that was just wishful thinking. He would have to test it before he could say it works.
As their discussion was coming to an end, Ninya became curious about Nabe and her magic. Most of the things she explained to them were common knowledge for any mage.
It's like they're not even from this world. Ninya thought to herself.
"Miss Nabe, what about you? How did you come to master the 4th tier at such a young age?" He asked, there was no underlying meaning in his words. He was genuinely curious. If there was a way to learn magic more effectively, he would invest in it. After all, there was a goal he held in his heart.
"Magic of the 4th tier isn't anything special. Where we come from, it's common." Nabe stated, with no emotion in her voice. It's like she was calling out the shapes clouds formed.
Ninya gasped when he heard this. "...No way…" He said under his breath. "Is there a way to learn magic quicker?" He asked, trying to pry for anything he could apply to himself.
"I don't know what you mean. It's the same as ever, where you either have the talent for it or not. The only difference is the people where we come from can use the third tier with ease, and over here people see it as a rarity and difficult to attain." Nabe said.
"...I don't even think Fluder-sama had talent like that…"
Momon's interest rose again, hearing a familiar name mentioned before. "You spoke about this Fluder person before, and from the way it sounds, you speak highly of him. What makes him so special?" He asked.
Ninya would have mocked them for not knowing the greatest Magic Caster in all of history if it weren't for the fact they were foreigners. Even though he knew they weren't familiar with that accomplished name, it still bewildered him to think that there were reaches in the world where the most renowned persons in the continent were unknown. It got him thinking that there were probably other renowned people that he too, was ignorant about. How big does the world have to be like this?
"Fluder-sama's the strongest Magic Caster in the whole continent. Although it took him 2 centuries, he's the only human to master the 6th Tier of Magic." Ninya said. "He also has a talent that helps him find exceptional pupils. I'm not sure how it works, but from what my senior said, it has something to do with being able to detect the quantity and quality of magic a person has."
Interesting… His talent would make it a lot easier to find exceptional people. Momon thought.
When they closed their talks, they regrouped with the others to eat dinner. Unfortunately, Momon couldn't eat, so he had to think of a way to get out of it. He sat on a rock and held his bowl in both hands. Nabe was sitting on a rock near him and held her bowl in the same manner.
"Hey Nabe-chan, do you like my cooking? I'd make a perfect groom!" Lukrut exclaimed, trying to make an impression on her.
Nabe knew she had to blend in, and while she hated it, she hated failing her master much more. So she took a small sip of the soupy stew, disgusted with how it tasted. She gulped it down her throat and replied.
"It's Stewy." She said, trying her best not to burst out in disgust. Patience… Patience… I can't break out right now, not when this mission is at stake. She told herself.
Lukrut sat down, crossing his legs. He was now in front of the rock Nabe sat on and had to look up to see her. "If it's that good, there's always more in the pot!" He said.
Nabe's face twitched at his words. Good? Good? Is this what you call good!? This isn't good, no, it's not even close. This isn't even worth calling Garbage or Filth. Nothing could ever compare to the food Nazarick serves on a daily basis.
She was frustrated that this imbecile could think that his ability could ever compare to that of Nazarick. Unconsciously, she let her mask slip for just a moment, and the hand holding onto the bowl gripped harder than usual. The extra pressure caused the bowl to crack, instantly pouring the rest of the stew onto Lukrut's lap.
"Owwie!" He said, jumping up as his legs burnt from the heat.
Nabe's expression changed the most it had ever since leaving the Tomb. While it wasn't much, her eyes widened in disbelief. The Swords of Darkness members thought it was an accident and read Nabe's reaction as she realized her mistake. But-
Nabe's mind was racing with panic. D-Did I fail...
Her disbelief was from not even managing to mask her personal feelings for the greater goal.
Momon saw this and was dancing and praising her to the highest extent internally. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Narberal Gamma, you amazing little maid, this is the best thing you've done all day!
Finally, he had a reason to get away from the others. The whole time prior to this, he'd been racking his head for a valid reason to leave and not seem like a douche. And like the true Supreme Beings above, they served him a perfect opportunity on a silver platter.
He let out an overexaggerated sigh. "Please excuse me, I need to talk to Nabe over there." He said, trying to sound frustrated, and he took Nabe to a faraway place where the others could only see their shadows slightly through the dark night.
When they were out of reach, Nabe began apologizing. "Momon-sa-an, I apologize for messing up once more. Let me make up for my failure with my-!" She said with guilt.
"Nabe!" He cut her off.
"Don't worry about that. That guy had it coming to him, always prodding at you like that…"
She furrowed her brows in confusion. "Th-then why, why'd you call me over here if not for my failure?" She asked him.
"Because you did perfectly! You created the perfect opening for us to get away." He told her bluntly, not hiding any of his intentions.
Nabe's face flustered and blushed red. "Ainz-sama, I-I-I mean Mo-Mom-Momong-, I-I meant Momon-sam-san w-w-what do you mean?" She couldn't even talk properly when she heard his words.
"I meant exactly what I said. There's no hidden meaning..."
W-W-What!? W-w-What about Lady Albedo or Lady Lucian!? H-How am I supposed to report this to them? Nabe's mind was struggling to return to her calm demeanor.
"...If you hadn't done that and we'd stayed there, wouldn't it be weird if I didn't eat with them? Since my body's Undead, I can't fake a way to eat the food. But now that's no longer a problem." He continued his explanation to Nabe.
A-Ah, S-So that was it… She thought and was relieved. With this, she was finally able to relax and regain her usual expression.
Momon saw this and was quite relieved too. Man, I've never seen her so all over the place. Well, I can see how she thought she messed up. But I'm glad she's back to normal. If the roles were reversed and I was a super loyal servant and messed up, I would be even more disoriented than she was. I'll remember to praise her when we get back to Nazarick.
When they were by themselves, Momon quickly dumped the stew, making sure to make motions pretending to eat just in case anyone else was watching them.
After a couple of minutes away, they returned to Swords of Darkness.
"I'm sorry for my partner's mistake Lukrut-san," Momon said sympathetically.
"No, there's no need to apologize. If anyone should be, it should be me for not being able to keep Lukrut in check." Peter said, trying to be a peacekeeper.
"Well then, it was a long day today. So we'll now retire for the night."
After saying that, Momon left to go to his tent, and so did Nabe. Once they entered, he made sure to have the proper securities in place before dispelling his armor.
Ahhh, what a long day! I can't wait to take a nice long bath…
"Well then, shall we head back?" he asked Nabe, getting a nod in agreement. And as he spoke a tear in space formed, creating a void of Darkness.
...