Within the crumbled and cracked city, the crackling of a campfire was the only sound that was heard in the deep and silent night that loomed over it. Four friends surrounded the blaze, but no one spoke. The mood in the air was very solemn, and no one knew what to say.
All four belonged to one of the kingdoms two adamantite ranked adventures. They were known as Blue Rose, and occupied what many considered to be the pinnacle of human ability. Those who had come the closest to stepping into the domain of hero's. Humanities crowning jewels.
Despite there prestige, they were still human. And thus there were many things even they could not do. Which is why when the sorcerer kingdom declared war on the kingdom, they they choose to flee for there lives.
While some may consider this cowardly, no one would chastise them for this decision. The sorcerer king's infamous reputation was known to most of the known world now, and those who did not still had second hand reports of his actions. Anyone facing the same choice would surely have done the same. Only a absolute fool would choose to do battle with such a being.
Unfortunately, one such fool belonged to their team. The gallant leader of Blue Rose, Lakyus Alvien Dale Aindra. Though they all possessed some semblance of attachment to the kingdom, as it was their home nation, they all knew it was not long for this world. With both the kingdoms dark underbelly of crime and corruption, and hostile foreign powers at every step of the way. Though they could help fight off the symptoms, the disease had already
Yet despite this, Lakyus was unyielding in her determination. Both to protect the kingdoms citizens, and to her friend Renner. Even if all it amounted to was a second more time. Since they were unable to persuade her from her from standing down, they had to resort to more... rough methods.
Though it was done in kindness, and she knew this as well, she still held on to the guilt of abandoning her friend. And the blame for that landed squarely on her companions. So they weren't on the best of terms right now.
And so they had no choice but to wait it out. Though they remained in quiet solace for the most part, as the events that had occurred left everyone distressed. Not only because of the kingdoms destruction, but do to the fact that the sorcerer kingdom had now grow even larger. It seemed to be a monster that had awakened, and was now spreading its tendrils throughout the world, grasping onto nation after nation.
None of them could bring themselves to engage in casual conversation with such a threat looming over them. Yet the fact they could not do anything in the face of it only heightened their despair.
"Oi, Evileye." Though Gagaran was the first to break the silence, the mood was not absolved, as Evileye simply slowly turned her head to face her, without saying a word.
"Will Lakyus really be alright?"
"Mm, well knowing her personality, she will be, but it will likely take some time. She's stubborn, and she'll have to be the one to make the first move before we can continue moving forward. Though there is no telling how long that will take."
"What is our next move anyway?"
No one here questioned what happened to the kingdom. Even if they were not there, all of them knew who was the victor. The only question that remained is the fate of the kingdom after the fact. Though based on their path of destruction, their survival was slim. No, even those odds were likely far to naive. They likely had been completely wiped out.
But now that the kingdom was gone, they had no real set path. While revenge was a tempting option, they could not do so at their current level.
"Well I'd like to discuss it in detail when Lakyus finally decides to show, but right now, I'm planning something with that granny. I had used [Message] to let her know the situation, and we are currently planning a way to defeat the Sorcerer kingdom."
Looks of utter stupefaction appeared on everyone else present at these words. "Is that something that's even possible?"
"If her words are to be believed, then it is. But like I said I'll go into more detail once Lakyus arrives. That way we can set out immediately. Even I don't know the full story yet, only the basics."
"I see."
And just like that the conversation was over. This was how it had been ever since they had arrived here. Whenever they did engage in a discussion, it never lasted more then a few sentences before fizzling out completely and resuming the stagnant air that this place had possessed for the many centuries since its fall.
After another period of silence, it was Tia's turn to break the silence. "Evileye, are you sure the Sorcerer kings forces won't be bale to find us here?"
"Positive. For one I doubt someone as powerful as him even cares what were up to. He may not even know we exist yet, so I doubt we have anyone trailing us. And two, this place has been abandoned for centuries. Not many people even know of its existence."
"The capital of Inveria right?"
"Just so. Though some of you may remember this was also my home."
"Ah, you did mention something like that a while back. If I'm not mistaken you also said this was where you became a vampire. If you don't mind me asking, how did that happen?"
No response.
"Sorry, I guess I pried a bit to deep there."
"Its fine. Just a bitter memory."
"Umu...? hey, isn't that Lakyus over there?"
The team turned to follow
"Lakyus, before you... Watch out!"
All four of them got into a fighting stance, weapons drawn at the ready. Standing behind their comrade was someone who they had never seen before.
At first glance, he seemed to be some species of elf. Though it was hard to tell which, as he had various traits which seemed to be at odds with one another, making pinning his species down a very difficult task. He had a slender, yet muscular body, similar to wood elves, but his almost grey skin belonged to dark elves. His hair was a pure white, a trait extremely rare for elves in general, and his body was covered in various symbols and markings, which was only present in the rare fae.
Nothing about him seemed to make sense. Though to them this was secondary. Whoever he was, they needed to protect there friend.
Before they could lunge out to attack however, Lakyus held her hand out, telling them to stop. "It's alright everyone. He's with me." Confused looks were evident on all of their faces, but it was soon replaced with suspicion as questions popped up regarding his identity. "And he is?" Gagaran did not intend to hide this fact, as she still held her weapon as she asked for it.
"A Elf who was running from the theocracy. He was taking refuge in the castle and we bumped into one another."
"Is that so... Oi, whats your name stranger?" Evileye's response proved that Gagaran's earlier response was not just her r, but were mutual among her comrades. Or rather, in this case, Lakyus's response was the strange one for not being on guard against a complete stranger.
"Genjiro."
"Hm, that doesn't sound like a elven name, nor have I heard it used in general." the groups gaze grew even more suspicious.
"Lakyus, don't you think he could be a spy working for the Sorcerer king? Should we not tie up any loose ends here?"
Surprisingly, she did not instantly refute those words, but instead choose to think in silence. From that they could surmise that she was also wary of him. Though after a brief period of time had passed, she simply shook her head.
"No, it's highly unlikely that is the case. If he really was from the Sorcerer kingdom, then he would at least have some equipment that was ideal for sneaking correct? He said he was running from the theocracy, so I'd say that lines up. What he's wearing is fairly standard with the rags they make elves wear there." Her voice became laced with anger as she finished her last sentence.
"Are you certain Lakyus? If your wrong, it could be disastrous for us in the future. What if he runs off and lets him know our current location? What would we do if we suddenly have a army knocking on our door?"
A quiet "I'm right here..." could be heard after the fact, but they chose to ignore it. "Why would the Sorcerer king even be after us Evileye? We haven't done anything to him yet?"
"..."
"I'll admit its strange for him to appear out of the blue, but it isn't the hardest thing to believe is it? Do you truly have any proof that he is working for him? Because I am not going to attack a random passerby on a hunch." her words were said with ironclad finality. Truly she lived up to her title noblest out of the five.
"Well for starters, his strength. All of you may not be as well attuned as me, but I can get a general sense of an opponents strength, and when I imagine attacking you, my instincts go into overdrive. And as we know the sorcerer kingdom is filled with unimaginably powerful beings."
"While I appreciate being called strong, I gained my strength on my own you know? I don't know how simply being somewhat strong affiliates me with this so called sorcerer kingdom? I've never even heard of it until today." It was Genjiro's turn to ask a question, as he had been under fire without much of a chance to defend himself.
"It doesn't, but the fact that you came out of nowhere with such powers is quite suspicious. I find it hard to believe that you have no affiliation with them because of that fact. "
"Do you think he could be a child of that sex crazed tyrant?" Tina responded to Evileye's question with a question of her own. If that was the source of his power, it would explain much.
"Ah, him..."
The person in question was known as the elf king. While little was known about him as he tended to live a reclusive life style in a already seldom traveled to kingdom, the one thing everyone knew about him was his lust.
Whether they were elves who had escaped the theocracy, the ones that remained as prisoners, that one detail remained consistent with all of the females. They said that he would breed with any woman he could get his hands on in the hopes of siring a child that would gain his powers. In fact it was so excessive to the point where non-virgins in the kingdom were more rare to find then pure ones.
Though it was not known on whether his power was truly as powerful as the rumors suggest, the fact that he could reign his citizens in with fear of his wrath gave him some credibility at least.
All of this combined gave him a reputation around the world as a cruel tyrant. The theocracy in particular were waged in a seemingly endless war with them, with conscripts that the king forced into battle.
"No, if that were the case he would have heterochromatic eyes. Likely he just had a innate talent like some others have and refined it to a high level besides, the elves all say none of his children have awakened his power yet, so I doubt that's the case anyway.."
"I see."
"And even if we choose to disregard your abnormal strength, your name also falls under suspicion. From the Intel we've gathered, the sorcerer kingdom's officials seem to have names that I've never heard in use, nor do they show up in any sort of history or ancient text." Before the fall of the kingdom, the group had been doing their own research out of there own moral obligation to save the people there. Though everything they learned about the kingdom was shocking – namely the way the citizens were treated – The subject of names had been addressed. However it fell to the wayside, as the other matters took more precedence.
"For example, there is Albedo, the sorcerer kingdoms prime minister. Though the fact that she only has one name despite her rank is strange, the name itself has never been used by any species until now. And even then, there is the Sorcerer king himself. Though it is true intelligent undead often grant themselves names at their genesis, they often have some sort of relation to death or some aspect they associate with. In contrast, the name Ainz Ooal Gown has seemingly no meaning whatsoever.
A twitch.
It was only a small movement, but they immediately spotted it due to them all being on guard. His entire body froze, and his face seized up with some unknown emotion. Was it Shock? Excitement? Or maybe even wonder?
Perhaps it was all of the above.
"Oya? I though you said you didn't know of the Sorcerer kings existence? So whats with that reaction?" though it was clear from her tone and the mood that she was attempting to attack his previous statement, he did not seem to care. It didn't even seem like he noticed, almost like he was in his own world
"I-i don't have any, I ju... I think i've heard... could it be..."
Various different sentences formed and disappeared as he jumped from one answer to the next. Though this may be seen as proof he was lying, they could tell there was more to it then that. His response was far to emotional.
Once he seemingly collected his thoughts, he turned to Evileye, and with no hesitation, asked "How can I get to the sorcerer kingdom?"
.
.
.
"I've got a bad feeling about this Lakyus." Though everyone had vehemently denied his request at first, it was apparent he was not going to take no for an answer. Despite the fact that he seemingly knew nothing, his eyes were full of conviction, and he would clearly not be dissuaded. Eventually after discussing it with each other, they agreed to under the pretext that his actions were not lining up with that of a spy if he was one, but they still were left worried at the prospect of letting such a dangerous person go there with information on them.
Yet in response to Evileye's foreboding, she simply stared in silence in the direction he had left. The lack of reassurance from her did little to dispel the teams Unease. Truth be told, there was still many unanswered questions on his origins to even his character, but choosing to attack him to prevent secrets from getting out was out of the question. Even if problems propped up because of this, they would simply have to deal with it when the time came.
"Well its not like it matters at this point. What's done is done. what we need to be focusing on right now is what comes next. Lakyus. I realize you may not have completely forgiven us yet, but right now isn't the time to be quarreling. we need to deal with the major problem in front of us before we can move on to the smaller ones. We need to work together to have any chance at winning. Besides, don't you think the best way to repay Renner for her kindness is to avenge her?"
Twitch
Hearing her casually bring up her lost friend of old as a means to persuade her gave rise to feelings of anger, but she quashed them as quickly as they came. As much as she didn't want to admit it, in this situation, she was right. Right now she had to focus on the bigger picture. And avenging Renner was honestly one of her main goals at the moment.
"Sigh, fine. Ill let it go for now until this mess has been sorted. So, what's the plan?"
"Well, before that..." She reached into her cloak and seemingly activated some sort of item, as the ambiance of the world around them seemed to dull and faded even further into the background. "Its just a precaution." No explanation was needed on what – or rather who – she was on guard about.
"As of right now, I don't know yet. Rigrit contacted us so we could create one together. I can already tell what your thinking, and normally I would agree. It's true we don't have the power to defeat him. I may be able to handle some of his summons, but defeating the sorcerer king himself is going to require a immeasurably powerful being."
"Where are you going with this Evileye?"
"While we may not be able to stop him, That granny said she is currently working with the Platinum dragon lord. If we can get him on our side, then there is no way we could lose."
The shock was clearly visible on everyone's face. The platinum dragon lord was considered by those who knew of his existence to be the most powerful being in the world. The idea of having him as a ally surely gave rise to their hopes, and gave them the slightest glimmer of a victory. "That's Amazing! But can he really defeat the Sorcerer king?"
Gagaran's question was a fair one. Though they knew he was strong, exactly how strong remained to be seen. While the sorcerer king made his power known through the land by demonstrating his might to the entire world. In contrast, the Platinum dragon lord only had his reputation of being the strongest, as well as his species being the strongest race in the new world.
Though dragons were strong, other sufficiently powerful beings or adventures could defeat them in combat. Though comparing that which stood at the top of the world to a regular dragon was most likely quite rude.
"While I don't know how powerful he is compared to him, its most likely futile to try to. They both are in a realm beyond our comprehension. His power feels similar to Jaldabaoth when he showed up before us. Besides, Rigrit seemed quite confident, so they must have something up their sleeves right?"
"I guess that makes sense. Alright! I'm getting excited now that we may actually have a chance to turn the tables on that bastard!"
"Exactly. But we have to remember that it's only a chance. That's why we can't waste this opportunity. So we need to set off to meet up with them as soon as possible and learn what needs to be done."
"Where are we going this time? The Council State?"
"The exact opposite actually. We'll be Heading to the city of Eryuentiu."
.
.
.
Ainz Ooal Gown?
Those three words were the only thing on his mind right now. Logically speaking, he should have never heard that name again. Yet what should have been completely impossible was now somehow a reality. While it could have been mere coincidence, the name was to specific for that to be the case.
Ultimately, he knew nothing. He was suddenly thrust into a completely unfamiliar world with no idea on where he was or how he got here. Even in the best case scenario, he would be in YGGDRASIL, but that posed problems in its own right, as the dangers that were present in the nine realms were not something he could feasibly survive in.
"But even if that is the case, this is my best shot at surviving. If the name Ainz Ooal Gown exist here, then that must mean my guild mates are to right?"
That wasn't to outlandish of an idea. After all, he had been forcibly pulled into another world by forces beyond his comprehension. Being transported here at all seemed to be a stranger idea then that.
"Even if its not them, I can likely still find out whatever caused me to be dragged her in the first place. No matter how you look at it, this is my best option."
Though It may be a perilous journey, he had no choice in the matter. If he ever had any hope of figuring out the truth, it would be in the sorcerer kingdom of Ainz Ooal Gown. And though he only had a general idea of what direction it was, it shouldn't be too hard to find. All he would need to do is ask travelers on his way there.
"Alright! lets go!"
A/N seems like these chapters are taking longer and longer to come out huh? Sorry about that. Genjiro will show up later, but for now we are going to focus on the story of another supreme one in a few chapters. For now, the plan to "Defeat" the sorcerer king is underway.
And to the guest that asked, I don't have a discord for you to join, but I am usually on the overlord community discord if you want to try and catch me there.