Chapter Two: First Conquest, Part Four

"My Lord, is our situation so dire that we must submit to those children's demands? Eldest must have realised that these children are promising us what they prefer, but they will not be the ones to deliver. If their master deems their suggestion far too generous, he will leave us to starve, or worse ..."

"Camus, in the summer, I told you that something that will shake these lands will arrive soon. Whether it is for the good or the bad is up to us. Plus, that boy's attitude says that he is a lot more powerful than he looks. His sister may very well be stronger than me."

"That's impossible! No one is stronger than Elder."

"It is precisely that sort of thinking that will get us exterminated. Send word that Fiora-sama is to join the hunting party that is leaving tomorrow. If they encounter any Demonic Beasts protect him at all costs and that girl ..."

"Mare Bello Fiore."

"... uh, yes, Fiore-sama should join the mystics at the Eve tree."

"You mean ..."

"I need to know what we are getting ourselves into by accepting Ainz Ooal Gown as our new master."

"Very well, My Lord's will shall be done. I should suppose Mica has already shown them to their rooms." Camus said walking away.

"Also, Camus!"

The sudden outburst stopped him mid-step.

"I know your current disposition towards humans so I'm beseeching you, do not anger Momon in any way!"

"This place is deplorable. Even Aura-chan's pets have better dwellings than this."

The twins simply shrugged at the boy's observation.

"Um, Momo-sama, it is not my place to say ..." Aura started

"You want me to apologise to Papa, don't you?"

"Well ... uh... yes."

"Why? I did nothing wrong. I thought you were on my side!"

"I-I think what Onee-chan is trying to say is that Momo-sama s-should try seeing things from Ainz-sama's p-perspective. Ainz-sama has a plan, I know that for sure."

"Mare-chan, I hate you."

"M-Momo-shama!" Mare was already in tears.

"You're supposed to be on my side! What is this plan that everyone keeps talking about anyway?"

"T-The ten-shousand year plan?"

"Un."

"I am no Demiurge, so I cannot say, but for this trip I believe that Ainz-sama wants to give Momo-sama vassals. Of course, once they become Momo-sama's, Momo-sama may treat them however he wishes, but it is important to play them into submitting their everything to Momo-sama first." Aura said solacing Mare

"Oh, that makes sense, but that just proves that I was right not to bend the knee."

"Mah, I won't say Momo-sama was not right."

Momo frowned at Aura.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I-It's just that I've personally seen Ainz-sama employ this method a few times before, and it has worked so well that to this day we still see its effects."

"Oh, okay." Momo took Mare's hand. "Mare-chan, I'm sorry. I thought you betrayed me."

"I-I w-would never!"

Momo sauntered behind a tall Dark Elf woman. She was leading him to the room where 'Momon' was. Aura and Mare had been put a good distance away from him, or was it the other way around?

"Here we are, My Lord."

"Knock." she did as she was told.

"Momon-sama, Asmodeus-sama requests an audience."

"Let him in."

"You may leave." Momo said as she closed the door behind him.

If Momo was looking at his own reflection, he would see his eyes turn glossy. One resembling a polished ruby the other a perfect imitation of light-reflected gold.

"[Silence]."

His father cast the spell seemingly noticing his son's dilemma and returned to his usual gear.

The two stared at each other for a while. Momo went down on one knee.

"I'm sorry. Aura-chan told me Papa's plan. I'm sorry I almost ruined it."

"Asmodeus, come here."

The boy walked slowly to his father who sat him on a femur only to hold his chin up to wipe away his tears with his sleeve.

"The important part about missions like this is acting; don't worry though, nothing went wrong."

The boy looked at his father with a resolute expression then proceeded to bowl his eyes out for a good five minutes.

"I still don't ... *(hiccup)* ... agree with Papa bending the knee to anyone and I know Mama will agree with me."

"Is that so?" Ainz asked handing him a glass of water.

He gratefully accepted the glass and emptied its contents.

"Yeah, but Pandora-Nii might not."

" ..."

"Anyway, Aura-chan is joining the hunting troupe tomorrow and Mare-chan will go to some sacred ground or something, it's supposed to have the best druids and a tree bigger than what they have on this rock. What is Papa going to do?"

"The joy in trips like this lie in the adventure, my dear Asmodeus; the unknown of the following day."

"Mare-chan said that you had a plan." Momo frowned.

A prodigious sigh preceded an answer.

"I guess I'll take a walk around. I find this place far too interesting to just let die."

"Mm?" A dubious hum. "If that's all then may I go with Aura-chan?"

"Considering the amount of trouble that you cause when you are upset, I don't think that that's such a good idea."

"I won't cause trouble. Even if I don't get my way I promise that I won't cry."

"You cried because Lupusregina couldn't detach her head like Yuri, similarly you cried that Shalltear's Vampire Brides weren't married."

"I have no excuses for the actions of my past self; thus, I solemnly swear from now henceforth that I will consider the situation and conduct myself with the dignity befitting Nazarick."

Despite the seriousness of his wording Momo did not sound one bit repentant nor sincere.

"... Speaking of Shalltear and Lupusregina, I heard that you started training with them."

"That is true," Momo said standing on his fathers' lap reaching out to open the window.

"How is that going?"

"Okay I guess? I haven't spent much time with either of them because Uncle Cocytus chose to observe the session on the first day but then just took over. I only know three first-tier spells because of it!"

"Oh? How's training with Cocytus overall?"

"So, these lights never go out! They don't even cover them, I guess that answers why these 'windows' are made of timber." the boy contemplated quietly to himself while hanging over his father's shoulder.

"Uncle Cocytus isn't half as annoying as he usually is. I find his training to be quite enjoyable, but I'm not changing my mind about what I want to be."

"Cocytus... is annoying?"

"..."

"Well, it has only been a week, so it might take some time for you to pick up more skills. How about you join the Dark Elves tomorrow? Spar with a few of them to put your training to the test."

"I was thinking about joining Aura-chan tomorrow."

"No."

"... But!"

"We don't know how strong these beasts are; if you encounter something that could lead to a total party kill, can you ensure your survival?"

"I cannot."

Momo hung his head in disappointment as he sat on the bed.

"Just try to enjoy the scenery and serenity of this place," Ainz said lying back down on the bed.

"Un."

Morning arrived without incident as the two seemingly different beings spent the entire night talking about nothing in particular.

A delicate knock was heard soon after their conversation had died. Ainz returned to his Momon gear while Momo ran to answer the door hoping it was Aura.

"Oh! Oho? If it isn't the ossan that doesn't smile? What brings you here this early in the morning?"

"I guess a tour won't hurt even if it is quite early."

Momon walked up to Camus.

Camus' plan had failed. He had come to tell the Human to stay in his quarters the whole day and not to disturb anybody. He had not expected Asmodeus to be here, and certainly not for his arrival to be misinterpreted as him becoming their tour guide.

"Nee~ ossan, so what is it that you plan to show us? I hope it's something cool." Asmodeus said walking slightly ahead of everyone towards the rope swing.

It was already odd enough that the elder had begged – not ordered, but begged him which was a lot less appropriate in any situation – not to anger this Human, but now he was forced to play nice with him too?

The twins plus Asmodeus were their guests, not this Human. He was just their escort; it was somewhat expected that guards would endanger if not outright throw their lives away on missions such as this.

"There is nothing all that special in this cavern, so I apologise in advance, Your Highness."

If that is the logical and expected outcome of this situation then ...

"So, what is this Eve Tree?"

Camus suddenly started tossing up a fit of coughs.

"Where did Your Highness hear about that?"

"I spoke to a few people here and there, unlike you, I'm quite agreeable and not to mention I don't walk around with a scowl on my face. That, might I add, if it was its own existence it would be carnivorous."

"Your Highness?" Camus asked allowing the boy to climb on his back so they could descend together.

"You look like you could eat a person with that face, you seriously need to work on it."

"As I said, I have my reasons."

"I can guarantee you that anyone who doesn't know your reasons is either offended by your actions or doesn't care what your reasons are and wouldn't hesitate to have you answer for such crimes."

"Oh, and who might Your Highness be referring to?" he asked eyeing Momon.

"I know quite a few people like that, and it's not just the maids that look after me, either, just about everyone is like that."

Camus noted how Momon momentarily took on a defeated atmosphere only for it to disappear as if it had never happened.

They took a boat that was rowed by Momon to where Hamusuke was still being looked after by a different group of Dark Elves.

"Yo Hamusuke, I hope you didn't cause any trouble."

"What are you saying, Dono? I would never! Right?"

"Momon-sama, Hamusuke-chan was no trouble at all."

A female took away an emptied water bowl.

"What's that for?"

Momo pointed at a large area where the ground had been relatively smoothed out and surrounded by a low wooden fence. It was important to note that Camus was still carrying Asmodeus.

Within the seclusion were figures made of straw and twigs and a container of wooden swords.

"That's where we train our hundred- to two-hundred-year-olds ..."

"They train for an entire century?"

"Ahem."

"We train those who wish to join the Hunting Troupe; they usually are in that age group. Training lasts about twenty years with us starting practical training after ten."

"Uwah! That's a long time. Aura and Mare are younger than that, but I'm pretty sure they're stronger than anything you guys could achieve even with fifty years of training."

"I would believe so." despite the self-deprecating nature of his words Camus seemed to take on an air of pride.

"But I can guarantee that all our members are indeed stronger than lowly human adventures."

Camus smirked eyeing Momon.

"I would have to believe so, all things considered."

"Is there anyone that wants to spar with me?" the unexpected question came from Momon

"Huh?"

Momon shrugged turning his body towards the training area.

"What are you saying?"

"You apparently harbour ill will, or rather an unresolved grudge against humans and going by your situation these humans have either long since been rotting underground or have turned undead by now. This generalisation of species ... uh ... anyway you shouldn't generalise all humans just because you have suffered at the hands of a few."

"You ... you are just an insignificant Human. How could you possibly understand anything, especially how precious life is? The loss of a single Dark Elf is mourned by the whole tribe for years, closer family members take decades. The time that goes into rearing a single life here isn't the same as your indignant practices!"

"What do you mean?" Asmodeus asked.

"Dark Elves, by nurture, are not as fickle or as indecent as humans are, Your Highness. We certainly do not mate anywhere near as much as humans and trying for children is important and seen as the most magical occasion that we plan special moments for it. The children with the most luck are those conceived during a solar or lunar eclipse or a bountiful harvest season." his voice took an a softer yet more prideful tone

Asmodeus eyed Camus for a while.

"Demiurge says it is normal or rather expected of shorter-lived species to be fecund, he said something about a food chain or the necessity to keep the life cycle stable. Anyway, the way I understood it is that everyone would be in danger if dragons had children more often or if sheep only had one lamb throughout their entire existence."

Camus' face went through several expressions of emotion as he stared at the toddler.

"You! In the arena with me, now!"

Camus screamed at Momon after gently placing the toddler down.

Momon simply chuckled as he followed the Dark Elf general. He must have found it hilarious that he had been educated by a child.

Camus knew that his subordinates – as much as they wanted to – would not stop him. The Elder had probably told them the same thing that he had told Camus, but the Human had requested the duel, yes, if anything happened to him in this situation it would be the Human's fault.

Camus was prepared to end this in one – maybe two strikes.

Ainz was elated that the Dark Elf had accepted his duel. Despite not having a chance to tell her, he did agree with Aura that the best course of action for this group would be subjugation – how bloody it would be, would be up to said group. He certainly had nothing against the general, but if they were going to reside in the Sorcerous Kingdom they were going to interact with many different races including humans, who just so happened to still be the majority.

Ainz decided that Momon's greatswords – even one of them – would be too much, overkill in fact, so he grabbed a wooden sword. It was not in the best of conditions but Ainz supposed that it would suffice for its intended purpose.

"Are you sure you want to use that toy? If I give you a one-sided beating the elder would be quite irritated with me, especially if you are beaten to death because you chose to defend yourself with a wooden sword."

Okay, so he absolutely doesn't like Humans. That was a death threat right now, oi! Do you understand what a sparring match is?

"Consider it me giving myself a handicap. Our armour's quality doesn't even begin to compare after all."

Wait! ... that didn't sound arrogant, did it?

"More importantly ..."

"[Wind Stride] [Evasion] [Ability Boost]"

"Haaah~"

Another one that believes in his own supremacy? That won't do.

Camus charged at Ainz kicking up dust as he closed the distance between the two of them. Any semblance of respect Ainz had for him dropped with the sand particles. It was plainly intended to blind him. If this was a real fight Ainz would have no problem with this tactic.

And not to mention, even if I was blinded, is it honestly that easy for you to cover up an assassination? What ... why is he running in circles around me, sure he's fast but not as fast as ...

Believing his enemy had been caught off-guard by his logic-defying speed combined with the dust trail that he had kicked up around Ainz, Camus suddenly changed direction and swung his sword at Ainz's back aiming for the space between the helmet and the back of the armour.

Ainz just stood there. He had not even taken a stance when this duel 'started' and he was not about to do so now.

A petty man would repay a dirty move with one of his own. A lesser man would have been decapitated. Ainz was neither

He was curious though, so he let the strike land.

A heavy metallic clash resounded from the impact, soon followed by the sound of a suffocating silence, which was broken by a scream of utter horror.

A/N

Flustered Aura: Rare, but super adorable.

I wonder who's mind brains Momo is borrowing from here? Also, why so many POV's

Better late than never, yes?

Also, also, not burnt out but I'll be going on an indefinite hiatus (in other words, my upload schedule is going to become 'whenever I can')

Reviews requested and highly appreciated.