"Now, I believe it's only fitting that I reveal your role to you before we head any further," Ainz said as he exited a [Gate] and arrived inside a run-down shack. "You will be acting as if you were my daughter during this trip. If the Chief Warrior asks tell him that; We were separated during our 'first' battle with the theocracy and that you were looking for me all night,"

"I understand, I'm guessing that I should drop the honorifics then," Melina asked.

"Yes, of course, it would be weird for a daughter to call her father, master, or lord,"

"Very well,"

"Here, have this, it would be strange if you were wearing a maid outfit, it's a special type of clothing that allows you to change into your proper uniform within a moment's notice," Ainz said as he handed Melina a set of clothes that he had in his inventory.

"Thank you," Melina snapped her fingers which seemed to trigger the clothe's ability, she was no longer wearing her pristine outfit created by none other than Lord Ainz, but a simple white blouse covered by a black hood with white embroideries. Her legs were enveloped by a mundane set of dark-brown pants.

Ainz took this moment to open his inventory, he pulled out the mask he had worn when he first met the captain of the Sunlit Scripture, the Mask of Envy, and a pair of obsidian gloves.

"Now, are you ready?" Ainz asked, reaching for Melina's hand.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Melina said as she took Ainz's hand.

The lord of Nazarick opened the poorly-made door, revealing the mesmerizing horizon that stretched all over the sky. The fresh smell of dew penetrated his non-existent nose. "Man, I'm sure that Blue Planet would have loved this view," Ainz said to himself, not paying attention to his surroundings.

"I am sure he would've, he was always one for sceneries," Melina added.

"He sure was,"

"Lord Ainz!" A man approached the pair

"Yes? What is it?" Ainz asked, his features hidden by the unnerving mask.

"Sir Gazef was looking for you, I believe he is on the other side of the village," Said the man, completely ignoring Melina's presence.

"Thank you for telling me, I'll be right there," Ainz responded.

"Please, take your time, the Chief Warrior said that there was no rush,"

"You may be right, but what kind of person would I be if I left someone waiting?"

The man chuckled, "You're right, anyway, I'll be off, the fields can't harvest themselves," The man said as he left the pair, waving goodbye as he did so.

Ainz and Melina continued walking, this time, heading for the Chief Warrior's location.

"The people in this village seem friendly enough, though I don't know if they would react the same way if they knew we weren't human," Melina said with a slight frown.

"Don't be too quick to judge, the people that reside here have already seen my true form. They believe that race matters not when the person that is being talked about possesses a kind spirit." Ainz surprised the maid.

"Forgive my quick judgment dad, but you know how things were back in Yggdrasil," Melina reminded Ainz of the terrors that heteromorphs faced when in contact with human players.

"Yes, Yggdrasil was a place in which only the brave and strong could survive," Ainz stopped for a second before he continued to speak. "But, this time it will be different, with enough time, Nazarick will shatter the barrier that divides races, let us build a kingdom in which all will thrive."

"Truly, the goal of a Supreme Being," Melina gave a genuine smile.

Their conversation was interrupted when the same girl that stood up for Ainz the previous day approached them, "Lord Ainz! Lord Ainz! I hope you slept well!"

"Of course, I have to thank the village chief for providing me such a soft bed," Ainz ruffled the young girl's hair.

"Why are you hiding your face?" The girl innocently asked.

"That's because not everyone may be as accepting as you are," Ainz responded,

"But you're so cool!" The girl protested,

"HAHAHA" Ainz gave a hardy laugh, surprised at the girl's innocence.

"Nemu! Get back here!" An older girl pleaded as she started running towards the trio.

"Please make sure you don't bother Lord Ainz," The girl scolded.

"Please, as if someone as adorable as her could ever bother anyone, I presume you are Nemu's older sister, right?" Ainz guessed, he had seen them together a couple of times and they bore countless resemblances.

"Yes, I am Enri Emmot, and this is my little sister, Nemu" Nemu gave Ainz a small smile.

"Oh, what's this, do we have a new guest?" Enri said as she finally noticed Melina.

"Ah, this is my daughter Melina, we had been separated yesterday before I arrived here, I am very thankful that I managed to find her before I left." Ainz addressed.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you," Melina extended her hand towards the village girl.

"The pleasure's all mine, I welcome you to Carne Village," Enri said as she grabbed the girl's hand. She was surprised at how smooth it was. The soft touch reminded her of when she was embraced by her parents before they died.

"We won't be bothering you any longer, so please, don't worry about us," Ainz interjected.

"You'll be leaving so soon?" Enri asked in surprise.

"We will be heading to the capital along with the Chief Warrior, though we wish we could stay longer," Ainz sighed.

"You'll always be welcome here my lord, it's the least we could do after all you've done for us." It was true, Carne didn't really have much to offer their saviors, they were nothing more than a meager village, struggling to get by. The fact that winter was coming didn't help, they need to amass a gargantuan amount of food if they wanted to survive the incoming weather.

"Then I'll make sure to visit sometime soon," Ainz said in a compassionate tone that contradicted his mask.

"Oh my, look at the time! Forgive me lord Ainz, though I wish we could talk longer, I have to fetch some water for the cattle to drink," Enri started to panic.

"Please, don't worry, we all have our priorities, work comes first after all," Ainz raised his hand and reassured the girl. He knew this from personal experience. There were countless times in which he couldn't play Yggdrasil thanks to the amount of work that had been piled on top of him by his bosses. They always had a nasty habit of dropping work onto Ainz's lap five minutes before it was due.

"I thank you for your understanding," Enri bowed and grabbed her sister's hand, "Let's go Nemu,"

"Goodbye Lord Ainz!" Nemu waved her goodbyes.

Ainz and Melina resumed their walk, "Now, I believe there is a certain warrior waiting for us, let's not keep him waiting."

"Ah, there you are, I was wondering where you were, Ainz," Gazef said with a cheery voice.

"Good morning Gazef, did you sleep well?" Ainz said as he approached the Chief Warrior. His smooth, black robe slithered against the sharp blades of grass that littered the area. Though any dirt that came in contact with it simply brushed off, leaving the gown as pristine as ever.

"Yes, I can't remember the last time I slept so soundly!"

"Oh, who's this young lady?" Gazef asked as he looked at the young woman next to Ainz.

"This is my daughter, Melina, we were separated almost a week ago when we first confronted the theocracy's forces. I am very thankful that I was able to find her yesterday night,"

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, I've heard a lot about you, Chief Warrior," Melina extended her hand towards Gazef.

Gazef shook her hand, "Please, you can just call me Gazef, a man such as myself doesn't deserve any honorifics."

"How could you say that? I've heard that you've fought countless battles in the name of Re-Estize, I am confident that has at least earned you some respect, has it not?" Ainz's distasteful mask almost made it seem as if he were mocking the warrior.

"You flatter me, though that may be true, most of the nobles don't really like commoners such as myself," Gazef said, trying to brush Ainz's compliment off.

"Oh, you grew up a commoner? I am sure that you had to work mighty hard to earn the position you have now."

"You have no idea," Gazef laughed

"Also, I have to thank you again Ainz, as I didn't notice before as I was so exhausted, but all of the scars that I had littered around my body are now completely gone. What was in that potion anyway? With its effects, I am sure it must be worth a fortune."

"Please, don't worry about such poultry details."

"The potion is entirely made out of pure magic, my mana to be precise. The containers make them a finite resource as there are incredibly hard to produce," This of course was not true, the crimson-red potions were made out of special herbs only available in Yggdrasil which were plentiful in the tomb's 6th floor. The containers weren't anything special, as they could be crafted with the most basic of resources housed in Nazarick. Of course, some magic was still needed to brew the potion into completion.

"Ah then I am flattered that you used one on me, I hope it won't pose much of a problem,"

"Of course not, although they are incredibly hard to replicate, I still have a vast amount. I just prefer to not use them outside of emergencies."

"Oh? Am I that valuable that I am considered an 'emergency'?"

"Of course, a man so rare such as yourself is hard to find these days," Though Ainz wasn't sure this was the case for this world, he was sure it was true in his homeworld. There wasn't a day in which homeless people weren't kicked or stabbed for the fun of the masses. Ainz was always powerless to do anything so he just ignored it. Much to his regret.

So to lose someone that possesses the values that Gazef and Touch Me have would be like losing a top-tier weapon in Yggdrasil.

"Now, how will we be heading to the capital?" Ainz asked, he hadn't seen any horses around and since Gazef was a warrior, he doubted that he knew how to cast [Fly].

"That's a good question, it seems that all of the mounts were either killed or ran away during our skirmish with the scriptures." Gazef lamented.

"Forgive my oversight but ut seems that we will have to walk on foot towards E-Rantel, from there we will gather some horses from the local barracks,"

"Please, do not apologize, I might have a solution," Ainz turned around towards an empty field.

"[Twin Maximize Magic: Summon Mid-Tier Mount: Imperial War Horse]"

Two heavily armored mounts appeared in the once empty landscape. They were beautiful, their graceful mane masked by the adamantite plates that coated their body. Their soft, aqua-colored eyes seemed to penetrate the souls of the people that stood before them. They approached the trio, bowing their heads once they were close enough.

"Amazing! Who knew magic could do such a thing!" Gazef uttered in amazement

Ainz smiled, "Now, I believe that this will be a sufficient mode of transportation, right?"

Gazef turned to look at Ainz and Melina, "Certainly! With this, we'll be able to reach Ro-Lente in a matter of days!"

"Well, let's get going then," Ainz calmly stated, with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

'Little acts of kindness such as these will gain me the trust of the Chief Warrior, which will certainly come in handy when I eventually meet Re-Estize's monarch.'

The elegant mounts lowered themselves, making it easier for Ainz and company to mount them.

Ainz, being the summoner, mounted his horse first, Melina and Gazef followed suit.

Gazef was the only one to get his own steed, Melina and Ainz shared the same mount, the girl sat in front of her master, Ainz wasn't bothered by it as he was way taller than her.

"Hyah!" Ainz and Gazef said as they rattled the reigns connected to their respective horses.