Her trip today ended in failure. She was meant to arrange for her delegation to meet with yet another noble family, but things didn't quite work out. Every time they tried to somehow secure aid for the Holy Kingdom, something seemed to go wrong.
Or perhaps it was that this was a fool's errand from the very start.
As the young squire thought about what will happen when she reports to her superior, she sped up. She wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
She arrived at the inn which they were staying at. It was among the fanciest in the city. They knew that they couldn't waste any money, but they did not want to let it show. In a way, they wanted to pretend everything was still all right, because no one would aid a country which was on the brink of collapse.
She went up the stairs to the second floor, where the delegation was staying.
Upon reaching the door, she knocked.
The door opened, but only slightly.
"Neia Baraja, reporting back."
She was allowed inside, where Captain Remedios Custodio and Vice-Captain Gustav Montagnés were seated. They were looking over some documents, the contents of which seemed to mostly be lists with crossed out items.
She assumed a proper stance and spoke. "Captain. Neia Baraja has returned."
"How did it go?"
"My deepest apologies. They declined because of a lack of time. They said they would take at least two weeks."
The delegation was leaving soon, so such terms were not acceptable. Remedios clicked her tongue in frustration.
Vice-Captain Gustav spoke in a tone that could be called reassuring.
"Really now. Thank you for heading out amidst the cold. Go back to your room and rest, then."
"Yes!" Relief washed over Neia. It seemed she was off the hook.
She immediately turned to leave, but the Captain's words stopped her again.
"... did you really tell them that we wanted to open negotiations as soon as possible?"
"Ah! Yes! Of course I tried to ask them, but unfortunately they said no..."
"So it wasn't because of your poor negotiation skills, then?"
She wanted to answer something like "yes, it wasn't my fault", but she didn't dare.
Gustav chimed in. "...Captain. It is not just the nobles she asked who refused. Other nobles have rejected the request for a meeting in the same way."
Remedios' glare turned to Gustav, and there was some tension in the air, as he seemed to have interrupted on purpose. She spoke again in an angry tone.
"Neia Baraja. While we are wasting time here, many of our people are being slaughtered by the demi-humans led by Jaldabaoth. In addition, the capital has fallen, as have three other major cities, in addition to many more smaller ones, and countless villages. They've captured many of the survivors, who they have imprisoned in camps made from captured villages and cities."
No one knew exactly what was going on in those camps, but it was said that screams of agony could be heard from within.
"So knowing all that, you still came back with results like this? Did you really try your best?"
"Yes! My sincerest apologies!"
"Since you feel sorry, what do you plan to do? What can you do to show concrete results?"
Neia had no idea what to say. She was just a squire. Not a noble, not wealthy, not the Captain of the paladins. What could she do?
"I'll work harder!"
"I'm asking you how you intend to work harder. Futile effort is-"
"Captain."
She was interrupted by Gustav again.
"Why not leave things as they are for now? After all, it's about time we began our preparations, no? The esteemed members of Blue Rose will be arriving soon. If we take too long welcoming them, we will upset them, won't we?"
"Indeed. Squire Baraja, work harder and do better next time." She motioned for Neia to get out.
"Understood, Captain!" Just as she was thanking Gustav for rescuing her again, he seemed to say something which brought her back into the fray.
"Captain, may she be present when Blue Rose arrives?"
"Really? Well, if you say so... but why?"
"The main reason for bringing her along as a squire was because of her exceptional senses. Perhaps she might notice something no one else here will."
It was true. Throughout this mission, there have been many times everyone relied on her scouting.
She wasn't anywhere near as good as her father, but he was not here anymore.
"Really? ...Well, if you think so, then I'll allow it. ...Squire Baraja. Like we just said, you will remain in the corner of the room and listen to our conversation. If anything happens, inform us. ...Now go back to your room and freshen up before coming back."
"Understood!"
Happy and relieved that she was finally free, she left the room. The Vice-Captain hurried and followed her out into the hallway, and spoke to her in a quiet tone.
"Sorry about the Captain."
Feeling a certain lack of pressure, she felt it was all right to ask something somewhat daring.
"... I'd heard she was different before. Did something happen to her?"
"Many paladins died in the battle with Jaldabaoth, including the Holy Queen and the Captain's sister... it took its toll on her..."
Neia didn't feel sorry for the captain hearing this. So what? Neia had gone through the same thing. Both her parents died. Most people here went through something like that. Of course, she kept these thoughts to herself.
"I'm sorry if she takes her anger out on others, but she's irreplaceable to the Holy Kingdom, especially now."
She wanted to shout at him. The Captain was strong of course, but Neia was also irreplaceable by that logic. She'd scouted ahead alone, crawling and sneaking through enemy territory, and she was most often their lookout whenever they'd made camp. But she couldn't say that. She had to keep all these feelings in her heart, for the sake of the people suffering back home.
"Understood. If it is for the sake of the Holy Kingdom, I will endure it with a smile."
...
The door to the room opened, and the leader of Blue Rose, Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, led the way. Her beautiful features could make one forget she's a top-class adventurer. If she wasn't wearing combat gear, one might say she'd look like a princess from a fairy tale.
"Thank you for your invitation. We are Blue Rose."
Her voice, which matched her looks, put Neia at ease. She stood in a darkened corner of the room, trying to not look too out of place.
After greetings and formalities were exchanged, Blue Rose seated themselves opposite Remedios and Gustav. Lakyus took the lead again after that.
"Now then, let us discuss the specifics of this request."
"Hmm~ Before that, I'd like to ask the name of that girl."
Neia nearly jumped seeing that one of the twin rogues of the party was suddenly pointing at her.
She felt great pressure as she went from being a member of the audience to being the focus.
"Her name is Neia Baraja. She has keen senses, and she's made a lot of contributions during our journey here."
"I see."
Suddenly, the magic caster who hid her face, Evileye, spoke. "By the way, can we abandon the formalities? I take it you want to talk about the one who's been running wild in your country. Jaldabaoth?"
Lakyus glared at Evileye for a moment, but Remedios did not seem to mind what could be considered her rudeness. "You knew?"
"There's plenty of ways information gets around, you know. The sea trade routes, the adventurers… Want to share what you know, too? Frankly speaking, we'd be happier to obtain information than money."
"Mm... may, may I have a moment to discuss this with Gustav?"
Evileye gestured that they should do so, and as they left to the next room, this one fell silent.
Gagaran pointed at a flask of water and some glasses around it, and addressed Neia. "Then, can we use this flask?"
Neia was panicking inside her head at being addressed so suddenly again. "What? Why me?!"
"Uhm, sure." She managed to make her voice not tremble.
After Gagaran poured water for her comrades, the two paladins returned.
"We'll pay your fee, so can you tell us what you know?"
"That's fine too, although I think we'd be able to tell you what you need to know if you told us about the current state of the Holy Kingdom."
Gustav placed a pouch of money on the table.
"We'll be paying."
Evileye looked at one of the thieves, who grabbed the pouch and threw it in the air a few times, judging the amount by weight alone.
After nodding to Evileye, the magic caster began speaking again.
"Let's start by making a few things clear. Your Jaldabaoth looks like this, right?"
Evileye grabbed a pen and paper from the table, and began drawing something for several moments. When she turned it toward Remedios, Neia could not at all see what the thing was supposed to be. It looked like a child's scribbles.
One of the thieves snatched the paper and tore it up.
"Hey! What the hell!"
The thief then produced a sketch of far greater quality. On it, there was a man in a foreign garb with strange wings and a large tail. Claws extended from his hands and a decorated mask hid his face.
Remedios clenched her fists and almost growled.
"That's the bastard."
"Very well then."
Evileye then proceeded to talk about the events in the Kingdom's own capital. Neia already knew of the demon's strength and ability to summon his own kind, but what terrified her was the five maid demons. Evileye said each one had the ability to take on an adamantite-ranked group on its own. She didn't recall anything like that being spotted in the Holy Kingdom, however. Was that his trump card?
Remedios spoke next.
"Although I hear that when Jaldabaoth appeared in the Kingdom, he was defeated by the adventurer Momon. Doesn't that mean Momon is about as powerful as him? Or did he use some sort of item?"
Neia could not see Evileye's face, but her attitude suddenly shifted for sure.
"I don't think he used any such item. However, Momon-sama fought magnificently when he dueled Jaldabaoth. I was fighting Jaldabaoth's subordinates back then, so I did not see the full fight, but it was a terrifying battle. It was a battle fought by a hero among heroes, a champion among champions. Ah, what an amazing battle. Momon-sama defended me while he was fighting Jaldabaoth, you know."
Neia did not want to bring the attention back to herself, but she felt the need to say something.
"Erm, may I ask a question?"
Now feeling the pressure again, she continued and did her best to make sure her voice didn't fail her.
"This might be a very basic question, but where did Jaldabaoth come from?"
"That is unclear. We've studied all sorts of literature, but we haven't been able to find that name in any of them. We've also tried looking for clues based on his appearance, but similarly, we haven't been able to make any headway either."
"Could it be an alias?" Remedios asked.
"I doubt that. To demons — this applies to angels as well — their names are a very important part of their very being. They can't use false names. As for his origins, if he came from the other side of the continent, then it's only natural that there'd be no information about him."
Remedios looked to Gustav.
"Will it be all right to tell them everything?"
Gustav nodded. Remedios braced herself and spoke. She described the day the capital was attacked, and Jaldabaoth revealing some sort of true form. Her face was twisted in anger, and it seemed she had to stop herself from shouting several times.
The members of Blue Rose had nothing more to say. They had not encountered that form. "Then, we must ask. Will you come to the Holy Kingdom to help us? Please!" With that, everyone in the room bowed their heads to the adventurers.
Evileye was the one to answer, and it was instant. "No. Can't do that."
"W-what? Why?!" Remedios' shouting made Neia jerk her head up.
Evileye responded calmly. "Instead of asking for the reasons, why don't you go to the person you should have approached first? Momon-sama."
Remedios and Gustav looked at her without saying anything, and so she continued.
"He's working for the Sorcerer King now... what do you know about his kingdom?"
Neia knew it was a horrible place ruled by an undead. When Remedios said as much, Lakyus was the one to speak.
"Much of what you've said is true, but not all. The humans there live in peace and harmony."
"Huh? In a country of undead, enemies to all life?"
"There are many kinds of undead, and the Sorcerer King is a ruler of the undead. Ordering the undead under his command not to harm human beings and enforcing that order is a simple matter for him."
"...If that is the best way to defeat Jaldabaoth, then let's do it. No, that's all we can do. If we can, we'll pin our hopes on that Momon."
And so, it was decided. The delegation had left the Kingdom early, seeing as no one there would help them, especially after the massacre in the Katze Plains.
They planned to rest their horses as little as possible, even using healing spells on them. And now, they've reached what seemed to be the border between the Re-Estize and Sorcerer Kingdoms, seemingly indicated by the roads being suddenly paved.
At this point, Neia's butt was hurting from spending all this time in the saddle. She could ask the other paladins to use a low-tier healing spell, but she was too embarrassed."I'll just use the herbs like my dad told me... whenever I'd hurt myself, he always came running, angry like that..."
She had to stop herself from crying as she remembered her father.
...
As the group reached the gates of E-Rantel, Neia's attention was fully focused on two enormous statues of a skeleton. From a distance, she thought there were just some normal people working on them, but it turns out these are giants cleaning the statues.
Up close, both the works seem even more impressive, due to all the detail present despite their size.
These were statues of the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown. Discussions seem to have been taking place regarding the giants.
"We didn't hear about this. Had the Sorcerer King defeated the giants and made them his minions?"
They did their best to prepare intelligence, but most of it was utterly incomprehensible, so it could not be used.
After one man was sent ahead to greet the guards and introduce them, Neia was now sent from the front of the formation to its rear, to be replaced by Remedios and Gustav. When that man returned, they proceeded with their flags raised.
"Welcome to E-Rantel, city of the Sorcerer Kingdom. Is this your first time visiting here, honored paladins?"
"Yes, that is the case."
"I see. Then, I beg your pardon, but can you please dismount?"
A luggage check?
"Please proceed this way."
The man showed them to a large door close to the main gate.
"Please enter here."
The guard spoke as they walked.
"This city is different from the cities of the Kingdom and the Empire in that it possesses all manner of different races within, so first-time visitors will have to attend a workshop in the room ahead. Only people who have attended this lecture may enter the city. What say you?"
Although the paladins looked to each other with confused looks, no one protested. They had already gone all this way, and this may be their last hope.
"Then, may I request that you give your weapons into our safekeeping?"
They would not normally refuse, but it was a different matter with Remedios. She bore a holy sword, a national treasure of their nation.
After explaining this, the guard spoke in a serious but understanding tone.
"Is that so? Then it can't be helped. Then please remain as you are and enter, everyone. The truth is, holding onto your swords was intended to ensure your safety. Please promise me that you will not draw your weapons no matter what once you're inside. If you can't do that, I'd advise you to leave this city instead."
"Understood. We shall return the trust you have shown in allowing us to bear our swords, and not draw our weapons."
"Very well. I will now ask the guard of the area to step out. Please keep your promise now, and do not panic."
Before Neia could spend too much time pondering what he might have meant, she got her answer. As the door opened, she made a loud noise of both shock and terror, a little wail. What emerged was a large rotten human, with black armour covered in spikes.
"Please do not draw your weapons! Nothing will happen if you do not draw your swords! But if you do, you will be slain instantly!"
Remedios spoke, and her voice trembled faintly.
"...And this undead thing is...?"
"A guard. There's plenty of them in the city."
"...Really?"
Now, her voice betrayed some combination of fear and surprise. Neia felt the exact same way. Were they really meant to believe a country used such powerful undead as guards?
Neia spoke with a trembling voice. "A-Ah, excuse me. Is this undead creature under the control of His Majesty, the Sorcerer King?"
The guard simply nodded. Gustav asked another question. "Is this not dangerous?"
"To date, there have been no incidents in this city where people were killed without provocation."
Everyone knew that the undead were evil creatures which hated the living. Neia thought about what kind of incredible person the Sorcerer King must be to control so many terrifying creatures. The undead now stood beside the door.
"Please, follow me."
Remedios looked to Neia.
So that's how it as. If something were to go wrong, she would be the one to die.
Neia closed her eyes as she stepped forward and past the monster, prepared for the worst. When she opened her eyes again, she was just standing inside, and nothing had happened.
The other paladins slowly did the same, one by one.
Inside, they were seated before a table, and the guard left, telling them that someone will be with them soon.
After waiting for a time, the door opened again, and a demi-human moved through.
The creature which now stood behind the table in front of them was something Neia had heard about before. It was a naga. The upper half of the body was human, while the lower half was that of a snake.
"Thank you for waiting, dear humans who wish to enter this city. This one is an immigration official for the Sorcerer Kingdom, Ryurarius Spenia Ai Indarun. Though I doubt we'll meet again, so there's no need to remember that name. This one will briefly explain the differences between living in this city and the surrounding countries, as well as things one should be aware of. Firstly, drawing weapons within the city is strictly forbidden. You may only do so in self-defense. Next, mind control magic will be used in the course of investigating crimes in this city. Please keep that in mind."
Neia was once again shocked, and her eyes widened as much as they were able. A commotion rose among the paladins. Of course, someone could be made to say and do many things with the use of mind-controlling magic.
They were assured by the demi-human about how none will be made to speak untruths, and although none of them fully believed it, they had no choice.
The naga also spoke about many other things which seemed to defy reason. Besides the guards, other undead workers were a common sight, and undead horses drew carriages around all the time. The thing that stood out most was the mention of dragons sometimes flying overhead. If that were to happen, she thought that she would probably faint.
As the delegation walked through the city, many unusual sights could be seen, and several of them earned gasps from them. There was a group of goblin soldiers,a rabbit-faced maid, a toad-like demi-human... the people's faces were not those of terror, but simply of people going about their days.
Such a place made Neia retreat into her thoughts often. "It seems more normal than I imagined... well, not that normal, but still, it's quite similar to a human nation. You can hardly tell that it's under the thumb of an immensely powerful undead king."
Just then, she'd even heard the sounds of children playing and laughing in the distance.
Along the way to what the guards recommended as one of the fancy inns, they also encountered a pair of dwarves standing around some undead who were taking commands and working on road repairs. Remedios and Gustav spoke to them for a bit, and apparently undead workers are also used for large-scale farming, due to their lack of need for food, sleep, rest or water.
When they made it to the inn, Gustav was sent ahead to book the rooms. Neia was then tasked with bringing the horses to the back upon his return.
She returned to the inn just in time for a meeting. The delegation was going to act immediately. They wanted to arrange for a meeting with the Sorcerer King as soon as possible. Furthermore, pairs of paladins were sent to the local temples and adventurer's guild to gather information, while Neia would polish everyone's armour.
Much to everyone's surprise, the meeting was to take place the day after they had gone to arrange for it.
They had arrived in front of the Sorcerer King's palace, which could not be called a palace at all. It seemed to be a fancy residence, but not much more. It was hardly a place one might expect of a king. Why was the powerful man who could control so many powerful undead make a place like this his palace? If he had wanted a proper one, he surely could have it built easily. The statues outside the city were proof of that.
Entering through the gates, they were met with two rows of undead, whose spears formed a roof shape, providing passage under them. Flags of the Sorcerer Kingdom hung from the spears on one side, and the Holy Kingdom's flags on the other. As they were passing through, music also started playing, though Neia wasn't sure where it came from.
She did her best to move in a manner befitting a representative of her country. Their warm welcome gave her some hope and made her happy, but there was now the pressure of having to be on her best behaviour. At the end of the passage, a beautiful woman stood. Perhaps the most beautiful woman Neia had ever seen. Black wings sprouted from her back.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen of the Holy Kingdom. I am Prime Minister Albedo."
"I am grateful for your warm welcome. I am the leader of the Holy Kingdom's diplomatic party, Remedios Custodio. I am very grateful that you have arranged to meet with us."
"There is no need for thanks. His Majesty the Sorcerer King is deeply concerned over the developments within the Holy Kingdom."
Before being led inside, Albedo had told them that they could keep their weapons, which made everyone in the delegation look at the rest in confusion. How was it okay to meet the king of a foreign country with their weapons? Remedios had told them that she would indeed wish to keep hers due to its importance as a national treasure, but it would be improper for the others to do so.
The throne was also underwhelming when it came to decorations, except for the golden throne in the center, from which the flag of the Sorcerer Kingdom hung.
"Please enter, Your Majesty."
In response to the Prime Minister's words, Remedios spoke in a loud whisper, telling everyone to bow.
The only experience Neia had being in a situation was meeting the Holy Queen as a squire. "It'll be fine... dad even said I did good back then!"
"Announcing the arrival of His Majesty, Ainz Ooal Gown." Neia could not see what was going on in front of her, but she had heard footsteps.
"His Majesty grants you leave to raise your heads."
She did her best to not raise her head too late, too early, too slowly, or too quickly. When she looked up at the throne, she was full of several emotions. "That's... that's him. The Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown."
The eye sockets of his bare skull were glowing with two red points. His clothes were white and gold, and looked like a national treasure. "Is he really an undead? He's so..."
In Neia's mind, the undead were filthy and terrifying creatures like skeletons or zombies. In contrast, the Sorcerer King seemed to have an air of purity and power around him. He was almost like some sort of deity one would worship.
"You have come a long way from the Holy Kingdom, Captain Custodio. You and the ladies and gentlemen of the paladin order. But perhaps it would be better to skip past all the unnecessary flattery, no? From what I know about the state of your country, I assume you are not in the mood for such things."
After hearing Remedios' approval, he continued. Neia listened to his every word intently.
"Well, then. Could you tell me about the situation in detail? Keep in mind that the more truthful and accurate your answer, the better I will be able to aid you."
Remedios seemed to pause for just a brief moment before speaking. She'd told him most things, but seemed to underplay the gravity of their situation. Neia thought it could indeed raise some problems if they admitted that their country was on the brink, especially to this king of the undead.
"Hm. I believe Jaldabaoth was also said to have several powerful servants at his disposal. Five demon maids, which were likely his trump card. Could their position be confirmed?"
The party had already heard of them from Blue Rose, though she also knew they were never seen in the Holy Kingdom.
"No, Your Majesty. They have not been seen yet."
"I see..." He went silent for a moment before speaking again.
"So, what exactly do you wish to ask of me?"
"They say that the great warrior Momon, who has driven off Jaldabaoth before, was now in service to your country! I beg you, please dispatch him to help us!"
"I see. I must answer in the negative."
"May I ask why that is, Your Majesty?" Remedios' voice was filled with strong emotions.
"You see, Momon is already doing important work right here in my kingdom. His presence is important for public order. But surely you have seen my army of undead by now. Did you find them satisfactory? I would have no problem sending them."
Even Neia understood that letting a foreign country march an army into their territory was quite impossible. And doing this with an army of undead, the enemies of all life?
Gustav spoke next. Unease and anxiety could be felt in his words. "Please, Your Majesty. If Jaldabaoth is not defeated right now, what if he turned towards your country in the future?"
"Hmm. Exterminating him now that he has shown his face to prevent future conflict? Perhaps there is some merit to that."
"Then-" Gustav only got one word in, but his relief and hope were obvious.
"Still, I'd already explained that deploying Momon would be difficult. He is the people's guarantee that they are safe from me and my undead, and he listens to their concerns. Let's see... Prime Minister Albedo, how long would it take to deploy Momon?"
"Well, seeing the situation with the new demi-humans, it could be said that these matters would be resolved in about five years."
The Sorcerer King seemed satisfied with the answer. "Well, you'd said the southern half of the Holy Kingdom was still holding out, so this should be no problem, correct?"
Gustav's hope was extinguished, and he responded somewhat meekly. "I see. We might run into trouble with time if it has to be that long, actually..."
"I see. Albedo, what is the minimum time required? Even with some instability, we should help a friendly nation, no?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. The absolute minimum would be about three years."
"Then it shall be done. Three years, even if it costs us."
Neia felt that there was no chance her nation would survive for that long. It was an impossibility. But if they were to say that, perhaps they might not receive any help at all. But this was their only chance.
Neia knew what the consequences of her actions would likely be, and so she readied herself for death before speaking. "My deepest apologies, Your Majesty!"
"... and you are?"
"I am Neia Baraja, a squire of the paladin order of the Holy Kingdom. I understand this is exceedingly rude, but please permit me to request your early dispatch of Momon!"
The Sorcerer King laid back in his throne just a bit, and seemed to be in deep thought.
"Neia! How dare a mere squire like you beg a favour of the Sorcerer King?!" Hearing the anger in Remedios' voice, it seemed she might not live to see the day end. Still, she had to do something.
"Ah, don't worry about it. Your name is Neia, is it not? How much earlier would you like me to send out Momon?"
"I wish he was sent out as early as possible! Just one day earlier would be enough!"
"You make a request like that, wanting me to do something knowing it will be a detriment to my own country?"
Despite the contents of his words, she did not sense hostility from them.
"Yes!" Neia lowered her head with a swift motion. She was prepared to give her own life as an apology for her rudeness.
Remedios tried desperately to apologize.
"Your Majesty! I sincerely apologize for my squire's disrespect!"
"I do not mind. It is only obvious that one would value their nation above others... in fact, I feel impressed with the bravery of this squire... Albedo, do it in two years."
He then turned to Neia. "Neia Baraja. How about that?"
She still knew that this too, was not nearly enough. Her country would still fall within that time. But making any more requests in the face of such generosity was not something she could do. "Thank you very much, Your Majesty!"
Remedios joined in to thank him. "Thank you very much, Your Majesty! We are deeply grateful that you have accepted our squire's request."
"You have a fine woman serving under you. She could not have done such a thing if she did not truly love her country."
The moment they got to the inn, Remedios was already shouting. "You! Do you understand what you've done?!"
Gustav shoved himself between Neia and her Captain.
"Please, Captain! There is no denying that Squire Baraja's actions were rude, but ultimately, she saved us a year of waiting."
"What? Do you not see the whole thing could have — and still might — fall apart because of her?! Baraja! Can you really say that you'd bear the responsibility of all those people who could have died because of you?! Their suffering?!"
Neia could not answer. "I am prepared to give my life in apology if the need arises!"
"A life like yours would not make for a worthy apology!"
She did not truly feel that she was in the wrong. Three years was still too many. Even if she couldn't say what she did was the best course of action, she was now being scolded by someone who didn't do anything at all.
Remedios turned and left, the anger obvious in the way she moved.
Gustav spoke to Neia in an uneasy but reassuring tone.
"I will speak to the Captain about this... if you run into her now, things might not end up well. In which case, can I ask that you go take a walk outside for the time being?" Neia nodded her head.
Stepping outside, she felt the leather pouch which contained what little money she had left. If she were to go anywhere, she would probably have to spend the last of what her parents had given her. She sighed heavily.
"Hello."
A voice was suddenly heard from just behind her, and she just barely contained a noise of surprise. There was someone invisible there.
"This place is too obvious. Go down that alley on the left."
Neia obeyed.
Going down that alley, there was indeed no one there.
"Your Majesty."
"Ah. Is that why you obeyed like that? Because you knew it was me?"
He revealed himself, and Neia immediately knelt. She had a thousand questions on her mind, but the combination of exhaustion from earlier and her current surprise made it hard to speak before the Sorcerer King did. "I wish to meet your Captain in private. Could you bring- ...Actually, it is best I meet her inside. Can you open a window to her room?"
This whole situation was rather hard to understand, but the person in front of her unmistakably seemed to be the same that she met in the throne room. She chose to trust him and obey. "Yes. I will do so immediately!"
"And also, are you on a mission? If so, I suppose I am creating trouble for your delegation... I will have to apologize to your Captain for that..."
Her eyes widened as she looked at him.
"Oh? Is that not the case? Are you not on a mission?"
"No, Your Majesty."
"Ah, I see. Then I must apologize to you for imposing on you during your free time."
"T-there's no need!"
Why was he apologizing to someone like her? He's the king of this nation, and she's just a lowly squire!
"I will go open the window now!"
Even though running was not permitted in a fine establishment like their inn, Neia still moved quite fast.
She knocked on the door. "I am Squire Neia Baraja, please open the door."
Once the paladin behind it did so, she went straight for the Captain. "The Sorcerer King wishes to speak to you, Captain." Neia then moved towards the window and opened it.
The surprise from her strange actions seemed to fade a bit at that moment. "What the hell?" She ignored her party's reactions, waving at the Sorcerer King which she immediately saw outside. He started flying closer to the window.
"What the hell was that, don't just open windows like that? And what are you talking about?! The Sorcerer King?!"
Just then, the Sorcerer King appeared next to Neia. "I apologize. She did this on my behalf, so the blame falls on me."
Though perhaps that was not exactly what was going on just now, being shielded from all blame like this was a somewhat new and very nice experience for her.
Meanwhile, the paladins were alarmed at his sudden appearance.
"I also apologize for rudely barging in through a window without warning. I had wanted to come here without anyone knowing."
Was someone of his status apologizing in a situation like this? He seemed so polite and kind, though Neia already thought that before.
"Well, then ...I am the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown."
Upon hearing that, everyone in the room knelt before him.
"Rise. I wish to speak to you, Captain Custodio."
The paladins all moved to another room, while understanding that she should stay behind. The Sorcerer King looked at her, and then at the Captain.
"Will she not be attending?"
"She's just a squire, Your Majesty."
"Was she not with you in the audience chamber earlier?" The Sorcerer King seemed to be so proficient in speech that he sounded like he genuinely did not know, which added some powerful sting to his sarcasm.
They had stood in much the same way as when they received Blue Rose, with Remedios and Gustav sitting down across from the Sorcerer King while everyone else lined the walls.
"May we know why Your Majesty came here?"
"Yes, of course. Like I said, I dislike beating around the bush. While I have said that I will not send Momon because he is important to my country's stability, I am able to send someone on par with him."
"Someone on par with him?!" Remedios seemed to exclaim in surprise without thinking.
Gustav spoke right after. "Then, what sort of request does Your Majesty wish to make of us?"
"A request? I am not sure you are able to make any promises. With the north being gone, are you not more of a resistance than anything? Or would even that be generous? You did not ally with the south, which must because there is a rift between them and you. In that case, what will happen after the war? The balance of power might shift towards the south, in which case you will likely be stripped of your positions. What promises can you make? Can it even be said that you represent your country?" The room fell completely silent for a moment.
Every single paladin in the room looked at Neia. They must think she was the one to tell him. She shook her head forcefully to indicate she did no such thing.
Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, he leaned back.
Neia was in awe. He really had figured out their country's entire situation. He really was amazing.
"In truth, I want those maids." He seemed to say something strange just now, which made everyone a little confused.
"Uhm, that is to say... regarding the powerful demon maids which Jaldabaoth commands. I wish to make them my own servants instead. I believe he had used magic to control them, and so I wish to do the same. He might have also used a magic item to do so, and so I wish that any magic items which cannot be confirmed as belonging to the Holy Kingdom are handed over to me, as well."
Neia understood that these terms were extremely favourable to the Holy Kingdom.
Remedios looked towards Gustav, who seemed to nod slightly. "We choose to accept Your Majesty's terms." "I see. Good. We should put this in writing, though I didn't bring the necessary tools with me. We'll have to do that later..."
"... Your Majesty, could you please introduce us to this person who is on par with Momon, then?" Remedios seemed eager.
"Ah, he is already here. In other words, it is myself."
The room fell silent again, and Neia was now blinking rapidly in an effort to restart her brain after the shock it just received.
Gustav spoke first. "Is that really all right, Your Majesty? We do not know how long this could take. You might be away from the Sorcerer Kingdom for a prolonged period of time."
"It is no problem. Unlike Momon, I am able to teleport between places I know."
"But- still, a ruler of a foreign country coming personally to-"
"I can assure you that nothing will happen if I were to fall or otherwise be injured, though no such thing will happen."
Remedios made a neutral expression.
"We accept."
Gustav looked at her, bewildered.
After the Sorcerer King was gone, Gustav immediately started speaking to Remedios in a manner which could almost be said to be shouting, but not in the same way Remedios would shout at Neia. This was more of a pleading tone.
"Captain! What were you thinking? Recruiting the ruler of another nation is-"
"Say, don't you think it doesn't matter whether the undead live or die?"
The question seemed to stop Gustav in his tracks, and even Neia was wide-eyed.
"They are both enemies of humanity. Regardless of which side gets wiped out, we can only gain. And if His Majesty's goal is to capture the maids, we should do our best to drag it out and have him around regardless. He could do some of the work for us... And you, squire Baraja. You will accompany the Sorcerer King throughout this journey. Make sure to butter him up for our purposes with flattery and such."
Neia made several noises of surprise and panic.
"Haahhhh?! Uhm... ah... huh? B-but I can't do something like that! I cannot possibly attend to a king properly!"
"Huh? Didn't you say you'd work harder next time? And if you fail, didn't you also say you were offering your life as an apology?"
Gustav tried his best to salvage this. "I think the squire is right! If we do not provide someone capable of giving proper respect, it might be taken as an insult!"
"What other women are there among the paladins to serve as his handmaiden? And how do you think the temples would react if I ordered a priestess to do it?"
Indeed, that could be very troublesome.
Neither Neia nor Gustav had anything more they could use to protest.
And so it was decided.