"I'm sorry, but we have already taken a job." Ainz firmly rejected the counter girl's unspoken request. This made her frantic. She had already courted danger by insulting such a (potentially) rich and powerful adventurer. If she was unable to assist the grandson of the most famous alchemist in the city, her chances would be over.
"Um. The person who requested you is Nifirea Bareare." Her eyes pleaded for Ainz to take the job.
At the mention of his name a collective gasp echoed throughout the room. The young boy in the middle of the throng stepped forward, the crowd parting like water before him.
"Hello. It's nice to meet you. I'm the one who made the request-" He amicably greeted Ainz and his group. However, Ainz cut him off by raising his hand before he could say anything more.
"I am sorry, but we have already committed to a job. We unfortunately will be unable to accomplish your commission until it's completed." At his side, Veres nodded in agreement. It would look bad on them if they just quit the job they had committed to. The fervor in the room increased. To be requested specifically is a high honor and refusing was quite rare.
"Momon-san. This is a specific request. You have to take it!" Peter eagerly encouraged Ainz' group, fully aware of the implications of a specific request.
"Still, it's only proper to perform the task we have already committed to first, no?" From the complicated expressions on many peoples' faces, Ainz figured out it wasn't quite that simple.
"I see. How about this. We will here out the details of Bareare-san's request before we make a decision. Then, we can set a date and time accordingly." Ainz said while looking to his requester for confirmation.
"I'm alright with that. My request doesn't necessarily have to be completed today." Nifirea didn't seem upset about the possible rejection.
"Good. Then, Peter-san. Would the Swords of Darkness join us too?" Ainz turned back to the startled group.
"Eh? Are you sure that's fine?" Peter's tone stressed how irregular the situation was.
"Of course. After all, your party is involved as well." Nobody could refute his logic, so they all moved to hear out Nifirea's request. As the three parties moved back into the private room the energetic atmosphere continued. Everyone as discussing the Copper-ranked adventurers that came out of nowhere making big waves.
Back in the room, the groups had to once again introduce themselves. The two adventurer teams briefly went through every member, lacking the drama and tangents from earlier. They needed to focus on the task at hand, or they risked upsetting someone who made a specific request.
"I was already introduced, but my name is Nifirea Bareare. I'm an alchemist here in E-Rantel and I regularly go out to collect herbs in the forest. There is a little village called Carne a little ways away that I use as a base to enter the Great Forest of Tob. Your job would be to protect me on the trail there and in the forest from any dangerous monsters. It's a pretty safe area so there shouldn't be any concerns, but it pays to be cautious in the Forest." He seemed genuine in his request, and it made sense for him to hire adventurers for this kind of work.
"I see. So bodyguarding huh? Peter-san, would you be willing to assist us on this request?" Ainz felt like he had a good grasp of the situation, now there was only one thing…
"Huh? Oh! Yes, that isn't a problem for us. We know the general area, and if there's any monsters along the way we can hunt them, so we fulfil both requests." Ainz got nods from the rest of the Swords of Darkness as Peter gave his consent.
"Plus, I'll really be able to show my skills as a druid in the Forest better than a ranger." Dyne said with pride. Lukrut just stuck his tongue out at the jibe from his teammate.
"That's fine. When would your teams be ready to leave?" Nifirea gave his consent to the add-on of another team to protect him. He didn't want to hedge his bets on the strength of Copper-ranks, even if they might be really powerful.
"Now, I only have one question left. Why us? We are new here, and have no reputation. It's strange for us to have been sought out so quickly." Ainz said to Nifirea with a piercing stare. Everyone leaned in to hear his answer, curious about his reason for causing such a scene. Nifirea appeared caught off guard by the pointed question. Thinking quickly, he tried to remember his excuse.
"Ah-ah. W-well. I heard there were some really powerful Copper-plates in the tavern last night. The Party I normally take moved to another city recently, so I needed new guards. I figured it would be cheaper to higher strong Copper-plates instead of the normal Gold-ranks." His explanation made sense to Ainz. Money and reputation were huge, and the scene they made yesterday ended drawing in an interesting character.
"Bullshit. There's no way a reputable person would take completely untested newby strangers with no references as bodyguards. If we are strong you have no guarantee we won't just rob you, and if we're weak than you might be getting yourself killed. Why did you really want to get to know us?" Veres on the other hand wasn't enamored by his excuse at all, and with how the boy started to panic she and the Pleiades tensed for a possible confrontation.
The Swords of Darkness got cold expressions. In their line of work trust between the clients and adventurers was critical for safety and legality. They didn't want to be drawn into some troublesome business when there appeared to be something shady.
"Eh? Ah, ah. Okay, fine. I did hear about you from the tavern incident. But, it was that potion you gave that adventurer. It isn't made by normal means, so I wanted to find out more about the strange foreigners who had it." Nifirea was completely embarrassed about being caught. He seemed like a normal and trustworthy boy who just got excited.
"Really? Is that it? Seriously? You could have just come talked to us. We're interested in learning about new items and how things work around here as well. Wouldn't that be normal in this kind of business? We don't know how long we'll be here, so we would need to buy supplies anyways." Veres relaxed quickly, the Pleiades soon after. His answer appeared to be the truth, it just didn't make sense. Ainz, however, was lamenting what he thought was a grave mistake. Now they would be drawn into troublesome things with the local alchemists.
Nifirea flushed further and tried to hide his shame by shrinking down. What she said was completely reasonable, he had just been afraid to confront strangers so openly about what could have been a very important secret.
The Swords of Darkness all remained tense though, they didn't like being lied to about something like that. While it seemed to have worked itself out they had to doubt the validity to everything else they had learned so far if such an important thing was being kept secret. What else could these two mysterious and unknown parties be hiding?
"W-well. I don't think this is something we should really keep talking about here. If it's fine with all of you, we are fine with taking this job. I think we can leave whenever you are ready." Ainz was just trying to get moving. They needed money, and they weren't making any just sitting there talking. He looked over to the still nervous Swords of Darkness to see if they were willing to stay on the job.
"It's fine with us, if there are no more big secrets we should know about. We want to know what we're getting into on a job like this." Peter said after getting hesitant approval from his teammates. Internally, Ainz was stressing about how to make sure they weren't exposed as non-humans. If that happened they'd probably have to kill them to keep them quiet.
Veres was instead wondering if it was even worth having them tag along. They already knew where Carne village was, and unless a high-level assassin wanted to kill Nifirea there wasn't any possible threats on the mission. Even then they would probably be able to protect him against anything comparable to a Pleiades. She still had most of her skills and powers available, unlike Ainz, and could use them discretely.
"Okay. I'm ready to leave whenever you are." Nifirea said brightly. The parties dove in to discussing what they'd need in terms of supplies on the trip.
The large group of people moved along at a steady pace on the well-worn path. On one side was a never-ending forest, the other was a vast expanse of open plains. As the bright sun beat down on the group, it wasn't long before the human travelers were soon all exhausted. The only one with any energy was Lukrut, and he constantly made quips and innuendos as they plodded along.
Thinking it was as good a time as any, Veres moved up to Nifirea who rode in an open wagon. They had exhausted any other topic of conversation for the moment, so she figured it was best to just deal with the conversation that was needed.
"Nifirea. Why exactly is that potion Ai-Momon gave to the adventurer girl special? It was a normal potion for us, so we don't understand the problem." Nifirea's expression noticeably brightened. By telling them about the uniqueness of their potion he could make up for his previous blunder. Plus, he was talking about his specialty.
"The reason it's so special is because it was made differently than a regular healing potion from around here. When making a normal healing potion you have to cast preservation magic on it, otherwise the quality will degrade over time. This turns the potion blue.
We don't know why your potion was different, we could only tell that it had never had preservation magic cast on it. This means the potion itself is perfect, and there were no defects in the quality of the ingredients used to make it. If we could get these ingredients or figure out how to make them it could revolutionize the potion making industry.
Of course, it might not have any impact on the effectiveness of potions, but the different techniques used to make it could improve other aspects of alchemical work or reduce the time and cost to make things. The possible benefits that learning about that potion could bring were just to good to pass up!" Nifirea was visibly getting excited about learning more about the potion.
"Well, I can't say anything to the creation process. That's outside the expertise of everyone in our group. However, we can see about you getting some ingredients to experiment with. Of course, you would need to agree to not release any information about this to anyone else, and in exchange we could arrange exclusive production rights to anything that comes about from it."
"Of course! That would be wonderful!" He seemed incredibly eager to agree to the deal.
"There is something else I want to ask about. Your Talent." The change in topic wasn't nearly as welcomed as the previous. It was generally considered taboo to ask someone about their Talent, and it showed on all the humans' faces. Ainz and Veres, though, were more interested in learning about it than committing any social faux-pas.
"Ah, I know you might not want to talk about it, but we are really curious about how it works in general. Where we are from Talents aren't a thing. People might have special abilities, but those are usually dependent on race or job." While still uncomfortable, Nifirea was willing to say a little about it, so long as they weren't pressing about it.
"What do you want to know? I'm sure others can already tell you much about it, so there shouldn't be anything else to say about it." He was cautious to give away any more details. He already didn't like the attention given to him for what was already known.
"Well, we already heard that you aren't limited by job or racial restrictions, but what about strength? For example, if you tried to use a magic sword could you activate its powers even if you aren't strong enough to lift it? Or what about items tied to a specific person? If you try to use a magic artifact that can only be used by its owner, can you trick it into working for you?" The way she looked at him made him think there was a right and wrong answer.
Nifirea wasn't too sure where this line of questioning came from. The questions themselves really shouldn't apply. He couldn't think of anything like she described besides cursed items and truly legendary equipment. Stuff he would never even see, let alone try and use. Then, he looked back at Lily, they had told him about how the choker on her neck was a cursed item. Perhaps they were trying to find ways to remove it safely?
"I don't know. I rarely use it because there isn't really any need for it. It was a complete accident that I even learned about the racial exception. It's not like I go around trying to use mysterious magic items to learn more about it." He internally breathed a sigh of relief at the way she seemed to become contemplative. At least he hadn't said anything to make her angry. He had heard what she did to that adventure in the tavern and was absolutely terrified of her strength.
"I see. Lukrut, catch." Veres suddenly lightly tossed a dagger at the ranger. When he grabbed it by the hilt, he was suddenly pulled to the ground. The unassuming dagger made of a steel-like metal weighed so much he couldn't hold it and was almost injured by its force.
"So heavy! What is that thing made of?!" He cried out while pointing at the offending weapon. All of the humans looked at her strangely as she calmly picked up the blade with no visible effort. Picking up a grown man was one thing. Waving around a magical dagger of at least comparable weight with impunity was another. Veres ignored the stares as she took the blade over to Nifirea before gently handing it to him, making sure he wouldn't drop in suddenly.
With shaking hands, he grabbed the dagger by the hilt and tried to lift it. Astonishment crossed the face of almost everyone as he held the dagger up with relative ease. Even the hidden faces of Ainz and Veres wore shock. The Pleiades watched with concealed displeasure. The implications of a mere human being able to wield the weapons of the Supreme Beings were not pleasant. They would have to watch this one closely.
"How? How is that possible!?" Lukrut cried out in astonishment. He was by no means weak, so he couldn't believe that such a slender man could lift the dagger with ease, when he couldn't even budge it. By the panicked expression on Nifirea's face he felt the same way.
"I see. Your Talent is more amazing than you can possibly realize. That is a magic item imbued with properties to limit who can use it to those of great strength. I don't believe Gazef Stronoff would be able to move it like that. And yet, here you are waving it around." There was a fair bit of wonder and amazement in Veres' voice as she took the dagger back and explained her test. What she didn't say and Ainz had noticed was that dagger had a level 60 assassin restriction on its use.
"Just who are you people!? Such powerful people at such a young age! Items and knowledge nobody else could possibly have! How did you get so great?!" Ninya cried out. After witnessing someone not much older than her effortlessly cast [Lightning] when Narberal demonstrated her power she was disparaged. She was considered a near prodigy, but had been unable to get so far by working for years. She envied strength, she needed it no matter how she got it to save her sister one day. However, when confronted by people with real power she could only feel helpless and insignificant.
"We are just travelers from a foreign land. Our power is nothing special there. As for how we got this strong, we just kept striving to get better. No matter how hard it was." Ainz' voice was full of pride. He and his friends had worked really hard for a long time to become great, and he silently preened under the misdirected compliment on their success.
The Swords of Darkness could only shake their heads at the complex feelings they had. Knowing how powerful greatness was is one thing, but seeing it for themselves was completely different.
The parties then lapsed back into silence as they each individually thought about what they had seen and learned. Eventually, they came to stop at a river, deciding to rest while they replenished their water. The Swords of Darkness and Nifirea watched with curious expressions at the interaction of Ainz and his party.
They couldn't help but to be curious about this group. They watched as the group came to rest, a clear hierarchy to their movements. Eventually, it became too much for Lukrut. He saw the way the group seemed completely at ease as they walked and wondered. He had at first thought of making a quip about Lily trusting him, but thought against it. She and Nabe were always extremely close and the beautiful magician scared him at times.
He now saw the way the three women crowded around Momon, each one eager to stay in close proximity to him. He took note of the deference paid to Mel by the other two, and Momon's seeming indifference to their jockeying.
"Ah, I have to ask, but, are you guys lovers or something?" He scratched his chin, wondering aloud how such an odd group came to be. The question drew the attention of the other humans. They thought it was rude for him to have asked, but weren't willing to pass up any new information about their strange companions.
Each group member seemed shaken in a different way by the invasive question.
"Don't be stupid! There's no way I could be his lover when he already has-" It was Nabe who had the most vocal reaction. She was cut off from saying more by Momon's large hand on her shoulder.
Lily grew incredibly flushed, a panicked expression on her face as she tried to hide behind her comrades. She obviously was too embarrassed by whatever relationship they had to say anything.
Mel grew still before shifting closer to Momon. It was clear by her actions that it was true, or at least a significant possibility. Either way, she made it clear that she was staking a claim, and one could guess that Nabe's words had been about her.
Momon was the most caught off guard by the question. It took several suppressions of his emotions for Ainz to internally calm down. The flushed faces of the NPCs and the silent Veres made his emotions continue to run high. He had never had been in a relationship, so he had no idea why they would think he had relations with three women.
"Ehem. Mr. Lukrut, we would appreciate if you didn't press into our private lives. We have already had problems with this and would just like to be left in peace." He was mildly angry with the man for once again assuming something about his group. While it was much more innocent this time, it wasn't something he wanted to keep addressing.
He only absently noticed Veres shifting closer to his side. He surprised her, and himself, by reaching for her hand, grabbing it tightly in reassurance. So far, this trip had been incredibly taxing, and it had only been Veres' supporting him that had kept him sane. The wiles and strange personalities of his subordinates, coupled with the frustrating human interaction had nearly pushed him over the edge.
It was finally dawning on him just how much Veres' support meant to him. There was no way he would have been able to stay afloat without her. He would have had to completely suppress his entire personality just to keep up appearances.
Finally, the watering was done, and the group was rested. With the atmosphere completely strange, they headed out. Eventually, Lukrut stopped in front of the group. He had gone ahead to give Momon's team space and scout ahead. Now, he sensed something really bad. The rest caught up to him, stopping when they noticed his tense posture.
"You noticed it too, didn't you?" He wasn't surprised when Mel said something. Now, they just had to deal with anything coming.
"Do you think we can run?" He asked nervously. Even with what he knew about their group, what was coming was too much to defend against. Momon took stock of what was coming and made his judgement.
"Not a chance. We can't outrun the faster ones for very long, and something like that would threaten the area until it's wiped out. We have the strength, we just need to hold out and break them up. Peter-san, your team will be the rearguard. Watch our backs and protect Nifirea." They watched in awe as Momon and his team formed a defensive line.
In front, Momon and Lily stood as resolute walls to protect their comrades. In the back, Nabe and Mel stood at the ready with their long-range attacks and swords by their sides. Behind them the unwitting humans formed up defensively, with the wagon at the center of a loose circle. They would have to hold against anything that got around the other group.
Coming towards them on an angle from the nearby forest was a veritable horde of monsters. Dozens, possibly even hundreds, of goblins, ogres, barghests, greater barghests, and other forest denizens came as a veritable storm. All led by two massive trolls.