The party looked up at the heavy gate of E-Rantel. They had finished the rest of the mission with little effort. There had been quite a scare for the humans when the Wise King of the Forest had assaulted their party, but Momon's team was able to suppress it. They could only stare in wonder at the magnificent beast who the Dark Hero now road on. To see such a powerful and magnificent beast swear loyalty to a man meant he was destined for great things.
As they entered the fortress city, everyone turned and stared at the mythical magical beast who calmly walked down the streets. Gasps of awe and whispers abounded as everyone wondered who the mysterious adventurer riding its back was.
For his part, Ainz just rode on the oversized hamster's back in shame. He felt like a grown man on a merry-go-round as everyone looked at him.
'Is this really okay? Well, there's nothing to do about it. I guess I should pick a name. Hamsuke, no Daifuku would work…' Ainz wondered what he would name the giant hamster he rode. When he saw the looks of awe and praise from the humans he just didn't have the heart to get rid of it. Also, if he was honest with himself, it was a good publicity stunt to have a legendary beast serve as his mount. He just wished he didn't feel so stupid while riding it.
"Ah, I can handle it from here. Why don't you come by later to pick up your reward? I'll even give you a bonus for how successful we were." Nifirea stopped the wagon at an intersection, his home down one road.
"Alright, we need to register at the Guild, then we'll come by and help you unload." Ainz watched as The Swords of Darkness discussed what they would do now that their job was over.
"Ah, we'll help you unload. Ninya will go to the Guild and report the large mob we came across. If there are more out there like that, then they are a real threat to the surrounding area." Peter declared. Unfortunately, Ainz wouldn't be able to report the incident at the guild. Because they were still Copper-plates, them wiping out such a band of monsters was just unbelievable, so they needed to rely on the reputation of their silver-ranked traveling companions to validate the story.
It didn't take long for Ainz to complete the registration for his new mount, Hamsuke, but he and his party were then dragged into a private room by a frantic looking receptionist. Inside, Ninya and the Guild manager were going through everything that had been reported on the attack from earlier. The Guild manager had a look of complete shock as he read through the details of the event that the receptionist had written down.
"Ah, Momon-san. Can you give your side of the story about the attack from earlier please? It is too outlandish to believe, so please leave nothing out. I know that you may not want to give any secrets away, but nothing you say in this room regarding your abilities will leave this room." The Guild manager looked incredibly professional as he quietly listened to Ainz' account of the events. He made sure to leave nothing out in terms of events, but didn't give any information regarding specific abilities, just enough information to detail what happened.
"To think that someone so young can use Fifth-tier magic…incredible. Well, I think you are holding back on your abilities, but you corroborated the story well enough. We will send out scouts to confirm the report and look for more hordes. Please stay around E-Rantel for now. We will need to evaluate an appropriate reward for the service you have done, and we may have further need of your skills." Ainzach had a very serious expression on his face as he determined what needed to be done. If their report was to be believed, then any more hordes in the area would be a grave threat to even the cities. Only the greatest of Adventurers, the coveted Adamantite rank, could hope to stem the tide. For the party sitting before him to be able to defeat them with ease could only mean they were of heroic proportions.
"Ah, yes… We don't plan on leaving this town just yet. Please call upon us if you need our help… If that is all, then we must finalize our request with Mr. Bareare." Ainz made to get up but was stopped by a look from the Guild manager.
"There is one more thing…What can you tell me about what happened in Carne Village?" Ainzach asked, a focused look on his face. What he had heard second-hand from the silver-ranked adventurer about Carne village was just as, maybe even more outlandish than the battle they had.
'Crap! Do they suspect something?... No, realistically, there is no way for them to know I have anything to do with what happened.' Ainz was worried that his cover was blown, or that the guild would make trouble for Nazarick in the future. He did his best to play dumb and deflect the question.
"Ah… I, I don't really know. Just some rumors I heard from the villagers. There was a battle there between some knights, monsters, and the Kingdom's troops. I couldn't tell you how real they are." Ainz didn't reveal anything to Ainzach, hoping he would go somewhere else for answers.
Ainzach looked at Ainz suspiciously. To hear about monsters, especially undead, helping humans was rare. Any adventurer would devour all the information they could about such a situation. It gave a lot of credence to his backstory of being a foreigner, but also deepened the mystery of who Ainz and his partners were.
"Well, thank you for the information. I will send a request to the capital to find out about those troops from the Kingdom. If it has to do with the Head Warrior and his band showing up with serious casualties, then there may be trouble. You can go now, I don't think there is more we can do tonight." Ainzach went back to reading the report on the attack, ignoring the departing adventurers.
Ainz and his party respectfully left the room, Ninya tailing them out. Outside, they noticed a crowd had gathered around Hamsuke as they all marveled at the sight of such a powerful beast.
"Are we going Milord?" Everyone gasped when they heard the magical beast talk. It was a sure sign of strength and wisdom. As Ainz approached, everyone gossiped about him, wondering who he was to command such a magnificent beast. None of them believed he could really be a Copper-plate when they noticed the small piece of metal around his neck.
"Yes, hold still." With the impressive agility his stats afforded him, he leapt onto Hamsuke's back, idly debating what he should do about a saddle. As they made ready to leave, an old woman stepped forward out of the crowd. Many people respectfully gave her room when they recognized her.
"What a magnificent beast." The wizened old lady looked at Hamsuke in fascination. It wasn't every day people saw such a creature.
"Ah, *Ehem*… Yes, it's the Wise King of the Forest." Ainz did his best to ignore the gasps as he gave the title of the beast he rode. He ignored the hamster as she puffed up with pride at being recognized.
"So this is that magnificent beast! You, you wouldn't happen to be the adventurers my grandson hired?" She shot him a questioning look.
"Correct. We had some business to attend to at the guild, so he went back to unload without us." Ainz looked over at Ninya, who seemed eager to get back to her teammates and finish the job.
"Well, why don't I lead you over? We can get everything settled right away." They quickly made their way towards the shop. When they got there, Ainz wondered why no one was unloading the goods still in the wagon. As the grandmother, Lizzy, went in calling out for her grandson Ainz rushed into action. Even though it was dark, his senses and skills told him of the three undead within the building.
He rushed past a startled Lizzy, pushing forward with his large frame. As everyone else followed him in, now on alert, Ainz moved to destroy the threat. With a mighty kick he broke down the door to the cellar. Soon, the three zombified remains of the Swords of Darkness members lunged at them with killing intent.
"EEK! ZOMBIES!" Lizzy cried out. She fell behind the defensive posture of the adventurers as Ainz bulled forward. With a mighty swing he decapitated the reanimated corpses of Peter and Lukrut. With another mighty swing he forced Dyne's remains back, a fortuitous block with his mace making Ainz swing again, cleaving his skull in two.
"Nifirea? Nifirea!?" As Lizzy ran through the shop looking for her grandson, Ainz looked coldly at the remains before him.
"Protect her. The building should be clear but be careful." Ainz instructed the two Pleaides. They quickly departed to watch over the hysterical woman, alert for any dangers.
"NO! NOOOO!" Ainz looked on in silent pity as a broken Ninya looked at her fallen comrades. The young girl broke down into pitiful sobs as she mourned over the loss of her comrades.
"DO SOMETHING! I DON'T CARE WHAT IT TAKES! PLEASE! BRING THEM BACK!" The young girl screamed hysterically at Ainz and Veres as they just looked on in silence. Even if they tried to use resurrection magic, there was no guarantee it would work. Their bodies had suffered tremendous damage between Ainz and the torture they went through before death. Plus, they had already been turned undead. He had no idea if it was even possible for it to work after something like that.
"Momong, Momon-kun, we need to track them down. They took the boy." Veres said from the side. She looked on without remorse at the humans who they had traveled with being destroyed. They weren't anything of note, and they didn't help her goals in any way. She didn't even feel pity for the tragic state their bodies were in. But, it wouldn't be good if their requester was killed.
"Hm…Yes. Please find out what you can. I'll look around for more clues." Ainz pulled a sobbing Ninya out of the room so Veres could work. As she could still use her magic without dropping her disguise, she could try and find where Nifirea was taken quickly. Ainz focused on making sure there were no more surprises and watching over Ninya to make sure she didn't do something stupid.
It wasn't long before the rest of the house was secure and Veres had found Nifirea. Everyone gathered in the basement, Ninya struggling to focus as she paid her respects to her lost friends.
"We know where they took him, but there's a problem. He is currently surrounded by an army of undead, and the perpetrators will surely fight back." Veres described what she saw, making it clear that it shouldn't be easy for anyone to rescue him.
"Please! Rescue him! I'll give you anything you want!" Lizzy was desperate to get her grandson back. After the death of his parents, her family, he was all she had.
"Ho? Anything?" Ainz asked, his mind flitting through what he could take.
"Then, Everything." Ainz said with finality. Veres watched coldly as Ainz gave their steep price. Ninya was too lost in her grief to notice what was going on. She had just lost the only people she still had left and barely clung to hope.
"You… Are you demons?... They say demons will demand your soul as payment." Lizzy looked on in mild fear and shock at the steep price demanded of her.
"Does it matter? I doubt there is anyone else you can turn to if you want to save your grandson in time. So, what will it be?" Ainz challenged, his massive frame looming in her visage as Lizzy made her choice.
"Fine… Please, save my grandson!" She said with determination. No price was too steep to save her family.
"Excellent. Please inform the guild about the undead army, so they can alert the town. It would be disastrous if they spilled over." Ainz commanded. His party boldly headed for the door, keen on defeating whoever had kidnapped the boy.
"Please! Take me with you!" Ninya cried out as they left. She wanted, no, needed, revenge for her fallen comrades.
"No." Came the blunt reply of Veres. Ainz nodded in agreement.
"You're too weak and would only get in the way. Protect her and make sure the townspeople are safe." At the harsh appraisal of her ability (or lack thereof), fresh, hot tears started to stream down her face at the realization that Mel was right. She was no hero. She was just a slightly above average girl with a bit of talent. There was no way for someone like her to stand a chance against anyone who could kill her team like that.
There was no way for her to be strong enough to save her sister.
She was just a girl, way out of her league, and she could only stare at the backs of Ainz' heroic party as they went off to save the city. She stood catatonically, tears streaming down her cheeks silently as her harsh reality came crashing down. Everyone she knew, everyone she cared for, was gone from her forever. As Lizzy tried to comfort her, it was all just a dull drone in her ear as her world shattered.
Ainz and his team made there way towards the large cemetery Nifirea was being held in. Soon, they were in sight of the gate, and could see the guards running in panic and fear. A massive undead conglomerate rose above the stone walls, bearing down on its living pray. The party came to a stop as they met the guards where they calmly ignored the guards who told them to leave.
Just because he was a Copper-plate, it didn't mean he was weak.
"Nabe, my sword." As he was passed the slab of metal, he hefted the large blade with ease. With a mighty heave he threw it and the guards all turned in wonder as the blade sank into the giant undead. The force of the blade sent the monster crashing down with a tremendous sound.
"Nabe, Hamsuke, stay here. Don't let the undead escape the cemetery." Ainz calmly ordered the two to stay behind. He wanted people who showed up to repel the undead to take note of his party's strength, and the two would be the better ones to leave behind. After hearing their acknowledgment, he leapt over the massive wall with ease, his cape fluttering behind him. Yuri and Veres soon followed him as their tremendous strength cleared away the horde of undead.
Once they were away from the gate, they moved swiftly through the empty cemetery. They ignored the droves of low-level undead they passed, instead choosing speed over beating the scrum around them. With Yuri and Ainz being undead, and Veres concealing herself with her abilities, they were largely ignored as they swiftly made there way towards the epicenter of the disaster. They were soon in sight of a mausoleum with several robed figures chanting in a circle.
"Khajiit-sama, they are here." One of the robed figures said rather loudly.
"Yup, there's one idiot." Ainz silently agreed with Veres' assessment. You don't give away information like names just like that. The bald man in the center, Khajiit, just scoffed at his subordinate's stupidity before focusing on the intruders.
"You must be pretty strong to get all the way here." He called out, trying to read his mysterious opponents. He could tell they were adventurers, but he had no clue as to how they got through the hordes of undead. Only a warrior of great skill could get through so many undead, but he didn't know of anyone of note in the town. The highest rank in town is Mithril, and it would take them time to get through the horde.
Plus, he had a pair of surprises, ready to attack from above and below at a moments notice.
"Ah, it must be a nice night for a ritual. We're looking for a young boy, have you seen him?" They taunted him from the other side of the clearing. It didn't make sense. How could someone have responded so fast? How much did they know? Who were they?
"Fool, I decide if it's a good night for a ritual. How did you find us?" Quietly, Khajiit and his disciples started to prepare for battle.
"One of you took something. I didn't know trophies were in fashion." Veres said, watching out for the last opponent.
"Corr~ect~. Your good~. The name's Clementine~." When Khajiit heard the mocking voice, he turned to glare at his accomplice. As she fluttered her cloak, one could see the gleaming metal underneath that were her trophies. He was furious with her for giving someone a chance to find them.
"It doesn't matter. We will destroy yo-" Khajiit was cut off when Veres charged forward. With speed impossible for even Clementine to follow, she set upon the cultists in brutal fashion. In seconds she had used her bare hands to rip the magicians to pieces. Blood and viscera went flying as their dismembered corpses were strewn about the courtyard. It was so quick that they couldn't even let out a strangled cry before all of them lay broken at her feet. Khajiit was in the middle of the bloodbath, his precious orb rolling on the ground next to his dismembered arms. Eyes shining viciously, she turned to Clementine.
She tried to run. She knew she was fast, but what she had just witnessed wasn't human. It didn't matter what happened to the town or her associates, so long as she survived. She hadn't gotten more than a few steps before Veres was on her. A few swift hits and she was completely incapacitated, her legs shattered beyond use. Veres then threw the now unconscious woman over her shoulder and started walking back towards Ainz.
"What? They could have information." Ainz and Yuri looked at her worryingly. Veres had gone out of her way to brutalize the people she had butchered, not caring about revealing her inhuman abilities. With a quick word, a Gate was summoned, and the two ringleaders were thrown into the workstation of a startled interrogator. As the Gate was de-summoned, Ainz and Veres made their way down into the mausoleum to retrieve the boy.
"Okay, seriously. How did I mess up?" Veres wondered. Ainz hadn't spoken to her since the fight had ended.
"…I wanted to fight them… I need experience as a warrior." Ainz said, a bit miffed at not being able to fight. Veres just stopped to look at him for several seconds before she started to giggle. Ainz awkwardly tried to avoid her gaze as they kept walking further.
"Heh-heh…Ah… Well, if you want experience with fighting as a warrior, why don't you spar with Cocytus?" Ainz just kept silent. He didn't want to say it was embarrassing to have to learn everything from his own subordinate. He wanted to learn some things on his own.
Shortly, they happened upon a large room with a glowing magic circle. At the center of the circle was Nifirea. As they approached, they could see his eyes had been slashed and he had been dressed in transparent items to boost the ritual. Atop his head sat a web of jewels that glistened in the light. De-summoning their disguises, the two approached to get a closer look at the boy.
"[All Appraisal Magic Item]…Hm… The Crown of Wisdom, huh. It didn't exist in YGGDRASIL, but I don't think we can take it." Ainz focused on the information that appeared in his mind. Veres just looked quizzically at him as he mulled over the information.
"[Greater Break Item]" The web of jewels turned to dust before their eyes as it faded away. Ainz caught the slumping body of Nifirea and Veres quickly checked him over. It didn't take long for her to see that other than his eyes he wasn't injured, just exhausted. Wrapping him up in a summoned blanket, Veres healed his eyes as the two made there way back out of the mausoleum, dawning their disguises once more.
Outside, Yuri had dutifully retrieved all of the magic items and anything of value. It was all piled up away from the cooling bodies of the acolytes, with a strange orb on the top. Mysteriously, the destroyed forms of Skeletal Dragons were strewn about as well. It didn't matter, as a higher level undead brawler, like Yuri, was probably the best counter for them (aside from high level magic they promised not to use). She had clearly not struggled to beat the two monsters as her hair was unblemished and she had no injuries.
"Ai-Momon-san…Here are all their items. Most of them are trash, but a few aren't worthless. The orb won't shut up though." Yuri said, gesturing to the pile. It was uncommon for her to be so curt. Whatever she meant by shutting up probably had to do with it. Although, he had no idea what she meant by it not shutting up, so he went over and grasped the orb.
Suddenly, a voice sounded in his head.
"What's this!? Magnificent! You must be the King of Death! I thought that other one was the greatest undead, but I bow before your might, Oh Great One!"
"Ah, a sentient item…"
"Yes, My Lord! I am a being of great intelligence! I am the Jewel of Death, and I am yours to use!" He could see what she meant by it wouldn't shut up. It continued to swear fealty to him and drone on about his greatness. Having enough, he put it into his inventory.
'Maybe I'll give it to Hamsuke…Yeah, it'll be fine with her.'
"Are we done here?" Veres asked. A quick nod from Ainz and a bow from Yuri said they were. So, after putting the pile of items they had collected into their inventories, they made there way back towards the gate. Along the way, they defeated the masses of undead they passed through and helped any group they came across. At the entrance they saw a milling mass of guards and adventurers as they coordinated the extermination of the undead. At the head were Narberal and Hamsuke, their strength clearing away any approaching undead with ease as they kept the entrance open for the living.
As Ainz approached, he noticed the looks of wonder on the faces of many who saw him and his party. The guards he had aided had spread the word about a dark knight who destroyed the undead with ease, and they all witnessed Narberal and Hamsuke protecting them from the hordes that came. He ignored the looks and whispers as Narberal and Hamsuke joined back up with him while they headed towards the Bareare residence.
Just outside the shop, two people were waiting for their arrival. Lizzy was ecstatic to see her grandson unharmed, quickly ushering Ainz inside so he could put the unconscious boy down. They didn't bother to mention the healing as she was too pleased with her family's return to care about anything, even the price she would have to pay.
Ninya looked on at the victorious party, her eyes like dead fish as her broken spirit tried to process what had happened that night.
*Well, it's been a while. At least by this story's standards. I just needed a break from it for a while, so I started something new. I will try to get back up to 1 chap a week with both my active stories, as I have the time. I'm ahead on the other, so I can focus on this one for a bit. Hope you liked Veres going overboard.*