A/N) Fair warning: I make a few creative decisions about how Supreme Beings are written in flashbacks and whatnot. They are all well and good in the side-story, but I found them all (except Bukubukuchagama) to be a bit too formal. Hopefully, they will still come across as grounded characters in future interactions, but with a bit more relaxed.
Obviously they are the way they are due to the near fanatical politeness that is prevalent in Japanese culture, but I found flippant and intimate interactions to be more fun. I particularly like the idea of Peroroncino and Ainz sharing a brain cell, though I won't be bending the characters too much in order to fit that mould.
In other words, slightly more eccentric Supreme Beings.
Oh yeah, from now on, I'll be putting all author's note BS in the end, since they look a whole lot nicer there.
Chapter 9 - Walls of Stone
- Approximately 5 minutes before ?-
Suzuki Satoru groaned as he disinterestedly scrolled through the menu depicting his inventory. Time and again he had tried to get into the game, each every attempt was met with little success. Yggdrasil had a learning curve shaped like a stone wall. And making progress on your own was akin to chipping away at said wall with a teaspoon. But chip away he did- and all of his cumulative work had led up to this.
One pair of spellcaster's gloves. Currently the best piece of gear in his inventory.
With a single tap in the menu they materialized onto his hands, wrapping them snugly. He clenched and unclenched his fists. The sensation of touch was dull. Muted. Restrained. As if his hands had fallen asleep. An excellent reminder that this was still just a game, despite how immersive it was.
The newbie's real face smiled then. Despite having made virtually no progress in the eyes of pro-players, he was chipping away at the wall. Bit by bit. It hadn't been much progress, but it was his progress. Progress that he had to toil for.
And as sad as it may sound- it was progress he actually cared about.
Not another unspent yen in the bank account. Not another quarterly report that would be forgotten the very second after it had been presented.
No.
This was progress that managed to bring him joy, even if just a little bit of it. Enough to take his mind off the inevitable return to the rat race when his time spent in this dream world would come to an end. Escapism. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Which made the woes of this world all the more bitter.
He had gotten further with trial and error, dying over and over again, losing a bit of the progress he had made. This alone was fine. Suzuki learned, and he grew to enjoy the things he got to see. Yggdrasil was breathtaking at times. A wild world that managed to ignite a sense of wonder the salary man believed had died with his childhood.
It really was like magic. Sciency magic that involved brain-implants and nano machines, sure. But magic nonetheless. To step through a door and end up in a fantasy land with adventure and exploration lurking around every corner? It was more than just a little enticing to the new player.
Fields of green, skies of blue... All lovely. Even if it falls apart when one looked closer. Perhaps it was the limits of technology. A rather glum train of thought- to think that mankind has peaked.
As melancholic as that idea is, it wasn't what Suzuki was griping about. Rather it was the fact that he wouldn't even have gotten the chance to experience any of Yggdrasil- with all of its ups and downs- if he didn't compromise. The low-leveled player closed his character menu with a resigned sigh and wandered off. This realm (or any other for that matter) wouldn't be kind if he roused the ire of the local populace with his presence.
"*Sigh*..." The newbie scratched the back of his head, but felt no sensation of touch. It was quite jarring at times to have a flesh-and-blood avatar that didn't feel at all different from one made purely of bone. That being said he still preferred his previous character.
An undead overlord was exactly what he had set out to create, being the best possible fit for the necromancer character he had in mind. None of that had worked out as planned. As a heteromorphic race that stood out so much compared to humans just resulted in him being attacked on sight by human players wanting karma.
'Argh! Do these devs even think to balance the game?! If I kill a human, I lose karma no matter what! And if they kill a heteromorph- they get karma.' He complained.
Of course... The exception to the latter rule was the race he had chosen this time. Angels were exempt from being hunted for karma as they were considered to be a "good" race. It was why he was playing as an angel- not to mention one made to look as attractive as possible, an idea gotten from browsing the forums and learning about the apparent discrimination towards slime players due to how they look.
It also helped that the main reason people PK:ed heteromorphs was due to the unlock-requirements for powerful jobs. ...Very few of these jobs required a player to kill angel players.
Still, Suzuki never understood those people; human players so readily ruining everyone's fun. Like choosing vanilla flavored ice cream and then harassing others for picking pistachio.
And it was all the more annoying that it actually worked out for them. Whenever he made any progress as an overlord some higher leveled bastard would come along and kill him, immediately getting rid of whatever levels he had gained.
In the end the salary man caved in and picked another race, which- much to his chagrin- ended up getting him further than he had ever gone before. But with an angel's natural disposition towards light... His dream of being a necromancer seemed unattainable at the moment.
'Seriously... Is good sportsmanship just not a thing anymore? Mayb-'
The low leveled player was forcefully snapped out of his thoughts by an attack that came barrelling into him from behind- eating up a third of his HP. No pain could be felt (obviously), but the DVR set sent him uncomfortable sensations down his back to make it clear that he had taken damage. Surprise attacks such as these would be easy to avoid if he had the appropriate skills or spells.
Which in his low level wasn't the case.
The disgruntled angel whipped around to face his attackers- who revealed themselves to be a group of three amalgams- strange wolf-like creatures twisted into the general shape of a biped. One of them were a higher than him, which really shouldn't surprise him at this point. Among this troupe of bipedal wolves the strongest was a "Amalgam Alpha", sitting comfortably at level 18, nearly twice Suzuki's current level.
That one had struck the salary man with a bolas (which funnily enough didn't immobilize him).
'OI OI OI~! WHY IS THERE A LEVEL 18 ENEMY IN THE STARTING AREA?! Did those devs even think to-! ...Actually, knowing them they would totally put high leveled enemies in an early game area to mess with their player base.'
"Ugh-!" Suzuki groaned in frustration at both the sadistic developers and the antagonistic force that had taken him by surprise.
With a characteristic warble, the attackers closed in. After having thrown their only ranged alternative, the only option that remained for the mob was to move closer and bash the player's skull in. In response, the newbie got into a combat stance, readying up a spell with the menu. He didn't want to die, not now. Losing levels, again. Losing equipment, again. Getting riled up over a game, again!
He let loose two [Magic Missiles] with a single cast before readying up a 2nd-Tier [Holy Bolt]. They were all higher level than what he was- meaning it was a good idea to focus down a single one of them first. Suzuki cursed the devs for the umpteenth time- this time for not allowing him to fly until an appropriately high level despite having wings. Suzuki tapped [Lesser Rejection] in his menu of spells in preparation.
Magic missiles could not miss- and as such they struck the target amalgam without fail. The wolf played the often used stagger-animation, which pinned it in place long enough for the [Holy Bolt] to strike it right in the chest. With a death cry the now dead amalgam dissolved into a bright cloud of dust, leaving behind only a small data crystal.
The other two had made it in close now. But the newbie turned his open palm towards the Amalgam Alpha who was winding up a swing. The result was obvious, as air around the attacker warped- forcefully moving the amalgam backwards, out of range.
That was the spell [Lesser Rejection]'s singular purpose. To grant the user some breathing room. Simply pushing away close attackers without bringing them harm. It wasn't without flaws, shortcomings and faults, having plenty of weaknesses to exploit. It was just that the amalgam couldn't do that with its basic A.I and limited moveset.
But in remaining still to use a spell, the other, weaker amalgam managed a hit on the angel. Momonga started, gritting his teeth, though it did not show on his blank-faced avatar.
'...No movement spells yet.'
He tried to step back, out of the way of an incoming club-attack but didn't quite manage it. Another groan escaped the newbie as he witnessed his HP drop below half. There was not a whole lot he could do. Not with this currently limited arsenal of spells. So Suzuki did the one thing that made sense- charging up another offensive move.
Yet another [Holy Bolt]. In the end, the angel managed to fire it, killing the weaker amalgam in one hit- a feat likely made possible by his new equipment. But he had gotten struck one more time in the short frame it took to navigate the menu.
'Alright, just one lef-'
The Amalgam Alpha roared, initiating a form of berserker rage after their comrades had perished.
'Oh no.'
What did he have in this situation? Suzuki was a little bit above a third of his HP, and the Amalgam Alpha was probably strong enough to one-shot him at this point. He stared at the rapidly approaching enemy with a mind now moving at blinding speeds to find a good solution.
[Acid Arrow], [Holy Bolt], [Magic Missile], [Whip of Immolation] and [Spectral Bite] were the only viable offensive maneuvers he could pull, as the salary man lacked a vanguard or any distractions to charge up a different spell.
The opponent had been boosted enough to resist [Lesser Rejection] and he was all out of charges for his angel-summoning racial skill.
One last ditch effort was made, as he threw an [Acid Arrow] and [Magic Missile] towards the charging amalgam. Being under the effect of some sort of enraged state, it payed the damage no heed, continuing onwards with murderous intent. Or at least as much murderous intent an NPC could muster.
The new player tensed, preparing for yet another untimely death. He wasn't entirely sure whether or not he was happy that the one to kill him wasn't a PK:er this time. Either way he'd be set back again. In which case he would just have to put Yggdrasil down for a while or just give it up entirely.
That much-anticipated fatal blow never came. Instead the Amalgam Alpha just disintegrated as mobs tended to do when defeated. A wide, glowing gash was seared into the ground where the enemy once stood.
"-Eh?" The near-dead angel couldn't help but vocalize his confusion. He was about to look around for answers but was promptly cut off by...
"REST ASSURED~!" ... An exceptionally operatic cheer. "JUSTICE. HAS. ARRIVED!" Momonga quickly turned around to face this new interloper, his distaste for being caught off-guard again being overshadowed by his unadulterated bafflement.
As if waiting for the angel to turn around, the figure- a grandiose humanoid in equally threatening silver armor- swiftly struck a pose with an almost frenzied level of zeal. And then a flashbang went off. Well, not quite. Suzuki just felt as if he stared into one, and stiffened considerably.
The armored madman was now enveloped in a shower of particles ranging from golden motes to confetti- the kanji for "Righteousness" having sprung into existence behind the flamboyantly posing paladin of silver.
Things very quickly got awkwardly quiet as the two proceeded to stare at each other. The armored man merely seemed curious (if not a little sheepish), whereas Suzuki's brain was working overtime to determine the motives of this newcomer.
'He looks... Really holy, with that silver armor and red cape (or is it a scarf?). A paladin, then? A powerful one too. Gotta be careful. Maybe he will be friendly since he's a paladin and I'm an angel.'
"So... A little too much?" The still-posing man wondered out loud in a tone reflecting equal parts excitement and equal parts hesitation. A 'sceptical'-emote appeared in a deep orange speech bubble above his head. Momonga kept staring gormlessly at the warrior until he realized that he was expected to reply.
"Ah- er... No. Not at all, um..." The salary man tore his eyes off the silver paladin to look at the name-tag hovering above the player. "Touch-Me-san...?"
"Ehhh~? Really?" The paladin asked impishly. "I figured Takemikazuchi-san was right judging by your reaction, Momonga-san. ...Unless you were just really impressed." He joked a little, assuming a more natural posture that reflected relaxed confidence as opposed to the Super Sentai stance he was in mere moments ago. It was strange, how a stranger could appear so trustworthy to the wary angel.
"Yes, it was cool." Suzuki worked up his nerve a little, standing up straighter. "But, uh... Touch-Me-san, I'm sorry to say, but I have nothing to pay you back with." He explained, sending the paladin a :‑(. Touch-Me stared at the salary man for a few moments, causing the latter to fear being suddenly attacked by a higher levelled player.
The silver warrior's laughter shattered the perceived tension like a hurled rock would a window. "No no, you misunderstand! I just wanted to help." He explained, sounding quite amused by the salary man's confusion. No emotion made it onto Momonga's avatar's blank face but the body language told the paladin everything he needed to know. Suzuki was incredulous to say the least.
"...To help others in need is common sense." Touch-Me further elaborated, suddenly seeming solemn and serious. A fairly jarring contrast to his previously sprightly disposition.
"Um..." Momonga managed to mumble.
"Ah, sorry. Just a personal mantra of mine." The paladin of silver spelled out for the salary man. Noticing the quiet nature the angel he went on to banter a bit. "Oh come now, Momonga-san, you're not so jaded that you believe simple altruism to be beyond the playerbase did you?"
"Uh, guess not. But thank you, Touch-Me-san. I haven't had such a good experience with other players. ...It's really nice to have met you, though." Momonga spoke with a slight stutter, driving the point home by giving the self-assured warrior a polite bow, as was customary. He was far more eager to speak since this was the first properly friendly face he had run into in this game.
The paladin seemed slightly surprised by the salary man's admittance, crossing his arms upon hearing it. A low, contemplative hum came from the mighty warrior. "...Haven't had a good experience..." He repeated quietly, to which Momonga could give only an affirmative nod.
A helmeted head looked the angel from head to toe and Suzuki really felt as if he was under heavy scrutiny. "If you don't mind me saying... You don't much look like the type to run into that much trouble. At least not because of players." Touch-Me commented, gesturing towards the salary man's blank face. Suzuki sent a 'smile'-emote and shrugged halfheartedly.
"T-that's right." Momonga prodded at his avatar's face. "...I am mostly left alone due to my race and appearance... Though I have heard plenty of horror-stories about slime players getting hunted down by human players."
Touch-Me let out a sound halfway between a sigh and an impatient groan. "Tell me about it. Heteromorphs and their implementation into Yggdrasil has been a point of contention for the longest time now." He made a peculiar movement, massaging his eyes through the well-shined helmet he was wearing. "...Most of the people I'm currently travelling with have had their fair shares of troubles with that."
"Hm. Sorry to hear that, Touch-Me-san." The salary man gave the seasoned player an apologetic nod and his earnest condolences.
"Yeah. Terrible. Yggdrasil is a fantastic game. We should be helping people get into it, not push them away 'cause they wanna play a different race!" The silver paladin preached, growing increasingly more livid with every spoken word. He sighed and pressed the knuckles of a balled up fist against his forehead. "I digress. ...But what about you, Momonga-san? You didn't have a good experience with other people?" The player asked.
Though he didn't sound directly doubtful of the newbie's claims, there was an underlying questioning tone, as if he was trying to ascertain whether or not the man in front of him was lying or exaggerating. Truthfully, it reminded Suzuki of a detective or investigator of some sort. The salary man gave a nervous cough before replying.
"Well... What you have said about non-human discrimination is true. I've sort of experienced it myself." He explained.
"Really? I thought you didn't have any issues due to your avatar?" Touch-Me cupped his chin.
"Yeah. Uh, this avatar." Momonga gestured towards his body. "... I've been at it for hours now, trying to get into the game. My first attempt didn't really click." The warrior's posture relaxed a little, and judging by the body language he looked to be holding the salary man in a different regard upon hearing this. "Originally I played as an undead, aspiring to be a necromancer. It... Didn't work out. Got constantly killed by human players. So I just made this instead."
The silver armored warrior looked at the angel in silence a short while before speaking up again. "Sorry to hear that." Suzuki blinked at the genuinely remorseful tone in the expert-player's voice. "Necromancer, eh... Is that why you picked angel? I guess you'll spec into the 'fallen' sub-race later?"
"That's right, Touch-Me-san." The angel affirmed. "... How did you know...? I thought information like that was valuable?" The silver paladin gave a disinterested shrug.
"Meh. Hardly. There's valuable information that you may have to pay for. But this is pretty basic, and is widely known if you spend some time in the community. Like I ha-" Touch-Me stopped himself and started staring at the angel. "...Did you pay for it?"
Momonga didn't reply. And honestly the silence was more than enough to answer the question. The warrior inelegantly cleared his throat and switched the subject to save the indignant salary man the embarrassment.
"A-anyways... Initially I wasn't going to do this, but after hearing about the... 'Issues' you've had with the playerbase, I think you'll fit right in." Touch-Me paused for dramatic effect- even going as far as to strike a subdued pose and let his red cape flutter in the wind. "...Would you care to join me and a couple of friends?"
"Eh?" Momonga sounded very obviously surprised. "I... I'm not sure I'll fit in too well." He protested weakly.
"Momonga-san. I thought so too at first, with the whole... Appearance ordeal." The paladin gestured towards his own face-area with an open palm, even going as far as to remove his helmet and reveal the head of an insectoid, much to Suzuki's shock. "Though you'll be by far the most 'human looking', I reckon we'll be able to get along very well."
The angel didn't immediately reply. Instead he just stood there, quietly contemplating the offer that has been put on the table.
'There's no harm in accepting the offer, right...? Yggdrasil has a lot of social aspects as well. Having a guild or at the very least allies seems important.' He glanced towards the insectoid warrior. 'Aaah~! I'll actually have to socialize outside of a professional environment!'
"...Momonga-san?"
"Um... Yes. Thank you. I'll be in your care, Touch-Me-san." The salary man gave another polite bow, barely holding back the instinct to present a business card.
"Haha-!" The paladin let loose a round of mirthful laughter before re-equipping his helmet. "Relax a little, Momonga-san. You'll fit right in. Besides, just 'Touch' should be enough. The entire name-tag is a bit of a mouthful." He gestured at the angel to follow along, and moved away from the clearing where the fight had taken place.
"Right. So, Touch-san then?" Suzuki queried.
"Yup yup. That'll do." The expert-player glanced over his shoulder to see if the newbie was still with him. "Currently it's just me and three others. Takemikazuchi-san, Nishikienrai-san and Amonomahitotsu-san." He explained.
"They all sound like nice people."
"Quite so! And... Er... I'd like you to keep an eye on Takemikazuchi-san for me." The warrior grumbled. Momonga blinked at the request. "You strike me as a somewhat cautious player, am I not wrong?"
The newbie gave a reserved laugh. "No, you are correct, Touch-san. But... It's a little bit of a weird request to make. Why would you ask me to?"
"Oh. That moron has a tendency to rush in blindly to prove himself." Touch-Me replied without missing a beat, sounding about as blunt and as subtle as a wooden club to the head. "...Not to mention the other idiot who refuses to use minimaps and detection-skills in favor of his 'senses'." He chuckled. "Though that one will be *my* responsibility."
"Ah... Sounds fun, actually." Suzuki affirmed, getting another brief chortle from the warrior in silver. The insectoid gave a 'heave-ho' and hopped over a fallen tree before pushing forward through the thicket.
"Really, it shouldn't be too difficult. Takemikazuchi-san at least listens to reason. Nishikienrai-san is still stubbornly trying to dodge attacks by weaving his body." Touch-Me sighed.
"...Is that an issue?" Suzuki asked.
"Not really, if you're a warrior that's to be expected. No point in playing a melee class if you don't intend to move." He explained. "The problem is that Nishikienrai-san is a low-leveled glass-cannon still unfamiliar with the game." The paladin sent a 'sweating'-emote.
"Oh." Momonga cringed.
"Couldn't have said it better myself. Even then 'glass-cannon' isn't that accurate. Soap bubble-kitchen knife would be more fitting." Touch-Me deadpanned, getting a quick laugh out of the socially awkward angel. "But honestly...? Seems fun."
"Really? Getting killed in one hit sounds pretty bad to me." Suzuki commented, casting an inquisitive gaze at his new warrior friend.
"Well... Duh. But that's kinda the fun part of being a warrior. To dodge, weave and parry!" Touch-Me stopped in his tracks and did a quick boxing shuffle before continuing on. "...That's why I couldn't imagine being a spellcaster. ...Too many menus."
"Yeah. I guess the last part is true." The newbie admitted somewhat hesitantly. "Not going to give that up though." He added.
"Respectable." The paladin noted. "...If you ever change your mind, feel free to ask. I'm not a bad melee combatant myself." He claimed, severely downplaying his own skill.
"...Alright. Touch-san, then what do you have to say about melee combat?" Suzuki asked with a 'smile'-emote, intending to humor his new ally- who quickly sent a laugh emote back.
"Heh! PvE and PvP as a warrior is a lot like dancing." He clarified, sounding not a little amused. "Kinda like... Tango."
"Tango...?"
"Precisely!" Touch-Me sounded almost like a teacher being proud over a particularly sharp student. "Step in, step back... Twirl around. As stated, kinda like tango... Except in combat, someone dies at the end." The two of them snickered at the absurdity of the comparison, before the paladin slipped into deep thought again- as if remembering something.
"Hmm. ...Actually, scratch that. Melee combat is exactly like tango."
x=x=X=x=x
Unbelievable.
Over a decade later and every detail of that line has still stuck with Ainz as if branded into the back of his mind. Whether it was Touch-Me's 'thinking pose' or the distant way he had said such a humorous thing. It was all well and good, but certainly not the advice the Supreme Being had wanted when thinking of tips and tricks for playing as a warrior. Right now he was meant to be a confident fighter.
Momon's armored hand was still over his shoulder, tightly gripping the hilt of an overly large sword of obsidian coloration (not unlike his armor). As the powerful warrior tensed as his steel-plated glove creaked under the pressure. Right then and there he felt the weight of the blade, suddenly feeling unsure of his ability to wield it in real life or death combat. And he was not entirely confident that a certain silver paladin's "tango" advice would help in a fight to the death.
"Momon-san." A disinterested voice came from behind him. It was Shizu- now masquerading as Shizuka- having dressed the part as a well-prepared adventurer. Her voice was sobering, and the armored angel let go of his worries for long enough to release the death grip he had on the sword. "Is there something wrong?" She asked in a tone that sounded oddly concerned despite the distinct lack of emotion.
"Mm. It's nothing." He dismissed her question with a voice that betrayed none of the weakness he was feeling. ...Bringing Shizu seemed to be the right choice. She was neither overbearing nor inattentive. Besides, after Ainz asked her to refer to him as 'Momon', she just said something along the lines of 'registering new name', and played along perfectly. Though he failed to iron out the '-san' suffix, as the automaton seemed to be programmed to be polite.
The fallen angel sighed, both excitedly anticipating and dreading a confrontation. A battle in which he isn't allowed to use magic might go sideways quick, and it was only now that he was fully decked out that he felt doubtful of his ability to fight in close combat. Any advice he had gotten would be useless regardless- as the angel has employed spells like [Perfect Warrior] and [Flexible Purpose] before. The crux of the matter was simply that in-game skill didn't necessarily translate into real combat prowess.
'Yet I was able to dismantle an entire task force of elite spellcasters despite never having cast a spell IRL.' A thought that allowed him to temporarily set aside his self-doubt. Who knows? Maybe the ability to fight in close quarters will naturally come to him when the time is right- just like knowledge about how to cast spells.
He excused himself as he pushed through a small crowd, drawing some attention to himself. Many turned to look. Some with eyes wide with awe. Others with eyes wide with fear. The warrior's sharp ears could pick up on dissonant whispers from the crowd, ranging from cynical or paranoid comments to cautious observations.
All eyes seemed to belong to a wide variety of people. From well-groomed merchants avariciously eyeing his armor to street urchins looking on in awe, it seemed as if he garnered a fair bit of interest. Ainz listened in a little.
"...Dark warrior-!"
"-another one of the queen's dogs, out to take-"
"I wonder how much that armor costs... Maybe it isn't adamantine, but..."
"-Mommy is dat a avensurer? Like... Like Cris... Crus- cis- Crys-tal Tear...?"
"-who's the little one...? What happened to her eye?"
"-kinda cute girl, a daughter or little sister maybe-?"
It's to be expected. Nothing of importance. As such, Momon tuned it out.
Step.
Step.
The soon-to-be adventurer's rhythmic walking coupled with the faint clinking of metal cut through the din. It was the sound of heavy armor against a broken and uneven cobblestone road- one was of poorer quality and older make than the fallen angel would care to assess. But that didn't matter now. He was here.
Rhakyuu-Iéll.
North-eastern most city in the Dragon Kingdom, within spitting distance of the Baharuth Empire.
The city appeared to be one of military significance- though its position was better suited towards fighting off human invaders hailing from Baharuth rather than the beastman scourge eating the nation alive from the south. With tall stone walls and a meagre guard-force patrolling it, the city appeared quite well defended at first glance.
Once a traveler were to enter the walls of Rhakyuu-Iéll, they would be met with a veritable maze of stone roads and back alleyways. Tall, baroque buildings with an almost gothic architecture served as cliff-faces to the low valleys that made up the city's many boulevards and main streets.
Whether it was the unpaved dirt roads of the slums where the buildings were decorated with awnings of torn cloth and scented with the pungent aroma of excrement- or the fine districts with stone statues and well-maintained avenues where every flagstone was intricately carved, the entire walled city gave the distinct feeling of being lived in.
Though it was uncertain if the hustle and bustle was good or not.
The everlasting war with the demi-humans had evidently taken its toll- and despite seeming well-defended on the surface, it was clearly obvious that they lacked the manpower needed to guard such a large town. Ainz could have sworn he saw a shopkeep bribing a corrupt guard in broad daylight, without anybody else seeming to pay them any heed.
After all- Momon and Shizuka had made it into the city without any trouble whatsoever. Just a toll and a quick inspection of what they were carrying. Merchants and other unarmed visitors had an even more lax check, if even that.
On top of it all, unrest was brewing just out of sight. People were nervous. Afraid, even. There was a glint of uncertainty in the eyes of nearly every passerby the Supreme Being had taken a closer look at.
All in all, it felt... Unusually quiet. Not that there wasn't any noise. No, quite the opposite. One could still hear the cheers and heated conversations from whatever eatery or bar that was nearby. The market square was packed with colorful stalls while the droning sound of gossip and haggling never faded. Occasionally, cheery and upbeat music could be heard echoing in the distance, songs of triumph played on a lute and accentuated by woodwind instruments and tambourines.
Perhaps a more accurate observation would be to say that everybody was tense. Who knew whether or not they would be able to eat tomorrow? Whether or not they would make it through the winter? Whether or not any of the surrounding nations would lend more of the aid that they desperately needed? 'Bleak' may be an understatement, and so too did the heavy, overcast sky seem to take after the mood of the local populace.
Everything they saw further fuelled this sense of desperation. From poverty to the town criers. An example being the crowd of people gathering around a raised wooden platform awaiting news about the war.
"HEAR YE, HEAR YE! AS THE NOBLE FIGHT AGAINST THE FOUL BEASTMAN HORDES DRAGS ON INTO YET ANOTHER WINTER, HER MAJESTY QUEEN DRAUDILLON ORICULUS HAS DECLARED THAT ALL ABLE-BODIED SECONDBORNS OF EVERY HOUSE IS TO BE DRAFTED TO STAVE OFF THIS SCOURGE AS TO DEFEAT IT ONCE AND FOR ALL-!"
A robed man stood upon this make-shift stage, now sharing whatever new orders that have been issued by the queen. Discontent and fearful whispers could be heard from the crowd below before someone shattered the relative quiet.
"How dare you? HOW DARE YOU?!" A middle-aged man roared, rushing up the stairs onto the stage in spite of the heavy limp in his leg. "Everything-! YOU WANT EVERYTHING AND THEN MORE THAN THAT-!" Feeble and paper thin as the old man was, he latched onto the lavishly clad town-crier and started shaking him. "EVEN NOW IT ISN'T ENOUGH!"
The guards moved into action, grabbing the offender by the arms and forcefully relocating him off the raised platform. The victim seemed quite perturbed but otherwise unharmed.
"MY SON-! Give me back my son...!" The middle-aged man screeching broke down into choked sobs as he was dragged off. An uncomfortable stillness quickly took hold. The man may have spoken the minds of everybody present, but it didn't change the fact that they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Screaming wouldn't change that a ravenous beastman horde was breathing down their neck.
Ainz looked on, feeling a pang of sympathy for the father. So too did Shizu seem to frown, shockingly enough.
'Secondborn. ...Either they are also drafting nobles, in which case secondborn would make sense. It would not deprive a noble house of their heir. ...Unless they've already drafted the firstborns.
This... I can change this. Eventually... I'll have a chat with Demiurge and Albedo. See what they have to say about the Draconic Kingdom.
The situation appears worse and worse the closer I look. This is the city the furthest away from the fighting. And yet the nation is only barely being held together at the seams by other countries.'
The Supreme Being shook his head with a grimace before continuing on the main avenue with Shizu following closely behind. It was terrible, sure. But until proper plans had been made, nothing could be done. So he instead deigned to do the best to help in the little ways- as an adventurer, maybe.
In spite of it all- Momon was still happy to be here, with 'Shizuka' in tow no less.
The foul smell that permeated the air within the less luxurious districts didn't bother the dark warrior in the slightest, despite him needing to crinkle his nose every so often. A poorly constructed road of uneven stone- even if uncomfortable to walk on- was still part of the fun.
Sure, it could be quite strange to once again walk as though he was a natural part of the crowd. But much to Ainz's own surprise he took it in his stride without feeling too out of place among humans, even if he was from another world and in the body of another species. And in case Shizu felt at all uncomfortable with the prospect of blending in with such a densely populated swathes of people, the automaton made no mention of it.
At this point, nothing could stop the dark warrior as he meandered towards his destination. ...Except the fact that he had no idea of where he was headed.
'Part of the fun of exploration. There's a reason Yggdrasil never used quest-markers or waypoints. So... Asking for directions may be a good move.'
Momon turned his head to look around the well-worn street, acquiring a target. One particular individual stood out as a good choice. By a horse-drawn wagon loaded with barrels stood a foreman of sorts, overseeing his men carrying the barrels o' booze into a nearby bar. Someone transporting deliveries should have a pretty good idea of the layout of Rhakyuu Iéll, he figured. With that idea in mind, Momon approached the worker.
"Oi, lazy bum-! My bedridden nan can lift a better barrel than ya'!" The foreman jokingly shouted at one of his compatriots, earning a round of chuckles from the barrel-hauling group. He was pretty casually clad, wearing unremarkable brown pants and a moth-eaten beige shirt. The worker's bald head was waxed enough to reflect enough light to serve as a blinding spell in its own right.
"Pardon me." Momon spoke up, drawing the attention of the subject in question, who proceeded to turn around with an amiable smile. That smile was very quickly replaced with a mask of shock and horror upon seeing the speaker.
There were many adjectives to describe Ainz's current getup. "Soothing" and "friendly" was not among them. Even when covered it was obvious that the Supreme Being had an almost viciously toned body behind that form-fitting heavy armor. This in tandem with dark colors, expertly crafted weapons and an undeniable presence lent the warrior an almost suffocating feel.
Sure- when Ainz first donned this set of armor during his first day in the Tomb it was a little different. He didn't take into consideration that hiding his angelic features resulted in his form growing smaller. As a direct result he had to streamline the armor a bit, removing the exaggerated pauldrons among other changes.
The end result was a lighter look that appeared faster and more spry at the cost of seeming lumbering or big like the old suit. A good word to describe it would be 'sharp', even if the armor didn't have any spikes or cutting edges. With the flowing red cape draped over his left shoulder and fully covering his arm, Momon looked like some sort of royal guard or elite soldier.
One thing was for certain: anybody who claimed that this warrior was anything less than 'intimidating' didn't have properly functioning eyes.
"Wha-? H-how can I help you... Sir-?" The foreman stuttered a bit before regaining composure, suddenly sounding a lot more proper. It was quite strange. The worker was a giant of a man, perfectly built to carry barrels over his shoulders. Yet despite being confined to his smaller human form, Ainz seemed far more dangerous relative to his towering conversational partner.
"Oh please. No need for formalities." The dark warrior almost sounded a little desperate, as he wanted to get away from the overbearing etiquette that was so indicative of Nazarick's culture. "Just call me Momon." He spoke politely, placing an armored hand against his chestplate in a showing of good faith. The worker eyed him up and down before allowing his shoulders to sag.
"R-right." He affirmed and nodded. "... Momon. The name's Jannian, but the buffoons over 'ere call me Janni." The worker explained, figuring that it was only right to introduce yourself if the other party had done the same. So too did he carefully stick out a large hand, which the armored warrior shook without hesitation. "... So how can I help?" Jannian spoke after a brief pause.
"I was looking for the adventurer's guild, actually." Ainz explained. The foreman's eyes seemed to widen at the revelation.
"Oh-? You wouldn't be submitting a request now, would you?" He asked, sounding a bit more at ease.
"... No." Momon denied, wondering how Jannian had come to that conclusion. "I'm here to join the guild, actually."
"Ah! Lovely!" The worker cheered with a wide grin, his previous cautiousness gone with the wind. "It's good ta' see that The Loser's Club gets a competent new member~!" The fallen angel's face contorted into a befuddled frown while Shizu let out a subdued 'Uwaah' upon hearing Jannian's declaration. Before he got a chance to ask, the foreman spoke up again. "Really, ya' struck me as one of Her Highness' personal guard at first..."
"And why is that, exactly?"
"Oh, but all of those hotshots get their own custom armor. ...It's just... With the way you were walkin' and talkin', I just assumed..." The worker trailed off and Momon gave a sigh.
"I am flattered that I left such an impression on you, Janni." The dark warrior grunted.
"No worries, Momma!" Jannian chirped in a voice too bright for such a gargantuan man, leaving the angel uncertain as to whether or not the mistake was intentional.
"Momon." Ainz corrected with a slightly twitchy smile that was obscured by the helmet.
"Right-o, Momon." The worker corrected himself before pointing towards another wide dirt road that split from the main avenue. "Over yonder lies the adventurer's guild. Just go on down that path and ya' can't miss it. Big ol' building. The only one with windows, actually." The Supreme Being turned to look at the way the worker pointed.
"Ay, Janni-" A barrel-carrying worker interjected.
"Buzz off, chuff. If you drop another barrel I'm docking your pay." Janni interrupted the other worker with good-natured insult before said employee shrugged and walked off with a laugh. The 'boss' returned his focus towards Momon, who looked on in what appeared to be amusement.
Jannian gave yet another chuckle. "-I deliver my booze to the adventurer's guild twice or thrice a week. It's a wonder of the Four Divines that The Loser's Club gets any work done while simultaneously drinkin' themselves under the table." Ainz also gave a brief chortle at the comment. "If you join... Well. We will be meeting a lot, then-!" He claimed before giving a deep belly laugh, getting a genuine smile out of Ainz.
"Speaking of which, why do you refer to the adventurer's guild as 'The Loser's Club'?" The angel wondered, resulting in the muscular giant giving him another smirk.
"See? Now I know yer' new!" Jannian gave pause, scratching his bearded face with a meaty hand before rummaging through a belt-pouch to fetch something. "...Where is it...? Ah-ha!" What the worker fished out was a copper plate attached to a leather band. "Tis' a secondary job, ya' see, I'm a bit of a Loser's Club member myself." He said with a proud grin, jabbing a thumb at his chest.
"Interesting." Momon mumbled. "... Would it be safe to assume that this 'Loser's Club' name is some sort of inside joke?"
"Not wrong." Jannian shrugged. "But honestly? The lads will never let me hear the end of it if I spoil the surprise. If you're really joining it won't be long before ya' know. And even if the name is a bit... Dumb, most people still wear it with pride."
"... I see." Ainz grumbled with one hand cupping his armored chin. "Is it common for guilds to be so... Tightly knit?"
"Probably not. But I like it the way it is." He admitted. "It's a matter o'... Circumstance...? I think the word was? Everybody doin' their part in a way. So it's real nice." Momon nodded.
"Very well. If that's the case, then I shall be taking my leave. With a little luck we should be able to meet again in the adventurer's guild, Janni." The dark warrior declared.
"A-yep. I'll be seein' ya' there, Momon." The large man gave a wave as the pair walked off in the direction he pointed. "Oi-! I look away for a hot minute and you lazy bums are already buggering about the bar-!"
"Shizu...ka. Shizuka." The warrior called.
"Yes, Momon-san." She replied with a nod. "Shall we depart towards the guild, then? Proper directions have been acquired." Ainz grunted an affirmation as he turned down the significantly less developed dirt-road.
"Curious place, this Rhakyuu-Iéll." The angel monologued.
It was its own enclosed ecosystem of sorts.
A place akin to a living, breathing organism with countless nooks and crannies that the angel couldn't possibly discover in one day.
...But right now, to a stressed out Supreme Being...?
This place is a sanctuary away from the world- wrapped in walls of stone and delivered to him on a silver platter... With all of its faults and dirty failings made bare. A new experience, to bewilder and surprise him. Truly, Ainz wasn't aware that was something he wanted.
"Despite all of its oddities and the run-down conditions, it has a certain charm." He mused, allowing a satisfied grin to make an appearance beneath his visor.
"...What do you say, Shiz-" His eyes nearly bugged out of his skull upon seeing his automaton companion clutching a wildly flailing stray cat to her chest.
"I like it." The Pleiade stated simply. Though it was unclear whether or not she was answering his question or talking about the tabby furball who was fruitlessly clawing at her leather armor. Momon just stared at her in silence a short while, and Shizu began staring back. The first one to break was the angel, who averted his eyes with a sigh.
"...Whatever. Make sure to loosen up your grip a little." He ordered in a resigned tone.
"If I do that it'll run away." Even if there wasn't any emotion in her voice, Ainz could clearly feel her pout.
"If you don't do that it'll die." The fallen angel explained drily, regarding the idea of a cat going 'snap' as significantly less entertaining than a certain butler penguin doing the same. His warning worked, and the automaton loosened her grip with a wide eye. Shockingly enough the cat didn't immediately run away. Though the Supreme Being suspected that it might be because the battle-maid had knocked it out with the stranglehold she called a hug.
With a shake of the head, he redoubled his attention elsewhere, looking for the adventurer's guild building. The dirt path had turned muddy, with deep grooves resembling anything from boot-prints to wagon wheels dotting the road. So too have the building begun to change from what vaguely resembled a mix between medieval and Victorian era architecture to something less stylish and more efficient. A choice that made sense for blacksmiths and similar locales.
"...There it is." Momon nearly whispered, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice.
It was actually a large building. And unlike the other more run-down structures with wooden shutters, this place actually had windows. But the most telling were the many armed figures entering or leaving.
"Mm... Momon-san, do you think they allow cats?" The automaton asked, snapping him out of his reverie.
"I... Huh?" The dark warrior whipped around to see Shizu holding up the floppy cat, which (thankfully) seemed unharmed if not slightly discombobulated. Ainz just pressed an open hand against his helmeted face. "... You and I are about to find out regardless. So hold on to that thought."
"...Yes." The pleiade said quietly, a faint smile working its way onto her face as she followed the Supreme Being into the adventurer's guild.
A/N) HAHAHA~! MORE BUILD UP! NO ESCAPE! HAHAA! ...Okay, but seriously, you'll get some action soon enough. This was mostly a world building chapter.
For the record, I am seriously going to have to take some liberties with how I write combat later. Overlord fight scenes are all well and good, but I am not confident in my ability to emulate the way higher-level combat is written. Especially with custom spells and abilities.
Writing ONE-SIDED STOMPS are easy, and good fun. But actual fighting...? Sheesh.
... What else...? Oh yeah.
Plot divergence.
I am relatively confident in my ability to do something with pre-established characters and locations, but making up my own stuff? Well, I am somewhat inexperienced.
So what do you think about the way I portrayed the city in the Draconic Kingdom, Rhakyuu-Iéll? Hopefully I managed to make it 'pop' so to speak.
Also, you can ignore Jannian. He's there to flesh out the world and city. Might come back once or twice whenever the Rhakyee-Iéll adventurer's guild is relevant, but no more than that.
"Alrighty kids, say hi to uncle Jannian. He'll be here on alternating Tuesdays."
The... Um. OCs of the adventurer's guild will be the real meat and potatoes of this particular arc. Though I wouldn't put them above Swords of Darkness in terms of importance.
Once again, they're there to make the world seem alive.
