Chapter 10 - Cherry Stem

Rhakyuu Iéll's guildhall- though not as bustling or as big as one would expect based on outside impressions- was still in line with what a certain warrior in black steel had imagined. Whether it was the more formal front desk where formal business could be conducted, or the restaurant/bar hybrid around the corner from whence the sound of humorous conversation came, the adventurer's guild was the spitting image of what Suzuki had seen or read about in fiction.

Not to mention the overall atmosphere that Momonga likely would call 'cozy'. From the myriad of polished wooden surfaces to the way everything was basked in a soft orange glow emitted by magical chandeliers, there was no better word for it. The stone-tiled floor seemed oddly warm- even if it was replaced by smooth wooden planks further in. All in all, with the monotonous, gray day that could be glimpsed outside the windows, the adventurer's guild felt like a fireplace-heated cabin in a rough snowstorm.

It was remarkable how this place felt separated from the rather downtrodden city it found itself in. An almost unnaturally upbeat locale where seemingly nothing was wrong. Where the patrons cheered, cussed laughed and cried without so much as a noticeable concern, the sound of their banter laying thick in air along with the smell of cheap food and even cheaper spirits.

... Ainz Ooal Gown was not in that same carefree mood.

Upon trying to sign himself and Shizuka up as adventurers, the Supreme angel realized that he had a problem on his hands. He had not taken everything into consideration, as this world did not use Japanese writing like it did with the spoken language. ...In other words, he was currently illiterate unless he used some form of special equipment.

Of course that had remained an issue for about as long as it took for the fallen angel to excuse himself and run off to equip an enchanted pair of glasses beneath his helmet's visor. Even if he felt somewhat silly wearing a pair of normal-looking spectacles beneath the menacing helmet.

From then on, signing up as a prim and proper adventurer had been a cinch as they hadn't needed to write anything more than a signature. Though the receptionist had given them a weird look. Presumably for using an unfamiliar written language.

'I sincerely hope that Sebas and Yuri possess their own pair of enchanted glasses or monocles.

...Speaking of which, shouldn't there have been something in Demiurge's many many reports about the writing in this world...? Though I suppose my skimming could be blamed for that. ...But knowing him it wouldn't surprise me if the language issue didn't take up more than a single paragraph, as the majority of the space went to describing the current political climate surrounding cattle-rearing laws.

Unless...

Our informants... The Shadow Demons, Doppelgangers and Hanzos... I wonder if they have any language related skills? Maybe they just automatically translate everything without noticing that the written language is so different to our own...?

Or maybe they're just illiterate. Like I am right now.'

The Supreme Being simply stood with arms crossed in front of the mission board, outwardly appearing to read whatever requests were available while in actuality being caught up in his own thoughts. The guild appeared to be in a little bit of a lull-period, as nobody complained that he was hogging the noticeboard.

His automaton companion- lacking the necessary tools to decode the requests- simply stood diligently behind the armored man, still cuddling the feline she had all but scraped off the ground by an alley.

As the two fresh-faced adventurer simply stood there, a great many pair of eyes fell on them. All hailing from a motley crowd of brightly dressed adventurers, from wide-eyed copper-plated newbies to tougher and more experienced veterans. Shizu payed them no heed, still stroking the head of a certain stray she had picked up, occasionally throwing a look her master's way.

While carrying around the grayish cat had drawn a few eyes and sideways glances, not a single person had actually confronted her about it. So too did the stray not bother trying to run away, something a certain fallen angel would have chalked up to 'learned helplessness' had he noticed. Shizu, however, figured that it likely wanted to be tagging along, as she already began dreaming up all sorts of names.

She now carried the seemingly relaxed alley-cat with one arm, using the other to clutch the newly minted copper plate that that now hung from her neck. It was quite strange for her- a unemotive construct- to experience feelings. True, she was designed to not express many of her inward thoughts on her face, but that didn't mean that she didn't feel them.

Though 'feelings' was quite the weird and complex subject for the battle-maid to wrap her head around. She knew happiness, when she got her hands on a Spear Needle from the 6th Floor. She knew sorrow, when her creator Garnet never came back. She knew love, when she spent time bickering with her sisters (even when she didn't show it).

All of these were perfectly normal and well within the Pleiades' capacity. But they were a lot easier to reflect back on rather than deal with in the moment. When Shizu was happy she didn't jump for joy or smile broadly like Solution was known to do, not because she couldn't smile, but because the expression and the feeling weren't as clearly linked in her mind.

To smile naturally was possible, but it was quite distressing that any intentional display of emotion felt insincere, as if she was acting. ...That her 'earnest' way of expressing herself most of the time being so muted didn't help either.

When Yuri had been picked for such an important job, the mechanical Pleiade was proud of her eldest sister. But so too did the little combat-maid wonder why she wasn't picked. It was an illogical train of thought- as none of her other sisters had been picked either. Yet the automaton was left wondering if she seemed untrustworthy.

The Supreme One should only be surrounded by the most eager and zealous servants. How could she possibly match any of them when all of her expressions were either forced or nonexistent? Simply put, she wasn't up to the same Nazarick standard as some of the others.

That realization hurt. And how fitting that she was unable to express her distress without vocally explaining it.

So Shizu instead did what she always did, whether she felt down or over the moon. And that was to grab something soft and fluffy. That 'something' just so happened to be Eclair. Which would quite quickly turn out to be a fantastic choice, as she was entrusted the greatest job an inhabitant of Nazarick could ever dream of.

Once again, her stunted emotional expression came back to bite her. But it didn't matter. Not this time. The small combat-maid was filled by that ever-complicated happiness again, and would certainly have hugged her master had it not incurred a death-penalty courtesy of Albedo and Yuri.

This entire time it had been difficult to sit still. Every so often the automaton could have sworn that a smile, honest and natural as can be, had bloomed on her face despite her muted way of expression.

Shizu carefully clutched the alley cat to her chest with one arm and held the copper plate with the other, as they were the two things preventing her from walking over and wrapping her arms around the Supreme Being's waist.

This fuzzy feeling... It was nice. Even if she couldn't show it without seeming insincere.

Emotions really are weird and complex.

"... Shizuka." Momon spoke, having turned and approached the small mechanical adventurer without her detecting him. "Are you alright?"

"Hm?" The Pleiade hummed. "I am fine. Momon-san." She replied in that all-too-familiar flat tone, to which the dark warrior gave a resigned sigh.

Ainz had taken notice of Shizu's internal turmoil. Upon transferring to such an emotionally loaded form, his sympathetic understanding of others has since increased greatly. Thus far he had subconsciously used it to know when to stop teasing Albedo (lest he be jumped by a needy succubus) and when to push Enri out of her comfort zone. Finally gaining a social understanding that he had been lacking for most of his life turned out to be both a blessing and a curse.

The practicality of such a skill could not be understated, but at the same time it didn't help much with the actual talking. Regardless of someone's mental state, he had to be the one to interact with them. It was something quite infuriating about realizing that someone was troubled while not having the right words to say, or knowing the right thing to do.

-If Ainz had even the slightest inkling of Shizu's worries and misgivings he would have burst out laughing, explaining to the automaton that he could read her like an open book, and that she was plenty expressive already. But without the relevant information the only thing Momon could do was nod.

"Very well." After a brief moments hesitation, the black-armored man gently rested a hand on the automaton's shoulder. Though her face remained neutral as it often was, the fallen angel could feel contentment roll off the construct in waves as she appeared to almost push up against his gauntlet-wearing hand. Funnily enough, the stray cat elicited a similar response to Shizu as the dark warrior scratched its chin with his offhand.

Any looks directed towards the pair of newbie adventurers had softened considerably. Whatever negative impression the intimidating man in black armor had made was lessened by seeing the imposing figure doting over a cute kid while cautiously petting a cat as if afraid to hurt it. It didn't matter if he was the spoiled child of a rich man running around in high quality gear. It didn't matter that he was quite scary for a copper-ranked adventurer. At that moment Momon looked innocent enough.

Innocent enough to actually approach.

"Hey, 'scuse me." A masculine voice, eager yet steady captured Momon's attention. Slowly stepping away from the diminutive maid, the dark warrior turned around to stand face to face with this new arrival.

What met his angelic eyes was a moderately tall, well-built man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. What stood out the most, however, was how his short platinum-blonde hair stood in stark contrast to his sun-kissed and tan skin, not dissimilar to a certain pair of dark-elf twins Ainz knew of.

Judging by the adventurer plate that was wrapped around his exposed upper arm with a cord, he looked to be a gold ranked adventurer.

The Supreme Being in disguise seemed to almost instinctively fix his posture to ensure that he didn't come off as anything less than authoritative. "Greetings. How may I help?" He replied crisply.

"Ah, help?" The man relaxed a bit and cracked a friendly smirk upon noticing that the dark warrior- in spite of his scary appearance- was quite amiable. "If you don't mind, I was just curious..." Amber eyes inspected the armored angel and his short companion, lingering particularly long on a certain cat with a look of befuddlement.

"... I figured that you're not from around here. Are you? ...Being new adventurers and all." He pointed towards the copper plate that Momon wore around his neck.

"I suppose not." The dark warrior confirmed with a nod, adjusting his pose to 'Relaxed Confidence No. 3' as he had practised. "Why do you ask?" The other adventurer gave a nervous laugh and sheepishly scratched at his cheek.

"Oh, well... Rhakyuu-Iéll is kinda the city closest to Baharuth, and not too far from Re-Estize either if one were to cross the Katze Plains. And that's not even mentioning all the little tribes and whatnot to the southeast. Since you aren't from around here, you could probably be from any of these other places, right?" He inquired.

'He's not too dull, it would seem. How did he know we weren't from around here? I haven't even properly spoken to him yet.' The Supreme Being's eyes narrowed behind the black visor, carefully taking in every minute detail of the strange adventurer.

"... Although, if I had to guess... I'd say from the east. Yes. Definitely." This time his voice was a mumble aimed at himself rather than his conversational partners, his eyes seeming to have wandered towards the floor.

'At least he made a mistake there. If not, he would have been quite suspicious. ...Unless the mistake was intentional.'

"Hm. Could you explain how exactly you knew that we weren't from around here?" Ainz questioned. At first the adventurer looked a little spooked, but before long he rested his balled up fists against the side of his hips with a confident smile.

"A few reasons. I reckon I can demonstrate one of them!" The man said, adjusting the slipping longbow that he had slung over his shoulder.

Ainz smiled beneath the helmet, suddenly quite intrigued by the brash newcomer. In truth, it reminded him of a few of the more friendly encounters he had with other Players back in Yggdrasil. "...Demonstrate away." Ordered the dark warrior, to which, the gold ranked adventurer gave an energetic nod.

"Um..." He erred, gesticulating towards the veritable wall of armor that was Ainz.

"Momon." The Supreme Being answered, taking the hint.

"Shizuka." The maid intoned.

"Right! Momon! Shizuka!" He repeated, suddenly sounding quite excited. "...May I?" The adventurer pointed towards the angel's boots this time. The fallen angel just stood staring at the gold ranked adventurer before (barely) pushing out a reply.

"... I am not sure what it is that you want, to be perfectly honest." Ainz answered, suddenly sounding quite unsure.

"Oh, I guess..." The adventurer's brown cheeks flushed a brighter pink color. "-Could I get a sample of the junk stuck to your boots?"

...

'What?'

"Weirdo." Shizuka stated simply, causing the tanned adventurer to make an indignant 'guh' and double over as if punched in the stomach. Before Ainz could scold the maid for being rude, a few dissonant snickers came from a nearby table, as a few guild members overheard the battle-maid's comment.

"-See, even the little one gets it!" One man hollered.

"Stuff a sock in that oily cake-hole!" The flustered adventurer recovered and fired back, resulting in the nearby table erupting into full-on laughter. Ainz merely gave an amused snort before cutting back in, interrupting the man's embarrassment.

"You may have some... Junk stuck to my boots. If you give me your name first." Momon offered. The blushing gold ranker gave a nod and a grin before pointing towards himself.

"Deal! The name's Karatus!" He chirped. Before the Supreme Being even had a chance to register what Karatus had said, the adventurer dove down and reached for a black steel-plated boot. "Lift a foot, please." Though utterly confused and bewildered Momon complied, allowing the gold adventurer to peel off a chunk of mud using his gloved hands.

Ainz really didn't wake up prepared to deal with this today, but at the same time he felt an odd satisfaction with the current situation. One of the reasons he had set out was to avoid having to deal with the fervent worship of his subordinates, and this level of informal eccentricness was in a weird way exactly what he was looking for. The blonde leapt back up onto his feet before starting to dissect the mud ball.

"Man." He exclaimed with a huff. "You, sir, are heavy! Just look how tightly packed this thing is!" Shizu gave the man a subdued frown, though Ainz felt that she was curious rather than actually annoyed. Noticing this, Karatus flubbed with his words and sputtered again. "-Sorry! I meant, your armor is really heavy. Heh~!" He corrected. Momon just held back a bout of laughter at this bizarre floundering.

"No matter. What is it that you are doing?"

"Here, watch." Karatus held out the ball of dirt, allowing both Shizuka and Momon a good view of it.

There were a couple of pebbles and blades of grass in it, all having been caked with mud, compressed under the angel's weight. But what stood out were a few white petals- and a whole (albeit somewhat mangled) flower about the size of a shirt-button. The platinum blonde adventurer grinned and picked out the dirty flower before discarding everything else.

"I didn't know that was there." Shizu added, her green eye looking between the adventurer and the flower he was holding. Ainz scowled, also noticing that this was a rather random thing to do.

"Was it the flower you were after...?" Momon asked, clearly confused. Karatus nodded with a wide smile on his face. "...How exactly did you know that it was there in the first place?"

The gold adventurer patted his chest proudly and leaned against the noticeboard- still inspecting the white flower. "You could consider it a 'Talent' of mine." He replied cryptically, further fanning Ainz's curiosity.

"Talent?"

"I have my secrets." Karatus elaborated with a smug smile.

"As fascinating as this discovery has been, I must inquire what the exact purpose of this whole song and dance was." The dark warrior sighed before crossing his arms again.

"Weee~eell..." The tanned adventurer stepped closer to Momon and his small partner. "This right here, is a Milk Weed, also known as a Corpse-Blossom in some places." He pointed at one of the tiny petals. "Look closely and you should see that every petal has two crests- like jagged, yellowed outcroppings."

Ainz simply stared at the man as if he was cracked. In the end Karatus caved and gave a nervous cough. "Hey, I'm just passionate 'bout these things, you know?" He deflected.

"Mm. That's okay." Shizuka comforted, knowing full well that a few close acquaintances in the Tomb had far stranger interests. The Supreme angel merely grunted, impatiently insinuating that he should hurry up and explain.

Clearing his throat, the oddball continued. "As far as we know, its niche is grassy plains and snowy tundras- in other words, places where there's little to no foliage and the most common plant life is grass or moss. ...Something that fits with both the Katze Plains and the mountainous areas to the east, but nothing in Rhakyuu-Iéll's immediate surroundings."

"In other words, you surmised that I must have crossed either the Katze Plains or a tundra to the east in order to get here before the flower wilted." The fallen angel mumbled, pressing an armored hand against his helmet-obscured chin.

"...Yup. People starting to discover it in Katze Plains is what earned it the name 'Corpse-Blossom'." Karatus continued on. "The leading experts in the field of herbalore like the awesome Bavahr Mannce the Third have theorized that these fascinating flowers are tied to undeath and magic in some way-! Since they only started blooming in Katze when the yearly wars between Baharuth and Re-Estize started!"

"It is also believed that they are so common in the eastern mountains due to the burial rites of the wyvern-tamer's tribes that are so common in-"

"Ahem." Momon interrupted the more-than-enthusiastic monologue by exaggeratedly clearing his throat. Only then did Karatus realize that he had gone on another tirade, seeing how Shizu had developed a sudden interest in the ceiling. Another few laughs came from the nearby table, to which the nature-lover sent a death glare before turning back to the conversation at hand.

"Right... Haha-!" He guffawed nervously, idly scratching the back of his head. "But as I was saying- I still think its more likely that you came from the south-east, since you decided to sign up here in Rhakyuu-Iéll. There are plenty of guild-halls in Re-Estize and in Baharuth, but I'm not sure we have an eastern branch yet."

"...Then again, Rhakyuu-Iéll does have a lower sign up fee..." He mumbled to nobody in particular.

Momon looked at the strange adventurer, a bit surprised by his deductive skills. "... You still haven't explained how you knew all of this before having laid eyes on the flower."

"Uh... Green thumbs?" He asked with a hopeful smile. Ainz shook his head, not content with the answer, but begrudged the man a few secrets nonetheless. "... So, are you two actually from the east then?"

"Does it matter? Knowing something so trivial seems pointless to me." Momon wondered. The last part was a lie, but if they could leave it at that it would be better than outright denying him an answer.

"Oh, it does to me. I need to check if I was right or not." Karatus huffed. "Come on, you just have to confirm or deny it!" The dark warrior scoffed.

"I have my secrets." He drawled, matching the weirdo's previous levels of smug.

"Okay, crap." The gold adventurer face palmed. "... I walked into that one, didn't I?" Ainz just laughed good-naturedly at his new acquaintance's abashment.

With that- the tanned adventurer stuffed the flower into a pouch on his belt and adjusted his get-up. Which was an appealing blend of dark green tones and mellow browns of studded leather. All in all, Ainz would say it was more style than substance, as his exposed arms didn't seem too well suited for combat. Quite frankly, the colorful wreath of interwoven flowers adorning Karatus' left pauldron should have given away his hobby.

Karatus ran one hand through his blonde hair, and fiddled with the belt that strapped a quiver to his back with the other one. "...So. Now that you've signed up. Where are you headed?"

A good question. One that Ainz had not planned a proper answer to. "Such a rush. Why should we be hurrying anywhere?" Momon asked leisurely, inspecting the notice board again- but not giving it nearly his full attention.

"Oh yes. I just figured..." The (presumed) archer spoke quietly, scratching his elbow while also taking a closer look at the available jobs.

"You figure a lot of things. Am I to assume that you can back up this assumption with flora as well?" Momon asked jokingly. Though the warrior's face was obscured, the jovial voice gave away his smile.

"Hah! No, not really. Just a bunch of assumptions." Karatus admitted with a shrug. "You know that this guild has a name, right...?"

"Loser's Club, am I not wrong?" Ainz wondered out loud, simultaneously taking a closer look at a posted job about uprooting a dire-wolf infestation.

"Yes, precisely! The Loser's Cl-" The gold plated adventurer halted halfway through the sentence, turning away from a poster to give his new friend the stink-eye. "Okay. When and how?"

"A little birdy told me."/"Janni." The two newbie adventurers answered at the same time.

"Aw, that drunk sonuva b-!" Karatus interrupted himself with a clap. "So much for me being the one to let you know." He mumbled. "Alrighty. So I guess you know why already?"

"No. The big man didn't say." Shizu answered for Momon.

"Got that part right at the very least." The archer mumbled. "Right. We are currently as far away as possible from the action down south." He explained, to which the other two could only nod. "Pretty much every 'worthwhile' job in the good ole' Draconic Kingdom right now is related to the demi-human war in some way."

He paused only to properly fasten a request to the cork-board. "...Because we're so far away, jobs around these parts- though plentiful and important- lack that oh so precious clout that comes with the war."

Ainz started to put two and two together a little. "...You were dubbed 'The Loser's Club' for being far away from the frontlines?" He asked disbelievingly. Karatus raised his arms slightly in a defusing motion before starting to fiddle with the flowery decor on his shoulder pad.

"That's only half the reason. ...With there being so much action elsewhere, any adventurer worth their salt heads south. ...Or away from the Draconic Kingdom entirely."

"I don't suppose those you described as 'worth their salt' includes copper-plates with an ambition...?" Momon inquired, wondering if that was the reason Karatus had asked where they were going.

"That it does. Mostly just reckless men and women eager to prove themselves, I think. Not that it matters, copper or orichalcum... Pretty much the same thing happens regardless. Right now the only high ranked adventurers are those who for whatever reason didn't want to head into war."

"Is that bad?" The automaton wondered, still scratching the cat which had completely given up on escaping Shizu's grip.

"Terrible, since we got a lack of manpower because of it." The gold-ranked adventurer sighed. "...Even then it was fine, mostly. I'd say that it's understandable that not everyone wants to rush into a war. Though the leader of Crystal Tear, Cerabrate, clearly disagreed. He, uh, made a bit of a snide comment, calling 'the pansies up north' for 'The Loser's Club'." Things got quiet as Ainz took in that information.

"Rumors spread quickly." The Supreme Being noted, seemingly distrusting of the validity of such a statement. Word of mouth may be an unreliable source of information where the story gets worse with every retelling, and the angel felt that it was logical to be critical. Adamantine adventurers may be worshipped as heroes, but not even they would be immune to bad publicity or falsehoods.

After all, he knew only basic things about Crystal Tear, such as the name of their leader. It wouldn't be fantastic to automatically start assuming the worst.

Karatus grimaced as he figured what the dark warrior was getting at. "... I guess it could just be rumors. But with him being a 'hero' and all that... Well. Cerabrate was supposed to hold an inspiring speech before a large audience." The blonde adventurer gave pause, allowing a subtle scowl to show on his face. "...Needless to say, it didn't turn out too heroic."

If the fallen angel wasn't wearing a helmet, the gold-plate would have burst out laughing at his bamboozled expression.

"Cerabrate really said those things in front of a large crowd...?"

"Mhm."

"...He's a grown man."

"Yup."

"... Calling the northern-most guilds that?"

"Indeed."

"And he's the leader of this country's single adamantine ranked party...?"

"The very same."

...

"Oh." Momon mumbled halfheartedly.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Karatus commented in a bitter tone. "...At least his mentality matches up with his preferred age of women, if nothing else." He followed up with a scornful scoff, leaving the dark warrior to ponder the negative implications of the last statement in silence.

Ainz couldn't help but cast a look towards Shizu, suddenly worried that they would cross paths with this individual. ...The very same concern was very quickly drowned out by a prominent and gripping anger, willing the angel into taking action on his own.

'...If we meet. If he so much as gives Shizu a dodgy look...'

"So." The archer interrupted, his voice taking on a very sudden edge. "...We- the pansies up north- wear that name with pride. Because we know damn well that our jobs are important." The Supreme Being gave a brief chuckle.

"An inside joke, then."

"Pretty much." The gold-plate adventurer affirmed and clicked his tongue. "So, knowing all of that... Where will you be going?"

There was a brief pause as the trio stood there in silence.

"Currently? Nowhere, it would seem. Rhakyuu-Iéll appears to be an excellent place to start." Momon's decisive answer clearly amused Karatus enough to make him crack another wry smile.

"Alright. ANOTHER FOR THE CLUB! FOR MOMON AND SHIZUKA! GIVE IT UP-!" The archer shouted at the top of his lungs with a wide grin plastered on his face, raising his fist in the process, much to the bewilderment of Ainz and Shizu. Very quickly the vast majority of adventurers present also raised their fists (or mugs) in celebration, cheering the newbies on and chanting their names.

It was then the angel realized that the people in the guild hadn't lost interest in the time it took for the platinum-blonde man to probe him and Shizuka for information. Perhaps it was the standard at this point to see if new adventurers would be staying.

When the boisterous hurrahs had died down a few still raised their tankards in the newbies' general direction.

"... Curious tradition." The fallen angel commented with a raised eyebrow hidden behind the black visor of his helmet.

"But really fun!" Karatus said with a laugh, resting a hand on his hip. "Don't worry, you two will have a chance soon enough. It happens often." He said, giving both of the copper-plate adventurers a pat on their shoulder.

"Very tiring." The red-gold haired automaton remarked.

"It is, but it's another excuse to drink!" The nature-lover stated with a smirk, crossing his muscular arms. "... But a bit more seriously... Do you two intend to work on your own...? Or would you like to tag along my team a few times?"


x=x=X=x=x


"Seriously, you took that long and didn't get us a job~?" A feminine voice cried out, clearly dissatisfied. The woman who had expressed her discontent was leaning face down over the stained wooden table, her shoulder-length auburn hair now serving as a mop. The fallen angel found it quite impressive for someone to contort like that in restrictive armor.

...Ainz had graciously accepted Karatus' offer, and followed along to the 'bar' section of the adventurer's guild, which the tanned adventurer described as a typical meeting place for the team. Sure enough, there were people drinking and eating on the tables near the reception, though that was more due to wanting to be closer to the action.

Though this particular locale was nothing compared to the bar located in Nazarick, it was far bigger, and had a form of relaxed atmosphere that the Supreme Being found extremely endearing.

And there they were. The team- who the archer had neglected to give the name of- sat in their own booth located in the corner of the bar. With a playful pout the flora-enthusiast had taken a seat by his comrades, but not before graciously moving a pair of chairs from an unoccupied table to the booth for Momon and Shizuka.

"Yes yes. I got something better, I think!" Karatus dismissed her gripes with a roll of the eyes and a wave of a hand, pausing a bit before gesturing towards the pair of copper-ranked adventurers. Upon sitting down, all eyes were on the two high-leveled beings. Just as the team of four regarded the pair, Ainz measured them as well.

First up, the complaining woman with red hair and shoddy-looking plate armor. A physical combatant, not unlike Momon, if her attire and choice of weaponry was anything to go by. She looked at the pair of newcomers with an expression partly friendly, partly incredulous.

"...Okay, I guess this is the cause of the ruckus earlier." The female warrior observed with a toothy grin, her chocolate-colored eyes zeroing in on the plate Shizuka wore around the neck. With high cheekbones and an uncompromising look in her eyes, the heavy armor and bulky frame really did seem to fit her style.

"That seems likely, yes. ...But instead of pointing out the obvious, one should favor greeting them first." The one who spoke was another man. This one with coal-black hair and a patchy beard. Ainz noted that he had an oddly rat-like face- not in the sense that he seemed untrustworthy- but in the more literal sense, as his features were more elongated, narrow and pronounced.

Yet the man's eyes, tired and sunken in as they were, struck the Supreme Being as kind in a weird way.

The wiry adventurer stood up, fully revealing what looked to be heavily modified robes, cut apart and sewn back together into something more practical and combat-focused. One thing was for certain: his clothes (despite being in poor condition) were head and shoulders above those of his team-members in terms of quality. A spellcaster, if the staff leaning against his seat wasn't indication enough.

"Sadly, my fine friend, I have no name I am comfortable with sharing." He noted somberly. The Supreme Being considered that idea, and found it plausible if not a little weird. There were no background-checks in the adventurer's guild. All you had to do was pay the fee and you would be granted access to what was effectively more organized mercenary work. The mystery-man, not noticing the dark warrior with his head in the clouds, pressed on.

"...But until further notice, you can simply refer to me as Bard. Everyone does." The caster explained, a slight smile working its way onto his face. The newly named Bard pressed his left palm against his sternum, and stretched out his right in an effort to politely shake hands with the newcomers.

Momon obliged, standing up and taking the skinny caster's hand in his own, sharing his name as he did. So too did Shizu mimic her master, doing the same when it was her turn. After hearing a few lines from the caster the dark warrior managed to determine what had irked him moments ago. And that was undoubtedly his thick accent, which Ainz had a difficult time pinning down.

When Bard sat back down, he gave the red-head a glare and elbowed the dwarf that was seated in the middle. The latter quickly choked on his ale as he was submerged in his tankard when the caster had taken him by surprise.

"Milla." The red-headed adventurer introduced herself with a nod, still laughing at the dwarf's misfortune. In one quick motion she brought out a platinum adventurer's plate. "Mhm, nice, ain't it?" She asked, fiddling with the ornate plate with a content smile on her face. "Oughta work hard, Momon, 'cause the other two dolts are catching up to me."

"Ahem. Yon." The dwarf followed up, clearing his throat as he did so. Indeed the stubbiest member of the team did live up to Momon's preconceptions of the stout race. From the light-brown, almost red beard that was so intricately braided to the way he had spent most of the conversation staring into the bottom of his metal mug. From the looks of things, he was also a physical attacker, albeit far more lightly armored.

'Either he's a very slow drinker, or that tankard is bottomless.' Ainz noted, seeing how Yon dove right back in to imbibe whatever malt-drink was left.

"Very pleased to meet all of you." The imposing dark warrior stated in a polite manner.

"Mhm." Was the only thing Shizu had to add.

"Oh please, sir Momon." Bard interjected. "The pleasure is all ours. Quite frankly I am positively shocked that you willingly came along after meeting with our resident ranger of all people."

Sounding very clearly offended, the nature-lover retorted with a simple, "Hey!"

"Eh. Big-boss kinda got a point there, Karatus-san yo~." Milla claimed, now leaning her head against a propped up arm in a way that smooshed her cheek flat. "You got some charm to ya' but first impressions ain't exactly your strong suit."

The caster snorted. "Agreed. To call you rough around the edges would be to say that an ogre is somewhat adverse to the idea of bathing." The comparison drew out a couple of smiles and chuckles at the expense of the flustered ranger. "We are in good company with Momon-san and Shizuka-san. So please be on your best behavior."

"Smarmy bugger." The dwarven adventurer grumbled with a teasing smirk, earning an indignant look from the well-mannered adventurer. The two newbies shared a look, somehow simultaneously having turned to look at each other.

"At ease, Momon, Shizuka. You will get used to such bickering eventually, lest your ears wilt like elder-bloom and fall from your head first. HAHA-!" Yon broke out in brash laughter, seeming at odds with his previously reserved demeanor. Though the angel determined that it was likely due to being preoccupied with his drink.

Karatus gasped. "Elder-bloom...! You remembered what I said about elder-blooms!" The tanned adventurer stood up in his seat so fast his knee banged into the table, nearly knocking over the drinks- something Milla didn't much appreciate. The dwarf just leaned back, baring his teeth to display his annoyance.

"Aye." He replied gruffly, wrinkling his nose as he did. "When your arse keeps banging on about flowers or whatever 'tis a bit difficult to avoid having it cling to me like shite to the underside of a horse-hoof." The ranger's good humor immediately evaporated as he sunk back into his seat, mumbling to himself.

"If I must be frank, I am somewhat scared to ask..." Bard changed the course of the conversation, throwing the sole woman the adventurer team (with the exception of the newly arrived Shizu) a glance.

"Alright alright. I gotcha." The red-head grouched, setting aside her wooden mug. The bar appeared to have two types- tankards of metal and mugs of wood, the latter seeming far more well-worn than the former. "Momon?"

"Hm? What is it, Milla?" The warrior clad in black steel asked in an amiable tone, thus far having been content with taking it easy and observing the dynamics of the team. He could- much to his satisfaction- conclude that it did remind him of his friends in a way.

"Are you, like... Shizuka's dad?"

...

Ainz finally burst out laughing, and as wild as his cackling was it sounded oddly pleasing to the members of the adventurer team. Whereas Momon had thrown his head back, letting his mirth be known, the battle-maid stared blankly at Milla before giving her master a furtive glance. At that moment her grip on the cat loosened enough for it to flee.

Her one and only vocalization was an "Ah."

The ranger reached over placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, easy. The chef may be a bit... Rough and tough, but I reckon he has a soft spot for felines. If he feeds it enough, it'll likely stay around."

As the two shared a couple of words, Bard was focused on something else. "...That was not the question I was intending to ask." The rat-like caster sighed. "Their business is their own."

The dwarf shrugged. "Eh. Good question. I was just worried that Momon here was like that ass-backwards wick-boiler Cerabrate." The dark warrior's residual chuckles ceased almost immediately.

"Oh dear. Don't even suggest that." He grimaced behind the visor. "Is it really true that Cerabrate fancies..."

"Yeah."

"Yup."

"Aye."

"It is... Unconfirmed." The noble-esque man contradicted, remaining the sole voice of reason. Though Yon couldn't suppress the eye roll when his friend once again took up the mantle of the devil's advocate.

Ainz just shrugged. "... I am not like Cerabrate." A definitive statement that gave no quarter, earning him an earnest smile from Karatus and Milla. "As for whether or not I am Shizuka's father..."

"Yes. Momon-san is my dad." The automaton's emotionless voice drew the attention of everybody present. Momon especially seemed to turn towards his companion in a laborious manner, so slowly that the adventurer team could hear the imaginary creaking of his armor- as if the dark warrior was a rusted iron golem.

The Supreme Being met the green eyes of his subject. Despite being utterly gobsmacked Shizu's reply wasn't entirely unpleasant, though definitely not the answer he would have given. It helped how the small maid's adoration could be felt clear as day, even if her outward expression remained unchanged.

Shizu did not have a heart. Nor did she know too much about the anatomy of such an organ. But what she did know was that if she did possess such a part, it would currently be racing. The fallen angel whom she adored was a complex case. To disrespect or fail him would be a grievous sin that would be met with severe punishment.

In that regard, the venerated leaders of Nazarick were to be feared and revered- to be treated with the utmost respect and zeal. She had witnessed the glory of the 41 before- of course. Never once did they stop to actually greet her or speak to her. Nor did the Pleiade expect them to. Something like that was only right, for entities so vastly more important to exercise their superiority.

So how come Momonga completely dismissed that notion?

The angel was supreme in the eyes of Shizu- no doubt about that. His very presence was calming, invigorating and reliable as a leader's should be. But so too did the fallen angel exude kindness, as if good will radiated from his form, weaving positivity in the air into tapestry. The man carried an undeniable warmth to him. And though her creator would always be the being she loves the most, Shizuka could not deny that Ainz held a special place in her metaphorical heart that not even Garnet could fill.

Ainz Ooal Gown. Momonga.

The last of the 41 Supreme Beings who remained in Nazarick to lead them.

Perhaps she didn't necessarily see the angel as more of a father than her creator, though she certainly did feel as if the man harbored some form of paternal love towards the entirety of Nazarick. With Milla's question Shizu saw an opportunity and took it, emboldened by the relatively relaxed air that the overlord gave off. And now... She observed. To determine whether or not her bold move had payed off, or if she had overstepped.

Ainz's mind worked overtime to search for a way to amend Shizuka's slip up, but found himself quite liking the title he had been saddled with. "R-right." He stammered before clearing his throat. "I'm not her... Biological father. Though I suppose I could be considered a guardian of sorts."

'Being called dad is strange... But really all the NPCs are strange as well. This isn't that big of a leap, really.' The fallen angel reasoned. Being a father was not something Suzuki Satoru had ever planned, nor was it something the salary man ever considered as part of his future. So he allowed himself this much at the very least, as it'll be the closest he'll have to children of his own*.

The smiles of the adventurer team had softened by a fair bit, with Yon especially looking at the pair with something the Supreme Being would describe as proud satisfaction. Milla's cocky grin had been replaced with a kinder smile as she gave the young battle-maid a quick look. Only the ranger felt a bit skeptical, but decided not to push the issue.

'Huh. I wonder if sir Momon is her adoptive father. It would certainly explain his sudden reaction to being called "dad", assuming Shizuka-san hasn't done it before. ...That's sweet. We are lucky to have had the opportunity to witness such a moment.' Bard thought to himself as he looked at the warrior in black steel nervously trying to scratch the back of his head through the helmet.

The sole dwarf at the table (if one were to discount Shizu's short stature) grinned broadly at Momon. The pair of new arrivals didn't seem nearly as mismatched now that the warrior's stoic exterior had broken apart a little. Yon couldn't help but feel a bit of renewed respect towards the dark warrior upon hearing how he had taken care of Shizuka. ...Though that may have something to do with personal bias.

"Oh, if that's the case..." Milla chirped, having take on a self-assured smirk once more. "Shizuka, can you call me 'big-sis'?"

"Did you do that just so that you could call Momon 'daddy'?" Karatus quipped, drawing loud laughter from Yon. His shit-eating grin disappearing only when the red-head threatened castration with nothing more than an intense look.

The red-gold haired maid looked towards her lord almost pleadingly. "...Allow her to call you that only if you feel comfortable." Was the reply Momon gave, to which Bard nodded and murmured in approval.

"...Really." The childlike maid mumbled before looking up and meeting Milla's brown eyes with her own green ones. "Sorry, Milla. I already have elder sisters." She said politely. Ainz almost facepalmed at how she had slipped up and revealed more personal information.

"Huh. That's fine... But can I call you Shizuka-chan? I think-"

The dwarven adventurer grunted. "Oi lass. Lay off it. She clearly ain't comfortable with your loud-mouthed dawdling." To which the red-head responded with a pout that Yon ignored. "Shizuka is not your sister."

"She does admittedly look reminiscent of Ino though..." The caster pointed out. Milla nodded.

"Kinda, yeah."

"But Shizuka is cuter." Karatus stated, evidently goading his red-headed companion. Momon was almost convinced the armored woman was about to crawl over the table and attempt to tear the ranger's head off with her bare hands before Bard, the well-spoken adventurer, shot her a look.

He sighed loudly. "...Before this entire conversation took a turn- I was about to ask... Momon-san. Are you certain Shizuka-san is old enough for the life of an adventurer...? This is dangerous work, and I'd rather not endanger an adolescent." Bard's steel-gray eyes bore into the dark warrior's visor, his face suddenly very serious. A rather severe juxtaposition when comparing it to the previous carefree mood.

"I have absolute confidence in Shizuka's combat ability." The fallen angel answered curtly without missing a beat. A terse silence followed that claim. It was broken up by the ranger rhythmically drumming the table with his fingers.

"Oh come off it, Bard. You know damn well they wouldn't be here if I didn't have some faith." The tanned adventurer bit out.

"I trust your judgement, and I'd wager that you'd be correct." The caster admitted. "I still needed to make sure."

"Make sure of what, exactly?" Momon inquired.

Yon scoffed, still taking an interest in the bottom of his now empty tankard. "...You are a pair of greenhorns, newbies with copper-plates. We are a gold adventurer team. We even have a mouthy dumbass with a platinum-plate-"

"Hey!"

"- Does that not strike ya as a bit off? Ain't copper-plates supposed to work with iron-plates at most?"

Momon grumbled to himself. "... Fair point. And yet..."

"Karatus has pretty good judgement. And I believe that he made the right choice." Bard interrupted. "We all started from copper. And it is therefore a poor measure of actual combat prowess."

"Are we sure about that?" Milla interjected. "... These two could just be nobles who bought good gear."

'I'm right here.'

"These two aren't nobles." Bard denied, adjusting his robe as he did.

"How do you know that? Does that silver spoon in your mouth act as a third eye?" The platinum-ranked adventurer jeered impishly.

"I am not a noble." The caster hissed, resulting in an eye roll from his conversational partner and a chuckle from a certain dwarf. Karatus awkwardly coughed into his fist before backing up his team leader. It was quite evident that this was a conversation they have had before.

"I'm sure they aren't. I wasn't judging Momon and Shizuka based off of gear alone." The ranger insisted. "...Also, did you start questioning them because you weren't allowed to call her Shizuka-chan?" The red-head merely huffed.

"... Don't care." Yon chuckled. "You'll keep up, wontcha, Momon?"

"Indeed I will." The warrior noted with a nod. "...And so will Shizuka." He chuckled at the sight of the battle-maid proudly puffing out her chest with that same deadpan expression.

"Hey. It'll be your call, captain." The red-head conceded, giving Bard a shrug.

"...If that's the case, then I trust Momon-san and Shizuka-san will have no trouble." The caster affirmed. "Though at this rate, we'll be an all warrior party." He joked, finally lightening up with a smile. The red-head and dwarf sheepishly looked towards the newest warrior in the team.

"... We are a little front-heavy, I must admit." Ainz smirked. "Though I suppose that it is better to be able to dog-pile the enemy rather than having an excess of magic-casters without a vanguard."

"A-yep, agreed. But what role does Shizuka play then?" Milla wondered, pointing a finger towards the eye-patch-wearing adventurer. In response the maid rested an arm on the table- revealing a bulky metal crossbow strapped to it. It wouldn't benefit from all the levels in the gunner-class, and would act as a natural limiter to her power until she was allowed to pull out the magic 50. BMG.

Yon gave a low appreciative whistle. "... That crossbow string is made of steel." He noted, as eyes around the table went wide. Indeed, the string of the crossbow was a metal cable with an insane tensile strength. But to even load the weapon would require an ungodly amount of effort.

"You... Shizuka-san. Are you able to use this thing?" Bard worded the question resting on everybody's mind.

"Mhm." Was the short reply that came, as the little maid proceeded to load the crossbow with one hand, much to the shock and awe of the other adventurers. The crossbow clicked ominously- a sharp metallic creak being emitted as the cable tensed. Yon started swearing under his breath whereas Karatus nearly winced at how easy the small girl made such a herculean task seem easy.

A loud 'twang' rang out before fading into a low hum as Shizu fired the unloaded crossbow, drawing a few eyes towards their corner booth. Needless to say, those present at the table all stared wordlessly at the still vibrating string. For a large crossbow, a soldier would need both hands to effectively arm it. Sure enough, this one was small enough to be strapped to the wrist of a young girl, but with that string such a feat was beyond impressive.

"Momon-san is stronger." Shizu explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"... I need to work on my strength a little." Karatus gulped before swiping Bard's tankard and drinking its contents, not that other man actually minded now that he was preoccupied with figuring out how strong Shizuka was. Milla clicked her tongue and scratched her head.

"So it's agreed then?" Milla wondered. "They'll be joining? At least for now?"

"... Uh. I suppose that is the case. I think the reception will forgive us for scooping up copper-ranks just this once." Bard managed after chasing off his remaining incredulity. "Momon-san. Shizuka-san. Welcome to Cherry Stem."

"Cherry Stem?" Ainz echoed, his face scrunched up in confusion. He had expected something more... Self important or 'edgy'. Like Death Stalkers or Dragon Hunt.

"...Indeed." The noble-esque adventurer nodded, the clear timbre of his voice taking on a hint of pride. "Based off the short story 'To Tie A Knot Upon A Cherry Stem'."

It didn't ring any bells. And it was obvious with how the two newbies stared at him.

"Oh mercy of the Four." Milla mumbled under her breath, a sneer apparent on her face. "... I take back what I said yesterday. The name is waaay more embarrassing when people don't know what you're talking about."

"It's still a good name." Bard snarled.

"It isn't."

"Sure thing."

"Tis' cruel how this life of adventurin' has cost ya' your good taste." Were the replies that came from the team. The well-spoken adventurer just sighed, aggressively rubbing his eyes to vent his mounting frustration.

"Forget it." He spat dismissively, reaching over to give Momon yet another pat on his armored shoulder. "...Welcome to the team. Why don't you and I go choose a job?"


Truth be told, Ainz was somewhat disappointed.

Obviously every single goddamn RPG needed fetch quests and basic missions, such as killing 'x' amount of a certain enemy. But for nearly all of the requests pinned to the board to be just that? It was a bit of a letdown to the Supreme Being in disguise, who had expected actual adventuring from the adventurers guild.

When he hadn't found anything interesting on the noticeboard by the reception, the leader of Cherry Stem had pulled him back to the restaurant/bar area. Apparently the establishment had been refurbished, but the old noticeboard by the bar was left standing and was still being used. Even then, nothing in particular managed to stand out. But at least this board allowed him to see Shizu from where he was standing.

'Goblins... Skeletons... These are just bounties, more or less. Nothing that stands out. There's a lot of jobs, but none of them are all that interesting.'

"Hey, Bard." Momon's clear voice cut through the droning sound of idle conversing in the room, drawing the caster's attention.

The well-spoken adventurer replied without missing a beat. "Yes? Do you have any questions?"

"Do you get a lot of adventurers from other countries here in Rhakyuu-Iéll?" Ainz wanted a bit more information regarding what he and the eccentric ranger had discussed earlier, as it could prove useful later. The robe-wearing adventurer merely hummed, scratching his bearded chin as he did.

"... We do get plenty of visitors from Baharuth. It is the foreign nation closest to this city, so I suppose that isn't all that surprising."

The fallen angel gave a 'hm' of approval. "Yet there are still a myriad of jobs that have yet to be accepted." He stated, gesturing towards the packed cork board.

"Perhaps." Bard offered with a slight grimace. "They are mostly just passing through to get further south. I cannot fault them for this. Why would an adventurer travel to another country outside of their base of operations to take simple requests that pay no more than they would at home?"

"Simple guess- they wouldn't."

"No. So we're left swamped with work." A slight smile made it onto the rat-like magic user's face. "...Although, there have been rumors of the adventurer's guild gathering volunteers to move to the more stricken cities of our kingdom."

"...It'll alleviate some of the problems, I'm sure."

Bard gave a weak nod.

...

He suddenly cleared his throat, seeming uncomfortable discussing the future of his nation. "Find anything interesting, Momon-san?"

"Hardly. We are to accept gold-ranked requests, no? All of these seem somewhat lackluster to me." Ainz deadpanned, fed up with reading about uninteresting jobs. Bard merely chuckled in response.

"Momon, my friend. Aren't you and Shizuka-san still wet behind the ears? Surely it would be better to start slowly for more inexperienced adventurers such as yourself." The caster grinned, obviously teasing the dark warrior- who in turn gave an amused scoff.

"...Inexperienced with adventuring, maybe. Though you shall find that I am able to hold my ground with little problem in an actual fight. So have you found anything interesting?"

Bard beamed. "Indeed I have, Momon-san." He carefully dislodged a piece of paper before handing it over to Momon. "You give that a read. I'll order more drinks for the group while you do." The lanky man waltzed around the angel to order something at the bar.

"Check up on my brother...?" He read out loud, just a smidgen above a whisper.

"Quite mundane, wouldn't you agree?" Bard commented while waiting for the bartender to return from the kitchen in the back. "...This is an amended request, actually."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. The original was iron-ranked. This has since changed." This piqued the Supreme Being's interest. "... I saw it a week back and payed it no heed because of it. The actual request doesn't give too much information, but apparently an iron-adventurer team didn't come back. Just read a bit more."

And so the dark warrior did. The request gave a detailed description of the 'brother'. It would appear that the man's usual monthly visits had ceased three months back. He was supposed to be living in the family's old lumberjack's cabin. The request was simply for a group of adventurers to visit him and determine whether or not he was alive.

"...I fail to understand why that is a problem. Is ths family too busy to simply pass by and visit?"

"Take a look at the location description."

Nothing concrete. Coordinates and descriptions of landmarks Ainz didn't know of before now.

"It's far out. Far, far out." Bard answered as if reading the angel's mind. "Eastward, actually. It's nearing the mountain range, but not far enough to hit the flatlands and tundras. That lumber mill should be located in the middle of large swaths of forests, lakes and valleys."

"Hm. Plenty of trees for a lumber mill. Even if the location seems inconvenient." Ainz claimed.

"It is anybody's guess as to why it's so far out. Could have been a small town or at the very least roads out there at one point. ...Though they have all been lost and forgotten to time now."

"Maybe the owner is a misanthrope." The Supreme Being joked.

"Ha-! Maybe." Bard cleared his throat again. "... Besides, you and Shizuka-san could use this opportunity to gain a bit more credibility in the eyes of the guild." He singsonged in the same unfamiliar accent. Momon quirked a brow at that.

"Do tell."

"If you weren't aware, Chai's Tears is a plant used in many potions- healing potions included. With the... Ongoing war it is in short supply. Despite 'herb-picking' being a copper-ranked job, it now pays quite well because of it. As such any adventurer can turn in requested herbs for payment without a request attached. Luckily, there will be plenty where we are headed."

"Plenty where we are headed... How do you know this? Is it because of-"

"Karatus, yes. You are correct, Momon-san. So I say that we undertake this job and use this opportunity to pick a few herbs!" Bard's renewed vigor and hype got a good laugh out of Ainz. The Supreme Being's laughter died down, as he seemed to consider the offer.

"...Are you certain that you want to do this, Bard?" The Supreme Being suddenly doused the caster's excitement with a sobering tone.

"What do you mean?"

"This... Request. You claimed that an iron-ranked adventurer team didn't come back. It's quite far away. Any number of things could have caused their potential demise." A brief silence followed that proclamation.

"I am certain. Someone has to pick up the slack." The caster nodded. "... If I must be honest, it is more likely that they were beset upon by goblins and similar ilk. A party as large and as robust as our should have no issues. Besides, I was under the impression that you could stand your ground in a fight." He jeered again, drawing more laughter from the angel.

'If I don't accept this one it'll just be another extermination mission. As dangerous as this could be, it is a whole lot more interesting and sounds like an actual adventure. ...Being able to get a good look at the eastern mountains also sounds like a nice plus!'

"How long will this mission take, if you had to give a rough estimate?"

The caster shrugged ostentatiously. "Two days, maybe less. Depends on the pace we are able to keep."

"...Very well." The fallen angel carefully folded the request before handing it back over to his new team mate, who merely flashed him a grin.

A lumber mill far away from civilization surrounded by forests and mountains. A place where a team of iron-ranked adventurers didn't return from. It didn't exactly scream 'safe'.

And yet...

Ainz found it very concerning how he was unable to set aside his excitement.


Chapter End


*Albedo says hi

A/N) I don't understand how this keeps happening. I think 'oh wow 2000 words should be enough' and it isn't. The average lenght of a book is 90k words, or ranging from 50k to 110k with longer epics being 120k+. Which means I've hit the average length by now. What the fuck. I am still nowhere near done. I really didn't set out to write a novel lmao

Whatever. As long as the introduction of Cherry Stem was okay it'll have been worth it, as much of a slog as this particular chapter had been to write. Feel free to let me know if there's something weird/inconsisted/bad about the OCs. This is the first real time I've attempted to inject some characters of my own into this fic, after all.

For the record, Momon may come off as a bit more restrained than Ainz, which is partly intentional. I wanted a bit more of a no-nonsense warrior persona for him. Not enough to override his personality, but he may be a bit more subdued. Especially in this chapter, where the main focus is on introducing the adventurer team, and to move the plot forward. As stated... This wasn't supposed to be this long.

FYI, I have not forgotten about what is going down in E-Rantel. I've just got another idea for how that's going to go.


And finally... Let's discuss levels. This is just my take on it, so feel free to correct me in case something seems off.

It is stated (if my memory serves), that Jircniv is around level 4, and that he is slightly below average in terms of combat power. Though this might be because his levels are all about being an emperor, in which case his combat power is lower.

So let us assume that the average level of a commoner, who participates in more strenuous activity is around level 4 as well, give or take two levels, but those levels don't help a lot with combat.

Jircniv: Level 4

Average Farmer/Blue-collar Worker: Level 4-6

Then the vast majority of Re-Estize's army is made up of peasants with little combat training, though their added experience should boost their level a bit more. The empire's knights will be above that in terms of quality, but I am unsure how exact I can be. If I remember correctly Climb is around level 15.

Re-Estize Soldier: Level 5 - 10?

Baharuth Knight : Level 10 - 15?

Climb: Level 15

Gazef Stronoff: Level 35 - 40

Adventurer ranks are more difficult, and I'm not entirely sure how accurate this will be, as levels do not necessarily equate to combat power. For example, Demiurge, despite being level 100, would (if I'm not mistaken) lose to a level 90 Overlord Wiseman in direct combat.

Adamantine Ranked Adventurer: Level 30+?

Evileye: Level 50~

And of course, the four stooges. Their levels are still pending since I am uncertain of the approximate levels of silver/gold ranked adventurers. There's still platinum, mithril and orichalcum before adamantine, and since that's around 30+, I'm not too sure.

Karatus: Level 15

Bard: Level 15

Milla: Level 19

Yon: Level 17