Part 2: The Dead remember the Dead
Fumbling only for a few seconds as he tried to pull it out of its hilt, Climb quickly drew his sword, holding it out defensively between him and the undead.
In response, Ainz said nothing. His bone face was completely incapable of contorting itself like that of the living and yet, for a moment there, it still felt like he was raising a non-existent eyebrow at the stance.
"Are you truly drawing your weapon out against me?" Ainz asked, seeming almost amused. It was probably just Climb's imagination but there sounded to be a hint of curiosity too. "Well, whatever. You may keep it up if it makes you feel safer. Though I highly recommend against attacking me. Even if I do not take it personally, there are others who will."
Even with the sword's tip pointed right towards his face, Ainz walked past Climb completely unafraid, while Climb could feel the tremble of the hilt in his ceaselessly shaking hands. Quite frankly, he knew full well the Sorcerer King had no reason he'd ever be so, at least around him. He had slain Gazef in an instant and there was canyon of difference between Gazef's strength and his own. If they were to fight right here, there was no chance he could win.
Even with that, the surge of panic Climb felt when Ainz stopped before Gazef's grave did embolden him enough to speak without thinking. "H-Hey! What are you doing?"
Ainz gave a look back at him, still paying no mind to the sword's point. He said nothing in response. Apparently he wanted Climb to finish his accusation.
"Are you… Are you here for Gazef's body?" Climb finally managed to force out his throat.
Ainz continued to stare him down, a look of understanding passing over his features. "You're worried I'm here to turn Gazef into some sort of zombie?"
Though the tone of the question was completely unoffended, Climb still hesitated to answer, clearly afraid of saying the wrong thing.
"…Hm." Ainz gave a small, single grunt of a laugh. He then held out his hand before himself. "[Summon Death Knight]."
Climb's eyes stretched so wide it felt as if they were about to pop right out of his head. His neck stiffly craned itself upwards, as what had just appeared between him and the Sorcerer King stood easily taller than them both. The smell of rotting flesh hit his nostrils almost instantly but that wasn't the main reason he felt the urge to throw up. The way this undead looked at him, empty sockets so filled with hate for his very existence as one of the living. With its thorny, black armor and rippled sword, it looked like the very incarnation of violence and the fact that he had not already been slain by the beast was something Climb's brain was having great trouble believing.
"In terms of raw power, this creature I'd argue is about equal to Gazef." Ainz spoke calmly from behind the Death Knight. "In terms of durability, it far exceeds him. While there's no accounting for skill, of course, if I had such a whim I could summon forth eleven more just like this one. Though it helps give an undead more staying power, I don't require a corpse to make a servant."
Equal to Gazef? No… As a warrior, there was no one Climb respected more. He was nowhere close enough to the superior man's level that he could even dare believe he had a true understanding of his strength and skill. But this monster…how it crushed him under the weight of its stare. It was a nightmare made flesh and he could not imagine even Gazef being able to last long against such a horror.
"[Gate]." Ainz spoke and a lazily swirling black vortex appeared before him. He turned to the Death Knight. "Go. Join the others."
Without a word or even a nod, the Death Knight obeyed, lumbering forward into the vortex and disappearing into its mists. Just as quickly as it'd arrived the Death Knight was gone and the portal closed behind it.
Climb was frozen. Such few words and actions, yet a message had been sent quite clearly. That the Sorcerer King could summon such a ferocious monster and then send it away so easily… It spoke volumes to his power. And that so casual threat that he could summon an entire troop more on a whim…
"Does that put you more at ease?" Ainz asked.
What a cruel sense of humor.
Not a single thought could push its way through Climb's mind. Every bit of rationality was self-destructing, and every instinct told him to flee.
If this man was here to destroy the kingdom, what could he do? What could anyone in the castle do?!
Images of those many mouthed beasts smashing through the walls passed before his eyes. An army of the towering undead knights cutting through him and every soldier in their way like butter. King Ramposa with his head in Lord Gown's hand. And Princess Renner…!
Princess Renner…!
Princess Renner…!
Something was forcing its way up his throat. It was too much. His mind couldn't take it. It was too much, he just wanted to…to…
"Is this truly the extent of your manhood, young Climb?"
That those words managed to cut through the cloud of fear consuming his mind surprised Climb, mostly out of amazement that his brain was capable of anything right now other than keeping his bladder from releasing itself and staining his armor. But…no. No, it made sense why he was remembering his voice, now of all times.
Within his mind's eye, there was that elderly man in the pristine black suit. And slowly, the tremble of his sword started to cease.
He remembered thinking, back at Katze Plains while witnessing the Sorcerer King's power, that not even Sir Sebas could possibly stand up against such a being. But…that did not take away from the gift he'd bestowed upon him.
Climb's sword stilled, not out of any new surge of power or confidence, but simply the calm that followed the acceptance that death was likely unavoidable, and the knowledge that he could still fight in spite of that. He did not want to die, but he was not afraid to. Such is the gift that ordinary butler had given him when he'd sent those fists of his barreling towards his head.
As Climb had gone through the motions, Ainz simply turned back to his original business. Now standing before Gazef's tombstone, Climb felt a surge go through his body, heart beating fast in the possibility that now is when he may need to take action, whatever may happen, as Ainz reached out into the air before him; his bare bone hand seeming to just vanish. But soon Ainz pulled his arm back, like he was pulling something out. With his hand rematerializing, he now held something large and shapely in his grasp. And it was…!
…A bouquet of flowers?
Climb's tension was forgotten for just a moment in his confusion. The many stems wrapped tightly in paper so that they wouldn't scatter apart, Ainz knelt down and placed the yellow and red flowers against the grave.
"I was informed by a subordinate of mine that Zinnias are a flower of remembrance." Ainz spoke to Climb, though not yet even looking back at him. "That a mix of yellow and red symbolizes the thinking of an absent friend. Have you heard the same?"
Climb wasn't sure how to respond, still completely thrown off by the peace thus far. "I'm… I-I'm sorry, Lord Gown. I'm afraid I'm not really familiar with flower types in general." He said, giving him his most honest answer.
"Hm. That's fair, I suppose. It's something women are likely more expected to know about than men. Even I after asking could be unintentionally sending a much different signal than I'm intending. Though I take no issue with the concept, rest assured I have no romantic interest in men."
What kind of a turn had the conversation taken?
Though he kept the Sorcerer King locked in the center of his vision, Climb's eyes did start to wander a bit. Was this some trick to get him to let his guard down? He couldn't imagine King Ramposa saying such things, or Emperor Jircniv. It was far too…casual.
"By the way," Ainz spoke again. "If you're hoping someone heard your scream from earlier and is on their way over, you should know that there's a barrier over our immediate area." His boney hand pointed up, though Climb couldn't see anything. "While we're under it we cannot be seen or heard by anyone outside. If you wish to get help, you'll have to leave the graveyard. I will not stop you but I make no promises about still being here when you return."
Climbs thoughts struggled. Why tell him this? Why not just let him remain ignorant? But the more time he was given, the more he realized it was yet another clever but subtle threat.
If he were to burst into the castle, panicking and ranting about the magic caster who wiped out almost their entire army with one spell being right in the kingdom's cemetery, and when he returned with the cavalry Ainz was no longer there, how would that look for him? Worse yet, how might his actions reflect on the princess? Climb would be accused of being either crazy or jumping at his own shadow and Princess Renner would face tremendous ridicule and embarrassment for being the one to take him in to begin with. Someone as intelligent as the Sorcerer King, there was no doubt he was well aware of how at each other's throats the Noble and Royal factions were. The nobles wouldn't hesitate to use such a screwup against King Ramposa and Ainz knew it.
Slowly, Climb lowered his sword. Begrudgingly, even he had to admit Lord Gown was amazing. With so few words and actions he'd completely tied his hands. Even if he wasn't so lacking in power, there was nothing he could do to him.
Lord Ainz Ooal Gown was truly untouchable.
Though it went against his every instinct, Climb shamefully slid his sword back into its sheath. "…Forgive me, Lord Gown. My a-actions have been very disrespectful."
The skeleton gave him an odd look, at least as far as Climb could tell from that unmoving face. It was the way he tilted his head, he supposed. The Sorcerer King must have some experience dealing with humans if he was willing to give that much of a courtesy to them so that he may be understood.
"You may relax yourself. I don't find them to be." Ainz waved his hand to assure him.
While that was to some relief, Climb couldn't allow himself to relax yet. "You are the king of another nation. Even if you are at odds with ours, it is not the place of someone of as low a rank as me to be passing judgement or representing Re-Estize before you. For that, you have my sincerest apologies." He bowed his head to him, reciting proper manners just as his lady had asked him to rehearse with her many times before.
"Really, it's fine." Ainz repeated, waving the apology away. Were it anyone else, were it anyone human, Climb would almost think he was feeling embarrassed. But more than likely the turn away of Ainz's head was because he was annoying him, and as such Climb dialed it back, not wanting to risk making the undead's mood worse.
He didn't really have a plan. There was probably nothing he could come up with that Lord Gown would have not already have considered. He only hope right now was just to be accommodating and that Ainz would leave on his own. After that…King Ramposa, Blue Roses, Brain. Even Prince Zanac. Those were the top names Climb could come up with for who to tell who might know what to do next without giving the nobles more ammo to work with. There was no reason to worry his lady about this.
"Who was he to you?"
Climb was brought back to reality. "I'm sorry?" He asked in confusion.
"Who was he to you?" Ainz repeated his question patiently. "Or, I suppose, a better question would be who were you to him? You were a witness to our duel, alongside the blue haired man with the katana, were you not? Given the interactions between you three, I assume you were close."
Climb thought over what to say carefully, less out of a desire to hide anything and more because he wasn't quite sure himself how to answer that. "With respect, Lord Gown, I'm afraid we weren't that close, at least not like how he and Brain were. I was…more just Gazef's subordinate, if even that. He was the king's bodyguard and I'm Princess Renner's, so he'd give me advice from time to time and sometimes we'd train together. Honestly, I don't think he got much out of it. I'm nowhere near Gazef's level so I probably wasn't the best sparring partner."
"You'd be surprised." Ainz commented. "I've fought people far less powerful than I and still managed to gain valuable insight and knowledge." That probably was true, but only just on a general level. Climb couldn't imagine there was anyone more powerful than Ainz, thus everyone he fought had to be weaker. Statistically, he'd have to get something out it at least once. "I can only imagine he brought me up once or twice. Most especially after I became allied with your kingdom's enemy."
"He…talked about how you saved his life." Climb said, such a statement feeling awkward leaving his lips, even if it was true, given the current situation.
To it, Ainz just gave a simple nod. "Given your world had not heard of myself or Nazarick before recently, you may have guessed I seldom left my great tomb. He as such was one of the first people I met since coming here. Not the very first but certainly the most memorable. Your former captain leaves quite the impression. After I turned down his offer to hire me to help him fight the Theocracy he actually had the gall to ask if I could be drafted and forced into joining him. I've met many characters in this world but very few with the balls to speak to me like that!"
Ainz's voice broke out into hearty laughter over the memory, his voice carrying throughout the graveyard with no fear of being heard by anyone outside of the two of them. It seem genuine and without mockery but Climb couldn't say for certain. The only change in the skeleton's stiff face was that his jaw opened up to laugh. Any other hints to his true feelings were as absent as the flesh on his skull.
Just as quickly as it'd come, his laughter ceased, and rather abruptly too; the joyful mood replaced by calmness. Though seconds later Climb felt as if he heard a groan, like Ainz was annoyed about something but had to let it go.
"I assume your king mourned him properly?" Ainz added. Was that somberness in his voice? It was hard to tell with his naturally deep tone.
If Climb weren't so stiff (in general but especially in this moment) he might have raised an eyebrow. Such a question. "Y-yes. King Ramposa III oversaw the entire funeral process himself."
"Ah, good. Least he could do. Gazef made his loyalty to the king quite clear when he rejected my offer. Disappointing as it was, I suppose I can't say I don't understand it, and loyalty should beget loyalty, in my opinion, so it is good your king showed him at least that level of respect, even after losing. I hold no hatred for Gazef, after all, and so there was no desire to potentially damage his reputation."
At those words there was a crack. Not an audible one. No…no this was inside.
"Then why-?"
Climb quickly slapped his hand over his mouth. The words had just tumbled out on their own.
If the Sorcerer King's presence had placed him under some kind of magical effect and this was the result of that, it oddly would have been something of a relief. But no. Climb knew it was not that. Those two words were the result of his own brain slipping its control over his mouth, just for a moment as an impulse at been sent to it. And unfortunately…
"Yes? Go on." Ainz encouraged him to continue. Climb's hope against hope had been dashed. He'd heard him.
"…If that's true then why…"
Climb found himself forcibly pushing the words out, to Ainz's patience. It took quite the will to fight against his fear but there was the slightest twinge of anger that increased with each word that made it at least somewhat easier.
"Why did you kill him like you did?" He finally asked. "It was over in an instant. He couldn't possibly fight back. Couldn't make a single swing of his sword. There wasn't even a mark left on his body to show that his death was from battle. To the eyes of so many, especially those who forced him out here to be buried, it was like Gazef just dropped dead."
He let it all out. Hands were shaking. Was he a fool? No, he was a fool. He was out of his mind talking to the Sorcerer King this way.
"Gazef… He was born a commoner. Just like me. Just like his men. Just like so many of the kingdom's soldiers. To us he was…"
He was…what? A legend? A hero? A miracle? What single word could possibly be used to sum up the importance of a man such as him? A man who was now being looked down on by so many in the kingdom for dying so easy?
Gazef… He deserved so much better than this.
Why… Why was he gone, and the man who killed him…
"…Were you expecting a caster to pick up a sword and fight using that?" Ainz asked him simply. "No. No, I suppose you were simply expecting something at least a bit flashier. I do have a number of spells in my arsenal that would have worked well for that. Big. Loud. Bombastic. And much less efficient."
He turned to Climb. He did not sound angry, or even offended. Though if he were to strike Climb down then and there for how he'd spoken to him Climb honestly couldn't say he'd be surprised.
But instead, Ainz asked a question. "Tell me. How do you think I was able to kill Gazef so easily?"
"W-with a spell." Climb pushed his answer out.
"Obviously. But what kind of spell? You saw the battle. You carried back his body. Tell me, what spell do you suppose I used to do what I did?"
Climb racked his brain, though he already knew there was little point to that. He had little to no knowledge regarding magic outside of the very general that anyone would know. It was one of the very few faults he had that wasn't just due to his own inability. Be it to not give Baharuth too much credit for having Fluder on their side or many nobles having no talent of their own for the mystic arts, Re-Estize typically looked down upon sorcery in comparison to the sword and shield.
When Climb apologized and said he did not know, Ainz gave the answer for him. "It's simple really. I stopped time."
There was a crack of thunder but Climb didn't hear it. In fact, for a long minute it was like he couldn't hear anything, like his brain had shut his ears off and was trying to restart them, certain they were working work. That he could not possibly have heard what he just did.
"You…" Was all he could get out. He body was no longer shaking. You could perhaps say it was from a lack of fear, as he wasn't feeling that particular emotion right now. In that he wasn't feeling any emotions right now.
To his stunned, captive audience of one, Ainz continued talking. "Yes. I stopped time and then made my attack. An instant death spell that would finish its activation as soon as time resumed." He explained, making it clear that Climb had not misheard him.
Feeling started coming back into his body, in that his limbs felt like lead. He wanted to just collapse. That he hadn't already done so seemed almost impossible to his crashed brain.
The power to stop time. Said without a hint of lying, exaggeration, or insanity.
They really…they really never had a chance against him. Gazef… He didn't- He died for…
"Wipe that look off your face." Ainz directly addressing his feeble state snapped Climb back to reality, though at the moment he could only stare at the skeleton with wide disbelieving eyes that'd had their world shattered before them. "I will always see Gazef as a fool for challenging me to a duel he knew full well he had no chance of winning. However, challenge me to a duel he did. He wished to fight me as an equal and I respected him enough to honor that wish."
He pointed at the grave, his skeletal finger right at the name. "Whether he could have beaten me or not is irrelevant. I did not hold back against him. When I fought him, I fought as I would against anyone who may be a genuine threat against me. Stopping time. Instant death. Both can be guarded against if you know how but they still pull the odds greater in my favor and give me the opportunity for a second move if needed." He pulled his hand back, staring down Climb with all his attention. "Regardless of whatever the outcome was or could have been, I took him seriously. Gazef earned that right."
Climb's brain…it had a little difficulty understanding just what he was saying. Not out of stupidity but rather more simply bias. The man before him was an undead. An unholy monster who had slaughtered thousands. To hear such a being talk about respect was…odd, to say the least.
Another memory floated to the surface, perhaps a bit easier than the others had, thanks to his near empty state.
"Just recently, I was shown how callow I really am."
Gazef had said that, with an honest-to-god smile on his face, as he remembered his near death at the hands of the Sunlight Scripture, and his rescue by an awe-inspiring caster.
It'd been just a simple sparring match between him and Climb; Gazef saying he wanted to train against someone who had a little resilience. When Climb sucked in his gut he felt as though he could sometimes still feel the slam of that boot against him, Gazef yelling at him to stop focusing only on what was in his hand. He remembered the small amount of pride he'd felt when he'd successfully baited Gazef with [Fortress] into leaving himself open to his counterattack and the admiration that followed when Gazef responded even to that to still win the short exchange.
By the end of their session, Climb was on the floor, bruised and panting, while Gazef wasn't winded in the slightest. There was plenty of back and forth between them and their swords in that tower. But had it been a true duel, there was no doubt Climb would have been crushed. Gazef respected him as a student and a fellow soldier, but they were not equals and he could not treat him like one.
He remembered, before they had fought, Gazef held up his sword, looking into his own reflection across its blade as he spoke of Ainz.
Climb wondered…as he was looking at Gazef, longing to someday become an equal to him, was Gazef doing the same in regards to himself and Ainz Ooal Gown?
The strongest man in the world had found someone who made his strength look like a joke…and it made him smile.
Thunder came again but this time Climb could hear it clearly. His senses were returning to him. He wondered for a moment if Ainz had stopped time for him as well just to show that he could but he quickly threw that thought aside. He knew that wasn't it.
His point having been made, Ainz looked up, the raindrops about as heavy as they'd been all day. "My goodness. It's really not letting up, is it?"
A cloud passed before Climb's eyes, him having not realized how long he'd been holding in his breath while under Ainz's gaze.
"It's been raining like this…ever since Lord Stronoff was laid to rest."
"Ah, yes. I've heard of this trope. The hero falls and the world itself cries for him. I can see why it's used so often. It's quite a good one, and if there is anyone worthy of such theater it would be Gazef. Though it is a shame it causes rain to carry such sad implications with it. I quite like the rain, personally."
"Undead like rain?" Climb asked. His knowledge of the undead began and ended with Katze Plains, simply being aware of the fact that undead would sometimes spawn there due to the great number of those who died there without being properly laid to rest, even well before the year the Sorcerer King joined the battle.
"I'm sure there are some who do and some who don't. I am merely speaking for myself and my own preferences." Ainz raised his hand up to cut Climb off when he was about to start with another apology. "I take no offence to it. You are human and I am not. It's only natural you would have questions. I am simply a unique undead, that's all, and my preference is somewhat…relative."
Relative? That was a strange way to put it. Climb went back and forth on whether he should ask what he meant by that, especially as a long silence followed Ainz after he had said it, like he was reminiscing about something. Curiosity and self-preservation waged a tag-of-war battle within the young knight, but thankfully Ainz was kind enough to end that struggle for him.
"Can you imagine it, having lived in this world your entire life? Imagine clouds so choked with pollution that any droplets that fall from them are acidic? Where anyone daring enough to venture out into such weather would have to make certain they are completely covered in layer upon layer, lest their skin burn and start peeling away. Where any plant that manages to break up from what little soil there is, hoping to take a drink of life, is instead soon wilted away and dies just as quickly as it lived."
Silva became caught in Climb's throat. Such a description. It sounded like hell on earth.
"You… You've been to such a place?" He found the courage to dare ask his question.
For his bravery, Ainz rewarded him with a nod. "I have been to many places, but you could say I have an intimate familiarity with that one. Even when it's not raining it's far from what you'd call particularly pleasant, and I have little desire to return to it.
"Here though," Ainz held out his hand, letting the rainwater flow across the exposed bones of his arm and travel beneath his sleeve. Yet the robe itself seemed completely dry, so great was its quality. "The rain is cool. Refreshing even. It gives life to nature, as it is supposed to."
There was a deep sigh, and something said under his breath that Climb could only just barely make out. "Blue Planet would have loved this place."
That… That was longing. There was no mistaking it. He'd heard it from Brain's voice when he spoke, and sometimes even from his own, in both such cases when they talked about the man buried six feet beneath him. Even Ainz had those he missed. Those he deemed worth remembering.
Climb finally realized…just how small he was compared to the man before him.
Ainz Ooal Gown, who had been to lands he couldn't even imagine, let alone have survived. Who had fought in battles he'd be little more than a speck in, where even someone of Gazef's level could only just barely get himself acknowledged. Who…had friends. Those he deemed as equals, even with their presence far from this world.
He was simply…too big. Too much so for Climb to truly judge him.
And someone like that had judged Gazef worthy of taking seriously.
After another moment, Ainz gave a few loose rolls of his shoulders, as if to work out some stiffness in his bare-boned joints. "Well, I suppose it's about time I took my leave. Few things are ruder than a guest who overstays his welcome, after all."
He turned and started walking, giving Climb a small wave of his hand as he passed him by. "You have my thanks for the conversation."
Climb did not turn around to watch him go. Quite frankly, it would have been easier to just keep his gaze fixed forward and not look back, at least not for an hour or more, when he could be certain that Ainz was actually gone.
But…
With considerable effort, Climb swallowed his spit, it doing nothing to ease his increasingly dry throat. His timid hand held the hilt of his sheathed sword. There was no intention to draw it, knowing full well what little good it'd be even if he did. It was simply a common habit of many soldiers, finding some small measure of comfort in just knowing their weapon was there.
"I…" Climb finally pushed the words out. He still couldn't bring himself to yet turn around, so he had no idea if Ainz had stopped to hear him, or if he was even still there at all. "…I have to report this. That I saw you. Even if it makes me look crazy. Even if it puts our kingdoms more at odds. It's… It's my duty to say that you were here. To the king and prince, at least, if no one else."
No one in the entire kingdom could hope to match Ainz Ooal Gown's power, let alone his mind. For all Climb knew he was playing right into the undead's hands. On the other side of that, he could also be doing the one thing he shouldn't, stepping into a consequence Lord Gown had laid out plainly to him as a warning and he was simply too ignorant to truly see it.
But…he had his duty. It was the one thing someone like Climb could contribute.
He was not strong, and he was not smart. He was well aware of this. He would never be Gazef. Or Sebas. Or Momon. And certainly not Lord Gown. But that was fine.
Climb's lot in life was to serve under the royals like King Ramposa and be another tool for his brilliant mind to find a use for. To support those like Blue Roses and offer whatever assistance they required.
And…to protect Princess Renner, with everything he had, not matter how meager. If his body could shield her from even just a single blow, then it will has served its purpose. If his warnings could buy her even a few more minutes of staying out of Lord Gown's reach, then he could live with whatever consequences may follow his possibly foolish decision.
"…Yes. It is quite a burden I've placed on you, isn't it?" Ainz spoke. He was still there. That almost surprised Climb. Someone so important stayed just to hear what someone so not had to say.
There was a moment of silence. A rather long one.
"Be thankful I am a man who believes in repaying even my minor debts."
His voice was so much closer. Climb's eyes went wide and he quickly turned in a panic.
He failed to even partially draw his sword before that bone finger tapped his forehead.
Everything was a blur. And then a constant switch between color and blackness.
Climb's eyes blinked rapidly, his eyelashes throwing off the many beads of water that had accumulated on him in this downpour.
"How long have I been standing out here?" He tried to shake the lightheadedness out of his skull, rifling his gauntlet through his hair, feeling the presence of so much wetness even through the metal.
He looked down at Gazef's grave, like it's very image hadn't already been burned into his brain. "The time really got away from me. You haven't even been gone for that long and I already can't remember if you'd scold me for that or be glad I was taking it easy. I feel like you've said both to me."
Both such memories of his captain did finally push a smile through to Climb's face, if even just for a moment. If nothing else there was no doubt there that Gazef would want him to be able to do that after he was gone. He couldn't do it consistently yet. Heck, he couldn't even before Gazef died. But…perhaps someday.
"I need to get back to Princess Renner." He said, thinking to himself where he might get a towel on his way to her room. He was drenched, though thankfully the armor's quality meant it wasn't going to rust even if he didn't dry it right away. He was more concerned over any water he'd be tracking in. Last time such a thing had happened Renner fussed all over him, even being the one to personally run a towel through his hair. It was…nice, honestly. But it was something he couldn't allow himself to indulge in. He worried that he looked too much like when his lady had first found him on the streets all those years ago, soaked and ratty. She said she didn't mind but he couldn't allow that to be the image he presented in front of her. He had a debt to pay her and that meant he couldn't let himself be in any way weak in front of her.
Just as he was about to leave, something in the corner of his eye caught Climb's attention.
A bouquet of red and yellow, tightly wrapped in paper.
"Flowers?" He said in confusion. Had they been there the entire time? They had to be. No one else had come through the graveyard since he'd been here, and there was enough water dripping from their petals to suggest they'd been in the rain for at least some time. He really must have been zoned out, to have not noticed them this entire time.
Though odd, Climb did find the sight bring a bit of lightness to his heart. He knew he didn't bring them, the king was too unwell to leave his quarters right now, and Brain was not one for flowers. Someone else was remembering Gazef and had come by to pay their respects.
Fully turning away, he broke into a brisk sprint to hurry back to the castle, being careful as to not slip in the mud.
If he had looked up, he would have seen only clouds and tree branches.
And not the two people who would be looking right back.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting, Aura." Ainz spoke to his companion. The folds of his raven-black robe flapped gently in the wind as he floated untethered in air while the young elf girl sat atop the very tips of the tree's branches; not buckling even the slightest under her weight.
"It was no bother at all, Lord Ainz!" Aura said to him with a happy salute, her non-worry about needing to keep her voice down showing her faith in her master's [Perfect Unknowable] spell. "Honestly, if there's anyone to blame it's that nosey human."
"Show him a little leniency, Aura. We are, after all, guests in his country. Neither I nor you would be outside of our rights to question why he or anyone else related to this kingdom would be in ours, no?"
"Well, yeah, but you're a Supreme Being. The entire world is yours by right, right? Even Demiurge said as much when he was telling us about your plan."
"Erm… Y-yes. I suppose he did." Ainz didn't push the issue any further, his non-existent stomach folding in on itself at that reminder of the situation his uncaring words towards the archdevil had now put him in.
"Yes, the great, powerful, and brilliant ruler of the world, Ainz Ooal Gown! That's me! Totally! 100%! I'm definitely the right guy for that kind of job. I'm totally not completely clueless about what the heck's going on around me." His inner voice sobbed to itself.
He could barely handle running Nazarick and that was by delegating most things to Albedo. What kind of ruin was in store now that he was in charge of an entire country? With more like this one apparently on their way to be added to his plate! At least if the NPCs had anything to say about it.
"I don't know anything about running a kingdom. I'm a salaryman and a gamer. Hell, maybe not even that since I was only into one game, singular. Peroroncino played almost nothing but ero-games outside of YGGDRASIL and he'd probably qualify as more of an expert gamer than me. I just know YGGDRASIL."
PvP. Spells. Items. That was the stuff he had a head for. Honestly, there were times he was tempted to just have Pandora's Actor permanently take his place in disguise while he'd hide in the treasury. Just sorting and looking through all of Nazarick's rare items, that sounded like a dream job for him, case in point being his encounter with the boy just now.
While Climb's brain was in the process of rebooting after the memory alteration Ainz had taken the opportunity to give him a go-over with appraisal magic. The boy had a handful of items on him that were designed to detect traps and secret doors, a curious thing for a mere bodyguard to have on him but not much of interest to them beyond that. However Ainz was surprised to find that his armor was simply a mithril and orichalcum mix with little else special to it. It had minor enchantments, yes, but with how eye-catching its pure white shine was you'd think there'd be bigger bonuses to go along with it. He was sure he was probably unconsciously comparing it to Touch Me's World Champion armor, which obviously was far from fair, but still, there were pop monsters back in YGGDRASIL who'd drop better loot than this. The biggest effect it offered was basically painting a big "I am here" bullseye on the wearer's back and Ainz doubted that was the intention of whoever gave it to him.
However, there was one point of interest on Climb's body that the appraisal magic had pointed his attention to. So interesting in fact Ainz thought for certain the red flames that acted as eyes within his skull may pop out to ignite his brow.
Worn on the boy's right hand, a ring that his magic actually had a little trouble reading. It was not an item from YGGDRASIL. It was silver, with two dragon claws on either side holding the embedded emerald in its central place. And if Ainz was reading right, it offered a temporary boost in the wearer's levels when activated.
He felt himself essentially having to chain his collector's spirit to a boulder to hold it back. He didn't even know how useful such an item would even be to him, given he was already at the cap of 100 and every experiment he'd performed since coming to this world told him he wasn't gaining experience and wasn't raising his level higher.
Still… He'd never seen a ring like that before… So maybe…
"We shall leave things as they are for now." Ainz spoke, both to Aura and himself. "Demiurge has plans already in motion for this kingdom and we should try to interfere as little as possible."
The boy did say he was the princess' bodyguard. Given the insane number of details Demiurge was capable of keeping track of (and the horribly greater amount he believed Ainz did), it was almost certain he already knew about the ring. Either its power was minor enough that he felt no need to bring it up to Ainz or it's power was significant enough that he'd already factored it into his plans. Either way meant that it wasn't worth taking…right now anyway.
"I wonder if I can casually bring it up with Demiurge to save it for me? That should be fine, right?"
Ainz did feel somewhat bad that all he could focus on in regards to the young man he'd conversed with was his equipment but he couldn't help it. It was a result of non-tempered expectations, he supposed you could say. He spoke the truth when he'd said he remembered him from his duel with Gazef. It was the only reason he'd gone up to Climb instead of waiting for him to leave when Aura had detected his presence. If he was a member of close company Gazef kept, perhaps they might be similar, or so his thought process had gone.
In that regard, Ainz had found Climb…lacking.
"Not that I of all people can really judge him on that." Ainz gave a sky up to the sky with a tilted head. He felt the presence of rain hitting his face and its wetness but it was dulled, for lack of a better description. Like a very thin barrier, almost barely existent but certainly still there, was separating the water and his skull. "It felt weird having someone like Gazef showing me so much respect. I'm just putting on an act, both as Ainz Ooal Gown and Momon, while he's the real deal. Gazef and I are comparable ages but honestly I probably would be acting a lot like that Climb kid if I didn't have the NPCs and all this power." He held up his closed skeleton fist to better look at it. "At least in regards to the timidness. He's no Gazef but neither am I. At least he's able to be honest about it."
Still, if nothing else it was nice getting the chance to talk to someone who actually liked Gazef. The NPCs couldn't really see him as anything other than a foolish human who got killed for being so. They couldn't really understand what was enjoyable about a character like him. Cocytus was probably the closest who could and even he worshipped Ainz too much to fully get it.
Ainz gave one last look back at the grave, re-reading the only line inscribed upon it besides his name.
"Farewell, Gazef Stronoff. Perhaps in another life we could have been friends too."
A memory floated to the surface of his mind. After he had saved his life Gazef had invited him to stop by his home should he ever find himself in the capital. He would treat him to meal, drinks, and conversation.
Suzuki Satoru didn't do much travelling outside of business trips back in his old world. But there were those very few times when he and a couple of his guildmates had managed to pull off a get-together offline. Nothing they talked about was that different from what they'd usually be doing, including what they planned to do in YGGDRASIL next time they were online, but…he remembered really enjoying it.
"Well… Just another regret, I suppose." Ainz remarked quietly to himself before opening the [Gate] to take himself and Aura home.
