Reuploaded: 04/01/2021
A/N: Thank you Razel-Treasure for beta-ing this chapter
Collection of Ashurbanipal
Volume XLI: Tiamat: The Goddess of Dragons, A Myth
Chapter VI: The Fallen
The Dragon had become a threat.
Whispers of a dragon with impenetrable scales drifted throughout the Nine Realms.
The Dragon grew and grew and grew. With each passing day, the children of Man grew ever more terrified, for not once had the Dragon bled. If they were to leave it be, it could one day threaten the realms of mortals.
Especially on the hunt.
The hunt was a custom universal to all Nine Worlds; a trial of combat to prove martial valor. A simple competition amongst mortals and divinity alike. If they succeeded in reaching the top, they were worshipped as the Strongest within their home world.
A Champion.
That was until a hundred years ago, when the monsters decided to join in.
Monsters with strange powers and skills were easily stronger than most humans, easily slotting themselves through the ranks.
Their ranks.
The tipping point for the mortals was when the Dragon had defeated their strongest one in battle. A gallant White Knight that was kind and strong.
A Paragon of light and virtue.
He was the first from the mortals to make the Dragon bleed.
But still, the Dragon defeated him with devious means.
They were filled with rage and sorrow for the White Knight that they decided to take matters into their own hands
Conspiring with the elves, the mortals asked for their guilds to come help slay the Dragon before it was too late. They feared that the Dragon's strength would wax even greater if it left untouched.
If their strongest could not even kill it, then how could they?
And so their plotting began.
During the night, the Dragon was ambushed, forced into a brutal and long fight.
Though her tough scales were nigh impenetrable, they could only do so much. It was a battle that none of them would ever forget. Her fighting prowess had earned the Dragon the moniker, "The Weakest Dragon in Yggdrasil." for she could not even kill a fraction of the humans in battle.
It was the day where "Tiamat" had fallen.
Chapter 24: Worrisome Encounter
"The King has requested an audience with you, Hannah-sama."
Tiamat looked at the Warrior-Captain with widened eyes, she didn't expect that the King of the Kingdom itself would want to meet with her.
Why? What exactly did she do to gain his attention?
'Well, I guess it makes sense that he wants to know more about a new Adamantite adventurer...Anyways! That doesn't matter right now.'
Tiamat turned her attention back towards the growing crowd that was circling around Gazef and his troops who were standing outside the guild doors.
The people who had been observing the whole scene could hear everything. There was no way she was escaping this situation.
If she accepted, that would mean she would be breaking one of the most important guild rules; adventurers were not allowed to involve themselves in politics. It was fairly likely that the King was going to ask for some kind of favor from her. Why else would he invite her to the castle?
However, if she refused, it could be considered as an act of blatant disrespect against the ruler of the Kingdom. Needless to say, that would come with its own problems.
Tiamat sighed, pinching her nose with her fingers. 'Damn it, this is why I hate politics…'
There must have been a reason why the Warrior-Captain chose to look for her in public, and a reason that even Tiamat could think of was public pressure.
Tiamat clicked her tongue in annoyance. If she refused the Warrior-Captain's invitation right now, the citizens themselves would turn on her, which was far more dangerous than drawing the wrath of the royal family.
Afterall, the nation was built on the back of its citizens. Even though the royalty could deceive their citizens, it was much easier to manipulate the commoners into believing something that already existed instead of circulating new gossip. In this case, her rebelliousness if she chose to refuse the Warrior-Captain's offer.
If she were a normal adventurer, then going to the Kingdom to meet the King would probably be the best thing that would ever happen to her in her life. However, Tiamat knew she was far from normal. Either way, the only reason she was being invited was definitely because they wanted something from her.
The first reason that came to mind was Pentakrisis.
Would the King himself order her to give him up? If he did, then what was she supposed to do? Obviously, she would refuse but then she might incur the wrath of the royal family.
The worst scenario that came to mind was them taking either Pentakrisis or Yuri away from her, something she would not allow.
She thought back to the look that the head of the Carne Village had in his eyes when he looked at Gazef Stronoff who had personally come to their village to save them.
The people here had the same look as he did.
The look of awe and sheer respect.
To them, Gazef Stronoff was their hero, someone they looked up to.
'How cunning…' she thought to herself.
Judging by the confident look of the Warrior-Captain, Tiamat speculated that he knew of the people's admiration for him. That was why instead of sending a formal invitation like that of Blue Rose, he had chosen to come down from the capital, personally.
"Hannah-sama," Gazef broke her out of her train of thoughts.
Tiamat sighed.
'Guess I don't have much of a choice here…'
On the bright side, she could find out what the King wanted when she got there. Should she draw their interest and bring Pentakrisis there too?
She smiled at Gazef Stronoff, a smile that he was all too familiar with as he was reminded of the esteemed butler a certain lady had by her side in that outskirt village. A threatening smile.
"I understand, then I'll go to the Capital with Pentakrisis. The journey won't take long if I ride on him. I will see you there, Warrior Captain-san."
"I would have to reject that proposal, Hannah-sama," Gazef immediately replied, his eyes hardening. "To bring a dragon to the capital would be considered a threat. I would prefer if you use the carriage that the King himself has already prepared."
The Dragoness's eyes shifted to look at the carriage behind Gazef Stronoff once he had said his piece. The whispers of the crowd around them rapidly grew in volume.
It seemed that they were shocked that the King was being so hospitable towards her, a newly rising Adventurer, and were wondering what she had done to warrant such treatment.
The carriage was in an entirely different league compared to the usual carriages she saw clacking around in E-Rantel. Instead of wood, the white carriage was intricately detailed with golden decor. Moreover, it had the symbol of the royal family engraved in the door, signalling that it was royal property.
'So wait, they don't want Pentakrisis?' she mulled inwardly, 'Perhaps, Yuri…?'
The Dragoness shifted her gaze to the Dullahan who was standing next to her, her gaze filled with worry.
'Then laying another trap…'
Tiamat nodded, "I understand. Then shall we go, Lily?"
"Yes, Hannah-sama," Yuri replied.
"Hannah-sama, this is…"
She whipped her head back towards the Warrior Captain in shock, 'He didn't know about Yuri?'
But she expertly hid her surprised expression and turned it into a smile, "Ah, this is Lily, Warrior Captain-san, my disciple."
'Good job me!'
For some reason, the Warrior-Captain looked like he was suppressing a chuckle.
"I see. I'm afraid your disciple won't come with us today, Hannah-sama."
Tiamat looked at him confusedly, "Why is that?"
"The King was very specific with his invitation. He had asked for you, Hannah-sama, and no one else. I apologize, but I don't think Lily-san will be given a pass through the castle's gates."
"Is it just me that's coming to the Capital then?"
"Yes."
Tiamat froze, her eyes widening at the news. That would mean she would be completely alone in the Capital. Not even Pentakrisis would be there to accompany her.
What if this was their plan to seperate them?
Did the Kingdom perhaps know who she really was?
That could very well be a possibility; since Gazef Stronoff was known to be loyal to his King, he could've told the King everything he knew about her.
Yuri had wrapped her fingers around hers, and Tiamat realized she was shaking.
"Should we run, Hannah-sama?" Yuri questioned, noticing the grim look on the Dragoness's face.
Tiamat couldn't help but be reminded of that cursed foreign mansion where she was alonealonealone with no one to help her.
"I think it would be best if you joined us, Hannah-sama," Gazef said in a tone that left no room for argument.
She whimpered unwillingly, trying to keep her heart rate steady along with her breathing, but the fear within her grew as she was reminded of the past.
The Dragoness had heard stories about the nobles of the country, and her previous quest had confirmed everything she needed to know, or at least about one of them in particular. She wanted to back away and just leave; she had no desire to deal with the political nonsense of the country.
All she wanted was to peacefully live her daily life with the people of Nazarick and make Ainz's dream come true.
And that was the thing, the only information she had regarding the Royal family and Nobles of this country were mentions of how corrupt they were, which did nothing to help her first impression of them. Especially the fact that after Demiurge had interrogated the members of the Sunlight Scripture, he had told her that Gazef's assassination was supported by a number of nobles within the country.
Tiamat took a deep breath.
'Calm down, and think properly.'
If these guys really wanted to meet her or kill her in the first place, they would have already tried.
She then remembered that Pluton had actually sent someone to pump a syringe filled with charm potions inside her to sell her away and breed her so that her offspring could be controlled and then take Pentakrisis for themselves.
Tiamat gripped Yuri's hand softly, telling her of how unsure she was of going to the capital all by herself. Yuri could only grit her teeth in reply.
Tiamat decided to contact her closest friend. Someone she could always rely on when she was completely lost.
Beep Beep [Yes? Is everything alright over there Tia?]
[Ainz, the Warrior-Captain guy from the Kingdom came ove—]
[Did he leak your secret? I knew it, we should've erased his memories like the other villagers. I'm coming over right now.] Tiamat could hear his voice seething even through『Message』.
[No!] the Dragoness exclaimed, [Well, I'm not sure yet, but he told me that I've been invited by the King to the castle. By myself.]
[Umu, Is that so? In that case, I doubt they would try to hurt you. However…] he trailed off.
[However what?]
[I don't feel comfortable with leaving you there by yourself… it would be safer if I came along.]
Tiamat widened her eyes at his suggestion. It was a good suggestion; however, she didn't think it was possible. [The Warrior-Captain said that only I could go. He even said I couldn't bring Yuri along.]
[Shit...this sounds more and more like a trap.] She heard Ainz sigh in the background.
[In that case, at least bring an Eight-Edged Assassin with you. I doubt most of the people of this world can see through their stealth abilities. In fact, I'm going to send one to you right now.] and with that he ended『Message』.
"Okay," she muttered, gripping Yuri's fingers tighter. "I'll go to the Capital with you Warrior Captain-san."
"M—Hannah-sam—!"
"Lily," Tiamat let go of Yuri's hand with a smile, and at that moment two beeps indicating 『Message』 rang inside of Yuri's head.
[Ainz suspects that this might be a trap, I will go to the castle as they want and you should go and stay with Ainz and Narberal. I'm afraid that once I leave something might happen to you.]
"Don't forget to submit the finished quest to the Guild, Lily."
"B-But Hannah-sama…"
Tiamat's smile widened, trying her best to reassure Yuri. "I'll be fine."
[Go now before it's too late. Ainz must be at the Golden Pavilion with Narberal.]
Yuri nodded and gave Tiamat's hand one last squeeze as a warning before entering the Guild hall.
Tiamat locked eyes with Gazef, "Let's go, Gazef-san."
Gazef, who had been watching their interaction in confusion, nodded. He waved for his men to move out after he opened the door of the carriage for her to enter.
Once she had sat down, Gazef closed the door before mounting his own horse. Tiamat looked out the window, watching as Yuri immediately ran towards the Golden Pavilion as soon as the carriage began to run its course.
Taking a deep breath to ease her nervousness, Tiamat could only wait for the Eight-Edged Assassin to arrive.
She could only hope that nothing would go wrong.
v(≧∇≦v)三(v≧∇≦)v
Gazef rode next to the carriage where Hannah-sama was sitting, and as they rode towards the Capital, his troops in front and behind the carriage, marching at the same pace as he continued observing her.
The red plush velvet pillows perfectly contrasted with the whiteness of her dress as she sat cross legged on the sofa, laying her elbows on one of the window sills to hold her chin up. Her staff laid horizontally across her lap.
She looked as if she was bored.
From the moment they left E-Rantel, it seemed that the Priestess was constantly looking out the window, as if she was searching for something.
To be honest, Gazef was really surprised at how compliant she was. He had half expected her to bolt out as soon as she saw him, or at least attempt to escape after she went inside the carriage.
After working as the King's personal guard, he had learned to see and observe from within. He knew how the delicately crafted words of nobles could turn into a sharp blade in an instant.
But the woman in front of him was very expressive compared to the people in the castle. He didn't miss that worried gaze of hers when he had asked her to go with him in the carriage instead of using her dragon.
He had a reason for that.
As Gazef was about to call out to her, she suddenly leaned out of the window excitedly, her hair sprawled outwards in the wind.
Her bright smile was so mesmerizing that the guard who was guarding the side of the window near her stumbled in his steps.
Suddenly, she turned to look at him with new found excitement, "Gazef-san, how long will it take to get to the Capital?"
"We will arrive in two to three days, if there's no disturbances of course."
"You're not stopping?"
"We will stop at night to rest, but after that we will continue straight to the Capital, Hannah-sama."
"I see, is it possible if we stop now? Just for a few minutes."
"It hasn't been a few minutes since—"
"Please Gazef-san," she paused before adding, "After this I will do as you ask, so just a few minutes, please..."
Gazef couldn't help but stare at her gem like eyes as she pleaded with him. He sighed, and gave in.
"Five minutes, that's it."
She smiled at him, "That's more than enough," she whispered as he signed for his troops to stop.
He checked the surroundings, keeping his eyes peeled for anything that stood out. He was accompanying an important guest afterall, but at the small giggle that woman had unknowingly let out at his behaviour, he knew he was being overly cautious.
Tiamat gripped the seats of the sofa as they skidded to a sudden stop.
'That was uncomfortable…'
The unexpected jolt of the carriage caused her neck to whip forward. She gripped the seat tighter when they made a sudden turn as her body hit the side of the carriage.
When they finally stopped, she heard the clops of a horse next to the carriage as someone opened the door for her.
"Thank you, Gazef-san."
Tiamat stretched her arms with a groan, her fingers throbbing painfully at how tightly she had gripped the seats. Even though the Royal Carriage looked fancy enough, it was old and very uncomfortable.
But that was not why she had asked Gazef to stop for a short rest. She eyed her surroundings before she headed out with 『Automatic Mapping』 towards the right side with mountains and forests.
'Perfect.'
"Gazef-san, I'm going to head over there. I'll be back in five minutes," she pointed to the forest to her right.
"Then I'll accompany you," he said with such resolve that it made her shift uncomfortably.
Tiamat looked at the forest where she had signalled the Eight-Edged Assassin to come for her. She had received a 『Message』 from Ainz just a few moments ago that the Eight-Edged Assassin had been following the carriage to make sure she could return to Nazarick if anything were to happen to her.
She had previously looked out the window to see it following from afar in order to avoid drawing attention to itself
"T-There's no need, Gazef-san! I can go by myself!"
If Gazef followed her to the forest, he would know.
"Even though we're on our way to the capital, it doesn't mean that this place is safe, Hannah-sama. As you might know, some people had been aiming for my neck recently. If I were to leave you alone, they might take advantage of the situation," he explained matter-of-factly.
Unfortunately for him, Tiamat couldn't say another word, instead making a sharp turn to look at him.
There was no way Gazef could be allowed to follow her to that forest.
She would do whatever she could to stop him, no matter what it took.
"Gazef-san, I need to...relieve myself, I don't even have time to prepare to meet the King, surely you understand…" she looked away as her face started heating up.
She couldn't believe she said that to a man she didn't know.
"Be as it may, I will still accompany you, Hannah-sama!"
"Gazef, you idiot!" she screamed out loud, causing most of the troops in her vicinity to turn their heads towards the commotion, "I just want to go pee, leave me alone!"
Tiamat proceeded to dash into the forest, leaving Gazef alone to ponder on what she had just said.
One of his troops, the one that was closest to him, snickered at the outcome. "Seriously Warrior Captain-san, just how long has it been since you've been with a woman?"
Gazef bonked him in the head, "Shut it."
v(≧∇≦v)三(v≧∇≦)v
Tiamat ran deep inside the forest and once she was sure that no one had followed her, she finally stopped in her tracks and looked back
With her sharp sight she could see that just behind the undergrowth, a few meters away from the carriage and the troops, Gazef was waiting there with his arms folded across his chest.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
'At least he's not following me, that would be really weird…'
She didn't know if she could send a『Message』to the Eight Edged Assassin, so she could only hope that they saw her run into the forest.
Tiamat suddenly heard a small rustling on the branches of the trees above her, and when she looked up, her lips curved up in a grin as she saw the Eight Edged Assassin hiding in place.
"Lady Tiamat," it jumped down and greeted her.
The Dragoness couldn't help but to glomp the spider in front of her, "You found me, you actually found me!" she exclaimed happily.
Her heart leaped with joy at the familiar sight of the arachnoid assassin. At least she wasn't alone now. The fact that someone from Nazarick would be near her had calmed her strung-up nerves.
"I'm so happy you're finally here," she continued.
"Shall I proceed to kill everyone in our proximity?" it asked.
"Don't. Don't do that. They are important people from the Kingdom. If they go missing or dead, I will immediately become a suspect."
"However, Ainz-sama ordered me to bring you back to Nazarick, My Lady."
"Back home?" she asked.
Without her realizing, the spider had trembled happily when she called Nazarick home.
"Yes."
Tiamat stayed silent for a while. "I can't just leave…"
"Then what shall we do, My Lady?"
The Dragoness pondered for a while, "Perhaps you could—"
With her keen ears, Tiamat could hear the sound of rustling grass as it was being stepped on. Someone was following her.
She didn't have much time.
"Listen carefully, okay? I need you to do this..."
The assassin nodded.
v(≧∇≦v)三(v≧∇≦)v
Gazef lifted a branch that was blocking him to where he thought the Priestess had gone to.
Five minutes were almost up, yet she still hadn't made her way outside of the forest. That was why he had no choice but to follow suit behind her.
He could only hope that she had finished her...business. It would be awkward if he walked in on her in the middle of it.
"Gazef-san?" a voice sounded from his left, startling him.
When he shifted his gaze, he saw her standing right beside him, causing cold sweat to run over his entire body.
He didn't sense her coming at all.
The strongest man in the Kingdom couldn't help but smile as the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.
"Hannah-sama," he cleared his throat, "Are you ready to continue?"
"Yes, Gazef-san. Shall we return to the carriage?" she asked.
He made way for her to walk in front of him, and as she did so, he followed a few steps behind her.
Once they were out of the forest, his troops who were resting immediately put on their helmets and climbed atop their horses, preparing for the long journey once more.
Gazef quickened his pace so he could open the door to the carriage, allowing her to enter.
Afterall, the highest level of courtesy was expected from the King's guard himself.
The silver haired Priestess entered the carriage with a nod, thanking him as she does so.
However, as soon as she stepped on the steps leading into the carriage, Gazef noticed that the carriage was slightly tilted, as if she was heavier than before.
Gazef looked around the vicinity, was it perhaps the wind?
"We're ready Captain!" one of his man bellowed, disrupting him from his thought process as he responded with a nod.
Convincing himself that it was nothing, Gazef climbed on his horse and ordered his men to continue to the Capital.
If only he had checked what was under the carriage, he would have seen a bizarre shadow on the ground that disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Of course, there was no way the assassin would allow him to see even its shadow.
v(≧∇≦v)三(v≧∇≦)v
It had been a few hours since she re-entered the carriage.
Since she knew that the eight-edged assassin had suspended itself under the carriage, she could finally breathe a little easier.
She has been leaning against the right window, looking outside as the scenery began to change slightly, and Tiamat could only sigh.
The journey was taking way too long.
If it was just her and Taki, she would've arrived in the capital in less than a couple of hours, all while gazing at the beautiful scenery below them.
There was not much she could see from the windows of a carriage.
Even though the entire ride had been quiet and smooth, the view was less spectacular than what she usually saw with Pentakrisis.
It was still a beautiful sight to behold. The snowy peaks of the mountains, the tranquil rivers, and the deep forest combined to form an unforgettable vista.
Yet despite the vast wilds around her, she couldn't help but feel as if she was trapped between oaken doors and walls. When she flew in the skies she felt free, like she could do anything.
Gazef suddenly broke her out of her melancholic thoughts.
"Hannah-sama, we will stop at a nearby village for the night."
Tiamat only nodded as she looked out the window for the thousandth time that day. The view from outside the window couldn't be compared to what she could see when she flew with Taki: Thousands upon thousands of man-made lights entwined with the natural twinkle of the stars, creating an unparalleled sight from the skies
The feeling of the wind caressing her skin and blowing back her hair, the early morning light and the bleeding sun as it set, and the feeling of the cold mist around her fingers.
The whole experience could be summed up in one word.
Liberating.
'That's right…' she sighed contentedly with her eyes closed, her head resting against the window pane as she recalled the experience she had when she first arrived in the New World, smiling as she remembered the feeling of the clouds high up in the sky.
How she longed to soar out of reach once more.
Another hour passed as the orange sky turned a deep purple as the day ran its course.
Even though she only intended to rest her eyes for only a short while, she ended up falling into a deep sleep.
Her body was sprawled out in the carriage while her legs remained glued to the ground, her head supported by her hand that served as a makeshift pillow.
But then she was jolted awake when the carriage jerked once again to a stop.
Two knocks could be heard just outside the glass window.
Tiamat opened her bleary eyes to see that Gazef was the one who knocked. She immediately got up and opened the door.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry to have disturbed your sleep, Hannah-sama. I only want to inform you that we have arrived for the night. We will continue on after dawn, is that alright with you?"
"Of course, but…" Tiamat looked at her surroundings.
The moonlight was starting to rise from the east as its faint light filtered through the leaves and cast an eerie glow on the area. The chirping of crickets drowned out all other sounds as Gazef's troops started to prepare to rest for the night.
"Please follow me then, Hannah-sama," Gazef said once he had received her confirmation, and with his help, Tiamat stepped down from the carriage with her staff in hand, subtly motioning for the Eight Edged Assassin to follow.
Gazef took the lead as Tiamat and the Assassin followed, walking out of the forest to a nearby town. He entered what appeared to be a small Inn, and as Tiamat was about to enter as well, the Eight-Edged Assassin whispered,
"Be careful My Lady. It would be difficult to guard from attacks in a crowded area."
"Don't worry about it," Tiamat quietly reassured her bodyguard before catching up with Gazef.
As she followed the Warrior Captain into the Inn, her nose was instantly flooded by the scent of various meals and drinks being prepared. Underneath that smell, Tiamat could pick up the odor of the old rusty wood the floorboards and walls were made of. The darkness of the night enveloped the corners of the Inn, and only the only source of light was the dim yellow glow produced by oil lamps scattered around on top of tables, placed on walls, and hanging from the ceiling.
Her ears picked up the distinct chatter of people talking about their day. Woodcutters talked about the number of trees they had cut down, while farmers complained about how the Kingdom taxes were too high.
Gazef took the initiative. His footsteps made the floorboards creak as his armored boots crashed against them.
As soon as they walked into the rustic establishment, all eyes were immediately set on him. The rustle and bustle of the Inn had suddenly turned quiet and the light atmosphere gave way to tension.
Tiamat looked at them warily, as millions of questions ran through her head.
Why were they staring? Were they standing out too much?
But as soon as she went inside the halls, her sense of smell caught a whiff of something.
However, Gazef remained undeterred by the crowd's stare and walked straight to the man behind the bar.
A short burly man with arms as thick as tree trunks and a belly too round to seem fit stood behind the bar counter. His balding head shone brightly against the light produced by the lamps while his massive beard covered most of his lower face. He stood straight with a beer mug in one hand and a rag in the other, cleaning the mug.
"Warrior Captain, Gazef Stronoff! What can I do for you?" the man who seemed to be the innkeeper asked.
"I need your best room for the lady."
"The lady?" The innkeeper looked behind him to see Tiamat who was hiding behind Gazef's muscular figure.
Even though the beauty was being escorted by the Strongest Man in the Kingdom, she had looked away, staring at one of his guests table with interest.
"I understand, Warrior Captain, for how many nights?" he asked.
"Just one."
"That will be three silver coins."
Gazef put the silver coins on the wooden table, and proceeded to walk to the stairs right next to the bar.
However, when he looked back, he noticed that the Priestess wasn't following him.
"Hannah-sama," he called out, breaking her out of her stupor.
"Yes?" Tiamat looked up.
"You should go get some rest in this room here. We'll be standing guard nearby."
"Ah! Right, rest," Tiamat quickly walked over to where he was standing.
She followed Gazef and his two guards through the hallway, her silent steps contrasting against the crashing of metallic greaves.
Finally, Gazef stopped in front of a wooden door and opened it using the key the innkeeper had given him earlier.
"Please come in, Hannah-sama," he mentioned, standing to the side of the door to let her in.
Tiamat glanced at the Warrior-Captain with a wary glint in her eyes and observed the room from outside while urging the Eight-Edged Assassin to enter into the room first to check.
The modest room was outfitted with a set of simple wooden furniture: a bed, a table, a chair, along with a window that allowed residents to gaze outside. To the side of the room she saw a door that she presumed led to the bathroom.
From the corner of her vision, the Eight Edged Assassin took his place at the ceiling, signalling that he had confirmed it was safe for Tiamat to enter.
"This will be your room for the night," Gazef explained. "My men will take shifts guarding you just outside the door."
The two guards who had been following her since she exited the carriage saluted, their left hand on their chest.
"If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask for our help, Hannah-sama," one of them said.
"Then, where will you be resting?" Tiamat asked curiously.
"You don't have to worry about us, Hannah-sama," Gazef swiftly answered.
A level of professionalism needed to be maintained, and this fact was especially true for Gazef Stronoff and his troops who had come from humble upbringings.
They were always scrutinized by the nobility at the Royal Court, and so to do their jobs as best as they could without disturbing their honored guest would be one of their responsibilities.
All they needed to do was to make sure that the Silver Priestess was comfortable and protected.
Tiamat finally entered, and Gazef handed her the keys to her room.
"Good night, Hannah-sama," with that he closed the door, leaving Tiamat alone with the Eight-Edged Assassin and the two guards who were guarding her outside the door.
The Dragoness put the key in the keyhole, twisting it to the right to lock it in place, and then pulled out scrolls of『Silence』 from her inventory. She activated the scrolls, preventing sound from escaping the room, and casted『Aegis』as well just in case.
"Your commands, Lady Tiamat?" the spider on the ceiling asked.
Tiamat looked at the spider, tilting her head upwards. "Are you hungry?" she asked.
"I have no need to eat My Lady. Lord Ainz had provided me with a『Ring of Sustenance』so I may properly guard you."
"Ah, I see. I guess Momo-chan has a point there…" Tiamat pondered with her hand on her chin.
It would be difficult for the Assassin to eat in such a crowded area. Even if he were invisible, the risk of someone noticing food mysteriously disappearing could not be overlooked.
"In that case, please stay here," Tiamat decided.
"My Lady! How can I protect you from this room?" the arachnoid protested.
"Don't worry about it! I'll be perfectly fine. After all," Tiamat put an arm on her bicep, "I can definitely take a hit or two!"
"Then I shall remain here and stand guard against anyone who dares to try to harm you, My Lady," the Assassin finally conceded.
"Awesome! I'll see you in a bit then!" Tiamat waved to the Eight-Edged Assassin as it turned invisible and returned to its place on the ceiling, filled with the motivation to stay vigilant as he was now guarding a Supreme Being.
After ensuring that the Assassin was fully cloaked, Tiamat opened the door.
Immediately, the two guards stood to attention.
Both of them were wearing the light armor of the Warrior's Band and bore a broadsword on their hips. Their expressions conveyed the utmost seriousness as they beheld their charge.
"Is there anything we can help you with, Hannah-sama?" one of them asked.
She looked at them worryingly. Would they refuse her request?
"I want to go down to eat dinner, is that okay?" she asked.
The one on the left immediately lowered his head, startling the Dragoness slightly, while making the arachnoid behind her bristle uncomfortably. "Then I will ask the innkeeper to bring something to your room at once."
Tiamat lifted both of her hands up to reject the idea, "No, that's alright. I'll just go downstairs to eat," she said while exiting the door and locking it behind her. The Assassin quickly slipped through to her side as she closed the door.
"But, Hannah-sama—"
"Did the Warrior-Captain order that I shall remain locked in until tomorrow morning? I think this would be alright," she tried to reason with them.
Sitting in the room with nearly nothing to do had been incredibly boring, and she couldn't forget that amazing scent.
"But the food of this inn is not fit for someone of your stature," the other guard replied back.
"B-But, it smells so delicious, plus I didn't get to eat anything since morning…" she cast her eyes downwards.
Her stomach growled as it ached, before stopping and continuing once again. She knew that its cries would not be answered as the growls returned a few moments later.
She realized that ever since she had arrived in the New World, her hunger was almost insatiable.
It was as if her stomach was a black hole that devoured everything she put near her mouth. Her new body constantly demanded more food as if to compensate for something.
Earlier, she had drank a ridiculous amount of water, which calmed her stomach down for a while, only for the dull pain of hunger to return with a vengeance, as if to punish her for fooling it into thinking it was being fed. She tried to sleep, but she was always awoken by the dull pain and reminded of that delicious smell.
Perhaps she should've listened to Ainz when he told her that she should always keep a 『Ring of Sustenance』in her inventory.
Regardless, Tiamat was someone who was familiar with hunger since she had come from a disadvantaged background. She had eaten things that no human should be forced to put into their bodies out of hunger. Orphans like her had no choice, especially if they had no idea where their next meal would come from.
Back on Earth, she had been forced to become creative in coming up with ways to eat before getting that job at the bakery. Some ideas were good, and some are bad, but she doesn't care about the outcome. All she wanted was to stem the pain of starvation.
She was used to begging, stealing, and asking before she finally earn. She had been forced to resort to all possible ways of getting food, not just for herself, but also for the children she took care of.
She felt lucky that food was so plentiful in the New World. Tiamat appreciated every spoonful of nourishment even if she ate like a medieval barbarian.
She was fortunate.
The two guards looked at the woman in front of them with a flabbergasted expression. They had never expected her to beg to be allowed to have dinner. They thought she would just order them around like every other noble girl in the Kingdom.
One of them nodded in confirmation without even realizing, and Tiamat happily shook his hand.
"Thank you! Would you like to join me for dinner?" she asked.
The guard's comrade looked at his friend in shock, frantically gesturing for his friend to reject the Priestess's proposal. They were supposed to provide for the Priestess, not the other way around.
The guard who had been nudging his friend cleared his throat, "There's no need for you to worry about us, Hannah-sama. If you want to head downstairs, we will accompany you."
v(≧∇≦v)三(v≧∇≦)v
"Didja see that gal? She sure was a real looker!"
"By the gods, I have never seen such a fine ass!" another man drunkenly slurred.
"Watch your mouth, you idiot! She came here with the Warrior Captain!" a friend panickedly whispered to the man.
"L—burp Like I care! That bastard should ju-burp just shove a sword up his ass," the man said as he shoved his friend away.
At that moment, the sound of footsteps were heard from the second floor as the woman they were talking about descended from the stairs as they all turned their heads to gape in silence.
They couldn't deny that the woman was gorgeous.
Her figure was impeccable, a decanter shaped waist that was highlighted by her white dress. Her complexion was a healthy pink, and emphasized her vitality. It was as if the gods had spend most of their time perfecting the woman in front of them instead of fulfilling their duties.
When they looked at her face, they realized that she must be a foreigner, or at least have come from another realm.
Her eyebrows arched slightly as she saw them staring at her. Some yelped at being caught and immediately looked away, while others continued staring as if entranced. Her luminous amethyst eyes slowly blinked once.
As her enticing, gem like eyes stared back at them, she broke into a smile that lit up the room, jolting them like lightning when they saw that powerful smile towards them.
"Good evening," she greeted them, her voice as sweet as any songbird.
Filed to perfection, her fingernails ran through her silver hair as she held up to maneuver her way around the uneven staircase. Spools of it plunged around her shoulders, hiding her neck.
When she walked past them to an empty table, an aroma redolent of cinnamon and meadow-fresh mint lingered in their thoughts.
But that was all she was in their eyes: beautiful.
They had all heard the rumors that had been spreading around.
Her kindness and gentle smiles, as well as the dirtiness within.
To use her body to become an Adamantite adventurer, a hero sought out by many. To seduce the guild leader himself to rise through the ranks where mostly male adventurers thrived.
No matter how many times they looked at the situation, they still found it impossible.
Even Blue Rose could only rise through Adamantite as a group of six. But somehow, she managed to rise to Adamantite alone. She probably didn't even have to do any work herself; after all, why would she need to when she had a dragon?
There wasn't a single muscle in her body, her hands lacked the roughness of warriors, and they knew she was lying about being a humble priestess.
That was because no priestess would be able to afford what she was wearing.
A dress of snow white that clinged to her every curve, putting her assets as a woman on display for the entire world.
The clothing of a whore.
Even more infuriating was how clean that dress was. Despite being such a bright white, they couldn't find the smallest speck of dirt on it. Obviously, this was further evidence that proved she didn't do her quests on her own.
Their gazes turned into that of a poisonous snake's, looking at her with disdain.
"Excuse me," she raised her hand to call for the innkeeper, but even he turned a blind eye to her.
More than a little annoyed with the disrespect the Priestess was being treated with despite showing nothing but kindness to them, the guard immediately walked over to the bar where the innkeeper was cleaning a glass.
"Excuse me, but I believe that you have a customer."
The innkeeper glanced down at the guard's worn sheathed sword and grudgingly put down the glass he was cleaning before walking over to the Priestess.
The guard swiftly returned, "Your dinner will be here in a few moments, Hannah-sama."
"Thank you!" she smiled at them: a charming, seductive smile. Both of her hands were clasped behind her back as she stretched her back by standing on her toes.
Her dress rode up ever so slightly and revealed her ankles. To her, it was a perfectly normal action as she fantasized about what she would be eating. To everybody else, her beauty seemed even more out of the world and straight from a fictional tale.
The surrounding patrons could immediately see in the warriors' gazes that they were absolutely smitten.
A few tables away, sat the drunk man, who had pushed his friend off his chair, along with his friends. They observed the entire situation, snickering as if they were betting on an outcome.
The drunk man eventually gathered the courage to stand up from his chair, his body struggling to remain balanced, as if he was experiencing some sort of an out of body experience. His legs wobbled as they refused to synchronize with his arms; it was clear to everyone that he was extremely intoxicated.
He walked down towards her table, swaying left and right. The two knights behind her immediately moved forward to stop him.
"Move outta mah way," The man slurred, his sentence barely understandable as his glossy eyes moved towards the woman sitting at the table.
"You're drunk," the knight replied as gently as he could. Even though they were assigned to protect the Adamantite hero, they still couldn't raise their hands against a simple civilian.
One look at the man and they knew he was a drunkard, plain and simple. His breakfast was mead with a rum chaser. He was a man who would be slurring his words by lunchtime and passed out drunk in the afternoon. What little money he could earn was used to pay for the booze he craved daily.
Even now he was clutching an almost empty mug of beer in his right hand. The remaining beer sloshed around in the cup as he walked.
"I just want to take a closer look at the pretty lady, out of my way, army dog!" he angrily shouted as the effects of the alcohol began to give way to rage.
Geffrey had been inebriated every day of his life for the past twenty years or so. He had not worked on his field for years, and was getting worse at hiding his bad habits. He had drunk more than usual this day, and he could only hoped that the rosiness of his cheeks didn't give him away.
Every morning, he added some mead to his drink so that he could stay desensitized throughout the day while planning how he'd become paralytic by evening.
He did this every day, often waking in the morning facedown in a cold pile of vomit. Often times, he woke up not knowing where he was.
When his ex-wife called him a drunkard, he called her a bitch.
Perhaps that was why his wife ran away from him. It was either that or the repeated beatings.
In any case, he had never heard of her ever since.
But that didn't matter right now.
Right now, he wanted to take a closer look at the so-called astounding beauty, the Saint of E-Rantel herself.
Who knew? Perhaps her beauty could fill the emptiness in his heart.
"If you continue this, I'm afraid I will have to take action," the warrior warned.
"Screw you! I just wanted a look, is that so wrong, huh?!" His foul breath erased all doubts regarding how intoxicated he actually was. Tiamat took a deep breath out, preparing mentally for what was about to happen.
"It's alright," her voice was smooth and clear, yet quiet and powerful: soothing in its own peculiar way.
The drunken man pushed the warrior away and slumped onto the empty chair next to the Priestess.
As he ogled the Priestess's face, his throat felt drier than the baked summer earth outside.
"By the gods, you're beautiful." he spoke unexpectedly clear and coherent, far raspier than usual.
"Trust me, I'm not," she replied humbly. "There are a lot of people much more beautiful than I am."
The man scooted closer to her, to the extent that one of the warriors put his hand on the drunken man's shoulder, "You smell good," he paused to draw in her scent, "Really good."
His eyes stared intently at her, examining every inch of her skin: surveying her. Slowly he reached forward and sniffed the long strands of her hair. "Ya know, I could see that you try to look like a good girl, but that probably ain't true, isn't it?"
Tiamat said nothing.
"You slept with the guild leader of E-Rantel didn't ya?" he grinned, pulling the strands of her hair so she would get closer to him. "Why don't you do me too, girl?"
The woman in front of him remained quiet as she locked her unnatural purple eyes to his plain brown ones.
"Oi, what are you doing you old man? Let her go!"
The Priestess simply looked at the knight, her eyes telling them to simply let the drunken man be.
"Heh," he sneered. "Afterall, it was your dragon who did all the Adamantite quests for you right? Must've been easy owning such a powerful creature. Bet you've slept with the beast too," he cackled.
The man looked at the Priestess who still hadn't said a single thing. Despite her silence, he could clearly see the pity from her open expression.
He hated that.
He let go of her hair, and laid back in his seat, a cruel and mocking smile on his lips.
"I bet if I had a dragon, I could easily become an Adamantite adventurer too!" he exclaimed to her, and was pleased to see her eyes widen slightly.
He knew he had hit a nerve.
"Ya know that the one who should have that plate is your dragon right? Not you," he continued mocking her. "Everyone knows that you don't deserve to have that," he pointed at her adventurer plate.
The woman could only bite her lips in silence, while he basked in the attention he had gathered at the inn.
His uneven teeth were shown as he smiled his crooked smile, getting ecstatic from the feeling of finally humiliating someone that was not him.
"You—" the knight started to raise his sword, but as soon as he did, the Priestess uttered a single sentence.
"Do you mean it?"
The drunken man, who didn't expect that response, could only respond with surprise. "Ha?"
"Do you mean what you said, about you becoming an adventurer if you had a dragon?"
The man cackled, "Of course! As the ruler of the strongest being in the world, I bet it would be super easy to become Adamantite in a flash!"
The girl suddenly grasped his hand, and shifted closer to him, an act that surprised the drunken man.
"My savior!"
"W-What?!"
"I have three Frost Dragons who just laze around all day back home, and all they ever do is eat and sleep. They're not even that powerful, so why do I even have to put with them?! Since you said that you're willing to become an adventurer if you have a dragon, then please, take one of them for me!" the woman rambled as the man's head spun in confusion.
"HAA?!" the man screeched in disbelief, as the rest of the people at the inn gasped at what she said.
"I have three frost dragons who are just lazing around at home, they—"
"I heard ya the first time, ya don't gotta repeat what you said!" he roared, and forcefully pulled his hand away from her grip.
"Where's your house? Should I send it to you now? Never mind, I need to see the King at the Capital first and then say goodbye to one of them. Can I choose which one, or do you want to choose? After I finish my business at the Capital, I'll deliver the dragon to you. Oh! And there's no need for you to pay me," she cheerfully ignored him and continued her insane chatter.
"You're insane! Dragons are powerful creatures. You're lucky enough if you could slay them, but to tame them is something out of the question! And you have four, four!" he immediately sobered up.
"So?" she asked innocently, "Four is way too much for an Adamantite quest, and plus, people already talk about me when I use one. Imagine if I used all four…"
The drunken man couldn't come up with a reply.
Suddenly, the innkeeper put the Priestess's meal on the table.
"Here ya go, enjoy," the man said enthusiastically.
Tiamat looked at the food served in front of her, the humblest of meals she had ever had since she came into the New World.
A bowl of soup, a pot of beans, and a piece of bread.
She smiled at the innkeeper, "Thank you!"
"Oi," the drunken man interjected, annoyed that she seemed to be ignoring him, "Didn't you just think in your head that this kind of food wasn't fit for someone like you?"
There was no way that she was smiling because the food was good, especially since she looked like someone accustomed to eating the fare of nobles. Someone like her was undoubtedly used to faking her smiles for the crowds, all while secretly mocking them in her heart.
What a hypocrite.
Tiamat looked at him, her eyes scrunched together in confusion, "What do you mean?"
He clicked his tongue, "Don't you have eyes, woman?! It's just some shitty soup served with a piece of bread."
"Ah, you think so? Smells delicious to me," she nonchalantly replied as she clasped her hands together, her delicate fingers interlocking with one another as she lowered her head.
"What are you doing?"
The girl didn't reply.
"Oi, are you ignoring me now?!"
She silently raised her fingers to her lips, "I'm saying grace."
"What—?"
Her eyes remained closed for a few more moments before she finally raised her head.
"It's my way of saying thank you for the food being provided for me."
"Why?"
"Hm, well…" she lifted her head up to look at the ceiling, "It's kind of hard to explain, but it's not everyday that you get to eat warm, delicious food. So I thanked the divine for providing me with this gift."
"But it's not the divine who provides this for you. You bought this with your money."
"Not necessarily. Countless people must have worked hard in putting this food on the table right? From the farmer to the innkeeper, their hands worked tirelessly to provide this. I was thanking the divine for protecting these people. Without them, there wouldn't be any food on the table, right?" she smiled at him.
"You…" the man was at a loss for words.
The woman in front of him was different from what he heard.
He had heard the rumors of her being a seductress to her being a noble of the highest degree. But the person in front of him was none of those.
She had a total of four dragons, but she only used one.
She dressed so lightly that she could be considered a lowly escort, but the way she carried herself spoke of confidence and dignity.
She had prayed to the divine, thankful for the simple food served in front of her.
This unconventional woman was nothing like the gossips said, and it annoyed him tremendously.
As she was about to bring the spoon up from the bowl, she heard him muttering to himself, "Yes?" she asked.
Finding that he could not find anything more to say, he quietly got up from his chair and left.
He had some thinking to do.
"Oh! Do you still want the Frost Dragon?"
'Dammit Woman!'
v(≧∇≦v)三(v≧∇≦)v
When Tiamat returned to her room, she immediately sat down to obsessively scrub her hair clean from the drunkard's touch.
His touch burned, hurt even, and she could still feel his hand pulling on it even now. Although she had wanted to shoo the man away, the look in his eyes stopped her.
Desperate, without an ounce of hope for the future.
A man who had lost everything to his vices and knew it.
To be perfectly honest, she pitied him. Tiamat couldn't bring herself to slap his hand away knowing that such a simple gesture would invariably lead to pain and misunderstanding.
She had tried her best to put on a friendly smile, but she felt like her mannerisms and feelings contradicted each other so much that she ended up feeling like a psychopath.
That was why she held it in, as she usually did.
She noticed that her skin was beginning to sting, and looked down; she had rubbed her skin to the point where it had become raw and pink.
Sighing, Tiamat fell back first onto the bed, preparing to sleep, too tired to change back to her original form, but everytime she turned her eyes to the ceiling, all she could see was the large arachnoid that was looming above her.
Its eyes followed her every move, to the point where it was getting a bit uncomfortable. What if she opened her mouth while she slept, or she drooled? Her pride as a Supreme Being would disintegrate into dust.
"Do you really have to stick yourself to the ceiling like that?" she asked in a desperate bid to politely get the spider to move.
"Yes, My Lady. My efficiency increases if I'm in high places."
"I see…"
Tiamat threw the bed cover over herself and turned to her side so she didn't have to look at the ceiling, but the spider's intense eyes burned into the side of her head.
As she tried her best to focus on sleeping, her subconscious kept registering the arachnoid in her peripheral vision and instinctually forced her mind into a defensive state.
Tiamat sighed, deciding to walk a bit outside to burn away her excess energy. Maybe she could even play with Pentakrisis for a while and go to sleep later.
"Come down, let's go outside," she said as the spider leapt down from the ceiling, silently landing on his feet and following the Dragoness outside.
"Where are we going, My Lady?"
"Let's play with Taki for a bit," she smiled at the spider, feeling giddy about meeting with Pentakrisis. She didn't even get to say goodbye to him before Gazef dragged her off into a carriage.
With her『Auto-Mapping』, she quickly spotted a small patch of empty land at the edge of the village.
'Takiiiiii, meet me at this empty spot near the village. Oh! And make sure that nobody's around before you land. Love you!'
'Yes Master!' she could almost hear his tail wagging through the link.
After a few minutes, she received a reply.
'There are no humans around, master,' a happy growl slipping into his voice.
Tiamat skipped for a bit before she unlocked her door, only to find that the two guards were still standing guard outside the door.
"Hannah-sama, is there anything you need?" one of them asked.
"I just want to go out for a bit, is that alright?"
"I'm afraid it's better if you rest for tonight, Hannah-sama," the other replied, blocking the door so she wouldn't be able to pass through. "We are here to make sure that you safely arrive to the King, and we will not do anything to jeopardize your safety, so please return to your room."
The way the warrior responded left no room for argument.
"I'm sorry to have bothered you," she bowed, apologetic for being selfish, and proceeded to close the door, locking it once more.
Tiamat sighed, "Aww, they aren't letting me get out of here."
"Shall I kill them?"
"No!" she reprimanded, "Killing isn't always the answer, you know."
"Then what shall we do My Lady?"
Tiamat looked around the room, and saw the window. Her room was located on the second floor, with light from the oil lamps of the inn streaming through the inside.
'I could just yeet myself out of here…'
She lifted the lever to the window and pushed it outwards; the cold night wind caressing her skin as a sudden influx of air entered the room.
She looked down from the opening, and was greeted with the sight of rocky pavement just a few meters below her..
'Huh, I could probably make that jump.'
Steeling her resolve, she took a few steps back from the window and ran full speed towards it before jumping out and roughly landing on the pavement with the spider following behind her much more gracefully.
Seeing that she had successfully escaped from the room, she did a victory fist pump.
"What are you doing, Hannah-sama?"
'Ah...busted.'
Behind her was Gazef Stronoff, standing watch outside her window sill.
v(≧∇≦v)三(v≧∇≦)v
As soon as Gazef Stronoff, guided her into the building, there were a few things he noticed.
The dubious nature of the inn and the jaded, wary eyes around him had instantly put him on edge.
The fact that more than a few lustful eyes were eyeing his charge didn't do much to help his mood either.
The two warriors he had assigned to her were already guarding the entrance to her door, and so the only place left for him to guard was either the front door of the inn, or the window where someone could easily sneak in.
After he had entrusted her to his most trusted troops, he scouted the surrounding area.
They were supposed to go to the next village, but the Priestess had asked him to stop so that she could do her...business. In retrospect, he should've asked her to prepare for the trip instead of just forcing her onto a journey without telling her beforehand.
Gazef sighed, that was a mistake on his part. He should have been more understanding, afterall, women had needs that men wouldn't understand.
Because of this simple delay, he decided to stop at the village before the night got too dark.
Truly, he wished from the depths of his heart that they could have stopped at the next village.
Indeed, the place where they were now at did not take kindly to adventurers, especially those hailed as the "Heroes of Humanity."
The things about heroes was that the brighter they shone, the longer their shadows grew. Shadows so prominent yet so hidden that they wouldn't be able to notice until it was too late.
Heroes were the rare beings who were able to surpass the limits of ordinary people through hard work or lucky enough to be blessed with imaginable powers. Even though people knew they were fortunate that heroes were born and created to protect them; at the same time, they knew that many heroes had also lost their way.
Afterall, one of the few adamantite adventurers had hailed from this village, but when the villagers asked him for help, he declined.
'There's no merit in helping someone like you.'
They could still remember the words he had uttered. How dare he? For him to abandon the place where he was born and to forget the kindness that his neighbors had shown him, the villagers could see him as no more than pond scum.
It was no wonder that these people had come to hate heroes so.
Truth to be told, he should've brought the rest of his Warrior-Band, but he had no idea that they would've been forced to stop at a clearly hostile village.
'All because of a restroom break…'
Making the best with what he had, he assigned two warriors to her door and another two to rotate with them.
The rest of his Band slept in the small clearing not far from the village.
As the rest of his men prepared to rest, Gazef decided to guard the blindspots, the spots that were the most dangerous.
It wasn't that he didn't trust the Priestess's ability to defend herself, afterall, she had single handedly defeated the Sunlight Scripture, the elite mages of the Theocracy. Even so, he had to admit that perhaps the gossip flying around may have held a grain of truth.
There was no smoke if there was no fire.
He didn't see the Priestess fight the Sunlight Scripture. For all he knew, she could've ordered her dragons to eat them.
That was why he didn't want to take any chances.
The moon was high up in the sky, dawn still far away.
Some people had approached the window where she was staying, but as soon as they saw Gazef standing hidden by the shadows of the allies, they fled away.
Gazef scoffed as another scrawny pervert ran away from him.
All of the sudden, the window opened, and from the shadows he could see the Priestess's silhouette basking in the silver light of the moon.
And then she jumped.
She fucking jumped.
He saw her give a fist pump after clumsily landing on the ground before she started to walk away from the inn.
"What are you doing, Hannah-sama?"
Her entire body froze, as if she didn't expect him to be there, and she stiffly turned around with a sheepish smile.
"G-Gazef-san, good evening," she said with forced cheerfulness, her amethyst eyes trailing away from his sharp gaze.
"You are supposed to be sleeping."
"Erhm, yes, you see," she scrambled to find the right answer. It was clear to Gazef that she was caught completely off-guard.
Tiamat's face burned furiously as she looked down at her feet. She knew the reasoning behind her little escapade was silly, and that it was very likely that Gazef would think that she was running away.
A shiver went down her back as she tried to make herself smaller by wrapping her arms around her body, guarding against the cold night and Gazef's stare.
Tiamat decided that she had to tell him the truth. After all, he had told her that he would escort her safely to the Kingdom, and she had no reason to distrust him.
"I just want to play with Taki for a bit…" she whispered, embarrassed.
Gazef just closed his eyes and sighed.
'Why does a grown woman look like a child caught stealing candy?'
Tiamat couldn't help but clutch her wrist with her hand, looking down at the ground. She felt like she was being scolded.
A wave of memories washed over her as she recalled her childhood, She remembered how the Matron would beat her whenever she did something wrong. Even now, she shivered as she thought of the Matron's anger, and she hunched down even more as she sensed Gazef's disapproving stare..
It was as if she was being berated for disobeying the Matron's orders. The surroundings around her changed, grey walls replacing a vivid forest, the stench of old paint and furniture overpowering the clean air of nature, her cheeks stinging with the phantom pain of being slapped.
Shame warred with panic as she fought to open her eyes. In her eyes, the Matron was walking forward to beat her. Gazef took a step towards her and as he raised his hand, she flinched.
She waited for the burning pain to blossom across her cheeks, but nothing came.
When she slowly opened her eyes, she could make out his confused expression as he watched her struggle. She took a step back to create a little bit of distance between them.
Gazef sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, "I understand. Then, I shall escort you to meet your dragon. Afterall, it's dangerous to go alone at this hour."
"Really?!" she looked at him wide eyed, surprised that he didn't throw her back into her room.
"It's fine, afterall, I didn't give you any time to prepare. It's my fault," he bowed.
Tiamat's breath hitched, "No Gazef-san, I'm really sorry! It's not your fault at all, I'll just take ten minutes and then I'll go back to my room. I promise I won't bother you much, I'm sorry!" she deeply bowed.
"That's alright, Hannah-sama. Shall we go?" he said, choosing to push back the confusion he felt at her bizarre behavior. Tiamat nodded, leading the way with Gazef at her back, and the spider at his.
She peeked at Gazef from the corner of her eyes, as well as the spider that was behind him, already bringing up the blade to end the Warrior-Captain's life.
She couldn't help but to wildly gesture for the spider to stop.
"What is it, Hannah-sama?" Gazef looked behind him to see nothing, tightening his grip on the sword sheathed at his hips.
"N-Nothing!" Tiamat turned back towards the front, whistling as she guided them to where Pentakrisis was waiting.
Once they finally arrived in the clearing, they were greeted with the sight of a titanic silver dragon huddled up with its tail wrapped around it, seemingly waiting for someone in the dark, empty clearing.
Tiamat threw herself at him.
"Taki!"
As soon as the dragon heard her, he immediately raised his head, and pounced in glee towards her, causing small tremors to run along the ground. Even Gazef Stronoff, the Strongest Man in the Kingdom, couldn't help but to open his mouth in awe.
Using his snout, Pentakrisis lifted her up from the ground as she gave him a big hug.
"I missed you so much," she kissed his snout over and over again, as loud rumblings of happiness came from the dragon's maw.
The Dragon put her down and rolled over onto his back, allowing her access to his stomach as she continued to rub his smooth scales.
But the most surprising thing was that he had brought the baby dragons with him.
'Is mooma here?' asked one of them who was playing around at the other side of the clearing and had observed their older brother's weird behaviour.
However, even before Tiamat could answer that question, one of them caught her scent and gasped.
'It's mooma!' they screamed out through the mental link, and wagged their tails as they flew towards her.
'Mooma, I found you!'
As usual, they slammed their entire body into her, almost crushing her in the process.
"Yes, yes, I'm here," she laughed at their antics as they rubbed their heads on her body. "I missed you too…"
'Come to think of it, I've never named them either…'
'Mooma, what's wrong?' one of the dragonlings asked, curious as to what she was pondering about.
Tiamat proceeded to hug all the baby dragons in her arms.
'I need to give all of you names. Sorry about forgetting…'
'Name? What's a name mooma?' one of them put his head on her lap.
'A name is something that someone calls you. It is something that you will own for the rest of your lives, something that only belongs to you,' Tiamat nuzzled the dragonling as she conversed with them, her eyes trailing away as she thought of their names.
Powerful names that meant something: unforgettable and meaningful.
"Alright, I've come up with some names!" she declared, startling the dragonlings with the sudden increase in volume.
'You scared me mooma!' one of them accused as it began hopping up and down in her lap.
"From now you'll be known as Red," Tiamat pointed at the one that was hopping on her.
"And you," she pointed at the one butting her stomach, "You'll be called Chili."
"And you," she picked up the one licking her face, "You wubby dubby wittle baby. Your name will be Pepper."
Once she had named all of her children, their eyes met, and they could see her tender eyes gazing at them. Almost immediately, they began screeching in joy, jumping and flying around the clearing gleefully.
"Do you like it?"
When they finished celebrating, they nuzzled into her body as a way of thanks, growling softly at her for giving them something that truly belonged to them.
Even Pentakrisis puffed his breath as a way of congratulating them.
Gazef, who had been standing a few meters away from the Priestess to give her some privacy, couldn't help but to walk closer so that he could see the majestic beings in the moonlit field.
He had undeniably seen these dragonlings before.
"Are these the dragons from that day?" Gazef asked, feeling a little awkward at breaking what was obviously an intimate moment.
As he made his presence known, the baby dragons hissed at him, angry that a stranger was disturbing their time with their mooma. Even Pentakrisis growled at the unwelcome man in front of him, curling his tail around Tiamat and the babies.
"Hey now, it's alright. This one's a friend," Tiamat tried to explain; even if it didn't stop them from being wary of Gazef, at least their hostility was repressed for a little bit.
"They've grown bigger," he remarked.
He remembered the last time he saw her dragons; they were still small, still a bit shorter than her, but now he could see that the baby dragons were growing. Their bodies loomed over hers and the scales protruding from them were far more dangerous and threatening.
It was amazing how she could easily take the blunt force of their hard scales and weight slamming into her.
"Is that so? I feel like they're still small compared to Taki…" she replied.
The aforementioned dragon scoffed, lifting his head up as if to say, of course.
Even though Gazef was standing quite a distance away, she could feel his unsettling gaze on her back.
"Gazef-san, wanna try petting them?" she asked, trying to break the tension. Perhaps giving him a distraction would steer his gaze away from her.
It didn't occur to her that Gazef was wondering about how someone so small could be so strong; sadly, he was completely unaware that his gaze had been piercing her, making her uncomfortable.
"There is no need, Hannah-sama. As you said, you have ten minutes."
Tiamat nodded and decided to give her dragons her undivided attention.
"Now children, shall we play for a bit?" she asked them.
'Playplayplay!' the dragonlings screamed out excitedly as they flew up into the air, their jaws filling up with brilliant flames.
"Do you want to join us, Gazef-san?" she asked.
Gazef sat on the grassy plains, as he laid his sword down to his right, "No, it's alright Hannah-sama."
"Okay, shall we play by ourselves?"
The baby dragons nodded enthusiastically, flying away high into the skies until they couldn't be seen. But what was weird to Gazef was that the Priestess suddenly broke out into a run.
He sat there in confusion before his instincts suddenly began screaming at him to move. Gazef Stronoff immediately rolled behind a tree as night turned into dawn, dragonflame dying the entire clearing a radiant orange and red.
The shockwave shook the entire area, and if Gazef had not hid behind the trees, he would've been blown away.
"What the hell?!" he shouted to himself, his ears still ringing from the impact.
"『Fire Bolt』!" the Priestess's voice rang out as a bolt of fire emerged from flames and hit a dragonling straight in the chest. The dragonling, stunned from the impact, dropped like a rock to the ground.
Seeing this, the two dragonlings still in the air slowly descended before suddenly vanishing in a burst of speed, strafing the still burning clearing in a stream of purple flames.
Gazef couldn't do anything but stare helplessly as the once grassy plain was burned into oblivion.
'The villagers must be worried…' he absentmindedly thought as the Priestess and her Dragons cheerfully exchanged volleys of hellfire.
'To think that people this much stronger than me exist,' Gazef Stronoff tiredly smiled, as the Priestess panickedly tried to put out the fire on her dress.
"Watch out for the clothing Chili!" the Priestess tried to scold the dragonling as it burped a cloud of fire into her face.
Gazef couldn't help but chuckle.
'I wonder how the world would be like if more people were as laid-back as this.'
"Hannah-sama, two more minutes!"
The Priestess sloppily saluted him before reaching out her arms and catching the two dragonlings as they tried to strafe the clearing again.
"Chili, Pepper," she bent down and picked up Red who was waking up from his stupor, "Red, I have to go for now. You kids be good now and listen to big sister Aura, 'kay?"
'No, play more mooma!' the dragonlings protested as they began to butt their heads against her again.
"Mommy has to do something important right now. But I'll be back soon to play with you all again," she gave them one last hug before nudging them towards Taki.
Pentakrisis gently gathered the struggling dragonlings in his grip, looking at the Priestess as if telling her to be careful, before flying away into the night sky.
The Priestess watched, waving goodbye as they disappeared into the distance.
"You really do love them a lot," Gazef mentioned out of the blue, coming out from behind the scorched tree.
"Yes, but honestly, I really don't deserve them, they are such good dragons," she shrugged with a bitter smile, "Shall we return to the inn, Gazef-san?"
Gazef nodded and led the way out of the clearing back to the inn. The way back was quiet, the stars and moon guiding each and every step they took.
Yet none of that light shone any clarity on the questions she had for the man in front of her.
Why did the King invite her? Why her? Why was it so important to have her there at the Capital?
But most importantly, had Gazef told the King her secret?
Tiamat looked at his back warily.
"I'm sorry I told you that you couldn't bring your dragon," Gazef suddenly spoke out.
She tilted her head in confusion. Why? Was he apologizing for knowing her secret?
Gazef continued, "I saw how close you are with them. To be honest, I've never thought of being friendly with… non-humans. All my years of living, I've been taught to protect humanity, but I would have never thought to protect humanity in a way such as yours."
"I see…" Tiamat scrunched her brows together in bewilderment.
"But you must know that this is for your own good. The nobles at the court would tear you to pieces if you bought something as eye-catching as a dragon," Gazef nodded his head to acknowledge her gratitude as he continued to explain.
"Why would they do that?"
"Because you, Hannah-sama, because you are the first person ever to have tamed not one, but four dragons. Four beings of insurmountable might that even I can not hope to defeat," Gazef laughed bitterly.
"So there hasn't been a dragon tamer in the past?" Tiamat asked curiously.
Gazef nodded, "You and the Dark Hero Momon are the only ones to have forced powerful beings to your will."
Gazef glanced back at her from the corner of his eyes and saw that her inquisitive eyes revealed that she was digesting everything he had said.
Nothing he had said was a lie. He knew just how corrupt the nobles were, and he feared that such a gentle soul would invariably be decimated by the greed of those fools.
As much as he wanted to see her again, he had never expected the King to personally ask him to escort her to the Capital. Although he still owed her his life, there was no way that he could have refused the King's order as one of his loyal subjects. At the same time, he feared that the Priestess's spirit might not be strong enough.
Afterall, to be able to converse with nobles was something that one was born with. No commoner could possibly keep up with the intrigues of the court, and the nobles would undoubtedly look down on said commoner.
Gazef's stress continued to mount as the inn came into sight. He absolutely had to get these thoughts across to the Priestess before they arrived at the Capital.
"You must understand Hannah-sama, everything I do is for your own protection," Gazef turned and looked at her, standing before the door of the inn.
"Why...why are you telling me this?"
Gazef turned to look at her, "You saved me, and therefore I must return the favor," he paused for a while, letting his intention sink in before he continued, "I'm sure when the King invited you to the palace, the nobles have plotted things behind His Majesty's back to keep you there. No doubt so that they could exploit you."
"How do you know that, Gazef-san?"
"I've been working as the King's personal guard for a while, and have seen the greed of these nobles. That is why, no matter what they ask you, please reject it, Hannah-sama."
He closed his eyes, thinking in his mind that she, with her kind and gentle nature, would readily agree to what he had suggested.
But when he opened his eyes, he was greeted with a confident smile.
"I appreciate that you're looking after me, Gazef-san, but I'm afraid that's not necessary."
"Hannah-sama, those nobles—"
"I am well aware of the nature of the nobles in the Kingdom," she cut him off, "I'm sorry for being blunt, but your protection is not needed."
Gazef was shocked by the fire gleaming in her eyes.
It was as if she was bold enough to turn the entire Kingdom against her and still have the confidence to come out on top.
An unwavering pillar in a storm of plots.
No matter how tough things may get, it looked as if she had total control over the situation.
"Is that all?" she asked kindly.
"Y-Yes."
"I see," the woman pushed the door of the inn open, allowing the light from the oil lamp to peek through the opened door, "If that's all, then I bid you goodnight Gazef-san. Sorry for being a bother, and thank you for escorting me to my dragons."
Before he could reply, she entered the inn, leaving him alone outside with no one in sight.
…
Omake: Explanation
…
"What was that explosion last night, Stronoff-sama?!"
"Are we under attack? Is it monsters?"
"I saw flames coming from the forest!"
Gazef forced himself to not sigh as he was mobbed by a crowd of worried villagers.
If only he knew what the Priestess's definition of 'play' was. Now that he had to reassure all of the villagers, they were definitely going to be late to the Capital.
"Do not worry, it was only a mere Salamander in the forest that I came upon while patrolling the perimeters. I have defeated it so please be at ease," Gazef came up with an excuse on the spot.
It would be bad if they knew it was the Priestess causing such a ruckus, especially with how hostile the village was towards Adamantites.
He had to break his code of honor and lie.
"A-As expected of our hero, Gazef Stronoff!" the villagers gazed at him in awe.
"Gazef-sama, please take this gift!" one woman lifted up a blanket she had knitted. Gazef graciously took the proffered present.
"Warrior-Captain-sama, how can we ever repay you?"
"Citizens," Gazef nobly declared, "There is no need for you to pay me back for doing my duty. All the payment that I desire is for you to live a good life"
"So humble! He's a real hero unlike all those fakers out there!" the crowd continued to praise him.
"In any case, I must return to the Capital. His Majesty had been expecting a guest." he maneuvered his way through the crowd, "Excuse me."
He did feel a bit guilty for using the Priestess to boost his reputation, however unintentional it was.
But better that the responsibility fall on him than someone else.
...
Omake: Secretly a Genius?
…
The dull thumping at the back of his head was starting to annoy him.
His head felt like it was about to split open as a headache began to form.
Ainz stared helplessly at the mountain of documents before him.
His office was filled with unfinished paperwork, the work he had been procrastinating on for weeks on end, and as he stared with jaws agape, Albedo walked back and forth, stacking the pile of documents higher and higher.
It was to the extent that he could not even see his own table.
He sighed. Might as well get all of this done and over with.
Nazarick had been vastly improving in every definition of the word: the work hours, the income flowing in, as well as the stocks of materials that kept on coming in to Nazarick.
He even kept his and Tiamat's adventuring money circulating throughout all the floors of Nazarick by allowing its denizens to exchange money for curios from the outside world, such as toys and artifacts that didn't exist in YGGDRASIL. All the other services and food in Nazarick was provided for free for all its denizens.
Ainz couldn't bring himself to charge his children money for the services in their own home.
That was why he had so many documents.
"Ainz, I need your approval on this document ASAP. The bar needs to increase the stock of alcohol," Tiamat hollered.
"Ainz-sama, please check the monthly expenditures for this month," Albedo added, much to his dismay.
Ainz sighed, "What about the rise of the food expenses outside of Nazarick? Aren't the farmers at Carne Village are asking for a price increase?"
"That part was handled by Lady Tiamat, Ainz-sama."
Ainz looked up from his paperwork, "Can she handle that much responsibility?"
"Oi, don't talk as if I'm not here."
"So far, Lady Tiamat has made no mistakes, Ainz-sama."
"As I said, don't talk like I'm not here…"
Ainz just look at Albedo, completely disregarding the Dragoness, "Umu, understood."
"Ainz..."
"What about the profits gained from the Ninth Floor? Also, with regards to lowering the cost of food materials, how does it go?" Ainz asked the Succubus.
Tiamat slammed her hand on Ainz's table, causing some of the documents to fall off from the table and flutter onto the floor, "Listen to me."
Ainz finally looked up to see the Dragoness looming in front of his table.
Tiamat set aside one pile of documents on his table, "These are all the documents detailing the expenditures of Nazarick's residents. They seem to be growing more open to purchasing items from the outside world after our initial shopping excursion, so that plan of ours is working."
She took another stack of paper, "These forms are from the shops on the Ninth Floor requesting for the price of the materials from Carne Village to be lowered. Personally, I think you can reject this. I've checked the costs of the raw materials, and they're very reasonable. I agree with the proposal of increasing the costs a little bit, after all, maintaining a good relationship with the producers is very important."
Ainz opened his mouth, but she was far from finished, "There's also a proposal from the kitchen to start producing birthday cakes for birthday events to generate more profit. Of course, these cakes will be free to anyone in Nazarick, but I've been considering selling them to the outside world. However, there's a problem with the quality and prices of products required for sweets because they are waaaaay more expensive compared to basic meats and vegetables."
Ainz just stared at her with burning red eyes.
"What?" she asked.
"You are managing more than what you've been given."
"Well, I'm here to help you, so isn't it obvious that I'm going to put more care in it?"
"Ainz-sama, Lady Tiamat," Albedo called out, "We also need to discuss the increasing price of outside trinkets throughout Nazarick. Although it's small at the moment, this issue will likely become an issue in the future."
Tiamat went back to her table and found a particular document as she quickly flipped through the entire report.
"Wow, this really is small. The value of money is decreasing, but the price of goods are growing," Tiamat smiled at Albedo, "It's fine, Albedo."
"Wait, how is that fine?" Ainz interjected.
"Well, what used to be purchasable with one coin now needs to be bought with two, which is obviously inflation. Furthermore, because there's a demand, the prices will increase. However, the increase in prices also indicates that the denizens of Nazarick are now becoming more well-off since they could afford to purchase more items from the outside," Tiamat simply explained.
"Someone also suggested increasing the bank's interest rates," Albedo followed up, "Perhaps we can decrease the money circulated within Nazarick and therefore increase the value of money to its original amount."
"Good suggestion, but we don't have to do that right now. If we change the interest rates, commodity prices will change again. Right now our first priority is allowing everyone in Nazarick to use their money, allowing the more materials from outside to flow into our economy."
"Understood, My Lady."
"Hold on one moment," Ainz raised his hand. "Bank are something that we recently established right? Why is Tiamat in charge of this?"
"Oh my, Ainz-sama, did you not know?" Albedo looked at Ainz who was sitting in his chair with a confused glint in his eyes. "The person who came up with the idea of a banking system in Nazarick is Lady Tiamat."
"You were the one who submitted that proposal?!" Ainz asked, his tone raised in disbelief.
He remembered the first time the proposal had landed on his table, Albedo had marked that document as something of the highest priority, so he decided to read it before he started working.
The proposal was intricate, explaining the reasoning why Nazarick needed a bank, and how it would profit Nazarick in the long run without wasting any of YGGDRASIL's coins, and by the time he was finished, he couldn't help but to agree with it.
If his children were able to store their money in one place, it would be a lot easier for him and Tia to distribute their income since they wouldn't have to do it on an individual by individual basis. Instead they could just delegate that job to the bank. Furthermore, it also meant that they could easily retrieve funds in the case of an emergency.
"Yes," she replied nonchalantly.
"How…"
"Isn't that obvious? From the library of course."
Ainz's jaw dropped open.
To him, he found economics to be exceptionally difficult even at the introductory level. But as the leader of Nazarick, he had taken it upon himself to at least understand a little of the topic.
It was easy to say that economics was not something that someone could fully understand without experiencing it for themselves and applying book theory to real life.
This was because in the real world, models often did not fit with the models provided in books. In addition, it was easy to get lost in the flood of economic buzzwords.
But Tia said she simply read the book, implemented it in Nazarick, and even to the extent that she created a proposal that was far higher in quality and presentation than any he could remember seeing back on Earth.
"You...are you secretly a genius?" he muttered, but her keen sense of hearing had captured what he said.
"If I can do it, you can too, right?" she curiously asked. "I don't think it's that hard. Plus, you're definitely smarter than me in this area."
Ainz could only lower his head in shame.
The thing that had changed the most for both of them, aside from their physical appearances, was how their brain perceived things.
For Ainz, he could easily memorize everything in a single glance. His undead mind never forgot anything, even more so for experiences that encapsulated his emotions.
And for Tiamat, her brain's computational abilities had increased by leaps and bounds, making difficult concepts seem as easy as one plus one.
Even so, that was no excuse to fall behind in acquiring more knowledge. He was the guildmaster of Ainz Ooal Gown after all.
Ainz focused on the paperwork again and resolved to visit the Library more often.
He had a lot of catching up to do.
A/N: Thank you UndeadLord22 and Razel Treasure for naming the baby dragons! The Omake is a little sneak peek at how Nazarick had grown, and how the Supreme Beings have affected its growth. Next chapter would be the meeting with the King! Super Excited~
Hackslashbash: The playing with the dragonlings part was based off of the 'play' scene from Kobayashi's Maid Dragon.
Discord: 'Tiamat: The Goddess of Dragons' Discord Link: Helmeted Tyrant Trounces Peasant Sod (colon) (slash) (slash) devious inventor sparks creation onrejected devices . gg (slash) JUejk8J
