Hello again. I hope everyone is still safe and sound.
With all the quarantines going on, I somehow managed to make this chapter notably longer than my average. Well, I do hope this work of mine will continue to provide a form of entertainment during this rough times.
See you again in the afterword.
[X][X][X]
"Is everybody in place?"
Ainz spouted the question nervously as his Floor Guardians lined up beside him, who was trying his best to sit in an elegant posture on the Throne of Kings. The Emperor of Baharuth Empire and his company were now resting at the surface above, and with a single signal from Ainz they would soon arrive at this very room. Putting on a majestic display would be important in order to show no sign of weakness. It was a basic principle of diplomacy: Show weakness and they shall be more than happy to exploit you.
"Yes, Ainz-sama. All the vassals and Floor Guardians are now standing in their respective rightful place"
The one who had replied full of confidence was none other than Demiurge, currently assuming his frog-headed demon form as a precaution due to the fact that his default humanoid form, although masked, was already known to the public as Jaldabaoth.
Ainz kept himself silent upon hearing Demiurge's answer. He kept thinking whether he had missed anything or not. However, he knew for a fact the world wouldn't stop for him, and he had to brace for anything that would come soon.
"Very well, then we are ready to receive our guests. Let them come"
"Certainly, Ainz-sama"
Demiurge bowed as he spoke, and a message was immediately relayed to the maids serving the guests on the surface. It would only take a couple minutes until those guests presented themselves in this very room, and Ainz couldn't help having a feeling of nervousness building up from within.
There was still a little time, so Ainz decided to quickly consult Demiurge once more.
"Demiurge"
"Yes, Ainz-sama. How may I serve you?"
"I just need to stick to the plan, right?"
"Why, yes. But in the case Ainz-sama's brilliance has thought of a new, better plan, we all shall adjust accordingly with haste"
Ugh...
Demiurge's answer made Ainz instantly regret his decision. Every Floor Guardian still had not moved away from taking him as an infallible Supreme Being despite everything that had happened.
"No, I don't have any. But still, keep in mind the possibility of them derailing our plans, however slim the chance is"
"Certainly, Ainz-sama"
Right after Demiurge spoke out his affirmation, the grand doors that were the Gates of Judgement opened. As they slowly swung open, the guests behind it were revealed to everyone's eyes. One could easily notice the awed look on the faces of the guests, which made Ainz feel proud of himself and his friends.
Hmm, the one in the front must be the Emperor. He looks quite younger than I expected, even though I already know that he got into the position at a young age.
It took a couple seconds before the Emperor gave a command to his subordinates to walk forward following him. The wait for them to walk through the carpeted hallway pumped Ainz's nervousness through the roof, and he was thankful his skeletal face lacked expression, making it the ultimate poker face.
Finally, the guests were lined up before Ainz and the Floor Guardians. As planned, Albedo spoke with a straight tone of speech.
"Ainz-sama, this is the ruler of the Baharuth Empire, Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix, who seeks an audience with you"
"I am glad you have come, Emperor of the Baharuth Empire. I am the proud owner of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown"
Ainz followed up, also according to plan. The next step was to see how Jircniv or any of the other guests would respond.
"I humbly thank you for your most generous welcome, Ainz Ooal Gown-dono"
Alright, so far so good. Now it should be Demiurge's turn. I should time my own action right.
"Ainz-sama. It is disrespectful for inferior species such as humans to address you as an equal. [Knee-"
Ainz raised his hand right in front of Demiurge's face, halting the [Kneel] command.
"No need, Demiurge"
Still, even though only partially, the [Kneel] command took effect. The majority of the guests fell to their knees, leaving only a scant few still on their feet. This included the Emperor himself. Ainz couldn't help being a little impressed at the sight. Did he have an item to protect him, or was it a display of his mental fortitude as an Emperor? He had no time to consider this as Demiurge followed up on his earlier command.
"Understood, Ainz-sama. [Releasing Control]"
The affected guests were released from the effect of Demiurge's command, and they slowly rose back up while Jircniv stood still, visibly struggling to keep his breath in rhythm.
Alright, the next course of action is to apologize...
"Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix, my subordinate has done something rude to a noble guest who has come from far away to visit my domain, and I was late to intervene. The sins of the vassal are those of the liege, and as such I beg your forgiveness. I hope this is a matter which can be resolved with a bowing of the head"
Jircniv looked startled, although only slightly. But he immediately regained his composure and responded.
"There is no need to apologize for that, Gown-dono. It is not uncommon for subordinates to go wild and do as they please. Citizens from our Empire have done the same themselves. Truly, I am disgraced"
One of the other guests hesitantly stepped forward carrying what looked like an urn. Jircniv then spoke again, explaining what it was all about.
"This is the head of the foolish noble who took it upon himself to send intruders into your tomb… Although I do not know if tomb is the right word to use. I hope you will accept it"
Demiurge stepped forward, took the urn, and presented the severed head to Ainz, who held it with one hand.
Ugh, gross. I don't want to hold on to this any longer.
"Alright, I shall accept it and make a good use of it"
Even if it was just a severed head, it was still an eligible corpse usable to create a permanent Death Knight. So it was exactly what Ainz did immediately in front of the guests. He paid no heed to the awed expression of the guests to the display, and instead just commanded the newly-created Death Knight to get in line with other vassals.
"Then, Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix-dono..."
"Ah, Gown-dono, Jircniv will do. After all, it is a long name"
"Is it now? Well then, Jircniv-dono. To begin with, allow me to apologize for that unsightly display just now. Given that my ill-mannered vassal gave offense to you and those under your command, I will consider the matter of that noble's invasion of Nazarick settled as is. Do we agree on that?"
Jircniv's eyes went slightly wider as Ainz finished his speech, and he immediately spoke.
"Why yes, Gown-dono. In fact, it is us who should be humbly thankful for your forgiveness"
Alright, now it's time to speak about that topic.
"Now, let us move on to a different matter. Something that is no less important than the one we just settled"
None of the guests spoke in response. They were waiting with either watchful or worried eyes.
"It has come to my attention that we will be constantly drawn into troublesome matters, even if we try to keep a low profile. Therefore, I have decided to make myself known to the wider world. All those who exist, shall know of the name of 'Ainz Ooal Gown'. Those who decide to take up arms against us, shall be punished for their foolishness. Now, that being said..."
Ainz stopped briefly. The facial expressions of the guests became more tense than before, and some of them were visibly gulping.
"There are already fools out there, wreaking havoc and spreading wanton destruction as we speak. It is a bother for me to handle these pests alone."
"Pardon me, Gown-dono. May we know who the aforementioned fools could be?"
Jircniv spoke to ask his question. His eyes were sharp, displaying that he was filled with determination.
"Beings carrying the name Darkers, and the leader of them all, bearing the name Dark Falz. Once I make myself publicly known, it is inevitable that they will eventually come at me, cackling their teeth like fools they are"
Jircniv's eyes widened slightly as Ainz spoke the names out. It was expected that Jircniv knew a thing or two already, since after all, the attack on Re-Estize some time before had been reported as a clash between Jaldabaoth's demonic army and a Dark Falz's Darker army.
"Nevertheless, the main point of this topic is a recommendation"
"Recommendation, Gown-dono?"
"Yes, Jircniv-dono. There are people out there coming from very far away, a place named Oracle, who are present to fight off these pests. The people themselves are part of an organization, bearing the name ARKS. My recommendation is for you to aid them as necessary should they need it, or to put it simply, be their allies. They will surely be glad to aid you in return, should you have problems with Darkers"
Jircniv listened to Ainz's speech with his full attention. He then spoke his reply out within a couple seconds later.
"We shall certainly keep your recommendation in mind. But if I am allowed to inquire, how about you, Gown-dono? May I propose an alliance with you?"
Some of the Floor Guardians behind Ainz made some noise in their reaction towards Jircniv's proposal. Ainz raised his hand as a gesture for them to quiet down, and they thankfully complied.
Okay, this is not what I expected. No, to be exact, I didn't expect him to make the proposal before I do. It seems going roundabout was a mistake... No matter, I can still salvage this.
"What merit do you believe this alliance would bring you?"
"I simply wish to forge good relations with the nation which your esteemed person would eventually establish. This is also a consideration for the future of my Empire"
"I see. Let it be so, then. I shall leave the details to you"
At this point, Ainz was basically done with everything necessary. Further talks would likely be nothing more than optional topics, and therefore he wanted this audience session to be over as soon as possible.
[X][X][X]
This damned son of a bitch! He already had everything under his grasp!
Jircniv screamed inside his mind while keeping a professional smiling face in front of the undead lord, Ainz Ooal Gown. Everything he had witnessed and heard had been way beyond his wildest imaginations. Only a fool of fools would dare to raise arms against this mighty being after seeing all this.
To think that he already has ARKS under his control... How far has his influence extended already?
Jircniv already had a collection of information regarding Darkers, Dark Falz, and people of ARKS thanks to his information network and also Hilma, who had encountered a Dark Falz and lived. All of them were strong in their own right, and Jircniv had planned to make contact with the ARKS members in the near future.
But all the plans were basically moot now. Ainz Ooal Gown had no reason to make that recommendation to become an ally of ARKS, unless he already had them in his grasp. The so-called recommendation had been nothing more than a velvet covered iron fist.
It was basically "Be mine, or be crushed". Plain as day!
With that being said, there was still a faint hope. According to his information network, the ARKS members currently present in the vicinity were waiting for contact from their country, Oracle. If he could somehow manage to get in contact with Oracle first and warn them about the existence of Ainz Ooal Gown, perhaps he would be able to unite with them and other countries to fight against this powerful undead being. It would be a long shot, but it was surely their only chance.
Speaking of which, I wonder what the ARKS members in the Kingdom are doing right now...
[X][X][X]
"So, is this the place?"
"Should be"
Alice replied to Rose's question with one hand on her hip, while looking down on what seemed like a small town below. Its size was far smaller than a city like E-Rantel, but at a glance she noticed that the town had various up-to-date facilities and landmarks. The buildings also looked generally well-built, implying that the residents were sufficiently prosperous.
This place was known as Völkchenheim, and Alice, Rose, and Guardian were there for an Adventurer job. Their client was one family member of the noble household which governed this territory, named Torkel Karan Dale Völkchenheim.
The job was branded as Platinum grade back at the guild, but there was also an additional note from the requester, telling that the job could possibly become more dangerous than expected and any takers should be more prepared than their norm. Needless to say, the group didn't need to prepare much because Alice still had her magic bag, courtesy of Ainz, which contained one month worth of food and drink. As for combat, there was no need to explain the level of power possessed by Rose and Guardian, especially the latter.
"Let's get down, then"
Nobody disagreed with Guardian's suggestion. According to the job specifications, their client lived at the lord's residence, which was definitely the largest, most luxurious manor in town. Therefore the group flew towards it, and landed right in front of the gate. There were a pair of guards present, clad in light armor. They were briefly startled by the group's arrival, but quickly regained their calm when noticing the adventurer plates. One then spoke to the group in a professional tone.
"Please state the purpose of your visit"
Alice quickly flashed the job paper which she had been keeping within her coat.
"We are Adventurers answering to this job request"
"I see, please wait a minute"
One guard opened the gate and entered, leaving the group waiting for about two minutes before he came out again.
"Please proceed. Someone will guide you inside"
The group walked through the open gate, and once they arrived at the front door of the house they were greeted by a middle-aged man wearing what people would assume as a butler suit.
"Welcome, adventurers. Please follow me to the guest room"
The butler turned away right after speaking, and the group followed him to the aforementioned guest room. It was right behind that door, with a set of comfortable seats around a rectangular table. It was somewhat expected since the manor, while bigger than others, was still not as big as some noble's homes Alice remembered throughout her life.
"Please take a seat"
Without disagreement, the group sat down on the seats.
"Young Lord Torkel shall address you shortly. In the meantime, would you like some refreshments?"
Alice looked at Rose and Guardian, who immediately shook their head.
"No, thank you. We're good"
The butler made a small nod before speaking.
"Should you change your mind, do not hesitate to let me know"
The group sat still without saying a word while waiting for their client. It took no more than three minutes later for someone to arrive. It was a young man, seemingly in his early twenties. He wore a relatively fancy suit befitting a noble family, yet still simple enough to show a degree of modesty.
The man was not alone. There was also another man accompanying him, and he was visibly older, seemingly in the late forties. Despite the age gap, nobody would mistake the older man to be another member of the noble family because he was clad in medium armor which was more decorated than the ones worn by the guards outside, and had a weapon on his waist. People would commonly assume that the older man was the younger's personal bodyguard.
All three members of Alice's group immediately stood up upon noticing the newcomer, who quickly spoke with delighted expression.
"Pleased to meet all of you. I'm your client, Torkel Karan Dale Völkchenheim. You may address me as just Torkel. This is Andre, my knight and advisor"
"I'm Alice Vegelshaft. Pleased to meet you as well. These twins are my companions, Rose and Guardian"
Torkel took a brief look at the supposed twins, then he showed a slightly surprised expression before speaking again.
"Your rank plates have different colors? And... isn't that Adamantite plate?"
Alice somewhat expected the question, and so she responded.
"There were some circumstances, but let me assure you that we are confident in our capabilities as an Adamantite Rank team, and we won't demand more payment than we should as long as the job doesn't deviate from the specification"
"I see. Hmm... Adamantite, and twins? You aren't Blue Rose, are you?"
"No, we are Ignite Maximus. Rose and Guardian were added to the team less than a week ago, so I understand your confusion"
"I see. Let's cut to the main point, then. Have a seat"
The group sat back down, and so did Torkel and Andre on the remaining free seats. Torkel turned his head towards the butler and spoke.
"You may go"
"As you wish, sir"
The butler left, and Torkel's facial expression became more serious as he began speaking about the job he had for Alice's group.
To summarize, the background of the job was about two villages within the territory of Völkchenheim. One village was established around a small-sized lake, while the other village was established upstream by the river which fed said lake. The villages, respectively named Dunlow and Zenme, had been in a relatively unfriendly relationship for years, but their conflicts had never escalated enough to cause serious trouble. However, that has changed lately.
"I have received news that their conflicts had been escalating from verbal fights and minor brawls into violent assaults and infliction of serious injuries. At this rate, it's just a matter of time until a more open conflict breaks out between them"
Alice put her hand on her chin in a thinking posture, while Torkel was looking on with sharpened eyes.
"I see. The job is listed as an investigation job. What do we exactly investigate here? Some hints about where to start would be great"
With a straight, unwavering facial expression, Torkel spoke his answer.
"I want you to get to the bottom of this recent escalation. Call this a hunch, but I suspect that there is something deeper in this matter, a possible third party with some sinister motive which had sparked something between the two villages. Find out about it, and in the case it is some kind of monster, exterminate it if possible. Either way, report back to me and I will reward you accordingly"
Torkel turned his head towards Andre before he resumed speaking.
"Did I miss any points, Andre?"
"I believe you didn't, sir"
Andre answered promptly with a dignified tone, while Alice made a slight nod before speaking in response to Torkel's speech.
"I see. Alright, we will get to it immediately"
"Great! I recommend you to go to Dunlow Village first. The chief, Jonathan Dunlow, is an old friend of the family, and he should be more than happy to provide you with lodging should you need it"
Alice smiled with confidence and gave her reply with a tone full of it.
"We will return with results."
The group of three then left the manor. After walking some distance from the front gate, Alice let out a heavy sigh.
"That was tiring. I'm not really used to this"
"But you did it well! You're totally leader material!"
Rose spoke her praise while grinning and giving Alice a pat on the back, and Guardian nodded in approval. Alice couldn't help feeling curious about something, so she asked a question.
"Are you two alright with me being effectively the leader of this group? Both of you are way beyond me in power, but..."
"Combat power and leadership are different things. Moreover, you're the most knowledgeable among us when it comes to local culture and stuff like that"
Guardian spoke her remark, and Rose nodded with a devious grin.
"Well said, mom"
Guardian lowered her head, facepalming with closed eyes and a sigh in response to what Rose had said. Alice chuckled a bit seeing that, and then she took out her map from her magic bag.
"Let's see. The aforementioned Dunlow Village is south of here. We'll get there within less than ten minutes by flying"
"Lead the way, Liz"
"Yeah, lead the way"
Alice nodded, and the group immediately flew south towards one of the two conflicting villages.
As predicted, the village was within sight within the next ten minutes. The houses of the village were built all around the relatively round lake, which was indeed small, about half a kilometer in diameter. Some of the houses near the lake had wharfs and boats, indicating that fishing was one possible source of food for the villagers. The lake itself was fed and drained by one river each, effectively splitting the village in two if not for the wooden bridges built over the rivers near both ends of the lake.
"The houses look the same, so let's go down and ask which one belongs to the chief"
Both Rose and Guardian agreed with Alice's remark, and so they went down and landed. However, what they immediately noticed was a bunch of people hurrying towards the upstream side of the lake. All of them sported worried looks on their face, and it was enough for all three of the group to know that something wrong was happening over there.
The group activated their flight spell again and flew fast towards the direction the villagers were running. A few hundred meters upstream from the bridge, there was a crowd of people standing, facing against a smaller crowd of people ahead. The group landed behind the larger crowd, and Alice tried asking one of the people there.
"What's happening?"
One man then answered without looking.
"Those Zenme people are holding the chief's wife hostage!"
"What!? Tch-! Give way!"
Alice immediately moved forward, followed by Rose and Guardian. Another conflict had risen again, and they were just a little too late. If something bad happened to a family member of the chief in front of these people's eyes, an all-out war would definitely break out between the two villages. In the case Torkel's hunch was right, it would mean the real culprit's goal was accomplished, and Alice couldn't let that happen.
As the group finally reached the front side of the crowd, Alice noticed an old man, bald and seemingly in his late sixties, down on his knees. At a stone's throw distance ahead, there was an equally old woman being held at knifepoint by a middle-aged man, and the crowd behind them shouted some kind of war cry with their hands holding makeshift weapons such as hoes, machetes, woodcutter axes, even thick tree branches supposedly serving as clubs.
"I told you many times already! I don't know!"
The old man shouted with a hoarse voice.
"Lies! Give my daughter back to me, or you'll never see your wife alive again!"
The middle-aged man shouted back, drawing his knife closer to the woman's neck. Her eyes were closed and she was leaking tears. It was clear that she was scared. Alice wanted to blast that man with a pinpoint magic spell and take the woman away from the crowd by flying at full speed. However, from what the middle-aged man had shouted, the matter was very likely more complicated than it seemed, and doing exactly that would likely make the investigation more difficult.
Right now, Alice knew that stopping the conflict from breaking out was of the utmost importance, but she couldn't think of any good way to achieve that without possibly requiring a sacrifice.
Before Alice could think further about the ongoing matter, someone spoke out from behind her.
"Can we stop all this?"
Alice looked over her shoulder. The voice was familiar, but she still had to look to know who was speaking.
It was Guardian who spoke.
"Who are you and why should I listen to you!?"
Guardian stepped forward, her face was straight and calm, but her eyes were slightly narrowed, showing her determination.
"I'm part of an Adventurer team, hired by Torkel Karan Dale Völkchenheim"
The crowd behind Alice made whispering noises as Guardian spoke. The old man near Alice turned his head towards her and Guardian back and forth, his eyes going wide with disbelief.
"We are here to get to the bottom of this ongoing conflict. Therefore, let her go and go back to each your own home, so we can do our job. Nobody has to be hurt today"
It was very clear to Alice that Guardian was trying her best to quell the tension between the two crowds. Alice herself would likely say similar things if she were the one speaking, but the middle-aged man didn't seem to waver from hearing the persuasion.
"What's there to get to the bottom of!? The truth is clear as day! They took my child from me! She's just twelve years old!"
The crowd behind the middle-aged man shouted their war cry noise again.
"And who's to say that you're not actually hired by that geezer bastard to wipe us all out!? Back off or this woman's dead!"
The crowd cheered even louder now. Alice had expected this outcome, outside the spoken statement that the daughter of the man was still in her early teens. At this rate, there was only one possible way to end the situation without having blood spilled.
"Let me take her place in her stead"
Guardian spoke with her hand on her chest. Both crowds suddenly fell silent briefly before noises of whispers began surfacing.
"What are you think-umph!"
Rose, who by now was standing right beside Alice, spoke out in protest. But Alice quickly put her hand over Rose's mouth and signaled Rose to keep quiet.
"This is our best chance to prevent bloodshed right now"
Alice spoke to Rose in a low voice while keeping her eyes open on what would happen next.
"Take me as your hostage, an assurance so that the rest of my team will do their job properly and find out the truth, and also your daughter"
Guardian spoke with her arms spread as a sign of peace while slowly walking towards the crowd ahead.
"S-Stop right there!"
The middle-aged man shouted, and Guardian complied. He then gave some kind of signal to the crowd behind him while still holding the old woman at knifepoint. The people looked at each other briefly, and then two relatively young men stepped forward. They slowly and cautiously approached Guardian, who was still standing with her arms behind her head.
Once the two men got close, they hastily grabbed Guardian's wrists and tied them together behind her back with a length of rope. After making sure that the knots were secure, they pushed Guardian to walk towards the crowd ahead.
"You over there! You better bring my daughter back alive and well tomorrow, or your partner is dead!"
After shouting the ultimatum, the middle-aged man grunted briefly before he let the old woman go. With a rather rough push at her back, he gave her the signal to walk away from him. The old woman ran away from the crowd as fast as her old legs would let her to. As she passed Guardian and her two captors, their eyes briefly met and she spoke in a strained voice.
"I'm so sorry...!"
Guardian didn't say anything in response. Instead, she looked over her shoulder, towards Alice and Rose who had been silently watching. Alice's eyes met with Guardian's, and the facial expression she could see on Guardian clearly told her one thing.
"I leave the rest to you two"
Alice grunted in her mind. Guardian's initiative just now was indeed the best possible course of action to prevent blood from being spilled. Alice had thought of the same idea, but she had hesitated in the end because of the required hostage substitute to pull it off. However, Guardian had come up with it herself as well, and pulled it off without hesitating to put herself as the hostage substitute.
I'm leader material my ass! You're the one who's one!
Alice clenched her hands for a few seconds as the old couple hugged each other before she spoke to them with a stern voice.
"I believe you are Jonathan Dunlow. Take us to your home. We have to talk"
"Ah! Uhh... right"
The old man was startled by Alice's words while still hugging his dear wife. Alice glanced away, looking at the distant sight of Guardian being pushed around by the villagers over there. She knew that Guardian would be alright, at least physically, but she still couldn't help worrying about her.
[X][X][X]
Guardian walked along with the crowd around her. Most of them were talking to each other, but she couldn't make out anything relevant from hearing them because the noises of all the talking overlapped each other.
"Is your village still far?"
Guardian tried asking a question without expecting a good answer. At worst they would gag her, but she asked anyway to see how they would actually respond.
"Not that far"
One man, whose body was quite well-built, answered with a straight tone. He was one of the two who had tied Guardian's arms up back then. There was no negative response from the others around, so she tried asking some more.
"So, what's the story here?"
"Just shut up! What good would it do with you asking anyway?"
The middle-aged man, whose daughter had allegedly been kidnapped, intervened with an angry tone of speech.
"I just want to help"
"Help? Ha! Just worry about yourself! If my daughter isn't returned to me alive and well... Tch!"
The man cut his own speech while clenching his fist hard. Guardian chose to keep herself silent for the time being.
Not long after that, a village, presumably Zenme Village, was within sight. Like Dunlow Village, Zenme Village was split in two by a river. It was difficult to determine the size without flying, but Guardian felt that this village was smaller than Dunlow Village. The river on this part was narrower, but crossing it safely would still require a bridge, of which a wooden one was visible at a distance.
"Ekuld, you keep watch on her. Take as many friends as you need and keep her on a tight leash. Drill it in your mind that she's an Adventurer. We never know what she's actually capable of!"
"Ah, alright..."
The one responding in hesitation, presumably Ekuld, was the young man who had answered Guardian's question before. He then quickly gave gestures to some other people around, and pulled Guardian away from the crowd. She noticed that two other people, one man and one woman, both about the same age as Ekuld, followed them along. The man was slimmer than Ekuld but slightly taller, while the woman was quite short with visible freckles on her face. She was still taller than Guardian, though.
Guardian was brought into a wooden barn, located right next to a patch of farmland. Inside of the barn was not too dark because it had some windows and the roof had small gaps between the carpentry works, letting a good amount of sunlight in and also showing how worn down the barn was. The barn itself seemed to be mainly used as storage, as there was a large stack of hay, an array of farming tools, some sacks stacked at a corner, and no stench of livestock.
"Sorry about this"
Ekuld grabbed a length of rope which was hanging on the wall as he said that. The three adults immediately, although hesitantly, did their work on Guardian, and by the next three minutes she was all tied up to one of the supporting wooden columns of the barn. Her legs were tied together in a way that she was forced to sit cross-legged on the ground, and her upper body was tightly bound to the column, preventing her from going anywhere.
Guardian just kept a straight, uncaring facial expression as this was happening. After checking the ropework, Ekuld let out a sigh and sat down on the ground while leaning to the wall.
"And now I just keep watch. Sally, Falgos, thanks for the company. You can go if you want"
"Heh, no way. This brat is an Adventurer! For all we know she could be pretending to play nice, and strike when we aren't looking!"
The skinny man objected while keeping his eyes on Guardian, who just reacted with a wry smile.
"See? She's so damn calm in this kind of situation! I dare say that she actually can break out of those ropes anytime she wants! Maybe we should have used chains!"
Guardian still kept herself silent. She tried wriggling her body a little, and quickly concluded that she actually wouldn't be able to break out of the bondage. At least, not by normal means. However, she didn't want to freak these people out right now so she decided to play along for the time being.
"Falgos, we don't have chains. Please don't be so hard on the poor girl"
The woman, Sally, spoke her objection with a pleading tone while holding onto Falgos' arm. Falgos was silent for a few seconds, then he put his other hand behind his head and spoke.
"Eh... well... If Sally says so..."
Falgos' face became slightly redder as he spoke, and Guardian couldn't help chuckling seeing that. Falgos naturally noticed that and immediately spoke.
"Hey! What's funny?"
"Nothing. I'm just... I'm just kinda used to every new person I meet treating me as a kid"
"You're not? I mean, you don't look any older than the chief's daughter"
Ekuld curiously asked, while Falgos and Sally looked no less curious than him.
"I'm not a kid. I just have growth problems, okay?"
Falgos stared at Guardian with confused expression after she said the statement. Their eyes didn't meet because Falgos' gaze was a bit lower than her eyes.
"But if you're not a kid then why are they fla-"
BONK!
Sally smacked Falgos' head with a bucket before he could finish saying whatever he was about to say.
"Ow ow ow! What was that for?"
"Don't say such a thing to a girl, you dummy!"
Sally said those words while sporting a clear upset expression. But she was also pouting, which somewhat helped to show that it wasn't serious.
"Pfft! Hahahaha!"
Guardian couldn't help laughing at the interaction between Sally and Falgos. Even Ekuld laughed along with her. It was quite unexpected for her that the atmosphere of her own hostage situation turned out a lot lighter than she had expected and the people watching her seemed to be reasonable fellows.
With that in mind, Guardian decided to speak up about the thing she had been hiding.
"By the way, there's something I want to tell you all..."
[X][X][X]
Inside one of the simple wooden houses within Dunlow Village, three people were seated around a table in a two-against-one formation. One of them was Jonathan Dunlow, the current chief of the village. The other two were Alice and Rose, both sporting serious expressions on their face.
"Like my partner said back then. Lord Torkel hired us to investigate the escalating conflicts. Time is running short, so tell me everything you know"
"Ah, yes..."
Jonathan took a breath briefly before he began speaking out.
"The man you saw back then was Thomas Zenme, the chief of Zenme Village. His father, Daniel Zenme, was the previous chief, the founder of the village, and a friend of mine. Not a really good one, but a friend regardless"
"What happened that Thomas is now the chief?"
Jonathan didn't speak for a few seconds. His hand cupped into fist, and a faint grunting noise could be heard from him before he spoke out.
"Daniel is dead"
Alice and Rose were visibly surprised as Jonathan continued speaking.
"He was murdered in cold blood. It was six weeks ago, when parts of the lake were dyed in red. We knew it was a clear sign of bad things, so we searched. Didn't take long until we found his body under the bridge of the upstream side. What was left of his body, to be exact. Believe me, you don't want to see it. We could identify him only because his head was still intact"
"I'm sorry for your loss"
Jonathan didn't respond to Alice's sympathy. His head was lowered, his eyes gazing at the surface of the table.
"Thomas believed that his father was murdered by one of our people, and he vowed to get revenge"
"And that was when the conflicts between the two villages escalated?"
"That was the beginning..."
Jonathan let out a sigh before he resumed his speech.
"Thomas came into this village everyday after that, angrily questioning everyone he saw. Of course, none could give him any clue because nobody knew anything. We just beared with him because we sympathized with his loss, but one day he brought thugs with him and intimidated my people. Of course, the people had enough, and so they got together and drove them away"
"But that was not the end of it, I believe"
"Indeed. Over the last few weeks, some of my people have been injured while foraging in the woods. They all only remembered a bunch of thugs ambushing them and beating them up. Of course, this has led everyone to believe that Thomas was behind those incidents"
Jonathan was briefly silent again, taking a breath before resuming.
"I have been holding them off from doing any aggressive actions, but nobody knows how long they can bottle up their anger..."
"What about his daughter? Do you really not know anything on her whereabouts?"
Jonathan showed a visible reaction upon hearing Alice's question, which prompted Alice to narrow her eyes.
"Ahh... about that..."
Click!
A clicking sound of a door opening was heard, and a young girl was revealed behind it as the door slowly opened. She was about the early teens, matching what Thomas had said about his daughter being twelve years old. She had brown hair tied to a shoulder-length twintail, and her attire was typical of a villager girl.
"You don't have to hide it, gramps"
After speaking the words out, the girl entered the room and approached Jonathan while her eyes were looking at Rose and Alice.
"I'm Anna Zenme. Thomas Zenme is my father. I wasn't kidnapped or such. I just... ran away from home"
"Why did you run away?"
Alice asked the question while trying to keep herself calm regarding the situation. The fact was clear that Jonathan had lied to Thomas, and it wouldn't end well if the latter found out.
Anna lowered her head hearing the question. She averted her eyes while her fingers were fidgeting with her dress. She then hesitantly rolled her long sleeves up, revealing a number of bruises and relatively fresh wounds.
"Because... dad was scary. Ever since grandpa died, dad was always angry, all day. It was like dad became... not him..."
"Before that happened, how was your father like? Was he a nice man?"
"Yeah! He might be a little strict and tough, but dad loved me even though mom died giving birth to me, and I loved him! But now... I'm scared of him..."
Alice went into thinking after hearing Anna's words. There was no proof, but it was possible that Thomas had been either mind-controlled or possessed by whatever was behind this. If that had been the case, then the culprit was someone or something capable of manipulating the mind, which would be very bad news if they got Guardian into their grasp.
"How many in this village know that Anna is here?"
"Outside this house, nobody. Anna came knocking at my door in the middle of the night"
Alice turned her head to Anna with her eyes going slightly wider than before.
"You came all the way here alone, in the middle of the night?"
"Yeah, I had no other choice... otherwise, dad would find me..."
There was a brief moment of silence before Alice turned her head to Rose and spoke.
"Rose, you've been silent all this time. Is there anything you want to say?"
"Well... did you hear everything, Guardian?"
"Loud and clear"
Everyone in the room suddenly heard a voice out of nowhere replying to Rose. Naturally, Anna and Jonathan were the ones surprised the most.
"W-What was that?"
Jonathan asked while looking clearly confused.
"The Talent I and Guardian have as twins. It allows us to communicate like this"
Rose then activated her photon interface, displaying a small holographic screen of Guardian's face. Alice smiled a bit seeing how smooth Rose had explained the ARKS communication system in a way which locals like Jonathan and Anna would understand better.
"Hi there"
Guardian spoke through the screen. Her tone of speech didn't sound distressed at all.
"Hey there, Anna!"
"What is this? How is it working?"
"Wow, I've never seen anything like this"
Three other different voices suddenly spoke from the floating screen. Anna's mouth went agape as she moved her head closer to the screen.
"Sally?"
"Yes, Anna! It's me"
Before Anna could say anything in response, other voices intervened.
"Whoa! This is incredible!"
"It's like the Message spell, but also very different"
Guardian smiled a little, and then she spoke.
"I think I should be the only one talking, alright? Well then, the four of us here have heard the situation. Sally, Falgos, and Ekuld here agreed that Thomas has not been himself lately"
"Yeah, someone, or something, might have been influencing him in some way"
Alice said with her arms folded and resting on the table while looking at the floating screen.
"We also have the case of Daniel's death. Pretty likely the same culprit there"
Rose spoke while sporting a similar posture as Alice.
"So what should we do?"
Guardian asked the question, which Alice replied immediately.
"There are still too many things we don't know about the culprit behind this. Who or what, how many, what they are actually capable of, things like that. For now, I suggest that we..."
Alice halted her own speech with her eyes looking at Anna, full of hesitation. Anna seemed to notice it, and she responded with a nod while sporting a determined expression. Feeling relieved and slightly awed seeing that, Alice looked back at the floating screen and spoke.
"...we return Anna to Thomas tomorrow as promised. That way, we'll be together again and on somewhat peaceful terms with both villages, so we can do our investigation works without much obstructions afterwards"
At this point, Jonathan looked at Anna with a very concerned expression, and he asked a question to her.
"Are you going to be alright with this, Anna?"
"I... I'm still scared of dad... But I have to do it, or there will be no end to this...! Besides..."
Anna looked straight at the floating monitor and resumed speaking.
"Sally will protect me, r-right...?"
Guardian visibly turned her head from the monitor, and then a female voice, presumably Sally, could be heard from there.
"Yes, Anna! I will protect you from your dad or whatever is possessing him!"
"Count me in too!"
"Hey, don't forget me!"
The other two male voices also could be heard, and Anna was very visibly delighted hearing that.
"Thank you all!"
Alice smiled looking at the exchange between Anna and the three villagers. She then began speaking to Guardian.
"I guess that's settled, then. By the way, are they treating you well over there?"
"Uhh, about that... I'm alright, although..."
Guardian averted her eyes from the monitor, and her facial expression began to visibly show embarrassment.
"...Guess I'll just show you"
The monitor's display then zoomed out from Guardian's head, immediately showing her fully, and revealing that she was tied up to a wooden column, sitting cross-legged on the ground inside of what seemed to be a barn.
"Thomas ordered them to keep me on a tight leash, so yeah..."
"Heh, figures. Not obeying will raise suspicion, so just endure it until tomorrow"
"Yeah, right..."
Guardian sighed as she said that, while Rose smiled mischievously.
"You know, Guardian..."
"What?"
"You look cute being helpless like that"
Rose giggled right after speaking that out. Guardian rolled her eyes in response to that.
"Oh, come on"
"The hero is now the damsel in distress! Hahaha!"
"Ah, shut up! This is the third time I got tied up within a week, and it's getting old!"
While it was fairly obvious that Rose was joking around and Guardian was just mildly annoyed, Alice felt the need to intervene, and therefore she spoke out.
"In any case. We'll see you tomorrow. Be careful over there, Guardian"
Guardian's facial expression reverted as she heard Alice's words, and she responded with a nod before replying.
"You too. See you tomorrow"
The floating screen was then deactivated and disappeared from view. Alice stood up and stretched her body, relieving herself from the feeling of stiff muscles. She also glanced at the window, noticing that the sun was about to set. She then turned her head towards Jonathan and spoke.
"Now, there's something I want to show you"
Alice reached into her bag and pulled out a small vial containing red liquid. This was one of the many things Ainz had given her quite a while before, and she had a pretty good number of these in the bag. She then opened the cap of the vial and spoke to Jonathan.
"This is a healing pot- Ah!"
The vial suddenly slipped from Alice's hand and fell onto the surface of the table. As it made the impact, its content was splashed over Anna, staining her red in various spots. However, the stains quickly disappeared and she was briefly covered in green light.
"W-what?"
As expected of the potion, Anna was instantly healed. All her bruises and wounds disappeared as if they were never there. Both Jonathan and Anna were very visibly surprised, their eyes going wide and their mouth agape.
"Ah, my hand slipped. Never mind what I said, then"
"Wait! How can I ever pay you?"
Jonathan asked the question frantically, and Alice knew exactly why. She spoke in response in a straight, uncaring tone while retrieving the now empty vial.
"Pay me for what? What happened here is that I carelessly dropped one item from our adventuring supplies when I showed it off. No more, no less"
Alice paid no heed to both Jonathan's and Anna's expressions of disbelief. Instead, she continued speaking by asking a question.
"Do you know where we can get a place to sleep for the night?"
"Ah, you can stay here. Please excuse me while I prepare the room"
"In that case, I will come along and help you"
"Ah, me too!"
Rose stood up from the seat as she spoke, and all four people left the room. The sky outside gradually went dark, and the breeze of the winds made humming sounds as if they were singing a lullaby.
[X][X][X]
Afterword:
An alliance between Nazarick and Baharuth Empire has been formed, with Jircniv planning a scheme under the table. Meanwhile, Guardian's first job as an Adventurer went a little awry due to a hostage situation taking place.
Coming up next: Finding out who or what the true culprit is, and the appearance of an unexpected ally.
See you again in two weeks.
