Hello again. Still alive and well here, and I hope all of you are too.
There's nothing further to say here again, so I'll simply go on with the show.
See you again in the afterword.
[X][X][X]
Seabed, West of Re-Estize Kingdom. Shortly Before Present Time
On the surface of the great wide ocean, one could see the sun rising on the horizon. The glimmering golden color of the sky coupled with the formation of clouds was a spectacle to any beings with sufficient sentience to appreciate the beauty. However, none of it was visible deep under the sea where a figure clad in platinum-white, full-plate armor was diving straight down to the bottom. This figure was none other than Tsaindorcus, also known as the Platinum Dragon Lord. He was currently on an investigation about possible Player existences, and went there in his remotely controlled avatar to ask a few questions on that matter after some news reached his ears.
Upon reaching the sea floor, Tsaindorcus immediately saw the one he wanted to meet, and greeted him in their native draconic language.
["Hey, Fydan"]
The one he greeted was none other than the Sea Dragon, bearing the name of Fydan Erud Zimeon.
["Oh, if it isn't the Platinum Dragon Lord himself. An unexpected honor. What brings you here?"]
The Sea Dragon greeted with a head-bow.
["I'm investigating the ongoing disturbances and I'd like you to tell me about the recent event which involved you"]
["I see. Why don't you sit down, then? It is quite a long story"]
Fydan then proceeded to tell Tsaindorcus about his recent experience, starting from the fallen mysterious object which spread infectious disease, making merfolks go berserk. He continued by telling the story of an infected kraken which had grown to become a real threat, but thankfully a group of strong people had helped him in killing the infected kraken.
The story didn't end there. Fydan also told Tsaindorcus about the appearance of an angelic figure whom the group had to flee from out of fear, but later Fydan had found out that the angel was benevolent, having assumed a human form and stopping the mysterious object from spreading the disease. She also had helped in putting the infected merfolks out of misery.
Tsaindorcus listened to the story intently. It was largely unbelievable, and he wouldn't immediately believe it if it wasn't Fydan who told him. For now, his first response was to ask a question.
["So, the mysterious object. Can I see it?"]
["Oh, certainly. It's just over there behind those large rocks"]
Fydan turned his head towards a visible rock formation not far from their position. Tsaindorcus' armor avatar immediately floated to that spot and saw the object as he went around it. At first glance, anyone not familiar with such things would not be able to comprehend what this object was. But he had seen a lot of items, records, and other things left behind by Players over the centuries. Therefore, he had sufficient knowledge to understand that this object was the wreckage of an airship.
["I have never seen anything quite like this, but I believe it to be some kind of flying vessel"]
Tsaindorcus spoke as Fydan arrived right behind him. The latter made a slight nod as a response before speaking.
["You're correct. Guardian Angel once told me that this used to be something called a] Gate Ship"
"Gate Ship? [So that means the angel and this object came from the same place?"]
["Yes"]
Tsaindorcus approached the Gate Ship, which was quite massive in size. If he were to compare, this Gate Ship was about as big as his dragon body, give or take.
["If you don't mind, I want to take this for my investigation"]
["Go ahead. I have no use for such things"]
Tsaindorcus nodded, and he began concentrating. His body began to let out a glow, and as he touched the Gate Ship it began to let out the same glow as well.
"Hmph!"
Within an instant the Gate Ship disappeared without a trace. Tsaindorcus just teleported it away into a more secure location far away from here.
Beep! Beep!
Right after teleporting the Gate Ship away, Tsaindorcus heard the notification sound of the [Message] spell. It was not something he was fond of, but since it was the most practical way to keep in touch with Rigrit he had decided to bear with it.
"Hey, Tsa. How are you doing?"
"Cut to the point, Rigrit. If you're calling me there must be something important, isn't it?"
"Indeed there is. Mo'ryck has escaped from its seal, and I need your help to reseal it. Beacon is already in place"
"Ugh, great timing. You called me right after I used my teleportation ability"
"Good grief. Anyway, please come as soon as you can. I'll buy some time"
The [Message] spell ended, and Tsaindorcus let out a sigh.
["I should go, Fydan. Thank you for the information"]
["It is no problem. By the way, I must say that your use of the common tongue is most impressive."]
["I had to learn it anyway. Didn't have much choice"]
["Please give my regards to Guardian Angel if you meet her"]
Tsaindorcus' avatar nodded, and immediately rocketed to the surface and subsequently to the skies. His teleportation ability needed time to recharge, after transporting that massive airship over such a long distance. Now he had to go to Rigrit's location without it. He just hoped that he wouldn't be too late.
[X][X][X]
The job was essentially over.
All villagers had returned to their homes, Jonathan and Thomas had been given necessary explanations, Anna had returned to her father's loving embrace, and funerals were being prepared for the villagers who had fallen victim to Mo'ryck's schemes. All that remained for the team to do was to report back to Torkel, and they would be home free.
That would be the case, if not for the company they met during the job.
It was now noon, as Guardian and her partners were sitting across three other people with a simple wooden table between. Among Guardian's group, Alice was the only one who knew the three people, namely Evileye, Rigrit, and the one known to her as "Tsar". For the purpose of this impromptu meeting, a vacant house in Zenme Village was borrowed and coated with spells to ensure that only the six people within would hear everything said.
Guardian was wary of Tsar, since he had been observing her quite intently ever since met. In the same vein, Rigrit had been glancing at Rose every once in a while, which made both Guardian and Rose uneasy.
"Are you sure the rest of your team should be outside?"
Alice asked the question to Evileye, who immediately nodded. She had put her mask down on the table, revealing her blonde hair and red eyes to the others. The protruding pair of fangs on her mouth was a clear sign that she was a vampire like Janus.
"Yeah, this room is a little too cramped. They will be informed later, so don't worry about that. Also, as you may have noticed, I have decided against hiding my true nature to you since I felt that sincerity is needed for this"
"So, why are we here?"
In response to Alice's followup question, Evileye just glanced at Rigrit who was sitting right next to her. Understanding the notion, Rigrit nodded slightly and began speaking.
"I'm currently investigating the disturbances which have been happening across the land. Either related or not, Evil Deities who were sealed instead of killed for one reason or another began to emerge one by one. Like Mo'ryck you just saw this morning, and Piethoms some weeks ago. My old friend here holds the same interest as me, and Evileye is along for the ride because I'd appreciate any extra hands who are familiar with these things."
"So, what do the disturbances have anything to do with us?"
After Alice spoke the question out, Tsar leaned forward with his armored hands cupped together resting on the table surface, and began speaking while looking at Guardian.
"Guardian isn't it? My friend I met this morning asked me to give you his regards"
Guardian tilted her head in response.
"Your friend? Who?"
"Fydan Erud Zimeon"
Guardian's eyes went wide briefly before she spoke.
"Oh, thanks! I didn't know you're his friend"
"Who is this Fydan Erud Zimeon guy?"
Alice asked the question while turning her head towards Guardian, who immediately replied.
"Oh, I think he told me once that he is more commonly known as the Sea Dragon"
"Wait, what? You met the Sea Dragon too?"
Alice didn't hide her surprise, while Rose looked confused hearing all these.
"Who, or what is Sea Dragon? Someone you met before I joined the the team?"
Seeing the group's interaction, Rigrit let out a laugh.
"Hahaha! It seems your group there has some interesting circumstances regarding that. In any case, what happened there was one of the disturbances. Perhaps if I mention the disturbances one by one, some of you would be familiar with some of them"
"No need. I think it's safe to say that our team was involved in most, if not all of them in one way or another. Our leader is prone to attracting all sorts of trouble"
Alice leaned back to her seat as she spoke. Meanwhile, Tsar folded his arms and asked a question to Guardian.
"Guardian. Are you familiar with the term... Player?"
"Huh? It's a common word for me, and it can mean a lot of things. I have no idea what the term means for you"
Guardian replied with her head slightly tilted and her arms folded. Rigrit smiled a little and she began speaking to explain.
"To put it simply, Players are beings who abruptly appear in this world around once every century. They possess powers which can potentially bring great changes to the world, for better or worse. Right now is indeed about time a new Player, or group of Players, come into existence. That is what we are actually investigating, whether the disturbances have been related to them or not"
Guardian's group looked to each other with their eyes slightly wider than before. From hearing Rigrit's explanation, it was natural to begin assuming that Ainz could possibly be a Player.
"I suppose you know something, from your reaction"
Tsar leaned forward, his visor-covered eyes inquisitively looking at the group. Alice immediately replied with an unfazed facial expression, but it was pretty visible from the tone that she was worried of something.
"Tsar-san. I'll admit that we indeed know someone who might fit with that description. However, suppose you meet them in person, what would you do?"
Tsar leaned back again with his arms folded upon hearing Alice's question. After a couple seconds, he began speaking in response.
"At the beginning, I will try to converse peacefully and find out what their intentions are. In the case it turns out to be sinister and potentially threatening to the world's peace and stability, I will put a stop to them with all my might. Otherwise, I will wait and observe"
Guardian glanced at Alice as Tsar spoke. After a brief silence, Alice spoke again.
"I-I see. Well..."
"Hahaha! Don't be so hard on them, Tsa!"
Rigrit chimed in with a cheerful tone, somewhat easing up the tense atmosphere. Tsar just let out a small sigh to that. Rigrit then spoke after briefly smiling towards Guardian's group.
"Look, we are not looking for a fight. What we want is to find out the Player's involvement to the disturbances. If they really have been the cause, we will kindly ask them to stop causing more. Violence will only be the last option if they have no intention to stop and can't be negotiated with. Is that right, Tsa?"
"If you put it that way, yeah. I suppose so"
"See? So be at ease and tell us where we can meet this possible Player in person"
Alice took a breath briefly to regain her calm, and then she replied.
"Well, unfortunately that is not for me to decide. It has to be our team leader, who is at E-Rantel now"
"I see. Then we will go there together with you to ask him. You'll be going back there soon, won't you?"
"Not immediately. We still need to report to our client first before going back to E-Rantel"
Rigrit briefly went into a thinking posture, and then she spoke.
"Alright, we will still accompany you for the time being. Are you alright with that, Tsa?"
"It's our best lead, so there's no reason to object. But before we say everything's settled, I still want to ask questions... especially about you"
Tsar's visored eyes were staring straight at Guardian. For her, the stare didn't feel menacing, but she was still a little worried on what kind of questions he would ask. Nevertheless, she replied as calm as she could.
"Well, I don't mind answering to the best of my knowledge. But in exchange, for every question of yours I answer, you have to answer one of mine as well"
Tsar was silent for a couple seconds, going into a thinking posture. He then made a slight nod and spoke.
"Very well. Then I shall begin. Who are you actually and where are you from?"
"That's actually two, but alright, I'll let it slide. My name is Melrose, but I'm addressed by title, which is Guardian. I came from Oracle. A country far from here. I'm a member of Oracle's military organization named ARKS. As a bonus information, team Ignite Maximus currently has six members, four of them are ARKS"
"I have never heard of a country named Oracle. Where is that?"
Guardian shook her head in response to Tsar's question.
"Uh-huh. It's my turn now. My question is the same as your first"
"Alright. I'm usually called Tsa or Tsar by my comrades, but my full name is Tsaindorcus Vaision. Though I am more commonly known as..."
Tsar fell silent before he could finish his sentence. He turned his head to Rigrit and Evileye, who just responded with a hand gesture which essentially said "It's your call". Tsa then looked straight at Guardian again and resumed.
"...Platinum Dragon Lord"
Both Rose and Guardian tilted their heads with confused expression because they had no idea about the name Tsar just mentioned. However, Alice froze up with her mouth agape.
"P-Platinum Dragon.. Lord?"
"Liz, could you fill us in? It seems among us three you're the only one who knows"
Rose turned her head to Alice as she asked the question. In response, Alice took a deep breath, trying to stop her jaw from shivering before she began speaking.
"Okay, okay... Northwest of Re-Estize Kingdom there is a nation named Argland Council State. It is a demihuman nation with astounding military strength, and it is led by Five Dragon Councillors. One of them, rumored to be the strongest of them all... is Platinum Dragon Lord"
Alice spoke with her eyes looking at Tsar. She looked worried, perhaps afraid, during her explanation. It was probably natural, since that meant Tsar was essentially a king, likely with strength befitting his position.
"Well, I'm flattered. But since I'm now basically in a covert mission, keep addressing me with just Tsar. Remember that once we are in public. So, was that enough?"
Tsar looked straight at Guardian as he spoke the last part. Guardian responded with a nod.
"So, assuming that your question is still the same, would you believe me if I say that Oracle is a cluster of flying cities that always move?"
"It's not that hard to believe, since my residence is a floating castle. Though I find it strange that I have never heard of such a marvelous country. Words about flying cities constantly on the move should have spread easily"
"Well..."
Guardian put one hand behind her back while averting her eyes briefly.
"...following up on that, would you believe me if I say that Laguz, the city I came from, is currently parked behind the moon?"
Tsar didn't respond. He seemed to have frozen up after hearing Guardian's words. After almost ten seconds of silence, he finally spoke up.
"I normally wouldn't. However, a good portion of my doubts were shed if I remember the wreckage of a Gate Ship I found at the bottom of the sea this morning"
"Oh, I guess Fydan showed you? That makes things easier"
"I shall admit that I teleported it to a secure place in my domain for investigation. You may claim it back if you want me to return it"
"Ah, no. You may have it. It's already as good as gone anyway. So, my turn, right? Can we form a truce?"
"Truce? For what?"
"Our team is currently in an allied relationship with the person who might be your definition of a Player. It's still a possibility that you will become enemies with him, and in the case that happens, I'd like to form a truce that we won't attack you, and you won't attack us either"
After hearing Guardian's proposal, Tsar folded his arms and lowered his head for a few seconds before he spoke up again.
"Very well, but keep in mind that the moment any of your team attack me or my allies, by accident or not, the truce ends immediately and you are all fair game. The same will also apply to me and my allies"
"Fair enough. I have no more questions in mind, but I'll let you ask one more question for free, to show my good faith"
"I have been suspecting this when Fydan told me about you, but I want to confirm one thing. Are you possibly the rumored angel who recently appeared in Slane Theocracy?"
Guardian's eyes widened a little, but she didn't show any further reaction as she spoke in response.
"Actually, yes. They misunderstood my transformation power as some kind of god, but I later cleared it up. They should no longer regard me as an angel now"
"Hmm, to be perfectly honest, I doubt it. But in any case, I'm done here. With that kind of power you have, it is easy to imagine that you could defeat Mo'ryck's possession by yourself"
Guardian was somewhat relieved that for now she didn't have to say anything about the Dark Falz inside her. While the fact was not exactly a secret, she was now aware that she had to be more cautious in letting anyone else on this planet know about it. Nevertheless, Rigrit nodded hearing Tsar's words, and then she followed up.
"Alright, then if nobody objects, we're all done. Let's get going as soon as everything's taken care of"
As soon as Rigrit finished speaking, everyone in the room stood up from their seats and headed out from the house through the front door. Right outside, the remainder of Blue Rose team members were already standing around waiting. Gagaran, the largest among them, immediately approached Guardian the moment she saw her.
"Hey, Guardian. Someone's looking for you"
"Hmm?"
Guardian tilted her head as Gagaran turned hers towards two people at a distance. It was Anna and Thomas, the latter of whom slowly approached Guardian with hesitation clearly pictured on his face, while the other walked by his side embracing his right arm.
"Is there something I can help with?"
Guardian asked as Thomas and Anna were close enough. After a brief silence, he bowed deeply.
"I truly apologize for treating you inhospitably before"
"Eh? It's alright. You were under the influence of Mo'ryck, so it wasn't your fault"
Guardian shook her head once as she spoke. But then she lowered her head.
"I'm the one at fault. I couldn't protect Sally and Falgos. I'm sorry"
As Guardian spoke, she began hearing a faint sob coming from Anna. The sobbing gradually became more apparent, and then...
"Uuu... Hic... Waaaaaahhh!"
Anna broke down crying, flailing at Guardian's chest over and over. Guardian didn't defend herself, and nobody else intervened.
"Why didn't you protect Sally!? Why didn't you..!"
Guardian didn't say anything in response. She just let Anna lash everything out on her, because it was a fact that Sally and Falgos had died on her watch. She could have kept them safe, but she hadn't.
"Anna, come here. Don't blame her too much"
Thomas embraced Anna, who now cried in his chest. He caressed her gently for a moment, and then he looked straight at Guardian.
"It was unfortunate about the casualties, but on behalf of the people, I thank you for saving us from the Evil Deity"
It was somehow noticeable for Guardian that Thomas himself was on the verge of leaking tears, but she decided against bringing that up. Right now Anna needed a stronger figure to fall back to, and it wouldn't be right to expose his own struggle in becoming that figure.
"We shall take our leave. Once again, I'm sorry for your loss"
Thomas didn't immediately reply to Guardian's words. Instead, he lowered his head and began speaking in strained voice after a couple seconds.
"Sally... I loved you like a daughter"
Guardian clenched her hands into fists, upset at her own failure. Without saying anything further, she turned and walked hurriedly away with her head lowered.
"Let's go"
Guardian immediately flew to the skies after speaking the short sentence. She was soon followed by Alice, Rose, Evileye, and Tsar. She didn't look back, not wanting to show them her pathetic face which would take a few more minutes to recover from.
"Only two of you following us?"
Guardian heard Rose asking the question behind her, which was immediately replied by Evileye.
"Not all of us can fly. They will catch up with Rigrit's teleportation magic once we arrive at E-Rantel"
"I see"
Not much was said afterwards. Soon enough, they arrived at Torkel's residence, at which they were immediately granted entry. Like before, Torkel and his personal bodyguard Andre showed up in the guest room after a couple minutes of waiting.
"I didn't expect you to return this quickly. And who are the additional company?"
Torkel spoke with serious facial expression, just slightly showing confusion as he looked at Evileye and Tsar, the former of whom had already put her mask back on. Like before, Alice was the one mainly doing the talking.
"We met them during the job. This is Evileye, a member of Blue Rose. The other is..."
"Tsar. I am simply a wanderer"
Tsar introduced himself as he noticed Alice's hesitation. Torkel seemed to be bewildered, his eyes going a little wider and his jaw briefly dropping before he quickly closed his mouth.
"Oh, it's an honor to meet a member of the renowned Blue Rose team. But I believe we should cut to the chase. What happened there that you are here again this quickly?"
Alice soon replied to the question.
"Sir Torkel, you were right. There has been a third party sparking conflicts between the two villages. We have taken care of everything, and the villages should hopefully be back to their normal activities soon"
Torkel and Andre were visibly delighted upon hearing Alice's explanation. They looked at each other, and Torkel gave Andre a pat on the shoulder before speaking to Alice again.
"That's good news! So, who was the culprit?"
Evileye immediately raised her hand and spoke in response.
"Allow me to answer on her behalf. The culprit was Mo'ryck; Evil Deity of Malice, Hate, and Chaos. It was its usual pattern to spark conflicts, so as to feed off the resulting negative emotions and misery. If left alone, it was capable of destroying an entire nation from within over time. And without being directly involved"
This time, the surprised reaction of Torkel and Andre was much more visible than before.
"W-What? An Evil Deity? It's... unbelievable, but there's no reason for you to lie. Doesn't that mean the entire kingdom was in danger if not for your intervention?"
"Honestly, even if you hadn't hired these Adventurers, Blue Rose would have taken care of the Evil Deity. However, it was thanks to them that casualties were kept at minimum and we came out unscathed. You are commendable, Sir Torkel, for having the idea of hiring them. As far as my experience tells me, other nobles wouldn't even bat an eye on the conflict of two villages"
"Ah..."
Torkel smiled in delight hearing Evileye's commendation. Andre smiled too and gave Torkel a pat on the back.
"I just felt that I should care for the people under my territory. I want to become a great, honorable lord of Völkchenheim, so that one day, maybe I can have a chance to be accepted by the woman I fell in love with"
Torkel spoke with a determined expression, which was quite inspiring.
"May I know the lady who has inspired you to go such length?"
Rose asked curiously, and Torkel immediately answered.
"Nabe of Team Darkness"
Rose's face immediately turned somewhat sour upon hearing the name, and the same also applied to Alice. Torkel, seemingly having noticed the change, immediately followed up.
"Speak no more. I know very well that I have no chance, but at the very least I still can cling to the hope that someday she will change her mind, and I'll be a worthy enough man when the time comes"
Torkel spoke with his right hand curled into a fist and placed over his chest, and a smile which clearly showed his determination. Seeing this, Rose leaned into her seat and spoke in a straight tone.
"Well, I have nothing to say against your resolve"
"In any case, I honestly don't know how much I should pay your team. An Evil Deity is a much more significant matter than anything I could have imagined, and I'm afraid even my entire treasury wouldn't be able to afford it"
Torkel's face gradually began to show worry as he spoke, but Alice immediately spoke in response.
"Indeed an Evil Deity is not a small matter. However, who would have expected something out of legends and tales of bards to actually appear? There's no way you or any normal person would have accounted for this. In addition, we were not all by ourselves back there, so the actual work we did was relatively light. Therefore, you don't have to pay us to the point of straining your treasury"
"Ah, I see. Thank you very much for your consideration. I shall make arrangements with the guild, and you should be able to collect your payment in a couple days"
"Thank you. And I'm sure you don't need me to explain why, but it would be best for everyone if the involvement of an Evil Deity is not mentioned to anyone not from your family's demesne"
"Ah! Y-Yes. Quite right. We wouldn't want to cause a panic after all"
"Alright then. If there's nothing else, we will take our leave"
Everyone stood up after Alice spoke her words, and then Torkel offered a handshake.
"Thank you again, for saving the people from the Evil Deity"
Alice accepted the offer as Torkel spoke, and she just responded with a determined smile. The group then left the mansion and immediately took off to the skies once they were all out of the front gate. They were now heading towards E-Rantel, where the rest of Ignite Maximus team was staying.
[X][X][X]
Ryu, Hikaru, and Lily were sitting around in the main hall of Adventurer's Guild in E-Rantel. The latter of whom had just returned this afternoon after Ainz had asked her to come alone the day before. Right now they were on standby in case any news or emergency requests related to Darkers or Dark Falz would show up. The other Adventurers in the hall were doing their own business, although sometimes a few of them glanced at the group, possibly wondering why an Adamantite Rank team was just sitting around in the guild doing essentially nothing, or perhaps taking glances at Hikaru's horns.
"They're still not back yet"
Ryu mumbled a bit about the other sub-group. It was a little strange for him because with their strength and ability to fly, any requests of Mithril Rank and below shouldn't take more than a day. They had left in the morning the day before, and now a couple hours had passed after lunch time, which meant they had been gone for about thirty hours already.
"Maybe they're enjoying the view?"
"Yeah, maybe, I guess"
Before the conversation between the two siblings could continue further, the front door of the guild building was slammed open, and a group of Adventurers whom Ryu knew was a regular rushed in with wide eyes. Despite the apparent urgency, they didn't look afraid. Instead, they looked amazed.
"Blue Rose is coming!"
One of them shouted, making everyone who heard him turn their head towards him.
"Blue Rose? THE Blue Rose? Are you sure?"
Someone asked the question, clearly not believing the statement immediately.
"Hey, there's no way anyone would mistake Gagaran and Lakyus with someone else! All of us saw them coming here!"
Whispers and talking noises could soon be heard all over the hall. Meanwhile, Ryu remained unfazed seeing all the commotions.
"What's Blue Rose?"
Naturally, Hikaru who had never heard about or met the Adamantite Rank team didn't know about the name. Ryu immediately answered for her.
"Adamantite Rank team from this kingdom's capital city. If they are really all the way here, they probably are looking for Momon's team or ours"
Right after Ryu spoke, a group of people entered through the door. Awed voices echoed inside the room, because indeed they were the members of Blue Rose team, whom Ryu had met and talked with back then after the battle in the capital city. What caught Ryu's attention was the fact that Alice's sub-group, and also Janus, was among them, so Ryu could quickly make a conclusion.
"They're looking for us"
Ryu stood up as he spoke, waving his hand towards Alice. She noticed him within a second, and so did the rest of the group.
"Ha! There you are!"
Gagaran cheerfully spoke while waving her hand. Lakyus immediately approached Ryu with a visible delightful smile on her face.
"Nice to meet you again, Ryu"
Lakyus spoke as she offered a handshake, which Ryu accepted.
"Right. Oh, by the way, you have met Lily, but I believe you haven't met Hikaru, my sister"
Ryu gestured towards Hikaru as he spoke. Lakyus looked at her and offered a handshake as she spoke.
"Ah, yes. I have heard some news about you, but this is the first time we meet face to face. I'm Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, the leader of Blue Rose team. Nice to meet you"
"A-Ah... yes..."
Hikaru reluctantly accepted the handshake while keeping her head lowered.
"She's shy to new people- Ouch!"
Hikaru struck Ryu's side with her elbow. Her face now clearly showed that she was pouting.
"No need to tell her that, dummy"
"A-Anyway, were you looking for me?"
Ryu immediately tried to get back to the important matter, realizing that he had just made a little mistake. Lakyus in response looked straight at Ryu, now with a serious facial expression.
"Yes, there is something that needs your decision as the team leader. But before that, we will need a more private space"
Soon enough, the largest conference room available in the guild building was occupied by the members of two teams, with the addition of some people Ryu had never met yet. They were all now sitting around a large round table, grouped up according to their teams. Janus was sitting next to an old woman, who was sitting next to a man fully clad in white armor.
"I'm guessing that Alice and the twins here got involved with you during their job somehow. So, what is the matter which needs my decision?"
Ryu opened the conference with his hands resting on the table and sporting a serious facial expression. The one who immediately responded was one of the two whom Ryu didn't know yet, the old woman.
"Before that, I believe we should introduce ourselves and tell you a few stories"
The old woman, later introducing herself as Rigrit, then proceeded to summarize what had happened over the course of the day. It took Ryu a little while to understand their objectives, which boiled down to meeting Ainz in person. After all was done and told, Ryu leaned to his seat with his arms folded.
"I'll be frank. This is not an easy matter to decide upon. The person whom you suspect as a possible 'Player' is... let's just say that his moral standards is not the same as normal humans. In addition, the truce between us can break very easily because..."
Ryu went silent with his eyes glancing at Lily, then he took a deep breath and resumed.
"Lily here is his daughter. There's no way she will sit out of this if you end up his enemies. I will say it out loud here and now, that I love Lily like my own daughter. We have been through thick and thin risking our lives. Therefore I won't sit out of this either if that happens"
Ryu spoke with a very serious face, showing his resolve. Lily was speechless, awkwardly turning her head to Ryu. Before anyone else can respond, Hikaru followed up with the same determined face.
"Me too. I'll be on Ryu-niichan's side no matter what happens"
Guardian, who was sitting next to them, smiled with narrowed eyes before looking straight at Tsar.
"As a fellow ARKS and a friend of them, I'm going to say the same too"
There was a silence for nearly ten seconds before Tsar let out a sigh.
"In other words, if I make enemies with this supposed person, I will also make enemies with the entire ARKS and Oracle..."
Rigrit let out a hearty laugh seeing this.
"Hahaha! It seems we have lost, Tsa! This 'Player' has already beaten us in making powerful allies!"
"Heh, as someone who has had a daughter, I can relate with that resolve of yours"
Janus followed up, speaking with his arms folded. It prompted a reaction from Alice.
"'Has had'? I'm right here, you know"
Janus just averted his eyes awkwardly hearing Alice's words. Nevertheless, in response to Rigrit's remark Ryu quickly spoke with his expression visibly relaxed.
"With that being said, we still don't know what will happen until you meet him in person, right? For that matter, I'm sure he won't be happy if I suddenly bring all of you to his home. Best I can offer is that I go to him alone now and talk about this personally, then see his response"
Rigrit, Janus, and Tsar looked at each other and talked among themselves briefly in low voice. After that, Rigrit looked at Ryu again and spoke.
"Alright, we will take your offer on that. How long will it take?"
Ryu put his hand over his chin, showing a thinking posture. The distance from here to Nazarick would take a little over one hour to cover with [Fly] spell, but if he was alone...
"A lot of factors are involved, but at best half an hour I think. I shall get going immediately then"
Ryu stood up from his seat, but before he could walk, Lily stood up too and spoke.
"Ryu-san! Let me come with you!"
"Hmm? Oh, right. You're supposed to stay close to me"
"No, that's not it! I want to help you talk to Papa!"
"Hmm, you might have a point. Come along then"
"Yes, Ryu-san!"
Ryu and Lily walked to the door, and Ryu spoke to the others for one last time before leaving.
"I'll see you again soon"
The two of them then left the guild building and took off to the skies. Ryu then opened his photon interface to determine the correct direction towards Nazarick, and once he found it, he spoke to Lily.
"Get on my back. We'll go there with Ilzonde"
"Oh, alright!"
Lily immediately hopped on to Ryu's back and held on tight.
"Ready?"
"Yup!"
After making sure that Lily was ready, Ryu charged his photon tech and began unleashing it in quick succession.
Ilzonde! Ilzonde! Ilzonde!
He still needed to recharge a few times, but in total the trip of spamming Ilzonde only took about five minutes until Nazarick was within sight. Lily let go of Ryu, and they both floated around for a few seconds until a familiar portal appeared as expected.
Whoosh...
As Ryu and Lily went through the portal, what they saw first was the fact that they were now once again in Ainz's office. The person himself was sitting elegantly on his seat behind the work desk, and there was nobody else.
"Hello, Papa!"
"Greetings, Ainz-dono. I hope I didn't come at an inappropriate time"
"While you are fortunate that I am currently not in the middle of something crucial, it would be best that you do not make a habit out of coming like this. Also, yes. Hello, Lily"
"I apologize for that, but this might be important"
"Hmm, very well. Take a seat then, and tell me about the important matter"
After responding with a slight nod, Ryu sat down on one of the available seats in front of Ainz. Lily followed suit, and Ryu began telling Ainz about the situation.
[X][X][X]
What the hell...?
Ainz couldn't immediately believe what Ryu had just told him. It was too sudden for him to hear the news that a group of three people were investigating the possible existence of 'Players' and now they wanted to meet him in order to confirm their suspicion.
Yeah of course I'm a Player!
The situation had become significantly more dangerous. Right now Ainz still didn't have much information about the group of three. All he knew so far was the fact that Rigrit was one of the Thirteen Heroes, Janus was Alice's foster father, and Tsar was the person Alice had met once in the past. The last of the three was possibly the most dangerous because from the brief story told by Alice once, Tsar was likely the one most involved and experienced in the matter of Player.
Ainz wanted to blame Ryu's group for leaking the information about his existence to such a dangerous group of people, but his emotion suppressor had calmed him down, allowing him to focus his mind and acknowledge that if those people had been actively investigating, it was unavoidable that they would eventually find information about him. After all, his name has already been spread on various places of the land. What Ryu's group had done was merely accelerating the inevitable.
With that in mind, Ainz rested his arms on the table while leaning forward, asking Ryu a question.
"Ryu, do you think they will be hostile to me? I am very aware myself, that I am what they call a Player"
Ryu put his hand over his chin, seemingly thinking briefly before replying.
"In my opinion, Tsar is the one who is the one most likely to be hostile. However, thanks to something I said, he believed that he would become the enemy of ARKS and Oracle as well if that happens, and that made him hesitate"
"Something you said? Well, putting that aside, will he really become the enemy of ARKS if that is the case?"
"Uhh, probably not. But at least he will be my enemy"
Ryu spoke with sharpened eyes full of determination, which made Ainz wonder.
"Huh? Why does it seem that this matter has become your personal vendetta?"
Ryu didn't immediately answer. Instead, he glanced at Lily, took a deep breath, and finally spoke to Ainz with his face clearly showing that he was nothing but serious.
"Because I love Lily"
Ainz immediately froze up hearing Ryu's words. At the corner of his sight, he could notice that Lily was blushing while making awkward and shy gestures.
W-What the fuck? How should I respond to this?
Ainz genuinely had no idea about what he should say in response. He had never had any experience on someone falling in love with his NPC. Actually, he had. But in all those cases the NPC in question had either rejected firmly or remained oblivious to the love.
Ryu is not like Lukrut, that Torkel guy, or Tsuare. Lily is aware and doesn't seem to reject him at all. Good grief, what should I do!?
In the middle of Ainz's bewilderment, his emotion suppressor was triggered again. At the same time, Ryu spoke up.
"But putting it aside, what would be your response to those people, Ainz-dono?"
"Ah, yes..."
The sudden topic was brushed aside to get back to the more important matter at hand. Ainz went into thinking for a brief moment, and he soon came up with a decision.
"Ryu. Bring them all to the surface of Nazarick in one hour. I shall take care of the rest"
"Alright, Ainz-dono"
Ryu nodded as he spoke, while Ainz raised his hand forward to use the usual spell for transporting Ryu and his group.
[Gate]
A familiar dark portal was conjured behind Ryu and Lily, who stood up from their seats.
"See you soon, Papa!"
"Yes, Lily. See you soon"
Ainz nodded as Ryu and Lily walked into the portal, which dispersed as soon as they disappeared from view. Now that he was once again alone, Ainz raised his hand and used the usual communication spell.
[Message]
"Demiurge"
"Ah, Ainz-sama. How may I be of service?"
"You are going to arrange another audience session with a different set of imminent guests. This time, maximum security measures shall be utilized. I shall explain further once you reach my study"
"Right away, Ainz-sama!"
As the [Message] cut off, Ainz patiently waited for Demiurge to arrive. His mind once again becoming a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. With the involvement of allied ARKS, he hoped this newest surprise could be turned to his advantage. Or at the very least, would not jeopardize his current goals...
[X][X][X]
Afterword:
The big figures are going to meet. What will be the outcome? Also, Ryu forgot to put in the detail that his love to Lily is like a father to his daughter, making Ainz misunderstood. However, is that really the case...?
In any case, see you again in another two weeks.
