Jircniv found himself sighing yet again as he opened the message, it was an invitation to dinner. No wonder it had come in such a formal manner instead of through an emissary. As he read, he understood the why of the occasion, it was to commemorate Fludur's growth in magical knowledge, apparently he had successfully cast 'a minor 7th tier spell' with the aid of some preparation from Ainz and the lending of a magical item to enhance his power...but nonetheless...an achievement that surpassed all other humans in known history.
Jircniv clenched the invitation in his fist. 'He's humiliating me again. Yet...I must bear it. What else can I do?' Fludur's behavior was not the least bit unexpected, he'd always known how much his mentor valued magical knowledge, but that didn't make it hurt less, like a child finding out that another son was his father's favorite...it made Jircniv feel like second best...and now a distant third, as Ainz had stolen him away and put the empire into his service.
'Ah...how interesting...he's allowing me to bring guests to witness the humiliation.' Jircniv stopped himself from sighing as a brilliant notion occured to him. 'He is probably expecting me to bring nobles...but no...' he thought to himself, 'I will bring the high priests of the temples of the empire...they've been...distant since this whole thing began...true...they know the power of the spell so they're not willing to rebel, but they know of it only second hand...if I bring them before that monster in the...bone...well that should make them more sympathetic to me.'
He relaxed his grip on the invitation, and it restored itself to being completely free of creases...an utterly trivial use of magic that Jircniv knew none of his available magic caster's could manage...the small humiliations...the small evidences of being surpassed and overwhelmed, those stung the most.
Thirty days later, the high priests had assembled, and watched in horror in the throne room as a gate opened and several goddesses dressed as maids stepped through, and bowed to those assembled, one of them spoke, 'I am Yuri Alpha, and I am head of the maids who will be attending to you at the reception, Ainz has asked us to come through first to provide you with...suitable attire.'
They looked collectively confused, 'Ahem...' Jircniv said, 'While I appreciate the gesture...is there something wrong with what we are wearing now? This is formal garb in the Empire.'
Yuri smiled sweetly and said, 'No, it is not that, his majesty has prepared similar clothing for you, but yours is not enchanted, what we present to you, will be.'
'Enchanted?' An elderly priest said with skepticism...for what?'
Yuri turned her smile to the elderly man, 'The clothing we present will enhance your fortitude, so that you may enjoy more of the drinks to be provided at the tasting, without the risk of becoming overly intoxicated or poisoning yourself through overconsumption, further, you will feel the vigor of a youth of twenty years for so long as you wear it, you will also be resistent to bacterial infection from the unfamiliar environment, and you will have enhanced memory of the evening so that memory of the pleasures of Nazarik will not fade as the years pass...' One by one she listed off the benefits of this specially made clothing...and their collective jaws began to drop.
Everybody knew 'an' enchantment could be placed on something...sometimes two...they knew Runecraft allowed for several...but to have so many...and for something so simple...it defied their knowledge, and Jircniv's bitter smile was not lost to their gaze as he gave a small nod, as if to say, 'Do you understand what I face now?'
One of the priests raised a hand...'What is a tasting...and...what is bacteria?'
'A tasting is where the host presents a series of foods, wines, or smoking goods, all to be sampled to find which things pair best together to maximally enhance the pleasure of consumption.'
Jircniv's eyes widened...his inner hedonist loved the notion, as clearly so did the priests, but to be able to do such a thing spoke of wealth beyond wealth.
Yuri continued, 'And bacteria is the cause of disease, our lord Ainz has revealed that the cause of sickness is something called 'germs' which enter the body and weaken it from within, and so he has had special magics crafted which will render them unable to host themselves within you. He calls these tiny living organisms 'bacteria'.
One of the priests began to weep, Jircniv knew why...he knew all these men well, that one had lost a child to sickness before joining the priesthood, and he had thought himself cursed or punished in some way, never understanding why she had died...and now a monster had not only found what caused sickness, but could prevent it, perhaps even cure it, and with trivial ease. For his own part, it was all the bloody emperor could do not to marvel in awe, and openly gawk at what the maid had relayed as if she were giving the time of day.
'Will he...share his knowledge on this...?' the weeping priest asked.
'I do not know, I am only a maid, you will have to ask his majesty.' Yuri replied.
'What is it you mean by...smoke?' another priest asked. 'You mean like from a fire?'
Yuri chuckled softly, charmingly, like the sound of a little bell chime. 'No sir, there is a plant in my lord's domain, called 'tobacco' and it is made into something called 'cigars' when that is lit on fire, you can inhale the smoke, and it provides a pleasurable taste, which is then breathed out, it is apparently a favorite activity of some of the supreme ones who once shared our lord's home, they would socialize and converse, as it requires a person to inhale, everyone gets heard, and nobody can speak endlessly over others. My maker was apparently very fond of it, and Lord Ainz wishes to share this pleasure with his vassals.'
Jircniv looked confused at the description, but decided to not press the issue, the maids began to go back and forth through the portal, bringing richly embroidered garments...of far finer cloth than that of the empire, and began to distrubte them to the appropriate wearers.
A few minutes later after a few private changing sessions, and the guests were ready to go, and Jircniv set the example by being the first to follow the maids through the black hole in reality.
He found himself in what he could only describe as a wonderland, with intricate artwork of the highest quality along the walls of a dining hall, an array of dishes already laid out, a massive round table made of some unknown substance, and rows of maids who were not less goddess like than the ones who had first come through, lining the walls.
The priests were still in awe of the feeling in their bodies, they were all old men and women, so this...this was like heavan, the aches and pains of age were gone, the vigor of youth was just as the maid had promised them, and then they saw where they were, and were they not maintained by the excellent feel and effect of the charmed clothing, they might have collapsed in shock.
They were so focused, they did not notice as Ainz approached behind them all, and standing just behind the emperor he said, 'It is a masterwork, is it not?' The priests all jumped in shock, and Jircniv nearly joined them, but Ainz seemingly did not notice. 'That painting there, is called 'The Mona Lisa' done by a master inventor, painter, and architect, as well as a master of war, some eight hundred years ago. That one over there, is called 'The Birth of Venus' done by an artist almost one thousand years ago, that one over there is called 'The School of Athens' it was done about seven hundred years ago, and it depicts a debate between two of the world's greatest philosophers, Socrates & Plato, about two thousand six hundred years ago...
Ainz was looking up and pointing at the various paintings, identifying them by name and date...and sometimes throwing in tidbits of trivia about the artists themselves, but what shook them all to the very core were the ages...nobody knew anything of the world but myth and legend from beyond six hundred years ago, the statues over there, yes I know they all look quite different, but they are from different eras, that rather crude looking one is from near the beginning of art itself, that little statuete is called the Venus of Hohle Fels, it was carved over 40,000 years ago...yet Ainz...the undead skeletal king...was throwing out ages that were simply beyond their ability comprehend, he was unaware of the stares he was receiving as he gave them a tour of past they never knew of.
'I wonder...' Ainz asked himself...'if I should tell them that I'm talking about my world's history and not theirs...' He mentally shook his head, 'That will just confuse them, besides, its probably better this way regardless.'
The maids and guardians who had begun to trickle in, listened intently as he went on at length, reciting what he remembered of his art history course in college.
'What races were all these artists...?' A priest asked.
'All of this work was done by humans.' Ainz said simply.
Their jaws dropped openly. Theirs were not the only ones...the guardians and maids could scarcely believe their ears.
Ainz laughed.
'Do you not believe me?'
Jircniv found his tongue first, 'Surely we do...its just my lord...'
'You haven't seen human work like this before?' Ainz said, finishing the emperor's sentence.
'Your people are capable of more than you think, though not a strong race, you are innovative, clever, you survived as a people because you applied yourselves in ways beyond mere brutishness,' Ainz turned and looked away, as if he were looking at the past, 'you excelled in learning, in creation, there is much potential in you...why do you think I was so willing to build the school for artisans in the empire, why do you think I put wealth of my own into the project, and sacrificed profit to do so, I value beauty, excellence, creativity, will, all of which are made manifest in arts and learning as much as in war, and all of which are needed to make a kingdom that not only endures, but that deserves to endure.'
'We will accomplish much, you and I...and this time it will last, and I will not go away.'
Several of the priests were moved to tears, weeping at the lost past, weeping with joy at the future being laid out before them, and in his heart of hearts...a part of Jircniv's frustration with Ainz surpassing him, melted away.
Ainz snapped back to the present, and he clapped his hands and summoned the maids to begin serving as the guests seated themselves, 'We will begin with the pairing, the wine vintage is that of Idun's Apples...which incidentally...you should not drink if you do not want to live another fifty years. Its quite diluted, but that is about what it will grant you, give or take a few years.
One of the priests choked out...'What...?'
'Wine made with Idun's apples as an added but diluted ingredient, restores some years of youth and so will extend life, at least in mortals, obviously it does me no good, so if you're looking forward to dying of old age...please pass on this one or request a further diluted sampling, and it will be paired with ice dragon steak, and then with a sampling of megalodon, a kind of fish, or giant shark if you're familiar with them. If you wish to pair them both with a cigar now, I will bring them out, the maids will demonstrate how to use them.'
Awe continued to increase as the evening wore on, the vigor of youth was matched with the vigor of several faces as priests both male and female consumed Idun's apple wine...and one by one each savory item of juice, liquor...and even beer...were shown to be beyond the quality of mortal knowledge or access, and the cigars proved to have a powerful impact as conversation went on, Fludur himself spent most of the evening besides his majesty, but when he approached Jircniv, he was to his surprise, embraced by the boy he had raised to manhood.
'It kills me to say it...gramps. But if this is all real, then betraying me might have been the best thing you've ever done. I can't win against the monster, but even if I did, all of us seem to be better off if I lose, so I won't try to win anymore, I won't try to get out anymore, he's even outdone our priests from the temples, they're wholly on his side already, and thanks to this, they're going to be leading the temples for another fifty years at least. Its better if I just go with this, isn't it?'
Fludur stroked his beard and his eyes sparkled, 'Yes my dear boy, yes, its good to be on the same side again, and truthfully this time.
The hours passed and the night wore on, and one by one the priests with key questions, were given answers...one was shown a microscope, and saw the germs that killed his child, and how they could be killed or protected against both magically and nonmagically.
Another asked after the philosophers from the painting, and was presented with copies of texts from them, and informed that they were only two of many known only to Ainz now...and the scholar's zeal was lit in him as it had been in Fludur before him. Another asked about the art, and was presented with a book of shocking quality with perfect recreations, showing a history of art over generations she could not even imagine, spanning thousands of years.
Others were given a glimpse at the long term plans for the adventurer's guild, for the education of mages, for the expansion of public services and the discovery of the world and the making of a golden age that would not die because no power existed that could topple it.
By dawn, the priests of the four gods were convinced that the Emperor had made the right choice, and more than that, they were ready for a heresy none had imagined even one day earlier, a break with the temples of the other human nations if it came to that, and granting the full support from the temples, to the rule of the Undead King.
Eventually, the gathering came to a close, and the priests were told they could keep the garb they wore if they chose, and promised that good service to Ainz and by proxy, to the emperor, would be rewarded with more of what they cherished.
When they were at last alone except for the servants of Ainz, Jircniv said, 'Sire, may we speak alone?'
Ainz nodded, and waved his reluctant servants out.
'May I speak freely?' Jircniv asked.
Ainz nodded again.
'When did you know it was I behind the party entering your...home?'
Ainz sighed with relief inside his own head. He had prepared an answer for this.
'The day they arrived.' He said.
Jircniv looked shocked.
'How? Was it Fludur...?' He asked.
Ainz shook his head. 'No, it was just the logical conclusion.'
Jircniv looked unconvinced.
'Its simple really,' Ainz explained, 'These were very weak figures, but they were obviously considered a powerful force, and there were a number of them, when compared to the average, or even exceptional figures in your service, it was easy to realize that nobody was going to be allowed to gather a private force like that without your sayso, and it was so public in its approach to me that it certainly wasn't done in secret.' He chuckled slightly.
'Think of it this way, suppose a nobleman in your empire a few years ago raised a personal army of 20,000 soldiers, how do you respond?' Ainz asked.
Jircniv thought a moment and replied, 'I immediately move to occupy his lands, disband his force and...ohhhhh...' The realization dawned on him.
'Exactly,' Ainz said, a force of workers like that was a small army all by itself, you are...or were...an absolute ruler, with a capable intelligence staff and military support, there is simply no way a noble goes rogue and raises that force that publicly without you not only knowing about it, but authorizing or even ordering it directly, and if it were done without your knowledge somehow, such a man would surely have not let you close enough to take his head without a fight. Therefore it was completely obvious that you were at the heart of it all.' Ainz finished, his skeletal hands opening before him, as if finishing a presentation on the obvious.
Jircniv shook his head, 'I wasn't nearly as clever as I thought, was I?' He asked.
'No, not so much.' Ainz said, 'But take heart, you're still the emperor, a valued vassal of a people with great potential, you will rule long and rule securely, and too, I am grateful to you, because you showed me...' Ainz paused, and stopped himself from saying, 'how to be a king', and instead said, 'how much potential humans still have, by way of ruling well.'
Jircniv could barely believe his own ears, as Ainz spoke, the undead had placed his skeletal hand on Jircniv's shoulder, a familiar gesture, even a warm one...it was impossible before to imagine an undead mimicking human details of behavior so perfectly, he looked down at the bones, and imagined flesh covering them, and then he looked Ainz in the eye.
'You really don't hate humans at all, do you?' He asked.
Ainz shook his head, 'No, I do not. It is true I will not hesitate to kill them, but then...do you, when it is necessary for you to do so to achieve your ends? Does any king? Does any general or warrior or even peasant?'
They shook their heads in unison.
'I do not hate humans, and I am not out to kill them. If I wanted to do that, well even though I can't use that spell for another six years now, I still have a dozen others just as deadly, I could have turned the entire region around my into the dead and undead now if I had wanted to.' Jircniv was shaken to the core as he learned that there was so much more the Sorcerer King could do to exteriminate just as many as he had on the Katze Plains, but also he thought to himself, 'I understand him a little better now...he was never an ordinary, if uncommonly intelligent, undead monster. He is truly an immortal king of the highest caliber.'
'Thank you for having me your majesty, and I am eager to see what wonders working your will, shall bring into the world tomorrow, and if I may ask, would you please do me the honor of joining me the next time a champion battles in the Arena, we may talk of the future in my private box as we enjoy a spectacle in which one of us is not participating in combat.'
He laughed internally at the joke on himself, remembering how Ainz had destroyed his battle plans, in person, by disrupting talks with the Theocracy with a simple question and a personal appearance, before thrashing the Martial Lord personally.
Ainz joined him in laughter, and said, 'It would be a pleasure, my royal brother. To the future!' he said, and raised a cup from which he could not drink, but instead offered it out to Jircniv, who drank it without hesitation, before setting it aside, and walking back through the portal with a wave of his hand, and a future he looked forward to very much, still growing in his mind.