As Ainz rolled through the city gate he found himself equal parts pitying the Draconic Kingdom, and unimpressed by it. The buildings were close set and though the road was wide enough for travel on foot, horse, or by carriage, the roads were not the most well maintained. He sat in the carriage with Sebas & Albedo, patiently drumming his skeletal fingers and passing the time as he looked out. When he was about halfway there, he had a passing whim, and ordered the carriage halted. Sebas and Albedo looked at him with curious eyes.
"Proceed to the palace, I wish to walk the rest of the way. I'd like to look over the streets of our host. Inform them that I will be along shortly." He said, glad that his voice naturally seemed to hide his anxiety at being nearly alone with the rapacious Albedo.
"My lord you cannot just wander alone out here!" Albedo said plaintively, "If anything should happen I'd..." She clutched her belly tight and looked away as if she were about to cry, Ainz knew full well her obsession with having his heir, but what troubled him more was her profoundly upset state, she was the child of his dear friend, he should not be the cause of her tears.
"Shall I accompany you my lord?" Sebas asked, seeing Ainz was about to relent.
"No...but she makes a fair point, have the eight edge assassins monitor me and scout my path for threats."
Sebas inclined his head. "As you will sire." He said, and Ainz opened the door of the carriage and stepped out. Though the streets were open without any traffic, that did not stop the citizens from crowding the side walks, and the sign of one of the vaunted carriages of the powerful stopping in the middle of the street, and a tall skeleton stepping out and...walking, was a bit much.
Some people froze in their tracks, rumors had been ample about the Sorcerer King and his undead nature, but seeing him in the flesh was another matter. Ainz had an aura of power about him that made people notice him...though who would not have noticed the skeletal king in the rich robes? But more than that, he had maxed out his charisma, it had let him convince Pluton, Rakesheer, and countless others support him, it had brought Neia Baraja on as a dedicated follower and promoter of his views, and now it made the crowd of unknowns conflicted between fear and awe, for a moment Ainz did not take a step, he simply looked around the city in the place he'd gotten out, and pretended he was NOT standing out like a sore thumb. He found it impossible to move under the unwavering stares of fear, awe, and uncertainty, as if he were back at his office job again meeting senior coworkers for the first time. How that might have played out if it had continued, there is no way to know. But what did happen was a voice pierced the eerie silence, a voice calling for the Sorcerer King to notice its source. He looked, and saw a hand waving high over people's heads, and a figure was evidently jumping up and down, he looked with confusion at the unknown figure, and the crowd, realizing something was amiss, moved out of the way of the owner of the voice. It was then that the owner was evident, it was a young woman, and she charged full tilt at the Sorcerer King, for a moment he thought she intended to attack him, a reckless move at best, and he nearly used 'Grasp Heart' to bring her down.
That was when he recognized her face, it was bright and cheerful, much more contented than it had been the first time he saw her.
This had the crowd remaining rooted in one spot, seeing a peasant rush up to an undead king was not something one saw very often. "Vanysa?" Ainz said with surprise as she fell to one knee on arriving in front of him. "So good to see you again!" He said and reached down and touched her shoulder, "Please, raise your head and rise, walk with me to the palace, tell me how you've been!"
This left the viewers dumbfounded beyond belief. Vanysa wore common clothing, perhaps a little bit better than average, but certainly nothing that would hint that she could possibly have connections to royalty. She stood, nay, leaped up to her feet as if she had springs attached. "You member me sire!" She said with a broad smile.
"Of course, we were together for a few weeks, why wouldn't I remember you?" He said as he began to walk and she fell into step to his left.
"Not many who rule kingdoms remember those of the class that clean those kingdom's streets." She said with a wry self depricating grin.
"Well those are poor leaders then. What did I tell you years ago?" Ainz asked.
"A kingdom is its people and a king is their voice." She said proudly. Her blonde hair bounced with her ample breasts as she fairly skipped beside him, and he idly wondered if Albedo was going to take issue with his next idea.
"Very good. I see I did not speak to empty air." He said kindly.
"No sire, you didna." She gave him a toothy grin that had people dazed and confused as the etremely mismatched pair walked the streets.
"Your capitol is in disrepair." He said somewhat reproachfully.
"Aye it is." She said somewhat shamefaced. "So much money went to defending against the beastmen...you know...well..." She paused. "I did what you suggested sire, I promise I did."
"And...what happened?" Ainz asked, his voice slightly warmer than a fall day.
"I was told there ain't no money. The Queen borryed money from so many countries to pay adventurers so we wouldn't be eaten...we c'n barely keep together what we ave, an with so many dead an wiped out and in need of...evrthin, there just ain't enough money to pay for improvements or repairs, when we c'n still barely stay alive as a country." Vanysa's blue eyes welled up.
They walked in silence before Ainz said patiently, "I can solve that problem." Vanysa bounced with the vigor of a child, it was hard to remember she was a woman in the flowering of adulthood, young yes, but not that young. He reflected that her traumatic experience among the beastmen had seen her regress some what in the maturing of years and had given her an overly excitable nature. He mentally shrugged, he knew quite well she could have had it worse than she did.
"I wouldn't hold it against your Queen to much." Ainz said, "If her finances are truly in that horrible a state, well even the most heartfelt appeal cannot change reality itself."
"Aye ah know, ah know...sire." She said as her hands folded behind her back, "But ahd still like to have roads like E-Rantel."
"Well you'll have them, perhaps not right away, but you'll see them here one day." He answered.
"Now tell me what else you've experienced since last we saw one another?" He asked politely.
For the next few miles she walked beside him, telling him everything she'd done with the life that he had returned to her, and it was more or less what one would expect, she had taken advantage of her education and begun a business selling sandwiches out of a shop, but then the high taxes had ruined her and her goods were confiscated, so she worked in a larger business and because of her somewhat higher base of knowledge she was made an administrator, and she had settled in to that position. However as she closed out her story she asked him, "Sire s'it true that Neia Baraja was your personal squire?"
"It is." He said.
"Is she really as powerful as they say?" She asked.
"How powerful do they say she is?" Ainz asked with curiosity and amusement.
"They say she killed a legendary demihuman, created a new combat system, and..." She went on about Neia's purported deeds while Ainz listened quietly, as he listened, he couldn't help but think that yes, she had become a very impressive figure to hear about, some of the stories were obviously exaggerated, like the size and preparedness of Prart's security forces and city guard, but they got the gist of it right.
"That all sounds about right." Ainz said, deciding it wouldn't hurt to pump up his most loyal follower's reputation a bit, "A little understated, but still yes, that is about right."
"Sire, as soon as possible, I want to see a Black Justice temple open here, and I'll perform any role you want me to in seeing that happen." She said with vigorous enthusiasm, before Ainz could reply they found themselves approaching the gates of the castle courtyard, which had been left open for him, and the delegations were waiting.
Vanysa paused, "Oh, you've gotta go...um...thank you for everything your majesty. From the bottom of m'mortal heart." She bowed deeply and began to back away when Ainz said, "Wait...why don't you join me, as my guest?" Ainz asked.
The girl shook with pleasure and her face lit up in a way that reminded Ainz of a girl he knew in childhood, a bright faced girl who went outside one day...and never came back in alive.
"Are ya sure sire...I'm not...dressed for that?" She asked hesitantly.
Ainz shrugged. "Does food taste differently based on how you are dressed?" He tilted his head as if confused.
She giggled. "No sire."
"Humans are so complicated." He said with a long suffering sigh, and held his hand out to her, inviting her to join him, and this she did, skipping up like a kid to an ice cream truck.
This confused the delegation so much that any expression of displeasure anyone might have felt was wiped away and replaced. The Baharuth Emperor was the first to speak.
"Welcome sire, your delegation arriving without you was a...bit of a surprise. May I ask what happened?" Jircniv asked curiously.
Ainz shrugged. "Nothing dramatic, I wanted to walk, so I did, you know quite well my good emperor, how I feel about being out among the people." Ainz said nonchalantly, prompting a chuckle from Jircniv.
"I should have guessed, and may I ask...who is this?" He asked and gestured to Vanysa, who was very conscious about how her simple green cloth shirt, plain brown pants, and leather shoes...and how she compared to the wealth that was worn by those around her.
"This is Vanysa, she accompanied me for my...visit...to the beastmen on Queen Draudillon's behalf, after I brought down the city of Ha'ak Pale. " Ainz replied, and she bowed deeply to the emperor.
"It is an honor my lord, the Sorcerer King told me much about you." She said.
Jircniv was not a man easily caught offguard, but it seemed the Sorcerer King made a habit of doing that to such an absurd degree that he no longer considered it hard to take him off guard. "All of it good I hope." He said with a handsome grin, and bade her rise, which she did, if somewhat less than gracefully.
Ainz looked to the Draconic Queen. "I trust there will be no issue if she accompanies me as my personal guest?"
Queen Draudillon was glad she chose not to appear as a child today, she looked ridiculous in that form when she was confused and surprised. "Of course, we can easily accommodate one more guest at dinner."
The Elf king snorted. "Picking up wayward trash, Sorcerer King?" Vanysa shook under the withering gaze of the powerful elf king, she held herself as he found amusement by releasing killing intent at the peasant girl, she could not meet his eyes, his contempt was thick and rich enough to be drizzled on hot cakes, but a moment later, it seemed to vanish, she stopped shaking and looked back, there was a wave of darkness rising from the body of the Sorcerer King that seemed to be ripped from the night itself, the shadows welling up around him danced like flames ready to burn away all light and drown the very world in its cloak, the Sorcerer King no longer seemed to stand as tall as he did, he seemed to be towering like a giant of myth, tall as a mountain, and raw fury poured out of his body like water bursting from a weakened dam. Yet she didn't feel any fear herself, she realized instantly that she was not the target, it was directed in one place, at one figure, who suddenly seemed to contemplate his own mortality and rethink his own notions of invincibility.
It was the first regret the king of the elves ever had.
The Sorcerer King's killing intent then vanished as if it never were, and he turned to look at Vanysa. "Are you alright?" He asked. She nodded numbly.
As if to over the uncomfortable moment, Queen Calca spoke up, she appeared radiant, but the sudden burst of killing intent had thrown her off, and she had to recover her sensibilities as she greeted the Draconic Queen. "My lady, its good to see you again."
"And you also." Queen Draudillon said politely, and she leaned in and gave the woman a kiss on the cheek.
Princess Renner & King Zanac turned to the Sorcerer King, with Zanac taking the lead he said, "It is good that I finally meet you in person." He said with a polite bow of his head.
"And you also." Ainz said in a noble voice that threw Zanac for a loop, he had expected the voice of the undead to be raspy like a lich, but this was clearly not the case.
Greetings went around after that as if they were friends or new neighbors, it was flatly bizarre to Vanysa, who knew quite well that they had come together to agree upon the terms they would abide by in killing each other's people. The banality of their casual interactions made it all utterly terrifying, but what really drew her eyes after that was the one she heard referred to as the Platinum Dragon Lord, approaching Ainz Ooal Gown.
"I've heard a lot about you." The dragon lord said.
"Probably not much of it very good." Ainz said bluntly, which seemed to surprise the dragon with its frank admission.
"No, not much. You admit it?" He asked.
"I admit only to the prejudice against me on the basis of preconceptions. It is true I have taken life, indeed many lives. But I have saved many more, and I have generally given those whose lives I would take, a chance to live on by removing themselves from my path. Am I different from you in any of that?" Ainz asked pointedly.
That made the dragonlord pause.
"Perhaps not." He answered.
"I ask only that you judge me by my works, not by what I am or appear to be." Ainz answered him further, "Ask her what I am." He said as he gestured to Vanysa.
This turned the dragon lord's eyes to her, and he decided to take the request literally. "Well, what is he?" The eyes of the armored figure loomed large to her, but this she could answer with confidence.
"Ma savior." She said breathlessly. "He killed the beastmen dead! He slew'em like they were nothin, they were eatin our city, they were torturin us for fun, by the time he got th'r I wasa shell, I was goin to be eaten cause there was no fear left inside me to draw out, I was empty, when I saw him approach the wall, and felt the bear man's tongue on my body, tastin me like an animal, I thought this was the end, and I was happy it was finally over...n'more suffering...n'more pain...n'more torture...then the monster just...died. And I lay on m'side and watched for an hour as he simply commanded that they die, an they did, an I lived. I stayed with him for the next few weeks, servin his every need as he crushed the threats he faced...so when ya ask me what he is...he is a savior...he is a hero...he is a god." Vanysa may have been speaking to the Dragon lord, but her words were not unheard by others.
There were some unsettled looks by the other delegates, not least of all King Astraka, who had refrained from doing anything but looking angry until Vanysa spoke. She looked at him in particular, he was a large man, powerfully built with a thick brown beard and piercing, intelligent looking black eyes. He wore rich looking clothing but his hands had thick callouses that...given the lack of manual labor done by the average lord, was probably from holding swords. His demeanor screamed 'soldier' which meant Vanysa thought little enough of him, soldiers had not saved her after all, they had abandoned her.
"Ahem...well let us go in then." The Draconic queen said, when Ainz asked...
"Where is the Slane Theocracy?" The red orbs looked at her curiously.
"They...elected not to wait and chose to proceed to the gathering hall." She said somewhat uncomfortably, Ainz turned his look to Albedo and Sebas, who bore unhappy expressions on their faces, clearly the Theocracy had not chosen their words with diplomacy.
"I see." Ainz said, "Then as you say, let us proceed, I am in your care." He said, and gestured to the entrance.
Draudillon's mind was a whirlwind as she walked, Vanysa had borne personal witness to the work of Ainz Ooal Gown? An eye witness to his actions left her considering him to be a god? And his aura when he had been displeased by the elf king...the whorling darkness and that oppressive air had struck the elf king practically to his knees and silenced the foul man completely, she had only been near, and it had left her shaking where she stood, his own servants had trembled. When all this was over, she privately resolved to ensure she was never in conflict with the undead. Yet of greater curiosity to her was his seeming unwillingness to make full use of his unbelievable power. He could dominate the conference goers one and all, terrify them into submission and utterly break them, he could point at things and make them die, and he was going to be sitting a few feet away from all his enemies...why won't he just do it? Why won't he do the things he obviously can do?
Gradually she thought she understood, he was adhering to mortal diplomatic norms, to gain acceptance of who and what he was from the mortals he ruled and from the mortals he lived alongside. His unwillingness to simply hammer them in to submission with ninth tier spells...the very highest tier there was...had to reflect his desire that he be accepted on their terms. She was glad she was in front, nobody could see her swallow as she came to that conclusion.
As they walked through the palace, the world leaders looked at the sights with interest, the Draconic Kingdom was an old one as human nations went, and its art and architecture reflected that. Ainz found it to be quite beautiful in a way, though nothing compared to the work in Nazarick. Vanysa walked behind him in absolute awe, gaping at every painting and statue along the way.
The elf king did not seem to care, and snorted at everything he passed. As guests went, Ainz found him to be profoundly rude, he noted that the other rulers looked with interest, even King Astraka, but not awe, the way Vanysa did, reflecting their own status and their own possessions of comparable worth and quality.
It was not a large residence, or if it was, it was at least not a long way to the main hall where a banquet had been laid out for them. Ainz...for obvious reasons, did not partake. However he encouraged Albedo & Sebas to do so. Initially they refused.
"My lord it would be inappropriate for a mere butler to eat while his lord did not. I am here to attend you, please allow me to do that." Sebas had said, his voice, always that of the elder gentleman, had a hint of unhappiness to it.
Albedo for her part said, "I doubt very much I would enjoy it even if I did, what can they offer compared to Nazarick?"
Jircniv was nearby at the time and was inclined to agree, and as he was near and party to their side he interjected, "I am compelled to agree with the lady Albedo. I eat some of the most sumptuous meals in the world as common fare, but after dining in Nazarick it all tastes like sawdust now." He had a somewhat frustrated expression on his face, and Albedo actually deigned to give him a faint expression of praise for his assessment. Ainz noted that as the years had passed, while her general feeling for humanity...or anyone outside of Nazarick...had not really changed, she seemed to have come to favor certain humans in particular, viewing them if not as peers, then at least as having some merit of their own, and as such she got along rather well with them. In their repeated meetings, Jircniv and Renner were two such figures, both exhibited usefulness to Nazarick, and both had shown loyalty. Though she had never had much contact with Neia, the girl's absolute and fanatical devotion to Ainz and his vision had a particularly valuable and powerful effect on the leader of the guardians, tempering her general contempt when she understood that some forms of life could see him as she did. All in all, it was a good thing.
Ainz nodded with understanding, "I understand, yet you must, while Sebas may refrain as a servant, and I cannot consume anything, and Vanysa is a peasant, if you refrain it will be as if we are saying their best is fit only for peasants. While you may see it that way, you must not show it, you will be a bad guest, and you will bring shame on Nazarick for our poor manners. I will praise you if you comport yourself well." Ainz said encouragingly. Albedo lit up, and quickly moved to take up a plate and seat herself. Ainz and Vanysa likewise took seats, and Sebas attended his duty stood behind his master. One by one the guests took their places in turn, and a string of servants began filter in, they walked in double rows and were finely dressed, the laid out a grand feast, sumptuous cuts of the finest cattle, sheep, duck, and other beasts. Vanysa sat looking entirely out of place, less than the servants themselves who laid out a plate for her. She was somewhat embarassed, but they were professional enough to simply do their jobs and move on. Next came the wine bearers, who brought a series of bottles and glasses, asking each guest their preference, when it came to Albedo, she chose a rose wine to pair with her meal, and she seemed to enjoy the looks of discomfort from the enemies of her country as the males among them could not avert their eyes from her overwhelming beauty. She had a secret smile within, they could look all they liked, but she would rather touch most of them only to claim their lives. 'My body is for my lord alone!' She thought satisfactorily, though with fresh impatience for him to finally act and claim what was his alone. She looked over at Vanysa and evaluated the girl, though a mere human, she wasn't bad to look at. Still in a contest between women, the perfect Albedo gauged that she came out ahead of the 'pet' Ainz seems to have taken interest in, at least the girl had the sense to consider him a god. She snorted in contempt at the failure of so many 'great' leaders who failed to recognize what had been obvious to a mere squire years ago and obvious to an even lower peasant now.
She ate gingerly, not caring for the taste, but saying nothing critical either. The Slane Theocracy delegates had entered last and claimed their seats last, and when they sat, they showed less interest in their meal than at staring with open hostility at Ainz Ooal Gown, though Ainz deigned not to notice them. Albedo then unleashed a bit of mischief, she gradually allowed herself to emenate a dusky scent of desire, her pheremones passed to the male delegates, particularly those among the Theocracy, and their hostility towards her lord was turned into mind fogging lust for her. She gave them a sweet smile, knowing full well what they felt, and she allowed her little manipulation to infect the women as well as they began to notice the expressions on the faces of the men. She wondered how far she could press them, but then a skeletal hand covered hers, and Ainz said softly, "Albedo...don't." Just loudly enough for her to hear. She pouted, and began to deactivate her ability, and they slowly returned to themselves, seemingly unaware of why they had all been so caught up in the thoughts that had occupied them.
The lines were clearly drawn. On one side sat the delegation of the Sorcerous Kingdom, the Baharuth Empire, & the Roble Holy Kingdom's Queen. On the other side facing them sat the Slane Theocracy, the Elf Kingdom, & the Roble Holy Kingdom's current King Astraka. At the far end of the square table facing both delegations and the host country sat the Agrland Council & the Re-Estize Kingdom. At the far opposite, one entire side was made up of members of the court of the Draconic Kingdom who were acting as hosts.
The world they all knew was heavily divided, and no unity was to be found here today. When the dinner and wine and pleasant conversation had passed and meals had been eaten from one course to the next, Queen Draudillon stood and began to address the gathered leaders. "Leaders of the world, we know why we are here, and to that I can only express my heartache at seeing two nations who have rendered invaluable services to me over the years, out of their love of peace and their reverence for life, must come to such heavy blows. Though it aches my heart, I am honored by the trust you have bestowed in me to host this gathering in common security. In that same spirit I ask that all who have attended this gathering speak openly and honestly as to their aims, that the tragedy that is to unfold may be lessened by clear understanding of when the time to stop has come...and I think I speak for all of us, for all nations and all peoples within them, in that I hope that end comes swiftly, that the return to peace that we have so long been without, returns and does not leave us again." There was a smattering of applause, and Vanysa found herself impressed with her queen, most of the things she'd heard about the woman were that she was a hard drinker and like to tempt lolicons. Not exactly a noble reputation, yet as she sat and watched, she found herself giving a favorable reevaluation of the one who ruled over her. Her words sounded genuine, if prepared, and so Vanysa remained silent and could not look away, as she, a peasant girl, found herself privy to the machinations of the great.
Queen Draudillon gestured to Ainz Ooal Gown, "As the delcarative agent, you have the right to speak your wishes first, let all hear and know beyond doubt what your aims are."
Ainz stood, and his brief uncertainty from earlier now seemed strange, perhaps it just had to get out of his system as he moved into an uncertain situation, or perhaps it was because this was what he had prepared for. Most of these figures had never met him, only heard of him, so this was a moment of true first impressions. "We are much aggrieved by the actions of our neighbors, the Slane Theocracy has ended the lives of those I saved, persecuted the lives of those who simply follow my ideals of justice, they have meddled in the affairs of their neighbors, they have enslaved intelligent beings and brutalized them in ways that any god worthy of the title would abhor, and as a final insult, with the rightful Queen restored to life, their puppet king refuses to step aside and let her rule, because through him," Ainz pointed to King Astraka, "they may do what they want in a country not their own, while she," he gestured to Queen Calca, "will govern according to the needs and wellbeing of her people. My material goods meant to rebuild their country have repeatedly been robbed by the nobles meant to use them to benefit the citizens, and they have openly backed lawless slaughter of anyone who disputes or does not share their beliefs." There were daggers stared at Ainz, some of the delegates in the neutral area looked on with interest as the litany of misdeeds was laid bare.
"My aims are these...slavery will be abolished for all intelligent beings, not only in those parts of the Holy Kingdom which have practiced it, but also in the Theocracy itself. Freedom of religious belief will be respected by nations outside the Roble Holy Kingdom, persecutory laws will be eliminated, all foreign forces will be withdrawn, and Queen Calca will be returned to her rightful throne. If these conditions are met, then there will be no war." Ainz paused, and his piercing gaze met one figure after the other before he continued.
"If however...if...if..." He emphasized the word with heavier and heavier inflection in repetition, "those conditions are not met, then those nations who take up arms against the restoration of the Holy Queen to her rightful throne and other related aims...will cease to exist."
Shock appeared on the faces of the Slane Theocracy delegates as Ainz declared that either he got what he wanted, or he would take everything and leave nothing. Nobody...nobody conquered a great nation in a single war, not even the beastmen could do that, and they were vastly powerful beings, which could still be turned back by human efforts, to openly declare his intention to conquer the nations who opposed him was a bold and terrifying statement. Astraka went pale, and Raymond found he had trouble breathing for a moment. The neutral states had furrowed brows as they listened on.
"I will not fight the same war twice, nor leave a struggle to future generations to fight and to die over, if my neighbors wish to meddle, corrupt, and destroy, then their lands will become my lands, their citizens my citizens, and their walls my walls. I do not wish to commit genocide, and I will not. However I will also not tolerate the persistent corruption and cruelty of evil pressing against the peace and tranquility I treasure."
There was a great deal of heavy breathing, but Ainz did not stop.
"The purpose of this gathering is that you may know how I will fight this war, and to give you, my enemies, an opportunity to influence it to minimize innocent deaths, I have no wish to slay those who have no say in why I am there." This drew interested and curious looks, even from his enemies. "Therefore I have prepared a document naming the terms under which I am willing to fight this war, for each condition my enemies agree to abide by, I will remove one tier of magic that I am willing to use. As long as they abide by that agreement and its six points, I will also, when they violate it, I will consider myself free to use whatever magic will end the conflict most quickly, and thus minimize the suffering that they would otherwise choose to increase."
Dominic laughed. Ainz turned and fixed him with a look to which Dominic answered, "You would have us believe that you would trade away all six tiers of magical use to save a few lives? That is to funny." His fellow cardinals looked displeased at his demeanor, but they did not contradict him.
"No Cardinal Dominic." Ainz said, "I would trade away ONLY six."
"What does that even mean?" Dominic snorted in contempt.
"It means that if you abide by this agreement, I will only use the first five tiers of magic, and not the next six. There are eleven tiers of magic, and I can use them all." Ainz said, and a pandemonium of speech erupted.
Ainz waited patiently as delegates lept to their feet in denial, Dominic pointed a finger at him and said, "You lie! That isn't so!"
The Argland council traded glances, as if asking each other if this could possibly be true. The elf king looked mildly curious, but otherwise showed no interest. The Re-Estize Kingdom's King Zanac looked at Renner, and leaned in to ask, "Is this true?" His whisper was louder than usual, but in the noise and confusion, it was not heard, nor was her answer in response, "Yes." Which lead to the King suddenly feeling very glad he had privately agreed to the terms relayed by his sister from the Sorcerer King.
Queen Calca looked shocked, but did not seem to express doubt, while the Southern Holy Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy were shouting denials, ahe guards the Queen stationed at the doors, began to bang the butts of their weapons on the stone floor like a judge's gavel seeing in this way that...eventually order was restored and Ainz continued.
"I assure you, this is indeed the case. There ARE eleven tiers. The first ten, and then another called 'super tier' You know of course, of the events on the Katze Plains?" Ains asked the table, there were numerous nods and blood drained from several faces. "The spell I used was of the super tier variety." That drew stunned expressions, but Maximillion spoke up.
"Even if we accept this, you have several more years to go before you can use that spell again, therefore it poses no benefit to us to have you 'give up' what you cannot use." His expression was something of a 'gotcha' one, but it vanished as Ainz sighed as if he was weary of suffering fools.
"Do you really think that is the only spell of that tier? I have many more. Do you wish me to use one on your capitol?" Ainz asked, exhibiting a sense of intimidating wrath.
The Argland council was shifting uncomfortably, and the Slane Theocracy asked to see the six rules of war. At a nod, Sebas took out several copies from his pocket, and walked around the table handing them out to each of the delegates.
I. All surrenders will be accepted, and no surrenders will be false for strategic use.
II. No captive will be subjected to forced labor, sale, or deprived of their lawful property.
III. No religious or cultural sites will be desecrated or used for military purposes.
IV. All instances of sexual or sadistic violence or slaying of the civilian or prisoner populations, to include torture for interrogation purposes, will be considered criminal acts, subject to trial by a neutral nation.
V. No use of world items
VI. All wounded are to be treated and restored to health, no matter their nationality or race.
Sebas wanted to weep when he read over his copy, it was as if his creator had written the words, and he was deeply moved. When he finished, he handed his to Vanysa. She trembled in her seat having never seen anything like it. The elf king had his ever present bored expression on his face, but he appeared not to be to stupid because he had no smart remarks to direct towards these terms. The Argland council delegates looked up and down between the document they held and the skeletal figure who had apparently authored them, it seemed so incongruous that such a being, part of an existence known for its hatred of the living, should author something designed to preserve as many lives as possible. Suddenly they found themselves forced to reevaluate their opinions on the undead king.
King Zanac wore a neutral expression, but he longed to wear his true face, a relieved expression, he knew what was in the offing and this would preserve an abundance of his nation.
As the Draconic Queen read over the terms, she asked, "What exactly are these?" Her voice was mystified.
"Call it a...system of accountability." Ainz said. "In one of the worlds I visited, they had terrible wars, horrible wars, building weapons the likes of which you cannot even begin to fathom, and such was the brutality of their excess, that the belligerants became horrified at their own behavior. As a result they crafted 'laws of war' with a judicial system in place to punish those who broke those laws. These agreements ensured that the innocent who had neither a say in its beginning nor a chance at avoiding it, would not suffer unduly as a result of it. I have made some...improvements, relevant to here, though in time I would like to expand on this system, for now this serves as a trial basis. If false surrenders are made to lower guard, then eventually surrenders will not be accepted and...more people die who shouldn't have to. If captives can be enslaved or goods lost, a land can be decimated and the innocent suffer. If religious and cultural sites are destroyed, eventually none remain to inspire those who come after to build upon them. If the wounded go untreated, then again more people suffer and die without need. And I am sure I need not tell you more with respect to the use of sexual violence and wanton slaughter. I revile these acts and will not suffer to see them carried out. Therefore I am willing to trade away my greatest advantages and win through conventional means, if that will reduce the suffering that people endure."
Jircniv had a thoughtful expression on his face as a concept of the Sorcerer King's began to take shape in his head.
There was one point of confusion, brought up by the Platinum Dragon Lord. "What does this part mean? No 'world items' what is a world item?"
"World items are items that come from the same place I came from, they have the power to shape the world itself in unique ways. I do not know that any of them came to this world other than my own, but if any others out of the twenty that exist are present, they are extremely dangerous." Silent faces greeted his description, and the Dragon Lord spoke up again.
"How would we know them, I've never seen one." He said, his voice suddenly much more respectful than before.
"You would know if you had." Ainz said bluntly, "They are singularly powerful, defying all others, one of those items was an article of clothing that could dominate any mind, even the minds of the undead, turning any individual into an absolute slave. For example if someone used it on yourself," Ainz gestured to the Platinum Dragon Lord, "they could compel you to turn on your fellows and your people, and the only way to remove the effect would be either a counter world item, or to kill you and restore you to life through resurrection. Therefore the inclusion of that on this list. If anyone should have one, and use it, this entire agreement will be considered to be violated and I will consider any means necessary to close the war as quickly as possible." The Platinum Dragon lord paled.
"Wait...sire...did you say...other than your own? You have these items?" Jircniv said softly.
"There are some two hundred minor ones of 'significant' power, but only twenty of them which truly merit the term 'world item', and yes, I have some of them. Most I believe have been destroyed on another world, but I cannot rule out their presence here." He said firmly.
"So you are also pledging not to use any of those you may posses?" The Dragon Lord asked bluntly.
"I am." Ainz said, spreading his hands wide in front of him, "I have no need of them, and have no intention of bringing them out. Assuming the Slane Theocracy and other belligerents have none either, then this condition is greatly to their advantage and should pose no problem."
As he spoke, a whirlwind of thoughts ran through their heads, items that could change the very world itself, and he had them? Other WORLDS? It was a foundation shaking moment for the table delegates, and many questions arose that would demand answers, but for now they remained focused on what was happening in front of them.
Suddenly it hit Albedo like a bolt of lightning. She wanted to laugh uproariously at the desperate situation into which the Theocracy was thrust. She knew quite well that a world item existed in this world, and they had long suspected that it was the Slane Theocracy that held it, and which had used it. Now they were in a position to where they could either admit to owning an item that made them a threat to the entire world...and thus united it against them and eliminating neutrality as an option. Or...they could vow not to use it and rob themselves of the greater part of their strength. Or...they could agree, pretend not to have it, and then if they used it later they would again create unity against them in one stroke. She wanted to faint with admiration for her beloved. Worse, his other terms were all so generous and reasonable that refusing to sign would create a situation in which they looked like immoral monsters. It was a masterful move, one that cut the legs out from his enemies in a deadly game and left them nothing to stand upon.
"Now, with that understood, if my terms are acceptable, I ask that every nation's representatives sign each provided copy, and I would hear from the representatives of my neighbors, neutral, friendly, and belligerent alike."
There was a heavy discomfort in the air among the Slane Theocracy delegates, including from their ally, King Astraka, who seemed to be quite uncomfortable with their lack of motion to actually sign the document. The moments passed as the Sorcerer King and Guardian Albedo signed them and passed them to the Baharuth Empire, who signed in turn, who passed it on to Queen Calca, who signed in turn...eventually every document lay next to the nearest Theocracy delegate, and they had not signed anything, instead they were looking around as if they were in a panic, hoping for some way to escape the fate of either becoming oath breakers, cutting out their best weapon, or admitting its existence to everyone. Raymond was stunned, it called everything leading up to this moment into contention, how much had they been dancing in the palm of the undead's hands. He recalled the briefing he received about the meeting with the Draconic kingdom. They'd heard the threat was ended, but only the most vague information, little effort had been put to it because they had assumed that the beastmen had withdrawn on their own and it had just been a larger than usual raid. The Sorcerer King's involvement was a revelation, but what was worse was what Queen Draudillon had said about land for refugees. How much up to this moment did he have planned...and how much more was there still to be revealed? The elf king
Their hesitation and slowness, the bottleneck they had created in passing the documents around to have every copy signed, was drawing more and more suspicious looks.
"If that document is not signed, I am initiating a vote among my peers to join forces with the Sorcerer King." The Platinum Dragon Lord said ominously.
Raymond was the first to give in, he took up a quill and signed each copy in turn, passing them to his fellow delegates to sign as well. Eventually each copy was back in the hands of its original holder and the greatest weapon of the Theocracy that Ainz knew they had, was effectively rendered useless unless they wanted to draw even more nations against them. "Now, I will hear my opponents, and then we will let slip the dogs of war." Ainz said, his eyes had not changed, but as they focused on King Astraka & the Slane Theocracy, they had a distinct feeling that they were being eyeballed like prey, especially as his final words reached their ears, they felt he was quoting something, but they had no idea what, whatever it was, it was not good for them.
And so it was a bitter, bitter moment for the Slane Theocracy, but in this game at dinner, they had lost the first great battle.
AN: Well this was fun. I took a long drive and enjoyed some good weather, smoked a good cigar and had a good time. Decompression achieved. Now a couple of things. Kudos to those of you who got the Shakespeare reference in the chapter title that was bracketed by Ainz's final statement in this one. Good for you. :)
A special note by the way, one I noticed after the last chapter reviews...and this really made me laugh. The FIRST time I had Remedios targeting humans, I had a number of readers say SOME variation of "But Remedios wouldn't do that." However by the time we got up to the chapter 'Cry Havoc' when Gustav expresses dismay at what she's become, EVERY review I read up to this point about what he said, and EVERY message that said something about that subject has said some version of: "Oh come ON Gustav! Of COURSE she'll do that, how did you NOT see that coming?!"
I had to laugh at that, and I flatter myself to say I've rewritten canon in your heads.
Now, you may be wondering why I've released ahead of the 900 review requirement. Well somebody remembered a previous condition, wherein charitable donations result in early releases. Someone donated some money to my charitable organization and let me know about it and asked for the next chapter...so...screw it, here you go, I can never say no to charity.
Now you might be wondering why this chapter is a little short compared to the last two...is because you're REALLY going to like the next one, and I wanted you to have something to anticipate and look forward to, I'm really quite the humanitarian that way. ;) If you're wondering who the hell Vanysa is, well you can draw conclusions without knowing the story, but otherwise for more direct knowledge sans inference, you'd need to read 'Taming of the Beasts' where she is introduced in the third chapter. I really like her as a character, she's like a ditzy budding sadist with an insane streak and hero worship for Ainz. Basically perfect for Overlord.