AN: Just a few things...
1. Thank you beta readers for all your work, seriously, I think I've got the best damn beta team on FFN, I could copy and paste their cooperative discussions on what to fix and publish that as a book on how to edit. Don't believe me? Join the discord server I've left an invite code for on my author page.
2. I'm building a website for some of my projects, so...its going to slow me down a little bit to get some of the work done, but not a lot. I'll provide the website url when it is done.
3. Thank you to the p atreon supporters, from the one dollar to the ten dollar donors who are helping get this project ready to be made into an audio book, this incidentally, will also pay for artists to illustrate key scenes for a complete ebook. Yeah big projects, but I say go awesome or go home, and hey, this fandom deserves to have awesome delivered to it. If you want to promote that project, the p atreon page is slash godrising.
4. I've got a lot of writing to do over the next few weeks, but we're closing in on the end of the second act, thanks for being with me through all this, I know some of my early work was a little raw, and I'm going back to finish that with the support of the beta team, hey better late than never, right?
5. Just a quick question, answer via pm or via review...I've heard that this particular story has grown through word of mouth, which is very cool, but I was just curious... If you didn't find it directly through FFN, where did you hear about it?
6. Thank you to those of you who donated to my charity organization, bdgiving dot org. That not only does a lot of good, it also means I have more time to write since I'm not having to gain donations through other means. Win/Win/Win.
p.s. (Chapter 184 will be published at the 2,000 review mark mwahahaha Go ahead you slave drives, make me work! ;) )
OK...On with the show!
…Kedyn…
Vanysa enjoyed the company of the Viscountess and her court. The religion of the Sorcerer King had spread like wildfire in the aftermath of the battle and the disgrace of the priests, and that meant that virtually every person in attendance had become an adherent to his doctrines. It had become so widespread within the city that it was all but impossible for an outsider to the faith to truly prosper. Therefore, the conversion rates redoubled. Vanysa vaguely recalled how a religion of her master's home had targeted rulers, nobles, and chieftains for conversion, promising wealth and victory, believing… accurately as it turned out, that the people would join the religion of the ruler either in lip service motivated by avarice and desire for connections the old faith no longer offered, or out of loyalty. Either would do. It appeared, as she looked around the table, that it was in her world, just as it had been in the first world.
She however, as the personal emissary of the Sorcerer King, was a celebrity at the table. It was a rare chance to get an insider's view on what he was like.
She sat near the Viscountess, on her left side, while Ulthis sat on her right. It still felt strange to the peasant girl to sit near the head of a table, but after countless hours of training in manners, she was at least confident that she wouldn't shame her master by the unintended use of the rustic manners of her upbringing.
Curiously, though she chose to attend in the shape of an erinyes, nobody batted an eye, she looked next to her, silently asking the question of Cercei. "It is because you come from the Sorcerer King. Everybody in the city knows you're here by now, and everybody knows most of the servants of His Majesty are nonhumans. You'd probably get more funny looks if you came representing the Draconic Kingdom." She whispered softly.
Vanysa nodded with understanding. "Makes sense."
Questions peppered her which… well to be fair, she did her best to answer, promoting his good will and the prosperity that lay down the path he laid for them all. She spoke of his favorable view towards honest merchants and how the cycle of coin could be used to promote increased general wealth, recalling the lessons she'd had in economics during their time together when she was nothing but a camp attendant.
"Really, so you were just a peasant?" A gruff looking fellow with a salt and pepper beard said from just one chair over. He leaned over with interest. "Now you're doing all of this?"
She nodded emphatically, "My time with the Sorcerer King changed me greatly, I went from human to erinyes, but that is the smallest change." She held out her arm with talons up and touched the golden skin with her free hand, "This golden skin and hardened body, my wings, my horns, the razors that shred steel like a knife does paper; these seem like great changes, but I tell you they are minor. His greatest change was here." She said and pointed to her head.
"Your horns…? But I thought you said…" He began, and she stopped him with a laugh that was sweetly feminine, and extremely predatory.
"No, the greatest change was what He taught me and what I have learned in Nazarick since then. He opened my eyes to a greater world than I had known was even out there, I learned to think, to read, to reason and plan, I learned whatever I wanted. I've got a perfect body for my natural… tendencies and for my service, but educating me opened me up to ever more diverse abilities." She paused and drank some of her wine, then she set it aside and put her elbow on the table and rested her chin on the palm of her hand.
"Tell me, my lord, can the peasants on your estate read and write?" She asked.
He shook his head, "No, but they've really no need of the skill for their tasks, they know how to farm, hunt, fight a little, and perform simple tasks." He looked a little intrigued by the question.
"Could any of them speak for a god, guide the defenders of humanity to a desired end, command and lead entire armies in combat?" She asked.
"No…" He said honestly.
"How do you know? Did you know that General Enri was nothing but a peasant? Now I hear they're calling her the 'Grand Matriarch' and she's slated to rule one of the fastest growing cities in the world. She leads one of the largest and most diverse military divisions ever to march, and she didn't even know how to read until the Sorcerer King had her taught. By opening her mind, he unleashed her potential in countless subjects, and got for himself a great leader. By educating me, he saw that I could play a part in changing my nation. When Princess Renner had her bodyguard educated, she created from a starving peasant child the strongest warrior in her city after the royal head warrior and Brain Unglaus, and because of who he became, they won over to their side the greatest weapon of the Theocracy, General Zetsumei. It may be that on your estate there is a hidden genius buried under mountains of ignorance, and all you need to do to benefit from it is to see it nurtured so that it grows like the crops they now plant. Three times in a handful of years, talent was revealed by raising up others and giving them the chance to grow. Which makes me wonder, are you sure your peasants are not worth investing in?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
He looked down at his plate, reflecting on what she'd said. "Perhaps it is worth a try, I have not made much effort to draw one of the teachers to my lands, but the expense is very small, I suppose I lose almost nothing if it doesn't work out. I'll make the request tomorrow." He said.
The rest of the evening was much like that, with Vanysa extolling the virtues she'd seen on full display in E-Rantel and within Carne. She told them the story of the boy 'Goan' whose mother had been blessed by the Sorcerer King, and of his kindness towards the children under his rule. Some of these stories were known, others were not, but it only raised more questions as the night wore on, until at last the final glass was emptied and the last plate was clean but for a single bite, a symbolic promise of the desire to return another day.
Vanysa honored this custom in turn, leaving one small bite of meat in the middle of her plate with the fork still piercing the delicious morsel. She looked at it longingly, but left it there.
Cercei noticed this, and her lips turned up in a pleasant smile, "You know our customs?"
Vanysa turned her glance away from the last bite to meet the Viscountess's eyes. "I do. His Majesty says that in all lands, custom is the high king, therefore wherever I go, I should learn the customs and emulate them to the highest degree possible so as to make myself a good guest, and show respect to my hosts. I admit though… the food was so good… I regret this one." She let her lips form a teasing smile, prompting a laugh from the Viscountess.
"Then go ahead, finish it, how can I be upset when you both enjoy our fare and honor our customs?" She chuckled and gestured politely to the last bite, which Vanysa promptly ate.
The other table guests had been trading approving looks, that the very god many of them now worshipped deigned to have his chosen representative show respect to their customs was very well received, and not likely to be forgotten, it was as if to say, "I will honor a worthy people".
"Now though, I should get some rest. Tomorrow morning I return to His Majesty. Though if it pleases you, Your Grace, I would like to return here after all is said and done and see this city as a tourist. I'm keen to experience what this growing city has to offer." She said in her most formal and royal voice. It was a nervous moment, she'd practiced that phrase a thousand times alone in her room, wishing every time she had the natural gift of nobility that the Sorcerer King possessed, to be so noble without practice? Ahh... what a dream.
It appeared however, that she had pulled it off well enough, and the erinyes stood as the Viscountess did, and Vanysa bowed in her direction.
"It would be my pleasure to host you again, but next time, stay with me as my guest, rather than at an inn." She replied.
"As you wish, Your Grace, you are most kind to this humble servant." Vanysa replied, keeping her gaze down as she spoke and finished the bow, she straightened up, and the guests as well as herself, filtered out. When she returned to her room, there was only one thing to do, and that was to report her success.
The message connected to a certain Archdevil immediately, "Demiurge! It is done." She said melodically.
"Successful?" He asked.
"I was, Blue Rose left this morning and the Viscountess and her adviser Ulthis will probably fight over who gets to move with their city guard and militia, but one or both, along with at least eight thousand fighting men and women will pass through the gate and arrive in Prart tomorrow. I have booked a room overnight in order to observe their departure tomorrow before my own." She said succinctly.
"At least eight thousand? Not exactly?" He said, his voice implying a measure of unhappiness with her uncertainty.
"That is the total guard force they're sending, it does not include volunteers, the number of which is unpredictable, if you want a guesstimate I would not be the least bit surprised if half the damn city volunteers. The Sorcerer King and the faith centered around him is incredibly popular here."
"I see." His voice had taken on a note of approval in those two simple words. "I am sure Lord Ainz will reward you for this." He added.
"Our Lord chose to create me as I am In gratitude alone, I am rewarded already by being allowed to continue to serve him." She retorted, her voice carried a tiny hint of rebuke that she was motivated by anything more.
"So are we all." He answered, his voice, never one to be apologetic, carried a hint of acknowledgment, but that was not what caused the little hairs on her body to stand on end when he spoke. His words replayed in her mind a dozen times in that moment, "So are we all." With that single word, it appeared he was offering his acceptance of her, something no other being of Nazarick, save His Majesty, had seemingly considered. Or if they had, they never showed it.
"Dinner and a song when I return?" She asked.
"We've been given two serial killers from the empire today, brothers no less." He said in answer.
"Their guilt?" She probed.
"Determined beyond doubt." He replied.
"Then I look forward to it." She said playfully.
"As do I." He said in a voice that was seemingly neutral, but her intuition flared up, and detected a note of anticipation beneath it.
…Re-Estize Kingdom…
Renner sat in her room, but she was not alone. She had two companions with her. The first was the ever present Climb. He stood near at hand, ever the loyal bodyguard, but his eyes… she always felt them more on her, loving, dreaming, adoring, even worshipping. Her eyes however, only gazed at him in those moments when he looked away for brief moments, and in those moments her mind was a gale force wind. "He's mine, mine, mine, mine, mine!" She thought over and over again, only to glance back to her second companion.
Those little 'indiscretions' and the hungry, mad eyes of the golden princess would never be noticed by this companion, because this companion was an innocent little box. A puzzle box to be precise, one she'd been tinkering with for a very long time now, and which she had almost solved. Of the six locks, only one remained, the most fiendish of them all, yet it would not elude her mastery forever.
She obsessed over the box during her 'exile' while Climb was away. This had allowed her, oddly enough, to focus intensely on the box and its secrets in order to pass the time, but also to prove herself to her master. More than once she'd agonized over the possibility of failure and what it might mean for her or for Climb in his captivity if she failed to progress. Lady Albedo had told her it was a test, and a simple mind would have concluded that the test was simply the box itself.
She knew better, the test was more than the box, the test was her ability to work within the test while the strain of the outside world, and the absence of her puppy, pressed in on her mind. The fiendish and divine intelligence of the Sorcerer King was made starkly clear that day, when he'd idly asked about her progress while Climb was gone, and it was only by the sheerest luck that she had been able to say that she had solved one more lock just that morning. His answer was indifferent congratulations, and she felt the room close in on her for a moment, as if to say she needed to do better. The second had been unlocked the day of his return, mere hours before, and it was with great relief that she reported this on Albedo's arrival. Now… now she had only one, and she had a self imposed deadline based on her best guess of their expectations, that she would triumph over the little box by the time the kingdom was restored.
"Princess, you're working so hard. Please rest." Climb said as she let out a sigh and set the box down.
She shook her head, "Climb, I can't." She said simply.
"Why not? I'm glad you find such pleasure in this gift of the Sorcerer King, but you shouldn't strain yourself so much. Please forgive me, but I worry over your wellbeing, you've already been through so much…" He trailed off, his voice thick with emotion at all the tragedy she'd had to endure.
His concern touched her deeply, and over and over again the gale wind shouted within her mind, "He's mine, all mine, mine and no one else's… how I long to chain him down, oh, to worship me and me alone…" She closed her eyes to keep back the expression she felt rising within her.
"Very well, I will rest for a few minutes, I am a little tired, will you watch over me while I sleep again? Ever since father I…" She lowered her gaze and looked away, the lie flowed smoothly from her practiced lips as she pretended the death of her father had made her afraid of darkness and of being alone while she slept.
"Of course, my princess." He said dutifully, and he held his hand out to help her to her feet.
She walked to the bed and laid herself down, resting her golden hair gently on the pillow, and he took his place standing beside her perfect form. She closed her eyes and he held her hand. How he loved this beautiful girl, was what he thought… perfect, kind, the epitome of nobility. As a boy he'd dreamt the mad dream of marrying her, knowing it could never be. At the Katze Plains Brain had spoken for him, and the King had all but agreed. Yet by then, he knew even that was a mad hope, a princess was wed for the sake of the kingdom, never for the sake of her own heart, let alone for the sake of the heart of some fatherless, motherless orphan turned meat shield.
All he could do, all he could ever hope for, all that whirled within his mind, was that he must spend his life protecting her by any means necessary, and when his heart was to be broken into a thousand tiny pieces when she married a noble, that she might find some measure of happiness, and that he might find solace in protecting and teaching whatever children she might have. Any other future except his death, was impossible.
Yet now? "Can it really be? Could it really be possible that the Sorcerer King meant what he told her?" He shook off the thought, he wanted to think ill of the undead monarch still, and he clutched bitterly to the death of Gazef Stronoff. But even that had eroded as he won his self proclaimed 'big sister' Zesshi over to his side and began to make her wishes into reality. It was further eroded by the support he'd seen going to the restoration of his kingdom and how the masterful plan had minimized harm to the population. One brick at a time, his wall of bitterness was being taken apart and being replaced with something new. 'Respect.'
The breathing of his golden princess had become even and slow. She was asleep, when a rhythmic knock came at her door. It was a familiar sound and there could be only one origin for it. He went and opened it for the visitor, and there stood, as expected, Brain Unglaus.
"What brings you here this evening, Brain?" Climb asked curiously, keeping his voice low so as to not disturb the princess.
Brain gave Climb a clever, even roguish smile. "She's still not comfortable sleeping without you, eh?" His tone suggested something a trifle illicit, but his voice was equally low and considerate, telling Climb that he was only teasing. Still, it was enough to make the blond bodyguard blush cherry red.
Brain stifled his laugh, and then slowly his expression became more serious. "Tomorrow we're leaving to retake the capital, I was wondering if you and the princess were going to move out with us tomorrow, or stay here in E-Libera?"
Climb let out a breath filled with a sense of relief, his muscles visibly relaxed, "It's really happening, isn't it?"
"Yup, the renewal of the Kingdom, the restoration of the rightful monarch, and unless I miss my guess, you also mean the end of most of the old nobility. The only holdout city left after this is Re-Lobell. By now the Sorcerer King's army in the north will be reaching E-Asenaru, and between King Zanack and General Nimble, whatever is left in the capital doesn't have a prayer."
"Do you expect any resistance?" Climb asked cautiously.
Brain shook his head, "Not really. The Sorcerer King's intelligence agents were very thorough. Philip was a very poor monarch, he mistreated the merchants and their families. He wouldn't pay for goods and he was not only cheap with gold when it came to paying his servants, he was 'handsy' with the female ones working in the castle. The people he left in charge behind him were no better. I fully expect the gates will open without a fight."
For a moment, Brain's face drained of color, "But also, that wave… the one that broke this city's will to resist. E-Rantel is a long way from here, but it reached this far, where do you think it stopped? I swear, I've never felt fear like that before."
"You felt fear?" Climb asked curiously. "I mean, I was knocked down to my knees, but I've never felt as energetic as I did after that."
"No, I didn't, and that's my point. When the wave hit me, sure I went to my knees like everyone else, but I felt that same vigor, like I could take on the world and win. The ones ruling Re-Lobell were utterly terrified beyond all measure and they capitulated just to keep their lives. If he can impose terror, and power, at this distance, and who knows how far it went beyond that, then this is his world, and we're just living here while he informs us all of that fact. It's a pretty terrifying thing to know that power like that can exist." Brain said softly.
"But…" He added, perking up slightly, "It appears he's on our side, and anything with that kind of power doesn't have to lie to us, so I have no choice but to believe in him. So, I think tomorrow will go very, very easily."
"Good, that is a relief. The princess told me she wants to go with the army." Climb replied, his voice was still somewhat anxious, but clearly Brain's information put him at greater ease.
"I see, well I'll inform the king of her decision. You go and… get some 'sleep'." He said with a wink that brought the faded cherry blush roaring back full force to Climb's face as he turned and walked away.
…E-Asenaru…
Shalltear was happy. Truth be told, she fairly bounced, so much so that she was reminding herself of the pet Lord Ainz had made for himself. It wasn't her favorite analogy… as she was not fond of the little erinyes. However, her mood was so positive that she couldn't help herself.
"You're happy today." Zaryusu said from a table in the great hall as she walked in and sat down. The hall was nice enough, still more luxurious than anything in the lizardman village, but nowhere near as fine as what he'd seen in Nazarick. Rough cut stone walls, a long well sanded table and chairs, a high chandelier with continual light magic over it, a wine rack along the wall and two serving carts with suitable eating and drinking materials such as cups, bowls, and so on, and a few fireplaces at strategic intervals in order to heat the room in the cold winter months. Shalltear had entered dressed in her customary red and black outfit and carrying the parasol she always had when planning to go out.
"I am, and why shouldn't I be? This all but finishes the task Lord Ainz set us to, there's only one city left after the capital and we don't have to worry about either of those, we just go South to meet up with Gargantua. Finishing a mission for the supreme one is the greatest… well… second greatest honor any female guardian could ever hope to achieve." She said with a longing sigh.
After weeks with Shalltear, he didn't need to know what she counted as the highest honor. He was well accustomed to her now and had an idea of who she really was beneath her sweet exterior, her casual slaughter of anyone in her way gave lie to the innocent and sweet exterior. But despite all that, he also saw that this exterior was not truly a facade, not for anyone she counted as a comrade at least. He had no illusions about himself in that regard, he wasn't one, Vanysa… the mere mention of her seemed to make the little vampire angry, but she seemed fond of the boy who visited sometimes, pampering him as if he were her own child in his few observations. She also seemed to favor the human girl "Neia", who was the first human to call her master a god, or at least, not consider her to be without value as she did most others.
He however, kept his own counsel on those matters and said, "True, I admit I hadn't imagined that it would go as smoothly as all this, we were told they were incompetents, but this much so? I can only attribute it to the brilliance of the Sorcerer King, he must surely have orchestrated all this so that we would have an easy time of it." His voice was filled with admiration and respect. While a part of him said that only to please Shalltear, who he wanted to keep happy, and praise to their master always accomplished that, the truth was that he wondered if it was not also highly accurate. The Sorcerer King had shown time and time again that he was capable of devastatingly subtle machinations, bringing down an empire in a few days, exposing and eliminating the Slane Theocracy's secret weapon and their ability to use it, and then taking their strongest warrior and that weapon for himself, along with countless other objects of incalculable value.
Could he have arranged for this as well? It was a chilling thought that… "He could. Yes… he really could."
He felt abiding relief that his people had surrendered rather than continued to struggle. It was true that in the quiet hours he sometimes entertained a moment of frustration at their losses, even bitterness, yet time was showing the wisdom of surrender and more lives were being saved than had been lost as a result of the reforms and the imported magic of the Sorcerer King, curing disease, lowering the losses of death in childbirth to zero, and ending the frogmen threat forever. Fifty lives for centuries of prosperity? Fair trade.
Shalltear sat smirking as all that passed through his mind in a moment, "Lord Ainz says that once we reach the new path, we're to march through the lands between Re-Estize and the Theocracy, and support General Rockbruise and Aureole Omega in invading the Theocracy, do you think we'll encounter any resistance?" She asked curiously.
"I can't say for sure, I traveled a long way, but I never dared set foot in the Slane Theocracy, they would have killed me." He said with a shaking of his head. "As a consequence, I don't know anything of the nonhuman settlements beyond their borders."
"I see." She pouted slightly, "I guess it can't be helped. How long before we can leave here?" She asked, her voice taking on a tone of mild annoyance.
"Days." He said, "I'm rushing the establishment of a temporary government until King Zanack can reestablish his authority, once we have a few people selected and approved, we'll pull out. There's one thing you can do to make sure it goes well though." He said.
"What's that?" She asked, a hint of eagerness in her voice as she thought about how else to serve her master's glory.
"When we have the people selected to run things temporarily, I will introduce you, then I want you to unleash your killing intent, terrify them beyond all measure that you will return unhappy if there is the slightest hint of corruption when the King's replacements arrive. We don't have time to ensure they are all entirely of honest nature, but we have enough time to terrify them of even considering behaving dishonestly." He said with his rote competence.
Shalltear thought over what he'd said for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "Yes, I can see that. What shall I do in the meantime?" She asked.
"Enjoy the city for two or three days, I'll handle all the administrative subjects, maybe find some nice souvenirs to give as gifts when you return to Nazarick." He suggested diplomatically.
Part of her wondered if she should pout or rage about that, doing nothing for a few days while he handled all the decisions almost seemed like an insult, but she found nothing insulting in his words, truth be told it sounded like he was keeping her from being bored.
"You took the city by yourself, Lady Shalltear, you put down the evil lord in the name of the Sorcerer King, you've done your part, let me do mine, and we'll be out of here in no time." He added, his voice calm and placating, and it mollified her as it was intended.
"Fine, but if anyone steps out of line, tell me immediately." She said firmly.
"Of course, Lady Shalltear." He said with a bow of his head.
The next few days went just as he said they would, she found a few worthless trinkets, a few toys that were unique and Aura and Mare might like, a few exotic pets she hadn't seen before, simple things, but it wasn't altogether unpleasant, and then came the day. Thirteen men in fine clothing sat around the long table in the dining hall of the castle, they ranged from fat to thin, tall to short, old to young, clean shaven or with thick beards. They had only two things in common, all of them had been from outside Philip's faction, and all of them were of the merchant class, though from a variety of fields with only dubious ties to the nobles, if any at all.
Zaryusu stood at the head of the table, and the chosen representatives all looked at him with expressions ranging from curiosity to doubt. "Good afternoon." He looked them over, and then spoke "You all know why you're here, and you all know who I am. I'm sure it seems strange to have a lizardman general leading a diverse army to restore a human king to the throne of a different country." He said, letting his voice drip with irony as he spoke.
Expressions of uniform agreement greeted him, as did their silence. "You know why you were chosen for this position, and you know of course that you are tasked with temporary oversight of the city's affairs until King Zanack has completely restored order and established his own government properly again. I'm leaving this afternoon, along with my colleague and my army, along with whatever volunteers have chosen to come with me. But before I do, I wanted to introduce you to the one who killed the previous lord." He said with the utmost courtesy.
"Lady Shalltear, will you please come out here" He said over his shoulder, and right on cue, the sweet little monster came strolling out looking very much like the kind of girl the previous lord would have preyed upon.
She stood at his side and, against his will, enjoyed their mystified looks. "My lady, will you please demonstrate why it is a bad idea to engage in any form of corruption, nepotism, exploitation, theft, or abuse of the population after we leave?" He asked, maintaining his voice as the very soul of politeness.
"Of course, Zaryusu dear." She said with faux sincerity, and unleashed the icy wave of her killing intent on all thirteen people at the table, while also revealing her monstrous appearance to those shocked and terrified figures who were too fearful in that moment to even flee. "Displease my master by those things, and I will return for you." She said, sweeping her arm out in front of her, pointing her finger at each one in turn, until her arm came back to her side, the killing intent vanished, and she returned to the appearance of the sweetest and most innocent little girl ever to live.
The smell of ammonia was in the air, and the shaking was plentiful enough that it was faintly audible.
"The point is made, and so we are leaving. Do not force her to return." General Zaryusu said in a clipped, forceful voice.
Then he simply walked towards the door with Shalltear, leaving trembling in their wake. The long march out of the city was the cause for much fanfare, the toppling of the lord was widely celebrated… as was all the spending that had been done by the army that had occupied the area around the city.
Now they were leaving peacefully, and marching South, to what end, only the future would tell.
…Throne Room of Nazarick…
"What did you find?" Ainz asked of the eight edge assassins that were prostrate before his throne.
"Master, we explored the mountain range until we found the entrance of the Dark Dwarf Kingdom, it too, like the Dwarves of the mountains that border the Empire and Re-Estize, is an underground kingdom. They have a thriving civilization of great halls and massive cities, too, their population is very large, extending over much of the region. There are many more of them than there are of their cousins in the North." The speaker said in a soft, deferential voice.
"That makes sense, the north was almost exterminated by the Quagoa." Ainz said thoughtfully. "Will their cities be in the path of Gargantua's construction?" Ainz asked.
"My Lord, it appears that they will be, but this is true no matter where Gargantua strikes. We spent days scouring the inside in secret, they are vast, if Gargantua levels the mountain where presently intended, it will destroy or severely damage two cities." He replied, "However, there is also nothing they could do to stop you, my Lord. They have no metal better than adamantite, and they have nobody who can use magic beyond the fifth tier. We watched a bout between two of their finest warriors, and found them to be no more powerful than any of the humans Your Majesty has encountered or gathered information on. They can be safely crushed as if they were not even there." The assassin said confidently.
"I see, and what about the Dark Elves beyond the mountains?" Ainz asked.
"They are organized on tribal lines, some tribes are settled, some are nomadic, both groups trade together and with the Dark Dwarves under the mountains, they trade food, hides, and other goods found on the plains in exchange for metal equipment. Their magic does not exceed the fifth tier and they also lack anyone capable of working harm to you or your champions, my lord." The assassin said, again with confidence.
"Do you think they would simply let us pass through their lands?" He asked, "Or would they make a fight of it?"
"It is our view, my Lord, that since both value strength, the sight of your armies following Gargantua would compel their complete submission with little difficulty." The assassin answered proudly.
"I see, well perhaps some diplomacy first. Thank you, you have done well, you may resume your normal duties as soon as you've made a complete written report on everything you've learned." Ainz said, and gestured for the assassins to depart.
"We are unworthy of such praise, yet we thank you, oh Lord, for your kindness to your humble servants." Their spokesman said, then they bowed and stepped aside.
"Sebas," Ainz said, "Alert Gondo to my coming, then have Tuare and Yuri Alpha join me in my office. Oh have Aura and Mare come see me immediately. I have a task for them."
"At once, my Lord." Sebas said with a bow.