God Rising
Chapter 123
Written by: AtheistBasementDragon
Edited by: The Usual Gang Of Drunken Perverted Idiots
AN: OK we're back to another double release day, I've still got more to catch up on, lots of stuff to do, you're actually getting a triple release day bonus with a humorous little one shot, with the story 'First Flight' set immediately after Chapter 55 after Vanysa's resurrection and recreation, did that one live with discord members watching it unfold, the seem to like doing that, which is fine, I'm glad it is so entertaining. :) Anyway, let me have your thoughts. Oh, and welcome again to Act III, the longest segment of the story, this will take us to the very end of the war and the start of 'The Synod'. Remember months ago when I said this may be 100 chapters? HA! Now here I am saying, 'Maybe 300'. How things change, right? Oh, and if you're wondering what Neia experiences in Nazarick, you won't have to wait long, I just have to catch these events up to the conclusion of the siege, then you'll get the rest of her mini vacation.
Oh...and one more thing I wanted to address per someone's previous review... I am PRETTY SURE I am not 'famous' by any stretch of the imagination. I mean I don't even put my real name on these things in the first place, and the only two places I go for Overlord content are here, one discord server, and occasionally Reddit, even 'if' I were widely known, I'd have no way of knowing that. I'm proud of what's been accomplished through these stories and all, but lets not go crazy here, if you can walk down the street and be unrecognized, probably not famous. I've not been casually approached with an advance for a book deal, and I don't expect to be. I like to think my work is pretty well enjoyed, I mean really, I don't think this is quite what 'fame' is supposed to be like. So lets have no more of that, shall we? :)
...Elf Kingdom Eastern Border...
Zesshi loved the armor she wore, she felt incredible, a constant flow of energy seemed to fill her voice with power and to sharpen her senses beyond even that razor's edge which she was naturally long accustomed to. Too, it felt 'right' to wear the armor that was liberating her people. She made a mental note when all was over and done to give proper gratitude to Neia Baraja for all her efforts. How do you say thank you to someone who was literally saving your little brothers and sisters from torture and bondage? Zesshi did not know, but she had time to find that out.
When she'd moved through the first wall, elves had celebrated like they'd been rescued by a god, now they swelled her ranks while messengers rode out beyond to other towns and fortifications to make them aware of what was happening. The unthinkable, the end of the nightmare.
The great forest was next and she began to make rapid time. The elf population had never been as large as that of the Slane Theocracy, their long lives necessitated slow reproduction rates, and this meant that their settlements were of course, smaller. Towns began to open their doors and their stores, the only thing stopping her advance was the barrier of new volunteers eager to end the rule of the old monarch. Never once did she feel her march was at risk. She had to pause to make a demonstration of her power many times, but this only solidified the legend that was growing in the minds of the elves.
Just as significantly in her mind however, was making sure that the humans and heteromorphs were well treated at every stop. The wine stores were opened up with extended hours, as were the many taverns of the elf kingdom's towns and small cities. Feelings about heteromorphs were not the best, and feelings about humans were nothing but hateful. Therefore at each town she stopped at, before entering she called the population to hear her out.
"With me march a number of humans and heteromorphs, they are servants of the Sorcerer King, like myself, many of them are combat specialists who train the soldiers who come to free you, the armor they bear is the armor of your liberators! They are not of the Theocracy, they come from the Draconic Kingdom, they come from the Holy Kingdom, they come from the Sorcerous Kingdom, they come from the Re-Estize Kingdom, from around the human kingdoms they come to descend upon your oppressor and bring him DOWN! I will not suffer their mistreatment by the hands of those they come to set free, am I understood?!" Zesshi declared something of that nature at every town and village before granting her soldiers leave to take their ease for hours or a day, only once did she have to uproot and depart early when the anti-human sentiment threatened to grow too virulent and some drunken elves tried to pick a fight with two human Black Justice instructors.
"Damn humansh, getshout of our village, yana welcome 'ere!" An elf slurred at a human in a tavern. The human wore his black and red armor and still bore his sword, he looked at the drunken elf with uncertainty, the hostility was naked on the elf's face. His ears were cut and he bore a number of scars. Empathy swelled in the instructor's breast for what must have happened to the poor drunken fellow.
"I plan to, then from here we will go to Crescent Lake, we will crush the elf king, and then I will go north, out of your kingdom, and I will help crush the Slane Theocracy. Is that far enough?" He asked.
The elf staggered and slammed his mug down on the bar. "All schettle fer a hole in tha ground outschide our village, schom place ah can c'mfertably go ta piss." The elf cackled, rudely pointing at the instructor.
The instructor kept his cool. "I don't want a fight, just a drink before going somewhere I'll have to fight." He said and turned his back to the elf to call for the bartender.
"D'oncha turn yer back ta me, human filth!" The elf slurred angrily and grabbed at the human's shoulder and tried to turn him around.
The Black Justice instructor stepped away from the grip. "I'm under orders not to start any fights, please restrain your temper." He said calmly. "I don't want to do any harm to anyone here."
"I do!" The elf hollered and drew a dagger from behind his back. The instructor stepped further back, his eyes narrowed, the situation was now more dangerous. The rest of the crowd was watching with mixed degrees of violent anticipation and uncertainty, which was largely dependent on their level of intoxication.
The elf thrust straight at the abdomen of the instructor, it had been a poor decision. The instructor inched just out of the way and spun on his heel so that he was facing the side as the elf went past him. He grabbed the wrist as it moved beyond his body and twisted his hand, forcing a yelp of pain and causing the knife to drop, with his other hand he grabbed the elf at his hair and pulled him backwards then releasing his grip on the now disarmed hand, he raised his arm up and brought his palm up above the upturned breast of the drunken elf and then down, hard enough to send the unbalanced elf down to the floor on his back.
The elf coughed hard as the wind was knocked from his body with such force that he couldn't rise to fight further. "I do not wish violence, you are not my enemies, someone please help this man." He said, gesturing down at the elf who was still coughing on the floor. The mood was turning ugly, and the instructor threw a coin on the bar to pay for his drink and tried to make his exit, several elves approached to help the fallen figure up, but the sight of a human doing violence to an elf, even in self defense, was too much for some rabble rousers and shouts began to escalate.
Someone had already rushed to warn General Zesshi Zetsumei however. Before a full blown anti-human riot could get out of control, her killing intent encompassed the tavern and quickly sobered up even the most violently minded elves.
It took only a few minutes to sort out what had taken place. "Out." Zesshi ordered, pointing her thumb over to the door and looking at the instructor.
"Way ahead of you, ma'am." He responded and walked out with back straight in a brisk fashion, he did not even look behind him on the way out.
With the human out, Zesshi blocked the door by standing in the center of it with her arms folded, clearly displeased. "I gave instructions, you did not follow them, you disgraced elven kind and turned on someone who risked his life saving hundreds of your fellows from torture and death in Wenmark, I am ashamed of all of you. We'll be moving out tonight and we will accept no support from this village since I cannot trust you to control yourselves in my encampments." Her disappointed voice seemed to echo throughout the tavern even after she left the bar.
When the drunkards sobered up in the morning, Zesshi's forces had been gone for hours and the realization of just what a disastrously bad idea their behavior had been, hit home for the village elves.
"What if they leave? What if they stop? What if they decide we're not worth saving? What if they decide we deserve the king we have? What if the rest of Black Justice hears of this and recalls their instructors or even gives up saving more of our people?" These and a hundred other ugly questions were asked of one another and they were asked in the quietness of their inner thoughts.
What had been an anti-human crowd the night before, became pensive, and the mayor rushed a rider after the army, desperate to offer amends, lest they gain a reputation as the village that hated its heroes. The rider caught up with them at noon the next day, and by then General Zesshi Zetsumei had calmed down considerably, thanks in no small part to the vampire elves who rode at her left and right flanks.
"You can't blame them for being bitter, you know." Thirg commented patiently.
"That's right, when alcohol is mixed with bitterness, people can get nasty even when sober they would know better." Tefl added.
"True, but I don't like seeing the other half of myself behaving too much like the people I left. When I left the Theocracy, a part of that was because of how the humans of Kami Miyako treated me when they could see my elven heritage, I saw the same thing in that bar last night. The human instructor who just wanted a drink after a long day of working with our people, trying to save more of us, trying to protect their lives by teaching them to protect themselves... what did he do wrong?" She asked rhetorically.
"If he'd wanted to kill the drunkard, he could have, we all know that, he didn't even leave a bruise, he handled the would be killer neatly, efficiently, and professionally, all things that have given us victory. I understand the hatred they have, but if elves can't tell friend from foe, if our people can't learn to live with humans, we'll destroy ourselves more effectively than the Slane Theocracy ever could." Her voice was grim and her thoughts were dark as she spoke, and that had her right and left hands quiet for a time.
"Wounds do not heal overnight." Thirg said patiently.
"But they must be allowed to heal. I saw what that elf looked like, gods alone know what horrors he endured, but how many more are like him? Will whoever replaces my father be like that? Will I be called to lead an army against this other half of my blood when some embittered elf wants to launch a war of revenge against humans? It's terrible to contemplate such a thing." Zesshi said with a shake of her head.
"Not if you're the one who rules." Tefl said suggestively.
Zesshi snapped her head over to Tefl. "Say that again?" She asked, her head tilting in slight confusion.
"Not if you're the one who rules." Tefl repeated.
Thirg laughed, "Don't tell me you haven't thought about what happens 'after' you take Crescent lake and kill your father?" He asked, throwing his head back in laughter ,unable to restrain his sense of humor.
Zesshi's mouth hung open, then closed, then opened, then closed again. "I ah, no, I didn't. I just wanted to bring that piece of trash down, I just assumed that the Sorcerer King would appoint someone to take his place. It didn't occur to me that 'I' might be that someone."
Thirg slapped her on the shoulder, "I can think of no better reason than that, you may think yourself to be nothing but a battle maniac, but I've seen how you set yourself to the task of commanding this army, you've cared for your soldiers, you've treated their lives as if they were the lives of your own children, you've been at the front of every fight, and you made a real choice for yourself to abandon the comfort of the familiar to come and save half of what you are. Not many could do all that, you'll make a fine Queen." He expressed confidently.
"Plus remember, bastard or not, your father 'is' the king, and that makes you royalty here, you'd be the rightful heir to the throne, you have the right to rule, when all is said and done." Tefl added.
That gave Zesshi pause, and she was still deep in thought when the rider arrived and begged forgiveness for his village, and to accept some volunteers to help her efforts.
After several minutes talk, Thirg looked at her and said, "Well, Your Majesty, what will you do?"
...Re-Estize Kingdom...Great Western Road...
"Excellent work, Lady Shalltear." General Zaryusu remarked. Hours of work in the encampment had been fruitful. Once her eyes had been opened to the task at hand, to all the things Zaryusu was doing by himself, Shalltear had thrown herself into the task of learning everything he had to teach.
He'd begun just by allowing her to decide the awards, who would draw a commendation, and who would not. At first her initial impulse to reject all, had reversed itself to the point where she was going to approve all, and Zaryusu spent some time explaining the various options to her.
"You can also upgrade or downgrade awards as you think appropriate, it is entirely your decision my lady, I will not question your choice." He said deferentially.
Shalltear had looked at him uncertainly, then back down at the document in front of her, then back to him. "How do I know what I should do then?" She asked and looked at the book to her left, "this doesn't say exactly what choice I should make." She elaborated further.
"Correct. If it did, it wouldn't be a 'choice', you must exercise some degree of judgement for yourself. I can suggest criteria to you, but I can't make the decision for you. His Majesty values independent thought in his subordinates, he doesn't want us to be mere puppets on strings. I think that is why he doesn't reveal the fullness of his plans, but lets us gradually come to understand them as they unfold, so that we may grow and learn to think more deeply about his intentions." Zaryusu said thoughtfully, pausing to scratch under his long jaw.
"That makes sense." Shalltear agreed somewhat hesitantly, "When I was accompanying him among the dwarves, he cut off Aura's statement about what happened to the two death knights, and let me work it out for myself."
"Perhaps that is why he also paired you with me, I was trained in Nazarick to manage an army, but I don't live there. Perhaps our being seated here at this table, having this very conversation, was his goal all along. That you would seek out a chance to learn, but it wouldn't be from someone who might lord it over you or remind you by their presence that there was something you didn't know how to do. After this, I go to my home again, we might never be in the same place after this, but you'll still have the knowledge you gain here." Zaryusu elaborated on his thoughts, and she froze as if struck by a bolt of lightning from the heavens.
'This lizardman general was right, this was Lord Ainz's plan all along!' Shalltear thought, again in awe at the unutterably limitless wisdom of her beloved master.
"Now... the decision then?" She forced the topic back to her question.
"If I were to put this in a way that makes the most sense to you... suppose one of your fellow guardians faced a similar ordeal to the one you are considering here..." He held up his hands to stop her inevitable interjection that nobody was powerful enough to hurt a guardian like that except their master, "...just imagine it as a hypothetical. And your fellow guardian performed as the person in the recommendation did, would you praise them for it?" He asked.
That gave her further pause, she tried to imagine various guardians in various scenarios just like this, and as she did, she found herself easily praising the forethought, cleverness, and even sacrifice of her peers in such conditions. She checked 'approved' and signed her name without further hesitation.
Zayusu nodded in approval and went back to his own work. Shalltear progressed rapidly after that, clearing out the entire stack of awards, upgrading some, downgrading others, approving some, and a few were outright rejected. When she was done, she laid them in a neat stack in the box beside the lizardman general.
"I am impressed, Lady Shalltear, you've truly taken to this task." He remarked enthusiastically.
Shalltear closed her eyes and preened proudly. "I'm a creation of the supreme being, Lord Pereroncino, of course I'm capable of learning new things." She lowered her head then in a little bit of a pout. "I just have to know what things I need to learn first."
"Then I owe you a deep apology, Lady Shalltear." General Zaryusu spoke humbly.
"Oh?" She raised her eyebrow at what he said, looking curiously at the lizardman in front of her.
"I harbored disrespectful thoughts of your willingness to work, I was wrong, and I am sorry, I should have known that you would be willing to undertake tasks as long as you actually knew what they were. I assumed your disinterest without even bothering to bring them to your attention, and thereby created an impression of you by myself that did not reflect who you truly are. I swear on my young and our master I will not make such a mistake again." He said with his head bowed.
"See that you don't." She stated imperiously, then added, "However, I will forgive you, this time, and..." She hesitated, thinking back to the way some of her peers often spoke down to her, and her own failure, the way for so long she'd been relegated to being nothing but a gate maker, "I will admit I have not always made the best impression in that way I guess."
"Nonetheless, I should have taken the time to talk to you before I judged you as I did. That mistake was mine." General Zaryusu said humbly, his hand touching his own chest. Then his mouth fell open in shock.
"What is it?" Shalltear asked him, seeing the shock appear on his face.
"I just realized something." General Zaryusu replied.
"Yes?" She asked, her voice slightly tinged with concern.
"It's just..." Zaryusu groaned in annoyance.
"Spit it out." She prompted the lizardman, concerned.
"I just realized, if I had just talked to you at the outset and tried to see if you were willing to learn how all this works, I could have saved myself so very, very much work! Do you know how many hours of sleep I've missed since I've been doing this by myself all this time?!" He groaned again, even louder this time, and rolled his eyes as Shalltear started to laugh.
"Serves you right for underestimating me, let us call that your punishment, and then never speak of that folly of 'yours' ever again, shall we?" Shalltear asked 'sweetly' with a very smug expression on her face.
"Agreed. If word ever got back to my wife, I would never live it down." Zaryusu found room to laugh at himself, and then reached for another stack of forms. "Now let me show you how this one works, this deals with our logistical summations." He said and slid another form over to her. He was glad, even proud, to see the way she focused so intently as she looked down at the new challenge to her mind.