Chapter 6
Sorry for not updating. Been busy and trying to figure out where to take this story.
Slaves.
The slave trade was once massive throughout the human kingdoms, as it grew along with human expansion throughout the world. This "business" of transacting in the lives of other beings grew as humankind started conquering more and more demi-human lands, capturing the survivors and defenseless, enslaving them and various tasks and also manual labor. It's perhaps the way with the dominant, "superior" species to force those less powerful to serve, as with how humans made animals work for them.
Slaves, are traded. Sold for cash, sold for land, sold for right about anything. Perhaps here, slaves are even offered as payment to adventurers, should they choose to accept them. Maybe they've become a currency in itself, since labour is something that's somewhat constant in this world. It is still unclear to him, whether the Theocracy officially engages in this trade of flesh and blood, but no matter. In his plan, slaves play a very important role.
There are slave markets in the Slane Theocracy, and he was here to buy some, from the cash he had accumulated from the days providing enchantment services in the land of Re-Estize. He had managed to amass a respectable sum of about 400 gold coins since then, and he was feeling a little rich.
The rates of the slaves varied significantly from the race of the slave, the features of the slave, as beautiful elves are often sold for much more than the ordinary captured men, whom are often treated as cheap labor for farms or sweatshops. There were a few captured goblins and ogres, as well. How their owners keep them around since they had such physical strength, usually enough to smash any normal human? Well, they had a kind of cheap magical choker placed over their necks, that sends them a huge pain that responds to human voices.
Ah. It's really quite brutal, and reminded of how heteromorphs such as himself were treated when they were beginners. He had not levelled up his shapeshifter abilities back then, so was stuck in a werewolf form. Hunted, chased, PK-ed.
"Trash."
That's how they treated heteromorphs. Nothing more than animals to be hunted for amusement.
"Sorry sir, I'm afraid I can only offer these "trash" elves to you. Higher quality ones have fully been sold." A random slave merchant spoke, and it was then Wololo realised he had unintentionally voiced out what he remembered. "These trash are sold for 5 gold pieces each. If you buy 10 I'll give you a discount of 1 gold piece for each slave. We do not provide warranties, however. So if they die the next day after cash is paid, it's out of our hands."
"Trash." He meant the merchant, this time around, mocking the way the merchant described the paraded elves, ogres, goblins and dwarves as if they are but animals, or more like goods with no return policy.
But the merchant remained oblivious. "I"m sorry sir, if these trash do not interest you, may I interest you in something else?"
And what would that be?
The merchant then smiled, "Would you like some women instead?"
Hmmm...
The thought crossed his mind, of women in compromising situations, forced against their will. Argh what am I thinking! He felt slightly disgusted at himself this time around, for considering women like trash too.
"No, thanks."
Never mind, he forced those unsavory thoughts to the deepest corner of his mind. He had came to see what the slave markets is like, and he had seen enough for the day.
The next stop was the temples of the Slane Theocracy. The religion here is split across 6 gods, a polytheistic structure where each god plays its own role in the world. Finding out more of the force that seemed to be most militaristic and with the most powerful army in this world seemed like the sensible choice, though.
All they needed was the authorisation of the Princess, and their commissioner. The bounty of the King has been published, and many the greedy adventurer have readily taken up the cause. The hunt for the stolen maps and books, was on.
But unlike the others, the Blue Rose had assistance. A special kind of magic.
And somehow it matched Renner's hunch. The princess suspected the stolen items have not yet left the capital, as earlier speculated by the rogue and the rest of the investigation team, and so they approached a seer that resides in the capital, to get a sense of where it would be .
The seer, though unable to give exact locations, was able to confirm that the items stolen, some have remained in within the city confines. That idea, though, was dismissed by the other investigators, who viewed the seer's views as some kind of fake magic that relied on reading facial emotions to let people know what they wanted to hear subconsciously.
"It's most likely in the sewers."
Why did the Princess Renner had such a hunch?
Because she felt anyone who wanted it, would probably wanted to study it right away. The type of maps were mostly on history, old stories, myths and legend, and if the intention is truly that, they probably would be looking for something, and were pressed for time. And so it probably would not have been brought or transported very far.
The person who stole it probably used magic, and was decently capable at that. So the task can only be left to none other than the Blue Rose.
It's bright and sunny, daytime.
The theft happened at night, so as a measure of safety, they expected their opponent to be weaker in the day. And the storming of the sewer will happen now.
"Let's go!" Lakyus signalled her team to go.
They blitzed past the first floor of the sewers, and easily found the entrance to the second floor, where the Wololo's dungeon starts.
"Spiders."
No matter, they easily crushed any spider resistance, and quickly followed the path to the third level below, where they noticed the better lighting and decorations, and the fresh layer of paint.
The third level too, was relatively easy. The spiders that were no more than level 10 was easily crushed by the overwhelming might of the full team of Blue Rose.
"This is too easy. Are you sure it's here?"
"The fact that there's a dungeon here that we don't know about, should tell you enough." Tia rebuked.
"Well, could be just leftovers from an older time?" Evileye smirked.
As they sped ahead, they soon came to the main chamber. Lakyus signalled her team to prepare for combat.
Arana and Gabbadar, was waiting for them.
Wololo-sama. We have intruders.
Intruders?
Yes. And they are descending really quickly. They appear quite powerful.
"HUH?" This wasn't something he expected.
He quickly left the market for a secluded area, and casted [Greater Teleport].
He then vanished in a *whoosh*
"So you people stole the maps and the books." Gagaran said, noticing the maps that have been used to decorate the walls, and the books opened all over the tables.
Arana and Gabbadar was in their fighting stances.
"Not talking, eh?" The Blue Rose are ready to fight too.
Gabbadar attacked first. The skeleton swiftly leap forth, swinging his broadsword at Gagaran, that was parried by her war pick. A loud clang bounced off the walls of the chambers. And a few more soon after. Gagaran was on par with the undead skeleton in the clash of swords.
"Not bad!" Gagaran swinged her weapon, which was blocked by the undead's shield. "But we have more!"
[Holy fire]
A glowing fire hit Gabbadar's shield, and though the skeleton himself was unharmed, the fire was incredibly effective, and massively damaged the undead shield, rendering it unusable. Gabbadar then discarded the shield, and used both hands to wield the broadsword instead.
Arana tried to assist, jumping in to attack Lakyus with some cobwebs, but the twin assassins of the Blue Rose quickly countered, and soon was more than enough to take on Arana.
Two against five.
It wasn't going well. Not only that, they were less experienced in working together compared to the Blue Rose.
[Holy Fire]
This time Gabbadar dodged the fire instead, and sensing Lakyus to be the biggest threat, he attempted to close in on her.
But Gagaran was in her way. And so was Evileye.
"Silly undead."
[Crystal wall] [Crystal lance].
Gabbadar was too slow to dodge the ice lance, and tried to block with his left arm. And the lance crushed the undead's left arm, destroying it. The broken bones of the left arm then fell onto the floor.
"See?" Evileye then closed in on Gabbadar. They were now in melee range, so close they could touch each other. She grinned and let out her spell.
[Maximise Magic : Shard Buckshot]
The shards exploded right in front of the ribs of Gabbadar, destroying him in the process, and his sword and skull dropped onto the floor. The glow in his skull vanished.
"Gabbadar!" Arana yelled, but she wasn't in a good state either. The twin assassins were overpowering her and she suffered various cuts. While she was not lacking in speed, she lacked the skills the twins had, and their coordination. She herself had yet to master her own transformation to her second tier form, and certainly the Blue Rose was not going to give her the luxury of time to let her transform.
Gagaran joined in, and together with the twin Assassins Tia and Tina, they attacked her from three directions. "Urghhh.." Blood spilled from her gut, as two daggers stabbed her. Unable to dodge, Arana's eyes looked afraid.
Then Gagaran came from above, and landed a clean hit on her head. And Arana fell lifeless onto the dungeon floor.
"Hello, Guardians."
The guardians unanimously responded, "Greetings, Ainz-sama." Ainz had gathered them here, in the throne room to make the much awaited announcement.
"I have an announcement to make."
The guardians bowed, ready to dedicate their very lives to anything their supreme being would desire.
"Wololo-san and I have decided to have a little competition between us."
The guardians glanced at each other, wondering what is going on.
"This competition between us, will have 3 events."
Silence.
The guardians waited for Ainz to further elaborate.
"One year from now, we have decided that both of us will compete on who has the best team of 5 new world minion, who will fight it out. The second event is a casual one, to have a horse race on who has the fastest horse and horse rider around an obstacle course, and the third is to see which of us can find or create the best valuable or highest value item in this new world."
Ainz recalled having to give presentations to his colleagues, and felt a strange feeling in his gut. But he held on to it.
"As this is an extensive competition that requires our attention in many parts, we will also have one guardian each, to assist us with the details, while the rest of you shall act as judges and also the organisers."
Silence. There was some anticipation amongst the guardians, perhaps this was their chance to be of service to their masters.
"Albedo. You will be my assistant."
An audible weeee could be heard and Albedo's wings fluttered in joy. Her face flushed slightly, she quickly stood up and then bowed to her beloved, "Ainz-sama, I am truly honored. I'm glad you have decided to choose me to assist you! As your wife I will do everything in my power to win."
Every other guardian had a little smirk on the word 'wife'.
"I am in your care, Albedo."
Albedo's smile was from cheek to cheek. In her mind…
This must be my test as a wife!
That pleasant thought was short-lived sadly, as she then recalled the conversation between Ainz-sama and Wololo-sama, and she realised how severe her burden is.
She quickly recovered from the shock of that thought, and went back into her kneeling position.
"Wololo-san has decided on Aura as his assistant. So Aura you should contact Wololo-san for your further instructions."
Aura stood and bowed, "Understood. I will do my best."
The rest of the guardians look disappointed, for not being chosen. Perhaps they are wondering to themselves where have they lacked.
"The rest of the guardians have a crucial role to ensure this benefits Nazarick, by collecting information and sharing it to both myself and Wololo-san. You are also to share your findings with the scribe, who will be tasked to send out weekly summaries of your findings to both of us."
Everyone was still silent.
"Demiurge, Shalltear and Cocytus, since Albedo shall be assisting me in this. The defense of Nazarick shall be in your hands. Nazarick represents the hard work of my guildmates, so, it is in your able hands to defend it. The construction of the venue for team battle and horse race will also be left to the 3 of you. The location should be somewhere outside of Nazarick, please search for a suitable location and let both of us know."
The three bowed.
Mare and Sebas looked at the rest, in their minds wondering what their tasks were.
"Sebas, Mare and everyone else will be the referees, to ensure none of us cheats by attacking each other. After all, we want to strengthen Nazarick by having a competition, and not to weaken Nazarick."
Ainz looked at all of the guardians present, and realised he finished what he wanted to say.
"That is all. I shall now return to my chambers."
And Ainz teleported away.
…
After the announcement they all stood and looked at each other, trying to read beyond what was said by their Lord, Ainz-sama. Albedo was excited to serve her master but her face also revealed a little worry. She then turned to her fellow guardians.
"This is the supreme being's' test, whether we are worthy for their attention."
Everyone looked at Albedo.
"Our performance in this competition may influence whether Ainz-sama will remain or leave. So we must do beyond what is expected of us."
If it is a horse race and arena, it shall be the grandest the world have ever seen.
Shalltear wondered, "What are you talking about? Why would the supreme beings leave us?"
Albedo, realising she had not spoke of the conversation to anyone else other than Demiurge, then shared the conversation she overheard, and the rest of the guardians mentally recoiled at the prospect that their supreme beings not being around.
"I believe this is Wololo-sama's challenge to Ainz-sama, that we can claim this world for them. We have to prove that we are worthy of their presence. Ainz-sama has faith in us, that his continuing care of us as the master of Nazarick is correct, but Wololo-sama on the other hand, is searching for a way to return to the supreme beings world." Albedo explained, much of it over-reading and conjectures out of the little conversation the supreme beings shared. Demiurge mentally wondered whether Albedo was overworrying, but since the outcome isn't anything bad, he let it slide.
"Ah, so that is why Wololo-sama established a dungeon base in Re-Estize. And stole of those books and maps." Sebas commented.
"Aura, Wololo-sama has appointed you. If you see something unusual, let us know. He may be on the lookout for a way to leave, and we must be prepared." Demiurge interrupted.
Aura pondered Demiurge's request, then she nodded. "Okay. If it is not a secret. But I must say, we should not interfere with the Supreme Being's will. Their wisdom is beyond our comprehension."
Ainz was back in his room, and he slouched over the chair out of habit. He's tired, as he always has been every time he gives a leader-like instruction or briefing. He would mentally go over what he wants to say, practice it a few times in front of a mirror so that it comes out right, and then mentally go over it again.
It's a competence of its own, a willingness to dedicate himself to constant practice and repetition, that is assisted by his undead form.
"Wololo-san. Where are you?"
There was no reply. Maybe he'll get back to me later, it'll sit in his inbox a while.
He looked over the map that they have gathered, and a present that Wololo-san has sent to him overnight. It was a massive map, a compilation of all the various maps they've gathered, superimposed on top of each other. It detailed the large expanses of the Slane Theocracy, the Kingdom of Re-Estize, the Baharuth Empire… and the unclaimed lands.
It had a magical marking on it. Actually, a few. When he laid out the map nicely on the table, it triggered a magic that created a holographic-ish interface, complete with elevation details. It had little arrows that hovered across it, like waypoints.
Ainz tapped one of them, and a voice played out.
"Ainz-san. I'm sure most of the details should be known to you, but I've marked out the areas where we can check out to start our 5 year goal. These are the "un-owned" lands, places that are naturally well protected and still unclaimed by the human kingdoms. There are about 5 or 6 of them, all across the outskirts and far reaches of the human lands. You may find them useful."
And then the voice stopped. A green glowing arrow then appeared in the southeast, beyond the borders of the Slane Theocracy and the Elves Kingdom.
"My scouts found a lovely abandoned ruins down here that I will reclaim as my new base."
Ainz looked over the maps again, and considered the nature of their 5 year plan, beyond their present. If he had a choice, he would like it to be a mixed utopian town, with humans and demi-humans combining to form a harmonious society.
"Ah, the humans dream of peace. I wonder whether they will accept an undead elder lich as myself as their ruler." Ainz shook his head. Perhaps he should look at demi-humans or heteromorphs of this world as his new citizens.
It was then Albedo knocked on the door. It's already late.
"Ainz-sama, it's me, Albedo. May I come in?"
"Ah, Albedo. Yes yes, I was just thinking of you."
Albedo opened the door and stepped in, wearing a big smile. She's probably delighted that her beloved Ainz-sama said he was thinking about her. "Are you thinking about doing it, Ainz-sama?"
"Ah no. Not today." Ainz tried to divert the subject from the lewd matters Albedo always tries to bring up. "I would actually like to discuss the announcement today." Albedo's expression changed instantly into something serious and attentive.
"Oh…"
Ainz then pulled Albedo over to the map that Wololo has made.
"Look at this, and then we will go through the competition in detail, and you can give suggestions or ideas on how best to achieve it. I'll need your help to win this."
Albedo and Ainz surveyed the maps, with Ainz going on pointing at different parts of the maps.
"There's actually a 4th event."
"Oh?"
"The game is 5 years from now, but we intend to both lead our own cities in this world. And we intend to see who has a greater city by then."
"Ah yes of course, if the Supreme Beings wish to rule over the New World, we will do our best."
"So within the next 5 years, we will both start a small town, and grow from there. It's like those city building games, and for the details, I need your capable skills, Albedo."
"It's my pleasure to be of use to Ainz-sama." Albedo pondered what city-building games meant, but perhaps this was the sort of things supreme beings did in their free time. Creation or destruction of cities is but child's play for the gods.
"The world is a cruel, terrible place, Albedo. Perhaps we are sent here to make a change."
Ainz had wondered it for days since Wololo's challenge.
Why are we here?
We have come, with great power in our hands. Though we are not invincible, power surely must come with responsibility. Wololo, unlike myself still has some of his humanity left. His emotions have not been suppressed, unlike mine.
Is this our responsibility?
"Ainz-sama will be a great ruler!" Albedo interrupted.
Will I really be a great ruler?
Wololo was watched his minions die.
As Gabbadar collapsed, lifeless. As Arana fell and bled.
Though he saw, he did not intervene.
He observed the dungeon console, as their death registers on the interface. He watched, as the names disappear on the list of created NPCs, and the magical energies return back to the orb. The energies that was released by their death could not be used immediately. It was as if the energy that was given to the 2, needed some time to be restored into the magical streams that flowed into the dungeons.
"That's it?" The noble-ish lady that looked like the group of 5's leader spoke, whilst looking through the chambers. Then they turn to the unguarded orb.
"I sense bad things from that." A little girl said, but Wololo could sense she's the most powerful of them all. She smelled like an undead, perhaps a vampire like Shalltear, and radiated a field of energy.
The noble lady with the blond hair and massive sword slashed the orb with her odd colored sword. That's a nice sword.
"Krakkkkkkk"
The orb cracked. Then the crack spread throughout the orb, and shattered. It looked as if dark energies dissipated from the orb, as if freed from it's prison.
The walls shook. The lights in the chamber flicker, gradually losing power. The goblin handyman started to disappear, his HP dropping by the second.
"Take all the maps and books, and get out of here. It's probably going to collapse soon." Lakyus called out. Everyone frantically grabbed all the books and maps, dumping it into their magical inventory bags. Once they were done they ran out.
They've not sensed him at all. After they left, he retrieved the remains of Arana and Gabbadar.
The walls continue to shake, the magic wavers. He touched the place where the orb once was again, trying to reach out to the "dungeon AI", and a faint, shaking voice responds to him.
The dungeon is gone, and it'll take 2 years for the magical stream to condense, before it can be claimed as a dungeon again. Oh well.
Wololo smiled and sent a bit of his magic into the walls, and the shaking weakened substantially.
"Hmm.. a skeleton and a spider hybrid…" Princess Renner did not seem very content with what they fought.
"Well, we did get the things back, didn't we? We'll still get the bounty."
"Yes. But that's not the thief. The mastermind is not those 2. They are probably just guards."
"How do you know?"
Princess Renner and Climb looked over the maps and books they retrieved, observing that each book has been opened and there were small fingerprints all over the maps, perhaps that of Elves.
"These are Elvish fingerprints.. And animal prints." The assassins were the one making the observation, perhaps it's from their past experience in hunting down people.
"That don't make sense. Animal prints, Elves, spiders and skeletons." Gagaran commented.
"It doesn't to me, either. But this case isn't closed yet. We may be facing something more powerful than this."
"If it's just more of that skeleton or spider lady, we can handle it." Evileye said confidently. "Anyway, let's claim our bounty."
"How'd it go, Ainz-san?" Wololo appeared as a shadow before Ainz in his room.
"Ah welcome back, Wololo-san. Better than expected. They seem receptive to the idea of a contest."
"Oh, that's great. I'll probably need to meet up with Aura too, to let her know what I planned."
"The map you sent me was great. I suppose the theft was your idea?"
"Yes. It wasn't much. It's best we fight fairly, so I thought of sharing the information." Wololo grinned.
"Ah. I told Albedo about the city building idea. She might over-do it, but I really do need her wits and her management skill if we are really to manage a country."
"Did I tell you about the dungeon I claimed? Well, I lost it today."
"That's fast. You didn't stop the invaders?"
"Nah. I wanted to see what happens in this world when you lost a dungeon. There's always plenty more dungeons to be claimed in this world, and we can have more than one dungeon anyway."
"Oh. That's really interesting. Is there's something out there that can match Nazarick?"
"Interesting thought, isn't it?"