Winter. Year 0.
It's the first winter since they came to this world...
"Snow feels cold."
"Of course, Wololo-sama." Aura laughed, slightly amused at her master's comment. "It's snow. Unless you want warm snow, then it'll just be water."
"Ah no no. That's not what I mean. Just that, I have not stopped to appreciate the natural surroundings." Wololo rolled up a small snowball, and threw it gently at Aura. "And snow… I've never felt it in my world. So… it's still really odd to feel snow, even now."
The snowball landed a little short, missing Aura. She too, made a small snowball, and threw it back at Wololo, figuring it was some way of having fun.
"Where do the supreme beings come from, Wololo-sama?" She asked, genuinely curious. She rolled up another snowball, and threw it a little faster this time. But the snowball disintegrated midair into loose snow. She frowned.
"A world of… machines." Wololo then hopped over, and tapped Aura on her head.
Wololo sat on a small ledge, and looked out to the snowy terrain beyond. It's a collection of valleys and hills, half a day's distance from their own claimed valley up in the mountains. It was home to a few small tribes of various demi-humans, such as kobolds and blue hobgoblins, and they survived off hunting the wild goats and picking of the berries that grow in these challenging terrain.
"Machines?" It's a strange conception for Aura, a nature-element user.
"Yes… they are like tools that can think for itself." Wololo jumped off the ledge, and landed multiple feet down, gracefully like a cat.
"Magical tools, then?" Aura hopped, leaped, and then landed next to Wololo, like it was nothing.
"Ah… yes. You can say that." Wololo struggled to explain the concept of technology, and perhaps in a world with magic, technology may not be very much distinguishable from magic.
They approached a small kobold encampment, right outside of the many caves that litter the mountain ranges. The kobolds seem fairly tribal, with minimal creature comforts. They have what appears to a makeshift shack for some simple tools, and their weapons appear to be mostly crude knives and sabres, probably collected or stolen from passer-bys.
"Should we engage, Wololo-sama?" Aura was ready. They were about 100 meters away, but from this distance, Aura could do a skill that allowed her to jump and dive right into the middle of the small camp, as a surprise attack.
"There's no need to attack. They seem harmless." Wololo jumped in another direction, slightly away from the kobolds.
Aura nodded, and followed suit.
"What do these magic tools do, Wololo-sama?"
Wololo smiled. Aura had started up to get really comfortable around him, and is now willing to engage in longer conversation. Initially it felt like he was giving commands, and all she said was affirmative.
"Ah.. a lot of things.. Make food. Make things. Move people around. The world runs on them. We even have them inside us."
Aura looked a little quizzical, and pondered the idea of magical tools being inside her body. She frowned and shook her head. "I don't think I like that."
"They're really really small." Wololo wasn't exactly sure how small the nanobots were.
They leaped again, over a few more cliffs and ledges, and across a few snow covered fields and hills.
"Are you cold, Aura? I just noticed you don't have any winter wear."
Aura shook her head a little, "No, Wololo-sama. I have a skill that regulates my body temperature so I can always perform at my best level, even in difficult environments. I believe it's a passive."
"Ah, the Ranger's [No-environmental penalty] skill."
"Yes, that's the one." Wololo rubbed his chin, and then leaped up a ledge. Aura followed.
"That's an interesting side effect of the skill."
It's been about 2 hours since they've been hunting.
"Do you have a skill like that too, Wololo-sama?" Aura suddenly stopped, and touched the ground with her fingers.
"Yes." Wololo too stopped, and closed his eyes. From thin air, five white birds fluttered into existence, and flew it a five separate directions.
"Our prey is near, Wololo-sama." The snow had some leftover footprints, partially masked by the snow.
"My nose tells me its that way…" Wololo pointed in a general direction. Aura nodded, and they both sped off.
"It is an elusive prey."
Wololo nodded, as they climb up another hill of rocks and snow swiftly, as if gravity and vertigo had little effect on them, and then across the ice and snow fields, and through the bare vegetation, through the dried and shrunken patches of shrubbery and plants.
"I think that's it."
A frost giant.
12 meters tall, with the facial features of an angry and very old man. It's hair is pure white, like the snow and ice around it, and it's skin a mixed patch of grey and light brown. It has fur on some part of it's body and skin, also white as snow.
It's a reclusive monster, generally wanders around the snowy peaks and glaciers. In winter it's natural habitat expands somewhat, as the wider expanse of snow affords it greater cover and camouflage. When it encounters humans, it's first act is not to fight, but to hide, using it's natural affinity to water and ice magic to create natural cover and minor snowstorms to distract the humans, and then flee. Though one on one it is incredibly powerful on its own, and would easily overpower a single individual, as it is normally a solitary creature, it knows it is often outnumbered by humans, and so often tries to avoid being discovered.
"It's the first frost giant in this world we've seen." Wololo reminisce their prior hunts for frost giants to collect special loot, for level promotions and item upgrades. There were some quests where they had to slay a number of frost giants too. "It's far weaker though…"
"Capture it anyway. I want it alive."
Aura nodded, and swings her whip. It magically extended itself into a lasso and then glowed with some kind of purple and green light, wrapping itself around the frost giant. The frost giant, startled by the sudden attack, struggled, but the magical rope held on.
[Iron Cage] A magical cage materialised out of thin air, just slightly larger than the giant itself, and trapped the frost giant within its massive magical iron bars. The frost giant grabbed the bars, tried to pry it open to set itself free, but with the bars strength reinforced with magic, there was no escape for the massive creature. But it kept trying, growling madly as it put all its strength into its attempt at freeing itself.
[Tranquiliser shot]
A swift flick and a large dart like projectile now deeply embedded into the giant's thighs.
With the cage and rope holding the frost giant in, Aura fired the magical tranquilizer darks at the frost giant, and hit it at it's thighs. And within a second, the frost giant's body started convulsing and then collapsed, unconscious. It kept shaking even whilst its unconscious, an aftereffect of the neural paralysis and interference.
Wololo clapped his hands. "As expected of a beast tamer, even a frost giant is no challenge."
Aura rubbed her head, a little shy at her master's praise. "It was nothing much."
[Portal]
The unconscious frost giant and it's cage disappeared, sent back to the tower's dungeons for storage. Wololo transformed itself into an equally large giant, to carry and throw the frost giant through the magic portal. He smiled at the various things he could make out of the giant's belongings, and parts.
"Let us continue." Wololo transformed back into a wolf then jumped towards a boulder that leads downhill.
"Wololo-sama, are you a shapeshifter in the world of the supreme beings, too?" Aura asked, whilst jumping behind Wololo, following his journey downhill.
"No."
"Oh... I'm sorry Wololo-sama. I'm sure the supreme being's form would be hard for us to imagine." Aura tried to imagine the kind of world of the gods, and the immense magic they would possess in that world.
Wololo chuckled. "It's not like that." He had a short flashback of the steel, iron, and glass world that is his original reality, the nanomachines and the systems.
"Do supreme beings live forever in that world?"
"No.. but we do live quite long lives." Another leap.
Their speedy trip downhill stopped at what appears to be a small lake, that's not yet frozen over by the winter's chill. Surrounding the lake was light, winter-resistant shrubs and now bare pines and maples, their leaves all fallen.
"Let's rest here?" Wololo suggested.
"Oh, I'm fine, Wololo-sama. We can still keep going, I am not tired."
"I insist. Let's catch some fish." Wololo sat on a chunk of ice by the lakeside, and pulled out a fishing rod and lure from nowhere, and quickly casted it quite a distance into the lake. He wondered whether a monster would appear, lured by the worm at the end, but then laughed at how ridiculous that probably sounded.
Bloop.
"Come, sit next to me." Wololo smiled.
"Oh…" Aura sat down and looked at where the lure fell.
It was quiet for a while.
"I could create a blast and bring out all the fishes, Wololo-sama." Aura suggested, perhaps a little impatient at unproductive fishing.
"Shh."
The line did not move, and they sat for another 10 minutes.
"Ask me something, Aura. Anything you want to know."
"Oh." Aura looked a little puzzled. "Anything?"
"Yes." The line still did not move. Perhaps there were no fishes in this lake.
Aura thought back to the conversation she had with the other guardians, and she somehow felt this was the right time to ask.
"Would you be going back to your world, Wololo-sama? Like the other supreme beings?"
"Hmmm..."
Aura wondered whether she asked the wrong question then, something her master was not expecting. Perhaps her instinct wasn't right, as her master hesitated a little longer.
"Honestly... some day... I would like to go back."
Aura's face visibly paled. She grabbed Wololo's arms and asked. "Why do supreme beings go back? Have we failed to be good servants and followers? Where have we failed, and we will do our best to fix it."
Wololo looked at Aura, now her eyes somewhat watery, her face a little flushed. She was like a little puppy yearning for it's master's attention, and a child sad at the prospect of losing of her favourite toy.
"It's not you." Wololo paused. "There is certain responsibilities that we have there. Things, we must do. In that world is a part of ourselves, our original form."
"Ainz-sama too?"
"Maybe? Perhaps he feels differently towards those responsibilities, and that life of ours there. I think he likes this place, and being with all of you, though."
Aura's eyes was visibly tearing.
"But don't worry. We are still here, and I don't think that day will come so soon for me." Wololo tapped Aura's head, while holding onto the unmoving rod with the other. There's still no fish. "So don't be sad. We will still have many many days together."
Aura tried to rub away her tears. But she knew now there was some truth in what Albedo told her earlier.
The horses galloped vigorously, speeding their way around the makeshift track, as if their riders seemed to ride with their lives depended on it.
"These are some of our best horses." The middle aged horse merchant bragged, his voice a little pompous.
"Are these really the best horses? They still seem pretty slow. " Ainz looked, but he himself probably could not ride such horses, as his full body weight and armor would probably crush it.
"Yes they are. Any better, you would be looking for magical steeds..."
"And why did you not provide us magical steeds? Ainz-sama would only accept the best, and nothing less." Albedo yelled.
"Uh…" The horse merchant's face grew pale. "I do not have.. magical steeds."
Ainz patted Albedo on her head. "Let us not scare the merchant, he's just doing business. Anyway, thanks for the demonstration. We'll buy 2 of them, do we have money, Albedo?"
"Yes of course. Treasurer, as you heard, please purchase 2 of these horses as Ainz-sama commanded." Albedo commanded the pair of elves accompanying them, and the elves opened a pouch filled with gold and silver coins, and handled a few pieces over to the horse merchant.
"Let's go Albedo, let the treasurers handle it." There would be the entire process of delivering the horses to the newly built stables, some paperwork on the ownership of said horses, and their pedigree. Stuff that Ainz would generally prefer to let others do for him, as it reminded him of work in his real world.
"Yes, Ainz-sama." Albedo nodded.
They left the makeshift track for the horses, and walked towards their new pier and harbour. A few ships had just returned, with their day's haul of fish from the deeper seas beyond the shores. They would often leave really early in the morning, and return by dusk, before the darkness falls. And now, on their piers, the elves and some goblin workers were carrying the crates of fresh fishes, preparing and sorting them so that the fishes would hit the markets tomorrow, for sale to the city's people.
"Glory to Ainz-sama." The elves cheered, as their lord passes by the pier.
Ainz raised his hand in acknowledgement, but mentally he was a little embarrassed.
"Is this all your doing, Albedo?"
"No, Ainz-sama. Your subjects merely adore and admire you so much that they cannot resist to call out your name."
"Is that so…" Ainz sighed, but he wasn't in the mood to berate Albedo on this small matter.
They strolled slowly on the pier, admiring the fruits of their labor. The pier is built with a mix of stone and wood, and is illuminated with lampposts with specially enchanted lamps, to provide lighting throughout the night.
This is quite romantic, walking down the pier with Ainz-sama.
Albedo blushed at her thoughts. "We should walk here more often, Ainz-sama."
"Ah. The view is nice." The sun was setting, and perhaps it looked like a romantic scene. Ainz was oblivious to Albedo's imagination though. She grabbed Ainz's arms like a lover, and enjoyed the moment.
"Oh… I've received some interesting news from Wololo-san. He told me last night."
"Oh?" Albedo sighed at how Ainz just broke the mood. She had hoped he would say some lovey-dovey things, perhaps recite a romantic poem or sing a love song.
"Some of his subjects within the Slane Theocracy had discovered that the Theocracy might be in possession of some powerful magical items… Those magical items might include a mind control weapon."
Albedo's face instantly turned serious, appreciating the magnitude of the news. "We should prepare a force to capture those items, Ainz-sama. Letting such powerful item go unchecked would be a risk to Necropolis and Nazarick."
"Let's not be hasty. Wololo-sama's subjects are still trying to get more details, whether they are the culprit behind Shalltear's betrayal. Anyway, this elevates the Slane Theocracy to be the most significant threat to Nazarick, and we should treat them with caution."
"Yes. Ainz-sama. Will let the guardians know, and have some surveillance and spies sent."
"Good, I knew I could count on you."
Ainz pat Albedo's head again. Albedo smiled, overjoyed to be touched by her beloved.
"Ainz-sama." A familiar voice from behind them.
"Narbarel." Ainz and Albedo turned, but Albedo shot a death stare, mentally telling her off for picking the wrong time to interrupt their private time together.
"I have reports that the adventurer's guild has an assassination order on you. Pluton-san sent us a letter, wondering whether we would be interested." She reported.
Ainz laughed. "They'd like to engage Momon and Nabe, to assassinate me?"
"Ainz-sama's decision to disguise himself as Momon is an act of genius." Albedo continued to hold Ainz's arms like a lover.
"Will you find out who put in the request, Narbarel?"
"I have already done so. It's by Prince Barbro, that tiny useless pathetic insect of a prince. With your permission, I will swiftly capture, torture and destroy him." Narbarel was visibly furious at the human's transgressions at her lord.
"Has any adventurer accepted? Demiurge's prison could use some extra inmates soon…"
"No one has accepted so far, as Ainz-sama's encounter with the human noble has created a fearsome reputation around you. Few would dare risk their lives."
"Hahahaha!" Ainz walked towards the town, and both the ladies followed, Albedo at his arms, and Narberal a few steps behind, sensing Albedo's hostile energies, and knowingly kept some distance.
"Ignore the assassination order. It won't be the last, anyway." Ainz waved at some elves that were just arriving back on their relatively new fishing boats, as they slowly approached the place where the town and pier met.
"I'll add some additional guards, just in case." Albedo said, mentally noting that maybe two Eight-Edge Assassins is too little.
"You should have some around yourself as well, since you're a public figure too." Ainz touched Albedo on her shoulder, and she squealed a little.
"If it takes the assassins away from my beloved Ainz-sama, I would gladly be your shield." Albedo beamed, "And I will slaughter all those who dare raise their arms against us."
"I'm sure you will." Ainz patted again. "Ah… Is there something planned tomorrow?"
"Yes Ainz-sama. The weaklings from the north that has come crawling for our help." Albedo said. "I don't think it's necessary for Ainz-sama to go himself and spend your valuable time with those pathetic weaklings. I'll go in your stead."
Ainz sighed. He mentally imagined what horrors his guardian overseer would do to the humans.
"No."
"Pleased to meet you, Lord Erik." Ainz offered his bony right hand and Erik promptly responded to grab it, despite how fearsome those bony, ring adorned hands look.
"Likewise…" Erik was visibly nervous, sweating and unprepared to be in the presence of an Overlord. Right before he touched those hands, he wondered whether he would be killed the instant he touched it.
They met on top of a grassy hill, outside of the town of Kest Estree. They did not want to have an undead lord waltzing about their town, as that would probably create nasty rumors and cause havoc amongst the refugees that now call the streets their homes. In winter, this grassy hill is covered in a layer of snow, and the view from there is a beautiful combination of white, snow covered hills, a lively bustling town with snow covered roofs, and the blue seas beside it.
On top of the hill was a small gazebo, with a large table carved out of stone, and 8 rocks that has been fashioned into stools. It's built here many years ago by the town far below, to appreciate the beautiful view. But in such cold, few would come visit the gazebo.
Erik came with four men, all senior leaders of their respective towns. All 4 are middle aged, with fit, muscular bodies, unmistakably selected to be the war leaders for the coming days. Their built posture was visible, even with the heavy jackets and hats they wore to ward against the winter chill. They were lightly armed, with short swords and daggers, but they all heard of the stories. Those weapons are mere trinkets, and would be useless against their undead foe.
Despite the futility of their arms, they still felt strange to not bring any weapons as protection.
"We apologise for making you come this far, and for meeting you in such a crude location." Erik apologised, realising it's probably not the best first impression against the people that would be their trump card in their rebellion against the Kingdom.
"It is fine. I understand my presence can be uncomfortable for most humans." Ainz responded, and sat himself on the wooden, old stool. It cracked a little, and he swiftly casted a reinforcement magic on it.
"So, I believe you're requesting for our aid."
Erik looked at the four other men, and they nodded. "Yes. We… will soon go to war against the Kingdom. We don't really stand a chance if we fight them on our own. And we hope you would be able to provide us with some support."
Ainz was dressed in his usual black robe, his shoulderpads adorned with various gems and magical metals. Against the white snow, he stood out like a sore thumb, unlike his white, beautiful companion.
"Tell me more of your rebellion. You can't seem to win, so why fight?"
Erik sighed. "We've been unfairly treated by the Kingdom, it's nobles oppressing us by levying huge taxes, and drafting our men for crazy wars at our crucial times of harvest. And when we had a food shortage, they did not come to our aid, and left us to starve, and die."
"Hmm.. my news says there are not many dead people though."
"We had some help from a friendly noble from the Kingdom, but overall, the deal we got from the kingdom is not favorable to us. We would rather we fend for ourselves, independent of the Kingdom's meddling influence."
"You can only enforce what you can protect." Ainz asked. "I may come to your assistance today, but in the future, would you be strong enough to resist the Kingdom's army?"
"We have men, but at the moment we have yet to properly organise ourselves and sort out our arms." Erik responded. "We need your aid to tide us over the initial, rocky parts of formally organising a resistance force, and fortify the chokepoints on our borders with the Kingdom."
"That's very confident of you." Ainz looked amused.
"It's the best shot for us, to give our people a better life ahead." Erik seemed earnest when he said that, like he genuinely did it out of good for his fellow men. There was strange admiration that Ainz felt, but at the same time, pity.
Good intentions truly isn't much without power to change anything.
"We can appreciate your motivations. So, it all comes down to mutual benefits. What can you offer Necropolis?" Ainz retorted, wondered what the latin word for it was. Quid pro quo?
Erik shuffled uncomfortably in his seat and looked at the accompanying beauty and the elven scribe to avoid the gaze out of Ainz's dark, empty eye sockets, watching the elf furiously writing away at parchments, eager to record down their lord's word.
"Well... in future wars, we can come to your aid." Erik himself wasn't too convinced at what he said.
Ainz laughed. What would a collection of small towns and villages in the north offer in terms of combat strength anyway. He then turned to have a good look of the town and the sea, before facing Erik.
"No treasure, or gold? No special artifacts or special materials unique to the north?"
"We have little of that now, but we can trade with your nation when things calm down."
"It seems there's very little you can offer me." Ainz's eye sockets glowed red.
"This is a waste of time, Ainz-sama."
Erik paled. The other four men accompanying him too, wondering whether death is now knocking on their doors.
Ainz internally pondered his next move, whether to ignore them, or crush them... or help them.
"Hmmmm..." Ainz sympathised with Erik's struggle, but felt reluctant to help them so freely.
He had flashbacks of how deals were structured back in the days as a salesman, when things were tough and business was slow. Here, he was dealing with a small startup that has no cash or ability to pay, but some promises of a future repayment.
"You have nothing now. But I am willing to lend some assistance, on some conditions and fair rate of payment in the future."
AN : I'm back! There seems to be a lot of good new fanfics out there for overlord, which is nice!