[Chapter 5: The Immortal Strategist]
Crusch looked out from her balcony as a blazing star appeared in the distance. It was like the legendary magic of ages past, as if the witches and the dragons were battling once more. Horror, awe, respect, and fear coursed through her veins.
She knew who was responsible for this. The people who could do such a thing could be counted on one hand, and only one of them had been sitting opposite of her just minutes prior.
What could have forced the mighty Overlord to abandon the negotiations without a word, and what in the world would have caused him to invoke such grand magic?
The very earth shook as the flaming rock made contact with the ground and a deafening roar of destruction deafened her for a brief moment. Crusch looked up, her ears still ringing, and gazed upon the smoke rising from the point of impact.
Whatever was there, it was no more. Of that she was sure.
But what and why? Was this a show of power that was meant to demonstrate to her that he didn't need her in the hunt for the White Whale?
She looked to her right to see Wilhelm look at the marvel of destruction in the distance with eyes wide open and his jaw nearly hitting the floor. To her left Rem had a similar expression, barely maintaining the dignity required of a maid.
The three of them gazed out into the distance, silent, for what felt like an eternity. Really, what value could she bring to someone as brilliant in the world of magic as in the world of politics? The truth appeared to be that Ainz was simply out of her league. But even if he was, even if the offer to hunt the White Whale was nothing more than an act of charity, she would take her chances.
For now, however, she would have to find out what was happening. She turned to Rem, hoping that the maid would have at least a semblance of an idea of what was going on.
"Rem, is that Ainz's work?" she asked as the smoke in the distance rose higher and higher.
"I apologise, my lady, but I cannot be sure. Would you like me to offer you my best guess?" Rem answered, earning a nod from Crusch, "In that case, I believe it indeed is."
"Can you contact him somehow?" Crusch asked, only to hear Wilhelm draw his sword a moment after.
"That will not be necessary." came a disembodied, hollow voice. The Sword Devil pointed his blade at seemingly nothing, but a figure appeared there a few seconds later.
To those familiar with the undead of YGGDRASIL, it would be easy to recognise the Death Assassin for what it was. Its flaming eyes appeared to appraise Wilhelm. "I bear a message from my master, Ainz Ooal Gown, for Lady Crusch." the chilling voice said.
Wilhelm sheathed his sword, and Crusch made sure to not display any discomfort in front of the undead, "Speak then." she said.
"My master will personally come to explain what he has done and why. He asks you if you could host Rem for the night, and Emilia for her training, while he picks up a few things for your battle with the White Whale."
"Of course. Is that all?"
The figure nodded and disappeared once more, leaving behind no trace of itself. Crusch looked at Rem and said, "I suppose you should make yourself at home. Wilhelm will show you to your room."
Rem bowed deeply and followed behind the butler who had already begun moving, leaving Crusch to lookout into the distance alone.
So many questions flooded her mind. What was that being? How did it almost sneak up on them? Did Ainz have more servants like that? Just who and what was Ainz Ooal Gown really?
The fire in the distance still burnt bright, illuminating a part of the horizon, and Crusch wondered if there was even more that Ainz was capable of. The titles he had bragged about when she first saw him, they certainly didn't seem to be for mere show in hindsight.
She looked to the side for a brief moment, finding the glint of gold she had been searching for. If nothing else, she could be satisfied with the sword…
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"What the hell was that!? It looked like a bloody star came falling down!" shouted one of the noblemen, gathered in the hall of the castle for an emergency meeting.
"Why do you think any of us would know?! Calm yourself! We know what we must do, right gentlemen?"
"Yes! It must be the work of that filthy half-breed's knight!"
Somewhere in the crowd, a red haired knight grimaced.
A loud echo resounded as Miklotov hit his desk with a gavel, silencing the nobles for a moment. "Order! Order I said! Let us settle this matter like nobles and not like animals!" he said, overlooking those gathered in front of him.
The man's outburst had the desired effect and the room fell silent. Miklotov cleared his throat and said, "What has happened is certainly an unforeseen development. I doubt even Margrave Mathers could cause such a phenomenon to happen, and thus I do agree that it is linked with Sir Gown. The question is what the intentions behind the act are. Given his speed and proficiency, I believe Sir Astrea should investigate."
However, before further debate could occur, a slight breeze entered the room as the massive doors were moved slightly ajar. Nobody paid it any attention, besides Reinhard, who pointed his sheathed sword at something only he could see. "I can see you." he simply said.
Everyone turned to where he was pointed, only to spy nothing. But, after a few seconds, a bowing figure clad in black appeared. "My lord truly picks his friends well, Sir Astrea. It appears your title of Sword Saint is quite deserved." the Death Assassin said.
"Your lord? Wait, you mean…?" asked Reinhard, slowly moving his sword away.
"Indeed. I bear a message from Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, concerning the spell that had been cast outside of the city."
"In that case speak. What news comes from Sir Gown?" asked Miklotov.
"As you can notice, a knight known as Niklas Silar is not present. There is a very simple reason for that: he is dead by my master's hand." Several knights drew their weapons, but the Death Assassin remained calm, "Of course, my master would never kill for no reason. Rather, the man was a witch cultist and, alongside several others, planned to attack Lady Emilia. I trust I do not need to justify the killing of a witch cultist to all of you, unless more of them lurk among your number?"
The eyes of the Death Assassin burnt just a bit brighter and an uneasy atmosphere overtook the room. Miklotov spoke up, trying to regain control of the conversation, "Of course, but is there any proof of the things you say? House Silar has served the kingdom for generations."
"The bodies of the cultists are still pinned on stakes outside of the crater that once was a mansion. Consider them an example of what my lord will do to their kind. Feel free to go check for yourself if you don't trust my word. Oh, but look at the time. I have to go back to my master, so I hope you will forgive me for excusing myself."
Before Miklotov could speak up, the figure disappeared from sight. Once Reinhard's eyes stopped tracking the figure, the wise man said, "I believe we can trust the report of that one. In that case, the meeting is dismissed."
Everyone left, mostly disgruntled, some fearful or impressed. Reinhard, however, felt both saddened and thankful. Saddened that he overlooked such a thing like a cultist amongst the knights and thankful that Ainz corrected his mistake…
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'He's not here? Finally! How little does that guy need to sleep?!' Felt asked herself as she jumped from the window.
The situation she was in was immensely annoying, especially being dressed up like a goddamn doll! Why the hell would anyone wear these fancy dresses!? They were a complete pain in the ass! It was like being tied together with rope!
Even she, the best thief around, would not be able to pull off a heist in one of those!
But finally that redheaded jerk seemed to be asleep and she could get rid of all that! After slipping into something actually mobile, consisting of her old gear, she decided to sneak out.
The mansion was nice, which happened to be a tendency when it came to the homes of rich assholes, but she just didn't feel comfortable there. She was like a fish out of water, or a thief forced to play princess in a padded cell.
She shivered at the thought of the "etiquette training" that she had been put through. Literal torture would have been less painful and humiliating. Hell, even having her stomach sliced open again was preferable!
All this pain and suffering was because Rom decided to come save her, despite the fact that she didn't need saving beforehand. Now though she would accept such help with an open hand.
Sadly, such help didn't appear to be on its way, so taking matters into her own hands was the only option.
She landed gracefully, her divine protection allowing her to easily drop down from what many would consider to be ridiculous heights. The second she landed, however, she felt a familiar presence beside her.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me." she mumbled, deciding to gamble.
Unfortunately, her attempted sprint lasted only a step, a gloved hand grabbing her by her shirt almost instantly.
"What the hell are you doing out here in the middle of the night, you creep!? I bet you were spying on me! Some knight you are! First you kidnap me and now this!? Disgusting!" she yelled, flailing around and trying to wriggle out of her captor's grasp.
"My lady, I assure you I was doing no such thing; I was simply on my way back from an emergency meeting in the royal halls as I saw you jump." Reinhard said, not letting his Royal Candidate go.
"And you didn't even catch me?! What kind of protection is that!?" Felt continued, probably waking up most of the staff in the mansion.
"Lady Felt, please quiet down, or you may accidentally wake the staff." Reinhard said, his voice calm and pleasant, "As for not catching you, I was sure you could handle such a small fall, my lady."
"What if I couldn't? I could've broken my legs, you know?" she asked, reluctantly lowering her voice.
"Then you surely would not have jumped with so little hesitation. I doubt you are that desperate to escape me." Reinhard said, chuckling lightly.
"You are so wrong! I'd do anything to get away from you, but nooo. I just had to be kidnapped by a perfect monster like you! What did I do to deserve this?" she asked herself, accepting the fact that she had been caught once again.
"My lady, I assure you that I am in fact quite fallible." Reinhard said, remembering what he had so recently heard during the meeting he was summoned to. To make such an amateur mistake…
"Why can't you at least be like Ainz? He was there when I needed him, and he knows I'm not cut out for this royal business! He understands me at least a bit. You, on the other hand, are forcing me into this!" Felt ranted, managing to score an emotional blow against the Sword Saint.
He began speaking calmly, "My lady, I am not forcing you to do this, but if you withdraw then I will be forced to arrest Sir Rom for his various criminal activities."
"As if there's any difference between that and a normal threat…" Felt grumbled.
"And I agree." The Sword Saint's voice quivered ever so slightly, "Ainz did what I could not figure out for so long. If not for him, how many more people would those cultists have killed?"
'Does… Does this guy have a human side!? What the hell!?'
To not save someone out on a faraway battlefield, to accidentally take away his grandmother's divine protection… These were things even he had no control over, as guilty as he felt about them, but he had dined at one table with a cultist and not noticed!
Calling him perfect or infallible after such a failure would be preposterous in his mind. A colleague of his was his biggest enemy, and yet he hadn't suspected a thing!
Divine protections or not, he was still human.
To let all the lives those cultists have taken slip past his hands and into death's grasp, it was an unforgivable sin! As hard as he tried, he never could save everyone.
He looked up at the sky and stared at the incandescent stars above him, only to feel a gentle tap on his shoulder.
"Are you… alright?" Felt asked, her voice nearly a whisper, "It's not like you to seem so… human."
"Would you prefer I wasn't?" Reinhard asked, his morose expression being replaced by a gentle smile.
"Bah! I didn't say that!" Felt answered, slapping the Sword Saint and doing him no harm.
"That felt a little lighter than usual." he mumbled, rubbing his cheek with his free hand.
"Don't act like you can actually feel that, monster!"
"Believe it or not, I still do." Reinhard answered, turning towards the entrance to the mansion, "Now then, shall we?"
He let go of her shirt, instead holding out his hand the way one would at a ball.
Felt looked at it with disgust at first, saying, "Only on the condition that I don't have to wear those godforsaken dresses anymore."
The Sword Saint nodded, and Felt's expression softened as she put her hand on top of his.
"Only at formal events." Reinhard added, capitalising on his opportunity and holding his lady's hand tight as Felt started to squirm again.
A scream about some bastard did in fact awaken the staff a second later…
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
The room would have appeared pitchblack to most, but to the Overlord that was inside it was almost as if it was day. Thanks to his passive which provided dark vision, he could read in peace without disturbing the sleeping half-elf.
In his hand was yet another book from the forbidden library. It was a historical piece detailing the end of the era of the lion kings, something he really should have studied before dealing with Crusch. A bead of nonexistent sweat ran down his skull when he thought of the negotiations he abandoned, but he quickly calmed down.
Such a problem was best left for the morning, as he effectively promised Emilia that he would stay with her until sunrise. It wasn't procrastination if such conditions were in place, right?
Putting questions like this aside, Ainz's leisure time was interrupted by a floating ball of fur materialising out of nowhere and floating towards him. It was about to speak up, but Ainz made a shushing gesture and instead sent a [Message].
{We wouldn't want to wake Emilia, now would we? Anyway, what is it you want, Puck?} asked Ainz, putting the book back into his inventory for now.
{I'll be honest, Ainz. I still don't fully trust you.}
{I am not surprised. My appearance is hardly trustworthy, though forgive me for reserving the right to be slightly offended.}
{Will you let me finish?}
{My apologies. Go on then.}
{I may not fully trust you, but Lia does, and I trust her judgement.}
{I see. Is telling me this the only reason you appeared? You've never materialised this late at night. }
{No, there's more. Lia wants to get stronger but… That requires me to break my pact with her.}
{Why so? Wouldn't a pact with a spirit like yourselves make her stronger? After all, she is a spirit user.}
The floating cat shook his head, {No. My pact, it… It blocks some of her memories. In those memories is the fact that she can use magic on her own at a much higher level than she can now.}
'Interesting. I'll have to study pacts and maybe form one for myself. But what kind of spirit would want to deal with me? I do have a lot of mana, so maybe I can find a sentient one to negotiate with?' Ainz thought to himself before returning to the conversation with Puck.
{I will refrain from commenting on the nature of your pact, but I presume there are other reasons to break the pact as well?}
{You are as sharp as you appear. The pyroxene crystal I am housed in is also rapidly deteriorating. Unless you have something that can replace it, I'll have to break the pact whether I like it or not.}
Ainz's mind immediately went to the spell sealing crystals he had in his inventory and, albeit reluctantly, he took out an empty one. {I doubt this will work, but you might as well try.}
Puck floated closer towards the see-through crystal, putting his paw on it and shaking his head after a brief moment. {No. I guess it must be pyroxene, but those are quite rare.}
{I'll see what I can do. Oh, and about her memories, will they come back immediately? Don't you think that may be a bit overwhelming in her current state?}
{Unless something connected to those memories happens, they'll come back gradually.} Puck said, the lower part of his body already turning into mana, {It appears like I'm out of time. Just by appearing right now I broke the pact, so I suppose I should go rest. Take good care of her.}
{I will.}
And with those parting words, the cat faded away.
Ainz sighed, mumbling to himself, "Great, now some traumatic memories will resurface as well. Just couldn't have chosen a better time, could you have?"
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Emilia reluctantly opened her eyes, silently cursing the sun that seemed to specifically want to spite her. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and finally looking around. Everything appeared to be in order, everything but one thing. She turned to the side, hoping that Ainz would stay true to his word.
"Good morning, Emilia." came the voice of the Overlord, assuaging her fears.
"Good morning, Ainz." she answered, before quickly grabbing the crystal that always hung around her neck. It was cracked. "Ainz? I… Where is Puck?"
The undead mage sighed and put away his book, and then said, "The pyroxene crystal you used to house him in was deteriorating. Given that it could no longer hold him, it forcefully broke his pact with you. Before it happened, and while you slept, he told me that if we found a new, better one, then he would be able to make a new pact."
"O-oh. Okay. I understand. B-but why didn't he tell me?" the girl asked.
"He only noticed this last night, when the crystal was on the verge of breaking." Ainz said, spinning the story he had thought of throughout the night like a trained bard, simultaneously hoping it wouldn't bite him in the ass, "And before you ask, no, I don't have anything he could be housed in. I'll see if I can find one, but it may take a while."
Maybe it would be for the best. The slumbering cat that caused these problems in the first place would have some time to think of how to handle the situation in a mature way, because there was no way in hell Ainz was piling on the idea that Puck had been hiding things from her.
The Overlord stood up, stretching his back even though his spine was in mint condition, "Anyway, shouldn't you get ready for us to go to Crusch? You are supposed to continue your training with Wilhelm today." Ainz said.
'It'll be best for her to be preoccupied and return to her usual routine rather than focus on all that has happened.'
Emilia jumped out of bed and said, "Oh! Yea, give me just a minute!"
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
After Ainz had dropped her off at Crusch's place, where she was greeted by Rem, she immediately went on to train with Wilhelm. In a curious case of acting on instinct, she found that her spells were almost stronger than when Puck was with her, and she felt that her mana reserves were considerably larger now. It still felt weird to not have Puck with her, but at least Ainz was still here and Puck would come back when they found an appropriate crystal.
Following the training session, which consisted mostly of sparring and repeating specific techniques, she was panting for dear life. The water offered by Rem did help, but it was hardly substantial when compared to the exhaustion she felt after just a few hours of training with Wilhelm.
The Sword Devil, on the other hand, didn't even break a sweat. "You are amazing, Sir Wilhelm!" Emilia said in between sips of water.
"I may be getting old, but that doesn't mean my blade is dull." answered the butler, following his statement with a good natured chuckle, "But I do wonder about the being Sir Ainz was said to have summoned during his duel with Julius. I may just have to ask for a match against it when he gets back."
"Oh, I think I can arrange something like that! Um… Can you show yourself?" Emilia, looking around and apparently waiting for thin air to answer.
If she was looking for the being from earlier then it wasn't here, as Wilhelm could just barely detect it, but after a moment of hesitation, something appeared in a plume of dark smoke.
"Given that House Karsten is an ally, my master has deemed it appropriate for me to reveal myself." the Eternal Death said, its voice quiet but chilling.
'I couldn't even begin to sense it… What is that thing?'
"Great! Oh, by the way, do you have a name?" asked Emilia, to which the summon shook its head, "In that case mind if I name you?"
The undead stayed silent for a moment before saying, "It doesn't go against my order to protect you. Do as you wish, my lady."
Emilia thought for a moment, trying to think of something appropriate for the being. Eventually she pointed at it and said, "How about Aeternia?"
The summon remained silent for a few seconds, thinking over the words of its charge, but Emilia took it as an ill omen, afraid that her cringey attempt at naming offended her guard.
"It is… acceptable. Thank you." the newly named undead said.
"Great! Aeternia, would you mind sparring with Sir Wilhelm? Just, um, don't hurt him too much, please." Emilia said, pointing in the direction of the Sword Devil.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Wilhelm said, bowing lightly and taking out a handkerchief, "Shall we begin our duel when this hits the ground?"
The Eternal Death nodded, and Wilhelm dropped the piece of cloth, assuming a fighting stance only a second later.
It took a few seconds for the handkerchief to reach the ground, carried away slightly by the breeze, but the moment it did, steel met unknown metal in a blast of sparks.
'I didn't even see it move?!' Wilhelm thought to himself, desperately parrying the onslaught from the undead summon. Aeternia's twin daggers flashed before his eyes, getting through his guard and dealing light wounds to his face and torso.
Evidently his opponent wasn't out to kill, or he would've been dead the moment the cloth hit the ground, but he needed to get serious. He channelled all the strength that remained from his youth and desperately tried to parry his opponent.
Superior speed most often came with less strength, but Wilhelm didn't even get to test that theory, as the Eternal Death simply dodged each attack by a hair's length.
'Am I really that slow?!'
It was a frightening realisation. In days long gone, he was able to at least somewhat match a Sword Saint in a duel, but here his most likely opponent had no divine protections, just raw skill and strength that outmatched his own.
Perhaps he was getting old, but the current royal knights that could beat him could be counted on one hand, with only three being able to do so handily, with one using spirits to do so.
He tried once more, the very ground trembling as he tried to hold his own and struck back. His opponent's steps, however, didn't even disturb the grass they stood on, and Aeternia's daggers easily bit into the old flesh of Wilhelm.
Seeing this… less than perfect display from her teacher, Emilia called out, "Aeternia, could you please finish this?" Perhaps this would save her teacher some embarrassment at least.
Before Wilhelm could even register what was happening, his blade was knocked out of his hand and sent flying, and he felt the presence of a dagger at his throat. The metal pressed against his neck was cold, and it almost felt as if malevolence and hatred incarnate were radiating off of it.
'When did she get behind me!?'
He raised his arms in surrender and was let go, promptly giving himself a quick check up. Apparently the undead creature heeded Emilia's wish, and the biggest casualty was his butler uniform, with many parts of it now being ribbons.
"Thank you for the duel, though I apologise for my disappointing performance. It's not everyday that I meet someone this strong." he said before muttering, "Or perhaps I have just grown weak…"
"You are of mid-level strength." the Eternal Death said, disappearing right after. Apparently his opponent was not the talkative type, neither boasting about their victory nor consoling their opponent.
Still, those words from the undead creature did bring some unintended comfort. Whether Aeternia's response meant she heard him mutter that or whether it was simply an assessment she would have done anyway, he didn't know, but a small smile appeared on Wilhelm's face either way.
'To think there'd be a day where I'm happy to be called average! Maybe it's due to its ridiculously high standards, but I'll take it! Though perhaps there is a way forward still, despite my age…'
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Ainz teleported into the alleyway next to the blacksmith's shop, entering the building soon after. It had been a few days since he commissioned both of the artisans in the city, and it was about time to check up on them.
In particular, if Veronica, by far said to be the best blacksmith in the country, couldn't do anything with the ore he had given then no one would be able to do so.
Once he squeezed through the door, he found the place to be entirely empty. In fact, it looked nearly abandoned. Dust covered the counter, and all the merchandise appeared to be untouched.
"Don't tell me she ran off somewhere… That was just an average ore as well. What a shame." he said to himself, walking up to the counter and trying to peek into the area behind it.
Suddenly, as if beckoned by his voice, the backdoor was flung open and out stepped the blacksmith he had been searching for. "Ainz! You're just the man I wanted to see!" Veronica said, forgoing all formalities and pleasantries, "Follow me!"
Ainz shrugged and did as he was told, following her up until he was met with a massive forge. Veronica beckoned for him to look closer and took out a broadsword from behind the forge.
It had the distinct blue colour of the ore he had given her, which was a superior version of the low tier adamantite, and appeared to be quite well made. Naturally, Ainz didn't know much about swords, but it looked sharp.
There were little to no decorative elements, with it being made in a very practical manner. The handle was wrapped in leather and most likely provided a solid grip, while the blade was blemishless.
"I have to tell you, getting this thing to melt was a complete pain in the ass, even for me!" she said, handing the sword over to Ainz.
Ainz overlooked it one more time and said, "I can imagine. With all due respect, I expected you to fail. How did you actually manage to do this?"
"Well, besides raw skill, do you know what makes me the best blacksmith around these parts?" Veronica asked, her face displaying pride bordering on smugness. Even in front of the seemingly permanently lit forge, her face was practically beaming.
The Overlord thought for a while, looking at the woman's scarred hands which were the mark of a true artisan. He decided to take a shot in the dark, "A divine protection?"
Veronica smirked as the shot found its target, "Well played. Yep, I've got a divine protection that helps me in smithing, particularly in the forge. The quenching… not so much. Anyway, you said you'd have more work for me if I did well, so?"
'A divine protection? An important case study and a valuable specimen.'
"What if I were to tell you that I could provide you not only with the appropriate funds, but also with more impressive ores under only one condition."
"Oh? I'm interested." she said, raising one of her eyebrows which was partially burnt off.
"You work exclusively for myself and Margrave Mathers. That is the sole condition."
Ainz sincerely expected the woman to at least think his offer over, but instead she turned around and began… packing?
"Does this mean you're in?" Ainz asked.
"Actions speak louder than words, and it doesn't get much louder than this! Are you kidding me? Of course I'm in! I get all the funding I want, and I get to work with all the fancy stuff you get your hands on? It's a blacksmith's dream!"
"Wonderful. I'll tell Roswaal about this, and I'm sure he'll provide you with an appropriate forge and transport."
Veronica waved him off, "Yea, yea. Whatever you say, boss!"
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Ainz shuddered as he teleported away from the tailor, 'I am avoiding that guy at all costs… Does he not understand the concept of personal space and not touching someone else's clothes?!'
Despite the oddities and eccentricities of the man, the robes he had made for Rem and Emilia were quite nice, as much as it pained Ainz to admit that.
Alas, the enchantments on both them and the sword had to be done by Ainz. They were quite basic, offering simple resistances or offensive bonuses. Naturally, the Overlord added instant death resistance and mind control resistance to the robes, just in case.
His teleportation took him to the courtyard of Crusch's mansion, where he was greeted by the sight of Emilia and everyone else having tea, with Felix still being absent, although he did presume Crusch's knight would accompany them to battle.
"Hello, everyone." Ainz said as the group turned to him, "Before we get back to our discussion that had been so… rudely interrupted, I brought some things over from my trip in town."
Crusch nodded, taking a sip of tea and letting him go on with his business.
He walked up to Emilia and Rem, handing them both their own robes, "These should offer better protection than what you have on you. I do not know what abilities the whale exactly has, so it's best if we remain prepared. Now go on and find a place to change." he said.
Both the girls nodded without a word and ran off, evidently excited.
But before Ainz could go on and hand out the sword, Wilhelm approached him. "Sir Ainz, earlier today I was made to realise just how weak I have become. If I am to be of any use to my lady in the upcoming battle, I need to become stronger. Is there any way you could help me with this? Please, from one warrior to another."
Ainz, having already planned to give Wilhelm the sword he had commissioned, only nodded graciously, handing him the weapon. "Of course, I understand you very well. This blade should give you an edge in battle. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe Lady Crusch and I have some unfinished business."
Wilhelm nodded and walked away, eager to test his new blade.
The undead mage sat opposite of Crusch and said, "I apologise for how abruptly I left; I hope you weren't offended. Some cultists decided to target Emilia, and it was quite urgent."
"I understand, of course, but that… shockwave that followed, what was the reason for it?" Crusch asked, putting down her teacup and instead leaning forward.
"Well, I have a few spells that can wipe out large swaths of land, but that one seemed to be the most appropriate. Don't we all make examples of our enemies?"
"I suppose so, and-"
"Yes, the spell can be used against the White Whale; there's no need to worry."
"In that case, what is the exact plan for this battle?"
"Our group consists of myself, Emilia, Rem, yourself, and Wilhelm, correct?"
"For now. I am planning on forcing Felix to join us as well. After all, he is my knight."
"In that case, I plan on knocking the thing to the ground and then we kill it. It is only a beast, and a beast dies when it's sliced to pieces. But before I knock it to the ground, I have an idea."
He stood up, walked a decent distance away from the table, and said "[Create Middle Tier Undead: Skeletal Dragon]."
A huge beast of bones materialised from a single globule of black sludge, towering over Ainz and Crusch. The Overlord motioned for the beast to lie down, and it did so like an obedient puppy.
"Please, try to get on. Beasts like this tend to fly faster than a spell."
Crusch made sure to pick up her jaw from the floor and walked up to the dragon, putting her hand on its neck but jumping back immediately.
"Ouch!" she cried out as a stinging pain assaulted her hand.
"Ah, that one is on me. I apologise, I forgot that this beast is coated in negative energy. [Resistance From Negative Energy]. Please, try now." he said as Crusch was covered in a purple light.
She did as she was bid, this time successfully mounting the beast. 'To think I'd get to fly such a majestic beast!' Crusch thought to herself, dismissing that it was undead just like its master. A dragon was a dragon!
This wasn't just a ground dragon or some other lowerkin, no, this looked like the real deal, and she couldn't have been more excited. A wide grin blossomed on her face as she tapped the base of the neck of the beast, prompting it to take off.
The force of the skeletal creature taking off would have knocked down most warriors, but it only mildly annoyed Ainz. "I guess I'll let her have her fun for a while." he muttered, looking on as the Duchess flew through the air upon her newfound mount.
Crusch, meanwhile, was having the time of her life. The wind proved to be no obstacle for her thanks to her divine protection of wind indication and wind magic, which granted her sufficient control over it, though the blessing mostly allowed her to read the wind's direction.
Still, it all proved to be enough for the occasion and she relished the feeling of her green hair going wild as the beast beneath her made its way through the air.
The bones didn't make for the most comfortable seating, and she would certainly request a saddle be made for the future, but it didn't detract too much from the experience.
Her joyride, however, came to an abrupt end, as the beast suddenly began to head downwards. It landed, despite Crusch's protests, and suddenly she fell on the ground, with the beast disappearing into smoke.
She looked around like a lost child for a brief moment before standing up, dusting herself off, clearing her throat, putting on a serious face once more, and saying, "Sir Ainz, I would like to negotiate for one of those beasts for my permanent use."
"Are you serious?" Ainz asked, barely believing what he had just heard.
"Of course."
"You know Felix is deathly afraid of the undead."
"Exposure to it will help him recover, I'm sure."
"What about the rumours that will appear due to you having an undead dragon?"
"Any good noble knows to keep such weapons hidden. Besides, you yourself are undead."
"In that case, such a thing will not be cheap."
"Name it."
'Wow, she really wants this dragon. What do I really need now? Hmm… Oh! I know!'
"I need you to find and procure the highest quality pyroxene crystal, more than enough to contain a great spirit."
"It's a deal then. I will do so as soon as possible."
'Well, that job is as good as done for the cost of a single, average summon. I'm not half bad at this noble business!'
There were a few more details to settle with Crusch, but Ainz was confident things would go his way…
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The Overlord looked at the drawings of the people that were displayed by the Mirror of Remote Viewing. "These are remarkably accurate. Did you draw these yourself, Roswaal?" Ainz asked, glancing at the noble that stood beside him.
"Nooo, it was the Death Assassins upon my requeeest." Roswaal answered, his gazing not moving from the people shown by the magical object.
"Good job." Ainz said to the unseen undead which accepted the praise with a light bow, even though they were thrilled by the praise. "And what exactly is their goal here? In particular, why are they infiltrating the village?"
"From whaaat I gathered with the help of your undead, they are heeere for Emiliaaa, to use heeer to summon the Wiiitch." Roswaal said.
"I should have guessed as much. I presume you are ready to execute them if they decide to act before I deal with the White Whale?"
"Of couuurse."
"Good. What about their archbishop, the one of sloth?"
"Aaah, it brings meee back. His name is Betelguese Romanee-Contiii, and he used to be the head of the moderaaate part of the cult."
"Moderate? Of the Witch Cult? What a joke. If what I have heard from Echidna is accurate then his Witch Factor shouldn't be a problem. Monitor them closely in case they act." Ainz motioned for Roswaal to switch the view, and the noble dutifully obeyed.
After a minute of Roswaal tinkering with the item, upon it was displayed a massive, flying beast: the mythical White Whale. It looked much like an albino whale that Ainz had heard of in history books, with the exception of the massive horn that protruded from its head.
It was over fifty metres long but that would hardly help it, if anything, it made it an easier target.
"Roswaal, when will it arrive in an area that is mostly devoid of people? I'd rather not cause mass casualties due to its body crushing a village." Ainz asked, overlooking the beast. The eyes appeared to be a distinct weak point.
"If it continues flying in its current direction, it'll arrive in front of Flugel's Tree tomorrow." Roswaal answered, "Besides a few stray merchants, it should be quite empty there."
Ainz stood up, deciding that there was one last place he should visit, opened a [Gate], and said, "Keep me updated on its position. Do not fail me, Roswaal."
With those parting words, Ainz headed to the person who should hold the most knowledge about the White Whale…
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Echidna looked at the curious magic that breached her domain once again. As always, she looked her best, and most definitely had to for this visitor, even if he came unannounced.
The one to step through was, of course, Ainz, who quickly sat down opposite of her. Evidently Echidna was a character he would like to take in moderation. Insatiable curiosity was, after all, the largest counter to his spouting of bullshit.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Ainz?" Echidna asked, pouring her guest a cup of tea, even though the Overlord couldn't drink it.
"I will be engaging in quite a hunt tomorrow, and even the best hunters can end up dead if they don't prepare. I would like to avoid that fate."
"Oh how cautious you are. Come now, who could contend with you? You possess the power to bring people back from even the grasp of Od Laguna, so what could worry you?" Echidna asked, leaning forward and staring into the Overlord's flaming eyes.
"I can think of quite a few, but consider this just my cautious nature. I will be going after two targets: the White Whale and the Archbishop of Sloth, Betelguese Romanee-Conti. What can you tell me about them?"
The Witch of Greed practically fell out of her chair upon hearing Ainz's words, laughing hysterically, "You truly are worried about such base things?! My, my!"
Ainz simply looked on, deciding that Echidna was a source of information valuable enough to allow such behaviour, despite how stupid underestimating your enemy was, and eventually the Witch composed herself.
She cleared her throat and said, "I apologise, such behaviour is unbecoming of a maiden like myself." She stood up and curtsied the way a princess might at a ball, while Ainz just waved her attempts at flattering him away.
"As for your targets," she continued after sitting down, "the Whale can resist magic to a certain extent, though I doubt that will be a problem for you. Also, its mist can cause mana poisoning, but then again that only affects weak casters. There was something else, but I can't exactly recall… Daphne, would you happen to know?"
With no sound cue nor disturbance in the air, the small girl in the walking coffin appeared, "Know what, Dna Dna?" Daphne asked.
"Do you know what the mist of the White Whale you made can do? Besides the whole mana poisoning part." Echidna said, looking over at the other Witch.
"Ooh, Whaley can remove things with his mist." answered Daphne, already drooling at the mention of her creation.
"Wait, remove? What exactly does that mean?" asked Ainz, an odd feeling creeping up his spine.
"Whaley can delete things, memories and aaall" the Witch of Gluttony said in her childish voice.
"As in delete things from existence?" Ainz asked, silently praying that wasn't the case.
Unfortunately, the bound girl nodded, "Yes. Less people starve if they are gone."
Ainz stood up from the table, knocking over Echidna's tea set, "I'm sorry, but it seems my plans require some adjustments."
He disappeared out of sight immediately.
Echidna snapped her fingers and the tea set rearranged itself, as if nothing ever happened. She sighed, taking a sip from her freshly remade teacup, "What's the deal with him? If he can protect himself from our authorities then there's no way the mist could ever do something to him, even if it hit him. Maybe if I were that careful I wouldn't have ended up stuck here…"
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
"Who the fuck decided someone should be able to make a familiar with such a broken ability?!" Ainz cried out, grabbing his skull as his voice echoed out through the halls of Crusch's mansion.
The archbishop was no longer a concern. In the worst case he had the powers of Sekhmet, and she certainly wasn't an issue to deal with! Deleting from existence on the other bloody hand, now that was a sliiight issue.
How did it even work? Was it an instant kill effect? Was it like an upgraded [Reality Slash]? Or was it simply unblockable bullshit that God, the shittiest dev of them all, decided to let Daphne implement for a fucking giggle?
"If I ever find whoever created these goddamn witch factors I am going to throw them to my undead dogs…" Ainz lamented.
This changed the entire gameplan. The whale just went from a damage sponge to a nuclear glass cannon. If there ever would be a time for the big guns, it would be now, and Ainz had quite a few guns in store. They may be overkill and destroy the landscape entirely, but better safe than sorry and all that.
The real question was whether he would use cash shop items for this…
They were limited in supply and trump cards equal to some of his most powerful abilities. "This is the first real fight and I already have to contend with such decisions. No. There's no way I'll use those items on a flying fish!" he yelled.
A creak echoed out from behind him as a door opened. He turned around to see Crusch in her nightgown, her green hair tangled like the flora in a jungle, and her face displaying major irritation.
"Ainz? What are you doing yelling so loud so late in the night? I have to be well rested for tomorrow." she said, yawning immediately after.
"Nope, no time for rest. Take this instead." he said, throwing a Ring of Sustenance to her, "This'll negate the need for sleep, food, drink, and rest as long as you have it on. There's been a change of plans."
"What? Why?" Crusch asked, putting on the ring and feeling her energy return to her, "I thought we had it all figured out."
"Well, I talked with a few people that know about the whale, and they've given me some concerning news. I already have a plan in mind, but I need to make sure everything is in place. Wake everyone up and give them these rings. Emilia will know how to distribute them. I'll wait in the courtyard."
He tossed her a handful of rings and teleported outside, where everyone gathered after a few minutes, with the exception of Felix.
"Where's your knight?" Ainz immediately asked.
"With how sporadic you are being, I doubt you'd want someone who can't keep their cool out on the battlefield." Crusch answered, somehow already dressed in her uniform.
Now that he actually took the time to look at everyone, they were all properly dressed, 'How the hell did they change that quickly? Well, whatever; they won't be going back to sleep tonight anyway.' he thought to himself, also spotting that everyone had a [Message] and [Teleportation] ring equipped.
Communication during battle was key, and while flight may have been convenient, there would be no time for slow movements like that in his plan. In the worst case, such as if they for instance fell or got caught in the range of an attack, they could instantly teleport away.
"Fair. Now, I have a plan that I would like you to listen to." Ainz said, snapping his fingers and creating a whiteboard behind him. Perhaps he wasn't the greatest artist on the planet, but it would serve the needed purpose.
"First off, Crusch, are you sure your attack can topple the White Whale?" Ainz asked, drawing stick figure representations of the group on the board, alongside a simplistic depiction of a flying whale.
"If we were at the area where you expect us to find the whale then I would be able to show you and quell your doubts." Crusch said, holding the hilt of her sword.
"In that case that won't be a problem. [Mass Greater Teleportation]." Ainz said, moving everyone in front of Flugel's Tree, whiteboard included, "I scouted this place out earlier, and this appears to be the place where the White Whale will arrive, in approximately 16 hours or so. Please, Crusch, show me your skill."
"As you wish." She took out her new, golden sword and sliced at the air, a blade of wind being created and bisecting all in its way, parting even the clouds.
Ainz looked at the result and thought to himself, 'Maybe Tier 6? It should be enough to knock it down… or at least it has the range for it. At the very least it'll distract the damn thing and that's all I need.'
"I think that will prove sufficient. Make sure to aim at the head though, and remember that you cannot get hit by the mist, no matter what. I'm not planning to let the beast attack, but use the rings you were given to teleport out of its way should anything happen."
He moved to the drawing board, moving Crusch's figure on top of a basic dragon one and drawing an arrow towards the whale, which was accompanied by some japanese words.
"Alright." Ainz said, spotting their confused gazes a second later, "Is something the matter?"
"Ainz, is that the language they use in Karagi? It looks very similar." Emilia said, pointing at the words Ainz had written.
"I agree with Lady Emilia, it looks very similar." confirmed Rem, having been educated in various languages during her time as a maid.
"Does it now?" Ainz asked, "What a coincidence that something I picked up is similar. Anyway, I'm sure you get the point, even without understanding the words I wrote."
'That confirms someone from something like Japan was here before me, probably that Hoshin guy I read about. But was he from my Japan, my era and world, or somewhere or sometime else? I'll have to investigate later.'
The Overlord continued drawing, "The moment the whale appears, I want Wilhelm and Emilia's Eternal Death to teleport onto it and start slashing at anything that may emit steam. Any openings, gills, whatever. You only have around 30 seconds before you have to get off. Well, mostly you, Wilhelm, the Eternal Death would survive."
"And, if I may ask, why is that the case?" Wilhelm inquired, raising one of his white eyebrows. 30 seconds in a duel was an eternity, but in a battle against a beast like the White Whale? A large part of it would be used to simply traverse across its massive body, nevermind to find such openings.
"Because during that time I will be preparing to cast a spell. The mist of the beast is said to be able to instantly kill, so instead I am going to instantly kill it. The spell, however, takes time to cast and has a large area of effect. Teleport next to me, or I'm afraid that there will be nothing left of your body.
"I see. I will heed your advice then. Would you be so kind as to tell us what this spell is?" Wilhelm asked, extraordinarily curious as to the magic that Ainz would unleash. Would it be the same thing that annihilated an entire estate a few days ago, or would it be something unique?
It's almost as if a malevolent grin appeared on Ainz's skull, sending a chill down the spine of everyone standing on that moonlit plane. A deathly wind swept through the land, bringing with it an ominous feeling of doom. Fortunately for the group, they would not be the ones facing the one from which such a feeling came.
"I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise." the undead mage simply said, then turning to Emilia, "But the beast needs to stay still. I will have a summon draw its attention, so Emilia, please try to freeze it in place for a few seconds. Alright?"
The silver haired half-elf nodded, "I'll try my best."
"Rem, you help her, since you can also use magic to freeze the thing."
The maid, now dressed in flowing, light blue robes, nodded; her face was full of determination, her faith put firmly in the undead mage before her.
"Good. If all goes right, the beast will be dead in 30 seconds."
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
The little sleep Anastasia got was not very restful. She had expected to become much busier following the opening of the selection, but the machinations of one of her opponents pushed her over the edge and into full sleep deprivation.
Overall, the situation wasn't the best.
However, it wasn't the worst either.
She looked over more paperwork, approving trading deals, overlooking new merchant routes, and so on. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
"Enter!" she called out, not caring for the fact that she clad only in a nightgown and that her face displayed her extreme fatigue. Looking on the bright side, her deep purple bags under her eyes complimented her purple colour scheme. Somewhat.
"Excuse me." came the voice of a young man as the door opened, revealing Julius. As always, not a single blemish was visible on his pale skin, though many would have expected him to be in much worse shape after a certain incident.
"Please tell me you did something useful. You did at least find out how to recreate the potions, right?" Anastasia asked, even though she knew the chances of her hopes being dashed were nearly a hundred percent.
"Unfortunately not, my lady. None of the mages that have analysed the mixture have been able to decipher the magic that is contained within, or how to replicate it. I'm afraid that only one person knows the secret behind it…" Julius said as Anastasia leaned back into her cushioned chair, her petite figure practically sinking into it.
"I just knew this would happen… Why can nothing go my way nowadays?" she asked herself, sighing, "I'm guessin' there's more? You wouldn't come here just to tell me this."
"Yes, my lady." Julius said, clearing his throat, "Veronica of the Dragon's Anvil appears to have closed her shop and moved to the domain of Roswaal L. Mathers."
A thud echoed out in the wooden office as forehead met desk.
"Of all the people he could get on his side. I offer her money, deals, support, apprentices! Nothing works! Ah, I'm so done. I'm sure that Ainz has something to do with this! It's almost as if he is out to get me!" Anastasia ranted, still not picking her head up from her desk.
"My lady, if you'll allow, I believe that is the case. He is simply envious of your grace and my-" Julius began, only to be cut off by Anastasia's raised hand.
"Spare me the compliments Julius, and drop the formal act in private. There's no way he could be spying on us. I mean, what kind of creature would he have to use then?"
Somewhere far in the distance, near Flugel's Tree, an undead bodyguard got the odd urge to sneeze.
"Besides, you're the one who had to jump in. You could've tried to calm down Felix instead, but no. Please, be more careful next time. I don't want to see you get tormented like that again." Anastasia said, looking up at Julius, both her face and voice filled with genuine worry.
The finest knight bowed, "Of course. I'm sorry. I just… I didn't expect him to be that strong."
"None of us did. I mean, it's not often you see someone like that walk into the royal halls. Haaaah, what a bother. Just don't fight with him again."
Julius raised his hand and was about to say something, but Anastasia shot him a mean look, prompting him to only nod instead.
"Good. By the by, any ideas for what we can do with that debt Crusch owes us? That's like the only good thing that came out of that situation and I'd rather capitalise on it." Anastasia said, leaning back and fiddling with her pen.
"House Karsten is very militaristic, so perhaps you could try to work out a decent agreement concerning materials for weapons?" Julius asked.
"Nope, won't work. They already make their own and plenty of them at that. What's she up to nowadays anyway? You haven't told me if Crusch went out somewhere or not, and I'm sure Fang of Iron have found out something."
Julius gulped, saying, "Well, I don't mean to worry you my lady, but even before the fiasco with the House of Silar, Ainz was spotted travelling to the mansion of House Karsten."
A pleasant smile blossomed on Anastasia's face, "You're joking, right?"
"No, I-"
"Come on, Julius, cut it out. It's not funny, you know?"
"Unfortunately I am completely serious. It is… safe to assume that House Karsten and Ainz Ooal Gown have established friendly relations."
"Despite how afraid Felix was of Ainz?"
"Why else would Ainz travel to Crusch's mansion? We can't be fully sure, but at this point it may be safe to assume the worst."
The purple-haired merchant girl deflated like a popped balloon, adding the bad news to her massive pile of similar matters. "So even if we ask Crusch for something, chances are she'll go right back to Ainz and tell him all about it. Maaaan, this is so much harder than I thought it'd be."
"Come now, it can't be harder than getting to where you are now." Julius said, hoping to bring back Anastasia's usually unwavering confidence.
"Maybe, but back then I only had to contend with old men that were confident in their power, not immortal mages with enough wisdom to run my business twice over. Not to mention that he can – how did you put it? – erase an entire estate before anyone could even notice?" Anastasia lamented, recalling her knight's report.
"His skills are certainly impressive, especially when it comes to magic, but are you sure that this isn't a fluke to some extent? What if he simply has Pricilla's luck?" Julius countered.
"Let me tell you something, Julius. I was not very lucky at the beginning, but now I must seem like the luckiest person in the world if I managed to get out of the dump that was my beginnings. You know why?" she asked, propping her head up on her hands.
"Because people simply don't understand how you became so successful?" Julius tentatively answered.
"Not entirely wrong. I seem lucky because I made my own luck. Things don't just come to you out of the blue."
"What about Priscilla then? She most certainly doesn't seem like the type that has earned their position due to skill." Julius said, remembering the audacity of the Sun Princess.
"Fair point, however, luck alone can't carry someone to success. Even if she has a divine protection that makes her lucky, she still needs skills to capitalise on that. Love her or hate her, she knows what to do with her luck. Maybe Ainz is like me, or like Priscilla, but the result is the same."
"In that case, what do we do about him?"
"First we don't get into more fights with him." Anastasia said, only for Julius to immediately open his mouth, only for his lady to swiftly move on, "Secondly, we find something he may actually be interested in."
Although reluctantly, Julius followed her line of inquiry, "Such as? He certainly doesn't seem like the type to require money. Women and honey traps are off the table as well for obvious reasons. What can someone like that want?"
"Well, that's the thing. He has everything that someone would conventionally want, so we have to be unconventional. If my merchant's intuition is on point, he's a collector."
"I presume there's a reason besides intuition for that assessment?"
"Of course. If he has everything, then only unique specimens would interest him. He said he's from another world, so we should look for rare objects from around here. Minerals, metia, even subordinates for hire."
"And I'm guessing I have to search for any of those?"
A smile as sweet as honey blossomed on Anastasia's face, "You know me so well, Julius. You're authorised to use all of my connections."
The finest of knights sighed, having once more been relegated to a mere errand boy…
(AN from Edgy: Sorry this took so bloody long, but I'm quite busy nowadays, despite it being summer break for me. Anyway, here's the penultimate chapter of Volume 2, which has been quite a wild ride! Next up is the epilogue and then the action-packed and heavily anticipated 3rd Volume! By the way, Aterro is cooking up something quite exciting, so be on the lookout for that! Oh, and if you're looking for some spicy, dystopian original work then I can recommend [Behind Each Smile] by NihilumRes on Royal Road! Also, as I write this, the volume is already finished on our , so head there if you want to read more! Anyway, as always, more to come and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far!)
(AN from Aterro: This chapter is the buildup for what's to come so look forward to it. I'm also writing something you might like, I decided on a more mainstream show to cross over with Overlord but I hope you'll like the choice of characters I made !)
Edited by Korak324
Pa tr e on DOT com / EdgyTheWriter
Review Answering:
Hypothetically, can Ainz use [Wish Upon A Star] to grant Emilia tier magic? – There is very little that Ainz can't do with [Wish Upon A Star] – Edgy
Hey Edgy and Aterro, fun Question!
Overlord Volume 15 comes out at the end of this month. Are there any Supreme Beings or Nazarick NPC character sheets you two want to be revealed in the next volume?
I have no particular preference – Edgy
I'd love to see Blue Planet's character sheet, also maybe some of Buku's levels, since I want to know how would a slime tank's level distribution look. – Aterro