Hidden Base Behind Azure Falls, Valeria Mountain Range, Draconic Kingdom Territory

Senshi and Kumara knelt before Horogus along with 5 other figures inside a hidden demihuman establishment made by hands, gigantic hands, behind a glorious waterfall.

"Rise."

Horogus' deep, low voice echoed into the entire room.

All of them, with the exception of Kumara, raised their heads and directed it towards the owner of the imposing voice.

"Senshi, how's the proceedings of the plans?"

Senshi stood up and bowed down his head.

"My deepest apologies, my Lord. Our plan to capture Momon has failed, and Raiel was killed during the process."

Horogus' eyebrows knotted from hearing this. The other 5 beside him made a tiny commotion as well.

"Are you saying that a human was able to defeat one of the beastman clan's chief?"

"Yes. Although it's hard to believe, I have seen it with my own eyes. All by himself, Momon killed Raiel while his companions took down his pet."

Horogus closed his eyes and leaned into the throne. Soon afterwards, he opened it back up with a grin in his lips.

"I see. For a human to be able to achieve such feat, seems interesting."

"It is as you say, my Lord. My expectation hasn't been betrayed at all."

Senshi made a sly smile after his immediate response.

Horogus responded by making a slight nod, signalling Senshi to continue his report.

"Meanwhile, the plan of destroying every single Adventurers' Guild in the Kingdom has been executed perfectly. Although the death count of the victims hasn't been determined, I would say that about 30% of the total number of adventurers has been killed."

"And the rest?"

"They'll be handled during the invasion."

"Hmm... For now, the psychological disturbance is what's important. Those humans will feel terrified when we start marching and they can't fight properly by then."

"I agree. Moreover, all of the key figures, with the exception of three others, has been successfully terminated."

"Three, you say? Which ones?"

"Gazeff Stronoff the Warrior-Captain, the noble Marquis Raeven, and the God of War, General Gustavo."

Horogus' eyebrows, which has already relaxed, knotted once more.

"Those three along with Momon had survived, huh. Seems like resistance is inevitable, after all. How did they avoid death?"

"Gazeff Stronoff somehow sensed our agent's killing intent and bested him first. Marquis Raeven had a little trinket with him, which must've been a magic item, that shed light towards the maid's impersonator and also killed him. While Nabel of Darkness arrived on the scene just right before General Gustavo was stabbed in his neck and apprehended the perpetrator."

"And thus, E-Rantel will raise its security and it will be hard for us to try any more attempt of assassination."

"I agree, my Lord. On the other hand, the Blue Rose will surely retreat to the Capital, so we can leave them for later. As long as Darkness, Blue Rose, and Red Drop doesn't work together, our casualties won't be that high."

Senshi didn't use the term victory to describe the outcome but instead used casualty, since the result in the end is just plain obvious.

Three eggs won't be able to break down a rock no matter how hard they were thrown.

"Very well. Now then, let us discuss the next step of the plan. Senshi, leader of the Six Spears, you will oversee the battle and act under my orders. As you don't have your own forces, I hereby grant you the permission to manage the base while I'm away instead."

"Yes!"

Senshi stood up straight and bowed down his head as he replied.

"Lunark."

The figure of a muscular male human without any other clothes except for a wolf pelt around his waist stood up and bowed as well. Fur covered his entire abdomen up to his upper chest, as well as his arms and legs.

"You and all the beastman clans united under your banner will proceed to attack from the East. March towards Kattze Plains and capture E-Rantel. You must also rely the message of Raiel's demise to his men and specifically address the perpetrator. This will make them an effective suicide troops charging without hesitation due to their burning desire to kill Momon."

"You don't have to worry about that, my Lord. All beastman are fearless warriors who does not fear death. I myself will offer Momon's body to Raiel's clan and have them rip it to shreds to relieve their grief."

"Very well. I will anticipate for the result. Ignis."

"Yes, my Lord."

A birdman with a mixture of red and orange feathers stood up and bowed.

"You and your kin will head towards the West and attack from there. Round off the humans and prevent anyone from escaping. Also, with your kin's ability to take the sky, keep an eye towards any sightings of Theocracy or Holy Kingdom forces which may be planning to provide assistance."

"I hear and obey."

"Liliane."

Next to Ignis, a beautiful, blonde lady with flowing translucent dress took her stand. What's strange is that she herself is also translucent and her entire body is giving off a light greenish glow.

"You will take the South and attack from there. Round off all the demihumans from the Abeiron Hills and conscript them. Your skill is useful for conscripting them without much resistance. The dark elves and the dark dwarves living behind the hills refused to cooperate with us since they're conspiring with the elves from the Evasha Forest against the the Theocracy, so spare them. Focus on the demihumans and monsters idling around. Also be alert for any human forces that may provide reinforcements as well."

"Understood. I will thoroughly punish those insolent humans who sullied the nature without any constraint. I will bury them all into the ground and have them nurture the saplings in the forest so that they could at least make use of themselves despite their worthlessness and greed."

Liliane spoke as if she spat out poison, evident of her extreme hatred towards humans.

"Marianne."

Another figure, also a woman's, wordlessly stood up and stared towards Horogus. She looks perfectly just like an endowed human woman, but her compound eyes similar to an insect's begs to differ.

"You will take the center and attack the Kingdom's heart, the capital. Surround it and keep the humans contained inside it. We will dine with them after the rest. With your ability, no one will be able to escape, not even a rat. And try to keep the casualties to the lowest possible."

"...Blue...Rose..."

"Do as you wish with them."

"...Then...Kill..."

Her expression is just as cold as her replies, just like a machine receiving commands and complying it.

Marianne asked the question for the sake of confirmation. Adventurers is humanity's weapon against demihuman and monsters' threats against them.

And as the symbol of these forces, Blue Rose will surely fight. They're adamantite-ranked, the so-called heroes of humanity. Not fighting is a sign of humility towards them.

After having the confirmation, she also bowed down towards Horogus.

"Rigram."

Rigram, the last of the Six, also stood up and bowed. His muscles bulging and arms and legs as thick as pillars, as well as height of 15 meters, the biggest one of the Six has presented itself.

"Please give me the orders, Horogus-sama. Me and all the giants serving thyself will crush those insects like eggs. They will kneel in fear against us. Merely hearing our footsteps will make them tremble. Surely there's no one better than us in destroying a measly human country."

"Quite eager, aren't you. Seems like building this base bored all of you. Very well. I will lead all of you. We will head towards the Empire. I've heard that they've got some interesting toys with them. Let's see if the strongest known magic caster in humanity and those mighty Four Knights are worth their salt. Afterwards, we'll be heading to the City-State

"Y-yes! Thank you very much!"

Rigram shook from excitement from the thoughts of going into battlefield with their glorious leader, Horogus. Ignoring the envious gazes from Ignis and Lunark, he grinned triumphantly.

"Another thing, Senshi."

"Yes, my Lord."

Since Senshi is already standing, he didn't make any other movements and just stared at Horogus.

"What of the rat we slid inside the E-Rantel in case the assassination of their mayor succeeded?"

"There are no problems. He will act as planned."

"How about those toys you had asked to be built?"

"Lunark will operate them. He already knows the procedure."

"Good. Lastly, I want to remind you to keep the human casualty to the minimum. We can't let our precious livestock to die in vain. We need them to sustain us in order to proceed with our real objective."

Horogus stood up and raised both of his right hands.

"Begin the operation!"

And thus, the bell signalling the upcoming war has tolled.

Information Gathering Office, Military District, E-Rantel

Ainz fiddled with the glass of water in his hand while anxiously waiting for someone. It has been given to him to relieve his thirst, but he's a skeleton that doesn't need to eat. Any attempts to drink or eat will just result in him getting his jawbone and teeth dirtied without any gains.

He is currently inside a room located in a building in the military district of E-Rantel, the outermost zone out of the three zones in the city. There is nothing in the room except for a single set of table and four chairs placed across each side of the table.

Narberal is seated right beside him, unmoving. Both of them have been sitting at the same chair, with the same posture for nearly an hour.

It is dead quiet inside the room, and the only sound that could be heard is the painful cries of someone at the room next to theirs, the one with the iron doors and walls. The screaming has begun also an hour ago and only died down moments later.

Ainz heard footsteps coming towards their room and quickly arranged his posture. There was a knock at the door thereafter.

"Come in."

The door opened and two men entered the room, who wordlessly headed towards the chairs at the same table as Ainz.

The two, General Gustavo and Ainzach, seated down and eased themselves. They both look tired and sleepy.

But what's more eye-catching is the bloodstained aprons they are both wearing. Their hands are also stained with blood which had already dried off.

"So, how was it? Any results?"

Ainzach sighed tiredly and nudged at Gustavo. He has yet to be rested despite being injured. His left leg is wrapped with bandage with herbs they placed on him earlier.

The potion hasn't been brought yet, since they've run out after using them on the victims of the explosion who sustained critical injuries. The priest a are also out of mana and have been resting to recover them.

It is currently past seven in the evening. Everyone should be resting in their homes already at this time of the hour or maybe sleeping already to save some lamp oil, yet the events earlier today kept all the residents of E-Rantel awake.

You don't know when and where the next explosion could occur.

Gustavo, getting what Ainzach wants him to do, started explaining the information they got from the snitch they captured.

"Well, me and Ainzach here volunteered to engage him in a 'conversation'. Just for some stress reliever, you know. After some 'persuasions', the Slaux which tried to kill me has finally spilled the beans."

Slaux is the name of the race that the red-skinned creature which transformed into one of the Adventurer's Guild employees and attempted to murder the general.

They are similar to doppelgangers in their transforming ability but also better at the same time, since they can 'replicate' the exactly same actions, habits, manner of speaking, etc. of their victim. Doppelgangers can only achieve about 75% of their victim's mannerism. It's very tricky to identify a Slaux once it has transformed.

But in terms of combat, doppelgangers are better since they can also use their victim's ability up to 80%. The Slaux's combat ability depends on their original battle prowess. Even if they copied Ainz or Narberal, they cannot use their magic. They're basically useless in actual battles.

"Sadly", Gustavo continued, " The one we got is just a small fry. He barely knows anything than what he has been ordered to, which is to send Momon at the hostage site and then kill three person: me, Ainzach, and Mayor Panasolei. He planned to assassinate Ainzach and Mayor together, expecting that I will go along with you to the hostage site. But since I stayed behind and was together with the other two, he decided to divide us first and then kill us thereafter."

"He admitted that he couldn't handle me and Gustavo together, so he had to send Gustavo away to kill me and the mayor together. But he didn't expect me to go along with Gustavo, so he killed the mayor and blasted this place, which is also part of the plan."

"And then, after changing into one of my employees' appearance, he waited for me or Ainzach to appear to finish the act. He found me first. You know the rest."

Both of them finished each other's sentences as if they have practiced it beforehand.

They even haven't bothered to speak politely like they did before. I guess they really are tired.

Ainz felt both sorry and a little guilty of the two. He didn't do anything much after returning to E-Rantel despite it being in a state of emergency, plus he doesn't get tired being an undead and all, so he felt guilty with how the two has worked so hard running around the city to stabilize the citizens' panic.

Well, I did lift around the logs and debris and rescued the people under them. I wish that it's good enough for me to avoid being scolded.

The soldiers alongside Ainz who responded to the scene earlier were surprised to see him lifting a pillar with one hand and grabbing burning planks and debris without hesitation. He turned every wood or plank upside down, looking for victims.

He literally never left any stone unturned.

He also did it swiftly, almost desperately, to save as many people as he can.

Seeing this, the soldiers felt determined to save the victims. And because of that, the casualties among the rescued people is at its minimum.

If only they knew the thoughts inside Ainz while proceeding with the rescue.

'I gotta work quickly while they're still groggy or unconscious so that I can take the magic items or other curious objects they're carrying along. This is my chance to study them without spending my money to buy it.'

In the end, Ainz got several magic items and he felt satisfied with his loot. He placed trust in his fame and the rumors about his desperate actions to rescue them to avoid being blamed or suspected for thievery.

I better watch out for witnesses and tamper with their memories once they turn up.

No matter how much money Ainz earns after the job, he doesn't have any cooper to spare after counting the expenses needed for Sebas and Demiurge's experiments. He is bound to be penniless no matter what downfall he received, even if he had slain a dragon and was compensated greatly since he has to invest all of it for Nazarick's sake.

He held his intense curiosity inside him towards the magic items for so long and waited for an opportunity to come. And that opportunity presented itself earlier.

After all, no matter what happens to him, the Momonga who adores rare items no matter what it is will never cease to exist.

"And what about after that? Was he ordered to retreat?"

"No. He said that someone will approach him and give him orders."

"That really is vague. We don't have any good clues."

The three of them sighed and slumped their shoulders.

"The real perpetrators are still out there. This Lunark and Horogus I've heard about should be the key. But no one has any idea who they are. One thing's for sure: they're after us three, and they're going to return. We better watch out."

Gustavo and Ainzach swallowed hard from Ainz's warning to them. It seems like they won't get any rest soon unless all this mess has been resolved.

"Seems like the party has been cancelled, huh."

Both Ainz and Gustavo chuckled softly from Ainzach's retort. Ainz have heard about Mayor Panasolei's last moments from Gustavo back when he's still shaken and grieving about his death.

Although it is rude to laugh about the dead, they have to do this to relieve some of their mental stress that has been accumulated. They could think of better jokes, but they're too tired to do so.

Naturally, Ainz picked this up and decided to give them a little assistance. As of this moment, he needs them to be healthy, both physically and mentally.

"Narberal, hand me the bag."

Narberal handed Ainz a round, leather bag the size of an average female purse and slid his hand inside all the way to his arms. From the outside, the purse cannot possibly fit an arm inside it. But since it is a magic item with a different dimension several times bigger than its capacity by appearance, the mystery has been solved. They both know this since it can be commonly found being sold at the Magician's Guild.

The two stared as his hand, wondering what he will pull out. Moments later, Ainz pulled out several plates filled with food. He also took out a paper bag with warm bread, a pitcher with cold water, two empty glass and plates, as well as two pairs of fork and spoons.

Ainzach and Gustavo had their eyes wide open when they realize what's about to happen.

"Momon-san, could this possibly be..?"

"Yes. This is for you. Please eat up. I know you're both starving right now, so please don't hesitate and eat up."

"But we can't possibly eat up your and Nabel-dono's precious food supply, can we? We will just ask the military cook to whip up something quickly instead."

"Don't worry, I've got more than enough for is both. You can just reimburse me for it or maybe replace it next time", Ainz coaxes as he pours water into the glass.

"Think of this as a farewell offering for Mayor Panasolei. Although I don't think that he would be pleased to see us eating his share."

Another round laugh between them three before the two began to partake the food. Ainzach and Gustavo has been too busy and shaken to notice their hunger, but the stimulating food before them woke it up and they began to wolf it down.

That's not the only reason. The food and bread itself was cooked by the Nazarick's head chef and head baker as per Ainz's request to them, and even the water has a refreshing, cool taste with a hint of citrus that tastes way better than what this world currently has. Along with the hunger as another ingredient, it could only be described as heavenly.

In fact, the two even has tears at the corner of their eyes while eating.

They're too busy to eat to be thinking on why the temperature of the food is still intact, since the normal magic bag only delays the stale state of the food by a few hours. It couldn't possibly keep the food warm after an hour of being cooked. And Ainz has been inside the same room for an hour. If he or Narberal has exited the room, they would've been notified either by them or by the guards.

Torturing someone is not that busying. They've got time to spare to listen to reports.

The rel reason behind it is because the Magic Bag is empty. After placing his hand inside it, Ainz opens his own [Inventory] and took the food out.

They could've concluded that the plates and the pitcher is a magic item with a temperature-stabilizing option, but there are no magic circles in it, a trait all magic items has. And having a measly paper bag as a magic item just to keep some random bread warm is just absurd. They should make it at least a bread basket for the sake of appearance.

But then again, they're too busy to eat to think of unnecessary things.

But what's more surprising is because Ainz has food and utensils with him, since he doesn't need food or drinks due to the traits of an undead. If any of his past friends heard of it, they would've laughed at him jokingly. But if they knew that it would be used at this kind of situation, they would be undoubtedly amazed at his preparation.

'As expected of Momonga, the most meticulous person in the whole world we ever knew.' they would've said.

Several minutes later and the plates were emptied down to the last bit. The serving enough for six person has been slurped by mere two person. They even fought for the bread, although there are ten of it and could've been equally divided amongst them equally.

When they still hadn't had enough after eating all the food, they relished on the taste of the water, sipping it slowly from their glass and filling it back when emptied. They kept up with this until the pitcher has been left empty as well.

Well, part of the reason behind their voraciousness may be because they're competing against each other in which one can eat more.

But Ainz failed to notice that and just saw two starving muscular men in bloody aprons hungrily eating barehanded even with bloodstained fingers that came from their tortured victim just several minutes ago.

It really is an incredible picture if you think about it.

After emptying the last cup of water, they leaned back into the seats and relaxed themselves, as if all their problems has never existed in the first place.

Ainz was satisfied seeing them clean their plates. If they left over bits of food, Ainz would be forced to throw it away with teary eyes. He had spent precious money on the food ingredients, which is part of the guild's maintenance fee, and he hates to see even a single strand of noodles left behind.

"Thank you very much, Momon-san. We will surely repay you back, although I don't know where this kind of delicious food came from. May I know the location just in case?"

"Eh? Ah, t-that is from, um, Na- I mean, you see..."

Ainz began to panic and stuttered his words as he tries to think of any place he could throw at them. But alas, his option has narrowed down when he mentioned Na from Nazarick.

"Na? And where can it be found?"

"N-no, you can't find it! I mean, its not a place. Yes! It's not a place!"

"Not a place?"

The two tilted their heads in bewilderment. He also saw Narberal tilt her pretty little head in the corner of his eyes.

"Yes, it's not a place, since the one who cooked those is Nabel, after all!", Ainz hurriedly blurted out in a rather high-pitched voice.

Narberal's eyes widened in surprise from the sudden mention of her name. And what's more, she just suddenly became a cook, although all she can do is to boil water, peel fruits and vegetables, and other menial tasks. She can't even fry an egg due to the absence of a cooking related class or skill. If she tries to, it would turn into an inedible black lump of charcoal that can't even be recognized as a food. She's worse than a kid at cooking. (Momon Kun: Otae from Gintama, anyone.)

"Hooh.. Nabel-san did, huh. Amazing."

"Indeed. Not only a strong and powerful magic caster who can use third-ranked magic, but also a gifted cook. As a man, I can't help but be envious of you, Momon-san."

"That's true. My wife even gets lazy sometimes and just tells me to eat outside if I'm hungry. It really is terrible especially when I'm exhausted from signing documents the entire day in my office at the guild. Haaah..."

"At least she cooks for you. My wife grew up too pampered by her noble parents. She can't do anything without a maid. I should remember to teach our daughter some basic necessities in life."

The two started speaking about their wives all of a sudden, a territory uncharted in Admiral Suzuki Satoru's voyage in the sea called life.

"...gotta learn how to cook... for Ainz-sama when he gets home exhausted from work... I won't give up, even against Shalltear-sama and Albedo-sama..."

From the corner of his ears, he can hear Narberal muttering weird things that he can't make sense of.

Are they competing with cooking in Nazarick? For me? But I don't even need to eat, nor could I do so, though.

All of them sank back into their own thoughts, relaxing their tense nerves after the series of events in the mere span of twelve hours.

Moments passed quickly, and their conversation eventually returned back to its tracks.

"The one he said that will approach him thereafter, I doubt he will do so."

The two nodded from Ainz's words. There's nothing good that would come out from approaching a captured comrade. Most of the time, there would be a trap or ambushers lying in the shadow. All three of them knows that, so no further explanation is necessary.

"Aside from that, there's also another thing that I found strange from his testimonies."

"Please elaborate, general."

"Aside from killing us three, he was also ordered to hide my body and present it to the informant later on. It may be to confuse my men, or they would mutilate my body as a symbol that will make them terrified, or maybe they're planning to have another doppelganging bastard to take my place and command some ridiculous commands such as giving up against them without a fight. Either way, it won't be good for any of us."

"I suggest that you should have several bodyguards around you, then. Not that I'm underestimating your abilities, but we can never be sure."

"Don't worry, Momon-san. I plan to do so, in the first place", replied Gustavo with a smile.

"For now, we should prepare ourselves for war. The mayor's dead, plus he doesn't have any children or heir to pass his responsibility to. Which means that the highest-ranked official in the city should take charge."

Ainzach ended his sentences there while looking towards Gustavo. He, the mighty general who was awarded with nobility after his marvellous feats, is that said official. In fact, he stands as equal with the late mayor with his general status alone. What more if he exerts his power as a noble. He could easily snatch the blanket called E-Rantel from Mayor Panasolei.

There's no way he would do that, though. He is a noble without a land to rule due to his own desire not to. And if he did rule over a land back when he was asked if which land he wants to rule over, which was eight years ago, it would've surely been the most populated city of the Re-Estize Kingdom. His fame and popularity will attract villagers from all over the Kingdom, even from other countries, to migrate into his lands.

A land ruled by the God of War will obviously become the most secure one in the entire Kingdom. And safety is a very factor when ruling over a city.

A city doesn't spend almost 25% of its tax in military for nothing.

Gustavo sighed out, plainly displaying his dislike to rule over a city.

"Soldiers are one thing, but ruling a city is not my forte. I can't be hard on the citizens, plus I can't punish them harshly due to the lack of discipline. You should do it."

One of the reason behind the Gustavo Army's might is its hellish training and harsh disciplinary actions towards soldiers. At least 1 out of 100 trainees during the conscription after the war 8 years ago died during the training.

As a result, the foot soldiers looks like they've been already experienced countless wars even just after the training: rugged, hardened faces devoid of any expression and bodies honed into weapons that can kill ten people with their hands alone, even when half asleep.

"Oh, come on. You know I can't do that. The people regards you as their hero. I'm just a poor worker signing documents behind a tiny, little desk the entire day. Plus only my mother was a noble, not me. Don't be silly."

Gustavo knotted his eyebrows. It seems like there are no other escape from his responsibility. Whether he likes it or not, he is now the mayor of E-Rantel.

"Don't worry, you can act as the ruler in front of the people and in name then have your father do the actual work. The people just needs a symbol, that's all."

Gustavo's father is a former noble who fell from his grace after an affair with a proustite, Gustavo's mother. His father married at a young age, and he's quite discontented with his wife. So he started seeing a prostitute he took a liking to. Inevitably, his wife learnt about it and used her parents' power to punish her unfaithful husband. And the story follows.

In the end, his father became a commoner and he and his mother loved each other truthfully despite their past up to this days.

"Do you think he'll do it?", Gustavo asked with a worried look.

"He sure will. He'll be delighted to. He often tells us about how great he was when he ruled over people, right? I'm sure he will sell an arm to regain that kind of power and authority again. He's an ambitious person even at his age", Ainzach assures him with a pat in the back.

Ainz just stared at their burning friendship without any response.

No big deal, I also got friends like them before, 40 people at that. I have no reason to be jealous.

Ainz recalled the memories of his friends to make him feel better, but it did the opposite instead. He heaved his breath and straightened his shoulders while whispering encouragement to himself.

This caught the attention of the worried Gustavo, and Ainz saw his eyes widened towards him.

"Hey, how about we make Momon-san the-"

"No."

Ainz immediately gave a stern, straightforward answer that doesn't cafe about any formality or concern of having their intimation to decline, showing his iron will of determination to refuse the responsibility.

"I guessed as much. Haaah..."

Gustavo's head hung down low, giving up on any resistance from the unwanted job thrown into his lap.

Ainz also sighed out as well, this time in relief, for avoiding such a big responsibility.

"No offense, general. But I can't possibly do it. Killing a vampire, exterminating thousands of undead and hunting down Gigant Basilisks could've been done by anyone else if they just worked together. But protecting the innocent citizens against the enemy kingdom to the cost of losing almost all your comrades is what makes a real hero. No one else but you can do it. And I'll make sure to support you from the side. I promise."

"Momon-san, you don't have to be so modest. You have also done great deeds. Things I cannot do alone. And I do honestly think that your-"

"I apologize if I did. But the words I have said is the truth. Please believe me."

Gustavo tried to throw another attempt to convince him, but Ainz cut him off again, silently telling him that Ainz wouldn't mind having their friendship reduced or receiving his anger.

Come on, just do it! I don't wanna become a mayor! No way in hell! I'll give you a rare item, so please accept it already!

Gustavo leaned back in his chari and crossed his arms, closing his eyes and thinking deeply. Five minutes has passed in silence before Gustavo released his arms and hung his head down.

"Haaah... Alright, alright. I'll do it, okay?"

Ainz's fervent prayers were answered positively and he and Ainzach exchanged thumb's up under the table. It could've been a wink, but he's wearing a full-faced helmet so that would be impossible.

He could show his eyes if he lifts up the visor covering his eyes, but all he's got is an empty socket with glowing, red points of lights. He can't wink, not even close his eyes. Ainz hates it that he can't close his eyes sometimes, especially when he's trying to drift into the land of dreams and forget about responsibilities.

"I'm glad you've come through tour senses. Now then, let's immediately inform the capital about your decision. I've already contacted them earlier about Mayor Panasolei's death, and I'm sure the thought of having you stand up as the mayor temporarily have already crossed their minds."

Ainzach immediately closes off any road that could make Gustavo change his mind with a firm voice.

"Haaah... I should bring dad his favorite things tomorrow morning and talk about this with him. I just hope he won't ask for any absurd authority or requests in exchange for my favor."

Incidentally, Gustavo himself is just in his 40s. And his father himself is only at his 60s, healthy and energetic, living his life to the fullest. His hobby is reading books and other available publications all the time, to the point that people often calls him a sage. His immense knowledge will surely be beneficial to them.

"Hurry up and inform the capital already", Ainzach impatiently reminded him.

Ainzach belittled himself and even praised Gustavo to the sky just to convince him, which wounded his pride due to their rivalry. He won't let his sacrifices be in vain.

"Okay, okay. Jeez. So impatient."

Gustavo placed his index and middle finger in his temple and casted the [Message] magic. He didn't use the assistance of magic scrolls, he can use it himself. After all, its in his job requirement.

"Central Command, this is General Gustavo Velsen, commander of the Gustavo Army stationed in the E-Rantel military district", Gustavo said with a commanding voice vastly different from his complaining tone earlier.

Afterwards, there was a pause. They're probably asking him a code or something. Gustavo's voice also fell into a whisper which Ainz can't hear clearly despite his superior hearing.

Then suddenly, Gustavo froze, with eyes opened wide and mouth agape open.

"P-please repeat it. I must've misheard it. Yes, that should be it. Seems like I've become a little deaf. Hahaha..."

His voice is shaking, and his laugh is also dry. He's visibly shaken from what he has heard.

"N-no way! That, that cannot be! You must be lying! The king, the king couldn't have been dead! There's no way that it could be true!"

Face filled with anguish and his legs trembling, Gustavo fell back into a wall and leaned to it. His shaking hands headed towards his chest and he clutched the apron tightly, crumpling it.

Ainzach also stood up immediately, pushing back the chair he was seated into and letting it fall into the floor. He stared towards Gustavo with shaking eyes as he breathes heavily, his hands placed into the table to support his weakening knees.

Ainz was also shocked by the news, but not as much as them. He has nothing to do with all of these, and he has no ties with the king. He doesn't even know him or his name. But he is obviously surprised as well.

Meanwhile, Narberal is still the same. Her expression didn't even change a bit after what she just heard. She just doesn't care, that's all.

The room which was once filled with jolly atmosphere suddenly turned cold and icy all of a sudden, slowly becoming dark as a cloud has begun to cover the ray of light slipping through their window.

to be continued...

Hiya! Momon Kun here!

I'm so sorry for my long absence! My phone broke about a month and a half ago, several days after my last update, so my work was delayed. I just got it replaced, and college has also began, so I can't write as much as I used to do anymore.

But don't worry, I'll do my best to hasten the next updates. I'll prioritize speed than quantity, so expect the chapters to be releases earlier. Please keep on reading my story and don't forget to tell about it your fellow Overlord fans who might be interested.

Thank you all so much. .

P.S. I used too much minor, unnecessary details, don't I? I better change my ways. I got used to Overlord LN's writing method, you see. I have been reading it too much. Maruyama-sensei uses too much minor details as well, and I kinda picked up the habit. Sorry for that.