Overlordly broken

by oblivon2991

"Everything has a beginning has an end" as the saying goes. In the last day of the popular VRMMO named YGGRADASIL in the notorious guild named Ainz Ooal Gown not only Momonga remained to upkeep and manage the guild. There was an another member who helped him and stayed with him until the very end. Let's find out what happens next. (Completed. Complete rewrite coming when ready)

8. Friends like these

Thank you for reading my fanfic and giving me a chance.

My mother language is not English so please be patient about the grammatical issues.

I don't own the Overlord(オーバーロードŌbārōdo?) novel or anime series created by Kugane Maruyama.

I would like to thank the wonderful job what the Skythewood translator team done with the light novel translation.

Without their hard and persistent work, I surely couldn't write this story.

Please review it I know I will make mistakes what I will intend to correct and try to learn from my mistakes and improve myself.

I also looking for a good beta reader. If anyone knows a good one who willing to check my work please send his/her account name to me so i can make contact with him/her.

Thank you!

Now let's continue our little story!

---

The group was arrayed around the wagon as they moved forward. Naturally, Nfirea was driving the wagon. Lukrut the ranger walked ahead of him, Peter the warrior was on the left of the wagon, while Dyne the druid and Ninya the magic caster were on the right. Finally, Raidyn brought up the rear.

Visibility was good, so everyone was not too tense. However, Peter's voice contained its first hint of severity as he spoke:

"Raidyn-san, this stretch is a dangerous area. Although we should be able to handle any monsters that appear, please be careful all the same."

"Don't worry Peter-san I am always prepared and always on the alert!"

Said Esdeath while she pointed one of her index fingers upward.

„Still Raidyn-san please be careful!

„I do my best."

said Esdeath while smiled to Peter

„If I was in a game, I could tell what sort of monsters would spawn in a given location, but in reality, that would be impossible. Only the ones whose familiar with this world knew if a troublesome enemy would show up. I can't let my guard down. No matter the circumstances!

After the Battle of Carne Village several days ago and after interrogating the prisoners of the Sunlight Scripture, I am quite confident in my strength. Of course, that was in my capacity in my divine class gear. Now that I am wearing artifact level gear. I am not so sure.

Ahh, go away bad thoughts everything will be fine! I am Esdeath Gorgon the most broken player in YGGRADASIL! The bane of the players and devourer of the gods!"

she shakes herself from these thoughts

If the situation warranted it, she would change into her divine class gear with her reequip magic and use more serious magic and attacks. But if she does that, she most likely has to kill her companions or ask Momonga to alter their memories, and Esdeath did not want that at all.

„It's a pain in the ass. But Don't worry you will manage it! Like always inner self!"

She already decided it. She only uses up to maximum to her 5th tier of magic and abilities what she had. And if that did not work either, well then she just had to go a little serious hoping the others will not recognize the sudden powerup.

"It'll be fine, don't worry Raidyn-san. Things won't be too troublesome as long as we don't get ambushed. And nothing will escape my eyes and ears when I'm in charge. I'm great, aren't I, Raidyn-san?"

„We will see Lukrut-san! We will see! Until that please don't let your guard down! I will do the same with my increased hearing so you will be not alone! Don't worry."

„It is true. I realized if I am in elf form my already great hearing sensitivity and eyesight increase drastically. What a positive outcome!"

"Ah, Raidyn-san graced me with her laudatory words!"

Everyone smiled bitterly as Lukrut raised his thumb, but they did not seem to mind their little banter. They did not think that Raidyn happy and flirty behavior means any serious between them. They thought she just wants to release the tension what the fatigue of the journey causing.

Nfirea seemed to have misunderstood something, and he interrupted from the side:

"It'll be fine. In truth, the region from here to Carne Village is the territory of the "Wise King of the Forest". Therefore, we shouldn't meet any monsters unless our luck is very bad."

"The 'Wise King of the Forest'?"

Esdeath recalled what they had learned in Carne Village.

The Wise King of the Forest was a monster that could use magic, and it was frighteningly powerful. Because its lair was in the depths of the forest, there were virtually no eye-witness reports about it, although its existence had been a topic of discussion since very long ago. Some people called it a four-legged silver beast with a snake for a tail, which had lived for hundreds of years.

I wonder if the stories of the creature are true. She did not know if the stories were true or false, but if it really had lived all these years, it should possess a surprising intellect. After all, it was called the Wise King of the Forest. If they could capture it… they should be able to strengthen Nazarick.

Esdeath pieced together a hazy image of what she thought the monster looked like in her mind.

"With a name like "Wise King of the Forest", it might be an animal previously thought extinct… like a monkey perhaps… ah, an orangutan or the Yeti itself? And it has a snake for a tail… does a monster like that exist?"

Esdeath thought that Yggdrasil might have a monster like that. After racking her brains, she found an answer:

„A Nue! ...That creature has a monkey's head, a raccoon's body, the limbs of a tiger and a snake's tail… although I'm not sure if it really is a YGGDRASIL monster. It might have been summoned, just like those angels. Although I hope it will be something interesting from this world. It would be pretty boring if it was some kind of monster from YGGRADASIL."

Just as Esdeath thought of Yggdrasil's Nue, Lukrut called out to her again in a flighty tone:

"Well then, if we complete this mission perfectly, I wonder if my lovely Raidyn-chan's affection towards me will go up a little more?"

Esdeath smiled at him and said.

„We will see Lukrut-san. We will see. Until then keep your eyes on the road. Or you may run into you own leg."

Hearing this Lukrut suddenly tripped into a rock and lost his balance then he simply falls forward.

Lukrut put on an exaggerated look of shock, but nobody spoke up for him. Everyone seemed to treat them as a comedy duo.

In this way, everyone chatted as they progressed forward, under the blazing sun that tanned the skin. Their boots were covered in the juices of trampled grass and smelled of plants.

As she watched everyone wiping their sweat, Esdeath was extremely grateful for her exceptional resistances. The strong sunlight did not fatigue her, and even wearing her metallic suit with a hodded long coat did not tire her out.

Only Lukrut remained energetic and cheerful, talking and laughing with the others, who were marching in silence:

"It's okay guys, you don't have to be so alert. After all, nothing escapes my eyes and ears. Even Raidyn-chan trusts me, look how relaxed she is."

Esdeath said nothing only scanned her surrounding with her spectral vision searching possibly dangers.

„Hmm. What did you say Lukrut-san? I did not pay attention."

Seeing her interaction, Lukrut tossed a broken expression.

„She is playing with me?" Though Lukrut

„Anyway, Raidyn-san do you have anyone who waits you at home? Do you have a family?"

„No. But you asked this question already back in the Adventurer Guild Lukrut-san. I don't have anyone at home who waiting for me just a traveling companion who was too busy to come with me!"

„Oh. I am sorry. I didn't mean it." Lukrut only scratched his head while sweated then bowed as an act of apology.

„No problem. But next time please think before you open your mouth."

"Lukrut, don't talk nonsense and stay on alert."

"Got it."

"Raidyn-san, I'm very sorry for my colleague's rudeness. We know that prying into other people's' private lives is taboo."

„Don't mention it! No harm is done Peter-san! But please be careful next time."

„Thank you! However, sometimes it is not as easy as it seems."

Esdeath only nodded

The two of them looked at Lukrut's back in unison, and they heard something along the lines of "Ah — Raidyn-chan hates me now. Uuu, her affection value must be a negative number," as Lukrut rounded his shoulders in defeat.

"That idiot…! I'll scold him after this. I pray you will pay no heed to what he just said."

„Well, about that… Hm. I'll leave that task to you, then. Since Lukrut's on lookout duty, we can leave that to him, and I'll talk a bit about myself."

"It's fine, it's fine. We'll make him work hard for the trouble he's caused you."

After Peter smiled to her, Esdeath advanced to Dyne and Ninya. Dyne — switching places with Esdeath — fell back to walk alongside Peter.

"I have some things to ask you about magic."

„But Raidyn-san you said you are higher ranked magic caster than me what should I tell you what you don't already know. I should be the one who asks you about magic related things."

„It is true however I am from a very faraway country so there are a few things that might be not the same as in the country where I came from. So I would really appreciate if you could answer me a few question in exchange I will answer your every magic related question at my best. Of course, if this little trade is acceptable to you."

Ninya eyes widened. "Finally I can expand my magic related knowledge!"

„Deal Raidyn-san ask away! I will answer your questions the best of my ability!"

„Hmm. Let's see. People who have been charmed or dominated by magic might reveal the information they carry. Is there a magical countermeasure that causes people to die after being questioned several times?"

"I've never heard of a spell like that."

Esdeath turned her head and faced Nfirea.

"Me neither. There are ways to modify a spell so it activates at a certain time, but I don't think they're as elaborate as what you describe."

„..I see. Thank you! My second question. Do you know what the highest tier of magic what humans could attain in this or the surrounding countries?"

„Hmm. My master was the highest ranked magic caster in the Baharuth Empire. He could cast tier 6th spells. I never heard anyone else who could cast higher tiered or stronger spells. Of course beside the Demon Gods in the legends."

„Me neither. As Ninya –san described before no human reached higher rank before than the 6th tier."

„I see thank you!"

„Why do you asked Raidyn-san? Is there someone in your country who reached a higher level?

„No-no. I was just curious.

Esdeath was slightly disappointed when she did not get the answers he was looking for.

If that was the case, they would have to worry about how to deal with the surviving members of the Sunlight Scripture later.

Since there were so few survivors left, it would be a waste to expend them to no effect. In order to discover why they vanished after death, they had vivisected them with magical medical techniques, but it had ended up as a bust. If they died from that, should they continue prying information from them? After all, losing one man meant losing the chance to ask three questions.

Even more regrettable was the case of Nigun, who had been the first to die. They had lost Nigun, who knew the most, for the sake of a few simple questions.

Still, that loss lets them know that they could not take on this world with their knowledge of YGGDRASIL alone, so that could be counted as a lesson learned. At the very least, they had learned how to proceed from that failure.

According to the information obtained earlier, the Agrand Republic was a nation of demihumans, ruled by a council. It was in opposition to the Slaine Theocracy, which championed the concept of human supremacy. The most interesting thing about them were five of their councilors, who were dragons said to possess awesome power.

Ainz and Esdeath were interested in that country, but they had not found their feet in this world yet and did not have the excess energy to spread their reach to that nation at the moment. Just keeping their current schemes running required a considerable amount of Nazarick's manpower.

As Esdeath thought distractedly about that, Ninya continued speaking:

"That said, I only know a little bit about magic. Perhaps countries which trained magic casters on a national level could create spells like that. The Slaine Theocracy has academies for clerics — divine magic casters — while the Empire has institutes which produce their arcanist, sorcerers, wizards and other arcane magic casters. Then there are places like the Agrand Republic, which uses something like the spells born of the wisdom of the dragons."

"I see. In other words, spells like that could be created with the assistance of an entire country.

Hmm. Interesting. Now it is your turn ask away don't spare me!"

„What kind of magic do you use Raidyn-san?" Asked Ninya

„Mostly combat magic combined with swordsmanship, summoning and item enchanting. But I knew a few healing spells also. But I am not as proficient in the arts of healing as in the others. It is exhaust me more than other spells."

Ninya and Nfirea nodded in unison. "So young and proficient this many types of magic? She does not seem to be older than 17." thought Nfirea

„Can I ask too?" Nfirea interjected

„Ask away."

„If you are a mage why do you wear armor and using a sword?"

„Well in my opinion and please don't take this as an offense. It is pretty stupid and reckless thing from the part of the magic casters to not wear any armor besides that piece of cloth what they call robe and doesn't become proficient at least one close quarter weapon or close quarter hand to hand style.

If the enemy somehow get close or they exhaust the magic caster mana pool or moreover there are no warrior who distracts the opponent. If this case occur. What they can do? They could either flee or stand in one place waiting for their own death or capture. They are completely vulnerable. Countering these weaknesses I developed my own style."

„Oh. I see. Can you teach me to it Raidyn-san?"

„ One day maybe. But it requires immense willpower and dedication. The last three people who tried to learn it died because of the mental an physical exhaustion in the first stage of the training."

Ninya and Nfirea looked at each other with a scared face then gulped.

„I see thank you for the accurate answer!"

„No problem!"

"Then, may I ask about something else?"

Esdeath, Ninya, and Nfirea continue questioning each other as they walked until they were satisfied.

She asked Ninya and Peter so many things that the other Swords of Darkness looked at her with eyes that said, "Are they still talking?" The topics he touched on were quite diverse, including magic, martial arts, adventurers, the politics of the region, among other things.

Although she had to ask her questions carefully, the answers were still very helpful. Esdeath was certain that this had greatly increased her knowledge about this world what she can transmit to Momonga in the form of a report.

Yet, she did not feel that was enough. Learning about one thing made her curious about other things, especially when it came to the topic of magic. It was quite surprising what the world would become if it was based on magic.

The greatest influence of that could be seen in the technological level of this world. It looked like it was in the Middle Ages, but in truth, it was closer to the Modern Age. The reason for these advances in technology was magic.

Esdeath lost track of time in the process of carefully satisfying his curiosity.

"Movement." Lukrut suddenly said, in a voice which held a hint of tension. It was completely different from the flighty attitude he had taken while flirting with Raidyn. In his place was a professional, seasoned adventurer.

Everyone turned to the direction where Lukrut was looking and readied their weapons.

"Where?"

"There. Over there," Lukrut said in response to Peter's question. He pointed at a corner of the forest, but nobody could see anything through the clutter of the forest. Even so, none of them doubted him.

"What should we do?"

"We shouldn't force our way in. If they don't leave the forest, we'll leave them alone."

"Then, the smartest thing to do is follow the plan and have Nfirea-shi fall back!"

As they discussed their next move, there were movements in the forest, and then monsters slowly revealed themselves.

There were 15 creatures that were the size of children, surrounding six huge creatures.

The first group was the demihumans called Goblins.

Their twisted faces had flattened noses, while two fangs thrust forth from their ravening maws. Their skin was a bright brown, while their filthy, matted black hair looked like it had been styled by wax.

They wore tattered clothes, which were a burnt sienna, though it was unknown whether it was dyed that color or stained that way by dirt. On top of that, they had fashioned tanned animal hides into a crude form of armor. Each held a wooden club in one hand and a small shield in the other.

They were evil-looking monsters, born of the mating of human and apes.

The less numerous creatures were huge, roughly 250 to 300 cm in height.

Their lower jaws jutted out, and they looked retarded.

Their heavily muscled arms looked like tree trunks. Their hands nearly dragged on the ground due to their hunchbacked stance. They used logs as clubs and wore animal skins around their waists. They reeked so much that the adventurers could smell them over the long distance separating them.

Their tanned brown skin was covered in warts, while their muscular chests and bellies looked quite striking. At a glance, they looked to be very strong, and they resembled shaven, distorted chimpanzees.

They were demihumans known as Ogres.

Almost all of them seemed to carry tattered bags, as though for a long journey.

The monsters watched the adventurers warily as they advanced onto the grassy plains. They might have been some distance away, but there was an unmistakable hostility on their ugly faces.

"...There's quite a number of them. Looks like we can't avoid a fight."

"Mm, that's right. Goblins and Ogres are the kinds who'll attack once they outnumber their opponents. Or rather, I should say that intelligent beings would probably not judge their opponents' strength simply by their numbers."

Esdeath could understand and accept this, but the fact that it was completely different from how it was in the game left her somewhat confused.

Be it in height or skin color, the Ogres and Goblins before her all differed from each other. In other words, they were not identical individuals. It felt like she was faced with 21 unknown monsters.

„Challange? Maybe." She smirked under her hood

"Then, Raidyn-san."

"...Oh, is something the matter?"

"Earlier, we agreed to divide them in half, but how shall we assign them now?"

„Let them to me please I want to test their strength. Please stay back and protect Nfirea-san and the cart from the goblins what pass through me. Form a defensive line.

„Is that really alright to you Raidyn-san. They vastly outnumber you and with them there are six ogres!"

„The bigger they are the harder they fall. Don't worry about me please this is not my first dance."

„But…"

„Huh. Fine if I feel they overwhelm me I will retreat if that satisfies you Peter-san."

Peter nodded „That will suffice Raidyn-san."

„Then let's dance!" Esdeath grabbed her ultra greatsword handle and pulled out from its huge sheath. As she pulled out her ultra greatsword the sword expanded as the sheath released its blade. The blade was a dual edged and it was polished metallic gray.( Imagine like the bigger version of Rebellion from Devil May Cry 3 or 4)

Peter and the other eyes widened because the ultra greatsword what Esdeath carried was more robust than it was before in its sheath and it was longer than its wielder herself.

„How is this possible to such huge sword fit into that sheath? It was smaller when it was sheatedh," asked Lukrut

„The sheath most likely enchanted to compress its content," answered Ninya

„I see!"

"Raidyn-san…"

"If a few Ogres could give me a hard time, then I'd be all talk. Everyone, please watch how I put up a great show! Don't worry it will be a piece of cake!"

As they heard Esdeath's confident voice, understanding dawned on the faces of the Swords of Darkness. Their hearts filled with the peace of mind which came from knowing that they could leave that task to her without having to worry.

"Understood. However, we can't just watch the enemy attack, so we'll support you from the side as much as possible."

"Do you need any support magic?"

„Please don't worry about me. Focus on the support of your own teammates. "

"Please permit us to refuse. If we begin the engagement so close to the forest, there's a chance the enemy might slip past."

„Then the lure tactics? That most likely lure them away from the forest so we can engage them safely."

"An excellent idea! Raidyn-san will block the enemy's charge, but how will we deal with any fish which slip the net?"

„I'll hold down the Ogres with the martial art [Fortress]. Dyne, you'll handle the Goblins. Ninya will cast a defensive spell on me, and while it may not be necessary use attack spells whenever possible. Lukrut, go take care of the Goblins, and if any Ogres make it past the defensive line, you'll have to block them too. If that happens, change your priority to wiping out the Goblins, Ninya."

Everyone looked at each other and nodded, showing that they understood Peter's instructions. Their combat strategy was smoothly decided, and their silent teamwork was flawless.

"Raidyn-san, do you really don't need any assistance?"

"No, there's no need it. I will be surely enough." Esdeath said this while her huge ultra greatsword rested on her shoulder.

The sword dwarfed the petite girl in such volume it seemed it can crush her in any moment. But she stood still like a statue not moving not sweating under the massive weight under her huge sword.

"That's… pretty confident."

There was some unease in Peter's words. If the person responsible for holding the line fell easily, it might lead to a domino-like reaction that would end in the team breaking apart. He should have felt uneasy about that.

After all, this was not a game, but a battle on which they were betting their lives.

„Confidence is good in battle Peter-san. Ignorance and vanity the things what lead always to failure. But you'll see once it begins," Esdeath said, terminating the conversation with a curt reply.

"Peter-san, we'll start once your preparations are finished."

---

After the preparations finished

Lukrut drew the string of his composite longbow to its limits until its limbs began creaking. With a whoosh, the bowstring sliced through the air, launching an arrow in a straight line. It struck the ground about ten meters away from the Goblins on the plain.

The sudden attack made the Goblins sneer at Lukrut from behind their shields.

The object of their mockery was the missed arrow. Of course, the Goblins could not hit a target that was over 120 meters distant either, but they seemed to have forgotten that.

The vast disparity between the attack they had received and their numbers made the Goblins' violent instincts swell. They shouted in unison and charged at Lukrut with wild abandon. The somewhat slower Ogres followed from behind them as well.

Driven into a frenzy by their bloodlust, they did not form up into ranks, nor did they protect themselves with their shields. Their minds were a sea of white.

As he verified that fact, Lukrut smiled thinly.

"Loose!"

The distance between them shrank, but there was no worry in Lukrut's hand, which was holding his bow. This was because he was confident that someone would protect him, even if the enemy reached him.

"[Reinforce Armor]."

Ninya cast a spell from behind Lukrut, hearing his colleague's voice, Lukrut nocked another arrow to his bowstring.

Fifty meters out, an arrow went through the head of another Goblin, who collapsed and did not get back up. Dyne decided to make his move as well.

"[Twine Plant]."

Dyne cast his spell, and vegetation moved under the feet of one of the Ogres, turning into vines that tangled around its feet. Immobilized by the abnormally resilient plant life, the Ogre roared in frustration.

At the same time, Esdeath strolled leisurely forward with her ultra greatsword lazily rested on her shoulder. While she smirked madly. But no one could see her smirk because they were behind her.

She walked like she was taking a stroll, not standing fast against charging monsters.

Raidyn brandished her ultra greatsword in her hand, tracing two great arcs in the air and causing the air to shudder around her sword.

The dazzling light reflecting off the blade made the Swords of Darkness gasp in surprise.

The swords that Esdeath wielded was more than 200 cm long exceptional wide and looked exceptionally ornate. It resembled works of art more than tools of war.

It was a weapon of a hero. Esdeath named this weapon skin to [Rebellion]. It was it's first from. But Esdeath used a special crystal in its skin. So If she channeled mana to the blade. It transformed and strengthened itself and its appearance and its name changed too. The transformed blade name was [Liberation]. But now she only used its first form.

As they beheld her majestic somehow comical figure, Swords of Darkness drew a breath in unison. If what they had seen before made them gasp, what they saw now was a scene that struck them dumb.

Swords got heavier the longer they were. Ultra Greatswords like the one Esdeath was holding with just one of her hand could not be possibly wielded , even with weight-reducing magic. Granted, they already knew that Esdeath possessed preternatural arm strength from their short time with her, but even so, they could not believe anyone could swing that Ultra Greatsword with such ease. It seemed impossible if we see her petite and thin form.

However...

Esdeath casually whipped it through the air like a stick. Truly, it was an awe-inspiring sight.

"Raidyn-san… what are you…" Peter breathed, as though speaking for everyone else.

As a warrior himself, he immediately knew just how strong one's arms would have to be to pull off a stunt like that. His shock was because he had no idea how long Raidyn had trained to reach that level of ability. Although he had always felt that Raidyn was on a different level from himself, being confronted with the truth made his legs tremble uncontrollably.

Even the unintelligent Goblins were terrified by the sight of Esdeath, their legs slowing from their mad dash as they went around her to go for Peter and the others. Not because of her petite form. But because of the sight how casually she wore her Ultra Greatsword and the sadistic smile on her face.

They could clearly read from her face the next sentence.

„You will all die today!"

Only the Ogres, who were too stupid to be afraid and who were supremely confident in their brawn, continued heading toward Esdeath.

As they closed in on her, the Ogres raised their clubs.

Esdeath Ultra Greatsword might have been being huge, but the Ogres, with their massive great clubs, had a little longer reach than her. But just as the Ogres were about to make their move, Esdeath stepped forward.

Her movements were as swift as the wind it almost seemed she teleported. And then, faster than that, she swung the Ultra Greatsword in her left hand. The flashing blade left a silvery afterimage in its wake as it cleaved through the air.

The stroke was an astounding one — it raised goosebumps on the onlookers' skin. Even though the blade was not aimed at them, they could not help but feel that death stood by their side.

The Ogre had been cut vertically in half and Esdeath sword left a big crater in its wake.

It was slain in a single blow. Not even an Ogre's mighty physique could save it from the fate of being cut in two.

"...Amazing. With just one hand?"

Someone muttered those words, which carried clearly across the silent battlefield.

"...Absolutely incredible. This is beyond mithril or orichalcum… no, could she be adamantine?"

Cleaving a foe into two parts.

This was not an impossible feat of arms. A rare few exponents of swordsmanship — or those bearing powerful magic weapons — might be able to do it. However, it was common sense that one could not use one's full strength when wielding a two-handed greatsword with one hand. After all, two-handed weapons were, as the name implied, intended to be wielded with both hands, using the weight of the weapon and the leverage of its length to do damage. They were not intended to be wielded by arm-strength alone.

Therefore, from Esdeath's supernatural movements, the possibility existed that her sword might be enchanted with magic beyond the ken of normal magic items, or that Esdeath left hand was stronger than a regular warrior with both arms, or both.

In the face of this jaw-dropping sight, the ogres unconsciously stopped moving and began backing off with looks of fear on their faces. Esdeath strode forth, shrinking the distance between herself and the ogres.

"What's wrong? Not coming? Oh. The big bad ogres are scared because of a little girl? Then if you not I will be the one who advances forward. Here I come!"

Her casual, relaxed and mocking words resounded through the battlefield.

On her part, Esdeath closed the gap to the ogres with a quick dash. Her movements were swift, with a speed that someone wearing a suit of full metallic armor should not have possessed.

With a cry that sounded like a cross between a wail of despair and a shout, the ogre before her raised his great club to smite the oncoming Esdeath. However, everyone here knew in their guts that the ogre was far, far too slow

As Esdeath closed in, she swung her Ultra Greatsword in her left hand horizontally.

The ogre's upper body spun through the air, landing some distance away from the rest of its body.

This time, it had been transversely bisected.

"Raidyn-shi… are you a monster…?"

As yet another breathtaking scene unfolded before their eyes, none of them could bring themselves to refute Dyne's words.

"Who's next?" she started walking in their direction with a calm demeanor still smirking madly.

Esdeath stepped forward. The ugly faces of the ogres froze, and they retreated even faster.

The Goblins circled around the ogres and Esdeath's defensive line to attack Peter and the others. Swords of Darkness, stunned by the sights they had just seen, managed to react to the assault and began moving.

Half of the Goblins surrounding Peter rushed the other three adventurers, but none of the Goblins dared attack Esdeath.

Lukrut put down his composite longbow and drew a short sword from his waist. Together with Dyne, who wielded a mace, the two of them ran to Ninya and placed their backs against his.

Lukrut and Dyne were matched against five Goblins, and the odds seemed roughly even. Although the Goblins were being eliminated one by one, it was still very time-consuming, under the present circumstances. Lukrut's face was a mask of pain as he endured the pain from his arm — it had been struck by a Goblin's club — as he thrust his shortsword into the gaps of his opponent's leather armor. Dyne had taken several hits as well, and as a result, his movements slowed down, but he was not in any mortal danger.

The reason why they had not been overwhelmed by eleven Goblins was because the Goblins' charge had been blunted. After seeing Esdeath's preternatural ability to kill ogres in one blow, the Goblins' morale plummeted, and they could not make up their mind whether to flee or fight.

Suddenly some kind of swords made from blue energy started to pierce the goblins one by one. When the energy swords pierced the goblins they disappeared like they were never here. But the wounds what they caused to the goblins remained.

Peter and the others gasped as they saw this.

„These magic sword came from the direction of Raidyn-san. That means…"

They turned to Raidyn direction seeing multiple blue energy swords floated around her.

Suddenly an ogre who regained its composure. Slowly raised it's huge wooden club behind Esdeath and started its attack. The ogre tried to flatten Esdeath into a bloody gore with its weapon. While she was occupied helping her traveling companions.

Peter realizing what will happen next and tried to warn Esdeath with a yell „ Raidyn-san look…"

But before he could finish his warning Esdeath disappeared from the place where the club of the ogre landed. Right after she reappeared behind the ogre. She placed her free metal gloved hand into the back on the ogre then she cast her spell."[Greter Explosion]."

In that instant, the ogre exploded into a bloody mess leaving only a big crater,Esdeath and the gores of the ogre after it.

"I need a thorough bath after this." She snarled

Esdeath made a lazy pointing wave with her right hand to the fleeing ogre. In that instant, all of the remained floating sword around Esdeath started to race towards the ogre. It took less than a second to the floating magic swords to catch up with the fleeing creatures. Esdeath's face turned to face the last ogre who was still opposing her. The ogre seemed to sense Esdeath's expression from afar, because it made a strange cry before turning to flee, discarding its great club as it ran for the forest. It was moving faster than when it charged, but there was no escape for it.

They pierced the ogre one after other. You could say after the hail of the energy swords created by magic. The creature resembled more to a bloody cheese with holes than an actual ogre.

The Goblins, who had survived and watched from the border of the forest began fleeing as they screamed in terror.

The adventurers killed the Goblins two and three at a time. In addition, Ninya — no longer bound to conserve mana — began throwing attack spells into the fray. In the blink of an eye, the Goblins had been crushed, with no survivors.

---

After the Battle:

Amidst the vile corpse-stench that hung in the air, Dyne healed Lukrut's and Peter's wounds with the spell [Light Healing]. With nothing else to do, Ninya began cutting off the Goblins' ears with a dagger.

They would be paid for turning in the ears to the guild. Of course, adventurers did not claim their bounty with monsters' ears alone. Rather, they submitted different body parts as appropriate for different types of monsters, However, Goblins and Ogres were demihumans, so for the most part, ears were used in their case.

Ninya cut the ears off with practiced ease, and then he noticed that Esdeath were looking around the place where most of the Ogres had died. They seemed to be searching for something.

"What's wrong?"

After hearing Ninya's question, Esdeath lifted his head and replied:

"Ah, I was just thinking… do these monsters drop items, in particular, crystals or the like?"

"...Crystals? I've never heard of ogres carrying anything like crystals."

"I see. I was just wondering if they carried treasure."

"Indeed. I'd be jumping for joy if Ogres had treasure too," Ninya replied as he removed the ogres' ears with practiced movements.

"Still… you're amazing, Raidyn-san. I knew you were a warrior and a magic caster who was proud of her abilities, but I didn't think you'd be that amazing."

"That was great! I'm in awe of you, as a fellow warrior. How did you train up your arms like that?"

Esdeath chuckled „I can tell you after we set our camp in the night if you want to know."

"I thought you were quite wealthy from the way you carry yourself, but what kind of sword what you carry? I've never seen such huge and valuable-looking sword before."

„My old friend designed for me. I named it to [Rebellion]."

„[Rebellion]? That's a little odd name for a sword."

„I know but it suits her. She is as odd as me this makes us a great pair," she said this while raised her sword to the sky

„Can I try to hold it?" asked Peter

„Of course Peter-san. Take care of her." with this Esdeath handed [Rebellion] to Peter

Before she released she asked Peter „Are you ready? She is a little heavy those who never held her."

„I am ready," Peter answered

Esdeath released the sword handle. In that instant, Peter started to feel how heavy really was Esdeath sword.

It immediately pulled him to the ground. He can't hold it anymore so he just simply dropped. The sword collided with the ground with a big crash.

After this Peter just stared dumbfounded. He tried to raise the sword from the ground but he just can't move it. He even asked Woodwonder and Lukrut to help him out to at least set up the sword to a vertical position. But in halfway their stamina just run out and they had to release the sword.

After this Esdeath casually picked up the sword with one of her hand than sheathed back to its sheath.

„How could you carry that sword what three of us can barely move so casually?"

„As I stated before Peter-san. I will tell you after we set up a camp." with closed eyes and a smile on her face

"I know now that what you said at the guild was not a bluff. Truly, you're on par with the Kingdom's mightiest warrior moreover I think you already surpassed him with a great amount."

"Oh, there's no need to say that, it was nothing much. I just ate my vegetables," she said this while she hissed away the praise

"Nothing much…"

Peter and friends smiled bitterly.

"...After that battle, I finally understand what they mean by 'always someone better'."

"I'm sure you'll all be able to surpass me with ease. The only thing that matters is to never give up!" she urged Peter

Esdeath's reply made the smiles of the Swords of Darkness' faces even more bitter.

Peter and the others had worked hard to make themselves stronger, and they had carefully saved all their earnings, using them to strengthen themselves. They could get along because they all shared the same goal. However, even when they looked back on all the effort they had put in since becoming adventurers, none of them could imagine themselves on Esdeath's level. To the Swords of Darkness, Esdeath stood upon a pinnacle that almost nobody could reach.

This person traveling with them would someday become a hero, whose name would be known to all. She would become a great person that would stand atop all other adventurers.

Everyone was certain of that.

---

Scene Change: The camp

Although it was some time from dusk, the adventurers were already setting up camp.

Esdeath took the wooden poles handed to her by others and erected them around the campsite. Because they had to shelter a horse and wagon, the campsite in question was around 20 meters on each side and covered a fairly large area.

The poles went into four points around the campsite, and then thin, blackened ropes were tied around the poles, forming a perimeter. Finally, they tied a knot in one of the ropes and pulled it over to their tents, where they attached a big bell to it. This was their alarm system.

The truth was that Esdeath was having a lot of fun with these outdoor activities. After all, this was something she could not experience in the virtual world of YGGDRASIL, let alone real life in her old body, and thus it was filled with novelty. Although the whole thing had taken too much time, it also reminded Esdeath of the adventures she and her companions had exploring unknown places in YGGDRASIL.

„If I and Momonga-san were the only ones who came to this new world, without the whole of Nazarick with us, we probably have gone traveling without a second thought."

Ainz undead body and Esdeath aether body did not need to eat, drink, or breathe. That being the case, they could climb high mountains with their own two legs, or walk into the ocean depths. They would have enjoyed themselves by witnessing the unknown vistas of the world.

However, now that her comrades' treasures — their loyal subordinates — were here, Esdeath felt that she should repay their loyalty by helping to protect their legacy.

"Thanks for your hard work."

"No problem." Esdeath showed a thumb up to Peter

The magic caster — Ninya — was pacing about the surroundings, incanting a spell as he went. This was an [Alarm] spell, and as the name suggested, it was a spell of warning that would trigger if anything trespassed on their camp. Though it had a small area of effect, it was still useful just in case.

This spell, which did not exist in YGGDRASIL, made Esdeath narrow her eyes.

Although she had handed the task of learning about unknown magic to other people, as a partly magic caster, she still felt the desire to know about spells she had never seen before.

The magic Ninya used was a spell of the arcane type, like the kind that Ainz could cast. In addition, it looked very similar to a YGGDRASIL spell. Ainz had used a racial skill called Dark Wisdom to perform a rite which increased the number of spells he knew.

„Could I use my [Transcended Knowledge] spell to learn that spell? I have a great amount of reward crystal in my vault. So maybe I could learn it."

As Ninya realized Esdeath was staring at himself, he smiled and drew closer to Esdeath.

"Ah, there's no need to watch me so intently. It must be pretty boring, right?"

„No-no it is not that. Just I never saw such spell."

„You never saw such spell Raidyn-san? It is the most basic spells of the 1st tier."

„Yes regretfully. Where I came from they doesn't develop such spell. That's the reason why I don't know about it.

„I see!"

„Can you teach me for it? In exchange, I will teach you one of my spells too."

„Of course Raidyn-san gladly! Is that ok if we start the learning after we arrived back from the mission? Magic doesn't seem like the sort of thing you can learn in one or two days. Well, you need to connect to the world, but only people with the appropriate talent can do it. If not, you'll need to take a long time to experience it."

„Of course! Thank you Ninya-san!"

„I thank you too Raidyn-san."

"Mm. Raidyn-san, I think you have that talent. You're different from other people… kind of like you're not an elf at all…"

„I feel that I am strong, but not inhumanly so. You've seen my pretty face as well, so wouldn't you think that as well?" said Esdeath while she pointed to her face with the two of her index fingers

Ninya started to blush and stared the ground because of this action. „Yeah. Sure you are Raidyn-san."

„Ninya-san do you try to steal Raidyn-chan heart from me!" Interjected Lukrut with a jealously comical face

"I'm not talking about appearances… it's just that after seeing you fight, you're clearly beyond the realm of humanity. Taking out an Ogre in one blow… and you have a bea.." Ninya choked these worlds and reddened more deeply than before

„Is that so. I never thought you are this heartthrob type Ninya-san." said Esdeath while she smiled at Ninya.

Ninya started to blush „N-not that. You misunderstood me Raidyn-san! I just wanted to compliment your abilities!

"Appearances aside, Lukrut has a point. A hero is someone who surpasses the realm of human possibility. I get that feeling from you too."

"No, that's too much… I wouldn't dare claim to be any sort of hero and I don't want to be one. Heroes die early. You know Ninya-san there's a saying about heroes where I came from. Do you want to hear it?"

„Yes!" said Ninya eagerly the other members of the group turned their attention to them too.

„You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

„I see!" said Peter with a sad tone

„Can you explain the meaning behind the quote Raidyn-chan?" asked Lukrut with an eager expression

„Very well. I will explain. But the answer most likely will not be to your liking as you viewing the heroes. Do you still want to hear?"

„Yes!" said Nfirea „Please tell us!"

„ Very well! Khmm." Esdeath cleared her throat

"It is the philosophical summary that, no matter what good you intend to do, as long as you live and continue, you will bring about just as much evil as good, if not more through accident or intent. Death becomes a saving grace, providing vindication for their actions and preventing a worsening of certain outcomes through inactivity." "Thank you for the Oscar Prize!"

„I see!" said Ninya with a sad expression

„Don't be so sad Ninya-san. Become stronger not because you want to be a hero but to earn the ability to protect those whose you love. Don't forget. Strength without purpose is meaningless!" urged Esdeath the others while she placed her hand to Ninya shoulder

Ninya shaked back from her depressive mood and started to smile „Thank you Raidyn-san! I will become stronger!"

Esdeath nodded while the others just smiled.

"If it's convenient for you… would you like to meet my master? I will gladly introduce you to him! Master's talent lies in detecting an individual's magical power. If you were born with magical potential, Master should be able to sense it. When it comes to arcane magic casters, Master can even differentiate between them by the tiers of magic which they can cast. He can answer your every question what I can't!"

„Hmm. Thank you Ninya-san. I will gladly meet him. But first, we must finish our mission!"

„Yes!"

"I've been meaning to ask for a while… is that talent the same as the one possessed by the Empire's head magician?"

"Yes, it's the same talent."

Esdeath could not let information like this slip through her hands. She had to continue asking about it.

"...What is this ability like?"

"Ahh, according to Master, we magic casters radiate something like an aura from our bodies. The more adept one becomes in magic, the stronger this aura becomes. Master has the ability to see these auras."

"Oh… oh. I see!"

Esdeath immediately suppressed the quiet surprise in her tone, and in order to cover it up, promptly responded in a more normal tone.

"This was how Master gathered up talented children and trained them in magic. I was recruited by Master in that way," Ninya continued.

"Oi~ sorry to interrupt your conversation, but dinner's ready. Do you mind calling those three back here?"

„I will go! Thanks to the little chatter Ninya-san. It was really informative!"

„No problem Raidyn-san."

After thanking Ninya, Esdeath approached the two people working quietly on the ground, a short distance from the tent

Peter and Dyne were focused on caring for their weapons. They oiled them to prevent rust from building up, inspected them carefully to see if they were bent, and so on.

There were fresh dents on their armor, and cracks on their swords from where they had clashed with the Goblins' weapons. Naturally, these defects had to be remedied as soon as possible, and the two of them were so focused that Esdeath did not know whether she should call out to them.

After telling them that dinner was ready, she informed Nfirea about the matter at the place where the wagon was tied up, a short distance away.

The sun touched the horizon, and the group had their dinner against the ruby radiance of its dying light.

In their hands, they held bowls of thick stew flavored with bacon bits, as well as toasted bread, dried figs, walnuts, and other nuts. This was today's dinner.

This was unknown food and drink from an unknown world. Though the dishes before her were plain fare, Esdeath felt that it was a shame Momonga can't enjoy such things as food and sleep anymore.

Though she no longer had a need or desire to eat, she was happy with the fact that she could consume the delicious-looking food that piqued her curiosity.

She started to eat her bowl of food like the others. Compared to Nazarick dishes it was plain but it was delicious compared to it made from dried material and boiled together with a campfire.

Before eating, all of them told a little prayer.

„Raidyn-san you do not pray to any deity before you eat?"

„No, I am not the religious type person. I hope it does not bother any of you."

„No not of course! But it is strange everyone whose I know pray of some kind of deity."

„Sorry Peter-san. I don't need religion in my life. It is too complicated without it already and prayers never saved anyone from death or horrible fate. We can attain such things through via our actions. At least that what I think."

„It seems religions in this world are a complicated matter. It would be better if I lie some kind of religion myself? It is too late for that." Esdeath frowned in herself

„I see that's an unusual thinking you follow, Raidyn-shi. Still, the world is large, and thinking like that aren't particularly strange from a traveler."

"I recall your team name is Swords of Darkness, but I don't see a black blade among you…?"

On the topic of the group's weapons, Peter used a longsword with an ordinary enchantment, Lukrut favored the bow and arrow, Dyne used a mace, and Ninya used a staff. Peter's sword and Lukrut's backup shortsword were both blades, but neither of them had a color that was anywhere close to "dark".

There was a technique to tint metal a different color by depositing a special powder on its surface, so creating a black sword was not a difficult task. Rather, it seemed odd that none of them bore a blade of that color.

"Ah, so it's that kind of question."

Lukrut smiled bitterly, as though someone had brought up an embarrassing memory. Ninya's face flushed bright red, a distinctly different color from the fire's glow.

"They're the sword of Ninya's dreams."

"Come on, that's enough, I was just being childish."

"That's nothing to feel bad about! It's important to have a great dream!"

"Give me a break Dyne, I'm serious."

Good-natured laughter accompanied Ninya's teasing by the other Swords of Darkness. Ninya, on the other hand, was so embarrassed that he was looking for a hole to crawl into. It would seem the name Swords of Darkness contained a secret that only its members knew.

"Well, the name 'Swords of Darkness' refers to the swords borne by one of the Thirteen Heroes."

The smiling Peter stopped there, seemingly unwilling to go any further.

„Even if he says that, I'm not sure what's going on… still, I know that the Thirteen Heroes were the superheroes who destroyed the Demon Gods, who were rampaging across the world two hundred years ago. If I'm ignorant about these heroes and their gear… would it be embarrassing? Or should I just say that I know? It doesn't matter they know I came from far away and they most likely understand I never heard of these so called heroes."

"What are they?"

"Raidyn-chan, you didn't know?… Well, it's not as though it's unforgivable. He was one of the Thirteen Heroes, but because people thought he had demonic ancestry, he ended up being more of an anti-hero instead. Therefore, his origins were covered up in the saga of the Thirteen Heroes… though I've heard that he was a very powerful person."

"The Swords of Darkness belonged to the man known as 'Black Knight'. It was one of the four swords he possessed. There was the demonic blade Kilineyram, which could emit dark energy, the blade of rot, Crocdabal, which inflicted wounds that would not heal, the fatal blade Sfeiz, which could kill with the merest scratch, as well as the evil blade Hyumilis, whose powers are unknown."

"Oh— I see! so these swords were some kind of heavily enchanted magic items."

Everyone smiled bitterly at Esdeath's enthusiastic reply.

However, Esdeath tilted his head in pensive musing. Those abilities seemed familiar.

After careful thought, the image of a vampire appeared in her mind. Those special abilities were similar to the skills possessed by Shalltear Bloodfallen, who had levels in the Cursed Knight class.

After comparing this new information with what she already knew, it seemed logical that the Demon Gods were not all equally powerful. However, the only way to know for sure would be to meet that hero or obtain that sword.

As Esdeath pondered this, the rest of the group continued talking. Esdeath hurriedly shifted her attention to their conversation; it would be a shame to miss out on a chance to learn something because she was distracted.

"—So finding those swords was my first objective. There's a lot of legends about weapons out there, but some of them have been proven to exist. The thing is that the existence of the Swords of Darkness is still a mystery—"

"Ah, there's someone out there who possesses one of the Swords of Darkness."

After Nfirea calmly dropped that bombshell, the Swords of Darkness turned on him:

"Who, who's that?!"

"Uwah! Really? So that means there's only three left!"

"Oh, that means we won't be able to distribute them evenly to everyone now…"

Nfirea gingerly replied:

"Er, about that… the person who owns that sword is the leader of the adventuring party called 'Blue Rose'."

"Geh, adamantine, you say? An adventurer like that? Then it can't be helped."

"That's true. Still, there's three of them left; let's work hard so we can be strong enough to take them into possession."

"Indeed. Since one of them is the real deal, that means that the other three exist as well. I hope these swords are hidden in a place that nobody's discovered until us."

"Ninya, you'd best write it down in your diary so you don't forget."

"I know, I'll write it down for sure. However, the stuff in there is personal, so shouldn't you memorize it instead?"

"It's better to have a hard copy!"

"Is that the problem, Dyne…"

"Still, we have 'that'."

"What is 'that'?"

"This?"

Peter took a dagger with four jewels embedded into its scabbard. It had a black blade.

"Before we discover the real thing, I planned to use this as the party's symbol…"

"Still, 'Blade of Darkness' would work just as well as 'Swords of Darkness", right? Come to think of it, it's not as though it's a fake. It'll make the perfect symbol of our group!"

"Oooh, Lukrut's making sense for once!"

The adventurers laughed, radiating an air of camaraderie.

The dinner conversation continued, and Swords of Darkness, having the advantage of numbers, tossed questions out at Esdeath and Nfirea.

Esdeath responded as best as she could, but she still felt a barrier separating her from Swords of Darkness. This was because Esdeath lacked knowledge about this world, and she could not engage to fully let her ignorance is revealed. Thus, Esdeath kept quiet about things she did not know however, she was observant and could follow the adventurers' discussion well.

Nfirea, on the other hand, was handling this quite well.

As a native of this world, he got along better with the others than Esdeath. He was observant and could follow the adventurers' discussion as well as Esdeath.

„Once, we were like them." Esdeath smiled inside „Ah good old times!"

..Well, you seem like a chummy bunch. Are all adventurers like that?"

"I should think so. After all, adventurers are colleagues who face death together. It'd be dangerous if they didn't understand each other and what they planned to do. So somewhere along the way, adventurers end up being quite close to each other."

"Indeed. After all, we don't have any women in our team. I heard that parties with women tend to have a lot of arguments."

"...Yeah. I am sorry Raidyn-san we don't mean it!"

„No problem I understand."

With an indecipherable smile, Ninya continued:

"And if there were, Lukrut would be the first to raise questions. After all, our group has a very clear objective, right?"

Peter and the others nodded in unison.

"...Just like that. It feels completely different when everyone is of one mind."

"Raidyn-san do you mind to tell us how do you train yourself to be so strong?"

"Do you relly wish to know?"

"Yes!"

"Well, then It cannot be helped. I tell you my secret. But please don't laugh."

Peter and the others nodded and waited eagerly for Esdeath answer.

Esdeath face changed to an overly serious expression. "100 push ups 100 sit ups 100 squats and 10km running every single day with limb weights. Of course eating three times a day is important. And always start your day with a fruit! An, of course, you can only wear your training clothes and can't use any cooling or warming methods no matter the weather. It strengthens your mind."

Everyone looked then fallen suddenly fallen to their back with a big crash.

Everyone sweatdropped and paired the sweatdrop with the expression "Are you serious?". "Are you serious Raidyn-san?"

"I am totally serious! Why anyone can't believe me, anyone, whose I tell my training method?"

"I believe you Raidyn-chan!" said Lukrut with the attitude of a cheerleader

"Another question Raidyn-san!"

"Shoot!"

"Hmm? Raidyn-san, were you in an adventuring party before?"

Esdeath did not know how to answer Nfirea's question, but right now, she had no need to make up some strange excuse to cover it up.

„I was once. It doesn't end well." she sighed

She could not help but take a somber tone as she thought about her past friends. After all, she still had emotions — even though his body was aether — and her friends were the people that Ainz and she treasured most.

"Ohh—" someone exclaimed quietly, amidst the crackling of the campfire. However, Esdeath was not bothered, and she continued recounting the story of the original nine members of what would become Ainz Ooal Gown.

"They were all excellent companions. A paladin, a swordmaster, a priest, a thief, a two-sword nin… a two-sword thief, a sorcerer, a chef, a blacksmith… they were all irreplaceable friends. We had countless adventures together, and until now, I still haven't been able to forget these days."

"I'm sure you'll find companions like them again someday."

„Maybe one day. Who knows what brings the future." Esdeath said with a sad depressed tone „Hmm." Esdeath stood up and stretched her limbs. „I am going to stretch my limbs a little. I became restless quite easily. If you excuse me." with that she left the little group

Although Esdeath noticed the depressed look on Ninya's face, Esdeath did not intend to say anything more to him.

Perhaps a simple "I'm not bothered by it" would have sufficed.

[Message]"Momonga-san do you have time? I have a few things what I want to report."

[Message]" Of course Esdeath-san. Right now I have a few empty minutes. Please be honest I want to know everything!"

[Message]"Right! Where should I start…"

With that Esdeath started to send Momonga the information what she gathered the last two days while she walked.

Back in the camp.

Then, the conversation grew to a halt, and silence descended upon the group. The campfire crackled and spat glowing embers which danced into the sky. As Ninya watched the glowing traces vanish into the air, he muttered in a self-chastising tone:

"...I think I said something I shouldn't have."

"Umu. It seems like something happened in her past."

Dyne nodded deeply, and then Peter continued:

"I guess they were all wiped out. I've seen that sort of reaction from people who lost all their friends in battle."

"That... must be hard to bear. Even if we're used to walking the edge of death together, losing a friend is still…"

"That's right, Lukrut. The words spoken just now were not the best that could have been said."

Ninya looked quite depressed as he replied, and then he quietly continued, "I "Well, what's said cannot be unsaid. Therefore, we need to do something that makes her change her mind about those words."

Ninya looked quite depressed as he replied, and then he quietly continued, "I know what it's like to lose someone, so why didn't I put myself in her shoes?"

The campfire's logs cracked loudly and spat embers amidst the silence.

In an attempt to lighten the heaviness in the air, Nfirea gingerly spoke:

"...Raidyn-san's fighting was really spectacular."

As though waiting for these words, Peter immediately added:

"Yeah, I didn't think it would be so amazing. She cut an ogre clean in two…"

"That was seriously over-the-top."

"Beating an ogre in one blow is amazing in its own right, but how well do you have to be to cleave it in half? Moreover with such oversized sword as hers. That sword is longer than she is while she stands!"

Nfirea was a young man who was famous for his innate talent, as well as an excellent magic caster. He knew she was an excellent magic caster of the 4th tier or maybe higher at least. That was a very serious matter he understood that. But he can't comprehend her physical prowess without an another warrior comparison.

With that in mind, Peter began explaining to Nfirea, in a way that was as easy to understand as possible:

"Normally, greatswords are used in a hacking fashion, but she employed a slashing method. Usually, when using a greatsword one-handed, it would be very difficult to sever the limbs of enemies as large as ogres… but it would seem there's an exception to that now.

However, now that I think about it. We can't call her sword two-handed greatsword. It is too heavy and too robust to that. I think is the adequate utterance to her sword is the Ultra Greatsword. That makes her more exceptional. When we tried to lift her sword Lukrut,Dyne, and I. We could barely lift it halfway from the ground with our summed power."

Nfirea gasped as he heard Peter's words. Peter felt that Nfirea was not sufficiently awed, and decided to name someone he might be more familiar with:

"Honestly speaking, I think Raidyn-san is on the same level as the Kingdom's Warrior-Captain if we only look at her warrior skills."

Nfirea's eyes widened in astonishment. He finally understood what the Swords of Darkness thought of Esdeath abilities.

"...That is to say, she could be an adamantine-ranked adventurer… those people who are the highest-ranked adventurers, living legends, in other words, the mightiest humanoid beings?"

"Indeed," Peter replied as he nodded gently. Nfirea looked around at the other members of the Swords of Darkness, who were also nodding in approval.

He was dumbfounded.

Adamantite-ranked adventurers possessed guild plates made of adamantine, a rare magical material which was the hardest metal known to man. If adventurers and their numbers formed a pyramid, then adamantine-ranked adventurers would occupy the peak and would be correspondingly scarce. Both the Kingdom and the Empire only boasted two teams of adamantine-ranked adventurers each.

Their abilities were at the zenith of human potential. One might even call them heroes.

And Raidyn was a person who could easily rival them.

"That's incredible…"

One could hear the utter amazement in those words.

"At first… The first time I saw Raidyn-san, dressed in a suit of stylish full metallic armor and that expensive looking long coat while wearing the copper-plate belonging to the lowliest of adventurers, I felt pretty jealous and I thought daddy little girl could get what she wants if she looks to her papa with her puppy eyes. But now that I've seen that she has the skills to match her looks, there's nothing more I can say. She — Raidyn-san's abilities is worthy of her full plate. I'm kind of jealous of how strong she is and I most likely missed the opportunity to ask her about her real training..."

Peter the warrior did not wear full-plate. Instead, he sported a suit of banded armor, which was somewhat less protective. This was not by personal preference; rather, it was the best body armor he could afford with his limited resources.

"Don't worry about it; I'm sure you'll be able to buy a suit of full plate soon, Peter."

"Indeed. You should work hard towards that goal. Really, you should be glad that you're fortunate enough to be able to witness an example of what it's like to be at the top."

"Ninya's right, all you need to do is work hard to reach the target of Raidyn-san. We'll support you too, so let's move forward together."

„Did she say which country she was from?"

The Swords of Darkness looked at each other, and they suddenly realized that Nfirea seemed very interested in that topic.

"Well, she didn't elaborate much on that…"

„No, she didn't. However, We saw her without her hood and she is some kind of elf I think she is Dark Elf. But when we asked her about her place of origin she said she never was in the elf country and she came from a very far away country. She didn't say anymore from her origin, though." interjected Lukrut

"Really now… ah, no, I was just thinking that if she came from a distant country, she'd use different potions than what was available in the surrounding region. It's just my curiosity as a herbalist talking."

"Well she is beautiful and with her strength and magical abilities, I'm sure there must be the countless boy who threw themselves before her legs. Hell, I bet there were many nobles and even kings whose sought her hand to be their bride."

Powerful individuals were popular. This was because this world had monsters in it, and humanoids were on the bottom end of the power curve. As a result, the innate instincts of women and man made them desire to strengthen their bloodlines and father strong successors.

"Haah~ don't tell me my feelings will never bear fruit~"

"Nah, it's impossible. I don't think there was even a flower, to begin with, she only teased you" Ninya replied with a bitter smile as he recalled Esdeath's playful banter with Lukrut.

"Utter nonsense. In any case, the important thing is to keep pushing and pushing and pushing. Eagerness is the key. 'Sides, she's a super-hot girl, right? If she takes me a little bit more seriously, it'll mean I've won at life."

"...She does look very pretty…"

"Nfirea-shi, is something wrong?"

"Ah, no. Er, it's nothing…"

"Oya?"

Lukrut grinned lewdly. "What, you're in love with Raidyn-chan?"

"Of course not!" Nfirea retorted with unnecessary loudness.

"Lukrut, you're being rude. Think before you talk."

"No, it's not like that. Well… I'm just a little uneasy… would Raidyn-chan really be that popular?"

„I think we already answered that looking the facts. She is beautiful, talented magic caster and warrior and wealthy are given the armor and the weapons what she wears."

"Ah…"

Nfirea's face was cast in shadow. With the tone of a senior speaking to a junior, Peter carefully asked:

"Is something the matter?"

"Um — it's because I don't want to let the person I like in Carne Village fall in love with Raidyn-san."

The Swords of Darkness deftly picked up on the hidden message within those words and then smiled warmly.

"All right then, young man. Onii-san here will teach you his amazing technique—"

---

Scene Change: Outskirts of Carne Village

The group set out at daybreak, along with a hidden path on the plains.

"We'll be at Carne Village soon."

The other travelers nodded in response to Nfirea, the only person who had been to Carne Village before (barring Ainz and Esdeath). Apart from that, they walked on in silence. Nfirea seemed somewhat put off by that.

An air of awkwardness hung between them. Esdeath, who was the cause of this situation, hid her guilt underneath her hood.

Ninya kept peeking at her, and it was annoying. However, this was all her fault, so she could not say anything about it.

Ninya apologized at breakfast, and Esdeath only said the sentence. „There's nothing you should apologize. You did nothing wrong. But if its reassure you. I will forgive you."

With that Ninya relaxed demeanor came back.

In the last eleven days, Esdeath noticed. If she doesn't fight or spar with anyone even for one day she becomes restless and nervous. Sometimes she even felt sick.

„It is because of the blood of the Nephalem? Maybe. According to the lore, the Nephalem (what I wrote) was a warrior race what easily become restless and nervous if they can't fight.

In extreme situation, this could degenerate too far they going to rampage until their thirst for battle dies down or my their hollow self-overcome them. In that case, there will be a merciless Esdeath what Momonga, Nazarick forces and the New World have to fight.

"I had to keep it under control. Because if there are no stronger enemies in this world than they were in YGGRADASIL. Maybe even the full might of Nazarick can't stop me in open battle and Momonga had to use a world item on me to stop my rampage."

To shoot these thoughts Esdeath started a little song as she flipped one of her knives on the air with it she followed the song rhythm.

"Oh well
Honor for all
Of the big and the small
Well the taller they stand
Well the harder they fall
We live for today
But we die for the next
With blood in our veins
And the air in our chest
So we step into war
With our hearts on the line
The dirt on our boots
It shakes free over time

The music it fades
The violin slows
The darkness it rises
As the sun goes

Love is a distant aroma at best
A withering smile that's stuck deep in your vest
At night air it wraps its fingers around
Your body shakes from the now distant sound
Of the sound of her voice
A sweet symphony
Played over and over Until' you are free

The music it fades
The violin slows
Darkness it rises
As the sun goes

Can you feel
The new day rising
Climbing up the
East horizon
They can't hold us
Now we'll fight through
Each and everyone will start new

Well we shall not stumble
No, we shall not fall
We shall not crumble
No, we shall stand tall
With death, it will come as sure as the night
But we will not run
No, we live but to fight
With blood on our hands and dirt on our knee's
We'll tear at the ones who brought the disease

The music it fades
The violin slows
The darkness it rises
As the sun goes

Can you feel the
New day rising
Climbing up the
East horizon
They can't hold us
Now we'll fight through
Each and everyone will start new(x2)"

"Raidyn-san you have an amazin voice!" interjected Ninya.

"Well thank you Ninya-san. Sometimes when I am bored or a I am in bad mood I chase away my boredoom and my bad mood with a song. I hope evryone liked it!"

"Yeah it was pretty good Raidyn-san. Where do you learned it?"

"It is an old song where I came from."

"I see!"

The others advanced in silence while they listened to this little traveling banter and the song, and they soon made it to the outskirts of Carne Village.

"Ah, yes! It seems pretty wide here, so maybe we don't have to stay in a line as we move," Lukrut announced, seemingly with some other motive in mind.

A glance to the sides revealed stretches of emerald forest around them, so the deliberate mention of being wide and open seemed somewhat suspicious. In addition, the point of being guards was that they could not lower their guard in an open area, so moving in a column like they were doing now was the wisest choice.

It was just that they all knew their silent advance in a line was not due to their adventurer's sense of caution.

"...It's important to stay alerted. So let's… mm. Let's get to the village first."

"Indeed! We need to stay on guard at all times lest we get attacked!"

Lukrut put on an "as if" expression in response to Peter and Dyne's statements.

"Maybe a dragon might attack us from far away," Ninya mumbles. Lukrut immediately shot back:

"What kind of shitty plot development would that be? Logically speaking, how could such a thing happen, Ninya!"

„True! This would be a very disadvantageous environment for an attack if you are a dragon. They most likely attack you if you are in an open field. So you had nowhere to hide."

Ninya gulped.

"You're right, it's impossible. And the stories of dragons near E-Rantel are nothing more than that, stories. Although they say that in the ancient past, there was a dragon which could shake the heavens and the earth… nobody's seen any dragons recently. Or no, I think there's a colony of Frost Dragons living along the Azellisia mountain range, towards the north…"

„Hmm. Good to know they existed in the past and maybe nowadays they exist too. We can at least prepare them. According to the Sunlight Scripture, dragons are the mightiest beings in this world…"

In YGGDRASIL, dragons were the strongest enemies one could encounter. They boasted great physical attack and defense power, boundless stamina and wielded numerous skills and spells.

„We need to be careful if dragons exist. Dragons could live forever in Yggdrasil's backstory, so it wouldn't be a surprise to encounter dragons with mind-boggling powers."

Everyone looked at the village before their eyes. It was a rustic hamlet at the edge of the forest. There was nothing strange or unusual about it, so Nfirea's silence was a mystery.

"What's wrong, Nfirea-san? Is something the matter?"

"Ah, no, it's fine. Just… I don't recall seeing a sturdy fence like the one in front of us..."

"Really? But it looks like an ordinary fence. Actually, it's kind of shabby for a frontier village fence, right? It wouldn't be a surprise that a village at the edge of the forest would have a sturdy fence to protect against monsters, right?"

"Hm — you might be right… but Carne has the Wise King of the Forest, so they've never put up a fence before…"

"How strange… did something happen...?"

"Maybe I'm worrying too much… but I grew up in a village, and I still remember life there, so there're two things I find suspicious. The first is that the fields haven't been tilled yet even at this time, and the other is that they've already harvested some of the wheat."

The villagers seem to be moving normally around the village, and I did not sense that they were being controlled or ordered. The villagers are working in the fields on the other side of the village.

The road narrowed as they went on, so they had to form up into a column as they approached the village's entrance.

The wagon advanced with a clattering noise. Behind it, Lukrut made a noise of suspicion and studied the wheat fields closely. It was not yet time for the harvest, but the stalks were over 70 centimeters high, and they were as impenetrable as the ocean's depths.

"What's wrong?" Nfirea asked from his place at the back.

"Hm? Oh, nothing, maybe I was thinking too much…"

Lukrut tilted his head in bafflement, then quickened his pace, drawing closer to Peter.

Driven by instinct, he looked back into the wheat fields and saw a pair of eyes staring at them. It was a small creature, its body even smaller as it hunkered down in the wheat. Although its face was obscured by the wheat stalks, it was clearly not human in nature.

"What?!"

The shocked Peter wanted to shout a warning to his colleagues, but the creature — a demihuman — spoke first: "Could you put down your weapons, please?"

The diminutive demihuman already had its blade drawn, and no matter how fast Peter moved, his opponent could still stab him first.

"Yo, please put down your weapons. Could you tell the people behind you too? We don't want to have to shoot them with arrows."

Peter was filled with doubt. It would seem there was room to negotiate with these creatures.

"...Could you spare our lives?"

"Sure we could. If you surrender, that is."

Peter was at a loss for what to do next.

As though sensing Peter's confusion, the two demihumans rose from the plains with a rustle.

"—Goblins," Ninya breathed.

Peter was confident that they could make it through even a pincer attack, as long as their opponents were Goblins.

However, there was a reason why Peter could not immediately make that decision.

His adventurer's instincts told him that these Goblins were different from the ones he had fought yesterday.

Just as humans could become strong through training, monsters could as well. Demihumans like Goblins could certainly do so too.

Therefore, it was quite possible that the Goblins before the Swords of Darkness were stronger than any demihuman foe they had ever fought.

Just then, a voice cut through the wind blowing over the wheatfields, and Lukrut hurriedly looked behind.

"...Hehe, you caught me, huh?"

A Goblin popped his head out from the fields and stuck his tongue out at them. He must have been trying to sneak up on them behind, but his stealth skills were not good enough to evade the senses of Lukrut the ranger. However, their situation was hardly improved even after discovering the Goblin infiltrator.

They were in a very bad situation.

The Swords of Darkness could not think of any way to break through their current difficulties.

"They should be the Goblins summoned from the Horn of the Goblin General what Momonga-san gave that village girl."

The Goblin from before looked over to Esdeath, who stood tall and steady, and said:

"We hope you don't make any sudden moves, the lady with that big scary sword on your back. We don't want to start a fight."

„Don't worry if you know me you will realize I am not that bad. Just don't attack us and we will neither attack you."

„That's reassuring." the goblin leader sighted." These nii-sans are strong, but they aren't scary. You, however, are a different matter. When I think about of you as my enemy, my hairs stand on end and I want to run away."

Esdeath chuckled „ I am glad I did not lose my charm."

The goblin leader sweatdropped.

"Then, please wait here for a bit before Ane-san arrives."

"Who's that Ane-san you're talking about?! Did she take over Carne Village?!"

Esdeath turned a doubting eye on Nfirea. On the other side, the Goblins seemed to have sensed Nfirea's anger, and they looked at each other in confusion.

"Hm — this seems different from before…"

"Ane-san's village was recently attacked by people dressed up as Imperial knights, we're just staying on guard."

"The village was attacked…! Is she all right?!"

As though in response to Nfirea's shouts, a girl appeared at the entrance to the village, escorted by more goblins. As he saw the girl, Nfirea's eyes went wide, and he shouted her name with all his strength:

"Enri!"

The girl heard the shout and responded in turn. Her voice was gentle and filled with kindness, as though addressing a close friend.

"Nfirea!"

At this moment, Esdeath recalled what they had heard earlier.

"Ah… it would seem that her herbalist friend was not a woman, but a man."

---

Scene Change: The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick: Momonga-private suite:

As Momonga lay in his bed he analyzed everything that Esdeath reported to him on the last night.

„ It seems there is no humanoid creature what could use stronger than 6th tier spells. And Esdeath-san early recombinase did not bring us any closer our main objective. But at least we know seemingly. There is no way to stop the victims of the interrogation dying from only three questions. At least we learned this much about this world magic."

Momonga sighed.

„In addition, she learned a great amount of information from the outside world politic, religion and the outer structure of the people lives.

I did not expect this much information from simple adventurers. And she did it without she had to kill or interrogate anyone. That's something in my book. I need to pick a country too. But there's too much to do in Nazarick and I fear I can't even go outside because of my new responsibilities.

Ahh Esdeath-san I envy you so much. I missed the opportunity when you outlined the two options pros and cons!

But maybe it is not too late and I can join you. You are still a copper level adventurer. Maybe there's not too late to an another copper level adventurer to join you.

But that raises an another problem. An another similar powerful individual appears from nowhere where there already appeared one. That's a little suspicious.

I have to think about the possibilities and think about what should I do next. But first I had to finish the paperwork."

With that Momonga got up from his bed and left his room.

A few minutes later the lustful Albedo creped into Ainz room. She looked around then undressed.

She grabbed a life-sized Momonga body pillow from her inventory then she lay on her master bed with a lustful expression on her face.

„I don't have much time! I have to leave my scent into Ainz-sama bedding so he could always feel my scent whenever he retires into his room to make his plans."

„If I somehow I could convince Rubedo and the other floor guardians about that if Esdeath-sama is a traitor and she wants to overthrow Ainz-sama. I could bring them into my fold or I could convince even Ainz-sama to turn against that hybrid saying she is a traitor who wants his throne and she will overthrow him if the time comes.

We can't defeat her in a straight battle that's sure. So we surely need a plan to defeat her.

Yes, we had to strike her in her weakest moments when she is vulnerable. But before that, I had to eliminate that machine. Her creation who dared to call me „MEATBAG" ME „MEATBAG" BEFORE THE FLOOR GUARDIANS HUMILIATING ME AND IGNORING MY RANK! Oh, but I will come up with a good plan surely. Kukuku! She and her creation will die a thousand of horrible death because of their act of treachery. No one will save them from my wrath that's sure. Kukuku."

Albedo chuckled in herself sadistically while she planned Esdeath and Zero Rei painful demises.

„But now I have to concentrate on more important things. I have to leave my scent in Ainz-sama bed quickly before he returns."

Suddenly she heard a familiar voice on the other side of the door. It was Demiurge voice. The Guardian of the seventh floor.

He is speaking about something with that traitor assistant head butler Eclair Aicler Eggslayer. He openly announced himself as a traitor who wants to overthrow Ainz rule over Nazarick.

„That traitor bird!" Albedo frowned „That hybrid want to overthrow Ainz-sama rule too but at least she is subtle about it."

Demiurge knocked gently on the room's door:

"This is Demiurge. Pardon, the intrusion."

He was exceedingly polite, despite the absence of the room's owner. This was because to Demiurge, the room itself was a place to be respected.

Demiurge entered the room, which should have been empty.

He looked around and did not see Albedo anywhere. Demiurge sighed softly, then opened another set of doors and proceeded deeper within.

The rooms of the 41 Supreme Beings were modeled after royal suites and featured a vast bathroom, a bar counter, a living room with a grand piano, the main bedroom, guest rooms, a dedicated kitchen, a dressing room, and so on.

Demiurge advanced to the bedroom without a second's hesitation.

He knocked on the door and entered without waiting for an answer.

There was only a single bed within, but the king-sized bed was adorned with a stylish canopy. There was a large lump, slightly larger than the size of a human, and it was squirming.

"Albedo."

Unable to bear Demiurge calling out to her, a world-class beauty revealed her face from under the sheets. Her skin was an uninterrupted stretch of silky smoothness down to her shoulders, so she was probably naked under those sheets. Perhaps it was because she had burrowed into those sheets, but there was a faint blush of arousal on her cheeks.

"...What fell sorcery are you working there?"

"I want Ainz-sama to be enveloped in my fragrance when he returns."

It would seem her wiggling and squirming was to mark her territory.

Demiurge was dumbstruck. All he could do was silently watch the highest-ranked NPC created by the 41 Supreme Beings, the Guardian Overseer of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Then, he tiredly shook his head.

He did not say, "Ainz-sama is undead, he probably will not sleep on a bed" or "Even if he did sleep on a bed, the sheets would probably be changed right away" or something like that. If she was satisfied with that, then so be it.

"You should probably not take it too far."

"...I don't know what you mean by too far, but I understand. Right, Ainz-sama?"

The person lying in bed beside Albedo suddenly revealed his face.

Demiurge was so shocked that he had no words to say.

For a moment, he thought it was Ainz Ooal Gown himself, but it was not nearly thick or imposing enough.

"That must be… a hug pillow… who made it?"

"I did."

"Be it cleaning, washing clothes or sewing, I possess all these skills at a professional level."

Elated by Demiurge's surprise, Albedo continued showing off in a self-satisfied tone:

"I've already made socks and clothes for our future baby, up till the age of five."

It doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl… ah! What if the child is a hermaphrodite, or sexless?"

Demiurge could not say anything. All he could do was watch Albedo, who was muttering to herself.

It was true that Albedo excelled in the management of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, and in that respect, she was far superior to Demiurge. However, she was not as talented in terms of defense and military administration, so she needed Demiurge's help in that field.

"Then, in accordance with Ainz-sama's orders, I will be setting out now with Zero Rei-san. Esdeath-sama authorized me to use him as I see fit for reconnaissance and other purposes. That being the case, the only Guardians remaining in Nazarick will be yourself and Cocytus. There is nothing which needs to be said, but I do hope you will take care of yourself and protect Ainz-sama with your life while we will be away."

„Yes! That machine finally leaves!"

"So, after Aura, Mare, Sebas and Shalltear, it's your turn? Mm, leave it to me. I'll have my sisters help me in an emergency. I will also mobilize the Pleiades. They should be enough to hold on until everyone returns."

"…I believe that your little sister cannot be deployed without Ainz-sama's permission, even in an emergency. The same applies to the Pleiades. I believe one of them are already out on missions, so you will not be able to assemble all of them. Perhaps you should move Victim to a higher floor, depending on the circumstances?"

"Still, going that far… preparations have been made in the case of such a situation. If something goes awry, please return as soon as possible. Speaking of which, how will you deal with the surviving members of the Sunlight Scripture? Ainz-sama has granted you the right to dispose of them, am I wrong? You could hand that to me as well, but I have no idea what you plan to accomplish with them…"

"Ah, them, you mean? By order of Ainz-sama, they are helping us with experiments."

Demiurge seemed very happy, but Albedo wrinkled her elegantly shaped eyebrows.

"First are the healing magic tests. When we cut off an arm and heal the wound with magic, the severed hand disappears. Now, if we had them eat the severed arm and then healed the wound, would the nutrients derived from the arm vanish? If we repeated this over and over again, would the people who ate the arms starve to death?"

"Ah — indeed."

.

.

.

„I can't understand Ainz-sama thinking. Why Ainz-sama let Esdeath-sama go alone into such dangerous mission?

I know our resources are already thin but at least she could have taken a high-level servant from the eighth floor or one of the pleades. She is one of the two last Supreme Beings we can't afford to lose her too. If that happens I could not imagine what will Ainz-sama do because of the loss of his companion.

Esdeath-sama and Ainz-sama seemed very good friends based how they spoke and interacted with each other. Even so maybe lovers?! If Esdeath-sama dies accidentally maybe Ainz-sama leave too because of his loss. We can not allow that!„

Albedo froze inside and she started to grith's her teeth but for the outside word she showed her usual charming smile as always. „If this is true I have to change my plans! I can not risk to lose Ainz-sama because of a miscalculation! There is only one way left! I have to make Ainz-sama see the truth and turn against Esdeath-sama."

„No offense Albedo."

„None was taken. But answering your question. Of course, you can't understand Demiurge.

Ainz-sama intelligence has no rival amongst the Supreme Beings. Our minuscule thinking could not even reach the peak where he is. He is the master of the plans and tactic. Why do you think he is the leader of the Supreme Beings and not Esdeath-sama."

„I see. Kukuku. So Ainz-sama is the brain and Esdeath-sama are the muscle what obey the commands of the brain. Brilliant! I see now why Ainz-sama sent Esdeath-sama instead of going personally to gather information. Brilliant just brilliant!„

They chatted a little while after this but in the end they waved goodbye to each other

Albedo's alabaster-white hand emerged from under the sheets to wave Demiurge goodbye.

"Then, I will be off. Right… since you wanted to make boys' clothes, you might want to know this. Did you know that the Supreme Beings seem to prefer boys in girl's clothing?"

"...Hm?"

---

Scene Change : Carne Village: Enri Emmot house

"So that's what happened."

Nfirea sighed deeply and mumbled to himself.

Nfirea had been close to Enri's parents. They were great parents, and one might even envy the amount of love they lavished on their daughters. Nfirea had lost his parents at a young age and only had murky impressions of them. Therefore, when he thought of an outstanding father and mother, Nfirea immediately thought of Enri's parents.

He was filled with rage when he heard that her parents had been killed by the Imperial knight impostors, and all he could think when he learned that they had been slaughtered in turn was "serves them right". He was also somewhat angry at the higher-ups in E-Rantel, who refused to send soldiers over.

However, he felt something was wrong about him displaying this anger when Enri — for whom that anger was far more justified — had set those feelings aside.

He looked at Enri, her eyes brimming with tears. As he wondered whether he should try to comfort her, Enri wiped her tears away and smiled:

"I still have a little sister. I can't lose myself in sadness forever."

He felt a little anxious, but while he was riding on this surge of emotion, Nfirea decided that he would share the feelings he had had ever since he came to this village for the first time, as a child.

"Then—"

His throat seemed to have clamped shut. Come on, say it! Although he desperately wanted to speak, the words stuck in his throat and refused to leave.

Both Enri and Nfirea were at an age where it would not be unusual for them to be married. In addition, due to his income as a herbalist, Nfirea had enough money to support Enri and her little sister.

His mouth opened, and then closed.

„I like you."

„I love you."

But the words refused to leave his lips because he was afraid of hearing her reject him.

Then, what else could he say to shorten the distance between them?

„The city's safer, do you want to live with me? I'll take care of you and your little sister. If you want to work, you can help in Granny's shop."

„If you feel uneasy about the city, I'll do my best to help you."

He should say that. The chances of those words being rejected would be a lot lower than a confession of love.

"Enri!"

"Wh-what happened, Nfirea?"

Enri jumped as Nfirea loudly called her name. He began to speak:

"—If, if, if you've got any problems, let me know. I'll do whatever I can to help you!"

"Thank you… You're such a good friend that it's almost wasted on me, Nfirea!"

"Ah, ah, er… it, it's fine, we've known each other for so long, after all."

Just as it seemed the matter was at an end, Nfirea asked a question:

"Come to think of it, what's up with those Goblins?"

Those Goblins called Enri their "Ane-san". In addition, those Goblins all looked like the ones they had encountered on the road to Carne; they had the air of veteran warriors. It was even more surprising to see a magic caster in the village. When and where had these Goblins encountered a simple village girl like Enri, and what sort of relationship did she have with them?

Enri simply replied:

"They appeared after I used a magic item given to us by our village's savior, Ainz Ooal Gown. They follow my orders."

"I see…"

Enri's eyes were like twin sparkling stars as she said that name. It made Nfirea feel bitter inside.

Ainz Ooal Gown.

When Carne Village was attacked by mysterious men dressed as Imperial knights, a magic caster and his companion a white-haired strange woman with strange clothes and a sword who were passing by saved the village with their tremendous might, returning peace to the village. They were Enri's savior and someone's that Nfirea should have thanked.

Nfirea thrust these feelings aside and turned his thoughts to the magic item of which Enri had spoken.

It was a magic item which summoned Goblins, called the "Horn of the Goblin Whatever".

The magic caster who had saved her village had explained what sort of horn it was, but because her mind was too confused back then, her memory was hazy.

Nfirea felt it was a little strange.

He had no idea what sort of magic item it was, but she should not have forgotten about it. Nobody should have forgotten the details of a magic item with special abilities once they were told about them.

Still, there were many magic items which could summon creatures, just as there were many summoning spells in magic. Any monsters summoned with those spells would vanish after a while.

Summoned monsters were not creatures which could persist for a long time.

If that item could do that, it might well overturn all of magical history and theory to date.

How valuable was a magic item which could accomplish such a feat? Enri did not seem to have realized its value, but if she sold it, she could probably live comfortably for the rest of her life.

Enri had used this rare and precious item because she did not want blood to flow in the village once more.

Nfirea felt that this line of thinking was very much her style. Thus, the Goblins she had summoned called her Ane-san, followed her orders, and in addition to protecting the village, they even helped in the fields. Apparently, they were even teaching the villagers how to use bows, and how to defend themselves. As a result, the village had gained several odd new residents.

"So, he was called Ainz Ooal Gown and his companion were called Esdeath Gorgon? What sort of man is he like? I'd like to thank him and his companion myself. And please tell me everything about his companion that white haired woman too."

"Is that so… I was thinking you would know them, Nfirea…"

Enri's reply made Nfirea's heart pound violently, and sweatdrops bloomed uncomfortably on his back.

"En-Enri, what, what will you do when you see that Gown fellow and his companion what was she called? Ah, Esdeath Gorgon."

"Hm? Mm, I'd like to thank them properly. The village came together with the idea of building a little copper statue for them because they saved us, and I need to show my gratitude too…"

After sensing that the answer did not contain any hints of affection which frightened him, Nfirea breathed a sigh of relief, and let his tensed shoulders relax.

"Ah. Is that so. Mm… hoo. Yes, of course, you need to thank them. If you noticed any special features, or if they reminded you of someone, maybe it would narrow down the field… right, do you know what sort of magic they used?"

"Ah, magic, huh. It, it was really amazing. The was a flash of lightning and the knight went down in one hit."

"Lightning, huh… did you hear him say [Lightning] or something?"

Enri's eyes looked to the sky, and then she nodded deeply.

"Mm! …I think I heard him say that. Although it seemed like there was more to it than that…"

After hearing Enri trail off into mumbling, Nfirea concluded that this Gown fellow must have said something before casting his spell.

"If that's the case… it should be the magic of the 3rd tier."

"…The magic of the 3rd tier… is that very amazing?"

"Of course it is! I can only use 2nd-tier magic myself. 3rd-tier of the magic is the limit for normal people. Only talent-holders can use magic beyond that."

"I knew it! Gown-san is really amazing!"

„And could you tell me please what kind of magic used by his companion that white haired woman?"

„Hmm. Let me think. She cast a pretty flashy and loud magic too. She pulled out a shiny coin from one of her pockets and placed between her thumb and her index finger while her hand tightened into a fist. Then she simply flicked the coin with her thumb while. What was what she said? I remember now something like [Railgun]. Then the fake knight upper body just disappeared with a big blue flash accompanied by a big boom."

„I see! But I never heard such spells before. It must be her specialty."

„Really Nfirea-san? Then she must be a really talented magic caster to develop her own kind of magic."

„Can you tell me one more thing of her Enri-san. How it looked her face."

„Hmm. I don't remeber her face clearly. Only she had beautiful luminous eyes. But aside that I only remember her strange outfit and her long straight white hair. Why do you ask Nfirea-san do you fallen in love with her?"

„No-no Enri-san I just thought for a moment maybe I know her. But I was wrong. Thank you for your thorough answer!"

„It is no problem Nfirea-san."

"Why would such a great persons come to a village like this?"

A confused Nfirea tilted his head to the side, but then Enri dropped a bombshell which immediately blew all his doubts away.

"In addition, Gown-san gave me a red potion too—"

Nfirea recalled part of a conversation from earlier:

---

Flashback:

"Then, what if I paid you, and you told me more about the person who gave you that potion?"

The warrior named Britta did not seem happy about that request:

"And why do you want to know?"

"Of course it's to find clues to lead me to that mysterious woman in full metallic suit and a huge greatsword. If we get in her good graces, she might tell us where she got those potions from, right? She might let something slip by accident, so if she's an adventurer, I want to hire her for a job. How about it, Nfirea?"

That was the reason Nfirea had asked for Raidyn by name.

Nfirea's plan was to winkle out information about the potion by deepening his friendship with Raidyn. In addition, if they went to pick herbs in the forest together, Raidyn might accidentally reveal something.

Nfirea tried to hide the excitement in his heart, and in the same calm voice from before he askedEnri:

Flashback End:

---

"Hm, what kind of potion was it like?"

"Eh?"

"You know I'm a herbalist, of course, I'd be interested in potions."

"Ahhh, that's right! Making these things is your job."

Enri told Nfirea everything she knew about the magic casters and the potion what Ainz had given her. She mentioned the name Ainz Ooal Gown's and Esdeath Gorgon wondrous deeds several times during her account. The Nfirea from just now might have been filled with jealousy, but at the moment, his mind was pondering other matters.

"…Could that Ainz Ooal Gown person be… a woman?"

"Eh? I don't think so? I didn't see his face, but his voice was a man's."

„But with him, there was two woman. His companion Esdeath Gorgon and there was an another woman with full plated black armor her name was Albedo I think she was Gown-san bodyguard."

„White haired woman who is using sword and magic? Could it be Raidyn-san?

„She told us about her companion who was busy to travel with her in the meantime so she traveling alone at least now.

White hair plus missing traveling companion that means!"

Nfirea gulped and his eyes widened under his hair.

„That means Esdeath Gorgon = Raidyn-san."

„The magic casters whose had saved the village was also a fearsome warrior. Although there were some warriors with magical training, for the most part, one would cancel out the good points of the other. In a similar vein, arcane magic casters could not cast spells while wearing the heavy equipment which most warriors favored. But Raidyn-san somehow found a way to eliminate this weakness. But how?"

„So she was a magic caster of the 4th tier, as well as a swordsman on par with an adamantine-ranked adventurer."

"Are, are you all right? You don't look too good," asked Enri

"Mm, mm. I'm okay, I was just thinking about something…"

---

Scene Change: Carne village Hill:

"Hmm…"

Esdeath looked over to a certain part of the village, sighing as she did.

There, she saw several villagers lined up in a row. There were men, women, and children of all ages. She could see a motherly-looking 40-year-old woman as well as teenagers. The one thing they had in common was the stern look on their faces, which might even be mistaken for hostility. It was a clear sign that nobody here was in the mood to play around.

A Goblin with a bow addressed the villagers.

Esdeath heightened sense of hearing could make out his words even over the great distance. But she did not bother to listening what they said.

The bows looked crude, but the arrows they launched flew in beautiful trajectories. All of them struck the straw men, without a single miss.

"Not bad…"

Compared to them. They were miserably weak. But until a few days ago the villagers have never laid their hands on any weapon. So you could say that the people in the village learned pretty fast.

„Their technique is hardly something to get excited over. However, ten days ago, they did not even know how to use a bow. In order to prevent their spouses, children and parents from being slain once more, they threw themselves into training, so that they could one day stand with weapons in hand to fight."

Esdeath had attained the maximum level in YGGDRASIL, level 100. When she came to the world, her excess XP bar was around 98% full. It was just a hunch, but since her other abilities were intact, the concept of levels should exist in this world as well. The question now was whether she and Ainz could obtain that remaining %XP of their experience bar and reach level 101.

„I hope we can grow stronger Momonga-san. Because if we not we are a failure and sentenced to death each or another way."

Every existing being who lacks the ability of advancement and personal evolution will be sentenced to extinction each or another way. This was because one: something stronger came and defeat the thing what is incapable of these basic things what every living being owned or two: the person who doesn't own these basic abilities grow tired its own inability and existence and simply end its own miserable existence.

„Without evolution and advancement existence is meaningless."

Esdeath felt it was possible that the Six Gods who appeared in the Slaine Theocracy 600 years ago were actually players. Although she did not know why they had appeared so far apart from Esdeath and Ainz, if they counted heteromorphic beings — which had no maximum lifespan — among their number or if they possessed classes which extended their lifespans, there was a very high chance that they had survived to the present day.

If the Six Gods were still hiding in the Slaine Theocracy, and if they had begun power leveling others using the power of the Six Gods — i.e. helping them with the abilities of powerful players in order to gain experience faster than normal — from 600 years ago, it might well be possible that there were people in excess of level 100.

Just as Esdeath was absentmindedly pondering these matters, she noticed a teenager running over to her. The hair which normally obscured his eyes swayed from side to side, and she could see a pair of eyes fixed intently on herself.

Esdeath immediately had a bad feeling about Nfirea. It looked like the same panic the village chief had from earlier.

"Why the rush Nfirea-san? Did something happen again? If that's the case please tell me…"

Nfirea reached the mumbling Esdeath.

Nfirea seemed a little hesitant and unsure of whether to speak. In the end, he gathered up his determination and asked Esdeath:

"Raidyn-san, are you Esdeath Gorgon-san?"

Raidyn inner eyes widened then she facepalmed internally with a shameful expression in her inner face.

„How could this be? What kind of information gave out me? Do I kill him? Or simply speak me out. It is too late for as the saying goes. „Alea iacta est"

Nfirea watched her with an excitedly impatient look under his long hair.

Esdeath turned to him.

---

To Be continued:

Next time in the Overlordly Broken: The Wise King, the necromancer ,the cat lady and a petite girl" what a strange group of strangers.

A/N: I thank every voters who voted and choosen from the two options.

Evryone can inspect the result of the vote in my profile page.