Chapter 19 First Meetings

"… Care is strong word. Although I understand why you would think that" Harry said with genuine surprise when Albedo asked him about his decision regarding Demiurge's prisoners. Her beautiful golden eyes had looked at him with worry and puzzlement before she bowed low, stating that she wished to know more of his real thoughts, in order to avoid any future mistakes.

The fact that this conversation was happening just after the weekly meeting of the Floor Guardians made him wonder what exactly Demiurge had said. This was not the time to dwell on it, however.

"Although my order of avoiding needless deaths of those 'innocent' remains, it was not my only motive. You are right in requesting a clearer explanation of my reasoning Albedo" Her tense shoulders immediately relax at the comment, even the wings seem to loosen more around her hips as she straightened, nodding with a calm smile.

"Thank you for your infinite patience. We will work harder to understand your orders without need of wasting your precious time with an explanation!"

"Hm? No, I would actually rather you come to me whenever you are having doubts or just want to be sure of something" The mess caused by Demiurge's plan had happened because he had trusted the Floor Guardian to do a good work without much of his intervention, so he only gave him a general target and left him free to plot.

The result was, quite obviously, a situation he wanted to avoid in the future.

He had thus, lifted the aforementioned freedom he had previously allowed. Not like it was something commonly done in Nazarik, but Demiurge and Albedo, along with the ones that had missions on the exterior, had been given more liberty in the way they dealt with their assignments. Now though, he requested any plans to pass under his scrutiny first before implementing them, which increased his workload a lot. There was no way around it however, so he accepted the increment of sleepless nights without complaint.

Hell, he was even taking more time to complete the 'missions' of the Adventurer's Guild just so he could focus in reviewing Nazarik's documents. Albedo's administrative work was something to praise, having done it by herself up until now.

Marking the page of the document he had been reading as 'approved', he organized the bunch of papers before leaving them on the 'completed' pile. Laying back in his seat, emerald eyes were completely focused on the Guardian overseer as he finally began his explanation.

"Well then, let me explain my reasoning. Tell me Albedo, does the term 'Player' seem familiar to you?"

"Beings that stand on par with the Supreme Ones… Nazarik was attacked once by them, the invaders were able to reach the 8th floor before perishing" her pupils grow dangerously thin as she stated this, a fury barely held at bay as she thought of how their Sanctuary had been disturbed by the filthy people of the exterior world.

"…Yes, that invasion was organized by players." Harry had never given much thought to the memories the NPCs had of the time before the activation of the runes, when they had yet to be sentient. Tilting his head in curiosity, he couldn't help but deviate slightly from the topic.

"What do you know of that particular invasion? Other than the fact that they failed to surpass the defenses of the 8th floor of course"

"The Floor Guardians of the levels 1st to 7th remember having died, although the details are lost to them. Since the Throne room was not reached I did not participate in said battle, and only am aware of it due to the comments Tabula Smaragdina-sama and Herohero-sama made while in my presence" her response was done with a serious voice, brows slightly furrowed as she tried to recall details she had no way of remembering. It was more than Harry expected, to be honest.

Worried that the NPCs may have traumatic memories of their deaths, he continued to ask "What is the impression of the other servants regarding that battle? Have they told you anything?"

He is surprised to see her previous expression fade, replaced with her usual angelic smile as she raised slightly her chin and pridefully answered "The ones that fought are honored to have died to protect The Great Tomb of Nazarik. To give their life in the name of the Supreme Beings, there is no greater privilege!"

By this point Harry wasn't surprised by their 'Please let us work to death' attitude. He just wished it wasn't such a prominent feature in all NPCs.

"Hmm… Does everyone think the same?" He just needed to be sure no one was distressed or something of the sort−

"Yes, Hadrian-sama. Although I've heard some of the regular maids also… are afraid to an extent, of the exterior world. The outsiders were close to befouling the Throne room; the Sanctuary made by the Sumpreme Beings… it fills them with rage and fear"

"Oh? That is understandable, although I must admit such a thing repeating itself in this world seems unlikely. That specific invasion was an alliance of eight guilds, players and mercenary NPCs, which made their army a grand total of one thousand five hundred people." Recalling the invasion only ten of his comrades had witnessed, he let a feral grin adorn his face at the memory "And they were completely annihilated. Ah, that event made our Guild a legend! The Great Tomb of Nazarick defeated the largest military offensive organized by players in the server's entire history"

He laughed wholeheartedly at the pleasant memory, even if reconstructing their home had been a very costly pain in the ass; no one had dared to cross them after that particular display of power.

"As expected of the Supreme ones!" Albedo's smile is so wide it threatens to split her face, her palms clapping at the same time her wings flapped once in joy "I'm infinitely thankful for the knowledge you have shared with me, Hadrian-sama!"

Harry gives her a real smile, which made the succubus blush before he cleared his throat to go back to her original inquiry.

"Well, that was not an answer to your question, was it? Coming back to the topic at hand…The reason I bothered to save those humans is very simple, at least for those knowledgeable of the Players' manner of thinking." he lets an understanding expression adorn his face, interlacing his fingers above the desk's surface before continuing "Most Players can relate, in a sense, with the human beings; to the point where most would wish for their safety. To avoid any unnecessary conflicts with other such Players we may encounter, I'd like to keep human deaths to a minimum"

Albedo's eyes open wide at this bit of information, which was completely understandable. Everything inside Nazarik, from the design of the floors to the descriptions of the NPCs, had been made with the thinking that heteromorphic creatures were evil, a natural enemy against humans. The fact that all players were in fact human and would not really wish them harm was something no NPC would ever imagine.

"I understand. As expected of Hadrian-sama, the simple thought of trying to get closer to your level is nothing but impertinence from our side." Albedo's voice was reverent as she bowed in respect, hands clasped elegantly over her stomach "If I may bother you once more with my ignorance, is there any specific trait in the 'players' that would not abide to such thinking? Any special characteristic at all?"

"Hmm… heteromorphic beings would be the most likely to dislike humans, or be uncaring on their well-being. Although the chance of that happening is not so large" Maybe in due time, once the original, human personality of the player mixed with the one of their character's description, the sense of empathy or justice may end up atrophied. Djinns weren't particularly evil, but even if they were Harry's occlumency would protect his mind from being overridden by the description of his avatar.

"…Does that apply to our Masters as well?"

"They are a special case, I think some would be more than others" he let his answer be purposely vague, and continued with another matter before Albedo could make any more questions "There is also, another important reason of why I let them go however."

His expression turned serious as he stood up from behind his desk, walking around it to approach the Guardian Overseer.

"Let's make a hypothetical scenario. You don't know who I am, you have never seen me before, and you know absolutely nothing about me. Which race am I?"

Albedo made a conflictive expression, before closing her golden eyes and lowering her head in apparent resignation as she muttered softly "…Human"

Only beings very specialized could be capable of seeing through illusions. There were even fewer players and NPCs that could see through shapeshifting commonly used by the doppelgangers. The Djinn used both, making the illusions used upon themselves reality once they combined it with the shapeshifting. As such, an opponent would need to be heavily specialized against both forms of concealment to be able to spot him by his race with nothing but a simple look.

As it was, only three people out of everyone in Nazarik had such ability, and it was not anyone of the Floor Guardians. Himself, Nigredo, and Titus Annaeus Secundus (the head librarian) were the only ones specialized enough.

"Which level do I have? Am I strong?" he continued to question, slowly approaching the succubus that seemed to find the ground quite interesting, her gaze focused on a single spot as she answered reluctantly.

"… An estimate 40"

The Djinn were shape shifters, and one of the few heteromorphic creatures that could play with the aura of power they portrayed, as it was part of their infiltrating features. It was one of the benefits from the class [Jack of all Trades].

"Do I seem like a threat?" he stopped just in front of her, crossing his arms as he watched Albedo intently to get her reaction.

"…No"

"Now, what would happen if beings like me were among the prisoners taken to the 5th Floor?" Albedo raised her head; eyes open wide as realization struck her "Damaging Nazarik from the inside would not be entirely impossible, would it?"

"The enemy would have bypassed half of Nazarik's defenses!" her vertical pupils are thin, an ocean of gold divided by an almost inexistent dark line, and her wings trembled in apparent apprehension as she pictured an infiltration that they would have brought upon themselves.

"Exactly. Taking such a large amount of prisoners is a foolish risk if there is no one there to verify this. The prisoners Nazarik has held until now have been verified by me, and they are never such a large number since it would be easier to make a mistake"

Realizing just how greatly Demiurge's plan could have harmed the holy grounds the Supreme Beings had created, Albedo apologized on his behalf, bending by the waist in a deep bow that made her raven hair slide down from her shoulders.

"Don't worry, there were no negative repercussions this time around. Back then I didn't have enough time to explain this fully to Demiurge, so please let every Floor Guardian know about this in your next meeting."

Truth be told, it was not like Harry forgot or didn't have time to explain that to Demiurge, but he felt it could wait since the demon felt guilty enough as it was. The NPCs reacted quite strongly every time they made the simplest of mistakes, so telling him that he could have brought an invading force to Nazarik would have been… distracting. They had a fake-battle to complete back then, so Harry simply hadn't wanted to risk it.

But since Albedo asked, he surmised that band aid would have to be removed sooner or later either way, so he explained fully the situation as he saw it.

"Understood, Hadrian-sama" her form was tense and she had yet to straighten up from her deep bow, so Harry looked at her with sympathy and patted her head a couple of times in reassurance.

"I'll be counting on you" he said softly, turning around to return to his desk, ignorant of the happily surprised expression Albedo made as she straightened "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a letter to write"

Meanwhile, in a comfortable bed inside the Royal Palace, the Captain-Warrior Gazef Stronoff felt ridiculously weak. His body hurt so much he couldn't move, not even to raise the tip of a finger. Even a simple action like opening his eyes was terribly taxing.

"I think he is regaining consciousness!" a loud barked shout that was a little too grave to belong to a woman resounded in the room.

"Not so loud Gagaran, he is still delicate" the voice he barely recognized as Lakyus' reached him, seemingly closer to him than the other had been.

"W-what…?" he tried to ask, but his hoarse voice was almost inaudible. He tried to open his eyes to see who was in the room with him, but only managed to open them slightly before they got watery, so he closed them again. Ugh, they burned.

"Don't force yourself Stronoff-san. You should rest more."

"Yeah, although a resurrection spell wasn't needed in the end, you were on the very edge of death! The only survivor really—"

"Don't be insensible; those were part of his group of warriors."

"Ah, you're right…"

He was unable to focus on the rest of their conversation; his head was beginning to hurt just by the effort it took to be awake. With closed eyes that had tears on its corners, he tried to recall what had happened. The last thing he saw… a small girl, no older than three had approached them, requesting assistance to search for her mother… but before his men could answer her expression had twisted, a cruel smirk splitting her face in two before she sprinted towards them so fast it was more like a rush of wind than anything.

Then there was blood and screams—

"W-where!" he cried, had he had any energy left he would have sit down in his bed at least, but as it was his shout was more like a whisper, his shoulders simply trembling as he tried and failed to sit up. "Where is she?!"

A hand pushed down his right shoulder, Lakyus' voice reaching him once more "I don't know the details, but the item Jaldabaoth had been searching for disappeared." Gazef wanted to yell, but the only thing that came out was a terribly dry coughing fit. Someone raised his head and helped him drink water, something he was glad for, but he couldn't really say anything else before Evileye's voice reached his ears.

"You're still too weak to do much, so I'll put you to sleep again [Count Sheep]"

Gazef felt darkness eating out at his consciousness, his mind falling silent in a calm sea of dreamless sleep.

It is only two days afterwards that he is recovered enough to move, so he is sitting down in a meeting room with Blue Rose's adamantite team, Climb, and Brain present in the room. The Princess Renner had wanted to come as well, but Gazef had requested her not to, since he was not yet recovered enough to really wear with pride the title of Captain-Warrior. He just couldn't bring himself to show his face to the royal family yet, not when he was still like this.

"Renner's hypothesis regarding the infiltrated demon is true then" Lakyus said once he had ended his explanation regarding those events.

"Yes, that was the case. We let our guard down since it was a child…" Gazef said with a regretful expression, hands clenched over the table's surface.

"Not to be rude Captain-Warrior, but do you know why that demon would let you live?" Evileye said frankly, much to the chagrin of her comrades. Her cold observation didn't bother him though; he had wondered the same thing upon waking up.

"It didn't"

"…Huh? But no resurrection magic was used on you—"

"No, my life was saved by Ainz Ooal Gown again" Gazef said with a grateful smile. He really hoped the Magician's Guild Master could find that person; he needed to thank him properly—

"Who is Ainz Ooal Gown?" Tina, one of the assassin twins asked to the rest of the room.

"A compassionate magic caster, he saved Gazef in the past" Brain said, recalling the conversation he and Gazef had had after the Captain-Warrior found him in an alley "What do you mean he saved you though?"

Gazef smiled bitterly at that, lying back on his chair as he crossed his arms over his chest "Ainz-dono gave me a powerful item. I didn't use it in my battle against the Theocracy, and when I tried to give it back to him he refused to take it… he said it would come in handy in a dire situation" seeing his explanation was not enough for the gathered people, he smiled with regret at having lost such an useful item before clarifying "No matter how much damage the user takes, that person would still live on. It only works once though, so it disappeared when used"

"So the deathly strike of the demon…" Climb started to say, Gazef responding with an affirmative nod in confirmation.

"Was not so deathly, it only left me at the verge of death"

"You can say that again, even the medics of the temple said you were dead until they noticed your almost inexistent pulse−"

"Seriously, the Mass of Muscle should think before speaking— "Evileye interrupted Gagaran, sounding annoyed.

"Said the Shorty that asked about his survival in the first place—"

"Calm down you two, this is not the time" Lakyus reprimanded them slightly before focusing on Gazef again "And this Ainz character gave you this? What did he ask in return?"

"Nothing at all" he barked a laugh at her skeptical expression, insisting that had really been the case. They discuss about this for a short while before ending the meeting, since there were other matters to attend to.

Since Gazef was still recovering, he would go back home early today, and retake his position as Captain-warrior tomorrow.

Upon arriving at his home, he ate something light before going directly to his bedroom, feeling more tired than he was willing to admit. Before he could prepare to go to sleep however, a soft knock was heard on his window.

…Why the window instead of the door?

Feeling rightfully wary, he got closer to the window with slow, silent steps, his dominant hand on the handle of his sword before he used the free one to open up the curtain with a single, harsh movement. His precaution was not needed however, since it was not a human being but a bird, standing still on his window before using its beak to knock at the glass again.

Gazef would have dismissed it if it had been a simple bird, but it was a Nachtkrapp. It was a kind of magical bird that could put living creatures to sleep when threatened, using a combination of sleeping spores and 'singing'. Fairly harmless, but it was unusual to see them during the day since these avian beings were nocturnal.

The raven-like bird tilted its eye-less head questioningly, before knocking on the glass once more. Confused, he opened the window hesitantly, but the bird didn't go inside his home. Instead of that, the Nachtkrapp let out a short, impatient chirp as if admonishing him for taking so long, before raising one of its claws to him.

…It had a letter tied to it.

Not knowing what to do, he took the letter with slow motions since he didn't want to scare the magical bird. Once the Nachtkrapp is freed of its package however, it chirps once more at him before flying off, two pairs of large wings flapping soundlessly as it flew towards the clear reddish sky. The sun was already beginning to hide for the day.

Gazef watched the bird leave before looking down at the letter with puzzlement. What kind of communication method was this? Who would send a letter to him? Opening it up, he let out a surprised gasp upon reading its content.

Greetings Captain-Warrior Gazef Stronoff

I trust this letter reaches you in good health. Do forgive me if this message arrived at an inconvenient time, but the matter I wish to address is quite important.

I have noticed a Magic Caster has been trying to pinpoint my location, as well as attempting to use other survey methods on my person. On normal circumstances I would have let this impertinent individual know their endeavors are not welcome, considering they are an invasion to my privacy, but upon investigating further I have successfully identified the transgressor.

It is the Magician's Guild Master of the Re-estize Kingdom. Theo Rakesheer.

I consider his attempts at using divination magic upon my person a hefty offense. Although I do admit, I may be misunderstanding the situation due to lack of information.

As such, to clarify this matter, I will be coming to the Royal Capital of the Re-estize Kingdom on the 4th Day of the Lower Fire Month. If you could receive me on the main gates that lead to the Royal Capital it would be most welcome, since I would like to listen on your opinion regarding the best way to solve this delicate matter diplomatically.

If you agree with my petition, please write your answer in the reverse of this letter. Similarly, if you are unable to receive my visit, please let me know so I can act accordingly upon arriving to the Royal Capital.

Best of regards,

Ainz Ooal Gown.

For a terribly long moment, Gazef didn't move. He didn't dare to breathe, nor blink as he stared at the contents of the letter with shock and disbelief.

His suggestion of locating Ainz-dono had caused this?!

And worse, the phrase regarding a diplomatic solution was little more than a gentle threat, a silent 'or else' practically written at the end of it. Making such a strong magic caster an enemy had not been his intention at all, and the last thing the Royal Capital needed now was another negative impact.

He needed to solve this, and fast. Getting away from his window, he racked the house in his hurry to find something to write with, but once he finally found a fountain pen the tip remained unmoving, hanging just over the paper.

…what was he supposed to answer?

Gazef would receive him of course; there was no doubt on that. But apologizing for his lack of thought while admitting he had been the one to make that suggestion… what would that cause? Could it even be considered as a good reason?

No, the motives didn't matter at all. He needed to prepare some sort of compensation for the trouble he had mindlessly caused, but what could he offer to such a powerful person? Someone that could gift valuable items as if those were something he could get easily?

A meeting with himself and the Magician's Guild Master, Rakesheer, was a must. Maybe including the Adventurer's Guild Master, Ainzach, would work as well…

Then a thought struck him. When he had mentioned the name of Ainz Ooal Gown to his King, the elder had smiled in gratitude, stating that he would like to meet such a remarkable person to thank him personally one day, for saving his strongest warrior and personal guard from certain death.

A meeting with the King was not impossible, and it would help smooth things out and prepare a good compensation. Deciding that was his best bet at the moment, he carefully folded the letter before placing it along his weapon. He would need to check this out first thing in the morning.

A whole day after Harry sent the letter to Gazef, he was walking in the hallway that led to his office when he felt his breast pocket grow warm. Taking out the previously blank paper, he smiled satisfactorily at the Captain's lengthy answer before using the ring of Ainz Ooal Gown to teleport directly to the treasury, since he would need to rehearse this with Pandora's Actor before sending the NPC out to role-play.

A week after that, a couple of days before Gazef would host Ainz Ooal Gown, several people reunite in the Adventurer's Guild. The Marauder's adamantite team, the Adventurer's Guild master Ainzach, and Gazef Stronoff are present in this small briefing. James and Shizu looked around the room with inquisitive eyes, immediately assessing everything within. Their gaze looks particularly longer at all the entrances, both doors and windows, and objects that, under unfavorable circumstances, could be used as weapons. This was an almost inherent attitude of warriors whose survival instinct was at its highest.

Ainzach is the one to direct their meeting, stating this was a personal petition from the Royal section of the nobles, even if it was one that was not supposed to be widely known by others. The objective of this meeting was to make a simple request: they wanted James' verdict regarding Ainz Ooal Gown.

"What is Ainz Ooal Gown?" the male adamantite adventurer asked with confusion, an ignorance that would have meant a terrible disrespect to the magic caster they would be accommodating in just a couple of days.

"Not what but who" Gazef explains tensely. James seems to know he would have made a grave mistake, an understanding gaze made his blue eyes open wide for a short moment before he bowed his head with a silent apology.

This entirely human mistake actually made the other people in the room relax however. The leader of the Marauders was strong, polite, humble, and merciful, the list of qualities just went on and on. James was a little too perfect to be normal, which made most of the people that have met him feel inadequate and search for mistakes or faults, something that would make him more human.

Knowing he could still misunderstand things was certainly welcome for them.

"Don't worry, that's the reason we are having this meeting" Ainzach said with an easy-going smile, chuckling at James' conflictive expression.

"Thank you. I must apologize however; I don't think I've fully understood. Do you want my team to be present as bodyguards?"

"No, that's Stronoff-sama role as the Captain-warrior, his duty is to preserve the security of the Royal Family. What we need is your impression of this magic caster, Ainz Ooal Gown. Although our objective is to avoid any conflictive situations with him, we would like a warrior's evaluation just in case… you know." In case conflict is unavoidable, was the unuttered end of that phrase.

"Wouldn't the Captain-warrior be enough to achieve that?"

Gazef is the one to answer that question, serious eyes staring at James as he stated without an ounce of hesitation "No, it needs to be James-sama. This is because, if my memory doesn't fail me, the aura Ainz-dono displayed was… on pair with the one of Jaldabaoth."

The male adamantite adventurer straightened up in attention at that, frowning slightly in worry before he crossed his arms over his armored chest.

"I see… In that case, a timely evaluation is a must. Still, how will I meet him if I won't be present in your gathering?"

"We were considering you could cross paths in the Royal Palace, just as I guided him to meet the King. Would a glance be enough to evaluate?"

"…It should give me a heads up regarding his difficulty level, that much I can guarantee. Other than that, I will have to depend on the recounting of the meeting" James answered towards Gazef, who nodded once at him in understanding "Pay special attention to his manner of thinking, the dangerous thing of a Magic caster is not only the arsenal of spells, but his tactics. It would be better if we could anticipate his movements, if it comes from bad to worse"

"Indeed, that is the conclusion we have reached as well"

"Will Ainz-sama be accompanied?" Shizu questioned this time, tilting her head cutely to the side. That… that was a good question actually, no one had really considered that.

Ainzach and James turned to look at Gazef at the same time, who seem to be contemplative.

"…By the same guard I met probably, a completely armored woman. Ainz-dono didn't specify in his notice however."

The briefing continues like this for a few minutes, defining the details of the 'casual' encounter between James and Ainz so it would come out as naturally as possible. It was a risky plan, and it could end up bothering the magic caster as they tried to manipulate their brief encounter, but in the end it would not be more than a single glance.

What could go wrong?

They waited with bated breath, anxiously preparing until the day finally arrived. Gazef stood still as a statue in the main gates of the Royal Capital, tense as he reviewed the plan in his mind over and over again—

The sound of massive wings is the first thing he notices, then the approaching shadow of something huge, and the scared shouts of the Guards that were positioned in the fortress. Looking up directly at the source, Gazef couldn't really blame them.

A dragon was flying down towards them.

It wasn't any kind of dragon, but a Frost Dragon, which were essentially natural disasters once they reached a certain age. Many monsters became powerful when they lived for a long time, but dragons specially had the reputation of being superior specimens, and in many cases they would be classified as a being on a completely different level.

Considering it was an adult dragon, even the weakest of them would be classified around 140 on the difficulty level by the adventurers. With all certainty, one could not survive a battle against it and its freezing breath.

Gazef took out his sword, ready to move in case it attacked, but he halted upon noticing there was something in the dragon's back. A humanoid silhouette… oh God, it surely wasn't?!

His theory is confirmed when the light-blue dragon lands just out of the main Gate, surprisingly silent before laying down submissively, its whole body touching the ground as if trying to appear as small as possible.

The smiling Ainz floated down from above the Dragon. He must have been using some type of magical effect, given the way he hovered slowly defying gravity. He thought it was the famous spell [Fly], but after considering that Ainz Ooal Gown was a powerful magic caster, he concluded that it must be a superior version of that spell. Although how superior it was, or what type of spell it was, Gazef didn't know.

This was the first time Gazef saw the powerful magic caster without his mask on. Emerald eyes looked impassively at him, a polite smile on his aristocratic face that could pass off as a noble's, while the unruly raven curls remained mostly unperturbed by the wind.

Immaculately dressed in an emerald robe, the cloth seemed to be of the highest quality, with intricate, golden ornaments at the cuffs and neck. It didn't have a single crease or stain in it, which made Gazef wonder how he managed it while riding a dragon of all things.

"It's been a long time since our last encounter Stronoff-san" a calm voice reached his ears at the same time Gazef made a signal to the panicked guards not to attack. The last thing they needed was for someone to launch arrows at Ainz and his… pet?

He knew the man had tamed a basilisk before, so Gazef really shouldn't be so surprised by the dragon, but he still felt awed. The respect he felt towards the magic caster only grew, and in spite of the delicate situation, he smiled sincerely in welcome at him.

"Indeed Ainz-dono, please allow me to bid you welcome to the Royal Capital" he bowed in formal greeting. There was no one but the dragon accompanying him, which was a very good signal in Gazef's opinion, recalling the dangerous feeling the armored woman, Albedo had displayed. He hoped the magic caster wanted to resolve things peacefully as well.

The man chuckled, nodding cordially before answering "If I may be truthful, I've wanted to visit the Re-estize Kingdom for quite a while… although I wished it was under better circumstances" the emerald gaze was not focused on Gazef, evaluating the surroundings with critical eye while humming interestedly "Has something happened recently?"

Gazef tensed at the question. They were still out of the Royal Capital, since they had yet to move from the main Gate. How had he known they had been attacked recently, if he hadn't seen anything…?

"Pardon my words, but you seem quite… well, your strength seems to have diminished. I assume you had a recent fight where you were heavily injured?"

Oh, that's what he meant.

Truth be told, no matter how much time he slept or how many potions he took, his body always felt heavy, and he noticed his movements were slower when he trained. He got tired more easily as well…

"Ah, you're right Ainz-dono. I had a fight I would not have survived if not for the item you allowed me to keep. I'm infinitely grateful for your generosity back then" he bowed again, this time lower.

Regardless of the unfortunate circumstances, he was still relieved to have been able to properly thank the powerful man. He straightens only once Ainz-dono accepted his thanks, emerald eyes looking inquisitively at him.

Thinking that keeping his guest in the main Gates for so long was rude from his part, he moved sideways, extending an arm welcomingly.

"Sorry for the delay, please allow me to show you the path to the Royal… Palace?" Ainz had come closer to him with a pensive look, seemingly ignoring his words.

"…A demon"

"Eh?"

"You fought against a powerful demon"

"Wha- how—?"

"Hm? you are bearing a demonic curse" he said simply, as if anyone could have determined that, as if it was obvious "That kind of curse eats out the living force of the victim, limiting movements and increasing considerably the energy needed to perform simple tasks" Hah? no wonder he always felt so heavy—

"Let me lift it for you, [Greater Heal]" Gazef couldn't even react to the news before the man casted the healing spell at him. He felt immediately the change, as if the gravity around him was lighter. He moved his arms experimentally, blinking in wonder at how energetic he suddenly felt, before smiling wide at his guest.

"Ainz-dono, are you attempting to drown me in debt? To think you have saved me for the third time!"

The magic caster laughed lightly, dismissing the issue with a gesture "No need, you are already helping me by being my guide Stronoff-san. Shall we enter?"

"Of course. I just— ah, about the dragon…?"

"Oh right" Ainz said lightly, acting as if he had forgotten the dangerous creature was still there before turning around to address it "You can go back Hejinmal, I'll call for you once I've finished negotiations in the Royal Capital"

"Your servant understands, if Your Exalted Majesty feels it is fine, then naturally your servant has no objections" the dragon said submissively, moving slowly as if trying to appear less dangerous, before flying off. It was quite a strong impression considering the powerful voice that emanated from its gigantic jaws, Gazef was, in a word, amazed upon seeing such scene.

A dragon, one- if not the most prideful of creatures, addressing a human as 'Majesty'. There were no words to describe how impacting that was.

Gazef's shoulders relaxed once the frost dragon disappeared in the cloudy sky. There were no other people in the vicinity, since the secondary Gate had been opened to register the visitors for this special day, something he was now very glad for.

How would the citizens react upon seeing the impacting arrival of someone as powerful as Ainz Ooal Gown? Riding a dragon to arrive to the Royal Capital…

Shaking his head to dispel the distracting thoughts, Gazef started to walk towards the Royal Capital with Ainz in tow, showing the districts and main buildings around them without delving deeply in the particulars. If Ainz knew Gazef was being careful in case conflict arose he didn't show it, actually making small chat and asking irrelevant questions. The magic caster didn't pay any mind to the few guards they encountered, not even when their gaze followed Ainz' movements with surprise and fear.

It was obvious for even the less intelligent of guards that the magic caster accompanying Gazef was anything but common. Their instincts screamed at them to behave, to avoid any possible conflict with the man that displayed such a strong aura, how was the Captain-warrior even standing under such pressure?

It was not like Gazef didn't feel the powerful aura. It was as he remembered, on pair with the one of Jaldabaoth's, but the demon's was noticeably evil and unholy, while Ainz' was simply authoritative and heavy, which made it easier to bear.

They kept walking deeper into the Royal Capital, passing through one of the twenty enormous circular towers that surrounded the Royal castle, The Valencia Palace.

The path to the Palace is not a long one, but he felt anxious upon arriving at the huge building. The Palace was roughly divided into three wings, and he had just entered one of them. This was the largest of the three, where the Royal Family attended their honor guests.

The Palace was very well-lit, collecting light from the outside in a brilliant display that seemed to make the interior sparkle. The polished hallways were free of litter; practically spotless, in fact. Along the clean and spacious hallways were the elite soldiers assigned to guard duty in the palace. They stood resplendent in their full plate armor — they were knights.

The Knights of the Baharuth Empire were commoners recruited and trained into professional soldiers. In contrast, the Kingdom's knights were usually third sons of landed nobles or others who could not otherwise inherit the family estate. However, the Crown paid them very highly, and so only first-rate swordsmen were accepted for membership. Not even the nobles could sneak in through backdoor connections.

The best way to describe them would be "the King's personal guard".

Gazef nods at them in greeting, an action they mimic tensely upon noticing his guest, their watchful gaze mindful of every little movement the magic caster did.

Not even the King's guards could stand Ainz' presence huh?

The Knights are mostly positioned near the entrances, so they stop encountering any after a couple of hallways. The sound of their small talk echoes in the otherwise silent passage, before approaching steps are heard mixed along with their voices.

James and Shizu were walking towards them, being guided out of the Royal Palace by Climb. On their chest shone a commemorative medal, much to the chagrin of James.

"What excuse will we use to justify our presence in the Royal Palace?" Gazef grinned evilly at the question, which made James tense guardedly.

"Well, his Majesty still wishes to convey his gratitude to your adamantite team…"

They had discussed it for a long while, but James had been unable to find another valid excuse that would allow him to enter the Palace. In the end, he had no choice but to begrudgingly agree to receive accolades, something that amused Gazef to no end.

Now was the moment of truth. On normal circumstances James, as a guest of honor would have been guided to another exit, so he didn't cross paths with the one appointed to come afterwards.

But this was a deliberate movement, and James knew etiquette was going to be slightly twisted for this purpose.

Climb moves close to the wall before stopping completely, the adamantite adventurers stopping behind him to let Gazef and Ainz pass at their side without issues. I wasn't necessary considering the width of the hallway, but it also showed respect at Ainz and his higher status.

That much was according to plan.

What was not supposed to happen was that Ainz would stop following Gazef, looking with undisguised interest at James. The adamantite warrior tensed under the scrutiny, eyes fixated on the other.

The difference between the two of them was prominent, day and night staring each other down without neither side wavering. James was taller by a couple of inches, and his complexion was somewhat buff, unlike the lean, physically-untrained body of the magic caster that looked petite at his side. They walked differently as well, the warrior's movements were precise and not a single motion was ever wasted in unnecessary, fancy gestures. Ainz was more laid-back, walked slowly as if he was little more than a tourist, taking in his surroundings with polite interest instead of the careful awareness of James.

The most important difference was their aura however. James was more approachable, a warm, friendly feeling that invited others to talk to him without fear of rejection, prominent even over the strong aura the warrior displayed. Ainz' aura on the other hand was oppressive, as if the gravity around him was heavier, and he seemed to be indifferent, almost cold when looking at people he wasn't already associated with.

The warm sun and the cold moon were trapped in the same hallway, silent for an infinitely long moment before Ainz finally spoke.

"How curious… a strong adventurer that doesn't reside on his own country" the magic caster said with a quick glance at the adamantite plate hanging over the armored chest of the warrior "It makes one wonder on the reason you stay in the Re-estize Kingdom."

Ainz was not the first to inquire about this. James was so strong he would be the ace in the sleeve of any country, much like the way Gazef was considered to be the triumph card of his own nation. Considering this, why was such an amazing man working as an adventurer in another country? No matter who asked, or how many times they insisted, all James ever did was smile thinly and say "I'm looking for someone" without delving into any details. His place of origin and past life were a mystery as well.

"…I— ah, I apologize, if I may know your name?" James asked warily with tense shoulders, but still neutral enough that it would not cause any animosity on the other.

"I am Ainz Ooal Gown" the magic caster said regally, in a manner a king would "Would you happen to be James? I've heard quite a few tales about you these past months."

"You would be right" James nodded curtly at him, seemingly contemplative. Blue eyes were looking at Ainz indecisively, as if weighting his options, before he seemed to make up his mind and bowed in greeting "Pleased to make your acquaintance. If I may be allowed to intrude on your schedule, would it be alright if we met at a later date?"

That wasn't according to plan at all. Climb was looking apprehensively at their interaction, while Shizu remained calm as usual, as if having expected this outcome. The again, she had such a good poker face it was hard to tell what really went inside her head.

Ainz tilted his head slightly with curiosity before nodding with an inviting smile. "Sounds interesting, I'll send you a [Message] to discuss the details once I've handled my previous compromise." The emerald gaze travels to Climb and Shizu briefly, wishing them farewell before turning towards Gazef again.

"Shall we continue?" The hell was that? What had just happened? Gazef wanted to stay and interrogate the male adamantite adventurer, but was unable to for obvious reasons.

"Of course Ainz-dono, please follow me" he gave one last look at Climb's group before continuing to stride in the hallway, the magic caster walking at his side with a tranquility he envied. Emerald eyes looked up, contently inspecting the light coming from the magical lamps on the ceiling, which were using the spell [Continuous Light]. Gazef was answering his questions distractedly, still too shocked to do anything else as he thought on the scene he had just witnessed over and over, without coming to any conclusion at all.

Gazef keeps walking the path he was familiarized with, until they finally arrive at the great doors that led to the Throne, with five Knights flanking each side. He knocks at the door a couple of times, waiting for a short moment before one of the servants came out to meet them.

"I apologize for the delay, His Majesty, The King Ramposa III Andrean Ield Ryle Vaiself is ready to welcome you, please follow me" the servant bows, and the great doors open slowly from the inside as if attempting to be dramatic, calling for attention to the richly adorned Throne room.

Ainz didn't seem awed at all, or surprised by anything inside the Palace. The magic caster gave off the feeling of being inside a normal house while he was used to life in a manor; in other words, the carefully neutral feeling of someone that was trying not to offend the other party by saying "I've seen better"

... This is very unsettling.

The room that greets them is circular; with people inside already waiting for their arrival. The golden throne is magnificent, standing tall in the middle of the room as the King Ramposa III studied everything from his higher seat. At each side are a small gathering of the most powerful nobles of each faction.

The Kingdom was divided into the Royal Faction and the Noble Faction, the latter of which was composed of a coalition of three of the nation's Six Great Nobles. The power struggle between them left the Kingdom's situation in a very precarious state. Some even felt that the only reason the country had not yet fallen apart was because of its yearly wars with the Empire.

Counting both factions, a total of six people were reunited in the circular room, standing to see their guest with interest. Around the room, close to the walls, were men standing at attention in strategic places that would allow them to protect anyone inside the room in a timely manner.

Gazef's position as Warrior-Captain was because many people opposed his knighthood, and so the King created a new appointment for him. Since then, the group of elite soldiers that he had picked and trained personally was known as Warriors. These are the men currently warding the room with watchful eyes.

Even my men seem wary at Ainz' presence.

They were much calmer than the Knights however, since the magic caster had helped them survive the battle of Carne Village.

Gazef bowed at Ainz from their position near the great doors, stating that his role as a guide had ended, before walking near the walls of the circular room until he stood at attention at the King's side, just in front of his troop of warriors that were positioned at the beginning of the staircase that led to the throne.

Ainz walks calmly over the red carpet until he is in the middle of the room, the place that was as far away from everyone gathered as physically possible.

"Your Majesty this is the Magic Caster known as Ainz Ooal Gown" the servant that had walked behind Ainz presented officially with a short, elegant bow.

"Sir Gown, it is really splendid that you have chosen to visit the Royal Capital. I am Rampossa III Andrean Ield Ryle Vaiself, King of the Re-estize Kingdom" the ancient voice was soft, but still resounded clearly in the silent room. The King's head was sprinkled with white hair, his emaciated body couldn't be described as healthy, and his facial expression was also quite poor. The hand that held the scepter was thin as a branch, and the crown on its head looked quite heavy. After a reign of thirty-nine years, the King was now sixty years of age.

"I am truly grateful for such a warm welcome Your Highness, Rampossa III" Ainz greets with a formal short bow, instead of kneeling as the nobles expected. Their faces fill with contempt at the action, but the King just smiles benignly at the magic caster.

"I have heard quite a beautiful story from my Captain-Warrior, of a disinterested man that placed himself in danger on behalf of those in need. I am grateful for your actions in Carne Village, Sir Gown"
The King's words were full of praise, causing many of the people of the Noble Faction to scoff softly. None of them had wanted to admit Ainz in the Palace, but since the King, the highest authority in the land, had given his approval, nobody else could object to it.

Once Gazef had reported the events of Carne Village, the King and the Royal section were the only ones grateful. The noble section had begun to make disparaging statements about this Ainz Ooal Gown, muttering things like 'A problematic and suspicious individual', 'An eccentric person who did not even dare to reveal his true face in public', 'A magic caster with a strange name'. Eventually there were even some who expressed the opinion that he had organized this attack to promote himself.

Gazef had to control himself to not show his anger. He felt ashamed for not being able to say a single word in defense of his benefactor who was criticized in this way. Of course, there was a good reason for this. It was because the nobles who were cynical with their benefactor had one thing in common: they all belonged to the great group known as the Great Noble Faction.

Although they were in the presence of the King, this palace had also become an extension of their dispute, a battlefield for two opposing factions. Because of this, being of the Royal faction and also a confidant of the King, Gazef did not want to respond calmly. He knew that with his clumsy way of speaking he had no chance to successfully discuss these nobles, so it was necessary to avoid opening his mouth so as not to give others the opportunity to use his words against him.

But Ainz didn't seem to mind the unfriendly stares, nodding in acknowledgement at the King while politely dismissing his good deed. Now that he thought of it, in that aspect, the adamantite warrior had a similar attitude—

"Although I am grateful for your kind words, I would like to delve into the main reason behind my visit. Regarding the Magician's Guild Master of the Re-estize Kingdom, Theo Rakesheer…"

The King directs a look at a particular man, who steps forward from his position in the Royal section, where Rampossa had asked him to stand at.

"That would be me Sir Gown. I am aware that my actions can be interpreted as hostile, but I swear over my life that my only objective was to create a communication canal that allowed us to interact freely with one another" stated Rakesheer, bowing deeply in an apologetic manner.

The King is the one to finish, speaking softly. "Sir Ainz Ooal Gown, my subordinate has done something discourteous. The sins of the vassals are those of their lord, and as such I beg your pardon. I hope this issue can be resolved with a rightful compensation"

But Ainz' answer surprised everyone in the room, Royal and Noble faction alike.

"No, there will be no need for that"

It was a firm rejection.

Ainz had focused completely on Rakesheer when the magic caster spoke, nodding in understanding at him before turning towards the King.

"I am capable of using magic that allows the user to detect lies. There was none in Rakesheer's answer" emerald eyes turn briefly to Gazef at the end of that phrase, as if Ainz knew he had been the one to place the request with the Magician's Guild master "As such, I will forgive this small mistake and let this matter rest, there is no need for compensation of any sort for a misunderstanding so feeble"

Stupefied silence reigned over the circular room, but the powerful magic caster simply smiled before continuing.

"That being said, I would like to seize this opportunity to make a proposal, if Your Majesty allows for it?" The King didn't move for a short moment, before nodding regally from his seat over the throne.

Nothing was going as they had predicted, just what—?

"I would like to extend my hand in friendship, as well as those under my rule—" under his rule? Was he a Lord of sorts? "—and propose an alliance with the Re-estize Kingdom when your country faces that of the Baharuth Empire in the annual war."

Hah?!

"…I apologize Sir Gown, for I am not aware of your title. If you could clarify your position on your natal country…?" Ainz smiled confidently, as if having expected that question.

"I am a Monarch" that— that would mean every single rule of etiquette had been broken, an insult to someone as high as a King, treated as a simple Sir"Although my land may be small in comparison, my domain enjoys of great military strength." Ohhh fuck, abort, ABORT! the whole plan was wrong to begin with! The man had arrived riding a dragon goddammit!

Ainz smiled with amusement, as if he could hear Gazef's thoughts, before continuing to speak.

"I would like to offer my aid in the scheduled fight your nation goes through year after year, as it no doubt impacts you heavily"

"… and what would you gain from this alliance?"

"An equivalent compensation" Ainz' smiled invitingly, opening his arms as if in welcome "I will offer to lend my strength so the Baharuth Empire doesn't dare to strike again, this covers any conflict that arises not only this year, but in the next decade"

That sounded too good to be truth—

"In exchange" Ainz continued ruthlessly, ignoring the shock that was engulfing the whole room "I will ask only for the city of E-Rantel and its immediate surroundings"

AUTHOR NOTE:

I consider it quite confusing when an author goes on and describe all of the skills and powers in the first chapter. I'm always like "Yeah cool, but why is that important?" I think it's easier to read and understand when it gets applied to a situation. That's why the description of the Djinn was as short as possible; it only had the purpose to get you to know the necessary tidbits. Specifications such as these could wait until needed.

For those that have read my other story, now you know where Albedo's request of a head-pat comes from, even if Harry himself never realized haha. For those that are not aware, I'm writing another story in this x-over section, feel free to check it out~

Oh God I started to correct the italics of the first chapters, and it's so very embarrassing to read again those chapters of the story. It is terribly obvious that I was a novice… ughhhh the sentences look so broken and weird, although in a sense is good to see I've improved however slightly. I guess it's like looking at a drawing you made as a child and understanding mom was only been amiable when telling you it was a good work of art. I couldn't even read them again passing the second chapter. I just selected everything, turned off the italics and left as soon as I could. Ugh.

Anyways, thanks for reading, hope you liked it and see ya' around!

Chapter was of 9.5K words = 21 pages in Word.

FAQ1: Harry gave an item to Gazef remember? "one would ensure the man survived with 1 HP no matter the blow he took"

FAQ2: Even when adventurers are not to interfere in national affairs, is something commonly done when the enemy is either something different from human or if it doesn't involve the enmity of another human country. That's why James was involved, since Ainz is supposed to be a hermit of sorts. (HA!)