After half-assedly working for his mid-terms, your boy has returned to post the promised "long" chapter! :^) Well, extra 600 words is pretty dang long ~
Reviews first,
Dear Guest, I apologize for the wait. Working, vacation and socializing wouldn't let me geek.
Thank you for your positive critique .true! It is always good to hear feedback that is both logical, encouraging and funny.
As for the other people who has read, let me know what you think. This does take time and effort so naturally I don't want to produce something that is subpar with my time. Reader feedback is always good to read and improve upon, positive or negative.
onwards with chapter 9!
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Character Sheet~~
Emmy Golden Globe aka. Eggy
Mercenary Summon / Presently Impersonating Tonald Drump aka. The God Emperor Thull
Job Useful Mercenary for Clearing High Level Jotunheimr Dungeons / Impersonator
Residence NA / Lloyd Castle
Allignment Evil Sense of Justice -100
Racial Level Doppelganger 15
Mimic 5
Other
Job Level Pantomime 10
Bone Crusher / Adamantite 15
Other
Racial Level: 30 Job Level: 40 Total Level: 70
HP: 70
MP: 60
PHY. ATK: 40 (Adaptable)
PHY. DEF: 30 (Adaptable)
AGILITY: 50 (Adaptable)
MAG. ATK: 10
MAG. DEF: 30
RESIST: 30 (Adaptable)
SPECIAL: 70
Background: Emmy Golden Globe was a mercenary summon in Yggdrasil who can still be summoned in the New World due to the parallel transition of many of the virtual game's properties. Eggy was a mercenary summon who came with a Christmas DLC for Yggdrasil. Like many rare mercenaries, the naming was done more for the laughs than for game immersiveness, referring to some awards given in the age of filming, television and theatre; before the introduction of fully immersive virtual reality.
Just like any other race, doppelgangers vary in their traits. Doppelgangers such as Pandora's Actor can turn themselves into any other character, being able to match their strength 80% at max level. These doppelgangers are more versatile in their art compared to racially specialized doppelgangers like Eggy. In conjunction with the Christmas theme, Eggy was optimized for some dungeons in Jotunheimr. With his pantomime ability, this mercenary was able to protect players from flash frost storms and was able to detect fake walls in the dungeons. Eggy is also a physically optimized doppelganger whom could deal significant damage to Jotunns that had extremely high MAG. DEF.. However, also due to the pantomime ability, Eggy is subpar in speech related actions.
Chapter 9
It had been more than half an hour since she had begun to retreat with her knights.
"Kelram, are we being followed?"
The knight at the other end of the medallion paused for a bit before answering.
"No my Lady!"
Kelram was a dark-skinned Lloyd Knight coming from the southernmost region of Roble. He was blessed with a special talent that gave him an impressively keen sixth sense. Since the knighthood was formed, Kelram had not once turned out to be incorrect. Joann had come to trust this knight's talent more than her own scrying abilities.
"We are landing, five-hundred feet ahead, loose V formation."
The elephant-sized horses landed graciously on the rough ground making a large V over the bumpy terrain.
"Let the man down Hawken, you should have at least let him sit upright. He looks worse than when I saw him being dragged by those orcs."
The big knight immediately unmounted, took the man off the horse and laid him down.
Hawken lightly patted the man's cheek, "Aye, you are saved from the orcs friend! We will take you back to humanity once we… well, you rest and Lady Joann asks you a few questions."
It took couple seconds for the sorcerer to start moving again. After a few clumsy moves the sorcerer launched himself forward onto his hands and knees and started puking. At least tried to but nothing came out since apparently the man's stomach was empty.
Watery eyed from gagging, Berethur sat on his butt and looked gloomily at the knights. 'I killed the orcs just so I could leave but getting rid of these guys is nowhere as simple… Knights with their honor codes and forced charities can be more thick skulled and stubborn than villagers and using force is out of the question.'
His somber thoughts vanished when he noticed the approaching knight. While other knights looked like they were silver statues, the captain of the knights wore a dark-pink metal armor with numerous engravings. Golden wings protruded from pale, opaque shoulder plates and the helm of the knight. While there may had been more to her gear, Berethur found himself looking at the face and the golden hair flowing under the helm. The visor was raised so even though the sun has settled, he could see the two warm brown eyes looking carefully at him.
As the rumors said, the captain of the Lloyd Knights was a woman looking to be in her mid-twenties. She had slightly thick brown eyebrows and an elegant but strong facial structure that gave character to her face. Her lips were red and full, provocative enough for Berethur to lose all sense of responsibility. She seemed to glide more than walk while she approached him despite the heavy plate-armor.
'Fuck it, I always wanted to see the capital.' He sighed. 'After spending a dozen days looking at Grendell's hideous face, I think I have become shamefully weak… getting acquainted with orcs did not help either. Probably she likes Thull worshippers… I am his biggest fan, right?
He took in the beauty of the woman approaching him.
…
"Joann? Hear me this is very urgent…"
Although her mind was full of questions about the encounter and what this man was about, Joann stopped to listen to Matella Mundi; a wise elite of the inner circle.
"Emperor Thull has made his return Joann, and he is unlike what you have told us…Accompanied by a demon he has enslaved, tonight Lord Thull has claimed his right as the ruler of Roble!"
"Impossible!" The knights were taken aback from the sudden outburst. Joann breathed deeply and pushed her hands into her sides to prevent them from shaking. One woe after the other, Joann felt the cruel irony of life for the first time.
"Oh, only he knows how long I have grieved after I felt him leaving this world… Only my beloved God could have beaten death itself, albeit I can't make myself believe that when I have seen what I had tonight." The existence of Edward, an arch-demon and what Matella has said to her made a painful picture together.
Joann felt her shock replaced by rage as she thought more about it.
"Master Scryer of the inner circle, Matella; please tell me everything you know, and do NOT spare me of any details."
Matella abided.
'Fake, fake, fake, fake, fake! None can enslave a supreme being! That pathetic demon is using some sort of impostor! I have protected these lands as it was the last wish Tonald-sama has given to me before his departure.'
Via message: "Matella, lend me your eyes."
Much like everyone in the upper echelons of Roble, Matella also had an innate talent. She could exchange sight with another person disregarding distance as long as the duo were connected by some sort of magic. [Message] did the work in this case.
Matella, miles away from the Valkyrie, rushed back to the throne room. She slipped through the open doorway and let her gaze rest on the picturesque events that were taking place.
Joann saw the ramrod straight demon looking to the throne as King Adlai rose from his seat. Her heart started to pound as Matella's vision focused on Thull. The God Emperor approached to the throne and seated himself as "King" Adlai took to the side of the throne. Rest of the room were prostrating towards the throne.
Joann took a deep breath to calm herself, 'Wonder if it works through this connection: [Detect: Life Essence] [Detect: Mana Essence] [Comparison].' She perked up as the spells took effect.
'No, this can't be right… A lvl 100 Arch-Demon and a lvl 70 Doppelganger! Could this demon be a player?! Regardless, I am no match for them even if I have the whole Roble supporting me. If I return, I doubt they will let me avoid them, being the praised Valkyrie knight. Shit!'
Joann felt like she was being squeezed by a giant's grip, she felt her eyes tear up as she felt utterly powerless for the first time. Her people had been deceived over night while she was hunting rumors.
'Calm down Joann, there would not have been anything that I could have done if I was in Roble when those vermin descended on my people. Perhaps me being out of the city can work out for me. I have leads and some time, I won't let Tonald-sama's legacy be sullied by false supreme beings!'
'Joann, are you still there? Are you seeing this?' Matella's concerned whisper echoed in her head.
'Yes. Matella, you don't understand how grateful I am to you for contacting me as soon as possible. You have my thanks.' Matella was silent. She curiously waited for Joann's assessment. 'You are gazing on a false god, master scryer; but as things are, I want you to be silent with this information. While that is not our God, it is not a regular human. None in that room can, or together defeat those charlatans. Stay put until I [Message] you again and protect our people till I arrive. The one you should worry about is the demon.'
Matella breathlessly listened to the Valkyrie Knight as her worst-case scenarios were confirmed one by one. She realized a little too late that the demon was gazing at her. The eyes were not visible through the mask, but the face was turned towards her and she could feel the wicked gaze of the being down to her bones.
'Shit, I forgot to prostrate! I don't even want to think how my face must have looked like all that time… Just how much suspicion did I arose from this demon?'
She immediately closed the connection and throw her down into prostration. Matella took a deep breath, 'Thull, give me strength.'
….
Edward's words flooded into Joann's mind, '…keep any new friends you make close if you will…'
'Does this sorcerer have anything to do with the subjugation of Roble? [Life Essence]. Surprisingly capable for a commoner. Suspicious.'
Berethur watched as the lovely woman started to approach him again after the long pause with deep concern. Before she had a concerned and caring look on her face, but now her face was contorted and full of animosity.
'What the fuck went wrong again?'
"Greeti-"
"[Charm]. Tell me your story."
Berethur felt like he was pushed underwater. His body went numb and his mind dazed while his mouth began to speak involuntarily. 'Huh, am I in a dream?' Berethur stared at the eyes of the Valkyrie while loud mumbling sounds coming from his mouth echoed in his brain.
The guy's eyes went blank as the spell took effect. For an hour and a half, including his origins, the man talked about his journey from the westernmost village of Roble to the Eastern Plains with details down to his sleep schedule. Joann's expression went soft as she listened to the oblivious man's story while occasional uh-oh! Sounds were coming from the other knights. His name was Berethur, a citizen of Roble. However, she started scowling again after hearing about wild magic and Grendell. Their journey was basically an impromptu pilgrimage to the floating castle. Though she wondered how they could by-pass the protective enchantments of Eryuentiu*.
'So he was not alone. It is not far-fetched to assume this duo has a lot of importance to the charlatans. Although Berethur is a capable wizard for human standards and his wild magic is something I have never seen, he does not have information or power that can interest a level 100 arch-demon. On the other hand, this Grendell seems to be able to totally annihilate a level 35 summon without breaking a sweat. I need to find him too, then maybe, I can understand why this duo is being tracked by a monster like Edward.'
'So many unanswered questions…why are these two trying to get to the former capital of the Eight Greed Kings anyways? Is the Arch-demon a player? It has got to be… as far as I know all beings of Yggdrasil that are created by players came along with the players, just like that impostor coming along with the demon, right? I know there were many who played the game, but not all had the dedication to reach the highest peaks of power. Maybe they are both players… or they are both creations… no, that is absurd, that would mean there is a chance there is more of them somewhere else! I don't even want to think about it. One thing I am sure of is that there may be many players, but there is only ONE Supreme Being. Tonald Drump-sama!'
Joann had decided.
"Kelram, Hawken you will stay with me. Rest of you will be returning to The Wall. Wait there for two days, then move onwards to the capital. We have completed our mission but I want to look into this case for a bit longer. Helkel has fallen, please report our loss to King Adlai. I will write my report and then you are good to go."
The knights lowered their heads with the official declaration of the death of an order member. "Yes, Lady Joann!"
Joann quickly wrote a summary of their discoveries, excluding her suspicions. She would have preferred to omit Edward from her report all together but she was sure that damned demon would report to his summoner. Joann then released her spell on Berethur.
"Sorry Berethur, but I had to make sure. These are times in which we can't spend time on pleasantries."
The sitting man slowly rose to his feet and gathered himself. He seemed to be in his early twenties.
"How do you know my name?" Berethur looked at the knight with questioning eyes.
"Ah, I will tell you along the way. We will be looking for your friend now, that is what you wish, isn't it?"
"Wait, how do you know about…?"
"As I said, along the way. We will ride the Pegasus but won't take flight until we reach the hills. I suggest you prepare yourself for that mentally until then." She jumped onto her Pegasus and extended her arm for Berethur. After a brief moment of confusion, Berethur took on the invitation.
….
"Shame, they are gone."
Edward looked around the ruins of the encampment. He calmly opened his suitcase and brought out a type-writer from the depths of it. The suitcase hung hip level in mid-air as Edward prepped and placed the typewriter on top of it.
'Dear Demiurge-sama,
Although I know that you are very busy and cannot be bothered with petty side-missions, allow me to bother you with my first report on my job. The duo is sighted in the Eastern Plains near an orc encampment. I have dealt with the fauna of the area accordingly. More intriguingly, I have come into contact with two rather exceptional individuals. One is observed to be a knight of the Valkyrie class and a savage orc warrior. Since they are very rare specimens, I did not use excessive force against them while there is a chance the knight was disintegrated due to "unfortunate" circumstances. The company of the Valkyrie is likely to have possession off, or have information on the duo I am tracking. I will narrow the intelligence net accordingly.
Regards,
Edward Milford'
He gazed at his side where a large body was laying down. Gallahad was breathing deeply but weakly. The orc had tried his best to fight but Edward had spanked him around like a naughty child. His face looked like a carriage crash while the orc's body was full of bruises.
'To think I would be so kind to dispel the Judge so I can go easy on him…I guess being away from Devil-san for so long made me a softy. I even did him a favor and ripped those ugly tusks out of his mouth, now he looks more like a man than a beast.'
He glanced back to his watch. 'Until next time.' The demon vanished into the swooshing wind.
…..
Gallahad remained on the ground long after the monster was gone. Beaten and his tusks ripped; no savage would not have let go off his life. But that monster did not give him the release of death and Gallahad was not one that even thinks of ending his own life. Now, only thing he could do was to live on with his shame.
He would have screamed his frustration into the night, but Gallahad kept his lips pursed so the holes where his magnificent tusks once were did not show. His grief and anger poured inward as he laid on his side. The horde was scattered. There was no way he would go back to the mountains and rally the savages back looking the way he is. His silent contemplation cut short by sloppy footsteps. Gallahad rose to his feet, brimming with anger and embarrassment. He would rather die than let someone see him this vulnerable.
Since he wasn't dying, the only option was to kill.
"Rgh, you seen… small man?"
Gallahad just moved towards the stocky figure.
…...
He was in the fanciest guest room in the castle with Eggy. It was very amusing how the elites commenced into a guessing game on what a "God" do when it is not doing its divine work. Some of the nobles were half expecting them to rose to the heavens then come back the next day. However, the sharper tools in the shed did act to prepare a room for the duo. Although some urged them to stay in the castle temple, Demiurge directed Eggy to choose one of the castle's guest rooms instead.
Eggy had said "I do not have worldly needs. But during my time amongst my people, it is my wish to be regarded as your leader, not your god. I will take the night off just like you so prepare me one of your guest rooms."
Demiurge gave himself a moment to reflect.
The doppelganger was seated as the Emperor of the sheep. He had deliberately let Adlai hold onto the title "King" in order to smoothen the possible backlash he may cause. The elites did not hold any land and their power solely came from their title and position. After the night-long affairs, everyone was dismissed to their quarters to get some rest. Demiurge was in no rush to set things straight. A strong foundation was necessary for his plans to work.
'How convenient, land is power and none of the people in the government has any. Best government structure the people can hope for. Tonight will give great insight on the impression Eggy has made via the shadow demons I have dispatched to track the elites.'
Demiurge mused, his was indeed a challenge worthy for a floor guardian. To manipulate a whole country to do his bidding. Ainz-sama on the other hand, made his ploys over the whole continent, which amazed Demiurge to no end.
'Everything Ainz-sama has done somehow worked together with his future plans. Seeing his greatness in work looks like Ainz-sama is just playing chess against himself. With fiercely rebellious, deceitful, greedy, intelligent –in some cases- pieces but they are yet just chess pieces to the Supreme Being.'
His thoughts briefly went to the Kingdom and Renner. 'That woman stands like a sore thumb between those inbred nobles. Wonder how Ainz-sama will utilize her. If my intuition is correct, she maybe the key to the conquest of the Kingdom. She can definitely benefit Nazarick.'
'Talking about women, that old woman. Matella Mundi was it? Yes, she seemed a little too informed during the coronation. Moreover, I am yet to see the fabled Valkyrie Knight.'
Although they were in the same room, there was no need to take a risk and speak out loud.
Via [Message]: "Eggy."
"Yes, Demiurge-sama?"
"Do you understand your part of the plan for tomorrow?"
"Yes."
'I highly doubt it but that is why I am here.' "Good."
"As I mentioned you will also need to visit the temples. Do not touch or interact with anything unless necessary." 'There is a chance that something left by the dead god can react badly with the new one.'
"Understood Demiurge-sama."
In front of him a piece of paper came forth from lifeless flames. Which made Demiurge raise an eyebrow. He did not expect to hear from Edward so soon.
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*the city beneath the Floating Castle. The thirteen heroes went to this city and were given powerful artifacts. Fluder has gone there too but was not given access.
For the curious, the reason why the doppelganger is not very high level is in either volume 5 or 6, it is stated that adjutants that Ainz can create can be in the 90s which were higher than any mercenary summon. Thus, I have come to the conclusion that it is more suitable for summons and mercenary summons to be around 60-70s except for the notorious ones. The way the Light Novel handles the topic of levels makes me think that reaching level 100 could have only be accomplished by very dedicated players. Thus I also think that it is counter intuitive to Overlord to shower a story with lots of level 100 characters, especially if they are not players but NPCs. Keep in mind that Ainz Ooal Gown was one of the most powerful guilds in a game that is played by presumable millions. This way we can also appreciate and get a more indicative measure of capability obtained through leveling and how it is reflected to the New World.
