Was that a turnaround of 11 days? Compared to the gap between the last chapter and the one before that, I'll take it! Any progress is one to be celebrated!
Welcome back to this latest chapter of The Nazarick Triumvirate. On behalf of myself and my co-author, we hope you are all doing well. As always, thank you so much for the love and support you are all showing this story whether it's through a favourite, follow or review. Know that we appreciate each and every one of you now that we've reached 125 followers and over 12.5k views in total on this humble story of ours.
brianwood978, thank you for your review in particular because that allows us to answer a question I'm sure a LOT of people have been wondering: When are our boy Henry's dragon forms showing up? Allow me to officially reveal that, whilst we won't be getting a full transformation until much later in the story, we can assure you that when we do, the sheer scope and size we have planned for it will be worth it. Until then, we've planned for his half-dragon form that will be coming NEXT CHAPTER! Sorry if that doesn't fully satisfy everyone, but it'll be worth the wait I swear!
Also, apologies if I told you all that the battles with Khajiit and Clementine would be in this chapter. Unfortunately, if I'd put it in this one we'd have had a double length for the chapter, and given that we got to 12k words before the fight even began I felt it best to cut the chapter off before the battle started and dedicate the next chapter entirely to it to do justice to what comes next.
(daniel: Hey guys! Good to see you once more! Believe me that I also want Henry to showcase what a real dragon looks like to the New Worlders but we gotta do the pace right for it to have the impact we want. The half-form and partial transformations will do for now so that his real form will have quite the punch when we reveal it!)
Now that's been said, here we go with chapter 9 of this story as our gang confronts Hamsuke and then returns to E-Rantel where a sinister plot gets underway. As always, the usual disclaimer that neither I nor daniel own Overlord or any of its characters, locations, events or anything else related to the anime, manga or Light Novels. The only things we own are our OCs, Henry and Fengxian. ENJOY!
Chapter 9 – Unneeded Complications
It didn't take Nfirea too long to find the Swords of Darkness and bring them back, along with his cart full of tools and supplies, to where the group of four had remained waiting for them. If the Swords had noticed the sudden spring in Nfirea's steps and the more excited air around him, they certainly didn't comment on it much to Momon and Alfred's relief. There was always the risk, now that Nfirea knew of their true identities, that the normally nervous and shy young man, in a bout of excitement, could let it slip. But thankfully Nfirea seemed to be keeping to his word, and so the group of four set off into the Great Forest of Tob.
From what Momon and Alfred had been told by Peter and Lukrut, the Great Forest of Tob not only covered most of the southern region of the Re-Estize Kingdom but was also considered to be a hazardous place where only a few dared tread, mostly explorers and adventurers doing quests or slaying monsters for gathering and harvesting missions, and only ever in parties of four or greater due to the danger and ferocity posed by some of the monsters and other beings dwelling within. At the moment, due to its size, the forest was geographically divided into four areas that were referred to by the cardinal directions they were located in on the map, each with its own dangers and wonders as well as being ruled by fearsome creatures that had long since passed into the myth and history of not only the Kingdom but the continent itself. There were even rumours that the Northern area was ruled not by one of these creatures, but by a dark ancient power that had long gone into hibernation.
As for the monsters that ruled the other sections, there was the Demon Snake of the West, the strongest of the Nagas that inhabited that region of the woods and who was rumoured to be able to cast up to Fourth-Tier magic. They were in constant conflict with the troll forces of the Eastern Forest, ruled by an especially strong troll known only as the Giant of the East. And then there was the mythical beast who inhabited the Southern Forest, the area which Momon, Alfred and their friends and comrades were heading into, known only as the Wise King of the Forest. According to Peter, the creature had never been seen by the naked eye but apparently had displayed strength and power to such a level that for the past two hundred years it had steadily made a name for itself among commoners and adventurers alike to such a degree that it is regarded as one of the strongest creatures throughout the whole continent.
Naturally, a creature of such power piqued Momon and Alfred's interest while presenting them with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enhance their adventurer reputations and secure the precious metals and minerals that lingered inside the cave where the beast resided. That's why, after finding an area of the forest plentiful in the herbs and plants that Nfirea had been aiming for thanks to Lukrut's tracking and Dyne's innate ability to detect these resources, the Swords of Darkness had agreed to guard Nfirea as he gathered his ingredients whilst Momon, Alfred, Eleanor and Nabe had volunteered to scout the immediate area around them, ostensibly to ferret out any dangerous creatures nearby in order to cover their true purpose of meeting up with Aura and having her guide them to the Wise King's lair.
(So Suzi, what do you think 'Wise King of the Forest' could be?) Alfred asked as the four walked through the forest in silence.
(Hmm…) Momon considered, bringing his hand to his helmeted chin. (Judging by how Aura and Demiurge were certain it would enhance Momon and Alfred's reputation greatly, along with what Peter told us about its almost mythic reputation and its title of Wise King, I'm guessing it will be larger than normal version of a mythical creature, such as a chimaera, a manticore or something along those lines)
(That would line up to its fearsome reputation for sure, but given how no one has survived to report on its appearance it must be a rapid and stealthy creature, one that is capable of swiftly and brutally ripping apart anyone who confronts it) Alfred speculated. (I'm hedging it'll be a large lion, tiger or wolf personally)
(Either way, we still ought to be careful) Momon answered as they entered a small clearing. (We don't know this beast's strength or its abilities. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised, given what we've heard, if it's around level 50 or 60. And whilst that's nothing that we can't normally handle, we still ought to be prepared for any surprises)
(You got it, I'll make sure Albedo and Narberal know that too) Alfred replied as he smiled beneath his helm, his enhanced vision having picked out a shape in the trees above them. (By the way, you can safely call out to Aura now. Not only are we far enough away from the others, but she's also right above us)
(How do you-? Never mind, I almost forgot dragons can see and smell better than the rest of us…) "Okay everyone, that's far enough," Momon stated, holding up a hand for the group to stop before raising his voice. "Aura! If you can hear us, let us talk about spreading the great names of Momon and Alfred in this world!"
"Sounds like the best idea, EVER!" Came the high-pitched reply from the trees above, causing Eleanor and Nabe to look around reflexively as they searched for the sound of the voice before spotting the small Dark Elf languishing in one of the trees above them, her hand waving merrily and a smile on her face.
"Oh, lady Aura…you startled me. I didn't mean to raise a hand towards you," Nabe apologised, lowering her hand which had been on the verge of casting a spell.
"It's okay, Narberal. It's my bad honestly for sneaking up on you," Aura replied as she smoothly leapt off of the tree and performed a perfect 360-degree somersault before landing lightly on the forest floor.
"I did not detect you, Aura…if it weren't for my lord and my prince, I would have had no idea you were here…how long have you been watching us?" Albedo asked.
"A while…I followed you and your new friends as soon as you entered the forest and waited until you were far enough away so that we would not be overheard. Besides, what kind of ranger would I be if I let you find me so easily?" Aura replied before respectfully getting to a knee before Momon and Alfred. "Of course, I doubt I fooled my lord Trajan for even a moment. With his keen senses, I'm sure he knew I was following you all from the moment you arrived."
"That's not untrue…" Truthfully, Alfred had caught a whiff of something different whilst he, Momon and the girls had been escorting Nfirea into the forest, but had put it down to all of the forest's different smells. "Still, you did well to hide yourself from the rest of the humans as you did. Good work, Aura," the silver-plated adventurer commented as he ruffled Aura's hair, causing the petite dark elf to beam in delight.
"Yes, well done Aura," Momon added before getting down to business. "Back in the village, Lupusregina Beta told me that between yourself and Demiurge, you have discovered a way to not only boost our reputations but also to solve our resource problems. Since we are in the Southern area of the Great Forest of Tob, I would imagine this solution involves the so-called 'Wise King of the Forest'?"
"It does indeed, my lord. As always you are one step ahead of all of us," Aura replied reverently, causing Momon (if it were possible) to blush beneath his helm and Alfred to chuckle softly at what the small Guardian was implying regarding his friend's apparent 'foresight'. "As soon as Lord Demiurge heard the rumours of these so-called mythical beasts that live in these parts, he had me investigate them and their lairs. The den of this so-called 'Wise King' is not far from here, and it is an abandoned mine that was abandoned by those digging for its resources when the creature decided to make it its nest. Should you capture or slay it, Lord Demiurge believes the reputations of your adventurer personas will rise dramatically, and the mine's resources would be yours to do with as you please!"
"You and Demiurge have both done well in this regard," Momon stated. "Should we find what you have described and thus solve both problems in one go, we shall see to it that both of you are rewarded when we return to Nazarick."
"M-my lords! I cannot accept that!" She exclaimed abashedly with a lowered head. "As Guardians, it is our duty and joy to serve you and work towards the advancement of Nazarick. We cannot be rewarded for simply doing our jobs!"
"Nonsense, you have gone above and beyond in your duties, and such provident actions deserved to be rewarded," Alfred told her kindly yet firmly. "But we can discuss that later. For now, could you take the four of us to the beast's lair?"
"Of course, my lords! Please, follow me!" With these words, she leapt enthusiastically back into the trees and started running along its branches that led further into the forest. Sharing an appreciative chuckle at her eagerness, Momon and Alfred, followed by the girls, followed on as best they could on foot. After a short travel time, they ran into Aura again as she waved to them from the entrance to a large cave built into a hillside.
"Here it is, Lord Ainz and Crown Prince Trajan! The lair of the Wise King of the Forest!" She proclaimed proudly with a small bow.
"Well done, Aura!" Momon told her proudly. "Now, since we are here, would you do us the honour of luring the beast out here into this clearing? We'll take it from there."
"Right away, my lords! Be right back!" With these words she dashed over to the entrance and peeked inside, before slowly and very carefully tip-toeing her way into the entrance so as not to disturb it prematurely.
"Prepare yourselves, girls. We don't know what manner of beast awaits us, so be on guard just in case," Alfred warned the girls. Both of them nodded promptly, with Eleanor releasing her spear and Nabe wrapping her hand in magic whilst both Momon and Alfred drew their respective weapons and pointed them towards the opening. After a minute or two of waiting, they suddenly heard a loud rumbling sound coming from within the cave, followed by the sound of Aura's hurried footsteps as she dashed back out into the open air.
"I got it spooked! It's all yours! Good luck!" She cried before leaping back into the safety of the trees as the sound of larger, and more hurried, footsteps began to emanate from the cavern.
"Get ready!" Momon shouted as they all braced themselves. Taking that as his cue, Alfred planted himself at the forefront of their group, shield raised with its face facing towards the entrance, which was exactly the right thing to do as whatever the beast was suddenly burst forth from the shadows of its cavernous home…and ran face first straight into Alfred's shield. As the creature's skull bounded off of the shield with a dull *THUNK*, the force of the impact along with the speed it had been carrying caused it to land with a thud a few yards from where Alfred was currently standing.
"OWIE!" The creature squeaked as it righted itself, allowing those present to get their first glimpse of it, only to come face to face with the last thing they'd expected…a giant, Djungarian hamster, standing at approximately 10 feet tall and covered in silver fur along with possessing a long snake-like tail.
"You have got to be kidding me…of everything it could've been, it just had to be a giant, FUCKING hamster?!" Alfred thought with complete amusement, struggling with all his might not to burst out laughing.
"The Wise King of the Forest…a creature of myth and legend…is nothing more than Djungarian hamster on steroids…" Momon bemoaned. "I am…beyond words to describe both how stupid and disappointing this sounds…" Behind them, Nabe and Eleanor were wearing similar looks of exasperation and frustration at this turn of events.
"Did well to block my attack, you did!" The hamster suddenly squeaked, trying to be intimidating and failing miserably due to its high-pitched squeak. "Easy to block my next attack, it will not be! Leave my forest, you will, or consequences you shall suffer!"
"Oh no….oh no no no…not only is this thing a giant hamster, it's talking like Yoda?!" Momon's exasperation and annoyance were only rising at this…completely comical excuse for a supposed 'Wise King of the Forest'. But what also wasn't helping matters was his partner-in-crime completely losing it and almost collapsing to his knees in a fit of laughter that rang out around the clearing, causing Aura, Nabe and Eleanor to look at each other and shrug, as if saying 'Yeah, I have no idea what to make of this anymore.' (ISE! Can you please, for the love of Kami, stop acting as though you're being tickled and fucking concentrate?!) He found himself roaring in his friend's direction.
(Oh…oh Kami, I'm sorry Suzi but…that hamster…not only does he sound ridiculous with his high-pitched squeaks, but he's using Yoda speak! This is one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life!) Alfred replied, all the while struggling to compose himself as he slowly rose from the ground. (Do you think we can…WHOAH! Heads up, Suzi, he's coming at you!)
"What the? CRAP!" Taking advantage of the distraction provided by Alfred's sudden fit of giggles, the massive hamster, its chest glowing with light blue runes, launched himself forward past the stricken warrior and swiped at Momon's head using one of its massive claw-tipped hands, perhaps sensing the warrior without the shield would be an easier target to hit. In the nick of time, Momon brought up both of his swords and was able to hold back the attack which was surprisingly strong given the hamster's almost comical nature.
"Sir Momon? Do you need assistance?" Nabe asked, hand resting on the pommel of her sword.
"The three of you stay put! I'll handle this beast!" He shouted as he pushed the hamster's claws back, causing it to stumble a little due to the force of Momon's shove.
(Wise King of the Forest uses Scratch! It's not very effective!) Alfred called out so that only Momon could hear, his shout laced with humour.
(Really, Ise? REALLY?! FUCKING POKEMON?!) Momon almost found himself bellowing, his mood darkening rapidly between the moronic hamster and his comrade's teasing.
(Sorry, couldn't resist. Way too good an opportunity to pass up!) His friend chuckled as he got to his feet and moved over to where the others were standing, allowing Momon to face him down one on one.
"A cunning warrior, you are. Take great pride in our duel and your defeat, I shall!" The hamster declared as it changed tact and lashed out with its massive tail, hoping the shift in attack would catch Momon off guard.
(Wise King of the Forest uses Tail Whip! It's attempting to lower Momon's defences!) Alfred added cheekily, causing Momon to audibly groan. He was now officially done with this shit. As the tail shot towards his face, he simply sheathed his swords and caught the tail in his armoured grip before, with great force, spinning the overgrown rat around by the long appendage before letting go and sending it flying into a nearby tree, causing it to fall to the ground as a result. (No effect!) Alfred finished.
(Ise…) Momon practically growled as he turned to Aura. "Go back to Nazarick and report to Demiurge," he told the small Dark Elf gruffly, who judging by his expression was just as exasperated as Momon on seeing the true form of this supposed 'mythical beast'. "Tell him to get the necessary workers ready so that they can start to dig. This will be over shortly."
"As you wish, my lord! See ya Lord Trajan, Lady Albedo and Miss Narberal!" With a rapid salute and wave, the Dark Elf jumped back into the trees as Momon turned back to face the massive rodent who was only just struggling back to its feet.
"G-give up, I will not! F-fight to the bitter end, I will!" It proclaimed on unsteady legs.
(Wise King of the Forest is severely weakened! Will Momon use a Poke Ball to capture it?) Alfred's latest jape was enough to snap what little patience Momon had left.
"That's it! I am fucking done with this shit and this giant. Fucking. HAMSTER!" The beast had put up a spirited effort, but it was time to end this farce before either it or Alfred could wind him up any more. "Aura of Despair, Level 1!" He growled, his entire body radiating with the familiar, sickly black aura of undeath. Almost instantly, the hamster's entire body shivered before falling on its back, its claws raised in surrender.
"P-please! N-no more, I beg of you!" It cried piteously. "S-Surrender to you, I do! Whatever you wish to me, you may do!"
"Fucking...finally…" Momon sighed as he approached the beast. "I could simply have it killed and use its remains as materials for various projects, but having this so-called 'mythical beast' under my command would not only raise Momon and Alfred's reputation, but given the right training, this thing could be a useful warrior for our forces…" Momon's mood was almost lifted as he envisaged the disbelieved reaction Fengxian was sure to have when he brought this beast to him, and that was enough to make up his mind. "If I let you live," he addressed the fallen creature. "Will you swear to serve me and mine?"
"Y-yes! Serve you and those who follow you, I will!"
"You will agree to take orders from those I deem your superiors and follow their commands as if they were my own?" He added. "If I have to suffer this beast, then for all his damn teasing Ise is going to have to put with it as well!"
"Y-yes! Obey orders from those you tell me to follow, I shall!"
(SCREW YOU SUZI!) Alfred near shouted, realising what his friend had just pulled.
(Nope, don't want Albedo and the others getting jealous! Besides, that's what you get for teasing me like that!) "Very well then. Rise, creature!" He declared, arms wide. "I dub thee as Hamsuke, loyal servant of myself, Momon, also known as Ainz Ooal Gown, master of Nazarick, and also of my son and heir Alfred, also known as Crown Prince Henry, Prince of Nazarick!"
"Proud to serve you both, I am! Looking forward to learning from you and getting stronger, I also am!" The newly-christened Hamsuke declared proudly as he got to his feet before bowing his head low. Throughout all of this, Nabe and Eleanor had simply watched on whilst doing their best to maintain their composure since they had shared their father's exasperation with this beast rather than their beloved's amusement.
(You're planning on getting Ki to train him, aren't you?) Alfred commented as, with a wave, Momon bade them follow him out of the clearing with their newest companion in tow.
(I've already put up with it enough for a lifetime. And since Ki isn't here, it's only right he has his turn putting up with its stupid speech and stupid voice) Momon replied with a sigh. He just hoped that Nfirea's gathering trip had been worth this…madness.
(I'll get the snacks and chairs ready when we get back to Nazarick. That first meeting is something I do NOT want to miss!)
~TNT~
To say the Swords of Darkness and Nfirea were shocked upon the return of their group was an understatement. At first, both Peter and Lukrut had drawn their weapons as they saw the massive creature approach them, but upon seeing that it looked sufficiently cowed and was seemingly following on passively behind Momon and Alfred, they, along with Dyne and Ninya who had been on the verge of casting spells, instead took a step back and watched it cautiously as it entered the vicinity.
"Worry not, my friends! My group and I were able to successfully track down the beast's lair and defeat it in combat!" Momon called out cheerfully. "In recognition of its defeat, the former 'Wise King' surrendered and has pledged itself to our service!"
"My comrade and brother-in-arms Momon speaks the truth. This beast will not harm you so long as we command it!" Alfred added for good measure.
"Correct, my masters are!" Hamsuke chirped. "So as long they so wish, not cause trouble for you or any human, I will! Devoted to their wills, I am! Whatever path they choose, follow it I shall!" This declaration caught the Swords and Nfirea off guard, and all they could do for a few seconds was stare at the beast, Alfred and Momon with open mouths and hung jaws, the sight of which almost caused Alfred to burst into another fit of giggles once again.
"Amazing…" Ninya breathed, awed. "What an awe-inspiring creature! That you were able to tame it so easily…" Even though her voice trailed off, it was hard to miss the look of awe and reverence she was now giving the two armoured knights.
"Indeed! I feel great strength and wisdom radiating from it! To simply look upon it something I never thought would ever be possible," Dyne added.
"Great strength? Wisdom? REALLY?!" Momon thought to himself.
"I guess your amazing feats know no bounds! No wonder such beautiful women like Nabe and Eleanor are fully devoted to you!" Lukrut added, perviness back in full effect.
"And he ruined it…now people are going to think we tamed it just to impress the girls…" Alfred bemoaned.
"You really are incredible, Sir Momon and Sir Alfred! If these are the sorts of adventures you're going to get up to from now on, I wouldn't mind taking up another quest with you again!" Peter stated with a warm smile.
"Y-yes…that sounds good…" Momon said hesitantly before turning to Nfirea. "Have you gathered all of your ingredients yet, young Nfirea?"
"Not quite, Sir Momon. But since you have taken care of the Wise King, I believe we should be able to gather more of them without fearing any sort of attack," the young alchemist replied with a wan smile. Having been told of Momon/Ainz's true power by Enri, he hadn't been as shocked as the Swords upon hearing that Momon had tamed the mythical 'Wise King', but still…hearing about it was one thing, seeing it was another thing entirely. He couldn't wait to learn more from the likes of Sir Ainz and Sir Constantine!
"Very well then. Let's get this done before we lose daylight," Alfred stated. "On our way back here, Hamsuke here told us of a couple more places around the Southern Forest where the herbs you seek grow in abundance."
"Correct, Master is! Know of these plants and the best places to get them from, I do!" The giant rodent added enthusiastically. Its strange manner of speech was suddenly too much for the Swords and Nfirea to contain themselves any more as they all suddenly burst into laughter, quickly joined by Alfred and finally Momon with Nabe and Eleanor remaining nonplussed as always.
"Looks like everything's worked out for the best in the end," Momon reflected as Hamsuke guided them towards the next patch of herbs. "We've got Nfirea interested in working with us willingly, thereby sorting out our potion supply issue. We've acquired a mine that will produce a ton of metals we can use for armour and weapons, along with a powerful beast that once trained will be of great value to us. Carne Village is safe and secure, and thanks to the way we easily crushed that band of ogres and goblins along with defeating the once mythical 'Wise King of the Forest', Momon and Alfred's reputations are sure to skyrocket."
~TNT~
Nfirea's herb-gathering mission, with the aid of Hamsuke's knowledge of the surrounding area, went better than the young man could ever have expected, and it was only the fading light that prevented them from carrying on. But by the end of it, Nfirea reported that he had gathered twice as much as he had expected when he'd first arrived, so all in all this mission, the first of Momon and Alfred's adventuring career, had been completed with overwhelming success.
After saying a swift goodbye to Enri, Lupusregina (enthusiastically so in Alfred's case), the goblin guards and the rest of the villagers, the band of ten, with Nfirea's cart now stacked to the brim with the herbs he'd gathered, set off that very evening, with Hamsuke now marching happily alongside Nfirea's cart. From time to time, the members of Momon's group would hop on the giant rodent's back so that they could rest their legs, and the once mythical beast didn't mind at all being used as a mount.
The air around the campfire that night was a joyous one, given the success of Nfirea's mission and his promise of a larger-than-normal payout as thanks for the aid they had given. Lukrut may have been back to his flirty self, but it was more jokey in nature this time around so neither the girls nor Alfred minded. In fact, Nabe was slowly coming more out of her shell and exchanging pleasant and encouraging words with Ninya, who by now was starstruck and almost worshipful of her and her companions, and Dyne who was polite enough not to pry when asked and who kept Lukrut from going overboard. It was only Eleanor who remained quiet that evening, but no one minded since they'd gotten used to her shy nature.
After a good rest that night, the company once again set off for E-Rantel. Compared to their outward journey to Carne Village, this portion of their excursion was a lot less exciting and free of monster and bandit attacks, allowing them to make good time.
As the sun started going down, the company finally reached the gates of E-Rantel where Alfred suggested that Momon hop on Hamsuke's back and ride him through the city. Momon was a little uncomfortable with his suggestion at first, but after listening to both Alfred's and Peter's reasoning that this would help boost his name that little bit more, he acceded and climb onto the rodent's back as they passed through the city's gates. As it turned out, their suggestion was a good one. Even though there weren't that many people on the streets as they passed through, all of them stopped, stared and whispered to each other in awe as Momon rode in majestically on the back of the 'Wise King of the Forest', looking every inch the conquering and gallant hero surrounded by his loyal and faithful companions. All the words they heard being muttered were words of either praise or fear, wondering how these adventurers had even been capable of conquering, let alone taming, such a mythical beast.
Once the group arrived at the town square, they split off in their respective directions. Peter and the rest of the Swords of Darkness would accompany Nfirea and his cart back to his grandmother's pharmacy where they would help him unload and put away his supplies along with the harvest he'd gathered, whilst Momon, Alfred and the girls headed back to the guild to register Hamsuke as a magical creature as well as the newest member of their group. Once done, they would meet the rest back at the pharmacy to officially complete Nfirea's request and pick up their half of the money that Nfirea had promised them.
The registering of Hamsuke at the guild took the better part of an hour, mostly due to the paperwork involved but also because those working for the guild along with all the adventurers in the building at the time had struggled to comprehend just how they'd been able to perform such a feat, so naturally they'd had plenty of questions for them. Once they had gotten everything straightened out along with dodging/answering all of the questions, the group of four and Hamsuke were finally able to leave the guild building.
"Finally…I'd never thought they'd shut up…" Momon groaned as they started heading down the street back towards the town square. Thankfully Alfred had agreed to be the one to fill out the paperwork, otherwise the number of tedious forms he'd have had to fill out along with the constant needling by all of those adventurers would have surely caused him to snap.
"You can't blame them for their over-enthusiasm, my friend. After all, it's not every day that a group of adventurers walk in having tamed such a mythical beast," Alfred chuckled as, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a wizened old lady walking as fast as she could in their direction as if to intercept them and raised a hand to stop the rest of the group as she approached.
"Excuse me!" She called out, her breathing slightly laboured from having to walk fast to catch up to them. "You're the group of adventurers my grandson hired to take him to Carne Village, aren't you?"
Both Nabe and Eleanor were poised to snap at this old woman for addressing them so brashly, but an aside glance from Momon stilled their tongues. "My apologies, ma'am, but do we know you?" Alfred asked politely. He had a good idea of who she might be given her introduction but wanted to be sure without appearing too rude.
"Oh right, forgive an old woman for her rude manners. I am Lizzie Bareare, grandmother to Nfirea Bareare," she introduced herself.
"No forgiveness necessary, Ms Bareare. It is a pleasure to meet you…we have heard many good things about you from your grandson after all," Alfred said with a polite bow. "My name is Alfred, and this is Momon, the leader of our merry band. Standing next to him is Nabe, and hidden at the back there is Eleanor."
"Such a polite and charming man you are…this entire city is lacking in such civilized folk. I was hoping to catch you before you retired and thank you for taking care of my grandson."
"No thanks are necessary, Ms Bareare," Momon spoke up this time. "Your grandson was delightful company and we are glad to have been of help. If you don't mind our asking, how did you know we were the adventurers Nfirea hired?"
"Oh that's quite simple actually," Lizzie answered with a chuckle. "Nfirea was so excited to be heading out that he babbled on and on about the adventurers he'd managed to hire before he left. You tell me where else you could find two large men in black and silver armour accompanied by two shy and beautiful women." Both Nabe and Eleanor blushed from the old woman's compliment."
"That does make sense…we do stand out a bit from the usual crowd of copper plates," Alfred conceded.
"I hope you don't mind humouring me a little longer but…what is this giant creature you are currently riding, Mr Momon?" Lizzie asked, pointing at Hamsuke.
"Hamsuke, my name is!" The hamster replied with a polite bobbing of its head. "The Wise King of the Forest, I used to be!"
"What?! Absurd! You're telling me this overgrown rodent used to the legendary King of the Forest spoken of in myth by both my father and his father before him?!" Lizzie yelled in disbelief, her raised voice turning the heads of one or two curious passers-by who proceeded to also gasp in disbelief upon seeing Hamsuke.
"I can assure you it is, Ms Barare," Momon replied calmly. "He was out of control when we ran into him whilst protecting your grandson, so we had no choice but to confront him."
"Momon here defeated it in an epic one-on-one battle and forced him to surrender," Alfred embellished. "In exchange for sparing its life, the creature agreed to be tamed and is now completely under our control. He will harm no one unless we order him to."
"That sounds like quite the tale. I'll have to have Nfirea tell me all about it when I see him," Lizzie said. "Speaking of, did he make it back okay? And do you know where he is now?"
"He went ahead to your pharmacy to unload the herbs he gathered with the help of the Swords of Darkness, the other adventurer team who joined us on the trip, whilst we registered Hamsuke here at the guild," Alfred told her. "We were actually just about to head back in that direction to check on him and collect our payment at the same time."
"Well, since we are both heading in that direction…care to escort an old maiden?" She asked with a cheeky smirk.
Alfred and Momon instantly noticed and couldn't help but chuckle at the tease behind her words, even if, once again, Nabe and Eleanor didn't catch it and were once again seething behind them. There was something about the old lady that was a tad endearing besides her witty tongue. "Ma'am, I can speak for all of us here when I say we'd be honoured and delighted to accompany you back to your store," Alfred replied, politely bowing once again as he and the others followed on behind Lizzie as she led them back towards the town square in the direction of her shop.
~TNT~
The company weren't far from the pharmacy when Alfred smelt it. With his enhanced draconic senses, along with spending almost a week now in the company of one who gave off a similar whiff, the scent of death that assaulted his nostrils was unmistakable, alongside a slight sense of dread of just where this was coming from.
(Suzi…there's a stench of death coming from not far away) He warned his friend.
(What are you talking about? How can you-? Right, your dragon senses again) Momon replied. (How far away is it?)
(Not far away. But that's not all…I'm getting an ill sense of foreboding in my gut. You don't think…?) Alfred's hanging question caused both he and Momon to pick up their stride slightly, but not by too much so that Lizzie's old legs couldn't keep up.
It was just as Alfred feared. They had just come within sight of Bareare Pharmacy, and the smell of death that Alfred had initially picked up was now positively reeking from within the store itself. (It's coming from inside) Alfred reported.
(DAMNIT! Not when things have been going so well…) Momon growled in exasperation as he took charge of the situation. "Nabe, I want you to guard Ms Lizzie and wait for us here. Eleanor, Alfred, with me. We need to find out what's happened. Hamsuke, stay out here until we call you."
"Follow your orders, Hamsuke will!" The giant rodent replied
"Of course, Sir Momon," Nabe replied solemnly. She too could now sense the stench her love had picked up on and was on guard as a result.
"What you talking about Mr Momon? What's going on?" Lizzie enquired sharply.
"Call it a gut feeling we have but, something's not right and we don't want to put you in any danger. We'll let you know as soon as the coast is clear," Momon told her shortly as he and his two companions cautiously made their way over to the shop, their heads constantly swivelling to the right and left to make sure they weren't surprised as Hamsuke positioned himself in front of the shop's entrance to guard against any other surprises.
Nothing seemed untoward so far, and when they got round the back of the store they saw Nfirea's empty cart sitting outside, devoid of the load it had bore that day. That at least meant that Nfirea and the Swords had been here long enough to unload the cart and carry it into the shop.
"We enter on my mark. You two ready?" Momon told them as they gathered outside the back door. Both Alfred and Eleanor nodded. "Three…two…one…GO!" When he said 'go', Momon drew his blades and kicked down the back door to the shop before quickly dashing inside, and as he and the others entered they got their first glimpse of the carnage that had been wrought in their absence: Scattered ingredients and broken vials of potion were littered all over the shop floor, and right in the middle of it, surrounded in pools of their own blood, were the still and lifeless bodies of Peter, Lukrut and Dyne with Nfirea and Ninya nowhere to be found.
"Kami…" Alfred breathed, temporarily horrified by the sight. Even if he hadn't been as fond of Lukrut as he'd been of the other three due to his constant flirting with his girls, he'd grown fond of the Swords of Darkness during their time together and would have happily gone on more quests with them in the future. But mourning them could wait…where was Ninya? And Nfirea for that matter? He quickly lowered his head to the ground to try and sniff out any traces of them among the vast stench of undeath that choked the air around them.
Eleanor remained as stoic as ever, seemingly unperturbed by the chaotic scene in front of her. As for Momon, he was trembling in quiet rage. Just when things had been going so well, especially getting Nfirea practically begging for them to teach him, this had to happen to scupper all of the hard work they'd accomplished on the young herbalist's small errand! Whoever was responsible was going to rue the day they fucked with Ainz Ooal Gown!
"Momon." Alfred's voice cut through his seething melancholy as he turned to face his silver-armoured companion. "I wasn't able to get a whiff of Nfirea's scent just now, mostly likely due to whoever did this covering his and their tracks. But I could still pick up Ninya's. Permission to go and investigate?"
"Granted. Tell Nabe and Lizzie they can come inside." As Alfred passed back through the back door, a familiar groan-like sound started to emanate from the three corpses at his feet. Before he and Eleanor could react, the lifeless bodies started to shuffle to their feet erratically, as if having their strings pulled by some invisible puppet master. At this point, most people would assume they'd just miraculously gained consciousness or come back to life, but Momon knew better: the empty stares in their eyes and the pallid shade of their skin were unmistakable.
"Zombies…" he muttered. At this point, there was nothing he, Alfred or anyone could do for them. Better to put them done quickly and painlessly. "Eleanor."
"Understood," she replied grimly, quickly slashing through Dyne's chest whilst Momon thrusted his blade through Peter and Lukrut. The three bodies collapsed once again to the ground, this time for good.
"Raise Dead is a tier 3 spell…whoever did this must be quite the powerful necromancer. Nothing on my level, but still skilled enough to pose any annoyance…" he reflected. Before he could carry on his train of thought, he was alerted to the sounds of running footsteps as someone burst into the store. He and Eleanor instantly tensed, thinking they were about to be attacked, but relaxed slightly when they saw it was Lizzie, whose eyes went wide with terror and who covered her mouth in shock at what she saw, followed dutifully by Nabe.
"These poor souls…murdered so…wait, where's Nfirea?! Please tell me he isn't dead too?!" She cried almost hysterically.
"He's not among the bodies," Momon replied tersely. "Which means he could very well be..."
That was all it took to set Lizzie off. "Nfirea! Where are you Nfirea?! Please be safe!" She screamed as ran into the store itself, no doubt to check it and the rest of the house for any sign of her grandson.
"Nabe, keep her safe. Eleanor, check the corpses. We need to establish what happened here," Momon ordered curtly.
"As you wish," both girls replied. Nabe dashed off after Lizzie whilst Eleanor proceeded to help Momon gather up the three corpses and lay them all down in a row before examining them. At first, apart from the fact they'd been killed and turned into zombies, there didn't seem to be anything remarkable about the manner of their deaths. But further investigation brought to light two things that hadn't been apparent at first glance: First of all, they'd each been killed by clean puncture wounds to the throat, which bore all the hallmarks of a skilled assassin who knew who to quickly and efficiently finish off their prey. Not only that, but their throats were still dripping with a light green substance, mostly likely some form of poison. Secondly, they'd all had their Adventurer's Plates ripped off from around their necks and seized, meaning whoever did this was a fan of keeping trophies.
These two clues helped present a slightly clearer view of the crime and allowed Momon to reach another conclusion: Whoever killed the Swords of Darkness hadn't been working alone, and it had been their accomplice who had no doubt been the one to use the Raise Dead spell to turn them into zombies.
"I've looked everywhere! My grandson isn't here!" Lizzie wailed once she and Nabe had returned. During her absence, Momon and Eleanor had found a light brown tarpaulin which they'd used to respectfully cover the bodies of their former companions.
"And since nothing was stolen from your store or these adventurers' packs, it meant whoever perpetrated this atrocity had a single objective: to capture Nfirea" Momon concluded. "I swear to Kami…if whoever did this dared to even harm a single hair on his head after all the effort we expended to sway him to our side, they are going to regret the day they were ever born!"
"Did you and your companions…know these poor souls?" Lizzie asked sympathetically once she'd gotten herself more under control.
"We did. These are three of the four members of the adventuring team Swords of Darkness, and they are the group who accompanied us and your grandson on his trip to Carne Village," Momon explained.
"That explains why they were caught up in all this…poor dears," Lizzie said sadly. "Were you…close to them?"
"We adventured together one time, that was all," Momon snapped rather harshly, causing Lizzie to reel back in shock from his abrupt rudeness. "Damnit Ainz…get it together. Remember what Ise said…you can't afford to lose yourself to your dark side in times like these. Besides, none of this is Lizzie's fault." "Sorry…I didn't mean to snap at you like that… this whole situation has me on edge right now."
"I'm sorry…I shouldn't be bothering you with all these questions at a time like this," Lizzie apologised. "Hang on a minute…you said three out of the four of them? Where's the other one? And did you find out anything that could help us track down my grandson?" Before Momon could reply, the door of the shop swung open again, causing Momon, Eleanor and Nabe to point their weapons that way. But they instantly relaxed and lowered their weapons upon seeing it was Alfred who was carrying a body in his arms.
"I believe what I have discovered may help answer your questions, Ms Bareare," Alfred answered grimly as he made his way over to the store's countertop before putting the body down. It was Ninya, and much like her companions she too had been killed with a single stab wound to the throat that was dripping with the same green liquid that had been found on her companions. Unlike the rest though, she'd been far enough away to not get caught in the necromancer's Raise Dead spell and so hadn't been turned into a zombie. That was the only fortunate symbol in this whole affair, as whoever had perpetrated this crime had managed to find the time to carve a message into her chest that was written in her own blood.
"Oh, the poor dear…at least she was spared being turned into a zombie…" Lizzie murmured. Nabe also turned her head away slightly, not wanting the others to see the slight look of mourning on her face. "Is this…sadness? Why am I even slightly mourning the death of this lowly human? Is it my beloved's influence? Or could it be…no, it can't be…was I really starting to care for that girl?!" She cursed to herself as Lizzie got a good look at the writing on Ninya's chest.
"Sewers 2-8? What does that mean?! Did those who did this take Nfirea into the sewers?!" She asked out loud.
"No, this is a diversionary tactic…a red herring to send us off on a wild goose chase to slow us down whilst they accomplished their goals," Momon replied sharply, his mind going into overdrive. As Momon spoke, Alfred took a discarded vial from off the shop floor and held it to Ninya's throat to catch as many drops of the green liquid as he could. "If they'd wanted to remain secreted, they would've hidden all evidence of the crime including the bodies and not left such a message on this girl's corpse. Instead, they left the bodies to be discovered and used Raise Dead to reanimate them into zombies, no doubt to attack you or anyone else who came to investigate. From what I've seen, this is the work of two highly-skilled individuals: an assassin and a necromancer who were so confident in their skills and their ability to escape that they didn't mind leaving such devastation behind that could expose them. No doubt their intention was to quickly grab Nfirea and return him to the base of operations to use his special ability for some hidden goal, although what that is remains to be seen."
"I did manage to pick up on one other thing, another scent alongside Ninya's when I discovered her corpse. It belonged to a slightly older woman, which means the assassin we're dealing with is female." Alfred added as he brought the vial full of liquid over to Lizzie. "Before we carry on though, would you mind identifying this for us, Ms Bareare? It might be a clue that could lead us to the assassin and Nfirea."
"Absolutely, if you believe it'll help." Lizzie took the vial from Alfred's hand and held it up to the candlelight, and as her trained eye examined it thoroughly her mouth turned upside down. "This is a nasty one alright: The Kiss of Death. If it makes contact with a person's skin or bloodstream, it prevents the use of any form of Light or Resurrection magic upon the target."
(FUCK!) Momon yelled at Alfred via Message as the silver-armoured adventurer took the vial back from Lizzie, his plan of bringing back all members of the Swords of Darkness via that method now torn to shreds. (These people really are intent on sabotaging our plans, even if they are unaware of it!)
(Not all's lost on that front, my friend) Alfred pointed out, indicating Ninya with his head. (Her body is still relatively intact and hasn't been raised via necromancy. We can still save her once this is done)
(Are you thinking…?) Momon's thoughts trailed off as Alfred nodded shortly. (Fine, but you get to be the one to tell her what happened, as well as explaining to your girls why you felt it necessary)
(It was my idea after all. But let's get back on topic since our silence is unnerving Lizzie. Whatever happens afterwards we can deal with once we get Nfirea back) "From the sounds of it, we're dealing with some powerful people. If we want to save Nfirea, we need to act now before the situation gets worse." Alfred looked over at Lizzie. "Ms Bareare, I believe it would be prudent of you to make a request for aid in getting your grandson back."
"Huh?! What do you mean?" The old woman asked.
"The right people would make quick work of this spellcaster and assassin pairing. What happened here was a tragedy, but you ought to consider yourself quite lucky, Lizzie Bareare," Momon took over having picked up instantly on what his friend was aiming at. "My comrades and I are the only ones strong enough to get this done, and as it happens we are currently in between missions. If you wish for us to rescue Nfirea, you ought to make a request for us to do such and we may just accept it."
"You can have whatever you want, just…please save my Nfirea and bring him home! All I care about right now is getting him back, and if you four say you can then I'll do as my grandson did and trust in your strength!" Lizzie pleaded.
"Then consider your request officially accepted. We can discuss the matter of what you want to pay us once the job is complete," Alfred spoke up, his statement easing the tension somewhat between Lizzie's shoulders. "For now, we need to establish where Nfirea is currently located. Do you happen to possess a map of the city, Ms Bareare?"
"Of course! Right here!" Lizzie wandered over behind the workshop counter and produced a large scroll which she handed to Alfred.
"Thank you," the warrior replied as unfurled it and laid the map flat on the ground, using his shield and Eleanor's spear as paperweights to hold it flat as the four adventurers gathered around it.
"How do you intend to figure out where they took him, Sir Momon?" Nabe asked as Alfred escorted Lizzie out of the room, ostensibly to comfort her but in reality it was to make sure she couldn't overhear what came next.
"The criminals made one mistake," Momon explained, casting an aside glance over to the bodies of the Swords of Darkness. "Though they may not have taken any valuables, the assassin involved took the time to remove the Adventurer plates from each of their bodies. Any guesses as to why that is?"
"To…keep as trophies, Sir Momon?" Eleanor inquired hesitantly.
"Correct, Eleanor, which is lucky for us since it gives us a way of tracking them." As he spoke, Momon reached into his inventory system and pulled out a bag of scrolls before removing one from its contents. "We'll use the [Locate Object] scroll. I assume you already know how to use it, Nabe?" He asked, chucking it in her direction
"I do, Sir Momon. I'll activate it right away," the ponytail-haired girl replied as she caught the scroll.
"Before you do, use these." Momon proceeded to throw a few more scrolls down on the ground. "Our adversaries have already proven to be quite resourceful, so they may have put up detection or counter-locate spells or wards. You'll need to use the [False Cover] and [Counter Detect] scrolls first to bypass them. Then you can use the [Locate Object] alongside the [Clairvoyance] and [Crystal Screen] scrolls to give us a clear picture of where our target is located."
"Understood. I'll begin right away." As Momon and Eleanor watched on, Nabe unsealed and activated the scrolls in the order she'd been instructed, and soon enough they not only had a location but also a first-hand glimpse of the fate that had befallen Nfirea. He was currently tied to a chair inside a ruined chapel in the heart of E-Rantel's cemetery and had a crown attached to his head that looked like a garish spider web. Outside of the crypt could be seen a small group of robed figures overseeing a massive army of undead that was marching from the graveyard straight towards E-Rantel's gates.
"I see what they're doing…Nfirea's special talent allows him to use any magical object, which means they are using him to activate whatever magic exists within that crown on his head. And if I were a gambling man, the crown's magic is being used by those cultists to rapidly raise that undead army to overtake E-Rantel." Momon concluded. "Good work Nabe, it would appear we have two objectives now: save Nfirea and stop the undead army and the cultists directing them. Both acts will be sure to cement Momon and Alfred's already growing reputations."
"We should teleport there and attack immediately, or use magic to bombard them from the sky," Nabe suggested immediately.
"Both of them could work, but would be the height of foolishness given the circumstances," Momon reprimanded her gently. "We must remember we are dealing with some very troublesome individuals who will no doubt have put up countermeasures to thwart exactly what you are suggesting. If we had more time, we could research whatever their using and counter it, but we have to act and strike fast before the situation worsens."
"I understand. Forgive my ignorance, Sir Momon," Nabe replied with an apologetic bow.
"We stand ready to move on your word," Eleanor added as she picked up her spear and Alfred's shield.
"Time is of the essence. Saddle Hamsuke and have him ready to move," Momon ordered. As the girls moved to follow his orders, Momon knocked on the door to the other room. "Alfred, Lizzie. We're finished and are heading out."
"We have a target?" Alfred asked as he opened the door.
"Indeed. But we have to move now."
"What have you discovered?" Lizzie asked in a much calmer voice having spent some time with Alfred's calming presence.
"The perpetrators who kidnapped your grandson fled into the local cemetery, and are being guarded by a large army of undead," Momon quickly explained, raising a hand to forestall any further questions or exclamations the old lady may have had. "I am confident that myself, Alfred, Nabe and Eleanor will be able to deal with them, but a few undead may escape the grounds in our wake. It would be prudent of you to alert the Adventurer's Guild and some of the townsfolk as to what's happening so that they can also prepare."
"If it helps get my grandson back in one piece, I'll do it!" Lizzie said with a thumbs up, before turning to indicate the four bodies still resting in her shop. "What shall I do with these poor souls whilst you are gone?"
"Move them in here where no one can see them. Be sure to treat them with respect and keep them covered," Alfred told her as he and Momon turned to leave. "Once we've finished our business in the cemetery, we'll come back and ensure they are given a proper burial."
"Absolutely! You can count on my discretion. But before you go, answer me this: Just how on earth are you planning on defeating a massive army of the undead between the four of you?"
Momon and Alfred looked at each other once before thumbing to their backs where their blades were sheathed. "With these weapons right here."
~TNT~
Their course of action decided, the group of four quickly gathered together their weapons and supplies before collecting Hamsuke and dashing off to the western side of the city, specifically the outermost ring where the cemetery was located. E-Rantel's communal cemetery was much larger in scope compared to the average town or city's own, occupying a quarter of the fortress city's outer ring alongside most of the western quadrant. The reason why it was so big was due to E-Rantel's proximity to the Empire's borders and the Katze Plains where the yearly skirmish between the Empire and the Kingdom took place. Due to the number of casualties suffered every year as a result, it required a huge graveyard where the remains of the fallen could receive their proper rites and give them the least likely chance of turning into the undead.
A sound theory, and for the most part one that worked given the wall that surrounded it. The wall in question acted as a barrier between the living and the dead, and though it could not compare to your average city wall, it was still large enough to hold watchtowers along with a sizeable garrison of troops from the Kingdom's army. The gates as well were sturdy and could not be easily breached, but given the amount of undead currently marching towards it those were about to be put to the test.
The shift of guards that were currently patrolling atop the wall were barely paying attention as was usually the case. After all, the only undead attacks these days consisted of small, unorganized packs that were easily dealt with by the unlucky sods who were chosen to patrol the graveyard itself. As such they were ill-prepared and thus shocked to their very cores when the group chosen to patrol that night was spotted running towards the gate as fast as they could, screaming at the top of their lungs whilst being chased by what appeared to be well over a hundred undead.
"Open the gate! OPEN THE GATE! Let us through!" One of them yelled at the top of their lungs.
"DAMNIT! Get that gate open, you sluggards!" The captain of the guard yelled. "Archers, to the top of the wall! Engage at will!" His men immediately moved to follow his commands as a squad of archers started loosing volleys of arrows at the ever-swelling mass of undead. At the same time, the gate was opened for the fleeing guards, and once they were safely through it was closed behind them before any of the undead could pass through. "Report! What happened out there?" The captain asked the returning patrol.
"W-we were just on patrol as normal, and then all of sudden we were set upon by all of these undead! As soon as we saw how many there were, we fled here as quickly as we could!" One of them replied. "Sir, something massive is going on! It wasn't just the usual skeletons and zombies that were being raised!"
"What are you talking about?" The captain asked.
"See for yourself, sir," was the only reply he got before the answering guard and his comrades either started vomiting or collapsing from either exhaustion or sheer terror. Leaving them to be attended to by some of his men, the guard took the rest of the garrison onto the wall to get a look for themselves, and what they saw would fill even the most seasoned of veterans with terror: wave after wave of undead, numbering in the several hundreds, were slowly shambling their way towards the gate. And as the patrolling guard had said, it wasn't just skeletons and zombies that comprised their ranks. Dotted among the horde were ghouls, skeletal knights, abominations and even bone golems, a veritable mountain of bones that were given form and held together by necromantic magic.
"Any ideas…sir?" One of the captain's remaining men gulped, watching helplessly as the mass of skeletons and zombies started forming massive mounds of bodies that would allow the following forces to get up on the wall. If they succeeded, E-Rantel would be at the mercy of this seemingly unstoppable tide of undead.
"Form up boys! If this is to be our last stand, let's make it one they'll never forget!" The captain stated fiercely. "If these undead bastards want this city, we'll make them work for every damn yard!" His declaration raised the spirits of the faltering guardsman who formed up shield walls both on top of the wall and behind the gate, facing towards the oncoming horde. But even with this fierce show of spirit, the hope in their hearts was suddenly dimmed as a massive bone golem approached the wall, flanked by a group of abominations and skeletal knights. "Men…it's been an honour to serve with you!"
"Likewise, sir!" His men all replied, but as they prepared for what would appear to be their final battle, a miracle occurred. From seemingly out of nowhere, a large, unidentifiable furry object flew over the hands before crashing full force into the bone golem, causing it to stumble back a little as the furry object started rolling in midair before crashing into the ground, sending a small group of the smaller undead flying. Amazingly, the furry mass didn't stop there as it started rolling around the area in front of the gate crushing any undead in its path. At the same time, a towering man in black armour dropped off the beast's back after it had crashed into the undead golem and, after unsheathing his massive blades from his back, started carving through the mass of abominations and knights with reckless yet skilful abandon. With every swing of his blades, at least two or three of the undead were swatted aside. Even the bone golem wasn't safe from the new arrival's onslaught as, with an unbelievable show of strength of ability, he leapt into the air and cleaved the head off of the massive construct in one blow causing it to fall apart on the spot.
"H-How is this possible?" One of the men stammered. Even the captain, a veteran who had seen many battles in the past, had never seen a show of strength like this. But before any of them could speak, the armoured man leapt up onto the fallen skull of the bone golem and waved his sword forward.
"My comrades and I will clear a path! Follow on behind and mop up what we miss!" He yelled. "With luck, reinforcements will be joining you soon!" Before the captain or any of the men could reply, the man was off once again, plying his blades against the swarm of undead alongside the giant furry mass, now revealed to be a massive hamster who was using its claws and long tail to bat aside any undead in its path.
"You heard the man! Open the gate and sally forth! Archers, maintain your position and watch your shots!" The captain bellowed after deciding nothing good would come from questioning this guy's orders. Anyone who could cleave the head off of a bone golem in one stroke wasn't someone to be trifled with. The guards let out a fierce yell at this order and dashed to the ground, but just as they were opening the gate another shout rose from the path behind them.
"Out of the way, we're coming through!" Yelled another male voice, and as the guards turned around, they spotted a silver-armoured man wielding a sword and shield charging towards them, accompanied by a hooded figure in lime green armour wielding a spear and a dark-haired ponytail girl in a brown cloak. Before anyone could offer a retort, the small group had already piled on through and were mopping up whatever the dark-armoured warrior, supposedly their comrade, had missed.
"Glad you could join me, you three!" Momon yelled as Alfred and Eleanor drew up alongside them with Nabe hanging slightly to the rear.
"Couldn't let you and Hamsuke have all the fun, could we?" Alfred shouted back as he bashed aside a skeletal knight with his shield before cleaving off the head of a nearby ghoul with his sword. At the same time, Eleanor was sweeping her spear before her in wide arcs cutting a massive swath through the hordes in their way. "Nabe! Mind thinning these bastards out a little?"
"As you wish, Sir Alfred. [Fly]!" With a small leap, Nabe shot into the air and glided over the undead horde as her hands began writhing in electricity. "[Twin Maximize Magic: Chain Lightning]!" She yelled, sending forth a massive shower of sparks that enveloped the horde around them, barbequing most of the weaker undead on the spot whilst leaving the stronger undead as easy pickings for her comrades.
"Third Tier Magic? But how is that-?" The captain's question was cut off as another loud roar rang out from behind them, and as he looked back his heart, which had risen from the depths of despair into tentative hope upon seeing the skill of these new arrivals, soared with joy as he spotted a massive group of knights and adventurers dashing towards them from E-Rantel. "Everybody, charge! Follow these brave heroes and crush the undead before you!" The captain's words galvanized his men who joined the charge of the reinforcements as they proceeded to mop up the carnage that had been left behind by the dark-armoured warrior and his companions.
"You should have more than enough numbers to hold this position!" Momon shouted once the majority of the horde had been dealt with as he swiftly mounted onto Hamsuke's back. "My companions and I will go on ahead to the graveyard and kill the ones responsible for this!"
The captain nodded, knowing if anybody was capable of taking down the bastards responsible for this horde it was this man and those who fought alongside them, since it had been the four of them, alongside the strange creature at their side, who'd been responsible for not only saving the lives of him and his men but also for dispatching most of the undead between them. "Understood! You have our thanks for saving our asses back then!" He answered gruffly. But as they turned to leave, he called out once more. "Wait! Before you head off…what are your names, brave heroes?"
"I am Momon," the dark-armoured warrior stated proudly from atop the beast he was riding. "Alongside me fights the gallant knight Alfred, the magic-caster Nabe and the spear-mistress Eleanor." With those words, he rode off towards the cemetery, his companions dashing along in his wake.
"Well would you like at that boys, you just witnessed history being made today," the captain told his men as they all gathered about and watched the group leave. "Today…we watched the birth of hero-no, the birth of legends. Mark my words…those four are going to go on and do great things."
~TNT~
Even as they pressed further and further into the cemetery, the hordes of undead in their way refused to let up. If anything, their attention shifted from heading towards the gates to assaulting the group as they passed by, no doubt attracted to the spark of life that existed in the non-undead members, specifically Alfred and Hamsuke that they were drawn to in the hopes of snuffing it out. Sensing that the mass of undead might eventually overwhelm the giant furball whose level was much lower than their own, Nabe was specifically assigned to keep any stray undead that her companions missed from getting close with well-placed bolts of lightning from the sky.
With Hamsuke's safety assured, the other three members of the group focused on hewing their way through the remaining undead that stood between them and the cemetery. Momon was at the front, his twin greatswords mowing through multiple undead with every stroke. If the undead were fortunate enough to not be caught by these deadly blades, they had the unfortunate pleasure of dealing with Eleanor's flawless spear work as she thrust, swung and pierced her way through any undead in her path, no matter how big or small. And covering her back in case any undead snuck up from behind was the noble Alfred, his silver armour shining bright in the darkness of the night as he plied his sword and shield to keep the hordes from dividing them. And if by some miracle they managed to avoid all three of these deadly warriors and their blades, Hamsuke was on hand to gleefully trample them underfoot.
As the undead hordes continued to fall before them, Momon sensed an opportunity to break through and reacted accordingly, using his magic to summon several undead constructs of his own to keep the remaining undead from following them into the grounds around the chapel, including Jack the Ripper and the Corpse Collector alongside several Wraiths and Bone Vultures. With these summoned monsters providing a holding action, Momon and his comrades charged through the gates ahead of them before finally reaching their goal: the ruined chapel located at the cemetery's heart. If that wasn't a dead giveaway, then the circle of robed cultists speaking a ritual chant over and over with the one in the centre, a decrepit and almost skeleton-like bald man wearing ceremonial red robes, holding onto a glowing pink orb as he led the robed figures in their chants definitely were.
As the four adventurers and one hamster approached, one of the cultists looked up and spotted them. "Master Khajiit, it would appear some adventurers have made it through the undead," he told his leader.
"Perfect…now we have a name…" Momon thought with satisfaction as he and his companions formed a single, horizontal line to confront them. "Greetings, Khajit! Are you enjoying your night so far?" He called out almost cheerily, gaining the attention of the robed figure in the centre who snarled slightly upon spotting him. "Look around us…there's not a cloud in the sky and the moon is shining bright tonight! Surely you can have more fun than this…dull ritual you and your friends seem to be so bent on undertaking?"
"There is nothing dull about this ritual, as you will soon find out," the withered old man rasped as he stepped forward, the circle of cultists giving way so that he could fully gaze upon the intruders. "Since you found out my name, how about sharing yours, along with explaining just how you managed to get through my army of the undead?"
"Our names are unimportant. We're just adventurers out on a job for a client," Alfred replied casually, even if his inner mood was anything but. "I'm sure you've seen the young man we've been tasked to bring back, one Nfirea Bareare. Make it easy on yourselves and show us where he's hidden, and we'll do our best to make your deaths quick and painless."
"What?! You think yourselves capable of stopping us and interrupting our ritual? Don't make me laugh!" The red-robed figure snapped as his fellow cultists gasped in astonishment at the armoured knight's words. "All of you will die here, and once the boy has outlived his usefulness, I'll make sure to send what remains of his body back to his grandmother in pieces!"
"You really are like the rest of those stereotypical villains, aren't you? Confident in your abilities, scoffing at the mere notion of your plans being foiled and proclaiming the death of all those who stand in your way. If I had a coin for every time I heard that same song and dance, I'd be rich beyond my wildest dreams!" Even if Alfred's words were mocking, his fierce tone was anything but. "One last chance, Khajiit: Hand over Nfirea and the jewel you're holding, or be subjected to a world of pain and suffering at our hands. Oh, and whilst you're at it, bring out your assassin friend at the same time. Surely, they wouldn't be too scared of facing us as well if they are as skilled as they think they are, right?"
Before Khajiit could reply, a drawling female voice could be heard laughing from the entryway to the cathedral. "Ah, so you got to witness my work first-hand? How very smart of you to figure out my involvement at the same time! Colour me impressed!" As the four adventurers looked over in that direction, they got their first glimpse of the assassin who was leaning against one of the pillars holding up the door: a woman in her early twenties with short blonde hair, blood-red eyes and delicate features that gave her an almost feline-like appearance. She was clad in revealing bronze-coloured armour with a purple cloak attached to her back and was currently eyeing them all with a sadistic grin, her tongue running across her lips in anticipation.
"Go back inside, Clementine," Khajiit snapped. "And just like that…we have her name too…" Alfred thought
"But Khajiit, these fine folk have already figured us out! It's pointless to hide from them any longer!" She almost moaned as she languidly walked down the steps of the cathedral in her direction, revealing the pair of stilettos attached to her hips. "As my co-conspirator just enlightened you, my name is Clementine. It is such a delight to meet such strong individuals, which you'd have to be to get through all of those undead!" She continued, giving them a mocking curtsy as she drew up alongside Khajiit and the cultists. "Now that you know of sweet little old me, would you do me the pleasure of telling me your names as well? I just love putting names to my victims!"
(Careful, Suzi. As sadistic a psycho as she looks, she was skilled enough to get the drop on the Swords of Darkness without a scratch. If she hadn't left us a deliberate trail, I doubt she would've let us find her which means she's very confident in her skills) Alfred warned his friend, his hands twitching towards his sword and shield.
(If she's as good as her work claims to be, I'm looking forward to testing it out for myself. But you're right, Ise. I won't underestimate her) "We're your executioners, Clementine," Momon proclaimed, unsheathing one of his swords and pointing it towards her face. "And as far as we're concerned, you are unworthy of our names. It won't matter anyway once we kill you."
"Oooh confident, aren't you? Well fine, if you won't give me your names, why don't you instead tell me just how you managed to track us down to this cemetery when I left a clear message on that insipid little girl's chest that we were in the sewers?" Clementine almost piteously begged, causing Nabe to snarl at the disrespect this trollop just put on Ninya's name. She was just about to draw her sword when a glance from Momon caused her to desist.
"That was your doing, you cowardly snake!" Alfred almost snarled. Her almost careless and mocking attitude was really grinding his gears, so much so that he forgot to mind the next words out his mouth. "Open up your cloak and reveal those fucking adventurer tags you pilfered!"
"Woah, hey! Now you're making me blush! And I like it!" Clementine mewed in a pretend swoon, her words and actions infuriating Nabe and Alfred even further and even drawing a snarl from the normally composed Eleanor as she threw open her cloak, revealing the mishmash of adventurer tags of all the different ranks she'd managed to attach to her armour. "Take a good long look at all of these, especially you there Mr Tall and Handsome in the bright armour! Just like those weaklings you called your companions, I made sure to make short work of every last one of them! But for you?" She fluttered her eyebrows suggestively and did her best attempt at faking a cute grin. "I might take my time and enjoy every…single…second…of it…"
"I'M GOING TO KILL THIS FUCKING BITCH!" All four of them internally yelled at the same time.
And that's where we'll leave it this time. I hope you all enjoyed what you just read and that you are looking forward to the climactic battle next time out as much as we are! Chapter 10 will officially be the conclusion of the Adventurer's Arc, and then after that we'll finally give Fengxian his time to shine!
And just like I did with the Pokémon references at the start of his chapter, I've got a pop culture reference all lined up that will be EPIC! And just like with the Pokémon jokes this time around, I make no apologies! Blame the weeb in both me and my co-author!
(daniel: Well, this was certainly an awesome work that we did! Hamsuke is a riot as always and Henry certainly didn't make it easier for Momon. And I can't wait for Clementine and Khajit to experience true despair when they realize they are nothing but ants staring up at a true dragon. Karma is a bitch ain't it?)
One thing I want to make note of before we go which you may have noticed: Why is Narberal being slightly nicer to Ninya than in canon? One simple reason: Henry's influence. Even though she, Albedo and the rest of Henry's harem will never be bosom buddies or fans of humans in general, there will be notable exceptions and it'll all be because of Henry trying to show them that not all humans are bad. There are notable exceptions, and the likes of Gazef, Nfirea and Ninya so far are proving to be those cases with Ninya especially so for Narberal due to her love of magic and a slowly developing case of hero worship towards both the Pleiades maid and the rest of her companions. As for Ninya herself, we have plans for her that will be revealed next time out.
As I always do, I must give credit where credit is due and acknowledge that many bits of this chapter were again heavily influenced by the following two Overlord fanfictions that I have referenced before: 'The Antichrist Cometh' by GoodguysRoverated and 'The Supreme Beings of Life and Death' by Ashkar. Please give those awesome stories plenty of love when you have the time!
After this is uploaded, I plan to take the weekend off before getting started on chapter 10 on either Monday or Tuesday at the earliest. Until then, on behalf of myself and my co-author daniel, thank you all once again for every bit of love you have shown this story. You are all awesome and we'll never be able to say that enough, and we'll see you all again in chapter 10 of the Nazarick Triumvirate!