danishbhandari30: You are not wrong about the fact that a ruler does not have to be a warrior or a strategist, but to choose the ideal person for a position. That said, I don't understand why you insist so much on Ainz's fair character. There's really not much difference between ordering horrible crimes and putting someone in a position who commits appalling crimes. When one says that the leader of a country is in charge, it has several meanings. But it also means that he was legally responsible for the acts that his subordinates commit on his behalf. A sovereign who allows his subordinates to slaughter the inhabitants of a neighboring country is either too stupid or has too little authority over his own subordinates... or he is complicit in these abuses.
Author Note: Thank you for all your positive comments.
Evasion
Abelion Hills Dungeon
Under the mask he wore when he called himself Jaldabaoth, Demiurge was slightly anxious. The spell he had just used was a 7-tier AoE type fire spell. Until then, he had only used spells or spell-like abilities of lower power against the strange elf... and the results had been disappointing. He thought she was able to resist such an attack but... there was always a possibility that he was wrong. Lord Ainz would be extremely disappointed if he accidentally injured or killed a "Player".
Of course, Lord Ainz was fair and forgiving. Demiurge was not really frightened by a possible punishment but by the shame of having reported his failure to the Supreme Being.
Smoke and dust remained in the throne room. The banners were burning, the furniture was broken, and even the ground was covered with blackened marks. In some places, the stone had been turned red. The air vibrated under the effect of heat waves.
A movement of convection pushed back the veil of steam which draped where Miriel had stood and...
Under his mask, Demiurge frowned...
The elf had disappeared!
Miriel certainly had her faults. For example, she lacked empathy for others. Nevertheless, she was far from being stupid. Her mission was not to confront Jaldabaoth and the demon was very powerful... his last attack proved it amply. When the demon lit up, Miriel understood that this attack was a perfect diversion to allow her to disappear... literally.
When burning sulfur balls rushed into the room, she dodged the attack by flying away to take refuge under the roof. The wizard immediately cast a second spell that made her invisible... well, not exactly invisible. In OOO, invisibility (True Invisibility) was a spell that was generally known only to high-level Illusionists.
Hidden by the "Chameleon" spell, Miriel walked along the wall immobilizing each time Demiurge turned his head in her direction. But even the demons rarely thought to look under the ceiling when they were looking for someone and the fumes hid the blurring effect caused by someone advancing under the protection of the "Chameleon" spell.
Taking advantage of the fact that Demiurge was turning his head again, she went down to touch the slabs. As the door lay smashed on the ground and burned like a campfire, she slipped into the opening... Since an invisibility spell was immediately broken if the spellcaster interacted with his environment - for example by opening a door - (for game-balancing purposes), luck was decidedly on Miriel side.
As she walked away, the half-elf heard the demon calling her, but she had no intention of answering and did not listen... she had nothing to say to him after all. But Miriel shudders...
Since her arrival in the New World, the wizard had become accustomed to understanding what the locals were saying even though they speak in an unknown language. A kind of strange natural law proper to this world automatically translated the spoken words. But as she did not really listen to what Jaldabaoth said, Miriel really only heard his intonations, the rhythm of his words. Each language is like music with a unique score. And the wizard realized that the devil's phrasing was very different from the inhabitants of the New World... he spoke in a language completely different from theirs. She suddenly stopped realizing that this language was very familiar to her... her eyes widened ... it was impossible... it wasn't true... Jaldabaoth spoke Japanese!
The Summoner remembered other facts that she had not immediately paid attention to. Already, the demon had called her "Player". Probably "Video Gamer". Moreover, the demon was strangely dressed for a medieval world... even a med-fan one... a British orange (!) suit with thin white stripes and a red tie!
Jaldabaoth came from Japan!
No...
Miriel shook her head violently. This was not the time to think about it.
Reaching out, Miriel traced 'Icerun' on the wall. Obviously, this action dispelled her invisibility, but it was not very important anymore. She resumed her advance, stopping far and wide to mark the walls of other runes. Since the demon loved fire, he was probably vulnerable to ice. Following her down this corridor would be a pain in the neck.
She smiles mockingly.
The demon was certainly stronger than her... and most certainly the half-elf had no chance against him if she had to face him in a one-to-one fight.
But being the strongest didn't mean much after all.
A mosquito is insignificant compared to a man, yet if it enters a room to pamper at night, it is the man lying in the bed who cannot sleep.
With wobbly legs, Miriel stepped back without even noticing.
With shock and torment on her face, she leaned against the wall not to fall.
As the tears began to flow, irrepressible nausea forced her to bend over and vomit.
She had just discovered the 'artistic' workshop of Demiurge. Watanabe Haruko had heard about the horrors that had been committed in her native world, the Nazi Concentration Camps, the Khmer Rouge... But see this kind of abomination with one's own eyes! This kind of discovery had been a shock even for soldiers hardened by years of war, then for a sixteen-year-old girl... and no archival image gave any idea of the smell that reigned in a mass grave.
Clenching her fists while fury made her shake from head to toe, the half-elf stood up.
She was not going to let these crimes go unpunished! Even if she had to sacrifice her own life, Miriel swore that one day she would make Jaldabaoth pay!
"I find your reaction somewhat exaggerated!"
Startled, Miriel turned to the door.
The masked demon looked at her at the threshold of the room. How had he managed to cross the corridor without triggering any of the traps she had left behind?
The demon took a few steps and, mechanically, the Summoner retreated as much.
Touching his mask to straighten it, Jaldabaoth slammed his silver tail on the floor while spreading his arms in a gesture encompassing the piece.
"My little workshop is my passion. I think everyone should have a hobby. It helps with stress. I like to build things with my hands. Skin tanning, bone carvings... did you know that I made a whole throne with this superb material?"
A throne of human bones...
Without seeming to realize that Miriel wanted to vomit again, Demiurge kept talking about his passion for 'art'.
"Humans are such inferior creatures. They are simple animals just a little smarter than dogs or cats. They are mortal, living thirty or fifty years (1), so dying a little earlier a little later... what importance?"
Looking around, the half-elf tried to ignore the red-smeared work tables and human remains piled up randomly. She saw a desk covered with many papers and a chest with heavy fittings. What she was looking for must have been there... at hand. But there was no other door; this room was a dead end. Anyway, she wasn't really worried... In any case, Miriel had no intention of leaving until she destroyed this room and inflicted a painful lesson on Jaldabaoth.
Until then, she had only summoned creatures from the OOO universe. But the fact that she could materialize a demon lord (whose invocation was an event... and which normally could NOT be invoked by a player) proved that the Ring of Kings had greatly amplified her magic.
Once, Elric of Menilboné was forced to confront an army of creatures summoned to kill him (2).
She raised her hand.
"By the power of the Ring of the Kings, I have summoned you from the 8th plan, O Elenoins! As you are women. Like you, I had to suffer from the bestiality of the males, your sworn enemies. I appeal to your power, hear my voice and come to me because I need your help incessantly!"
Inserted into the tarnished silver ring, the red stone of the Actorios began to shine furiously while 500 MP was absorbed by the invocation.
Blowing in a storm, the Wind of Time arises from a kind of warping of reality, an area where the vision was distorted. The hurricane swirled the sheets of paper on the desk and dropped the jars on the shelves.
Suddenly a blue tear formed and they appeared from the opening...
They were red-haired women, naked, superb, impudent, and dressed only with their long red hair that fell down to their ankles. They appeared in Demiurge's artist workshop laughing, giggling, and waving hips, lascivious and provocative.
Except they weren't women!
Their eyes had orange vertical pupils and the sclera was yellow. Their open mouths revealed a dentition made only of triangular metal canines. As for their hair, they waved in a way that was not natural.
Seeing Demiurge, they began to sing a funeral melody that stunned Miriel before brandishing their long single-edged swords and rushing to attack!
Demiurge was even more surprised and disoriented by the 'Confusion' effect of the funeral songs. It was necessary that a first Elenoin hit him for him to retaliate, turning his hands into long, fearsome claws. But the powerful demon was even more disoriented when his claws bounced off the skin of the redhead woman.
This creature certainly had the outward appearance of a voluptuous woman with pale and soft skin... but the Elenoins were creatures transformed by the power of Chaos, their flesh had great elasticity, allowing them to absorb the most violent attacks.
When she retaliated, the demon wavered because the blow had been dealt with unusual strength.
Miriel watched the fight. Five of the Elenoins faced Jaldabaoth and five others watched the fight. Laughing at one point, singing funeral chants the next.
A dozen other redheaded women were heading down the corridor... probably to kill (and devour... these creatures were cannibals!) all the males living in the Dungeon.
The young half-elf hesitated for a moment. She would have liked to see the rest of the fight... but she suspected that the Elenoins would end up losing against Jaldabaoth.
Miriel stretched out her hand.
"Breadcrumb"
The usual line of bluish smoke appeared, leading her to a chest with a lock. She touched the metal with her finger.
"Open Sesame."
With a click the trunk opened. There were many papers... but she did not take the time to search for the right one. She transferred all the documents in bulk in her Inventory.
Just then an Elenoin crashed violently on the desk behind her after a ten meters flight! The furniture exploded spreading wood, metal, and broken carved bones (another result of Demiurgs' degenerated art).
The young wizard turned around. Two other Elenoins were lying on the ground. Several redheaded women used their animated hair to immobilize the demon, but he struggled furiously. A second redhead was thrown from the ground at the other end of the room.
No need to linger.
"Recall!"
A pentacle of purple light appeared under Miriel's feet. The next moment her silhouette became translucent, distorted and... disappeared.
E-Rantel, the next day.
Busy reading files that a group of liches had just brought her, Albedo did not even raise her head to say "enter!" when someone knocked on the door.
The succubus dressed in white looked both exhausted and determined. The stack of documents to approve, or put on hold until Ainz returns, was not significant between two back and forth from her undead secretaries, loaded with even more reports to sign, and piles were growing around the desk.
All the people who had the means had fled E-Rantel. Which of course included the richest and therefore most educated people... including the whole local administration.
"Um... I didn't expect to see you there."
Surprised, Albedo raised her head to discover Demiurge. Behind his glasses, the fellow demon looked at her with curiosity.
"Aizn-sama left for the dwarf kingdom with Shaltear and Aura."
"The dwarf kingdom? Did he explain to you why he was going there and why with Shalltear and Aura?"
"I did not ask Ainz-sama what were the reasons for his actions, he is the Supreme One, and it is likely that I would not even understand."
Demiurge strongly approved.
"He's so much smarter than us."
"He needed Aura because she is a ranger and he would need her to find his way in the mountains. As for Shalltear, I think he wanted to give her the opportunity to showcase herself. Since being controlled by an unknown enemy, she has lost confidence in herself. You know Ainz-sama, he always acts for our good."
Again Demiurge shook his head, raising his glasses with a finger, in a familiar tic.
"He is the only Supreme One to stay with us."
Leaning against the back of his seat, Albedo looked at the demon.
"But why did you leave your lair? I thought you were preparing for the invasion of the Robble Holy Kingdom?"
"Right, but something important happened that I wanted to report directly to Ainz-sama."
"Hum..." Albedo seemed to think. "You should use 'Message'. If it is important, it is better to contact Ainz-sama as soon as possible."
"Again, you're right. That's what I'm going to do."
Dwarf kingdom, east of the Azerlisia Mountains.
The Dwarf Kingdom was a kingdom of underground cities built in great caves. The different cities were connected by networks of tunnels partly natural, partly dug with a pickaxe... but also thanks to magic.
Once rich and prosperous, these cities were now largely in decline. The Dwarves' fortune had been the result of their skill in forging and runic magic. Runes inscribed on a weapon could give it various powers. These weapons sold well and their export to distant kingdoms had constituted a good part of the external income of the Dwarf Kingdom.
However, when "gods" from Yggdrasil had imported the Tier Magic, Runecraft had become... old-fashioned. Runes were abandoned by the dwarves because, with Tier Magic, one could enchant an item in a near-instant whereas runes require time. Thus using it in full production is not cost-effective. In addition, only Runesmiths are able to create and utilize runes, and there were few dwarfs capable of using runes. Runesmiths could not compete with enchanters who worked faster than them and were also much more numerous.
Foreign trade had inexorably declined over the last two hundred years. As a result, the dwarf cities had become poorer and weaker.
In this context, the dwarves had to face two threats. First, the Frost Dragons. Hungry for treasure, the latter had attacked Feo Berkana the capital of the kingdom, taking by force the royal fortress, gathering all the looted treasures in one huge pile on which now slept the Dragon Lord Olasird'arc Haylilyal.
The other threat to the Dwarf Kingdom was the Quagoa, a race of Beastmen often compared to Molemen.
They had just attacked one of the last Dwarf cities still populated by their builders...
Except the Dwarfs had received unexpected help...
Ainz Ooal Gown had made a pact with the regency council ruling the Dwarfs since the death of the last dwarf king. He would help them against their enemies provided they give him the secret of the Runecraft.
The Quagoa attack had ended in a complete rout.
It only took two Death Knights to massacre all the attackers. In the entrance tunnel leading to Feo Jera, the shredded bodies of the Molemen were enough to demonstrate the power and ferocity of these undeads.
Ainz Ooal Gown had just crossed the Great Rift, a wide crack that blocked the passage. The Quagoa had cut the chains of the suspension bridge in the hope of blocking this road. But this could not stop a magician.
The mighty Overlord spoke with Shalltear and the tiny gothic vampire took notes in a notebook while nodding occasionally.
As for Aura, she looked at the footprints left in the dust, trying to understand how the Quagoa could eliminate the two Death Knights...
Suddenly Ainz stopped and put a finger on his temple.
"Ainz Ooal Gown, hello?"
Ainz Oal Gown looked like a large human skeleton, but there were some differences. The mage's robe left his chest bare and under the rib cage shone a sphere of red light from which emanated a powerful aura of intimidation.
Under the hood, the eye sockets were illuminated by a disturbing red glow. Each of the skeleton's fingers was adorned with a magic ring.
Attentive, the Sorcerer King listened in silence to Demiurge's report. The demon was just concluding:
[...I don't know how she managed to teleport out of the Dungeon. I obviously took the usual precautions. ]
Ainz agreed. It was relatively easy to counter the teleportation methods used in the New Word, at most the inhabitants used the 5th Tier spell 'Teleportation', they did not have access to more powerful magic (like 'Gate') unless they use rituals.
[I am sorry, Ainz-sama, I failed and I am ready to accept any punishment you impose on me.]
Ainz jumped slightly abruptly out of his meditations.
[Why would I punish you, Demiurge? You brought me exactly the kind of news I've been waiting for since our arrival in the New World. ]
There was a moment of silence. Then the demon spoke again, he seemed ecstatic.
[I understand, Ainz-sama. You didn't warn me about the arrival of this elf because you wanted her to beat me so that Jaldabaoth would be underestimated... it's Machiavellian! Cheat your friends first if you want to cheat your enemies! Obviously, I would not have managed to play the surprise as well if I had been warned.]
Huh? What? No!
Jaw gaping under the effect of amazement, Ainz wanted to answer that he had not seen so far, but his surprise was erased by the greenish aura that always suppressed his too-violent emotions.
He spoke in a calm voice without intonation.
"The important thing is not there, Demiurge. I have new orders for you."
[I only exist to serve you, Supreme One ]
"Continue your preparations for the invasion of the Robble Holy Kingdom. But take more precautions now. The opposition could be much stronger than expected."
There was a brief moment of silence, and then Demiurge replied with determination.
[I understand, Ainz-sama. I will do as you ordered. ]
The Sorcerer King nodded.
"Moreover, from now on the invasion of the Robble Kingdom is only a secondary mission. Your first task is to find this elf. You have to bring her to Nazarick. I'd rather she came with you voluntarily. If possible, I would like her to become our ally."
[I would do my best... nevertheless, given her reaction after the discovery of my workshop, I think it will be difficult.]
Ainz's skeleton face obviously had no muscle that could translate any emotion, but the Sorcerer King shook his head with exasperation... he had always known that the 'art' of Demiurge would be a source of problems the day they would meet a Player.
Despite the fact that his emotions had been restrained since his undead transformation, Ainz was briefly horrified when he discovered that the parchment that was used in Nazarick was tanned human skin... one of the products provided by Demiurge's Abelion Hills ranch.
But, apart from Sebas, every resident of the Nazarick Tomb would horrify normal people...
"Tell Albedo to look for her, but with discretion. I don't want the Sorcerer Kingdom at large involved in the events of the Abelion Hills."
[Yes, of course... Jaldabaoth must be seen as the enemy of the Sorcerer Kingdom. ]
Ainz nodded. That was what he wanted the people of the New World to believe. His goal was to conquer this world with a minimum of victims and peacefully integrating the maximum of land. The kidnappings committed by Jaldabaoth -as well as the attacks by the army of half-humans and demons that Demiurge gathered under this false identity- were intended to terrify the populations. Humans who feared the Sorcerer Kingdom would accept its existence much more easily if it became the shield that protected them from their enemies.
"Don't forget, you must capture this elf alive and healthy, it's imperative."
[Of course, Ainz-sama. This time I would give you complete satisfaction!]
Ainz stood still for a long time, reflecting on all this.
"Ah... why does everything get so complicated?"
In a very human gesture, he rubbed feverishly his head. Right after his arrival in the New Word, there would be nothing that would have pleased him more than to learn that there were other Japanese here... and when he finally met a Player he was caught in a misdemeanor while he behaved like a 'bad Guy'.
But Nazarick was the treasure he wanted to protect. It doesn't matter that others consider these inhabitants as monsters. It was all that remained of his friends.
"Ainz-sama?"
He turned to Shalltear. She was visibly worried. But before he could answer, a green aura suddenly surrounded him, erasing the mixture of anxiety and frustration he felt to replace them with the calm self-control of an Overlord.
"It's nothing. Something has happened. We'll talk about it when we get back to E-Rantel. For now, the priority is these Quagoa."
Silksuntecks, Slane Theocracy
Once again, Miriel was off at the Supreme Council. Lifting the bottom of her dress with one hand, she bowed politely.
The Cardinal Partouche looked at her with defiance.
"Did you succeed in your mission?"
"I do not know."
Her response triggered a movement of fury among several cardinals. But before the most indignant could speak, the Pontifex Maximus replied.
"What do you mean?"
Miriel opened her inventory and from a tear in space fell a stack of scrolls.
"Supreme Pontiff, have you forgotten? I can't read the local languages... These are the scrolls I found while searching the Dungeon. I don't know if the one you're looking for is among them."
To be honest, Miriel only remembered this... 'detail' after leaving the Dungeon. She suspected that the Slane Theocracy had not sent her looking for a worthless paper. Whatever is written on the parchment, it must have been something extremely important and the wizard had of course intended to copy the document in order to be able to use it in her own interest.
Except, of course, she had no way of identifying the paper in question. Although 'Breadcrumb' is very useful to find a place, this spell did not indicate a particular object.
Careful to keep her expression as neutral as possible, the half-elf succinctly told her adventure.
With his hands clasped to the armrests of his chair, Cardinal Lagier straightened his eyes.
"Jaldabaoth" he said.
The reactions of the other Council members were more measured, but they were all worried.
"So that's where he's been hiding since his loss to Momon," added Laurasan.
"If I may, monsignors, the most important is not there," added Miriel. As all the members of the Council turned to her, the wizard showed her hands in a soothing gesture. "Jaldabaoth implicitly admitted that he was working for someone. If this powerful demon is a mere subordinate, as Summoner, I can assure you that no ordinary sorcerer could control him. If I may speculate, this someone could be Ainz Ooal Gown."
"But you have no proof, Lady Miriel."
She nodded.
"Nothing solid, indeed, just a bundle of presumptions pointing to the Sorcerer King. Only a sorcerer of immense power could control a demon of this level. And who is the most powerful known sorcerer? In addition, Jaldabaoth's previous appearance weakened the Re-Estize Kingdom just before Massacre at Katze Plain... a battle won by Ainz. And who defeated Jaldabaoth? Momon the Dark Hero. The Hero passed into Ainz's service just after this necromancer took E-Rantel. What is the first question an investigator should ask? 'Who benefits from the crime?' right?"
(1) Given the hygienic conditions of childbirth in medieval times, excess mortality due to pregnancy means that women rarely reach thirty years. Men are barely luckier...
(2) In the Sleeping Sorceress volume 5 of the Elric saga. The Elenoins are summoned by Theleb K'aarna... who manages to summon a multitude of them. Enough to put Tanelorn's army in trouble.