PSA: Here's a nice long one for you, although parts of it may have been plagiarised from the light novels.
Steel and Sorcerers – Chapter 43
In a soundproofed confidential meeting room in downtown Tokyo, a group of individuals in business suits, and one other individual sat around a long table. That other individual stood out dramatically from the others, as they were a woman with lustrous jet-black hair and the face of a goddess. She had golden irises and vertically split pupils, on her left and right temples were two thick horns protruding crookedly, and on her waist a pair of black angel wings. She wore a pure white dress with silky gloves covering her slender hands, and a golden spiderweb necklace covered her shoulders and chest.
One of the men in formal attire got up from his chair and pressed a switch, turning the previously transparent glass walls of the room opaque. He then turned to address the group.
"Now, are we ready to begin the meeting to discuss the terms of the transaction between the Sorcerer Kingdom and Japan?"
He then went back to his chair and sat down.
"Yes, but before, let's do 'that'" said the woman.
"Ah, of course, my most sincere apologies."
With the exception of the woman, all 10 of the other individuals held out their left hand over the table in a synchronised motion. Their hands then transformed from that of a human, into something longer and almost claw-like, and then back.
"Excellent. Let us drop all pretences then. I will be addressing you by your human names though. So, Habiki Ito, it has been two days since the conclusion of phase 3 of Operation Gehenna, how is the response among the humans?"
"Yes, Albedo-sama. After analysing the information my subordinates have gathered, it seems that the opinion of Ainz-sama has risen greatly, although is still below that of Momon and Sebas-sama."
"Ghhh… those damn humans, how could they not understand the appeal of Ainz-sama!"
"Indeed… Ah, I believe you also instructed me to prepare a report on runecraft?"
"Yes, Ainz-sama specifically requested it. Let's hear it."
"Of course. While there has been considerable buzz amongst the public in terms of the significance of rune-crafted weapons, and also a little among those in power, it seems the general consensus among the higher-ups in Japan and the US is that conventional tier-magic enchanting is a more promising option. This is because of the limited number of runesmiths and the longer time required to engrave runes."
"I see. I shall inform Ainz-sama later. Now, in terms of the transaction of land and the terms of the agreement, how much are the humans willing to part with?"
"Well, Demiurge's forces captured all the territory in an approximate 5km radius around the gate. Most of the infrastructure in this area was heavily damaged, and the population removed. While it would be convenient to claim this entire area, it includes certain landmarks such as the National Diet, Imperial Palace and Tokyo Tower which are planned to be rebuilt in their previous locations, and Japan would insist on having direct control over those locations. There is also the issue that if we claimed that whole area we could be seen as the inheritors of Jaldabaoth's conquests. Thus, I would recommend we take more the areas from the northeast to the south, which would avoid most of these landmarks while providing us with access to the ocean, albeit through Japanese-controlled waters. There is still the issue though of how to deal with people who wish to return to where they were living previously, but still want to live under Japanese instead of our rule."
"I don't think it will be too much of a problem" replied Albedo. "We'll keep most of the laws and such the same as Japan's for now, and if people want to move back in we'll be able to collect disaster-relief funds from their government."
"Ah, of course, sasuga Albedo-sama, to have such keen insight."
"We'll begin drafting the finer details of the transaction now then."
Four days after Ginza and much of the surrounding areas had been transferred under the control of the Sorcerer Kingdom, a rapid and widescale process of rebuilding was under way.
In the throne room of Nazarick, Ainz had gathered the NPCs to discuss their plans for the region.
"To begin with, thank you Demiurge for your outstanding performance and impeccable planning throughout this operation. You have done well."
Demiurge, who stood to the side of Ainz bowed his head.
"I would also like to give a post-humous thanks to the Evil Lord Wrath as well for his part, especially near the end.
Of course, I would like to thank the doppelgangers, although they cannot make it here today, and also Albedo for helping orchestrate things behind the scenes. For that I am truly grateful."
"Demiurge, Albedo."
The two of them then knelt with neatly coordinated motions.
"Raise your heads. For your exemplary performance, I shall grant you a reward."
Ainz looked to Demiurge. "Although you say that the plan for Operation Gehenna was mine all along, it was you who coordinated matters and put in the hard work to allow it to take shape. This has led Nazarick to reap great rewards. For these accomplishments I will grant you whatever you desire. Come, tell me what you want."
"Devoting myself to serve you is all the rewar-"
"Enough. It is a master's responsibility to reward good performance from his subordinates. I would have you know that at times, a lack of desire from one's subordinates sometimes displeases their master."
"Yes! Please forgive your humble servant! That being the case..."
Demiurge took a moment for contemplation. "If possible, I would like to be granted some of the captured humans to start a ranch."
"Oh? That is certainly possible, although there may be some important humans we wish to keep in reserve. Out of curiosity, what would be produced at this ranch?"
"Magical scrolls," smiled Demiurge.
"An outstanding initiative! Do you need some livestock then? That can be included in the funding."
"Thank you for your generosity Ainz-sama."
"Ah, that reminds me. Since we first encountered the humans from Earth, I wanted to start a special secret program for merging their technology with our magic. This would hopefully produce innovations to help strengthen Nazarick. Two areas in particular that I noticed we are lacking in are destruction of high-flying aircraft and underwater vehicles. In addition, there is the urgent need to develop a more robust way of countering atomic weapons.
Also, many of the resources we have in Nazarick are currently irreplaceable, in that they cannot be found in the new world. We have made some progress, Nfirea's development of the purple potion being a notable example, but there is still much work to be done to find alternative sources.
Actually, Demiurge, what do you think of combining some of these projects with your own, as they are all related to experimentation to help strengthen Nazarick."
"Your will is my command. The only thing I would ask for is additional resources and captured humans to use as test subjects in undertaking this task."
"Granted. With regards to the need for additional humans, I suppose that is because we will be ruling over increasing numbers of them, and may need to develop weapons which work well for them."
"Indeed, these weapons should work very well on them."
Ainz felt that he had just misheard something, but decided to continue.
"I feel like such an initiative needs a catchy name though. I remember Punitto Moe-san telling me about a famous secret weapons program that was apparently going even to that present day. I think it was called the Badgerworks or something? Hmm, then for the name of our program, how about the Nazarickworks?"
"I see your naming sense is impeccable Ainz-sama" replied Demiurge.
"It is decided then. Demiurge will spearhead a new weapons development program under the moniker 'Nazarickworks'. He will be transferred resources, humans captives, and captured equipment from Earth for this purpose."
"Now Albedo, you too. For your outstanding work, what would you desire?"
Albedo answered immediately "A date with Ainz-sama!"
At this, many of the other NPCs looked on with intense envy, especially Shalltear.
"Hrmm, I guess that would be a reward in your case… If that's what you desire, you have put in a lot of hard work lately. Alright, I'll put some time aside tomorrow afternoon."
"Thank you so much Ainz-sama! Don't worry, I'll plan out everything!"
"Ahem. Well then, the next item on the agenda I wanted to discuss was the matter of procuring funds for the development of the land we recently acquired. Albedo, how is the progress on that front?"
"We have secured a large amount of 'disaster relief funds' from the Japanese Government. That in combination with the fact that the undead labourers we are primarily using to clear away rubble have no maintenance cost means we currently have adequate funds."
"That is good to hear, but please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Now, with regards to those adventurers that were lured into Nazarick a while ago…"
Kenichi Yamato was currently feeling stumped. 'How did things end up like this?'
It felt like the whole world had been turned upside-down over the last month. A demonic incursion causing destruction to a large area of Tokyo and massive loss of life, meaning the truth about the existence of magic, and that supernatural entities beyond our control existed in the special region has all been revealed. Then there was the huge blow to the US navy in the form of the destruction of over a quarter of their combat effectiveness.
And finally, the coup de grâce, the Sorcerer Kingdom. The creation of a micro-state within Tokyo, ruled over by a powerful undead skeletal sorcerer. Or to be more accurate, the transfer of lands within Tokyo to that nation which had apparently already existed within the special region.
He personally found it insane that the government had actually allowed this to happen, ceding control of a portion of one of the most economically and strategically important areas in the heart of Japan to some foreign entities from a different reality. No, although not politically correct, he should refer to them as what they really were. Monsters. Intelligent monsters, who must've somehow taken advantage of the chaos to seize control. If they were really here to help, like Momon and Sebas, they wouldn't have asked for such a ludicrously high payment. I understand people wanted to see Jaldabaoth gone as soon as possible, but we would've been able to drive them off eventually. If we hadn't sought out Ainz Ooal Gown's help our full territorial integrity would still be intact. Then there's the matter of them being able to cut off our access to the special region whenever they want to, severely limiting our prospects of expansion there.
Not to mention, Ainz Ooal Gown was an extremely powerful monster too. He had seen the photos of the huge crater that was all that remained of the main base in the special region, and heard about how Jaldabaoth had summoned huge meteorites to destroy the American aircraft carriers. Ainz Ooal Gown, as shown in the videos of the fight between them and Jaldabaoth had that same level of power. A strength that couldn't be surpassed by conventional weapons. As he saw it, there wasn't much they could do to stop them without outside help from Momon or Sebas, and while Momon and Sebas had been of great help, their backgrounds were still largely a mystery, so it would be risky to continue to rely on them like this.
Yamato sighed. Then there was the existence of that girl, Imaga Yotiaru. She was convicted of spying for the Chinese government and sentenced to labour in the special region. That was until Ainz Ooal Gown decided to make her his personal lackey and then, what do you know, all of the records and evidence of her criminal history suddenly disappeared overnight. Her role seems to be to help ease unrest within the area ceded to the Sorcerer Kingdom since she represents cooperation between us and them.
The worst part is there are people out there buying into all of this, or who don't care about the consequences and just want to make money or gain power. I remember one of my finance contacts telling me earlier about how everyone's trying to figure out a way to capitalise on the appearance of the Sorcerer Kingdom and overcome the fact they're currently closed to outside investment. In addition, it seems most of the countries around the world are seemingly prostrating themselves before the Sorcerer King with all their positive statements and promises of aid, all to be granted even a small portion of his power, or perhaps access to the special region.
Amidst all this it seemed there might yet be hope though. He had recently received an invitation to join the Japanese branch of a recently founded American-based think tank, which apparently had the objective of finding counters to the unique problems posed by the special region. Hundreds of similar-minded institutes had popped up over the last several months since the existence of the gate was made public, so he was unsure if it would be anything of substance though. He would be heading to across Tokyo tomorrow for his first meeting with them, hopefully they would not disappoint.
It was currently harvest season, just a month or so before winter would set in, and a cool wind blew across the desolate Katze Plains. Under the grey sky two armies formed their battle lines along these gentle slopes, staring each other down.
The awe-inspiring army of the Kingdom was 245,000 men strong, divided into a left wing of 70,000 men, a right wing of 70,000 men, and a central column of 105,000 men, skilfully encamped throughout three hills. However, this encampment was not ringed by wooden fences, but formed of a gigantic mass of troops. The foremost five ranks of infantry carried two-handed pikes, each one easily over six meters long, and they were formed up into a spear line. Although this formation was quite solid and presented many problems for any attackers, it had its weaknesses as well. Since the formation was dense and the weapons carried were very heavy, it was all they could do just to stay in place and prevent enemy charges. As such, they lacked the ability to react quickly to enemy manoeuvres, and if the Empire used bowmen or magic, their losses would be heavy. Then again, not much more was expected from mere peasants. All that was required was that they deflect the first charge of the enemy.
On the other side, the Empire had 60,000 men. Their numbers were vastly inferior to those of the Kingdom. However, the Imperial knights were relaxed, without so much as a hint of fear. They did not feel they would lose at all. This confidence came from knowing their own personal strength. Most of the Kingdom's troops were composed of peasant levies. In contrast, the Empire fielded professional soldiers called knights. A peasant was simply expected to hold a weapon, while each Imperial knight was carefully trained. Every loss by the Empire was more keenly felt than a similar loss by the Kingdom. The Empire simply could not afford to squander their knights in foolish offensives or wars of attrition. The Empire's objective would be accomplished simply by pulling the Kingdom's serfs onto the battlefield. There was no need to waste valuable human resources, and the Kingdom knew this as well.
This scripted pageantry was what passed for 'war' between the Empire and the Kingdom. By tradition, the Imperial forces would parade before the Kingdom's troops, and then fall back. The Kingdom would then sound a victory cry. This was how it had always been. However-
It seemed a third army had appeared. Their low numbers, composing of only a few hundred individuals would indicate it was more of a skirmishing force, however each one of the entities in that formation gave off an oppressive aura of fearsome power. In the centre were lines of huge undead soldiers donning black armour and horned helmets, with flamberges in one hand and tower shields in the other. Then, on the flanks were skeletal warriors in shining golden armour, riding horses of bone imbued with tendrils of fog, which sparkled pus yellow and emerald green. There were also several black-armoured knights which rode red-eyed unicorns, whose bodies were jet black and sporting two horns on their heads. Then, standing at the head, were two individuals. One shorter hooded figure in a short skirt, clutching a wooden staff, and on their hands, an imposing black gauntlet and a radiant white one. To the left of this individual, dwarfing them at 2.5 metres tall, was what looked like a huge bluish-white insect, covered in sharp icicle-like spikes and with a long tail. It held a large silver halberd in two of its four hands.
The giant bug-monster spoke, it's voice seemingly magically enhanced to carry across the whole battlefield.
"13. Days. Ago. A. Group. Of. Humans. Attacked. An. Outpost. Of. The. Sorcerer. Kingdom. In. The. East. Great. Forest. Of. Tob. We. Demand. An. Apology. From. Your. Leaders. Else. You. Shall. Suffer. Speak. With. My. Representative. Now."
One of the mounted black-armoured knights then rode out from their formation into the centre of the battlefield.
Over on the Empire's side of the battlefield, Nimble, one of the four knights of the Empire, was trying to figure out what was going on. Their scouts had spotted a huge portal open up and saw this undead army come marching in out of nowhere, and now they were demanding an apology for something? Although he usually didn't come to these battles, Fluder was luckily here, and could perhaps share some insights. Nimble looked over, but what he saw deeply troubled him.
Fluder was holding his head with an expression of disbelief on his face, muttering to himself while taking glances across the battlefield at that army.
"Fluder-dono, is everything alright?"
"Ho ho ho," Fluder chuckled manically, "Yes! No! Definitely not! I'll let you in on a little secret. Do you see those undead knights with the swords and shields? Just one of them on its own would probably be enough to wipe out a good portion of our army, that is before the rest could flee haha! Or, if you and I intervened perhaps we could slow it down a bit at least!"
"Fluder-dono, please calm yourself. So, then what you're saying is that army is more powerful than both ours and the Kingdom's combined?"
"Ho ho, maybe, no, absolutely! And then, the individual capable of controlling so many high level undead, they must be a fearsome caster indeed!"
"You mean that hooded figure at the front?"
"Yes! If only we weren't at odds right now… The wisdom they must hold, it must be unfathomable!"
"I see, so making peace with those individuals should be our top priority then. I will bring diplomats and go speak to them personally then, as it seems the future of the Empire may be at stake here."
"What's going on?"
This was at the headquarters where the King was. It was located behind a host of 105,000 men. Marquis Raeven stood beside Gazef, speaking quietly as he surveyed the mythical undead army that had suddenly appeared. The Imperial army did not move, and neither did that of the Kingdom.
"Warrior-Captain- Gazef-dono, do you know what those creatures are or where they might have come from?"
Gazef knew nothing about the true identity of these monsters, but his warrior's instinct supplied enough information for him to speak conclusively.
"There's no doubt about it... they must be the knights of Ainz Ooal Gown! And those at the front, perhaps his subordinates."
"Is that!... Is that the army of the magic caster you feared?!"
"Marquis Raeven! Please gather the former adventurers immediately! Ask them what's our best move! They've fought many monsters in the past and survived; please ask them to share their wisdom with us!"
"Yes-"
He probably wanted to reply that he understood, but his bodyguards were faster than that, and had already moved up to protect him. However, that was only expected. They had sensed the power of this threat before Gazef had.
"Marquis Raeven!" The formerly orichalcum-ranked adventurers rode over on horseback. "Did you see it? Do you feel it?"
At the head of the adventurers was their leader, the paladin of the Fire God, Boris Axelson. Within his voice was a thrill of fear he could not hide. The fact that there was a note of fright in the voice of a formerly orichalcum-ranked adventurer, in a place defended by such a vast army…
Gazef felt that this was no longer time for etiquette, and asked, "Tell me! What are they? No need to greet me! Please tell me everything you know, all of you!"
Boris clutched the holy symbol that dangled around his neck. It was a gesture of warding.
"...We can't be sure, but we believe the creatures they ride are legendary monsters known as Soul Eaters. They're said to be undead creatures that hunger for the souls of the living. According to legend, they once appeared in the middle of the continent, in a city of the Beastmen Kingdoms."
"Then... how many casualties were there?"
The words Boris spoke sounded unnaturally quiet. "100,000."
The breath caught in Gazef's throat.
"...They say three Soul Eaters appeared, and they destroyed the city. 95% of the populace, over 100,000 people, died as a result. The city was abandoned, and it was called the Silent City."
A heavy silence fell on the group.
"...And there's dozens of them out there?"
Nobody could muster up the strength to answer Raeven.
"Then, then... what manner of creatures are riding on those monsters' backs?"
"That..." The adventurers looked nervously to each other. "We don't know. The only thing we're certain of is that they must be very dangerous. No, I apologize, I shouldn't be using such vague terms as dangerous. However, I can think of no other words to describe what we are facing now."
"Then, what they said, about humans having attacked an outpost of what, the 'Sorcerer Kingdom', do you know anything of that?"
"Well, we can't be certain, but about a week back I heard about a group of adventurers, fairly strong ones too, with many Mithril-plates among them, who went to investigate a tomb which had recently been discovered in the Great Forest of Tob. Of all the adventurers that went in, only two returned, badly wounded and mentally scarred, with nothing to show."
Raeven adopted a grim visage. "So, it seems likely we're the ones at fault here, and not the Empire. Then, I suppose we'll have to do our best to pacify their demands won't we?"
In response to Raeven's panicked question, Gazef replied tersely and clearly. "Agreed. Advise the King to send a delegation immediately- Ah, it looks like the Empire is doing the same."
Across the battlefield they could see a trio of individuals, including Nimble on horseback making their way towards where that messenger of death waited.
"We'd best not keep them waiting then," said Raeven. "I shall speak with the King now."
Raeven made his way to the king's tent, walking inside once the guards stepped aside for him. Inside was the King sitting on his throne, beside him were several nobles, as well as Prince Barbro, all arguing about the right course of action. However, what filled his heart with fear was that these were very warlike tones, with many advocating for over-running both the Sorcerer Kingdom and Empire's armies at once.
"Everyone, please, this is urgent. I have just spoken with my adventurers and gained several insights about the undead army that has just appeared."
Everyone stopped and turned to give him their attention. He then recounted to them a summary of the discussion he had had with Gazef and the adventurers.
The atmosphere was very tense after he had finished speaking. However, it was broken by Marquis Boullope.
"Hmph! What you have told us is rooted only in myths and legends, do you honestly believe that just three of those skeleton horses were able to destroy an entire city? We have an overwhelming numbers advantage even if they're a bit strong! Besides, they control undead, they're clearly not to be trusted, we have no choice but to fight."
Marquis Raeven's face paled at these words.
"Even so, could you not feel the horrific aura emanating from them? Do you seriously think we stand a chance against them, and what if the Empire takes the opportunity to attack us at the same time?"
"Both of you have some good points, but I have a better idea."
The one who had spoken was Crown Prince Barbro, the eldest son of King Ramposa III.
"Then… what do you suggest?"
"We should simply trick them into attacking the Empire! That way we could solve two problems at once!"
"And how exactly would we do that?" asked Raeven sceptically.
"Simple. First, they only said it was some humans that attacked them, they don't know it was us. In addition, the eastern portion of the Great Forest of Tob is closer to the Empire than the Kingdom, so it would be more likely to be them. It looks like a bug and a child are leading them anyway, they can't be too smart."
'Is that seriously all he's basing this plan on, how could he actually think this would have any chance of succeeding' thought Raeven, although he didn't actually say it aloud since this was still the Crown Prince he was talking to.
It seemed like many of the nobles were doubtful of the plan as well, but since they didn't have a better alternative and wanted to curry favour they mostly agreed.
"Prince Barbro-dono, don't you think this plan is quite risky though, wouldn't a simple apology be easier?" asked Raeven.
"Raeven-dono, you aren't seriously asking us to bow down and grovel in front of monsters and undead, are you?" asked Barbro accusingly.
"My apologies, it's just…"
"Raeven-dono."
Everyone immediately fell silent, as the king was now speaking.
"I understand there are certain risks involved with this plan, but as it stands this is one of the better options we have moving forwards."
Raeven wanted to counter with 'There's no way they will fall for this,' and 'Gazef has said Ainz-dono is likely to be reasonable,' but he remained silent, as it seemed the king had made up his mind. He probably wanted to give Barbro an opportunity to prove himself.
"As you wish, your majesty" said Raeven, bowing.
"I will go personally then, with several of Marquis Boullope's soldiers as guards" said Barbro.
As Barbro and his escorts neared the Sorcerer Kingdom's messenger, they felt the pressure beginning to mount, the oppressive air given off by that single dark rider was making their horses restless. After a while they reached them, where Nimble and a couple of imperial diplomats were also waiting.
The knight spoke, its voice a rasp like the scrape of stone, and its black plate-armour pulsating as if it were alive. "We shall start with the representative from the Re-Estize kingdom. What is your resolve?"
Barbro took a moment to respond, the aura of mortal danger emitted by that creature was almost making it difficult to breathe. He stammered a little before regaining his composure.
"Y-y-yes. Hmpf. Messenger of the -um, Sorcerer?"
"The Sorcerer Kingdom" replied the knight.
"Yes, that's right! We would like to inform you that it was in fact the Baharuth Empire that attacked the Sorcerer Kingdom!"
"What?!" exclaimed Nimble. "These are lies, please do not believe him!"
"Do you have any evidence to back up your claims?" asked the dark knight, with a hint of scorn.
"Why yes. After all, the eastern section of the Great Forest of Tob is in much closer proximity to the Empire. Furthermore, we have classified reports confirming their involvement."
"That is no basis for such an accusation!" said Nimble. "I don't suppose you have these documents on you now?"
"No, they are stored back at the capital, but I can have them ready if required" smiled Barbro.
"I'm certain that they would be fabricated anyways." Nimble then turned to the black armoured knight. "Please don't fall for his lies. To tell you the truth we know nothing of this incident. But, we are more than willing to cooperate with you in an investigation to find who was responsible and bring them to justice."
"Oh? You seem quite keen to cooperate, don't you?" remarked Barbro. "Perhaps that is because you already know you are guilty and are just trying to lighten the sentence, or escape responsibility?"
"I assure you that is not the case. In addition, we would be sure to have complete transparency in this investigation."
"Hmpf. Well, if you think you could even be a little bit responsible, why don't you get down on your hands and knees and apologise now?" Barbro grinned, waiting to see what Nimble, one of the four knights of the empire would do.
Nimble hesitated for a moment, but got down on his knees and bowed before the emissary of the Sorcerer Kingdom. "I don't know who was responsible for this attacked on the Sorcerer Kingdom, but if it ends up being someone affiliated with the Empire, I would like to apologise in advance. I hope you will give us your forgiveness in such a circumstance."
Barbro was dumbfounded, his jaw hanging open in shock.
"Hahaha!" cackled the black-armoured knight. "This one knows the proper pose to adopt before an emissary of the supreme one!"
"What the hell are you doing?!" exclaimed Barbro. But then, his expression gradually changed. "I see now… If the Empire is so keen to bow down before monsters and undead, then they must be weaker than we thought! Hah! This year's annual war will be a rout! I'll see you later!"
He then mounted his horse and turned to leave.
"Representative of the Re-Estize kingdom, you have not given your answer," said the dark knight.
Barbro turned his head from atop of his horse. "I had no intention of negotiating from the beginning. Monsters and undead are despicable creatures not to be trusted, and we will never bow down for you. I suggest you run off back into your hole in the forest, or be crushed alongside the Empire."
As Prince Barbro and his guards trotted off back to their lines, the black-armoured knight chuckled. "Imperials, in three days' time a delegation of the Sorcerer Kingdom will visit your capital for further communications. For now, we'll give you the opportunity to witness a small fraction of the power of the Sorcerer Kingdom's army firsthand."
Prince Barbro returned to the King's tent, and immediately a group of nobles descended on him, asking what had happened out there.
Barbro smiled confidently. "Your majesty, it seems the Imperials are weaker than we thought. In our discussions with the Sorcerer Kingdom's representative they were willing to grovel before them even though they had not been convicted of any crimes!"
Marquis Raeven, who was also listening felt a lump form in his throat. 'That means the Empire knows how dangerous those undead are as well.'
The King spoke. "Then, what was the outcome of the discussion? Has the Sorcerer Kingdom's army turned on the Empire?"
"Well, no. But they shouldn't be a problem with our numbers, especially since I've just confirmed the Empire should be especially weak right now."
"Hmm, their battle lines look the same as usual this year though" commented Marquis Boullope. "Though, uh, perhaps there is some hidden factor not related to the size and strength of their army."
The king exhaled. "So, we're fighting both armies then."
After the Death Cavalier had returned and given his report, Cocytus ordered the army they had assembled to turn towards the forces of the Re-Estize Kingdom, observing as their lines began to advance towards them. While his forces had come here prepared for battle, he hadn't anticipated the humans to be so foolish.
He strode ahead of his formation, putting at least 60 metres of distance between himself and the death knights, which Mare stood with. Cocytus calmly regarded the warriors, or rather, conscripted peasants charging him. It was clear they were afraid, which he couldn't blame them for. However, their numbers and the orders of their superiors gave them enough confidence and direction to charge at even a being such as himself. Personally speaking, Cocytus would have liked to allow his foes to reach a range where they could fight, and he was sure that he would not be defeated even if all of the soldiers reached him. However, allowing these unwilling peasant conscripts to do battle with a guardian of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick would be disrespectful to Ainz-sama.
Thus, he unleashed his aura. It was a skill derived from the Knight of Niflheim class, [Frost Aura]. This special ability damaged and slowed the foe through the use of extreme cold temperatures. At full power it might even hit the death knights standing over 60 metres behind him. So, he had to suppress its power. He had to narrow its radius and reduce its damage.
"This ought to do it..."
A wave of freezing cold expanded from Cocytus, instantly filling a radius of 50 meters across. The temperature plummeted upon exposure to the intense cold, and the very air seemed to groan.
"...Hm. That. Ought. To. Do."
He drew back his aura. The momentary exposure meant that the savage, blizzard like snap-frost had vanished like it had never been. However, it was no illusion or trick of the senses.
The best proof of that was the 3000 frozen corpses from the left wing of the Kingdom's army that covered the plains.
Those in the formation behind them ran into the frozen bodies of their comrades, causing them to stumble and fall. After a few moments of confusion, in which they eventually realised what had happened and the situation in they were in, many attempted to withdraw. Certainly, they knew that this monster would be powerful, but who could have possibly anticipated this? Who could have guessed that it would cast such a horrific spell, slaughtering thousands in an instant? How could anyone fight, no, even get near to that thing.
After recovering from the shock, the commanders ordered the soldiers to press on, insisting that it would have to run out of mana eventually, ordering the archers to open fire.
A hail of arrows descended upon Cocytus. Despite their poor accuracy, many would've actually hit him. However, an invisible barrier which appeared to cover his body deflected the projectiles, creating a pile of arrows at his feet.
Cocytus began to advance, crushing those arrows beneath his feet with a snapping sound. The undead soldiers with Mare started advancing as well, although keeping their distance.
As new soldiers began to come into range, he once again activated his skill, freezing another thousand in an instant.
This pattern continued. Cocytus wading through thousands of frozen corpses, trying to avoid stepping on them out of courtesy, as wave after wave of soldiers assaulted him.
Though, as the casualties mounted, with almost 20,000 killed, the resolve of the soldiers, already low to begin with due to being conscripted peasants, all but broke.
"Run away! Run away!" They heard the shouts from the distance. In response, all the soldiers began to flee. It was exactly like a swarm of spiders scattering in all directions. Their higher-ups tried to regain order, but it was useless. They too seemed to have accepted there was nothing they could do to stop the advance of that monster. Even if they were to flank and surround it, its freezing aura went in every direction. This was not even mentioning the army of undead following it from behind.
Soon, it would be upon Raeven's troops.
"Retreat! Retreat!" The way Raeven shouted these orders was closer to a wail. They could not fight this monster.
They should not throw their lives away for no reason. As they heard Raeven's words, the surrounding soldiers began withdrawing in haste.
"Ainz Ooal Gown, what kind of creature, what kind of magic caster must you be?!" For even his subordinates to be this strong, he had underestimated his forces. No, he had not done so. After taking Gazef Stronoff's words into consideration, they had decided the best course of action would be to retreat or make some sort of agreement. This was all Barbro and those ignorant self-interested Nobles' faults.
Marquis Raeven shouted orders at the troops surrounding him. "This isn't a battlefield anymore, it's a killing floor! Just run!"
"My lord!" a knight said as he removed his helmet. "The King! What about the King?"
"Where's the King?!"
"He's there!"
He saw the royal flag in the direction where the soldier was pointing.
"Marquis Raeven! The situation is bad! Please retreat with all haste!" The voice of the formerly orichalcum-ranked adventurers, the subordinates he most trusted, wiped away Raeven's hesitation.
"Right, you focus on rallying the men!" Raeven called to the soldier. "I'll go with my team to check on the king."
The headquarters of King Ramposa III was located in the centre of the Royal army. It was surrounded by countless banners belonging to numerous nobles of the Kingdom of Re-Estize. Although there had been many nobles gathered here before, only a few remained here. Most of them had already fled, and only a scant few remained in this camp. Of course, the king had no intention of blaming the court nobles for running away.
"You lot, leave me behind and run!"
"This is no time for jokes! Your Majesty, please flee with all haste. Once it gets close, we'll have no chance to survive!" The speaker was Gazef's subordinate, the vice-captain of the warrior band.
"How can I run away, as the King?"
"Even if your Majesty stays, there is nothing you can do. Should you not return to E-Rantel and plan the counter-attack?" Ramposa III smiled bitterly. It hurt to listen to those words.
"That's right. Even if I stay here, there is nothing left for me to do." It was impossible to rally his broken, routed army under these circumstances. With that in mind, Ramposa III made his decision and rose to his feet.
Amidst the chaos caused by men desperately fleeing for their lives, Gazef fixed his eyes ahead of him.
The Gauntlets of Vitality, which negated fatigue. The Amulet of Immortality, which let him regenerate his wounds. The Guardian Armor, crafted of adamantite, the hardest metal known to man, and enchanted with magic that deflected lethal blows. And finally, he slowly drew the national treasure of the Kingdom, Razor Edge. A magic sword crafted in pursuit of absolute sharpness, which could carve through enchanted armour like the proverbial hot knife through butter. Every time he had drawn this coldly gleaming blade, he had achieved victory. In other words, this sword was the proof of Gazef's triumph.
However, the sword seemed terribly weak and fragile today, compared to the monster approaching him that could freeze legions of soldiers in an instant. He also lamented that his equipment didn't include anything that provided resistance to the cold.
Although it moved slowly, if he let it past him the King's main camp would be next. If he didn't try to at least delay this monster before retreating, could he really say he had done his duty as the Warrior-Captain of the Kingdom?
By now most of the other soldiers had already fled, so he was all alone now, with that monster and the army behind it steadily bearing down on him.
As it came within approximately 50 metres, which was the radius of its ice attack, Gazef charged, bracing himself against the cold that would surely come. However, there was nothing.
"Please. Stop."
Gazef halted his charge in confusion, having gotten within 15 metres of his target.
The bug-like monster had extended one of its arms, with a palm raised, indicating it wanted him to stop.
"What's the matter?!" demanded Gazef, his body surging with adrenaline.
"Ainz-sama Has. Instructed. Me. Not. To. Harm. You. I. Have. No. Intention. Of. Fighting."
Hundreds of thoughts ran through Gazef's head. 'So, it really was Ainz Ooal Gown who sent this army. But then, why would he order his subordinates to do something like this?'
"I. Understand. You. Must. Be. Confused. However. I. Cannot. Answer. Your. Questions. Please. Retreat. With. Your. Comrades. For. Now."
Gazef quickly glanced behind him. The area was deserted and it was likely the king was safe by now. It made no sense to continue fighting here now.
"Will you continue to pursue us?"
The monster raised a clawed hand to its mandibles, as if in thought. "Until. E-Rantel. But. We. Will. Not. Attack. It. Unless. Absolutely. Necessary."
Normally out of principle, Gazef would've doubted the words of a monster. However, they were being commanded by Ainz Ooal Gown, who he held in high regard.
"I know it is a foolish request, but may I speak to Ainz Ooal Gown-dono?"
"I. Expect. In. The. Near. Future. You. Will. Have. The. Opportunity."
"Very well then. I'll take my leave, thank you for your patience."