PSA: I've decided to use brackets for spells/items like in the LN.
Also, this is the longest chapter so far. I hope you enjoy!
Steel and Sorcerers – Chapter 17
'Hmm, they certainly have been busy.'
Ainz sat on the chair inside his office, observing the JSDF's base through a [Mirror of Remote Viewing]. Initially their compound had only consisted of a small walled-off area, but now it had expanded to many times that size. A huge concentration of machinery and construction workers were building new structures all over the site, with new land being constantly cleared by lines of bulldozers accompanied by men wielding chainsaws. The [Mirror of Remote Viewing] didn't transmit sound, but Ainz imagined it would've been incredibly noisy if he had been standing there in person. He was surprised that it hadn't been discovered by the Kingdom or the Empire yet, being such a hub of activity. However, it did lie in the middle of the Great Forest of Tob so maybe that was why.
This of course wasn't the first time he was seeing the base in this state. It was 3 days ago when he had first conducted reconnaissance with Nigredo as to what lay on the other side of the gate, but he had continued to gather information since. With a world-item, he could look through the gate using scrying magic, and since there weren't any anti-scrying barriers he had done extensive investigations of his own.
However, for all this remote observation there were still many things he didn't know about the current situation on Earth. Thus, he decided it would be necessary to go there in person.
Such a decision wasn't to be taken lightly of course. The gate itself constituted a narrow chokepoint ideal for ambushes. In addition, they still didn't know who created the structure and for what purpose. At this point in time though, Ainz felt that he knew enough to take the risk. In addition, judging by the rapid expansion of the JSDF's base, they intended to exert greater influence on this world, meaning there was the possibility that they could come into contact with Nazarick in the future. It had already become impossible to precisely track the movements of all the agents Japan had sent out into the various nations of the new world, and as they learned how to utilise magic their defences would become more difficult to penetrate undetected. For this reason, although he felt a little uneasy doing so, he had to take the opportunity to find out as much as he could now, before Japan had time to build up their defences further.
'Well, it's almost time now.' Ainz dispelled his magic and got up out of the chair, heading into his private chambers and shutting the door behind him.
Opening up his inventory he retrieved a number of items of clothing, which he carefully placed on the pristine sheets of the bed. Since he would be travelling within Japan, his current outfit, or the outfit he wore as Momon would stand out far too much.
Ainz had accumulated a great number of different clothing items during his time playing Yggdrasil, and based on his observations of Tokyo he had selected a number of different outfits that shouldn't stand out too much.
The one he had laid out before him now consisted of a pair of navy pants and a jacket, a white long-sleeve shirt and office shoes and socks.
The long sleeves and pants served to hide most of his skeletal appearance, but his hands and head would still be visible. Gloves and full head coverings weren't exactly commonplace in Japan, especially during the summer, so he had had to devise an alternate solution.
The illusion he had used during his time as Momon didn't hold up against touch, and would be easily seen through. The alternative was a higher-level illusion, which was able to mimic the sensation of touch for short periods and was more difficult to see through. The downside of this was that it would consume much more mana, making him more vulnerable to attack.
Ainz had briefly consulted Demiurge on the issue, who had suggested using skin-grafts taken from the Sunlit Scripture prisoners to create a 'flesh mask' and gloves. Ainz decided to dismiss this option and stick with the illusion.
Another aspect of the illusion was that he had to change its appearance. This was because there was the slim possibility that someone who had seen Ainz take his helmet off as Momon before might be present in Japan. In addition, the shop where he had chosen to try and apply to work at in Tokyo was somewhere that an older man might seem out of place. For this reason, Ainz had chosen to alter this new illusion to have the appearance of himself from when he was in his early twenties instead.
After donning the outfit, although he didn't cast the illusion yet, Ainz sat back down in his chair where he began reviewing the contents of his inventory as he waited. It was imperative that he had everything with him for when he crossed over to the other side, as teleportation seemed to be blocked even when one possessed a world-class item.
Speaking of world-class items, along with the one he usually had on his person he had also retrieved [Depiction of Nature and Society] from the treasury. This would hopefully aid in his escape if he was suddenly ambushed by a large enemy force.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Please enter" Ainz called out.
The person who entered was an elegant, snow-white skinned, black-pony tailed beauty. She looked to be in her late teens, and her tapered eyes gleamed like onyxes. She wore a knee-length black dress and a light-blue blouse, a brown handbag at her side.
"Ah, Narberal. It's good to see you."
Narberal continued on to take a kneeling stance on the floor in front of Ainz's desk, bowing her head in subservience. "I am at your service Ainz-sama!"
'Ha… The fashion sense of the NPCs really was far superior to that of his own. That being said though…'
"Narberal, please raise your head. We should start getting into character now. While you are travelling with me you are Nabe, the relative of Satoru, who is me."
"Understood Ain-Satoru-sama!"
"Also, don't call me -sama. We are relatives. It would be weird to address me like that."
"B-But! How could I possibly be so disrespectful to the Supreme One? And, your relative?!"
"Like I've already said, several times, when we are travelling in Japan, I am just Satoru, your relative. So don't call me -sama. This is necessary for the mission, and that's an order."
After a short silence, Narberal reluctantly replied "Understood, Satoru-sa-n."
"Forget it, this is fine too. Actually, dropping the -san would be good as well. After all, how shall I say this, addressing your relative as -san might make people think there's a distance between us."
"But... would that not be too disrespectful...?"
Ainz shrugged. "I guess it would be fine, but we cannot reveal our true identities. You understand that, right?"
"Of course."
"...Your tone... mm, forget it. In any case... what I want to say is that you must be very careful in your words and actions."
"...Understood, Momon-sa—san. However, is it really all right for me to accompany you? Would not the beautiful and gentle Albedo-sama be better for this task?"
"Albedo… I need her to manage Nazarick for me while I am traveling."
"...Though I fear to offend you, could the task of running Nazarick not be given to Cocytus-sama? The Guardians all say this too... that for the sake of your safety, Albedo-sama, or even Sebas is the best choice as your companion. Do you not think so?"
Narberal's question made Ainz smile bitterly. Among all the Guardians, Albedo had objected the most strenuously when Ainz had announced his decision to visit E-Rantel. Although, this time she hadn't put up much resistance. Ainz suspected Demiurge had something to do with it but he wasn't quite sure.
"...I did not bring her along because I trust her more than anyone else. It is because she is in Nazarick that I can leave it in peace."
"I see! So in other words, Albedo-sama is the closest person to you, Momon-san?"
While he did not reply, he did nod in response to Narberal's question. "Incidentally, I have a question... Do you think humans are inferior lifeforms?"
"Yes, they are. Humans are worthless trash."
Ainz muttered, "Ah, so you felt that way too," but his voice was too soft to reach Narberal's ears. This was one of the reasons why he had chosen to take Sebas rather than Albedo with him to E-Rantel. Her hostility to humans might lead to an unfortunate situation if left to her own devices. Another reason was that Albedo had horns and wings, which stood out and couldn't be disguised.
As for why he had chosen Narberal rather than Sebas to accompany him this time to Japan, it was for a number of reasons. Although Sebas didn't appear inhuman, Narberal looked more Japanese. In addition, while Sebas was far more powerful in combat, he lacked the ability to use certain stealth skills which would be essential in passing through the gate undetected. The final reason was that Ainz needed Sebas to stay in E-Rantel to continue to gather information and promote their reputation as adventurers.
"...Nabe, I won't tell you to cast away those thoughts, but at the very least, you must control yourself. Earth is occupied by humans, and we're trying to gather information while keeping a low profile. Therefore, we should try our best not to make enemies."
Narberal bowed deeply to him to show her loyalty and obedience. Ainz extended his hand to her, to bid her raise her head. Then he continued "There is one more thing. When we intend to fight in earnest, we might radiate a... killing intent, which humans might be able to sense. Well, something like that might happen. Therefore, although I don't expect us to need to, you are not to get serious without my permission. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Momon-san."
"Very good... Ah, one last thing. As I have mentioned to you before, while I am travelling with you I will be using an illusion."
Ainz then cast the illusion on himself, transforming his skeletal visage to that of a youthful young-adult with short black hair. "There's something I'd like to ask. Does my current appearance look acceptable?"
Narberal replied instantly. "Certainly. Anything would look good on Ainz-sama, even in that form."
'Hah…' Ainz internally sighed. As he had worried, it seemed as if none of his subordinates would comment even if Ainz wore something unsuitable. He supposed it was a similar situation to a toupee slipping off the head of the CEO of some large company; nobody would dare say anything.
"…I see, well, we'd better get going now. Are you ready?"
"Yes Ainz-sama!"
"It's Satoru, remember?"
"Ah, yes, Satoru-san!"
Ainz then cast [Gate], causing a shimmering black and red portal to materialise in the room. Ainz stepped through first, followed by Narberal.
On the other side, they found themselves in the midst of a forest. To an ordinary person it might've seemed empty, but Ainz could see a number of shadowy humanoid figures stood all around and within the trees. In addition to this, there was a young dark-elf child, also cloaked from any prying eyes.
"Ainz-sama, I'm so glad. I was starting to get worried."
"I'm terribly sorry to have made you worried Mare, I just had a couple of things I had to check before leaving."
Mare gasped, "Ah, no! That's not what I meant to say! You should take as much time as you need Ainz-sama!"
Ainz raised a hand. "Do not worry, it is of no matter. Now, are all the necessary preparations ready?"
"Yes Ainz-sama. We have secured a path, and the Hanzos here are all ready to escort you. We are waiting to receive your order."
"Excellent, good work Mare. Then please cast the stealth enhancing magic on Narberal and myself, and we shall head out."
Mare raised his staff and cast the magic. Ainz could use [Perfect Unknowable] so this wasn't really needed for him, but since Narberal could only use [Invisibility], this much would be necessary to get her through the gate undetected. He also had a number of scrolls of [Complete Invisibility] or [Perfect Unknowable] for Narberal to use for getting back when they were done, but didn't want to waste them now, since Mare was here.
"Then, we'll be going" announced Ainz, casting [Perfect Unknowable] on himself. Narberal followed suit by casting [Invisibility].
"Good luck Ainz-sama and Narberal-san" Mare called out as they disappeared into the forest.
Ainz and Narberal made no sound as they made their way through the trees. They passed a number of JSDF patrols on their way, none of whom seemed to register their presence.
After a while they finally sighted the edges of the compound, where they could see excavators and workers clearing foliage. They had heard the noisy din of their activity for a while now, but they had only just sighted them visually.
Stepping past the workers they entered the main area of the base. It was a veritable hive of activity, with new buildings being erected and foundations being excavated in great numbers. It was difficult to make their way through to crowd of workers, and one had actually bumped into Ainz as they made their way through the crowd. Luckily, they seemed to think it was nothing, or had bumped into someone else, and continued on.
Eventually they made it to the entranceway of the gate itself. This was by far the most heavily populated area, with an almost constant stream of vehicles exiting and entering the structure. High chain-linked fences with barbed-wire surrounded the opening. For most people the only way through would be via the multitude of gated checkpoints. However, Ainz and Narberal weren't constrained by such laws.
In a series of deft leaps, they jumped over each of the barriers blocking their path, weaving in-between workers and armed guards while doing so.
Finally they made it to the gate itself, and stepped through the dark void into the tunnel beyond. Inside the tunnel though, it became increasingly difficult to navigate, to the point at which Ainz felt like he was in some sort of heist-movie.
In the tunnel there were two central lanes for vehicles to pass through. For these lanes there were gates that could open individually to allow just one lane through at a time, or at the same time to allow extra-large payloads to pass through. These gates were controlled manually, and were only opened for the minimum required time for the vehicle to pass through before closing. On either side of this road were walkways. Similar to the road, these walkways were also barred off by chain-link fences, with doors for personnel to travel between different sections. In essence, these chain-link fences divided the tunnel up into compartments. Since they went all the way up to the roof they couldn't jump over them like on the outside, so the only way through was to slip by as the gates were opened for vehicles to pass through.
Ainz and Nabe stood on either side of one of the gates. It opened to let a truck laden in construction materials through, and just before it closed they quickly darted through into the next section. They had rehearsed this scenario many times before based on intel they had gathered through scrying magic, so everything was going smoothly.
As they made their way through the sections Ainz noticed something big ahead. He immediately recognised it as a fighter-jet being towed by a truck. Both gates had to be opened at once, and even then it could only just fit through, its wings just barely avoided scraping the sides of the gate.
This was quite an alarming sight for Ainz, as in the future this meant they might even be flying directly over Nazarick. He was once again reminded of the value of planning ahead, as he had luckily set up illusionary barriers around Nazarick a long time ago. His resolve was also strengthened to gather as much info as he could, as Earth's threat level increased one stage in his mind.
Along the way they also passed by several gun-turrets which were mounted on either side of the tunnel at regular intervals. They all had soldiers manning them even though there shouldn't be any current threats. 'So they were this vigilant' thought Ainz. 'Well, after the massive attack on their base by the ogres and trolls not long ago it definitely makes sense that they would take such precautions.'
Eventually they came to a bright white light which obscured all vision forwards. It was the end of he tunnel. The duo stepped forwards and found themselves in the exit, or entranceway of the gate leading out into Ginza. Through the layers of fences they could see the street outside.
Not long after, they had made it through the gauntlet out onto the streets of Ginza. It was still the early hours of the morning, and the sun was just coming up, bathing the area in an orange glow. Time seemed to pass at the same speed in Japan and in the new world, as it was now just a bit after the same time of day as when Ainz and Narberal had initially departed.
However, he didn't have time to contemplate such things. They continued walking along the road until they made it past the last fence and checkpoint out into the rest of the city, away from the prying eyes of the guards.
After a while they found a deserted section of street with no security cameras around. Signalling Narberal, Ainz dispelled his [Perfect Unknowable] spell. She then dispelled her own [Invisibility]. Mare's stealth enhancement magic would last for about 15 more minutes and there was no way to cancel it, so they would have to wait here for a while for it to wear off. During that time, Ainz wanted to confirm a couple of things.
[Message]. "Albedo, are you there?"
A sweet voice tinged with worry rang out in Ainz's head. "Ainz-sama! Is everything alright? Did you make it to the other side safely?"
"Umu. Yes, I did. Narberal and I made it through without any issues."
As Ainz looked up he could see a number of Hanzos perched on the sides of buildings, looking down to observe him and the surroundings as they had been ordered.
"That will be all then Albedo. I'm counting on you to ensure Nazarick stays safe until my return."
"Hugh-hugh, yes, of course Ainz-sama."
Ainz then ended the [Message]. As they had tested before, it seemed he was able to contact people while in Japan as long as the person he was calling also had a world-item on them.
'Then,' [Gate].
Ainz cast the spell, but nothing happened. It wasn't able to connect.
Ainz sighed internally. They had tested this before with an NPC, but it seemed he wasn't able to either. In many ways such as this, the gate that connected Japan and the new world functionally resembled the portals which connected the various worlds in Yggdrasil. You could send a message to your friends no matter where you were, but for balance reasons teleportation between worlds was prohibited. In Yggdrasil these portal were safe-zones where PVP was disabled, but in this case it was a chokepoint and an ideal spot for ambushes. That combined with the strenuous process of passing through all the various checkpoints meant Ainz hoped to have to travel between Earth and back to Nazarick as little as possible.
Ainz halted his thoughts for a moment as someone rounded the corner of the street up ahead and began walking towards them. Glancing at Narberal and down at himself, his illusion should be active.
The person, who was an older man in business attire didn't even spare them a glance as he walked by.
'Ah, well that was probably because Mare's magic hadn't worn off yet.'
Going back to what he was previously thinking, he recalled the report submitted by the team led by Titus Annaeus Secundus who he had sent to study the gate. Unfortunately, their experiments had yielded little information. What they did find out however, was that the gate was created using an unknown form of magic, and that the connection to Earth was stable. In other words, the gate shouldn't suddenly close and leave him stranded on Earth.
After waiting for a while longer, the stealth-enhancing magic finally wore off. However, Ainz didn't make any moves yet. He waited until someone else rounded the corner once again.
This time, it was a middle-aged lady. Ainz held his breath as she drew closer, ready to cast a spell should she see through their disguises.
As the lady passed by, she stared at Narberal for a moment, but otherwise didn't make any comment. Ainz decided to count that as a success. It seemed that his skeletal form was well concealed.
Ainz checked the time. It was 6:14am, so they were still on schedule. Their destination should be a few blocks down the road and to the left.
As they walked along Ainz took in the scenery around him. The stone-grey tiles of the side-walk were remarkable clean and well maintained, small trees sprouting at regular intervals to add a touch of nature. On either side, buildings with hundreds of polished glass windows towered up into the sky, casting their shadows across the street. The people they passed by as they walked along lacked the gasmasks and thick raincoats that were commonplace in the Japan Ainz had known. It was a totally alien, but incredibly familiar experience at the same time.
Around 20 minutes later they arrived at their destination. It was a café, and like many of the buildings in the area it was large, upscale and built in a western style. The store wasn't open yet, but it should be allowing in people who wished to apply to work there. Looking through the front windows he could see a number of waitresses setting up tables and chairs for when they would be opening.
Ainz looked down and checked his outfit, mentally preparing himself before knocking on the glass doors.
None of the people inside seemed to notice, as they were all busy setting up.
Ainz was gripped by a paralysing feeling of anxiety. 'Was he bothering them? Would it be rude to knock again?'
Suddenly, a wave of relief washed over his body, silencing these irrational fears. Ainz expressed silent gratitude for his undead form, before mustering up the courage to knock again.
This time someone seemed to notice. The person who answered the door was a woman who looked to be in her early twenties. Her eyes were sharp, and she had long light-brown hair tied back in a ponytail.
"Sorry, but we're closed at the moment. We open at 7, so please come back then."
"We're here to apply for a job" said Ainz.
"Oh," she said, looking back and forth between the two of them. A smile steadily formed on her face.
"So you're the same as me then! Please come in, I'll take you to see the manager, he's out back at the moment."
As they followed her in through the store she asked "What are your names by the way?"
Ainz replied, "My name is Satoru, and this is my relative, Nabe."
The smile on the woman's face had grew to the point that she was positively beaming. "Oh, really? My name's Yotiaru by the way, I hope we can get along."
This woman's smile was starting to unnerve Ainz. And what did she mean by 'I hope we can get along', when they hadn't even been accepted as employees yet?
She led them to a polished wooden door and knocked.
"Come in!" came a voice from inside.
As Yotiaru opened the door, the stench of cigarettes filled the air. "I'll be taking my leave now" she said with a apologetic smile, holding her nose.
When Ainz and Narberal stepped inside they found themselves in a luxurious office. Valuable looking furniture lined the walls, and a rich red carpet lay upon the floor. Sitting opposite them, a western-looking man with short black hair and an elegant moustache sat, or rather lay back in his chair, a cup of coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other. From Ainz's research, this man's name should be Grenouille.
"Greetings Monsieur, and…" he paused for a moment, leaning forwards in his chair to ogle Nabe. "Mademoiselle!
What brings you here to my fine establishment?"
Ainz glanced at Narberal, who had her nose wrinkled up at the pervasive smell of burning tobacco, before answering "My name is Satoru, and this is Nabe. We are here to apply for work."
"Ah, I see" the man replied. "It is true that I have been a little understaffed recently, with everyone moving away due to the incidents in the centre of town."
He then perked up again. "However! What makes you think you have the talent?! I can tell Nabe does just by looking at her, but what about you?" He narrowed his eyes as he stared down Ainz.
'This guy was proving to be a real pain to deal with' thought Ainz. 'And his heavy accent made him hard to understand. Why couldn't this café have a more normal owner?' Still, he had prepared himself in anticipation of something like this.
"There should still be 30 minutes until opening time. If you would allow me, I could prepare a number of items from the menu" offered Ainz.
"Hmm, very well then. Let's go."
The three of them then made their way into the kitchen.
"Now, prepare me one chocolate croissant, a café-au-lait, and a classic Belgian waffle!" Grenouille commanded, slapping a palm on the stainless-steel bench.
Ainz immediately moved into action to gather the necessary ingredients. Little did Grenouille know, but he had spent the last two days preparing for this. Since this was just a café, and he only had 30 minutes, there was a limit to how complex the dishes that Grenouille ordered him to create would be. Thus, Ainz had focused on these items in particular, ignoring the more complex ones for now. Those hours spent peering through the [Magic Mirror] and toiling away in the Nazarick kitchens wouldn't go to waste!
20 minutes later, Ainz was done. Grenouille picked up each of the items, inspecting them carefully before giving them a taste.
A few moments of tense waiting passed before he gave his verdict. "A little sloppy, but just barely passable. You have a long way to go my friend, but perhaps there is a place for you here. Now, let us head back into my office to sort out the paperwork."
This was the part that Ainz was dreading. Since they had come from a foreign land without any of the proper documents, they were technically illegal immigrants. He had put together a couple of sets of fake ids for the two of them, but they wouldn't hold up under close scrutiny. It would've been better to avoid this situation altogether, but the fact of the matter was that they needed money. Like in the new world, using their Yggdrasil currency here was a liability, and since Ainz didn't like the idea of pawning off gems from the treasury they were left in this situation. Of course, there was the option of stealing money. Ainz had no doubt that with his skills and spells it wouldn't be difficult to rob a bank. However, there may be possible risks associated with such a course of action that he wasn't aware of, and he wanted to keep a low profile. Thus, for now at least, this would have to do.
As they sat down in Grenouille's smoke-filled office, Ainz silently cast [Charm Person].
"Grenouille, would it be possible for us to skip the paperwork?" asked Ainz.
"Ah, if it is for mon ami Satoru, then anything is possible!"
"Nabe is a relative of mine who I know quite well. Would it be possible to skip it for her as well?"
"Ah, certainly! To be honest, I should be paying for such a beautiful lady to work at my humble café!"
'Well that was easy' thought Ainz. 'This guy seemed to have no problem with blatant corruption.'
"Here are our documents by the way" said Ainz, briefly flashing the fake ids he had put together.
"By the way, there is just one more favour I must ask of you."
"Haha, you are so needy Satoru. Well, what is it?"
"Nabe and myself have been running into some financial troubles lately, so I was wondering if it would be alright for you to give us, say, one week of forward-pay."
"Of course, of course. I'm sorry to hear you are having such troubles, and hope this will help. Would you like me to give it to you now or later?"
"Now would be good" replied Ainz.
"Give me one moment then." Grenouille opened up a cupboard door, revealing a metal safe. He withdrew a sum of money before closing it and returning to them. Ainz pocketed the money for now. He would put most of it into his inventory for safekeeping later.
Now was for the moment of truth. Using charm magic would leave the memories of being controlled, so there was the possibility that Grenouille would do a double-take as soon as he dispelled it. If that occurred, Ainz would have to use memory altering magic, which consumed vast quantities of MP. Something he would prefer to avoid. Ainz held his breath as he dispelled his magic, ready to take action should Grenouille suddenly become hostile or suspicious.
"Woagh… what just happened."
Grenouille looked up at Ainz, confusion in his eyes. However, as soon as he looked over at Narberal he suddenly became relaxed again, as if it all made sense.
"I see…" he said. "I must have become entranced by your spell mademoiselle."
'What? Does he think Narberal was the one who cast the magic?' thought Ainz in puzzlement.
Grenouille continued "Truly, you are the one for me. If you are free this afternoon, would you like to come with me?"
'Oh' thought Ainz.
"Shut your mouth you rank paramecium, even a frog would have more charm than you. Learn your place else I'll remove your jaw" snapped Narberal.
'Oh dear' thought Ainz.
"Hon hon, you certainly are a feisty one. However… that only makes me want you more." Grenouille seemed unaffected, or rather his desire only seemed to deepen.
Narberal took a deep breath before replying "You really are below even an amoeba, keep your disgusting fantasies to yourself. Satoru-san, do I have your permission to squash this limbless slug?"
"Ah, no" replied Ainz. "Grenouille, it's almost opening time is it not?"
"Yes yes, I suppose we had better be going. However, don't think I've forgotten about you Nabe my love."
Ainz quickly moved to lead Narberal away before she could retort. Everything seemed to have gone smoothly so far, but he was worried her continued verbal abuse might affect their relationship with the manager since they were relying on his goodwill for their continued employment. Ainz felt he really needed to put together a more convincing fake id at some point, with accompanying documents. However, he wasn't sure how to go about doing so, and he had a feeling it would be extremely complex. 'Something to leave for Albedo or Demiurge' he mused guiltily.
For now though, he would have to devote his full focus to learning how to work here. Although he had studied for two days straight, he had only covered a small range of what would likely be required, and failure to perform adequately might result in his expulsion.
'Haah…' Although the work was different, he was starting to get vibes similar to back when he was a salaryman. He was using his actual name too…
PSA: What is this, Hataraku maou-sama?