Chapter 22
In the halls of a place never conquered by even the grandest of human armies, now two humans walked side by side treated as respected guests. Their eyes shone in awe and their pupils seemed to dilate, attempting to admire and soak in the unparalleled beauty of Nazarick as much as they could.
The architecture, the art displayed along the endless corridors of marble walls, the only way to describe this incomprehensible paradise was to call it a creation of the divine. And apart from the gorgeous paintings and sculptures the denizens tending to them looked like they themselves were sculpted into the perfect beauties.
The maids tending to their every need were on a level of beauty that could rival even their beloved queen, and the Guardian Overseer, a woman clearly demonic, looked like the most beautiful being they had ever met. Her tone of voice and eloquence used in every sentence seemed perfect, even Fortuna who has never displayed any interest in the same gender felt her knees buckle for a brief moment.
After several long moments passed a mellow and polite voice of the maid attending to them snapped the mother and daughter pair out of their admiration. "Excuse me for interrupting your thoughts, but your request to have access to some facilities where you can exercise and train has been approved, you will be transferred to the sixth floor shortly." The maid finished her report and bowed politely as a gate opened. "When you wish to go back, simply mention it to Lady Aura, Lord Mare or Lord Cocytus." She added and excused herself as she had other duties to tend to.
The frightening, dark vortex made manifest by godlike manipulation of mana was something the duo still needed to get used to, but not wanting to damage the reputation of their kingdom by displaying fear, both Fortuna and Neia stepped through the gate at the same time and found themselves in a place that affirmed their belief that they were in the realm of a god once again.
A sky filled with stars and constellations they could not recognize, a mellow breeze and a grand coliseum that every warrior would wish to fight in surrounded by a cheering audience.
Even though their current audience seemed to be unmoving golems.
"The maid said we were being moved to the sixth floor… right mother?" Neia attempted to stop her voice from shivering as she asked that question.
Fortuna took a deep breath. "Yes… and the sixth floor seems to have a sky of its own." She laughed awkwardly as she could think of nothing else to say to remedy her daughter's nervousness.
As they just stood there they finally snapped out of their state of awe and shock as a pair of beautiful dark elven children approached them.
"You must be Lord Anzio's guests." The 'boy' concluded as what appeared to be 'his sister' stood there clutching 'her' staff nervously.
"Yes we are, we have come here to do some exercise and hone our fighting skills a bit more." Fortuna spoke while attempting to hold an even tone of voice.
"Alright, I'm Aura, and this is my brother Mare, call us if you need us and if we are unavailable you can ask Cocytus there for help, he might even let you join his training session." Aura summarized the general information they needed to know with a childish grin plastered to her face.
"Well, see ya, come on Mare we got work to do!" She grabbed him by the ear and started leading him away.
And just as they left Fortuna and Neia looked at each other confused. "Wait… Lord Mare… is the one wearing the skirt?" This place started giving them a type of headache they did not expect so they decided to take their minds off it by approaching the giant blue insect named Cocytus.
Meanwhile, across numerous fields and forests inside the caverns of the Asterlizia mountains a king, a dwarf and a slayer of gods walked side by side. They had just managed to navigate through the harshest of terrains the mountain range had to offer and were now approaching the former capital of the dwarven kingdom.
'Hmmm so frost dragons control this area, I doubt they are as strong as the bosses we had to face in Yggdrasil but since Rubedo is here I guess even if they are extremely powerful we can face them, and if needed I can just call for backup.' Anzio formulated a mediocre plan at best but thanks to the amount of powerful subordinates he had access to, he had decided not to overthink such simple matters.
Just as he was about to spark up a conversation with Gondo he felt a presence and Rubedo moved in to protect her Lord before realizing that the overweight frost dragon that had just landed in front of them posed no threat to a Supreme Being.
"Greetings. I am Hejinmal son of Olasird'arc, the Frost Dragon Lord that rules over these mountains." The timid dragon was trying to appear intimidating but judging by the expressions of the mysterious individuals in front of him, the only person he managed to scare was the dwarf.
"Hmm so that's what a Frost Dragon looks like, is the extra fat a measure against the cold?" Anzio thought out loud as Hejinmal stiffened up. The tall dark haired man and the expressionless girl next to him smelled of incomprehensible wealth, their clothes and weapons appeared to be more alluring to his draconic senses than any treasure of the dwarven capital.
Hejinmal gulped and took a deep breath. If these beings displayed no fear while being clad in such otherworldly equipment it probably meant that they did not even perceive his presence as a threat. He mustered his courage and decided to break the silence. His eyes met those of the tall dark haired man and all he could see was a glimmer of curiosity.
"May I know who you are and why you have decided to come here?" Hejinmal asked while trying to prevent his voice from shivering.
"Forgive me for the late introduction, I am Anzio of Ainz Ooal Gown, the King of the Kingdom of Nazarick, this here is my guard, Rubedo." He motioned towards the golem-like girl. "And this is my good dwarven friend and runesmith Gondo." Anzio explained with an unwavering smile on his youthful face.
"And as for our purpose of coming here, well I have come to negotiate some political matters with the Frost Dragon clan." The Nephalem player added and waited for Hejinmal to respond.
The young frost dragon weighed his options. He was ordered by his father to get rid of these impostors but he was fairly certain that if he tried to do that he would not live to see another day. The power emanating from the one the King introduced as Rubedo sent shivers down his spine.
What Hejinmal did not know was that Anzio had advised Rubedo to gradually release her aura and killing intent and now the weight started piling up as he started taking deeper and deeper breaths. 'What, what is this pressure? If I keep them waiting they will squash me like a bug!'
The young frost dragon gulped and bowed his head. "I shall escort you to see my father the Frost Dragon Lord immediately, please follow me!" Hejinmal squeaked as he felt the pressure suddenly dissipate as Anzio smiled and started following him brimming with excitement.
In the grand halls of the former Dwarven royal palace, surrounded by various gleaming treasures the Frost Dragon Lord rested. His three wives around him aimed to fulfill his every wish. His life was truly one the pinnacle of all beings deserved. To be surrounded by wealth and live a life where none would dare defy him. That is how it should be, or at least, how it should have been.
Olasird'arc felt himself shiver for the first time in centuries. He, a Frost dragon shivered. His sharpened senses had detected several beings approaching them. One was his failure of a son Hejinmal, while the others felt like regular humans, so why did his heart tighten?
"Father, I bring before you, the Sorcerer King, Anzio of Ainz Ooal Gown and his entourage." Hejinmal tried to announce the entrance with pride and dignity but his voice ended up cracking.
"You failure of a dragon, didn't I ask you to kill these trespassers?" He growled as Hejinmal flinched and bowed his head.
Anzio, seeing this, decided it was a good time to join in on the conversation. "Your son has made a good decision, Dragon Lord." The Nephalem player smiled politely as his oddly coloured eyes shone with power. "After all, if he had attacked us, I would have probably wiped out your entire clan and used you for materials."
Anzio grinned, this world lacked most materials required to produce higher leveled equipment and scrolls, and now a treasure trove of materials was standing before him. Bones, skin, scales and even the organs of the dragon race, no matter how weak they were, could still be used to produce decent results.
Hearing the arrogant man claim that he would kill all of his kin Olasird'arc growled and spread his wings. "You will pay for your words human!" His voice resounded throughout the grand hall as he opened his draconic maw and Frost breath shot out.
Anzio and Rubedo wouldn't suffer any significant damage from this but considering Gondo was cowering in fear behind him the least he could do was to protect the kind dwarf that put his trust in him.
[Absolute Barrier]
A barrier made of condensed mana formed and the breath of a Dragon Lord could not even scratch it. Anzio grinned, the new defensive spell he and the Sages designed was working flawlessly. 'Hmm I ought to test an offensive spell next then.' The youngest of the 41 concluded and shaped a new magic circle recalling the magic sequence he had in mind.
[Conflagration]
A blue, almost white flame sprung up beneath Olasird'arc's feet as the seemingly tame fire engulfed the large Frost dragon in an instant. His scales began to melt as a grotesque sound of flesh and blood evaporating in an instant pierced the room. He tried to scream but his vocal chords had already been engulfed in flames and turned to ash.
His eyes widened as he could barely react before even his vision was devoured by these infernal flames. His three wives and Hejinmal watched in horror. They were frost dragons so fire was their natural weakness, but for someone as strong as Olasird'arc to turn into a burnt carcass, it was impossible to believe.
"Will any of you try to avenge your husband?" He looked at the three female dragons shivering in fear as they bowed their heads. "We would never dream of doing such a thing oh Venerable Sorcerer King!" They spoke in panicked, fear filled voices.
"Go inform the rest of your clan to gather here, they ought to meet their new ruler after all." Anzio ordered and Hejinmal stuck by his side. He had just witnessed the death of the strongest of the Frost dragon race. His father had died like a bug and he would make sure not to make the same mistake as his father.
Soon enough the Frost dragon clan had gathered in its entirety. The three widowed wives of Olasird'arc had already shared the news of his passing. Many of the younger dragons could not believe it but the moment they laid their eyes on the corpse of their father, they knew their best option was to bow and obey.
Anzio decided to affirm his authority by releasing his aura and using it to display the evident gap in power between them. One of the eldest sons of Olasird'arc gritted his teeth as he looked at Anzio with open hostility. Rubedo shifted her cold, soulless gaze at him and released her killing intent and in an instant all of his thoughts of rebellion and violence vanished from his mind for they were replaced with terror and fear.
Anzio nodded towards Rubedo, showing his approval as he notified Albedo to clear up some room on the sixth floor so Aura could properly tame and accommodate the dragons he had brought under Nazarick's rule.
"Rubedo, let's deal with the Quagoa so we can wrap this trip up. I miss home." He smiled warmly and proceeded to teleport Gondo back to the Dwarven capital and both of them to what would soon turn into another battlefield.
His summons had already prepared everything as the highest ranking of them proceeded according to plan. "You are about to witness the might of the Kingdom of Nazarick and the Sorcerer King. If you surrender you will be spared and accepted as official citizens of our kingdom." The announcement was heard loud and clear as the Quagoa spoke to one another and looked at their leader. The enemy seemed outnumbered. The odds were a thousand to one and yet their enemy seemed confident.
Pe Riyuro felt confident just moments prior, but something felt off now. He was a Quagoa Lord, the strongest of his race. He strained his eyesight to observe his enemies and when his gaze fell upon the girl with a blank look on her face he gulped. That girl was looking right back at him, in fact, he could swear she was looking at him this entire time.
"Lord Anzio, I have spotted their leader." She reported in the same emotionless voice she always used.
"Go for a walk and convince him to bend the knee." Anzio ordered coldly. It was out of character for him. The kind Nephalem would usually strive to minimize casualties if necessary, but now, same as at the Katze plains he needed to send a message.
The Quagoa before him sacked numerous dwarven cities and killed thousands of them. They were not innocent so they were deserving of what was coming.
Rubedo walked slowly towards the thousands of enemies that stood before her. She pulled out the necessary weapons out of her inventory as they materialized in her hands. The Quagoa rushed at her showing no fear but the moment they stepped within the minimal range of her weapons they vanished as only bloody mist remained.
The Quagoa hesitated for just a moment but they still pushed on and all of them met the same fate they turned into a bloody mist. Rubedo just kept walking, her swings were so fast their mortal eyes could not even perceive them. The bloody trail just kept getting longer and longer as the God Slayer did not slow down for even a moment.
Pe Riyuro fell to his knees. How could he fight against something like that? Seeing how their Lord fell to his knees the rest of the Quagoa did not know what to do. If their strongest had given up, there was no chance of winning.
Rubedo placed her blade on his neck and spoke. "Surrender and the lives of you and your race will be spared by my Lord's mercy." The God Slayer demanded and Pe Riyuro prostrated himself as Anzio appeared next to her ready to accept his pledge of allegiance. "Oh great and merciful Sorcerer King, I swear to serve you to the utmost level of my ability, I just ask of you to spare my people."
Anzio nodded approvingly at the gesture. "All of you are citizens of the Kingdom of Nazarick now, if you obey our laws no harm will come to you. You may return to your city, talks of your relocation and reparations to the dwarves will be discussed at a later date." He spoke with the tone of a monarch as he motioned for Pe Riyuro to rise.
As the Quagoa gathered around their leader to learn of their new fate Anzio sighed. He was of an immortal race incapable of exhaustion, yet he felt a certain amount of mental fatigue building up.
"Let's get back home, Albedo will send the required officials to handle the Dwarves and the Quagoa." He exhaled in relief and opened a gate through which all of them went through.
'I will visit Gondo tomorrow, maybe just teleporting him out of the blue was a bit rude. Oh well at least he'll inform the Regency council of the Frost dragon subjugation.' Anzio frowned as he appeared right in the grand throne room of Nazarick and sat down in the Throne of Kings.
"We welcome the Supreme One!" All of the maids in the grand hall welcomed him and knelt down. Albedo, who was managing the affairs of the Great Tomb had also knelt down and looked up at her Lord with a joyous expression. "We have missed you Lord Anzio!" The Guardian Overseer spoke with passion as her eyes teared up.
"Rise, please, all of you. I am home." He smiled warmly and they heeded his wish. "Albedo, tell the maids in charge of the envoys to notify them that I will have an audience with them in one hour." He ordered. "While we wait, you should tell me what I missed." He smiled as Albedo's expression shifted to an even happier one. "I would love to, my Lord!"
Meanwhile, under the starry sky of the 6th floor of Nazarick, Cocytus observed the two envoys of the Holy Kingdom. Compared to the mortals of the New World they seemed decent, especially the younger of the two. Her decisive and well timed use of the bow was a fairly decent display of her potential. However she was nowhere near Nazarick's standards.
'The mortals of this world are far too weak. They could easily be conquered. I wonder what the grand plan of the Supreme One is.' The Vermin Lord wondered and then snapped back out of his thoughts and went back to training the lizardmen.
After some time a large gate opened and a large family of Frost Dragons walked through like a calm herd of sheep. Neia and Fortuna could not believe their eyes once again in this Godly domain.
"Alright, all of you dragons conquered by Lord Anzio follow me! I'll show you where you'll be living from now on!" Aura yelled in her distinct tomboyish voice as the dragons meekly followed her every instruction.
Before the pair was even given a chance to ponder their existence a maid approached them. "Lady Fortuna and Neia, Lord Anzio will see you now." The beautiful maid bowed politely as a gate opened the moment she finished her sentence and they passed through.
Neia did not know what type of monarch to expect. With the title of Sorcerer King she expected to meet a wise old man or a monster, but the being she laid he eyes upon was the exact opposite, a young, innocent looking face which was objectively as beautiful as those of the other denizens of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. His green and red heterochromatic eyes gleamed with power and authority of a monarch.
"Paladin Fortuna Baraja and Squire Neia Baraja, envoys of the Holy Roble Kingdom greet the Sorcerer King!" The paladin and squire knelt respectfully and Anzio motioned for them to rise as regally as he had practiced. "It is a pleasure to have you in our newly formed kingdom. I hope you have enjoyed our hospitality." Anzio smiled politely and the pair replied with an enthusiastic nod. "Thank you for providing us with such great accommodations and hospitality, your majesty."
"It is the least we could have done." Anzio responded politely. "Now, may I know the purpose of your visit?" He inquired and Fortuna, being the senior of the duo, replied. "Our Holy Queen wishes to meet you to discuss future relations between our two nations." Fortuna spoke politely and Anzio nodded.
"Many nations wish to do the same, so I have come to a decision. To announce our existence on a diplomatic level we shall hold a summit, no a banquet of sorts to which all of our neighboring nations shall be invited. It will be a great event to pave the future of our relations on the continental scale." Anzio smiled and decided to further elaborate his plan. "The banquet shall last for an entire week, so that we may have enough time to discuss whatever we need individually or together." The Nephalem spoke and the duo nodded ready to ask a question.
"When will that banquet be held, your majesty?" Fortuna inquired and Anzio took a moment to think. "I think one month is sufficient, we will transport you to your capital along with an official invitation to the banquet so that you may inform your queen well ahead of time. Albedo make sure to dispatch invitations to our other neighbors at the same time, even the Slane Theocracy" He added and the gorgeus Guardian Overseer bowed acknowledging his command.
'Great, now I can meet all the bigshots in the same week without having to schedule and plan five separate banquets. Great thinking Anzio.' He complimented himself in his mind's eye, satisfied with his performance.
"Lady Fortuna and Lady Neia, you may rest for today, tomorrow you will be given the official invitations to deliver to your queen." Anzio instructed and the two envoys bowed, acknowledging his will. "Now forgive me but I must excuse myself, for I have other matters to attend to." Anzio stood up from the throne, bowed in greeting and teleported away.
And thus official messengers arrived in the capitals of Re-Estize, Baharuth, Slane Theocracy, the Holy Roble Kingdom, the Draconic kingdom and the Argland council state.. All were surprised by this, some in a positive manner while others, not so much.
In the grand cathedral of the Theocracy the cardinals had gathered for another meeting. It seemed as if they were holding these meetings more often than usual but none of them said it out loud. In the middle of the table a black envelope with intricate golden details lay opened.
"So, is anyone willing to volunteer to go visit a den of monsters?" Cardinal Dominic asked his colleagues and none replied as silence filled the dimly lit room.
AN: Hello, been a while, sorry for such a long absence, a lot has happened, a beloved family member died, I enrolled into college but finally I have found the motivation to write. This marks the end of the dwarven kingdom chapters. I know it was short because Anzio did it similarly to how it was done in the original. The next chapter will deal with the summit which I have already started writing. Let me know who out of the Slane Theocracy would you like to see appear in the next chapter and ofcourse leave a review. See you soon!