CHAPTER 38:
OF LORDS, LANDS, AND LOVE
Regardless of whether or not Harry accepted Jircniv's offer, they were going to find a way to make the Katze Plains safe and arable. So, the next day, a contingent had made their way to Katze Plains. Aside from Harry's household, Momonga, Albedo and Foresight, they'd brought along Aura, Mare, and Demiurge. They'd also brought along Celicia. While Celicia and Arche were nowhere near the levels of the mages of Nazarick, they were perceptive enough that they may notice something about the magic the more powerful mages could miss.
Celicia, however, was shivering. True, there was a cold mist suffusing their surroundings, and even in the daytime, it was pretty spooky, even to Harry. But Harry got the impression it was more than that, and he had Aura stay close to her. "Did you ever go to the Katze Plains with the Swords of Darkness?" Harry asked.
"A couple of times," the crossdressing mage admitted. Even now, while she was beginning to let her hair grow out, she still wore the same clothing. "I never liked this place, though."
"Understandable," Arche said. "Many powerful undead, at least by our standards, roam the Katze Plains. And heaven help you if you stumble across one."
"Yeah," Harry said. "When we had only just started befriending Jircniv and Fluder, Fluder challenged me to show my strength. You see, about five years back, they captured a Death Knight, which are pretty rare in this world normally. The look on Jircniv and Fluder's faces when I held back its sword with one hand was priceless. By the way, Mare, how's the soil?"
Mare pursed his lips in thought, even as he crumbled a clod of soil between his fingers pensively. "Well, the initial analysis shows that the soil, while not quite barren, is in somewhat poor condition. I can fix that, but the nature of this place does affect the arability of the soil. Given that, plus the large area, it would take a few spells to restore it to optimum arability."
"Hmm…Mare, in your opinion, could the process be accelerated with, say, Wish Upon a Star?" Momonga asked.
"My apologies, Lord Momonga, but while I know how powerful that magic is, I am not sure whether it would," Mare said.
Demiurge peered out at the mist. "Perhaps a more pressing concern would be the alleged mist creature," the demon mused. "There are claims that this mist is a living, even sentient being, one that is at least partially responsible for the undead spawning in this area."
"It wouldn't turn us into undead, would it?" Leinas asked.
"I doubt it, at least not directly," Momonga said. "I'm not detecting any direct effects from it, so it's more or less safe to breathe. However, the negative energy in the vicinity is more than adequate to create an undead from your corpse should you die here."
"Joy," Leinas said flatly. "You'd think with all the corpses rotting here after the annual wars, it'd be more fertile. I guess it's because some end up undead, some are eaten by the undead, and the soil itself is affected by the negative energy."
Imina looked around. "If Jircniv didn't know about Nazarick and its capabilities, he'd be handing you a lemon with this land. This place is setting off my instincts."
"It's setting off all of our instincts, Imina," Hekkeran said. "Besides, being wary in a mistbound area crawling with belligerent undead? That's sane."
"I can sense a number of undead in the distance," Momonga remarked. "But they're not approaching. I believe they sense my presence, and know how far down the pecking order they are compared to me."
Roberdyck chuckled. "To think, we're protected from undead by an undead. Never in my wildest dreams since leaving the temple I worked at did I believe that I would end up in such a situation. How many do you sense in the vicinity, Momonga?"
"Hmm…in the nearest square mile, about three dozen," Momonga remarked. "Mostly weaker undead, but I sense a few slightly stronger ones. None as powerful as a Death Knight or an Elder Lich, but still a potential threat to anyone not of Nazarick. This really is quite fascinating. The sheer amount of negative energy here…is it just the battles fought here that caused this, or something else? A curse, perhaps? Or maybe this alleged mist entity emigrated from another area? For some reason, the mist clears just prior to the annual clash between Re-Estize and the Baharuth Empire."
"I'm pretty sure even Fluder Paradyne doesn't know," Arche said. "I asked him about it, and he said something about how only those who have delved into the Abyss of Magic can understand. I'm pretty sure that's his way of admitting he didn't know. That being said, how long do we need to stay here? I'm…feeling more than a little fear at whatever could be lurking out there."
"It's only natural, Arche," Albedo said, moving closer to her adopted daughter, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "But don't be afraid. If any undead come this way, then we will deal with them. And if you start feeling any ill effects from the mist, let us know as soon as you do."
Hekkeran looked around. "At the moment, all I have is a bad case of the heebie-jeebies, and that's bad enough in this place. The Katze Plains are notorious for a reason. Still, what do you reckon the Platinum Dragon Lord will do when you establish this land?"
"I'm not sure. We're still deciding whether to accept Jircniv's offer or not, though either way, we're going to make sure the Katze Plains are arable and ready for farming," Harry said. "But as to how that bastard of a dragon will react…keep in mind, Zeyndelux Vaishion won't jump in straight away. He despises Players and their creations, but he's also cautious, as the top-levelled Players and their creations could potentially beat him. He's a fool, but not an idiot."
"That seems contradictory," Celicia said.
"Let's put it this way. He's actually very intelligent, a veritable genius in some ways, I will admit that. But he's far from infallible, and he was foolish enough to let his paranoia of the Players cloud his judgement. He had Rigrit seal me away, and turned the other two Players in the Thirteen Heroes against each other." Harry shook his head. "We all had our disputes, but…I never realised what Zeyndelux Vaishion was really like until I realised he was the one who turned those two against each other. It's a shame you never got to meet the Dark Knight, Celicia, the one whose weapons the Swords of Darkness were named for. I'm fairly sure he was a descendant of one of the Players or one of their creations. I should really tell you a few of those stories. Anyway, I would have happily helped Zeyndelux Vaishion defend the world from threats, but you can't stop all threats by wiping them out. Sometimes, a good talk is all that's needed. Still, the Platinum Dragon Lord doesn't worry me as much as the reaction from the Re-Estize nobles would be, especially the Nobility Faction."
"…Bastards," Celicia said quietly, her tone uncharacteristically venomous, as was her choice of words. "All they do is take and take and take. Either that, or they turn a blind eye. A few are all right, but most don't care about the common folk."
"I'd be offended," Arche said, "but my parents pissed money up the wall, all to keep up appearances."
"Yeah, but you at least work hard, Arche. You don't have that sense of…what's the word? Entitlement?" Celicia asked, before sighing. "It says a lot when I consider Momonga to be more noble than most nobles. Momonga…I…have I ever thanked you for saving my life?"
"You have, Celicia," Momonga said. "Repeatedly. And for saving your sister. I can't correct every injustice in the world. That way lies madness. But I am glad I was able to rectify your situation. Both you and Tuare are young, and deserve a long and happy life…"
Afterwards, the various members of the expedition went back to their stations, save for Harry and Albedo, who had retired to their shared room. They lay together in bed, Albedo curled up next to him. Both were still clothed, but sometimes, they liked to do this. Given how sensual a creature Albedo was, she loved all kinds of physical intimacy, even when it was something as simple and relatively innocent as just cuddling up to him in bed.
Before, Harry would have called Albedo clingy. But while she had clingy traits, she had enough empathy and perspective to avoid making Harry uncomfortable, especially of late. Of course, it wasn't just her love of intimacy as a Succubus that had her doing this. Harry knew that she had abandonment issues, that she needed reminders that he, as one of the 'Supreme Beings', was not going to leave her.
As she cuddled into his side, he remarked, "It feels like things are moving so fast. A little too fast. I mean, Jircniv's offer took me by surprise."
"You are not offended by it, though?"
"Perish the thought. Jircniv and I are friends, enough that he knows forcing it on me is a bad idea, and not just because of my power as a Player," Harry said. "He knows I hate having decisions made for me. I guess in that way, we are alike. Not that he micromanages everything in the Baharuth Empire, he trusts people to make decisions on his behalf as long as they know what he'd prefer or what is best for the Empire, but…he ascended to the throne because his mother murdered his father. And because of that, Jircniv had to basically wipe out his entire family, simply to survive the chaos to come. Some part of himself hates himself for it, and he has ambivalent feelings about his mother because of that. It was thanks to his mother's actions and the chaos they caused that he became known as the Bloody Emperor, all before he entered his teens. The only person he could consider family was Fluder Paradyne."
"And yet, he has emerged all the stronger for it," Albedo said. "For all that his rule is an autocratic one, he himself is an excellent ruler. I compare him to the other rulers of this world, and I find most of them wanting, and this is not something I would say lightly. Even Demiurge is impressed by Jircniv's acumen, and you know that he is not easily impressed by the ability of a human."
"That's sincere praise coming from him."
"It is indeed. Still, should Barbro make a move, we must be cautious. Demiurge and I have been considering plans, but we have been fitting it into Nazarick's goal to win the hearts and minds of the nations of this world. If we simply slay Barbro or make him vanish, it is possible we will alienate Ramposa. Despite Barbro's incompetence, ambition and vicious stupidity, Ramposa still loves him, according to Renner, even if that love is not reciprocated."
"Shit, there's a point. And I don't want to do anything that'll alienate the Blue Roses either. Keno should be fine as long as we don't do anything truly atrocious, but Lakyus is a bit too moralistic for her own good," Harry said. "She's a good woman, she's just a bit too idealistic. We skated too close to the line with Operation Gehenna, especially when Renner wanted Climb to have his time in the limelight. Demiurge may not have actually endangered those people, but Lakyus was not happy, nor was Gargaran or the twins."
"…I know, my love. I know. I have to admit, while I cannot say the same for the rest of the Blue Roses, I have become genuinely fond of Keno. Leaving aside her being a vampire, she was a good friend to you when you were part of the Thirteen Heroes. And I understand you not wishing to forsake those bonds. But…we cannot foresee every consequence to every action. So…please forgive us if we fail to keep those bonds alive. I do not intend to do so deliberately, but by accident?"
"…I'll hold you to that, Albedo, but thank you for your consideration." He chuckled morosely. "Look at you, Albedo. You've become so beautiful. I don't mean on the outside, you always were. But now, you're just as beautiful on the inside, perhaps even more so."
Albedo stiffened next to him, before she clambered onto him, straddling him. How she was able to do that with her dress designed the way it was, he had no idea. But there was little lust in her expression, he realised. No, there was joy, and delight, and yet, also some sadness. Her golden eyes with those inhuman slit pupils were glistening with tears, before she began kissing him repeatedly.
"Thank you," she panted between kisses. "Thank you. Thank you!" She broke off, blushing in both embarrassment and, he was sure, some lust, but she seemed to calm herself. "Harry…I have you and Satoru to thank for that." She placed a gloved hand to her generous bust, placing it over the golden spiderweb necklace she wore most of the time. "Lord Tabula Smaragdina shaped my body into a paragon of beauty, and I will be forever grateful to him for that. Even if he crafted me as effectively a toy, he crafted me with care, inside and out. Without his creating me, I would never exist. But Satoru gave me my love for you, and through that love, you were able to change me. The old me would perhaps have been disgusted by what I have become, Harry. Viewing humans as nothing more than insects and pests and livestock at best. I wholeheartedly admit that would have been what I was."
"But you're not like that now?"
"Oh, I do still believe humans to be lesser lifeforms, but only by dint of them lacking our immense strength. Many are simply beneath my notice. Others truly do deserve my contempt if not hatred," Albedo admitted. "But that does not mean that some aren't interesting, that they are not worth forging relationships with. Besides, how could I show contempt to humans in general when the Supreme Beings were human? What you gave me enriched my very heart and soul. I am now more than the Overseer of the Floor Guardians, and administrator of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. I am more than an NPC, a toy brought to life when we came to this world, more than your loyal servant. I…I truly feel alive."
Her hand snaked down from her breasts, and pulled one of Harry's to rest there, between them. He could feel her heartbeat, and while not wholly calm, it was not racing. Just beating away. "You may not be the one who created my body and soul, Harry," she said softly, tears beginning to trickle from her golden eyes. "But you gave me my heart, and Satoru granted me the privilege of loving you. That gives my life meaning, more than serving the Supreme Beings. That was merely my purpose. And through you, I have even more meaning, through our loved ones, our friends. I understand the bonds you make with others, why you crave them, and I, in my turn, crave them now. Let us find our happiness together, Harry. Not just ours, but that for all of Nazarick, and all of our family, friends and acquaintances."
"You needn't ask, Albedo," Harry said, sitting up, making sure to avoid spilling the Succubus off him. Instead, he gently drew her into a hug, even with her straddling him. "I'm glad you're happy, and I hope I can keep you that way."
"Just…stay with us. And when you do have to leave Nazarick, ensure you come back, like you did before, after being separated from us during the Shutdown," Albedo said, her voice husky not with lust, but with other emotions, more rich and complex. "Because if you ever left us forever, if you died or were taken from us…I do not know if I could stand to look in the mirror and see what I would become."
"Don't worry. Satoru and I are not going anywhere. Now, let's go get some lunch, okay? I want to see what the Head Chef has in store. And if you want, tonight, we can finish what we started in here."
Albedo's smile grew lustful, her wings flapping excitedly, and she nodded eagerly. "Please don't tease me, Harry. You know I do…"
CHAPTER 38 ANNOTATIONS:
So, there we have it. More discussion of Jircniv's offer and the consequences, as well as some Harry/Albedo fluff.
People only see the Katze Plains in the anime just prior to the battle where Ainz unleashes Super-Tier Magic. Before the annual battle, the mist (which is possibly sentient) clears. I'd imagine that, every other day of the year, it's pretty spooky, looking like Silent Hill-style fog shrouding a desolate plain. You don't want to be caught there unprepared, especially as higher level undead infrequently spawn there. You wouldn't want to run into a Death Knight like some poor sods did.
The second part of the chapter was harder to pin down. I very nearly had Renner make a new appearance, and then plumped for Harry, Momonga and Albedo discussing possible plans for Re-Estize, and elements of both of those ended up in what I eventually wrote. I wanted to show Harry and Albedo affirming their relationship.
One thing I realised upon reading the wiki's articles for Ramposa and Barbro was that Ramposa still loved Barbro, despite it not being reciprocated, so Barbro's disappearance, as well as Gazef's demise, meant that he despised Nazarick. Unlike canon, Albedo and Demiurge are at least aware enough of their master's wishes that causing Barbro's death is a last resort, albeit something they realised. Hell, even Harry didn't realise that was a possibility.
I was also prompted by Dragon Man 180's review on the previous chapter to clarify something. Harry seemed to be going along with the flow for Jircniv's offer, letting Momonga and Albedo speak for him while he was, supposedly, in shock. But he trusts them, and he trusts Jircniv, enough to know that Jircniv will accept a refusal. Jircniv just wants Harry to consider the offer, he's not forcing it upon him.
It's also interesting to write Albedo as being more complex, but still recognisably Albedo. She's still clingy, she still has yandere tendencies, she still has abandonment issues, and she still doesn't think much of humans in general. But she's more than she was in canon. So I wanted this chapter to remind readers that this is still Albedo, but she has grown.
Speaking of Albedo, albeit tangentially, I recently finished the Jarilo-VI storyline of Honkai Star Rail. One of the few characters from that arc I like, Natasha, is played by Albedo's voice actress Elizabeth Maxwell, and while I was worried that she was giving me serious 'I need an adult' vibes, she turned out to be unironically and genuinely kind and caring. Seriously, Natasha has to be one of the main roles I have heard Maxwell in who isn't psychotic or a bitch. Albedo, Rosaria from Genshin Impact, Sae Nijima from Persona 5…you get the picture.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I was surprised I got one out so quickly after the last one. The next one may be some time, if it comes out at all, but I am currently making my way through the fourth series of the anime, so who knows?
Review-answering time! Beleriond: Buggered if I know, given that I know little about the particulars of nomenclature for states. However, given that Jircniv is giving it to Harry as gift like one would give to a noble, it'd probably be, technically, a duchy or whatever links to Harry's noble rank. Then again, that means Jircniv will have to officially ennoble Harry. Harry is more unofficially part of the Baharuth Empire nobility, if only because he has Jircniv's favour.
OniTenshi500: Character alignments are bullshit anyway. Look at the character alignments in the Nasuverse. How can Archer Gilgamesh be in any way, shape or form be considered 'Chaotic Good'? He turned Kirei Kotomine evil (or at least encouraged him to indulge his evil impulses) purely for the entertainment value, and expressed a desire to force Arturia to become his wife, all before he got his Holy Grail Mud Bath. That, plus what he did in his original story, basically has Archer Gilgamesh firmly as 'evil' in my book. And Remedios, for all her nastiness, is nowhere near as bad as he is, even if that's damning her by faint praise. She is truly dedicated to serving her country and her queen, and for all her selfish and ruthless actions, she does have some true selflessness (insomuch as, if need be, she would be willing to die for her kingdom) and a desire to do good. But she's also a self-righteous idiot who cannot comprehend pragmatism or realpolitik like her sister could, and even Calca has some grasp of that.
No numbered annotations this time.
