Author's note: Thank you for reading the previous chapter.
Invocation
A few hours earlier...
The room had no window. The only decoration was the delicate columns that supported a vaulted ceiling. Only a single blue light illuminated the round room and plunged into darkness. Around a circular table, seated in high cathedras, the Pontifex Maximus and the six cardinals read reports.
The supreme leader of the Theocracy caressed the square medallion adorned with a candelabra hanging around his neck.
"So you are certain that Emperor Jircniv will not help us."
He addressed the High Priests whom he had sent as an emissary to the Emperor of Baharuth.
The cardinal of Earth, Raymond Zarg Laurasan, replied immediately.
"Yes, Your Holiness, not only did Jircniv invite Ainz Ooal Gown to a supposed secret meeting... but after we left, he signed a document to make the Bahamut Empire a vassal state of the Sorcerer Kingdom. Emperor Jircniv has definitely chosen his side. (1)"
The old man's mouth almost without lips became tense, accentuating the wrinkles on his cheeks.
"I see," said the Pontifex Maximus. "The New World will live the darkest days since the arrival of the Six Great Gods. Even the Eight Greed Kings did not pose such a threat to us... After all Ainz Oaal Gown is a god, an evil god, who controls major demons, hordes of half-humans, and legions of undead. And I'm not even talking about Jadalbaoth's threat."
The cardinals nodded, confirming the opinion of the supreme leader of the Six Religious Sect. The Pontifex Maximus looked at them one after the other.
"As in the time of the Great War against half-humans, we must pray for our salvation, our gods cannot leave us without recourse in front of Ainz Ooal Gown."
Again the cardinals approved, except Zinedine Delan Guelfi, the cardinal of Water. The smartest of his peers was busy thinking.
"I think that the gods have not abandoned us. On the contrary, they have left behind sacred relics to protect humanity. And I think it's time to use it."
"You are referring to the World Items," replied Yvon Jasna Delacroix, the Cardinal of Light.
"Exactly!"
Turning around, Guelfi waved to one of the guards. Without a word, the knight opened the door and brought in several high-ranking priests who carried on a tray a relic in a crystal case.
Kneeling before the Pontifex Maximus, they presented the tray to the supreme leader of the Six Sects.
The Pontiff recognized the 'World Item', one of the most sacred relics left behind by the gods who had come to the New World to save humanity almost annihilated by the monsters that swarmed at that time.
"Einheri, the horn of the Valkyries!"
The World Item had a name inspired by Nordic mythology... like all the World Items of the game Yggdrasil. In the crystal case, one could see an ivory horn inlaid with gold, with an embossed inlaid pattern representing three singing cocks (2).
"Exactly, Your Holiness, according to legend this object can summon a hero."
"But only once," said Laurasan. "Legend says that Einheri is a single-use object!"
Several cardinals approved. But Berenice Nagua Santini shook his head. The Cardinal of Fire knew the legends well.
"Such a relic has been given to us to use in times of peril. Is that not the case? If we wait until we are in danger of death to use it, we risk acting too late. '
"Wisdom speaks through the voice of Cardinal Santini," replied the Pontifex Maximus. "Let's not wait, let's use Einheri while we still can."
When the Pontifex Maximus took the ivory horn in its case, a translucent window appeared... lines of text written in the language of the gods (Japanese!).
It was an instruction manual on how to use the horn... This text also explained that the response could only occur after several hours. At the time when Eiheri was mere lines of coding, its use caused the creation of an Event that had to be approved by the Administrators... This quest was then to be written and encoded before being sent to other players. But the Yggdrasil game no longer existed, there were no more Administrators, and the Horn that was called the Ragnarok Warriors had been transformed by its passage from the state of code lines to a real object. It had adapted to the New World. To accomplish its task, it looked among the players of other games...
After sounding in the Horn of Einheri, the Pontifex Maximus placed it on the altar of the cathedral and, accompanied by the cardinals, returned to the meeting room.
Knights remained at the gates to prevent anyone from entering while the 'miracle' was being performed, but also to witness what was to happen.
When they saw the silhouette of a woman in armor materialize, one of them ran to alert the Supreme Executive Council.
Although the cardinals were adult men and even entered the last part of their lives, they stopped in front of the cathedral's large doors like children who would receive beautiful gifts. They were in awe, about to witness a miracle.
The Pontifex Maximus ordered with a firm voice that one opened and they entered between two hedges of knights.
The woman who had just been summoned turned to them.
She was tall... very tall even. Her arms, torso, and legs were covered with silver chainmail stained with blood and soot. She also had a dark blue cape completely soaked. The hood was folded over her shoulders and a silver medallion was rattling around her neck as she walked towards them.
The woman had a beautiful face with freckles and particularly bright green eyes. Her hair was black and...
"Her ears!"
Dominic Ihre Partouche, the Cardinal of Wind, came to a sudden stop Santini hit his back before backing up by rubbing his nose. Partouche pointed to the woman...
"Look at her ears!"
The Cardinals and the Pontifex Maximus stopped and understood.
In the mass of long black and stiff hair that fell on the shoulders of the hero invoked by the Horn of the Valkyries, one could see two delicate tips protruding...the tips of knife-shaped ears, elves like's ears!
"A demi-human!"
The heroine took a step back, surprised by their reaction, she looked at them, frowned, seemed to be about to speak, then remained motionless watching them with suspicion.
"Shut up," ordered the Pontifex Maximus. As the murmuring faded, the leader of the Six Sects turned to the hero called by the horn of the Valkyries. A lifetime of leadership had taught him to hide his surprise and... disgust when he had to. He spoke again, this time to speak to the heroine. "First of all, let me welcome you to the Slane Theocracy..."
In a few words, the old man explained who he was and who the cardinals were.
"... thank you for answering our prayers. May I ask who you are?"
The young woman had listened in silence, attentive but also cautious. She nodded her head.
"It is an honor to meet you. My name is... Miriel. I am a half-elf and I am Wizard. But it seemed to surprise you Supreme Pontifex."
The old man answered in a harsh, sharp voice.
"My title is Pontifex Maximus but..." He forced himself to smile and nodded. "... half-elf... I see."
"I was called by a voice that told me that this world was threatened by a Demon King named..." She hesitated... "Ainz or something like that."
"Yes, Ainz Ooal Gown, you represent our greatest hope to protect humanity from the hordes of undead that are under his command."
About to add something, the Pontifex Maximus stopped and heard Miriel sneezing. It must be said that her clothes were damp and that puddles of water marked the central aisle, where she walked.
"Oh, I didn't notice you were wet. I have been acting like a deplorable host, Mirel. It is obvious that you answered our call while you yourself were in a... turbulent situation. Rest and dress in dry clothes, our discussion - although very important - can be postponed for a few minutes."
The supreme leader of the Six Religious Sects turned to two knights.
"Escort the hero Miriel to her apartments."
The Pontiff had insisted on the term 'hero' and the knights bowed, understanding well that the religious leader ordered them to treat the half-human as a distinguished guest.
"We live to serve you, Your Holiness."
Until then, events had happened so quickly that Miriel had the impression to be dreaming... However, the reaction of the cardinals had the effect of a brutal awakening.
When she was still called Watanabe Haruko, Miriel had often seen the contempt and disgust on the face of the bullies that tormented her. She recognized this very same revulsion in the Cardinals.
Following the knights - polite but distant - that guided her into the immense palace; Miriel looked around her carefully. In the corridors and squares they crossed, they met priests and monks who resembled their counterparts in the medieval Catholic Church and many knights with their ridiculous helmets similar to fire posts... Most of the priests and monks looked at her with curious and even hostile eyes. They were all human. There were no half-humans among the population of the palace. Miriel began to understand the situation.
At the corridor's curve, she witnessed a scene that confirmed her fears. Two knights surrounded some servants, one of them kneeling, trying to pick up the fruits fallen from an upside-down basket. But the knights did not let him do it. They kicked the poor manservant and laughed as if the situation was very funny. The second servant - a younger woman who looked a lot like the first servant, probably his daughter - tried to protect her companion by lying on him, acting as a living shield, and begging the meekness of the fire posts knights.
Miriel noted two important things watching the scene, the pointed ears of the 'servants' and the iron ring surrounding their necks... They were slaves... elves slaves!
Bullies and victims.
She had left her world for another... to find exactly what she had left. This 'Slane Thocracy' was a country run by racists that saw humans as the chosen race... even the Elves who were very close to humans (and a very beautiful specie), were just good as slaves. Miriel easily imagined how the xenophobic inhabitants of this country had to treat orcs and goblins...
The half-elf was overwhelmed by a feeling of disillusionment.
With hesitation, Miriel made the one who had seen nothing, continuing to follow the two knights who were her guide. Being Japanese... well, Watanabe Haruko had been Japanese... the Wizard didn't have much knowledge about the medieval Catholic Church... but she still heard about the Crusades and the Inquisition. These... 'Six Religious Sects' looked too much like what she knew about the medieval church to reassure her.
It was better to behave as an obedient and devoted 'hero'... at least for now.
The room was sumptuous with a large bed, and paintings depicting religious scenes. On the wall, there was an array of ancient weapons.
At her entrance, a young woman... or rather a pretty teenage girl of fifteen or sixteen years... (with pink hair!) curtsied. She was wearing a... French-maid dress with a hairdress and a lace apron! An outfit as appropriate in a medieval world as a steam train!
"My name is Diolaine Gisle Kuri. Welcome to the Pontifex Maximus Palace in Silksunteks."
"Silksuntek" asked Miriel.
"The Divine Capital of the Slane Theocracy."
The young woman smiled warmly... and Miriel felt uncomfortable. Indifference, contempt... she knew, she was used to it. The half-human could even understand what the cardinals thought... They would treat her as a 'Hero' as long as she was useful to them. After... However, the young maid seemed really happy to meet her.
"Please... Diolaine... right?"
"Yes, madam."
"Uh... Miriel... my name is Miriel, call me by my name. I'm not some fancy noble lady."
"I can't, madam."
The tone was firm and polite... but above all firm, with no place for discussion. The half-elf sighed.
"So call me, miss... I'm not married!"
"All right, miss."
Rising, Diolaine pointed to a door.
"I've prepared a bath for you. I'll help you remove your armor."
"Don't bother about it" replied Miriel.
Her fingers pressed a button that was invisible to the maid. Her inventory opened. Miriel unselected most parts of her equipment, keeping only her two magic rings.
When she closed the inventory, the armor, her crown, her cape disappeared... The half-elf stood naked in the middle of the room. As for Diolaine, her eyes were wide open with surprise. She had just seen strange crystalline cubes of all sizes appear. Surrounding the Hero, they had remained only for a moment, but when they disappeared... well... the equipment of the half-elf had also disappeared.
"It's cold, Diolaine. You told me about a bath?"
Diolaine Gisle Kuri bowed deeply.
"Excuse me, miss. Please follow me."
When Miriel came out of the room, she was dressed in a beautiful cotardie (medieval dress) in satin so dark that the fabric first looked black. But with each movement, the dress was iridescent with almost hypnotic scarlet reflections. The long sleeves stretched almost to the ground, and the belt and collar were decorated with gold thread. It was her favorite dress and as a player, she always kept it in her inventory... even when she went off to make a Dungeon. Around the neck, the Wizard had the Amulet of Articulation, a magical object that gave a +2 bonus to the Speechcraft skill. After all, she was going to take part in a discussion where her future was at stake. Miriel had better be convincing.
On her forehead, she wore a delicate ferronière (a gold chain holding a delicate jewel adorned with two emeralds and a ruby). This was the Diadem of the Scholar (female version), the reward obtained by all the players who had completed the solo quests of the OOO Magic Academy. As its name indicated, the tiara facilitated the use of magic (+1 bonus to the use of all magic schools).
Her outfit was worthy of a queen, and Miriel knew it... but to dress for it, Diolaine first had to find... feminine underwear. Indeed, the underwear was "painted" on the avatar in OOO. And After her arrival in the New World, the half-elf discovered that this detail of her avatar had completely vanished. And it was... let's say... a bit embarrassing to have nothing under her dress...
Aware that the knights stopped to watch her cross the corridors of the palace, visibly admiring her, Miriel smiled at them. She had always dreamed of being a princess and after what she had experienced on Earth, the half-elf had understood that people are always judged on their appearance and no one lent to the poor. She had to ingrate herself with the Slane Theocracy's population.
It was very simple, actually.
The Slane Theocracy needed a hero. So Miriel had to behave like the Hero they were waiting for because if she were ever to fail... her situation would hardly be enviable. Well, it was clear that they didn't like half-humans. In short, it was better for her to do whatever she could to look like the Theocracy's Hero.
Miriel took special care of her entrance. The half-elf had never learned how to curtsy, so she merely lifted the bottom of her dress politely.
"You Holiness" she bowed to the Pontifex Maximus "monsignors" she bowed a second time before the cardinals. "Thank you for inviting me to your debates."
Surrounding the supreme leader of the Six Sects, the cardinals were seated in wooden cathedras in an arc and integrated into the wall. They were on a stone platform overlooking a room resembling a kind of tribunal with benches for the public. Separated from the accessible part of the room by a balustrade of polished wood, two groups of tables and chairs faced the circle of sculpted chairs occupied by the cardinals and the pontiff.
The fire posts knights led her to a table where she settled down. A priest sat beside her, explaining that he would have the task of reading the documents for her...
It was something that Miriel did not immediately understand but... a force that everyone considered as normal as gravitation or seasonal changes translated all languages automatically! This explains why Miriel was able to speak to the inhabitants of the Slane Theocracy when she had answered in Japanese and them in their language. It was a fabulous aspect of this world where magic was quite normal and even ordinary. Nevertheless, the 'translation force' did not apply to the written word (3)!
The debate - in fact, a summary of the situation that the Theocracy had prepared for their hero - began after a few kind words addressed to Miriel which the Pontifex Maximus recited without much conviction.
The facts were as follows.
A few months ago, suddenly, several strange events had occurred.
First, the disappearance of almost all Sunlight Scripture personnel in a fight near Carne Village. The event had long remained mysterious. It was only recently - and by overlap with later events- that the Slane Theocracy had understood that this was the first appearance of Ainz Ooal Gown.
As all members of the Sunlight Scripture sent to Carne Village have disappeared, no one really knows what happened. One thing was certain, however, that Ainz had defeated the knights, priests, and angels they had summoned, including a very high-ranking angel.
Later, a vampire named Honyopenyoko appeared, terrorizing the peasants, and slaughtering the bandits living away from the cities. An adventurer of Adamantite rank called Momon managed to kill this vampire, but the event was a major shock, especially just after what had happened at Carne Village. Indeed, no vampire so powerful had been reported for centuries.
But it was only the beginning of an escalation, each event that occurred being worse than the previous one.
After the destruction of Honyopenyoke, the city of Re-Estive (the capital of the kingdom of the same name) had been the victim of a massive demon attack under the command of a demon lord! Hundreds of demons appeared in the streets of the city. Despite the intervention of the Adventurers Guild and the Royal Army, thousands of citizens were killed or disappeared. The major demon Jadalbaoth was finally defeated and forced to flee, once again thanks to Momon's intervention.
Miriel Jolted. Jadalbaoth? It looked very much like the name of the first archon of Gnosis, the Demiurge Idalbaoth. Coincidence?
The Pontifex Maximus noticed her reaction and stopped the priest's reading.
"You seem to have recognized that name, Miriel-san."
"Your Holiness, this may be just a simple resemblance, but a false god with a very similar name has plagued my home world more than a thousand years ago. His name was Idalbaoth. He created a heresy called Gnosticism that almost destroyed one of the main religions of my home world. It took several centuries to eradicate this cult. Idalbaoth had usurped the title of creator of the world, claiming to be the one God who begat everything. That's why he's also called the Demiurge!"
Miriel's interest in Fantasy novels prompted her to read several books on European medieval history. This is how she discovered Gnosis... but her curiosity quickly gave way to headaches, Gnosticism was a set of philosophical texts that were particularly abstruse (4).
"Is that a demon?"
"I don't know, Your Holiness... Ildabaoth is supposed to be part of a group called Archontes. I think they could be called Fallen Angels."
The pontiff nodded.
"I see" he turned to the priest. "Resume your reading, brother Ivoldo."
Shortly after the Jadalbaoth attack, adventurers discovered a huge unknown tomb near Carne Village. This was a really strange event. How could this tomb have gone unnoticed so far? Although sparsely populated, the area had been known and explored for centuries. A joint expedition of several of the best adventurers, most of which came from the Bahamut Empire, was sent to explore the tomb... but none of them survived!
Worse, a few days later, a dragon landed in the courtyard of the palace of Emperor Jircniv. Two young Dark Elves (hardly teenagers) descended from the dragon. Their names were Aura and Mare.
Mare?
Miriel frowned again. That was rather strange...
Again the pontiff stopped the account of events to ask Miriel the reason for her reaction.
"Mare is not a person's name. It is a synonym of Dark Elf in several languages of my native world (5)."
After killing several guards, Aura and Mare were received by the emperor impressed by the power of the two intruders. The Dark Elves carried a message from the Master of the Great Tomb of Nazarik, Ainz Oaal Gown. It was of course the tomb discovered near Carne Village. The Sorcerer King summoned Emperor Jircniv to Nazarik to give him an opportunity to explain himself about the unjustified aggression over the Great Tomb of Nazarik. The interview took place and Ainz Oaal Gown imposed an alliance between the Great Tomb of Nazarik and the Bahamut Empire.
According to reports sent by agents of the Theocracy operating in the Bahamut Empire, Ainz would be a kind of Elder Lich... a living dead... the Sorcerer King would designate himself as an 'Overlord'.
The escalation continued and the most horrific events were to happen after the meeting between Ainz and Jircniv. With the kingdom of Re-Estize and the Bahamut Empire at war, a battle took place a few days later... And Ainz Oaal Gown went to war with his ally.
What happened next was simply a nightmare. Not only did the Sorcerer King arrive surrounded by hundreds of Death Knights, undead that no one knows how to control or create in the New World, but he sacrificed thousands of soldiers of the Re-Estize Kingdoms to summon filthy creatures that bleat like goats and...
Miriel rose suddenly and the slamming of her chair fell to the ground interrupted the priest who was telling the story of the battle.
"How big were they? Did they have multiple black goat legs? Did they look like clumps of tentacles?"
As the priest answered Miriel's feverish questions, the Pontifex Maximus intervened again.
"Do you know these... things?"
"Yes... yes, Your Holiness... I'm afraid I know these monsters. These are the Shub-Niggurath Kids!"
"Shub-Niggurath?"
The eerie name circulated among the assembly, the priests and knights repeating it nervously.
"What is this... Shub-Niggurath?" asked a cardinal.
"She's the mother of these monsters... the Great Black Goat of the Wood with One Million Kids!... An Old One... an extremely ancient and primitive deity... totally incomprehensible to man and especially far too powerful to be fought."
Pale, Miriel passed her hand over her face.
But the Old Ones were a literary creation! These monsters were the work of the horror writer Henry Philip Lovecraft... They didn't exist. They were fictional creatures!
The voice of the Pontifex Maximus brought her back to the present.
"And can we fight these Old Ones?"
"I'm not very sure... the Old Ones is a mere myth in my world. But I read some... texts mentioning... the Elders Sign! As the Old Ones have been banished from this world by the Elder Gods, their mystical sign has the power to repel the Old Ones or even prevent their invocation."
"The Elders Sign?"
"It's an effective protective talisman against the Old Ones and all the monsters that serve them... the problem is I don't know how to make these talismans... unless..."
Miriel mechanically stroked the Ring of the Kings in her hand.
"Maybe I can do something, Your Holiness, but I promise nothing... As I said, until today I thought it was just a myth... I have to think about it..."
The priest in charge of the summary of the situation spoke again but he has (fortunately) almost nothing more to add.
After the Katze Plains disaster and the massacre of 180,000 soldiers of the Royal Army, the Re-Estize Kingdom signed a peace treaty very favorable to Ainz Oal Gown. The latter annexed Carne Village and the Town of E-Rantel which became its new capital.
The latest developments were only a few days old. The Bahamut Empire had just signed a vassalization agreement, making them a client state of the Sorcerer Kingdom. In addition, as we speak, a succubus named Albedo was staying in the Re-Estize Kingdom to sign trade agreements between the two nations.
The priest sat down and the Pontifex Maximus spoke.
"At the previous meeting of the Supreme Council, we came to the conclusion that the almost simultaneous arrival of Momon the "Dark Hero", the vampire Honyopenyoko, the demon Jadalbaoth, and Ainz Oal Gown could not be a coincidence, there was necessarily a link between these four characters."
Cardinal Santini took the floor.
"Momon partly confirmed it. Indeed, he told the Adventurers Guild that Honyopenyoko was an 'old enemy'. But since this vampire is dead, it remains difficult to confirm."
Adjusting his glasses, Maximilian Oreio Lagie, the Cardinal of Darkness spoke for the first time.
"I want to speak again about something Miss Miriel just said. She seemed troubled by the resemblance between the name 'Jadalbaoth' and the name of the false god of which she spoke 'Idalbaoth'... Do you remember the report of our agents about the visit of Emperor Jircniv to Nazarik? There was a demon-Toad called Demiurge among the servants of the King Sorcerer... didn't Miss Miriel just say that Idalbaoth is called the Demiurge?"
The other cardinals exchanged worried looks.
"It's impossible" finally answered Delacroix. "Jadalbaoth was described by witnesses. He doesn't look like a humanoid toad."
"I remind you that some demon can change their appearance," insisted Lagie.
The Pontifex Maximus reflects for long seconds before intervening.
"But do you understand what that means? If Jadalbaoth and Demiurge are one and the same person then... the attack of Re-Estize would be a machination of the Sorcerer King."
Cardinal Laurasan coughed in his fist to silence the murmuring in the audience.
"All this is only mere speculations born of what is perhaps a simple coincidence between two names that pronounce almost the same..."
He nodded towards Miriel.
"I don't want to disrespect our... Hero. But it would take a little more solid evidence for me to conclude with a scheme of the Sorcerer King. If we see a sinister maneuver of this monster behind every event, we won't dare to make the slightest movement for fear of being manipulated by Gown! "
The pontiff nodded after thoughtful thinking.
"You are right, Cardinal Laurasan, to avoid baseless speculation, let us confine ourselves to verifiable facts... which does not mean that we should not check the suppositions of Miss Miriel."
In saying these words, the head of the Six Sects had turned to Delacroix, who agreed, understanding that he had just been entrusted with this mission.
The Pontifex Maximus turned towards their... Hero.
"I want to go back to what you said about Shub-Niggurath Kids. Do you think you can create that Elders Sign you mentioned?"
"No... I can't. I'm mostly an Invocator and an Illusionist. On the other hand, perhaps I can summon a creature that could teach me how to make an Elders Sign, Your Holiness."
The pontiff hesitated, and his face showed an expression of reluctance.
"What kind of creature?"
"A demon of knowledge" very quickly, Miriel added: "I don't like it any more than you, Your Holiness, but it is the only creature I know that can... perhaps... inform us."
The old man had an expression of disgust and anger and his mouth folded. But, almost with regret, he nodded.
"If it has to be done that way... what do you need?"
Miriel was thinking.
"Red chalk, lead chains, a rare and ancient book... which you can do without... various herbs of which I will provide you with a list, incense burner... and a well-ventilated underground room."
The cellar was dark, lit only by four candles placed at the four corners of the room. The walls were fortunately dry. Miriel had drawn a complex pentacle with red chalk on the stone floor. The smoke from the incense burner has turned black. This was unholy incense, a mixture of different plants, some of which were toxic. Fortunately, a window was used to evacuate the smoke. Two knights kept the door outside and two others stood behind the half-elf... probably more to watch her than to protect her.
The Wizard held out her hand forward.
"I'jel'o'nhurb, the Memory of the World, the demon of knowledge, I invoke you in the name of the ancient covenant that obliges you to manifest if you are called by your true name. You must materialize and obey me because I am the rightful bearer of the Ring of Kings."
On her finger, the red stone embedded in a tarnished silver ring began to radiate. And...
The book laid open in the middle of the pentacle levitated and would have come out of the circle had it not been chained by lead chains. The room resonated with cruel but angry roars and cries.
"Who dares to summon the Mighty Memory of the World?"
The light had become bloody and black blood was dripping from the evil book.
Miriel knew demonology well enough to refuse to answer the demon.
"I have a question for you. Answer me and I'll send you back to the underworld where you came from."
"Hurry up!"
The room trembled under the wrath of the devil I'jel'o'nhurb.
"Tell me how repelling creatures from the Cthulhu Cycle!"
"You must make medallions marked with the Elders Sign."
A picture appeared above the evil book, it was a circular blue stone medallion. A kind of starfish with an eye in its center was engraved on its surface.
"But the locket must be made in the Mnar's starstone."
"Where can I find this type of stone?"
"It doesn't exist in this world. The only way to get it is to use a transmutation spell that I'm going to teach you."
An hour later, Miriel sent I'jel'nhurb back to the hellish dimension he came from. After having thrown the book he had possessed into a vat of acid, the half-elf called the two knights who stood guard outside the cellar.
"I have finished. Call priests to exorcise the room, and chase away the miasmas left by the presence of the Memory of the World."
"Did you succeed, Miriel-san?"
"I hope so. I must speak with His Holiness, excuse me."
As she climbed the stairs, Miriel thought that as soon as she arrived she had demonstrated her usefulness, finding a method to counter the most powerful spell used by Ainz Oaal Gown... so far. The spell she had just learned would be enough for the magicians of the Theocracy of Slane to transmute ordinary stone into Mnar's stone. Once these stones will be carved into medallions and inscribed with the Elder Sign, their possessors could repel all creatures in the service of the Old Ones.
Unfortunately, Gown probably had other tricks in his sleeve.
(1) All of these events took place in episode 3 and episode 4 of season 4 of Overlord (The Ruler of Conspiracy Arc).
(2) Gullimkambi, Fjalar, and Gálgviőr, the three cocks whose song is supposed to ring at the dawn of Ragnarok (the Twilight of the Gods).
(3) Miriel has not yet realized that the sacred texts of the Six Religious Sect are in Japanese.
(4) Maryama (Overlord original LN's author) seems to be very fond of Gnosis because one of the 41 Supreme Beings is also called Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Table) and this is the name of one of the foundational texts of Gnosis.
(5) Miriel is right. The French word "Cauchemar" (literally: 'be ridden by a Mare') and the English word "Nightmare" are both formed on the radical Mare. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that bad dreams came from the fact that a Dark Elf was sitting on the chest of the sleeper, disturbing his dreams.