A/n: So a little over a week but here she is CHAPTER 3!!
Anyway no real notes but I do want to thank you all for reading and please don't be afraid to point out my fuck ups!
A Celebration in Blood.
Arwintar The Emperor's Office.
Jircniv paced around his desk both hands wrapped firmly around his waist. Pain shot through his abdomen as he walked forcing him to tighten his grip further. He'd been like this for days now agonizing in his office waiting for the next hint of news from the spies in the kingdom.
Two weeks ago all of his spies reported the same news at once, the king of Re Estize had relinquished his crown. This normally would be wonderful news as both the king's sons were reported to be incompetent and deep in the pockets of various nobles, nobles who he had a large amount of control over.
However, that was not the issue that had caused Jircniv to now double over in pain clutching his stomach. No, the problem stemmed from the fact that after years of meticulous planning his masterwork schemes to gain control of the kingdom were now useless.
The original plan had been to drive the kingdom into famine then civil war and once weakened he would march right into the now powerless territory. But that would never happen now, through a single decision of that foolish king every little detail was moot. Because now instead of a glory-hungry idiot or a coward seeking only his ally's protection to be the next king that old bastard had decided to pick the so-called golden princess.
Unlike her two brothers, she had a modicum of intelligence as even from the gilded cage that was her room she had managed to enact new laws that worked to slow or outright stop his attempts at destroying the kingdom from within.
So there he was spending days and nights desperately trying to rework his years-long plan. The stress of it all had eventually caused him to collapse mid-meeting with Fluder Paradyne much to the panic of everyone in the room.
He stopped his pacing as a thought struck him like an arrow 'So long as I can prevent her from being crowned my plan could still bear fruit but how?.' Placing a hand under his chin he strained himself to ignore the raging pain filling his torso 'It's rather simple but if I could manage to poison her during the coronation it may spark distrust between her brothers. I'll need a backup plan as well but for now, I need an assassin.'
With a low chuckle to himself, he couldn't help but smile as the perfect idea ran through his head 'Why poison her during a party when I could have her head personally brought to me!' With a mad man's smile plastered across his face, he never noticed as one of his aides walked into the room carrying a crystal glass of medicine.
Nearly dropping the expensive item when their eyes met the aide could only gulp as Jircniv slowly walked over to them. "Go and fetch the imperial knights right this instant. Oh and tell them we're going to war."
With the Emperor's last words the aide turned to leave suppressing the shudder they felt as the smile still on Jircniv's face would no doubt haunt their dreams.
Fluder Paradyne sighed as he pushed open the double doors leading to the emperor's office. He hated these boring meetings and useless talks that never truly interested him. This time he was told his presence was necessary so his usual round of excuses and complaints meant nothing.
"So young Jircniv what was so important that my work had to be interrupted so rudely?" He Fluder said as soon as the doors began to creak open.
But what he saw silenced him for a moment as sitting on the bright red sofa in the center of the room were all four imperial knights a sight he'd not seen in years.
A voice from his side refocused him "Ah so you've arrived we can begin then please have a seat." Jircniv said from behind his desk.
"As you should all know it is nearly time for our annual war with Re Estize however what you don't know is that their king won't be in attendance this year." After a round of quiet gasps, Jircniv continued.
"Yes according to reports the old man has finally given up his crown and unfortunately it is to his daughter the golden princess. As a result, this year's war is going to be much different than our previous ones."
Combing through his beard Fluder turned to Jircniv "I'm certain you wish for me to participate in this as well then? I've told you before I have no interest in petty skirmishes that lead to nothing."
Crossing his hands Jircniv smiled "Ah but something should interest you this year one way or another. Tell me Fluder are you aware of the attack that took place against E Rantel around a month ago?"
"Yes yes, I heard of the devastating arsonist that managed to burn down a third of the city what of it?" Fluder replied.
"Yes I too heard of this, it was said that a masked man managed to burn down the adventurers guild with everyone inside," Nimble said as he readjusted one of his gauntlets.
"Well according to our spies in E Rantel at the time that was all a lie. I should say remaining spies that is, their reports are varied but from what was seen a single fact can be found. It starts as reports of two masked mages fighting in front of the adventurers guild with large collateral damage one being confirmed as Evil Eye of Blue Rose. As the two fought it is said the unknown magic caster used completely foreign magic that instantly killed the adamantite adventurer." Jircniv relayed the report to a silent room.
Until Fluder scoffed and waved his hand "Simple embellishments no doubt the unknown caster was simply her better and won the duel."
Jircniv's smile only seemed to widen as he lowered his head "Yes that is likely, however, that is not what should interest you, after having killed Evil Eye it is said large towering runes and magic circles surrounded the caster reaching higher than the castle. They then cast another unknown spell which created a pillar of flame that destroyed a large portion of the town and set the remainder on fire."
Fluder was silent as his eyes slowly began to widen, gripping his chin he could only be heard muttering to himself much to the confusion of the room. Concerned the old man was finally nearing his death Nimble reached over to check if the elderly mage was still breathing. Only to retract his hand in fear as Fluder stood up so fast the room was certain he'd just died and reanimated as undead in only a few seconds.
"So it is real! So many years researching the abyss and now I know it was not in vain!" Fluder shouted to a scared and confused room.
Walking faster than most thought he could he slammed both hands atop Jircniv's desk "Describe every detail were there embers floating around did anyone feel sick afterward, what about the sky did anyone notice a change in the clouds?"
Jircniv held up a hand to silence the crazed old man "The only other thing I know is that this mage seems to hold a grudge against the kingdom and is occasionally spotted in nearby forests, surrounded by undead."
Hearing the emperor's words all four knights looked up and quickly turned to face Jircniv looks of anger grew across each one's face. Nimble was the first to speak up " Your majesty do you mean to imply that the undead that killed nearly a thousand of our citizens is because of this mage?"
Standing from his spot on the sofa Baziwood's fists were clenched and his face was red with anger "I pray to the gods you want Fluder to kill this man because if not I may have to go do it my damn self!"
Raising his hand Jircniv tried to look as disarming as possible "Calm yourselves I would have none of you fight this man, if possible I'd like to try and recruit him against the kingdom. After that, however, it is none of my business as it would be up to our dear Fluder here what we did next with him. "
As the knights calmed down at their emperor's words Fluder seemed to do the exact opposite "You speak as though there is anything I could do to this man!"
"Were you not just excited at the thought of that spell he cast surely you could learn something?" Jircniv said confused by the wildly changing emotions of his mentor.
Turning to face the four knights Fluder burst out laughing before he abruptly stopped "If what your majesty said is true then I believe that man to be a force stronger than even myself!"
"Old man explain yourself aren't you supposed to be a legendary caster of the sixth tier?" Baziwood shouted at the old man.
"Yes, but from what his majesty described I believe I know the spell that masked man cast. If I am right, and rarely am I not, that was the spell explosion an eighth tier spell." Fluder said as he continued to smile like mad.
Jircniv couldn't help but laugh drawing all but Fluder's attention, he was not ignorant of magic but he knew very little aside from what Fluder had taught him. So to hear that the man he sought was using the magic the gods themselves had used he couldn't help but laugh harder.
Wiping away tears Jircniv composed himself "Then he is perfect for killing the new queen of Re Estize"
A Forest Just Outside Arwintar.
Clementine wanted to scream her lungs out, they'd left early so they could avoid fighting strong opponents and now here they were exhausted and lost. It was meant to be a three-day trip hard but uneventful in the end so how they managed to nearly die at every leg of the journey she had no idea.
Turning to the adventurer beside her she tried to remember his name before giving up entirely "Hey pervert you spot any more of those big bastards around here?"
One would expect being called a pervert to anger the recipient but he just laughed "No my darling my eyes see nothing other than your splendid figure!"
Clementine wanted to kill him she could do it too, even claiming he got caught by one of those big things they had been running from and no one would bat an eye. But that would also leave her alone in a dense forest with no backup and a missing hand.
As much as she hated receiving the help she had no chance of slowing down the behemoths without some kind of assistance. Narrowing her senses she scanned her surroundings again and sighed as annoying as the man was he still did his job pretty well. Standing she motioned for him to follow her they'd scouted enough that they should get back to the others.
They moved quickly through the brush passing over the tangled mess of roots that was the forest floor. After what was to Clementine a short jog they arrived at their familiar campsite this was the fifth day they'd spent in this god's forsaken forest. Offering no more than a quick nod to the four others in the camp she quickly made her way to her simple tent falling asleep in a matter of seconds.
Ninya stared at the impossibly strong woman as she walked into her tent and promptly collapsed. He couldn't blame her in the end she was the only one who could keep up with Lukrut and scout ahead for those terrifying monsters. Not wanting to bother the sleeping woman he tried to resume his work as quietly as possible, with everything that had happened the food they brought had run out and he was the only one who knew how to cook a meal other than half burnt meat on a stick.
Slowly chopping vegetables he'd found earlier he couldn't stop himself from thinking about his sister it was her recipe he was following so it became quite hard. Wiping away a tear ready to fall he suppressed a sniffle he couldn't exactly be seen crying into everyone's food now, could he?
"You really miss her huh?" Came a voice from behind Ninya
"Yeah, every day I can't help but think about what those awful nobles could be doing to her. I mean we've all heard the rumors around town but gods I hope it's not true just the thought makes my blood boil." Ninya said his sadness was quickly replaced by anger.
Stepping into view and sitting beside him was Dyne a more concerned frown replacing his normal joyous smile "I hope so as well, I've heard it's not uncommon for nobles to train the serfs they fancy as staff for their households. It would be grueling work for her every day but she'd be fed and clothed with a warm bed every night."
Ninya turned to Dyne "You truly think she might just be someone's maid right now?"
Dyne slowly formed a small smile "Yes it is most probable, after all, slavery was outlawed quite some time ago."
Khajiit was awoken to the sound of two pots clanging against each other, the signal that breakfast was complete. He massaged his aching back with one hand as he slowly arose the years had not been kind and sleeping on the floor did little to help but he would be damned if he gave in to age now. Fully awake he started his morning routine, first, he would dress in the merchant's clothes he'd stolen from E Rantel, second, he'd tidy up his tent and ensure no damage was received in the night, and lastly, he would triple check that he still possessed his prized possession.
Finding the dark purple orb right where he'd left it the night prior he smiled, though the trip was a complete mess at least he could use this artifact to later recoup any losses he suffered. Remembering just how things had gone he sighed originally he planned on killing the adventurers to cover his and Clementine's track but now here they were reliant on the help they gave.
Oh, how he wished he could have brought the acolytes of Zurrernorn instead of these fools. Actually, now that he thought about it they would have been no help against the massive beasts that had stalked the group up to this point. Sighing again he opened his tent and stepped into the early morning light the smell of a simple yet delicious stew overwhelming his nose.
He was glad for one thing these adventurers had that not even Clementine could have done, they had a really good cook. "Good morning to you all, I see that we still live so I must again give you my thanks for watching over me."
"No it's no problem at all in the end we would always protect those who need it no matter what," said one of the accompanying adventurers.
'What was his name again, Ah yes Peter I believe!' Khajiit thought to himself.
He had to at least try to remember the names of those around him lest they grow suspicious and attempt to leave him to fend for himself. Of course, he'd then just kill them all to prevent any leakage of who he might be but he'd rather not waste the negative energy on such small fry.
"So Peter today we should finally escape this forest and those damnable monsters roaming around accosting us at every turn yes?" Khajiit quickly said trying to cover the fact he'd almost forgotten the man's name.
"Well that's the idea right now, if we don't run into any trouble there should only be a kilometer or two of forest left. Our biggest issue after that would be figuring out just how far of course we really are, after all, it was supposed to be a three-day journey"
They both let out a sigh, from the beginning this journey had hounded them at every turn, almost as though some divine force was desperate to try and stop them. On the first day, they had to weather a massive rain storm that threatened to freeze them to death with icy cold rain and wind so strong it nearly carried poor Ninya away with it. On the second day, the rain finally calmed down only to give way to an army of goblins and ogres hell-bent on finding their next meal.
Attempting to flee the never-ending supply of goblins they ran into the forest to escape only to realize they'd gotten lost and very far off their original course. It only took a day for them to find out why none of the goblins or ogres dared to follow the group into the forest despite having a massive terrain advantage. Undead hundreds of them, in what appeared to be the worst luck anyone could have they just so happened to enter the exact area the roaming undead had decided to pass through.
And as if luck wanted to spit In their faces, while cutting through the mountain of reanimated corpses they managed to find out exactly why the adventurers guild wanted adamantite groups to deal with them. Massive behemoths roamed the forest and there had to be a couple hundred of them at least.
But here they were two days without a sighting and nearly out of the forest altogether Khajiit could hardly be more relieved. He did want to study the sudden presence of strong undead but after three failed attempts to control the things he'd long since given up. He would have to return much later with a much stronger undead of his own but for now, he wanted to keep his cover as a simple merchant.
With the morning meal finished and all the tents packed up, Ninya couldn't have been happier to be rid of the awful forest. While he had been on many life-threatening adventures with his friends never before had they been pushed to the brink of death so many times in a row. The stress and fast-paced nature of the trip so far had made keeping certain things private nearly impossible.
Lugging on his large pack he followed behind Peter as the group slowly progressed through the dense forest. The danger of the undead ever-present Peter had ordered them to always stay in formation with Lukrut and the still angry bodyguard in front as scouts, Peter and Ninya lead the rest with the merchant firmly in the center and Dyne behind him in case of ambush.
It wasn't the best formation but for weaker adventurers like them, it worked very well having saved their lives countless times. Ninya couldn't stop himself from the thought that this may be the first time it would fail them after all those big undead seemed to ignore even the holy attacks Dyne cast on them.
Shaking his head he tried to clear the scary thoughts away, if he couldn't focus now then all hope of saving his sister would be for naught. However, all that shaking distracted him when Peter stopped moving and raised his arm signaling the others to stop as well.
"Everyone quiet I think I heard something nearby," Peter announced as he slowly unsheathed his long sword.
It didn't take long for the bodyguard and Lukrut to appear from the side crouched and already drawing their weapons. With a quick nod from Lukrut, everyone knew exactly what was up ahead, after the first encounter with one they immediately made a signal to identify when one of the big things came stomping by.
And stomp it did while no one could see the thing they certainly could feel its every step as it drew ever closer.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
They had to make a choice and fast, if they ran from the area they could end up stuck in the forest for another week. But if they fought it right here and now there was a very good chance every single one of them would die horrifying deaths. Ultimately the choice was Peters as the team leader but no matter what they would follow him after they did share the same dreams.
Crash!
Sadly it seemed Peter wouldn't be able to decide the massive form of the familiar undead bursting through two trees showering everyone in a hail of splinters. Instantly Lukrut fired two arrows in retaliation with the first clinking harmlessly off the helmet of the massive beast.
Ninya acted as fast as he could to react to the starting fight. "{Reinforce Armor} {Magic Arrow}!" As a warm yellow glow surrounded Peter two rods of light shot past him straight into the face of the now charging monster. Casting both spells so fast was taxing but he'd trained for this for years now and he never give up the fight while his friends fought too.
Surprising no one the merchant's bodyguard shot forward to meet the charging monster faster than most people there could see. Wielding a bright silver stiletto she nimbly dodged under the massive sword of the beast as it swung towards her head. The speed of the attack it made seemed almost faster than the one-handed woman but she was much more agile quickly turning and stabbing into the gap of its armor.
"DIE YOU BASTARD!" She shouted as the monster burst into flames a raging inferno pouring out of every slit and gap in the undead's armor.
Running up to meet the fight Dyne and Peter circled behind the undead as it turned to face the bodyguard. Letting out a massive roar that threatened to deafen them all it charged at her shield first. Running up behind it Dyne raised his maul "[Heavy Blow]! And brought it down as his weapon glowed with the power of the martial art.
Clang!
The sound of metal on metal as he struck was like a temple's bells echoing through the forest. The blow did little in the way of actual damage but the sudden act certainly drew the beast's attention. Long enough for two arrows to fly right into its still flaming skull causing it to stumble back as it reached up and pull one of the arrows from its eye sockets.
Faster than anyone could react the undead dashed behind Lukrut and slammed its massive sword down at him. Cleaving deep into his right shoulder he let out a scream of pain as he rolled away coating the twig-covered ground in a river of blood.
Rushing to him Peter wasted no time pulling out a glass vial of bright blue liquid and splashing the writhing Lukrut with it closing the wound. A friend saved Peter charged to meet the undead who now turned to strike the merchant who previously cowered behind Lukrut the farthest from combat.
Running as fast as he could Peter prayed he could intervene before the monster lowered its sword. "Leave him alone gods damn it! [Ability Boost] [Body Strengthening] [Slashing Strike]!"
Aglow with his abilities he reached the monster mid-swing and met its back with a strike of his own. Only to be blinded by a flash of light as his sword met the metal of the undead's armor. Thrown back by an unseen force he quickly tried to recover only to see the undead stumbling back as well now surrounded by an inferno.
Lowering his raised hand Khajiit sighed he wanted to hide his magic capabilities as long as possible but now that his life was so close to ending he was forced to act. As the {Fireball}'s flames engulfed the undead he sighed now he'd have to help kill this glorious research specimen.
Ninya raised his staff "{Magic Arrow} {Magic Arrow} {Magic Arrow}!" He screamed nearly collapsing as the six bolts of light shot towards the undead piercing both knees simultaneously. "Aim for its legs we have to slow it down!"
Swinging its sword at Peter it nearly cleaved him in half as he raised his sword in turn. Immediately brought to a knee by the beast's overwhelming strength he almost didn't notice the shield screaming towards him from the side. "[Fortress]!" He yelled activating the martial art just as the shield slammed into his body sending him flying right into a tree trunk.
Coughing up blood he could tell more than a couple of organs had exploded from the sheer force of the blow. Thankful he lived at all he quickly pulled out his only other potion and downed it as fast as he could between literally coughing up his lungs.
Seeing their leader fly past them Clementine was sure the weaklings would run away at any point so she had to hurry. Tossing aside her {Fireball} enchanted stiletto she pulled out a new one this time enchanted with {Acid Arrow} and dashed forward "[Flow Acceleration] [Evasion] [Greater Ability Boost]!" Reaching the undead she activated another martial art centimeters from its side "[Piercing Strike]!" Cleaving right through the armor she sunk deep into the undead's side and activated the stiletto's enchantment.
Everyone watched as the nameless bodyguard rushed up to the monster stabbed it clean through the side and then filled the wound with a devastating acid. The monster's side burst open as she kept back taking with it most of the left side of the thing including its armor.
Sensing the opportunity given she kept back as the massive undead roared to the sky. Right as two arrows struck its head, six more magic arrows pierced its back, a burst of flame engulfed it, and Peter ran his sword right into the beast's side just as the flames died down.
Stepping back as the undead slumped to the ground he wanted to cry, to think he'd just landed the final blow on an adamantite ranked monster. "Hahaha, that's how you fucking do it!" He yelled between his exhausted panting.
Stepping Over Ninya could help but grin with this he would have more than a lifetime's worth of platinum coins. More than enough to buy back his sister from whatever noble she now belonged to. Pulling his small black dagger from his belt he kneeled next to the monster's head ready to bring back proof of the kill.
Shlunk.
The sudden noise startled Ninya and stopped him from claiming his prize, only to fall back as the monster's head turned towards him and let out a roar. Turning to Peter he screamed when he saw the man standing beside him both arms outstretched and the undead's massive sword punctured right through his chest.
Standing from the spot it collapsed on, it yanked out the massive weapon dropping Peter to the ground like a sack of bricks as a spray of blood coated Ninya's face. Letting out a primal scream Ninya ran at the beast its shield and sword readying to meet his futile charge.
As the bloodied sword came careening towards his face Ninya couldn't help but apologize to his sister for dying so foolishly. But death never came as the sword stopped dead in front of his face.
"GO! FINISH THE DAMN THING!" The bodyguard's familiar voice sounded behind him.
Rushing forward Ninya could feel the burst of wind as the undead's shield rushed past him most likely angry the woman had prevented its kill. Tear-filled eyes Ninya closed the gap between him and the still smoldering undead's side and plunged the small black dagger as deep as his tiny hands could let it.
With a roar that no doubt pierced the heavens, the towering undead dropped its sword and shield as it staggered backward. And with one final look of defiance, it stared directly at Ninya with a look that would haunt his dreams for years and vanished into a cloud of black most leaving only its weapons behind.
Quickly shaking away the fear its eyes brought, Ninya turned to his comrade "PETER!" Dashing over to the nearly bisected man he wept when Peter let out a bloody cough and raised an arm.
Grabbing it with one hand Ninya patted every single pouch and pocket with the other desperate for anything that could help the stoning man. "Potion, healing spell, some bandages anything come on! Don't we have anything that could help him, we can't just let him die like this!" He shouted
Placing a hand on his shoulder Ninya smiled at the glimmer of hope as Dyne kneeled beside him. "Son I'm afraid at this point there's nothing I could do He's so far gone even if I healed him it would only prolong his suffering," Dyne said as tears began to roll down his cheeks.
Coughing up bloody chunks Peter just barely managed to whisper something Ninya could barely hear. Leaning closer to the dying man Ninya started to cry "Please Peter you can't go not like this anything but this we need you!" He cried out between sobs.
"Don't stop trying because I'm gone you have to help your sister no matter what do it for me okay?" Peter whispered as his blood pooled around them.
Ninya started to cry harder as the words hit him, Peter was the one who convinced him to start adventuring in the first place hoping he could one day find the legendary sword and buy back his sister. To lose him was almost like watching a brother die or reliving the day his sister was stolen from his home by that fat noble.
Gripping Ninya's hand tighter Peter coughed up even more blood as he tried to relay one last message. "Oh and Ninya I forgive you for hiding so many secrets from us you, should probably tell the others soon we kinda knew anyway." And with one last chuckle, Peter closed his eyes and became still.
Re Estize Capital
One month until Renner was crowned the first queen!
Climb couldn't stop thinking about it, one month, thirty days that's all there was between his ladies' biggest desire. Of course, things were still very hush-hush around the castle but almost everyone already knew the big news.
The initial shock of the news had rocked almost everyone who heard it and the few who didn't it angered. Take the princesses' two brothers as an example each one was furious at the sudden loss of the crown with Renner's oldest brother Barbro being the angriest he was the crown prince and all.
However, news of the king's abdication had yet to reach any of the common folk, and for good reason too. With the chaos of E Rantel still deep in the minds of the masses most nobility feared a mass revolt thinking the king was a coward for fleeing the major issue.
But ultimately Climb didn't care about the politics of it all as just being able to stand beside his lady was enough for him. He did have one major concern with everything going on though and that was the empire. Every year like clockwork they would send a declaration of war to the king over some trivial matter, after a short skirmish they would retreat and declare peace.
This had gone on for years but now that news of Renner's ascension had come to pass no declaration had arrived. Originally he'd just thought it was delayed from all the chaos going on in the kingdom but when the second month passed and no still missive came he was certain the empire was plotting something. Renner had told him all was happening as it should be but he still worried for her safety in the end.
Reaching the meeting room doors he let out three loud knocks "Your Majesty it is Climb may I enter." He announced as loud as possible.
After a few seconds, the wide double doors began to creak open revealing a long oval table surrounded by empty chairs. At the end of the room was a small staircase atop it two thrones one being much taller than the other. Nodding to the guards who opened the doors he walked over to the two people sitting upon the thrones.
Bowing as deep as his armor allowed him he spoke " Your majesties the adventurers guild reported another village has been reclaimed from the undead."
"Raise your head young Climb you bring us great news during a foul discussion." King Ramposa said.
Raising his head he couldn't help but steal a glance at the other thrones occupant. Wearing a bright white dress accented in gold that flowed down to the floor was Renner a large smile spreading across her face as their eyes met.
"I assume no survivors were found this time either, how about any corpses? I loathe thinking any more poor souls have been made undead." Renner's soft voice asked.
"Yes, one survivor was found and with him a possible description of the mage behind the many attacks. "
"This truly is good news with this a proper bounty can finally be put out and we may yet soon bring this man to justice." The king responded.
"Yes, there is one more thing your majesty according to those that found him they claim him to be the famous pharmacist Nfirea Bareare whom we thought dead well over two months ago."
Ramposa leaned forward as he placed a hand under his chin "Dear daughter didn't you say you believed the attack on this merchant to be connected to the attack on E Rantel?"
Renner's smile slowly turned to a faint frown "Yes a few nights before the attack on E Rantel the Bareare's shop was found ransacked and covered in blood. The scene described depicted so much gore that there was no way to tell if only one of the Bareare's were killed or both so the worst was assumed. According to the adventurers who found the scene the guild had ordered over two hundred health potions from them some time prior. My thinking was that this attack was planned over time and when word of the potions reached this mage they decided to stop the potions last minute."
King Ramposa leaned forward folding his hands together deep in thought before pulling a small handbell from within his deep purple robes. Ringing it twice it took only seconds for the familiar voice of the king's aide to come from behind the double doors. "You may enter" Ramposa declared.
Stepping in the aide quickly walked beside Climb and bowed " yes you majesty what do you request of me?"
"Go and fetch the best artist we have and bring him here at once." Ramposa responded "Climb find Nfirea Bareare and bring him as well ensure he is not harmed he may be our only lead for catching this mage"
"Yes, your majesty" Climb said as he followed the aide outside the room.
Making his way down the corridors of the castle he tried to remember the last place the adventurers mentioned Nfirea being. 'They said he wanted to stay at his shop so my best bet is to head for E Rantel.'
He wanted to scream, no matter how many times he scrubbed the floor all he could see were blood stains. He cursed the bastards who dared to step foot in his shop and harm the last family member he had left.
Nfirea yelled out in pain as the rag he was using to scrub the wooden floor ripped clean in half causing him to drag his bare hand across its rough surface. This was the third time this had happened and by now he was more annoyed than in pain even though his knuckles were dripping with blood.
Sighing he threw the rag's remains into a nearby bucket of water landing with a splash. When people had found his home covered in his grandmother's blood the guards had been nice enough to clean up the mess. But for some reason every time he looked at a particular spot underneath the main work table he swore he could see a dark red blood stain so fresh it looked like the table itself was bleeding.
This was only his sixth day after coming home and he already felt like tearing up the floorboards and replacing them entirely. But he could never afford that not now anyway, ever since he for left Carne the shop had been closed down. Meaning no new customers and a pile of expenses he had to pay to keep his license as a merchant and apothecary.
Pulling out a folded paper from his pocket he smiled "If it means remembering you for even one more day I'd do anything to keep going on."
Unfolding the letter he reread his favorite part 'and don't forget about us here in the countryside!' He chuckled as he remembered all their smiling faces.
He would never forget that village nor its kind people especially the two people who he cherished like his flesh and blood.
Ding
Ding.
The ringing of the shop's bell disturbed his pleasant thoughts but he sighed and made his way to the front regardless he did want to keep his promise after all.
Smiling as wide as he could he stepped into the main shop "Welcome to Bareare's potions how can help you?"
Standing right at the counter was a young man no older than him dressed in bright shiny armor that Nfirea could tell was expensive from just a look. His first thought was a noble turned adventurer it tended to happen to third sons and the like with nothing better to do. However something about the man seemed just too far off to be a simple adventurer, no he was far too stiff like he was used to waiting for ages.
No this had to be some nobles guard dog or some such the way his hair was kept, the spotless armor, and the fact he'd not said a word the entire time Nfirea had been sitting here observing him. "So sir what can I help you with today?"
Moving for the first time Nfirea had seen he spoke up "Yes you are Nfirea Bareare correct?"
Nfirea wanted to roll his eyes who else could it be running the Bareare's shop his grandma's ghost? "Yes, sir I am Nfirea Bareare owner of this establishment how can I help you?"
The confirmation seemed to relax the man as he pulled out a small envelope " You have been requested to a meeting with his majesty Ramposa the third in regards to the Night of Fire."
Nfirea was dumbfounded first they question him for six hours about the undead and missing villagers and now they want him to run to the capital and back! Granted the questioning was over a month ago and he'd since forgotten what they even asked him he was positive he knew nothing about the attack. "Listen I know you came all the way out here but I'm the only one who works here and I'm not gonna abandon my shop for the gods knows how long. And besides, I wasn't even here for the attack I'd already left town to visit a loved one in Carne."
Handing over the envelope with the king's insignia the man smiled ever so slightly "I understand that sir but we believe that you may have a description of the man responsible for both the undead and the attack here in town. And the king would be glad to reimburse you for the time lost away from your shop."
Cracking the wax seal Nfirea read the letter and indeed it confirmed the man's words but he was still loathed to leave even if they were offering twenty platinum. 'Wait what did I just read?'
Reading the line again his eyes bulged as his jaw dropped "TWENTY PLATINUM!"
"Yes, that was the agreed amount for around a week's lost revenue, if you believe it to be too little I'm sure his majesty would listen and raise it," the man said his small smirk turning to a full smile.
"No, no that's plenty! I'm definitely going with you!" Nfirea practically shouted.
Twenty platinum was enough to keep his shop going for five years without a single customer. To get that all at once was like a fantasy come true, he'd be stupid to refuse! "So when do we leave?"
"We may depart at your leisure though I'd prefer we leave by tomorrow." The man said.
"I haven't had any orders lately so we could go right now if that's alright," Nfirea said as he hung up his apron.
"Wonderful I'll fetch the horses now, just wait here please." Said the man waving as he left the shop.
The rhythmic sound of horse hooves was somewhat calming to the mind and when paired with vast fields of green one could hardly think of any troubles. The gentle winds blowing on tall grass painted an image reminiscent of waves on the ocean and almost sounded like them too.
Yes, the very scene before their eyes could be called tranquil even, and yet for one glaring reason, both men riding on horseback were nervous as hell. That wonderful scene stretched far to their rights however the scene to the left caused fear and paranoia unlike any other.
To the left of these two riders was the Great Forest of Tob, a massive forest so dense none in the kingdom knew truly what lurked inside its depths. But right now Climb and Nfirea were both certain of one forest inhabitant, the undead.
The root of most problems in the kingdom right now started and ended with the large forest looming dread over their heads. With the initial attack over two months ago, a third of all adventurers in the kingdom had died or quit out of fear. While a third was a devastating number to lose for any reason this was different this was a deliberate attack and no area was hit harder than E Rantel.
With the stigma of such an event, very few parties remained to protect things like roads and forests but that implied they were strong enough to do so in the first place.
Hearing Nfirea's voice behind him startled Climb but he made sure not to show it "Didn't you come from this way you should know if it's safe right?" Nfirea asked eyes still locked onto the forest.
"Yes, and I encountered nothing not even the usual forest critters like rabbits and squirrels. That means either they're hiding or all dead and gone and I hope to the gods it's the former." Climb responded.
Only looking away to course correct was difficult but without any support, an ambush of even one zombie could ruin the princess' plans.
"We must remain vigilant at all times regardless if we act careless it could lead to us suddenly surrounded by undead. Or we could lose the horses and be forced to walk the rest of the way to the capital." Climb hated scaring the Nfirea but he couldn't allow any harm to come to him.
The rest of the trek past the forest was in total silence as neither wanted to alert the shadows deep within the forest. It was slow progress passing the thousands of trees but neither complained to worried to peel their eyes away.
Finally clearing the dense woods brought out breaths neither had realized they were holding in. Now clear of the biggest danger, the only obstacle towards the capital would be the long stretch of dirt roads and both were very glad for the boredom.
Inside the Forest
Momonga held his nonexistent breath as the two horsemen passed by the edge of the forest. All he wanted was to explore a little and reminisce about his days in Yggdrasil but now it was all ruined. To think he would encounter the same mage he met back in the village so long ago.
Or was it long ago? To be honest, Momonga had long since lost track of counting the days once he started creating higher-tier undead. While he was positive no more than a few weeks could have passed, without the need to sleep his only way of telling time was to find a clock somewhere in Nazarick.
Upset over the ruined walk through the forest he wanted to go home already. But determined to take a long break from all the work he'd managed to pile up he continued despite the sinking paranoia that seeing those humans gave him.
The forest was beautiful unlike anything he'd seen before but something about the lush trees, bright flowers, and tweeting birds just seemed wrong. He tried his damndest to enjoy real nature like the kind BluePlanet had always gone on about but no matter what he did the forest around him was just aggravating.
He'd pick a flower to smell its fragrance only to scowl and toss it aside when the scent disgusted him. Or he'd listen for bird songs only to walk away upset they sounded so awful. It seemed that no matter what he did what was supposed to be a marvelous time in the woods was reduced to an angry walk where all he wanted to do was {Napalm} the forest.
But he'd never ruin BluePlanet's dream of seeing a real forest like this besides he'd be noticed by who knows how many high-level humans. With a deep lungless sigh, he made his resolve "{Fly} {Perfect Unknowable}."
Gently floating up past the trees he looked out towards the fields of grass that stretched to a snow-capped mountain. "The views this world has to offer are amazing but with so many dangers everywhere I don't think I could ever truly explore. At least not like back in Yggdrasil, what would everyone say if they were here would they tell me to move on? Or would they beg me to wait for them in the tomb protecting the years of fond memories?"
Gliding over to the road the two men had passed he stared in the direction they came from. He wasn't the best with the area but he knew they'd left from the direction of the city he'd fought that player in. "I don't think I can go back there ever again not at least until I confirm how strong that player really was so my only option is."
Turning around he started to follow the dirt road in the opposite direction "I could always follow that mage kid and claim it a coincidence we met again so soon maybe he could even tell me about magic casters here."
Nfirea wanted to kiss the cobblestones beneath his feet as he jumped off his horse. The knight known as Climb had told him the trip should only take two days but to actually do such a thing almost nonstop was horrendous. He swore the next time he sat down he'd cry out in pain from sitting on that saddle so long, he was in awe of how Climb ignored the pain.
Thankfully his horse riding days were over at least, for now, that is, he did have to get home eventually. But that was a thought for later right now he was about to enter the noble's district of the capital and couldn't have been more excited about it.
Normally one would only be able to pass the guards if they had the crest of some well-known noble or the king himself. The latter of which Climb did possess allowing both of them to freely roam the most well-kept place in the whole of the kingdom. With clean paved streets, iron lampposts, and merchants at every corner it did feel that much different.
As Climb lead him past artisans shops and fancy tailors he couldn't help the slowly rising sense of dread as they neared the castle walls. Nfirea had met with some very high-ranking figures in his time as an herbalist everything from adamantite adventurers all the way to an actual marquis. But as every step began to sound like thunder it slowly dawned on him that meeting with the king himself was a much different scenario.
Normally people would come to him in his shop seeking healing potions or antidotes but never before had he gone to someone else. And definitely not someone with so many guards and servants at every turn and he wasn't even in the castle yet!
The fact that Climb hadn't said a word since they arrived also unnerved him to no end. With the castle's large iron gates disappearing as they turned a corner Nfirea wanted to run. His mind was racing with the different possibilities that could come to pass when he meet the king.
'What if I say something rude or if I trip and something breaks! Oh, gods what would they do to me if I accidentally insulted the king or something they might kill me!' As Nfirea's mind raced back and forth he almost missed it when Climb stopped and knocked on a door.
"As requested Sir Nfirea Bareare, your majesty." Climb announced to the door.
After what felt like an hour of waiting the large door opened revealing a large room with a single square table in the center and four chairs on each side. The chair facing the door could hardly be called a chair as it appeared made of gold and was taller than Nfirea.
Sitting on the throne of gold was a man Nfirea could recognize no matter the fact he'd never even seen his face. To his left was a strange man dressed in bright blues and greens a strangely shaped purple hat atop his head. Piled high on his side was a mountain of different pens, quills, bits of charcoal, and even some chalk.
King Ramposa the third gave a polite smile and motioned to the chair opposite himself "Come young man sit we have much to discuss together."
Steeling his nerves Nfirea quickly sat in the proposed chair worried any second he screw up and be beheaded on the spot by a guard. But when no sword nor axe came for his neck he sighed deeply in relief.
"Nervous young man? I know I can be quite intimidating but you have nothing to fear. I only wished to ask you about what you may have seen regarding the mage who attacked E Rantel."
"Yes, your majesty I was told you all think I saw something unique?" Nfirea said trying his damndest not to stutter in fear.
"Yes, the man you see here is a renowned artist who specializes in faces. I wish for you to describe in great detail any and all people you may have seen during your time in the abandoned Carne village."
"Well, now that you mention it there was this one guy who passed by."
One Day Later.
Momonga felt exhausted as he neared the massive walled city while it was definitely larger he was too strained to care. The undead didn't feel exhaustion nor did they feel hunger, thirst, or the need for sleep, nor did they breathe.
But casting {Perfect Unkowable} Nonstop for almost two whole days had drained his mana leaving only the bare minimum he'd normally use to escape any attackers. To get his mana back he'd have to stop somewhere and while there was the option of teleporting back to Nazarick. The chance someone could trace even multiple {Gate}'s was far from fantasy as even he with no classes in divination could follow three or four teleports.
So not wanting to take the risk he'd have to find somewhere quiet to hide till his mana recharged and that would take hours. His latest use of {Perfect {Unknowable} would have to be his last till he recharged so the clock ticking down he'd have to act fast.
Flying high over the city his time to search was dwindling with every second he wasted. No matter how rushed {Fly} had a fixed maximum speed so he'd have to try and find a high-up building with no one in it. At least then he could buy some time to equip his disguise seeing as how any action besides movement would remove the stealth spell early.
His spell timing was always exact that's why he started to panic when he realized he only had a minute left. Diving down towards the first balcony he could tell was empty he was overjoyed when he landed the moment his spell wore off. Not wasting a second he pulled out the familiar 'Mask of Envy' from his inventory and covered his face.
Looking around the room he thanked RNG that the room was empty as the owner seemed quite fond of children's dresses. He wanted to run away the second he saw the massive closest of what clearly was a young girl's clothes and him being an adult man sneaking in didn't help things either.
The choice of clothing wasn't the only thing to stand out among the room's many oddities. Unlike the hundreds of homes, he'd seen in the villages, not a one looked as richly decorated as this. With white curtains draped over a silver rod, a small table in the corner embossed in gold, and a tea kettle atop it that glowed under his passive {Arcane Sight}.
While certainly nowhere near as good as Nazarick to see any meaningful decoration was a pleasant surprise and almost a welcome one. Looking over the kettle he couldn't tell what enchantment the item had just by sight alone to do that he'd have to cast a spell he wasn't willing to waste mana on. Mostly just because he was trying to recharge his mana though.
Step.
Step.
Click.
The sound of someone coming to the door and unlocking it startled him out of his thoughts. Quickly placing the tea kettle back down he looked around for anywhere he could hide.
'THE CLOSET!' He shouted internally.
Leaping past the racks of clothes and clicking the double doors shut he crouched down and held still. Thankful for his lack of lungs he waited for the telltale feeling of his mana recharging so he could quickly flee the owner of the room.
Renner stopped when she realized her door was locked 'those idiot maids must have gone through my things again. Desperate little roaches trying to find any info to send home I'm sure.'
Pulling her key from her pocket she turned the lock and stepped inside. The quiet peace away from prying eyes would normally be wonderful but with Gazef dead her father was using her Climb as an errand dog.
Her Climb, Her precious doggy, to think anyone would dare, DARE, take him from her angered her to no end.
But she must remain calm for now, after all, it was her father who would be gifting climb to her in the truest sense of the word. Yes as soon as she gained the throne she could easily make Climb her first concubine and not a soul could complain. The only obstacles left between her and a future with her darling then would be her two imbecile brothers.
Zanac could be reasoned with that she was certain but her eldest brother Barbro was a fool through and through. There was no doubt even now he was likely scheming with whatever nobles he could amass to back some pathetic attempt at a coup.
He was stupid, yes but he was also charismatic and with the support, he already had from the noble faction his eventual army would likely encompass every member of the noble faction. And while she was certain she could stop him eventually the loss of life along the citizens would crush their ability to defend against the empire.
All at once, her thoughts stopped something was wrong, deeply wrong. Scanning the room she tried to discern just why something felt so off about the room around her.
Of course, she could tell the maids had come through like a pack of hungry goblins picking away at any scraps they found. However, this was different far too unusual for even an actual spy from the empire much less the armature maids currying daddies' favor.
Every little nook and cranny Renner had long since remembered to sniff out any form of magic listening. And she could tell just from a glance there were several things out of place even the maids never touched.
First was her magic tea kettle far away from where she left it, normally left alone out of fear of breaking the expensive item. The second was her balcony and the fact the railing had a set of faint boot imprints on it, far too large for even the few butlers who came by. The third was the carpet instead of light footprints surrounding key areas there was a distinct lack of any prints, especially odd considering the prints on the railing. Lastly were her closet double doors the bottoms of which had small leather pieces to stop them from closing on their own.
Those small leather strips were hard to notice unless one was looking for them, and to see them bent outward meant someone had not only gone through her clothes, but they remained there watching her.
Quietly walking over to the closet she hid the hand that quickly grabbed her favorite scissors. "I wonder what I should wear tonight the bright purple nightgown? No, perhaps the silk evening wear would be best?"
She hated having to act in her room but she had few other options as her free hand reached for the crystal door knob. Inhaling softly she loathed the mess she'd have to clean later but it didn't matter now.
Tossing open the doors in a single motion she raised the scissors ready to meet a desperate lunge toward her. Only nothing happened no assassin hid behind her evening wear, no frightened maid crying out for forgiveness, nothing. Save for her usual clothing, not a ribbon was out of place no sign anyone had ever touched the rows of bright gowns.
Turning away from the closet her mind raced through endless possibilities until an idea came to her. It would be very risky more so if what she thought was happening was true but she had to risk it.
"I know your there, show yourself this instant!" She yelled out to the empty room.
And immediately she received her answer in the form of a muffled cough as the invisible figure slowly reappeared. But what stood before her was nothing she could have ever prepared for no matter how much time or info you gave her. A situation that she felt was so dire and without hope of resolution, she'd rather kill her darling Climb and then herself before attempting such a task.
Standing beside her balcony tea table as though they hadn't just been caught was a tall figure wearing deep purple robes lined in reds and gold the entire piece seemingly woven straight from precious metals. And while she knew a few deeper things about magic thanks to the late EvilEye even a lame baby could tell the outfit was magical beyond even Lakyus' legendary sword said able to level cities.
The part about the figure that drove her mind to madness and grief for the briefest of moments was what lay upon their face. Matching almost exactly was a mask so similar to the drawing Renner had seen earlier she almost thought herself hallucinating. But no there he was pulling out a chair and sitting down staring at her waiting for her to make the next move.
It took every second of practice acting she had to not break her facade right there and run to Climb desperate just to see him one last time. So with a deep breath, Renner pulled out the opposite chair sat down and smiled harder than she'd ever done before.
"Before we begin would you like some tea I noticed you were interested in the item so you should be pleased to know it is enchanted." She said motioning to the kettle in between them distracting herself from the river of nervous sweat behind her.
Momonga was scared shitless, well he was undead but still, getting caught was one thing but to have the daintiest and most pleasant looking girl he'd ever seen, casually break through {Perfect Unknowable} was insane.
He'd feared that some inhabitants of the world could pose threats to him and Nazarick and he'd all but confirmed it with that EvilEye character. But to have someone capable of breaking through a ninth-tier spell almost instantly would guarantee she was level ninety minimum.
Normally getting past a spell would be easy after all only level seventy-one was needed to earn a mage's first super-tiered spell. However world items aside {Perfect Unknowable} was the strongest stealth ability not restricted to level one hundred thieves. So breaking past it would mean either this girl had the more likely ability {True sight} a level ninety ability, or she was a level one hundred thief build.
Momonga was adamant he didn't want to test which one was true or not especially down so much mana and so close to her.
"No thank you, removing this mask to drink would be a fool's errand would it not?" He said barely catching the offer at all.
The woman pouted as she poured out a cup for herself "Tis a shame the enchantment on it keeps it as warm as if it was just brewed and it is such a lovely blend as well."
Momonga wanted to shudder from the nervous tension but for the first time, he was thankful for his emotional suppression as the fear washed away. 'She wants me to take the mask off that's obvious but if she sees my skull I doubt this tea party would stay very friendly. I have to be careful not to reveal Ainz Ooal Gown we weren't exactly friendly to humans.'
Setting down the cup she stared at him her smile quickly fading "so we should skip the pleasantries then yes? You obviously have some interest in me if your previous actions have anything to say up to this point."
Screaming internally he unintentionally let out a deep sigh "So you noticed I'm surprised, the reason I sought you out was that I thought we may be quite similar in nature and could find common ground together."
He was lying through his teeth but he had no real options, so banking on the theory in his head he prayed she too was an Yggdrasil player stuck in this world.
"Hmm, similar you say? It's not impossible after all, a lone pinnacle often seeks others who reach the top if only to flee those below." She replied
The colorful language felt unnecessary but even he could decipher such a double meaning. She clearly understood they both came from Yggdrasil but to earn her trust would take time and right now enemies were the last thing he wanted.
"Yes I'm glad you understand my meaning, the alliance possible between ourselves seemed beneficial to both of us should we agree at least to avoid harming one another."
While alliances weren't uncommon, even his guild having two, they rarely amounted to more than nonaggression pacts, and even then only in regards to actual combat. He still remembered the time a supposed 'ally' had tipped off the location of the tomb, he'd never forget the fifteen hundred players that followed either.
"I see, and your show back in E Rantel I'm guessing was your way of showing how seriously I should take this agreement?" She said in just the right way for Momonga to feel maximum guilt.
"Yes in a way, but to show how serious I am willing to take things I'm going to offer you a gift. Consider it a form of reprisal for all the damage I did to your town after my show." Momonga only realized as the last words came out that the show in question was most likely the super tier spell he blasted in the center of the town in question.
Renner held back the growing want to cry, talking with the powerful mage was slowly draining her limits as he nonchalantly called the magic capable of killing thousands in an instant simple. Sure he didn't outright say it but every other word that poured out of him was either lies or some kind of double meaning.
So when the mention of a gift came into play the damn nearly broke as she hoped to the gods he would let her and Climb live at the least. There was no doubt in her mind about what he wanted from her no it was painfully obvious since the beginning the sudden strange disasters seemed too well timed to be mere attacks.
Originally she thought them empire plots to force the kingdom into one final battle as every action so far should have been easy for the legendary mage Fluder Paradyne. But now she knew it wasn't them with the offer of a gift it could only mean one thing among all the chaos the kingdom faced.
'Become my puppet and I'll spare your kingdom'
The fact the undead roaming the forests never dared to leave it despite hundreds of passersby every day on top of the mage himself, screamed easy conquest she could never hope to stop.
"Consider the incident water under the bridge, but while I would love to accept a gift from one such as you I feel now would be a most inappropriate time. You see I fear my brother may try to revolt and start a coup any day now as I am soon to inherit the throne as you have no doubt heard. And to accept a gift from someone with such publicity would only encourage his loathsome behavior." She spewed out her excuse as fast as possible certain she could at least shift some of the mages anger towards her idiot older brother.
When he filed his arms and lowered his head in thought she was certain it had worked and he was contemplating right now how best to remove her brother. That little ray of hope died instantly as a small dark disk of black energy appeared and the mage stuck his hand into it. Pulling out a small golden hairpin with a strange multicolored gem set into it and placing it in between the two she knew she was out of options.
"While I'd rather not fight your brother and his supporters I would still like to assist you in some small way, as I do feel bad about my actions I ask you to take this gift at least so I may ease my growing guilt." The man said as he slid the hairpin over to her.
Renner gently picked up the pin dreading what would happen if she dropped it by accident and he perceived it as an insult. Turning the small yet beautiful object around in her hands she couldn't help but notice the strange sensation emanating from it.
Momonga watched as the queen to be inspected the small magic item, while he did have hundreds of useless items no mage could ever utilize no other was as worthless to him. Mainly because he didn't have any hair being undead and all but really it was because the hairpin was only ever useful to certain niche thief builds.
Called (The Queens Gambit) it never saw use in-game even being quite easy to find and relatively powerful for its rarity. Originally in Yggdrasil, there would be starter quests for nearly every race and class but as if out of some sick joke one quest stood out. Any player determined to become an undead or golem thief would encounter this hairpin.
As part of a long boring quest to steal back a love note from a bandit the player would have the option to give back the love note to either its intended recipient or back to the writer both affecting one's starting karma value. But if players were observant enough and waited for over a week to give anyone the note it could instead be given to any female quest-giving NPC in return for the hairpin alongside a flat-out rejection claiming the player too ugly to love.
So why was the item unused by almost everyone if it was so easy to get early on? It had one of the worst use costs among every item in the game even beating out (Longinus) the item that deleted one's character in return for someone else's being deleted too. Equipping this item would guarantee that as long as you spent more than a full twenty-four hours on a quest the end reward would always be positive. The downside to being able to avoid instant death quests or agro'ing entire worlds against you?
You could equip no other magic items.
For such insane abilities, one would think the item is world class but no there it sat as a common as if a middle finger from the developers. Only usable by builds that could use high stealth to hide from enemies or had strong parties to back them up the pin was useless to Momonga.
So why give a potential ally such a horrible gift?
The item didn't tell you its negative effect, nor did it show the positive only containing flavor text saying cryptic nonsense that ended up a chess pun when he and Peroronchino looked it up together.
Clipping it onto her hair, Momonga hoped his guess on her build was correct and if he was right she would never be able to properly fight him and his full divine gear. So when no items came falling off of her he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "That pin should aid you in any quest you follow and should you and your brother come to blows it may even save your life."
Wiping a small tear from her eye she stood and bowed her head the pin seeming to glow in the moonlight seeping in from the still open balcony. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart may we have a prosperous relationship Sir, hmm I suppose we never did formally introduce ourselves."
This was the part he feared the most should he give a fake name and risk losing her trust or should he use his character name and risk her identifying him as the leader of Ainz Ooal Gown? Steeling his nerves he held out a gauntleted hand and shook it when she gripped it in turn.
"My name is Momonga it will be a pleasure working with you."
"Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself you may call me Renner may our kind never fall beneath the lessers of this world."
Opening a {Gate} Behind himself he broke away from the handshake "Well I must bid you farewell I have an important matter to attend to goodbye for now."
And with one step he vanished from the room.
Renner collapsed as tears began to roll down her eyes, were they of joy or fear she had no idea. To think she'd been so easily forced to give away the kingdom and all for a tiny hairpin. The only upside was that now she was certain nothing would come between her and her darling climb.
Unknown
A woman shot up from bed tossing aside her blankets and ignoring the lackluster state of dress she was in. With one glance around the darkened room she was in she saw her prized possession. Gripping it as tight as she could rage filled her mind and body as her knuckles turned white and her nails drew blood.
"You saved me back there didn't you, well now I need your help again and I'll pay any cost you have." She said to the empty room.
But in this room, a voice responded "I shall always protect you so long as you continue to bathe me in your enemies' blood. But if you do desire it, my full power is at your beck and call."
Raising the item to her face she gazed into the swirling dark metal of the blade of her precious sword.
"The Blue Roses will be avenged!"