Note: This story is a work of fiction. It has many content of adult nature. If you do not want to read such content, please close your browser window or press the convenient back button.
The story is a sequel to my other commission "Falling to Temptation". It is recommended to read that first before proceeding. It is a hefty amount of words, so be ready. That said, for old readers, a new commission has been made, and here is that story's continuation.
Addendum: This story uses the same setting as my other story "Momon, Big Black Changeling". Essentially, Ainz Ooal Gown is the same type of creature as in that story, although this and that story happen in different worlds.
As their carriage crested over the hill, they could finally see the city of Bebard in the distance. With this, they had finally made it over the border of the Baharuth Empire and crossed into the territory of the Allied City States.
The city itself was many miles away, but it was quite visible sitting on the horizon, being that it was surrounded on all sides by flat, green and gold-covered plains. From their point of view, the road descended into the plain, receding far into the distance; though still clearly visible as of a line traced on the fertile canvas. Here and there, Ainz could see the road diverging into many branches, each leading into a farm or community of sorts. After giving a peek through the curtain of his window, Ainz sat back and continued to enjoy the carriage ride.
The initial leg of their journey had taken them through the Empire, though they had only stopped by a few towns on the road here. They had then spent a few nights at each city, touring the sights on the day, before heading to the tavern and hotel and sating their passions at night. Lakyus was a particularly insatiable woman.
Lakyus had not recommended stopping by its capital, as relations between her home and the Empire were less than cordial. She had no doubt that there were spies who were already aware of the couple's arrival there; and would have been planning something unpleasant for such high-profile "guests" such as the top Adventurers of a neighboring country.
While Ainz would not have been cowed by the threat of a measly Empire, he didn't want to start their honeymoon on the wrong foot, so pleasing Lakyus had been the play. Perhaps later he would venture out there and examine the capital city of Arwintar himself.
Their carriage, for once, was not something that Ainz had had to pull out from Nazarick. It was a gift from Lakyus' father, a handsomely built conveyance made from the finest wood, of a type Ainz was not sure.
It was the very picture of luxury, to a greatly ridiculous level. He would have even called it the next step beyond a carriage—a "grand carriage". It was large enough to accommodate two levels. The bottom level contained a small parlor of sorts, with an attached small pantry and serving tables. Their luggage and other assortments, were in a separate compartment on this level, located to the rear. The large doors leading outside were locked as tight as a security safe. Another, smaller door led to the driver's little cubbyhole outside, where they would sit and direct their team of horses.
A small set of stairs then led to a trap-hole in the ceiling which opened up to the second level. This level contained several windows, and served as both the main passenger area as well as a bedroom. The bottom portion of the chair cushions could be withdrawn, as of a drawer, creating a comfortable bed fit for two. There was a small lavatory and vanity to the side. The last feature was a small hatch on the ceiling, which was to be used for emergencies.
Its every surface was carved with plentiful symbols and sculptures of flower motifs and majestic animals at rest, which was then inlaid by layers of gleaming gold and shining silver. Here and there glinted several gems of superior make, which gave the carriage the impression of an ornate treasure box.
Ainz had heard from Albedo that the King of the Re-Estize Kingdom had personally appealed to Lakyus' father to allow the Kingdom to furnish the carriage from what it had originally been into this state. Supposedly, it was a way for him to thank both Ainz and Lakyus for their exemplary service to his land, as well as to celebrate the union of powerful adventurers.
Such a gilded box on wheels seemed destined to attract all sorts of unsavory attention were it to travel outside a city (and arguably it wasn't even safe inside), but there came Nazarick's side of the equation.
Now the horses weren't affected, as Ainz would have preferred. They were, again, gifts from Lakyus' father, and he had the gentlemanly decency to accept them into his service as they were. They were said to be powerful breeds, of impeccable pedigree, and so on. Ainz was then left concerned that the beasts would fall prey to any number of tricks. Their harnesses were therefore heavily enchanted to protect their user (the horses) from magical attacks. Another system would alert Ainz if something more powerful had been cast on them, as an inner layer contingency.
Next he'd had Aura commandeer them as part of her collection, which slaved them completely to her will. This, therefore, was an added insurance against mental domination, whether through magic or from someone of Aura's skill who would mess with the horses' heads. Normally they would move as Aura commanded (which was to follow the command of either Ainz or the coachman no matter what). Then, if it came to a struggle, the horses would then run in a frenzy, unable to be commanded until their death. A poor fate for the horses, but at least it would prevent the worst case scenario involving these creatures.
After the horses there was the crew assisting them: from the maid/attendant to the coachman. This time, Ainz was more confident, as the coachman was in fact a disguised Lupusregina Beta and their maid/attendant was her sister Yuri Alpha. Their addition to their trip was something which Albedo had stipulated as part of her conditions for allowing the two of them to go on without her. It was curious that the Overseer had been very keen on this arrangement, considering Lakyus would not have said no to her coming with them, and Ainz would also have been fine with it. But as a couple, they had allowed Albedo/Amelia her whim, and therefore accepted the two Pleiades as their servants—who also doubled as bodyguards.
As Pleiades, the two maids were superior to most adventurer or mercenary groups if one considered them bodyguards. They were powerful combatants on their own, each bolstered by several infusions of experience from Ainz's experiments. Together as a pair, they became even more formidable.
Before everything, in case of the most dire emergency where either of the two felt overwhelmed; they were ordered to immediately use the Gate scroll in their possession to teleport the carriage away, and then furthermore use the Message to send a warning.
Below that, their general orders were to keep up the illusion of being a competent attendant and driver for the carriage, tasked with turning away people who would be naturally curious about the extravagant box and whoever was using it. Lupusregina was tasked further with assessing the threat of anyone directly threatening her "employers" from the outside, with Yuri only getting out as a precaution if there was need to be diplomatic. Both had the authority to dispose of such nuisances as needed. If either was unsure about a given situation, they were given the authority to use the Gate first and apologize to Ainz later.
Ainz's only apprehension was that Lupusregina would be so obvious a target to take care of first, and that he had no protection for her from someone who would be doing a potentially lethal "first strike" without her realizing it. He knew it was an excellent strategy for someone powerful enough like him on the other side, to ensure maximum carnage and shock. His only hope was that such a worse case scenario would be a very remote possibility.
After the Pleiades were the other additions that Nazarick had made to the gifted carriage itself. The jewels decorated by the King's artisans were helpful in this instance, as it allowed a whole contingent of jewel sprites to be assigned to the carriage. Usually assigned to the Treasury under Pandora's Actor, these small creatures were devoted to such tasks as tracking the inventory and such other minor functions. As a defense, they were useful as alarms for anyone who might try some mischief with the carriage or the horses when no one was present. So many pairs of eyes were also useful for surveillance, which is why they would also need to report what they saw to Yuri every day.
Further, the carriage had been given several hauntings by veteran spirits and ghosts: Shalltear's own "gift" from her floors. While they were a potent defensive force, their tasks for now were to refrain from doing anything lethal, leaving such matters to the Pleiades who would be able to make better decisions. They were instead to repay mischief with mischief by using their invisibility to wreak havoc and hopefully delay a force who had hostile intentions towards the carriage's occupants. Ordinarily, they would never be needed with the Pleiades present, or with Ainz inside, but he envisioned a situation where he and Lakyus were sheltering some powerless person inside the carriage; with them being distracted somewhere else. The carriage would become a useful "bunker" of sorts, with the troop of ghosts as a defense.
There were also several shadow demons present, a standard for all Nazarick forces who were ranging far from the Tomb. Most were assigned to Ainz, Lakyus and the Pleiades, and would accompany them outside the carriage. One shadow demon was assigned to the carriage itself, though it wouldn't protect the carriage, but instead use it as a mobile base for its scouting. It, too, had to report to both Yuri and Lupusregina regarding anything interesting it would see wherever the honeymoon took the couple.
And lastly, there was the fact of Ainz and Lakyus, who were inside. He'd yet to imagine a situation where a band of thugs or some other unpleasant force could ever manage to surprise the two of them inside this carriage. Yes, the temptation presented by the obnoxiously ostentatious carriage was great, but so would the peril and continued life of anyone who would ever dare.
Ainz was not quite satisfied with the arrangements, but these were the best he could manage under the circumstances. Demiurge at least had been sending his agents out into the City-State Alliance, which was reassuring. While he wouldn't be reading those reports for a long while (he was on vacation, technically), at least he wouldn't be blindsided by something unexpected.
"Ainz-sama…"
"Yes, my dear… Hush…"
"I can't…"
Presently, the couple were exploiting the privacy granted to them by the carriage, along with the intimacy granted by the enclosed space.
Thankfully, Yuri was prudent enough to stay out of the way on the floor below them, having some sort of preternatural womanly sort of sense to know when Lakyus was feeling frisky. Which was, admittedly, most of the time when they weren't talking.
The second floor itself was routinely soaked in their combined scent, as they spent the hours on the road making the carriage bounce and rock with their constant fornication. Ainz could always tell when Lakyus was feeling horny, because she would start rubbing herself against him with half-lidded eyes, while speaking in a faux child-like voice.
Presently, she was doing the same, right as Yuri had just served them some tea. The maid quickly stowed the trays and went down the stairs, shutting the trap door firmly behind her and leaving them alone in the room.
"Please, my dear, Momon… Please, I can't take it…" Lakyus moaned, practically humping him.
He chuckled. "Couldn't wait to finish eating at least?" He slowly, deliberately bit off the end of the last bit of bread, tearing off a chunk, then chewing for a few seconds, before holding the last, almost crumb-like piece towards Lakyus. Like an eager chick, she lunged forward and captured his fingers with her mouth, sucking the food in and then continuing to chew and suck, using her tongue to practically salivate over his fingers.
*Slurp!* *Smack!* *Slurp!*
Since she had taken the time to lubricate his fingers, he repaid the favor by reaching down to pull up the hem of her undergarments, revealing her pussy entrance, which was slick and flowing with her arousal. In hindsight, she didn't need to do all that, considering all the liquid that was flowing from out of her. It was all just a matter of gently spreading her thighs, then pushing his fingers inside her fleshy folds.
"Mmmhhh… Yes… Hnnnggg… Kkhh…!"
He liked seeing all the naughty expressions flash over Lakyus' face as she tried to hold in her shouts and cries. No matter how many times he told her to let things loose, she was stubborn about trying to keep a lid on her voice as much as possible. Albedo had told him that it was perhaps part of her upbringing as a noble; and that care would need to be taken to coax out the full blooming of this bud. Ainz didn't mind either way, because watching Lakyus bite her mouth, her brows furrowing, forehead gleaming with sweat, her blonde hair glistening, cheeks red from arousal and hot puffs of air coming from her lips, was a sight to savor. He enjoyed playing her like an instrument, his fingers carefully and deliberately pushing her through a pleasure-inducing rhythm until she was practically quivering from delight.
"Ahn...~ Momon-san… Momon… Kkhhh-!" Uttering one final gasp, Lakyus coiled into herself for a long second, before she collapsed from the barrage of mini-convulsions. Despite that, she still held her voice in, only uttering slight squeals like a little animal. Her pussy clenched tight around his firm fingers, fresh drops of her fluid slipping through the crevices to drench his hand in her musk.
While he was licking off all that nectar from his hand, Lakyus came to, rising like a zombie, her face still red, lips drooling, and her eyes glazed with lust.
"Haaah… Momon-san… Haaah..."
With her nethers still dripping from her orgasm, she jumped on top of him in a determined straddle. She pushed the heels of her booted feet against his shoulders, which he then gripped, causing the leather to creak. With a lewd giggle, she leaned backward on her arms and pushed herself down on his cock, accompanied by a firm, squelching sound.
Directly below them, the disguised Yuri would put Ainz's used clothes to her face and take a deep sniff, all while her fingers were buried under her trousers. Her body shook and quaked as she dug in deep and made her pussy squelch, imagining herself in the arms of the Master.
Sitting outside, Lupusregina would turn her head, sensing the carriage start to squeak and shake even harder than before. She took a moment to think, staring out at the empty road, before shrugging and inserting a hand underneath her dress. She wondered when her turn would come.
The traffic on the road they were taking got a bit more crowded as they went on. Where before their carriage had trotted past farmers with wagons filled with products, or a whole caravan of horned beasts being led in a line, now there were other sorts people going in their direction and the opposite. There were people on horseback, clearly either adventurers or mercenaries or local soldiers. There were merchants leading a whole train of wagons, each sagging from the weight of their goods.
Everything looked like it had when they had departed the last city on the Baharuth border. But there was one notable exception.
Some of those who were driving or leading a wagon were demihumans.
Lakyus seemed to sense his surprise, or saw the look on his face when they passed a horned humanoid conversing with a man as they sat on their slower wooden wagon. She patted his shoulder and nodded.
"As I told you, dear," she said. "The alliance of City-States is a place where demihumans and humans live in peace."
"Hmmm…" Ainz said, rubbing his chin as their carriage passed more and more examples. "Are they really at peace?"
"Yes they should be," Lakyus said, with a snort. "There have been no conflicts or wars between the city-states for as long as I remember. Certainly there hasn't been something similar to how the Kingdom and the Empire fight each other sometimes."
"I see."
"Though there have been rumors." She gave a shrug. "There have always been rumors coming down the road, of this or that. It is always an important thing to keep an open mind about such matters. After all, I don't believe Emperor Jircniv really drinks the blood of his enemies. Much as it's hard to believe that there are several cities here openly practicing slavery of humans or demihumans. However, since I haven't—or rather, Blue Rose has never had much occasion to work here, I can't really vouch if this or that rumor is true."
Just then, she suddenly lurched forward in her seat, and pointed out the window. Ainz followed her gaze, where he saw the city coming close in the distance. "Hm?"
"Look there, do you see it?" Lakyus squinted. She clarified, "Something that looks like a tower… on the right side. Do you see it?"
"I see something tall, like a tower," Ainz said. If he could transform, he could make his eyes see far, but he was currently locked into this present disguise as Momon. "If that is what you mean."
"It looks blue, does it not? Like something that has been painted that way?"
"I guess," Ainz said, sounding doubtful.
"That's actually not some tall structure at all," Lakyus said, sounding smug. "Though I should say that my first reaction was exactly like yours, my dear. All I saw in the distance was something unremarkable. But did you know that that 'tower' is actually a tall fountain of water, rushing from the street below?"
"You don't say?" Ainz said, taking another look at the city in the distance.
"It is said to be a miracle of the water god, which is why a temple was built over it. An ever-constant stream of water gushes upward like a pillar, tall enough to be seen from outside the city walls. It is a wondrous thing to behold." Lakyus' voice was hushed. "When I first saw it myself, I was filled with great emotion. It was like I was beholding the face of a god."
"I guess it must be a pretty sight."
"Oh it is!" Lakyus exclaimed. "The temple below also features a beautiful array of water gardens where one can walk freely and admire the sights. They're more man-made, but it doesn't take away from their beauty. But the main feature is that divine gushing of water, which is said not to have come from mere magic or any mortal artifice. It was said to have appeared only when the city was being built."
Well, it would bear investigating from his part. It was an interesting, if mysterious part of this land, and it would be good to examine it himself.
"Well, Evil—I mean my friend insists that it's just a leftover artifact from the Greed Kings, but I'm sure she's just joking. Such a wondrous thing could not have possible come from evil means."
"You just now mentioned that you visited this place before. So you do know something of this place, this City-State Alliance," Ainz pointed out.
"Well, relatively," Lakyus said, tilting her head. "I have read up on their histories and the various travel books made about them, in any case. It was always good to be informed about other nations."
"That is a very commendable effort. I approve," Ainz said. "And if that is the case, then may I beg you, dear wife, for a summary of what you know about the City-State? I believe we are still a bit aways from this this Bebard, so we have some time."
Lakyus preened, her face flushing a slight pink from some emotion. Then she nodded. "Very well, my husband. It would be a pleasure, and an honor."
In truth, he really had no inclination to read up on things like Lakyus said. He had people like Albedo or Demiurge to collect that data and report the summary to him. But there was nothing wrong with indulging one's wife and praising them when it was appropriate. So he indeed sat back and listened to Lakyus as she began to speak.
"The City-State Alliance is named because that is precisely what they are. An alliance of city-states who banded together to form a nation. They had an understandable fear of being conquered in piecemeal by their immediate neighbors, who would have easily conquered their lands if they had remained separate.
"Before their historic alliance, some hundreds of years ago, these lands were filled with the broken remnants of long-dead kingdoms. I have read that the Baharuth Empire was once founded by these very same fragments, and that but for a quirk of fate, its territory may have encompassed here, where the City-States grew. But the scholars who wrote that can't really be sure.
"As an aside, I've heard a friend tell me that the territory was once home to an old empire that worshiped the Greed Kings in the past. I… don't really know if she's telling the truth or not, but the nature of that Empire doesn't seem to be relevant in this case. But it is known that there are ruins all along the plains that show references to the Greed Kings. But they did create a vast empire that encompassed a large area of land, so it only makes sense for those to still be present at various places."
The Greed Kings were an interesting topic for Ainz, and one to which his thoughts routinely returned. They had been confirmed as Players of some sort, who had tried to use their power to take over the world, only to fail because of some reason. While he was curious about what exactly that reason could be, he was more concerned by the fact that they had failed at all. They were confirmation that for all a Player's power, carelessness would lead to defeat. Therefore he, who was all alone with an entire Tomb to safeguard, could not afford to take any sort of risks. Every action had to be contemplated with great care. Even this honeymoon had been planned with ever-constant consideration for safety.
Nothing would be left to chance.
Ainz was further interested in the rumors that a being known as the Platinum Dragon-Lord had taken over the guild base of the Greed Kings. Some day he would want to meet with this being, and behold the base of another guild with his own eyes. And perhaps try to nick some of their treasures if it could be managed.
As he was thinking, Lakyus had continued to speak. "...Putting that aside, much of the territory's unstable nature came about because of several things. As I understand it, the terrain of this land could allow many an army to march through with little difficulty. The lands were also rather lush, capable of sustaining many farms producing food as easily as a plant sprouts leaves. Perhaps that is why there were always many a covetous eye being turned towards this place, and to those who had already lived in it. The nature of their lands worked against them in this instance, as it was easy for a determined warlord to go in and subjugate a huge swathe of territory."
"That hasn't happened," Ainz pointed out.
"Of course. And for the one, easy reason that if such means were easy for one warlord, then it was surely easier for another like them. Or two. Or three. There might have been hundreds of them, one after another, in succession, conquering the lands and being conquered in turn, one after another. The one force that would have truly conquered the land under their rule would have needed to defend this land successfully for many years, and his successors would need to repeat it in their lifetimes, time and time again.
"And there was another thing to consider. Just west of here lie the lands belonging to various demihumans, most of whom are content to live there in their own nations. But some of them would, for various reasons, migrate to this place, mostly as conquerors; but there were many who genuinely offered to work the land for themselves. Over time, these demihumans learned to live with the humans, and although one can never say that they live harmoniously, the locals at least have accepted this co-existence as a fact of life. And a life they would start to defend with their own lives.
"And that's how each of these 'city states' came to be. After the last would-be warlord was overthrown, most of the people living here started to get really fed up with being conquered, then reconquered; again and again, in a seemingly endless cycle. Each of them began arming themselves, founding what they thought to be the seed of a great nation that would encompass the entirety of their lands.
"Inevitably, their nascent ambitions would start to clash against each other. Ironically, in striving never to be conquered again they also became would-be conquerors themselves. Some scholars name this part of their history 'the Anarchy'. Cities warred against cities; cities allied with each other before turning on each other from fear or greed. The plains became a land where strength of arms and cunning diplomacy were prized. I've heard it said that mercenaries made a killing around this time, offering their swords to this or that city; even fighting against someone who had been, a mere day past, their employers.
"It was fortunate for them that their Anarchy was not interrupted by the arrival of an external power. A nation with sufficient ambition and a strong enough army could have swept in at any moment to scoop all of these squabbling cities into their hands. But that was a point in history where any of those potential conquerors were busy in their own lands, and if anyone was really thinking of taking advantage, then their names have been lost to history.
"The Anarchy ended through a gradual process of peace and reconciliation."
"Really?" Ainz said, with a raise brow.
Lakyus chuckled at that. "I am skeptical of it myself. Surely there were some problems. But it is agreed that there was no great conqueror who ended up dominating their fellows. No one knows where exactly it started, but the results were clear to see. Suddenly cities were no longer as keen to raise their armies, nor hire mercenaries to do their work for them. Agreements of friendship and cooperation between cities became common-place. The tentative peace gave way to commerce and trade, and wealth soon flowed.
"It wasn't sudden, but there seemed to be a point where everyone in this place realized that they were all friends with someone who was friends with someone; and who was further friends with someone else. And since that friend was vouching for this friend who was also vouching for that friend, and so on and so forth, then surely they could also be friends. So more agreements, more pacts of friendship, more new ties being made between cities.
"Eventually, they all agreed that it would be a generally Good Idea if all of them banded together in a great Alliance. Since none of them would obviously consent to being ruled by a King like everyone else, they then decided that no one was going to. Therefore, the only thing they all have in common, is the commitment that no one city should ever declare war on another city; and that should one of them be threatened by one who was not within the Alliance, only then would they rise as one and drive off this invader by force. Beyond that, each city state is free to manage their own affairs. And that is how the present City-State Alliance came to be."
"Hmmm…." Ainz thought back on everything that Lakyus had told him. "Sounds rather haphazard. If nothing else binds them than the alliance, then their bonds may be broken by some other means."
"Well, yes, it is an open secret that not all of the cities are universally satisfied with each other. There's always some sort of grievance, some tension between neighbors that is only kept in check by their longstanding agreement. Well, they would deny it to your face, of course. Take for instance, this city we're heading to here." She pointed outside the window. "I've heard rumors up the grapevine of mercenaries being spotted within Bebard. The mayor says that they're only there for other business, and that there was no intention of breaking the alliance. The mayor could be telling the truth, or there could be some conspiracies under the surface. Who can really say?"
Ainz nodded to himself. The way the City-State Alliance was set up was fascinating to hear, even if it was all unusual for him.
"Mm. Well, thank you for that, my dear. It was very informative. I can only hope that our honeymoon is not so rudely interrupted by any sort of problem here."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Lakyus said dismissively. "Despite everything, the people of the City-State Alliance will always prefer peace. So long as we don't concern ourselves with their affairs, then I'm sure this honeymoon of ours will be a memorable one."
She looped her fingers around his and smiled.
Everything in the city of Bebard was new to him, though layered with familiarity. After all, it was clear to see that a gate was a gate, even if it was decorated differently; that there were buildings inside a city, that there would be people here, going about their day. There was a place for markets here, there was a whole street filled with various shops along the side, there were cobbled roads looking pretty well-used. Lakyus had even pointed out the local Adventurer's Guild to him, and he was reasonably sure he could have found it himself. All in all, it was a city that he could have found just on the other side of the border.
The only stark difference that made him blink at times, was the appearance of many irregular shapes, strung amid the rest of the familiar human shapes of the crowd. The demihumans, which were apparently coexisting quite well with the human population, were out there walking in full force, and it was taking Ainz just a bit for the incongruity to settle.
In here, just as in the other cities they'd visited, those who saw their carriage made double-takes and stared after it, perhaps overwhelmed by its sheer size, which was almost like a small, richly gilded house. Yet despite that, it was still able to fit into the road like any other carriage or wagon, which added to its very exotic strangeness.
"My lord, everything seems to be in order," Yuri Alpha said. The maid was presently disguised in the garb of a butler or manservant, with coattails and epaulets, tight trousers that only served to highlight her sexy legs, along with high-heeled boots that reached up to her thigh. To Lakyus she would seem like a strict, if well-meaning servant, who was also gifted with many other skills beyond just preparing meals and seeing to their needs.
For example, she could also fight to defend her masters if needed. Thankfully, Sebas had been able to teach her some "forms"-as in poses she would need to fall into should she need to actually hit someone while Lakyus was watching. It would look strange for a seemingly powerless servant to be able to swat aside human bodies with a slap; but add in some martial arts forms and it would look convincing enough.
(Lupus had also been taught much the same, though Sebas had privately told him that the results had been questionable.)
"Thank you, Josephine," Ainz said. "Josephine" was the name he had chosen for Yuri (while Lupusregina Beta's alias was Alice) Yuri had just come up from below, greeting the couple after their recent coupling.
Yuri couldn't openly report to him about what the jewel sprites and the shadow-demon had observed right in front of Lakyus, so she was giving him this generic message as a way to update him that everything was fine. He would get the proper report later. "I assume we are almost at our destination?" He glanced at Lakyus.
She looked out through the window thoughtfully. "Hmmm… I think… I think, yes, we're going in the right direction. The city hasn't changed much since we were last here. Though that was only for very brief time. But I'm pretty sure we should be getting close to the temple." She leaned back and placed her head on his shoulder. "And if nothing else, the driver can always ask."
Ainz glanced surreptitiously at Yuri, who stared back with a blank face. Of course, Nazarick already knew where Lakyus wanted them to go, and so Lupus already had the directions in mind, so they really were heading the right way.
Suddenly, they all felt the carriage slowing down, drifting close to a complete stop. Ainz sat up straight, instantly on alert, as he pushed the nearby curtains to the side. He peered through the windows with narrowed eyes, wondering if something had alerted Lupusregina outside.
There was a click as Yuri returned downstairs to the first level to consult with her sister. She was at least quick on the uptake like him.
Lakyus in the meantime hadn't sensed the change in his demeanor. She did remark on the fact that the carriage was slowing down with, "Oh, we're stopping? Wonder why?" She peered out of the window on her side.
Ainz couldn't see anything that had warranted this sudden stop. There were no people suddenly wielding arms and brandishing them at the carriage, nor had the guardian ghosts been activated. There were no sounds of alarms that would have been obvious, nor did the carriage suddenly shake from some assault. He did notice several groups of people in the crowd below all looking towards something in the front that he couldn't see from the angle up here, some even pointing their fingers. When Ainz had started growing impatient, Yuri returned with another click of the door bolt.
"Apologies, my lord, my lady," she said calmly. "Alice reports that there appears to be some sort of procession ahead of her that was has held up the traffic for a bit. She says that she can do nothing about it, short of up and trampling the wagons in front of her."
He managed out one chuckle. "Well, good thing she knows not to do that," he remarked, nodding pointedly at Yuri. Then, he leaned back in his chair and turned his head towards Lakyus. "I wonder what's it about?"
"My lord, Lu—I mean Alice tells me that she overheard the people around her say that it was a procession of the prospective warriors who wished to test themselves at something called a tournament."
"A tournament celebration?" Lakyus said, her face now looking a lot more eager.
"Like the Arena in Arwintar?" Ainz asked.
"Oh, the spectacle in the Empire's Arena is certainly more impressive," Lakyus said, though she was frowning. "That is, if all you really want is the bloodsport. In here, however, their tournaments usually involve tests of skill other than battle. There's tests for one's cunning, one's breadth of knowledge, how to solve a problem, or create a good song or poem." Her expression calmed. "The City-State is known for tournaments such as these. And Bebard is a city that's known to host them."
"I see. Well, I wonder if we can catch them in time. Those sound interesting." He looked towards Lakyus, whose eyes were glinting.
"Oh, definitely we should go! I wonder when they start. If we have to leave, we can always loop back here and catch some of the games."
He was frankly surprised by Lakyus' reaction. It didn't need a mind spell for him to tell that she was really looking forward to this Tournament somehow. It honestly felt nice to see her so excited for it, just as when she'd talked about the temple.
"Well, that's a promise. First thing we should do is find out when it starts. Then, depending on the answer, we can either delay our stay in this city for a bit, or do as you say and come back later. And that's a promise."
"Really? Thank you Ainz-sama—I mean, husband!" she practically threw her arms around him and gripped it tight. He chuckled, and returned the hug.
There was just something about her enthusiasm that felt… different from the way the NPCs did it. He couldn't put a finger on it, but guessed that it was perhaps their nature as NPCs from Yggdrasil that was the difference somehow.
After the parade that had stopped traffic had ended, Lupus started urging the horses to head in that direction of the temple which Lakyus had been eager to revisit.
Apparently there were a lot of people who frequented the area around the temple, whether they were genuine worshippers or tourists like them who just wanted to see it. That slowed the carriage's pace to a crawl. Having been forewarned by the shadow demons, Lupus sent word to Yuri, who then told Ainz that the carriage would take a longer time than usual to reach the temple.
After some discussion with Lakyus, where she pointed out that they were supposed to be lying low, it was agreed that they wouldn't contact some higher up to arrange something for their carriage. They would be better served having the carriage wait here while the two of them departed to walk to the temple on foot. Lakyus claimed that it was only a few blocks away, so walking that distance wouldn't be the worst idea.
And so he left instructions for Lupus, who stayed behind with the carriage before it could actually get trapped in the mire of the traffic and the crowds heading for the temple. He and Lakyus went out of the carriage, accompanied by Yuri and a host of shadow demons. Out here, he could see how cramped the whole area seemed, with people pushing against each other in large whorls while other wagons and carriages sat one after another, moving slowly in a long queue down the street.
Reaching the temple itself on foot definitely was faster, and from afar he could already see the pillar that had entranced Lakyus so much.
It was certainly an impressive sight, if only because of the fact that there would have needed to be thousands of gallons of water that needed to be pumped up from bellow. The way the fountain's apex reached so high in the sky that Ainz actually had to squint to see the very top was very impressive to him. The roar of its sound filled the air, like an ever-present rumbling.
The rest of the temple was beautiful, as Lakyus said, and he supposed he could trust her judgment on that. The so-called water gardens were inundated by the water that had cascaded down from the pillar as it continued to spout. The temple itself was full of people, human and demihuman, who were either worshippers or visitors like themselves.
It was then that something strange happened.
As they were about to examine the water gardens in closer detail, Lakyus suddenly stumbled and fell, like she had slipped on a rock. Ainz, having seen it as keenly as if it were an enemy attack, was able to smoothly reach out and stop her from falling down completely.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Then he realized that Lakyus' body was convulsing. He tried to call out to her, but her eyes were shut, like she'd been knocked unconscious.
Panicking now, he reached out to call for a Message. His mind quickly went through the various scenarios. He could just open a Gate to take them back to Nazarick, but they were in public and would draw too much attention. So he needed to return to the carriage at least, so they would be hidden, even if it was very slow.
"What should we do, my lord?" Yuri asked him, looking like she was ready to lift up and carry Lakyus.
"Back to the carriage," he said urgently. But just as he was about to rise and bully his way through the crowd, he heard Lakyus groaning. She squirmed in his arms, before her eyes opened, those beautiful blue orbs looking around in shock before locking towards him.
"Momon… No, husband dear, you would not believe what just happened!" Lakyus exclaimed. She looked around, as if she was a baby who had just been born. "I have just been given a divine mission—from the water god themselves. It was a message of utmost importance. I'm supposed to go on a divine Quest!"
This was an anonymous commission, thank you. A reminder that the story is commissioned.
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