Hello Scrolls and Nazarins, with another chapter of my fanfic The One Who Came Back.
Leinas is cured and will act as a new rival for Draudillon?!
With you
The One Who Came Back
Chapter 63: The Queen
As Ainz took his seat with regal posture, Leinas wept copiously in her corner. When the wizard gave her the red potion and whispered that it would hurt a lot, she didn't expect it to be so much, and when the spell began and the flames cauterized the cursed parts of the knight's body, the pain was excruciating.
They burned until everything was disintegrated, leaving only healthy flesh; the magic contained in the flames eradicated the curse itself, purifying what remained. If it weren't for the potion continuously healing Leinas, she would have died. However, the tears had nothing to do with the pain; they were of pure joy.
"Hello, miss. I know that the relief of your suffering must be a moment to celebrate, but I believe my master did not grant this gift for you to cry," said Sebas, offering a handkerchief to the knight.
Leinas looked up and saw the iron butler standing in front of her. The first person to speak to her after her healing was simply... 'handsome', she thought.
But as she reached for the handkerchief, she felt the hostility. It wasn't like the aura of a killer, but something that only a woman could feel and came directly from the dragon queen.
After a moment of hesitation, she slowly took the handkerchief but declined the offered hand to help her up. The hostility vanished from Draudillon's face and was replaced by satisfaction. The message had been received.
Ainz could only think about the cycle of repetition revolving around Sebas. 'Oh, oh! Here we go again!'
Meanwhile, Albedo smiled.
'It seems human women are drawn to Sebas; all the better. That way, none will try anything with my beloved.'
In the meantime, the aquatic cleric had circled around and was approaching the Sorcerer King.
He walked slowly and leaned on a staff made of bone and coral.
"That, that was Arcane Magic! Your Majesty can use Arcane Magic?! Perhaps of ninth level?!"
"Tenth, Lord Glurus. But what would stop me from using such magic?"
"Why, well, nothing! But it's positive magic; it would be deadly for you if you were within the magic circles! Why would you have something like that?"
"Perhaps I am not as wicked as people think of me," said Ainz in a mocking tone. The old man laughed.
The Supreme Being analyzed the situation.
The inhabitants of the New World seemed to have little knowledge of war or more advanced philosophies. According to TW, probably, such knowledge that would take millennia of accumulated information and centuries of study and learning were lost due to the cycle of destruction caused by the advent of players.
The philosophers and strategists in this world were mages or capable humans who did not share their secrets. Secrets used by their kingdoms in wars, but these scholars did not possess the predecessor knowledge, so their thoughts were too simplistic, good and evil, black and white. Despite their many wars, they only crawled in many concepts of morality; they did not contemplate the gray. They were not capable of imagining that someone would have enemies on both sides, something that usually happened in a game like Yggdrasil, where everyone was hunting everyone.
The Purge of the Damned was used in the game by Ainz to cleanse lands with curses and invocations that enemies of negative karma could have prepared.
"I believe everything must be resolved, right? Queen Draudillon, if you wish to continue."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. As I announced before, I am Draudillon Oriculus, Queen of the Dragon Kingdom, which has been under constant attack by the beastmen for the last few decades. Attacks that initially seemed to test our defenses, borders, and patience. I think they were afraid to attack a kingdom called draconic, and although it is territory of the Bright Dragon Lord, for the past 50 years, he has never shown up to drive away the invaders. That must have given them enough confidence to start a massive expansion."
"And the defenses of the Kingdom?" Eloi asked.
"Our defenses were undermined over time. An average beastman warrior is often stronger than a human. We had the numerical advantage, which was constantly reduced until the point where we could no longer sustain the borders. For years, then, the support of the Theocracy was requested. Their scriptures kept away the various previous attempts. This help was paid in ore, grains, and gold, but in the last two years, no help has been sent. They were too busy with the war against the elven kingdom. So, we were invaded. They took a large territory before we could stop them. In fact, I believe they stopped where they wanted to stop, stopped to settle, reorganize, and prepare as a bridgehead for a massive invasion."
"And the adventurers, why didn't you hire them? They could reinforce the army," Lord Malio asked.
"Adventurers are not made for war, sir. In fact, they are so undisciplined that they would only cause disorder alongside the army. They are not legendary martial heroes. Even so, we had some groups that worked to eliminate champions or advanced groups."
"Wasn't the Crystal Tears' Cerebrate Adventurer one of them?"
"Yes, Lord Malio, but Cerebrate was... arrested and tried for crimes against humanity and is now... incarcerated," the queen hesitated to say that the adventurer was in an institution, under the care of rather rough guards, but under the guidance to keep him alive and healthy, after all, he would have to wait years before his final relief.
"You arrested one of your key pieces?"
"Yes, Lord Malio. Even a key piece can cause more damage if it continues to be active."
"And the other kingdoms, why didn't you ask them for help?" Lord Malio pressed.
Draudillon's childish appearance seemed to have the opposite effect on him; the man harassed the queen.
"Because, Lord Malio, our messengers were hunted down and eaten. Have you ever seen a human being eaten alive? I've had that displeasure," she returned with hostility, "But, a few months ago, we had an unexpected visit," the queen said, changing her tone. "The ambassador from the Sorcerer Kingdom came to visit us, and after a brief stay, promised us help, which arrived just days after his departure."
"So, the dead arrived in your land," the man said.
"The living! An army of Lizardmen warriors, all equipped and ready to fight. General Cocytus passed through our capital to pay homage and went on to the battlefield. It was requested that our army stay relegated to the rear, so the forces of the Sorcerer Kingdom would not need to hold back. Upon reaching the occupied territories, they received reinforcements and advanced further."
"What kind of reinforcements?"
"Knights, from what I heard, hundreds of Death Knights."
The council shuddered at the mention of hundreds.
"After that, reports said the army faced initial resistance but continued advancing on various fronts continuously for weeks, until the invaders were forced to retreat and then withdraw, a retreat that turned into flight. Colonist villages were abandoned, others left to try to slow down the advance, which in a way worked. The Sorcerer's Army would stop and negotiate whenever possible. Many surrendered without a fight."
"So now you must have many prisoners," the black dwarf said, interested in the possibility of slaves.
"No, Lord Ardork. Now, that territory has many settlers. These were low-level beastmen, not warriors. If they captured humans, they preferred to use them as slaves rather than eat them, after all, there was plenty of livestock available in that region. After the enemy army was purged, a defense line was established on the border, which seems to be constantly harassed according to reports."
"And the Sorcerer Kingdom did all this out of kindness," the dwarf said.
"No!", Ainz shouted with a voice that made the dwarf shrink, "I did it for a payment, fair payment. Lands. My kingdom became prosperous, and prosperity brings population growth. So, a group of Lizardmen settlers migrated to these granted lands. They will settle, cultivate, manage the lands, and the remaining beastmen colonists, in addition, serve as a buffer territory to prevent future invasions."
"Will the beastmen remain free? After all they've done?" the human complained.
The Queen, with displeasure, answered the question.
"Lord Malio, they would be treated as invaders and driven back to their old territories, but those lands no longer belong to us. The Sorcerer Kingdom decided that they could host these settlers. So, I will leave it to the Sorcerer King to decide the punishment and responsibility that best suits him."
"Thank you, Queen Draudillon," said Ainz - "Since these settlers were abandoned and left as bait, I believe they will have little interest in returning to the beastmen's desert. They will be treated according to the law."
While the council conversed, evaluating such information, the queen exchanged a few words with the king.
"I should have thanked Your Majesty before. All the support we received and we were not formally introduced, so I would like to invite you to a reception at my palace as soon as your schedule allows, and extend this invitation to your companion, Prime Minister Albedo, and the ambassador Sebas."
"Albedo?"
"Yes, Ainz-Sama, we will make room in your schedule, and I will work out the details with the Prime Minister of the Dragon Kingdom as soon as we return. Queen Draudillon, the Sorcerer Kingdom accepts your invitation."
"Thank you, Prime Minister Albedo. We are so indebted to Your Majesty that if it were asked that I marry the ambassador, I would do so gladly," the Queen said in a joking tone, but with truth in her words.
Albedo smiled, and Ainz was a little embarrassed by the queen's eagerness. Sebas didn't move a single whisker with such a statement, remaining in his regal demeanor.
Draudillon loved that about him.
"Ahem! Thank you for your report, Your Majesty Queen Draudillon," Lord Murios interrupted. "I believe such information sheds much light on various points."
"Then I guess it's my turn," Gondo said, stepping forward.
...
Author's Note
Sebas is a magnet for human Waifus...