Hi Nazarins, another chapter of the fanfic The One Who Came Back.
Ainz must once again show his healing power.
With you The One Who Came Back
Chapter 68: Healing
Antilene's statement was shocking. Despite the Sorcerer Kingdom's army withdrawing, it now had hundreds of thousands of soldiers added to its ranks, undead brought back to life who followed every order of Ainz Ooal Gown.
"Y-your Majesty, such information is... disturbing. We would like to be able to discuss these events more calmly, so if possible, we ask for a few hours," Lord Murios stammered.
"Lord Murios, I am here in good faith as an act of courtesy, only so that you do not make any decisions based solely on scant news," Ainz needled. "Take the time you need, I will await your decision, and I'll take the opportunity to see your landscapes. Excuse me."
Ainz left the room accompanied by kings, emperors, queens, and princesses.
"His Majesty Ainz Ooal Gown and other authorities have left the premises," solemnly announced Albedo, as those present bowed their heads in respect. Only Tsai/Riku did not move.
Leaving the meeting room, a very tremulous page indicated another resting room at the end of the hallway. Everyone made their way there.
Inside the room, Ainz addressed his guests.
"I would like to thank you all for granting me a few hours of your precious time. I know everyone is very busy, but I take such help as a personal favor."
"Your Majesty honors us with such a request," said Gondo.
"We hope to have other opportunities to gather," said Jirnvic.
"Of course, I am planning to visit the Draconic Kingdom in the coming weeks. Perhaps we can all meet there," said Ainz, surprising everyone, including Albedo.
"Y-yes, Your Majesty."
"Jircniv, I have already asked you to call me Ainz."
"Yes, Ainz-sama," the emperor said, adding the honorific anyway.
"Well, I suppose I'll wait here. I'll ask for a portal to take you home. Farewell, Queen Draudillon, I look forward to the reception. Farewell, Gondo, it's always good to see you again. Farewell, Jircniv, I have many plans involving the Empire, see you soon. Farewell, King Mare, I will visit your kingdom as soon as possible," Ainz said, embarrassing the elf, startling the human, pleasing the dwarf, and leaving the dragonoid hopeful.
The invitation was completely unexpected for Albedo, a meeting of all allies to be held in a few weeks. What could her master be planning? "Perhaps to announce our engagement!" the succubus dreamed.
After the sovereigns left, only Ainz, his personal entourage, and Princess Renner remained, who, after a quick glance from her master, announced.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, I think I'll go to the restroom."
Renner left the room in search of the place. She knew it was foolish to announce such a fact aloud, but everything was planned. Someone could be listening or watching, so no one would be on alert about such a commonplace fact.
After navigating through some corridors, she found the bathroom. A few moments later, she emerged. At first, she seemed confused, looked in both directions, and then pointed in both directions as if trying to decide which way to go. Finally, it seemed she should go to the right, the opposite side of where she had come from.
Playing the fool or the lost and headless princess was the easiest way to deceive those who didn't know her personally. Her genius reputation didn't reach her subordinates, so it was simple to wander around the palace asking for wrong information until she got exactly where she wanted.
*Knock knock*
"Come in," came a sleepy voice.
"Hello, Lakyus, how are you?"
"Renner? What are you doing in my room? I mean, how did you find me?" the knight said, rolling out of bed. Upon mentioning someone cursed, she decided to leave the meeting, but it was obvious she hadn't been sleeping; she had just thrown herself on the bed, not even removing her armor completely.
"I came to see how my friend is doing. I'm sorry to say, but you look awful. What happened?"
"I-I haven't been sleeping much."
"Insomnia problems? That happened to me after I moved to E-Rantel. Just a warm tea or a small potion, and you'll sleep..."
"NO! I-I don't want to sleep, the dreams, the voices, I can't..."
"Lakyus, what voices? What dreams? What troubles you, my friend?"
"Nothing, I-I'm fine, don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Lies, you're not fine, Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra! Stop lying and tell me immediately what's going on!"
"I-I, my sword, the voicesdreamsdemon deaths..." the knight blurted out in disjointed words.
"Calm down, sit here on the bed with me, that's it, let me help you get out of this armor, now calmly, what voices are these?"
"The voices coming from my sword, my sword is cursed," Lakyus said with a look bordering on madness. "It speaks to me, it tempts me, it mocks me, at first, it was just one, I spent years fighting against it."
"Kilineiram, the cursed sword of the Black Knight, they say it tries to corrupt its bearer."
"THAT'S IT! It tries to convince me to do things, horrible things, but I have overcome it, I am stronger, I would never give in," she said, biting a nail until it bled.
"Dear, it's okay," Renner said, taking Lakyus's bleeding hand. "I'm here, you talked about voices, more than one, what happened?"
"She called friends, several voices now, all speaking at once, they won't let me sleep, and when I do, they come in my dreams, showing things, horrible things hahahaHAHA!" she laughed maniacally.
Renner was truly concerned; her superior, Lord Demiruge, had commented on Lakyus's fixation with the sword and her fragile mental state. It was considered to manipulate the situation in favor of the sorcerer king, but ultimately, the idea was discarded; Lakyus was too unstable, she could lose control, but the idea could serve elsewhere.
So everything the knight was going through now was caused by her own mental breakdown.
"Dear, you need help, I can help you."
"Oh Renner, you can't help me, no one can," she said with a strange smile.
"I can!" a voice said out of nowhere.
Lakyus jumped against the wall in fright.
"YOU HEARD! YOU HEARD, DIDN'T YOU?!"
It was at that moment that Ainz dispelled his invisibility.
"YOU MONSTER! YOU CAME TO TEMPT ME TOO!" the knight shouted, grabbing her sword.
With incredible speed, Lakyus leaped from the bed wielding Kilineiram, advancing directly toward Ainz. Her strike might not have been the strongest, but the sword was a relic from Yggdrassil, with enough data to harm the Sorcerer King.
"DIEEEE!" she screamed, but her blow didn't hit Ainz.
"Stop this, Lakyus, we are here to help!" the princess said, holding Lakyus's hand that wielded the sword, stopping the strike.
"You! You're with him, you betrayed humanity, you BETRAYED ME!"
"If you really believe that, go ahead, kill me, and then... kill the Sorcerer King," Renner said, pulling Lakyus's hand, making the sword touch her throat, a trickle of blood ran down the princess's neck.
The knight's hands trembled, and then the sword fell.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lakyus cried as Renner comforted her.
Ainz approached the sword, picked it up. As a magic caster, he didn't have levels to wield it, but he could hold it normally.
"A sword of great power," he said.
At that moment, the blade burst into black flames, flames that writhed and seemed like they would engulf the entire room, but nothing was burning.
Lakyus looked horrified at all the malevolent power of the sword being released by the Sorcerer King's hands.
For Ainz, this seemed a bit exaggerated for a simple access to the weapon's settings. As a level 100 player, Ainz could access such settings as long as the piece was in his possession, as he did with Gazef's Razor Edge. However, here he decided to access the customization menu that only he could see.
The flames were merely aesthetic. He looked at the various options and decided to click on some of them to test. Then, the color of the flames, like that of the sword and scabbard, changed first to red, then to green, purple, an extremely flashy pink, a color that human eyes were not prepared to see, fluorescent yellows, sparkling, and then electric. "Hmmm, no, maybe," the wizard whispered.
For Lakyus, this was a terrifying experience. She was witnessing the greatest Magic Caster in history performing an unknown ritual, murmuring words of power, and making magical gestures for her cursed sword.
"That's it!" Ainz cheered. "SPIRITUAL PURIFICATION!" He shouted as he held it high.
Again, the sword changed colors in rapid succession until it turned white with a bang. If Ainz hadn't cast silence beforehand, everyone in the palace would be running to that room.
Lakyus was terrified. She had never seen anything like it and imagined that no mortal should see such a thing. However, she was hypnotized by the lights, the glow emanating from her sword, and, finally, the light, with a clear, soothing, and comforting whiteness. Her mind seemed to have rid itself of a fever; it was clear and tired, but completely free from the voices.
While the knight watched the spectacle of lights, Renner whispered comforting words in her ear, laden with a strong hypnotic charge.
"The demons are gone, the voices of the sword are gone. The sword is exorcised, you are free. You will never hear those voices in your head again, you will never have those strange thoughts about being cursed. You are not cursed, you are clean. You are calm, you are relaxed, you will never have nightmares again. Now, you will sleep, rest, and when you wake up, you will feel good. You are safe..."
Lakyus now had a sleepy but serene expression. Ainz sheathed the sword, which had turned completely white, and handed it to her.
"It no longer speaks," said the Supreme Being.
"No, and it will never speak again. It's cleansed."
The knight took the sword and placed it next to the bed. Then, she lay down and immediately fell asleep with a smile on her face.
...
Author's Note
Apparently a good solution for paranoia is overexposure together with hypnotic treatment. Now seriously, take care of your mental health.