Chapter 1

The capital of the Baharuth Empire, Arwintar, was located slightly westwards from the exact center of the empire. The Imperial Palace, home to the reigning monarch Jircniv Rune Farlord el Nix, stood in the heart of the city. Surrounding the palace were the universities, the magic academy, various administrative offices and other important facilities which spread out from the center of the capital in a radial fashion. Truly, it was a city worthy to be called the heart of the Empire.

Although it had less inhabitants than Re-Estize, the capital of the Kingdom, Arwintar was grander by far in comparison. Also, while its counterpart never seemed to change, the Empire, due to a lot many years of reform, was currently experiencing the largest surge of development ever recorded in history. New things were constantly being introduced to society, which increased opportunities for merchants to explore new markets. A constant influx of goods and talents had since been seen in the Empire's capital. For the citizens living in the Arwintar, it was truly a time of hope and opportunity.

Within this noisy and lively city, Momon walked with Oshikuru by his side. And another travelling companion right behind.

Under different circumstances, the Supreme Leader would probably have wanted to spend some time to explore the city, like a country bumpkin coming to a metropolis for the first time. After all, there were many differences between the Empire and the Kingdom.

However, Momon didn't have the leisure to look around right now.

His movements were gradually starting to reflect his thoughts, slowly becoming more and more erratic over time. The feelings enveloping him from within could be described with a single word: unpleasant. The more he thought about the purpose behind this visit to the Empire, which had been planned by Demiurge, the more he frowned on his temporary face.

For Ainz Ooal Gown, the absolute ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the word "endure" should not be in his vocabulary. There should be no need to suppress his emotions. Ainz's words should be absolute, where white would become black if he declared so. There was no reason for things to be otherwise.

Yet the current situation still ended up this way because Ainz couldn't find a valid excuse to dismiss Demiurge's proposal. The overall objective was showcasing the strength of Nazarick. It was very easy to understand Demiurge's plan and the results would also be immediate. On the other hand, what Ainz didn't like was that it felt as if he was about to throw mud on the things carefully built by his past comrades.

However, to reject such an amazingly thought out plan just because of his personal emotions would be a shame. Also, Ainz didn't want others to think that he lacked the magnanimity to accept proposals made by another individual. To dismiss the current plan without suggesting any alternatives was something that Ainz, not as the supreme ruler but as a member of society, felt was unacceptable.

Ainz repeated the things he thought previously once more in order to calm down. There was a need to cool his head. Between logic and emotions, choosing to go with logic should be the correct choice. Even though those who were driven by their emotions would sometimes achieve extraordinary results, most of the time they were simply irrational. Not only that... It's simply too late to back out now! Kaaa!

Ainz inhaled and exhaled deeply using his temporary lungs. He was glad he could do that every once in a while, thanks to the magic and showed no concerns to the city guards and townspeople that cast odd glances in his direction as they walked by.

Due to Momon's tall and awe-inspiring figure, he was already the center of attention. This became even more so after he was exalted as a hero. Not attracting any attention would be strange. Due to that, he had gotten used to ignoring people's gaze.

After multiple deep breaths, Momon was finally able to reduce the feeling of unpleasantness to a minimum. While Oshiku was still by his side without breaking a sweat, only then did he notice the amount of effort that their human subordinate had to make in order to keep up.

"My bad, Unglaus. I might have walked a bit too fast."

The pace required in order to cover the same amount of distance between the footsteps of a man wearing full body armor such as Momon and the shirt wearing Brain was completely different. Even if it probably wasn't too hard for the talented human to keep up, he still felt like there was a need to apologize for not being considerate.

"Huh? No, Lord— Ah, Momon-san, I do not have any complaints."

"Is that so..."

He couldn't figure out whether the reply was a typical response that servants gave their masters or if Brain really didn't mind. While slowing down his pace, Momon searched for a topic to discuss while Oshiku seemed not to care at all. The green-haired man was curiously staring at the city and his eyes were ignoring his two companions.

Must have been my fault. Ainz felt somewhat embarrassed for the unapproachable atmosphere he had been radiating moments ago. As such, in an attempt to improve the current awkward mood, Ainz desperately tried to think of a topic to discuss. However, nothing good came to mind. He thought about meaningless conversation starters that salespeople often used, such as talking about the weather.

Considering whether or not to start that kind of conversation, Ainz started mumbling deep in his heart. Why do I need to be this considerate to someone like Brain, who is just a subordinate? Not even one from Nazarick, but a random —well, not exactly random, rather, a talented— human Oshiku-san picked up…Well, since it turned out this way, I might as well use this opportunity to practice master-servant dialogue. That being said, it must befit the status of a ruler. What do people with absolute power talk about with their subordinates?… what's the conversation like between the King and Gazef Stronoff? It would be useful as a reference. Ah, I really don't know shit… or did the rules somehow change?

Lacking information on these kind of things could also pose certain dangers in the future. Not only about this world, but knowledge from YGGDRASIL also needs to be relearned. The game YGGDRASIL was designed with the intention of letting players enjoy exploring the unknown. Because of this, there was a need to test a variety of different things, which resulted in the development company investing huge amounts of resources to in order to create the system.

As such, the players were able to encounter a completely unknown world.

Not even mentioning the lack of information on the maps given at the start, dungeon related knowledge as well as information on mining, cooking, monster breeding e.t.c... everything was unknown to the players. It was the kind of world where players were forced to discover things for themselves. To make it clearer, even things such as what could be equipped and what couldn't required the trial and error of the players themselves.

Although there were raid and information websites, data posted on these sites was already well known, or information that simply wasn't credible. YGGDRASIL was a game designed for its players to explore. Gaining knowledge was like finding treasure. There was no benefit in informing other players for free. Hence, the only information that could be trusted came from within one's own guild, or from trades made with other reliable guilds. Everything else was simply useless third-rate information.

There was also a period where the forums were flooded with suspicious threads that began with 'I'm planning on leaving my guild, so I will release all their information.' Well, there was most likely some real information released amongst those…

There once was a guild called "Three Burning Eyes".

It was formed by the owners of a site which charged its members a fee each time for accessing information, and specialized in sending spies to join other, higher-ranking guilds in order to steal information and other such dubious acts. The Gaming Administration did not punish such deeds and it was quietly accepted as a means of acquiring intelligence. However, those guilds who had been stolen from were much less forgiving.

What happened was that those guilds formed an alliance and attacked Three Burning Eyes. After capturing the respawn point inside the guild's base and the respawn points of the temple in the surrounding streets, the alliance began to PK the guild members from Three Burning Eyes and, as soon as they resurrected, PKed them again, not letting even a single one go. They had kept this up until Three Burning Eyes disbanded and all its members scattered.

And in the end, the most memorable part was when they made their information site free to access, Ainz thought with a laughter. Well, there were definitely no spies in Ainz Ooal Gown... However, if it wasn't for that incident, maybe we would have had more members… and maybe Oshikuru-san could have joined sooner…

Because of that incident, the recruitment process for Ainz Ooal Gown had been halted and the guild was formed with 41 members, which was just above the minimum number required for a guild to be considered as high tier.

During the final years of YGGDRASIL, the chances of reliable information being made public on the web was rather high. However, the only time he had really focused his attention on information sites was during the golden period when Ainz Ooal Gown was at its peak. The amount of useful information was really limited at that time.

My knowledge of the game itself most likely peaked at that time. Although I still paid attention to the announcements made by the Game Administration... this world likely contains YGGDRASIL players apart from myself, thus I need to also consider the risk posed from having less knowledge than them.

Through the captured members of Eight Fingers and people like Brain, Nazarick had been able to acquire lots of useful intelligence. However, that information largely pertained to the Kingdom and the Empire. There was some about the Theocracy as well, thanks to the Scripture members they had run into, but very little on the Holy Kingdom, the Republic and absolutely nothing about the lands beyond. There was a need to further improve intelligence gathering.

What a pain, I thought so much about it, but in the end I still feel troubled. It's time to switch to a more light hearted topic. Ainz mildly looked around his surroundings, imitating his two travelling companions.

"The Empire seems quite lively."

"Aye, so much more than in E-Rantel," agreed Oshikuru.

Brain chimed in. "The streets are full of life and the people's eyes are bright here. It's a sign that people believe they're living well."

As they observed the capital around them, Momon saw the hotel that had been described to him.

Even from a distance, one could tell that the imperial capital's best hotel was far more luxurious than its counterpart in E-Rantel. That was one way of describing it, but that impression was only based on the level of facilities and the difference in style. One could say the high-class hotels of the Kingdom were steeped in history while those of the Empire were recently-opened and, if you asked which was better, everyone would have different opinions.

Saying "The atmosphere does seem pretty nice", Momon gently touched the adamantite plate that hung in front of his chest and headed towards the entrance.

Similar to E-Rantel, soldiers in leather armor were standing guard at the entrances and exits. As Thunder & Lightning approached, the guards turned questioning glances to them. However, after focusing on a single point, they hurriedly looked away with wide eyes.

"A-Are they the real deal? I think they are the real deal, judging from the equipment they have... "

Hearing the whispers that came from his comrade, the other security guard tried his best to stand still and hide his nervousness. However, as they closed the distance, his tension was obvious, but he was nonetheless capable of speaking politely.

"My apologies, sir. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but may I please check your identification?"

As Momon handed over his plate he asked, "Does this hotel only accept members?"

"Yes, in order to maintain the reputation of this hotel, we only accept regular members or those with referrals. However, adamantite-ranked adventurers are an exception to that rule."

Wiping both hands with his sleeves, the other security guard carefully took the identification plate that Ainz handed over as if he was afraid of breaking it. Turning it over, he read out the words carved on the back.

"Thunder & Lightning… Momon?"

"That's right."

"Verification complete! Thank you for giving me the chance to hold an Adamantite plate!"

His attitude when returning the plate was still as careful as before. The plate that served as proof of an adventurer's status was made using the same type of metal that corresponded to the rank of the adventurer. Even though the plate was fairly small, the cost of making an adamantite plate was astronomical. While the plate might be extremely hard to break, the possibility of accidentally losing it was still there. For someone like the security guard of a hotel, the mere thought of having to compensate for the loss of an adamantite plate was unbearable. The security guards had heard of many stories where adamantite plates had being lost before. Such as when trying to return the plate, a Crane-Parrot would fly by and snatch it up. Stories like these weren't told to make people pay more attention, but were actual events which had happened before.

So, a look of relief bloomed across the faces of the two security guards once Ainz took back his identification plate.

"Now then, may we enter?"

"Yes, Sir Momon... and associates. Please allow me to lead the way."

"Is that so? We'll be under your care then."

Tipping wasn't a thing in the Kingdom. Hopefully it was the same in the Empire. Ainz couldn't help but think about these kinds of things while being shown in, especially now that his pockets were overflowing with money after the sack of Re-Estize's warehouses.

After walking through a spacious lobby with marble-like floor tiles, they reached the reception counter.

"Announcing the arrival of the adamantite-ranked adventurer Sir Momon and company."

Sitting behind the reception counter was a man with the appearance of having received a proper upbringing. After being acknowledged, the guard turned towards Ainz and bowed respectfully before heading back to his post.

"Welcome, Sir Momon. For choosing to grace us with your presence during your visit to the Empire, I wish to express our very deep gratitude."

The receptionist bowed deeply towards Ainz.

"Thank you for the warm welcome. For now we wish to stay for one night."

"Understood. To begin, please sign here at the guest register."

Momon smiled underneath his helmet. Having practiced writing down his name in the language of the Kingdom countless times, he flawlessly signed the paper after picking up a long pen.

"Thank you very much. Now, what kind of room would you prefer?"

As usual, he had an appearance to maintain. It's not like I have a need to eat food, even if I can do that sometimes thanks to Oshikuru, so even if the accommodation doesn't include complimentary meal I'd be fine with it. But…

Ainz suddenly thought about the foods that existed in this world and gave a look at some plates being carried around in the distance. A green-colored juice which smelled irresistibly sweet and delicious, a pink-colored food that looked like scrambled egg, carefully sliced cooked meat covered in a bluish liquid which made the meat look more tender and juicy. Every one of those mentioned dishes stimulated Ainz's curiosity and now he was able to eat them.

Libido, appetite, the desire for sleep… Despite the numerous benefits of having an undead body, many other important things would totally be lost, had it not been for my friend. This time I'll taste something, but on the other hand, the possibility of becoming immersed in bodily desires would be too high if I regained my human body. I'm growing fond of this once-in-a-while transformation, I can limit myself this way. Otherwise… I do see Oshiku-san is always after food, drinks and hoes… Speaking of which…

Having imagined being in bed with Albedo, Ainz ended up tilting his head. A boss that sexually harasses female employees, that was the image that appeared last in Ainz's head after his earlier imagination. Even though Albedo proclaimed her love to me... how complicated. If only I hadn't messed with the... oh, I'm taking too long…

"… Ahem. Any room that is fitting of our status would do. By the way, is it fine for us to pay using the Kingdom's currency?"

"That is not a problem. The exchange rate is one to one to begin with."

"Is that so? I will leave it in your hands then."

"Certainly. I shall immediately begin preparing a room suitable for Sir Momon and his companions. In the meantime, please take a rest in our lounge."

Momon saw that the arrangement of the chairs in the lounge were separated into small groups where the distance between each group was quite far apart. More than 50 seats luxurious enough for a king were available. Just the appearance alone made the chairs seem extremely comfortable and there were even minstrels softly playing music in the background.

"Everything in the lounge, including food and drinks, are complimentary services, please put yourself at ease and enjoy them."

In any world, as long as a certain amount of money was put in, corresponding amount of service would be returned. Even more, the services being given here were appreciated by Momon and his team.

"Understood. Let's go, guys."

With Brain and Oshiku right on his hels, Momon entered the lounge and chose the nearest chairs to sit down on.

There were a few other guests also resting in the lounge. The majority of them seemed to be high-ranking adventurers. Regardless of where they were, be it the Kingdom capital or E-Rantel, all adventurers led the same lifestyle.

Oshiku, Momon and Brain made sure their adamantite plates were visible for the others to see, so that they would become the topic of conversation amongst the guests at the hotel. It wasn't a bad thing to raise one's profile this way. While being conscious of the attention he was getting, Momon opened the menu that was next to him. Only to almost facepalm immediately afterwards. I can't read it…

Even though he had brought along the item that had previously been lent to Sebas which allowed one to read any language, in the current situation, it would be weird to suddenly take it out and use it.

With a soft laugh, Oshiku snatched it away from his friend's fingers and started reading out loud as he slowly flicked through the menu, while Momon whispered something.

"Sebas… and Tsuare..."

The image of the old-looking butler along with the young girl had popped up in Ainz's mind when thinking about whether or not to use the item.

"Is something wrong with that young woman?", asked Oshiku while he passed the menu to Brain.

"Ah, no, it's nothing. I was wondering about how she is adjusting."

Although Ainz had handed everything to Sebas, he still had the obligation to ensure Tsuare's wellbeing since he made the promise to protect her.

"I don't think there's any problem. At the moment she and her sister are both being taught all the skills needed as maids. Since they're together, they'll have fun. And I'm sure Sebas will take care of them."

"Is that so? Well then, it should be fine leaving it to Sebas."

Noticing that their conversation had ended, a waiter quietly walked towards them.

"Dear Sirs, have you decided on what to order?"

"I'll have iced Makyatia with milk", replied Momon.

"For me, a Makyatia too, but regular," answered Brain.

Damn you two always making me look like a drunk… bah, who cares. "Please get me your best beer in your largest mug. If I'll like it, I'll throw in a good tip for you. But make sure it's cold!"

"Of course, Sir. I shall do so with the utmost care."

Having received the orders, the waiter bowed deeply and left quietly.

Makyatia was a drink that looked similar to coffee and Momon often saw it in E-Rantel. It smelled like coffee as well. However, since coffee also existed in this world there had to be differences and he now wanted to find out. Another reason why Ainz chose that was because it was only served in high-class establishments. It was probably the most suitable choice for the current setting, while an alcoholic drink before noon proved Oshiku's exceeding love for booze.

While waiting for the drinks, Momon removed his helmet and passed his fingers through the long dark hair on his head, enjoying a feeling he missed while being a skeleton. Then the orders were served in front of them and the three adventurers tasted the refreshing drinks.

"Mm, this is better than expected… here, take this and keep the change", said a happy Oshiku as he tossed a golden coin at the waiter who could not conceal a grin as he catched the money in mid-air.

"What's this beer's name, though?"

"Ah, right, sorry. That would be the Liquid Gold, crafted exclusively by the oldest brewery here in Arwintar. There's no better beer in the Empire… and I would dare say in the whole world, Sir."

"Really now? thanks again, good to know."

In the meanwhile, Brain was regretting his choice. I want a glass of that too! I didn't think we could get alcohol…

Momon seemed to enjoy his Makyatia, which tasted like a sort of caramelised coffee, then he put the cup down on the table and leaned back into his chair.

"Alright, listen up. For the time being, the plan is to first tour the capital in the next two days. I've heard that the amount of goods they sell at the central market is unbelievable. It's definitely worth taking a look. Also, they sell all sorts of magic items in the center area of the northern market and adventurers frequent that place."

This information was acquired from the captured members of Eight Fingers. Although most of the reports received were related to the black markets, Momon didn't have any plans on visiting them. He only knew of it from glancing at the reports provided.

"The third day is to visit the Adventurer's Guild. If possible, I would like to make connections with some of the adamantite adventurers of the Empire, if not, then let's simply complete our current tasks and head home. Overall it should take about a week. Do you have any other suggestions?"

Oshiku, who stopped drinking halfway, listened in silence and shook his head. "What about you, Brain?"

"For me, it is already an honour being trusted to join you two and come here. I had never left the Kingdom, but I heard the Imperial Arena in Arwintar is remarkable. And if you want to recruit other strong people… well, relatively strong…, then that's the place where you should look."

"Hm, if we have time, but most importantly if there's a tournament, that's a good idea. If not, next time. But I like the way you think, Brain! I knew I could trust my friend's judgment, he did say you deserve being a member of Thunder & Lightning."