Proud Parent: *laugh* I promise the Nazarick NPCs will soon regret not stopping Elvil's summon.
MEssam54472: No, thank you for reading my story.
feriyen: The alchemy book that Demiurge stole is in Japanese, it's a book from OOO. If Miriel (a 16-year-old girl) can read it, then Ainz will too.
leonsion: Fire resistance is nothing more than a 'resistance' it's not an 'invulnerability', a fairly hot flame will damage any being that is not completely invulnerable to fire (like a fire elemental, for example). On the difficulties, don't forget until then Ainz has not really intervened. Now, he and Demiurge have foreseen a possible failure of their plans and taken measures. Have you already forgotten the Dragonlance, the spear carved into the horn of a dragon demon that Yuri Alpha guards in the Abelion Hills Dungeon?
Gold Simp: Thank you, I wished to make the first real appearance of Elvil as spectacular as possible, and I'm glad I succeeded. When comparing Miriel and Ainz, it's evident that they had polar opposite personalities. Ainz is not particularly interested in the New World by itself. He only invades this world because it's what Demiurge wants. He helped the people of Carne because Sebas asked for it. The only time Ainz has been really involved is when an NPC has been injured or threatened by a resident of the New World (such as Evil Eyes vs. Entoma's confrontation). This is why crossovers, where Nazarick is sent to other places than the New World, work so well. Ainz's behavior remains unchanged wherever he is sent (as in the New World, he only wishes to play the role of the perfect Nazarick's leader, according to the NPC's point of view). On the other hand, if I had sent Miriel to another universe (Imagine her in another universe of your choice, what would she do? Who would she become friends with? Which are the ones she would fight?) she would have adapted to the situation.
sayajinssuperman: Indeed, with Elvil Miriel finally has an ally able to fight Nazarick's Floor Guardian.
gbnavamvya: Killing demons is a waste of time, they are summoned creatures. As for the demi-humans they are victims. They are deceived by Demiurge. Nevertheless... the massacre will continue in the next chapters.
Ceysar: Uh... I'm working as quickly as possible. Despite its brevity, this chapter has required much work because I had to make minor modifications to the story's synopsis.
War Council
Ruins of Re-Estize.
The city of Re-Estize, the capital of the kingdom of the same name, had been razed to the ground during the last day of the rapid conquest of this state. A few weeks passed, and wild grasses were growing between the collapsed walls. It would take another thirty or forty years, but soon the city ruins would have disappeared, buried under the trees' roots, hidden by brambling bushes.
Nevertheless, part of the fallen capital hadn't suffered from the invasion. On top of a hill, the Ro-Lente Castle stood as before. Its towers with candlesnuffer roofs made of blue tiles were marking its two concentric ramparts surrounding a regal palace with walls pierced by tall mullioned windows. Only one thing had changed in the castle of kings, the banners that clapped in the wind were now red and adorned with the black symbol of the Sorcerer Kingdom.
The survival of the castle was incongruous in this landscape of devastation. The city of Re-Estize was destroyed by Ainz Ooal Gown solely for symbolic purposes. It was from the city-state of Re-Estize that - in ancient times- the first kings had unified the whole region to their benefit. Razing the city was for the Sorcerer King a means of erasing the kingdom's existence, to declare it null and void, a way of showing that he could erase even the memory of a nation. Unless Gown wanted to erase the kingdom of Re-Estize from the history books by an act of unconscious remorse... a bit like a child would hide a broken vase under a carpet, hoping his parents would not see the evidence.
Yet more than any other building in the city of Re-Estize, Ro-Lente Castle embodied the majesty of the kings of Re-Estize and the past radiance of this kingdom.
To understand this hiatus, one had to take into account a character trait of the Sorcerer King: like a dragon, he was greedy for riches, always wanting more riches. The magnificent castle with its corridors decorated with stucco statues adorned with gold leaf, illuminated by silver candelabras and crystal chandeliers was full of master paintings, even guests ate in silver dishes and each room was tastefully decorated.
Ainz Ooal Gown had entered the castle, eliminated King Ramposa III... at least he believed it (1) and then he had flag-decorated the palace with his colors while his NPCs were razing the city. He then left with the crown of kings, Gazef Stronoff's armor and sword, and other national treasures ... never to return.
No doubt that the mere fact of owning the castle was enough to please Gown.
Uneasy, Climb looked at a Death Knights patrol passing through the hallway. He then turned to the Witch of the Fallen Kingdom, who was browsing through a row of books on a stepladder, quickly turning the pages in search of an illustration she remembered.
"To be honest, Lady Renner, I don't think we should be here," Climb said.
Without lifting her eyes from the book she was reading, Renner smiled, revealing sharp fangs. Unlike Climb, who used the Imps' metamorphosis skills to mimic the human appearance he had before becoming a demon, the Former Princess did not hide her black bat wings. She had always been a demon inside, behind the appearance of an innocent girl, and fate had allowed her to join her real family.
"Are you afraid of an empty library now?" she said in a soft mocking voice.
Climb looked around. The rows of books were lined up on the waxed shelves of the library, and the chandeliers lit the room. Nothing had changed since his last stay, except for the absence of any living beings. The cleaning was done by some undead, and the doors were guarded by other undead. The only thing that made the young knight feel a little better was that the servants and nobles who lived in the castle had been driven out by King Ramposa III on the eve of the attack.
"No, of course!" Climb hesitated briefly. Since Renner found him, starving in a street of the capital, he had been living at Ro-Lente Castle. It was... his home. Except... "I just feel like I'm a stranger in an alien place. In the past, the librarian would have welcomed us and would be helping us with our research. But now, this place is nothing but an empty shell of our former home."
Renner looked at her lover.
"You worry about the servants of the castles?" It was not difficult for her to guess what Climb thought, she knew him from childhood. She smiled with a kindness that was not for once a mere feint. He was so endearing. The perfect toy. "They fled several hours before the Sorcerer King arrived. I am sure they were already far away when the attack began."
"Alas, Renner, it's not that simple... Hundreds of thousands of people have fled the Sorcerer Kingdom's undead hordes. Many died of hunger and exhaustion on the roads. I have heard that highwaymen attack the refugees, kill them to rob them, or sell them as slaves while those who reached the Argland Council Alliance or the Calzanas City State Union were regrouped in makeshift refugee camps."
The Former Princess suddenly smiled and showed an illustration.
"I found the book I was looking for, let's go back to Nazarick."
Mechanically, her bodyguard grabs the former princess's hand to help her down the steps of the stepladder while questioning her.
"Lady Renner, why do you want to help the Sorcerer Kingdom so much?"
"First, because they fight trolls, monsters that devour humans," replied the Witch of the Fallen Kingdom. Of course, it was a mere excuse... but finding a humanitarian justification for all her decisions was almost a reflex for Renner.
Climb hesitated briefly. Since his arrival in Nazarick, he had been listening to the conversations of the locals, and 'helping the good humans against the evil trolls' was certainly not in their mindset. Except for a handful of individuals, including Sebas Tian, it was even the opposite. They only fought the trolls to subdue them and add them to their armies. But he cannot bring himself to contradict the young Imp.
"The other reason," continued Renner, "is that the more we prove useful to the Sorcerer King, the better we will be treated."
"I see," Climb replied as he glanced at his new sword, a gift from Gown.
"Once again, you do this for me."
"For us!" replied Renner. "The idea of spending the rest of eternity alone terrifies me. I NEED you!"
For once, Renner was perfectly honest in her feelings, except that her goal was to slowly transform Climb into a companion worthy of a demon, a being as evil as she. A transformation that would force her Bodyguard to make very difficult moral choices, which she would use to subtly push him to give up everything he believed in. Renner was a monster. Even if the she-devil sincerely loved Climb, she enjoyed his suffering as a fine wine.
Great Tomb of Nazarick, 9th Floor.
A demon with a long silver tail, dressed in an orange suit, walked through a splendid corridor. The ceiling was decorated with stucco moldings, and the walls were lined with half-columns, entablatures with vases, and niches with paintings. Despite the lack of windows, the place looked more like a regal palace than an underground dungeon.
The homunculus, walking three steps ahead of the demon, stopped at a door guarded by two skeletons in golden armor, members of an elite corps guarding Nazarick. She bowed down lifting the bottom of her maid's dress elegantly.
"Demiurge-sama, please wait here while I announce your arrival to His Majesty the Sorcerer King," said the homunculus.
Demiurge nodded without saying a word, readjusted his glasses, tightened the knot of his tie, and combed his hand through his hair. As he adjusted his outfit, he passed from one hand to the other a heavy book whose cover was adorned with iron fittings.
"Ainz-Sama, Demiurge, the Floor Guardian of the 7th floor requests to be received," says the Homonculus Maid after opening the doors and entering the room.
"Let him in!" replied a powerful voice.
And Demiurge obeyed, crossing the threshold of a great hall which would have been rectangular if its opposite side had not been in a half circle. Under a coffered roof supported by Corinthian columns, Ainz Ooal Gow was sitting behind a large desk positioned on a platform accessible by a few steps. To his right was Sebas Tian, and to his left was Pestonya Shortcake Wanko.
Demiurge advanced, walking along the long rectangular conference table where Albedo, Shalltear Bloodfallen, Cocytus, and the Dark Elf twins Aura and Mare were seated.
The Arch-devil bowed, a hand on his heart.
"The 7th Floor Guardian Demiurge pays respect to the Supreme Being, His Majesty the Sorcerer King. Once again, please accept my apologies for my delay, Ainz-sama."
The Overlord waved a hand nonchalantly.
"There's no reason to apologize, Demiurge, you have warned me and I understand that 'Jadalbaoth' takes up a lot of your time. Sit down, please."
As he took place, Demiurge laid the book he had brought on the table and turned to the Sorcerer King.
"Ainz-sama, could someone summarize the debates for me?"
The tall undead in wizard dress nodded to the butler standing beside him.
"Sebas?"
Immediately the Iron Butler bowed deeply before his master "Yes, Ainz-sama" then he turned to the Creator of the Blazing Inferno and began to speak.
Ainz listened in silence to Sebas Tian summarizing the debates that had preceded the arrival of Demiurge. They had mainly discussed the conquest of the Troll Kingdom. Since the last meeting, the trolls had changed their tactics. Instead of gathering in large bands to attack Cocytus's Army of Death, they dispersed into small groups and were now engaged in very effective guerrilla warfare. Not only had the number of undead destroyed skyrocketed, but the troll's losses had decreased.
Aura and Mare, as well as trackers from the Lizardmen and Toadmen tribes, had hunted down some groups to their hiding places. But each time, they had destroyed only a simple band formed by a maximum of ten individuals.
"Excellent summary, Sebas" congratulated the Overlord.
Once again, the Iron Butler bowed to his master.
"Thank you, Ainz-sama."
"Does anyone else want to speak?"
Albedo stood up.
"I would like to speak, Ainz-sama."
"Albedo, please, we are listening."
The white demon opened a book that she had brought and showed everyone an illustration. The Floor Guardians were able to see a drawing of a maze with a group of adventurers who seemed lost. In the foreground, a troll hidden by a wall rewinds a coil of wires, a literal 'Ariane's thread' that the adventurers have used to mark their way from the entry.
"This book was just brought by Lady Renner. It is a treaty devoted to the psychology of trolls: how they react, their behavior, and their customs. The most important point is that, despite their stupidity, trolls can be surprisingly cunning."
Cocytus' jaws fluttered as he spat a jet of icy steam.
"Does. This. Book. Explain. How. Supposedly. Stupid. Trolls. Can. Completely. Reorganize. In. Just. A. Few. Days?"
"I don't know, Cocytus. Unfortunately, it's written in a language I can't read."
Shalltear raised a hand to ask for the floor.
"Could not someone who can read this book ask one of the scribes of Assurbanipal to write down the text?"
Several Guardians approved.
"This is a good idea!"
"Indeed!"
But Shalltear turned and blushed to Ainz... waiting for HIS compliments. Inwardly the Overlord sighed.
"Yes, it's a good idea. Let this book be given to Titus Annaeus Secundus."
As the vampire smiled with condescension to Albedo, happy to have scored a point, her love rival spoke with a voice a little too loud and quite irritated.
"Lady Renner has summed up the book for me. There are two hypotheses as to how the Troll Kingdom could have appeared. The first of them is that a troll more intelligent than normal would have appeared. And that this... 'mutant' would have united all the trolls under his authority."
Cocytus answered to Albedo.
"One. Mutant? The. Troll. Kingdom. Has. Been. Around. For. Centuries. The. First. King. Must. Have. Had. Several. Successors."
But Albedo did not have time to answer because Aura had stood up, leaning both hands on the table. As usual, the Dark Elf was very enthusiastic.
"Here is the opportunity for my little brother to shine. Mare, tell us about trolls!"
As all eyes turned to him, Mare seemed to curl up against him his mage staff like a drowning man would cling to a lifebuoy.
Mare spoke in a barely audible voice.
"Uh... you know that trolls regenerate..."
All the people present acquiesced in silence not to disturb the elf, they knew that Mare was extremely shy and that speaking in public required a lot of effort.
"Only fire or acid can destroy them. Their regenerative capacity prevents even aging... so they are immortal. If the trolls are indeed led by a smarter mutant..." Mare was slightly agitated and looked down. "Well... well... he may be the kingdom's founder."
"Thank you for your explanation, Mare," said Ainz in a kind tone. "I didn't know trolls were not getting old. However, it is not true that only fire and acid can destroy them. Powerful attacks can inflict damage so massive that they cannot regenerate"
In Yggdrasil, if a player hit hard enough to exhaust the entire troll's HP in one attack and even bring its HP to a negative score higher than his CONSTITUTION score, it would die instantly. Of course, most adventurers were unable to do as much damage in one attack. But...
The leader of the Great Tomb of Nazarick rubbed his chin while looking at Cocytus. The four-armed giant insect convulsively squeezed and unsqueezed its huge hands while spitting a jet of icy steam. The Ruler of the Frozen Rivers was already looking forward to using this method.
Ainz then turned to Albedo. The Succubus had listened in silence to Mare's brief presentation.
"You mentioned a second hypothesis about the Troll Kingdom's government, can you tell us more?"
"Well, this assumption is rather disturbing... According to Renner, some sages of the western kingdoms speculate that the Troll Kingdom is a puppet state created by someone powerful enough for trolls to submit to him."
They discussed the invasion of the Troll Kingdom for a while. Ainz promised Cocytus to send him reinforcements. The Sorcerer King planned to take Death Knights, drawn from garrisons placed in the cities destroyed during the Re-Estize's invasion, to join the lower undead continuing produced by the graveyard on the surface of Narzarick. He also intended to use the trip to raise an army of undead trolls, as Cocytus froze all killed trolls to allow their preservation for this very purpose. The Overlord dipped his pen in ink and wrote a few lines on the parchment before him.
"Alright, let's move on to the main agenda. Demiurge, can you give a summary of the situation in the Roble Holy Kingdom?"
The Arch-devil stood up and adjusted his glasses with one finger. "Of course, Ainz Sama."
with his usual arrogance, Demiurge praised his own plan as being 'awesome' mocking the 'half-brained pathetic humans' and 'those idiots of demi-humans' unable to understand that they were being manipulated. However, when he came to the end of his story and had to admit his failure to prevent the invocation of Elvil, he refused to acknowledge that he had taken unnecessary risks by not preventing the creation of the Philosopher's Stone.
"... it's all Riku Aganeia's fault. If he hadn't intervened, my plan would have met a complete success."
But the other Floor Guardians didn't necessarily agree.
"The white warrior who attacked your troops was an Einherjar!" said Shalltear. "That means a Valkyrie participated in this battle. Demiurge, some of Miriel's allies are powerful enough to threaten us and you didn't see it."
Cocytus spoke in turn.
"Do. You. Really. Think. That. Riku. Aganeia. Intervened. By. Chance? His. Timely. Intervention suggests. Long. Term. Contact. With. Miriel."
The Arch-devil blunted in anger. He took the measured reproaches of other Floor Guardians as a personal offense.
"Let us be clear who won or lost this battle is of no interest! I'm not trying to win the Holy Kingdom or the Demi-Human Alliance. Have you forgotten? This war was provoked to weaken both sides so that the Sorcerer Kingdom could annex these countries without a fight. During this battle, my only goal was to capture some objects that had caught Ainz-sama's attention. And I succeeded!"
He lifted the book he had brought so that everyone could see it.
"This is the alchemy book that Miriel used to create the Philosopher's Stone. I have to admit that I did not succeed in obtaining the Orb of Usha and Miriel. However, the demon raid was a mere improvisation taking advantage of a small window of opportunity. It didn't work out completely? Too bad...You have been involved in the previous planning discussions and know that a more subtle plan has been put in place to neutralize Miriel. We missed that one opportunity today, but others will come. My plan is proceeding as planned, and Jircniv's intervention should not be delayed. I always have the advantage and I always have control of the situation."
There was a moment of silence as Demiurge looked at the other Floor Guardians, one after the other, seemingly challenging them to contradict him. Ainz coughed ostensibly, drawing everyone's attention to him, before turning to Pestonya Shortcake Wanko.
"Pestonya, could you bring me Miriel's Alchemy Book?"
"Of course, Ainz-sama."
On the cover of the book that the Head Maid put in front of the Overlord, it was written in Japanese "Renkinjutsu no kiso, dai 5-kan" (The Foundations of Alchemy, Volume 5). The Undead slowly turned a few pages, focusing on texts marked with bookmarks... usually torn pieces of paper covered with hiragana text (2). Ainz even found a long black hair trapped between two pages.
He nodded his head.
"Let this book be passed on to Titus Annaeus Secundus. That he makes a copy in the language of the people of Baharuth... including illustrations and quotations in Latin and Greek... that this copy be sent to Fluder Paradyne for study."
Pestonya Shortcake Wanko bowed to the Sorcerer King.
"Immediately, Ainz-sama."
As she left with the alchemy book to carry out her orders, Ainz turned to the Floor Guardians.
"Demiurge, what are your plans now?"
The Creator of Blazing Inferno stood up and turned to his master.
"First, I request permission to use the Dragonlance against Elvil."
"Granted. This will allow us to test the strength of this dragon."
"Then I intend to attack the Roble's Great Wall while Miriel is occupied by the army that I sent north... and by IT.
An evil smile appeared on the lips of Demiurge as he thought of the evil entity that summoned the Dragonlance. Ulbert Alain Odle had some very funny ideas...
"Do as you wish" replied Gown.
The Sorcerer King took again his pen and wrote some notes on a parchment sheet.
The Sorcerer King turned to the Iron Butler.
"Sebas, show the weapons I brought to the Floor Guardians."
"Yes, Ainz-sama."
The Dragonoid placed a trunk on the conference table and opened it, revealing about ten weapons, most of them swords. All were decorated with runes.
"These are fake Rune weapons, created here in Nazarick," explained Ainz. "They were created using the Tier Magic. Runes are only decorative."
"Fake rune weapons" began Shaltear in an interrogative tone. "I don't understand how they could be useful to us!"
Ainz took one of the poses he had invented in front of the mirror, mimicking what he thought was the attitude of a wise and far-sighted leader.
"It's to promote Runecraft. I intend to distribute these weapons to Jircniv's officers participating in the Roble Holy Kingdom's expedition."
He turned to the Floor Guardian of the 7th Floor.
"Demiurge, I would like you to instruct your demons to feign great pain when they are struck by these weapons and flee as if the mere sight of a Rune weapon terrifies them!"
The Arch-devil first appeared surprised, remaining a few seconds with his mouth open, and then an expression of intense joy transfigured him. He adjusted his glasses in a habitual tic.
"Ainz-sama... once again, I have the chance to see your genius at work. Of course, these 'Rune Weapons' that hurt and terrorize demons will provide a logical and credible explanation for the victory of ordinary humans against the legions of demons of Jadalbaoth the Demonic Emperor. That's brilliant, Ainz-sama. I could never have imagined such a great plan!"
Presuming that Gown has a manipulative talent that matched his own, the Creator of the Blazing Inferno sized the situation in a flash, understanding all the advantages of creating a false vulnerability to demons, believing that the Sorcerer King wanted to intoxicate possible enemies with false information. And of course, this machination had to have ramifications that only a genius like Ainz could understand... It was probably a trap intended for an enemy whose existence only Ainz-sama knew. This false weakness would lead them to attack using ineffective weapons, resulting in their defeat!
As usual, Demiurge was overthinking.
The Overlord, remained as if changed into a statue, a hand raised, mouth wide open with a large drop of sweat hanging on his temple.
To tell the truth... he had not thought about the consequences for the course of the war of demons fleeing humans armed with pseudo-runic weapons. His sole purpose was to advertise the Sorcerer Kingdom-sponsored Runecraft.
But Ainz certainly wasn't going to contradict Demiurge, it was better that the NPC thought he was a genius than an idiot.
As the other Floor Guardians congratulated the Sorcerer King for 'his' awesome plan, Ainz Ooal Gown coughed into his fist.
"No need to congratulate me; this kind of plan does not require much effort," he said.
... which was perfectly correct since it was Demiurge who thought about the consequences of using fake Rune weapons.
"Let's focus on the other issues we have to resolve to complete the conquest of Roble Holy Kingdom and the Abelion Hills."
Albedo looked at the Sorcerer King, her eyes turned into two pink hearts.
"Ainz-sama, you are as wise as you are modest!"
Fortunately, the Overlord's emotions were restricted because he was undead; otherwise, shame would have taken him down at that moment.
Several hundred kilometers from Nazarick was Arwintar, the capital of the Baharuth Empire.
The room was lit by large oval-shaped windows surrounded by curtains of heavy linen dyed in burgundy and lined with gold threads. A man was standing in the middle of the room, in front of a coffee table behind which there was a couch of the same color as the curtains. The man was dressed in black official dress, designating him as an administrator, holding a scroll in his hand and reading a report.
"... with the money Your Majesty has offered, 35,000 farmers in the Arwintar area have been provided with hens and hen houses. These hens will be fed by imported grain from the Sorcerer Kingdom. Farmers converted to chicken farming will be able to sell the meat and eggs they produce."
He was talking to a man lying on an elbow and occupying the couch. He was very handsome with golden hair, a pale complexion, and purple eyes like amethysts. Jircniv Rune Farlord El-nix stood up and sat down, as he reached out his hand, a servant handed him a golden cup filled with wine. As he swirled the contents of the cup in his hand, a mocking smile stretched the lips of the Baharuth Emperor.
"My father always said that we made swords or plough-ploughs from iron, not the two... ironically, Gown proved us that the former emperor was right."
Basiwood Peshmel, the colossal bodyguard standing behind the couch leaned over to the Emperor.
"I don't understand what you mean, Your Majesty."
Jircniv turned to the blond man in black armor.
"Isn't it obvious, because the disaster of Katze Plains forced me to disband half of my army units, I now have the money needed to save our farmers threatened by the same Gown! Perhaps Gown is a curse sent by the gods to punish me for giving too much money to my army rather than my subjects," Jircnif paused and corrected his sentence. "Perhaps we are all guilty of engaging in too much war instead of seeking peaceful solutions to our problems. If I survive, I promise to prioritize diplomacy over violence."
The Emperor's gaze became stormy; he drank a glass of wine and turned to the administrator who had interrupted the reading of his report.
"What else?"
"I was almost finished, Your Majesty. According to your orders, fifteen pig sheds are being built on land bought from farmers who have been ruined by the fall of the bread's price caused by the massive imports of grain produced by the Sorcerer Kingdom."
The advantage of pigs was that they could be fed with anything, including the surplus wheat that overflowed the Empire's granaries and silos.
"What about the other programs?"
The administrator bowed deeply.
"Be assured that I regret it, Your Majesty, but it will take time to have the first results. Turning some wheat fields into a vegetable garden is not difficult, but trees planted in new orchards, such as apple trees, will take ten years to reach adulthood. The same problem arises for mulberry trees intended for the textile industry (3). This is why the members of the Agriculture Committee are advocating for an increase in flax cultivation. Flax grows quickly and, aside from its use in the textile industry, it also produces edible oil and paper."
Jircniv drank a sip of wine and pouted.
"I suppose historians of the future centuries will say that I have mishandled the agriculture crisis caused by Gown, and in their comfortable chairs they will invent a thousand 'brilliant' solutions which should have transformed the Baharuth Empire into a rich and prosperous country."
He had a twisted smile.
"But I don't care what they think! They never had to make hard choices."
With a gesture of his hand, he signaled to the administrator that he could withdraw. The man leaned deeply and went out backward, without daring to look up.
The administrator had hardly left the black wooden door, the same black as the wall paneling (the room was very dark) that a guard of the palace in golden armor entered.
"Your Majesty, General Bellisarius wishes to speak with you."
Bellisarius was dressed in the steel armor of the knights of Baharuth, although it was much more ornate than the standard model.
He bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty, I have come to announce that the 50,000 men trained for the Roble Holy Kingdom intervention have just been assembled at Arwintar. We are supplied with food and weapons. We are waiting for your order to start our march."
"My order? I hope you need my order, general Bellisarius. But that this expedition is not my idea..."
Jircniv clapped his fingers and a servant knelt beside the couch, presenting an ivory phylactery on a silver platter. The Emperor took the tube and unscrewed it to take a scroll. Preparing internally for the verbal confrontation, he smiled and released the scroll which remained suspended in the air.
"Message!"
With a hand on his temple, Jircniv began to speak in a warm tone like an award-winning comedian feigning feelings he did not feel. "Lord Ainz, I came to warn you that my army is ready to leave Arwintar for the Holy Kingdom whenever you wish... right away? Of course! I'm waiting for you, Lord Ainz."
Author's note: Miriel didn't appear in this episode because... she's sleeping. At some point, she needs rest, and meanwhile, all the intrigues, threats, scheming, political maneuvers, military offensives, and betrayals continue... Then it's no surprise that her plate is always full of tasks to accomplish.
And as it's the tradition of this fanfiction, this episode takes place in less than a day. This is the problem of complex plots with many actors. The story moves very slowly...
(1) Remember that Miriel searched for Prince Zanac and King Ramposa III's corpses and brought them both back to life before handing them over to the Slane Theocracy for their protection.
(2) Simplified kanji (Japanese ideograms) used mainly by teenagers or people with a meager language level.
(3) The bombyx muri (better known as silkworm) feeds exclusively on mulberry leaves.