Hello Scrolls and Nazarins, this is the second to last chapter that I will post before that break, enjoy The One Who Came Back.

So many stories, so little time.

With you

The One Who Came Back

Chapter 96: Stories, Stories, and More Stories

"And that's how I met the Dragon Lord, who now goes by the name Riku Aganeia."

Fluder was recounting this tale to the Lord of the Tomb as the two sat in a private room within the Grand Library of Ashurbanipal.

"So, he never revealed himself as a dragon at any point during your... adventure?"

"No, my lord, but I knew. My talent, his mana, it was stranger. Not human."

"And the others?"

"Powerful in their arts, but nothing compared to Your Majesty."

"I see! Before you continue your story, tell me, what of the Evil Deities? Were they strong?"

"All were stronger than Lord Riku. I saw a few myself, but their magical auras were different."

"Different, how?"

"Just... different. I assumed it was due to their demonic nature, but recently, I have seen similar auras."

"They were these... Players?"

"No, my lord. Once, I overheard my master speaking with the Platinum Knight. They mentioned powerful beings called Players, but they never referred to the Deities that way. Those were named... Enipices."

"NPCs! Interesting..." murmured Ainz. "So the Evil Deities were... NPCs!?"

"Yes, my lord! I only heard that term again here, in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. The sacred Floor Guardians bear the same name and possess a similar strange aura as the Evil Deities."

The revelation that NPCs could freely roam and wreak havoc in the New World stirred old fears in the Lord of the Tomb's mind.

"None were Players?"

"From what my master discussed with the Platinum Knight, Lord Riku Aganeia might have been one."

"Hmm! That explains a lot." - 'NPCs-perhaps they were created by some Player, maybe the original Aganeia. From Fluder's account, he wasn't a Level 100 Player and likely had to flee from subordinates who somehow rebelled. My greatest fear upon arriving in this world may be coming true. The Guardians and other beings in Nazarick were designed to idolize and serve the members of Ainz Ooal Gown purely out of narrative zeal; their loyalty didn't need explicit programming since they obeyed without question. What if these shallowly developed NPCs became Evil Deities under weak or nonexistent masters?'

"Very well! For now, let us focus on the matter of the dragon. Please, continue."

Days were required to follow every step of Fluder's journey with the Platinum Dragon. It took herculean patience to endure the minutiae the wizard insisted on recounting, only for little relevant information to emerge.

While preoccupied with the old wizard, Ainz instructed Shalltear to obtain the vampire adventurer's account to compare perspectives. Apparently, Evileye had been instrumental in defeating the Insect Demon King, during which she developed her anti-insect magic, something Entoma hadn't forgotten.

'A meeting between the two may be necessary to resolve this issue.'

As the accounts continued, certain patterns emerged about the Platinum Knight. For instance, despite his supposed strength, he rarely ended battles quickly, preferring to observe his allies and adversaries. He seemed more interested in studying than defeating them.

This behavior aligned with Ainz's observations of dragons: territorial, egotistical, and superior. It was strange that no one realized the armor was merely a puppet.

Listening to so many accounts was exhausting, but the Lord of the Tomb was determined to gather as much information firsthand as possible. 'No more reports', he thought. To that end, he sought out even the most unlikely sources, none stranger than the one currently sleeping in a bay in E-Rantel.

"Hansuke knows nothing about dragons."

"Nothing?!"

"Master, forgive Hansuke. This one only knows of common dragons, those that do not speak. I fought some to establish my territory, but that was decades ago."

"Very well. Even about them, anything relevant?"

"Yes! They tasted like chicken."

"Another dead end, but even dead ends lead somewhere. Thank you, Hansuke."

"Master, forgive this one, but... any news about partners for Hansuke?"

'Damn! I forgot!' - "No, not yet, but I promise to make a greater effort."

"Hansuke thanks the master."

Days later, Ainz's next appointment brought him to his office. As he sat, the maid on duty announced his guest.

"With your permission, Lord Ainz. Baron Barintacha Hierophant VI is here as requested."

"Thank you, Foire. Let him in."

The maid opened the door, admitting the vampire, who wore his finest attire but maintained his human appearance.

"Welcome, Baron Barintacha. I hope I'm not disrupting any commitments."

"Not at all, Your Majesty. Though I belong to another kingdom, we remain vassals to your person."

"I appreciate that. I understand Entoma mentioned our interest in your establishing a branch of your hotel here in E-Rantel."

"Indeed. I've already contacted the kingdom's planning office to secure a prime location."

"Excellent. However, that is not why I summoned you. I hope you can assist me with something else."

"Whatever Your Majesty desires."

"You have lived for a long time and must know all sorts of stories. I'd like to hear about dragons."

"Your Majesty requests something unusual."

"Is there a problem with obtaining such information?"

"None whatsoever. The request is unusual because the information is exceedingly common, so common that most of it lacks historical backing. It's mostly bravado, bedtime tales for children, or outright fabrication."

"But even so, some may contain truth?"

"Perhaps, Your Majesty. Still, separating them would be difficult."

"Then focus on those featuring talking dragons. Please, have a seat. It seems we'll be here for a while."

The Elder Vampire recounted a summary of his knowledge. Two and a half millennia of history condensed into a few hours.

"Then... almost nothing about Dragon Lords?"

"My apologies, my lord. Just tales of their power, their dominion over kingdoms, and their victories against challengers. Only recently, four or five centuries ago, did accounts arise of direct battles, mostly from the time of the Eight Greedy Kings, who supposedly killed several lesser Dragon Lords."

"I see. It's possible other accounts exist but were erased or went unwitnessed. Well, thank you for your time, Baron Barintacha. I look forward to news of your new enterprise in my kingdom."

"As Your Majesty wishes. With your leave."

There's too much inconsistency in these stories. Some speak of defeats at the hands of supposed Players, yet whenever Dragon Lords are involved, they are exalted, even in defeat. I need to know why.

Weeks of research yielded little progress. The lack of information began to irritate Ainz. Even the former Elf King had nothing to offer.

"You despicable undead! When I escape, I'll violate your mistress, take your power, destroy you, and resurrect the girl to serve me eternally as she bears my children and aaaaaaarghhhh!"

A magical electric current coursed through the elf king's body, silencing his threats. Ainz was in no mood for such nonsense.

"Tell me about dragons, and my... 'mistress' will end your suffering quickly."

"Spit! Dragons don't set foot in my lands! I rule the elves! THE POWER IS MINE! Power I'll use TO RAVAGE YOUR MISTREEEEEEAAARGH!"

"Enough of this drivel. Neuronist! Gag our guest. I'll probe his mind myself."

The Torture Master advanced with a ball gag made of a material never before seen in this world, something likely to break the elf king's teeth during use. It was a pleasure Neuronist allowed herself after hearing such blasphemies against her master.

The memory-reading spell yielded little. The elf king's mind resisted, and sifting through six centuries of obscenities drained Ainz's mana. Still, it revealed his disdain for dragons and scant knowledge of them.

A pattern was emerging in the Supreme Being's investigations, but he needed more confirmation before crafting an appropriate strategy. His next resources were housed on the sixth floor and were likely his last options at the moment.

"WELCOME, AINZ-SAMA!" shouted the two young Dark Elves, both excited by their master's sudden visit.

"Thank you for the reception," Ainz said as he sat at a table, served tea by an elven maid.

"We're the ones who should thank you for your attention, Ainz-Sama! Right, Mare?"

"Y-y-yes, thank you, Ainz-Sama."

"I appreciate your time, Mare. Were you able to find what I requested?"

"Y-y-yes, Ainz-Sama." Mare turned and retrieved several notes handed over by Antilene. "I-I asked the elves about dragons, and they shared only a little. Most had to look through their libraries."

The Supreme Being skimmed through the notes, making observations as he went.

"Really? The elders had no recollections of old stories or accounts?"

"N-no elders, Ainz-Sama. The oldest is barely over 400 years. The former elf king sent nearly all of them to war. T-The Prime Minister is the oldest, a-and he said that the elves keep their distance from the Dragon Lords, and n-none have held territory in the forest since the great lake formed."

"This is an obstacle. From what we've discovered about the Elf King, he is the son of a Player, perhaps one of the Eight Greedy Kings."

"N-no, Ainz-Sama. O-only the Prime Minister still remembers, but he said Decen is the son of the Elf God, the one w-who ruled a hundred years before the Greedy Kings."

"Hmm! Two elven gods at the same time seems like too much of a coincidence to me. The Elf God might be the same Earth God that the Theocracy is trying to erase from its history."

"I-I don't understand, Ainz-Sama! W-why would they do that?"

"Look, Mare. If Decen were the son of one of the Eight Greedy Kings instead of one of the Theocracy's own gods, it would be a more effective way to fuel the war. Mixing the stories to erase the elven origin of the Earth God would be an effective form of disinformation. To make matters worse, besides the Elf King's bad reputation, he further diminished his culture by sacrificing so many of his people in the war against the Theocracy."

"I-I see, Ainz-Sama. He was stupid and cruel. If you wish, I can ask someone to end the ex-Elf King," Mare said, casting a subtle glance toward Antilene.

"For now, we'll keep him hanging. Perhaps in the near future. After all, we can always resurrect him. Right! I'll finish reading this later. Aura! Could you call that... 'person'?"

"Of course, Ainz-Sama," the smiling girl said with a long, nearly inaudible whistle.

Soon, the sound of footsteps echoed, accompanied by the noise of trees falling and breaking, growing louder until a huge creature emerged from the forest. It was scaly, with a long tail and powerful wings flapping, though the beast seemed undecided between running and flying, ultimately crashing face-first to the ground at the end of its... "run."

"I-I'm here-puff puff-as-puff-ordered!" Hejinmal panted, out of breath.

...

Author's Note

So, here I took a huge liberty by linking Riku to the Evil Deities, as Ainz said, NPCs with shallow histories, who should be as evil as possible, gaining consciousness, I think they wouldn't submit to a leader without a lot of authority.

I know the author mentioned that Decen is the son of one of the Eight Kings of Greed, but I wanted to make him older, and since I made the Earth God an elf, I thought it would be a good way to use him, in addition to the But I imagine Decen killing his own father for the throne.