I had 7 tests in the span of these 2 weeks before christmas holidays and the entire holiday i spent it just enjoying it with friends and family. And overtime i slowly wrote the chapter so the chapter came late, but today i decided to finish it. So here it is.
Spy sat at the back of the carriage, perched on its uncomfortable seat. The vehicle was functional but unremarkable—just soft enough to sit on without offering any real comfort. Its drab design lacked any redeeming quality, failing to inspire admiration for longer than a fleeting glance.
"Hm, this cart is magnificently depressing," Spy sighed, his voice tinged with a hint of exasperation. "What a way to cut corners," he murmured.
He brushed a hand across the pillows on the seat, feeling how they barely yielded under his touch. With a sigh, he leaned back, tilting his head to rest against the carriage's ceiling. Turning his gaze to the side, his eyes landed on the curtains. He reached out, grasping them, his fingers tracing the fabric thoughtfully. "Hm," he hummed, the sound colored by idle curiosity.
As the hours dragged on, Spy laid on his side, twisting the curtains into crude braids to keep his hands busy. When he finally glanced out the window, the sun had dipped below the horizon. Rising from his seat, he slid open the small window to speak with the driver.
"It's getting dark. We're stopping here," he said, his tone firm but not unkind.
The driver nodded in acknowledgment, and before long, the carriage rolled to a halt. Spy swung the door open and stepped out, stretching his limbs as he took in the surroundings.
"Tell me, do we have anything to eat?" he asked, his voice clipped yet expectant.
The driver walked to the back of the carriage and began rummaging through a compartment. After a moment, he looked back at Spy and shook his head.
Spy groaned, dragging a hand down his face in frustration. "Fantastic. Does he not realize we need food—or even a roof over our heads?" he muttered, the comment directed more at himself than the driver.
With a resigned sigh, he adjusted his gloves. "Very well. Let's take matters into our own hands."
Without further complaint, Spy began gathering random branches from the ground, tossing them into a growing pile, while the driver lent a hand. The task was monotonous, and as Spy ventured further in search of more wood, something caught his attention. A thin plume of smoke rose in the distance.
He dropped the bundle of branches from his hands and removed one of his gloves. With nimble fingers, he extracted a tooth from his mouth, revealing a tiny monocular embedded within. Raising it to his eye, he adjusted the lens, zooming in on the source of the smoke.
A campfire flickered outside a cave, casting erratic shadows against the backdrop of the fading light. Around the fire sat a few figures, their forms blurred but distinguishable.
"Interesting," Spy thought, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He slipped the monocular back into his mouth, replaced the glove on his hand, and gathered the fallen sticks before making his way back to the carriage.
Meanwhile, in Carne Village, a great transformation is taking place during Ainz Ooal Gown's absence and the events unfolding across the continent.
The once modest village has evolved into a fortified town, encircled by towering wooden walls reinforced for defense. Some of the villagers, once humble farmers, have taken up arms and now serve as guards, bolstered by the presence of the goblin army. The town's prosperity has flourished; the granary has expanded, and fields now stretch beyond the protective walls. At the heart of the village stands a fortified stone castle.
Inside the castle sits the woman who has risen to power in a remarkably short time and has proven herself worthy of the responsibility: the village chief, Enri Emmot.
She is in her chambers—a simple, modest room furnished with only a bed, wardrobes, and a few other essential pieces. A door leads out to a small balcony, and several windows offer a sweeping view of the village below. Enri wears a dress resembling a ripped gown paired with knee-high leather boots. The gown, which reveals the upper part of her cleavage, had once been uncomfortable to wear, but over time, she has grown used to it.
Enri sits at her desk, an open leather-bound book before her—one that has been lent to her by Ainz himself. He claimed it was a guide to becoming a great ruler. She has spent hours poring over the text, and now, after days of focused study, the language and principles it contains are imprinted in her mind. Fatigue creeps over her, and she leans back in her chair, letting out a soft sigh.
Raising a hand to rub her temples, she thinks, "Why does it have to get this complicated? I just want to be... a simple village girl." Her gaze drops to the book, and she adds quietly, "Not... a ruler."
She leans to one side, resting her face in her hand, lost in thought for a moment. "Is this what Gown-sama saw in me all along? Did he know I could do this? Since the day we met?" She thinks, "I don't want to do this..."
Her words trail off as her thoughts churn. After a pause, she sighs again, more deeply this time. "But I can't disappoint him—not after everything he's done for the village, for me, for everyone." Memories of the past flicker through her mind, and she inhales slowly. "I can't let something like that happen again."
Her gaze shifts to the window, taking in the towering wooden walls of the village. Below, the villagers bustle about, tending the fields, working at the forge, or playing together.
"I wonder what they think of me now," she muses. Leaning closer to the window, she mutters, "I hope they don't start calling me 'Lady Enri.' The goblins and their strategists are already enough with their honorifics."
As she lingers in thought, the sound of hurried footsteps echoes in the hall outside her chambers. Startled, she turns toward the door just as a knock sounds.
"Apologies for disturbing you, but there's an urgent need for your presence," comes a muffled voice from the other side.
Enri smiles warmly as she recognizes the voice. "Kaijali-san!" she exclaims, rising quickly from her chair and hurrying to the door. She opens it to find the stout goblin standing there, his expression serious.
Unlike the simple leather armor he had worn during his summoning, Kaijali now sports full plate armor, and a massive, roughly-hewn magical sword is strapped to his back, giving him an imposing presence.
"Enri, we don't have much time for pleasantries," he says, his voice urgent. "The Sorcerer King is in the village."
Enri freezes, her eyes widening in shock. "Eh? Ah! The Sorcerer King? You mean Gown-sama?!"
Kaijali nods gravely. "We don't know what he—"
Without waiting for him to finish, Enri interrupts, her voice frantic. "There's no time to waste! I must greet him immediately!"
She darts from her chambers, stretching her arms and legs briefly before bouncing in place as if warming up. Then, with surprising speed, she sprints down the hallway, leaving Kaijali behind in stunned silence.
His head snaps toward her retreating form. "Whoa!" he exclaims, watching her disappear around the corner. He chuckles to himself before shaking his head. "That's our boss," he mutters, before breaking into a run to catch up with her.
Meanwhile, in the village square, Ainz wears a mask of envy to conceal his skeletal face, along with a pair of gauntlets. As the other villagers greet him, exchange pleasantries, and keep him busy, they are friendly, asking mundane questions and expressing gratitude toward him.
But soon, a woman's voice is heard—Enri's voice. "Gown-sama!" she yells.
As he turns to face her, she sprints toward him in a straight line, halting a few meters in front of him.
She keeps catching her breath, and as she regains her composure, she looks up at Ainz and bows. "Welcome to Carne's Village… um, king…"
Ainz, noting that, says, "Keep calling me Ainz, no fancy names needed." After receiving a nod from Enri, Ainz glances around before turning back to her. "Congrats on the village's defenses and that castle. Although, it is now more like a small town than a village."
Enri nods. "Thank you, Ainz-sama."
Soon, Kaijali appears, catching his breath for a second before quietly following Enri. Ainz and Enri stare at Kaijali for a moment, and Kaijali speaks. "Go on, I am here to protect Enri," he says.
Ainz nods with an approving hum before turning his gaze to Enri. "Tell me, what have you done so far?" he asks. But before she can answer, he adds, "However, standing in one place doesn't suit me. Let's move somewhere. How about toward your castle?" He suggests, looking at it.
Enri starts to tell him how her studies have been, from the mundane paperwork to political matters. She speaks about the positive relationship between the goblins, villagers, orcs, and dwarfs, as well as the favorable situation regarding the granary, defenses, and health of the inhabitants.
Ainz responds to each of her achievements with a nod and a hum.
Then, Enri seems to want to ask something but hesitates. After humming, she asks, "Can I… ask if there's a further reason you visited this village?"
"There is," Ainz says. "As usual, I won't beat around the bush."
He clears his throat. "There is a team of potentially dangerous individuals that I believe are best suited to deal with them."
Enri thinks for a moment. "Dangerous? Like… you want us to fight them?"
Ainz shakes his head. "No. I believe you and your village are the best place to let them stay. But do not worry, I'll keep an eye on them, too."
Enri then asks, "What if they decide to fight us? If you consider them dangerous, I don't think we can defend ourselves from such people…"
Ainz nods while rubbing his chin. "No, they aren't bandits to attack mindlessly or to rob. While they are indeed dangerous, they are a team of mercenaries. They won't fight without monetary gain or self-defense. However, that doesn't mean they would be docile. They will indeed attack in self-defense."
Enri slowly nods her head. She thinks for a second, then asks, "So… what has this got to do with me?"
Ainz hums and says, "You see, I believe my appearance makes them afraid of me, and in response, they consider me a threat, justifying their behavior." He pauses as Enri nods with a hum. "So, I wanted to ask you a favor."
Enri blinks. "Me?"
Ainz nods. "Indeed."
Enri thinks for a moment. "If this is about the mercenaries, wouldn't it put the village in danger if they decide to attack us? And—"
Enri is interrupted as Ainz raises a hand.
"Do not worry. I won't put your village in danger. I just need you to act as a voice for me."
However, Enri doesn't say anything as her eyes look at the ground.
"We will go together to a safe location away from the village, and your personal safety is assured," Ainz adds.
Enri's doubt softens. She looks at him and says, "So… what do you want me to do?"
Ainz then responds, "I just want you to interact and talk with them. Specifically, so I can hire them without them being frightened."
After a moment, Enri nods and says, "Hm! I'll help you hire these mercenaries."
Suddenly, Kaijali speaks. "Enri, I'll also come with you. If they decide to fight us, then they will have to get through me first."
Enri looks at Kaijali and nods. "Hm! I'll rely on you then."
After a pause, both look at Ainz.
Ainz picking up on the cue, nods. "Very well."
Suddenly, Ainz stops walking and motions for Enri and Kaijali to follow. A swirling portal emerges from thin air. Ainz looks at Enri, and she inches back at the sight of the portal.
"Do not be afraid," Ainz says.
Enri, after a pause, nods and follows Ainz into the portal. Upon entering, she is met by other entities she has never seen before.
Enri stares at them as a few drops of sweat start to form while she observes each of them.
As Ainz steps in, he looks at Enri and says, "Don't worry. They are my subordinates, the Floor Guardians. They will assist you." After a pause, he adds, "Now, they are unique individuals, but I trust that you will be able to succeed at the task." He looks at Enri, "Get comfortable, we're ready when you are ready."
Enri nods and looks around the room. It is a wooden room with lots of lab equipment, and a transparent, slightly glowing barrier of yellow separates half the room, almost like an observation room. After rehearsing her greetings and talks to herself, she turns to Ainz. "I think I'm ready."
Ainz nods, his palm facing the other side, and closes it.
"Mercenary call! Heavy!"
"Mercenary call! Sniper!"
"Mercenary call! Scout!"
"Mercenary call! Soldier!"
"Mercenary call! Demoman!"
"Mercenary call! Pyro!"
"Mercenary call! Medic!"
"Mercenary call! Engineer!"
Eight red circles rotate around Ainz's arm as other eight circles materialize on the ground on the other side. A red glow immerses the room as the mercenaries start to form.
Ainz touches Enri's shoulder, gives her a light nudge, and prompts her to walk through the barrier, Kaijali followed Enri through the portal. Enri looked at him, and he gave back a thumbs up and a smile, she responded back with a smile of her own. She turned around, The Floor Guardians and Ainz aren't visible through the portal, at least from this side.
She witnesses the 8 blobs forming in front of her, eventually turning into humanoid beings: the Mercenaries.
(This is gonna be the last time we jump to the merc's house, i swear)
Meanwhile, at the Mercs' house...
"NOW YOU SHALL DIE," the TV announced calmly as it charged toward the five mercenaries, fists glowing with raw power.
Heavy smirked, standing his ground. "NOW, DOCTOR!" he bellowed.
With a sudden flash, Heavy's entire form shifted into red-neon colors, his eyes glowing yellow as he cracked his knuckles with a dark chuckle. "Full, time, job."
Medic adjusted his glasses with a grin. "It is time for some examination."
The TV's fist landed with a force so powerful that it caused the entire house to collapse. The mercs glanced around at the wreckage, then back at the TV. They furrowed their brows in unison.
Heavy moved swiftly, grabbing the TV's wrist before it could pull back. The TV struggled, but Heavy's grip was unyielding, his feet planted firmly in place.
"LET, ME, GO." The TV calmly bellowed.
Heavy and Medic shook their heads, and heavy said "This is for Sasha and our house,"
He flung it into the air and slapped it with enough force to send it flying through the clouds, burning as it disappeared into the sky.
Medic disengaged his beam, squinting at the sky before groaning in pain as the bright light burned his eyes. Demoman shrugged and walked off, heading for a bathroom break. Engineer gently patted the toolbox on his shoulder before walking off to spend time with his daughter.
Heavy watched the others walk away, then turned to Soldier, who was leisurely eating popcorn.
"Soldier. Help me get to the TV!" Heavy shouted.
Soldier looked up, a confused expression on his face. "Wat?" After a brief pause, his lips curled into a grin. "Alright, American commie."
Soldier's Rocket Jumper materialized in his hands.
Heavy nodded. "That will do."
Up above, the TV spun through the void, limbs flailing as its screen flickered to static. The only words left on it were: "No internet connection found." It crashed through the fuselage of a fighter jet, leaving a massive hole, and continued its journey toward space, piercing through the layers of the atmosphere until it reached the cold void of the universe.
Meanwhile, Soldier and his companions rocketed through the air. Laughing loudly, Soldier propelled himself by shooting his feet with rockets, holding onto BLU Scout, who was in turn holding onto Heavy. The three of them shot toward the TV, high above.
"Soldier! Give me launcher to go to Sun!" Heavy bellowed.
"Okay!" Soldier replied.
Heavy's massive hand grabbed the TV by the screen. With his other hand, he gave Soldier a thumbs up and a nod. Soldier patted BLU Scout's shoulder, but Scout gave him a confused look.
"What?" Scout asked.
Soldier frowned and delivered a solid hammer-fist onto Scout's wrist, making him grunt in pain. Scout dropped his hold on Heavy, and Soldier tossed his rocket jumper to Heavy, who quickly caught the Rocket Jumper.
As Soldier and BLU Scout fell back to Earth, Heavy and the TV soared away from the planet.
Soldier straightened himself up and saluted Heavy. Heavy returned the gesture with a quick salute before looking back at the TV and then toward the Sun.
Unstrapping his belt, he carefully placed the TV on his back, secured it, and aimed the Rocket Jumper at his hand. He pulled the trigger, and with a loud burst, Heavy rocketed through the solar system.
Back on Earth, Soldier wiped a proud tear from his eye as he began to re-enter the atmosphere. "I always knew you were American deep inside, you fake communist." The flames of re-entry engulfed his back as he plummeted toward Earth.
Heavy, on the other hand, barreled through space at breakneck speed, the planets shifting in their orbits to avoid him as his gravitational pull warped the surrounding cosmos. His destination: the Sun.
Heavy ceased his rocket propulsion as he reached the Sun, unstrapping the TV and grabbing it by the wrist. He positioned the screen in front of him and dove toward the surface of the Sun. Despite the scorching heat, he dug through its surface effortlessly, as if it were butter. He reached the core and placed the TV in front of him, leaving it there.
He pointed down. "Stay," Heavy said sternly, before turning away and swimming back toward the solar system.
Emerging from the Sun after swimming for a while, Heavy searched around for the Rocket Jumper. Failing to find it, he sighed in frustration. However, a thin cord caught his attention.
It was the power cord from the TV, stretching all the way back to Earth.
Heavy grinned and tugged on it, pulling himself closer to Earth. With every pull, he closed the gap between himself and Earth.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar filled the void behind him. He turned around to see what happened.
A massive purple orb appeared, crackling with electricity. Black clouds swirled around it, and chains extended from it, wrapping around Heavy's ankles, pulling him back.
Heavy let out an "hm" and turned around, continuing to pull himself toward Earth. The chains tried to drag him back, but they cracked and disintegrated into nothingness.
The portal followed him, attempting to ensnare him once again, but to no avail.
Then a voice called out from within the portal: "Rrrrrr! Rrrrr!"
Heavy's eyes widened as he snapped his gaze behind him, seeing Sasha—his beloved minigun—caught in the filthy chains.
"Don't touch—" Heavy growled.
He swung the power cord, propelling himself directly into the portal, his fist raised high as he charged toward it.
"SASSHAAAAA!" Heavy bellowed.
The portal cracked open wide, engulfing him and Sasha. The crackling storm intensified before the entire thing shrank and vanished in an instant.
Back on Earth, Scout, Sniper, and Pyro stood near the remains of their house. They exchanged worried glances and then looked to Engineer, who was calmly petting his sentry.
Scout, still wrapped in a bedsheet, broke the silence. "Build a house here."
The others nodded in agreement. Engineer turned to face them, his wrench materializing in his hand.
But before he could react, an orb appeared behind him. Chains wrapped around his body, pulling him into the portal. Engineer and the portal disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared.
The remaining mercs quickly materialized their weapons, forming a tight circle, backs pressed together to cover each other's blind spots.
Sniper aimed his SMG at the spot where the portal had vanished. "Show yourself, ya bloody wuss!" Sniper yelled.
Scout cocked his scattergun. "Tryna be fast snatching Engie like that? You're gonna get a beating for challenging awesomeness!" Scout shouted, readying his scattergun.
Pyro: "Mpph mphh." Pyro.
Suddenly, a photo drifted down in front of Scout. He glanced at it, bent down to pick it up. His eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the image forming before him.
"Sweet!" he chuckled, holding up a nude of Miss Pauling.
Before he could react further, a cold sensation wrapped around his neck.
"What the—?" he muttered, but before he could grab the object, Sniper yelled, "UP THERE!"
The mercs turned to look up. The portal had reappeared above them, crackling with thunder. Chains slithered down and wrapped around Scout's neck, dragging him into the portal.
Sniper fired a few rounds from his SMG, but the chains snatched him too, lifting him into the air.
Pyro simply stared at the portal. The chains reached down to pyro, but he giggled with excitement, the chains petted Pyro, and it slowly hanged down, as if was inviting to sit, Pyro happily sat on one of the chains, swinging back and forth like it was a playground swing. Slowly, the chain carried Pyro back into the portal, disappearing along with the rest of the mercs.
End of the chapter