SOMEWHERE IN THE BAHARUTH EMPIRE
Sutton Village, one of the largest farming villages that existed in the Baharuth Empire and was situated near the capital of Arwintar, experienced its first crisis in a long time.
The village was divided into four sections: agricultural, production, residential, and military. Thick, hard palisades surrounded the production, residential, and military sections in a big circle. Excluding the military, it had a population of around 250.
Its importance in delivering food to the capital, such as grain and meat, was not to be underestimated. To ensure its protection and safety, the First Legion of the Empire stationed an entire platoon of 50 knights in the village. These knights maintained peace and order. They also patrolled the surrounding lands, wary of bandits and monsters.
The sudden death of a portion of its population sent the community into a frenzy. Civilians and knights alike suddenly fell where they stood without a warning or clue as to why.
The village chief recalled everyone within the safety of the walls. He also gathered the dead for examination.
Meanwhile, the lieutenant in charge of the platoon gathered his remaining knights to defend the village. He believed the deaths to be the start of an attack. He also had a squad of knights interrogate the villagers for information.
"What do you mean there are no clues as to why they died?!"
Lieutenant Fynn Weitz, commander of the 181st Company's 2nd Platoon, stared at the village chief with intensity.
"Eight of my knights don't just die without reason! We are First Legion; we are elites!"
Although the 181st Company was supposed to be composed of inexperienced trainees, they had not experienced losses in a long time. And because of the relative peace, they had plenty of time to train and improve. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, they were already considered full-fledged knights worthy of the First Legion.
Johan, the village chief, exhaled. He placed his hands on his hips.
"I don't know what to tell you, Lieutenant. It's simply the truth. The temple priest agrees with me."
Fynn grabbed Johan by the collar of his clothes, wrenching him towards the knight.
"The truth?! Let me tell you the truth. The Captain will demote me, maybe even transfer me to another legion, if I give him your "truth"!"
The knight paused, looking at the squirming chief.
"This could also be an attack on the village. If we don't figure it out soon, even more could die. Do you understand?"
Johan hastily nodded.
"Yes! Yes!"
The knight released his grip as the village chief stumbled backwards.
"Good. I'll send some of my experienced knights to help you. Maybe they'll be able to see what you couldn't."
Fynn left the chief alone as he noticed one of his knights running towards him. The knight stopped a few meters in front of him before saluting.
"Knight Adrian Becherer of 5th Squad."
"At ease, knight, and state your purpose."
"Lieutenant, there are two outsiders at the eastern gate. One of them wears full plate armor, and the other is a masked mage. They say they are lost travelers, and they need information, Sir!"
Fynn blinked for a moment, processing what he had heard.
"Lost travelers this near the capital in the middle of the Empire? Very well, take me to them. I will question them myself."
"Remember, leave the talking to me. Understood, "Pandor?""
Momonga looked at his armored NPC with trepidation. Pandora's Actor now wore an intricately engraved, dark full plate armor rimmed with gold. He wore a closed helm that only had narrow slits for vision. A pair of impressive greatswords hung beneath his flowing red cape.
"Yeesss, Lord Momonga!"
"I told you to simply call me "Momon." Start using it now because we can already see the gate."
Momonga decided to come up with an alias for himself and Pandora's Actor, should other players exist in this world. Someone could recognize his avatar name.
Initially, Momonga thought of using the guild name, Ainz Ooal Gown, as his alias, but if other players existed in this world as well, they were sure to recognize the name more than his avatar name. Also, Punitto Moe would definitely scold him if he used the guild name carelessly.
However, he was never good at coming up with names, and he would never ask for help with this matter from Pandora's Actor.
So, they were now "Momon" and "Pandor," a pair of lost travelers.
As for his appearance, he went for a mysterious magic caster persona because he now wore a full-face mask taken from his inventory. It was garishly designed, and its look was difficult to describe, halfway between crying and anger. It looked like a Balinese barong mask.
This mask was known as the Mask of Envy.
A pair of gloves called Jarngreipr hid his skeletal hands. It was made for fun by one of his guild members, and its only function was to improve the wearer's strength.
In one of his gloved hands, he held a burnished copper staff with a lustrous azure crystal adorning the top. It was a simple Legendary-class magic item that boosted lightning spells.
Finally, he fastened his dark robes to conceal his exposed ribs, completing his image.
Pandora's Actor hammed up a salute with great pomp, snapping his heels together. It looked so out of place, especially with him in the armor.
"Understood, Momon!"
Uwah~
Why did I give him such a personality? This was something I used to think was really cool. No, I still think his uniform is kind of cool...
If Momonga could still blush, his face would be scarlet right now.
He gripped one of Pandora's Actor's pauldrons and dragged him aside.
"I have an important question. I am your creator, right?"
"Without a doubt, Momon! Because I was created by you, if you want me to fight, I will charge into the battlefield without hesitation!"
"I see... Then, as a human being... no, a man... no, as your creator... could you please stop saluting anymore?"
Pandora's Actor locked his empty eyes with Momonga's, his confusion at his words visible in them.
"Er, how do I put this, your saluting is pretty weird, so please, really, stop saluting anymore."
"Wenn es meines Gottes Wille!" (TN: If it's my God's will!)
"Is that German? Don't speak German either. No, you may use it if you please, but just not in front of me. I'm begging you."
"Y-yes..."
This was the first time Pandora's Actor had such a shocked expression on his face, and his response sounded odd. Momonga backed up after realizing their faces were close enough for a kiss and pleaded weakly:
"Please, I beg of you. My emotion override is triggering over something like this. I still can't believe it myself..."
Uwah~ how lame~
This was his black history.
"It shall be-"
"Stop that. Speaking normally will be fine."
"Yes."
Momonga nodded, finally seeing Pandora's Actor acting milder.
"Good. Our relationship is one of creator and creation, so you're like my child."
"Ohhhh... Lord Momonga. To think you would regard me as your child!"
"Umu, umu. You are, er, my child, or something along those lines. That should most likely be the case, er, that should be the case. Because of that, there's no need to use German, salute, or be overly dramatic in front of me."
Momonga went silent, pondering how to continue. The doppelganger merely waited, remaining silent.
"I made you, so I know everything about you. But, as your creator—as your father—I want to see you grow. I want to see you become more than just my creation. Do you understand?"
"I understand... Father!"
"Oh..."
"I will show you what you wish to see, Father! I will not disappoint you!"
"Umu. That's good."
Momonga hoped he succeeded in convincing him.
"Now, let's go to the village. Remember the plan, be prepared for anything and don't be hostile to them."
"Halt, travelers!"
A man in steel armor shouted at both of them, prompting them to stop at their tracks. He stood atop one of towers over the palisade walls next to the gate.
The men on the towers carried bows which they readied, waiting for the command to nock and loose.
"State your names and purpose!"
Momonga took one small step forward.
"My name is Momon, and this is my companion, Pandor! We are lost travelers in need of information."
Momonga raised his voice to make sure he could be heard.
He noticed heads appearing over the walls as more armored guards began to line up along its length.
So it has walkways.
"You're lost travelers?"
Pandora's Actor stood silently, carefully observing the guards for any hostilities. They had begun speaking to themselves, and he saw one of them point inside the village.
One of the guards addressed them once more.
"Our commander is on his way. Wait there!"
"Very well."
Momonga stepped back beside the armored doppelganger.
Several minutes passed before the gates parted open. Around a dozen knights sallied out to meet them.
The knight at their center exposed his face as he carried his helmet on his hips.
They halted several meters in front of Momonga and Pandora's Actor.
"Greetings, gentlemen. I am Lieutenant Fynn Weitz, commander of the 181st Company's 2nd Platoon, First Legion."
The lead knight introduced himself, his eyes bouncing back and forth between the two of them.
Momonga stepped forward, catching his attention.
"I am Momon. This is my companion, Pandor. We are lost travelers in need of information as to where we are."
Lieutenant Fynn crossed his arms.
"My knights told me they saw you come out of the forest. Are both of you adventurers?"
Adventurers?
Momonga contemplated the information before responding:
"In a manner of speaking, yes, we are adventurers, but I'm not sure if it means something else to you people."
"Do you have a license plate?"
A what? You need a license to adventure?
"... No. Is that a problem?"
"That depends, but it doesn't matter at the moment. Before we go further, I need both of you to show your faces."
Momonga nodded, expecting the request. He looked at Pandora's Actor as he was the first to remove his helm.
A young face, around his late teens, with black hair and black eyes, revealed himself. Momonga considered it above average in terms of looks.
Momonga returned his attention to the knights before grasping his mask, as he slowly unveiled his visage.
His face looked similar to Pandora's Actor's, but older with some wrinkles. He willed the illusory face to give a faint smile to the knights before covering it once more. Pandora's Actor followed suit and wore his helmet.
"Are you satisfied, Lieutenant?"
Lieutenant Fynn nodded, remaining stoic.
"Yes. Now, tell me the story how you got "lost.""
"Do you know what magic is, Lieutenant?"
The knight's gaze sharpened.
"Of course, I know what magic is!"
He looks offended.
"Apologies, I meant no offense. Tell me, what's the highest magic that you know of?"
"Everyone knows the Imperial Court Wizard is the strongest magic caster in the Empire. He is rumored to be able to cast sixth-tier magic."
Eh? This world also has tier magic? I guess it makes sense. Still, their strongest is only in the sixth tier? That's what? Level 40? Looking at these knights, do they have a martial culture focused on physical combat?
Momonga adjusted his plan for a bit.
"That makes this easier. We used the fifth-tier spell Teleportation and made a mistake. It's how we ended up in the forest before we found your village."
The Lieutenant's eyes widened while the other knights gasped.
"You can cast fifth-tier magic?"
"More or less."
The knight commander adopted a neutral face once more.
"Do you have proof?"
"My mana is a little low because of the teleportation so I'd rather not cast another fifth-tier spell at the moment. How about the fourth-tier spell, [Grand Fireball]."
Momonga pointed to the sky as the orange orb streaked up before it bloomed into a large mini-sun.
He heard the oohs and aahs of the knights, as they looked up.
The Lieutenant silenced his group before he confirmed.
"That was definitely better than a simple Fireball. Very well, you've proven yourselves. But there is still one last thing. One of my knights told me sometime ago that he heard a loud sound, kind of like thunder, and that he swore he saw a cloud shaped like a mushroom rising from the ground. What do you know about that?"
I guess someone did see and hear me. I can use this.
"That would be us when we landed here. The teleportation wasn't exactly a smooth ride. It scorched a portion of the forest too. It would have killed us if we weren't prepared for such an eventuality."
The knight stared at him for a few seconds.
"Very well. However, the village is currently facing a... problem, so I will have to assign several of my knights to escort you while you're in the village. Is that alright with you?"
"... Yes, that's fine."
Lieutenant Fynn sweated buckets inside his armor as he watched five of his knights escort the masked mage to where the chief was.
The mage could've easily cooked all of us with that single spell. He's a man that's easily in the Realm of Heroes! Who is he?!
He shook his head as he faced the second traveler.
Ten of his knights guarded him—an entire squad, the 2nd squad, to be precise. The sergeant leading them, Karsten Breslau, was a man he could trust with his life.
Fynn figured there was no point in assigning more guards for the masked mage outside of formality. However, the armored man was different.
And the man in question remained silent the entire time.
His magnificent, dark armor looked expensive enough that the Lieutenant doubted he could afford it even with years' worth of his salary.
He decided that conversing with him might give him more information.
"So, your name is Pandor?"
At first, there was no response. Fynn scrunched his eyebrows, wondering if the man heard him.
Then he heard chuckling. Pandor crossed his arms and placed one of his hands on the side of his helmet.
"Indeed, Sir Knight. I am Pandor, son of the great Momon."
"Son? Momon is your father?"
You're father and son? Why did he say you are just his companion then?
Pandor waved his crossed arm towards Fynn, pointing it in his direction.
"That is correct! All of you are extremely fortunate to have met the legend himself, that is my father. He is called by many names, some of which are: the True Master of Magic, Slayer of a Thousand Men and Beast, and He who commands Death itself! His magic is strongest there is for he knows no equal!"
Fynn flinched at the sudden gesture and magnified speech. Pandor's unexpected booming voice greatly surprised them. Some of the knights reflexively went for their swords.
Eh? "True Master of Magic" and "Slayer of a Thousand Men and Beasts" are both believable for a man in the Realm of Heroes if he can cast fifth-tier spells. But "commanding Death itself?" Is he a necromancer? Also, "no equal in magic?" We just said that we have a sixth-tier magic caster! Does that mean his father exceeds even that?
The Lieutenant shook his thoughts.
This man sounds like one of those bards you see in the taverns.
"... I see. He, er, does sound like a great man. What about you then? Can you tell us about yourself?"
Pandor withdrew his outstretched hand and placed it on his chest, his other hand positioned in front of him.
"Heh, indeed I shall. Listen well, all of you! I may not be as great as my father-"
What is this?
"- when it comes to magic. However! When it comes to the art of the blades-"
Pandor pointed at his greatswords with his thumbs as his cape flapped for effect.
"I am Death incarnate!"
Slowly sweeping his open hand around him, he continued.
"Even the forces of evil tremble before me."
He stomped more poses.
"For I am Pandor! The Knight of Darkness. Lover of swords! Loved by swords!"
Finally, he spread his arms wide.
"I am the Dark Hero!"
...
Silence reigned as a breeze passed by.
Seconds passed as the knight commander kept his face neutral. Most of his knights followed suit and simply stared at the armored man. Well, most of them.
One of the knights released a snicker.
Pandor glanced at the offender, gesturing his hand at him.
"You knight there. If you've got something to say, let's hear it."
The knight began to shake as he tried to hold himself back.
"He he he... Hue hue ha ha ha ha...!"
He failed as he cackled while holding his belly and face.
Fynn could recognize the knight just from his voice alone.
Oh no, it's Alf.
Knight Huber Elmo, a.k.a. Alf (annoying little fucker), could always be counted on to not hold himself back.
Alf continued on as his fellow knights stared at him. Some of them started chuckling and snickering as well.
"Uwah, how lame! That, that looked so ridiculous, ha ha ha..!"
Pandor simply stared at the man.
"Laugh all you want. It's simply the truth."
The knight's laughter started to die down as he looked at Pandor.
"He he, prove it then. If you're what you say you are, prove it."
Pandor fully faced Alf as he stood straight imposingly. The other knights could only imagine him glaring at the offending knight. The air tensed up.
However, the knight who laughed didn't notice.
"Come on, prove it. Prove it, you big oaf! I bet you're just a rich kid who thinks he's up there just 'cause his daddy is some big-shot."
Alf was now only wheezing, as he provoked the armored man.
Pandor raised his hand at the knight tauntingly.
"Draw your sword then."
"What?"
"You heard me. Draw your sword and attack me."
The knight finally tensed straight up.
"Are you serious?"
"Draw. Your. Sword. I guarantee that you will not be able to hit me, much less hurt me."
The humor went away as the knight took offense.
"Listen here, big guy. You can talk big all you want, but you don't provoke a knight of the First Legion!"
"A knight? All I see is an idiot who likes to provoke people then becomes a coward when they respond in kind."
"What did you say, you bastard?!"
Alf drew his sword from his hip and took an attacking stance.
Lieutenant Fynn, who simply watched, started to grow worried. But his curiosity prevented him from taking action. He looked at the sergeant who stared back at him, equally worried.
I should stop this, but I kind of want to see what happens. I'll stop them when they get carried away.
"I said you're just a cowardly knight who can't back his words with action. Are all knights in the First Legion like you?"
At that, the other knights drew their swords as well, but didn't take any stance yet as they hesitated on how to proceed with the spiraling situation.
"Lieutenant!"
Alf shouted for Fynn to hear, never taking his eyes off Pandor.
"Permission for a training exercise with our... guest. Don't worry, I'll do my best not to hurt him... much."
Fynn sighed and rubbed his nose to mask his hesitation.
A few moments passed and he acquiesced. Pandor did insult the knights.
"Granted, but whatever happens, it's on you."
The Lieutenant could imagine the grin Alf would be having now.
Please don't make me regret this.
Permission given, the knights stepped back as they gave the two a wide berth.
Pandor held his head high.
"Just you? I don't mind if your friends joined you for the sake of fairness. Otherwise, I'd just look like I was bullying a single child."
Alf took out his shield and brandished his sword cockily.
"Oh, you're gonna regret saying that. I don't need anyone else to teach a son of a bitch like you a lesson."
Fynn instinctively took a step back. Something had changed in the air.
W-what's going on?
He felt like he was choking as his body went cold. He gazed at Pandor and it seemed like he was staring down a ruthless monster.
"Is that so?"
The words sent a chill down the Lieutenant's spine. He noticed the other knights quaking in their boots. Even Sergeant Karsten stood frozen still.
He looked at Alf and he was seemingly unbothered by it.
Does he not notice it?!
Pandor gripped both of his greatswords and withdrew them with two great arcs. The wind blew as he held both intricate slabs of dark steel with extreme ease.
His swords, each over one and a half meters long, resembled works of art more than tools of war.
The blades were engraved with a pair of interwoven serpents. Like a pair of opened fans, its tips were rounded and wider across than the rest of the sword. The edges shone with a chilly, piercing brilliance.
They're the weapons of a hero.
Then Pandor raised both of them and slammed them hard on the ground, burying their tips. Fynn felt the ground shake a little from the impact.
The greatswords now stood like twin pillars at his sides.
"I've decided. I will give you a handicap. There's no need for me use to my weapons on a child like you."
Alf visibly fumed.
"Reeeaaaaggghhh!"
The knight ran like a charging bull. When he got into range, he went for an overhead slash.
What? He's using the martial art [Slash] right away?
His sword whistled downward as it cut air only to find nothing.
Pandor easily sidestepped it like it was nothing.
"Slow."
Alf raised his shield for a counterattack, but none came. Confident, he thrust his sword straight at his opponent's helmet.
Again, Pandora avoided it with a simple step and a change of his body's direction with the grace of a swan. He even struck a pose with his hands while he was at it.
"Sloppy."
Incensed, the knight sent strike after strike at the dancing warrior. Each time, he only hit the empty air.
"Sad!"
Pandor's actions made it seem like the armor he wore was as light as a feather.
The sluggish movements that should have been produced by wearing full body armor did not appear at all. What was even more astonishing was that Pandor was able to dodge the impending strike while standing still, rather than making exaggerated movements like leaping backwards.
If not for the chilling atmosphere he exuded, the sight would be awe-inspiring.
Magnificent and terrifying.
A dozen or so minutes passed, and eventually, Alf ceased his attacks and took several steps back, creating distance between him and Pandor. His breathing grew heavy and ragged. His body ached up and down from the exertion.
Pandor spread his hands once more.
"Is that it? Is that all the knights of the so-called First Legion can do?"
Fynn saw Alf hesitate. It seemed he had finally started to understand the situation he was in.
The knight remained quiet, not knowing what to say. His hands were starting to shake as the Lieutenant noticed his unsteady sword.
Shit, if this goes on, we're going to be the butt of jokes in the First Legion for a long time. And the Captain will be furious when he learns about it.
Fynn made up his mind.
Things have gone this far already, might as well commit and go all the way.
"Knights! I order you to assist your fellow knight with the training exercise. Show our guest what the 181st Company of the First Legion can do!"
They all looked at each other, uncertain. Sergeant Karsten finally drew his sword and pointed it at the armored man.
"Second Squad! For the 181st's honor, charge!"
The sergeant went for Pandor. The rest of the knights joined the fray with a collective shout.
"Raaaaaagh!"
Pandor looked around him, not saying a word.
Reinvigorated, Alf went for the offensive as well.
Ten knights against one man—the result should have been obvious. And yet, nothing changed.
Fynn looked on with wide eyes and a slack jaw.
Pandor danced around the knights like a snake. No matter how much the knights tried to trap him to at least land a single hit, Pandor seamlessly dodged and weaved through them.
This is beyond amazing. He has to be at least Orichalcum-level to be able to pull this off. And he was still simply dodging them. If he used his swords, which he used as easily as his armor, to fight, this would all be over in an instant.
It went on for dozens of minutes more before the knights backed away. Their exhaustion was evident with their ragged breathing. Alf himself was just about ready to give up.
Pandor was now just crossing his arms, still standing strong. He never showed any signs of exhaustion.
"That's that then. Time to finish this off..."
The armored man sauntered straight to Alf.
Fynn began walking closer, his brows knitted with worry.
Pandor stopped in front of the barely standing Alf. The knight looked up.
Fynn could finally see the fear stretched across his face. Alf looked like a wreck, his confidence long drained.
Pandor suddenly struck, his hand barely a blur as it gripped Alf's neck. The knight was carried up, choking.
Fynn drew his sword.
"Pandor!"
What is he doing?! Don't tell me he's actually going to kill him!
Pandor held Alf's head close to his. The knight struggled against his grip as he looked like he was about to piss himself.
"Insult my father again, and I'll make you wish you were dead. Do you understand?"
The man had never shook his head up and down that fast before in his life. Fynn barely heard the whimper he released.
"Good."
Pandor slowly set him back down, where the knight fell on his knees, coughing for breath.
The atmosphere returned to normal as the armored man moved to where his swords were and pulled them out. He gazed at Fynn as he returned them to his back.
Fynn reflexively flinched.
What does he want now?
The Lieutenant watched him give an exaggerated bow.
"I apologize for my actions."
The words shocked Fynn. The man who easily made a fool out of his knights was now bowing in apology to him.
Fynn contemplated what to do for a few seconds before resigning. In the end, he could only accept and move on.
He may be weird and lack humility, but he truly is worthy to be a hero. He may even be better than the Four Imperial Knights.
Fynn returned his sword to its sheath.
"It's fine, Lord Pandor. It was one of my knights who incited the whole thing. He will soon be punished for his actions."
Whether Alf heard it or not, he didn't show it. He was now just lying on the ground, his helmet off. His head stared at the sky listlessly.
Pandor straightened himself as he nodded in response.
"With that said..."
Fynn continued.
"Would you mind telling me more about you and your father? I would like to know the many adventures you and your father took. I'm sure they're all great, worthy of legend."
Pandor simply stared at him for a few seconds.
He looks like he's about to refuse-
The armored man's voice cut off his thoughts.
"Lieutenant Fynn, it would be my pleasure."
A/N: The Momonga and PA talk in the beginning are paraphrased from LN volumes to establish their relationship similar to canon.
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