Makings of an Overlord

by The Emerald Commander

Suzuki Satoru has no idea how to rule the Great Tomb of Nazarick, especially now that he has been transported to an entire new world as a human (kind of). However, he is going to give his all, no matter how much Albedo keeps trying to sleep with him, how much Demiurge wants to commit genocides and how much he wishes to date that cute peasant girl in the village nearby. Slight!AU

16. Chapter XV: Diplomacy in the Wetlands

Chapter XV: Diplomacy in the Wetlands

The Re-Estize Kingdom was nearing a precipice, something that was felt strongly at capital. The people in the streets were growing wary and whispers spread far about the frailty of the nation. There were murmurs of lacking winter reserves, hisses of demon-worshippers in court and grumbles of traitors hidden in the shadows. In the mounting turmoil, one name resounded across the lips of commoners, freemen, merchants, knights and noblemen alike: Ainz Ooal Gown.

No place housed the most rumors and whispers than within the Valencia Palace, more particularly in the unlikeliest place: the chapel. At the moment, however, in the late morning, Princess Renner only found silence there. It hadn't been like that in the previous days. At first, after the Demon Incursion, noblemen flocked inside to grandstand their devotion to the gods and pray for the souls of the dead. Rivers of information had flowed with the gaggles of nobles unable to contain their tongues even when they should have been in prayer. And, of course, no one minded the poor sorrowful Princess Renner.

It seems the charade is finally over, thought the golden princess.

She glanced around. Not even the royal priest was present. The Princess did not break from her act, however, and stayed on her knees against the cold black marble floor, bowing her head before the grand altar dedicated to the gods of her fellow humans. Behind her there were seats for the laziest of the nobles, and to the side Renner knew there were piles of cushions for those who whined if their knees hurt too much. Of course, in the Re-Estize Kingdom, noblemen would mock and look down at whoever used pillows.

Truth be told, Renner enjoyed the silence that morning. She really didn't care that she had to change her dress to a dark blue and add raven feathers to her hair as was expected of a mourning princess. There was something else troubling her, something that kept her on her knees and look genuinely in penance and sorrow.

Did I disappoint Lord Ainz when we last talked? Thought Renner for the umpteenth time that morning and the mornings before.

The mere possibility haunted her and really helped her keep the mourning kind princess act. The alleged solitude of the chapel was comforting, especially to separate herself from the annoying nobility who had insignificant concerns.

Am I being ignored due to my failure to contain the whispers against Lord Ainz? Renner thought tremulously. No word from Lord Demiurge and I haven't been able to sneak out of the castle… and the king has forbidden me to join his meetings with Lord Ainz…

Renner was sincerely surprised by how lost and empty she felt. She was, for better or worse, out of the loop.

"Have you forsaken me, Lord Ainz?" Wondered Renner aloud, lost in thought.

The idea she had failed Lord Ainz to the point of receiving his apathy gnawed at her soul in ways she had never cared before. Renner desperately needed to be in the loop, to keep a hand in events.

"Fret not child, for he has not."

Renner snapped her head behind her and her heart skipped in joy.

"Lord Demiurge!" Exclaimed Renner, genuinely excited to greet the demon.

"Princess," mockingly purred Demiurge with a nod as he strutted across the chapel, arms folded behind him. "Did I catch you in the middle of important contemplations?"

"None worth your precious time, my lord," replied the princess.

"Please, your highness, do not let my present distract you from your prayers," said Demiurge with a malicious smirk.

"My prayers have been answered," said Renner. "For a moment, I…"

"Ah, such doubt. It's only natural, my dear. We all feel that... momentary hesitation, don't we?"

By Demiurge's sarcastic tone, however, Renner suspected that it wasn't the case for him, and more of a derisive comment on her faithlessness. That made her feel (for some reason) bad. It was weird.

"But remember, your highness, our lord's designs are beyond mortal – or indeed, immortal - comprehension. His plans unfold in ways we cannot yet understand – that perhaps we might never understand. We are his instruments, and it is up to us to hold to our devotion and keep faith… you should feel exalted, for you were graced by his attention a few days ago!"

And she was. Renner had never held a conversation of such caliber other than with Demiurge himself.

"It's just… it's been so long since I've heard from his lordship."

"My sincere apologies," said Demiurge with a graceful bow. "Alas, my lord's business demanded my full attention…" he sent Renner another malicious smirk "…just as you have been enthralled by work of my own."

"Correcting rumors of foolish noblemen and spending time with our friends from the Roble Kingdom can barely be called work," said Renner. "I am afraid I have disappointed Lord Ainz on both accounts…"

She bowed her head, her heart constricting weirdly. Was she feeling guilty? Ashamed? Renner didn't know; it felt new to her. Demiurge offered no comfort, merely tutting.

"Disappoint him? Fret not, my dear, for you have not. On the contrary, you have performed admirably and all as part of the great plan! Truly, you have set our good Paladin Captain on the right path, already seeking to prove herself to our lord."

Renner blinked, baffled. She had? She had assumed all she said to the paladin entered one ear and left the other. In fact, Renner had felt hopeless trying to manipulate the Captain. Then again, she was confident she had atleast planted the necessary seeds… so maybe she hadn't failed after all?

Or my attempts were sufficient… Lord Ainz must have predicted the outcome of my efforts, realized Renner, her heart soaring.

"It wouldn't have been possible without the king trying to keep me away from Lord Ainz. Moreover, we should be thanking Prince Caspond for sharing the king's concerns and encouraging Captain Custodio to spend time with me rather than in meetings with Lord Ainz present. After all, what dangers are there for a headstrong Paladin to spend time with an innocent princess?"

"What dangers indeed…"

Renner and Demiurge found themselves sharing a smirk at that. Tired of the whole façade, Renner stood up and dusted her skirt off.

"It would appear your dear father is very concerned about your virtue," taunted Demiurge. "I've seen twice the royal guards outside this… place… and you have quite a lot more of maids and servants keeping an ear near you."

"I suspected as much," said Renner.

Hatred for the blasted king flared in her. Perhaps it was that extra surveillance which had kept Demiurge from visiting Renner. It surprised her how much she felt that emotion, actually.

I've been doing a lot of that lately, Renner noticed. Feeling new emotions… is this how pathetic humans are meant to feel?

"Is no one spying on us at the moment?" Asked Renner, already aware of the answer.

"A priest was staring at you from a hidden eye-hole from there, a maid was hidden behind that side door and there was some human stuck on the ceiling," said Demiurge, pointing at different spots as he spoke. "I suspect all with different masters… and all who will be displeased that they slept on the job. Now, let us not discuss those fools when there are other fools to talk about. The Roble delegation worries much about Lord Ainz?"

"Their opinion is divided. The Prince worries the dark lord will want to take advantage of my dear friend Calca and the good Captain, while his warriors would not mind convincing Lord Ainz to pay a visit to the Abelion Hills. The rest of the delegation squabbles about this or that, with their few accompanying priests undecided whether to hail Lord Ainz as a sacred being or a bringer of the Long Night."

"I am afraid the return of their dear Brother Tulios will sour their views on Lord Ainz," offhandedly commented Demiurge.

"Return?"

"Oh yes, it would appear Brother Tulios has made his mind on the Supreme One's nature," mused Demiurge. "Although it was our good Captain who drove him to ask to return here. I suppose he did not like for the Captain to duel as Lord Ainz's champion."

Renner tilted her head and had to pause a few seconds to process what she had just learned. She had only now suspected she had given the Paladin the correct push towards Lord Ainz, but nothing so drastic. Had her manipulations worked after all? Then again, wasn't she but a piece in the glorious plan? Obviously, Lord Ainz successfully picked up where Renner left.

"I am pleased to serve, my lord."

"Truly, commendable work indeed. Lady Albedo sends her praises."

Renner actually blushed. It was truly an honor to be the focus of praise from the likes of Demiurge, Albedo and Lord Ainz.

"I presume there were difficulties with the squire always present?"

"Not quite," mused Renner. "Poor Squire Baraja has been too troubled as of late, focused on training. It was a simple matter of allowing her to carry on her sword practice while I worked on the good Captain."

Demiurge stared at Renner, stroking his chin with amusement. At no point did she believe Demiurge was ignorant or couldn't guess what she had done, or how. It was merely more of their little game.

"And our good captain proved easy to work on?"

"I will confess, I feared I had failed, barely managing to begin my work. I established a connection, which was simple thanks to our mutual friendship with dear good Calca. From there it was a matter of pointing things the Captain had failed to see and trying to get her to see how she should see things. The true difficulty came with the Captain's irrationality and selective listening."

After all, it was impossible to manipulate a person who seemed to listen half of what you say and misinterpret, or outright distorts, the other half. Admittedly, Renner had quickly realized Lord Ainz had already laid much of the groundwork to point the Captain on the right direction. Seeing as Demiurge was not going to ask (and knowing when she was being allowed to talk), Renner took her chance.

"How is dear Hilma?"

"Focused solely on the New Blood Project, which – if you are curious…" (he damned well knew she was curious about it) "…is proceeding within schedule. In fact, I believe once we acquire the final member of our research team, we'll start going through the first phase of testing in no time!"

"Ah, a new alchemist?" Guessed Renner, even when she knew it would not be an alchemist.

"Not quite," purred Demiurge, enjoying their act. "After our lord incorporated two valuable sources of knowledge, we have come close to finding just the expertise we needed for the project… or at least the first phase."

Renner was quite surprise as she quickly figured out just who Demiurge meant.

Hell-Raiser, realized Renner in awe. I wonder who those sources of information are? What else does Lord Ainz know about Zurrernorn?

The taunting smirk on Demiurge only made Renner more desperate to learn more. It was obvious that the demon was giving her tidbits of information in order for her to advance in Lord Ainz's plans, maybe to draw her in the thought process he deemed best.

"The project should accelerate once we have secured the Empire, of course," hummed Demiurge.

"Oh? I did not know Lord Ainz had made moves to the east yet," admitted Renner.

"Indeed, he has not, but I suspect our good emperor should be growing impatient and will soon be trying something," said Demiurge with a confident smirk. "First, our master will secure Rockbruise and then the little mage spy, and finally… the emperor. Albedo has already been given the instrument to secure the emperor in the Supreme One's grand schemes."

Instrument? Wondered Renner, desperate to ask and learn more. It was clear Demiurge was teasing her for just that very reason.

"Just as Lord Ainz planned," stated Renner instead, already fully aware of the dark lord's immense foresight.

I guess that it is likely the Emperor will be tempted on doing something. The kingdom has never been weaker and Lord Ainz has set his attention to the Forest of Tob, reasoned Renner.

The Princess could already see it herself: poor Jircniv stupidly prodding at Lord Ainz, maybe at the kingdom, through one of the so many nobles he detests, only for it to backfire spectacularly. The demon looked very pleased, probably thinking alongside the same lines as Renner. That said, Renner suspected she had – once again – given the correct answer.

Speaking of the demon, his attention was on the four colored windows, each depicting the Four divine elements and their gods. Demiurge appeared to appreciate the artistry, but it was clear he thought poorly of their making or what they represented.

"Have you been to temples before, my lord?" Renner inquired.

"I am afraid to confess I had the misfortune of visiting such places and that there will be others I will have to visit, here and on other nations," he sighed in mocking exasperation. "They are said to be grander than here."

Renner paused, amused at the hints Demiurge was dropping. Did he mean to visit the Slane Theocracy? No, before that, he'll probably stretch Lord Ainz's influence in the Holy Roble Kingdom.

"The king's gods – and that of his people – are disappointingly basic, are they not? A representation of their shortsighted beliefs," commented Renner.

"Are they not the gods of the Golden Princess?"

"But of course, my lord. The innocent, sweet and precious youngest daughter of the king is a very strong religious devotee of the Four…"

"You, my dear, have other more… supreme… gods?" Purred Demiurge.

"Just the one," giggled Renner.

Demiurge was very pleased with those words. He elegantly pointed at finger at each of the depictions and spoke.

"Wind, the holy breath of life, the representation of all thoughts and minds. Fire, the holy spirit of life, the representation of all passion and emotion. Earth, the holy body of life, the representation of the flesh. And last, but not least… Water, the holy essence of life, the representation of the soul."

Demiurge lowered his hand and shrugged.

"How quaint."

He then tilted his head, as if suddenly remembering something.

"Oh, dear me, I quite forgot to ask," Purred Demiurge, a tone of delight in his words. "How is your pet?"

"Climb?" Renner asked, only to pause as she suddenly realized something.

How weird, thought Renner. I did not think about him at all… oh well, I suppose the ongoing schemes have been consuming much of my time.

The real shocker, however, was when she noticed she didn't feel bothered by her lack of attention to her beloved pet.

---

Life had its strange twists and turns. While some would welcome such surprises, Neia Baraja would have preferred if she could at least suffer far away from Captain Remedios. The Paladin Captain, it seemed, had seemingly made it her mission to drag Neia to the unlikeliest places. Case in point: their current location, the Dragon Tusk lizardman village.

Within the confines of a large tribal hut that served as meeting hall of sorts, Neia found herself within earshot of Captain Remedios as the older woman tried (and failed) to learn Re-Esterith from Warchief Emmot and a surprisingly friendly Arche the Mage. The latter looked restless, with bags darker than Neia's, but she otherwise proved to be a valuable (and needed) reinforcement in the warring tempest that was teaching Captain Remedios anything. Next to the Captain, and looking like she couldn't comprehend why she was learning faster than a human, was a baffled Crusch Lulu.

The stubborn Captain seemed insistent on repeating words wrong, on petulantly scoffing when corrected and on grinding her teeth in frustration. However, instead of throwing a fit and calling it quits as Neia had expected, the Captain showed her famous (or infamous if you needed to work with her) tenacity by sticking to the warchief's teachings. Neia suspected a tantrum was inevitable, though.

Neia was right outside the hut, by the entrance. She ignored the Captain's frustrated whining and instead looked at the world around her, still struggling to come to terms with her situation. The village itself was a primitive settlement composed of simple huts made of wood, reeds and mud, spread over an islet of dry ground surrounded by the waters of the wetlands. The center of the village had a hill, and thus ideal location for the central hut. Dirt had been raised around the island into a protective wall of sorts, ridden with sharp-sticks, with five crudely-made watch towers built alongside it.

The lizardmen Neia saw were a mixture of those still recovering from the previous night's festivities and the others preparing for war: big muscular warriors sparred on a dirt ring and others worked on weaponry like primitive stone or bone-tipped spears. Neia saw few females, most of them keeping away from the central hut. They all spared weary glances her way and Neia had not failed to realize she had not caught a glimpse of younglings.

Neia was startled by a thunderous choir of snoring not far from her. Sprawled beneath the shade of a tree that loomed over the central hut, Zenberu Gugu slumbered deeply. He wasn't alone. Sir Aindra and Imina the Half-Elf were also sprawled in drunken sleep on each side of the huge lizardman, face up and with slobber dripping down their mouths. As if Neia's gaze caused the same itch, all three of them unconsciously scratched their stomachs before resuming their sonorous rest.

Perhaps unlimited wine was a mistake near those three, thought Neia.

She shivered as she recalled the celebration party Zenberu Gugu had demanded the previous night. If Neia didn't know any better, she would have believed Zenberu Gugu had passed on his chieftain status both to relieve himself of the burdens of leadership and to throw one hell of a party. The problem started right after it was revealed that the Dragon Tusk tribe had the [Great Wine Pot, a magical pot that was capable of bringing forth never ending wine.

Not far from their downed comrades, Warrior Gagaran and Hekkeran Termite smirked at each other as they played Poker with visibly reluctant Evil-Eye and Roberdyck Goltron the Cleric. Tia and Tina rested on the branches of the same tree that offered shade to the group, lazing around but distinctively alert. Away from them, with a hint of ill disposition, Sir Rockbruise stared up at the skies, a wistful yet aloof expression on her face.

Neia sighed, bored. The sun was close to reaching its zenith on the clear blue skies and, other than waiting, there was nothing to do. After all, they were waiting for someone to show up. Until then, they had to stay put.

It is so strange to think that weeks ago I was in Hoburns, concerned only in learning, following Gustavo around, clean his armor and assist him where necessary, she thought. Ever since then I've left my homeland, met the royal family of another kingdom and fought demons!

She looked down at her lap where her hands were pressed between her legs, hidden from the world. Tentatively, she pulled them out and allowed the sweaty palms to breath. It was something she realized she had been doing a lot in the last few days since the demon incursion, and something that irked her.

Just what I needed… aside from being a poor excuse of a squire I behave like a naughty child hiding her hands, Neia thought self-deprecatingly.

She studied her palms, as if they somehow had answers written out. It suddenly occurred to her why she was hiding them: they were pale and soft. Not a single hint of her years of training were visible. If anything, they looked as if they had never experienced endless training sessions.

As Neia sighed and lowered her palms, she thought back to how her hands used to feel. However, her consciousness went another route. Unbidden, memories poured out from the dark pit of her mind…

Images of the Demon Incursion flashed across her eyes, demons snarling and clawing at her. She remembered how she had managed to hold her ground, swinging and riposting. Then the Evil Lord Wrath's presence seeped into her, his anger as raw and powerful as she remembered. Desperation, Neia felt fear and horror course her veins as she recalled Gustavo's brutal death. And her hands… She stared at them, scorched, recalling the pain of fire as she tried to remove the still burning armor from Gustavo's corpse, the fear slowly tainting her soul and then-

"Oy, Neia!"

Neia snapped out of her memories, blinking at her fully healed hands, and briskly turned her head towards Enri and Remedios. Both women stared at her. To Neia's chagrin, they shared the same frown that reminded Neia of her parents when worried.

"You're zoning out again," reprimanded Remedios, frowning in concern.

"I'm fine," briskly said Neia. "I just…" she looked at her hands again, but this time with purpose "…I need to train. That's all."

"You sure you're fine?" Asked Remedios, unconvinced. "You keep doing that, looking off as if you forgot to put out a cooking fire… wait, you did put out the cooking fire last night?"

"Yes, Captain," Neia said. "May I go train?"

"Eh… yes, of course, training is always good," nodded Remedios.

The squire noticed Warchief Enri kept staring at her. Neia looked away, focusing on the ground. She glanced back, nodded but said nothing, unwilling to let Remedios see her face, much less get another look at that face on the Warchief. She stood up, went around the large hut away from everyone's sight and drew her sword. Without hesitation, she started going through her forms, practicing swings and cuts.

Swing. Swoosh. Swish.

The only sound was the whoosh of her sword as it cut the air. Neia focused on her movements, her footwork, remembering tips and corrections from different instructors. However, the monotony of her actions invited her mind to wander.

It is a good thing Brother Tulios left, even if it was spitting and cursing, thought Neia. I don't think he would have appreciated last night.

The priest who had been part of the Roble delegation had demanded to be returned to Re-Estize. He had been eager to learn more about Lord Ainz after hearing all about [Dominion Authority, particularly when said dark lord intended to eradicate demi-humans in the Forest of Tob. However, it seemed between the Monument of Ruin and Remedios' boundless stupidity, the priest lost all interest and quickly dismissed Lord Ainz as a dark fiend, bringer of the Long Night and a deceiver.

I guess Lord Ainz's peculiar throne did not sit well with him, thought Neia.

She suspected there were more than a few personal biases in Brother Tulios, and which Neia had found in many priests and priestesses, that rendered him unable to reconcile Lord Ainz with anything holy.

She shuddered as she imagined what the priest would have thought had he visited the Blacks' headquarters, the dreaded Night Tower (or Black Tower for most). For all the alleged holiness the priesthood spoused regarding their country, they were oblivious (or purposely ignored) the rather questionable practices and traditions of the Nine Colors.

Neia returned to the present, trying to focus on her forms. She imagined herself back in Re-Estize, fighting demons. She lunged, side-stepped, slashed, ducked and cut. The imagined Imps fell before her, yet not once should she summon forth a [Holy Strike]. Frustration mounted in her gut.

I fight for justice! She thought, delivering an angry slash.

But no righteous power flourished in her gut. She tried to emulate Gustavo, fierce and determine, righteousness on his very being. Still nothing. Neia thought of her mother, a calm yet fearless smile on her hardened face, justice emanating from her body. Again, not one hint of righteous power was felt.

It doesn't matter how much I train, she thought with a deep sense of hopelessness. I can't cast anything!

Neia cursed her thoughts and angrily performed one last thrust, before stopping to catch a breath. Her face was covered in perspiration and her breath was labored, yet Neia wanted to continue. Sadly, she knew that her core problem and inability to progress in her career stemmed from elsewhere.

Justice… what even is justice? Neia grimly thought.

Back when she was a child, the idea of justice had been simple, perhaps because the way her mother framed it. Defend the innocent, kill the evil-doer and protect the holy. Unfortunately, as Neia grew older, the more her views become muddled. Perhaps it didn't help her father had a much different concept of justice, one which could have been summarized as accepting the flaws of the world and to uphold the law. Of course, the Paladin Order's history hadn't helped either, and Gustavo's explanations hadn't cleared anything. On the contrary, it all made the concept of justice less grounded and far more nebulous, if not questionable.

It isn't like I have actually bothered to ask for help, thought Neia.

The idea of confessing her ignorance on such a fundamental concept meant she would reveal her incompetence as a paladin squire. Just thinking about it made her stomach knot uncomfortably. What if she was deemed too pathetic to continue and was kicked from the Order? She couldn't live with the shame. She was the daughter of a well-known Paladin and Lord Black, after all. How would her parents react?

"Are you alright?"

Neia almost jumped when she realized none other than Warchief Enri was there, standing against the hut's wall. The squire refused to look straight at Enri's face; Neia didn't want nor needed motherly or sisterly concern. Thus, she focused on her sword while her heart hammered against her chest.

"Eh… yes?" Slowly replied Neia, unsure how to respond to the question. "How may I assist you, warchief?"

"I only wanted to see if you were alright," sheepishly said the warchief. "I apologize if I am being rude for interrupting your training but you looked like you were lost for a moment. Actually, back there you had this far-off look, it was-"

"It was nothing, warchief," cut in Neia, refusing to allow the warchief to delve onto her moment of weakness. "I was… eh… thinking."

"No, you were lost in memories," firmly said the warchief, allowing no denial on Neia's part. "And please, it is Enri."

"It… It wouldn't be right to address you in such a manner, Warchief," mumbled Neia.

"Please, just Enri. I insist."

Neia gulped again at the air of finality in Enri's voice. In the end, Neia nodded in defeat.

It wouldn't be prudent to anger a woman who arm-wrestles trolls and ogres, thought Neia, remembering the many pieces of arts in the Monument of Ruin in honor of Enri's many deeds.

"Anyway, I wanted to make sure you are doing fine," said Enri. "I've been told you were there, during the demon invasion of Re-Estize, and I can't imagine it was easy."

Neia wasn't sure what to say. Truth be told, she wasn't used to discussing personal matters with anyone. And yet, something in the expectant look Enri had suggested that the warchief knew something was troubling Neia. The squire dismissed it as Enri's caring disposition and decided to take the more formal route.

"It was my duty as Vice-Captain Gustav's squire to fight for justice against the demons, warchief."

"Enri," corrected the warchief.

"Ehm… y-yes, Enri, I mean. Apologies."

"No need to be so stiff and formal, Neia," laughed the warchief.

Sadly, stiff and formal was Neia's usual manner of human interaction, especially with a stranger. Again, Neia felt vulnerable and unsure in the presence of a woman that led legions of lizard-like goblins.

"So you fought against demons. That must have been terrifying," said the warchief – no, Enri. "I must be an exceptional young woman to have been allowed in such a battle."

Neia flushed at the praise, her chest puffing up in pride, only to deflate as she remembered she was a poor excuse of a paladin squire.

"I… I am not neither brave nor talented, not like you warchi…" Neia trailed off at Enri's smiling face grew a dangerous edge to it. "…Enri! I meant Enri!"

Enri smiled in triumph only to frown.

"Do not be so hard on yourself. I am sure you are a fine warrior, better than me by far," said Enri with a sheepish smile.

"I doubt that, warch- ehm – Enri," remarked Neia. "I am a simple squire."

And a pathetic one at that, mentally added Neia.

"And I am a commoner," rebutted Enri. "Until very recently I was but a peasant, toiling away at my village, worried about mundane matters. I am no warrior, Neia."

The admission took Neia by surprise.

"B-but you command legions and- and you possess the strength of a dozen ogres!"

Rather than look flattered, Enri's smile grew strained and an eye twitched. Neia wondered what she had said wrong.

Maybe the mention of ogres reminds her of an old battle she had with them? Her fortress did have a lot of art that honored her many deeds against ogres, thought Neia. I still can't believe she can arm-wrestle ogres and break the necks of wolves with her hands.

"That's not true," said Enri through gritted teeth. She took a deep breath and regained some of her good composure. "Anyway, all I want to say is that I think I know what you are going through… I think…"

Neia did not quite believe that.

"If you need to talk, no matter the topic, know that I am always available," said Enri, standing way closer than Neia felt comfortable.

Neia had no idea how to react. Enri looked like she wanted to take Neia's hand to give a comfortable squeeze, maybe even hug her, but (thankfully) refrained from doing so. The struggle, though, remained visible on the warchief's face.

"I… I'll leave you to your training," said Enri, slowly (and reluctantly) turning around. "Just… don't overwork yourself, alright?"

And so, Enri departed. She spared on last glance at Neia, offered a kind smile filled with understanding, and then vanished around the corner. Neia remained rooted in place, feeling strange. She was uncomfortable yet she wasn't going to deny she had sort of liked Enri's kindness.

Maybe I could approach her later… only to get an opinion and maybe learn anything of value. Gustavo and the Prince did say I should gather as much information as possible, thought Neia.

However, that would be a problem for later. At the moment, Neia needed to train, to stop being weak and pathetic. Thus, she went back at it.

Neia must have gone through ten imaginary duels before the time finally came.

"Oy, Neia! Come here!"

She didn't need to be told twice. Neia sheathed her sword and hurried to Captain Remedios' side. The Paladin was already standing outside the hut, upright and battle-ready. Meanwhile, everyone else was waking up or walking over to assemble nearby.

"You look like you've taken a dip in the lake," stated Remedios as soon as she turned Neia. "Had a good training session?"

"Sorry for my appearance, Captain, and yes, I believe it was productive," said Neia standing in full attention.

"Good, but don't overdo it," said Remedios, a hint of concern in her voice.

To Neia's chagrin, though, Remedios kept staring at her, her sharp brown gaze boring into Neia. The squire averted her eyes, panic clawing at her heart.

There were many superstitions surrounding Paladins and their powers. One of them, for example, claimed that they knew when they were lied to. While Neia believed her mother did have a knack for detecting lies (at least with Neia), she had learned after becoming a Page that such superstitions were nothing more than that: superstitions. That said, according to Gustavo, Remedios was one of the few paladins in the history of their Order who had the power to force anyone to speak the truth*. Thankfully, after multiple political blunders, Remedios had been allegedly forbidden from using it… but Neia wasn't so sure the Captain would hold to such commands so far from Queen Bessarez and their homeland. Then again, maybe Remedios forgot she had said powers.

"Sir!" Hastily squeaked Neia, standing upright. "Didn't you call me for something?"

Remedios frowned, only to scowl, and Neia relaxed. Once again, Remedios had that face that suggested she blamed Neia for making her forget. Neia was starting to prefer it over her scary compassionate side.

"Yes. Look sharp, squire. I think that thing is what we were waiting for" the Captain said, her attention turned to the outskirts of the village.

Neia followed Remedios' gaze, only to realize that, as expected, she would have to point the obvious.

"Eh… captain, I don't think that's the lizardman that was supposed to come here," remarked Neia.

"Wait, we were waiting for a lizardman?" Asked Remedios, surprised.

Neia had a very strong urge to facepalm.

Indeed, rather than the individual they had been expecting, Neia spotted a huge grey animal jumping over the water. It was moving at a calm pace, such that by the time it made it to the village gate (or rather, a depression in the outer mound), Remedios and everyone else, including three groaning individuals that bemoaned their hangovers, stood in waiting at the edge of the water. Lizardmen warriors also gathered, watching the newcomer with concern. Everyone was surprised by the thing that approached the Dragon Tusk village, particularly due to its rider. Well, everyone except Enri and the Blue Roses.

"Lord Ainz?" Said Remedios, befuddled.

"Yes, that would be me."

Lord Ainz in all of his dark glory jumped off his mount, before graciously floating over the water until he reached solid ground, and then walked to the group. Behind him, Lady Rubedo remained close to her master, silently hovering a feet from the dirt. The lizardmen, Sir Rockbruise and the imperials, though, stared at Lord Ainz's steed in awe.

"I apologize for the delay," mused the dark lord. "Some of my vassals demanded some of my time. How are you faring? I was told you had quite a party."

"The Dragon Tusks would not have it any other way," grumbled Zenberu Gugu, massaging his head. "Just don't speak too loudly. The world is already loud enough this morning."

There was a derisive snort behind the group, and they all turned to what looked like some sort of plant monster, were it not for the pale white lizardman legs and tail angrily whipping behind her. Crusch Lulu hissed and growled in the lizardman tongue with clear displeasure.

"Don't mind the plant monster. Her tribe aren't known for fun," grumbled Zenberu, only for something akin to amusement to stretch across his leathery face. "You missed the whole feast, Lord Ainz!"

"Yeah, you missed our fearless leader's sermon," joked Warrior Gagaran.

Lakyus hid her face in shame, all while Tia and Tina teasingly nudged her.

"Ah yes, I was told about that too," mused Lord Ainz, a hint of a grin in place.

Lakyus' face burned a curiously bright shade of red.

Lord Ainz chuckled and walked over to Crusch Lulu, Lady Rubedo close behind. The shrub-covered lizardman shrunk back, intimidated, and her red eyes focused on the dark lord, her tail straight in alarm. Lord Ainz laughed, amused by Crusch Lulu's disguise and casually reached to the open air beside him. His hand vanished in a small dark void, the sight of it making Neia queasy and the lizardmen stared in disbelief. Their reaction paled when he unceremoniously pulled out a huge, red hooded cloak, bright scarlet like Crusch Lulu's eyes.

"A gift from my right hand, Albedo," said Lord Ainz gently, offering the cloak. "It was made with the… eh… skills… of my homeland and so carries magical properties. In this case, it should protect you from environmental effects, including sunlight and cold."

Zenberu translated, mystified by the cloak. All onlooking lizardmen hissed and bellowed between them, transfixed by Lord Ainz and his gracious gift. It was by no means a luxurious thing, made of linen cloth. However, even Neia could tell Lady Albedo was a very talented tailor.

Curious, Crusch Lulu shed herself from her funny outfit and reached out for the cloak, hesitating wearily. Neia would have found it amusing how Crusch Lulu looked up and down, between the cloak and Lord Ainz, were she not so apprehensive. Seeing her hesitation, Lord Ainz offered a kind smile, stepped closer and wrapped the cloak over Crusch Lulu's back. She didn't protest or squirm, but she seemed to freeze.

When Lord Ainz stepped back, Crusch Lulu was covered from head to tail in a long red cloth, golden intricate runes knitted at the darker trim, her red eyes seeming to glow in the shadows beneath her cloak. Crusch Lulu looked at herself, and seemed very pleased, shuffling on her feet, scarlet eyes gleaming with joy and the tip of her tail wiggling cheerfully.

"I guess it is official; women all races love new clothes," joked Gagaran.

Neia glanced at her fellow companions, taking in their reactions. The Imperials weren't that surprised, although Sir Rockbruise's usually stoic face had a dark shadow cast over it. Remedios stared dumbly, scratching her head and frowning, probably unsure why Lord Ainz would bother offering a gift to a non-human. The knights of the Blue Rose had the most curious reaction.

"Wow, now there are two of you," teased Tia, nudging Evil-Eye on her left.

"The resemblance is uncanny," added Tina, also nudging Evil-Eye on her right.

"Oh, are you a lizard behind that mask, Shorty?" Gagaran laughed.

Evil-Eye grumbled. Lakyus, on her part, did look rather jealous of the whole thing, but smiled kindly nonetheless.

The Imperials and Neia, as well as the lizardmen in general, quickly grew more curious about something else, however.

"Eh… Lord Ainz, not to sound rude or anything but… what in the name of the four is that creature?" Hekkeran Termite asked.

"I can feel its power," remarked Roberdyck.

"It looks so wise," added Imina, blinking in disbelief.

Neia nodded in agreement. The knights of the Blue Rose and Enri didn't look so surprised.

In Neia's eyes, the creature was truly majestic, with its grey fur, six runes etched on it, and a scaly tail that reminded her of a snake. There was also a deep wisdom in those black bead eyes of it. Moreover, Neia could not remember ever reading or hearing of one such creature. As expected of the likes of Lord Ainz, they were before a legendary creature.

"Please, greet my noble steed, Hamsuke," said Lord Ainz with a straight face. "Hamsuke, allow me to make introductions."

Without missing a beat, the dark lord proceeded to introduce everyone to it, all while the creature watched them with bright intelligent eyes. Just when Neia suspected that the creature was more than intelligent enough to understand said introductions, the unthinkable happened.

"Pleased to meet more humans, I am! I am!"

Sir Rockbruise and the other imperials stared with gaping mouths, unable to believe the creature spoke. Neia too felt overwhelmed, and the lizardmen similarly stared in fascination. Obviously, Captain Remedios just could not read the mood and instead approached the creature, squinting at it.

"Oy, Neia, doesn't it remind you to Gustavo's bunnia?"

That's what you get out of this?! That this majestic talking creature is somehow similar to Gustavo's pets?! Thought Neia.

Remedios, though, was not done. She never was. She turned to Lord Ainz, who looked quite amused by the Captain's reaction.

"Can I pet it?"

Why in the-? Didn't you hear it talk? And besides, it is Lord Ainz's mount! It is not some pet! Neia thought, migraine spearing her head.

Neia felt close to collapsing from the Captain's recklessness as Remedios stupidly did a very poor rendition of petting a creature. If anything, Neia wasn't sure if Remedios didn't intend to beat Hamsuke instead. Seeing it, Neia understood why Gustavo never allowed the Captain near his bunnia.

At this pace Remedios is going to get use kicked out! Thought Neia. Can't she understand this majestic creature is-?

"Go ahead."

Neia's entire mind went blank in disbelief. Somehow, Lord Ainz appeared to have understood the Captain's whims and gestured for her to proceed. Remedios confidently marched towards the creature and, without a single moment of hesitation, started scratching it behind the ear. To Neia's mounting befuddlement, the creature released a sigh of contentment.

"Good that spot is!" Chirped Hamsuke. "It is!"

"Ha! And Gustavo said I didn't know how to treat pets right," boasted Remedios with a smirk.

How can this possibly get any crazier? Thought Neia.

"She's adorable, isn't she?"

Neia could only watch, mouth agape, as Enri went to Hamsuke's other side and proceeded to scratch the creature's neck. The creature, in turn, looked to be in a state of utter bliss.

"By the way," offhandedly said Lord Ainz, as if he hadn't just waltzed in with a legendary creature. "The lizardman traveler from the Green Claw tribe isn't far behind me."

---

Zaryusu Shasha knew the situation of his tribe was grim. The Great Lake was under the threat of invasion and within it, the Wetlands promised to be the battleground for a bloody war.

Another one, mentally amended Zaryusu.

Atop his four-headed hydra pet Rororo, the lizardman rode across the waters. Straight ahead he could see the settlement that belonged to the Dragon Tusk tribe. He felt apprehension as he approached the place. He knew he wouldn't be well-received. Additionally, matters had grown complicated.

It didn't help Zaryusu had the feeling he was being watched. Hunters and scouts had spoken of moving shadows, of evil shadowy creatures keeping an eyes on everything. It made Zaryusu's tail stiffen with fear. Worse, Zaryusu was certain he had spotted some of the creature, either shadowy wolves with bright red eyes, bats made of darkness or literal shadows of specters with three eyes.

A great evil was approaching the great lake, and its arrival was being heralded by dark minions.

Regardless, Zaryusu pushed on, towards the Dragon Tusk village. Five brutish specimens of Dragon Tusk greeted him with weary eyes. They didn't look hostile, but they didn't look to be in a good mood either. The guards eyed Rororo, a faint hint of amazement flashing across their eyes, only to return to their irritable glare.

You'd think they saw lizardmen riding hydras every day, thought an amused Zaryusu at their lack of reaction.

He then dispelled all notions of amusement and focused with the task at hand. He had a tribe to save, a lake to protect and a species to band together against all odds. Thus, Zaryusu jumped off Rororo, walked closer to the guards with clear peaceful intent and prepared to introduce himself. He never got the chance.

"It is about time you showed up," scoffed one of the guard. "The new chieftain has been waiting for you."

"This way, Green Claw, and don't you dare make any loud noises," grumbled a second one, massaging his head.

Zaryusu stood there, mouth still open. He closed it and tried to mask his surprise. However, filled with determination and sense of duty, he nodded and walked forth. As much as he wanted to inquire about how they knew he was coming, he decided it would be best if he acted as confident as possible. Zaryusu knew it wouldn't do well to look foolish during first impressions, much less negotiations… if he got that far.

The five guards surprisingly left their post and took positions around Zaryusu. Together, they walked deeper into the settlement, up to the central hill and straight to the communal chieftain hut.

Many lizardmen stopped what they were doing or peaked their heads out of their huts to look at Zaryusu. Some looked at him with hatred, no doubt survivors of Yellow Speckle and Sharp Edge. Others seemed only intrigued by his presence. A few looked on with admiration. Most - if not all - eyes wandered off to his belt and at the famous enchanted weapon: Frost Pain.

Zaryusu used the opportunity to study his surroundings and get a feeling of the tribe's situation. There were signs of war preparations, such as the fortifications he saw outside. Alongside freshly made spears and the lack of lake-weed baskets for food transportation, Zaryusu concluded Dragon Tusk wasn't planning on escaping.

Not that I expected anything less, thought Zaryusu.

That said, a stringent smell caught in his nostrils. It was a stench of vomit, food like cooked meat and… alcohol? Zaryusu was not entirely surprised by the smells, given that he was well aware the Dragon Tusk held the Great Wine Pot and had a proclivity for feasting. What did strike him as odd was how recent the smell of a feast was.

The guard mentioned a new chieftain. It is possible that with tensions running high, a disagreement led to the old chieftain to be replaced? Wondered Zaryusu. Perhaps that is why there was a celebration afterwards. It doesn't matter; as long as he is agreeable to an alliance, I don't care who the chieftain is.

The guards did not accompany him all the way to the central hut. Rather, they stopped twenty feet prior and urged him forward, all while looking apprehensively at the hut. By the looks of it, the new chieftain was more feared than respected. Zaryusu hoped that did not mean he was a brute or idiot.

The last thing the lizardmen need is a reckless fool as one of the chieftains, grimly thought Zaryusu.

Sadly, he knew that Dragon Tusk favored brute strength.

It was thus with a sense of apprehension Zaryusu walked towards the central hut, across the gaping entrance. He paused by the threshold, stunned by what he saw.

Humans. A whole lot of them. And they were having tea. And snacks. Oh, and what was that majestic (and massive) creature lounging on the far end? And who was the dark-clad human using said creature as some sort of comfy sofa, guarded by what Zaryusu recognized an angel (or a metal golem resembling one)?

Needless to say, Zaryusu had many questions.

"Finally, the lizardman of the hour!" Zaryusu turned to the only lizardman seated among the humans, to the dark lord's left past to a fearsome female in silvery plate armor. "Name's Zenberu Gugu and you're really late…"

Zenberu looked down at Zaryusu's belt and cursed.

"Urgh, it had to be the wielder of Frost Pain. You couldn't have waited until tomorrow," swore Zenberu, shaking his head with clear signs of intoxication.

Zaryusu wasn't sure what to say. From a mere glance, he could read the power dynamics: the dark lord, a sorcerer by the looks of it, seemed to be the lord and master of everyone present. Even the chieftain of the Dragon Tusk, Zenberu Gugu, seemed to have sat down as if a vassal. The disposition itself was very human-like, their proximity to dark lord an indication to their status.

Almost like a human court, noted Zaryusu. But how? What humans dared penetrate the forest?

He did not fail to notice how all humans carried quite the assortment of equipment with them. One had a hovering black sword behind her alongside smaller golden ones. Another humongous female was clad in red armor and carried a huge hammer. Then there was a one-eyed human with a unique plate armor that was definitively more than tempered steel. Truthfully, Zaryusu felt a bit naked with only Frost Pain and a scarf to his name – a curious alien feeling for lizardmen.

Instead of staring further, Zaryusu stepped forward, deeper into the hut and stood tall and proud. He puffed up his chest, making sure the runed stone hanging from his neck was fully visible.

"My name is Zaryusu Shasha. I carry the Green Claw chieftain's seal and I've come to talk to the chieftains of the Red Eye and Dragon Tusk tribes. I was told the chieftain of the Red Eye tribe is here," said Zaryusu, trying not to sound too flabbergasted before so many strangers. "Where…?"

"That would be me."

Zaryusu looked to the dark lord's right. On the other side of a muscular and evil-looking female human, Zaryusu spotted a hooded figure. Thin delicate white claws reached out from beneath her cloak and pulled the food back, revealing a lizardman female. With glistening white scale, mysterious red markings and scarlet eyes, there was one way to describe it: she looked perfect.

He must have stared a tad longer, for the chieftain straightened up and eyed him with suspicion, perhaps offended he was gaping like a hatchling. However, before Zaryusu could react, his vision was blocked by the golden staff of the dark lord, which forced Zaryusu to pry his eyes from the beautiful female and back to the evident leader of the congregation.

"I hope there is no problem with Crusch Lulu, the Chieftain of the Red Eye tribe," warned the dark lord in clear Re-Esterith language, burning eyes flaring.

"No," immediately said Zaryusu, switching to the same language. "I did not mean to offend. I was simply stunned by her beauty."

"There will be time for affairs of the heart," dismissively said the dark lord. "Until then, I do not tolerate workplace harassment. Please, sit down."

Workplace harassment? Mentally repeated Zaryusu, confused as he absentmindedly moved to sit before the court of invaders.

"You have come with a purpose," carried on the dark lord. "However, I am afraid to tell you matters have changed by the time you left your tribe last night." (Zaryusu made a mental note of the dark lord's knowledge regarding his departure). "The Red Eye and Dragon Tusk tribes have fallen under my protection. If there is anything you wish to discuss, it will have to be with me: Ainz Ooal Gown."

The name struck Zaryusu as odd, particularly given what he had learned about human names. Generally, humans carried names similar to lizardmen made of bloodline and individual names. Above them, human chieftains had four names. Retainers (a warrior class, apparently) sometimes had three. Additionally, Ainz Ooal Gown sounded nothing like the names Zaryusu had heard.

"He's the Great Shadow," nonchalantly commented Zenberu Gugu in the lizardman tongue.

"Do not fool yourself with his appearance," added Crusch Lulu, her tone firm and harsh. "His powers are right out of legends and beyond… even god-like, I dare say."

That made Zaryusu freeze and his already overworking mind halt abruptly. He studied Lord Ainz Ooal Gown again. He did look like a remarkable specimen of a human, with luxurious clothes, a grand staff that look made of gold and those weird and scary eyes of his. That said, Zaryusu had to remind himself that humans, while generally weak, had dangerous outliers. However, as rational as he wanted to be, Zaryusu felt a strange anger at the beautiful female's tone of admiration towards Lord Ainz.

"Why have you come, Zaryusu Shasha?" Asked Lord Ainz, sounding impatient.

"I am sorry, your lordship," said Zaryusu, remembering human etiquette. "I first wished to approach the Red Eye tribe for a potential alliance. However, when I arrived at the village at dawn, I was told the chieftain would be here. I had then expected I could come here to extend the negotiations with Dragon Tusk. I did not expect for things to have changed to radically."

"An alliance, you say," hummed the dark lord. "You mean to join Dragon Claw and its two allied tribes – Small Fang and Razor Tail - into a united block. Curious… do you believe all five tribes united stand a chance against the forest alliance?"

"It is not a matter of being able to defeat them," corrected Zaryusu. "If we stand together, we might form a force that – although still far too weak to survive the Alliance if they wish to destroy us – will be too costly to overwhelm with pure force."

"I see. You believe the Forest Alliance would decide to bother with negotiations, or even ignore you entirely, if you prove yourself strong enough. I'll admit, with the forest alliance's prime concern being my people in the south, they might not be too interested in wasting their strength on you. I presume you are taking your chances knowing it is the Demon Snake of the West rather than the Giant of the East who is encroaching on the Great Lake."

Zaryusu nodded. It seemed Lord Ainz knew quite a lot about the workings of the Great Forest of Tob.

"Your lordship, are you the one that commands the armies in the south?" Zaryusu asked.

"Technically speaking, that would be my warchief here, Lady Enri Emmot." Lord Ainz gestured to the woman on his right. "But yes, they are my armies who are camping not far from here and who I expect will be in pursuit of the Demon Snake of the West in due time."

Zaryusu could only hope the clash between the two forces was costly for both sides.

"Now the question is…" continued Lord Ainz, focusing his burning gaze on Zaryusu "…what will your tribes do now that two of the tribes have submitted to me?"

Zaryusu tensed, his eyes locked with Lord Ainz. Although Zaryusu had arrived prepared to talk chieftains into an alliance, he had not expected to deal with a sorcerer, one who commanded the evil goblin-like creatures from the south.

"Your people have two choices, Zaryusu Shasha," slowly said Lord Ainz. "Your tribes submit under my authority, as the Red Eye and Dragon Tusk tribes have already done, or you will be destroyed."

"Subjugation or death then?" Said Zaryusu.

Although the ultimatum was harsh, it was actually a lot better than Zaryusu had been expecting from the Great Shadow. The fact Lord Ainz Ooal Gown was a reasonable human-like figure was an improvement over the imagined monster that was the Great Shadow and his weird lizard-goblins.

Maybe I could convince Lord Ainz we aren't worth it? Wondered Zaryusu. Arguments whirled and developed in his mind. It might be our best chance yet.

"Your lordship, I understand the appeal of your conquest but please, reconsider. My people are an isolated group, neutral on all affairs outside the Great Lake, and, even then, mostly relating to the Wetlands."

A look of approval flashed across Lord Ainz's face, fire eyes burning with amusement. Zaryusu did not miss the way his gaze went down to Zaryusu's traveler brand.

"You are a well-spoken lizardman," remarked Lord Ainz. "Say, traveler, did you spend your travels among humans? Probably the northern tribes, if your accentuation is anything to go by."

Zaryusu wasn't surprised Lord Ainz knew about the traveler caste. Zenberu Gugu was a traveler too and had probably explained what that entailed. However, the fact Lord Ainz quickly picked on Zaryusu's manner of speech and perhaps argumentation meant the dark lord had an upper hand in their arguments, aware of where Zaryusu's arguments would come from, while Lord Ainz remained a mystery.

"That is correct, your lordship," nodded Zaryusu.

"And with proper etiquette no less," hummed Lord Ainz, intrigued. He chuckled, much to everyone's confusion. "Very well, Zaryusu Shasha, let us have a Melian Dialogue* of our own."

A what? Did he say Melan dialogue? Wondered Zaryusu confused.

"In regards to your neutrality, I am afraid it is unacceptable. It signals weakness, and allowing your tribes to remain neutral will encourage other tribes to defy me," said Lord Ainz. Weirdly enough, he seemed like he was trying to remember more than think.

He must have had this conversation many times, realized Zaryusu, growing nervous.

Zaryusu scrubbed his mind for arguments. There had to be some way to dissuade the dark lord from caring about his fate. It didn't help that Lord Ainz watched expectantly, as if already prepared to dish out a response.

"What about your reputation, your lordship? Do you want to be known as the lord who brutally crushes small neutral tribes? It will encourage resistance and only cause complications, perhaps not in your conquest, but later on, when you have focused elsewhere," argued Zaryusu.

"And would leaving you be any better than allowing your neutrality to my reputation? If I were to allow your tribes to remain free, all subjugated tribes of the forest will demand the same and embolden others to revolt. No, let it be known I tolerate neither dissidence nor rebellion, no matter how small the tribe – let that be my reputation."

"Yet couldn't our resistance itself inspire others, and potentially lead to the eventual weakening of your army?"

"Damned if I do, damned if I don't, then," countered Lord Ainz. "That said, I doubt your tribal alliance can hope to inspire much, if you were to choose defiance. Compared to my forces, your tribal alliance for…" he trailed off, tapping his chin "…257 warriors, 8 druids and 29 hunters, with 334 males and 280 females, correct?"

Zaryusu stared in disbelief at the dark lord, his jaw thankfully set in place rather than going slack. The humans and Zenberu did not look that surprised but they did show signs of being impressed.

"You are well informed," was all Zaryusu could manage to choke out.

"As the art of war dictates: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles," sagely replied Lord Ainz, a cruel smile curling up in place. "So yes, I make it a point to be well informed."

He stretched a hand at Zaryusu.

"Come now, I am sure you have yet more arguments left in our little dialogue," mused Lord Ainz.

He's enjoying this. We are talking about the death or subjugation of my people and he treats it with amusement, thought Zaryusu, his temper flaring.

He held his anger, though, unwilling to surrender to his emotions. His tribe – no, his people – needed him, even if perhaps their doom had already been decided.

"Maybe we won't fight, maybe we do. Subjugation would compromise our freedom, our honor, our way of life…"

But Zaryusu knew this was the weakest argument (if it even was an argument), given what had been discussed. In fact, he himself didn't entirely believe in it. If anything, he had been meaning to actually change his people's way of life because of how disastrous it had been so far.

"Ah yes, preservation of freedom and honor," nodded Lord Ainz. "I apologize, Zaryusu Shasha, but I think both of us agree such a stance is irrational and shortsighted. Such pursuit of honor is naïve and detaches from reality. Isn't it better to submit and survive, than annihilation?"

Yes, it was, especially against a clearly smart nightmarish lord. Then again, Zaryusu knew some of his tribesmen might have disagreed. Regardless, Zaryusu was speaking in the name of his tribe, not just himself, and so he tried to think something else to say.

But nothing came to his mind.

"No? Are you not going to argue that your shared heritage and interest in opposing me with other demi-human tribes in the forest might compel them to intervene faster, maybe out of opportunism? Perhaps an appeal to divine intervention, that you hold a morally just cause and aid you?"

Zaryusu wished he could appeal to the ancestors like that, as much as he wished the forest alliance was an alternative. However, no alliance with the Giant of the East or the Demon Snake of the West would result in anything other than becoming expendable soldiers, if not winter food, for the other forest tribes.

However, Zaryusu was able to come up with one final argument. It was a gamble, and not something that any lizardmen (or anything other than a human) might consider.

"Your lordship, I have no true logical reason for you to spare my people from your warpath, but perhaps… just maybe… could I appeal to your concept of justice?" Slowly said Zaryusu. Truthfully, he was embarrassed for using human arguments. "Is it truly just to conquer our people, when we have done nothing to you, humans or anyone?"

Zaryusu saw a young female human, the one near Zenberu and the silvery-plated woman with the scary intense look on her face. She had a weird look in her eyes, the sort Zaryusu had seen in human thieves and evil-doers. He glanced between Lord Ainz and the plated human female, and quickly realized the youngling was probably their offspring and reason why said female had been allowed to Lord Ainz's left. For some reason, said offspring was watching intently, having perked up with widened eyes at the mention of "justice".

"Justice, you say?" Hummed Lord Ainz with a smirk. "I am sorry, Zaryusu Shasha, but justice is not an abstract, universal principle but a concept constructed and defined by one thing…"

The dark lord trailed off and Zaryusu could have sworn he was doing it out of theatrics. Of course, he knew better than to assume such a powerful entity could decide it was time to add drama to a conversation, yet it felt like that. Sadly, he didn't know Suzuki Satoru enjoyed his theatrics.

"Power," stated Lord Ainz with gravitas. "For you see, justice only operates between equals in strength. Between unequal parties, the stronger will impose its will, and the weaker must submit."

He stretched out a hand, and his voice turned grave and wise as he continued speaking.

"The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must."

Zaryusu bowed his head in defeat for he knew, deep down, Lord Ainz was correct. Moreover, it was no clear that he was also incredibly intelligent, a more dangerous foe than the leaders of the Forest Alliance.

Neia Baraja, on her part, stared in awe, processing what she had heard. To her, it had all made sense, even if it clashed with what Captain Remedios might have said.

Back with Lord Ainz, his smile turned gentle, and almost friendly, albeit cautious.

"Of course, as you have pointed out, reality isn't so clear cut. Your hopes for the tribal alliance has merit. After all, it is not a matter on who is strong and who is weak, but who is strong enough. A weakling can still thrive – even when calculations of power predict failure at every turn – if it proves too costly of a challenge. That is without mentioning that strength is not as clear cut nor unchanging as we might first believe."

Zaryusu felt a tinge of hope and relief. It seemed that the dark lord, although overwhelming, could be gracious.

"There is no need to be enemies," he carried on. "Submit to my rule, like Dragon Tusk and Red Eye, and you will be spared and I guarantee your people shall prosper. You will be protected from this threat. In fact, I will make sure you are well cared for."

"He isn't joking," added Zenberu in the lizardman language, arms folded and looking serious. "This fiend has connections with the human tribes by the deep waters."

"I do not know whether he will help us avoid another resource war," said a grim Red Eye. "But it is foolish to stand against him."

It seemed Lord Ainz had the two chieftains fully convinced. Again, emotions flared within Zaryusu at the albino chieftain's devotion.

"And in return of your mercy?" Asked Zaryusu.

"Your full servitude," said Lord Ainz. "You won't be slaves, but I expect you to work for me after joining my forces."

"What would this work involve?" Asked a suspicious Zaryusu.

"For starters, expand on that little interesting project of yours," said Lord Ainz with a smirk. Zaryusu wasn't sure what he meant but got a bad feeling nonetheless. "I must say, I am impressed you have actually bothered to copy the humans' fish-farming techniques."

Zaryusu felt him blood freeze all over. He recalled the dark watchers. They must have been Lord Ainz's spies!

What doesn't he know about us? Thought a horrified Zaryusu.

"Yes, I am well aware of your little project. It will require quite a lot of refinement, especially if you hope to sustain a recovering population of lizardmen," absentmindedly said Lord Ainz. "But I would gladly invest with resources and knowledge for a good return of the fishes."

"Fish farm?" Asked Zenberu. He looked at Zaryusu like he had four heads like Rororo. "You can actually do that?"

"It is something I learned about during my times among the humans," admitted Zaryusu.

Zaryusu Shasha could not bring himself to believe that some foreign lord would just appear out of nowhere with armies, demand his tribe's submission on one hand, all while pretty much accelerating what Zaryusu hoped would save the lizardmen from another resource war.

"I have spoken my mind, Zaryusu Shasha," proclaimed Lord Ainz with an air of finality. "Return to your people and discuss it if you must, but that is my offer. Be warned, however, that time is running out."

Zaryusu didn't know how to respond. He had many questions left and he fully intended to learn more regarding Lord Ainz, but at the same time he needed to inform his tribe about the last changes in the wetlands. However, before he could say anything, Zenberu Gugu struggled to his feet, drawing everyone attention.

"Hey, before we do any more talking or leave, I want to fight you."

"Another duel, Zenberu?" Guessed Lord Ainz.

"Yes, I want to test my strength against the wielder of Frost Pain," proclaimed Zenberu, switching languages.

"You don't look like you are ready for anything," said Lord Ainz. "I am sure there will be time to fight later on."

"What about-?"

"No, you will endure that hangover," insisted Lord Ainz. "Take responsibility for it. I will not make you complacent with magical remedies."

"Urgh, fine. I guess you are right," muttered Zenberu, plopping down on the ground and releasing a groan. "Shouldn't have drunk that much…"

"You shouldn't have challenged Imina to a drinking contest," added the dual swordsman.

The woman in question (a half-elf, quickly realized Zaryusu upon noticing her ears), huffed angrily, much to her comrade's befuddlement. Her two other companions shared knowing looks.

"The wielder of Frost Pain just walks into the tribe and I am incapable to challenge him because of a hungover. The ancestors must be laughing at me," grumbled Zenberu.

He paused, and a strange look crossed his face before he turned to the silver-plated woman to Lord Ainz's left.

"Hey, Chieftain, what about you?" Eagerly asked Zenberu.

"Chieftain…?" Trailed off Zaryusu, unable to believe what he had heard.

"Yep, this human is my chieftain now," said Zenberu, highly amused by Zaryusu's face.

"What?! How?!"

Zaryusu looked between the big lizardman and the silver-plated woman, flabbergasted. The concept of giving the position of chieftain to a human was simply preposterous, yet it seemed Zenberu only laughed at the whole situation.

"She beat the ancestors' tails out of me," chuckled Zenberu in the lizardman language. "It was really embarrassing…"

"You only gave up your position so that you could throw a feast!" Hissed Crusch Lulu, glaring at Zenberu and whipping her tail in anger. "You rather be napping than fighting for your tribe!"

Zaryusu had to admit, she looked great when angry.

"Hey, I resent that… but fine, maybe I was growing tired of all my tribe whining and moaning," admitted Zenberu. "And it isn't like we have many options to survive anyway. We either submitted to the Great Shadow or got wiped out, so I thought we might as well throw our fortunes to the one who defeated me. And hey, she gives me a good feeling."

Zaryusu looked at the alleged chieftain of the Dragon Tusk. The woman locked eyes with him. Zaryusu did not know what fungus Zenberu had been trying lately, but the human gave Zaryusu the impression she would not hesitate to cut him to pieces.

"Do you think you can beat her?" Mused Zenberu, sounding awfully smug. "How about it? If you beat my new chieftain, then maybe I'll support throwing our fortune behind you."

"How quickly you turn on your chieftain!" Accused Crusch Lulu only to turn her beautiful face towards Zaryusu. The lizardman felt his body tense under her gaze. "Do not try it! She is fearsome and possesses strange powers."

"Shush, plant monster, I really want to see if my chieftain can beat the wielder of Frost Pain," Zenberu chuckled in dark amusement.

"I…" Zaryusu trailed off, unsure what to say or do.

Why did he call her plant monster? A confused (and angry) Zaryusu thought, before shaking his head and focusing back on what he had to decide.

On the one hand, he had no intentions of dueling a human just for the amusement of Zenberu. On the other hand, it was also true that Zaryusu wanted to test the power and strength of these invaders, perhaps get a taste of it before reporting to his brother. If this human could defeat him, and she was but a retainer for the dark lord, then Lord Ainz Ooal Gown did not just count with a huge enough army to wipe them out, but individuals that could eradicate all lizardmen.

"What say you, wielder of Frost Pain?" Taunted Zenberu. "Are you too afraid of my chieftain…?"

Zaryusu was tempted to scoff at Zenberu's poor attempts at riling him up.

"…Or too afraid to disappoint the plant monster?"

Zaryusu (to his chagrin) perked up at that and (against his own will) turned towards beautiful female, wondering if he could actually impress her through a fight. She, sadly, was looking at Zenberu as if she wanted to slice and dice him on the spot.

No! You aren't a juvenile lizardman, Zaryusu berated himself.

Sadly, it seemed that Zenberu's word had achieved on tipping the balance of Zaryusu's debacle. He suddenly felt very eager to face off with the human chieftain. He wasn't going to be stupid about it, however. He turned to Lord Ainz, eager to extract more information on who she was and her relationship with him (was she a lieutenant, a champion, a mere retainer or something else?).

However, it seemed the silver-plated human had not appreciated being talked about, or perhaps she was insulted by something. Regardless, Zaryusu stared with mounting apprehension as she stood up, face fierce and deadly. She was shorter than him, but even so she exuded a presence that made Zaryusu feel small, particularly the intense brown gaze of hers.

When she spoke, Zaryusu did not understand a thing she said. However, her tone made obvious what she wanted.

---

"Oy, do you want to fight me too?"

Captain Remedios Custodio did not understand a single thing that was happening, much less what she was supposed to do. She had expected things to be simple: join Lord Ainz on his campaign across the forest dealing with evil goblins and whatnot, show that she was strong and finally garner the dark lord's attention and, possibly, his trust. In other words, exactly how she liked it: simple, straightforward and no complicated overthinking. Remedios had not expected to partake in what seemed like court business. Well, she had expected it from Lord Ainz (being all kingly, dark and such) but the big lizards? Absolutely not!

Urgh, since when do demi-humans talk so much?! Mentally groaned the paladin captain.

She wasn't going to deny she had grown irritable and impatient, unable to understand what was happening and being said, no matter how much Neia managed to translate. That and she was still frustrated by her inability to learn from Lady Emmot.

"Captain! Zaryusu Shasha is here to talk, not to fight!" Spluttered Neia, jumping to her side.

"Bah, demi-humans know one language," huffed Remedios. She waved a fist. "Violence!"

Neia stared in disbelief, opening and closing her mouth as if trying to come up with some argument. Remedios tsked at the squire's naiveté.

"What about fishmen?" Wondered Neia abruptly.

"What's that go to do with anything?" Grumbled Remedios, genuinely curious.

"They- they are diplomatic demi-humans, aren't they? You even like them!" Said Neia in disbelief.

"So?" Remedios asked, confused.

Neia's face reminded Remedios of Kelart, particularly when her sister went on about stuff Remedios would purposely ignore. Instead of getting fond feelings as she recalled her beloved sister, Remedios felt a pang of irritation. Unbidden memories of Princess Renner's words echoed in Remedios' mind.

The prince and your sister… they don't believe in you like your queen does, do they? Princess Renner had timidly asked as they walked down the flower gardens of the Valencia Palace.

It had not been the only time Princess Renner had pointed out how little faith others had on Remedios, all except Queen Calca. She had brought up questions that caused a turmoil of emotions in Remedios' gut. A part of her resented Renner for it. Remedios still hear echoes of the princess long boring monologues:

How odd… you're telling me no other of the Nine Colors have two Vice-Captains? I wonder if your sister thought you needed the most help… and what do you mean you were never involved in running the Paladin Order's headquarters? Oh, the Prince and Vice-Captain Gustavo haven't invited you to their talks with Lord Ainz?

"Captain," called Neia, snapping Remedios out of her thoughts. "I-I think that-"

"Bah!" Snapped Remedios, shutting down the tumultuous questions that bounced in her head.

She shook her head and glared at the gaping lizard staring at her.

"Do you want to fight or not?" She asked again.

"Captain, please, I beg you!" Exclaimed Neia. "Could- could you consult with Lord Ainz, at least? This is his campaign, isn't it?"

"Think, Neia! Think! The whole idea is to get him to trust me and I can't do that by just standing around and doing nothing," said Remedios, rolling her eyes and tapping her temple.

"I… well… yes b-but…" Neia trailed off, unsure. "Wh-what if you end up displeasing Lord Ainz by picking a fight? That will have the opposite effect!"

Remedios paused. She hadn't thought about that. Then again, she hadn't put much thought to the whole "get-the-dark-bastard-to-trust-him" scheme. Princess Renner had given her a lot of excellent pointers on how she could achieve the ultimate goal of having Lord Ainz vulnerable to Safarlisia but the truth was Remedios had forgotten most of what she had said.

Eh… the princess had said something important about Lord Ainz. Was it that he would be attracted to my abilities and strength? Guess it makes sense; I am a great paladin – and very humble. Then she said… eh… something about her Holiness' dream about peace… ehm… spread some justice (I think, but that was a given) and… and a lot of other stuff, recalled Remedios.

She then smirked as she remembered something else.

Ah yes, I think I remember! Beating down demi-humans was part of that feminine wiles skill! Ha! And Kelart said I couldn't remember any instructions!

Captain Remedios was, in fact, making new stuff up as she went.

The Paladin Captain turned to Lord Ainz. The dark lord was leaning back on Hamsuke and looked at her with interest, stroking his chin. He was whispering to an equally mystified Enri, both of them staring straight at her. In fact, everyone had been staring at the captain as she struggled with the difficult process of thinking.

"Fine, ask him if I can fight this lizard," sighed Remedios.

Neia did as told, sending furtive glances at Remedios. Lord Ainz seemed deep in thought for a moment. Remedios boldly stared into his fire eyes, all while he stared into her own brown eyes. For some reason, the two ended up smirking in understanding and nodding.

This dark lord obviously likes to see me delivering some good justice, thought the paladin. Must be my fearsome feminine wiles in action.

Man, she reminds me a bit to Touch Me. I guess she rather spare the lizardmen from my perceived evilness by beating some sense into them… a bit unorthodox but within the realms of what I'd expect of a paladin, thought Suzuki. He was not going to deny he didn't enjoy seeing Remedios fight.

Lord Ainz looked at the reptilian newcomer. Before the dark lord could decide, said reptile changed its look of bewilderment to one of determination (did lizards even feel determination?) and stood up with defiance, speaking with a tone Remedios had heard before. It had accepted the challenge.

"See? Abelar are all the same," said Remedios.

"Captain, these lizardmen are not Abelar," pointed out Neia.

"How can you tell?"

"Well… we are NOT in the Abelion Hills," remarked Neia.

Remedios simply stared her, confused. What did the Abelion Hills had to do with anything?

"And… eh… they don't eat humans…" only for Neia to nervously glance at the mutant lizard (the one called Zanboro, Cerburu or something) "…I think."

"Ah, that makes sense," conceded Remedios. "Not that that changes anything."

"Captain, you do remember you have been made their chieftain, right?"

Remedios blinked. Neia groaned.

"Hold on, the mutant lizard was serious?"

"Yes, and don't call him mutant lizard, Captain! His name is Zenberu Gugu and he meant it! You have their tribe's seal!" Exclaimed Neia.

Remedios frowned and looked at the rock with a weird rune she had over her breastplate.

"Huh, I knew this thing was too weird to be a plain rock," slowly nodded Remedios.

Actually, she had assumed it was some trophy for beating up their leader, one Remedios had been hopeful to present her queen. In hindsight, it would have been weird to present a rock to Calca at court. Neia, on her part, must have really been learning from Gustavo, because she was pulling one of his many faces – Remedios had yet to figure out why he had constipated looks when it came to her decision-making.

"I guess I'll have to be their captain," shrugged Remedios, smirking. "I bet I must have impressed Lord Ainz enough to allow me to take control of these lizards."

Actually, Suzuki was very pleased he could throw the responsibilities at someone else.

The new lizard interrupted their chat and Remedios turned to it. The Shasha lizard looked absolutely baffled, while the albino lizard seemed at a loss. In fact, everyone else seemed baffled. Meanwhile, the mutant lizard laughed.

No, Zenberu Gugu, corrected Remedios. If I am to be the captain of these lizards, might as well try to remember their names.

She smirked, cracking her knuckles, satisfied she could finally get to do something of importance.

"In the name of her Holiness, Queen Bessarez, I shall bring Justice to this savage land!" Proclaimed the captain.

She paused as a thought crawled out within the empty hollow darkness of her head.

Huh, maybe I should spread's the Queen's justice, thought the paladin, nodding to herself. I'll prove I am worthy of the title of Captain!

Far away, in the Holy Roble kingdom, Kelart Custodio shivered in fear. She had just gotten the distinct impression her sister was going to do something ridiculous.

---

This is going to be good, thought Zenberu Gugu.

Beneath the radiant evening sun and blue skies, the former chieftain glanced at his surroundings. He stood at the center of the dirt ring he and others of Dragon Tusk used for sparring and training. On one side stood the new chieftain, the human Remedios, with her hatchling, Neia. On the other side, looking determined and cautious, was the wielder of Frost Pain.

Lord Ainz sat on a magnificent golden throne, beneath the shade of a luxurious tent, with a small table full of refreshments. The other humans sat on wooden chairs, looking between shocked at all Lord Ainz's servants had brought at a simple call from their master, to outright entertained, probably aware of Lord Ainz's powers.

Most important of all, the rest of the Dragon Tusk tribe was present, either to watch in amazement at Lord Ainz and his affluence, or to enjoy how the wielder of Frost Pain was about to be beaten down.

Zenberu Gugu wished he could be the one to do the honors of defeating Zaryusu Shasha. However, his tribe needed to witness Remedios' power. They needed to see what Lord Ainz meant and to see it was a good idea to serve him rather than allow for any alternative. Said alternative would involve too much nagging and whining and too little napping and feasting.

"So, Wielder of Frost Pain, Chieftain, any conditions for the fight?" Asked Zenberu.

"Yes," said Zaryusu Shasha, pointing a finger at Remedios. "I believe it is a poor show of strength to be covered by metal armor."

"Your hide is tougher than her human flesh," countered Zenberu.

"Her blade is a magical treasure and will cut me as easy as Frost Pain will cut her flesh," rebutted the Green Claw. "The difference is that that armor could hold enchanted items or be enchanted itself."

Clever, levelling the field, thought Zenberu, before grumbling in embarrassment. And he's not underestimating her like I did at the beginning. Not that it will help either way, though.

Zenberu communicated the condition to the chieftain's hatchling. The adorable little thing squeaked and translated to her dam. The chieftain scoffed, but shrugged and unceremoniously started removing her silvery plate armor. She had to bark at her hatchling (who had acquired a curious shade of red on her face) to assist.

Lord Ainz seemed quite mesmerized by Remedios shedding her plate off, much like the identical human twins. The rest were caught between blinking at Remedios in confusion (like the big male Goltron), gaping like the male swordsman (who receiving a glowering scowl from the half-elf) or staring red-faced like Aindra and Lady Enri. Then there was the big woman, Gagaran, cheering on and whistling.

Seeing as that would take time, Zenberu approached Zaryusu. The lizardman looked so tense, he would crack at any moment.

"I got to say, it takes some courage to accept the chieftain's challenge," teased Zenberu.

"Courage or foolishness," rebutted Zaryusu, eyes never leaving the chieftain. "Did you really forfeit your title due to defeat?"

"What if I did?" Scoffed Zenberu, bristling. "Our tribe isn't like your Green Claws with all the yapping and babbling."

That finally made Zaryusu looked at Zenberu.

"You gave a ruling position to an invader." It was a statement of a fact, without condemnation in his tone.

"Do you think there are alternatives?" Sighed Zenberu, scratching his head.

Had he known he'd get more people whining about it, he might have thought twice of giving the chieftain's seal to Remedios. Still, he was not one not to owe up to his decisions.

"Look at my tribesmen, Wielder of Frost Pain," said Zenberu, gesturing at the gathering lizardmen. Warriors watched on, intrigued, while females and their hatchlings tentatively looked from the safety of the crowd of males in front. "They have not seen the world beyond the Great Lake like you and I. They look at metal in awe and think humans as these strange oversized goblins. Between you and me, it might do them good to have this new chieftain."

"And I am some poor fool your chieftain can prove herself on."

"Now you're getting it," laughed Zenberu as he went back to his position between the two challengers. "Look at it as an opportunity to impress the plant monster."

Zaryusu Shasha looked annoyed that he had been played by Zenberu, but he tilted his head, looking at Remedios differently.

Throughout it all, Remedios didn't appear to care as she finished removing the plate and then chainmail beneath. Before long, she stood uncaringly with only a linen shirt and breeches… which she would have removed hadn't her hatchling squeaked and squawked in protest. Zenberu got the impression Lord Ainz wouldn't have minded.

"Alright you two, are you ready?" Called Zenberu.

Remedios nodded and drew her blade. The magic sword glowed with powers Zenberu could only ponder about. From what he had been able to gather the previous night (while he was mostly sober), Remedios had some unique powers from a land far, far away. They weren't drawn from any gods or nature. He wasn't sure where the power came from; Remedios' hatchling didn't seem to know how to explain it… that or Zenberu had been more worried about falling behind the half-elf when it came to drinking.

Zaryusu Shasha responded with a nod of his own and drew Frost Pain. He glanced at Crusch Lulu, who sat next to Lord Ainz wrapped in his gift. Zenberu was tempted on teasing Zaryusu with Lord Ainz having already succeeded in courting Crusch Lulu, but abstained, taking pity on the Green Claw.

Zenberu raised his spear in preparation and glanced at the two fighters one last time. Zaryusu Shasha looked determined yet apprehensive but a glance towards Crusch Lulu seemed to provide all the strength he needed. Zenberu was tempted on groaning at the juvenile display but decided against it. Crusch Lulu, on her part, looked more annoyed than anything, arms folded and her tail angrily slapping the ground, muttering things like "idiots", "senseless fighting" and other things. Yep, she was growing on Zenberu alright.

"Alright… FIGHT!"

With a swing of his spear and a loud cry, the duel began. Remedios didn't even wait. She sprung at Zaryusu, making a single leap straight towards her victim. Zaryusu was definitely surprised by the display of speed but he seemed to be taking the matter seriously, for he did quickly blocked the incoming attack. That was his first mistake.

Remedios' magical blade slammed onto Frost Pain and Zaryusu tripped backwards, taken aback by the human's strength. He recovered and riposted, only for the paladin to parry and counter with a swing. This time, Zaryusu dodged and struck. His weapon was parried and never saw the kick until the foot buried in his gut.

Zaryusu was sent backwards, skipping on the ground like a pebble over water. The paladin did not press her attack, instead twirling her blade and holding her ground. She seemed to dislike taking down Zaryusu while he was down. The lizardman, on his part, struggled to his feet, a claw massaging his stomach.

"She's fast and strong, isn't she?" Mused Zenberu.

Zaryusu didn't respond. Instead, he straightened up and took a fighting pose. Zenberu felt his respect for the wielder of Frost Pain grow a bit. Not much, though.

Remedios charged again. Her body glowed red and suddenly burst like a charging hydra at Zaryusu. While surprised, Zaryusu was prepared. He waited till the last moment, before dodging and swinging. This time, Frost Pain reached its target. Barely.

Remedios skidded on the ground and Zenberu saw a small scratch on her hip. She took a moment to look at the very small cut with a frown. It may have been his imagination, but Zenberu thought he saw ice forming on the tiny wound. Just as Remedios re-focused on her opponent, she found Zaryusu dropping from the air above. She swiftly moved to parry, but it seemed Zaryusu had a trick under his sleeve.

"[Icy Burst]!"

The entire battlefield exploded as ice spread across the ground and a freezing mist quickly covering everything from sight. Zenberu stood there, surprised. He knew Frost Pain was a powerful weapon, but he hadn't known by how much. The mist cleared somewhat, revealing a triumphant Zaryusu holding a defensive stance. Opposite him was Remedios, studying a new thin cut on her shoulder. This time, Zaryusu was sure there was ice forming on the injury. That said, Remedios looked like she had walked out in a gale, much of her clothes frozen all over.

"Huh, maybe he does stand a chance," mused Zenberu.

The lizardmen watching all recoiled at the cold, including Zenberu. They hated the cold. The only one who seemed unaffected appeared to be Zaryusu, who looked quite confident about his chance.

Remedios clenched and unclenched her free hand, looking at it, only to turn a dangerous glare towards Zaryusu. The lizardman's eyes widened as suddenly flickers of light danced across the paladin. Her once chilled skin regained a warmed-up pallor and her injuries closed up.

Zaryusu's eyes promised to pop out of their sockets as a mystical energy swept across Remedios. It reminded Zenberu about the so-called divine powers he had seen in his travels, but it looked and felt different. Remedios was far from done, she took her sword with both hands and closed her eyes, as if in prayer.

"What manner of blessings are those?" Asked Zaryusu.

"I told you, you idiot!" Shouted Crusch Lulu. "She has powers we've never seen before!"

That was putting it lightly. The game of lights died down and Remedios opened her eyes. When she did, Zenberu knew she now counted with extra protection and strength. She had used blessings, but they were neither those of nature or like the so-called divine from his travels. Remedios started walking towards Zaryusu. Her walk turned into a trot, then a sprint. Zaryusu charged at her in response.

Remedios' body glowed with Martial Arts and the two fighters went for another clash. They traded blows again, but this time it seemed Remedios was fighting with less abandon. The difference in skill became obvious as Remedios' started pushing Zaryusu back. The lizardman desperately tried using a few tricks, like using a spin and tail-slash to throw chunks of the iced ground, but nothing worked. Remedios' body moved by instincts, finely tuned for combat.

BLAM.

Zaryusu was sent rolling backwards once again, this time by a punch. When he stood up, he seemed to wince at his jaw. It was broken. Remedios waited again for her opponent to compose himself, then lunged.

Seeing how he was going to lose either way, it seemed Zaryusu would throw all he had. He charged and met the paladin head on. They swung their weapons. Just as they were about to meet, Zaryusu released a scream.

"[Icy Burst]!"

Zenberu was forced to block his eyes as the dirt ring exploded. Ice shards flew in all directions as everything froze around Frost Pain. A mist once again shrouded the duel. When it started clearing, everyone saw the two silhouettes of the standing fighters, with no clear victor. Neither moved until the mist finally faded out.

Zaryusu stood, eyes wide in disbelief and panting. His weapon arm was stretched out, as if caught mid-swing, Frost Pain ready to strike. Remedios, on the other hand, was calmly sheathing her sword and looking back at her foe. The lizardman's arm dropped, Frost Pain falling from his loosened grip. Without a word, he dropped forward. His body fell limp on the ring.

The Dragon Tusk tribe looked on in silence, caught between amazement and apprehension. Zenberu walked over to Zaryusu and prodded him with his halberd. There was no response. Zenberu shrugged, not sure if he was surprised or not. In the end, it didn't matter. He quickly raised his halberd and roared in finality.

"The fight is over! Our chieftain is victorious!" Proclaimed Zenberu.

The tribe cheered, whether out of spite against the wielder of frost pain, the heat of the moment or fear of repercussion, Zenberu would never know. Now though, the question remained: what was next?

Zenberu glanced at Zaryusu Shasha. Was he dead anyway?

---

He was drifting. His mind tethered in the line between awareness and slumber, a sluggish confusion of slow errant thoughts clogged at the forefront of his consciousness. Such was his state of being, that Zaryusu Shasha took longer than it should to realize he had no idea where he was.

It felt like he was submerged in something, floating freely, yet he felt no pressure or resistance. He felt cold yet he did not shudder. There was darkness beneath (or was that up?). It beckoned at his consciousness. A light behind brought a tinge of warmth, but one Zaryusu resisted. Somehow, he knew the light wanted to pull him up.

Let me be, Zaryusu thought. I failed…

Memories flooded into him as he drifted, memories of his life. He recalled his victories and his losses. He remembered in clear detail his fight against the chieftain of Sharp Edge and previous owner of Frost Pain, how desperate and close it had been. He had been hailed a champion, a savior, the lizardman who secured the tribe's triumph… but that was not true. No one won that war.

We all lost, thought the drifting lizardman. We should have found an alternative, something to secure that we would never kill each other… but no one knew what to do… no one wanted to think about it…

"He's resisting," a female voice in human language echoed faintly from the light.

Humans, what strange creatures. Zaryusu remember his travels as he sought a solution to his people's true problem. No, not only his people's but also his own problems. He was expected to lead, to continue the fight, but Zaryusu refused. Too much blood had been spilled. Only the brand of the traveler could taint the tale of the champion, and he took it gladly. Then, he left. The forest tribes had nothing to offer other than more of the same answers: war… death… repeat. Humans, though, offered the same and much more.

"I- I can't bring him back!"

No, let me leave, thought Zaryusu. Just let me go... tired… so tired…

"How curious… show me how you are performing [Raise Dead]."

That voice, it struck Zaryusu as familiar. At the moment, he didn't care. He was getting closer to the darkness, or was the light getting further away? He didn't care. He ignored the distant voices, his mind growing number. The first voice appeared to be instructing the second, but whatever was said could wait. Zaryusu had the darkness to drift towards.

Just let me rest at last, thought Zaryusu, too drained to be annoyed by the ceaseless banter behind. I tried and failed… let me rest…

He remembered his triumphant return; one met with trepidation and appreciation. His brother had welcomed him with open arms, more than happy to listen to Zaryusu and what he had learned. Others treated him like a coward, a lizardman who refused to help their tribe take more resources. Wielder of Frost Pain but outcast, a lizardman who had no obligations to his tribe yet held one of the lizardmen's treasures…

Abruptly, his descent stopped. Had the light returned or did the darkness recede?

No, stop, groggily begged Zaryusu.

"Yes, you are doing it right."

"Ah, I see what you mean. Hmmm… let me see…"

Then, Zaryusu felt it. His consciousness shot in awareness. No, not his consciousness. He felt something else, a glimpse of someone – no, something – else. He immediately fought the presence, overwhelmed by how weird, how alien, it was. It instinctively repulsed him. Yet he felt it, even if it was a flash of foreign emotions.

A reluctance to be the leader… a staunch resolve to become the leader he's been thought to be… the weight of his people's survival…

For the brief instant, Zaryusu felt a sense of kindred with the presence. That was when he realized he had made a mistake; he was offering no resistance. The pull towards the darkness turned into a push backwards and he felt something gripping very being upwards.

The light grew stronger, Zaryusu's mind numbness diminished and then…

…Then he was staring at Lord Ainz, the female with floating swords, the human chieftain and who Zaryusu assumed was her child, and finally, an unpleasant yet also familiar face. Overhead, the clouds sailed across an orange sky.

"Finally awake, huh? Want me to call the plant monster over?"

"Ancestors drag you to the Black Depths, Zenberu Gugu," weakly cursed Zaryusu.

"I knew you missed me," boisterously guffawed Zenberu.

Zaryusu groaned and closed his eyes for a moment. He felt extremely sore and weak. Unfortunately, he was unable to fall asleep as he wanted.

"Ancestors curse you, let me see him!"

Zaryusu's eyes snapped wide open again and his tiredness vanished, replaced by newfound vigor. He tried to raise, only to sit up and groan in pain. Someone shoved Zenberu out of his way, and Zaryusu stared in surprise as a familiar lizardman loomed over him.

"Younger brother," said Shasuryu Shasha.

With dark green and charcoal black scales like Zaryusu, huge and scarred with a white line that went down his chest and below with other smaller scars, the chieftain of the Green Claw tribe stood before Zaryusu. On his part, Zaryusu was utterly confused.

"Welcome to the waters of the living," said Shasuryu, his voice firm yet a hint of buried emotions. "You had my mate worried."

"Only your mate?" Zaryusu immediately started replying until he realized something. "But how…? What are you doing here in the…?"

Zaryusu looked around, realizing it was no longer afternoon, but rather late evening. In fact, he quickly realized he was not in the Dragon Tusk village but rather at the Green Claw settlement. Moreover, there was quite a crowd, gawking and gaping. Zaryusu's heart hammered on his chest as he spotted the chieftains of allied tribes, Sukyu Juju and Kyuku Zuzu, with accompanying hunters and warriors of their respective tribes. It wasn't just them, though. Warriors, druids and hunters of the Red Eye and Dragon Tusk tribes were present, just as shocked by what they had witnessed.

Zaryusu immediately spotted Crusch Lulu in the crowd, seated in front of her tribesmen much like the other chieftains were with their tribesmen, a scarlet form between the greens, browns and greys of the lizardmen. Her red eyes, though, weren't directed towards him. Rather, she watched with admiration at certain looking shadow over Zaryusu's shoulder.

"I am glad we managed to resurrect you," said Ainz Ooal Gown. "For a moment, we worried you wouldn't return to your people…"

"I failed. Hadn't it been for Lord Ainz, you might have been turned to ash," said the female with the hovering swords.

On her knees, she bowed her head and her fists balled into tight fists of frustration. The dark lord placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked up at her, looking downtrodden.

"You did good, Lakyus," commended the dark lord. "No other human can claim to have your abilities as it is and it wasn't your fault. I felt it too… Zaryusu resisted."

"You managed to revive him regardless," mumbled Lakyus, looking at her hands in defeat.

"Who cares anyway?" stated Zenberu, lazily pushing Shasuryu to a side. "Pity you were brought back. We were already arguing how we were going to have you for supper."

"Do not joke about eating your fellow lizardman, brute!" Angrily spat Crusch Lulu. The rest of her clan didn't look pleased either. In fact, they all looked murderous.

"Oh, I like her," mused Zenberu, whispering to Zaryusu. "A bit stingy, though."

"Are you alright, brother?" Asked Shasuryu, kicking Zenberu aside much to the big brute's amusement.

"What happened? I remember agreeing to a duel against the…" he trailed off, his gaze wandering towards his killer.

The female human stood next to him, arms crossed and unrepentant. If anything, she looked confused.

"Yes, the Chieftain of Dragon Tusk killed you," said Shasuryu, glancing at the woman in question with skepticism. Zaryusu didn't know whether his brother doubted the fact she had been made chieftain or questioned that she had defeated him. "Lord Ainz here brought your corpse and told us what happened. We talked and he offered to bring you back..."

Zaryusu's eyes widened.

"Tell me you didn't," he demanded.

Shasuryu bowed his head.

"I had to, brother," sighed the chieftain. "You are the Wielder of Frost Pain, the Strongest Lizardman warrior… We needed you alive as the rope to bind our alliance with the other tribes together. With you dead, what choice did we have? Morale shattered, brother. The fight abandoned us. Moreover, a being who brings the dead back from the Black Depths is not one I – or anyone else – would dare to challenge."

He glanced at Lord Ainz, before turning to the other lizardmen chieftain. They traded nods before Shasuryu looked at an amused Zenberu.

"Tell your master we shall discuss the terms of our surrender at the chieftain hut after sundown. You are henceforth my guests of honor. Allow me to have food prepared while I tend to my fallen brother," angrily muttered Shasuryu. He looked at his brother. "Zaryusu, can you walk? There is much to talk."

"There is, brother," agreed Zaryusu.

He struggled to his feet, nearly falling hadn't his brother helped him up. Bidding respectful farewells to Lord Ainz, who dismissed them in return, the pair marched to the central hut of the tribe. As they went, lizardmen stared at Zaryusu as if he was still dead. Some even dared to touch him as if to make sure he wasn't an illusion. Zaryusu ignored them, instead glancing at Crusch Lulu. Sadly, she was lost in her whispered conversation with her tribesmen, probably unable to believe the magic they had just witnessed. In the end, the two brothers made their way into the large hut. There, Zaryusu limped over to a wall, exhausted and haggard, while Shasuryu plopped down next to him.

"You had to get yourself killed, little brother…"

Shasuryu folded his arms, looking questioningly at him.

"Speak. I do want to know why you chose to fight the human. Ancestors, tell me the brute was exaggerating and you didn't do it for the white female."

"I did not!" Retorted Zaryusu embarrassed. "I am not a foolish juvenile, brother. I did not want to return to you empty-handed. I needed to assess what we were facing, especially so as to inform you and the other chieftains. At no point did I believe I would be killed, much less so easily," He then reluctantly added, "I'll admit I may have been a bit emotionally invested to accept – and win - the duel."

"There must be another reason," demanded Shasuryu. "You are not reckless enough to pick a fight you would not win."

"I learned our chances were slimmer than I had first believed," said Zaryusu. "Lord Ainz Ooal Gown – the Great Shadow the forest tribes fear and leader of the southern invaders – knows all about us. Our numbers and strength, even my fish farms. We already were in a hopeless situation. I thought… I thought I could test my strength against the human female and, maybe, gain the aid of Dragon Tusk."

"You must have known she was powerful."

"I suspected it, but I saw no other choice. We needed the Dragon Tusk."

"You sound as if the Red Eyes are lost," Shasuryu pointed out.

"They are," sighed Zaryusu. "I do not know what Ainz Ooal Gown did, but their chieftain fears him like a god."

"I would not blame her," grumbled Shasuryu, his tail twitching in frustration. "If he can bring back souls from the Dark Depths, I fear to imagine what else he can do."

There was a moment of grim silence. Zaryusu studied his brother, who sat like a true chieftain, arms folded and exuding confidence. However, he knew how his brother struggled with the weight of command. Zaryusu did not envy his brother's status.

"You will have to speak to your future female."

"W-what?" Squeaked Zaryusu. "Now is not the time to seek a mate, brother."

"Not for that, little brother," laughed Shasuryu. "I want to know what Ainz Ooal Gown is capable of. If you get her as a mate, however, know that you have my blessing."

Zaryusu grumbled, averting his gaze.

"Now, younger brother, tell me everything. We won't have long before Sukyu Juju and Kyuku Zuzu show up."

Pushing through his tiredness, Zaryusu nodded and retold what he remembered. He shared his observations regarding Lord Ainz, and gave his opinion on the matter. Shasuryu listened attentively, interjecting rarely when he wanted clarification. By the time he finished, Zaryusu felt like he had regained some of his original vitality.

"You had one interesting day," teased Zaryusu. "To have died and returned to the living… maybe we shall start calling you Dark-Depth-Diver."

Zaryusu was about to make a rebuttal of his own at such ridiculous title when the chieftains of the allied tribes showed up. Zaryusu saw their looks of apprehension and how they paused by the threshold, eyeing Zaryusu with skepticism and disbelief.

"I suppose you will have much to discuss," said Zaryusu, struggling to his feet.

Shasuryu looked like he wanted to help but Zaryusu stopped him with a raised hand. He may have been weakened, but Zaryusu felt a bit better. Thus, he limped out of the chieftain hut.

The day had darkened since he had gotten inside but the sun still remained over the horizon. Zaryusu watched the skies, uncertain about their future, before he looked at the lizardmen outside. It was easy to tell from a glance the members of different tribes, keeping to each other with suspicion. Otherwise, the lizardmen were visibly restless and fearful, immersed in their own talks.

Zaryusu walked straight to the end of the village, avoiding everyone as he went. He kept looking around, trying to see if he could spot Rororo. Then, just as he was about to head off to his fish farm, a certain red-cloaked female blocked his path. Needless to say, Zaryusu's sluggishness evaporated right away.

"Chieftain of the Red Eye," blurted out Zaryusu.

"Acting chieftain and only for the time being," rebutted the lizardwoman. She tilted her head, visibly nervous. "I wanted to speak with you."

"You did?" Zaryusu blurted out, shocked. His tail almost whipped about in joy. Almost.

"Yes," said the female, studying him from head to tail. "You males are so foolish! Accepting a challenge from such a creature…"

Her red eyes then went over to his, boring into him for answers. They were like striking scarlet stones and the most beautiful eyes Zaryusu had the pleasure to gaze, yet there was something burning there, something that made his stomach churn and his tail fall flat with dismay.

"I do not want to be rude, Zayusu Shasha, but I have to know," demanded Crusch Lulu. "What happened? When you died, what…?"

She paused and stepped back, head bowed. Zaryusu too had to step back, taken aback by the frightening fervor in her voice.

"I apologize. The last thing you want is an obnoxious ugly female to pester you with such questions," she muttered, unwilling to look at her.

"Obnoxious? Perhaps. Ugly? Absolutely not," countered Zaryusu. Crusch Lulu looked up with a cute confuse tilt of her head. "As to pestering me… it is actually a much-needed balm to my soul to speak with such beautiful female."

Crusch Lulu squawked, tail shooting up and straight like a ramrod. Her shock was quickly replaced by anger and indignation.

"There is no need to lie," scoffed Crusch Lulu.

"I am not," said Zaryusu. But she didn't believe him, looking angrier than before. Thus, Zaryusu decided it was best for a tactical withdraw and change the subject. "But to answer your question… there was only darkness."

"Darkness, as in… the Black Depths?" Queried Crusch Lulu.

"I don't know," admitted Zaryusu. "Could have been the Long Night for all I know."

"The Long Night?"

"A human superstition," stated Zaryusu, unwilling to elaborate in human folklore.

"You know more than a few things about humans, don't you?" She tilted her head and looked at Zaryusu's chest – or rather, his traveler brand. "Did you spend time with them?"

Something about her tone and look did not sit well with Zaryusu. He had his suspicions, but they sounded too ridiculous when he thought about them.

"With humans? Yes, I may have spent a couple of winters with them, although across different tribes. I am not sure whether I was blessed or not… but I won't deny I learned a lot among them."

"Is it true they mate with anything?"

Zaryusu choked at that. What sort of question was that?! Crusch Lulu, realizing what she had just asked, looked away, her tail wiggling with embarrassment.

"I apologize, that was too blunt of me," she said, hiding her face in shame. "I merely can't bring myself to believe humans could mate with a lizardman."

Needless to say, Zaryusu did not like the conversation. He was not only disgusted at the thought of humans mating and their weird rituals, but his mind was drawing unnecessary conclusions regarding Crusch Lulu's curiosity in the topic.

"Forget I asked," muttered Crusch Lulu, bowing. "I shall stop pestering you now."

"Wait!"

She made to flee, only for Zaryusu to stop her without thinking. He grabbed her shoulder, something she did not react well to. She recoiled, her tail whipping angrily at Zaryusu's offending hand.

"I apologize," hastily said Zaryusu. "But I wish to keep talking with you, if perhaps about something else."

She hissed defensively, eyes narrowed.

"You wish to talk about the humans?" Quickly asked Zaryusu.

That was the correct thing to say, for Crusch Lulu lowered her defenses and tilted her head, intrigued.

"During my travels I did not seek to understand humans. I don't think I would no matter how much I try. I mostly sought settlements dedicated to fishing in order to learn any mysteries," he explained.

"Is that how you came to learn about the fish farms? Lord Ainz explained it to me… a strange thing to do… to trap animals for breeding," replied Crusch Lulu. She frowned. "Why did you wish to learn about fishes from humans?"

"To avoid another resource war," admitted Zaryusu. Crusch Lulu gaped in disbelief, and Zaryusu would have preened at her attention hadn't they talked such sensitive subject. "I did not want for our tribes to go through what we did to survive. The war may have ended with my tribe's victory, but we are only delaying the next war in the end."

Crusch Lulu nodded gravely. For a moment, neither spoke. Then, she looked up at him with a new warm glimmer in her eyes.

"I might have been wrong about you," said Crusch Lulu, only to add. "You're not what I expected, Wielder of Frost Pain."

"Do you believe I could be a worthy mate for you?" Boldly asked Zaryusu.

"Males! Only thinking with your smaller tail!" Angrily hissed Crusch Lulu, but her tail wagged, flustered and visibly flattered. Her anger was replaced by resignation and her tail flopped onto the ground as she then added: "Had circumstances been different, I might have considered you a worthy mate. I repeat: might have."

Zaryusu's heart sunk and his tail slumped in defeat. She wasn't done.

"But I do not intend to stay at the Great Lake," proclaimed Crusch Lulu. "I will take the brand of the traveler."

And with that, she spun around and left. She spared no glance, marching to the central hut without slowing down or stopping. Zaryusu stared at her departing form, frozen in place by the shock of the proclamation. Emotions clashed and swirled within like a storm, none winning over the other.

A female can't take the brand! Zaryusu thought. And why?! Why would she do something so foolish!

But he knew why. He berated himself for not asking about Ainz Ooal Gown, who must have somehow ignited the desire for Crusch Lulu to abandon her people. Sadly, the thought of the dark lord brought his own set of conflicting emotions: respect, jealousy, awe, anger, fear and hope.

In the end, Zaryusu stared up at the night-sky. The sun was just disappearing behind the horizon, and with it, the lizardman's last bout of energy escaped him. He sighed warily and trudged to the central hut, tail dragging.

"I am too tired for this…"

Yet for all his tiredness, Zaryusu thought about Ainz Ooal Gown. In one day, the dark lord had managed to turn Zaryusu's world upside down. He wanted to curse the dark lord yet he felt honor bound to respect the fiend which had resurrected him and offered salvation to all lizardmen. However, one thing was certain: Zaryusu did not intend to remain weak.

I have to become stronger, decided Zaryusu. We'll have to wait and see if Ainz Ooal Gown ends up being a benevolent master… and I don't intend to die next time.

The question, however, remained: how could he achieve such goal?

Surprisingly, the answer came when he entered the central hut, where Ainz Ooal Gown was gathered with the chieftains and their advisors. Shasuryu seemed glad to see him, Zaryusu's attention was on someone else. Looking bored with her hatchling and Zenberu Gugu, Zaryusu studied the human female who might possess what he sought.

How can I get the human chieftain to train me in her ways? Wondered Zaryusu as he sat next to his brother.

---

Enri Emmot had expected many things when she had joined the campaign to subjugate the Great Forest of Tob. Having a formal dinner with noblemen of the Re-Estize kingdom hadn't been one of them. And yet there she was, in the middle of a massive war camp, not far from the Great Lake and under the canopy of ancient trees, beneath the cover of a luxurious tent that was over twice the size of her home back in Carne Village.

The dinner table itself was a massive circular slab of varnished wood, gaping empty at the center, and large enough to allow everyone comfortable seats. While the nobles enjoyed their meal of roasts, stews and wines opposite Enri and their backs behind the tent entrance, Sir Rockbruise and her bodyguards sat to her left, uncomfortably by their current predicament. Perhaps it didn't help that they were sitting closely to Cocytus and his insectoid advisors. Opposite the imperials were empty seats, separating the lower nobles from Marquis Raeven and Lady Pespea. Neither of the greater nobility minded their proximity to a grinning Jugem Bonecrusher., who sat to Enri's immediate right. Then, to her immediate left, was Albedo…

Lady Albedo was a beacon of light, smiling politely and calmly, yet carrying a warmth that appeared to be the reason everyone, even the Imperials, remained amicable and polite. Enri, though, was more thankful that Albedo had been present to help organizing the dinner, for Enri wasn't sure her nerves would have allowed to serve as a proper hostess. The situation was already bizarre enough as it was.

Here I am, a commoner, dining with the nobility, thought Enri with a forced smile. I guess my life was already weird enough with the goblins…

Enri took a forkful of the cooked boar in her mouth, and her tongue felt like it melted at the taste. Her eyes watered.

Forget the nobles! The food makes it worth it! Thought a contented Enri.

"Enjoying the meal, Enri?"

Enri nearly choked on her food, face flushing, as Albedo leaned closely, a knowing smirk in place.

"Y-yes! I… this is really good," stammered Enri.

Albedo's golden eyes gleamed with satisfaction before she leaned even closer. Enri's red face burned anew as she gently pushed a stray strand of Enri's hair behind one ear.

"I'm glad to hear it," said Albedo, amused, before finally allowing Enri much needed private space and room to breathe.

The winged female turned around to the beings standing readily.

"Excellent food as always."

Ladies Pestonya, Yuri, Narberal and Solution bowed to Lady Albedo, alongside the human female maids assigned to Enri. The goblin-general hastily gave thanks of her own for the meal, earning a smirk from Albedo, and a bow (albeit shorter) from the maids.

Albedo then turned to talk to Cocytus across the empty throne between them. Enri allowed herself to breath again, and managed to relax and calm her frayed nerves. Tentatively, Enri turned to Albedo.

Enri knew Albedo had been doing something to her. She didn't know what sort of magic or influence she had been working on Enri, but the peasant-turned-general knew it had been slow… and deliberate. Subtle at first, Enri had slowly found Albedo grow only more beautiful each time she tutored Enri, until the moment came Enri realized her hands would become sweaty in her presence, her breath hitched when their skins brushed and contentment swelled Enri when she caught a sniff of her scent. Before long, Enri discovered she craved Albedo's approval.

It had been a welcomed reprieve to become the lady of the Monument of Ruin, for she finally had time away from the intoxicating presence of her tutor. Sadly, that was when the dreams started, and Enri knew Albedo hadn't meant to simply tutor her into the feminine etiquette of a lady and the managerial skills of a general. By that point, however, it was too late.

"Lady Emmot?"

"Huh?" Enri perked up, broken for her reverie.

He looked at the noblemen opposite, who had apparently been talking to her.

"I apologize, your lordship, my mind strayed for a moment," politely said Enri, before flashing a smile she had practice in front of a mirror.

From the corner of her eyes, Enri saw Albedo nod approvingly at her, so very subtly, before turning her focus back on Cocytus. Unfortunately for Enri, the nobles were dull conversationalists.

"I have a cousin who studied under the finest tutors in all relating to finances! I assure you, he is a sorcerer when it comes to numbers – a perfect steward if you need one," proclaimed one of the nobles.

"Nonsense, my lady, ignore him. What you probably seek is a grand artist! The art in your fortress was most sublime, my lady, most sublime indeed, but my nephew's talent would expand it further!" Exclaimed another noble.

"My nieces could learn from a mighty woman such as yourself, my lady," another noble harrumphed haughtily. "It would do them good to serve… maybe maids? There can never be too many maids."

Enri wasn't sure whether the nobles wanted to plant spies in her Monument of Ruin but a skeptical part of her believed that, perhaps, they were trying to set her up with their relatives, be it to establish friendships or something more. Regardless, Enri would politely smile and refuse to take in anyone, partially because she rather not have some grubby nobleman near her and also because she really feared the goblins could prove a bit of a hazard. Needless to say, the whole situation was bizarre for her.

I suppose this is better than being looked down at because of my commoner origins, thought Enri with a lopsided smile. Or maybe not…

The noblemen quickly shifted the conversation. If Enri didn't want to receive anyone, then they changed tactics and tried inviting Enri to their estates. That quickly devolved into a competition on who had the bigger lands, before turning the dialogue all about their vassals, trying to outdo each other about who had the stronger retainer. Before long, Enri struggled to keep a polite smile as the nobles argued on ridiculous stuff as thinkers and philosophers, about this tome or that thesis.

Who cares what some man – disconnected from the struggles of the land – thinks about this or that? Thought Enri with frustration.

Seeing as the noblemen lost themselves with each other, Marquis Raeven casually leaned towards Enri as he raised his goblet to hide his lips, his face a slick unreadable mask, and whispered softly, making Enri think of a snake. Jugem – caught between them - eyed him warily, munching slowly and squinting.

"I have to apologize for their ineptitude to hold an interesting conversation, Lady Emmot," sighed Raeven. "They are not used to talking to anyone other than fellow court denizens."

Enri tried to imitate Raeven's trick, rising her own goblet, but was unable to stop herself from conspicuously turning towards the Marquis. She shouldn't have bothered, with the noblemen squabbling over who had the finest vintage of some drink in their cellar.

"Don't you noblemen have to deal with important matters other than court?" Wondered Enri, trying very hard not to sound accusing.

"Many noblemen don't bother managing their lands and rather have stewards and bailiffs in their stead. You must also understand many noblemen are actually relatives to those who own land," replied Marquis Raeven. A hint of a smirk showed on his face as he then added: "By the way, Lady Emmot, did you mean 'us'? You are nobility now."

Enri wished to argue the point, but abstained. It was a battle she had fought and lost, and more than once. Next to Marquis Raeven, Lady Pespea turned towards Enri, clearly having eavesdropped the whispered conversation. Enri shuddered under the withering icy gaze. She felt pity for Marquis Pespea; Enri suspected his marriage bed probably was winter cold all year round.

"I do have to ask, Lady Emmot, how do you find noble life?" Asked Lady Pespea, her tone frigid and her cold gaze as chilling as harsh winter gales. "Is it up to your expectations or do you find it lacking?"

"It is sure different," nervously chuckled Enri. She glanced at Jugem. "And challenging."

Enri found herself sharing a smile with her second in command. Jugem, for all the headaches he had given Enri so far, was a good goblin, loyal and true to a fault. Her voice grew firmer as she mustered her courage.

"I am only glad I am repaying Lord Ainz's kindness," said Enri.

The conversations around the table died down to an unnerving stillness at Lady Pespea's hollow laugh.

"Ah yes, your knight in shining armor. Lord Ainz swooped in to rescue you from evil raiders, and then elevated you to goblin general… or general to whatever they are," said Pespea, casually gesturing at Jugem.

The goblin bared his teeth in response and flexed his biceps as some sort of self-defense mechanism. Pespea, though, merely nodded, truly uncaring to the true nature of Enri's troopers.

"Yours is a tale worthy of a thousand love stories. At least it is better than the ones my sisters enjoyed," said Lady Pespea in disgust. "Renner was the worst. After she found that lowly commoner of hers, she only got even worse, talking the king into providing arms, armor and training."

Enri was very happy Lakyus and her fellow knights were with Momonga. She wasn't how to feel about the fact that Lady Pespea decided to call her sire as 'the king' instead of her father.

"You mean Sir Climb?" Chimed in Albedo.

"The very same. Did you have the misfortune of meeting him? Such a dull boy… at least he's a loyal pet, I guess."

"Isn't Sir Climb apprenticing with the Warrior Troop?" Casually commented Marquis Raeven.

"So I have heard. It should have happened a while back hadn't it been for an attempt on Stronoff's life," muttered Lady Pespea. She raised an eyebrow at Enri. "I believe around the same time Lord Ainz was gallantly rescuing you, Lady Emmot."

"Yes, the Chief Warrior came to my village only to discover it had all been a set up to lure him in," slowly said Enri, unsure how many details she was allowed to reveal. "Hadn't it been for Lord Ainz, Stronoff and his troop – and my village – might have been destroyed."

"Ah, I didn't know Lord Ainz swooped in to rescue warriors in distress as well," said Lady Pespea. A vindictive smile to spread across her gelid expression. "Could that be why the so-called Golden Princess lost her virtue with him?"

"Could you repeat that?"

Enri shrunk in fear at the tone that dripped from Albedo's lush lips. She smiled and didn't appear any different right away, but Enri could feel Albedo's rage. By the bead of sweat rolling down Raeven's temple, he too felt the mounting danger.

"Didn't you know, my lady? It is said the innocent Golden Princess sneaked out from under her guards and her loyal pet knight to spend alone time with Lord Ainz during the demonic incursion," mused Pespea, cold yet delighted at the rumors. "Or so go the whispers echoing across the kingdom…"

"Dear Lady Pespea, let us not spread falsehood and stain our beloved princess' honor," stated Raeven, matter-of-factly. "It is well known she was never alone with Lord Ainz. Furthermore, his lordship would never have done anything untoward to Princess Renner."

"Swooping gallant lords rarely just talk with stupid princesses," scornfully spat Lady Pespea. She sighed, her resentment abating. "I suppose such lords are better than the likes of my dear husband…"

"I am sure Lord Pespea is a gallant knight," said Enri diplomatically, trying to stir the conversation away from the Golden Princess.

Enri was not comfortable with the way Albedo's utensils had been bent so casually during said conversation. If looks could kill, Albedo's golden eyes would have incinerated Lady Pespea to a speck of dust – if not even that. Everyone but Enri (and Raeven) seemed to notice, though.

"Oh, he is a swooping gallant lord alright, merely not of princesses, peasants or ladies," mused Lady Pespea with frigidness.

What does that even mean? Wondered Enri, confused.

Thankfully, it seemed Lady Pespea had other topics of her own she preferred to discuss rather than her husband.

"But enough of such boring topics. Lady Albedo, I've been meaning to ask: are you demon-kin?"

Albedo's smile stretched wide and malice shone from her golden eyes. Enri held her goblet to her lips, unwilling to be caught in their crossfire.

"Not really, your highness," mused Albedo. "I am a powerful demoness, one who takes great delight in the corruption of innocence and leading mortals to debauchery to satisfy my beloved's urges and desires."

Enri nearly spewed her drink in shock as her suspicions were confirmed. However, the rest all laughed (albeit awkwardly) as Albedo gave a feminine chuckle, as if joking.

"I am but a lady of distant lands who happens to have some feature you associate with demons," said Albedo with mock offense and a tone of amusement. "Or do you truly believe I have demon blood, my lady?"

"I suspect you do, my lady," said Lady Pespea with a smirk. "Call it intuition."

"I must confess, my lady, you do possess a unique appearance, and I don't mean merely your beauty," said Marquis Raeven, studying Albedo.

"That is because you are ignorant to the many creatures of the world, especially the distant land I hail from, confusing very common features like my horns and wings and associate with demonic creatures," said Albedo, amused.

She turned to Lady Pespea, rising a delicate eyebrow.

"Take demons, for example. You people are truly ignorant about their many variants and classes, and you'd be surprise by the even wider range in forms and shapes."

"Yes, we know very little of the Demon World, unfortunately," sighed Lady Pespea, with a hint of wistfulness. "Warlocks have tried through the generations, but few demons of any relevance have been summoned. Sadly, some short-sighted people believe such knowledge should be ignored."

"Perhaps for good reason, your ladyship," said Roberdyck Goltron.

Lady Pespea snorted sardonically at the cleric.

"Spoken like a true godly man," huffed the lady, before drawing her eyes to Albedo. "I am curious to learn more about those many demonic variants. Maybe I could invite you to my estate one day?"

"Your highness, I don't think discussing demons after the tragic events-" one of the lesser nobles started spluttering.

"On the contrary," interjected Marquis Raeven all of a sudden. "It is because of recent events that we should perhaps learn more about such unholy creatures."

The Marquis and Lady Pespea looked at each other, her face scrunched in suspicion at his support while his expression remained impassive.

"I would be honored, your highness," said Albedo politely, with a cunning glint in her golden eyes. "I have yet to see what a Marquis' estate is like."

"You'll probably be disappointed," remarked Lady Pespea, only to frown. "Back to the conversation… I apologize for my rudeness, but what is your race called then?"

"Does it matter?" Mused Albedo. "Enough is said that I am probably the only one of my kind on this corner of the world."

Lady Pespea looked like she wanted to press the subject, but was polite enough to know it would be improper to demand answers from a seemingly touchy subject – one Albedo showed to interest in delving into. Enri, though, already knew the answer to Lady Pespea's question.

A succubus, Enri recalled.

She remembered when Lord Ainz had first appeared in her village, he had wondered if they knew what one was. The villagers had never heard of such a thing, but now Enri could piece up the puzzle. Was it the type of demon, a title or something else entirely?

"Speaking of the only one in this corner of the world…" Albedo casually said before turning to her left. "Sir Rockbruise, what do you intend to do once you have been cured of your curse?"

Rockbruise nearly choked on her food but composed herself quickly. She managed to school her surprise, her face stoic, and – rather than answer straight away – she took her glass and took a long deliberate sip as she thought her answer. However, Enri didn't miss the way she sent an apprehensive glance towards Arche. She wasn't the only one. Imina squinted at the knight, suspicious.

On her part, Lady Pespea gave an unladylike scowl at the shift in conversation before icily glaring at her meal.

"I suppose there is no reason for anything to change, your ladyship," said Rockbruise. "If you lord can truly remove my curse then I suppose I will make sure I repay him for his grace and continue serving the emperor. Thanks to his majesty, I have a stable and rewarding position of great standing, and he has been a decent liegelord."

"Oh, what a pity," said Albedo nonchalantly. "That would be such a waste of your talents. Cocytus here was very interested in taking you on as a potential apprentice."

Albedo said something to her humongous colleague, who then turned to Rockbruise an offered a nod of confirmation.

"A-Apprentice?" Sir Rockbruise said, her aloof expression cracking.

"Yes," said Albedo, smiling knowingly at Rockbruise. "Cocytus is very impressed by your skills and believes you can grow stronger under his guidance."

"That's… that's a very generous offer," mumbled a wide-eyed Rockbruise, only for her to squint at Albedo and Cocytus with skepticism. "But why me?"

"Do not think so highly of yourself, sir. You'd be Cocytus' second apprentice, and that is if you are truly worthy," solemnly said Albedo. "If you must know, Cocytus is both master of the sword and polearms, but so far he has only found a worthy human apprentice for the sword. You are the first human warrior of relative note we have encountered that wields the spear."

I suppose that isn't that surprising, thought Enri. Most noblemen and knights train mostly with the sword than any other weapon, and rarely a spear.

"Lord Cocytus wants to train humans?" Asked Marquis Raeven.

"Yes," nodded Albedo. "Our master is one who seeks talent, no matter how raw and unpolished it looks at the time…" she trailed off for a moment, sending a smile at Enri and giving the poor girl a wink "...and so far he has proven to have a good eye for it."

Enri felt her cheeks heat up under her gaze, all wrong feelings making her hands sweat and her heart drum stronger.

"Sir Rockbruise must definitely be talented if she was chosen as one of the Emperor's Four," commented Raeven with a nod towards the knight. "However, I am sure there are other talented spearwomen in the kingdom particularly without such intriguing background."

"What do you think you know about me, your lordship?" Sir Rockbruise asked, her stoic façade breaking slightly with annoyance.

"Little, I suspect," said Raeven, carefully eyeing Rockbruise. Enri was reminded of a snake poised to strike. "Born to a noble family and given envious amount of freedom and luxuries, only to lose it all due to a curse…"

"You know nothing," growled Rockbruise, containing her rage.

"Nothing, you say?" Said Raeven, and suddenly Enri saw the snake strike. "I believe the entire empire and Re-Estize kingdom has heard of your tragic tale: you were disowned by your family, forsaken by your brothers-in-arms and abandoned by your fiancé because of your curse. Some say it was because of the shame it brought, others claim because of how disgusting the curse was… but what if there is more to the tale you ignore? No, not ignore, but rather firmly distort in self-pity."

Sir Rockbruise hissed, face flushed with fury. Raeven wasn't done, however.

"I find it hard to believe every single person in your life abandoned or betrayed you, even those who fought by your side," said Raeven. "Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Was the curse the reason for their betrayals…?" he neither smirked nor looked amused, but Enri could see a sharp edge in his eyes "…or was it the excuse they so desperately wanted to leave you?"

"Marquis Raeven!"

All heads turned. Enri gulped. All eyes were now on her, for she had risen to her feet, slamming her hands on the table. She glanced at Albedo, fearful about her reaction. Enri's face reddened as Albedo merely smiled playfully at her.

Quick, what would Lord Momonga do? Wondered the goblin general.

"M-Marquis," said Enri, clearing her throat as a delaying tactic. "I understand that there are standing grudges between the kingdom – my homeland – and the empire. However, I rather we kept an air of cordiality tonight."

"You are correct, Lady Emmot," said Raeven. He turned to Rockbruise. "I apologize, sir. I believe I allowed my ignorance and biases get the better out of me. I hold no right to make any accusations."

Rockbruise said nothing. She merely glared at her plate, fists clenched in fury. Enri sat down, unsure what to think. Enri felt sorry for Rockbruise, even if a part of her didn't quite like the knight. From what Lakyus had told her, the covered part of Rockbruise's face looked completely diseased, ridden with a disgusting malady.

No one deserves to carry such burden, thought Enri. Her shoulders slumped in dismay. But what can be done about it?

Her eyes wandered off to Albedo, and Enri bit her lip.

Maybe I could ask Momonga to heal Rockbruise? I understand he wanted to thoroughly study the curse with Nfirea and Lizzie but… is there really that much to learn? Thought Enri, a smile stretching as she pondered on it.

As if summoned by her thoughts, the entrance to the tent flapped open and in strolled the dark lord of the hour.

"My love!" Gasped Albedo, almost flying off her chair.

"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, apologies for my absence. The lizardmen took their time to submit," said Lord Momonga, a gentle smile gracing his face.

His eyes zeroed on a certain demoness, ignoring everyone else as they stood up to greet the dark lord.

Albedo stood next to her seat, elegant and hands over her lap like a regal queen, although her wings flapped excitedly as Lord Momonga walked around the table. He chuckled at her enthusiasm and, once he stood before her, leaned forward, allowing for Albedo to delicately place her hands on each side of his face and pull him into a deep kiss. Everyone present was pleasantly surprised by the show of affection, smiling at the clear love between the two. Of course, it quickly grew awkward as the kiss deepened. Momonga's free hand slithered behind Albedo's back, reaching the female's behind and pulling her close to him. Albedo, on her part, wrapped her black wings around Momonga.

Just when Enri thought the two would never separate again, Albedo pried herself from Momonga, both of them sharing a chuckle. She remained with one wing and arm wrapped around him, while he kept an arm around her waist. Albedo sighed contently, her eyes never leaving her beloved's face and her head over his shoulder. Enri almost laughed at Momonga's smug yet goofy face.

Instead of jealousy, a tinge of desire crept up her heart. Enri squashed it down, suppressing the memory of many different dreams she had had.

Eventually, Lord Momonga turned to Cocytus, exchanging greetings, before he finally turned to Enri. Her heart fluttered.

"Lord Ainz."

"Warchief."

The two shared a warm smile at that before they took their seats. Everyone followed suit as more people (whose seats had remained empty just for them) finally showed up.

The Knights of the Blue Rose tiredly marched in, led by a despondent Lakyus. Enri frowned worriedly at her friend. Had something happened? However, Enri's attention was quickly taken to the woman further behind. Captain Custodio and her adorable squire Baraja marched in, or rather the Captain strutted while the squire trudged tiredly behind her superior. Enri stared, amazed.

"Eh… Lady Custodio, why are you carrying…?" Enri trailed off as she realized what she was staring at.

For there, hanging from Captain Custodio's neck, was a gold necklace with five stones lined up together, each carrying a distinct rune. No, they were no mere stones. They were seals, chieftain seals to be precise, and apparently for all five lizardmen tribes.

"The Captain has been made chieftain of all lizardmen tribes?" Asked Enri, shocked.

"Zenberu Gugu suggested it, the tribes didn't appear to mind and I decided it was a good idea," said Momonga. "As a member of a nation outside the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire, she works as a neutral party, even more than I, so they don't have to worry about me using the lizardmen as raiders and no one would question a paladin's honor. She also has experience and knowledge of multiple demi-humans, dealing with all the races from the Abelion Hills."

"I believe it was an excellent idea, my love," said Albedo. "She had already been accepted as chieftain as one of the tribes. Besides, I presume that the Captain must have excellent leadership skills to have gotten her position."

Lady White must sure have impressed Lord Momonga, thought Enri.

Suzuki Satoru, on the other hand, mentally patted himself for successfully dodging the massive bullet that would have been leading five tribes (as if he already didn't have enough on his plate) and dumped the responsibility on some poor sucker.

There wasn't much ceremony after that. Momonga and the newcomers were served their food, while the rest either finished their meals or dedicated themselves to chatting. Throughout the dinner, Albedo and Momonga whispered in their language, sometimes joined in by Cocytus. Enri, on her part, looked on Lakyus, whose comrades seemed unable to cheer up.

"Did something happen to Lakyus, my lord?" Enri eventually asked.

"Huh? Lakyus? Ah, yes," Lord Momonga sighed. "She is a bit disappointed she was unable to resurrect Zaryusu Shasha. I think she should be happy, though. It was a perfect opportunity for her to teach me how used [Raise Dead]."

"I think…" Enri paused, biting her lower lip. "I think she wanted to impress you, my lord."

"Impress me? Ah yes, I see," nodded Momonga. "You are right. As a holy warrior, she is trying to get close to me in order to position herself within my confidence so as to strike me down."

Enri's eyes widened and gasped. Albedo frowned, confused, and did a doubletake towards Lakyus. Enri too studied Lakyus, trying to see through her façade.

Lakyus must be a far better actress than I thought, warily thought Enri. I actually thought she was genuinely crushing on Momonga – and hard. She was so convincing… I guess only someone as wise and observant as Momonga could see through her lies.

"Really, my love?" Albedo asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought differently…"

"Me too. You truly think she means you harm?" Enri wondered, worried she hadn't realized beforehand.

"I don't doubt it, no matter what others may think," hummed Momonga, stroking his chin and glancing at Evil-Eye. "She is too much of a holy woman, and too dedicated to the Golden Princess. So far she has been only friendly, and I won't deny I kind of like her."

"You do?" Perked up Albedo and Enri at the same time.

"Yes, she's nice," said Momonga, smiling, before shaking his head. "A pity she's such a fanatic."

"Like Captain Custodio then?"

"Remedios? Oh no, she's too nice and justice-oriented for such schemes," chuckled Momonga. "She a full-fledged paladin, a sort I am familiar with, if perhaps a bit more emotional and reckless. No, I think I can trust her. Lakyus though…"

He hummed in thought as he studied the leader of the Blue Rose knights.

"…I think she can be swayed to my cause, though," said the dark lord, his attention once again hovering over Evil-Eye. "It will require careful planning, some steps already in motion."

Enri wondered if she should have felt something other than amusement at the idea of trying to lure Lakyus to change her loyalty. Admittedly, Enri did like Lakyus (although she'd need to reconsider her feelings after Momonga's keen insight) and she much preferred the knight serving Momonga than the Re-Estize Kingdom.

As Enri looked at Lakyus, she glanced around as she was reminded of someone else who spent her time glowering at the knight with her one good eye, someone else who sought Lord Momonga's attention. A sense of guilt washed over Enri as she gazed upon Sir Rockbruise.

"My lord, I don't want to impose but… ehm… never mind," sighed Enri.

"No, Enri, please, tell me what you want," said Momonga, perking up.

"I was wondering, my lord, would it be possible to cure Sir Rockbruise?"

"Cure her? What do you…? Oh, right, her malady," hummed Lord Momonga, as if suddenly remembering.

"I understand you wish for Nf- I mean, Flamel – to study her rare ailment. However, I don't want her to suffer further."

"Even if she serves the Emperor?" Mused Lord Momonga, intrigued.

Enri meekly nodded.

Thankfully, Momonga appeared to consider the request. He stroke his chin and discussed the matter with Albedo in their foreign tongue. Enri managed to pick some words of God-Speech as both talked, but was unable to make a meaning to their conversation. Eventually, Lord Momonga rose to his feet and everyone quieted down, staring at the dark lord.

"Sir Rockbruise, my warchief has requested I heal you," proclaimed Lord Momonga.

Enri fought blushing as the Re-Esterith people frowned at her, disbelieving, incredulous or outright antagonistic. On the other hand, Rockbruise perked up, her whole being shining with more emotions than what Enri had ever seen on her since she showed up at the Monument of Ruin.

"I was hoping to run a few more tests but, so far, I believe there are more pressing matters. I still have some doubts whether the spells I have in mind will work yet I am willing to try them," carried on Momonga, looking and sounding magnanimous. "Will emperor hold to his end of the bargain if I were to lift your curse right now?"

"I…" Leinas trailed off, horrified.

"My love, let us not torture our guest," pleaded Albedo, a finger slithering down Lord Momonga's chin. "The emperor has promised already and we have been led to believe he is a man of his word. If he dares betray us, then it shall be him we punish, not poor Leinas here."

"Quite right, dear," said Momonga.

He lazily raised his staff hand, the staff hovering patiently for its master to reclaim his hold on her. He gestured to Lady Pestonya behind him and spoke in God-Speech. The strange beastwoman bowed and approached Rockbruise.

"Now? Here?" Whispered the imperial knight, her voice cracking and failing her.

"Nothing like the present," said Momonga. "Or do you wish to delay this till tomorrow?"

"No," firmly stated the knight.

Her eyes stuck to Lady Pestonya. Rockbruise stood up, a fervent glimmer in her eyes. Enri saw that Rockbruise's leg were ready to buckle in expectation, her face eager yet apprehensive and disbelieving. Everyone watched, mesmerized by the spectacle.

Lady Pestonya reached Rockbruise, tilted her head with a kind smile on her snout and reached towards Rockbruise. Rockbruise recoiled at the offending hands ever so slightly, before she mustered her courage and leaned forward, bracing for what would happen next. There was a bright light. Leinas Rockbruise gasped, and everyone stared on, wide-eyed.

Unceremoniously, Pestonya nodded at a gaping Rockbruise, turned around and went back to how she was. The onlookers looked between Pestonya and Rockbruise. It had all been rather underwhelming, truth be told, but Enri bit her lower lip nonetheless. What if something had gone wrong? Enri's concerns, in the end, proved to be unfounded.

With a shaking hand, Rockbruise reached beneath the loose bang of hair and ripped the bandages hidden there in one harsh tug. She discarded the tattered bandage, breathing hard, and started feeling that side of her face. Enri found it so strange as she only saw smooth beautiful skin, but Rockbruise kept touching it.

Contrary to what Enri had expected, there were no tears of joy. Sir Rockbruise slowly stop running a hand on the side of her face, only to drop his hand and her shoulders sagged. She frowned, and plopped back on her seat.

"Are you alright, Rockbruise?" Asked Hekkeran.

But Rockbruise was in a world of her own. Rather than eternal gratitude and joy, she looked utterly disoriented. Once again, she touched the formerly diseased side of her face. The imperial mercenaries warily watched her before exchanging worried looks. They weren't the only one. Enri was among those concerned as something akin to desperation seemed to surface across the now almost catatonic knight.

"How did achieve it, your lordship?" Asked Arche, eyes never leaving Rockbruise.

All eyes turned to Lord Momonga. The dark lord awkwardly cleared his throat before he spoke.

"For starters, it was my Head Maid, Pestonya. As for how it was done, to put it simply, it seems this was no curse, or rather it may have been a curse modified so much it was no longer recognizable as a curse and rather fell in a new type of debuff," said Lord Momonga, the last word strikingly different to the rest.

"Dee-boof?" Repeated Arche, as if tasting the strange word. She suddenly looked rather invested, reminding Enri of Nemu when she was excited to learn something new. "Is that some sort of uncategorized malediction or hex?"

"No, no, think of it as… eh… an overarching category in which the individual's health is affected, like curses, diseases, poisons…"

"Poisons?" Chorused Tia and Tina, looking at each other. "What do they have to do with diseases?"

"Or curses?" Queried Lakyus.

"They affect this thing called "Status"" slowly explained Momonga, sounding exasperated. "Think of it at the state of being at any given moment – be it physical, mental, and magical."

"Stah'toos," Enri heard people repeat in confusion.

"Status," corrected Momonga, an eyebrow twitching.

"You mean the blessed union?" Roberdyck asked.

"The what now?" Asked Momonga, blinking repeatedly at the cleric.

The one who answered was not the big kind cleric but rather an unexpected source.

"He means the temples' view that we are a combination of the four divine elements, or its holy representations: flesh, mind, spirit and soul," elaborated none other than Evil-Eye. "To them a healthy person needs all four in balance and the world reflects it. Up in the Re-Estize Kingdom and Empire, these guys," she pointed at Lakyus and Roberdyck, "think the elements are constantly warring out of balance and one has to perform good deeds and stuff to push back the imbalance.

"In the Holy Kingdom, like those guys," she pointed at Neia and Remedios, "think the four elements push towards balance but our constant misdeeds and whatnot keeps driving the elements to imbalance, and we need to wipe out evil and evil-doers to achieve balance."

Everyone stared at the petite mage. She looked around.

"What?" Blurted out Evil-Eye, unused to such attention.

"You actually pay attention when I speak about my faith?" Lakyus said, teary-eyed.

"Of course I listen to you," groaned Evil-Eye. "I just choose to ignore you and your crazy ramblings."

Lakyus didn't appear to mind, hugging Evil-Eye much to the masked girl's chagrin. She squeaked and squawked, but that did not discourage Lakyus embrace. If anything, her struggles only made her other companions tease Evil-Eye further. Enri smiled at the interaction.

"You don't believe in the Four?" Asked Hekkeran abruptly.

"From where I am from, there was a different view of things," scoffed Evil-Eye.

"Lord Ainz, could you finish explaining?" Eagerly asked Arche, if not too impatient.

All heads returned their attention to the dark lord.

"Right, anyway," Momonga said, clearing his throat. "All effects that impacted negatively on the Status is called a debuff. To cure Sir Rockbruise of her ailment, I had Pestonya here use a higher tier spell that covers all debuffs regardless the category."

It sounded so simple when said like that and Enri nodded, following the logic. Others, though, stared in confusion.

"But… diseases are different from curses," stated a disbelieving Roberdyck Goltron, a baffled Lakyus nodding in agreement. "You can remove them because they produce a negative on an individual's health, on this Stah'too within us? Isn't that how healing spells work?"

"No and yes. You see, technically, while different in nature and effect, both act the same on an individual's status," slowly said Lord Momonga, unsure where the confusion was.

"Act the same? They… I… I don't understand," said Lakyus at a loss.

She wasn't the only one. All magic users, including Evil-Eye, appeared confused. Enri wasn't sure why, but then again, she hadn't been taught about the different magical arts and variants. She could see the struggle in the divine users, though, trying to come to terms that their art might not be as separate from the arcane as they had first assumed and vice-versa.

"It is a matter of how it works. If anything, you could say it is a matter of flavor, the difference between lore and mechanics," chuckled Lord Momonga.

No one laughed. In fact, everyone looked more confused than anything. Lord Momonga looked around, but no one appeared to have understood the joke.

"I sometimes forget that I had a different… perspective… in regards to how tier magic works," sighed the dark lord, shaking his head. "But enough of that! There shall be time for academic talk later. Now, let us continue with the feast for there is much to celebrate! I am famished and the night is young."

---

As Suzuki Satoru feasted with a handful of his loyal servants and his guests, a different group of people found themselves gathered for a debriefing, in a much less enjoyable place and for a far less than pleasing situation. Then again, they were rarely called for anything but unpleasant scenarios. This time, though, things would be messier.

The room was dark, close to pitch black, were it not for a magical orb overhead high above in the even higher ceiling. Beneath its glow, glistening black marble walls barely managed to reflect light, faintly revealing eleven humans clustered around a single man: their captain. A young man with long black hair and sharp red eyes, he was starting to get frustrated by his companions' questions. The eleven companions themselves were a weird bunch of men and women, and even weirder attires and equipment.

"So we are chasing shadows now?" Said one of the group, a muscular grey-haired old man with a huge axe standing up his full height.

"Yes, a shadow – I need not remind you – which threatens millions of humans lives beneath Arwintar as we speak," clarified the leader.

"Still… a shadow?" Asked another member of their weird group. This one was a young girl with blue braids, riding a floating crystal and a huge wizard hat covering her head and face.

"Yes, it has the appearance of a shadow," repeated the Captain, perhaps for the umpteenth time. "We do not know what it is exactly, reason why we were called to this important task."

"I apologize captain, but is Lady Kaire necessary for this mission?" Inquired a third member of the ragtag group. A calm man with blond hair and pink eyes, he too was at a loss at their mission. "We can destroy this creature this creature and then-"

"No, our mission is to escort Lady Kaire to Arwintar's sewers, find this shadowy creature, take control of it and having rampage the palace," repeated the Captain. "We will not set any of your creatures."

"Very well, captain, as you command. I do have to ask, though…"

The Captain took a deep breath and nodded to his comrade to proceed.

"…why do our superiors want the Baharuth Emperor dead this way?"

The Captain and 1st seat of the Black Scripture of the Slane Theocracy knew it was going to be a long night.

---

*[Zone of Truth]. Yep, I am implementing a few paladin abilities Maruyama might have conveniently forgotten.

**Found in the History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides.

Author notes: Here we go again...

Hello everyone! I apologize for the delay. I know I promised to upload the next chapter a while back but... well... one thing led to another, I rewrote the chapter, which again became two, got to rewrite the chapter again... it got messy. That and each chapter seemingly getting longer and, damn, time went by! This is way this chapter isn't about invaders of the tomb, which (if I don't go sick with rewriting-itis) should be next chapter.

Again, I'm sorry!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please, review and let me know what you liked, disliked, mistakes I made, anything you'd like to see or just anything. By the way, is the story getting to long for you guys? I love reading reviews and feedback; help me to keep going.

Learned my lesson, won't be making promises about the next chapter.

Cheers,

The Emerald Commander