Chapter 1
The meeting was convened within the Valencia Palace of the Kingdom of Re-Estize. Gazef Stronoff ―who had been standing motionless by King Ranpossa III's side all this while― widened his eyes as he took in the sight of all six leaders of the Kingdom's great noble families.
The six of them gathered together was a rare occurrence indeed.
Between them, they controlled enough wealth, land and territory to rival, if not outright surpass, the King. Because of this, they frequently found reasons to excuse themselves from the King's summons, especially the leader of the anti-royalty faction ― Marquis Bowlrob, who did not even bother to hide his disdain for the King. It was bad enough that for a while, people thought the Kingdom might fall apart from within.
Next, Gazef's eyes went to the King's three children.
The most eye-catching of them all was the King's third daughter, the "Golden Princess", Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself.
After that was the Second Prince, Zanack Valurean Igana Ryle Vaiself. During the demonic disturbance, he had earned much praise when he, as a descendant of the King, had moved out for the sake of the people.
Last was the eldest son, the Crown Prince Barbro Andorean Ield Ryle Vaiself. With his strong body and neatly trimmed haircut, he was the man who Marquis Bowlrob was trying to place on the throne. Presumably, Bowlrob was in attendance for this court session at Barbro's own request.
Any meeting attended by Marquis Bowlrob of the Noble Faction was sure to be an intense one. Gazef averted his eyes from the heavy atmosphere, which seemed to loom overhead like gathering stormclouds, and looked at the rest of the nobles.
Of the three men present, who belonged to the Royal faction, the first to catch Gazef's eye was Marquis Volumlash, the most luxuriously dressed person in the court.
He was a man approaching forty, with symmetrical features. His domain encompassed gold and mithril mines, which made him the wealthiest man in the Kingdom. However, dark whispers circulated that he was exceedingly greedy, to the point where he would even betray his own family for a gold coin.
There were also rumors that he had betrayed the Kingdom and was selling information to the Empire. However, because of a lack of concrete evidence, nothing could be done about him. After all, beheading Marquis Volumlash ―a prominent supporter of the Royal faction― without any proof would only result in the other nobles throwing in their lot with the Noble faction. If he was aware of this and took advantage of it to keep selling off information, then he would truly be the most despicable person present.
Next, Gazef's eyes turned to the youngest and most handsome of the nobles, Marquis Pespeya. He was married to the King's eldest daughter, and became the head of his household at the same time as his marriage. Although little was known about his abilities and personality, his father possessed an excellent personality and was a competent man, so Gazef felt that Pespeya might take after his sire.
In contrast, the eldest among the Six Nobles was Margrave Urovana. His hair was white, and so little of it remained that there might as well have not been any at all. Though his body and limbs looked like gnarled wood, he still retained the gravitas expected of an elder.
Urovana was the most persuasive of the Great Nobles.
Arrayed against them were the three members of the Noble Faction.
First was the core of the Noble Faction, Marquis Bowlrob, who controlled the most territory among the Great Nobles. His face was heavily scarred, like that of a warlord.
As he was already in his fifties, his once-stout body which had been honed through unrelenting training was little more than a memory of the past, but his voice and predator's gaze made people think that there must have been more than a little bit of his warrior-self left in him.
Although he ―as a warrior― had lost much of his strength to age, as a commander, he was a better commander than even Gazef, which made him just as indispensable to the Kingdom as the Warrior-Captain.
Beside him was Count Ritton.
He was a man whose appearance called to mind the image of a fox, and also one of the lower-ranked members of the Six. As such, he was desperately trying to raise his status. However, his personality of not caring about others' suffering if it meant he could expand his power was not well received by other nobles. Allying himself to Bowlrob must have been a strategic move to escape his enemies.
The final man of the Noble Faction had slicked-back blonde hair and narrow blue eyes. "His face was pale, with little sign that it had seen much sunlight. He was tall and skinny. Combined with his sallow complexion, he gave off the impression of a snake. He was not yet forty, but looked older because of his unhealthy pallor.
With mixed emotions churning in his heart, Gazef looked away from him ― from Marquis Raeven.
The increasingly complex power struggles would be the problem of the next monarch.
Marquis Bowlrob and Count Ritton of the Noble Faction, as well as Margrave Urovana of the Royal Faction, all backed Crown Prince Barbro, while most of the unaffiliated nobles supported Marquis Pespeya, who had married the First Princess. Raeven was on the side of Second Prince Zanack, while Marquis Volumlash did not seem to be concerned with matters of succession.
For all these reasons, the King sat on his throne without making a fuss. If he pointed a finger at anyone, there was a danger of civil war breaking out.
Until recently, Gazef had no opinion on who should become the next King. But now, his heart was leaning toward Zanack. Either that, or Princess Renner as a dark horse, but the Kingdom, in all its long history, was never been ruled by a queen, so that was probably out of the question.
"Now then, let us begin."
The King's tone seemed slightly different than usual. Those with sensitive ears might have guessed the reason for today's gathering and showed it with curious suspicion.
"Read out the proclamation delivered by the Imperial emissary."
In accordance with the King's orders, the vassals flanking him on both sides began reading the contents of the parchment.
"The Baharuth Empire acknowledges the sovereignty of the independent Kingdom of Nazarick, ruled by the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown, and formally recognizes it as an ally of the Empire. Originally, the region near E-Rantel was the domain of the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown. The Kingdom of Re-Estize is unlawfully occupying this territory and must now return it to its rightful owner.
If the Kingdom does not comply with this demand, the Empire will aid the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown in reclaiming the Sorcerer King's territory.
This will be a just war, fought to end unjust occupation."
After the contents were read out, the room exploded into a hubbub of discussion. These terms were insane, and so was anyone who agreed to them.
"Just in case, I have also had the scholars examine the Kingdom's history, and no mention of any individual named Ainz Ooal Gown ever ruling the surroundings of E-Rantel was discovered. There is no legitimacy to this claim," said the King amidst the chaos.
"This is ridiculous nonsense, which lunatic's ravings are these?!"
The boisterous cry rang throughout the hall.
Marquis Bowlrob's formidable presence ―a testament to his former glory as a warrior― seemed to give the other nobles courage, and they returned his shout with their own approval.
"Although it's been delayed, isn't this just the same old Imperial invasion they announce every year? They always find some stupid reason to declare war, so this time round, they must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel to throw up this magic caster's name, right? I want to see what kind of clown they've given that ridiculous title of 'Sorcerer King'."
Count Ritton's words were followed by the derisive laughter of the massed nobles.
"However…"
The count turned his fox-like eyes ―filled with disdain― toward Gazef.
"I believe we've heard of this Sorcerer King madman before, haven't we, Warrior-Captain Stronoff?"
"Indeed, he was the magic caster who lent me a helping hand at the outskirts of E-Rantel."
Count Ritton delivered his cold mockery with an irritating laugh.
"I see, he must have helped because he thought they were his own peasants."
The scornful laughter of the nobles could be heard all around, yet nobody stopped it, because Gazef, who was born a commoner, was hated by many members of the Noble faction.
If it had been a member of the Royal faction, the King would have intervened, but since Count Ritton belonged to the opposition, the King could only furrow his brow.
"Seems like it was the Empire burning down the farming villages near E-Rantel, don't you think? The Warrior-Captain said something about the Slaine Theocracy, and then receiving aid from some Gown fellow, right? Isn't he involved with the Empire? And didn't someone else also say that the bodies of the ambushers who nearly killed the Warrior-Captain vanished without a trace?"
In his mind, Gazef recalled the sight of the powerful members of the Theocracy's Scriptures, as well as the mighty silhouette of Ainz Ooal Gown.
"Although the bodies vanished as Count Ritton said, I do not feel the Empire was involved. When I was at Carne Village, the knights that attacked us were far stronger than those of the Empire. And their casters used angels, there's no doubt that they were a unit from the Slaine Theocracy."
"And why would the Theocracy do that?"
How the fuck should I know?
Indeed, if Gazef could give an answer like that, it would make him feel a lot better.
Just as the court was about to fall into squabbling due to Gazef's silence, a voice of aid rang out. "That mad magic caster is irrelevant! What we need to decide on is how to respond to the false Emperor, isn't that so, your Majesty?"
"It is as Marquis Bowlrob says. We need to decide what the Kingdom's answer will be."
"I beg your permission to speak," Marquis Pespeya said as he advanced. "Accepting the Emperor's terms will be very difficult. Our only recourse is war."
The mention of war sparked activity amongst the serried ranks of the nobility.
"Ah-ah, now is the time to crush them once and for all, and then take the fight to the Empire's doorstep."
"You're absolutely right, I'm tired of the constant Imperial invasions."
"It's time to let the fools in the Empire know what they're dealing with!"
"Exactly, just as the Marquis says."
These words, sandwiched by scattered laughter and repeated throughout the throng of nobles, grated unbearably on Gazef's ears.
The last few years, they had met the Empire on the field of battle at Kattse Plains.
For the most part, they had simply drawn up battle lines and confronted each other, or exchanged arms briefly with minor losses to the Kingdom. This year would probably be more of the same, and the nobles took on an air of laxity as they imagined the same old events playing out again.
However, Gazef spoke out, spurred by the cry of his warrior's instincts.
"Don't think that this battle will end in a small skirmish like it always has!"
The nobles looked like they'd been splashed with a basin of cold water, and turned resentful looks on him.
"I see. This is what our Warrior-Captain really believes. Can you give us a reason for that?"
"Yes, your Majesty, that is―"
The image of a certain person set alarm bells ringing through his heart.
"―That is to say, it is because of that great magic caster, Ainz Ooal Gown."
"That being the case, the only one of us who has actually seen him face to face would be you, Warrior-Captain. That means we must give some weight to your words. Can you tell us what makes you say that?"
Gazef did not know how to answer. He did not know how to explain it, but his warrior's instinct was telling him that making that kind of decision about this war would be extremely dangerous.
"Your Majesty, could you not hand over the outskirts of E-Rantel to the Empire, no, to that magic caster?"
After a moment's silence, the shouts flew like hail.
"You craven coward! How shameless can you get, you chicken-heart?!"
These shouts came from the nobles of the Royal faction.
"After his Majesty showed you such kindness, you turn around and tell him to surrender his demesne to outsiders? When did you start serving the false Emperor?! Not to mention, you haven't even answered his Majesty's question!"
In the face of such deserved castigation, Gazef could not answer. Had he been in their position, he might have well done the same thing.
"Enough."
The one who reached a helping hand out to Gazef in his time of need was his beloved King.
"But, your Majesty!"
"I am deeply grateful that my subjects would be so moved on my behalf. It is because of that reason that I ask you to remember that my Warrior-Captain would never betray me. For my sake, he has fearlessly thrust himself into danger countless times. Someone like that would never do anything which would harm me."
The nobles who had shouted at Gazef bowed to the King. While he acknowledged this fact, he continued speaking to Gazef.
"Warrior-Captain, whom I trust like my right hand. Even if you are the one who puts forth that proposal, I cannot agree to it. No ruler should give up the land he rules without a fight. Such an act cannot be allowed for the sake of the people who live upon it."
"That is undoubtedly so, your Majesty, and I hope you will forgive me for my foolish words."
Gazef lowered his head as his King, who loved the people so dearly, spoke to him. If he was a noble who simply saw his people as a means of profit, the King would not have said what he did. It was because of the King's compassion that Gazef was willing to pledge his life to him.
He recalled the words he spoke to his vice-captain half a year ago.
When you seek help, the ones who will come are the nobles. The strong will bring aid. Those are the ones who will come to the aid of the weak, regardless of the danger.
The Gazef from before he had entered the grand martial tournament would never have said such things. Much like his vice-captain, he would have thought that there were no nobles who would risk themselves for the commoners.
After he began serving the King, however, Gazef realized for the first time that such nobles existed. Regretfully, said nobles lacked power.
There had been many lives that he could not save, and just as many incidents where the nobles' pointless pride had led them to throw obstacles in his way.
Even so, the man he served had not given up. He had continued working toward building a kingdom where its people would be able to live better lives day by day.
Gazef was proud of his King, Ranpossa III. If that was not the case, he would have defected to the Empire when the Emperor himself had tried to win him over.
But it was precisely because he was such a man that dark clouds loomed heavy over his heart.
What the King spoke was the truth, and he had the right view of things. The King had always been full of compassion, but Gazef knew the reason why the King had taken such a harsh tone.
After the demonic disturbance, the balance of power between the two factions had shifted greatly.
For a long time, the Kingdom had been divided into two factions that had been largely even until recently, but now the Royal faction had expanded, while the Noble faction had shrunk.
Because the King had boldly ridden forth and driven Jaldabaoth back, he was seen by the people as a strong ruler, and a fair number of nobles had thrown their support behind the King. Thus, the King could not afford to show weakness here. However, saying that would mean―
"Still, the Warrior-Captain has a point, no? We can avoid a war for the price of just one city. A king also has a duty to prevent undue suffering to his people. Would not a true king be willing to sacrifice of his own body for the sake of the people?"
The one who spoke was from the Noble faction. The words were pretty, but they were calculated to reduce the amount of land controlled by the King, and as such, the Royal faction rebutted them.
"That land is the demesne of the King! If you would hand over our Kingdom's land, why not surrender yours first?!"
The Noble faction was also swift to reply.
"What nonsense is that?! The Empire asked for E-Rantel and its surroundings! Do you really believe they'd accept land from the other side of the Kingdom? Why don't you think before you speak?!"
The Royal faction had grown stronger, while the Noble faction had gotten weaker. That simply made the Noble faction even more desperate to hamstring the King.
The upset balance between the two factions was the source of Gazef's unease. In their desperate attempt to erode the power of the Royal faction, they might plunge the Kingdom into civil war.
That being the case, it was only natural for the King to want to quell the potential revolt with a demonstration of his power. But that would mean―
Lost in his thoughts, Gazef only snapped back to reality after several hard stares from members of the Royal faction. Because he had suggested handing over the Kingdom's territory, they must have thought he had gone over to the Noble faction.
They were giving him looks that said, You upjumped peasant, have you forgotten the grace which the King showed to you?
The nobles kept shouting at each other.
"Then, why don't you propose the exchange of your lands with E-Rantel, and then hand it over?!"
"As if land could be bought and sold like swine at a market! You fools!"
"You are the fools here!"
The childish squabbling engulfed the entire meeting hall. In the past, disputes like this would have ended in a stalemate due to the even balance of power, but now the voices of the Royal faction were louder than those of the Noble faction.
Normally, the King would have stopped this. He did not seem inclined to do so now, probably because the Royals had the advantage.
Nobody would put an end to circumstances which favored themselves. The King must also have wanted to vent his frustrations with the Noble faction.
Slowly, Gazef began to feel a cold, black conviction in the eyes of the Noble faction.
Unconsciously, he shivered.
The attack of the archdemon Jaldabaoth had been the start of everything.
At that time, the king's decision to take to the battlefield was arguably the best one. Without his help, the battle lines might have broken and the adventurers would have been overrun. If 'Blue Rose' had gone down with them, the Kingdom would have been in a great predicament.
However, as Gazef looked at the scene unfolding in front of him, he could not help but wonder if they should have done something else instead.
What would this court session have been like if the standings of both factions had been even?
I don't know, but… ah, that's right, what if we lost this war with the Empire? Would we continue resisting to the end? The Royal faction's power would be greatly decreased, while that of the Noble faction would go up. Would we return to "the days when both were evenly matched? Or would the balance of power crumble completely and plunge the country into civil war? Would that be all right?
He disliked this feeling…The feeling that despite making his own choices, he was ultimately still dancing to the tune of someone else.
Could it be that all this had been planned from the moment I met Gown-dono? I don't want to think that might be the case, but I didn't get a feeling like that during our short time talking to each other.
From the way Gazef addressed him with honorifics even in his speech ― and his thoughts ― it was clear that he bore no ill-will toward the magic caster Ainz Ooal Gown.
… Maybe he could peacefully take control of… ah, no, if I continue thinking like this it'll be treason.
"I think it's about time we stopped this petty squabbling."
A deep male voice cut through the commotion ― everyone fell silent as they tried to find its source.
Gazef bit his lip as someone else usurped the role the King was supposed to play.
"Your Majesty, if the Empire's invasion is a foregone conclusion, then we must prepare ourselves."
"Marquis Raeven, his Majesty alone―"
The words of the Noble faction were interrupted by Raeven.
"―I'll thank you to reconsider. If his Majesty's troops are defeated, who knows where the Empire will attack next? So, for the sake of protecting my domain, I will protect the King's."
Silence fell.
The Kingdom's troops were conscripted civilians. There was no way they were a match for the Empire's knights. The only way to defeat the Empire's advantage in troop quality was with troop quantity. That had been the way things went for the past few years, but if they couldn't even muster up sufficient troops to match the Empire's, then the outcome of the war was already a foregone conclusion.
After hearing Raeven's words, the members of the Noble faction imagined the Imperial knights ravaging their lands as well.
The first to announce their support for the King were the nobles who held land between the capital and E-Rantel, followed by the nobles who held close ties to the first group, and in the end, all the nobles pledged their support.
"All right. Then, we shall delay our reply to the Empire, and gather our troops at the usual place before we answer them. Naturally, I will be going as well."
"Please let me join you on the battlefield, father!"
The one shouting was Prince Barbro, who had been waiting silently at the side until now."
"… No, no. There's no need for the eldest son and heir to the throne to take the field. I will handle this."
Crown Prince Barbro turned to the speaker, the second prince Zanack. Barbro's answer was short and to the point.
"No need?!"
His retort was filled with anger.
Zanack's proposal was a reasonable one. Since the king was already headed to the battlefield, it would be far too dangerous to bring his eldest son along with him. Barbro understood this, but even so, his refusal came from his hatred of Zanack.
Said hatred once again stemmed from the demonic disturbance.
During the demonic disturbance, Zanack had patrolled the capital and earned the praise of many citizens. Barbro, on the other hand, hid inside the palace, and as such, the number of nobles supporting Zanack had increased as well.
At a glance, Zanack did not look particularly heroic, and the contrast between his looks and his brave deeds drew attention. Conversely, Barbro looked impressive, but his inaction made him appear cowardly. In order to erase this shame, Barbro wanted to go to the battlefield to show his martial valor.
The Crown Prince was a reasonably talented warrior, in keeping with his appearance. Although he had been brought up in a sheltered lifestyle, and was not a match for Princess Renner's bodyguard Climb who had tirelessly trained himself, he could still be said to be the strongest fighter of the royal family. To him, it was unthinkable that Zanack ―who would lose his balance after swinging a sword but once, due to his weight― could ever be considered a greater warrior than himself. That was a disgrace he could not endure. Although Marquis Raeven had once said, "What good is a king's swordplay?", Barbro was Zanack's intellectual inferior, and as such, he was even more determined not to lose out in his chosen field of warfare.
No matter what, one couldn't keep trailing behind one's opponent in the game of thrones.
Gazef's gut ached as he considered the potential crisis hiding within the Kingdom.
Although he wanted to resign his commission after the King abdicated and dedicate himself to protecting Ranpossa III, realistically speaking, it would probably be very difficult to do that.
In addition, it would probably be a failure in himself as a loyal servant of his Majesty if he did not save a life that could be saved. Not to mention the king's abdication itself was in question.
If there was someone who could replace me, then I would gladly hand my position over. However, such people are in short supply—
"I certainly agree!"
Marquis Bowlrob's voice interrupted Gazef's thoughts. Now was not the "time to worry about the distant future.
"If you will permit me, I would gladly contribute my strongest troops to the effort and to the protection of his Majesty's person. How about that, your Majesty?"
"Umu. Warrior-Captain, what do you think?"
He could not pretend that he had not heard it. That would be a lie. Gazef put on a show of earnest consideration, while ignoring the twitch of Raeven's eyebrow.
It was probably Bowlrob's suggestion, who supported Barbro as the next king, for Barbro to fight at the front. However, Gazef had no proof of this, so there was only one answer he could give.
"I believe it all depends on his Majesty's opinion."
The King nodded deeply, and Gazef suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
"Is that so… well, if that's the case… then you shall come along as well."
"Yes! Allow me to present the false emperor's head to you, Father!"
As he listened to Barbro's enthusiastic reply, Gazef could only hope that the impending preparations would blow away the clouds of unease forming over his heart.