NOVEL NEXT Chapter 535
Chapter 535. Friendship, Effort, and Taboo
“…Umm…”
“Wait a second! What do you mean by Lily being the material?!”
Orderju, wearing a face of resignation, and Helena, like a mother wolf fiercely protecting her pups, confronted Ainz.
“Just as the words say.”
But Ainz remained unshaken, his eyes wide open.
“I understand the ethical implications are problematic, but still, my intuition whispers that I need this. I want to add not just sturdiness but also regenerative power and vitality to this masterpiece. For that, the blood and flesh of a High Elf are the ideal materials.”
Ainz spoke smoothly, as if pouring mercury onto a flat surface.
I couldn’t help but do a double take. I felt as if I were being engulfed by the unusual atmosphere coming from Ainz.
He was changing—almost like a different person. It was as if he was possessed by something. No, it wasn’t that; it was as if all unnecessary thoughts had been stripped away.
He was truly only thinking about forging the sword.
“A blade that continues to regenerate, maintaining the best and optimal condition at all times. I want to raise the strongest sturdiness to the perfect level. Vitality not only activates the sword but also strengthens its wielder. It will be a sword that can fight for hours, days, or even longer without any maintenance.”
The words woven like a song strangely resonated against the roaring flames and did not get drowned out. Helena was overwhelmed by Ainz’s transformation and lost her words. Orderju seemed to have no intention of opposing him either.
“ A sword that can continue to fight without maintenance…!?”
This is the best!!
“As a symbol of regenerative power, I’d like a lock of hair and a few nails. And as a symbol of vitality, some blood would be appreciated, the more the better. I’ll be incorporating that along with the magic power as I forge it.”
“Got it!”
As for Liliana, she didn’t seem to mind providing the materials.
“Alright, I’ll go get my nails! Can I borrow some pliers or something?”
“Do as you please. The pliers are in the next room; the location is—”
“No worries, I’m good at finding things!”
Of course you are…!
“Sorry, young lady, for causing you pain.”
“That’s fine! I’m used to it!”
Liliana zipped out of the workshop.
Used to it… huh… Getting your nails pulled off must be nothing for her… Thinking that made it hard not to tear up as I sent her off.
“G-Ggii…”
Orderju and Helena wore fierce expressions. They looked like they could snap an ogre’s neck barehanded.
And apparently, Liliana found the pliers in no time at all, returning in just a few minutes.
“Here you go.”
Nails… Five whole ones… That’s all nails on one hand…
“Thanks. Just set them on that plate.”
“I’ll put the hair with them. What about the blood?”
“Fresh would be better, so I’d like to request that when the time comes.”
“Understood.”
“Liliana…”
I opened my mouth, unsure of what to say.
“…Thank you. And I’m sorry. This really helps.”
In the end, the only words of gratitude I could muster were quite ordinary.
“Don’t worry about it! It’s not like I’m losing anything, and I want to see Adamas fixed…”
Waving her beautifully sprouted nails, Liliana smiled without a care.
…Normally, it should be something you “lose,” but with the perfect healing miracle, all kinds of senses get distorted…
And honestly, it’s headed in a really bad direction…
“Well then, with one material settled—”
Next, Ainz turned his gaze towards Leila.
Well, I guess she’s next… Leila was making a face as if she expected this.
“You said you’re a White Dragon, right?”
“Yes. What do you need?”
Amazingly quick on the uptake.
Leila, who often felt negatively towards Ainz, had somewhat of a soft spot now, as I was an old friend and the creator of Adamas, managing to keep her friendliness at a baseline zero, or possibly slightly lower.
“As a symbol of ferocity that bites into every enemy, I would like a fang. And a few scales as a symbol of the strongest being, the dragon’s toughness.”
“A fang, huh… The big ones?”
The big ones—which would be the equivalent of canine teeth in humans.
“No, one should be enough.”
“Understood. Um…”
Leila, slightly shy, fidgeted and looked at me.
“I don’t mind if you break the fang… but if possible, I’d like Alex to do it…”
“…Suuuu…”
I couldn’t help but take a deep breath. The heat from the forge was making me choke.
“It’s difficult to break your own fang in dragon form, and well, it’s not like fangs break easily. So, I’d need someone to help me… and I’d prefer it to be Alex.”
“Alright. Once the firewood’s settled, I think Alex will have some free hands. So, you can do it then.”
“Yes.”
Leila nodded happily at Ainz’s words. She would have to shift back to dragon form, so they’d have to go to an unpopulated area in the outskirts.
…How should I break Leila’s fang?
“Oh-ho!!”
Something weird was twitching next to Leila, but I tried my best not to pay attention.
But realistically, what do I do? Dragon fangs are pretty damn sturdy. I’d have used Adamas without hesitation if I had it… Maybe I could borrow Avalon temporarily and transform it into a sword? With concentrated magic, I should be able to snap it without causing Leila too much suffering.
Well, compared to breaking an orc’s horn with a hand knife, it should be easier, probably.
“I’ll go with you! It’s better to get treatment as soon as possible.”
“Thanks, Liliana.”
Leila smiled at Liliana’s offer.
“Oh, that reminds me, for the scales, how many do you need precisely?”
“Let’s see… How big is one?”
At Ainz’s query, Leila rummaged through her clothing’s breast pocket and pulled out a palm-sized silver scale.
“About this big.”
“Hm… then four or five should be good.”
“Understood. By the way, this scale is actually a keepsake from my father.”
In Leila’s hand, the white dragon scale glimmered.
“My father was far stronger and a prouder dragon than I am.”
With a calm voice, Leila looked at Ainz.
“From a quality standpoint, it should be more than sufficient as material; how about it?”
…Now it even comes with a keepsake from her father!?
“Her father must be the white dragon that Alex killed.”
And as Ainz focused solely on forging the sword, he calmly assessed the “material.”
“…It’s good. Having a connection makes it even better. It’s a deal!”
Faravgi—are you okay with this!?
“Um, Leila, is that really alright? Isn’t that important…?”
“It is important, but I’m alright.”
Leila replied huffily, her breath fierce.
“I believe my father would be more pleased to assist in defeating the Demon Lord than to keep it as a mere charm!”
…Is that really the case!?
“Maybe so! Thanks, Leila!!”
But I have no right to say anything about this…!!
“Hoho—!!”
Shut up already, you!!!
“Hmm… Good. I can see it clearly now, I can see it!! A magnificent magic sword seems to be taking shape.”
Ainz muttered, a bit excited. What on earth do you see…?
Wait, did he just say “magic sword”? I’ve heard the dwarves call it a “holy sword” just to fit in with the humans, but it’s always been a “magic sword” back in my previous life!
But, man… it really fits with the reforged Adamas!
Well… it’s a “magic sword,” but it doesn’t feel like a “holy sword” at all! Yet, still, it feels… something’s off about this!!
“However, as it stands, the sword of Demon Lord Prince Zilbagias is too heavily biased towards light attributes.”
Next, Ainz turned to me and glared intensely.
“Alex… You’ve got quite the physique.”
Yeah, I already knew that.
This is “that time,” isn’t it?
“What do you need?”
“To harmonize with the previous materials. I want hair and nails, plus a fang. In addition, blood. An amount comparable to the High Elf’s. And then—”
Ainz’s gaze smoothly shifted sideways.
From my face to the side.
I had a strange sensation as if the horns at my temples had suddenly heated up.
“When it comes to ‘demon materials,’ you can’t skip that.”
I agree.
“Give me one of those horns.”
“…Understood.”
Honestly, it was a bit scary, but I figured I needed to endure this much pain.
And the experience of breaking a horn could be useful at critical moments. If my horn gets broken in battle, I need to have the mindset to 【swap】 immediately without panicking.
Also, I’m curious about how much weaker I’d become if a horn was broken.
“Ah… Alex, I have some concerns about that,”
Liliana raised her hand apologetically.
“I’ve never healed a broken horn before… especially since the demon’s horns are more than just regular horns; they seem to be complex magical organs, so I’m not sure if I can heal it properly.”
“…Thinking about it, demon horns do seem a bit unusual. I think I could manage with dragon horns, though.”
“Hmm… they do seem to have high magical resistance among body parts, which is quite peculiar.”
Together with Helena and Orderju, they began to carefully observe my horn again based on Liliana’s words.
“Just to put it bluntly—”
While stroking his beard, Orderju looked over at Ant and Odigos.
“I feel something close to the ‘being’ of a demon…”
Ant grinned slightly at Orderju’s somewhat cryptic way of expressing it.
“Not wrong, but not entirely right either. A nice observation indeed. Demons have the interesting biology that ‘having horns dramatically increases their magical power.’ When you combine that with the unnatural amplification from demonic contracts, the magical core, that is the horn, gets closer to our ‘being’—a pseudo-magical life form. And the stronger the magic, the harder it is for others to interfere. It’s a natural law. Even the miracles of the gods can’t break that. Maybe—our kind, demons, are equally disliked by the gods of this world.”
For some reason, Ant kept laughing, amused.
“The magical core, huh. That’s a wonderful material… maybe two would be better.”
As Ainz muttered, casting a glance at Ant.
“…Do we really need two?”
“…It might be a bit excessive; it’s throwing off the balance. One should be sufficient.”
Well, regardless, I was already set to break one… The fact that even Liliana might struggle to heal it is definitely a bit worrying.
“Depending on how much weaker I’ll be after breaking my horn, I think I’ll be alright this time because the healing might not go so well.”
I answered while unconsciously rubbing my horn.
“Healing horns is something my clan is quite skilled at.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“On the front lines, there won’t be a shortage of opponents for which I can use my broken horn as a substitute.”
No matter how pathetic a demon may be, having horns makes them excellent substitutes.
“Well, in that case, we’ll have to do our best to capture demons alive! I’ll help!”
Liliana was brimming with enthusiasm.
“Leave it to me to find some weak demon easy to capture!!”
…Seriously, I’m glad she’s not an enemy!!!
“Ah!!!”
At that moment, Ainz shouted loudly.
“Right! The balance is off!! A Light attribute High Elf, a White Dragon! Now we need a dark grand demon of equivalent standing! As it is, it won’t quite come together. We need materials that are just as good as these but balance out in terms of magical attributes—!!”
With eyes wide open and bursting with excitement, Ainz stared at Ant.
“You’re a grand demon, aren’t you?”
“Wha—!!”