The Terror of Option

"I have a trump card."

"What is that?"

Ainz produced a crystal and showed it to the intrigued Ainzach.

"...It can't be! It's impossible, unbelievable..." Rakesheer shouted, before panting:

"I once read an old tome... they say that the Theocracy possesses powerful magic items which they consider their national treasures. This is one of them... a spell-sealing crystal. How did you come to possess such a thing!?"

"How surprising... but you have it right. In addition, this crystal now contains a spell of the eighth tier."

"What!? What did you just say!?"

The exclamations that Ainz had evoked from Rakesheer were like the cries of a strangled chicken. Even the man's face had distorted to quite a frightening extent.

Nor was it just Rakesheer who was shocked. Everyone — no, everybody except the Mayor had an expression of fear or surprise on their stunned faces. Any adventurer with even a meager bit of experience could understand the value of the item which Ainz had shown to them.

"...The eighth tier... you're lying, right?"

"...It might be a fairytale, but if it's really magic of that level... it would be nothing short of mythical."

"Are you kidding me!? What kind of nonsense is that!?"

The three adventurers — even Igvarge — stared intently at the crystal within the black gauntlet, frightened looks on their faces.

"Forgive me! Could, could I borrow that item for a bit?"

"Why?"

"That... it's just a magic caster's curiosity. I vow I will not do anything strange to it! If you wish anything as collateral, I can pledge everything on my person, for instance, this belt—"

Rakesheer was already unbuckling his belt before he finished. Ainz replied in an annoyed tone:

"I understand, there's no need for that sort of thing. Here, have a look."

"Ah, sorry about this, but may I touch it too?"

"Me too!"

The spell-sealing crystal passed through several hands before reaching Rakesheer, who stared dumbly at it, like a woman who had finally obtained a jewel she had long thirsted for. No, one could say that he was like a boy who had found a treasure he had always sought.

"Amazing... ah, yes, Momon-dono, may I cast a spell on it?"

After seeing Ainz agree with a wave of his hand, Rakesheer eagerly worked his magic.

"「Appraisal Magic Item」, 「Detect Enchant」."

The look on the man's face grew even more exaggerated after he cast those spells, and then—

"Awesome!"

—There was no trace of the man from earlier. Instead, his innocent eyes radiated a look of pure delight, and even his tone was different, like he was a teenager again.

"It's true! It's really eighth tier magic! That's all my spells can tell me... but it's awesome, really awesome!"

He shouted like this over and over again, which left everyone else staring in stunned silence. Then, Rakesheer picked up the crystal and licked it all over, even mashing it into his face — like he had gone mad.

"Get, get a grip! What the hell are you doing!?"

Ainzach rose to his feet and drew close to Rakesheer, disturbed by his friend's sudden bout of insanity. Indeed, everyone was looking at him with an expression of shock or disgust. Such behavior was unsightly, coming from a man so highly-placed in the city.

"You idiot! How could anyone get a grip? This is seriously awesome! It's got an eighth tier spell inside it, though I don't know what spell it is!"

Rakesheer continued staring at the crystal in excitement, his eyes sparkling. Before long, he had slowly recovered his sanity, and he asked Ainz:

"Momon-dono! Where, where did you find this crystal!? Tell me!!"

"It was dug up in a certain ruin, along with many magic items. Of course, the crystal already had the spell sealed inside it by the time it was discovered. I had a powerful magic caster identify it."

"I see! Then, then where is the site of this ruin!?"

"All I can tell you is that it is very far away..."

Rakesheer bit his lip as he heard Ainz's matter-of-fact reply.

"Then, could I have it back?"

"Uuu... okie."

Rakesheer looked around, then reluctantly returned the crystal to Ainz. As he watched Ainz wipe the crystal clean with a piece of parchment, he suddenly exclaimed:

"Back to the point, I — I oppose Ainz-san going forth to slay the Vampire!"

A shocked silence settled over the room once more and Ainzach palmed his face. He grimaced, and then asked in a severe tone:

"...Why the sudden opposition? Well, I already know why, but still — I have to ask."

"Oh, that... it's because it would be too much of a waste."

He's gone completely insane, Ainzach decided as he looked on his friend and decided to discard his opinion.

"Well then, leaving Rakesheer's words aside..."

"Please wait! Magic of the eighth tier is practically of a divine level! How can you use such a valuable item on a mere Vampire?"

Anger boiled in Ainzach's eyes. He could no longer tolerate these outbursts, especially not from someone as highly placed as Rakesheer.

Then, Ainzach choked back his wrath, and calmly told the other man:

"...Forgive me, Rakesheer, but please don't continue making a scene."

The powerful subtext in those words returned Rakesheer to his senses and left him speechless. The slight blush in his cheeks was probably due to embarrassment at his earlier actions.

After glancing at his friend to make sure he was back to normal, Ainzach decided to formalize the request.

"...Then, Momon-kun, we'll be leaving everything to you."

Ainz nodded confidently in response to Ainzach's humble submission.

"I understand."

Then, he looked at Igvarge through the slit of his helmet.

"We'll be moving out as soon as possible. Vampires suffer a penalty of slowed movement under daylight."

"Penalty? Eh, a weakness, then? They do move slowly in the day. Our side will be ready soon."

"...Not going to discuss it with your comrades?"

"It's fine, they'll understand."

"...Is that so? Then, we'll meet at E-Rantel's main gate in an hour."

"One hour? Isn't that a bit too soon? There's still a long time before sunset."

"I am in a big hurry. If your courage is lacking and you need some time to psyche yourselves up, then I'll leave you here and go on my own. Any questions?"

"I get it. We'll prepare ourselves right away."

There was clear anger in Igvarge's voice as he rose after speaking. Ainz coldly glared at Igvarge's retreating back, and then turned to look at the other people who were in the room.

"Then, we shall set out immediately. I hope everyone else will defend E-Rantel. I do not wish to return after not having encountered the Vampire to find that a troublesome situation has developed."

"Well, I can't say there won't be any problems, but you can leave it to us. If you meet any danger, I pray you will fall back immediately."

Ainz nodded and then left.

-x-X-x-

In the end, there were only three people left in the room; Panasolei, Ainzach, and Rakesheer, who still had a lovestruck expression on his face.

"I apologize for showing you that embarrassing side of myself."

"It's fine, don't worry."

Panasolei smiled sheepishly at Rakesheer's apology. However, their opinion of him had changed greatly.

Rakesheer also felt that it had been quite an unsightly display on his part, but even so, he found it difficult to conceal his excitement.

He had met Lizzie the herbalist some time ago, and she had eagerly shared the matter of the potion with him. As he listened to her excited exposition back then, he had regarded her with cool eyes and wondered if it was truly worth shouting about. Now, however, he wanted to laugh at his past self.

He now understood the uncontrollable surprise and emotional upheaval one felt when an unattainable object appeared before one's eyes.

"Was that truly such a valuable item?"

Rakesheer fell silent. This was because he was struggling to suppress the boyish glee which was welling up within him.

"Yes. That item could change everything we know about magic. The fact is, magic above the sixth tier only resides in the legends. That was the first time I personally saw something like that."

The spells known as tiered magic had appeared in this world about five hundred to six hundred years ago. After that, there had been several heroic magic-users, but the rumors of people other than the Thirteen Heroes using spells of the seventh tier and up were exactly that — rumors.

In the heroic sagas, there was a hero who once used a spell which made people conclude that "it's impossible even with magic of the seventh tier or higher," but most people thought that it was just a story. In addition, the question of whether the Thirteen Heroes actually used magic of the seventh tier and up was also in doubt.

However—

Rakesheer thought, these stories might not be entirely fictional. He made a mental note of this and told himself to investigate them when he had time.

For instance, the Goblin King who slew many dragons with an ash branch, the winged hero who soared through the sky for long periods, the mystic knight who rode a Trihead Dragon, the princess who ruled her crystal city with her twelve loyal knights, and so on.

"Then, can we trust him?"

Naturally, Panasolei was referring to Ainz.

"I received a potion from an adventurer in stylish black full plate and threw it at the Vampire, causing it to fall back" — that was the testimony of the sole surviving adventurer.

Thus, they had consulted the city's most renowned herbalist, Lizzie Bareare about the matter. What they had learned was that the potion was a magic item just as valuable as the spell-sealing crystal from just now.

While one might only be suspicious if he possessed just one exotic item, it was only natural to wonder who he was if he possessed two of them. Still, why had the Vampire halted its attack?

There were two possibilities. One was that they were in opposition. The other was that there was some link between them. This was why they wanted to see if such a relationship existed. Was Momon really a foe of this Vampire?

"Do you think he's in cahoots with the Vampire?"

This was what they were truly worried about, and the three of them thought back to their conversation with Momon.

"I think the possibility of that is very low. What do you think, Rakesheer?"

"I agree. There are better ways to pretend to kill the Vampire and then conceal her."

Even if Momon really was linked to the Vampire, the response outlined earlier would do him no good at all.

"Could it be he just wants to become an orichalcum ranked adventurer?"

"I doubt it, Mayor. Adventurers enjoy fame and prestige, but command little power. What are the benefits of becoming an orichalcum ranked adventurer, Ainzach?"

"...Well, you can accept better-paying requests, and you'll be more famous. If you're lucky, you might even be offered a government post with good terms... although, that's about it. Power can be much more easily gained through other means."

The most telling impression of adventurers was that they were specialized anti-monster mercenaries. Certainly, it was possible that one might become the leader of the local chapter of the Adventurer's Guild, but they would still be unable to reach a position where they could dictate national policy.

"If wealth was his aim, he could sell that crystal and never have to worry about money for the rest of his life. Someone as strong as him could rise in fame quickly enough. The fact is, quite a few of the city guard are already calling him a legendary hero."

Panasolei nodded in agreement.

He had taken out a towering undead creature in one hit, and then mowed through countless undead like a storm, leaving shattered bodies in his wake. These awe-inspiring sights were truly those which would be associated with a great hero.

The guards eagerly spread their accounts of Momon's prowess, patting their chests and declaring that there would be no need to fear monsters with him around.

"That said, I regret to say that we have no evidence to prove his reliability. Still, there are no contradictions in what Momon-dono has said so far, and if he really was an enemy, why would he show us that spell-sealing crystal? I think we can trust him."

Rakesheer's words put a grimace on the face of the other two men. That expression clearly said that it was hard to believe such words coming from a maniac like him.

"Mayor, Ainzach, the reason why neither of you can bring yourselves to trust Momon-san is because he showed up just as the Vampire did, am I correct? However, I feel that Momon-san's words can adequately explain that."

The two men nodded in agreement.

"In addition, if that female Vampire really was being hunted by Momon-san, there's also a rational explanation for why she ceased her attack on the lady adventurer when it saw Momon-san's rare potion. In addition, it's possible that the female adventurer was spared because the Vampire wanted to let Momon-san know she was here."

"I see... so she wanted to let Momon-san think she was nearby and make him stay here. The female Vampire must have seen the female adventurer's potion and suspected that she was related to Momon-san. Thus, she let her go, to spread the news of her presence. It does make sense..."

"...Given the fact that Momon-kun chased that Vampire all the way here... I can't imagine she would be happy about learning that he was around."

"Indeed, Mayor. However, while we do not yet know which country he hails from, we should still treat him well and be on our guard. Although I don't think he's that suspicious... kuku, I'd like to discuss the matter of Momon-san's magic items with him. His suit of armor looks quite valuable as well."

"...Speaking of Momon-kun, there's something I wanted to ask you, Mayor — where are the corpses of Zuranon?"

"I have no idea."

The Mayor scowled as he said this.

The mangled corpses left behind by Ainz had been placed in storage under the eyes of layers upon layers of guards, but they had vanished after daybreak. Although they suspected that someone had broken in and stolen them, the guards had not been attacked and there were no signs of anyone suspicious.

The storage area had been built in a way that inhibited the use of teleportation magic; one could say that it was something of a secret room. Thus, there was no sign of how the intruders had even managed to enter. It was as though the corpses had vanished in a puff of smoke.

They were still secretly searching for clues within the city, but nothing had turned up. The possibility of finding anything relevant were close to zero. In other words, there was nothing they could learn from the two corpses.

"Could it be that the unholy ritual they were conducting turned them into undead, which then escaped?"

"...We cannot rule that possibility out entirely."

"How troubling, we couldn't even get any evidence from it... the only possibility is that secret shrine under that chapel, no? It would be good if we could learn something useful from it."

"From what you said, it would seem that Momon-kun did not enter that place. If we found an ownerless magic item of great value in there, could we hand to to him?"

"Mmm, if those items have nothing to do with the ritual, then by adventurers' rules, they would belong to him."

-x-X-x-

Ainz sped through the streets.

The warm wind filtered in through the slits in his helmet, blowing over the location which corresponded to his eyes. Perhaps if he had eyeballs, he would be blinking non-stop, but Ainz lacked any sensory organs, so all he felt was "the wind is blowing."

Looking down, he saw the earth flying past him beneath his feet, like a loosed arrow. He did not know if it was because he was close to the ground or because of some other reason, but it felt like he was moving faster than he actually was. Of course, he was not frightened in the least. Still, every time his body bounced up, he reflexively channelled more strength into his legs.

Although Hamsuke could maintain its balance well, it was still a Djungarian Hamster, albeit a gigantic one. Ainz needed to spread his legs wide to ride it, and this unstable riding posture was compounded by a lack of reins, barding, or a saddle. Even someone with extraordinary balance like Ainz had to be careful not to fall off.

It'll be hard to swing my swords while riding Hamsuke; perhaps I should have a set of riding tack and barding made for it soon. The head blacksmith's making a decoy suit of armor; perhaps I could get some help there.

It was not just the unsteady ride which brought that topic to mind, but also because of the shape which rode beside him.

Narberal was mounted on a horse while staying in line with Ainz. She rode a Statue of Animal – War Horse, a magic item which summoned a massive destrier in heavy plate barding.

She was a dazzling sight, skillfully guiding her gigantic horse as it galloped down the city streets. Her ponytail swayed in the wind, and her brown cape fluttered out behind her. The way she sat tall in the saddle was as though she had come straight off a movie screen.

In contrast, Ainz rode a giant Djungarian Hamster. How could he even compete? He looked forward, despair filling his heart, and saw a group of men there.

They were a team of four people, and they seemed better equipped than the members of Swords of Darkness, with whom Ainz had travelled with earlier.

Ainz tucked the matter of the Swords of Darkness into the corner of his mind, letting go of his complicated thoughts concerning that issue, and then studied the horses those people rode.

They were majestic beasts.

Ainz was no equestrian, but given that their coats gleamed and their bodies were in fine fettle, they should have been superior horses.

The four mounted men rode in a formation shaped like an isosceles triangle, and they too looked like they had sprung from a movie.

I must look like an idiot riding Hamsuke. I certainly feel stupid enough.

Ainz was quite depressed, but he seemed to be the only one who felt that way.

"That's an impressive-looking creature you're riding there."

Those words came from one of Igvarge's comrades as he tried to strike up conversation with Ainz. Unlike Igvarge, there was no hostility in his voice. Instead, it would seem Hamsuke had piqued his adventurer's curiosity, and his words were filled with wonder and awe.

"What manner of beast is that? Is it famous?"

"...It is the Wise King of the Forest."

"Ehhhh!? What!? That legendary monster!?"

The staring man's eyes went wide as he exclaimed in surprise.

I still can't get used to that sort of reaction. Do they have to make such a big deal over a hamster... hm?

Out of the corner of his eye, Ainz could see Hamsuke woffling its whiskers in pride, and its ears twitched in time with the movement. It was probably paying attention to Ainz's conversation, given the way it was shuddering under him.

Ainz mercilessly chopped Hamsuke on the head with his gauntleted hand, which produced a deep, reverberating sound from the creature's skull.

"No, I just heard Igvarge talk about it... I see, he's seeing red again."

"How did he describe me? Ah, forget it, you don't have to tell me. I can guess from the looks on your faces."

"Hahaha, my apologies. That guy... he's not really a bad sort, but he gets blinded by what's in front of him sometimes."

"...It's a wonder how you guys have stayed safe with a companion like that. Or has this party changed out a lot of members?"

"No, everybody's been with the team ever since it was formed. That guy's a pretty good adventurer, unlike what his personality would suggest."

"Pretty good... huh."

Ainz turned to Igvarge, and received a hostile glare in response.

"You guys must have had a really hard time," Ainz snorted. Then, after dropping that line, he raised his hand, indicating that Narberal should suppress the anger building within her towards Igvarge. Ainz did not want to start a fight here — there were more important things which had to be done at this moment.

After signalling to Narberal, Hamsuke raised its head.

"Milord... your servant's head hurts..."

Tears sparkled in those black, beady eyes.

Ainz felt a twinge of regret. Perhaps he had used too much force. Still, it would have been bad if he had been tossed off at those speeds.

He would not be hurt even if he hit the ground. Ainz had once conducted an experiment with one of the vassals who had similar damage reduction to his own, and it had not felt any pain even after being dropped from a height of one kilometer.

The problem was what would happen if his travelling companions began having their doubts about Ainz's toughness. Now that they had come this far together, Ainz was sincere about getting along with them until the very end.

"Run more evenly. I don't want to have to use strength when clinging to you."

"Understood! Milord must be worried about his servant's body!"

This time, Hamsuke teared up because it was moved, and Ainz ordered it to watch its front. It was then that Igvarge's companion from earlier addressed him in a respectful tone:

"Oh, that's amazing, to think you can maintain your balance in such a precarious position. This would be pretty dangerous, even for someone with a good sense of balance like yours, no?"

"It's because I'm used to it... though I do intend to have it fitted for a saddle soon."

"A harness, huh... I don't really like that... just a jape, of course! If Milord desires it, then your servant has no objections!"

Under Narberal's reproachful gaze, Hamsuke scrambled to display the attitude befitting of a loyal vassal. The vibrations coming from beneath Ainz's waist were different from the tremors of travel.

Ainz furrowed his illusionary eyebrows beneath his helm.

There's no need to frighten a hamster with killing intent, is there? While I do appreciate that sort of loyalty, isn't that going a bit too far? It's fine to look down on human beings, but there's a time and place for that sort of thing... She doesn't quite seem to grasp that concept... Was she really designed that way? There's not much which can be done if she's like that, but...

Just having Hamsuke with him was a huge boost to his fame, and the combination of the Wise King of the Forest's staunch loyalty to himself was far different from the fear it inspired in others. The first would make people think highly of Ainz and consider him to be a noble adventurer. Although it did not mean much to him, he wanted to continue developing in that direction since he had the chance to do so. This was also because he wanted to be regarded as a hero.

In addition, it would be helpful to have people outside of Nazarick swear loyalty to him.

That made Ainz reflect on his actions, and he considered that he might have been too rough towards Hamsuke. Therefore, he lightly patted the place which he had chopped just now, as though stroking a small animal.

"Milord... this is embarrassing..."

The sound of grinding teeth was clearly audible to Ainz, through the galloping of horses.

...You're part of the reason I'm doing this, no? Speaking of which, how hard are you grinding your teeth anyway? If she's really jealous, then I should do something for her, right? Narberal's been very loyal too, but... what kind of reward can I give her?

As Ainz agonized about whether to give her a ring or some other treasure, Igvarge spoke in a thoroughly unfriendly manner.

"Oi, Momon, we're here."

After indicating that it understood, Hamsuke gradually reduced its speed. Unlike a horse, Ainz could communicate directly to Hamsuke. Ainz had no equestrian experience and was not at all confident about stopping a horse.

It's a little embarrassing to ride Hamsuke, but I should be glad because I don't have to ride a horse. Still, the time might come when I might have to do so, I should probably practice that a little in case of emergencies.

Ainz leapt off Hamsuke, then petted it in gratitude. Narberal transformed her horse back into a statuette and the men tied up their horses.

"Then, let's go. What formation should we take when moving?"

"We'll take the lead, you can follow behind."

"I don't care what you do, just keep us in mind and be careful."

After hearing Igvarge's annoyed response, Ainz led Narberal and Hamsuke into the forest.

Much like the forest near Carne Village, the woodlands here bore no signs of human habitation and were very difficult to traverse. However, Ainz was festooned in magic items and thus it seemed like a flat plain to him. In addition, his anxiety over Shalltear made him quicken his pace, to the point where Igvarge had to ask them to slow down.

Well, he did ask them, but his crude words were full of hostility. Narberal — who was walking beside Ainz — very nearly turned around to rebuke him, but Ainz forced her to keep quiet.

"We're almost there, act like an adult."

Ainz smiled under his helmet as he saw the frustrated look on Narberal's face. By now, Hamsuke had sensed something amiss, and its ears twitched continuously, as though it had heard something.

Ainz knew what had prompted that response from Hamsuke, and so he whispered into Hamsuke's ear:

"—Stop that."

"What? Milord, what are you—"

"—The sound of metal you might have heard is from my subordinates. Pay it no heed."

"Yes, yes, it is. My apologies, milord."

"By the way, have you picked up on anyone following us aside from that?"

He had ordered Nigredo to establish surveillance and had taken many other precautions besides, but he asked again just to be sure.

"No, other than that, almost nobody is following us."

"Oi~ what's happening up there?" asked the man who had been riding beside Ainz. Since the team's representative Igvarge was not asking that question, his presence here needed no explanation.

Ainz waved a hand, indicating that nothing was wrong.

"Really?"

The man did not seem happy with that answer, but after sensing that Ainz did not want to talk about it, he shrugged and did not press the matter.

Well, it's not like I hate you or anything.

Ainz merely thought those words without speaking them as he silently advanced through the forest.

After they had travelled some distance, the sound of weapons being drawn one after the other came from the rear. Ainz halted and leisurely looked back.

"Is something the matter?"

"Is something the matter!? You're on point, you should be more alert!"

This was the first time the other men showed their approval for Igvarge's hostility.

"Oi! You, hiding over there, come out slowly!"

Igvarge was shouting at a tree which was large enough to hide a person's silhouette.

Amidst the growing tension in the air, Ainz calmly walked over to that tree. A somewhat panicked voice called out to him, but Ainz paid it no heed.

Narberal watched like it was the natural thing to do. Hamsuke had his doubts, but he did not offer any opposition.

As he drew close to the tree, someone stepped out from behind it, as though in response. The person in question was dressed in a suit of full plate armor which was the same black as Ainz's own. That person held a gigantic axe (a bardiche) which radiated a sickly green glow.

The commanding presence of this warrior filled the scene with a strange air. Or rather, only parts of it were filled with strangeness.

Ainz gently raised a hand and said:

"Thank you for coming all this way."

"Thank you, Ainz-sama."

The warrior — Albedo — bowed respectfully to her lord and master.

"Then, Shallte—"

"—Who is she? Is she a friend of yours? And what's this about Ainz-sama?"

These loud questions bombarded Ainz from behind, one after the other.

This was an entirely understandable reaction for Igvarge and his crew, but it was an unpardonable offense to Albedo, who was still bowing to Ainz. Fiery rancor blazed within her heart, and then she let it out, as though she planned to incinerate everything in the area with the flames of her wrath.

Hamsuke shuddered, every hair on its body standing on end, more than ever before.

Given that even a bystander had this sort of reaction, how much worse must it have been for the targets of Albedo's fury? Their faces had turned white and oily sweat cascaded down their foreheads as they realised that their insignificant lives would be snuffed out shortly.

"Allow me to introduce you to everyone. This is my companion — Albedo."

"Ainz-sama, I find it hard to believe that you would consider me a companion... after all, I am but your loyal servant."

"That is true, so I take those words back. She is my subordinate; does that answer your question? Then, Albedo, commence the next step, as we planned."

The men were still staring in stunned silence as Albedo walked towards them.

"Oh, I almost forgot. My name is not Momon. My real name is Ainz. Not that you need to remember that, of course."

Albedo smiled smugly as she beheld the confused looks on the men's faces. However, that smile was as icy as the grave.

"Then, Albedo... deal with them. Take one alive... no, another one might be good as a spare. The jamming is already in place, so you can go ahead and use magical communication."

Just as the shock from hearing Ainz's calm and dispassionate orders began filtering into the minds of Igvarge and his people, Ainz continued his instructions:

"Take their corpses back to Nazarick. If they're strong enough, we can use them for experiments in making high tier undead."

"Understood."

Albedo slowly raised her weapon, the gigantic axe.

There was no murderous intent or hostility in that action.

That was only to be expected. After all, to Albedo, chopping off the heads of inferior lifeforms (humans) was little more than cutting the leaves off a daikon.

If this were not Ainz's order, she might not even need to swing her weapon to verify her calmness.

Igvarge and his party might not have understood the situation, but they still knew they were in danger, and they raised their swords in preparation to fight.

Bathed in looks of shock, Ainz merely shrugged.

"Ah, sorry about that. I misspoke back in the guild; when I said 'Following me is certain death,' I actually meant 'If you follow me, I will kill all of you.'"

Thus did Ainz pronounce their death sentence.

"I warned you, but you would not listen. These are the consequences of your choice. Accept them with dignity."

Igvarge and his group chose to retreat.

The reason why they had all immediately fallen back without so much as verifying the plan with hand signals was because they understood the vast difference between their respective battle strengths. In addition, they did not retreat as one, but they split up to flee, in order to maximize their chances of survival.

Their reaction was outside the scope of Albedo's predictions, and she was a moment too late to respond. Although her physical attributes far exceeded those of Ainz, chasing an enemy through the forest was still quite troublesome.

She chased down her first target in an instant, and rendered him unconscious with a capturing-type skill.

Albedo's keen hearing picked up on the sounds of metal mixed with the wails of the fleeing men. However, she could not get an accurate fix on their position due to the trees blocking her line of sight. In addition, people without metal armor would only make noise when they stepped on grass or twigs, which only made it harder for Albedo to pinpoint their location, given that she lacked levels in ranger and rogue-type classes.

Albedo shook her head and sighed. Then she issued a command:

"Mare, deal with those two. Ah, right, eliminate the man who was disrespectful to Ainz-sama."

-x-X-x-

Igvarge ran.

Back in the Guild, he had understood to some extent that Momon was a better adventurer than himself, but Igvarge was unwilling to acknowledge that fact.

However, when he personally witnessed the commanding figure of Momon's majestic riding beast — the ancient, legendary monster known as the Wise King of The Forest — he had no choice but to accept it. Anyone who could tame such a creature by strength alone was clearly far beyond mithril rank.

As he realised that what they had discussed in that room was true, Igvarge's heart filled with anger.

I don't know what country you're from, but don't get in my way. I can give you information if you want, but in exchange, go stand aside and wait.

To Igvarge, it was as though someone had trespassed in his territory.

He and his group had trained hard to fulfill their dreams, had slowly climbed the ranks after countless close brushes with death. It was only natural that they would be unhappy when somebody cut in all of a sudden and jumped several ranks.

He would pull Momon down if he had the chance. He would ruin Momon's reputation with false rumors. That was what Igvarge had in mind when he had chosen to set out with Momon.

This was also why — when Momon's black-clad companion showed up and declared she was going to kill Igvarge and his group — he could fall back with no hesitation at all. Though he was afraid, he still moved faster than anyone else. He was driven by the malicious desire to spread bad news about Momon — about Ainz to the Guild.

Serves you right, I'll make it back alive for sure and then I'll disclose everything about you to the world!

He did not know how Momon was connected to the Vampire. However, he was sure he could steer the rumors in that direction

Though he knew that terrible weapon might scythe down on him at any time, though he knew his life might be in danger, Igvarge laughed, unable to suppress the emotions surging up in his heart.

He did not care about his comrades at all. No, if they became decoys that let him live on, so much the better.

I will reach the top. I will attain the orichalcum, then the adamantite rank, and become a renowned hero.

There was no need for anybody strong beside himself. His companions were all stepping stones on his climb to the summit. He would be the true hero who saved the world, like the Thirteen Heroes of the past. This was the dream Igvarge had ever since he had heard the saga of the Thirteen Heroes in his youth from a bard in his village.

But then, there was a man who was going to stand in the way of his dreams — was going to surpass him and his team. Worse, he was doing it as a part-time job. That was unforgivable.

He ran and he ran and he ran.

The fact that Igvarge could run at top speed through the forest without his face turning red or panting was proof that he was indeed a mithril ranked adventurer.

However—

Ripples coursed through Igvarge's heart; big ones.

Where is this place? I circled around because I was afraid they would have set up an ambush near the horses... eh?

Igvarge felt that this was right, and his sense of direction told him that much. However, his sixth sense said otherwise. He would not get lost even if this was his first time in any particular forest. However, for some reason, he was still uncertain of his location.

I must be imagining things, he thought. Though, this did not feel like his imagination at all. However reluctant, he had to acknowledge that this was real.

"...Am I lost? But... how could a forest stalker like myself get lost?"

Igvarge's vocation was one which specialized in outdoor movement. In a sense, the woods were like his back yard. However, a strange, unsettling feeling filled him. This forest now seemed like the gaping maw of some vast carnivorous beast.

"It's just like a maze..."

Unease and anxiety welled up inside, as a change came over the forest which should have been completely familiar to him.

And then—

—He heard the sound of quiet rustling.

Igvarge recalled the black-clad executioner from just now, and jerked his head back to look at the source of the sound. He saw a child's head poking out from behind a tree.

That child was a Dark Elf, closely related to the Elves, who were humanoids which lived in the depths of the forest.

Why is there a Dark Elf here?

He had heard that the large settlements of the Dark Elves were located in the great forests to the south, where no man had set foot. Dark Elves were the sort who lived far away from civilized areas. In that respect, they were different from the Forest Elves, who traded with humanity.

There was something strange about this Dark Elf, who was also a child. It filled Igvarge's heart with doubt. Just then, the child nervously stepped forward.

It's a girl.

She was dressed in female attire, and the frightened look on her delicate, beautiful face aroused Igvarge's sadistic desires. Although he wondered if this girl had been sent by Momon, the two of them had completely different attitudes, and so he laughed the idea off as impossible.

More importantly, if this girl was a Dark Elf that lived in this forest, she would surely know a safe route out of it. In addition, if that black-armored woman caught up to him, he could use the girl as a hostage. With that in mind, Igvarge decided to try and get the girl to obey him, and so he took a step forward.

"...Oi."

He intentionally pitched his voice low, filling it with notes of menace, and startled the Dark Elf girl into taking a step back.

"Ah, I, I'm sorry..."

Igvarge chuckled coldly as he saw the nervous look on her face. He was confident that his plan would work.

"No need to be sorry. There's something I want to ask you, so come over here."

"Uh... uhh... about that... I, I'm sorry."

A question mark seemed to appear over Igvarge's head as he wondered why she was apologizing again. However, the ebony staff in the Dark Elf girl's hand had already swung towards him.

The vegetation turned to snares, which securely bound Igvarge's entire body.

He trembled in shock.

How could a mithril ranked adventurer like himself fail to stop the magic of a brat like her?

Even after struggling with all his might, the plants refused to budge. As anxiety and panic filled his heart, Igvarge raised his voice and shouted:

"You — you little bitch! If you don't let me go, I'll kill you! Oi!"

The Dark Elf nervously lowered her head and advanced toward Igvarge.

It was then that Igvarge realised her outfit was quite exceptional. Both her clothes and armor were masterfully made, of the sort which Igvarge himself would not be able to acquire. In addition, her eyes — the memory of something an Elf friend of his had once said surfaced hazily in his mind.

However, before the memory could fully take shape, a shadow fell across his face.

The girl forcefully swung her staff.

Though her face still looked afraid, there was no emotion in her eyes. She did not feel anything about what she was about to do to Igvarge. It was as though her fearful attitude was just an act she had been directed to put on.

He superimposed the form of the girl before him over that of the black-armored woman from just now.

"Wait, wait a minute! What are you trying to—"

-x-X-x-

Albedo arrived just as Mare's staff fell on the man's head. His helmet deformed under the impact of the staff and the skull below caved in, while his eyeballs popped free of his head from the force of the tremendous impact. His head was thoroughly smashed, like a watermelon during a suikawari game at the beach in summer.

"Thanks for your hard work."

"Ah, about that, Albedo-sama, it, it's over... is, is this fine?"

Albedo removed her helmet, and smiled to Mare as he looked up nervously to her.

"It was perfect. Granted, it was a somewhat messy way of killing him, but it's fine. Ainz-sama will surely praise you for this."

"Re-Really? Ehehehe."

The delighted Dark Elf looked to the corpse, and then Albedo asked:

"How about the other one?"

"Ah, w-well... he's been taken care of. I, I dragged the corpse behind a tree..."

"Is that so? Beautifully done. Then, Mare, can you help me bring the corpses back to Nazarick?"

"I... I got it."

Albedo smiled once more to the smiling boy who was giggling as he held his bloodstained staff. He was such an honest boy.

Still, he would do well to be more open.

-x-X-x-

"It is finished, Ainz-sama," Albedo said, her helmet held at her waist. Ainz nodded as he heard this. Now, there were no witnesses to Shalltear's identity. With his armor gone, Ainz felt quite at ease as he replied:

"Good work. How about the recovery of the bodies?"

"I have already asked Mare to send them back to Nazarick."

"I see. Well then, that problem's taken care of. Sadly, they were killed by the Vampire, so we, the survivors, must continue pressing on."

"Understood. Then... Ainz-sama, what is that trembling creature which cowers under your cloak?"

Ainz turned, and found that as expected — although it was quite hard to understand why such a large creature would do such a thing — Hamsuke was clinging to his cloak. Its large, beady eyes were moist, and its fur stood in terror. Of course, it was Albedo which it feared.

"Think of it as my pet. I have named it Hamsuke."

"What!? That thing actually has the position coveted by all the denizens of Nazarick!?"

"...Hm? ...Ah, Hamsuke. This is Albedo, my faithful servant who rules my domain of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. In other words, she is your boss. Go, introduce yourself to her."

"This lowly one is, as milord has already said, known as Hamsuke. I place myself in your care, Albedo-dono."

"...Pleased to meet you, Hamsuke."

"All right, introductions are over. From now on, I will be going onward with Albedo. Narberal, return to Nazarick with Hamsuke and Mare... and pay attention to the object I put in your mouth."

"Yes!"

Narberal's reply was quite energetic. Hamsuke swirled the object it had received in the graveyard within its mouth, and it asked Narberal in a garbled way:

"Un-Understood, milord. And — this thing is really noisy! I have an important question to ask! Quiet down in there! Then, this one has a question to ask... Narberal-dono, will this one be in danger? Will this one be eaten up?"

"Since you are now Ainz-sama's pet, you will not be eaten without authorization. I will inform everybody; there is no need to worry."

Ainz's face did not move, but he was smiling. It would seem that letting them travel together in E-Rantel had improved their relationship.

"All right, then let's go, Albedo."

"Understood."

As Narberal and Hamsuke watched, Ainz and Albedo headed toward Shalltear's location.

"Ah, yes, Ainz-sama. The corpses of those men reminded me of the words you spoke to me in the Throne Room. Shall we recover the corpses of the man and woman which you eliminated last night, Ainz-sama?"

"Well, about that..."

Just as he was about to repeat what he had told Narberal last night about, "we need to pin the blame on them as the masterminds of this incident," Albedo continued speaking and interrupted him.

"They might have learned something while fighting you, Ainz-sama. Since there is magic which can bring the dead back to life, the best course of action would have been to immediately recover the corpses. Or was there some special reason for doing otherwise?"

Ainz's breathing stopped — no, he had not needed to breathe in the first place.

Albedo had hit the nail on the head.

...Crap.

Resurrection magic existed in this world; in other words, dead men could tell tales, better than what any autopsy would say.

Ainz recalled the events of that night. He thought about his real identity, the name of Nazarick, and Narberal's abilities. That man and woman knew it all, especially that woman.

This was too fatal of a mistake to be written off with the word "mistake".

All he could do was hope that nobody could use resurrection magic, but according to the information gained from the Sunlight Scripture, there were people within the Slaine Theocracy who could use such magic. In addition, there was a high chance that top ranked (adamantite) adventurers possessed spells like that, and high ranking officials in a country might secretly command people who were capable of such magic.

If that were the case, the higher-ups in E-Rantel would look for people to use magic on them once they concluded that the deceased possessed such important information. Given that what they had done would have shaken E-Rantel, it would be natural for said higher-ups to want to know more.

Ainz felt his nonexistent heart beating at a breakneck pace.

What should I do now?

It went without saying that he had to recover the bodies as quickly as possible. However, who should he send?

Ainz had told Narberal not to bother with the corpses. Should he publicly tell her that was a mistake?

...No, I shouldn't say anything.

He should avoid saying anything that might lower their faith to him further as long as he did not know why Shalltear had betrayed him. He had to remain calm in a situation like this.

Ainz now knew why the superiors in his company were unwilling to admit their mistakes. With a prayer in his heart, he made a decision.

"...Indeed, that is correct. However, I do have a special reason for leaving those bodies be. Calm yourself; everything dances within the palm of my hand... the matter of Shalltear aside."

"I see! As expected of you, Ainz-sama. I see you have already anticipated the developments I had in mind. It seems I have spoken too much, and I apologize for that. Come to think of it, why did you not use resurrection magic at all, Ainz-sama? It would allow you to question dead humans and the like while gathering information."

"...Eh?"

A very off-key squeak of surprise escaped Ainz.

"Did I not mention it? Then, have you heard of Demiurge's healing experiments?"

"Yes, I have. Sever all four limbs. heal them with magic, those experiments, right?"

"Indeed. Then, another question for you. Do you know where a resurrection spell has to be applied?"

"Is it not on the corpse?"

"...I don't think so... hm, at least, I don't think so, no?"

Albedo went silent alongside Ainz, and then her eyes sparkled.

"Ah! It seems I misspoke. Ainz-sama, you are correct. It is not on the corpse, but the soul!"

"Indeed. In Demiurge's experiments, the severed limbs vanished and grew from the body once more. Now, when you cast a spell on the soul, what will happen to the body?"

In YGGDRASIL, one could choose to come back to life at one of four locations when casting an XP-draining resurrection spell.

The first was at the corpse itself. The second was at the entrance of the dungeon or other location. The third was in a nearby safe town. And the fourth would be at a designated respawn point within a guild base or other stronghold.

That being the case, where would people in this world come back to life when resurrection magic was cast on them?

The scenario which Ainz most wanted to avoid was the fourth kind, coming back to life at a designated home point. If Nigun came back to life in the Slaine Theocracy, Ainz would have essentially resurrected an enemy, filled him full of useful information, and then kindly released him back into the wild.

This was why he could not conduct experiments with resurrection magic, but in return it had led to these undesired consequences.

"I see, so that's how it is. We must take note of these things. As expected of you, Ainz-sama — I am awed by your keen insight."

As he watched Albedo lower her head in admiration, Ainz immediately shook his head and replied:

"Pay it no heed. Although, I do need to find a place to conduct an experiment like that... hm. Then, once we're ready, we'll set out."

Under Albedo's guidance, Ainz strode into the forest.

-x-X-x-

The two of them reached a large clearing within the woods.

One could say this scene was filled with a rustic charm, but in the middle of it stood something that was completely out of place here — a person in a suit of crimson full plate armor. It was a fantastic sight as it glittered under the sunlight, but the stink of gore it gave off ruined the atmosphere.

It was Shalltear.

She looked exactly like what he had seen on the 「Crystal Monitor」, right down to her seemingly-unchanged posture. For a moment, Ainz wondered if he was still looking at her image.

However, it felt real enough. The reason was that was the stench of blood carried to him by the wind.

Ainz breathed in and out repeatedly. Of course, his body could not breathe, so he was just going through the motions, but perhaps he felt something which might have led to those breaths.

"Shalltear," Ainz said to her.

He felt that his voice should have been stern and commanding, and yet the words he had spoken were hoarse and quiet and pathetic.

Yet, there was no response.

Before he called out to Shalltear again, Ainz carefully sized her up.

Shalltear was not ignoring him. Rather, her crimson eyes were open and vacuous, giving the impression that there was no consciousness there.

Albedo, who was standing beside him, grew furious at Shalltear's attitude.

"Shalltear! Not only do you not have an explanation for your deeds, but you compound it with rudeness to Ainz-sama—"

"Albedo, shut up! Keep quiet! Do not move! Do not approach Shalltear!"

Ainz's harsh words stopped Albedo in her tracks as she was about to advance on Shalltear. This was a tone he very rarely took with the NPCs made by his friends, but on this occasion, it could not be helped.

That was how shocked Ainz was by Shalltear's current condition.

"...Could this be... is it even possible? ...Unbelievable."

Ainz compared scenes from his past to the Shalltear he saw before him, and shock ran through him. At the same time, his emotion suppression kicked in, allowing him to make a calm decision and realize that the possibility he had in mind was the most likely one.

Ainz addressed Albedo. He wanted to share his thoughts, and by doing so, acknowledge the reality of the situation.

"I'm sure of it now. Shalltear is under mind control."

"Is this due to the reason you mentioned in the Throne Room, Ainz-sama?"

"I can't be sure just yet... judging from the information supplied by the Sunlight Scripture and my own experience with this sort of thing, I'm certain this is some form of mind control. Of course, I don't know how or why the undead Shalltear was controlled. Could this be the result of some phenomenon unique to this world?"

Ainz folded his arms, and carefully examined the bolt-upright Shalltear.

"Some mysterious person attempted to control Shalltear's mind, but something happened before that person could issue any orders. Perhaps they were struck down just as they made their move... in any case, I'm pretty sure that was what left her standing here by herself, without any orders. However, she will probably defend herself against anyone who gets too close or who attacks her. Most evil-aligned NPCs will do just that, so don't get too close."

"Understood. However, we will not be able to drag her back to Nazarick like this... That will be fine as long as Shalltear's attempted controller is dead, but if that person is still alive, it will be dangerous to wait here."

"An accurate consideration."

Shalltear had been mind controlled by something. It might be something unique to this world, something that could work on the undead. If that were the case, Ainz might end up getting mind controlled as well if he stayed here.

"Although this item is quite expensive, we'd best dispel Shalltear's mind control soon as possible."

Ainz's fingers moved. One of the rings he wore, a plain and undecorated item, glowed with a silver light and displayed three meteors on its face. One could say this was the mightiest ring Ainz had in his possession.

"That is...?"

Upon seeing Albedo's puzzled expression, Ainz's face — though his fleshless face could not move — was filled with a proud smile as he spoke the ring's name.

"This is Shooting Star, an extremely rare item that allows its bearer three uses of the super tier magic, 「Wish Upon a Star」."

This was the gacha item that Ainz had spent his year-end bonus to obtain.

Among the guild members, only Ainz and Yamaiko could boast ownership of such an unbelievably rare item.

However, this ring was less of an ultra-rare item than a cash item which symbolized foolishness, on account of how much money he had spent on the game in order to obtain it.

-x-X-x-

The super tier spell imbued within the ring, 「Wish Upon A Star」, was one which consumed a percentage of one's XP bar to randomly generate an option for a wish. In other words, by spending ten percent of one's XP bar, one could make one choice. By spending fifty percent, one could pick from five choices.

There were many choices that could be made for a wish; according to online walkthroughs, there were over two hundred of them. In addition, some wishes were more common than others; thus this was a dreadful spell which many feared would deplete their XP for nothing.

Even in YGGDRASIL where gaining levels was easy, one would still need a lot of XP to cast it, given that a magic caster needed to be level ninety five before learning this super tier spell. Thus, many people hesitated over whether or not to gamble their XP on this sort of thing.

-x-X-x-

The choices one could make when casting 「Wish Upon A Star」 from the ring were randomly generated, much like the original spell. However, one was more likely to get useful selections, and fewer joke selections. From a certain point of view, one might say it was a better version of the spell. In addition, one would be presented with up to ten choices to pick from, and there would be no casting time. It was worthy of being called the best cash item.

Of course, it felt like a shame — and a bit of a gamble — to have to use a cash item like this. However, Shalltear was irreplaceable. In addition, using his own leftover XP would affect his use of other skills which drained his XP, so he had his doubts about going that route.

Ainz stared at his ring.

Ainz hoped that he would be given a choice to negate all effects on a given target. He had also thought of several other alternatives, but that was the most direct option which came to mind.

Very few people would pick that wish since it would also negate all positive effects. Thus, Ainz laughed at himself for thinking of it.

"Then, hear me, oh ring. I WISH!"

Of course, he did not need to speak those words to activate the item. However, he was driven by his desire to be granted the most optimal choice from over 200 available options, hence his cry. It was like how one might shout during a tense moment in a game or over a throw of the dice.

Since the magic of this world seemed to operate along the same lines as YGGDRASIL, the ring should be able to remove Shalltear's mind control. Or rather, that was what Ainz hoped would be the case.

The scenario Ainz most feared — that the spell did not work — did not come to pass. The ring released the magic stored within it into this world... and then the red points of light within Ainz's eye sockets shrank.

"What... is this..."

It felt as though new information was being entered into his mind — something along the lines of displeasure. At the same time, he felt like he had been connected to something vast — something like joy, perhaps. Many of the emotions Ainz had felt while he was still human washed over him.

Once the ripples of emotion faded away, Ainz realised that 「Wish Upon A Star」 worked differently here than it did in YGGDRASIL.

When Ainz had first learned of Nfirea's talent, he had idly wondered if he could steal it with 「Wish Upon A Star」. Now, he realized that he could have done it. In this world, 「Wish Upon a Star」 was a spell that would grant its caster's wishes. Although it would still expend XP, 「Wish Upon A Star」 was now a spell that could make the impossible possible. In addition, by sacrificing five levels — five hundred percent of his XP bar — one could one could make even greater wishes come true.

With that in mind, Ainz felt certain that he could dispel the magical effects on Shalltear. As triumph surged through him, Ainz shouted:

"Dispel all effects on Shalltear!"

A beat later, the lights in Ainz's eyes grew steadily larger.

"—What, what is this?"

Albedo realised that something had changed when she saw Ainz's agitated reaction. She uneasily asked:

"What's the matter, Ainz-sama?"

Ainz had no time to answer. He was recalling the news he had absorbed from various walkthrough sites, his own long experience with YGGDRASIL, then combining them with what he had learned ever since coming to this world. The most important parts of that was the information concerning the use of 「Wish Upon A Star」, the spell which had completely overturned Ainz's accumulated knowledge.

Anxiety and anger filled Ainz as he came to a conclusion. However, he could feel something else even through the emotion suppression that should have kept him calm — fear.

Ainz shouted pathetically:

"We, we're falling back! Albedo, over here! We're retreating now!"

"Y-Yes!"

Ainz cast his teleportation spell, and in the next moment, a berm of earth filled his eyes. Though he was now safe at home, Ainz ordered in a panic:

"Albedo! Watch out for anyone who might have teleported after us!"

"Yes!"

Albedo drew her weapon and stood by Ainz's side. Ainz raised both his hands, taking a stance to deal with anything which might come.

As time passed, Ainz allowed himself to slowly relax. Albedo too stood down from her ready stance, back into her normal posture.

"Dammit!"

After he calmed down, he was filled with furious anger. His emotional peaks were automatically cut out after becoming undead, but even though they were suppressed, the anger welled up inside him once more.

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!"

Ainz kicked at the ground over and over again.

Since Ainz's physical strength was far greater than normal, each kick sent forth a massive quantity of soil. If it had not rained just a few days ago, the surrounding area might have been engulfed in a huge cloud of dust. Even so, it could not quench Ainz's anger.

"Ainz, Ainz-sama, please, be at peace..."

Ainz noticed the undercurrent of fear in Albedo's voice, and he finally realized that his behavior was not fitting of an absolute ruler. He swiftly calmed himself down, forcefully exhaling the breath he did not possess. It felt as though he was expelling the fiery wrath consuming him through that breath.

"...Forgive me. I seem to have lost my senses for a moment. Pay that unsightly scene no heed."

"Please do not say that. However, I am grateful that you took my suggestion to heart, Ainz-sama. If it is your wish that I forget ever seeing that, then I shall remove it from my mind. However — what happened? Did I displease you, Ainz-sama? If you are willing to tell me, I shall strive not to let it happen again."

"...My anger was not directed at you, Albedo. It was because I learned that my wish did not come true, even after activating the power of the ring."

Seeing how Albedo remained silent, Ainz knew that his explanation was insufficient, so he continued:

"...There is only one thing which can trump the power of the super tier spell 「Wish Upon A Star」."

Perhaps earlier, he might have thought it was interference from something in this world, but Ainz was confident that it was not the case. This was because he had sensed it as he activated the ring.

"It, it can't be... that would be..."

"Yes, Albedo. There is only one thing which can do that... the power of World Class Items."

There were only two hundred of these items in YGGDRASIL, and not even Guild Weapons or divine class items could compare to them. The power of World Class Items was such that even controlling the undead — who were immune to mental effects — would be a piece of cake.

Just then, Albedo though of the Guardians outside Nazarick, and how they might become targets.

He rebuked himself for not thinking of this possibility, and then Ainz ordered Albedo:

"Albedo, recall all the Guardians from the outside world immediately. We must verify if they have been controlled like Shalltear. Head to the Throne Room without delay! After that, we shall proceed... to the Treasury."

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Character Data

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