Overlord Volume 8 - The Two Leaders

A stone statue made in the image of Ainz Ooal Gown, ruler of the Great
Underground Tomb of Nazarick, stood upon an elevated platform. It was so
lifelike that it seemed as though the original had been turned to stone. The way
it raised its staff radiated the dignity and gravitas of a ruler.

All manner of offerings adorned the altar before the statue. Naturally, those
offerings were worthless in Mare’s eyes, meager tributes of flowers and fish and
the like.

However, Mare was not displeased.
That was because the ones who had made those offerings were filled with
genuine respect and reverence. For instance, fresh flowers did not grow in the
swampland, but in the forests which were very dangerous to the Lizardmen —
they must have risked their lives to pick them. The fish were the Lizardmen’s
staple diet, but the offerings were much bigger than the average fish. Mare
understood that they had only chosen the most impressive specimens to offer
up.
“Mm,” Mare nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing common riffraff express their respect for his great master made him
very happy.
“Well done.”
He spoke to reassure the Lizardmen who were peeking fearfully at him.
They were the personnel responsible for cleaning this sanctuary. They
possessed druidic abilities, which were rare among the Lizardmen, and they
wore badges with the guild emblem of Ainz Ooal Gown around their neck.
There was a vast difference between their stations and that of Mare, between
that of the conquered and their conquerors, so there was no need to thank them
for their hard work. However, for the reasons mentioned earlier, Mare had been
so satisfied with their labors that he had decided to thank them for it.
Mare left the Lizardmen bowing nonstop behind him, and led the five
Overlords out of the sanctuary.
Before him was a patch of swamp, the Lizardman settlement. It seemed more
developed than before.
Indeed, they had lost many people during that war. However, the five tribes
were now one, and in the end they had formed a stronger, larger village.
The boundary fence encompassed a wide area. At some point, watchtowers
had been built in the muddy swamp, and upon each of them stood a skeleton —
probably a Nazarick Old Guarder — scanning the surroundings with an arrow

nocked to its undrawn bow. Several Nazarick Old Guarders could be seen
walking around in the swamp; presumably, they were conducting
reconnaissance in case of enemy attack.

“Ah, where’s Cocytus-san?”
Cocytus stood out in many ways. If he were in the village, then he ought to be
instantly visible from here; if he were inside a building, there ought to be vassals
like the ones Mare brought along waiting outside. With that in mind, he looked
around the entire village, but could not find him.
“Could one of you please ask where Cocytus-san is?”
“Certainly. A moment, please.”
One of the Overlords — Aurelius — headed back into the sanctuary.
Mare looked out at the swamp — at the Lizardmen’s peaceful and quiet
village. Nobody here was wary of the Nazarick Old Guarders. Even the
Lizardman children were the same way. Both sides seemed to be coexisting like
it was the natural thing to do.
Though they were attacked and conquered by the undead, they don’t seem to bear
any resentment for them. Was this because of Cocytus-san’ policy of friendliness? Or is
this the nature of the Lizardmen?
As he idly pondered the matter, Aurelius soon returned.
“Forgive the delay, Mare-sama. The people in the sanctuary do not know the
whereabouts of Cocytus-sama. However, they say that Shasuryu Shasha — the
leader of the tribal alliance — might know.”
“Ah, then, um, let’s go visit him and take a look.”
Mare’s entourage proceeded under Aurelius’ leadership. They did not cross
over the swamp to go to the Lizardman village, but followed the edge of the lake,
walking a short distance through the forest. The forms of Nazarick Old Guarders
could be seen in the distance.
Once the group exited the forest, they saw a large-scale construction project
under way on the other side of the swamp.
The flow of water here had been dammed, and roughly ten Stone Golems were
excavating the soil. The sand and mud they dug up were carried away by
Lizardmen with pushcarts on the shore.
As Mare watched what they were doing, a strapping Lizardman ran over in a
hurry.
This Lizardman was covered in old wounds. His physique was imposing and
he was distinctly different from the average Lizardman. The medal around his

neck swung wildly due to his haste in running over.
The medal was a symbol of loyalty, and also a mark of protection. It was not

magical in itself, but by wearing it, they could prove that they were Ainz’s
property. Therefore, nobody from the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick
who revered the Supreme Beings as gods could harm the Lizardmen
intentionally. Of course, it would be a different matter if they deserved death,
but fortunately, the Lizardmen were not that stupid. They knew their place and
acknowledged the strong as their masters.

“I welcome you, Mare-sama. My name is —”
“You’re Shasuryu Shasha-san, right?”
“Indeed, I am. I am honored that you know my name.”
“Ah, I… I heard it from Cocytus-san… ah, do you know where Cocytus-san is
now?”
Shasuryu waxed thoughtful for a bit.
“I recall Cocytus-sama brought several of his subordinates and several dozen
trainee Lizardmen on his expedition to subjugate the Toadmen.”
“Toadmen?”
“They are the demi-humans who live in the northeastern reaches of the lake.
They look like frogs, and we do not get along too well with them. They possess
the ability to control large monsters and magical beasts, so they are very tricky
opponents for us. I hear that there was a war once during my grandfather’s time.
We were soundly defeated and one of our tribes was dissolved as a result.”
“As… as expected of the northern species, they’re quite strong.”
This lake was shaped like two smaller lakes joined together, or an inverted
gourd. The smaller lake on the south where the Lizardmen dwelled was half
swamp and half lake, and due to the shallow water there were few large monsters
there. In comparison, the water in the larger northern lake was deeper, so many
large monsters lived there, and they were stronger than the monsters of the
south. Of course, it made little difference to Mare.
“That’s right, when you mentioned Toadmen, were you talking about a species
called the Tuvegs?”
Mare was referring to the monsters who lived in the poison swamp around
Nazarick in the past. He knew his sister had several of those monsters as
servitors.
“Well, I am not too sure about that. Perhaps you could ask Cocytus-sama after
he comes back? He will probably return soon.”

“I understand. Then, I’ll ask about something else, about… about that. You
seem to be building something big here, but what is it? It’s quite a distance from
the village, but it doesn’t look like a fence or some other kind of defense…”

“Yes. In truth, we are building our fourth fish preserve here.”
As he heard Shasuryu’s words, enlightenment dawned on Mare.
It was good that the Lizardman tribes could be united. But once their
population grew, food shortages would naturally result. While many people had
died during the war, they could not hunt or trap enough to feed their people. Of
course, they could solve that problem by returning to their former villages to
fish, but Cocytus, the new ruler of the Lizardmen, did not agree.
It was one thing for the entire village to move as one to another part of the
swamp, but if only a few people moved by themselves, there was a high chance
they would be attacked by monsters. The Lizardmen’s numbers were already
greatly decreased. Cocytus did not want to lose more of them.
In order to ensure the prosperity of the Lizardmen, Cocytus took action to
solve this problem — the food problem.
First, he imported rations from Nazarick — with Ainz’s permission, naturally
— and distributed it to the Lizardmen. After that, he began studying methods to
ensure a sustainable food supply. It went without saying that the solution he had
discovered was the fish farms built by Zaryusu. After that, he discussed the
matter with Demiurge, and began to build superior fish farms.
They had worked at a fever pitch and built three gigantic fish farms, and this
was the fourth one.
“But the fries haven’t been raised yet, am I right?”
“Yes. What we… no, what my brother learned was not raising them from fries,
but breeding already-grown fish. However, thanks to Demiurge-sama’s
guidance, we have made preparations to farm fish fries. If all goes according to
plan, we should be able to support twice the present population of Lizardmen
through the produce of the fish farms.”
“I… I see. In a few years’ time, you won’t need to take fish from Nazarick. Ah,
of course, if an emergency crops up, I imagine you are always welcome to take
fish.”
“Every member of our tribe is deeply grateful to Ainz-sama’s merciful
kindness in giving us so much fish… although, the fish Ainz-sama gave us lack
internal organs, so how do they live? Are they like certain monsters who do not
need to eat? No, they do not even have bones; what sort of lifeforms are they?”

“They are the food which was made by the power of Ainz-sama and the other
Supreme Beings.”

The food Cocytus had given them was made with a magic item called Dagda’s
Cauldron.

“What!? Ainz-sama could actually make enough fish to feed us all!?”
Shasuryu shook his head.
“When Zaryusu and the others visited the fortress of the Supreme Ones and
came back with tales of what they had seen, it sounded like they were dreaming.
They said the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick contained many smaller
worlds within it, a true land of the gods. Is Ainz Ooal Gown-sama truly a god…?”
“But of course.”
Why was this Lizardman stating the obvious? Mare could not understand him
and tilted his head in confusion.
Ainz Ooal Gown was the greatest of the gods. He was their creator.
“I see. So all this was bestowed upon us by Ainz-sama. My thanks to Ainz-
sama.”
“Mm. I’ll let Ainz-sama know that.”

3

Nazarick Time – 10:30
“You’re making too much noise. Quiet down.”
Ainz motioned with his left hand, and held that pose.
He took a step back and returned to his original position.
“You’re making too much noise. Quiet down.”
Once again, he motioned with his left hand and froze mid-pose. He checked
the reflection of himself in the mirror and slightly adjusted the position of his
left hand.
“…Good? …Is this the spot? No… Would it be cooler if I extended my hand a
bit more to the left?”
He returned to his initial position.
“You’re making too much noise. Quiet down.”
Finally satisfied with the pose, Ainz grabbed the memo pad on the table beside
him.
“Since I’ve finished the pose… I should practice the lines while I have extra
time.”
He circled the phrase he was practicing earlier with a pen, and then turned a
page.
The majority of the sentences written on there were variations on the phrase
“I shall consider it.” The phrases that were too dull or too over-the-top and thus
too lame were all crossed out.
For Ainz, who used to be an average person, acting like a leader was difficult.
Thus, he repeatedly practiced playing that role just in case a situation called for

it. Of course, the entire memo pad was filled with phrases Ainz came up with.
Even though an hour had passed since Ainz started practicing, he did not

require any rest.
Ainz was the supreme overlord, but in reality, he barely did anything. Unless

there was an important decision to be made or an emergency situation that
required his leadership, there was nothing to do. Albedo took care of all the
details and all Ainz had to do was skim through the reports.

Since there was never anything in the reports that required his attention, he
really just skimmed through them all. It was a little dangerous for a ruler, but as
long as Albedo was around, and there was no emergency, there would be no
problem.

All proper organizations should be like this anyways. It’s not good for someone who
stands above others to work on the frontlines.

It was a foolish move for the supreme commander of an army to participate
in the fighting on the frontlines unless he was there to raise morale. If he did, it
would be very dangerous.

I should give up this adventurer business and gather knowledge to deal with
emergency situations— I know I have to train my mind as well, but what should I do?
Who’s going to teach me…? How can I not ruin the image of Ainz Ooal Gown that
everybody believes in…

Everyone inside Nazarick respected Ainz as an absolute ruler and knelt before
him. That was right. Ainz received respect from his subordinates which his had
former comrades created, who were, in some ways, their children. Just like how
a father could not betray the respect his children placed in him, he could not
betray them as well. That was why he practiced acting, in the hope that he could
at least appear to play the part.

Of course, Ainz was fully aware that it was embarrassing.
Otherwise, why would he lock the door and forbid the maids and the Eight
Edge Assassins that guarded him from entering? Sometimes, he would even
plant his face in the pillow and scream “Arrrgghhh—!” when he could not stand
it anymore.
“Something fitting the supreme overlord of Nazarick… A form that one can
respect…”
Ainz felt like he would cough up blood as he flipped through the pages. There
were still many more lines which he had come up with in his spare time, and the
finish line seemed nowhere in sight.

Ainz Ooal Gown was undead and emotions over a certain threshold were
suppressed. But—

“I need a break…”
The remnant of Suzuki Satoru was weary from mental fatigue, and he wailed.
“I’m sick of this,” he cried.
However — Ainz silenced that cry with a grinding of his teeth.
“What am I doing? I need to work harder.”
After rebuking himself for trying to run away, Ainz’s eyes filled with strength,
and he looked himself in the mirror again.
Suddenly, a digital “pipipipipi” noise rang out.
The sound coming from the bracelet on his left arm was like music to Ainz’s
ears. He turned off the sudden beeping and sighed deeply.
“If time’s up, then it can’t be helped. Yes, time’s up.”
Ainz returned the memo pad to a box. When he closed the lid, he could hear
the sound of several locks engaging. If someone tried to forcefully open the box,
it would trigger an extensive array of attack spells, all of which would be
centered on the box to destroy it. The defenses on the box were formidable
enough that nobody but a level 90 rogue-type character or a level 80 specialized
rogue character could breach them.
After securely locking the item, he returned it to his pocket dimension. There
were many other rare items in there as well. Still, a high-level thief could steal
items from a place like that as well. That said, a thief could not just immobilize
his opponents and rob them blind. They were limited to one or two items at the
most. Still, the prospect of being robbed just once or twice made Ainz — who
should have known no fear as one of the undead — shudder in terror.
In addition, unknown powers such as Talents existed as well. That was why
he placed the box among other rare items, so thieves would steal them instead
of the box.
After he put it away, he checked it again to make sure.
It was as though he were a housewife checking that the main door was locked
before heading on a trip. After he did so, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Only after doing all that did Ainz finally leave his bedroom. The place he was
headed to was the room he regularly used as the study. The ones who bowed
deeply to him there were the regular maid, Albedo, and Mare.
The first two were hardly a rare sight, but the boy did not come here often,
and it surprised Ainz. He cut across the room, circle around his ebony table and

sat down, in a way which he had practiced over 30 times before.
Sitting in this way meant not stepping on his robe or making noise when

pushing his chair out of the way.
After that, he had to be careful about how he leaned back in the chair. It would

not look good if his movements were too rushed or if he put too much weight
into the back of his chair. Kings had a kingly way — maybe — of sitting down.

But I don’t know how kings take a seat… I should go observe how a king sits down…
It was recommended for company men to lightly sit in the middle of the chair
without leaning on the backrest. But Ainz Ooal Gown was no longer a company
man.
Therefore, all Ainz could do was realize the image of an ideal king within his
mind.
“Raise your heads.”
It was only than that the three of them looked up. Ainz was annoyed by the
fact that they would not raise their heads without an explicit command, and he
felt that it was a waste of time. Still, he could not disregard the loyalty they
showed their master. Therefore, Ainz bore with it every time and replied in the
same way.
“Then I shall begin with a question. Mare. What business do you have?”
“Ah, yes!”
Perhaps Mare was nervous, but his voice cracked a little. Ainz smiled. Of
course, there was no way his fleshless face could twist itself, but he still did his
best to exude an air of kindness. Perhaps Mare had sensed it, but he breathed a
sigh of relief. He seemed less stiff now.
“Ah… that, this, er, I brought it.”
Ainz was not a cruel superior who would go, “what did you bring.” Since Mare
had brought it, Ainz ought to receive it from him. For all he knew, it might have
been an order he had given and forgotten about.
“Really now — no, that’s fine.”
Ainz reached out a hand to stop the day’s duty maid as she sought to take the
item from Mare.
“Mare, hand it to me in person.”
“Yes!”
Mare held his chest high as he walked up to Ainz and gave him the folder he
was holding.
Ainz magnanimously accepted the folder and opened it.

This is… the circular I sent out.
All three Guardians had circled “Going” to Ainz’s invitation.
“By right, Cocytus should have sent a minion to deliver this to me. Thank you
for going to all this trouble, Mare.”
“N-not at all, it’s nothing, nothing of the sort! Cocytus-san was busy, so I
insisted on helping him. And besides—”
Mare lovingly caressed the ring on his left ring finger.
…That’s the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown. No, I’m glad he values it so highly, but putting
it on that finger means… More to the point, why is that boy looking at me with dewy
eyes…
Ainz shivered, and then he glanced aside to Albedo. She was smiling kindly, as
always.
Ainz line of sight shifted to Albedo’s left ring finger.
As expected, she had worn her Ring there, just like Mare. It seemed as though
it was the right place to wear the ring.
Where did that practice come from? It was from ancient Greece, right?
He recalled what Yamaiko had once told him about the meaning of wearing a
ring on different fingers.
Apparently, the ancient Greeks believed there was a blood vessel which ran from the
left ring finger to the heart, and so if the left ring finger touched something harmful to
the body, it would send a signal to the heart, which was why they dispensed medicine
with their left ring fingers… Does Sous-Chef do the same thing too? Ah, this is bad…
he’s gazing at me again.
Ainz meshed his fingers on the table.
“What is it, Mare? Did you see something? Has something gotten onto my
face?”
He chose his words carefully, making sure his reply did not sound like
mockery.
“No… not at all. I simply thought you looked very handsome, Ainz-sama.”
“I… am handsome?”
Ainz unconsciously stroked his bony face.
“Fuhaha… You’re quite the flatterer, Mare.”
“It’s not flattery!”
The loudness of that voice did not sound like it could have come from Mare.
“F-forgive me, Ainz-sama. But, I really do think you look handsome. Even just
now, the way you sat down looked just like how the supreme ruler of Nazarick

ought to be…”
Ainz looked questioningly at the duty maid. The homunculus sensed her

master’s intentions and nodded silently and vigorously, as if to say, “precisely.”
Ainz did not look at Albedo, yet she was also nodding vigorously, and there was
a patapata sound as her wings flapped.

“Really now. That is good to hear.”
After that brief reply, Ainz rose from his seat and walked before Mare, then
gently patted the head of the boy who had tensed up in anticipation of a scolding.
It was a casual act, yet one filled with kindness.
“Ai-Ainz-sama…”
“Thank you, Mare. Your words have always pleased me.”
It was incredibly embarrassing to say that, but he did not display any of these
Suzuki Satoru-like emotions.
“I have always been thinking this; I ought to thank my friends.”
“Do you mean the Supreme Beings?”
Ainz knelt, so his eyes were level with Mare’s.
“Precisely. I want to thank them for making the Great Underground Tomb of
Nazarick, and for making you and everyone else. You — and by this I mean
Albedo and Sixth as well —”
Albedo’s wings stood fully erect.
The maid who had just been suddenly addressed was in a panic. She was
typically calm, so after seeing this rare side of her, Ainz laughed cheerfully.
“You are all my treasures.”
Ainz scooped up Mare.
“I can hardly bear to let Bukubukuchagama-san have you.”
“Thank you, Ainz-sama.”
Tears of joys streamed down Sixth’s cheeks as she answered on behalf of
Mare.
“When all the Supreme Beings left this place, only you remained here until
the end, and everyone in Nazarick is grateful for that. Perhaps we have failed to
meet your expectations and perhaps we have often upset you. I understand that
speaking in this way to our creator is deeply rude, but I pray you will allow —
that you will permit us to pledge our undying loyalty to you.”
“I permit this. I recall that in the past, Albedo and Demiurge said something
similar to me, so hear this — I am the master of Nazarick; I am your master, Ainz
Ooal Gown.”

Ainz had never rehearsed these lines before, so he was quite surprised by how
smoothly he could recite them. However, when he thought about it, that was
only to be expected. Since he was speaking from the heart, it made sense that he
could do so in such a natural manner.

Mare hugged Ainz and buried his face in Ainz’s shoulder.
Good thing I’m not wearing my usual gear, the calm part of Ainz’s mind said.
He felt a wet sensation spreading through the shoulder of his robe, but Ainz
left Mare where he was. As the sound of Mare’s sniffling gradually died down.
Ainz gently caressed his head.
Ainz produced a handkerchief from his pocket.
He had never wiped someone else’s face before, so perhaps his movements
were a bit rough, but Mare allowed Ainz to wipe him.
“Come now, Mare. Go wash your face.”
“Ah… what about you, Ainz-sama?”
“Ah, I’ll be heading over to E-Rantel afterward. I need to meet the
Guildmaster. I’ve been putting it off because it’s annoying, but I can’t delay it
any longer. Now then —”
Ainz glanced at Albedo, who had been remaining silent all this while. Her long
hair covered her face, and he could not see her expression. However, the non-
stop quivering of her body was enough to strike terror into Ainz’s heart. The
image of a volcano simmering with anger, on the verge of eruption, flashed
through his mind.
“What’s wrong, Albedo?”
And in that moment—
“—Gu-guwaargh!”
—Ainz’s field of vision shifted just as he felt an impact on his back.
Naturally, it did not hurt. Ainz’s body could only be harmed by magical means.
He did not feel pain from the light impacts which resulted from bumping into
things. However, the remnants of his humanity made him shut his eyes in reflex.
This sudden development left him unable to think. The mental makeup of the
undead meant that they did not panic or the like, so this confusion must have
been Suzuki Satoru’s.
“Nh, ngghhh…”
He opened his eyes, and saw the Eight Edge Assassins on the ceiling. In other
words, he was on his back. When he realized this, Ainz immediately tried to
stand up, but a strangely soft object pinned his entire body down, and thanks to

that, it was hard to move.
Impossible. My items grant me immunity to mobility impediments such as pinning.

I should have been liberated the moment I was completely immobilized… in other words,
someone’s using a very powerful binding technique on me!

Ainz checked to see what the soft lifeform pinning him down was, and as
expected — it was Albedo.

“Ainz-samaaa!”
Albedo was straddling Ainz in a full mount and pushed him back down as he
tried to rise.
“What… what’s this? What’s happening?”
“I— I can’t take it anymore!”
Albedo’s suddenly opened her eyes. Her flaring golden pupils sent a chill down
Ainz’s spine.
“You… what are you saying?!”
Albedo ignored Ainz’s panicked question and instead brought her hands to
the front of her dress. With a “hng” of effort, she tried to pull it off, but she could
not budge it.
“Magical clothing is so annoying. You need a skill to destroy it or take it off
normally.”
“Calm yourself, Albedo! Get off me!”
Ainz thought to push her off with sheer brute force, but Albedo was a level
100 warrior. Also, whenever Ainz tried to push her away, his hands made contact
with something soft and squishy, so he could not use his full strength. Albedo’s
hands moved, seeking to remove Ainz’s robe.
“Don’t take my clothes off! Stop wiggling your hips! Wai—”
“Ah, awawawawa…”
“It’s your fault, Ainz-sama! I’ve been bearing with it for so long, but then you
said that and I couldn’t take it anymore! It’s all your fault, Ainz-sama! I just need
a little bit! Just a bit! Just a little bit! A little bit of your love! Just count the Eight
Edge Assassins on the ceiling and it’ll be over before you’re done!”
If Albedo had chosen this moment to scold Ainz for changing her backstory,
perhaps he would have lost the will to resist. However, Albedo looked like she
was going to swallow him whole, and so he did not feel guilt, but the terror of
one who was about to be devoured. That instead caused him to struggle even
more desperately.
It was only then that his subordinates, who had been stunned by the sudden

development, finally went into action.
“Albedo-sama has gone mad!”
“Albedo-sama has gone mad!”
The Eight Edge Assassins descended as one from the ceiling.
“Pull her off Ainz-sama! No, don’t try to immobilize her, she’ll slip free right

away! Just pull her away with brute force!”
“No good! What’s with this strength! I’d expect nothing less of the Guardian

Overseer! Mare-sama, we request your aid!”
“—Awawa! O-okay!”

●

In the end, Ainz was finally freed, and after smoothing out his rumpled robes,
he looked to Albedo, who was seized hand and foot by the Eight Edge Assassins,
and said:

“Albedo shall be confined for three days.”
The Eight Edge Assassins dragged Albedo from the room.
“Ah… Ainz-sama… are you alright?”
“I’m perfectly fine… has Albedo always been that strange? Did she eat
something funny? …Granted, demons don’t need to eat or drink, but it’s not like
they can’t.”
As Ainz asked that question, Mare averted his eyes.
“I see… no, well, hm. She must have a lot going on. For all I know, it could be
pent-up stress from work.”
Ainz rose to his feet and called out to the maid. He regained his dignity —
which had been previously scattered to the winds — and spoke in a commanding
tone.
“…Summon Narberal and Hamsuke. It is time for me to leave for E-Rantel.”

●

Nazarick Time – 13:35
Ainz pulled on the reins from where he was mounted on Hamsuke’s back,
bringing Hamsuke to a halt. He silently regarded E-Rantel’s city gates.

Ainz quite liked these thick and sturdy gates, which looked like they could
repel an army. While there were many gates in Yggdrasil which were bigger and
cooler-looking than this one, this gate was not a mass of data, but made by the
hands of mankind — although they might have had magical assistance.

As he stood before these gigantic steel gates, an indescribable feeling welled
up inside him.

There were guilds in Yggdrasil who conquered cities too. In the past, I thought it
was troublesome to use a location that was so difficult to defend as a guild base, but… I
think I can understand those guilds now. Ruling a big city might be a male ambition.

In Yggdrasil, there were frequent city battles between guilds. Many of Ainz
Ooal Gown’s members simply watched coldly from the side, unable to
understand them, but there had been those who said they wanted to take part.

Were they battle maniacs…?
In the past, Ainz had not like those words much, but when he thought about
it now, they were good memories.
“Is something the matter, milord?”
“Not at all, don’t worry about it.”
Hamsuke had been curious and asked its question because its master had bade
it stop, and yet had not done anything. Ainz’s flat reply had shut down that topic.
He felt embarrassed about letting Hamsuke know that he was reminiscing about
the past.
“Now then, to the Adventurer’s Guild, where we’ll show our faces for the
meeting and then immediately take on a monster extermination quest.”
He could have stayed in an E-Rantel inn, but he did not have the luxury of
making such pointless expenditures. The reason why Ainz — who did not eat or
drink — had to book a room in the highest-end inns was purely to highlight his
status as the most highly placed of adventurers. After that, it was a matter of
making connections. However, he had already met all the influential people in
this city, and he was assured that they would receive him warmly if he sought
them out. Therefore, Ainz had no need to book a room at an inn.
Besides, whenever Ainz checked into an inn, he would immediately teleport
back to Nazarick, where he would produce undead and work on other things.
That being the case, it would be wiser to take a monster extermination mission
and leave the city as soon as possible.
Frankly speaking, he did not feel that there was further merit in staying
around E-Rantel.

“Is that so? Verily, milord does enjoy battle.”
“It’s not like I enjoy it or anything. Besides, when I wipe out monsters, I take
them out right away and spend most of the time in Nazarick.”
Ainz lightly rapped Hamsuke’s large head.
“I intend to give you all sorts of training so you can use weapons and armor.”
“This one has always been working hard! This one has asked the Lizardmen
to teach this one all manner of tricks, and soon this one will surely be able to
learn a super move!”
“Ho. Well now, it would be perfect if you could learn martial arts. Also, how
about your fellow disciple? Do you think he’ll be able to use martial arts?”
“You mean him? He never speaks so this one does not know. However, this
one feels he cannot use them yet.”
Indeed, Ainz thought. There was no way that one would enjoy speaking, and
Ainz felt that the chances of it being able to learn martial arts were slim. It was
little more than an experiment. That said, if it — a Death Knight created by Ainz
— could actually learn warrior techniques, their future plans would have to be
greatly altered. That was because if he could strengthen monsters by training
them, then it would most likely become a top priority.
“The undead do not need to sleep, and neither do they tire. They can perform
combat training forever. So in theory, he ought to have learned martial arts
before Hamsuke. The fact that he has not probably indicates that it’s not
possible.”
“A moment please! He strives hard in his own way! Even after this one returns
to this one’s abode, he continues training without a single word of complaint…
I pray thee spare his life!”
“…No, I did not intend to kill him, you know? What exactly did you take me
for?”
“Indeed, there is nobody more merciful in all this world than Ainz-sama. Ainz-
sama even took pity on a pathetic little creature like you and spared your life.”
Those frigid words came from Narberal, who was riding behind them, and
they made Hamsuke shudder.
“—Nabe, we’re coming up on E-Rantel. Address me as Momon from now on.”
“Understood.”
“Also, Hamsuke is a being with an important part to play in the plan to
strengthen Nazarick… you must take the appropriate attitude with those who
work for Nazarick’s sake. I am not simply referring to Hamsuke, so keep that in

mind.”
“Yes! My deepest apologies.”
“Also, stop calling humans ticks or lice or whatever,” Ainz wanted to say, but no

matter how he ordered her, Narberal would not listen, so recently he had
decided not to bother. That was because if Narberal Gamma had been designed
to unconsciously refer to human beings in such a manner, forcing her to correct
herself would essentially be trampling the wishes of his friend who had designed
her that way.

“Alright, let’s go.”
“Yes, milord.”
Ainz rode forth on Hamsuke.
He could see several people lined up in front of the gate. It was only to be
expected that immigration would be more strictly vetted than emigration, and
all items they carried would be carefully inspected. Therefore, if traveling
merchants or peddlers wanted to enter E-Rantel, they might have to spend a
long time queuing up for an inspection.
“I hope it won’t take too long…”
“Should you not have priority in going in, Momon sa—n?” Narberal asked
while they were lined up behind several travelers — including a group in
adventurer’s garb.
She was right. When Ainz had first come here, he too had been subjected to
extremely troublesome checks, but as his adventuring record grew, the
inspection process had grown simpler, and now he practically had a free pass to
walk right past them. In addition to that, sometimes he received permission for
preferential entry to the city.
This privilege was not unique to Darkness; just about all mythril-ranked
adventurers and above received such special treatment. Perhaps it was because
the city did not want to displease their trump cards.
In that case, why not just do away with the entry toll as well…
The tolls were inexpensive compared to the payments adventurers received,
but Ainz was the top outside earner for Nazarick and having to pay displeased
him. That said, he could not bypass the walls with flight magic either.
Momon was a hero. Therefore—
“We can’t cut in line… unless there’s an emergency, or we have to enter the
city with all due haste.
He saw Narberal bow from the corner of his eye, and Ainz looked ahead of

him from where he was mounted on Hamsuke’s back.
“Still, they’re not moving at all…”
The queue was just like a highway choked up by a traffic jam; nobody was

moving.
“What’s this…? It looks like they’re inspecting a cargo wagon… and doing a

pretty good job of it too. No, they’re just surrounding it. Did they find some
contraband? Excuse me.”

Ainz called out to an unsophisticated-looking man in front of him.
“Ah, yes. What is it?”
“Don’t worry, I just noticed that the line wasn’t moving, so I was wondering
if you knew what was going on.”
“I’m not too clear about what’s going on, just that they took a village girl to
the duty station. And then—”
After listening to the man, Ainz still had no idea what was going on. He stuck
his neck out towards the duty station. He tilted his head to listen in, and heard
the sound of an argument.
Suddenly, something piqued Ainz’s curiosity.
When he had first come to this city, they had asked him a whole pile of
questions at the main gate, but he had not expected to be let past so easily. He
had been surprised at the time, and thought that this world was surprisingly kind
to rootless people like mercenaries, adventurers or travelers, but the truth had
not been what he had expected. In that case, what were they asking this village
girl?
Currently, Ainz’s status as an adamantite-ranked adventurer meant that very
few cities would refuse him entry.
That was why Ainz wanted to know exactly what sort of questions were being
asked. In the future, he might have to infiltrate a city in future outside the guise
of Momon the adamantite-ranked adventurer. He had to learn more so there
would be no difficulties when the time came.
“You two wait here for a while. I’ll go see what’s going on.”
“Please allow me to accompany you.”
“There’s no need for that. I’m just taking a look.”
He dismounted from Hamsuke’s back, and walked towards the duty station.
All the soldiers exclaimed in surprise as they saw Ainz. There was nobody here
who did not know the adventurer Momon in E-Rantel.
Ainz took care to look as cool as possible as he approached the duty station.

He saw an excited-looking magic caster, a soldier, and a seated village girl.
“We wish to enter the city, but… what’s going on?”
“Uooooh!”
The two men exclaimed in the same surprise as the soldiers outside. The

village girl was stunned when she saw it.
“If… if it isn’t Momon-sama himself! Forgive us!”
“Now, what’s going on here… hm? This girl is…”
She seemed familiar. Ainz felt that he knew her, and he searched his

hippocampus — though he did not possess such an organ — for information
confirming her.

“Yes! We were investigating a suspicious girl, which took some time. We
sincerely apologize for inconveniencing you, Momon-sama—”

Ainz was beginning to find the man’s chatter intolerable. Then, inspiration
struck, and he recalled the village girl’s name.

“—Enri, right. You must be Enri Emmot, am I correct?”
“Er, ah, who’re you… er, no, I am. Ah, you were the one who came with Nfirea
that time, right? I don’t remember speaking to you… Did Nfirea tell you my
name?”
At that moment, Ainz instinctively pressed his hand over his mouth.
He had met Enri when he was the masked magic caster Ainz Ooal Gown. Now,
he was the adamantite-ranked adventurer in jet-black armor, Momon.
Crap! I spoke in my normal voice! This is terrible. I need to leave here right away.
But still, what’s that village girl doing here? Won’t it be troublesome if she finds me —
no, finds Ainz Ooal Gown here? I need to clarify the details with her.
She did not seem to have divined his true identity from the conversation just
now, but he could not rule out the possibility that he had been exposed. Granted,
he did not think she would have matched his voice from several months ago to
a few words spoken through a layer of armor, but it was best to be prudent.
Ainz beckoned the magic caster over. He felt that the man ought to know
more than the soldiers.
He led the magic caster out of the duty station, and they went some distance
away to avoid being overheard by the sentries.
“It’s like this… that girl’s a friend of a friend. Can you tell me what happened
with her?”
He was not lying, since Nfirea was indeed a friend of Ainz and Momon.
The magic caster’s eyes went wide. He appeared to be shocked, but that was

not the case. It was more like connecting points of data to form a beautiful line.
It was as though a mystery in his heart had been solved.

“I see… as I thought…”
Could you please hurry up the process of accepting the facts? Ainz very much
wanted to say that, but he bore with it and waited for the man to speak.
“She said she was just a village girl, but she was carrying a powerful horn-
shaped magic item. I wasn’t sure why she had such a powerful item, and I had
other questions of my own, so I wanted to clarify things.”
“What sort of horn was it? What effects did it have?”
“Its effects were—”
After listening to the whole explanation, Ainz could not help looking up to the
sky.
That was because he was trying to run away from the knowledge that it was
an item which he had given her.
At that time, Ainz had not known that such an item was beyond the
comprehension of this world. He had given her the horn simply for her to protect
herself. Who could have imagined that it would have created so much trouble
for her? Ainz could probably have come up with an excuse along the lines of “I
did nothing wrong,” but ignoring her plight was not good either.
I’ll help her out a little. I didn’t do anything wrong, but I did give her the item, after
all, so the responsibility lies with me… if I abandon her and it falls into someone else’s
hands, it’ll end up being more troublesome for me. Besides, if she gets locked up—
Nfirea knew that Momon and Ainz Ooal Gown were one and the same. Given
these circumstances, if Enri told him about this, he would surely think that Ainz
had left her to her fate.
It’ll definitely leave a bad aftertaste between us… I don’t care about causing
difficulties with worthless humans, but he’s a very valuable being. As the saying goes, I
ought to turn this danger into an opportunity. If I lend her a hand, Nfirea ought to be
grateful to me. If I do this, I can chain his heart closer to me with more obligations.
Ainz spoke, in a tone which he believed combined calmness and dignity:
“There is no need for you to worry. I am very familiar with her character. She
will not go around causing trouble, so could I impose upon you to let her pass?
—Could you?”
“But of course. If she is a friend of Momon from ‘Darkness,’ and you are
vouching for her, then we would allow her in, no matter how vicious a criminal
she was.”

“Really now, my apologies, then. In that case, I’ll leave that to you. Also, I
apologize for this, but could you allow us — Darkness — to enter the city first?”

After receiving permission, Ainz returned to Narberal and Hamsuke.
“We’ve been allowed in. Let’s enter the city.”
He mounted up on Hamsuke’s back and bypassed the line of people. The
queuing people all looked at him, but once they saw his black armor, his
greatswords, Hamsuke and Narberal, they all averted their eyes. They
understood that Ainz’s status was far greater than theirs.
The gate sentries bowed deeply to them as they passed by, and then they
entered E-Rantel.
“Now then, Nabe. I have something to ask of you.”
“Understood. Please command me as you see fit.”
Since they were both adventurers, it did not seem good for her to display such
loyalty on the streets. However, Ainz had gradually realized that it was pointless
to lecture her, and so he continued speaking:
“The girl driving the wagon from just now — Enri — will be entering the city
soon. Go ask her why she came to E-Rantel.”
After that, Ainz found a place to hide himself. This was because he wanted to
avoid speaking with Enri too much.
He surveyed his surroundings and saw a stack of tall wooden crates he could
probably hide behind, and so he commanded Hamsuke to make haste towards it.
The soldiers working there panicked when they saw Ainz and Hamsuke
approaching them.
“Gentlemen, are you free? I’d like to ask about these crates.”
Once he was certain that he would not be spotted from the city gates, Ainz
addressed one of the soldiers. Of course, he was not interested in the crates at
all. He had simply made up a pretext to be there because he was worried others
might chase him away for interfering with their work.
“Ah… alright. We’re very glad that you’d take an interest in our work, Momon-
sama. The crates are filled with vegetables from the Grandel Province, known as
Kinshu. These vegetables—”
As Ainz listened to the soldier’s earnest explanation, he mumbled replies like
“I see” and “So that’s how it is.” The soldier did not seem to mind the half-
hearted responses and continued his lecture. After learning how to cook the
vegetables called Kinshu in exacting detail, he sensed Narberal approaching
from behind him.

“—Forgive me for interrupting your explanation. I learned a lot, thank you.
However, my companion has returned, and so I must leave.”

After his one-sided farewell to the soldier, Ainz ordered Hamsuke forward.
“How did it go?”
“Firstly, she wanted me to thank you, Momon-san. After that, she said that
she had three aims, namely selling off the herbs she had collected, checking the
temples for people who might want to move to the village, and finally, traveling
to the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“The Adventurer’s Guild? What kind of request is she putting in?”
“Forgive me, but I did not ask about that. Shall I capture her and force her to
talk?”
“There’s no need for that. Besides, we’ll be heading to the Adventurer’s Guild
too, so we can just ask the Guild when we get there.”
Surely she did not intend to directly thank Ainz Ooal Gown. If it was for that
objective, she could simply leave a message with Lupusregina, whom he
occasionally sent to the village.
“Oh yes, Nabe. Have you received any special reports from Lupusregina?”
Narberal shook her head, and Ainz furrowed his — naturally, they were
nonexistent — brows.
He had originally planned to station a Shadow Demon in the village, but he
had instead sent Lupusregina over in order to forge friendly relations. He had
ordered Lupusregina to report anything that happened in the village to him
immediately. However, no information had made its way to Ainz up till this
point.
Therefore, he had believed that Carne Village was fine. Was that not the case?
While there was no need to tell him about trivia such as “Enri went to E-
Rantel by herself,” uneasiness still shrouded Ainz’s heart like a cloud.
“I’ve always thought Lupusregina was a hard worker. Nabe, what do you
think?”
“It is as you say, Ainz-sama. While her tone makes her seem very casual, that
is only an act. She is cruel and cunning; an excellent maid.”
There was no way cruelty and slyness could be taken as compliments. Ainz
glanced at Narberal’s face, wondering if she thought ill of Lupusregina, but her
cool expression only contained her respect for a colleague.
“Then milord, shall we proceed presently to the Adventurer’s Guild as you
said earlier?”

“Yes, do you know its location? Narberal, you sit behind me. Since you’ve
already put away the Statue of Animal: Warhorse, there’s no need to go to the
trouble of taking it out again.”

Ainz grabbed Narberal’s hand and sat her behind him. Hamsuke seemed eager
to move off and picked up the pace. He was no longer embarrassed to ride
Hamsuke through the streets. In addition, Hamsuke could understand language
and take orders, which pleased him. It felt just like riding a cab.

Soon, the Adventurer’s Guild appeared before his eyes. At the same time, he
saw the wagon from earlier, and Enri’s back as she entered the Guild.

“…There’s nothing else to be done. Hamsuke, we’ll go in through the back
door. Circle round the back.”

“Understood, milord!”
Usually, adventurers were not allowed to enter the Guild through the back
door. However, anything was possible for adamantite-ranked adventurers.
Incidentally, it was also Ainz’s first time doing this. He might be of a privileged
class, but abusing his privileges would damage his reputation.
After entering the Guild through the back door, he asked the first Guild
employee he saw to take him to the Guildmaster’s room. Fortunately, the
Guildmaster was in.
“Oh, if it isn’t Momon-kun! Welcome!”
The Guildmaster — Ainzach — opened his arms wide to welcome Ainz, and
then he warmly embraced Ainz. While he thought nothing of it because he was
wearing his armor and a helmet, there were many reasons which would have
chosen made him avoid that ardent embrace if he were in a thin layer of clothing.
He patted Ainz intimately on the back before slowly releasing him.
“I’ve been so lonely because you haven’t come around lately. Come, come,
have a seat. Let’s chat a bit before the others show up.”
The Guildmaster looked like he was welcoming a friend he had not seen for a
long time as he happily indicated the sofa.
“Thank you.”
After Ainz took a seat, the Guildmaster sat down beside him.
The two of them were very close. Their knees were touching, and it was
stifling.
“Momon-kun, we’ve known each other for so long; surely we can speak more
freely around each other, hm?”
“No, there must be politeness even as there’s familiarity. This is very

important; it’s what my seniors taught me.”
Granted, if he were a salaryman, he would have spoken with more closeness

— sometimes, he even spoke to customers in a normal tone. However, he did
not wish to get so close to the Guildmaster. He felt that maintaining a business-
like attitude was the right answer.

Getting too close to the group will only become a burden. I don’t want to be too closely
tied to the Adventurer’s Guild of a single city. Should I leave for greener pastures soon?
Besides—

Ainz glanced at the Guildmaster through the eye slits of his helmet.
Besides, why the heck is he sitting so close to me? Normally, you’d let Narberal sit
beside me, and you’d sit opposite me, right?
Their proximity made him feel uncomfortable; it was no wonder Ainz began
to suspect if the Guildmaster was gay.
I heard the Magician’s Guildmaster say he had a wife… or is his wife just a beard?[8]
I thought he was just trying to get me on his side… but it’s having the opposite effect.
Or does he think I’m gay?
That final mental image made Ainz shudder.
Ainz was heterosexual. No, to be precise, he used to be. Incidentally, Suzuki
Satoru preferred larger breasts. That point had (probably) not changed, even
after gaining this body. That was because he preferred Albedo slightly more to,
say, Cocytus.
Ainz adjusted his sitting position, moving slightly away from the Guildmaster,
and then he turned to face him.
“Forgive my rudeness, but I came here with a question. It’s like this — one of
my friends should have come to the Adventurer’s Guild by now, and I’d like to
know what sort of request she put in.”
“Well, the rules make it somewhat difficult to tell you about this.”
“Thus, I seek your understanding in the matter. I do understand I’m imposing,
and I understand the need to obey the Guild’s rules. However, I hope you will
lend me your help in this.”
Ainz bowed his head, to which the Guildmaster responded by folding his arms
and staring at the ceiling, a stern look on his face. However, he only held that
pose for a short while.
“I understand,” he smiled to Ainz. “Since it’s you asking, Momon-kun, I can’t

8. “Beard” is slang for a person used as a romantic partner to conceal one’s sexual orientation.

exactly reject it either. Then, could you tell me that person’s name?”
“She is Enri of Carne Village, no, Enri Emmot.”
“Enri, is it? Then, could you give me a little time?”

●

Before long, the Guildmaster returned. He was followed by one of the
receptionists which Ainz had seen before. She moved stiffly as she entered the
room.

“Momon-sama! My apologies!”
This was the first time Ainz had ever seen someone walk while moving both
the arms and legs on the same sides of their body at the same time. He thought,
that’s quite something and there’s no need to be so tense, but in the end, he still
nodded haughtily. Part of the challenge of being an adamantite-ranked
adventurer that he could not appear too relaxed.
“This receptionist attended to Enri Emmot of Carne Village. It would be
better for you to ask her directly. Ask her anything you wish to know.”
“Is that so? Then — no, before that, perhaps she should have a seat,
Guildmaster. But this is your room, and it is not up to me to—”
“No! There’s no need to bother you! I’m fine with standing!”
Perhaps Suzuki Satoru might have felt that it was very wrong to be seated
while his opposite number was standing. However, in the process of being Ainz
Ooal Gown — of being the leader of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick
— he had gradually lost such feelings. He was slowly becoming used to the
difference between a leader and a follower. Perhaps this was an indication that
his actions as a master (role-playing) were not a waste of effort, but he had
indeed accumulated experience points.
…How much more until I level up… Oops.
“I see. Then, let’ get down to business. I would like you to tell me about her
request, in as much detail and possible. This is a very important matter, so can
you tell me everything about it?”
“Y-yes!”
The receptionist’s forehead was beaded in cold sweat.
“What is it? Is there a problem?”
“No, I mean…”

The receptionist’s eyes were flickering from side to side.
“Am I asking the wrong questions? …Perhaps, so let’s try this. Was she looking
for someone in particular to help with her request?”
“No… it’s not, it’s not like that.”
“Ah, I see… then, what sort of request was it? Or was it not even a request?”
“…Actually, she did not make a request right away, just said that she might
make one in future. And then she mentioned something about monsters called
the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West, who were comparable to the
Wise King of the Forest which you tamed, Momon-sama. That, er, that’s all.”
Ainz was quite surprised by how tongue-tied she sounded, but he continued
asking:
“So it’s a future request, then?”
“No… it’s not! I… I didn’t know she was a friend of yours, Momon-sama! If I’d
known, I would have asked more carefully! Really!”
Ainz was quite perturbed by the receptionist, who was wailing while on the
verge of tears. Could someone as emotional as this really man a counter?
“—Guildmaster.”
“…My apologies. We did not oversee this adequately.”
“Why’s it like that? Isn’t that how the guild’s rules work?!”
After listening in on their conversation, Ainz realized how they had
misinterpreted his intentions.
The receptionist and Guildmaster believed that Ainz and Enri were friends,
and while he had intended to take her job for free, he had decided to give the
Adventurer’s Guild their due deference and thus they hand arranged for him to
accept her request through the Guild.
However, the receptionist had coldly chased away Enri by bringing up the
manner of fees. Therefore, the two of them were arguing about who should be
taking the responsibility for chasing away the friend of an adamantite-ranked
adventurer.
No, if this was a rule of the organization, then wouldn’t she be right to have obeyed
it?
Ainz stared at the Guildmaster as he rebuked the receptionist, and his opinion
of the man took a sharp dive in his eyes.
If a subordinate makes a mistake, her superior ought to cover for her. Or is this some
sort of high-level technique where he savagely scolds her in front of a customer to earn
the customer’s sympathy and thus his forgiveness? I mean, look at how he’s laying into

her.
Ainz felt that that the receptionist had handled this correctly, and the

Guildmaster should have known that as well. However, just like how he had
come in through the back door and leaned on the Guildmaster for a favor,
adamantite-ranked adventurers could easily bend the rules. That was because
they were valuable enough that the Guild wanted to keep them around, even if
they flouted the rules. That was probably why the two of them were arguing now.

“I didn’t know!”
Ainz gently spoke to comfort the weeping receptionist.
“The fault is not yours.”
The receptionist’s eyes went wide, and her tears flowed out from them and
rolled down her cheeks.
“Obeying the organization’s rules is very important, even if they must be
overlooked from time to time. I will not hold this incident against you.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“Then, I hope I can trouble you to go get the details from her. Please don’t say
I’ll be taking it, only that I want to be ready to make a move at any time.”
“I understand! I! I’ll go ask now! I’m very sorry!”
The receptionist turned and ran off like the passing of a typhoon.
“…While I know you wanted to gain my sympathy, I would prefer if you did
not falsely blame someone who was innocent. It displeases me.”
“As I thought… I can’t pull the wool over your eyes, Momon-kun.”
Those words sounded like they had been squeezed out of the depths of his
soul, and Ainz knew that his guess had been correct.
So the techniques of the Japanese salaryman are universally applicable. However,
the problem is—
The form of Lupusregina came to Ainz’s mind.
Why didn’t Lupusregina have any information about monsters that even a village
girl like Enri was aware of? Was it a failure in the construction of the intelligence
network? I need to make sure.
As Ainz waited for the receptionist to report to him, he mused that he would
need to return to Nazarick and sort this out.

●

Nazarick Time – 16:41
A nervous-looking Lupusregina entered Ainz’s office. The panic and unease of
being suddenly summoned was written all over her face. Inside the office were
Lupusregina, the regular maid Sixth, the battle maid Narberal, Aura, who was
the one most familiar with the forest, the Eight Edge Assassins on the ceiling,
and the owner of the room, Ainz. Incidentally, Albedo was still in confinement.
Lupusregina was about to prostrate before Ainz when he interrupted her.
“Lupusregina, is there something you’ve kept from me?”
After seeing the confused look on her face, he wondered if she did not know
about it after all. Ainz decided to repeat what he had heard about the Giant of
the East and the Serpent of the West from the Adventurer’s Guild.
However, as he saw that Lupusregina seemed to have known about this long
before, Ainz’s mood rapidly deteriorated. He exhaled long and loud.
“So you were aware of this, then?”
“Yes. About that—”
“YOU FOOL!”
Ruled by anger, Ainz’s wrath-filled shout echoed through the room.
As the others recoiled like they had been struck by lightning, Ainz felt
something suppress his emotions, but even after the peak of rage was cut off, his
anger surged up again, and there was no way he could fully rein in his ire.
“Why did you not report this to me? Were you trying to keep this from me?”
“N-no! Nothing like that!”
“Then why? Why did none of this reach me at all! What was the reason for
that?”
“B-because I th-thought it wasn’t a big deal, s-so I didn’t report…”
For some reason, the sight of the frightened battle maid peeking up at him
only incensed him further.
“Lupusregina Beta! I am thoroughly disappointed in you!!”
Lupusregina was not the only one who flinched at this. Nabe and Sixth were
trembling too, and the Eight Edge Assassins on the ceiling seemed to have frozen
up as well.
“I gave you discretion over handling the village, but that does not mean you
can do as you please! You were told to report anything that happened in the

village, anything at all, so what is the meaning of this!”
“That’s…”
Ainz’s face twisted as he looked down on Lupusregina, who was unable to

answer him.
This was an unforgivable sin for a worker; no, for anyone.
These rules were obvious for anyone who did business, or rather, for anyone

who worked in society at all: “Report, Communicate, Discuss.” It was an
abbreviation of reporting what you had learned, communicating clearly with
others and discussing issues as they came up. They were very important; the
lifeblood of the giant that was working society.

If she can’t even do that, I don’t think I can forgive her from the perspective of a
leader… no…

As he looked on the terrified Lupusregina, Ainz could not help but think that
he was at least partially to blame. These mistakes would only result if a superior
was unreliable and could not properly direct his subordinates.

A failure in the group’s communications is my fault. I couldn’t take proper
control of this… maybe I should step back and let Demiurge or Albedo handle
this sort of thing.

“…Lupusregina, are you aware of Carne Village’s value to Nazarick?”
“Hah? No… yes. Er, I heard you say that village is very valuable, Ainz-sama…”
“No, no, I mean, what do you, personally, feel is valuable about the village?”
“W-well, there’s a lot of toys there, and…”
“Ah, that’s how it is. Well then… I’m sorry. It was my mistake. I did not realize
you thought like that…” Ainz laughed tiredly. He realized it had been his fault
after all. “I take back what I said about you being a disappointment. I went too
far. Please forgive me.”
“W-what are you saying? It was my foolish mistake!”
“In that case, just be more careful next time. Now then, I’ll explain again, so
pay close attention. That village is very valuable to us. Especially that boy,
Nfirea, and his grandmother Lizzie. They are of great importance to Nazarick.”
“Eeh? Is-is that so?”
“Indeed. I have handed the task of creating new potions to those two.”
“Ah, that-that’s right! I have something to show you, Ainz-sama!”
Lupusregina suddenly shouted that last part as her face turned pale. She took
out a vial of purple potion and Narberal, who was closest to her, took it and
handed it to Ainz.

“This is…”
Ainz looked at the potion through the light.
“Y-yes! This is Nfirea’s new healing potion!”
Ainz’s anger flared again, and he tried his best to quash it.
“With this potion, the Bareare family’s importance has risen again.”
Ainz laughed quietly as he saw Lupusregina’s clueless face.
This purple potion Nfirea made had been concocted using various items
provided by Nazarick. The most important thing was that without possessing
Yggdrasil’s potion creation skills, they had managed to use ingredients from
Yggdrasil to create something other than this world’s “blue” potions or
Yggdrasil’s “red” potions.
“For starters, the healing potions of this world are blue. But the healing
potions I know of are red. Curious, don’t you think?” Ainz rambled.
The knowledge and powers of Yggdrasil could be used in this world. From the
angels he had first encountered, to the apparent existence of World Class Items,
there was a very high chance that Players had been here in the past. In that case,
why was it that the potions were not red like in Yggdrasil?
There were three possibilities.
First, the downfall of a country might have resulted in the loss of those
potion-making techniques. These techniques should have been quite
widespread, and nothing short of an entire country’s destruction would be able
to wipe them out.
The second reason might have been that Nfirea simply did not know these
techniques since they had not spread to the nearby countries. Perhaps distant
countries might be using red potions. After all, in Japan, the same noodle soup
looked completely different when prepared on different sides of the country.
The third reason was optimization: making Yggdrasil potions would require
Yggdrasil materials. Maybe those materials were difficult to find here, or they
were not available at all, and that was why only blue potions were the best that
could be made with this world’s materials.
“That is to say, except for the second possibility, this potion that Nfirea
made—” Ainz swirled the purple potion in its vial. “This might be a once-in-a-
century technological revolution, for all I know. Well, if it’s the third possibility,
this might turn out to be a failed product after all. His hard work in the future
will give me the answer.”
What Ainz wanted from Nfirea was for him to make Yggdrasil potions without

using Yggdrasil materials. Or he might come up with something else and end up
making a third, completely different potion.

“In that case, would it not be more effective to let more people research the
subject?”

Narberal’s question made Ainz frown.
“That is a foolish question. Narberal. Indeed, the work would proceed more
quickly, but it would be very dangerous. Knowledge is power, and freely
distributing it is a foolish action.”
Yggdrasil was also like that, so Ainz could confidently say that.
“For example, there is a possibility that his potion could be refined to the
point where it could kill me with a single attack. Then, it would be safer to
monopolize this knowledge than to spread it… It’s better for slaves to be a little
ignorant, but one must always keep abreast of technological advancements. This
is the same for Nfirea and his potions. Though I would like to lock him up in
Nazarick and make him focus solely on research and development…”
This would both prevent the spread of the technique and the usage of the
potion.
“Then, then why have you not done so?”
Narberal’s eyes seemed to say that she would do it immediately if ordered,
and so Ainz hurriedly squeezed out a reply.
“Rather than imprison him and force him to work, I will build his trust in us,
as a long-term scheme that will bring better benefits to Nazarick. Demiurge
analyzed the situation and concluded that it was better to shackle him to us with
a debt of obligation— Hm? What’s wrong, Lupusregina?”
“There’s one thing I don’t understand, could you explain it to a fool like me?
Why did you give the potion to someone like Britta, Ainz-sama?”
Ainz had no idea who Britta was, going by her name alone. While trying to
maintain a look which said “all is within the palm of my hand” —which was to
say, a carefully blank expression— he struggled frantically to think of a solution.
Could it be that potion?
Ainz recalled the first night he spent in E-Rantel.
As he remembered what he had said then, Ainz was grateful that his body
could no longer sweat.
—What should I do? What should I say?
He could not keep silent forever.
Demiurge! Albedo! Why aren’t you here! No, Demiurge is currently abroad

performing his tasks, and Albedo is in confinement! It’s too late to call her over!
“—Is that so? You really don’t understand?”
“Yes. I apologize for my lack of knowledge. Please enlighten me.”
Just don’t ask! Ainz wanted to shout. However, he had no other options, so all

he could do was roll the dice and hope for the best. Courage filled him as he
decided on his course.

“Fufu… hahahaha. Indeed, it was a dangerous move that you, Lupusregina,
have the right to be curious about. It could have resulted in a development that
we would not be able to control. However, there was a motive for taking such
risks.”

“A-a motive? Wasn’t it just meant to compensate her for the loss of her
potion?”

Narberal’s interruption made Ainz swallow the words he was about to say. His
brain spun into high gear, and he struggled to recall that encounter in E-Rantel.

That’s right! At that time, I just did it so I wouldn’t get a bad rep! Damn!
Ainz maintained his calm demeanor. He would have to lie to cover up another
lie. He struggled to muster up the vestiges of his rapidly vanishing courage.
“…Is that all you thought I was doing, Narberal?”
“I am very sorry!”
“…No, this isn’t something you should apologize for. At the time, I wasn’t
confident my plan would work out, so I chose a simpler explanation.”
“Then… what was your real aim?”
In the face of Narberal’s questions, Ainz’s jaw hung open for a moment at a
loss for words. But in that moment, inspiration struck. With that as the basis for
his confidence, Ainz prepared to speak.
“…It was Nfirea…”
As Ainz slowly opened his mouth, he took in the subordinates around him. If
Demiurge or Albedo were present, they would probably interrupt and say, “Ah,
so that’s how it is. As expected of Ainz-sama.”
Narberal, on the other hand, could only furiously furrow her brows.
“…Nfirea…?”
Ainz cupped his chin with a silent “Umu.” Fear began creeping over the faces
of Narberal and the others, because they thought Ainz’s pose meant, “do you
still not understand, even after I’ve said this much?” In truth, Ainz had made
that gesture unconsciously, not knowing what to do with his hands.
In a short period of time, Ainz had been subjected to extreme tension and the

emotion suppression that blanked it out. Between these two clashing forces, an
epiphany came upon Ainz. Without knowing where he would end up, Ainz clung
to that last straw and took a step into the darkness.

“…Mm. I managed to get the attention of the pharmacist known as Nfirea; was
that enough of an answer…? That’s right… Normally, what would you do if you
got your hands on a potion that was completely different from any other potion
that you had ever encountered?”

“…Discuss it with someone?”
“Exactly! Lupusregina, it is exactly as you said. As I predicted, Britta brought
the potion to the pharmacist she trusted the most. That was how I came into
contact with Nfirea.”
He remembered that Nfirea had apparently said something similar when they
met at Carne Village.
“Ah! So that’s how it is! That was your objective all along!”
“You seem to get it. That was the bait for my hook to catch a master alchemist.
Although there was a chance it could have ended up in a strange place and caused
problems, it was still worth a try.”
A sense of understanding filled the air, and there were looks of admiration on
their faces.
I managed to join the stories together…
Just as Ainz was about to mentally sigh in relief, a sudden, unexpected
question came.
“Then… I understand I’m being very rude, but could I ask one more
question…”
No. Stop. Please don’t ask any more questions. Ainz was crying inside, but his face
remained impassive.
“What’s the matter, Lupusregina? If you have something you need to discuss,
feel free to look me up.”
“Yes,” Lupusregina swallowed, and with a serious expression on her face, she
asked, “Do you always think two or three steps ahead when making plans, Ainz-
sama?”
Most of the time, Ainz made things up on the spot. Of course, sometimes he
tried to plan his next move, but more often than not, the results were completely
different from what he intended. Of course, he could not say any of that.
Ainz laughed quietly. It was a practiced laugh.
“Of course. I am the ruler of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz

Ooal Gown, am I not?”
Quiet exclamations of “Ohhhh!” rose up from all around him, and

Lupusregina’s eyes went wide.
“What’s wrong, Lupusregina?”
“A wise king…”
Lupusregina’s gasped words made Aura frown, and she took a step forward.

However, Ainz stopped her.
“Pay it no heed. Is that all you have to ask?”
“Then, er, then, I’ve got another one. Wouldn’t it be better if we let the

monsters attack the village, and then Ainz-sama would swoop in to save them,
wouldn’t that be better? I mean, wouldn’t Nfirea and his grandmother feel extra
grateful to Ainz-sama for plucking them out of the fire? That would make them
more useful… right?”

“Well, that is a very good plan, and worth considering, However, if that
happened, Nfirea might end up hating the monsters too much and then he would
no longer be willing to cooperate with us… now, it would be a different matter if
it was humans who did it. In that case, perhaps it would be more effective if we
saved Enri Emmot as well, the better to chain his heart up further.”

However, Carne Village was a village that had been saved by the magic caster
Ainz Ooal Gown. It had its uses, so burning it down was of questionable value.

“By the way, the most important people in that village are —in descending
order— Nfirea, his crush Enri Emmot and finally his grandmother Lizzie. You
must protect these three people no matter the cost. Everyone else is expendable.
If need be, sacrifice your life to protect Nfirea. That’s it. Is that all,
Lupusregina?”

“Yes! Thank you very much!”
“Now then, Lupusregina, I will forgive you for this lapse. Now that you know
my objectives, you will not be forgiven next time. Do you understand?”
“Of course!”
“Very good. Then go. Complete your assigned tasks.”
Lupusregina bowed and exited the room, followed closely by Narberal, who
seemed more like a police officer escorting a criminal. After the two of them
vanished out the door, Ainz turned to the Guardian beside him.
“Now then, Aura. Do you know anything about the Giant of the East and the
Serpent of the West—”
Suddenly, a loud shout came from outside the room.

“Seriously, Ainz-sama is amazing ~su! I can’t believe he thought so far ahead,
and in such detail! He must be some kind of monster ~su!”

The voice that came through the thick door was not very loud, but it was
enough to interrupt their conversation. Given that they could hear her words so
clearly, how loudly was she yelling in the corridor, just outside?

“…Should we tell her how thin the doors are?”
“I think she’s just too excited, let me go pound some sense—”
There was a smashing sound from outside the door, and then the sound of
something heavy being dragged into the distance.
“…Aura, I don’t think you need to go any more. Back to the previous topic; let
me know what you’ve found.”
“Yes. Er, I’m very sorry, but I haven’t heard anything about the Giant of the
East and the Serpent of the West. After we fought that tree monster called Zy’tl
Q’ae, I did a quick sweep of the forest, aside from the underground caverns,
which I didn’t investigate. I didn’t find any strong enemies…”
“Well, if they’re only as strong as Hamsuke, I understand why you wouldn’t
have paid any attention to them.”
Even a gardener could not be expected to know how many ants were crawling
in his domain. Missing out on things due to the difference in strength was a
problem.
“I am truly sorry. Then, Ainz-sama, will we be doing house-cleaning?”
“That sounds like a good idea. We’ll swat those pesky flies and put the forest
under Nazarick’s complete control.”
“Got it! Then, I’ll send some of my pets along!”
“Umu. It seems a little boring that way. I’d like to see what sort of monsters
this Giant of the East and Serpent of the West are, who can rival Hamsuke.”
“Then, shall I drag them here in chains?”
“No, I think I shall go visit them in person. Thanks to Hamsuke, I’ve found
another way of appreciating the value of collectables as well.”
Ainz laughed at the puzzled expression on Aura’s face.
“Well, of course that’s not all. I also want to see if I can arrange a test for
Lupusregina…”

●

Nazarick Time – 19:16
Fenrir crept leisurely through the night-time forest. Neither the branches
which stuck out or the coiling vines hampered Fenrir’s movements or the two
people on its back. In fact, they seemed to move like incorporeal wraiths,
without even disturbing a twig.
This was the effect of one of Fenrir’s skills, [Landwalker].
“According to my vassals’ reports, the Giant of the East’s lair seems to be just
ahead.”
There was no tension in Aura’s voice, even in this world of darkness, cut off
from the starlight by the densely packed trees. Ainz and the others were not like
humans, who lacked special visual modes. They took in the darkened forest
around them like it was broad daylight.
“Is that so. We would be very lucky if the Giant of the East and the Serpent of
the West were to gather in the same place. However, that’s probably being
greedy. If the Serpent of the West is not here, then I’ll leave its disposal to you,
Aura.”
“Yes! I’ll do my best! But how shall I deal with these fools who dare make
hostile moves on you, Ainz-sama?”
“Let’s try communication first.”
Aura looked behind herself — at Ainz — with a puzzled look on her face.
“Eh? Weren’t we going to make them swear themselves to us?”
“That’s because the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West are
unknown monsters. Starting with an attempt at rational communication ought
to be better from just about every angle. If they’re monsters which don’t exist in
Yggdrasil, then I would like to keep them.
“You’re so kind, Ainz-sama.”
There was no mockery within Aura’s tone.
“Is… is that so? I feel that only the worthy deserve my kindness — followed
by those who belong to Nazarick… I’m doing this because they might have some
value if they’re on Hamsuke’s level. I suppose you could call this seizing an
opportunity?”
“You mentioned Hamsuke just now, but is it really that valuable?”
“Oh yes. It’s quite useful as a guinea pig.”

Hamsuke was currently studying to be a warrior under Zaryusu of the
Lizardmen. Incidentally, one of the Death Knights made by Ainz was also
studying under him.

Training the two of them — a hamster and a monster — was intended to see
if they could acquire warrior class levels. This was particularly true for the Death
Knight. If he could gain warrior levels, that would greatly increase Nazarick’s
combat power.

While he felt it was probably impossible, he still had to conduct the
experiment to be sure.

“Are you having the blacksmith make armor for Hamsuke because it’s that
important?”

“You’re quite well-informed. That’s also one of the reasons. I may have to ride
it onto the battlefield in future, so enhancing its defense might be critical.”

Hamsuke should have no problem wearing full plate armor once he had
warrior class levels. Currently, putting it in armor greatly decreased its evasion
and mobility rates due to its weight. Ainz felt that it needed training for that
reason. However—

Armor hampers its movements since it doesn’t have warrior levels, that much
is the same as the game… no, I can’t even wear metal armor at all due to the
game’s restrictions. From that point of view, its restrictions are a lot more lax…
If only there were a second Hamsuke, then I could study the differences between
the two…”

These restrictions which resembled those of the game were still a mystery
even now. If he let Demiurge and the others perform in-depth investigations,
they might be able to find the right answer, but for some reason, Ainz did not
want to do that.

This is a magical world, and it might run on physics that are vastly different from
ours. Perhaps all I can do is force myself to accept that this is just one of the principles
of such a world. Just assume that anything could happen…

“Ainz-sama, what’s wrong?”
“Hm? No, it’s nothing, what is it?”
“No, it just seemed like you were thinking, and I wanted to ask if something
was the matter.”
“Oh, indeed. I was just thinking about some things, it’s nothing much.”
“I see.”
Aura seemed relieved and faced forward once more. Ainz looked at the back

of her head — which was covered in silky golden hair — and his eyes roved down.
His eyes passed over her slender back, and then they focused on his hands —
which were wrapped around her slender waist.

She’s so slim; are children’s waists all so thin?
Having never had children of his own, Ainz was curious, and he could not
resist the urge to pat her waist, like he was inspecting her. Then, Ainz raised his
hand to lightly pat her back. However, he did not use much force because he was
mounted on Fenrir.
However, Aura jumped up and suddenly jerked around.
“Uwaaaah! What… what is it, Ainz-sama?!”
Her face was very red.
In fact, it was so red that even someone without [Dark Vision] might be able
to see how red it was.
“Ah, it’s nothing, I just thought your waist was very thin. Have you been eating
well? You’re equipped with items that negate the need for eating and drinking
but you can still eat, right?”
“I… I can. I won’t gain any magical enhancements from doing so, but I can still
eat.”
In games like Yggdrasil, humanoids and demi-humans had designated
lifespans, and in turn they could grow; conversely, heteromorphs had no
maximum lifespans and so they would stop aging after a certain period. If that
character aspect had carried over to this world, then Aura and Mare would
slowly grow older. Ainz did not want their growth to be affected because they
had not received proper nutrition as children.
While his companions were not around, the growth of these kids was Ainz’s
responsibility.
“You need to eat well, okay.”
“Yes! I’ll eat well and make Shalltear regret it!”
Ainz had no idea why Shalltear had suddenly come up, but he did not inquire
into it.
“…Items that remove the need for eating and drinking might affect growth, so
depending on the situation, perhaps you should swap them out for other items.
Growing up… perhaps one day, you two will have lovers of your own…”
Aura and Mare were very cute children, and when they grew up, they would
surely be very handsome and beautiful. Ainz imagined men and women of all
sorts confessing their love to them — although, Ainz had never had experiences

like those, so what he imagined had all come from TV shows.
Perhaps he had been influenced by the previous topic, but for some reason he

imagined a huge pile of Hamsukes.
“—Hm?”
He visualized a young Aura and Mare being surrounded by vast amounts of

Hamsukes. It seemed quite pleasing, but it was completely different from the
plan which Ainz had in mind.

Hamsuke’s related to rodents, so Hamsuke ought to be capable of reproducing in vast
quantities. Is it best to sterilize it? Although I’d like to let it breed a little more… I wonder
if there are any males of its species?

“Eh? It’s still too early for that, Ainz-sama. I’m only 70.”
“I… I see, you’re right. You’re still young. Well, anyway, Aura, who do you like
most in Nazarick? What’s your type?”
While Ainz had no experience in love, he still got a little jealous whenever he
saw dashing lads and pretty girls being all lovey-dovey on the roadside. However,
Ainz was sure that he could genuinely wish the NPCs well if it were them.
“I like you the most, Ainz-sama!”
“Haha, well, that’s good to hear.”
Ainz was quite happy to hear such flattery from a young child like Aura. He
loved the children (NPCs) very much, and how could he not be pleased to hear
that they liked him too?
“Then, who do you like the most, Ainz-sama? Who do you like the most
between Albedo and Shalltear?”
“Haha. Well now, I have to say I like you very much, Aura.”
“—Eh?”
Ainz caressed Aura’s head from behind. The soft strands of her hand fell from
between his fingers.
“—Eh?!”
Should I start considering the problem of sex education? If there are Dark Elf schools,
should I send Aura and Mare there to study so they can grow into good adults? What
would Bukubukuchagama-san think if she were here? But still, schools… school love
comedies… Peroroncino-san once raved about it before, and he said he wanted to make
a Nazarick Academy with Suuraatan-san.[9] Where did the data for that go?
“—Eh—!”

9. スーラータン (sūrātan), meaning “hot and sour soup.”

“What is it? You’re being too loud, Aura.”
“Ah! I… I’m sorry. The Giant of the East’s lair ought to be nearby, but…”
“It’s fine, there’s no need to apologize. Leaving that aside, about the future—”
“The… the future?”
“Y-yes. Is something the matter? You look flustered… did something happen?”
“No… not at all, it’s nothing. Yes. Um. You were talking about the future?”
“Oh, yes. I was thinking that if there was a kingdom of Dark Elves, it might be
worth paying them a visit, and at that time, you ought to come along too.”
“Eh? …Ah, yes… of course! So that was what you meant by the future. I get it!
Please allow me to accompany you there. Also — we’re almost there, Ainz-
sama.”
In the darkness ahead of them, they could see a decidedly unnatural light
source through the gaps in the forest.
“I see. Aura, forgive me, but could you station all the magical beasts you
brought along around this region? I’ll be making some preparations on my end
as well.”
Ainz used one of his skills and summoned powerful undead creatures.
A sinister-looking knight appeared, mounted on a pale white horse. More
appeared every time Ainz used his skill.

“All right, four ought to be plenty. Now then, Pale Riders. 「Stand by in the

sky, and if anyone tries to flee, capture them.」”
The Pale Riders indicated their understanding without saying a word, and

with a tug on their reins, the pale horses leapt up and galloped into the sky. The
Pale Riders discorporated, passed through the tree branches, and flew into the
air.

“Alright, we’ve set up an encirclement. Now all we have to do is appraise
them.”

“Yes! Ah, don’t we need to test their durability?”
“We’ll save that for a last resort. My aim is to settle this without any combat.
I’ll try and discuss mutually beneficial topics first.”
That was the truth. Ainz was not looking for a fight. While he was perfectly
willing to be ruthless if there were benefits to it, that did not mean that he was
a cruel person. Ainz would not step on the ants crawling around in his path. A
rational dialogue would be best.
Fenrir approached the gap in the forest. It was called a gap in the forest, but
the truth was that it was simply a place within the forest where trees did not

grow.
This area was covered with withered trees, just like the mountainous region

around the Evil Tree. There were some areas which ended up as withered forests
for special reasons. There were many of those reasons, and in this case it was
probably because of monsters.

The trees had been felled and scattered everywhere. It would seem someone
had tried to build a large structure and failed, and had then thrown the logs
around in a fit of rage.

“How laughable. Aura, they were probably trying to build a structure like
yours. The work of fools is truly unsightly. They live in caves and don’t know
how far out of their depth they are, resulting in this sort of thing.”

“Indeed. Ainz-sama, their lair is over there.”
There was a fissure in the scarred ground, which had been burnt barren.
“…Nobody’s standing watch. How careless. Alright, it can’t be helped. We’ll
knock next time.”
With Aura by his side Ainz walked toward the entrance to the underground
cave. He peered inside, and it looked like a gentle slope, and the interior seemed
quite spacious. The ceiling was high, and it would seem even large creatures
could live inside without problems.
…This reminds me of dungeon delves in Yggdrasil. Back then, we used to get curious
and excited every time we discovered mountain caves and the like.
If this were in the past, they would have let Tigris Euphrates and people like
him lead the way, while Ainz — Momonga — would follow behind them. Then,
they would summon monsters, and in Ainz’s case he would have the undead walk
ahead of them, allowing them to trigger traps as they forged boldly ahead. This
was known as a warrior’s disarm, or a summon disarm.
Those were the days…
The memories of the past lightened Ainz’s steps, but within a few seconds, his
cheery mood vanished.
The stench from below made him wrinkle his nonexistent eyebrows. It was
not poison gas, but rather, an odor of beast fat and decay which clouded up the
air.
Is this a stinking gas cloud trap? I don’t think these cave dwellers could set such an
elaborate trap… perhaps it formed naturally.
Ainz was undead and did not need to breathe. He was completely immune to
gas-vector attacks. Aura was also protected by magic items, so if this stench was

some sort of attack, it ought to be ineffective. That being the case, this was
probably just an ordinary stink.

“It seems the Giant of the East is not a particularly clean person. I hope he’s
at least a little intelligent and can speak with me.”

“Yup. Although, that might be a little difficult. Going by the footprints, this
cave seems to house several lifeforms of the same kind, but they’re all
barefooted. The footprints are large, and going by their size, they all seem to be
over two meters tall.”

“I see… so he must be one of them.”
Ainz and Aura had not stopped walking, and as they descended the slope, they
saw two monsters at the base of the slope.
“Ainz-sama, those are… Ogres.”
The two Ogres were tearing at something and shoving it into their mouths. A
new reek wafted over to Ainz and Aura.
Ainz slowly extended his finger and smiled bitterly. If this were a simple
dungeon hack, he would have killed the Ogres quietly, and then advanced
forward without making a sound to wipe out all the other enemies; however, his
objective this time was different.
“…I’m not here to massacre everyone, so I need to communicate in a friendly
manner — Oi, you Ogres over there, sorry to interrupt your meal.”
The two Ogres turned simultaneously to look at Ainz, and then they roared.
The echoes within the cave were intense, and there was no way to accurately
judge position, but it would seem a similar howl had come from the depths of
the cave.
“Well, this is quite a crude and noisy doorbell — stand back, Aura.”
He glared as the Ogres ran over. “What a pain,” Ainz sighed. That was because
he realized that they did not wish to communicate with him.
“Skelton! Skelton! Enuh-my!”
The Ogre screamed hoarsely as it came up to Ainz, and then swung its club at
Ainz without a moment’s pause.
“I have—”
The Ogre’s club whistled through the air as it swept at him.
“—To apologize for barging—”
It struck Ainz with a thump, but a mere non-magical club could not possibly
hurt him.
“—Into your home—”

The Ogre raised its club again and hammered at Ainz.
Ainz’s field of vision wobbled slightly as the club struck his head. While it did
not hurt in the least, it was still quite annoying. That said, if anyone set foot into
Nazarick, Ainz would certainly be angry enough to want to kill them. With that
in mind, it was only natural for them to want to attack him, so Ainz should
probably take the blows.
Once an envoy of peace drew a weapon, there would be nothing left to say.
The other Ogre approached slightly later. It did not swing its club, but reached
a hand out at Ainz. It had probably seen how the attacks of the other Ogre had
proven ineffective, and wanted to grab him instead.
Ainz quirked his eyebrows. Of course, there was nothing on a skeletal face
which could move.
Ainz was originally willing to let the Ogre grab him. However, his [Dark
Vision]-capable eyes saw the blood staining the Ogre’s hand.
“Disgusting.”
Ainz immediately produced a staff from thin air and swung it. While this staff
did not possess any special magic powers, it was focused on inflicting
bludgeoning damage, and with a single strike, the head of the Ogre who was
reaching out for Ainz burst like a rotten grape. A mix of fresh blood and brain
matter showered the Ogre beside it, which dropped its club and took a step back.
“You… you, no, skelly…”
“It is quite vexing for you to lump me in with other Skeletons. I’m here to see
your boss, the Giant of the East. Could you go fetch him? Although, I’m fairly
sure he’ll come even if you don’t shout.”
Ainz waved to bid the Ogre get lost, and it promptly turned and fled into the
cave.
“…Good grief. If they had seen the discrepancy in our respective strengths
from the start, we wouldn’t have to waste this time.”
Ainz felt the area where the club had struck him as he finished descending the
slope.
There were several Goblins — more of masticated corpses, really — where
the Ogres had been just now. While their remains were little more than chunks
of meat and it was impossible to tell how many there had been, there must have
been more than just one or two.
Ainz and Aura detoured around that area as they continued downwards.
“What a gaffe. I was annoyed and used too much force. I’d originally planned

to avoid killing before negotiations broke down, to proceed in as friendly a way
as possible…”

“It couldn’t be helped! It’s the fault of those filthy Ogres who tried to touch
you, Ainz-sama!”

“Hearing you say that pleases me. Punitto Moe-san once said, ‘punching them
in the face is a good way to make the other party behave’… or was it Warrior
Takemikazuchi-san who said that?”

“Since the Supreme Beings said so, then it must be correct!
Ainz could not recall which of these two polar opposites had said that. Just
then, a horde of monsters emerged from the depths of the cave. All of them were
far taller than a human being.
“Well, if it isn’t a pack of Trolls. While calling them Giants smacks of false
advertising to me, it’s not as though it’s a complete lie.”
Trolls were giants with long ears and noses. They had very ugly faces and their
muscular bodies were as revolting as that of any heteromorph. They wore what
seemed to be tiger-skin clothes their heads emerged from their shoulders.
They were nearly three meters tall, stronger than Ogres, and possessed of
powerful regenerative abilities. It was said that unless they were killed with fire
or acid, they could come back from the dead even after being reduced to scraps
of meat. There were six Trolls here, and 10 Ogres on top of that.
The one which caught Ainz’s eye was the Troll standing at the head of these
monsters.
It was more muscular than the other Trolls, and its ugly face exuded
confidence.
It was better equipped than the other Trolls too.
It wore leather armor which looked like it had been sewn together from
several animal hides. Its mighty arms bore a greatsword which was larger than
the ones which Ainz used in his Momon guise. The greatsword seemed to be
magical, and the central fuller oozed a slippery liquid towards its edge.
“Is he on Hamsuke’s level?”
“Feels that way.”
That being the case, this Troll ought to be the Giant of the East. That being
the case, what sort of Troll was he? Ainz studied the Giant of the East carefully.
Trolls were highly adaptable monsters. They varied greatly according to their
environment.
For instance, there were Volcano Trolls who lived in volcanoes and who were

resistant to fire. There were Sea Trolls who were adept at swimming in the ocean
and could breathe underwater. There were Mountain Trolls, who lived in the
mountains and were especially strong. There were also Toll Trolls, rare trolls
who lived under bridges. There was a never-ending variety of mutant species and
subraces like those.

In that case, what was the Troll standing before Ainz specialized in?
Trolls adapted to cavern living were called Cave Trolls. But they looked
different from this one.
This was a new species of Troll which he had encountered for the first time in
this world — this unknown monster kindled Ainz’s collector spirit.

●

The Troll known as the Giant of the East had achieved a very rare form of
evolution.

He was a Troll who had been born amidst countless battles, adapted to them,
and specialized in fighting ability. If one had to name it, his species would be
War Trolls, a particularly outstanding example among the many Troll subraces.

One could say that its combat prowess was unrivaled among others of the
same age as him.

Granted, his body was smaller than that of a Mountain Troll. However, the
muscles of his body — his physical abilities — far outstripped those of the latter
species. In addition, he did not use a primitive club that could be easily swung
with brute force, but instead used his inborn abilities to skillfully wield a sword
— a weapon which was inferior even to a club if one did not know how to use
one. One could say he was a Troll who had awakened his warrior abilities.

●

“You’re the Giant of the East, I take it?”
After hearing no denials, Ainz pointed slightly to the right of the Giant.
“Then, I believe that chap over there is the Serpent of the West. Am I correct?”
Someone with ordinary eyesight would surely think he was pointing at empty
air. However, Ainz could clearly see the heteromorph hiding there, as though it
were illuminated by the sun’s light.

“Perhaps you think you’ve hidden yourself with invisibility, but my eyes can
see through it. Stop wasting your effort and answer me.”

A monster appeared out of what had originally been thin air. It had probably
dispelled its invisibility.

Indeed, it was a snake. No, to be precise, it had a snake’s body. It had an old
man’s torso from the chest up, but it had a serpentine form below that. It was a
heteromorphic monster.

Unlike the Giant of the East, Ainz had seen monsters like this in Yggdrasil
before, and so he could immediately state the name of his race.

“A Naga, then. While it wouldn’t be wrong to call you a Serpent, don’t you
have a better name for yourself? No, there’s already the case of the Wise King of
the Forest, so this was only to be expected, no?

“If thou couldst see through my invisibility, then thou art surely no
ordinary—”

“—What are you doing here, skeleton?!”
The Naga was only halfway through his words when a thunderous voice filled
the cave and drowned him out. The Giant of the East took a step forward.
Ainz turned to face his counterpart.
“First of all, let me get this straight; I am not a Skeleton. I wish to correct that
mistake of yours.”
“What are you, if not a Skeleton? The king of the eastern lands, Guu, permits
you to state your name!”
“—Guu?”
Ainz had no idea what he was talking about for a moment. He thought that it
was some kind of title, like a King or a Chief, and it was only after a while that
he realized it was the Troll’s name.
“I see, so your name is Guu. Pardon my delayed introduction; my name is Ainz
Ooal Gown.”
At that moment, laughter filled the cavern.
“Fuafuafuafua! A coward’s name! A soft and weak name, unlike my strong and
mighty name!”
The other Trolls laughed distastefully in response to those words.
“A cow—”
Ainz stopped Aura before she could take a step forward.
“It’s fine. Don’t get upset over a trifling matter like this. Remain calm. We’re
here to talk, we’re ambassadors of peace. Oh yes, just for reference, why do you

think I’m a coward?”
“Ah, his ilk takes long names to be a sign of timidity, Oh mysterious undead,”
The old man’s face of the Naga creased with a mocking smile as he spoke from

the side.
“So he’s not a collectable, but trash. Then, do you feel my name is that of a

coward’s as well?”
“This one certainly would not think so, because this one bears a long name as

well. Indeed, this one is the Serpent of the West of which thou speak’st —
Ryurarius Spenia Ai Indarun, Oh invader Ainz Ooal Gown. This one has often
hoped that his mind would be as developed as his body, but if that were the case,
he would have dominated this forest long ago; truly a dilemma.”

“…You have just saved your own life.”
A look of suspicion crossed Ryurarius’ face as Ainz let his innermost thoughts
slip out. Unfortunately, just as he wanted to clarify, Guu and the Trolls stopped
laughing.
“So what are you weaklings doing here?! Come to feed me? Bones are delicious
and crunchy! I’ll eat you starting from your skull!”
“I am the one who ordered the undead and the Golems to build the fortress
in the forest. You’ve heard of it, haven’t you?”
The mood changed in an instant. Guu and his band radiated hostility, while
Ryurarius was filled with caution.
“I know! You pest! If not for this damn snake making noise I’d have killed you
long ago! This saves time! A coward and a black little runt!”
“Ah, so we can talk. In truth, I came to negotiate with you.”
Ainz gestured to Guu to kneel before him.
“Swear yourself to me if you want to live.”
“Are you retarded?! How could we serve a coward! I’ll eat you right here and
now! Then I’ll eat that runt behind you!”
“Guu. He rules that fearsome structure. You underestimate him at your peril!
And the Dark Elf behind him; this forest belonged to them before the Demon
Tree chased them away. They might well be mighty foes — but he is not
listening.”
Ainz could not help laughing merrily.
“Hahahaha! You’re better at barking than a dog, meatball. How about this. I,
whom you call a coward, challenge you, who bears a mighty name, to a one-on-
one fight. I trust you won’t run in fear? If you’re afraid, then get on your hands

and knees and beg me for mercy, and I could find it in myself to rear you as a
slave.”

“Very good! I can handle a mook like you by myself! I’ll chop you to bits and
eat you all up!”

“Very well. Since you have made your choice, negotiations have broken down.
Aura, stand back. I want to play with him by myself.”

Just as he finished saying that, the upraised sword hacked down on Ainz. This
was the blow Guu had struck with the greatsword he held, which was over three
meters long.

Ainz did not move, simply took the hit square on his body.
“—Huh?”
“What’s wrong? What’s so surprising?”
Ainz was untouched. Guu’s ugly face twisted in surprise, and this time he
chose a sweeping slash. However, the result was the same as before; Ainz took
the blow head-on.
“Muuu?”
Guu backed up several steps. He looked at his sword, and then at Ainz. He
proudly turned his back on Ainz, then walked up to one of his minions.
In the next moment, the greatsword whirled and cut into one of this Troll
minions. The sword cleaved into the troll’s neck and shoulder, effortlessly
parting its flesh, and a geyser of fresh blood spewed forth.
The Troll screamed stupidly, at the top of its voice.
Guu watched in satisfaction as his minion spun and fell to the ground, and he
nodded. That was probably to verify that his weapon was working.
“I see, is that Trollish regeneration at work? Quite an impressive sight when
you witness it with your own eyes.”
The wound surface healed over swiftly. It was not so much turning back time
as a fast-forward of the recovery process.
Guu must have known that the Troll would regenerate before testing his blade
on him; but the evil look on his face as he looked down on his fallen minion
suggested that he would have cut the creature up anyway, even if it could not
regenerate.
“It is the privilege of the strong to kill or spare the weak. However — it deeply
displeases me.”
Ainz stepped forward. He was no longer in the mood to play around.
Guu gripped his greatsword tightly, waiting for Ainz to approach him, step by

step.
“Guu! That Ainz Ooal Gown is no mundane individual! Let us band together

to fight—”
“Shut up! You sit there and watch, coward! —Ugooooooh!”
An explosive series of slashes rained down on Ainz. The combination attack

was made using physical strength that far surpassed the capability of the human
body, and it was among the most destructive assaults Ainz had ever faced from
the inhabitants of this world.

However, his strikes could not blow away a castle wall, and neither could it
scar the land. How could it possibly harm Ainz?

The greatsword’s edge sliced through the wind, and Ainz took it full on his
body.

“Good grief. Could you not crumple my clothes?”
Ainz seemed to find it all uninteresting, and he turned away after tugging on
his robes and straightening them out. Then, a thought apparently came to mind.
“Ah, are you satisfied yet?”
“Goooooooh!”
Guu decided that slashing attacks were ineffective, and so he took one hand
off his greatsword and threw a punch. This blow struck like a huge maul. If it hit
a human being, they would surely have been pulped by its power and sent flying.
Yet, Ainz took this blow — which was assuredly fatal for a human being —
straight in the face. After that, he calmly dusted off the place where Guu had
struck him, like he had been touched by dirty hands.
Guu ceased his attack. His ugly face contorted into an even uglier shape, and
he glared at the unmoved Ainz.
“So, is that end of the attack you’re so proud, he-of-the-brave-name?”
“It’s only your defense — guwaaaargh!”
Ainz stepped forward to close the distance between them and swung his staff,
which destroyed half of one of Guu’s legs. Unable to stand, Guu collapsed heavily
to the ground.
“Even with that acorn-sized brain of yours, you should be starting to realize
that cowards aren’t necessarily weak, no?”
The Trolls and Ogres watching the fight shouted in shock as they saw their
leader’s disgraceful state.
“Haaaah.” Ainz was beginning to tire of this, and sighed. The fact that they
did not understand the situation even at this point proved that these monsters

were worthless. Of course, it would be a different matter if they were smart
enough to try and flee.

“Aura, seize him. He is the only one who cannot be allowed to flee.”
Aura immediately understood Ainz’s terse order, and sprang into action. In
the blink of an eye, she had caught up to the Naga, who was trying to sneak away
invisibly.
“Got him, Ainz-sama. What should I do with him?”
Ainz paid no heed to Guu and looked to Aura, who had the Naga by the neck.
The way he treated Guu made one thing clear to everyone present.
—In other words: he could not be bothered to deal with the Guu fellow before
him.
Guu growled from between his teeth at this utter humiliation, but Ainz did
not care.
“Curse you, brat!” The Naga’s serpentine body started constricting, and it
wrapped around Aura. “I’ll crush you to— aiiiieeeee!”
A cold, calm voice came from the midst of the balled-up Naga.
“You know, I can’t watch Ainz-sama like this. If you continue struggling, I’ll
use more force and crush your throat. Don’t worry, you won’t die from it.”
Her small fists were enough to make the Naga realize the difference in their
respective strengths, and the Naga slowly loosened its coils with a strangled
wail.
“Aura, while time is money, wastefulness is also foolishness. Please move a
little further away so he doesn’t end up getting killed by accident.”
“Understood!”
Aura leisurely dragged away the Naga — who weighed several times more than
herself — as she left. Ainz shifted his gaze back to Guu, who had barely managed
to stand up again after his regeneration caused his shattered leg to bulge up
mightily as it repaired his ruined flesh.
Ainz might not be as tall as his opponent, yet he towered over Guu.
“Oh, so you’re healed. Then let us continue.”
Ainz rapped at his shoulders with his staff, then calmly took a fighting stance.
His attitude said that he had no intention of defending himself.
“You… you, what… what did you do? What are you doing? Magic?”
Guu slowly backed away as he held his sword, while Ainz stepped forward like
he was giving chase. Guu’s stride was shorter than Ainz’s. The distance between
them was greater than when the battle had begun.