Overlord Volume 5 - The Men in the Kingdom Part I

Chapter 2 Blue Roses

Chapter 2 | Blue Roses

1

Lower Fire Month, 3rd Day – 08:02
Dressed in his white full plate armor, his sword by his side, a fully equipped
Climb stepped into the Valencia Palace.
The Valencia Palace was roughly divided into three wings, and he had just
entered one of them. This was the largest of the three, where the Royal Family
resided.
Unlike Climb’s dwelling place earlier, the Palace was very well-lit, collecting
light from the outside in a brilliant display that seemed to make the interior
sparkle.
The polished hallways were free of litter; practically spotless, in fact. The
reason why Climb’s full plate armor made no sound as he walked upon it was
because it had mythril and orichalcum in its construction, and it was additionally
enchanted on top of that.
Along the clean and spacious hallways were the elite soldiers assigned to
guard duty in the palace. They stood resplendent in their full plate armor — they

were knights.
The Knights of the Empire were commoners recruited and trained into

professional soldiers. In contrast, the Kingdom’s knights were usually third sons
of landed nobles or others who could not otherwise inherit the family estate.
However, the Crown paid them very highly, and so only first-rate swordsmen
were accepted for membership. Not even nobles could sneak in through
backdoor connections.

The best way to describe them would be “the King’s personal guard.”
Incidentally, Gazef’s position as Warrior-Captain was because many people
opposed his knighthood, and so the King created a new appointment for him.
Since then, the group of elite soldiers that he had picked and trained personally
were known as Warriors.
Climb nodded slightly to them. Almost all of them returned the gesture. Only
a few of them did so reluctantly; the vast majority were sincere in their courtesy.
They might be nobles, but they were also men of martial spirit who were sworn
to the King. Excellent warriors who devoted their lives to their King were worthy
of their respect.
In contrast, Climb passed another group of people in the hallway who viewed
him with open hostility.
They were the maids. Almost all of them frowned whenever they saw Climb.
Unlike regular maids, the maidservants of the Royal Palace were all
noblewomen who had come here to raise their own standing. Thus, to some
extent, they were of higher status than Climb. In particular, the maids who
personally served the Royal Family were heiresses of high-ranking nobility. They
plainly displayed their anger at having to bow and scrape before a man who was
beneath a mere peasant.
It was true that Climb was lower-born than they were, so it was not hard to
see why they would give him the stink-eye when Renner was not looking. Climb
understood this, and he had never once gotten angry at them for that.
However, that mindset, combined with Climb’s own blank expression, made
the maids think he was snubbing them and it only deepened their anger for him.
Meanwhile, Climb paid that vicious cycle no heed. Or rather, it might be better
to say that if he was really that careful, he ought to be able to tie off those loose
ends in a better way.
Even so, Climb felt mentally fatigued after walking through this palace.
There were other members of the Royal Family in the Palace besides Renner

and Ramposa III.
—Ggh?!
As Climb saw one of those royals approach, he immediately went to the wall,

his back ramrod straight, and pressed his hand to his chest in a salute.
Two people approached him. The one behind was a tall, skinny man, with a

head of slicked-back blond hair.
His name was Marquis Raeven, one of the Kingdom’s Six Great Nobles.
The problem was the slightly plump man walking in front of him. His name

was Zanac Valleon Igana Ryle Vaiself. He was the King’s second son, and second
in line for the throne.

Zanac stopped, and his fatty-jowled face contorted.
“Oh, if it isn’t Climb. Are you going to see that monster?”
There was only one person whom Prince Zanac referred to a monster. Climb
knew that what he was about to do might well give offense to a social superior,
but he simply could not let it slide.
“Your Highness. Forgive my impertinence, but Lady Renner is no monster. A
gentle, compassionate and beautiful person like herself is more like the
Kingdom’s treasure.”
She had solved the slave problem and proposed policies which put the
common man first. If she did not qualify as a treasure, then what did? Granted,
the nobles frequently obstructed her legislation and prevented most of her
policies from being implemented, but Climb still knew how much she thought
of the people.
This gentle woman wept before Climb whenever her populist policies were
denied. What right did a useless man (Zanac) have to lecture her?
Anger flared up within Climb’s heart, and he longed to give Zanac a good
punch.
They might only be half-related by blood, but they were still of the same
bloodline, and he should not be saying such things. However, Climb did not
allow his anger to take physical form.
Renner had once said, “My brother wants to provoke you into slandering him.
I’m sure he’s trying to find an excuse to take you away from me. Climb, you must
not show any weakness to my brother.”
Climb thought back to the day when he had solemnly sworn that he would
never betray that forlorn look on his master’s face, she who had been abandoned
even by her family.

“I never said Renner was a monster. That’s just what you’re thinking… forget
it, enough with the cliched excuses. Still, to think you’d actually consider her a
treasure. When she makes her proposals, does she actually think they’d be
accepted? I can’t help but think that she suggests them even when she knows
they’ll be rejected anyway.”

How could that be? It was impossible. This man was simply guessing wildly in
his hideous jealousy.

“Your servant submits that such is not the case here.”
“Huhuhuhu… So you don’t consider that woman a monster. I don’t know if
you have terrible taste or if her acting’s too good… I’d suggest you doubt her a
little more.”
“How could I doubt her? Renner-sama is a treasure of the Kingdom. Of that I
have no doubt.”
Everything she did was righteous. Climb could come to that conclusion
because he had been watching from beside her.
“Really now, is that so? How interesting. Then, could you send that monster
a message? …Tell her that ‘while I, as her elder brother, consider you as a political
tool, if you’re willing to help me, I can relieve you of your inheritance and grant
you a domain on the borderlands.’”
Frustration surged up in Climb’s heart.
“…Surely you jest. I can hardly believe you would actually tell me that in a
place like this, so I shall pretend that I never heard it.”
“Huhuhuhu. What a shame. Let’s go, Marquis Raeven.”
The silent man nodded from where he had been watching Climb and Zanac
from the side.
Climb did not quite understand Marquis Raeven. He seemed to have drawn a
clear line between himself and Climb, but he did not look at Climb the same way
the other nobles did. Renner had not given Climb any special instructions about
Raeven either.
“Ah, yes. Marquis Raeven agrees with me that that woman is a monster. No,
it is more that we have the same vision, hence our alliance.”
“—My Prince.”
“Let me say it, Marquis Raeven. Heed my words, Climb. If you were blindly
devoted to her, I wouldn’t be telling you all this. However… I feel that you’ve
been deceived by that monster. That’s why I’m telling you, in good faith, about
her monstrous nature.”

“My Prince, forgive my rudeness, but could you tell me in what way is Renner-
sama a monster? Nobody cares more for the country and the people than she
does.”

“…That’s because everything she does is a waste of effort. She moves too much
for too little gain. At first, I thought she was simply inept at dealing with others.
Then, while discussing the matter with Marquis Raeven, I realized that she
might already have accounted for that. Once I realized that, everything fell into
place. If that was really the case, then she would be a woman who, while locked
up the palace, could manipulate the nobles as she desired. What is that, if not a
monster?”

“Certainly you must be mistaken. Renner-sama is not that kind of person,”
Climb insisted.

Her tears were most definitely genuine. Renner was a compassionate woman.
Climb knew this better than anyone else, given that she had picked him up.

However, Climb’s words could not move the Prince. He smiled bitterly, and
then left Climb. Marquis Raeven followed behind him.

Climb muttered to himself in the now-deserted corridor.
“Renner-sama is the kindest person in our country. My existence is proof of
that. If…”
Climb swallowed the following words, but spoke them in his heart.
If Renner-sama were to rule the Kingdom, it would surely become a great nation
that puts the people first.
Of course, that was an impossible dream given the reality of the succession.
Even so, Climb could not abandon that idea.

●

Lower Fire Month, 3rd Day – 08:11
Shortly after that, Climb arrived at his most frequently visited room in the
palace.
After checking several times to make sure nobody was around, he reached out
and turned the doorknob.
Entering without knocking was an exceedingly impolite course of action.
However, the owner of this room had asked him to do so. His mistress had
refused to listen to his protests, no matter what he said.

In the end, Climb had given in. There was no way he could win when women’s
tears flowed. Still, his mistress had permitted him several exceptions to that.
For instance, there was no way he could barge in unannounced if the King was
present.

That said, entering without knocking was very stressful on Climb. People who
do that ought to be punished. It was only natural for him to feel stressed out when
he thought about that as he opened the door.

Just as Climb was about to push it open, he heard the sounds of a heated
discussion through the half-opened door.

There were two voices, both female.
One of them belonged to his mistress. Climb was still standing outside the
door but she had not noticed him. That was probably because she was too
excited about the discussion. That being the case, Climb did not wish to dampen
her ardor. Climb stood still, listening to the discussion within the room. He felt
guilty about eavesdropping, but he would feel worse if he interrupted their
conversation.
“—I told you, didn’t I? People have always focused on immediate gains.”
“Hm…”
“…The crop rotation plan you were talking about, Renner… I have no idea how
that will increase yields… but how long will it take to show results?”
“About six years or so.”
“And how much money will be lost in planting other crops during these six
years?”
“That would depend on the crops in question. However, assuming a normal
yield is 1, I think the yield would go down to 0.8… in other words, it’s a 20% loss
of revenue. However, after the sixth year, the yield will go up by 0.3 forever. I’m
sure the figure will be higher if we add pastures for livestock into the mix.”
“…That does sound quite tempting, but can farmers really take a loss of 20%
of their income for six whole years?”
“…I think we could have the country extend interest-free loans to compensate
for the 20% loss and then ask for repayment after the yields return to normal…
If the yields don’t go up, then it won’t have to be repaid, or there could be some
other way. The important thing is that once the yields go up, the loans can be
paid off in four years.”
“That might be hard.”
“Why is that?”

“I told you, didn’t I? People prefer to focus on immediate gains, and many
people want stability. A lot of people will hesitate even if you tell them they’ll be
able to get 130% of their original crops in six years.”

“I… don’t get it. It worked really well on the test field…”
“Maybe the experiment went well, but you still can’t guarantee that it’ll
succeed.”
“…Well, it’s true that we didn’t foresee every possible condition while
conducting the experiment, so we can’t be absolutely certain of the results. If
we had to consider soil quality and the weather as well, the experiment would
have become too big…”
“That’s troubling. I don’t know if that 30% increase is a minimum figure or an
average amount. Either way, it’s not very convincing. You need to guarantee
profits, and that they won’t lose out in the short term.”
“How about subsidizing the 20% shortfall for the six-year period?”
“The Noble Faction would love that, because it would weaken the King’s
power.”
“But, if we can guarantee a big return after six years, the Kingdom will grow
stronger too, right?”
“That also means that the opposing Noble Faction will become stronger as
well, while the King’s side will have 20% lower yields. The nobles of the Royal
Faction won’t stand for it.”
“Then how about asking the merchants…”
“Those big traders? They have their own politics among them. If they help the
Royals too readily, it might ruin their relationship with the Nobles.”
“There sure are a lot of problems… Lakyus.”
“…And they all come up because you’re not good at forward planning. Well…
I do understand it’s hard to get a proposal passed when there are two huge blocs
within the country… What about just implementing it under Crown territory?”
“My brothers won’t approve.”
“Ah, you mean those retar… those gentlemen who left their wisdom in their
mothers’ bellies for your sake.”
“…But we don’t have the same mother.”
“Ahhhh, then they left it in the King! Still, it’s pretty bad when even the Royal
Family isn’t united…”
The room fell silent, which told Climb that the discussion was over.
“Ah, you can come in. Can’t he, Renner?”

“Hm?”
Climb’s heart lurched as he heard those words. He was surprised that she had
sensed his presence, but at the same time, he had been somewhat expecting that.
He slowly opened the door.
“—Pardon me.”
A familiar sight filled Climb’s eyes.
The room was luxurious but not tacky, and there were two blonde-haired
maidens seated at a window side table.
Both of them were beautiful young ladies in complementary dresses.
One was the owner of this room, Renner.
The other one sat opposite her. Her eyes were green and her lips were pink,
and she was in radiant health. While her looks fell short of Renner, she exuded a
charm of her own. If Renner sparkled like a gemstone, then she glowed with
vitality.
Her name was Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra.
It was hard to tell given the sheer pink dress she wore, but this woman was
the leader of one of the two adamantite-ranked adventurer teams in the
Kingdom, and Renner’s closest friend.
She had racked up a considerable tally of accomplishments at the tender age
of 19, and the fact that she had attained the coveted rank of adamantite must be
due to her astounding talent. Climb felt the stirring of jealousy in the depths of
his soul.
“Good morning, Renner-sama, Aindra-sama.”
“Good morning, Climb.”
“Morning.”
After greeting them, Climb made to move to his designated location — behind
and to the right of Renner — but a voice halted him.
“Climb, not there. Here.”
Renner indicated the chair to her right.
Climb found this very strange. There were five chairs arranged around the
circular table. That much was normal. However, three cups of tea had been
poured.
One was in front of Renner, another was before Lakyus, and one more was in
front of the seat beside Lakyus — not the one Renner had indicated. Climb
looked around, but he could not find any trace of the third person.
Climb was surprised, but he looked at the chair anyway.

Renner’s orders to Climb had caused a great deal of strain for him, be it in a
commoner sharing a table with their master — a member of royalty — or in
barging into a room uninvited.

“But…”
Climb looked pleadingly to the other woman for help. He hoped against all
hope that she would reject the request, but that hope was promptly denied him.
“I don’t mind.”
“Th-this… Aindra-sama…”
“I told you before, didn’t I? Call me Lakyus.”
Lakyus looked to Renner.

“Climb’s special ~♥”
“…Meanie.”
Lakyus appended what sounded like a heart to the end of her sentence in
sickly sweet tones, to which Renner replied with a note of mock complaint and
a smile.
Of course, that was if a curl of the lips which was not matched by her eyes
counted as a smile.
“Aindra-sama, please don’t tease me.”
“Fine fine fine. You really are a stick in the mud, aren’t you, Climb? You should
learn not to get hung up on details like her.”
“Eh? Teasing?”
Faced with Renner’s look of surprise, Lakyus froze in an incredibly fake way
before exhaling with exaggerated intensity.
“Of course. Well, Climb is special, but that’s because he’s yours.”
Renner’s face flushed pink, and she clapped her hands to her cheeks. Climb
had no idea what to do and looked away from Renner, and then his eyes went
wide.
That was because there was someone seated in the shadows in the corner of
the room, hugging their knees to themselves. She was a woman, who wore form-
fitting black clothing that seemed utterly incongruous with the room’s
atmosphere.
“Wha-!”
Shocked, Climb grabbed at the sword at his waist and lowered his stance,
prepared to protect Renner.
Lakyus sighed.
“Now you’ve gone and scared Climb by taking on that stance.”

There was no caution or awareness of danger in Lakyus’s cool voice. Climb
realized what that meant and let the strength drain from his shoulders.

“Understood, boss.”
The woman seated in the darkness sprang to her feet in an instant.
“Ah, you probably don’t know her, Climb. She’s a member of my team—”
“—It’s Tina-san,” Renner helpfully supplied.
From what Climb knew, the adamantite adventurer team “Blue Rose” was
composed of five women: the leader and divine magic caster Lakyus, the warrior
Gagaran, the arcane magic caster Evileye, and then the rogues Tia and Tina.
Climb had seen the first three before, but not the latter two.
So she must be… I see. Her reputation’s not for show.
Given her long limbs and her tight-fitting clothes, she looked the part of
someone versed in thief-type techniques.
“…Forgive me. Pleased to meet you, my name is Climb.”
Climb bowed deeply to Tina.
“Huh? Don’t worry about it.
She waved casually to Climb, and then she silently stalked towards the table
with the fluid grace of a savage beast. Then, she took a seat on the chair beside
Lakyus. It would seem the tea from just now was hers.
Climb carefully surveyed his surroundings to check for another unseen
female. There were only three cups of tea on the table, so it seemed unlikely, but
he did so anyway.
Lakyus sensed the reason behind Climb’s gawking and said:
“Tia’s not here. Gagaran and Evileye both dislike stuffy occasions… but it’s
not that stuffy, is it? I’m wearing a proper dress just in case, but I didn’t insist on
them doing the same.”
Lakyus might have said that, but the fact was that etiquette required one to
wear formal dress in front of a princess. Of course, Climb had no intention of
saying that to the face of Renner’s friend — particularly a lady who was a
member of the peerage.
“I see. Still, it is an honor to make the acquaintance of the famed Tina-sama.
I hope I will have the chance to benefit from your guidance in the future.”
“Talk after you sit down, Climb.”
Saying so, Renner poured a fresh cup of tea. The tea which flowed from the
magic item known as a Warm Bottle was piping hot, as though it had just been
brewed.

The Warm Bottle could maintain the temperature and composition of its
contents for an hour, and it was one of Renner’s favored magic items. It saw
frequent use when entertaining important guests, though not at other times.

Climb knew that there was no protesting this and resigned himself. Thus, he
sat down and drank his tea.

“It’s delicious, Renner-sama.”
Renner smiled, but in all honesty, Climb could not tell if it was good or not.
Still, since Renner had made it, he automatically deemed it good.
A flat, emotionless voice suddenly spoke out.
“—That girl should be gathering intelligence today. The three of us were
supposed to come here together, but in the end our Oni leader handed out work
at the last minute. It’s all our Oni leader’s fault.”
Needless to say, that voice came from Tina. A frightening smile came over
Lakyus’ face as she heard the words “Oni.” Climb tore his eyes away and said:
“I see… I hope I’ll be able to see her sometime.”
“Climb, Tina-san and Tia-san are twins. Even their hairstyles are almost
identical.”
“So once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen the other.”
Climb did not think the matter was that simple, but he nodded in
understanding.
Still, Tina stared unabashedly at Climb, making him feel uncomfortable. His
original plan was just to bear with it, but then he realized that she might have
noticed something about him, and so he made up his mind to ask her:
“Is something the matter?”
“You’re too big.”
“…Huh?”
He heard, but he did not understand. After seeing the question marks popping
up over Climb’s head, Lakyus cut in and apologized:
“Its nothing; just an inside joke. Don’t take it to heart, okay, Climb? No, don’t
worry about it. Really.”
“Yes…”
“…What’s the matter, Lakyus?”
Climb told himself not to be a busybody, but Renner could not seem to accept
that and interjected. Lakyus had a sour look on her face as she looked at Renner.
“Really, whenever we start talking about Climb…”
“Ah, I—”

“—Quiet. I didn’t bring Tia along because she’d fill Renner’s head with
nonsense. So could you please understand that and not blabber on so much?”

“Yes, Oni Boss.”
“…Lakyus. What’s all this about?”
Lakyus’ face began to twitch once Renner began asking, and her expression
turned depressed.
She shifted her line of sight to Climb just as he was about to butt in.
“Hm… Climb, it looks like you really favor this suit of armor.”
“Yes. This armor is exquisite. Thank you very much.”
This was about an awkward of a topic change as there could be, but Climb did
not want to embarrass a guest. After going with it, he idly stroked the suit of
snow-white full plate armor which his mistress had gifted him. It had been made
with large quantities of mythril — and some orichalcum — and further
enchanted, making it surprisingly light and tough.
Blue Rose had supplied the mythril for its construction at no charge. Climb
could not thank them enough for that, however low he bowed.
Just as he was about to do so, Lakyus halted him.
“Don’t worry about it. We simply gave you the leftover materials from making
our mythril armor.”
While she called them leftovers, the fact was that mythril was an extremely
expensive material. Perhaps mythril-ranked adventurers might own a mythril
weapon, while orichalcum-ranked adventurers might be able to afford the
construction of a suit of mythril full plate. But only adamantite-ranked
adventurers could give a suit to others at no charge.
“Besides, Renner asked me. How could I refuse?”
“—You refused to take my money. I had some pocket money saved up…”
“…It’s not right for a princess to spend her allowance, don’t you think?”
“That’s separate from my domain’s income. I just wanted to use my own
money to make Climb’s armor.”
“I figured you wanted to use your own money to make a shiny new set of full
plate for Climb—”
“…If you knew, then why did you give it to me for free? Lakyus, you dummy.”
“Given the circumstances, should you really be calling me a dummy…”
Thus did the fuming Renner and the giggling Lakyus go back and forth, in an
argument that hardly qualified as an argument.
As he saw this Climb’s face stiffened into an emotionless mask.

The fact that he could witness a heartwarming scene like this was all thanks
to being rescued by his mistress. However, he could not allow himself to express
his feelings.

Showing his gratitude was one thing, but behind that gratitude was a powerful
emotion that could never be displayed.

That was his love for her.
Climb forcibly crushed that feeling and hid it away within himself. In its place,
he repeated the lines he had repeated several times now.
“Thank you very much, Renner-sama.”
As she heard the way in which he clearly demarcated the separation between
the two of them — it was a hint that master and servant were in different
circumstances — Renner smiled.
Only Climb — who had observed her longer than anyone else, who had been
watching her every day — could tell that her smile was tinged with loneliness.
“It’s fine. Now, I think we’ve drifted quite a ways off-topic. Let’s get back to
the previous discussion.”
“Eight Fingers, you say? We were talking about how we attacked three of their
drug-producing villages and burned their fields to ash. I doubt they can recover
from that.”
As he heard that name, Climb mentally frowned under his iron mask.
Eight Fingers was the name of the criminal syndicate writhing about in the
darkness of the Kingdom. His beloved mistress had taken action to suppress
them.
It was not hard to imagine the miserable fate of a village which relied on drugs
to survive when their fields had been burned down. However, they were a
necessary sacrifice to eliminate the drugs plaguing the Kingdom.
Perhaps if Renner possessed supreme power, she might be able to do
something else. However, Renner had no backers despite being a princess. All
she could do was perform the cold calculus of saving those who could be saved
and abandoning everyone else.
On the other hand, Renner might have been able to beg a boon of her father
to attack them with authority or military force. However, Eight Fingers were
deeply entwined with the nobles, and if word got out, they might well burn the
evidence of their wrongdoing.
Therefore, Renner had decided to directly employ her friend Lakyus.
Climb knew this was a very risky path to take. Under normal circumstances,

adventurers worked through the Guild and they were not allowed to take
requests directly from clients. That was a violation of the Guild’s rules.

Granted, he did recall that the Guild could not punish its highest-ranked
(adamantite-ranked) adventurers, nor could it expel them. Even so, it would still
tarnish their reputation within the Guild and would surely lead to repercussions
in the future. However, Blue Rose had accepted the task anyway because they
loved their country that much, and because Renner was their friend.

Climb’s gratitude towards Lakyus grew as she realized that she was willing to
make sacrifices for the greater good.

Lakyus decided that they should no longer talk about this anymore. She
opened up the bag Tina presented to her, and took out a scroll.

This was a document which nobody in Blue Rose could decipher. However,
Lakyus felt that the smartest person she knew — Renner — might be able to
make some head or tail of it.

“We found this scroll while burning the drug villages. It looked like some kind
of written order, so we brought it back… can you understand it?”

They opened the scroll, and saw an expanse of symbols. They did not look like
letters from any country’s language. Renner glanced at them, and casually
replied:

“…It’s a substitution cipher, no?”
Substitution ciphers were a form of code made by substituting a letter or
several letters for another letter or symbol. For instance, “a” might become “△”
and “b” might become “□.” Thus, the symbols “△△□□△” would mean “aabba.”
“I thought so too. I tried swapping symbols around for hours, but I couldn’t
make any sense of it. We took a man prisoner who looked like he was in charge
because we suspected that he might have memorized the cipher key, and we
were planning to use charm magic on him to make him decode the message for
us. However… you should know that when the same caster uses the same spell
on the same subject multiple times, you get poorer results. Therefore, I wanted
to make good use of our first casting. So I decided to discuss it with you before
using the spell.”
“I see… and the reason this was left there was because… a trap? Or something
more? If that’s the case, they wouldn’t use a code that was too hard to break.
Hm, I don’t think this will be very difficult.”
Renner’s words left Lakyus’ eyes wide. She could not help but exchange
glances with Tina, who was seated beside her.

Unbelievable. But at the same time, they thought, “I knew she could do it.”
“Let me think… in the Kingdom’s language, the first word of any document is
either a masculine, feminine or neuter pronoun… give me a moment…”
As she muttered to herself, Renner rose with the scroll and went to fetch
paper and pen.
Then, she began writing out blocks of text on the paper.
“This is a simple substitution cipher of one character for one symbol, so
breaking it is easy. And fortunately, they were using the Kingdom’s language. If
they had used the Empire’s literature or something like that as a cipher, it’d be
almost unbreakable. But this… well, once you know what one of the words
means, you can just fill them in one by one. Anyone could break this if they were
willing to work hard.”
“No no… well, you make it sound easy. But wouldn’t that mean you’d need to
know tens of thousands of words to break the code?”
“Well, these are encoded literary references. Those usually won’t be too
flowery and they can’t use words that are too complex either. So they’d have to
make it simple enough that even a child could understand it. That narrows
things down a lot.”
Inside her heart, Lakyus broke out in a cold sweat.
Her friend made it sound so simple, but it was hardly as simple as she said.
Still, she really ought to be able to do it… I can hardly believe such a genius really
exists.
Renner had brushed it off every time they met or talked, but Lakyus had never
met anyone else like Renner who deserved to be called a genius.
As Lakyus trembled internally, Renner lightly said, saying “It’s done. Just a
bunch of book references,” before handing the paper to her.
There were many locations within the Kingdom written upon it, and seven of
them were within the Royal Capital.
“Are these drug storehouses or other important bases?”
“I doubt they’d put such an important document in an ordinary production
area… this is probably bait, don’t you think?”
“Bait? As in for a trap?”
“Hm… I don’t think so. Think of it this way. Eight Fingers is one organization,
but they’re more like eight separate groups working together, right?”
Lakyus nodded.
“So this should be information about the other seven groups… or should I say

divisions? In any case, this is a way to deliberately leak information on everyone
besides the drugs division to outside enemies, in order to briefly take the heat
off themselves.”

“In other words, they already gathered information on the other divisions for
this… I didn’t expect them to be totally united, but this is just ridiculous…”

As an adventurer, the notion of betraying one’s comrades frustrated her.
“While we were already going to do that, we’d better not act too hastily, or
else it might turn out badly for us.”
After seeing her friend (Renner) nod, Lakyus asked again:
“So what should we do about that brothel? I’ve heard it’s a really vile place
where one can experience anything they desire.”
Lakyus felt her anger build just by mentioning it.
Bastards. Those scum who can only think with their dicks ought to be killed!
When she recalled what she had learned about the brothel in question, she
was no longer a noble heiress, but a bold adventuress, and the curses welled up
from inside her heart. The meaning of the phrase “anything they desire” went
without saying. It was certain that no few people — men and women both — had
been murdered for entertainment.
In the past, when slavery had not yet been criminalized, there were quite a
few such bordellos operating in the underworld. However, thanks to the friend
before her, the slave trade was now illegal, and those establishments had faded
like dust on the wind. This particular location might well be the last illegal
brothel in the Kingdom.
For that reason, they would not shut down easily. One could imagine what
sort of determined resistance awaited them. After all, it was a tainted paradise
for those people with crude, unspeakable desires.
“Say, Renner. Since we can’t deal with them through the law, why not have us
force our way in and expose their crimes? It’ll be okay as long as we find
evidence, right? If the slave-trading division really is running that brothel, then
breaking them will be a huge blow. Plus, depending on where the evidence
points, we’ll be able to teach a painful lesson to the nobles who are in league
with them.”
“You might be right, Lakyus. But if you do that, won’t it inconvenience your
family… the Alvein family? I find it very hard to act because of that. The same
thing goes for the other members of Blue Rose… but having Climb barge in there
alone seems almost impossible…”

“Your servant deeply regrets his lack of strength.”
As she saw Climb bow in apology, Renner reached out a hand to take Climb’s
own, and smiled.
“Forgive me, Climb. That wasn’t what I meant. It’s the only underworld
brothel in the Royal Capital, so nobody could take it down by themselves. See, I
trust you most of all, Climb. I know how hard you work for me. However, don’t
do anything which might get yourself involved. This isn’t a request, but an order,
okay? If anything happened to you…”
Even Lakyus, as a woman watching from the side, was moved by the tears of
the ravishing beauty before her eyes. Then how about Climb?
He tried his best to put on an emotionless front, but he could not. Those
flushed cheeks said everything for him.
Were a bard to give a title to this moving scene, said bard would surely name
it “The Princess and Her Knight.” Yet, Lakyus felt a twinge of fear. She thought
that it ought to be impossible, but if Renner were doing this on purpose, then
she would be a vixen of truly unimaginable proportions—
What am I thinking? Why am I doubting my good friend? Besides, hasn’t everything
that’s happened up till now proven that she’s not a petty little schemer? If I can’t even
trust someone like her — someone with the title of “Golden,” who crusades for justice
— then who can I trust?
Lakyus shook her head, and spoke. That was also to dispel the frightening
notion in her head.
“Ah, yes. Tina’s investigations have uncovered several leaders in the slave
trades — several nobles with links to Cocco Doll. However, we haven’t verified
their guilt yet, so it’s too early to take action right now.”
Renner and Climb reacted to one particular name among the list Lakyus
recited.
“That man’s daughter is one of my personal maids.”
“Hm? Well, I don’t think she was sent there as a spy because they’re on guard
against you… but still, I can’t be sure that she’s just a maid looking to promote
herself.”
“Indeed. Looks like we’ve policed the information quite well. Climb, you also
have to keep that in mind.”
“Then, let’s discuss what to do about the locations we’ve learned from the
coded orders. Renner, would you mind lending me Climb? I’d like him to tell
Gagaran and the others that they may need to move out for an emergency.”

2

Lower Fire Month, 3rd Day – 09:49
Climb walked along the main street of the Royal Capital. Climb blended
perfectly into the mass of humanity, given that he had few distinguishing
features about him.
He did not wear his distinctive suit of white armor. While he could use certain
alchemical items to change its color, he was not that attached to it. Besides,
there was no need to go around in full plate armor while walking on the streets.
As a result, he dressed lightly, wearing a chain shirt under his clothes. Only
the longsword at his waist marked him as visibly different from the average
citizen.
He looked like a patrolling soldier — a city guardsman — or a mercenary when
outfitted in that way. Some people would avoid him, but they would not clear
out of his path in the way they would for someone in heavy armor.
Anyone in such a panoply ought to be an adventurer. It was not so much that
they needed the protection as the publicity.
Dressing in an eye-catching way was not a strange thing for adventurers,
because it helped promote themselves. Some of them even favored unique and
provocative fashions to make a strong impression on others. Thus, word would
spread and their reputation would build. In other words, dressing oddly was
something like a trademark of adventurers.
However, there was no need for high-end adventurers — like the members of
Blue Rose, whom Climb was going to visit — to do so. At their level, they would
make conversation just by walking along the street.

Soon, he saw an adventurer’s inn along the road. Said inn had a stable and a
large yard for sword practice. Its beautiful exterior promised an equally
exquisite interior, and the guest windows were fitted with pieces of clear glass.

This was the Royal Capital’s most expensive inn. It was a gathering place for
adventurers who were confident of their skills and able to pay the onerous bills.

Climb opened the inn’s door, paying no heed to the guards which flanked it.
The drinks bar-cum-dining hall occupied an entire floor, but it was sparsely
populated with adventurers, considering its size. This clearly showed the rarity
of high-paid adventurers.
The clamor within the inn quieted for a moment as several curious gazes were
thrown in Climb’s direction. He did not mind, and looked around the interior.
Most of the people in here were powerful-looking adventurers. Just about
everyone here could defeat Climb with ease. Every visit to this place made Climb
realize how tiny he was.
He resisted the urge to fall into despair, and his eyes focused on a point within
the inn.
In front of him — in the innermost depths of the inn — was a round table. He
looked at the two people seated around it.
One of them was tiny, dressed in a long black robe which covered their entire
body.
Their face could not be seen. It was not because the light was insufficient, but
because they wore a strange, full-face mask set with a bloodstone. There was a
narrow crack running along eye level, but that did not even reveal the color of
the eyes underneath it.
Then, there was the other person.
If the first person was a midget, then this one would be a giant. Seeing this
person brought the word “boulder” to mind. Indeed, that person had a stout and
massive body, but that girth was not born of obesity.
That person’s arms reminded observers of logs, while the neck which held the
head up seemed as wide around as a pair of a woman’s thighs. The head which
sat upon that neck was squarish in shape. The heavyset chin — currently
clenched closed — and the way that person’s eyes surveyed its surroundings
reminded one of a carnivorous beast. The blonde hair upon that head was
trimmed short for the sake of practicality.
That person’s chest bulged mightily under their clothes, as though on proud
display. Said chest resembled nothing so much as thoroughly honed pectoral

muscles. Put more clearly, this was no longer a tender feminine bosom.
This was the adamantite-ranked adventurer team composed solely of females

— Blue Rose.
The two of them were members of Blue Rose. One was the arcane magic caster

Evileye, while the other was warrior Gagaran.
Climb approached them. One of the people he was looking for nodded, and

then bellowed huskily:
“Yo, cherry boy!”
The gazes that had been slowly drifting away all focused on Climb once more,

but nobody mocked him. Instead, they turned away once more, as though in
sympathy for him.

They did this because they knew that even for mythril or orichalcum-ranked
adventurers, showing the slightest bit of disrespect to Gagaran’s guest was not
so much bravery, but foolhardiness.

Climb bore the insult and approached steadily.
No matter how many times he pleaded with her, Gagaran refused to address
Climb by his proper name. That being the case, the best course of action he could
take was to give up and pretend he did not care.
“Good to see you again, Gagaran-sa — san. And Evileye-sama.”
He arrived before the two of them and bowed.
“Oh, it’s been a while. What, come to sleep with me, have you?”
Gagaran jerked her chin, indicating that he should take a seat. There was an
evil, savage grin upon that square face of hers.
Climb simply shook his head blankly.
Gagaran said the same thing every time, to the point where it had become
something like a form of greeting. However, she was not joking in the slightest.
If Climb answered “yes,” even in jest, she would immediately drag him into a
singles’ room on the second floor. Climb would be helpless before her
irresistible arm-strength.
Gagaran, who prided herself as a “cherry picker,” was such a person.
In contrast to Gagaran, Evileye faced stoically forward, her face unmoving.
Perhaps she was eyeing Climb under her mask, but he could not be sure of that.
“No, that’s not it. Aindra-sama bade me come.”
“Hm? Leader did?”
“Yes. I come with a message. ‘You might need to move out in a hurry. I’ll
explain the details when you get back.’ However, Aindra-sama wishes the two of

you to ready yourselves and prepare for action at any time.”
“Understood. Still, you’ve gone to a lot of trouble for such a small thing.”
Gagaran’s face lit up with a broad smile, and Climb remembered that he had

something else to tell her.
“Today I had the good fortune of sparring with Stronoff-sama. The move you

taught me then — the big downward chop — met with Stronoff-sama’s
approval.”

Gagaran had taught him that blow in the practice yard behind this inn. Her
face split with a grin, as though she had been the one who had been praised.

“Oh, that move? Hehe, not bad, kid. Still…”
“Yes. I won’t be satisfied with just that. I will continue to practice and seek
perfection.”
“You’ve got to keep training, of course. But you should also think about what
to do if someone counters that move. Think of a move to continue from it.”
Was it coincidence, or merely a unity of opinions from a pair of first-rate
warriors? What Gagaran had said was much like Gazef’s own feedback. A look of
surprise came over Climb’s face at the similarity of their words. Gagaran seemed
to have read his reaction the wrong way, and laughed, “Of course, you have to
use that chopping move I taught you as a finishing blow, otherwise it’s
meaningless.”
Then she continued: “In truth, you need to pick a move from all the others
out there that has universal applicability. However, you can’t do it.”
Gagaran’s words hinted at Climb’s lack of talent.
“Therefore, you need to develop a way to attack at least three times in
combination. That combo must be one that keeps your foe from
counterattacking, even if they manage to defend against it.”
Climb nodded.
“Of course, that won’t work when fighting many-armed monsters. But against
humans, that ought to be enough. While you’ll be in trouble once your opponent
sees through your attack patterns, it ought to be effective the first time you face
any foe. Hammer them, hammer them and keep hammering them.”
“Understood,” Climb nodded heavily.
This morning, he had only managed to get one hit in on Gazef. On every other
occasion, Gazef had seen through him immediately and he had been
counterattacked in turn.
Then, could he lose confidence because of that? Of course not.

Could he allow himself to fall into despair because of that? Of course not.
It was the opposite.
It was precisely the opposite.
A mere commoner like himself had been able to come that close to the
strongest warrior in the Kingdom — no, the surrounding countries. Climb knew
that Gazef had not begun to show his true power, but to Climb — who had been
walking a pitch-black path with no light in sight — it was a tremendous dose of
encouragement.
It was like telling him: Your efforts were not in vain.
As he thought about that, he fully understood what Gagaran was trying to say.
He was not confident that he could develop a good combination attack, but
he was willing to try. A flame had been lit in the depths of his heart. He was
determined to become stronger, so that he could draw out more of Gazef’s
strength the next time he sparred with the Warrior-Captain.
“…Right, I think you asked Evileye about something before, didn’t you?
Something about learning magic?”
“Yes.”
Climb glanced at Evileye. At that time, she had merely laughed at him from
under her mask and the matter had been forgotten. Asking her the same thing
now, when nothing had changed, would only yield the same answer.
However—
“Kid.”
A muffled voice reached his ears.
Her voice was quite surprising, even without removing the mask she wore.
The mask she wore was not particularly thick, so it should have been easy to
make out the qualities of her voice. However, there was no way to tell Evileye’s
age or any emotional inflections from it. At the very most, he could conclude
that she was female. It was an emotionless, even voice that sounded both old
and young at the same time.
That was probably because Evileye’s mask was magical. But why did she have
to conceal her voice?
“You have no talent. Work hard somewhere else.”
She did not allow him any room to respond, as though there was nothing else
to be said.
Climb knew her meaning very well.
He was not talented in magic. No, that was not all.

No matter how hard he practiced his swordplay, how many times he bled and
blistered and callused his hands, he could not reach the level he longed for. Low
walls which a talented individual might soar over were like insurmountable
barriers to Climb.

However, he could not give up on working hard to surpass that unreachable
limit. Since he had no talent, he had to hope that his unrelenting effort would
help him improve in some way.

“You don’t seem happy with that.”
Having sensed the emotions under Climb’s iron mask, Evileye continued:
“Talent is an inborn ability… Some people say that talents are like buds before
they blossom, and everyone has talent… hmph. To me, that’s just wishful
thinking, something idiots use to comfort themselves. Even the leader of the
Thirteen Heroes was the same way.”
The leader of the Thirteen Heroes. According to legend, he was just an
ordinary person, weaker than anyone else. However, he continued swinging his
sword even when injured, and he eventually became a hero who was stronger
than anyone else. He was a mighty being who could grow without limit.
“He was talented, but it just hadn’t flowered yet. It’s different from your case.
You’ve worked so hard, but that’s all the talent you’ve shown… Not everyone has
talent, and the difference is blindingly obvious between the haves and have nots.
Therefore… I won’t tell you to give up, but you ought to know your limits.”
Evileye’s stern lecture was followed by a brief silence. In the end, Evileye
broke it.
“Gazef Stronoff… he’s a good example. People like him would be considered
talented. Climb… do you think you can make up the difference between the two
of you with effort?”
He could not answer. His training today had made him realize that he was
nowhere near that league.
“Alright, maybe he’s not such a good example… still, the only person I can
think of whose swordsmanship approaches his was among the Thirteen Heroes.
Gagaran here is good, but she can’t beat Gazef.”
“…Hey don’t compare him to me. Gazef’s a man with a foot into the realm of
heroes, y’know?”
“Hmph. You’re a heroic woman too… although the woman part is in doubt.”
As soon as Evileye’s voice trailed off, Gagaran laughed and answered:
“Oi oi, Evileye. These heroes in question are monsters with unique abilities

that have surpassed the realm of humanity, right?”
“…I do not deny that.”
“Then I’m still human. Just an ordinary person who can’t reach the realm of

heroes.”
“Even so, you’re still talented. You’re not an untalented person like Climb.

Climb, you shouldn’t be fixated on trying to grasp the stars.”
Climb knew — better than anyone else — that he lacked talent. Even so,

hearing her repeat you have no talent, you have no talent was very depressing. That
said, Climb had no intention of changing his life’s goal.

—This body exists for the Princess. For her, I will—
Perhaps she sensed a martyr’s resolve from Climb, but in the end, Evileye
scoffed from behind her mask.
“…So you’re not giving up, even after I’ve said all that.”
“Yes.”
“Foolishness. Utter foolishness.”
She shook her head forcefully, unable to understand him.
“Moving forward while clinging to an unreachable dream will set you on the
way to destruction. You know that, right? I’ll tell you again — you need to know
your limits.”
“I understand.”
“You may understand, but you don’t care at all, do you? The word foolish does
not even begin to describe men like you. You’re the type who dies early… and
someone will weep for you when you do, am I wrong?”
“What’s this, Evileye? You’re bullying Climb because you care about him?”
Evileye rounded her shoulders as she heard Gagaran speak. Then, she turned
to Gagaran and grabbed her by the lapels while shouting:
“Will you shut up, you beefcake bimbo?!”
“Hey, you know I’m right, right?”
Gagaran was content to let Evileye hang on to her while she replied
nonchalantly. Evileye was speechless for a moment, and then she sank back into
her chair.
Then, she turned the topic back towards Climb.
“Start by learning about magic. Once you know more, you’ll be able to
understand how magic-using enemies think. You’ll be able to pick a more correct
course of action that way.”
“Won’t learning all those spells be a bit much for him?”

“Of course not. The fact is, there aren’t that many spells which magic casters
use. Just focus on the commonly used ones. If you can’t even do that, then you
should just give up,” Evileye muttered.

“Besides, he’ll only need to study up to the third tier. That shouldn’t be a
problem.”

“…I say, Evileye. We all know spells go up to the tenth tier, but nobody can
use magic of such a high level. Yet you know about it. Why’s that?”

“Hm…”
Evileye had a schoolmarmish look on her face as she fiddled around under her
robe. Climb suddenly realized that the sounds around them seemed further
away now. It was hard to describe, but it felt as though there was a thin film
surrounding them.
“Don’t panic. I just used a pointless little item.”
Climb did not know that the activation of that item was a sign of how worried
she was about being overheard. All he knew was that Evileye intended to answer
Gagaran’s question in strict seriousness. Now that she had gone to that extent,
he sat up straight in his chair.
“In ancient myths — little more than legends — there was mention of beings
known as the Eight Greed Kings. They were known as people who had stolen the
power of gods, and the tales speak of how they once ruled this world with that
absolute power.”
Climb had heard the story of the Eight Greed Kings. While they were not too
popular, given that they were only children’s tales, anyone with a little bit of
knowledge would know of them.
In summary, the beings known as the Eight Greed Kings appeared 500 years
ago. Some said that they stood as tall as the heavens, some said they looked like
Dragons, but in any case, the Eight Greed Kings devastated the nations in an
instant, dominating the world with their power which could move mountains
and part the seas. However, their desires ran deep, and they fought each other
for their possessions, resulting in their mutual extinction.
This story was not popular for obvious reasons, but debate raged over whether
or not it was merely a children’s fairytale. Climb personally felt that it had been
greatly embellished. However, a small group of people among the adventurers
believed that the Eight Greed Kings existed — and that they commanded powers
beyond those of any in this modern age.
The proof of that was a city within the deserts far to the south. Rumors said

that it was the capital built when the Eight Greed Kings conquered the
continent.

As Climb lost himself in his thoughts, Evileye continued speaking:
“Apparently, the Eight Greed Kings possessed numberless powerful magic
items, and the mightiest of them was called the Nameless Spellbook… at least,
that’s what people call it. That’s the answer to everything.”
“Ah? So those spells are recorded in that book?”
“Indeed. They say that the Eight Greed Kings of legend left that unimaginable
powerful magic item behind, a book which records all the world’s spells. Also,
they say that due to some kind of magic, even newly-developed spells appear
within its pages as well.”
Climb knew of the Eight Greed Kings, but not of this tome. He had a rough
idea of how valuable this item truly was, but he remained silent and listened.
“We know of the existence of tenth-tier spells because of this item. Of course,
there aren’t many people who know of the Nameless Spellbook itself…”
Climb gulped.
“Will, will you be searching for that Nameless Spellbook?”
Climb only asked that question because he knew that they were top-class
adventurers.
Evileye snorted, as though to say, Don’t be ridiculous.
“Hmph. They say that the book is defended by powerful magic and nobody
can touch it but its rightful owner. Apparently, it’s an item worth as much as an
entire world, which is a hint as to how dangerous it really is. I know my limits,
so I don’t desire it. I’d rather not die in a stupid way like the Eight Greed Kings.”
“Your leader is said to wield one of the weapons belonging to a member of the
Thirteen Heroes… does she feel the same way?”
“…That’s something else entirely. However, I only heard about it from
someone who saw it before, I’m just unclear about the details. I think we’ve
drifted off-topic, but that’s that. Do you get it now, Gagaran?”
After that, Evileye looked somewhat puzzled, which was quite rare for her,
and then she said:
“Climb. Don’t forsake your humanity in the pursuit of power.”
“Forsaking humanity… you mean like the demons in stories?”
“That’s one way. There’s also becoming one of the undead, or a magical
being.”
“Normal people can’t do that.”

“Which is true… but after you become undead, your mind often twists to go
with it. When once you only acted to fulfill a passionate dream… the changes in
the body are echoed in the soul, and you become a terrifying monster.”

The voice from under that mask was typically devoid of emotional inflection,
but now it was tinged with a hint of regret. Gagaran noticed how Evileye was
staring into the distance and deliberately spoke up in a bright voice.

“Well, the Princess would probably faint if she woke up and saw that Climb
had become an Ogre.”

Evileye had probably sensed the good intentions behind Gagaran’s words. Her
voice returned to its usual emotionless pitch.

“…Indeed, that’s a way too. Transmutation-type spells can briefly allow you
to change into another species. I’ll be frank — they’re valid options for
improving your physical attributes.”

“I think I’ll pass on that.”
“If you simply desire strength, then changing into another species is quite
effective. After all, the human body is hardly exceptional, and the same abilities
are more effective when one’s basic physical attributes are improved.”
That much was obvious. Between two evenly skilled opponents, the one with
the better physical attributes would have the advantage.
“The fact is that many of the Thirteen Heroes were not humans. By the way,
they’re called the Thirteen Heroes, but there were more of them than that.
However, only thirteen of them made it into song and story… the battle against
the Demon Gods was one that crossed all racial boundaries, and certain human-
centric people didn’t want to let the other species shine too much in the heroic
sagas.”
Evileye seemed to be making a dig at certain people. Then, her attitude
changed, and she continued in a nostalgic tone.
“The Warrior-Captain of the Air Giants and his Axe of Cyclones, the Elf Royal
Family who bore the special characteristics of the ancestral Elves, and the Black
Knight who wielded the Four Swords of Darkness — the original owner of our
leader’s Kilineiram — was also a human with demon’s blood.”
“The Four Swords of Darkness, huh…”
Black Knight, one of the Thirteen Heroes, was renowned for possessing four
blades: the evil blade Hyumilis, the demon blade Kilineiram, the blade of rot
Crocdabal, and the fatal blade Sfeiz. One of those blades was in the hands of
Lakyus, the leader of Blue Rose.

“The Demon Blade Kilineiram, created by condensing infinite darkness, is
said to be the mightiest of the four… I have a question, is it true that if it
unleashes its full power, it could project enough dark energy to swallow a
country whole?”

“What are you talking about?” Evileye asked in a confused tone.
“I once heard our leader muttering to herself when she was alone. She held
her right arm and said, ‘only a woman who serves the gods like myself can
suppress its demonic power with all my will’ or something like that.”
“I’ve never heard of anything like that before…” Evileye tilted her head in
surprise. “Still, if the owner says that, it might be true.”
“Then is there really a Dark Lakyus, born from the dark side of her spirit?”
“What?”
“Nah, I just happened to hear her muttering to herself again. Don’t think she
noticed me, so I decided to take a listen, and in the end she ended up saying, ‘If
you get careless, this being of blackness born of the source of all darkness shall
take over your body and release the Demon Blade’s power’ or something.
Sounded pretty bad.”
“This… well, we can’t rule that out. Some cursed items can control their
owners’ minds… things would be pretty dire if something like that happened to
Lakyus.”
“I felt that she was trying to keep it a secret, but this is something big, right?
So when I asked her straight up, she blushed and told me not to worry about it.”
“Hm. It must be pretty embarrassing for a priest — who should be the one
removing curses — to end up falling victim to a curse herself. Perhaps she
doesn’t want us to worry? Does she really intend to bear that burden by herself?”
“I didn’t see her act like that again after that… but think about it. Didn’t she
start wearing all those meaningless armor rings on all her fingers after obtaining
the Demon Blade?”
“I thought she put them on to be fashionable… do you mean they’re sealing-
type magic items or touchstones of some sort?”
Climb could no longer pretend to be unmoved, and he frowned.
From what he had seen and heard, Lakyus might well be under the control of
an evil magic item. He became even more worried as he thought about where he
had just been.
“…Will Renner-sama be in danger?”
Evileye stopped Climb before he could rush out.

“Don’t worry. I doubt the situation will deteriorate. She won’t be taken over
unawares, even if the power of darkness threatens to take her over. We’ll have
to take the fact that she didn’t tell us as a sign that she’s confident of controlling
it herself. I’m certain she has the mental strength for it. Still… I didn’t expect
the sword to have that kind of power. Even I’ve never heard of that before.”

“Should we talk to Azuth for safety’s sake?”
“I’m not too happy about asking a rival for help, but… well, she is his niece, so
we should let him know, at least.”
“Hm, then shouldn’t we do that right away? We still need to track him down
too.”
“Mm. We should just prepare ourselves to back Lakyus up at any time.”
“After all, it takes an adamantite-ranked adventurer to stop another.”
“—Hm? Ahhh! That reminds me, Gagaran. I heard that a third adamantite-
ranked adventurer team was formed in E-Rantel.”
“What? Really? That’s the first time I’ve heard of it… did you find that out
when you went to the Adventurer’s Guild this morning?”
“No… ah, yes. Sorry. I forgot to tell you. Their team seems to be black.”
“Black? I thought we’d have brown or green after blue and red.”
“Well, black is one of the colors of the Six Great Gods. Nothing strange about
that. Who knows, the next one might be white.”
“I’m no fan of the Slaine Theocracy. Actually, didn’t we have a big fight with
one of their special ops units?”
Climb sensed that he had overheard a pretty dangerous topic, but neither of
them paid him any heed as they kept talking.
“Gagaran, you hate them? …Well, they did try to kill me once, but I understand
how they’re thinking. Or rather, their sworn mission is to defend all of mankind.
Isn’t that proper, from the perspective of humanity as a species?”
“Hah? So you mean it’s alright to massacre innocent demi-humans and Elves
for that goal?”
There was a clear look of disgust on Gagaran’s face, and the flames of anger
burned in her eyes. Evileye bore her anger, and shrugged.
“There’s quite a few human nations around here, like the Kingdom, the Holy
Kingdom, the Empire, and so on. But did you know, Gagaran? The further you
are from here, the fewer human-led nations there are. All of them are countries
composed of demi-humans or species that are superior to mankind. Did you
know that some of them even trade in humans as slaves? The reason why there

aren’t any of those countries around here is because the Slaine Theocracy has
been going around and exterminating any demi-humans that pop their heads
up.”

Gagaran’s anger went out as she heard Evileye’s words. Still, she was frowning
as she replied:

“Well, demi-humans were always physically superior to mankind anyway. If
they banded together and developed culture, humanity wouldn’t be able to deal
with them.”

“Basically, all humans should think highly of the Theocracy. It’s true that
they’re ruthless, which is a demerit, but even so, nobody else has done more for
mankind as a whole… of course, whether or not the few they abandoned could
say the same thing is a different matter entirely. Besides, it’s quite likely that
they were the ones who originated the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Seriously?”
“Who knows? There’s no telling if it’s true or not, but the possibility is very
high. After all, the Adventurer’s Guild was founded after the battle with the
Demon Gods, when humanity’s strength had been greatly diminished. I suspect
they were preserving their power and wanted to aid the various nations without
causing friction, and thus they set up that organization.”
Silence filled the table after the discussion ended. Unable to bear it, Climb
spoke up:
“Forgive my interruption, Evileye-sama. You said that new adamantite-
ranked adventurers had emerged; do you know their names?”
“Hm? Ah, right, I mentioned that. I think one of them is called… Momon. He’s
their leader, a warrior called the Dark Hero. They haven’t picked a name for their
team yet, but everyone calls them ‘Darkness.’”
“I see. How about the other members?”
“I heard he’s paired with someone called Nabe, an arcane magic caster known
as the Beautiful Princess.”
“Huh? Just the two of them? What’s up with that? Are those idiots so
confident in their abilities that… no, it’s because of those abilities that they’re
adamantite-ranked. Are they hiding some kind of secret weapon? Is that it? What
accomplishments do they have to their name?”
Climb leaned in to listen as well. This was an adventurer team which had
obtained the adamantite rank. They must have embarked on all manner of
adventures which would set people’s hearts aflutter. He was burning with

anticipation even before hearing a single word.
“All this was done within two months… first, they eliminated the thousands

of undead which showed up in E-Rantel. Then, they exterminated the Northern
Goblin Tribe Alliance, found rare herbs in the Great Forest of Tob, slew a Gigant
Basilisk and eliminated a band of undead that had escaped from the Katze Plains.
In addition, I hear they defeated an incredibly powerful Vampire…”

“A Gigant Basilisk…” Climb repeated in a breathless voice.
It was a huge monster that was almost ten meters long, like a cross between
a lizard and a serpent. It had a petrifying gaze attack, its bodily fluids were a
poison that could cause instant death, and its hard, thick skin rivaled mythril in
toughness. It was a terrifying being, so being able to defeat a monster like that
— which could destroy a town — was a perfectly sensible reason for being
promoted to adamantite rank.
However, there was one problem with that —
“That’s… amazing. Still, did they really do it with just the two of them? Surely
just two people, being a warrior and an arcane magic caster, wouldn’t be able to
deal with a Gigant Basilisk, right? Doesn’t seem possible to me.”
—Indeed. It was almost impossible for just two people to do it, especially if
they were a warrior and an arcane magic caster. How would they heal
themselves? How could they resist its petrifying gaze, its toxic bodily fluids and
its other special attacks?
“Ah! Sorry, I can’t really say it was just the two of them. I hear they subdued
the Wise King of the Forest by force and made it their minion.”
“…The Wise King of the Forest? What manner of beast is that?”
Climb recalled the name from various heroic sagas and similar stories.
However, it would be terribly rude to interrupt right now.
“I don’t know the details either, but apparently it was a magical beast which
inhabited the Great Forest of Tob since times of old. It possesses matchless
might. My colleagues once… yes, I don’t think they encountered it when they
went to the Great Forest 200 years ago.”
Evileye shrugged as she mentioned the figure of 200.
Such a number would not be anything out of the ordinary for Forest Elves,
but given her attitude, Climb could only conclude that it was a jest of some sort.
“Oho. Then, how credible are these stories? They’ve probably been spiced up
or something, right?”
It was always like that. Sometimes a tale was accidentally exaggerated in the

telling, or corpses were so badly dismembered that one could not get an accurate
body count, and sometimes adventurers just wanted to brag for fame. Thus,
these stories often ended up embellished.

In contrast, Evileye erected a finger and wagged it with a “tch tch tch.”
“Well, these stories seem pretty factual. The E-Rantel incident in particular,
where that man threw his greatsword and slew an undead Giant, then carved his
way through a thousands-strong horde of undead. These reports came from the
surviving guardsmen and their accounts all tally up. Thus, I doubt there was any
exaggeration of his exploits. They eliminated the masterminds behind the
undead horde and the corpses have been verified, and they destroyed a pair of
Skeletal Dragons before that.”
Gagaran was speechless, and Climb asked her:
“Even you would have trouble with them too, am I right, Gagaran-san?”
“If it was just several thousand Zombies or Skeletons, it’d be fine. I could
smash my way through those. Even the two Skeletal Dragons might be doable.
But I can’t say the same for the masterminds behind the incident. I’ve no
confidence of being able to deal with them if I didn’t know their abilities.”
“There are unofficial opinions which state that they were from Zuranon.”
“Really, Evileye? Ah… if it was their Disciples, then I’d be out of luck. It’d be
really hard to beat them after fighting so deep into hostile territory. Make one
little mistake, get poisoned or paralyzed, and the show’s over for you. How did
the two of them heal themselves? Potions, maybe? Who knows, that Momon
warrior might be able to use divine magic like our leader. Or perhaps that
Beautiful Princess girl could use it.”
“We can’t rule that out,” Evileye nodded in agreement.
“Still, a Gigant Basilisk… Yeah, I’ve got nothing. Enemies like that are too
much for warriors… for any close-range fighters, actually. I’ve got the power of
Gaze Bane on my side, but it’d be really risky without backup.”
“Heard that, Climb? In other words, Gagaran can’t do it by herself. In other
words, it’d all be up to that Nabe woman. Maybe you could do the same if you
were paired with her… could you?”
“Ah, it’d be easy if she was as strong as Evileye. If it were you, you could take
care of it yourself with long-ranged combat, even without getting serious, am I
right?”
“As if I’m that great. I’d have to show my true power.”
“Well, with you around, the only thing I’d have to handle would be the Skeletal

Dragons… no, that’d mean I was just relying on your strength. If I were grouped
with an orichalcum-ranked magic caster and we split up… yeah, not going to
happen.”

Climb found this very surprising.
Was Evileye really such a powerful magic caster? Under normal
circumstances, adventurer teams ought to be made up of members of equal
strength, and they ought to be able to adventure together. Why was there such
a big discrepancy here?
“I doubt that would be the case. I know your strength very well, Gagaran-san.
I’m certain you won’t lose to those people.”
“Uhyo~ that’s high praise. Alright, wanna do it?”
“I’ll have to refuse.”
“That’s why you’re a cherry boy. You know, they say that it’s a shame for a
man not to eat what’s been laid out in front of him. There’s no point in staying
cherry forever, you know. What’ll you do when you finally get it on with the
woman you like? Do you want her to say you suck in bed? Do you get off on that
sort of thing? Are you a masochist or something?”
Gagaran did not wait for Climb to reply. After that, she sighed with
exaggerated loudness.
“Fine, fine, I won’t force you. I’m good to go whenever, so if you want a quickie
with me, just let me know… still, that Beautiful Princess nickname is pretty
embarrassing. Does she live up to it?”
“I’ve heard that Nabe person is really beautiful. According to the rumors—”
Here Climb thought he sensed Evileye glancing at him; a hunch that proved
to be true moments later.
“—She’s as beautiful as the Kingdom’s Golden Princess.”
Gagaran flashed a knowing look at Climb, like he was a bad boy. Climb guessed
what she was going to say, and stole a march on her.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To me, nobody is more beautiful than
Renner-sama.”
“Ah, that’s true.”
Her tone clearly stated, what a shame.
“Hm, I guess we’ve wasted too much time on idle chatter. Sorry for making
you listen to our babbling. After this, we’ll do as Lakyus says and get ready.
Gagaran and Evileye rose, and so did Climb.
“Sorry, Climb. I really wanted to have some fun with you, but I don’t have the

time.”
“Please, don’t worry about it, Gagaran-san. And thank you for your words of

wisdom, Evileye-sama.”
Gagaran carefully studied Climb, and then laughed tiredly.
“Mm, alright, then. You should be going back right away, so we’ll leave our

leader to you. Good seeing you around, cherry boy… oh, that’s right. You need
to make sure you’re properly equipped. That thing on your belt isn’t your usual
weapon, right?”

“Yes. This is a spare.”
“Something might come up. Armor’s one thing, but you’d best keep your
sword by your side. It’s a basic self-defense principle for adventurers, especially
warriors. Do you have the item I gave you?”
“The bells? They’re here.”
Climb patted the pouch on his waist.
“Really now. That’s good. Remember, we’re warriors; all we can do is swing
our weapons. Sometimes, situations occur that can’t be dealt with using
weapons. That’s when you use magic items to help you out with those. You need
to obtain as many magic items as possible and keep them on you, got that? Also,
make sure you have at least three healing potions on you, alright? They’ve helped
me out more than once.
Climb had owned three such bottles, but he only had two on him right now.
“I understand,” he replied.
“…Well, aren’t we being nice to someone today.”
“Come on, give me a break, Evileye… sorry I delayed you. I just wanted to say,
don’t slack on the preparations and be careful.”
“I understand.”
Climb bowed deeply to Gagaran.

3

Lower Fire Month, 3rd Day – 06:00
Nine men and women sat around a circular table.
The heads of Eight Fingers’ eight divisions were there, but they did not look
at each other. Either they studied the documents in their hands or spoke to the
minions awaiting orders behind them.
It did not feel like they were from the same organization at all. Things were
not yet at a hair-trigger stage, but their wariness against potential enemies was
obvious enough. However, that much was only to be expected. They might be in
the same organization and worked with each other, but the fact was that they
mainly cut into each other’s profits with the occasional bout of what might be
considered cooperation.
The drugs division was the prime example, handling all aspects of production,
processing and trafficking by themselves. The smuggling and other divisions
would not raise a finger to help them. Even if they did not openly oppose each
other, it was common enough for them to try and trip each other up behind the
scenes.
These activities — which did no good to the organization — stemmed from
the fact that they had once been disparate crime rings which had banded
together.
The reason why these viceroys of vice gathered on specific days for Eight
Fingers division head meetings was because not doing so would be
disadvantageous to them.
That was to say, not taking part in these meetings could be taken as a sign of

treachery, and absent parties would thus be marked for elimination. Therefore,
even those people who did not commonly come to the Royal Capital would do
so just for these meetings.

Even those people who typically spent their days hiding in a safehouse would
essentially come here to expose themselves. Those who were so afraid of
assassination that they surrounded themselves in guards would do the same.
There was a limited number of people allowed at each meeting, and so each of
the participants brought two of their finest men from their own divisions, in
addition to themselves.

—However, one person stood as an exception to this.
“Since we’re all here, let’s begin the regular meeting.”
As that male voice spoke, the gathered people returned to their seats and their
chairs creaked.
The speaker was the host of this event, the coordinator of Eight Fingers. This
man — who looked to be in his fifties — wore a holy symbol of the Water God
on a necklace and had a compassionate face. He did not look at all like a denizen
of the underworld.
“There are several matters which need discussion, and the first of them is —
Hilma.”
“Present.”
The person who answered was a fair-skinned woman.
Said skin was so pale she almost looked sickly, and her clothes were also white.
She held a pipe which emitted purple fumes in one hand. A serpentine tattoo
snaked up that hand toward her shoulder. Her lipstick was the same purple as
her eyeshadow. In her diaphanous clothing, she was the very picture of a high-
class prostitute, complete with the dissipated air which hung about her.
“Huwah~” she yawned in an exaggerated manner. “Couldn’t we have started
the meeting earlier?”
“…I heard your drug plantations were attacked by someone?”
“Yes, they hit the villages we were using for production. Cost me quite a sum.
We may need to cut back on the drug supply.”
“Any idea who might be behind this?”
“No. None at all… however, as a result, it’s not difficult to think of who might
have done it.”
“Which color?”
That question was enough for everyone present to understand.

“No clue. I just learned the village was attacked. Didn’t have time to find out
more.”

“Is that so. Then, everyone, that’s how it is. Please raise your hands if you
know anything.”

There was no response. Either nobody knew, or nobody wanted to share what
they knew.

“Then, next on—”
“—Oi.”
It was a low voice. It was a male voice, and it concealed incredible power
within its depths.
All eyes turned to the source of that voice. The speaker was a bald man whose
face was half-covered by an animal tattoo. However, every part of him was
immense. His muscular frame was evident even through his clothes, and his cold
eyes were those of a warrior.
All the other division heads had brought guards along, but only he had nobody
behind him. That was only sensible. What point was there in bringing a group of
useless people along?
The man stared at Hilma, head of the drugs division. No, he was probably not
staring; just that his razor-thin pupils appeared to be doing so.
The guard behind her lost his cool for a moment and his breathing turned
chaotic. It was a reaction born of knowing exactly how outmatched he was in
fighting strength.
After all, this man was a monster. He would have no problem slaughtering
everyone in this room.
“Why not hire me? Do you think the mooks on your payroll can protect
anything?”
His name was Zero. He was the manager of the Security Division, which
handled everything from simple bodyguarding to escorting nobles. He was
famous for his battle prowess, which far exceeded that of any other member of
Eight Fingers. And the response to his proposal was—
“There’s no need for that.”
—Was a firm rejection.
“There’s no need for that. Besides, I can’t reveal the location of my bases to
others.”
That was the end of it. Zero closed his eyes, as though he had lost interest.
Doing this made him resemble a boulder.

“That would be great. I’ll accept your proposal on her behalf.”
The speaker was a slender man. He looked limp and weak, in stark contrast to
Zero.
“Zero, I want to hire your people.”
“Oh, what’s this, Cocco Doll. Can you afford it?”
If one considered Hilma’s business — the drug trade — to be booming, then
this man’s field — the slave trade — was declining by the day. That was because
the Golden Princess had made slavery illegal, and as a result he had to go
underground with his business.
“That’s fine, Zero. And if possible, I’d like to hire someone on the level of the
Six Arms, the best of the best.”
“Oh.”
Zero opened his eyes again, as though his interest was reignited.
He was not the only one who was surprised. Just about everyone present was
thinking the same thought.
The name of Six Arms came from the brother to the god of thieves, who had
six arms. That name referred to the strongest fighters of the Security Division.
Of course, their top man was Zero, but the other five had prowess rivaling his.
Rumor had it that one of them could cleave though space, another could control
illusions, and that one of them was even a powerful undead being known as an
Elder Lich.
If Gazef Stronoff or adamantite-ranked adventurers could be considered the
mightiest warriors in polite society, then Six Arms were the greatest killers of
the underworld. Hiring somebody like that could only mean one thing.
“Gotten ourselves into big trouble, haven’t we? Have no fear. My strongest
subordinates will protect your assets.”
“Do forgive the inconvenience. There’s been problems with a woman who was
supposed to be eliminated. Perhaps this might be an overreaction, but if that
place goes down, I’ll be in a hell of a fix. Ah yes, we’ll discuss the fees later.”
“Of course.”
“Can you send your man over right after the meeting ends? There’s something
I’d like him to do right away.”
“Got it. I brought someone along; I’ll lend him to you.”
“…Then, onto the next topic. Regarding the newly minted adamantite-ranked
adventurer Momon of Darkness… does anyone know about him, or have they
made any overtures towards him?”

Intermission

The sound of valuable metals clinking against each other rang forth.
After ensuring that the up-ended purse was empty, Ainz began sorting out the
shiny coins scattered on the table.
He placed ten silver or gold coins into each stack, and then he counted them
up.
After totaling the stacks of coins several times, Ainz looked inside the purse.
It was empty, as expected. After verifying that fact, Ainz cast it aside, and then
grabbed his head.
“Not enough… there’s not enough money at all…”
His illusory human face twisted in depression. Of course, the money before
him was a sizable sum. An ordinary citizen could labor for decades and not
accumulate this amount. However, to the master of the Great Underground
Tomb of Nazarick and its only source of income, it was little more than pocket
change, a fact that made him terribly uneasy.
Ainz’s mental state would be forcibly stabilized once it was disrupted beyond
a certain threshold. Therefore, he should have been automatically calmed down
once the shock of having insufficient money kicked in and assaulted his psyche.
However, the sum of gold coins he possessed gave him some emotional leeway,
and so the emotional cutoff did not trigger. Instead, he burned in the slow fires
of anxiety.
Ainz shook his head, and divided the gold coins before him into several piles.
“First, this is additional funding for Sebas.”
The pile of money before him dwindled in an instant, and Ainz’s face twitched.
“Then there’s this pile… funds for rebuilding and financial aid for the
Lizardman Village, in accordance with Cocytus’ wishes, and then…”
It was less than before, but the pile of money shifted, leaving only a few gold
pieces behind.

“…This money is going towards the Lizardman Village’s expenses, so if I buy
from the Adventurer’s Guild, I can use my reputation as an adamantite-ranked
adventurer to open doors for me. That should make things… cheaper… so
perhaps this will do?”

He recovered several coins from Cocytus’ pile.
After counting and recounting the remaining coins, Ainz muttered quietly to
himself.
“…Maybe I should get a merchant to sponsor me or something… It’d be a good
way to set up a regular income stream outside of adventuring.”
There were only three adamantite-ranked adventurer teams in the Kingdom,
including Ainz’s own. Therefore, sometimes merchants would make requests of
them by name. These jobs were both easy and profitable for Ainz, and he could
easily stand to take a few. However, he had not done so until now.
That was because Ainz wanted to avoid giving merchants or adventurers the
impression that his Momon persona was a money-grubber, or perhaps one who
would do anything for money.
Ainz intended to build a public image of an adventurer who was loved by all,
and then transfer that glory to Ainz Ooal Gown. Thus, he had to be mindful of
what other people thought of him.
“Still… I’m penniless. Shouldn’t have stayed in such an expensive inn…”
Ainz looked around the opulent room.
This was the best inn in all of E-Rantel, and this was its best room. Naturally,
the prices for this room were equally staggering However, this superior room
meant nothing to Ainz, who did not need to sleep. How he longed to spend the
money somewhere else.
The same went for his meals. However splendid the dishes which the inn
prepared for him, it was all meaningless to Ainz, who could not eat them. It
would be wiser to cancel the meals and save the money.
However, Ainz knew exactly why he could not do that.
Ainz… no, Momon was the sole adamantite-ranked adventurer in this city. A
big name like himself could not possibly live in a flophouse where he had to take
care of everything himself.
Living standards were an easy way of benchmarking people. An adamantite-
ranked adventurer had to lead a lifestyle consistent with an adamantite-ranked
adventurer, such as the inn where he stayed and what he wore.
Clothes did make the man, after all.

Thus, Ainz could not lower himself to stay in cheap lodgings. It was the same
even though he understood that this was a waste of money.

“If they think I’m really this valuable, then the Guild ought to book me a
room… hah… although, they’d probably do it if I asked…”

That said, he did not want to owe people favors. To date, whenever the guild
made urgent requests of him, he would move into action immediately to make
them feel indebted to him. Once he had accumulated enough leverage, he would
then start calling in his markers. If he allowed people to pay off their debts with
such small things, his plan would be ruined.

“Ah… there’s no money. Whatever shall I do… More requests, perhaps? But
there haven’t been any good-paying jobs recently. And if I take too many on, the
other adventurers will start to hate me…”

While he wanted Ainz Ooal Gown to become an eternal legend, obviously he
did not want that name to become infamous. Ainz made the semblance of a sigh,
them memorized that amount of spending cash he had from the pile.

“Speaking of money, what about the Guardians’ salary?”
Ainz went “Hmm” and leaned back against his chair, looking at the ceiling.
The Guardians insisted on not drawing a salary, saying that their greatest joy
in life was to serve the Supreme Beings, so they would not dare think of taking
payment for it.
However, Ainz felt that he should not rely too much on their goodwill. One
needed to reward work done in an appropriate fashion.
While the Guardians had all indicated that loyalty to the Supreme Beings was
the best reward, that statement did not sit easy with Ainz.
Perhaps that was the conceit of a man who drew his pay by showing up for
work, but he felt that labor ought to be compensated.
For all he knew, instituting a salary system might lead to the fall and
corruption of these pure and naive children. Even so, he felt that it held merit as
an experiment.
“The question now is how I should pay them.”
Ainz’s eyes went from the ceiling to the diminished pile of gold coins on the
table.
“If we consider the Guardians’ salary to be equivalent to that of a department
head in a high-end company, that means they’d draw 15 million yen per year…
Shalltear, Cocytus, Aura, Mare Demiurge and Albedo ought to be getting more,
right? Which means I’ll have to multiply that by six. Ah, it can’t be helped. I can’t

make that much money.”
Ainz grabbed his head in contemplation, and then his eyes shot open.
“Got it! I just need to pay them with something else! Maybe I could issue

Nazarick-only bills — like play money, perhaps — and then fix their value at
100,000 apiece. That would do it!”

But after shouting that, Ainz’s face twisted again.
How would he make everyone use these bills?
All the facilities in the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick were free of
charge. Even if he did print those bills, he had no idea where to begin using them.
“What if they were used to buy items from this world?”
After comparing the goods of this world to those of Nazarick, he could not
help but wonder who would even want to buy things from the outside world.
“These facilities have been free until now, but if I start charging for them, I’d
be putting the cart before the horse… what should I do?”
After pondering for a while more, Ainz hit on another bright idea.
“Got it! I’ll ask the Guardians to think of something. All I need to do is ask
them what they’d be willing to spend money on. That ought to do it!”
Just as Ainz was muttering, “What a great idea” to himself, his face turned
sour again.
“Still…”
I’m talking to myself more and more, Ainz thought.
While all this had still been a game, he knew he had been talking to himself a
lot because there was nobody else around. However, now that the NPCs had
gained sapience, will and self-direction, he was still talking to himself. Why was
that?
Was it because it had become a habit? Or was it because—
“Because I’m still alone, huh…”
Ainz laughed in loneliness.
Of course, he was surrounded by sapient NPCs, so it was hard to say that he
was truly alone. However, he still felt that way. Perhaps he was busy erasing the
personality of Suzuki Satoru in order to play the role of Ainz Ooal Gown, the
coordinator of the 41 Supreme Beings, whom the Guardians wanted.
Ainz sighed, and as he looked back at the coins on his desk, he heard a
knocking on the door.
After a short while, the door opened. Once he had verified that it was the
person he had expected — Narberal Gamma — Ainz put on a face.

Right now, the corner of Ainz’s mouth was curled up, as though he were
looking down on her.

The low-level illusion which Ainz was using reflected his thoughts, so it might
occasionally display an expression which did not fit the ruler of the Great
Underground Tomb of Nazarick. Therefore, whenever someone else was
around, and particularly in front of Narberal, he typically put on an expression
which made him seem like a stern and dignified ruler. He had practiced it before
the mirror many times, honing that expression to perfection.

“What is it, Nabe?”
His voice was the same faked one he always had.
“Yes, Momon sa—n.”
“There’s the old habit again. Whenever I remind you, you change for a while,
so I guess I should give up on that, huh. Ahhh, no need to bow. I’m not angry,
and the fact that you show respect to me… well, that’s fine too. The Guildmaster
and the others seem to have gotten the wrong impression, so it’s fine. Now then,
what are you here for?”
“Yes. It concerns the ore which you ordered the merchants to find, Momon-
san.”
I didn’t give any orders, it was just business, Ainz grumbled inside his heart. That
said, the stern expression on his face remained unmoved.
“Really now… Which location are we talking about? Have they gathered
samples from all eight places?”
“My deepest apologies, but I did not ask that much.”
“…Never mind, then. We have money. Even if we don’t know where they came
from, we should be able to buy them all up.”
Ainz grandly swept the coins on the desk into a pouch and tossed it to
Narberal. He watched as she decorously picked up the pouch of money.
“Understood. However, may I be permitted a question?”
“Why I’m purchasing ore from various locations?”
Narberal nodded, and Ainz explained.
“I intend to throw them into the Exchange Box. Simply put, I wish to see if
the money I get from the ores changes with the location.”
The Exchange Box should not be affected by such things. For instance, even
an exquisitely carved statue would only count the same as an unworked lump of
the same material when fed into the Exchange Box. That being the case, what if
the composition — the intrinsic quality of the material varied? That was why he

had purchased all those ores.
“Nabe, you know that I managed to fix a price by throwing grain into the box.”
I had to throw in quite a pile of grain before getting one measly coin, Ainz grumbled

in his heart.
If that were the case, all he had to do was commence mass production. Thus,

he had considered breaking ground on grain farms outside Nazarick, manned by
undead or golems in order to tend large farms. Of course, actually executing that
plan presented a mountain of problems in its own right.

“Understood. Then I shall make the purchases immediately.”
“Mm. However, be careful. We can’t guarantee nobody will make a move on
you. If anything happens… You understand, right?”
“I will use the Shadow Demon as a meatshield. I will not think about obtaining
information and prioritize safety by retreating with all due haste. I will then
teleport to Aura-sama’s fake Nazarick to deceive the foe.”
“Very good. Pay attention to safety and do not travel in secluded areas or take
routes which make you vulnerable to attack. Also, do not beat people half to
death if they bother you or try and chat you up. In all honesty, I was quite
surprised when that man wept and begged me to save him and said he was only
trying to flirt with you. Also, you are not to project your murderous intentions
everywhere. Crushing pickpockets’ hands might be acceptable, but do not do it
all the time. Also, do not, under any circumstances, refer to humans as insects.
Simply put, keep your injurious impulses in check after all, we are Momon and
Nabe, the highest-ranking adventurers known as ‘Darkness.’”
Once he saw Narberal indicate that she understood, Ainz felt that there was
nothing else to remind her about, and nodded.
“…Mm. That should be it. Go then, Nabe.”
Still holding the pouch, Narberal bowed before leaving the room. As Ainz
watched her leave, he sighed deeply, despite his lack of lungs.
“…To think I have to make expenditures while I’m low on cash. What a pain.”

Chapter 3 The Finders and the Found

Chapter 3 | The Finders and the Found

1

Middle Fire Month, 26th Day – 15:27
After sending the old lady home, Sebas continued on to his original
destination.
He came to a long stretch of wall.
Three towers — each five stories tall — rose from within those walls. Their
height was made even more imposing by the fact that they were the tallest
buildings around.
These towers were surrounded by several long and narrow two-story
buildings.
This was the headquarters of the Kingdom’s Magicians’ Guild. They needed
ample space for the development of new spells and the training of arcane magic
casters. The reason why they could afford all this land despite having practically
no national support was probably due to their manufacture and sale of magic
items.
After walking a little further, he saw a sturdy gate. The latticed gate yawned

open, and on either side of it were several armed guards, stationed near the two-
story buildings.

The guards did not obstruct Sebas — although they quickly looked him over—
and he passed through the gate.

There was a gently sloping wide staircase before him, and a set of doors which
opened into a distinguished-looking detached house. Naturally, these doors
were open, to welcome visitors.

Upon entering, he found himself in a small entrance hall, with the building’s
lobby before him. A number of magical chandeliers hung down from the high
ceiling of the latter room.

On the right was a guest lounge that contained a sofa and several other pieces
of furniture. There were magic casters conversing within. On the left was a
notice board. Several people were studying it in earnest; some wore robes and
looked like arcane magic casters, while others seemed to be adventurers.

There was a counter in the innermost reaches of the hall, and there were
several young men and women seated behind it. All of them wore robes, and they
had badges on their chests which matched the symbol he had seen while entering
the building.

On either side of the counter stood a pair of skinny wooden dolls, of the kind
used for sketching. They were the size of actual humans and they had no facial
features — Wood Golems, in other words. Apparently, they were being used as
sentries. The fact that they had not posted any human sentries inside must have
been pride on the part of the Magician’s Guild, the outside sentries
notwithstanding.

Sebas’ shoes pounded out a steady beat as he approached the counter.
The young man at the counter noticed Sebas and greeted him with a look.
Sebas nodded in return. He was a frequent customer here, so both of them were
familiar with each other.
“Welcome to the Magician’s Guild, Sebas-sama. How may I help you today?”
“Yes, I’d like to buy a spell scroll. May I consult the usual list?”
“Certainly.”
The youth quickly brought a large tome to the counter. He must have gotten
it ready when he noticed Sebas approaching.
The pages of the book were made of high-quality paper that was thin and
white as snow, while its cover was made of leather. The overall article was of
exquisite construction. The letters upon the cover were imprinted in gold, and

the cost of this book alone probably beggared belief.
Sebas brought the book over to himself and paged through it.
Regretfully, Sebas did not understand the words written upon it. Or rather, it

might be better to say that beings from Yggdrasil were unable to comprehend
them. Despite the bizarre principle which translated spoken language in this
world, written text was not translated.

However, Sebas’ master had given him a magic item that could solve this
problem.

Sebas produced a spectacle case from his breast pocket and opened it.
A pair of eyeglasses sat within. Its bridge was made of a platinum-like metal,
and at a closer look, it seemed to have been inscribed with tiny characters, or
some kind of textured pattern. The lenses themselves had been ground out of a
crystal that resembled blue ice.
By putting these glasses on, he could understand written text through the
power of magic.
Sebas swiftly yet carefully scanned through the pages, and then he suddenly
froze. He looked away from the book, at the girl beside the youth at the counter,
and gently asked:
“Is something the matter?”
“Ah, it’s nothing…”
The girl blushed and lowered her face.
“I just thought… you looked very handsome.”
“Thank you very much.”
Sebas smiled, and the girl’s face flushed even redder.
Sebas, the white-haired gentleman, was a person who could mesmerize others
on sight. He was good-looking, but the way he carried himself was even more
striking. When he walked on the streets, nine out of ten women — regardless of
age — would turn to take a second look at him. It was no wonder that the counter
girls found themselves entranced by him, and it was also a common occurrence.
Sebas found that understandable, and then turned his eyes back to the tome.
He stopped at a certain page and asked the youth:
“Could you tell me about this spell… [Floating Board], I believe it is called?”
“Certainly.”
The young man began his spiel.
“[Floating Board] is a first-tier spell which creates a translucent floating
platform. The size and carrying capacity of the platform varies with the caster’s

magical power. However, when cast from a scroll, it is limited to a surface of one
square meter and can carry a maximum of 50 kilograms. The created board
moves behind the caster, and can be a maximum of five meters away from him.
Since the [Floating Board] can only follow behind the caster, it cannot be made
to move in front of the caster. Should the caster turn around, the board will
slowly move to his back. It is primarily a transportation spell and can commonly
be seen during earthworks.”

“I see,” Sebas nodded. “Then I’ll take a scroll of this spell.”
“Of course.”
The young man was not surprised by the fact that Sebas had selected a low-
demand spell like this. After all, just about all the scrolls Sebas had purchased
were for unpopular spells like this. Besides, being able to empty surplus stocks
was a godsend for the Magician’s Guild.
“Will one scroll be enough?”
“Yes, please. Thank you.”
The youth gestured to a man sitting nearby.
The man — who had been listening on their conversation — immediately rose
to his feet and opened a door leading into a room behind the counter, which he
entered. Scrolls were expensive items, and even with guards posted, it would not
do to pile them up on the sales area.
After about five minutes, the man who had left returned. In his hands was a
roll of parchment.
“Your scroll, sir.”
Sebas looked at the scroll on the counter. It was elegantly made, and looked
distinctly different from the paper one could purchase outside. The name of the
spell was written in black ink on the outside of the scroll, and after verifying that
it was the same as the spell he wanted, he removed his glasses.
“Indeed, that is it. I shall take it.”
“Thank you for your patronage,” the young man bowed politely. “As this is a
first-tier spell scroll, that will be one gold and ten silver coins.”
A potion for spells of a similar level would cost two gold coins, so this scroll
was comparatively cheaper. That was because under normal circumstances, spell
scrolls could only be used by magic casters of the same tradition. Thus, it only
made sense that potions would be more expensive, given that they could be used
by anyone.
That said, “comparatively” was the key word here. One gold and ten silver