They set out for the dark elf village.
Fenrir was running across the land, following the elf man's directions. If
they'd been able to spot any landmarks from above, they could have
skipped right to the end, but even Aura had come up empty.
Speeding through the forest meant damp air—as in the air itself was
practically green—constantly buffeting Ainz's face. That distinctly pungent
smell of the forest made his nostrils quiver. Perhaps it was only his
imagination, but the air here felt very different from the Tove Woodlands. If
it were not all in his mind, then this world was more varied than he'd
imagined; even similar terrain contained an infinite myriad.
This thought left him with an urge to explore the world at large.
An ordinary human in this forest would find their path blocked by
hanging vines and overgrown thickets. Unable to travel in a straight line,
they could easily get themselves all turned around.
The man had said the dark elf village was a good week out from the
capital.
Elves might be adapted to life in the forest, but even they could likely
manage only nine or ten miles a day. That meant their destination was at
least sixty miles out. They'd covered that distance in just over an hour. If
they hadn't felt a need to keep an eye on their surroundings, they could
have made it in less.
That just proved how good Fenrir was. His Forestwalk skill was
particularly handy. The trees and brush seemed to move aside to let them
pass, allowing them to charge straight ahead. Even Fenrir could not have
gotten them this far in so short a time without that skill.
Now—
"It should be around here…," Aura said, frowning.
She was seated in front of Ainz.
Since elven villages were made of trees, it was sort of hard to spot them
in a forest. That was probably why their culture had adopted that lifestyle.
The capital's approach—felling the trees around the city—was an exception
to the rule.
But they had no means of hiding the villages from a skilled ranger like
Aura. It seemed unlikely they'd missed anything along the way, so they
must not be there yet.
"If the path we've taken was the right one, then there's no cause for
concern. We don't want to get too close just yet," Ainz said, tapping the
mask he wore. "Best we locate the village first, then hide ourselves
somewhere the dark elves won't find us and gather information."
He was a little scared they'd come to the wrong place entirely. But that
was not very likely.
This forest was a sea of trees, with no landmarks anywhere—Ainz alone
could never have gone anywhere without getting lost. The path the elf had
described was all, There's a boulder at twenty-five-hundred paces, turn
toward the three trees in a row, and go another three thousand steps. It
didn't really make sense to Ainz.
But it did to Aura.
She'd certainly been confused at times and had to stop and look around,
but once her mind was made up, she'd led the way with confidence.
Are all rangers this good, or is it just Aura?
He hadn't been nearly as impressed by it on their way to the dwarf
country, but this time they clearly would never have gotten anywhere
without a ranger.
Yggdrasil had had its share of jungle zones, but in hindsight, they were
still less punishing than this. He had never imagined a real jungle could be
this formidable.
It was also true he found it exciting.
The jungle depths…who knows what we might find. Wasn't that the
motto of the World Searchers?
Exploration was itself a thrill. That was the essence of the true
adventurer Ainz sought to create.
Leave everything behind and set out to see the world…
Ainz shook off that thought. He could never do that. He was the absolute
ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown. Exploration was a
luxury not meant for him.
But every now and then might not be out of the question—not
abandoning Nazarick entirely or anything, of course. Just vacations.
Argh, my mind's running in circles. Can I honestly say I'm not just here
to shirk my duties and escape my burdens? I'm treading water, making no
progress at all. Are undead incapable of personal growth? Or am I just
particularly bad at it? Thoughts like this lead to nothing but sighs. No use
brooding. Focus… This trip is about Aura and Mare. Next time, maybe I'll
take Cocytus and Demiurge somewhere… It's been far too long.
He remembered when they'd obtained that land-sailing ship together on
the Katze Plain.
Right! No more negativity. Think positive! If I'm taking more trips like
this, it'll be hard without a ranger, but it might be fun to overcome things
with sheer wit and inspiration!
This time they had Aura, so things were going swimmingly. But that
also left Ainz with little to do himself. That was rather dull.
Naturally, he wasn't about to stick his nose in and insist he could do
things; that would just make Aura defer to him. If he screwed up, she would
likely gently guide him back on course, but…
I don't want that at all. I'm already frightened enough that I'm getting in
the way of properly running my own nation.
Ainz would have loved to try an adventure without Aura's steady hand
and have a grand old time with everyone debating about the best course of
action. But perhaps he only felt that way because he knew he could explore
with the best of them.
Even if he got lost in unknown territory and couldn't find his way out,
he could always teleport away.
Even if an unknown creature attacked from the brush, he could handle it
—and, worst-case scenario, escape to Nazarick.
Sending adventurers into uncharted territory is a fine idea. Ainzach
agreed with me. But I can't assume they can do what I can. Watching Aura
work here just shows the importance of training them properly.
Ainz did not want them dying on their adventures.
They're training in the Tove Woodlands…
But that was wholly under Nazarick's control and was a far cry from this
place. Perhaps they could train there and hold the final exam here. He'd
have to discuss it with Mare later.
"Er, um, Lord Ainz?"
"Mm? Oh, sorry, Aura. I got lost in thought there. What is it?"
"Uh, just…what do we do now?"
Ainz looked up at the sky. The branches grew so thick that he could not
see a scrap of blue. But the light itself had taken on a reddish hue that made
the hour all too clear.
"Hmm. Like last time, we should secure a location outside the territory
of intelligent life-forms like the dark elves—somewhere hard to find. And
then we'll base our operations there."
"Understood! Can I have a little time?"
Ainz nodded, and Aura hopped down from Fenrir's back. But before she
could run off, Ainz stopped her.
"Wait, Aura. Take Fenrir with you. We'll wait here, but no cause for
concern. I'll summon another monster to replace him. Does that sound
okay, Mare?"
"Y-yes, Lord Ainz."
Mare's voice came from behind. They'd been riding the wolf with the
twins on either side of Ainz.
With Fenrir's intelligence, he could easily detect anyone approaching—
an ability Ainz and Mare found quite helpful, as they were not skilled in
that department. But having him stay behind would force Aura to move
alone.
If she had a way of summoning monsters like Ainz, that would be one
thing, but she had no such skill, and Ainz didn't want to risk sending her
into unknown territory without a guard. She could use a magic item instead,
but that summoning took an action, and given the time limit, it wasn't the
best choice.
Maybe I'm being a worrywart, but bringing Fenrir would also let her
finish the job faster.
Aura swallowed her arguments and said, "Will do!" instead. Ainz and
Mare dismounted, and she rode away on the wolf. They were soon hidden
by the dense brush.
"Now then, Mare. Let's keep ourselves out of sight here. If anyone
discovers us, Aura's efforts will be in vain."
"R-right. Um, then…should we use the Green Secret House?"
"Good idea, but there's another step I should take first."
On his own, Perfect Unknowable was always his best option, but there
was no way to cast that spell on others. Mare couldn't use it, so they'd need
another approach. Like Ainz had mentioned earlier, they would summon a
monster.
Mare pulled out a small figure from his item box.
A magic item—Magical Beast Statue: Cerberus.
This had been made by the same creator as the Animal Statue: Warhorse
he'd used in the past. It was carefully carved, capturing a snapshot of the
creature's rippling muscles and making it look ready to come to life. A true
work of art.
When Ainz used it, the statue grew, expanding into the shape of a great
beast.
As expected, a Cerberus appeared.
Biting with those three doglike, lionlike heads, raking with those razorsharp claws, injecting poison from its snakelike tail, able to add fire damage
to all its attacks, immune to all varieties of flame and poison—this highlevel beast boasted solid combat stats.
Anyone who wanted to summon the Cerberus with a spell would need to
be able to cast Summon Tenth-Tier Monster. That should be some
indication of its raw power.
But to a player of Ainz's skill, it was hardly a major threat. Few things
were.
Summoned monsters were not designed to solo kill other players—they
were all about exploiting weaknesses, trapping opponents, increasing
general DPS, or perhaps tanking incoming damage.
Certainly, it would fare better in a straight-up fight if he used skills to
buff it right. The undead Ainz summoned certainly came with a few bells
and whistles. But this strength would simply never be a match for a player
in the same level bracket as Ainz; a player would risk losing only if it was
an incredibly unfavorable matchup or if their build was fundamentally
flawed.
The reason Ainz had gone with the Cerberus over, say, an eyeball corpse
was because he'd assumed beast-type monsters came with solid detection
skills.
And in a dense forest, a good nose and ears were much more useful than
eyes.
This Cerberus wasn't as high-level as Fenrir, but it had three heads. That
meant it was three times as good at sniffing things out. Probably.
"Yikes," Mare said, having never seen this beast before. Ainz was
almost certain it wasn't because Mare thought it looked strong.
If the two of them were to fight, the Cerberus could never win. Mare
could likely defeat it with one hand tied behind his back.
"Cerberus, if you smell anyone else approaching, let us know."
The three heads each growled. It seemed motivated and confident. Very
you got it, boss! Pleased with this, Ainz shot Mare a boastful look—but the
boy likely didn't pick up on that at all.
"Oh, how far out can you distinguish scents? A few hundred yards?"
The Cerberuses—or the heads of the one—all froze.
"What?"
This time he was getting huh? uh-oh, and yoiks, followed by a nervous a
few hundred yards?
At least, that was how Ainz read it. There was a possibility he was
wrong.
"I mean, you have three heads. You can smell farther than Fenrir, right?"
The Cerberus let out a whine and displayed its belly.
If it had been a puppy, that could have been cute, and even Ainz might
have been tempted to give it a rub. But this was a three-headed monster. It
was the opposite of cute. The bulk alone did it no favors, and the hideous
faces defied the concept.
When Ainz didn't move, Mare decided to be nice and rub the beast's
belly.
"…Mm? What's this?" Ainz asked.
Careful not to knock Mare over, the Cerberus got back to its feet, letting
out a grim growl. I'll try. I can do it! No, I can't. The heads did not seem
aligned on this.
Ainz settled on the most negative of the three.
"…If you can't, that's fine. I don't want to force you to attempt the
impossible and have it end in failure. Can you at least monitor scents
around us and let us know if anyone unfamiliar approaches?"
He may have suggested the range himself, but he'd been aware that a
few hundred yards was clearly unreasonable.
Ah-ha-ha, yeah, that we can do, boss. Can do. You got it!
Ainz nodded. "Then let's go with that."
The heads growled and sniffed the air.
Incidentally, Ainz did not need to voice these orders aloud. Even under
the influence of spells like Silence, summoned monsters were his to
command. Anyone who wanted to disrupt the link between summoner and
familiar would have to use an extremely niche class build called antisummoner. Ainz had spoken aloud only because he knew Mare would be
left out if he and the Cerberus just stood there staring at each other while
communicating telepathically.
"Next, let's do what you suggested, Mare. Set up the Green Secret
House so we can shelter within. Best if no one has a chance of spotting us."
"Okay!"
Mare looked pleased his suggestion was approved.
It had been a good one.
Neither of them had the means to cover his tracks. If they carelessly
wandered around, they might well leave signs that any wilderness expert
could easily use to hunt them down.
The less they moved, the better. Their best option was probably
Camouflage, a spell druids and rangers used to keep themselves quiet, but
sadly, no one present had access to that. Mare was a druid, but his specific
build was pretty extreme, focused mainly on mass-extermination spells.
Without using items, he had no access to the bulk of the standard druid
spellbook, barring a few buffs.
In which case, hiding inside the Green Secret House was the most viable
option. By staying put, they left no tracks.
Just one problem.
It really wasn't a good look.
Aura was out working her butt off, and he was kicking back in a cottage.
Naturally, Ainz was familiar with the phrase idle hands are the devil's
tools. There was a time when someone had used that line as an excuse for
foisting work off on him, which had compelled him to look it up. And he
remembered Squishy Moe saying there was no greater hindrance than a fool
with a work ethic.
So doing nothing was the right choice.
If he was simply here as the King of Darkness, entrusting a task to one
of the floor guardians who served him, that would be well and fine. But
what had he claimed this expedition was supposed to be?
A paid vacation.
And if the man who'd proposed that was kicking back and making
children go out and work in his place, how could he help but feel guilty?
He pushed his brain into overdrive but couldn't think of any way to help
Aura with her work. Nor could he think of anything to do from his current
position. At best, he could claim to be keeping Mare entertained.
Looking after a child is a feeble excuse…or worse, a bald attempt to
wriggle off the hook. But what else is there? Nothing I do would back
Aura's task. Is there anything I could do that would impress—or at least
prove I know how to be the grown-up in the room?
He felt sure there must be some role he could play here.
But racking his brain produced no good solutions.
Dejected, he turned to Mare.
"I guess we'll sit in the Green Secret House and wait for Aura to get
back."
"Okay!"
Mare's cheerful grin felt like some small salvation.
There exists a magical beast known as the ankyloursus.
From a distance, it looked like a bear, but failure to immediately
recognize the difference would likely prove fatal.
They averaged a good two or three yards tall. Two forelegs on each side
(a total of four) with two hind legs. Two of the four forelimbs were
primarily used for combat, with two-foot-long jagged claws as hard as
burnished steel. At the back was a long, thick tail that ended in a tip that
widened out like a hammerhead.
And the bulk of its body was covered in thick plate armor—an advanced
type of scale. The raw power this frame could command was prodigious.
Between the muscles and the sharp claws, it could easily slice through any
human's armor.
But that was the only thing to fear.
It had no skills of note, could use no powerful spells. The only magic the
ankyloursus knew was Fragrance, and that was not a combat spell. Within
this forest, it was a top predator—but not the top.
But there were exceptions.
This particular ankyloursus was more than four yards tall. Its raw power
alone could spell doom for monsters with tricky skills or powerful magic.
To the untrained eye, it might appear to be a different species entirely—
this was an ankyloursus worth calling a lord.
Lifting its face from the creature it'd been feeding on, the ankyloursus
let out a low growl, one that would strike fear into the hearts of anyone who
heard it. Intestines slid free from the corner of its jaw.
Its breath tinged with blood, it sniffed the air. There was fresh blood on
its face, but it could smell past that, detecting two odors it had never
smelled before. The two scents mingled. Perhaps mates.
Its belly was full.
It could let them pass.
But irritation propelled it to a slow lumber.
This was its territory. Intruding, walking around like they owned the
place? Unacceptable.
It rose up on its hind legs and raked the bark of a nearby tree with its
claws, then rubbed itself against the trunk. Clear evidence that this was its
domain.
It began moving toward the odors, casting Fragrance along the way. This
would disguise the scent of blood as well as the odor of its own body. That
was how a creature the size of the ankyloursus got close to its prey.
Capturing anything in this forest otherwise would be nigh impossible.
There were no signs they'd noticed it. If they had, they would be acting
differently. Stopping to listen closely, for instance. Or maybe making a
beeline out of here. These creatures did neither. Or did they think they could
win?
The ankyloursus stayed as quiet as it could until the scent was near. The
trees were still too dense to get a clear view.
But scent alone was enough. It always hunted like this. If it could see
them, they could see it. It never hurried until it reached that range, moving
stealthily, tracking the odor carefully, then a lunge—that last burst of speed
was the linchpin of its hunt.
It was close enough. The scent stayed still.
And so it broke into a run—just like any other hunt. Despite its bulk, it
slipped through the trees like the wind.
This was no handy skill like Forestwalk. When it had staked a claim to
this territory, it had simply toppled enough trees that it could easily charge
around. Naturally, no smaller tree could ever impede it, but if its prey was
nimble, that might let it get away.
Its strength was certainly overwhelming, but it did not succeed on every
hunt. Thus, it prepared.
The source of the odors stood before him.
One dark and small, one dark and large. The small one rode on top of
the large one.
Not mates. Likely different creatures entirely.
That was not unusual. Creatures like this could be found from time to
time. They helped each other. A wise way to protect themselves from
predators. The one on top might have unusual skills, while the one below
was fleet of foot.
But to the ankyloursus, they were merely another meal.
It smirked.
At this range, they would not escape. The little one was barely a
mouthful, but the lower one was sizable enough. The ankyloursus was full
now, so it would bury them to eat later.
But…something was odd.
It was charging forward, legs pounding the ground. Even the dullest
creature would spot it and take action at this point.
Why did these dark creatures show no fear? Why did they not run? Most
things it had met did both. Others of its kind were the only rare exception.
Were they frozen in fear?
It considered that as it charged.
The meat of the petrified was not the best. It preferred to leave them
half-alive and let them bleed out—it was best when the meat went limp.
Feasting on the organs while the prey still lived was always good. Flesh
after it abandoned hope was truly delectable.
"Graghhhhhhh!"
It rose up, howling at its prey.
This was no mere threat—it was trying to scare them.
Run. Perhaps you will live. It will make your flesh taste better.
A whisper crossed its mind, but there was no running at this distance. It
knew the hunt was a success.
"Huh, never seen one of these before. What a cute bear!"
The little one was chirping.
Oh, right, it remembered. It had seen creatures like this little one high up
in the trees. The average ankyloursus could climb trees, but this one was far
too large. If it wanted to eat food in trees, it knocked entire trees down,
slamming them into the ground and eating what fell from them. It had been
full at the time, and they were far away, so it hadn't bothered.
But this one was on the ground and ready for eating.
The dark thing beneath was just looking up at it.
Its claws came down.
The lower beast was its target. This would prevent them from running.
There was a clang—and its forelimb grew hot. Then the heat turned to
pain.
It crumpled, falling back.
The ankyloursus looked at the source of the pain.
Its forearm was still there. The limb was not gone, but it hurt far too
much to move.
"Grrrrr…"
Looking again, the smaller prey had some snakelike wriggly thing
dangling from its arm. Had it attacked with that? Maybe it was poisonous.
The ankyloursus had been bitten by a giant poisonous snake as an infant,
and this felt similar.
"Yeah, yeah, calm down—don't thrash around."
The little one waved a hand, and a nearby tree snapped. The snakelike
thing had struck the tree. The impact split the bark and detonated the wood
inside.
It could do that, too. But seeing it done so casually sent a shiver down its
spine.
Was this thing actually small?
It was beginning to look much bigger.
"Good, good, don't be scared. See, I'm not scary."
Chirping away, the little one split away from the big one. It landed on
the ground, forelimbs spread wide as it approached. Such a tiny thing. It
towered over it.
The ankyloursus was a predator, and this was prey—or so it thought.
So…why did this small creature keep approaching, totally unafraid?
It was almost like—like it was the prey.
With that thought, its gaze broke away to glance at the bigger creature.
That one simply watched from the side.
This only confused the ankyloursus even more. It had never met a
creature that acted like this.
The ankyloursus was spooked, so it did the only thing that still made
sense: It turned tail and fled.
When it was young—shortly after leaving its mother and the den—it had
often run from foes it could not handle. It saw no shame in fleeing what it
could not understand.
But then something wrapped around its hind limb—
"Hokayyy…"
—and the world spun.
With a tug and a sudden sensation of floating in the air, the ankyloursus
found itself on its back.
How had it been flipped over?
It sat up and saw the long snake thing coiled around one hind leg. The
little creature stood at the other end.
The ankyloursus had no idea what was going on, but…the little one
must be responsible despite its feeble size.
"Don't you run away," the little one growled, baring its teeth.
The chirping sound it made was clearly a threat to eat the ankyloursus.
This little one could attack prey without provoking hair-raising fear. Maybe
it was the kind of predator who ambushed creatures. Were all the things in
those trees this strong?
"Hmm, maybe I shouldn't. I can't keep Lord Ainz waiting. Might be
easier to kill and skin this thing than capture it…but that would be such a
waste! It could help with my experiments. Hmm. And Lord Ainz did say
killing should be a last resort…"
The little one was staring at it. Was it not very fast? Was that why it was
using the stretchy snake thing?
It tried to peel the snake thing off its limb. And failed. It was too tight
and wouldn't come off. So it tried its claw.
Those could cut everything.
Grrr?
Confusion. It wouldn't snap. The first time anything had withstood its
claws.
"Okay, okay, stop fighting."
Its body slid. The little one was winding in the binding snake. That left a
furrow in the ground beneath it.
There was no room left for doubt. This tiny thing was incredibly
powerful.
"Well, fine. I don't really like doing this, but I'll try it once, and if it
doesn't work, I can always kill it then."
The snake thing came off the ankyloursus's limb. Before it could even
consider running, there was a snap and a shooting pain.
"Grahhhh!"
Pain after pain, its arms, legs, face, belly, tail—that one didn't really hurt
—and, when it rolled up, its back. When it flinched, a pain shot across its
snout.
It tried to fight against the pain and run, but incredible force pinned it
down. It looked and found the big one with a single paw pinning it in place.
That one paw pressed with enough force that the ankyloursus felt like it was
being pushed into the soil.
How was this even possible? How could there be two things this much
more powerful?
The pain continued without end.
Each time the snake cracked, more pain came. It was like sheets of rain
—only the thunder never stopped.
Only when it no longer had any fight left in it—only then did the sound
stop. Every part of it hurt. A hot flush. It felt like its body had swelled to
two or three times its usual size.
"You finally settled down."
Was it destined to be eaten? That was what it had done to all its prey.
"Right, you finally realize who's stronger? Then let's get going."
The little one was baring its teeth again, but could such a small mouth
eat all of the ankyloursus? Or would it be shared with the bigger one?
The ankyloursus had given up on life. It would likely taste quite good.
Inside the Green Secret House, Ainz and Mare were working together.
First, they used magic to make a table out of what looked like obsidian.
On this, they laid out a spread of food. There was also hot soup, but to keep
it warm, they intended to serve that just before they ate. There were three
glasses with ice and a bottle of soda in the center of the table.
The Green Secret House was thoroughly ventilated, even with the door
closed, with a magical contrivance that meant sounds and smells never
made it to the outside. But if they left the door open, that protection
wouldn't stay in effect—even if they remained cooped up inside, when
Aura returned, she'd find the smell of lunch wafting toward her.
Scents like this traveled farther than most would expect. Ainz knew
Aura would never come back without checking her surroundings and
making sure it was safe, but if the smell reached her, there was no guarantee
it wouldn't reach someone else. The scent of a tantalizing meal wafting
through the woods could alert anyone paying attention that an intelligent
being was out there somewhere.
The dark elves themselves did not have animalistic noses. But this
world's class builds could make that sort of thing possible. Even if the dark
elf villagers couldn't, they might have tamed beasts that they could
communicate with.
So what Ainz was up to had a decent chance of undermining all Aura's
hard work. He was only too aware of that. Why were they hustling about
the table anyway? Ainz had put his empty skull to work, and this was the
only idea he'd come up with that allowed him to assuage his guilt.
When Aura came home tired from work, he wanted to have a hot meal
waiting for her.
Obviously, if that resulted in wasting her efforts, it would blow up in his
face. But then he considered the issue from another angle.
All they had to do was prevent anyone else from finding them.
The concern here was that the scent would scatter in all directions,
potentially drawing unwanted attention. On the other hand, that meant all
they had to do was stop the smell from spreading.
The easiest way to do that would be to put dishes on the table and serve
the food only once Aura was back and the door was firmly closed.
However, that would lessen the impact.
He wanted the spread laid out the moment she stepped in.
That element of surprise was critical. The whole point, even.
So he'd momentarily returned to Nazarick and asked the head chef for a
meal with a minimal olfactory signature. Then he had Mare use a magic
item to summon a wind elemental that blew the air in the area skyward.
Only when the air rose above the treetops did it begin to truly spread out.
Particles that imparted scents were heavier than the surrounding air, but
Ainz wasn't completely confident that principle actually held true in this
world. They might not fall at all, but even if they did, they would be
considerably weakened.
But the upward draft did make the leaves rustle slightly—so little, Ainz
himself barely noticed—so if someone with sharp eyes was watching from
above, that unnatural movement might catch their attention. However, when
Ainz had flown up to scout the other day, there had been nothing in the air
but regular birds, so this was not a major concern for him.
"Er, um, Lord Ainz. You can take this back now."
Mare had finished his preparations and was holding out the orb Ainz had
given him.
This had been dubbed the randoment and was a top-tier magic item. It
appeared to be a clear glass orb with four lights spinning constantly within.
Four times a day, it allowed the user to summon an elemental and have it
serve you for an hour.
It could summon fire, water, wind, and earth elementals. As well as
compound elementals—fire and earth gave lava, water and wind gave
blizzard, earth and water gave bog, fire and water gave steam, earth and
wind gave sandstorm, and fire and wind gave sirocco.
The four core elements might provide greater elementals with levels in
the low forties, common elementals in the mid-twenties, or lesser
elementals in the single digits.
If it summoned a greater elemental, it would be just the one. The
common elemental quantity was randomized but could be anywhere from
one to three. The lesser quantity was also random but would be at least
three, with an upper limit of six.
But with compounds, the greater elementals would be low fifties,
common in the low thirties, and lesser in that ten-to-fifteen range. But all
compound elementals spawned on their own.
That made it sound very useful, but unfortunately, the type of elemental
summoned was also random. And strong elementals had far worse odds of
appearing than the weak ones. Getting a greater elemental was every bit as
hard as landing a Shooting Star.
Since you couldn't get the elemental you needed when you needed it, it
was far too unreliable in tactical situations. If you summoned an earth
elemental while flying, all you could do was watch it fall. Mare had actually
been forced to use it three times to get a wind elemental.
"No need. You can keep it, Mare. As you've no doubt noticed, it's an
odd duck. If you think you can find a use for it, all the better. If it let the
user summon superior elementals, or at least elementals with impure and
holy attributes—well, that might raise the utility, but it's still only usable by
druids. If you don't want it, all we can do is put it on display in the
treasury."
It might help out a newbie in a pinch, but at Ainz's and Mare's level, it
couldn't even generate a viable tank. He'd been carrying it around in his
item box with the intent of handing it off to someone low-level.
"Y-you're sure?"
"By all means. In your hands, it'll be a hundred times more useful than
it would ever be gathering dust in the Treasury."
"Th-thank you! Er, um…do you think summons with this would count
as using spells of that attribute?"
"Mm?"
"Um, I also have an item that summons elementals, but that item
requires I first cast a spell of the desired energy, either primary or
secondary."
In other words, if Mare wanted to use that item to generate a fire
elemental, he would have to do so after casting a spell that possessed the
fire energy attribute—Fireball, for instance (although Mare didn't have
access to that spell).
"I believe it would fulfill that condition, but it would be a good idea to
test it out when you have time."
"O-okay, I'll do that!"
Once, Ainz had looked into the abilities of all the NPCs—before he fully
trusted them—and he'd heard about this accessory then.
Mare's item would always summon a single high-level elemental, but
only once every twenty-four hours, and it only stuck around for ten
minutes. In essence, it really wasn't worth much. There were plenty of
better items out there.
But Mare showed no interest in swapping it out of his kit because
BubblingTeapot had given it to him.
Ainz knew all the NPCs shared that sentiment.
They knew full well there was better gear out there, but the NPCs
showed no signs of changing their loadouts. If they did swap anything, it
was always for other gear they'd had from the get-go. Naturally, if Ainz
handed them something, they'd use it, but none of them would ever
voluntarily ask to change their equipment. With the sole exception of
Albedo, who had asked to borrow any number of items for combat training
purposes.
It was a kind of bondage.
That was hardly a polite way to put it, but the phrase seemed apt.
And Ainz himself—
"Er, um, is something wrong?"
Mare's worried look pulled him back to reality. He'd been dwelling on
the futile again.
"Mm? Oh, never mind. It was nothing at all. I was just thinking about
how I would use that item in your shoes, Mare. But summoning an
elemental in advance may be the only prac—"
Outside the door, Cerberus moved.
When Ainz turned to the door, he heard it growl—all three heads
pointed the same way. Clearly a "someone's coming" signal.
Ainz and Mare exchanged glances.
"We took care of the smells…but did someone discover us anyway?"
"I—I doubt that, but…"
The Cerberus had not met Aura or Fenrir. But it had likely picked up her
scent from them and would not react like this.
They both followed the guard dog's gazes. The trees made it impossible
to see anything. Mare put a hand behind his ear, trying to pick up any aural
clues.
"Oh, um, there is something coming this way."
"So…definitely not Aura, then?"
Aura and Fenrir would make almost no noise.
"S-sorry, I can't say more than…than that. B-but, um. You're right, Lord
Ainz, my sister wouldn't make this much noise. Unless…she's checked the
area, is certain its safe, and is deliberately making noise to let us know she's
headed back…"
So he knew nothing.
"Oh, well. Then I'll step out, as we planned."
Ainz cast Perfect Unknowable and directed Cerberus to accompany him.
Since these instructions were communicated via his mind alone,
requiring no words, the concealment spell was no detriment. But Cerberus
was unable to locate Ainz—which meant Ainz had to position himself
carefully. He didn't want his summon knocking him over.
Hmm, Perfect Unknowable really is great. It's a shame the only other
guardian who can use it is Pandora's Actor, when disguised as me. Scrolls
might make anything possible, but then we'd run into problems with
materials and time limits…
Muttering inside his mind, Ainz let Cerberus lead the way. Soon even
Ainz could hear the noises of trampled underbrush—and saw a shadow
looming.
A bear?
But this was no ordinary bear. It had six legs, and its fur looked wet and
matted. Perhaps a magical beast with a water generation skill?
But Ainz's gaze was drawn upward—to Aura, who was perched on its
back. She had a whip in her hands and snapped it occasionally—each time,
the bear flinched.
Fenrir was walking beside them.
…I don't think Aura had a beast like this originally. What's going on?
He could always just ask. The returning party members had noticed the
Cerberus and were watching with caution—but hadn't yet attacked, unsure
if it was a wild Cerberus or one Ainz had summoned.
If it was one of Ainz's minions, his guardians could sense that, but
maybe that didn't apply to summons.
Ainz canceled Perfect Unknowable.
"Lord Ainz!" Aura's caution evaporated instantly. She looked delighted.
"Come on, move!"
The bear looked reluctant to approach, but Aura cracked the whip again.
It let out a squeal that made him want to protest animal abuse as it
nervously approached.
When they reached Ainz, Aura jumped off.
"Welcome back, Aura."
"Glad to be back, Lord Ainz! I imagine you have questions, so let me
explain. This bear-type magical beast appeared to be the head honcho in
this area, so I placed it under my control. The whip convinced it I was
stronger. I'm sure I don't need to explain why I did that, right?"
Ainz would have preferred she did, but…well, he could imagine that
much.
"Honestly, I'm unsure how strong this creature is. But…enough that the
dark elves would fear it?"
"Oh, absolutely. I imagine at your strength, trivial creatures like this all
look the same! Um, it's definitely not all that strong, but I imagine a normal
—I mean, the average dark elf would consider it too dangerous to go near.
From what I can tell, everyone's been diligently avoiding its territory. In
other words, if we camp here, it's unlikely anyone will intrude. I
recommend it!"
"Wonderful news."
Ainz nodded.
Dominating a creature would be more useful than killing it. At this
juncture, there was no telling how much time they'd need to locate and
observe the dark elves. Killing the area boss prematurely would change the
flow of the forest, and the dark elves might well come to investigate—
leaving it alive would help prevent such unexpected encounters.
Still—
"Aura, I do not mean to doubt your judgment, but don't you already
have the maximum number of beasts under your command? By dominating
this creature, has a Nazarick beast been released?"
Generally speaking, that would not be a conscious decision—the oldest
tamed creature would be forcibly released. This applied to summons or
creations, as well. Yggdrasil rarely showed warning messages or allowed
players to choose which creature to free.
"Not a problem! Beast tamers are linked to the creatures under their
control, but this is different—there is no link. In other words, it isn't
completely under my control. I just convinced it I'm far stronger. So I can't
use any tamer skills, like buffing its abilities."
"I see…so that makes it not completely safe, either."
There was a chance its animal instincts would take over, and it would
suddenly attack. But he was sure Aura had taken that into account. She
must have decided no one here was at any risk of injury. It never hurt to be
sure, though.
Trying to figure out what level it was, Ainz remembered his giant pet.
"…How's it compare to Hamusuke?"
Aura winced.
No need to look chagrined. It's a bear; looks alone suggest it's much
stronger.
"Permission to speak freely?"
"Of course. I may be Hamusuke's master but will take no offense. Give
me your unvarnished opinion."
"In that case—if it was pure brawn against brawn, this is stronger than
Hamusuke originally was. B-but! Hamusuke can use magic, which makes it
hard to predict which of them would actually win. An effective spell could
really change the flow of battle. And Hamusuke has the warrior class now.
With armor on, she'd absolutely win the fight."
Ainz could only picture her rolling around, asleep. For some reason, the
death knight was with her.
He found himself mildly annoyed.
If she was just a pet, then lazing around was all fine and dandy, and one
could argue that parading around with Momon was Hamusuke's job. And
he knew she'd worked hard to earn that warrior class. But seeing someone
goof off while everyone else was hard at work was always frustrating.
He almost said, No need to bend over backward to defend Hamusuke,
Aura, but swallowed the words instead. He knew how she must feel. This
had little to do with Hamusuke's actual skill.
"I see…" What else could he say? He certainly wasn't about to say
anything nice about Hamusuke here. He moved on. "And there just
happened to be a beast of this quality here. Or are beasts like this common
in the forest? We'll have to investigate. We didn't come across anything
high-level on the way here, did we?"
"No. Maybe we just breezed past their territories, but I didn't spot
anything. We might find more if we go looking, but…should we?"
"Not worth it, no. We did not come here to document the local bestiary."
"Understood, Lord Ainz. Exploring does sound like fun, though! I mean,
we didn't find anything like this bear in the Tove Woodlands. There's a
strong chance we'd find area-specific herbs or other creatures only found
here—adapted for this environment. Maybe we'll find parts of the forest
where neat stuff is happening!"
This was a world of magic, and there were places with active anomalies
out there.
A waterfall that flowed upward, a hill with a rainbow light column that
appeared only when it hailed, a giant tornado that spawned in the desert
once every few decades—the world allegedly abounded in extraordinary
sights like these. Allegedly because, sadly, there was nothing of the sort in
the territories the Nation of Darkness had swallowed up.
In Yggdrasil, places like that provided unique effects, rare materials, or
unusual monsters.
This principle might well hold true here—for instance, the rainbow
column was reputed to leave behind a rainbow-colored stone, as if that light
had solidified. The stories claimed it was a huge boon during magic-item
creation.
So placing these anomalies under Nation control would help to
strengthen Nazarick.
"I doubt the elves know every inch of this forest. Like you said, we
should explore it further in the future—perhaps send in our adventurers."
The undead Ainz created would not be able to identify a new type of
herb. At best, they could accompany the adventurers to carry their things.
"Now, let's head back. We're keeping Mare waiting."
"Okay! Oh, Lord Ainz, just to be sure—this Cerberus is your summon?"
"Oh, naturally. It is. I called it out to serve in Fenrir's stead."
They began walking. Fenrir and Cerberus followed. The bear clearly
didn't want to join them, but Aura cracked her whip, and it start trudging
along.
"…So, Aura, what are your plans for that thing? If you don't have it
fully under control, I assume you have ways of dealing with it?"
"Yup. Mind if I take it back to Nazarick?"
"And let it roam the sixth floor?"
If it was smart enough to converse with, like Hamusuke, that was one
thing, but this had little to no intellect, and giving it free rein seemed like a
bad idea. Even a beast of this level could easily kill a regular maid.
Naturally, they could simply tell certain NPCs to avoid the sixth floor.
But there were plant monsters living there, too. They would need to ensure
their safety.
"I wasn't planning on letting it roam, no. But as a beast tamer, I thought
it would be worth having creatures under my control without using my class
skills. I figured this would help me experiment with that."
"Hmm. Well, I certainly want to help with that…"
A power impossible in Yggdrasil but achievable in this world. They had
little potential for growth in game terms so would need to find other means
of heightening their skills—so Ainz would prefer to back Aura's idea. Just
—
"Does it have to be this beast? You couldn't start with something
weaker? A level-one creature?"
With a beast like that, even if it did assault a regular maid, their
equipment alone would let them handle it.
"I could do that, sure," Aura said, looking unconvinced. "If you say so,
Lord Ainz—"
"—No, I'm not saying so. I just wondered—why this bear? Do you like
bears?"
Aura spun around.
"Fen, don't you dare," she snapped. Then turned back facing front.
"Sorry, Lord Ainz. Seemed like Fen was about to do something dumb."
He looked back but spotted nothing amiss. If Aura said so, it must be
true.
"Uh, sure, no problem," he said, eyes forward again. "So…why a bear?"
"Well, it might not talk like Hamusuke, but it is relatively intelligent.
You know how Fen doesn't talk but is still supersmart? Speech isn't really a
good indicator of sentience. And smarter creatures are more easily trained."
True. He had maybe thought similar things while observing Fen in
action. Satoru Suzuki had never once had a pet, but Fen's intelligence
seemed far beyond what people meant by smart dog. Arguably, that was the
nature of a magical beast.
"That's why Fen listens to Mare sometimes. So I figured, if I want to
practice training beasts, it should be a smarter one. That, or start with a
baby…"
"Which would take too much time? You'd need something that grew
quickly, like dogs do…but that might not relate to training magical beasts."
You needed the right kind of creature for the job. Aura's suggestion was
starting to seem like a good one.
"Just…what about outside of Nazarick? I mean, we've got that place
filled with people from the kingdom, right? What about there?"
"Oh, the fake Nazarick I made? We've got adventurers using that, too.
Like I said, I'm not gonna let it roam free. I'll keep it isolated until I'm sure
it's totally trained."
"…I suppose that'll work."
"Great! Thank you, Lord Ainz! I know I pushed for that one."
She bowed her head, and he smiled.
"Not at all. Just as Albedo is doing combat training, I admire your
efforts to improve yourself. You NPCs are my—no, the pride of Ainz Ooal
Gown."
Aura's eyes went wide, and she stopped in her tracks.
This made Ainz worry he'd said something wrong. He had no memory
of anything like that, but…
Did I just not notice? Was there something I said that upset her? Did she
want to be exclusively Teapot's pride and no one else's? Or is she…happy?
She's not smiling. Hmm. Better to expect the worst than assume the best.
But apologizing arbitrarily would never do. That left him with only one
option.
"Oh, right. We prepared a meal in honor of your hard work. Mare and I
got it ready together. Naturally, neither of us can cook, so we just brought it
here from Nazarick."
That's right—he changed the subject.
He then let out a laugh, one eye on Aura's reaction.
Mm? She's not angry? That might be a fake smile, or just humoring me,
but it is a smile.
Aura's smile looked genuine. Maybe she was just happy to hear food
was ready. Or happy to have Ainz praise her.
Either way, I should praise the NPCs more.
That was a solemn vow. Gratitude left unspoken would never be
understood. If you took it for granted, your wife's frustrations would pile on
without your ever realizing it—someone in the guild had said as much, their
voice extremely dead.
Was it Touch?
He was still trying to remember when the Green Secret House came into
view. As they reached the door, it opened from the inside—Mare had been
keeping an eye on things.
"A-Aura, welcome back."
"Good to be here!"
They could see the table laid out behind him. Aura's gaze ran over it.
Ainz grew nervous.
"Wow, that looks great!"
Aura was beaming, and Ainz was greatly relieved. He had feared she
might be all, Awww, I wanted katsudon… He knew perfectly well she would
never do that but couldn't quite shake the thought. It was very rare for him
to eat with anyone, and he worried he was growing increasingly oblivious
to people's tastes.
"Well, I'm sure the head chef will be delighted to hear that. We have
some for Fenrir, too, but…"
There was a giant slab of meat for Fenrir on a stump near their base. A
cow raised as livestock, freshly killed and dripping with blood. The ranch
itself was a ways from Nazarick, and they were allowed to graze freely on
the open fields.
According to the head chef, "This breed tastes better on a diet of grains,
not grass." His influence was strong, or others agreed with him—this meat
had not proven popular within Nazarick.
Perhaps they should stop letting them roam and raise them to taste right.
But they lacked the hands for it. Few among those forcibly evicted to create
E-Rantel's subhuman district—as it was usually known—had the skills to
raise livestock, and if they had, they'd been sent to the outlying villages.
Still, the people fussing about the flavor were perfectly happy eating
magical beasts instead.
"…Do we need anything for the new one?"
"It doesn't need anything. It ate just before it met me. And not feeding it
until it's convinced I'm in charge and it has to obey is one training
technique."
"I see… Well, I get how that would work. Humans are also much more
malleable if we've driven them into a corner."
As they spoke, all three filed into the Green Secret House.
"Go on, eat," Aura said as she crossed the threshold. Fenrir had been
restraining himself, but now he tore into the meat. The bear merely
watched. The way its shoulders slumped was distinctly human—Aura was
right, it did seem rather intelligent.
The Cerberus did not require food. No use giving anything to summoned
beasts. Food that gave buffs might take hold, but there was certainly no
need to attempt that now. Ainz sensed the Cerberus was going, For real,
though? Bullying is not cool, bro! I'm staaarving! but chalked it up to his
imagination.
They took their places at the table.
"Dig in!"
The twins thanked him. Naturally, Ainz ate nothing. Aura took the first
bite.
"Lord Ainz! It's so good!"
Mare was nodding in agreement. They were both smiling.
"Glad to hear it. I'll tell the head chef. Keep eating as you listen, but
Aura's inspection suggests this area will work as our base of operations.
We'll have to choose a proper location for the Green Secret House and
move it there, and when that's done, make moves to locate the dark elf
village."
They'd both stopped eating and were listening intently. True, Satoru
Suzuki would never have dared eat while his boss talked business.
"Then we'll establish friendly relations with the dark elves. I have a plan
for that—if you'll allow it, Aura, I'd like to try a Red Ogre Cried strat."
Ainz grinned. This was a craven plan his old friends had named and
carried out. He'd planned to summon a monster for it, but Aura had brought
in a better beast. If she'd allow its use, the plan was guaranteed.
Since it wasn't yet fully in her control, it might disrupt things—but that
would just ensure they took it seriously.
Monster acting skills varied wildly—he wasn't sure if it was by species
or individual. The Evil Lord Wrath had awed the crowds, but Shizu claimed
the circlet's performance was rank.
He'd intended to hide their identities and strength, but this would
ingratiate them faster. If they had all the time in the world, other means
might have been available, but with the Theocracy around, they didn't have
that luxury.
"An ogre named Clyde? Or…Lord Ainz, what kind of strategy is this?"
Aura asked.
Ainz's grin broadened. This was one of many schemes his guild pals had
taught him.
The name came from something, but he'd never asked what. But the
plan itself, he could explain—he had firsthand knowledge of it. He was
about to—
"Oh! Like the legend of the red oni! I read a book about that!"
For the first time, Ainz connected the dots. His jaw closed, and he
turned his gaze to the rafters above.
If the blue expanse had stretched out above, perhaps that would have
spared him from the agony of having his ignorance turned back in his face
by a mere child. Reminded him that he was but a small cog in a vast world.
But all he could see was the ceiling of the Green Secret House. Not a
particularly stimulating sight.
Mare beamed up at him, the picture of innocence.
There was a slight chance the boy had jumped to conclusions.
"…Mare, very impressive. I've never read that story. This red oni
cries?"
"It does! And based on what happens—I see why we need a bear!"
Mm. He was almost certainly right.
Ainz gave up the fight.
"…Yes, you know your stuff, Mare."
He smiled at them both.