Aura followed the dark elf—the hunt master, he'd called himself. He was in
charge of the village's rangers, but she knew the man who'd collapsed was
stronger. So why was this man in charge instead? In human societies, the
strongest warrior was usually in charge, but…
Is it a different class? Maybe the other guy was a warrior, and this one's
a ranger? Or is it more like the thing with Victim?
Considering the floor guardian on Nazarick's eighth level, that man
might play some other role. Aura let it drop from her mind, focusing on the
crowd behind her.
Yup.
Still there.
A whole mass of dark elves followed along behind her and the hunt
master. The magical bear she'd sent into the village had done no real
damage. Did they have nothing better to do? Were they just that curious?
Did they always follow strangers around?
She wasn't getting any fear or hostility from them.
Maybe they were hiding it too well for her to pick up on, but her
instincts said otherwise. For one thing, if they were that good, they'd have
dispatched a beast of that caliber before she had to step in.
…They don't suspect a thing.
No one in the village seemed to be aware that the attack was her doing.
Ugh, Aura thought. Why did Lord Ainz insist that no one die?
His stated goal was to have her blend into the village and establish
friendly relations no matter what.
If she'd stepped in after several deaths, they'd have been all the more
grateful. Maybe some would have said, Why didn't you come sooner? but
anyone stupid enough to talk like that was probably unpleasant all the time.
They'd be a thorn in Aura's—and Nazarick's—side, and that would tell her
who should be eliminated.
Maybe she could send in another beast to make that happen.
Hmm. I just don't get what Lord Ainz is thinking. Given my instructions,
I think driving them further into a corner would have made the rescue more
dramatic and effective… Maybe Albedo or Demiurge would get what he's
after?
No matter how she racked her brain, Aura couldn't figure it out.
Naturally, no one alive could fathom the brilliance of a Supreme Being or
know their true aim. But that didn't mean she should just give up pondering
it.
Her master hoped they would all grow. And the floor guardians were the
leaders of Nazarick—they were expected to set an example for the others.
Hnggg… Argh… I know sometimes you kill someone and find out you
need them later, but I feel like Lord Ainz has a deeper reason here.
Same with the monster bear.
She'd suggested killing it where the dark elves could see, and he'd said
that would be a waste—and that there was a big downside to doing that.
Certainly, she'd never seen anything like it—the bear monster could be
super rare. And it was strong by the standards of this world. Until they
found another one this strong, she could see her master's point.
She'd proposed other uses for it herself, but killing it made it far less
likely anyone would suspect they were in cahoots. Even her master had
agreed!
But it seemed like he didn't want Aura killing the beast herself.
She couldn't get him to tell her what the big downside was and was left
wondering.
Lord Ainz is very smart, so if I just do what he says, everything will work
out, and nothing will ever go wrong, but that alone isn't enough, is it?
Mindlessly obeying orders was second-rate. A first-rate minion would
understand the goal and purpose behind those orders and achieve betterthan-expected results.
Albedo and Demiurge are doing just that and earning praise all the
time. I've gotta keep up! But…uh…maybe I shouldn't have killed the weak
bear near this village. If I'd used that one instead, this might have gone
better.
Aura glanced at the hunt master's back.
He hadn't said anything in a while.
You'd think if a kid like me saved them from mortal peril, they'd have
lots of questions. I haven't even given my name! Is this normal for dark
elves? I find that hard to believe.
It didn't feel like he was reluctant or unwilling to speak. She didn't get
any sort of rejection from him. She could tell from the way he walked.
He was taking shorter steps to match her pace, so they were both
walking quite slow. If he had a grudge against her and still did something so
considerate, he'd be a man of many contradictions.
She had to assume he was just a man of few words or not used to
speaking to anyone her age.
That made him a pretty bad host, but Aura wasn't looking to be wined
and dined, so she had no complaints. Ultimately, it was probably her fault
for not striking up a conversation with someone friendlier.
Oh well. I guess I'd better get the ball rolling.
Maybe she should use a lead-in to warn him, but they were almost at
their destination. She got right to the point.
"You mentioned the elders, right? They didn't come out even when the
bear was going nuts. We're headed to see them now?"
"The bear? Is that what you call an ankyloursus where you're from?"
"Mm, that's right," Aura lied. "What should I know about these elders?"
"Lessee—we're headed to meet them now. If they'd come down, we
wouldn't have to go to them, but they were busy making oil in their elf
tree."
"Huh. How many are there?"
For the first time, he glanced over his shoulder.
"Three. Is that not the same where you're from?"
Aura sped up a bit, walking next to him.
"I come from a city pretty far from here, and we didn't have a council of
elders at all."
"Ah. So not much like our little village. I heard the elves have a city
with a king. Cities are what happens when a village gets too many people,
right? Are three elders not enough anymore?"
"Huh…I dunno. My country didn't have many dark elves at all, so I
can't really say."
Aura wanted information but didn't want to offer much in turn, so she
simply shrugged.
She didn't know how much power the elders wielded or even what they
did in this village, so she couldn't really offer a better answer. And small
numbers didn't necessarily mean they couldn't run a city—her master
managed it on his own, after all.
If we had three of Lord Ainz, the whole world would be completely under
his control, and he wouldn't even need us anymore.
While her mind was still on her master, the hunt master's eyes widened.
"I thought you came from the dark elf homeland."
"Mm? No. The place I'm from doesn't really have any dark elves at all."
Best not to give him any hard numbers, so she kept it vague.
"It's mostly other races. Humans, goblins, lizardmen, orcs, all kinds. We
heard there were dark elves living in this forest and came to check it out."
"You don't say…"
There was a hint of gloom in his voice she didn't understand. She
wanted to ask about it but decided it was best not to rush—prying wasn't a
good idea. And she'd been hoping he'd ask about that we.
"But lots of races living together? That's a shocker."
"Is it?"
With an absolute being at the top, no matter how many races there were,
they'd all bow their heads before that majestic existence. A world where
that didn't happen was one that didn't know true might.
That was why they had to spread the word about Ainz Ooal Gown.
Lord Ainz is the absolute ruler, and all creatures in this world belong
under his control.
The result of that would be absolute peace. Anyone who desired that
should place themselves under the control of the Supreme Beings.
Aura felt pity for these dark elves, ignorant of her master. Like any
civilized person would when encountering an ignorant savage.
Albedo would be furious with them for not knowing, but that's just
unreasonable. What matters is that they kneel once they do know.
But stupidity alone was not the only reason why they might know but
fail to bow.
Namely, they could already be under the thumb of someone comparable
to the Supreme Beings.
The Supreme Beings were basically gods, but sadly, that was not their
exclusive domain.
Naturally, the Supreme Beings were more divine than even their peers.
They'd turned away any and every intruder who'd attempted to defile
Nazarick, and one of them had been considered the third-strongest
individual in their world.
But the fact remained that there were others like them. That was why the
one remaining Supreme Being—Aura's master—was always cautious.
Lord Ainz knows that only too well, so I get why he's worried. But I don't
think there are any left here. Is it wrong for me to think that while my
master's still on guard?
If there was anyone on the Supreme Beings' level, then no matter how
cleverly they hid themselves, if they had any contact with the outside world,
they'd have gained some measure of reputation or fame. There were figures
like that mentioned in the history books. But in the present day, they'd
found nary a rumor.
This village was remote—Aura was assuming word about the outside
world had simply not reached them yet.
Demiurge thinks there's still a risk.
He'd said the birth of the Nation of Darkness made it impossible for
them to stop other countries from realizing the true scale of their power—
and once that news spread across the continent, that was the time to watch
for the advent of another player. All floor guardians should be constantly
mindful of their master's warnings.
And if a player did join the fray, it would likely be during the chaos and
confusion of war—in other words, that was Nazarick's best shot at
discovering them.
"We ain't exactly friendly with other races, but I supposed we aren't in
open conflict, either. More like…life is tough enough as it is. The monsters
come for all of us alike, and sometimes trying to keep ourselves safe pits us
against others, but then there are times we work together. Are there tough
monsters outside the forest?"
The man's question was probing, quietly asking if that's how Aura got to
be so strong.
"Uh, hmm. I guess there are? They're no match for me, though." The
man made to respond, but before he could, Aura asked, "If you don't know
much about the world outside, how long have you been in these woods?"
"The elders said we came here more than three hundred years ago, but I
ain't heard of any dark elves leaving since."
"Three hundred years? Secondhand knowledge? That's odd. Weren't
you born then?"
This was the first real shift in the hunt master's expression.
"I'm barely over two hundred," he said.
Aura fought the urge to reexamine his face.
Two hundred? Is he lying about his age?! Or do dark elves here count
their ages differently?
But she couldn't exactly accuse him of lying. And his tone of voice was
clearly pretty gloomy.
It probably—no, definitely—bothered him.
Aura saw no point in consoling him, but maybe doing so would help
establish good relations.
"Uh, right. Well, you've got a real mature…grizzled vibe going on."
"…Forget about it. It just shows how tough forest life is."
Aura decided to leave that one alone. If he'd convinced himself, or was
trying to, it was nicer to say nothing more.
"Hmm...…in that case, have you ever considered leaving? Coming to
my country or…?"
Aura wasn't sure what her master's goal here was, but it couldn't hurt to
broach the subject. She could always blow it off as stuff kids say or a
passing joke. Her master would never scold her for going off script on
something like that.
And if it was actually bad, he could just Message her.
"Might not be the worst idea…"
"You don't sound that excited, though. My place is pretty nice! It's safe,
and there are no monsters that might attack a dark elf. I'm sure there'd be
other hardships, but there are programs that could help. I doubt it would be
this tough."
"Sounds like a great place. I can tell from the way you talk that it must
be nice. But it's still a scary thought, you know? Going somewhere new,
where you're not even sure you could live the way you always have… Just
feels like you're better off sticking with what you know, ya know? Maybe
I'm just hunkering down."
That was a fairly serious answer for a kid's happy-go-lucky question.
Was he just a good guy and almost too earnest…or did he simply have that
high an opinion of her? Either way, it felt like once she got him talking,
he'd share almost anything. Aura smirked inside.
"You could always send a few people over to try it out!"
"That could work, yeah. Stay or go and how many—the elders will play
a big role in deciding what we do. But there's plenty of people who are
bucking their ideas, too."
"Oh? Are these elders not too popular?"
The hunt master winced.
"I got nothing against 'em personally. In here."
They'd reached a tree—which looked exactly like every other elf tree.
"I'm sure you know, but it's pretty cramped inside. I'll call them out."
He raised his voice. "Elders! I brought our guest!"
Three dark elves emerged from a hole at the back, one at a time. Two
men and one woman.
Though called elders, they didn't look that old. In human terms, they'd
be midthirties.
It's hard to tell how old dark elves are just by looking. Already blew it
with this guy…he's barely even a grown-up. But he doesn't look that much
younger than these elders…
While these thoughts drifted through Aura's mind, the dark elves
following her spread out in a half circle.
"Traveler, these three are the village elders. Elders, let me introduce you.
Our guest here drove off the ursus lord. She's from outside the forest, from
a city with many races and few dark elves."
Aura bobbed her head. Less a bow than a nod. She thought acting too
servile would impact her future standing in the village. She might be a
child, but she'd also saved them. She wasn't about to let them use her age
against her.
Lord Ainz said to be friendly, so it's probably best not to be too
dominant, either.
"My name is Aura Bella Fiora. A pleasure to meet you."
"Well met, sapling from afar Aura Bella Fiora."
The speaker was the man in the middle, likely the one in charge. He
spoke with gravitas, but since his age wasn't evident, it felt like he was
trying too hard to act cool.
One of the dark elves behind her muttered loud enough for everyone to
hear, "Can't even thank the village savior? Show some respect."
"That's right," a female voice chimed in. "If they felt any gratitude,
they'd never treat her like this. They're acting all high and mighty 'cause
she's a little girl."
Aura frankly didn't think the elder's words were that out of line. Then
again, the exact same actions could seem very different depending on your
opinion of the person in question.
The main elder scowled.
"I was about to thank her! Aura Bella Fiora, you have our deepest
gratitude for saving the village and driving off the ankyloursus."
"Yes, don't be so impatient, young ones. There is an order to these
things," the female elder added.
Another girl's voice muttered, "And we're saying you're getting things
all backward. Growing old apparently makes your brains dry out."
Aura glanced at the hunt master, and he looked like his stomach hurt. He
must have been asked to pick a side before. The third elder was making the
same face. The two who'd spoken look stressed—and the woman was
glaring at everyone.
Looking at this… I've gotta be careful about where I stand and think
carefully before I take any action.
It seemed reasonable that both factions would be vying to get a powerful
outsider like Aura on their side. What stance could she take that would be
the most advantageous for Nazarick?
It might be best to do nothing until she'd consulted her master. But
sometimes she couldn't afford to wait and had to make her own decisions.
It's so much easier if Lord Ainz just tells me what to do…
One reason he hadn't told her what he was after was likely because he
was trying to encourage them—everyone belonging to Ainz Ooal Gown,
not just the floor guardians—to grow and be more independent. She was
expected to think for herself and act without instruction.
But Aura found that incredibly nerve-racking.
He probably has some brilliant scheme in mind to fix things if I screw
up, but…
That didn't mean it was acceptable to just blow it.
Acting careless because your master would clean up your mess was
nothing but a betrayal.
She was a floor guardian and had a job to do. Aura had to consider her
moves carefully and find the path that most benefited Nazarick.
Given what she was wrestling with, it was hard for her to see the dark
elves bickering—right in front of a guest, no less—as anything but outright
stupidity.
But maybe there was an upside. Could she leverage this conflict for
anything? That might prove key to their undertakings here.
Is that what Lord Ainz is after? No, that can't be it. We didn't know there
was any conflict here before we arrived. But since he told me to infiltrate
and forcibly establish friendly relations…
"Um, are you trying to make me regret coming all this way? Otherwise,
could you do this while I'm not standing right here? When I go home, I'd
rather tell the other races the dark elf village was a nice place, you know?"
It was like she'd thrown a bucket of water on them.
No one spoke. If they had any sense of shame about their actions, they
wouldn't want other races to know what had happened so far.
Aura maybe felt she'd overplayed her hand. She might have driven off
that bear—the monster they called an ankyloursus—but she was still just a
kid mouthing off. She might have turned both factions against her with that
comment. But she wasn't ready to call this a blunder yet.
Aura was a passing traveler who'd saved the village. If they forgot that
fact, put their own failings aside, and tried to vilify her, then they were just
inconsiderate assholes. People like that were not worth knowing. Nazarick
would be better off making enemies of them.
Sure, her master had ordered her to establish friendly relations, but he
hadn't said she had to make all the dark elves like her. She wasn't sure how
much leeway she had here, but if there were dark elves unfit to serve
Nazarick, they were better off without them.
And if one of the factions turns on me, then I can probably turn their
opposition into my allies. That would be fine by me. I could even try making
a third faction with myself at the center.
Even if both factions turned on her, there were dark elves like the hunt
master, who she gathered belonged to neither side. Worst-case scenario,
she'd just pull them into her orbit. That would probably still require an
apology to her master, though.
"Ahem. Aura Bella Fiora, what brings you to our village?"
"Fiora's my last name, so call me that. Um, you may have already
gathered, but we heard stories there were dark elves living out in these
woods somewhere. So I came to meet others of my kind. There really aren't
any of us back home. If you don't mind, I'd like to stay here awhile."
"By all means. Just you?"
"For now."
"For now?"
"Mm. I'm good at moving through the woods, so I was told to go on
ahead. The plan is that—in maybe three days' time? My brother and uncle
will join us."
Naturally, that uncle was her master, Ainz Ooal Gown.
"Uncle?"
"Mm. Our, uh…parents are missing." She offered a quick apology to
BubblingTeapot. "Our uncle is the one who raised us."
Lying made things simpler, but if someone saw through the deception, it
could create headaches later; best to keep things as close to the truth as
possible.
"Ah…well, I apologize for digging up painful memories. So that's why
you came alone. That was only possible because you have the power to
drive off an ankyloursus—and a lord at that—all on your own."
Aura had been expecting more overt pity, so she blinked a bit.
But this was a forest filled with perils. Many a child would have lost
parents. That much likely didn't rate overt gestures of sympathy.
"We certainly don't mind your staying here. We can lend you an elf tree
if that works?"
"Yeah, please."
"Very well then. Can someone—? Apple. Guide Fiora to a vacant elf
tree, if you don't mind."
"Not at all," the hunt master answered. "She's in good hands. I'll take
her to the finest elf tree in the village."
"And when her uncle and brother arrive in three days' time, may we
throw a banquet for them?"
"Sure! That sounds like fun!"
"Then, Fiora, would you tell us of your journey later on? And of this
country you call home, even though there are few dark elves there. We
know little of the world outside this forest—but naturally, you need not
share anything painful."
Should she?
Aura considered it.
There was nothing to be gained from honesty or revealing who she
really was. That would certainly get attention, but she'd already shown off
her skills, so there was no need. While blabbing info without a second's
thought would be bad, being too secretive wouldn't work, either. Should she
lie? Stick to the truth but minimize it? Or mix in some falsehoods?
It would be awkward if their stories don't match mine, so I should check
with the others and make sure we're all on the same page. But I can't just
say nothing. I'd prefer to deflect and say they should ask Lord Ainz when he
gets here, but they might think I'm being shifty…
Best to avoid undue suspicion.
Until she figured out her master's true purpose, better to leave a friendly
parting on the table.
Hmm. If he's not sending me a Message, he wants me to figure this out
on my own. But what would he want?
"Is something wrong, Fiora?"
She must have taken too long to answer.
Aura smiled. "Oh, I just felt like my stories would be hard to believe.
My trip here and the city I'm from—I can tell you things. Like the fairy
path."
"The fairy path?! Isn't that just a legend?" a voice called from the group
behind her.
"…The moonlight aisle and fairy path are real." On the sixth floor of
Nazarick, that is. "But you can't say where they are or anything else about
them to those who aren't chosen by the fairies."
"Heh-heh. Sorry, Fio—no, do you mind if we call you Aura?"
The female elder's eyes were gleaming.
Aura had the answer ready. She didn't like the idea, but given her
master's instructions, she had to allow it.
"Go ahead."
"Very well, Aura. That is a lovely name."
"Thank you."
Aura smiled, showing no spite at all. The Supreme Beings had given her
that name, so it deserved this praise. She could never say a word against it.
But she knew it was empty flattery and felt very little desire to prolong the
conversation.
But her response seemed to satisfy the elder, who nodded happily.
"Aura, you're a dark elf chosen by the fairies, then. Wonderful. There
are many in this village who haven't been chosen. As a result, we don't
know how we arrived here from our old homes in the north."
The dark elves came here via the fairy path? Did it work like that?
The fairy path in Nazarick didn't let you travel all that far. Either they
were wrong or this was an entirely different thing with the same name.
Prying information out of them was good, but she might have fumbled a
bit. Or maybe not. She needed to learn more—
—and have Lord Ainz shower me in compliments!
In her mind's eye, Aura clenched a fist.
Aura and the hunt master headed off toward her lodgings.
Ainz had been following her around under cover of Perfect
Unknowable. He let out a sigh of relief.
Both because there'd been no indications of a foe on their power level
and because Aura's first contact had gone extremely well.
But he could not be sure these positive vibes were genuine. Anyone
who'd be nakedly hostile to a child from afar probably had deeper issues.
Even if visitors weren't welcome, most people would probably put on a
smile.
It might be a needless concern, but he wanted to be sure their reactions
weren't a performance. It would be easy enough to kidnap an elf and charm
them, but Control Amnesia and the associated cleanup were tricky enough
that this should be a last resort. Killing was far easier.
First, Ainz wanted to probe the state of the village.
They weren't used to changes, and everyone was abuzz with the new
guest. Everyone here was desperate to talk about Aura.
When she was away, they'd share their true feelings.
With his cloaking spell on, he could easily gather their frank opinions.
The three elders had climbed back up their tree while the other dark
elves had scattered in all directions. The question was who to follow, who
to eavesdrop on. The crowd earlier had several children Aura's age—or at
least Ainz thought that's what they were, judging from their heights.
He initially wanted to follow them and hear what they thought of her.
But he could hear voices up the tree talking about "that girl."
Damn it! I have to listen to the elders!
Clearly, that was the most important conversation here—though not
directly related to his goal of letting the twins make friends.
Maintaining Fly, Ainz drifted up to the tree's entrance.
He looked inside and saw no signs of the elders. There was a staircase in
back, and their voices came from up above. He could hear fine, but just to
be sure, he flew to the top.
"How much of what she said should we believe? She made it sound like
she'd used the fairy path to travel."
The eldest elder's tone was a bit different now, but that was to be
expected. Ainz changed the way he spoke depending on his company, too.
It would be rather creepy not to.
This was likely how the elder spoke when among friends.
"I can't dismiss all of it. Without the fairy paths, a child her age could
never travel alone."
"I'm not so sure. She's strong enough to fend off an ursus lord."
"But that strength is the weapon's, surely. You saw that glittering bow!
Clearly a masterwork. Perhaps the fairies gave it to her."
The bow Aura carried was one from Ainz's stock, and not considered
particularly impressive by Yggdrasil standards. But it certainly had visual
impact.
Maybe we should try selling them on runes.
As he considered that, they kept talking.
"How long do you think she'll stay? I'd love to keep her."
"I doubt that'll happen. I bet she doesn't stick around long after this
uncle and brother catch up. This is hardly the only dark elf village. They
might do a tour of them all, making more friends. We're not even sure what
she's after—maybe she is just here to meet more of her kind. But whatever
the reason is, I doubt this particular village is important."
"Fair enough. We'll have to ask more about that. More importantly, she
said she wants to meet more of her kind, no? A nice big banquet would be
the perfect excuse."
"I agree. Even if she visits other villages, I'd like ours to make the best
impression. If we all come together and make this feast a good one—first
off, we'll have to gather food for the next three days."
"Will the young ones refuse?"
"I doubt it. This feast is dedicated to the girl who saved us. Even they
know they need to pitch in."
"True. And we can ask this uncle about the fairy path then. If we
demonstrate they're welcome, perhaps his lips will loosen."
"Let's hope. And maybe they'll stay!"
"…You're getting too hung up on that. Is the idea of being chosen by the
fairies that alluring?"
"It is! Why wouldn't it be? We—nearly all the forerunners in the area
have lost the fairy's blessing. But if they remain here—"
"You sure you're not just hoping to boast about it to the other villages?
If so, I'll oppose you at every turn."
"Oh, don't be like that. If we knew how they obtained the fairy's
blessing, then maybe we could figure how to get it back."
This didn't really sound like they were talking about fairies as a race.
More like spirits of some kind. There'd been a similar blessing in
Yggdrasil. Or did the fairies in this world have the power to confer boons
like that?
Maybe it had something to do with classes like the Seelie Court or the
Unseelie Court? If memory served, those had a skill that let them teleport—
much like the fairy path.
Might be worth having someone look into it.
He should share that info with Aura.
They kept talking as Ainz mulled this over.
"Then those whelps would finally respect us again."
"Just don't try and force them to talk. And when they arrive, make sure
you show her family respect. When they go back where they came from, I
don't want them to have a bad word to say about us."
The red lights in Ainz's eyes—or the cavities—dimmed.
Hmm. Was approaching this village a mistake? I won't have Aura used
as a tool for their inane conflicts.
BubblingTeapot had left the twins in his care, and he would not allow
their hearts to be broken. This female elder had already earned his ire.
Best to avoid getting too close to the grown-ups. Let's hope the children
here are pure of heart.
The elders had moved on to talking about the festivities now. Confident
they harbored no suspicions, Ainz cast Greater Teleport. Once he was
through, he canceled Perfect Unknowable.
"Oh, Lord Ainz! Welcome back."
Mare had been waiting outside the Green Secret House, and he bowed
low.
"I have returned, Mare. Nothing happened here, I take it?"
An eyeball corpse was floating next to Mare—one Ainz had made with
Create Upper-Tier Undead. A quick scan of the area didn't turn up anything
else.
"Oh, Fenrir still not back?"
"Y-yes, not yet."
Fenrir's job was to bring the ankyloursus back here safely.
If the dark elves had any intelligence, they'd realize that with Aura on
their side, they should really track down the bear.
Bringing it back to their base meant they'd have to pull the wool over
that search party's eyes.
But given the ankyloursus's bulk and lack of any concealment skills, it
had no way of covering its own tracks. Someone else would have to find a
way to hide those obvious traces.
The task had fallen to Fenrir. He had the Forestwalk skill. With the
ankyloursus on his back, he could make it home without leaving a single
footprint behind.
Naturally, Ainz could also move them with Greater Teleportation or pick
them up with Fly like Narberal did. Those approaches would have worked
fine, too.
But Ainz had been busy following Aura into the dark elf village,
gathering information. If anything had gone wrong, he'd been ready to
swoop in and help Aura get out or eliminate all enemies. That was why
Fenrir had been put in charge of ankyloursus duty.
But I guessed wrong. I assumed they'd be so desperate to take out the
ankyloursus, they'd immediately put a squad together with Aura at the
center. As is, we had plenty of time. I could have handled the cleanup
myself.
"Ah. Then we'll just have to wait. I'm sure it's on your mind, so let me
explain. You must know why I'm back alone. Aura's sent no distress
signal?" Mare nodded. "There you have it. Her infiltration of the dark elf
village was a success."
Mare and Aura had items that let them speak to each other. If Mare had
received no emergency message, then Aura was most likely safe. Still, he
couldn't be completely sure she hadn't been overpowered before she could
send a signal—Mare always had to keep the worst in mind.
Worse, to aid with the infiltration, they'd changed up her equipment.
What she carried now was far inferior to her usual kit. Aura would be far
easier to kill in her current state.
Though well aware of this, he had not placed a guard on her—because
the decision was not his alone.
After discussing things with the twins, he'd agreed to let her act as she
saw fit. It was a decision that left him with a gnawing anxiety—if Ainz had
a stomach, it might have turned.
He was still wringing his hands about whether that had been the correct
decision. Was there really no better solution? Ainz could make undead that
had no corporeal form. They could have hidden one of those somewhere!
Of course, there were two obvious advantages to leaving Aura
unguarded. First, if a crisis did crop up, Ainz could more easily summon a
monster that was tailored for the exact situation. Second—
Away from Nazarick and its denizens, Aura can clear her mind. Maybe
now she can relax and enjoy her time among the dark elves. And…
…maybe she would make a friend.
But at the moment, there was a critical problem standing in the way of
that.
Aura had been welcomed as the village's savior.
He wouldn't go so far as to say the Red Ogre Cried strat had backfired.
That had clearly been the best way to ingratiate her with the villagers. The
problem was that it had been a bit too effective.
If Satoru Suzuki had met the members of Ainz Ooal Gown in the real
world—where they were far from equals—they would've never become
friends. For the same reasons, if everyone saw Aura as the hero who'd
saved the village, then she and the village's children could hardly be
considered peers.
Ainz would have to do some work to put them on the same level.
Yes—
It was his job to make it clear she was just another child.
Ainz glanced at Mare.
It wouldn't be fair to give Aura a shot at making friends without giving
her brother one, too.
BubblingTeapot had left these two children in his care. It was
unthinkable to treat them differently.
Naturally, he knew how important it was to pay attention to their
individual natures and needs. But that didn't mean they shouldn't enjoy the
same opportunities.
What am I talking about? I've never raised children. If only there was
someone I could ask about being a dad… Nfirea's face crossed his mind.
Not a bad choice. He's a good father. But—
Mare posed one other problem.
It wasn't his timid personality.
BubblingTeapot let her enthusiasm get the best of her and made him
cross-dress.
From what he'd seen of the dark elf village, nearly everyone wore long
pants. There were a few in long skirts, but they were all women. And even
those women appeared to wear long pants under the skirts. Naturally, Ainz
hadn't gone around flipping skirts, so he couldn't be totally sure; maybe
those were tights underneath.
Aura had explained that bare skin wasn't a great fit for life in the forest.
Hence why women wore long pants, too.
If I attack someone under cover of Perfect Unknowable, the spell
dissipates. More accurately, it ends if I take an action that harms someone.
That leads us to a major question… Does flipping someone's skirt up
qualify as an attack?
It had never occurred to him to wonder.
Ainz glanced at Mare.
"Er, um, wh-what is it?"
"Oh, no, never mind."
Have you lost it, man? What are you thinking?!
His rational mind—the part of him with the slightest shred of sense—
was furious.
Ainz knew full well this was wrong. But when there was anything about
magic he didn't fully understand, curiosity got the better of him.
Don't! Stop it! Don't you dare! The very thought of peeping up Mare's
skirt is wildly inappropriate!
If he asked, Mare would likely allow it—
Get your mind out of the gutter!
"I-is something wrong?"
"No, I just had a crazy idea. I might have to experiment with it in the
future, but not now. And probably with someone else."
Mare looked baffled, but Ainz refused to linger on this subject any
longer.
Besides, Albedo would be a better choice than Mare. At the very least,
she would be a less inherently disturbing one.
This finally made him admit the whole thing was fundamentally wrong
and push the bundle of curiosity out of his mind.
Either way, if Mare shows up in girls' clothes, they'll probably think it's
weird. There's a chance they even shun him over it. We've got to avoid that
at all costs. Why did she design him this way to begin with? No, no, this
isn't the time. Not worth thinking about now. Teapot wanted him this way, so
it would be wrong for me to contradict her. A permanent change would be
crossing a line, but a temporary one should be fine, right? She probably
wouldn't mind if I have him stop cross-dressing long enough to join Aura in
the village. Still…
He had not expected his old friend's predilections to cause him this
much worry.
"Um, Mare, question…"
"Yes?"
Mare looked immediately earnest.
Teapot, am I in the wrong?
A pink blob appeared in his mind. For some reason, she was throwing
him a thumbs-up. Vexing.
"Er, um…"
"…Sorry, Mare, I got lost in thought." He had no lungs, but he let out a
long breath and looked Mare in the eye. "Mare, I'd like you to stop crossdressing temporarily."
That was wholly inadequate.
Ainz knew that, so before Mare could react, he piled on more words.
"Listen, I only mean temporarily, not forever; you know I want you in
the village backing Aura up, right? Just for the duration, I mean, being there
is basically an undercover operation and your clothes do rather stand out; so
for the sake of the mission I want you wearing something else."
He was talking very fast.
Mare's gaze never wavered. Was this a why me? Aura hadn't been told
to do anything like this.
But Ainz couldn't bring himself to speak further.
No good excuses came to mind. Claiming that cross-dressing as a girl
was weirder than cross-dressing as a boy was totally inconsistent. Had
Teapot thought this through?
No, she definitely did this just because she liked it. She satisfied her
hobby, and that was all. She is Peroron's sister, after all.
In which case, best to be evasive. Fortunately, Nazarick equipment was
a bit too outlandish, and he'd changed up Aura's gear already. He hadn't
expected that to be useful here.
"I had Aura change a few things, too, right? If her equipment was too
strong, they'd start asking questions. What do you say?"
A dirty trick. Leaving the call up to Mare is like forcing the blame onto
him.
"O-okay. I can do this, Lord Ainz!"
"You're sure?"
"I-I'm sure. I-if it's undercover work, I think, um, Lady BubblingTeapot
would understand."
He could feel Mare's love for his creator in those words—and found
himself wondering how she'd react to them.
Odds are high she'd let out a wail and apologize profusely. Or…maybe
it would be the other way around?
But this meant they could advance to the final phase of the Friends for
Aura and Mare project.
"Good. Then let's get you kitted out and meet up with Aura."