Some time later. A room on the second floor of the inn.
"So that means... I am to read books aloud to you?" Brita asked again, barely after I had finished voicing the task.
"Correct."
"But... why? Is this some kind of magical ritual?" the mercenary tried to devise a rational explanation.
"A necessary measure. Briefly put, I have arrived from very distant lands, and not by my own choice. Magic allows me to understand the spoken tongue and translates my speech so that you can understand it, but written script is far more complicated. In time, I will resolve this issue, but for now, it is simpler to hire a reader to vocalize the contents of the necessary books for me."
"Oh..." The girl ran a hand through the hair at the nape of her neck. "I actually did hear something about there being a country far to the south with a different language..."
"So, do you agree?"
"Yes, of course," the adventurer replied, pulling herself together immediately. "When do I start?"
"Tomorrow. For now, you may pick out a vacant room if you have no other lodging, and get acquainted with the others."
"I think I know everyone already..." Brita glanced sideways at the glowering Narberal, who had been drilling into her with a very unfriendly gaze throughout the entire conversation.
"All the better," I said, also turning my head toward the Battle Maid, causing her to instantly pretend she was looking in a completely different direction. "In that case, I will detain you no longer."
"Understood," the adventurer nodded and, still eyeing the Gamma-emitted waves of contempt, quickly left the room.
"That insolent woman..." my "bodyguard" finally poured out her soul's cry with growling overtones.
"Don't tell me you were offended by her attempt to reclaim what was lost," I said, walking to the table by the left wall and unloading the purchased books and maps from my inventory.
"But she was so rude and vulgar!" the beauty with Asian features exclaimed behind my back, her voice rising from the excess of emotion. "That tactless begging and disregard for your status... Unforgivable!"
"For an adventurer, a healthy dose of insolence is one of the keys to survival. Professional deformation, so to speak," I remarked, unfolding a map of the area surrounding E-Rantel. "However, I understand your feelings, Narberal, and I know that this entire journey is constant stress for you. I must admit, despite a few minor flaws, you are holding up very well. I am proud of you and glad I chose you specifically for this mission." I could afford a slight exaggeration for the sake of a compliment, couldn't I? Better she dwell on my praise than hatch plans to decapitate the local population.
"My Lord is too kind," the death machine murmured, blushing sweetly... There was definitely something to that.
"I am merely stating facts. Nonetheless, seeing how difficult this is for you, I can suggest a trick. Humans are perceived by you as little more than mud beneath your feet, are they not?"
"T-that is correct," she replied. I couldn't quite grasp her feelings at that moment—whether she was agreeing with her adored master while thinking humans didn't even reach the level of "mud," or whether she was sad because she couldn't fulfill the task of stopping her perception of them as fertilizer. Regardless, it didn't matter.
"Then ask yourself: what is the point of being angry at mud? If a puddle splashes, let it splash; one can simply step around it and move on. If it becomes too filthy or foul-smelling—then it can be cleared away. Otherwise... there is no sense in wasting your time and nerves."
"I understand, My Lord!" the girl cheered up. "That is indeed much better!" Phew. Even if the logic was a bit Jesuitical, it was better this way. We would deal with re-education or leashes and muzzles later... Tsk, what's with me and muzzles today?
"Excellent. I believe we have no further business for today, so you may contact Albedo and report on our progress. I am certain she ordered you to do something of the sort."
"You are right as always, My Lord!" the Battle Maid bowed.
"After that, return to Nazarick and deliver some of the maps we purchased to her," I said, setting aside a roll of skillfully tanned leather marked with the layout of the surrounding lands. "I believe they will be useful to Demiurge and Aura in their assignment. You must also deliver this book"—I pushed the collection of Kingdom laws to the edge of the table, as studying them right now was not a priority—"to Titus Annaeus Secundus. I want him to attempt to translate its contents through magical means, and at the same time, conduct an inventory of artifacts that might assist with the task of reading local texts. As I recall, there was something of the sort in the Library; at the very least, he can attempt to replicate the effect. I think the base for such an artifact in the form of glasses would be quite convenient, but let him decide what is more promising after his review. Just relay it to him exactly."
Yes, I believed in Demiurge and his subordinates, having no doubt they would eventually compile dictionaries and other linguistic guides, but putting all one's eggs in one basket was a poor idea. Besides, when would he actually find the time? He was already swamped with the tasks I had assigned. On one hand, that was good—less time for him to create some unforeseen disaster out of the best intentions—but it shouldn't be overdone. It was better to load him up gradually without breaking him, yet leaving no gaps for unauthorized initiative.
"Do not worry, Zellos-sama, I shall not miss a single one of your words!" the girl assured me, bowing her head once more.
"I have no doubt in you..." And I definitely remembered that in the manga, someone in Nazarick had managed to create such artifacts, and quite quickly. At the very least, Sebas had glasses when visiting the capital; looking through them made the local script intelligible. Logically, the primary candidate for the creator was Nazarick's head crafter, who had a programmed passion for magical research and experiments. The Guardians, say what you will, are combat units; almost all their classes and skills are honed for killing. This required someone with high crafting skills, and Titus was the best for it. Though he couldn't do alchemy, his levels in enchanting and similar fields were well-maxed.
And though I hadn't found the appropriate magic in my own arsenal, according to Momonga's memories, Yggdrasil occasionally featured quest or lore-related items that supposedly performed translation. For instance, situations where an ancient NPC in some mausoleum spoke an unintelligible gibberish, and to interact with them, one had to unearth a special amulet to enable communication. Similar situations occurred with ancient tablets of long-vanished tribes or books written in a particularly obscure language. Naturally, in the game, these methods of opening a pixelated script were just a convenience, but in a real world, they had to be actual artifacts. The problem was I had no idea where any of it was. It was just "lore junk" that one was supposed to discard after completing a quest. Although Momonga and his associates, like many others, had dragged such things into Nazarick for flavor and as trophies of their achievements, nobody had bothered to catalog them or remember where they had been tossed. In Satoru's memory, there was a very, very vague notion of dumping a couple of such translation items in the Great Library of Ashurbanipal because they fit the atmosphere, but where specifically, what they looked like... it was complete terra incognita. Thus, I could have searched myself, but it was simpler to task the librarians. I wasn't ready to order my servants to turn a dynamite warehouse upside down while I poked around in storerooms filled with enough magical and explosive goods to warp a quarter of a floor if detonated, but what could happen in a library? A shelf might fall? Besides, they were all liches; they wouldn't tire and might even yield a useful result. That would be wonderful. In any case, as long as my monsters stayed occupied and out of trouble, it was fine. Even if they failed, I would eventually master the local script myself; I wasn't a total moron.
The Capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom. The Royal Palace.
"I hereby declare the Royal Council open!" proclaimed an elderly man wearing a heavy crown. Lanposa III sighed wearily. He was tired. He was utterly fed up with the intrigues and the struggle for power, yet he could not abdicate. His eldest, Barbro, had fallen too far under the influence of the aristocracy, and nothing could be done about it. His younger son, Zanac, though intelligent, lacked broad support. If the throne were passed to him, Barbro—spurred on by the nobility—might ignite a full-scale civil war, not realizing he would be nothing but a puppet. Assigning Marquis Raeven to Zanac might eventually improve the situation, but not anytime soon. The atmosphere was already tense, and then this incident... "The Captain of the Royal Guard has brought troubling news, which is why I deemed it necessary to gather you, Lords of the Kingdom."
"And what exactly has happened, Your Majesty?" Count Litton inquired with a touch of irony. "What has frightened our renowned Captain?" The arrogant aristocrat treated the "commoner upstart" with barely concealed disdain. The King silently signaled Gazef to clarify the situation.
"I was recently assigned a mission to protect border villages from an Imperial sabotage unit. However, the enemy's numbers and training were far higher than anticipated... as was their affiliation," Stronoff began, reporting on his latest mission, including the elite ambush unit of Theocracy casters. By the end of his tale, the very unpleasant word "treason" hung palpably in the air.
"Are you accusing one of the nobility, Captain?" Marquis Boulrope bristled.
"I do not have such authority," Gazef stated flatly, though he did not deny the implication.
"But is there evidence?" Raeven joined Boulrope. In Stronoff's opinion, Raeven was even more unpleasant than the leader of the Noble Faction himself, but unfortunately, far more skilled in intrigue. It was not for nothing that he served as his "right hand."
"Are the prisoners from the Theocracy not enough, Marquis?" Margrave Uravan joined the conversation. He was an elderly nobleman who had seen much and supported the King.
"But what did these prisoners say? Have interrogations been conducted yet?" Marquis Pespey, although the King's son-in-law and husband to his eldest daughter, was still quite young and sometimes failed to grasp the full underlying context.
"Unfortunately, nothing. Except for the fact that they were able to enter the lands near E-Rantel unhindered and knew exactly that I would be in that area."
"E-Rantel consists of Royal Lands," Marquis Volumlesh smirked like a fox, implying that if there had been a "leak," it had come from the Royal Faction, and suspecting the nobility was foolish. The fact that the Royal Faction certainly had no reason to destroy one of the Kingdom's strongest warriors, who was completely loyal to the monarch, was politely ignored.
"That is not the point right now," the King interrupted the useless bickering. "Of far greater concern is the news of a magic caster who appeared in the same region. Someone named Zellos. And his adopted daughter Shalltear—according to the Captain, they are extremely powerful mages."
"Oh, come now, Your Majesty," Boulrope scoffed. "It is just two people. The tales that casters can significantly influence the outcome of a truly serious battle are just that—tales."
"Tell that to Fluder Paradyne, the Imperial Triple Magic Caster!" Uravan countered.
"Do you truly believe someone comparable to Fluder just appeared in our backwaters? Please, Margrave," Count Litton spoke dismissively.
"Nonetheless, we have the personal testimony of the Captain of the Royal Guard, as well as the testimony of his men and nearly fifty prisoners who claim this mage Zellos dealt with sixty casters and banished a Dominion Authority with a single blow! I remind this honorable assembly that under normal circumstances, one must sacrifice five hundred to a thousand trained warriors just to exhaust and overcome such a creature!" Marquis Pespey, however, chose to believe.
"Hmm..." Boulrope fell into thought. "In that case, I believe it would be justified to recruit him into the ranks of the Kingdom's defenders."
"Do you have any ideas on how to achieve that?" the King asked.
"Nothing complicated," Count Litton smiled. "Torn from his home, with a child in his arms... offer him a job and safety for his daughter..." Though the words seemed polite, something sinister lurked behind them. Everyone present sensed it, including the Captain of the Guard.
"With all due respect, Count," Gazef's voice held not a shred of respect, "young Shalltear herself paralyzed ten knights and another fifty men with a single careless gesture. She is quite capable of taking care of herself, not to mention that Master Zellos is extremely well-versed in necromancy. While he is a very honorable man, such depth of knowledge also means he is capable of being... a very unpleasant opponent."
"We shall take your remark into account, Captain," His Majesty nodded to his bodyguard. "Furthermore, causing any trouble to a man who has performed such a significant service as saving our subjects and our Captain would be ungrateful in the extreme," the King said, cutting off further disputes. "We would like to find common points of interest with Master Zellos. We have things to offer a mage, even a necromancer, while the benefits of cooperation could be quite great."
"Then I suggest sending a delegation to the respected caster with a series of proposals," Marquis Raeven nodded. "But what exactly do we wish to offer him? And what will we ask in return?"
"Service?" The leader of the Noble Faction now looked quite interested.
"We would like that, but it is unlikely," Uravan shook his head. "Paradyne occupies the niche of advisor and tutor to the Bloody Emperor. If Captain Stronoff is correct in his assessment of his power, a man comparable to or even surpassing the Imperial Triple Magic Caster is unlikely to agree to simply serve anyone."
"A title? Land?" Pespey suggested.
"Perhaps... but I am not certain," Marquis Volumlesh nervously stroked his chin. "And to elevate a commoner like that, even if he is a thrice-genial magic caster..."
"And why have you decided he is a commoner, Marquis?" Raeven chuckled. "Such a level of power and knowledge suggests this Zellos held a high enough position to gain access to them. Furthermore, as I recall the Captain's preliminary report, this mage mentioned he would hand over the prisoners to certain 'servants.' An ordinary commoner would hardly have any servants."
"So, what do you propose, gentlemen?" Lanposa III pressed them.
"As I said before, we should send an embassy to this Zellos," Marquis Raeven replied, performing an elegant half-bow to His Majesty. "With a proposal. A serious proposal, if he is as good as Master Stronoff claims."
"But where are we to find him?" a voice asked from the back rows.
"As I understand it, he will be in E-Rantel for some time..." Gazef saw fit to answer.
"Very well. Then we should discuss the composition of the embassy and specific proposals. Let the delegation arrive to the caster with a series of agreements, ranging from the most ideal for us to the... acceptable," Marquis Raeven suggested.
"I am personally willing to go to this mage," the leader of the Noble Faction stood up.
"With your approach to diplomacy, we risk ending up with a necromancer who has declared war on us!" Margrave Uravan snapped at his political opponent. "Your Majesty, I am prepared to dispatch the necessary delegation to E-Rantel within two days."
"The hell you are!" Boulrope growled, not wanting the Royal Faction to gain a new ally, even if his strength was vastly exaggerated.
"Gentlemen, there is no need to quarrel!" Pespey quieted the disputants. "I am sure we can reach a compromise..."
"Perhaps. Marquis Raeven, are you prepared to be our representative? Along with Prince Zanac."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," the nobleman agreed with visible displeasure. The representatives of the Royal Faction grimaced in unison, while the Noble Faction, conversely, cheered up—Raeven was a loyal supporter of Boulrope, but at the same time, he was a sufficiently skilled diplomat. Although the direct appointment from the King and the presence of the Prince would prevent him from pulling completely unscrupulous schemes, everyone understood he would still take the lead in negotiations. At the same time, Boulrope was completely satisfied, as he was aware that his "right hand" was seeking an opening with the younger Ryle Vaiself, and a joint delegation was a perfect opportunity to gain a share of influence over the Prince. In this light, any ties with this mysterious caster became merely a pleasant addition.
"Good. Since we have settled that, perhaps we can now decide what we can offer this Zellos?" the leader of the aristocracy rushed to move to the next topic before the King could change his mind and reconsider the composition of the embassy, which was so favorable to Marquis Boulrope.
"Yes..." the King nodded somewhat absently. And so began the haggling over who, what, how much, and for what services they were prepared to offer. Naturally, after the Council ended, Boulrope would brief Raeven himself... as would His Majesty.
Two days later.
The courtyard of the royal castle was filled with bustling activity. Traveling trunks were being secured to carriages, horses were being saddled, and supplies packed into baggage wagons were being checked. The Captain of the Royal Guard watched the proceedings thoughtfully, unconsciously rubbing the ring on his finger. He too was leaving the capital today with half his unit, once again leaving the King without his protection. It had to be done. Although his men had also seen Master Zellos and could identify him, only he had spoken with the sorcerer personally, and only he would be listened to even slightly by the Prince and Marquis Raeven. Still, a stubborn anxiety did not leave the man's heart.
"It would have been better if I had gone alone..." the grim thought flashed within him once more. "If the Marquis manages to sway Master Zellos into an alliance with the Noble Faction, it will be a catastrophe for His Majesty. Prince Zanac has his own agenda as well, and it is by no means certain he will support his father's plans, especially if Elias finds something to offer him."
The warrior's thoughts were interrupted by the sensation of another's gaze. As it turned out, a group of distinguished individuals was indeed heading toward him.
"Captain Gazef," greeted the leader of Blue Rose—one of the only two adamantite-ranked adventurer groups in the entire Kingdom.
"Lady Lakyus," the warrior bowed to the beautiful green-eyed girl and her companions. All members of Blue Rose were women, and they all stood before him now.
"We have been hired to guard the delegation, but as I understand it, our primary opponent could be the very sorcerer we are heading toward," the golden-haired warrior got straight to the point. "You saw him in action; won't you tell us more? What should we expect, and how best should we plan for a fight?"
"With all due respect to your talents..." the man looked seriously into the eyes of each woman standing before him, "in such a case, I would try to delay him... for ten seconds at least, while you would need to run."
"Is he truly that strong?" a short girl with her face completely hidden by a mask asked incredulously.
"I will speak plainly: I am completely certain that even if we all attacked him together, we would not have a ghost of a chance at victory. Even with all five Treasures of the Kingdom and all my men..." Gazef trailed off. "No. Even with every adamantite-ranked individual in the Kingdom, we could only hope to delay him."
"Oh...!" exclaimed a towering warrior in heavy armor. "And what could make Gazef Stronoff himself talk like that? Don't take offense, but I imagined the Kingdom's most famous warrior differently," Gagaran added, folding her arms as thick as tree trunks across her chest. "What did you see that makes you babble about running like a green virgin from the militia?"
"Hmph," a smile touched the man's lips. "You already know I saw him slaughter the Sunlight Scripture, but what you don't know is that before the battle, he cast several strengthening and defensive spells on my unit."
"Mass support spells?" The diminutive woman in the crimson hood, her face hidden by a mask, seemed to frown beneath it. "He must be at least of the fifth or even sixth tier of magic. Is that what you mean?"
"No, although that too..." Stronoff fell silent, gathering his thoughts.
"Well? What else?" Evileye prompted him impatiently.
"Hey, hold your horses, Shorty. Can't you see the man needs to think?" Gagaran interjected with a good-natured smirk.
"Who are you calling a shorty, Musclebrain?" the masked figure replied, clenching her fist threateningly despite the nearly threefold difference in their heights.
"The last of the effects only vanished yesterday," Gazef announced, cutting off the budding argument.
"Forgive me... I am not sure I follow?" Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra tilted her head to the side.
"No, you understood correctly," the Captain of the Guard sighed. "He cast nearly a dozen spells on my entire unit at Carne Village. Not just on the men, but on the horses as well. That was over a week ago. When we arrived in the capital, most of those spells were still active. I am not well-versed in magic—most of my knowledge is restricted to how to fight casters—but even I know that magical buffs rarely last more than a few minutes, functioning much like specialized martial arts. I hope I am wrong, but I am certain Master Zellos is far stronger than Fluder Paradyne of the Empire. He is on the level of the Demon Gods."
"No," Evileye shook her head, lowering her gaze to the ground. "The Demon Gods were not capable of what you describe. They were strong, but not that strong."
Gazef looked at the girl with genuine surprise, but before he could speak, Marquis Raeven and His Highness Second Prince Zanac stepped into the courtyard.
"Captain!" A stout young man called out before even reaching them. His physique left no doubt regarding his fondness for abundant and hearty food. "Ladies," the Second Prince added, offering something vaguely resembling a courtly bow toward Lakyus.
"Your Highness," the warrior and the daughter of the noble house of Aindra responded.
"I hope we haven't interrupted your conversation?" the King's younger son inquired with routine, almost harmless mockery. Standing beside him, Marquis Elias Brandt Dale Raeven remained silent, maintaining a mask of total composure. Tall, slender, and expressionless, he was the polar opposite of the Prince, yet he looked surprisingly harmonious in his company.
"Not at all, Your Highness," Gazef replied, his face turning to stone as he braced himself internally.
"Wonderful, wonderful..." Prince Zanac's gaze swept over the faces of the adventurers, but if he intended to comment on them, he refrained. "As I am told, it was you, Captain, who encountered this sorcerer. Zellos, was it?"
"You are quite right, Your Highness."
"Then would you enlighten the Marquis and me? What kind of man is this mysterious caster who hides his face behind a featureless mask?" At these words, all members of Blue Rose, including the twins Tia and Tina lurking like silent shadows, glanced at Evileye. The masked caster herself seemed momentarily flustered, though it didn't show outwardly.
"Our interaction was brief, but he struck me as a dignified man, one not lacking in honor and nobility," Gazef recalled the scenes from a week ago. "Furthermore, I believe him to be a caring and sensitive person," he added, unintentionally surprising his listeners.
"May I ask on what basis you reached such a conclusion?" the Prince inquired curiously.
"He had his adopted daughter with him. He didn't let her out of his sight for a single second, and he often held her hand..."
"Held her hand? A powerful magic caster? What an absurdity."
"Yes, it is indeed absurd, Your Highness," Stronoff agreed grimly, wanting to continue this conversation less and less.
"Wait, Captain, did you not mention during the Royal Council that this Shalltear is also a powerful mage?" the Marquis spoke up.
"Indeed," the Prince snapped out of it. "How can one be a child requiring an adult's hand and a caster at the same time? How old is this Shalltear?"
"She looks to be about thirteen," Gazef sighed deeply, closing his eyes. "But I am prepared to vouch for her strength. When we were preparing for battle against the Sunlight Scripture, Master Zellos sent her into the woods alone without a second thought to intercept any Theocracy casters who might try to flee the field."
"Are you certain?" Elias doubted. "Perhaps he was trying, on the contrary, to shield her from the coming fight?"
"I am entirely certain," Stronoff answered firmly. "After the battle, she flew to where we were talking using a full Flight spell and began apologizing for being unable to take anyone alive. According to her, the Theocracy mages were too weak and died from a simple spell. My men later found those mages—or rather, what was left of them..."
"Did she say what spell she used?" Evileye cut in.
"I believe it was... Boiling Blood. I have never heard of it."
"That is..." the Blue Rose caster choked, "a fourth-tier spell..."
"Interesting..." the Prince muttered, observing the girl's reaction, then turned his rounded face back to Gazef. "That must be very serious indeed. But could you describe what exactly this Zellos told you about himself?"
"Not much. He was transported to our lands as a result of some accident. His manor and magical laboratory were transported with him, ending up somewhere deep within the Great Forest of Tob. Afterward, he detected the nearest village with magic and made his way to it."
"Hmm..." Prince Zanac frowned with concern, rocking from heel to toe and causing his ample stomach to bounce. "Well, Captain, I now believe this Master Zellos is indeed an extraordinary mage. Only a truly confident person would so easily tell the first person they met that they were in such a difficult situation. A weakling or a coward in his place would have certainly tried to hide that fact, presenting himself as a hermit or a traveler with no problems at all." The young man shot a brief glance at the Marquis. "I need to think this over. However, this is not our last conversation," he added quickly, looking Gazef in the eye. "I expect that during the journey, you will keep the Marquis and me company more than once. Now, pray excuse me—business..." Turning around, the Second Prince of the Kingdom headed toward the carriages.
Fortress City of E-Rantel. Evening.
The thoughtful study of the maps took longer than I expected. Primarily, of course, the task was complicated by my total lack of understanding of the language used for the names of objects and territories. However, simply memorizing the geography of the local ecumene required proper diligence. Rivers, forests, mountains, fortresses, and cities—no matter how you looked at it, having a grasp of what was located where was essential. If only the various maps didn't have a discrepancy of plus-or-minus "eight" for almost every secondary object...
I was distracted from my work only by a knock on the door.
"Master Zellos, it's Ninya," came the voice from the other side.
"Narberal," I commanded the maid briefly. She had already transferred everything necessary to Nazarick and returned through the same Gate I had opened for the purpose. Now, she was once again acting as a piece of furniture in "my office" while I worked.
"Yes, Momo... Zellos-sama," the beauty slipped up again and, blushing, went to open the door.
"Oh, Lady Narberal," the cross-dressed girl faltered. "I came to say that dinner is ready." Well, I had been wondering when this topic would come up.
"Thank you, Ninya," I rose from the table and approached the doorway, "but there is no need. We wear special magical rings that allow us to forgo food and sleep, so do not worry about it."
"Oh... such things exist?" the girl blinked with genuine surprise.
"Yes, they are called 'Rings of Sustenance.' A very useful item during a journey." I wasn't entirely lying. Such things did exist in Yggdrasil, though despite the description, they were primarily used in-game by various fighters to negate fatigue parameters at early levels. Players didn't actually need to sleep or eat anyway, though food had its own specific mechanics there. And Gamma did, in fact, have such a ring. I don't know why her creator, Nishikienrai, gave it to her, though he likely just saw it as a useful element of roleplay and a justification for why a living unit wouldn't need to eat or sleep while standing guard eternally. Most likely, other living NPCs in Nazarick had plenty of such rings; the guild members were a group who cared deeply about roleplaying details. Momonga hadn't looked into the matter and only knew for sure about a couple of cases.
"I see..." Ninya murmured. Ever since our meeting, her gaze increasingly held that look of an uninitiated tourist staring at the eighth wonder of the world.
"Well, thank you again for the concern. But while we do not require food, that does not hold true for you. I will not detain you," I said, trying to tactfully hint at the end of the conversation.
"Ah... all right... I'll be going then." The girl took the hint and, looking embarrassed, hurried away.
"Nabe..." I said once the door had closed again. "You don't mind if I call you that sometimes, do you?"
"N-no! Of course not, Mo... Zellos-sama!" The Battle Maid practically trembled at the thought that she might object to my wish.
"Good. Then I believe there will be no further movements in E-Rantel today." Studying the purchases was certainly useful, but Ninya's visit reminded me that I had other business. While I had to be present at the inn during the day, nothing stopped me from leaving at night. Moreover, the first stage of tasks for this city was complete, but in Nazarick, there were things already waiting to be done. "If our mercenaries start stirring again for some reason, try to politely move the meeting to the morning."
"Understood," the girl nodded with a face expressing the exact opposite. "And you..."
"I am heading to Nazarick. The night hours should also be put to proper use, especially since there are plenty of matters requiring my attention." With a gesture, I opened a black-and-purple portal to the tomb. "I'm counting on you, Narberal."
"Thank you for your trust, My Lord," the doppelganger bowed.
Nodding to her in farewell, I stepped into the transition arch and a moment later found myself in the throne room of my dark and somber stronghold, inhabited by terrifying monsters.
"Welcome back, Lord Momonga!" Albedo, of course, was already there, devouring me with a loving gaze. It seemed like just one more second and she would start dancing in place, wagging her tail and flapping her wings. "I hope all your affairs have met with complete success!"
"Alas, dear Albedo, they are far from 'met with success.' They have only just begun."
"Dear..." Great, she's gone into nirvana again... sigh.
"Tomorrow morning I will continue my business in the city, but for now, I need to conduct a few experiments."
"Is there anything I can help you with, Lord Momonga?"
"Hmm..." Theoretically, even if everything ended in total failure, I could subdue a rampaging mob myself. On the other hand, backup in the form of one of the most powerful beings in Nazarick couldn't hurt. Besides, Albedo had already proven she was perfectly fine with the death of "colleagues" should they somehow displease her adored Lord. "Yes. You may be needed if something goes wrong."
"Yes!" She practically jumped in place, as if I had suggested... I don't know, going on a date or something. "Command me as you see fit, Lord Momonga! I am ready to carry out any order!"
"Good. First, call Entoma to the throne room. The others must leave."
"E-Entoma?! V-very well..." Right, I don't want to think about what might have just crossed her mind. Definitely don't want to!
A few minutes later, the required Battle Maid was presented before my eyes. Honestly, one could only mistake her for a human from a distance or in the dark. Or, as an alternative, while heavily drunk. Cockroach "legs" on thin chitinous arms barely hidden by the sleeves of her uniform, a static mask with faceted eyes... and if you knew what was hidden under that mask... My goddamn twisted guildmates, how I want to exterminate you...
"By your command, My Lord, I have arrived at the Throne Room!" the arachnid said, dropping to one knee. Her voice was thin and a bit unnatural, as if passed through a voice modifier program on a computer, yet surprisingly pleasant.
"Excellent. I suspect you don't quite understand why I called you, Entoma, do you?"
"Forgive my ignorance, My Lord!" The maid bowed her head. This fanaticism is really starting to get annoying... oh, there's the breeze.
"You are not to blame. You see, as my Guardians already know, I intend to undergo a Rebirth into a more perfect form. However, because we have found ourselves in a different world where a different magic exists, I cannot be certain that my previous calculations are correct. Thus, I must test the mechanics of this process." Along with the fact of whether the binding—both mine and of others to me—will break.
"This is very wise, Lord Momonga, as expected of a Supreme Being," Albedo nodded.
"But I cannot test this concept on simple maids or low-tier undead—our 'weight classes' are too different. At the same time, I do not wish to risk any of my Floor Guardians or Area Guardians."
"And so you chose me, Lord. I thank you for the honor of testing that which will elevate my Lord even higher!" There was actual pride in the insectoid's voice. Albedo was even looking at the maid with considerable envy. No, this level of loyalty is really too much. She's being told point-blank that she's being used as a lab rat and possibly a disposable resource, and she's happy about it.
"On my part, I promise to exert every effort to repair any damage should something go wrong. Up to and including resurrection."
"Thank you, My Lord! To die for the Lord is better than to live for oneself!" That's it, I give up. Next up are cries of "For the Emperor" while charging at Chaosites with a heavy bolter... Though... if you think about it, we're the Chaosites here, so we should be shouting something against the "Corpse on the Throne"... Hmph... It's all so complicated.
"In that case, listen and remember. I will give you an amulet that, when activated, should trigger the process. Your task is to track everything that happens to you. You are to change your race from arachnid to... a Fairy Queen, preferably a dark one." Goddamn crazy Asians—at what point are fairies similar to insects? But no-o-o, here it's essentially the same thing; they live by the principle of a beehive, even if they look like humanoids with butterfly wings. And their "sphere of influence" leans heavily toward support rather than direct combat. Granted, that applied to normal fairies; their dark branch could and loved to apply various curses and debuffs, and wouldn't hesitate to strike back hard if pushed. Combined with Entoma's professions and gear, such a reroll would hardly affect her combat effectiveness, except she would use fairies and various types of pollen, further enhanced by amulets, instead of her cockroaches and spiders. In fact, that was probably the main reason the choice fell on her. The less rational parts of me, which muttered something about her being a ruthless man-eater with non-human logic and thus needing to be disposed of one way or another, found only a weak resonance. I understood those reasons and agreed with them, but considering the rest of Nazarick's panopticon, man-eating isn't the worst thing that could happen here. And truth be told, in terms of "personality," Entoma was a rather peaceful and non-malicious girl who wouldn't attack people on her own unless hungry. Compared to ninety-five percent of even Shalltear's retinue alone, she wasn't even ranked as a threat to the surrounding lands.
"Understood!"
"Albedo, you and I will observe from the side and stop and neutralize Entoma as gently as possible if something goes wrong."
"It shall be done," the demoness nodded.
"Excellent." I cast a full complex of protections and buffs on the Overseer and myself, and every diagnostic spell I had on the "guinea pig." I also brought up her status panel; fortunately, the Throne had such functions. "Begin," I said, handing over the artifact.
The arachnid squeezed the amulet in her paws and... glowed with a milky-white light. A minute passed, then another... by the third, it was over. The light faded, revealing a girl very similar to the insectoid's "mask," but her facial expressions were quite alive. The maid's dress hugged some very pleasant-looking curves, and dark blue butterfly wings unfurled behind her back. The surge of knowledge from the diagnostic spells was jumbled and abundant, but essentially expressed only one thing: Zeta's species had abruptly changed as a result of unclassified magic, similar to a polymorph spell but with a much more complex structure and energy capacity. The status window showed that the NPC Entoma Vasilissa Zeta had changed race but was still part of the Great Tomb of Nazarick faction under its leader, Momonga. Then the girl opened her eyes.
"Lord Momonga," she said, dropping to her knees again. Her voice was almost unchanged, though all hints of grating had vanished from it.
"Well, congratulations on your New Birth, Entoma... no, Fairy Vasilissa Zeta." The window with the maid's name flickered, updating the NPC's name.
"Thank you, My Lord!"
"Now tell me, what did you feel? How do you feel now?"
"Very strange, Lord. These sensations... are not at all what I am used to. I can no longer see smells, but my vision itself has become much better and sharper, and... I can feel touch." The girl moved the fingers on her right hand several times, looking at them with surprise as if getting used to the movements. "It is so strange... but I like it. I think..."
"And what happened at the moment of Rebirth?" I asked, getting to the most interesting part.
"I... I went to a strange place? No... not exactly. I was here, but as if I were not here. Forgive me, I cannot express it more accurately. It was as if a scroll was opened before me with the names of dozens, hundreds of species. As you commanded, I chose the Fairy Queen, the dark branch. Then... then it was even stranger. It was as if I felt I could make my blood stronger or weaker, but in that case, strengthen my skills and abilities. I decided to keep the strength of my blood at the same level I had before."
"Very good." Apparently, that's how the investment of levels into race or class is perceived. In the game, one could level both entirely separately. In fact, correctly balancing racial bonuses and skills with class-acquired skills and other abilities is the core gimmick of build-crafting for all heteromorphic races. Nabe, for instance, is a level one doppelganger, but as an elementalist mage specializing in electricity, she is maxed out near the cap. As a result, she can hardly change her appearance—hair color and length, nails, and growing animal ears are her limit. Pandora's Actor, the creation of Momonyan's gloomy genius, is also a doppelganger, but forty-five levels were poured into his "race," turning him into a Greater Doppelganger, with the rest occupied by professional skills for memorizing and maintaining forms and their best application. The result—on its own, "at base," this unit was capable of little, but it could copy and remember nearly fifty forms of level one hundred beings and use all their powers and skills, with the exception of the "ultimate" and the highest tiers of magic. Even so, a being that raises undead only slightly weaker than an Overlord, hits physically only slightly inferior to Cocytus and Sebas, and is capable of using Holy Magic almost like a full level one hundred Holy See—all in any sequence... a truly terrifying beast. A build designed and brought to life by Momonyan. But back to our fairies. The result was quite pleasant from all points of view, so I could finally sit down with the calculator. "I am very pleased with you, Fairy."
"Ah, thank you for the praise, My Lord!"
"Nevertheless, I want you to train with the rest of the Pleiades and test your powers. There may be some consequences of rebirth that are not immediately obvious."
"Y-yes, as you wish... oh..."
"Is something wrong?" Were there problems after all?
"N-no... I don't know, it's just that at the sight of Lord Momonga, I suddenly began to feel strange."
"Strange?" Did her loyalty snap after all, and was she about to aggro?
"Yes... the strength in my knees is gone... and... there's some strange heat and unfamiliar sensations right here." The fairy pointed to her lower abdomen. Albedo, standing nearby, hissed angrily. Hmph, unexpected. I mean, this isn't Shalltear or Albedo—she doesn't have necrophilia or love for a specific skeleton written into her personality... Though... fine. I'm currently masked and wrapped in a magnificent robe; I am literally a tall, stately man in an expensive suit, sitting on a throne... Argh! Why the hell am I even trying to rationalize this?! It's obvious the Japanese are to blame for everything!
"The hormonal system of fairies is close to that of humans, I think..." Once again remembering the folly of fighting absurdity by trying to delve into it, I returned to the conversation. I had to react to the revelation somehow... Right, sending her to Albedo was a bad idea, to Shalltear as well... Oh, Demiurge! But he's busy... damn, and who am I supposed to trust to talk about the birds and the bees with this monster? Not Aura, surely? She might not even know herself—her creator was a fujoshi and would likely have told Mare a lot of bad things instead... Right, don't think about that! Don't think about what a fujoshi and Peroroncino's sister might have programmed into the trap she created! Switch! Now, where was I? Ah yes, of all the worst options, let's pick the best. "Shalltear will be happy to explain everything to you... Just don't ask her to demonstrate; if she insists, tell her I forbade it."
"As the Lord wishes," the girl bowed.
"That is all. Go to Shalltear first, then rest, and tomorrow you will begin testing your powers. And thank you for your help in the experiment, Fairy." The newly created Dark Fairy bowed once more, placed the discharged amulet—which would now take a week to "cooldown"—on a special tray, and departed.
"Lord Momonga?" Albedo turned to me, her beautiful non-human eyes burning with genuine excitement and anticipation.
"Well, as the experiment showed, the transformation mechanism, though somewhat changed, still works. All that remains is to do some calculations, and then it may be possible to try it myself. We shall see what Zeta's performance shows, whether her skills remain as sharp."
"I shall oversee everything personally!" The beautiful Overseer clearly intended to personally oversee what Shalltear would teach the maid-fairy as well. Possibly that was even the priority.
"Do not rush. Let her recover a bit and get used to her new body, otherwise the experiment cannot be called pure. Better to wait a few days now than lose months, if not years, later correcting errors that arose from haste." Also, the last thing I need is for you to bicker in front of the child. No, technically they're all immature children here, but Fairy is the only one whose nature I personally had a hand in, and she still needs to master that nature—careless interference will only disrupt the process's efficiency. Um... I mean... something's wrong here... Ah, yes! Adults simply shouldn't argue in front of children—it's bad from a moral standpoint! And negatively affects the educational process, yes.
"Very well," the demoness said, looking a bit dejected. "What are your further instructions, My Lord?"
"Hmmm, there's not much time left until morning. Perhaps it's worth asking how Demiurge and Mare are progressing with the creation of the reconnaissance network. Will you accompany me, my dear Albedo?"
"I follow you, my beloved Lord!" It was amazing how little she needed to be happy and how easy it made her to manage... ugh, bad lich! Control your thoughts!
On that note, we left the throne room. Instructions given, freshly-baked fairy busy—bliss. Let's go see how the others are doing; have they accidentally started Armageddon yet? In the name of their beloved Lord, of course...