Overlord

"Most players would want to support the Slaine Theocracy…"

The Slaine Theocracy was a religious nation which venerated the Six Gods, who descended upon the world six hundred years ago.

In the words of the Sunlight Scripture, the Slaine Theocracy fought to allow the weak human race to prosper, grow strong, and defeat other species. Any player with any remaining humanity would approve of the Slaine Theocracy's aims.

Unlike his own world, where humanity stood atop all living creatures, in this world, humanity was one of the weakest species around.

Though they could build such an impressive city upon the plains, the fact that they had to live on the plains only highlighted humanity's weakness.

That said, plains were also dangerous places. Firstly, there was no place to hide, so it was easy to be discovered by the enemy. Only weak species, who lacked darkvision, would choose to live in a place like this. They would have no safe spaces or living room if they chose otherwise.

There were species who were physically stronger and possessed more advanced civilizations than humans, but they were not in control of the continent. This was because they had ended up fighting the Eight Greed Kings, who dominated this land five hundred years ago. Humanity was one of the few survivors of that war. If not, the human race would long since be extinct.

Any players in this world would want to help out humanity. That was why Ainz was on guard against players and kept his distance from the Slaine Theocracy.

"In any case, I plan to sell off the swords taken from the Slaine Theocracy troops pretending to be knights… but before that, we need to get a job."

"Understood. Then, shall we visit the guild again tomorrow?"

"Indeed. Although I'd like to learn more by walking around this city, we should leave that for after we've earned some money."

"I see. As a battle maid, I shall carry out your orders with all my strength."

"Is that so. Then, I'll be counting on you, Narberal."

Ainz felt a warm glow of satisfaction as he watched Narberal bowing deeply. Then he cast a spell, and was wrapped in his armor and illusion once more.

"I will be inspecting our surroundings. You will stay here and wait for orders."

"Please allow me to come with you!"

"No, I'm only looking around the neighborhood. I've heard of a large graveyard which I want to visit… and the other reason why you're staying here is to ward off intruders. You must stay on your guard and never slack off. While I don't think there's any vulnerabilities in our defenses for the moment, this place might well be considered enemy territory, so you must never relax."

"Understood."

"I'll leave the scheduled call-ins to you as well."

As Ainz left the room, Narberal sighed deeply.

Then she rubbed the corner of her eyes, and her eyes, previously filled with a keen expression, drooped powerlessly. Her face looked completely relaxed. Even her ponytail seemed to have lost its energy and hung limply down.

However, she still recalled her supreme master's orders.

Though Narberal was dying to look around outside the room, she was a magic caster and had a lot of trouble replicating the feats of thieves. Therefore, she used the skills she was familiar with to make up the shortfall.

"「Rabbit's Ear」."

A pair of adorable bunny ears grew from Narberal's head as the spell was cast. The quivering ears immediately picked up all the sounds around her.

This was one of the three spells known as "Bunny Magic" to the players of YGGDRASIL. The other two were 「Rabbit's Foot」, which boosted luck, and 「Bunny Tail」, which reduced monster aggro. Casting all three of these spells at once would change the appearance of a female character's clothing, and so they were very popular. However, Narberal did not cast the other two because they were not needed.

Most of Narberal's spells pertained to combat. This was one of the few exceptions.

After listening to the sounds around her, she made sure it was safe before casting the 「Message」 spell. As she expected, a pleasant female voice spoke within her head.

"Yes, this is the scheduled report."

Narberal was speaking to the Guardian Overseer of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, Albedo.

She described every detail of the situation to Albedo, and finally she mentioned the news that Albedo was dying to hear:

"Ainz-sama mentioned you, Albedo-sama. He said that there was nobody else he could trust apart from you."

『Kufu—!』

A strange cry of delight resounded within Narberal's head.

『Good — very good — Narberal, you're a good girl! Keep spreading that news for me! This is an order from Nazarick's Guardian Overseer!』

Narberal wondered, Is this really worth an order? However, she realized that this might be a move in the struggle to better serve the Supreme One. Thus, such an order made perfect sense.

Just as Narberal was about to express her doubts, she heard Albedo's excited voice once more.

『I'll slowly decrease the distance between myself and Ainz-sama while Shalltear is out on business! Although the objective is hard to breach, as long as I keep up the pressure and gain a beachhead, I'll be able to bring it down one day! On that glorious day, Shalltear will weep bitter tears of regret!』

Albedo's cry of delight made Narberal furrow her brows. That excited voice was starting to annoy her.

With a voice that suggested she might burst into dance at any moment, Albedo continued babbling about what she would do next, and how things had to be, and then suddenly, she asked in a calm voice:

『Still, why are you helping me? Why did you choose me and not Shalltear? Could it be that you want something from me?』

"The answer is simple. If someone asked me whether Albedo-sama or Shalltear-sama was more suitable to sit beside Ainz-sama, I would definitely answer with your name, Albedo-sama."

『Kufu—! Wonderful. I didn't think you'd be able to see the future of Nazarick. I'm impressed.』

"Also, Yuri-neesama has a hard time dealing with Shalltear-sama."

『Oh, Yuri Alpha. I see, so that's how it is. Are the others on my side as well?』

The faces of the assistant leader Yuri Alpha as well as her other comrades appeared in Narberal's mind.

"That is hard to tell. Lupusregina is with you, Albedo-sama, but Solution is on Shalltear-sama's side. As for Entoma and Shizu, their allegiances are not yet known."

"It would be very difficult, because her tastes are very similar to Shalltear-sama's."

『Oh, I see… what crude hobbies she has.』

Narberal agreed with Albedo's words. She had no idea why Solution liked what she did, and she could not help but tilt her head in puzzlement.

Although all human beings were inferior lifeforms — with one exception — none of them had the hobby of tormenting humans. However, they would kill any humans who got in their way, even if doing so was tedious. That said, they would not go out of their way to kill them.

『Well, it can't be helped. Then, move quickly and bring the other girls into my camp. Start with Entoma and Shizu.』

"That should be fine. Solution and Entoma both like eating humans, so if we bring Entoma to your side, Solution might end up becoming an ally as a result."

『That's right… I've got it. Then, onto something else… can you tell me in detail what my beloved Ainz-sama has been doing?』

"Yes, I understand."

The scheduled communication with Albedo ended up being very heated — when Albedo heard Narberal and Ainz were sharing a room, she made strange noises and kicked up a fuss — to the point where she had to cast the same spell four times. Ainz was mildly annoyed when he returned, but that is a tale for another time.

Sensing something like a color upon the wind, Britta sniffed several times, like a dog.

She was not mistaken — the air contained a greenish scent. This odor came from mysterious drugs and crushed plants. The smell told Britta that she was at her destination.

Britta continued forward, to a place where the smell was stronger than just now. Peering left and right, she walked on until she was in front of the largest house.

This house was different from the others around it, which were designed with a shop area in front and a work area in the back. It seemed to have been built from the ground up as a workshop.

She knew that she had arrived from the sign that hung above the door and outside the place.

The bell mounted on top of the door rang surprisingly loudly as she pushed open the front door.

After she entered, she found herself in something that looked like a guest lounge. There were two facing benches in the middle of the room, cabinets of books on the walls, and ornamental plants in the corners of the room.

As she stepped into the lounge, a voice called out:

"Welcome!"

It was a male voice, though it sounded too young to belong to a man.

Looking around, she saw a teenage boy standing before her, dressed in a beat-up set of old work coveralls that were stained with juices from crushed plants.

His blond hair covered half his face, so it was hard to guess his age, but from his height and his voice, he should be in puberty.

Although he was a teenager, Britta could still guess his name. Apart from the fame of his grandmother, he had become one of the few notable people in E-Rantel by virtue of his innate talents.

"…Nfirea Bareare-san?"

"Yes, that's me."

The boy — Nfirea — nodded and asked:

"May I know what business you have here?"

"Ah, yes. Hang on a bit."

Britta retrieved the folded slip of paper the innkeeper had passed her and gave it to the boy.

Upon receiving the piece of paper, Nfirea opened and read it.

"I see… so that's what's going on. Then, can I see the potion?"

Britta took out the potion and handed it to Nfirea, who brought it so close to himself that his hair covered it.

The atmosphere changed.

Nfirea swept his hair away, revealing a handsome face, which would surely break the hearts of many girls.

However, within that youthful face of his was a pair of steely eyes. It was hard to imagine that someone who spoke and acted like he did could have eyes like that. Those eyes sparkled with excitement. Nfirea shook the potion bottle several times and nodded.

"Forgive me, it's not convenient to speak here. Could you follow me inside?"

Britta agreed, and under Nfirea's guidance, she soon arrived at a messy room. Still, she thought that way because she lacked professional experience.

On the table were round-bottomed flasks, test tubes, distillation equipment, mortars, funnels, beakers, alcohol lamps, balances, a bizarre-looking pot, and various other items. The shelves on the walls were filled with mysterious herb and mineral samples.

An acrid odor hung in the air. It seemed potentially dangerous to one's body.

The person who was already within the room stared at the two people who had barged in.

She was a very old woman, and both her face and hands were heavily wrinkled. Her hair, which reached to her eyebrows, was pure white. Her work clothes were stained with even more green residue than Nfirea's and she smelled heavily of grass.

Nfirea, who had just entered, called out to the old lady:

"Granny!"

"What is it, what is it, I can hear you even if you don't shout. My ears are sharp, you know."

Nfirea only had one grandmother, who was renowned as the greatest herbalist in this city, Lizzie Bareare.

"Come take a look at this."

Lizzie accepted the potion Nfirea offered her. As she studied it, her gaze was so focused and keen that it unsettled Britta. She looked like a grizzled veteran of many battles.

In this, she was not wrong. Herbalists needed to use magic when making their potions and medicines, and the more famous the herbalist, the higher the tier of magic they could use. Therefore, the greatest herbalist of E-Rantel, Lizzie Bareare, was a much better combatant than Britta.

"This potion… did you bring it here? …A legendary potion? No, could it be… God's Blood? What on earth is this potion?"

"Eh?"

Britta's eyes went wide, thinking That's my line.

"Impossible… this potion. Where did you get it from? A ruin?"

"Eh? Ah, no, that…"

"What a shrinking violet you are. Just give me a straight answer — where did you get it from? Did you steal it? Hm?"

Britta's shoulders shuddered in surprise. She had done nothing wrong, yet she felt like she was being rebuked.

"…Granny, don't scare her."

"…What are you saying, Nfirea? I didn't scare her at all… right?"

No, you did. Britta wanted to say that, but instead she gulped and simply told Lizzie the full story about the potion:

"Ah, er, someone else gave it to me as payment."

"…Hah?"

Lizzie's eyes became even more stern.

"Wait a minute, Granny. Britta-san, could you tell me who gave it to you? And why was it given to you?"

With Nfirea's help, Britta explained simply that she had received the potion from a mysterious man in full plate. As Lizzie heard it, more furrows sprouted on her wrinkled face.

"…Did you know that there are three kinds of potions?"

Without waiting for Britta's reply, Lizzie continued:

"The first kind are potions made from herbs alone. Those potions act slowly, and all they can do is improve a person's natural recovery. While they're not very effective, they're very cheap. The second kind of potions are made with herbs and magic. These potions take effect faster than the first kind, but they still need some time to work. Most adventurers use these potions to recover after a battle. The final kind of potion is made solely from magic. Essentially, one infuses a spell into an alchemical solution and it takes instant effect. These potions are functionally the same as a spell, but they are correspondingly more expensive. Then, which of these three kinds does that potion of yours belong too? I can't see any traces of herbal residue, so it should be a pure-magic potion, but—"

Lizzie pulled out a potion bottle filled with a blue liquid and held it before Britta's eyes.

"This is a basic healing potion. The colors are different, right? Recovery potions turn blue during their manufacture, but yours is red. In other words, the process by which that potion was made is completely different from the way normal potions are made. In other words, your potion is pretty rare, and for all we know it might end up revolutionizing modern potion creation methods… well, you might not realise it for a while."

After saying that, Lizzie cast a spell:

"「Appraisal Magic Item」."

"「Detect Enchant」."

After casting the two spells on the potion, a look of shock and anger appeared on Lizzie's face.

"Kuku. Fuahaha!"

—Suddenly, crazed laughter echoed through the narrow room. Lizzie slowly raised her head, a terrifyingly mad smile on her face. Britta was so frightened by the sudden change in Lizzie that not only could she not speak, she could not even move.

"Kukuku! Is that what it is!? Look closely at this potion, Nfirea! This is the perfected form of all potions! It's right here! We — herbalists, alchemists, everyone in the business of making potions — have studied for so long and acc.u.mulated so much experience, but yet we have not been able to achieve this idealized form!"

Lizzie's cheeks were red from her excitement and she was huffing and puffing. However, she maintained her death grip on the potion bottle as she brought it before Nfirea's eyes.

"Potions will deteriorate over time, am I right!?"

"Of course, that's common sense."

In stark contrast to Lizzie's excitement, Nfirea was calm. However, Britta could sense hints of anticipation within him.

She had no idea why they were so fired up about this. She keenly felt like she had been swept up into a storm that shook the heavens and the earth. To think she had brought a potion here that could put such an excited look on the face of E-Rantel's greatest herbalist!

"Pure magic potions are made from alchemical solutions. Those solutions are refined from a mineral base, so it's only natural that the quality of the solution will degrade over time. That's why you need to cast the spell 「Preservation」 on it."

Lizzie paused, and then spoke again.

"At least, until now."

Britta seemed to understand a little of what Lizzie was saying. She looked at the red solution, her eyes wide with surprise.

"This bottle! This potion! This bottle of potion! It doesn't deteriorate even without preservative magic! In other words, it's a perfect potion! Nobody's done anything like this until today! According to the ancient legends, the original healing potion was made from the blood of the gods."

Lizzie shook the bottle she was holding and the bright red liquid swirled within the glass.

"Of course, they're just legends. It used to be a joke between herbalists that the gods had blue blood."

After another brief pause, Lizzie looked at the bottle of potion she was holding in her hand. It was trembling in her excitement.

"This potion might well be the true God's Blood!"

Nfirea kept patting Lizzie's back as she panted heavily. Britta was struck dumb by surprise. The silence between them was broken by Lizzie:

"…You must have come here to learn about this potion's effects, right? This potion is around the level of a second tier healing spell. Not counting the added value from its rarity, it would fetch around eight gold pieces. That said, once you factor that extra value in, the price is enough that people would murder you for it."

Britta's body trembled uncontrollably.

To an iron plate adventurer like Britta, the potion's base value alone was already very high, to say nothing of the added value. Lizzie had a gleaming edge in her eye, and she looked like she was looking for any opportunity to take it from her.

Even so, Britta had her doubts. Why would that man in full plate armor give her that potion so easily? What sort of man hid under that armor?

Just as countless doubts appeared in her heart, Lizzie asked:

"How about selling it to me? I'll give you a good price for it. How about thirty two gold pieces?"

Britta's eyes went even wider.

The price Lizzie had just quoted was a staggering sum. Frugally used, it was enough for a family of three to live on for three years.

Britta was confused. She knew the potion was incredibly valuable. Then, was selling it for thirty two gold pieces the right thing to do? It seemed unlikely that she would ever be able to lay her hands on another potion like this again.

But if she refused, would she make it back alive?

After seeing Britta's hesitant face, Lizzie shook her head and proposed another deal—

Part 4

The next morning, Ainz — also known as Momon — opened the guild's doors once more.

The first thing he saw as he entered the room was the counter, where three of the guild's receptionists greeted the adventurers with smiles on their faces. There were warriors in full plate armor, nimble fellows in light armor and bearing bows, people in priest's garb and adorned with all manner of holy symbols, as well as robed arcane magic casters with their staves.

On the left was a large door, and on the right was a notice board. There were several pieces of parchment upon it which he had not seen yesterday. Several adventurers were chatting in front of it.

Annoyed by that sight and the many sticking-out pieces of parchment, Ainz moved forward to the counter.

The eyes of everyone present focused on the copper plate around Ainz's neck, and he could feel those eyes sizing him up from head to toe. It was just like yesterday at the inn.

Ainz was surveying the adventurers in turn. They wore gold and silver plates on their necklaces, with no copper plates. Feeling vaguely out of place, Ainz advanced to the counter.

A group of adventurers had just departed, freeing up one of the counters. He stepped forward and said:

"Pardon me, but I'm looking for work."

"Then, please select a piece of parchment from over there and bring it here."

Ainz nodded in silence, feeling as though his nonexistent sweat glands were now recovering some of their function. He arrived before the notice boards, looked across all of them, and then nodded.

Yup, I can't read any of them.

One of the laws in this world was that spoken language was automatically translated, but written text was not.

The receptionists walked him through everything the last time he came to the Adventurer's Guild, so he had assumed they would do the same this time too. How naive.

He wanted to scream "Ahhhh," and roll around on the ground, and then his emotions suddenly calmed down. Grateful for this property of his new body, Ainz frantically racked his brains.

While the literacy rate here was not high, it would be shameful if his inability to read was discovered by others. They might even look down on him.

The translation item that Ainz possessed was now in the hands of Sebas. During YGGDRASIL he had ignored spells of that sort and had not learned them. After all, he had scrolls, which could substitute for learning those spells.

He cursed himself for a fool, for coming out without making preparations despite knowing that he could not read the language.

Still, there was no point crying over spilt milk. Regret would not help him here.

Narberal could not read the words either, so was of no use.

Negative thoughts rose up in his mind, but as the ruler of Nazarick, he could not do anything embarrassing.

After gathering his resolve, Ainz ripped off a piece of parchment, and strode back to the counter.

"I'd like to take this job."

Confusion came over the counter girl's face as she looked at the parchment before her eyes. Then, she smiled bitterly and replied:

"I'm very sorry, but this job is only for mithril plate adventurers…"

"I know. That's why I took it."

The calm, unwavering tone in Ainz's voice evoked doubt in the counter girl's eyes.

"Er, about that…"

"I would like to take this job."

"Eh? Ah, but, even if you ask, according to the rules…"

"They're worthless rules. I'm fed up with having to keep proving myself with easy, pathetic jobs like this before my rank-up examinations."

"If you fail the job, many people will lose their lives."

The receptionist's firm voice seemed to encompass the silent opinions of the countless people who had worked hard to qualify themselves by the guild's rankings.

"Hmph."

Ainz's snort drew hostility from the counter girl and the surrounding adventurers. Ainz felt that their attitude was only to be expected. After all, he was a clueless newcomer who was sneering at the rules by which they abided.

As an undead being, Ainz felt nothing, but the remnants of Suzuki Satoru's salaryman sensibilities made Ainz want to apologize to everyone around him.

Suzuki Satoru hated those people who rejected other's opinions without offering solutions of their own, and crappy customers who knew nothing.

Right now, Ainz was part of the latter group, and he wanted to give himself a good punch.

However, Ainz could not back down easily. He wanted to, but he could still deal with a situation of this level. Therefore, Ainz pulled out his trump card.

"The person behind me is my companion, Nabe. She is a magician of the third tier."

The air shuddered with a collective gasp, and everyone looked at Narberal in surprise. In this world, third tier spells were the highest which most magic casters could reach.

Is he for real? The eyes of the surrounding people shifted to Ainz's stylish full plate armor, dubious of his claim.

Adventurers wore equipment which matched their abilities. The stronger they were, the better the gear they outfitted themselves with. Ainz's armor was very eye-catching and he travelled with a woman like Nabe, both of which were very persuasive.

Noticing the changes around him, Ainz cheered inside his heart, and decided to strike while the iron was hot:

"I, personally, am a warrior of comparable strength to Nabe. I am very sure that a job like that would be a trivial task for me."

The receptionist and the other adventurers were not as surprised in comparison to just now. They seemed to be looking at Ainz with different eyes.

"We did not become adventurers to do jobs for a few pieces of copper. I wish to take on a higher ranked job. If you wish to see our strength, I will be more than glad to show it to you. Therefore, can we take this job?"

The hostility towards them was fading rapidly, and there were whispers of, "Indeed, that's right," and "No wonder." After all, the rough men called adventurers valued strength, and they understood what Ainz was trying to say.

However, the counter girl was a different matter.

"…I am very sorry, but we cannot let you take this job due to the rules."

The receptionist lowered her head in apology, and Ainz took a victory pose in his heart.

"Then it can't be helped… it seems I've put you in a difficult position," Ainz replied as he nodded in apology.

"Then, help me pick the most challenging copper plate job, then. There should be others besides the ones on the noticeboard, right?"

"Ah, there are, I know."

The receptionist stood up, and just as Ainz was about to cry tears of joy at his absolute victory, a man's voice reached his ears.

"How about helping us with our work, then?"

"What?"

He had reflexively responded in a low, threatening tone. Ainz looked over, but all saw was a four-man adventurer team, their silver plates glittering on their necklaces.

Ainz grumbled internally — After all the effort to misdirect them — and turned to face those people.

"The job in question… it's a worthwhile assignment… right?"

"Mm — well, I feel it's worthwhile."

The person who responded was a man who looked like the team's leader. He wore some sort of banded armor — strips of metal woven together with metal threads over a leather or chain backing — and carried himself like a warrior.

Should he join this man's team and work with them? Of course, he could decide after hearing them out, but then there was no telling if the receptionist girl would help them pick a job after he spoke with them. However, if he took their job, there would be a chance to build relations with them and obtain useful information.

Several seconds passed.

Ainz slowly nodded:

"Worthwhile jobs are exactly what I seek. Then, let us work together. However, I would like to ask what sort of job it is."

After hearing his response, the men asked the receptionist to prepare a room for them.

It looked like a meeting room, with a wooden table lined with chairs in the middle. The men streamed in and sat down.

"Please have a seat."

Ainz did as he was told, and Narberal silently took a place beside him.

The men were all quite young, probably under twenty, but there was no childishness in them and they possessed a maturity which did not match their ages. Although they seemed to have seated themselves randomly around the table, judging by their distance and positioning, they could draw their weapons at any time.

This unconscious display must have been a habit born from countless close encounters with death.

"Before we begin discussing the job, let us introduce ourselves."

The speaker was the man who looked like a warrior.

He had the typical blond hair and blue eyes of the Kingdom, and while there were no other distinguishing features on him, he looked quite handsome.

"I'm the leader of the "Swords of Darkness," Peter Mauk. That fellow over there is the eyes and ears of our team, the ranger Lukrut Volve."

A leather-armored blond man nodded in acknowledgement, and his brown eyes seemed to have a spark of delight in them. He was slender and long-limbed, kind of like a spider, but his lean torso was wiry and muscular.

"Next is our magic caster and the brains of our group, Ninya, The Spellcaster."

"Pleased to meet you."

He was probably the youngest person in the group, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. Though he was an a.d.u.l.t, the smile on his face looked too youthful.

Unlike the tanned skin of the group's other members, his skin was pale, and his face was the prettiest of the group's. It was more of an androgynous beauty than any masculine concept of attractiveness. His voice was higher-pitched than the others.

However, the smile on his face was like a mask, though it was not entirely fake.

While the others all wore armor, he wore a leather robe. However, Ainz could see that beneath the table he had various strange items in his belt, including oddly-shaped bottles and peculiar wooden objects and so on.

Judging from the term "spellcaster," he was probably a magic caster of the arcane variety, like Ainz.

"…But Peter, can you not use that embarrassing nickname?"

"Eh? But it's a good one."

"You have a nickname?" Ainz asked, with no idea what was going on. Lukrut explained:

"He's a talent holder, and a genius magic caster."

"Oh…" Ainz murmured: they had tortured three of the Sunlight Scripture members to death to get that information, and now there was a live example in front of him. Ainz was delighted.

However, Narberal did not understand and simply snorted derisively. Ainz sighed in relief after he realized that none of them had heard it. He was slightly mad because his incompetent subordinate was doing odd things like this during a negotiation, but getting into an argument here would not be productive either, so Ainz quickly calmed himself down.

"It's nothing much, it's just that I happened to have a talent pertaining to that field…"

"Oh…"

Ainz was even more interested, and he leaned forward, straining to listen.

Much like martial arts, talents were abilities that did not exist in YGGDRASIL but which were unique to this world. About one in every two hundred people was born with a talent. While talent-holders were not rare, the abilities themselves varied greatly in potency and type.

For instance, there were talents like being able to predict tomorrow's weather with seventy percent accuracy, the ability to strengthen summoned monsters, hastening the harvest by several days, using the magic of the dragons which once ruled this world, and so on.

However, all of these were inborn abilities, which could not be chosen or changed. It was quite common to encounter situations where these abilities could not be applied. If someone was born with a talent that could improve the destructive power of their magic, but they never had the chance to become a magic caster, then their talent would be useless.

There were very few people who could make good use of their talents. There were almost no talents which could dictate the course of one's entire life, apart from a few exceptionally powerful talents..

The best proof of that statement was Gazef Stronoff, who was a warrior without a talent.

However, people with combat-applicable talents tended to go into the adventuring profession. Therefore, talent-holders were a common sight among adventurers. The person before him was one of those lucky few who could fully utilize his talent.

"I think his talent had something to do with being suited to studying magic, and he only took four years to learn what should have taken eight years. I'm not a magic caster, so I'm not sure how great that is."

Ainz was a magic caster as well. Those words made him curious, and awoke a collector's d.e.s.i.r.e within him. This was an ability which the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick did not possess, and which could strengthen the organization. If he could gain control of that ability, it might be worth making enemies of everyone here.

Shrinking the time it took to learn an ability like this should have been the province of a Super tier spell,「Wish Upon A Star」.

The two of them continued talking, without realizing that Ainz was watching them under his helmet, like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey.

"…I'm really lucky that I was born with this ability, because it allowed me to take a step closer to my dream. Without this power, I would have ended my days as a lowly peasant."

Ninya's muttering was gloomy and solemn. As though to sweep away the grim air hanging over the room, Peter continued in a completely different tone:

"Well, no matter what, you're still a famous talent-holder in this city."

"Still, there's people more famous than me."

"The leader of Blue Rose?"

"That person's famous too, but I was talking about someone within this city."

"You mean, Bareare-shi!?" shouted the last person, who had not yet been introduced yet. Ainz was curious about the name and asked:

"…And what sort of talent does that person have?"

A look of surprise came over all four of them. It would seem this was common knowledge.

Ainz had asked that question because he was curious and wanted to acquire an ability which could strengthen Nazarick. Therefore, in response to the regret he felt over his carelessness, he told himself that there had to be some way to recover from a mistake like this.

However, before Ainz could explain, the other side came to a conclusion of their own:

"I see, the reason why we don't know you at all despite that stylish full plate and your beautiful companion is because you're not from around here, am I right?"

Ainz nodded at this heaven-sent mercy of a question.

"Indeed, that is correct. The truth is, we only arrived here yesterday."

"Oh, so you wouldn't know, then? He's a famous person in this town, but he's probably not that famous that distant cities would know about him, huh?"

"Yes, I've never heard of him before. If you don't mind, could you tell me about him?"

"His name is Nfirea Bareare, the grandson of a famous herbalist. His talent allows him to use any magic item. Not only can he use scrolls of a different spellcasting system from himself, he can even use items made by the non-human races. Even items restricted to those of royal blood shouldn't be a problem either."

"..Oh."

Ainz tried his best not to let them hear the awe in his voice.

How much could his talent do? Could he use the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown — which only the guildmaster could use — as well as World Class Items? Or did it have limits?

He was someone to be wary of, but he could be very useful as well.

Narberal seemed to feel the same way. She brought her mouth close to where Ainz's ears would be under the helmet and whispered:

"I think that person is dangerous."

"…I know. Coming to this city was the right decision."

"Momon-san, is something the matter?"

"Oh, no, it's fine, don't worry. Speaking of which, could you tell me about your last friend?"

"Yes. He's a druid — Dyne Woodwonder. He uses healing spells and magic that controls nature, and he's well versed in herbal lore. Let him know if there's anything wrong with your body; he has medicine that's good for stomach pains."

"Pleased to meet you!" came the greeting from the burly, barbaric-looking man with a full, bushy beard. However, he seemed younger than how Ainz appeared.

There was a very faint smell of grass from him, which came from the cloth pouch tied to his waist.

"Then, it's time for us to introduce ourselves. She is Nabe, I am Momon. Pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Wonderful, I hope we'll get along. Then, Momon-san, just address me by my first name. Right, while it feels a little wrong to get to business so abruptly, we should probably start discussing the job. As for that, the truth is what we're asking you for doesn't really qualify as work."

"That means…"

Upon hearing Ainz's confusion, Peter extended his hand to halt him, with the intention of delaying the question for a later date.

"This job is to hunt the monsters that appear around the town."

"Clearing out monsters, huh…?"

That was enough to count as work. Or was there some special adventurer reason which made him say that it did not qualify? Ainz wanted to ask about that, but if this was common knowledge, asking that question might make him appear clueless, which was bad. Therefore, he tried asking a safe question instead.

"What sorts of monsters will we be exterminating?"

"Ah, we're not exterminating monsters. After hunting monsters, the city council will pay us a reward based on their strength. What do they call it where you come from, Momon-san?"

So that was it.

Ainz understood. When Peter said that this did not qualify as work, in YGGDRASIL terms, it was more like killing spawned monsters and taking the items they dropped.

"This is something we have to do to make a living," said the druid — Dyne Woodwonder — in his deep baritone.

Following that, Lukrut spoke up as well.

"For us, it's making a living, but what we do also reduces the danger to the surrounding people. The traders can come and go in peace and the country can collect its taxes. All in all, it's a way to earn money without anyone losing out."

"Nowadays, most countries with guilds do this, but five years ago, this sort of thing was nonexistent. It's quite surprising."

Everyone in the team nodded as Ninya spoke. They began chatting amongst themselves, leaving no openings for Ainz to cut in. Still, it would be odd to know absolutely nothing about this country, so Ainz decided to shut up and listen to what they said.

"It's all thanks to the Golden Princess, long may she live."

"She proposed a policy through that would waive taxes on adventurers, although it never got passed."

"Oh, to think she paid so much attention to adventurers."

"Indeed. Some rulers would treat armed organizations who were not loyal to the country as enemies. Even the Empire isn't so generous."

"That princess sure is brilliant, coming out with all these great proposals… although almost all of them were shot down."

"I want to marry a beautiful girl like that~"

"Then, shouldn't you work on getting ennobled?"

"Ah—no way, no way, I couldn't live a stifled life like that."

"I think being a noble's not bad. After all, the Kingdom pretty much allows a noble to trample the peasants and do as they please."

There was a strong undercurrent of mockery hidden beneath Ninya's words. Ainz furrowed his nonexistent brows within his helmet, but Narberal remained still, a nonchalant look on her face. Lukrut replied in a jovial tone:

"Uwah~ that tongue of yours is still so vicious. You really hate nobles, don't you?"

"I know that some nobles are honorable, but my big sister was taken away by that pig. I can't not hate nobles."

"…We're getting sidetracked here! We shouldn't be talking about this sort of thing in front of our comrades, Momon-shi and Miss Nabe."

After Dyne tried to get everyone back on track, Peter coughed in an incredibly fake manner before continuing:

"And so, we'll be searching for monsters in the nearby region. We're close to a developed region, so the monsters shouldn't be too strong. Does that displease you, Momon-san?"

Peter spread a piece of parchment on the table. It looked to be a map of the surrounding region. The map showed villages, forests, rivers, and so on.

"Basically, we'll be heading south and looking around this area."

His finger moved from the center of the parchment to the vicinity of the southern forest.

"We'll be hunting monsters in the forest bordering the Slaine Theocracy. The only creatures who can hit the back line are Goblins with magic items that grant flight."

"However, we won't get much for killing such weak monsters."

Ainz had his doubts about this group's easygoing attitude.

From what Ainz knew, there were many kinds of named Goblins in YGGDRASIL, and their levels ranged from one to fifty. Since individual Goblins could vary widely in power, one could not lump the Goblins into one big group. A moment's carelessness could lead to dire consequences.

Did their relaxed attitudes mean that they were confident of not encountering high-level Goblins, or did it mean that this world's Goblins were simply that weak?

"…What if a powerful Goblin shows up?"

"While it's true that powerful Goblins exist, they won't show up in the forest we're heading towards, because these Goblins are usually tribal leaders. They won't mobilize their entire tribes just for us."

"The Goblins know about humanity's area of influence, so they're fully aware of the retaliation that'll be headed that way if they launch a large-scale attack. It's especially true when it comes to the stronger Goblins, since they tend to be the higher-ranked and more intelligent members of their species."

"Plus, Nabe-san can use third tier magic. So it should be fine even if we encounter high level Goblins, right?"

"I see. However, I'd like to remind you that there are Goblins who can use third tier magic. Just for my reference, could you tell me about the monsters we might encounter?"

The Swords of Darkness turned in unison to look at Ninya. Picking up on their thoughts, Ninya began explaining with a teacherly look on his face.

"We're likely to encounter Goblins and the wolves they raise. As for other monsters, there haven't been any strong ones sighted around this area. The most dangerous monsters we might encounter on the plains are probably ogres."

"We won't be entering the forest?"

"Yes, because the forest is very dangerous. We can still deal with things like Jumping Leeches and Giant Beetles, but the Hanging Spiders which spit webs at you from the trees and the Forest Worms which maul you from the ground with their huge jaws are harder to handle."

No wonder.

Ainz nodded in acknowledgement. So their aim was to hunt the monsters from the forest which made their way onto the plains.

"That's how it is, Momon-san. How about it? Want to lend us a hand?"

"…Mm. Then, I'll be in your care… although before that, could you tell me about the pay for this?"

"Ah, yes, that's right, the payment is very important. Basically, since Momon-san's team and our team are working together, the plan is to split it evenly."

"Going by the numbers in our teams, it seems awfully generous."

"However, when the monsters appear, I hope you and Nabe-san will take half of them as well. We can only use spells of up to the second tier. So when we factor your abilities in, that division of the money seems quite logical."

Ainz pretended to think for a while before nodding his head in agreement.

"I have no problems with that arrangement. Then, let us fight shoulder to shoulder. Also, since we're working together, I guess I should let everyone see my true face."

With that, Momonga removed his helmet. The four people before him seemed quite surprised by what they saw.

"…Black eyes and hair like Nabe-san, so he shouldn't have been born in this area. I've heard that in the south, people like Momon-san are commonplace… did you come from that region?"

"Yes. We have come here from a faraway land."

He's older than I thought, he's already an uncle.

Hey, that's rude.

A warrior on par with a magic caster of the third tier should be around that age.

Miss Nabe's pretty amazing too.

Ainz's keen ears picked up their whispered words, with the exception of Peter's.

Being called an uncle made Ainz feel uncomfortable, but it probably couldn't be helped that he was an uncle in the eyes of these youngsters. If one was an a.d.u.l.t by the age of sixteen, then Ainz was definitely an uncle to them.

"I'll be covering my face up after showing it to you. There might be trouble if other people know I'm a foreigner."

With that, Ainz put his helmet back on again. After that, he smiled in satisfaction under his helmet. This was because Ainz had enchanted himself with an illusion — although it was a low-grade type, which would be seen through if touched — just in case.

"Since we'll be hunting together, it would probably be good to get questions out of the way at this point. Do you have anything to ask me?"

"Me!"

A hand shot up toward the ceiling after Ainz asked his question. That hand belonged to Lukrut.

After making sure that nobody else was asking a question other than himself, Lukrut cheerfully asked Narberal:

"What kind of relationship do you two have!"

The room was filled with silence.

Ainz had no idea what Lukrut meant by that question. However, Peter and his people had picked up on Lukrut's intentions.

"…We are companions."

After Ainz's answer, Lukrut's next few words threw the room into an uproar.

"I've fallen for you! It's love at first sight! Please go out with me!"

Everyone turned to look at Lukrut. After realising that Lukrut's words were not a joke to deepen their friendship, Ainz shifted his gaze to Narberal. As the center of attention, Narberal took a deep breath before replying:

"Silence, inferior lifeform (slug). Learn your place before speaking again, or should I rip your tongue out of your head."

The silence was even more deafening than before.

"Ah, no…"

Ainz made to lighten the mood, but Lukrut stole a march on him and said, "Thank you for the firm rejection! Then, let's start as friends!"

"Die, inferior lifeform (maggot). How could I possibly be friends with you? Or do you want me to gouge out your eyeballs with a spoon?"

After turning away from the feuding pair, Ainz and Peter bowed to each other in apology.

"…My comrade has made trouble for you."

"No, I should be the one apologizing."

"We'll call it quits, then. Is that all right?"

Peter looked around before speaking, though he kept his eyes from the grinning Lukrut and the cold-eyed Narberal.

"Then, Momon-san. If you're ready, then let's move out. We're already prepared."

After hearing the word "ready," Ainz suddenly thought of something.

They had already purchased the minimum required gear from the innkeeper. Although Ainz and Narberal did not need to waste space on food and drinks, it would be weird if they did not eat or drink anything, so they had some ready just in case.

"All right, once we distribute the rations, we can set out right away."

"Are rations the only thing you need to prepare? If you're not going to buy them from a specialist shop, why not get some dry rations from the counter? They'll prepare them for you right away."

"Is that so? That's good to hear. We can finish our preparations right away."

"Then, let's go."

Everyone rose and left the room.

♦ ♦ ♦

After returning to the guild lobby, there were more adventurers than before, and there were several teams standing near the parchment-covered noticeboard. However, everyone's attention seemed focused on a certain teenager.

The blond-haired teenager was talking to one of the counter girls, and the other two receptionists were leaning in to eavesdrop on their conversation. If things had been busy when Ainz came in, the current situation was now the exact opposite.

The counter girl's face — no, her mouth was in an O shape. It was a look of surprise. And the person she was looking at was none other than Ainz himself.

What's going on here?

Just as doubt started welling up inside Ainz, the counter girl approached and said:

"There is a job here asking for you by name."

Those words changed the air in the room instantly. Ainz could feel many curious eyes staring unreservedly at him.

The Swords of Darkness were similarly shocked.

Narberal shifted briefly at the unpleasant change in the room's atmosphere. This was to make it easier to act during the critical early stages of a battle.

Ainz could not help but feel worried by this.

This is bad, Narberal's movements are bad. Judging by the way Narberal stood beside him, she must have thought that something strange was about to happen and had taken up a defensive posture to protect Ainz. However, it was an action completely unfitting for a situation like this. Normal people would not do such a thing under these circ.u.mstances.

Granted, protecting Ainz was her top priority, but her movements were far too thoughtless.

You idiot. Albedo's the same way too. What the hell are the both of you thinking? No… it's more like they didn't think at all. They feel like they can crush humans like insects because they look down on them.

While that sort of attitude could not be helped from NPCs of a guild composed of heteromorphic beings (Ainz Ooal Gown), there was a time and place for that sort of thing.

An annoyed Ainz wanted to ask his past comrades, "Why are all your NPCs like this?" He did not care what kind of backstory they had, but they needed to have basic social skills, as well as the ability to take note of the time, place, situation, and respond accordingly.

He did not have time to scold Narberal now. If someone discovered that Narberal was in battle mode, who knew what sort of trouble they might get into.

Ainz immediately karate chopped Narberal on the head. Although he did not use his full strength, he was still wearing his Jarngreipr. Narberal looked back at Ainz with tear-filled eyes, a look of surprise and confusion on her face, as though Ainz had grievously wounded her with that strike. However, Ainz paid her no heed and asked the counter girl:

"And who is this person who has asked for me by name?"

The moment those words cleared his mouth, Ainz cursed himself. Who else could it be but the boy in front of him?

"That would be Nfirea Bareare-san."

I just heard that name — as Ainz thought this, the boy approached him.

"Pleased to meet you. I was the one who put out that job."

The boy nodded slightly, and Ainz returned the gesture.

"Actually, this request—"

Before the boy could finish speaking, Ainz raised his hand to interrupt:

"My deepest apologies, but I've already made an agreement with someone else for a job, so I cannot accept your request right away."

The air in the room seemed to shudder as he said this. The reaction of the Swords of Darkness was more intense than Ainz's own:

"Momon-san! He asked for you by name!"

Peter's response filled Ainz with doubt. Was a personal request something to be surprised about? However—

"That may be so, but should I not carry out the job I've been requested to do earlier?"

Ainz's decision seemed to have been the right one. Some of the adventurers around him were nodding in approval. Just then, he had a flash of inspiration:

"However… our job is hardly a request. If we don't meet any monsters, there won't be any pay to speak of…"

Peter's words to Ainz trailed off, and he sounded reluctant to speak them.

Being hired by the boy with the famous grandmother was a far cry from wandering around the place trying to kill monsters. That was why Peter sounded like he wanted to give up on the job.

With that conclusion in mind, Ainz gently said:

"…Then how about this, Peter-san? Bareare-san has not told me about the job's details, payment, timeframe, and such. I will hear him out and make my decision then."

"I'm all right with that, of course. Though I'd like to finish it quickly, it can wait a day or two."

"Then, please allow my friends from Swords of Darkness to be present during the job briefing… no, I should say, if the negotiations fall through, I would like the privilege of carrying out my previous task first."

"Eh? Momon-san, is it all right for us to come with you?"

"Of course. I hope you will be party to the discussion and provide your opinions."

After the Swords of Darkness gave their approval, Ainz and company returned to the room from just now.

He felt very busy.

Once more, Ainz smiled bitterly and took his seat from just now. Narberal sat beside him, while the boy was one seat away from them. The Swords of Darkness went back to their previous places.

The first to speak among them was, of course, the boy:

"The receptionist mentioned it earlier, but I think it would be best if I introduced myself. I am Nfirea Bareare, and I work as a herbalist in this city. As for the details of the job, I will soon be heading into the nearby forest as planned. Since everyone knows the forest is dangerous, I was hoping that you could be my guardians, as well as help in harvesting herbs if possible."

"Bodyguarding, huh. I see."

Ainz nodded calmly. He had the feeling that this job would be a troublesome one.

Ainz knew he was powerful, and he could probably exterminate any attacking monster when working with Narberal. However, he was not as confident when it came to carrying out an escort mission. This was because Ainz and Narberal were both magic casters, and lacked the specialized magic and skills needed to become shields for other people.

"Compared to the usual amount, the payment will be—"

"—Please hold on a moment. The task of bodyguarding suits you well. Then, Peter-san, would you like me to take you on instead?"

"Eh?"

"If it's a job that involves bodyguarding and harvesting herbs, don't you think we'd be more effective with Lukrut-san the ranger and Dyne-san the druid?"

"Oh! Good eye, Momon-shi. As a druid, I can show my true ability in the forest, perhaps even more so than Lukrut the ranger."

Dyne's baritone seemed to carry an undercurrent of pride. Lukrut was not happy and said:

"Dyne-san, you really went and said it, huh."

"It's an undeniable truth, given the abilities of druids! And don't forget that I'm trained in herbalism too!"

"Hmph — Peter, I'm fine too. I'll show you who's the better of us, between Druid-san and myself."

"I'll take that to be agreement, then. If we see any monsters on the way, we'll kill them and claim the reward when we get back to town. As for Bareare-san's payment, what if we divided it equally, Peter-san?"

"If you're fine with it, then I have no objections, Momon-san."

"Bareare-san, sorry for the wait. If it's all right with you, could you permit everyone here to accept the job that you just offered?"

"I don't mind that. Then, I'll be counting on all of you. Ah, you can just call me Nfirea."

Ainz and the others began introducing themselves to Nfirea. Although Narberal lashed Lukrut with her sharp tongue, they managed to successfully complete their self-introductions.

"Then, what I've done in the past is to proceed to Carne Village to set up a base of operations before venturing into the forest. The amount of time we'll spend depends on the herbs that we can gather, but it will be three days at the latest. In the past, it's been a couple of days on average."

"Will we be walking there?"

"Ah, yes. There will be a horse cart, but it'll be full of pots and bottles for gathering herbs, so there's not much room for you to ride."

"Can we replenish our rations in Carne Village?"

"Water should be fine, but food might be a problem, because Carne Village isn't very big."

The Swords of Darkness began discussing the preparations for the journey, as well as asking Nfirea several questions. As Ainz saw this, he decided to speak up as well:

"May I ask a few questions?"

After seeing Nfirea smile and nod in reply, Ainz began with the first question.

"Why me? I've only arrived in this city by carriage recently, and as such I have no friends here, nor am I renowned in this area. That being the case, why did you ask for me? In addition, you mentioned that you've done this in the past, which implies that in the past you've hired other adventurers. How about them?"

Ainz's gaze was keen under his helmet.

He did not know why the boy had called him out. If he had been exposed, then he would need to change his disguise and his approach to things.

Ainz studied Nfirea closely — though he could not see his eyes, due to the hair concealing them — but he could not tell what the boy truly wanted.

Could it be that he was overthinking this? Just as Ainz was beginning to get suspicious, Nfirea replied:

"Ah, the adventurers I hired in the past have all left E-Rantel for another city. That's why I was looking for new adventurers. Also, actually… I heard about what happened in the inn from one of its guests."

"What happened in the inn?"

"Yes, I heard that someone effortlessly threw an adventurer one rank higher than himself…"

"I see…"

Ainz had planned to use a show of strength to increase his renown. Had this boy taken the bait? Once more, as suspicion welled up in Ainz, Nfirea smiled and pointed to the plate on Ainz's b.r.e.a.s.tplate.

"Plus, copper ranked adventurers are cheaper, right? Hopefully we'll get along for a while yet."

"Haha, I do hope so."

Ainz understood how it was like to hire an untested rookie. He slowly felt himself lowering his guard, but there was one thing that worried him. If that really happened —

As Ainz thought about this, the other were asking questions one by one, which Nfirea took in stride. After there were no more questions, Nfirea announced:

"Then, let's move out once we're ready!"

Part 5

In the dead of night, a hooded person entered the giant graveyard of E-Rantel, with steps that made it seem as though it were gliding across the ground.

The person's hooded, jet-black cape and the way its waist and shoulders did not move up and down as it advanced was quite peculiar, resembling a ghost when viewed from afar.

The figure deftly avoided the magical illumination of the tomb and proceeded ever inward.

Before long, the figure arrived at a mausoleum, and shed its hood.

The figure was a young woman of around twenty, in the flower of her youth.

She had a pretty face, and she was cute in the way of a kitten or other small animal. Still, while she looked adorable, there was a carnivore's predatory nature hidden under that face of hers.

"I'm here~"

As she spoke in playful tones, the girl ran her fingers through her short blonde hair and pushed open the stone doors to the mausoleum. The noises of clattering metal came from under her cloak, like the sound of chain mail.

Once inside the mausoleum, all the slabs for corpses were empty. The grave goods for the deceased had already been taken away.

Perhaps it was the scent of all the incense absorbed by the stone, but a fragrant smell tickled the girl's nose.

The girl furrowed her brows, then headed steadily inwards.

"Hm hm hm — hm~"

The girl pressed on an unobtrusive little carving as she hummed. As the carving moved, there was a click as something made contact with something else. A moment later, the sound of grinding came forth. The slabs slowly moved aside, and a path leading downstairs appeared.

"I'm coming in~"

With those sing-song words, the girl descended the staircase. It curved halfway, and led to a wide open space beneath the earth.

Although the walls and floor were made of mud, they looked like they had been reinforced so they would not collapse so easily. The air was relatively clean; the airflow to this place was good, which kept the air in here fresh.

However, this was not part of the graveyard; it was something far more malevolent in nature.

Menacing tapestries hung on the walls, with several crimson candles made from fresh blood below it. They gave off a pale radiance, as well as a smell of burning blood.

The flickering flames generated countless shadows, and there were several holes here, big enough for people to pass through. The unique corpse stench of low tier undead wafted out from those holes.

The girl looked around, and her eyes stopped on a certain place.

"Ah~ creepy guy who's hiding in a corner, you've got a guest~"

The man watching his surroundings from his hiding place in the dark corners of the room heard those words, and his shoulders trembled.

"Hi~ I'm here to meet Khazi-chan who's supposed to be here, is he~?"

The man seemed a little lost as to what to do, and as he heard the sound of footsteps again, his shoulders shook once more.

"It's fine. You may leave now."

After the newcomer spoke to the man, he revealed himself.

He was a skinny man.

His eyes were sunken in, and his face was a corpse-like pale white, which could be summarized in the word "lifeless." His scalp was bereft of any hair, nor were there any eyebrows, eyelashes, or any body hair at all. He gave the impression that he was completely hairless.

Given that, there was no way to tell his age at all, but since there were no wrinkles on his skin, he probably was not that old.

The man was dressed in a dark red robe that was the color of dried blood, and wore a necklace made of the skulls of small animals. His hands were so shrivelled that they resembled claws, and his fingers — tipped with dirty yellow fingernails — were wrapped around a black staff. Rather than a human, he looked more like an undead monster.

"Hai~ Khazi-chan~"

The man frowned as he heard the girl's playful greeting.

"Can you not address me like that? It'll damage the reputation of Zuranon."

Zuranon.

They were a powerful and evil secret society, counting several veteran magic casters among their number and led by a wise leader. After orc.h.e.s.trating several tragedies, they had become enemies of the countries in the region.

"Reeeeally…?"

The fact that the girl did not wish to change the way she addressed him made the man frown even more.

"…And then? Why did you come here? You know I'm infusing energy into the Orb of Death, right? If you're here to make trouble, I have ways to deal with that too."

The man narrowed his eyes, and tightened his grip on his staff.

"Nooooo, Khazi-chan~ I just came here to bring you this~"

The girl flashed him a coquettish smile and reached around under her cape. There was the sound of clattering, and then the girl triumphantly produced the item she had been looking for.

It was a circlet.

Countless small gems adorned thin, metallic threads, looking for all the world like a spiderweb covered in water droplets. The item was exquisitely made, and in the middle of the circlet — where the wearer's forehead would go — was a large black crystal.

"This is—!"

The man could not help but stare in silence.

Although he had only seen it from a distance, there was no mistake here. This was the crown he had seen once before.

"The symbol of a Miko Princess, the Crown of Wisdom! This is one of the treasures of the Slaine Theocracy!"

"Correct~ I saw a cute girl wearing this strange crown, but it looked so wrong on her head that I took it off~ And then I was sooooo surprised! She went mad~ peeing and crapping herself~"

The girl convulsed in laughter.

The Miko Princesses stood at the heart of the Slaine Theocracy's rituals. There was no way that she — as a former member of the Black Scripture — would not know what would happen when she snatched the Crown of Wisdom away from its bearer.

After all, when the time came for a new Miko Princess to be appointed, the job of the Black Scripture was to remove the Crown from its current wearer, and then promptly send the now-insane Miko Princess to be with the gods.

"Still, it can't be helped. It's the only way to obtain this — it's the fault of the person who made the Crown, he's the one to blame~"

There was no way to safely remove the Crown of Wisdom. The only option was to destroy it.

However, the Crown would delete the wearer's personality and turn a human being into a magic item that could use incredibly high-tiered spells, so nobody would do anything wasteful like destroying it.

Still, there were such madmen around.

"Hmph, to think you'd betray the Black Scripture for such trash. Why not steal one of the divine artifacts of the Six Gods?"

"Calling it trash is too mean~"

The man laughed at the girl who puffed up her face.

"Nothing wrong with calling it trash, right? Girls who can wear an item like this are one in a million. Finding a wearer for this would probably be impossible, even in the Slaine Theocracy."

The Slaine Theocracy was the only one in the surrounding countries that kept detailed registers and genealogies of its citizens. Therefore, by consulting those registers, one could easily find a wearer for the item — in other words, a sacrifice.

Without that, it would be hard for even Zuranon to find such a person.

"But really now, it's impossible to get those artifacts~ After all, that antique show is guarded by the strongest monster of the Black Scripture, that ancient beast with the blood of the Six Gods that's beyond the realm of humanity~"

"A God-Kin, huh… Is that fellow really that strong? I've only heard about it from you."

"It's stronger than the idea of strength. The relevant information has been sealed up, which is why you don't know~ If someone who knew about it was interrogated with mind-affecting magic, it would be really bad. I've heard that if the secret got out, it'd lead to total war with the surviving true Dragon Lords, which means the Slaine Theocracy would get destroyed in the crossfire, so I hope you'll pretend you never heard any of it~"

"…I find that hard to believe."

"Well, anyone who hasn't seen that power would think so~ Well then, let's get down to business, Khazit Dale Badantel — are you willing to help me out as a fellow member of the Twelve Executives?"

The girl's tone finally changed.

"Oh, showing your true face at last, oh fragment of Quintia? But don't call me Dale. I've cast away that baptismal name."

"…Then, don't call me a fragment of Quintia, hm? Call me Clementine."

"…Clementine, what do you want me to help you with?"

"There's a pretty outstanding talent holder in this town, no? Maybe that guy could wear this item~"

"…I see, that guy from the stories. Still, you could easily handle the task of kidnapping a single human being by yourself, no?"

"Mm, that's right~ But I'd like some sort of confusion while I make my move~"

"I see… a distraction while you flee, huh…"

"What about it? What if I was willing to help with your ritual? It's a good deal, right~?"

The man — Khazit — narrowed his eyes, and smiled evilly:

"Wonderful, Clementine. If you're willing to help me, I can carry out the rite of death. Very well, I shall aid you with all the resources at my disposal."