Chapter 16: Chapter 5 - First Expansion
From the beginning, Aura had mixed feelings about splitting her duties with Wisey, whose reputation was feared by many within the Great Forest of Tob.
Even though she recently tamed her mount, Lord Ainz had emphasized the importance of maintaining Wisey's public image as a feared apex predator for future use, and she had allowed him to keep it. This made interactions with other forest natives complicated at best, if not outright terrify them.
As someone who reigned over many powerful monsters, Aura could somewhat understand her master's intentions. It would be a fool's errand for her to reject help if it was only meant to preserve her dignity as a ranger.
When all was said and done, Aura still felt a tinge of melancholy regarding Lord Ainz's decision. She was initially excited about the prospects of harvesting Wisey's fur, and she was surprised to hear that Lord Ainz didn't sharre her sentiment during one of their Message conversations and wished to keep the beast alive.
However, the orders of the Supreme Beings always came first. When it came to the masters of Nazarick, Aura would not hesitate to reject her thoughts outright.
Still, it was not as though Aura was delighted with her new arrangements.
Not only did she feel uncomfortable sharing responsibilities with someone who wasn't from Nazarick, but using her new pet as a mount had slowed her down considerably. If she had to be perfectly honest, her abilities would easily make up for Wisey's deficits, which only became more glaring as time passed and something they had to address and fix in the near future.
If there was one saving grace Aura could come up with on the spot, Wisey's geographical familiarity with the forest had exceeded her expectations. She could not deny that the giant hamster knew this forest better than anyone. The dark elf girl was not hesitant to learn of the ins and outs of the place if it meant for the betterment of Nazarick.
And though it was much sooner than anticipated, she was grateful for the opportunity to create an even more detailed map. Given how much information the quadrupedal mammaloid could supply, there was little doubt in Aura's mind that Nazarick had gained a significant headstart in exploring this world's terra incognita.
Aura held onto the soft fur of the oversized hamster as her pet charged toward the nearest goblin settlement, nimbly avoiding the trees and keeping her mistress in mind when moving between obstacles. It may not have been as efficient as her pet Fenn's Forestwalker ability, but it was good enough.
The trees gradually became sparse in their surroundings, and sooner rather than later, the duo reached a clearing filled with huts made out of wood and mud. In front of them was a crudely made altar, with fruits and dried meat scattered about in crude geometric patterns. While Wisey seemed to have an impartial look on her face, Aura furrowed her eyebrows as she intensely scrutinized the altar's appearance.
Such an altar would never be permitted in Nazarick due to how roughly it was created, and as such, it held little interest to Aura. The food was unappetizing, too, at least to the dark elf girl's standards. Comparatively speaking, she felt the food in Nazarick was of far better quality.
"Offerings to me, they leave," Wisey explained, tail swinging in the breeze as it reached to impale a meat chunk.
"Do you need them? I was planning to feed you better, you know. Then again, I shouldn't be expecting anything good from a backwater place such as this, huh?" Aura sighed as she stood up on the hamster's back to get a better look, using the tail for support.
"Eagerly wait for that opportunity, I do!" Wisey exclaimed, drooling at the prospect of eating delicious food. Her tail instinctively swung even faster, causing Aura to nearly stumble off of the scaly appendage.
"Oi, watch it! I can't do my job right if you keep swinging your tail!" Aura shouted.
She rolled her eyes as Wisey began apologizing profusely for her actions, but her attention quickly shifted to a new development nearby. Immediately, her eyesight captured several small figures slowly emerging from the nearby hut in scattered pairs.
They were not much taller than her, and they dressed in outfits made of leather or what looked like once belonging to humans. Upon taking a closer look, Aura judged them to be of the goblin race, although her memory told her that they were far inferior to the ones she had seen in the past.
One figure, a half-head taller than others and clad in crudely reshaped plate armor, stepped forward and stood before the altar, ignoring the fearful looks on his comrades. He watched the pair approach but focused on the hamster whose size loomed a great shadow over him. He ignored the indifferent-looking child on the massive beast's back.
"O Wise King of the Forest, we have been expecting your arrival. As always, my brethren and I have prepared the tribute we gathered to the best of our ability." The goblin spoke enough for him to be understood, and he bowed deeply, with his kin kneeling behind him.
"Your village's tribute, I acknowledge. However, I must correct you, I'm afraid. Wisey, I am called now. Mistress Aura, I have pledged my undying allegiance to."
The goblins stirred in response but stayed silent in the presence of their superior. After Wisey's announcement, the giant hamster plopped to the ground for Aura to get off her. She knew Aura did not need this help, but her gesture would send a clear message to the goblins regarding who was subservient.
Aura, true to her energetic style, jumped up in the air and performed a somersault, causing many goblins to gape at the young girl's remarkable fitness.
She landed on the altar, comfortably nesting her feet between the areas devoid of the village's various offerings. She cleared her throat and shouted loud enough for the entire camp to hear.
"Hiya! From now on, this village will be ruled by my master, Ainz Ooal Gown, ruler of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick! If there are any of you who won't submit, you'll face destruction. What will it be?"
The goblin leader glanced at the Wise King and the elven child. If the Wise King's submissive gesture wasn't enough, the rightful ruler of the forest had called her his Mistress, which held ramifications he would need to account for the survival of his tribe.
Above all that, the dark elf girl's subtle gestures also did not escape the goblin leader's eyes. She had an immensely bored look on her face, and her foot-tapping signified her growing impatience. Such attitude could only belong to the strong, who treated the weak as nothing more than a small bump in their road of conquest.
It was easy to put two and two together; this child had subjected their King and now was doing the same with them since they were weaker than the King.
"We submit. What do you ask of us, Mistress Aura?" The leader swiftly prostrated before her, with the rest of his tribe following suit in silent agreement with their leader's actions.
Aura slyly grinned at how swift the goblin village was to acknowledge her as superior. She thought capturing and subjugating settlements would be a breeze, but having inhabitants believe Nazarick's superiority from the start would make it even easier for her Lords to hammer them into subordinacy. Sometimes, despite all of her shortcomings, she had to hand it to her pet hamster.
{ Hey Albedo, I've dealt with the first settlement. It was quite easy to get them on our side. } Aura messaged the Guardian Overseer, sounding somewhat bored. She wanted to get a move on as time was cutting short.
{ As expected of the pathetic species in this world. Excellent work, Aura. Can you provide me with details regarding the numbers and race of their population? } Albedo replied after a moment of silence.
{ I don't know the exact number off the top of my head, but I can guess there are roughly a hundred as far as I know. As for what species, they're goblins, although they seem to be inferior if that makes sense. }
{ I see. Thank you for the information, Aura. A group of servants will handle the operation of integrating the primitive tribes. They will be heading over to your position in just a moment. }
True to Albedo's word, a gate opened beside Aura as soon as the Guardian Overseer closed the Message. The dark elf girl turned to see a lich leading a group of twenty skeletons. Half of them were Elder Guards, clad in plate armor and armed with one-handed swords. The rest were regular skeletons carrying various tools, clad in very little gear besides standard leather shirts and pants.
"Lady Aura, I can take it from here." The lich spoke in a raspy whisper that was difficult to hear from the goblins' perspectives, but Aura simply nodded in response.
"Great, then we'll be off to the next settlement. See you!" Aura flashed a smile while the undead either gave deep bows or salutes.
The dark elf hopped onto Wisey's back, and they hastily left the vicinity. Since the lich would handle the duties of assorting tasks, their presence was no longer necessary.
Dealing with the following settlements garnered similar if not identical, results. As expected, Wisey's reputation proceeded hers, and the various species quickly submitted to Nazarick's rule, one after another.
Seeing how easy her task was, Aura could not escape the onset of boredom as the hours passed, and she began to feel fatigue wearing down her mind. Thus, she resorted to twisting branches and the like, if only to pass the time.
One settlement caught Aura's interest at one point in her operation. It was a place filled with lumbering beasts that she quickly guessed to be a variant of ogres, a much-needed break from the monotony of goblins.
They were about two and a half to three meters tall and resembled shaved gorillas with brown skin. Massively muscular with sharp jaws protruding out of their mouths, they were intimidating to those unused to ogre appearances, designed over the generations for maximum brute strength. Dressed only in loincloths regardless of gender, they could barely be considered more than regular beasts except for their bipedalism.
While their enormous size dwarfed that of goblins multiple times, their intelligence was even worse as they mostly communicated through short phrases and grunts. Even so, they quickly understood the absurd difference between them and the dark elf girl after a quick display of power. In no time flat, Aura saw Nazarick being bolstered again with another species of the new world.
As the pair traveled around the forest, taking over it tribe by tribe, they also encountered minor difficulties. Some goblins and ogres decided that running was better than fighting or serving, forcing the duo to take action.
While most were killed outright, some managed to slip away during the fights, much to Aura's annoyance. She did send her quicker pets after them, but the more isolated, smaller groups evaded their pursuers, having lived in the forest for generations.
"Oh well, we'll get them all sooner or later." Aura shrugged, trekking on from another battle. "Lord Ainz and his undead will sweep the area and snuff out the rest, so it's not like the outcome will change for these guys."
Her task was to ensure those living in the forest would serve Nazarick, and she would deliver as best she could.
At the end of the day, Aura returned to the sixth floor, taking Wisey with her. Both appeared in the arena, but Aura quickly guided her pet outside into the lush green forest, where food grew in abundance for Wisey to munch on.
"Mistress, confused I am. How can I see the sky if underground this place is?" Wisey asked, glancing up at the darkening sky.
"It's artificial. If you fly high enough, you just reach the ceiling. Lord Blue Planet made it that way." Aura explained with growing admiration in her voice.
The pair moved closer to the giant treehouse in the middle of the floor where her residence and Wisey would be staying temporarily. Wisey stared at the sky with wonder while absentmindedly moving forward, contemplating the power of the Lords who even ruled over her master. As if she were saying her thoughts out loud, she got a response from the ranger.
"Don't think about it too hard. Lord Blue Planet is a Supreme Being. That means he can do anything! I don't know how it works either. Anyway, my place isn't that far now, so I'd appreciate it if you speed up the pace."
Wisey did as she was told, and already they could see the faint silhouette of Aura's abode, a spacious-looking treehouse that towered over them. Upon reaching their destination, Wisey settled under one of the branches where the floor was covered with soft moss, while Aura went inside the structure for her soft cotton bedding.
The next day, they continued the work, conquering settlement after settlement into the newly emerging nation of Nazarick and utilizing undead to stabilize their dominion.
By the end of the fourth day, Aura realized they had completed the last phase of their operation. Wisey's entire territory was now under Nazarick's rule, enforced by skeletons and answering to her.
Until her master gave further orders, they would not move on to the lake, where the Lizardmen and Frogmen tribes constantly feuded over the swampy territories, making efforts to extend Aura's domain more difficult. Apart from that, Aura recalled the lands controlled by the Giant of the East or the Demon Snake of the West, both of which her Lords declared prohibited areas unless ordered.
The only unaccounted part of the forest was a small patch of trees controlled by a tribe of hobgoblins living in a fortress of unknown origins. With Albedo giving them the green light to proceed moments later, both moved towards their last objective.
Without any difficulty, they reached the outer gate guarded by two ogres with haphazard armor. Both had crudely forged chest plates with thick leather pants decorated with steel knee guards and boots. Each held a massive spear in their arms, roughly hewn from large sticks and metal blades.
"No point talking with them, right?" Aura more stated than asked and drew her bow.
"No need to explain any further, there is!"
Without a second thought, Wisey charged the gate while aiming for the head of the ogre standing to the left with her tail. Once within striking distance, she shot her tail like a whip, turning the creature's head into a bloody putty.
Aura made quick work of the other one, shooting an arrow into its chest, causing the ogre to explode into a gory mess over the floor and walls.
The Wise King of the Forest collided with the massive wooden gate headfirst, shattering it upon impact and bulldozing through. With splinters shotgunning forward like bullets, the pair made a rather dramatic entrance, startling the hordes of goblins, hobgoblins, and ogres inside, who were caught unaware.
Using the stunned shock of the creatures, Aura took out a microphone from her inventory and recited the same speech about them either submitting to Nazarick's rule or getting exterminated.
A moment later, a tall and massively built hobgoblin charged out of the keep, a claymore in his hands worn with age. He was wearing what appeared to be dented mithril armor, most likely a token off the corpse of a high-ranking adventurer.
He took a defensive stance and shouted. "I am Goblin King Gervok! Ruler of these lands. You do not scare me! Come show me your might!"
"Seriously, why does every moron think they have a fighting chance? It will end up the same no matter what they do." Aura shook her head in disappointment. Wisey shook their head too, feeling similar.
Not wanting to drag things out, she jumped off Wisey and charged at the arrogant Goblin King, saddling her bow and arrows.
Before he could even blink in surprise at the child daringly taking him head-on, she was in front of him and jumped, using her momentum and natural body strength to slap him upside the chin. The massive hobgoblin was sent flying like a rag doll, landing about ten meters away, and flying into the wall of a building.
She glanced at what remained of her foolish opponent, dusted off her hands, and spoke into the microphone again. "Can the second in the command come forward? I don't have all day."
"I am not dead yet, child." A slurred speech came from her right, followed by spitting and wheezing.
Aura turned her head to witness the Goblin King slowly rise with a wobble and walk towards her with an uneven stride, limping. His face was all but bashed in, with his jaw shattered to pieces, so it was a miracle he managed to speak. Gervok stopped about three meters away and prostrated before Aura, dropping his halberd, which he had used as a crutch.
"I see now, child… no, Mistress. This battle has taught me that I was nothing before your overwhelming might. We submit to your rule."
"Great. It would have been easier if you just said so from the start, you know? I'll let you live, but don't expect generosity to come your way anytime soon. If you repeat this stunt with Lord Ainz, you won't be fortunate enough to get killed." Aura shook her finger at the prostrating figure despite the irony of a child warning an adult of something dangerous.
As with all other places, a team led by a lich arrived to start integrating their tribe into the newly formed nation.
With a sense of a job well done, Aura reported to Ainz directly via Message, but not before clearing her throat. She wanted to make it sound like it was an effortless job, much like how Albedo represented the cold efficiency of a secretary, she would be the perfect ranger.
{ Lord Ainz, I have finished my task. There was minimal resistance due to Wisey already being known to many of the settlements. }
{ Excellent, Aura. The timeframe in which this task was completed was quite sooner than I expected. I'm proud of you. }
While the dark elf girl tried her best to play it off coolly, such an attempt was in vain, given her mental age. She started sputtering as she placed her hands behind her lower back, hiding her fidgeting from seemingly no one in particular.
{ T-thank you, Lord Ainz! It is a pleasure to serve! }
'Ugh, so much for making it sound like I had it under control. I must sound like Mare when he talks to our masters. I'm glad no one is watching me right now…'
{ As always, I am deeply grateful for your loyalty. Since you fulfilled your task with astonishing speed, it is only right that you deserve a break. You can take a few days off, and afterward, we'll see to what the next task I can entrust you is. }
Aura's mood immediately shifted when she heard the near-instantaneous response from her master. Her eyes widened in horror upon hearing her Lord's suggestion.
{ F-f-f-few days?! But Lord Ainz, I am not tired! Just give me the order and I'll get on it right away! } Aura messaged back at an even faster speed, unable to hide the mounting desperation in her voice.
{ I'm afraid I cannot withdraw from this decision, Aura. While I sincerely appreciate your willingness to help, I would like you and the rest of the floor guardians to have a proper rest occasionally. Not only is it important for one's growth, but it would do you well to ease off from a task that you had been performing non-stop. }
Aura could only remain silent in consternation. There was some truth to her master's words, truth she could not deny.
At the time, it appeared like her operation would go smoothly without any problems, so she wanted nothing more than to get it done as soon as possible and return to Nazarick to await more orders. For her master to see through her feelings was nothing short of impressive.
Realizing what had happened, Aura felt her stomach cramp up with guilt. She had made Lord Ainz address one of her issues before she could bring it up herself.
{ I'm, I'm sorry, Lord Ainz. I will get to work on this resting period as soon as possible! }
{ Ho? It is just simply resting. There is no need to make it sound like a duty, Aura. }
'Stupid me! I'm not trying to sound like a workaholic!' The verbal blunder almost made Aura ruffle her hair in frustration.
{ I-I mean, I'll rest up, Lord Ainz! }
{ Please do. In the meantime, I'll give you your next task once we deal with the already conquered part of the forest. I'm sure you can find something fun to do meanwhile. }
{ Ok… I will. } Aura replied, trying not to sound too disappointed.
Her first task was a resounding success, but like everyone else in Nazarick, she didn't just want to rest on her laurels and strived to continue to prove her worth. However, seeing how the report went with Lord Ainz made her admit that some rest could not hurt. Perhaps a nap would help refresh her mind and prepare her for the Supreme Beings' next task.
X
While the work as of late demanded more of his presence, there were few more pleasant things to do for Mare than his usual work in the forest. As a druid, he felt completely at home there, bringing him peace of mind as he strolled through the land.
He carefully slipped between the vegetation, appraising the unfamiliar herbs for Nazarick's sake. With the vast library of all the flora found in Yggdrasil firmly stored in his mind, seeing so many exotic species was a surprise he enjoyed. He would be sure to report this information back to Demiurge and the Supreme Beings since many of these herbs could be helpful for their human integration plans.
The boy bent before a small bush with thick, meaty leaves. He gently touched one of the leaves and activated his innate ability to learn all the useful properties of the plant.
'Juice relieves nausea. No other special properties.'
He quickly wrote it down in his notebook and drew a picture of the plant underneath, carefully storing his notes. The location was also noted down for future use, as he knew Demiurge prized location-based information given its utility.
Without hesitation, he went for the next herb, repeating the process as he had for the past few hours. His notebook steadily filled up, page by page, as his pencil wore down.
Soon enough, he found the first universally beneficial plant for Nazarick. 'Provides healing to all living beings. This is what Lord Tabula was asking for.'
Mare broke into a delighted grin as he carefully pulled out the small plant and waved over the group of skeletons gifted to him by Lord Ainz, for his personal use while on the job. They could carry him around, keep surveillance active, or act as a deterrent against the forest's natural predators.
"Spread out and look for these types of herbs." He gave them an order and noted his findings once more, the skeletons fanning out as they occasionally plucked plants and returned them to him.
As he worked, a small honey badger-type creature emerged from the hole in the ground and snarled at him.
"H-hey, I'm busy. Go away." Mare muttered to the creature, resuming his task, digging underneath a tree to get to the herb hinted beneath.
But it seemed that the animal had a bone to pick with the elven boy who had invaded his territory. With a mix of a growl and yelp, it lunged at the boy, claws and jaw extended far and wide.
Mare was having none of it. Before the beast could bite him, his swinging heavy wooden staff found its target, smacking the animal square in the head and crushing its skull. Its body flew for several meters before crashing into the undergrowth, scaring away another prospective badger.
"I told you I was busy," He sighed, and washed the blood and brain matter off the staff with some basic water magic.
"Lord Mare, are you alright?"
The new voice was devoid of any emotion whatsoever, yet it sounded as though it was genuinely concerned for its master. It was not as though Mare needed such worries placed on him as he could handle any potential ruffians, but it was annoying at times when his flow was interrupted.
Some time ago, during one of Mare's reading sessions, the druid was contacted and informed by Lord Ainz. The Supreme Being told him that he and his sister would have bodyguards assigned to them until further notice, primarily for their own safety and wellbeing.
Such personnel came in the form of Eight Edge Assassins, which Lord Ainz had already familiarized himself with. While Mare had been ecstatic at how his master had shown his consideration for his servants, having the ninja-like insect monsters constantly around him was starting to grate on his nerves, no matter how well-intentioned they were.
"I'm fine. But could you please deal with such things?" Mare spoke, trying not to look disgusted at the newly deceased animal. Such distractions were a massive waste of time and could potentially make him fail the tasks entrusted to him by Lord Ainz. The Eight Edge Assassins looked where the druid pointed at the now-dead animal.
"Understood, Lord Mare. We will deal with all intrusions." The metallic insects replied with a salute and retreated into the shadows without another word. The druid sighed with relief before replacing his attention on the task at hand.
Slowly but surely, he mapped out what sort of plants could be gathered in the forest and where to find them, along with various miscellaneous notes he could use for future reference. It did take him a few days, but he was content due to the lack of further interference from the Eight Edge Assassins.
When the work was finished, Mare was satisfied with the results. The map could fill a thin book, and the individual notes could fill an encyclopedia.
All that remained was to make a few copies of his notes and deliver samples to the alchemical department, where they would be received by Lord Tabula's subordinates. As for the rest of the gathered material, they would be stored in the Treasury and subsequently categorized by Pandora's Actor.
At first, Mare would have had to rely on Shalltear's help regarding the transportation of goods. While grateful for having someone cover his lack of a gate spell, he did not want to further impose on his fellow floor guardian who was perpetually standing guard at Nazarick.
On the third day of this unique circumstance, he eventually learned the gate spell for himself, allowing him to send the skeletons to the Treasury. A slight smirk appeared on his face before he teleported to one of his favorite places in Nazarick: the Library of Ashurbanipal.
Upon making his way to the front desk, Mare saw a figure who had an uncannily similar appearance to Lord Ainz. This was one of five overlords working as the librarian, and it appeared to be reading a novel that the druid was unfamiliar with.
In this case, the area's guardian, Titus, was named after a famous Roman emperor, much to the humor of those who knew the great contrast between the bookworm librarian and his gladiatorial namesake.
"Lord Mare, always a pleasure to see you." Titus greeted his favorite library patron. The boy frequented the place the most out of all the NPCs, taking out a new book or two to read on a daily basis and usually had a kind word or two to give as well.
"Hello, Titus. Sorry, but I'm in a bit of a rush today. Can you make five copies for me?" Mare returned the greeting as he placed the notebook on the table.
"Of course." The librarian nodded and began using one of his innate abilities.
Having plenty of magical power to spare, creating such items was a trivial task for someone like him. He made thousands in the past; six more was a drop in the bucket. In less than a few seconds, six identical books plopped themselves on the desk.
"Will this be good enough, Lord Mare?"
"Yes, thank you. I'll be on my way now."
Thanking the undead overlord for his work, Mare set out to his next destination: the alchemical laboratories. They would find great use for his notes, particularly the ones for healing and poison.
Much like his short-lived conversation with Titus, the druid preferred not to interact with anyone from the department more than necessary. He dropped the samples into the hands of the appropriate serpentine lab workers, told them to notify their superiors as quickly as possible that the notes had arrived, and teleported to the Treasury as quickly as possible.
He placed two book copies in the to-sort area next to the bags of herbs. Knowledge had to be preserved through multiple methods in case something occurred. The Doppelganger would delight in knowing the information had been gathered on order of his Vater.
Last but not least on his list were Lord Tabula's living quarters. Mare trodded to the entrance with light steeps and stood only a few inches before the door. He gently but quickly knocked on the door three times.
As was always the case, a maid opened the door with a courteous bow and stood aside to let him in. A woman whom Mare had almost mistaken to be Albedo at first glance greeted him with similar politeness as the maid, whom he quickly recognized as Mariposa, Lord Tabula's wife.
"Lord Mare, it is a pleasure to meet you in person. I have to apologize on my husband's behalf. He is busy with an experiment and is currently available." She spoke in a polite tone, lowering her head.
"Oh, I see… In that case, can I leave the materials and notes with you?"
In a split second, he extended his arms and handed the goods to the woman. From what he knew, she was appointed to a rank similar to an area guardian and served as her husband's assistant.
He wouldn't receive any punishment, though the anxious part of his mind made him assume a worst-case scenario where his superiors would scold him for taking up their time. Mare truly hoped to avoid such a scenario.
The woman could not help but smile at the druid becoming increasingly more fidgety. It seemed to her that he wanted to leave this room as soon as possible, and she found it mildly endaring.
"Of course, Lord Mare. I will make sure Lord Tabula obtains them." With a charming smile, she accepted the bag with the herbs and the small book.
"Great, thank you," Mare replied. Not wanting to waste more time, he promptly left the Supreme Being's quarters.
All that remained was to write a quick report of the situation and then rest properly as per his master's orders. Unlike most of the denizens of the Great Tomb, who were appalled at the concept of taking breaks, Mare didn't mind the time off too much.
There were countless books to read in the Library of Ashurbanipal, and only so much time to indulge in his reading hobby. If he was going to take a break, he might as well start it off properly.
As Mare made his way to the library, he thought about reading the novel Titus had with him earlier. After all, the druid fervently believed that immersing oneself in a book was as magical as immersing himself in his own spells.
X
Pero awoke with Lupus soundly sleeping, her head on his chest. The small bed wasn't too comfortable, but Pero had sworn to himself to have an authentic experience unlike any before. He wanted to spend the night in the inn and sleep on the bed the room provided them with.
Unlike the Swords of Darkness, who all slept in the same room, they took separate ones. Buku, in particular, was adamant about getting her own room, even if she had to pay for two beds. And Pero was not one to cross his sibling when it came to sleeping quarters.
With both rooms costing less than a silver coin, they easily could afford it. The growth of their already large income showed no signs of stopping, and the siblings did not mind splurging a little of their hard-earned money on technically unnecessary accommodations.
'She probably sneaked back to Nazarick for the more comfortable beds.' Pero mused, knowing his sister all too well. Now, having a strong body, she surely was trying to make up for the last few years she had spent without a partner and in near-constant pain, and that meant sleeping in Nazarick's finest beds surrounded by her entertainmeners.
"Hey, it's time to wake up." Pero gently nudged Lupus, who mumbled something unintelligible in return. Her slurred speech continued for a few more seconds until her eyes gradually cracked open.
With a long yawn, she slowly sat up and stretched her arms to both sides, forcing Pero to jerk back to avoid being hit in the jaw.
"See? What did I tell ya? It wasn't as bad as you thought it would be," Pero stated matter-of-factly. He quickly got out of bed and started to get dressed, pushing his head through the opening of a new shirt in the span of a second.
"Can I burn this place down once the adventure is finished? Preferably with all the people still inside." Lupus asked in response. A murderous glint twinkled in her eyes.
'This probably says a lot about myself, but what is it with crazy women surrounding me all the time?' Pero thought as he let out a chuckle at her morbid request.
"Probably not the best idea, given what we have to do. But if you hate it here so much, we can swap out with Doppelgangers and sleep back home next time we have to stay in the inn."
"I have said this before, my Lord, but this place is unsuited for you. It's shameful we have to resort to cleaning magic instead of a bath, and the stench is below what your status should endure."
"Staying at a shitty place like this gives us perspective on how splendid we have it in Nazarick. If we're to rule this world, it's important to know how regular people live."
Pero put on the last pieces of armor and exhaled, feeling the freshness of the cleaning spell washing over him.
It was a godsend in current circumstances. Even if he wanted an authentic experience, his standards were still limited.
"Why would you need to know how puny humans live? Our ultimate goal is to take over this world, right? This world's living standards would then be changed in a way that is fit for divine beings such as yourself."
"If a ruler ignores the needs and desires of the people, it builds resentment, and that spills over into rebellion and inner sabotage which might grow out of control. If people have nothing to lose, they could start causing trouble out of pure spite. That would give us a lot more work ruling over them. We cannot fix everything immediately; we must bide our time until we are prepared to rule."
"But killing them is easy. Just kill off the ones who do not fall in line. Maybe torture some publicly. The weak will know who is strong."
"You may prefer that sort of rule, but we don't want that. I'd rather live where most are happy rather than miserable. But don't worry; there are always those who need to be removed from society. And with the living standards of this environment, there will be plenty. You'll have your fun no matter what, in time."
He wasn't sure if Lupus understood him, but the intentions must have been clear to her when a grin stretched across her face. In the end, Pero knew what sort of girl he was dealing with. She needed to vent out her sadistic urges from time to time, and she was nearing her limit again.
They met up with Buku and the Swords of Darkness in the tavern area, but after witnessing what half-baked slop the tavern keeper had been serving as breakfast, the group promptly left the scene. The only one willing to stay was Brita, who had spent much time half-starved to save enough money for a healing potion.
Since they needed to stack up on food for at least a few days, they decided to get something fresh to eat from one of the market stalls and purchase their preserved rations at the same time.
Afterward, they made one quick detour to the guild headquarters to see if anything had changed into monster movements. Lukrut chose to go out and mingle with the adventurers, but his party members knew he was highly efficient when gathering information.
According to hearsays, people had reported a disturbing amount of goblins and ogres who attacked the villages near the Great Forest of Tob, and the adventurers planned to hunt the aggressive creatures for the standard bounty. Their incentive was fueled by the need to line their pockets, which was reasonable regardless of an adventurer's rank, and their sheer number would ensure the hunt would occur smoothly.
The moment they stepped into the guild's main hall, one of the clerks stationed at her desk spotted the group, and she approached them with impatience in her steps. The clerk was a woman in her early twenties dressed in the standard uniform, and her brown hair was neatly tied in a bun.
"Peter, someone is looking to hire your team. Bring your new friends, too." She addressed the leader of the Swords of Darkness like an old friend and motioned for them to follow her to a designated bench.
"That's unexpected. Do you know who the client is?" Peter asked.
"Nfirea Bareare. I'm sure you know of him. Try to keep on this one. The boy pays good money for the jobs."
"Everybody knows," Peter replied, but then remembered his new friends were not locals. "He's kind of a big deal around here. His grandmother owns the best pharmacy in the city, and he's a talent holder who can cast second-tier magic on top of being a good alchemist."
{ We need to get this guy for Tabula. }
Both siblings messaged each other instantly and then covertly chuckled at their similar thought process, leaving Lupus, the only one to notice, feeling left out.
By then, they had arrived at the bench, where a lone child was relaxing. The boy stood up and greeted them with a short bow.
"Good morning. My name is Nfirea Bareare, and I would like to hire your group to escort me to Carne Village, and then to the outskirts of Tob for herb gathering."
The boy was on the shorter side with a soft, handsome face and bowl-cut blonde hair that covered his eyes.
{ Shit, it's a hentai protagonist! Buku, run! } Pero couldn't help but make the comparison.
{ Not everyone is like that, you perverted bird. But he does look kinda cute. } Buku replied, eyeing the boy up and down. Pero deadpanned at the look on her sister's face.
{ You're only further proving my point, sis. }
{ Oh, shut up. }
"That works great for us. We can offer you safe passage and hunt monsters on the way there. But we did agree to team up with these four." Peter replied while taking a seat at the table, motioning toward the group.
The rest followed suit, sitting down as well. Nfirea almost broke into a smile but quickly returned to a neutral expression, knowing he was in good hands.
"That won't be a problem though. I will pay according to guild guidelines on rank salaries. But don't worry, I will also pay the standard price for all the herbs you help me gather, so your end payment should be worth your time."
{ This guy has something else on his mind, but I can't put my finger on his ulterior motives. I doubt he would be leading us into a trap, but there's something; I just feel it. } Buku messaged Pero with an air of caution surrounding her words.
{ If he tries anything, we'll drag him directly to Tabula and ask Ainz to fix the memories of our new pals. }
{ I guess you are right; no one in this kingdom should be able to scratch us or Nazarick. }
About an hour later, with talks being quite short and decisive, they went on the road with a horse-pulled cart with most of the team walking around it. Nfirea, who chose to be the driver, had already provided the means of transportation, something all appreciated.
At various points throughout the journey, the group took short turns to sit beside the boy, to rest a bit.
Until they were near the forest, the only thing to worry about was a bandit ambush that rarely happened in this part of the country. Most criminals preferred to work on roads connecting larger cities, as those were the routes wealthier people traveled. As a result, there were relatively few threats to keep an eye out for, allowing the environment to become fairly relaxed.
The lot turned out to be friendly and pleasant, effortlessly keeping up a steady conversation and encouraging them to talk about their adventures.
They perked up when Pero told a particular story of them exploring ancient ruins, which in actuality was his retelling of how he soloed one of the low-level dungeons in Yggdrasil, only now including Lupus and Buku in the tale as well. Buku stifled back giggles at the Swords of Darkness, who looked like adoring fans meeting their idol in person, while Lupus was always happy to hear more of the birdman she loved.
"Has anyone managed to replicate the potions you found?" Nfirea asked once Pero was finished spinning yarn of his splendor and valor.
"We gave one potion to a group of researchers that also comes from our country, and they're actively working on it. One of them mentioned they were interested in collaborating with someone from Re-Estize in the near future. If you're interested, we can help you contact him after this mission is over."
Pero and Lupus glanced at Buku but refrained from stating anything. They knew she had dropped a lure and hoped Nfirea would hungrily take it too.
'Maybe he somehow knew we had those potions. My idiot brother flashed one way too openly. That would explain why he wanted to hire all of us out of the blue, if only to get his hands on them. In either case, I hope he bites, and we can hook him up with Tabula after all this is over.'
"That does sound interesting. I'll have to ask my granny first and ask what she thinks about it, though. I hope you don't plan to leave E-Rantel any time soon?"
Nfirea looked like he had just hit the jackpot, and immediately tried to play it off like it was no big deal, but the entire group caught the look of surprise and delight flickering across his face. Buku turned away to hide her smirk, as she was not the only one who felt like a huge winner in their perpetual verbal duel.
They continued their journey with people chatting among themselves, the guards occasionally chipping in if it was meant to stave off their boredom. Dyne talked with Lupus about healing magic and how both could improve, while Pero bragged to Lakrut about his conquests. Buku had difficulty not rolling her eyes, knowing those stories mostly came from porn games he had played in the past.
At one point, Pero perked up and stared at the forest, with Lakrut picking up on his reaction and watching the tree line intently too. Buku also turned her attention to the woods and noticed movement between the trees, fingering her arrows.
"A lot of entities are coming. Looks like goblins and ogres." Pero claimed, readying his bow. Lukrut was just a second slower to react, giving Nfirea the impression that the two were seasoned archers from the battlefield.
{ I took the liberty to arrange some entertainment for you. Aura wrangled up about a hundred goblins and thirty or so ogres out of those who tried to flee the forest, so don't worry about having to preserve their lives. Have fun with your new friends. } Ulbert messaged the trio.
{ Thanks, it was starting to become a little boring around here. This is just what we needed. Have you planned anything else? } Buku messaged back.
{ I can send Aura with her new pet, who is considered a legendary beast called the Wise King of the Forest. Your new buddies probably know about her, given the myths. She packs a punch for this world's natives but is laughable by our standards. }
{ That sounds fun. Just make sure to remind Aura to tone it down to the level we're pretending to be. } Pero replied, sounding excited about both of the upcoming fights.
{ How is Ainz doing? I hope he isn't sulking about not being able to come with us. } Buku asked.
{ He's busy training with holy magic spells, and Pandora and Albedo are preparing a surprise for him. You're gonna love it too when you come back. }
Ulbert's cackling only served to fan the flames of the siblings' interest, but they chose to shelve that matter for another more convenient time.
{ I'll hold you on those words. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're about to have ourselves some fun. } Pero promptly ended the conversation and unstrapped his bow, habitually placing an arrow between his fingers.
An average human would be able to hit a target accurately up to two hundred meters away, so he could easily go for a three to four-hundred-meter range shooting range and still be fine. The extended range would make him seem even more impressive if there was space and time to show off later.
Once the first goblins emerged from the forest, he nailed one right between the eyes almost instantaneously, downing it as he began rapidly reloading.
"Hey, I wanted to do the first shot!" Lukrut shouted, taking aim as well beside him.
He was eager not to stay behind, but his shot ended up being non-lethal. The arrow whistled in the air briefly before piercing one of the charging goblins in the shoulder, and the victim of Lukrut's shot fell to the ground, letting out a shrill cry. That didn't deter him from immediately taking another shot to try to keep up with Pero, who had already slain two more goblins in the time span he had been jabbering about.
As more monsters charged out of the woods, Peter observed the hordes of monsters with increasing worry. The undergrowth was rapidly becoming no more than mush, and that was not a good sign.
"There are too many of them! We have to fall back before they overwhelm us."
"We can handle this," Buku retorted back to Peter, practically oozing with confidence as she took the shield off her back.
She had readied her sword and was about to charge in the small army barreling their way when the others spoke up.
"Lucy, please protect Nfirea to the best of your ability. Don't let anything get near him. Bro, are you going in close range with me or staying back?"
"Ninya, get the buffs going! Dyne will take the left flank while Brita will go for the right! Lakrut, make sure no one gets overwhelmed and cover where needed!" Peter barked orders, readying his own sword and shield and leaping for the center.
"Yeah, I'm coming with you. I need more close combat practice anyway."
Pero smirked, joining his sister's side. Both siblings looked at each other with small nods as if agreeing on some unspoken challenge, which, to be fair, they were. The others caught on, not all pleased at their lack of tension.
"Don't get cocky, now! You guys may be strong, but there's way too many to deal with all at once!" Brita shouted at them. She was utterly dismayed at how the newly met trio was quick to abandon proper formation, despite all their bragging earlier.
The red-headed adventurer's remark made Lupus almost want to roll her eyes. She already suspected her superiors would use the opportunity to show off a bit, though they seemed to be expertly concealing their true power. She took a few steps forward, casually standing in front of The Swords of Darkness, not bothering to grab her weapon.
The siblings meanwhile ran into the incoming monster horde with speed surpassing that of what peak human was supposed to be capable of, jumpstarting the slaughter, no, massacre of goblins and ogres before anyone else could.
Pero periodically shot arrows left, right, and center, tossing his bow in the air and using two short swords to kill anything near him when enemies got too close, before returning to quick-reload bow fire. He intentionally avoided allowing ogres into melee range to give the impression that they could pose a significant threat to him, preferring to stab and slash goblins as he nimbly danced across the field.
With the battle becoming heated, he started to use flashy moves more commonly seen in action movies than in actual combat.
Buku's approach was similar. Since her shield was enchanted with a recall function, she used it as a long-range projectile, shattering anyone and anything unfortunate enough to get into the shield's path or her attention. Anything else near her either got decapitated with her blade or received lethal kicks strong enough to destroy bones and crush them into dust.
Noticing her brother's flashy moves, she also incorporated some theatrical flair in her actions. Her shattering an ogre's skull with a jump flip while simultaneously sending her shield into a group of goblins made their new friends forgo some of their caution and watch in surprise for a few brief moments.
"I didn't know humans were capable of such feats," Peter commented, lowering his shield. He immediately rose it back up in response to a stray goblin charging towards him, having escaped the two whirlwinds up front.
"They must be at least mithril if not adamantine level," Nfirea stated in response, similarly stunned as the others.
"Mithrils can't do this; they'd have to be on par with the Warrior Captain," Ninya claimed the obvious. "Do you think there's something more to these guys than we originally thought?"
"If you don't want to die, I suggest paying attention to your surroundings." Lupus interrupted the adventurers' excited chatters, gripping the mace in her hand and waiting for an ogre to reach her.
When the Swords of Darkness snapped out of their casual talk, they noticed a small group had broken off from the bulk army and were now making their way toward the cart. Peter frowned at how careless he and his comrades had been in front of new power.
"Everyone! There are about three ogres and about twelve goblins. Get to defensive positions!"
While Peter and Brita tackled two ogres, Dyne used vines to immobilize and weaken the goblins. Ninya cast protective buffs on the two front liners from behind, and even Nfirea didn't just sit idly by as he began casting acid bolts at the ogres, earning grateful glances from the Swords of Darkness.
Lupus closed in the distance between her and the remaining ogre and slammed the beast in the kneecap, causing it to lose its balance and collapse. Before the beast could do anything else, she quickly leaped around it and smashed the mace into the ogre's lower back, shattering its spine into pieces.
The beast's deafening wails of pain were enough to disrupt the attacking group as they instinctively tried to get away from the sadistic woman, who planned to cripple anyone near her.
Lupus clubbed a few goblins in the chest just hard enough to shatter their ribcages but not instantly kill them, leaving the smaller creatures on the ground gasping for air and choking on their blood. After that, no monster dared to get close, even preferring to attack the others over her, much to her irritation.
Overall, the battle was reaching its end, with monster corpses littering everywhere on the battlefield. A few remaining ones fled in panic, but they were quickly taken cared of by Pero and Lukrut, who shot down most of them with relative ease. Ultimately, only two ogres and roughly ten goblins escaped with their lives.
Without much hesitation, Ninya took out a pocket knife and began collecting ears, with the rest of her team following suit.
"So, do these guys ever have some decent loot?" Pero asked, returning from the massacre, grinning from ear to ear as he tucked his bow away.
"Rarely anything is worth keeping. We do see some monsters having weapons or armor picked from adventurers, but the armaments tend to be in bad shape for the most part. They wouldn't fetch enough price to return it to the cities for their weight, so we leave them behind." Peter replied.
"I see, so how are we splitting this?"
"My team killed ten at best, so the rest are yours. It's a nice bonus, and I think you can apply to become iron plates immediately."
Peter scratched his head. Becoming long-term friends with such strong people would undoubtedly benefit his team. As this battle proved, they were on a path of rapid advancement and likely would be mithril ranked within the year if there were enough threats for them to demonstrate their capabilities.
Once they gathered the remaining monsters' ears, they began removing corpses and piling them some distance away for the forest animals to consume them. One of the rules of the Adventurer's Guild was to not leave any monster corpses out for too long, or else their stench of death would eventually turn them into the undead if left rotting in such large quantities, creating more threats from previously conquered ones. As the trio from Nazarick made note of that, the group continued on their way, chattering all the while.
The rest of the day proved to be uneventful. At sunset, they traveled further away from the forest and set up camp at the base of a small hill for defensive purposes. It was unlikely that they would encounter human enemies, and if they did, there was little chance any of them could stand against the trio of people who effortlessly killed massive beasts like ogres.
After the tents were set and the dried food was mixed with boiled water in small bowls, everyone settled around the fire and ate with grateful looks on their face. The food was on the saltier side because salt was the only way to preserve food for a long time if magic was not involved, and none of them were quite that rich to afford rations like that.
Buku sat down next to Ninya, making the boy nervously stare away each time the woman glanced at him with a predatory gaze.
"Oh, don't be shy. It's OK if you haven't had a girl before." Buku leaned closer and purred into the boy's ear, much to the amusement of the spectators.
"Go for it. It's not every day a pretty lady like her is after you!" Lukrut exclaimed with a laugh.
"I…" Ninya flushed beet red once again and glanced downward, unable to speak in embarrassment.
Buku, not backing down, leaned even closer as her sultry voice kicked in, "If you'd like, we could go somewhere private for a talk. I don't bite unless you're into that sort of thing."
"Ahhheeeee…" Ninya let out a high-pitched sound, something between a scream and a squeal.
The minute mage frantically looked around, hoping for someone to say something and rescue them. To Ninya's horror, the Swords of Darkness only gave wide grins, clearly enjoying the show.
"I… I…"
Before Buku could say another word, Ninya scurried away and hid behind Dyne. The mage used his massive frame as a shield from the woman's aggressive advances.
"Give it a rest." Peter shot Buku a stern glance, realizing that Ninya was terrified of her advances.
Ninya had been like a younger brother to him ever since the talented boy joined his team. He only knew a little of Ninya's past, but even the droplet of things revealed to Peter did not paint the brightest picture of the young mage's background.
His parents were dead, and his older sister had been taken away by lustful nobles, leaving him all alone and without any hope of seeing his only living relative ever again.
Even if the boy was old enough to have his first time with a woman, he always shied away from physical relationships. When the rest of the team went to get their fix on carnal desires, he would stay behind at the inn. Not that Ninya ever judged them as such was the life of an adventurer, and it was rare for them to marry before the end of the rather dangerous career.
"Sure, if he is not interested, I'll back off." Buku shrugged, returning to devouring her serving of dried vegetables.
With conversations dying down around camp, Pero and Lupus agreed to take the watch shift towards the morning and disappeared into their tent, lights dimming fairly quickly. Buku, as more of a night owl, volunteered for the first watch together with Peter, who wanted to keep an eye on her.
The rest, including Nfirea, went to sleep as well.
For a while, both sat in silence. The cracking of the ever-constant fire and the clear star-filled sky gave a pleasant calming effect, prolonging the quiet nature around them.
"I'll back off. You don't have to be so suspicious, you know." Buku stated after glancing at Peter's expression.
"Sorry, it's a habit. Ninya has a hard time standing up for himself."
"Trust me, I get it. I have a friend who once was like that. Took him a long time to open up. But you can't shield Ninya forever. All he had to do was to say he was not interested." Buku said while poking the fire with a stick, using the other to toss in more small twigs.
"I know. What happened to your friend?" Peter asked, glancing over at her.
'If she was a bit more subtle, maybe Ninya would have opened up. Maybe he isn't into women and is afraid to tell us.'
"He has a wonderful woman by his side. For a while, I considered having something with him myself, but I guess life had other plans. Not that I regret it much. We probably wouldn't have lasted anyway."
Buku poked the fire a few more times, stating nothing else to keep the conversation going. With Peter seemingly thinking about something intently, she returned to watching the night sky and listening to the crackling of the fire.
Bonus Story - Surprise!
There wasn't much arguing with her.
Albedo just grabbed his hand and led him toward a surprise she and Pandora had worked on behind his back. He had no clue what was going on, and it was both exciting and terrifying at the same time.
"Where are we going?" He asked the excited succubus, who had already cast a gate and pushed him forward through to their next destination.
It wasn't even the middle of the day, so it was highly unusual for her to act this aggressively for attention.
"You'll see!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, following after him and rapidly closing the gate.
The first thing assaulting his senses was loud German country music, music he had once uploaded as part of his creation's background.
'Pandora!' Ainz frantically glanced around, feeling the emotional suppression bringing him back to tranquility.
His son was standing by the grill, dressed in only colorful swimming trunks and cooking sausages, happily singing along to the tunes a modified sound amplifier was blasting.
As he glanced around, he realized where he was led to. It was the same lakeside where he created a few chairs and planned to retreat when the pace died, but his girlfriend and son beat him to the punch. The crafty conspirators had worked without catching Ainz's attention as he was preoccupied with his holy magic training, preparing the props, and even roping in other Nazarick natives.
There were spacious changing rooms next to the grill, with four homunculus maids dressed in black and white one-piece swimsuits nearby, ready to assist should a person arrive.
On the other side was an open bar operated by one of the insectoids from the fifth floor, dressed in a cute bartender's outfit, chilling the glasses with his icy breath and polishing them with a piece of cloth.
At his back was a small watchtower populated with a few succubi and incubi dressed in red one-piece swimsuits and swimming trunks, respectively.
'This is definitely from somewhere.' Ainz was unsure what piece of media had inspired the installation, but it was clearly from somewhere, perhaps in the library.
Finally, the row of chairs had small tables between them and large umbrellas above, likely borrowed from the storage rooms of his previous guild members.
While he was taking in the scene, Albedo had pushed him to the changing rooms.
Before he could utter any words of protest, there were a pair of swimming trunks in his skeletal hands and a homunculus maid leading him inside the dressing room.
To his great surprise, the otherwise overly eager maid only showed him around the equipment and disappeared outside without trying to help him undress.
For once, being able to dress in peace, he changed into the swimming trunks and put on the sunglasses that rested on a small stand, using a mirror to ensure it was placed on comfortably.
Satisfied with his 'going to the beach look,' he went outside, his white bones shining in the bright midday sun.
The same maid immediately followed him with a towel in her arms and laid it out on one of the beach chairs, subtly suggesting for him to lay back and relax.
'Not a bad surprise.' He mused, leaned back in the chair, and observed the lake's calm waters. 'Since no one is saying anything, I won't speak out about Pandora's choice of music either.'
Soon enough, Albedo joined him, clad in a tight white two-piece swimsuit that left almost nothing to the imagination.
"Do you like it?" She asked, stepping right in front of him and turning around, flashing her figure.
"You look great in it."
She smiled in response, taking the seat next to him after another maid had laid down a towel for her.
"How did you find this place?"
"It was mentioned in reports when Pandora asked for materials and personnel. I couldn't say no when he explained his intentions."
"I see. I hoped to surprise others with this place, but it looks like you two got ahead of me." Ainz chuckled. "I hope the others will enjoy this place."
"Lord Ulbert has reserved this resort for tomorrow."
"How did he… his spy network?"
"It seems nothing can be hidden for him. At least he had no intentions to ruin the surprise."
Ainz could only nod in agreement. It was a blessing that the demonic player wasn't running schemes to make life harder for others.
Albedo gently touched his skeletal hand and leaned back in her seat, hiding under the umbrella from the hot sun.
The maids brought the drinks from the bar and a snack in the form of sausages Pandora was grilling, placed in a bun with some sort of red sauce.
Resolved to taste it later, he remained for now in his natural skeletal form to enjoy more of the emotional tranquility it brought.
'I guess staying home wasn't as bad. But I couldn't just run off and leave her behind.' Ainz glanced at Albedo.
No matter what, life was much better than it used to be.
Edited by aidan_lo and Zirmeister.
Proofreading by aidan_lo, Swiss, Sluethen, Dtrackt, Sad_Smiles, and Visur Nyxan.
AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (Link is in my profile) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader (gives access to chapters months ahead of regular readers).
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