The dimly illuminated streets during the night allowed her to swiftly move unimpeded throughout the city. Clementine lurked in the dark alleyways; a predator looking for prey, stalking through the shadows of the stone and wooden jungle.
The cult members had caused enough distraction for her to breathe freely for a while, but the Windflower Scripture was bound to find her sooner or later.
And that's where the second part of her plan came into play, to further delay for time while she fled from the Scripture once again.
She would supply Khajiit with the Crown Of Wisdom to escalate his plan of turning the entire city into undead via what was called a spiral of death. It was a well-known fact that undead radiated negative energy, and when enough of them were in one place, the accumulation of negative energies spawned more undead.
If not culled quickly enough, they would start growing in number, generating more negative energy which in turn accelerates the spawning of new undead. Eventually, a threshold would be reached and the process would become fully self-sustaining and self-replicating, creating an eternal paradise of undeath that would take monstrous amounts of effort and many dozens of lives to destroy.
The only question that remained was who would use the Crown to jumpstart and accelerate the positive feedback cycle. With this, Khajiit would gain immense power over the kingdom due to holding one of its cities hostage.
Considering how rare it was to find someone capable of using it, she banked on one thing that should increase the odds: talent holders. There had to be at least a few people in E-Rantel with magic-oriented talents capable of harnessing the magical item's potential.
Moving unseen, she found a lone adventurer walking towards the nearest tavern—a perfect target for interrogation.
Of course, she could always go to the information brokers in town, but killing them was riskier due to the chance of the infamous crime cartel 'Eight Fingers' hunting her down if she started to kill their members. She was strong, but she wasn't stupid enough to attract even more attention to herself.
Seeing a perfect opportunity, she crept up behind the man and whacked him on the back of the head, disappearing into the darkness with the unconscious victim over her shoulder. The guards didn't patrol the poorest parts of the city, and no one would come to help the man if he screamed, making this part of the slums the most ideal place to interrogate someone.
It didn't take long for him to wake up confused and attempt to sit up, straining his back. He traced the back of his head, still feeling phantom pain, and drowsily stared at the figure looming over him.
"Looks like you hit your head pretty darn hard," Clementine claimed, leaning closer to his face.
"What? You?" He mumbled, vision swimming in and out.
"Now, you are going to tell me about every known talent holder in this city."
The man, realizing that this woman was the one who ambushed him, tried grabbing for his sword as his vision cleared, but it wasn't there as he grasped naught but air.
"And I thought I could be nice for once." She stated with a smirk, as she jammed one of her stilettos into the man's right shoulder.
The man screamed and tried to shake her off, but despite her smaller stature, she was far stronger than a mere iron plate adventurer and held the mobility advantage. Clementine pushed the man against the ground and twisted the stiletto deeper, ripping tendon and muscle apart as the man screamed.
"You don't have to talk if you don't want to, it'll be more fun!" she laughed, an almost inhumanly wide smile decorating her face.
"P-please, I will tell you everything I know," the man whimpered in agony.
"Go on!"
Clementine pushed on the stiletto, causing additional pain as the blade tore deeper into his flesh. The man's anguish was making her work up once again. 'That pained appearance twists my insides. It feels so good!'
"I know only about Nfirea Bareare! He can use all magical items. Please let me go!"
'That's it! I get just what I need on the first try. Maybe there are Gods out there looking out for lil old me.' Clementine couldn't believe her luck.
"Where can I find him?" she inquired and removed the weapon from the man's shoulder, the victim hissing as he was granted relief.
"Near plaza," the man said, as he let out a pained groan, "Bareare pharmacy."
"How does he look?"
"Scrawny, blonde hair over his eyes, always wears an apron."
"Wasn't that hard to just tell me what I want," she declared matter of factly and stood up, twirling her blade.
"Y-you will let me go?"
"Why would I do that? Our fun has just begun."
Clementine tilted her head to give the impression that she was confused as to why such a question was even asked, resulting in the man shaking against the unreasonably strong woman restraining him.
"I told you what you wanted! Why are you doing this?" the man screamed at her and tried to get up.
Clementine, in turn, kicked the man between the legs before he could get up and towered over him as he lay there in a fetal position, whimpering in pain.
"Oh, you expect a sob story of me getting abused by men like you, and now I'm getting my revenge? Or maybe it was my teacher who decided to have fun with the innocent young me?" She howled with laughter, kicking the man onto his back.
With a swift movement, she jammed the stiletto into the man's other shoulder and continued. "Maybe I just like doing this? Maybe there is nothing wrong with me."
Not expecting any answer from her victim, not that she got one, she went on with the torture session and disabled his legs next by tearing through tendons of his thigh and ankle. Now completely helpless, all he could do was lay there and await his future.
After stabbing him an additional dozen or so times in other sensitive regions of his body, she could move to the final touches. She pierced his stomach one final time and slowly crushed his genitals in her plate gauntlet, adding that bit of final agony.
When the man finally died from blood loss, she picked up his iron adventurer's insignia and fastened it to her armor, hanging it alongside several others of various metals.
'That was so good. Maybe I should go for a woman next. Some high-pitched screams would really get me off…mmm, just imagining them begging. Ah, it's a shame they're rarely alone and I have to take out entire groups.' She stepped away from the corpse and disappeared into the night, moving towards the graveyard.
For a man working in great secrecy, Khajiit was not that hard to find once you knew his habits. All she had to do was enter the city's disproportionately large graveyard and reach the eerie crypt located at the center of it.
"Khajiit, where are you~?" she called out in a sing-song voice.
Zurrernorn cultists like him loved to creep and crawl around tombs like this, so the old man was likely somewhere near. She descended into the first chamber and waited, continuing to hum her tune.
"Clementine, why are you here?" an annoyed man's voice responded to her call. An old, bald, sickly-looking man in a red robe came out of the shadows beyond her. In his bony right arm, he held a crooked wooden staff, and there was a necklace made out of various small skulls hung around his neck.
"Is this how you greet an old friend? I even came with a gift." Clementine faked being offended.
"What gift? What did you steal this time?" Khajiit inquired, tensing up.
"Ohh, I took this pretty little thing. You should have seen the princess. She pissed herself the moment the crown was off her head!"
She took a step forward, twirling the delicate jewelry around her index finger.
"Bah, that thing is worthless. You know anyone who uses it goes insane; that is if they can even use it in the first place."
"There is someone in this city who could probably use it. Have you heard of someone named Nfirea in town who could use any magic item?"
Khajiit's expression changed from worried to a twisted grin. "Yes... He could wear it. But what are you getting out of this? The cult's goals were never yours."
He eyed the woman carefully. Clementine was a bloodthirsty, sadistic psychopath of a woman, and no sane man would believe in her being generous for no upfront or conventional reason. The cult may use unconventional methods to achieve unconventional ideas, but they were nowhere near as insane as the girl twirling around a piece of jewelry worth multiple of her necks like it was a cheap leather bracelet bought off the back alleyways.
"Plenty. I get to play around with the survivors; who you get to raise as the undead later. Your stunt will shake the Windflower Scripture off my back for good, and I can loot a few bags of gold for further expenses and even perhaps share a bit with you."
She flashed the old man an innocent smile and put her arms behind her back, pushing her chest forward, knowing this had sealed the deal.
"You can take all you want afterward, but it better work. The last thing I need right now is dealing with Slane goons."
"I'll get Nfirea. You worry about your rituals. I'll be back soon."
She cutely waved him goodbye and started her ascent towards the surface, skipping all the way up.
When she was out of sight Khajiit exhaled sharply, and just in case, watched the narrow hall for a few more minutes. If a beast like her snuck up on him, all his plans could end with his premature death.
X
Things were still kind of awkward between Buku and Ninya on the second day. She apologized the next morning for making him uncomfortable, but the boy kept his distance from Her, something nobody could fault him for.
Nfirea, on the other hand, was becoming visibly more excited the closer he got to the village.
"Someone you want to meet there?" Pero asked, picking up on the boy's delighted mood.
Nfirea blushed and after nervously looking around a bit, replied, "there's a girl I like there."
"Making moves on her?" Pero broke into a wide grin.
"I don't have the courage to confess, and I-I don't know if she likes me back." Nfirea stuttered back.
"Itsuki and I will teach you all you need to know to make her yours," Lukrut joined in, throwing his arm around the taller man's shoulder.
"Yeah, with the three of us, that girl stands no chance. You're going back to the city a taken man," Pero agreed, swinging His arm around as well.
{ Aren't you forgetting something? Half of that village was killed. } Buku messaged Her brother via message skill.
{ But most, if not all of the girls in his age group survived. So he just needs to be supportive and he's got this with lessened competition. }
{ I guess so… Since the village is pretty much under our control, if he wants to be with a girl from there, it would be even easier to get him into Tabula's hands. }
{ Now you sound like Ulbert. }
{ Fuck you. Like you're any better.}
The remaining road between them and the village practically melted away, and soon enough Carne came into view.
Nfirea stared forward with a confused expression and mumbled, "Huh, since when did they have a fence around the village?"
"Something wrong?" Peter asked.
"No, but there wasn't a big fence the last time I visited," Nfirea replied, a hint of worry in his voice as he subconsciously reached for his weapons.
He pulled the reins to urge the horse to go faster. Save for the fence and one house that looked partly burnt down, the village appeared mostly the same from his vantage point. Perhaps the village had finally shelled out the funds to purchase a fence? No, it had to be something worse to drive the peace-loving town to put up such defenses.
'Monster attack! Enri! I hope she's alright.' Nfirea drove the cart as fast as he could over the bumpy dirt road. His guard team needed to break into a jog to keep up with him, who sensed his stress levels and prepared to arm themselves if necessary.
As they approached the gate a group of armed goblins emerged. One in the middle of the group shouted, "That's far enough!"
The Swords of Darkness were instantly on defense, drawing their weapons and aiming at the goblins. Buku, Pero, and Lupus did the same more for appearance's sake, even going so far as targeting different goblins to ensure a quicker take-down for the team.
{ Hey Ainz, what's with the goblins in Carne? } Pero messaged His friend to get to the bottom of this.
{ Goblins? }
There was a moment of silence.
{ Ah, Enri used one of the two goblin general horns I gave her. Avoid killing them if you can, since they're her main labor force these days. }
He quickly informed his team about His findings while more goblins emerged from the surrounding wheat field, giving the impression of a well-organized team.
"What is your business in Carne? We'd prefer to avoid a fight if we can, especially with that red-haired one there. She gives me the creeps," the lead goblin inquired.
"What is going on? Where are the villagers? What have you done to them!?" Nfirea shouted back, preparing to light them up with magic.
The situation tension grew more palpable with every passing moment until a young woman appeared and ran towards the gate.
"Boss, we have a situation here. Do you know these people?" the lead goblin asked, turning towards her.
Instead of an answer, Enri broke into a wide smile and exclaimed, "Enfi!"
Seeing her reaction, the goblins lowered their weapons, but still surveilled the group for any sudden movements.
"Enri!"
Nfirea jumped off the cart and ran towards her, almost dropping his sword. Enri pushed the goblins aside and ran towards him, leaving behind her basket of goods. Both stopped just outside the gate in an awkward pause, unsure of the situation at hand. For everyone present, it was obvious that they wanted to hug each other, but something prevented them from doing so.
Now that the misunderstanding was slightly resolved, the group was led inside the village. The goblins were still eyeing Lupus, but didn't show any signs of hostility.
Enri and Nfirea were about to go inside one of the houses for a private talk when another girl got between them and pulled Enri back.
"Mili, what's gotten into you?" Enri asked, trying to get her friend to stop.
"Outsiders! They will harm you. Don't go with them alone!" she replied in a panicked state.
"That's Nfirea. You know him. He's a friend."
Enri tried her best to calm down the girl who was growing more hysterical with every passing moment. The goblins got involved in trying to calm down the girl as well, along with shooing away the crowds.
"Don't trust them! They're outsiders. Nfirea brought them here! You can't trust him!" She pointed at the armed group.
"Mili, look at me," Enri pleaded with her friend, "nothing bad will happen. Jugem and the rest will protect us."
"W-what happened? Enri, what is going on?"
Nfirea started to get agitated as well.
"It's fine. Mili, please calm down. No one will hurt us. Remember our new friend is watching as well. She is strong."
Enri hugged the hysterical girl, murmuring the same sentences a few more times into her ear to calm her down.
"I will just talk with Enfi and that's it. He needs to know."
"W-what I need to know?"
"Let's go talk. Please take care of Mili," Enri said to Juggem while taking Nfirea by hand.
X
There was an awkward silence between them. Nfirea glanced at the girl, already suspecting what she was about to speak while Enri gulped multiple times, trying to formulate the words in her head.
Both sat at the table in her home, the same room where her mother had given her hints about being old enough to look for a husband. When her father still let her sit in his lap from time to time and tell her stories his own mother had told him, subtly implying for her to pass them down to her sons and daughters. If not for her sister, she likely would have abandoned this place a long time ago, moving to a house with fewer memories to haunt her.
"There was an attack…"
She bit her lip and looked down, desperately trying to keep her emotions in check and not break down crying.
"I'm sorry."
He reached over the table to touch her hand but stopped midway.
"Mom, Dad, they died. Those… They killed them for no reason. Half of the village was killed. If not for kind strangers, Nemu and I would be dead too. They killed those soldiers. They rescued the warrior captain. They even gave me a strange healing potion and a horn that summoned the goblins you saw earlier. Everyone has been paranoid these days, that anyone coming close with a weapon besides our … protectors is out to finish us off."
"I'm so sorry. If there is anything I can do to help you please don't hesitate to ask." 'Magic items, a strange magic potion? It would be inappropriate to ask about it now.'
"You are such a good friend, Enfi." Enri touched his hand.
"Friend…Listen Enri I…I…we…I would…"
The words he so desperately wanted to say just stuck in his throat.
She perked up listening intently. 'Could it be? No, I should not have false hope. I shouldn't think about such things right now. I need to take care of Nemu.'
"I…if you don't mind I would like to know more about those people who helped you." He switched the topic.
Enri pulled back her hand, hiding her visible disappointment, and tapped her lips with her index fingers. "They all had very nice-looking clothes and armor. And they were very strong. I think they mentioned living somewhere deep in the forest. What else… oh, the healing potion was red. At first, I thought they were giving me blood, but it tasted nice like fresh juice."
'Red healing potion... They mentioned that they gave some to their friends. This must be them. I'll try to talk to them later.'
"They must have been amazing."
"They were. Their leader was called Lord Ainz, he looked so wise. Then there were elven twins; Pero and Buku. Buku was so pretty, I'd never seen such a beautiful woman before. And Pero… was so handsome. There was another lady, but she was in a full suit of armor and I couldn't see her face, Albedo. Oh, and there also was this guy with black hair. Ulbert, I think. He disappeared quickly to do something. Have you heard about any of them before?"
"No, this is all strange. But I would like to meet them to thank them for saving you."
Nfirea shook his head and blushed a bit. Once again, he tried to gather the courage to confess, but as with all the times before his anxiety took the upper hand.
'Should I tell him about Yuri? She told us not to mention her to nobles and those who serve them, but telling Enfi should be fine. I'm not sure about those other people though. Maybe Mili was right about not trusting them. I trust Enfi would not do anything bad, but what if he tells someone bad by accident?'
"I know how to leave messages for them, but you can't tell anyone about it. But enough about that, how long are you planning to stay?"
'Maybe I should say something. Sometimes he looks at me weirdly. If he stayed longer this time maybe we could… ugh, those thoughts again. He probably has a girl in the city waiting for him.' Enri forcibly pushed the thoughts away, choosing to move on.
Even if Nfirea hadn't chosen someone yet, he hadn't expressed any real interest in her either. No invitations to join him for something where they would be alone, no hints that he would like to take her to the city, nothing. And then there was her little sister, who was dependent on her. Under no circumstances would she leave her behind, even if no man would marry her.
"Probably for a few hours. The help I hired is very strong, so I can safely go inside the forest and gather as much as I can."
Nfirea nervously played with his fingers. 'What if I invited her to come along? But the forest could be dangerous.'
"Please be careful out there."
"I will, don't worry about me."
X
Meanwhile, the adventurers were preparing for the forest trip. With the horse-pulled cart staying behind, it would be them who would carry all the gathered herbs back to the village, and that meant supplies and equipment had to be reassigned.
The villagers were already lining up to present the herbs they had gathered, but it would not be nearly enough for such an expensive trip. Nfirea was paying good money to have an eight-person team guarding him and that investment needed to be earned back.
Since he had already picked bags for himself, Pero glanced around in an attempt to occupy His time while Nfirea was chatting up Enri.
Same as him, Buku had also done Her preparations and yawned in apparent boredom. After taking a walk around the village, She noticed a small, crude clay statue behind one of the barns. Other than that, the only remotely interesting thing happening were the villagers practicing archery under the supervision of the goblins.
With both of them standing a safe distance away from others there was no need to use a message spell, allowing them to speak vocally.
"Looks like the village is doing well," Pero stated, nudging away a twig.
"More or less. Come, I want to show you something."
She motioned for Pero to follow and led Him to the statue. A closer inspection revealed through a stone plaque in front of it that it was a makeshift altar. A crudely drawn skull was scratched into the hard stone, probably with a combination of local dyes and powder. The figurine itself was only vaguely humanoid, so it was hard to tell who it was meant to represent.
"Huh, this is strange. It looks like they're trying to worship Ainz without knowing who he is," Pero remarked.
Buku looked around and then whispered with a mischievous smile on Her face, "Want to push their hand a bit?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"Watch if anyone is coming."
Buku crouched in front of the plaque, and with Her fingernail that could easily crush stone, inscribed under the skull, 'I am Life and Death, know me by my burning gaze, for I am always with you.'
Satisfied with Her handiwork, She jumped to Her feet and quickly departed from the makeshift holy site, Pero following Her shortly after.
"I kinda want worshipers too. Looks like Ainz is already getting His first few." Pero thought out loud.
"I'm sure there's a serial killer somewhere out there just ready to cream her panties for you," Buku said, giggling. "There's your fanatical worshiper for you."
"Why do you have to ruin everything for me? I have enough crazy chicks around me as is."
Pero pushed Her against the shoulder, almost making His sister trip.
"Hey, watch it!" She shouted at Him, but quickly returned to a more serious demeanor as She playfully pushed Him back.
Nfirea was running their way looking somewhat agitated.
"Huh, did someone get turned down?" She mumbled under Her breath.
"He looks more excited than bummed out."
Nfirea ran up to them and asked through heavy panting, "Do your friends, the ones you mentioned earlier who wanted to work with me, live somewhere in the forest around here?"
"Why do you ask?" Pero was one to ask a counter-question.
"Someone named Lord Ainz saved Enri and healed her with a red potion."
"Yeah, that's one of our friends. But don't go around telling everyone. They want to keep a low profile for now." Buku replied sternly.
"Of course, I'll keep it a secret. But I have decided, I want to work together with them. This is the best way I can repay you for saving the girl I love." Nfirea declared with a deep bow.
"Sure, we'll let them know. By the way, did you confess to her?"
By the now uncertain expression the boy had, Pero already guessed the answer.
"I-I didn't think it was appropriate right now."
"Sure, but you know buddy, she won't wait forever for you. Someone will snatch her up sooner or later." Pero spoke, a slight sigh to His voice.
"I-I will buy something nice for her on my next trip in a few weeks, and then tell her how I feel," Nfirea stuttered, flushing even redder.
"Best of luck. With her private army roaming around that girl surely is a catch."
"Thank you." Nfirea bowed again and then added. "I'll quickly pay for the herbs villagers have gathered, and then we can go to the forest."
"Sounds good. We're ready when you are."
X
This mysterious Ulbert had left something behind. She could feel it. There was something off about the shadows now. It would be easy to write it off as paranoia since she was the only one to see it, but Renner knew better with her years of scheming.
'It is safe to assume it is some sort of surveillance. If he wanted to kill everyone he would have done so already.' Renner mused, subtly glancing at the shadow.
She was walking the vast castle halls with her trusted bodyguard right behind her, walking to who knows where.
'If they are watching us all, then the next logical question is what are their goals? It's unlikely they simply want to destroy us. The most likely scenario is a takeover. Control of a royal, maybe? Knowing that they are stronger than Gazef, they could pick one of my family members to be their puppet and kill off the rest.'
"Good day, your Royal Highness," passing maids addressed her.
"Good day," she gave a small nod to them, keeping up appearances.
'That worthless thrash looked down on my Climb. Maybe I should plant poison in their belongings and off a few others. The list is- concentrate! Now is not the time for petty revenge.'
Renner stopped in her tracks and took a long, deep breath.
"Your Royal Highness, is something wrong?" Climb asked, slightly worried.
"No, I just got lost in thought. Do not worry about me." She turned around and gave Climb the most radiant smile she could muster in the given circumstance, before returning to her previous position.
"Let us continue. I wish to return to my quarters and rest a bit. I think this is enough walking for now," she added, peering forward again and resuming her stride.
'Now where was I? Would it benefit me to become their puppet? Considering I have next to no information about them, there is no guarantee I would be able to manipulate them. But if most of my family is killed, I can become a potential threat to the crown and thus be eliminated by them. I must make contact to ascertain my position as their target for keeping around.'
With a plan in mind, she returned to her quarters and left Climb outside, with orders to not let anyone in under the excuse that she was too exhausted from the recent dramatic events and needed rest.
Being left alone, she glanced around and started an intense staring match with the most intense shadow in the room. The moment it shifted, she gave it a nod and whispered, "I wish to parley with your masters."
For a while, nothing happened. The shadow remained unmoving, Renner feeling increased discomfort in her face due to her not blinking in fear of missing the shadow making a move.
'Someone got my offer, but if they chose to ignore it, then they would not view any value in cooperating with me. That means one of my relatives would be chosen, but who? Father is too old to be used for long, so he is out of the picture. Barbo is not even worth considering. That would leave my two sisters and Zanac.'
She finally blinked a few times to force the dry feeling to go away, as there was no need to continue the never-ending staring match.
'Zanac seems the most probable choice. I should ally with him posthaste and investigate if he is getting some unseen support. He is not a fool and might see through me. What about his weaknesses? He rarely drinks and gambles. He is not prone to use prostitutes. Hmm, there is a chance he's still a virgin despite his status. I know those whores calling themselves noble ladies are not crawling into his bed. It'll be tricky to hold him on a leash.'
As she continued her contemplations, a dark void appeared in the corner of the room. Renner stood up with a natural grace that was her birthright, tensing up as her thoughts flew. 'Someone is coming, someone powerful.'
A man in a red suit and white vertical stripes stepped through, the void disappearing after.
'A tail? This man is not human, but very human-looking. A high-ranking demon perhaps? Best not to address or even hint at it.'
She curtsied and introduced herself, "Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself."
"Demiurge," the man-demon replied with a light bow.
"Please, sit." She motioned at the table and set up two teacups, dropped in the delicate tea leaves, and filled them with hot water from her prized artifact, the Warm Water Bottle. She took out the leaves with small pincers and discarded them into a designated can moments later, for her maids to dispose of later.
Demiurge sat down with a smirk and picked up the teacup, inhaling the scent. He took a sip without a hurry, implying his lack of worry for poison, and stated, "Thank you for the warm welcome, your Royal Highness."
"Please drop the formalities, Renner will do just fine," she replied with a smile and took a sip.
'I need to show my worth. They will not care about some airhead third princess, and I must assume any sort of deception will be noticed immediately.'
Putting the cup down, she continued, "I will not waste much of your precious time and go straight to the point. What must I do to join your side and be considered your target for ascension to the throne?"
"Lord Ulbert knows you more than you think. He wishes to know what you would do."
'If this human is as smart as Father assumes she is, she could be made a great tool in his arsenal. No pride or arrogance thus far,' Demiurge mused.
Demiurge took another sip of tea and observed the young princess. Her mannerisms were precise and deceptive, she played up her innocence with her tone and kept her expression pleasant despite hiding such darkness underneath.
'Know me? His tone slightly changed when he said 'think'. Intentional deception or blatant boasting that my thoughts are being read? Maybe a bluff to make me reveal all my cards. I will lay out a plan and then see if this, I assume, demon, gives more clues.'
"My first step would be to provoke my eldest brother Barbo to perform something so stupid that my father would be left with no choice but to denounce his right to the throne. Such action would inevitably lead to civil war, rocking the nation while the remaining heirs such as I fight for the throne. Meanwhile, I would suggest your house takes over the crime syndicate called Eight Fingers, and guide them as pawns with an unseen hand to control the underground criminal world and to influence the local populace. Locating them won't be too difficult as most of the nobles are in their pocket, and all that is required is to send one of your agents after them." Renner glanced at the shadow where she assumed some unseen creature was hiding.
"With the chaos of a civil war, it would make it easy to cull most of my family members and nobles who would stand in your way, such as those with family legacies of being stubborn. Meanwhile, the Baharuth Empire must be scared into inaction to prevent them from making a move during the chaos, preferably before or during the clash for succession. For someone like Lord Ulbert or Lord Ainz, it should not be a hard task to achieve, although I may not know how you would accomplish it. Secondly, I will manipulate my father to seek an alliance with your house and wed me to one of your nobles, given my influence in the house."
Renner took a gulp of tea and continued, voice growing more confident as she saw no signs of displeasement in the humanoid.
"Once that is achieved, the civil war must be escalated and the remainder of my family killed off, ensuring my succession to the throne. Once that is done, Barbo and all opposition must be eliminated. The latter can be done at the same time by targeting certain important nobles, and the latter could be done with either your own resources or the Fingers."
"The final step is to arrange the natural passing of my father, my eventual and completely legal coronation, and subsequent rule of your house. I will continue to play the role of the good queen as long as it is deemed necessary."
"You seem to be under the impression that legitimization of our rule is necessary," Demiurge remarked, placing down his cup of tea as if he were ready to leave.
"I can work only with the parameters that are known to me. Should more of the capabilities of your house be revealed to me, I would be able to readjust the plan to best fit both of our capabilities," Renner replied, just as calmly as she had just explained that all her relatives should be killed off.
"Of course. It is preferred to take a conservative approach. And what would you like as a reward for the job well done?"
Renner took another sip, her face twisting into her real ambitious smile, a cruel, soulless glint in her eyes. There was no need nor point in hiding her true self in front of this… demon. "I think this is where I should listen to you."
"Lord Ulbert wishes to keep his servants happy. Should you devote yourself fully to him, that boy outside would naturally be yours. I am asking what is it that you truly want beyond the child?"
"What do I truly want? That depends on what can be granted for my service."
"For the sake of argument, anything that you can dream of and more."
"I see. If your house is as powerful as I suspect, then Re-Estize is likely only the first step. If I am to be fully devoted to Lord Ulbert, I want to be more than that some regional puppet signing off orders. I can be better utilized in planning, diplomacy, and political and economic manipulation to bring ruin to your enemies and grow your gains in almost any territory you bring under your control. I can give you a puppet who can administer Re-Estize successfully, and more than one at that if given the time and resources to do so. It may just be my inner feeling and intuition, if you will, but if I and my precious Climb could be granted eternal life, I could and would remain in your house's service for eternity."
Demiurge carefully listened to her every word and how she spoke it, analyzing her overall worth.
'At no point, has she even attempted to lie. She masterfully chose the answers I expected her to give and delivered them with devotion. Lord Ulbert was right, this girl would be an excellent servant if kept in check. What is more, I did not see even a shred of regret when she offered to arrange the deaths of all her family members. She is a human in appearance alone, beneath that a true heteromorphic monster shines through.'
Demiurge stood up, fixed his glasses, and announced, "You have been accepted as a servant of Lord Ulbert Ooal Gown and Nazarick. Serve him with your full devotion, and your desires shall be granted."
Renner got on one knee and lowered her head, something that as a royal she had not done before. But in this moment, she stopped being a princess of Re-Estize, and became a servant of Nazarick.
"I will serve with all my devotion. What will be your will?"
"Rise, Renner. You will continue gathering information for us and work as our agent in Re-Estize. These are the shadow demons that will be under your temporary employ. They will be your eyes and ears. Request as many as you need and put them where they serve us the most, you will start with sixty. Lord Ulbert will review your plan and make any needed adjustments to improve it."
About twenty shadowy figures emerged from the demon's shadow, two more splitting away from ones already cast in the room. Instantly, she felt sixty hidden presences around the castle, and with a flicker of attention, she could view and listen to what they were observing.
Renner sharply exhaled, adjusting to the mental strain this new power caused, and slowly stood up. "As you wish, Lord Demiurge. How should I report to you?"
"They will deliver your reports. As of now you and that boy of yours are under the full protection of Nazarick. I will stay in touch."
Demiurge turned around and walked through a dark void that appeared and quickly disappeared the moment he had gone through it.
Renner sat down and gently slapped her cheeks a few times to calm down.
Even if she just made a deal with a demon, his mannerisms showed no signs of deception. And if she proved to be useful, they would have no reason to get rid of her afterward.
'Soon I will deliver my masters Re-Estize, and we, my darling Climb, will be together forever.'
X
With Aura having subjugated approximately one-fifth of the forest and the undead workforce working together with the goblins and ogres, collaborating on building the foundations of the Empire of Nazarick, Ainz as its ruler had to go on his first tour and inspect the lands he now ruled over.
With Albedo as his official consort and Rubedo as his personal guard, he stepped through the gate and arrived at the first settlement that was rapidly getting rebuilt into a late medieval level town. It even had some of the amenities Nazarick could mass produce, albeit they were primarily small conveniences.
The mud and stick huts were being replaced by brick houses, the central area that before was used for a communal bonfire and roundabout was now paved, and in the center of it all stood a half-built statue.
He stepped on the freshly polished stone pavement, Albedo right beside him, and took a glance around. A lich and a goblin dressed in something resembling simple linen suits approached him and kneeled.
'Now it's time to put up a show. Just like I tried to practice.' Albedo's lovely presence had crushed his plans to use the nighttime for showmanship practice, but he had some chances to learn at least some moves on days when she slept for a few hours.
"L-lord Ainz, Lady Albedo, we welcome you to our hum-humble village." The goblin barely got out the line which was no doubt told to him by the lich.
Unlike the ones Enri had summoned, naturally born ones were on a much lower level of intelligence and thus required training to become on par.
"Keep up the good work. I see that construction is going according to plan." Ainz replied, playing up his tone to sound more regal than he already came off naturally when his Suzuki side didn't get in the way too much.
With an elegant motion, he waved for them to get up and follow as he and Albedo took a casual stride around the paved area.
The once savage creatures were hard at work, and even otherwise dull ogres were put to use and were transporting stone plates and bricks from the kilns to construction sites. They were also useful for carrying massive barrels of food and drink, making the uptake of morale easier than anticipated in terms of efficiency.
"If nothing else, they are at least capable of hard labor. Attempts at educating them have given minimal results so far." Albedo reported.
"Give them time. I'm sure they will pick up at least a few trades."
"As long as they know their place and worship you and the other Supreme Ones, they have their uses."
Since most of the settlements were pretty much at the same level of development, he and Albedo visited a few at random to assess the various major problems that could occur.
The only exception was the fortress that not only sorted sizable amounts of stone but also herbs and wild fauna, a much vital function for feeding the endlessly hungry alchemy department, which he planned on expanding in the future.
Overall, there wasn't a large variety in the small towns, and it likely would take a few months to finish the initial stages of development. A network of roads was planned to facilitate trade and communication, but it would have to be set aside for now since it required a clearing of forest that was not feasible until more undead pop monsters had spawned and could be used to perform a mass sweep across the forest.
'Maybe I should try mass undead summoning to obtain more of a workforce? I better leave planning to Albedo, and if she runs into difficulties then I'll propose to summon more.' Ainz for a moment contemplated an acceleration of development, but dismissed the idea, knowing where it could lead. The nation could not be totally dependent on him on paper.
The last place to visit was the fortress Aura subjugated last.
A hobgoblin with a crooked face waited for them to arrive, and every other servant of Nazarick kneeled together with the liches that were left to establish administration. Now he, like the rest of the town leaders, wore a linen suit instead of leather or metal armor.
"Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, Lady Albedo, it… honors me to be in your presence, " Gervok stated, slurred in his speech as his jaw failed him once again, much to his internal horror.
"This is the one that challenged Aura. I do not know why she decided to spare this lesser creature, but he has been cooperative thus far," Albedo explained, displeasure evident in her tone.
"I am grateful for this second chance. I will prove my worth to you o' Supreme Ones." The goblin spoke while avoiding not only the burning gaze of the undead that instilled fear like no other, but that of the beautiful demoness as well. Her disdain for a creature like him was clear as day.
'He's so hard to understand. Restore.' Ainz waved his hand over the hobgoblin, returning his face to normal.
"You waste my time by speaking so unclearly."
Ainz played off the minor pain this act caused him by hiding his hand up his sleeve until it regenerated, and motioned for the hobgoblin to rise from his position.
"Reconstruction of the fortress is going according to the plan, my Lord. We preserved the ancient writings as requested." Gervok declared, following Ainz inside the main keep, carefully monitored by Rubedo behind him.
The first inspection crews had discovered writings inscribed in stone as well as scrolls enchanted against deterioration. Since translation glasses were a rarity and less than ten copies existed within Nazarick, the writing has yet to be deciphered.
From what some of the elder hobgoblins could tell, the fortress once belonged to dark elves, but they had left a long time before the hobgoblins took over. Their information, however, could be useful in the future, and the architecture left behind could be utilized for their own defensive purposes.
"Once initial reconstruction is done, this fortress needs to be expanded and given to Buku as an outpost for our military forces."
Ainz stopped before the writings on the wall and took out a pair of translation glasses from his inventory.
'The great evil has awakened. So many came with dire warnings. We are besieged by our own kind. Heed my warning, the evil cannot be stopped, only sealed away.' Ainz read the lines. 'Sounds ominous. I doubt they considered Aura's pet this great danger. Something else must be lurking in the forest. But if three creatures of relatively similar strength controlled the majority of the forest, this threat may be either gone or inactive.'
Ainz moved on, observing that most of the stones that were not being replaced were cleaned and polished. There were balls of continuous light at the walls illuminating the keep.
"Perhaps we should investigate if there are ruins and abandoned buildings of similar nature," Ainz said after explaining to Albedo about his findings.
"If these creatures are any indication, then that threat might be so insignificant to us that it would be removed the moment it reveals itself."
"Perhaps. But it's better to not leave anything to chance. Just as we arrived in this world, so could a world enemy. Not to mention we cannot just leave our subjects to their fate if they had sworn loyalty. Countermeasures should be devised to deal with all possible threats."
Even if the smallest of chances of a world enemy being in this world existed, there needed to be a plan on how to react. Many myths on Earth could be overreactions from a lack of understanding, but that could not be said in a magical world such as their current one.
"Understood. Should Demiurge devise a plan for you to review?" Albedo inquired.
'Lord Ainz, as always, must have thought of everything. I must step up to show my worth as his partner.'
"Yes. I will allow you both to come up with plans of how to counter such a possible threat." Ainz nodded.
The rest of the tour didn't reveal anything significant, and after inspecting the keep, the public appearances were finished. They gated back to Nazarick to continue their office work, the paperwork of monitoring never-ending.
Bonus Story - Master and Servant.
Mariposa nervously knocked on the door and waited. This was the first time she would speak with her mistress since having reunited with her husband.
After a few seconds of agonizing wait, the doors opened, and the elder succubus motioned for Mariposa to come inside the living space she had been assigned to.
She walked inside, and bowed before Flornohe as someone of her rank was supposed to.
Flornohe looked at her, face twisting in anger as she exclaimed.
"Are you mocking me?!"
Surprised, Mariposa straightened out and took a step back. "Mistress, I'm sorry."
"I have taught you how to assess situations and how to act, and this is how you greet me?" she hissed, continuing to frighten the younger succubus as the latter's thoughts flew.
Flornohe inspected her critically and went on, "have you not given a single thought of your new circumstance? Made observations? Thought of how they could have changed your circumstances?"
"I don't understand what you are implying. Even now, you are still my superior as my elder succubus," Mariposa spoke quietly, glancing downwards.
"Am I?"
Flornohe stared at the frightened woman and let out a tired sigh. Her expression softened, knowing that inflexible thinking was something Nazarick as a whole had to work on. Times were changing, and so would individuals, groups, and hierarchies.
"Child, you are a beloved wife of a God. His only wife, mind you, with there never having been a second one. I, on the other hand, have only gotten the position of a direct servant to a God. Think of what would occur if I attempted a feud with you over status?"
Without waiting for her former subordinate to answer, she continued. "Lord Ulbert would not tolerate me causing a conflict with his peer, Lord Tabula. You have been sloppy at assessing the situation. So to make my point clear, I welcome you, Lady Mariposa, to my humble dwelling."
Flornohe bowed and motioned for her to take a seat, concluding her lines.
Only now understanding the full implications of what the elder succubus did, Mariposa took a seat and waited for her to prepare tea for both. The student had become the teacher, in a sense.
"Mistress- Flornohe, my situation may have changed, but you will always remain my mentor."
"And I am grateful for your respect towards me, but part of what I taught you should be exercised even in dealings with me when the situation calls for it. In private, yes, we can agree on me still acting as your mentor, but in public, you cannot afford to show it. You are a wife of a God and should act accordingly."
Flornohe brought the teacup to her lips and savored the aroma.
"Speaking of which, I need to ask, what did you do? What did that entity ask of you?"
"How do you know?" Mariposa asked nervously, shifting around.
"Because what you did caused quite a stir. Great mother was not happy one bit, and I hope you understand why. I was tasked with following you and getting involved in this forbidden world. And if you want to know how grave the situation is, I was not given an explanation why this world is forbidden. Only that Great Mother Lilith will be watching intently for any developments."
"I owe that Traveler a favor. Tabula and I think it was to get closer to him, and he had decided to take that debt upon himself to spare me."
"You told your husband?! Good grief. Child, you were never allowed to ever reveal that information!"
Flornohe slammed the cup on the table, spilling the tea.
"It was Great Mother's decision whether or not to reveal the information to these young gods. I should have known you would be so careless! He clouds your judgment too much."
"But he needed to know. He spoke to the same traveler. He was given advice. We both are involved and he deserved to know. I cannot keep secrets from him. I thought you would understand!" Mariposa hissed defensively, placing down her own cup.
"I do, child, believe me, I do. But we are not dealing with just any traveler here, but one of the elder ones; Regoz, better known as the manipulator. This world might be his playground, which means something big is going to happen, and these young Gods will be involved." Flornohe shook her head.
"But what should we do?"
"There isn't much we can do. I will remain by my new master's side and help him grow, elevating my own power, and you, my dear, you have a lot more options than I do to do the same. Just ask your husband, and he will likely help you catch up to him in power," Flornohe stated with a wry smile. "Whimsical the twists of fate are. I always thought you were sacrificing your growth for love. How wrong I have been proven."
When Mariposa had picked a partner that, by all means, was far far below her current development level, her mistress and her peers had warned her that it would slow down her growth and that she would have to sacrifice her progress for the sake of her husband, a simple human at the time. Though not frowned upon, when choosing life partners, young succubi like Mariposa mostly picked partners that were more powerful than them, not the other way around, to accelerate their growth progress. She had broken the unspoken law and had turned the tables on their heads in the end.
"Thank you for the advice, mistress. I won't forget the lessons you have taught me. And maybe one day I will have a chance to repay you," Mariposa replied.
The twists of fate were indeed whimsical. For the short time she had been in Nazarick she hadn't looked at her new life in a broader perspective, and she would have to soon.
Editing by aidan_lo
Proofreading by aidan_lo, nate051499j6, Dtrackt, Sluethen, Visur Nyxan, Fervin0116, Sad_Smiles, Aterro, Aurodium, and Swiss.
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).