Ainz held out a hand to stop Aura, who was anxious and had been preparing to make a move since Gondo did not answer immediately. It would be best to let him think this through first.
After Gondo got himself together, he studied Ainz intently. His attitude still spoke of wariness towards Ainz, but it seemed to have been supplanted by some other emotion.
"I know of more runes than these. There are 50 lesser runes, 25 middle runes, 10 upper runes, and 5 top runes, for a total of 90. That said, many of them have been lost, and only a few are left. Exactly how many secret and divine-class runes there are is the stuff of legends."
"Really now... there might be some differences, but the runes I know of look like this. Do you recognize them?"
Ainz traced a rune from his memory on the ground.
"Ho! This is one of the middle runes, Lagu."
(TL Note: this is an Anglo-Saxon rune meaning "lake".)
Although Ainz did not know why there were so many of them, it was certain enough that some of them matched the ones which Gondo knew.
"I understand. Then, please continue telling me about the runes."
What Ainz really wanted to know was who taught this knowledge and information related to other players . However, that question would be best addressed to a historian. For the time being, he would build a knowledge base with other related information.
"About 100 years ago, the Dwarves exported rune-carved magical weapons to a human nation to the east of these mountains — the Empire. However, the flow of such weapons stopped after that. What is the reason for that?"
What he really wanted to know was whether a player died 100 years ago, but pushing too eagerly for such information could end up exposing him. Ainz had been contemplating this question for some time now, and it seemed like a good question since it did not run the risk of leaking anything about himself.
Gondo's face darkened. He paused briefly, and then continued walking.
"This will take a long time. Let's talk as we walk."
"Umu..."
For a while, the only sound audible in the tunnel was the footsteps from the three of them.
He's probably silent because he's smoothing over the gloominess in his heart.
"Firstly, my friends know me as the rune developer."
Does that mean he gave himself that title?
Gondo continued speaking without waiting for Ainz to respond.
"Dwarven magic items have always been made with runes. But 200 years ago, we were attacked by the Demon Gods, and the last remaining royals left our Kingdom to join the fight against them. Technology from the outside flowed in and as a result, runes were regarded as outdated."
Gondo produced a sword from his pack and gave it to Ainz. There was a runic character on the blade's body.
"This is Cuern, a lesser rune which means 'sharpness'. When carefully engraved, it creates a magic sword. Its effect is to increase the weapon's sharpness and makes it easier to inflict deep wounds upon the enemy."
"This is a very basic effect on magic weapons, no? The time it takes to inscribe a rune depends on the amount of bonus damage the rune adds. That said, I've heard that it should not take long to complete a low-end weapon, am I correct?"
"That is exactly why runecraft fell behind the times. The same item takes three times longer to make with runecraft as compared to other methods. From a mass-production point of view, it isn't even in the same league as the enchantments of mankind."
Gondo sighed deeply.
"Thanks to superior technology from the outside, the number of runesmiths who could inscribe runes gradually dwindled. That was because everyone felt that it was better to become a magic caster, who could perform enchantments."
That was probably why the flow of weapons into the Empire had stopped. Ainz understood that much. In other words, the ancient traditions and crafts had died out.
Gondo narrowed his eyes.
"Still, abandoning our Dwarven techniques was utterly foolish! More to the point, runecraft has its merits too! For instance, you don't need to spend money on it!"
Gondo's voice echoed through the tunnel. After realising how dangerous it was to get worked up in a place like this, he took a deep breath. That, in turn, allowed him to speak more calmly.
"Did you know? The typical enchantment costs a lot in reagents and supplies."
That was correct. Ainz had once heard that half the market price of magic items came from the ingredients.
While the production cost for magic items was abnormally high, one could ignore markups from suppliers and retailers when calculating their price. That was because the Magician's Guild did not collect administrative fees — probably because they felt that those were included in their yearly dues — and so magic casters could sell directly at no further cost, or negotiate directly with their clients.
Therefore, when one sold them through a retailer of magic items, the price would go up.
"However, in contrast, rune-empowered items have hardly any material costs."
"That's amazing!"
Ainz suddenly leaned forward.
He had agonized over this expense many times, both as the adventurer Momon and as the ruler of Nazarick. Therefore, the wonderful idea of something being "almost free" was very dear to Ainz's heart.
That was why he could not understand it. In truth, Ainz would never have allowed such a technique to die out.
"...Are there any other flaws?"
"Ah, those do exist. Mainly, they're hard to produce. Taking too long to make is one thing, but there's too few people who are suited to becoming runesmiths as well. According to the people of the Empire, there's fewer of them than those who can become magic casters."
"Hm. I have a question. While you said that runes fell out of fashion 200 years ago, why does the title of rune developer still exist? Isn't it too late for that sort of thing? Or is that normal for the Dwarven lifespan?"
Gondo did not respond, so Ainz asked another question.
"What sort of runecraft are you developing now?"
Ainz took several steps forward, coming up alongside Gondo.
Gondo's face was fixed forward, with none of his passion from before. He simply answered Ainz's question with another question.
"Why do you wish to know about runecraft?"
Answering a question with a question implied that he did not want to give a proper reply. If he could give the answer Gondo sought, he should be able to uncover what he was hiding. After all, he had gone from addressing him as "Your Majesty" to "you". This must surely be an important question.
However, they were not close enough that they could bare their hearts to each other. And more importantly—
Why is he leaking this knowledge? Is it a trap? Or does he not know the importance of the information he holds? ...If it really is a secret art, he should understand what that means, right?
It was somewhat confusing, but for the time being, he would give him the explanation for his motives which he had prepared beforehand.
"It's because these runes differ slightly from the ones which I know of. You understand how someone can be interested in the historical background and spread of runecraft, no? If so, I hope you can answer my question."
Gondo looked away, and fell into contemplation. They continued walking forward in silence for a while.
Just as Ainz was starting to get restless, Gondo finally answered him.
"I'm now experimenting with reducing the time it takes to performing runic enchantment, as well as a way to mass produce them. However, that is only a means to an end. My final objective is to develop techniques that make runes essential. In other words, I want to make runecraft unique and able to stand the test of time."
In other words, he wanted to add value to runes. The boss of any company would understand that motivation. When developing a product, it was quite common for that point to be repeatedly emphasized, to the point of revulsion.
"Hoho. That's pretty amazing research, is it not? How is it progressing?"
He did not think he would actually get an answer, but Ainz had asked that question anyway because he was confused on one point. Namely, that anyone who was developing a new technology like this should be a VIP in the Dwarven Kingdom.
I have no idea why he's out here by himself, collecting samples in such a dangerous place. Shouldn't someone like him be better guarded?
Ainz's question was immediately answered.
"Not at all. There hasn't been any progress," Gondo mumbled in a depressed tone. "People who use runecraft to make magic items are called runesmiths, but I'm nowhere near amazing enough to be addressed by that title. I can't even do what an apprentice should be capable of."
Eh? Ainz mouthed in surprise. Did that not mean that someone who could not even apply proper runes was trying to advance the field of runecraft? This was an utterly ridiculous situation.
Could he really make any breakthroughs like this, or was this very normal for them?
No, this could not possibly be normal. If it was normal, Gondo would not have been so depressed. In other words, he too must have felt that he was merely fumbling around.
In truth, Ainz was in quite a quandary. He had no idea how to make use of Gondo.
"I'm not talented. I can carve runes, but it takes too long for me to do so... although, they say all runesmiths have to pass through this phase before they can grow. But other runesmiths progressed forward instead of being stuck at a plateau like me."
Gondo drooped his head powerlessly.
"I'm no good as a runesmith. I'm just a useless descendant that my great father left behind."
I see, Ainz mused. So his problem was simply a lack of talent.
After considering the knowledge from this world and that of YGGDRASIL, he was quite sure that this was the case.
One needed ten other levels in certain job classes before being able to take levels in the runesmith career. However, if his overall level cap was 11, then he would not be able to gain further levels as a runesmith. And if he had only one level of runesmith, he would only be able to learn skills of no great import.
There was nothing Ainz could do to help Gondo, so he said nothing else.
There were times when comforting someone could save them, and times when all they could do was give up.
If Ainz were in Gondo's situation, he would not want someone he had met for the first time to comfort him either.
"...Is that so. Speaking of which, do all Dwarves have the goal of advancing runecraft and developing new techniques for it?"
"No, I'm the only one who does that," Gondo replied, with a terribly lonely laugh. "All the runesmiths have given up on their craft. There's nobody left who wants to break free of the current state of runecraft and develop new technology for it. They all feel that it's alright to abandon it."
"I see... Then, there's something I'd like to know. What will you do after developing new runecraft techniques?"
"What will I do? I just want to use runecraft to enchant things and increase the number of runesmiths. Runes are an amazing technology. It would be a terrible waste to let them die out."
"Is anyone helping you in this?"
"No. Like I said, almost all the runesmiths have given up their craft and spend their days drinking and cursing bitterly about how it's going to die out with their generation. I've tried to talk them around in the past, but they all rejected me."
"...Hm. Well, the weak perish. It's only natural for useless technology to vanish."
Gondo suddenly glared at Ainz, but his gaze lost its strength within moments.
As he watched Gondo hang his head and move on, Ainz contemplated the value of runes.
Frankly speaking, he had no interest in them beyond their historical involvement with players.
However, abandoned arts could be developed on the cheap, and a brief investment might not be a bad idea. The concept of not having to spend money was also very attractive. In addition, he wanted to collect rare technologies.
Also, if other players appeared, one could use their interest in runes as an excellent lure.
"...I have a question or two. What basis do you have that techniques like what you mentioned earlier can be developed? What I heard just now sounds like empty fantasies thought up by someone who knows nothing about the craft."
"That's not true! Well, it's true that I don't have the talent to be a proper runesmith. But my father, and my father's father — my grandfather — were both the top runesmiths of this country, and they served the last royal — the Runesmith King — as his right and left hands. I've seen it with my own eyes. I've read the literature and theses my father and grandfather left behind. I'm sure it's possible! My father confirmed my theories on his sickbed. He told me it was difficult but not impossible!"
Gondo looked like he was going to cough up blood with his words as tears welled up at the edges of his eyes.
The feelings and thoughts he had long kept inside of him had finally burst forth.
Though that torrent of emotion crashed against him, Ainz remained unmoved. While Gondo's words made him hope that the Dwarf's research would bear fruit, the fact was that Ainz merely wanted access to rare techniques which might have otherwise been lost. If Gondo could not deliver concrete results, then Ainz would give up on him.
"It's true that I'm useless as a son! Still, I don't want to let the art which my ancestors passed down die out! I won't let the glorious name of my father vanish from the history books, no matter what I have to do!"
And then, those words struck a chord with Ainz.
He too wished to preserve all the things left by his comrades in Ainz Ooal Gown. He wanted them to endure for all time.
In that instant, Ainz could understand Gondo's feelings deep in the marrow of his bones.
His affection gauge maxed out in a flash.
At the same time, he understood why Gondo went on and on about runecraft.
To him, runecraft was dead, or perhaps, close to death. Thus, he had no reason to hide it. For all he knew, he might have wanted to let it spread as far and wide as possible, so it could survive in one way or another. Of course, he did not know if he had thought that far ahead.
"...Forgive me. This might anger you, but I hope you will permit me to say this. From my point of view, you are you, and you are neither your father nor your grandfather. Am I wrong?"
An inexplicable blend of emotions appeared on Gondo's face. It was hard to tell if he was angry, hurt or touched. But it eventually faded into dejection.
"—Your Majesty, I am very grateful to you. But I have already decided my reason for living."
"Then, allow me — no, the Sorcerous Kingdom to provide the financial assistance for your endeavours. Allow me to become your patron and aid you in the advancement of runecraft."
Gondo's eyes went wide, and he exclaimed in shock:
"You, are you serious? This, this is incredibly good fortune... this is unbelievable!"
There must be some catch to this unimaginably tempting offer. Anyone would think that way. Ainz understood how Gondo must feel.
"Well, all I can say is that I hope you can believe me. However, someone like you who isn't a runesmith probably won't be able to develop those techniques you were talking about, am I right?"
Gondo's mouth pressed flat, and he went silent.
"Therefore, I wish to recruit all the runesmiths in the Dwarven Kingdom to my country, to work on developing runecraft techniques under your direction."
"What, what does that mean?"
"It means exactly what it implies. I will gather all the runesmiths and compare their knowledge to serve as the prototypes for new techniques. For that reason... I hope you can help me recruit them. Is that impossible?"
Gondo considered it, and then replied
"No, it should be doable. Almost all the runesmiths have given up on their craft, but there should be a lot of them hoping for a chance to shine."
"And then you will move their hearts... then, Gondo. How about it? Will you help me? WIll you give your soul to me? How far are you willing to go for me?"
"What?"
"It will be very difficult to revive an almost-lost art if you do not focus all the runesmiths on a single objective. This is why you cannot slack off on the recruitment of talent. I want to bring all the runesmiths to my country. Thus, it is quite likely that I may have to employ certain... unsavory methods. This may lead to my collaborators performing actions which might be termed treason to this country."
"What, was that it? The answer is simple. If you want my soul, then take it all, the whole thing. It is a small price to pay in order to make runecraft live forever."
Gondo extended his hand.
Ainz took it.
"I am undead. Does that sit well with you?"
Gondo laughed at Ainz's words.
"As long as you can make my dream come true, I don't care if Your Majesty is undead or the fearsome Lord of the Frost Dragons."
"Then, first things first, can you lead us to the Dwarven Kingdom? I plan to sign a treaty of friendship with the Dwarven King in order to recruit runesmiths for my country. After all, it would be difficult to recruit people if our countries have no ties between them. In addition, I believe the Dwarven Kingdom has strict controls on the export of technology, am I correct?"
"That should be fine. There's hardly any demand for runecraft. Ah, also, the Dwarven Kingdom no longer has a King. The country is ruled by a regent council which is headed by several leaders."
"Umu. I'd like to hear about that. Can you talk as we walk? I'd like to hear a rough outline of it."
As Gondo spoke to him, the exit to the tunnel finally appeared before their eyes.
After the three of them emerged, they were welcomed by Shalltear, among others. Naturally, Zenberu was there as well.
Although Gondo had been expecting a mass of undead, he could not help but take a defensive stance as he saw the magical beasts as well. The fact that "there are no Dark Elves" had already dealt him a blow, but now his mumbling reached Ainz's ears.
Shalltear quietly stepped forward and bowed.
"Ainz-sama. Forgive me for bothering you just as you returned, but there is a slight problem."
"...Where are the rest of the Hanzos? What happened?"
"Yes! Actually, someone else entered this cave, through the tunnel in the building to which Aura guided you. My deepest apologies for only telling you now, but I have already sent some of the Hanzos to investigate."
"There's no need to apologize, Shalltear. You chose wisely. We'll wait for the Hanzos to return, analyze their reports, and then decide what to do. Then—"
He paused, then glanced at the Dwarf who had once stayed here. The Dwarf was not paying attention to the events on this side. Instead, he was engaged in an animated conversation with Zenberu. Listening closely, it seemed to concern the Dwarf that had saved Zenberu.
"—Gondo. Pardon me for a moment, but it seems someone has infiltrated this city. There is a possibility that the use of force will be warranted here. When the time comes, I hope you will serve as a witness to your nation that such a course of action could not be avoided."
"Of course. Leave that to me. Although, I hope you will limit any damage caused to a minimum."
Ainz nodded. It was only natural to avoid obstacles that would affect future negotiations.
"Shalltear, how's our perimeter?"
"I've already dispersed Aura's beasts into the vicinity... How's that, Aura?"
"That should work. Even if the enemy can turn invisible, my beasts can still sniff them out."
"I see. Then let's wait for the Hanzos to return."
After a while, they did.
According to them, the opposition seemed to be Quagoas. There were over 100 of them. Gondo was listening from the side and seemed quite shocked. This was far in excess of a mere scouting force; in all likelihood, this was a combat group, or a migrating tribe.
There was only one course of action Ainz could take.
"...Shalltear. Capture them all. Can you do that?"
"If that is your command."
"Then I command you to do so. Do you understand why I want you to capture them?"
"It is to question them and prevent word about us from leaking out."
Ainz nodded grandly.
"Correct. If we only capture one of them alive, then we can only interrogate one of them. This increases the chance that we might be compromised and that we might end up learning false information. In addition, we must consider that we may need to make an example of them."
There was one more thing Ainz did not mention because Gondo was there — that simply believing one side of the story might turn out poorly for them. Who knew, it might be better to strike a deal with the Quagoa than the Dwarves.
"Go then, Shalltear. I await your good news."
-x-X-x-
Shalltear and her underlings picked up the pace as they headed towards the location of the Quagoa. They leapt from roof to roof at breakneck speeds. Since she was already in armor, she did not have to worry about the several layers of breast pads within her clothing.
She glanced back at Aura, who was following from behind.
The fact that she was being followed by a Guardian — who was supposed to stay by her Master's side — was proof that he did not trust her.
That was only natural.
She might not remember her failure, but she had heard the details from others.
Although her compassionate Master had said "Shalltear, you did nothing wrong", that could not possibly be true. Thus, she had been waiting for a chance to scrub away the stink of failure from herself, but sadly that chance had not come.
Aura might have comforted her, but that was not what Shalltear wanted.
Shalltear looked ahead, her gaze full of strength. She would not allow herself to make any mistakes on this journey.
Before long, they reached a building near their objective. Shalltear looked down on the Quagoa from its roof.
There were many silhouettes visible, of the kind that the Hanzos had described.
"Now then — what shall I do..."
Shalltear pondered the matter.
Aura should have heard what she said, but Aura merely folded her arms, intent on remaining silent. That too, was expected. Before Aura had come here, her Master gave her an order: "Keep an eye on Shalltear's movements. If she looks like she's about to begin massacring them, make her stop by any means, even if you have to hit her. Apart from that, you are not to interfere with Shalltear's battle plans."
Shalltear had also been told that Aura would merely observe from behind, and she was not to be used in any combat operations. In other words, the entire operation, from planning to execution, was solely Shalltear's responsibility.
Firstly, she had to perfectly and elegantly fulfil her Master's orders.
She unclenched her fists.
"Hanzos."
"Yes!"
The ninja-costumed minions gathered before her.
"I want to make sure that none of them escape. Can you verify that there's nobody else in the tunnel?"
"Certainly. We await your command."
As expected of her Master's minions. Their enemy would have no means of retreat now. The next thing she had to worry about was if the enemy was scattered throughout the city. Of course, she could take some time to hunt down and root them all out, but she wanted to avoid wasting time. While her Master had not given her a time limit, wasting too much time was proof of incompetence.
"Alright. How about this..."
Shalltear relayed the details of the plan she had thought up on the way here.
She would surround the enemy, and then disable everyone within the perimeter.
In other words, she would use the Hanzos to cut off their retreat, then compact them into a mass before taking them all out in one blow.
Granted, this plan was a little dangerous, given that she did not know the abilities of the opposition. However, if the enemy had the power to kill Shalltear and the Hanzos, the Dwarven Kingdom could not possibly have survived this long.
Well, provided that Dwarf Gondo was not especially weak.
After dispatching the Hanzos, Shalltear counted out three minutes. She had to do so because she had no means of communicating with the Hanzos.
Fortunately, the Quagoa seemed to have circled their wagons around the building, with no intentions of dispersing.
"Let's start. Begin as ordered; keep them from escaping into the surrounding area."
After giving orders to the undead she had brought along, Shalltear ran along the rooftops, and then leapt in front of the Quagoa. At the same time, her undead landed around them.
They had taken control of all the major thoroughfares around the building. The Quagoas' routes of retreat were almost completely cut off.
Shalltear sensed their confusion, and she cast a spell long before they could recover.
"[Mass Hold Species]."
As she had expected, they were not high-level opponents. Many of the Quagoa had stopped moving, frozen in place.
Those Quagoa who had not entered the spell's area of effect managed to recover from their confusion, but none of them attempted to attack Shalltear. She had appeared out of nowhere and used a spell they had never seen before to pin down their comrades. Even choosing between fighting or fleeing must have been very hard for them.
Shalltear smiled thinly.
It would seem the conclusion she had reached from observing them, that of centering the spell on an outstanding-looking Quagoa — for now known as the commander — had been a worthwhile one.
"[Mass Hold Species]."
She cast the same spell again, and now even the fleeing Quagoa were neutralized.
"Close in!"
In response to Shalltear's shouted orders, the surrounding undead shrank their perimeter.
The Quagoa within the building heard Shalltear shout and sensed the abnormality in their comrades, but it was far too late for them.
As a sadistic grin grew on her face, Shalltear clapped her cheeks. She could not be careless. Her failure in the past was most likely because of that.
After recovering her composure, Shalltear stormed the building. While breaking through a window would have given her the element of surprise, she considered the effort of breaking through and decided on going straight through the door instead, using herself as bait.
The waiting Quagoa swiped their claws at Shalltear over and over again.
Three in front of me, four deeper within, nobody who looks like a commander. I should take their attacks and verify their strength.
Shalltear did not avoid their attacks, but bore the brunt of the Quagoa offensive.
As expected, she was unhurt.
Shalltear could only take damage from magical silver weapons. Some high-level monsters had natural attacks which counted as magic, while others had attacks which counted as silver, but those were very rare in low-level monsters.
While she might have expected this, the Quagoa were taken aback. As though unable to believe what they were seeing, the surrounding Quagoa clawed at her, but to no avail.
"Alright, the experiment's over. Shall we end here? [Mass Hold Species]."
As the spell was cast, all the Quagoa present stopped moving.
"Now then, next up."
Shalltear looked around and saw the Quagoa in the next room through the remains of a broken door. Their wide eyes held the emotion she most loved — fear.
As Shalltear's stride brought her forward, the Quagoa clambered over themselves to flee.
However, they were too slow. To Shalltear, they were as slow as slugs. She resisted the impulse to give voice to mocking laughter, and instead cast her spell at their backs.
There would be no escape.
Shalltear would not tolerate any slipups.
Now that all the Quagoa within the building had been captured, she entered the tunnel and found six Quagoa by the feet of the Hanzos. Given the faint movements from their bodies, it would seem that they were still alive. Shalltear then asked the Hanzos:
"Now then, are these the Quagoa who tried to flee?"
"Yes. Nobody else managed to escape through here."
Since Shalltear had not let anyone get away, one could consider her mission to have been perfectly accomplished.
"Just in case, go make sure there's nobody else lying in wait within the building. After that, have the undead who are bringing them in carry these Quagoa out. You can tell the undead to bind them with ropes, right? I'll wait here until you finish searching the interior and see if anyone else is trying to make a run for it."
After receiving Shalltear's orders, the Hanzos picked up the Quagoas on the ground and returned to the building. They returned to Shalltear after two minutes had passed.
Having flawlessly completed her task, Shalltear emerged from the building, where she saw many bound Quagoa and the forms of Ainz, Aura, the Hanzos, the Dwarf and Zenberu.
"Well done, Shalltear. It seems you accomplished your mission and didn't let anyone escape."
"Yes! Thank you very much, Ainz-sama!"
"Now then, Shalltear, I shall give you your next order. Interrogate these people, but do your best not to hurt them."
"Understood."
To begin with, she ordered the undead to drag out one of the Quagoa who had been captured with magic — in other words, one of the first captives.
"Hiiiiii! Save me!"
"Hehe, well, if you're honest, I won't kill you. If you're honest. First things first, who's the greatest of you people here?"
"Him, the one with the streaks of blue in his fur."
"You son of a bitch! You sold me out!"
The one shouting back did seem to have a faint hint of blue in his pelt.
"Okay, okay, don't fight. Then, can you bring him to me? Send this one back."
They brought the highest-ranking Quagoa was brought before her.
"Hmph! You must be a friend of the Dwarves! I'll never talk! I'll stake the pride of my race on it!"
"Really now. All right, then. [Charm Species]. Done, can you answer my questions?"
"Ahh, of course! What do you want to know?"
The Quagoa behind him could not help but gasp at his earnestness.
Charm magic caused the target to regard the caster as a trusted friend or colleague. However, since friends would not tell friends to kill or hurt themselves, the targets would not obey orders which would result in such. Also, the term "friend" was also a bottleneck of sorts; there were secrets which people would keep even from their friends, so this magic would be ineffective at winkling out such information. If that were the case, more powerful mind control spells would be needed. However, such measures did not appear to be necessary this time round, a fact for which Shalltear thanked her luck.
"Firstly, are you really the greatest one here?"
"Ahhh, I was appointed the leader of this group. Oi, quiet down there, she's a friend so it's fine to tell her. Ah, could you keep that a secret?"
"Of course. We're friends, aren't we?"
"Ahhh, yes, we are, I'll trust you, then. Still, those guys... Especially that guy, is he undead?"
The Quagoa stared at Shalltear's glorious master. It annoyed her, but she had to bear with it to extract information from him.
"It's all right. We're friends so you'll believe me, right?"
"Is he your minion?"
I'll fucking kill you, Shalltear almost said. However, she swallowed those words. That was because her master spoke before she could.
"That's right. She is my mistress."
"Ho, that's my friend for you, you're amazing."
"Th-thank you."
Shalltear agonized over these complex feelings, which she could not put into words. Although she wanted to roll around on the floor, she could not waste the loving assistance which her Master had given her.
The Quagoa commander fell into deep thought, and the Quagoa behind him went, "What happened?" "What's going on?" "Are we the only ones who don't know that she's a friend" and so on. However, the Quagoa commander ignored them, and a twisted look dawned on his face, which was probably a smile.
"I get it. Since you said so, I'll believe you. After all, we're comrades joined by a firm bond of friendship, aren't we?"
Shalltear snorted.
"Then, could you speak loudly enough that the people behind me can hear? Who are you people? What are you doing in this city?"
Normally speaking, they should have been suspicious that a friend did not know this. However, this was the greatness of magic. The Quagoa commander replied without raising any doubts.
"We're a detached force from the invasion force. We came here to kill the Dwarves which might have fled to this city."
"Say what?!" the Dwarf exclaimed in shock. "What, what does that mean?"
"Shut up and keep quiet, Dwarf. Filthy races like yours should be exterminated."
"Alright, alright, that's about enough. You were saying something about an invasion force?"
"Ahhh, sorry, I seem to have gotten a little over-excited. There's a Dwarven city north of here. The invasion force was raised to destroy that city. The problem is that the suspension bridge over the Great Rift is protected by a fortress, so our attacks have always been defeated. However, we've found a shortcut that bypasses the Rift and runs alongside the fortress, so we're planning to use that to wipe them out in one fell swoop."
Shalltear narrowed her eyes at the Dwarf. His expression looked ghastly. Apparently this was very bad news.
"When will the attack come?"
"We're a detached force, we split off from the main body so we don't know the exact time. But I think it should be today, or maybe tomorrow."
Shalltear overheard the conversation between her master and the Dwarf.
"That said, will the city actually fall if the suspension bridge is taken?"
"I'm not sure, but I've heard that since the enemy needs to use the bridge, they can only attack one spot. Thus, we can use the magic items within the fortress to repulse them. However, if the fortress is taken, the enemy will have a clear path to the city, and it'll be hard to stop the advance of a large army. If that happens, we might have to abandon the city and escape to here, but if we're ambushed here, the Dwarven race might be wiped out."
The Quagoa commander chuckled deviously as he listened to their conversation.
"So are you the only detached group?"
"We're the only ones who were sent here. We don't know how strong the Dwarven city is or how many men we'll need, so most of our troops are there."
"Ain—eh, ah, then, then, is there anything you want to ask?"
I can't say Ainz-sama, Shalltear fretted as she tried to piece her next words together.
"...There's not much else. Strictly speaking, we only need to know how to communicate with their main body or something similar."
After Shalltear repeated her Master's question, the charmed commander babbled like a brook.
"Nope, our mission wasn't seen as very important. In the end, our job was just to hunt down anyone who fled."
Shalltear looked back to her Master, who nodded to her.
"How should we deal with them?"
"...Gondo, I'm sorry about this, but can you prepare to travel?"
The Lizardman and Dwarf understood the meaning behind those words, so they turned and left in silence. Ainz watched them leave, and gave Shalltear her next orders.
"...Then, let's go. Shalltear, send them all back to Nazarick. They are to be observed. Whether they are to be killed or spared depends on the kind of relationship we forge with the Quagoa. Do not kill them until they are fully hostile to us. However, order some light experiments to be conducted. The hardness of their claws, the physical and magical resistance of their bodies, that sort of thing. Although, some of them might die as a result... Order them to minimize the number of deaths."
"Understood."
Shalltear immediately cast her [Gate], opening a portal to the surface of Nazarick.
"Come, you lot get in here."
Led by the Quagoa commander, the others followed him in one after the other. Some of the Quagoa stood in place, frozen by fear, but Shalltear simply picked them up and chucked them through the [Gate].
After sending them all through, Shalltear briefly returned to Nazarick as well. She repeated her master's orders to the Old Guarders standing by there, and then returned through the still-open [Gate].
Beyond it was Shalltear's Master. His arms were crossed and he seemed to be waiting for her.
"Your collection of information was very thorough, Shalltear."
The first thing he said was to praise her! Shalltear's flat chest surged with heat.
"Yes!"
Shalltear reflexively got to her knees. That was the only appropriate position to take in response to her Master's praise.
"—Mm, umu. I look forward to your loyal service in the future."
"I understand, Ainz-sama!!"
"Don't stay like that. Stand up. We'll need to discuss things with Gondo. ...This is a chance to have them owe us a big favor."
"How fortunate. Ainz-sama, your actions seem to be blessed."
Their gazes met, and they smiled.
Granted, her Master's face did not move, but Shalltear was absolutely certain that he was smiling.
"Then, let's go."
"Yes!"
Mmmm~ This is great! The two of us, walking side by side... Haaa, I'm so happy.
Shalltear left the building as she savored the taste of happiness.
"Gondo, sorry for the wait. What do you want to do now?"
"Would anything we do even make a difference... It takes about six days to travel underground to the city. It's too far for us to bring that information back to the city."
Shalltear's slightly slack face tensed up, and as she exchanged glances with Aura, her Master and the Dwarf began their discussion. She strove to memorize it so she could record it into her memo pad.
Since he was her glorious Master, he probably intended to crush the Dwarf's heart into utter submission. Either that, or he would fasten a heavy shackle around his neck and ensure that he would never betray him. Something like that.
"Is that so? Well, since you can't make it there in time, what's there to be done? If that's the case, why not come to my country? You can't do anything by yourself either, right?"
"Mmm... umu."
"Although, I'd like to save the runesmiths... but even if we rushed there to help them, could we maintain an advantageous position during negotiations? Are the Dwarves a species that appreciates kindness shown to them?"
"Umu, I hope you can believe that. If you save the Dwarves from the threat of the Quagoa, I'm sure the negotiations will go well."
"If that's the case, then we'll need to pick the right time to step in."
After her Master made his experimental declaration, the Dwarf shrugged, as though to say he was alright with anything.
"I have already taken my lord's... Your Majesty's suggestion to heart."
Shalltear had no idea what those words meant, but for some reason, she knew that the Dwarf had chosen her Master over his race.
Shalltear was both awed and frightened by the fact that her Master had managed to utterly dominate the soul of this Dwarf during the brief period in which he had entered the tunnel.
It must have been this charisma which enabled him to lead and coordinate the Supreme Beings.
"...No, I guess we ought to make haste. After all, we want to avoid the deaths of the runesmiths, and there's no telling what will happen if we go underground, so we shall proceed from the outside. Can I trust you to guide us?"
"I'm not very confident, but I shall do my best."
"Alright, then prepare to move out!"
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