Chapter 655 - Seeking Starvation*2

[ Part 3 ]

In the distance, she could see the outermost of E-Rantel's — the capital of the Sorcerous Kingdom — three walls, and the imposing gate set into it.

However, neither of them could draw Neia's attention away from the two gigantic statues which flanked the gate.

They depicted an undead creature which held a bizarre staff that resembled snakes coiling around each other. Those statues were probably made in the image of the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown.

Despite being a good distance away from them, Neia could make out the intricate detailing of the statues. In all likelihood, she would not be able to find a flaw in them even at the statues' feet.

Then, she saw several human-shaped creatures working near the statues.

Eh? Ah... aren't they too big? Aren't they as high are those walls? While I know the statues are large... who are those people working down there, anyway?

The others seemed to have the same questions as Neia, and the paladins began discussing the identities of those human-like creatures.

"...Those aren't humans, are they?"

"Yeah. Are they Giants? Although, they don't seem to be the same as Hill Giants..."

Neia, a mere squire, had never seen a Giant in the flesh before, but she had heard about these beings during her monster knowledge class.

Giants were essentially enlarged humans, but in addition to their powerful bodies, they also possessed racial abilities. Thanks to these abilities, they could endure environments which humans would be hard-pressed to survive, so they typically made their homes in such places. They were a demihuman species which had little to do with humans, who could only live on the plains.

Some races which were skilled in magic were more advanced than humanity.

Race alone did not determine the goodness or wickedness of a being. One of the Thirteen Heroes was a Giant. In the Holy Kingdom, the Giants known as Sea Giants sometimes showed up to trade.

That said, Giants were generally a violent and dangerous race.

On the subject of dangerous Giants in the human world, one would have to mention Hill Giants, who lived in the hills. Giant-kin such as trolls and the like were also quite (in)famous.

In that case, what were these Giants doing in a city of the undead?

"...Were there Giants here in the past? Did he conquer them?"

"Does that Sorcerer King command Giants? I've never heard of something like that before."

That surprised exclamation from one of the paladins was only to be expected.

They had gathered a great deal of intelligence in preparation for their journey to the Sorcerous Kingdom. Of course, a lot of that information was incomprehensible, so they could not be said to have succeeded in their objective, but that still counted as doing their due diligence. Both the Ghost Ship and Giants were matters of mystery.

Was the Sorcerer King an undead Giant? Neia thought. But such a distinguishing characteristic ought to have showed up in their intelligence reports.

Just then, Gustavo addressed her from behind.

"Squire Baraja, it's about time we changed formation. Move to the rear."

"Understood!"

During their journey, Neia had been at the head of the formation, but now that they were near the city, Neia would occupy the rearmost position. In turn, Remedios and Gustavo would take Neia's place at the front.

"Captain Custodio, shall we send an envoy out to announce us?"

Surely anyone would be wary of a group of people showing up near a city in full plate armor and bearing arms. Therefore, when they entered a city or village of the Kingdom, they would typically send out a paladin to inform them that they were coming, and then the group would approach, bearing the flag of the Holy Kingdom. This was etiquette.

After receiving Remedios's permission, they sent a paladin out before them.

After reaching the gates to the Sorcerous Kingdom, he turned and came back.

"Captain, I've informed the watchmen of the Sorcerous Kingdom. They extend a welcome to us."

"Is that so, got it. Then let's go! Raise the flags! Hold your chests high! Do not disgrace the name of paladins of the Holy Kingdom!"

With that, the group slowly guided their horses towards the Sorcerous Kingdom.

Finally, they reached the stately-looking gates, as well as the Giants working there.

The Giants seemed to be cleaning the statues, as though to make the beautiful statues even more beautiful.

They glanced at the Giants' appearance, and their skin was bluish white, while their hair and moustaches were white. They seemed to be dressed in primitive clothing made from the hide of some kind of beast, as well as exquisitely made chain mail armor.

"What kind of Giants are those?"

Neia's keen senses picked up the conversation from the front row.

"This is just a guess, but I think they should be Frost Giants, right?"

"H-mm~" Remedios replied vaguely. "Are they strong? What powers do they have?"

"...Honestly, give me a break... Frost Giants are Giants who live in cold climates, and they are immune to cold. In contrast, they are weak to fire."

"I see. So if we have to fight one, we should use fire, is that right?"

"Well, pretty much. Mithril ranked adventurers should be able to beat them with ease. However, they can train and learn like us, and sometimes you might encounter a Giant with warrior skills. Therefore, you must be careful."

Those were Giants.

One could train to be a warrior, a magic caster, or a thief. It was not just humans who could train themselves in such techniques. While creatures with racial advantages generally were not inclined towards such training, some of them would put in the effort to pick up such skills, and that made them very difficult opponents.

Neia's father had repeatedly told her, "Beasts intimidate you with their appearance. But a powerful foe who does not appear to be one is very frightening."

"H-mm~ Well, I've never fought a Giant before. Still, Ogres are a different matter."

"Take care you don't upset them by mentioning Ogres in the same breath as them. To the Sea Giants, at least, it would be like comparing a monkey to a human. Of course, that's a rumor from a bard, so there's no telling how much of that is true."

"H-mm~ The Holy Kingdom can't hire Sea Giants, but the Sorcerous Kingdom can employ Frost Giants. Which of them is stronger?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that..."

While the Captain obviously wanted Sea Giants to be stronger, the important thing now was the sort of treatment these Frost Giants faced in the Sorcerous Kingdom.

Were they treated as friends, enslaved with force, or were they paid for their services in a mutually beneficial relationship?

There was no way to tell from the forms of the silently laboring Giants.

Still, it would seem these Giants are excellent laborers. The Holy Kingdom has worked with demihumans in the past, but if they expanded the scope of that, it could do many more things. Of course, the Holy Kingdom would never do that.

While there were races such as the Mermen, with whom the Holy Kingdom had a long history of mutual cooperation, the memories of war with demihumans still remained, so such a thing would never be accepted.

Had the Sorcerous Kingdom only accepted Giants? Or did it also take in other strange races? If she encountered demihumans here similar to the ones who had attacked the Holy Kingdom, could she rein in the anger within her heart?

No, if I don't control myself...

For instance, what would happen if she met a Snakeman here? It would be a Snakeman who came from a land far removed from the Holy Kingdom, living in peace with humans in this nation. Perhaps it might not be possible to use an emotional appeal to dissuade the others from showing hostility, but given the present circumstances, they would have to do just that.

Neia looked uneasily at Remedios's back.

Could she do it?

She mentally shook her head. Worrying about Remedios like that was very rude. She was the leader of this diplomatic party, and she was working to save the country. She could certainly do that much. Such concerns were were being disrespectful to her.

"Can we just enter like that? How about going in through another gate?"

The gates might be open, but the Giants were working. She was worried about whether they would mind the passing of the humans at their feet.

"We'll go in like this. If word gets out that the Hoy Kingdom's emissaries went in through another door because they were afraid of Giants, everyone who knows will laugh at us."

"...Understood. Then we shall obey your instructions, Captain."

And so, the group advanced toward the gates.

Fortunately, the Giants took a look at them and then stopped their work for a while, allowing them to pass without incident. Neia felt that this was less goodwill towards humans than a mysterious sentiment towards visitors to the Sorcerous Kingdom.

Normally, they would have been stopped outside the gates, but since they had sent someone to announce them, they were ushered in by human soldiers who looked like street guards, and the group passed through the gates, under the light of magical lanterns. Their illumination was distinctly different from that of the sun, and the trained warhorse harrumphed uneasily under their radiance.

"Welcome to E-Rantel, city of the Sorcerous Kingdom. Is this your first time visiting here, honored paladins?"

"Ahh, yes."

"I see. Then, I beg your pardon, but can you please dismount?"

This was probably a luggage check, Neia thought. While it was somewhat inconsiderate to conduct one on people calling themselves emissaries from another nation, they were justified in doing so

There was no protest as the group got off their horses and obeyed the instructions to "Walk this way please," which brought them to a huge door beside the gates.

Going by common sense, this ought to be a side tower, a combination of troop barracks and a defense base.

"Please enter here. This city is different from the cities of the Kingdom and the Empire in that it possesses all manner of different locations within, so first time visitors will have to attend a workshop in the room ahead."

"A workshop?"

"Yes. This is to minimize unnecessary disturbances. Only people who have attended this lecture may enter the city. What say you?"

They had come all this way, so obviously they could not refuse the request to attend. While it was to be expected, Remedios's answer was a definite "Yes."

"Then, may I request that you give your weapons into our safekeeping?"

Naturally, they could not refuse that, but just as naturally, Remedios had a put-upon look on her face.

Remedios's sword was a divine treasure of the Holy Kingdom. Just by bearing it, she would not even need to kneel before the Holy King. She could not surrender such a treasure before even meeting the king of the realm, and after hearing that much, the soldier nodded in understanding.

"Is that so? Then it can't be helped. Then please remain as you are and enter, everyone. The truth is, holding onto your swords was intended to ensure your safety. In that case, please promise me that you will not draw your weapons no matter what once you're inside. If you can't do that, I'd advise you to leave this city instead."

"Understood. We shall return the trust you have shown in allowing us to bear our swords, and so we shall not draw our weapons while we are inside."

Remedios touched her hand to her chest — to the emblem of the Holy Kingdom there — as she made that declaration. She swore to do so on her honor as a paladin and that of the Holy Kingdom.

"Then I'll trust you to do that. First, I shall ask the guard for this area to step outside."

Within the Holy Kingdom, this was an absolute oath that might even draw gasps of surprise from those who saw it, but it was much more mildly received in other countries. After that bland response, the guard knocked on the door.

After that, the door slowly opened, and what suddenly appeared before their eyes was—

Neia went Aiiiieeee, in a voice that was somewhere between a gasp and a wail.

The being that slowly emerged was excessively large in every dimension.

Its black colored full plate armor was covered in red tracery that resembled blood vessels, and it was covered in spikes. Demonic horns protruded from its helmet, and its open-faced helmet revealed a rotted human visage. Its empty eye-sockets contained points of red light filled with hatred and the anticipation of carnage.

The temperature in the room plunged in an instant, as though the darkness was chilling them.

"Please do not draw your weapons!"

Everyone's shoulders shuddered from the guard's shout.

"Nothing will happen if you do not draw your swords! But if you do, you will be slain instantly! After that, you will be bound to eternal suffering! Please don't make me have to witness something like that again!"

His mournful cry sounded like he had experienced this sort of thing before. Had he personally witnessed such an event in the past?

The undead being slowly glared at Neia and the others. There was the feeling that it was waiting for them to draw their blades.

"...And this undead being is...?"

Remedios's voice trembled faintly as she spoke.

"They are guards who are stationed throughout this city in large numbers."

"...Really?"

Remedios's quaking voice was somewhere between surprise, fear, and consternation. Neia felt the same way as her. It was unthinkable that a nation would possess so many undead of such extraordinary power.

"A-Ah, excuse me. Is this undead creature under the control of His Majesty — the Sorcerer King?"

The guard nodded in response to Neia's reflexive question.

"Indeed, that is so. Also, he rules over undead who are more powerful than this one over here."

"Is it not dangerous?"

The soldier responded immediately to Gustavo's question. He sounded like he was dying to inform them of this.

"Yes, to date, there have been no incidents in this city where people were killed without provocation."

The undead were beings who hated the living. As someone who could utterly dominate them and keep them from harming living creatures, the Sorcerer King must be a truly incredible person. Neia was deeply impressed by the might of the Sorcerer King.

"...I see. Ah. Then, can you take us inside the room?"

"Please follow me."

The black undead creature slowly stepped away from the door, and the soldier boldly walked past him. In contrast, Neia and the others seemed to be looking at each other to see who would make the first move.

While he said that this undead creature was ruled by the Sorcerer King, those bonds were not visible to the naked eye. This made walking in front of it several times more frightening to them than going before, say, a carnivore who was unchained, but which would not attack because its belly was full.

Remedios planned to go forward first, but Gustavo stopped her. After that, he looked to Neia.

I'm the canary, huh.

There was nothing wrong with that logic when one considered whose life would matter least if it was lost. Even so, despite their determination to protect the weak, their own squire was a different matter.

Neia steeled herself for what lay ahead, squeezed her eyes shut, and then strode forward.

After taking several steps forward, she slowly opened her eyes. She had not been cut down. She quickened her pace, and hastily moved past the undead being.

After seeing Neia had crossed safely, the other paladins followed behind her. In the end, nobody was attacked, and they reached their destination.

The soldier opened the door, revealing a long table and many plain chairs.

"Please wait in this room for a while."

"Understood. Thank you for leading us here."

Remedios jerked her chin, and Gustavo produced a small pouch from safekeeping and handed it to the soldier who had brought them here. It was a tip.

"Please don't!"

His rejection was so fierce that it was almost like a cry of despair.

The soldier raised his hands above his head, utterly unwilling to touch that pouch.

Everyone was shocked by his reaction, as was Neia. She could not think of any reason for the soldier's reaction.

"We are all paid by His Majesty, so please allow me to refuse your show of consideration."

"But, but since you did us a service... and it's not a very big sum, no?"

"No, there's no need for that. I'll wait outside until the seminar is over."

The soldier swiftly retreated from the room. The remaining people looked at each other, mystified by the soldier's overwrought reaction.

"Is that really all right?"

"He said no, so there's nothing we can do about it."

Tipping was a natural thing. While not tipping was not a problem, most people of stature did practice tipping. Of course, some people did so to minimize the time needed for luggage inspections and ask people to take care of various small matters, but they had not made any such requests. Frankly speaking, they were simply doing what would be expected of people in their station.

If that was an instruction from the Sorcerer King, then what was his aim in doing so?

"We weren't told where to sit. So it's free seating, then."

After everyone sat as the Captain had directed, a short time passed before the door opened once more.

Neia turned back, and then her eyes went wide.

The entity who had entered was not human.

It was a creature whose species had a human's upper body and a snake's lower body, a Naga.

There were several offshoots of the Naga race — for instance, the Sea Nagas which occasionally appeared along the Holy Kingdom's coasts — but which subspecies this one belonged to was unclear. However, all of them were demihumans who held no goodwill for humanity, yet Neia did not feel terribly afraid.

All this was thanks to that black undead. Compared to that, she could at least muster up a rational response to this.

Ah! Was that what it was all about? That frightening undead creature was not just intended to frighten people, but to numb people to the shock of seeing demihumans? They really did put a lot of thought into letting demihumans coexist with humans...

It would seem the Sorcerer King was not just a powerful undead being.

The Naga slithered through the silent room, paying no heed to the group's response as he moved in front of them, whereupon he bowed slightly.

"Thank you for waiting, dear humans who wish to enter this city. This one isan immigration official for the Sorcerous Kingdom, Ryurarius Spenia Ai Indarun. Well, it is hardly a vocation which will bring this one into contact with you, so there is no need to remember that name. Then, without further ado, let us begin. This one will briefly explain the differences between living in this city and the surrounding cities, as well as things one should be aware of... firstly, drawing weapons within the city is strictly forbidden."

That was a very reasonable admonition, and Neia let the tension flow out of her shoulders.

"Mm, many would think of it as an ordinary reminder," Ryurarius pointed to his face with a slender finger. "It's written all over your faces. However, I would like you to remember that many races walk the streets of the Sorcerous Kingdom. You have already seen the undead holding their heads up high and walking proudly through the streets. Even if they strike you as dangerous beings, drawing your weapon on them without provocation would be a serious crime, no?"

"A moment please. Does that mean we must flee if a dangerous being appears?"

"That is not the case. Even if there are dangerous entities in the city, none of them will harm you. Even so, there are cases where people feel afraid, or they feel they might be attacked, and thus they draw their weapons anyway. That is what this one was talking about."

"Can you be sure we won't be attacked?"

"Oh yes... of the many dangerous creatures who walk through this place, those who will most alarm you are probably His Majesty's subordinates."

Ryurarius smiled tiredly.

"Once you stay here for more than a day, your wariness will wane and you will no longer mind them. Well, the first day is the biggest problem. And of course, drawing your weapons in self-defense is perfectly fine."

"I see. So it's all right as long as it's done in self-defense."

"Mm, yes. Also, mind control magic will be used in the course of investigating crimes in this city. Please keep that in mind."

Neia's eyes went wide. Nor was she the only one to do so. A commotion erupted from the paladins. As their representative, Remedios stated her opinion.

"A moment please. Is the Sorcerous Kingdom such a crude nation? Do they allow the use of spells? Are the courts also that way?"

In general, mind control magic was not used when questioning people about crimes.

For instance, by using 「Dominate」, one could make anyone a criminal for a brief period of time. By using 「Charm」, one could find a patsy for any crime. The fact that mind control magic could be used to manufacture offenders to one's liking caused it to be viewed as a crude act practiced only by tyrants.

"The courts also use similar means. Oh, but I can confidently say that His Majesty will not compel you to speak untruths. On that point you need not worry."

How could anyone believe that? The use of mind control magic meant that once a nation decided that someone was a dangerous individual, they could paint them as a criminal and then deal with them. No human being would trust an undead being they had never met before.

Nobody said that, but they probably all felt the same way.

"Also, I wish to ask... if you will not enter, will you be returning right away?"

"...No, we can't do that. Please allow us entry."

"Ho. That was the quickest answer yet. Traders would usually ask for time and then discuss among themselves. Then, let us continue."

After that, Ryurarius touched on how "Undead horses drew carriages along the roads," and other weird things that seemed to mess with her mind. However, when he said, "Sometimes Dragons will fly overhead, so do not be alarmed or let your horses run amok," her face twitched.

Having Dragons fly above a city was not something that could be summarized as a "big incident."

Dragons were creatures against whom even fully armed and prepared heroes might fall in combat. That was why all warriors dreamed of slaying a Dragon. Slaying an overwhelmingly superior creature with the strength they had honed, their comrades, and their weapons was a glorious deed and a deed that only the most superlative of warriors could perform.

Surely it would cause a great disturbance if such a Dragon were to appear in a dwelling place for humans.

The undead are fine, because we've already seen them as guards, but Dragons... no, still, having one fly overhead as a sentry ought to be fine, right? Also, they have many age categories, and their strength varies greatly depending on their age...

Freshly hatched Dragons were still Dragons. However, such a tiny Dragon was more easily controlled than the undead creature from just now.

"Then, that is about it. Thank you for listening. Now, can you follow the soldier back to the gate after you leave this room?"

"Forgive me, but may I ask a question?"

Remedios raised a hand.

"Hm? And what might that be?"

"You don't intend to kill or eat us, do you?"

"Perhaps this one might have thought of doing so in the past. However, that is strictly forbidden now. In addition, after seeing His Majesty, I feel that there is no point in feuding with my fellow inferior lifeforms."

"Is His Majesty really that powerful?"

Ryurarius smiled tiredly.

"He is ten times more powerful than you can imagine. Him aside, even his subordinates are extraordinarily potent... simply put, there is no safer city than one which His Majesty defends."

Perhaps she was thinking of something, but Remedios fell silent.

"This one does not know why you have come here. However, let me give you some sage advice that a friend with whom I take tea — a widow — told me. Declaring your opposition to His Majesty would be extremely foolish. A wise man would immediately throw himself at his feet and beg for mercy."

There was a shocking sense of reality to those words. While he said he had heard it from a friend, it was more like that the Naga called Ryurarius was speaking from personal experience.

"Thank you for your advice."

Remedios stood, followed closely by everyone else.

Neia bowed to Ryurarius from where she stood at the rear of the group before leaving the room.

-x-X-x-

[ Part 4 ]

They walked along the streets of E-Rantel. The group's destination was the inn which the gate guards had told them was the highest class establishment in this city, the Shining Gold Pavilion.

Neia looked at the assorted people along the streets.

Ryurarius's words had given her the impression that this nation was filled with demihumans and the undead. However, the reality was different — most of the pedestrians were human.

The only undead she saw were groups of the same undead being they had seen near the city gates, as well as horse-shaped undead with bodies of bones and fog who pulled carriages. There were no other kinds besides them.

On the other hand, there were all kinds of demihumans.

A group of Goblins marched down the streets in neat formation, each of them radiating the aura of a seasoned veteran. That immediately shattered the impression Neia had of Goblins. No, it was not just Neia who was that way. Gasps of surprise came from the paladin contingent.

There were also a demihuman with a rabbit's face wearing a maid's uniform, as well as a bipedal, frog-like demihuman, but she had only seen one example of each in the city.

It seems more normal than I imagined... well, not that normal, but still, it's quite similar to a human nation. You can hardly tell that it's under the thumb of a terrifying undead king.

There were no looks of fear on the faces of the citizens walking along the streets. Neia was not sure if this was because they had resigned themselves, they had grown used to it, or they had decided that there was no need to worry about living with the undead. However, there were no signs of chaos on the streets. At times, she even heard the sound of children laughing.

This is much better compared to Jaldabaoth, I guess.

Just then, Remedios suddenly halted her horse. Since their leader, who was travelling at the group's head, had stopped, the rest of them had no choice but to follow suit.

"Excuse me, Dwarf-san. May I ask you a few questions?"

Remedios was addressing three Dwarves who were working by the side of the road. There were also three Skeletons performing earthworks under the Dwarves' orders.

The culture shock she had received after entering the city had been so great that she now thought little of seeing Skeletons. There was even a hint of relief in her mind which came from seeing an opponent which even she could win against.

"What? Who are you guys? Which country do you hail from."

"I apologize for speaking from horseback. However, we are from the Holy Kingdom and we are looking for the inn known as the Shining Gold Pavilion. May we ask how to get there?"

"Shining... Shining Gold Pavilion? Ahhh, that's a classy place."

The Dwarves gave them rough directions. However, it differed slightly from what the gate guards had told them and it felt like they were being sent slightly off-course. However, her real objective was not asking directions.

"I see. Thank you very much. Gustavo, give them a token of appreciation."

Gustavo dismounted from his horse and produced a small pouch of coins.

"You do know all we did was give directions, right?"

"It's fine. After all, we've interrupted your work."

"Really? Well, sorry about that."

The Dwarves accepted Gustavo's gift, and smiled.

"Well, when we get some good grub with this, we'll thank the men and women of the Holy Kingdom for it."

"No, there's no need... speaking of which, what are you doing here?"

"Hm? You can't tell? We're laying roads. His Majesty himself requested it of us. While it's mainly the residents who are doing the work, we're here to serve as technical advisors."

Gahahahaha, the Dwarves laughed heartily.

"I see. And the undead over there are...?"

"They're Skeletons that His Majesty lent us, can't you tell? Ahhh, honestly, you can't beat the undead when it comes to pure manual labor. It's certainly changed my view of them."

"Controlling the undead, huh..."

"It's not like there's anything surprising about it... Well, I guess it can't be helped because you're travellers. Still, it's only to be expected in the Sorcerous Kingdom, no? I've heard that the undead are showing their stuff in the nearby villages. After all, they can complete tedious chores like planting and so on with just an order. I mean, look, the undead don't tire, they don't sleep, and they don't eat. In addition, they also understand what we want to say, so they do fantastically when given a task within their means. Things being what they are, you don't even need to work like a dog any more. Even our country's starting to make use of them too."

"By your country, you mean a nation of Dwarves separate from the Sorcerous Kingdom?"

"Oh yes. That's where we come from, but now we stay in the Sorcerous Kingdom's demihuman district."

"Demihuman district?"

"Yup. It's where all the races who aren't human live. They say it used to be the pauper's district of this city, but it was torn down. Then, it was rebuilt in order to let races of all kinds live comfortable lives. Well, it might be a while before it's complete, but work on the dwellings for races smaller than you humans — like we dwarves, for instance — has already begun."

"Originally, we came here to take charge of that building work!"

The Dwarf's colleague jumped into the conversation.

"I see. But if the pauper's district was torn down, where did the original residents go?"

Remedios's eyes went to the undead.

"We're not too sure, but I think they were sent to villages or something. There's a lot of ruined, abandoned villages around this city, and I heard they were sent there to rebuild them and work the fields. That's where being able to command the undead comes in handy. If I'm not wrong, they've begun large-scale farming with the undead, or something. That's why food prices in this country are pretty cheap."

"It doesn't matter that it's cheap! The important thing is that it's good! And the wine! Ohhh, I fattened right up after moving to this city!"

"If I go back all plump like this, my wife's going to yell 'Where's my share!?' at me. I'd better slim down before returning home!"

"Ahhhh, we really lucked out in the lottery!"

Gahahahaha, the dwarves laughed again.

"Finally, there's those horse-shaped undead. Do you know their names?"

"Beats me. Still, doesn't matter if we don't know, right? They're not harming anyone. They're a bag of bones, yet they're so damn strong, makes them perfect for moving goods, right?"

"I see... Thank you!"

"Same here. Best of luck to all of you!"

After bidding the Dwarves farewell, the group continued toward the inn once more.

"Captain, why did you ask the name of that horse-shaped undead creature?"

Neia was mystified. She had thought that was what would have interested the Captain least.

"...Gustavo. That was because you were acting strangely when you saw that thing."

"Really...?"

"Say, do you know the name of that undead being?"

"...Well, a name does come to mind... but I think I must have made a mistake. It can't be, I was probably mistaken. I can't imagine an undead creature like that could ever be controlled."

"H-mm~ Well, if you say so, then so be it."

And that was the end of that.

Before long, the instructions they had followed brought them before a luxurious inn, probably the Shining Gold Pavilion which the gate guards had recommended to them. While its name was written on the signboard, the Kingdom's script was different from that of the Holy Kingdom, so they could only make a rough guess at what it said. The Kingdom and the Empire had once been the same country, so there were many similarities between them, but the Holy Kingdom had never been tied to either of those countries, so they differed greatly.

"Gustavo, go ahead before us and book our rooms."

"Understood. Oi, you two, with me."

Gustavo brought two paladins with him to the inn. Several minutes later, one of them returned.

"Captain, we've successfully booked the rooms. The stables are behind the inn, so they'd like us to bring the horses there."

"All right, I understand. Squire Baraja, bring the horses over."

"Understood!"

She tied the horses' reins to a tree in front of the inn, and then she led them to the stables one at a time. Taking care of horses was a squire's job, but the inn was also obliged to help out as well, and so Neia accepted their goodwill and entered the inn.

She smelled a fragrance in the air and thought, Maybe this is to prevent the stink of the stables from getting in.

Was it from some kind of fragrant wood or perfume?

From the outside, it seemed to be of the same grade as the inn from the Kingdom, but after seeing the interior, it might have well been a rank above the latter. She even felt a little embarrassed walking around inside it with her body that was dirty — bathing for them was essentially just rinsing with water until they thought they did not stink — from their long travels.

Neia stepped forward to the room which the inn staff had told her about, and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Squire Neia Baraja."

In front of the door stood a paladin, still in armor. The discrepancy between the E-Rantel they imagined and what they had actually seen made them feel that resting would be a waste of time, and so they had decided to take action without delay.

"You've come just in time. We're about to start the meeting."

While she wondered if she needed to take part, it did no good to ask too much. The people on top had spoken, and obeying them was the proper course of action.

"Then let's go seek an audience with the Sorcerer King as we planned. Gustavo, I'm counting on you."

"Of course, Captain. But what else should we do apart from that? The original plan was to meet people in power and ask for their aid..."

Since Momon was an adventurer, they had originally planned to head to the Adventurer's Guild. However, according to Ryurarius, the Adventurer's Guild now was essentially closed down, and requests were handled by the Sorcerer King's underlings.

"Let's drop by the Guild anyway. Let's see if we can't entice some idle adventurers who can come to the Holy Kingdom."

"I understand. In that case—"

Gustavo gave orders to two paladins, and they immediately sprang into motion.

Neia wondered what kind of tasks she would be given.

Usually, it was a squire's job to polish the paladins' armor and swords, do their laundry, among other sundry tasks. Ironing and arranging their rumpled clothes was also part of that. Most paladins now should have gone through such experiences.

Although, that might not be the case for our incredibly talented captain, who directly became a paladin...

"Then how about the others? Will they wait within the inn?"

"Ahh, when I was gathering rumors in the Kingdom, I was led to believe that this would be a grim and dark city. However, it's far more ordinary than I expected... I trust letting a few people outside would not pose a problem?"

"While it's hard to tell at this stage, I believe there should be no sudden danger in that."

"Is that so? Then have several people go to the temples and see if they can help introduce us to Momon."

"The ruler of this city is the Sorcerer King, an undead being. It won't be too good to have ties to the temples, no?"

"Still, we're paladins. Where should we go if not to the temples?"

Gustavo had a sour look on his face. Remedios had a point.

"That's... also true."

"Also, it would also be good to see and hear about life in the city from its people in addition to what the Sorcerer King has allowed us to see, right?"

"You have a point there..."

But what should they do if they saw something which they, as paladins, could not tolerate?

Gustavo was having trouble responding because he was thinking about that question.

Neia answered her own question.

Paladins were beings who embodied justice, so perhaps the right thing for a paladin to do would be to censure the Sorcerer King. However, if the result of doing so meant that the Sorcerer King would not help the Holy Kingdom, meaning that they could not save the masses from their suffering, would that still be the right thing to do?

She remembered that her father had once said he did not understand the justice of a paladin. She had not given much thought to it during her days of training with the goal of becoming a paladin in mind. But perhaps her heart had become soft and weak because of the Holy Kingdom's present state, since she had started thinking more and more about that subject recently.

Perhaps her doubts might be cleared up if she could ask her mother, but her mother was no longer among the living.

In the end, she could only rely on herself to find the answer.

As Neia continued pondering these things, the dialogue continued. A pair of paladins would go to the temples of the Four Gods, while two more groups of two would collect information in town. Remedios and the others would stay behind to take care of anything that might happen.

As expected, Neia was ordered to polish their armor.

After the meeting ended, Neia began working on everyone's armor.

She wetted a cloth with cold water and then wiped the mud from the armor.

As one might expect of magic armor, there was no damage on its surface. If there were any dents, one would have to hammer them out from the inside, but if one's fingers were clumsy, that would make the surface uneven and ugly. Since Neia had very little confidence in that field, the enchanted armor which the paladins wore was ideal for her.

She was very happy to bury her heart and mind in work. That way, she did not need to think of unnecessary things.

And so, her forehead beaded with sweat, Neia finished cleaning everyone's armor.

-x-X-x-

Their audience with the Sorcerer King came earlier than expected. Neia could not hide her surprise. That was because it was set to take place the day after Gustavo had gone to plead his case.

The paladins of the Holy Kingdom — trailed by Neia — found that the residence of the Sorcerer King which they arrived at was quite shabby. Perhaps it might have been quite ostentatious for someone ruling a city of this grade, but it was entirely unfitting of someone who called himself a king. There was no sense of tranquility born of a rich history, no aura of stateliness, and it did not reflect the whims of one who held power. It seemed like a building constructed for practical purposes.

It was quite pitiful compared to the royal palaces of the Kingdom or the Holy Kingdom. Yet, this was the domicile of the Sorcerer King. Since this had once been a regional city of the Kingdom, he had probably decided to make use of the existing small palace after taking control of it.

As the paladins removed their helmets and surveyed the palace, faint traces of disdain appeared on their faces, which only Neia could pick up. Perhaps they were comparing their surroundings with the royal palace of their home country

Who could blame them for that?

And then, Neia recalled the Ghost Ship that they had previously encountered, as well as the undead walking along the streets.

Why would a king who held dominion over so many undead of that level choose to stay in such a shabby old palace?

I have the feeling that there's some reason for it... if he wanted a luxurious palace, all he'd have to do is order craftsmen like those Dwarves to direct the untiring undead to build one...

As they passed through the gates of the palace, there were two facing rows of undead creatures, similar to the one they had first encountered upon coming to the city. Unlike the undead they had seen at the gate, they were slimmer and crossed their lances high in the air between them.

Flags hung from the tips of the crossed lances. On the right were the flags of the Sorcerous Kingdom, and on the left were the flags of the Holy Kingdom.

Below the flags was a passage that they could move through.

After that, music played. While it was a tune she had not heard before, it was probably best to accept this as part of the ceremony of the whole thing.

From the depths of her brain, Neia recalled a lecture she had received once.

The most important factor of resisting spells is to have a clear mind.

No, there was no way this music could be a magical attack. If this was a trap, there would be no need to raise the Holy Kingdom's flag.

Neia walked in what she hoped was a proud and bold way, as she scanned her surroundings.

There was an honor guard and the flags of the Holy Kingdom. This was a clear sign that the Sorcerer King was welcoming their delegation as honored guests; in other words, he acknowledged Neia and the others as official ambassadors to the Sorcerous Kingdom, which meant Neia also had to uphold the reputation of the Holy Kingdom.

It delighted her, but at the same time it filled her with gut-cramping stress.

She walked along the path below the hanging flags, and at the end of the passage was — Neia sucked in a surprised breath.

A world-class beauty stood there.

She's beautiful... she's incredibly beautiful...

Her face was elegant and attractive.. Her incalculably expensive white dress was free of stains.

Her compassionate smile was enough to make her a woman who might have been mistaken for an angel. However, she was no angel. The proof lay in the pair of jet-black wings sprouting from her waist.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen of the Holy Kingdom. While this might be arrogance on my part, I am Albedo, and I have the honor of being the Guardian Overseer of the various Floor Guardians and Area Guardians throughout the Sorcerous Kingdom of Ainz Ooal Gown. To use a term that is more familiar to you, I hold the position of Prime Minister."

"I, I am grateful for your warm welcome. I am the leader of the Holy Kingdom's diplomatic party, Remedios Custodio, and I am very grateful that you have arranged to make arrangements to meet with us."

"There is no need for thanks. His Majesty the Sorcerer King is deeply concerned over the developments within the Holy Kingdom. His Majesty has said that it is only proper that he make time for you."

"We, we are very thankful for that."

Albedo was all smiles, and her presence crushed Remedios's words underfoot. Her preternatural beauty was such that even a member of the same sex — no, it was precisely because they were of the same sex — would be swallowed up by it. Albedo's line of sight swiftly flickered over everyone, Neia included.

"Now then, His Majesty is waiting for you, so I shall guide you to the audience hall. Can I trouble you to follow behind me?"

"Y-Yes, of course. T-Then, how about our swords?"

"Ah, yes, there is the matter of those."

Albedo smiled in amusement.

Why would she smile like that? Neia wondered. They could not possibly carry weapons into the presence of a king, so normally they would be asked to surrender their weapons. This was also a show of trust in the other party.

"Normally, we would hold onto them for safekeeping, but there is no need for that. You may bear your arms."

Albedo said something which Neia could not comprehend.

Remedios was also going Why? Surely someone who had spent all her time by the Holy Queen's side would have even more reason to question this.

Faced with their justified questions, Albedo smiled once more.

"Naturally, this is because we trust our honored guests from the Holy Kingdom, and also because we, as a nation that contains many undead, must seem like quite a bizarre country to you. Therefore, I feel that permitting you to keep your blades will place you at ease. Of course, we have no intention of harming any of you. But if you wish to leave them with us, we can certainly accommodate that request."

"Then, our country shall graciously accept His Majesty's goodwill... May I ask you to hold onto the swords of everyone apart from myself. I apologize, but I carry a national treasure of my country, so I hope you understand when I say I cannot leave it in your hands."

"I understand."

Albedo glanced to the side, and the undead creature that appeared took their swords for safekeeping.

Perhaps some of the paladins were unhappy about giving their swords to the undead, but since their Captain had ordered it, there was no way they could refuse.

Neia looked at Albedo as she handed over her weapon.

There was no telling what she was thinking as she continued smiling that beautiful smile of hers. Rather, one could say that she had looked upon them with pure goodwill, as though she were lavishing heartfelt kindness on Neia and the others. However, was Neia's assessment correct? For instance, if that were not the case—

—She permitted armed people to stand before her master. Was it due to the Sorcerer King's orders? Or... was it because she knew there was no way we could harm him?

The Sorcerer King was a powerful magic caster. Was this due to his arrogance that no amount of paladins from the Holy Kingdom could defeat him?

Or perhaps he has undead guards stationed nearby. Albedo-sama doesn't look like she has any fighting ability...

The Prime Minister whose beauty was as far removed from violence as possible smiled gently.

"Now then, everyone. The Sorcerer King awaits. Please go forth and meet him."

-x-X-x-

The throne room was also not as lavish as she had imagined. It would seem it had also been pressed into service directly after being taken.

However, the throne itself glittered brightly; one could say it shone with a golden radiance. Surely it was not forged of solid gold; it must have been gilded with gold foil. But even so, one could see how much effort and expense it must have taken to do so, given the size of the throne.

In addition, the flag behind the throne was just as impressive. There was no telling what had been used to weave it, but there was a depth to its hue that its simple black color could not properly express. A slight alteration to the light levels might make one think that it was a deep purple.

"Please enter, Your Majesty."

"Everyone, bow," Remedios commanded.

Paladins are bowing to the undead, while Neia was surprised by how Remedios could make a decision like that, she offered no resistance as she fell to one knee and lowered her head. She had learned this ceremonial practice because she was a squire. That said, her experience with meeting kings was limited to when she had glimpsed the Holy King once, as a squire. She lowered her head as she moved her eyes, frantically stealing glances at the paladins around her.

It seems... everything's fine.

Of course, that was a decision made based on looking at their backs. Perhaps if she looked at them head-on, they might differ slightly from herself.

It'll be fine! I wasn't scolded by anyone even in front of the Holy King-sama. Dad said I did well too, and he even praised me.

"Announcing the arrival of His Majesty, Ainz Ooal Gown."

As Albedo spoke from where she stood ahead of and to the side of their group, Neia heard a very faint sound that only she could pick up, like that of tearing paper, followed by the sound of footsteps and a gatsun sound of something hard striking the ground. Soon, she sensed someone sitting upon the throne.

"His Majesty grants you leave to raise your heads."

It was very difficult to breathe during this time. Looking up too early or too late would be a breach of etiquette. After a delay of a few seconds, she silently raised her head.

And then, the being in front of Neia captured her attention.

He, he's the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown...

His face was that of a bare skull. Points of red light blazed within his eye-sockets. Truly, his appearance fitted one of the undead. However, Neia knew he was something else entirely.

The first thing which surprised her was his clothes.

He was dressed more richly than a noble would be at the feast to celebrate the inheritance of his title.

The length of his vestments and the spread of their hem seemed very comfortable, and his sleeves were surprisingly loose. The hem and sleeves were made of spotless white fabric and they were lightly decorated with gold and purple. It was bound up at the waist with a sash, but it did not seem strange at all. Bizarre as it might be, it exuded an exotic flavor, and "beautiful" was the only word she could use to describe it.

After that, he wore gloves that were colored the same as his garments, fitted with metal plates that sparkled in all the colors of the rainbow. One of his hands held a mystic staff which looked like seven serpents coiling around each other. That must have been the source of the hard sound from earlier.

However, it was the halo of obsidian radiance from behind him that was truly surprising.

...Is he really one of the undead? No way...

In Neia's mind, the undead were creatures like Zombies, Skeletons, Ghasts, and other such creatures.

In that case, the Sorcerer King could not possibly be described as one of the undead in Neia's eyes. Mysteriously enough, his skeletal face did not frighten her. In fact, one could even say he had an air of purity and divinity about him.

He was a powerful being, a fearsome being, a being whose power exceeded the capacity of the human mind to grasp — in other words, he was a Supreme Being.

Neia forgot Albedo, who stood beside the throne, and looked repeatedly upon the Sorcerer King.

What brought her back to her senses was the Sorcerer King's voice, which said "Well then."

"You have come a long way from the Holy Kingdom, Custodio-dono, and you ladies and gentlemen of the paladin order."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty."

"While we could have organized a banquet of welcome for you, I trust none of you are in the mood for such a thing. Therefore, I have taken the time out of my busy schedule to arrange an audience with you. That being the case, rather than wasting time to no use — by beating around the bush and bandying insincere flattery — let us be frank with each other. I trust there are no objections?"

"Not at all, Your Majesty."

"Very well. Then, tell me the present state of the Holy Kingdom. Speaking without deception or omission will allow we in the Sorcerous Kingdom to better aid you."

After Remedios indicated her understanding, she poured her heart out regarding the state of the Holy Kingdom.

Neia did not understand the reasoning that Remedios followed which led her to be so forthcoming. Although, it was very likely that Remedios felt thinking itself was troublesome.

The contents of her spiel were just like what Gustavo had told Blue Rose, and she ended by saying that the situation on the frontlines was in a tense state. She probably did not want to say something like the Holy Kingdom was on the eve of destruction to another country, much less to an undead king.

"I see, I see. Therefore, what is your aim in coming to my country?"

"We wish to submit a request to Your Majesty; they say the adventurer called Momon has sworn himself to your nation, and if we could borrow that warrior who could fight on par with Jaldabaoth, there would be nothing for our country to fear. Thus, I beg you to dispatch the warrior Momon to our country."

The crimson glow in the Sorcerer King's eyes suddenly vanished, and then it reignited a moment later.

"As I thought. I have also prepared an answer for this eventuality — which would be no."

"May I ask the reason for that answer?"

"While this is something of a black mark on my nation, Momon is, for the time being, vital for the peace of my country. It is precisely because he is around that the people can live with their hearts at ease."

"But do you not command legions of the undead, Your Majesty?"

"Huhuhu," the Sorcerer King laughed quietly. "It would seem you ladies and gentlemen of the Holy Kingdom have seen my undead forces and deemed them quite satisfactory. Then, will you not accept a loan of these undead troops in place of Momon? I trust you have all seen that all the undead I command are quite potent. They ought to be able to eliminate mere demihumans."

Remedios was left speechless.

She was probably imagining the sight of herself leading an undead army back to the Holy Kingdom. No, it was unimaginable. Commanding the undead was utterly antithetical to being a paladin.

It was true that the undead boasted many advantages as troops. They did not need to eat, they could lie in wait in the middle of primeval forest, and one could call them an ideal army.

However, enlisting the undead — the enemies of all living creatures — into their forces was more frightening than anything else. For starters, bringing another nation's troops into one's own country was a source of unease. After solving the Holy Kingdom's problems, they might then proceed to conquer the Holy Kingdom.

"In, in that case..."

The Sorcerer King chuckled at Remedios's perturbation.

"Indeed, Custodio-dono. There are those in my country who think the same way as you. Using the undead for agriculture, clearing land, and security are all applications which the people are growing to accept. But unfortunately, those among my citizens who have little contact with these activities have not come to fully accept them yet. Of course, the situation is much better than when I was just establishing my rule, but more time will be needed for that. Momon can listen to their concerns and allay them in many ways. If I send him out now, there is no telling how the discontent of the people might erupt."

"In that case, surely we paladins can stay behind and complete the work of building trust in the undead, could we not? Many people know that paladins are the foes of the undead. Therefore, would it not be very effective to have us stay behind and declare that Your Majesty's undead are trustworthy?"

"Muu... That is a proposal which is worthy of consideration."

After a brief period of cogitation, the Sorcerer King turned his face to the hand which did not carry his staff.

"...Hm. It would seem having foreigners handle that is not quite appropriate, no. One can trust someone who has gone through the same joys and sorrows as themselves; surely there is no way for them to believe someone who appeared out of nowhere and said the undead were their friends, is there? As I thought, you will not be able to take the place of an adamantite ranked adventurer, who is already renowned throughout this city."

His logic was faultless.

Therefore, she could not refute him with logic. This was particularly true for Remedios, who was the type that was driven by her emotions.

The Sorcerer King then asked the speechless Remedios:

"—Very well. Then let us change the topic. I wish to ask about some people you did not mention, Custodio-dono. In the past, Momon told me that Jaldabaoth commanded maids of considerable power. May I ask if you ladies and gentlemen have encountered people dressed like that in the Holy Kingdom?"

"We have not found anyone so dressed in the Holy Kingdom. In fact, we only learned about them for the first time when we engaged Blue Rose of the Kingdom in conversation."

"I see... which means it is possible that the maids might be Jaldabaoth's trump card, is it not? Or does that mean they are active in other locations?"

"We cannot be sure."

"...I believe you mentioned that the south is still holding out. Are you maintaining secret communications with them?"

"To a certain extent, yes."

"...So they have not yet infiltrated the south, then? Perhaps I was being too worried. Umu..."

The Sorcerer King suddenly looked up to the ceiling.

"Does Your Majesty feel that Jaldabaoth's henchmen have infiltrated the south?"

"I did not say that. But I was thinking that if he possessed such powerful pawns, why has he not used them yet... and I believe I asked for full disclosure at the beginning, did I not? Therefore, let me get right to the point — what kind of remuneration can the Holy Kingdom offer me in exchange for the provision of my nation's aid?"

This was a perfectly normal question and entirely to be expected. However, answering it was very difficult.

"We can offer my country's friendship, trust, and respect."

The Sorcerer King snorted at Remedios's answer.

However, one could not conclude that Remedios's answer had been wrong. There were times when that was all a paladin would need to rush into a life or death battle. For example, one who championed a poor village that could not afford to pay proper compensation and challenged a demihuman horde would be held up as an exemplar of paladinhood.

"That is very much what a paladin would say. Perhaps one of my past friends might well have been willing to take action based on that alone. But unfortunately, such words cannot move me. I have said before to dispense with meaningless flattery. Can you offer me any tangible benefits?"

Is he saying that Momon-dono is a friend of the Sorcerer King? Is he addressing him so familiarly because he is not just a subordinate?

As Neia pondered that question, Remedios remained silent.

No.

She could not speak. The truth was that Remedios Custodio was in no position to make any promises.

What would happen after they beat off Jaldabaoth?

Of course, they would need to name the next Holy King. However, the likelihood of such a person heeding the words of a paladin would be very low. If he was chosen from the southern nobles, who were unfriendly to her, Remedios and the others would probably be placed under house arrest for their inability to protect the Holy Queen.

In that case, even if they forged a pact with the Sorcerer King, there was no guarantee that said pact would actually be honored. No, before that, it was very dubious that this group even had the right to represent their nation. Ultimately, the true purpose of this ambassadorial delegation had been to build sympathy among the commoners who did not understand the situation.

For that reason, they had no ability to make any promises. No one person could represent an entire country by themselves; the only one who could do that was its king.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I am Vice-Captain Gustavo Montanjes, serving under Captain Custodio. Please permit me to speak on her behalf."

The Sorcerer King lightly raised his chin, to indicate that the man should continue.

"Thank you very much. What Your Majesty asks for is something that we cannot guarantee. Even if we reclaim the Holy Kingdom's territory, restoring the land that has been ravaged by Jaldabaoth will take a very long time. I do not believe we can offer you anything we promise here with any degree of haste. However, there is one thing I wish to tell Your Majesty, which is the danger of Jaldabaoth."

"Hm... do go on."

"Yes. The disorganized demihumans who threatened the Kingdom in the past are now under the thumb of Jaldabaoth. If he is not stopped now, and he is allowed to hide himself, there is no telling what sorts of preparations he can make and where he will show himself again."

"In other words, you are saying that now is the best time to kill him, given that he has shown his face. Therefore, one should eradicate the seeds of any potential discord as soon as possible. Is that what you mean?"

"It is as you say. I expected nothing less of Your Majesty. Therefore, may we plead with you to dispatch Momon-dono?"

"I see. It is a perfectly understandable reason. Indeed, it is high time this Jaldabaoth was exterminated."

"In that case—"

Just as Gustavo's face was lighting up with joy, the Sorcerer King extended a hand to stop him before rapping his staff on the ground.

"However, dispatching Momon is still very difficult. Even if he dispatches Jaldabaoth, Momon's absence will lead to uneasiness in our political situation and alarm the people. In that case, what should be done? If I had more time to stabilize my nation's internal politics, I would then send out Momon — with his approval, of course. Given what you have just said, you ought to be able to hold on for a little longer, no?"

"But, but of course... may I know how long will that take?"

"Umu... Albedo, what do you think?"

The Prime Minister who had been standing by the side all this while reported to her master for the first time.

"After considering the gradual induction of demihumans into our nation, it will delay the process more than anticipated. It might take a period of several years. Yes... if we had five years, it would not be a problem."

"Just so. I trust you have no questions?"

Five years. Gustavo tasted the words in his mouth before gently shaking his head.

"That might present some problems with respect to the time..."

"I see... indeed. I ought to have considered your country's situation. After all, it is a request from a friendly nation."

The Sorcerer King placed particular emphasis on the words "friendly nation."

"Our country will do our best to accelerate the process. Albedo, what is the minimum time needed to carry this out?"

"In that case, how about three years? However, that might lead to unrest in our country."

"That cannot be helped. We're saving a friendly country, after all. I suppose there will be some loss of life on our part... well, metaphorically speaking."

The Sorcerer King seemed to be making a joke, but nobody was laughing.

"...Ahem. Now then, how about that? We've sped it up by two years."

He had already made a concession of two years, but even three years was too long. How much damage could occur during that time? And then, there was the question of whether the Holy Kingdom could even survive as a nation during that time — no, there was no way they could. However, if they came out and said that, perhaps even the promise of sending out Momon after three years might be rendered moot as well.

However, the possibility of the Holy Kingdom's salvation lay before their eyes.

Perhaps she had come here for this moment. She ought to bet her life on it.

After preparing herself for death, Neia took a deep breath, and spoke.

"My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty the Sorcerer King."

"...And you are?"

"I am Neia Baraja, a squire of the paladin order of the Holy Kingdom. I understand this is exceedingly rude, but please permit me to request your early dispatch of Momon-dono."

The Sorcerer King appeared to be deep in thought.

"Neia! How dare a mere squire like you beg a favor of the Sorcerer King!?"

There was only one thing which came to mind when Neia heard Remedios's rebuke.

If you must slay your squire for her disrespectful conduct, please wait a little bit longer.

"Ahh, don't worry about it. Your name is Neia, is it not? In that case, how much earlier would you like me to send out Momon?"

"I feel that he should be sent as soon as possible, even if it only hastens his arrival by just one day."

"And you insist on your request, even though knowing that sending out Momon will damage the Sorcerous Kingdom?"

"Yes!"

Neia bowed her head.

She had long since prepared herself to request that her Captain take her head if her words displeased the Sorcerer King, in order to pay for her sins with her life.

She closed her eyes, because she knew she might be cut down at any moment.

"Your Majesty! I sincerely apologize for my squire's disrespect! We have never once harbored any intention of harming the Sorcerous Kingdom."

"No, pay it no mind. As a resident of the Holy Kingdom, it is only natural to want to save one's homeland even at the expense of others... Umu. Albedo, can we cut it down to two years?"

"I believe it would be very difficult."

"Really now. Still — do it."

Neia reflexively looked up at the Sorcerer KIng.

"Yes! I understand, Your Majesty!"

As she was bathed in the voice of that powerful, absolute ruler, the faint trembling in Albedo's shoulders must have been because she was uneasy about the reckless challenge she had just been given.

"Neia... Baraja. How about two years? Perhaps it might still be too long for you, but you ought to be able to hold out so long as the southern armies remain, no?"

Indeed, two years was too long. However, she could not prevail on the Sorcerer King's generosity any further.

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty!"

The gratitude in her voice was genuine, because she felt that the probability of her nation's salvation had risen from just now.

After that, Remedios bowed her head.

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty! We are deeply grateful that you have acceded to our squire's request."

"It is fine. —Captain Custodio, you have a good woman under you. If she did not love her country so deeply, how would a mere squire dare plead in such a way with the king of another nation? ...I am not mocking her, of course."

"No, I am certain she must be overjoyed by Your Majesty's words."

"Is that so. Then that will be all. This has been a beneficial dialogue."

"—Announcing the departure of His Majesty, the Sorcerer King."

Neia bowed her head in response to Albedo's words.

Once again, the staff rapped along the ground in time with his footsteps, the same way it had when he had entered. Those sounds drew further away, and soon they heard the sound of the door closing. The Sorcerer King had probably left the room.

"He has departed."

When Neia raised her head, she saw a slightly red-cheeked Albedo smiling and saying, "Then, please allow me to escort you outside."

-x-X-x-

Neia had prepared herself to be scolded by Remedios, and sure enough, after they returned to the inn, it came.

"You! Do you know what you've done!?"

Remedios's face was red as she closed in on Neia. VIce-Captain Gustavo hurriedly held out his arms and stepped between Neia and the Captain.

"Captain Custodio! A moment please! There is no denying the Squire Baraja's actions were those of a rogue, but ultimately, she saved us a year of waiting. Is that not something worthy of praise?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!? The whole thing might go up in smoke because of her! Also, you want me to praise her for acting on her own? Are you kidding me!?"

"I sincerely apologize."

Neia bowed her head as she apologized with heartfelt sincerity.

"—Are you really sorry for this? Maybe you were lucky this time, but can you take responsibility if things end up turning bad for us?"

"...The blame rests on your servant."

"I know that already! Answer me! Can you face all the suffering people of the Holy Kingdom and tell them that help won't be coming because of you!?"

"No, your servant cannot bear that responsibility."

"In that case, then why did you just jump in and do that? What on earth were you thinking!?"

Neia raised her head and looked straight at the Captain.

"Should the need arise, I feel you should take my life and offer it to the Sorcerer King as an apology for my actions."

Remedios's eyes went wide as she heard that. However, they quickly narrowed in displeasure once more. Beside her, VIce-Captain Gustavo nodded vigorously in what seemed like respect.

"Do you think that's enough to earn forgiveness? Do you think a life like yours will be enough of an apology?"

"I do not not know, but I am certain you and the others will be able to think of something, Captain."

"And what will you do if we can't think of anything!?"

It was as the Captain said. It was likely that even executing Neia would not be enough to earn the Sorcerer King's forgiveness. However, Neia had still said what she had in the audience chamber because three years was far too long to wait.

Could it be the Captain was willing to accept waiting for three years? Why am I being scolded by someone who didn't do anything? I know that the lives of the Holy Kingdom's people hang in the balance, so I shouldn't act of my own accord. Even so, someone should have done something back then...

Was it not all right as long as there was a good outcome, or was the process more important? She probably could not give an answer like that.

Even so, it was hard for someone who had stepped forward to do something to endure a lecture from someone who had done nothing.

Of course, Neia had a pretty good idea of what would happen if she actually said that. Therefore, she remained quiet and simply lowered her head.

"Captain, that should be enough. Thanks to her efforts, we've saved a year of waiting. Rewards and punishment need to be used in balance. Perhaps you ought to be praising her to a similar extent."

"...Cheh."

The Captain looked like she had not yet said her fill as she turned and left.

Gustavo sighed, and then turned to face Neia.

"Your resolve is truly admirable. The Captain might look that way, but the truth is, she respects your contributions."

That was most definitely a lie. That was a lie which nobody could cover up.

Perhaps Gustavo had sensed her thoughts from her expression, but he looked her in the eye and then smiled bitterly.

"In any case, I'll go talk to the Captain about this. However, if you run into her now, things might get a bit prickly. Could I trouble you to take a walk outside for a bit?"

"I understand. Thank you, Vice-Captain."

Once outside the inn, Neia wandered aimlessly through the chill of winter.

"I just feel... hahhh..."

While she had been told to go outside, where should she go in this country?

Neia felt around in her pockets and produced a small leather pouch. There was little money inside, just a few copper and silver coins from the Holy Kingdom. If those could not be used, Neia still had a trading gold coin. It would be more than enough to get a meal.

However, this gold coin was the very last piece of pocket money Neia's parents had given her. Where should she spend this valuable piece of pocket money?

Neia looked at the foreign land before her.

"What a pain... hahh..."

"You seem to be sighing quite heavily."

The sudden voice from close by made Neia's shoulders shudder

"Hurry up and go down that road over there. This place is too obvious,"

The owner of this voice was not someone she would forget in a hurry. Neia managed to stop herself from exclaiming reflexively. After that, she walked as directed, and then she heard something moving from behind her. It would seem that it was not just a voice she was hearing, but that there was someone actually behind Neia, although said person had made themselves invisible so Neia could not see them.

After turning down the road as directed, she heard the voice say, "Take the alley on the left." Neia obeyed silently.

The alley was surprisingly clean, with no passers-by .

After walking several steps, Neia turned and spoke the name of the voice's owner.

"Your Majesty, dare I ask why you have come here? Am I unable to see you because of magic?"

"I see, so that's why you were so obedient. You already knew who I was, hm?"

Saying so, the Sorcerer King revealed himself.

He had changed into an unassuming black robe, but even that gleamed like velvet. It would seem it was a very well-made piece of clothing.

Neia immediately genuflected before him.

"Yes, it is as Your Majesty says. Also... may I ask where Your Majesty's followers are?"

"No, there are none. After all, having followers around would make things troublesome."

"W-Why is that?"

"Hm, I want to speak with your Captain in private, so please go and get her... no, it would be better to do so in a room... Can you help me open the window of her room? I will enter through there."

That was a bizarre request. Normally, she would not open the window just like that. However, she was dealing with the king of this country, and a king who had agreed to aid the Holy Kingdom. She could not do anything to ruin his mood.

The word "assassination" flashed through Neia's mind, but if the Sorcerer King had wanted to do that, he could have done so in the audience chamber.

Of course, this might be someone masquerading as the Sorcerer King. However, the person before her had the form of an imposing ruler, so he was unmistakably the Sorcerer King from back then. Every move he made was something that was only possible by someone who was a born ruler.

Should she trust him? Or not?

Neia pondered this, and chose the former.

"Understood. I shall do so immediately."

"Umu... come to think of it, were you sent out on a mission? If that was the case, I ought to apologize to your Captain."

"Eh?"

"...Eh?"

Neia's eyes met those of the Sorcerer King.

"...If it was not a mission, then this must be your own free time, no? In that case, it is very valuable — mm, I should apologize to you for taking up your precious rest time by making you do things."

"No, no, it's not, it's nothing of the sort in any case, I will go and open the window to the Captain's room now."

Neia immediately ran from the Sorcerer King's side.

Those kind words from a third party were like someone carefully applying a soothing liniment to a palm covered in scrapes and bruises. They seeped into Neia's heart, and they surprised her.

Neia ran with all her might, and swiftly returned to the inn.

Of course, running was not permitted inside a high end establishment like this, but that was no reason for Neia to slowly walk around. All she could do was move as quickly as she could without causing any offense, but despite all that, she could feel icy glares directed at her by the inn's staff. In the end, however, Neia finally reached the Captain's room.

Neia immediately knocked on the door, and then found it was locked when she tried the handle. A chill ran through Neia's heart as she realized she had been ostracized, but now was not the time to worry about that sort of thing.

"I am Squire Neia Baraja, please open the door."

The door clicked, and a paladin showed his face from behind it.

"Forgive me," she said; now was not the time to observe each and every point of etiquette. Neia then turned to Remedios, who was within the room, and said, "The Sorcerer King wishes to speak to you in private, Captain."

Neia could sense everyone's eyes looking behind her back.

"No, that's not it. He's not there."

Saying so, Neia strode over to the window and opened it.

As expected of a high class establishment, the windows slid smoothly open, without any trace of jamming.

"What the hell?"

From a third party's perspective, this was a sudden, rash outburst. It was only natural that a paladin would bellow at her. It was even less tolerable for a paladin who had once been placed in charge of the Holy Queen's security.

However, Neia ignored them as she leaned her upper body out of the window and waved to the Sorcerer King, who ought to be outside.

After that, Neia was dragged back in by her collar.

"What are you doing, Squire Baraja? Don't just open the windows like that, and more importantly, there's no sign of the Sorcerer King."

Looking back, she saw a red-faced paladin. His anger was understandable. However—

"That will do, I think. She broke your rules at my behest. If blame must be assigned, then let it fall upon me."

A quiet voice echoed through the room.

The Sorcerer King slowly revealed himself from where he stood upon the window frame.

Neia saw a paladin reaching for the longsword at his waist, and frantically made to stop him.

"Mm... I apologize for alarming you. I chose to come by myself because I wished to speak with you in private. While it might be somewhat rude to enter via a window, it cannot be helped for the sake of going incognito. I hope you can understand that... And I must apologize to her as well."

After descending from the windowsill, the Sorcerer King surveyed the interior of the room with the regal poise of a king.

"....I am the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown."

Upon the mention of his name, Neia fell to one knee before anybody else. A moment later, she heard the paladins behind her simultaneously genuflecting.

"Very well... You may rise, Since there is no time, is it convenient to have a word with you, Captain Custodio?"

"We have no objections, Your Majesty. Then, please come this way."

As Neia rose, she let her breath out — just in time to meet the eyes of the Sorcerer King, who had turned around. Of course, there were no eyeballs in the Sorcerer King's eye sockets, so saying she gazed into his eyes was purely Neia's imagination.

"Will that squire not be taking part?"

"She is but a squire, Your Majesty."

"Was she not present at the audience chamber just now?"

The Sorcerer King's natural tone made him sound like he genuinely did not know. However, his words contained a powerful sense of sarcasm.

"Squire Baraja, come join us."

"Yes!"

Although Neia was not very keen on taking part, for some reason she dearly wanted to know why the Sorcerer King had chosen to pay them a visit.

Remedios and Gustavo faced the Sorcerer King over a table, while Neia and the others stood by the walls. This was the same way in which they had received Blue Rose.

"Now then, Your Majesty, please permit me to ask a direct question. May I inquire as to why you have graced our humble lodgings?"

Remedios nodded after Gustavo spoke.

"But of course. Like I said earlier, I dislike beating around the bush. After all, doing so makes it easy for one's words to be misinterpreted or have their meanings twisted."

There was a sense of reality to the Sorcerer King's words which could not quite be articulated.

"While I have decided to send Momon over in two years, if you will accede to a request of mine, it would not be impossible for me to dispatch someone on par with Momon from the Sorcerous Kingdom."

"On par with Momon?" Remedios could not help but exclaim.

"...May I know the nature of the request which Your Majesty wishes to make? Depending on the nature of the request, I pray you will forgive us if we cannot immediately give Your Majesty an answer."

The Sorcerer King chuckled in response to Gustavo's words, and then he spoke.

"But of course. Given your present state, I can roughly imagine... now, calling you a resistance movement would be a pretty spin on things, but the fact is that you are most likely a band of guerillas hiding in caves, am I wrong?"

Everyone present held their breath.

Neia was no exception.

Why could the Sorcerer King speak about the true nature of their circumstances? How had he divined this? Pinpointing the cave issue was particularly impressive.

The Captain and Gustavo's faces were stony masks, only their eyes turning to look at Neia. They must have thought she had leaked the truth to the Sorcerer King. Therefore, Neia shook her head, to indicate It wasn't me.

The Sorcerer King ignored Neia and the others' shock, and continued speaking.

"The strength of the south is untouched, but yet you did not seek to cooperate with them and conduct joint operations. That is because a rift exists between yourselves and the southern nobles. That being the case, once you — who failed to protect the Holy Queen — fall under the command of the new Holy King, it will probably be very difficult for you to hold on to your previous positions. Therefore, you cannot offer me land, titles, trade concessions, and other such privileges. If you actually kept your words on this matter, the possibility of war with my Sorcerous Kingdom exists, depending on what the next Holy King decides."

The Sorcerer King clearly highlighted the key points of the war with the demihumans, as well as the decisions they had made about their future.

"Similarly, you cannot use your nation's treasures as bargaining capital. For instance, the holy sword which you bear, Captain Remedios. If you actually did try to trade them, the most you could do was treat the country's treasures as having been plundered by Jaldabaoth and then turn them over to me. However, doing so is very dangerous. Should someone inform the next Holy King that said wealth was actually obtained from you, trust in you paladins will most likely sink like a stone. Worthless, in other words. Therefore, all you ladies and gentlemen can do is what you did at the audience chamber, informing me of your plight — mm, I imagine that I have hit the nail on its head, given the expressions on your faces."

After saying all this, the Sorcerer King leaned back against the back of the chair.

Silence filled the room.

Perfect. He was just too perfect.

Neia felt nothing but respect for at the Sorcerer King's reading of the situation.

Was this the man they called the Sorcerer King? Neia thought.

Neia had once met the Holy Queen close up, but the Holy Queen had simply greeted her, and Neia had not had the chance to truly interact with a true monarch. To Neia, now was her first time meeting an absolute ruler — one possessed of a dignity and insight that surpassed all others, in addition to incredible might — or in other words, a perfect being. This powerful impact left an indelible impression on Neia's heart.

"That said, anybody could have imagined that. In truth, I am somewhat ashamed of coming in here and smugly spouting all that... I trust you all did not think I had not even considered that much?"

"O-Of course, Your Majesty!" Gustavo replied with a stiff smile on his face.

"Wonderful. If I had been regarded as an idiot who could not even think of that much, I would not be able to face my subordinates who labor for my sake... now then, based on all that, let me be clear about what I want — which would be maids. I want maids."

Everyone — Neia included — could only stare dumbfounded at the utterly ridiculous words which had just left the Sorcerer King's mouth.

"...Ah, my apologies. I was being unclear. Mm, how shall I say this? I believe that during our previous meeting, the topic of Jaldabaoth possessing powerful maids came up. Those are what I want. What degree of magical knowledge do you have?"

"None at all."

After Remedios said so, the Sorcerer King looked around, as though seeking help.

"Is, is that so... well, in that case, I wonder where I should start explaining from... ah, well, that too... Ah — you can imagine that Jaldabaoth has bound the maids to him by some mechanism. Therefore, my plan is to defeat Jaldabaoth, take that formula for my own, and then place the maids under my control. In this way, my country will gain powerful minions."

"But, but we have not sighted those maids of Jaldabaoth's..."

Gustavo's answer made the Sorcerer King chuckle.

"They were sighted in the Kingdom, after all. I find it hard to imagine they were not there. Or perhaps they will not appear until Jaldabaoth is forced into dire straits?"

"Let me repeat myself... we are not sure if the maids actually exist. What will Your Majesty do in the event that the maids do not exist?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I am not asking you to produce something that could substitute for it, in any case. At the very most, I will just write it off as a wasted effort. However, there is the possibility that they might have appeared outside of a maid's guise, so my request will probably include Jaldabaoth's subordinates as well. Ahh, that's right. He might have used some kind of special item to dominate them, so I intend to add a condition that any of Jaldabaoth's magic items which cannot be determined to be the property of the Holy Kingdom will be mine. It may turn out that the maids which ravaged your Holy Kingdom might end up becoming part of my Sorcerous Kingdom, and in that event I hope I can count on your forgetting your grudges against them since they will then fall under my rule."

"You mean you want us to forgive people who might devastate our country?"

After Remedios retorted unhappily, the Sorcerer King shrugged.

"That is because I stand to gain nothing else from the Holy Kingdom. Or do you mean to say you have something else to offer me?"

Remedios bit her lip, unable to answer.

"Your Majesty, the Captain means to say that as outsiders, it will be very difficult for us to convince the victims to forget their grudges."

"Then you will simply have to work hard to convince them," the Sorcerer King said in a cold voice. "...No, then, just say that the maids were dominated by the Sorcerer King's magic and taken away. That ought to quell their hatred somewhat, no?"

What would they do? Neia thought as she heard the Sorcerer King speak. If they still refused to accept the Sorcerer King's terms after he had made this many concessions to them, it was very likely that they would end up with nothing to show for it. It was plain that these were extraordinarily favorable terms for the Holy Kingdom. If they did not seize this chance, then the only word to describe them would be "foolish."

"That would be quite vexing. Allowing those who ravage—"

"—Your Majesty!" Gustavo shouted over Remedios's words. "Please allow us to discuss this for a moment! Please give us some time!"