At first, the guards of the high-end inn didn't want to let them in, until a passing armed city guard, clad in his polished and distinctly decorated armor, explained that Ainz and Buku had been granted exalted status by the crown that the inn's guards reluctantly stepped aside. With a curt nod, they allowed the pair entry, knowing when to step aside.
Just like on Earth, the difference between the establishments for the common people and the elite rich was like night and day. The inn, an architectural marvel of opulence and grandeur even from the outside, boasted only four rentable rooms, as large as entire other inns. Each room, however, was a sanctuary of luxury, featuring a king-sized bed with intricately embroidered silk sheets, a lavish bath area adorned with porcelain fixtures, and the service of private attendants who moved with a grace and efficiency that spoke of rigorous training.
The food was on an entirely different level compared to everything else they'd had before by every metric possible. He and Buku had room service with a sumptuous three-course meal, starting with a fragrant, herb-infused soup that tantalized the taste buds, the main course, a succulent roast meat collection paired with the freshest of vegetables, and the dessert, a delicate pastry that balanced sweetness with a hint of tartness, left them both in a state of blissful satisfaction, Buku in particular as she even went for seconds on the dessert.
The room itself was spacious and furnished with the finest the city could offer from top to bottom. The bed sheets, made out of the finest silk felt like whispers against the skin. Several tables, carved out of the hardest of oaks, stood as sturdy works of art, their surfaces polished to a mirror-like finish. The walls were decorated with artwork depicting notable figures of the nation's past, their visages captured in vivid strokes that seemed to bring history to veritable life. And all this extravagance was theirs for the price of two and a half gold coins per night, a relatively cheap affair considering how easy it had been to gather coinage.
Unfortunately, the bath wasn't big enough for the two of them at once, so Ainz had to settle on a quick wash, knowing that Buku would embrace her inner connection with the primordial oceanic ancestors of humanity and soak in the scalding waters until her skin started to peel off. Ainz, of course, also enjoyed baths, but he could pass the opportunity for now. His thoughts turned to the possibility of making this inn a more permanent residence, imagining a suite with at least two baths, one would be large enough for two, or at the bare minimum making something similar elsewhere using this place as inspiration.
Despite the luxury and comfort that surrounded him, the feeling of being followed had only intensified after the meeting with the suspicious noblewoman by leaps and bounds. With a lot of free time on his hands, Ainz decided to address the problem head-on. He glanced towards the bathroom, where Buku was sitting in the bath with a reddish cocktail in her hands, happily humming tunes from her favorite anime without a care in the world, and he was determined to let her rest and enjoy life a bit. Her skill set wasn't particularly useful in catching a spy anyway, so he took it upon himself to investigate the cause.
The first step was to determine a suitable detection method, considering what his opponents could do. Ainz had a few high-tier spells at his disposal to detect hidden presences, but there was a risk he would put the city on high alert if he tried to use them since any player-run base worth their investment had detection methods for such things. Of course, he had the option to use [Perfect Unknowable] on Buku and himself, allowing them to covertly leave the city if things went south. But such drastic actions were better kept as a last resort, especially considering the possibility that Katrana was a player and might have countermeasures in place for spells of that nature as well.
Thus, he sat down in a plush armchair, the rich fabric cool against his skin, and began to mentally sift through his extensive repertoire of spells, seeking the best solution for this particular problem. His mind was a well-organized library, each spell and summon cataloged meticulously to be identified and used with maximum ease. One of the first things he noted was that some spells and summons had changed a lot since their arrival in this world compared to their in-game counterparts, on top of the completely new ones he had noticed before.
One of the most striking changes was the liches. They had evolved from low- to high-tier summons and could now rival his strongest summons if he used enough mana, making them now a viable form of combat and logistics on the battlefield. He was already aware that the Death Knights were different, but there was more nuance to it than he had noticed before. He had summoned one of two available types; the first was the rune blade-wielding unholy knight type, and the second was a caster similar to an elder lich from Yggdrasil. Each type brought unique strengths to his arsenal, adding layers of strategic depth to his command as quasi-autonomous forces.
As he went on, Ainz stumbled upon a particularly intriguing undead summon labeled as the Shade. This was an incorporeal undead designed as a reconnaissance unit, making it not only hard to detect but also very effective at detecting other hidden entities, shifting through the shadows and darkness with ease. And the best? It was a low-tier summon, meaning Ainz could potentially create hundreds of them to serve as eyes and ears throughout the city, practically the perfect reconnaissance unit for him.
With a decision made, Ainz leaned back in the armchair, the leather creaking softly under his weight, mentally drawing up the spell for the summoning. There was no reason not to test this unit. He leaned forward and extended his arm, sensing the magical energy coalescing. A thick dark mist formed on the ground, swirling and rising, slowly taking shape. The mist solidified slowly, forming a floating figure with no lower body and thin, spindly arms, already bowing before him, albeit as best it could, considering it had no legs. Its face had a vaguely skeletal face. The moment it was fully formed, the creature became fully invisible, melding seamlessly with the shadows.
{ I serve and obey. } It declared in a ghastly tone that seemed to echo from the depths of the void into Ainz's mind.
{ Detect the spy. } Ainz ordered, solidifying the mental connection with the shade and using its spectral sight as his own.
And there it was, in the corner of the room, a crouching figure clad in a dark leather suit attempting to blend with the shadows. Though hiding behind a face mask and hood obscuring her features, Ainz discerned she was a short and petite human woman.
'And there you are!' he thought, his mind sharpening with predatory focus. 'You must have a thief skill set to be so hidden without any magic I can detect.'
Ainz knew he had to be careful. His target shifted around slightly, likely sensing that she was being observed, and began to move away from the hiding spot.
'Silent cast [ Maximize Magic: Slow. ]' Ainz intoned in his mind, casting the spell on the person. The effect was immediate. The spy could barely move at all. Her movements slowed to a pathetic crawl, her limbs moving as if through molasses, mere centimeters an hour. Her eyes widened in panic, and her breaths became audible as she struggled against the spell.
"You are not going anywhere," Ainz declared, lazily standing up, the cozy bathrobe he wore doing little to diminish his incredibly large stature. His presence filled the room, and despite the relaxed garment, he exuded an aura of authority and menace towards the spy.
Ainz approached the woman with measured steps, his gaze never leaving her. She tried to squirm away, her eyes darting around the room for an escape route, but the spell held her firmly in its grip. Reaching out with one large, powerful hand, Ainz grabbed her by the neck and effortlessly lifted her off the ground, holding her several feet in the air. Her feet dangled, and she gasped for breath, her eyes now filled with terror.
This massive power difference gave him a strange sense of satisfaction. To hold an adult human in one hand and exude such authority over it felt so natural, as if he was meant to intimidate, control, dominate. Ainz squeezed the slim neck a bit tighter sensing her throat closing up. The spy's life was in his hand, and one move, one flick of a finger or a tightening of the grip, could effortlessly end it.
No wonder so many of the guild members found much entertainment in crushing the weaker guilds founded by newbies, even if he himself didn't partake in that often. The sheer ability to do something thought impossible, to be the one with irrefutable power, felt … delightful.
Ainz observed her fruitless struggle, slowly loosening his grip to let her breathe again as he stared into her eyes. It was paramount to show this spy that he was in full control over her life, she lived by his whims. Seeing that she didn't attempt to talk first, he decided that he should start the interrogation.
"Now then, what do you have to say about your actions?" Ainz demanded, his voice a low, rumbling growl that sent shivers down the spine of the struggling woman. The woman's eyes darted frantically, but she remained silent, likely out of fear. His grip was firm, yet he exercised precise control, ensuring she could still breathe enough to speak, and thus should've.
"What?" Buku called out from behind the curtains, her voice carrying a note of curiosity and mild annoyance at being interrupted by her husband's voice carrying something else besides sweet nothings at this time.
"Caught a spy!" Ainz called back.
"W-wait. Let's be reasonable. Don't give me over to the guards. I won't try to steal from you ever again," the woman whimpered, her voice cracking under the pressure.
"Do you think your charade will work? Who are you working for? The Crown?" Ainz tightened his grip slightly just as Buku emerged from the bathing area with a hastily put-on robe, water dripping from her wet hair, creating small puddles on the floor.
"I am no spy, sir. My family… I needed money to pay the priest to heal my father!" the woman teared up, her voice trembling with desperation.
"Bravo. Someone with shit for brains would fall for it," Buku offered a mock clap, her expression one of amused contempt as she reached for a shirt. "You do know we'll get the truth out of you one way or another. It is up to you if you'll be returned to your owners in one piece or in a bucket."
"Killing me would be unwise," the woman's tone changed, becoming more assertive, though she was still trying to get out of Ainz's grip to no avail.
"If she's a spy, I doubt she will talk easily. But I think there might be a solution." Ainz stated matter of factly.
"Sure. It's not like she'll need that brain afterward. Although I personally would prefer death over being reduced to the mental state of a toddler." Buku played along, trying to make it sound as if Ainz's spells would destroy the spy's mind if used, a terrifying prospect.
The spy's eyes darted rapidly between Ainz and Buku, her pulse quickening, an indicator that she was starting to panic. "My employer would know you caused me harm and there would be consequences!" she blurted out, her voice laced with desperation.
"Your employer has already shown hostile intent by sending you after us," Ainz replied coolly, letting go of the spy and allowing her to fall to the ground with a thud.
The moment the spy hit the ground, she performed a swift leg sweep, her heavy boot connecting with Ainz's uncovered ankle with practiced ease. However, with his high-tier physical damage nullification active, he didn't even register her attack, standing still.
The spy let out a pained grunt and rolled aside, trying to regain footing as she shifted away. But before she could gain momentum, Ainz extended his arm and cast a spell, "[Dominate]."
The spy slumped to her knees, her eyes glazing over as her muscles went limp. Buku sighed, as if having foreseen her husband using the spell. Undead necromancers did need to get information somehow from NPCs in a way that wasn't torture after all.
"State your name." Ainz issued the first order, wanting to test how well the spell worked now. In theory, someone affected by the [Dominate] spell wouldn't be able to lie, but there was no guarantee that the spell still worked that way in this world considering the many changes his others had undergone.
"Liesel Notley," the spy responded, her monotonous tone dull and lifeless.
"Damn. This spell is too OP!" Buku exclaimed.
She walked over to Liesel and removed the woman's hood and mask, revealing short blonde hair. Liesel appeared to be around forty years old, with a large scar running over her left cheek marring her otherwise standard looks. The scar added a hardened, battle-worn aspect to her otherwise nondescript appearance, as if she had been in this business for a long time.
"There is no guarantee it works on everyone. Who sent you?" Ainz continued questioning, his tone unwavering.
"Mathias Shaw, the head of SI:7," Liesel responded without any resistance.
"Still, we likely need to kill her so she can't report back that you can use it," Buku commented coldly, sliding on her clothes.
"I will also alter her memories and make it look like she lost us somehow. What is SI:7?" Ainz inquired.
"Stormwind Intelligence, the seventh branch of government," replied Liesel mechanically.
"Well, that's no surprise. Why is SI:7 spying on us?" Buku probed further.
"Routine observation of unknown elements. May cause potential danger due to reported ability. Lady Katrana Prestor requested direct reports as of today."
"Makes sense. Safe to assume soon enough other nations might take an interest in us. Tell me everything you know about SI:7, Mathias Shaw, and Katrana Prestor." Ainz decided to extract as much information as possible before the window of memory alteration closed, moving quickly.
The further back in time the caster tried to alter memories, the more mana it required, so he estimated he could only change the last two hours or so. This meant the spy would report that she followed him and Buku to the inn, and then lost them, assuming he worked fast.
"Mathias Shaw is the leader of SI:7. All other data is classified. SI:7's primary duty is to ensure Stormwind's safety against all possible threats, both internal and external. Its headquarters are located in the old district. I am a senior field agent. My rank prevents me from knowing more. Katrana Prestor is the royal advisor of his Majesty, King Anduin Wrynn. The family line is traced back to the fallen kingdom of Alterac. Only known relative, father Daval Prestor, presumed missing in action." Liesel's answers were precise but didn't reveal anything of critical importance, but knowing where the intelligence headquarters was located was useful.
"So Katrana might not be a player. Perhaps her and her father's story is fabricated." Ainz mused.
"So they sent a grunt to keep tabs on us. I'm not sure if I'm relieved or insulted. What did you report back about us?" Buku questioned, her tone betraying a tinge of irritation.
"Movement through the city, conversations. Needed to retreat during Stockade cleanup. Listened to conversations afterwards. Self-report of Ainz Ooal Gown and Buku Ooal Gown deemed unreliable afterward." Liesel dutifully answered.
"That will be enough. Do not resist, [Alter Memory]." Ainz cast another spell and continued. "You will forget the last two hours. You will covertly walk out of the inn, drink this bottle of wine, and walk in a random direction for an hour. Delay magic [ Cancel Domination: One Hour ]." Ainz handed the spy a bottle after issuing the last set of orders, sitting back in his chair.
Liesel took the bottle, her movements mechanical and obedient, and departed the room silently.
"Don't you think just killing her would've been easier?" Buku asked after Liesel had departed, her brow furrowed in contemplation.
"It would have been, but for now, we aren't considered a hostile force. All I just did will signal that we do not want to be spied on, but won't harm Stormwind's agents if we don't have to," Ainz explained his reasoning.
"You think we'll be able to pretend to be friends with them?" Buku continued.
"At least we can try. If we start a nation and half of the world wants to kill us from the get-go, diplomacy might be difficult. At least this way we can establish that we are on equal grounds and thus aren't to be looked down upon as a neutral party," Ainz reasoned.
"I should read up on politics. Do you have any books on the topic in your inventory? I don't have any in mine."
"I have a few," Ainz replied, reaching into his inventory. He retrieved a small stack of books and handed them to Buku, who rang a bell for a maid.
"Looks like I'm back to school." Buku smiled. "Maybe I should get a schoolgirl uniform as well." She added with a cheeky smirk.
"I wouldn't complain if you had one." Ainz retorted, a rare note of humor in his voice.
Since Buku would be busy reading for a while, he decided to turn his attention to ensuring their safety. He decided to create more shades, utilizing their unique abilities to secure a perimeter around them to ensure no more spies tailing them but also to put tabs on notable figures in Stormwind around the city.
After creating about thirty, he sent five to SI:7 headquarters and five to Stormwind Royal Castle, hoping to gather valuable intelligence. However, as they approached their targets, the shades encountered powerful magical wards. He quickly found out both places were heavily warded against such intrusions and his incorporeal summons were rapidly destroyed, ceasing existence.
At least he now knew not to underestimate the competency of these governments. This critical information would be essential as they prepared to travel north the following day and try to reach the undead-controlled territories.
Editing by NabeisWaifu and aidan_lo.
Proofreading by aidan_lo, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, miraculous-trash, fvvck, Malguis, Ainz-sama.
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