Overlord (WN)

Maruyama:

This is a request from Maruyama.

This chapter is about 48kb. It probably has more than 240,000 characters and so please read it in your free time.

….For those of you who believe that this is far too long, please write in the comments. I may cut future chapters by 20%.

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The Ball Part 5

Translator: Frostfire10

What is this idiot saying?

Five days after the ball, inside the residence provided to him, the first thoughts that flash through Ainz\'s mind was the above.

Sitting down in his soft sofa and leaning back against it, Ainz closely examined the man in front of him.

He was a noble that was talking non-stop since he entered. He was probably in his late fifties, but his hair was still thick. Combined with his hearty face, he seemed to be much younger than his actual age.

Ainz stared at the man\'s neat beard while half of his words failed to stick inside Ainz\'s head.

One of the reasons was certainly because Ainz had fallen into a daze, but apart from that Ainz was not used to conversations amongst nobles filled with meaningless pleasantries, and also that he was constantly beating around the bush. Besides, half of his talk was completely unnecessary, cutting away at Ainz\'s desire to listen.

(If he got straight to the point this could be over in a few minutes. Extending this boring topic…. In the end, I don\'t know want you want, you know?)

Ainz\'s gaze flickered underneath his mask to check the clock hanging on the nearby wall. Calculating backwards from when the noble entered the room, he learnt how much time had passed. Finding the solution, his shoulders slumped further.

Ainz was not free. He was not listening to this person because he had time.

Looking at him from any angle, Ainz was extremely busy. E-Rantel would be handed over to him in a few months, and he had to prepare various things before then.

If he could say "Get out" to this person, it would be so much better.

However, as he did not know about noble etiquette, he had no idea how to handle the situation, and thus left everything to the other noble.

One of the reasons was because he rarely experienced situations where he was in the higher position. Most of the time, when he spoke with a superior, his superior would be the one to end the conversation. Thus, Ainz, Suzuki Satoru, left it to them. Although it ate into the remaining time he had to finish important work.

Therefore the act of ending a conversation, especially with him being the superior, and without letting his conversation partner lose face was an extremely difficult task.

(Such a slippery mouth. What sort of high-class oil has he used to fill it?)

Ainz narrowed his eyes and glared at the noble\'s lips.

Even Ainz was at his limit. Especially today when he had things to do.

He had called in the Guardians for a meeting, even calling for the extremely busy Demiurge.

He had already made them wait and he could not waste any more time on this pointless conversation.

Ainz raised his hand. Understanding what it meant, the noble stopped his chatter.

"This was a very interesting conversation, and I want to listen to more, but I am busy. Shall we end this conversation here?"

"Is that so. The conversation with the Archduke was extremely interesting, causing me to forget about the time. My apologies."

The noble smiled, causing Ainz to curse "You don\'t think that at all" in his heart. And the phrase "conversation with the Archduke" made Ainz retort "You were the only one that talked!". His face crumpled, but as he was wearing a mask, it was not seen by his conversation partner.

In contrast, the noble smiled and asked Ainz.

"And, if it is fine, shall we continue this conversation at my residence? Allow this humble one to host the Archduke."

"….Hmm."

Ainz fell into thought. Most of them end like this.

After the ball, nobles had forced their way into Ainz\'s residence daily.

They all brought items that could easily rot, fresh fruit from their territory. And they all rambled on about pointless things and tried to get Ainz to promise another meeting. And most of them tried to invite him to their residence.

There was some reason for this, but Ainz did not understand this.

(Shall I ask Demiurge?)

Deciding this, Ainz smiled and replied to the noble.

"My apologies. I have no time, and I believe you understand the reason for this, yes? After this situation has ended, I shall invite you back."

"….Oh, I see."

The noble\'s face fell, and Ainz stifled a sigh.

The noble himself did not fully believe him, but smelling a possible advantage, he quickly agreed. Ainz was a bit worried about why the noble acquiesced to him, but it seemed to be a misunderstanding on his part and therefore Ainz did not feel an inch of guilt. In fact, he could use this misunderstanding as a shield to block any further invitations from him.

"Thank you for your understanding. Sebas, please send him out."

"Understood."

Sebas stood nearby silently up until now but moved to open the door under Ainz\'s instructions. The noble made a regretful face as if he had not said enough, but he immediately changed his expression.

"Then, Archduke, let us meet again."

"Ah. Yes. I shall infringe on your residence next time."

"Hou! That would be excellent. I shall make the necessary preparations to welcome the Archduke. Do you mind deciding when you will come over as soon as possible? I shall prepare suitable items to welcome you."

I\'m just being nice.

Ainz thought this in his heart. However, he was able to gain a grasp of noble life from these short conversations, but because the other noble had a better grasp of it, he felt comfortable in asking.

Ainz himself did not believe that the noble had anything of worth to invite him, but the noble seemed to believe otherwise. It was clear that he was searching for any reason to invite him over.

This part of the conversation was expected. And thus Ainz had a pre-prepared response.

Ainz smirked.

And spreading open his arms, he replied.

"Can you prepare anything suitable for me?"

The noble looked around the room at all of the decorations. They were not extravagant, but all of them were well made and were items Ainz was proud of.

Of course, Ainz did not have a good aesthetic sense. If he were specifically asked, he would say that he did not have it.

These items were collected by one of the guild members. He was a budding designer and played Yggdrasil to advertise his creations.

One of the merits of playing Yggdrasil was being able to use the creation tools to change the appearance of items to one\'s liking.

In fact, he was not the only person who used Yggdrasil as a platform to gain traction as a designer. Yggdrasil had many beginning designers who could freely manipulate the various materials or metals to create whatever they could imagine.

(….Although he got addicted to it and was one step away from turning into a useless person.)

These items were ones that he collected and passed on to Ainz and the others. In fact, there were the works of some well-known designers hidden within the collection.

Just how would items made of rare materials – even for this world, and crafted by designers of his original, be seen by nobles?

From what Ainz could tell, none of them thought the decorations to be beneath them.

Just like the nobles before, the noble in front of Ainz made a wry smile.

"Oh Archduke, this is difficult. Preparing items of this level will indeed be difficult. May I please ask where you found these items? Many of these are quite different from the usual decor of the Empire…. To which artist do these pieces belong?"

Sensing the noble was about to dive into another conversation, Ainz cut him off with a steely voice.

"I found them outside of the Empire. Now …"

"Oh, I see. Then, Archduke, another time."

"Ah yes, let us meet again soon."

The noble left the room with Sebas, and Ainz could hear their footsteps disappear into the hall. Heaving a sigh of relief, Ainz stretched his body.

Although he was an undead that could not experience fatigue, this act was a remnant of the mental exhaustion of the human left in him. However, in front of his subordinates, he could not freely stretch.

"Good work, Shalltear."

Ainz turned to the silently smiling girl who was sitting next to him.

"No, think nothing of it, Ainz-sama."

Shalltear gently placed her hand on Ainz\'s thigh.

Bringing Shalltear with him had made the nobles finish their conversation sooner and faster.

Ainz, exhausted, reflected on the experience.

He did not know why, but he was happy that none of them spoke about women.

Ainz had no clue on how to react to the topic of women, and so it was to his relief that the topic did not arise at all. And so although it troubled Shalltear, he always brought her along to speak with the nobles.

"However, I\'m sorry for stationing you here after the ball. Are your other responsibilities fine?"

"Yes. I have left everything to my subordinates and there is no problem. Or rather, although Ainz-sama believes you are troubling me, but in actuality being by your side brings me joy."

"….Hmm, is that so. You\'re making me feel embarrassed."

Ainz nodded stiffly. In response, Shalltear\'s chime-like laughter echoed through the room.

"Now, next is…. The meeting. Let us begin when Sebas returns."

■

As Yuri Alpha opened the large ornate door, Ainz led Sebas and Shalltear through. Seeing their arrival, the three occupants, Demiurge, Cocytus, and Aura, immediately stood up and deeply lowered their heads.

Ainz lackadaisically waved his hand and spoke.

"Ah, it\'s fine. Sit."

"Thank you very much."

The three, along with Sebas and Shalltear, despite acknowledging his words, showed no sign of sitting down.

There were no rude insolent fools who would take their seat before their master.

After countless similar experiences, Ainz understood this. So instead of talking further, he slipped past the guardians and lowered himself onto the highest and most elaborate chair in the room. He then repeated himself, and the Guardians finally obeyed.

"Now, before we begin, allow me to apologise for being late. Especially to Demiurge."

Ainz was apologising for taking too long with the meetings with the nobles. Since he was several tens of minutes late, he felt sincerely apologetic, resulting in a serious tone.

He had specifically singled out Demiurge as he was the busiest of the Guardians, and Ainz had repeatedly called him back at the slightest problem. This caused Ainz to feel particularly guilty.

In response, Demiurge gave a bright smile.

"There is no need to worry about that, Ainz-sama." Demiurge maintained his sincere smile. "I am a creation of the Supreme Beings, and working for Ainz-sama brings me no greater joy. There is nothing that Ainz-sama has to apologise for."

"I appreciate your loyalty, Demiurge. If there is something you desire, inform me. Does anything come to mind?"

"No, there is nothing. However, if possible, I would like permission from Ainz-sama to work myself to the bone to prove my loyalty."

"….Haaa, Demiurge, you have no desires. I will accept your, no everyone\'s loyalty, with gratitude."

"Thank you very much."

Although Demiurge was the only one who spoke, the others in the room accompanied him to lower their heads.

"….Then, let us begin the meeting. I shall appoint Demiurge as the facilitator."

"Understood." Demiurge once again bowed to Ainz and then turned his attention to his fellow Guardians. "Now, everyone, we shall begin the meeting. The main focus will be on the administration of the city that Ainz-sama will rule over, E-Rantel, and its surrounding areas. But before we dive in, may we please have a few words from Ainz-sama?"

Ainz predicted this development and thus acted out the preprepared script.

"As Demiurge has said, we shall discuss on how to administer the city of E-Rantel and its surroundings. I have a plan on how to unify the land, but I would like to hear the opinions of you, the Guardians. I hope that you can present me with ideas that are beyond my imagination. However, there is no need to force yourselves. I simply wish to know how you would act in my place. Please feel free to casually discuss ideas and pay no heed to me or how you believe I would act."

Stumbling upon something, Ainz quickly tagged on a phrase at the end.

"And Guardians, I thank you for coming despite your busy schedules."

"There is no such thing, Ainz-sama! We, the ones created by the Supreme Beings, would do anything for Ainz-sama!"

"It is just as Demiurge says! There is nothing that Ainz-sama needs to feel grateful for!"

"Indeed. Being of help to Ainz-sama is our raison d\'etre."

"Yes! We are the ones that should be grateful. That we can be of use to Ainz-sama."

Seeing the Guardians instantly try to refute his words, Ainz smiled in satisfaction and then turned to face Demiurge.

"Now, Demiurge, begin."

"Understood, Ainz-sama. Now, ladies and gentlemen, with Ainz-sama\'s words in mind, let us brainstorm on how to unify this land."

At those words, a firestorm of opinions blasted across the table.

Ainz listened to them and nodded secretly in satisfaction. Although he had said that he had a plan, he, of course, did not. He was a regular person who naturally had no such ability.

The most that he could do was being able to use database software and the occasional presentation. He could not completely govern. Also, there was the possibility of all of his knowledge being redundant due to the change in worlds.

For example, if he were asked to implement farming policies, despite being able to plough fields with magic, the knowledge he gained from living in an automated society would be of no use.

Thus Ainz was keenly aware that he would be of no use here.

Of course, Ainz did not intend to end it here. He wanted to learn and study the various policies and laws implemented in the Empire. However, most of it failed to stick in his brain.

This was like all the knowledge he had accumulated in life was completely different from what he was doing. He had tried to study, and portions of the knowledge had entered his brain, but considering that he was an undead that did not require rest, it was practically nothing.

That was what happened when one tried to learn difficult content that he or she had no interest in.

And because of his situation, Ainz found himself completely agreeing with the Guardians\' opinions, particularly that of Demiurge.

As expected of the greatest intelligence in the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.

Every time Demiurge made a suggestion, Ainz applauded him in his mind. Whenever one of the Guardians asked him the reasons for such suggestions, his replies were understandable and reasonable.

In Ainz\'s head, Demiurge was the ideal CEO, one able to act according to logic, and able to run the company perfectly.

In fact, he felt that if he said "I believe Demiurge understands my intentions perfectly", Demiurge would be able to take care of everything perfectly.

However, Aura\'s next words instantly shattered his prior feelings.

"But guys. Why do we have to rule humans with such a level of perfection?"

Silence fell upon the room.

Although Ainz was shocked, thinking "What are you talking about, Aura?!", the other Guardians acted as if the wool had been pulled from their eyes, and agreed.

"Indeed, Aura. What you say is correct."

"Yes. There is no need to rule over humans that well."

"The reason why Ainz-sama is controlling this land is to earn money. Then all we have to do is to borrow undead from Ainz-sama and have them work. There is no need to create policies that place emphasis on humans."

"An army of undead under Ainz-sama\'s control. How beautiful."

"Agreed. It is a sight that would be suitable for the Great King of Death, Ainz-sama."

Amid the Guardian\'s fervent chatter, the sole remaining calm voice in the room spoke.

"However, humans do have their own charm."

At Sebas\' words, the Guardians turned to look at each other. And as their representative, Demiurge put on a smile as he faced Sebas and asked.

"Where, Sebas? What aspect of humanity is charming?"

"Their…."

Sebas was at a loss for words.

After all, he understood what the demonic face was saying. However, Shalltear offered him a rope.

"….Sebas might be correct. After all, isn\'t it fun to kill humans? If possible, I would like to have a parent and child fight each other to the death."

….It was not a rope at all. However, it managed to resonate with something within Demiurge. Shalltear\'s words were not meant to irritate Sebas, but they were simply filled with honest and sincere curiosity, like how a child spoke of a prank.

"Excluding strong individuals…. Shall we get the weak to face each other? During training sessions, we could provide them with weapons and have them fight each other to the death."

"Hmm, they might be good feed for my pets."

Aura spoke of humans as if they were live feed for their pets. Demiurge, hearing all of these methods in which to utilise humans, smiled and nodded to Sebas.

"….Indeed Sebas, it is just as you say. The sheep do have value."

Sebas silently closed his eyes. Seeing this, one side of Demiurge\'s lips curled upwards.

Sheep?

Ainz was a bit puzzled at this, but he roughly guessed that Demiurge was using a metaphor of a sacrificial lamb. Also, he vaguely felt that he heard something similar a long time ago, but he could not remember.

"Then how about building a farm there?"

"That\'s a good idea. How about beginning from 15 years of age, humans have to give birth every year. Then once they reach 45, we kill them …"

"Since they cannot lay eggs, there is a need to prepare marriage partners, what shall we do about them?"

"We can simply force them to yes? If we confine them in a small room, they\'ll do it on their own right? We can also kill them if they don\'t get pregnant too."

"We can let the undead grow food. All they have to do is to swing their hips…. Won\'t humans be extremely satisfied with this?"

"….We should kill the ugly ones and only leave the attractive ones alive. Then it might be good to allow polygamy…."

"No, I don\'t think we should decide based on appearance. And it\'s not like they are serving Ainz-sama and so we don\'t have to care about them."

"Is that so? I think that it\'s more fun to kill the prettier ones than the ugly ones…. But if Demiurge thinks otherwise, then it\'s fine."

"But. It\'s difficult to conceive at 45. We should have them stop at around 30, and have them raise the children."

"However it\'s not fun to kill a 45-year-old. If possible, I would like to hear the dying screams of a human once filled with vigour and hope."

"Then, we shall we kill humans around that age, and have their experience absorbed by Ainz-sama\'s [Avarice and Generosity]?"

The faces of everyone except Sebas flashed with excitement.

"Wonderful!"

"Agreed. We only thought about our own personal enjoyment…. How embarrassing."

"Yes yes. Offering their lives to Ainz-sama is the proper thing to do!"

"Originally I would have liked to discuss with Ainz-sama on how to develop the skills of humans, but this takes care of that."

"The development of skills?"

"Indeed. If we allow research on magic, we might find those who seek to harm us. I believe that stemming the development of skills would be best for us currently."

At this point, Ainz thought "I see".

During the conversation, there were several interesting threads – mostly from Sebas – that appeared. They were methods on how to raise the level of education for commoners.

For example, they might be able to create a school and imprint in the students the gloriousness of Ainz-sama. However, Demiurge was vehemently against this.

And Ainz was quite amazed by these ideas.

If the ruled were foolish, it would be easier for the ruler; a shepherd could easily guide a flock of blind sheep. If the ruled were free to learn, it would be more difficult to control them. As long as the ruled learnt that whip would come if they made mistakes, they would be docile.

If they did not learn of pleasure, they would be satisfied with the status quo. If they did not learn of freedom, they would not seek it.

Reflecting back on the black companies of his world, Ainz thought that they were pitiful creatures, but considering that he would be commanding them, he decided that these acts were necessary.

And most importantly, restricting the growth of skills would allow them to maintain their advantage. Of course, stopping the wave of development only in their territory would be meaningless, and other measures would need to be implemented.

However – Ainz lightly tapped the table.

The next instant, the Guardians, who were just excitedly talking about the implementation of human farms, went stiff. They faced Ainz with utmost seriousness.

"My Guardians. I understand that you are having fun, but I have to reject this idea. I do not wish to bring pain on to humans."

"May we please ask why?"

"Haa. Are you serious, Demiurge?"

Seeing the Guardians bow their heads in shame, Ainz continued.

"In this situation where there might be beings that rival me, I would like to avoid making more enemies. In the previous battle, I acted in a manner proper of a noble of the Empire. However, ruling E-Rantel and its surroundings in the manner you all have suggested goes against this. If we do this, excuses will not be accepted. I believe I have said this before. I wish to become a hero."

"I see, we have lost sight of the main goal."

"No, I do not mind. In fact, I had thought that you were reading my mind for the first half of the discussion, Demiurge."

"Thank you very much!"

"As for how to unify the area…. We can simply use the suggestions from before we went off-topic. However…. What I am truly interested in is how to unify them."

The Guardians all wore puzzled expressions.

"Well, leaving everything to demons and undead will…. How should I put this…. Possibly incite hostility. Therefore I would like to command humans and leave some responsibilities to them…."

"I see…. And so Ainz-sama is worried that there are no such qualified people."

"Indeed."

"How about humiliating and then training them?"

"Shalltear, shut up for a bit."

"….Yes."

Leaving the collapsed Shalltear in a corner of his vision, Ainz continued.

"I am a hero, a Great Noble of the Empire. How should such a man gather humans—"

Ainz was suddenly interrupted by several knocks on the door.

The Guardians turned to look at Ainz. Understanding their gesture, Ainz nodded.

Gaining permission, Aura walked over to the door, opened it and took a look at the person outside.

"It is Yuri."

"Enter."

Hearing this command, the Battlemaid, Yuri Alpha, entered the room.

After her bow, Ainz spoke.

"What is it? Yuri."

"Yes. There is a noble who wishes to meet with Ainz-sama. What shall we do about him."

"Again…." Ainz buried his face in his hands and spat out his next words. "I am tired. Tell him that and chase him away."

"Understood."

Taking another bow, Yuri left the room. As the door clicked closed, Aura spoke.

"There is no need for Ainz-sama to lie. I believe that it is enough to tell them to get lost."

"I cannot do so. I too am a noble. I would like to have at least a basic relationship with the other nobles…. However, do you think that I was underestimated at the ball, Shalltear?"

Hearing her name being called, Shalltear shot back up to respond.

"That is impossible!"

"I see. Then why do you think this is happening?"

"….May I interject, Ainz-sama?"

"What is it, Demiurge?"

"This is my conjecture. I believe that this is because Ainz-sama displayed to the public that he has proper upbringing and education."

Ainz was unable to keep up with Demiurge\'s train of thought and thus gestured for him to continue.

"Yes. Basically, to put it simply, the methods of nobles will work on Ainz-sama, and that you will act within their expectations."

"….Is that so."

People stayed away from the insane because they did not know what they would do."

In contrast, Ainz showed that he acted like a noble, and thus that he would respond like a noble, in front of everyone at the ball. Thus, the nobles acted within the range of proper etiquette. In fact, Ainz vaguely noticed that they brought fresh fruit as welcome gifts to use the excuse that they will rot, hoping for an audience.

"Then, what should we do?"

While he purposefully showed off his poise and grace to prove himself to the nobility, it had invited an unexpected situation. However, all Ainz had to do was to bear with it. He was a member of the nobility after all.

However, as he was not familiar with noble etiquette, Ainz was worried that he might commit a faux pas.

If he were Momonga or Suzuki Satoru the humiliation would be fine. However, the name of Ainz – Ainz Ooal Gown, must never be tarnished.

"Ainz-sama. I believe that we should proceed to the next step."

"What?" What is he talking about? But Ainz was not foolish enough to vocalise this thought. And so, as he had done many times before as the Ruler of Nazarick, he acted like he knew. " Oh dear. Isn\'t it a bit too early?"

"Not at all. I believe the time is ripe."

Ainz who understood nothing, and Demiurge who seemed to be able to see all. The Guardians who could not keep up with their conversation began to whisper amongst themselves.

"Hey, Shalltear. What are they talking about?"

"I, I\'m afraid I don\'t know. Cocytus?"

"The wisdom of Ainz-sama is unfathomable, and people like us are unable to understand him. In fact, we should be praising Demiurge for noticing. As expected one the most intelligent in Nazarick. What do you think, Sebas?"

"I am simply a being that faithfully carries out Ainz-sama\'s orders…."

Ainz gestured to the Guardians with his chin.

"Demiurge, explain to them."

"Understood. Ainz-sama has entered noble society wearing a mask. The important thing here is to wonder why it is necessary for Ainz-sama to continue wearing this mask?"

"Because humans would be scared of him if they learnt of his true face?"

Aura immediately replied.

Ainz similarly secretly agreed with her.

"Exactly. At the ball, the nobles spoke with Ainz-sama and learnt that he was one of them, yes? The fact that many nobles seek audiences with him is proof of this. Then, now we can remove his mask and show them his true face."

"Hmm…. This is the part I do not understand. Why is there a need to show Ainz-sama\'s true face? The weak beings known as humans would be filled with fear, and eventually hostility. Does this not diverge from the fact that Ainz-sama desires to become a hero? That …" Cocytus seemed to stumble upon something and became silent. "A hero…. A hero that wears a mask, without showing his true face …"

Is bad? Ainz questioned this, but thinking about it rationally, it was very suspicious. Then would it not be better to create a fake face using illusion magic? However —

"Then would an illusion not work? I believe Lupusregina has received a mask from Ainz-sama that allows her to change her face at will."

"What if it is seen through? What if something happens and the illusion is shattered at the most important time?"

"Then we can use Ainz-sama\'s own magic. No being can penetrate Ainz-sama\'s spells."

"We cannot assume that, Aura. I have bought many scrolls, and many unknown spells have been created. We cannot be confident and say that there are no spells that can destroy illusions."

"It is as Sebas says. And that is why Ainz-sama is so terrifying. The reason why he did not use illusion magic and instead used a mask is precisely for this reason I believe. He foresaw this problem and paid close attention to it."

Ohh! The Guardians all raised cries of admiration.

Seeing all of the Guardians\' eyes sparkle with amazement, Ainz nodded.

"Now let us return to the main subject. Showing Ainz-sama\'s true face and causing the humans to fear him …" Demiurge flashed a cold sadistic smile. "Isn\'t that fine? Now that Ainz-sama has displayed his intellect, he should next display his power and fearsomeness. Of course, if he had shown his face from the beginning we could not do this. However, even if the nobles fear him, they will recall that they could hold conversations with him. And if they had enough to gain, the greed will overcome their fear and cause them to be drawn it like moths to a flame."

Saying that Demiurge bowed.

"Wonderful. Planning this far …"

"….No, in fact being able to see through my plans is amazing in itself Demiurge…. Since you have been able to see through this much, can I leave the preparations to you?"

"Of course. I shall prepare everything such that they meet your standards."

■

"Oh, you came?"

"Don\'t tell me that when you told me to do so."

Hearing the woman speak to him in a cold voice, Jircniv responded in an astonished manner. It was not an overstatement to say that in the whole Empire, no one would speak such words to him. No, the number had increased from a few months ago. With the Archduke. However, amongst the humans, it was only her.

Normally, speaking to the Empire in such a tone would be unforgivable, but this woman was an exception.

Jircniv looked at the owner of this room.

The woman sitting at one of the four chairs around a circular table was dressed in the minimum amount of jewellery. Compared to the room around her, she was quite plain.

And her face was not pretty, and she was not filled with grace. It was as if the daughter of a poor noble family was sitting before him.

"Would it not be cute for you to say \'I\'ve been waiting\' or something like that? Roxy?"

Cutting across the room, Jircniv slouched himself into a chair placed in front of the woman, Roxy.

"No, I was not waiting." The cold voice droned on. "There are women who still are not pregnant, so please quickly impregnate them. I believe you should have no time to come to my room."

"Hmm. How strict."

It was the role of the current Emperor to create the next generation, but being confronted with this fact directly, even Jircniv had to frown in displeasure.

"And so why have you come to my room? It is not that you want to come here to waste time yes?"

"….I want to ask your opinion on something."

For the first time since he entered, Roxy\'s eyes flashed with interest.

"I have received a letter from Ainz. He asks me to appear at a small party of his. And so…. What did you think of Ainz at the ball?"

"A normal person."

A reply immediately shot back at him.

"I can only think of him as such. However, I was terrified of that girl he brought with him. Different from how some of the nobles look down upon the commoners, her eyes were those of someone looking at swine. That thing is…. Not human, right?"

Jircniv silently nodded. Of course, he did not fully understand what she was, but she was certainly not human.

"And several of those maids had a similar air about them…. Who were the Four Knights cautious of? It was not the Archduke right?"

"So you noticed even that…. Everyone except Ainz basically."

Ainz was an intelligent man, but there was no guarantee that this extended to his subordinates. That was why the Knights were wary of them. Of course, the girl called Shalltear was a close aide of Ainz considering how she was standing next to him in the throne room and so this might have been excessive.

"Is that so…. Then the one who rules them, the Archduke, is definitely not a normal person and my reading of him is wrong. Well, there are exceptions where the master is useless and simply gathered amazing subordinates, but…. Being able to gather exceptional people means that he is not useless."

"….Yes. Ainz is not that exception. His acting is just splendid. In fact, I\'m amazed at how well he can act like a normal person. It might be a spell of some sort."

"So that is what you think of the Archduke…. I saw that he was not used to dancing, but he seemed knowledgeable about noble culture…. Completely different from other magic caster like Fluder."

"Hmm…."

"And so have you told the results of the ball to the other countries?"

Jircniv narrowed his eyes and glared at Roxy. Despite being bathed it that fierce glare, Roxy showed no signs of fear. It was not that she knew that she would not be killed, neither was she foolhardy and brash.

She simply thought that if Jircniv killed her, then that was all he amounted to.

In a certain sense, she was a difficult partner even for Jircniv. This part of Roxy, to someone brought up to rule over men, was both refreshing and exasperating.

She was someone that should be watched from a distance, but the reason he could not do that was because of her excellence.

She was not particularly intelligent.

Well no, she was certainly intelligent and counted amongst the five most intelligent women Jircniv knew. However, her true value lay in her role as a [Mother].

She did not wish for personal glory or benefits for her own family. She had one goal. And that was to raise the next Emperor splendidly. And even for the children deemed worthless – the ones that dropped out of the rat race for the crown – she hoped that she could still shower them in the love of a mother.

Jircniv chose his mistresses based on their looks, and more them half of them had their eyes blinded by greed. As nobles, it was normal for them to keep in mind the possible benefits for their family and Jircniv could not fault them on this.

In fact, Jircniv\'s own mother was like this.

He recalled that he was often treated as a racehorse.

The mother that Jircniv did not have; the ideal mother, everything he wished for in one, was found in the woman called Roxy.

And Jircniv himself believed that he failed as a father. He understood in his mind that he should love his children, but he could not express this well.

He could not provide them with the fatherly love that he grew up with. That was why he could not let go of Roxy.

If the father could not show his children his love, then the mother would shower them in hers instead.

Of course, he could say that love is not needed in an Emperor. However, since Jircniv was loved by his father, he could not confidently agree with this statement.

Jircniv lightly sighed and spoke as if he were making an excuse.

"There are eyes everywhere."

"Even I can gauge it to a certain degree. The Archduke should have seen through it immediately. Of course, because he is the type of person to not show this on the surface that he is so dangerous."

"…. Haa. It seemed that the Ambassador from the Kingdom of Re-Estize did not get it. I don\'t know anything about the Theocracy. I snuck close to them, but they blocked themselves with magic and I could not get anything out of them. It seems that the other countries like the Alliance understand…. But they were worried about the Empire using Ainz as a threat more than anything. And the heads of the clergy are empty."

"….It seems the inner workers of the Empire are starving."

"….If I can\'t provide them with anything delicious. Really Ainz? Giving us such a demonstration of your power during the war …"

Seeing that Jircniv was falling into thought, Roxy began to question him in a joking manner.

"By the way, all of those maids were beautiful and seemed to be excellent. Will you not invite them into your inner palace? A marriage with people from the Archduke\'s faction will strengthen your relationship with him."

Similar to how Roxy shot him down, Jircniv quickly fired back a response. With a face that showed his deep disgust.

"Spare me. If we add in those people, the ranking of the women I hate will change greatly."

"True…. The first place is the Golden Princess, the second is the Dragon King…. No, she\'s currently the Queen. And the third is the Holy Queen…. Although I think a child born between the Golden Princess and Your Majesty will be very talented though."

Mixed within Roxy\'s words was a suggestion of "Make children with her even if you hate her".

Jircniv flat out rejected this.

"Let\'s not. I feel that that woman would make a child with a man she likes and then proclaim it as outs. And when I get old, she will calmly assassinate me and rule over the Empire with her actual husband and child."

Roxy let out a wry smile to laugh at Jircniv\'s imagination.

"Are you…. Not overthinking this? From what I heard, there are some aspects of her thinking that we cannot understand but…. She does not seem to be that type of woman …"

"No, she will. I can still somewhat understand you, but I can neither make heads nor tails of what that woman is thinking. I don\'t want to be anywhere near her…. Same goes for the women around Ainz …"

"Well, if you are that against it, then fine…. But is that all you wanted to ask?"

Seeing Jircniv nod, Roxy smiled. This was the brightest smile that she had made since Jircniv entered.

"If this conversation is over, hurry and go to the other girls. I also ask that you refrain from going to the rooms of those that have already given you a child."

The frown on Jircniv\'s brow deepened.

■

A certain day, an extravagant figure was standing before the main entrance to Ainz\'s estate.

His face was sharp and elegant, born from generations of the mixing of noble blood, and his salt and pepper hair was set cleanly. His warm eyes had a tint of wisdom lying inside.

He was one of the Great Nobles, Marquis Gryad.

Gryad used the door knocker to slam on the door and chuckled.

It was almost impossible for a Marquis such as himself to not bring an entourage to visit the estate of another noble.

The door immediately opened, revealing the figure of a butler.

"Welcome to the Gown Estate."

Seeing the figure bow, Gryad\'s eyes widened.

He knew that the Archduke had a group of wonderful maids and women accompanying him from the ball. And he got the same feeling from the butler in front of him.

(Hmm…. I want to show him to the butlers at my estate)

Excluding the Head Butler that had worked for him for years, none of the other butlers he had could be compared to the one before him. But, the butler soon raised his head and spoke to the Marquis, knocking him out of his thoughts.

"May I please see the invitation?"

"Ah, this one yes?"

Gryad showed him the invitation card he was provided.

It was a silver placard with words engraved on it. Gently receiving it, the butler looked over it a few times and smiled.

"It is indeed. Then please come inside."

"Yes."

Encapsulated in the feeling that he was entering enemy territory, Gryad took a step in. Well, it might actually be enemy territory.

Gryad recalled the masked figure of the Archduke whom he met at the ball.

He was a person of unknown origin, yet had great wealth and influence. Also, he had a welcoming personality and had the character of a noble.

As he was led down the quiet hallway by the butler, he reflected on all the things that happened.

The most impactful was when he sent a maid from his faction to collect information on him. As he recalled the result, Gryad\'s eyebrows twitched a millimetre.

It ended in failure. The reason why he knew nothing was because the noble who sent the maid said "The Archduke is a terrifying person, I want nothing to do with him", and refused to say anything more.

That noble still trembled at the mention of the Archduke and was so scared that he refused to show his face at the ball.

From the information he gathered, it seemed the maid had died, and he could guess what happened. The maid\'s corpse was probably sent to him.

He did think it was a bit excessive, but Gryad had done similar things before, and so he did not blame the Archduke.

He was a warm person, but he also had a part of him that could do such an act without hesitation.

He did not think that the Archduke would kill a Great Noble such as himself, but it was best to watch his tongue.

As he busied himself in his thoughts, he saw a maid standing before them. He recalled her gorgeous face. It was one of the maids who served the Archduke during the ball.

The butler then stopped in front of Gryad and spoke.

"Marquis. As the party does have a theme, we would request that you attach this to yourself."

As the butler said this, the maid presented a rose-like object. Seeing it, Gryad\'s shot wide open.

"Was this rose made with crystal?"

Yes. This was a clear shining crystal carved into the shape of a rose.

This fine detail was like the work of the gods. Like how a certain monster could turn living beings to stone, it was possible that a monster had changed a rose into a crystal.

"Yes. It is a crystal carved into a rose. Shall I attach it to the Marquis?"

"Ah, ahh, please do."

"Then, Solution."

"Understood."

The maid attached the crystalline rose to Gryad\'s chest. However, his eyes were affixed to the divine beauty of the rose.

The more he looked at it, the more he understood how wonderful it was.

The crystal was shaved so fine to be as thin as flower petals. And this was not assembled, but cut from a single crystal. It was not made in batches with magic but by the time and effort of a god-level craftsman.

Even as Gryad\'s attention completely abandoned the maid as he could not release his gaze from the rose.

Even a Great Noble such as himself did not have artwork of this level.

He was once again caught a glimpse of the vast wealth of the unknown Archduke.

Gryad shook his head and shifted his gaze forward.

His attention was pulled in by the work, and the desire to stand still and admire it still existed, but the reason he could resist the pull was due to his discipline as a Great Noble.

As a Noble, respect was very important. Losing himself after entering the Archduke\'s residence was unbecoming of him.

"My apologies. May you please guide me inside?"

"Of course. This way please."

The room the butler guided him to was large and wide. Inside were several familiar faces, and the sight of him caused Gryad\'s eyes to narrow.

All of the nobles before him were high ranked enough to be called Great Nobles. And there were only nobles. The other high ranking figures of the Empire such as the clergy were nowhere to be seen. The only exception, the only person who was not a Great Noble, was General Ray, who was silently leaning against the wall. Gryad recalled hearing rumours that he had entered the Archduke\'s faction, and this seemed to be true.

And there was one thing that caused Gryad to be shocked. Of course, he did not let it show on his face, but the shock was so great that he was not confident in his ability to maintain his poker face.

The work of art, the rose, that Gryad was enamoured with was pinned upon the labels of everyone in his room.

(How rich is he!? Just how has the Archduke accumulated such wealth!? Or was it created with magic!?)

This ridiculous and impossible scene caused him to scream in his heart.

Wealth, power and beauty. All three of these qualities were owned by the Archduke in spades. Just where did he get them? There were rumours that he was not human – that he was a dragon who transformed himself into a human, and Gryad felt that this rumour was now probable.

Gryad took several deep breaths. He was fully aware of the Archduke\'s capabilities. And so it was even more pertinent to keep a calm head. As the man in charge of his faction, he had to identify the main reason for the hosting of this party and decide whether it was beneficial or not.

If he were lost in the glamour of the Archduke, there was a possibility of failure.

(Now what should I do? Is this a party where we stand around and eat? That seems a bit boorish…. A person with such wealth will surely prepare something extraordinary but….)

Normally, he would make pleasant conversation with the other faction bosses, but should he do this here and now?

Gryad scanned the room multiple times.

The reason he believed it was a such a party was due to the table on the far side of the room filled with food. Of course, there were drinks as well. However, the maids that would normally be present to serve the guests were nowhere to be found. Basically, it was as if he were telling the Great Nobles to serve themselves. This would be extremely rude and would show that the Archduke had no manners.

Normally this would be the case.

However, since the wealthy Archduke has done such a thing, it must have a deeper meaning.

Therefore no one uttered a word of complaint. Any noble who was foolish enough to do so was not present.

The only other thing that attracted attention was the large mirror.

(What is going on here?)

The Archduke said that he was hosting a party, but what was his true intent? Gryad could not figure it out. And it seemed neither could the other Great Nobles.

Suddenly, a cry rang through the room.

"Delicious!"

Everyone\'s gazes fell on a noble standing near the buffet.

His cry had attracted the interest of many nobles. If it were any other noble saying this, they would pay no heed, but this was an equal to them. This meant that there was food so delicious that caused one of them to break protocol and cry out. There was no way they would not be interested.

They did not rush, but the interested nobles began to walk to the buffet. From what they saw, it was nothing more than an arrangement of various delicious foods. Being able to eat high-class ingredients every day, this seemed perfectly normal to the nobles.

The noble who cried out was entranced by the food, stuffing handful after handful into his bulging cheeks. It was an unrefined act, and it would be acceptable to make fun of him.

However, this strongly stimulated the nobles\' curiosity.

It was that amazing?

The food was produced by the best ingredients and cooked with the best cooking methods.

It was the same for Gryad.

The Archduke was wealthy enough to provide roses for everyone, and so the food he offered would certainly be interesting.

As all of the nobles in the room gathered around the buffet, they each reached out to eat.

Gryad had grabbed a dish that seemed to be a fried chicken leg. It was cut into bite-sized pieces and was skewered by silver needles. He placed it into his mouth.

He removed the needle and chewed.

"Amazing!"

He unconsciously shouted out.

He was not embarrassed. There were similar cries around him, and he even felt that it would be rude to remain silent and eat such delicious food.

With each bite of the soft meat, its rich juices squirted out on his tongue.

"Amazing!"

He cried out again.

Impossible. It was cold, how could this happen?

As he chewed, Gryad was attacked by a sense of shock, wondering just what was the food he had eaten until now.

As the nobles finished and were reaching out for their next piece, a knock came from the door, and it opened.

Returning to their senses, and feeling a tinge of shame of losing themselves in the food, they faced the door to see the butler who had guided them inside.

"Everyone, I apologise for the wait. The preparations for the party have been completed, and I humbly request that we make our way there."

The butler walked into the room and stopped before the large mirror.

"Now, please come inside."

For an instant, they wondered what he said. But they quickly understood what he meant. But what was there was a mirror, and certainly not a door.

However the butler\'s face was stoic, and he did not seem to be joking.

The confusion was cut down by a single man.

"I see. This is the Archduke\'s magic."

It was General Ray.

He walked towards the mirror but stopped before it. Reaching out with a hand, he touched the mirror, or so it seemed. In reality, what happened caused Gryad to doubt his eyes.

The arm that Ray stretched out seemed to be immersed in the mirror as if the surface was a lake.

"Then everyone, I shall enter first."

Ray entered the mirror.

"What is this…."

"Is this the Archduke\'s spell?"

"How…."

As noise filled the room, some nobles soon followed suit and entered the mirror. They were Ray\'s acquaintances or those who had personally interacted with the Archduke. Ray\'s presence was probably to act as a catalyst to get them to follow.

Thinking that he could perform the same role, Gryad began walking.

Arranging people in lines, Gryad walked through the mirror and saw a blinding flash of light.

It was as if it were a completely different world. His mouth unconsciously hung agape as he stared.

"A world of white silver…."

Yes. It was a world of crystal. The floors and walls were all cut from a bluish ice-like crystal. A chandelier of ice dangled from the ceiling, casting a surprisingly soft white light on the room. A red carpet spread out on top of the floor, supporting the weight of a table of ice, on top of which was a golden candle holder and an array of food that would put the outside buffet to shame…

Although made of ice, it was not cold. Despite it not being strange for them to be shivering from the freezing temperature surrounding them, their bodies did not feel a tinge of cold.

Altogether, it seemed like a world from a fairy tail.

Apart from the nobles who had just entered, there were also maids in the room.

All of them were owners of beauty that Gryad had rarely seen, inducing a shock that the Archduke had other beautiful maids that served him apart from the ones seen at the ball.

All of the nobles that entered behind Gryad all wore expressions of shock. Despite living in a world where the expression of emotions was frowned upon, no one poked fun at them.

Or rather, it was more of a familial feeling of "You too?"

(Of course, it is! What is this room! Can magic easily do such a thing!? Are those maids created from magic as well!?)

Screaming in his heart, Gryad took a glass that was offered to him on a silver tray. The liquid inside was a clear blue, and it gave off the faint scent of alcohol.

Should he drink it or not?

Gryad was at a loss.

He was not worried about poison or the alcohol content. What he was worried about was that drinking this would cause all of the experiences and judgements he had accumulated over the years to come crumbling down.

Hesitation. The other nobles who were pondering over their drink entered his sight.

The sense of curiosity of tasting something he had never seen before was strongly itching at him. And the sight of the nobles already on their next glass caused him to panic over the quantity of the remaining stock.

Mouthful after mouthful, Gryad soon found his glass empty.

"So good…."

With a deep sigh, Gryad looked up at the ceiling.

The alcohol concentration was quite low, but there was an exquisite taste that spread out in his mouth.

"For such delicious wine to exist in this world…. My life up till now has been nothing …"

As Gryad reflected on his life, the butler soon passed back out the mirror and spoke.

"Everyone, apologies for the wait. Now, my master, Archduke Ainz Ooal Gown, and the Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix will enter."

At those words, Gryad recalled that the host of the party, the Archduke, was nowhere to be seen.

While chiding himself for not noticing this, he also comforted himself in the knowledge that his reaction was normal after being shown such a room. And then the wine.

Of course, if the Archduke was present, he would certainly have been the first thing he noticed. After all, the Archduke\'s clothes were all of high quality, worthy of subservience.

Everyone turned their gazes to the mirror, but their expectations were betrayed. Space began to warp in the centre of the room. As it returned to normal, two figures appeared in its place.

One of them was a familiar sight. He was a young noble dressed in beautiful clothes. He was the Emperor, Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix.

And the other figure wore the mask Gryad saw at the ball but was dressed in a different set of gorgeous clothes. It was the Archduke, Ainz Ooal Gown.

The Archduke bowed. It was graceful yet poignant, impossible to achieve without hundreds of practice sessions.

"Everyone, I am truly grateful for attending my small party. It is nothing much, but I hope that you can enjoy this."

All the nobles – including Gryad – made wry smiles. How was this "nothing much" If this was "nothing much", then the parties the Imperial nobles had held up till now were nothing more than a cheer between commoners in a bar.

As Gryad and the other nobles were thinking this, the Archduke continued speaking.

"I did not have time for a nice chat with everyone during the ball. Today, I hope for the chance to rectify this."

I see.

Gryad discovered the true aim of this party, and it had caused his evaluation of the Archduke to fall.

Having a nice chat, or in the language of the nobles a dialogue, in itself had meaning. Basically, this was an opportunity to discover the Archduke\'s goals.

Gryad himself would not do this. Should the Archduke speak with someone, it would be showing off his cards, which was a terrible strategy. And the noble speaking with him would be troubled to make deep conversation. Basically, it would result in nothing.

If he truly wished for that, there were already several chances for secret dialogues, and there was no need for this party.

Even if he added in bluffs and lies, all the faction leaders present were all confidence in their ability to discern the truth.

Gryad secretly chuckled.

(Are you thinking that you can hide yourself from me, Archduke? Then you are underestimating me. Certainly, you are rich and powerful, befitting of the most powerful noble of the Empire. My wealth and power do not hold a candle to yours. However, I am the leader of a faction, and even if you hide your face with a mask, I will see through it and read the emotions on the face below.)

Steeling his heart, Gryad noticed something. Jircniv\'s expression. Jircniv was making a slightly – although anyone who was looking at him could tell – reluctant face. What could cause a man like Jircniv to make such a face? Gryad had no clue. However, the reason soon became evident.

"I trust everyone here, and so I would like to show everyone my true face."

At that, the Archduke removed his mask— As ripples of surprise spread out through the nobles, they nodded.

The face underneath the mask was not human and was instead that of a terrifying undead. Thinking about it, it might be an illusion caused by magic, but he instantly understood a fact.

I see.

It\'s natural for someone like this to accrue such wealth.

Gryad\'s heart felt no fear. The reason for this was the Archduke\'s actions up till now.

Certainly, his body quivered at his true face. Since he was young, the priests had taught that undead were creatures that hated the living. However, as the Archduke has shown the poise required of a noble, this fear was assuaged, and the capacity to wonder just how to convince that power to benefit his faction, and him.

Gryad smiled. It was empty, devoid of hope.

(I see…. The Archduke…. Rich and powerful…. A monster…. Well it cannot be helped that humans cannot touch him….)

How arrogant he was to consider the Archduke his enemy.

Gryad had completely waved the white flag.

However, as the leader of a faction, he could not wallow in defeat. Gryad forced a smile and walked towards the Archduke—

************************************************

Maruyama:

This is the end of the ball arc.

Did everyone notice how hard I practised to express the characters\' realisation of "Ainz\'s awesomeness"? And the Empire arc was the best and so I want to make this one a serious joke of sorts. Did you all enjoy it?

Let us next meet in "Evil God". I expect to get it out during the new year? Now so long and farewell.

And the editing of the 2nd Book "The Dark Warrior" has been completed, and will be in bookstores this month (30th November)! Probably!

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