The Terror of Option

"Kuwaaaaaaah—!"

With a furious roar, Shalltear shoved away the obstacles in her path, and advanced to the place from which the wind blew.

She found a hole behind the boxes, which had been blocked up by sandstone less than a meter ahead. The fresh air flowed in from a gap in the rock.

"An escaaaaaaaaape tunneeeeeellllll—!?"

The Lesser Vampire had not been lying — he did not know there was an escape passage here.

A problem one often ran into with the use of magical charms was that one could only learn what the subject already knew. The target could not give answers which they did not have, and if they believed a falsehood to be the truth, then the questioner would only learn the falsehood.

Unlike Mare, Shalltear did not have any magic to move the earth, If she tried to clear it with a shockwave, it might drop the entire ceiling on them.

He had escaped.

Those words floated to the fore within her bloodsoaked thoughts. To some extent, Shalltear understood that she had failed in her part of the mission.

Shalltear snarled in anger.

Why was this pitiful insect of a human being not moving in accordance to the wishes of Shalltear, a Guardian of Nazarick?

All I want is to turn your unnecessary lives into a feeble contribution to the glory of Nazarick; why don't you understand and rejoice in that fact?

Shalltear ground her teeth, and then the Vampire Bride who had been assigned to lookout duty called out from behind her.

"—Shalltear-sama!"

The fact that one of her Vampire Brides had left her post incensed Shalltear, and her vision turned red as she briefly entertained the idea of killing her. In the end, she managed to bank the flames of her wrath with great effort. If she had left her position for an important matter, then she should be spared.

"Whaaaaaaat — is iiiiiiiiiiit?"

"Several people are headed this way."

"Hm~ Leftover survivoooooooors~? Theeeeeeen~ let's go out and meet theeeeeeeeeem—! Ahahaha, hahaha, hahahahaha!"

-x-X-x-

Shalltear leapt up and, like a little bird flitting through the night, she hopped over the log barricade at the cave entrance. The Vampire Brides which accompanied her slowly advanced forward.

Shalltear looked on her targets with a smile.

They were a disciplined, well-trained party.

The frontliners comprised three male warriors, each equipped with different gear, but all of them had on a hauberk of scale armor, with a weapon in hand and a large shield on their backs.

Behind them was a red-haired female warrior in banded armor.

There was a lightly-dressed man holding a staff in the rear. He was probably an arcane magic caster. Beside him was a divine magic caster who wore a cleric's robe over his armor and had a holy symbol shaped like a flame around his neck.

There were six of them in total, and although they were surprised at the sight of Shalltear as she emerged from the cave, they calmly went on alert, a movement born of accumulated experience.

"That's gooooooood~"

Although it was not bad to slaughter weak humans, who had the consistency of tofu, more resilient opponents like this were more interesting.

WIth a look of anticipation in her crimson eyes, Shalltear directed a predatory grin at the people before them.

"Speak!"

Shock appeared on the face of the arcane magic caster, but only for a moment, and then his expression hardened.

"Enemy: probable Vampire! Only silver or magic weapons effective! Unbeatable opponent! Fighting withdrawal! Don't look at her eyes!"

—A cry rang forth, easily audible by anyone in this depression.

The shouted commands had been pared down to the bare minimum, and everyone swiftly reacted to them. The warrior at the lead unlimbered his large shield and took a defensive stance. He averted his eyes, looking instead at Shalltear's chest and belly.

During this time, the female warrior behind them had taken up the weapon passed to her by the warrior in front and began applying something to it.

An unpleasant odor wafted into Shalltear's nose.

It was alchemical silver.

This was a sticky salve made by alchemists. The magical substance spread across the weapon when applied, coating it in a thin membrane and making it function as though it were made of silver.

Weapons made of silver were not only more expensive than regular weapons, but they were softer than steel and not suitable for long-term use. Therefore, many adventurers purchased salves like this and applied them to their weapons when the need arose, allowing them to temporarily take on the properties of silver.

Wielding weapons which now radiated a silver gleam, the group moved to corral their foe as they fell back.

Their fighting withdrawal was an impressive display. The party seemed to be like a single organism as they fell back in an orderly manner.

"My Lord, O God of Fire—"

"Enough with the useless stuff, hurry up and cast a defensive spell!"

The arcane magic caster restrained the cleric — who was planning to raise his holy symbol — and then began casting a spell on the frontliners. The cleric followed suit.

Although the exact composition varied between jobs, most clerics could use divine power to turn, rebuke or destroy creatures such as undead, demons, angels, and the like. However, these abilities only worked on monsters weaker than themselves. In other words, the arcane magic caster had seen the cleric preparing to turn undead with divine might, instantly divined the difference in strength between their foes and themselves, and then instructed him to do something else with his power.

As she watched this series of actions, Shalltear eyed the leader of the party, intending to capture him in accordance with her orders. However, the murderous impulse to spill more blood slowly dyed her heart a crimson red.

She wanted to slaughter them, pulverize them, dismember them, and bathe in their blood. Her breathing grew ragged and she began foaming at the mouth.

"「Anti-Evil Protection」."

"「Lesser Mind Protection」."

The two magic casters laid their spells upon the frontline warriors.

A vague hunt of respect bloomed in Shalltear's overexcited mind. Although these spells were of the lowest tier — the first tier, in fact — they were still the most suitable magic for the current situation. They were unlike the sellswords who had lashed out thoughtlessly, or that stupid warrior who had come out by himself without even knowing martial arts.

Still — no matter how hard they struggled, meaningless actions were still meaningless. Against a foe who was so overwhelmingly superior to them, nothing they did could possibly mean anything.

Their adorable show of resistance was the last straw that broke the back of Shalltear's wavering self-control.

"I can't... I can't take itttttttttt— I can't hold back any moooore~!"

With a cry like she had torn free of her bindings, Shalltear stepped forward.

Her steps were light and easy, like a dancer's. However, to the people before her, she moved faster than the wind.

She thrust out a spear hand.

It pierced her victim's shield, shattered his armor, ignored his magical protections, ripped straight through his skin, muscle, and bone, and closed around the heart which had been beating just a moment ago. And then — she tore it out. As she stood over the body of the collapsed warrior, Shalltear held up the reddish-black mass of tissue — deformed in her grip — before the others. The female warrior whimpered in fear, while the priest's face twisted in anger.

Shalltear had expected these reactions. Satisfaction filled her as she watched them, and with a revolting smile, she cast a spell.

"「Animate Dead」."

The warrior who had lost his heart slowly stood back up, now transformed into a Zombie, the lowest tier of undead. Yet, she was not finished.

Shalltear gulped down the heart she was holding, and then reached into the orb of blood floating above her. What she brought back down was a pulsing lump of gore — a caricature of a heart. She then tossed the lump into the Zombie.

The blood-lump writhed like a maggot, then distorted itself as it flowed into the Zombie's body. In an instant, the Zombie shuddered, its body spasming several times before its exterior slowly changed.

It seemed as though all the water had evaporated from its body, given how its skin had turned into something which resembled dried bark. It sprouted sharp claws and its canines jutted out. Before long, the undead creature before them could no longer be considered a Zombie.

As they watched the birth of a Lesser Vampire, the adventurers exclaimed in shock.

"Impossible! I've never heard of a Vampire which could use such high tier magic without cost!"

"You're looking at one right now, so don't panic! Calm down and think!"

"But...!"

"—Retreat's going to be hard! Attack!"

"Oh!"

The cleric panicked. Perhaps the others had been influenced by that, but one of the warriors swung at Shalltear. The other attacked his former comrade, who was now a Lesser Vampire.

"My Lord, O God of Fire, repel the unclean!"

The cleric held up his holy symbol, which emitted a burst of divine power. Of course, it had no effect on Shalltear.

"Ahhhhahahahahaahaha!"

The sword of one of the warriors bit into the body of the Lesser Vampire, which had been immobilized, possibly by the cleric's divine power. This was a half-baked Lesser Vampire which had been made from a Zombie, which was why the divine power was actually effective, but the knowledge that the Zombie she had made had lost to divine power displeased Shalltear.

She flicked her little finger, parrying the sword pointed at her, and then glared annoyedly at the cleric who stood in the back line.

"Geeeeet looooooosst—!"

She casually swiped her right hand, but this careless blow was enough to behead the sword-wielding warrior, sending him to the ground in a spray of blood.

"「Lesser Strength」."

That buff spell was cast on the final warrior, who was now fighting a slowed down Lesser Vampire with his own enhanced body. The warrior had the upper hand, and pressed his advantage.

Since they seemed to be having fun, Shalltear decided to leave them be. After all, there was still prey remaining. Her mind clouded with bloodlust, Shalltear turned to the cleric before her.

The female warrior stepped forward, putting herself into the line of fire, though she only wielded an ordinary steel weapon.

How adorable, she's still taking a stance with a sword despite her fear — though that was ultimately the pitiful resistance of a small animal. A wave of heat and delight grew in Shalltear's lower abdomen.

What sounds would she make when she chewed off her fingertips? Maybe she could cut off her ears and feed them to her. No, she should drink her blood first. After all, she was the first female prey she had encountered since she had come to the outside.

"You'll be my desseeeeeeeeerrrrrtttttt~" Shalltear bellowed from her gaping maw as she leapt over the woman.

Easily leaping over the female warrior, Shalltear landed before the arcane magic caster and the cleric.

Before the cleric could react, Shalltear already had the hand holding his holy symbol in her grasp, and she squeezed. The cleric's bones disintegrated under that irresistible force, and shreds of muscle and skin squirted from the gaps between Shalltear's fingers.

"Guwaaaaaargh—!"

After hearing the cleric's cries, Shalltear was quite pleased with herself, and decided to grant him mercy and end his torment.

With a wave of her hand, the blood spurting from the stump of the cleric's neck flowed into the orb of blood above Shalltear's head. She nodded in delight.

At this point, somebody thrust a sword into Shalltear's back with all their strength. However, attacks like that were completely ineffective against her. Shalltear stood firm like a great tree, though she found the swordpoint protruding from her chest a minor inconvenience.

"No way... it's not working!? Isn't this a silver weapon!?"

The sword had pierced her chest — and her heart, as it turned out — but Shalltear's nonchalance drew a garbled scream from the female warrior.

Since the female warrior did not have a silver weapon, she must have taken it from the body of the slain warrior.

The arcane magic caster was correct, but he was not entirely right. In order to harm Shalltear, one needed a weapon made of silver and possessing sufficient mana, or a weapon with a powerful elemental enchantment. Simply being made of silver was not enough.

Shalltear paid the female warrior behind her no heed, and looked at the shocked arcane magic caster.

"「Magic Arrow」!"

In desperation, the magic caster cast a spell, sending two arrows of light streaking at Shalltear. However, they were easily resisted.

This was the result of one of Shalltear's special abilities — spell resistance. It was not a perfect defense, and depended on the attacker's own strength. However, given the precipitous gap between their power levels, she could easily resist spells from him.

In other words, there was nothing the arcane magic caster could do to Shalltear.

"Sooooooo~ booooooooooor~ iiiiiiiiiiing~!"

With a casual wave of her hand, Shalltear relieved the person who no longer interested her of his head.

Looking back, she saw that the Lesser Vampire was still struggling with the other warrior.

Shalltear picked up the two fallen heads on the ground and tossed them at the two combatants. The heads — massing about six kilograms each — flew forth with supernatural speed. Then, as expected, both sides collapsed to the ground.

While Shalltear was not paying attention, the dessert (the female warrior) flailed wildly at Shalltear's body with her sword.

Still, what good did that do?

It did not hurt or even bother Shalltear, and it was a meaningless gesture. The only effect it had was opening up holes in her clothes, but as long as Shalltear herself was fine, the magic clothing would automatically restore itself.

"Now theeeeeen~ desseeeeeerrrrrtttttt~! Let's eeeeeeaaaaatttt~!"

Shalltear sounded like a child leaving their favorite food for the last — however, she had a nauseating, wicked smile on her face as she turned to face the female warrior who was hacking away at her back.

As the female warrior met Shalltear's crimson gaze, the female warrior realised that she was the sole survivor, and stumbled back, eyes glistening with tears. She scrabbled at her waist pouch, fishing around inside for something.

Shalltear leisurely savored the blood-dimmed world before her. She seemed curious about what the woman was doing.

Soon, the female warrior pulled out a bottle and threw it.

Shalltear narrowed her eyes at the bottle tumbling through the air, and smiled coldly.

Although the female warrior had hurled it with all her strength, the speed at which the bottle travelled seemed almost unbearably slow to Shalltear. She could have easily dodged it, but her pride as one of the strong did not allow her to avoid it. In addition, she wanted to see the look on the woman's face when her final trump card crumbled before her eyes.

The urge to slaughter grew and grew.

However, Shalltear tamped it down. After all, the more she controlled herself, the sweeter her delight would be when she finally indulged herself.

Shalltear watched the bottle flying at herself, and idly contemplated it.

It was probably holy water, or some sort of firebomb. She refused to give up despite knowing her struggles did not matter, and continued her pitiful resistance. Perhaps she should start by making her suffer until she prayed for death before slowly tasting her blood. If she was a virgin, she would drain her dry, but if not there were all sorts of lovely games they could play together, as long as she minimized the amount of blood lost.

Having made her decision, Shalltear swatted aside the flying bottle. The force of swiping at the bottle caused the crimson fluid within it to spill from the bottle's mouth and splash on Shalltear's skin.

And then — there was a faint stinging pain.

The insides of Shalltear's mind went white for a moment, and her bloodlust was instantly extinguished.

She looked at the place from which the pain had come, which was the hand which had batted the bottle aside. An acrid odor and a wisp of smoke boiled up from the place where the liquid had touched her.

Shalltear turned to look at the fallen bottle. Its mouth was open, and a faint, sweet scent came from it. Shalltear was very familiar with that container.

It was a potion bottle of the kind commonly used in the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

The liquid within should have been a low tier healing potion. Since healing items could damage the undead, it was probably why Shalltear's skin had been slightly dissolved.

"Impossible!"

Her roar shook the very air.

"Capture that woman unharmed!"

Upon hearing Shalltear's command, the Vampire Brides — who had only been watching from the sidelines up till now — sprang into action. In an instant, they had seized the arms of the female warrior while she attempted to flee during Shalltear's brief stupor.

The female warrior struggled valiantly, but the Vampire Brides' strength far outmatched hers, and they dragged her before Shalltear.

"Look into my eyes!"

Shalltear seized the female warrior's chin and forced her to look into her mystic eyes. Of course, she was very careful to control the amount of force that she used. It would be quite troublesome if she ended up wrenching the woman's jaw off because she used too much strength.

This was because Shalltear could not use regular healing spells, despite being a divine magic caster.

A thin film seemed to cover the eyes of the female warrior as she was forced to meet Shalltear's enchanted gaze. The look of fear and hostility on her face soon became one of friendliness. This was the charming effect of the 「Mystic Eyes of Charm」 skill, and Shalltear ordered the female warrior released once she felt it had taken full effect.

There were many questions she wanted to ask, However, one burned ahead of all the others.

Shalltear picked up the fallen bottle and held it before the female warrior's face.

"Tell me about this potion! Who did you get it from!?"

"A man in black armor gave it to me at the inn."

What about it? The female warrior's answer seemed to leave that unsaid, and Shalltear's body seemed to freeze over.

"...No way... no, this can't be... but... where... in which city is this inn?"

"It was an inn located in E-Rantel."

Shalltear gasped in shock as she felt the world spin. This was because she had a rough idea of who the black-armored man actually was.

If her guess was correct, that only raised more questions. Why did this woman have this potion? That person would not give out potions for no reason.

"Could it be..."

Had that person given the female warrior an order? Or perhaps he had given it to her in order to strengthen their good relations?

Shalltear recalled the dashing image of Ainz Ooal Gown, the absolute ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. The unease she felt at possibly having ruined one of her master's plans filled her with limitless frustration.

"Why did you come here? What was your objective?"

She was no longer in the mood to dance around the topic. She had to find out as much as possible, and so she stared at the female warrior with eyes that were now bloodshot for a completely different reason.

"Yes. Our job is to protect the city, so we came to investigate when we heard there was a bandits' nest nearby. In the end, we found something strange, so we split up our team. Our party was responsible for a reconnaissance in force, which brought us here."

"You split your team?"

"Yes. We didn't know how many bandits were present, so we decided to split up and draw the enemy into a trapped area the other party was setting up."

"So there's another team," Shalltear muttered. She clicked her tongue as she realised that this meant more trouble for her.

"Then, how many of you came here?"

"There were seven people including me, and then—"

"Hm? Wait, seven people? Not six?"

Shalltear counted the corpses around them. Three warriors, one mage, one cleric — and this woman. The numbers did not add up.

The female warrior's answer to Shalltear's doubt-filled gaze was direct and to the point:

"Yes, there was also a ranger. He said that he would hurry back to E-Rantel for help if an emergency occurred."

"Say what...?"

The arcane magic caster's voice had been very loud — loud enough that everyone in the depression could hear him.

"Kuh!"

Eyes wide open, Shalltear charged up the sides of the lowlands, faster than the wind. She leapt over the edge and looked around, but even her darkvision-capable eyes could not penetrate the depths of the forest, and though she listened carefully, she could only hear the wind blowing on the grass and trees.

Shalltear did not possess any detection abilities or divination magic. Under these circumstances, finding a single person in the entire forest would probably be impossible.

"Son of a bitch!" she cursed.

He had escaped; she had been too careless. Shalltear ground her teeth as she realized that she had let two of her prey slip away.

"Familiars!"

Several shadows wavered into existence near Shalltear's feet. The shapes of several wolves appeared, but unlike regular wolves, their fur was black as night, and their eyes radiated a malevolent crimson glow.

They were level seven monsters, Vampire Wolves.

One of the skills Shalltear possessed was called 「Household Summons」, which allowed her to call forth various monsters. However, these were the ones best suited to tracking and pursuit.

"Hunt down and kill everyone in the forest!"

Upon hearing the shouted order, the ten Vampire Wolves surged into the woods as one.

As she watched the Vampire Wolves leave, Shalltear felt that there was very little chance that they could eliminate the opposition. She thought of Aura, and mused that even if he was not as talented as her, the opponent was still a ranger, and ought to know how to evade pursuit.

In other words, he would probably escape. If that was the case, what should she do next? Shalltear hurriedly returned and seized the female warrior before asking:

"Did anyone else receive a potion or other items from the man in black armor?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Really now! Then, next question, will that ranger link up with the other party?"

"No. Our plan was that if either of the parties was in danger of being wiped out, he would abandon the other one and return to the city. That choice had the highest chance of keeping us alive."

They had made meticulous preparations in case they failed, and it was this careful planning which had left her powerless to respond. As Shalltear realized this, anger burned within her.

"How dare you miserable humans come up with so many tricky ideas — if I earn the right to rule you, I'll treat you like the worms that you are!"

Still, even venting her spleen would not change the present circumstances.

The opposition would bring news that there was a Vampire here back to the city.

Although Shalltear did not know if the opposition had clearly seen her face, human eyesight would probably not be able to discern the identity of Shalltear in the depression.

Even so—

"Shit!"

Shalltear cursed again, and then continued to think.

The orders Ainz had given her were—

Your prey this time are criminals and other undesirables whose absence will not be missed.

For instance, if you encounter anyone among the bandits who can use magic or martial arts, you are to capture them at all costs, even if you have to drain them dry and make them your slaves. You are also to capture anyone who knows about this world and who is skilled in combat. However, do not make waves; if people know Nazarick is making a move, it might cause a lot of trouble for us.

—And that was it.

That being the case, she had already violated many aspects of those orders.

Shalltear struggled to resist the impulse to scratch at her head.

"It's still okay, it's still okay, it's still okay."

She seemed to be trying to persuade herself.

Perhaps the other side would bring the news of a Vampire back, but her name and the involvement of Nazarick would not be exposed.

In other words, she had not left any clues which would link the Vampire attack here to Nazarick. If the people in the city thought about it, they would only conclude that the sellswords here had been slaughtered by a wild Vampire — if one existed in the area.

There were inconsistencies everywhere, but the opposition would not be able to find them without gathering more information.

Shalltear continued thinking.

The question now was what to do with this woman under the current conditions.

Though she was currently charmed, this woman had not completely lost her memory. The quickest way would be to kill her, but that posed problems of its own; namely, why Shalltear's master had given this woman that potion.

If her master had given her the potion for some reason or purpose, then killing this woman would obstruct her master's goals, which would be very bad.

If she let her go, her employers would definitely ask why she was the only one who had survived. In addition, she knew a lot — in particular, Shalltear's appearance. While that was not a problem now, nobody could tell how that situation might develop in the future.

The best way would be to contact her master, but Shalltear could not use the 「Message」 spell.

Then what should she do—

"Ahhhh— Ainz-sama is going to scold me..."

Shalltear muttered so softly that nobody could hear, grabbing her head in agonized thought.

"If only I didn't have this 「Blood Frenzy」... no, saying that would be disrespectful to my creator, Peroroncino-sama. If only I could control this 「Blood Frenzy」..."

It was too late for any regrets, and no matter how she dealt with this woman, it seemed a scolding would be inevitable. The question now was how to minimize the damage which had been done.

"Worse" was still better than the "worst."

Shalltear thought and thought, until it seemed smoke would start to come out of her ears, before coming to a conclusion.

Rather than killing her, letting her live gave her more options. She could not take back the fact that she had killed her, but sparing her allowed room for the situation to play out.

That was what Shalltear had decided. Or rather, this was how desperately she was trying to delude herself.

"What is your name?"

"Britta."

"Got it... I'll remember it!"

Shalltear ordered the girl called Britta to stay where she was, then brought her two Vampire Bride servants some distance away:

"In any case, let's recover everything here and then retreat right away."

She had her doubts about whether there would be time for that. However, she still had to take a chance and hope that the opposition would think that wealth had been her objective. Though she had failed in her mission, she still had to make plans to spread false information.

"Shalltear-sama, what should we do with the women?"

As she heard the question, Shalltear looked to Britta in the distance.

"Leave her be."

"No, I was referring to the other women."

"—What? What other women?"

"Yes, Shalltear-sama. I searched the interior to root out any fish who slipped our net, and I found several women who seem to have been used to satisfy the men's lusts. What should we do with them?"

Shalltear's face froze.

What was this all about?

Shalltear turned back to look.

If her face had not been seen, she could leave them and be done with it. However, she did not know if that was the right choice. She should probably kill them all as well. No, if she did that, it would be quite unnatural for Britta to be the sole survivor.

Shalltear was frustrated that she could not come to a conclusion which benefited her.

"What should we do—"

"Hah!? I don't know!"

The look on Shalltear's face seemed to say, Why the hell are you lot telling me all of this? As long as I don't know, I can claim ignorance, but if I know and deliberately ignore it, I'll be betraying my master.

"Whatever! I don't know! Leave them be, dump them here! Throw Britta in with those women!"

"Will that be all right?"

"How the hell should I know, dammit, shut the hell up!"

"My apologies, Shalltear-sama."

"We're leaving, get ready!"

The Vampire Brides bowed and began moving. Shalltear grabbed her head and slowly crouched down.

"...I'm going to be scolded for sure... what should I do... however... hm?"

Shalltear raised her head, looking toward the part of the forest where the Vampire Wolves had gone.

"...Did they find him?"

Shalltear sensed the disappearance of her familiars. It was not the disappearance of magical banishment, but the discorporation of being killed.

"Follow me after you take care of that woman! Get the marker ready!"

Having made a decision, Shalltear paused only to snap off a terse command before sprinting out at lightning speeds.

Although she was forced to slow down in the forest, as long as her targets were human beings, they could not escape from Shalltear's clutches, even when mounted.

She burst from the forest, to the last known position of her familiars.

There were twelve people before her.

Each person was attired in a full panoply of equipment which varied between each of them.

Their gear was not simple and functional, but as decorative and unique as Shalltear's own equipment. They looked quite potent at a glance. Of course, Shalltear did not have any skills to discern the power of magic items, so she had to go by her gut, but she felt that their magic items might be of legendary class or above.

Doubts appeared in Shalltear's head, given that she had no idea where these people hailed from. These twelve people seemed completely different from the others that Shalltear had seen in this world. It was the difference between a lion and a mouse.

Shalltear considered the twelve men and women, and her gaze finally rested on one of them, a man.

That man... is he strong?

Shalltear was surprised and had no levels in dedicated warrior classes, so her assessment of her opposition's strength told her that he was not only stronger than the Vampire Brides she had brought along, but stronger still than Solution, the Pleiades battle maid.

Shalltear took a closer look at the man.

The gear he wore seemed to have been designed for use by a man, which was why she had pegged him as a male, but he seemed quite androgynous in appearance.

She did not know if he was male or female, since he resembled both a man or a woman, yet did not look like either. He was not very tall, and seemed quite youthful. Perhaps he was still growing, which only made it harder to tell.

His hair was black and long, almost reaching the ground, while his keen eyes had red pupils which regarded Shalltear with caution. He carried a plain-looking spear which seemed incongruous with the rest of his equipment.

"—Use it."

The man issued a clear, crisp command — like the surface of a frozen lake — and panic broke out in the rest of the party. Shalltear had no idea what those words meant. However, she imagined that whatever was being used was powerful, possibly enough to rival Shalltear's sole divine class item.

The others sprang into action in response to the command, but Shalltear paid them no heed. There was only one person who stood out in her reckoning; the others did not seem like much of a threat.

The group's formation was centered around a woman in a strange dress.

It had a high-necked collar, with two long slits on either sides, so it was probably some sort of ladies' full length dress. It was silver in color, with a five-clawed dragon picked out in gold thread along its surface.

In Ainz's world, this sort of dress would be called a qipao.

However, the woman wearing it was very old, her face was full of wrinkles, and her exposed legs looked like burdocks or dried potatoes. That dress was thoroughly unsuitable for her and frankly speaking, it made onlookers frown. Shalltear even went so far as to avert her eyes.

-x-X-x-

However, this was the last link in a long chain of accidents and coincidences.

If even a tiny little detail had occurred differently, things might have turned out some other way.

If Ainz had not captured Nigun, if Ainz had not counterattacked the Theocracy's divination spells so fiercely, if the Theocracy had not mistaken this for the revival of the Catastrophe Dragon Lord, if Shalltear had not been distracted — perhaps events would have unfolded differently. However, the sum of all these possibilities might have instead been phrased as an inevitability.

That qipao was called 「Downfall of Castle and Country」 (Kei Seke Kouku). This was a sacred treasure left behind by the gods who saved all humanity, and its power exceeded that of anything which Shalltear carried.

(TL Note: 倾城倾国: this is the item Nigun mentioned as "Kei Seke Kouku" in Vol. 1)

-x-X-x-

—Shalltear shivered.

This was the first time which Shalltear — as a Guardian, one of the highest-ranking entities in the Great Tomb of Nazarick — had ever shivered. It was a subtle observation, or one could call it a warning from a sixth sense.

Shalltear's eyes turned, intending to seize the old lady her instincts were warning her about.

That human had to die at all costs.

The spear-wielding man rushed at her just as she realized this and was about to make her move.

"Get lost!"

Shalltear batted him aside with all her might. However, when subjected to a strike that would pulverize a weak human being, the man was simply knocked back and did not perish on the spot. In addition, his will to fight was still intact despite being blown away.

Shalltear cast a spell, centered on the old lady.

"「Mass Hold Species」!"

She wanted to capture several people. This was because she had a premonition that capturing these people would not only make up for her previous errors, but earn her praise.

As she thought that, Shalltear's mind suddenly turned white.

It felt as though part of her thought processes were gone, because she could not comprehend what was happening. And then, when she realised what had happened, Shalltear was shaken to the core, fear filling her undead heart.

This was mind control.

As an undead being, she should have had complete immunity to mind-controlling items, yet her will was still being dominated. She desperately tried to engrave hatred and anger on her gradually-whitening consciousness, and as her mind pondered countless variations of the worst-case scenario—

"Giiiiiiiiih—!"

—She wailed, weeping tears of blood as she struggled to fight back against the dominating force which was corrupting her, a Guardian of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

However, despite Shalltear's frantic resistance, her will was steadily bleached away. Nor could she use teleportation magic. This was because her mind would be completely overshadowed if she allowed herself to be distracted by such matters.

Shalltear used a class skill to create a 「Purifying Javelin」. It was a gigantic lance of the holy element, and despite her own evil alignment, it could still cause massive damage to her foes. The most important thing was that she could spend MP to imbue it with perfect accuracy and tracking ability.

As she marshalled her utmost opposition, Shalltear glared at the user of the technique, the old lady who was planning to defile her. She did not take the man who held the large, mirror-like shield standing between her and the old lady into consideration.

And then — she threw.

With the part of her mind that was still conscious and aware, she hurled the lance which she held.

As her mind went white, she used that skill of hers to the full extent of its power, striking an augmented blow.

The strike flashed by in a streak of light and struck the old lady after penetrating the body of the man in front of her and the shield he was holding.

The last thing Shalltear saw was the panicked group and the two of them coughing up blood in agony.

-x-X-x-

-x-X-x-

Intermission

This was the Royal Capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom.

In its heart, surrounded by a keep made from over twenty vast circular towers joined by curtain walls was the Royal Castle Ro-Lente. Within its depths lay the Valencia Palace.

There was a room within the Palace that was more functional than decorative. Many nobles were gathered there.

The form of the Kingdom's Warrior-Captain, Gazef Stronoff, was visible in their midst. He was currently genuflecting before the master to whom he had sworn his life, the man who sat on the throne, King Ranpossa III.

He seems to have gotten older.

That was the impression the King gave him when he compared the man now to how he had been half a month ago, when he had set out.

His beloved liege's pale hair was a mess, his skinny body could not be described as healthy by any stretch of the word, and his complexion was similarly poor. The hand which grasped his scepter was as slender as a dried branch, and the crown he wore seemed to hang heavily on his head.

He had reigned for thirty nine years, and he was now sixty years old. He should have handed the throne to an appropriate successor, but the problem was that he had no such successor

It was not because there was a lack of princes to inherit the throne. On the contrary, there were two princes, but both of them were far from ideal. If he gave them the throne, they would become puppets dancing on the strings of the Great Nobles.

The old man spoke weakly:

"Warrior-Captain, I am glad that you have returned safely."

"Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Those sympathetic words drew a deep bow from Gazef as he responded.

"Umu. I have received some reports, but I would like to hear what happened from your own mouth, Warrior-Captain."

"Understood."

Gazef described in detail the events of what had happened after he left the Royal Capital and reached Carne Village. He paid particular attention to the mysterious magic caster known as Ainz Ooal Gown, but he did not mention his suspicions of the Slaine Theocracy's involvement. This was because Gazef felt it would be best if less people knew about the matter, and so it was inadvisable to speak about it in this place.

And so, Gazef talked and talked. He narrated a heroic tale of a man who stepped in to right a wrong in his way, who plunged fearlessly into danger to rescue the villagers, with no regard to the cost to himself.

"Is that so? That certainly is a glowing review of him. To think, he would go into danger to save the weak..."

Several nobles exchanged patronizing gossip about Ainz Ooal Gown as the King muttered those words of praise.

A problematic individual.

A deviant who did not dare reveal his face to the world.

A magic caster with a strange name.

In the end, they even brought up the idea that he might have staged the attack in order to advertise himself.

Gazef strove to keep his anger from showing on his face. He felt profoundly useless for being unable to defend his savior from their words.

There was a reason for that, of course. That was because the nobles mocking Ainz had one thing in common — they were from one of the big factions in the Kingdom; that of the Great Nobles.

Thirty percent of the Re-Estize Kingdom was directly ruled by the King, while the Great Nobles controlled another thirty percent. The remaining forty percent was a feudal domain which belonged to the other nobles. In addition, the Kingdom's leadership was divided into two factions, which struggled for power all day and night.

On one hand was the Royal faction, while on the other was the Noble faction, which was composed of more than half of the Kingdom's Six Great Nobles. Though they were currently before the King, this was merely an extension of the battlefield where both sides did battle.

Because of that, Gazef — being of the Royal faction, and thus the King's trusted servant — was unwilling to interject casually. He knew that his own clumsy phrasings could not possibly defeat those nobles, so he had to instead minimize his own chances of misspeaking.

...The Slaine Theocracy's secret forces knew how we were moving and showed up at the right time... that means there's a high chance of a spy within the Kingdom. That being the case, it might be one of the Noble faction's people...

Gazef's gaze turned to one of the nobles, who had an exceptionally cold look in his eyes.

His blond hair was tied back, and he had a pair of narrow, blue eyes.

His skin was the same wan color unique to those who avoided the sun. He projected the image of a venomous snake that was only reinforced by his slim build.

He should have been less than forty years old, but his unhealthy complexion made him seem older than that.

His name was Marquis Raeven, one of the Six Great Nobles. He flitted between both factions like a bat for his own gain, and he was one of those who backed the King's second son.

If there was a traitor to the King, it should be him, right?

Sensing Gazef's eyes upon him, Marquis Raeven quirked up the edge of his already-thin lips. Gazef stiffened up even further in response to this provocation.

"Then let us conclude your report here, Warrior-Captain. There are other important matters to decide."

Those tired words from the King briefly silenced the chatter from the clustered nobles. Gazef returned to the King's side and surveyed the nobles. As a man with the King's trust, he was already used to their displeased glares.

"Then, if tradition holds, we ought to be going to war with the Empire in several month's time. Let us discuss how we will address this matter. Marquis Raeven, explain to everyone."

"Understood, your Majesty."

The ghost-like man walked silently before them, and began speaking in a low voice.

Nobody interrupted him. Not only did he have influence in each faction, but he was also the most powerful of the Six Great Nobles. Nobody would dare make an enemy of him.

Marquis Raeven outlined his plans for the future, describing how many men under arms he would require of each noble, all without meeting any opposition. When he was finished, he smiled haughtily and bowed to the King:

"—And that is all."

"Thank you, Marquis Raeven. Does anyone have any objections?"

The court became a sea of commotion once more, with people talking at and over each other.

"It's our turn to take the offensive. Let's attack the Empire while we're at it."

"Exactly! I'm getting tired of just beating back the Empire."

"Precisely. Let us show those fools in the Empire how frightening we can be."

"Indeed, you have it at that, Count-sama."

The laughter of lavishly-dressed men echoed through the court.

Don't be stupid. How refreshing it would be if he could actually say that.

The Kingdom and its neighbor, the Empire, faced off at the Katze Plains every year.

To date, neither side had sustained heavy casualties, but that was only because the Empire had not committed its forces to the battlefield. If they truly intended to conquer the Kingdom, there would be no need for them to form up at the Katze Plains and await the Kingdom's army.

Gazef and some of the nobles who could use their brains felt that the objective of these events was to deplete the strength of the Kingdom.

Take for instance the Kingdom with its peasant levies, compared to the Empire and its professional corps of knights.

It was immediately obvious whose troops were individually superior, which was why the Kingdom had to mobilize over twice as many troops as the Empire. As a result of fielding more men, they would need more rations for those men. Of course, there were some magic items which could produce food, but said food only qualified as such because of their nutritional value. Their taste was so revolting that even starving people would think twice about eating it. Thus, this magically created food could not substitute for proper rations.

In addition, the Empire chose the harvest season of the late-ripening wheat to invade, causing a lack of hands in the villages. This delayed the harvest of wheat and other grains.

In this way, the Kingdom would weaken without the need for a full-scale invasion, and this would weaken the power of the Crown.

Because of that, the Noble faction paid these consequences no heed. In fact, they were delighted by the Royal faction — their enemies — losing their power and influence.

Once the strength of the Kingdom fades, the Empire will invade in force. Do you think the enemy will truly be content with such small skirmishes? Why are you all so naive!?

The Noble faction believed that they would wield their absolute power forever. Gazef was particularly infuriated by these nobles.

"If that's the case, could it be that the suspicious magic caster who aided the Warrior-Captain is a man from the Empire? Perhaps he intends to infiltrate us as a spy."

"Ah, I see. You're right. They say the Empire has an academy which trains magic casters, so that's very likely."

"The people of the Slaine Theocracy have a given name, a baptismal name, and a surname. However, what if his name is an alias?"

"I feel uncomfortable about someone like that appearing in the Kingdom. Perhaps we should think of some way to deal with him?"

"Perhaps we could consider capturing him alive. Frankly speaking, the real problem is the Adventurer's Guild. They count several magic casters in their number and do as they please. We need to deal with them as soon as possible. Perhaps we could make them our vassals or something."

"Then, there are the fees the Guild collects. The adventurers within the Kingdom charge a ridiculous sum to eliminate monsters within our borders!"

"The best solution would be to bring him back here."

Gazef could no longer remain silent after hearing this. There was no way he could allow them to continue badmouthing the person who had saved himself, his subordinates, and the villagers.

"A moment, if you please. To begin with, that magic caster is well-disposed toward the Kingdom; it would not be a wise decision to try and capture someone like—"

Gazef had spoken in an attempt to redirect the increasingly biased talk within the court. Several nobles reacted with looks of disgust.

Gazef had reached his current position by the sole merit of his swordsmanship. He was little more than an upstart to these nobles with their long and distinguished histories.

Thus, Gazef was the subject of much derision. The fact that nobody could match his martial skills only deepened the nobles' resentment.

These highborn aristocrats could not bear to be outdone by someone of humbler origins than themselves.

Several nobles continued criticizing Ainz Ooal Gown without waiting for Gazef to finish, and others joined in as well.

Upon his throne, the King spoke with a hoarse sigh:

"...That's enough. I feel that the Warrior-Captain's decision was not in error."

"Muu... well, if you say so, Your Majesty..."

The nobles did not retort, but instead temporarily concealed the mocking grins on their faces.

Gazef looked with gratitude at the liege who had selected him and to whom he had pledged his ultimate fealty.

The King saw the look in Gazef's eyes, and nodded.

Gazef was always tired after these meetings, filled as they were with power plays and flattery, but Gazef did not let his fatigue show on his face as he accompanied the King back to the Palace.

The King had injured his knee in a previous war, and he was unsteady on his feet even with a walking stick. Yet, Gazef did not extend a hand to support him, as a consideration for the King's dignity. In addition, if he had reached a state where he needed someone to support him in order to walk, the Noble faction's cries for him to abdicate would only grow louder, in order to secure a place for an easily-manipulated puppet prince on the throne.

Therefore, though Gazef regretted the necessity of such, he had to let the King walk on his own.

As they slowly walked down the corridor and neared his chambers, the King suddenly said:

"...We will still need the power of the nobles to halt the aggressions of the Empire. If I denounced them on the spot, the Kingdom would tear itself apart without the need for an Imperial invasion."

Though it had come out abruptly, Gazef understood what the King wished to say, so he could only grit his teeth.

"How I envy the Empire."

Gazef could not find anything to say which could comfort the King and answer his mumblings.

The Empire had itself been a feudal kingdom three generations ago. However, the power of the nobles had been steadily eroded, and the current crop was now absolutely loyal to the reigning Emperor.

The reigning Emperor — Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix

His title of the Bloody Emperor had come from the river of blood that had flowed when he came to power. Gazef recalled the time when he had met the man himself on the battlefield; the Emperor who wanted to bring him into his service.

That Emperor was a born ruler.

"I apologize for not being able to protect you because of my lack of consideration. I could not even outfit you properly before giving you that dangerous command... Please forgive me for the lives of your men that were lost because of that... because of me."

"No, it's not like that..."

"Gazef, it's fine. And... while it cannot make up for their deaths, I would like to pay out some form of compensation to the families of the deceased. In addition, I would like to directly convey my gratitude to Gown-dono, and thank him for saving my closest confidante."

He should have been troubled by the idea that the King would actually thank a nameless commoner in person who had not personally aided him, but—

"If he is truly a righteous man, then your words alone will be satisfaction enough."

"Is that so — hm?"

Two people came into view before the King's eyes. The one which caught his attention was the beautiful girl who walked in front. It was said that her loveliness was such that it could not be accurately reproduced in paintings; it was a truly indescribable beauty.

The King smiled. He had always favored his little princess over his other children.

Renner Theire Chardon Ryle Vaiself

As the third princess of the royal family, she had inherited her mother's blinding beauty, and she was renowned as the "Golden Princess."

Having reached the age of sixteen, it was about time for her to be married off. That too was a reason why the nobles were getting restless.

Her blonde hair was one of the reasons for her moniker. It flowed over her neck and down her back. Her smiling lips were a pale pink, yet she looked healthy and vital. Her sapphire-like eyes were a gentle and deep blue.

Her skillfully tailored white dress only added to the image of purity which she projected, while the golden necklace around her neck seemed to symbolize her noble spirit.

Behind her was a young man in his teenage years. Clad in a suit of pure white armor, he could be summarized in a single word — intense.

A pair of coarse, bushy brows sprouted above his impassive eyes.

His face had a firm, unyielding expression, as though forged from steel, and his skin was tanned dark by the sun. His blond hair was neatly trimmed for ease of movement and to avoid it getting tangled during combat.

This young man's name was Climb, and Gazef had no idea how to get along with him. It was not that he disliked the lad; on the contrary, he actually liked him.

However, Gazef could not bear the air of intensity which surrounded him. He appreciated serious people like him, but he hoped that the boy could at least lighten up a little.

Still, Gazef understood his feelings.

As someone who stood beside the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom, he was the target of much hatred and jealousy, without so much as a friend to call his own. In addition, he came from the same humble origins as Gazef — no, worse than Gazef. Thus, he could not show any weakness, could not allow anyone to criticize a single move he made.

"Father, Warrior-Captain-sama."

The King smiled to Renner as she jogged over, and nodded to Climb as he bowed deeply.

"The meeting's finally over."

"Umu. There was much to discuss, after all."

"Is that so? I was thinking about something, so I decided to wait here so I could tell you about it."

"Really, really now? I apologize, then."

The things she pondered were hardly trivial matters.

The other reason why she was known as the Golden Princess was due to her adroit mind and admirable spirit. Not only were her policies revolutionary, but she had even proposed new laws, all of which were sound and sensible.

The policies she proposed seemed to be entirely centered around measures that aided the lower classes. However, these were not simple handouts, but a comprehensive system of relief policies designed to give those people who wanted to work a chance to feed themselves by their own power.

In addition, these policies would also improve the place of the common folk, heighten their loyalty to the Crown, improve productivity, and positively affect the Crown in general.

Although most of these initiatives had been dismantled by nobles — who opposed any improvement in the lot of the peasants — the wiser members of society and those people who had benefited from those policies strongly approved of her.

"Then, I'll listen to you when I return to my chambers."

"But Father, now is the time for me to go walking about. Please permit me to go on a stroll with Climb before returning."

Climb stiffened even further when he heard the Princess imply that her walks with him were more important than speaking to the King. Gazef felt a little sorry for him.

Still, Princess Renner has always been a free spirit. All he can do as her follower is go along for the ride.

"If that is the case, then go. When you return, come to my chambers and tell me about it."

"I understand. Then, let's go, Climb."

"Then, your humble servant shall take his leave."

Gazef made a suggestion to the bowing Climb, in his capacity as a warrior:

"Climb, you need to hone your swordsmanship, so you can defend Princess Renner under any circumstances."

"Yes, sir!"

Climb nodded vigorously, but Renner then replied in a disapproving tone.

"Climb's fine. He'll be able to protect me, no matter what happens."

There was no basis for her words. Still, after hearing the Princess speak, even he felt that Climb could do it.

"Then, let's go, Climb."

Renner's dainty fingers tugged on the corner of Climb's clothing. It was probably an unconscious gesture, but when Climb discovered the Princess was doing so, his face hardened up even further, until it seemed as unyielding as diamond.

"Yes, my Princess."

Though Climb's expression was seemingly neutral as Renner dragged him away, his eyes revealed his inner torment and how moved he was as he left with the Princess.

The two of them had forgotten their place as master and servant, but the King paid it no heed. He simply watched the two of them leave, as though they were beloved treasures which he had lost long ago.

"...I probably shouldn't be pitying him, given that I'm the King, don't you think?"

Climb's origins were unknown. He was a pauper's child that Renner had picked up during an excursion from the keep.

Then, he had been a skinny boy on the verge of starving to death. He had worked hard and trained ceaselessly to protect his savior. No, training and working hard were not enough to describe what he had done.

He lacked any talent for swordsmanship or magic, nor did he possess outstanding physical abilities.

However, he had been honing himself little by little, day by day. Of course, his skills were not on the level of Gazef, nor were they in the realm of heroes. Even so, the strength he had gained from training himself put him at the pinnacle of all the warriors in the Kingdom. That said, there were some obstacles which he could not overcome.

Said obstacles were his status, his power, and his personal value.

A place close to Princess Renner was very valuable, and Climb was unworthy of it.

"Your servant understands."

"I know it's foolish, but at the very least, I'd like to let one of my daughters... be free. No, if I do that, my other daughters will scold me. How old and foolish I must be, to think of such things."

The King looked to the sky, as though he had seen someone there.

"For all I know, I might have to subject this daughter of mine to unhappiness as well."

If he had to marry off the princess now, she would probably be matched to someone from the Great Nobles.

That was what Gazef thought, but he did not say anything, because he did not know what to say. Only someone of similar status to the King could understand his troubles, and Gazef was not such a person.

Silence passed between the two of them, and then they stepped forward again, to clear it away.

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Character Data

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