OverlordVolume4-TheLizardmenHeroesPrologue

"Welcomeback,Ainz-sama."Returningtohisownroomafterhalfamonth,Albedo’snextwordsdrainedallthestrengthfromhisbody."Wouldyouliketohavesomethingtoeat?Wouldyouliketohaveabath?Orwouldyouliketohave…me?"Foramoment,AinzthoughthecouldseemultipleheartshapesflutteringbehindAlbedo’sbody"...Whatareyoudoing""I’mplayingnewlyweds,Ainz-sama. I heard that there isnobetterwayofwelcomingbackahusbandwhowentoutonaworktripwiththefamilypet.Howwasit?"Hefinallyunderstoodwhynoonewelcomedhimbackatthesurfacethistime.Thismanwhohadneverdated before, let alone married, was just about to calmly reply "I don't know", but immediatelyswallowedthosewords.Hisprideasamandidnotallowhimtoshowweakness.Besides,howwasonesupposedtoansweraquestionlike‘Howwasit?’Althoughhehadno self-confidence...whynot replywith a knowing attitude for a guaranteed flawlessresponse."Itwasverycharming,Albedo.""That’swonderful!""Albedo’ssmileshowedhowdelightedshewas.BeingassaultedbyAlbedo’sbewitchingsmile,Ainzsatdownslowlyandpreparedtodealwithbusiness.Hefeltliketherewasasnakeslowlycrawlinguphisback.ItwasprobablyduetotheanimalisticdesireflashinginAlbedo'sgoldeneyesthathefeltthatway.Ifhewere to jokingly answer "I want you", she would immediately use it as a pretext to descend like acarnivorousbeastonhim.Somehow,thewords"reverserape"appearedinhismind.Hissexualappetitewaseffectivelynon-existent,butthesmallremainingamountstillmadeitselfknownatthesmellemittedbyAlbedo.Hisdesiretoknowwhatwouldhappennextwasspurredonbycuriosityandthethoughtthatnoharmwouldbedone.Stopit,youidiot.Itwasn’t becauseof strong self-control that he ignoredAlbedo’s feelings, itwasmore like resignedlytellinghimselfthatitwouldbeimpossibleforahumanskeleton.Beforecomingtothisworld,hehadjokinglychangedAlbedo'ssettingsto"bemadlyinlove"withhim.Becauseofthat,hefeltasifhewastakingadvantageofherfeelingsthatwayandthushewasunabletotakeevenasinglestepforwardtoacceptherfeelingsButIcan’tdoanythingaboutthethingIhavelost…Apurelyplatonicrelationshipwouldnotprogresssmoothly…That’swhyIamafraidoftakingthenextstep.ThesewerethethoughtsofAinz,whohadnevergottenintoarelationshipwithamemberoftheoppositesexbefore.Besides,fromacertainpointofview,theNPCshiscomradeshadcreatedwerelikechildren.Totarnishthatkindofimportantthingswouldmakehimfeelveryawkward.I’msostupid.Thisisn’twhatIshouldbethinkingof."Ah!"BecauseAlbedosuddenlyletouthervoice,thelightinAinz’eyesocketsbecamebrighter."Wha-Whatisit!?Albedo!Whathappened?""Forgive me. A newlywed wife definitely has to be wearing the Final battle attire (naked apron) to

receivethehusband."Finishingherwords,Albedo’sredfacelookeddownatherskirt,saying:“Withyourpermission,I’llchangeimmediately.”Whilestealingglancesathim,sheaddedwithabashful,yetstilldiscernablevoice:“...infrontofAinz-sama….""....Ah,yes....um, seriously….haa~~~,Albedostop jokingaround,and letusbegin theorganisationalmeetingandexchangeinformation.""Yes,asyoucommand."Ainzforcedhimselftoplacetheregretful——forreasonsunknown——Albedo’sinexplicableeffortatthebackofhismindandslumpedintohischair.Hethentossedthreeleatherbagsontothetable.TowardAlbedo,who’dalreadychangedfromanewlywedbridebacktoanoutstandingsecretary,hesaid:“Firstofall,takethiscurrencyobtainedinRe-Lantieranduseitforvariousexperiments.”Thethreebagsallhaddifferentsizes,withthelargestonebulgingenoughtobeabletostand.Insideofthemwerethegold,silverandcoppercoinsAinzhadearnedasanadventurer."Asyoucommand,thismoneywillbeusedforNazarick’sdefensesystems,aswellasexperimentsonthesummoningsystemsforminions.""Seetoit.Furthermore,confirmatoncewhetherornotthesecanbeusedforthemanufacturingofmagicscrollsandotheritems."Thegoldobtained in thegameYGGDRASILwasn't just used tobuy items, itwas alsoused formanyother things: to cover the administration fees for a Guild’s base-defense systems and the costs forautomaticallysummoningservantsoflevel30orhigher,asamediumtolaunchcertainspells,topaythemanufacturingcostsofitemsandevenasapricefortherevivalofdeadNPCs.It had alreadybeen confirmed therewerenoproblemsusingYGGDRASIL's gold coins in thisworld.However,theystillneededtofindoutifthisworld'scurrencycouldalsobeusedtocovertheirexpenses,especiallyifitwaspossibletousesilverandcoppercoins——sincegoldcoinsweretheonlycurrencyinYGGDRASIL.Itwouldn’tbetheslightestexaggerationtosaythattheseexperimentscouldaffectNazarick’sfate.IfthecurrencyobtainedinthisworldcouldbeusedinthesamewayasinYGGDRASIL,thenfutureoperationpolicieswouldbeaffected,notablyregardingtheimportanceattributedtocoins.Dependingonthesituation,theprioritygiventoobtainingcoinswouldincrease.Ontheotherhand,ifthecurrency of thisworld couldn’t be used, then themoney in the treasure roomwould become the finallifelineandanypointlessspendingwouldhavetobecurbed."NowaboutClementine——"Sayingthenameofthewoman’smissingcorpse,Ainzmadeafaceasifhe’dbittenabug.Because of Ainz’ mistake, this woman who learned much precious information had probably beenrevived. The disquieting sensation that she was probably disseminating her information was slowlyaccumulating.Thenumberofpossibleenemiesweremany,yetinformationregardingthemwasscarce.Incontrast,theinformationonthissidehadalreadybeenleaked.Itwouldbebestifthetargetsreceivingtheinformationwereoriginalguildmembers,but…beingthatluckywouldsimplybewishful thinking.Our futureactionsshouldbe takenwithmorecaution.Still,whatshouldbedoneabouttheidentityofMomon?Momonwill probably be suspect, but it would be awaste to immediately abandon an identity in themiddleofelevatingitsfame.ThefactthatAinzandMomonwerethesamepersonshouldnothavebeenleakedyet.

There’snochoicebuttoadapttofuturedevelopments.Unabletothinkofananswer,Ainzputthesubjecttothesidetoavoidponderingonfutilequestions."OrderPandora’sActor to throwoneof thatwoman’sswords into the treasureroom’sShredder toseewhathappens.""Shredder?"Albedo’squestionremindedAinzofthemachine’srealname."Exchange Box. It allows people with Merchant abilities to appraise items of higher value. OrderPandora’sActortomakeuseofNearani-san’sappearancetousehisspecialability."WhilelookingatAlbedo,whosignaledherunderstandingbyloweringherhead,Ainzputtheparchmentonthetable."Thereisanotherthing.ThisistheworldmapobtainedfromRe-Lantier.""Isthis….it?"Albedossoftlypursedhereyebrows,thereasonwassimple.Thismapwaswaytooroughlymade."Iunderstandyourdissatisfaction.Thisisonlyamapofthesurrounding,itshowsonlyaportionofthisworld.Moreoverthemeasuresareinconsistentandmanylandmarksareleftunmarked."There were many examples of information that Ainz had obtained from the President of the MagicAssociationinRe-Lantierthatwerenotshownonthemap,suchasthelocationsoftheCentaurtribesinthegrassland,theScorpionmen’snestinthedesert,theDwarfcountry’smountains,etc..Inall,thismapwasonlyusefulforhumans.Thereliabilityofadubiousmapwaslow,butbettermapswouldcostmoremoneyandtimetomap;andtherewerenobetteronesavailable.ThesewerethewordsofMagicians’Guild’sPresident,TheoRakesheer,whowasveryclosetoAinz,soitshouldbethetruth.Obtainingamapofsuchadegreewasalreadyanunreasonablerequest,ascouldbeseenfromhisattitude."Iunderstand.ThenIshallhavecopiesmadeanddistributedtoeachFloorGuardian.""Verygood,beforethatletmeexplain."Ainzpointedtothemiddleareawhereminutedetailswereinscribedaroundthearea."ThisisRe-Lantier,andhereistheGreatTombofNazarick."The finger moved from the middle toward the northeast, near the enormous forest that were thesurroundingsofNazarick.Thiscouldbeascertainedfromtheterrain."HereistheAzellerisiaMountainrange,theborderbetweentheKingdomofRe-EstizeandtheBaharuthEmpire.Startingfromthesoutherntipandrevolvingaroundthemountainrange, this largeareaisToveForest.Andbetween thesouthern tipof themountainrangeandToveforest isa river that flows intoaladleshapedlake.Ainzpointedtothesouthernsideofthelake."ThisaretheGreatWetlands,thelocationoftheLizardmen’svillage."ConfirmingAlbedo’snod,Ainzcontinuedtoexplain."ThefollowingisfromtheMagicans’GuildPresident’sexplanationaboutthesurroundingcountries.TotheKingdom’snorthwestisanareawithagreatnumberofmountainrangeswheremanyracesofdemi-humanshaveformedtheConfederationofYagrande.Cautionshouldbetakentowardthefive,ormaybe,sevenheadeddragonactingasoneof therepresentatives.AndtotheKingdom’ssouthwest isacountryknownastheHolyKingdom.It’smarkedhaphazardlyonthemap,butthecountry’sborderisprotectedbyawall, the10,000MileGreatWall. Itguardsagainst theWilderness,wheremanydemi-humansare inconstantdispute.""That’swhereDemiurgewassentbefore.""That’s right. On the other side of theWilderness is the Slane Theocracy, a possible enemywemust

cautionagainst.""Isthislinetheborder?"Albedousedhermarblewhitehandtopointatanencirclingline."Most likely. Truthfully speaking, this border doesn't say much. It’s very rough. Look here, to theNortheastof theEmpire liesanumberofcountries.Together they form theNationsAlliance, theyalsoseemtoincludedemi-humancities.TheSouthwestoftheEmpirehasmanycanyonsformingagiantarrayofStela.CountlesscaveshouseagroupofhumanswhoraisesWyverns.Theirtribeslivesrighthere.”"Wyvern-riders?"InYGGDRASIL,flyingdragonscouldbesummonedbythosewiththecavalryjobwhohadreachedthelatethirtieslevels,andtherewasnosimilarevidenceinthisworldofridingmonsters."It’slikethis...ordinarilytheycanbesaidtobeextremelypowerful.Nonetheless,fortheGreatTombofNazarick,theyarenotsousefulforinvading…andthenbelowthis,totheeastofthisgiantlake——wereachtheedgeofthemap."Ainzpointedatthetablesurfacebeyondthemap."ThereseemstobeacountryherethatiscalledtheDragonKingCountry.""Dragon?""Correct.Itisacountrythatwascreatedbyapowerfuldragoninthepast.Thiscountry’sroyaltyhasalsoinherited dragon blood… whether it is true or not is doubtful… well, that’s the extent of the map’sexplanation."If itwere theworldwhereAinzwent by the name of Satoru Suzuki, this layer of gold platingwouldprobablybeasham.Howeverinthisworld,thepossibilityofitbeingtruewasmuchhigher."Then Ainz-sama, the countries we ought to be alert against are the Slane Theocracy, and theConfederationofYagrande?"Ainzfoldedhisarmsandletouta"Uhn"noise.Tothedegreeoftalkingaboutcountries,andbecausetherecurrentlywasnoviewthatcouldbemadeduetothelackofintelligence,towardsthisresponseAlbedoslowlyloweredherhead."Verysorry,thiscountryrightnowalsoneedstobeanalertfactor.""...Correct.Evenifthereisnobigdealaboutthiscountry,itisalsopossibleforanalarminglypowerfulindividualtoexist."ThepersonwhousedaWorld-ClassitemonShalltear,andthelike.Evenifthesethoughtswereunspoken,itseemedtohavebeentransferredtoAlbedo.Ainzthenrespectivelypointedattheareassouthandeastbeyondthemap."TowardstheeastthereisacitycalledtheSeaCity,towardsthesouththereisanothercitycreatedbytheonenameEightDesireKing, it’s the city youmust bemostwaryof.EightDesireKing’sCity… is afloatingcityinthedesert.""Floatingcity?""Thisismerelyhearsay,andmaynotbeaccurate,butthereisametropolisbelowthefloatingcity.Asifthe floating city cangenerate anunlimited amount ofwater, themetropolis is entirely surroundedby amagicenchantment,suchthatpeoplecannotimagineitisinadesert."Albedo’seyesturnedfrosty,andseveralwordswerewhispered."Wouldyouliketohaveservantscarryoutsomeforcedreconnaissance?""There is no need to take such a risk. Even if the World-Class item users arrived here, beforeunderstanding their combat prowess, it is also necessary to confront them with a smile… how isShalltear’scondition?""Regardingtheresurrection,physicallythereisnoproblem,except..."

"Yourspeechishesitant.Isitsomethingthatwillmakemeupset?""Ah!Extremelysorryforthis.Actuallymentallysheisalittledisturbed.”"...Didtheeffectsofmentaldominancestillremain?EvenwiththeresurrectionafterdeathisitunabletodispeltheeffectoftheWorld-Classitem?""No,notlikethat…becauseofshowinghostilityandbattlingwithAinz-sama,deepdownsheconsideredthistobeanunforgivablesin."Ainzwasmomentarilyconfused.ThatwasentirelyAinz’mistake,Shalltearcommittednowrong.Shewasalreadytoldthisseveraltimes."PleaseforgivemyrudenessofobjectingtoAinz-sama’sdecision."AinznoddedtowardsAlbedowhohadasincereexpression."Ithinkit’sbestiftherearesomepunishment."The fire in Ainza eye sockets darkened, he opened his mouth, but closed it immediately because thepersoninfrontofhimstillhadwordstosay."......[Carrotandstick]isawellknownidiom.IfAinz-samaweretometeoutpunishment,thentheguiltinShalltear’sheartwilldisappear,ontheotherhand,withoutpunishmentthenegativefeelingsinherheartwon’tgoaway."Soitis,itistruethattherecan’tberewardwithoutpunishment,thetwomustbothexisttoholdreason.Regardingthepartsthough,towhatdegreetopunishandtowhatdegreetoforgive,thesearealldecidedbyAinz.Ifitwastheusual,everythingwouldsimplybeforgivenbyAinz.Ontheotherhand,eventhoughit’dbeslightlyhardonShalltear,butthisisagoodeducativeopportunity.".....Igetit,let’sgiveShalltearsomepunishment.""That’sright,thiswaywillbebest,alsopleaseforgivemyimpudence.""Whatareyousaying.Toproposeyourviewpoint likeearlier iswhat Ineed.WhenIamoutof ideas,proposingideaslikeyoudidjustnowisexactlywhatyoushoulddoforyourdutyasTheGreatTombofNazarick’sFloorGuardianOverseer.""Thankyouverymuch!"With red cheeks and wet eyes, the world class beauty lowered her head toward Ainz. Gettingembarrassedoverherheartfeltwords,Ainzwavedasreply."Therefore,(we)shallgodowork.Thematterherewillrelyonthee.""Yes!Leaveittome!InAinz-sama’sabsence,Iwilltaketheresponsibilityandmanageproperly."Ontheway,Ainzheardalittlebitofawifelytonemixedupintherebutheignoredit,becauseAlbedo’swordswerenotfinished."However,Ainz-samamusttakecare,theWorld-classitemuserwhobrainwashedShalltearmightattackhere.""Well!"Returningtothisroom,Ainzletoutadispleasedsoundforthefirsttime."Iftheyweretocome,easilyrepellingthem…cannotbedone.Restassured,Albedo.Ifweencounteranunknownassailant,Iwilltreatretreatingaspriority,andevenhaveservantspreparedtoserveasshields."Ainzslowlylookedtowardstheceiling,imaginingthepresenceofalarmswhichshouldhavebeenthere.ThehostileWorld-Classitemuser,playerswhomayormaynotexist,andvestigesofplayerswhoexistedin the past of course would not necessarily appear as an enemy. However matters concerning safetyshouldnotbehandledcarelessly,thereforepreparationsoughttobemadewithregardstotheworstcasescenario."Thefirstconsiderationisthatbeforetheenemy’strueidentityisconfirmed,operationsmustbeascovertas possible.However, it is also necessary to place bait to lure prey…how should such a scheme be

carriedout?"Albedoslightlyloweredhereyesight,butfromthisreactionAinzalreadyanticipatedtheresult."ThereportfromtheSighingRiverhasnotyetbeenreceived.Entoma’sreportwaswithintheexpectedrange,andthebattlebegunprettymuchclosertothedestination,sothereportwaspreparedinadvance.""So it’s like this… although it is not the desired outcome, it may be possible to reap someaccomplishmentthere.""Beingabletosaythatputsmeatease.""Good.AlthoughIwishtoheadovertheretowitnessitpersonally,regrettablymyadventurerworkhaspiledup and I amunable togo.However I stillwish toknowof the conditionof thebattle, thereforevideorecordthebattlebetweenthelizardmenandthearmyoftheGreatTombofNazarick."---

Chapter1–DeparturePart1Azellerisia Mountains - the mountain range separating the Baharuth Empire and the Kingdom of Re-Estize,whichalsoservedasthenationalborder.TheGreatForestofTovecoveredthemountainrange’ssouthernfoothillsandtothenorthoftheforestlayanenormouslake.Thisenormous lakehada radiusofapproximately twentykilometers, andwas shaped likean invertedcalabash,dividedintotheupperlakeandthelowerlake.Theupperlakewasrelativelydeep,hencelargecreaturesgatheredtherewhilethelowerlakewasinhabitedbysmallercreatures.At thesouthernendof the lower lakewasa largeregionwherethelakeandthewetlandsblendedintoeachother.Multiplestructureshadbeenbuiltthere,withadozenwoodenstiltsservingasafoundationforeachone.Adooropenedatthesideofoneofthesehouses,anditsownerenteredthesunlight.Hisdemi-humanracewasknownaslizardmen.Lizardmenwerebeingswhichsharedhumanandreptiliancharacteristics.Morespecifically,asidefromtheirheadswhichdidnothavebasichumanfeatures,theywerebipedallizards,withdexteroushandsandfeet.Theywereregardedasdemi-humansalongwithgoblinsandorcs,andwerenotascivilisedashumans,with a lifestyle considered barbaric to others. However, it also could not be denied that they have acultureoftheirown.Adultmale lizardmen had an average height of about 190 centimeters andwere proud of their strongmuscles,weighingover100kgwithlittlebodyfat.Areptiliantailusedformaintainingbalancegrewfromtheirwaists.Evolutioncausedthemtohavewebbedfeetforeaseofmovementonthewetlands.Itwasalsobecauseofthisthatlandactivitieswereslightlyinconvenient,butthisposednoproblemfortheirgenerallifestyle.Theirdarkgreenandcharcoalgreyscalesweresimilartothoseofacrocodileinsteadofalizard’s,andtheywereharderthanthelow-enddefensiveequipmentusedbyhumans.Theirhandshadfivefingersjustlikehumans,butwithshortclawsgrowingattheirtips.Theweaponswieldedbybothhandswerebasicallyveryprimitive items.Since itwas impossible forthem to discover ore in thewetlands, theirweaponsweremainly spears crafted frommagical beasts’claws,orakintobluntweaponswithstoneboundtothem.Theskywasaclearblue,thesunhadalreadyrisentomid-air,andasmallamountofthinwhitecloudswere in a combed pattern in the sky. It was a good weather, with the distant mountain range clearlyvisible.Thelizardmen’sfieldofvisionwaswide,andthesun’sblindingglarecouldbeseenevenwithoutmoving

thehead.He,ZaryusuShasha,squintedandwalkeddownthestairsrhythmically.He,ZaryusuShasha,squintedandwalkeddownthestairsrhythmically,whilescratchingtheimprintofablackscaleonhischest.Lizardmenhadastrictclasssociety,withthetribalchiefastheleaderofthetribe.Thispositionwasnotdeterminedbyblood,butelectedbythetribeforbeingthestrongest individual.Thiselectionfor tribalchieftookplaceonceeveryyears.Assistingthechiefwasthecouncilofeldersmadeupofelectedelderlylizardmen.Belowthemwerethewarrior class, followed by general male lizardmen, general female lizardmen, and lizardmen youths.Theirsocietywasstructuredthisway.Ofcourse,therealsoexistedthosewhodidnotbelongtoanyofthesecategories.Firstwerethedruids,whowereledbytheelderdruid.Theyaidedtriballifethroughtheuseofmagicalcuresandweatherforecaststopredictdangers.Nextwere thehunters,whose ranksconsistedof rangers, responsible for fishingandhunting,but sinceordinarylizardmenwouldalsoassistinthisaspect,theirmostimportantjobwereforestactivities.Lizardmenwereomnivores,but their staple foodwasaspeciesof fisharoundeightycentimeters long,andtheydidnotconsumemanyplantsorfruits.Despite this,huntersentered the forestmainly toharvest timber.For lizardmen, landwasnot safe,andevensimplycollectingwoodfromtheforestrequiredskilledpersonnel.Assuch,theywereallowedtomaketheirowndecisions,butstillfellwithinthejurisdictionofthechiefandhad toobey thechief’scommands.Lizardmen thereforehadanexplicitlypaternalisticsocietywithdivisionoflabourdoneaccordingtojobs.However,therewerealsothoseoutsidethejurisdictionofthetribalchief.Thoseweretravellers.Hearingabouttravellerswouldevoketheimpressionofforeigners,butthiswasimpossibleinlizardmensociety.Lizardmenhadaclosedsociety,andasituationwhereanoutsiderwasacceptedintothetribewasexceedinglyrareSo,whowerethesetravellers?Theywerelizardmenwhowishedtoseetheoutsideworld.Basically, unless something drastic like a shortage of food occurred, lizardmenwould not leave theirhometown.However, therewas a small chance that a lizardmanwhowanted to see theoutsideworldwouldappear.Whentravellersdecidedtoleavethetribe,theywouldhaveaspecialinsigniaengravedontheirchests.Thiswasproofthattheyhadleftthejurisdictionofthetribe’scontroluponleavingthetribe.Mostof thosewho left the tribenevercameback,diedduring their travels, foundanewplace tocallhome,orencounteredadifferentfate…butonrareoccasions,theywouldreturntotheirhometownafterhavingseentheworld.Travellers who returnedwere evaluated highly because of the level of knowledge they had gathered.Althoughtheywereindividualsdetachedfromthepowerhierarchy,theywerestillprominentwithinthetribe.ThereweresomewhokepttheirdistancefromZaryusuoutofrespect,buthisfamewasgreaterthanthat.Itwasnotonlybecausehewasantraveller.Thereasonwas…Whendescending from the lowest stair to thewetlands' surface,his favouriteweaponholsteredonhiswaistcollidedwithhisscales,creatingaclickingsound.Itwasablueandwhitebladewithadimglow.Theshapewasabitpeculiar, thebladeandthehandlewere integrated, resembling a three-pronged fork. Starting from the grip part of the body it became

increasinglythinner,untilbecomingpaper-thinatthetipoftheblade.Therewerenolizardmenwhodidnotknowofthisweapon.Allthesurroundinglizardmentribesreferredtoitasoneofthefourtreasuredmagicitems:FrostPain.ThiswasthereasonbehindZaryusu’sgreatfame.Zaryusustartedtomove.Hehad twodifferentdestinations.Thegiftwhichhe intended tobring tooneof thosedestinationswascurrentlycarriedonhisback.Itwasoneofthelargefishwhichservedasthestaplefoodoflizardmen.Walkingashecarriedfourofthesefishesonhisback,thestenchwhichenteredhisnosedidnotcauseanydiscomforttoZaryusu.Onthecontrary,itwasasmellwhichmadehimfeelveryhungry.Astrongdesiretoeat.Afterpuffingoutwindseveraltimesoutfromhisnose,heexpelledthisdesire.Likethis,ZaryusupatteredashewalkedwithoutstoppingthroughtheGreenClawtribevillage.Children,whostillhadtheirbrightgreenscales,ranaroundandletout‘shasha’soundinglaughter,butstoppedastheynoticedtheobjectsonZaryusu’sback.HealthygrowingchildrenpeeredtowardsZaryusufromunder theshadowsofhouses——no, itwasbecauseof thefish that theygathered together.Theirmouthswereslightlyparted,evendrooling.Theystayedaslightdistanceaway,buttheireyesightwasstilllockedon,withgazeslikechildrenwhocravedsnacks.Zaryususmiledwrylyandpretendedtonotnoticeashecontinuedwalking.Hehadalreadydecidedwhotogivethemto.Itwasregretful,buttheyweren’tmeantforthechildren.Thechildren'sgazeswerenotcausedbyhunger---somethingthatwould'vebeenimpossibleafewyearsago.ThisgaveZaryusuafeelingofhappiness.Withhisbackfacingthereluctantgazes,hepassedthroughtheresidentialareaandarrivedatthehutthatwashisdestination.Thisareawasnotconnectedtothevillage.Goingabitfurther,anditbecamedissimilartothewetlandswhichwerethegeneraldepthofthelake.Thishut,whichwassturdierthanitlooked,wasbuiltonthissubtleborderandwaslargerinsizethanZaryusu’shome.Thestrangestfeaturewasthatitwastilted.Becauseofthisreason,approximatelyhalfofthehousewassubmergedinthewater.Thiswasnotcollapsedduetodamage,butwasintentionallyconstructedtobeso.Swishing,Zaryusugotclosertothehousewhilstmakingaudiblewaternoises.Wheedlingsoundscouldbeheardfromthehut,itcouldprobablysmellthescentoffishes.With a squeak, the head of a snakewith deep brown scales and amber eye-pupils appeared from thewindow.afterconfirmingthatitwasZaryusu,theneckextendedandcoquettishlytwistedaroundhim.“Good,good.”Withahabitualhandmovement,Zaryusustrokedthesnake’sbody.Thesnakecomfortablysquintedusingtheeyeprotectionmembrane.Zaryusualsothoughtthatthescalysnakeskinfeltfine.ThiscreaturewasZaryusu’spet,calledRororo.SinceRororowasraisedfromyoung,itwasasifitcouldactuallyunderstandlanguage.“Rororo,I’veboughtfood.Begoodandeatitokay?”Zaryusuchuckedthebroughtfishthroughthewindow.‘Dang’and‘Pluck’soundscamefromtheinside.“Ireallywanttostayandplay,butrightnowIreallyneedtoattendtothefish.Seeyouinabit.”It probably understood the contents of the speech, and let out a reluctant noise and slowly releasedZaryusubeforereturninginsidethehouse.Afterwards,achewingsoundcouldbeheardfrominside.HavingconfirmedthatRororowasingoodhealth,judgingbythespiritedmannerofeating,Zaryusuleftthehut.Zaryusu’s destination after departing the hut was the lake, which was a fair distance away from the

village.Zaryususilentlypatteredalongtheforest.Swimminginthewatershouldbemuchfaster,buthisconcernsof‘whetheranyproblemswouldoccuronland’hadfosteredhishabitofmonitoringthelandpath.Itwasjust that the treeswouldobstructhis lineof sightwhilewalking, therefore toZaryusu it couldalsobeconsideredamatterwhichconsumedhisconcentrationquiteabit.Finally he could see his destination from a gap in the trees. Zaryusu let out a sigh of relief since noobstacleshadarisenalong theway.Withonlyashortdistance left to travel through theforest,Zaryusuquickenedhispace.Brushingasidetreebrancheslikeadiverswimminginthewater,Zaryusuwidenedhiseyesinsurprise.Thiswasbecausehesawthebackfigureofapersonhedidnotexpecttoencounter.ThatpersonwassimilartoZaryusu:alizardmanwithblackscales.“Olderbrother…”“...Oh,it’syou.”The lizardman with black scales turned his head around and looked welcomingly at Zaryusu. Thislizardmanwasthecurrenttribechiefofthe‘GreenClaw’tribe;Zaryusu’selderbrotherShasuryu.Hewonthecompetitiontobeachieftwiceinarow,andretainedhispositionwithoutneedingtofightthisyear.Hisbodywas amazinglyhuge.Whenhe stoodnext toZaryusu,whowasof an averagebuild, hemadehimlooksmallincomparison.Therewasasinglelong,whiteandoldscaronhisblackscales.Itlookedlikelightningpiercingthroughdarkclouds.Thisfellowwhocarriedanenormousswordonhisback,wasclosetwometersinheightandwashugeandplain.Thesteelsword——proofofbeingtribechief——hadmagicwhichincreaseditssharpnessandpreventedrusting.Zaryusuandhisolderbrotherstoodnexttoeachotheronthelakeside.“Whatareyoudoinghere?”“...Olderbrother,thatshouldnotbeyourline,butmine.Thisisnotthekindofplacethetribechiefwouldneedtovisitpersonally.”“Muu-”Lostforwords,Shasuryumutteredhiscatchphrase,thenturnedtolookatthelakeinfrontofthem.Sticksstretchedout frominside the lake,surrounding thearea.Beingcarefullyplaced, therewereveryfinemeshnetsbetweenthesticks.Theirpurposewasobviouswithasingleglance.Itwasafishfarm.“Coulditbe…stealingameal?”HearingZaryusu’swords,Shasuryu’stailjumpedandflappedagainstthegroundwithafloppingsound.“Muu,thereisnowaythatcouldhappen.Iamonlyheretocheckuponthebreedingconditions.”“...”“Youngerbrother,doyouseeyourolderbrotherinthatkindoflight?!”Finishinghisstatementwithastrongintonation,Shasuryuslidonefootforwards.ThepressurehegaveofffeltlikeawallpressingdownonZaryusu.EvenZaryusu,whowasanexperiencedtravellerandveteranofmanybattles,felttheurgetotakeacoupleofstepsbackwards.However,hehadtheperfectretort.“Ifit’sonlytoinspectthebreedingconditions,thenitalsomeansthatyoudon’twantthem.Suchashame,elderbrother.Iftheywereraisedwell,Iwasthinkingaboutgivingsomeofthemtoyou.”“Muu-”Thefloppingsoundstopped,andthetailappeareddejected.

“Soveryaromatictoo.Theyhavebecomenicelyfattenedbecauseofthenutrientsdiligentlyfedtothem,evenmoreplumpthanhuntedfish.”“Oh-”“Ifyoukeeptheminyourmouth,somereallygoodtastingjuicewillflowout.Bitingdownwithacrunchwillalsomakeitseeminglymeltinyourmouth."“Muuu-”Onceagainthecockedtailgaveoffafloppingsound,anditwasevenmoreintensethanbefore.HalfofZaryusu’sattentionwastransfixedonthattail,theotherhalfwasdirectedtoaddressinghiselderbrotherinanalmostteasingmanner.“Sister-in-lawhasalsomentionedthisbefore.Elderbrother’stailisjusttoohonest.”“What?Thathorribleperson,makingfunofherhusband.Sayagain,whichpartishonest?”At the sight of his elder brother replyingwhilst looking over his shoulder at the tailwhichwas still,Zaryusuwasmomentarilylostanddon’tknowhowtoreact,beforevaguelyreplying‘right’.“Huh.Thathorribleperson…Ifyouhaveawoman…thenyouwillunderstandhowIfeelrightnow.”“Iwon’tbeabletomarry.”“Huh,nonsense.Isitbecauseofthatmark?You’rebetteroffignoringwhateverthoseelderssay.Sayingthattherearenowomeninthisvillagewhofindyouraffectionannoying…eventhepersonwiththemostbeautifultailwillacceptyou.”Lizardmenstorednutrientsintheirtails,thereforehavingathickertailwasanimportantkeyfactorfortheopposite sex. In the past, Zaryusu would have chosen a thick-tailed female. However, the grown upZaryusu,whonowhadanunderstandingoftheworld,wouldn’tchooseinsuchaway.“Takingthecurrentsituationinthevillageintoaccount,Ihavenodesireforfemaleswiththickertails.IfIhadtousetailsasthecriteria,Iwouldchooseafemalewithaslimtailinstead.Personally,Ithinkonelikesister-in-law’sisalsofine.”“Ofcourseit isfineforsomeonewithyourpersonality…except,don’tyoudaremessaround.Idonotwanttobutcheranyoneoversomesillymatters.Speakingofwhich,youalsooughttorealisethepainofbeingmarried.It’sjustnotfairthatIamtheonlyone.”“Hey,hey,elderbrother...I’lltellsister-in-law.”“Ugh… this is oneof the pains of beingmarried.Evenme, your elder brother and tribe chief, canbethreatened.”Boisterouslaughtersoundedoutbythepeacefullakeside.Afterthelaughterstopped,Shasuryulookedatthefishlakeashevoicedoutsomewordsoffrustration.“Buthonestly?It’sjusttoogreat;Your…”Zaryusucametotherescueofhiselderbrotherwhofellsilent.“Doyoumeanthebreedingfarm?”“Right, right, that’s theone. Inour tribe’spastwehaveneverhadan individualwhowoulddosuchathing.Furthermore.manypeoplealreadyknowof itssuccess. In thefuture,moreandmorepeoplewillfeelenvyatthesightofyourfishandcopyyourways.”“It’sallthankstoelderbrother.Iknowelderbrotherhassaidallkindsofthingsaboutmetoeverybody.”“Younger brother, talking tomany people about reality does not count formuch. That kind of stuff ismerelyrecountinganecdotes. If itweren’t foryourhardwork innurturingsuchdeliciousfishfromthisbreedingfarm,thosewordswouldhavebeenmeaningless.”Theinitialbreedingfarmswereconstantlyfailing.Thiswasexpected,sincetheywerebuiltsolelybasedontheimpressionsfromtalksduringhistravels.Justtheconstructionofthefencewasmetwithconstantsetbacks.Afterayearoftrialanderror,althoughthefishlakewascreated,therewasstillmoreworkto

bedone.Fishcouldnotbeleftalonewithoutbeinglookedafter.Itwasnecessarytoobtainfishfeed.Thefishinthefishlakehaddiedoutmanytimesbyexperimentingwithawidevarietyoffoodforthesakeoffindingoutwhatkindoffeedwasbest.Therewerealsoinstancesofthesurroundingnetsbeingbrokenbymonsters,freeingallofthefish.Thereweresomewhocriticisedhimbehindhisbackfor‘treatingfishcapturedforfoodastoys’.Therewerealsothosewhosaidthathewasnothingbutafool.However,theresultsofhiseffortsfinallyborefruit.The shadows of enormous, swimming fishwere reflected on the lake’s surface.Comparing its size tohuntedfish,itwouldbeintheverylargecategory,andnolizardmenwouldbelievethatthesewerefishthathadbeencompletelyrearedfrombirth,apartfromZaryusu’selderbrotherandsister-in-law.“...Simplyamazing,youngerbrother.”Seeingthesamesight,Zaryusu’selderbrothersaidthisinalowvoiceatthesametime.Hiswordswerefilledwithemotion.“Thisisalsothankstoelderbrother.”Theyoungerbrotherwhorepliedalsoconveyedsuchemotionsinhistone.“Huh,whathaveIdone?”Truthfully,elderbrother-Shasuryudidnotdoanything.However,thatwasjusttheofficialstance.During timeswhen the fishhealthdeteriorated,priestswould suddenly showuphere.Whencollectingmaterialstobuildafence,therewouldbemanyindividualswhocametohelp.Whencapturedfishwereseparatedandallocated,therewouldbelivefish.Inaddition,therewerealsofruitsbroughtbackbythehunterstobeusedasfishfeed.Those fellows who came over to assist all refused to reveal who they were doing this favour for.However, even thedumbestpersonwould realisewhowaspulling the strings, even if thepersonwasadamantonnotdisclosingthename.Becauseitwasnotappropriateforthetribechieftolookaftertravellers,whohadsecededfromthetribehierarchy.“Elderbrother,waitforthemtogrowalittlemorelarger,thenIshalltakesometoyourplacefirst.”“Hum.ThenI’lllookforwardtoit.”Turningaround,Shasuryutookastepawayfromtheplace,thensaidinalowvoice.“I’msorry.”“...Whatareyousaying,elderbrother.Elderbrotherhasnotcommittedanywrong.”These words may or may not have been heard. Zaryusu merely looked silently at the back figure ofShasuryumovingawayfromthelakeshore.Havingconfirmedtheconditionofthefishlakeandreturnedtothevillage,Zaryususuddenlyfeltastrangefeeling,andlookedtowardsthesky,yettherewasnothingoutoftheordinaryupthere.Thewholeskywasblue,withathinlayerofcloudsatthemountainstowardsthenorth.Itwastheusuallandscape.Therewerenochanges.Justatthemomenthebrusheditoffasamisconception,aweirdlayerofcloudsappearedinthemiddleofthesky.Almostatthesametime,blackcloudswhichblockedoutthesunlightsuddenlyappearedatthecentreofthevillage.Thosewerethickraincloudswhichcastashadowovertheentirevillage.Everyonewassurprisedandlookedupintothesky.Thedruidshadsaid therewouldbeclearskiesfor theentireday.Priestsmade theirweatherforecastsusing both magic and their many years of knowledge accumulated through experience, therefore the

accuracyoftheirpredictionswasextremelyhigh.Assuch,anythingthatwasnotpredictedwouldcomeasasurprisetoanyone.However,thestrangestfeaturewasthattherewerenoraincloudsapartfromthedarkcloudscoveringthevillage.Simplyput,itwasasifsomeonehadcalledoutthecloudsandplaceditabovethevillage.Furthermoreanotherstrangefeatureappeared.Whilstthecloudsswirledwiththevillageastheepicentre,theyalsoexpandedinrangeataconstantrate.Itwasasifthesandwichedskywasbeinginvadedbytheterriblemomentumoftheominousdarkclouds.Warriorsallaroundscrambledtobeonalert.Childrenescapedbyrushingbackintotheirhomes.Zaryusubentdown,observingthesurroundingwhilereachingtowardsFrostPain.Thedarkcloudscompletelycoveredthesky,andblueskycouldstillbeseeninthefardistance.Itwasasifthedarkcloudsweretargetingthisvillage.Fromthere,aclamouraroseinthevillagecentre.Thewindcarriedoverahigh-pitchedsoundproducedbylizardmen’svocalchords.Thatsoundwasanalarm,onewhichsignaledthattherewereformidableenemiesandadvisedotherstoevacuateaccordingtothesituation.Zaryusuwhoheardthissoundboltedalongthewetlandsataspeedwhichwasfastforlizardmen.Run.Run.Keeponrunning.Moving in thewetlandswasextremelydifficult, requiringuseof the tail toactascounterbalance.Ataspeedunattainablebyhumans——althoughlizardmenfeetweremoresuitedforthisenvironment——Zaryusureachedthesourceofthealarm.At thatplace,Shasuryuand the tribe’swarriorshad formeda circular formation, staringat thevillagecentre.Followingtheobjectintheirlineofsight,Zaryusualsoglaredatthesameplace.Everyone’seyeswerefocusedonamonsterwhichlookedasifitwerecreatedfromdarkmist.Within the dark mist, numerous terrified faces would appear then quickly vanish. Although faces ofvariousracesappeared,theonethingtheyhadincommonwereexpressionsofagony.Carried by the wind were sounds of sobbing, resentment, painful lament, and dying gasps meldingtogethertoformachorus.Withhisbackfrozenfromthegatheredresentment,Zaryusutrembledinfear....Notgood…weshouldhaveletall thepeopleinthevicinityescape,leavingelderbrotherandI todealwiththis,butifthatwerethecase...The surrounding lizardmenwere all elitewarriors of the tribe, but the opponentwas onewhich evenZaryusuwas terrified of: a powerful undead. In this situation, the only twowhowere able to give aproper fight would be Zaryusu and his elder brother. Even more importantly, Zaryusu knew that thisundeadhadspecialabilities.Divertinghisattentionslightly,henoticedthatthemajorityofthelizardmenpresentwerealltakingshortandsharpbreaths,as if theywerescaredlike littlechildren--despiteallof thembeingof thewarriorclassThemonsterstoodatthevillagecentreandmadenomovement.Aftersometimehadpassed,whilstmaintainingatenseatmosphereandawarethatonlyatinydisturbancewould trigger off the escalation into a fierce battle, thewarriors slowly narrowed the distance. Theyresistedthementalstressandmovedintoaction.Using his peripheral vision to confirm that Shasuryu had drawn hisweapon,Zaryusu also swiftly andsilentlytookuphissword.Ifitbecameafight,heintendedtolaunchasurpriseattackfasterthananyoneelse.

Itisnecessarytotellothersaboutthatguy’sspecialability,therefore,Icannotactrashly.Thetensionintheatmospherethickened.Suddenly,thesoundsofresentmentstopped.Thenoisesemittedfromthemonstermixedtogether,formingonesounddifferenttotheintelligiblecursingearlier.Ithadadefinitemeaningnow:“Listenwell.IserveasthemessengeroftheGreatBeingandIcameheretoannouncehisdecree..”Everyonelookedateachother.OnlyZaryusuandShasuryudidnotbreakeyesight.“Proclaimingyourdeathsentence,theGreatOnehassenthisarmytoexterminateyou.Inhisleniency,hehasgrantedyoumortalstimetoputupameaninglessresistance.Eightdaysfromnow,thelizardmentribeofthislakeshallbecomethesecondsacrifice.”Zaryusuandgrimaced,revealingsharpteethandissuinganintimidatingsound.“Resiststubbornly,mortals.AllowtheGreatOnetorelishinyourdemise.”Likesmokewhichconstantlychangedshape,themonsteralsograduallydeformedandfloatedintothesky.“Donotforget.Eightdays.”As if there were no obstruction, it flew in the sky towards the forest, with its departing back figurewatchedbymanylizardmen.ZaryusuandShasuryuweresilentlylookingatthedistantsky.Thebiggesthut in thevillage—theassemblyhall—wasrarelyeverused.Clanleadershadabsoluteauthorityonallmatters andassemblyonlyhappenedonce inabluemoon.Therewasno realvalue tohavingthehut,butonthisdaytheinsideofthehutwasfilledwithstrainedclamor.Many lizardmen had gathered, causing the spacious hut to feel narrow and stifling: the warriors, thedruids,thehunters,theeldercouncilandZaryusu,whowasatraveler.Everyonesatcrosslegged,facingShasuryu.Actinginhiscapacityasclanchief,declaredthestartofthemeetingandthefirsttospeakwastheelderdruid.TheagedfemaleLizardman’sbodywascoveredinwhitedye,showingfantasticaldrawings.Althoughthesymbolshadmanymeanings,theirsignificancewereunknowntoZaryusu.“Youallremembertheblackcloudthatcoveredthesky?Thatwasmagic.FromwhatIknow,therearetwospellstomanipulateweather.Oneiscalled「ControlWeather」,a6thtiermagic.Wecansafelyrulethatoutsincemagicofthatlevelisintherealmoflegends.Theotherisa4thtiermagiccalled「ControlCloud」. This is also a spell that only a powerfulmagic caster can cast.Wewould be fools to standagainstsuchafoe."BehindtheElderDruid,thesimilarlygarbeddruidsnoddedtheirheadsinagreement.AlthoughZaryusu understood how powerful 4th tiermagicwas, the other Lizardmen did not and theirvoicesofdoubtfilledthesurroundings.Not sure of how to explain, the Elder Druid showed a perplexed expression before pointing at aLizardman.Theonebeingpointedatshowedaconfusedexpression,pointingathimselfaswell.“Yes,you.Canyoudefeatme?”TheLizardmanslowlyshookhishead.Hemightstandachanceifbothsideswereusingweapons,butifyouincludedmagic,theoddsofwinningwerereallylow.Orrather,itwasnearlyimpossibleforamerewarriortowin.“However,evenIcanonlyuse2ndtierspells.”“Sotosay,heshouldbetwiceasstrongasyou?”Facingthiskindofdumbquestion,theElderDruidsighedandshookhishead.“It’snotthatsimple.Facedwithmagicofthe4thtier,evenourClanLeaderwouldbeeasilykilled.”"Althoughit’snotabsolute"addedtheElderDruidspeculativelythenclosedhismouth.Finally understanding the terror of 4th tier magic, the room became silent. At this moment, Shasuryu

startedtalking.“Intheend,whattheElderDruidmeanstosayis...”“Fleeingwouldbethebestcourseofaction.Evenifwefought,therewouldbenowaytowin.”“Whatareyousaying!”Followingthethickandlowroar,atallLizardmanstoodup.HehadasimilarbuildasShasuryuandwastheHeadWarrior.“To flee without even putting up a fight! Running away when facing just that level of danger isintolerable!”“—Whatisinyourhead!?Itwouldbetoolateifwearetostartfighting!”TheElderDruidglaredandstoodabruptly,facetofacewiththeHeadWarrior.Bothofthemhadalreadylost their temper and made threatening sounds. Just when everyone feared the situation was about toescalate,acoldvoicecouldbeheard.“...That’senough.”Withfaceslikebeingwokenwithcoldwater,thetwoofthemturnedtoShasuryuandseatedthemselvesasifinapology.“HeadHunter,letushearyourpointofview.”“......ElderDruidandHeadWarrior’sopinionsarebothunderstandable,theybothmakesense.”ToanswerShasuryu’squestiontheskinnyLizardmanopenedhismouth.Althoughheseemedsmallinsize,itwasnotforalackofmuscle,butratherthathismusclesweredenselypacked.“Thatiswhysincethereisstill time.Weshouldexaminethesituation.Supposedly,theyaresendinganarmy.Thereoughttobesignsofconstructionforaforwardbaseandsuch,thereforeweshouldobservefirstanddecideafterward.”Withoutanyinformation,sayingthisorthatwouldbecompletelyuseless.Anumberofpeopleexpressedtheiragreement.“—Elder.”“There’snotmuchtosay,alloftheopinionsarecorrect.Allthat’sleftistoleavethedecisionuptotheClanHead.”“Muu...”Lettinghisgazewander,ShasuryumetZaryusu’seyes,whowassittingamongthecrowd,andgavehimanod..Zaryusufeltasifhe’dgottenagentlepushontheback—whethertheroadaheadwasdangerouswasunknown—still,heraisedhishandtoshowhehadanidea.“ClanHead,pleaseallowmetospeak.”At this time, the focus of all the Lizardmen gathered on Zaryusu. Most of them wore expectantexpressions,butothersshoweddiscontent.“Thisisn’ttheplacefora‘Traveler’tobespeaking.Youshouldbegratefulwe’realreadyallowingyoutoattend,”amemberoftheElderCouncildeclared.“Stepdownright...”Bam!Thesoundofatailstrikingthefloor,itcutthroughtheElder’swordslikeasharpknife.“Silence.”Givingoffadangerousvibe,Shasuryu'svoicecarriedthegutturalsoundthatLizardmanmadewhenriledup,thetensionintheroomincreasedsharplyastheheatedatmospherefromearliercooleddown.Inthisatmosphere,anElderopenedhismouthwithoutpayingattentiontothegazesaroundhimwhowerewarninghim“Don’tdoanythingunnecessary.”“But Clan Head, to receive special allowance just because he’s your younger brother is not good.Besides,Travelersare—”“Isaidtobesilent.Didn’tyouhearme?”

“Geh”“Presently,allwhoareseatedherepossesswisdom.WhynotheartheideaoftheTraveler.”“Travelersare—”“TheClanHeadhasspokenandyoustillrefusetocomply?”MovinghissightfromthesilencedElder,ZaryusulookedattheotherHeads.“ElderDruid,HeadWarrior,HeadHunter,doyoualsothinkthere’snovalueinlistening?”“Zaryusu’swordsareworthlistening.”TheHeadWarriorspokefirst.“WhatkindofwarriorwoulddisregardthewordsofFrostPain’swielder.”“Iagree,there’sdefinitevaluetolistening.”ThentheHeadHunterspokefollowedbytheElderDruidwhoshrugged.“Ofcoursewehavetohear.Refusingtolistentoawisemanissomethingthat’sonlydonebyfools.”Receiving the intensemocking, some of the elder council’smembers pursed their eyebrows. ShasuryunoddedtothethreeHeadsandletZaryusucontinuehisspeech.Zaryususatstillandopenedhismouth.“Tofleeortofight,ifwehadtodecidewemustchoosethelatter.”“Whatisthereason?”“Becauseitistheonlychoice.”Normally,iftheClanHeadaskedforthereasononemustexplainclearly.ButZaryusudidn’tcontinueandclosedhismouthasifhewasfinished.Shasuryucuppedhischinandsunkdeepintothought.…HaveyouseenthroughwhatIamthinking?…Brother.Zaryusu did his best not to leak his inner thoughts. At this time, the Elder Druid showed a painedexpressionwhiledirectinghisquestiontonooneinparticular.“Isitpossibletowin?”“Ofcoursewecanwin!”HeadWarriorshoutedasiftodispersethefeelingofunease,buttheElderDruidonlynarrowedhiseyes.“...No,inthecurrentsituationtheoddsofsuccessareverylow.”TheonetodirectlyrejecttheHeadWarrior’sopinionwasZaryusu.“...Whatexactlyareyoutryingtosay?”“Head Warrior, the opponent should already know about our side’s fighting force, otherwise theywouldn’t approach uswith such a belittling attitude. If that is the case, then it is impossible to obtainvictorywithourcurrentfightingpower.”Thenwhatshallwedo?Justaseveryonewasabouttovoiceouttheirdoubts,Zaryususpokeoutbeforeanyoneelsetosharehisinnerthoughts.“That’swhyweneed todisrupt theplansofourenemy…Doeseveryoneherestill recall thepreviouswar?”“Ofcourse.”Eventhosewithdementiawouldbeunabletoforgetthelastwarwhichtookplaceseveralyearsago.Inthepastthesewetlandshadbeeninhabitedbysevenlizardmentribes:GreenClaw,SmallFang,RazorTail,DragonTusk,YellowSpeckle,SharpEdgeandRedEye.However,nowonlyfiveremained.Itwasawarwhichclaimedthelivesofmany,andwipedouttwotribes.Thereasonforthisconflictwasthebadharvestofthestaplefood,fish.Ledbythehunterclasses,thefishhuntingzonewasexpandedfurtheraroundthelake.Ofcoursetheothertribesfollowedsuit.And then conflicts over hunting and fishing spots amongst the hunter classes arose.Since it concerned

foodresourcesnecessaryforthesurvivalofthetribes,itwasimpossibletomakeconcessionsQuarrelssoonturnedintofights,anditwasonlyamatteroftimeuntilthesefightsescalatedintocarnage...Next,inordertosupportthehunterclass,thewarriorclassalsotookaction.Afiercebattlewassparkedbecauseofthefoodshortage.Fiveofthesevenexistingtribeswereembroiledinthefightingandendedupinathreevs.twosituation:GreenClaw,SmallFangandRazorTailagainstYellowSpeckleandSharpEdge.Apartfromthewarriorclass,othermalelizardmenandevenfemalelizardmenweremobilizedtofightfortheirtribes.After several large battles, the side with the three tribes that included the Green Claws emergedvictorious,leavingthedefeatedtwotribessodestitutetheybecameunabletosustainthemselvesandwereforcedtoscatter.TheseremnantswerethenabsorbedbytheDragonTusktribewhodidn'tparticipateinthewar.Ironically, since the number of lizardmen had been greatly reduced, the food shortage which hadoriginallysparkedtheconflicthadbeensolvedaswell.Thestapledietoffishcouldnowbedistributedtoeverybody.“Whatofit?”“Thinkaboutthewordswhichthatpersonleftbehind.Hesaidthatthisvillagewasthesecond,whichalsomeansthathehasleftasimilarmessageattheothervillages.”“Ah.”NumerousvoicesthatagreedwithZaryusu’swordsarose.“Itmeansweneedtoformanotheralliance!”“Coulditbethat…”“Yes,weshouldformanalliance.”“Justlikeinthepreviouswar.”“Inthatcase,perhapswemayyetwin?”The smallmutterings between the Lizardmen soon evolved into a big commotion. The entire hut wasdiscussingZaryusu’sopinion,yetClanHeadShasuryumaintainedhissilence.Thechief’seyeslookedasifhewasgazingintothedepthsofhisheart,renderingZaryusuunabletoturnhisfacetohim.Afterallowingampletimefordiscussion,Zaryususpokeagain.“Don’tbemistaken.TheallianceIspokeofincludesallofthetribes.”“What?”At that suggestion, the second person to understand itsmeaningwas theHeadHunter, who let out anastoundedsound.Zaryusu’seyeslockedontoShasuryuandLizardmeninhislineofsightsubconsciouslypartedtoeitherside.“ClanHead,IalsosuggestforminganalliancewithDragonTuskandRedEye.”Thesurroundingeruptedinanenormouscommotion,as ifagrenadewentoff in theroom.TheyhadnocommunicationswithDragonToothandRedEyewhodidnottakepartinthewar.Furthermore,DragonToothtookintheremnantsofYellowSpeckleandSharpEdge,therefugeesoftheirenemytribes.Toformanalliancewiththosetwotribes,formingafivetribealliance.Ifthatwerepossiblethenitmightbepossibletowin.Aseveryoneheldthisfainthope,Shasuryusuddenlyspokeout:“Whoshallbetherepresentative?”“Iwillgo.”ShasuryuwasnotsurprisedbyZaryusu’simmediateanswer.Thesurroundinglizardmenreckonedthatitwasbecauseheunderstoodhisyoungerbrother’scharacterandhadanticipatedthisresponse.Lettingoutsoundsofempathy,theyalsothoughtthattherewasnocandidatemoresuitabletobeselected.However

therewasonewhowasofanopposingopinion.“—Sendingatraveler?”ItwasShasuryu.Hisice-likegazepierceddirectlythroughZaryusu.“That is true,ClanHead.Howeverweareat tryingtimes.If theotherside isunwillingto listentomywordsmerelybecauseIamatraveler,thentheyhavenoworthasanally.”Zaryusueasilyrepelledthecoldstare.Afterthetwoglaredatoneanotherforabriefmoment,Shasuryuletouta lonelysmile. Itwaseitherbecausehegaveup,orbecauseofhishelplessness instoppinghisbrother,orperhapsinternallyridiculinghimselfforagreeing.Itwasasmilewithoutgloom.“BringalongthesealoftheClanHead.”ThathadthemeaningofbeingtheClanHead’srepresentative.Severalelderswhichwishedtoexpresstheview that ‘this is not something a traveler should possess’ were silenced under Shasuryu’s powerfulglare.“Myextremegratitude.”Zaryusubowed.Acceptinghisgratitude,Shasuryucontinuedspeaking:“...Ishallselecttherepresentativeswhowillheadtotheothertribes.Firstis…”

Coldwindblew at night.Because itwas thewetlands, highhumidity and the summeryheat combinedtogether to give people excruciating pain, however at night this heatmellowed and the gusts ofwindwouldevenbeconsideredfreezing.Ofcourseforthelizardmenwithsturdyskin,thishardlyregisteredasasignificantchange.Zaryusustampedalongthewetlands,histargetbeinghispetRororo’shut.Although there was still some time, it could not be said for certain that nothing unexpected wouldsuddenlyhappen,andmoresoitwasnotknowniftheenemywouldabidebytheirdeclaredschedule,orperhaps hinder Zaryusu’s movements. With all these considerations, riding through the wetlands onRororowasstillthemostappropriate.Thestamping footstepssloweddownandstopped.Thebagonhisbackwhichwas filledwithvariousitemsalsoshook.ThereasonforstoppingwasbecausethemoonlightilluminatedthesightofafamiliarlizardmanleavingRororo’shut.Bothindividualsstaggeredatthesightofeachother,andtheconfusedZaryusucrookedhisneckinabow.Theblackscaledlizardmandrewhimselfcloserandclosedthedistance.“...IreckonthatyouaretheonemoresuitabletotakethemantleofClanHead.”ThoseweretheonlywordsofShasuryuwhohadapproachedtowithintwometers.“...Whatareyousayingolderbrother.”“Stillrememberthepreviouslargewar?”“Ofcourse.”SinceZaryusuhadraisedthisquestionduringthemeeting,therewasnowayhewouldnotremember.OfcoursethiswasnotthemainpointofShasuryu’squestion.“...Afterthewaryoubecameatraveler.Atthattimewhenyouhadtheinsigniaburneduponyourchest,youhavenoideahowmuchIregrettedit.EvenifIhadtousemyfists,Ishouldhavestoppedyou.”Zaryusufiercelyshookhishead.Hisbrother’sexpressionatthattimestillremainedathorninhisheart.“...Itisallthankstoolderbrother’spermissionthatIwasabletolearntheabilitytoraisefish.”“Ifitwereyou,evenifyouremainedinthevillageyouwouldbeabletocomeupwiththatmethod.Suchanintelligentmanasyoushouldbeabletobethesupportingpillarofthisvillage.”“Olderbrother.”Thepastwasthepast,thereforeanyhypotheticaldiscussionsstartingwith‘whatif...’werepointless.The

pastwasalreadysetinstone,buttoponderoversucheventswerethesetwomen’sweakness.No,notexactlythateither.“...NotasClanHead,butasyourolderbrother,Icannot tellyouthat thingswillgosmoothlyifyougoalone.Comebacksafely,don’ttrytobebrave.”Inresponsetothisremark,Zaryusurepliedwithahaughtysmile:“OfcourseIwillcompletethismissionwithperfectionforyoutosee.Thistaskisnothingtome.”“Huh.”Shasuryu’sfacebrokeoutintoawrysmile.“Thenifyourmissionweretobeafailure,thefattestfishthatyouhaveraisedshallbemine.”“Older brother, that kind of thing is nothing amazing, and not something you ought to be saying at thismoment.”“...Muu.”Bothmensilentlylaughed.Andthenexchangedseriouslooks.“Soisyourobjectivereallyjustthat?”“...Whatareyousaying?Whatdoyoumean?”ForabriefmomentZaryusunarrowedhiseyes…andthenthoughttohimself“Darn!”.Withknowledgeofhisolderbrother’sinsight,hisreactionjustnowwasamistake.“...Yourspeechinthehutwasasiftoinciteeverybody’sopinion,yetthewayyousaiditwasobviouslywithholdingsomething.”ZaryusufellsilentandShasuryucontinued:“...Thecauseofthepreviouswarwasnotsolelyduetothedisputebetweentribes.Asubstantialincreaseinthepopulationoflizardmenwasalsooneofthereasons.”“Olderbrother…Let’snottalkaboutthisanyfurther.”Zaryusu’sgrimtoneseeminglyconfirmedShasuryu’sstatement.“So…itwasthat.”“...Itcanonlybethat,inordertopreventarecurrenceofthepreviouswar.”Thesewords that Zaryusu spat out implicitly contained his own detestable thoughts and plans. It wassimplytoofoul,andifpossiblehedidnotwishforhisolderbrothertoknowaboutthem.“Sotheniftheothertribesrefusetoformanalliance,whatthen?Becausethosewhoareonlywillingtoprovidesupportandthosewhowishtofleefromtheoutsetwouldsurelyrefuse.”“Inthatcasethen…Theonlyoptionistoexterminatethem.”“Startingwithwipingoutyourowntribe?”“Olderbrother...”HearingthetoneofpersuasioninZaryusu’svoice,Shasuryusmiledalmostinappropriately.“Iunderstand thatyourconcern iscorrect,andIalsoagree.As theguidingfigurefor the tribe,since itconcernsthesurvivalofourtribe,ofcourseIwouldhavetoconsiderthis.Thatiswhyyouneednotbereserved,youngerbrother.”“Iappreciatethosewords.Thenshalltheybebroughttothisvillage?”“No.Accordingtothatpersonthisvillagewasthesecondone,sothemainbattleshouldtakeplaceatthefirst village.Ordinarily itwould be the best strategy to gather at the final village or the onewith thehighestdefence,butifitweretobedestroyedthenitwouldhaveseriousimpactonthesubsequentbattles,thereforeletusestablishourdefensivepositionatthefirstvillage.Toexchangeintelligencereportswithyou,letuscommunicatethroughtheelderdruids’magicsothatyoucandirectlytransmitfromoverthere.”“Understood.”Themagicwhich older brother describedwas a delicate onewhichwas unable to transmit toomuch

contentorifthedistancewastoofaraway,butZaryusujudgedthatitwouldbefineforthisinstance.“ThenIassumethattherewillbenoproblemifwedrawoutrationsforthesoldiersfromyourfarm?”“Ofcourse,butsparethejuveniles.Itwasnoteasytogetthemwheretheyarenow,andevenifweweretoabandonthevillageitwouldeventuallycomeinhandy.”“Deal.Thenhowmuchcanitprovide?”“...Ifwearetalkingaboutdriedconsumables,aroundonethousandtonnesshouldnotbeaproblem.”“Ifitisthat…thenintheshorttermtherewillbenoproblems.”“Ah,Ileaveitinyourhandsthen.So,olderbrother,letmegoahead…Rororo.”ReactingtoZaryusu’svoice,asnakeheadappearedatthewindow.Palebluemoonlightreflectedonthescales,givingoffafantasy-likebeauty.“Wehavetodepart.Canyoucomeoverhere?”RororolookedforamomentatZaryusuandShasuryu,andretreateditsheadbackinside.Thenasoundcameoutlikethatofaheavyanimalmovingthroughwater.“Olderbrother,therearestillsomeissueswhichIwishtohearabout,areyouabletoanswer?Whataboutthenumbers?Dependingonthesituationweneedequipmenttobeusedfornegotiations.”Shasuryupausedslightly,thenreplied:“...Tenwarriors,twentyhunters,threedruids,seventyfemales,ahundredmales,children…that’saboutit.”“...Ah,Iunderstand.”Shasuryugavea tiredsmileandZaryusuremainedsilent.Asuddenloudwaternoisebrokethesilence.Bothmenobservedthedirectionwherethewaternoisecamefrom,andsmiledoutofnostalgia.“Ah,olderbrother,metoo.Ididnotexpectittogrowsobig.WhenIpickeditup,itwassosmall.”“Ialsofindithardtobelieve,itwasalreadyquitelargewhenyoubroughtitback.”The twomen reminisced about the past Rororo. Then four snake heads surfaced on thewater a shortdistancefromthehut,allfourusingthesameactioninsplittingthewaterandheadingtowardsZaryusu.Suddenlythesnakeraiseditsheadsandthefigureofanenormousbodycouldbeseeninsidethewater.Thebeasthadfourreptilianheadsconnectedthroughlongneckstotheenormousfour-leggedbody.Itwasamonster,ahydra.ThiswasthenameofRororo'sspecies.Itwasnotonlyevidentfromthesnakeelements,butalsorecognisablefromthechewingsoundwhenitwasfedwithfish.With anunexpectedly fastmovement unbefittingof its largebody that spanned fivemeters in length, itarrivedbesideZaryusu.ZaryusuclimbedontoRororo’sbackasnimbleasamonkey.“Youhavetoreturnsafely.Inaddition,it’smoreyourstylenottouseyourbrainlikeyoudidinthepastwhenyoushouted“notevenonepersonshallbesacrificed”.”“...Ihavealsomatured,thatiswhathappened.”ToZaryusu’swords,Shasuryusnorted.“Thekidhasgrownintoamannow…Well,alright.Don’tgetintotrouble.Ifyoudonotcomeback,thefirsttargettobeattackedwillbedetermined.”“Iwillreturnsafely.Justwaitforme,olderbrother.”After some timepassed, they exchangedgazes filledwith emotion andwithoutwarning, the twodrewapart.

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Part3

The ninth floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. This floor hadmany rooms of various types. It goeswithout saying that these includedGuildMembers’ andNPCs’ rooms, but also included imitations oflargecommunalbaths,cafeterias,beautysalons,clothingstores,grocerystores,fitnesssalons,nailsalonsandnumerousothertypesoffacilityrooms.Thecreationoftheseroomshadnoactualsignificanceforgameplay.Itwasbecausetheplayersherehadanattachmenttothesethings,orperhapsduetotheplayers’pursuitofanidealcity,orperhapsalongingforthesefeaturesduetothepoorworkingconditionsinreallife.Within these rooms, therewasoneparticular roomwhosemanagerwas theGreatTombofNazarick’sdeputychef.Althoughhisabilitywouldnormallybeusedinthecafeteria,accordingtocertaindaysoftheweekandtimeofthedayhewouldcometothisroomandmakepreparationsforthosethatmightstopby.Theroomwasdesignedintheconceptofabarwithfewregularcustomersandwasilluminatedwithsoftgentlelight.Therewasashelflinedwithalcoholbehindthecounterandeightchairs.Althoughtherewereonlythesefeatures,itwassufficientforaquiettasting.Thedeputychefthoughtofthisspaceashisowncastle,anditgavehimimmensesatisfactionandfulfillmentHowever theatmosphereof theplacealso relieduponcustomershavingrefined taste.Herealised thisminutesaftertoday'sfirstcustomerwaswelcomedin.Glug,glug,glug,phew—Makingasoundlikethat,thatpersondownedhisdrink.Whilewiping theglass,he thought tohimself: forpeoplewhodrink like that, therearemoresuitableplaces.Infact,theninthflooralsohadcommonroomsandtavernfacilities,sotherewasnonecessityforthosewhodranklikethattocometothisbar.Thedeputychefstruggledtokeephisfacefromcontortingat thesightof thepersonchuggingdowntheapproximately500mlbeermugandthenslammingitontothecounter.“Onemore!”Responding to the customer’s request, the deputy chef injected a continuous stream of Polish distilledvodka,andtheninjectedashotofbluefoodcoloring.Hethengentlypresentthecup.“Thisdrinkiscalled‘Lady’sTears’.”Thecustomerlookedatthedrinkwithsuspicion.Afterbeingcasuallyinformedofthisname,andbecauseshedidnotseethecocktailmixingprocess,thecustomerthenrevealedanexpressionofgratitude.“Ah,doesthespreadingbluecoloursymbolisethetear?”“Yes,itisjustasyousay.”Heliedthroughhisteeth.Thewomangrabbedthecup,placeditbesideshermouthanddraineditinonegulplikeonewouldwithaglassofmilkafterashower.Withnohesitationsheslammedtheemptycuponthecounterlikewithherpreviousdrink.“Huu,feelingalittletipsy~”“Youdranktoofast,soitcannotbehelped.Howaboutretiringalittleearlytonight?”“...No,Idonotwanttogoback.”“Isthatso...”Whilewipingtheglass,hefeltannoyedbythewoman’sgaze.

Wanting to say something, yet unwilling to speak out, that is why women are so troublesome.Gentlemenaremoresuitable for thiskindofestablishment,not troublesomewomen.Barringwomenfromentering…isimpossible,itwouldbetoodisrespectfultotheSupremeBeings.Ireallymessedupthistime.The onewho invited herwas none other than himself. Thiswas the result of him greeting her out ofconcernontheninthflooruponseeingherdistraughtappearance.Henowregrettedhisactions,butsincehehadofferedtobeahost,itwasalsonecessaryforhimtodisplayetiquetteasabarownertocustomer.EventhoughIamservingdrinksmadesloppily,Ihavetohandlethisproperly!Havingresolvedhimself,heasked:“Whatisthematter,Shalltear-sama?”Inthatmomentthewoman,Shalltear,preparedtoanswerasifshewaswaitingallalongforthisquestiontobeasked,provingthathisconjecturewascorrect.“Sorry,butIdonotwishtotalkaboutit.”Stopkiddingme.Hisfaceinvoluntarilycontorted,butsincehewasamushroomman,thewomancouldnot comprehend his facialmovements.Neither did she say anything,merely continuing to toywith thedrinkglassonthecounter.“Abitdrunk?”“...Yes,thatistrue.”...Thatisnotpossible.Shalltearseemedtofeelthatshewasalreadydrunk,buthewascertainthatitwasimpossible.Intoxication and poison were seen as the same kind, so a person who had absolute immunity againstpoisoncouldnotpossiblybedrunk.Ofcourse,Shalltear,beingundead,wasimmunetotoxinsandcouldnot becomedrunk.Basically, thosewho came to his store either unequip poison neutralising items, orknewthattheywouldnotbedrunkandjustwantedtoenjoythisatmosphere.Except,Shallteargenuinelyfeltthatshewasdrunk,intoxicatedduetheatmosphere.Wellthen,whattodo?Hethought.Fortunatelyatthismomentheheardtheringingsoundofsalvation.Heloweredhisheadtothearrivingcustomer.“Welcome.”“It’sgoodtoseeyou,Piki.”Thepersonwhoshoutedoutthenicknamegiventohimbecauseofhismushroom-likeappearance.Hewasaregularpatronhere,thebutlerassistantbythenameofEckleya,accompaniedbythemaleservantwhowascarryinghim.Asusual,Eckleyawassilentlyplaceduponthechair.ForEckleyawhowasonemeterinheight,sittingonthetallbarstoolswasadifficulttask.PikifeltitwasoddthatShallteardidn’tmadeanygreeting.Heturnedtofaceher,andfoundherwithherhead facing downwards as she was mumbling something. Listening carefully, it seemed that she wasmakinganapologytotheSupremeBeing.Eckleyaorderedwinewithfakegrandiose:“Thatone.”“Understood.”Hearing that,onlyonespecificdrink floated tomind,onewhich involved thesynthesisof tendifferentstrongspiritstoproduceatencoloureddrink:theNazarick.The exterior appearance was extremely beautiful, and the taste was deeply satisfying, with regularcustomers often commenting that it deserved the name ofNazarick.However itwas not something hewouldrecommendtoothers.

In order to make it even more delicious, he had gone through much trial and error, and it was stillincomplete.Withskillfulmovementsheproducedtheten-coloureddrink,andplaceditinfrontofEckleya.“Theladyoverthere,pleasetrythis.”Afterthis,a‘plick...plock...bang’noisecouldbeheard.Eckleyawantedtoslidethecupovertoheronthecounter.Howeverthatmovewassomethingonlyfoundinmangasorperformedbypeoplewithgreatskill,anddefinitelynotsomethingapenguincouldpulloff.Pikipickedupthedroppedglass,confirmedthatitwasnotdamagedandletoutasighofrelief.Hethentookoutaclothandwipedthespilleddrinkoffthecounter.Withdispleasedeyes,hespokeslowly:“Couldyoupleaserefrainfromwavingyourflipperaround?Ifyouinsistondoingthat,Iwillputyouinabasinandpushyouout.”“...I’mreallysorry.”BecomingawareofEckleyaforthefirsttime,Shalltearraisedherheadandgreeted.“Ah,ifitisn’tEckleya.It’sbeenawhile.”“Awhile…ButweseeeachothereverytimeIcometotheninthfloor.”“Isthatso?”“Yesitis,but…Ihardlyeverseeyouinthisbar.IthoughtthatonlyGuardianslikeDemiurgecomehere.Lasttime,himandCocytuscametogethertoappreciatetheirdrinksquietly.”“Oh,isthatso?”Hearinghercolleague’swords,Shalltear’seyeswidened.“What’stheproblem?Whyareyouactinglikethis?”“It’snobigdeal…No...I’vecommittedagravemistake,thatiswhyI’mfindingcomfortinalcohol,justlikeafailurewould.”EckleyamadeasubtlefacialgesturetowardsPiki,silentlyenquiring“Whatisitwiththisgirl?”,butPikididn’treplytothis,andmerelyshookhishead.Sincehewantedtogivethemamoreenjoyabledrinkingexperience,heasked:“Tolightenupthemood,howaboutsomeapplejuice?”Thetwoofthemweresurprisedbythissuggestion.“Madefromapplespickedfromthesixthfloor.”Theircuriositywerearousedandbothof themnoddedat thesametime.TheirstraightforwardreactiongavePikiastrongsenseofsatisfaction.Whatwasthenplacedonthetableweretwoportionsofunremarkableapplejuice.Hiseyesdriftedovertothemaleservant,butasusual,hisofferwasdeclined.Ofcourse,Eckleyahadapenguin’sbeak,sohehadnotforgottentoincludeastraw.“Arefreshingtaste.”“Althoughitisn’tbad,itlacksimpact…Perhapsitisnotsweetenough?”Thatwastheimpressionthetwopeoplehadafterfinishingitinonego.“Well, it cannot be helped. I tasted a samplewhen I brought it over, and compared to those stored inNazarick,itsflavourisinsufficient.”“Thereareappletreesonthesixthfloor?Idon’trecalltherebeingany.”WhereverShalltearhadheardofthisimpressionbefore,shegavethecorrectanswerbeforePikireplied:“Could it be that it is the one which Ainz-sama brought back? I heard from Albedo that he wasexperimenting to see if outside fruits could be cultivated in Nazarick, to serve as replenishableconsumables.”Pikihadalsoheardofthis.

Apartfromthis,hehadalsoacceptedvariousfoodsfromtheoutsidebecauseitwashistasktoconfirmifitwerepossibletoproduceabilityboostingcuisine.“That’sright,Iheardthat too.If theplangoessmoothly,nextwouldbecultivatingfruitorchards,but itlookslikethesweetnessisstilllackingbyfar.”“No,it’snotlikeitisundrinkable.IwouldpreferthisifIamlookingforarefreshingsweetness.”“...Then who is doing the cultivation at the moment? Aura and Mare are out, could it be that thisresponsibility...hasbeengiventothemonsters?”“No,no.It’sdelegatedtotheforestspritethatAinz-samabroughtbackfromtheoutside.”Wonderingwho itwas,Eckleyamadeapuzzledexpression,whereasShalltear letoutanexpressionofrealization.“Whatishappening?HavetherebeennewpeoplejoiningNazarick?”ShalltearansweredEckleya’squestion.AlthoughPikihadseentheforestsprite,hedidnotknowhowthesituationcametobeandsoheperkedhisearstolisten.Itseemedthattheforestspritewasbroughtbackafterthebattletoconfirmtheguardians’teamwork.Asaresultofsomeagreement,itcametoNazarickandbecameanapplefarmer.<TL:EventsfromDramaCD1>“Nazarickisalsoevolving,becomingmorepowerful.”BothPikiandShalltearagreedwithEckleya’swords.As deputy chef, Piki had no idea of the future plans for the Great Tomb of Nazarick. But now heunderstood thatAinzOoalGown, the final remainingSupremeBeing,hadputhis full effort ingainingpowerinthisworldandbecomingmorepowerful.“Isee.TheninthefuturetheremaybemoreentitieslikethatforestspritejoiningtheranksofNazarick.”ShalltearpuffeduphercheeksandventedherdissatisfactionatEckleya.“Idetestthis.ForthisplacecreatedbytheSupremeBeings…Whyshouldthosefilthythingsbeallowedtoroamthesegrounds?”Healsosharedthesamesentiment.ThisplacewasblessedwiththepresenceoftheSupremeBeings.Forthosewhowereborninthisplace,themerethoughtofoutsidersbeingallowedtoenterwouldcausethemtofrown,buttherewasapointmoreimportantthanhispersonalthoughts.“Wehavetoendurethis.ItisAinz-sama’sdecisionafterall.”ThehighestSupremeBeing,AinzOoalGown’sdecisionwasabsolute. Ifhesaidsomethingwhitewasblack,thenitmustbeblack.“IdidnotmeantoquestionAinz-sama’sdecisions!”TowardsthepanickingShalltear,thetwoothersalsonoddedinagreement.“Theninthefuturewealsoneedtobecomerolemodels,displayingmoreloyaltytoAinz-sama.Idon’tthinkanybodybutyouwillrebelagainstAinz-sama.”“Thatistrue.Speakingofwhich,howisitShalltear?Ifyoujoinmenow,Iwillgrantyouanevenhigherstatusinthefuture—”Eckleya’s started his usual recruitment talk— which would never succeed, but was interrupted by astrangescream.“Hyaaaaa~~”Bothmen’sstaresweredirectedatShalltearwhowascoveringherheadandceaselesslyprofessingherloyalty.“...Whathappened?Hertoneisdifferentfromnormaltoo.”InresponsetotheastoundedEckleya,Pikishookhisheadandshrugged.“Whoknows?”

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Chapter2-Gathering,Lizardman

IthadalreadybeenahalfdayjourneyridingonRororothroughthewetlands.Thesunwasalreadyhighinthesky,yetZaryusuhadnotencounteredanyenemieshewasconcernedabout,andarrivedsafelyathisdestination.Inthewetlands,therewereseveralresidenceswithhousesconstructedinthesamefashionasthoseoftheGreenClaw tribe, surrounded by sharpened spikes facing outwards on all sides.Although therewerewidegapsbetweenthespikes,itwassufficientlyeffectiveinobstructinglargecreaturessuchasRororofrominvading.AlthoughnumberofhouseswaslessthanthatoftheGreenClawtribe,individually,eachonewaslarger.Thereforeitwasnotclearwhichsidehadalargerpopulation.Everyresidencehadaflagattachedtoitbillowinginthewind.TheflagsallboretheRedEyelizardmanmark.Correct,thiswasZaryusu’sfirstintendeddestination—thesettlementoftheRedEyetribe.Aftersurveyinghissurroundings,Zaryususighedinrelief.This was because, fortunately for Zaryusu, their place of habitat was in the same patch of wetlands,consistentwithpreviouslyobtainedknowledge.Heoriginallyreckonedthattheycouldhavemovedawayasaresultofthelastwar,inwhichcasehewouldhavetobeginsearchingfortheirtribe.Zaryusu lookedback in thedirectionwhichhe came from, andalthoughhe couldn't clearly see it, justnarrowlyoutsideofhis lineof sightwashisownvillage.Rightnow,hisvillage shouldbevigorouslymaking various preparations. Although he left with anxiety, he could be fairly certain that the villagewouldbesafefromattackforthemoment.ThefactthatZaryusuwasabletoarriveheresafelywasproof.HewasunabletodeterminewhetherthiswasaflawintheGreatOne’splan,orwhetherhisownactionswerealsowithinitscalculations,butinanycasetheopponentdidnotcurrentlyintendtogobackonitsword,anddidnotattempttointerveneinthebattlepreparations.Of course, even if the so called Great One moved his hand to interfere, Zaryusu could only act toimplementhisbeliefs.Zaryusu leapeddownfromRororoandstretchedhisbody.Although ridingRororoover longdistancesmadehismusclesstiff,stretchinghisbackmadethefatigueseemratherpleasant.Followingthis,ZaryusuinstructedRororotoremainatthispositiontowaitforhim,thentookoutsomedriedfishfromhisbackpackforRororo,toserveasitsbreakfastandlunch.Honestly,hewantedittoforageitsownmealfromaroundhere,butrefrainedfromgivingtheorderduetothepossibilityofdisturbingtheRedEyetribe’shuntinggrounds.AfterpettingeachofRororo’sheadsseveraltimes,Zaryususetoffbyhimselfandproceededforwards.IfhebroughtRororowithhim, theothersidecouldfeelapprehensiveof thehydraandbeunwilling tocomeout.Zaryusuwasheretoformanalliance,anddidnotwishtoappearhigh-handed.Headvancedwhilstmakingsplashingwaternoises.At thecornerofhisvision,Zaryusucould see severalRedEye tribewarriorswalking ina single filearoundtheinneredgeofthespikeperimeter.TheirequipmentwasexactlythesameasthoseoftheGreenClawtribe,notwearingarmourandholdingwoodenspearsmadefromsharpenedboneattachedtothetipofawoodenstaff.Therewerealsopeopleholdingropesusedforrockslings,butsincethesewerenotloadedwithrocks,itshouldindicatethattheyhadnointentionofimmediatelyattacking.

Zaryusutriedasmuchaspossibletoavoidstimulatingtheotherside,soheslowlydrewcloseruntilbothsides arrived before themain entrance.He directed his gaze to thewatchful lizardmen and raised hisvoice.“IamZaryusuShashaoftheGreenClawtribe.ThereisamatterIwishtodiscusswithyourtribechief!”After a while, a venerated lizardman holding a walking cane appeared, with five burly lizardmenfollowingbehindhim.Theoldlizardman’sentirebodyfromtoptobottomhadmarkingspaintedonwithwhitebodypaint.IsthistheElderDruid?Zaryusumaintainedhisauthoritativeposture.Thispersonbeforehimwasanequalintermsofposition,thereforehecouldnotputonanappearanceofweakness.Evenastheelderdruidobservedthemarkonhischest,Zaryusudidnotfalter.“ZaryusuShasha,oftheGreenClawtribe.Ihavecomewithamattertodiscuss.”“...Although Icannot say thatyouarewelcomed, the leaderofour tribe iswilling tomeetyou.Pleasecomewithme.”ThisstrangerhetoricconfusedZaryusu.Whatmadehimperplexedwaswhytheotherindividualwasnotcalledtribechief,andalsowhytheydidnotrequirehimtodisplayan itemtoprovehis identity.Howeversayinganythingat thatmomentcouldupset the other party, and that would spell trouble. Although he felt that something was off, Zaryususilentlyfollowedbehindthelineoflizardmen.

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Hewasbroughttoabeautifulsmallhut.ItwasevenlargerthanZaryusu’solderbrother’s.Thewallsweredyedwithararepattern,provingthattheownerofthehousewasofnobility.Whatconcernedhimwasthatithadnowindows,onlyagapforventilation.Lizardmencouldseeobjectsclearlyinthedark,butthisdidnotmeanthattheyenjoyeddarkness.Thenwhywouldanyonewanttoliveinsidesuchadarkhut?Zaryusuhadmanydoubtsbutcouldn’tturntoanyoneforanswers.Lookingbehindhim,thedruidandwarriorswholedthewayearlierwereallgone.Whenthosewholedthewayhadtoldhimthattheywereleaving,hefeltthattheywerebeingtoocareless.Healmostlethisdoubtslip.ButwhenZaryusuheardthatthiswasthewishoftheleader,ofthetribeactingchief,Hisopinionofthepersonwaitinginsidethehutrose.Althoughhehadpromisedhisbrotherthathewouldreturnsafely,Zaryusuwasalreadypreparedforthepossibilitythathewouldbeunabletofulfillthatpromise.Assuch,surroundinghimwitharmedguardstopressurehimwouldproveineffective.Infact,itwouldonlymakehimfeeldisappointedbythefactthatthiswasalltheycouldmuster.However,iftheotherpartyalreadyknewhisthoughtsandstilldisplayedgenerosity...Possiblyaskillednegotiator,atroublesomeopponent...Ignoring thepeepingeyesfromthedistance,Zaryusuwentstraight to thedoorandannounced ina loudvoice:“IamZaryusuShashaoftheGreenClawtribe,andIhavecomeheretomeetwiththeleaderofthetribe.”Asmallvoicefromwithinrespondedinkind,thevoiceofafemale.Itgrantedhimpermissiontoenter.Zaryusuopenedthedoorwithouthesitation.Theinteriorwasasdarkashehadimagined.

Becauseofthedifferenceinbrightness,evenifhehadnightvisioncapabilities,Zaryusucouldnothelpbuttoblinkafewtimes.Theairinsidesmelledsomethingakintomedicine,mixedwiththescentofherbsthatstabbedthenose.Zaryusuvisualisedanelderlyfemalelizardman,butthiswasnegatedbyreality.“Welcome.”Avoicespokeoutfromwithinthedarkness.Hehadmistakenthevoicefrombehindthedooraselderly.Buthearingitcloseup,itcontainedayouthfulenergy.Finallyaccustomedtothechangeinlight,alizardmanappearedinfrontofhiseyes.White.ThiswasZaryusu’sfirstimpression.Snowwhite scales, a spotless purity. Round, bright red eyes like rubies, and slim limbs that did notbelongtoamale,buttoafemale.Her entire bodywas covered in red and black patterns,meaning that shewas an adult, able to use avarietyofmagicandwas…unmarried.Zaryusuhadoncebeenstabbedbyaspearinthepast.In thatmoment, Zaryusu felt his body burn fiercely as if it had been pierced by a hot iron stake andlikewisehisheartalsoaccompaniedthisbybeatingrapidly,bothcombiningtoproduceafeelingofpainshootingacrosshisentirebody.Therewasnopain,butthen...Zaryusuwaslostforwordsashestoodmotionless.Havinginterpretedhissilenceinherownway,shemerelygaveaself-deprecatingsmile."ItseemsthatIamastrangesightevenforthewielderofoneofthefourtreasures,FrostPain."Albinosinnaturewereexceedinglyrare,partiallybecausetheyweretooconspicuous.Itmadeitdifficultforthemtosurvive.Thesomewhatcivilizedlizardmenhadasimilar tendencyWeaktosunlight,badeyesight, theyhavenotreachedalevelofcivilizationwheresuchfeebleindividualscouldsurvive.Thereforeitwasextremelyraretocomeacrossanalbinoadult.Therewereevencaseswheretheywerekilledatbirth.It should already be considered fortunate if albinos were seen as detestable existences by ordinarylizardmen. There were even some who saw them as a kind of monster, that was why she had a selfmockingattitude.HoweverZaryusuwasnotlikethat."...Whatisit?"Thefemale lizardmaninsideaskedasurprisedquestion towards themotionlessZaryusustandingat thedoor.Withoutreactingtothequestion,Zaryusuletoutatremolocry.Hearingthissound,thefemalelizardmanwidenedhereyesandopenedhermouth,insurprise,confusionandinembarrassment.Thatsoundwasnoneotherthanacourtshipcry.Zaryusucamebacktohissensesandrealisedwhathehaddone.Justlikehowahuman'searswouldturnred,heflickedhistailrepeatedlyinagitation."Ah,no,wrong,waitnotwrong,notthat,thisisn’twhatI..."Zaryusu'sfranticmovementscausedthefemalelizardmantocalmdown,andshesmiled,makingZaryusupuzzled."Pleasecalmdown.It’stroublingifyoumovesoviolently.”“Ah!Sorry.”Zaryusu hung his head, made an apology and then entered the room. At the same time the female

lizardman’staildroopedasifshehadfinallyrelaxed.Howevertheverytipofhertailwasstillfluttering,indicatingthatshewasnotentirelycalm.“Pleasecomeover.”“...Mysinceregratitude.”Enteringintothehome,Zaryususawthattheareawhereshewasindicatinghadacushionwovenfromanunknownplant.Hesatonit,andshesatoppositetohim.“Thisisthefirsttimewehavemet,I'matraveleroftheGreenClawTribe,ZaryusuShasha.”“Thankyouforyourcourtesy.IamtheactingchiefoftheRedEyeTribe,CruschLulu.”Aftertheintroductionswereover,thetwoobservedeachotherasiftoguesseachother'sintentions.Thehutwastemporarilysubmergedinsilence,butthiscouldnotbeallowedtocontinue.Zaryusuwasaguest,thereforeitshouldbethehostCruschwhoshouldsaythefirstword.“First,mistermessenger,Ibelievethereisnoneedforustobesoformal.Iwouldlikeforustospeakfreely,sopleasemakeyourselfcomfortable.”Acceptingtheproposaltospeakwithoutreserve,Zaryusunodded.“Iamtrulygratefulforthat,sinceIamnotaccustomedtospeakingwithaseriousandformaltone.”“Thendoyoumindsharingthereasonforyourvisit?”Althoughsheasked,Cruschalreadyhadaroughidea.Themysteriousundeadwhichappearedatthecentreofthevillage.Magicthatcontrolstheweather,4thtiermagic「ControlCloud」.Andnowthemalelizardmanfromadifferenttribe,onewhocouldevenbecalledahero.Fromhere,therecouldonlybeoneexpectedanswer.AsCruschponderedonhowtodealwithZaryusu’sreply—shefeltallofherexpectationsshatter.“...Pleasemarryme.”…...…...?……?!“...Ha?!”Foraninstant,Cruschdoubtedherears.“Actually,thiswasnotmyoriginalpurposeforcominghere.Ifullyknowthatthisshouldwaituntilaftermyobjectiveiscompleted.ButIcan’tlietomyheart.Youmaylaughatthisfoolishmale.”“A...a...ah...ha.”These were words which she had never heard since the moment of her birth, and ought to have norelevancetoher.Herthoughtsweretorntoshredsinaturbulentstorm,scatteringallovertheplaceandassuchshecouldn'torganizethem.TowardssuchaflusteredCrusch,Zaryusurevealedaforcedsmileandcontinuedtospeak:“Iapologize, Idon’tknowwhat to say,wearecurrently facingacontingency.Your responsecanwaituntilthisisover.”“Uh,ha...haha.”Finally able to piece together her psyche and successfully resume her thoughts, Crusch regained hercomposure.HoweveruponimmediatelyrecallingZaryusu’swordsfromamomentago,herthoughtsonceagainslippedintodisarray.Crusch tried to secretly take a peek at the male’s face in front of her which had an extremely calmexpression.Saying something like that tome, but he’s still so calm…Perhaps he frequently proposes to otherpeople?!Orperhapsheisalreadyaccustomedtothishavingbeenproposedsooften?…Althoughhe

certainlyisratherdashing…Ah,whatamIthinking!Thisispartofhisplan,itmustbe,intendingtocontrolme,makingaproposaltomeandproclaiminglove.P-p-proposingtosomeonelikeme...She,whohadneverhad theexperienceofbeing treatedasa female,wasunable tokeephercoolandfailedtonoticethatthetipofZaryusu’stailwasalsoslightlytrembling.Themaninfrontofherwasalsousingstrengthofwilltocontrolhisemotionsfromdisplayingthemselves.That was why a period of silence resulted. Both individuals required some silent time to allow theexuberancetosettle.Barelytenminuteslater,itseemedpossibletofinallyreturntotheoriginaltopicathand.CruschintendedtoaskZaryusuagainforthereasonforhisvisit,butrememberedthewordsfromearlier....Justhowdoyoubringthatup!Withaslap,Crusch’stailhitthefloorboards.Themaleinfrontofherflinched,almostasifhewastheonewhowasstruck.Thisactionwastooimpolite,andCruschpanickedinside.Evenifhewasonlyatraveler,theotherpersonwasalsoatriberepresentative…andfurthermorenotjustanyordinarylizardman,buttheherowhowieldedFrostPain.Impolitenesstowardssuchapersoncouldsurelynotbeforgiven.Butthisisyourfault!What’smore,saysomething!Zaryusu was in fact reflecting in embarrassment on his rash action, and had chosen to remain silent.HoweverCrusch,whowas preoccupiedwith her emotions as if shewas putting a lid over an activevolcano,didnotnoticethisatall.Thesilencecontinued,butsincethiswasnotasolutiontothecurrentsituation,Cruschwhohadrealisedthisdecidedthatitwasbesttochangethetopic.“Sinceyouarenotfearfulofmybody,perhapsitisnotsurprisingthatyouareahero?”TowardsCrusch’sbarbedwords,Zaryusuworea lookofconfusion thatshowedhewascluelessas towhatshewassaying.Cruschalsowonderedjustwhatexactlyshewasthinking.“Notafraidofmyalbinobody,Imean.”“...It’slikethewhitesnowthatcoversthetopofthemountainrange.”“...Eh?”“...Abeautifulcolour.”Ofcourse,shehadneverheardthislineonceinherlife.W-Whatisthismalesaying!TheinternalpressurebuildingupwithinCruschreachedapointatwhichitcouldnolongerbecontained,andthelidholdingitinwasblownoffwiththissinglephrase.WhilstCruschwaslostinthechaosofherownthoughts,Zaryususmoothlyreachedoutandstrokedherscales.Theirbrightcolourwasofapolishedbeauty…andonthoseslightlycoolscaleshishandsmoveddownwardslikewaterinaflowingriver.Hiss!Itwasashortwarningnoise,butsomethingelsewasmixedwithinherbreathaswell.Itgaveboththechancetoregainsomeoftheirlostcomposure.The two realizedwhatwas just done to her andwhat he just did subconsciously. Their entire bodiestrembled.WhydidIdothat?WhydidIlethim?Doubtbecameanxiety,andanxietyledtoconfusion.Asaresult,twotailsslammedthefloor,violentlyenoughtoshakethehut.Then both of them looked at each other, and confirmed the status of the other’s tail. As if time hadstopped,bothtailsstoppedmoving.“……”“……”

The atmosphere was heavy, or perhaps better described as nervousness. Silence fell upon the twoindividuals, followed by the two secretly stealing glances at each other. Finally managing to get herthoughtsinorder,Cruschaskedhimwithanicygaze,determinedtodetectanyliesinhiswords.“...Whydidyou…allofasudden?”AlthoughCrushhadtroubleexpressingherthoughtsinwords,Zaryusuappearedtohaveunderstoodasherepliedhonestlyandwithouthesitation.“Itwasloveatfirstsight.Besides,deathmayresultfromthewarthistime,andIdonotwishtoleaveanyregretsbehind.”Thissimplehonesty,hiswords thathidnoneofhisemotionsmadeCruschmomentarily lostforwords.However,therewasapartthatshejustcouldnotrelateto.“...EventhewielderofthatfamousFrostPainispreparedtodieinbattle?”“Correct.The opponent is an incomprehensible enemy, onewhich cannot be taken lightly…Have youseen the monster that acted as the messenger? The one which came to our settlement had thisappearance...”CruschacceptedtheillustrationwhichZaryusupassedover,andnoddedaftergivingitacursoryglance.“Yes.Itwastheexactsamemonster.”“Doyouknowwhatkindofmonsterthatwas?”“No.Includingme,nooneinthetribehadanyidea.”“Is thatso…actually Ihavecomeacross thatkindofmonsteroncebefore...”Zaryususpokeup to thispointandpausedtoobserveCrusch’sresponseashecontinued“...andIfled.”“—Eh?”“Itwasimpossibletodefeat.No,toputitnicely,itwasafifty-fiftychanceofdying.”Cruschthenunderstoodthatthemonsterwassuchaterrifyingundead,andheavedasighofreliefthatherdecisiontostopthewarriorsbackthenwastherightdecision.“Itcanemitascreamthatcausesmentalconfusion.Notonlythat, ithasanetherealbodythereforeit isalmostentirelyimmunetowardsattackswithweaponswhicharenotmagicallyenchanted.Usingnumberswillnotwork.”“Amongstthemagicwhichourdruidsuse,thereisakindofmagicwhichcantemporarilyimbuemagiconswords…”“...Isitabletodefendagainstmentalattacks?”“Itisabletostrengthentheresistance,butprotectingeveryone’smentalstatewouldbetoomuchandourstrengthwouldbeinsufficient.”“Soit’slikethat…areallthedruidsabletousethatmagic?”“If it isstrengtheningresistance,almostallof thedruidsarecapableof it.But I’mtheonlyone in thistribewhocanshieldthemindfromconfusion.”CruschnoticedthatZaryusu’sbreathinghadshiftedeversoslightly.ItseemedthathehadalreadynoticedthatCrusch’spositionwasnotmerelyanemptytitle.Correct.ThelizardmanCruschLuluwasanextremelyskilledforestdruid.Maybeevenabovesomeoftheotherelderdruidsamongstthelizardmen.“...WhichnumberwastheRedEyetribeinorderofthetribesthatwereattacked?”“Theopponentsaidwearethefourth.”“Isee…then,whatareyourplans?”Timepassedby.Cruschwascontemplatingwhetherrevealingtheplanswouldbebeneficial.TheGreenClawtribewouldcertainly choose to go towar, and Zaryusu’s objective in coming here should be to form an alliance,

requestingtoheadtobattletogether.Withthatinmind,whatshouldbedoneforthebestsinterestsoftheRedEyetribe?RedEyetribeoriginallydidnotintendtoformanalliance.Theiropinionwastochoosetoseekrefuge.Goingtowaragainstpeopleabletouse4thtiermagicwasanincrediblyfoolishidea.Moreover,knowingthat the undeadwhichwere sent out by the opponent possessed such terrifying abilitiesmade itmoreobviousthattherecouldnotbeanyotherverdict.However,washonestlyrevealingsuchthoughtsreallyforthebest?TowardsCruschwhowastrappedinherownthoughts,Zaryusunarrowedhiseyes,andopenedhismouthtospeak:“LetmetellyouwhatItrulythink.”HavingnoideawhatZaryusuwasabouttosay,Cruschlookedathimwithunblinkingeyes.“WhatIamworriedaboutiswhathappensafterseekingrefuge.”ToCruschwhowasunabletounderstandthemeaningofthissentence,Zaryusucalmlycontinued.“Doyouthinkthataftermovingawayfromafamiliarenvironmentwhichyouareusedtolivingin,youwillbeabletomaintainthesamelifestyleastheonerightnow?”“Impossible…no,itwouldberatherdifficult.”Iftheyweretoleavehereandestablishanewplaceofhabitat,theywouldhavetofightwiththeirlivesontheline——theywouldhavetowinthefightforsurvival.Therealitywasthatlizardmenwereactuallynottheonlyoccupantsofthislake,andtheyhadobtainedthispieceofwetlandsaftermanytiresomeyearsof warring. For this kind of species, it was not possible to easily set up a new habitat in unfamiliarenvironments.“There’salsomorethanenoughchancethattherewouldn’tbeenoughfood.”“Probablyso.”Crusch, who was unable to understand what this male lizardman standing in front of her was gettingtowards,repliedwithasharpsuspiciousvoice.“Then,ifthenearbyfivetribesseekrefugeatthesametime,whatdoyouthinkwillhappen?”“That…!”Cruschfellsilent,becauseshealreadyfiguredoutthetruemeaningbehindZaryusu’swords.Althoughthesizeofthelakewasquitevast,whenatribewouldchooseacertainareatoserveasaplaceofrefuge,thatareashouldalsobetheplacethatothertribeswouldwanttoobtain.Therefore,justmovingtoanewplacecould trigger another fight for survival,nearbywouldalsohaveopponentswhowouldfightforfishasthemainsourceoffoodsupply.Likethis,whatkindofsituationwouldplayout?Finallytherewouldbenoguaranteethatthemostfearedresultwouldarise,thatbeingawarjustliketheoneinthepast.“Don’ttellme…thereasonyouwanttofighteventhoughwemightnotwin…”“...That’sright.Withtheothertribescombined,I’mconsideringhowmanylessmouthswecanfeed.”“Forsomethinglikethat!”Thatwaswhyhewantedtoformanarmy.Soeveniftheylosethebattle,therewouldbelesslizardmentofeed.Inawarforsurvival,itwouldbeextremebutunderstandabletothinkthateveryoneasidefromthebattle-able warriors, hunters, and druids were expendable. No, in the long-term it may be better if the restsimplydied.Lessmouthstofeedmeanslessfoodrequiredtosurvive.Inthatcase,evencoexistencemaybepossible.Cruschfranticallytriedtothinkofreasonstorejecthisidea.“Youdon’tevenknowhowdangerousthenewlocationwillbe,yetyouwanttostartfromthebeginning

withreducednumbers?”“ThenI’llaskyouthis.Let’ssayweeasilywinthebattleforsurvival,whatthen?Ifourfishdwindle,willthefivetribesfightoneanothernext?”“Wemaybeabletocatchmorefish!”“Andifwecan’t?”ShecouldnotanswerinthefaceofZaryusu’schillingbarrageofquestions.Zaryusuactswithwhatistheclosesttoaworstcasescenarioinmind.Cruschthinkswithwishfulthinkingasherfoundation.Ifabadsituationarises,herchoiceswillleadtodisaster,whileZaryusu’swillnot.Andeveniftheyweretobedefeatedandthenumberofadultlizardmendecrease,theywillhavediedagloriousdeathinbattle.“...Ifyourefuse,wewillhavetoattacktheRedEyesfirst.”ThedarktoneofhisvoicecausedCruschtoflinch.ItwasadeclarationthattheywillnotallowonlytheRedEyestofleetoanewlandwiththeirmembersintact.Thatwasthecorrect,reasonablejudgement.IfatribewithreducednumbersfledtoarefugewheretheRedEyes,withtheirfullstrengthundiminished,had settled, the only thing that awaited them there would be doom. Considering the danger, the onlymeasurewouldbeapreemptiveattack.Itwasanobviouschoiceforoneresponsibleforanentiretribe.Ifsheherselfhadbeeninthatposition,shewouldalsohavemadethesamedecision.“Evenifwelosethewar,Ibelievethatallyingwithuswilllowerthechanceoftherebeingbloodshedbetweenourtribesinthenewhabitat.”Crusch,unabletounderstandwhathemeant,showedanhonest,confusedexpressiononherface.Zaryusuexplainedhimselfsothathisrealintentionswouldbecomeclear.“Itwillplantasenseofcamaraderie.Rather thanasdifferent tribes,wewillbeable to recognizeoneanotherasallieswhofoughttogether.”That’sright.CruschchewedZaryusu’swordsinhermouth.Hewasclaimingthepossibilitythattribesthatspilledbloodtogetherwillnotbesoquicktowaragainsteachotheriffoodbecomesscarce.Butherownideasandexperiencecausedhertodoubt.Withherfaceslightlylowered,assoonasshewasabouttofallintodeepthought,Zaryusuposedaquestion.“Bytheway,howdidtheRedEyesovercomethatperiod?”Itfelt likebeingstabbedbyaneedle.Beforesheherselfrealizedit,Cruschjumpedup.Seeinghisfacestraighton,shecouldseethesurpriseonZaryusu’sface,theonewhohadaskedthequestion.Ah,heaskedbecausehereallydidn’tknow.Althoughshehadknownhimonlyforashorttime,Cruschhadgraspedthebasicsofhispersonality,ofthemalenamedZaryusu.Sheintuitivelyrealizedthatitwasnotaquestiontothreatenthem.Crusch narrowed her eyes and stared at Zaryusu.Her gazewas so sharp that it seemed like itwouldpierceaholethroughhim.Unabletounderstandthereasonforherglare,shesawhowitmadehimfeelhelpless.Butevenso,Cruschcouldnotcontrolherself.“—IsthereareasonthatIneedtotellyou?”Shespatoutherwords,tonebrimmingwithloathing.ThechangeinCruschmadehimdoubtwhetherhewastalkingtothesameperson.ButZaryusucouldnotbackdown.Itmightcontaintheanswerthatwillleteveryonesurvive.“I would like to hear it.Was it a druid power?Orwas there anothermethod? Therein could be oursalvation…”

Zaryusustoppedthereandclosedhismouth.Ifitreallydidholdtheanswer,therewasnowaythatCruschwouldlookaspainedasshedidnow.Asifshereadhismind,Cruschsnortedlikeshewasridiculingeverything,includingherself.“You’reright.Thatisnosalvation.”Afterapause,sheworeanexhaustedsmileandcontinued.“Whatwedidwasawaroffratricide—weateourdead.”Zaryusuwasunabletoopenhismouthfromtheshockthatovercamehim.Killingtheweak—reducingthemouthstofeedwasnottaboo.Buteatingyourownwasafoulactandatabooamongsttaboos.Whyisshetellingmethiswillingly?Thisissomethingthatshouldbetakentothegrave.Whydidsherevealittoanoutsider,anenvoy?Doessheintendtonotletmeleavealive?No,thisisn’tthatsortofatmosphere.Cruschherselfcouldnotunderstandwhyshetoldhim.Sheknewwellhowmuchscornthiswouldinvitefromtheothertribes.Sowhy—Hermouthmovedsmoothly,asifitwasnotherown.“Thatday,whenadifferenttribestartedthewar,ourtribealsohadseriousfoodshortagesandwereinadangerous situation. But the reason our tribe did not participate in the war was because we werecomposedofmanydruidsandfewwarriors.Ourdruidswereabletocreatefoodthroughmagic.”Crusch’s mouth did not show any signs of stopping, as if it was being controlled by a differentconsciousness.“Butthefoodourdruidsmadejustweren’tenough,notifyouweretocompareitwiththesizeofthetribeasawhole.Theonlychoicelefttouswastowalkthepathofgradualdestruction.Thenoneday,ourtribechiefbroughtbackfood.Brightredmeat.”—MaybeIwantedhimtolisten…tomysin.Cruschgrindedherteethtogether.Themaleinfrontofherlistenedquietly.Evenifhewasdisgusted,hehiditandlistened.Forthat,Cruschwasgrateful.“Everyonevaguelyknewwhatkindofmeatthatwas.Forthemoment,wemadestrict lawsandanyonewhobrokethemwerebanished.Theonlytimethetribechiefwouldbringbackmeatwasaftersomeonehadbeenbanished.Evenso,weallclosedoureyesandateinordertosurvive.Butsomethinglikethatcouldneverlastverylong.Thegrievancesthatpiledupsuddenlyallexplodedonedayandtooktheformofarevolt.”Withhereyesclosed,sherememberedtheirchief.“We ate…we knew and still ate. Thatmakes us accomplices and yet… looking back on it now, it’slaughable.”CruschfinishedasilentprayerandstaredstraightatZaryusu’sface.Shelookedintohisquieteyesandsawthat theyharborednodisgust.Shefeltsurprisedfromthe joythatsproutedfromsomewhere inherheart.Whydidshefeelhappy?Cruschtoo,vaguelyknewtheanswertothatquestion.“...Lookatme.Onceinawhile,someonelikemeisbornintheRedEyetribe.Sinceancienttimes,theywill display a power. Inmy case, itwas the power of a druid. This leads to us having authority thatalmostrivalsthatofthetribechief…AndIwasthecenteroftherebellionthatsplitthetribeinhalf.Wewonbecausewehadthegreaternumbers.”“Andintheend,thefoodwasdividedupevenlyamongstthosewhowereleft?”“Yes…asaresultour tribemanaged tosurvive.During therebellion—that time, the tribechiefnever

surrendered.Hediedwithcountlessinjuries.Andwhenhereceivedthefinalblow,hesmiledatme.”Asifshewascoughingupblood,Cruschcontinuedtospeak.Itwasthepusthatslowlycoalescedinherheart,eversinceshekilledthetribechief.Thepusthatshecouldneverrevealtothemembersofthetribewhotrustedherandfoughtagainsttheirchief,CruschwasjustbarelyabletoconfessittotheonenamedZaryusu.Thatwaswhyherwordsdidnotstop,likewateremptyingoutatthebottom.“Theywerenottheeyesofsomeonestaringattheirkiller.Nohatred,jealousy,hostility,curses,noneofit.Itwassuchabeautifulsmile!Thechiefalwaysfacedrealitydirectlyandacted.Andwe…weactedonour idealsandhostility.Maybe theonewhowas in the rightwas the tribechief!That’swhat Ialwaysthinkabout!Becausethechiefdied—theonewhowasregardedastherootofallevil,ourtribewasabletouniteasoneoncemore.Andwhat’sevenworse,sinceournumbersweresmaller,weevengotthegiftofnomorefoodproblems!”Thiswasherlimit.Asthetribeactingchief,astheonewhoshoulderedthesin,desperatelyenduringitall,theforceofhercollapsewasasgreatasherstruggle.Theoverflowingmuddystreamswallowedeverything.Thethoughtsthathadbeentorntoshreds,itwasdifficulttochangethemwithwordsalone.Withafaintnoise,althoughhertearsdidnotfall,mentally,shewascrying.Itwasasmallbody.Itwasagreedthatinnature,weaknesswasasin.Ofcourse,childrenweretobeprotected,butregardless,bothmaleandfemalelizardmenemphasizestrengthasavirtue.Onthatpoint,thefemaleinfrontofhimcouldonlybeseenasanobjectofridicule.Onewhogathersatribe,howcouldsheshowsuchweaknessinfrontofastranger,onefromadifferenttribenonetheless?However,whatZaryusufeltinhisheartwasacompletelydifferentemotion.Itcouldhavebeenbecauseshewasabeautifulfemale.Butasmuchashethoughtso,hebelievedthattheonebeforehimwasawarrior.Wounded,groaning, in torment,but still she tries towalk forward.Histhoughtwasthatawarriorofsuchcaliberonlybrieflyshowedamomentofweakness.Onewhotriestostandandwalkforward,thatpersonwasnotweak.ZaryusuapproachedherandhuggedCruscharoundhershoulders.“—Weareneitheromniscientnoromnipotent.Wecanonlychooseourcourseinthemoment.ImayhaveactedsimilarlyhadIbeeninthesameposition.ButIdon’twishtoconsoleyou.Justwherewouldonefindananswerthatiswhollycorrectthisworld.Wemerelywalkforward,thesolesofourfeetbearingcountlesswoundsfromourregretsandsuffering.Youaswell,youronlyoptionistomoveforward.ThisiswhatIbelieve.”Astheirbodytemperatures transferredtooneanother, thoughslight, theycouldfeel thebeatingof theirheartthroughtheirbodies.Theywerecaughtintheillusionofthetwobeatingheartsmatchingtheirrhythmandslowlybecomingone.Itwasamysterioussensation.Zaryusufeltawarmththathehadneverbeforeexperiencedsincethedayhewasborn.Itwasn’tbecausehewashuggingalizardman.IsitbecauseI’mholdingthisfemale,CruschLulu?Afterawhile,CruschseparatedherselffromZaryusu’sbody.Theheatleavinghimwasregrettable,buthecouldnotmentionitoutofembarrassment.“I’veshownyousomethingshameful…doyouscornme?”“Justwhichpartof itwasshameful?Anddoyouseemeas the typeof foolishmale toscornsomeonegettingupandwalkingforwardthroughthepainandsuffering?Youarebeautiful.”

“——！——！！"Awhitetailrepeatedlyslammedagainstthefloor.“WhatshouldIdo.”WithoutevenbeingabletoaskthemutteringCruschwhatshemeant,Zaryusuaskedadifferentquestion.“Anyway,doestheRedEyetribecultivatefish?”“Cultivate?”“Right,it’sraisingthefishthatwillbecomefood.”“Wedonot.Fisharenature’sblessing,afterall.ThecultivationthatZaryusuwastalkingofwasatechniquethatwasnotknowntoanyofthelizardmentribes. The idea that they could raise their preywith their own handswas an idea that fundamentallydifferentfromtheirwayofthinking.“Thatseemstobethedruidwayofthinking.Wouldyounotcaretocompromise?Raisethefishwiththesolepurposeofeatingthem.Thedruidsofmyowntribeagreed.”Cruschnoddedherhead.“ThenIwillteachyouhowtocultivatefish.Theimportantpartiswhatyoufeedthem.Youcangivethemthefruitscreatedfromthedruids’magic.That’llgreatlyenhancetheirgrowth.”“Isitreallyokayforyoutosharethat?”“Of course. There’s no use keeping it hidden. It’s more important that many tribes survive using thismethod.Cruschdeeplybowedherheadandraisedhertailhigh.“Thankyou.”“Yourgratitude…thereisnoneed.Inreturn,Iwishtoaskyouagain.”ThegratitudedisappearedfromCrusch’sface.Seeingherbehaviour,Zaryusucalmedhisheart.Thequestionthatabsolutelycouldnotbeavoided.BothZaryusuandCruschinhaledatthesametime.Andheasks.“WhatwillbetheRedEyetribe’scourseofactionregardingtheupcomingwar?”“...Fromtheconsensusofyesterday’smeeting,wewillbefleeing.”“ThenIwillaskCruschLulu,thetribeactingchief.Andtoday,isthedecisionunchanged?”Cruschdidnotanswer.HeranswerherewilldeterminethefateoftheRedEyetribe.Itwasobviousthatshewouldhesitate.However,therewasnothingforZaryusutodohere.Allhecoulddowassmileawkwardly.“...It’syourdecision.Thereasonthattheprevioustribechiefsmiledatyouwasprobablybecausehewasleavingthefutureofthetribeinyourhands.Thennowisthetimeforyoucarryoutyourmission.Ihavesaideverythingthereistosay.Allthatisleftisforyoutochoose.”Crusch’seyesdartedsearchinglyaroundtheinteriorofthehut.Shewasneitherlookingforanescape,norseekinghelp.Butsimplytodrawoutthecorrectanswerfromwithinherself.Whatevershedecides,Zaryusuwouldacceptit.“Iwillaskasthetribeactingchief.Howmanyrefugeesareyouplanningtoevacuate?”“For each tribe’s refugees I’mconsidering tenwarriors, twentyhunters, threedruids, seventymales, ahundredfemales,andafewchildren.”“...Andtherest?”“—Dependingonthesituation,theywilldie.”Cruschwordlesslystaredupintospace,thensuddenlymuttered.“—Isee.”“Thentellmeyourdecision,RedEyetribe’sactingchief,CruschLulu.”

Cruschdevisedcountlessideas.Ofcourse,killingZaryusuwasalsooneofthepossiblechoices.Shepersonallydidnotwishtokillhim.ButactingchiefCruschwasdifferent.Whatifthewholetribefledafterkillinghim?Shediscarded that idea. It’s futurewas toodangerous.Also, therewasnoguarantee thathe reallydidcomealone.Thenwhataboutpromisinghimbeforefleeing.Thiscouldalsobecomeaproblem.Ifthingswentwrong,itwouldsetoffawarbetweenthemandtheRedEyetribe.Theywouldbecomeatargetofpopulationdepletion.Theotherside’strueintentionswouldbetoreducethepopulation,itwouldnotmatterwhothetargetwas.Intheend,hefiguredthatshouldtheanswerbenotoforminganalliance,ZaryusuwouldprobablyreturntohisvillageandleadanarmyheretoexterminatetheRedEyetribe.However, not knowing if Zaryusu had realised, therewas one loophole. In the end, the food problemwouldn'tberesolved.Cruschsuddenlysmiled.Fromtheverystarttherewasnowayout.FromthemomentZaryususuggestedtohertoformanalliance;FromthestartwhentheGreenClawtribe'sphaseofactionbegan—TherewasonlyonepathofsurvivalfortheRedEyetribe,thatwastoformanalliancewiththeothersandparticipatetogetherinthewar.Likewise,Zaryusushouldhaveunderstoodthisreasoning.Evenso,hehadtowaitforCruschtopersonallyrespond.HeprobablywantedtodiscernwhetherCruschwhowasincommandofthetribe’slizardmen,hadthequalificationstobecomeanalliancepartner.Allthatwasleftwaswhethershewantedtovoiceoutherdecision.Except, afterdeclaring thatdecision, therewoulddefinitelybemany individualswhowould lose theirlives.However—“Letmefirstmakeonethingclear.Wearenotgoingtowarforthesakeofsacrificinglives,buttoobtainvictory.Ihaveperhapssaidmanythingswhichhavemadeyoufeelunsettled.However,wewanttobetheoneswiththestandingandlaughingvictoriously.Pleasedonotbemistakenonthispoint.”Cruschnoddedtoexpressherunderstanding.Thismalelizardmanreallywaskind.Withsuchthoughts,Cruschvoicedoutherowndecision.“...We, theRedEye tribe shall cooperatewith you, because I do notwish to see tribe chief’s smilebecomemeaningless,andalsobecauseitwillgrantRedEyetribesmenachanceatsurvival.”Cruschloweredherheadinadeepbow;hertailwasstraightandelevated.“—Iamextremelygrateful.”Zaryusunoddedslightly.Thatelevatedtailexpressedacomplexthoughts,moreintenselythanhiswords.

♦♦♦

Earlymorning.ZaryusustoodinfrontofRororo,lookingtowardsthemainentranceoftheRedEyetribe.Hecouldnotresistopeninghismouthwideandyawning.LastnighthewasaguestspectatorataRedEyeconferenceuntil lateatnight, thereforehewascurrentlya little fatigued.However therewasnotmuchtimeleft,anditwasnecessarytovisitanothertribewithintoday.Zaryusudesperatelyfoughtagainsthisdrowsiness,butmomentarilysubsidedtoitandgaveanotheryawn,buttheonethistimewasevenlargerthanthepreviousone.AlthoughsittingonRororowasnotcomfortableenoughforsleeping,hefeltlikehewasabletodoso.Aftertakingaglimpseoftheyellowsunwhichhadjustrisen,Zaryusuturnedhisgazebackat themainentrance,and then felt someconfusion.Thiswasbecauseacuriousobjecthad just runoutof themaingate.

Itwasabundleofgrass.Therewereweedsgrownontopofaclothingwhichwassewntogetherfrommanylongstripsofclothandthreadsclothes.Ifoneweretolayonthewetlandsandobserveitfromadistance,itwouldlooklikeabundleofweeds.Ah,IbelieveIhaveseenasimilarmonstersomewherebefore—ZaryusuwasjustrecallingasighthehadseenduringhistravelsasatravelerwhenRororobehindhimletoutawarninglowgrowl.Of course Zaryusu understood who that bundle of grass actually was, and it was impossible to beincorrectbecauseherwhitetailwasslightlyvisible.Ashewasstaringblanklyat thatexcitedlyswayingtailwhilstat thesametimereassuringRororo, thatbundleofweedshadalreadyarrivedbesideZaryusu.“—Goodmorning.”“Un,goodmorning…lookslikeyouunifiedtheentiretribewithoutahitch.”HeturnedhisgazetowardstheRedEyetribe’sresidence.Sinceearlyinthemorning,thegatheringareahad already been palpitating with murderous intent.Many lizardmen were frantically running around.Cruschalsostoodononesidefacingthesamedirectionandreplied:“Yes, noproblemshave arisen.Todaywe shouldbe able to arrive atRazorTail tribe settlement, andthosewhowishtofleehavealsoalreadypackedup.”Thedruidsinsidethevillageusedmagictopassonasituationupdate.RazorTailtribewastoldthattheywouldbethefirsttribetobeexterminated.ThefirsttribewhichwouldbewipedoutwasnottheDragonTusktribe,thereforethiswasmoreadvantageousintermsoftiming.“ThenCrusch,whywouldyouwanttocometoourside?”“Theanswer isverysimple,Zaryusu,butbeforeIgivemyreply,first tellmeonething.Whatareyourplans?”Afteryesterday’smeetingwhich tookplace fromevening to earlymorning, the two individuals felt noreservationevenwhencallingouteachother’snames.Thereasonwasbecausetheyhadbecomefamiliarenoughthateventheirmannerofspeakingtoeachotherhadchanged.“Comingupnext,Iplantovisitanothertribe…theDragonTusktribe.”“They are the tribe where strength means everything right? I heard that their fighting force was thestrongestoutofallthetribes.”“Erm,youareright.Seeingastheothersideisatribeofwhichwehaveneverexchangedwithbefore,wehavetoprepareourselvesmentally.”Allinformationontheothersidewascastwithaveilofmystery.Thereforejustheadingtowardstheotherside’sbasewasanextremelyperilousmatter.Furthermore, theyhadabsorbed thesurvivorsof the twoexterminatedtribesofthepastwar.Thisfactmerelyelevatedtheupcomingdanger.To the defeated from the two tribes, Zaryusu,who played an active role in the previouswarwas anabsolutelyhatedenemy,detestedtotheirverybones.Evenso,theywerethemostneededhelpinghandoutofallthetribesforthiswar.“Ifthatisso…then,itisstillbetterformetogowithyou.”“—What?”“Isitsostrange?”Theweedpilemadeasmallmovement,andletoutafaintwhisperingnoise.Becausehecouldnotseeherface,hecouldnotknowwhatherintentwas.“Idon’tmeantosaythatitisstrange…butitwouldbeverydangerous.”“Istherestillaplacethatissafenow?”

Zaryusu stayed silent.Hewas calmly thinking, bringingCruschwith himwouldbe beneficial inmanyways.Howeverasamalelizardman,hestillhadreservationsagainstbringingafemalelizardman,whomhehadfeelingsfor,toaknowinglydangerousplace.“—Ireallyamnotcalmenough.”AlthoughCruschwashiddeninsidethegrass,andherexpressioncouldnotbeseen,shealmostseemedtosmileslightly.“...Then,letmeaskyouanotherquestion.Whatiswithyourappearance?”“Doesitnotlooknice?”Thequestionofwhetheritlookedniceornotwasastrangeone.However,wouldn’titbebettertogivealittlecompliment?Zaryusudidnotknowhowtorespond,andafteramomentofdeepthought,sizeduptheother’sunseenexpressionandreplied:“...Ishouldsaythatitlooksgood…right?”“Howcanthatbepossible.”Cruschsteadfastlyrejectedthis.Zaryusufelthisstrengthdrainfromhim,thatcouldn’tbehelped.“ItissolelybecauseIamweakagainstsunlight,thereforewhenIheadoutside,Ialmostalwaysdresslikethis.”“Sothat’swhy…”“Ah,youhaven’tgivenmeyouranswer.Willyouletmetravelwithyou?”Anyfurtherdiscussiononthiswouldprobablynotswayhermind.Fromthepointofviewofforminganalliance,bringingheralongshouldbeadvantageousforobtainingthisobjective.Shealsothoughtalongthesamelines,whichiswhysheprobablymadethissuggestion.Withthatbeingsaid,therewasnoreasontorefusehercompany.“...Iunderstand,thenpleaselendmeahelpinghand,Crusch.”Cruschwasdelightedfromthebottomofherheartasshereplied:“—Understood,Zaryusu.Leaveittome.”“Areyoualreadypreparedfordeparture?”“Ofcourse.Mybackpackisalreadyfilledwithallthevariousnecessaryitems.”Afterhearingthis,Zaryususubtlyassessedherbackregionanddiscoveredthattherewasaslightlumponthe surface of the grass. A fresh grass smell wafted from that area, as well as some concentratedfragrance.Sinceshewasaforestdruid,thereforethereshouldbesomeherbalrelatedskills,thatwaswhythecontentsinsideshouldbefilledwithrelatedgoods.“Zaryusu,youlookverytired.”“Ah,yes,Iamabit.Thepasttwodayshavebeenhectic,I’mlackingsleep.”Atthismoment,awhitescaledhandstretchedoutwardsfromunderneaththeweedcostume.“Foryou.Thisisastrengthreplenishingfruit.Youeatitalongwiththeskin.”Therewasapurplefruitontheoutstretchedhand.Hesitantly,Zaryusuplaceditinhismouthandgaveitabite.Hismouthwasimmediatelyfilledwithasuddensharpandbitter taste,gettingridofabitof tiredness.Certainlyforraisingalertness,thiseffectwasbarelypassable,butaftercontinuouslychewingitmultipletimes,suddenlyagushoftasteexplodedfromthetopofhistongue.Notonlythat,buteventhebreathhespatouthadthesametaste.“Muu,whatiswiththiscoolingsensationthatevenpermeatesthenasalcavity?”Zaryusu subconsciously shouted out his brother’s catch phrase. Seeing his reaction, Crusch could notresistchuckling.“Doyoufeelthatyourdrowsinessisslowlydisappearing?Therealityisthatithasnotactuallyvanished,

pleasedonotgetoverlyfamiliarwiththissensation.Itisstillbetterthatyoufindtimetorest.”Zaryusu felt that his mind was clear and refreshed because of his inhaled and exhaled breaths, andbecause his entire body was filled with a cooled sensation. Feeling satisfied, Zaryusu nodded andreplied:“ThenletusfindsometimeandhaveaquicknaponRororo.”Having said this,Zaryusu immediately climbedon topofRororo’sback, followedbyCrusch likewiseclimbing upwards. The unfamiliar feeling of having aweed pile laying against its bodymadeRororounhappilyglareatZaryusu,buteventuallythoughtofamethodtoreassureit.“Thenlet’sbeonourway.Becausetheridewillbebumpy,holdontome.”“Gotit.”CruschhuggedZaryusu’swaist—thepricklyfeelingoftheweedsgaveZaryusuabitofanitch.“......”Thedifferenceintheactualfeelingandwhathehadimaginedittobelike,madethecornersofZaryusu’slipscurl.“—What’swrong?”“No,nothing.Rororo,let’sdepart.”Whatwasitthatmadehersojubilant?Crusch’sextremelymerrylaughtercamefrombehindhim,makingZaryusuirresistiblyrevealawidesmileontopofRororo’sback.ThenewlydominatedToveforestwasfullofsilence,everylivingbeingwasafraidoftheking’sgazeandheldtheirbreath.But,onlythisplacewasdifferent.Thesoundsoftreesbeingcutdownandvoicesspreadthroughoutthesurroundings.Thegolemsherewouldmakeone thinkofheavyconstructionmachinery—Heavy IronMachine,weretransportingwoodenlogstoaconstructionareaofahugebuilding.Thisbuildingstillhadalongwaytogobeforecompletion,thefoundationwashuge,andasmallpartwascompleted.Workingwithinthisareawereagroupofgolemsandundead.Outoftheundeadworkinghere,mostofthemwereElderLiches,whoworeconspicuousredrobes.Uponeachone’sshouldersweredemonsabout thirtycentimeters inlength,sportinglongbatwingsandredcopper-coloredskin—demonsknownasimps.TheimpsliftedtheirvenomoustailsuphighinordertopreventthemfromdrippingpoisonandhindertheElderLiches.OneparticularlyhardworkingElderLichopeneduptheplansinhishands,andgaveorderstotheworkinggolems.Lookingatthegolemswhostoppedandobeyedhiscommand,hecomparedtheconstructionsiteandtheplansinhishands.Afteralittleconsideration,hespoketotheimpsittingonhisshoulder.Afterlistening,theimpexpressedhisunderstanding,flappedhiswingsandflewupintothesky.Withflyingthatcouldnotbeconsideredelegant, theimpsurveyedtheareawithhiseyesopenedwide.Notlongafter,theimpfoundhistargetandquicklyflewdownwards.ThatpersonwastheGreatTombofNazarick’sSixthFloorGuardian,AuraBellaFiore,andalsooneofthenewkingsofthisforest.TheDarkElfgirlusedarolleduppaperasamegaphone,allowinghervoicetotravelfar.Theimpflewdownandstoodinsaluteinfrontofher,Auratheninquiredinafamiliartone.“Good~nowwhichgroupareyoucomingfrom?”“Aura-sama,itwouldbeGroupU,number3.”“UGroup,goodgood,understood.Nowwhatelseistheproblem?”Theonesworkinghereweredividedintogroupsnamedwithletters,fromAtoU,eachgroupwassentto

adifferentarea todoadifferent job.FromAura’smemory,sheremembers thatGroupU’sjobwastheconstructionofthestoragewarehouse,whoseconstructionprogresswasalsothesecondfastest.TLNote:AtoUmeanstheJapaneseLanguageHiraganasystem,whichisA,E,I,O,U.NotEnglish!“Thereareproblemswiththewidthofthelogsusedforconstruction,areweabletorequestforalittlemoreti—Atthismoment, theimp’svoicesuddenlystopped, thiswasbecauseasoundcameoutfromapieceofironhangingaroundAura’swrist.“Itsbreaktime~”Hearingabubblyfemalevoice,thecolorofAura’sfacesuddenlychanged,herearsdroppeddown,andchangedintoanembarrassedexpression.“Yes,understood,SimmeringTeapot-sama!”Auraenergeticallyrepliedtothevoicefromherwrist.“So,becauseitisalreadytimetoeat,theworkforthismorningwillendfornow.”Out of all themonstersworking in the area, almost all of themdidn't need to eat.On that issue,AuraherselfwasalsowearingtheRingofSustenance,andneededneitherfoodnorsleep.Butsinceherownmaster worried about the wellbeing of everyone and always said “Always have a good rest”, shefollowedhisinstructionhappily.“Althoughitwouldberudetoyou,butitistimeforrest,sopleasecomebackinanhour.”“Understood,thenthissubordinatewilltakehisleave.”Theimpquicklyleftandflewintotheair,leavingonlythesoundofhisflappingwings.Lookingat the impgoing towardswhere theconstructionof thewarehousewashappening,Aurashookhershoulders,thenlookedatthestraponherwrist.Thistimesheshowedanexpressionfilledwithhappiness.Thiswasarewardgiventoherbyhermasterbecauseofallherhardwork.Ofcourse,towardstheirmaintaskasaFloorGuardian,workinghardattheirjobwasagiven,anddidnotwarrantareward.Infact,itshouldbeobvioustogiveallthatshehasforthemaster.However,shecouldnotjustrejectthewristwatchgiventoherbyhermaster.“Hohoho,IreallywanttohearmoreofSimmeringTeapot-sama’svoice.”Aurawarmly touched the strap on herwrist.Her current actions could be comparativelywarmer thanwhenshewastouchingherownpets.AllthevoicesthatcamefromthisinstrumentwerefromtheonewhocreatedAura.Eventhoughthevoiceswereonlyusedtotellthetime,thisstillservedtosatisfyAuragreatly.When she heard that her younger brother had received the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown, she felt a littleenvious,buthonestlyspeaking,rightnowshefeltthattheobjectsheobtainedwassomuchbetter.“Hohohohohohohoho.”Aura’searsdrooped,andshelookedshylyatthestrap.Shelookedatthelightshiningbrightlyontothestrap,andsatisfyinglynoddedherhead.“WhydidAinz-samasetsometimeswhenitcannotbeused?”Ainz-samaorderedthatthetimes7:21and19:19cannotbesetasalarmtime.“Eh...whydon’twejustaskhim?Ah,thisisbad!”Auralookedatthenumbersonthestrap,andquicklyranoff.Infrontofwhereshewasgoingwasamaid.Oneofthe41maidswithintheGreatTombofNazarick,ahomunculuswhoseouterappearancewasthatofabeautifullady,butshewasanexception.Herheadwasthatofadog,withaverticallinerunningdownthecenterofherfacelikeascarwithsignsofstitching.Itfeltasthoughherfacethathadsplitintotwohalveswerebeingsewnbacktogether.

HernameisPestuniaSWanko.SheistheGreatTombofNazarick’sHeadMaid,andalsoaHighPriest.“AsperAura-sama’swishes,Ihavebroughtahamburger,aswellastwopickles,frenchfrieswithskinon,thedrinkwouldbecola…Woof.”Afteralongpause,sheletouta“woof”sound,makingAurathinkthatshemayhavejustforgottentoadditattheend.ButAuradidnotsayanythingspecialaboutthis,becausetherewassomethingelsethathadherattention.Itwasthesmellwhichwouldmakeone’sstomachgrowl.AlthoughtheRingofSustenancemadeitsothatonedidnothavetoconsumefood,itdidnotmeanshecouldnoteat.Alsoeatingshouldbeafortunatething,especiallyifitwasfoodthatwassodelicious.“Speakingoftheoveralleffectofeatingthis…”“Ah,noneed,noneed,Iamnoteatingthisforthesakeofabeneficialeffect.”“Understood.”AurawalkedtowardsthesideofPestunia,whereamealcartwasemittingafragrantsmell.“Timetoeat,timetoeat.”Pestunia,uponhearingAura’sself-composedmealsong,tookoffthesilverlidofftheplateonthemealcart.“Aah~”Auracouldnothelpbutstareintentlyatthefoodrevealedbeforeher,atthesametimespokethewordsthatimmediatelycametohermind.“AlthoughA7beef isalsogood,but Imuchpreferamixtureofbeefandpork. Ifonly Icoulduse thatcombinationtocreatea3layeredmeatpie.”“Then,thisservantwillconveyyoursuggestiontothechef.”“Ahsorrytotroubleyou!”Aurathentooktheplateandhappilywalkedaway.ZaryusuobservedtheDragonTuskTribe’ssettlementbeforehim.Atthesametime,abundleofvegetationappearedfrombesidehim.Needlesstosay,thatbundleofvegetationwasactuallyCrusch.Shereachedoutherhandouttopartthegrass,revealingwhatZaryusuthoughtwasabeautifulface.“Doyoureallywishtodirectlychargeinside?Areyoutryingtoclashwiththemhead-to-head?”“Wrong, it is theopposite.TheDragonTuskTribevaluesstrengthheavily. Ifwewere tocasuallypartfromRororoandentertheplace,wecouldquitepossiblycomeacrosspeoplepickingafightbeforeweevenmeetwiththetribechief,andthatwouldbetroublesome.ProceedingforwardwhilstridingRororowoulddeterthatkindofsituationfromarising.”AfterridingRororoforwardforadistance,variouswarriorsthroughoutthevillagemusthaveseenthem.Eachonewasholdingweapon,andwatchingZaryusu’sgroupwithunwaveringgazes.Sensinghostileintent,Rororoletoutalowgrowl.ZaryusulistenedtoRororo’swarningandindicatedforittocontinueproceedingforward.Continuingforwardwouldeventuallyigniteintobattle.Yet theykeptproceedingforwarduntil theyhadreached a threshold, a brink where anything could happen at any moment; before Zaryusu finally letRororostopandjumpeddown.Cruschalsofollowedsuitandwasdowninamoment.Several warriors’ sharp gazes were directed towards the two individuals. Those gazes carried suchintensitythattheywerenolongersimplyhostilebutoutrightmurderous.Cruschwasslightly intimidatedbytheirgazeswhichcausedher tohalthersteps.Althoughshewasanincrediblyskilledindividualamongstdruids,shelackedexperienceofbeinginthefrontlines.Conversely,Zaryusu tookonemorestep forward.Usinghalfhisbody to shieldCrusch,he shoutedoutloudly:

“— I am the representative of theGreenClawTribe,ZaryusuShasha, andmyvisit here is to discussmatterswiththetribechief!”Hispowerfulbellowingvoiceseemedalmostasifitwoulddispersethemurderousintentaroundthem.TheDragonTuskTribewarriorswereallstartledandseemedalmostasiftheywereintimidated.Followingthis,Cruschalsospokeup,announcingherself:“IamtheRedEyeTribe'sactingchief,CruschLulu,andlikewiseIhavecometovisitthetribechief.”Althoughher voicewas not loud, it carried the pride and self-awareness of a tribe leader.Theyoungskinnyfemalelizardmanfromearlierwasgonewiththeencouragementofthemale’sself-confidentvoice.“Onceagain,weareheretoseethetribechief!Whereishe!”At thismoment, the atmosphere around themwas rippling. Itwas just like themood of the scene hadsuddenlyturnedintoactualattackingforcedirectedatthetwoofthem.EachofRororo’sfourheadsdidasomersault.Openingits jaws, it letouta threateningroarinallfourdirectionsas it shook itsheadsandglaredangrily.As thegigantichydra’s sharpgrowlemanated, fearseemedtopermeatethesurroundingsastheatmospheretensedup.“...Therewasnoneedtoprotectmefromsomethingsotrivial.”“I did not intend to protect you, because you cameof your ownvolition.However, I am the onewhoallowedtheirentiretribetoperish,thereforeitoughttohavebeenonlymyselftoshouldertheirhostilegazes.”Warriors started togather at the interiourof the tribe settlement.All of themweremuscular andburlylizardmen with light scars on their scales, suggesting that they were veterans of countless of battles.HoweverZaryusuperceivedthatthetribechiefwasnotamongstthem.Eachofthelizardmenweremerelywarriors.Noneofthemcarriedauthoritylikehisolderbrotherdid,norhadastrangeappearancewiththeconfidentatmosphereofbeingtribechieflikeCrusch.During this period when only Rororo was emitting an intimidated sound, each individual lizardmanmaintainedahighlevelofalertness.Atthismoment—“Haah!”Crusch exhaled a breath of air, letting out aweak sound.However, Zaryusu,who predicted that therewould eventually be one lizardman making an entrance, remained unmoved. This was because evenbefore the opponent had shown himself, he could feel that there was an enormously powerful beingslowlygettingcloser.Buthestillcouldnothelpstaringdumbfoundedatthelizardmanwhoappearedinfrontofhim.Tosimplyputit,thatlizardman’sappearancewassimplybizarre.The opponent was an enormous individual with a body build exceeding two hundred and thirtycentimetersinheight.Thisfeaturealonewouldbeinsufficienttojustifycallingitbizarre,thereforetherewereotherreasonsfordescribingtheappearanceassuch.Firstly,hisrightshoulderhadaweirdouterappearancebeingrelativelythicker thantheother, just likehowfiddlercrabshaveaunilaterallygiantclawononlyoneside.No,hisleftshoulderwasnotthinatall,withathicknessaboutthesameasZaryusu’sownshoulder.Itwassimplyhisrightshoulderwhichwasabnormallythick,andthiswasnotbecauseofillnessorcongenitalmalformation,butwasactualmuscle.Hisleftarm’sringfingerandpinkywerecompletelygone.Hismouthwaspartedfarbackwards,perhapsasaresultofacutinjury,andhistailwassquashedquiteflat,notlikealizardman’sbutrathermorelikeacrocodile’s.However,evenwhencomparedtothese,themoststrikingfeaturewas—theinsigniasearedonhischest.AlthoughitwasdifferentimagetotheoneonZaryusu’schest,themeaningwasthesame,provingthatthislizardmanwasalsoa‘traveller’.

ThatlizardmanwiththestrangeappearancesizedupZaryusu,andletoutaterriblelaughterashisteethclashedtogether,soundinglikecollisionbetweendeadwood.“Welcome,wielderofFrostPain.”Hisdeepvoicewasextremelyfittingforhisappearance,exceptithadtheeffectofmakingevenplaintalksoundthreatening.“Thisisthefirsttimewehavemet.IamtherepresentativeoftheGreenClawtribe,Zaryu—”Thelizardmanwavedhishandindicatingthatintroductionswerenotnecessary.“Justthenamewilldo.”“...IamZaryusuShasha,andthisisCruschLulu.”“Thatpersoncannotbe…aplantmonster?However,sinceyoualreadybringahydrahere,bringingalongamonstertobeitsfoodshouldn’tbetoomuchofasurprise.”“...Thatisnotthecase.”TowardsCruschwhowas about to shed herweed costume, the strange looking lizardman once againwavedhishandtoindicatethatitwasnotnecessary.“Don’ttreatmyjokeforreal,howtroublesome.”“—!”Feelinguninterested,thestrangelookinglizardmangaveabriefglanceatthebundleofweedwhichwasCruschbeforeonceagainturninghisgazetowardsZaryusu.“Then,whyhaveyoucome?”“Beforethat,wouldyoupleasegiveusyourname?”“Ah.IamthetribechiefoftheDragonTuskTribe,ZenberuGugu.FeelfreetocallmeZenberu.”Zenberurevealedhisteethashesmiled.Althoughitwaswithinexpectations,thefactthatatravellerwasalsothetribechiefstillcameacrossasstartlingnews.Butthenonthecontrary,thiswasalsothemostacceptableanswer.Itwasimpossiblethatsuchapowerfulmalelizardmanwasmerelyatraveller.Intruth,atthemomenthehadappeared,thesurroundinghostileintenthadimmediatelydispersedlikesmoke.Thismalelizardmanpossessedsuchlargeauthorityaswellashavingextraordinarycombatprowessandcohesiveness.“You may also call me simply as Zaryusu. Then, Zenberu, please let us know if there has been anyunnaturalmonsterwhichhasvisitedyourvillagerecently.”“Un,thatSupremeOneperson.”“Sincetheopponenthasbeenhere,themattertodiscussbecomesmuchsimpler—”Zenberuraisedhishand,interruptingZaryusu’sspeech.“Icanroughlyguesswhatyouplantosay.However,weonlybelieveinstrength.Unsheatheyoursword.”Theburly lizardman standingbeforeZaryusu— theDragonTusk tribe chief,ZenberuGugu—smiledrevealingamouthfullofteeth.“What!”OnlyCruschexclaimed.Zaryusuandthesurroundingwarriorsallshowedexpressionsofagreement.“...Thismethodissimple,DragonTuskTribeChief.Itkeepsthejudgmentbrief,andwastesnotimeatall.”“Youtrulyareanoutstandingemissary.No,sinceyouarethemasterofFrostPain,thatshouldbeagiven,right?”

♦♦♦

Selectingthestrongestasthetribechief—forlizardmenthiswasanaturalandordinarymatter.However, foraproblemwhere thesubsistenceof the tribewasat stake,wassucha simplemethodof

determining an answer appropriate? Shouldn’t this be a matter to be discussed and evaluated byeverybody,takingdetailedanalysesfromdifferentapproachesbeforearrivingataconclusion?Crushthoughtassuch,thenrealisedhowcomingupwiththisideawasincredulous.Inreality,allof thesurroundingobservingwarriors,regardlessif theyweremaleorfemale,allagreedwiththetribechief’sjudgment.Ifitwerebefore,sheherselfwouldalsofeelthatthisdecisionwasoneoftheoptions.Thenwhydoesthecurrentmefeeldoubtaboutthis?Wheredidthisdoubtoriginate?Didshethinkthiswaybecauseshehadsufferedthemagicattackofsomestranger?Impossible.Whenitcametomagic,shewasconfidentthatshewouldnotlosetoanyone.Cruschturnedtolookatthetwoindividuals.ZaryusuandZenberu.Thetwoofthemstandingtogetherlookedlikeachildversusanadult.Ofcourse,bodyphysiquedidnotdetermineeverything,andasamagiccastersheunderstoodthispointfully.However after seeing the difference in body buildwhichwas like that of heaven and earth, shecouldnothelpinternallyscreamingoutatherselfthatshedidnotwishforittobelikethis.Donotwish?Ihopethattheydonot—no,doInotwishforthemtobattle?Cruschwantedtocomprehendwhysuchamiraculousfeelingwouldswellupinsideofher.Whydidshenotwishforthistohappen?Whydidshenotwishforthemtofighteachother?Therewasonlyoneanswerwhichwasobvious.Cruschletoutaslightsmile.Itwasbothawrysmileandalsoaself-mockingsmile.Youcanonlyhonestlyadmititnow,Crusch.Youdon’twantZaryusutofightbecauseyoufearthathewillbeinjured…fearthathemaypossiblydie.Simplyput,thatwasthematter.Inthiskindofbattle,onlyrarelywoulditendwiththedeathofoneparty.Howeverthemeaningof‘rare’meantthattherewasstillapossibilityofithappening.Ifthefightescalatedtoonewhichinvolvedalossof reasoning, a lifecouldbeeasily takenaway.Bornasa female lizardman, shedidnotwish thatherpartnerwouldlosehislifebecauseofhisparticipationinthisbattle.Thisalsomeanttosaythatinfact,subconsciously,CruschhadlongalreadyacceptedZaryusu’spledgeoflove.Itisbecausenomaleinthepasthadtreatedmelikehedid…thatwaswhyIwouldsosimply…ifit’slikethis,doesitmeanthatIameasilyswooned?Eh,intheveryleastIfeel…abithappyandalsoabitsaddened…ah,really,enough!Honestlyacceptingherfeelings,CruschwalkedtothesideofZaryusuwhowaspreparingforbattle,andgentlytappedhisshoulder.“Areyoumissinganythinginyourpreparations?”“Nothing.Therearenoproblemsatall.”OnceagainCruschtappedhisshoulder.Hispowerfullybuiltshoulders.Froma young age, she hadwalked the path of a druid, and had come into physical contactwithmalelizardmen’sbodiesduringprayers,anointmentofmedicine,andwhencastingmagic.HoweveritseemedlikethistimespenttouchingZaryusu’sbodywasevenlongerthanthoseprevioustimesaggregated.SothisisZaryusu’sbody…ah.Whenfacingbattle,hotbloodflowingthroughthebodyinflatedthepowerfulmusclesallowingotherstosensehismasculinity.

“...Whatisit?”SinceCruschhadstillhadnotletgo,Zaryusumomentarilyfeltthatthiswasstrange.“—Eh?Ah,that…thisisadruid’sblessing.”“This…willyourancestralspiritsstillassistmeeventhoughIamofadifferenttribethanCrusch?”“Mytribe’sancestorsarenotsonarrow-minded.Goodluck.”Crusch withdrew her hands from Zaryusu’s shoulders, and prayed in her heart for her ancestors’forgiveness.Thiswasbecauseshehadliedinordertowishforthemanofherheart’svictory.At thesametime,Zenberuwasundergoingsimilarpreparations. Inhis rightwristheheldanenormousspear—ametalspearwithalengthclosetothreemeters,onewhichordinarylizardmenwouldneedbotharmsinordertouse.Thenhecasuallygaveitawave.The lateral sweepingmotiongeneratedagustofpowerfulwind, such thatCrusch,whowasadistanceawayfromthatsweepingmotion,alsofeltit.“Willvicto…no,iseverythingalright?”“Aboutthis…Iwilladapttothesituationasnecessary.”Crusch originally intended to askwhether it was possible for him to win, but she did not speak out.Zaryusuknewhewasfacingabattlewheredefeatwasnotanoption.Thenthismalelizardmancouldnotpossiblylose.Theyhadonlyfamiliarisedovertheirhalf-dayjourney,andhadonlymetsinceonedayago,butifanythingCruschunderstoodonethingwell.ThismaleLizardmanwasworthyofbeingfanciedbyher.“Then,areyourpreparationscomplete?BearerofFrostPain…ah,Zaryusu.”“Theyarecomplete,andwecanstartanytime.”ZaryusucoolyturnedtohavehisbackfacingCrusch,andwalkedintotheperimeterofthefightzone.Cruschexhaledonebreath.Thereasonwasthatshecouldnotresistgazingathisbackfigure.Crusch’shandwasincontactforaverylongtime—actuallyitwasnotthatlong—andthewarmthleftonhisshoulderwasalreadyslowlydisappearing.Theupcomingbattlewouldbesimple,similartotheoneusedfordeterminingtribechief.Becauseitwasa one versus one fight, therefore the involvement of third parties by addingmagic enhancementwas aviolationoftherules.Whenthewarmthwasstillonhisshoulders,Zaryusu’smindwassentintodisarray.WhilstCrusch’shandshadnot lefthisshoulders,healmost thought thatshehadcastsomedefensivemagiconhim,butashertribe'sactingchiefsurelyshewouldnotbeoblivioustothisrule.Then,evenwhentheothersidehadclearlynotusedenchantmentmagic,whydidhecurrentlyfeelsofiredupinside?Was itbecausehehimselfwasamale,andwanted toputonagoodperformance in frontofa female?Olderbrotheroncesaidthathewastoodense…butthisphraseseemedtobeuntruenow.Zaryusu entered into the circle made up of lizardmen and swiftly unsheathed Frost Pain. The swordrespondedtoZaryusu’scommandandgaveofffrostywhitemist.Thesurroundinglizardmenburstintoclamour.They knew the previous wielders of Frost Pain, and were also survivors of the Sharp Edge Tribe,thereforewouldhavepersonallyrecognisedtheprowessofFrostPain.Seeing the ability which only the true owner of Frost Pain could bring out, Zenberu’s hideous facialexpression turned into one of delight, revealing his teeth as he growled deeply, just like awild beastwould.Towardsthelizardmaninfrontofhimblatantlygivingoffaneagernesstofight,Zaryusuonlycoldlythrew

outasentence:“Iwouldn’twantyoutosufferseriousinjuries.”Thisprovocativespeechheightenedthesurroundinglizardmen'santipathytothemaximum,howeverthesubsequentwater splash and sound of collisionwith thewater surface brought about by extraordinarymomentumsilencedthesurrounding.ThatwastheresultofZenberustabbingthewetlandswithhishalberd.“Oh…thenletmetastedefeatwithsatisfaction!Hearmewell!IfIweretodieinthisbattle,hewillbeyourtribechief!Therewillbenoobjectionstothis!”Thesurroundingwarriorsshouldhavedisagreed,butnobodyvoicedoutanobjection.Intruth,ifZaryusureallydidkillZenberu,everybodywouldgivetheirobedienceeveniftheyhadtobitetheirlipstodoso.“Verywell,bringyourresolvetokillmetothefight.Ishouldbeyourtoughestopponenttodate.”“Indeed…understood.Then,ifIweretodiebyyourhands—”Zaryusu’sgazeslightlyshiftedbackwardstowardsCrusch.“Ofcourse,Iwillletyourwomanreturnhomesafely.”“...Not‘mine’justyet.”“Ho,lookslikeyoureallydowishtochasethatweedmonster.Isthatfemalelizardmanthatgood?”“Extremelyso.”ZaryusuignoredthefemaleLizardmansquattingwithherhandscoveringherface.“ThatIreallywishtoseeformyself.IfIwin,justbeforeIlethergo,whydon’tIcutheropenfirst.”Upuntilthen,Zaryusuhadawarrior’swillingnesstofight.Nowanothermotivationtofighthadsurfaced.“...ItseemslikeInowhaveareasonformetoabsolutelynotlose.IwillnotletafellowlikeyouseeCrusch’sface.“Youreallydolikehertothepointthatnomedicinecansaveyou.”“Yes,thatishowmuchIlikeher.”TherewereseveralfemalelizardmenwhospokesomewordstothekneelingCrusch,andsheimmediatelygaveadenyingresponsebyshakingherheadtosignalthemthattheyshouldjustignorethosetwofornow.“Ha!”Zenberudelightedlylaughedoutloud.“Thendefeatme!Ifyouweretopassaway,itwouldallamounttonothing!”“Thatwasmyintentionallalong.”ZaryusuandZenberu’sexchangeofwordsconcludedatthispointandtheylookedateachother.“—I’mabouttomakemymove.”“—Bringit.”Bothlizardmenexchangedbriefwords,butneithermadeanymovement.Justasthesurroundingobservinglizardmenwerestartingtogetrestless,Zaryusubegantoslowlydrawcloser.Theywereinthewetlandsfilledwithwater,yetnosplashescouldbeheard.Zenberuremainedstillashewaited.Momentslater,themomentwhenZaryusuclosedin—SomethingflashedwithaloudbangbeforetheeyesofZaryusuashelepttotheside.ThatwasthesoundmadebyZenberu’shalberd.Therewasnotechniqueinvolved;itwasjustasimpleswing.Butthatwaswhyitwassoshocking.ZenberutookastancewithhishalberdashepreparedtoattackZaryusuagain.Withjusthisrighthand,Zenberuwasable towield thatgianthalberd.After each tornado like swingingaction,hewasable toimmediatelyresumehisoriginalstance.Zaryusuwaspuzzled.

Therefore,inordertoconfirmtheintentionoftheseactions,heonceagainjumpedintotheenemy’sattackrange—andwasagaingreetedwithanotheridenticalfiercehorizontalswing.ZaryusublockedwithFrostPainandagreatimpactlandedonthehandhewasholdingFrostPainwith,andhisbodywasknockedback.Tosendagrownlizardmanflyingwithonearm,hisarmpowerwasindeedextraordinary.—Bloodboiledwithexcitement.WhenthewarriorssawtheirChiefdisplayunrivalledarmpower,theyroaredloudly.Zaryususwayedhistailtoregainhisbalanceasheretreated.Heshookhisnumbhandashesquinted.What…isthisallabout?Zaryusufocusedonthegiantbodyrightbeforehiseyes.Whatisthis?Heis…tooweak.Zenberuwasquickaslighting,andwouldsendZaryusuflyingifheblockedwithhissword.Butthatwasall,therewasnothingscaryaboutthat.Zenberu’smovementswereakin toakidplayingwitha stick: therewasno technique to speakof, justpowerfulswingswithbruteforce.Butwasthatreallyall?Withthatgiantarmofhis,Zenberushouldbeabletowielditmoreskillfullythanthis.Isheholdingbacktoluremeoffguard?Zaryusufeltthatwasn’tit.Wellbeingwaryofthisunknownstrangefeeling,herethoughthisstrategy.Zenberuwhohadyettotakeastepaskedwithasmile:“Well?YouarenotgoingtouseFrostPain’sability?”ThatsneerwasprobablyatauntandZaryusudidn’treacttoit.“IwasdefeatedbythewielderofFrostPaininthepast.”Zaryusu remembered, he knew who Zenberu was referring too. That person was the chief of ‘RazorEdge’,theonewhowaskilledbyZaryusu.ZaryusueasedhisfocusonZenberuslightlyandobservedthesurrounding.Amongthehostilityhefeltaroundhim,theoneswiththestrongestkillingintentshouldbethesurvivorsfrom‘RazorEdge’.“Thetwofingersonmyhandarelikethisbecauseofthatfight.”ZenberushowedhislefthandwhichwasmissingtwofingerstoZaryusu.“Ifyouusethepowerthatguyunleashedtodefeatme,youmightbeabletowin.”“Isthatso?”Zaryusuansweredcalmly.Indeed,thatabilitywasstrong.Andbecausesthatabilitycouldonlybeusedthriceaday,hehadagreatchanceofwinningifheweretoutilizethatability.ZaryusuonlydefeatedthepreviousownerofFrostPainbecausetheabilityhadbeenusedup.Ifhehadusedthatability,Zaryusuprobablywouldhaddied.ButitwasimpossibleforsomeonewhoknewtheabilityofFrostPaintotaunthimintousingit.Zaryusutightenedhisguard.Idon’tunderstand…Anyway,thingswillneverendifwedragonlikethis,Ishouldattack.Zaryusumadeuphismindanddashedinwithtwicethespeed.ZenberuswunghishalberdatZaryusuwithamazingspeed.Zaryusudidn’tdodgeandblockeditwithFrostPain.EveryonewhosawthisthoughtZaryusuwouldbesentflyingback.

Swordandhalberdclashed—andtheattackwasparriedeasily.Therewasnoneedtouseabilities.Zenberuwasmerelywieldingthehalberdlikeakid,anditcouldbeparriednomatterhowhardheswungit.Zenberuopenedhiseyeswithshocked—no,itwasadmiration.At the same time,Zaryusu charged towardsZenberu—giving himno time towithdraw the halberd todefend.Evenifhehadthatkindofmuscle,itwouldtaketimetopullthedeflectedhalberdback.ThatwasenoughtimeforZaryusutoclosein.Thenextinstance,FrostPainslashedtowardsZenberu’sbody—---Bloodsplashedout.Aloudcheereruptedandasoftcrycouldbeheard.Theonewhowasbleedingandretreatingwasn’tZenberu.ItwasZaryusuwhowasbleedingfromthetwocutsonhisface.Contrarytohis tacticsofar,ZenberutooklargestridestowardsZaryusutoattackwithhisweapon,notlettinghimgetaway.Thatweaponwas—claws.FrostPainandtheclawsclashedwithacrispmetallicring.Afterthat,thesoundofthehalberdfallingintothewatercouldbeheard.“Wargghhh—!”Zenberubreathedoutdeeply,andattackedconsecutivelywithhislargearmashesteppedforward.Unlike the childish halberd play earlier, Zenberu’s attack with claws was on the level of a master.Zaryusufinallyunderstoodafterthemostimportantinformationwasleakedout.Zenberuwasnotawarrior,butamonkwhouseshisownbodyasaweaponbyutilizingaspecialenergycalledQi.ZaryusublockedthechopwithFrostPain.The claws of lizardmenwere harder than humans, but not so tough that they could emit suchmetallicnoise.That’sright,thiswastheresultofhardeningthebodyparts—suchasclawsandfangs.Anabilityknownas‘NaturalSteelWeapon’,anabilityofmonks.Itwassaidthatapunchofamonkwhohadreachedthehighestlevelcoulddestroythehardestmaterialadamantium.Butjudgingfromthefeeloftheexchanges,Zenberuwasn’tatthatlevelyet,hewasatmostatthelevelofsteel.Evenso,hewasonparwithoneofthefourtreasuresofthelizardmen,FrostPain,andthatwasnottobetrifledwith.Thetwoofthemexchangedblows.ZenberuattackedwithhisclawswhileZaryususlashedwithFrostPain.Theyevadedeachothersattackandleptback,pullingawayfromeachother.“—Hahah,youarestillalive!”Zenberulickedthebloodandmeatonhisfingers.Zaryusuusedhislongtonguetolicktheredliquidonhisface.Zaryusufeltlucky,forhavingavoidedtheclawtohiseyes.Hewashurt,butitwasjustanick,hecouldstillfighton.Hewasthankfultotheancestor’sprotectionand—MaybeIdodgedthatbecauseofCrusch’sancestors.ZaryusuwasgratefulwhileZenberucomplainedunhappily."Speakingofwhich,youseemtobeholdingbackbyrefusingtousethatability."Zenberuclenchedbothfistsandrepeatedlybeathischest.“Myapologies,butIhavenointentiontousethatmove.”“Eh?Thendon’tcomplainafteryourdefeatthatyoudidnotuseyourfullstrength.”

“Afterexchangingblowswithme,youstillthinkIamthekindofpersonwhowouldsaysuchathing?”“...No,Idon’tthinkso.Sorry,Ihavesaidtoomuch.However—ifyoudonotplannotusethatmove,thenit’smyturnnow!”Withthesoundofpiercingwind,ZenberulaunchedakicktowardsZaryusuwithhislegthatwasasthickasatreetrunk.Themovementwasmadewithoutashredofhesitation.AsZaryusuwasavoidingthatlegthrust,heswungFrostPaintosliceZenberu.Howeverametallicsoundrangoutandtheswordwasdeflected.Zaryusuwidenedhiseyesinexclamation.Ifoneweretouseabladetoblockanattackbyflesh,theattackingpartywouldbetheonetobeinjured,thismuchwascommonsense.However,utilisingmonk'sQienergyoverturnedthislogic.Thiswastheeffectof'SteelSkin'.Atthemomentthatanattackcameintocontactwiththeuser’sskin,thisspecialabilitywoulduseQitoenvelopthebody,turningskinintothetoughnessofsteel.Thisabilitywasthesameas'NaturalSteelWeapon',wheresimilarlytheamountoftrainingthatwasputintorefiningthetechniquemeantthatagreatertoughnesscouldbeachieved.Theopponent’sskinhaddeflectedamagicsword.Thismeantthattheopponenthadalreadyrefinedthemonkabilitytogreatheights.HoweverZaryusuremainedconfidentthatvictorywaswithinhisgrasp.Itwasn’tthatthedifferenceinbothparties’battletechniquewasastronomical,butratherthatZenberu’scircumstanceswereinherentlyrelativelyunfavourable.Allowingonetobeoverwhelmedbycontinuousattacks.Kicks,tailsweeps,punches,chops,attacksofallsorts.Zenberureliedonhisbody’sabilitywitheachstrike,whichwasnotonlyfastbutalsoheavy.Facingsuchanenemy,evenZaryusuhadtodrophisoffencetomaintainhisdefence.Continuousattackswerefollowedbyevenmorecontinuousattacks.Ifheweretoforgodefendingagainsttheenemy’scrushingattacks,Zaryusuwouldnodoubtbedefeated.The surrounding lizardmen believed that the tribe chiefwhowas launching continuous attackswithoutstoppinghadvictoryinhisgraspandwereshoutingoutencouragements.Zenberu’sclawsoccasionallygrazedZaryusu,easilybreakingapartthehardscalesprotectingthebody,causingfreshbloodtoflow.Hisinjurieswerenotlightatall.Zaryusu’sbodywas fullof thesewounds.His lifewas like a candle in thewind, and itwouldnotbesurprisingforhimtosurrenderatanymoment.Theevidencewasalloverthelizardmen’sfacesastheyrevealedjoyfulsmilesindelightfortheirvictorioustribechief.However,Zenberudidnotsharetheirsentiment.Every time a continuous strikewas blocked,Zenberu felt that victorywas slipping further and furtheraway,whichdistressedhimimmensely.The blade of Frost Pain harboured cold frostwhich stacked frost injuries for every cut it inflicted onenemies.Inaddition,ithadaneffectwhereanyenemycomingintocontactwiththeweaponwouldsuffersomefrostinjuries.Inotherwords,merelybyexchangingcontactbetweenthebladeandflesh,Zenberuwasslowlybeingerodedbythefrost.Withbothhandsfrozenandbothlegsnumb,hismovementsbecamemoreandmoreslower.What a shame... because the previous fight was such a quick defeat… I didn’t even know that itoriginallyhadsuchanability!Itseemslikeitdoesn’tjusthavethatoneability!Nowonderitisoneofthefourtreasures!ItwaspreciselybecauseZaryusuknewthattheitemhadsuchaneffectthathechosetosticktodefence—Rather, that was why he would choose this method as it was able to guarantee causing harm to the

opponent.ItwasbecauseofthisthathedidnotevadeZenberu’sattacksbuttookthemheadon.Thischoicewasthemostcautiousandalsoanelaboratepathtovictory.Itwasflawless.ForthecurrentZenberu,itwasthegreatestenemy.TowardsZaryusuwholeapedover,Zenberureleasedapowerfulpunch.Ifthismoveweretobeblocked,Zenberu’schancesofwinningwouldplummet.Zenberufeltlikehewaspickingasolofightagainstanimpregnablefortress.Ah,ah,whatashame,canInotdefeathim…However,Ihavewaitedforthismomentforaverylongtime!Herecalledthememoryofgoingbyhimselftopickafightwiththatmalelizardman.Sincethen,hehadbecome much stronger, and had gone through never-ending back-breaking training in order to obtainvictory.When he heard the news that the person who had defeated him had been killed, he had feltimmensurateregret,andyethehadnotstoppedhistraining.Allinpreparationforthisdaytocome.Astribechief,hehadbeenunabletoseteverythingasidetogopickachallenge,thereforewhenheheardthatthewielderofFrostPainhadarrivedinthevillage,hewashard-pressedtocontainhisjoy.Hecouldnotallowthisfight,whichhehadbeenwaitingforallthistime,toendsoeasily.Zenberu punched and kicked, yet his sense of touch was gradually diminishing, and his Qi too wasincreasinglyineffectiveinreachinghishandsandfeet.Evenso,hestillattackedrelentlessly.Sostrong,evenstrongerthanthefellowfromthattime!Seeing as he himself had trained unceasingly, this male lizardman in front of him must have alsoundergonecontinuoustrainingunabatinglyupuntilthispoint.Sincethestart,bothlizardmenhadnotdrawnanycloserduringthefight,andofcoursehecouldalsofindanexcusebysayingthathehadlosttotheabilityofFrostPain,buthedidnotwishtousesuchcowardlywords.Incredible! No wonder he is the master of Frost Pain! The strongest male lizardman amongst alllizardmen!On the outside, Zenberu did not stop his continuous attacks, yet inside he was calmly complimentingZaryusuwhowasusingFrostPaintoblockhismoves.Injuries,bloodflow,andmoreinjuries.Crusch,whowasunwaveringlystaringatthisferociousmatch,hadalreadyforesawtheoutcomethroughheroutstandingdruidabilities.Trulyincredibleinsight…thathehadalreadyfiguredoutthefightroughlyjustafteritstarted.ShetookinalargesurpriseatZaryusu’sexcellentcapabilityasawarrior.Thesurroundingceaselesslyemanatedwithsoundsofencouragement.Thosecheeringweredirectingtheirardortowardstherelentlessattacker,atZenberuwhoappearedtobecompletelyprevailingagainsthisopponent.ThesurroundinglizardmenseemedoblivioustothefactthatZenberu’slimbswerealreadyslowingdowninmovement.Zaryusuwasstrong.Cruschwasconfidentinthisconclusion.Almostallofthelizardmenreliedonstrongandrobustbodies,usingbrutestrengthtofight,butZaryusu…no,evenZenberuaswell…reliedontechniquetofight,andFrostPainwasmerelyasupportingasset.Assuch,aboutthiscurrentsituation…thegapbetweenthetwoindividualsandFrostPainwerelargelyrelated, but Crusch understood clearly that Frost Pain was not the sole factor in bringing about thisoutcome.Hypothetically,ifoneweretogiveFrostPaintoanordinarypersontouse,wouldthatpersonbeabletodealwithZenberulikethis?

Theanswerwasprobablynot.Zenberuwasnotsuchaneasyopponent.The weapon was indeed powerful, but Zaryusu who was able to beautifully utilise the the weapon’sabilitywaslikewiseafirstclasswarrior.Butevenmorecommendablethanthatwashissharpandinsightfulmind.Zaryusuhadbeenabletoevadetheopponent’sstrikewhenhehaddroppedthehalberd,becausehewasevercautiousandconstantlyobservingthesituation.Hefirstobservedtheopponentforhis trumpcard,andrealisedthatthehalberdwasmerelyabluff.Having faced the tough decision of being branded a traveller, yet having the resolve to shoulder theconsequences,justwhatelseandhowmuchknowledgehadhebroughtbackduringhistravelsapartfromrearingfishandthesebattletactics?Withoutbeingawareofit,CruschhadalreadybecomefirminthebeliefthatZaryusuhadvictoryinhisgrasp.Rightnow,herheartwasbeatingrapidlynotoutofworry forhimbut foranother reasonasshegazedsilentlyatthatmalelizardman’sface.“Hereallyisanoutstandingmalelizardman.”Theexcitingbattlemulledawayeveryone’stimeeasily,butforthetwowhowerefighting,itfeltlikeaverylongtime.Theywereoutofbreathandthephysicalandmentalexhaustionwasmuchgreaterthanthetimethatwasspent.Zaryusuwhoretainedhiswilltofightdespitebleedingalloverhadcommendablecourage.Hereceivedhighpraise fromthe lizardmenwatchingforkeepingupwith theirchieftain far longer thananyoneelsecouldmanage.Suddenly,Zenberuwhoseemedtobeinchesawayfromvictorydroppedhisbattlestance.ThesurroundinglizardmenwaitedwithbatedbreathforZenberutoannouncehisvictorywhenheshouted.Butthecontentwastheoppositeofwhattheyexpected.“Itismyloss!”Theirchiefshouldhavebeenmomentsawayfromvictory.Sowhydidthechiefdeclarehisloss?OnlyCruschknewthatthiswouldhappen.Sheranbrisklyintothecenterofthecircleformation.“Areyoualright?”Zaryusubreathoutdeeplywhenheheardthatquestion.Heloweredtheswordinhishandandansweredexhaustedly:“Nomortalwounds…Itwon’taffectanyfuturebattles.”“...Good,Iwillhealyouwithspells.”Cruschmadearustlingsoundwithhergrassattireandrevealedherface.Zaryusu felt a soothing warmth over his wounds, different from the searing pain he suffered earlier.Zaryusuimmersedhimselfinthesensationofenergyflowingintohisbodyandturnedhisheadtofacethegiantlizardmanwhofoughtadeadlyduelwithhim.Zenberuwas surrounded by his tribesmen as he explainedwhat exactly happened andwhat Zaryusu’stacticwas.“Thatshoulddo.”Aftercastingherspelltwice,Cruschannouncedthetreatmenttobecomplete.Zaryusulookeddownathisownbody.Therewasstilldriedbloodonhisskin,butthewoundshadhealedcompletely.Zaryusucouldstillfeeltightnesswhenheflexedhiswounds,butitdoesn’tseemlikethosewillripopen.“—Thankyou.”“Youarewelcome.”

Cruschsmiledbrilliantly,shelookedbeautifulshowingherpearlwhiteteeth.“—Howpretty.”“Ah…!”Hertailhitthewatersurfacehard.Thetwoofthemfellsilent.Cruschwassilentbecauseshewasbaffledbyhowcasually thismale lizardmansaid thesewords.ForCruschwhowasnot used to compliments, itwas not good for her heart to hearZaryusu say them toooften.On the other hand, Zaryusu didn’t understand why Crusch didn’t respond. Could he had made somemistake—suchafeelingofuneaseflashedacrosshismind.Actually,hehadalwaysfelthis lifewouldhavenothingtodowithfemalelizardman,sohedidn’tknewwhatkindofreactiontomake.Unexpectedly,Zaryusuwasalsoataloss.Asthetwoweretroubledandwonderingwhattodo,avoicesavedthem.“Heyheyhey,youaretooenviableyoubastard.”Thetwoofthemlookedtowardstheonespeaking—Zenberu.Zenberuwasdumbfoundedmomentarilywhenthetwoofthemreactedthesameway.“Eh~whiteone,canyouhealme?”ZenberuwasunmovedevenafterseeingCrusch’salbinoface.WhenCruschrecalledherimpressionafterseeingZenberu’sappearanceforthefirsttime,sheunderstoodZenberu’slackofreaction.“Alright…Butwoulditbeaproblemnottoletyourtribaldruidtohealyou?”“Yeah,itdoesn’tmatter.Don’ttalksomuch,I’mhurtingrightnow,evenmybonesarefreezing,canyouhurryup?”“Youaretheonewhowantmetodothis,remembertoexplaintoyourdruids.”“Yes,Iamtheoneforcingyou,soplease.”Cruschsighedandstartedhertreatment.Zaryusufeltthenumberofhostilegazeshadfallen,andlookswithgoodwillhadstartedpoppingup.“Okay,I’mdone.”Cruschcastedmorehealing spellsonZenberu compared toZaryusu.Thismeant thathiswoundsweredeep,althoughitdidn’tshow.“Oh,yourskillisbetterthanthedruidsfrommytribe.”“Thankyou,butIseldomdothisforothertribes…No,thankyouforyourcompliment.”“Well,ourinjuriesaremended,let’sgointothemaintopicfortodayokay?Itisabittoorushforyou?”“Oh!Let’shearwhatyouwanttosay—AlthoughIwantedtotellyouthat…”Zenberupausedwhenhereachedthispoint,andthensaidwithasmile:“Butlet’shaveadrinkfirst!”ZaryusuandCrusch—thebothof them lookedpuzzled,as if theydidn’tunderstandwhatZenberuwassaying.“Troublesomeformalmattershavetobediscussedinabanquet,youunderstand?”Lettingtheotherpartyknowyourstrengthwillgiveyoutheadvantageinnegotiations.Zaryusuunderstoodthathehadtoriskhislifeforthisasthiswashowlizardmendidthings.Buthecouldn’tunderstandthebehaviorofthrowingabanquetsince‘GreenClaw’didn;thadsuchacustom.Itseemeddepravedtopartyrightafteradeadlybattle.“Idon’tgetit…”A sense of resignation washed over Zaryusu, making him show his surprise honestly as he answeredsoftly.Butwavesofregretappearedinhisheartimmediately,forhehadshownsuchachildlikereactiontoatribalchiefthathadyettoallywithhim.ZaryusucouldalsofeelCruschlookingathimwithaweird

gaze.ForZaryusuwhohadnoexperiencewithlove,itwasimpossibleforhimtosensethatCruschwaslookingathimbecausetheoneshelikeshaddisplayedanewside.Itwasalookofcuriosityadoringsomethingcute.“No,whatImeantisthatdrinkingtoomuchwilldullthemindandthatwillbetroublingforme.”Zaryusuchangedhiswordsinapanic,butZenberudidn’tseemtomindandreplied:“Heyheyhey,youarea traveler, right?Ifyouwant to learnknowledgearoundhere, thatwouldbe theDwarvesright?”“No,Ididn’tlearnfromthedwarves,butfrommenlivingintheforest.”“Isthatso?Thenrememberthis,friendswhodrinktogetherwillbecomebuddies,thatistheteachingofthedwarves.Theremightnotbemuchtimeleft,butweshouldstartourtalkssoon.AmIright,ZaryusuShasa?”“Isee…Igetitnow,ZenberuGugu.”“Awesome!Everyone,wearehavingabanquet!Bringthathere!Beginthepreparations!”

♦♦♦

Afirepit almost twometerswidewas setupon theground, the flamesalmost searing the sky. Its redglowfendedthedarknessofthenightaway.Nearthefirepitwasagiantpotmorethanameterhighandabout80cmindiameter,thescentofalcohollingeredintheair.Dozensoflizardmentookturnstoscooptheliquidfromwithin.Butthewinefromthewinepotseemedtobebottomless.LikeZaryusu’sFrostPain,thiswasoneofthefourtreasures,‘GiantPotofWine’.Thetasteof theneverendingwinewasblandandwouldmakeanyonewhoappreciatesalcoholfrown.Butforthelizardmen,thiswasdeliciouswine.That’swhytheykeptcomingbackformore.Ashortdistanceawayfromthewinepotwasaveryquietplace.Asforwhy,itwasbecauseofthedrunklizardmenlyingmotionlesshere.Thelizardmenwhohadblackedoutfromthealcoholwerealldumpedhere.Cruschwhohadremovedhergrassattiretreadedthegroundcarefully—althoughshesteppedonthetailofalizardmenunintentionally—asshemovedforth.Herstepsweresteadyanddidnotdon’tseemedtobedrunk,butshedidn’tseemedtobecompletelyfineeither.Her tail seemed tobemoving independently, thrashingabout lively. It curled at times, straightened thenext.Erectthismoment,anddroopedlater,excitedlikeachild.In fact, Crusch felt as if a refreshingwindwas blowing across her heart. Part of the reasonwas thealcohol,butthefeelingofliberationalsoaidedthis.Thiswasthefirsttimesheshowedheralbinobodytoalargegroupofpeople.Itsurprisedsomeofthepeople,butsincetheirchiefalsolookedlikeamutant,shemixedinwiththeothersinnotime.Cruschcarriedthefoodwithbothhandsandwalkedwithbrisksteps.ShecametotheplacewhereZaryusuandZenberuweresittingcrossleggedanddrinkingwitheachother.Thetwoofthemusedsomethinglikeacoconutasacup.Insideweretransparentfluid,butthewhiffofalcoholwasstrong.Raw fishwas placed right before them to complement thewine.Zenberu greetedCruschwhowalkedoverwithasmile.“Ah,plantmonster.”

“...Can’tyouchangethewayyouaddressme?”She already took that attire off, but thismale lizardman insisted on calling her that.Hewas probablyplanningtoteaseherlikethatforever.Cruschwhorealizedthisfactdecidedtostopherfutileresistance.“Haveyoufinishedyourdiscussion?”ZaryusuandZenberuglancedateachotherandnodded.“Forthemostpart.”Theywantedtotalkmantoman,sotheyaskedCruschtogivethemsometimealone.Theyalreadymadeitso clear, so she had no choice but to leave and collect the food, despitewanting to take part in theirdialogue.Iftheywantedtodiscusstheupcomingbattle,shewouldbeinvolvedtoo.Shewantedtoknowtheessenceofthingswhileavoidingtheawkwarddetails—“Thisisatalkbetweenmen.”But Zenberu shut out the topic coldly with this phrase. Crusch showed her displeasure on her facehonestly,andhadnootheroptionbuttochangethetopic.“Sowhatareyourplans?Formanallianceandfighttogether?”“Huh?Oh,ofcoursewewillfight.Evenifbothofyouhadnotcome,wewouldstillfight.”ThesoundofwoodenplanksrubbingagainsteachothercamefromZenberu’smouth.“Youarereallyabattlemaniac.”“Don’tpraisemelikethat,Iwillgetembarrassed.”ZenberuignoredthestunnedCruschandrequestedsomethingfromher.“Ohright,plantmonster,canyouhelpmeconvincehim?NomatterhowIbeghim,Zaryusustillwouldn’tbecomeourtribechief.”Zaryusualsoshowedaresignedandfatiguedexpression.CruschcouldtellfromthattiredlookthatwhenCruschwasn’taround,thisquestionhadbeenrepeatedcountlesstimes.“Itisimpossibleforhimtotakethisjob.Heisfromadifferenttribeandisa—”Cruschwantedtosaytraveler,but she remembered thatZenberuwasa traveler too, soshechanged the topic:“Whydidyoubecameatraveler?”“Huh?Oh,losingtotheownerofFrostPainwasahugeblowtome,soitwasonlynaturalformetowanttoleaveandvisitdifferentplacesandbecomestrongerright?SoIbecameatraveler.”Zaryusuwhowasbesidehimdroopedhisshoulderstiredly.CruschrememberedZaryusutalkingabouthistravelstoo.WhenZaryusubecameatraveler,hewasmotivatedbyhisdetermination,resolveandsenseofdutytohistribe.Zenberuwhowasatravelermusthadsimilarthoughts…Butthatwasn’tapparentfromthewayhewasbehaving.CruschplacedherhandgentlyonZaryusu’sshouldertoconsolehim,conveyingtohimthemessagethatheishe,youareyou.To the bystander, Crusch’s actionmust seemed like that of a lover.When she became aware of that,Crusch’stailstartedtopanic.Zaryusu’stailwasalsothrashingintensely.Thetwoofthemlookedateachother’seyesandsmiledshyly.Zenberupretendedtonotseeallthatandcontinuedsayinghappily:“Ithoughtthattheremustbepowerfulguysinthatmountainsinceitissobig,learnedalotfromthedwarfImetinmytravelsandgotthatwarscythe.Ididn’twantitatfirst,butsincehesaidthatwasamomentoofourmeeting,Ihadnochoicebuttoacceptit.”“...Sothathappened,that’sgreat.”Cruschansweredcoldly.“Yeah,thanks.”

—Sarcasmdidn’twork.Withtheniceatmosphereruined,Cruschpickedupacupanddrankitall.Shefeltherthroatheatingup,awarmthspreadingfromthewineinherstomachtoherentirebody.Zaryusudidthesame.Atthismoment, thesoundofasoftquerycame.Thefeelingwastotallydifferent thanbefore,makingithardtodiscernwhowasaskingimmediately.“So,doyouthinkwecanwin?”Zaryusuansweredsoftly.“...Idon’tknow.”“Yeah,Iguessedasmuch,therearenoguaranteesinwar.Ifsomeoneassuredvictorywithoutknowingthestrengthoftheadversaries,Iwanttobeathimupandaskhimnottobullshit.”Cruschdidn’tsayanythingmoretoZenberuwhowaslaughingsoftly.“But…ourenemyiscareless,thismightaffectourchanceofwinning.”CruschexplainedtothebaffledZenberuinZaryusu’sstead.“Doyourememberwhatthatmonstersaid?”“Sorry,Iwasnappingthen.”“...Someonemusthavehearditright?”“Hmmp,Iforgotbecauseitisahassle.Anyway,theimportantistheyattackus,wehitthemback,right?”Thisguyishopeless—CruschgaveupexplainingwithsuchafacewhileZaryusuexplainedwithawrysmile.“...Theysaid,‘Resiststubbornly,mortals’.”AdangerousexpressionappearedonZenberu’sface,hisfeaturesscowledintoasneer.“Howmaddening,lookingdownonusfromtheverybeginning.”Zenberuroaredangrily.Ithintedstronglyofwrathanddispleasure.“That’s right, they are looking down on us. To be that confident… means they have the forces tooverwhelmus easily…Butwewill crush the arroganceofour foes.Wewill unite the five tribes andshowthemthelargestforcewecouldassemble.Wewillstrikethemdownheadon,andtellthemwearenotdefencelessweaklings.”“Hmmp,notbad,that’sasimplewayofputtingit.Ilikethat.”Asthetwomalelizardmenwasdiscussingpassionatelyonhowtofight,Cruschpouredcoldwaterontotheirplans.“Itwon’tdousanygoodtowoundtheirpridetoomuch.Wejustneedtoshowthemourworth,correct?Iftheyknewweareofuse,theymightrefrainfromwipingusout.”“Heyhey,youwantustobowourheadstothoseannoyingpeople?”“Zaryusu…Iunderstand thedanger in evacuating, but I thinkkeepingour lives ismore important thanlosingourfreedom.”Cruschsaidherpiecesoftly.Theothertwodidn’trebukeherthoughtsormockheraboutthis.Noonewantstobedominated,butbeingenslavedhasmorefuturethanlosingtheirlives.Iftheyhaveafuture,therewillbeendlesspossibilities.Forexample, if they taught the fish farming technique toeveryone, theymightbeable toabandon theircurrenthomesandrunaway.Ifonewastogiveuponthispossibilityandordereveryonetodie,hehasnorighttobealeader.“Listentothis.”AfterhearingwhatZaryususaidsoftly, the threeof themperkup theirearsand listened to the laughter

fromthebanquetbeingcarriedherebythewind.“Wemightnotbeabletohavefunlikethisafterbeingdominated.”“Maybewecould,right?”“Really?Idon’tthinkso.Idon’tthinkanexistencethatisamusedbyourdeathwouldbesocharitable.Iftheyhadanymercyatall,theywouldn’tattempttowipeusoutwithsuchaplayfulattitude.”Cruschnoddedinagreement.Evenso—“WhatIwanttosayis…pleasedon’tdie.”“—Iwon’t,notbeforeIhearyouranswertothatquestion.”“—!”CruschandZaryusugazedintoeachothereyesunderthecoolnightsky.Andmadeanoath.—CompletelyignoringthedisgruntledZenberu.

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OverlordVolume4Intermission

Theconferenceroombehindhimshouldhavestarteddiscussingadifferenttopic.Buthisworkinthatconferenceroomwasfinished,sohehadleft.Just his work of making reports was done though, he still had his job as the first seat of the BlackScripture,whichisthecaptain,tocomplete.Itincludedrevivingdeadmembers,choosingtemporarystafftofillthegap,trainingandexperiments.AstheSixScriptureswereasecretorganization,healsohadtoliveanotherlifeasaspyintheTheocracy.And for his private life, he still needed to attend matchmaking sessions— under the premise of apolygamousmarriage.Therewereonlythreeawakened‘God-kin’inSlaneTheocracy,sothehigherupshadsubtlyrequestedhimtorampuphisreproductionrate.Suchmenialthingskeptpilingup,deprivinghimofallhisfreetime.“Iwashopingthattheywouldgivemesometimetorelaxtoday.”AfterbeingliberatedfromthehighestlevelconferenceinSlaneTheocracy—theArchbishopconference,hestretchedhisshoulderslightly—andhiseyesweredrawnawaybyaclickingsound.Heknewwhowasmakingthatsoundbeforelookingatthatperson.OnlyaverysmallnumberofpeopleintheSlaneTheocracywereallowedtoenterthisplacesoitwaseasytoidentifythatpersonatoncefromthosewhowereabsentduringtheconference.Ashehadexpected,ayounggirlwasleaningagainstthewall.Shehadaheadofuniquehair,withdifferentcolorsoneitherside.Onesidewassilverywhitethatlitupyoureyes,whiletheotherwassoblackthatitseemedtodevoureverything.Hereyeswerealsodifferentcolors.BesidethegirlwasaWarScythethatlookedlikeapolearm.Sheappeared tobe less than fifteenyearsold,buther actual agewaswaybeyond that.Ever sincehebecamethecaptainoftheBlackScripture—thefirstseat,herlookshadnotchanged.Hemovedhisgazetowardsherearshiddenbyherhair—butherestrainedhimself.Thegirldidn’tlikeotherstolookatherears.Theshinylipsofthegirlbecameacrescentasifshewasreadinghismind.Shewasaninterracialchildbornfromalmostimpossibleodds,thestrongestspecialseatwithintheBlackScripture,‘CertainDeath’.Herjobwastoprotectthesanctuarywherethefiveholyequipmentwerelaid.

Thesoundcamefromatoyinthegirl’shandscalledRubik'sCube,madepopularbytheSixHolyGods.Whileshewasproducingtheclickingsounds,thegirlsaid:.“It’squiteeasytogetoneside,butit’sreallyhardtogettwo,right?”Itwassimpleforhim,buthewasn’tsureifheshouldanswerhonestly,soherespondedwithawrysmile.Thegirldidn’tseeminterestedintheansweranywayandcontinuedasking:“Whathappened?Whydidallthearchbishopsgather?”“Thereportshouldhavebeendeliveredtoyou.”“Didn’tread.”Sheansweredcurtly.“It’s faster to ask someone about it. Was the prophecy of ‘Thousand Miles Astrologer’ wrong? ThemissiontodefeattheCatastrophicDragonLord…somethinghappenedtothemright?”Theireyesdidnotmeetthroughouttheconversationasthegirlkeptlookingatthetoyinherhands.“...Theyfoughtamysteriousundeadandretreatedaftertwodeathsandoneheavilywounded.”“Whodied?”Therewasnoemotionofsadnessforthedeathofsomeonefromthesameside.Herattitudewassimilartoaskingaboutsomethingunrelatedtoher,andhewasn’tbotheredbythis.Thisattitudefitrightinwiththestyleofthisgirl.“ThebodyguardofKaire-sama,Cedran, andBeaumarchaiswhoattempted tocapture thevampirewhoappearedtobestill.”“Soit’s‘ThousandWallShield’and‘DivineChain’.The 'EarthMikoPrincess'diedfromamysteriousexplosionrecently,andtheBlackScripturelosttwomoregoodmen…whatadisaster.Whoistheheavilyinjured?”“It’s Kaire-sama. Some curse seemed to prevent healing magic from mending her wounds, so sheretreated.”“Andthevampire?”“Left alone. When we tried to approach or capture it, the vampire counter-attacked. So our peopledecidedtoleaveitaloneinthatplace.”“Isn’tthatjustavoidingtheproblem?”“...Itwasdecidedduringtheconferencetomaintainthestatusquo.”Thatwastheconclusionmadeearlierintheconferenceroom.Insteadof sufferingmajor losses fromattacking, itwasbetter to let itbebeforegathering their forces.Anyway,theothernationswon’tbeabletodefeatthatundeadanyway.Ifsomeonelikethatturnedup,thatmeantsomeonetheyhadtobewaryofappeared,andtheyhadtotightentheirnationaldefencefirst—Intheend,theycametoaconsensustoleaveabareminimumteamandwithdraweveryone.Heagreedwiththisdecision.Onlysomeoneonthelevelofa‘God-kin’orDragonLordcoulddefeatthatvampireinastraightfight.Itwouldbewisertoleaveateambehindandwatchoutfortheonethatcoulddefeatthatvampire.“Hmm,thatwasn’tavampire,right?”Heagreedwiththattoo,that’swhyhesaiditwasamysteriousundead.“CoulditbeaDragonLord?VampiricDragonLordorElderCoffinDragonLord?”Thecurveofherlipsgrewsteeperintoanobvioussmile.Thatwasifthatbloodlustexpressioncouldbecalledasmile.“...Weren’tthesetwodragonsdestroyed?”Herepliedastheatmosphereturnedawkward,butgotanimmediateanswer:“BothofthemareundeadDragonLords,it’shardtosayiftheyaretrulydead.”

Thegirlliftedherheadforthefirsttimeandlookedstraightathim.Therewasaglimmerinherdifferentcoloredeyes,filledwithcuriosity,joyandtheurgetofight.“Betweenthevampireandme,whodoyouthinkisstronger?”Herepliedtothequestionhewasexpectingwithapreparedanswer.“Ofcourseit’syou.”“Isthatso…”Sheseemedtolostinterestandstaredatthetoyagain.Hesighedinrelief.“Whatapity,IthoughtIhadachancetotastedefeat.”Ashelistenedtothemumbleofthegirl,hewondered:Whowouldwinifthetwoofthemreallyfought?He fought the girl and the vampire before.While the vampire felt stronger, but therewas noway thevampirecouldwinagainst‘CertainDeath’.Theirequipmentwasonadifferentscale.That vampire seemed tobeunarmed,whichwas theweakpoint of powerfulmonsters.Theywere tooconfidentoftheirstrength,sotheydon’twearpowerfulgear.Ontheotherhand,thegirlwasequippedwiththerelicsoftheSixGods,sohejudgedhertobestronger.Whatifbothsideshadequipmentofthesamelevel?Impossible.Hedismissedthequestionimmediately.Itwasimpossibletofindandobtainequipmentthatcouldrivalthegirl’sgodlyequipment.Butwhatifthevampirefoundit?Inthatcase…MaybethestrongestundefeatedspecialseatoftheSlaneTheocracywillknowfailure.Anditwouldbethetimetodespairwiththedefeatoftheguardianofmankind.No,whydoesheneedtoassumethegirlwillfightalone?Hewasn’tatherlevel,buthewasanawakened‘God-kin’andhadmanyitemsattheirdisposal.Iftheyuse these items, they could defeat that vampire if therewas only one.Therewas noway for somanyundeadthatstrongtoexist.Heheardlaughingwhilelostinthought,andlookedatthesourcewithafrown.“Let’stalkaboutsomethingelse,whenareyougettingmarried?”Thiswasanundeterminedagendathatsurfacedduringtheearliermeeting.Shemeantwhenhewasgoingtogetagirlfriend—toputitnicely,awife,tosayitnastily,atooltomakebabies.“There’snooneyet.”“Well,youarestillyoung.”WhentheBlackScripturememberswentonmission,theywouldwearmagicalmaskstoconjureafakeface.BythelawsdictatedbytheirGod,someoneovertheageoftwentywillbeconsideredanadultinSlaneTheocracy.Hewasalotyoungerthantwentywhenhetookoffhismask.“Afterthemarriage,yourpartnerwillbedetainedwithintheTheocracy…butdon’tworry,shecanstillraiseachild.”“Iknowthat,I’malsoamemberoftheScripture.”“That’strue.Ah,itwouldbebettertotellyourprospectivewifethatyouneedtomarrymultiplewives.There is no problem in the eyes of the law, but there are peoplewho dislike polygamy despite beingeducatedthatway.”Withpermissiongrantedby theTheocracy, itwaspossible for aman tomarrymanywives. Itwas anarchaic practice to protect the bloodline of the few powerful men in the past. But the norm was

monogamy,withjustahandfulofsuccessfulapplicationforpolygamyayear.Evenwhensuccessful,theywerelimitedtojusttwowives.“Thankyouforyourkindreminder,whataboutyou…Youdon’tplantogetmarried?”Heaskedbecauseshewasmucholderthanshelooked.“Well,ifthereisamanwhocandefeatme,wecouldgetmarried.Evenifheisuglyandhadatwistedpersonality…Itdoesn’tevenmatterifheisnothumanifthatmancoulddefeatme.Howstrongwouldourchildbe?”The girl place her hand on her abdomen and smiled for the first time today.Hewas sure this answermeantthegirldidn’tplanonevermarrying.Buthowwouldthingschangeifanexistencethatcoulddefeatthatvampireappears?Asenseofuneasinesscloudedhisheart.

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Chapter3ArmyofDeath

“Oh,Icanseeit.”ZenberuwhowasseatedattheverybackofRororolookedtothefrontandsmiled.Theycouldseethetribethatwasdesignatedasthefirsttobedestroyedseveralhundredmetresahead—RazorTailTribe.TheirsizewasaboutthesameasGreenClaw,butthenumberoflizardmenwasmuchlarger.Thiswasprobablybecauselizardmenfromtheothertribeshadalsogatheredhere.Theywereinthepreparationforbattlephaseandeveryoneseemedtobebusy.“Whatanirresistibleatmosphere.”Zenberumadeloudbreathingsound,smellingthetasteintheair.Itwasascentthatmadeonehotblooded,butCruschwhoprobablyhadn’tsmelledsomethinglikethisbeforethoughtdifferently.“Isn’titdangerousforustorideinonthischild?”Theycouldfeelthehightensionfromsuchagreatdistance,whichmadeCruschwhowasdressedlikeavegetativemonster voice her uneasiness. Shewas afraid that theHydrawould draw thewrath of thebloodthirstylizardmen.TheotherpartyprobablyknewaboutZaryusu,but theymightnothave seenCruschorZenberubefore.AndnotalltheRazorTailtribesmenknewaboutZaryusueither.“Wrong,theoppositeistrue.Wewon’tbeindangerifweridetowardsthemonRororo.”Shehadabaffled look, itwasn’tvisible,but thatwas thefeelingCruschgave.Zaryusumadeasimpleexplanation.“Myolderbrothershouldhavearrived,andhedefinitelywouldhavetoldthemthatIwouldberidingonRororo.NewsofuscomingonRororoshouldhavebeenreportedtomyolderbrother,sowejustneedtoapproachslowly.”AftertheyadvancedonRororoforawhile,ablackscaledlizardmancameoutfromthevillage.Zaryusuwavedatthatfamiliarlizardmen.“That’smybrother.”“Heh.”“Ho.”They responded in unison,Cruschwas simply curiouswhereasZenberu felt like a beastwho found astrongopponent.AsRororoclosedthedistancebetweenZaryusuandShasuryu,theywerefinallycloseenoughtomakeouteachotherfaces.Thetwobrothersstaredateachother.

Thetwoofthemwereonlyapartfortwodays,butbecausetheyhadalreadysteeledthemselvestothefacttheymightnotmeetagain,theiremotionswerereallystrong.“It’sgreatthatyoureturned,youngerbrother!”“Ah,Ibringgoodtidings,olderbrother!”Shasuryu shifted his gaze to the two behindZaryusu.Zaryusu could feel the hands ofCrusch thatwashuggingontohimstiffenfromnervousness.As they closed the gap completely, Rororo came before Shasuryu and stretched its neck towards himaffectionately.“Sorry,Ididn’tbringanyfoodwithme.”ThemomentRororoheard this, itwithdrew its four heads as if itwas throwing a tantrum.TheHydracouldn’tunderstandthelanguageofthelizardmen,butitcouldtellwhatShasuryuwassayingthroughtheirunderstanding similar to that of family members. Or it simply didn’t detect the scent of food fromShasuryu.“Wellthen,let’sdismount.”Zaryusu said to the two behind him and agilely lept off Rororo. He then grabbed Crusch’s hand andassistedheringettingdown.ShasuryulookedatCruschinsurprise.“WhatisthatPlantMonster?”Getting this sort of reactionmade Crusch a little depressed, but she didn’t retort. This was probablythankstoZenberu’sconstantteasing.Butthenextstunningblowmadeherstiffen.“SheisthefemaleIlike.”“...Ohh.”Shasuryusighed.HethenstaredatthestiffCruschwhowasstillholdinghandswithZaryusu.“Muu…Ijustwanttoaskonething,issheabeauty?”“Yeah,Iamthinkingofmarrying—Eh!”ThesharppaincomingfromhishandmadeZaryusushutup,becausetheonehewasholdinghandswithwas poking himwith her claw. She didn’t hold back at all. Shasuryu looked at the two of themwithdispleasure.“Isee…Soyouarepickyabouttheappearance…Andyoukeptplayingcool,saying‘Ican’tmarry’.Youjusthaven’tmettherightoneyet...Alright,backontopic,IamthechiefoftheGreenClawtribe,ShasuryuShasha.Thankyouforagreeingtoallywithus.”Shasuryuwasn’ttryingtoconfirmthisfact,butwasabsolutelysureofit.ButZenberuandCruschwon’tbeshakenupbecauseofthissmallmatter.“Weshouldbetheonethankingyou.IamtheactingchiefoftheRedEyeTribe,CruschLulu.”EveryonethoughtthatZenberuwouldintroducehimselfafterCruschfinishedhergreeting,butthatdidn’thappen.ZenberuwassizingupShasuryuwithouthesitation.Satisfied,Zenberunoddedandspokewithaferalexpression.“Soyouaretheone,thewarriorwhocouldutilizethepowerofthedruids,Ihaveheardaboutyou.”“IamsurprisedthateventheDragonTuskknewaboutthis."Shasuryurepliedasthetwoofthemstaredateachotherlikeacoupleofwildbeast.“IamZenberuGugu,chiefoftheDragonTuskTribe,untilthedayyourbrotheragreestotakeover.”“Thankyou for coming.Youare indeedworthy tobe the chief of the tribewhichvalues strengthovereverything,Iwelcomeyou.”“So,wanttohaveamatch?Shouldn’twefindoutwhoisstronger?”“...That’sagreatidea.”Zaryusudidn’twanttointervene.Findingoutwhowasstrongernowwilldefinitelymakethingseasierin

thefuture.ButShasuryuraisedahand,diminishingZenberu’surgetofight.“—Iagreewithyou,butthisanawkwardtiming.”“Whyisthat?”ShasuryusmiledatZenberu’sunhappyface.“...Thescoutswesentoutareabouttoreturn,weshouldbeabletoobtaindetailedintelligenceabouttheenemy.Wecanfightafterhearingtheirreports,right?”

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Asmallhousewasusedastheconferenceroomofthechiefs.ThechiefsofthegatheredtribesandZaryusuweregatheredhere,atotalofsix.Zaryusu,theonewhokilledtheprevious‘SharpEdge’Chief,bearerofFrostPainwasfamousandallthechiefs knewof him.Hewas also the brave onewho convincedRedEye andDragonTusk to join thealliance,sonoonewasopposedtohimtakingpartintheconference.Inthesmallhouse,thesixsatinacircle.WhentheotherthreechieftainssawCrusch’swhitescales,theyweresurprised,buthadalreadyregainedtheircomposure.Afterfinishingtheirgreetings,thefirstwhospokewasthechiefof‘SmallFang’.Hewaspetite compared toother lizardmen,buthis limbswere as strongas steel.Originally from thehuntergroup,hisrangedattackskillwasthebestamongalllizardmeninthevicinityofthislake.Infact,during the fight todecide thepositionofchieftain,hesettledeachofhismatcheswith justonepreciserockthrow.Inordertodeterminethepositionoftheenemytroops,hemobilizedallthehunterstoreconnoiter.“Theenemynumbersnearlyfivethousand.”Thisnumberexceededthetotalpopulationofalllizardmen,butwasstillwithinexpectation.Someevensighedinreliefwhentheylearntofthisnumber.“...Andtheleaderoftheenemy?”“Ican’tsayforsure,therearemonstersthatlookedlikegiantmassofredmeatinthemiddle,butit’stoodifficulttogetinclose.”“Whataboutthemakeupofthearmy?”“Anarmyofundead,mainlyskeletonsandzombies.”“Theundeadoflizardmen?”“No,theyarenotlizardmen.Idon’treallyknowaboutthecreatureslivingonland,soIcan’tbecertain.Butitshouldbehumantypes,Ididn’tseeanytailseither.”WhenZaryusuheardthat,hewassurethattheyweretheracelivingonplains,humans.“Canwelaunchasurprisepre-emptiveattack?”“Thatwouldbedifficult, theotherpartyisusinganopenspaceclearedoutfromacorneroftheforest.Howlongdidtheytaketoclearthetrees?Itisstrangethatthefelledtreesarenowheretobefound—Ah,Idigress.Anyway,theyareintheforest.Leavingwhetherwecansucceedaside,itwouldbeveryhardtobringwarriorsalong.”“Whataboutasneakattackwithjustthehunters?”“Spareus,Ms.Crusch.Thereareroughlytwentyfivehunters,howcouldwedefeattheundeadarmyoffivethousand?Wewilljustgetwipedout.”“Hmm…Whataboutusingthepowerofthedruids?”SeveralofthemnoddedinagreementtoShasuryu’ssuggestionandtheireyesfellonCrusch.ButtheoneansweringwasZaryusu.

“No,let’snotdothat.”“Ah?Why?”“Theotherpartyhadkepttheirwordssofar,buttheywon’tdosoifweattackthem.”“Indeed.Weshouldavoidinitiatingtheattackbeforewegatherallthetribesmen.”“Sowewillprepareforadefensivebattle?”“Defend,hard.”ThelizardmanwhospokewithastrongslurwasthechieftainoftheRazorTail.Hewascoveredinwhitearmorthatwasshininginadifferentmannerfrommetals.Thearmorwasemittingasoftmagicalgleam.Thatwasoneofthefourtreasuresofthelizardmen,WhiteDragonBone.ItwasasetofarmormadefromthebonesofafrostdragonthathadresidedintheAzellerisiaMountain.Armormadefrombones—eventhatofapowerfuldragon—wouldnotbeimbuedwithmagic.Butthatsetofarmorwasenchantedwithmagicwithoutanyoneknowingwhen.Theproblemwasthatthemagiccouldpossiblyoriginatefromacurse.Thiswas because theWhiteDragonBone converted intelligence into defence power. If an intelligentlizardmanworeit,itwouldturnharderthansteel,matchingmithrilandeventhelegendaryadamantium.Butevenifyouremovedthearmor,theintelligencewouldnotrecover.That’swhythereweresomewhosaidthismagicwasactuallyacurse.Amongthelizardmen,hewaswidelyknownforhisintelligence.Afterwearingthisarmor,thedefenceofthearmorwasstrongenoughtodeflectalltheweaponsofthelizardmen,evenoneofthefourtreasures,FrostPain.Itwasprobablyasstrongasadamantium.Andnormally, thosewhodonthearmorwouldloseall intelligenceandappearedtobebraindamaged.Buthewasstillable to think,provinghowhighhisoriginal intelligencewas.Hence, ‘RazorTail’hadneverdecidedthepositionofchieftainthroughphysicalcombatafterhisbirth.“Here,swamp,weakfoundation,wall…easybreakdown.”“Isee,soweshouldinitiatetheattack?”“Yeah,whynot,attackingisbetterthandefending,eachofusjustneedstotakedownthreetofourfoesright?Wejustneedtodefeatthem,pieceofcake.”The others in the conference looked at each other after hearingwhatZenberu said. In the end,Cruschchangedthetopic.“Theproblemisenemyreinforcements…Theymightbegatheringtheirforces.”“Hmm…Thatishardtosay.Fromthesizeoftheopenspace,theycan’tfitinanymoreundead…Thoughtheyjustneedtoplacetheminsidetheforest.”Theundeaddon’t need food, rest or largeopen space to set up camp. Itwouldbehard togauge theirnumbersfromthesizeofthearea.“Toplayitsafe,weneedtoconsideradefensivestrategy.”“Wellthen,wetheRedEyewilltakecareofstrengtheningthewallsforadefensivefight.Ihopeeveryonecouldprovidehelp.”Theotherchieftainsnoddedinagreement,eventhedepressedZenberudidso.“Inshort,weneedtoprepareourdefencesandsetupacommandstructure.”“Firstofall,weshouldleavethedruidstoCrusch,theircommandwouldbeleftinyourhands.”Amidsttheagreementofeveryonepresent,onepersonraisedhisobjection.“Thechieftainsshouldformaspecialteam.”ThegazeofeveryonefellonZaryusuwhohadspoken.“Isee…Sothathowitis,brother.”

“Youaresayingweshouldformaneliteteam?”“That’s right. The enemy outnumber us, if we don’t take out their commander, we might lose. If themonster thatvisitedall thevillagesshowsup,wecan’twinbynumbers,andhave todestroy itwithasmallgroupofelites.”“Wouldn’tourforcesbeleaderlessthen?”“Fromthewarriors…choose…chooseleader…willdo.”“Evenifthereisnocommander,theyjustneedtochargetheenemyright…”“…The special teamwill command from theback, andwill onlymoveout ifwediscover the enemycommanderorifthebattleisnotgoingwell.Isthatokay?”“Thatshouldbefine.Wellthen,includingZaryusu,howaboutthesixofusformingoneteam?”“No,weshouldformtwoteamsofthree.”Splittingupmeanttheycouldfightontwofronts,buttheirforcewillbespreadoutandweakened.“Oneteamwillattacktheenemycommander,theotherwillbeinchargeofthedefence.”“Well then,we threechieftainswill forma team,Zaryusuand the twochieftainsyoubroughtoverwillformanother,thatshouldbethebestwaytodivideourselves.Themissionoftheteamsshouldbetoreacttothesituation.”“Yes,thatisgreat.Anyproblems,Zaryusu?”“Iunderstand.Anyobjections,Zenberu,Crusch?”“Ihavenoobjections.”“Metoo.It’sapityIcan’tfightasIplease,butIwillfollowthewillofthevictor.”“Wellthen,thereisstillfourdaysbeforetheyattackus,right?”“Correct.”“Arethereanythingweneedtopreparefor?”“Weneedtostockuponthrowingstonesandstrengthenthewalls.Also,weneedtointeractwiththeothertribesandsetupachainofcommand,ensuringthatallofthetribescanfunctionasone.”“Asfortheallocationofwork,we,the‘SmallFang’tribewishtoleavethattoShasuryulikebefore.”“We…okaywiththat…whatabout…youtwo?”CruschandZenberunoddedinagreementtoo."ThenIwilltakeoverthecommand.Next,wewilldecidethedetailsofalltheworkweneedtodointhenextthreedays.”

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After thework for the daywas done,Zaryusuwalked silently in the noisy and lively village. Severallizardmengreeted himwith respectwhen they sawZaryusu’smark on his chest andFrost Pain on hiswaist.Itwasabit irritating,butinordertoraisemorale,hehadtoanswerthem.Zaryusuthusansweredthemwithaserious,properandconfidentexpression.Zaryusumaintained this attitude as he headed to the outer walls of the village. Theywere rushing toconstructwallsoverthere,manylizardmenwereconcentratingontheirwork.First,theyboundthestakesthatweresomedistanceapartwithvines.Mudwithlowwatercontentwasthensmearedon.Thedruids thencastedsomemagictoremovethemoisture,andthewall iscomplete.Thereweresomecracksonit,probablybecausenotallthewaterhadevaporated.Theythenrepeatedthesamestepsinanotherplace.“Ara,whatisit,Zaryusu?”“Nothing,justwonderingwhatyouweredoing.”

Walkingwithsplatteringnoiseinthewetland,ZaryusumadehiswaytoCruschwhowasdressedlikeavegetativemonsterandpointedattheworkthatwasbeingrepeatedinfrontofthem.“Whatisthat?”“Mudwall.Wedon’tknowwhattypeofenemywillbecoming,butIwantedtomakeithardforthemtomovein…Butthereisnotime,wearenotevenhalfdone.”“Isthatso…Butisn’titeasytodestroythingsmadefrommud?”“Noproblem.Ifthemudisthin,itiseasytobreakit.Butthickeningitwillmakeittougher.Becausethisis a rushed job, and there's shortageof sufficientmaterials and itwillweaken if it rains.But itwon’tbreakdownsoeasily."Thatistrue,nomatterwhatmaterialitis,itwouldbehardtodestroyifitwasthickenough.InfrontofZaryusuwhowasthinkingaboutthat,dozensoflizardmenwereworkingasfastastheycould,butprogresswasas slowasa tortoise.Even if theyworkedon it for threedays, itwouldn’tbemuchwider.Butitwasbetterthannothing.“Fornow,thepartsthewallcouldn’treachwouldbecoveredbyfencethatwouldbehardtoteardown.”InthedirectionCruschwaspointingat—Thestakesovertherewerepulledout,andplantedsomedistanceaway,formingatrianglewiththetwootherstakesbesidesit.Betweenthestakeswerevineslooselyboundedtogether,formingropesblockingthepassagebetweenthem.Zaryusuthoughtforamoment,andrecalledthatthefencearoundthe‘RedEye’tribelookedlikethattoo.“Whatisthat?”“Byplacingsomethingheavythere,thefencewon’tfallevenifitwerebeingpushedorpulled.Asfortheropes, they aremeant to prevent enemy from getting through. If the ropes are pulled taut, itwould beeasilycutbyswordsorknives,that’swhyweleftsomeslackonit.”CruschansweredZaryusu’squestionsexcitedly.During their short journey,Zaryusuwas always theone teachingher.Being able to teach something toZaryusumadeherhappy.Apartfromthis,therewasanotherfeelinginvolved.“Isee…itishardertodestroyitthatway.”TheseimpressedwordsmadeCruschfeltproud.Zaryusunoddeddeeply.The plan to turn the village into a stronghold was progressing steadily. It couldn’t match up to thedefensivestructuresofhumansanddwarves,butforthewetlandsthatwerehardtotraverseon,therewasnobetterway.“Bytheway,Zaryusu,didyoutellthewarriors—”AsCruschwassayingthat,thecheersofthewarriorswerecarriedbythewindintotheirears.Itwasanintenseandhotbloodednoise.“Whatishappening?Thissoundsfamiliar…Iknow!Thesearethecheerswhenyouguysbattle.CoulditbeaduelbetweenyourbrotherandZenberu?”ZaryusunoddedandnoticedthatCruschlookedworried.“...Asthecommanderinchief,wouldn’titbetroublesomeifyourbrotherloses?”“I don’t know, butmy elder brother is strong. If he had the chance to use his druid powers, he willbecomeevenstronger,evenImightlosetohim.”Shasuryuwhocasted several buffs onhimselfwasvery strong.Hewouldprobably refrain fromusingoffensivespellsinamockbattle,butifhedoes,Zaryusuwon’tbeamatchwithoutFrostPain.The reasonwhy theoriginalownerofFrostPaindidn’t use its special ability that couldonlybeusedthriceinonedayagainstZaryusuwasbecausehehaduseditupduringhisfightagainstShasuryu.

“That’sgreat…”Zaryusuwaswonderingwhether he should showCruschhow stronghis brotherwas in a fight, but herememberedsomethingelsethathadbeenworryinghim.Hehesitated,butdecidedtovoiceitoutintheend.Itwasdespicabletosaythisafteralltheplanshadbeensetinplace.Buthecouldn’thidethisfromtheonehelikes,that’showpureandstronghefeltaboutCrusch.“Iamworriedaboutonething—”HearingZaryusu’sanxiousvoice,Cruschsmiled.Thatwasadeliberatesmile,somethingthatwasnotherstyle— an expression that didn’t fit the situation— stopping Zaryusu from continuing. The onewhospokeinplaceofZaryusuwasCrusch.“—Youmeanthatthingyoudidn’tbringupduringtheconferenceright?Iftheenemyalreadyanticipatedthis,andwaswaitingforustoformanalliance.”Zaryusufellsilent,shewasright.Theotherpartygavethemtime,announcedtheorderofattackdeliberatelyanddidn’tget inthewayofZaryusu’seffortstoformanalliance.Whatiftheirplanallalongwastogatherallthelizardmeninordertoannihilatethem.“I havemanyworries, someonewho thinks as deeply as you should feel evenmore so.But nomatterwhat,wewillfightthisbattlewithourfoes…Wecanthinkabouttheotherthingsafterthat.”“Theywon’tgiveupevenifwewin.Thechanceofthemgivingupisabysmal.”“Thatmightbeso,butwhatyousaidthatnightistrue.Look—”Crusch extended her arms toward the empty space before her. But Zaryusu understood that she wasreferringtotheentirevillage."Lookatallthelizardmenfromthevarioustribesworkingtowardsthesamegoal.”Indeed,thelizardmenfromallthetribeswereadvancingtogetherasone.TheimageofthefivetribebanquetsurfacedinZaryusu’smind.Thetribeswereinteractingharmoniouslytogetherwithoutreservation.Itwouldbealietosaythesurvivorsfromthetwodestroyedtribeborenogrudges.Buttheydisplayedthewilltoswallowtheirgrudgeinthefaceofthisincident.Theirony.Zaryusumuttered.Healwaysthoughttheirdividedworldswouldcarryonforever,heneverthoughttheappearanceofamutualenemywouldallowhimtowitnesstheunityofthelizardmen."Weneedtoprotectthepossibilityofourfuture,Zaryusu.Theallianceofallthetribeswouldpromoteourdevelopment.”BuildingwallswithmudwasatechniqueZaryusuhadneverseenbefore.Butnow,theothertribesknewaboutthistechnique.Inthefuture,allthelizardmentribeswouldbuildsuchwalls.Withsuchstrongwalls,itshouldbeable tokeepthemonstersfrombreakingin.Thatway, thechancesof theweakyoungonesbeingattackedwouldfall,andthenumberoflizardmenwouldincrease.TheycouldmeettheincreaseindemandforfoodbyusingZaryusu’sfishbreedingfarm.Maybeinthenearfuture,alllizardmenwilluniteintoonegianttribeintheseswamps.“Let us obtain victory, Zaryusu. It is impossible for us to know what happens in the future, maybeeverything would be over after this battle. If that is so, we can start developing a wonderful worldwithoutfoodproblemsandtheneedforlizardmentokilleachother.”Cruschsmiled.Zaryususuppressedhisemotion, ifheallowedhis feeling torun loose,hemightnotbeabletoreigninit;buthehadsomethinghehadtosay.“You are an excellent female lizardman—After this battle is over, please tell me the answer to thatquestionIaskedwhenwefirstmet.”

Cruschsmilebecameevenmorebrilliant.“Iunderstand,Zaryusu.Iwilltellyoumyanswerafterthisisallover—”

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Demiurgewasinagreatmoodashehummedwhileheworked.Hepickedupthepolishedbone,wonderingwhereheshouldputitforthebestpresentation.Shortlyafter,hemadehisdecisionandslicedoffthetipandplaceitwithintheitemhewasbuilding.Thebonefittedinperfectlylikeapieceofapuzzle.Ifbuildingahousewithoutusingnailsisknownas‘precisionwoodjoint’,thenwhatDemiurgewasdoingshouldbe‘precisionbonejoint’.“Thatlooksgreat.”Demiurgecaressedthebonewithasmileonhisface.Ifhecontinuedtoworkonit,hehadafeelinghecancompleteanoutstandingpiece.“But…Iamlackingtherightfemurofamanabout1.2minheight.”Hecouldcompleteitevenifhedon’tfindthatbone.Butwithoutit,itwouldn’tlookasnice.Usually,Demiurgewould compromise andmake dowith this.But this giftwasmeant for his belovedmaster,sohehadtomakeitperfect.“ItwouldbegreatifIcanfindsomethingsuitable.”Demiurge,whowasinagoodmood,startedmoving.Actually,Demiurgelikedtocreatesuchitems.Hisinterestwasnotinusingbonestomakeitems,butincarpentrywork.His interest in this fieldwas ratherwide, from art pieces to furniture, his skills hadsurpassedthatofweekendhobbyist.Infact,ifyouignorethematerialhewasusing,anyonewouldbeimpressedbythequalityofhiswork.Theotheritemsdisplayedinthistentage,suchasthebronzebustofthemastercastfromlava,allsortofchairsandclampsareallmadebyDemiurge.Theymightbeforpracticaluseandlackdecorations,buttheywereallexcellentpieces.AsDemiurgewasstudyingamaterialhepickedupfromacornerofthetent,hefeltsomemovementneartheentrance.Demiurgeputtheboneinhishandsbackgentlyandheldtheitembestowedtohimbyhismasterthatmightnot be replaceable, focusing onwhatwas happening outside.Normally, the one outside should be hisunderlingorcolleague.NoonecouldhavebrokenthroughallthreelayerofDemiurge’sdefenceswithouthimnoticing,buthehadtobewaryoftheonewhohadcontrolledShalltear.Severalsecondslater,someoneopenedtheentranceofthetent.Hewasdressedinpurewhite,wearingamaskwithalongbeaklikeabird.Peruchinera.Hewasa clown, a creationof theSupremeBeing just likeDemiurge.For thisoperation,hehadbeenassignedtoassistDemiurge.Confirmingthathewasnotundermindcontrol,thetensioninDemiurge’seyesdispersed,andherelaxedthegripontheiteminhishand.“Demiurge-sama,theskinhasbeenpeeled.”ThesewordsmadeDemiurgefeltthatitwasashame.Demiurgewanted to enjoy thiswork himself, but in order to guard against themysterious enemies, hecouldn’tleavehispostmostofthetimeandhadtoassignthetasktoPeruchinera.DemiurgedidnotexpresshisemotionsandgavenewinstructionstoPeruchinera.“Goodwork.Wellthen,beginthenextphase.ItwouldbedisrespectfulifwegivethatthingtoAinz-sama

likethis.”DemiurgeaskedPeruchinerawhowasbowinggracefully.“So,howmanydied?”“None.Thankstothetormentor,theyonlylostconsciousness,thereforewecancontinuepeelingtheirskinsoon.Afewwereunwillingtobehealed…butthatwaswithinexpectation,sothereisnoissue.”“Thatissplendid.”Ittookalotofefforttocollectthematerials,theyhadtopeelfewmoretimesforittobeworthwhile.Thatmightbeso,buthedidn’twanttopeeltheskinsinapainlessfashionordrugthem.“Iwanteveryonetobehappy.”Peruchinerasaidsuddenly,makingDemiurgerememberhispersonality.PeruchinerawasknownthroughoutNazarickforhisgentlenessandmercy.Hewascreatedforthepurposeofmakingeveryonehappy,andhisactionwasbasedonthisbelief.“ThepeopleintheGreatTombofNazarickfindhappinessinservingAinz-sama.”Demiurgenoddedinagreement.“I see. Letme ask you, Peruchinera, do youmean that other peoplewill feel happywhen they serveNazarick?”“Howcouldthatbe,Idon’tmeanthat.ServingAinz-samamakesussohappythatwecouldcrytearsofjoy.Butiftheywereforcedtodothesame,that’snothappiness.”“Ohh,thenwhatshouldwedoaboutthis?”“Simple, justpickonepersonandcutoffhisarms.Thatway, theotherswillcompare themselveswithhim and know that they are more fortunate. Howwonderful. And to make the one whose arms werechoppedoff feelblessed,we justneed tochopoffanotherperson’s legs.Ahh, Imadesomanypeoplehappy!”Demiurgelookedwithsatisfactionattheclownthatwasthrowinghisheadbackinlaughter.“Isee,youareright.”Itfeltlongifyouspendallyourtimewaiting,butwhenyouprepareforsomethingwithadeadline,youwouldfeelthattimepassesbyinaflash.Thepromisedtimehadcome.Thatday, theburningsuncrawledup in the skyas slowasa tortoise, the skywasblueanddevoidofclouds.Therewasnosoundfromthewind,theworldseemedsoquietthatyoucouldhearapindrop.Thetensionwassothickthatyoucouldcutitwithaknife.Someofthemgulped,othersbreathindeeply.Anunknownamountoftimepassedsincethegatheredlizardmenhadturnedsilent.Suddenly,adarkcloudthatseemedtoappearfromaholeintheskyspreadspeedilyacrosstheblueskyjustlikeitdidbefore.Shortly after, the cloud blocked out the entire sky, and the surrounding dimmed with the absence ofsunlight—Thelizardmensawcountlessundeadmarchslowlyfromtheborderdividingtheforestfromthewetlands.Withthetreesintheway,itwasimpossibletotellhowmanyofthemtherewere,theyjustkeptemerginglikeanendlessflood.The invaders included 2,200 zombies, 2,200 skeletons, 300 undead beasts, 150 skeleton archers, 100skeletonriders.Anarmyof4,950,notincludingthecommanderanditsguards.Opposingthemwasthefivetribeallianceoflizardmen.‘GreenClaw’has103warriors,4druids,7hunters,124malelizardmen,and105femalelizardmen.‘SmallFang’has65warriors,1druid,16hunters,111malelizardmen,and94femalelizardmen.

‘Razor Tail’ has 89 heavy armor warriors, 3 druids, 6 hunters, 99 male lizardmen, and 81 femalelizardmen.‘DragonTusk’has125warriors,2druids,10hunters,98malelizardmen,and32femalelizardmen.‘RedEye’has47warriors,15druids,6hunters,59malelizardmen,and77femalelizardmen.Theircombinedstrengthwere429warriors,26druids,45hunters,491malelizardmen,and389femalelizardmen.Atotalof1,380troops,excludingthetribalchiefsandZaryusu.Thebattlewhereonesideoutnumberstheotherbythreetoonethusbegan.

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Itwasahousemadefromwood.Therewerenodecorations,thewoodenstructurewasplaintoseeandthedesignwasasplainasacabin.Buttheceilingwasfivemetersfromthefloorwhilethelengthandbreadthweremorethantwentymeterseitherway.Therewerebarelyanyfurnitureinside,justagiantmirroronthewall,ahugeandsturdytableaswellasthechairsaroundit.Severalpeoplewereseatedon thechairs,andparchments rolled intoscrollswereplacedon the tablebeforethem—scrollsimbuedwithmagic.“Andfinally,thisisthelastset.Theseareteleportationscrolls.”Aftertheloudvoiceofayounggirlsaidso,anotherscrollwasplacedonthetable.Theonewhotookoutthescrollswasahumanfemaleinmaidattire.Theyounggirlhadacuteface,withherhairtiedupintobunsoneithersidesofherhead.Butshehadadistinctauraabouther,withthemostexceptionalthingbeinghereyes.Hereyeswerebigandround,buttherewasnolightinthem,justlikelowgradeglassballs,andsheneverblinked.Her petite body was covered by a modified maid costume, with propped collars covering her neckcompletely.Asidefromherface,shedidn’tshowanyskinatall.Shewasoneofthebattlemaids,EntomaVasilissaZeta.“And,thisarethe‘Message’scrolls,buttherearealot.Couldsomeonepleasetidyupthetable?”Entomarequestedthefigureoccupyingtheseatofhonorandthatpersonnoddedslowly.“Tidyitup.”“Alright~,pleasecleanitupquicklythen.”With Cocytus’ acknowledgement and Entoma’s instruction, the figures surrounding the table startedworkingtogether.Theywereallof theheteromorphic race, somehad the formofprayingmantis, some looked likeants,therewereevenonesthatseemedtobeanexposedbrain.Theymightallappeardifferent,buttheyhadtwocommonpoints.TheywereallservantsofCocytusandtheybelongedtotheorganizationofNazarick.ThatwaswhytheyobeyedthecommandofEntomawhowasweakerthanthem.InthepowerstructureoftheGreatTombofNazarick,themostimportantthingwasn’tcombatpower,butthefactthatonewasacreationoftheSupremeBeings.Fromthispointofview,Entomahadahighlevelofauthority.Afterconfirmingthatthetableshadbeencleared—“Wellthen,pleaseacceptthis,Cocytus-sama.”—Entomasaidwithoutmovinghermouth,pickingupthebagbyherfeetandfishedoutseveralscrollsofparchment.

“Theseare‘Message’scrolls.AccordingtoAinz-sama,thesearemadefromskinsDemiurge-samawentthroughgreatefforttoobtain.Ainz-samaconveysthathewantsareportifthereareanyproblemswhenusingthem.”“Isee…Understood.Iwilltestthisout.”Cocytususedoneofhisfourhandstopickupseveralofthescrolls.“Demiurgehaspulledfurtherahead.”Cocytussaid tohis subordinateswithawrysmile.Whenhis subordinateheard that, theysmiledalongtoo.Withtheparchmentinhishand,Cocytusfellintodeepthought.Hehadheardaboutthestockoflowlevelmagicscrollsbeingdiminishedgradually.Findingaplacethatwouldprovidetherawingredientstomakevarioustypesofitemswasanimportantissuethatneededtoberesolved.Theyhadplentyofstockrightnow,butitwoulddepletewithconstantuse.Andso,alotofpeoplestartedtakingaction,includingtheirmaster.Cocytusheardthattheappletreeinthe6thfloorwasonepartoftheplan.ForCocytuswhosedutywas toguardNazarick, he couldn’t do anything,whichwasobvious sincehewouldn’tbeabletomoveoutandsearchforingredients.Demiurgewhowascreatinganoutpostoutsidewoulddefinitelysolvetheproblem.Thiswassomethingheexpected.Hiscomradecompletedhisduty.Cocytus should be happy for him, and he actually is, but he couldn’t completely suppress the fire ofjealousyinhisheart.ForhiscolleaguetobeofusetotheSupremeBeing—themastertheyadored,madehimenvious.HismissionwastodefendNazarick.This important task was probably more crucial than any orders received by the other Guardians. Nomatterwhoyouasked,theywouldanswerthatthiswasacrucialtask.TheyhadtokeepthelowlyonesfromdesecratingtheresidenceoftheSupremeBeings.Howeverwithoutinvaders,therewasnowaytoproveCocytus’loyaltyandhardwork.ThatwaswhyCocytuswantedtoachievesomething.For the Guardians, aiding their master would bring strong sense of joy. Cocytus wanted to taste thathappinesstoo.Andthatchancewasrightbeforehimnow.Cocytusturnedhisheadandlookedatthescenereflectedinthemirrorandtightenedhisgriponthescroll.Whatwasshownwasn’tindoors,butalocationsomewhereinthewetlands.That’sright,thesceneshownintheMirrorofRemoteViewingwasthereasonwhyCocytuswasholedupfortwodaysinthiswoodenhousebuiltbyAura.Thebattlethistime—No,inthefaceoftheabsolutestrengthoftheGreatTombofNazarick,itwouldbeaonesidedslaughter,soitwasjustameansofcollectingcarcasses.WhenCocytusreceivedthisharvestingmission,hismastergavehimseveralorders.One,Cocytuswas prohibited from taking to the field.This included his servants.The issue had to besolvedwiththetroopsthatwereallocated.Two,theLichassignedasthecommanderwastobeheldinreserveuntilthelastmoment.Three,hewastocarryoutthemissionbyhisownjudgement.Thereweresomeotherminutedetails,butthemainpointswerethesethree.He had to use the soldiers dispatched to the lakeside region to obtain victory. If hewere to succeed,Cocytuscouldthendisplayhisloyaltytohisgloriousmaster.

“Thankyouforyourhardwork,pleaserelaymythankstoAinz-sama.”Entomanoddedweakly.“Andso…Willyoubegoingback?”“No,Ireceivedorderstowitnessthebattlehere'tiltheveryend.”Soshewashereasanobserver.Cocytusconcluded,andfelthotbloodedthinkingabouttheheavyresponsibilitybestowedonhim.Wellthen,timetobegin.Cocytusactivated‘Message’andissuedanordertotheundeadcommander."—Advance."

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Twobonfiresonelevatedplatformsilluminatedthesurroundingwithflickeringlight.Onthestagestoodseverallizardmen,comprisingofthetribalchiefsandkeyfigures.Before the stage was a large group of lizardmen preparing for battle, the noise they were makingundulatinglikewaves.Uneasiness,anxietyandfear—Theytriedtheirbesttoconcealtheseemotions,buttheycouldn’tholddowntheirworries,thatwaswhytheyweresonoisy.Whatfollowednextwouldbewar.Thefriendbesideyoumightbecomeacorpsethenextmoment,theonewhomightfallinbattlecouldbethemselves.Whattheywouldbemarchingintowouldbeacruelfieldofbattle.ShasuryuShashasteppedforwardfromamongstthetribalchieftainstostoptherowdiness.“Alllizardmen,listenup!”Themajesticvoiceechoedoutandtheopenspacebecamesilent,makingShasuryu’svoiceexceptionallyclear.“Iknowthatwefaceagreatnumberoffoes.”Noresponse,buttheuneasinesscouldbeseenclearlyintheeyesofallpresent.Shasuryupausedmomentarilyandcontinuedloudly.“But do not fear! For the first time in history, we the five tribes have formed an alliance. After thisalliance,wearenowallofonetribe.That’swhy,theancestralspiritsofthefivetribeswillwatchoverus—andblessusevenifwewereofadifferenttribeinthepast.”“HeadDruidofalltribes!”Taking the cue,Crusch led the fiveheaddruidsof tribes and stepped forward.She removed thedresscoveringherandrevealedherwhitescales.“LeaderofHeadDruids,CruschLulu!”InresponsetoShasuryu’sintroduction,Cruschtookanotherstepforward.“Letourancestorsdescend!”“—Listen,childrenofthislargetribe!”Whatwasthisnewtribe?Crusch spokewith determination.Her voicewas tense at times, calm at others; alternating between amightyroarandthemelodyofsong.Inthebeginning,almosteveryonewasdisgustedbyCruschalbinoappearance,butseeinghowshepresentherselfconfidently,thefeelingsofdislikefadedaway.Crusch’sbodyswayedgentlyduringherspeech.Thewhitescalessparkledbrilliantlyunderthelightofthebonfire—ThereflectedgleammadeitlookasiftheancestorshaddescendedontoCrusch.Everyone’sfacestartedtoshowsignsofadoration.“Now,ourfivetribesarenowone,thatmeanstheancestorsofthefivetribeswillwatchoverallofus!

Weareallwitnesses!Alllizardmen!Beholdthecountlessancestors—descendbyourside!”Cruschspreadherarmsoutwithagrandgesture,pointingtothesky.Thegazeofallpresentfollowed,butwhattheysawwasjustthecloudyskywithnosignsofmiraclesdescending.Butsomeonesaidsomethingsoftly.Hesaid—thereisatinybeamoflight.Thesoftvoicegraduallybecamebig, severalother lizardmensaid:“Isee them.”Somesaid theyweresmallbeamsoflight;someshoutedtheysawlizardmendescending;someutteredthatwerelargefishes;somescreamedthesewerechildren;someevenutteredindisbeliefthosewereeggs.Allthelizardmenhadthesamethoughtinmind—theancestorsreallydescended.“Theancestorsareheretoprotectus!”Itwasonlynaturalforthemtoshoutsomethinglikethat.“Feelthis!Feelthepowerflowingintoyourbody!”Crusch’svoicereachedtheheartofeveryone,thesoundseemedsofar,yetsonear.Ledbythatvoice,thelizardmenfeltsomesortofenergysurgingintotheirbody.“Feelit!Feelthestrengthbestowedontoyoubytheancestorsofthefivetribes!”Allthelizardmenpresentdefinitelyfeltit.Theyfeltthatsurgingpower.Thefeelingoftheirhotbloodflowingwashedawayalltheirunease,theirbodystartedheatingupasiftheyjustdrunkalcohol.Thiscouldbetakenasthebestproofoftheirancestorsdescending.CruschlookedawayfromtherevelfacesofthelizardmenandnoddedtoShasuryu.“Lendmeyour ears, lizardmen.The ancestorshavedescendedontous.Wecannotmatch the enemy innumbers,butwillwelose?”“No!”ThelizardmenintoxicatedintheatmosphererespondedtoShasuryuinunison,shakingtheveryair.“That’sright!Withtheancestorsuponus, it is impossibleforustolose!Defeat theenemy,andpresentvictorytoourancestors!”“Warrghh!”The lizardmenwere in high spirits, no one felt uneasy anymore. Therewere only lizardmenwho hadmorphedintowarriorsastheyheadedtowardthebattlethatwasuponthem.Theywere not charmed bymagic. Evenwith somany druids, therewas noway they could spare theenergybeforebattletocastsuchmagiconallthegatheredlizardmen.Thiswasjusttheeffectofthespecialdrinkthatwasgiventoalllizardmenbeforetheceremony.It was a beverage that grants courage, passed down from previous generations of lizardmen. It wasbrewedfromaspecialherbthatmadethelizardmenfeltintoxicated,happyandsawillusionsforashortperiodoftime.Crusch’sspeechwasjustbuyingtimefortheherbtotakeeffect.Oncethetruthwasknown,itwasn’tmuch.Butforthosewhosawtheeffectswiththeirowneyes—thelizardmenwhowitnesstheancestorsdescending,itwasaritualthatbroughtoutthecourageinthem.“Wellthen,wewillhandoutthepainttoeveryone.Itusedtobeonecolourforeachtribe,butrightnowtheancestorsfromallfivetribesareamongus,souseallthecolourstopaintyourself!”Severaldruidscarriedpotsandwalkedthroughthelizardmencrowd.Thelizardmentookpaintfromthepotandstarteddrawingwarpaintonthemselves.Theybelievethesewerethedrawingoftheancestorswhohaddescendedontothem,sotheyallowedtheirfingerstomovefreely,paintingpatternsontheirbody.Withtheancestorsfromallfivetribesdescendingontothem,manyofthelizardmencoveredtheirwhole

bodywithpaint.Butthelizardmenfrom‘GreenClaw’didn’tdrawmanywarpaintsonthemselves.ThiswasbecauseZaryusu,Shasuryuandtheelitesofthetribesdidn’tdrawany.Inaway,thiswaslikefansimitatingtheiridol.Aftersurveyingthecrowdandconfirmingthateveryonehadfinished,Shasuryudrewhisgreatswordandpointedatthemaingate.“Moveout!”“Wargghhh!!”Countlessroarsshookthesurrounding.TheforcesoftheGreatTombofNazarickwereroughlydividedintwoanddeployedontothewetlands.From the view of the lizardmen, the zombies were on the left while the skeletons were on the right.Skeletonarchersandriderswerepositionedbehindtheskeletons.Undeadbeastsweresituatedbehindasthecoreofthearmy.Thelizardmenarmyhadasmallerforceandweredividedintotwogroupsaswell.Facingthezombieswerefemalelizardmenandhunters,whilethewarriorsandmalelizardmenweresetagainsttheskeletons.TheDruidswereplacedinsidethevillageprotectedbywalls.The lizardmen formedupoutside thevillagebecause therewasnothing tobegained froma defensivebattle.Theyhadno incoming reinforcementand thewallsweren’t really sturdy.On theotherhand, theundeadarmydidn’trequireanyprovisionsorrest.Withsuchadisadvantageousposition,adefensivesiegebattlewouldbefoolish.Butafterbothsidessetupformation,thedifferenceinnumberswasclearlyshown.Onelizardmanhadtofightagainstthree,tenagainstthirty,theratioremainedthesame.Butthedifferencewasprominentwhenitwasathousandagainstthreethousand.Justliningupthreethousandundeadwashighlyintimidating.Even so, the lizardmen did not show any fear.With their ancestors descended amongst them, numberswerenotaproblem.Moments later, theundeadarmystartedadvancing slowly.The first tomovewere thezombiesand theskeletons.The skeletonarchersand riders remained inplace, therefore theywereprobablyconservingtheirforces.Thelizardmenarmystartedtheirmarchtoo.“Warrrggghh!”Deafening roars covered the entire wetlands, followed by the splashing of water. The mud fleweverywhereandthewatersplashed.The two armies continued their advance andwere about to clashmightily.At thismoment, somethinghappenedtotheforcesofNazarick.Although the zombies and skeletonmoved forth at the same time, their pace was different. This wasbecausethezombieswereslowandstiffwhiletheskeletonswereagileandfast.Mostimportantofall,theywereinthewetlandswhichaffectedmobility.The movements of the stiff zombies were obstructed by the mud, slowing them down. But the lightskeletonswerenotaffectedmuch.Hence,thefirsttoclashweretheskeletonsandthelizardmenwarriors.Thelizardmendidnothaveanyformation,simplychargingaheadtoengagetheenemy,withnostratagemtospeakof.Leadingthewaywerethefivewarriorcaptainsfromeachofthetribes.Forthecommanderstobeinthefrontlinescouldbeconsideredfoolishinsomeways.Buttheywerethehighestrankingcombatants,sothemoraleof the lizardmenwouldplummet if theydidn’t led from the front.Thanks to theireffort, all the

lizardmenwerehighlymotivated.Rightbehindthemwerethe89‘RazorTail’heavyarmorwarriors.Wearingleatherarmorsandshields,thisgrouphadthehighestdefenceamongallthetribes.Withtheirshieldsraised,theyformedawallthatwaschargingintotheskeletonarmy.Anintensecollision—thevanguardsofthewarriorsandthewarriorssmashedintoeachother.In that instant, countless bones fleweverywhere as the lizardmenunit crashed a hole into the skeletonformation.Angry roars accompanied the cracking sound of bones. Therewere occasionalmoans of pain, but thebonecrackingsoundswereoverwhelminglylouder.Thelizardmengainedastaggeringadvantageinthefirstclash.Ifitwereahumanarmyinstead,theresultwouldbereversed.Becausetheskeletonsweremadeupofbones,piercingweaponswereineffectiveandtheyhadresistancetowardsslashingattackstoo.Hence,forthehumanarmywithswordsastheirprimaryweapon,itwouldbedifficulttodealeffectivedamageagainsttheskeletons.Because of their bluntweapons such asmaces andwarhammers, the lizardmen completely gained theupperhand.Thebaneofskeletonswerebluntweapons.Wheneveralizardmenswungtheweaponintheirhand,thebonesoftheskeletonsshatteredeasily.Eveniftheysurvivedonehit,theywouldbecrushedinthenextattack.Ontheotherhand,whenevertheskeletonsattackedwiththeirrustyswords,itgotdeflectedfromthetoughscalyskinofthelizardmen.Someofthemwerehurt,butnoonesufferedmortalwounds.Theveryfirstclash.Theshatteredbonesoffivehundredskeletonslitteredthewetlandsjustlikethat.

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TheimagereflectedinthemirrorstunnedCocytus.It was just the initial clash, but the combat prowess of the lizardmen were beyond his imagination.Cocytuswasanexcellentwarriorandcould judgehowgoodhisopponentwas toacertainextent.Theskeletonswerebehindthelizardmeninsinglecombat.Buttheyshouldbeabletomakeupforitwiththeirnumbers.Butitendedwithsucharesult,whatishappening?ItevenmadeCocytussuspectthatthelizardmenwerestrengthenedbysomeunknownpowers.Theonesthatcoulddefeatthelizardmenincombatwouldprobablybetheskeletonarchersandriders.AsCocytuswasobservingthesituation,theskeletonswerebeingcrushed.Theusefulnessoftheskeletonsandzombieswerereducedtotiringouttheopponents.Inthatcase,theeffectiveforceswouldbetheremaining300undeadbeasts,150skeletonarchers,and550skeletonriders.Theywereoutnumberedinstead.Cocytusstartedcalculatinginhisheart.Theundeadwerestrong inbattle,especially inadrawnoutfight.Theundeaddidn’t feelanything,andwouldn’tfeelneitherfearnorpain.Theydidn’tneedrestorsleep.Theadvantagethesecharacteristicsbroughtwereevidentwithnoneedforanyexplanation.Forexample,mostcreatureswouldfallfromapowerfulhitfromamacetoitshead.Eveniftheydidn’tdie, theywouldbleedprofuselyand feelpain.Theonewhogothitwould loseallwill to fight.Somewarriorswhoweretrainedtoresistpainmightbeabletostandtheirground,butmostpeoplewouldlosethewilltofight.Thiswasnaturalforlivingbeings.

Butwhatabouttheundead?Smashitshead?Itwouldkeeponattacking.Breakitsarm?Itwouldstabatyouwithitsstump.Takeoutitslegs?Itwouldcrawlatyou.That’sright,aslongastheirnegativelifeforceremains,theundeadwouldcontinuetofight.Aslongastheconditionforitsdeathwasnotmet—whichwascuttingitsheadoffformostundeads—itwon’tloseitswilltofightlikehumans.Thismeantthattheundeadwasinaway,theperfectsoldier.Intermsofindividualstrength,thelizardmenobviouslyhadtheupperhand.Butthatcouldchange.Cocytus’ raised his evaluation of the lizardmen by one level and acknowledged that they were notenemiesthatcouldbedefeatedeasily.Whatheneededtodonowwastoturnthisintoabattleofattrition."Howaboutretreatingfornowandobservethesituation?”“Ibelievethisisawisemove,mylord.”“Sendingouttheskeletonarchersandridersmightbeabetteroption,master.”“No,Ithinkweshouldpressonwiththeattackandsapthemoftheirstamina,myliege.”“Howwouldwaitingforthemtotirehelp?Ifwecan’tdestroytheenemy’sbasecamp,theywouldbeabletorestandrecoverright?”“Indeed.Ourfoeshadstrengthenedtheirdefenceswithjustafragilewall.Howabouttakingthatvillageandroutingthem?”After hearing the response from his underlings, Cocytus picked up a ‘Message’ scroll. He glanced atEntomafromthecornerofhiseyesandobservedherexpression.Entomaseemeddisinterestedasshelookedinthedirectionofthemirror.Shewasputtinggreenbiscuitsshetookfromsomewheretowardsherchin.Inthenextinstance,clearcrackingsoundcouldbeheard.Herattitudeseemed tobe implying that shewasn’t involved.Thatwasprobablywhyher facialexpressionwasblank.—Wrong,thatexpressionlessfacewasjustadecoration.Cocytus remembered her true identity and realized how stupid he was when he tried to read herexpression.ShewasaFamiliarEater.EvenCocytus’friend,oneofthe‘EvilFive’,Kyouhukou(LordofTerror)saidwithouthesitationthat‘sheisthemostscaryone’.ThatwasEntoma’strueidentity.CocytusgaveuptryingtoreadEntoma’sthoughtsfromherfaceandusedthescrolltoissuetheinstructiontothecommander.

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“Aretheylookingdownonus?”Zenberumumbled.Hewasn’tloud,butitwasenoughforeveryonesurveyingtheenemyfromontopofthemudwallstohear.“Theirarchersandridersarestillheldinreserve,Ithinktheyareunderestimatingus…”“That’sright,Ithoughttheenemywouldchargeatusatonego…”“Fightwithzombie,smooth.”Therewereonly45huntersfightingthezombies.Usinghitandruntacticsbythrowingrocksatthem,thehunterswereluringthezombiesslowlyawayfromtheskeletons.Thefemalelizardmenmovedslowlytotheflankoftheskeletons.“Aren’ttheirmovementsratherqueer?”“…Indeed.”Insteadofbeinglured,thezombieswerefocusingcompletelyonthehunters.Wasthecommanderagreeing

withthis?No,therewasnowayanycommanderwouldacceptthis,butinactualfact,thatwashowthezombiesweremoving.Then,whatistheobjectiveoftheenemy?Everyonepresentwerebaffledbythis.“Idon’tunderstandwhytheyaremovingthisway.”“Yes,IagreewithShasuryu.”Nomatterhowtheythoughtaboutit,theredoesn’tseemtobeanypurposeinthezombies’action.Zaryusuthoughtaboutitforamomentandsharedhisthoughtswiththeothers.“Maybethereisnocommander?”“Nocommander…?Ah,youmeantheundeadarejustfollowingtheveryfirstinstructiontheyreceived?”“Yes,correct.”Amongtheundead,thelowesttiercomprisingofskeletonsandzombieslackintelligence,sogivingtimelyorderswouldbethemostefficientwaytoutilizethem.Buttheenemiesthistimefeltasiftheonlyordertheyreceivedwastoeliminateanylizardmennearthem.That’swhatZaryusumeant.“Thatistosayourfoesthoughttheycouldwinagainstusiftheyhavethenumbers…No,couldthisbattlebejustanexperimenttoseehowwelltheundeadfightwithoutacommander?”“Thatmaybeso.”“Damnit!Whatkindofjokeisthis?”Theonelashingoutinangerwasn’tZenberu,butShasuryu.EvenShasuryucouldn’ttakeitanymore,thelizardmenwerebettingtheirlivesonthiswar.“CalmdownShasuryu,itmightnotbesosimple.”“Ah,myapologies…Itisagoodthingthatwehavetheupperhand.”"Youarerightolderbrother,wehavetousethischancetodiminishtheenemy's’numbers.”The fatigue from battle was heavy, the mental strain would be enormous in a chaotic fight. Withoutknowing if theenemywouldcome from the front,back, leftor right, just swingingyourweaponundersuchconditionsafewtimeswouldbemuchmoretiringthannormal.Buttheundeadwouldn’tgetfatigueandwouldfightwithoutrest.The difference between the living and the undeadwould becomemore prominentwith the passage oftime.Timewastheenemyforthelizardmen.“Tch,Iwanttotakethefieldtoo.”“Endure,Zenberu.”IftheskilledZenberuwastojointhefray,theycouldleveltheskeletonsinnotime.Butthatwouldmeanrevealingtheirowntrumpcards.Zaryusuandtheotherfiveweretheaceinthehole.Theyhadtoshowtheiraceifthesituationcalledforit,butbeforethestrongestfoeshowsitself,theymustnotshowtheirhand.“Butwouldn’titplayrightintoourhandiftheenemydoesn’tadvance?”Zaryususaidtotheothers.Theothersagreedwithhim,andZaryusuaskedCruschwhowasbesidehim:“Howarethingsonyourend?”“...Yes,theritualisgoingasplanned.”Cruschansweredasshe lookedinside thevillagebehindthem.Thegroupofdruidswereperformingaritualinsidethevillagethatcouldbecomeanotheraceforthelizardmen.Itusuallytookalotoftime,butwithallthedruidsofallfivetribesgatheredhere,theprogresswasspedupanditcouldbeusedinthisbattle.“...Teamwork,whatanamazingthing.”“Yeah…That’strue,wedidsharesomeinformationafterthatwar…ButtherearesomanymorethingsIwanttodoafterthewarnow.”TheothertribalchiefsstronglyagreedwithZaryusu’sview.Theysharedtheirknowledgebecauseofthis

war, and witnessed first-hand the importance of developing together as a community. There werealliancesinthepast,butthethreechiefswhodidn’texchangeviewsinthepastweredoingsomorefreelynow.Zaryususmiledashelookedatthefiveofthem.“What’ssofunny?”“Nothing,itisjustthatdespitebeinginsuchasituation,Istillfeelreallyglad.”CruschunderstoodZaryusu’sthoughtsimmediately.“—Metoo,Zaryusu.”SeeingCruschsmilingbrilliantly,Zaryususquintedhiseyesasifhewaslookingatsomethingbright.Bothoftheireyeswerefilledwithadmirationandloveforeachother.Theydidn’ttoucheachotherphysically.Thatwasobvious.Afterall,therewerelizardmendyingoutthereevenatthisverymoment.Theycouldn’tdoastheypleasedespiteknowingthat.Buttheirtailswerelikeindependentcreatures,squirmingaroundandtanglingtogethersometimes.“Muu…”“Astheolderbrother,howdoesitfeel?”“Theyareintheirownworld.”“Howpassionate.”“Inconclusion…It’sgoodtobeyoung.Theirfutureisbright.”Thefourolderlizardmennoddedinunisonastheywatchedtheircutejuniors.ItwasimpossibleforZaryusuandCruschtomissthat.Althoughtheirtailsweretwitchingabout,theystillkepttheirpokerfaces.“Elderbrother,theenemyismoving.”Shasuryu and the others smiledwryly as Zaryusu shifted gears so suddenly. They looked towards theenemyformationandsawtheskeletonridersflankthebattleinfrontofthembeforeadvancing.“Heyhey,aretheychargingforus?”“Withskeletonriders?Aretheyplanningtobringdownourmoralebystrikingatus?”“No,theyareprobablyflankingtotherearofthewarriorsandmalelizardmentosurroundthem.”Notgood.Everyonecametothesameconclusionthatthemobilityoftheskeletonriderswasathreat.If theskeletonridersweredeployedat thestartof thefight, thelizardmencouldexterminate themfirst.Rightnow,thewarriorsandmalelizardmenwereinachaoticfight,thehunterswereluringthezombiesand the female lizardmenwere throwingrocks fromthe flankof theskeletons, therewerenoavailableforcestostoptheskeletonriders.“Ithinkweshouldtakeaction.”AcceptingthepropositionfromthechiefofSmallFang,Shasuryunoddedinagreement.“Theproblemiswhoweshouldsend…Let’sshowtheenemyourstrength.”

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Skeletonriders.Skeletons with lances riding on skeletal horses. Nothing special to note except their strong mobility,whichwasexceptionalinthewetlands.Withtheirbodymadefrombones,theirfeetsinkshallowlyintothemud,allowingthemtotraversetheterrainwiththespeedofhorses.Theonehundredskeletonriderstooktheroundaboutwaytothebackofthelizardmenarmyforapincerattack.They could see three lizardmen running at them to the left of their advancing route—whichwas the

directionof thevillage—but theskeleton riders ignored them.Withoutanyorders, theywould ignoreanythingiftheywerenotattacked.Thatwasthekindofmonstertheunintelligentundeadwas.Theyalmostreachedtherearofthelizardmenarmywhentheskeletonriderleadingthechargesuddenlytumbled.Theskeletonriderwasflunghighintotheairbeforeitfellheavilyintothewetlands.A human would be confused and wouldn’t be able to act immediately. But the unintelligent undeadskeletonridermovedinstantlyinordertocarryoutitsinstructions.Itstoodupimmediately,butwaslimpingslightlyduetothedamage.Thatskeletonwashitbyanotherskeletonrider,andtheirboneswerescatteredalloverthewetlands.Suchascenehappenedconsecutivelyinseveralplaces.Thereasonthiswashappeninginthewetlands?Theanswerwassimple—traps.Openboxeswereburiedinthegroundandthehorseswouldtumbleiftheyweretospringthetraps.Theskeletonridersfelloneafteranother. If theywerehumans, theywouldslowtheiradvance.But theskeletonridersdidn’tdothat.Theyhadenoughwitstoavoidaholethatwasalreadythere,butstillfellforhiddentraps.Theydidn’treceiveanyorderstodosoanddidn’thadtheintelligencetomakesuchajudgementcall.Thesceneofthemgoingfullspeedintotrapswaslikemasssuicide.The traps might be very effective, but they could only stall for time. Some damage was dealt to theskeleton riders, but itwasnot enough to destroy them.The skeleton riders that had fallen all over theplacegotupwiththeirbodiescoveredinmud.Atthismoment,awhistlingsoundwasheardandtheheadofaskeletonriderflewoffjustlikethat.Theskeletonriderssawthisasanactofhostilityandlookedaroundthevicinity.Anotherskeleton’sheadwasknockedofflikeshatteredglass.The skeleton ridersdiscovered three lizardmenabout80meters away from them.Theycould also seethemusingslingshots,shootingrockstosnipetheheadoftheskeletonriders——Theskeletonridersstartedmoving.Atthesametime,thefightwiththeskeletonswaschanging.Withthesoundofbowstringsreleasing,arrowsraineddownonthebattlefield.The150skeletonarchers firedarrowsat theskeletonsand the lizardmensimultaneously. Itwasn’t justoneshot,buttwo,three...Thiswasanunexpectedassaultforthelizardmen.Severallizardmenwerehitandfell.Theycouldn’tdefendagainstthearrowswhiletheyfoughtagainsttheskeletons.Theskeletonswerehittoo,buttooknodamage.Placing the skeletons thatwere resistant to piercing attacks in the front and the skeleton archers firingfromthebackwasagreatcombination.Withthetimeneededtodefeat2,200skeletons,thistacticwouldbeenoughtowipeoutthelizardmen.But theproblemwasthat this tacticwasimplementedtoolate.If itwasusedat theverybeginning, thelizardmenwoulddefinitelybe inadirestate.Theskeletonswould thenoverwhelmthemwithnumbersandearnadecisivevictory.Butitwastoolate.Ignoringthedwindlingskeletons,thelizardmenchargedattheskeletonarchers.Thearrowsfromthe150skeletonarchersfelllikerain,downingseverallizardmenontothemud,butitwasjustasmallnumber.With the thick skin and hard scales of the lizardmen, their defence was on par with humans wearingleatherarmor.Evenifarrowspiercedtheirskin,theirtoughmusclesmightbeabletostaveofffatalinjury.Anotherreasonfortheminimalcasualtiesweretheweakarrowshots.Theydidn’thaveenoughpowerto

killthelizardmen.Thelizardmenroaredfearlesslyastheycharged.Inthefaceoftherainofarrows,thelizardmencrossedtheirarmstoprotecttheirhead,bravingaheadeveniftheirbodywaspierced.Onthethirdwaveofarrowattack—This was the limit of how fast the skeleton archers could shoot. If they had intelligence, they wouldprobablyretreat.Iftheymovedbackandregroupedwiththesurvivingundeadarmy,theycouldbeutilizedinabetterway.But the skeletons did not have themental capacity to store such complicated instructions. They didn’treceive any other orders, so they simply executed their original mission— Even with the lizardmenclosingin,theycouldonlyfirearrowsatthem.Witharoar,theskeletonarcherswereswarmedbythelizardmen,justliketheydidtotheskeletons.Atthisdistance,archerslosttheiradvantageandcouldonlybeattackedone-sidedly.Astheyfelloneafteranother,almostalltheskeletonshadfallenintothewetlands,andjustthearmyofzombieswasleft.Finally,anewenemywasunleashed.Undeadbeasts.Undead created from wolves, snakes, cobras and all sorts of animals. A monster that combined thetenacityofzombieswiththeagilityofanimals.Theundeadbeastsrushedatthelizardmen.Thefastmovedfast,theslowtravelledslowly,anassaultwithnoformationtospeakof.Theattackcomingfromdownlowwasunexpectedlyhardtoevade.Theundeadbeastswillgnawontothefeetoftheenemy.Afterimmobilizingthem,itwilldealthekillingblow,astylesimilartowildbeasts.For the lizardmenwhoweregettingmoreandmore tired, this attackwasdifficult to fendoff.Severallizardmenwhosemovementshaddulledgottheirneckstornapartbytheundeadbeasts.Eventhosewhobelieved the spirits of their ancestors was with them couldn’t help but panic when they saw theircomradesfall.TheHeadWarriorsfoughtatthefront,butwerepushedbackslowly.Astheywerethinkingthatitwasjustamatteroftimebeforetheirbattlelineswillbebroken,thewetlandssuddenlyswelledup.Whatappearedwastwoconicalmassesofearthabout160cminheight,withnoheadorlimbs.Thetwomassesstartedmoving.It moved smoothly across the wetlands despite the absence of limbs, heading straight for the undeadbeasts. After closing the distance, whips that were longer than its height emerged from where itsshouldersshouldbe.Thatwasoneofthelizardmen’saceinthehole,thefairyofthewetlandssummonedthroughthecombinedeffortofallthelizardmen’sdruids.Thewetlandfairieschargedintothemidstoftheundeadbeasts,flingingitswhipliketentaclestograbtheenemies.Theundeadbeastsengageditferociouslywithclawsandfangs.Itwas a battle between creatureswithout fear. But thewetland fairies had the advantage due to theirsuperiorcombatpower.Their priest could overpower the undead. This fact revived the courage of the lizardmen and theyrenewedtheirattack.AnintensebattleensuredUnlike the fightwith theskeletons, the lizardmenalsosufferedcasualties.But thescaleofvictorywastiltingtowardsthelizardmenwhohadtheadvantageinpurenumbers.

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Hewasgoingtolose.Cocytusunderstoodthisfact.Hisforceslackedanyundeadthathaveintelligence.Thatwasthereasonfortheloss,andwassomethinghewasworriedaboutfromtheverybeginning,butCocytusdidn’timaginethearmytobethisweak.Cocytusregrettedhisshallowthinkingdeeply.Therewasawaytoturnthetideundersuchasituation,butitwasn’tagoodmethodastakingsuchastepwasequivalenttoadmittinghisloss.Ontheotherhand,howcouldhereportthisfailuretohismaster?Cocytuspickedupthe‘Message’scroll.Whoshouldhecontactatsuchacrucialmoment—“...IsthisDemiurge?”『Yesmyfriend.Foryoutoactuallymessageme,somethinghappened?』A steady voice sounded out in Cocytus’mind.Demiurge’s intelligencewas top notch inNazarick, hemightbeabletothinkofasolution.Inaway,DemiurgewasoneofCocytus’rivals,soCocytuswasnottoofondofaskinghimforhelp.Butavoidingdefeattookpriority,howcouldanarmyfromtheGreatTombofNazarickfail?Toavoidlosingthefight,Cocytusthrewawayhisprideandloweredhisheadforhelp.“Actually—”Afterusingascrolltoexplainthecurrentsituation,Demiurgewholistenedquietlygaveatroubledsigh.『Andwhatdoyouneedfromme?』“Iwishforyoutolendmeyourwisdom,thebattlewillbelostifthiscarrieson.Icanacceptitifitwasmypersonalfight,butIdonotwishforNazarickandtheSupremeBeingstobedisgracedbythis.”『DoesAinz-samatrulywishforvictory?』

“Whatdoyoumeanbythis?”『IamtalkingaboutwhyAinz-samaformedanarmyfromsuchlowlyserfs.』Cocytusalsohaddoubtsabout this.Hecouldn’t fathomwhy theyhad to formanarmyfromthe lowestservantsintheGreatTombofNazarick.“...Ainz-samamusthavehisreasons,butwhatishisintention?”『...Icanthinkofseveralpossibilities.』AsexpectedofDemiurge—Cocytusdidn’texpressthisoutloudandkepthisrespectinhisheart.『Letmeaskyou…Cocytus.Youhadbeeninthisplaceforseveraldaysnow,shouldn’tyoubegatheringintelligenceonthelizardmenbeforetheattack?』Demiurgewasright.But—“ButAinz-samaorderedmetodefeatthemwiththeforcesgiven,andtodosoinadirectconfrontation.”『Thatmightbeso,butIwanttothinkaboutitcarefully,Cocytus.TheimportantthingshouldbewhatkindofresultdoyouwanttopresenttoAinz-sama,right?Iftheobjectivewasdestructionofthevillage,youwouldneedtoconsiderthebestwaytogoaboutit,correct?』Cocytuscouldn’tanswer,Demiurgegotrighttothepoint.『Ainz-samamusthaveconsideredallthiswhenhegavethoseserfstoyou.』“...YoumeanAinz-samaintentionallygavemeforcesthatwouldn’tbeabletowinthefight?”『Thatpossibilityishigh.Ifyouhadcollatedintelligencebeforehand,youmighthavebeenabletotellthattheforcesyouhaveonhandisinsufficienttotakethevillage.Inthatcase,youshouldreporttoAinz-samathat ‘thecurrent forcesarenotenough tocomplete themission, Iwillneedmore reinforcements’.ThatshouldbeAinz-sama’sgoal.』Whichmeant thatCocytushad tounderstand the true intentionofhismaster.He shouldnot just followordersblindlyandhadtomakeadjustmentonthefly.ThatwaswhatDemiurgewastryingtosay.

『ThiswasAinz-sama’smethodofchangingourwayofthinking.Butheseemedtohaveanotherobjectiveaswell…』“Whatelseisthere?”CocytusaskedDemiurgeinpanic.Hehadalreadymadeonemistake,hedoesn’twanttoriskanotherone.『Ainz-samasentoutmessengers to thevillages,butdidnotmentionNazarickbyname.Healsoforbidyoufromtakingthefield.Thismeans—』CocytusgulpedandwaitedforDemiurgetocarryon.ButDemiurgedidn’tcontinue.『Urg!Cocytus,myapologies,Ihaveanurgentmattertoattendto.SorrybutIneedtogo,mayyouobtainvictory.』Demiurgecutoffthecommunicationsuddenlyandthe‘message’ended.CocytuscouldguesswhatmadethecalmandcollectedDemiurgesoflustered.Heshiftedhiseyesontosomeoneintheroom.HesawEntomacasuallytearingoffatatteredtalismanfromherforehead.ForaTalismancertouseatalismanmeant—Everythingwastoolate.Itwastimetodeploytheundeadthatwasheldbackuntiltheverylastmoment,theacecard.Butwasthisreallytheintentionofhismaster?ThiswasprobablythefirsttimeCocytusthoughtabouttheintentionbehindtheordersofhismaster.Buthecouldonlycometooneconclusion.Cocytusactivatedthe‘Message’spell.“—LichCommander,Iorderyoutoattack.Showthelizardmenyourtruepowers.”

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Anoldandluxuriousrobecovereditsbodyofskinsandbones.Oneofitshandswasholdingatwistedstaff.Itsrottingfacewasjustaskincoveredskullwithevileyesfullofintelligenceinitssockets.Theemittednegativeenergycoveredhisbodylikeathinfog.Thisundeadmagiccasterwas—aLich.TheundeadobeyedCocytus'commandand lookedat thewetlands.He then issuedorders to theBloodMeat Hulks standing behind him. They were undeads with fresh red muscles and fats, made by theSupremeBeingjustlikehim.“Killthosethreelizardmen.”The twoBloodMeatHulks obeyed the orders andwalked towards the three lizardmen destroying theskeletonriders.Although Blood Meat Hulks were low-tier undead that could only attack with brute force, they hadregenerativeabilities.Iftheywerefacingphysicalattackonthesamelevelasthem,theywouldbeabletostallfortime.TheLichwascertaintheBloodmeatHulkcouldstallforsufficienttime.Thiswasn’t agood strategy.As amagic caster, theLichwasnotgood inmeleebattles, sohaving theBloodMeatHulksclosetoprotecthimwastheorthodoxwaytofight.Howeverhecouldn’tusesuchtactics.Theorder he receivedwas to ‘show the lizardmenyour true powers’.Hence, he had to take the basecampofthelizardmenalonewithhisoverwhelmingpower.AstheLichadvanced,histerrifyingfacelaughedsoftly.Hefeltthiswastooeasy.As a creation of the Supreme Being Ainz Ooal Gown, he was far superior to the Liches that spawnautomaticallyinNazarick.Andhismissionwastodisplayhismighttothelizardmen.

Hevowedtowininthenameofhismaster.“I,Iguvua,willpresentthisvictorytomymaster.”Afterfinishingtheexterminationoftheundeadbeasts,thelizardmenstoopedtheirshoulderstiredlyandsighedinrelief.Theyweresaddenedbytheirlosses,buthadafaintsmileaswell.Thereweremanyinjuries,but theycount themselves lucky theydidn’t losemore. If thewetlandfairiesdidn’tjointhefray…No,iftheyhadappearedanylater,theirformationwouldhavebeenbrokenandtheywouldhavebeenrouted.“Let’sgo.”TheHeadWarriorsaid,announcingthecommencementofthenextfight.Everyone were weak from fatigue, and only managed to pick up their weapons after some time, andseemedtootiredtowieldthem.Theymightbeexhausted,butthewarwasn’tover.Theywereneededtotakecareofthezombiesinthedistanceandguardagainstenemyreinforcements.“Alright,bringtheheavilywoundedbacktothevillage,therestfollowus—”Asuddenburstofflamecuthisspeechshort.Aheatwaveradiatedouttothesurrounding,thetwofairiescaughtinthemidstofthefirewereswayingweakly.Aftertheflamedispersedcompletelywithoutatrace,theappearanceofthetwofairieswasterrible.Theywereonthevergeoffallingfromthatoneattack.Beforeanyonecouldscream,theflameblastedonceagain.Thefairiescouldn’twithstandtheattackandtheirbodiesbegantocrumble,dispersingintothefire.The powerful fairies that displayed unmatched strength against the undead beasts were gone. Thelizardmencouldn’tprocesswhatwashappeningandhadblankexpressions.Whathappened?Theyknew thewetland fairiesweredestroyed, but theywere rejecting this reality. If the twowetlandfairieswerereallydefeated,thatmeantastrongermonsterthanthemwasapproaching.Thelizardmencouldn’tsuppresstheirconfusionandlookedaroundinfear.Whentheysawanundeadinthedistance,afireballwasshotfromitshandonceagain.Thefireballthatwasthesizeofahumanheadflewthroughtheairandblastintothelizardmenunittakingpoint.Normally, firewouldbeputoutwhen it come into contactwithwater, but this fireballwas amagicalphenomenonandignoredsuchcommonsense.Themomentthefireballhitthewatersurface,itexplodedasifithadcollidedwithsolidground,creatingatornadooffire.Theexplodingflameengulfedseverallizardmen—anddisappeared.Anillusion—itdisappearedsofastthatthiswasthefeelingitgave.Butthesmellofburningflesh—fromthelizardmenthatlaidonthegroundmotionlesswasdefinitelynotanillusion.Theundeadadvancedslowly,itsattitudesocasualandarrogant.Thatwasthepaceofapowerfulbeingconfidentinitsstrength.As the lizardmen were hesitating whether they should charge in just like how they had handled theskeletonarchers,thefireballstruckagain.Thefierceexplosionrobbedseverallizardmenoftheirlivesinablinkofaneye.Theoverwhelmingpowermadethepreviousbattleseemlikeagame.“Warrgghh!Thelizardmenroaredandshookoffthefearintheirhearts.Asseveralofthemwereabouttochargeinwithnoregardsfortheirlives,acoldvoiceeruptedfromanunimaginablyfardistance.“—Fools.”

Withthisword,anotherfireballburnedthecharginglizardmenbeforetheycouldscream.The undead moved slowly, and the hundreds of lizardmen immediately took a step back. The wallseparatingthetrulystrongfromtheweakforcedthemback.“Run!”Aspiritedroarsoundedout,shockingthelizardmenlikelightning.ItwasoneoftheHeadWarrior.“Thatfellowisdifferentfromtheotherenemies!Wearenomatchforit!”Thatwascorrect.Theenemyadvancedslowlybyitself,thatmajesticswaggermadeallthelizardmenfeelachillontheirskin.“RunbackandreporttotheChiefsandZaryusu.”“Letusbuysometime!”Yetanotherfireballexploded,fellingseverallizardmen.“Run!Reporttothem!”ThefiveHeadWarriorsorderedthelizardmentoescapeastheygaugedthedistancebetweeneachother.Theyspreadoutwiththeblastradiusofthefireballinmind,theirgoalwasforoneofthemtoreachtheenemy.Itwasasuicideformationforthissolepurpose.Thefiveofthemofthemlookedateachotherafterspreadingoutandsprintedatfullspeed.Thedistancewasaboutahundredmetres. Itwasahopelessdistance,but theystillcharged inwithalltheirmight.Theykneweveniftheyfellwhilerushingin,itwouldleavecluesforthechiefsandZaryusuwhowerewatchingfrombehind.

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Thelizardmenescaped,scatteringlikethespawnsofaspider.Zaryusuwatched this scenecalmly.No,Zaryusuhadbeenwatching its everymove since thepowerfulenemyshoweditself.Watchingtheundeadthatwasspreadingtheflamesofdeath.Themovementsofthisfoewasdifferentfromtheunintelligentenemyearlier,hewasprobablytheenemycommander.The undead started using the wide area ‘fireball’ attack when the five HeadWarriors were about ahundredmetres fromit.Even though theyattackedfromfivedifferentdirections,all theHeadWarriorsattemptingtheassaultwereburnedaliveenroute.“Itistimeforustofight.”ZaryusunoddedinagreementwithZenberu,Cruschgaveherconsensus too.Sheacknowledgedthat thetimewhenshemightsacrificeinthebattlefieldhadcome.“That’sright,itisourturn.Thatoneistoopowerful.ThisisprobablytherighthandmanofthatSupremeOneandthecommanderofthisarmy…Attheveryleast,itmustbeanace.”“Indeed,itisimpossibleforanyonetocontrolseveralundeadofthatlevel.Buthowshouldwedothis?Itisalittletoofaraway.”Crusch’squestiongaveZaryusuaheadache.Theiraimwasnottosacrificethemselvesinbattle,soastrategywasnecessary.ZaryusuandZenberucouldn’tfightatsuchalongdistance,theyhadtocloseinformeleeattacks.Andtheproblemwasthisdistanceofonehundredmetres.Zaryusuandtheotherscouldtakeacoupleofhitsfromfireball,buttheywillsuffermorethanacoupleofattacksbeforetheyclosethegap.Andtherealtestbeginsafterreachingthetarget.Itwaseasytoseethattakingtheattackofthefireballfromthefrontwillkillthem.“Suchadespairinglylongdistance.”“Ah…Really,Ididn’tknowonehundredmetrescouldbesolong.”

Zaryusu’sgroupthoughtabouthowtoreachtheenemywithoutinjuries—orwithminimalinjuries.“Howabouttunnelingthroughthewetlands?”“Even for the powers of a druid… that would be difficult. It would be great if we could use‘Invisibility’.”Theycouldsneakcloseimmediatelyusing‘Flight’aftercasting‘Invisibility’.Butthesewerenotamongthespellsadruidcouldlearn.“Howaboutmakingashieldwhileweadvance?”“Makingashieldwilltaketoomuchtime.”“Whataboutdismantling...ahouse?”Zenberusmiledwrylyasheknewtheproposalhejustsaidwouldn’twork.Theenemywasattackingwithfireballexplosion,eveniftheycouldprotectoneside,theheatwouldstillgetinfromtheside.Therewasnotimetocraftafullbodyshieldtoprotectagainsttheheat.“Ohright…thereisanotherway.”“Whatisit,Zaryusu?”Crusch who was a little afraid asked.Did I make such a scary expression? Zaryusu thought. But itcouldn’tbehelped,hewassotroubledthathewantedtocurseout.“No…Ijust…foundashield.”

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Iguvuanoddedwithsatisfactionatthecurrentsituation.Itwasprogressing smoothly. The twoBloodMeatHulkswere still battling, but hewasmakinggoodprogresstowardsthevillage.There were several foolish lizardmen who wanted to charge him, but they seemed to understand thefutilityof theiractionafterwitnessingthepoweroffireball.Thefivethatspreadoutbeforetheassaulthadthebestrecordrightnow,buttheyonlymadeittofiftymetres.ItwasasthoughIguvuawaswalkingaloneinthewildernessasheadvancedsilently.Hemightpitythelizardmenasweaklings,buthedidn’tlethisguarddown.Itwasashortdistancetothetargetvillage.Heplannedtoshootfireballconsecutivelyandrazethehousestogetherwiththelizardmen.Butthelizardmenwoulddefinitelytrytostophimfromreachingthevillage.Itshouldbeabouttimeforsomeonetoattack.Iguvuawhowasmusingaboutthisfoundhimselfprovenright.“...Oh,Isee.”Iguvuasawahydraheadingstraightforhim.Ifthatwastheaceofthelizardmen,hewillcrushitwithoverwhelmingstrengthandsaptheirwilltofight.Thatwouldmakethedestructionofthevillagesimpler.Toplayitsafe,Iguvuacheckedforotherenemiesinthesurroundingandthesky.Afterconfirmingitwasclear,Iguvuastoppedandwaitedleisurelyforthehydratoenterhisattackrange.Whenthehydragotintotheregionthatwashardtodeterminewhetherifitwaswithintheattackrange,itstartedcharging.That’sright,itranfullspeedtowardsIguvua.“Fools,youthinkyoucancoverthisdistancewithyoursnail-likepace?Beastswilljustbebeasts.”Iguvualaughedmockinglyandshotthefireballheconjuredatthehydra.Thefireballflewstraightandscoredadirecthitonthehydra.Theeruptionofflamesengulfedthehydra.Althoughthehydrastaggered,itcontinuedtoadvance.Itcarriedonchargingeventhoughitwasonfire.No, the flames dissipated instantly, that was just the imagination of Iguvua. The scene before Iguvuaconveyedtheexemplarydeterminationofthehydra.

Iguvuafrownedwithdispleasure.Hispridewasseriouslywoundedwhenthebeastenduredtheattack.Indeed,thehydrahaddamageresistancebuffcastonit,butitwasn’tanyofthehightierspellsandcouldnotnegateallthedamage.…Irememberhydrashavethespecialabilityoffastregeneration…Butitshouldn’tworkagainstfireattacks…Nomatter,ithashighvitalitysinceitisamonster.Itisnosurpriseforittotankonehit.Iguvua consoled himself thatway, but he could not appease hiswrath. Iguvuawas a special creaturecreated by theSupremeBeing,AinzOoalGown. It is disrespectful for the enemynot to fall fromhisattack.Iguvuacastedanicyglarethatwastheoppositeofhisseethingangerattheapproachinghydra.“...Howunpleasant,die!”Hefiredafireballoncemore,engulfingthehydrainflamesagain.Itevengavetheillusionofcharringfleshfromsuchadistance.Thewoundsmightnotbefatal,butitwouldmakeithesitatefromadvancingfurther.But—“—Whyisn’titstopping?Whyisitstillcoming?”Rorororanrelentlessly.Itmightbehuge,butithadaspeedmatchingthelizardmensinceitwastraversingthewetlands.Ripplessplashedeverywherewithloudsplatteringsounds.Itsambereyesturnedwhitefromthehightemperature,twoofitsfourheadshadlostitsstrength.Despitethat,itran.Another‘fireball’struckRororosquarelyinthebody.Theheatinsidethe‘fireball’explodedinaninstant,penetratingRororo’s entire being. It felt a pain equivalent tobeingpunched all over its body, its eyesweredryasthefieryairburneditslungs.Withburnsalloveritsbody,thefeedbackofpainthatcamenonstopfromitsbodywarnedRororo:itwilldieifitwashitagain.Evenso—itran.Ran.Andran.Itdidn’tstopadvancingnorstopitsfeet.Thehightemperaturepeeledthescalesaway,warpingtheskinunderneathitandbloodgushedout.Despitethat,itstillran.Unintelligentbeastswouldhavedefinitelyescaped,butRororodidn’t.Rororowasatypeofmonstercalledhydra.Therewereallsortsofmonsters,withthosethatsurpasshumansinintelligence,andthosethatwerenodifferentfromanimals.Rororobelongedtothelatter.ForRororowhowasonlyas smart as anormal animal to continueadvancingon thevergeofdeath—towardsIguvuawhowasdealingsuchpaintoit,itwasincredibleandhardtofathom.Infact,evenitsenemyIguvuawasbaffled,andsuspectedRororowasbeingmanipulatedbymagic.Butthatwasnotso.That’sright,thatwasnottheanswer.Iguvuawouldprobablyneverunderstand.Rororowhoonlyhadtheintelligenceofabeast—itwasrunningforthesakeoffamily.Rororodidn’tknow itsparents, thoughnotbecauseofhydrasbeing the typeofmonster to abandon itsoffspring.Beforeitreachedacertainage,itshouldhavehadlivedwithoneofitsparentstolearnthewayofsurvivalthroughthem.Butwhydidn’tRororodoso?ThatwasbecauseRororowasadeformedbaby.Normalhydrawouldbebornwitheightheads,andthatwillincreaseasitgrowsolder,uptothemaximumoftwelveheads.

But Rororo was born with just four heads, so its parents abandoned Rororo and left with its othersiblings.Althoughhydrasbecomepowerfulcreaturesintheiradulthood,itwasonlyamatteroftimebeforeRororowouldhavediedinnature’sharshenvironmentwithoutitsparent’sprotectionduringinfancy.Ifitwasn’tforthemalelizardmenwhohappenedtopassbyandpickeditup.—Andso,Rororogotafamilythatwasitsfather,motherandclosefriend.Rororo’s consciousnesswas about to fall apart from the painwhen it thought about a question it hadalwayspondered.Whywasitsbodysobig?Whydidithavesomanyheads?Itthoughtaboutthiswhenitlookedatitsfosterparent.AndRororoheldabelieffromoldconclusion.Someofitsheadswouldfalloffinthefuture,limbswouldsproutoutlikegrass,anditwouldlooklikeitsfosterparent.IfRorororeallymorphedlikethat—whatwoulditaskitsparenttodo?That’sit.Theyhadn’tslepttogetherforalongtime,itwillaskforthat.TheyhadtosleepapartbecauseRororogottoobig,whichmadeitfeelabitlonely.TheflamesseemedtoblowRororo’sthoughtsawayandfilleditsentirefieldofvisionasincrediblepainhititsentirebody.Itmoanedweaklyasthepainpulsedthroughitsentirebody.Thepainwascomparabletobeinghammeredcountlesstimes.Ithurtsomuchthatitcouldn’tthinkanymore.Rororo’slegssentsignalstostopadvancingintheformofspasms.Butevenso—Butevenso—Rororodidnotstopmoving.Rororo's advancegot slower. Itsmuscleswereburnedand rigid, it couldn’tmaintain its usual runningspeed.Justtakingastepforwardwashard.Itwashardtobreatheandithurtwhenitinhaled,itslungsprobablybeingdamagedbytheheat.Onlyoneofitsheadscouldmove,theotherswerejustaburdennow.TheimageoftheundeadconjuringafireballfromitshandappearedvaguelyinRororo’smurkyeyes.Itsinstinctasalivingbeingtolditonething.Ifitwashitagain,itwilldefinitelydie.ButRororowasfearlessasitrelentlesslybravedahead—Thatwastherequestofitsparentandfriend,thatwaswhyhewouldnotstop.AsRororo used all itsmight— although it was exhausted— to stumble forward a few steps, a redfireballflewfromthehandoftheundeadonceagain,slicingthroughtheairtowardsRororo.ThishitwilldefinitelyrobRororoofitslife,thatwasanundeniablefact.Deathawaitedit.Thiswastheend—If—That’sright—ifthatmalelizardmanwasn’there.WillthatmalelizardmanallowRororotodiebeforehiseyes?Watchsuchinjusticeunfoldinfrontofhim?Thatwasimpossible.“—「IcyBurst」!”ZaryusuwhowasrunningbehindRororoleptouttothesideandshoutedasheswungFrostPain.Theairbeforehis swordseemed to freeze instantly, formingawhitewallofmistbeforeRororo.Thatwasanextremelycoldwaveofair.

OneoftheabilitiesofFrostPain.Apowerfulskillthatcouldonlybeusedthriceaday—‘IcyBurst’,itcouldfreezeeverythingwithinrangeinstantlyanddealheavydamage.Thewallofcoldmistblockedtheincoming‘fireball’asifitwassolidbarrier.Thefieryballandchillywall—accordingtomagictheory,itwaswisetocounteronewiththeother.Ithit—Theballburstintoflames,strugglingmightilyagainstthewhitemist.Bothsideswerelikeawhiteandredsnakestrugglinganddevouringeachother.Afterpushingbackeachotherforamoment,thetwoenergiesdisappeared.The undead was stunned and taken aback. It was the most natural reaction after seeing his spelldissipating.Therewas still some distance between the two groups, but theywere close enough tomake out eachother's expressions— and actions. An impossible distancewas covered thanks to Rororo’s effort anddetermination,bringingthethreelizardmenthisfarwithnoinjuries.“Rororo…”Zaryusu didn’t knowwhat to say. In the end, he chose a clear and simple phrase from themillions ofexpressioninhismind.“Thankyou!”Aftershoutinghisgratitude,Zaryususprintedwithoutlookingback.CruschandZenberuwererightbehindhim.Aweakcrythatwasalmostinaudiblecamefrombehind.Thatwasacheerforone’sfamily.

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Speechless.His‘fireball’wasnegated,makinghimexpresshisdisbeliefwithwords.“Impossible!”

Iguvuacast‘fireball’oncemore.Hewasnotwillingtoacknowledgethatthelizardmenrushingathimhaddispelledhismagic.A‘fireball’rocketedtowardsthethreelizardmen.Itwasblockedbyawallofmistconjuredbytheleadinglizardmenwithhissword,anditdisappearedtogetherwiththewall.That’sright,itwasthesamesituationasbefore—“Tryallyouwant!Iwillblockallyourattacks!”Theangryroarofthelizardmanprojectedover.Iguvuaclickedhistonguewithafaceofdispleasure.Forthemagiccastedbyme,whowascreatedbytheSupremeBeingAinz-samatobeblockedbyamerelizardman!Iguvuasuppressedhiswrathwithallhismight.Itwas very likely that ‘fireball’wouldn’twork anymore, but since they had to hide behind the hydraduringtheirapproach,thereshouldbealimittohowmanytimesthisdefencecouldbeused.Itmightbeten times, or it might only sap some stamina for each use, and could be conjured indefinitely afterrecoveringenough.HowshouldIdealwiththem?Ifpossible,Iwanttotesthiswordsout...Iguvuacouldshootmanymorefireballs,but itwashardtojudgewhichof thelizardman’swordsweretrue.Iguvuaandthelizardmenwerelessthanfortymetersapart.

Thelizardmencharginginseemedtobewarriorsandasanundeadmagiccaster,Iguvuawantedtoavoidmeleecombat.He couldn’t use fireball in this situation. Iguvuawasn’t dumbenough to confirmhowmany times theycouldblockhisspell.If theydidn’thidebehindthehydrainthebeginningandhadclosedthedistance,Iguvuamighttestitout.Butthatchancehadbeendestroyedbythatdamnhydra.“Curses…justamerehydra.”Afterspittingoutthesewords,Iguvuadecidedhisnextcourseofaction.“—Wellthen,howaboutthis?”It just sohappened that theywere running in single file. Iguvuapointedhis fingerat the threecharginglizardmenwhoweredrawingclose.Electricitysparkedonhisfinger.“Tastemy「Lightning」!”Awhiteflashoflightningemergedand—Evenfromthisfar,thewhitelightonIguvua’sfingercouldbeseen—‘Lightning’.IcyBurstfromFrostPaincouldfendofffireoriceelementattacks.ButZaryusuhadneveruseditagainstLightningbefore,andwasn’tsureifitwouldwork.Shouldtheytrytheirluck,orspreadouttominimizethedamagetheywilltake?ZaryusugrippedFrostPaintightly.Theairwasbuzzingwithstaticelectricity,provingthatalightningattackwasimminent.“Leavethistome—!”ZenberumadehisjudgmentbeforeZaryusudidandjumpedforthwithashout.Thespellwascastedatthesametime.“—「Lightning」”“Warrghhh—「ResistanceMassive」!”When the lightning looked as if it would pierce through Zenberu, his body buffed up, deflecting thelightningarcthatwassupposedtohittheothertwobehindhim.ResistanceMassive.Askillofmonks,grantingtheabilitytoreducemagicaldamagebydispersingtheQifromone’sbodyinaninstant.ThiswastheskillZenberuhadlearnedasatravelerafterlosingtotheFrostPain's‘IcyBurst’.Althoughitwasawideareaattack,itworkedagainstanymagicthatdealtdamage.Both friendand foeyelped,butZaryusuandCruschwho trusted their teammateweren’t too surprised.Hence,thelizardmendrewnearerwhiletheundeadwasshocked.AsZaryusuran,hefinallyfiguredsomethingout.IfheusedIcyBurstduringhisduelwithZenberu,hewouldbeblockedbythisskill.Hewouldthenbewideopenforanattackandlose.ThatwasprobablywhyZenberuwasluringZaryusutousethatskill.“Haha!Tooeasy!”Zenberu’scasualvoicemadeZaryususmile,buthisfacetensedthenextmoment.Zaryusurealizedthathisvoicehadhintsofpaininit.EvenamalelizardmanlikeZenberucouldn’tsuppresshispaincompletely,hiswoundsmustbeserious.Furthermore,Zenberuwouldn’tagreetohidingbehindRororoifthistechniquewasperfect.Zaryusustaredahead,theenemywaslessthantwentymetersaway.Thatimpossibledistancehadbeencutdowntothislaststretch.Withthedistancedrawingclose,Iguvuajudgedthegroupbeforehimtobestrongfoesthatwerenottobeunderestimated.Theycoulddefendagainsthisspellsandwereworthyofpraise.Iguvuahadothermeansofattacks,butheneededtoconsiderhisdefencestoo.

“Notbadforasacrificialoffering,worthyenoughformetoshowmymight.”Iguvuaactivatedhismagicwithacoldsneer.“「4thTierSummonUndead」.”Thewetlandbubbledandskeletalbodieswithfourhandsholdingroundshieldsandscimitarsemergedtoprotect Iguvua. They were undeads known as Skeleton Warriors, much more powerful than normalSkeletons.Hecouldsummonotherundead,buthechoseskeletonsfor their resistanceagainstcoldattacks. Iguvuaandmonstersmadefromboneswereimmunetocoldattacks.Iguvualookedloftilyattheapproachingenemiesundertheprotectionofhisguards.Thatwastheattitudeofakingfacingagainstchallengers.Thedistancehadbeenclosed.Therewerejust—10metersleft.That was all that was left. After seeing that the undead showed no signs of attacking, he glancedbackwards.Helookedatthedistancetheyhadcovered.Thiswasashortdistanceforasprint,buttheseonehundredmetersweredeadlygroundswithnoplace to takecover. If theydidn’thaveeitherRororo,FrostPainZenberuorCrusch,therewasnowaytheycouldhadmakeitthrough.Buttheyhadcomesofarandtheenemywaswithinreach.Theyovercamethisdistance.Zaryusuwas relieved to seeRororobeing carriedback to the villageby the other lizardmen.He thencursedhimselfforrelaxingandglaredattheundead.Zaryusuadmittedthatitwasaformidableopponent.If he had not met it under such circumstances, Zaryusu would have definitely ran away already. Hisinstinctwastellinghimtoescapejustbyseeingitfacetoface,andevenhistailwasstandingonends.ZaryusucouldseefromthecornerofhiseyesthatZenberu'sandCrusch’stailshadthesamereaction.The two of them must be thinking about the same thing as Zaryusu. That’s right— they were doingeverythingtheycouldtosuppresstheirurgetofleeastheyfacedtheundead.Zaryusutappedthebacksofthebothofthemwithhistail.ThetwoofthemlookedatZaryusuinsurprise.“Wecanwinifweworktogether.”ThatwasallthatZaryususaid.“That’sright,wecanwin,Zaryusu.”CruschstrokedherbackthatwaspattedbyZaryusuandreplied.“Hah,thingsaregettinginteresting!”Zenberuansweredwithanarrogantsmile.Andthethreeofthemcoveredthefinalstretch.

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—Eightmetersapart.Zaryusu’sgroupwhohadsprintedallthiswaywasoutofbreath.Incontrast,theundeadhadnoneedforbreath.Thetwogroupslockedeyesandtheundeadspokefirst.“IamtheLichservingtheSupremeBeing,Iguvua.Ifyouforfeitnow,Iwillgrantyouapainlessdeath.”Zaryusucouldn’thelpsmiling.HecouldtellthisundeadnamedIguvuaknewnothingatall.Nomatterhowyouthoughtaboutit,therewasonlyoneanswer.AlthoughZaryusuwas smiling, Iguvuadidn’t feel displeased andwaitedquietly for an answer. Iguvua

knewhewasstrongandwasconfidentindisposingofZaryusu’sgroup.Thatwaswhyhedisplayedthearroganceofthemighty,andwaseventhankfulforsavinghimthehassleofwalkingalltheway.“Let’shearyouranswer.”“Haha,youreallyneedone…”ZaryusuraisedFrostPaintightly;Zenberuliftedhisfistsandtookastance;Cruschdidn’tdoanything,asshefeltthemanadeepwithinher,preparedtocastherspellsanymoment.“Iwillgiveyouananswerthen—fathope!”TheSkeletonWarriorswhojudgedthereplytobehostileraisedtheirscimitarsandshieldedtheirbodies.“Thendieanexcruciatinglypainfuldeath.Youwillregretrejectingmyfinalofferofmercy!”“That’swhatIwanttosay,gobacktohellundead!Iguvua!”Atthismoment,thebattlethatwoulddecidetheoutcomeofthiswarbegan.

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“Zaryusu!Gethim!”ZenberuwhodashedoutfasterthananyoneelsestretchedhisgiantarmandattackedtheSkeletonWarrior.Hedidn’tcarewhentheSkeletonWarriorblockeditwithitsshield,usingbruteforcetopressthemback.Theshieldwasdented,andtheSkeletonWarriorstaggeringbackcollidedwiththeotherSkeletonWarriorand lost itsbalance.At the same time,Zenberuusedhis tail to swipeat anotherSkeletonWarrior,butmissed.TheformationoftheSkeletonWarriorswasbrokenandZaryusuusedthischancetoslipthrough.“Stophim!”TwoSkeletonWarriorsslashedatZaryusuafterhearingIguvua’scommand.ItwaspossibleforZaryusutododge;hecouldalsouseFrostPaintoblockifhewantedto.ButZaryusudidneitherof these.Dodgingwouldmeanhewas slow,Zaryusudidn’twant tomake anyunnecessarymovesinfrontofIguvua.Andmoreimportantly,someonealreadytookcareofit—“「EarthBind」!”The earthmoved likewhips, binding the twoSkeletalWarriors.Thewhipsmade frommudwere likesteelchains, restraining themovementof the twoSkeletonWarriorsasZaryusucharged into thegap intheirformation.That’sright—Cruschwaspresenttoo.Zaryusuwasn’tfightingalone,hejustneededtotrusthiscomrades.Even Crusch’s magic couldn’t seal off their movements completely. The scimitars of the SkeletonWarriorsstillgrazedZaryusu.Butthatwasnothing,hisboilingbloodmadehimimpervioustothispain.Zaryusuranwithbriskstrides.Hechargedat Iguvuawhowaspointinghis fingerathim.Even ifhegothitbyaspell,Zaryusuhad toendureitandchargethetarget.Hemovedwithironwilleddetermination.“Fools!Knowtruefear!「Scare」!”Zaryusu’svisionshookandhewasconfusedaboutwherehewas.Astrangeuneasespreadinhisheartandhewasparanoidaboutthingsaroundhimattackinghim...Hislegswasslowingdowntoastop.Zaryusuwasshakenmentallyduetotheeffectofthespell‘Scare’andhislegswasnotrespondingtohim.Eventhoughhismindwastellinghislegstomove,buthisheartwasstoppinghim.“Zaryusu!「Lion’sHeart」!”ThemomentCruschshouted,hisfearvanishedinstantlyandhiswillgushedoutfromwithinstrongerthan

before.Themagicthatgrantedcouragedefeatedhisfear.IguvuaglaredunhappilyatCruschandpointedafingerather.“Annoying!「Lightning」!”“Hyaa!”—Cruschscreamed.Zaryusuwhostarted runningagainwasalmost consumedbyhatred,butgotholdofhimself in theend.Hatred couldbe a goodweapon sometimes, but in the faceof a powerful foe, it couldget in thewayinstead.Whatheneededwhenfightingastrongenemywasfieryheartandanicecoldmind.Zaryusuwouldneverturnhishead.Iguvua attacked Crusch just now, but that meant Zaryusu could use this chance to close the distance.DismaycouldbeseenonIguvua’sfaceanditknewitmadeamistake.ThisreactionmadeZaryusu,whosebelovedfemalewasharmed,sneermockingly.“Tch!「Light…”“Tooslow!”FrostPainthatslicedinfromthesideknockedawayIguvua’sfinger.“Ugh!”“Awarriorhasreachedyou,magiccaster!Iwillletyouknowyourspellsareuselessnow!”Thelegendarymagesaside,magiccasterswhowereinmeleerangecouldbestoppedfromcastingtheirspells.EvenapowerfulundeadmagiccasterlikeIguvuawasnoexception.Zaryusunarrowedhiseyes,hefeltsomethingwasoff.ItfeltstrangewhenZaryususlashedatIguvua,hemusthavesomedefenceagainstphysicalweapons.Buthewasn’tinvulnerable.That’sright,ifhehadresistanceagainstdamage,Zaryusujustneededtodealmoredamage.Whatheneededtodowastokeeponslashing.Talkwassimple,butdoingthatwouldbehard.Zaryusuknewthattoo.ButthatwastheonlythingZaryusuwhowasamerewarriorcoulddo.“Don’tlookdownonme,lizardman!”Three arrows of light suddenly flew towards Zaryusu from Iguvua’s body. The arrows of light thatappearedwithoutanypreparatoryactionsorsignsmadeZaryusublockthemwithhisswordonreflex,butthemagicarrowswentthroughtheweaponandhitZaryusu’sbody,inflictingdullpain.Thiswas‘SilentMagic:MagicArrow’.SilentMagicdidn’trequireanypreparatoryactions,soitcouldnotbedisruptedfrombeingcasted.Notonlythat,MagicArrowwasalsoatypeofspellthatcouldnotbeevaded,soZaryusucouldn’tdodgeiteither.ZaryusugrittedhisteethandcleavedatIguvuawithFrostPain.“Ughh!Critters!Youarejustamerelizardman!”MagicArrowmight be undodgeable, but its damage outputwas low too. For someonewho had gonethroughtoughtraininglikeZaryusu,hewasnotsoweakastoberenderedunabletofightfromthisbitofmagicdamage.MagicArrowsstruckZaryusuonceagain,thepainpiercedthroughhisheartandwill.Zaryusuenduredtheexcruciatingpainandstruckback.Afterseveralexchanges,Zaryusu’smovementsbecamedull.Thesharppainpreventedhimfrommakingagilemovements,whichwascontrastedbytheundeadwhoknewnopain.IguvuaandZaryusuwhounderstoodthispointmadeentirelydifferentexpressions.Theweakfallandthestrongprevail,thatwasthenaturallawoftheworld.Theresultoftheoneonone

duelbetweenthetwowasobvious.Butitwasalsoafactthattheunityoftheweakgavethemachancetofightonparwiththestrong.“「MiddleCureWounds」!”Zaryusu’spaindisappearedwiththisvoiceandheregainedhisvitalityonceagain.ThecalmIguvuawasangeredbythehealingspellthatcamefromthebackandshouted:“Damnlizardmen!”Zaryusuwasfightingtogetherwithcompanionshetrusts.Crusch,Zenberuand—“Rororo…Iwillnotlose!”“Imbecile…HowcouldI,acreationoftheSupremeBeinglose?!Howfoolish!”Iguvuaglaredatthethreelizardmenwithhisvenomouseyes.Hedidn’tuseanysummoningmagicastheundeadhehadsummonedearlierwerestillaround.Aslongasthoseundeadwerestillaround,hecouldnotraisenewones.Hence,IguvuacontinuedcastingSilentMagic:MagicArrowwhileZaryususlashedawayatIguvua’sbody—thismonotonousfightkeptrepeating.Itfeltasthoughthisbattlewouldneverend.In thatcase, thedutyofbreaking this stalemate restson theonesbehind them.Whenoneside receivesreinforcement,thematchwillbesettledinaninstant.BothZaryusuandIguvuaweresureaboutthat.Enduringthepainofthelightningattackcoursingthroughherbody,Cruschpulledthroughandcasted‘3rdTierSummonBeast’.Witha‘dong’,agiantcrababout150cmbigappeared—acrabwithalargerightclaw.Itappearedasifithadbeenwaitingunderthewetlandstheentiretime,butitwasactuallyanaturebeastsummonedby‘3rdTierSummonBeast’.ThenaturebeastadvancedtoZenberu’ssideandhammeredtheSkeletonWarriorwithitsoversizedclaw.Zenberu who received unexpected reinforcement smiled. For Zenberu who had to endure the attackcomingfromallsidesandprotectCrusch,hewasgladtoreceivehelp.“Hey!Strangecrab!Iwillleavethosetwoovertheretoyou!”Thecrabwhoacknowledgeditsduty, thegiantcrab—SnapGrasp,waveditssmallerclawandmovedtowardstheSkeletonWarriors.HowshouldIputthis…Thesituationmightbeserious…butthetwoofthemaresoalike.Crusch thought about something she shouldn’t be thinking about at such amoment and smiled.But shestoppedhersmileimmediatelyandsurveyedthebattle,regulatingherbreathingwithdeepbreaths.ShehadbeencastingdefencebuffandhealingmagiconRororowhen theychargedhere.ShehadalsocastedsupportbuffsonZenberu,overextendingherself.TheconsecutiveuseofspellsandthesummoningmagicontopofthathadexhaustedCrusch,shecouldn’tevenstandsteadilyatthispoint.She didn’t evenhave the energy to spare to heal herself.Analyzing calmly,Crusch concluded that herworthasacombatantwasdepreciatingandhealingherselfwouldbeawasteofmana.Evenso,itwouldmakeZaryusuandZenberuwhowerefightinginthefrontlinesuneasyifshewastofall.Blood dripped from the corner of Crusch's lips as she bit the inside of her mouth to keep herselfconscious.“「MiddleCureWounds」!”ThehealingspellflewtowardsZaryusuwhowaslockedinmeleecombatwithIguvua.Herlegsloststrengthandhervisionwavered.Shecouldfeelthesensationofwateralloverherskin.Cruschcouldn’tunderstandwhatwashappening,whyandwhendidshefallintothemud.But she understood immediately that she didn’t suffer new wounds, so she probably blacked out

momentarily.Cruschwasrelieved,notbecauseshewasstillalive,butbecauseshecouldstillfight.Shedidn’tforceherselftostand.No,shedidn’thavetheenergytodoso,soshedecidedtoconserveherstrength.Inherblurry fieldofvision, she could seeZaryusuandZenberu fighting.Thebackofher companionsduring their short time together.Zenberuwhowas fighting the four skeletonwarriorsandZaryusuwhowasenduringIguvua’smagicattackswerecoveredwithwounds.Cruschadjustedherbreathingandcastedherspell.“「MiddleCureWounds」!”ShecuredZenberu’sinjuries.“「MiddleCureWounds」!”ShehealedZaryusu’swounds.“Huff,huff…”Cruschpantedhard.Butherbreathingwas still rugged, she felt theairwasn’t coming ineven though shewasbreathing sohard.This was probably the symptoms of mana exhaustion. She felt tremors of violent headache. Even so,Cruschworkedhardtoopenhereyes.Theyhadsacrificedsomuchforthisbattle,howcouldshebethefirsttoretirefromthefield.Cruschusedallherefforttoopenhereyesandchanted.“「MiddleCureWounds」!”

♦♦♦

Zenberu bashed the skull of a SkeletonWarriorwith his clenched fist. The sensation of himmaking aslightdentturnedintothefeelingoftheskullshattering.Andso,hekilledoffaSkeletonWarrior.“That’sthesecondone.Huff…Hah.”Heexpelled theair fromhisbody inanattempt topush the fatigueoutalongwith it, andglaredat theremaining SkeletonWarriors. The crab summoned byCruschwas nowhere to be found. Zenberu onlymanagedtodefeattheothertwothankstoitfendingofftwoenemies.HeonlyhungonbecauseofCrusch’ssupport.Twomoretogo.AfterthatwillbeIguvua.Flexinghisthickrightarm,Zenberuconfirmedthatitcouldstillmove.Hisleftarmwaswoundedbadlyandcouldn’texertpower.Zenberuhadusedhisleftarmasashieldalittletooeagerly.Hestaredathislimprightarm.“Nevermind,justthinkofitasgivingthemahandicap.”Zenberuglaredathisannoyingfoes.Heattemptedtomovehisleftarm,butthepaincoursingthroughhisbodywasnotwhatheexpectedfrommovinghisfingers.Thisisnothing.Acomradecontinuedchargingevenafteritsheadsbecameburdens.I,Zenberu,don’twanttobemockedbythem.ZenberuunderstoodhowstrongtheSkeletonWarriorswereafterfightingthem.TwoofthemcouldfightZenberuonpar.That’showstrongtheywere.Ifhetookonfouratthesametime,chancesofvictorywouldbeslim.Thankyou,giantcrab.Iwillnoteatmudcrabsforalongtimeasthanks.After offering thanks to his beloved food, Zenberu turned his killing intent towards the two SkeletonWarriorsclosingin.

Heclenchedhisfists.Iamstillstanding,Icanstillfight.Tobehonest,Zenberuwassurprisedthathecouldstillfighton.“Stopthinkingaboutfoolishthings!”Thereonlyneedtobeonereason.Zenberumockedthepasthim.Behind the Skeleton warriors was Zaryusu’s back. The figure that did not retreat a single step whilefacingthepowerfulexistenceIguvua.“Thatbackisreallybroad…”Really—.Zaryusu,CruschandRororo.Wefoughttogetherallthistime,that’swhyIcanstillgoon.“HeyheyZaryusu,youarewoundedallover.Aren’tyouinworseshapethanwhenyoufoughtme?”ZenberusentaSkeletonWarriorflyingwithhislargearm,andusedhisleftarmtoblockthescimitaroftheotherSkeletonWarrior.Buthefailedtoparrythesword,whichmadeanotherwoundinhisabdomen.ThatwastheplaceCruschhadhealedwithmagic.“Cruschisalreadyshoulderingaheavyburden,andnowyoudothis.”HewashealedbyCrusch’shealingspellonceagainandthewoundmendedslowly.Zenberudidn’tturntolookback,buthervoicecamefromnearthewatersurface.Itwaseasytoimaginewhatkindofpostureshewasinwhilecastingthespell.Evenso,shedidn’tstopcastinghermagic.“...That’sagoodwoman.”IfIevergetawife,awomanlikethatwouldbegreat.ZenberuwhowasthinkingthatfeltenviousofZaryusu.“Idon’twanttobethefirsttofallandbethelaughingstock.”Feintingwithhislargearm,heattackedwithhistail.Zenberulaughed.Iamolderthanthosetwo.ThetwoSkeletonWarriorshidtheirbodybehindshieldsandclosedin.TheshieldsblockedtheviewofZaryusu,evokingstrongemotionsfromwithinZenberu.“Don’tblocktheway!Ican’tseethebackoftheawesomemanlikethis!”Zenberuroaredandchargedforth—

♦♦♦

IguvuaandZaryusu’sevenmatchwasstill continuing.Their faceswere reflected ineachother’seyes.Zaryusu saw that Iguvua’s gaze diverted slightly away from him. The undead poker face of Iguvuasuddenlytwistedhorribly.WhathappenednextfrozeZaryusu’smindandbody.Heheardthesoundofwatersplashingbehindhim.Someonefell.“Look!Yourcompanionisdown!”Hecouldn’tturnback.Itmightbetrue,itmightbefalse.Thoughtsthatmadehisscalesstoodonendalsosurfaced,buttheenemybeforehimhadoverwhelmingstrength.Hedidn’thavetheluxuryofturninghisheadtofindout.Themomentheturnedhishead,thefightwouldbeover.Zaryusudidn’tfightthislongjusttoloseforsomestupidreason.Zaryusufoughttosecurevictoryfirmlyinhishand.IfIguvuawastellingthetruth,itwouldbebadifhedidn’tdisposeoftheenemyreinforcementssoon.Zaryusuwassteelinghimselftotakethenextmagicattackwhenheheardthesoundofsomeonegettingupfromthewaterandbonescracking.“Zaryusu!Wesettledthisside!Therest—isuptoyou!!”

“「MiddleCureWounds」!”ZenberuroaredingreatpainandthesoundofhimfallingintothewaterreachedZaryusu.ThemomentCrusch’shoarsevoicewasheard,Zaryusu’swoundsgotmended.“Muu—!”DispleasurecreasedIguvua’sface.Withoutlookingback,Zaryusuknewthetwoofthemcompletedtheirtaskperfectly.What’sleftwas—“Myturn!”IguvuausedhisstafftoparryFrostPainthatwascomingathim.“Ku ku ku… I am the Lich Iguvua, don’t look down onme just because I am not proficient inmeleecombat!”Althoughhesaidthat,Iguvuacouldtellhischanceofwinningwaslow.Inaoneononefight,Iguvuacouldwinwithsuperiorphysicalattributes.Butthewhitelizardmanbehindkepthealingthelizardmanbeforehim,turningthetablesintermsofhealthleft.Only one out of three blowswas deflected. The other two tore at Iguvua’s body. Even though he hadresistance toward slashing weapons like skeletons and the additional ice damage was negated, thesituationwasdire.Iguvuawaspanicking.IamthecreationoftheSupremeBeingAinzOoalGown,thecommanderofthisarmy.Icannotfail!Hewantedtosummonundeadsoldierstoactasmeatshields,butIguvuawouldbeattackedwheneverhetriedtocastspells.Itwastoughtodosowithanenemyrightbeforehiseyes.Hewouldloseifthiswenton.Iguvua decided to show his final hand. Itwasn’t a great plan—Depending on the circumstances, thismightdoomhim,butthatwastheonlychoicehehadleft.Hesuddenlyturnedaroundandran.WhileZaryusuwassurprised,buthestilltookthechancetocleaveatIguvua’sback.Iguvuawhotookahitonthebackstaggered,butdidnotfall.ZaryusuclickedhistongueatIguvua’sseeminglyendlesshealth,andsprintedtocatchupwithIguvuawhowaspullingaway.Iguvuaturnedbacktoshowhisundeadfacefilledwithwrath,butseemedtobeelatedaboutsomething.AredsphereoflightappearedinIguvua’shand.Itwas‘Fireball’.Usingwideareaspellatsucharange?Hewantstokillhimself—No!RealizingIguvuawasn’tlookingathim,Zaryusuwasfilledwithfear.IguvuawaslookingbehindZaryusu.HewasfocusingonCruschandZenberuwhowerelyingontheground.—WhatshouldIdo!?Zaryusuthoughtfrantically.Thiswasamajorlapse.HecouldgiveIguvuathefinalblowbysacrificingthebothofthem.Ifhedidn’tdothat,therewouldbenotellinghowthebattlewouldturn.Withbothpartieslowonhealth,anymistakewouldbefatal.Todefeat Iguvua—Didn’t theyfight throughall thiswhile inorder todo that?Somany lizardmenhadgiventheirlivesforthisgoal.Thenheshouldsacrificethetwoofthem.Theywilldefinitelyforgivehimwithasmile.Ifhewasintheirshoes,Zaryusuwouldwanttheotherpartytodosotoo.—Evenso.Zaryusuwasn’tsomeonewhowouldabandonthecomradesfightingalongsidehim.Onlyonewaywasleft—SavethetwoofthemandthendestroyIguvua.Thingsweresimpleoncehemadeuphismind.“—「IcyBurst」!”

Zaryusucreatedabarrierofcoldaironthegroundnearhisfeet.“Gaarrgghh!”Zaryusu’sbodywaschilledby thecoldairbursting forth,pain thatcouldonlybedescribedas intensespreadthroughhisentirebeing.HeglaredatIguvuawithsharpeyeseventhoughhewasabouttoloseconsciousness.Zaryusuenduredthisnumbingpain.Hecouldn’thelpbutscreamdespitehisbesteffortsasthecoldfogdominatedthesurrounding.ThewhitecoldaircoveredeverythingandIguvualaughedsinisterlywhenhisschemesucceeded.Kuku,youcouldhavewonifyouhadabandonedyourcomrades.Iguvuawascompletelyimmunetocoldandelectricity.Hewhowastotallyfineinsidethecoldgushofaircrushedthe‘fireball’spellinhishands.Ifhecastedit,itwouldcollidewiththewhitefogaroundIguvuaandcauseanexplosion.Hecoulddealthefinalblowtotheothertwoafterthefogdissipated.Moreimportantly,heneededtoputdown the lizardman that was still standing. As he looked around, Iguvua’s face scowled. Hemiscalculatedsomething.“Wellthen,whereishe?”Thiswasafogthatconcealedeverythingfromsight.Iguvua had the ability to see through the darknesswith his eyes, but couldn’t see through objects thatobscuredhissightlikethis.Hehadnoideawheretheenemywas.But that wasn’t a big problem. With how the lizardman was shrieking just now, he seemed to havesufferedgreatinjuries.Heshotoutthecoldairtocounterthe‘fireball’,sohemusthavesuffereddamageonthesamelevelastakinga‘fireball’hit.Sufferingthisinjuryontopofhisalreadyheavywounds,itmighthadbeenfatal.What’sleftwastocrushhimslowly.Leavethisfoggyplacefirst?Afterconsideringit,Iguvuadecidednotto.—Ifhemovednow,hewouldbegivinghispositionaway.The important thingwas tosummonundeadguards.Withameatshield,victorywillbehiseven if thatlizardmanwasstillalive.Iguvuawhowasabouttocasthisspellheardthesoundofwaterrippling.—Oneofthefourtreasuresofthelizardmen,FrostPain.Aweaponmadefromiceextractedfromthelakewhenitfrozethatoneandonlytime.Itharbouredthreemagicalpowers.Number one, the swordwas imbuedwith cold energy, dealing additional ice damage to the enemy itattacks.Numbertwo,thepowerfulskillthatcouldonlybeusedthriceaday,IcyBurst.Numberthree—Thesoundofairbeingslicedechoedout.Beforeunderstandingwhatwashappening,Iguvuasawthetipofasharpobject.Iguvua’sheadwashitbyapowerfulstrike.The sword lodged into Iguvua’s right eye rattled wildly. Iguvua who finally understood what washappeningscreamed.“Hyaaa!Why!Whyareyounotdead!”FrostPainpierceddeepintoIguvua’srighteyesocket,hecouldfeelhishealthfallingdrastically—InfrontofIguvuawhowasstandingunsteadilywithaswordlodgedinhisheadwasZaryusuwhowas

coveredinfrost.Iguvuacouldn’tunderstandwhyZaryusuwasstillstandingaftertakingsuchapowerfuliceattack.ThethirdabilityofFrostPain.Grantingtheuserwithresistancetoicedamage—EventhoughFrostPainofferedresistancetothecold,itcouldn’tcompletelynegateapowerfulskilllikeIcyBurst.ThedamagefromthecoldchilledZaryusutothebones.Hewasonthevergeofcollapsing,hisbreathing ragged and his movement dulled. His tail drooped weakly into the water. It was almostimpossibletofightonwhenyouevenhaddifficultyjustbreathing.Thatstrikewasn’taimedcarefully,butablowthrownoutbyinstinctusingallhismight.Itwasaluckyhit.Zaryusustruggledtokeephiseyesopen.HegaveeverythinghehadtodealthisfinalblowtoIguvua,andhecouldfeelthatitwasafatalhit.ZaryusuwhohadnoenergylefttofightlookedatIguvuawithaglimmerofhope.Iguvuawaswavering.Hecouldn’tkeephisbodyintactastheskinfelloffhisfaceandcracksappearedonhisbones.Evenhisclotheswererottingaway.Itwasamatteroftimebeforehewouldfadeaway.ThemomentZaryusuwascertainhewasvictorious—AbonyhandcoveredinskingrabbedZaryusu’sthroat.“I…IamcreatedtoservetheSupremeBeing…HowcouldIbe…vanquishedlikethis!”Iguvuawasn’tevenholdinghimwithmuchforceandZaryusucouldbreakfreeeasily,but—“—Ahhhh—!”—Zaryusuwailedasanintensepainpermeatedhisentirebody.NegativeenergyflowedintoZaryusu’sbody,robbinghimofhisvitality.EvenZaryusuwhowastrainedtoendure pain couldn’t withstand the feeling of the pain caused by the cold that seemed to be injecteddirectlyintohisveins.“Die—!Lizardman!”PiecesofIguvua’sfacehaddroppedoff,disintegratinginmidair.Iguvua’slifewasdeterioratingaswell,buthisintenseloyaltytowardshismastermadehimclingontolifedesperately.Zaryusuwasstrugglingwithallhehad,buthewasovercomewithfearashisbodyrefusedtomoveashewished.Zaryusudidn’thavemuchhealthleft.ThenegativeenergyIguvuawasinjectingintohimwasdraininghislifeforceaway.Zaryusu’sgazewaveredandhisvisionblurred.Theworldseemedtobecoveredbyathinfog.IguvuawhowasclingingtoconsciousnessmightilyhadavictorioussmileashewatchedZaryususlowlylosehisstrengthtostruggle.Killthislizardman,aswellastheothertwobehindhim.Theyshouldbetheeliteofthelizardmen.KillingtheselizardmenwouldbethebestgiftshecouldoffertotheSupremeBeing—hiscreator.Iguvua’sexpressionwasdepicting theseemotionsstronglywithoutwords,allowingZaryusu tosurmisewhatIguvuawasthinking.“Gotohell!”His bodywas not reacting to him as he could feel his body temperature dropping as if a poisonwasspreadingthroughhisbody.Hecouldhardlybreathe,andhismindwastheonlythingthatwasclear.Hecouldn’tdieyet.Rororowhosprintedwithallitsmight.

Zenberuwhoshieldedhim.Cruschwhoexhaustedallhermana.Notjustthem,hewasalsoshoulderingtheburdensofallthelizardmenwhohadsacrificedthemselvesinthiswar.Zaryusuwhowasrackinghisbrainsforawayoutheardawhisper.—ThegentlevoiceofCrusch—TheheartyvoiceofZenberu—TheplayfulwhimpersofRororoSoundthatshouldbeimpossibleforhimtohear.CruschhadlostconsciousnessandZenberushouldbeknockedout.Rororoshouldhadbeentakenfarawayfromhere.WasZaryusuhearingthingsashelosesconsciousness?Imaginingthevoicesofthecomradesheknewforlessthanaweek?Thecallofhisfamily?No.That’sright,thislineofthinkingwaswrong.Everyonewasherewithhim—“—Ahhhh…Ahhhhhh—!”“—?Youstillhavethismuchstrengthleft?!”ZaryusuwhowasonthevergeoflosinghisconsciousnessroaredandthesurprisedvoiceofIguvuacouldbeheard.ZaryusumovedhiseyeballsandglaredatIguvua.Hiseyeswerefilledwithindomitablewill,makingithardtobelievethathiseyeswereunfocusedjustmomentsearlier,stiffeningIguvua’sexpression.“Crusch!Zenberu!Rororo!”“—!Whatareyoudoing!Justdie—!”Where did such vitality stem from? The huge amount of negative energy injected into Zaryusu wasdraininghislifeforceconstantly.Zaryusualsofeltthathislimbswereheavyandhisbodyicecold.Even so,Zaryusu feltwarmerwith every name he shouted.Thiswarmth didn’t originate fromhis lifeforce.Itcamefromwithinhischest—hisheart.The sound of muscle tensing erupted. It came from Zaryusu’s right arm, his clenched fist. He wasgatheringallthestrengthhehadleftinitrightnow.“Impossible—!Howcanyoustillmove!Youmonster—!”ThesceneofZaryusustillmovingdespiteallthatwasincredulous.HeatedemotionappearedinIguvua’smind,buthesuppressedit.HewasIguvua,thefieldcommanderofGreatTombofNazarick'sarmy.Andmoreimportantly,hewasanundeadcreatedbythegreatkingofdeath—AinzOoalGown.Hecannotpermithispowerfulselftolosethisfight—“Die—!”“It’soveryoumonster!”Zaryusuwasastepfaster.That’sright,hisstrikewithallhismightwasaninstantfasterthanIguvua’sinjectionofnegativeenergy—ThetightlyclenchedfisthitthehiltofFrostPain—Zaryusu’sfistbled.Aftertakingsuchaheavyblow,FrostPainthatwaslodgedintothelefteyepiercedallthewaythroughIguvua’sbrain.“Oooowwwwww!!”

Iguvuawasanundeadthatcouldn’tfeelpain,but—hecouldstillfeelhisnegativelifedissipating.“This…this…impossible…Ainz…sama…”Iguvua’s eyes reflectedhisunderstandingofwhat failurewas.WhenZaryusu’sbody fell like apuppetwithitsstringscut,ahugesplashcouldbeheard—“...Please…Please…Forgive…me…”Iguvua’sbodyfellasheapologizedtohismaster.

♦♦♦

Theroomwassilent.Thescenereflectedinthemirrorwasunbelievableandnoonesaidaword.Exceptforthemaid—Entoma.“Cocytus-sama,Ainz-samahassummonedyou.”“—Understood.”CocytuswhohadloweredhisheadturnedslowlytofaceEntoma.Baskedintheworriedgazeofhissubordinate,hegrittedhisteethinshame.Atthesametime,hewantedtocomplimentthelizardmen.Amagnificentbattle.Theyturnedtheimpossiblepossibleandachievedaturnaboutvictory.TheLichdidhavesomelapses,butitwasmorethancapableofwinningthebattledespitethat.“...Spectacular.Absolutelyspectacular.”Cocytuskeptrepeatingthisphrasewhichreflectedhowheactuallyfelt.Thelizardmenovercamethishugeobstacle.“...Apity.”Cocytussighedashewatchedthelizardmencheeringanddancingincelebration.Thewarriorsreflectedinthemirrormightbeweak,butitstimulatedCocytus’fightingspirit.“Ah…Whatapity…”Cocytus hesitated. He picked the worse scenario he could think of, thought about it and made hisconclusion.“—Letusbeoff.”

Zaryusufelthisbodybeingliftedoutfromthedarkness,itwasreallycomfortable.Openinghiseyes,ablurryworldgreetedhim,similartotheoneheseeswheneverhewakesup.WhereamI?WhyamIsleepinghere?Hehadmanyquestions,andatthesametimerealizedaweightpressingdownonhim.—White.Zaryusustaredatthatwhitecolour,thatwasthefirstwordthatcametomindinhissleepymind.Ashebecamemorewakeaway,heunderstoodwhatthatwas.ThatwasCrusch.Shewassleepingontopofhim.“Ah…”Isurvived.Zaryusufeltrelievedandalmostsaidthatoutloud,buthelditin.Hecouldn’tbearwakingCruschwhowasstillsleeping,suppressinghisurgetotouchher.Eventhoughherscaleswerebeautiful,hecouldn’tcaressthescalesofafemalelizardmansothoughtlessly.ZaryusupushedthethoughtofCruschoutofhismindandthoughtaboutotherthings.Thereweremanythingsheneededtoconsider.Firstofall,whywashehere.

Searching his memory, he tried recalling what happened. After seeing the destruction of Iguvua, hisconsciousnesswascutoff.Hewasn’tcapturedandwasstilllyinghere,meaninghistribeprobablywonthewar.ToavoidwakingCrusch,Zaryususighedsoftly.Hefelttheburdenheshoulderedrecentlylightened.Butthinkingover itcalmly, therewerestill someworries.Theystilldidn’tknowabout theenemyorwhattheirgoalwas,therewasahighchancetheirfoeswillstrikeagain…No,theywilldefinitelydoso.Heallowedhismindtorest.ZaryusufeltthewarmthfromCrusch’sbodyandsighedagain.Afterthis,Zaryusulightlymovedhisbody.Hisentirebodycouldmovewithnoproblems.Hethoughthemightbemaimed,butluckilyhewasfine.Zaryusu remembered his brothers in arms. Aside from Crusch, there was nobody else here. Whathappened toZenberu?Hewasuneasy,butwasquitesureapowerful lizardmanlikeZenberuwouldbefine.CruschseemedtobewakenbyZaryusu’smovementandstirred,as ifasoulhadbeeninjectedintohersupplebody.Sheshouldbewakingsoon.“Hmm…”Crusch made a cute sound and moved her dazed eyes to look around her. Shortly after, she noticedZaryusuunderherandsmiledhappily.“Muu—”CruschwhowasstillhalfasleephuggedZaryusuandgrindedagainsthim.Justlikeananimalwantingtoleaveherscentbehind.Zaryusustiffened,allowingCruschtogrindasshepleased.Anevilthought‘Ididn’tdoanything’surfacedfromacornerofhismind.Thewhiteandsmoothscalesweresmoothandcomfortable,emittinganalluringfragranceofherbs.Itshouldbefinetohugherbackright?Whenhecouldn’tstanditanylonger,Crusch’seyesfocusedandlookedatZaryusurightintheeye.—Andfrozeinstantly.FacingCruschwhodidn’tmovewhilehugginghim,Zaryusuwonderedwhatheshouldsay.Intheend,hechosesomethinghethoughtwouldnotbeaproblem.“—CanIhugyoutoo?”Itonlyseemedokaybecausehisheatedpassiongotintohishead.Cruschmadeanintimidatingcryandhertailthrashedaround.ShethenrolledawayfromZaryusuuntilshehitthewall.HecouldhearCruschwhowaslyingpronesaying‘Stupid,stupid,Iamstupid’.“...Well,Iamgladyouaresafe,Crusch.”ThesewordsallowedCruschtoregainhercomposure—buthertailstillkeptonthrashingabout—Liftingherhead,shesmiledatZaryusu.“Youtoo,it’sgreatthatyouarefine.”SeeingCrusch’sgentleface,Zaryusuhadlewdthoughts,butsuppresseditandaskedaproperquestion.“DoyouknowwhathappenedafterIblackedout?”“Yeah, more or less. After you defeated Iguvua, the enemy retreated. Your brother also defeated themonstersandsavedthethreeofus…Thatwasyesterday.”“Zenberuisn’there…”“Heisfine.Hehadstrongerrecoveryspeedthanyouandregainedconsciousnessafterreceivinghealingspells.Heshouldbesettlingtheaftermathofthebattle.Iseemedtohaveblackedoutfromexhaustionafterhearingallthat…”

CruschgotupandsatdownbesideZaryusu.Zaryusuwantedtogetuptoo,butCruschstoppedhim.“Don’tpushyourself,youhavethemostseriousinjuriesoutofusall.”Shewasprobablyrecallingthescenethattimeashervoicegrewsofter.“It’sgreatthatyouareokay,reallygreat…”ZaryusucaressedCruschwhowaslookingdownandconsoledher.“Iwillnotdiebeforehearingyouranswer.Iamworriedaboutyoutoo.”Answer.Thistermstoppedtheirmovements.Theydidn’tsayanythingastheroomfellintodarkness,andtheirheartbeatalmostseemedtobeaudible.Cruschmovedhertailslowly,tanglingZaryusu’stail.Theblackandwhitetailentanglingtogetherlookedjustliketwosnakesmating.Zaryusu lookedatCruschquietly,andCruschwas lookingathim too, their reflectioncouldbeseen ineachother’seyes.Zaryusuutteredsomethingsoftly.No,itwasn’twords,butacry.ThatwasthecryheutteredwhenhefirstmetCrusch.—Amatingcall.Zaryusudidn’tdoanythingafterthecry.No,hecouldn’tdoanythingexceptlettinghisheartbeatintensely.Momentslater,Cruschmadethesamesound—acry.Thesameemotionalcrywhileshakinghertail,thatwas—thecrytoacceptthematingcall.AnindescribablyseductiveexpressionappearedonCrusch’sface,ZaryusucouldnolongerpullhiseyesawayfromCrusch.CruschpushedherselfontoZaryusu,thepositionwassimilartotheonetheyhadwhilesleeping.Therewasalmostnodistancebetweentheir faces, theirwarmbreathingmixed together, theirheartbeatsynchronizedthroughtheircheststhatweretouching,andtwoofthembecameone—“Oh!Gettingbusy!?”ThedoorwasopenedstronglyandZenberuchargedin.CruschandZaryusufrozelikeicesculptures.Zenberulookedatthetwooftheminconfusion—atCruschwhowasridingonZaryusu.Hetiltedhisheadandasked.“What,youhaven’tstartedyet?”They understood what Zenberu was saying and silently moved away from each other and stood up,approachingZenberuwithoutaword.Zenberulookeddownatthetwoofthemconfusedlyandleanedforward.“—Gahhhh!”Hetooktwopunchestothestomach.Afterexhaling,Zenberu’sgiantbodycollapsedontothefloor.“Wooo...Whatpowerfulpunches…especiallyCrusch…Gahh…thatreallyhurts…”LeavingZaryusuaside, thepunchofwrath from the female lizardmancouldevenwinagainstZenberu.Thatwasn’t enough tovent their anger,butnomatterhowmuch theybeatZenberuup, that atmospherewouldnevercomeback.Theyheldeachother’shand—ItwasastrangesubstituteforbeatingZenberuup.ZaryusuaskedZenberuonethingtoeasehisworries.“Forgetaboutthatfornow,Ihavequestionsforyou.IheardsomeofitfromCrusch,butcouldyoutellmewhatisthesituationrightnow?”Zenberudidn’tcareaboutthetwoofthemholdinghandsandanswered:“Don’tyouknow?Allthetribesarehavingavictoryparty.”“Myolderbrotherishostingtheparty?”

“That’s right.Anyway, the hunters scouted the region and did not find any signs of the enemy, and notracesofreinforcementorambush.Itwouldbedifficulttohidesuchalargearmy.Wearestillonalert,butyourbrotherhasalreadydeclaredvictory.Iamhereonyourbrother’sorders.”“Mybrother’sorders?”“Yes,yourbrothersaid—’Shahaha,justletthetwoofthemsleeptogether.Theymightalreadybegettingiton,shahaha.It’sabitembarrassingtointerrupt,butIamcurious,shahaha’.”“Don’tbullshit!What’swiththeshahaha?”“Oh…Therewasn’tanyshahaha…”“There’snowaymybrotherwilllaughlikethat,really…”“Iamjustexpressingitmorevividly…”“—Youaretheworst.”Achillthatcouldmatch'IcyBurst'cameoutfromCrusch’smouthalongwiththesewords.ThatfrighteningvoiceevengaveZaryusugoosebumps.Zenberuwhowasbeinglecturedshiveredandstiffened.“So,whyareyouhere?”“Ermm,Iamheretodisrupt…”“Ifyoudaresayyouareheretobethethirdwheel,Iwillletyoutasteallthemagicthatyoucanthinkof.”ZaryusuandZenberuwereprettysurethatCruschwasn’tjoking.“Eh…Iamheretoinviteyouguystojointheparty.Wearethekeyfiguresinthisvictory,right?Wecan’tmisstheparty.Andweneedtodiscussaboutthefutureofthelizardmentoo…”“Isee…”AfterhearingZenberu’sroundaboutexplanation,Zaryususmiledwrylyaftercatchingonwhathewantedtosay.Zenberumeanttosay:Theremightbeanotherbattle,nowwasthetimetodisplaytheirstrength.“Igotit,areyougoingtoo,Crusch?”The unhappy Crusch puffed her cheeks, looking just like aDelmas frog residing in thewetlands. ButZaryusuthoughtshewasmuchcuter.“So,arewegoing?”ZenberucasuallyaskedZaryusuandCruschwhowerelookingintoeachother'seyes.“Ah…Yeah,youareright,let’sgo.”Afterthetwoofthemacknowledged,thetriowalkedouttogether.Whentheywalkeddownthestairsandstepped into thewetlands, Zaryusu suddenly disappeared fromCrusch andZenberu’s view. SomethinglargesuddenlyknockedZaryusudown.—Bangvoomvoomsplash.That’sroughlyhowitsoundedlike.Zaryusudisappearedfromtheirview,andwasreplacedbyRororo’sfigure.Itsfourheadstwistedaroundenergetically,pushingtheirnosesatZaryusuwhohadfellintothewetlands.“Rororo!Youarealright!”Zaryusu who was covered in mud stood up and walked up to Rororo, gently caressing its body andobserved it. It seemed to have receivedmagical treatment, all its burnwounds from before had beenhealed,itwasasifitwasneverhurtinthefirstplace.RororowhimperedasitentangledZaryusuwithallofitsheads,almostcoveringZaryusucompletelyinitstightembrace.“Heyheyhey,stopthat,Rororo.”ZaryusulaughedasherestrainedRororowithhisvoice.Rororoonlycriedhappily,butdidn’tletgo.Splashsplashsplash.Zaryususuddenlyheardthisrhythmicsoundofwatersplashes,andwasbaffledwhenhefoundthesource.

ItwasCrusch.ShewaswatchingZaryusu andRororowith a gentle smile, but her tailwas hitting thewetlandswithafixedrhythm.ZenberuwhowasstandingbesideCruschshuffledawayslowlywithastiffexpression.Rororostoppedmovingtoo.Itprobablysensedthatsomethingwaswrong.“Whatisit?”“No,it’snothing…”ZaryusulookedatCruschwhoaskedhimthequestionandwasconfused.Nomatterhowhelookedatit,Crusch was smiling and happy that Zaryusu and Rororo were reunited. But somehow, it gave him achillingfeeling.“Howstrange—“Cruschsmiledagain.Rororo released Zaryusu and he regained his freedom. Zenberu seemed to be fearful of something.Zenberuprobablycouldn’tstandthisstrangeatmosphereanymoreandchangedthetopicinahurry.“AlrightRororo,youandIwillmoveonahead.”Ofcourse,Rororocouldn’tunderstandthelanguageofthelizardmen,butitobedientlyallowedZenberutomountitandranoffwithamazingspeed.Afterthosetwohadleft,astrangeatmospherefellbetweenZaryusuandCrusch.Cruschhuggedherheadassheshakedit.“Ah~really,whatamIdoing.Itfeelslikemyheartisn’tmyown.Eventhoughitisirrational,Icouldn’thelpmyself.Thisislikeacurse.”Zaryusuunderstoodhowshefelt.BecausehefeltthesamewaywhenhemetCruschforthefirsttimetoo.“Tobehonest,Crusch—Iamveryhappy.”“—What!?”Splash,aloudsoundofwatererupted.ZaryusuthenmovedtoCrusch’sside.“Listen,canyouhearit?”“Hmmm?”“Thethingswesuccessfullydefendedarealsothethingswehavetoprotectfromnowon.”Soundsofrowdylaughterwerecarriedherewiththewind,theyshouldbeholdingabanquetrightnow.Thebanquetwasmeanttobidfarewelltotheancestors,celebratetheirvictoryandtomournthedead.Winewasoriginallyanexpensiveluxury.ButtheymanagedtohaveseveralbanquetsthankstoZenberu’stribebringingoneofthefourtreasuresthatsuppliedunlimitedwine.Andbecauseallofthetribesweregatheredhere,theycouldenjoythisunbelievablyjoyousatmosphere.ZaryusulistenedtothejoyouscheersandsaidtoCruschwithasmile:“Thismightnotbeoveryet,thatSupremeOnepersonmightstillattack,butevenso…weshouldrelaxfortoday.”ZaryusuthenputhishandsonCrusch’swaist.CruschfollowedtheflowandstuckontoZaryusu,restingherheadonZaryusu’sshoulder.“Shallwego?”“Yeah…”Cruschansweredandafterhesitatingforamoment,shecalledout:”...Mydarling.”Thetwolizardmenwalkedtogether,disappearingintothenoisycrowd—

---

Chapter4-DawnofDespair

CocytustreadedwithextremelyheavyfootstepstowardstheThroneHall.Asiftheywereaffectedbya

contagion,theservantsfollowingbehindhimlikewisehadfootstepswhichwereslowandheavy.Thereasonfortheseheavyfootstepswasbecauseofthedefeattheyhadswallowedasaresultofthewaragainstthelizardmen.AsthecommanderofthegloriousNazarickarmy,hehadallowedfailuretostainitsreputation.Sure,beingcreatedasawarrior,Cocytushimselfheldalotofrespectforoutstandingwarriorslikethelizardmen.However,thiswasacompletelydifferentmatter.Nazarickdoesnottoleratefailure.Furthermore,thisinstancewasnotadefensivebattlelikethoseinthepast,butwas thefirstexpedition.Anyonewhowasdecoratedwithdefeat in their firstbattlecouldnotpossiblybeinapositivemood.RecallingDemiurge'swords,thearmyassignedtothistaskhadbeenweakindeed,butwasjustanexcuse.Evenifthereisapossibilityhismasterplannedfortheexpeditiontofailfromtheverybeginning.Eventually,theThroneHalllayahead,andtheroomjustbeforeit,named“Solomon’sGate”,wasalreadywithineyesight.Assuch,theclosertheybecame,theheaviertheirfootstepsbecame,asiftheywereundertheinfluenceofsomekindofmagiceffect.Evenifheweretobeblamedbythemaster,itwouldnotmatter.Evenifheweretobekilled,ororderedtocommitsuicide,hehadalreadymentallypreparedhimselfforanyactionnecessaryinordertowashoffthisshame.WhatCocytusfearedthemost,wasdisappointinghismaster.IfthelastremainingSupremeBeingweretoabandonhim,whatwouldhedo?Cocytusthoughtofhimselfasasword,onewhichwasinthehandsofthemasterandwouldobedientlysliceanythingwhenordered.Thatwaswhy,beingconsidereduselessorineffectivebythemasterwasthemostterrifying.Notonlythat,iftheotherGuardiansweretobegivenuponforthesakeofsharedresponsibility,Cocytuswouldnotknowhowtofacethem.Thereisnowaythiswillbeforgiven,ifitturnsouttobeseveretothatdegree.EvenifIweretoofferupmylife,itwouldstillnotbeenoughforforgiveness.Furthermore...If the master became disappointed because of this, and left this place just like the other SupremeBeings,whatthen...?Cocytusshuddered.Beingsomeonewhohadcompleteimmunitytocoldness,thecauseoftheshudderwasofcoursenot fromexternal factorsbut fromwithin.Hewasundersuchconsiderablementalstressandtormentthat,ifhewerehuman,hewouldhaveeasilybeenatthebrinkofpuking.No,thatwillnothappen.Ainz-samadefinitelycannot…giveuponus.ThelastSupremeBeinginthisgreattomb,wherealltheothershadalreadyleft.Evenifhewastheindividualofhighestauthority,hewasalsoeverybody’ssupportingpillar.Therefore,howcouldsuchakindheartedliegegiveuponus-hecomfortedhimselfwiththesewords,but deep down, he still harboured someuncertainty over events to transpirewhich could not possiblyhappen.TheyarrivedatSolomon’sGate.Normally,apartfromthegolemsandcrystalmonsterswhichguardedthesurroundings,thisroomwouldbe devoid of any person. Right now however, thereweremany figures. Specifically, thesewere fourFloorGuardians - Demiurge, Aura,Mare, and Shalltear. In addition, the four had brought along theirchosenhighestrankingservants.ThespectatorsallhadtheireyesonCocytus.Guiltallowedalookofpanictomomentarilyflashacross

hisface.Becausehefeltthateveryonewaspointingthefingerofblameonhisfailure.No,Cocytusfeltthatperhapseveryone was blaming themselves. His thoughts from before once again crossed his mind. Wouldeverybodyharbourthesamekindofthoughts?Lookingcloser,hesawthatself-blamewassilentlyfloatingineverybody’seyes.“Myapologies,Ihavearrivedlate.EvenDemiurgewhowasoutsidearrivedearlierthanIdid.”“Notatall,notatall.Noneedtoapologiseforsuchasmallmatter.”Demiurgerepliedonbehalfofeverybody.Hisvoicewasnodifferentfromhisusualtone,withnonegativeemotionsdetectable.However,Demiurgewas a Guardian specialised in strategy, extensive control of emotions and concealing inner thoughts,thereforeitwasimpossibletodeterminewhetherornothefeltanydispleasure.Thereforewhen taking this intoaccount,Demiurge’searlieroutburstduringhisobservationof the fightbetweenAinzandShalltearwasa rare sight.Although, thatdisplayalsowent to showhowmuchofaloyalhearthepossessed.“TheotherGuardianshavealreadybeeninformedofthematter.ThistimeletmesubstituteforAlbedoastherepresentativeoftheGuardians,doesanyoneelsehaveanythingtheywishtodiscussregardingthis?”“No,therearenoissueswithyoutakingonthisresponsibility.”AlbedowascurrentlysubstitutingSebas’roleinservingthemaster,andassuchwasnotonsite.“That’sgreat.Then,afterthefinalpersonhasarrived,letusheadtotheThroneHalltogether.However,since Albedo is not present, I would like to first discuss the order in which we are to pay homage.Ordinarilywewouldhaveapracticebeforehand,butwehavenotimeforthat,thereforeweshallomititthistime.Therewillonlybeverbalinstruction,thereforelistencarefullyeverybody.”EachGuardian and servant expressed their understanding. Cocytus,who had similarly responded, didhaveonequery.AlloftheGuardianswerealreadypresent,thereforewhoweretheywaitingfor?However,thatperson’sarrivalimmediatelyansweredhisquestion.Cocytussuddenlydetectedalivingbeingheadedtowardsthisplace.Looking in that direction, he discovered an alien-shaped creature floating in mid air heading straighttowardsSolomon’sGate.Theouterappearancewasthatofafetus.No,itwouldbebetterdescribedasanembryo.Ithadatail,anditsbodywasanextremelybrightpinkcolour.Aboveitsheadwasahaloandonitsbackwasapairoffeatherlessstick-likewings.Thisalienwasroughlyonemeterinsize,andwasslowlymovingforward.“Thatis?”DemiurgerepliedtoAura’squestion.“ThisisVictim,GuardianoftheEighthFloor.”“SothatisVictim…”Victim turned a circle after arriving at Solomon’s Gate. Cocytus felt that he was surveying thesurroundings.Victimdidnothaveaneck,thereforetosurveyhissurroundingsitwasnecessaryforhimtoturnhisentirebody.“Uoytreseddnadnuoranurannogreven,nwoduoytelannogreven,puuoyevigannogreven”[Howdoyoudo,IamVictim.](TL:Victim’slanguagesoundslikegibberishtotheordinaryreader)DemiurgewascompletelyunfazedbyVictim’sstrangemethodofspeaking,andrespondedonbehalfofeverybody:“Welcome,Victim.IamDemiurge,substitutingasrepresentativeforAlbedoforthefirsttime.”“ssalatemynihsymetiB.”[IhaveheardaboutthismatterfromAinz-sama.]

Afterspeaking,Victimturnedhisbodyonefullcircleandonceagainsizedeveryoneup.“smaebleetstlemt'nacleufteJ”[Ihavealsoheardabouteverybody’sreputation,thereforeletuskindlysparewithintroducingourselves.]“Isee,understood.Thensinceeverybodyhasarrived,letusclarifywhatwewerediscussingearlier.”EverybodylistenedattentivelytoDemiurge’sexplanation,becauseinamomenttheywouldbepayingavisit to Ainz-sama, the integration of all of the Supreme Beings, at the heart of the Great Tomb ofNazarick’sheart.Iftherewasevenaslightmistake,surelytheonlyacceptableapologywouldbethroughdeath.Aftertheexplanationandaquickmomentforeveryonetodigestwhatwassaid,underDemiurge’sleadtheGuardiansbroughtalongtheirservantsandenteredtheThroneHall.Astheyentered,Cocytus,whohadonlybeeninthisroomahandfuloftimesbefore,feltincomparablejoy.Exquisite architecture, aswell as the flags representing theSupremeBeings, and also theWorld classitemsplacedinthedeepestpartoftheroom.ThisroomwastrulyworthyofbeinghailedastheheartofNazarick.Itwasaneye-catchingsight,causinganypersontomomentarilyforgettheirinternaltorments.TheGuardianslefttheirservantsbehindalongthewayandassembledthemselvesinarowastheyarrivedbeforethestepsbelowthethrone.Followingthis,theyfacedtheguildsymbolofAinzOoalGownhungonthewallandsaluted,expressingtheirownrespectandloyalty.Afterwards,theyallgotdownandkneltononeknee,withtheirheadsinclineddownwards,andsilentlyawaitedfortheirmastertoarrive.Beforelong,theheavysoundofdoorsbeingopenedresoundedfrombehind,andsinglepairoffootstepswasheardenteringintothelargeroom.Withouthavingtolookbackwards,theyknewthatthosefootstepsdidnotbelongtotheirmaster,becausethemasteroftheGreatTombofNazarickcouldnotpossiblymakehisentrancebyhimself.“AllhailthearrivalofthemostSupremeBeingoftheGreatTombofNazarick,AinzOoalGown-sama,andalsoOverseeroftheGuardians,Albedo-sama.”ThatwasbattlemaidYuriAlpha’svoice.Onceagainthedoorsmadeasoundastheywereopened,bringingalongthecrispsoundmadebyshoesandtherepeatedsoundofastaffstrikingthefloor.Frombehindthosesounds therewasalso thesoundmadebysomeonewalkinginhigh-heels.In general, when the master entered a room, those inside ought to bow in order to demonstrate theirsincererespect,buttheneverybodyatthescenedidnotmakeanysaluteatall.Thiswasbecausetheyhadlongalreadydemonstratedtheirmostsincererespects.However,onlyCocytuswasdifferent.Being completely occupied with his internal anxiety caused him to involuntarily make an externalmovement.Themovementwasactuallyextremelyslight,butinthiskindofsituationithadagreatimpactontheatmosphere.Throughaspecialability,CocytusdetectedthattheotherGuardianshaddirectedtheirattentionstowardshim.Despiteworkinghardtosuppressheranger,Albedo,whowaswalkingbehindthemaster,failedtoconcealit.Howeverinthiskindofsituation,nobodydaredtospeakout.The footsteps slowly passed by the row ofGuardians, and the sound of stairs being climbed and thethronebeingsatoncouldbeheard.Afterthis,Albedo’svoiceloudlyrangoutintheroom.“EverybodypleaseraiseyourheadstogazeuponthenoblepresenceofAinzOoalGown-sama.”Allofthespectatorssimultaneouslyraisedtheirheadstolookatthemasterwhowasseatedonthethrone,theirmovementsproducingabrushingsoundmadebyfriction.Cocytusalsoraisedhisheadimmediately.

With the staff clasped inhishand symbolising the statusof a ruler, an eerily frighteningaurawrappedaround his entire body, and exuding mysterious dark rays from behind his back, this was indeed theSupremeBeingofTheGreatTombofNazarick—AinzOoalGown.After Albedo, whowas standing beside Ainz, inspected all of the Guardians at the foot of the stairsincludingCocytus,shenoddedinsatisfactionthenturnedtofaceAinz.“Ainz-sama,theGuardiansofNazarickhaveallgatheredbeforeyou.Pleasegiveusourcommands.”AfterAinzgavealow“Un”soundofagreement,hestruckthegroundheavilywiththestaffinhishand.Thisattractedthegazesofeverybody,andheslowlyopenedhismouthtospeak:“Welcome,allofyouGuardiansbeforeme.First,allowmetoexpressmythanks.Demiurge!”“Yes!”“Everytimeanissuearises,yougetcalledupon.You’veworkedhard,thankyouforyourdedication.”“Oh,oh,yourwordsare tookind,Ainz-sama! Iamyourservant, thereforewhencalleduponImustofcourseimmediatelyrespondduly.Thisistobeexpected.”Demiurgewasdelightedtothepointthathewasslightlyshakingashemadeadeepbow.“Isthatso.Right,haveanysuspiciousindividualsappearedonyourside?”“None.Ihavetakenspecialcareinmypreparations.Ifanypersongetsclose,heorsheshouldbeveryeasytodetect…”“...That isgood.However,aboveeverythingelseyoumustnotslip into laxityduringthepreparations.Thisisbecausetheopponentmayhavesomemethodsinconceivabletous.Apartfromthat,theskinthatyou have given to me… according to the conclusion of the Chief Librarian, this can be used tomanufacturelowrankscrolls.Isthereamethodtoprovideasteadysupplyofsuch?”“Yes!Therewillbenoproblemsatall.Wehavealreadyaccumulatedarelativelyadequateamount.”“Isee…then,whatisthenameofthewildbeast?”“Wildbeast?…Ha!AboutthekindofcreaturethatAinz-samaisreferringto…”Demiurgedeliberatedforabriefmoment,thencontinuedwithhisreply.“Theyaretwo-leggedsheepfromtheTheocracy.HowwouldyoufeelaboutnamingthemBellionsheep?”Demiurge’s elated tone caused someconfusion inCocytus.Basically,Demiurgewas agood-tempered,even gentle, person. However, he was only like this to his comrades who were likewise created bySupremeBeings.Toothers,hewasanextremelycruelperson.Under his superficial display of good mood, it was possible to have a brief glimpse of his cruelpersonality.AlthoughDemiurge’sdeepmalicewasdirectedtowardsthewildbeastswhichwerethetopicofdiscussionearlier,wouldheusesuchanattitudetotalkaboutbeingswhichlackedsentience?JudgingonthebasisofDemiurge’spersonality,somethingfeltoutofplace.However,thecurrentsituationrendereditinappropriatetoraisethisissuewithhim.“Sothat’swhatitis…sheep.”Ainz’swordscarriedaslightlypleasedintonation,causingDemiurgeandAlbedotobreakintosmiles.“Although Iwould prefer to call themmountain goats… but that name is also satisfactory.Well then,please continue to graft those sheep for their skin… will excessive capturing have an impact on theecosystem?”“Thereshouldnotbe.Furthermore,withjusttheuseofhealingmagic,weareabletoimmediatelyrepeatthegraftingprocess.Thatiswhyaslongasthesupplyrequiredtobeproducedisnotlarge,itwillnotbenecessarytocarryoutalargescalecapture.Allofthisistheresultofouroutstandingtormentor’shardwork.”“Eh?Ifhealingmagicisused,won’tthepartthatwascutoffdisappear?”“Aboutthisissue…thereisonethingthatwenowunderstandthroughourhealingexperiments.If,before

we apply healing magic, we merely allow that part to undergo a significant change in shape— forexamplemincing the flesh—then that fleshybodywilleffectivelybepreserved.Thatmeans tosay, ifmagic is cast after the skinhasbeen removed,healingmagicwill effectively recognise it as a foreignentity, therefore itwillnotdisappearevenwhenhealingmagic isapplied.This isalso the reasonwhytheywouldnotdie starveeven if theyate themeat. Inaddition, although thismaycountasoutside thetopic,ifoneaspectofhealingmagicisrejectedbyanotheraspectofhealingmagic,sometimesitisasifitcannotoperatesmoothlyandresultsinascar.Likewise,thelowertherank,themorelikelyitisthatscarswillformduetotimelapse.”“Sothat’showitis…magicispowerful…verywell,continuewithyourprogress.”“Asyoucommand.HenceforthIwillproceedwithconducting trialsaccording toageandgender.Withtime,IfeelthatIwillknowwhetherornotacertainspeciesofacertainage’sskinisthemostsuitable.“Regardingthis…handtheresponsibilityofthispartovertotheChiefLibrarian.Victimisnext.”“snaemtiknihtuoytahwsnaemtiknihttonodI.drowtahtgnisupeekuoY.”[Yes,Ainz-sama]“Thereisonlyonereasonforsummoningyouhere.Ifaninconceivableeventweretooccur,yourspecialskillwillberequiredfortheprotectionofmeandtheotherGuardians…sorryaboutthat.IpromisethatIwillimmediatelyassistwithyourreincarnation,myapologiesinadvance.”“sihtnahtreggibsemiteerht…tsaeltaebotsahgnidliubehT?stnarofretnecA?sihtsitahW”[Demiurgehadalreadytoldme,pleasedonotworry,Ainz-sama.IamalsotheservantofAinz-sama.Furthermore,mydeathismyraisond'être.IfthismodestabilityofmineisabletoassisttheSupremeBeing,Iwouldbejoyfulbeyondcompare.]“Isthatso…pleaseforgiveme.”SeeingtheSupremeBeinglowerhishead,Victimexclaimed:“sihTekaT!enolAoGoTsuoregnaDs'tI”[Thishumbleonewouldnotdare!]“Whenencounteringanextraordinarysituation, inorder toprevent theopponentfromescapingwemayevenhavetokillyou.Evenifyouarecooperativeafteracceptingthis,wewouldlikeyoutoknowthatwewon’tbekillingyoubecauseofanythingpersonal.Althoughyouarealsooneofmypreciouschildren,andIwishnottocauseyouanyharm,ifweallowanenemywedonotfullycomprehendtoescape,wemayexperienceadisastrousend,thatiswhy…”“tihssuoiresemoseesannoger'uoy...ruohrepselim88stihybabsihtnehw,tcerrocerasnoitaluclacymfI”[Pleasesaynomore,Ainz-sama.Ifullyunderstandyourfeelings]“InNazarick, somemechanismsareusedbyutteringasinglephrase.Although it isborrowedfrom theGospel, thatphraseis[Givingupone’s lifeforfriendsis thegreatest loveofall].Thisphrasedirectlyreferstoyou;thankyouforyourlove.”Ainz’sgazeshiftedfromtheGuardianwhowoulddieforhisloyaltytotheotherGuardians.“NextisShalltear.”Notexpectingtobecalledupon,Shalltear’sshouldersgaveastartledjump,andherresponsewasinanabnormallyhighpitchedvoice.“Yes…yes!”“...Comeoverhere.”BecauseunliketheotherGuardians,onlyshewascalledtothemaster’sside,Shalltearwassurprisedandstoodupinaflurryofpanic.Fromherback,onecouldseethatshewasevidentlyunsettled,similar tosomeonewhowasabouttobesentuptothechoppingblock.However,shestillstoodupattentively,asifthegloryshedesiredwasoverthere.AfterShalltearclimbedupthestairs,sheimmediatelygotdownononekneeatashortdistancefromthethrone.

“Shalltear,Iwishtotalkaboutthematterwhichhasbeendisturbingyou.”Justbyhearingthesewords,Shalltearimmediatelyunderstoodwhatthemasterwasreferringto,andherfaceturnedintoalookofshame.“Ah!Ainz-sama!About thatmatter,pleasegivememypunishment!EvenifIwasclearlyaGuardian,Istillcarriedoutsuchagravesinsostupidly,pleasegivemethemostseverepunishment!”Shalltear’spainedvoiceechoedaroundtheThroneHall,andCocytuswasexceptionallyabletorelatetoherfeelings.No,anyGuardianandallfellowcreationsoftheSupremeBeingswereableto.Eveniftheycameundertheeffectofmindcontrol,theywouldbeunabletoforgivethemselves,whohadturnedtheirSupremeBeingintoanenemy.“Isthatso…then,Shalltear,comeoverhere.”Seeingthemaster’shandbeckoningtowardsher,Shalltearslowlycrawledtowardsthethrone.ToShalltearwhohadhungherheaduponarrivingbeforethethrone,Ainzreachedoutwithhisbonyhandandwarmlystrokedherhead.“Ai-Ainz-sama....”Almostfrightenedtopieces,Shalltearcautiouslyraisedherheadandletoutasmallvoice.“...Thefailurethattimewasmymiscalculation,evenmoresobecausetheoppositionpossessedaWorldClassitem,thereforethingswerelookingsouthfromtheveryoutset.Shalltear…IloveallofyouwhoareloyaltoNazarick,allofyouwhowerecreatedfromscratch.Ofcourse,thisalsoincludesyou.Youwhowishesformetoimposeaseverepunishmentforsomethingyouarenotguiltyof,howcouldIdosuchathing?”It was as if the master shifted his eyesight out of sadness. Cocytus had no means of knowing whichdirectionthemasterhadshiftedhisgaze,but itdidseemlikethemasterhadslightlyopenedhismouth.Themaster’sfacewascompletelyskeletalandlackedlips,thereforeitwasimpossibletodeterminethisfromtheshapeofhismouth,butthemastershouldhavespokenaname.“Oh,Ainz-sama!Youactuallysaidthatyouloveme!”Shalltear’semotion-filledvoiceresoundedacrosstheentireroom.BecausehewasbehindShalltear,Cocytuscouldnotseeherface.However,everythingwasevidentfromherreaction.Hervoicewaschokedwithtearsandhershoulderswereshaking.Itwaspossibletoseethemaster’sotherhandwarmlycaressingShalltear’sface,andhishandevenheldawhitehandkerchief.“Allright,allright,Shalltear,stopcrying.Thiswouldruinyourprettyface.”Shalltearstayedsilent,merelyplacingherface…probablyherlips…uponthebackofthehandthatwasjustnowstrokingherhair.BothMareandAurawerealreadyintears.Demiurgealsoslightlyrubbedthecornerofhiseyes.Cocytuswasabitenviousofthosewhowereabletoshedtears,andonceagainturnedtolookatthebackofhiscompanionwhohadpledgedloyaltyforlife.ThethingthatShalltearwasthemostterrifiedaboutwasprobablythecasewherethelastremainingandkindSupremeBeinghadgivenupontheuseless,troublesomeanddisloyalher.However,themasterhadshatteredthissourceofconcern.Shatteringitbyusingtheword‘Love’.HowmuchjoydidShalltearfeelinside?He,Cocytus,whostoodonasimilarplatformasher…no…hewhostoodonaplatformthatwasslightlyworseoffthanhers,couldonlycarryunparalleledenvyinhisgazeashesilentlylookedatherfigurefrombehind.“Then,Shalltear,youcanstep…”“—Ainz-sama.”

A cold voice interrupted the master’s speech. This disrespectful act caused Cocytus to angrily staredaggersatAlbedo.Followingthis,hefelthisfeelingsjumpintoturmoil,andanunsettlingfeelingaroseinsideofhim.“Rewardandpunishment isanaturalpartofcommonsense. I still feel that it isnecessary tohandoutsomeformofpunishment.”“...Albedo,aboutmydecision,areyounot…”Themaster’swordsstoppedhalfway.Cocytushadnoideawhykindofreasonwouldcausethemastertohalthisresponse.ThelastspeechshouldhavesettledtheissuewithShalltear.“Ainz-sama,IalsosupportAlbedo’sopinion.Pleaseserveapunishmentuponme.Thiswillalsoallowmetoachievejoyoutofloyalty.”“...Iunderstand.Letusleavethedeterminationofyourpunishmentforalatertime.Stepdown.”“Yes,Ainz-sama.”Shalltear’soriginallyredeyeshadturnedevenredderasshewalkeddownthestairsandreturnedtoherplaceandreassumedarespectfulposture.Afterwards—“Cocytus,Ainz-samahasafewwordsforyou.Listencarefully.”Acoldchillcrawleddownhisspine.Itwasfinallyhisturn.Cocytus hung his head incredibly low.When attending to themaster, this kind of posture which onlyallowedhimtogazeatthefloordidindeeddemonstrateanattitudeofultimaterespect.However,Cocytuswaslikethisbecausehelackedthecouragetolookstraightatthemaster’seyes.“Ihavealreadyseenyourbattlewiththelizardmen,Cocytus.”“Yes!”“Itresultedinadefeat.”“Yes!Thisinstancewasmyfailure,forwhichIoffermyextremeapologies.Pleasealsopunishme—”Cocytus’ admission and apology was stopped by the sound of a staff striking the floor. Afterwards,Albedo’scoldvoiceimmediatelystimulatedthehearingsensoryorgans.“…YourattitudetowardsAinz-samaistoodisrespectful,Cocytus.Ifyouwishtoapologise,thendosowithyourheadraised.”“Disrespectful!”Heraisedhisheadandlookedupathismasterwhowasseatedonthethrone.“…Cocytus, as a defeated general, do you have any words you wish to say? This time you did notpersonallyenterthefrontlinesandonlycommandedfromthebacklines.Whatareyourthoughts?”“Yes, I was in charge of the military power. Since despite that I was unable to obtain victory, andfurthermoreevenlostAinz-sama’spersonallycreatedLichCommander,Iamtruly,extremelysorry!”“Eh?Ah,thereisnopityinlosingthatkindofdisposableundead,don’tletthisbotheryou.Cocytus,whatImeanttoaskaboutwasyourthoughtsaboutwarringwithanarmy.Dotreatthisasthemainpurposeinyourreply;Idonotintendtoblameyouforthisdefeat.”All of the Guardians and all of the servants standing behind them awaiting orders were thoroughlyconfused.AllexceptforDemiurgeandAlbedo.Oh!Asitturnsout,Demiurgewascorrect!Cocytusfeltthatthemasterwasabouttocontinuespeaking,andfranticallypiecedtogetherhisthoughts.“Becauseitwasdestinedtobeadefeatnomatterwhowasincharge.Evenifitwereme.”Abriefwry laughter resounded throughout theThroneHall.For theSupremeBeing,AinzOoalGown,howwasdefeatpossible?Infact,upuntilthispointhehadneverexperiencedfailure.Withthatinmind,

whatwassaidwasnothingmorethancomfortingwordsforCocytus.“However, the question iswhether or notwe have obtained anything from that battle. Cocytus, I nowrephrasemyquestion.Whatdoyouthinkneedstobedonetoobtainvictorythistimeinbattle?”Cocytus began his thought analysis silently. The present him knew what was needed for a victory,thereforeheblurtedoutwhathewasmissing.“Iunderestimatedthelizardmentoomuch.Itisonlyprudenttobemorecautiouswithmyactions.”“Yes, that is precisely it! Nomatter howweak the opponent is, they cannot be underestimated… andNarberalshouldalsobeallowedtoobservethisbattle.Whatelse?”“Yes,therewasalsoinsufficientinformation.FromthisbattleInowunderstandthatinasituationwhereIamunfamiliarwiththeopponent’sextentofstrengthandtheterrain,thechanceofvictorywouldcertainlybediminished.”“Verygood,whatelse?”“Havinganincompetentcommanderwasalsooneoftheproblems.Becausetheonesbattlingwerelowerclassundead,acommandershouldhavebeensentoutwhoisflexibleaccordingtothecircumstancesandabletogiveoutcorrectcommandsattherighttimes.Also,whentakingintoaccounttheweaponsusedbythelizardmen,thezombiesshouldhavebeenusedasthemainforceincarryingouttheattack,exhaustingtheopponent,oralternativelyhavealloftheforcesattacktogetherandnotactseparately.”“Whatelseinaddition?”“...Iamextremelysorry,atthemomentIcanonlycomeupwiththismuch…““Noneedtoapologise,whatyousayhasbeencorrectsofarwithquiteremarkableperception.Ofcourse,there are still other areas which need improvement, but you’ve already completely understood somethings. To be honest, I would prefer that you did not have to ask others and discover these flaws byyourself…butitstillcountsaswithinthepermissiblespectrum.Wellthen,whydidyounotdothosefromthestart?”“…Ididnot consider them. I thought thatmerelyusingoverwhelmingmilitary strengthwas enough todefeattheenemy.”“If it’s that…However, after sacrificing those undead, younow thinkdifferently right?Verygood!Solong as you are able to consistently improve yourself, and avoid another similar failure, then there ismeaningtothisdefeat.”Cocytusthoughthesawthemasterbreakoutasmallsmile.“Therearemanydifferentkindsofdefeat,butyourdefeatwasnotofthefatalkind.Apartfromthatlich,therestwereallautomaticallygeneratedsoldiers.Evenifthoseundeadweretoperish,Nazarickwouldnotbeaffectedinanyway.Onthecontrary,ifaGuardianwereabletolearnalesson,andnolongerbedefeated,thenthisdefeathasbeenratherrewarding.”“Myextremegratitude,Ainz-sama!”“However,defeatinbattlestillremainsafact,thereforeIwillhaveyoupunishedalongsideShalltear…”At thismoment, themasterstoppedspeaking.Afterashortmomentofsilencewaitingfor themaster toissueapunishment,Cocytusfeltuneasy,butknowingthathehadnotdisappointedthemaster,theaxeofanxietyhangingoverhisheadhadalreadydissipated.However,thefollowingwordsstillmadeCocytusshudder.“OriginallyIplannedtohaveyouretreat to thebacklines,however,perhaps thiswayisfor thebetter.Cocytus,youshallpersonallywashawaytheshameofyourdefeat…goexterminatethoselizardmen.Thistimeyouarenotpermittedtoseekassistancefromanyoneelse.”If the lizardmenwerewipedout,without lettingwordof this defeat spread, thenNazarickwould stillremainundefeated.

IfoneweretotreatalllivingbeingsoutsideofNazarickasinferior,thenonewoulddefinitelyrelishtheopportunitytoslaughterthemmercilesslyforthesolepurposeofwashingawayNazarick’sandone’sowndefeat.IfitweretheCocytusofthepast,hewouldalsoacceptthisorderwithouthesitation,butthen——Cocytusshiveredallover.Becauseheknewwhattheforthcomingactionwouldrepresent.Inhalingdeepbreathsseveraltimes,thenexhaling.Cocytus did not respond to themaster’s request, causing all of the others at the scene to feel puzzledbeforeCocytuseventuallyreplied.“ThereisamatterIwishtorequestofAinz-sama!”Itwasasifthewholeworldhadstopped,withallofthespectatorsfocusingtheirattentiontowardshim.CocytuswasaGuardian.Even inNazarick,hehad thehighest levelofauthorityandskill,withonlyahandfulofothersbeingabletobecomparedtohim.Despitethis,hefeltawaveofcoldchillthatmadehisentirebodyshiver.Althoughregretgushedoutlikeatorrentfrominsideofhim,itwasallalreadytoolatetotakebackhiswords.AlthoughCocytuspossessedcompoundeyeswhichenabledhimtohaveaquitebroadfieldofvision,hisheadwascompletelyloweredandthushadnomeansofseeingthemaster’sexpression.Thisbecamehissalvation,becauseifthemasterexpressedangerordispleasure,Cocytuswouldbefrightenedtothepointofpetrification.“Iimploreofyou,Ainz-sama!”Beforethemastermadeanyresponse,anotherinterruptedCocytus’speech.“Youdare!”TheonewhomadethedenouncementwasAlbedo,withadeafeningscream,asexpectedlyformidableasonewouldexpectfromtheOverseeroftheGuardians.Cocytus,whowaspowerlesstomove,feltasifhewasayoungchildscoldedharshlybyhismother,andcouldnotstoptrembling.“YouwhoallowedthegloryofNazaricktosufferadefeat,whatstandingdoyouhavetomakearequestfromAinz-sama?!Simplyoutrageous!”Cocytus did not utter a singleword and resolved to not raise his headwithout obtaining themaster’sapprovalfirst.EvenifAlbedo’sangerintensified,hewouldnotwaver.“Ifyoudon’t—”HoweverAlbedo’sangerwasinterruptedbyaman’scalmvoice,anddissipatedlikesmoke.“—Don’tbelikethis,Albedo.”ThemasterrepeatedhiswordstopacifyAlbedowhohadburstforth.“Raiseyourhead,Cocytus.Whatrequestdoyouhave,andcanyoushareitwithus?”Thatcalmvoicewasdevoidofanyanger,butthisjustmadeitevenmoreterrifying.Thatfearwasverysimilartopeeringandfeelingimminentlysuckedintoabottomlesslake.Wearingequipment,Cocytuscouldresistfear-inducingmentalattacksfromexternalforces.Thatwaswhythefearattackinghisbeingoriginatedfromwithinhimself.Afterswallowingamouthfulofhisownsaliva—moreaccuratelydescribedasamouthfulofpoison—Cocytusslowlyraisedhishead,andlookedattheSupremeBeingwhowashismaster.Thelightshininginthemaster’semptyeyesocketsseemedtoslightlyturnintoashadeofbrightred.“Irepeatmyselfagain,whatrequestdoyouhave,andcanyoushareitwithus?”Hecouldnotutterasingleword.Althoughhetriedtospeakoutmanytimes,itwasstuckinhisthroat,andnowordscouldcomeout.“Whatisit,Cocytus?”

Heavysilencefilledtheair.“…Iamnotangry,Imerelywishtoknowwhatyouarethinking,andwhatyourequest.”Asifcomfortingachildthatremainedsilent,thetonewasquitegentle.Underthisgentleencouragement,Cocytuseventuallysaid:“Iopposeexterminatingallofthelizardmen,andIrequestforyourmercy.”Aftergivinghisdecisivespeech,Cocytusfeltasiftheatmospherewasshaking.No,theatmospherewasactuallyconvulsing.Themainsourcecamefromthefront—fromAlbedo’skillingintent.ThesecondarysourcewasfromthewaveringconfidenceoftheotherGuardians.OnlyDemiurgeandthemasterwereascalmasastilllakeandwereunaffectedbyanyripples.“…Cocytus,doyouknowwhatyouareaskingof?”Albedo’scoldvoicewasfilledwithmurderousintent,evencausingCocytus,whoseentirebodywasofafrozenattribute,tofeelachill.“Ainz-sama commanded you to exterminate the lizardmen, as penance for your crime, yet you as thedefendantdaretosingadifferenttune…GuardianoftheFifthFloorCocytus,haveyoubecomeafraidofthelizardmen?”Thattonewasmocking,butCocytuscouldnotrefutewhatwasasserted.ItwasnaturalforAlbedotohavethatattitude.Iftheirpositionswerereversed,Cocytuswouldprobablyalsobeaggravated.“Youremainsil—”What made Albedo shut her mouth was not a voice, but the sound of a striking sound. That was theresonatingsoundmadebythestaffcomingintocontactwiththefloor.“Albedo,quiet.ItisIwhoisaskingCocytus,don’tbepresumptuous.”“Myextremeapologies!Please,pleaseforgiveme!”Albedoloweredherheadinapologyandreturnedtoheroriginalposition.Themaster turned his gaze around, and stared at Cocytus with sharp eyes. It was still impossible todeterminethemaster’semotions.Itlookedasifitwasattheburstingpointofrage,yetitcouldalsobeanamusedlook.“Cocytus,seeingasyoumakesucharequest,thereasonmustbeduetosomebenefittowardstheGreatTombofNazarickright?Doexplain.”“Yes!Inthefuture,tenaciouswarriorsmayappearamongstthem.Assuch,exterminatingthemcompletelyat this stagewouldbe toomuchofawaste.This subordinate reckons that it is inour interests thatweshouldwaitformoretenaciouslizardmentoappearinthefuture,andfornowhavethempledgetheirdeeployaltytoNazarickandacceptthemtoserveus.“...Thissuggestionisindeednotabadone.Lizardmencorpsesareofhighqualitywhenusedtoserveasundead in comparison to using human corpses. If only it was possible to have a perfect method ofcollecting the corpses buried in Re-Lantier, then there would be no purpose in using the lizardmencorpses.”JustasCocytuswasabouttosay“Sothen…”,herealisedthatthemasterhadnotfinishedwithhisspeech.Hefeltanuneasypremonitionwhichunfortunatelybecameareality.“However,comparedtousinglizardmen,ifIweretousecorpsestocreateundead,theefficiencyintermsof consumption cost should be higher. Not only is it possible to guarantee loyalty, but it is also notnecessary to waste consumables. The lizardmen’s advantage is that eventually they can increase theirpopulation,andthisadvantagewouldrequirealengthyperiodoftimetorealise…IfIhavemissedoutanything,speakupforustohear.Isthereanyotherbenefitwhichcanconvinceme?”

If itwerepossible toobtain themaster’smercy,hisowndesirewouldbe realised.However,Cocytuscouldnotthinkofanyotherbenefit.Thiswasbecauseallalonghehadconsideredhimselfasaweapon,andwouldonlyrelyonthemastertocommandthetroops,andalsobecausehehimselfhadneverconsideredthisbefore,whichwaswhyhehadnofurthermeanstoconvincethemaster.Hehadnotconsideredwhatshouldbedonetoallowforthegroupasawholetoreapthemostbenefitsbeforehand.Furthermore,whatthemasterrequestedwasabenefitinrelationtotheGreatTombofNazarick.Cocytusdidnotwishtoexterminatethelizardmenbecausetheyhaddazzlingandoutstandingindividuals;hewasattractedtothosewhoprotectedagroupbecausehewasawarriorhimself.However,thesethoughtswerehispersonalfeelings,andnotadecisionbasedtoservethewidergroup.Cocytuswasfrantic.If he allowed his silently watching master to become agitated or displeased, then this miraculoussuggestionwouldbecomemeaningless,andallthatwouldresultwouldbethecommandtoexterminateallofthelizardmenfrombefore.Hedesperatelyrackedhisbrain,butstillcouldnotcomeupwithananswer.“Whatisit,Cocytus,canyounotcomeupwithone?Thenshallthefinaldecisionbeextermination?”Thequestionhadbeenrepeated.Cocytus’mindwascompletelyblank,histeethfeltheavy,andonlyhisthoughtswereceaselesslydartingaroundandcomingupwithnothing.AdeepvoiceresoundedthroughoutthegravelysilentThroneHall.“…Isthatso…whatashame.”Justasthese‘whatashame’wordswereabouttosuffocateCocytusintosilence,acalmvoicelentoutahelpinghand.“Ainz-sama,pleaseallowmetoinsertafewwordsfromthesidelines.”“…Whatisit,Demiurge?Doyouhavesomethingtoadd?”“Yes.AboutAinz-sama’searlierdecision,ifitisconvenient,wouldyoubewillingtolistentomyhumbleopinion?”“...Thenspeakitoutforustohear.”“Yes!Ainz-sama,youfullyunderstandtheimportanceofexperimentation,therefore,wouldyouconsiderhavingafewlizardmentobetakenhereforexperimentation?”“Oh,thisisanexcellentsuggestion.”Cocytusfeltthatasthemasterleanedforwardfromthethrone,thosetworedeyesalmostseemedtorestonhimselfforabriefsecond.“Yes.First,nomatterhowNazarickturnsouttobeinthefuture,wewilleventuallycomeacrossadaywherewerequireacompletelydifferentcompositionofstrength,orwill requirecontroloverdifferentspecies. This subordinate believes that at thatmoment, having done a competent amount of controlledexperimentation and not having done a sufficient amount of control experimentation will be thedeterminingfactor.”Demiurgestoodevenmorerigidlyuprightandlookeddirectlyatthemasterseateduponthethronebeforegivinghisconclusion.“Ibelievethatweshouldcontrolthelizardmentribe,andcommenceacontrolledexperimentthatdoesn'tbaseonfear.”Thesoundofastaffstrikingthefloorresoundedthroughoutthesurroundings.“...Anexcellentsuggestion,Demiurge.”“Athousandthanks.”

“Then, about the lizardmengroup, I shall gowithDemiurge’s suggestion and change the exterminationorderintothatofleadership.Doesanyonehaveanyobjectionstothedecision?Ifthereareany,raiseyourhand.”ThoseglimmeringdeepredeyesgazedovereachoftheGuardians.“...Looksliketherearenoobjections.Thenitshallbedecided.”Allofthepersonsloweredtheirheads,demonstratingthattheyunderstood.“However,Demiurge,yoursuggestionisremarkable,impressiveeven.”Demiurgelightlysmiled.“Idonotdaretoassumeso,Ainz-sama.Youshouldhavealreadybeenawareofthislongago,andmerelywaitedforCocytustosuggestit,right?”Themasterdidnotreply,andonlyrevealedawrysmile.However,themaster’sattitudealreadyexposedeverything.Cocytusfelthiswholebodyimmediatelyrelax.HewasclearlyinchargeofcommandingthegloriousNazarickarmy,yethehadproducedadefeat.Whenhevoicedadifferentopiniontothemaster’sdecision,hehadnotpreparedanalternativesolution.Howshouldthisbedescribed?Itwouldprobablybe—Incompetent.Iamsoincompetent.“...No,thatwasnotthecase,Demiurge.Youplacemeintoohighregard.Imerelywishedthatyouareabletoexpressyourownthoughts,regardlessofwhatkindofthoughtstheyare.”The master’s gaze once again shifted and paused at Cocytus for the longest time. Understanding themeaning behind hismaster’swords, althoughCocytus felt shame, he also felt powerless to lower hishead.“The first task is to understand the real meaning behind orders. After paying close attention tounderstanding the orders, you then carry out the most appropriate course of action. Guardians, afterlisteningcarefully,youmustnotblindlyfollowordersandtakeaction.Beforeaction,youmustgivesomethoughttowhatshouldbedoneforthebestinterestsofNazarick.Ifyouthinkthatthereisamistakeinthecontentsofyourorders,orifyoucancomeupwithanevenbettermethod,yourdutyistocomebeforeme,or the one whomade the suggestion, to report— So then, Cocytus, going back to the earlier topic, Imentionedthatyouwillbepunished,right?”“Yes.Youwantedmetoexterminatethelizardmenasagroup.”“Indeed.However,rightnowyouarenottoexterminatethem,buttocontrol.Assuch,Ihavetoalteryourpunishment.Thelizardmengroupshallbeyourresponsibilitytocontrol,andtheyaretodevelopadeeployaltywithintheirheartstowardsNazarick.Youareforbiddenfromusingfeartoinducecontrol,andthelizardmenaretobecomeacontrolledunitnotcreatedoutoffear.”Cocytus hadnever shouldered such a heavy responsibility before—No, amongst all of theGuardians,perhapsonlyDemiurgehadsuchakindofexperience.Thisdifficultmissionisself-imposed.ThisthoughtbrieflyflashedacrossCocytus’mind,buthowcouldhevoiceout suchcowardlywords.Thesewords couldnotbe said regardless if itwas to the tolerantSupremeBeingtowhomhehadpledgedhisundyingloyalty,ortohiscolleaguewholentahelpinghand.“Ihear andobey.Because there aremanyconcerns, Iwouldbegrateful for anyassistanceandadvicefromothers.”“Of course, thismatterwill necessarily requirevarious information, rations andmanpower.Regardingtheseaspects,theresponsibilitywillbeleftwithNazarick.”“Iamextremelygrateful.I,Cocytus,swearthatIshalldelivergoodresultsandwillnotsquanderAinz-sama’sbenevolence.”

Cocytusshoutedoutthesewordsfromhisheart.“Good.ThenalloftheGuardiansarehenceforthorderedtoheadouttoattack.Onesideshallactasbait,andtheothersideshallberesponsiblefordemonstratingourtruestrength,toshowtheselizardmenthatourtruestrengthisnotmerelythatsmallamount.Ofcourse,ifCocytusyouthinkthiswilldetrimentallyaffecttheircontrolintheaftermath,Icanrescindmyorder.”Cocytusthoughtcarefullythenreplied:“Thereshouldbenoproblems.”“Isthatso.Then,alloftheGuardians,immediatelypreparetodepart.”AlloftheGuardiansatthescenevoicedouttheiraffirmationandunderstandinginunison.“Albedo,Ialsowishtoheadout.Helpwithpreparingthesoldiers.”“Asyoucommand.Aftergivingitsomethought,therearealsosomeenemieswhohaveapreferenceforspying.Isitthatwecanconvenientlyallowthemtomiscalculateourtrueobjective?”“Thatispreciselyit.However,donotforgetthatwealsohaveanobjectiveofmakingademonstration.”“Then,wecansendoutNazarick’sVeteranGuardstoactasthemainforce,sothatthecompositionofthearmyappearsevenmorepowerful.”CocytusinternallyagreedwithAlbedo’sresponse.TherewasakindofundeadguardknownasVeteranGuard.NazarickVeteranGuardsonlyexistedamongsttheguardsoftheGreatTombofNazarick.ItcouldbesaidthatVeteranGuardswerehighclassundead.Theypossesseditemswithvariousmagiceffects,andwereequippedwithmagicarmourandshield,andfurthermorewereskilledinfightingspecialabilities.Theywerequiteexcellentundeadguards.“Therearenoproblemswiththat.Howmanydoyourequire?”“Threethousand.”“That’salittleonthesmallside.Withthiskindofnumbers,itwillbedifficulttoreachanearthshatteringeffect. … We want to obtain an overwhelming victory this time, causing those who look down onNazaricktofeeltrueterror.Ifthenumberislessthanthepreviousinstance,thenthereisnomeaninginit.IhopethatIcandoublethenumbers.Whatotherunitscanweuse?”“Then,wecanalsomobilizeNazarick’sElderGuardandNazarick’sMasterGuards,whatdoyouthink?Withthis,thenumberwillreachsixthousand.”Nowonder shewas theOverseerof theGuardians.Albedo’s responsewasas fluidaswater.To this,Ainzgaveaconciseanswer.“Verywell!Then,havetherebeenanyproblemsinactivatingGargantua?”“None,Ainz-sama.WehavealreadygottenGargantuaoperational.”“Then,Shalltear,youshalluse‘Transfer’tosendalloftheforcesover.”“Butifitisonlymyself,thenmymagicpowerisinsufficient.”“AllowPestuniatoassist.Havehertransfermagicpowertoyou.Ifitisstillnotenough,findLupusreginatoassist.”“Understood.”“Following that, have Nigredo and Pandora’s Actor’s alarm network transferred to our side here.Although this will allow Sebas’ alarm network to slightly weaken… we are only able to physicallystrengthenourmonitoring.Verywell!Then,everyonemoveout!TomorrowwewillgivethelizardmenatasteoftheGreatTombofNazarick’struestrength.”“Thankyou,Demiurge.”After the master had left the Throne Hall, the first thing that Cocytus did was to give his thanks toDemiurge.ToCocytuswhowasbowingdeeply,Demiurgegaveoneofhisregularslightsmiles.

“No,itwasnothing.”“Thatwon’tdo.Ifitwerenotforyou,thelizardmenwoulddefinitelyhavebeenexterminated.”“...Cocytus,IwouldsaythatyoushouldnottakeAinz-sama’swordsatfacelevel.IbelievethatAinz-samaoriginallyexpectedthingstoturnoutthisway.”Demiurgeraisedafingerduringthisexplanation,afterwhichtherewasasurprisedvoice.Theonewhogave out that voice sounded like himself, yet also sounded like it came from all of the surroundingGuardians.“ThatalsomeanstosaythatIreckonthatAinz-samapredictedthatyouwouldsaythosewordsearlier,thus he sent you to be the commander for the invasion of the lizardmen settlement. I also believe thisbecause when you opposed the extermination of the lizardmen settlement, Ainz-sama appeared to beextremelydelighted,andwhenyouwereunabletosuggestanalternative,helookedquitedisappointedincomparison.”“ThenwhatyoumeantosayisthatAinz-samafeltdisappointmentbecausethingsdidnotgoaccordingtohisplan?”“Thatispreciselyit.ItalsomeansthatallofthedialoguethathappenedinthisplacewasquitepossiblywithinAinz-sama’spredictions.”“NowonderheisAinz-sama!Apparentlyhehasperfectlycalculatedthisfarahead!”“B-Butthen….a-abouttha-that…”“...Ifyouhavesomethingtosaythenbequickaboutit.”EldersisterAuraseverelydirectedherstutteringyoungerbrotherMaretospeakquickly.“Y-yes, about that, I always felt that something was off. At the start, why were those weak undeadassigned.Th-that…c-can’tsayforcertain,maybeAinz-samasetthisexpeditionuptofailfromtheverybeginning…”“Insteadofthinkingofdefeatasagiven,maybeourmastertookintoaccountthatCocytuswillscouttheLizardmenoutandreportbacktheviabilityofthetask?”Cocytus thought back to that conversation he had with Demiurge and felt ashamed, because he hadscrewedeverythingup.“IfhewasnotfamiliarwithCocytus’personality,itwouldnothavebeenpossibletocarryoutthisplan.AsexpectedofAinz-sama…”“InthebattlewithShalltearitwasalreadypossibletofigureoutAinz-sama’sfightingability,butitwasnotexpectedthathewasalsoastrategistofthehighestclass.Ittrulyisremarkabletothehighestdegree.AlthoughAinz-samasaidwhathesaid, Istill feel that it issufficient toactaccordingly toAinz-sama’sorders…”“Itreallyisincredible.BeingabletobringtogetheralloftheSupremeBeings,goestoshowthathisnameisnotjustforshow.”AfterDemiurgewhosebrainwastopclassfinished,Shalltearapprovedwhatwassaidwithdelight,andalloftheotherguardiansnoddedtheirheadsinagreement.

♦♦♦

Ainzreturnedtohisroomandleapedontohisbed.Afteralengthyhangtime,Ainz’bodyfellintothebed,then—hebegantorollaround.Rolledright,thenrolledleft.Hewasonlyabletorollassuchbecausethebedwaslargeenough.Althoughhisexquisitechangpaowasalreadygreatlywrinkled,Ainz,whowascompletelyfinewiththishappening, continued to laugh softly as he rolled around. Of course, he acted so childishly because

nobodyelseapartfromhimselfwasallowedtoenter.Notlongafterwards,Ainzwhowasfullysatisfiedinhisindulgenceinthemattress,laidtherefacingtheceiling.“Haaa,sotired…Ah~Ireallywishtoindulgemyselfinalcoholtomyheart’scontent,anddrinkmyselfintoastupor…althoughthat’snolongerpossible.”Ainzfinishedcomplainingthengaveabigsigh—HoweverAinzdidnotbreathe, thatwaswhyitwasmerelytheappearanceofafalsesigh.It was because he was an undead, that was why he was indifferent to physical and mental fatigue.However,todescribeitinhumanterms,forthepastmonthhehadbeenwornouteveryday.Ifhestillhadastomach,itwouldhavebeenlongruinedbynow.BecauseAinzhadbeenenduringpressure.Momon thewarriorhadvanquished thesilver-hairedvampire—Shalltear.For thosewhodidn’tknow,perhapstheywouldonlyconsiderthisfeatasincredible,buttothemysteriouspersonwhousedaWorldclassitemonShalltear,itwouldgiveanotherimpression.TheopponentwouldprobablykeepacloseeyeonMomon,orevenestablishcontact.ThatwaswhyAinzhadremainedonalertfortheentireday,andhadalsopreparedseveralcashitemstoenablehimtoescapeatanymoment.Duringhisfreetime,apartfrommaintainingalertness,hehadalsodone some imaginary role playing— or perhaps better called paranoia training— visualising if theopponent had showed up, would he be able to escape whilst at the same time devoting energy tocollectinginformation.Although being stressed out like this every day had no real impact on Ainz Ooal Gown, it was stillmentally taxingon the remnantsofhumanityhestillpossessed,as thehumanSatoruSuzuki.Duringhisfreetimewherehewasabletorelaxandbebyhimself,hewouldpushasidehisattitudeasNazarick’sSupremeBeing,andreverttohischildishbehaviour.ThiswasprobablybecausedeepwithinAinz,thatstressedoutandtiredSatoruSuzukidesiredtoactlikethat.“Ihavenomemoriesofeverhavingsuchrestlessandsleeplessworkbefore…makesmewonderhowmuchovertimeIwillbegettingthismonth.”ThisoutburstofcomplaintwasperhapsduetotheSatoruSuzukipersonalitytakingoverAinz.“The Great Tomb of Nazarick… no, I mean Ainz Ooal Gown… is not a corporation. Joint venturecompanies are compassionate enterprises, and should fully guarantee compensation for employees’overtime.”Ramblingassuch,Ainzpursedhisnon-existenteyebrows.“Eh?…Itcan’tbebecauseofdutyallowancethatIamnotentitledtoovertimecompensation?Wow…”Ainz once again rolled left and right. After rolling over about five or six times, he suddenly stoppedmoving.“Enough…meaninglessbabbleneeds tostophere…Come to thinkof it,Cocytuswasquite incredibletoo,beingabletospeakoutashedid.”Itwassurprising.ApparentlyCocytuswouldempathisewiththelizardmen.ThatactionofCocytushadmadeAinzfeeltroubledgreatly.SatoruSuzukiwasthekindofpersonwhom,whenpreparingabriefing,wouldfirstfullyassembleallofthedata, thenproceedby following standardpractice to the letter.As such,hewasnot accustomed todealing with unexpected problems. However, if only it were mentioned in writing as part of theinformation, then hewould be able to handle it according to the data information. In otherwords, forSatoruSuzuki,thekeytothesuccessofhisbriefingswerethatanyproblemswerealreadydealtwithatthe investigation stage. Such a kind of person was extremely unsuited for situations where it was

necessarytoadapttothesituation,tothepointthathedetestedsuchscenarios.Asitwas,itwasneitherpossibletobringdataintotheThroneHall,norhavethecomfortofbeingabletosay“then,please turn to thenextpage.”ThereforeAinzhadprepared for flowofevents in theThroneHalllongbefore,byrehearsingtheentiresequenceinhismindformorethantentimes.Inhisheart,hehadevenprayedthatnobodywouldactunexpectedly.AndthissmallwishofhishadthusbeenshatteredbyCocytus.HewasextremelyworriedaboutwhatCocytuswantedtosay,buthadalsofeltdelighted.Itwasbecauseatthesametimehealsohadthepleasuresimilartothatofaparent—itwasasiftherewas a docile child in thehouseholdwhohad, for the first time, expressedhis ownopinion.Themostimportantthingwasthattheperson’sdevelopmenthadexceededAinz’expectationsbyfar.WhenhereturnedtoNazarickpreviously,heaskedamaidtocookadish.Whatheaskedforwassteak.Withelementssuchasproficiency level, shemight requiremorepractice,but thesteakdoesn’t requirehighlevelstobemade.Hewasnotexpectingthemealtoprovidebuffsuponconsumption,justsomethingthatcouldbeeaten.Howevertheresultcouldonlybedescribedasablackenedpieceofcharcoal.Evenifthatmaidnon-stoprepeatedtheexercise,theendproductwasalwayscharredmeat.Whilsthewasacceptingthatmaid’ssincereapologies,Ainzwasalsoabletofullyaccept theseresultswhichwerewithinexpectations.ItwasexactlythesameaswhenAinzwastryingtoequipalargeswordintheclothingroom.InYGGDRASIL,onlythosewhopossessedthejob-specificspecialabilitywereabletocook.Thiswasbecause food could temporarily raise battle capability through buffs, which was why requiring a jobspecificspecialabilitywasnatural.However,thatmaiddidnothavethecookingspecialability.Thatalsomeant that ifhewanted todosomethingwhich requiredaspecialabilityyet lacked theskillhimself,hewouldbeboundtofail.This matter regarding Cocytus was Ainz’ objective all along, which could also be described as anexperiment.Ainzwantedtotestifhisservants,whoalreadyhadtheirsettingsfixed,wereabletolearnnew things. This experiment concerned provingwhether they could continue to develop after learningtactics or strategy. Allowing Cocytus to command weak undead was because he simply thought thatthroughdefeathecouldprobablyobtainmuchmore.Ainzwasextremelypleasedwiththeendresult.CocytushadshownAinzthattherewasthepossibilityofsuchgrowth.Of course, there was a large difference between learning through actual actions, andmerely learningthroughmemorisation.Ainz’eventualobjectivewastoacquireandperfectallofthemagicparticulartothisworld—ifsuchdidexist.Rightnow,Ainzwasstilluncertainofwhetherthecurrentlyexistingmagicwaseithertechniqueorknowledge.Inanycase,thisexperimentprovedthattheknowledgeaspectcouldindeedbedeveloped.Cocytusprovedthatgrowthwaspossible.Hedemonstratedthisexceedinglywell.Ainzthoughttohimself.Withoutgrowth,onecouldonlywaituntileventuallyonestopped.Eveniftheywerepowerfulnow,therewouldeventuallyonedaywheretheywouldcertainlybesurpassed.Evenifhehadaonehundredyear lead inmilitary technology, ifhenolongermadeanyprogress, theneventuallytherewouldbeonedaywherehewouldlosethepositionofbeingthemostpowerful.Rightnow,theneighbouringcountrycouldprobablycountasapowerfulnation,butifitbelievedthatitwouldforeverpreserve its status as themostpowerfulnation,without anyneed for further improvement, thatwouldbeincrediblyfoolishtoafault.

“Evenifthosearemythoughts…butwhilstIamoverjoyedthatthechildhasgrownup,atthesametimeIworrywhetherIamapersonworthyoftheirloyaltyasSupremeBeing.”Asherambledon,Ainzgazedattheceilingabovethebed.“Ah,ah,soscary,soterrifying…”The remnants of humanpersonality,SatoruSuzuki, once again lamentedbecauseof this new sourceofunease.Sincegrowthrepresentschange,thenwhocanguaranteethattheircurrentloyaltywillnotwavereither?Evenifitdoesnotchange,thereisstillthepossibilitythatonedayIwillbeconsideredill-suitedtobethegloriousSupremeBeingofNazarick.AworrythatI,whowasnominatedtobetheGuildLeader,willlosetherighttobebrandedassuch.“...IhavetobecomeaSupremeBeingworthyoftheGuardians’loyalty…isthereanyonewhocanteachmeinthewaysofbeinganemperor...?”Thereshouldn’tbeanyonewhowassoconvenientlyprogrammedthatwayinNazarick.Trappedinhisownthoughts,theimagesoftwopersonscametoAinz’mind.Thosetwowerepartofthedreadfulfivepersonteam,respectively theonewhoheld the titleofDuke,LordofTerror,andtheonewhohad‘King’inhisname,Gashokukochuuou.Carefullyconsideringwhetherornotheshouldapproachthosetwoindividualstobeeducated,Ainzgaveashortresponsetohimself.“...Pass.”Unlessheranintoadeadend,hedidnotwishtobetaughtbythosetwo.“Let it be… so long as nomajormistakes aremade during actions, I should be fine for themoment.Anyways…aboutthosebipedalsheep…”Ainzwas already aware of the identity of the bipedal sheep long before, whichwaswhy he did notpursue specific details of the bipedal sheep’s appearance. That was a type of monster which he hadencounteredbeforeinYGGDRASIL.“Havingtheheadsofbothalionandamountaingoat,aswellasthetailofasnake,pawsofalion,andlegsofamountainsheep.Thatshouldberight…itisachimera…“InYGGDRASIL,chimeraswalkedaroundontwosheeplegsandusedtheirlionlegsasarmstoinitiateattacks; a monster which was born with a lion’s head and a mountain goat’s head. This monster’sappearancewasbasedoffthedeitycalledBaphomet.Thenwhy didDemiurge not directly say itwas a chimera?Although he pondered this question,Ainzalreadyhadhisanswer.“Thatis,itcouldpossiblybeachimerasubspecies.Isthathowitis,Demiurge?”Ainzlaughedheartily,thenaddedanotetohisevaluationofDemiurge:‘Unexpectedlypoornamepickingtaste’.“InYGGDRASILthereisalsoaspecieslikeChimeraLordwhoseappearancewasabit…No,Ishouldsaytheappearanceoffishtypechimeraisstrangetothepointofbeingdisgusting.Bipedalsheepisanewspeciesofchimera…Theocracychimera…havingsomeonebringonetoNazarickisn’tabadideaeither.Thenthere’salsoVictim…”HisappearancewasexactlythesameasinAinz’memories,excepttherewasonefeaturewhichcaughthisattention.“The languageheused…it really is theEnoch languageusedbyangels, right? It feels likeconversingwithsomeonewhospeaksanotherlanguage…”Becauseitwasalreadyautomaticallytranslated,Ainzhadnoideawhichlanguagewasspoken,buthefeltthatitwasabitstrange.Ofcourse,itcouldverypossiblybebecauseAinzhimselfdidn’tunderstandtheEnochlanguage.

“Letitbe,noneedtodebateit.Good,it’sabouttimetosetoutforbattle…”Ainzonceagain rolled leftand right togetenoughof it.Afterhestoppedand lay there,he returned toponderingoverthepointshewasconcernedaboutearlier.Heburiedhisheadinsidethebedandtookadeepbreath.Of course, Ainz did not have lungs, therefore this was just a pretended movement. However,inconceivably,hecouldsmellafragrance.“Thisisafloralsmell…isthereperfumeonthebed?Coulditbethatwealthypeople’sbedsarealllikethis?Ifthatisso,thatreallyissurprising…perhapsthosepretendingtobewealthycanalsonoticethisaspect?Mmmm…”Therewasatypeofabilitycalled‘DangerPerception’.Amongstadventurers,bandits,andotherswhompossesseddiscovery-basedskills, thiswasconsideredthemost importantability. Justas thenamestipulates, itwasanabilitywhichenabled thedetectionofdanger.Thisabilitywassplitintotwotypes.Onetypewasnotreliantonreasoningorobservation,merelyrelianton sense to trigger awareness. The other type was awareness which was reliant on reasoning andobservationaccumulatedfromexperience.Theformercanbedescribedasasixthsenseinternalfeeling,andthelattercanbedescribedasonewhichwasderivedfromthesmallchangesinthesurrounding—onederivedfromminutechangesinsoundandsmell.Thelatterwouldbenaturallyimprovedonthebattlefieldandduringsoloadventures,evenifitwerenotintentionallytrained.Itwasobtainedthroughexperiencesbyplacingoneselfindangeroussituations.Andability-wise,thisaspectoflizardmenwasmanytimesgreaterthanthatofhumans.Biologically,theirsensoryorgansweremoresensitive,becausetheylivedinharsherenvironments.Humanstendedtoliveinsafeplacesfarfrommonsters,whereaslizardmenlivedasneighbourstosuchmonsters.Zaryusu,whowasatravellerandoftentravelledalone,wasevenmoresensitivetoslightchangesintheenvironment.Feelingtensionfillingtheair,heopenedhiseyes.Beforehimwasa familiar room—althoughhehadonlystayedhere forseveraldays.Humans,even iftheytriedto,wouldnotbeabletomakeoutdetailsinthisroomwhichhadnolightsource,butitwasnotthatdifficultforlizardmen.Therewasnothingoutoftheordinaryintheroom.Zaryusulookedaround,andafterconfirmingthattherewerenostrangeobjects,hegaveasighofreliefashemovedtositupright.Hewasanoutstandingwarrior,whichwaswhyevenifhewassleepingmomentsago,hewasasawakeasnormal.Therewasn’tanissueofdrowsiness,ashewasevenenergeticenoughtoimmediatelyenterbattle.Thiswasalsorelatedtothefactthatlizardmenwerehabituallylightsleepers.However,CruschwhowassleepingbesideZaryusushowednosignsofwakingup.HavinglostthebodywarmthofZaryusu,Crushmerelysleepilyletoutadissatisfiedsoftmurmur.If it were under normal circumstances, Crusch would also sense the change in the air and wake up,howeverthistimeitseemedasifshehadnotnoticedatall.Zaryusufeltsomeregret,whetherornothehadallowedCruschtoshouldertoomuchburden.Herecalledlastnight,andcametotheopinionthat theburdenonCruschwasperhapsgreater thanhis.During the operation of defeating the powerful opponent, the lich, the female Crusch seemed to havesufferedagreaterburdenthanthemaleZaryusu.Hehimselfwishedthathecouldallowhertocontinuesleeping,butafterlisteningcarefully,hecouldhear

the frantic movements of many lizardmen beyond the house doors. At these times when variousemergencieshadalreadyoccurred,notwakingherupwouldmightbemoredangerous.“Crusch,Crusch.”ZaryusuusedabitofforcetoshakeCruschseveraltimes.“Mmm...Mmmm…”Cruschcurledhertail,thenimmediatelyrevealedherredeyes.“Mmm…?”“Itlookslikesomethinghashappened.”ThisphrasecausedthedrowsyCruschtoinstantlywidenhereyes.ZaryusugrabbedFrostPainwhichwasbyhissideandimmediatelystoodup,andnotlongafterwards,Cruschwasalsooutofbed.Thetwoofthemwalkedoutsideandimmediatelyunderstoodthereasonforthecommotion.Theysawalargethickdarkcloudcoveringtheairabovethevillage.Lookingtothedistance,theycouldtellwithinamomentthatthedarkcloudwascompletelydifferenttoordinarydarkclouds.Thiswasbecauseitwasaclearcloudlessskyformilesaround.Thatalsomeantthatthiswas—“It’s…back?”Itwastheenemy’ssignalforanotherattack—“Lookslikeit.”Cruschagreedwith thisview.Allof the lizardmenof the five tribes thathadgrouped together to fightcouldseethedarkcloudinthemiddleofthesky,andweretalkingaboutit.Howevernobodyhadalookoffearontheirfaces.Thatwasbecausetheywerevictoriousunderunfavourablecircumstancesinthepreviousbattle,causingeveryonetobecomemorespirited.Thetwoofthemrantowardsthevillage,givingoffawatersplashingnoiseastheysprinted.Theypassedbyseverallizardmenwhowerecommencingtheirbattlepreparations,andwastednotimeinarrivingatthemainentrance.Thereweremanywarriorclass lizardmenalreadygatheredat themainentrance,allof themcautiouslypryingoutwards. Includedamongst themwas their familiar companion,onewhohadgone throughhellandbackwiththem,Zenberu,andbesidehimwasthetribechiefoftheSmallFangTribe.AfterZenberuwaved towards the two individualswhoweregenerating large splashingnoises as theycameover,heimmediatelyjuttedhisjawtowardsthedirectionofoutsidetheentrance.ZaryusuandCruschstoodbesideZenberuandobservedoutwardsfromthemainentrance.On the other side of the shore, at the boundary between the wetlands and the forest, was an armycomposedofskeletons.“Sotheyhavecomeagain.”“Huh…”ZaryusurespondedtoZenberu,thenclickedhistongue.Thiswasanticipated,exceptithadarrivedtoosoon.Atfirsthereckonedthatsincetheirlossesweresosevere,theywouldrequiresometimetoreplenishtheirtroops,andhadnotconsideredhavingcompletelymiscalculated.Apparently,theopponentwascapableofonceagainmarshallingunitsforalargearmy.“...However,theseskeletonsshouldbeweakerthanthosesummonedbythelich.”Thesewordshadahiddenmeaning.WhatZenberumeantwas thathebelievedthat thecurrentskeletonarmywasinfactstrongerthantheonewhichinvadedbefore.Zaryusualsoobservedintentlyattheskeletonsarrangedontheshoreoftheotherside.Thiswastosizeuptheopponent’sstrength,tothencarryouttheappropriatedefensiveactions.

Indeed,theywereallskeletons,buttheonesthistimeweredifferentfromthepreviousones.Foroutward appearances, thebiggestdifferencewas their equipment.The skeletons frombeforewereonlyequippedwithrustyswords,buttheskeletonsthistimewerequitewellequipped.Furthermore,theirphysiqueseemedbetterthantheonesfromlasttime.Theskeletonsseemedtohavethreedifferentkindsofequipment.Themostnumerouskindofskeletonworeelaboratebreastplates.Inonehandtheyheldtriangular-shapedshields,kiteshields,andintheotherhandtheyheldallsortsofweapons.Theyevencarriedquiversandcompound bows on their backs. Thesewere skeletonswhichwere equipped to be both offensive anddefensive,withcapabilitiestofightatbothlongandshortdistances.Nextwerehelmetedskeletonswhichworeidenticalbreastplates,drapedintatteredredcloaks,holdingbucklersandbastardswords.Finally, and the fewest innumber,were the skeletonswhichwere fullyequipped.Theyworebeautifulshininggoldenfullbodyarmour,andheldlustrousspearsintheirhands.Theirdazzlingfreshredcloakshadnotaspeckofdirtonthem.Zaryusuobservedthismuch,anddiscoveredaparticularfact.Hecouldn’thelpbutdoubtifhehadseenincorrectly,andrubbedhiseyesseveraltimes.Howeverthatremainedareality.“Eh…thatcan’tbe…”“H-Howisthatpossible…”AtthesametimeasCrusch’sexclamation,Zaryusuwhohaddiscoveredthesamefactinvoluntarilyspokeoutinapainedlowvoice.Thistime,Zenberureplied:“...Oh,yourealisedittoo.”Zenberu’svoicewasalsoextremelypained.“Mmm…”Zaryusuwasdonewith speaking, and remained silent.Hedidnotwish to speak, becauseoncewordscameout,hewouldbeterrified.Yetitwasimpossibletoremainsilent:“...Theirweaponsseemedtobemagicequipment.”Cruschbyhissidenoddedsolemnly.Allof thevariousequipmenton theskeletonarmycarriedmagicpower.Someof theskeletonscarriedflaming swords, some held blue electricity hammers, and some skeletons even held spears with tipscoatedinagreenlight,orhadsicklescoatedinaviscouspurpleliquid.“Lookslikethatisnotit.Youtwoshouldalsolookcloselyatthearmoursandshields.Those…arealsomagicdefensiveequipment.”HearingZenberuutterthesewords,Zaryusuimmediatelylookedclosely.Following this he evenmore involuntarily let out a groan. Thiswas because Zaryusu discovered thatthoseshiningarmourandshieldslookedsimplyliketheywerenaturallyluminescent,andnotatalllikeifthelightgivenoffwasfromthereflectionofsunlight.Justwhatkindofauthoritycouldenablesuchnumerousskeletonsoldierstoallbeequippedwithmagicitems? If it were simply magic weapons which had heightened sharpness, Zaryusu had heard it waspossible for large countries to achieve this amount over a long period of planning and accumulation.However,toenableeachmagicweapontohaveattribute—furthermoretohavequitealargevarietyofeffects—wasacompletelydifferentmatteraltogether.ZaryusuthoughtofthedwarveswhichZenberuhadmentionedafewdaysago.Dwarveswereamountainousracewhichexcelledinmetalworking.Duringfeasts,thosedwarveswouldoften talk about the legend of a particular hero— the King who established the great Kingdom ofDwarves,theherowhoworeshiningmetalarmourandsolodefeatedadragon,thenbecomingoneofthe

thirteenheroes, ‘MagicEngineer’.Evenwithin the legends toldby thedwarves, therewereno storieswhichtoldofthiskindofmagnitudeofmagicequipmentpreparation—foralegionexceedingoverfivethousandunits.Then,whatwasthescenebeforeZaryusu?“...Isthatanarmyfromthemyths?”Ifthiswasnotastoryfrommankind,thenitmustbeascenariofromamythicalstory.Zaryusu’s entire bodywas trembling.Because he realised that this exceeded his predictions, and theywerefacinganenemywhichabsolutelyshouldnotbeprovoked.However,fromtheverystart,hehimselfhadgatheredeverybodyherewhilstcarryingonhisconsciencethefactthattheycouldallbewipedout.Howcouldhe,whohadstartedthisoutrageousbattle,beafraid?Hehadalreadyfiguredout that theopponentwasapowerfulenemywhichexceeded their imagination.Theimportancewasonwhattodonow.“Impossible.Thatmustbeanillusion.”Allofthepeopleatthescenewhoheardthesewordsshortlydisplayedanexpressionthatspoke“whatkindofnonsense areyou spewing.”Theopponentwas indeed silent and immobile, but their existencewas plainly clear. They even gave off an atmosphere which caused people to tremble, therefore theycouldnotbeasimpleillusion.However, thesewordswouldcauseconfusion,whichwaswhy theonewhobroke the silencewas thetribe chief of the Small FangTribe.He absolutely could not have gone deranged,whichwaswhy hespokethesewords.“Whatbasisdoyouhaveforsuchanassertion?”TowardsZaryusu’squestion,theSmallFangTribechiefconfidentlyanswered:“Wehavetakenturnsinsendingoutscouts,yetnobodyhasseenthatkindofundeadbefore.Withanumbersuchas that, there isnoway theycouldhave remainedundiscovered.Ofcourse,allof the scoutswhoweresentouthavereturnedsafely.”“Sothatiswhy…however,Idon’tthinkthatisanillusion.”“...Butthen…no,perhapsitisnotanillusion.Ifitisnotanillusion,wecanimaginethatanundergroundtunnelwasused for their transport. If there is such anundergroundpassage, it could explainwhy theywerenotdiscoveredbeforetheirarrival.”“...Itdoesnotmatterwhethertheyusedatunneltogethere,orwhethertheyflewthroughtheskies.Whatshouldwedonow?Althoughtheylookasiftheyhavenointentionofstartingthefight,itstillfeelsliketheyarenotheretonegotiate.”“Itdoesseemthatway…however,thinkabouttheprevioussituation.Ifeelthattheopponentwillinitiatesomesortofaction…”Zaryusustaredattheskeletonarmy.Hewaslookingforthecommanderamongsttheenemy—atthismoment,achillywindrises.Itdidn’tstopandcontinuedtoblow.Suchastrangeandsuddenfreezingwindcouldnotbeanaturalphenomenon.Itmustbecreatedbymagic.“Wind?Eh…thatcan’tbe!Thismustbeanotherkindofmagic…howisthispossible…”Cruschheldherselfandtrembled.Thereasonforthatdidnotappeartobebecauseshefeltcold,thereforeZaryusuasked:“Crusch,whatisthematterwiththiscoldwind…”“...Perhapsyouwillhavenowayofbelievingthis,buthearmeoutZaryusu.Ioriginallythoughtthattheclimatechangein thepastwascreatedthroughmagicof the4th tier, ‘CloudControl’,but Iwaswrong.Although ‘CloudControl’ is able to control clouds, it is unable to generate these kinds of coldwind.

Whichiswhy…thisisnotsimplythecontrolofclouds,butactuallycausingchangesintheweatherandmeteorology. That means, I believe that the opponent has been activating 6th tier magic… ‘WeatherControl’.”However,thatkindofmagicbelongedtoarealmthatwasbeyondhercapabilities,whichwaswhyshelackedself-confidence—CruschexplainedthistoZaryusuinalowvoice,suchthatnoneelsecouldlistenin.Zaryusuknewhowshockingitwastohavemagicintherealmofthe6thtier.Thatkindofmagicwasinarealmwhichcouldnotevenbeattainedhismostpowerfuladversarytodate,Iguvua.Itwasalsobelievedtobethehighesttierofmagicinthisworld.“Isthis…thestrengthoftheSupremeOne?Sothat’showitis…thenitmakessense…”If6thtiermagiccouldbeused,thenbeinghailedas‘SupremeOne’wasnooverstatement.“Hey,hey,hey,itseemsthateveryoneisanythingatallbutreassured.”Zenberu’scomplaintaccuratelypointedouttheatmosphereinthesurroundings.Coldwindwhichcouldnotpossiblyappearatthismoment—meantthatthiswasanunnaturalchangeintheenvironment.Thiscausedthelizardmen’smoraletoplummettothelowestlevels.Thedegreeofchangeonlyextendedtocloudslasttime.Ifitwereonlythat,eventhedruidscouldpullitoffbyputtingtogetheralargebonfireceremony.However,oncethelizardmenfeltthiskindofautumn-likewind, theyrealised that theopponentpossessedgreatpower.Power tocontrol theweather,whichwassupposedlyanuncontrollablenaturalphenomenon.EveniftheyhadnotheardCrusch’swords,theceaselesslyblowingcoldcurrentwasenoughtodepictjusthowpowerfultheirimpendingbattleadversarywas.“Cheh,theopponenthasbeguntomove.”Zaryusu gritted his teeth, usingwillpower to suppress his tail from fiercely waving about. Just as heanticipated,sureenoughtheopponenthadchosenthismomenttomoveout.After the organised skeleton army begun their advance, marching uniformly with precise equidistantfootsteps, thenearbywarrior class lizardmen immediatelybecame frantic, and someeven let out deepwarninggrowls.However,Zaryusuwhoobservedtheskeletonarmymovingsilently,formedadifferentopinion.Thatwasnottheinitiationofabattle.JustasZaryusuandZenberuwereabouttorequestaloudforthepanickinglizardmentocalmdown—“—Calmdown!”Amajesticshoutwhichrippledtheatmospheresoundedout.Everybodylookedtowardsthesamedirection,andfoundthemselveslookingatShasuryu.“Isayagain,calmdown.”Inthissilentspace,onlythisvoicefilledwithself-confidenceandauthorityreverberated.“Also,donotbeafraid,warriors.Aboveallelse,youmustnotdisappointthenumerousancestralspiritsbehindyou.”Shasuryupassedthroughthegroupoflizardmenwhichhadretainedtheircalmandwerepeacefullysilent,andarrivedbyZaryusu’sside.“Youngerbrother,whatactionhastheopponenttaken?”“Hmm,olderbrother,althoughtheyhavebeguntomove…theydonotappeartobepreparingforbattle.”“Hmm…”Thefivehundredskeletonswhichhadbeguntomoveformedintotenranks.“Justwhataretheyplanningtodo?”Asiftheskeletonarmyhadbeenwaitingforthisquestiontobeasked,theyonceagainbegantomove.Underperfectandprecisecommands,thelegionpartedtoeithersidefromthecentre.Whatappearedfrom

thegapofapproximatelytwentyskeletonsinwidthwas…afigure.Thatfigurewasnotverylarge.Evenif itwasabouttwohundredandfiftycentimetresinheight, itwaspossibletoseethatthefigurewasshorterthanZaryusu.That person wore a pitch-black robe, and gave off a terrifying aura. He wore a similar attire to thepowerfullichfromyesterday’sbattle,thereforelikewise,thisopponentshouldalsobeamagiccaster.However,therewasadecisivedifferencebetweenthetwo,thatbeingtheirstrength.Seeingthatfigure,Zaryusufelthisbackgettingtheshivers.Hisinstinctwastellinghimselfthatifheweretocomparethispersonwhohadjustappearedtoyesterday’slich,thedifferenceintheirstrengthwouldbelikethatofababytoawarrior.Even if the distance between themwas so large, itwas still possible to be affected by that terrifyingfreezingaura emitted from thatperson’s entirebody.Notonly that, but theopponent’s equipmentwerealsoofadifferentclass.Asifitwasimpossibletoresistdeath—anabsolutelydominatingimage.“Isthat…anOverlordofDeath?”Zaryusucouldnotresistspeakingoutthemostappropriatedescriptionofthiscreature,andthesewordscompletelyhitthepoint.ThatpersonwasanOverlordwhichdominatedoverdeath.“...Oh,oh!”WhatexactlywasthisOverlordofDeathattemptingtodo?ThelizardmenwhichwerenervouslywatchingthisMagicCasterletoutapanickedsoundaltogether.Atthismoment,anenormoushemisphere-shapedmagicarrayapproximatelytenmetresindiameterexpandedoutwardswiththemagiccasteratthecentre.Ablueandwhiteradiancefloatedonthesurfaceofthemagicarray,withsemi-translucentmarkingswhichlookedlikeitcouldbewordsorsymbols.Thosesemi-translucentmarkingswererapidlychanging,andatanygivenmomentnoneofthewordswerethesame.Beingunabletounderstandwhatexactlyitwas,Zaryusufeltconfused.Whenamagiccasterwascastingmagic,onewouldnotprojectitintotheairlikehedidwiththemagicarray.Theopponent’scurrentmovementswerealreadybeyondZaryusu’sareaofknowledge,thereforeheturnedtothefemalelizardmanherewhowasthemostfamiliarwithmagicandasked:“Whatexactlyisthat?”“I-Idon’tknow.Icannotfigureoutwhatthatiseither—”Crusch’s replywasabit terrified. It looked like shewasevenmore frightenedbecause shepossessedknowledgeaboutmagicyetwasunabletounderstandthatbehaviour.JustatthemomentthatZaryusuwasplanningtocomforther…Notknowing if themagichad successfully activated, themagic arraybroke apart, becomingnumerouslightparticlesflyingtowardsthesky.Inthenextinstant—liketherehadbeenanexplosioninthesky,theparticlesspreadout—Andthelake…completelyfroze.Notasinglepersoncouldunderstandwhatexactlyhadhappened.Shasuryuwhowas a tribe leaderwith outstanding qualifications;Cruschwho had extraordinary druidpowers;evenZaryusuthetravellerwhohadseenmuchandhadawidebreadthofknowledge.Eventheseindividuals,whowithinlizardmenhistorycouldbeconsideredtopossessmiraculousabilities,couldnotimmediatelycomprehendthecurrentsituation.Nowayofunderstandingwhytheirownfeetwereinsideice.Before long—after enough timehadpassed for thebrain to accept the situationbefore their eyes—a

cryingrangout—Everylizardmen—indeed,everybodyletoutalamentingcry.Even Zaryusu was the same. Crusch and Shasuryu, and even the most courageous Zenberu, were noexception.Asifterrorcreptoutfromthedepthsoftheirsouls,everybodycouldnothelpbutscream.This fact laidoutbefore their eyeswas simply too terrifying.The lake,whichabsolutelywouldneverfreeze over,which had never frozen over ever since themoment of their birth,was apparently frozensolid.Thelizardmenfranticallyliftedtheirfeet.Luckilythelayeroficewasnotthick,andbrokeimmediately,butthebrokenareasimmediatelyfrozeupagain.Achillingcoldvapourcamefromunderneath,makingitpainfullyobviousthatthissightwasnotanillusion.AfterZaryusuagitatedlyclamberedupthemudwall,heimmediatelysurveyedthesurroundings,thenwasstunnedintosilencebywhathesawfromhiswidenedpointofview.Everythinginhisfieldofvisionwascompletelyfrozenover.Indeed, it was inconceivable to imagine that such an enormous lake would be entirely frozen solid.However,thisradiatingicewhichcoveredeverythinginsightwasalsoreality.OnecornerofZaryusu’smindwasalsoworriedaboutthesituationofhisfishfarm,butnowwasnotthetimetobeworriedaboutsuchthings.“Thatcan’tbe…”Crusch,who had also climbed up, looked around andwas lost forwords just likeZaryusu. Fromhergapingmouth,sheletoutadespairedvoice.LikeZaryusu,shedidnotwishtobelievethatthissceneshesawbeforeherwasreal.“Monster!”Shecursedloudly,whilstatthesametimewishingthatswearingandcursingwouldmitigateherinternalfear.“Getuphere,quick!”OlderbrotherShasuryubellowed.Several lizardmen had already toppled over. The remaining warriors who were still able to movecooperatedtogether,helpingtopulluptheircollapsedcompanionsfromthefrozenground.Thoselizardmenwhomwerebeinghelpeduphadpalefacesandwereshiveringconstantly.Thecoldgaswhichwaftedupwardsprobablyhadrobbedthemoftheirvitality.“Olderbrother,I’llgocheckontheothers!”ZaryusuwhowieldedFrostPaincouldnotbeaffectedbythisdegreeofinfluencefromthecoldair.“No…Donotgo!”“Why,olderbrother?!”“The enemywill probably startmoving in a shortmoment.You are not permitted to leave!Grasp theoverallsituation,donot letany informationslip!This issomethingwhichcanonlybeentrusted toyouwhohavewanderedacrosstheworldandacquiredvariouskindsofknowledge.”Shasuryu’seyesightmovedawayfromZaryusuandturnedtospeaktoallofthesurroundingwarriorclasslizardmen.“RightnowIwillbecastingsomeiceresistancemagicuponyouall,‘ProtectionEnergyIce’.Quicklygoandinformeverysinglepersoninthevillage,andavoidcomingintocontactwiththeice.”“Iwillalsoassistwithcastingthemagic.”“Pleasedo!Then,Crusch, let us act separately. If any individual is discovered tobe in an emergencysituation,immediatelycasthealingmagic!”CruschandShasuryubegantocastdefensivemagicontheunharmedlizardmen.

Zaryusu remained on top of themudwall, and looked towards the enemy’s positionwith sharp eyes,makingsuretograsptheopponent’severysinglemovement.Itwasimperativetocarryoutthetaskgiventohimbyhisbrotherwithperfection.“Heyho.”ZenberuwhohadclimbeduptoZaryusu’ssidegazedleisurelyattheenemy’sposition.“Youneedtorelaxabit.Yourolderbrotherislookingforwardtoyourwisdomright?Evenifyoumisssomething,hewon’tblameyou.Themore important thing is tonotbe toohookedup in it, andendupnarrowingyourvision.”ZenberuinhiscarefreevoicehadgivenZaryusuasharpwarning.Justlikewiththatlichbattle,everyoneshouldcooperateanddivideupthelabour,andfocusontheirownroletothebestoftheirability.Zaryususurveyedthesurroundinganddiscoveredthatwarriorclasslizardmenhadalsolikewiseclimbedontopofthemudwalltoobservetheenemy.Correct,hewasnotheretofightawarbyhimself,buttofightshouldertoshoulderwitheveryone.Itseemsthathewhohadwitnessedthatoverwhelmingpower—magic—hadbeenshaken.Zaryusuexhaledonegiantbreath,asiftogetridofhisinternalworriesallinonego.“Sorry.”“There’snothingtobesorryabout.”“...That’sright,becauseyou,Zenberu,arealsohere.”“Ha,don’tlooktomeformatterswhichconcernthinking.”Thetwoofthemlaughedateachother,thencontinuedtoobservetheenemy’smovement.“However,thatreallyisatruemonster.”“Yeah!Itisbasicallyonacompletelydifferentlevel…”The Overlord of Death had the insufferably arrogant posture of a king, and pompously gazed in thedirectionofZaryusuandtheirvillage.Thatsupposedlyquitesmallbodyseemedexpandedbytentimesitssize.“...HeshouldbetheonereferredtoastheSupremeOne.”“Thatoughttobeprettyspoton.Furthermore,Ireallyhopetherearenootherspowerfulenoughtocastmagicthatfreezestheentirelake.”“That’s right, and I hope so too. In the eyes of thatmonster who is even able to freeze the lake, welizardmenarenomorethanants.Ah~whatashame!We’renodifferentthansmallinsects.Speakingofwhich…there’smovement.”Themagiccasterwhofrozethelakeraisedthehandwhichwasnotholdingontoastaff,andgaveawaveinthedirectionofthevillage.Thatactionoughttobeacommandgiven—Zaryusufeltassuch,andinthenextmomentreceivedaterrifyingproofofit.“Ohohohoh!”Thesoundcamefromvariouspartsfromwithinthevillage.“Whatis…that!Whatonearthisthat?!”AfterZaryusu,whoatthisstagedeeplybelievedthattherewasnothingmorethatcouldsurprisehim,sawthesightbeforehiseyes,onreflexgaveoutananguishedcry.What appeared before himwas a two-armed, two-legged colossuswhich seemed to be carved out ofstone.Thereinitsthickrockchestregionlayaredlightwhichshonejustlikeaheartbeat.Withthickhandsandstubbylegs,itsstoutbodyshapewasevenabitcute,thatwas,ifitwasnotoverthirtymetresinheight.Thiskindofgiganticrockfiguresuddenlyappearedintheforest.Callingitanillusionwouldinfactbe

eveneasiertomentallyaccept.Therockfigureslowlybegantomove,andraisedanenormousboulderfromwhoknowswhere.Andthenthrewit.Zaryusu involuntarilycoveredhiseyes.Withoutadoubt, all thosewhocollidedwith thegiantboulderwouldbemetwithnothingbutabsolutedeath.In the darkness, Zaryusu heard themovement sounds of surprised persons, and an enormous collisionsoundreachedhim.Eventhemudwallbegantoshakeviolently.Thiswasfollowedbythesoundofintenserain—thesoundofreboundedgravelasitfellontotheground,andtheexclaimingofbothadultsandchildrenfromthevillage.Althoughhewasalreadyaccustomedtodeath,itwasstillintolerableforhimtofacesuchhorrorwhichexceededimagination.Theshockinglessonmomentsagoevencausedthosewhohadfoughtvictoriouslyinthepreviouswartoshriekjustlikesmallchildren.Comfortinghimselfwiththefactthathewasstillalive,Zaryusuexhaledandcalmedhimselfdown.Aftercautiouslyopeninghiseyes,whathesawreflectedinhiseyeswasthesightoftheundeadarmybeginningtomove,andthegiantstonefigurewasnowheretobeseen.Inthewetlandsbetweenthetwoarmieswasthegiantrockboulderwhichwasnon-existentmomentsago.Theundeadlegiongatheredclosetotherock,raisedtheirshieldsflatlyabovethemselvesbeforekneelingdown.Theotherskeletonsjumpedontopoftheraisedshields,nimblymaintainedtheirbalancethen,liketheskeletonsbelow,likewiseraisedtheirownshields.At that moment, Zaryusu understood what the opponent was doing and, as if he had been struck bylightning,startedtrembling.“Coulditbe…stairs?Apparentlyeventhismyth-likearmyisusedasmerestairs!”Theskeletonsapproachedthegiantboulderatabnormalspeed—andthestairsmadeoutofundeadarmyunitswasfinallycompleted.Followingthis,theotherundeadsoldiersalsobegantomove.Theseundeadwereevenmoreimpressivelooking than theskeletonsmomentsago,andnumberedapproximatelyonehundred. In theirhandswerespearswithapieceofclothattached,likethekindusedbyhorse-backspearmen.Brightredcloth—alloftheirspear-flagshadasingleemblem.Thoseundeadworecloaksbillowinginthewind,andsteppedintothewetlandsoneaftereachotherinperfectunison,advancingforwardsilentlyastheyshatteredtheicebeneaththeirfeet.Thiswasfollowedby another group of skeletons which also entered the wetlands in perfect unison. The second groupmaintainingafixeddistancefromthefirstgroupbeforestoppingandcrossingspearswitheachskeletonontheotherside.Thecrossedspearsformedasinglepathleadingdirectlytothelargeboulder.“...IsthatapathfortheOverlord?”Zenberuwascorrect.The ‘death’magic caster stepped on the path arranged by the undead, and following behind himwerenumerousfigureswhohadseeminglyappearedoutofnowhere.Leadingthepathwasthemagiccasterwhoseextentoftruestrengthhadreachedunfathomableheights.Onhisbodyheworeapitch-blackchangpao,sodarkthatitlookedasifithadbeencutfromapieceofthenight,andinhishandheheldastaffwhichradiatedablackaura.Thatradiatingauraseemedtoformintoagonisedhumanexpressions,whichcollapsedanddisappeared.Evenunder thehoodwasa skull,withvacanteyesocketswhichhadashiningsmallredlightineitherofthem.The opponent wore innumerable magic accessories which were absolutely beyond Zaryusu’scomprehension,andwalkedforwardatacommensuratepacewiththeauthorityofaking.

Therewasawhiteclothedwomanfollowingbehind theOverlordofDeath.Althoughshehadahumanappearance, therewereoneparticularareawhichwasdifferent tohumans.Namely, thatwasthewingsattachedtoherbodyatthewaist.“Shecan’tbe…anAkuma?”Akuma.Demonswerethosewhousedviolencetobringaboutdestruction,andDevilswerethosewhousedtheirintelligence to bring about depravity. These kinds of otherworldly existences grouped together werereferred to as demons. It is said that they are atrocious monsters which existed solely for theexterminationofallsentientandgoodlivingbeings.Theywerealsosynonymouswiththeword‘evil’.Zaryusuhadoncebeforeheardaboutdemonsduringhistravels.Hehadheardhowterrifyingdemonswere.Itwassaidthattwohundredyearsago,abeingknownasthekingofthedemons—theDemonGod—hadleddemonsunderhisbanner,andhadalmostexterminatedtheentireworld.TheDemonGodhadmethisendatthehandsofthethirteenheroeswhichvanquishedhim,andinacertainplaceitwasstillpossibletoseetracesofthatbattle.Ifundeadcouldbedescribedascreatureswhichdetestedtheliving,thendemonswerecreatureswhichtormentedtheliving.Apairofdarkelftwinsfollowedbehindthedemon,andbehindthemwasasilver-hairedgirl.Notonlythat,therewasalsoabizarrecreaturefloatingintheair,andlastlytherewasahuman-likemalewithalongtail.Althoughthebizarrecreaturegaveoffanimpressionthatitwasnotstrong,asingleglanceofeachoftheotherswouldcause tails tostart to tremble.His feral instinctswerefiercelywarninghimself, saying itwascrucialtoquicklygetawayatfullspeed.Thislineofpersonswalkedforwardsilently,passedthroughunderneaththespearbanners,andclimbedup the stairs leading to the giant boulder.Without hesitation, they stepped on the undead soldiers, andstoodontopofthegiantboulderlikeroyalty.TheOverlordofDeath,whowalkedinfront,stretchedouthishandandgaveitawave.Inthenextmoment,ahighbackthronegivingoffablackradianceappeared,andtheOverlordofDeathdirectlyproceededtositontopofit.Theoneswhichwalkedbehind,whichshouldbehistrustedpeople,formedaline,andasifwaitingforsomething they looked towards the village. However apart from this, they did not make any othermovements.Whatkindofsituationwasthis?Severallizardmenlookedateachotheruncomfortably,andfinallydecidedtoallowthecleverestpersonatthescenetomakeajudgmentcall.“...P-Pleasetellus,whatweshoulddo,Zaryusu-sama?Shallwepreparetoflee?”This speechwasdevoidofbattle intent.Theirpowerless anddrooped tails spokevolumesabouthowtheyfeltinside.“No,thatwillnotbenecessary.Thinkaboutthepreviouslich.Ouropponentisamagiccasterwhoisbyfarmoresuperior tothat lich,andmakinganattackat thisdistanceshouldbechild’splayforhim.Themostfrighteningthingis…whatkindofwordsdoeshehaveforus.”Thelizardmenrevealedanexpressionofagreement.Duringthisperiodoftime,Zaryusu’sgazeremainedfocusedonalinepeoplethathadapproached.Likeacommonerlookingatroyalty,hedidnotstopobservingthepowerfulcreaturesstandingontopofthegiantboulder.

Thiswassothathewouldnotletanyinformationsliphisattention.When thedistancebetween themhadclosed,hecouldalreadymakequitedetailedobservations,and itcouldevenbesaidthattheywerecloseenoughtoexchangegazes.WastheOverlordofDeathseatedonthethroneobservingthelizardmen?Theoutwardappearancesofthedarkelvesdidnotshowanyhostileintent,thesilverhairedgirlhadamockingexpression,thedemon’sgentle appearance conversely causedhairs to raise on end, itwas completely impossible to see if thebizarrecreaturewasuptoanything,andthemalewhohadgrownatailhadnoemotionsinhiseyes.Afterexchangingobservations like this forawhile, theOverlordofDeathonceagaingentlyraised thehandnotholdingastafftothevicinityofhischest.Severallizardmenwhosawthisactionflickeredtheirtailsintensely.“—Donotbeafraid.Donotputanembarrassingdisplayinfrontofouropponent.”Zaryusu’s razor-sharp rebukemadeallof the lizardmenat the scene immediately raise theirheadsandstraightentheirbacks.AnumberofblackcloudsappearedinfrontoftheOverlordofDeath,numberingtwenty.Theblackcloudsspunceaselessly,growinginsizeandeachbecomingapproximatelyonehundredandfiftycentimetresinsize.Beforelong,manyhorrifyingfacesappearedfloatinginsidetheblackclouds.“Thoseare…”Zaryusurecalledthatitwasthemonsterwhichhadapproachedthevillage,andwasalsothesamekindofundeadmonsterwhichhehadoncecomeacrossduringhistravels.Although he had already explained this in Crusch’s village, unless they were to use magic weapons,weaponsforgedfromspecialmetals,magicorspecialmartialarts, itwouldbeexceedinglydifficult toharmthiskindofincorporealcreature.Evenwhen all of the lizardmen tribeswere aggregated, they only possessed a small number ofmagicweapons,whichmeanttosaythatevendefeatingonewouldbeverydifficult.Nottomentionthattheopponenthadapparentlysummonedtwentyofthatkindofmonsterwithgreatease.“...So,that’swhatitmeanstobeabletocontroldeathitself.”Zaryusudespairinglythoughttohimselfthattheopponentwasindeedasupremelypowerfulbeingabletohavethepowerfullichswearloyaltytohim.After theOverlord ofDeath uttered some unknownwords, he stretched out his hand andwaved as ifintendingforeveryonetoattack.Followingthis,themonstersflewover,surroundedthevillageandbegantochantinunison.『TheSupremeOnetransmitshismessagetoyouassuch.』『TheSupremeOnerequestsadialogue.Willtherepresentativepleasestepforward.』『Shouldyouwasteourtime,itshallonlyservetoaggravatetheSupremeOne.』Afterthisunilateraldeclaration,theincorporealundeadreturnedtotheirmasters’side.“Ha...?Itcan’tbe…Thatisit?”Zaryusuhadastumpedlookashesaidthis.Sohesentoutsuchpowerfulundeadjusttotransmitthismessage?However,whatwasevenhardertobelievewaswhenthesilverhairedgirl,whowaswaitingatattentionattheback,forcefullyusedbothhandstomakeaclaponceshereceivedherinstructionsfromthesupremerulerofdeath.Atthemomentofthehandclap—thoseundeadwereexterminated.“What!”Zaryusu,whohadtakeninalargeshock,involuntarilyshoutedout.Sincethatmovewasnottoreturnthesummonedmonsters,buttoexterminatethem.

Priests could exterminate undead.Althoughnormally sending thembackwas alreadynot easy, if therewere two individuals and therewas a great difference in strength, they could domore thanmake theundead retreat, and even directly exterminate them.However, to exterminate a group of undead at thesametimewasimpossible.Whatthatmeantwasthatthesilverhairedgirl’sstrengthwasonparwiththeOverlordofDeath.Ifthatwasso,thentheothersbyhissidewerefearfullyalsothesame.“Hahahaha—”Zaryusucouldnotstophisownlaughter.Thiswasnatural.Atthismoment,whatcouldhedootherthanlaugh?Ifthedifferenceintheirstrengthwasassuch—“Youngerbrother!”“—Ah,olderbrother!”Zaryusurepliedasheglancedtothevoicewhichcamefromtheunderofthemudwall,anddiscoveredthat bothShasuryu andCruschhad arrived at thewall.Both individuals climbedup themudwall andlookedinthedirectionofthemagiccaster’sentourage.Crusch forcefully squeezedherself betweenZenberuandZaryusu, almost causingZenberu to fall over.However,thisshouldhavecountedasaforgivableaction.“Isthattheenemy'sleader?Theatmospherearoundhimissostrongthatmerelylookingathimwillcausepeople’s bones to chill. Although the appearance is similar to the lich which you defeated… but thestrengthofbothindividualssimplycannotbecompared…”“...Olderbrother,haveyoufinishedonyourside?”“Mm,prettymuch.MyandCrusch’smagicreserveshavebeendepleted.Furthermore,afterhearingthatbeing’swords…Ialsothinkthatwemustresolvethismatterfirst.Aboutwhatthatbeingsaid…Zaryusu,areyouwillingtocomealong?”ZaryusulookedsilentlyatShasuryuforawhile, thennoddedgravely.Shasuryumomentarilyshowedananguishedlook,butimmediatelyreturnedtonormal,sofastthatnobodyhadnoticedhisexpression.“Sorry.”“Don’tmindit,olderbrother.”Shasuryuhadonlyapologisedbeforejumpingoffthemudwall,treadingonthethinlayeroficecoatingthewetlands,andlettingoutsplashingsounds.“I’moffthen.”“Becareful.”AfterZaryusuhuggedCruschtightly,healsofollowedShasuryuandjumpeddownintothewetlands.Zaryusu and Shasuryu treaded across the thin ice above the lake,moving forward together.After theywalkedthroughthemainentrance,ZaryusufelttheOverlordofDeath’sgroupgazeintentlyatthetwoofthem,as if theirgazescarriedactualpressuringstrength.Hedesperately restrainedhisstrongemotionstellinghimnottogetaway.Atthismoment,Shasuryuspokeout.“...Sorry.”“...Sorryforwhat,olderbrother?”“...Ifnegotiationsfallapart,theopponentmayperhapskillthetwoofusthereandthen.”Zaryusuhadalreadypreparedhimselfmentally awhile ago. Itwasbecauseof this thathehadhuggedCruschsotightlyfirst.“...Consideringtheopponent’snumbers,Icannotallowolderbrothertogoforwardalone.Ifyouwerebyyourself,theopponentwouldprobablyalsoformtheopinionthatwearenotpayingthemenoughrespect.”

Amongst lizardmen, Zaryusu was indeed widely known, and extremely suitable to take part innegotiations.However,hisidentitywasthatofatraveller,thereforeevenifheweresacrificed,itwouldnotaffectthelizardmengroupstructure.Fromthisperspective,hislosswouldnotberegretted.Eveniftheheroweretobekilled,solongastherewereotherremainingtribechiefs,thebattlecouldbecontinued.TheonlypitywouldbethelossofFrostPain.Withoutit,therewouldbenomeanstoblockthecoldwindcomingfromthefrozenlake.Thetwoofthemcontinuedsilentlyforward,gettingstep-by-stepclosertodeath.Theyarrivedbeforetheundeadstairsleadinguptothethrone,andannouncedtheirarrivalloudly.Ifthethronewassituatedevenfurtherback,theycouldhavechosentoclimbupthestairsfirst,buttheopponentstoodatthebrinkofthestairs,showingthattheywerenotintendedtoclimbup.Thekingmustsitatahigherlevel.Althoughlizardmendidnothavesucharule,manytribeshadthehabitwherethoseinahigherpositionwould lookdownon theothers.Of course, from theperspectiveofholding talks, thiswas considereddisrespectfultreatmentoftheotherparty.Therefore, whilst on the surface it was called negotiation, blatantly there was no intention for thesenegotiationstobeconductedbetweenequals.However,requestingequalityintalkswouldbeoverconfidence.Indeed,Zaryusuandtheothershadwonthepreviousbattle,butafterseeingtherowsofenemysoldiersontopoftheenormousboulder,theywereforcedtorealisethattheirpreviousvictoryhadnomeaningeveniftheydidnotwishtobelieveso.Allofithadbeenjustagame.“Our delegation has arrived! I am the lizardmen representative, Shasuryu Shasha, the strongest heroamongstthelizardmen!”“IamZaryusuShasha!”Evenso,theirsonorousvoicesstillhadnoflatteryinthem.Theyknewthatthiswasfoolishness,butthiswastheirremainingdignity.Perhapsthepreviousbattlewasonlyagameintheopponent’seyes,buttheyabsolutelycouldnotforfeitthehonourofthosewhosacrificedtheirlivesinthatbattle.No response. The Overlord of Death seated on top of the throne merely looked critically at them,unceremoniouslysizingthemup.Itwascompletelyimpossibletotelliftherewasanyintenttotakeaction.Theonewhorepliedwasthedemonwhohadapairofblackwingswhichgrewfromherwaist.“Our master does not consider that you have not entered into a listening posture which demonstratesrespect.”“...What?”Oncethefemaleheardtheconfusedvoice,shecalledouttothemanbyhersidewhohadatail.“—Demiurge.”“『Prostrate』.”Suddenly, Zaryusu and Shasuryu knelt down, with their heads buried into the wetlands. Their actionsmadeitlooklikethesetwopersonsthoughtitwasonlynaturaltodo.Thecoldmudstainedthetwopersons’bodies,andtheshatterediceblocksimmediatelyfrozeupagain.Itwasimpossibletostandup.Eveniftheyusedtheirentirebody’sstrength,theirbodiesdidnotbudge.Asiftherewasaninvisiblegianthandwhichwaspressingdownonthemfromabove,theirbodieshadcompletelylostallfreedomofmovement.“『DonotResist』.”In themoment that thesoundonceagainwasheard in theirheads,ZaryusuandShasuryufeltas if theirbodieshadgivenbirthtoanothermind—takingovertheirdecisionmakingorgans.Theirbodiesseemedtoactaccordingtotheinstructionsofthatorgan.

Afterseeingthetwoenergy-drainedpersonsawkwardlykneelinginthemuddyground,thefemaledemonsseemedtolookverysatisfied,andfacedthemasterasshereported:“Ainz-sama,theirrespectfullisteningposturesareprepared.”“Thankyouforyourhardwork—Raiseyourheads.”“『PermittedtoRaiseyourHeads』.”ZaryusuandShasuryumovedtheirheadswhichwas theonlybodypartable tofreelymove,andgazedupwardsasifrespectfullywelcomingaking.“I am… themaster of theGreat Tomb ofNazarick,AinzOoalGown. First, I give youmy thanks forhelpingmecompletemyexperiment.”Experiment? So many of our companions’ lives were taken away, yet he still dares to call it anexperiment?Thedespiseintheirheartsrousedtheirburninganger,butthentheystillrestrainedtheiremotions.Itwasbecausenowwasstillnotthetimetoturnthetables.“Then,letusdirectlyaddressthemainissue…acceptmyauthority.”Ainzthemagiccastergentlyraisedhishand,stoppingShasuryuwhodesiredtospeakout.Knowingthatinsistingonspeakingoutwouldnotbewise,Shasuryucouldonlyobedientlystaysilent.“—Howeveryoudefeatedusearlier,whichshouldmeanthatyouareunwillingtoacceptmyauthority.Thisiswhyweshallattackagainfourhourslater.Ifyouarestillabletowin,Ipromisetotakenofurtheractionagainstyou,andwillevenguaranteetosupportreasonablecompensationtoyou.”“...MayIpleaseaskaquestion?”“Youmay,askaway.”“Theonewhowillbeattacking…willitbeYourMightiness?”Thesilver-hairedgirl standingat thebackraisedherbrowslightlyand the femaledemonsmiledmoredeeply,possiblybecause theywereunsatisfiedwith the ‘YourExcellency’ title.However, theydidnotmakeanyparticularaction,perhapsbecausethemasterdidnotsayanythingaboutit.Ainzignoredthosetwopersons,andcontinuedtalking.“Howcanthatbepossible.Iwillnotbetakingactionmyself.Instead,theonewhowillbeattackingwillbemytrustworthyaide…furthermoreIwillonlybesendingoutoneperson.HeiscalledCocytus.”Hearingthesewords,Zaryusufeltadeepdespairasiftheworldhadended.If itwere a largearmy thatwouldattack,perhaps the lizardmenwouldhavea chanceofvictory.Thismeantthat,atfirst,hehadbelievedthatthistimecouldalsobeacontinuationofyesterday’sunfortunatebattlewhichwascalledanexperiment.Ifitwerelikethat,thenthereshouldstillbeaminisculechanceofvictory.However,itwasnotgoingtobealargearmywhichwassentouttoattack.Theoneattackingwouldonlybeoneperson.The previously defeated army had once againmade such a big declaration, but would only send oneperson this time.Unless itwasapunishment,or therewassomehiddenmeaningbehindhiswords,hemusthavecompletefaithinthatperson.SomeonewhowastrustedbytheOverlordofDeathwhopossessedoverwhelmingstrength.Then,therecouldonlybeoneanswer:thatpersonalsopossessedoverwhelmingstrength,andfurthermorethekindofstrengththatwouldmakelizardmenfeelthattherewasnochanceofwinning."Wechoosetosurren...""Losingwithoutafightissimplytooboring.Doputupabitofafight,wewouldalsoliketohaveatasteofvictory."AinzinterruptedShasuryu,notallowinghimtocontinue.

Soblatantly,hewouldmakeanexampleoutofus,thisbastard.Zaryusucursedassuchinhisthoughts.Thepowerfulusingslaughtertowipeawaytheshameofdefeat.Whatthatmeantwasthatinamomenttheopponentwouldbecarryingoutalivesacrifice.Itwouldbeaperformance,eradicatingtherebelliouslizardmen."ThatisallthatIwishtosay.Then,fourhourslater,doyourbesttoenjoyit.""Pleasewaitaminute—willthisicemeltaway?"Regardlessofwhowonorlost,withthelakefrozen,thelizardmenwouldfinditverydifficulttosurvive."...Ah,Ialmostforgot."Sayingthathehadforgotten.ThisairyattitudeofAinzsurfacedinhisreply."IonlywishednottodirtymyselfwiththewetlandsmudasIwalked,whichiswhy,afterreturningtotheshore,themagiceffectwillbedispelled.""What!"ZaryusuandShasuryuwereshockedintosilence,andquestionediftheyhadheardwrongly.Hefrozethelakesimplybecausehedidnotwishtogetdirty?This was no longer at the level of being hard to believe. The opponent's strength was simply toooverwhelming,evenabletoeasilychangetheforceofnature,andfurthermoreforsuchasillyreason.Soitturnedoutthattheywereopposingsuchapowerfulbeing—ZaryusuandShasuryubothfeltthesamefearasachildwouldbeingallalone."Untilnexttime,lizardmen—「Portal」."Feelingthateverythingthatneededtobesaidwassaid,Ainzstretchedouthishandandgaveitagentlewave,andadarkhemisphereappearedinfrontofthethrone.Next,hejumpedintothatdarkness."Seeyou,lizardmen.""Goodbye,Mr.Lizardmen.""Farewell,lizardmen."Thetwoattendingfemalesandonemalealsojumpedintothedarknessafterspeakingwithanattitudethatwasasiftheyhadlostinterest."E-Eh,t-then,goodbye,takecare.""drowsymfoenobehtmaI"[Then,goodbye.]Afterthedarkelffemale,thebizarrecreaturealsofollowedandenteredthedarkness."『FreedomGranted』.Then,trytoenjoyitasbestyoucan,lizardmen."Atthesamemomentthelastone,themanwiththetail,enteredthedarkness,hespokewithagentlevoiceandalsotheweightpressingdownonthetwolizardmendisappearedwithoutatrace.ZaryusuandShasuryuwhowereleftbehindintheirspotsweresprawledinthemudanddidnotmove.Thiswasbecausetheylackedthestrengthtopullthemselvesup.Theynolongerevenfeltpainfromthecontinuousfreezingwind,becausetheyhadsufferedamentalattackwhichexceededtheirphysicalpainbyfar.“Damnit…”Shasuryu cursed in a low voice, quite unlike his personality, and contained in it was a mix of manyemotions.The twowerewelcomedbackby thevarious tribechiefswhohadclimbedon topof themudwall inordertoavoidthecoldgas.Therewerenootherlizardmeninthesurroundings.Possibly, thiswasarrangedbecausetheyhadalreadyconsideredearlyonthat thereweresomematterswhichneededtobediscussedinconfidentiality.Shasuryuroughlythoughtthatthiswasthecase,andthattherewasnoneedtoconcealitanyfurther.Hethendirectlyinformedeverybodyofwhathehadgathered

abouttheprogressionofthatmeetingthathardlycouldcalledapropernegotiation.Nobodyhad toomuchofa reaction,except forbeingslightlyalarmed, towardsShasuryu’sexplanationwhichwassaidinaheavytone.Theyweremostlikelylikethisbecausetheyhadprobablypredictedtheconclusionofthenegotiationfromalongwhileback.“Understood…thentheicewillmelt,right?Ifitdoesnotmelt,thenwewon’tbeabletofightevenifwewantedto.”“Notaproblem.Theopponentsaidthatthemagicwouldbedispelled.”“Wasthisanexchangebroughtaboutbythenegotiation?”TowardsthequestionposedbytheSmallFangTribechief,Shasuryudidnotreply,butmerelysmiledalittle.Seeingthatreaction,andunderstandingwhatitmeant,thetribechiefoftheSmallFangTribeshookhisheaddisheartedly.“When you were heading to the negotiations, we conducted an investigation… and discovered theshadows of enemies inside of the lake which look like skeleton soldiers.We fear that they are in aformationsurroundingusandawaitingorders.”“Idonotthink…ouropponent…planstoletusgo.”“Theopponentwasquiteserious,sothismeans…”“Thatisonlyspeculation.”The four who had not participated in the negotiations gave a long sigh. The conclusion that they hadreachedshouldalsobeabeliefthatwhatwouldfollowwasalivesacrificialritual.“Thenwhatshallwedo?”“...Mobiliseallwarriorclasslizardmen,andalso…theoneshere…”“Olderbrother…canyoupermitonlyfivepeopletoparticipate?”Out of the corner of his eye, Zaryusu saw the puzzled expression on Crusch’s face. He continued,appealingtowardsallofthemalelizardmenincludinghisolderbrother.“If the opponent’s objective is to demonstrate his own powerful strength, then lizardmen shouldn’t beexterminatedcompletely.Therefore,weneedanindividualwhoisabletolead,acentralfiguretobringtogetherallofthesurvivors.Ifallofthepeoplehereweretolosetheirlives,itwouldbeahugelossforthefutureoflizardmen.”“...Thatisavalidpoint.Isn’tthatright,Shasuryu.”“Hmm,Zaryusu…iscorrect.”ThetwotribechiefsalternativelylookedatZaryusuandCrusch,thenbothexpressedtheiragreement.“—There’snothingunacceptablewiththat;Ialsoagree.”After the approval of the final tribe chief Zenberu, Shasuryu could not find any reasons to refuse hisyoungerbrother’srequest.“Ourdecisionisthussettledthen.Ihavealsothoughtaboutit,thatitisnecessarytohavesomeonesurvivetoleadandbringtogetherthetribes—Cruschshouldbeverysuitabletocarryoutthisresponsibility.Heralbinismmayperhapsbeahindrance,butherabilitiesasadruidareindispensable.”“Waitamoment.Ialsowanttofighttogether!”Cruschshoutedloudly,protestingwhyshewasexcludednowoutofalltimes.“Furthermore,ifweweretoleaveonepersonbehind,wouldn’tleavingbehindShasuryubebetter?Heisthemosttrustedtribeleaderamongstus!”“And that is exactly why we cannot leave him behind. The opponent’s objective is to demonstrateoverwhelming force, probably in hopes that we will despair, so that we will submit to his authorityeasier.However,whatwouldhappen if therewas someoneamongst the survivors theycouldpin theirhopeson,hmm?”

“And…amongstthetribechiefspresent,theonewiththelowestpopularityisCrusch.”Cruschwasspeechless.Itwasanindisputablefactthatsheasanalbinohadthelowestpopularity.Knowingthatnothingshesaidwouldconvincethem,CruschfixatedonZaryusu.“I alsowant to go together.When you calledme here, you had already decided letmemakemyowndecision,sowhydoyoustillsaysuchwords?”“...Becauseatthattime,everybodywouldverylikelyallbekilled,butnowwehavearelativelylargeopportunitytoallowonepersontosurvive.”“Don’tjokewithme!”TheairwasshakingasifitwereechoingCrusch’sanger.Becauseofheragitatedemotions,thesoundofthemudwallbeingslappednumeroustimescouldbeheardasCrusch’stailwentintoanuncontrollablefrenzy.“—Zaryusu,youconvinceher.Seeyouagaininfourhours’time.”Shasuryuthrewdownthesewordsbeforedepartingquicklywithlongstrides,followedbythesoundofshatteringiceandsplashingwater.ThreetribechiefsjumpeddownthemudwallandfollowedShasuryu.Zenberualsohadhisbacktowardsthetwoashewavedhishandgentlytogivehisregards.Afterseeingthemoff,ZaryusuturnedtofaceCrusch.“Crusch,pleaseunderstand.”“How can I understand!And it is not a given that youwill lose! If you had the support ofmy druidpowers,perhapsyoumaywin!”ThissentencewassohollowthatevenCruschwhosaiditdidnotbelieveinitherself.“I donotwish formy loved female lizardmen to be killed.Please fulfil this foolishmale lizardman’sdesire.”Cruschshowedapainedexpression,andhuggedZaryusu.“You’retooselfish!”“Sorry…”“Youmightdie.”“Uhhuh…”Indeed,thechanceofsurvivingwasincrediblylow.No,ratheritcouldbesaidwithcertaintythattherewasnochanceofsurviving.“Injustoneshortweek,you’vealreadycapturedmyheart,yetyoustilltellmetowatchhelplesslyasyougetkilled?”“Um...”“Meetingyouwasmystrokeofluck,butalsomymisfortune.”CruschwhowashuggingZaryusu’storsotightenedhergrip,asifshehadnointentionsoflettinggo.Zaryusumadenonoise.Whatshouldhesay?Whatcouldhesay?Histhoughtsallalonghadbeenstuckonthesameproblem.Afteraperiodoftime,Cruschraisedherhead,withherexpressionfilledwithdetermination.ZaryusufeltuncomfortableinhisheartashesensedthatCruschwouldbeadamantaboutcomingalong.Atthismoment,CruschspokeafewwordsconciselytoZaryusu.“—Getmepregnant.”“—Hah?”“Comequick!”

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Chapter5TheFreezingGod

Ainzmainbasewas the fortress thatAurawasconstructing—theplace thatCocytusvisitedyesterday.Faintconstructionnoisescouldstillbeheardinthedistance.Whentheyenteredaroom,VictimwhohadbeenfollowingquietlybehindsaidtoAinz.“emohgniogm'I,syuguoywercS…(Wellthen,allowmetobidfarewellhere.)“Thankyouforyourhardwork.PleasedefendthefirstlevelofNazarickuntilwereturn.”“amabOsknahT…(Byyourwill).”“「Portal」.”Victim went into the door of darkness conjured by Ainz—with the first level of the Great Tomb ofNazarickashisdestination.After seeingoff theGuardiancapableofactivatingadeadlypowerfulmovement restrictionskill,Ainzturnedhisattentiontowardstheroom.Atthesametime,hecouldsenseAuraloweringherface.She must have done everything she could to give Ainz a grand welcome. Traces that showed thecommendableeffortputintothisroomcouldbeseeneverywhere,butitpaledincomparisontoNazarick.Auraprobablyfeltshamefromthis.Itisnotthatbad.ForAinzwhowas justasalaryman,hedidn’tmind it thatmuch.HisroominNazarickwasn’t toobadeither,butittroubledhimasitwastooluxurious.Infact,hefeltrelaxedandcomfortablehere.Iwantaneighttatamiroom.Ishouldfindacornertoprepareone.Oh,IhavetocomplimentAuraandconveymysatisfactionforherwork.Ifpeopledon’ttalkabouttheirtrust,gratitudeandcare,theywouldn’tbecomesuccessful.AinzrememberedaquotehesawframedinsidethedisplaycabinetofaCEOduringacorporatevisit.Hedidn’tknowwhocoinedit,butitwasagreatquote.Itfeltlikesomethinganidealbosswillsay.Youhavetoshowyourgratitude.Peoplewon’tstriveforthebestifthereisnoreward…Somethinglikethat?“MyapologiesAura,forinsistingonusingthisplace.Donotmindthedetails,Ihavehighpraiseforwhatyouhaveaccomplished.Ifthisismadebyyou,thenitisasgoodasNazarick.”“...Yes.”Aura’s eyes slightlywidened. I should console hermore.AlthoughAinzwanted to do that, no betterwordscametohismind,sohecovereditupbyobservingthesurroundingsonceagain.Thesmelloffreshtimberstilllingeredhere.Normally,insteadofthisplacethathadabsolutelynodefences,returningtoNazarickwasunquestionablysafer.Withoutdefensivemagic,itwaslikeahousemadeofpaperinaway.Butontheflipside,Ainzwasusinghimselfasbaittolureinthebigfishes.Therewasalargedistancebetweenhereandthelake,sotheonesthatcouldchasethemhere—iftheyexisted—wouldbeplayersfromYGGDRASIL,orpeopleatthatlevel.Thismeant that thepurposeofbuilding thisplacewas tobait theenemies targetingNazarick to revealthemselves.Itwasdangerousofcourse,butAinzfelttheriskwasnecessarytoachievethisgoal.Theyarestillnotshowingup.Coulditbe…theplanisafailure?Anyway,whatisthat?“...Aura,Iwanttoaskyou.Whatisthatthing?”Ainz’sgazestoppedonthelonewhitechairplaceddeepinsidetheroom.Thebackwasmadehighandimposing.Itwasmadesowell that itwasnoexaggerationtocall itanartpiece.Ifheignoresthatone

glaringissue.“It’sbitplain,butIhavepreparedathrone.”The one answering confidentlywas the subordinate following behind him—Demiurge.That’s what Ithought,Ainzsaidtohimselfinhismindandaskedafurtherquestion.“—Whatbonesdidyouuse?”“Bonesfromallsortsofbeasts.ThebestpartsarefrombeastslikeGriffonandWyvern.”“...Oh…Isee.”Thatwasa thronemadefromcountlessbones.Itwasn’t in the logistics listofgoodstheybroughtfromNazarick,soitwassomethingDemiurgemadeoutside.Nomatterhowhelookedatit,skullsfromhumansordemi-humansweredefinitelyusedtoo.Itmightlookpurewhitewithoutashredofbloodandmeatonit,butitstillgavethefeelingofbloodstain.It was a bit disgusting, sitting on that thingwas akin to sitting on a cushion of needles, makingAinzhesitate.Buthissubordinatehadputinefforttoprepareit,itwouldbedifficulttorejectit.Isthereanyreasonhecouldusethatwon’tcausecomplaints...Ainzsnappedhisfingersafterthinkingaboutit.“...Shalltear.Iwillgiveyouthepunishmentforwhatyouhaddonerightnow.That’sright…Iwillpunishyouwithshame.”“Yes!”Shalltearwhowassuddenlynamedwasabitsurprised.“Kneelwithyourheadbowedoverthere,andputyourhandsonthefloor.”“Yes!”ShalltearwalkedtotheplaceAinzpointedat—whichwasthemiddleof theroomanddidasshewastoldwithabaffledface.AinzwalkeduptoShalltearandsatonherback.“...Ainz,Ainz-sama!”ThesurprisedShalltearcouldonlymadeexhalewhilewhispering‘Hans-sama’.ShewasshakenandstifffromfearwhenAinzsatonherback.“Youarenowachair,understand?”“Yes!”AinzshiftedhisgazefromShalltearwhosevoicewasgettingshrilled,ontoDemiurge.“—SorryDemiurge,that’showitis.”“Isee!Marvellous!TouseaGuardianasachair!ThisisachaircustomizedspecificallyfortheSupremeMaster!AsexpectedofAinz-sama.Iwouldneverhavethoughtofthat!”“Is,isthatso…”In the face of the glittering respect shown on Demiurge was expressing, Ainz averted his face, notunderstanding why he was smiling so brilliantly. After this, a beautiful woman said to Ainz with awonderfulsmile.“MyapologiesAinz-sama.Pleaseallowmetoexcusemyself.Iwillreturnshortly.”“YouneedsomethingAlbedo?Permissiongranted,carryon.”After thanking him, Albedo left the room. Immediately, a woman screaming ‘Hyaaahhhhhhh!’ and thesoundofawallbeingsmashedviolentlycouldbeheard,andthewholefortseemedtobeshaking.Afteraminuteorso,Albedoreturnedtotheroomdominatedbysilencewithherusualsmile.“I have returned, Ainz-sama. Oh right, Aura. I accidentally ran into thewall when I left the room. Itseemedtobedamaged,couldyourepairitlater?Iamverysorry.”“Ah,ermm...Okay,Iwillgetitdone.”

Ainzswallowedthewordshewantedtosayandsighed.Hefocusedhiswanderinggazeandfixatedonthestaffemittinganauraofterror.TherealstaffofAinzOoalGownwasnotbroughthere,thiswasareplica—aprototypeinreplicatingtheguildweapon.Made from parts dug from the depths of the treasury, itwas a prop that looked almostperfectontheoutside.Theguildwillfalliftheguildweaponwasdestroyed,soitcouldnotbebroughtoutsocarelessly.ItwasentrustedtotheGuardianoftheCherryBlossomZoneinthe8thfloorforprotectionrightnow.Wedidcomeupwithcountermeasuresforifwegotrobbedofourrings,butitisnoteasytojustfindaplace…totestitout...As he was thinking about that, Shalltear suddenly fidgeted, adjusting herself for Ainz to sit morecomfortably.ThismadeAinzlookdownatthebackofShalltear’sheadwithastrangesenseofunease.Herbreathingwasragged.Itmustbeheavyforher.UnderAinzwastheslimbackofShalltearwholookedtobefourteen.Agrownmanwassittingonthebackofthisyounggirl.Realizinghowperverted,shamefulandcruelthatwas,Ainzfelthemighthavegonetoofar.ShalltearwasaNPCcreatedbyhiscompanioninthepast.EvenPeroronchinowouldn’tabuseherlikethis.Thisactionwasakintosoilingthememoriesofhispastcomrades.Itwasfoolishtothinkofthisasaself-punishment.TotortureShalltearlikethis…unforgivable.“Shalltear,doesithurt?”Ainzwas planning to say ‘if that is so, let’s end this’. Shalltear looked upwith a face blushingwithpassion,herexpressionfullofpleasure.“It’snotpainfulatall!Thisislikeareward!”Shekeptexhalingtheheatstoredwithinherbody,reflectingAinz’faceinherdazedeyes.Herwettonguebrushedagainstherlips,reflectinglightlecherously.Shesquirmedherbodylikeasnake.“...Hnngh!”Ainzfelttheurgetogetawayimmediately.Healmostgaveintothisurge.No,Ican’tdothat.HewaspunishingShalltear,butShalltear’smistakewasactuallyAinz’fault.That’swhyenduringtheurgetogetupwasAinz’punishment.Ainzdestroyedthecomplicatedemotionswellingupwithinhim.He tried his best to ignore the chair that was panting and squirming. But he couldn’t help thinkingPeroronchino,whatapervertedsettingthisis.“...Wellthen,let’smoveontotheserioustopic.Didweintimidatethem?”“Ithinkitwasperfect,Ainz-sama.”“Exactly,justlookatthelizardmen’sfaces.”AinzsmiledinreliefafterhearingwhattheGuardianssaid.Actually,itwasimpossibletotellthechangesin the expressions of the lizardmen. They might be closer to humans than reptiles, but their facialexpressionsweretotallydifferentfromhumans.“Isthatso.Thenthefirstphasetoawethemwithmightisasuccess.”Ainzexhaledinrelief.Heused theSuper-tiermagic ‘TheCreation’ that couldonlybeused four times aday after all. If thatdidn’twork,nothingelsewould.“Demiurge,howlongwouldittaketofindoutexactlyhowlargethefrozenareais?”

“Wehavealreadystartedtodoso,butprogressisslowastheareaiswiderthanexpected.Pleasegrantusmoretime.”AinzstoppedDemiurgewhowasabouttokneel.Ainzcoveredhismouthwithhisbonyfingerandthought.The area of effect being larger than expected could be considered a success in terms of magicalexperimentations.‘TheCreation’isaSuper-tiermagicthatcouldchangetheterrainitself.InYGGDRASIL,itwasusedtoguardagainsttheheatofvolcanoesorthecoldoffreezinglands.ItwaspossibletoshowtheirmightwithoutusingSuper-tiermagic.Unrelatedtothisdeployment,Ainzhadalwayswantedtoperformthisexperimentindeterminingtheareaofeffect.‘TheCreation’wasamagicthathadanamazinglylargeareaofeffect,andcouldcovertheentire8thfloorinAinz'sexperimentinsideNazarick.Butitwasn’tclearwhateffectitwouldhaveintheworldoutside.InYGGDRASILthespelleffectcouldcoveran‘Area’,buthowbigwouldan‘Area’beinthisworld?Ainzwantedtofindout.Ifitcouldcoveranentireplain,thatwouldbetoobig.Similarly, freezing the entire lake was going overboard. Care should be taken when using Super-tiermagic.“Aura,howisoursecuritynet?”“Yes!Wehavedeployed theundeadassignedbyAinz-sama tosecurea twokilometer radiusarea.Buttherehasbeenno signsof anything special coming in so far. I have also sentmonsters specializing inscoutingtopatroltheareawithin4km,butwehavenotspottedanythingsuspicious.”“Isee…Theenemymightbehidingfromdetectionastheydrawclose,whataboutthecountermeasuresagainstthat?”“There are no problems. With Shalltear’s cooperation, we have sent out undead proficient inreconnaissance.”“Splendid.”AurasmiledhappilyafterAinzpraisedher.Herdepressedexpressionwasgonewithoutatrace.“Wehaveexposedourselvestothisextent,whyhaven’tthepeoplewhousedtheWorldclassitemagainstShalltearmadeamove?”Ainz asked again under the gaze of everyone present, but did not direct his question to anyone inparticular.“Whyaren’ttheyperformingsurveillanceonNazarickandthisplace?”“Could it be that they are surveilling uswithWorld class items that could not be detected by normalmeans?”AinztilthisheadinresponsetoDemiurge’scounterquestion.“...Ididconsiderthispossibility,that’swhyIuseMomon…IftheyarereallyusingWorldclassitemtospyonus,theywouldn’tbeabletospyonMomonwhoalsoownsaWorldclassitem.That’swhyIhavebeen assuming they will use physical means such as scouts to watch us… They might use magicsurveillancetoo,butitshouldbeorthodoxmeans...”Ainz realized the Guardians around him seemed confused, which meant his explanation wasn’t clearenough.“Well…HowshouldIputthis…Inthepast,weownedaminethatcouldgenerateatypeofmetal thatwas rare. As we were monopolizing the supply, the market price for it soared and people startedschemingtorobitfromus.Theitemtheyusedthat timewasOuroboros.ItwasatopWorldclassitemknownasoneofthe‘Twenty’.”Ainznarrowedhiseyes.

Hewas ragingmadwhen he just got robbed, but looking back, itwas a nice piece ofmemory. Eventhoughtheyweremassacredanddroppedplentyofrareitems.“Outrageous!TheydareusurptheterritoryruledbytheSupremeBeings?!Unforgivable!Pleasegiveustheordertocounterattack!”HearinghowangryAlbedowasmadeAinzturnhisgaze.HecouldseethehostilityandkillingintentreleasedbyalltheGuardians,eventhecalmDemiurgewasrevealing a sinister smile.Not just that, evenMare’s reserved expression couldn’t conceal his urge toattack.Ainzcouldn’tseeShalltear’sfaceasshewasactingasachair,butfromherstiffenedbody,herdeterminationwasconveyedtoAinzthroughhisrear.“Calmdown!Thisisallinthepastnow.”Ainz raisedhishand tocalm theGuardians.They lookedmore settled,but they still feltunstableas ifmagmawasflowingbeneaththesurface.Tochangethetopic,Ainzcontinuedwhathewassaying.“TheenemyusedOuroborostostopusfromenteringthe‘World’theminewassituatedin.Theyprobablyusedthischancetosearchthevicinityandseizethemine.Whenthesealwasundone,wewentinonlytofindthattheminehadbeenconquered.”Duringtherashattempttotakebackthemine,abouthalftheguildmembersdiedatleastonce.Ainzheldbackonanddidn’tsaythisoutloud.“Iwill get to themainpoint. Imentioned thatweweredenied access to that ‘World’ but peoplewithWorldclassitemscouldstillenterthat‘World’.Hence,itisimpossibleforthemtospyonusevenwiththestrongestWorldclassitem.”As Ainz listened to the enlightened acknowledgement from his subordinates, he still bore doubts onwhetherthiswasreallytrue.Thepossibilitywashigh,buttherewasnoevidencetoprovethatitwastrue.When using ‘Conflict of the Five Elements’ which was also a ‘Twenty’ like ‘Ouroboros’, the gamecompanysentamessagetotheownersWorldclassitems.Asidefromanapology,theyalsosentanitemascompensation.Thecontentoftheapologymessagewas:”BearersofWorldclassitems,byright,youshouldbeexemptedfromanychangestotheworld.Butitisverychallengingtomaintainyourdatawhileweupdatetheserver.Therefore,wehavenootherchoicebuttotreatthisasanexceptionalcaseasweupdatetheserver.”Andso,itwasimpossibleforthemtodefendagainstthis.Butthateventshouldbetheexceptioninsteadofthenorm.EspeciallytheWorldclassitemthatcoulddefendagainstreconnaissancemagic.Itwouldbemeaninglessifitcouldn’tprotectNazarickfromotherWorldclassitems.“Andthat iswhyI thought theenemywillapproachMomon…Butthosewhodoapproacharemotherscarryingnewbornbabiesandadventurers.”They asked Momon to pat the babies’ head to bless them with health and strength. The adventurersrequestedahandshakeandwishedtobecomestronger,butnoonewantedtoconversewithhiminprivate.That’swhyAinzexposedhimselfwithweakdefencesthistime,waitingfortheenemytomaketheirmove.NotequippingCocytuswithaWorldclassitemwaspartoftheplan.Ainzplannedtousehimasbaittoluretheenemyout.Itseemedscarybecausetheenemywasunknown,andtheycouldcomeupwithpropercountermeasuresafterascertainingwhotheenemywas.“Regardingthisissue…MayIsharemyhumbleopinion?”“Whatisit,Albedo?”“Yes, asAinz-sama explained, the planwas to smoke the enemyout.Could the enemybe reluctant toapproachussincetheytooareoperatinginthedark,justlikeus?”

...Ah.“No…problem,Albedo,Ialreadyconsideredthatpossibility.”Hedidn’t.Ainzwasassumingtheenemywasthinkingthesamethinglikehim,tryingtogatherintelligenceonhim.…Whatanerror.DidIgetitwrongfromtheverybeginning?“Excuseme,also…”Albedo-san, please stop—Ainz cried in his heart. He felt like a candidate who was reviewing thequestionscriptaftertheexamandrealizedallhisanswerswerewrong.“AboutreleasingtheinformationthatShalltearwasdefeatedwithitems…”“Yes,that’swhatIreportedtotheguild,thatistopreventthepeoplefromfearingMomonifhegetstoopowerful.Sealedmagiccrystalsseemedtobearareitemhere,itmustbedifficulttodestroythecrystalforexperiments.DestabilizingthecrystalandusingittodefeatShalltearisamoreconvincingstory,andpeoplewouldbelessguardedagainstMomon.”“Youareabsolutelyright.Forthepeoplewhothinksealedcrystalsarerare,thisisn’tabadmethod.”Albedo’sroundaboutwayofspeakingmadeAinzfeeluneasy.“...ButiftheotherpartypossessmultiplecrystalslikeAinz-sama,wouldn’tthesituationbedifferent?”“...Hmm?Ah,that’swhatyoumean.”Ainzmadeanenlightenedexpression,butdidn’tunderstandatall.Sowhatiftheotherpartypossessseveralsealedcrystals?Itwasafactthatsealedmagicwasvaluableinthisworld.WasAlbedoworriedaboutthecrystalbeingbrokenduringexperiments?Butthatdidn’tseemtobeall.AnominousfeelingflashedacrossAinz’mind.HewantedAlbedotoexplainfurther,whichmadeAinzhatehimselfforactingcockyearlier.IsitreallyokayformetobetheruleranddecidethepoliciesofNazarick?AmIsteeringashipupamountainwithoutknowingit?Ainzfeltlikerunningaway.Hecouldn’tbeartheburdenofarulerhehadexperiencedseveraltimes—aburdenthatgrewheavierinthefaceoffailure—Ainzkeptcomplaininginhisheart.Buthecouldn’tdothat.SincehetookthenameofAinzOoalGown,hecouldn’tabandonthecreationsofhiscomrades—theNPCand the treasures in theGreatTombofNazarick.More importantly,hedidn’twanttobeaparentthatabandonedhischildren.Ialsoworrywhetheryouallwillbetray,abandonorgiveuponme.Nonetheless,IwillactthepartofAinzOoalGownthatmeetsyourexpectationsandisworthyofyourtrust.Andso,AinzmadearelaxedexpressionhepractisedbeforethemirrorandsaidinaposefilledwiththeconfidenceofanOverlord.“Noproblem,Iunderstandwhyyoufeeluneasy.”Ainzthenlookedaroundhim.“Albedo…DoshareyourworrieswiththeotherGuardians.”“Ah,yes!If theenemypossessmultiplecrystals likeAinz-sama…Someonewhoknowsaboutcrystals,theywouldbeabletotellthisinformationisfalse.TheywillbesurethatShalltearwasnotdefeatedbythecrystal—althoughtheycouldn’tknowifShalltearwasatfullstrength,usersofWorldclassitemwillassumethatMomonisasstrongasShalltear.TheywillthenconcludethemysteriouswarriorMomonwhosuddenlyappearedinE-Rantelissomeonedangerousright?TheymightalsosuspectthatShalltearmightberelatedtoMomon…”“...Albedo,andGuardians,whatdoyouthinktheenemies’nextstepwouldbe?”

“Pardon me. I think that if our foes plan to oppose Ainz-sama, they will spread rumours of Momonworkingtogetherwiththevampireevenifthereisnoproof.TheywouldnotwantMomontogainfurtherfame.”Urghhh—Ainzmoanedinhisheart.PartofthegoalofgoingtoE-Rantelwastogatherintelligence,butthemaintargetwastoraisethefameof theMomonpersona—anda tinypartofwanting to runaway.Theoriginalplanwas towait for thegreat hero to be born and then revealMomon’s true identity, turning all his fame to that ofAinzOoalGown,spreadingthisnamethroughouttheworld.HealsowantedtoshowhisPKguildwillchangeinthisworld,sohedidgooddeedsusingthenameofMomon.Buttheseplanswereprobablydonefor.“Hmm?Demiurge,letmeaskyou,woulditbemoreeffectiveifsuchrumourswerespreadafterMomonbecamefamous?”“Aura,thatwouldbeabadmove.IfAinz-samahasgarneredenoughfame,themasseswilljustthinkofsuchnewsasmaliciousrumours.Theyshouldcutofftherootsbeforehisfamegrows.”“Awonderfulinsight,Demiurge.”AinznoddedinresponsetoDemiurgewhowasbowinghishead,actingasifhehadthesameidea.“Iwillaskanotherquestion.Ifthatisso,whyhasn’ttheenemystartedspreadingrumoursyet?”AfterhearingAinz’query,Demiurgeraisedafinger.“Numberone,theyhavenotcompletedtheirinvestigationonMomon-samayet.IfMomon-samadiddefeatShalltearinastraightfight,theywouldn’twanttoincurhiswrath.Theymightwanttopullhimintotheircamp.Numbertwo—”Heraisedanotherfinger.“What if theirencounterwithShalltearwas justacoincidence?Theymighthavebeenpassingbywithsomeotherpurposeinmind,justsomeunrelatedthirdparty.”“Thatisimpossible,Demiurge,thepossibilityisverylow…”Ainzsaidthat,hejustrealizedthisscenariowasn’timpossible.Hewas totallyconvinced that theattackhadbeen targetedatShalltear—or targetedat thedenizensofNazarick.But Shalltearwas attacked shortly after teleporting. If the attack really had been targeted atShalltear,theyhadbeeneerilyprecise.Washeblindedbythefearoftheunseenenemy?Ainznarrowedhiseyes—orrather,theredglowinhiseyesockets.Intheend,theproblemwasinsufficientintelligenceandbeingshorthanded.Theyneededmorepower.Anyway,thebiggestproblemisthatourintelligencenetworkistoosmall.Sebashadbeentaskedwiththattoo,buttheintelligencegatheredbyahandfulofagentswerelimited.Inthebeginning,hethoughtitwouldbeenoughtogainbasicinformationaboutthisworld,butthatwasn’tenoughinthecurrentsituation.Theintelligencegatheredbyanadventurerandthebutlerofamerchanthadlessimportanceandqualitythanthatofahighgovernmentofficial.Ainz couldn’t think of anyone who could analyze the gathered intel from different angles and judgewhethertheintelwasimportant.“Araara,themainproblemisthelackofintel.Wehavetobewaryofanenemywecouldn’tsee,whichmadeithardforustomakeourmove...”AfterlisteningtoAinz’complain,Demiurgesmiledasifhehadagreatidea.“Ifthatisthecase,howaboutjoiningforceswithacountry?”Afterashortsilence,Albedosaid“Oh.”toexpressthatshehadunderstood.Ainzmadethesamesound

momentslater.“IseeDemiurge,that’swhatyoumean.”ButtheotherthreeGuardianswerestilltiltingtheirheadinconfusion.Auraadmittedherdoubtshonestly.“Ainz-sama,whatdoesthismean?”FacingAura’squestion,Ainzfeltrelievedthathecouldn’tshowanyfacialexpression.“Araara…Mare,Shalltear,doyouunderstandwhatDemiurgeistalkingabout?”Thetwoofthemshooktheirheads.”Isee,itcouldn’tbehelped.Demiurge,pleaseexplain.”“Yes, by your will. Everyone, Ainz-sama is worried about this unknown enemy. I think that if weencounterthisstrongenemyandbothsidesareopenlyhostiletoeachother,wewillneedabreakthroughpointthatcouldsolveourissuesduringnegotiations.”Sensei,Idon’tunderstand—Threestudentsandoneadultseemedtohavethesewordscarvedontheirfaces. Teacher Demiurge seemed to realize his explanation was too vague, and continued byaccommodatingthestandardsofhisstudents.“WhatwillyoudoifAinz-samaiscontrolledbyaWorldclassitemuser?”“Iwillcutthatpersonintopieces.”“...No, that’snotwhat Imean,Aura.Don’tyou think thatbeingcontrolled is abreakthroughpoint? Inactualfact,therearepeoplewhocouldcontroltheiropponentwithWorldclassitems,sothepossibilityofAinz-samabeingcontrolledisnotzero.”ThedeputyhomeroomteacherAlbedoaddedtoteacherDemiurge’sexplanation.“Hemeansafterpretendingtojoinundertheflagofacountry,Nazarickcouldusethisasanexcuseforanyactionswetakeinthefuture.Wecanjustsaythatweareactingundertheordersofthatcountryanddidn’thaveachoice.Ifthepowerfulenemyreallyexists,wecouldshifttheresponsibilitytothatcountry,correct?Iftheenemydoesn’twantadirectconfrontation,theywilldotheirbesttoaccommodateus.”“Isee…iftherearepeoplewhoareunhappywiththem,wecanusethisexcusetopullthisthirdpartytoourside…That’stheidea.AsexpectedofAinz-sama…”Justlikethebossofanevilorganizationstrokingacatonhislap,AinzpattedtheheadofShalltearwhowasactingasachairashesaid“It’snotme”.“Theonewhocameupwiththisplanwasn’tme,butDemiurge.Heshouldbetheonewhodeservedthispraise.”“No,youflatterme.Ainz-samaseemstohavereachedthisconclusionbeforeIdid.”“Ah,wellyeah.Myapologies for seeminglysnatchingyourcredit.Andon topof that, itwillbemucheasierforustogarnerintelligence.”Acountryshouldalreadyhaveanintelligencenetworkinplace.TheywouldbeabletoprogressbyleapandboundsjustbysendingaminionofNazarickin.AfterlearninghisadvicewasofuseforAinzandAinz’smannerofspeechasifhewasconfirmingthetwobrilliantGuardiansmadeDemiurgesmile.“Itisjustasyousaid.”AinzknewthatDemiurgewasimplyingthatAinzknewfromtheverybeginning.“Ah,asexpectedofAinz-sama,tohavethoughtaboutthissothoroughly…Hmmm…Solowlybeingslikehumanscouldbeofusetoo.”AfterAlbedocomment,theotherGuardians—includingShalltearwhowasrelegatedtobeingachair—showeredAinzwithsparklinggazeofadmiration.ItmadeAinzfeeluneasy,buthefeltreliefthathedidn’tgetitwrongwhenthetwoofthemagreedwithhim.

“Wellthen…let’stargetacountry.”“Ifweconsiderthenationsinthevicinity,itwouldbetheKingdom,theEmpireandtheTheocracy.”“Wha,whataboutcountriesfurtheraway?SuchastheRepublicandtheHolyKingdom.”“Iwouldadviseagainstchoosingnationsthatarefaraway,andIdon’twanttocomeintocontactwiththeTheocracybefore Ihaveadequate intelligenceabout them.That leaves theKingdomand theEmpire…AndfromtheintelligencegatheredbySebas,theKingdomisn'tthatappealingtome,but…wewillneedtoresearchthisfurther.”Ainzextendedhishandtowardsthemirroraftersaying“Bytheway.”“Wegavethelizardmenabitoftime,let’sseewhetheranythingunexpectedishappening.”Thebird’seyeviewofthelizardmen’svillageappearedonthemirrorofremoteviewing,withtinyspotsmovingaround.Ainzreachedouttowardsthemirrorandgestured,changingthesceneryonthemirror.Thefirsttimeofcourse,wastozoomin.Thesightofthelizardmenworkinghardtoprepareforwarwasshowncompletely.“Futileefforts.”Demiurgemurmuredatthelizardmengently.Letmesee,wherearethey.It’shardtotellthelizardmenapart.Ainzsearchedforthesixlizardmenhehadseenintherecordingwithafrownonhisface.Hmmm—foundthearmoredone.That’stheonethatthrewrocks,right?Next,thebusterswordishere.Thedifferenceistoominute.Itiseasytofindthosewithprominentcolorsorequipment…Foundtheonewiththeprominentarm.Afterobservingthat,Ainzkeptshiftingtheimageonthemirror.“...Idon’tseethewhitelizardmanandtheoneholdingthemagicweapon.”“Ermm…theonecalledZaryusu?”“Ah,right,that’shisname.”AinzrecalledthelizardmanwhohadcomeforthtonegotiateatAura’sprompt.“Couldhebeinsidethehouses?”“Probably.”Butthemirrorofremoteviewingwasn’tabletoseeinsidebuildings.Thatwasthecase,normally.“Demiurge,InfinityHaversackplease.”“Byyourwill.”DemiurgebowedandmovedtothetableinthecorneroftheroomandpickeduptheInfinityHaversack.HepresentedittoAinzrespectfully.Ainztookoutonescrollfromwithin.Hethenactivatedthemagicwithinthescroll.Aninvisibleetherealsensoryorganwasconjured.Thesensoryorgancan'tpenetratemagicalbarriers,butitcanpassthroughnormalwallsregardlessoftheirthickness.Ifitcouldn’tgetin,itmeantthatapowerfulenemytheyhadtobewaryofwasthere.AfterlinkingthesensoryorganwiththemirrorofremoteviewingsotheGuardianscouldalsosee,Ainzstartedmaneuveringthesensoryorganthatlookedlikeafloatingeyeball.“Let’stakealookinsidethehouse.”Ainzchoseanoldbrokenhousenearbyandmovedthesensoryorganin.Eveniftheinteriorwasdark,itwouldshowupasbrightasdayoncetheorgangotin.In thatroom,awhite lizardmanwasbeingpresseddownwith its tail liftedup.Ablacklizardmanwasridingontop.Baffling.

Ainz didn’t understand what was going on in the very beginning. The next instant, that changed toconfusionastowhytheyaredoingthatthingatatimelikethis.Ainzthenmovedthesensoryorganoutsidesilently.“......”“…”Feelingtroubled,Ainzplacedhispalmonhisface.TheGuardiansbyhissidedidn’tknowwhattosayandlookedateachother.Demiurge:“—Whatanunpleasantbunch.Cocytuswillbeattackingsoonandtheystillhavethenervetodothis?!”Aura:“That’sright,that’sright!”Mare:“Ah,well,ermm…”Shalltear:“Demiurgeisright.Let’steachthemalesson!”Albedo:“Howenvious…”AinzliftahandtostopthechatteroftheGuardians.“... Forget it, theywill be dead soon. I saw in amovie once that desperate situations like thesewillstimulatetheirinstincttoreproduce.”Ainznoddedtoaffirmhisownopinion.Demiurge:“Youareright!”Aura:Ifit'sonlythismuch,wecanletthemoff~Shalltear:“Right,right!”Mare:“Ermm,ah,that…”Albedo:“Metoo,withAinz-sama…”Ainz:“...Allofyoubequiet.”AfteralltheGuardiansshuttheirmouth,Ainzsighed.“... I think I lostmy drive, but nevermind.There shouldn’t be anyonewe need to look out for in thevillage.Butwecan’tdropourguard,someonemightbeheadingourway.Aura…”Ainzsuddenlystoppedmovingandstaredatthetwochildren.Ohno!Imessedup!Theyarenotoldenoughforsexedyet…No,it’swaytoosoonforthat!AinzfelthecouldempathizewithhowafatherfeelswhenanintensesexscenecomesupwhilewatchingTVwiththewholefamily.Whatareparentssupposedtoanswerwhentheirchildrenaskthem‘wheredobabiescomefrom’?Shit!I did let Simmering Teapot’s kids saw that kind of scene—Eh, it should be fine. Ignoring Albedo,Demiurge…willprobablyexplainitfromamedicalangle…Thatwillbethebackupplan.Shalltear…sheseemedtobefine.Anyway,Iwillrememberthisasanissuetoberesolvedlater.Afterpushingtheproblemtothebackofhismind,Ainzcoughedandsaid:“Ifthesecuritynetrevealsanything,alltheGuardiansandIwillmoveouttogether.”If a player fromYGGDRASIL did exist, Ainz didn’t plan to honor the agreement he made to let thelizardmenvillagego.Iftheotherpartywon’tjointhem,theywillbedestroyedbyNazarick’sfullmighttopreventintelfromleaking.Ifthatwasthecase,Ainzwilldestroythevillageevenifhehadtothrowinalltheforcesfromtheeighthfloor.AinzshookofftheguiltofbetrayingthepromisehemadewithCocytus.Ifitwasforthesakeofsomethingoftheutmostimportance,awhiteliecouldsmooththingsover.“...Alrightthen,nowwewaitfortheshowtostart…andadmireCocytus’combatprowess.”

Fourhourspassedinaflash.

Thelizardmenwarriorswerealreadygatheringinthefrontgateofthevillage—inthewetlandswheretheicewasmelting.Aftertheintensebattleseveraldaysago,therewasn’tmanylizardmenwarriorsleft.Theynumbered316.Lizardmen thatwerenotwarriorswouldnotbe takingpartbecauseShasuryu said“Theenemy is few,havingtoomanypeoplewillonlygetintheway”.Itseemedreasonableatfirst,butitdidn’tholdwater.Zaryusustoodfarfromthelizardmen,watchingthegatheringlizardmenwarriors.Everyone hadwarpaint representing their ancestors on them, their face showedwill as tough as steel.Theyseemedtothinktheywouldn’tlose.Thelizardmenaroundthemcheeredthewarriorson.Inthatgroup,expressionsofuneasecouldbeseenclearly.Tokeeptheanxietyinhisheartfromshowing,Zaryusuworkedhardtoshowapokerfaceinfrontoftheotherlizardmen,keepingthemawayfromthetruthofthisfightbeingasacrificialofferingtotheOverlordofDeath.This was a battle where the Overlord of Death was going to display his might to the lizardmen, tocompletely crush the lizardmen’s will to resist. They had no chance of winning from the very start.Shasuryu’swordsfromearlieractuallyentailedthewishtokeepthesacrificetotheminimum.Zaryusuavertedhiseyesfromthelizardmenandglaredattheenemyterritorywithsharpeyes.Theskeletonarmywasrootedinthesamespot,notmovinganinch.ThefigureofamonsterbythenameofCocytus could not be seen around them. It couldn’t be a skeleton, he is someone theOverlord ofDeath trusted, there is noway he is aminion levelmonster.Hemust be someonewhosewill is soobviouslystrongthatyoucanevenfeelittothetipofyourtailwithjustonelook.ThesoundofalargecreaturemovinginthewetlandscouldbeheardfrombehindtheanxiousZaryusu—“—Hey,Zaryusu.”—Zenberugreetednonchalantlyasusual.Eventhoughtheywereheadingtowardsdeath,Zenberuwashisusualself.“Ourmoraleseemstobeatitspeak.”“Yesitis,itwillbegreatifitkeepsatthislevelinthefaceofthepowerfulenemy,Cocytus…”“Yeah.Oh?It’stime?”Shasuryuappearedatthemaingate,andalleyesfellonhimandthetwowetlandfairiesbesidehim.Cruschwasabsentbecausesheexhaustedallhermanatosummonthewetlandfairies.Afterhavingcastseveral long timedefensivebuffs and summoned the fairies, the intensemana tollmadeher immobile.When the two of them left the room, Crusch already told Zaryusu she will lose consciousness fromoverusingmana,andthatthiswillbethelasttimetheyseeeachother.Zaryusuwhodidn’thavehismatebesideshimcastalonesomegazeinCrusch’sdirection.HerfacewhenshebidfarewellbrokeZaryusu’sheart.“Warriors,advance!”Shasuryu’supliftingcommandraisedthemoraleofthelizardmentonewheight.Hehadtochangehismindsettothatofawarrior.Zaryusugatheredhisthoughts.UndertheleadofShasuryuandthetwowetlandfairies,thelizardmenmarchedforthslowly.Theymovedawayfromthevillagetoavoidcollateraldamagetoit.ZaryusuandZenberuweretherearguard.Zaryusu looked back at the village suddenly. The tatteredmudwalls, theworried group of lizardmenseeingthemoff,and—Zaryususighedandshookhisworriesawayandtooklargestrideforward.Hedidn’tutterthenameofthe

femalelizardmanthatwasrightathislips.Thelizardmentraversedthewetlands,formingupbetweentheenemyskeletonarmyandthevillage.There was no particular formation, the lizardmen simply gathered randomly as they waited for theupcoming battle. The only clear arrangement was that the various tribe chiefs, Zaryusu and the twowetlandfairieswerestandinginfront.The skeletonarmywasprobablywaiting forZaryusuand theothers tocome.The skeletonsbangedontheirshieldsandmarchedforward.Ifthetimingwasevenslightlyoff,itwouldjustsoundlikerandomnoisefromamarchingarmy,buttheirmovementswere in sync and the soundwas as one. In a different setting, this performancewould beworthyofapplauseandpraise.While the sounddrew theattentionof the lizardmen, to the rearof the skeletons—several trees in theforestfell.Therewasonlyonereasonwhythethicklargetreesfell.Someonecutthemdown.Thiscausedacommotionamongthelizardmen.Astheycouldn’tseehowitwasdone,itmightbepossiblethatthiswasahandiworkofseveralbeings.However, the timing between the felling of each tree was too tidy. After seeing the synchronizedmovementoftheskeletons,itmightbepossibleforseveralbeingsworkingtogethertoachievethat,butnotasinglelizardmenthoughtthiswasthecasehere.Astrangepremonitionlingeredintheirhearts,thefeelingthatthiswastheworkofjustonebeing.Thiswasbecausetherewasnosoundofbladecuttingintothetreesbeforetheyfell.Whichmeantthatitmightbeimprobable,butitwasdonebyaverystrongbeinginonestroke.Whatkindofstrengthandweaponcouldcutalargetreeinonestrike?Thethudsoffallingtreestogetherwiththebangingofshieldscameclosertothelizardmen.Anxiousfeelingswelledup.Thiswasexpected,howcouldanyonekeepcalminsuchasituation.EvenZenberuwhohadtheresolvetodie,orZaryusuandShasuryuwereshakeneventhoughtheyhiditwell.Momentslater, theoneopeningapathintheforestrevealeditself.Atthesametime,thebangingoftheshieldsstopped.Intheeerilysilentspace,asmoothbluecircleappearedbeforethem.Ifnotforthethickclouds,therewasnotellinghowbrighthisreflectionwouldbe.Thatlargebodyof250cminheightlookedlikeaninsectstandingontwolegs.Theappearancewaslikethatofanantormantis,ahybridbornofatwisteddevil.Itshardexoskeletonhadafrostyairaboutit,sparklinglikediamonddust.Ithadaspikedtailthatwastwiceitsheightandpowerfuljawsthatlookedpowerfulenoughtochewoffahumanarminonebite.He had four clawed armswith shiny gauntlets gracing each one. A round golden necklace was wornarounditsneckandsilverbanglesadorneditslegs.ThepowerfulbeingonparwiththeOverlordofDeath—madeitsappearance.SothisisCocytus?Zaryusu’sheartracedandhisbreathingbecameragged.Noneof the lizardmenspoke.Theireyesweredrawn to themonster that showed itself,unable to shifttheirgazeaway.Eventhoughtheywereafraid,theyweretooscaredtolookaway.The group backed away unconsciously. Be it the lizardmenwho camewith rousing fighting spirits orZaryusuand theotherswhocameherewith the resolve todie, allof themwere stunned in the faceofdominatingpower.IknowtheOverlordofDeathisholdingback,buttothinkapowerfulbeingthatwantstofightcould

besoterrifying.Evenwithmagicthatcouldsuppressfear,theurgetorunawaystillsprungupfromwithinZaryusu.Itwasamiraclethattheotherlizardmenwhoweren’tprotectedbysuchspelldidnotrunaway.Cocytusdrewnearslowly.Hewalkedintothewetlands,passingtheskeletonswithswagger—Cocytusstoppedaboutthirtymetresbeforethelizardmen,ontopofasmallknoll.Cocytusthenmovedhisinsectlikefaceonhislongneck.Heseemedtobesearchingforsomeone.ZaryusufeltCocytus’gazerestedonhimforabriefmoment.“—Alright,Ainz-samaiswatching,soshowyourmight.Beforethat,「IcePillar」.”With the activationof the spell, twopillars of ice sproutedbetween the lizardmenandCocytus, abouttwentymetersaway.“Thismightberudeforthewarriorswhocamewiththeresolvetodie,butknowthis,onlydeathawaitsallwhocrossbeyondtheseicepillars.”Cocytuscrossedtwoofhisarms,hisbodylanguageseemedtoasignalofhimleavingthedecisionuptothelizardmen.“Heyhey,heisanunexpectedlyaniceguy…”ZaryusunoddedinagreementwhenheheardZenberu’scomment.Hethentookastepforth.Zenberu,Shasuryuandthetwoothertribechiefsfollowed.Shasuryuturnedbackandtoldthewarriorsfollowingthem:“Youlotstayhere…no,gobacktothevillage.Ifnot…youwilldiebecauseofus.”“What?!Wewanttofighttoo!Itisscary…butevenso,wewanttofight!”“Thereisnocowardiceinretreat,livingontakesmorecourage.”“But—”“Notallthelizardmencangoback,that’showitis.Asthetribeleaders,wecan’tallowotherstoconqueruswithoutafight,right?”“Butchief,wealsowanttofight.”“Holdityoungones!Scram,getoutofhere,leavetheresttousoldtimers!”Thelizardmenpushingtheirwayto thefrontwereold,butnotelderlyenoughtobecalledanoldman.Theynumbered57,andtheotherlizardmencouldn’tsayanythingafterseeingtheirfaces.If they showed resolved or resignation, the others would had insisted in going with them. But theirexpressionswerepleadingthem,beggingtheyoungeronestoliveon.Thespeechlesswarriorsreluctantlyfellback.ShasuryuturnedtoCocytusonceagain.“...Apologiesforthewait,Cocytus.”Cocytusextendedoneofhisarm,bendingathinfinger,gesturingatthemtocomeathim.Facingthetauntoftheenemy,Shasuryuyelledatthetopofhisvoice:“Charge—!”“Warrghhhh!”The lizardmen who steeled themselves mentally roared from the bottom of their heart and rushed atCocytus.Cocytuslookedcoldlyatthewarriorscharginghim.“...Iamsorrytodothistoyou,warriors,butletmecutdownyournumbers.”Cocytuswouldn’tloseevenifallthewarriorsreachedhim,buthestillneededtopickhisopponents.Personally,Cocytuswanted to showhis respect as awarrior and fight in a distancewhere the enemycouldstrikeathim.Butheowedadeepdebttohismaster,soitwouldberudetoshowAinzadisgraceful

fightbetweenaNazarick'sGuardianandunrulymobs.Cocytusreleasedhissealedspirit.Theabilityof theclass ‘KnightofNiflheim’—‘FrostAura’.This specialabilityusedextremecold todeal damage and slightly lowered the speed of adversaries. At full power, it would even affect thelizardmenwatchingfromthesidelines.Cocytusdidn’twishforthat.Suppresshispower.Limittherange,lowerthedamage.“Aboutthismuch…”WithCocytusasthecenter,theextremecoldcoveredaradiusof25m.Affectedbytheextremecold,thetemperaturedroppeddrastically,makingtheairshriek.“...Hmmm,thatshoulddo.”Cocytussealedhisspirit.It happened in a flash, the incredible cold was already gone as if it was an illusion. But that wasdefinitelynotadreamoranillusion.Thebodiesofthe57lizardmenonthewetlandswasthebestproof.Onlyfivelizardmencouldstillmove,andtheywerethefivestrongestpeopleamongthelizardmen.Theyweren’tintimidatedbytheircomrades’deathsorCocytus’ability,movingasone.Arockflewthroughtheair.Alizardmaninfullbodyarmorledthechargewithtwolizardmenfollowingbehind.Thewetlandfairiesmovedslowlybehindthetwolizardmenwiththeirbodiesthathadcrackedinthecold.Thelastlizardmanatthebackkeptchantingspells.ThefirststrikewastherockaimedatCocytus’throat.However,thatattackwasmeaninglessbecause—“—TheequipmentonallGuardianscoulddefendagainstprojectiles.”—Aninvisiblebarrierseemedtodeflectedtherock.Theleadinglizardmanfollowednext,wearingoneofthefourtreasurespasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration—WhiteDragonBone.ItwastoughenoughtoblockFrostPainwhichwasalsooneofthefourtreasures,thehardestarmorknowntolizardmen.Cocytuswhowasfacinghimdrewaswordoutofthinair—asifthebladewasalreadythere.ThetaichiCocytusdrew—withthelengthexceeding180cm,wasknownasRoyalBladeGodSlayer.ItwasthesharpestofamongthetwentyoneweaponCocytuspossessed.Hethenslashedatthelizardmanbeforehim.Thebladethatslicedthroughtheairmadetheairhowl—acalmsound.Inadifferentsituation,onemightwanttolistencarefullytothiscleansound.After thatsound, thebodyof the tribalchiefsplit inhalf togetherwith thearmor, falling to the leftandrightintothewetlands.RoyalBladeGodSlayerwasnotdamagedaftercleavingthehardestarmorofthelizardmen.The two lizardmenbehindweren’t fazedby thegruesomedeathof theircomrade,attackingfromeithersidewiththeirweaponsraised.“Shyaa!”OntherightsidewasZenberu’schop,poweredby‘IronNaturalWeapon’and‘IronSkin’.ItwasdirectedatfullpowertowardsCocytus’face.“Warrgghh!”OntheleftsidewasFrostPain,aimedathisabdomen.Thismeleeattacktookadvantageofthelogicoflongweaponsbeinghardtouseinclosequarters.Andofcourse,thatonlyappliedtonormalpeople.Cocytus slightly turned and used his blade to block Zenberu’s arm from the right.Hismovementwassmoothandelegant,asiftheweaponinhishandwasapartofhisbody.

Withtheabilityof‘IronSkin’,Zenberuwasonparwithsteelintermofhardness.ButtheclashwiththearmorearliershowedhowsharpRoyalBladeGodSlayerwas.Thebladeslidintohisarmsmoothlyasifitwasslicingthroughwater.“Ugghhhh!”AsbloodspurtedfromZenberu’srightstump,Cocytus’otherhandwasalreadypinchingFrostPainthatwasaimedathisabdomen.“—Oh,Isee.Thisisanicesword…”“Tch!”ZaryusugaveupontheFrostPainthatcouldn’tbemovedandkickedCocytusinthekneecap.Cocytusdidnotdodgeandtooktheblow.Intheend,itwasZaryusuwholandedtheblowthatsufferedintensepain.Itwasthesamesensationofkickinganironwallwithallyourmight.“「OverMagic:MassCureLightWounds」!”After exhausting a large amount ofmana, it enabled the use of higher tiermagic thatwas not usuallyaccessible—Shasuryucastamasshealingspellboostedbymagicalenhancement.“Fumu…”CocytusseemedintriguedashestaredatShasuryuwhousedaspellmodifierhedidnotknow,butthetwowetland fairies blocked his view. The wetland fairies moved in front of Zenberu, whose arm wasregenerating frommagic, and attacked Cocytus with their tentacles. Before their attacks even landed,Cocytusslashedatthemimpatiently.Asthewetlandfairiescrumbledintodust,Zaryusu’sfistlandedonCocytus’solarplexus,abdomenandchest.Andofcourse,theoneinjuredwasZaryusu.Theskinonhisfistwastornandbleeding.“Annoying.”CocytusswunghisspikedtailhardatZaryusu’schest.“Guuahhh!”Zaryusu flew likeaballhitbyabatwithacracking sound, flyinghighand farbefore rollingonto thewetlands.Hefinallystoppedafterrollingonthewetlands,butthepaininhischestandthebloodspillingfromhisthroatmadeithardtobreathe.Thebrokenbonesprobablypiercedhislungs,hecouldn’tbreatheinevenifhewantedto,feelinglikehewasunderwater.Thewarmliquidspillingfromhisthroatmadehimwanttothrowup.Zaryusulookedathischestandsawbloodbleedingfromhiswoundsthatwasgoredbysharpspikes.—JustonehitturnedZaryusutothispitifulstate.ZaryusutriedtobreathwithallhismightglaredwithspiritedeyesatCocytuswhomightmoveinforthefinishingblow.“Sinceyoustillhavethewilltofight,Iwillreturnthistoyou.”CocytustossedFrostPaintoZaryusu’ssideandignoredhim,turningtofacetheremaininglizardmen.ShasuryucasthealingmagiconZenberuwhohadregeneratedhisarmbutlostalotofstamina.RightbeforeCocytusreachedthem,anotherrockcameflyingathimtodiverthisattention—Butitwasinvainasitwasdeflectedeasily.“—Irritating.”Cocytusmumbledandextendedhisarmatthe‘SmallFang’chief.“「PiercingIcicle」.”Dozensoficiclesasthickasahumanarmraineddowninawideareaattack.Thelizardmanwhowaswithinrangewaspiercedbytheiciclesinstantly.Onehithischest, twohithisabdomen,one inhis right thigh,all the iciclespenetrated the lizardman’sbodyeasily.

Thechiefof‘SmallFang’—thelizardmanwiththebestguerillaabilitiesfelldeadintothewetlandslikeapuppetwithoutstrings.“Waarrghhh!”“「OverMagic:MassCureLightWounds」!”ZenberurushedforthasShasuryuonceagaincasthealingmagic.ZenberuwasbuyingtimeforZaryusutorecover.HeknewthatthiswasrashandhowinsignificanthewasbeforethemightofCocytus.Evenso,Zenberudidnothesitatechargingahead.WhenZenberugotwithinrange,CocytusslashedwithRoyalBladeGodSlayercasually.ThatslashwasfasterthanZenberu’sdynamicvision—ThespeedwaswayfasterthanZenberu’sagility—TheswordeasilycutZenberu’sbody—Bloodgushed from thebodyof thedecapitatedZenberu andhe collapsedonto thewetlands.Momentslater,theheadfellontotheground.“...Wellthen,twoleft…IheardaboutyourstrengthfromAinz-sama,soyoutworeallyaretheonestomakeittotheveryend.”Cocytus,whohadnotmoveda single stepsince thebattle, lookedat the remainingduoandswunghisblade.Whitesmogseemedtocomeoutfromthebladeandthebloodandgoreonitweregonewithoutatrace.Themovementwassogracefulitseemedcapableofriddingtheworldofeverything.ZaryusuwhohadrecoveredenoughtostandupandShasuryuwhodrewthelargeswordonhisback.ThetwoofthemfacedCocytuswithapincerformation.Zaryusutooksomebloodthatwasbleedingfromhiswoundandpaintitonhisface.Itlookedlikewarpaintthatwasusedtosummontheancestorstodescenduponthem.“—Littlebrother,how’syourwounds?”“Notgood,myinjuriesarethumpingdully.Icanstillswingmyswordafewtimesthough.”“Isthatso…Thatshoulddoright?Actually,mymanaisexhausted,IwillcollapseifIamnotcareful.”Shasuryugrindedhisteeth,hewasprobablylaughing.Zaryusu’sexpressionchangedwhenheheardthat.“...Isthatso.Youarepushingyourselftoo,olderbrother.”Zaryusuexhaledgentlywithasmileandrelaxedhisshoulder.Hisswordbearingarmdroopeddown.Anintensepainhithiminthechest,butZaryusutriedhisbesttoignoreit.Don’tevergiveuphopeuntiltheverylastmoment—Zaryusuwillkeepwieldinghissword.Fromtheverybeginning,heknewtherewasnochanceofwinning.Defeatwasinevitable,buthecouldn’tjustgiveup.Giving up would mean conning countless lizardmen of their lives, lying to them that they would bevictorious.Sincetherewerelizardmenwhobelievedthisliar,hewillnotacceptdefeat.Givinghisalltiltheverylastmoment—“Icanstillswingmysword!”Zaryusu’sroarechoedoutloud.ThesoundofCocytus’teethprotrudingoutofhismouthclankingshutcouldbeheard.“Aniceroar—”Cocytuswasprobablylaughing.Thatwasn’tthesoundofthepowerfullookingdownontheweak,butthatofawarrioracknowledginghisequal.“Verywell,youngerbrother.Let’sfighttiltheveryend.”Shasuryulaughedtoo.“Okay…Myapologiesforkeepingyouwaiting,MrCocytus.”

CocytusmerelyshruggedinresponsetoShasuryu’swords.“Don’tworry.Interruptingthelastfarewellsoftwobrotherswouldbeveryrude.Preparetodie…Ah,itlookslikeyoualreadydid,didn’tyou?”InthefaceofZaryusuandShasuryuwhotookastepforth,Cocytusswunghisbladeandsaid:“Stateyournames.”“ShasuryuShasha.”“ZaryusuShasha.”“...Iwillrememberthem,rememberyoutwowarriors.Ialsohavetoapologize,Iwouldnormallyfightwithaweaponineachhand…Iamnotdemeaningyou,butyouarenotstrongenoughformetodoso.”“Suchapity.”“Absolutelyright—Let’sgo!”ThetwosprintedatCocytus,splashingthewatersinthewetlands.Theslightdifferenceintheduo'stimingmadeCocytuspuzzled.Theywon’t enter his attack range at the same time, Shasuryuwas faster. Suspecting the enemy had aschemeinmind,Cocytuswaitedeagerlyfortheirattack.ThefirsttogetintorangewasShasuryuandCocytuskeptacloseeyeonhim,wonderingwhathewilldo.ShasuryustoppedrightoutsidetheattackrangeofCocytussword—“「EarthBind」!”—Hecastaspell.Numerous chainsmade frommud flewatCocytus andZaryusuused this chance to charge.Tomake itharderforhisenemytogaugehisattackrange,ZaryusuhidFrostPainbehindhisback.ShasuryuannouncingthathehadexhaustedhismanahadbeenjustatricktodeceiveCocytus.Ifhefellforit,Cocytusmightget constrainedby themagical chains andbehit byZaryusuwhowasattacking frombehind.Nomatter how hard Cocytus’ exoskeletonwas, Zaryusu should be able to break through by throwingeverythinghehadbehindastabbingattack.Zaryusuwhoabandonedalldefencesinfavorofoffensewilldefinitelyyieldapowerfulattack.Heseemsveryconfidentwithhissword.Cocytusemphatisedwithhim.Justlikehim,Cocytusboreintensefeelingsforhisweapons,especiallythebladeinhishandrightnow—Hefeltverystronglyforthisweaponthatwasusedbyhiscreatorinthepast.That’swhyCocytuswasusingRoyalBladeGodSlayerdespitethedisparityinfightingprowessasashowofhisgreatestrespect.However,theymisjudgedonething.TheiropponentrightnowwastheGuardianofNazarick’sfifthfloor.“...Thespellcastbythosewithalevellowerthanminewon’tbreakthroughmydefence.”ThemudchainbouncedoffbeforeitcouldphysicallytouchCocytus,fallingbackintothewetlandslikeslabsofmud.Lowtiermagiccouldn’tpenetrateCocytus’magicdefence.“—「IcyBurst」!”Witharoarthatcamefrombehindhisback,Cocytuswascoveredbyawhitefogaroundhim.Futileeffort.Cocytus,whowascompletelyimmunetofrostattacks,simplyembracedthegentlefreezingbreezeashewaitedforZaryusuandShasuryutogetintorange.Onebreathlater,themomenthewaswaitingforcame.ButCocytushesitatedslightly,wonderingifcuttingofftheirheadswasenoughtostopthem.When facing Zaryusuwho had abandoned his defense, decapitating himmight not halt his attack. TheimageofaheadlessbodycharginghimappearedinCocytus’mind.Ifthatwasthecase,hewilltakeout

thearms,thenthehead.No,thatisnotacleanenoughkill,Iwillfinishhiminonestrike.Zaryusu’srecklesschargewastooslowforCocytus.Thevaguelyvisibleblackfigure—TheswordswungoutbyZaryusu,waspinchedbyCocytus’ fingerslikehedidearlier.Cocytusdidnotfeelanyfrostfromhisfingers,ZaryusuprobablyknewitwasuselessagainstCocytusanddidn’tactivatethisability.TheunexpectedlyquickassaultwasblockedsoeasilybyCocytus,whichmadeCocytusdoubtful.Butthedoubtsonlylingeredforaninstant,hecouldfinishoffhisfoewithaswingofhisblade,therewasnoneedtothinkfurther.Andthen,thereisonlyonemoreleft.Soitwasjustarecklessassault...Cocytuswhofeltdisappointedwasabouttoswinghisswordwhenhechangedhismind.Isee.“Warrghhh!”Witharoaragiantswordcleavedthroughtheicysmog.Shasuryuslashedthroughthefogstronglyenoughtodisperseit.Beitthe‘EarthBind’,Zaryusu’sattackor‘IcyBurst’,allthesewerejustbaits.CocytusneededtobewaryofthestabbingattackfromFrostPain,but thethreatofShasuryu’scleavingswordwasgreater.Thismustbethetrueintentionoftheenemy,but—“Ifyouwanttoperformasneakattack—youhavetodoitsilently.”Iftheycouldn’tcovertheirfootstepswhilerunninginwater,itwasnotreallyasneakattack.Cocytuswaspuzzled,wasallof thisworth thedamage they tookfromthe‘IcyBurst’?Orare they juststruggling invain?Butitwasafactthatanenemywasinhisattackrange.Zaryusu'sonlyweaponwasimmobile,renderinghimhelpless.ThiswasjustchangingtheorderinwhichCocytuswouldkillthem.Aftercomingtothisconclusion,Cocytuswieldedthebladeinhishand.Oneslash.Shasuryu’sswordbrokeintwo.BeforeShasuryu’sbodyevenhittheground,Cocytuswithdrewhisblade,planningtofollowthroughtheattackintoZaryusu—Atthismoment,Cocytus’fingerspinchingZaryusu’sswordslipped.ThesurprisedCocytuscheckedhisfingers,wonderingwhytheswordthathepinchedwasslidingforth.Inthemistyfog,Cocytuscouldseethathisfingersandtheswordwerecoveredinaredliquid.Inaninstant,Cocytusunderstoodwhyhisfingersslipped.—Blood?Confusion.CocytustriedtothinkbackwhereZaryusu'sswordcouldhavebeenstained,andunderstoodafterseeingZaryusu’sfacethroughthefog.ThebloodZaryususmearedonhisfacewasn’twarpaint.Itwasusedtosmearhissword.‘IcyBurst’wasn’tmeanttodamageCocytusorhideShasuryu’swhereabouts,itwastohidethebloodonthesword.Thatwasthereasonhehadhiddentheswordbehindhisbacktoo.WhenCocytusstoppedZaryusu’sattackthefirsttime,heusedhisfingerstopinchit.Zaryusurememberedthatandbetontheslimchanceitwillhappenagain,settingupthisscenariowithallhiswits.AsurgeofelectricityseemedtojumpthroughCocytus’brain.Itwasbackthen!Nowondertheattackfeltsoweak!Thatwasthereason!Theschemeofusingblood

toslipthroughwon’tworkeverytime.Sohewasmisleadingme,makingmefeelitwaseasytopinchit,soheheldback!Theswordslidinslowly,closinginonCocytus’palebluebody.EvenCocytuscouldn’tstoptheswordwithZaryusu’sbodyweightandmightbehinditwithjusttwowetfingers.Iftheplacehepincheditwasslightlyfurtheraway,Cocytusmighthavebeenabletodosomething,butatthisdistance,therewasnothinghecoulddo.Cocytuswassomovedthatheshivered.Itneededabitofluck,butitwasabetthatneededeverysingleroundtobewon.Mostimportantly—thiswasnotpossiblewithoutShasuryu.Shasuryuprobablydidn’tknowwhatZaryusu’splanwas,buttheolderbrothertrustedhisyoungerbrothercompletelyandsacrificedhimself.Themeaninglesssneakattackandroarwasallinthehopeofdivertinganinstantofattentionawayfromhisyoungerbrother.Anditwasreallyjustaninstant.Inthatbriefmomentintime—asZaryusuwassqueezingFrostPainforthwithallhismight—thelowerjawofCocytusmoved.“Amazing—”TheswordslashingatCocytus—wasdeflectedeasily.Thebodywithafaintblueglowdidnotevenhaveascratchonit.ThiswastheresultofthepowerdifferencebetweenthehighestlevelNPCinNazarickandthelizardmen.“— Sorry to say, I possess special ability to temporarily nullify the attack of low tier weapons. If Iactivatethisability,yourattackswillbemeaningless.”Itwas a splendid strike, evenCocytus felt itwasworthy of leaving amark on his body as a sign ofrespecttothiswarrior.However,hecouldn’tdothisasaGuardianfightingbeforetheSupremeBeing.Cocytusintentionallytookhalfastepback,splashingthemudwhichsoiledhisbeautifulbluebody.Itwasjustatinystepback.A step back didn’tmean anything, evenmoving backwon’t affect anything. Zaryusuwas doomed andCocytuswoulddefinitelyprevail.But this step back was the show of praise from the dominatingly strong Cocytus towards the weakZaryusu.Zaryusu resigned to his fate, and had a clear smile only those who had done their best could show.CocytusslashedtheRoyalBladeGodSlayertowardshim—“Asplendidbattle.”AinzpraisedCocytuswhokneltbeforehim.“Thankyou.”“Thatmightbeso,butIbelieveyouunderstandclearlythatweareshowingthemthewhipnow,butyouneedtoshowthemthecandyfromnowon.Donotstartareignofterror.”“Iunderstand.”AinznoddedandlookedattheotherGuardiansintheroom.“Verywell.Guardians, listenwell. Ialreadysaid in the throneroomthat the lizardmenvillagewillberuledbyCocytus.IfthereisanythingCocytusneeds,dolendhimyoursupport.Cocytus,Ihopeyoucanengraveloyalty towardsNazarickdeepinto theheartsof the lizardmen…Andtoprovide themwithaneliteeducation…Ileaveallthesetoyou…Letmeknowifyouneedspecialitemslike‘HeavenFeather’.Iwillalsoloansome‘PowerSuits’toyouinthemeantime.”InthegameYGGDRASIL,itwaspossibletochangeracemidway,butitdidn’tmeanyoucouldswitchasyouwish.Youneededtofulfilseveralconditionsandthechangewouldbeirreversible.

Oneoftheconditionswasaspecificitem.Forexample,youwouldneedthe‘BookoftheDead’tobealich.Toturnintoanimprequired‘FallenSeeds’.Andthe‘Heaven’sFeather’thatAinzmentionedwasarequireditemtobecomeanangel.Changingone’sracemightbepossibleinthisworld,that’swhyAinzcouldn’thelpsharinghisideas.“Iwill seekyouradvicewhen the timecomes,Ainz-sama.MayIaskhowyouplan todealwith thoselizardmen?”“Whichlizardman?”“Yes,thetwolizardmennamedZaryusuandShasuryu.”Thetwowhofoughttiltheveryend.Theircorpsesshouldstillbeinthewetlands.Butwhatofit?“Isee.Collect theircorpses, Iwilluse theirbodiesasmaterialwhenIcreateundeadwithmyspecialability.”“—Thatwouldbeapity.”“Hmmm,whatdoyoumean?Dotheyhavesuchvalue?”WhenAinzwatchedthebattlethroughtheMirrorofRemoteViewing,hesawthatCocytuswasabsolutelydominating,therewasn’tanythingelseofnote.“...Theywereweak,butIcouldseetheirwarriorspiritandfearlessresolveinthefaceofthestrong.Itisapity touse themasmaterials. I think theycouldbecomeevenstronger,maybeunbelievablyso.Ainz-sama shouldn’thavedoneexperiments related to resurrecting thedeadyet, howabout testing it outonthem?”…Doeshelikethoselizardmen?Tobefrank,Ainzdidn’tknowwhat to feelwhenheheard the termwarriorspirit.Hecameacross thetermkillingintentinnovelsandmangas,butdidn’tthinkmuchofit.ItwasjustlikethetimewhenAinzhadwarnedNarberal about these things, and she had said “Ah, yes, I see, oh~”, that kind of feeling.Similarly,theresonanceamongwarriorswassomethingAinzdidn’tunderstand.Thiswas becauseAinzmight look like this now, but hewas originally just a normal salaryman. If anormalcitizenborninJapanunderstoodwarriorspirit,thatwouldbedangerous.Ifitwasthespiritofanexcellentsalaryman,hemightcomprehendalittle.“Isee…itisawasteindeed.”ButwhatAinzwasactuallythinkingbaffledlywas:Evenifyousayitisapity,Idon’tunderstand.Butthinkingitthroughcalmly,Cocytushadapoint.He was thinking about performing resurrection experiments somewhere, and Ainz felt using them toexperimenthadmanybenefits.AndcomparedtotheblatteringCocytusinthethroneroom,henowcouldprovideclearandconciseproposals.Ifthiswasasignofimprovement,Cocytushadpassedwithflyingcolours.Afterthinkingaboutitshortly,Ainzrememberedhehadexcellentsubordinates.Herecalledthesubordinatesstandingaroundhimsilentlyinamannerbefittingaservant.“Albedo,tellmeyouropinions.”“MythoughtsarethesameasAinz-sama.”“...Demiurge,whatdoyouthink?”“IthinkAinz-samaisthemostcorrect.”“......Shalltear,andyou?”“IthinkthesameasDemiurgeandawaitAinz-sama’sjudgement.”“.........Aura”“Yes,Ithinkthesamewayaseveryonetoo.”“............Mare.”

“Erm,ermerm,yes,Ithinkthesametoo.”Theiranswerwasasgoodasnotansweringatall,givingAinzaheadache.After thinking it through,Ainz came to a conclusion—Maybe from the standpoint of aGuardian, theydidn’tthinktherewasanymajorissue.Whichalsomeanttherewouldn'tbemajorimpactnomatterwhatdecisionhemade.ThatwasalsodependentonthecircumstancesoftheGuardian.Theremightbeproblemsiftheirsituationchanges.Simplyput,whenasmallgroupofpeoplesayahundredmillionisasmallamountofmoney,therewillbetheproblemofhowtrustworthythatstatementwas.Thiswasthedifferenceintheperceptionofvalues.Awasteofbreath…well,Icouldthinkofitasbeingfineinresurrectingthemright?Iwasplanningtodeliberateoveritmore,Ihavemadetoomanymistakesrecently.Withnootherchoice,Ainzhadtoweightheprosandconsfromhisownstandpoint.“...Wehaddecidedtoruleoverthelizardmen,butdotheyhaveasuitablerepresentative?Oragroupthatcouldrepresentthem?”“No,buttheydohaveasuitablerepresentative.”“Oh?Whoisit?”“The white lizardman that didn’t took part in the battle earlier. She seemed to possess the power ofdruids.”“Oh,thatone!Hmm,thatcouldwork…”Ifitwasher,shecouldbeofuse—Ainzthought.Hecouldusehertospyonthings.However,implementingtheideaAinzhadinmindmightmakeCocytuswhowillberulingthelizardmenfeeltroubled.Sowhatshouldhedo?Ainzsuddenlyhadamomentofbrilliance.…Wouldn’titbefastertojustask?AlthoughIdidn’tgetanyusefulanswersjustnow...AinzsharedhisplanswithCocytus,andCocytusexpressedhisacknowledgement.Itwas hard to judgewhetherCocytus said that to accommodate hismaster, butDemiurge andAlbedodidn’thavestrangereactionseitherwhenheglanceatthem.ThismadeAinzrelaxedandassuredhimthatitshouldn’tbeaproblem.“Verygood.Howlongwillyouneedtobringherhere?”“Pardonmyimpudence,IthoughtAinz-samawillaskforher,soIorderedhertowaitinaroomnearby.”Ainzcouldn’thelplookingatDemiurgeandsawhimshakinghishead.Awesome,hehandleditwell,withoutanyinstructionsanditdidn’tseemtobesomeoneelse’sidea.Thismust be how a superior feelswhen he sees his subordinatemature as he had hoped for, Ainzthoughtwithafaceofsatisfaction.Buthisheadwasaskullsoitdidn’treallymoved.“Nono,welldoneCocytus.Wastingtimeisfoolish,yourjudgementisonpoint.Alright then,bringherover.”“Erm,pleasewait!”“Whatisit,Aura?”“I don’t think a shabby place like this is good enough. Even though we are hosting people who aresubmittingtous, it istoorundownforAinz-sama’sstatus.IfeelthatthemeetingshouldbedoneinthethroneroomofNazarick.”AlltheotherGuardiansexceptMarenoddedgentlyinagreement.“...Myapologies.Imissoutonthispoint,pleaseforgiveme!”“Ahhh…”Ainzneverthoughtaboutthat.Hethenthoughtabouthowtoreact.Suddenly,herememberedsomething.Inthatcase—

“—Aura.”“Yes!”“I told you that this place you built— the place filledwith your feelings and emotions, is as good asNazarickright?Ireallymeanit.Cocytus,bringherin.Iwillholdtheaudiencehere.”“Ai-,Ainz-sama!”“Aura,backdown.”“Albedo!”Auraprotestedwithherfacered,saying“Whyareyoustoppingme?”However,AlbedomerelyglanceatAura before ignoring her fixing her sight at the door. The one answering the emotional Aura wasDemiurge.“...AnythingAinz-samasaysisthelaw.SinceAinz-samasaidthisplaceisasgoodasNazarick—““—Itmustbetrue.”Shalltearcontinued.Idon’tthinkmywordsareironcladlaws.AlthoughIdon’twanttobethoughtoflikethat…butjustthisonetime,itisabighelp.“Aura,Iwillsaythisagain.Asmymosttrustedsubordinates—oneoftheGuardians,thisplaceyouputinsomuchefforttobuildisonthesamelevelasNazarick.Itistrueevennowwhenconstructionworksareongoing…Doyouunderstand?”“...Ainz-sama,thankyouverymuch.”AuradeeplyloweredherheadandtheotherGuardiansdidthesame.Thereisnoneed…tobesoemotional…Thisisembarrassing.“Wellthen,usherherin,Cocytus.”“Yes!”Inashortmoment,Cocytusbroughtapurewhitelizardmanintotheroom.ThelizardmankneltbeforeAinzandloweredherfacetotheground.“Stateyourname.”“Yes,SupremeOverlordofDeath—AinzOoalGown.Iamtherepresentativeofthelizardmen,CruschLulu.”Whatanincredibletitle.Hewascuriousas towhocameupwiththis title,butAinzactedlikeacalmkingandsaid.“...Hmmm,wellmet.”“Yes.Gown-sama,pleaseaccepttheoathoffealtyfromus,thelizardmen.”“Hmmm…”AinzwatchedCruschclosely.Thescaleswerepretty.Theyshonebrightlyundertheilluminationofthemagicallight.IwonderhowtheywouldfeellikeifIweretotouchthem.,Ainzwasacademicallycurious.Ashestaredclosely,herealizedCrusch’sshouldersweretrembling.Cocytusshouldhavedeactivatedhisfreezeauraability,soitmustbeduetosomeotherreason.Ainzponderedshortlyandfoundtheanswer,itwasobvious.IfshemadeAinzunhappy,allthelizardmenwouldbemassacred.Thatwaswhyshewassocarefulinherspeech. For Crusch who was under such crushing pressure, Ainz unnatural silence planted a seed ofterror.Ainzdidn’thave thehobbyof takingpleasure inbullying theweak. If itwas for thegoodof theGreatTombofNazarick,hewaswillingtodoanythingnomatterhowcruelitwas,buthewon’tperformsuchdestructiveactionsneedlessly.

“The lizardmen will be under my rule. However, Cocytus will be the one ruling in my place. Anyobjections?”“—None.”“Thatisall.Youmayleave.”“Eh?Isthatall?”Crusch said in a surprised voicewhile she remained bowing. Like a personwhowas entrustedwithunreasonablerequestwhomightgoinsaneatanymoment.“Fornow.CruschLulu.Yourlizardmenwillbeusheringaneraofprosperitynow.Futuregenerationsoflizardmenwillbethankfulforbeingmysubjects.”“Wedarenot,wearealreadythankfultotheSupremeBeingforgrantingusmercyevenafterweresistedwithviolence.”Ainzgotupfromthe throneslowly.Hewalked toCrusch’sside, squatteddownandplacehishandonCrusch’sshoulder.AinzcouldfeelatremorcomingfromCrusch’sbody.“Ihaveaspecialtaskforyou.”“AsGown-sama’sfaithfulservant,IwilldoanythingIcan…”“Notasaservant,Iwantyoutodosomethingforme—inexchangeforZaryusu’sresurrection.”AfterspeakingthenameheheardfromCocytus,Cruschliftedherheadimmediately,herfacetwistedfromshock.Gleefulfromthis‘jackpot’,AinzcontinuedobservingCrusch.Shewasprobablytryingtohideit,butherexpressionwaswavering.Itwashardtojudgeasheremotionsasherfacialexpressionwasverydifferentfromhumans,butitshouldshedsomeclue.“Somethinglikethat…”“Iamtheonewhocontrolslifeanddeath.Tome,deathisbutastateofbeing.”WhenheheardCrusch’svoicethatwastaperingoff,Ainzanswered.“Itisthesameforpoisonandsickness,butIcan’textendthelifespanofmortals.”It might be impossible through normal means, but with the Super-tier magic ‘Wish upon a Star’, itprobablycouldbedone…Althoughitmightbepossible,itwasbetternottosounditoutloud.“...Whatdoyouwishofme,yourhumbleslave?...Mybody?”Ainzwasspeechless.“No,that’sabit…”Areptilewasabittoomuch.Ainzwantedtobackawayimmediately,buthepushedhimselftoplayhisrole.Asforthesoundofteethgrindingthatcamefromsomewhere,hewouldjustignoreitfornow.“Coughcough!No.It’ssimple,Iwantyoutokeepaclosewatchonwhetherthereare‘lizardmenthinkingofrebelling’.”“Therearenosuchlizardmen.”AinzlaughedatCrusch’sconfidentreply.“Iamnotdumbenoughtoassumethat.Iamnotfamiliarwithhowlizardmenthink,butusingtheraceofhumansasexample,betrayaliscommon.ThatiswhyIwantanagentontheinsidetowatchoverthings.”Cruschturnedexpressionlessagain,makingAinzpanicontheinside,wonderingwhetherthedealwasafailure.TherewasabackupplannotinvolvingtheresurrectionofZaryusu,butdoingsohadthegoalofbindingCruschwithgratitude.Whatshouldhedoifsherejectshimhere?I shouldn’t be too greedy and go for broke… Thatmust be what theymean by no use crying overspilledmilk.“...Beforeyouliesthechanceforamiracle.Butthischancewon’tbehereforever.Ifyoudon’tgrabit

immediately,itwillbegoneforever.”Withashiver,Crusch’sexpressionmovedlikeacramp.“Iamnotgoingtouseirritatingrituals.Resurrectionspellsexist inthisworldright?That iswhatIamgoingtouse.”“Thatisthelegendary…”FacingCruschwhoswallowedherwordsback,Ainzadoptedanarrogantattitudeandgentlysaid.“Crusch.Whatisthemostimportantthingforyou?Iwantyoutoconsider.”AsAinzobserveCrusch’seyesstartingtowaver,heseemedtobeseeingtheillusionofscoringaclientinabusinessmeeting.Next,AinzhadtoletCruschunderstandthismiraclewasnotafreeservice.Providingfreeservicewillmake others suspicious, but they will be more receptive of it with a request for adequate amount ofmoney.“Ijustneedyoutowatchyourfellowlizardmeninthedark.Dependingonthecircumstances,youmightneedtomakehardchoices.Topreventabetrayal,IwillcastaspecialmagicontheresurrectedZaryusu.If I think you have betrayed me, I will end him immediately. It must be troubling for you, but theresurrectionofZaryusuisnotsomethingyoucangetinafairdeal,right?”Actually,thereisnosuchmagic.Ainzactedasifhehadsaideverythingandstoodupslowly.Hethenopenedhisarms.AinzlookedatthestrugglingCrusch.“Oh, right, tell the resurrected Zaryusu this inmy place. I revived him because he is of use tome. Ipromisenot tomentionyourname.So,CruschLulu.Choosenow.This is thelastchanceforyoutogetyourbelovedZaryusuback.Whatsayyou?Yes?Orno?Choose.”AinzreachedahandouttoCruschslowly.Atthesametime,hesaidtotheGuardians.“Donotdoanythingevenifsherejects—Alright,readytoanswernow?CruschLulu?”

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Epilogue

Zaryusufeltagentlesensationcoveringhisentirebody.Ahandwhichwanted topullhimout fromtheabyss,butZaryusubrusheditaside.HefeltsomethingdisgustingfromthetouchofthathandAfteraperiodoftimebetweenaninstantandeternity,hefeltthehandstretchouttowardshimonceagain.Justashewasabouttobrushitasideforasecondtime,hehesitated.Listeningclosely,hecouldhearavoice coming from that side.As it turned out, this rude awakeningwas the voice of the female he sodeeplyloved.Hesitation.Hesitation.Stillhesitation.In this worldwhere it was uncertain if time existed at all, Zaryusu kept on hesitating. Eventually, heseizedthehanddespitebeingveryreluctanttodoso.Andhewasthenpulledintoaworldofclear.Fatiguepermeatedthroughhisentirebody.Asifhisinsideshadturnedintopaste.Thenhefeltabnormallytired.Hehadneverfeltthistiredevenafteroverexertinghimselfphysically.Zaryusustruggledtoopenhisheavyeyelids.Blindinglightenteredhiseyes.Althoughlizardmeneyeswouldautomaticallyadjusttolightintensity, it

couldnotdosoinstantaneously.Zaryusublinkedhiseyes—“Zaryusu!”Someonewashugginghimtight.“C-Crusch?”Thereshouldbenowayhewouldeverhearthisagain,thisfemale’svoice.Zaryusufinallyadjustedhiseyes,andsawthefemalethatwashugginghim.Thatwasindeedhisbelovedfemale,CruschLulu.Why?Whatwasgoingon?Afloodofquestionsanduneaserushed towardsZaryusu.His lastmemorywas—themomenthisheadhaddroppedintothewetlands.HehadmostdefinitelybeenkilledbyCocytus.Thenwhywashestillalive?Unless—“—WasCruschkilledtoo?”“Eh?”Zaryusuopenedhismouthtoask,yethismouthseemednumb,unabletomoveproperly.What gave him his answer was the look of very confused expression on Crusch’s face. Seeing thatexpression, Zaryusu was a little relieved, knowing that Crusch was not dead. Then why was he stillalive?Ahintwasgiventohimbyavoicetohisside.“Well. There is some confusion after resurrection. It seems his level also dropped… thus it can bedeterminedthatthereisnotmuchdifferencefromYGGDRASIL.”Realizingwhowasspeakingtohim,Zaryusulookedwithsurpriseatthatdirection.Theonewhostoodtherewasthekingofdeath;themagiccasterwhopossessedincomprehensiblepower.Inhishandheheldaglowingshortstickofaboutthirtycentimetresinlength,itemittedasacredaurathatappeared out of place in the hand of theOverlord of death. Itwas an extremely beautiful itemwhichseemedtobemadeoutofivory,withthefrontendcoatedingoldandthehandleinscribedwithrunes.AlthoughZaryusudidnotknow,itwasaresurrectionwand,theitemwhichrevivedZaryusu.Onlyfaithbasedmagic caster could use items imbuedwith faith basedmagic.However, thismagic itemwas anexceptiontothisfaithbasedsystemandcouldbeused.Zaryususlowlyturnedhisgaze,andrecognisedthisplaceasthelizardmanvillage.As if theywere intending to surround the entire place, all the lizardmenwere prostrating. Evenmoreshocking was that they were motionless— that posture was one of worship towards an extremelypowerfulbeing.“Whatishappening…”Afterwitnessingsuchpower,prostratingwasonlynatural.However,thesurroundinglizardmenwerenotjustshowingrespect,butsomethingmore.Lizardmendidnothavegods.Strictlyspeaking,theirobjectsoffaithweretheirancestralspirits.Thefeelinggivenoffrightnowbythesurroundinglizardmenwaslikethatofareverencetowardsagod.“Hm.Stepdown,lizardmen.Withoutinstructions,nobodyispermittedtoenterthevillage.”Nobodyobjectedtothesewords.Morethanthat,itwasacceptedwithoutasoundbeingmade.Theonlysoundswhichwere heardwere of bodies getting up and the splashes bywalking along thewetlands.Leavingthembehind,thelizardmendepartedfromtheclearing.Seeing as he was so powerful that he had such a degree of strength, their wills should have beencompletelydefeated.Thelizardmencultureofsubmittingtothestrongplayedapartaswell.Thismeantthateverythingwasdevelopingaccordingtotheotherside’sscript.“Aura,areallofthemgone?”

“Yes,theyare.”Theonewhorepliedwasthedarkelfgirl.Althoughtherewasalsothefactorthatshehadbeenbehindhim,outofsightallalong,thegirlsurprisinglygaveoffnopresence,thereforeZaryusuhadnotdetectedheratall.“Isee.Thenfirst,afewwordsforyou,ZaryusuShasha.Congratulationsonyourresurrection.”Resurrection.Untilheregisteredthemeaningofthisword,Zaryusurequiredalittletime.Thenafterheunderstoodit,healsofeltashudderthroughouthisbody.Resurrection—whichmeantthathewasaliveagain.Hewasspeechlessandcouldonlygasp.“Whatisit?Dolizardmenhavesomeparticularaversiontoresurrection?Orhaveyouforgottenhowtospeak?”“Glug,glug…cough…y-youcanresurrectthedead…?”“Thatistrue.What,youthoughtsomethingofthisdegreecouldn’tbedone?”“Didyouhold…abigceremony?”“Bigceremony?Whatisthat?Ihavenoproblemsdoingitbymyselfeasily.”Hearing this,Zaryusuwas completely lost forwords.According to legends, resurrectionmagicwas apoweronlylizardmenofdragonkinglineagepossessed.Andhedidsoallbyhimself.Monster?No.Anincrediblypowerfulmagiccaster?No.Zaryusuunderstoodthiscompletely.Leadingamythicalarmy,commandingdemons.Whichmeant,this—theexistenceinfrontofhimwasonewhocouldrivalthegods.Zaryusu staggered up, and prostrate in front of Ainz. Crusch also frantically knelt down in the samefashion.“SupremeOne.”Hethoughttheeyeslookingdownathimseemedalittle troubled,butZaryusudecidedthathewasjustmistaken.“Ipledgemylifetoyou.”“Verywell.Whatdoyouwishfor?IwillgrantittoyouinthenameofAinzOoalGown.”“Pleasegrantprosperitytothelizardmen.”“Thatisonlynatural,ofcourseIwillguaranteetheprosperityofallthosewhocomeundermydominion.”“Mygratitude.”“Good.Isyourspeechstillnotclear?Restforabitandyouwillgetusedtoit.Restfornow.Afterwardstherearevarious thingswhichwillhave tobedealtwith.The first thingwouldbe thedefenceof thisvillagethatisundermydominion…forthedetails,discussitwithCocytus.”Ainzleftafterhefinishedsayingthis.However,beforethat, therewassomethingwhichZaryusuhadtodo,andhadtodorightnow.“Pleasewait.WhataboutZenberuandolderbrother?”“Theircorpsesshouldbearoundthearea”Ainz,whowasjustaboutplanningtoleavewithAura,stoppedcasuallygesturedwithhisjawintotheoutsideofthevillage.“Canyoupleaserevivethem?”“...Hmm…Idon’tseeanybenefitindoingso.”

“Thenwhyme?Zenberuandolderbrotherareverypowerful.Theywilldefinitelybeuseful.”AinzscrutinisedZaryusu,thenshruggedhisshoulders.“Iwillconsiderit…preservethetwocorpseswell.Iwillconsideritlater.”After speaking,Ainzdustedhis robeashe left.Auracouldbeheardsayingas shewalkedbyhis sidespoke“Thathydraissocutene~”,andhervoicefadedintothedistanceandeventuallydisappeared.Zaryusufinallystoppedcollapsingandrelaxed.“Imadeitthroughalive…orrather,Irevived…”Hedidnotknowwhatkindofrulewouldawaittheminthefuture.Howeversincelizardmen’susefulnessleftanimpression,itshouldn’tbetoobad.“Crusch,olderbrother—”“Nevermindaboutthat.Worryaboutitlater.Fornowjustrestwellandclearyourfatigue.Itwillbefine,Icancarryyou.”“Ah…thankyou.”Zaryusuclosedhiseyesandlieddown.Justlikeinthosedayswherehehadoverworkedhisbody,hewaseagertorest,andfellasleeponcehiseyeswereclosed.OnceagainZaryusufeltthetouchofgentlehandsstrokinghisbodybackandforthashisconsciousnessslippedbackintothedarkness.