Overlord (Light Novel) Chapter 40

Chapter 7: Attack Preparations

Part 1

As Brain entered the house and walked towards the room which Gazef had lent him, he heard the sound of footsteps heading in his direction. Someone must have heard him coming in.

“Well, you're back late, Unglaus. Did you go anywhere?”

“If you don't mind, how about talking over dinner?”

“That's a great idea. Where shall we eat?”

“Are you going to have the servants make something? Or don't tell me, you're going to cook yourself, Stronoff?”

“No, I can't cook at all.”

“However, everything my servants make is pretty bland, probably because they're getting on in years. In my line of work, I'd like to eat things with strong flavours… but they just don't seem to get it.”

Gazef did not protest this, merely frowned and replied: “Indeed.”

“Is that so. That's very kind of you. Thanks.”

“Can you cook then, Unglaus?”

“Well, it's nothing much, but I can throw together simple dishes. After all, it'd be pretty hard to get by if I couldn't cook on my own while training.”

It seemed large enough to hold a baby, and a fragrance wafted out from inside, stimulating the nose and belly.

After setting several dishes on the table, they raised glasses filled with wine and clinked them together. There was no special occasion for the toast. They simply glugged the wine down in silence.

After about two mouthfuls, Brain put the glass down. He coughed and said in an earnest tone:

“Same here. Or rather, I should say I haven't eaten at home in a while.”

“There's a lot for the Warrior-Captain to do.”

“Yes. It's what I do for the most part.”

The nobles must hate commoners like this.

An imposing social barrier still separated noble from commoner, though this practice had largely vanished in the nearby Empire.

In the past, he had honed his sword skills to defeat Gazef, and he had selfishly thought that “the next time we meet will be a battle to the death”. Yet the two of them were now friends who could share a drink.

They clinked their glasses together. Perhaps the wine was starting to get to them, but they used a bit too much force and the wine spilled out, soaking the table.

“Don't you think the wine'll make it taste better?”

“Brain. Call me Brain.”

“Got it, Gazef.”

Gazef brought up all manner of topics, and Brain soon found himself in unfamiliar territory. As they were getting into it, Gazef nonchalantly asked:

He asked that question carefully, as though afraid of reopening old wounds. His penetrating gaze did not appear to be testing the truth of his words. He seemed genuinely worried about hurting Brain's feelings.

Gazef froze at Brain's unbidden thanks. Perhaps that face of his was amusing, but Brain's own expression softened a little. Then, he straightened himself up and said:

“A monster? Some kind of magical beast, maybe?”

Brain sensed that Gazef's eyes had slightly widened.

Those words were accompanied by a savage smile. Brain knew well what that smile meant.

Brain had once felt that way about Gazef. Gazef had probably wanted to fight Brain as well, to re-experience that pitched exciting battle from back then—

Brain described the Vampire's appearance, but Gazef replied that he had never heard of her before. Then he took a mouthful of wine. Brain had a sip himself, and then described their battle — no, of how she had trampled him underfoot.

There was no doubt in Gazef's eyes after he had heard the whole thing.

“…The world's a big place, after all. It wouldn't be strange if such a monster did exist. When you look back at history, there were things like the Demon Gods and the Dragon Lords. Still… I don't think I could beat such a powerful monster either.”

“Shouldn't you be comforting me and saying 'no, it's alright' or something?” Gazef mock-complained.

“Gazef. You have to protect the royal family as the Kingdom's Warrior-Captain. Don't challenge her even if you see her. You can't waste your life like that.”

What time could he buy? Gazef would be helpless before her unless she wanted to play.

“She's called Shalltear. Shalltear Bloodfallen.”

“Right, I got it. However, you'd best tell me again once I recover from the wine, just to be safe. I'll learn as much as I can about her too.”

“If we know a storm is coming, shouldn't we try to do something about it? Can't just leave things be. Besides, we might be able to come up with something if we can pick enough brains.”

“I'm not too close to him, but I know an adamantite-ranked adventurer. He ought to be able to come up with something useful… anyway, what do you plan to do in the future, Brain?”

His eyes unconsciously drifted to his beloved「Katana」beside the table.

Ultimately, that was all it was. No matter how much he tried, he would never be able to beat that monster. His dream of becoming the greatest swordsman was in ruins. He had indeed wasted his life.

It was just a childish dream…

He had been born in a farming village, and while he had forgotten much about agriculture, the knowledge still lingered in the recesses of his mind. The only other thing he knew besides that was swordsmanship. Put in a nicer way, he had lived a very focused life.

Brain did not think it was a bad idea. He might not be able to beat that monster called Shalltear, but he considered himself quite capable in terms of human-scale ability. However—

“Well, I don't bow and scrape that much…”

“Climb? That hoarse-voiced kid?”

“Where did you meet Climb? I thought he was the Princess' bodyguard, so he shouldn't have had many chances to leave her side…”

“Training on the streets, huh… well, he just doesn't have talent. I don't think he'll get any stronger than he is now. All he can do now is train his body and improve his physical attributes. Was he doing that? If not, I might have to guide him a little.”

The look on Gazef's face seemed to say “are you kidding me”.

Rather than quibble about such a trifling difference, Brain felt that Climb's strong will — which had withstood the murderous intent of the mighty Sebas — was truly worthy of praise.

Brain did not say anything about Gazef's confused expression. Instead, he roughly explained the day's events; in other words, the raid on the Eight Fingers brothel.

“You can abandon me if you think it'll cause problems. I mean, when you think about it, having someone like me who goes in and out of your house is going to cause you trouble if I'm at odds with the underworld, don't you think?”

“Are Eight Fingers so bad for the Kingdom?”

“You're out of luck, then?”

“Can't you have the King issue a royal decree or something?”

As the air hung heavily over the table, the two of them drank their wine in silence and reached for the food.

Lower Fire Month (9th Month) 4th Day 07:14

After putting down their weighty luggage, the group rotated their shoulders. Renner looked kindly upon them, and their team leader, Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, asked her:

Renner had hardly any power, but she still had her responsibilities as the princess.

“Aha.”

“Lakyus. Once you're ready, I'd like to ask you to take care of that matter as soon as possible.”

She had not removed her face-concealing mask even in the Royal Palace. She had not been censured for such suspicious dress because she was an adamantite-ranked adventurer, the elite of humanity, and also because her team leader Lakyus was a member of the peerage.

Renner described the brothel raid from last night.

Charging into the brothel and saving people from their hellish confines was not Climb's doing. He had merely borrowed the strength of the two men who had gone in with him. Frankly speaking, Climb had done nothing worthy of praise.

“Not bad, cherry boy.”

“…'Undying King' Davernoc. 'Void Cutter' Peysilian. 'Bloody Scimitar' Edstrom. 'Thousand Kills' Malmvist. 'Illusion Devil' Succulent. And then their leader, 'Battle Demon' Zero.”

“Davernoc is undead. Peysilian is said to be able to cut down even distant foes. Edstrom can skilfully use special magic weapons. Malmvist is a fencer with a poisoned blade, adept at lunges. Succulent has already been apprehended. And Zero is a brawler who excels in empty-handed combat. Each of them is equivalent to an adamantite-ranked adventurer.”

“Amazing work, Climb. Still, it was great good fortune that you met Brain Unglaus and fought by his side,”

“The fact that he could take out Succulent in one hit proves that Unglaus — the man who fought the Kingdom's strongest warrior (Gazef Stronoff) to a standstill — is the real deal. That said, I'm more interested in that old butler which even he couldn't beat.”

“…Hm, Climb. Did he not tell you because he was wary of you, or did you not ask because you knew you should not have asked… which is it?”

“Both of them, Evileye-sama. Perhaps he might have told me if I had asked him. However, Sebas-sama volunteered his help despite the fact that I was the one who involved him in this, and I did not want to learn anything which might cause him difficulty.”

“Yup.”

“I have no idea why I've never heard of such an amazing person before…”

“Alright, let's leave this aside for a moment. If not for him, we would not have found the accurate location of the brothel and we would not have captured the head of the Slave Trafficking Division (Cocco Doll). Both Climb and we are indebted to him.”

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“Yes, Evileye-san. I was hoping to attack several points at once by today and take them all down in one fell swoop. They will gain the advantage and we will lose it the more time we take.”

Only Blue Rose would be participating in this operation. They had insisted on taking the targets one after the other due to this lack of manpower.

One of the founding principles of the Adventurer's Guild was to defend humanity against external threats. Thus, there was an unwritten rule in the guild that they would never involve themselves in disputes between humans. Otherwise the Adventurer's Guilds of various countries would not be able to step over national borders and help each other.

As a result, there were some adventurers who engaged in illegal activities, becoming part of a group known as Workers. However, there were rumors that the Guild would employ their own private assassins to go after those who violated the rules with malice aforethought.

“Same with borrowing house troops from the nobles. We can't ask them for help when we don't know who's in bed with Eight Fingers.”

“Practically speaking, yes. In the end, there's not much we can do because we don't know exactly know how far our opponents can reach. Still, if we do nothing but investigate because of that, the Kingdom will fall apart one day. We can't adequately remedy the problem when we've got cries for help from all sides.”

The Empire's interference only compounded the turmoil within the Kingdom as corruption continued to eat into the government. Climb narrowed his eyes, as though he had glimpsed the sun from behind her back; after all, his mistress insisted on fighting on despite the dire circumstances. Once more, Climb realized that she was the only one capable of ruling the Kingdom and granting happiness to the masses, and his loyalty to her was further strengthened.

However, Renner's lovely voice filtered into his ears and dispersed his anger, and he once more committed himself to listening to their conversation.

“You know of trustworthy nobles, Princess?”

“Oh, and who is that, Renner? I don't doubt your judgement, but there's no point in them being reliable if they can't do anything for us. There's also no guarantee that he'll be able to muster up enough troops from his domain either.

“I can understand that.”

“Climb, please go call Marquis Raeven over. He was present at the latest meeting, so he ought to still be within the Royal Capital.”

Indeed. Marquis Raeven matched all their criteria for the man they needed… his trustworthiness aside.

However, Climb promptly rejected that notion.

However, the members of Blue Rose seemed displeased, in contrast to Climb.

“They say Raeven's a bat.”

“I don't want him to leak intelligence about us, Princess.”

“…That's enough, all of you! Ahhh, Renner, Marquis Raeven didn't exactly leave a good impression on me. Is he really trustworthy?”

Eh?! Everyone present was surprised, and they had confused looks on their faces. However, someone hit on a possibility and asked:

“We did that before some assassinations. Spread news about assassins coming from somewhere to divert the attention of the security personnel.”

“That's not it, Tinsan and Tisan. I believe that some people won't help Eight Fingers even if they do take their money, right? You could say I lost my bet if it turns out he was more active behind my back than I thought, but… Climb. Go get Marquis Raeven. He should be willing to meet me once you tell him about the destruction of the brothel and the capture of the head slaver.”

“Should we talk about capturing the head of the slave trade? Your servant believes that it might be better to keep it a secret for the time being.”

Renner shook her head at Climb's opinion.

No wonder. Climb nodded and then bowed respectfully.

“Please do, Climb. Now, since this will take some time, shall we have tea?”

Lower Fire Month (9th Month) 4th Day 09:37

As a nobleman, he had a fixed schedule to keep, which largely consisted of meeting with other nobles. It would be one thing if the King summoned him for an audience, but Renner was just a powerless princess, after all. She would be lower on Raeven's list of priorities.

One of them was, of course, Marquis Raeven.

His stand-up collar completely concealed his narrow neck. This was top-class apparel, which was undeniably suited to him. He was the very picture of a member of the Kingdom's Six Great Nobles.

When Renner saw him, she exclaimed in surprise:

“Yo. If it isn't my sister from a different mother. You look well… oh, and if it isn't the Alvein heiress and the renowned Blue Rose. How wonderful. To think we'd run into so many adamantite-ranked adventurers here.”

Lakyus curtsied to him, and Zanack replied by way of a grand wave of his hand.

“I have come in response to Renner-denka's summons.”

Renner rose from her own seat as she saw her elder brother — one with higher status than herself — make his entrance.

His smile was very sinister, and it made people think he was quite creepy. Yet for some reason, it seemed perfectly suited to him. It did not displease others who looked upon him.

“I understand, onii-sama. Lakyus, Climb, I'm sorry, but could you please go next door?”

With that clipped reply, Lakyus indicated that her colleagues should get their things. They were probably going to gear up in the next room to avoid wasting time.

“Please, have a seat over here.”

“Sure, sis.”

“I am honored that your Highness would personally pour a cup of tea for me.”

“Oi oi oi, where's mine?”

“Ah, but do you not dislike tea, onii-sama?”

“Then I shall have the maid fetch something. Will fruit juice do?”

“I doubt the maids will have time to report to their families if we make our move by today.”

Renner smiled, then poured a cup of tea and placed it before Zanack.

“What do you mean?”

With that, Zanack took a swig of tea.

“Still, your Highness. What matter is there which needs to be discussed so early? That said, your servant will rush to your side at any time. You have but to give the word”

♦ ♦ ♦

Marquis Raeven's narrow eyes parted slightly, full of surprise. However, he recovered almost instantly and hid his consternation.

“I think you will do fine. After all, I doubt anyone is your equal in affairs of the court, Marquis Raeven.”

Princess Renner had hardly ever participated in political power struggles. So what did she mean by “affairs of the court”?

“And what would you have your servant tell you?”

“…What?”

Still, his reaction was understandable. Any other noble might laugh it off, but this was a truth which had been hidden until now.

The Kingdom would have fallen apart long ago without someone like Raeven around.

He had already sensed that Renner, with her unimaginable intellect, was a fiend in human form. Yet, she was like a prisoner in the Royal Palace, without eyes or hands to see or work her will. How had she grasped the truth under these circumstances? Nobody else in the Kingdom knew the answer besides Zanack.

Renner seemed to think further explanation was in order. She ignored Marquis Raeven's shocked expression and calmly continued:

“What-what did you say…”

Zanack murmured hoarsely, but Raeven's eyes shot wide open and he shouted.

“You knew, right? After all, is that not why you tried to keep the good Marquis from learning too much?”

They looked at the beautiful girl, who calmly said, “Am I wrong?”

Marquis Raeven was so overcome that he forgot to address her as ”Your Highness”

Only Zanack and Marquis Raeven knew that Marquis Blumrush, a Great Noble of the Royal Faction, had betrayed the kingdom. They had kept quiet about his treason to keep the balance between the factions from breaking down.

Zanack only knew about this because Marquis Raeven had told him. Then how had this caged songbird discovered it? As Zanack imagined it, he felt himself break out in goosebumps.

“Oh, I just listened to what everyone was saying. And I do talk with the maids from time to time.”

An unbelievable idea filled Marquis Raeven's mind.

Therefore—

He quietly intoned the word that most suited the woman known as Renner.

Renner should have heard that loud and clear, but all she did was smile, without rebuking Marquis Raeven for his rudeness. He abandoned the line of thought he had been following until just now.

She deserved his honesty. And his recollections of the past were correct.

“—Your servant understands. Then, I seek to bare my heart to you. Do you object, my Prince?”

“However, before that, your servant wishes to address the real Renner-denka. Is that permissible?”

“A long time ago, your servant once saw a girl. With incredible insight, that girl spoke words of invaluable wisdom. However, your servant took a long time before he understood the meaning and value of those words.”

“…She was a girl whose words taxed the understanding of others. When your servant saw this girl, who was viewed as incomprehensible by others, for a fleeting moment, your servant saw a dangerous individual.”

“Yes. Your servant had merely glimpsed a fraction of it and had thus written it off as a baseless worry. However, what your servant thought at the time was: 'those are a pair of hollow eyes which do not care about the world and hold everything in contempt.'”

“However, when your servant saw that girl again, she had the aura of a child about her. At that time, your servant believed that he had been mistaken… therefore, your Highness. I was wondering if you could show me that cleverly concealed true nature of yours.”

And then, Renner's eyes lost their shine.

“Ah, as I thought, it was actually…”

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It would seem those guesses had been off the mark.

“As I expected, Renner-denka. Your Highness' eyes are just like the ones I recall from my memory. Were you merely pretending ever since then?”

“…Does Your Highness perhaps refer to your soldier, the man Climb…?”

Oh. To think that that boy could actually change Your Highness… your servant thought of him as nothing but a — a child… what does he mean to Your Highness, if I might ask?”

Renner's gaze trailed off, staring into the air. She was thinking about what words she could use to describe his value to her.

Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself.

If there was only one word to summarize her entire being, that would be “Golden”. That word derived from her blinding beauty. However, very few people knew that she possessed a talent that far outstripped even her good looks.

Her talents lay in thinking, insight, observation, innovation, understanding and the like. All her mental faculties were abnormally well-developed — in other words, she was a genius.

Her talent could only be described as a gift from the heavens. Her deductions might seem to have come from flashes of inspiration, but the truth was that they were pieced together from countless scattered fragments of information, gathered by her extraordinary powers of observation.

If one were pressed to find an equal for her, then one would have to look beyond the human race. However, very few entities were on her level, even among these superhuman beings.

Human beings often considered matters from their own perspectives. From that point of view, one could say that “strange” or “wondrous” people were merely labels applied by plebeians.

That said, she had a flaw. She could not understand why she could understand these things, but others could not. Perhaps someone on her level might have been able to appreciate how gifted she truly was. If that were the case, the outcome would probably have been different.

In the end, when a little girl spoke of things that baffled those who heard them, the reaction to her was fear. Renner was very cute as a child and so she was not hated. Instead, she was cherished, to a certain extent. However, the fact that nobody could understand what she said had an extreme effect on her mental development. The girl's heart began to warp as time went by.

Trapped in an environment where there was nobody else like her, the stress she had to bear grew and grew. For a time, she could not keep anything down; she threw up whatever she ate.

If not for that puppy of hers, that prediction might well have come true. Even if she had somehow endured it, what returned might well have been a Demon Queen. She would have made decisions through cold, mathematical logic, making the few suffer for the sake of the many.

At that time, it had only been a passing fancy. She had gone out with her guards on a rainy day to lift her spirits, and then the girl had encountered a dying puppy.

What a weighty gaze, she had thought.

She was used to others looking at her like an oddity, and she was used to people looking at her with adoration. However, she could not understand the look in the puppy's eyes. In those sincere eyes, she saw revulsion, surprise, delight, emotion, and — a human being.

The puppy which the girl had picked up became a boy, and then a man.

However, it no longer bothered her.

And now, Renner's world was complete so long as Climb was in it.

The air in the room froze. Even Marquis Raeven was shocked, to say nothing of Zanack, Renner's half-brother.

If only she had been bothered by her deviant passions. What she said flew in the face of all common sense.

“Really, onii-sama? I do not think I have done anything abnormal.”

“Indeed. It'll be quite hard to fulfil that dream while maintaining the facade of a proper princess… and there's no point in forcing him to look at me. I want to chain him down and take care of him like a dog, while he looks at me with those eyes of his…”

“Like a dog… does that mean you do not love him, Your Highness?”

“Of course I love him. I like the way he looks at me. And I love how he clings to me like a puppy.”

“I think love can take many forms.”

“I do not need you to understand me. All you need to know is that I like him, and that I love him.”

They had sensed something twisted about her mind, but they had not expected her to be this warped.

They had heard that the Princess had fallen in love with a common soldier, and had expected that it might blow up into a matter of national importance. Yet, what they had heard was far more ridiculous than they had expected.

“It is not a fetish. It is simply love.”

“Very well, love it is, then… right. Although under the present circumstances, the union of Your Highness with Climb… -kakka is a little—”

“Indeed, onii-sama. If our eldest brother took the throne, my marriage would be the first thing he would push through. I believe they've already discussed the matter beforehand. After all, there's a noble who looks at me like his personal possession every time we meet.”

“Still, when you think about it, it's not likely that I can be with Climb, no…? Even if he received a title, he'd be a Baron at best. And even if he somehow received a higher title, there's no way they'd let a princess marry someone beneath her station like him.”

Zanack smiled thinly. He was certain that this was the best move he could make.

“I accept.”

“There is no reason for me to refuse. After all, that bet has the highest probability of success. When you came to my room with Marquis Raeven, I had thought of asking you the same thing myself.”

Zanack smiled bitterly by way of reply, but his heart was in a different state from his face. While he had guessed that his little sister was smarter than him, he had not expected to have been so completely outclassed by her.

He cursed his sister in his heart: you monster.

“What does Your Highness command?”

“Indeed I do. My child is five this year. Is something the matter?”

“Please wed your son to me.”

“Please, please forgive me, Your Highnesses! Your servant was momentarily confused, and…”

“Your Highness, forgive my intrusion, but could you tell your servant the reason for that?”

“Oi, oi, sis. You were the one who brought it up—”

“I have no interest in domains or the succession. All I require is a stipend for my trueborn child. I will not make a claim upon your family estate.”

“…Even Father will not be able to easily reject a proposal like this from a loyal vassal like Marquis Raeven. The Marquisate will gain the royal bloodline and you can be with the man you love. And I will have you as a collaborator. Nobody loses out, and any betrayal means we all go down together… ah, it's quite a perfect plan. Still, you shouldn't be talking about this sort of thing in front of me…”

“Ara, I merely wanted to be sure you were on my side, onii-sama. Besides, I doubt you'd want to know after the fact, am I wrong?”

Zanack did not answer. This was because Renner was correct. In addition, he could not possibly refuse a proposal like this which had so thoroughly ensnared each other's weaknesses. She might have a screw loose, but someone as excellent as herself was an indispensable talent for the future of the Kingdom.

“Indeed. It is as Climb has told you. Thus, I wish to press the attack before Eight Fingers retreats back into the shadows. I have learned about the activities of Eight Fingers within the Royal Capital, and I wish to attack these locations by today. The only problem is a lack of manpower. I called upon you, Marquis Raeven, because I wished to borrow your strength.”

“And which locations will you be attacking?”

“And this information has been verified?'

It was not a problem of extraterritoriality yet, but charging into a noble's domain was essentially challenging the noble in question.

“Even if we don't find it, we just have to search harder. At least we'll know where they'll go to dispose of documents that are troublesome to themselves.”

“Then, sister. I have a question; or rather, an important suggestion.”

“Actually, our elder brother has been taking money from one of Eight Fingers' divisions. We were hoping to use this to oust him from the succession, so we were checking to see if that division had headquarters in the Royal Capital. Now, we have received confirmation that this division does have a base here. I was thinking of adding it to the list of targets.”

“The drugs division.”

“What… I see. Marquis Raeven, can you move right away?”

“What is it, Marquis?”

Some powerful adventurers could take on an entire army by themselves.

The most reliable explanation was that under extreme circumstances, the body — some might say the brain — would become abnormally active and trigger a super-recovery phenomenon, causing one's physical parameters to increase non-stop. Other explanations included some form of blessing, evolution through the absorption of mana, and so on. However, what they all had in common was that the physical, mental and magical attributes of the body would increase rapidly.

If the enemy had personnel like that, regular soldiers would be useless against them.

Raeven's answer to Zanack's question was a shake of the head.

“Adamantite-ranked…”

“Then I'll ask Lakyus to have Blue Rose split up and take action, with each of them taking a single location. It should work if any one place does not have two or more members of Eight Fingers in it.

“I'd like to take them all out at once, but that would be difficult. What a shame; eliminating them all in one stroke would be the best outcome.”

“It angers me that we'll have to let three targets go, but there's nothing we can do about it.”

“That ought to be the best solution. Your Highness, mobilizing troops in the Royal Capital will be problematic. How should we handle that?”

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

The maids should have gone to answer the door, but today they were not around. Therefore, it was Raeven who made to stand up, but Renner tugged on his hand to stop him before walking without hesitation to the door and opening it.

“We have someone who might be able to help us with attacking the sixth location.”

Part 3

Climb held a black object in his hand. This wobbly black object would have been perfectly spherical, but it was so soft that it was deformed, as though it had been squashed.

The sphere splashed open, staining Climb's pure-white armor with black spots. After seeing this, people would assume that the sphere Climb had just been holding was filled with some sort of black dye. However, that was not all.

The sphere Climb had just splattered on himself was a magic item known as a Magic Dye. Apparently, higher-grade dyes could resist acid, fire, ice and other kinds of elemental damage, but the only thing this particular dye could do was change color.

Lakyus had gathered the leaders of the various teams and Climb stood before her as well.

First was the magic sword known to all — the Demonic Sword Kilineyram. It was the size of a bastard sword, but nobody could see its dark blade — which reminded onlookers of the night sky — since it was sheathed. However, the hilt alone spoke of its exquisite craftsmanship. Of particular note was the huge navy blue sapphire on the pommel, in whose depths flickered a flame-like brilliance.

In contrast to her shining armor, the cape on her back was made of some sort of cotton cloth which resembled the gray of a mouse's pelt. This was the Cloak of Rat Speed, which improved its wearer's movement speed, dexterity and evasive abilities. It was a deceptively powerful magic item.

Unlike Climb, Lakyus was conspicuously dressed because she probably intended to settle the matter with her own magic.

There were the members of Blue Rose, and Gazef Stronoff.

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Lakyus explained the details of the operation, which was to attack and capture eight installations run by Eight Fingers.

That was all.

Climb's body trembled.

Climb was much weaker than the other team leaders, but he had been chosen to lead a team anyway because he was stronger than an average soldier, and the sponsor for this operation had recommended him.

How could he back out when everyone had bent over backward to accommodate him?

Blue Rose, Marquis Raeven, Gazef Stronodd, and Prince Zanack, who was in charge of firefighting during a civil disturbance. None of these people were connected to Renner. It was precisely because of that reason that Climb — Renner's bodyguard — had been chosen as a team leader, to show that Renner was deeply involved in this operation.

Climb had no idea of their reasons. Even so, his heart gushed with courage as he resolved himself to complete this great task, in order to let more people know of Renner's contributions to the nation.

“Everything set?”

“The team's ready, we're just waiting for the word. Also, this is the path we'll be taking. That guy picked it.”

There stood one of the former orichalcum-ranked adventurers. He had been assigned to Climb's team. The man seemed to have noticed Climb looking his way and waved to him. In turn Climb nodded to the somewhat aged man. Perhaps he should not have done so, being the team leader and all, but it was a natural gesture for Climb, given that his strength was nowhere near enough to qualify as a team leader.

As they were talking, a hulking person approached them and called out to Climb:

Could you please not call me by that name, Climb thought as he sensed a change in his teammates' eyes.

“What's the matter, Gagaran-sama?”

The breastplate of her reddish-black spiked full plate armor was inscribed with eye-like patterns. This was the famous suit of armor known as [Gaze Bane].

The long, massive spiked war pick at her waist was called Full Iron. The luxurious crimson cape she wore, — reminiscent of royal garb — was called the Crimson Guardian. Below her armor was a Vest of Resistance, a Dragontooth Amulet and a Belt of Greater Power. In addition, she wore WInged Boots and a Twister Circlet, while the rings she wore also possessed powerful magic.

She possessed this many jaw-dropping pieces of equipment because she was an adamantite-ranked adventurer. Much like her, Evileye, Tia and her sister Tina were outfitted with similarly potent magic items.

So she was worried about me…

Just as Climb began weeping inside, Gagaran turned a keen gaze upon Brain, who was standing by his side Climb's side.

“So you're Blue Rose's warrior, Gagaran. I see… incredible. You're definitely worthy of being an adamantite-ranked adventurer team's warrior. In that case, do I pass?”

“She came to see if I was a warrior worthy of taking care of you, Climb-kun.”

“As if… What happens to you doesn't really matter to me. I just felt that it would be a shame for you to die a virgin, so I thought that if we had the time, maybe I could break you in. Still, now that I know that you didn't beat 'Illusion Devil' by chance. You really are an incredible warrior. Even without crossing blades, I can tell that it'll be easy with you around.”

“Oh, aren't we careful. I don't mind men like that. While you're not a cherry, how about a quick tumble?”

Climb did not ask which part of him would get squashed.

Gagaran waved farewell and then strode off. As Brain watched her leave, he quietly said, “I didn't expect her to be so nice, given the way she looks.”

“A masked magic caster, huh…That's right, Gazef said he met a guy called Ainz Ooal Gown who was also like that. Could it be that wearing masks is a trend among magic casters… hm? Looks like they're moving out.”

Both of them looked forward, at the teams which were heading out before the others.

Naturally, she was not there. She ought to be moving with Prince Zanack now. He knew she was working hard, so was it selfishness on his part for feeling lonely without the chance to see her?

“…Yes! Let's go,” Climb told his team.

Part 4

“To think we could put together such a team… I must give thanks to Ainz-sama.”

Shalltear and Mare had been dispatched from the Floor Guardians, led by Demiurge. The forms of Entoma and Solution of the Pleiades battle maids were also visible. Then, there were many of Demiurge's high-level vassals — the Evil Lords. This was a staggering amount of fighting power. One could consider it overkill.

“Mm — and they are under my command, in accordance with Ainz-sama's wishes. Sebas, do you object?

“Then I hope you will not misunderstand me. Ainz-sama commanded us to rescue the human (Tsuare) but the fact is that we have assembled these people for a higher purpose — namely, to slaughter the foolish members of Eight Fingers who dared spit upon the faces of the Supreme Beings. Is that clear?”

“Indeed. However, I do not believe she will be able to endure a resurrection spell, so I approve of your suggestion to rescue her while she is still alive.”

“That said, dealing with her if she is dead is a legitimate question. In addition, if I were the enemy, I would surely toss the head of my hostage at anyone stupid enough to walk to their deaths.

“I am forced to admit the rightness of your words. The thought of immobilizing would-be rescuers and then having them watch as I tortured their hostage… ah, what a moving sight it would be.”

Sebas hid his irritation below his smile as he asked his question. Needless to say, Demiurge's perceptive gaze had probably seen through Sebas' false smile, so it was nothing more than going through the motions.

Demiurge smiled thinly, and there was a penetrating gleam within his faceted eyes.

“That does seem quite fun. Let us try that next time, if we have the chance.”

Demiurge and Shalltear both laughed at this.

“As expected of you, Demiurge. You can afford such arrogance because of your absolute certainty that the opposition will not escape.”

“Demiurge, you said you were going to slaughter the Eight Fingers. Does that mean you have information on them?”

“Ohh,” Sebas breathed in awe. On this point, Sebas' respect for him was genuine.

“Then there's the matter of the location — there's quite a few of them, so we'll just have to attack them all. Of course, we need to capture people from several locations who might possess intelligence, and then we must let Eight Fingers understand the full extent of their idiocy—”

“—In order to mete out the appropriate punishment to those who abused the person which Ainz-sama pledged his protection — and in his own glorious name, no less — we must have them tell us everything they know. Everyone, are there any objections?”

“They will pay with their bodies for disrespecting Ainz-sama.”

Thus did the two Floor Guardians and the butler of Nazarick answer Demiurge.

“Very good. Then, Sebas. Could you tell me where the opposition has summoned you? I wish to see if that location is listed in the information I was given.”

“How fortunate. Or perhaps I should be sad that there is one fewer place to assault. The address of the location you have is a perfect match for a point I have scouted. Then I shall hand that area to you.”

“Ainz-sama wishes for us to save that human… Solution. I had thought to keep you as a mobile asset thanks to your exceptional sensory abilities, but would you be willing to assist Sebas?”

“And then there are the other humans in that building, the ones who kidnapped Tsuare…”

“Don't worry, Demiurge. I will slaughter them all.”

Sebas noted that Demiurge had an expression on his face which was difficult to describe in words. At the same time, he mused that he probably had a similar look on his own face.

That said, not going along with Demiurge for this matter would be like spitting upon his great master's kindness. Sebas silently apologized to his master and then bowed to Demiurge.

“…I did not take it to heart, Sebas. In any event… once you rescue Tsuare, you will swiftly evacuate her to the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. Will that be acceptable?”

“It's fine. We've already made preparations in that area~”

“I trust that there are no other problems, then? I do not think so. Then, I shall divide us into seven groups, and then decide which of the locations we will assault. Naturally, Sebas and Solution have already been allocated. And Shalltear, I need to remind you of one thing!”

“W-what is it, Demiurge.”

“It, it's fine! As long as the Spuit Lance drains them dry, it's much less likely to trigger.”

“Understood. Then I shall prepare to move out.”

After Sebas left the room, Demiurge turned to the people who remained:

“Understood.”

“You are absolutely forbidden from killing this person. Minor damage is fine, but it is fundamentally prohibited. I hope you all remember. This goes double fory you, Shalltear.”

Shalltear pouted as Demiurge needled her, while Mare smiled bitterly.

“Don't worry. Given his personality, he won't harm people out of hand… although, just in case, could you help me stop him in case something unusual comes up?”

Demiurge nodded in satisfaction.

Since his master had said “I will turn the matter over to you”, failure was no longer an option.

Of course, their master had not displayed his displeasure at these mistakes, and the matter of Cocytus seemed to be proceeding as their master had planned, but relying on their master's kindness was most definitely not the right attitude to have.

What value did foolish subordinates who could not satisfy their master possess?

Even someone like Demiurge felt his body run cold with fear as he contemplated that possibility.

With an iron will in his heart, Demiurge surveyed everyone in the room.

“Er, ah, I asked a question just now, but can I ask again?”

“Al-alright. I, I remember that Sebas-san does not have a World-Class Item like we do. Is that alright?”

“Then… what about myself?”

“I got it! I! Got! It!”

A Shadow Demon appeared out of Demiurge's shadow and whispered a report to him.

This matter was quite troublesome for Demiurge, but he could not leave matters at that.

“Al-alright. Er, ah, please leave it to me.”

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“Well answered. Then, we shall discuss the details later. While everyone is here, I will begin explaining the plan for Stage Two — Gehenna. This is the most important part of our operations in the Royal Capital, so I hope you will pay close attention.”

Chapter end