Chapter 221 ~ Visitors
<span style="font-weight:400">“General Enri! We’ve got a visitor!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hm?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Enri snapped out of her daze and instantly returned to attention, overlooking the vigers in the field.
<span style="font-weight:400">The familiar voices of Peter, Lukrut, and Brita rang through the fields, shouting their instructions to the vigers swinging mithril swords and shooting arrows out of seemingly ornamental bows.
<span style="font-weight:400">A full te mail of steel armor stronger than any metal, even mithril, leather armors made of the hide of mythical beasts, and various other simr equipment adorned the bodies of the vigers.
<span style="font-weight:400">No, no longer vigers, but militias.
<span style="font-weight:400">Having suffered through and barely surviving the tragedy thanks to Ainz and Zero, Carne had adopted the method of conscriptions to build up sufficient defenses when tragedy of simr scales were to descend upon them in the future.
<span style="font-weight:400">All healthy, able-bodied male adults from every single household, which may exclude one who will continue their family business andbor work, must undergobat training and serve as militia for a time. Females were also weed and were taught basicbat, self defense, and archery.
<span style="font-weight:400">Every single viger assented to the proposal put forth by Enri, who received the idea from their savior, Zero, himself.
<span style="font-weight:400">And now, they were all training diligently, adorning the new gears and weapons of unimaginable worth and power loaned to them by Nazarick, which would be repaid in gold, wheat, crops, or wares of equal value, with minimal interest and long years.
<span style="font-weight:400">To Enri and the vigers, they were nothing less than armaments of the Gods, granted to them to defend themselves and prevent such tragedy to befall them once again. Yet another grace and kindness given to them by their saviors. And for the more pragmatic, an investment that showed their trust in them.
<span style="font-weight:400">But nevertheless, the trash items Nazarick had granted the vige of Carne still sparked fervorous determination to improve themselves and protect their loved ones and homes themselves this time.
<span style="font-weight:400">They were still getting used to it, including members of the Swords of Darkness who had decided to settle down in the vige and became Enri’s confidant and also received their own special sets of equipment from Nazarick.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘I must’ve been more tired than I thought…’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">The meeting with the cksmiths, carpenters, weavers, hunters, and farmersst night took longer than expected and went deep into the night.
<span style="font-weight:400">Although it was productive and things were progressing smoothly, thanks to the keen insights of Ainz’s delegates who often came to give advice and their help, ack of sleep was often unavoidable for Enri, who had now be the head of the vige.
<span style="font-weight:400">Enri quickly shook her head and turned towards Jugem, the goblin warrior summoned from the “Horn of the Goblin General” given to her by Ainz.
<span style="font-weight:400">And Enri’s eyes widened when she saw the figure to his side.
<span style="font-weight:400">“A delegate from Lord Ainz has arrived, mydy.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ah, of course! Wee! I’m sorry for not weing you myself.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I-It’s fine. U-Uhm, I-I’m Mare. I came under the orders of Ainz-sama to help you with farming.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The beautiful little boy clutched the wooden staff in his hand, fidgeting shyly. His legs were bowed and was slightly slouched as he looked up towards Enri.
<span style="font-weight:400">At first, Enri was shocked to learn that Mare, who looked very much like a beautiful young elven girl, was actually a man, given his attire. But, she quickly get used to it, not questioning her nor anyone her savior sent forth.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see. Thank you very much! Then, pleasee this way. We can go to the farm immediately. We’ve just finished harvesting a few days ago, so this would be the best time if we were to try to do something new!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“U-Uhn!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Enri led Mare to the farnd just outside the wooden vige walls and exined to her what they were doing in the meantime.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see… Uhm, t-the way you’re doing it is… Q-Quite inefficient… It will take too long for the soil to recover their nutrients… and they’ll eventually dry up…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Enri nodded, acknowledging his words as concern colored her face. In fact, what Mare had said was exactly one of the biggest concerns the farmers had brought up inst night’s meeting.
<span style="font-weight:400">They’ve noticed that the wheat had been bing harder to grow and the quality had also decreased over the years.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mm, our farmers had also said the same thing… What do you think we should do, Mare-sama?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I-I will plow thend and revitalize it for now… T-Then, you should do what is called “Crop Rotation”... You can use these seeds to try it…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Mare then brought out several pouches of various different seeds and a parchment with written and drawn instructions on how to perform rotational farming and began exining.
<span style="font-weight:400">And Enri, though a bit confused, still nodded nheless.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see… Well, I might not understand it fully, but if that’s what Ainz-sama says would be better, then he must be right…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“T-That’s right! Everything he says is always correct!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Enri smiled as Mare, for the first time, looked at her with bright shining eyes and excitement.
<span style="font-weight:400">“A-Ainz-sama had also decided to give you several skeletons under hismand that could help with farm work without the need for food and rest. It will definitely make it easier for you to farm massive swaths ofnd!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Really? That would be amazing! Thank you very much, and please ry my gratitude to Ainz-sama and Zero-sama as well!”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Uhn! I will tell them!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Mare nodded with a bright smile. And in his heart, one more tally was drawn in the “pleasant and useful human” in favor of Enri.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ah, Enri! Oh, I’m sorry. Were you in the middle of something?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Enri and Mare both turned to the voice and saw Ninya, along with the rest of the fully armored Swords of Darkness.
<span style="font-weight:400">Behind them were a couple of wagons filled with the freshly harvested wheat and vegetables with a few farmers there on the driver’s seats, holding the horses’ reins.
<span style="font-weight:400">With the peace and security that came after the tragedy thanks to their saviors, and the enchanted hoes and farming tools speeding up the farming process and increasing their yields
<span style="font-weight:400">For the first time, the vige was able to fill up their barns and warehouses with still a couple of wagons to be traded for coppers and silvers. And the vige’s morales and gratitude to their benefactors raised to the skies.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ninya, recognizing the young elven girl and her attire, immediately thought of her as one of the delegates of Lord Ainz, and quickly lowered herself in a bow to apologize.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ah, Ninya… Sorry, I’m currently showing Mare-sama our farms. Do you need something?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s nothing. We’re just here to tell you that we’ll be on our way to E-Rantel to sell off the wheat and vegetables in the wagons here. We’ll also be selling it to the viges on the way, so we might be gone for several weeks.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, I see. Alright. Take care. We’ll be fine with Jugem-san, the ogres, and the others here. Especially now that we’ve received the incredible weapons and armors from Ainz-sama!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Although having all of the vige’s best fighters, the Swords of Darkness, gone was a bit unnerving, Enri believed in the vigers and in the amazing equipments granted to them by Ainz-sama. Moreover, Ainz-sama had also cleared the part of the forest nearest to them off the more dangerous monsters.
<span style="font-weight:400">They’d be able to handle themselves, as long as nothing short of a disaster were toe.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mm. Then, we’ll be going now. See ya’!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Ninya waved and bowed towards Mare, before leaving along with the Swords of Darkness and the wagons.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alright. I’m sorry for the interruption, Mare-sama.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“U-uhn, it’s fine. T-Then, I’ll be starting, okay?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. We will be counting on you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Enri said excitedly and bowed in gratitude.
<span style="font-weight:400">She never would’ve believed what she would be seeing a few momentster.
<span style="font-weight:400">--------------------------------X--------------------------------
<span style="font-weight:400">Lustrous and gleaming under the clear skies of the royal capital, a beautiful jet-ck carriage, drawn by four massive, muscr stallions, rode through the streets of Re-Estize, attracting the gazes of passersby.
<span style="font-weight:400">Within the spacious, decorated interior, a tall and massive figure of a man d in luxurious ck gold robes sat on the velvet couch. Sleek ck gloves covered his hands and a crimson mask hid the neutral expression of a human man behind it.
<span style="font-weight:400">The vigers of Carne who witnessed his figure a few weeks ago would’ve recognized him in a heartbeat. The figure of their savior, Ainz Ooal Gown; the mighty spell caster and generous benefactor who they owed their current livelihood to.
<span style="font-weight:400">But the figure within the carriage was not him, but a doppelganger. A Level 100 Greater Doppelganger, created by Momonga himself.
<span style="font-weight:400">Pandora’s Actor sat in silence, his brilliant mind, on par with even the most intelligent of the Guardians – Demiurge and Albedo – recalling the words of his dear <i><span style="font-weight:400">Vater</i><span style="font-weight:400">.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Extract as much information as possible. Andmit to nothing unless it is inline with our n. The stage is set, and everything shall fall into ce.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">The spreading corruption within the kingdom, thanks to the doppelgangers and subi led by Demiurge and Albedo. The toy princess they’ve secured nudging the royal family to a favorable position. The intensifying activities of the underground organization, Eight Fingers, pushed by Yuuji-sama’s master n in the shadows. And the imminent uing war with the Empire.
<span style="font-weight:400">The stage has been set, and everything shall fall into ce one way or another, as her dear <i><span style="font-weight:400">Vater</i><span style="font-weight:400"> had said.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Kingdom had no other choice, except the ones the Supreme Beings had foretold.
<span style="font-weight:400">The fact that the King had personally invited Providence and Ainz Ooal Gown to the pce to “reward” them for their achievements, was proof that everything had gone ording to their ns.
<span style="font-weight:400">Such a grand, yet meticulous master n that could only be designed by intelligence beyondprehension and a divine foresight of a Supreme Being; How truly magnificent.
<span style="font-weight:400">The world was a board to them. Everyone and everything within it, its pieces. And they, the masterminds who moved kingdoms, countries, and empires to their will.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Wie gro?artig! How blessed am I to be created by such a God! To call him Vater!’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">He cheered and praised within his heart. He could hardly wait to see all the ns of the Supreme Beings be reality, inevitably.
<span style="font-weight:400">Before long, the carriage came to a stop.
<span style="font-weight:400">He could hear voices outside. It was the doppelganger who acted as the coachman conversing with the guards. And soon, the door to the luxurious carriage opened, allowing Pandora’s Actor to alight.
<span style="font-weight:400">Before him, two rows of royal knights stood in salute, and the Royal Guard Captain himself, Gazef Stronoff, stood to wee him personally.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is an honor and pleasure to meet you once again, Lord Gown.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Stronoff-dono. Likewise.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The royal captain responded with a gruff sound. His eyes then looked to Ainz’s side, only to find someone missing.
<span style="font-weight:400">Pandora’s Actor immediately sensed his confusion and answered before he could ask.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I apologize in advance. However, my friend, Zero, is unfortunately unable toe, and I havee to represent the both of us. I hope that would suffice.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see. It is unfortunate. My King wishes to meet both of you, if possible. However, he will understand. Please, this way..”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Very well. Lead on.”