《「Dropped」An Overlord Fanfiction》 -2 Archlich Physiology The Archlich, also known as a Manan, is one of the high-tier heteromorphic sub-race that players were able to turn into in YGGDRASIL that appear as they did in life. It is the final form of any player with the Arcane Sorcerer profession, with maximized mana, attempting to gain "Immortality" through an alternative to Undeath without using Necromancy. They are neither dead, nor alive. The Manan is called an Archlich because it was often confused with the Elder Lich, or at least put in the same boat, even though their alignment was either Good or Neutral Karma and never evil. Players referred to them as Moe-Glowies or Crystal Skelies, due to the fact that their eyes glow and if they''re hit by any tier of magic, their crystalline skeleton becomes visible, their skin becoming a semi-transparent blue membrane. Their entire body is composed of their own magic. Many players also refrained from entering PVP instances with an Archlich due to their lack of balance following their introduction in the last game patch. In additions to the equips that they drop upon death, what they leave behind is valuable Mana Dust that is used for Alchematic high Tier Mana Potions and reappear back at their Phylactery if it is deployed in their residence or alternate location. The Phylactery acts as a resurrection item powered by their Good-Neutral karma, created with 250 Gold. In the New World if they were to die without a Phylactery, they turn to dust along with their items Alternatively with their Phylactery in the New World, their items come with them should they die. ==================== | Types of ArchLich | ArchLich Lore Keeper: Those whom have been resurrected after "death" to record Magic and Historic Lore. The amount of spells they can learn is capped at 850. Their special passive ability is to memorize spells the moment they witness them cast, similar to the Rainbow Eyes in the New World. ArchLich Guardian: Specialize in Offensive and Defensive Magic, their spell effectiveness is 150% times more effective with positive Karma. Their special ability is the capacity to summon mighty golems to their aid as an alternative to the abuse in using the undead. ArchLich Champion: Obtained by those who have the Armored Mage and Battle Mage professions. Essentially this one is the hardest Type of Archlich to Achieve down the line, as it is a combination of both the Lore Keeper and Guardian. This Archlich is essentially the Jack-of-all-Trades and is Jack Cipher''s current form. ==================== | ArchLich Abilities | The ArchLich is a powerful undead sub-race with the capability of learning potent magic spells and using them. As a magic caster, their knowledge and magical power stretch far beyond mortal limits. They are considered to be the highest-ranking undead sub-races and could use spells from the highest tiers of magic. All ArchLich types naturally have high-level stats and buffs. ArchLich Phylactery Ability Damage V Acid Immunity Arcane Vision/See Invisibility Predator of Evil Create High Tier Golem (4/day) Create Middle Tier Golem (12/day) Create Low Tier Golem (20/day) Astral Soul Grand/Noble Wisdom ( Referred to as ArchLich Knowledge ) Despair Aura I Despair Aura II Despair Aura III Despair Aura IV Despair Aura V Calming Aura I Calming Aura II Calming Aura III Calming Aura IV Calming Aura V Electric Immunity High Tier Magic Immunity IV High Tier Physical Immunity V Ice Immunity Memory Meld Polar Protection Touch of Undeath Speak Tongues Status Damage V Slashing Damage Resistance V Piercing Damage Resistance V Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Turn Resistance IV Undead Blessing Conceptual Protection ==================== #ThisIsNotCanon #HatersGonnaHate 1 「The Beginning」 The warmth of an alien sun tore Cipher''s eyes open, greeting him with the sweet singing of birds. What was this strange sensation? The DMMO was still active... Where was the main hub? A million thoughts were processed in swift moments as his eyes took in the world around him. Reaching up, he rubbed his eyes with the balls of this thumbs. That''s when he paused and stared forward. The sun was high in the sky, it was noon. The last time he had even peered outside it was that of night. His head snapped to the right, then to the left. No one was in the room, his study. He was alone, why was he alone? He was pretty sure his other two guild mates were here. Did they sign out when he had fallen asleep? A light frown swept across his lips. This would''ve been the sixth time they had left him be, and sadly, last night was their last union. Their only connection was this game, and the servers had shut down. Cipher paused, what was going on here? The servers were supposed to have shut down, he shouldn''t be here! He pressed his lips together firmly and flared his nose in a strange series of thoughts. Was the game really shut down? Or was it an update for a new world, a new game? No, this didn''t make sense to him, not by much. Gazing over the nearby shelves which decorated the walls. He was growing curious of what happened. Everything seemed to be in finer detail, more interactive and life-like. When he walked over to the nearest shelf and reached to retrieve a book, he slipped it right off the shelf. His sights were set on the cover. It looked aged, a leather bound book with mystic glyphs on the cover. In a sound moment, he froze when her received a message from another person. It was someone he knew, or at least came in contact with in more than one occasion. Momonga, one of the forty some members of a Guild known as Ainz Ooal Gown. It was a supposedly evil aligned guild, but to him it was just roleplay, something he enjoyed very much. This game was an escape, even though he used his skills as a hacker and developer to get what he wanted without trying too hard. Of course however despite his abilities and his cheats, he was a perfect PVP build. "...Momonga?" He said aloud, though answering the very message sent out to get the attention of players with the intention of making allies or helping them with his telepathic voice. "That voice... Cipher?" Momonga who was in the King''s Throne within the Tomb of Nazarick. "Are you the only one?" With the book clutched in his hand, Cipher made his way over to the terrace of his study. His eyes casting their view over his Citadel. The city which once surrounded it, that his fortress overlooked, was gone. He was surrounded by greenery on all sides, elevated from the ground and dominating the scenery. However his eyes quickly rested upon an approaching party. "I am the only one, but I see people outside. Looks like a party of four," he squinted his eyes for the moment before turning his head to the side. "Where is this? And is there really no one else?" Cipher frowned at the idea of being in a world with just one acquaintance. While that could be remedied quickly, he was growing curious of what could possibly over the horizon. "I am not sure where this is, but it sure is not YGGDRASIL. Judging from what you said, you are inside of..?" "The Citadel, but the City it overlooked is gone." His eyes seemed to gloss over at the thought of what could have happened to it. With his eyes still on the incoming forms, he could only wonder, would these people tell him? They weren''t players, as far as he could tell. Otherwise they would have responded to Momonga, right? All he could do was stare at the four figures encroaching on what he could only assume was his territory. The gates to the courtyard were closed, but they weren''t locked. All they had to do was push on them, but it was likely the guards would pounce on the soon to be intruders. "Hm..." The great white outer walls, coral blue roof tiles and the Japanese interior. He loved this place as much as he loved his home. Next to just about anything else that he had interest in, was historic architecture of Japan. While he himself wasn''t native Japanese, he had lived there up until this happened. "Are you able to log out?" Cipher asked as he turned his head to the side, as if to look at someone who was standing beside him. Yet no one was there. Again, this caused him to frown, so impersonal. "No. I couldn''t even contact the GMs either." Pursing his lips at this, it appeared that this wasn''t one of his initial thoughts, it wasn''t an update. This isn''t a new world per say in the way he was thinking. Looking down from the terrace and into the courtyard below, his sights narrowed on a small bouncing female elf with black hair and blue wearing a Miko Priestess outfit, waving both hands up at him. One of her hands was grasping a straw broom which was actually an ancient straight edge katana in disguise. Cipher could only blink so many times as the last time he could recall, NPCs didn''t move like this. They didn''t have all that feeling in their gestures and movements like he was seeing now. "Uh... Momo, why are the NPCs acting strangely?" "... Did you just call me Momo?" A rhetorically curious Momonga asked with a chuckle, "And the NPCs... They''re sentient now." Cipher was almost speechless, but for some reason it began to make sense in his own twisted lemon of logic. His eyes traveled from the NPC and over to the adventurers who were at the bottom of the legion of stairs leading up to the courtyard gates. "So they''re more... Human now?" Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "I wouldn''t call them more Human." Momonga laughed a bit nervously, "They''re more like fanatics, in a good way, kind of... I think." "Fanatics...?" "I may or may not have changed Albedo''s settings..." "Oh?" Cipher scratched his chin as he stared at those at the bottom of the steps. He could see them just over the roofing over the gate. He locked eyes with one of them, one who seemed to be their leader. "What should I do about these unknowns?" He asked as he had no idea for the time being who he was dealing with. "First tell me, what does it look like outside?" "Very green. It doesn''t look at all like the Game. Everything also seems a lot more... Real." His eyes narrowed as he felt a slight breeze brush his nose. "Is this really not the game?" "I haven''t gone outside, I''ll be arranging for one of the NPCs to survey my surroundings." "Understandable. I will assess these... Humanoids. When you find out your location, I have a world items that allow the relocation of any facilities. I can bring the Citadel to Nazarick." "No, save your items. You might need them to hide or run from any enemies." Cipher was known for his PVP, so he knew what to do. Having Momonga advise him, he didn''t take it to heart, but he also enjoyed just having someone familiar to talk to. "Alright. Offer will remain standing though, it''s up to me after all." Already sighted by the Adventurers down below, they appeared to wave to Cipher and attempted to shout to him. The Miko Priestess turned her head towards the gate and raised a brow, her stance becoming tense. "Stand down, Min." Cipher said immediately, waving his hand back at them with only two of his fingers raised. He couldn''t hear them clearly and soon enough they were disappearing behind the gate as they made their way up the steps. "Yes, M''lord!" She shouted up at him. Cipher rubbed the tip of his nose with his index finger. He was dressed in Divine Class attire and armaments, a double breasted black military tunic and baggy pants, hard leather boots. Over his tunic was a black cuirass chest piece and back piece, along with the addition of a gorget around his neck and shoulders. Over his shoulder and to the opposite hip, was a gold sash, while there was a blue sash around his waist along with a black belt. He also wore a divine quilted cloak, blue in color, called the Cloak of Greater Attributes. It was originally a vanity item which he in turn made into a true functional piece. Increasing all of his attributes several times over the already surpassed limits. As he looked over toward the mirror in the study, he traced over his scruffy dirty blond almost dirt brown hairdo, sapphire blue eyes and pale peach toned skin. It reflected his real looks, or the looks which were once himself. "My Lord, there are unknowns arriving! What are your Orders!?" A man in scale armor came clambering into the room. It was none other than Sir Gallifrey with his salt and pepper hair and thick grey handlebar mustache waxed to perfection. Blinking a few times towards the man, Cipher let out an awkward chuckle. "I... Know that already. Thank you. Have the defenses stand down for the time being until they are assessed." "My Lord?" Gallifrey asked as he stepped forward, his hand resting idly on the hilt of his katana. "You are the Master Guardian of the Blue Citadel are you not? Relay my orders! Have the other guardians assemble in the main foyer!" "Yes My Lord!" Gallifrey made a brief bow of respect before scattering clumsily out of the room. While in combat Gallifrey is one of the most dangerous to deal with amongst all the other members in the sixteen Guardians of the Blue Citadel, he was clumsy when not in a tense situation. Moving to face the courtyard once more from the terrace, his eyes were locked on the gate. The wood-guised material would creak open, revealing four adventurers with silver tags. He pursed his lips slightly viewing them. An interesting group. In that instant he used spell Greater Identificationhe could see their general statistics, their names and various other items of interest such as their party names. He used this on players to learn about them before direct confrontation. So he was using it on them, his prime targets for information gathering. However as he was reading through their information, he pursed his lips. The one identified as Ninya, which appears to be an assumed name, had a talent. Magical Aptitude. Then there was the druid named Dyne. A Ranger named Lukrut and the Warrior Peter. "Three Blonds and a Brunette," Cipher uttered under his breath and chuckled to himself. "Excuse me?" Momonga spoke up, they were still connected using Message. "A group of weaklings, but they have some surprising talents. A druid, a spell caster, ranger and a warrior. A very clich group of adventurers maybe?" "Hm... What are their levels?" "I''d say they''re below level thirty, a bit stronger than a Villager NPC from the game. Newbs." "Huh. I''ll leave you to it, Cipher. If you need any help, call upon me. We may have our creations, but we are still alone." Momonga pointed out and soon enough the back of Cipher''s head was silent. Momon was no longer using Message. 2 「Swords of Darkness」 Without warning he appeared, standing in the middle of the Courtyard. His sapphire hues locked onto the four adventurers who were smiling awkwardly at him. Why were they smiling? The blond one who stepped forward known as Peter was scratching the back of his head, admiring the view of the place. The architecture was foreign to him, which made the group more excited than anything. However Cipher was quick to notice Ninya, the female companion wasn''t holding a more assertive stance. Even the ranger seemed dominant as he appeared relaxed, his hands resting behind his head. Dyne who was eying the herbs growing in the courtyard had this shine in his eyes. Ninya appeared to have a hint of damage, fear and lack of self-confidence. His eyes locked back onto Peter however as he spoke up. "My name is Peter, we are the Swords of Darkness... What is this place and how did it get here?" Cipher was quick to take note of his nervous but friendly demeanor, but was it a ruse? He wasn''t quite sure. What he could tell though was that he was trying to hide all that nervousness and anxiousness so appear more serious. "Swords of Darkness..." Cipher raised his head slightly at the name, as if it was a surprise to him. "Interesting name." He didn''t comment on the boy''s first name, or any such thing. Not even asking the names of his companions. He already knew them, probably knew more than they did about themselves or than they wanted anyone else to know. Peter sneezed slightly before wiping his nose, cautiously looking over the courtyard. He felt as if there were a thousand eyes on them, but he saw no one. "My name is Cipher, Master of the Blue Citadel... There used to be a city surrounding this place, care to tell me where it went?" "C-city?" Peter was confused and glanced behind them towards the open gate towards the outside world. There was no evidence of there ever being a city here. He returned his attention to Cipher with the same confused face, a brow raised and an eyelid partially closed. Peter couldn''t tell whether or not this person was mad or not. "So it seems my ''experiment'' teleported us to this place..." The way Cipher used his tone of voice, it was a clear indicator he had no idea where he was. Ninya and Dyne however both locked their eyes on him, almost in a blatant stare, when they heard of a teleportation experiment. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "W-wait... You teleported this entire castle from one pl-place to another?" Ninya spoke up, staring at him as if he was some sort of monster. "Wha-what are you!?" Cipher stared at her for a few seconds, processing her reaction and the interests of the others in his answer. "I''m an Arch Mage..." He knew how people reacted to most of the undead in the other world, the game world. Heteromorphic creatures were often treated as evil due to their undead or relations to negative energies which often harmed the living. Though proclaiming to be an Arch Mage wasn''t all the wrong either. With his neutral Karma and Chaotic nature, he had a similar perk to Dark Wisdom, the perk was called True Wisdom. He walked a fine line between Good and Evil, never cherishing one more than the other and always centering his own ambitions on remaining free from the grasps of others. "An Arch Mage?" Dyne questioned, he knew the meaning of Arch and Mage, but he never really met someone who proclaimed themselves as the pinocle of the Mage in such a manner. With silent magic, Cipher casts the Fake Data: Statusspell, in order to remain undetected. If they were to try and use magic in order to determine what he was, they''d be quick to find he was just "human," but if they wanted to learn his strengths and if they were capable of doing so, it''d be very hard to process due to the height of it all. "So where am I?" Cipher nudged the conversation into the direction he wanted. "You are in the Re-Estize Kingdom, the closest city is E-Rantel. We''re adventurers stationed there. We were sent to investigate the appearance of your Fortress, and now you." Peter looked over the walls again, the coral roofing and the grass which surrounded them. The refined granite path leading to the front doors made him raise a brow. The stairs had been solid, so why use a path such as this to a grand entrance of a fortress? "Is that so...?" "We''ll be on our way to report bac--" "You may leave, Peter. However, I''d like to ask that your companions remain here until you return." Peter paused as this man said this. The tone Cipher used, it wasn''t as friendly as it was before. The moment he showed his intentions of leaving, Cipher verbally took his people hostage. "What''s the point of this?" "Peter, it''s alright. We''ll be fine, isn''t that right Master Cipher," Dyne stopped Peter from speaking out against Cipher. It was clear that this proclaimed Arch Mage wasn''t going to let them all leave and he had his reasons. What would happen if Peter returned with an Army to take the castle? Or a raiding party? Taking the three hostage was a logical decision, at least in some capacity. "Yeah, Peter, we''ll be fine! Just go have a great time on your way back," Lukrut nudged his leader and friend with an elbow. "If he tries anything, we''ll take''m down. Just believe in us would you?" His tone was playful and gitty. Ninya remained quiet however, her humble self being apparent. She wasn''t going to assert herself in this, but she only smiled at her friend and nodded, agreeing with her friends. Cipher''s eyes pierced through Ninya, he wanted to learn more about this Magic Aptitude which was in her talents information. There was talents like it back in the old world, that allowed one to learn magic spells faster than the normal paces. Just how many spells did she know? His eyes then traveled over to Dyne who seemed to be the voice of the group. He wasn''t the leader, and he wasn''t the strategist, but appeared to be a people person. He might be a key member to have around during diplomacy maybe, or just as a personal advisor for lively matters. Then he rested his sights on the man known as Lukrut and just made this distinguishably unimpressed face, his lips moving to one side. "Hey! What''s with that face?" Lukrut looked like he was about to cry as if he was being looked down on, which he was very much so. Ninya silently laughed, a hand hovering over her lips while the other remained grasping at her staff which was firmly planted on the ground. With Peter now gone and heading down the stairs, his eyes traveled over the three that were there. "Ninya, Dyne and Lukrut." The moment their names left his lips, they were all wide eyed. He knew their names already? Did he probe their minds or something? "Your identities were revealed to me by a spell I cast the moment you entered the courtyard. So don''t panic." His eyes were resting on Ninya when he was telling them not to panic. According to her status, she was hiding her physical gender. "So... tell me about your group name? The Swords of Darkness has a nice ring to it." Slowly nodding, Ninya smiled a bit awkwardly. "Ninya here came up with the name!" Without warning an elbow was rested on Ninya''s head, it was Lukrut, being blatant as usual. "H-hey! It was an embarrassing milestone in my life!" She attempted to defend herself against the blabbering male who was using this opportunity to start poking fun at her. "How Rude," Cipher narrowed his eyes on the blonde male, he was trying not to laugh, biting his lip in turn to stop himself. "...I know right..." Ninya muttered quietly as she squatted down, bringing her arms around her knees, pressing her staff against her wrists. She was smiling faintly, but her flushed face definitely showed how embarrassed she was. "I think its a great name," both Dyne and Cipher said out loud, almost in complete sync. Dyne and Cipher both looked at one another, then back towards Ninya. The Druid was beginning to believe he was having his mind read, but he didn''t sense any magic pertaining to that effect. Maybe they were just on the same wavelength? "Well, The Swords of Darkness are our main goal," she said as she looked up at Cipher, before averting her gaze from him the moment their eyes locked. "One of the thirteen heroes was known as The Black Knight, he wielded four swords. They were dubbed the Swords of Darkness." Cipher listened to her as she stepped over her own words a few times, but he got the jist of what she was talking about. If anything, he knew of this being known as the Black Knight and about his weapons. He had a chance encounter with only one of the thirteen heroes, which he found was rather interesting. This meant there had once been more players here. It wasn''t just Ainz and him, unless they were all dead... Seeing the familiarity and hope with the name of the Black Knight, Dyne seemed to delve into his own thoughts. He wasn''t understanding what he was reading off of this man. "Would you like to come inside?" Cipher asked abruptly, mostly because he wanted to get something to drink. Even though he was undead, he was parched. Blinking at this question, the three looked at one another. They were debating whether or not it would be safer to stay out here, or to go inside. Empathically they were quick to come to the conclusion it would be safer to follow his whim. They didn''t know the man. He might strike them down for not following through with his desires, or he just might lead them inside to be slaughtered. Or perhaps he would offer them something to drink? They all nodded to him awkwardly, which caused Cipher to raise a brow only to slowly turn away from them and walk towards the front doors of the foyer. "My Lord!" The sudden shout from Sir Gallifrey caused the trio to jump moments before they could enter. Slowly, the adventurers entered the foyer behind Cipher and let their mouths drop open seeing the soldiers-like fellas in various forms of full scale armor and military tunics. "Sir Gallifrey, I see you gathered everyone. Prepare some tea for the guests," he gestured towards the Adventurers just as the doors slammed closed behind them. A satisfying click of a lock followed soon after. Before they could even take a step back, they were trapped in the citadel with abnormally charming and organized looking people. Each person in the room seemed armed with powerful weapons, armor and enchanted equipment overall. It was clear that this was his intention, to truly make them hostages. "What tea shall we prepare, My Lord?" "Platinum++ Asgard Pekoe, I''m sure our guests will enjoy some energy." Gallifrey took a gander at the three lesser beings and nodded, he dare not judge those his Master considered a guest, nor those whom seem beneath him. "Understood," turning on his heel, he rushed off towards the kitchen down a neighboring corridor. "You don''t mind black tea, do you folks?" Cipher asked as he turned towards the group once more with an oddly charming smile across his lips. Guests, the three were tasting that word on their lips and in their minds. "Are we not hostages?" Dyne quickly spoke up, taking a step forward. Though the step forward was hardly considered a threat, most of the room all shifted its attention to the druid the moment he did so. Cipher raised a hand to calm everyone. "No, you''re not hostages. Even though you won''t be able to open any doors in the citadel without breaking them down... But you''re not high enough levels to even scratch them." Cipher was confident of this which was why he invited them in. "I invited you inside so we can sit and talk more about this place. I believe I came from the same place as your Idols." "Same place...?" Ninya raised a brow looking at him, hesitantly speaking. "I was under the impression he was from the Karnassus City-State Alliance." "The what...?" Cipher blinked a few times, not recognizing the name of the State she had just given him. Before he knew it, she was taking a map out of her pouch and spreading it out in front of her. She kept her staff under her elbow. Looking over the map, Cipher would dedicate all his faculties to memorizing it. Memory Mindallowed him to instantly make a copy of the data in his mind and activated Mini-Map. Holding out his hand, a holographic third dimensional map derived from the map she had shown him appeared. "How did you do that...?" Ninya asked, clearly interested in the magic used to replicate the map in such a fashion. "It''s a combination of Memory and Light based Magic. Photons and all that." Her head lulled to the side. "Photons?" "Fancy word for particles of light." Cipher was quick to dismiss the fact that she wasn''t scientifically inclined. She may be able to use magic, but that didn''t mean she knew all scientific lingo. "Huh... Interesting. I uh... Think you could teach me something like that, please?" For a split second he was pretty quiet before slowly nodding. "Tell me more about yourself and I may oblige your request." It had been a few minutes since Gallifrey had gone off to do as he was told. So as he came walking back with a green plastic tray, and a set of authentic Japanese looking tea cups, he held them out for the three strangers to take. Ninya blinked a few times at Cipher as he wanted to know more as she put away the map and then took a cup as it was offered into both hands. She stared at the black liquid and took a whiff. It was bitter, but it was sweetened with honey and sugar, two very "high" tier ingredients wasted on them. Looking up from the liquid and to their host, she kept a faint smile on her lips. Her sky blue eyes weren''t as fearful as before. If anything more of her femininity was showing through her boyish superficial exterior. She seemed squishy like a marshmellow. "My name is Ninya, as you know. I came from a village... I have an older sister. She''s the reason why I became an Adventurer." "Really? Was she an Adventurer?" Cipher asked the most simple of question, which may have been obvious until she shook her head at the question. So this wasn''t because her sister was her mentor? "My sister was taken by a despicable nobleman. So I became an adventurer to rescue her." This wasn''t necessarily a complete secret. Her entire group knew and so did most of her friends, or people she saw as friends. Cipher slowly nodded in understanding, "But isn''t your main goal as a member of the Swords of Darkness is obtain a Sword of Darkness? Like you said before, it''s your groups main goal." She froze for a moment before taking a slow sip of the tea. She immediately felt warm inside, calming, as a brief surge of energy shot through her almost immediately. "You seem like a good person," Ninya said, "and I''m sure there are good and honorable nobles out there." Her eyes seemed to be floating on a surface of water, "Do you have magic that you can use to find her?" She was quick to ask such a thing. "What will you do when you find her? If you can save her?" Cipher answered her question with another set of questions. "What if you can''t save her?" Ninya didn''t understand why she was suddenly being barraged with all these questions. "I don''t..." Dyne planted a supportive hand on Ninya''s shoulder, giving Cipher the stink eye. "Tell me more about Re-Estize, and I''ll think about helping you learn more magic and get stronger. Tell me more about the surrounding countries and I''ll consider helping you with finding your older sister. Think of information as your currency." He glanced over at the other members of the Swords of Darkness sipping the tea given to them. 3 「Guardians Assembled」 "Well you took your time," Lukrut complained to Peter as he was sitting at a low table playing scrap(cards) with a group of armored men and women. Peter who was standing at the door, was taking a gander of the things around the room. If anything this place was luxurious, but at the same simplistic. There were symbolic emblems that lacked context to this world, but it spoke legions of the mystery man''s origins. Dyne and Ninya were all resting around a small table with a quilt resting around it. Most of their heavier garb was removed, and there was a little sweat on their skin. It was clear that they were enjoying their stay. Dyne glanced up though upon hearing Lukrut and caught a glimpse of Peter before waving. There was clearly a smile planted across his face. "They weren''t hostages?" Peter asked as he turned to look towards Cipher who was standing by the door. He had been genuinely concerned for his fellow Adventurers. Cipher shook his head, "Despite the locked doors, I could''ve let them out at anytime should it be necessary." He assured the blond man with a light chuckle and a friendly face. "I see..." He let out a sigh of relief and looked towards his comrades. Cipher placed a hand on the man''s shoulder. "During the hours they''ve stayed here. I''ve learned a great deal about Re-Estize and the Adventurer''s Guild. As well as your crew," he spoke with a smug smirk across his lips now. "Haha, oh really?" "Yes. Really." "Oh... No kidding. So why did you want to know about us?" "Same reason you wanted to know about me," he licked his lips slightly, looking over him. "You wanted to know if we were a threat," The leader of the party let out a sigh. He shrugged and looked him over, "You''re too weak to be a threat." "That''s reassuring," Peter snickered as he looked at Cipher, shaking his head. "Would you four mind staying here for a few days?" Cipher asked curiously, "think of it as a vacation." "Vacation...?" Peter asked as he looked at the man, before glancing over towards the friends he had brought here to this fortress. They were surrounded by powerful people, but were they really all that scary? Lukrut was playing cards and his two spell casters were just relaxing. "A few days... I''ll talk it over with them. If anything we''ll stay the night." With that Peter walked off to join his friends at the kotatsu table to enjoy a drink. Cipher couldn''t help but smile watching those friends enjoy there time here. A strange sense of nostalgia came over him. Remembering the times he had spent with the two other members of his Guild. How they''d pretend to be drunk during and after a party full of alcoholic items. Wiping his mouth, stretching his skin a bit as his hand left his face, he turned to look towards Sir Gallifrey. He was standing with fifteen other Guardians, a surrogate family that only until not too long ago, weren''t sentient. All of which were different races. ... Sir Gallifrey was an Alpha Werewolf. Min on the other hand was a Daywalker, a half-vampire. She now had some light Japanese armor draped over her Miko Priestess outfit. She''s a warrior priestess. Then there was the Dark Elf, Yulia, she was small and portable. She was roughly a hundred years old, but didn''t look a day over sixteen. She wore black light armored robes, her primary class being an assassin enforcer and her secondary being a Battle Mage. The Unique combination allowed the use of both light warrior weapons, enchantments and magic casting. There was Omega Omega, a humanoid metal golem with circuit board etchings all over its body. He was considered a tank, and his presence itself was almost a cheat itself as he was made from Divine and legendary materials. He had sleek black skin, each part of his body was masterfully carved by hand and glowing emerald green eyes which could pierce just about anyone''s psyche. Kyle, he was dressed in brown rags. He was another Golem, this one being made out of straw. He had the unique ability to possess the bodies of the recently deceased and use powerful psychic attacks on intruders. Cassi was a young looking Orcish humanoid with two large teeth protruding from behind her lower lips. She had an elegant shaped jawline and brown almond shaped puppy-like eyes and a half shaved head. She wore a cat face printed white and blue kimono with black flowing trousers. She had two swords, two swords at her hip and one spear on her back. She also had a black hooded cloak wrapped around her shoulders, acting like a poncho of sorts. Uylesseus was the tallest of the bunch, he''d literally have to duck to get out the front double doors of the Citadel. He was seated rather than standing. His species was that of a giant with grey skin and white hair. There was an old fleshy scar under one eye and a long goatee under his chin. Then there was the Cat Girl, she was dressed as an Eastern Pirate with a fish patterns pattern on her clothes. She had dark chestnut toned skin, black hair in pigtails with split ends and fringed bangs. She had a round head and big black eyes that followed Cipher around the room wherever he went. The staring was so intense, he could almost hear the static thoughts of her brain. She was about the same height as Yulia, resembling someone who was in their twenties but looked realistically younger than their true age. Her name was Keri. These eight were the top NPC guardians, even Ainz had trouble sparing with them during his visit to the Citadel over a year ago while in game. These eight were also designed by him, most importantly, while the other eight were designed by his two other friends. All the females made by him however, had one thing in common, their breast sizes weren''t extravagant. Their base facial features and dimensions were based on his deceased sister, making them a reminder and a tribute of sorts. They weren''t built with the intention to be sentient servants or complicated interactions. Jeff was a Spider, a giant were-spider. In human form he looked like just about any other popular poster boy with a clean shaven face, darkened boy scout hair and soft blue eyes. Ani on the other hand was a Greater Mimic who''s default form had been changed to that of a young woman with dirty blond hair, striking electric blue eyes and a heart shaped jawline. His friend always declared Ani to be the female appearance of Cipher himself. He found it awkwardly flattering. Sulfuri was a Magma Nymph, her skin was like charcoal with oozing red cracks throughout her body and the entirety of her eyes looked like moving lava. She''d be fatal against just about anything that didn''t have a resistance or magic immunity to extreme heat. Out of everyone she wore the least amount of clothes, mainly being a loin cloth and a band of flame retardant cloth over her above average sized breasts. It was clear she wasn''t made by Cipher. The argumentatively cutest one of the group was the one sitting cross legged and slouched forward watching the group with their chin in their hands, elbows planted on the floor. It was Andi the Dryad, their true body being a Bonsai Tree up in Cipher''s study. Her body was akin to that of a twelve year old and was completely covered in bark the same color pale as the Bonsai''s trunk. She was considered to be hundreds of years old according to her backstory. Her main attributes being wisdom and intelligence. Pyri was an Elfish Ghoul, she had long black hair reaching down to her waist, sickly pale skin and red-green ringed eyes. She had small fangs poking out from behind her upper lips. Despite her small size she was the strongest amongst the Guardians made by Cipher''s friends. She was dressed in a set of sturdy black robes. Ross was a human bard, one of the only normal guardians to the naked eye. His primary attack was using a single spell over and over again. This spell was known as Author Says. This makes his songs come to life in the form of story characters that fight on his behalf. He had shoulder length blond hair, hazel grey eyes and a Van Dyke beard. He was like the blond Robert Downey Jr. in appearance only. Roberta was an Imperial Slime, a premium species similar to the predatory Slime, which takes the form of a human being. However they aren''t hollow on the inside and are impervious to physical damage. She often takes the form of a Iron Chief, as she is a master cook, and ironically a military cleaver being her primary weapon allows her to get close enough to burn her opponents by simply touching them. She was named after her creator''s grandmother. Her hobby is cooking in abundance. The last Guardian however is known as Chance, a talking black and tan Shiba Inu with a knife held in its mouth with grace. Its tail was currently wiggling side to side with excitement. There was so much going on. ... As he had been observing his Guardians, he turned his head to look towards the Adventurer Party who was now all gathered at the kotatsu. Lukrut was showing them the scraps(cards) he got from the soldiers, while Peter was trying to have a serious conversation with the other two. Lukrut was being completely ignored, something that from a distance, he didn''t seem to mind. Turning to look over at the Guardians once more, Cipher quickly noticed all eyes were on him. Smiling at them, he walked on over to the group and gestured for those standing to sit before him. "As you probably already heard from my conversation with the.." He stopped himself from referring to the guests as lesser lifeforms as he considered himself human, "Guests. We are no longer in YGGDRASIL and we''re within the borders of the Re-Estize Kingdom." Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The group of sixteen all nodded their heads in sync as they were now seated in a circle around Cipher. All of them wanted to have their eyes on him. It was quite.. strange really. At least they didn''t sound like fanatics, but he could see the great admiration towards him. If they had outstanding personalities and a written allure towards him, he was sure he''d end up like Ainz, puzzled. Though part of this just made him believe he was having a reading circle with a bunch of adult children. It was a very uncanny feeling despite knowing their actual intelligence. "For the time being, we are to be on alert and focus our skills towards intelligence gathering. Half of you have surveying and surveillance magic, use that to your advantage. Those who don''t are on guard duty." "Yes my Lord." They all stated at once, all of them drawing themselves to one knee with a single fist to the ground as their eyes shined. Cipher was silent for a moment looking at them all around him. It was like he was on the top of the world or something. The awkward feeling was soon fleeting and now he was just taken a back by the motion of life which now surrounded him. His and his friends creations were alive. In a way, it made him happy that they were at least indirectly here with him. "I am in your care," Cipher bowed his head to those whom were entirely at his beck and call. "WE. Are in your care." They bowed their heads in response to him, vowing they''d all take care of each other and in the end they were like a family of assorted individuals. "What are you guys talking about?" Peter chuckled as he was now standing at the edge of the circle, looking over at the interesting collection of servants. What caught his eye though the most was the monsters. The Vampire, the Ghoul and the other lot. He was surprised, but seeing them on one knee made them look almost harmless. Such a powerful being made these things subservient to him? Peter and the rest let their sights rest back on Cipher who was standing in the center, turning to look back at them and return their gaze. "Informing them of the current situation," was as much as he would tell them. "You are dismissed guardians." They all nodded, jumped to their feet and scattered to their posts. Seeing these organized beings, Peter was beginning to fear the power that he was just admiring. A man who could not only bring a whole fortress to another location and command all these people, just what kind of destruction could he be capable of? "Would you mind if I joined you?" "Join us?" Peter asked, folding his arms in front of him skeptical expression. Cipher glanced over at Ninya then back towards Peter. "I agreed to help Ninya recover her sister amongst other things for the information provided. They''re trivial and will help me continue to gain more information about this place." Ninya''s expression twitched uncomfortably when he referred to his promises as trivial matters, he was treating saving her sister teaching her more magic and acquiring a Sword of Darkness as mere meaningless milestones. "So I''d like to join your party, and the Adventurer''s Guild." "You need to take a literacy test." "I can read and write Japanese and English." "..." The four of them just looked at him as if he was speaking gibberish. There was apparently no such thing as Japanese or English writing systems in this world. "In that case, as we''ll be taking that vacation you offered, we''ll teach you how to read and write." "Oi..." Cipher placed a hand on his forehead, he didn''t really mind this, but it did feel tedious. "Alright." 4 「Learning Migraine」 After approximately over a day of vacationing, the crew decided they''d begin to teach him how to read and write in the language of the New World. Within a couple hours he already had the vowels down and the other characters that came along with them. It''s similarity to Japanese and the other languages of Earth was interesting, though it was clearly mostly unique swirls and such. So they sat there in his study with plenty of empty parchment, they seemed to work on it. Lukrut seemed to make fun of him in the beginning, making common mistakes a child who was still learning a language would. Mixing up characters and special characters. Grammar came naturally to him and he caught on faster than most illiterates would. He didn''t know whether or not it was due to his intelligence and wisdom levels, but he became an expert almost immediately after learning certain sections of the written language. Soon enough he had all of the characters memorized and he was writing poetry. Lukrut was speechless on how fast he had learned, even a bit jealous. Ninya understood why he was so powerful, or at least believed she did. The amount of wisdom and intelligence he must have to learn a language in such a short time, could only be compared to how fast he could learn a spell. That was what she thought. Peter on the other hand wasn''t really all that surprised. If he was an Arch Mage, it was unlikely he would have much trouble learning new things. Especially since his study was filled with books, he could only assume that this man never stopped learning. Even the things that decorated the room was immensely telling of his background. During their supposed vacation, they had to be accompanied by at least one Guardian or Cipher at any given time. They couldn''t even access the restrooms or bath house without assistance in opening the doors. Everything was magically enchanted to be used only by those affiliated with him, and there were even enchantments that caused alarm should anything be removed from a room. At one point Lukrut had been locked in the hotspring in the bathhouse for over three hours and passed out from heat stroke. It was definitely an interesting conversation piece to have. However because of this, it was clear to both parties that there still wasn''t trust between them. Cipher wasn''t letting them open doors on their own, let alone leave without him. They were constantly being watched and they feared him despite how pleasant he was trying to be. What mainly caused the distrust was the militant attitudes of those within the castle. While everything was lax, these people gave an intense feeling, especially as they kept looking over at them. The only individual who seemed to get alone with them other than Cipher, was the doggo. In addition to all this, whenever he trained with Ninya, no one else was to be around. He would teach her spells and after she would be found passed out on a sofa or a pile of pillows with a severe headache. He had used a magical spell known as Magic Melda special ability that allows the user to upload memorized spells directly to the subconscious of another person. The maximum use was three a day with a 1% chance of losing 5% EXP and Wisdom. However thanks to the Magic Aptitude Ninya had as her primary talent, the only payment was pain in the form of migraines that would last for a few hours at a time. Her first lessons consisted ofFly, Life Essenceand Magic Essence. He saw these as the primary things she would need in order to not only gauge her opponents, but also avoid close quarters combat when in a tight situation. Her second lesson the next day was Rabbit Ears, Weightlessand Magic Shield. The first two were used for enhancement of hearing and how much one could carry. Weightless essentially allowed her to carry well over a long ton, while Magic Shield would protect her from mid-tier magic and below. On the Third Lesson the day after, he taught her how to use Astral Projection, Third Healingand a passive ability known asDelayed Revival. Delayed Revival was a magic spell which he had gained from a ring, in which delays the user''s revival after death. The ring was single use, when the passive learned spell is used, the user subconsciously forgets it. Delayed revival also had a price, being paralysis for the first thirty seconds of being brought back, while fully restoring them regardless of damage. In this New World however, it also sacrifices a single level. However if the user''s mana level is 0 or below 15 upon death, they cannot be revived by this passive ability. So on the Fourth Day after their arrival, Lukrut Dyne and Peter all stood in a semi-circle around Cipher. Peter was wearing a frown, "Your way of teaching Ninya new spells is hurting him... Since you offered us a ''vacation'' here, she''s been doing nothing but laying around after your lessons." "You want me to stop?" "To be frank, yes, if you''d please." Cipher let out a sigh and stared through him for a few moments. He had lost his younger siblings before even joining this game. He knew very much what loss felt like. Though his motivation to ''teach'' Ninya matching wasn''t exactly sympathy, he made an agreement and he would agree to that end. "Did he ask for this?" Cipher asked, crossing his arms in tangent with Peter who was doing so too. "No, but I''m the leader and it''s my duty. Our duty, to protect Ninya, as his party members." "Do you think Ninya is too weak to..." "No, I don''t think he is weak. I believe he''s incredibly strong, but what I think you''re doing to him, is unhealthy." Peter wasn''t happy with this. It was clear. Even though they were helping him and he was helping them, there was still a growing dislike for how he goes about things. "Sh---he and I made an agreement," Cipher didn''t like breaking his own word, especially if the word wasn''t recalled by the other party. The trio dismissed his almost calling Ninya a girl as a simple mistake, even though it was truth. "So if you want me to stop, then you have to get him to tell me that he no longer wants to learn magic from me." Cipher kept his arms crossed as Peter''s arms fell to his sides. "Which also means not being able to help him track down his sister''s whereabouts." Peter and the others froze in that moment. Did that mean he was teaching her his magic this way in order to ready her for magic that would help find her sister? Yes, yes it was. They quickly surmised that it would be unlikely that they''d be able to tell her to stop. Even if she was a humble person, her determination to find her sister was incredibly strong. It was the whole reason she was even here with them, other than acquiring a Sword of Darkness. "Your giving us an impossible choice..." "Yes, I know." "That''s not very cool of you." "I know." "Stop saying you know, dammit!" "I knC Oh sorry. I''ll try, though there is no try, only do." The three of them just stared at Cipher as he started talking in riddles. Ninya entered the room, and paused as all heads and eyes were on her. "Uh...H-hey guys?" Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Wuzzup?" Cipher raised a hand, giving it a gentle jerk, a modern wave. "N-noth-thing?" She looked at the three of her friends having cornered the man who was teaching her how to use magic faster than even her talent normally allowed. "What''s going on?" "Nothing." Cipher was quick to respond before Peter went to raise a hand with a single finger extended. Whipping around and looking over at Cipher, Peter''s frown deepened. "You don''t get to do that." He turned himself around to look towards Ninya. "Guys, what''s going on?" She was immediately worried with Peter and the other''s not looking pleased. Instead they seemed to be just as worried as she was. "For your own health, we want you to stop learning from him. For the past few days, you''ve been laid out, exhausted and in pain after every lesson. You need to stop." Peter and Dyne seemed to be the ones mostly trying to convince her. She didn''t give much of a verbal response. They''d give a reason, she''d shake her head. She wanted to save her sister, he was going to help her achieve that goal. It may be selfish, but she knew how much of her potential could be reached so much faster than predicted with his help. Peter tried to make the decision final, Ninya refused. Peter wanted to leave, he wanted the party to leave with him. Again, Ninya didn''t want to leave and Dyne didn''t feel right leaving her here alone. Lukrut on the other hand tried to tease, but found himself practically shunned, despite just tryin to alleviate the growing tension. "Cipher," Ninya nervously called upon their host, all eyes moved to him. "Is there anyway we can rework our agreement...?" "As long as both parties agree to the conditions," Cipher responded as if he was some sort of automated voice as if he was on autopilot. "If.. If you join the Swords of Darkness, will you help us find my sister with your own power?" Instead of just helping her, she wanted him to help them. In a way, this meant she wanted him to lead the way instead of him teaching her. At the same time, protect her if she couldn''t protect herself. He had no problem doing that either. After learning more about adventurers through them, he found that exploration and doing quests would allow him to experience the outside world he had yet to see more of. "When do you want to go looking for your sister...?" This question caught her off guard. When? Not Where? She stared through him for a minute, her eyes wide and confused. "I don''t think I''m strong enough, even with the help you''ve already given me. So... In a couple of weeks?" Meekly these words left her lips, she sounded unsure, as if it was undetermined. "A couple weeks... Fourteen Days. Sounds reasonable. In that time frame I can join the Guild and become an adventurer of some merit. I accept." Peter frowned, getting only partially what he wanted out of this. At this point he didn''t even want him around. "Then we''ll ready to leave in the morning" 5 「Carne Village」 For the first time he was going to leave the safety of the Citadel, for the first time, he was entering himself a new world. An immersive new world. As the group of five made their way out the front doors of the fortress known as the Blue Citadel, they all looked around from the top of the elevated steps outside the gates. He took in the flatlands, the mountains nearby and the massive amounts of forest. According to the map he had seen, they were north from E-Rantel in what could only be described as a delta between the arms of forest. There was one path, one direction to go, to escape having to go through the forested wilderness. That was to go south west. There would be a village though that they''d be passing through, Carne Village. It wasn''t the greatest of places to live, considering its proximity to the border with the rival country of known as the Baharuth Empire. He could only imagine how often villages along the border would get raided by rogue parties. Plus the proximity to the forest meant that they''d also be attacked by monsters often. That wasn''t something he really wanted. Before they left the top of the steps, Sir Gallifrey emerged from behind them, stepping out of the gate and beside Cipher. He wore a large pack on his back with sleeping gear, pots and pans. He looked like he was preparing to set up camp in the wilderness. "It should take us less than a day to get there Galli, there''s no reason to take so much stuff." Cipher snickered looking over the stuff. Peter held back a chuckle, he wasn''t happy that Cipher was coming with them, but it was happening anyway whether they liked it or not. Dyne was looking forward to the walk though, having been kept inside all this time, he wanted to be around some nature. He was a druid after all and being around nature was well, part of his nature. Lukrut was stretching a bit, enjoying the morning sun on his face. The group began to descend the long stairs down to the ground. "So what kind of monsters are we expecting to run into on the way back?" Cipher asked curiously, his eyes watching the grass move like the ocean as gentle gusts of wind passed through the plains. "Goblins, Ogres. The usual," Lukrut laughed it off a bit, his arms folded behind his head casually. "I... see," Cipher eyed the back of his head for a moment before looking to Ninya, her staff bouncing off each step before her foot. "My Lord, I have surveyed a few villages along the border. Some of them seemed to have been attacked, others are being scouted. It gives the impression a war going to begin soon." "I see..." He said as he looked over towards the Knight, then over towards the Swords of Darkness. Peter was interested to hear this. If there was a war, not only did it sometimes mean dangerous times, but it also meant that the Nation may try to hire adventurers as they''re typically more powerful that the average soldier. "If there is a war, which side would you choose?" After a brief moment of thought, he shrugged. "Depends on the side which not only has the most to offer, but also can be considered the most trustworthy. Considering how medieval this relam is..." "Medieval?" "Dark Age." "Dark age...?" "What I''m saying is that the Nobles and Royals will be hard to trust. If nobles are in strife with their masters, then the Kingdom has little to offer, as their word will be hardly legitimate in a corrupted setting... Like a Noble being able to abduct a common villager without punishment. A warmonger who thrives in chaos. If my presence steps on another''s foot, and the King cannot control his people, then all is for not." With this mouthful of words, he wasn''t wrong. Even though they all were pretty much from common upbringing it was clear politics ruined all good things. The corrupt, the decent, the way the world worked... He''d be at war with everyone. "Kind of reminds me of the Eight Kings of Greed." Ninya muttered, as it was a large part of history pertaining to the continent and the current state of affairs. "Eight Kings of Greed?" Cipher asked curiously, it was clear he was no from around here and this tid bit of information hadn''t been shared. "Eight powerful beings united the continent, conquered the known world." Ninya was in story teller mode, "It''s a simple tale really, a tragedy. After uniting the world, they fell to infighting and no there''s just a shadow of a city left. I didn''t delve all that much into it though." "Interesting..." Cipher rubbed his lower lip with the knuckle of his right index finger. By now after walking for about fifteen minutes, they made it to the bottom of the stairs and sat down at the base of the citadel. "Why is it so high up?" Dyne sarcastically complained as he rested slightly for a few. They weren''t necessarily tired, but they weren''t comfortable either. Cipher however just remained standing, watching over them. They had just gotten done taking their short vacation, though longer than they truly had time for. It just felt a little off moving so much at a time. "Do you guys need a little pick me up?" He''d ask inquisitively, a grin across his lips. "Pick me up...?" Ninya looked up at him as she slowly got back to her feet, dusting grass off her shins. "Greater Revitalize Zone" Was the only thing he said, causing a red circle to appear around them. Suddenly they were filled with rejuvenating energies. The wearing of their feet from walking down all those steps seemed to suddenly vanish. "Whoa!" The group exclaimed as the rest stood up, inspecting themselves. After a few seconds the zone dispersed, leaving them feeling even greater than before they started their descent from the Fortress that now dominated their view to the North. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Sometime had passed since they had left the citadel behind. Whenever someone went to moisten their lips, Sir Gallifrey was there to offer them a pitcher of cold water. Something none of the adventurers were used to. "Wow thanks," Ninya said with a smile, looking up at the salt and pepper haired man. "All is as my Lord wills." The Knight responded with a grin, taking pride in his service to his supreme creator. While the kingdoms all had their gods, the Guardians only had the one and he was alive. "Hah... Of course it is," Ninya laughed a little. Lukrut just stared at the Knight who seemed to be overly infatuated with his Lord. Was this what it was like to be doted upon? The Knight seemed to not take in the negative aspects of Cipher''s actions or how he acts amongst other things. Peter also seemed to notice this, but with all of the Guardians. For the several days of the vacation they had been granted by the stranger. It was clear none of the Guardians had a negative opinion, if anything, they held him in the highest regard. Even the lesser NPCs felt the same as the Guardians. They treated him as if he was an almighty being. He could hardly understand this. Ninya though, she had been distracted the entire time with those lessons. The pain and the thoughts of reuniting with her sister. As much as she wanted to save her sister, the idea made her nervous and anxious. What would she say? How should she act? What if her sister blamed her for being taken?! Her eyes fluttered over to Cipher for a moment or two. Her gaze hadn''t gone unnoticed. She had this strange feeling that every time she felt his gaze on her, there was this sensation of great loss. At the same time, whenever she saw him look at the Guardians around him, there was a strange aura of relief. It was like he felt alone, but is relieved that he isn''t truly so. Was the real reason he was helping her out of sympathy? Or was it relation? Could it really be that he is doing this just as a way or repaying her for the information he could have gotten anywhere else? In a way his actions confused them all still. Inviting them in, keeping them for a few days in the castle, asking to join them as adventurers and even traveling amongst them. He was so much stronger than them. If he wanted to remain a secret, he could have just slaughtered them all, but at the same time it wouldn''t save him from being revealed. Another team would have been sent, a stronger team. Then a stronger one, and a stronger one, but in the mind of Ninya''s... It was going to be really hard for even a top teir adventurer to take him on. Especially with that magical sword sheathed in its scabbard at his hip. The weapon had been hardly noticeable until now, as if it had been concealed from view. The sword itself had glyphs engraved into it, glyphs she had never seen before. It even gave a slight glow to anyone who laid their eyes on it. Most of the walking was quiet. They kept to themselves for the most part, following a dirt path they happened upon. As they were reaching the out laying lands of Carne Village, the first thing they noticed was the smoke in the air. "You weren''t kidding..." Peter placed a hand on the side of his head, his eyes on the figures in the distance that resembled Knights. It was a slaughter. The group all looked to Cipher and Sir Gallifrey. The small group was severely out numbered, even if they moved in it was likely they''d be overwhelmed. That was clear, just knowing their own strengths and weaknesses. "We''re already in their sights," Cipher muttered as he glanced over his shoulder towards a group of Knights revealing themselves from their hiding place. Turning and pointing his finger at the incoming Knights, he wore a very annoyed expression. He sensed deception in the items they were wearing. The reason why, he had no idea. It had to be something to do with his somewhat passive divination as an Arch Lich. He could sense things like that. Just as the team moved into formation, a semi-circle, a series of loud sounds erupted from the tip of his finger. BangBangBangBangBangBang Cipher was casting this spell over and over again. Super compressed bullets of magic energy were leaving his finger, ripping large chunks out of the people dressed as Knights from the rival Kingdom. They hardly had a chance. There were just screaming. One of the bullets hit the ground at a Knights foot and he was sent several feet into the air only to land on his head. He stuck out of the ground like an arrow with his legs lifelessly dangling onto the ground. Message That''s when a familiar voice would reach the back of his mind. "Cipher, I see you at the edge of the village." Turning to look towards Carne Village, he raised a brow seeing a Death Knight charging through a handful of spineless fools. They were being torn apart like nothing, just pieces of paper. He then glanced a little over the village and narrowed his view on what looked to be a singular pair of figures. A female form and a masculine one. A rather wide masculine form considering all the robes and lavish dcor involved in his attire. That was Momonga. "Good to see you," Cipher used telepathy to respond to him, "But isn''t that a bit overkill?" "I thought it would defend me... Instead it rushed off on its own after I gave it the order to kill the Knights." "...And what exactly were you expecting it to do after giving the order?" "Point Taken. Also, it seems that creating and summoning an undead uses nearby corpses." "Sounds logical, its like an update to the game." "This is hardly an update." "Yeah, I figured as much." As the Knights around the adventurer party had been displaced, they made their way towards the village. The idea was to get over there and help the villagers escape the undead, but quickly as the Knights were retreating, the Death Knight didn''t seem at all interested in the villagers. The moment they arrived however, the group paused, watching a masked man who had long sinse landed with Albedo at his side, having introduced himself as Ainz Ooal Gown. "What''s with that mask? It''s a bit... Creepy." Cipher commented without reserve, one hand on his chin and a brow raised as if he was observing a piece of abstract art and trying to make sense of it. Momonga, now known as Ainz in his primary form, laughed at Cipher''s exclamation. "Ainz-sama! There are armored troops heading in this direction!" Both Cipher and Momonga looked in the direction of Re-Estize soldiers coming towards the Village. They were clearly not the same group which attacked the village. Looking through and eye glass, Peter nodded to himself. "It''s the Kingdom''s Head Warrior!" "Head Warrior?" Cipher asked as he looked over at Peter again. It was something else which was left out from the information shared with him. So the King had a Champion? Interesting. The Overlord nodded, "Village Elder. Have everyone move around your residence. You and I will greet them." The Elder acknowledged the order and had the village inhabitants move to the safe location as the hooves of the mighty steads came rushing towards the village. It wasn''t long before the Head Warrior appeared, wearing armor and sporting dark brown hair, styled facial hair and olive toned skin. He was hardly babyfaced, he looked like a veteran warrior. Especially with the almost impressive jawline of his. However using hisGreater IdentificationCipher was subtly disappointed to find that this man was no match for him. Let alone Ainz. He may be stronger than all those normal people of this world in the area at the moment, but he was entirely outmatched by every single NPC and Player present even during a one on one. 6 「To be or not to be」 It wasn''t long before the Head Warrior, Ainz and the Swords of Darkness alongside Cipher and his Guardian were all rounded up in a storage house. Cipher though didn''t seem at all that interested in what was going on other than the fact that the hostiles were targeting innocent civilians. Killing the villagers, massacring them, didn''t fit the agenda for invading another country. This was just plain old mass murder. As he listened in on the conversation between the oversized skeleton and the Head Warrior, he could tell that they were making the assumption that these people weren''t from the Empire. Cipher was already beginning to think this as well. Based on the information shared about the other Kingdom that his Citadel is near the border of, it was likely they wouldn''t even bother with Carne Village. There was nothing of note except for the food and supplies. "The ones that attacked the village..." "They were dressed as soldiers from the Baharuth empire, but it seems the were actually from the Slane Theocracy." And according to the Head Warrior hardly any of that was stolen from the previous villages attacked by the supposed Knights of the Baharuth Empire. So it was suffice to say, these men out there surrounding the village had a different target and agenda in mind. "Does this village have that much value?" "Sir Gown, if you don''t know why they''re attacking... Then there is only one reason they are attacking this place." The air was tense, his face was serious. They had realized the reason why. "It looks like you''re quite despised Head Warrior," Ainz said as to point out the obvious. He had come to the conclusion that this was all a diversion to draw the one known as Gazef out into the open. With all those mages out there, he''d be slaughtered along with his men and the village. Cipher could step in and destroy the enemies, but he didn''t see the point. Though he had some ideas which could motivate him. His eyes gazed over towards the Swords of Darkness. They were eying the mysterious man in the robe. "This is quite a problem..." Gazef was far from amused, if anyone knew better, one would think he was just about ready to kill someone. "To think that eve the Slane Theocracy is after me." He was saying this with a printed smile of pride. As Cipher was looking out the window towards the hostile force that cornered the Village, getting ready for an assault. He narrowed his sights on the Archangel Flames, monsters from the game. This was an interesting development, but even then, these monsters were far weaker than he. "Sir Gown," Ainz looked over to Gazef as he wanted his attention, "I would like to hire you if possible." His prideful smile in his own abilities vanished and was replaced by a frown. He was dreadfully serious and he wanted Ainz to protect the village. "I will be sure to reward you as you wish." "I decline." Within a minutes notice, Momonga had declined the offer. "I see..." With a sigh, it seemed that his bid to win was a far stretch. He half expected himself to die here. However his pride returned, a fighting spirit clear in his eyes. "Then please, take care, Sir Gown. Thank you again for saving this village," he reached out a hand and the two shook each other''s hands like men. It was as if he was saying goodbye. This was evident as it almost appeared like the man was going to break down, "I am really, truly grateful." "I know this is a selfish request, but please.. Protect the village and its people once more. I have nothing to give you at the moment, but I beg of you. I beg..." When he went to kneel before the man, Ainz stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder. Cipher smiled at the sight. "There is no need for you to go that far," Ainz announced with a profound voice, "I understand. I will be sure to protect the villagers. I will put my name, Ainz Ooal Gown, on the line." Rising from his half kneeling position, he grinned up at the man. Was this relief? "Then I will have nothing to worry about. I will just focus on the enemy before me." "Then please, take this." Ainz took out an item, an item which allows one to switch places at a moments notice. It looked like a little wooden idol carved by hand, but it was so much more than that. "A gift from one such as you? I will accept it gratefully." Gazef hardly held any hesitation as he took hold of the gift and tucked it into his armored belt. "Goodbye..." He said with a bow of the head and went to leave. "I wish you good luck in battle." Ainz sounded sincere, almost fond, of talking to the person. However before he left, Gazef paused and looked over towards Cipher who was eying him. "Yes?" "My name is Cipher," the man rolled his jaw slightly. "I may be of assistance." Ainz glanced over his shoulder towards the two of them. Was Cipher going to snatch a major event from him? In that moment however, with a slight of hand, Cipher revealed a red potion in an elegant vial. Gazef raised a brow staring at the item. "It''s a healing potion. Fifth Tier, crafted by myself. If you don''t use it, I''m sure it''s worth plenty of coin." Even though he didn''t know healing potions weren''t red in this world, he knew that even in the old one this high tier healing potion was expensive for early-game players. Nodding and taking the item, Gazef bowed his head, "Thank you... Sir Cipher." With that the man left, leaving the Adventurers, Cipher and Ainz alone together in the building with Albedo. "You wanted to go out there with him." Ainz pointed out, looking over to Cipher, it was if everyone in the room could feel him smiling under that mask. The most awkward thing though was that, Cipher and Albedo were the only ones who knew he had no lips to do so. "I suppose," Cipher at least hinted that he wanted to go out there, but sounded a little roundabout rather than direct in the way he said it. Peter and the rest weren''t all that surprised. Albedo though was looming over Cipher as if he was some sort of threat. "Who are you to speak so casua--" "Enough Albedo," Ainz stopped his Head Guardian from berating a likely ally. Cipher turned his eyes to Albedo, "Huh." He refrained from speaking his mind, as it appeared Momonga, or also better known as Ainz Ooal Gown now, was hiding his identity. "I find it doubtful that any of them will get passed you," Cipher declared with a yawn, "So I guess we''ll head townward." This tossed the Swords of Darkness into confusion. Cipher could easily wipe the floor with the Slane Theocracy Soldiers, even if they were some form of special forces unit. It was already apparent how powerful he was, and it was also apparent how powerful Ainz was as well. They just couldn''t figure out or understand why they would voluntarily wipe out the people threatening the village and the Head Warrior. "Good luck Mister Hero," was the last thing he said towards Ainz before turning away. Gesturing for the future partners to join him in his walk out of the building. When the six of them made their way to the edge of the village, the path leading towards E-Rantel, they came to a stop and glanced over to watch all the soldiers rushing off on horses. Cipher already predicted that most of those men would die. Even if it wasn''t part of the plan, it was hard to imagine them leaving the head warrior to die on his own. What would the honor of that be? Just seeing the way the soldiers look at Gazef, he could see how much he was idolized. Cipher wanted to be idolized like that. He wanted to be followed by people, other than just his Guardians. Even if it wasn''t into battle, he wanted a posse of new faces. His eyes moved towards the Swords of Darkness, pursing his lips. He knew he had a spell that he could use to rewrite their memories, or make them forget him, or even certain things in their past. It was Control Amnesia. Cipher could make them idolize him! Or at least change their distasteful attitude towards him. The only person he was okay with was Ninya. She was submissive to begin with and he was her benefactor for the time being. She already got magic from him, now all that was left was a Sword of Darkness and her sister. These things were promised to her, even after the rearrangement of the deal. Though he knew that if he used this ability on them, it had to be on all of them. They were all in close quarters and it was likely they lived together or at least bunked at the same inn. "What''s with that look?" Lukrut asked with a brow raised, "And why didn''t you offer to wipe the battleground with those Slane Theocracy soldiers? Judging by the company you keep at home, you should hate them." "Hate them...?" Cipher kept his attention on Lukrut as they were walking slowly, keeping an eye on and an ear out for the battle. "They''re human supremacists. They persecute other species they deem lesser than themselves," Peter answered for Lukrut with a frown across his lips. "Hm..." Cipher kept his gaze in the direction of the horse riding soldiers charging through the ranks of the enemy special forces units. "You have a point. Racism, not really a fan of it." "You gonna change your mind?" Lukrut teased, trying to get Cipher to fight. Cipher instead ignored him, "I wonder what would happen if I were to turn their leadership into nonhumans. Elves maybe, or maybe into orcs. Think they''ll still rule the same way?" Gallifrey chuckled at this, the first sound he had made in a while since they arrived. "Good one my Lord," he praised his master for the joke, though it wasn''t necessary. The group imagined it, the chaos that would sow into the Theocracy. "You know..." Cipher was thinking about the whole Adventurer thing. If he were to join the Guild, he''d have to abide by certain rules. Rules which restricted his actions and tempered his moral core. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Did he really want to join them? Sure it would be fun to go around with a merry gang and do quests, but couldn''t he do that without joining the Guild? Like work as a Contractor of Sorts? A freelancer. "Maybe I''ll be an unofficial member of your party, rather than an actual adventurer." He didn''t need reward for helping with the quests. He could just happen to hang around them and travel. "A regular companion." "A wise choice, My Lord." Gallifrey nodded with a joyous tone of voice. Peter eased up a bit, but at the same time, he was curious of why he was changing his mind all of a sudden. Had he been asking to join the Guild on a whim? Was he not serious about it? Or was he just playing games? He couldn''t quite tell with him, he appeared a little airy. 7 「Data」 "We''re being watched..." Lukrut noted, a hand on his jeweled dark short sword. They had left the Carne Village about over an hour ago. They were moving at a snail''s pace, walking, taking their time. There was no rush to get back to the City, at least in Cipher''s case. Glancing over at the ranger, Cipher raised a brow slightly. "Really? How many?" He questioned the one of three blond men, observing the dirt under his nails. In the game this never happened, yet now his nails were sullied. "At least twenty, it''s not monsters. Their movements, they''re sophisticated. Far more than that of a Goblins." These observations made the lich nod in agreement. This adventurer wasn''t all that bad. Peter glanced over at Cipher then over towards Lukrut. A frown printed over his lips. "We should pick up the pace." "If we do that they might think we''re on to them and pounce. We''re in the middle of a lot of flatland, they could''ve set traps ahead." Dyne advised as he walked beside Ninya who was moving along in the back of the group of six. Ninya nodded, agreeing with Dyne. "They''re on foot. No horses. They reach of bloodlust and..." The corner of Cipher''s lips twitched slightly. If the group watching them knew of Ninya''s sex, she would wish they''d just kill her. "And?" Peter smirked seeing the facial expression on Cipher''s face. Using TelepathyCipher called upon Momonga. "We''re being watched by militants. I don''t think they''re with either Country. Be advised. I''m sure they''re part of a larger group." "Eh-- Cipher? Another group...? Thank you, we''ll look into this quietly. Do what you see fit." "Thank you Momonga." Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Ending their conversation, Cipher began to scratch under his chin, before looking over at Peter. He could leave them all here to die, but that wouldn''t fit his personality. Leaving people to needlessly die, it didn''t feel right. "Something wrong Cipher?" Ninya asked as she peered passed her friends towards the man. "Debating." "Debating on what?" Peter''s smirk disappeared when he came up with the assumption Cipher was debating on whether or not to leave them to their fate. "To kill them or not." Cipher''s eyes locked with Peter''s, a dull look in them. "Do you really have to think about it?" Lukrut asked as he appeared a bit relaxed as they were with someone who was potentially several times stronger than any known army. "You didn''t hesitate to kill those knights back there. Even though they weren''t really Imperial Knights to begin with." "You have a point," Cipher retorted with a snicker of his own. "Self-Defense is a must." "Plus, you''re only wearing enough armor to protect your chest shoulders and neck. How do you expect to defend against all of them" Peter asked with a brow raised, only for the group to look at him as their defense wasn''t all that much different. If anything, they had less armor than him. Cipher didn''t give his commentary much of a response, even though he was right in a way. The only difference though was that his armor was Divine-Class while the rest of the party''s was surely lacking in class. It wasn''t something he enjoyed to think about either. This meant if he wasn''t paying attention, they''d die. He couldn''t have that. As everyone was slugging their thoughts into the back of their minds, a single bolt from a crossbow clashed with the ground in front of the group. Cipher and Sir Gallifrey who were in the front came to a stop and just observed the bolt. It was made of wood and iron. It was virtually useless against the two of them, which made them chuckle. Grinning to the side, Cipher looked to the approaching unit of twenty or so people. Each of them had a weapon, some of them even had pickaxes. Each one varied in wealth and prestige. Greater IdentificationAs he looked over the people, he could see how much weaker they were than himself. He saw their names, their professions, past professions and their skills. If he was actually looking for a fight, he''d be disappointed. However, it was clear they were much more powerful than the silver ranked Adventurers accompanying him. "Handover all that you''re worth!" One of them shouted, "And you just might leave alive!" The men flanked the entire group, eventually surrounding and encircling them within minutes. "I''d like to tell you to do the same." Cipher''s gaze was even more hollow than before. His capacity for murdering these people were growing, just as they''re in his presence. "Oh!? AHAHAHA! Is that so?" The man stepped forward from the bandits, licking his lips. Peter leaned towards Cipher and whispered, "These guys. They''re the Death Spreading Brigade. They''re wanted for a profound amount of gruesome crimes." "They''re not very good at coming up with names... Are they?" Cipher frowned, not really caring for the crimes. He mostly cared that they were getting in his way, and obstructing his path. Seeing his reactions to the bandits, made the Swords of Darkness smile faintly. Did this mean he could take them on, or was he just being a brat? They were hopeful though they would be wiped the floor and rid of. "Boss, those four are adventurers. These two, I don''t see a rank on them." One of the men reported aloud, chuckling. Thinking they got it good, believing the two were nobles or something along those lines. "Hm... Then you must be nobles? Being escorted by Silvers, pft... Pathe--" Cipher began to raise his hand from his side, his open palm facing the sky. The man had been cut off by the sudden feeling of energy and dust rising from the ground. Blue light began to rise up from the ground around them. Before they knew it there was a large blue circle surrounding the bandits. The center where Cipher and the Adventurers were, had no such circle. "What... What is this?" "Necrotic Zone VI" Before another word could leave the lips of the bandits surrounding the seemingly helpless group of companions, screams were all that could be heard. Their skin, their eyes, their internal organs. They felt like they were on fire, being eaten away by magic itself. They grabbed at her faces, their arms. Some of them even tried to cut off their infected limps, but it only quickened their deaths. "You... YOU MONSTER!" The man who had just been threatening them shrieked, stomping towards the man as his muscles were beginning to turn to goop. His skin was gone, his insides were beginnign to become visible. Multi-colored tissue, ripping tendons and fat. By the time he reached the edge of the spell''s effective zone, he collapsed, his head rolling off of his shoulders and resting at Cipher''s feet. Their weapons, armors, tools and personal belongings were practically untouched by the spell. Valuables, anything that could be scavenged or worthy of being such, were intact. "Well done my Lord," Gallifrey praised him without batting an eye at the suffering he had caused the humans who were ready to kill them. Peter, Lukrut, Dyne and Ninya were all frozen. He had killed twenty people like they were nothing, though he hadn''t smiled or appeared to enjoy what he had done, the airy feeling was clear he didn''t care either. Though that was far from the truth. He cared, he just didn''t feel like showing it. He didn''t feel regret for what he had done, nor remorse. There was nothing to be guilty for. These people were criminals and he did what no one else had done. Turning his head, he looked over at the four. Ninya was holding her staff close to her, held at a diagonal angle. Lukrut was just staring with his hands at his sides, gripping his bow absently in his dominant hand. Dyne wasn''t making eye contact, he couldn''t even look at the dead skeletons around them. Peter on the other hand was staring through Cipher. Not only was he powerful, but he had necromantic powers. Something that he hadn''t thought he would have as an Arch Mage. This made him think, was he really just a mage? "So..." Peter cleared his throat to break the awkward fear induced silence, "You know Necromancy?" "A few tricks," Cipher nonchalantly picked at his nails, removing the gunk from beneath them. "Just a few tricks?" Peter turned his head to the side as he continued to look at him suspiciously. That was a pretty powerful spell from what he could tell. If it was an area effect and worked that quickly, it had to be a higher their than fifth. They were all thinking of running, though that might not be enough to escape him if he wanted to keep with them. What could he possibly do? They all knew they couldn''t fight him. "Did you have to make them suffer that much?" "They would have made you all suffer before you died," his eyes flickered to Ninya and then back to the other men in the party. "But if you rather not remember..." "Get rid of the skeletons, collect the items, Gallifrey." Letting out a sigh, he looked over them. "Maximize Magic, Greater Data Edit" He called upon a spell to tamper with their memories. In a sense, he was using them as guinea pigs, being the first actual people to have their minds messed with via magic with this spell. This was originally used to control monsters, or nonessential NPCs, by editing certain aspects of their memories and affiliations. After he did that, everything was black for them. They collapsed, unconscious. He walked over and knelt down beside Ninya and the others. Laying them beside one another, and individually hovering his hands over their sleeping faces. Information flooded into his own mind as he was changing their most recent memories. Altering what they had seen, what they had thought. To them when they wake up, he planned to have it so they''d never remember what he had done to the mercenary group. This also made him take note that using high powered necrotic spells was a bad idea. One might see him and believe him to be a necromancer, or worse, a member of the undead. It was very clear to him that this world was similar to the game where most believed the Undead to be Evil. If he were to be forsaken, his name would be spread and his to-be-reputation would be ruined. He didn''t want to hate the living, and he definitely didn''t want to be hated by these adventurers. If anything, he just didn''t want to be hated by Ninya. In his eyes she was cute, in a way she was honorable and righteous. Her humble side though, her unassertive personality, lured him to her. On top of that, her talent gave her the potential for great things and he wanted to see how far he could push that potential. It would mean he could design other powerful beings and his life here would be secure. Or in some way, so would any power and freedoms he would accumulate over time. Whilst he worked on the Swords of Darkness however, his Head Guardian Sir Gallifrey went on to destroy the skeletal remains and to collect items left by the departed. Using a magic relic, he started using it to teleport these supposed items back to the Citadel for study. They wanted to know the average quality of weapons here. As the average level for a trained warrior wasn''t very high. A few hours had past and they woke up, rubbing the sides of their heads. Looking around, they found themselves in the middle of a campsite. Peter ruffled his hair to get some grass out of his blonde dapper hairdo. "What..." Ninya''s eyes traveled over the grasslands. Then over towards her friends, noting Cipher and Gallifrey were still laying down with their eyes closed. "Oh... They''re still asleep." Lukrut sat up and stretched his arms into the air, looking over at them casually. "You''re right," he chuckled, "They must''ve been exhausted." Peter glanced around the campsite, nothing seemed out of place. Dyne who was asleep against a tree, open his eyes and took a gander at all the talking people. "We should let them... Nevermind," Dyne laughed a bit seeing Cipher''s eyes flutter open. "Huh, you didn''t leave." Cipher''s eyes were locked directly on Peter, who just shrugged at him. "Didn''t see the point in it. You''d make a valuable member of our team and you''re helping us achieve our dreams from as far as I''m concerned." Gallifrey slowly stood up from where he had been ''napping'' and glanced looked over the adventurers. From what he could see, his Lord''s power over them had been a successful test. Cipher smirked though as he thought the same thing. Now they could go to E-Rantel without any problems, and Ninya wasn''t going to run away. Not that she was before, but she definitely wasn''t now. On his own two feet, Cipher walked over and started collecting the campsite. Sir Gallifrey soon joined him and the adventurers helped until everything was packed into Gallifrey''s bag. "Gallifrey, you can head back to the Citadel. Have the construction Golems situate a wall around the parameter." He ordered with a light nod to confirm his own orders were true. Gallifrey bowed his head, "Yes my Lord!" With that the man clumsily went shuffling off back towards the direction of Carne Village. Cipher then turned his head to look in the direction of E-Rantel, "Almost there..." 8 「Appraisal」 Entering through the main northern gates of the Fortress City, Cipher took in the rich European architecture. The last time he had seen buildings like these was the last time he was in Germany. Their old historic buildings were a treasure to see. The tip of his tongue painted his lips as he looked over towards his companions. A small smile creeping across his lips. "I used to live in a place similar to this, but a bit different." They blinked up at him for a moment, the nostalgia on his face was something new they hadn''t seen on him. To be honest, it was kind of refreshing. Peter still didn''t really like Cipher, but at least he wasn''t capable of remembering certain things. Some of his memories had been tampered when he had changed his ''data'' earlier. "That''s uh... That''s pretty awesome." Ninya gave a humble laugh, "Were you wealthy or something?" He shrugged slightly, "I left the country I lived in when I was young. After my little sister was hit by a carcarriage." He rolled his jaw slightly at the remembrance of his sister. The female Guardians he had designed for his world were modeled after her face in some way or another. His little sister was five years younger than him and he adored her. She''d be eighteen by now if she hadn''t died. He let out a quiet sigh and scratched the back of his head. Peter blinked a few times hearing him talk about something person. This was probably the first thing he had shared with them pertaining to his life before coming here. Was he opening up to them? "Hm.." "Is.. is that why you''re helping me... us, find my sister?" Ninya asked looking up at him with a sympathetic smile. Cipher just had this look on his face, "Could be." He was being roundabout again, not directly answering her question. He was keeping her guessing. Ninya didn''t know whether or not to thank him, but it was clear as his smile was rejuvenated. "Lets go to the Guild," Peter said as he was already walking away from the group, glancing subtly over his shoulder. Dye and Lukrut rushed after their leader while Ninya stood by Cipher, looking him over for a moment. "Are... Are you okay?" "Yeah, I''m fine." It was clear he wasn''t alright. Now that he was thinking about his sister, he was just seeing her face in every direction. Like it was been burnt into the pupils of his eyes. Closing his eyes tightly, he opened his eyes slowly. Quickly he found a strange emotional calm rushing through his system. While he still had those thoughts of his sister, the times when she smiled and laughed when he said a corny joke. He started to clench his jaw and raise his head a bit as he turned to walk. Ninya just watched as he followed after her friends. She could see he wasn''t alright, but she wasn''t going to speak up. For she was positive he didn''t want to talk about it or let it be real. Soon enough she caught up with her friends and Cipher. As he entered the building, he took in the lively details of the place. It reminded him of the Carne Village with the dark wood floors and the various people standing around. His eyes trailed over to the job board and narrowed his sights on the high tier jobs. Hardly any of these jobs involved exploration, or actual adventuring. There seemed to be a number of gathering missions and monster exterminations. While a bunch of the jobs there may be an easy way to gain coin, they weren''t really important. He could trade in low leveled items he kept since his early days in game for actual spending money. He had plenty in his inventory as of right now. The question was though, where would he sell the items? He pursed his lips slightly when he followed Peter up to the front counter. He hardly paid attention to what the man was saying to the woman behind the counter, but he soon gestured for the Lich to come up. When he did, his eyes locked with gaze of the woman''s who was observing him. "Welcome to the Adventurer''s Guild. Peter says you''re interested in joining us. Do you have an Entry Fee?" She asked as she leaned forward, looking over him. Ninya almost immediately slipped passed him and placed five silver coins for the entry fee and five coppers for the literacy test on the countertop. "You''re paying him back," Peter exclaimed seeing his friend pay for the man. "Uh-huh," Cipher didn''t really care what Peter said, but he was going to pay her back. There was no reason for her to pay for him. He could''ve come up with the money quickly. If anything, created it from the copper ore in his inventory. As the woman shuffled a piece of paper in front of him, a literacy test, she leaned back a bit to observe him. Curious of how well versed he was in the language since he was dressed more like a nobleman than an adventurer or street rat. Reaching into his inventory, causing a visible dimensional tear in the air, he plucked out a finepoint pen. The woman behind the counter almost had her jaw drop seeing something again to dimensional storage. A rare ability amongst those who had talents in magic. Giving her a quiet glance, Cipher grinned as he could hear other people talking. "Did he just pull a pen out of thin air...?" "Pretty sure he did." "How''d he do it?" "Where''d it come from?" "This guy, what is he?" Leaning over the counter be started doing the test. While he didn''t appear to be rushing through it, he was definitely not going slowly. As he finished he left the pen on the counter. The woman reached over and plucked the pen off the counter and observed it. "Appraisal Magic Item" the spell she cast caused her eyes to widen before she looked over at him. This pen he had used had a large amount of condensed Data back when it was still in a game. It was enchanted with a modified version of the Time Stop spell which would freeze everyone except for its owner in time. So even if someone else activated the pen''s special ability, they''d freeze if they weren''t the owner. "Where did you get this?" She held the item out, pointing it at him. Cipher reached over and plucked it from her hand and tilted his head, "The Internet." "The... the Internet? What''s an internet?" "Exactly." A playful look was on his face and the woman just huffed. She then collected the test and looked it over before placing the copper ranked plate onto the counter for him to take. As the Swords of Darkness and Cipher began walking away from the counter, he chuckled a bit. "What''s an internet?" Ninya asked with a brow raised slightly. "Think of it as a network of magical energy particles flowing in the air," Cipher replied with a sarcastic tone before lightly placing a hand on the top of her head. Blinking, not entirely understanding the way he obtained the item from such a concept. Glancing away from him with a pink tinge developing on her face. She reached up and put a hand on his to nudge it off her head. "Don''t insult his intelligence," Peter gave him a bunch on the arm, but it was like planting a fist on the face of a fleshy steel wall. Slowly retracting his fist, he looked at his hand and then to his arm. "The heck are you made of?" Cipher just looked over at him like he was an idiot. "Why I ''outta..." Lukrut was looking over Ninya for a moment, most particularly looking over her face. Why was she blushing? Embarrassed? He was growing curious of this, but that was until he heard a ripping sound. "You okay there Ninya?" "I''m.. Fine. Why do you ask?" "Your face, hehe... It''s red." "Re-red!?" "You getting a rash or something?" Peter walked over and elbowed his friend in the back of his head, "cut it out will you!?" He''d laugh, quickly getting over his friend''s antics. In his hand was a job waiver which he would hand in to the woman at the front counter. "We''ll be taking this quest. Do you mind?" The woman nodded as she watched Cipher put the copper rank badge around his neck. "It''s appropriate, as long as you''re with him, as are the rules." However when she went to collect the waiver, Cipher swiped it from her hand, looking over it for a second before handing it back to her. "Sorry, just needed a glance." With that the Swords of Darkness were making their way out of the Adventurer''s Guild when over a dozen horses could be heard galloping down the streets. Turning his head, Cipher rested his eyes of Gazef who came speeding over and hopped off his horse as he reigned it to the side. "Sir Cipher!" Gazef called out as he came walking toward him in stride. Placing both hands on Cipher''s shoulders, the man stared right through him with this excited look in his eyes. "That potion! Just a nip healed all my wounds!" There was hardly a scratch on the man, one could hardly even believe he had been in battle. His armor was still in tact as well. Though Cipher already knew, the potion had likely restored the data pertaining to his armor. "I''d like you to come with me to make more of these if you possibly can." "Uhm..." Cipher looked at the man''s arms on his shoulders. This man of authority wanted something from him. "I can pay you, reward you, as you''d like." Cipher chuckled a little at this, seemingly flattered. "I don''t know what or who you think I am, but I''m just a copper ranked Adventurer." He wore this sly look on his face which made Gazef lower his arms and just give him this look. "Surely you jest," He gave a hardy laugh. "I have a feeling I''ll be in the royal capital within a the month or so," Cipher informed the man with a matter-a-factly tone. He didn''t seem to care all that much for the idea of a reward. What could this man possibly give him? Gazef nodded hearing him and took out a piece of folded parchment, "Sir Cipher, this is a letter of introduction. This will get you an audience with the King. And thank you, again." With that the man backed off and climbed onto his horse to rid off towards the nearest Garrison for him and his men to rest. Cipher turned his gaze towards a nearby Inn, it didn''t look too shabby. He and the crew made his way over and walked in through the front doors. There were a bunch of tough guys seated on one side of the room, while there were some other less intimidating patrons on the other. It was clear which one was either adventurers or workers while the others were more like thugs. As they bisected the Inn, heading towards the barkeep. He paused and glanced to the side, noting a young woman sitting at a table. It was vacant of food and she had the look of someone who had been working and skipping meals. Hardly a diet though. While he changed his direction, the others went on to get themselves rooms while he went over and sat across from the woman. Swaying slightly in the chair, he observed her unkept short red hair and sharp eyes. She had a bit of dirt on her cheek, but she didn''t appear bothered by it. She reminded him of wheat bread, or wheat itself. Her skin was like gold. While her hands didn''t exactly look soft, they looked trained. He was sure she was a trained warrior, young at that. It took her a few seconds, but she finally noticed someone uninvited was sitting at her table. "Who the heck are you? And what are you looking at?" She tried telling him off little to no hesitation, trying to get him to scram. "My name is Cipher. You seem hungry," Cipher planted his elbows on the table and tangled his fingers together. Resting his chin on bridged hands, he squinted slightly. "Are you hungry?" "Why aren''t you an observant one..." She uttered grumpily. She was currently saving up to buy a health potion. Apparently they cost a great deal and she was skipping meals and working in overdrive. Her eye rested on the adventurer''s copper rank, before looking at his sapphire eyes and handsome high tier clothing. Was he some rich boy who decided to get a spark in his life or something? "You want a bite?" She went to open her mouth until the Swords of Darkness walked over. "We got our rooms sorted. We''ll see you tomorrow." Peter said as he patted the man''s shoulder before the four vanished around the corner. They had gotten two rooms. One for Lukrut and Peter, and one for Dyne and Ninya. Cipher just nodded his head to them, watching them from the corner of his eye as they left. Then he returned his full attention towards Brita. "So? What do you say?" Brita smiled slightly, though the right corner of her lip twitched. "Yeah, sure." Smiling to himself, he would reach into his inventory which almost immediately catch Brita''s attention as he didn''t try to hide it. Howeverh is back was to the other people, so no one was to see what he was doing. He took out a plate with bread, a strangely colored jar of preserves and a butter knife. "I have yet to try this," these were all foods made with ingredients from the game. He had never tasted them before and it was making him incredibly curious of what they were like. Placing them down on an wood plate, he looked over at that iron rank around her neck. Brita licked her lips seeing the preserves. It looked like high tier ingredients to her. As he popped the glass jar open and put the metal lid aside, he would use the knife to lather two slices of bread with preserves before handing them over to her. She gratefully swiped them out of his hand and almost immediately bit into them after stacking them on top of each like a sandwich. "Auh~" The sudden moan that escaped her lips caused just about everyone to glance over for a second before going back to what they were doing. It had actually surprised him to hear this sound escape her. He blinked several times before lathering two pieces of bread for himself and doing the same, biting into them after stacking. The preserves nipped at his tongue as there were tart berries in it. He closed his eyes and let out a quiet hum-like sound as he''d relax in the chair. "Where''d you get this?" "Made it with some expensive berries I bought from a man selling a series of crates filled with specialty items." He licked his lips as they were getting sticky before taking another bite. ''I think Ninya would like this... Maybe I''ll make a basket of food for tomorrow.'' Was the one thing was thinking about as he slowly chewed. He had plenty of jars of this stuff. He was a packrat when it came to items and such. ''Food is the way to anyone''s heart.'' "Huh... Where was this?" Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Off continent." "Off continent?" She blinked several times at this response. "You can''t be serious." He nodded, not really caring whether or not she believed him or not. "So what''s your name?" "I''ll tell you my name if you tell me what that trick was?" "I''ll tell you what that trick was, if you tell me why you''re not taking care of yourself." "What are you, my mother?" "Very well could be, so what''s your name?" "My mother would know my name." Brita squinted her eyelids at him in a playful glare. "And her name sure isn''t Cipher." Her eyes shifted over him once more, "Brita. My name is Brita." "And?" "I''m trying to afford a healing potion..." Brita explained with a sigh, though she was relieved she had something in her stomach today. And it wasn''t just scraps. Most people in the game world was capable of making their own potions, at least lower level ones. Hearing her having to starve herself made him feel a bit sorry for these people. "How much does it cost?" "One gold and ten silver coins," Brita exhaustedly exclaimed, looking at her calloused hands. "Why, are you planning on solving my problems?" Her eyes met up with his now, letting her hands rest in her lap. Cipher just smiled at her, "Was thinking about it, but it won''t be for free." Brita tch''ed at the sound of it not being for free. What exactly did he want? Sex? A night on the town? She wasn''t going to give him that. No way. "Information is your currency." She wasn''t expecting this from a man, asking for information rather than something tangible or sensually interactive. Yet here he was, asking for unspecified information. "I see..." In thought she pursed her lips and scanned the surface of the table as if it had something significant on it. She was sifting through any thought that may be important enough to give. "What kind of things would you like to know?" Cipher shrugged and leaned back, "Anything. It could be a series of personal experiences. Names of deadly creatures native to the area. Strange happenings, disappearances, herbs, Illegal organizations, the like..." Slowly she nodded at the examples he gave and went on to talk about generally anything she knew. She told him about her Adventurer Group, other groups she knew of. The strongest ones out there. While some of her details were vague, she was very informative. After an hour their conversation had the potential to keep going, but he instead placed a lesser healing potion on the table. Though he quickly noticed her wide eyes. "What is that?" "A healing potion, what else would it be?" "Healing potions are blue..." She reached over and picked up the vial in one hand and exclaimed it with her eyes. She was interested in it, that was for sure. "Where''d you get it?" She had the time to ask, and she wanted an answer. "I made it." She stared at him for a few seconds before looking at the item in her hand. "You make everything you''re wearing?" "The tunic, boots and pants." "You a craftsman or something?" "I could be. I could be a lot of things." "So you said your name was Cipher...?" 9 「Braggart」 Brita and Cipher entered the Pharmacy, a potion in her hand which she held by its neck. "So this is where you say the infamous--" "Famous." "Famous pharmacist lives with her grandson?" Cipher glanced over the walls, there were plenty of things in this building. His eyes immediately locked onto an inferior boy sporting a bowl-cut blonde hairdo that covers half his face just above the nose with hidden blue eyes who made his appearance. "Welcome..." His eyes looked over the man dressed in a fancy getup and then towards Brita. "Mister Nphirea Balear?" Brita asked as she looked him over for a moment. This was the boy who could use any magical item. This was one piece of information that she had shared with Cipher. "Yes, do you have business with me?" He asked curiously, looking over at them, a plain smile over his lips. Just one of his eyes is poking out from behind his hair. It kind of reminded him of one of those gothic-emo culture people from Earth, a trend from the early twenty-first century which never seemed to die out. "I''d like to have something appraised," Brita claimed with the man who had given her the potion right next to her. It was clear she wanted a second opinion of what this thing truly was. "It''s a health potion, according to this man here." She''d point her thumb at Cipher. Cipher in turn nodded his head in confirmation. She''d then hold the glass vial out to the boy for him to examine only for his eyes to get wide and look at her before rushing to the back of the store. The two of them casually followed after him until he opened those double doors. Cipher folded his hands behind his back, beneath his cloak while Brita let her arms flow at her sides. As the two entered the back where an old lady would be now standing in front of a table with a big blue potion bottled on it. "Grandma!" "Hm?" "Take a look at this!" Nphirea planted the item on the table, the red color immediately catching her eye. "Red?" She looked at it closely before looking to the two who entered the room. The boy was excited, "What do you think?" Cipher not exactly understanding the excitement behind the whole red potion thing, just watched them intently. Wondering just what was going on here. Wasn''t she only supposed to get this thing appraised? "Well, lets take a look." Her blue eyes searched the item. It appeared authentic. The design of the vial itself was impeccable, showing great craftsmanship and reflecting the worth of its ingredients. She stepped forward and hovered her hands over the item. "So this is the best pharmacist in E-Rantel..." Brita said quietly, pointing out an observation. "Lizzie Balear, my grandmother." The grandson seemed to be prideful to even be related to her. Even though he was submissive overall. "Appraisal Magic Item, Detect Enchant" The old woman cast a spell which caught Cipher''s attention. She could use magic. It was another person with potential? Looking over her, he shook his head at the thought. She was far too old and venerable. Using the Memory Meld spell may end up killing her after a few uses. Plus, she seemed more of a domineering individual rather than a submissive follower. "Ooh," a sound of surprise and amazement arose from the woman. "Well, Grandma?" Deadpanned by suspense, Nphirea asked with a low voice. This was only greated by her soft creepy laughter. "Nphirea! All potions turn blue in the manufacturing process, right?" "Yes, that''s right..." "This item is a true potion that no one has been able to make until now!" The moment she said this, Cipher coughed and turned his head away. "Hm?" the Old woman paused for a moment, giving him a gander before looking to her grandson. "It''s a true potion of healing that exhibits the color of God''s blood... I thought it was just a legend." She was gravely serious about this. Though she took pride in ''discovering'' it to be a true potion. "This potion is equal to a second tier healing spell." She informed them, and she wasn''t necessarily wrong. It was definitely worth as much as a scroll that casts the same spell. "And is worth eight gold pieces." Brita was just standing there with her mouth open, her eyes seemed almost lost by the news. A creepily wide smile was across her lips before she turned to look at Cipher. "But thinking of its rarity, people who would kill you for this item will probably appear." The old woman seemed to have shadows cast over her face as she said this, making it all the more serious. That creepy smile twisted into that of horror at the idea of being murdered over this item. "So what about selling this item to me? I''ll buy it off your hands for 32 Gold coins." Sweat began to develop on Brita''s face and Cipher was trying not to chuckle, covering his mouth with the back of his right hand. "But..." "Hm!?" Brita almost flinched, a hand forward as if she wanted to defend herself. With a smug look on her face, the old woman seemed to calm, "Well... I have another, alternative, offer for you." She was using the suspense as a weapon against the poor adventurer who had been starved up until she was fed some delicious preserves by a stranger no less. "Find and tell me the one who made it." Her eyes moved to her Grandson, "And Nphir--" "What exactly are you planning?" Cipher asked with a laugh of his own, though his tone was relatively serious despite the little giggles between words. "And who are you?" The Old woman smiled look at the man, how he was dressed. She could only assume he was rich or of some noble status. That was until she saw the copper piece hanging from his neck. An adventurer? "My name is Cipher. I made the potion you just appraised." Her plans to covertly learn the refining process of creating red potions went out the window. The man who had made it was standing right in front of her. Grinning ear to ear, he still laughed at her speechless face. "How''d you do it?" "Why do you want to know? What if I want to hold a monopoly over ''Gods Blood'' or something like that?" Cipher was teasing the old woman, he had no reason to give the process to her. "Then how can you prove you made it?" She squinted at him suspiciously. Rolling his eyes, he opened his inventory, revealing the spatial storage skill as he pulled out three different grades of healing potion. He then proceeded to put them back into his inventory and smile smugly at her. "...So there''s more...?" Her eyes were wide open, her eyes shaking in their sockets. Cipher stared through her, his grin slowly fading. "You really like potions." "I''m a potion maker, and your craft... It''s beyond what I''ve ever seen!" "You must''ve seen a lot." Cipher chuckled with a smug look on his face again, as she was much older looking than everyone else in the room. "Though am I to talk... I''m an Arch Mage over two hundred some years old." He laughed, reciting part of his character''s background. "...Two hundred years old...?" Lizzie and the rest just looked at him as if he was bullshitting them. In a way he was, but it was in his file. If they were to use magic to identify his origin, it would say he was a human Arch Mage over two hundred years old. Though in reality he was just a really powerful Arch Lich who managed to keep his skin and humanly appearance. "I was Acquainted with the Black Knight before their joining of the Thirteen Heroes." In a way he was lying and again, in a way he wasn''t. He had met the Black Knight, but not in this world, but in the game world. Lizzie couldn''t believe what she was hearing. This man knew the Black Knight? He was surely lying. He didn''t look a day over twenty! Even someone who had obtained functioning immortality through their connection to magic was sure to appear older. "Do you have an apprentice?" "One of the members of the Swords of Darkness," he was referring to Ninya as his apprentice even though it was a short tutelage. "Ah... The one with the Magical Aptitude." Smiling faintly as the woman could recall the person who was his student. "For the time being though, my lessons are on hold. My magic training regiment is rigorous," he said pridefully boasting the fact that he would give just about anyone an aneurysm by teaching them magic the way he did. "Oh?" "In a span of three days, they learned nine spells. They were so exhausted... Their Party Leader banned me from continuing to help them in that manner so to speak." This roughly meant that she learned years of spells in a matter of days. Brita nudged him with her elbow. "What?" "What are you doing?" Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Giving her my life story." "What''s the point of that?" "To get my name around? Start Rumors? Make things a bit more... Exciting?" "What, next are you going to tell us that you wiped the floor with the Black Knight." The man laughed a bit when she asked this question. He actually had considering that the Black Knight had only been level seventy come the end of the game. They were acquainted because they had sparred one another in a friendly duel. However the correspondence between the two was much like him and Momonga. It was brief and didn''t last. "..." "You''re starting to sound delusional..." Brita confessed as she sighed hearing his silent words. Holding out his hand in front of himself with his palm facing the ceiling, he spoke "Create Greater Item," In his palm would form a Holy Grenade, a weapon which was filled with holy energy and would detonate in five seconds after pulling out the cross shaped pin at the top. This alone made all their jaws drop. He had created a weapon out of thin air with a simple spell. Considering what it had done and the stats of the weapon itself, it had to be well above fifth tier magic. It was seventh tier and he was just showing it off like it was nothing special. "I... Take that back." Brita could only stare at him for a few moments before glancing over towards the potion. If he could do something like this, was that potion even worth anything to him? Walking over to the table, she picked up the red potion the man had given her and tucked it into her pouch. "Thank you for the potion, Cipher. I''ll see you around." Brita said abruptly, as she planned to leave him be for the time being. "Maybe I''ll buy more of them off you." "Hm..." The monopoly idea was definitely going to his head pretty quickly. There were multiple ways to make health potions. He himself used magic spells and alchemy skills to do so, with the combination of ingredients that promote healing. "In that case, I''ll come with you." He said as he followed her out of the back room. The grandmother reached out as if wanting to stop him, before sighing in discontent. While she had finally seen the legendary red potion, she couldn''t obtain the way to make it. However, that didn''t stop her from thinking of ways to reverse engineer the red potion. 10 「Momon & Nabe」 "And that''s when Cipher grabbed his head and smashed it into the ground!" Peter exclaimed with his hands in the air. "He was knocked clean out and we brought him to the authorities." It had been a few days since the Adventurers had returned to the Fortress City of E-Rantel. Since then Cipher had quickly caught up to Peter and his lively crew in rank. They even bonded overtime, getting used to each others personalities. It took a lot of trial and error, short bouts of anger and plenty of mead. "NO WAY!" One of the children listening to Peter''s tale of their exploits shouted in disbelief, outside the Adventurer''s Guild building. The Swords of Darkness all chuckled at their leader who was dumbfounded by this kid trying to deny the story. Why on earth would the kid not just sit back and enjoy the tale? "Tell us another! Tell us another!" The others listening in were chanting, wanting stories. The group was being paid by a small group of parents for the adventurers to tell them their ''war'' stories. There was a lot of boasting about each one of their skills. How the Ranger Lukrut could detect enemies at long distance. Ninya had the affinity for magical aptitude and learned nine spells in three days. And then there was Dyne''s impeccable advise which was always helpful in many ways. Then there was Cipher, one of the fastest ranking members of the Guild and how he could rank even faster. He was one of the few who could use fifth tier magic and even some above. While many questioned his humanity because of this, it quickly gathered unique individuals to take a gander at the man. One notable was a spy for the Slane Theocracy who attempted to gain more information by claiming they were part of a public forum. It was an interesting conversation. "Wow... So the Commander of the Special Operations Unit was captured by this Ainz Ooal Gown?" Cipher asked curiously as he looked over the man. The spy nodded and grinned at the man. "And it''s true you can create magic items out of thin air?" "Not only that my friend. I can also create an entire fortress with a single spell." Cipher was grinning along with this man. He already knew who and what this person was. He was chatting up a spy and he was gaining information, as it was his currency of course. If anything he could be come an information broker in this world, but that meant a lot of talking and gathering. He''d need to employ much more than just himself in this undertaking. Thankfully he had his people back at the citadel watching over the continent using surveying and surveillance magic, even remote viewing. That''s when suddenly he saw Brita. She had sweat on her brow and she was rushing over in his direction. Raising a brow, he looked over her form before narrowing his sights at the red bottle in her hand. A lesser healing potion? The moment she was in front of him, she was bent forward with her hands on her knees, catching her breath. Panting heavily, she looked up at him trying to speak. RevitalizeHe cast the recovery spell on her, allowing her to easily breath now and stand straight up. Sighing with relief, "Thank you." She said before clearing her throat and looking up at Cipher. "So there was this guy and he gave me this!" She raised the potion up, showing it to him. "And?" "He had broken the one you gave to me and gave this one to me in compensation. I asked if he knew you, and he said yes!" She was already out of breath as she was using a lot of air and trying to remain calm at the same time while being overwhelmed. "Oh... I see," he pursed his lips. The only person who could have possibly known him and have the same item as him would be Momonga, or a player who hadn''t identified themselves. "What was his name?" "Momon, he said his name is Momon. He''s a copper ranked adventurer." Nodding slightly to this, he chuckled and wore a happy smile. "So he''s finally come to E-Rantel." Ninya and the others were all looking over at them. They didn''t understand what was going on until they noticed the healing potion in Brita''s hand. "Did you give her that?" Peter walked over and asked, raising a brow seeing the familiarity between the two people. "Apparently an adventurer broke the one I gave her actually, and they compensated her by giving her this item in return. It appears to be an exact replica." He informed his party members before smiling slightly. "Hey Brita, Did he say where he was goie--" He paused as he watched a man in full plate armor walk up behind Brita along with a pretty black haired beauty. "Cipher, pleasure to see you again." Momon spoke with his impressive tone of voice. Cipher nodded his head back towards Momon, "Likewise Momon," his eyes moved to Nabe. "Ah... Nishikienrai''s daughter. Pleasure to meet you once again." Her eyes flickered from Momon, then back to Cipher himself. "My name is Nabe. You honor the supre-" She was suddenly elbowed by Momon, "my father." "No Kidding..." Cipher said with a blatant and dry tone before looking over to Momon. "We''re going to be heading out on a job soon. Would you like to join us?" "What is the job about exactly?" Momon asked as he crossed his arms in front of him, taking an almost arrogantly heroic stance. Brita who was now standing aside, was staring at the three of them. The name he had spoken of Nishikienrai was foreign to her ears and knowledge. From her appearance though, she looked to be from a country in the deep south where her face was more common. It was a possibility that this man was the person he traded off continent with. Could it be? "A friend of yours?" Peter walked over with a cocky smile across his lips, standing beside Cipher and taking a closer look at the two. Ninya and Dyne remained behind, but Lukrut practically fell for Nabe the moment he saw her. "I am the leader of the Swords of Darkness, Peter Mauk." He gestured towards himself then towards the Ranger of the group, "This is the eyes and ears of our team, the ranger Lukrut Volve." "Hi~!" Lukrut gave a strangely admiring tone as he gave a wave directed towards Nabe. "This guy deals with healing magic and manipulation of nature, the Druid Dyne Woodwonder." Peter continued to introduce the group. "Nice to meet you," the long haired bearded man nodded his head in acknowledgement as Nabe bluntly ignored Lukrut''s social advancements. "And lastly this is our magic caster and brains of our team, Ninya the Spell Caster." He gestured openly towards Ninya who stepped forward, flanking Cipher on the opposite side. "Nice to meet you," she''d humbly bow her head with her eyes closed, a sincere smile across her lips. "But, Peter," she looked over towards the leader of her team. "Can you stop calling me such an embarrassing nickname?" "Huh? Why?" Peter just seemed to smile at her as if teasing, but at the same time being sympathetic about her feelings and request. "This guy is a talent holder," Lukrut proclaimed as if it was a great way of breaking the ice and a way to brag about his team. An adventurer was only as good as their team members afterall. "Oh? A talent holder." Momon repeated the term, before glancing over towards Cipher who nodded to him, before he''d return his attention to Lukrut. "He has the talent, Magic Affinity. It allow him to learn magic at an accelerated rate, halving the usual time to learn. Cipher had taught him nine spells in three days!" Peter appeared to be boasting now rather than showing how much pain she went through to get that far. It was all about appearances. "Oh?" Momon turned his head towards Cipher again, raising his brow bone under his helmet. "Sounds painful." Momon was aware of his special ability to imprint magic and skills onto people''s minds by sacrificing their levels and experience. "I feel very lucky to be born with this talent," Ninya proclaimed with a calm soft voice. Her smiling lips were plain to see. "It allowed me to take the first step towards realizing my dream." Even though she was smiling the way she held her brows, her expression was hiding depression. "Either way, he''s a famous talent holder in this city." Peter interjected, it seemed he was going out of his way to promote her esteem. "Well there is someone even more famous than me here." "You must be talking about Master Balear." Dyne gladly added to the continuing conversation, identifying the previously unidentified person. "Oh?" Momon was rather interested to hear what kind of Talent the person held. Though he was quick to see that Cipher had an uncanny attraction towards Ninya. Even though the fellow Lich was facing him, all of his attentions were on Ninya. Wasn''t he into women? "So what kind of talent does this person named Balear have?" "I see... Since you don''t know, you must not be from around here," Peter said as he slowly turned his head to look to Cipher, then back towards Momon, yet retained a smile the entire time. "Yes, I just arrived yesterday." "Nphirea Balear is the grandson of a famous Pharmacist here." He''d inform the man, "His talent allows him to use all magic items." "That human sounds dangerous." Nabe said in a whisper towards Momon. "Actually he''s rather submissive," yawned Cipher, not really caring how that came out. It was the truth. The boy wasn''t assertive, which reminded him of Ninya kind of. "But he''s kind none the less." "And about our current job..." Peter began to speak again. "Speaking of," Momon kept his sights on Cipher. "Right," walking over towards the fellow player, Cipher held his hands out to either side of his helmet. "Memory Meld" the moment he said these words the native written language flooded into Momon''s mind, immediately giving him the skill to read and write in this world. Taking a step back, Momon shook his head slightly from the momentary disorientation. "Thank you, That will help a great deal." He turned to look to Peter, "Sorry for interrupting. Please, continue." "...About our current job. Our objective is to eliminate the monsters near this city, E-Rantel." "A monster hunting expedition?" "Nothing that grandiose..." Cipher groaned as he had done this job plenty of times already with the Swords of Darkness. He thought the same thing. They would be going around for hours until monsters decided to just show up and be victim to their prowess with sorcery and blade. "Um..." Peter kind of shrunk a bit, "It''s not a job that was particular requested. The city pays the Adventurer''s Guild depending on the strength and threat of the monsters they put down. In turn, that''s what we''re awarded with." Peter went along to keep explaining as to cut back on time. "It''s a necessary task in our way of life," Dyne chimed in with a bit more of a serious expression. "But it puts bread on our tables," Lukrut was quick to add onto what he was saying. "It also lessens the dangers for the people around us." He was talking while moving his hands, smiling like an idiot as to have a confident appearance. "It''s a win-win situation!" "So how about it, will you join us?" "Since we''ll be working together, I should show you my face." Momon declared, causing the Swords of Darkness to smile nice and wide. Cipher smiled as well, seeing as he would be going on a small adventure with someone who could potentially become a friend. Eyes of interest were locked upon his face as they soon found expressions of awe, seeing his face. He was surely a human from another land, the southern Country they have yet to name out loud. "I''ve heard of a country to the south where your face is common, Mr. Momon." Peter informed him which caused Cipher to chuckle a bit. Though as he smiled as he spoke, the others kept their awe''d expressions written all over their faces. "He''s a lot older than I expe--" Flicked upside the head by Cipher, Lukrut groaned and held his head. "That''s rude," Ninya said as she turned her attention to him, not exactly sympathizing with his plight. "It could cause problems if others knew we were both foreigners. So I have been hiding my face like this." Out of all of them though, it appeared that Cipher could see right through the illusion. If anything, the illusion hardly reached him. "By the way! What kind of relationship do you two have?" Raising a hand and standing straight after Momon had put his helmet back on. It was apparent Lukrut had an interested in the dear little Nabe. He had this big doofus like smile on his face as he spoke. His brown eyes seemed to be shining. "And this is what they call a blond moment." Cipher commented as he saw what he was trying to do. Everyone practically sighed in disbelief at what was going on. "What is that supposed to mean Cipher?" Peter asked as three of the four original members of the Swords of Darkness were all blond. "That''s kinda rude Cipher..." Ninya muttered with a slight smile across her lips. "It''s a joke, and a stereotypes about ditzy blonds." After a brief silence and Lukrut airily looking at Cipher, he returned his attention to the Battle Maid. "I''m in love! It was love at first sight!" Lukrut made these overly dramatic poses of romantic grandeur that appeared almost delusional. "Please go out with me!" "Shut up, slug. Talk to me once you know your place." Was the plain response given by Nabe, which automatically sent Cipher into a laughing fit. Although she sounded a bit condescending in the rejection, he found it hilarious. "Shall I cut off your tongue for you?" "Oh uh..." Momon was starting to panic. "Thank you for such a harsh rejection!" Dancing around in circles on the street, the party members covered their mouths as they watched their comrade move about as he did. Then as he placed a hand on his head, only to hold it out to Nabe, "Then, lets start as friends!" He''d shout confidently. "You Maggot, do you want me to spoon out your eyes?" She was sincerely threatening him. Glaring right through him like she could tear him in two, similar to that of a piece of thin parchment. Cipher had stopped laughing at this point and raised a brow. "Is he a masochist?" MuteWas the spell he used on Lukrut before he could say another word. Though he could clearly mouth what his mind was going on about. He truly was a masochist. By the time he figured out that he could no longer make a sound, his own comrades were chuckling at the face of dismay he was displaying for all to see. In the end, he was begging and graveling at the feet of Cipher to unmute him. "In an hour or two," Cipher stated with a superficial smile across his lips before glancing up and over towards a new person who had just arrived. It was none other than Nphirea. "Ah, Balear, pleasure to see you again." Brita abruptly spat out, "Is your grandmother in the shop?" "Oh uh, yeah. She is in the shop." "I''ll see you all later, thank you!" Brita ran away from the group to return to her own, having used Nphirea''s grandmother as an excuse. And soon enough, she was gone. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. With Brita gone, Nphirea turned his attention to the Swords of Darkness and Momon. "Um... I was wondering if you could escort me to Carne Village. Our herbal stock is running low and I''d like to collect some herbs from the Forest of Tob." Cipher looked over towards Peter who nodded, and which Cipher nodded back to the boy. "Of course. We''ll be hunting some monsters first though, if you don''t mind." The young Wizard and Alchemist smiled gratefully. 11 「Interests」 Like a small convoy, the original members of the Swords of Darkness moved alongside the wagon belonging to Nphirea whilst Nabe walked several paces behind them, and then there was Cipher and Momon taking up the rear. "So that''s why you''re so interested in that Ninya character, hm." Momon chuckled lightly, learning that Ninya was in actually girl disguising themselves as a male. Considering the way that Lukrut had talked to Nabe and probably any other woman who he had an attraction to, he could understand why. On top of that, it would protect her from sexual assault for the most part. That is unless someone saw through it in some way shape or form. "That''s part of it, so far she has learned tiers higher than most humans and mortals in this world can reach thanks to my ''tutelage'', heh..." "Oh?" "And I learned that I can manipulate their memories... I kind of used necrotic magic on a group of bandits between the Citadel and Carne Village. They began to think I was a necromancer, or something much more powerful." He laughed lightly even though it was true. He was an Arch Lich, but he wasn''t originally a necromancer. Unlike an Elder Lich, any type of sorcerer could become one of his species as long as they had the potion and magic point capacity to do so. "Tell me more about their limits," Momon was curious about the humans and other species in this world. He was sure that many players had their hands on high teir magic. So in this world, it was different. Could it be that they couldn''t withstand the use, or were the just unknown? "So far I learned that with special exceptions, most mortals haven''t gone over the third tier. The highest known is probably fifth or in some very rare instances seventh." Momon nodded slowly, "this is most interesting... And you said Carne Village? You were there when it was attacked." "Yes, it happened soon after that." "Is your Citadel close by?" Cipher nodded to the skeleton in a suit of armor. "It''s to the North in a clearing between two arms of the Great Forest of Tob. It''s really close to the Border with the Barharuth Empire." "Really?" Momon was definitely impressed about that location. It was very strategic, unlike how his location was more of a random drop in the middle of the plains. They literally had to restructure and terraform the area around the Tomb in order to hide it. "We''re just East of Carne Village." "Interesting, my guardians found that hilly area with ''ruins'' as an abnormality." Cipher chuckled a bit, in turn causing Momon to laugh on his own to join him. "Will you be visiting?" "I''d like to," he smiled his ally. "Though I have a question... Is it Mare or Aura who is the female?" Momon, if he had sweat glands, he would have had a sweat drop on his temple. "Aura is the female. Mare is the male. It''s really hard to tell sometimes." "No kidding," Cipher was pretty aware of the creator''s tastes when it came to those two dark elves. Crossdressing wasn''t something he minded as long as it fit, or was immersive and confusing enough. "Why do you ask?" "I was thinking of getting close to her, she''s adorable, reminds me a bit of my sister. Though the only thing that worries me is what you said, about them being fanatics towards you as you''re the only member of your Guild left." Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Hmmm... Was your sister that energetic?" "In life, she could never sit still and in death, she wasn''t even caught dead in a dress." Cipher closed his eyes slightly, they started to sting a bit. "I kinda wish I didn''t have tear ducts right now, you lucky bastard. Why didn''t I choose to be a skeleton?" "From what I remember from our spars, that body of yours is just a massive sum of magical mass. If you get hit with magic, your skeleton is visible through your skin for a few seconds." "What''s the purpose of pointing that out?" "Didn''t know you knew?" Momon tried cracking a joke and shrugged, laughing to himself. "But what will you do if that happens in front of them?" "I''ll think of something should that happen. I''ll just have to passively protect myself from magic belonging to other people." He snickered to himself, before folding his hands behind his head. "Sounds like a plan, but back to the girl..." "Right... Her family, her older sister, was taken by a noble. I promised to help her find her sister and potentially save her if she is still alive." He smiled lightly as he scratched the back of his head, enjoying the feeling. "Sounds noble of you. I''m assuming you''re getting something out of it?" Cipher shrugged slightly, "Her maybe?" Momon found himself smiling slightly. This guy had only been in this world for a select amount of days and was already chasing romance. "So you''re looking to impress her?" "I guess you could say that. None of my relationships really worked out outside of Yggdrasil. I was always too in my head or I just have a bad choice of people..." He huffed lightly, letting his hands fall to his sides. "Ooof," Momon just looked at him as they were walking before turning his attentions forward. "That''s pretty heavy." "Haha... Yeah... I know," He shook his head slightly and looked towards those around the wagon. A small smile was printed though across those lips of his. Part of him wanted to live a normal life, but because of how this world was and what he had become, it was a pipe dream. This was no longer a game, this was life, despite how everything worked. The other part of him wanted to live a life of luxury and adventure. "I''ve been meaning to ask you, Cipher." Momon called upon him once more and it dragged his attention from the Swords of Darkness back to him. His eyes rested on the form in black armor. "What is it?" "Would you be interested in a merger?" "Excuse me?" Cipher pursed his lips at his words. A merger? Was he asking if he wanted to merge the guilds together to consolidate resources? It wasn''t a bad idea. In the game, if this happened, they didn''t lose their castles or dungeons. It was like an alliance or a pact that acted as a temporary or even permanent merger. "So far we are the only two players here and we at least know each other." Momon said as he eyed their surroundings through the slot in his helmet. "They may as well count you as one of the ''supreme'' ones." "Is this because... I defeated you four times out of five?" Cipher asked as he stared through Momon, trying to gauge his ally''s motives. "Four out of Five? You''re holding those against me, aren''t you?" Momon brushed off the question. "No. It would just be good to have someone to talk to, to work along side, that one can relate to." Cipher nodded slightly hearing him, "That is understandable. Let me think on it?" Momon nodded and started to move faster to catch up with the wagon. He regrouped with Nabe and he was soon walking with the rest of the party. However Cipher remained lagging behind. The idea of merging with Ainz Ooal Gown sounded promising. He already had a large collection of cash items and world items in his inventory as well as the primary vault of the Citadel. Pros and Cons, betrayal wasn''t something he''d want, but he doubted Ainz would betray him. The only concern would be being lumped in as being Evil should Nazarick be exposed to the world. If he were to do this, he''d have to get great renown for himself and even a following. He''d need even more of a foothold in this world if he wanted to cement his presence and his freedom. That''s when his thoughts went to the letter of introduction. An audience with the King, the royal family. Could he use this as an opportunity? "King Cipher?" He wrangled his nose slightly at the sound of it. It didn''t quite fit, it didn''t resonate. Thinking back, he could use his real name. It fit the setting enough since he wasn''t necessarily Japanese. He didn''t grow up in Japan. He just chose to live there in his adult life. "Jack Graham... King Jack? King Graham... Hmmm..." The idea of calling himself by his real name made it feel as if he was claiming this reality as his own. It was him admitting it was real, tangible. There was nothing that proved it otherwise, except for having access to the game mechanics. "Who''s Jack?" Ninya''s voice suddenly appeared beside him, almost making Cipher jump. "Oh!" Ninya smirked a bit having gotten the jump on Cipher, she a bit surprised that she did though. "It''s my given name. My sister''s name was Eve," he chuckled as he scratched the side of his head. Ninya''s smirk turned into a casual smile as she was looking up to him. "How long had you been there anyway?" "Uh..." She nervously averted her sight for a moment before looking back to him. "From the moment you said your name..." He raised a brow at this and nodded slowly, continuing to walk at a singular pace. He tried his best not to appear embarrassed at being caught talking to himself. Let alone calling himself a King. "What made you come back here?" "Oh, Momon said... He wanted to switch spots," her head tilted to the side slightly. She wasn''t quite sure what to make of what was going on. "He did, did he?" Raising both of his brows, he looked to the back of the bone head in the front. He then looked back over towards Ninya as she nodded to him. "...Is something wrong?" "Nope." "Can... Can I call you Jack?" Her simple smile was tugged wider as she asked this question. "You like that name more than Cipher?" Cipher asked curiously, raising a brow. "I... guess I do," Ninya began facing frontward as she walked beside him. Cipher began looking down to her hand which was swaying at her side. He wondered how soft it was, how warm it would feel. Would her hands get all clammy? How nervous and confused would she get? "Is something wrong with my hand?" Ninya asked as she caught him staring. It appeared he lost track of time and had been looking at her for a few minutes now. "Hah, no. Nothing''s wrong with your hand. It''s fine." Furrowing her brows, she glanced him up and down for a moment before facing forward again. "Can I hold your hand?" Cipher blurted out, pointing down at her free hand at her side. "Huh? What?" Surprised and caught off guard from the sudden request, Ninya had a hard time processing it. "Why?" She''d squeak at him nervously, bringing her hand close to her center as if to shield it. His cheek twitched slightly as she asked him why, "Reasons?" Ninya calmed down after a few seconds and just stared at him for a few. "Reasons...?" She could see how nervous he was, but couldn''t understand why. She had a vague idea that he knew she was a woman, but still. Out of everyone he had encountered, was he really going to show interest in her? She was looking at him, she knew he was handsome. The question was though, why did he feel so unnatural to be around? He filled the air with magic just by existing. He had these powers that surpassed any known human being she had ever known of. She was having a hard time letting herself accept this conclusion. "I like you," he said this plain as day. The moment he said those words though, her world exploded. It was as if she had gone deaf and blind all at once. All she could do was see his face and hear her own heartbeat drumming away in her ears. "I..." Her voice was shaking, did she like him? Could she like him? She didn''t know. 12 「Journey」 Their moment interrupted. The smell of iron blood, the sound of crushing bone. Ogres and Goblins crying out for war. Cipher and Ninya rushed and made their way up to the wagon, only to catch the glimpses of Momon slaying the monsters single handedly. A single strike took down an ogre and another strike took out several goblins. The Swords of Darkness were only seeing a mere fraction of Momonga''s powers, but this was his prowess with a sword as a perfect warrior. Still flushed in the face, she stood there breathing heavily, letting her shoulders move up and down as she took in the scene. While her friends had taken up defensive positions, they were hardly required. They had found themselves two new powerful comrades next to having Cipher on their side. "He must have the power of an Adamantite adventurer!" Peter exclaimed seeing this massacre of monstrous creatures who had originally planned to prey on them. Cipher just stood there with Ninya, watching as the plains of green grass were painted with scent of fresh blood and death. Reaching over, he gently grasped onto Ninya''s wrist, revitalize, was the only spell he cast. Immediately she was relieved of the fatigue of the sudden rush to get close to her friends. Yet her face flushed a deep red feeling his hand entangled in her own. He was being bold as he toyed with her fingers. Her heart was thumping through her veins and he could feel it, it was as if he was holding it in his hands. Cipher licked his lips slightly to the feeling. Her hand was so warm and it was becoming sweaty and clammy. It was just like he imagined it just moments ago. She was becoming so nervous, he could only chuckle quietly. Peter could see this from the corner of his eye and he raised a brow slightly. He wasn''t sure what he was seeing. Was this guy into men or something? Why was Ninya blushing so much? They looked nervous... Was he hurting Ninya? Questions were going through his mind, only for his thoughts to return to the action. He rested his eyes on the retreating monsters and Momon going off to chase them down. "Head them off!" Peter''d shout as he, Dyne and Lukrut went to rush after them. "Cipher, Ninya, you guard the wagon and Mister Nphirea!" He nodded slightly as he casually hid their hands in her cloak, behind her back until they were gone. With a shaky breath, she slowly removed her hand from his grasp and stared up at him. "Why?" "Why?" Cipher blinked several times when she asked this question. He was familiar with it and it bothered him. This question was impossible. Why would one love or feel attraction for another? "Why... Why do you like me?" Nphirea turned his head to look at the two and raised a brow. "Huh?" "Pay attention to the Wagon," Cipher ordered the young man, pointing at him without even giving him a glance. He then let his hand drop to his side. Smiling at her, seeing her meek and confused expression. "I like you because of your bravery. How you carry yourself. The pale complexion of your skin. The shortness of your hair. Every bit of you, is why I like you. Especially for the kindness of which is your heart." Cipher said with a voice as smooth as he could possibly make, he could have sworn his voice faded in and out or even cracked from the emotional pressure. It didn''t bother him though. He wanted to just let her understand. Even though he had only known her for just about ten days now. Ninya gulped hearing him. This was a confession and he was making it. Her heart was drumming so hard now that her chest and shoulders quaked. Her vision was even throbbing at this point. He wanted to pull her in, reel her in like the catch of the day. Take her by the waist and just hold her. To feet her head against his chest. To run his hand through her hair. So many things, so many thoughts. While she could only imagine him doing those things, her eyes bobbed about his facial features. Thinking about what a kiss would feel like. How would his lips feel? Warm? Hot? Soft? Chapped? She poked the tip of her tongue out briefly before swallowing hard. Nphirea who was watching this whole thing go on was blushing himself. He was imagining himself saying the same thing to Enri. Oh how he wanted to be able to protect his crush off in the Carne Village. Though at the same time he himself was confused, was Ninya a male or female? Was Cipher into men? He was getting the same thoughts a Peter in that relation. Without a second thought, Cipher lightly grasped the back of her head and brought her closer to himself. It was a brief embrace as he lightly pressed his lips against the top of her head. He couldn''t help but smile as he subtly took in her scent. She smelled like the hand soap from the Inn, and her hair smelled like the bedsheets she laid in. With his chest virtually in her face, she could take in his musky scent that had a hint of citric to it. He smelled of a lemon-flower mixture. Part of her wanted to bury her face into the metal armor, to feel how cold it was compared to the air that surrounded them. Would she stick to him like a tongue on ice? "What are you guys doing?" Peter asked with a slight chuckle as their attentions immediately snapped to him. He was holding his arm, rubbing it slightly as if caressing a bruise. The two bounced apart, about a complete foot. "N-n-nothing!" Squeaked Ninya, almost flailing her arms about urgently. Cipher on the other hand was wide eyed, "Nothing at all. Ninya was just feeling a bit off, so I was checking his temperature. All''s normal." Peter blinked a few times, not trusting either explanation, but simply shrugged it off with his iconic brand of smile. Bright and charismatic. "Whatever," he dismissed it and turned his head to watch the others returning. "Lets set up camp here tonight." "Sounds like a good idea." Dyne said as he was cleaning his mace with a piece of scrapped rag. "I haven''t slept a night under the stars in a long while," Cipher commented as he looked to the sky. It was still daylight out, but he thought it''d be nice to learn more about the constellations. Or at least imagine them. "Oh?" Momon was interested in the idea. "Lets get a camp fire ready and going!" Lukrut cheered, "I''m pretty sure Cipher brought some good stuff in that basket for a night like this." Cipher just looked over at him when he said this and tilted his head to the side. "What''d you bring?" Ninya blinked a few times looking at him. "Preserves made from tart berries and various fruits, some bagels, along with some rice and exotic seasoned fish sandwiches with tomato and lettuce." It was clear that he had originally brought the food as a picnic for just him and Ninya. Though there was plenty enough to go around. Nabe blinked a few times hearing about the food. Her eyes were centered on him for a few moments before looking to the basket. Momon wasn''t going to eat, so she didn''t think she would. "And we brought soup as well, so we''ll have plenty to eat tonight." Dyne assured everyone. Later that night, they were all situated around the camp fire a few meters from a tall tree, a tree which Cipher was seated upon and watching them. His eyelids were closed so much that it looked as if he was sleeping combined with the shallow breaths he took through his nose. However he wasn''t sleeping at all. Instead, he was watching the backs of their heads as the flames flickered. He could hear them talking, they were having a good time. This alone made him smile in his supposed sleep. The group was bonding. They were getting along with Momon, though not really that much with Nabe. Lukrut hasn''t appeared to have given up on her and it was apparent that Ninya had interests in him. She kept looking back at him every now and then to check if he was still there. As if he would just disappear. He wondered what she was thinking about. Was she thinking about earlier? What he smelled like? What his lips felt like on the top of her head? He was enjoying the thoughts he had. He knew what it felt like to kiss her head. To smell her hair. To touch her hand. To pull her close. These things all were committed to memory. These things he couldn''t do in a game and it made him happy. That''s when his eyes narrowed on Peter who was watching him as he was talking to the others. Those eyes he wore were curiosity. And soon he was able to figure out what Peter was trying to figure out on his own in his head, when he took a glance towards Ninya. ''He definitely thinks I''m Gay.'' Ninya who was almost oblivious of his gaze, looked over at Peter with a smile. She was situated right next to Momon. Though as the conversations continued, she turned her attention to the Dark Hero with the big red cape and the others around her. The talking got a bit quieter, but he could hear everything besides the point. It was clear everything was getting emotional. Ninya started saying something about naming the party being a mistake in her Youth, something which made him snicker a bit. "There is nothing to be ashamed of," Dyne defended her despite her stomach doing flips. Ninya just lowered her head and watched the flames dance before glancing over her shoulder towards Cipher. She was wondering why he had separated himself from the group all of a sudden. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Had it been because she didn''t give him a straight up answer? While she had asked him why, she didn''t actually say yes did she? She let her lips part a bit as she thought, before looking back towards Peter as he explained the meaning behind the Party''s name. "It comes from the swords of one of the Thirteen Heroes." Was just about anything he had said, and Momon was definitely puzzled. Cipher opened his eyes a bit more as he remained looking over them. How cute could they be? Part of him wanted everything to stay like this, but would reality allow it? Cipher and Ainz Ooal Gown were likely to get politically involved. If the Nobles were afraid of someone more powerful than them currying favor, it was likely they''d fall out of it. Especially if the King couldn''t control his Noble houses. "Tch..." These thoughts were ruining the moment and he just wanted to cast them away. "Who are they?" Nabe would speak up casually, almost monotone, as Momon avoided asking. "So you don''t know, Nabe.." Lukrut remarked with a soft tone. "Among the Thirteen Heroes," Ninya found herself smiling as she turned to tell the tale. "The Swords of Darkness are the four swords that the one called Black Knight owned." The moment they said the name Black Knight, Momon turned his head to look at Cipher who''s eyes were glowing in the dark. A mystical blue glow that seemed to seep out of his irises like smoke from a fire. Slowly he turned to look back towards Ninya. "Hmmm..." Nabe was airily interested it seemed. "Well, our ultimate goal is to find those swords." Lukrut added onto the conversation much as he did before. It really seemed he was interested in the woman, even if she was more inclined to slit his throat for annoying her. "Until we get our hands on them, this is our symbol." Peter declared as he and along with the other original members of his group drew their black jeweled short swords. Though out of all of them, Ninya neglected to unsheathe hers. She just held the leather scabbard in her hands, as it was a precious item. "Real or fake, has nothing to do with it." Lukrut said with a smile of triumph and great feeling on his face as he held his weapon above his head as he drew it from its home. "These represent the creation of our team, either way." "Yes. Lukrut said something surprisingly good." "If only he did that on a regular basis," Cipher chipped in as he padded on over to the group and sat down on his knees behind Ninya, looking over everyone. "Hey! Isn''t that pretty mean!? Why are you ganging up on me!?" Everyone started to burst out laughing, hardly sympathetic to their friend''s plight. "We have to praise him every once and a while," Peter said, which made it sound as if he was some sort of pet. Though at the same time it was just a friendly tease. "You guys treat me way too badly!" Lukrut said with a big dumb smile on his face as he rested his hands on his thigs as he remained seated. "Do all adventurers get along well with their team like this?" Asked the ever so quiet Nphirea, smiling and looking to Peter who''s attention he immediately seized. "Yes. We trust our lives to one another," he answered this with such a smile across his lips, a smile which hardly seemed to fade away. "And our team is full of boys." Lukrut decided to be himself again and started spouting nonsese, "I''ve heard that girls in a team can cause serious problems." While Dyne remained smiling beside Ninya, Ninya on the other hand sighed and closed her eyes with a smile on her face. Peter who had been wanting to know what was going on between her and Cipher was quick to pick up on this and subtly raised a brow. "And our team has a goal too. So we''re pretty solidified." Ninya suddenly added to keep everything form being awkward so it seemed. "Things are completely different when everyone has a common goal." Momon proudly announced. "Were you in a team, Mister Momon?" Ninya asked as she turned her head to look towards the man in black and gold armor with that profound red cape. "It wasn''t as adventurers, but yes." Momon said with a softer tone as he turned his gaze to the sky, Cipher and the others could only imagine him smiling nostalgically. "Once when I was weak and alone, a white holy knight saved me... He lead me to people I could call comrades for the first time. They were wonderful allies..." The way he spoke, everyone felt an empathic lure. A frown on their lips as it was clear that team was no longer with him. "They were the best friends. I will never forget the days I spent with them." To Cipher it was similar to that of a Eulogy for the dead. "Mister Momon..." Ninya muttered sympathetically before putting on a smile across her lips, "SoC" She was almost immediately cut off by Cipher who planted a hand on her shoulder. Glancing over at him, he shook his head. It was best not to assure him of anything. Cipher hadn''t shared much information on his group, which acted as support after the death of his sister, because he didn''t want to be assured either. "They''re all gone, just like mine." "You had a team too... Other than those people in the Fortress?" Ninya asked as she looked over at him, everyone having their attention on Cipher and Momon. "They were my support when my sister died, they let me find solace. They''d even stay with me until I fell asleep, like a child would their parent. It was pretty embarrassing, but they were my best friends. Nothing can replace them, but new memories can be made." Cipher said with a small smile across lips, he hadn''t removed his hand from her shoulder. 13 「The Road to Carne」 The next morning, the sun was rising above the Swords of Darkness and their newest comrades. Laying on their sides, resting on the Blue Quilted Cloak of Greater Attributes, was Cipher and Ninya. His arm was loosely around her waist, his form arm resting on her side, and the opposing shoulder acting as a pillow for her head. He had her back side close to him. Peter was standing over them, one arm across his chest, holding his side while the opposite hand was grasping his chin in a pinch. He was just staring at this as if it was some sort of mystery to be unraveled. Lukrut who had woken up threw himself onto his feet and stretched flamboyantly before pausing and looking over at their leader. Raising a brow, his eyes dropped down to the duo on the ground. They both just stared, blinking at them. Ninya let out a slight feminine moan in her sleep as the sun was shining on the side of her face. Her hand absently reaching out and grasping at the edge of Cipher''s cloak and rolling over to with it. As she did so her face planted against the cool armored plate against the man''s chest. An unconsciously coy smile forming over her lips. It felt nice as contrast to the rays of the sun which had bothered her. Lukrut had lulled his head to the side when she had released that moan and just kept watching them alongside Peter. When Dyne rolled onto his side and then moved to stand, he noticed his friends watching what looked like Cipher and a figure rolled up in his cloak. He raised a brow and wadded on over to them, before looking at the familiar boots sticking out from the blue quilted cloak. His mouth slowly opened, looking at his friends and then back to this. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Peter shrugged at the other men in his group before taking a few steps forward and reaching the tip of his foot to nudge at Cipher''s head. However, a mere second before the boot touched his forehead, his eyes opened. Peter was able to stop himself in time and just silently made gestures at the two of them. "Do you even sleep?" Peter whispered as they''d squat down to get near his level. "No. I take fifteen minute cat naps." Cipher whispered back sarcastically. "Why are you two so close? Are you into men or something?" Lukrut dropped onto his hands and knees, inspecting the two of them a bit closer. Cipher''s eyes locked on Lukrut, "Have you ever been shocked by seventh tier Lightning magic?" Despite whispering, his tone was clearly a playful threat. "Heeey!" Lukrut shot up onto his knees with his hands up and whined, "No need to go that far. So mean..." "Too straight forward," Dyne laughed at Lukrut''s suffering from the verbal attack. Peter smiled slightly as he rested his elbows on his knees, remaining squatting in front of the pair. "So, care to explain?" "Mmm..." Ninya groaned slightly and opened her eyes, pressing her forehead to the cold metal before pausing a moment. She saw shadows cast over them, and vague reflections of her friends. Instinctively she froze, her eyes creeping up towards Cipher who was locking eyes with Peter. Shimmying about within his cloak, she turned herself to face the boys, pulling the cloak down under her chin to get a good look at them as she rubbed her eyes. Cipher glanced down at her without turning his head away from Peter and smiled slightly. "I uh..." Ninya swallowed the saliva in her mouth softly, nervous. "Ninya would you care to explain? Cipher''s being Cipher." Peter snickered as he was ready to listen. He wanted to know what was going on between the two of them. Whimpering groggily as she was being put onto the spotlight, she sighed. "It''s exactly what it looks like," she''d whine before her lower lip pushed up beneath her upper lip in a confounded frown of embarrassment. "Exactly what it..." He looked over the way they were laying, and it definitely fit the idea of intimacy. "What is it that I''m looking at?" Peter asked with that smile of his still across his lips. "..." Ninya tightened her lips as she was trying to figure out what to say. Cipher could figuratively see the steam coming off of her head as her face was turning a faint shade of pink as she blushed. "She''s a girl, I confessed, and she accepted... I think." Turning his head down to look at her, he raised a brow briefly until she gave a muted nod. Lukrut''s jaw dropped right then and there and he fell right onto his bum. He was at a loss for words, completely unable to comprehend how he had no idea. It was hard for him. "I''m so sorry," the words he had said last night about girls being in a party would cause a serious problem echoed in the back of his mind. In a way he felt as if he had hurt her feelings when he had blurted that out. Peter took in a deep breath before slowly exhaling, he had this gentle look on his face though as if he just accepted it for what it was. While she had carried on their lives with a lie, it had come to light. Even if she couldn''t bring herself to tell them outright. "That explains a bit..." Peter said with a friendly chuckle and titter tethered to his voice. "Still. It''s a pleasure to have you on our team. We wouldn''t have you any other way." Cipher wore this smile on his lips as if he figured they would just accept it. They had known each other for a long time and they were companions that put each other''s lives on the lives for one another. Dyne though had a smile on his face. Maybe he already knew and said nothing, or maybe he never really mattered to him in the first place. He seemed to just be a living ray of sunshine. Momon and Nabe however had already been up the entire time. Watching the whole thing go on. Truth be told, it was mildly entertaining for Momon at least. Nabe didn''t seem all that much interested in the drama. So as several a minutes have gone by, everyone was already up onto their feet and packing up their supplies they had used last night. The pot and the bowls, they put them away and packed them onto the wagon. They spent the early hours of the morning as the rising sun was watching on their backs, making their way to the Carne Village they had all once been to at least once. Cipher walked beside the back of the wagon with Ninya at his side as Nphirea drove the horse. Hardly did he even register what they were saying, if they were talking at all. Glancing behind him as he was heading the front of the group, Lukrut put on a smile. Things were too quiet for him. "This area has such a great view!" He''d proclaim to get everyone''s attention. "There''s was probably no need to walk in formation like this!" Peter who was walking on the opposite side of the horse from Dyne spoke up immediately, "It''s important to be on guard." "So true! The greatest enemy is carelessness," Dyne agreed with their leader. "That sounded like Confucius," Cipher noted aloud as he tilted his head slightly. "Confucius?" Ninya asked as she looked up at him with a brow raised before looking to the others. "A dragon could suddenly launch an attack on us." "Seriously. Do you really think that would happen, Ninya!?" Lukrut whined as he wore this grim expression on his face as he didn''t want to be jinxed by what Ninya had just said. "Around the area of E-Rantel, there are legends of a dragon that could freely control nature. And, to the north of the Azerlisia Mountains over there, I heard there are quite a few living frost dragons." "Oh boy..." Cipher uttered looking at the vines of poison oak and ivy in the forest surrounding them on their path. "I don''t want to be an itchy burrito." "Burrito?" Ninya questioned him, curious of the comparison. "You''re lucky I have a lot of items on me," Cipher gave a suppressed laugh as he would reach into his dimensional storage which was his inventory and pulled out a burrito partially wrapped in aluminum paper. It was still hot from the time he had crafted it in-game. The Burrito consisted of ground beef, cheddar cheese, lava lettuce, Orcish tomato and Ebony avocado spread with some mild salsa and some improvised chipotle sauce. Holding it out for her to take, Ninya reached over with her free hand and plucked it from his grasp. She observed it closely with her eyes before smelling it. "Mmm," she smiled quiet a bit more now that she wasn''t thinking of something like being eaten by a dragon. "Being wrapped up in poison ivy and oak vines doesn''t sit well with me," Cipher explained what he meant and this caused the group to erupt into laughter for a short bit. Ninya bit into the burrito and slowly nommed on the soft shell. The juices from the meat, mixed with the melted cheese and all the other flavors tickled her taste buds. It almost moved her to tears, as the flavors reminded her of the luxurious foods he had at the citadel during that little vacation he practically forced on the group to get information out of them. Clearing his throat now that the theatrics were done, Momon spoke, "Ah. Do you know the name of the dragon that can control nature freely?" "Huh? Ohwa, nu itsh name." Ninya tried speaking with her mouth full of food before swallowing. "Sorry. No I don''t know its name. I will check when we return to town." She said with a curious expression. Why was he wanting to know its name? "Yes. Can you do that for me, Ms Ninya?" She nodded with a big closed smile across her lips, "Of course, Mister Momon!" Now that everyone had started talking, it was hard to ignore the fact they were all smiling. Well, most of them were smiling. The only person who seemed to be deadpanned was none other than Nabe. "It''s just a bit further to Carne Village!" Nphirea glanced back as he announced this with a smile towards his new found friends. Momon however was now looking towards Cipher, both of them were thinking about the Dragons as in the game they were considered the strongest species. Luckily for Cipher though, he had won quite a few Higher Dragons through the gacha shop, including a Dracolich which was even stronger than any normal dragon. Approaching the fields surrounding the Village of Carne, the party slowly comes to a stop. "That wasn''t there before..." They all made this quick observation, their eyes centered on the gate and the goblins which were slowly coming into view. "We''re surrounded by a Goblin Troop?" Cipher raised a brow as he was using sensory magic passively to see his surroundings. His eyes then rested on Momon who wasn''t surprised to see them. Though more curious about the wall. "I think after we''re done here, I''ll help upgrade the walls. Ninya, would you join me later?" Ninya nodded slightly as everyone appeared wary of the Goblins, but she found her calm seeing as he didn''t even appear to believe they were hostile. Drawing his bow though, Lukrut pointed the arrow at the goblins while the rest of the party was ready for a fight. "Wait," Cipher stated as he stepped forward, "They''re not--" "Who the hell are you guys!?" The Ranger Goblin demanded to know as the others had weapons ready to engage the party as well. Then that''s when the other goblins came popping out of the crops and tall grass. Just as Cipher said, they were surrounded. "Put down your weapons!" One of the Goblins called out. Momon also seemed to understand what was going on, "These guys..." "Um, guys. We don''t want to fight if we don''t have to." The Goblin said with a bastard sword in his hand. Out of all of them, he was the only one with a red band on his shoulder. Would he be the Goblin Captain? "Especially the full-plated guy and the one in the blue. You two give off real dangerous feelings!" The Goblin was friendly, if not anything else. "Eh?" Nphirea was confused and afraid. "Who are these guys!?" Peter eyed those around him with a serious look in his eyes. His sword and shield were at the ready. "They''re summons," Cipher stated as he stepped forward, looking over them with magic sight. "Mister Goblin, what''s going on?" A young woman made her appearance, it was none other than Enri. She had pure skin, soft brown eyes and blond hair. "Oh! Boss!" The goblin looked up towards the female who towered over just about all of them. "Enri!" Shouted Nphirea in surprise and concern. She was surrounded by Golbins afterall. "Huh?" Looking up from her Goblin underlings, the young lady smiled and brought her hands up to her chin in a gesture of happiness. "Nphirea!" "Oh.. It''s that girl he was talking about last night," the party members commented to themselves, happy to see the person that Nphirea was into. "Definitely!" Dyne confirmed as he rested his mace on his shoulder. Enri''s eyes then rested on Ciphir and then toward the rest of the group, recognizing them from during the time the Slane Theocracy attacked. She blinked several times though seeing him standing beside Ninya. "Welcome back, all of you." "Much appreciated..." 14 「Times」 After Nphirea went into the Village to talk with Enri, the rest of them wandered about and explored the place. Ninya and Cipher though separated from the rest, and were soon joined by three goblins as well. The two were walking along the walls which surrounded the Village. "So you''re interested in the walls? You got a keen eye!" One of the Goblins said, pride for the fortifications notable in his tone of voice and his big smile. "It''s... Good for the short term," Cipher commented which made the Goblin''s raise their brows. Just what was he talking about? "Jack?" Ninya raised a brow, she knew he wanted to reinforce the walls, she was just curious of how he wanted to do so. "From the place I''m from, there was once a wall that stretched over six thousand, four hundred, kilometers and had a width of nine meters. It was a marvel for the civilization the built it and it had been built in a mere two hundred year period. It''s an impressive piece of art," Cipher was speaking of the Great Wall of China. He had visited it once before on his way from Europe to Japan, a quick pitstop one could say. Their lips parted as they heard the specifications of such a wall. "I''m looking to build a wall of the same thickness around the village," He said as he turned towards the Goblins, "Of course. Made of stone and not flammable wood. Invaders would have to think twice before trying to break through these walls. Even monsters would have a hard time." "Are you looking to turn this area into a fortress?" Ninya asked curiously, "Or just protect the people?" "This village has been here for a while, so I''ve learned by talking to the people in E-Rantel. This is an ideal spot for the founding of another Fortress Town." He was pretty sure of this. Plus if it became a town, that meant there would be a market present and much more people would make their way out here. "Just have to connect it to the main highway rather than just stray paths." The goblins nodded slightly, understanding what he was saying. The more people here, meant more people to defend. They''d have to expand their troop, that was for sure. Ninya though was admiring his thoughts, even if she did just ask what his intentions were. "And how are you going to build this wall around our fair Village, Sir?" The Goblin with the red band on his arm asked, walking up to the three which followed the two. "I have two different ways to do so," Cipher said as he turned his eyes to look at the creature far less than half his size. He was tempted to place a hand on his bald head. "Move my Citadel here from the North and impede on Ainz Ooal Gown''s sphere of influence, or summon Golems to build it." "You can move the Citadel, Jack?" Ninya''s eyes were wide open, it was hard to believe this at all. Though he had said that it was originally some sort of teleportation incident that brought him here. "Yes. I have magic items that would allow me to move it again," he''d confirm with reservation. However as they were walking along the interior of the wall, he spotted movement in the corner of his eye. His head turned and he caught a the sight of a Nphirea Beleare running from the house he had entered not too long ago. "Hm...?" His eyes traveled from Nphirea towards the direction he was going. "I''ll be right back, Teleport" with that he vanished from sight for a split moment before resurfacing beside Momon and Nabe. "Cipher?" Momon took a step to the side and turned to face him. He and Nabe had just been watching over the families of the villagers who were paying tribute to their dead. The two of them were relatively calm though with his sudden appearance. "Momon, Nabe." Cipher stated before looking in the direction of the incoming young man who appeared out of breath as he wasn''t meant for physical exercise to such an extent. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Coming to a stop, panting, in front of them with his hands on his knees. Nphirea looked up at the three heroes who had saved the village and to some extent, Enri. "Do you have Business with me?" Momon addressed him with a superior tone. "Mister Momon... Mister Momon... Are you Mister Ainz Ooal Gown?" He was still trying to breath, sweat decorated what was visible of his face. Even his neck began to shine with sweat from the run. "Wha!" Both Momon and Nabe were almost immediately on edge. Nudging Momon with his elbow, Cipher grinned a bit. "Ooo... Seems like he figured you out." Cipher of course wasn''t taking this all that seriously. After a brief pause hearing Cipher say this, it appeared that he wasn''t the only one who knew. However, Nphirea could only assume the others didn''t know. "Thank you for saving this town, Mister Gown!" He said with a big smile on his face, sharing his perfect pearly white teeth. "No, Im..." "Yes. I know you''re hiding your true name for some reason." The young man concluded aloud, "Even then, this village..." He began to lower his head before picking it back up, one blue eye being clearly visible between his long bangs. "No, I wanted to thank you for saving Enri." Though his risen head lowered once more, a clear as day blush on his cheeks. "Thank you so much for saving the woman I love." He''d finish with a bow, his arms stiff at his sides. "Raise your head," Momon demanded with a calm voice. "Yes, Mister Gown." Rising his head with a closed smile across his lips, he looked over to Cipher. "And thank you for assisting him." "Oh, ''course." Cipher yawned slightly as he looked over the blond. For some reason the number of blond people in this world was beginning to make him feel strange. Why were there so many?! "And actually I''ve been hiding something from you... Both..." "You weren''t hiding it very well," Cipher pointed out as Nphirea went to confess that he was trying to get close to at least one of them to learn how to make the potion or how to acquire it. Nphirea turned a bit pale hearing this, but understood anyways. They already knew.. "Nabe, could you leave us alone for a moment? Cipher, stay." Nabe''s mouth opened agape as she looked over towards her leader before nodding. "Understood," following his request. Walking a short distance away and awaiting for the conversation to come to an end. "Actually, the red potions you two gave to the lady at the inn is very rare and cannot be made using normal methods.. That''s why I wanted to know what kind of persons created them. Also, I wanted to learn how it was made." He lowered his head as he was feeling a sense of shame. This was a hero who had saved Enri, this village. Both of them were heroes. "That is why I requested your group." "I see..." Momon said as he completely understood this course of action. Though now he understood he made a bad choice, but it turned out he wasn''t the only one who made it. "I''m very sorry." He bowed his upper body to Momon and Cipher once more. "hm? You didn''t do anything wrong, did you?" Momon asked, Cipher felt as if he was making fun of the boy. The boy felt guilty for deception, but he didn''t seem to be indulging in his guilt. "Huh?" Looking up at him, Nphirea blinked a few times in surprise. "The Request was a way to connect with me, us, right? Is there a problem with that? And even if you learned how to make the potion, what were your plans for it?" "Huh!? I didn''t think that far!" Nphirea was quick to panic in the wave of the calm inquisition from Momon. "I just wanted the knowledge." "I see..." Momon kept his gaze on the young man before speaking once more. "It''s another story if you wanted to use it for evil. Otherwise there is nothing wrong with wanting to know." He''d assure him without chastising him for the manipulation. "You''re amazing. I can see why Enri admires you..." Nphirea couldn''t help but blush and smile up at the man with this awkward smile across his lips. "By the way, are you the only one who knows that I''m Ainz?" "Yes, I haven''t told anyone!" "I see, that''s good. Right now, I am a normal adventurer named Momon." "Normal he says," Cipher snickered slightly. "More normal than this man here," Momon said as he pointed to Cipher who was keeping suppressed laughter to himself. "I''d be happy if you didn''t forget that." Momon continued to talk to him though, making sure the boy knew that he wanted his identity to remain a secret. "Yes, I thought that''s how you''d want it. Still, thank you for saving Enri and this Village." He then turned his head to look over Cipher, wondering what he was going to do with the wall, but bowed to Ainz either way. "Lord Ainz, I am sorry," Nabe made her reappearance with a bow of her head towards her Master. "That''s right. It''s because you spoke Albedo''s name." "I will apologize with my life!" In that instant she drew her weapon and was about to commit by self-decapitation. However the moment the blade was about to touch her supple neck, she couldn''t move it. Her dark eyes immediately locked onto the two fingers belonging to Cipher who was holding the weapon still. She couldn''t even make it budge and he wasn''t moving. "It''s fine!" Momon assured her which immediately caused her sharp dark eyes to calm. "Everyone makes mistakes." Seeing the wisdom of his words, and heeding them, she would watched as Cipher released the blade form his hold and she quickly returned it to her scabbard. "You just need to make an effort nto to make the same mistake again. All your mistakes have been forgiven, Narberal Gamma." Momon turned his body to face his underling. She wore a frown, but those eyes shined with the admiration of a thousand suns. It was clear she would do anything and everything he wanted, or desired. Cipher however was now standing before both of them, their eyes locked on him. "Momonga, I have reached a decision." "Oh?" "I would like to merge the Blue Citadel with the Guild of Ainz Ooal Gown." His eyes shining brightly, even visible through the opening in his helmet, Momon nodded. Both of them opened their Guild Interfaces and configured their settings, forming the pact which bind them together for as long as they were able to coexist. The moment the two became one, the could now view each others Guild rosters and the like. "I would like to move the Citadel to Carne Village. I can restructure the houses on my own." "Restructure the houses?" Momon looked over him, knowing he probably wanted to bring the Citadel over in order to quickly place the walls around the place. "Yes. To fit the theme." Momon nodded slightly, knowing very well the architectural theme of the Citadel was from feudal Japan. He was sure this guy had plenty of items he could use in order to do this and pull it off without a hitch. "As you see fit." "Understood," Cipher said with a grin across his lips before looking in the general direction of the Tomb of Nazarick. "Aura is waiting in the Great Forest of Tob." "Oh?" This immediately drew back his attention as he smiled faintly. "I''ll regroup with the others, and then I''ll join you." That''s when he had vanished just as he arrived, resurfacing before Ninya and the Goblins now awaiting them in the Village Square. Nabe raised a brow, "Lady Aura is here?" Momon nodded, "We are here to spread my Great Name, aren''t we?" 15 「Dubious Cabbage」 As the team gathered with Nphirea at the edge of the forest, not too far from Carne Village, Cipher and Ninya stared at the tall trees above. They weren''t new to them, it was just surreal to look up and see rays of light cast down upon them. In a way it was a tranquil feeling. "We''ll be entering the forest from here. Please guard me well," Nphirea took the attention of the adventurers who were there to guard him from the dangers of which were in the forest. For the time being, they didn''t hear nor see anything that could even remotely be considered a threat. Though it was also notable that there were no dear, hardly any birds either though they could be heard high up in the trunks of the trees. Could it be there was some dangerous creatures down here on the ground? Or did all the deer sense their impending fates? Cipher made a lopsided grin as he looked over to Ninya and likely poked her cheek. Almost jumping from the gentle poke, she looked over at him and allowed herself to giggle a tad. "Well, I''m sure we''ll be fine with Mister Momon here. And Cipher, kinda hard to forget him." Peter was confident that they wouldn''t have any trouble considering they were surrounded by powerful beings. "Um, Mister Momon," Nphirea who was holding onto the pack meant for the herbs on his back, turned to speak of the being whom lived in this forest. "If the Wise King of the Forest appears, please don''t kill him. The only reason the monsters and wild creatures here haven''t attacked Carne Village, is because it''s his territory. So please, send him away without killing him." "Huh?" The Adventurers found themselves a bit confused at this request. "That''s impossible even for him." They were assuming that they weren''t powerful enough to fight something so legendary. Yet Cipher hadn''t detected anything in the area which was so strong. "Understood," Momon declared that he would do as the young man said. "Huh!?" Lukrut''s irsises constricted in fear for the powerful being who was accompanying them, "The opponent is a legendary magical creature that''s lived for hundreds of years!" Cipher just looked over at Lukrut, as his background has him over two hundred years old. "Only the strong are allowed an attitude like that," Dyne surmised with a cheerful disposition, keeping his mace relaxed on his shoulder. "So I have a suggestion," Momon interjected. "Feel Free, Mister Momon." Nphirea smiled lightly. "Nabe and Cipher can both use magic similar to Alarm, and I''d like the three of us to survey the area around here." He''d announce before looking over towards Cipher, giving a light nod. "I don''t mind," Nphirea kept his head up high with the basket pack on his back. "But please don''t separate from us for too long. We might need you." "Of course," Momon nodded to the man who had hired all of them. Cipher watched as they began to walk away, before turning to Ninya and pecking her on the forehead like he had done before with the top of her head. "I''ll be back," he gave her a lot poke on the nose before walking away. Ninya stood there as she watched him disappear into the greenery which they had just been admiring not too long ago. She turned to her friends and smiled, holding her staff to her side as she walked with them in a slightly different direction from the players. Secluded from the other adventurers, Nabe Momon and Cipher continued up rough terrain filled with roots and unidentified foreign herbs of another world. As they continued to walk up hill, they came to a stop beneath a large tree. "This area is good," Momon declared as he eyed their surroundings, with an oddly calm tone before shouting, "Now, lets talk about how to spread my great name!" "Yes!" A high pitch voice returned a shout in kind. This caused Nabe to summon lightning to her hand, causing her hand to glow a bright blue. Though it faded quickly the moment she noticed who it was. "Lady Aura, please don''t scare me!" "Sorry." Without much more of a notice, Aura, a small female elf dressed in a white and red suit came dropping from the tree top above. "And so I am here!" She continued with her shouting, putting her hands in the air energetically. Cipher smiled down at the small being and placed a hand on the top of her head. She started giggling wildly at the touch of his uncharacteristically soft hands, "Who is this?" "When did you get here?" Nabe asked as she looked over her as her head was bobbing too and fro with the movement of Cipher''s hand as he ruffled her hair. "When you and Ainz first entered the forest." "My name is Cipher, pleasure to meet you Aura." "I didn''t notice at all." Nabe was indeed surprised about this, not having noticed. "Ooooh. You visited Narazick before," she appeared to have remembered his name, but not his appearance as the last time he was anywhere near here, he looked different. "Good to see you again!" She seemed to be a cheerful bundle of joy. Too bad she had no moral compass whatsoever. She was more of the Evil type, the only authority recognized being the Supreme ones. "I look forward to working with you, Lord Cipher." The girl seemed to be aware of the Status of the two guilds being merged together by a system organized pact. It was quite an interesting thing to see. The question was, how much did she understand of what was going to happen and what was happening to begin with. "So, I need to find this Wise King of the Forest?" Aura looked up at the taller beings. "And send him to you, right?" Her arms were held out to her sides anatomically, grinning deviously. "That''s right. Can you do it?" Cipher still hadn''t stop ruffling the top of her head, and she just kept giggling. "Tee-hee... Of course, I think I know who you''re talking about!" She reached up and grabbed onto Cipher''s wrist, though that didn''t stop him from moving his hand about. "Come on, stop it~" Twisting herself from the hold of his hand, she gave him a light shove before wadding backward. She wore this cheeky grin on her face before turning her head in the direction of the Wise King. "I''ll leave it to you then." Momon said with a light laugh, seeing Cipher sigh a bit. "Yes!" Aura would leap off in the direction she was to go in order to gain the attention and lure out the Wise King of the Forest. She immediately bounced off one tree trunk, onto a thick branch, and finally she was gone as she faded away into the green. "I guess I''ll make my way back to the team," Cipher stated as he folded his arms behind his back. "Oh and for now on," Cipher looked over at Momon, "Call me Jack." "Jack?" Momon raised a brow. "My given name, Jack Graham." Momon nodded slightly and smiled the best smile a Skeleton could give, "Alright Jack." "I thought his name was Cipher," Nabe said as she blinked a few as he was leaving them, not understanding what he meant by given name. "Then what is the name Cipher?" Momon just looked over at her, a figurative sweat drop forming. "So what are you planning to do?" Nabe continued to question even though he didn''t give a verbal answer. She just assumed it was something he couldn''t explain to her for the time being. "I will fight the Wise King of the Forest." "Wasn''t fighting the Ogres enough?" He turned and began to follow after Cipher''s general direction. "No. For spreading rumors of the adventurer Momon in Town, is on a different level than just killing Ogres in one hit." Cipher had left the Lich behind and regrouped with the others as they were guarding Nphirea as he was collecting herbs. His eyes watched the little blond man for a few moments before glancing over to Ninya. "I''m back~" He chimed as he walked towards her with his arms wide open until he heard sounds off in the distance. Unlike everyone else though, he was the only one to hear them. Two new beasts had appeared; using his powers of detection, he was sure it had something to do with Aura. As he was distracted, Ninya came running into his arms, wrapping her arms around him. Her staff resting under his cloak and poking out at his side. "Welcome.. back," her voice faded out and in before looking to the rest and scooting away from him swiftly. A small smile over her lips as she now held her staff behind her back. "So what does the Wise King look like anyways?" "I''m.. Not quite sure." Nphirea admitted which caused him to frown slightly at the boy. "Then how are we supposed to identify it?" "If its strong, legendary and mighty. Might as well assume it''s the Forest King?" Peter questioned with a chuckle, trying to give Cipher a satisfying answer. They both just ended up shrugging at one another and continued to watch over the budding wizard, alchemist and potion maker. The fact that he could use any magical item made him a threat, but also a very powerful tool if used in the right fashion. Cipher himself even had some items which could boost his prowess, or anyone''s prowess through consumption. He had bought thousands of Experience Potions when he wanted to make his guild larger until he learned of the game shutting down. So now these potions had any use until he came here. Using them he was sure he could make these lesser humanoids even more powerful. Maybe even bring one or two of them to his level or just beneath. He was also operating under the idea that he was functioning immortal, that he wouldn''t die or perish from aging or illness, but instead until someone or something ended his life. That was due to his undead nature of course. So if he was going to have a life with just about anyone, and make them powerful to boot, he was wondering if they would make the jump of faith and become the same as him. His eyes were resting Ninya as he was letting these thoughts accumulate. Then after a short while the ground began to shake and everyone was on alert. "What is that!?" "Something big is coming this way!" Lukrut who had his head to the ground was getting up and everyone was readying to retreat. "Please, leave the rest to us." A confident Momon stated, assuring them that they''d be able to escape. As long as it wasn''t a Dragon, Cipher was sure that he would be okay. There was no problems though since he was certain that the Wise King was definitely not a Nature Dragon. "Please," Peter thanked him. "We shall depend on you," Dyne added as the group began to shrink away, moving backward to get close to Nphirea so they could retreat together. Cipher in turn took hold of Ninya''s hand and smiled as he pulled her close, his other hand cupping her chin before suddenly vanishing with her into thin air. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The group just shook their heads at this as they all made their way away from the general location and back to the village where they were sure it would be safe. Cipher and Ninya resurfaced on the roof of one of the houses in Carne Village. Standing there, she was staring up at him as they were in the same position as before. Her chin in his clutches and her hand wrist trapped in his. He was keeping her close, a smile across his lips. A daring one at that. "J-j-jack!" Ninya sputtered and squirmed, "Ever-everyone can see us!" Enri and Nemu was standing at the base of the house, staring up at them in surprise. "Big sister, how did they get up there?" The little one pointed, bouncing in place, giggling a git. "Magic I suppose?" Enri was a bit bewildered by the sudden appearance of the two adventurers. She gave a light wave before they vanished again only to appear standing beside them, still having not changed their stance. "Jack!" Ninya squealed before Cipher snickered and pecked her nose as he''d be releasing her from his hold only seconds later. "Oi..." Cipher couldn''t help but pretend to be disappointed. "Whatdoyoumean!?" Ninya whined out loud, squishing the words together, as he was now teasing her. 16 「Oh My Darlins」 Enri, some of the villagers, accompanied Ninya and Cipher to the outskirts of the village. They were well outside the diameter of the wall which encircled the village itself, at least twice so. "This area encompasses a large amount of fields and allows for increasing expansion. I plan on building a larger wall around the village." Cipher stated as he looked over towards Enri who is now practically being looked upon as the leader despite the Elder still being alive. "I thought you were just going to fortify the existing wall... Mister Jack," Enri addressed him as Jack as he was now telling people he befriends to call him that instead. "Jack is fine, and that was the original plan." He stood there still dressed in the armor which he had worn each day since his arrival. His looks hadn''t changed at all either, there wasn''t even a spec of dirt behind his ear. "However, I wish to move my Citadel to overlook the area. Consider it extra protection and insurance against future threats." "You''re going to move a fortress!?" Enri''s eyes were getting huge in disbelief. Ninya just stood there looking at the poor villagers which were listening to him speak. She knew what they were going through and if she hadn''t already seen his powers first hand, she wouldn''t believe him either. "With this item," he pulled a cube out of what appeared to be thin air, holding up in his palm. "I can have my fortress move to this location after setting it down." "Is that some sort of powerful magic relic?" "You could say that," his eyes locked on Enri for a few moments before looking over towards the other villagers which were Ooo''ing and Awe''ing. Being admired was one thing, being believed in was another. It seemed that he was gaining both of these by just telling these people what his plans were. Now as he gazed around the plans which surrounded the village, he raised a brow. There was a perfect spot. It was just inside the doubled diameter of the original wooden encirclement. Walking over to it, he placed the cube down and pressed in an indented button in the very center. This adorable looking cube which was about ten inches by ten inches, would become reform into that of a triangle before shooting a beam of blue energy straight into the air. It was just like some sort of mystical beacon of some kind. Cipher and the Villagers, along with Ninya, all turned and began running from the cube as a shadow began to be cast around the area. The interesting thing though was that there was nothing above coming down to the grasslands. Instead the firm land beneath the grass would begin to rise and be pushed apart. Something was coming out from beneath the ground like a needle to cloth. Cipher remained running behind the villagers, making sure no one fell behind from fatigue. Within mere minutes the they''d begin to see not only that one spot rising up from the ground, but also large thirty foot thick walls surrounding the village on all sides in a circular manner. It had twice the diameter and radius as the original wall with the addition of an outer moat. There were two entrances in the form of massive black metal doors disguised as dark wood. These walls were made of an unknown polished white stone made of powerful materials from the old world, considered nearly indestructible and a cheat in PVP when it came to Golems. There were guard towers every twenty five meters and garrison guard houses every sixty along the inner perimeter of the wall. On the other hand as they turned to look at where he had once placed the cube, they would see the beacon was no longer there. In its place was a massive fortress of Japanese design and enguiniety. It stood on a grand thirty foot base, allowing the fortress to stand well above the walls and peer out into the open world. The Citadel itself was about twenty six meters in height and consisted of a large network of buildings. The base was made of polished stone, while the walls white and the roofing was blue coral tiles. It seemed someone even started planting Sakura trees near the entrance as magically bloomed petals were fluttering all over the place after a gust of wind traveled through the domain. The walls which had formed around the entire village cut edges of into the Great Forest of Tob, one of the entrances was located there. "You really... brought it here..." Ninya said as she could hardly stand at the sight. While she didn''t doubt he could do it, it was still overwhelming that he even dared to. Enri and the villagers were covering their mouths. It was hard to believe that only a few days ago he had left it after giving the order to build a wall around the location he wanted to build a town in. Now, it was done. He brought his Citadel to Carne Village. Did that make this his Fief? This only made him chuckle slightly at the idea. Now it would be relatively hard for just about anyone to attack the village, though it was definitely going to garner the attention of anyone who noticed a sudden wall appearing. He was sure that there would be a visit from other kingdoms soon enough. According to reports from the Citadel''s Guardians, the Baharuth Empire had taken notice of both Nazarick and the Citadel. It was also clear that the Slane Theocracy was also well aware of it. However it seemed that the Slane Theocracy was in a state of panic. The Golems which had once built the wall had emerged from the citadel''s base. Leaving imprints of themselves as they began to march around the plains located within the walls. They were making a road map for future buildings as well as creating roads. These golems were specialized for construction and capable of using mineral creation magic to do so. They were incredibly rare and one of the very few ever really made in game. They were expensive, but they were considered a hot cash item. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Momon and the Adventurers, along with the giant hamster, were all standing in the middle of the Village when this had happened. "This... Wasn''t what I thought he intended." Nabe''s eyes were just wide, her lips were also slightly parted, as she was indeed surprised. Peter and Lukrut''s jaws looked as if they were about to just pop off considering how dropped they were. "Did he just move an entire Fortress from one location to another!?" "And where did that wall come from!?" Lukrut pointed out glancing behind them towards the forest. Those walls loomed above the tree tops. Dyne was too focused on watching the magnificent looking golems moving about not too far away. They were laying down cobble streets in a systematic fashion reaching out from the fortress and towards the already standing village buildings. Some of them were already beginning to build other facilities around the Castle. Artificial hot springs, militia training centers, a clinic and various other civic buildings in addition to a library. There were plenty of raw materials and creation magic to be used for this. Many of which were just general materials such as logs, stones and common metals. Only fortifications and shelters seemed to be made of high grade material. However all houses and buildings followed the architectural laws of feudal japan, following the same color scheme as the castle itself. Grey Stone, White Stone, Dark Wood, White Walls and Blue Coral Tiled Roofing. The Fortress itself even had its own shallow moat surrounding it. "It usually takes years to build Golems, yet he has so many of them..." Hearing this Momon looked over at Dyne curiously. "Is that so..?" Dyne looked over at Momon as he commented and raised a brow of his own, before taking a gander in the direction of a bunch of small dots by the fortress. It was some villagers, Ninya and Cipher. "It seems that we found them," Dyne pointed towards them, though the goblin troop was already making their way out towards the Fortress. "That is one big building..." "You''re telling me." "Think boss will be staying there?" "Where else would the boss stay!?" The Goblins were having a field day as they viewed Enri and anyone related to Enri as pretty much their gods. They had been summoned by her and they were going to live for her. So they only expected the best for her. About thirty minutes later the adventurers were assembled at the front gates of the new wall and were saying their goodbyes to the Villagers. "Hey Peter," Ninya she turned to the blond leader, "I''m going to... Checkout the wall with Jack. We''ll catch up with you back at E-Rantel." Peter who was motioning for the NPCs on the wall to open the door, nodded. "Of course, we''ll wait for you at the pharmacist''s residence." Ninya smiled at her friend as he smiled back even wider. Peter finally saw the smile that hadn''t been on her face before. It was a real smile, she was happy in the capacity that she had found love she never had before. The smile held not only love, but hope. The man who had promised to help her, had fallen for her. Part of him was sure she would end up leaving the Swords of Darkness once she got what she needed. Once she saved her sister, once she secured a the Sword of Darkness Momon, Nabe, Nphirea, Lukrut, Peter and Dyne made their way out the doors with the wagon and the giant Hamster; making their way back to E-Rantel. The two of them watched their friends until they vanished over the horizon. "Should we spend the night here?" Cipher asked as he looked over at Ninya. It was already getting late and he figured by the time they did a full circuit, it might be dark out. "We have some... Vacant housing." Enri abruptly joined their conversation, speaking of the houses belonging to the recently deceased due to the massacre by the Theocracy. Ninya was already red in the face when he asked this question, but when Enri joined in she was about read to face palm herself. To cover up her thoughts and embarrassment, she took a standing thinkers pose. "If it doesn''t bother anyone, I don''t mind.." She bowed her head slightly, likely chewing the side of her lip. She was wondering what he had planned if they were to stay the night. Had it been an innocent question, or one of lust? If he wanted to do anything to her, she didn''t know how she could take it as she only accepted him a day ago, if not less than. "Well.. Since we''re not necessarily going into battle..." He would take the armor pieces off of himself, slipping them into the inventory which he referred to as dimensional storage. Now he was just in his military uniform after removing the quilted blue cloak. "Still look like a Noble," Ninya wheezed jokily before shaking her head and letting her hands fall to her sides. Her eyes rested on his silver rank which sat in contrast against his dark black attire. "What can I say? I have the face for it." Ninya wiggled her nose at that, as she wasn''t really a fan of nobility. Hours later the team arrived in E-Rantel, it was clearly dark and there was hardly anyone outside. It wasn''t safe after the night cast out the sun. That was when the criminals and the undead freely roamed the streets. Murderers and scum, druggies and drunkards. The world wasn''t a safe place even in the most pampered of places. "Then, Mister Momon." Peter spoke up as they were all near the main gate. "We will go to Nphirea''s house to drop off his things." Everyone had such smiling faces on. It was a good day''s work and they all got to lay their eyes on the giant Hamster. "I understand," Momon said, "Once I register this magical creature with the guild. I''ll head that way." "I was able to gather a lot thanks to you, Mister Momon." Nphirea sounded excited to now have a larger stock than he had previously. Considering he wasn''t really out of stock before. "I will be sure to add a bonus to the payment!" "Much was gathered with my help, it was." The Wise King said with its cute, yet intimidating, face domainted by its big round eyes and profound buck teeth. "See you soon!" Peter shouted out as the Wagon''s horses rawred and made their way to their intended destination under the careful hands of the Pharmiscist. "Nabe, we''ll be separated for a little bit," Lukrut had his arms out and his chest puffed forward, before making a kisy pose. "I hope you won''t be lonely. Let''s party it up later~" "Water flea! I will crush you beneath my feet!" Nabe retorted with her sharp tongue and closed eyes. She clearly held him in no regard. "Hurry up and go!" Dyne punched the friend of his playfully as they hurried off towards the Beleare residence. After several minutes they were arriving in front of the home and started to unload while Nphirea tied off the horse and made his way inside. Lighting a lantern he began going through the front of the house. "Is grandmother out?" He saw no indication that she was home, let alone that she was there recently. As he approached the door to the cellar though, the door opened and he was greeted by the sign of a young pale woman. Her face was down right ominous, with those red eyes and pale skin. She reminded him of a stereotypical vampire of sorts. "No, I was really worried!" Clementine stood there in plain view of the male, dressed in scantily clad scale armor, decorated in the trophies from dead Adventurers and a black cloak. With the shadows of her bowlcut hair covering half of her face, her large mouth dominated her features. To say the least, the scene was rather creepy as it was accompanied by her sweet but maddened voice. "You didn''t come home for days." "I waited for you for so long~" She reached up and plucked the hood off her head to reveal her face in more detail. "You don''t know her?" "N-no I don''t." "Hm... I''m here to kidnap you." Clementine giggled with those red eyes of hers, filled with the uncanny lust for torture and murder. It was as if when you looked into her eyes, you saw yourself in a puddle of your own blood. The way she spoke though, how she carried herself and he gestures. She was confident she could take down her enemies and those who got in her way. Quickly Dyne, Peter and Lukrut rushed to the frontline, blocking her access to the young man. "Mister Nphirea, please stand back!" Peter shouted with his sword at the ready. Dyne had his mace and Lukrut had already drawn his short sword as a bow and arrow wasn''t worth all that much in the first place when it came to enclosed spaces. "I want to use your talent of being able to use any kind of magic item," she appeared to dance in place a bit. She was surely mad in the head, unstable and dangerous. "In order to summon an army of the Undead." "Huh?" "Become our tool," Clementine''s eyes were smiling deviously. "Won''t you use the Crown of Wisdom for us?" It was clear they were up to no good. "It''s a request from sweet little ol'' me." "With the Crown of Wisdom, it''ll be possible to cast the seven tier summon, Undead Army that normal people can''t cast. And although it is impossible to control all the undead we summon, we''ll be able to lead them in various general directions!" Gasping, Nphirea dropped the lantern and it shattered on the floor, draping the front room in darkness. "Mister Nphirea, please run away from here quickly!" Peter commanded as he kept one hand on his stort while pointing off towards the door. He didn''t face away from Clementine, she couldn''t be trusted. She was a viper readying to strike. "B-but..." "It''ll be a problem if you got away from me!" Clementine went to draw her weapon, a single stiletto, a piercing blade. "You play around too much!" A new face appeared, slamming the door shut. A sickly pale man in reddish brown robes, wearing a gold chain around his neck and an old dark staff in one hand, his name was Kahjiit and a member of a terrorist Organization that reveres the undead. "Oh, but you did make preparations so no one would hear their screams, right?" 17 「Shadows」 "Can''t I take my time with just one of them?" Clementine brought the blade towards her face, licking it while keeping a wide smile across her lips. Those smiling eyes were like those of the devil''s. Khajiit brought his staff forward just as Peter charged forward with his weapon at the ready. Clementine parried his blade to the side with her own, and with a step forward, elbowed him in the chest; causing him to stumble back. "Hah!" With the widest grin, she went to drive her weapon into his chest, but just as he was about to do so a shadow demon burst out from the ground and received the blow. "What!?" She''d snarl as Khajiit opened his mouth slightly seeing the Shadow Demon protecting a human being. He was admittedly quite confused. However as she tore through the shadow demon, she went to attack Lukrut as Peter backed off to assist Dyne on his assault on the man behind them. "We have to get Nphirea out of here!" "You''re right. We can''t let them turn the City into a mass of the undead!" Lukrut tried to parry Clementine''s jab, causing the blade to rip through his leather vest, and just graze his skin. Wincing as he took a few hops back, he kept his dagger at the ready. Khajiit frowned as the swordsman and the Druid closed in on him. "Acid Javelin!" He''d cast a bolt of acid towards them. The Druid deflected it away from his face with his mace, not being able to get out of the way due to the lack of room. The acid splashed in all directions, burning his arms and legs. Peter lowered himself and lunged forward with the intent of running the necromancer through. However just as he attempted to do so, "Gah!" He felt the heavy butt of the wooden staff buried into his chest and he was thrown backward with the breath knocked out of him. "Rah!" Dyne brought his mace up from a lower angle in an attempt to hit the bald man with the blunt force of his weapon. Lukrut who was almost back to back with Dyne now trying to avoid being stabbed, was kicked directly into the back of the druid. This caused his attack to fumble and Khajiit wasn''t dull enough to not take this opportunity seriously. "Acid Javelin" A bolt of acid left the evil sorcerer''s hand, splashing onto the Druid''s face. Causing him to scream in agony as he was being burnt by the acid. He fell to the ground, trying to hold his face as he started to convulse. Peter called out for his friend, "Dyne!" As he got back to his feet, he ran for the enemy, tripping over Lukrut who was sit on the ground after being knocked into their spell caster friend. "Mister Dyne..." Nphirea could hardly handle what was going on. They were trapped, this was a massacre. Cashing into the nearby table, Peter turned to look at the woman running directly at him. Just what level was she? His eyes rested on those copper and low ranked badges from adventurers which acted as decorations for her armor. Anger boiled up inside of him. He didn''t want to die here, and he knew if he died here, plenty of others would die as well. Would Momon come here and save the day? Would Cipher, Jack, make a sudden appearance and save the day? Lifting his weapon up from the surface of the table, he swung it hard with one hand intending to tear her head from her shoulders. However with ease the hero-level villain smacked the weapon with her Stiletto, causing his arm to cross his chest. With wide eyes he could do nothing before she rammed her weapon in through his chest, pinning his arm to his torso. Letting out a gasp of pain, blood began to trickle down from his mouth. She had missed his heart, but she had gotten one of his lungs. His vision began to blur, he couldn''t hold back a cough. His free hand he felt for his sheathed dagger. He couldn''t close his mouth, he couldn''t concentrate. The pain shot through ever pore in his body. His eyes, his thoughts, they were slowly losing their cohesion. No, that wasn''t it... He looked down at the weapon and it was still in his chest, but she was no longer holding it any longer. "Draw your sword," an extremely large smile was across her face. "And kill your friend," she''d gesture towards Lukrut who was pressingh is back against the wall. Dyne was on the ground, he wasn''t moving. Peter, his eyes were glowing a reddish pink. He was smiling, happy, it looked as if he was feeling really good despite blood soaking his shirt. He brandished the short sword, the very symbol of their friendship and camaraderie. "Peter!" Lukrut shouted as he pushed himself up the wall with his own dagger at the ready. His eyes moved to the two villains in the room, and then to the slowly encroaching friend of his. He swallowed hard. "Peter, get a hold of yourself! We''re supposed to meet up with Ninya later!" Wadding side to side as he was coming closer and closer to him with complete disregard for what his words even meant. Peter held the weapon above his head, ready to dig it into his friend''s body. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Peter..." Lukrut rushed forward, which caught his friend who was being mind controlled off guard. However just as he was about to put his friend down out of his misery, Clementine came back into the picture. The blond would yank the blade out of his friend''s chest and arm, before plunging it into his gut. It started as searing pain, before he was in complete ecstasy within seconds. However, that wasn''t the end of it as she began to take the weapon out and shove it right back into him. She did it over and over again. Peter had collapsed on the ground, choking on his own blood. Gurgling as his eyes watched in horror as his friend was being murdered so unfairly. Turning his head slowly, Peter watched as Dyne''s corpse was beginning to rise from the ground in front of a kneeling Khajiit. Trying to roll onto his side and reach out to his friend, he stared up at the leathered face of his friend. The multiple colored skin tone from the acid burns, and the zombification spell used to create the undead. As the light all around him was beginning to fade, all he could hear was the maniacal laughter of the madwoman and the sloshing of warm flesh being penetrated by a sharp knife. Just as he was about to lose everything, with his eyes on his friend and the door, a singular tail-like appendage tore through the door. It skewered the evil spell caster, having caught him off guard, and decapitated Dyne in the process. "Mister... Momon..." Was the only thing he was able to say, and everything was gone, he was dead. Lukrut had already been dead quite a while now, his body twitching and convulsing everytime the woman stabbed it. However when the Wise King had taken down the door, Momon came storming into the building. "Mister Momon!" Nphirea who had been cowering from watching his friends die, now took the chance to run for the door, ducking out and taking shelter behind Nabe and the Wise King of the Forest. Clementine turned her weapon towards the Dark Hero, but as she was doing so, his long cleaver like weapon tore downward through her right shoulder and down to her left hip. Blood splattered in all directions as the newly bisected corpse crumbled to the floor like a broken toy. His eyes rested on the men which lay about on the ground. They were clearly dead, their bodies were getting cold. For Dyne, there was no true return for him. He stared at the zombified corpse, to his comrades he was going to use in order to make a greater name for himself. There were only two left and they weren''t even here. Anger that had once filled Peter was now boiling over inside of Momonga. He had lost a very valuable set of tools and information. These people, he could bring them back, but was it worth it? Lowering his weapons, he turned to leave the Pharmacist''s residence, moving slowly with his eyes on the ground. As he stepped outside, his eyes glided on over to Nphirea as he shealthed his weapons on his back. "The threat has been eliminated..." Just as he was about to walk back over to the giant hamster, Nphirea''s grandmother arrived. "Nphirea!" She shouted the moment she saw the blood and the broken door. She rushed over to her grandson before looking into the house. It appeared the door had been destroyed and there were bodies inside. Just who died and why? Checking over her grandson for any damages. "I''m.. I''m not hurt, Grandma." In a way this was a relief, at the same time it was a curse. She looked over towards the body of Khajiit that was laid out on the ground with a gaping hole through his front and back. Her eyes moved to the bloodied tail of the giant hamster. As she went over to the door to peer inside, she covered her mouth and took a few steps back. A woman bisected in two, still holding onto her blood covered stiletto blade. The three adventurers were dead, one of them was even zombified and missing its head. She closed her eyes and went back over to her grandson, holding onto him as they both stood together. Momon let out a quiet sigh. The only reason why he had even known to come back was because of the Shadow Demon activating something after it perished to the Hero level woman he had killed right then and there. It was like it beaconed for him to come, to save the adventurers. "But who could have..." He looked off in the direction of the North. He was sure Jack had sent the Shadow Demon to protect the party. However it seems they were still under prepared. 18 「Zurrernorns Atonement」 Jack and Ninya were walking along the outer wall. The soldiers and other NPCs from within the fortress were stocking cannons and other live defenses along the walls. It was clear he was greatly fortifying the place, but it looked like they were preparing for war. Why were they preparing for war? Ninya was watching the horizon as she walked beside him. She was initially mesmerized by the wall itself. It looked so new, there were no disfigurations. Perfection was the one way to describe it. She wondered, in the future, what would people say about it? How many wars or battles would it strive to survive. Her gaze turned towards the village itself along with the farmland within the walls. How big would this place be? How many people would move here and live here in harmony? Ninya turned her attention back to Jack who was walking silently, but his gaze had never left her. He was admiring her soft, short, brown hair as it moved by the slightest breeze. How her hands were fidgeting at her sides. This was one of the very few times she had been alone with someone after joining the Swords of Darkness. However as they were reaching the location they had originally went up the steps to get access to the wall from, he came to a complete halt. The look on his face changed, his eyes shot forward, it was as if there had been a shock to his system. He had just sensed the death of the Shadow Demon which he had used to guard the leader of the Swords of Darkness. It was generally supposed to be an early warning system that the squad was under attack during a job, that was its initial purpose. Yet due to the distance there was a delay of about ten minutes. He turned to look off towards the South, in the direction of the Fortress City known none other than E-Rantel. Of course they couldn''t see the city from here, it was much too far. However, it was clear he could sense something was wrong. "Jack?" Ninya reached up and grasped the fabric of his tunic, digging her fingers into it as she clutched her hand into a fist. "Jack, what''s wrong?" She lightly tugged on him, which oddly was enough to make his upper body move with her minimal strength. Something, something was clearly wrong. "Jack!" Slowly his head lowered a bit and like any other human being, his eyes got a bit glossy. Though it didn''t look like he was going to break down, not like when he thought of his kid sister. "The Shadow Demon I summoned to protect them, has fallen." All of the hairs on the back of the girl''s neck stood up as she heard him. "Sh-shadow demon?" "It was supposed to shield Peter from harm, it was taken out." He took in a shaky, clearly angry voice. While they had originally gotten off on the wrong foot, they had begun to accept one another as people. Peter still annoyed him though, at least his friendly and confident interactions. However, that was what gave him life, what made him unique, that personality. "I don''t understand," Jack muttered as he''d look towards Ninya. Both of them looked like they were about to cry, but it looked like Ninya was now using Jack as support to stand as she assumed the worst. She trusted him so she believed every word he was saying, and of course, she also knew what he was capable of. If he summoned something to protect her friends, she believed him. Even if it had been a Shadow Demon of all things. "They should have been in E-Rantel by now... They should''ve been safe." Clenching his teeth hard together, he started to sprint down the step. Skipping one or two along the way. "Eep!" Ninya tripped and squeaked loudly as she was trying to keep hold of him. So as she went to fall past him, he wrapped his arm around her waist and swung her around, ending up holding her like a board across his torso. Planting her face in his chest as she hugged onto him. The moment they reached the bottom he stepped out behind the wall. Standing there a couple meters away was none other than Sir Gallifrey and Min. They already knew something was wrong when a Shadow Demon died and set off an alarm. "We''re going to E-Rantel." "Yes, M''Lord. What are your orders?" "Investi--" Jack stopped in mid-speech as he heard something in the back of his head, a voice. "Jack," it was Momon, "I have unpleasant news..." Jack''s eyes squinted slightly. Gate Without a single warning a portal appeared swirling with purples and blues, rippling with a cool white waves of energy. The four of them would step in through the portal, after Jack allowed Ninya back onto her feet. Instantly when they reached the other side, they were standing mere feet away from the scene. The front door of the pharmacy was broken inward. A dead body had been dragged out with a large hole in its central mass. It was an unknown face, but they were sickly pale, more sickly pale than a normal human being would be even in death. A necromancer. Ninya and Jack stood in the front of the portal as Gallifrey and Min entered the scene, flanking them on either side. The two strong guardians gazed over the streets and the surrounding area. The place was abnormally quiet. It appears the area had been doused in a sound dampening spell. It was probably from the dead man as Dyne hadn''t known a smell like that. Both Ninya and Jack were sure of this. Jack walked up to Momon, not making contact with him initially as he stood there with Nabe at his side. He opened his mouth slightly, before looking up at him. "Where were you?" Momon seemed to sigh, it was clear he wasn''t feeling pleasant over this situation. Though it was probably for a different reason all together than that of Jack''s. The only similarity was that they were upset about losing something. "Registering the Wise King of the Forest." Jack slowly nodded before looking towards Nabe, he knew she was there to protect Momon and not the Swords of Darkness, but it was clear she hadn''t needed to join him. If Nabe had joined them, if they had gone to register the monster together, this wouldn''t have happened. "It''s common courtesy to walk your friends home," was the one thing he managed to mutter before walking towards the residence and peaking inside. The smell was uncanny, especially the zombified Dyne. He smelled worse than Lukrut and Peter who had been freshly killed. The place was overwhelmingly painted by the blood of a single individual, one which he narrowed his eyes on. Blond, red eyes, pale skin and scantily clad armor. They were bisected diagonally from shoulder to hip. He was sure the weapon used was none other than Momon''s, but the attacks on his party members were consistent with the stilettos on the girl''s corpse. Ninya reluctantly padded over to the door and covered her mouth. One hand rested on the busted door frame for support as she almost puked in her mouth. She found herself falling to her knees as her lips quivered and she could hardly hide a whimper. She saw the lifeless eyes of her friends. "Why..." Peter''s were looking at the door, while Lukrut were facing forward at nothing in particular as he was propped up against the wall Jack moved forward, pushing himself into the house. He stumbled over and knelt down beside Peter''s corpse. He checked his injuries, they could be fixed up and he could be revived. He looked to Lukrut and it was the same thing. The only one who wouldn''t be able to come back was Dyne. He stared at the headless corpse of the man who could have been an advisor to not only his friends, but even one day a King. His interpersonal advise was something to cherish and now, he would never give it again. His eyes moved back towards Lukrut, remembering the last time they saw one another and how he was constantly being rejected by a woman such as Nabe. He could only give this morose chuckle as he rested the back of his head against the table. "...Help!" A voice in the distance called out. "Somebody!" What was going on? Momon turned to look down the street. It was the watchman from the Cemetery. Why wasn''t he at his post? Nabe idled her hand right on the hilt of her weapon and stepped forward, though Momon placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from attacking the man as he came closer. "Thank the heavens!" He saw the plate armor before he saw Momon''s rank. "The cemetary... The Cemetery is filled with undead! They''ve already broken through the gates!" Raising a brow, Jack came striding out of the house, but stopped and looked to Ninya who was resting her head against the side of the door frame. Her eyes were stuck on her friends as she could only give small whimpers. "Ninya..." Jack uttered as he reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We have to go. We''ll bury them later." He had plenty of resurrection items, hell he even had a revival spell. The only thing though that was in the back of his mind was that it wasn''t worth it. They''d just die again. If they couldn''t face these two beastly humans, how could they go against the minions of a noble who took Tuare. "We have to save your sister." He turned his head to see several undead roaming down the street, slowly it was becoming a Horde. Their stench, their hatred for the living, it was impossible repulsive. "Sir Gallifrey, pinpoint the source." Jack ordered as he looked towards his head guardian. With his waxed handle bar mustache, Gallifrey bowed his head. "Yes My Lord!" He then rushed off in the direction of the cemetery. His gaze then moved towards Momon as he sent Nabe off to the registration area with the Hamster for him as he dealt with something else. It appeared he was going off into the cemetery as well. Likely to find and track down the source of the undead. Tears and snot stained Ninya''s face as she was brought back up to her feet. She took her staff from her back and pressed it firmly to the floor. Her eyes dare not move from her friend until Jack lightly pulled her away from the residence. When she did her eyes locked onto the dozen or so undead coming their way. Some of them were fresher than the rest. Some of the familiar, looking to be people whom had been missing for a long while now. "No... Oh my..." Jack wore a frown as he saw a sea food salesman he recognized from the market. Raising one hand, holding his palm forward towards the hostile forces encroaching on their position like it was a canon, Jack centered himself. With his other hand around Ninya''s back and holding her closer to himself, he closed his eyes halfway. His hand began to glow a bright gold, which appeared like a white star with gold rims. "Triple Magic, Holy Hand!" A blast of holy emissions escaped from his hand, projecting three hand shaped beams of light through the air. The further they went, the larger they grew. They were truly blinding, and unyelding. These holy blasts engulfed those of which had been unfortunately cursed with zombification. "My Lord!" Gallifrey called upon Jack through telepathy, "I''ve found the source. There are necromancers numbering in the tens. They appear to be part of some cult." Nodding slightly, he frowned. Jack knew of a cult which practically worshipped death in the form of creating entire cities of undead. He was sure this was the work of Zurrernorn. His eyes moved towards the dead necromancer near him and narrowed his sights on what appeared to be the Crown of Wisdom. It was a beautiful artifact, but didn''t quite understand what it was for, or why a man such as he was carrying it. It looked like an item a female would wear with a white dress. "Momon," Jack used telepathy, "Gallifrey has located the perpetrators. They''re in front of the central Mausoleum. According to his intelligence, you already killed their immediate leadership. They''re unorganized." "I see them..." Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The sounds of explosions could be heard off in the distance, the use of explosive and lethal spells. Yet none of them would do any good against Momon. Jack merely smiled faintly at this as the people who were aligned with those who killed most of the Swords of Darkness were being slaughtered entirely one sided. It put a good taste in his mouth. Looking over at Ninya who was sniffling, he gently placed a hand on her cheek, wiping away her years. He wasn''t going to ask if she was okay, she clearly wasn''t. He doubted any normal person would be. "Do you have a box...?" Ninya whispered quietly before letting out a cough and sniffled right after that, wiping her nose with her sleeve. Jack nodded reaching into his inventory with his free hand he had just used to blast away some low level undead zombies, he revealed a black box with golden floral designs and a glass window at the top. It was a small display box, he had an idea what she wanted it for. Taking hold of it, letting her staff fall to the ground, Ninya slowly waddled towards the corpses which were once her friends. She knelt down beside peter and took this black short sword and placed it in the center of the box he had given her. She moved to Lukrut, pried his from his fingers and put that on on the right. When she came over to Dyne, she sat on her knees there for a while. Staring at the headless body. It was hard to believe that this was her friend. She let out a shaky breath before acquiring his short sword, placing it to the left. She then proceeded to take their adventurer ranks and wrapped them around the individual hilts. She placed the display box down on the table and rested her hands on the surface at either side of it. Her eyes stared at the semi-reflective glass as her tears dripped onto it. She could hardly see now as her sights were flooded with salty fluids that burned. She closed her eyes finally and let her head dip down between her shoulders. Her chin at her sternum, she tried to imagine the warmth of their voices. Their arms around her shoulders. The memories and their adventures. They were irreplaceable. The trust they once held together, they had until the very end. Jack came into the residence once more and closed the eyes of Lukrut and Peter, allowing them to rest. He then folded their hands over their chests and used telekinesis to move their bodies like stiff logs. Lining them up in front of the house, on the stone ground, he placed his hands together. Jack was not one to pray to a god, nor fall prey to one. Yet in this instance he found himself assuming there may just been a god or many gods in this realm. Magic, undead, the supernatural, the legendary and the mythological all existed here in this place that was now his home. He closed his eyes and he prayed to anyone who would listen. Should there be an afterlife, should there be reincarnation, should there be an underworld, heaven or hell. He wasn''t quite sure, even if it was just the end, he wanted the best. Feeling Ninya''s arms around his mid-torso, he opened his eyes to find her head nuzzling into the double layered breast of his tunic. His arms which he had in front of him, rested their elbows on her shoulders as his forearms wrapped around her head. 19 「Just Another Memory」 Three times he recited,Create Greater Item. Three times, three caskets, three to-be-graves. They were made of the most expensive wood a commoner, no, a noble could ever have for a burial. Made of dark wood and polished to shine. The insides were padded with silver stained sheets and pillows, representing their rank, were sown inside. On the lid was a symbol identical to the Sword of Darkness replicas they all carried on their person. Each one fit their friends to the letter. Ninya stood behind Jack and to his right side. She was busy trying to keep her knees from giving out. Her mouth hung open as she had this erratic breathing. The sensation in her eyes went from dry to wet and back. She didn''t know what she wanted to do anymore. She wanted to find her sister so badly. Other than Jack, Momon and Nabe... She had no one else left. If she only had her sister than she would be able to find peace again. Yet what if she wasn''t strong enough? What if she found herself in a casket? A casket like one of these? The craftsmanship was immeasurable. It would be hard for any coroner to compete. She watched as the corpse of Peter Mauk began to levitate. His hands remained resting upon his chest and his legs aligned with one another, held straight out and together. The body followed the movement of Jack''s eyes, as if he had picked them up with just his sight alone. As if being tucked into bed, Peter was slipped into the casket with his head resting solemn upon the head pillow. He hardly looked like he was dead, just sleeping. The blood was absorbed by the coffin and his name inscribed itself upon the hilt of the Swords of Darkness symbol. Twice more, she watched as the man who had unknowingly kept her out of harms way, put her friends into caskets designed for the wealthy and the renown. Their names shined brightly, almost unnaturally, so that anyone who''d lay their eyes on these caskets would know who they were. Sir Gallifrey and Momon returned to see the sight. The Watchman was amazed by the use of magic to create not just salt and pepper, but an entire complex piece of art. Yet he said nothing, as he saw the mourning in their eyes. They had lost friends today, ones even though short lived for Jack, had given him another hope that he would get another chance to have friends. In a way though, his mind still partially saw this as a game. Even though he prayed to a god, or gods, that he didn''t know. He was in a game world only ten days ago. Now, now he wasn''t anymore. He wanted them to respawn, he wanted to revive them, but the cost was probably not worth it. The idea of bringing them back would give him the false idea that they''d never leave. That they''d never die. While the truth was, he would out live them. He''d outlive everyone. The only people who would remain alive alongside him were the ones who were functionally immortal or heteromorphic. He took in a deep breath and looked to Momon who shuffled on up beside him. Nabe and the Wise King stood behind the trio, while Gallifrey and Min eliminated any undead which had escaped the cemetery as well as those which wondered to the front gates. Though admittedly after Momon''s visit, there were very few to terrorize the City. "This is... Much unpleasant." Momon clenched his hand slightly, the visible one, while the other remained beneath his red cloak. Nabe remained indifferent though, staring at the coffin which had the name of Lukrut glowing upon it. The last time he had said anything to her, he had wanted to party. She wasn''t the type and she had a distaste for humans, even though she didn''t like outright killing them. At the same time, she didn''t mind killing them if she didn''t have a reason to keep them living either. That was just the kind of person she was as her Karma was so low. The Wise King, even though he had only known the crew for a short period of time, wore his brows down. Even though it might not be clear with those big brown eyes, those big buck teeth, he was frowning. "Very sorry, I am." In a way it was the Wise King''s fault by being present, but it was at the same time Momon''s ambition, that they hadn''t been protected. Right now, it was pretty easy to point fingers, establish blame after blame. They didn''t do that. The Swords of Darkness trusted one another and this just meant their trust would be the last thing they had together. Their last connection in the end. Stepping forward, Jack proceeded to stand over Peter''s closed casket and pressed his hands together, his fingers perfectly aligned with one another. True DeathThese words echoed in his mind and the minds of those present. True death put them down permanently. No one could resurrect them, revive them. They were dead and couldn''t be brought back in anyway shape or form. In a way, he saw this as a true end. No one would be able to use their bodies, their faces nor their trust, against them. He then went to stand over Lukrut''s casket and closed his eyes partially. All the senseless things the guy had said over the past two weeks came flooding into mind. Taking in a shaky breath, he once again recited True Death. As he approached the last casket, he placed his hands down on the door. His advise, his interjections. He remembered the times where he would place a hand on anyone of their shoulders. A little nudge of encouragement went a long way, as was comfort. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. In that moment he looked weak, everyone present and watching could see it. It was like an instance where you got to know a group of people and then the next day after you''ve already gotten attached. They were gone. Even in real life he hardly had a concept of time in his mind. Time to him was either eternity or not long enough. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment before standing straight up again. His fingers trailing off the edge of the casket and falling to his sides. Ninya came up behind him to be by his side again, wrapping her arms loosely around his left arm. She held it against her body in hopes that the closeness would calm him. For as she was holding him like this, he didn''t know what he was feeling anymore. Was it pain? Was it loss? He wasn''t angry anymore, and the sadness was just slinking away. The urge to wail was gone, the urge to crush something was gone. Was it because she was holding onto him? If anything he felt like he was floating between emotions and wasn''t exactly feeling anything. He recognized this as a part of anxiety and even depression, but it wasn''t a breakdown. The weakness they had once seen vanished as he stood firm and clasped her hand in his own. "We''ll have their burial in Carne Village..." That way they could be protected. Not that there was much to steal, but there was plenty to desecrate for any to no reason at all. The portal he had used to get here was now gone, it had been gone since the last of them stepped out of it. So as Jack turned to look up at the sky, he whispered the spell in order for them to vacate the premises. Gate The Watchman just stared at the tenth tier magic caster. Many believed that level of power to be a myth, but it had actually been proven to be true and very real. It was right there in front of him. He watched as the bottoms of the caskets began to give a faint glow and hover into the portal unattended. "By the four almighty..." He''d then watch as Jack, Ninya, Min and Sir Gallifrey vanished into the spiraling portal of magical energy before it just vanished seconds later. His eyes then flickered on over to Momon and Nabe who were walking away in two different directions. Momon was going off to get the Wise King of the Forest registered finally, while Nabe on the other hand was going to the cemetery to collect the equipment from the members of the terrorist organization per Momon''s orders. And despite the undead running rampant throughout the streets earlier, people still peeked out their windows to get a glimpse of the giant hamster riding Dark Hero. Left alone with the Pharmacist and her grandson, the Watchman looked upon them. After reporting the deed of defeating the members of Zurrernorn, Nabe and Momon returned to their temporary home at the Inn. With the windows closed, he sat there on the side of the bed with his helmet off. His pearly white skull and glowing red beady eyes looking forward. "Right now, the surviving soldiers are talking about my valor in battle throughout the town, raising my name." He proclaimed as it was all true. He had defeated Khajiit, Clementine and many other unnamed necromancers who were attempting to senselessly go ahead with the ritual after the death of their overseer at his hands. "It''s all according to plan," though not exactly according to plan. "So, what shall we do with the two humans?" Nabe asked as she looked over the man, the only supreme one from the Guild that created her. He turned his head to peer over at her, "Since Lizzy said she would give me everything... I''m thinking of having them be brought to Carne Village. I plan on having them make potions for me, No, for Nazarick." For a moment there he froze as in the back of his mind he thought about Jack. "For the Duumvirate," in this way, he was naming Jack as the second leader of the group due to the supposed merger. "That''s right... I needed to contact Albedo..." Placing two fingers by his temple, he recited the spell of Message "Lord Ainz. Shalltear Bloodfallen has revolted against us." The absolute voice of Albedo spoke against the loyalty of the True Vampire. One of the few of his own guardians that could overpower Ainz due to her character build itself. Much like how the Guardians belonging to Jack gave him over a year ago. "Huh?" However this absolute declaration caused the lights, in which were his beady red eyes, to go out. His sockets dark, Momon was in utter confusion. Never did he expect for Shalltear of all of them to go against him. If anything, it was likely Abledo was taking something out of context. They were rivals based on their behavior towards one another. It wasn''t like he could go off and just tell Jack that this happened either. If he were to suddenly have a rogue Guardian, that would make it rather hard for Jack to trust his people, wouldn''t it? Considering most of them and their evil alignment could cause problems with humans and other morally sound beings. He took a deep breath, and on top of that their friends had just died. Even though the event surrounding the deaths of the Swords of Darkness raised him. Then suddenly that''s when someone else used Message, it was Jack. "Members of the Theocracy have been located by E-Rantel, they''re making a run for the border. Once I''m finished here..." There was a pause before he spoke up again, "I will intercept. We''ve also located Shalltear, she isn''t moving." "Hmm..." 20 「The Scripture of the Dead」 Lowering his fingers from the corner of his forehead, Jack''s eyes rested on the caskets resting beside the base of the Citadel. There was a large plot no too far away which was being built by the golems. It was being gated in as trees and bushes were being planted as decoration. It was the beginning to a cemetery. A cemetery that looked probably thousands of times better than the one in E-Rantel. Those who''ve been killed and laid to rest here, will never raise again as a member of the undead. As it was partly because of Jack reciting the spell of True Deathover the bodies. Ninya stood beside him as they were both looking over their friends closed new homes. In the hindsight of his mind, he could still hear their voices. The friendly voices of Peter, Lukrut and Dyne. Out of all of them though it was clear that Jack would miss Dyne the most as out of all of them he was the most accepting. "Ninya... The Slane Theocracy has made a move to the South. I''m going to intercept, will you be alright alone?" His voice was calm despite the words hidden in his eyes. He knew he had to go, but he didn''t want to leave her here. However at the same time, he knew he couldn''t take her with him. Like their friends, she was much to weak to fight at this time. "Jack..." Ninya appeared to smile up at him, emotion was overflowing from the rims of her eyes. She had wished that it be raining to hide her tears, but that be not the case. "I want to continue my training." Jack stared through her with these words coming from her mouth. She wanted to continue her training? Was it because it would cause her pain, or was it because it would make her stronger? Or was it becaue of both? He understood the power of emotions and things that it could make people do to themselves or say to others. "Are you sure?" "I need to become stronger, otherwise even if I find my sister, I''ll be unable to help her." Slowly Jack began to nod, understanding her plight. She understood that her friends were far to weak to go against a mere two people. The fight had been three against two, and from what she saw, Momon was the only one who landed blows on the enemy. "As long as it is what you want," Jack sighed as he brought a hand up to run his fingers through her short hair. Caressing the side of her head, tracing the top of her ear, before letting his hand fall back to his side she could let her cheek sink into his hand. "Thank you," she lowered her head to look at the ground, feeling shame and guilt. "Thank you for asking me to stay here with you while they went ahead." This was indeed on her mind. She had lost great friends, but she hadn''t lost her life and that was thanks to him. His confession and kindness, it inadvertently kept her alive. "There is no need to thank me," A shallow smile was resting on his lips as he took a step back from her, slowly increasing his distance. "If I hadn''t stopped you from going, you would''ve experienced death and lived through it." Ninya''s lips parted as he said this, saying that she would have lived even if she had died. He had placed the spell ofDelayed Revival in the back of her mind. It was a delayed spell that was activated subconsciously before the brain stopped working, bringing the user back several minutes afterward. "Thank you..." She said again after the awkward pause before suddenly, he vanished upon reciting a single spell Greater Teleportation. He was going alone to confront the Black Scripture which had just encountered a powerful Vampire known none other than Shalltear Bloodfallen. After a quick visit to the coroner in the E-Rantel Fortress City, he made his appearance in the forest. In his hand was a bloodied brown sack. The blood was drying already, so it was assumed whatever was inside wasn''t at all that fresh. He could hear the people that he deemed his targets shouting, "Retreat!" Several soldiers and members of the Black Scripture were making a run for the border of the Re-Estize Kingdom. Many of them were unsure if the power of the world item would even hold the Vampire at bay. It had been capable of taking out two soldiers, bodyguards, and putting Kaire in critically lethal state. What as their mission in this Kingdom? It was unknown what their purpose was, but it was very well assumed it was something to do with attacking the Kingdom. However that was not the case. It had something to do with the divination spell used on Commander Nigun Grid Luin which was countered. His eyes traced over the seated members of Black Scripture which were present. This included their Captain, who had black hair and what appeared to be red eyes. He was strong compared to the others present, physically anyway. His attire was also rather impressive. His eyes skimmed the others though and quickly he took note of Cedren who was dead and Karie who was severely wounded wearing a world item. "Huh..." Jack stared at the item, he already knew what it was since it was from YGGDRASIL and was indeed a world item worth getting. He''d decide right there and then that would be his target. Yet before he left his cover behind the trees, he wanted to take in the sights of the other seated members present. Using Greater Identificationon all of them one by one. They were clearly stronger than the average joe. Especially the higher he went up the food chain. However, they weren''t necessarily on the level of fully fledged players or Dragons. Except for the Captain that is. Apparently he was considered a member of the God-kin, descendants of players. The idea that they considered players Gods sounded pretty good to him. The only problem was their eccentric nature to believe humanity was on the top. To him that was a grand mistake. Though he had yet to know that the Black Scripture had a half-Elf on their roster. Aport With a single use of this spell, the dress being worn by Kaire vanished as she was being carried to safety. This immediately caused just about everyone to stop and regroup. "Get into formation! We''re not alone!" The Captain was quick to get all the members present into one location. They took a circular formation. Soldiers would dig their long shields into the ground, while the seated members took a look around from where they stood in the center. He had his spear at the ready. Jack grinned as he had the dress hanging over his left arm. He then snapped his fingers, causing the bloodied sack to vanish from his own hold and reappear directly above the group. As the bag fell from the sky, it turned and opened. And from there Jack began to whistle a tune, one from his own world and the song itself had been stuck in his head for a long time. "Oh my darlin'' Oh My Darlin'' Oh My Darlin'' You are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorrow, Clementine." The decapitated head of Lady Clementine, landed with a putt sound directly in front of her brother, the fifth seat of the group. He was a summoner and they looked quiet alike. His name was Quaiesse Quintia, also commonly referred to as the One Man Army. When the head landed, bounced, and rolled to his feet. He stared down at it as the head of his sister stared right back up at him. His sister was a traitor who was attempting to escape from the Theocracy''s assassins Scripture. It was clear someone else however had killed her, took her head and dropped it in front of them. "Is that...?" "The former Ninth Seat." The Seventh seat seated as she pushed her purple framed glasses closer to her eyes. She observed the cut mark, it was clean. The decapitation was post mortem. She was dressed in a female schoolgirl uniform, had light brown hair and orange eyes. She was quick to look in the direction of the male who had teleported it to their location as he stood up with the dress in hand. Yet as she went to speak, her jaw hung low as she watched the clothing vanish into a rip in space time. It was just like the Gods in which they worshipped, the inventory. "What''s with the bunny ears?" Jack asked casually as he came stepping out into the clearing before the group. The soldiers of the Scripture moved and formed a semi-circle with their weapons pointed towards the unknown man. "You are aware that uniform is for girls who attend school, right?" His head lulled to the side as he wasn''t given an esteemed response by the seventh seated member of the scripture. Overall she looked cute, but at the same time it just didn''t feel right. Out of all of them, she was wearing modern clothes and even carrying a modern bag. "Identify yourself!" Shouted the Captain. "Cipher. Or Ci, for short. Your not my friends, so I''m not going to bother giving you my true name." "Not our friend?" Laughed out the second seat known as Time Turbulence. One could only assume what kind of powers or power they''re known for using from the name. "Huh..." Jack looked over this person who was dressed in green, with green eyes and medium brown hair. "Almost thought yo were a girl." his eyes were stuck on the miniature hat on the top of his head. Turbulence froze for a brief second as his hand idled on his weapon. Two members of the group were already dead, the other was going to die if they didn''t get her back to the Theocracy. What were they going to do? A battle of Attrition? This man was stronger than the Vampire that they had locked into a mind control. So what were they going to do? "You have the Ruinous Beauty, will you not let us go?" "After the Sunlit Scripture attacked Carne Village?" Jack chuckled with malice, "You''ll just keep coming back into Re-Estize, and I can''t have that. Your wounded will die. And your dead, will stay dead." His chuckling got quite a bit louder as he marched towards them until he was only standing mere meters away. From the corner of his eye, he saw movement. Yet as he kept count of the group, he noticed someone was missing. There was just an after image. Time Stop Turning to the side, he set his eyes on a boy in green. It was Turbulence. His rapier was mere centimeters from his back. It would''ve definitely pierced through this back and through his heart if he had one. He could xonly chuckle as they assumed he was amongst the living. Taking a few steps to the side, the spell was deactivated and the young man found himself stumbling forward and looking to the side once he caught himself. "What the?" The Third Seat of the Black Scripture raised a brow rather intrigued. This individual wasn''t dressed as a mage, not a typical one. He looked like a soldier out of armor, or an officer of sorts, than a field operative or a warrior. "Most Intriguing..." He himself was a mage, powerful in his own right as apparent of his accessories and magical items which surrounded him. Strange orbs which flanked him on either side, and the relic weapon in his hand. "And what are you?" "A God, what else would I be?" The seventh seat might as well already had this conclusion as Jack shared it and tilted his head slightly. Though he was just playing on their religion. Suddenly that''s when he felt a poke against his side, a rapier was poking against his Divine class attire, but it wasn''t even tearing through it. Jack just glanced on over to the boy who had attacked him again with this dumbfounded expression on his poor little face. A split second later, a red line appeared across the young man''s neck before the head simply rolled off his neck and plopped onto the ground. Blood began to shoot out like a fountain as the body took a few steps back before falling onto the ground twitching and convulsing. Of course that is just how it appeared to the other members of the scripture. He had once again used Stop Time, to halt all those present and their perceptions of time and cut off the boy''s head. With a hand stretched out to the body, he said one thingTrue Death. All of their mouths began to open slowly in shock that the second seat fell so easily. However, the Captain wasn''t so shocked. He was the descendant of a God, he was sure as this person was a God, they''d be much stronger than anyone of them here. That''s when the Captain stepped forward, his men moving aside like separating the red sea. He pressed the butt of his pole arm weapon into the ground and stared through Jack for a moment before focusing. His orders were to have his people retreat, but this man was standing in their way. "You won''t let us pass?" "No. You will die here. Most of you..." Jack''s eyes wandered on over to the Seventh Seat, then back towards the Captain. "I challenge you to defeat me in a one on one duel. If you kill me before they make it to the border, they''re fair game." "Dutiful until the end it seems..." Jack said as he admired what the man was trying to do. "But I''m not an honorable person. I am a thief, I am killer. I love to be loved, fear to be feared. Anyone who stands in my way of my interests will perish." Just then Jack''s eyes noticed the crackling of electricity, followed by an attack Lightning Bolt The Third Seat, the mage looking fella, fired a single bolt of third tier magic at the man. Just as it reached his skin it fizzled out, hardly leaving a burn mark on his tunic. However the one thing that was entirely visible to them was the fact that his skeleton was now visible. Jack stood there with semi-transparent skin, his skull and sapphire jeweled eyes were entirely exposed. "...What are you...?" Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. They were left speechless as a weapon appeared in his right hand. It was a staff approximately five feet and five inches in height. Five more inches and it would''ve been the same height as himself. Its head was in the shape of a draconic serpentine beast bent at the neck, facing forward. Its eyes were glowing a bright blue, and the entire body of the item appeared to look like the scape of the foreign night sky. It seemed to have a glass-like texture. This item was an overpowered magic staff with modified values known as "The Lord''s Century," which he had created in game mere months before the servers were supposed to shutdown. He hadn''t had a chance to use it. Jack then mouthed a single word which caused confusion,Assimilation. This spell was invisible, various tendrils began to slither through the grass at the feet of his prey''s feet, hardly noticed due to their close proximity to one another. They were all looking every which way though as the Third Seat could sense the use of magic, but not what spell it was or what it was going to do. Assimilationwas a super-tier spell which could be used only once every thirty days. It had an area of attack and its targets were very selective. The spell itself was used to devour and assimilate the strengths, values and data of other beings and transplant it into the caster themselves by turning them into dark colored potions. Originally in the game it could only be used against lesser leveled MOBs, NPCs and players within fifty levels beneath the user. Jack was quite curious though, just how would this work out? He watched as the Captain changed his stance, getting ready to lunge. He had both hands on his pole arm with the blade pointed towards Jack. Well, until the almost invisible transparent tendril wrapped around his foot and caused him to look down. "What in the--" The Captain just stared, that''s all he could do as he lost the capacity to talk. According to their rankings, this man was the strongest. He''d be the hardest to take down. He wanted to hold him off long enough for the others to escape. Jack was pretty sure the Captain would be very capable of doing just that with his level of willpower to keep going and resist his attacks. However, he was beginning to wonder, how resistant was he to instant death attacks? "Captain!?" Jack''s eyes moved to Clementine''s brother who was summoning a creature only to freeze in place. His summoning instantly cancelled. "Wha?!" His eyes then trailed on over to the Eleventh Seat, a girl with blue hair and a large hat. She was floating a few inches off the ground, though some of her clothing was in contact with the ground. She looked terrified as she was quickly noticing what was going on. By then though it was too late as all the male members of the Scripture were already held in place. They couldn''t move, they couldn''t cast magic and they definitely couldn''t talk or make a sound. "Stop it!" "It''s too late," Jack said calmly as his eyes rested back onto the face of the Captain who was stuck in an offensive stance. He wore an indifferent expression. The Tendrils continue to coil over the bodies of the males, distorting them visibly after completely engulfing them and beginning to gain a color of their own. They were becoming a dark crimson red. "You two have a choice to make. Submit and become imprisoned, or die." The Seventh and Eleventh Seats took a slight step back. The soldiers weren''t moving either, but unlike the seated members of the scripture, they were just standing corpses. They couldn''t even tell when they had died, but they were bleeding from the eyes and mouth like weak fountains. Both of them were already estimating whether or not they could run away from him. The eleventh already figured that he wasn''t here the entire time. She had felt that they were being watched by multiple entities using high tier surveillance magic. He must have teleported here without being detected. Hearing a foot come down on the grass, having moved from where it one was. His eyes narrowed on the Captain who had moved about six inches with so much effort, that he was immediately exhausted. "Interesting..." The tendrils were tightening, soon enough those whom were entangled within them, they became shrinking cocoons accompanied by the sounds akin to the crushing and liquefaction of bone. The girls could hardly move as they watched their comrades and some they''d likely call friends, be reduced to vials of what looked like dark crimson potions. All of which raised from the ground on their own and flew directly into Jack''s inventory as he usedTelekinesisto do so. A grin formed deeply over his lips, "So... What shall it be?" The reason he didn''t kill them immediately was because he wanted to give them the chance to live, to survive. Whether or not they ever joined him didn''t matter. He just thought it would be a waste to kill them after he already showed his magic prowess. 21 「Divine Chant」 "No one can save you no-a...." An explosion of holy energy hit Jack in the back, causing him to take an unsteady step forward. He raised a brow, not having expected to having been attacked. One Damage was received. Looking side to side, he saw no one. So as he turned around on his heel, his Cloak of Greater Attributes appeared on his back as well as the armor overlay he had once worn before. Black, Silver and Blue were his colors. His eyes locked onto the misfit who had hit him. If anything though, they hardly looked like a misfit. The perpetrator who had hit him with a holy attack of the fifth tier was none other than a female wearing a pink and green set of spell caster robes and accessories while sporting long blond hair. The main thing though that he noticed was the fluttering wings sprouting out of what appeared to be her ears. It was a magical item. Her commonly known alias was simply, Divine Chant. She was the Fourth Seat of the Black Scripture. And as her name allowed one to assumed, she used Holy and Divine Magics apparently. She had an almost Angelic appearance. Her eyes were closed and her hands were held out to her sides. Magic items appeared to be implanted on the palms of her gloves Ambiently she was floating in the air similar to how the Eleventh Seat was doing. "I do believe Rumpelstiltskin would be very jealous of your hair, young lady." He wore this wide smile still across his lips, but it wasn''t as deep as the grin he once held before he was hit. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?" She had a sweet voice, almost innocent. It matched her composure and her delicate looking features. She reminded him of a china doll. Summon Angel 3rd She summoned an angel of the third tier. With a frown of disappointed across his lips, he just glared at her. "Really, how did I miss you?" He wasn''t given a response to his question. She didn''t see a point in appeasing him! It seems she had been ahead of her colleagues during their retreat and when her friends were no longer behind her, she came back around. It was clear though that she had made a dire mistake. If she had gotten back to the Theocracy, she could have at least called for reinforcements! Should they lose the Scripture, it was sure to greatly weaken the entire Theocracy. Even though they had the one member left behind as the Extra Seat. The half-elf which was supposedly more powerful than the Captain. However she didn''t see any of the male members of her scripture around except for the dead corpse of her colleague, Time Turbulence. His eyes narrowed on the ArchAngel Flame which was hovering in front of him now. He pointed a finger at the creature before tilting his head to the side. "Where are the rest of our Scripture? Where is the Captain!?" She shouted to the remaining members, who could turn their heads and gesture towards the man who she had just hit with a holy blast. "Impossible..." Her eyes rested on the being before her. How could her captain fall to this man? However she quickly found her mistake as she picked up on his estimated level, but quickly found that it wasFalse Data, the truth was hidden from her. She could only assume that this being was much stronger than he was letting on. Yet she could already now tell even with the fake data, she was stronger than the Scripture alone as he was capable of using high tier magics. "My name is Cipher, I was present during the Sunlit Scripture''s attack on Carne Village. I am here to carry out your sentence. Submit and you will be spared," Jack stated confidently even in front of the leveled Angel and the fourth seat right in front of him. "Resist and you will die." Divine Chant remained floating there in an advantageous position above her target, the man who had already massacred more than half of their own. Then that''s when her eyes rested upon the head of Lady Clementine. She raised a brow slightly at this before bringing her attention back to Jack. "And your former member killed three of my friends, party members... Fellow Adventurers. It is because of you that our Leader Peter Mauk, our Ranger Lukrut Volve and our Druid Dyne Woodwonder died in vein." Unlike Momon, he believed his friends died for no reason at all other than the lethal whim of another to escape amidst the Chaos which was ultimately averted. "That is enough reason for me to kill all of you..." He muttered as his killing intent remained stable and his mind wise. "Your next action may as well be your final choice." The Eleventh Seat was horrified by the position they were now placed in. "I don''t want to die..." The blue haired girl would mutter to herself, over and over again. She was holding onto herself. Watching in her mind as her friends were crushed and condensed into what appeared to be a powerful potion. The seventh however was just standing there, a frown dominating her lips as her bag dangled from her hand. The reflection of the back of Jack''s head was on her glasses. His back was turned to her, she could attack. However she decided against it. That cloak and armor wasn''t vanity pieces. The uniform itself had protected the man from physical harm, which is what she only assumed, not knowing he was immune to a large quantity of physical damage under a certain level. On top of that the magic the Third Seat used on him didn''t even leave a scratch on him. It was likely they''d need to use magic above the fifth or sixth tier magic spells to do minimal damage. No one normal could do such a thing. On top of that his skeletal structure was still visible. His bones were like crystalline material, just like the jeweled eyes. She couldn''t quite tell what he was, but he was definitely a heteromorphic being, an undead. Seeing as he was a skeleton, or humanoid and used powerful magic, could it be that he was a Lich? Elder Liches though didn''t have skin or a living appearance and didn''t reek of so much mana. He was something different. "What are you?" The Divine Chant withdrew her angel, calculating that she would likely survive long enough to escape at some point should she surrender. "I''m an Arch Mage, who obtained eternal life," he stopped pointing at her as he rested his one hand at his side while lazily twirling the staff he had used just once now. "I''m a being mistakenly called an Arch Lich due to my undead nature." His sapphire eyes remained on the woman as she slowly lowered herself to the ground. Her sandal wearing feet resting on the grass. It appeared she was surrendering. "Not that you''re going to be able to tell anyone." Tapping the bottom of his staff against the ground, Mass Dominate Person. Very briefly as he cast this spell, their eyes lit up blue, only to return to their normal hues. The Fourth, Seventh and Eleventh seats all approached him before falling to one knee in a triangular formation around him. "What is your bidding, Lord Cipher?" They spoke in overlapping sync, making it sound almost musical. They wore small smiles on her lips, it was as if they had completely forgotten he had massacred their scripture. Ignorance to the dead standing soldiers as well was very clear, they no longer cared for them. This Mass Dominate Personessentially brainwashed them, turning them into loyal followers with disdain for the Slane Theocracy. Hatred whether true or engineered was a powerful weapon. Otherwise, he didn''t make that many changes to their dominated minds. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "We will be returning to the Carne village, I shall grant you new names." "Thank you..." Uttered the Seventh Seat, looking up to him as the others kept their eyes to the ground. He stared back down at her as she thanked him, before nodding to her. "Sia," he bestowed this name to the school uniform wearing female, before turning his eyes to the other two. "Sia..." The female was tasting the name which she had been given on her lips, on her tongue. The tip of her tongue caressed the interior of her upper lip. She seemed oddly proud of it. "Elle," this time he named the Fourth Seat previously known as Divine Chant. A bright, but small, smile parted her lips as she looked up to him. "..." As his skin became visible once more, visibly solid, his eyes were on the last female. His eyes rested on the large hat which covered her head and hid her form. He reached forward and pulled it from her head. The Eleventh Seat looked up at him with wide eyes, but they quickly relaxed. "And you will be getting actual clothes," he uttered as he looked over her attire. Two different toned thigh high socks, some sort of pink top, a pair of shorts and visible panties. While he wasn''t honorable, he didn''t like the skimpy attire unless it were in a private setting. However he also quickly noticed something else behind her, a ball of some sort. Red and black. "Hm... Your new name will be Astra," he based her name on her alias, the Thousand Leagues Astrologer. She reminded him of a cat almost as she was staring up at him after giving her this name. There was this look in her eyes that he couldn''t quite understand. It reminded him of a kitten, or that of a lost puppy. Even though he had brainwashed her, deep in her eyes was the fear of being consumed by him. Being killed, losing her life. She was a fearful individual who could easily be oppressed by those more powerful than her. Especially if they could destroy an entire army of weak enemies with a flick of their wrist. Much like how Ainz has yet to discover he is capable of doing just that to an army of humans in this realm. Though he may already be knowledgable, Jack sure wasn''t. Undeath Army He cast the seventh tier spell, summoning an army of undead monsters, primarily consisting of zombies. However unlike normal ones, their Karma was 0. They held no ill will towards the living, but they''d practically follow any command he made towards them. He watched as they''d come out of what looked like black goop from the ground. Even the bodies of the soldiers became zombies. Within several minutes there was a massive horde of zombies in the forest. All of which surrounding him and the three former members of the Black Scripture. He couldn''t help but chuckle to himself. The one donned as Astra was practically hiding behind his cloak, all of these suddenly appearing undead gave her a fright. Though the other two hardly responded other than eying them as they brushed shoulders. "Invade the Slane Theocracy... Kill as many as you can." This was his simple command and with that they all began to gather tighter together as they made their way towards the border. It was clear that this was going to be a surprise for the Theocracy. He was wondering how they''d react. Losing contact with their most powerful team and being invaded by the undead shortly after. He could only chuckle at the idea. Though he was sure they had some powerful people left over. Once the horde was off in the distance, Jack turned and summoned a portal with the Gate spell and walked inside without much of a care on his face. The three others followed close behind, the Fourth seat glancing behind themselves in the direction of the Theocracy before walking into the portal just before it closed. 22 「Precedence」 The Gate created by Jack opened into the main foyer of the Citadel, and soon after he emerged with the three female forms wandering in behind him. Even though they were under his control, they still had their consciousness. They were just brainwashed, conditioned, changed. Astra''s mouth hung open as she stared at all the NPCs moving about. It had completely changed since the last time the Swords of Darkness had been in attendance. A massive circular device has been planted in the center of the foyer in the appearance of a tropical blue half-sphere with a floating golden ring around it. There were thousands of what appeared to be photonic displays floating in a circular motion above the platform. It was a World Item used for mass surveillance by Spell Casters who use their own sources of mana to interface and power it. The more who use it the more information it is capable of covering and the range also increases. At its maximum range, they could very likely see the other side of the world, but for the time being it covered the majority of the continent. Pushing her purple framed glasses to her nose once more, the girl in the school uniform gazed over the scene. It was amazing the item which was pretty much on display for anyone who walked in. Were they not expecting guests to come in here? Or could they move it? The three had no idea that it wasn''t originally there in the first place. That and it''s size can be reoriented to be placed in a different location or stored away in a small box. Originally this item was stored in his study, but the Dryad had been ordered by Gallifrey to bring it down to the foyer for more practical use by all of the Guardians and NPCs. It was one of the reasons why they had caught the sight of not only the Black Scripture, but also Bloodfallen. "Is this some sort of center of intelligence gathering?" Sia asked as she lowered her hand from her face after pushing her glasses up her nose. She was very straight to the point, before running a hand through her brown hair. He turned his head and looked to her before shrugging slightly. "In a sense," he exlcaimed before walking towards the doors leading to the main stairwell. "You may follow me, all of you." Sia, Astra and Elle all nodded and followed after him submissively. Even though he had made them loyal followers, they''d still fear him, even if they liked him superficially. So as they made their way up, both Elle and Astra began to levitate as their legs got tired and continued on moving so they wouldn''t fall behind. Each glance, each turn of their head, they got new information. Soon enough after reaching the third floor in the main complex, they entered a room as he slid the door open. It''s design was rather modern, but minimalistic. There was plenty of storage containers, and then there was a futon in the center. This room in particular was owned by the member affectionately coined "Two of Three." It was a Star Trek joke which the three original members shared. Though now it was just Jack alone. He walked over to a nearby trunk and tapped the top of it. Reaching in, Jack pulled out what appeared to be a full body spell caster''s robe. It was white on the outer layers and black on the inner. Though the exception being the shoulders and tall collar, he happened to toss it in Astra''s direction. Instinctually she went to cover her face, causing it to simply drape over her head for a moment before she noticed she was in no danger. Peering up from behind the clothes, she peered over the item. With her magic sight, she could see it was a great deal more powerful than her current attire and covered much much more. Swallowing hard, she looked at him again as he was going through more items which were stuffed inside the trunk. "What are you waiting for?" He asked without turning around. "II''m sorry!" Astra blurted out. The item he had given her was the Robes of the Silver Mage. There were three sets of the object as it was an event item that could be obtained over and over again by completing a repeatable quest. Each time the Robe would be a different class. In this instance, it was a High Class Item while the other two were Relic and Divine. Originally two of three was going to sell the items or decompile their data and ultimately combine them in an attempt to make her own Guild Robes. That never occurred however, as the game shutdown prior to her even having a chance to go through with the ambitions in mind. With their backs turned to Astra, watching Jack as he was still going through the items. Astra would pull her clothes off, keeping her undergarments in place, before slipping herself into these Silvery Robes. Immediately she felt lighter, like she could carry a ton and take on much more endurance. However the moment she put them on, she had cemented the mental conditioning. The Robes of the Silver Mage, other than being used for increasing one''s strength and endurance, turned existing magical effects permanent. Originally the purpose of that was to make buffs cast on one''s self permanent for PVP advantages. Though this didn''t seem to be the case. Jack would proceed to take out a pair of cargo shorts and held them out to Sia. Color ChangeChanged the color of the shorts to be the same color as the blazer she was wearing. He even proceeded to add the same enchantment with silent magic, which would cement the brainwashing. He was allowing them into the Citadel, he was bringing them to the Carne Village. He didn''t want them to be able to turn back against him or be used against him. Sia smiled, assuming he was being considerate with the change of color to the shorts, and took them off his hands. Unzipping her skirt, she let it drop to her ankles. This revealed the forked hem of her dress shirt, a pair of white panties with purple stripes plain to see. She also slipped off her black shoes before pulling the shorts up her legs along her slender legs. They covered up to to the tops of her knees, being much longer than the short skirt. She stared down at her legs for a moment before taking a gander at the skirt which was at her feet. Lightly kicking it with her toes, she looked over at Jack as he was turning around to look at them. Jack slowly nodded looking them over, they looked much more dignified in his opinion. Though if this world was his own personal Eroge Sandbox, he wouldn''t have changed a thing. And as he thought about it, the world could end up that way if he were just that powerful. The only problem was the quote that was going on in the back of his head every time he thought about it. "There''s always a bigger fish," and this was from an ancient movie from over a hundred years ago. It was pretty scary how smart the human race could possibly be. "How do they fit?" He asked looking over Astra and Sia. "They''re a perfect fit," Sia said with a nod, as if she was just pointing out a fact that they were indeed fitted around her waist without fail. "Where will I be staying..?" Astra''s forehead bared a sweat drop as she heard Sia''s question. She was waiting for the man to disembowel her or something along those lines due to the trauma of watching the entire Scripture being wiped out. Instead he tilted his head slightly. "You three will be staying in this room," even though he was saying this, they would be unable to access the trunks. So this made the only thing in the room possibly of use the futons which were laid out on the floor and the various pillows hidden under the blankets. "You will be given meals three times a day, and you will be trained as Apprentices under the Guardians in order to hone your abilities." His eyes traced over Elle for a moment, "You''re assigned to Cassi, the Orcish Girl." Elle cringed slightly, her upper lip twitching. It was clear that she was rather disgusted with the idea of working with a nonhuman, but she didn''t object. She knew what would happen and her mental conditioning prohibited her from doing so, in which she was very lucky. In turn he handed her what looked like a silver jeweled circlet. She let it rest, hanging on her palm as she stared down at it. The item itself was beautiful and it shined just with her presence touching it, indicating its Divine Element. However just like the other items given to the girls, this one in its own right had the same enchantment to cement the brainwashing. Lifting it up on her fingers of both hands, she gently placed it around her forehead and behind her ears. The gold haired girl gasped as holy radiance passed through her an odd warmth feeling her mind. Turning his attention to Astra, he smirked a bit. "Your Master will be Min, the female in the Miko Priestess Dress." "Miko... Priestess!?" "Yes. She represents Amaterasu, the Goddess of the Sun." "Is she human?" "No. Ironically, she''s a Vampire. Half-Vampire." Astra''s lips parted at the irony of the whole idea of a Vampire representing what she believed to be a fictional Goddess of the Sun named Amaterasu. He then turned to Sia and tilted his head to the side slightly. "You will be Sir Gallifrey''s Squire. He''s an Alpha Werewolf, and very clumsy outside of battle. Your job is to look after him off the battlefield and assist him in day to day activities." "Yes, Sir." Sia said as she instinctively bowed her head to the man, hardly bending her back as she did so. Her eyes stared at his leather boots as she didn''t lift her head. She could see her reflection in those boots even though he had clearly just been outside in the wilderness. "For the time being, you are now dismissed." Jack stated as he folded his hands behind his back after removing his cloak and armor pieces once more to put them in his item box, or player inventory. He''d then proceed to leave the room and head down stairs until he found himself in the foyer. Glancing behind himself, he smirked to himself and lulled his head side to side. He was proud of himself for the most part. "So I got Regular Experience Potions and now I have Black Scripture Experience Potions... And thirty days before I can use that Assimilation Spell." Clicking his teeth a few times he made his way outside into the courtyard. However before the door could close behind him, Ani crept up behind him and dropped down to one knee. "My Lord!" Almost jumping out of his skin, he glanced back towards the girl and raised a brow. "Yes, Ani?" He''d ask as he quickly regained his composure. "A group has been dispatched to Carne Village, rumors of the wall have already reached the Capital!" Nodding slowly, he chuckled a bit. "Oh?" Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "It''s an inspection force my Lord, sent by the Golden Princess Renner!" "Of whom does it consist..?" "A young man by the name of Climb and Five Adamantite Adventurers called the Blue Roses." 23 「Days of Passage」 It was the fourteenth day of transition into the New World for both Momon and Jack. Two days after the triple homicide of the members belonging to the Swords of Darkness, and one day after the dispatch had left the Royal Capital of the Re-Estize Capital to Carne Village. Since then Lizzie and Nphirea Baleare had relocated to Carnve Village to fulfill a pact made with Momon after the near complete destruction of the Party. It was clear he wasn''t safe either in the city as there may be even more people out there like Clementine and Khajiit which would look to use her grandson as a weapon. Today was a strong day, one in which everyone was gathering in the village. While the Swords of Darkness had arrived in the middle of the Sunlit Scripture Conflict, they were remembered for taking out soldiers who dared come to massacre the populace. They were considered heroes even though it was mainly just Jack who had slaughtered them with rather explosive bullet magic. Something he considered overkill now compared to then. The funeral was getting a larger procession as time went by. Friends, family. People who knew them arrived from E-Rantel to see them off, as well as to admire the new wall. The Golems had already begun to pave a new road onto the Highway which connects the Cities and countries together. It was clear that the progress of development was steadily getting faster and faster. Soon this village was going to become either a major habitual zone, or a very vacant ghost town. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. There were various buildings which were allowed for everyone to use. There was even a freshly built Inn for the visitors to stay in. It was operated by one of the NPCs from the Citadel who was specialized in cooking, accounting and cleaning. So there Jack stood overlooking the three caskets in the middle of a cemetery which was now completed. It had a set of refined granite stone walls surrounding it with black metal fencing on top. Each of the tomb markers, whether written on or blank, were made out of slabs of polished reinforced cement. Before the caskets on the tomb stones, grave markers, were the names of their friends: "Peter Mauk, The Loving Leader and Friend." "Lukrut Volve, The Obnoxious but loving." "Dyne Woodwonder, The Friend of Wisdom and Great Understanding." Within an hour or so the people were all around the caskets. Viewing the Glyph of Light that represented their face, which hovered above them. People offered prayers, others rested a flower on the casket or a handful of dirt. Food, ceremony. The Culture of Re-Estize and the people in it despite having a main religion was rather diverse. People lived their lives as society allowed it, or deemed fit. Jack didn''t move from where he stood. He was dressed in just his uniform again. However his eyes weren''t just on the casket now. She was watching Ninya hovering over Peter''s casket. She was talking to him, or at least, his corpse. People he knew found closure and clarity should they believe the dead could hear them. Who knows though, maybe in this world they could. The idea made him smile a bit, thinking that his friends were looking down on him. Or at least protecting her in anyway that they could. They hadn''t begun their training yet, and they didn''t sleep together, not that he minded. He could still remember the warmth he felt when she had slept pressed up next to him in the middle of the plains when they were coming to the Carne''s Village to get herbs for Nphirea. Part of him wanted to cry because his mind wondered over to the possibility that he hadn''t asked her to stay. If she had gone and died, twice at the hands of the same person. What would he had done? Surely he would have brought her back, no matter what. Even if her soul refused to come back, he would bring her back. He would force her back into her body. The idea of the agony that would put her through though made him wince. Then suddenly a calm passed over him for the first time since he had gotten here. He had the chance to be overwhelmed by his own emotions, but suddenly they were cooled. He blinked several times and looked around, taking in each face, each scent and all the information he could gather by just seeing them. Then his eyes locked onto the front gates of the main wall. One of the people manning the front gates was flashing a mirror in his direction. Apparently someone was wanting to come in. He could only assume it was the group of adventurers and the one known as Climb, whomever he was. As the doors opened he watched as five people on horses came trotting into the Village territory. The doors would close loudly behind them, causing a small female on a red horse to jump slightly. A brow raised slightly, noting the white mask with a red jewel on it. She wore a lot of red, including the hood over her head. And there was some black as well which covered her body beneath her neck. She had an interesting feeling coming off of her and when he went to gage her level, he quickly found that she was probably the strongest of the six making their way towards the ongoing funeral. Teleport Without a seconds notice with a flash of blue lights, he was no longer where he once stood. Within around the same time he vanished from sight, he reappeared behind the trotting horses. His eyes were mainly on the little red with the blond hair. Though his eyes also moved to the ones dressed as Shinobu, and onto the one with the actual Sword of Darkness on her back. EvilEye who sensed the use of magic very close to her, turned her head and froze. Her horse immediately came to a stop and the rest of them turned their horses around to see what was going on. "Whoa! Where did you come from? Like are your feet are we?" Laughed Gagaran, stepping off her horse as she was dressed in her full set of armor. She wore this big friendly grin. Just by looking at her, Jack could hardly tell she was a woman despite the massive pecks on the armor itself. Were they encasing her breasts, or were those just for overzealous decorum?! "Wait, weren''t you over there!?" The identical twin Ninjas shouted in realization who had just showed. Lakyus however was staring at him, looking him over once twice and even three times. "Are you the one known as Sir Cipher?" It looked like her hand was itching to go for the hilt of the massive sword which once belonged to the Black Knight. "My friends call me Jack, Cipher is my Alias." "Like a Cryptograph?" EvilEye raised a brow at this under her mask as she looked him over herself. She could tell he was several times stronger than anyone here. Even herself as she was probably well over seventy five levels below him. Her eyes moved over his uniform before biting her lip. "Exactly, though the name itself means Person of No Influence, or Non-Entity." Nodding slowly as if it was relevant, she would slowly peal herself away from the horse and drop down onto her feet. She stared at the man before walking up close to him. It was quick to find that she was extremely short compared to him since he was a little over six feet tall. He was also rather lithe so he wasn''t super muscular to the point that he was bulky. So they had about the same width. Squinting at him, she didn''t really know what to think. Out of everything she just felt a neutral vibe off of him, but he smelled of blood and it wasn''t his own. He killed recently and appeared rather unaffected by it. If anything, she could sense the calm. "You must be the Blue Roses," he finally spoke up as he narrowed his sights on the only other male present, Climb. He was blond and in Knight''s armor. "What brings you to Carne Village?" "You can''t be serious," Lakyus snickered as he seemed to ignore the fact that this giant wall had appeared overnight including the movement of the Citadel. "Do you think moving that Fortress would go unnoticed!?" She pointed over her shoulder towards his Guild Headquarters. "Is that Sarcasm?" Jack asked as his eyes took in the blue, red and gold hues which decorated her attire. It was light armor, but that weapon she had and definitely wanted to use, was heavy. It was hard to think of her as a tank, but to think of her as a Warrior was just odd. It was like a combination of Ranger and Warrior. Though in reality, she was a caster and warrior, a warrior priestess. Using silent magic to call forth the Greater IdentificationSpell, he would view her information as well as the other members of her group. In a fun turn of events, it appeared that EvilEye, also known as the Vampire Lord Landfall or Keno Invern, was a Vampire of all things. A fellow Hetermorphic being. On top of that her former affiliation was that of the Thirteen Heroes. "So you knew the Black Knight," Jack said out loud without knowing it. Slowly Keno nodded, wondering where this was coming from. Though she could only assume he already knew who everyone in this group was. Surveillance Magic was in heavy use throughout the Continent at the moment and it was making just about everyone who could sense it uneasy. Jack sighed quietly with a small smile across his lips as he gazed over the little LandFall. "It''s nice to finally meet you Landfall." He used her former name casually which caused all of her friends to briefly reach for their weapons. However he didn''t react to their movements and instead kept his attention on Keno. "People call me EvilEye," she responded to his calling her out as the former Vampire Lord. Jack acknowledged with a simple tip of his head, before looking past them towards the funeral as it was going on. There were some tents where food was served and such. "So what can I do for you?" He asked as he moved his attention towards Climb who appeared to be the Princess Renner''s personal toy, or in some extraordinary fashion, pet puppy. "The Six Noble Houses want to bring you in after learning of your potions, and now your..." For a mere minute he was captivated by the wall which surrounded him. He could hardly see where it ended as trees and buildings blocked the view. "Unsanctioned Fortification of a Village as made them think you''re planning a move against the Kingdom." "And what does Gazef think?" He asked as he narrowed his sights on the blond male who was taken back by the casual mention of the Head warrior. "While he seems to support you, he does believe you went overboard. It appears you''re going to war." "And if I am?" For a brief moment they went silent before all looking at one another, then back to him. "The Slane Theocracy and the Baharuth Empire are watching us. Especially now after I eliminated the majority of the Black Scripture after one of their former members killed some of my friends." Jack wore a fake smile as he said these words as there was no happiness in them. "You... Eliminated them!?" "All except for four of them... One wasn''t present and I captured three of them." "Where did you fight them?" "They were present near E-Rantel during the Vampire Attack." He glanced off in the distance for a moment before turning his head to look at Nphirea who was walking with his Grandmother and Enri off in the distance. "So I ambushed them a day into their retreat," he yawned quietly as if it was just a boring story. "How''d you fight that many God-Kin?" EvilEye stepped forward, knowing very well that even as descendants of players, they were relatively powerful. "The Vampire killed two of them and critically injured another." His eyes wandered over to Lakyus who was eying his uniform. A small grin formed over his lips as he stepped towards them. "That would still leave Nine of them..." "I suppose. The first one I killed was the Second Seat, the moment he landed a hit, he died." Those last few words echoed in the back of their minds for a few moments. The Second Seat landed a hit on him and died rather than inflicting damage? "And he did no damage to you?" "No, but the fourth seat managed to burn me." "Burn you...?" Jack just shrugged slightly, "Very little damage though." A smile remained tainting his lips before he went to walk passed them and rejoin the funeral. "Feel free to join in. The ''Swords of Darkness'' appreciate your visit." Lakyus blinked a few times hearing the name of the party. "Huh?" "Our Party''s primary goal was to acquire one of the Black Knights Swords, or all four of them since there used to be just four members before I joined." He laughed quietly to himself and shook his head, "Now there is only two." "Right... The Zurrernorn attack... They were kille--" "They were killed by Lady Clementine, a former member of the Black Scripture and some guy named Dale from Zurrernorn. If Momon had made it there sooner, they might''ve still been alive." "I can revi--" "No you can''t," Jack cut her off from what she was about to say, as if he knew she was going to say she could revive them. Mostly because he knew that she had such an ability, but he already blocked their capacity to be resurrected. "But..." "I used true death on them, there is no need for them to experience death a second or third time." Lakyus frowned, "That''s not your choice." "It is now." Turning his back to them, he grasped his left wrist behind his back with his right hand and began to walk. Just the fact that he could use certain abilities meant he was highly powered and irregular. On top of that it appeared he knew exactly who Keno was. Or at least appeared to. She was pretty sure he was a player considering he had eliminated the Black Scripture, but what he was isn''t known to her. "Hey!" Lakyus shouted after him, "The Six Nobles and the King demand you come to the Royal Capital!" Glancing over his shoulder looking over at them, "After the Funeral. Like I said, you''re welcome to stay until then." "At night fall it is!" "It''s going to last three days, good luck with that." "You only have one da--" "Three lives cannot be celebrated in one day!" 24 「Theocratic Power」 "The Black Scripture has failed to return..." In conference, the Cardinals of the Slane Theocracy stood there in a magnificent room with blue carpets and three stained glass windows shining at their backs. A long alter stood behind them and the area they stood upon was elevated by at least a foot above the base. "Were they wiped out? All of them...?" The group stared down in front of them where the Captain would have been kneeling before them. It was hard to even fathom the idea that anyone was capable of doing this. Could it be the second coming of the Gods? Had it been a dragon? With the twelve which had gone off on the mission to find Commander Nigun, it was quite clear that even the World Item was lost. "There have been reports of a massive horde of undead coming our way. Initial reports have indicated that some of the undead are identical to the military forces under the Black Scripture''s command." "What? Could it have been a powerful necromancer?" It was too late to say they''d have to be wary of them, even though it was still the truth. The Sunlit Commander was gone, and now there was only one member of the Black Scripture left. The six Cardinals were wearing thoughtful expressions. They didn''t have any resources to send in to this, especially after this loss. A member of the Windflower Scripture Information Gathering Unit came into the room, before quickly and subtly kneeling in front of them the moment he was in their presence. "The body of Kaire and Time Turbulence have been found, as well as the decapitated head of Lady Clementine... There are no bodies," The Scripture member looked up to them with a frown on his lips. "And the Downfall of Castle and Country? Where is it?!" One of the Cardinals was clearly uncomfortable as no matter where they looked on the individual, the dress was no where to be found. "It''s missing... Lady Kaire was stripped of her clothes and trampled to death by the undead horde." "And what is the status of the horde?" "It''s still on the move, it''s attacking every living thing that moves." He reported with his head still lowered. He dared not look up at them with such news leaving his tongue. "Do we have any intelligence of their origins?" "We found evidence of high level magic being used and foot prints which concentrated magical residue." He reported and turned his head to the side slightly as he heard the doors that had onced closed behind him open again. It was none other than Zesshi Zetsumei. The small female made her way into the room, her eyes gazing side to side. She was looking for just about anyone, or anything. However she wasn''t worried, just curious. The Black Scripture hasn''t returned and et there was someone reporting to the Cardinals. One of the Cardinals grumbled seeing her enter the room, late. She hadn''t come when summoned, yet she comes whenever she pleases. "So... Where is the Black Scripture?" She was hardly trying to hide a smile. "I don''t see the Captain." Her heterochromatic eyes centered on the agent from the Windflower Scripture. Her eyelids closed partially as she looked over his face, how he held himself, the back up to the Cardinals. They were looking at her with frowns across their lips. "They''ve been lost, having been attacked by an unknown entity after failing to apprehend and capture a powerful Vampire." Replying to her question in disappointment, they placed their palm on their foreheads as if their brain was hurting. "Oh," Zesshi didn''t appear to care all that much at all based on her emotional response, or more like the lack there of. Instead she just asked a question to clarify, "No one survived?" "No one." One of the Cardinals looked down at the Agent, having a hard time believing that the Scripture had been eliminated by a single powerful individual. Whomever had killed them, even when three of them were already either injured or dead, it was clear they should be wary of them. "Is that so..." A wide smile found its way across her lips, believing that someone was actually worth fighting if they could defeat her colleagues. Her voice had been entirely rhetorical and an undertone of excitement and yearning. She wanted someone powerful to mate with, someone who could defeat her or be her equal. Her tongue tickled her lips as she glanced towards the doors of the conference room. She could only imagine should she have a child of a being strong enough to defeat her, how strong the child could possibly be. She slowly turned from the Cardinals, dancing about in her own thoughts. Of course her exterior was hardly as provoked, but she was clearly aroused and her mind stimulated. Her eyes were smiling, a large creepy grin across her lips. She brought what looked like a Rubik''s cube to her shoulder which had been in one of her hands. "Is that all you have to report?" The Cardinals watched as she was leaving, waiting for the agent to continue speaking or finish their report. "We are unable to resurrect or revive Time Turbulence and the others who fell against the Vampire became members of the Horde. Out of all of the zombies, they appear to be the most powerful of the gathering." The agent continued to report as he was instructed. However after hearing this, Zesshi turned her head and looked over at him. "How many are in this horde?" "Estimated in the hundreds." "That''s not a horde! That''s an army!" The Agent closed his eyes and dipped his head even further, to the point that his chin was pushing into his chest. The disappointment was radiating off of the cardinals. Everything it seemed they had set up was practically crumbling. "The City closest to the border is currently at risk of being attacked. Their walls have been sealed, that is the last of the news I have." "How should we deal with this..." The Cardinals began to talk amongst themselves again. "Warily. The Vampire likely isn''t the culprit who left behind the magic residue in the soil." "We have to investigate more. Especially due to the sudden appearance of that wall around the village Nigun had attacked. We shou--" "Wall?" Zesshi turned her head and looked at them. A wall suddenly appeared around a village? Walls took a long time to build, someone had to be extremely powerful in order to summon such a thing. That creepy grin, became a horrifying smile as her hair cast a shadow on her face over her eyes. "The Citadel that appeared in the North two weeks ago, it moved to the Carne Village... I''ve... I''ve met the man who lives there. He was in E-Rantel as a member of the Adventurer''s Guild." "An Adventurer?" Wait, the agent''s thoughts were putting things together as the silence was giving him time to think. The Citadel had moved to the village, a massive wall along with it. He was hardly dressed as an Adventurer, or even a Villager. He looked like a soldier dressed in that getup of his. "His name is Cipher, I saw the Head Warrior give him a letter of introduction." "A letter of introduction...?" "Was he being recruited by the Head Warrior?" The Agent shook his head, it didn''t seem that way. If anything he was being invited to have an audience with the King, or to be freely capable of entering the castle. "He didn''t really look like an Adventurer despite lingering around an outfit of them and most of the time he had a sword at his side." "A sword?" That was very vague, the Cardinals though were interested in whatever weapon he had been carrying. "It was sheathed the entire time, but it wasn''t a normal weapon, it gave off a faint glow." The description again wasn''t much to go on, but it was clear that whomever this person was, had a connection to three things. E-Rantel, Carne Village and the Citadel. Could this individual have been involved in this situation as well, the death of their Scripture? "Dispatch additional intelligence gathering on the Citadel and its inhabitants." One of the Cardinal ordered with a tone of absolute, "learn as much as possible." "Aaaaachooo!" Jack wiped his nose with the back of his hand, "That was weird..." It felt as if someone had been talking about it, but he didn''t quite know who, not yet anyways. Sitting on the bed in the vacant house within the village, he was staring out the glass window towards the dark outside. During the entire first day of the funeral activities, the Blue Roses hadn''t left him alone. Lakyus of all people chased him about, but the more that had went down, the more he came to conclude that it wasn''t the King who sent them. It was the Princess, as climb was with them and it was unlikely the King would send him out by demand. Or at least that was what he was thinking. So since they didn''t leave him alone, he trapped them in a magic box that would hold them for several hours. Thankfully the interior was conditioned at a constant sixty-five degrees and it had its own air supply. Otherwise they would have suffocated or something along those lines. Tapping his lower lip, he laid his back against the bed and turned his head to the side. The room was decorated in personal effects of people who had died during the incursion by the Sunlit Scripture, which made it somewhat eerie. Hearing the squeaking of the hinges though, his eyes darted on over to the shaded figure entering the room. A small smile crept across his lips as his eyes met the one entering. It was Nina, dressed in a light tan sweater with dark brown leather patches sewn seamlessly onto the shoulders and elbows. It reached down to her thighs, allowing her legs to be shown off a bit. They appeared smooth after a bath, shaven even. His eyes moved up her legs, traced the lines of the sweater up to her chest. There were small lumps there as she wasn''t wearing the binding she had worn before when she was dressed as a boy. Finally when he met her eyes with his own, he raised a brow. She was flushing in the face, it was clear she was uncomfortable due to her humble personality. He watched as she swallowed mildly before walking over to the bed and sitting down beside him. His eyes fluttered down to watch as the sweater rode up her thighs a bit, revealing a pair of white cotton undergarments. However he didn''t stare as his eyes shot right back up to her face. Resting her hands in her lap, she brought one leg up onto the bed, bending it to rest her foot against the side of the adjacent leg. Her fingers fidgeted with one another as her own eyes were glossy and red, which really brought out the blue hue of her irises. "I saw you talking to Peter," Jack had talked to his dead sister plenty of times. Though he hadn''t tried talking to her since he had arrived. Though after saying this, he began to think, what if he made a tombstone in tribute to her? "Yeah.." This faint smile didn''t cover up the way her chest shook every time she took a deep breath. It was clear she was still upset, but she was too tired to keep crying, to keep thinking of how it could''ve been different. Glancing over towards the dresser in the room, her eyes rested on her items she had put onto it. Her journal to be more precise, as it hadn''t moved since she had put it down. When she originally came in here, she intended to sit and write in it, yet she had automatically went over to him seeing him in here. Her eyes traced his sapphire blue eyes, which seemed to be looking into her and picking her apart. "I have something for you," he reached out to the side as his item box activated. Ninya''s eyes focused on the hand which traveled inside and pulled out a vial of dark crimson liquid. It looked more like blood than anything, but it looked syrupy, almost like a red sap. She looked at him after he had placed it down on the bed, "What is that?" "A power enhancement formula, think of it as an instant experience potion." "An... Experience potion?" There was such a thing? She knew there were healing potions, stamina potions and the like. The question was though, what was the definition of an experience potion. How did one turn experience into a liquid in the first place? "An item which immediately makes you stronger, without the futile grind." "Without the futile grind..." Ninya repeated the words he said as he stared at the item. At first it didn''t make sense to her until she thought back to when he was ''training'' her in the use of magic. How he pretty much inserted the information into her mind. She stared at the vial for a few moments before looking over at him. Just what would she do with the powers she would be given? She still had to save her sister, but she had to find her first. Would this help her at all? She pursed her lips, she also didn''t want to die like her friends did, at the hands of evil, hopeless and alone. Plucking the glass vial she popped the cork off of it and sniffed it. Despite its origins, the item smelled like mints and parsley. It hardly even matched its color in that respect in which was still reminiscent of dark blood itself. "I just... Drink it?" She from the vial and then to him. "And it makes me more... What?" "Powerful, knowledgable, maybe even just a bit more experienced? Each one is a bit different." The one he was having her drink was the Third Seat which was in his own right a powerful spell caster. Though he had hardly been given much of a chance by Jack to even exercise his might. "Because of the ingredients?" "Precisely." Trusting him, Ninya lulled her head back with the vial held to her lips. She continued to gulp down the very syrupy liquid. It tasted exactly as it smelled, which was strange, but also fascinating. Just the moment it touched her tongue she started to feel different. She felt like the world was swimming through a current, that she was being touched by a cool breeze in all places even where she was covered up. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Within a few seconds the vial was empty and she was placing it down on the bed as she flopped onto her back. She closed and opened her eyes, blinking several times. It was like she was buzzed on alcohol or high on some sort of herbal supplement, her eyes lagged behind her subconscious calculations that took care of her hand eye coordination and higher thinking. Bringing her free hand up to her face, her eyes went wide as she moved it to and fro, before just planting it on her face. "I feel so weird..." The bed shifted slightly and she let her arm fall to her side, her immediately noting Jack straddling over her and leaning forward. Her lips parted now, still quite a bit dazed by the experience. "Wh-waha... What are you doing?" Jack chuckled a bit hearing her ask what he was doing, but instead he was looking into her eyes and checking for any signs of weakness. In a matter of seconds he was able to tell she was entirely fine, but she was already several times stronger than she was before consuming the potion. "We''re going to be leaving for the Royal Capital in a few days, we''ll be staying there for a little while." Resting his arms on the bed at either side of her head, he lowered his face close to hers as he remained on top of her. "Huh..? W-why?" Ninya burped, almost without any reservation or forethought, right in his face. "I''ve been summoned to speak with the King on certain matters," he was giving a partial truth. It was likely they were going to want to slap shackles of his wrists and try to tame him. It was unlikely that they''d be able to even succeed in such a feat though, at least that is what he believed. Should they too have a world item like the Slane Theocracy had, the Re-Estize Kingdom would have to go immediately. Not that it would be independent much longer anyways. While Momonga was off dealing with those Lizard men, he had his own plans for the Royal Family and the corrupt nobles. Though he was sure the problems he would be facing there would be minimal. 25 「Peeper」 Looming over her, she was trapped in his shadow. There was hardly any escape, as she could hardly see straight. All she could do was stare up at him, her eyes moving side to side like that of a calm ocean carefully tossing and turning a barge on the open sea. She swallowed hard as she felt his hand traveling along her jawline, down her neck and to the collar of the sweater he had given her to wear. "Hhhhey.." "Hm?" His eyes rested on her face as her watched her lips move. For the moment all her senses were increased seven fold, just a poke was stimulating. So as he was just brushing his skin against hers, it was an unknown sensation. Other than hanging out with the guys, she had never been this intimate with the man. She wasn''t even wearing pants, let alone a dress. She was just wearing this shirt she had been given. They were small, delicate, they looked warm. He wondered how they tasted. The sapphires of his eyes began to glow even more in the dark as the night dominated the area with an iron fist. "...Where will we be staying?" Her eyes watched his hand as she used her elbows to sit up a bit. Though as her head was no longer supported by the bed, she found it was hard to keep her head from lulling to the side or back. "Man you are high," Jack exclaimed as his hands grasped at her lower ribs, right beneath her breasts. He felt down her abdomen until his thumbs and index fingers were spread apart at her waist. He licked his lower lip, before looking her in the eyes. "Jack?" She closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again, trying to keep focused on him alone rather than the whole room. Even though it looked like the whole room was going in at her. "Eh.. I heard of a place we could stay," he lied as he had no idea where they would be staying. It wasn''t like he had ever been to the Royal Capital of the Kingdom before. Let alone, it didn''t really matter how much a room cost there. He could afford it, or at least believed he could. His eyes moved towards the window in the bedroom towards the Citadel which was in plain view. Its base towered over the entire village and cast a shadow even in the dark of the night. It was cloudy, hardly any stars were visible. Was it going to rain? Pursing his lips, he looked back down at her as she reached up and gripped the side of his tunic and pulled. Quickly the left breast popped off and the tunic would open partially. That''s when he leaned down and pressed his lips against her neck, causing her to gasp at the feeling. A tingling sensation spread throughout her face, especially as she felt his breath. His face brushed upward, his nose poking at her jaw and flipping her ear lobe. She smelled like the homemade soap she used for a sponge bath an hour ago. Her fingers gripped tighter at the now open flap of his double breasted tunic. In a way the idea of feeling this way disturbed her. It wasn''t something she had felt let alone done before. Yet the high from the potion she had drunk was definitely keeping her from actively declining his touches. Though she couldn''t argue, they felt good. The closeness, the lukewarm feeling that came from him. Kicking his boots off, letting them fall to the base of the bed. He gazed over her closely, his face mere inches from hers. Those eyes of hers, even though the whites of her eyes were blood shot, and her blue eyes looked entirely unnaturally contrast. He could only smile. Skimming her upper lip with her lower teeth, she almost jumped hearing them hit the floor. Her eyes then moved to his chest as he was removing the tunic. It appeared he was wearing a black T-shirt underneath. She then watched as he tossed it behind himself, onto the boots which lay on the floor. Carefully he moved off of her, and started tugging her the rest of the way onto the bed. "Mmmm..." She let out a slight moan, her throat buzzing as she did. Hearing the moan made him snicker as he rested her head on the pillow at the headboard of the bed. He sat there on his knees for a few seconds though before prying the empty vial from her hands and placing it on the windowsill nearby. However just as he was about to lay down beside her and pull the comforter over their heads, he froze in place. He felt someone watching them? Tracking them? He turned his head towards the window he had just placed the vial on and raised a brow. "Now who is it this time?" He muttered quietly before shuffling off the bed and standing in front of the window. He waved his hand slightly, using Anti-Monitor Zonewith silent magic to cancel out the observation magic being used to spy on him for whatever reason in particular. Message "Were you watching me?" "No, My Lord. None of the Surveillance teams are focused on you." Gallifrey responded immediately as he was standing in the foyer where all the information was being overseen. "Perhaps it''s one of the other Nations... We''ll look into it!" "Thank you, Sir Gallifrey, for your unending support." "We all have something that only we can do. As Guardians of the Citadel, we are always your support." Hearing these words made ideas flash through his mind. Lately he had only been using a few of the Guardians. He hadn''t been utilizing them as much as Ainz, let alone interacting with them. If anything he would give them orders and leave, come back and repeat. Maybe he should talk to them? They can wait until he got back, maybe he could take a few with him. Judging the that idea, he could bring the human looking ones. Bringing elves or other species would likely cause problems, right? Especially having demi-humans like a cat girl or an orc with him. Sir Gallifrey was definitely a must, which meant he would be bringing Sia, which he didn''t mind. He wanted to get to know her as well since she was now apart of his collective. Turning his head to look towards Ninya who was now sound asleep, he almost giggled. "Well, I might as well do what I was going to do tonight anyways." Using silent magic to Teleportoutside of the house, he would turn and gaze over the European styled village and tilt his head to the side. Holding his right hand to the sky, an enigmatic purple engulfed his palm. "Widen Magic Restructure" As the words left his mouth, a shockwave burst of energy escaped from his hand above his head. As the energy passed through the buildings, the architecture changed without seemingly bothering the slumbering inhabitants within. Soon enough it looked like an Edo-Era village in order to match the massive Citadel which acted as their overseer and ultimate shield. His eyes gazed over the wooden and stone walls of the homes, even the thatch or coral tile roofing above them. It was an amazing change to him at least. He had never done this to an entire village before all at once. However his self created victory was short lived as he turned his head to the side to glance over his shoulder. There was movement. Someone was creeping around the village, and he wasn''t quite sure who it was just yet. He didn''t recognize it as any of the walking patterns of anyone he knew or met. The thing was though, he saw not a single person there. For a split moment though, that was true. As his eyes adjusted along with his passive magic sense, his eyes rested on a small form. She looked like a doll. However he didn''t focus on her and kept on look around. Each time his gaze passed over her, he got more information. However he was quick to notice she wasn''t alone. There were other people here, watching from the surrounding area. Oh? "My Lord," Sir Gallifrey spoke through the message skill which was still active. "It appears a small group of Workers have entered the Village. There have been no fatalities. What are your orders." "..." Hearing what his Head Guardian had to say, he focused his sights on the character who by all intents and purposes, literally had features which made her look like a doll. She had blond hair which hardly reached her shoulders and blue eyes with an incredibly delicate looking face. He was tempted to just reach out and pinch her cheeks in a surprise attack, but decided against it. Clearly she was a spell caster, she wore robes and sturdy clothes to boot. Speaking of, she had thigh high boots with some skirting of sorts. Right then, he silently cancelled the False Data and within seconds she heaved forward and puked all over the ground in front his feet. "Blaaaaah..." She also became entirely visible the moment she had puked and he just frowned at her. Letting out a sigh as two humans and an elvish female came out of hiding, he rolled his eyes. "Arche fall back!" It was a blonde man with a red streak in his hair and blue eyes named Hekkeran. The fact that there was significant amounts of blonde people present was actually annoying Jack quite a bit, though that was probably his personal issues. He never held blonde hair against people though, nor did he let it stop him form liking others. Just the large amount was annoying and relative to where he used to live several years ago. When she went to turn away from him, covering her mouth, he reached out a hand and grabbed hold of her brown cloak and yanked. She found herself gasping out for air and being strong armed into his hold. "Let her go!" This call came from another man, who was coming out from behind what looked like a mill. He was dressed in a Templar''s armor with armored fists. It was Roberdyck Goltron. His eyes then drifted over towards Imina, a half-elf with vibrant purple hair and an androgynous build. Even the shape of her head was androgynous to the point that if one didn''t look for the dead give aways, they wouldn''t know they were a woman from a distance. She had a weapon trained on him, a bow and arrow. "Please don''t hurt the g--" "I bet the cat is watching the screens..." He muttered quietly to himself as he scanned over them. "...What?" Arche looked up at him as she had her hands on his forearm from struggling, previously trying to pull his arm off of her. His entire arm was clasped down on her upper chest, his hand tucked into her pit. However looking up was a great mistake, just looking at his tier was overwhelming, since he could use eleventh tier magic. Arche had the ability known as the All-Seeing-Eyes, this allowed her to see the tier of a magic caster. Imina blinked a few times and lowered the weapon, "Eh?" Why was he talking about a cat? "Gallifrey!" That''s when out of no where, a shadow began to form on the ground. Within a few seconds though, a tall and well built stalk of a man, crashed down on the ground beside him with a hero''s landing! "You called My Lord!?" Gallifrey would stand up, stroking his stash slightly, giving a light stumble before his eyes darted from person to person then back to the Master of the Citadel. "Please tell me that you don''t have the Cat watching screens." Gallifrey stood there for a few moments, before looking away, itching his cheek with his thumb. "I shalt not lie to you, My Lord. She has been watching..." Taking in a deep breath through his nose, he sharply exhaled. "Arche was it?" Looking down at the little Blonde, "Tell me why there are a set of armed individuals in the village. One spell caster to another?" Slowly she settled herself down and faced forward, the way he held her to himself she could hear an extremely faint heartbeat. On top of that, his body was a constant lukewarm temperature. At first the group was silent, they were all looking at one another. They didn''t know what to make of them. Intruders were typically not spared and yet he wasn''t going out of his way to engage the others. Then when he jolted Arche, she squeaked and soon enough he had her a few inches off the ground. "We--" Hekkeran''s voice disappeared before he could say another word and he went wide eyed in surprise. "Did.. Did you just mute him?" Arche''s legs dangled loosely as she stared at her concerned friends. "That''s not answering my question..." Jack''s hand moved down from her arm pit and pushed into her lower rib, slowly bending it inward as it was the most flexible rib out of all of them available. Wincing, "Okay okay okay!" Arche''s legs flailed as she pushed down on his arm, squirming trying to get loose, but it wasn''t even close to possible for her. "We''re here to figure out where the wall came from and how the citadel moved!" "Just your group?" "It''s not a large scale operation..." She looked from him and to her friends and back to him. She knew there was no way her friends could take on a monster like him. Even with their weapons, the question was though, was he really going to threaten them with death. "And who sent you on this errand?" He pushed on her rib again, though he was hardly exerting any force behind it. At most he was just giving her discomfort, but the fear of his strength was clear. "Count Femel of the Baharuth Empire!" Arche had given up the name of the person who had sent them on a quest to figure out more about the Citadel. It was supposed to be a simple mission, but it didn''t go so well it seems. "Were you using surveillance magic?" Arche made a slightly confused expression before she stopped struggling, though shifted uncomfortably at his touch. They had been caught, but it hadn''t been their fault. On top of that, it appeared he wasn''t hurting her unless she wasn''t answering. "No... I don''t know how to use that kind of magic, yet." "Oh..." His eyes moved over to her friends, feeling her lower ribs. That''s when the Templar would inch forward slightly, he could tell by the looks in his eyes, that he was definitely going to charge forward should he try anything more. "So can you tell me why you puked when you saw my face?" Jack''s eyes turned down to her as she hung on his arm like she was stuck between a branch and a hard place. "You miss understand! That, that wasn''t my intention!" "Please, educate me." His tone was dead serious, though he could use Greater Identification, he chose not to. He much more wanted to hear the person say it rather than having to read it off them. However as he gave a little slack between them, her feet met the ground abruptly, and her right breast landed right in his hand. He blinked several times. "Eh?!" Arche was completely speechless, staring forward, her face turning as red as a cherry tomato. "That''s it, it''s time to meet the Fists of God!" Roberdyck came rushing forward with one arm drawn back at the ready to sock the man in the face. Gallifrey just watched as the man came running up to him, Jack notioned for him not to defend. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you, unless you want to lose you arm." "He''s telling the truth! Don''t do it!" Arche tried to dissuade her friend from coming any closer with hostile intentions. It was a bad idea for him to come anywhere near him like that. Roberdyck came to a stop about half way to his target and slowly lowered his arms. The group was quick to notice that they were now surrounded by the Goblin Troop. Bows and Arrows were all aimed at them. Weapons at the ready. "G-goblins?" Behind the Goblins appeared torches being held by villagers who came outside after hearing the shouting. In some way, they had been right to be concerned. "My education please," Jack tore his arm from her and placed his hand on top of her head, having her fall to her knees on her own. "I-I have the ability of the All-Seeing-Eyes." "Oh... Interesting," by the sound of that name for the talent given to her, it appears that she could see the power of other people. Or something along those lines. Though another could assume that she could spy on people as she saw all. She swallowed the saliva in her mouth hard, nodding, "I can see the tier of other magic casters..." "Huh, that''d be useful in some capacity, as an Adventurer." His eyes moved to the other three who were currently here. He wondered what brought these people of various professions together. With his fingers curling in, she could feel his fingernails poking at her scalp. Was he going to kill her now? She closed her eyes, thinking of her little sisters. Enri came out from behind the Goblins, "Jack!" He didn''t look up from the back of the blonde girl''s head when his name was called by someone he was considering a friend. "Yes, Ms Enri?" "Don''t hurt her." Jack shrugged at this and glanced over his shoulder finally, "This is a personal matter." Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Enri blinked a few times and brought a hand up to her lower lip in concerned thought. His attention then moved forward to the other three present. "I''ll tell you what. You want her back, go on a quest for me." Hekkeran stepped forward with his hands up, his arms stretched out slightly. "Easy now. We want her back. What''s the quest?" He was clearly nervous, he didn''t want anything to happen to her. "Hunt down and eliminate every member of the Death Cult known as Zurrernorn. If you hunt them all down, I will return her to you. Until then, she is at my mercy." The three of the members of Foresight just stood there, staring at the man as if dumbfounded by the quest he had given them. This man wanted him to hunt down a dangerous cult which had been turning entire Cities into armies of the undead. "Is... Is that all?" Hekkeran''s eye twitched slightly with mixed feelings of fear and anxiety. "Oh and tell the Count, the owner of the Citadel will be visiting the Empire sometime in the coming months and to keep watching. The show has only just begun." 26 「Archetype」 Roderyck, Hekkeran and Imina stared into the swirling purple portal which was in front of them. "Was it right to just leave her there?" Imina asked as she looked over towards their leader. They pitied and cared for her, they were concerned with the fact that the girl was in so much debt. Now, she was being held hostage and will be unable to make payments to save her little sisters. The only reason they knew abot her deby though however was this job made it come up in conversation earlier than it would have should this have never happened. So like she would have been excluded from the decision making from the Tomb Scouting Job which would be brought up several months from now. Hekkeran placed his fingers spaced out across his forehead as he dipped his head down in thought. "She told us herself that it would be useless to fight him, and all those villagers." He looked over towards Roderyck, then towards Imina. "And how in the heck are we going to find this Death Cult?" The Three of them were standing directly outside the Royal Capital of the Baharuth Empire. Roderyck was standing there amongst his friends, and as they had turned to talk to one another, he remained staring into the colorful abyss. "He told us she will be in his care..." Imina said before he swiftly turned his head to look at her. "He said she was at his mercy," Roderyck retorted as he placed his hands on his head. "I might just bring the Fists of God to my face for leaving her there!" "Woah!" Hekkeran put his hands up to calm the man down. "It''s going to be fine! We just have to hunt down a Death Cult that may or maynot have hundreds if not thousands of followers and undead...Minions...." He let out a light sigh as he lulled his head back hopelessly as he stared up into the night sky. "I need a drink..." The Worker group known as Foresight, minus one member, made their way to the front entrance of the Capital as the portal faded out. Passing through they were about to get on their way to the Singing Apple Inn. "Wait!" An unknown wail came out from behind them after they had taken several strides from the gate. So as they turned to see who might be paging them down, they could only raise a brow. It was none other than Fluder Paradyne, a teacher at the Imperial Magic Academy and the father figure of the current Emperor of the Baharuth Empire. "My eyes aren''t betraying me, are they?" His eyes centered on the magic user. "What happened!? Why are you back already, where is Arche Furt!?" Were the questions he barraged them with as he was panting, trying to keep his breath as he waddled on over to them after having run from the royal palace the moment they arrived. Imina''s mouth opened slightly when he had called their teammate out by name. Though it couldn''t be too much of a surprise since she was indeed a former student who left the Academy come the purge of corrupt or impractical Nobles in the Empire. "What do you mean what happened?" "You were aware of what we were doing?" For a few moments they let their minds get to work before noting something that Jack had once asked Arche, whether or not they had been using surveillance magic to watch him. "You were watching us... Watching him. That''s what triggered him. It''s your fault that Arche was captured!" Roderyck exclaimed aloud before looking to his team and then towards the powerful mage. "My fau... She was captured?" "Yes. The moment they looked at one another, she puked and became fully exposed." Fluder frowned hearing that she puked, but his expression was just a ploy a facade to hide his excitement. He had been watching the Carne Village for a while now, so when he finally focused it on the man who stood out the most, he lost connection; all sight. "And? What happened after she was captured?" The frown was hard to maintain, the excitement in his eyes was shining through any kind of ruse to appear bad about what had happened. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "..." They stared at him with disgruntled looks before sighing. "He ordered us to tell the Count that he''ll be visiting the Empire sometime in the coming Months. And that if we want her back, we have to hunt down and eliminate the Death Cult known as Zurrernorn." Hekkeran reported with a have wit to punch this man down, but knew that he would definitely be struck down by the Law for hitting an Imperial Official. "Then he opened some sort of portal which dropped us off here." "Portal... Is it still here?!" "No, it faded out once we were far enough from it. Either that or he closed it from his side." "How... How did it bring it about?" "The spell was Gatefrom what I heard him utter," Imina stated as she scratched beneath her chin. "That..." He began to think to himself what level of magic that could possibly be. His highest possible tier was fifth. That was as far as he could go without external sources of power such as powerful magic relics similar to how Khajiit needed aid in casting a seventh tier spell. "She puked after seeing his tier. It must have been overwhelming..." The old man looked to the sky for a moment. He believed he could use this to increase his abilities, he could become this persons disciple! He''d do anything to break the bottleneck that existed... "Was he human?" "Definitely not a regular one," Roderyck shook his head, "His eyes had a strange glow to them." "Strange Glow?" "Like a Lich, but it was blue, not red. But at the same time, he looked entirely human other than that. It was too real to be any form of illusion." Hekkeran picked as his group was known to combat the undead over in the Plains that the Empire and Kingdom fight annually within. "Like a Lich..." In his mind he crossed a regular human being over with that of a Skeletal Mage. Perhaps it was a Lich that managed to preserve itself? That didn''t sound quite right, a Lich was necrotic presence. Could it be that his exterior form was fake, nonorganic? Or was he another magical legendary entity? "Why didn''t he just kill you the moment he noticed your presence?" "Heh.. We had the same question, we asked before going through the portal." "And?" "He said he''d only kill us if we tried to kill him. And followed with ''Do or do not, there is no try...'' In this strange voice. It was like he was quoting someone." Imina had her arms crossed over her chest. She could only wonder what Jack was possibly doing to the poor girl as he had accidentally groped her while holding onto her. "We were also dissuaded by Arche from trying... Saying we couldn''t do it." "That makes sense..." Fluder looked over the three Workers before caressing his beard. "I will assist in your quest to eliminate the Death Cult, getting her point of view and learn what she finds out in captivity might help us understand more about the moving Citadel." Though it appeared he was going to help them, he was solely driven by the thirst for knowledge. He was more like a Lich than anything else present in the Kingdom. It was depressing for sure. "Report to the Count of your findings, I''m going to report to the Emperor." On her knees in front of four headstones, Arche couldn''t help but stare at the back of the tall figure which stood between her and these graves of people unknown to her. Her shins were tied together, while her hands were tied to her ankles. She couldn''t stand up with the aid of magic. In which she could cast, but there was no way she could get away from him. Even if he was momentarily distracted, how was she supposed to even get anywhere near the front gates? Her eyes traveled away from him as she looked to the southern entrance of the Village. There wasn''t any City close enough to this village that she''d be able to escape to based on her own endurance and stamina alone. Her eyes slowly moved back to him as she hear a click sound. She blinked several times as she watched him lay a cute little pebble on one of the headstones and blinked a few times. Her eyes traced the words on the headstone, noting the name. Just what was he doing? He went to the next one and placed another pebble down and then to the next. Each of these tombstones had a jeweled short sword imprint upon them. Except for the last one which he put a palm sized stone onto. This last one read, "Eve Graham." It was a very mundane name compared to the ones she was used to, but at the same time it was kind of cute. Though she was also quick to notice that the words under her name were in a different language; using completely different characters. Swallowing slightly, she curled her toes in her boots as she shifted her legs beneath her. "What... What are you doing?" "Paying my respects," his head turned to the side slightly as his eyes gave this light blue ambient glow. It was like watching small flames in his eyes with smoke the color of the ocean blue. She blinked a few times before narrowing her eyes on the pebbles. A custom of some sort maybe? "I was never into my parent''s religions," Jack made a tch sound with his tongue before resting his chin against his sternum eying this last headstone. "Religions?" She raised her brow when he spoke of religions in plural. Did that mean his parents had different religions? That sounded like it would have a lot of conflict of tradition and add some. Jack nodded slightly and turned to her, "They believed in the same God, just worshipped them differently. I didn''t understand why, still can''t." He walked over and placed a hand on her head, to push it back slightly, his hands running through her bags, revealing her forehead to him. "Tell me, does your Gods answer you?" He''d ask her as she stared up at him, feeling his intense gaze. While the stars behind him turned him into a dark silhouette, his eyes were like stars themselves in a patch of pitch black abyss. "No," a single word mewled out from her lips. It was the truth in a way. She has prayed to her Four Great Gods on numerous of occasions for the end of her parents petty attempt to hang onto a long lost lifestyle. "Hm.. Must be because they''re dead." From his studies he had found that the Great Gods which are worshipped across the continent, mainly by the human nations, were powerful players like the Eight Kings of Greed, the Black Knight and the Leader of the Thirteen Heroes, along with his Companion. Her upper lip stuck to her lower lip slightly as her jaw relaxed a bit, she stared forward hearing his words. "Dead?" She echoed the word, repeating it as if it fit. "What are you?" "An Arch Ma--" "That''s a profession," she said matter-a-factly before hesitantly turning her head away from him. He smiled calmly down at her, she knew he could cast well over the fifth tier. So how could he possibly be human? He wasn''t a normal person, that was for sure. "Here''s a riddle for you... Thy failed to live, but also thy have failed to die. Shalt thyneself perish and turn be dust, thy shalt arise the adjacent day with all that thy should have lost. What am I, doesth thou know?" He tried to sound a bit medievally and fanciful, all in fun. "If you die, you come back?" Arche continued to shift uncomfortably due to the way she was bound. She felt like she was being toyed with. She bit down on her lower lip, though the rest of her face was devoid of much expression. She was using her mind to search for the answer in his own words. From her knowledge it sounded like a Phoenix in a sense, but a Phoenix is reborn from its own ashes, not revived with all of its possessions. "H-hint please?" She looked up at him again, with her head turned away, from the corner of her eye. "I am commonly mistaken for my evil counterparts." Evil Counterparts? She stared at him still as she was trying to think of all that he was speaking of. Was he a demon? No, Angels and Demons don''t get mixed up from what she could recall. What exactly had opposites that interacted in such a fashion? "I am immortal." Blinking a few times hearing him say this, she kept her gaze on him as she turned her head to take in the full view of his face. An Immortal Human? She''s heard of them from magical texts, though they usually look older unless they were born that way. Or if they were like the Great Gods. "Are you an Immortal Human?" "Nope. That''d be too easy. Try again later." Almost like a suitcase, he stepped behind her and picked her up by the binds which held her wrists to her ankles and made his way back towards the house. Groaning slightly as she swayed back and forth, she watched as the ground moved below her as if she were flying in this strange and very uncomfortable position. Her eyes fluttered about, but she couldn''t locate the woman who showed concern for her earlier when she was first being manhandled. Sighing, her eyes rested on the house they were about to enter. 27 「WakeUpCall」 Arche had been laying on the bed for at least twelve hours now, still hog tied, and on her side. Ninya was hugging onto her like some sort of large stuffed animal. Burrying her face into her chest. Her eyes were settled though, not on Ninya, but on the figure which was standing in front of the window the moment she had been placed down here. Bags were under her eyes as clearly she didn''t sleep whatsoever. It was about six hours in that she noticed his eyes were no longer glowing, but they were clearly open. Though she had this strange feeling that they were no longer gazing out to the sky. Was he asleep with his eyes open? Or was he conscious? Feeling the unknown girl nuzzling into her, she looked down at her. She had brown hair, fair skin and a boyish demeanor. Then she froze as she was reading the tier of magic she could cast with her All-Seeing-Eyes. This girl, she was at the peak of the Fifth Tier and her mana alone was far past the normal amount a regular human would ever possess. How did a girl this young get so much power? Her eyes moved from Ninya and over to the man who was still staring outside. If it was something you could call staring. His eyes were almost lifeless. As if he had long since joined hands with the abyss that was death. Confused with Evil Counterparts... Her mind was wondering back to the riddle he had given her. What was he? Could he be a lich of some sort? Or an undead magician? If he was, then how did he get like this? Where was his necrotic tissue or the lack there of any tissue. "Hmm.." She hummed as a tribute to her curiosity, causing Ninya to stirr against her. Ninya slowly opened her eyes ever so slightly, catching the pink and tan colors of the sturdy clothes the female she was clinging to wore. Her eyes opened a bit more as she pressed the side of her face into something small and squishy. "What is this..." Ninya groaned as she was aching all over from the potion she had consumed the night before. She felt more powerful, but the highness that was about, was now gone. Sitting up, her eyes traveled down the hog tied female, then back up to her face and groggily raised a brow. "Who... Uh...Who are you?" "I''d like to ask the same thing," Arche replied sleepily, her eyes were heavy as she hadn''t slept a wink. Ninya turned and looked over at the standing figure which was Jack himself. "He''s in his mind again," she muttered quietly before looking back over to Arche. "In his mind?" Arche lightly tugged at her arm, before groaning in defeat as she couldn''t budge. "Meditation he calls it," Ninya sighed as she was debating of untying this random person. However she didn''t know why she was all tied up. Maybe she shouldn''t try to untie her? Yawning involuntarily, she would scoot away from Arche and planted her feet on the cold floor with her back to Arche. Ninya then stood up after pushing herself off the side of the bed and crept on over to Jack, getting onto her tippy toes as she placed her hands on his shoulder to weigh him slightly towards her, before blowing in his ear. Suddenly his entire body jerked and his eyes ignited like tiny blue flames. It was like she had just lit a bonfire. His eyes darted about the room before narrowing in on Ninya, "Good Morning. I hope you slept well." "Sore... But I''m okay." She turned her head towards Arche, then back towards Jack. "Why was there a girl in the bed with me, tied up?" "Heh, funny story. She was spying, invisible, outside in the village." Ninya''s face almost turned a bright red, as she could completely remember everything from last night unlike when people drank alcohol and blacked out. She had total recall. "She... she saw!?" Jack nodded as he was trying not to laugh. "What''d I see!?" Arche mewled as she rolled side to side on the bed. Ninya turned and stared at her as she moved about on the bed, mewling. "She was outside while someone was using Observation magic on the area, it was probably someone from the Baharuth Empire. Though I blocked them last night." He snickered quietly before glancing outside towards the window. Ninya''s gaze traveled around the room, slowly processing that the entire house had changed. The architectural rules and aesthetic were completely different. It reminded her of the interior of the Citadel. She paused for a few moments before looking over to him and tilted her head to the side. "Did... Did you do this?" "Obviously," Jack scoffed before lightly reaching out and subtly pinching her cheeks and caressing her soft skin. While she wasn''t as androgynous as Imina, he was getting curious of how the other members of the Swords of Darkness didn''t know she was a girl. That was an interesting thought which he never figured out while they were alive. Were they just that trusting towards their friend? At least they died knowing the truth... "So... Is she being held prisoner?" "Hostage, actually." "Hostage...? Like how you held me, Lukrut and Dyne in your Fortress while you had Peter go back to the Guild to report on your presence?" "Exactly," Jack couldn''t help but giggle to himself, "though in this case I gave her friends a bit of a harder quest..." His eyes rested on Arche who''s eyes were closing slowly as she was fighting unconsciousness. "To Eliminate the Death Cult that killed our friends, in order to get her back." Ninya froze hearing him say this. He sicked Arche''s friends on Zurrernorn in return for her safe return. "How... How many were there?" "Counting Arche? Four, just like a typical Adventurer Party. She''s a member of a Worker group. I sent them back to the Baharuth Empire unharmed." Message "Jack, I''ve been informed of an intruder in Carne Village. Are my --" Placing his fingers on his temple and interrupting Momonga, "Good Morning to you too Momonga." "I told you my name is now Ainz," Momonga claimed his new name, attempting to correct Jack. "You will always be Momonga, the man who offered me a place in an esteemed Guild as a friend." Jack said with a semi-emotional tone, appealing to sentiment. For a brief moment, there was silence. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "The Intruders?" "A group of workers from the Baharuth Empire were investigating the Citadel, and apparently me. I noticed someone watching me using Surveillance magic and blocked them... Then when I came outside, there was a fun-sized surprise." "Oh..." "So I nabbed the smol one and told them they have to eliminate the Death Cult to get her back." Momonga laughing as they were messaging each other back and forth. This definitely seemed like one of Jack''s attempts at controlling other people. His manipulation of people was either super subtle or extremely blatant depending on the situation and the need for discretion, or the lack of. Hearing Ninya repeating Arche''s name on her lips brought him out of his little messaging trance with Momonga, causing Jack''s eyes to lock right onto her again. Only one hand was on her face, caressing her cheek. It appeared her face as calmed down and was only slightly pink now rather than as red as a cherry. Feeling someone looking at him again, but this time from a distance, he turned his head to look out the window. His eyes immediately caught the red suit wearing Devil standing on the outer wall. It was Demiurge. "Well, don''t you know, the Devil Wears a Suit and Tie," his tone of voice imitated that of the song ''The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie,'' by Colter Wall. "Jack?" Ninya looked out the window and froze seeing the figure in the distance. She didn''t recognize him, though he was too far for her to even identify him. It just looked like a red stick with black hair, pink skin and a silvery tail. "Is.. That a ''Devil''?" "Yes. Though more precisely an Arch-Devil. I made sure he can''t enter the Village, due to his ability to manipulate people under relative to the mental fortitude of a Platinum ranked adventurer." The pink tinge on her face quickly disappeared as she''d pale hearing of the being''s prowess. Even though it looked so tame standing, perched proper, on the wall. "W-why is it here?" "You remember Ainz Ooal Gown, from when Carne Village was under attack?" "Uh-huh... The Guy in the mask." "The Arch-Devil is one of his servants, one of his top servants. His level is over two hundred." Ninya was amazed by the power of the single individual who had a Devil, but at the same time it terrified her that one person could control it. Or at least that the devil obeyed. It would only prove how powerful the person was. "What is Sir Gown?" "He''s an Overlord, the final form of an Elder Lich, considered one of the most powerful Undead." For a good minute she was silent, from the corner of her eye she could see Arche was sleeping. She then turned her head downward to look at their feet. "Why would he save the Village? Don''t the Undead hate the living?" "He''s fond of them," Jack referred to the living as them, as he wasn''t amongst the living. Ninya''s brows furrowed at his use of the word ''them'' and tilted her head back up to face him. "You said you were an Arch Mage, and while I understand agelessness coming with vast magical power, it''s hard to understand why you look a little older than my sister. Now you''re referring to the living as them, rather than us..." "I''m an Arch Mage, it''s one of many professions I hold." Jack could see she wasn''t slinking away from him. She wanted to hear him out before anything else. "I simply chose to turn my entire being into solidified magical energy. I am classified as sub-Heteromorphic." Ninya''s mind could make sense of the concept, though just not the practicality. From what she could tell though, he wasn''t evil. "Then you are...?" "An Arch Lich Champion, the pinnacle of non-evil Sorcerers who don''t use Necromancy as a path to eternal life." He brushed his lower lip with his thumb before glancing over at Arche who was sound asleep now, having given into unconsciousness. "Champion?" Ninya''s voice called him back to her. "An Arch Lich comes in three forms, Lore Keeper, Guardian and Champion. Champion being a meld of both of the other sub-types." "Your form is fundamentally different from a Lich, so why are you called an Arch Lich?" Ninya asked as she concluded that the Arch Lich and an Elder Lich were completely different. One used Necrotic energies and the Book of the dead. While the other used some sort of technique to transform the body into magic energy. "I didn''t coin the term." Jack said with a slightly smug looking face, as he didn''t take the credit for it. "Then you aren''t the only one?" Jack shrugged slightly, not sure how many of the players who had chosen the Arch Lich arrived in this world. He could only assume none of them had come into the world yet, or none were online at the time the servers shut down. "Immortality was a Taboo where I came from." "Huh..." 28 「Out of the Box」 Casually Jack came walking out of the front door of the house. Ninya was following behind him, yet before she could even greet the sun, there was a sudden shouting presence. "Wait, don''t!" "How dare you lock me in a box!" Out of immaturity and anger, a bolt of ice came soaring through the air. It wasn''t really meant to hurt anyone as it was a low-tier magical spell. However in that moment, the bolt clashed with Jack''s bare shoulder and caused his skin to immediately became semi-transparent. Exposing his crystalline skeletal structure and his flaming jeweled sapphire eyes. "Wha..." EvilEye lowered her arms as she stood there with the rest of the Adventurers from the Blue Roses. She was dumbfounded to see the glistening skeleton, along with his his transparent skin and organs that subtly wrapped the light around himself. Letting out a low growl, Jack turned his head and cast a skill Flash Step In a split second, he was standing right behind the group. "Huh?" Keno, also known as EvilEye, was just standing there for a few seconds before turning her head to look where he had gone. Only for her mask to break in half, fall to the ground, followed by her hair being cut just above her shoulders and the top of her red hood to be torn to shreds. "Eh!?!??!" Lakyus who had told her not both throwing the attack at the man, was standing there staring where he had once been standing. He had been faster than anyone could see. Looking over to EvilEye, she opened her mouth slightly seeing how her once long hair had been sculpted short. The look actually seemed rather fitting. However as she was looking at her friend she saw him in the corner of her eye, his skin regaining its solid color and his skeletal form vanishing beneath it. "What the hell are you?" She had her hand on her weapon, she was seriously sure he was a member of the undead. As a hero, an adventurer, there had been too many times where they had been evil. "Wouldn''t you like to know?" Keno felt the shredded remains of her hood before checking her hair. She was surrounded by the golden strands which once adorned her shoulders and back. Her red eyes then locked on him, she was sure he was well above her level and even the combination of these Adventurers who were now considered her friends, were no match. As she felt the shape of her hair, she frowned. It was similar to how she used to wear her hair two hundred or so years ago when she was still known as Keno, the young Princess of Invernia. Seeing her red eyes, pale complexion and adorable face. Jack''s sudden explosion of anger and retaliation quickly calmed down and his eyes rested on the Vampire who had hit him with ice. He completely ignored the fact that the rest of the group were ready to pull their weapons on him. That was until he rested his eyes on Climb. "You," he pointed at Climb with a dull look on his face. Ninya meanwhile hid behind the front pocket door of the house. "Me?" Climb pointed to himself and exclaimed. "Yes. You. The one who serves the Golden Princess," he said the name in an indifferent tone. Climb raised a brow as this man seemed to know his position. It was likely he knew the alignment of the particular party since it was often manipulated and used to give the Princess a better image. Lakyus and Gagaran moved in front of him, as if protecting him from the pointer finger, whilst the twins flanked them on either side. Lowering his hand, he smirked slightly at this, opening his item box; taking out what looked like a dark crimson vial of blood. "You train to become stronger, yet all of its just a grind." He gestured towards the item in his hand. "Do you want to become even stronger than all your hard-work will allow?" In his hand was the potion made by the 10th Seat of the Black Scripture, also known as the Strongest Human. It was clear if he were to give him this, he''d gain that man''s physical prowess. Lakyus kept her hands on her weapon, she had no idea what he was offering, but it was sounding too good to be true. It was also sounding like there would be a catch to it. "What is that...?" Climb placed a hand on Lakyus''s shoulder and moved in front of her, his free hand idling on the hilt of his sword. He was offering him power, which in turn he could use to protect Princess Renner. "It''s a potion, an Elixir of Accumulated Experience. This''ll make you as powerful as Gazef, if not stronger." Though even if he were to have this, he''d still be no match for him. Should Climb fight him later on some day, all Jack had to do was assimilate him. "He helped Gazef, giving him that high-tier healing potion," Gagaran surmised as she looked to Lakyus to see if the leader of their group would cease hostilities or if they were going to be brought into action. Keno who was just standing there for a moment, locked her eyes on the vial. Despite the deep scent of mint and parsley, she could still make out the smallest scent of blood present. That item in his hand had been derived from a person. Her sight glided over towards Climb who was naively thinking of taking it. If he took it, he''d be drinking another human being or sentient individual of great power. Bringing her eyes back to center on the potion, she stepped forward. "Stop messing around," Keno sharply spat. "Oh..." his eyes wandered over her for a moment before locking on Ninya who was walking off towards the headstones. His eyes followed every step and breath she took, before moving back to the Blue Roses and the Bodyguard of the Kingdom''s only Princess. "We have to take you to the Capital," Climb stated watching Jack put the potion away the moment he spoke up. It seemed the deal was immediately off when he sided against him. "You have today and tomorrow left to wait." "Why do we have to wait?" "Because, its a custom you''ll just have to accept." "A custom from what?" "An extinct religion." "..." They stared at him when he had referred to a religion as extinct. So it was clear he didn''t worship the Four Great Gods from the human nations, or the Six Great Gods from the Theocracy. Though of course that could be explained since he wasn''t a human being from what they knew. He was some sort of entity, undead or otherwise Heteromorphic. "Plus I recently gained a house guest last night, a spy from the Baharuth Empire, so I have a few things to deal with before setting off anyways..." His eyes trailed over towards the Villagers as people were beginning to do their chores and daily activities. "A spy?" Climb''s eyes widened as he stepped forward, immediately alarmed at the news. It was strange that a spy appeared the same night as the day they had arrived at the village. "Technically four spies, workers really. I sent the other three on a task if they want to get their person back." He seemed to be bragging about this, definitely making sure they knew that the Kingdom wasn''t the only government interested in him and his ability to move the citadel. "Four... While we were in the box," they all seemed to stare through him. Lakyus was curious of what he had made them go do in order to get their companion back. It was like thinking of a battle of morals. She wondered how he was treating the prisoner. "What''d you send them off to do?" "Eliminate the Death Cult known as Zurrernorn that claimed the lives of the party I was accompanying. The Lives were are currently celebrating," His eyes moved towards Ninya who was standing over at the graves. She was fully dressed in her normal attire, though she was wearing the sweater he had given her. "She is the sole survivor." Keno looked over towards the girl who was standing there, firmly holding a wooden staff in her hands. She had a slightly boyish figure, but she was definitely a slender female. "How exactly did she survive?" "She was here with me when Zurrernorn attacked E-Rantel. We arrived only in time to find their bodies," his lower lip twitched, he was still angry about that plus the fact that he hadn''t resurrected them. Instead he made that impossible. Lakyus''s combative stance ceased hearing this and she could only stare at him. The amount of emotion he displayed and expressed across his body was too hard to fake. If anything he was holding back. Lakyus could only imagine losing her whole party in a manner in which they couldn''t be revived from. "She''d be dead if I didn''t ask her to inspect the wall with me..." Keno stared at him now that she heard this part of his story. She had already noticed she was much stronger than she had been the last time she saw Ninya. So he was sure he had her drink one of those potions. She bit her lower lip slightly. He made her stronger so he wouldn''t lose her. So that she wouldn''t be a burden. A simple remedy. She knew though, that there was always a bigger fish. "Anyways..." He gathered their attentions back on him once more. "You may stay at the Inn over there," He pointed towards the Inn built near the Citadel. "Free rooms, free three meals a day for your stay." "F-f-free?" Hearing this almost made them curious of his motives. "As long as you don''t mention having to go to the Capital until the time comes." Their suspicions immediately dropped the second he gave his condition, the catch to his offer. After that the group, excluding EvilEye, wandered off to explore the village and see what they could find out about the Citadel. Keno on the other hand was picking up the pieces of her robe and mask which were on the ground. Separating it from the long locks of her hair. When a shadow was cast over her, she looked up towards Jack who was now towering over her with a hand out for her mask. Puffing up her cheeks, furrowing her brows and her lips frowning to one side angrily she hugged the bits to her chest. That was until he reached forward, jerked her arm away and caused her things to fall from her grasp. When she went to reach out and grab the stuff as they fell, all of it stopped and he pulled the things into his hands via telekinesis. Silently, he waved a hand over them causing a shining light to envelope them. The mask would be placed back together, made whole once more. While the Robe would suddenly repair itself while she was wearing it. Keno blinked several times as she looked over the hood then over towards the mask which he was holding out for her to take. It looked as good as new, rejuvenated even. Then she paused and tilted her head looking it over. An enchantment had been added. "What did..." "I enchanted your mask with a single use of Gate, a tenth tier teleportation magic which opens a portal big enough for a group of people to enter." Keno blinked several times as she knew what Tenth tier magic was. "But why would you give this to me of all people?" "You know what it feels like to lose your friends, don''t you?" Keno just stood there, staring up at him as he knew she was a companion. She already knew he knew due to their conversation when they first met, but still. "Think of this as a quick escape, or a toy for a rainy day," Jack couldn''t help but smile candidly at the girl as she slowly brought the mask back to her face. She was cute, she reminded him of his sister due to her apparent age, not her true age. "I won''t forgive you that easily..." She gave him a light prod in the stomach with her fist, before she turned away form him and began to walk after her friends. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. With the Blue Roses going off to do their own thing, he returned to the house and walked inside. Sliding the door shut, he would make his way to the bedroom. His eyes then rested on Arche who was sleep, even drooling on the comforter. Waking over to the bed, he reached over and undid the knots which kept her restrained. Then tossed the binds onto the floor and healed the marks left around her waists, ankles and legs. Widen Magic, Restrict With the magic he just cast on her, she was now unable to leave the house even should she be free to move around. A small tilt of his head, and he went on to cast another spell in order to wake her up. Revitalize With a shining green light, her eyes slowly began to open as energy surged through her body. She felt like she had slept for hours, even though it had only been about a half hour or just ten minutes. Quickly orienting herself, she shot up onto her knees like a rocket. The moment she noticed she wasn''t in restraints, she went to dart off the bed. Only to face plant right into his chest when she turned around to lunge off the bed. "Ooof!" Ever so lightly shoving her back onto the bed with a light chuckle, "You can''t leave the house. I mean, you could try, but unless you can cast Eighth tier, I wouldn''t bother trying." Arche laid on her back with her lower lip folded under her upper as it was inflated with the air in her mouth. She was clearly displeased with the current situation. "If I''m held here, I can''t earn money to pay back my parent''s debt!" She spouted as she sat up and glared up at him, her hands gripping onto the comforter. His eyes rested on her face for the moment, reading her delicate features and her doll-like appearance. "And...?" "If I don''t.. If..." Feeling as if she was being forced to explain it she was close to bursting into tears. "If I don''t pay back my parents debt, little sisters could be used as collateral..." At the time she was saying this, she initially refused to make eye contact until she did gradually look up at him, curious if he would take pity on her. However, her eyes were still glossy as she was holding back her tears as she was thinking of how her sisters could be forced into slavery. Arche jumped in surprise as he placed a hand on her shoulder before she finished looking up at him. "If your friends manage to complete their task, or come back for you, would you mind staying?" "St..staying?" She squinted up at him as he was suggesting she stay here all of a sudden after she had spoken of her little sisters. "Where would --" "You would stay here," his head dipped to the side slightly while keeping his eyes on her. "With your little sisters of course. Here you will be protected, you won''t have to pay off their debt. Let them alone live with the consequences of their actions." Doing this would not only make the quest he had sent her friends on meaningless to them, but only benefit herself and her sisters. Other than her magical talent, she had nothing to offer. "Why are you being so kind to me...?" She couldn''t help but believe this was a bit weird, even suspicious. What could he plan on doing with her? She had taken her hostage, would he take her little sisters hostage and make a similar deal with her!? "My little sister was killed by a man in a carriage, and because of his power and status, he spent very little time in the local jail. Your sisters are still alive... And you have two things that interests my thirst for knowledge, magic and talent. You have one thing you want and keeping you here is serviceable to my whimsical ambitions." "Ambitions...?" "Taking over the Re-Estize Kingdom, of course. It''s Nobles are corrupt, it''s Royal Family inept. The underworld is thriving here. It''s best to recycle it and start it over, don''t you think?" 29 「Benefactiary」 Greater Teleportation In his normal attire, a double breasted tunic, leather boots and black armored pants. He stood there in the middle of the streets busy streets of Arwintar. His eyes tracing over the peasants, commoners and wealthy moving about their daily routines. Carts, carriages and people walking everywhere. His eyes rested upon the path to a mansion which was to his right. His eyes moving over towards the fencing which had the Furts name engraved up on it. It was an adorable looking mansion that looked as if it had been long since abandoned and fallen into disrepair. A frown formed over his lips as he could definitely assume there were no living standards in this time period. Otherwise they would have been removed from the house due to it being unsafe to live in. Especially with their children, who would be taken away by the state due to their money problems and so on. Letting out a sigh, he glanced over towards a shady figure who was watching the house. He could only assume it was someone to keep watch on the family, as to make sure they didn''t run for it. It was unlikely they would run though. They may be in debt, but what from he could tell, they were more interested in their pride than they were their own lives. He hated people who were like that. People who would let their pride end their lives, or the lives of others simply because they could. Letting out a chuckle though, his eyes rested upon two children in second story window playing. They were identical twins. Blond, and they looked like they were having an innocently good time. His eyes then searched the first floor from where he stood and noted the presence of both Sir Furts and Madame Furts. Nodding to himself, he took note of their apparel. They different were hanging onto a lifestyle they were no longer privileged to have. Summoning a helmet from his item box, silver with a short blue plume on the top to match his quilted cloak. He made his way down the path, almost marching as if he was in a parade. However as he was making his way down the path, he was feeling eyes on him. He couldn''t make an excuses, he was being flashy at the moment so plenty of people would notice him. Yet these eyes, the way he felt them on himself, he very much knew it was someone familiar. Someone who had been watching him once before and recently. The same eyes from Carne Village. "Hm..." As he increased the pace of his movements, he came to a stop as he made it half way up the path and narrowed his vision on a single figure coming out the front door. It was an older man with grey hair. He was dressed as a magic caster or some sort of old time wizard. He had this long beard and hair that almost seemed to be alive because it was so long. Even as he stood still it moved on its own. "Some sort of sage...?" Jack spoke quietly to himself before silently casting Greater Identification. Immediately he learned who the man was. It was Fluder, someone who he now recognized as a father figure and Guardian to the Emperor of this country. However with their eyes now meeting, it was clear who was more interested in who. Fluder was much more interested in him, but was extremely surprised to see the man standing there in the pathway before him. "Should''ve looked before jumping," Jack went to turn away, only for the man to shout... "Wait! Young Sir!" Judging by Fluder background, and his written character biography, they were about the same age. Though at the same time, his mind wasn''t as old as his supposed body. Turning his head to look at the old man''s serious and wrinkled face, he hardly gave any expressive thought away. He just stared at him coldly with his sapphire blue eyes which emanated its usual strange glow. "How can I help you, old man?" The old man padded his way over with all the grace and wisdom his age had brought him. When he finally stood in front of the diagonally angled Jack, he raised a brow. "Why are you here at the Furts household? Does it have anything to do with young Arche?" "Hm... So you''ve been informed," Jack uttered as he looked over the old man, before attempting to walk passed him. "Is this the promised visit?" Fluder asked as he glanced over his shoulder towards the much younger looking man. He was curious, just why was he here all of a sudden? "I''m not here, Fluder. I''d like you to keep it that and... If you don''t mind... Stop looking at Carne Village. If you don''t, I don''t know what I''ll do." He sounded ominous, but also very playful before facing the mansion once more and walking towards it. Brushing his shoulder against Fluder as he passed by. The man stood there absently as he listened to his footsteps. He didn''t feel like a human being using magic sense, he also wasn''t a traditional undead. All he could sense from him was a massive amount of energy and a heteromorphic form. As he heard, or in this case, didn''t hear his footsteps anymore as they faded away the moment he got to the door. Fluder turned his head to look at the mansion and he was gone. The door hadn''t even opened. "What on ea--" Fluder froze as he watched Sir Flurts in a panic, running passed the window. Suddenly blood sprayed across the room, decorating the room, as the Madame''s head was airborne. He was slaughtering her family?! The children! Charging forward, he believed the man wouldn''t harm him. So he believed he was safe from the slaughter. So as he entered the mansion, his eyes rested on the dead Butler by the stairs. Decapitated in the same fashion as the Madame. As he crept into the common room, his eyes laid upon the Sir Furts. His hands, and his head were cut from his body. Rested on the windowsill facing away from the city at large. Yet the young man he had believed entered, was no where to be seen. "Ci-Cipher?" Fluder knew the man''s name from his intelligence gathering through the use of divination magic and other surveillance techniques. On top of that there was a mole in the Kingdom that fed their Empire information and his name came from Gazef. Hearing a squeak from upstairs followed by bouts of giggling, he looked to the ceiling and rushed to the stairs. Moving around the butler, he moved to a room which was cracked just partially open. He came up to the door and peered in, the light from the window shining in on his eye. Yet he was able to see clearly in the room. Two identical little girls were singing and dancing around the tall six foot figure. They didn''t appear to have any idea what had happened downstairs. That and it didn''t seem like Jack was at all covered in blood from his recently killed. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Are you really a friend of Dear Sister?" The girls were obviously excited as he squatted down to their level. They both moved to be in front of him, to get a good look at his face. "Oooo, pretty eyes..." They were quick to observe and admire his unusual, but tasteful, features. Placing his hands on the top of their heads, he ruffled their short blond hair, causing them to giggle wildly. His hands were soft, as if he had never laid a hand on a weapon before. "Hehe~ Dear Sister Dear Sister~" Fluder pursed his lips observing his behavior. He killed the parents and it looked like he was taking the children? Wait... He identified himself as a friend of Arche''s? Didn''t he take her hostage? The old mage thought to himself in silence as he watched the interactions. "Yes, yes I am." He continued to pet the tops of their heads. Luring them closer within the spans of his arms. "She wants you to come live with her in a village, where she can take care of you." Fluder''s eyes widened hearing a bit of this until he noticed Jack was looking over his shoulder with a grin of his own. Instinctively he took a step back from the door, temporarily losing sight of the room before peering back in and he was gone. There was no life in that room. The girls, they were gone. So were all their things, leaving no proof of them ever being there. The only thing in the room however seemed to be a small box. Wandering in, he glanced around the room. He had even taken the beds, toys, personal belongings and several of the luxuries that had been on display in the room. Kneeling down to the box though, he reached out and picked it up. Observing it before popping the top off and peering inside. "Exquisite..." He stared at the contents which were in the box. It was a single Resurrection Wand and a jar of Cherry Preserves labelled in English rather than the native tongue of this world. A single note accompanied these two items, which stated, "Burn the house would you? Make it look like the entire family perished. I have a shitty corrupt Kingdom to conquer. Have fun! Bye now!" "Doesn''t seem to be friends with the government of the Re-Estize Kingdom, now does he..." The old man found himself laughing to himself. He was going to conquer their rival? Did that mean he was an ally or was that claim of coming to visit a threat? Or was he asking for the approval of the Baharuth Empire should he take over the Kingdom? There were many ways this could go, but either way, if he could get his hands on the knowledge this man possessed... It would make him even more powerful, as he had opened his eyes to an entirely new level of magic. It had only been a half hour or so, maybe forty five minutes since he had left. That''s when Jack would reappear in the house he had once left Arche after declaring he was going to take the Kingdom. Suddenly the house was filled with the mad giggles of two little girls climbing up onto the bed and pouncing their dumbfounded older sibling. "Dear Sister! Dear Sister!" They seemed to chant, climbing on her, burying themselves into her robes and sturdy clothes she had been wearing for several days straight now. Arche just stared at him bewildered with what he had done. "You... Actually... Went off to save my sisters?" She had her arms absently wrapping around the two little blond girls known as Kuuderika and Ureirika. "What about my parents?" Kuuderika wore a blue dress, while her sister Ureirika wore a reddish pink dress. They were too busy holding onto their sister who had been gone for a while now, to really pay attention to what the two were talking about. Though it also appeared that they didn''t really care as long as they were here with their older sibling. "They won''t be looking for them and they won''t be needing your money, for as much as anyone knows, the entire immediate family died in a fire. Should Fluder do his job..." Arche blinked a few times when he mentioned the name of her Magic Teacher from the Imperial Academy of Magic. "You know Fluder?" "He was in the house when I stopped by, he even asked about you, though I surmise he was trying to learn more about me than he actually wanted to about you..." His head lulled to the side slightly as he was feeling a bit lax for the time being, as he knew that Fluder was as thirsty for knowledge as the most conniving Lich. He could be easily used for his own purposes. 30 「Word to the Wise」 One more day to go and he''d be on his way to the Royal Capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom to meet with the Six Noble Families and their Royal Masters. So he believed he would have to spend his days here in the village in a way that he could only approve of. Standing beside Ninya in front of the graves of their friends, and the empty grave of his sister, he kept his hands folded behind his back. HIs blue plume moving about with the wind. "What''s with the helmet?" She asked in a quiet humble tone, looking at him from the corner of her eye. She needn''t turn her head to look at him as he had the sun at his side. Sniffling slightly, she could feel his warm gaze upon her. "I visited our hostage''s family estate and saved her sister''s from a life of slavery and an early grave." "Our hostage?" Ninya''s voice cracked as he had tried to involve her in the whole blackmailing of Arche''s team and taking her into custody. "Don''t involve me in that you goof. Just rude." "Eh," Jack tamely shrugged at the fact that it was rude to involve her in such a thing. "Anyways, have you tried out casting magic, I''m sure you know quite a few more spells. Yeah?" Ninya blinked several times before nodding, "I cleansed the cemetery with a holy ward, I didn''t know I could use that spell until it suddenly came to mind..." Jack slowly nodded at this thinking, she probably got that from the Third Seat of the Black Scripture. Now he was beginning to wonder, what would happen if he had someone drink all of these potions he had gotten. He continued to think to himself as the two of them just stood there for a little bit. "Do you like music?" "Like.. Singing? A Bard''s Tale?" "Yes and no, kind of." Jack chuckled a little as he looked over at her thinking about what he could share with her. Before the Servers shutdown, he had an entire collection of Twenty First Century musics in his jukebox, an item which allowed players to insert their own music into the game and listen to it as they played. It was essentially a virtual MP3 player with speakers. "Hmm..." She finally turned her head towards him, squinting her lashes to shield her eyes from the sun. Reaching into his item box, he pulled out an item that looked similar to that of an iPod, an item which was considered well off obsolete and a collectors item by the year 2138. He clicked the center button and the screen lit up with the YGGDRASIL Music splash screen. Leaning closer to him, her shoulder pressing into his side as she rested her cheek on his arm. Her gaze traced the glowing corners of the screen in amazement. "What do those letters mean? Is that a magic item?" "It says YGGDRASIL Music, it''s the name of the Operating System for the device." "Operating System...?" "It''s magic," Jack didn''t feel like explaining how a computer worked, let alone what an operating system was to someone who didn''t know what a computer was in the first place. It was just easier to say it was a magical item then to say a scientific marvel. "Ooooh?" As he pressed the center button again, the Splash screen disappeared and an image of armored women on the backs of flying horses appeared. The moment the sound of Richard Wagner''s "Ride of the Valkyries" sounded, the sides of Ninya''s head began to tingle pleasurably from the sudden stimulation. She had never heard an orchestra before, so this alone was amazing to hear. "Is it some sort of recording, and playback, magic item?" Ninya asked as she looked up at him then back to the device, resting on him even more listening to it. Aura who was sitting, hidden, in a tree could hear the music from where she sat. Only to glance down and see the two of them together looking at a device. "Hohoho~" Moving into a squatting position, she hopped down from the tree as the music played and landed several feet away from them at the bottom of the trunk. "What kinda music are you two listening to?" She seemed excited, squealing a bit, as she quickly took onto their position. Glancing over towards Aura who was coming to them, Jack raised a brow, "Classical from the Nineteenth Century." He said with a light nod. "Nineteenth Century?" Ninya looked up at him not aware of the calendar system that was used on Earth, let alone the Commons Era or Christian Era. "I''ll explain later," Jack said as he moved his arm around her head, in a hug, so she could rest her head against his chest. Her eyes softened from the excitement as she could hear the oh so faint beating of his heart, even though the beating of his heart was entire simulated by his magic. She couldn''t tell the difference between this and the real thing despite it not being as loud as a normal heart. It was soothing either way. Aura watched them closely, before creeping on up to them and peering at the device in his hand. The words present were in one of the many languages belonging to the Supreme Beings. Though it wasn''t Japanese, at least not this song. "What''s the name, what''s the name~!?" "Hm? It''s called the Ride of the Valkyries," he smiled quietly at her curiosity, "Valkyries are Female Warrior Spirits who choose whom is slain and lives during battle." He added some context considering there weren''t any such beings in the game, or in this world, for as far as he knew. "Essentially they''re Angels of Death who take women as their hosts." Aura laughed a bit at this, her eyes were excited just by the explanation of what Valkyries were. Ninya didn''t really mind the presence of the little Dark Elf which was there. Though she was curious of where it came from. "So... Who are you?" Who blue eyes centered on the two different colored eyes that looked right back up at her. "Aura Bella Fiora!" Aura shot up two thumbs up in an awkward, but typical, stance of hers. "Friend of Jack, I serve Ainz-sama." "That''s a pretty name," Ninya complimented her before looking up towards Jack. She was worried on the inside, not quite the out. It could be seen in her eyes from the mention of the Overlord. However he shook his head slightly, dismissing the need to worry, which caused her to smile a bit more as she''d return her attention to Aura. "I thank you in place of my creator!" She bowed with one hand under her abdomen before standing straight back up again, childishly and full of zeal. Despite the girl''s alignment, Ninya was assuming this child-like Elf was someone to cherish. She even saw a little of herself in the girl, due to the fact she dresses and acts like a boy. "It''s Time!" Bukubukuchagama''s voice erupted from the watch on the wrist of Aura. "Bukubukuchagama''s voice?" Jack immediately narrowed his eyes on the girl''s watch, which belonged to Ainz. He was curious of why she had it. "Yes~! Anyways, Imma go get me some lun--" "How about you join us? I have some mixed meat patties and curly fries, or preserves for a sandwich." He''d snicker quietly seeing her eyes immediately going wide the moment he had said he had mixed meat patties for burgers. "How''d you..." "I read your profile, amongst other things." "Profile?" Ninya was getting confused with this whole creator thing and now the word profile. It was as if this little Elf was created by someone with other means than natural birth. Aura smiled from ear to ear and posed her upper body to the side slightly while looking up at the tall man. Just what did he mean by amongst other things? Her arms were positioned like that of an arrow''s points by her sides. Her eyes then wandered over to the Headstones which were here and was drawn back to the idea that Ainz, or Momonga, had a mausoleum of the other supreme beings. Her eyes rested on however the grave marked as Eve Graham, once again with the Language of the Supreme Beings written beneath the name. "What does that say?" "Beloved little sister and lost hope." Aura froze for a moment. Little sister? She took a step forward before noticing the pebbles on each of the headstones. Was it a custom of the Supreme Beings to do this? She had no idea. She didn''t disturb the pebbles at all. "Your little sister?" Aura asked before looking over towards him, frowning for one of the few times she had since her arrival in this world beside her Guild Master Ainz. A sharp breath escaped his nose, "Yes," his right lower lid also twitched as he said this. "Losing her was the reason why I came to YGGDRASIL in the first place. So she''s also the reason I''m here now." "..." Aura and Ninya rested their eyes on the lonely marked tombstone which overlooked an empty casket. "Do you regret staying?" Aura asked as she knew only Ainz remained while the other Supreme Beings had left them behind. "I don''t. I only had my work and YGGDRASIL." Jack had this scary absent look in his eyes, but it quickly subsided as his fingers intertwined with and curled into the fabric of Ninya''s cloak. "You keep saying YGGDRASIL and work as separate things, it sounds kinda weird..." Ninya laughed a bit as she looked up at him again. "Isn''t this YGGDRASIL the place you came from?" Her question was just met with a shrug. "Preserves?" Aura bounced in front of them, "I heard from Narberal Gamma they''re really sweet!" "Time for lunch then!" Jack announced as he lead the two girls off towards a clearing where no building had been built yet. It appeared the lot was being used to create a park for children and leisurely strolls for the elderly. Once they were there, he released his arm from around Ninya and pulled out what looked like a blue checkered picnic blanket and rested it down on the ground. Then he took out a basket filled with foods and placed it on the ground. "Oooo~" Aura flopped onto the blanket, it was thick and soft and easy to sit on. Or in this case, lay upon. Her eyes locked on the basket before her eyes wandered over towards Jack who was talking a few feet away before taking out a pole and stuffing it into the ground. "What''cha doin''?" The elf would chime before watch as he took out a small grill and attached it to the pole. "Preparing some mixed meat Salisbury Steaks," He took out some charcoal from his item box and tossed several handfuls into the grill before lighting it with a low-tier fire spell. A few seconds later, he plopped four grade A ground pork and beef Salisbury Steaks which he had prepared for an occasion such as this. Ninya''s eyes watched the flames as they danced under the seasoned meat. The two of them could already taste the meat on the air, their mouths watering as an effect. "Please, enjoy the basket while I work on these." Within fifteen minutes he had made four medium rare Salisbury Steaks and had them served on premium china as he placed them down on the blanket. Ninya and Aura were munching on plain bagels lathered in the different preserves which had been in the basket, as well as various picked vegetables. The preserves were sweeter than any other fruit she had in this world. "What fruits did you use?" "The ones from the Orchard on the Tenth subterranean Floor," he responded as he looked over her for a few moments before biting into the steak he picked up with three of his fingers. The juices were dripping, along with the semi-dried on gravy. "Delicious!" Aura giggled and held the meat up in the air. Though it wasn''t technically gourmet food prepared like it was in the Tomb of Nazarick, it was clearly high grade in flavor. "So what did you do for work?" Ninya asked as she was chewing her food, she was curious about his background a bit more than before. She knew about his sister, how emotional he got when he thought about her. But what did he do before he came here, to the Re-Estize Kingdom? "Hacker and Program Developer." Ninya''s head tilted to the side slightly, completely confused by both terms used. "Hacking, making things do tasks they weren''t normally meant to. As a Program Developer, I developed things Like the music device''s operating system, which tells it how to work." Ninya nodded slowly at this, understanding to some degree before biting into the steak again. "I''ll show you my Guild Weapon when we go to the Capital." Aura smiled as she was lulling her head side to side, humming happily to herself before pursing her lips forward in curiosity. Still having traces of her smile, she asked, "You''re going to the Capital?" "I was summoned by the King, apparently." "Ooh? So why did you lock Demiurge out of the Village?" She laughed a bit, "He''s pretty bitter." Jack grinned widely hearing that the Arch-Devil was bitter about being locked out of the Village. He was pretty much the only one who would have a hard time getting in, if he could at all. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "He may act on Ainz''s interests, but not always on his behalf. The last thing he''d want is for me to kill Demiurge for hurting or experimenting on one of the villagers." Aura''s face darkened slightly, though she understood why he said such a thing, she didn''t like the fact that Jack could speak of killing her fellow Guardian so casually. Jack appeared to cherish the Villagers and humans as much as Ainz cherished his own Guardians. Even though they were lesser life forms. "Sorry, my tongue slipped." Jack sincerely apologized with his eyes partially closed as he kept his gaze on the little elf which was staring through him from the other side of the blanket. Momonga was seated there on his King Throne within the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Listening to the conversation through the watch on Aura''s wrist. His eyes weren''t lit as usual as he was intently listening in. The Overlord saw the truth behind his words. He knew Demiurge''s personality, how he acted when he had to take down his own Guardian, Shalltear Bloodfallen. "It seems you''re mistaken," His eyes lit back up as his sights rested on the Arch-Devil in the bright red suit and eye glasses. "Hm There is no treachery here He just doesn''t like you." "Ainz-sama... Why would such a wise being speak the truth to an underling not of his own?" Momonga didn''t want to believe nor think that his new ally who had joined their Guilds together in a pact, was plotting against him. If he thought in that fashion rather than keeping his objectivity, it might just be him who betrays Jack and destroys what they''ve been building so far. "It would be foolish to provoke him if we have no need to do so. Jack is sentimental and has full access to his emotions. He may be a heteromorphic being, but he is also a living being." "As, as expected of Ainz-sama. Showing mercy to a fellow Supre--" "It would have taken him several seconds to kill Bloodfallen with a single spell." Momonga was referring to the super high tier spell known as Assimilate, which would not only have taken a vital Guardian''s prowess, but turned her into Experience for someone else to take on. Even then, that meant that Momonga would be able to resurrect her, and Jack could do it again and again as many times as he could afford once a month. "..." Demiurge was surprised by this news. Even though the entire Tomb had been disappointed in Bloodfallen being mind controlled, they knew Ainz couldn''t even do that. For the time being, they didn''t even know he had used assimilate. So they believed if they had him surrounded, he''d just use it to take out the Guardians. Use them as fuel, and destroy Ainz completely. Provoking him, like the Supreme Being who stayed behind said, would be a bad idea. "Demiurge, What do you know about the summoning he had been given by the King?" "It''s very limited information, Ainz-sama. An Adamantite Adventurer Party and an Envoy from the Princess was sent out to fetch him. So far he''s trapped them in a magic box for pestering him, and when they were released, one of them assaulted him. He returned the favor, destroying their mask and the hood of their robe, while also mutilating their hair." Nodding slowly, Momonga looked to the ceiling, he began thinking to himself until he heard Demiurge clear his throat. "I also have something else to Report, Ainz-sama." "Oh?" "He went to the Baharuth Empire for precisely forty five minutes, where we lost track of him. It appears he returned with two children. From what I was able to hear, he murdered the parents." "..." Momonga was rather curious about this report. Why was he there? What exactly did he do? Who were these children he brought back. "Perhaps I shall visit Carne Village, as the Dark Hero, Momon to learn more." "As you say, Wise Leader." 31 「Late Night Visit」 Eyes wide, hyperventilating from her nose. A cold sweat trickled down the side of Arche''s neck. Her expressionless doll-like face seemed to calm the moment she saw the room empty except for the two warm bodies of her sisters curled up at either side of her. It was night time. She let out a quiet sigh as she felt up her clothes. They were still there. She had a nightmare, or a dream. She couldn''t tell which. However it was clear she didn''t have a pleasant one. Her hands reached down to the skirting of her robes before curling around the hemming. With a click and the sound of the bedroom door sliding open, her eyes shot up to lock onto the sapphire glow which was glaring right back at her. "Hm Are you alright?" It was Jack''s voice, no one else''s. A small smile tugged her lips, but as her mind went back to the dream, her face turned red. She immediately averted her vision, looking to her sleeping sisters to some comfort. Raising a brow at this, Jack would walk over towards the bed, reading each tell tale signs of what could have gone on in her head. "It''s It''s nothing," she with a strange shyness about her, every step he took towards her, she shrank deeper into the territory of the bed. "Why''d you come here at this hour?" "I came to increase the range of the restriction spell I cast on you so that you can join them outside when they play tomorrow." He said with a light nod before snapping his fingers. For a brief moment, the room filled with an explosion of green and blue sparkling lights before they faded out of existence. It would remind one of fireworks, from a better time, just without the loud banging sensation that would quake the ground. "Th-thank you." Arche briefly sucked in and chewed on her lower lip, "C-can I ask you something?" "Speak freely, Arche." "What are your plans After you take Re-Estize?" "Move the Capital Here and make Carne Village into a City. Probably rename it though, Carne City... Doesn''t really fit the bill, does it?" Arche smiled slightly at this as her face seemed to cool down, the redness still leaving a tinge of pink on her face from the blush. "And your plans for me? I''m indebted to you..." Jack''s eyes immediately followed her arms down to the fingers which were curled over the rim her skirting. Then traveled to her bare feet, her little toes. The girl was petite, smol, fun-sized. There were many ways to describe her height and how adorable she was. "With your talents, I wish for you to become my disciple alongside Ninya. If more should become of it, only time will tell. For the time being, you two will be my right hands as you garner my trust." "I...I see." Arche looked around for a moment before looking back to Jack, "Where is Ninya? Isn''t this her room?" She was curious, he was living in this house up until yesterday from what she could remember. "She''s asleep, in my study within the Citadel." As he spoke of the massive building, her eyes shifted to the window. "Your study?" "The top floor. It has my collection of books and knowledge from the previous world I hail from." "Previous World..." Arche turned her sights back to him as she looked him over. A being such as he with such a high prowess in Magic and even physical attribute, came from another world. Part of her wasn''t even surprised with that. She could only imagine the legendary magics that an individual could use at his tier. Tales of traveling to other planes of existence to her weren''t just works of fiction. It was the study of some Liches, even Sorcerers at the Academy. "Are there others like you?" "The Four Great Gods, they came from the same place as I. Same with the Slane Theocracy''s Six, and the Eight Kings of Greed that conquered the known World. They all came from the same place Even some of the Thirteen Heroes, though much weaker." Slowly Arche nodded before looking to the window again. Staring out at the Citadel as it was silhouetted by the moon. "And the one known as Ainz Ooal Gown, proclaimed first time savior of the Carne Village and Benefactor." "Which one of you came here first?" "He did, some hours or so before I." Jack huffed through his nose as he sat on the side of the bed, looking out towards the Citadel as well. "I taught him how to read and write." Arche looked over at him with both of her brows raised hearing him brag about that one certain fact. "Seriously?" "Seriously." Jack gave a light laugh before glancing towards the two children sleeping on the bed. Their soft breathing, the limp smiles on their faces. "They adore you so..." Arche sighed as she joined him, gazing over her little sisters sleeping forms. "They do, don''t they..." "Anyways, since it appears you were having a bad dream, I have a little something for you." Taking out a few strange white capsules from his item box, he held them out to her. "Melatonin, derived from local Fungus and Seeds. It''ll help you sleep. Just take one though, taking more can give you nausea if you take too many with your weight." Blinking a few times, she nodded as she gave the capsules a good one over before taking one of them from his hand. The surface of the pill was glossy, it was plastic, a manufactured substance. When she looked back up at him for assurance, she found him now holding an ice cold glass of water for her to drink with it. Reaching out her hand, her fingers almost stuck to the glass and she gasped. "So cold..." She exclaimed before taking it and sipping the water. It was refreshing. She then popped the time release capsule into her mouth and gulped down the water with it. Letting out a relieved puff of air from her mouth, she handed him the empty glass. "Thank you." He nodded slightly before putting the glass back into his inventory. "If you see someone else with a tier as high as mine. Try not to react." Blinking up at him as he told her not to react to someone as strong as him, she could only open her mouth slightly. "Your talent could be perceived as a threat." "A Threat?" "How often is this Ainz Ooal Gown sighted?" He had a point. Ainz Ooal Gown was hardly ever sighted in public, as opposed to the arrival of a new Adventurer that everyone is talking about named Momon who came about around the last same couple of weeks. So if Ainz was hiding or masquerading as someone else, she could easily blow his cover, so it would be promptly probable that he''d have her eliminated. That and the reason why he was saying this was because, Aura''s watch was acting like a double agent. While it relayed information to Ainz, it was also relaying the information from his side directly to Jack. He knew Momon was coming tomorrow, the day he was to leave for the Capital. Yawning and stretching her arms, Arche took another look over the uniform he was wearing and the armor he wore on top of it. Her eyes then rested on his lips. Unlike most men, they weren''t dried or chapped. They looked well maintained, same with pretty much every aspect of his physical well being. "How often do you bath?" She abruptly asked as she looked him over, not being able to see a spec of dirt on him whatsoever. "I use Sanitation Magic." "Eh?" "I developed it myself. Here, allow me" Holding a hand out towards her with his palm a few centimeters from her face he recited the spell. "Triple MagicImprove Hygiene" The grime and dirt in her hair vanished, it was no longer greasy. Her hair seemed to shine more valiantly that way in the moonlight. Her clothes were clean, her toes, there was no dirt under nails. As she felt her lips, they were soft and moist. She was entirely speechless. As she turned to look at her sisters, they were the same. Clean, their dresses without a single grass stain and their hair was more fluffy than she could remember them ever being. Quickly facing him again, she blinked several times. "How often do you do that?" Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Shrugging, he chuckled a little to himself. "I prefer a hot shower, but whenever I''m outside I tend to do it in order to avoid looking dirty." "Ooooh? Wait Hot water?" She seemed to have starry eyes now hearing about hot water and a shower, she could only assume what it was. "Heh. There''s a public bath, take your sisters tomorrow if you will." Gladly nodding at this, she would slowly lay back down on the bed, running her hair through the closest twin. "Thank you Again." Jack just nodded slowly before shifting off the side of the bed and vanishing from sight without another word. And suddenly she felt empty, lonely. Her eyes rested on the stop where the man whom she was once conversing with had sat. "Hm..." 32 「Mornins Neighbor」 The morning sun looked down upon the world. The day was warm, sunny, the sky was clear. The grass waved gently with the breeze that carried the smell flowers and the smell of an early breakfast. A light fragrance also greeted the air, lavender, it was lavender. Someone had lit incense. Wandering up to the front gate of the massive wall that surrounded Carne Village, Momonga stared up at the canopy above the gate. Then his eyes trailed along the exterior of the wall, noting the long cannons and multiple defenses against those who could climb the wall. The intruders who had visited the Village must''ve been skilled to get passed them, that or they had been allowed to enter on purpose. "Momon-sama," Nabe took hold of his attention as she called for his name. Turning to give her a glance, he watched as she gestured ahead to the gate as it was beginning to open, causing the large metal hinges to squeal excitedly. Standing before them on the opposite side of the gate, was none other than Jack. "Welcome to Carne Village, Momon and Nabe. It''s a pleasure to see you again, in person." His eyes rested on Momon for a few moments before turning away from them, gesturing for them to come in. Nabe closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly, but kept her sharpness about her. Momon and Nabe moved as a unit into the Gates, watching above as there were NPCs operating chains, closing the gate behind them once they were clear. Ninya and Arche were standing to the side, where Jack soon joined them. The two blonde girls were dancing around the trio. Though the moment they saw the duo approach, they attempted to wrap themselves in their sister''s cape. "Oh?" Momon seemed happy to see the children, even chuckled a bit at their shyness to the stranger in full armor. Ninya gave a slight wave, "Hey Momon-san." She smiled seeing a comrade she had connected with not too long ago. It was in a way, a pleasure to see him. "Ninya," Momon nodded to her, then moved his eyes over towards Arche. She was a new face. She must be the intruder, but she didn''t look like she was being held hostage. She looked free. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "This is Arche," he gestured towards the girl who stood to his left. "She''s a member of a former Noble Family in the Baharuth Empire, and a former student of the Imperial Magic Academy." "And the children?" "These are my sisters!" She immediately spoke up, "Ureirika and Kuuderika. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Momon-san." She appeared to gesture towards each of her sisters as she introduced them one after the other. Momon was quick to notice the absence of expression on the girl''s face. She reminded him of a fragile and delicate doll. His eyes drifted over to Jack who was standing between the women. Was it just him or was he recreating his guild with humans from the New World? Surrounding himself with two other women, could he be fond of them? Momon was growing curious of what was going on here. First he had advanced towards Ninya, and he had even egged him on. Now he had two people at his side. Of course though, he wasn''t going to ask about their relationships. Just thinking about asking, reminded him of Lukrut and ironically it was an effective deterrent. He let out a sigh. "Momon?" Nabe looked over towards Momonga, curious of the sigh. "You''re going to the royal Capital today, correct?" "So you know," Jack chuckled as he tilted his head to the side. Momon scoffed slightly, "I have ears Jack, plenty of them." "We all do," Jack retorted with a slick tone as he looked to the peerless sky. "Are you planning something by any chance?" He''d ask, not seeing any of the villagers until he glanced up towards the fortress and noted the chatter and the smell of food from the courtyard. It seemed everyone up there was having a good time, eating and talking to one another. They were celebrating more than just the deaths of the Adventurers, but also their friends and family. "You know. A little of this, and a little of that." Jack teased his ally, folding his hands over his pelvis region as he casually gazed over them. Momon would be grinning, if he wasn''t naturally doing so. "A friend of mine is staying in the Capital," he was referring to Sebas, "I''m sure he can accommodate you during your stay." After being hearing that he might be planning something from Demiurge, he had no choice but to make some assumptions. So he wanted him somewhere he could watch him, and have someone report on him. "That''s nice of you, and your friend. I might take him up on that," Jack had seen Sebas at least once before during the Game World. He thought he looked like a Badass. Now he could only assume what he''s like in person now that he was sentient and alive. "How thoughtful," Ninya smiled more as she didn''t see through the true intent of the man who she could only assume was a friend that meant no harm. Though there really was no harm, Momon just wanted to keep tabs on him and his. Glancing over towards the fortress once more as he heard a familiar groan of plreasure, Momon narrowed his sights on a pair of Dark Elves exiting the courtyard and walking down the long flight of stairs. A sweat-drop forming in the back of his bald skull. His own Guardians were here eating the food!? "Eh!?" Raising a brow, Ninya''s smile frowned slightly and turned into a little bit of concern, "Something wrong?" Her eyes followed the direction of his helmet and rested her sights on Aura and Mare. "Surprised to see the Dark Elves? They''re cute." Momon turned his head to look at Jack once more, he couldn''t argue with the words Ninya had used, but he didn''t verbally agree. He brushed it off. "No," he said before hearing someone hooting, he recognized the voice almost immediately. It couldn''t have been anyone else but Lupusregina Beta herself. She loved food, that was for sure and while she was sure to have that cheery personality. She was indeed a sadist. Nabe watched the brown-skinned beauty athletically and impatiently making her way down the steps of the fortress. Her long braided red hair bouncing as she did so. She was still in her maid outfit and following behind her were some of the homunculi maids and even CZ2I28 Delta from Nazarick were coming down after her. Each of them had plates or bowls in their hands with good piled on it. Amongst them was Pestonya. "When did they..." "Aura told them about the food I prepared, Pestonya wanted to try it in order to be able to replicate it in Nazarick." Jack chuckled smugly as it appeared he had gathered the attention of Momon''s more humanoid looking subordinates. Though Pestonya didn''t seem at all to appear human as she was a dog with a humanoid body. It freaked quite a few people out, but at the same time, it was quick to get used to. At least for Jack when he first saw her and the villagers who are getting used to the nonhumans of the Citadel. "I see.." Momon before his eyes flashed over towards the two girls, noticing he spoke of the Great Tomb right in front of them without reservation. Yet, they didn''t seem at all confused. They knew, or at least had an idea. In reality, Arche had tried no to hurl the moment she laid eyes on Momon. She also tried extremely hard not to react to the massive amount of magic energy he gave off. It wasn''t something she was used to whatsoever even though she was hanging around Jack since this morning. "Would you like to visit their graves?" Momon was quiet for a second before subtly nodding. The seven of them proceeded to make their way over to the graves and came to a stop in front of them. Momon watched as Jack walked closer to each of the grave markers and placed a pebble on each one of them. He if he had eyelids, he''d blink several times seeing this. His eyes turned to look at him, recognizing the religion which was being emulated here. The majority of Japan''s population were practitioners of Shinto or Buddhism, while less than ten percent followed other religions such as the western Abrahamic religions. As he thought back to Japan, he knew at least one person with jewish heritage who genuinely ignored it. They were also one of the few non-Japanese who lived in Japan. "You told me your name before..." "And it didn''t ring a bell?" Momon tilted his head to the side the best he could with the helmet on. "Did I meet you outside of YGGDRASIL?" "I was working in Information Technologies when I first came to Japan." "Japan?" Ninya and Arche both looked at them, confused by all the terms and names of places that have been used. Neither of them knew what they were talking about. Nabe appeared to smile for at least two seconds before it faded back to her normal sharp expression. She had the pride to know some of what they were talking about, and saw the lesser ones as losers whom were left out of the loop. Momon caressed the ''chin'' of his helmet, "Oh." Several hours had gone by as they talked back and forth. Momon was able to tell that for the time being, Jack could be trusted. He didn''t seem to have any intent to go against him or the Great Tomb of Narazick. Which was much to his own pleasure, than it was anyone else''s. The last thing he needed right now in a world he barely understood, was super-powered enemy that could take him on with a frontal assault and likely win. That and he learned he actually met him a few times at work himself, the only European salary man once working in the same place he did. However out of everything, he was quick to catch onto the idea that Jack was planning on taking over the Kingdom they were currently working out of. Judging by how he was acting, he planned on manipulating the minds of those within the Royal Palace, or at least their ambitions. Of course it appeared only one of the companions were aware of this, or at least that is how it seemed. Arche had an idea of what he was going to do, Ninya probably only had a hint. It was approaching the late afternoon, the Blue Roses were making their way over towards Momon and Nabe, along with Jack and Ninya. Arche, seeing the team of women along with Climb making their way over, had taken her sisters and moved back to the house in the village to get them ready for supper. Within a couple minutes the group were standing in a semi-circle in front of the four others. "It''s time to go, Jack." Lakyus said as she had her arms crossed before glancing over towards Momon and Nabe. They were the third Adamantite Adventurer group to rise up in the Kingdom. "You must be the Adventurers of Darkness, pleasure to meet you. We''re the Blue Roses. What''s your business here?" Momon looked over at the woman with the Warrior Priestess Getup and ''cleared'' his throat. "Uh.. Huh. Jack has hired us to protect the Village in his absence." The Blue Roses stared at the group for a few moments before looking towards the armaments of the wall and even the citadel itself, before looking at the party known as Darkness. Who or what needed protection here? This whole place was fortified to the gills! They had cannons! Whatever those were... "And offered to demonstrate Tenth Tier Magic." "That''s speak of Myth," Lakyus scoffed, not believing even an abnormality such as Jack could do such a thing. Well that was before looking over to Jack who was wearing a serious expression and her disbelief slowly drained into an endless abyss. Gate 33 「PriceOfAPrince」 "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?" "What was that?" Gazef who was standing in front of the Royal Palace Gates with a few members of the Warrior Troop glanced around. The sound of music was filling their ears. "Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality." Without warning a purplish blue gate of energy appeared, a portal, where it came from he didn''t know! However he was quick to assume it was an enemy attack, likely from the Slane Theocracy. His eyes stared through the gate which swirled around in a circular motion. His hand was rested on the hilt and the other warriors present all did the same. "Prepare!" Gazef called out and the men obliged, getting ready to draw their weapons should an enemy emerge from the portal. However before anyone could even lift a finger, there he was. Jack walking out of the Portal with his hands up slightly, music emanating from his very being. Or more so the device sitting in his hand. Following behind him was Ninya and soon enough the Blue Roses emerged with Climb in the rear. "Sir Jack!" Gazef laughed aloud, "It''s a pleasure to see you again!" He immediately ceased hostilities after recognizing him and reached out a muscular hand to shake Jack''s. Jack shook his as well, the portal closing behind them. "If you could take a portal back here, what took you so long?" Gazef was friendly as ever, though there was great meaning behind the question. Why would he put off the summons from the King and the Six Noble Families. "Funeral Customs for my.. Friends..." Jack said with a dull look in his eyes, as if he was trying not to push his emotions out onto the men before him. Ninya glanced away slightly when Gazef looked over to her. Noticing there was no other silver ranked adventurers with them. A slight frown appeared across his lips as he remembered the faces, no matter how brief, of those he had seen at Carne Village during the Sunlit Operation to assassinate him. "You have my condolences," Gazef sighed and gestured towards the Castle, before glancing over Jack for a moment. He looked like a warrior with the way he wore that helmet with the armor on his chest and pants. However he was quick to notice a serpentine staff on his back, and a sword at his hip. He had come armed? Was that really necessary? Seeing the expression on his face, Jack seemed to smile faintly and shrugged as he turned the music off. "You can''t blame me can you?" He made it appear as if he needed these weapons to defend himself against mere mortals, "Considering the state of affairs." Gazef slowly nodded in agreement. Considering the Nobles already outed Ainz Ooal Gown as a spell caster they wanted to capture and bring under their control. It was clear that Jack would be quite a bit harder to take on, and he was making that clear, even in the face of Royalty. "Anyways, I''m going to drop off my friend at a place in the residential district, if you don''t mind. I''ll be right back." He smiled at him for a few moments before turning and putting an arm around Ninya. Greater Teleport Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Appearing in front of the mansion currently being rented out by Sebas and Solution Epsilon. "I''m.. I''m going to be staying here?" Ninya stared at the house for a few moments before looking back over towards Jack. "It''s safe?" "It is. Sebas is a good person," Jack couldn''t comment on Solution. She was a man eating slime and if the woman would dare lay a hand on Ninya or any of his friends and followers, he''d kill her without so much as a bat of the eye. Ninya smiled hearing him assuring her that the person who lived here was a good person. She turned to look at the house again and laid eyes upon Sebas as he was coming out of the house. He looked like an old man, but the aura that radiated off of him, made him appear super strong. Which he was actually really strong. With great stride, the two parties met in the middle of the front lawn belonging to the property. "Lord Jack, Lady Ninya." Sebas bowed his head slightly to them, granting Ninya the title due to her closeness to the Supreme Being of another Guild. "I.. Am to be staying with you?" She asked as she looked up at the man, before noting another woman waiting at the door. She didn''t seem to have the same outward respect as Sebas. It was almost as if she was looking at her in disgust, or as a piece of raw meat. She couldn''t tell which one. "Before I go and report to the castle. Can you Describe the noble which had taken your older sister? Perhaps I can learn of her whereabouts." His eyes rested upon the girl for a few moments before looking to Sebas who raised a brow. Minutes later, Jack rematerialized in front of the Gate to the Castle, directly where he had been standing before when he had taken Ninya away with him. Gazef was there, waiting for him. The Blue Rose group had already gone on ahead, though Climb was also there alongside the man with the Warrior Troop. "Shall we?" Jack asked as he stood there with his hands at his sides, his thumbs tucked into his belt above the short skirting of the tunic. Gazef nodded and the three of them made their way in towards the castle. Making their way through the front doors and into the Grand Hall. "The Nobles are likely going to try and use you to their own advantage." "I am nobody''s tool." "I figured as much. You don''t seem like the type to take being dominated lightly," he appeared to laugh slightly at this. Jack even managed to chuckle and nod. Freedom was everything to him. Being able to dictate everything about his actions was one of the things that made him strong. And it gave him pride in being free. Without freedom, power meant nothing. One could be the most powerful being in the universe, but once they were under someone else''s authority, they were no longer relevant, as their power was in someone else''s hands. "Mind if I turn the music back on?" "Music?" "The sound you heard when I first appeared." "Oh," Garef shrugged as he caressed his chin in thought. "Not that anyone can really stop you." He appeared rather sheepish at that. There would definitely be someone to say something about the music. Shrugging back at him as he said that no one would really be able to stop him, he was right. No one could stop him from playing music. Even if they asked him to do so or tried to force him, it wouldn''t be in their right interests to try. Soon enough they entered the Throne Room with music blaring, the Royal family to the Right and the Heads of the Six Great Noble Families to the left. Renner raised a brow at the sound which was coming from the unknown face which entered the room with Gazef. She liked it, the sound, the music. She found her head moving ever so subtly to the beat of "Blood // Water" by Grandson. She found it oddly relevant in some way. The Crown Prince however was wearing a frown on his lips, the angle of them twitching in annoyance by the sound. It definitely wasn''t his taste. The King seemed entirely indifferent though, as was the youngest Son, the second in line for the throne and also the more competent. Greater Identification With the silent casting of this spell, he was able to see all the information he needed. Down to the King''s bum knee and the horrible personality of those present. Jack wanted to scoff at the company he was now being kept by. This was going to be really horrible, at least that is what he wanted to assume. While Gazef knelt before his Majesty, Jack just stood there, not showing fealty nor respect as he had none for the man who had failed to reform the nation. "Kneel before the Kin--" The Crown Prince went to order the man into submission, but was cut off by his own father who raised a hand to promote silence. "It''s alright," the old grey haired man on the throne announced as he looked over Jack. He was young, or at least looked that way. "Are you able to heal my knee?" The Nobles and the Royal Family were bewildered by the King''s question. It wasn''t a demand, but a question. He wasn''t ordering him to do it, but asking him, to see if he could. Jack''s eyes rested on the old man''s knee. He needed a cane to walk around, which had to be annoying, even at his age. He nodded without speaking before raising out a hand. He didn''t bother even to step forward or get closer to the man. Greater Healing A passive green light engulfed the floor of the room, little wisp-like lights danced around the room. And then, it all faded away and everything was back to normal. The King''s mouth was partially open, staring at his knee as he moved it without pain. He stood up and even did a few routine movements with it. No pain, no problems walking. "Cipher was it?" "Call me Jack, it''s what ''friends'' do." Ramposa the Third stared at the man before sitting down calmly in his throne. He had been healed by a man who uttered a simple two words. He had done something no magician under his employ could do. Heal the grave injury he gained in battle during the annual battle with the Baharuth Empire. Jack''s attention however was no longer on the King. Instead he was eying each of the Nobles, viewing their backgrounds, personalities and their affiliations. Marquis Elias Raeven was an opportunist, patriot, and his primary weakness was his son. He was a major member of the Royal Political Faction as well as its hidden leader. Jack liked his given name and his overall personality. He would likely seem useful in the coming days. Then there was Marquis Blumrush, which Jack accidentally read off as Bumrush. He was trying not to snicker aloud at this. Though he was quick to find that this man was a greedy and disloyal subject of the King. He was feeding information to the Empire, he was a mole, and apparently a well known one. Then there was Marquis Pespea, he had a direct connection to the king, Jack didn''t like his name, but found that he was a member of the Royal Faction and very influential. Then there was Margrave, a very mundane common name. His colors reminded him of the Leader of the Blue Roses Warrior Priestess getup. With the bright blues, yellows and orange-reds. He appeared to be the most persuasive and a member of the Royal faction. Then there was Boullope, Jack didn''t even want to call him a Noble or a Marquis for that matter. He was a member of the Noble''s faction and a notable individual alongside Blumrush that Jack was planning on purging. Lastly was Count Lytton, a shameless man who only looks out for himself, while allowing those around him to suffer and not caring at all about it. It seems three of the six were due to be purged. The others could get by depending how he went about assuming control of the country. Jack brought his eyes right back towards the King before his eyes flickered to Renner, the youngest Princess of the King''s children. Climb was now standing beside her, whispering in her ear. "King of Re-Estize and its people, Six Great Nobles, I may have come here in response to a summons. However I have a personal mission of my own to undertake within the capital," reaching behind his back, he pulled out a piece of parchment. Opening it and displaying it to the people within the room, held right out in front of him, was a sketch of Tuareninya from the shoulders up. "I''ve been charged with finding this female by her family." The King rolled his jaw slightly seeing the image. The female was young, beautiful even. Kind of reminded him of his own daughter, Renner, who was standing beside the throne. Was he helping a commoner? A peasant? Who was this girl? "She belonged to a small village, where she was Abducted by a Noble." The King raised a brow at this. It could be any number of nobles in the country, though that definitely made it easier to find out who could have possibly done this. "How do we know this isn''t some sort of ploy to weaken us against the Baharuth empire?" Marquis Boullope asked, assuming that this mission was to sow chaos between the Nobles and their King. Though it sounded like he was accusing him of being a spy as he slandered the name of Nobility by accusing a noble of abducting a village girl. Renner was clearly frowning hearing the Marquis speak out in the way he did. "I heard from the Blue Rose you can use Tenth Tier Magic!" Renner suddenly called out as if to point out how powerful this person was. "Is that true?" "I used it to summon a portal here to the Capital all the way from Carne Village, Princess." He said with a slight grin across his lips hearing her speak now. While she sounded adorable, she definitely had a messed up personality. One that he could use though, nonetheless. "Would you be able to demonstrate, for the nobility of course..." Suddenly the Crowned Prince growled, "Enough of this! Father, you are a fool ruining MY Kingdom, this charade has gone on long enough!" Drawing his blade and without hesitation, moved to stab his father without provocation. The King Gasped, leaning away from his eldest son. Gazef went to reach for his sword, but it was going to be too late, the blade was only seconds away. "My King!" he shouted, knowing he wasn''t going to make it as he pulled his weapon from the scabbard in order to at least attempt and intercept. "Triple MagicReality Slash" Watching as time space was torn asunder, Crown Prince Barbro''s hands clattered to the floor along with the sword. Blood sprayed from the wound, staining the side of the King''s face. Yet the young man didn''t scream, when the King looked up to his son to see why, his head had been split in three. Only his lower jaw still attached to his neck by skin. Yet delayed, his body finally collapsed to the ground, blood spirting out of his neck. Renner and her brother Zanac just stood there, staring. That was Tenth Tier magic, a mythical spell. He had torn through him like it was nothing and the way it tore through him, was unimaginable. It looked as if reality itself had split in two. They all looked to Jack, speechless. The guards didn''t know what to do. The man had saved the king, but had killed the Crowned Prince in the process. The King stared down at his eldest son, the one whom he had in line for succession. He had no idea how much contempt his son held for him, as he didn''t just retire and give him the Crown along with the Kingdom. Sad eyes were on his face, as he had lost a member of his family. He could only sigh at this. Jack had indeed saved his life, but he was curious of why his son suddenly acted out like this. There would have been plenty of different times and places he could have tried to kill him. Yet right when Renner asks for a demonstration His mind hardly went there though, he was still shocked by the very idea of his son trying to kill him. Calling this meeting a Charade when it was for the betterment of the Kingdom itself. Yet he had known his son''s outlook on this matter, how he had the same idea to take this man and put him under their control, rather than just talk it out with him. Zanac was grinning widely, not caring. He had just practically inherited the line of succession right there and then. His eyes moved to Jack though, wondering if he was the cause. Renner''s lips though were parted. The man who had been attempting to marry her off, was now dead. That deal was off because this man, Jack, had just upright killed him. He could''ve just sliced off his hands, let him live, yet he had cut off his head. An immediate execution. Her eyes moved to the man, the tip of her tongue poking out briefly. Things were getting interesting. Gazef knelt down and maneuvered the body away from the King. A couple members of the Warrior troop present also collected the pieces along with the sword. If they were really wondering if Jack was the cause, they weren''t wrong. He had used Dominate Person with silent magic to control the Prince combined with a form of telepathic suggestion. All he did was make his inner feelings known and allow him to act out without holding back. The Nobles were horrified at the sight. Seeing the dead Prince. They didn''t know whether or not to call for Jack''s head, or to commend him for saving the King. Gazef had been clearly shaken. He had witnessed Ainz Ooal Gown''s magic, and now he had seen someone use the magic to slaughter a single person. Jack was a powerful Sorcerer, just like him. Coming back to the King''s side, Gazef''s gaze was another placed upon Jack. This man could help them single handedly destroy the Empire. Or he could single handedly destroy the Kingdom should he ever be given a reason. If anything, they were sure he had even more damaging spells at his finger tips. He used ones that wouldn''t destroy the castle outright considering the scales. "I suggest purging those whom prove disloyal to King and Country and liquidating their assets for the Kingdom and its people," Jack''s gaze rested upon Blumrush who immediately took a step back. "Eh!? Your just a piece of shit Sorcerer who can''t fight like a man! How dare you sugg--" "SILENCE!" Zanac ordered as his father seemed unable to speak for the time being. His eyes were glaring through Blumrush before his eyes turned to Jack. He saw the powerful magic caster as a probable tool or even ally. While Zanac would prove to be an aptitude successor to the Throne, Jack didn''t see him as anything more than a member of a family line that failed the Kingdom. Even if he was capable of fixing it "This man has saved our King! My Father!" He stepped onto the floor in front of them all. "Who knows! Maybe my maddened brother would have slain all of us after he was done with our King!" He sounded reasonable, there could''ve been a chance. There only needed to be a chance. Putting away the parchment he had in his hand, Jack would fold his arms in front of him, watching the Royal son go on to put on a good show. "King Rampossa the Third Don''t you agree that your sons are inept heirs to the throne?" The King looked up from the floor, gave a look at his middle child, then to the bloody trail that followed his eldest. His youngest son always appeared to be inept, even though he really was adept. The King was ignorant of this and slowly nodded, "It is as you say." Zanac stood there, frozen with his back to the man who had just tried to defend. His father believed him not worthy of the throne? His eyes darted to Renner who seemed to be smiling slightly, as if laughing at him without making a sound. Gazef gazed over the King, his resolve was practically diminished. Completely gone. He looked Empty. His eyes moved to Jack who appeared indifferent and unsympathetic to the King''s plight. "Won''t you abdicate the throne to someone stronger? More capable?" Renner''s smile vanished and her eyes shifted to Jack from her older brother. "What?" The King slowly nodded, "I have tried to improve our Kingdom and ultimately, it is disrepair. I can see it." His eyes were heavy, his voice filled with self-doubt as he felt he had failed his oldest son and the Kingdom itself from the turn of events. "F-Father You can''t be serious," Zanac took a step towards his father, his hands falling to his sides. "You can''t abdicate the throne to someone else!" "You wouldn''t mind being a Duke, would you? First Duke of the Imperium..." Jack''s lips was possessed by a wide grin which almost stretched from one ear to the other. Duke was the highest noble rank in the Noble hierarchy of just about any Kingdom. Zanac just stood there again, staring at his father, before glancing over his shoulder towards Jack with a frown. "You''re puppeting my father aren''t you? This was part of your mission, wasn''t it!?" "No, if I was, he''d be slapping himself." Jack spoke casually towards the Prince before looking towards Renner again, tracing her over. Cute, adorable, creepy. She had all those qualities. "And if I was controlling him, I would be controlling all of you. All at once." His eyes turned to Zanac, his head tilted to the side eerily. The King turned his head towards those Nobles who stood near. They weren''t talking, they weren''t fighting out against Jack, as they feared he''d vivisect them just like the Prince just moments ago. They could definitely sense his killing intent towards Blumrush, and he had already signed his death certificate. The Royal Faction Leader Elias looked back to the King, cold and calculating was his strong suit in the public eye. He was a patriot and an opportunist. "Will you support him in my stead?" "If it is your will, Your Majesty." His eyes wandered over towards Gazef and then over towards the other Nobles, giving a single dip of his head as a nod to them. The others quickly followed suit, nodding in support. Elias held a lot of influence in both the Noble and Royal Factions, keeping the Kingdom Unified in that way. However he could only wonder, just how the other Nobles outside of this room will react Would they reach out to bite the hand of their new master, or embrace it? That was when Jack spoke up again, taking their attention again, this time quicker than before. "So I''ll ask again, have any of you seen the girl?" Renner sighed quietly as she peered over the girl''s face again as he pulled out the Parchment. He was going back to this? "Did you check the brothel?" There was only one brothel in the entire Capital, at least it was the only one left after the reforms. If a woman like that had gone missing, taken, it was likely that is the type of place she''d end up. At least, that was in her mind anyways. Zanac couldn''t stand what he was hearing. Even if he was granted the title of Duke, it meant he was no longer going to be King. It meant he was no longer a Royal, but a Noble instead. It was a disgrace! "The City of Re-Estize will remain under your Jurisdiction. Governmental, Senatorial and National Affairs will be handled elsewhere. This Capital is no longer suitable to represent the Country." "You spoke of an Imperium?" Gazef spoke as he stepped away from the King''s side, walking towards Jack. He admired him greatly, simply from the potion and the ability to use high tier magic no normal human could dream of achieving. "Yes The Absolute Power. This Kingdom will become known as the Imperium of Unity," Jack chuckled to aloud for all in the room to hear. The Absolute Power of Unity, his ultimate goal and agenda to Unite the World under his own banner. Just like the Eight Kings of Greed and many rulers from the history of Earth itself. "Hm..." With the sword drawn at his side, he swung, believing that Jack had indeed brainwashed the King. His intent was to decapitate the man. There was no way a mortal would be able to survive this. 34 「Sorcerer Kings」 The moment that blade touched his skin at the velocity it was going, the blade shattered. Gazef''s eyes were wide, dumbfounded. His heart was beating so fast the world seemed to slow down as Jack turned to look at him. Jack looked completely indifferent, if not a little disappointed, that Gazef had tried to decapitate him. The Nobles however weren''t looking very hot either, seeing how the blade just broke on the man''s skin. What in the world just happened!? The Kingdom''s Strongest Warrior hadn''t even been able to make a scratch on him? Renner and Zanac were also just standing there, wide eyes and mouths agape. They had never seen such a thing. Especially since the weapon didn''t hit the armored pieces of his armor, but the bare skin of his neck. Though it wasn''t like his skin was a rock hard substance. The moment the blade had hit the bone, that was when it broke. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "If you were to have done the same to Ainz Ooal Gown, your sword wouldn''t have done very much either." It was undoubtedly clear that this man was stronger than everyone in the room combined. Gazef stood there, his legs parted in the same stance he used when he brought the weapon down on the man who had originally respected. He was panting, staring at the broken weapon in his hand. "Sir Gazef..." Jack uttered as he stared through the man who he in a way admired for his personality, loyalty to the King and compassion for the people. "Was that necessary?" As Jack was somewhat distracted by Gazef, though not entirely. Zanac was walking backwards until he made his way up to the throne and knelt down. Opening a hidden compartment in the throne, he revealed a magic item, a weapon. It looked like a white milk colored wand with the golden crest of the Royal Family imprinted upon it. Clearly it was a weapon made to be used by the Re-Estize Bloodline. However from Jack''s knowledge, none of them were magic users. He grinned as his attention moved back to Zanac as he had the weapon pointed at him. It was a single use weapon, meant to defend against an assassin should they ruler be attacked or held hostage in the throne room. It was definitely a good idea to have, but Jack could see after appraising it with his eyes. It only had third tier magic imbued upon it. It was hardly a weapon worth his time. "You''ll have to use higher tier magic to hurt me." He laughed at this man, loudly. He saw Zanac as inferior and he wasn''t wrong in the name of prowess. "You''re going to die use it on me." Zanac just stared at him, tempted to swish the wand about either way. The thing he wanted, the thing that he was so close to getting, was taken away from him. He was offered the rank of Duke for his troubles, yet this man was taking the Kingdom and rebranding it It wasn''t Re-Estize. Zanac turned his head to look at his younger sister, the girl who always showed her true nature to him. Then over towards his father who looked completely burnt out from the death of his brother, the Crowned Prince. Could his father take much more of this? "Stand down Zanac My boy." The deposed King sighed, reaching out and gripping the wand, lightly tugging it from his hand. Jack calmed down pretty quickly the moment the worthless weapon wasn''t pointed at him. "We were right to think you were an inep--" Blumrush went to insult Zanac, only to suddenly be shut up quickly by a broken sword''s hilt being lodged in his throat. It was Gazef''s weapon, but when they all looked to where it came from Their eyes were on Jack as the body fell. Gazef was just standing there with his hands open, staring at Jack. "Down goes the traitor selling information to the Baharuth Empire," Jack uttered quietly before looking over towards the others who were all just staring at him. "What? He was summarily executed for treason." "You can''t just do that. He was one of the most influen--" "You are all the most influential Nobles in the Kingdom, but one out of all of you, had committed treason against King and Country. Consider his family assets seized by the state." Jack cut off Elias before folding his arms behind his head. Rampossa slowly raised from his throne and stepped down, walking towards the man who had killed his eldest son. He stood there right in front of him with this look in his eye, that one couldn''t quite tell what he was thinking. Or worse, they could. "I will summon the Nobles of my Realm. What shall I refer to you as prior to crowning?" "Jack Cipher, Lord and Arch Mage of the Blue Citadel," Jack instructed before looking to Gazef. "Still friends?" He asked as he looked through him, almost like he were a piece of perfect glass. "I respected you. I brought you here And the Kingdom lost its Crowned Prince, the King lost his resolve. How can I trust you?" "The Crowned Prince was a fool Short-tempered, narcissistic and egotistical. He was planning on removing anyone who supported his father over him and then assume the Throne. My presence just gave him a slight Nudge." Gazef stared at him for a few seconds before glancing off in the direction the body had been taken after he had removed it from the room. As this was happening, Elias was talking with the other Noblemen, keeping them inline. There was no way they''d be able to overpower him. If they revolted, it''s likely he''d eliminate and replace them. Once they were reminded of their place and kept tame, Elias came walking over towards Jack and Gazef. "My Lord," he didn''t sound enthusiastic, but he remained in control of his faculties. "What is your first ruling in governance?" "I''d like to make you my Prime Minister. You are the leader of the Royal Faction, are you not?" All of them turned their heads to him the moment Jack said this. "Prime Minister, My Lord?" "Leader of the to-be-Imperial-Senate, and the individual who runs the day to day operations of the Empire. You are my public representative." He was handing this man an opportunity, even though the opportunist personality was part of the man''s facade, it was still apart of him. "The office puts you above Duke in the hierarchy." "I..." "If you don''t take it, I''ll give it to the Golden Princess," his eyes darted on over to the Princess. She would like the idea of having a lot of influence over the people, and control over the Empire. That means she would be with and for Climb at all times. "You can''t be serious!" Zanac shouted looking at the man then back to Renner, and then back to the man again. "You''re in cahoots! The lot of you!" "He really wanted that crown," Jack sighed quietly and shook his head, "too bad he was too inept to earn it, to take it from his brother." Zanac frowned, he was normally pragmatic, but this guy no matter how powerful he was, ended up pissing him off. He felt as if he was losing all reason and just wanted to take his frustrations out. He ran towards Jack and went to shove him, only for Gazef to intercept and push him to the ground. Falling to the ground on his side and sliding a few feet, he groaned and looked up at the man who pushed him. "Traitor!" He screamed, "You betrayed your King! My family! You were but a commoner and yet here you are because of my father! You flea! I had ambitions!" Jack just watched him blankly, along with the other Nobles. He was throwing a tantrum. Gazef frowned hearing the boy scream profanity at him. Within the next couple of hours the government was starting to reorganize. Soldiers from the local garrison were sent out to patrol the street alongside the normal patrol officers. Local nobles around the city were called in for a conference, the announcement of the reformation of the Kingdom into an Empire known as the Imperium of Unity. Elias turned down the offer to become the Prime Minister, he already had enough on his hands. Instead he was promoted to Duke in Zanac''s place after Zanac was secretly placed to death whilst the public would be lead to believe he ran away following his family''s removal from power. So as Jack came up to Renner after the Six Great Nobles went into the Conference room, he tilted his head slightly looking over her. She hadn''t moved since the beginning of this meeting. "Would you be interested in joining the Empire as the Prime Minister, or would you like to remain your current position?" Renner was smiling at him, keeping her facade as a Princess. She felt free now that her brother was dead, and the other had now run away. "I just want to stay with Climb," she looked over to the man who was standing beside her. "My current position as Princess is preferable." She poked her tongue out slightly, curling her lower lip inward slightly. While she had some interest in him, she still had much more interest in Climb. Climb had his hand idling on the hilt of his weapon. Having seen what had happened, he didn''t know what to think. From what he had seen at the Village this man was a good person, even though he almost took off Keno''s head with his hand. Yet he had coldly murdered the Marquis and the Crown Prince, even though both of them were technically guilty of treason. He just didn''t bat an eye, that is what bothered him most. "You will continue to be known as the Princess then," his eyes then turned to her bodyguard, then back to her, "We can talk about this more privately. Later," he suggested with his hands folded in front of him once more. Much to Renner''s surprise, he allowed this. Even said they''d talk more about her position rather than simply handing her the role and expecting her to fulfill it. Was he looking to negotiate something? He had looked at Climb, perhaps She looked over to her bodyguard. Climb was a commoner, he was looked down upon by nobles. Yet she was scarily in love with the idea of having Climb to herself. This was exactly what he wanted to talk about. As his attention left the two, the Princess and her bodyguard went off to her personal study. Walking over to the body of former Marquis Blumrush, he used magic to instantly vaporize the body. Then he went to where the body of the Crown Prince was kept, and did the same. He left no marks behind, not scorching on the floors. Rather than have someone else clean it up, he removed all evidence of the scuffle. No blood on the floor, throne or anywhere. No pieces of the sword, the hilt, none of it. The only thing that remained was the King who was writing to the other Nobles and sending out notifications for them to come to the Royal Capital within the next fifteen days. So as he stood in the Throne room alone as Gazef went to join up with the rest of the Warrior Troop, he placed two fingers to the right of right temple and closed his eyes partially. Message "Momonga, I have a proposition for you." Jack believed that he was still over at the Village. He wasn''t sure what he was up to, but he was sure he''d want in on this. Considering both Elias and Renner turned down the promotional office of Prime Minister. He needed someone to take the office, he didn''t really care what it was called. So he had an idea which fit perfectly. He was going to have the Imperium be a Duumvirate. "A proposition? I assume your scheme is going you way. Huh. Most intriguing. What''s on your mind?" "Do you prefer the title of Sorcerer King or Prime Minister?" "Sorcerer Ki-- Eh!? What is this?" Momonga was rather surprised by this all of a sudden, and was caught off guard as he was answering the question as he realized what he was being asked. "Welcome to the Imperium of Unity, My King." "If I''m the Sorcerer King, that when does that make you exactly?" "Emperor of Course. I look forward to working with you." " What is the meaning of this?" "The Imperium will be a Duumvirate, for us. It''s primary goal is Uniting the Continent." "The name does boast, but wouldn''t just the ''Imperium'' do or the Sorcerer''s Imperium?" "Your not wrong I actually thought about that. Lets have Ainz Ooal Gown show up, kay?" "The Sorcerer Kings has a nice ring to it." Momonga didn''t really have to roleplay when interacting with him which had him relax a bit. He didn''t have to pretend to be tough or act outstandingly either. "The Sorcerer Kings Two Kings I like it. We''ll have to find a Prime Minister though, one who looks human until we expand into nonhuman territory than we can reselect one ourselves." "You''re planning on forming a senate?" "Nobles are inept, plenty are still due for purging..." "Still due? Sounds like you started already." "Killed one today," he looked over towards the spot the body once laid near the throne. "Any luck finding the girl, Ninya''s sister?" "The Golden Princess actually advised me to check the brothel. Apparently there is only one left in the entire Royal Capital. So I was wondering, can I use Sebas for an operation?" "Tell me more..." 35 「TheHuntBegins」 With her hands clasped together in her lap, she sat there in the living room of a mansion belonging to a woman and a man she had never met before. Across from her on the adjacent side of the room, was the man. Her eyes barely left her hands as all her thoughts were clouding her mind. "Your sister''s name is Tuare, correct?" Sebas had a strong voice, aged in wisdom, yet it had a sweet and formal taste to it like cheese and fine wine. She looked up to the man, her eyes tracing him from his black slacks to his butler''s coat and up to his dashing and sculpted face. His grey hair was not of vulnerability, it showed his intelligence and his insights. This man was a man of heart and great power. As she met his eyes, Ninya could only nod. "Yes," a smile printed itself across her lips. She could still remember her blond hair, how the blue eyes of hers shined in the light. She wanted so very much just to see her sister. To make sure she was alive, to make sure she was alright. Despite the smile which covered her lips contradicting what she was truly feeling, Sebas could see it. The girl had become so strong just to find her older sister and save her. He himself could ask the same questions that his Master''s friend had. What would she do after all this work to save her sister? Yet, that wasn''t the type of person he was. Like his own Creator, Sebas had a liking for Superhero Stories, and he himself could even be fashioned as one. All someone had to do was ask for help. All his master had to do was tell him to go. Ninya, the girl in front of him, was surely in distressed. Even if she didn''t know how close her older sister was at this very moment, she was anxious and very nervous. What if her older sister blamed her? What if when they found her, it was too late? She couldn''t stand the idea of that being so The two awkwardly sat there until suddenly without any warning, a being of power emerged from thin air. Pearly, unscathed bone, fiery red beads in the abyss of a skull''s eye sockets. Ainz Ooal Gown was seated in the third sofa in the room. The Guild Weapon known as the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown stood in his left hand and beside him; standing, was none other than the Succubi Albedo. A sweat drop formed on her forehead. From as far as she knew, Ainz and Momon had been the same person. However, she was virtually unaware of his true nature of being an Overlord or let alone a Lich. He was just supposed to be a magnificent sorcerer capable of taking out an entire Special Operations Unit from the Slane Theocracy. However considering he had put himself on the line to save the living, could it be that he holds no hard feelings towards the living? That he doesn''t hate them? Oddly enough, she felt as if he was smiling. Yet she couldn''t quite tell what expressions he was making. He was a skeleton after all. "Momon-san, how''d yo--" Albedo immediately cut her off as she addressed him as a friend, rather than the ''Lord and Savior'' that he was known to be by the Floor Guardians. "You lesser lifeform! How dare you address Lord Ainz so casually!?" "Uh oh!" Reaching out a hand for the powerful woman''s shoulder, "Albedo!" Momonga was able to quickly calm and get Albedo to cease her hostilities. Making sure that the woman didn''t kill the last of what he saw as a human friend here in the New World. "I''m sorry Ainz-Sama, please forgive me!" She bowed her head and withdrew herself from the conversation, planting herself on the couch in a dignified, yet small, manner. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Momonga nodded, "All is forgiven. Just don''t do it again." Though he had forgiven her, he knew that the next time she just might forget again. This wasn''t the first time she had acted out as he was addressed by someone else oh so casually. There were very few humans whom he had yet to bond with, or have a mutual respect for. "Ninya, if you please?" Momonga gestured towards the girl, asking her to continue asking her question. "How''d you make yourself look Alive?" Her smile opened enough to show her teeth, a bit of her tongue. She was imagining how Jack would answer with a roundabout request like ''Define Alive.'' Momonga''s jaw opened slightly before he closed it again. "Illusion Magic," to him it was a simple trick to fool those who could not see through the illusions of others. Ninya nodded slowly, "Wouldn''t light projection magic do better?" Momonga saw that she had a point. If someone couldn''t be fooled by a mental illusion, the projection of light could definitely make a solid appearance, like a hologram. However if the projection was out of sync, it would definitely clip and give the visual illusion away. "Did Ci-- Did Jack teach you new tricks?" Momonga gave a hardy laugh, as he was amused. Though the way he said it sounded like he looked down on the living, saw her more as a pet or convenience. "Ainz-sama," Sebas was facing his Lord and Supreme Being. "May I ask the reason for your presence?" He had already recently reported to Narazick shortly after their arrival and the day after. "You may, Sebas. Jack has asked to use you in an operation, in which you will work side by side with Ms. Ninya here." He gestured towards Ninya with his free hand. "Search and Save her older sister. I have given my consent." Sebas kept his eyes on the being he perceived as Lord Ainz, he stood up and bowed. "As you wish, Ainz-sama." As he stood erect, he stared upon the Overlord with grace, "Where shall we begin?" Ninya looked back and forth between Sebas and the person she knew as Momonga. "Jack has been lead to believe that she is being held in the last Brothel in the Capital. However he is currently holed up with..." Ainz appeared to clear his nonexistent throat, "political matters." "Ho-holed up?" Ninya was immediately worried. She knew the reason why he had left her here, or at least believed she knew. She believed that the Nobles would try to subjugate him in the name of the Kingdom and have him work for them. Yet unknown to her, that isn''t how it worked out. "Focus," Momonga instructed as he turned to Ninya hearing her worrisome voice, "Your sister needs you, how long have you been fighting and training to save her? Remember the friends you''ve lost along the way. Always." He worked on her sentiment, to make her think of something else other than Jack as he knew that Jack could take care of himself. Ninya shrank a bit into the couch as she let her mind slow down so she could think clearly. Part of her also knew that Jack was okay, and she wanted to believe it. "Jack had me get this for you," Momonga spoke calmly as he took an object out of his item box. In his hand was a steel black staff just about her height and perfectly balanced. There was even a grip placed based on where she always held her own wooden staff from. The item was decorated with golden inlay which depicted the Four Swords of Darkness, connected by ominous vines. At the very top of the staff was a magic stone surrounded by four wavey spearhead-like blades, similar to the Staff of Saruman the White from Lord of the Rings. And at the bottom, it looked like an oversized Philips head screw driver which could be used for piercing purposes. This weapon he held out to her, Ninya could hardly believe her eyes. It looked like it had been essentially crafted for her by Jack. It even had his initials in the weird latin-based characters which were decorating his sister''s tomb. Standing from the couch, her hands held in front of her, folded over one another. She took two steps towards him, bowed her upper body and took the item in her two hands. Embracing the cold feeling of the metal on her skin, she stood straight and stared down at the item. The golden inlay began to shift and soon enough, it was rearranged into words she could understand. "The Staff of Darkness, Seraph." As she tasted the words on her tongue, she could only stare at it. The weapon was named after one of the highest ranked angels. "Interesting name choice..." Momonga poised his thumb and index finger over his chin, caressing it slightly as he too was interested in the weapon. It was clearly orchestrated just for her, and it was protected against even the highest appraisal magical and couldn''t be put in an exchange box for gold. The Staff had become an Essential Item. "I didn''t choose it," she looked up to him, "It named itself." Momonga paused for a moment hearing her say this and took a gander. While he couldn''t appraise it, he was quick to notice the embedding was moving about the staff like that of a snake. The weapon, it was intelligent. It was an intelligent weapon, one that could be considered an artificial life form. Perhaps the staff itself was a golem!? Just as she went to sit back down on the couch with the item on her lap, it started to spasm slightly like liquid. Suddenly as if it had become living ooze, it leapt from her hands and onto her own wooden staff which was propped up on the arm of the couch. It consumed it and took its place, reasserting its form as it did so. "Did Did that staff just eat the other staff?" Momonga and the three others in the room just stared at the item as it would stand independently from the couch before absently flopping onto Ninya''s lap. Ninya just sat there, staring at it as if a shadow had been cast over her face. "Um..." Albedo appeared to lean to the side slightly to get a better view of the staff, but in reality, she was just using it as an excuse to be leaning into Momonga. The man whom she had been programmed to fall deeply in love with. "Ainz-sama I think it leveled up." Momonga wouldn''t blinked if he could, instead his eyes just flickered in and out. "Could it be based on his assimilation magic?" Ninya blinked several times when she heard this word, Assimilation, from that of Momonga''s disembodied voice. "Assimilation Magic?" "It allows him to assimilate other beings and magic in order to get stronger. He got it from a wish." Ninya slowly nodded before she placed a hand on her stomach and went wide eyed. "Like an Experience Potion?" The assimilation of other beings and becoming more powerful? That sounded an awful lot like the whole Experience Potions, being different depending on the ''ingredients.'' "Experience Potion?" Momonga looked at her without an available expression. "Perhaps." From this very question he was pretty sure Jack not only used assimilation, but tricked Ninya into drinking the byproduct. Which if he was still effected by mortal morality as he used to while he himself was human, would have been disgusted with the idea that he had essentially turned her into a one-time cannibal. "Why?" "Aft-after drinking a potion Jack gave me I I raised in knowledge and magic tier," she was breathing uneasily. "I recently found out that I''m capable of casting tier six magic." Momonga was silent for a few seconds before shaking his head. "That''s most impressive..." Ninya looked at him with her mouth hanging open slightly at the side, "Did I drink a person?" "No," Momonga didn''t hesitate to say no. It was immediate, as if he knew the question was coming. "The Assimilation magic discards the physical being and assumes form of the data left behind." "...Data?" Ninya knew the word, but it seems that she ate words rather than flesh? That didn''t make much sense, but him saying things like this did make her feel a little better. "Where did he get this data you speak of?" "When probably went after the organization the girl formerly belonged to, the girl who killed your Party. They were sighted near E-Rantel and he went out to intercept them." "Organization?" "The Black Scripture." Ninya could recall him saying something about wiping them out at some point prior to them coming here. She just had no idea what he used or how he had done so. They were a powerful group, Demi-Gods according to that of the Slane Theocracy. Her chest began to tingle slightly, like the bones wouldn''t stop shaking. Since he couldn''t kill Clementine, or save her friends, he went after the people they originated from? And he intercepted a military unit that crossed the border of the Kingdom!? Ninya just stared at him, her eyes felt like they were shaking now. Was this excitement? Was this fear? She closed her eyes and rested back into the couch, taking solace from the cushions. Momonga''s eyes rested on the staff for a few more seconds before he turned forward. "Sebas, I leave the rest to you. I have been asked to attend at the Royal Palace." "Understood, Ainz-sama. We will take our leave to begin the operation." He bowed his head again, Ainz and Albedo vanishing as quickly as they had arrived. As he then took an errect posture, he turned his head to take a glance at Ninya. Staring at the staff which seemed to be purring in her hand, she caressed it with her thumb. He was quick to noticing that the staff itself was emitting an ambient Calming Aura of the Fifth Level. Once the initial panic had settled, she was completely fine. That smile was across her lisp again. The one which seemed to be able to be cherished by just about anyone and everyone who had seen it. Sebas was beginning to understand the reason behind Jack''s attraction to her aside from her Convictions, Morality, Shy and Humble demeanor. In a way, she was cute. And soon enough he was beginning to wonder, what would she look like if she allowed her hair to grow out to boast her feminine charms? Shaking his head subtly, he made his way out of the room. Ninya rose from the couch and quietly followed after him. She held the staff awkwardly in both hands, continuing to examine it as she walked behind him. Using the sound of his shoes to guide her out of the house. Soon enough they would be out on the stone streets of the Capital. She quickly noted the presence of soldiers along with the patrols. Did something serious happen? Sebas walked casually, as if he wasn''t even bothered with the sight of armed men. She followed closely, walking up beside him and assuming a calm posture as she walked with the staff horizontally at her side. Ninya didn''t seem to know where they were going, but he appeared to know the way or at least the general location. As they walked through the cold hard stone streets of Re-Estize, they came to a stop at the entry of an alley. It was empty for the most part, but there were plenty of buildings here. Ninya''s eyes darted from door to door. None of the places looked suspicious, and they didn''t have signs over them. The brothel clearly wasn''t advertised. "My sister is somewhere around here?" Sebas nodded, "I''ve personally observed a noble walk down this alleyway after leaving his carriage. He didn''t take his personal entourage with him He was gone for hours and returned, his knuckles were bruised and he smelled of sweat, blood and pheromones." Ninya bit down on her lower lip hearing about the bruises on some man''s knuckles and him smelling of blood. Could it be that they beat the women here? The two began walking down the alleyway. Ninya''s eyes were stuck on Sebas however, watching as he intently listened to his surroundings. Just what was he possibly going to hear? 36 「Climb Above It」 After learning that Climb had turned down the potion that would make him stronger after learning more of what happened at the Village. Renner, the Golden Princess, sent her bodyguard out to checkout why he was so set on finding the girl from the sketch and to see if he could find her himself. This was a task handed down to him by the Princess herself. The woman who saved him and nursed him to health when he was destined to die. Now all he could do was work hard and prove himself. He was in debt to the Princess and even though the Nobles looked down upon him, it was clear that she still needed him. And with this man, Jack Cipher, she needed him now more than ever. As he left the Valencia Palace in looks for the woman who Jack wanted to look for. He could see the sky was becoming dim. It was getting darker out and the evening was soon to set in. He had to get there before dark. It would be dangerous to wonder alone. Perhaps he could join or even commandeer one of the patrols? Asking for help was not a weakness, but it was indeed a strength. He may be naive, but he knew that more people meant that he was stronger. If he had gone alone to the Carve Village, he was sure he wouldn''t have been able to convince Jack to come by. He along with the rest of the group had noticed one thing. He had an interest in the one known as Landfall, or known to them as EvilEye. A former Vampire Lord whom was powerful enough to destroy an entire city should they have no choice but to do so. However he also knew that even though the Vampire Lord was so powerful, she had been defeated by the Blue Roses. They became friends. Could this man who was now claiming the throne after killing the Crowned Prince and disappearing the young Prince, become friends with the Princess? From what he had witnessed in the Throne Room, he was sure that the man wanted to maintain appearances and keep the Princess alive. He had even made a promise so that she would retain her position as Princess. Did that really mean something if her father wasn''t on the throne? The City would be under her jurisdiction. Why did he want to keep her alive? Keep her in the Valencia Palace where she had the entire City to herself. Would that mean that he didn''t believe that she would host a revolt against him? Or that she wouldn''t dare? Was Zanac right when he assumed that she was in cahoots with the man? Surely it wasn''t possible, was it? Climb''s mind was racing like there was no tomorrow. The clacking of his full plate armor brought his mind back to the present as he stared forward. His sword at his side, he watched as soldiers patrolled the streets alongside officers of the law. He had greatly improved the safety of the people by deploying troops. Yet why did he send them out to patrol? His eyes followed a duo of soldiers in front of him along the path he was destined to take. They were dressed in the tunics that bared the arms of Marquis Elias Raeven. They were loyal troops from the Royal Faction so it seemed. He was becoming curious. However, his duty was to the Princess and he quickly got back on track. However the moment he turned to go down an alleyway, he paused seeing two people. An elderly man dressed like a butler with a perfect beard pointed under the chin and fashionable hair. Next to him was a young woman, she had to be under twenty years old, but she couldn''t be younger than sixteen. The more he looked at her from a distance, the more she resembled this female Tuare. That''s when he remembered. Jack Cipher had said that the family of the girl had requested his help. Yet from what he could recall, Jack hadn''t even left or talked to anyone else outside the Palace. He was still at the palace. So why were these two so close to the Brothel? Was it magic? Resting his hand idly on the hilt and scabbard of his sword, Climb began to make his way down the alley. He remained entirely calm, the Butler seemed to feel a lot stronger than he truly looked. Not that he didn''t already look imposing enough even with the girl by his side. Ninya glanced away from the Butler as she heard the shifting of armor. Plate armor. Her eyes rested upon a man in light colored armor and his hand resting idly on his weapon. Why was there a man in armor here? Was he a soldier? Sebas was also eying him since he was making his way down towards them. They seemed to be his target perhaps? Or if he was a soldier, was he just curious of what they were doing around these parts? There were plenty of thoughts going through all three of their minds. Climb walked right up to them and planted his feet down flatly in front of them. "My name is Climb. Should you two be the family related to Tuareninya Veyron? Princess Renner has sent me to check the most probable whereabouts." Sebas and Ninya both looked at one another, before looking to him. Ninya raised a brow as she tapped the butt of the new staff she was given by her boyfriend, against the stone ground beneath their feet. "My n-name is Ninya, Tuare is my older sister." She held out a hand to shake his. Climb gave her hand a glance before shaking it before looking over towards Sebas. "I am Sebas Tian, ''family friend.'' It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Mister Climb." He had to admit, the name had a strange feeling on his tongue. Yet Sebas just moved forward, not focusing on the young man''s name. There were plenty of people with strange names Sebas Tian''s eyes glanced down towards Climb''s hand which was outstretched to him and nodded, reaching out and giving him a solid shake with a proper squeeze, all while keeping eye contact. For a split moment, Climb believed he was going to die where he stood. Instead, he found himself very much alive and his hand was intact. He blinked a few times as the sensation cleared and he nodded to himself. "Then you must be looking for the Brothel," he spoke in a low voice as not to be overheard by anyone nearby. "You know which building it is?" Ninya asked, taking on a whisper. Climb nodded and he motioned for them to follow him. Keeping his casual display, he walked towards the one building in the alleyway which had a candle in the window. However, there were purple curtains which kept the interior hidden from the gaze of others. On top of that, it sounded awkwardly silent. The presence of others could most definitely be heard inside. It wasn''t like the place was greatly insulated either. So one could only imagine that someone either soundproofed it or made sure no one could hear what goes on inside using magic. Ninya reached forward to jiggle the knob, it wouldn''t budge. The door was locked. Maybe due to the presence of the soldiers they closed up shop for the night? Or could it be that they saw Climb coming? Or maybe they were at full capacity? Or was it just because no one was at the door? Ninya took a step back and tapped the door with her staff. The gold inlay rearranged itself, "Unlock?" was what it asked. "Yes," Ninya replied and suddenly the spell was cast from the staff. The door unlocked and there was a voice inside that sounded slightly alarmed form the clicking of the lock. "Thank you, Seraph." "Hm? What was that?" Sebas stepped forward, brushing passed Ninya and opening the door, causing both of the others to step back. "I''m sorry. The door seemed to be locked, so we helped ourselves." "What the hell? We''re currently at full capacity, get out!" That was the last thing they would hear from the unknown man on the other side of the door, as soon after there was the sound of flesh against the wooden floor. The man had collapsed? Ninya and Climb followed Sebas inside before closing the door behind them. Looking around, the place seemed to be doing well for itself. Hearing the wooden floor squeak above them, they glanced over to the stairs and locked eyes with a man having a bag over his shoulder. The way it rested on his large broad shoulders, gave away that it was a human body. Especially the way the sack sat on the legs which loosely and weakly moved. Whatever was in the sack, was alive. At least for now. The man who was carrying her on the shoulder cursed and turned on his heel to run upstairs. He was planning on calling for help. "Get back here!" Ninya called out and darted for the stairs, holding out her staff. The moment the man was about to put his foot on the top of the steps, he felt a sharp feeling piercing him in the lower back. He lost feeling in his legs. "Wha Fuck!" Trying to reach for the rail as he was falling backward, his fingers just missed it and he couldn''t stop himself from falling. Pupupupupupupupu The man fell down the steps, releasing the bag, and when they finally met the bottom of the steps. It appeared that the man had broken his neck, he was dead from the trauma. The sack though started to squirm slightly. Sebas, Ninya and Climb both knelt down in front of the sack and pulled cut it open. The moment the sack opened, a bruised arm came reaching out, its hand grasping for anyone who could possibly be there. Latching onto the adventurer''s tag around Ninya''s neck. The thumb seemed to caress it in familiarity. "Help..." A meek and hardly audible voice called out. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Ninya placed a hand on the wrist and looked over at the other two present. "Find my sister I''ll see what I can do here." Sebas and Climb both nodded and hurried up the stairs as Ninya pulled back the sack to reveal a lithe female with toned skin and black hair. She was covered in bruises and one of her arms was definitely broken while her face looked to be almost completely rearranged from what she could only assume was once a beautiful face. "Help... me..." Ninya swallowed the weird metallic taste in her mouth, her body wanted to puke, her mind wanted her to look away. Yet she couldn''t. "I''m here..." She said as she pulled the person''s head and torso into her embrace. "Lets see what I can do, okay?" With the unnamed woman''s head resting on her forearm, she kept hold of her staff as she chose to recite a that she had learned recently from drinking that potion. Greater Healing Like a miracle under a glowing green light, the bruises on the woman''s skin faded. Along with the bloody spots from internal bleeding. Soon one could even hear the sound of bones rearranging themselves. Big deep hazel colored almond eyes, perfect thick brows, thin lips and shoulder length black hair. The woman was quickly restored back to health, but had lost consciousness as a side effect of being in such a weak state. Ninya slowly rested the woman down on the ground, before standing up as she could hear people fighting in the halls. This place, it was definitely more than just a brothel. Brothels shouldn''t have women this beaten and broken, or to be disposed of in a sack! Swiftly she made her way up the stairs, casting Flyfor greater speed and landing at the top of the flight of steps. She turned her head in time to catch a man who was running towards her. Or more so running away from Sebas, trying to get away. Without thinking, she brought the staff into both of her hands and raised the butt into the air like a pole arm spear and shifted her weight forward at the man. The sickening tearing of flesh and breaking of ribs could be heard. The man gurgled and screamed. Blood pouring from his mouth as he writhed on the end of the staff. Suddenly though the butt of the staff would turn into its liquid state and the body would quickly dissolve into the weapon. Quickly, the corpse was gone. Ninya stared at the weapon, there wasn''t even a drop of blood on it, yet there was a pool of it on the ground. She''d shrink around it before walking up to Sebas. "Should we start checking the rooms?" She''d ask as she looked around at the people whom were either unconscious or dead in the corridor. Sebas and Climb nodded to her. Climb though was in awe at Sebas who had eliminated every single one of the enemies before he could have even drawn his weapon. So as he turned towards the closest door, he placed his hand on the knob as he carefully drew his weapon. 37 「Savior」 Bashing the nearest knob with the Philips head end of her staff, twice, before kicking the door open. Ninya came marching into the room filled with the muffled screams and moans. A man on the bed was grunting, sweating as he shifted his meat back and forth inside of a captive woman with a pillow over her face. The rhythmic slapping of his thighs meeting some unknown lass''s took Ninya''s ears by storm. Her eyes danced over the bed, disgust evident in her eyes. She wanted to vomit, but she held it back as she prepared herself to use the magic staff. "Eh!? Who do you think you are!?" The guy snarled as he looked over his shoulder, having seen her shadow on the wall. However seeing the weapon pointed at him, he went and threw the pillow aside. Ninya hesitated. The stranger grabbed the woman he had beneath him by the neck and moved her in front of him as a human shield. It wasn''t her sister. With this calming aura keeping her from freaking out, part of her considered just killing both. Everyone has a sociopathic thought every now and then. It didn''t make them a bad person. "Let the girl go and I''ll let you live." Were the words that leaked out of her mouth. The girl arched her back slightly. She had bruises all over her body, she was missing a few teeth. She even had a bite mark on her collar. She had been severely abused. She was even bleeding from her rear. "I don''t think so You''re going to walk right back out of thi--" The guy''s voice cut out as his eyes rested on a dead body outside the door. One of the guards. There was no help coming for him. He gulped heavily, his head turning to look for the dagger on his belt hanging by the bed on the wall. Pulling the woman back with him as he moved to acquire the weapon, he reached out with his free hand as he fell onto the bed. However he had fallen back onto the bed too soon, he couldn''t reach his weapon. Even if he could, she had the advantage of range. The woman who he was using as a shield bit into his arm as it was around her throat, causing him to yelp and let her go. She jumped off the bed, taking a dive to the floor. Piercing Icicle Seven long Icicles were generated in front of the jewel of her staff from thin air and launched at the man, causing him to scream just short of being rapidly impaled and pinned to the headboard of the bed. Giving a brief glance to the woman who was pulling herself up onto the nearby dresser, Ninya rushed out of the room just as Climb rammed his shoulder into a door and went on inside to ''meet'' the occupants. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Ninya on the other hand darted across the hall from the one she had once been in and impaled the door knob with her staff, causing the door to pop open. She skidded to a stop inside, and turned to face the bed. There was a man, partially dressed in wealthy attire standing at the side of the bed which had the slow breathing body of a blonde female. She had bruises up and down her torso, legs and arms. She looked like she had been punched in the face plenty of times. She even had blood going down the side of her head from an open wound. However with a single glance. It wasn''t her sister. All the same, she pointed the weapon at the man in disgust. "How can you be so despicable to another human being...?" The wealthy man slowly raised his hands, as if surrendering. "You You don''t get to do that," Ninya snapped as she took a single step forward, causing him to instinctively stumble backward. "Please! Please don''t kill me! I''ll give you anything! Money! Please!" Ninya just stared at the man who was now groveling on the ground. Surely he was a cowardly noble who preyed on the weak. Yet despite her youthful complexion, he was cowarding in fear. Was it because of the Staff? She looked down at the staff for a split second until she saw him stand with her peripheral vision. It was too late, she couldn''t do anything. That though, wasn''t a problem. She needn''t do anything as the weapon''s jeweled end cast a spell for her. Piercing Icicle It was the same spell she had used to kill the previous man. Seven long icicles launched out towards the man and impaled him using enough force to pin him to the wall. Ninya just stood there, quite shell shocked due to the fact that the staff was capable of casting magic without her consent. It was as if it was designed to solely protect and aide her. It felt like Jack was right there, ruthlessly slaughtering anyone who would dare lay a hand on her. A small smile began to rise from her lips as she walked over to the woman on the bed. The two of them locked eyes. She had these beautiful emerald eyes and blonde hair. She reached up for Ninya''s hand and Ninya grasped it with one of her gloved ones. Heal Within seconds the woman was in full health, but like the last one, they fainted from the amount of healing overwhelming them on the mental level. It was quite clear they had gone through a lot. Letting out a sigh as she let the hand drop down to the bed, she made her way out of the room before pausing and looking at the last door which was closed. Sebas and Climb both came out of adjacent rooms and looked at one another then towards Ninya who was now standing in front of the door. She looked to them and they shook their heads. Tuare hadn''t been in any of the rooms so it appeared. Except for maybe this one? The three of them readied up in front of the door as Sebas stepped in front of them. With his left leg forward and his right leg back. He drew his right arm back and his left forward, before palming the door with incredible might from his right hand. The door flew off the hinges and slide across the room after colliding and splintering against the floor. Sebas, Climb and Ninya darted into the room. Sebas and Climb stood in the background, giving Ninya the spotlight as she bounced the butt of her staff off the floor. On the bed was a man on his knees with his back to the visitors. His hands had a woman''s legs forced open. It was clear that she had gone through much abuse. Just like all the other women here, she wasn''t protected nor was their treatment held to any standards. It appeared the clients could do whatever they wanted with the girls. It was sickening The man slowly turned his head to the side. He had dark brown hair that matched the length of his jawline. He even had a goatee and a mustache. It was an Adventurer, his tags clearly seen on his chest. "Who the hell are you guys!? Guards!" There was nothing. No sounds from the other room except for the pattering of feet. Soon enough there were the other women from the other rooms. Some of them had been healed, while most of them were in various states of damage and truama. "Tuare. Tuare is that you?" Ninya called out to the woman who was weeping beneath the man. The weeping was reduced to sniffling as she could hear her name being called over and over again. The man, as she went to sit up, pushed her back down. "Stay down," he''d spit and threaten as he turned his attention back towards her, a fist raised in the air. "Filth," Sebas stated as he took several steps forward. "Remove your hands from the fair Miss, or I will remove them." He ordered the man which caused him to lower his fist and turn his head to look to Sebas, encountering his intimidating and lethal gaze. "Hm..." Stepping off the bed and withdrawing himself from the small blond on the bed, he looked over Sebas before taking what looked to be some sort of martial stance. Tuare slowly sat up again, this time hugging a pillow to her chest for dear life. Her face was bloodied up, and like the others she was decorated in bruises which were in various states of healing or swelling. Her little sister was here? Her eyes rested upon Ninya. She had cut her hair, it was no longer long. Her clothes, they hid her identity as a woman and that staff. She stared at it. It seemed to be alive as it was breathing in her sister''s hands. What on Earth was that? Wait, her sister could use magic? "Sebas-san Make it hurt." Cracking his knuckles, Sebas nodded to himself. It was time to hold back then in order to expect the maximum amount of pain prior to death. That''s when Tuare launched herself off the bed running, attempting to get passed the Adventurer who had been using her, abusing her. Her eyes rested on her little sister, the silver tag around her neck. Her sister had gained power to save her! And perhaps powerful allies? Taken in by the moment, she hardly noticed the man trying to stop her. Trying to trip her so that she would fall with her own momentum to carry her hard to the ground. Sebas however had other plans. He moved forward, took the initiative to kick the man''s shin out of the way. Sending the Adventurer crashing to the ground after taking his leg out from under him. Then brought his heel down onto the man''s chest. Promptly and slowly digging it into him. The Adventurer yelped and growled, grabbing at Sebas''s leg and trying to pull it off. Yet he couldn''t make the Head Butler budge whatsoever. "You bastard!" He spat out blood as his ribs began to collapse on his lungs and heart. "I''ll haunt you for eternity!" "You are most welcome to try," Sebas huffed as he found this man cursing him low-key amusing. Increasing the pressure, the man screamed until it was drowned out by his own coughing. He started to gurgle his own blood, his lungs were filling up with liquid and bodily fluids. "Helph meh Elp...m...e.." Ninya had her arms around Tuare, holding onto her older sister, burying her face into her shoulder. "Neechan I thought I lost you..." Tuare despite being badly abused, had dropped the pillow and traded it for her little sister''s head. "Ni-Nin...Ninya.." It appeared she had a hard time speaking with a sore jaw, but she managed to say at least her sister''s name. She sniffled and held back her sobs. A warmth began to overtake her, healing her. Based on Ninya''s intention the staff had castHeal upon her. Some of the women watching from the door, smiled at the reunion of the two sisters. Tuare glanced over towards the back of Sebas. He didn''t have a scratch on him. Her eyes then traveled down to the adventurer as he removed his heel. The man who had been using her for over an hour now, was dead on the ground, a mere corpse. "Ladies," he turned to face the others after taking in his handiwork. "It''s time to move on, please. Gather your essentials and Follow us." The women went around and collected their clothing if they had any. If they didn''t, they didn''t hesitate to take clothes off the dead or unconscious. Sebas and the others were making their way down the steps with the women following close behind when they suddenly heard a door open. The basement door it appeared to be. Everyone stopped in their tracks, crouched low and listened. A flamboyant voice arose, "Hey Romero! We got some fresh..." Whomever was talking stopped. It appeared they found Romero''s body in view of the door. "Shit! Call the Six Arms!" "We have to go now..." Tuare whimpered with every word as the door slammed shut. The entire group massed together and ran through the door and into the alley. Dressed in mismatched clothes, the women all followed after Sebas and Ninya toward the mansion. Climb on the other hand separated himself from the group and ran in the opposite direction towards the Palace in hopes of reaching a patrol. 38 「Envy and Animosity」 Ninya was seated in the living room with her sister at her side and her staff in her lap. Her eyes were closed and her face was buried in her elder sister''s neck. Tuare was very similarly keeping her face buried in her younger sister. For the time being they didn''t speak. There was no reason to, no reason not to either. She was afraid of the outside world. She was bitter that no one had come to save her sooner, even though these two had saved her. She felt indebted and naturally drawn to the strong man who had broken the man who had tried so hard to break her. Her eyes felt so heavy. She never thought she''d be filled with so much life again. That she would ever have teeth again. She had been beaten badly. She had been addicted to drugs, and even violated in places she never imagined were even possible. Yet here she was. Alive and well. Her sister had healed her, took her away from that place and out into the light. The silence of the room had drawn her attention away from her sister as she lifted her head and looked to the man standing beside the couch across from them. There was also this blonde woman who was looking at them with disgust. Or maybe looking at them as if they were dinner? She couldn''t quite tell with that empty look in her eyes. It felt as if something was missing. Turning her head to look back at her little sister, she paused and stared at exposed her neck. There seemed to be a fading mark there. "Is that?" "Hm?" Ninya''s head shot up almost immediately as she went to point it out. "What?" Tuare found herself smiling faintly seeing the pink tinge taking over Ninya''s face as he knew exactly what she was talking about. There was a hickey right below the edge of her heightened neck collar. It seems her sister was no longer the innocent one despite having cut her hair to appear boyish in the eyes of other people, especially men. Just who might she had garnered the attention form? However instead of asking more about it, her arms wrapped tighter around her little sister and she held her even closer. Despite her feeling sick the more she thought about Ninya, she also felt much better being able to feel her warmth again. Family really was everything. "Thank... you... for...he-helping''a ush g-get back together again," Tuare finally spoke more than just two words, though she appeared to be having trouble doing so for a longer sentence. At least she was able to clear up what she was saying by the end; Allowing Sebas to understand. Tears flowed freely from her face as she faced him. "I was only doing as instructed, and what I believed to be right." Sebas casually approached. There was no caution, only concern in his face. As he walked over, he brandished a handkerchief and held it out for her to take to wipe her face. ''Oh I.. I couldn''t It''s so clean..." Oddly enough Sebas found himself smiling, something he never really thought he''d do. Ninya watched as he used the very cloth he had offered her sister, to wipe away her tears while holding one side of her her so extremely gently. She blinked several times at his gesture of good will. "A handkerchief that cannot be used is a sad one indeed, especially one that cannot even wipe away a person''s tears." Was words he would give to her as a gift. This made her older sister smile. In a way, what the man had just said was something that lit her heart that had already gone cold. She could feel it throbbing in her chest. She hardly recognized the feeling of her racing heart as she felt these warm hands on her face. It felt so different than the warmth her sister gave. Just what in the world was this man? Aura suddenly entered the room through the open window behind Solution Epsilon, all smiling and jumping around. She was as energetic as ever! "All of the women that escaped with you have been sent to Carne Village, just as Ainz-Sama intended!" She''d giggle sweetly with her arms in the air as if celebrating. Epsilon wasn''t happy, even with Ainz on board with this, it was sure to askew their mission quite a bit if the people they took the slaves from came looking for their merchandise. Tracing them back here would definitely bring more attention to them than they truly wanted. However, the slime didn''t say much as she just watched the two sisters and Sebas interacting from across the room. Aura gazed up at the maid for a few moments before looking towards the sisters and keeping a smile across her lips. She felt happy for them, mostly because it was Ainz who ordered this to go about, even though it was more of a friendly favor to Jack or something. She wasn''t quite sure what was going on. Standing up, slowly unraveling herself from her older sister, Ninya smiled at everyone present. "Thank you for helping me in saving my sister, I couldn''t have done it without any of you." Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Sebas bowed slightly to the woman seemingly close to Jack''s heart. "I''m thinking of going to see Jack at the Palace, if they''ll let me in." Her eyes danced over the people present. Then her eyes rested upon her sister who was smiling more than she had before. "...Jack?" She''d question her little sister, curious of who had caught her sister''s arm while she was kept hidden away in a brothel. Was it this man who had organized all this? No, the little elf had said something about Ainz? Who was Ainz? "I''ll tell you about it all later, maybe you can even meet him." Ninya knelt down in front of her sister, resting her staff along the side of the couch. She took hold of her hands and gave them a light squeeze. "We''ll be together again. We''re going to be safe this time." Even though she was smiling, even though she enjoyed the warmth of her sister''s hands. Tuare couldn''t help but feel at least a little animosity towards her sister as she had gotten stronger and even found a supposed worth while man to bring into her life. All while she was rotting, being beaten, humiliated. Seeing and thinking about herself, while it kept alive inside, it tormented her the moment she was free. It reminded of all the nights, the days, where she was helpless and nobody came to save her sooner. She wanted to burst out crying. Part of her could hardly handle holding back, but this was also because of her sister that she could become strong enough to hold back her immediate emotions. Tuare was sure if her sister were to leave this room now, she would cry. There was no other way to put it. She would most definitely cry, she''d want to know why it took so long. Why she was left there in the hands of dirty filthy men. And then when she looked up on Sebas and recalled his words that had spoken earlier, her heart clung to them. He had offered a handkerchief and even though she had declined, he wiped her face anyway. Although seemingly looking misplaced, that smile on his lips towards her was genuine. No one had smiled at her like that. Even though he had done as instructed, and believed he was doing what was right. She was sure he was her hero. As her sister stood, gathered her staff and made for the door. The tears began to silently and tragically slip from her cheeks, staining them in salty snail trails. Once again he dabbed her face as Ninya had walked out the door and when he was done he handed her the handkerchief and rested a hand on her shoulder. Tuare had tasted a shitty life for far, far, too long. The warmth she felt from him, the sincerity that he was showing her. Although it was just comfort, it wasn''t something she felt from her sister who had tried oh so valiantly to collect alies to come and save her. This man, she wanted to secure herself beside... Meanwhile within the Brothel the group had left behind. Cocco Doll emerged from the basement door, revealing the path to the tunnel system beneath the city. His face as dominated by a long pointed nose, similar to that of a stereotypical witch. His predatory eyes scanned the foyer of the building. There was a deadman not even ten feet away from the door. His back was turned, as if he had been about to start running when he was killed. Walking closer to the stairwell as he spotted an empty bag, he rested his eyes on another corpse. "Hmm," running his hand through his blonde hair, he brushed off the red sleeves of his blouse before kicking the body over onto its stomach. His eyes resting on the single wound to the back. It appeared the man had died from head trauma. Soon enough some of his own detail entered the building from the basement. "Check the rooms. Take observations. Find out who we''re dealing with." Was his only order as he looked around. This man, Cocco Doll, was the leader of the Slavery Ring within the Nation of Re-Estize. For the time being, the entire kingdom was ignorant in the change of the seat of power. The Valencia Palace where the crown presides has become unusually quiet. As he watched his lackeys make their way up the steps, moving around the body, he stood there staring at the mess which was there. Or the lack there of. This was no a standard raid. He was sure this had nothing to do with the Military Patrols that was for sure. This was done by a small team, or one incredibly strong individual. Maybe both. It was generally assumed ninety nine percent of the world''s population was uselessly weak compared to the players and other apparently god-like individuals which renown power. So as he began to enter rooms which were being searched, he laid eyes on two people who had been more or less nailed to the wall with extreme prejudice. That was not all though, as they had been melded to the wall through the use of ice magic. The others were given blunt force trauma. Some so extreme, that their lower bodies or body parts had been thrown from their bodies. Others were seemingly attacked by a sword. Cocco approached what looked like a man with his back propped up against the wall and his legs laying out in front of him. He nodded the man''s leg, once and then twice. Unlike the others, this man looked like he had been stomped on by about a dozen different people. Could he had been rioted by the women? From what he could remember, he had made sure they couldn''t run away. "Hmm..." He groaned in annoyance before fastening his corset as it became slightly loose around his waist as he was wearing it over a red blouse. One of the men came up to Cocco, slowly, as if wanting to avoid being bitten by an angry snake. "What is it your report?" He''d snarl, holding back a fit which was all too easy to be seen in his eyes. He wanted to kill something, someone. The tip of his tongue moistened his lips, like he was getting ready to bite this man''s head off. "Eh.. Two of the rooms were forced open using a magic tool it seems, flew right off the hinges. Force was applied evenly over the entire surface." The man looked over at the room he was talking about, then towards the others. "The others were opened forcefully with different amounts of muscle and techniques. Some of the doors remained on the hinges, others not so much. Some of them were just opened regularly." Cocco was looking at the man as if he was this next evenings desert. "The likely scenario?" "We''re looking a strike team of three to six people. Judging by the lack of missing valuables, they came here with a purpose." Cocco nodded hearing the man and placed the knuckles of his closed fist against his chin. "I must convene with the other members of the Eight Fingers We might need the Six Arms to deal with this. Clean up the bodies, remove the evidence. Once we take care of this, we''ll get back into business." Doll turned on his heel and made his way for the door to the basement. As he descended into the tunnels below the surface of the city, he walked with two men on either side of him. He was making his way towards their headquarters through a series of hidden passages. As he arrived in what could be assumed to be a massive building or an underground room, he strolled through what appeared to be absolute darkness. He had one destination in mind, the center of the room where there was a massive nonagon shaped table with rounded extensions along the sides. Finding his rightful seat, he sat down. His eyes rested on the man in prominent robes, it appears this meeting was already expected. Had one of his men barked? It seems he would have to remedy that. He turned his head to see the rest of the Eight Fingers appearing from the absolute shadows which consumed the rest of the room. There was nothing to focus on except for one another. "This meeting has become, all may be seated." The man in magenta robes was none other than the Council Executive, the leader of the organization itself. Of what could be see upon the features of his face, he seemed to be a man of compassion. He had a necklace which symbolized the Water God, one of the Four Great Gods, or alternatively possibly the Six Great Gods. There was Zero, a monk. He was the leader of the Six Arms, the security department of the Eight Fingers. He was powerful in his own right, but the question was, was this man a member of the ninety nine percent, or was he one to be remembered? Hilma sat there in her seat, a pipe in her hands. She was a beauty with a filled bosom. She wore a pale pink dress that boasted all of her lady-like qualities accompanied by a frilled trim. Along her left arm was a snake tattoo, while it obscured her beauty in the eyes of some, it in itself actually had the power to summon a dangerous toxic snake to defend herself with. The other individuals seated at the table were Lubelina, Count Iselk, Staffan Heivish and the Smuggling Division Chief that keeps his name quite anonymous. "So the word got out that you were attacked? Hah!" Zero was mocking the weak man known as Cocco Doll. His name could very well make him a very well suited target for bullying. The slaver ultimately grumbled under his breath while looking at the man. "The entire brothel needed cleaning. It was a strike from an unknown group." "Unknown group?" Zero raised a brow with a hum of interest. Staffan tilted his head slightly to the side, "The patrols witnessed a group of girls entering a mansion in the noble residential district. However they seemed to be in relatively good health and capable of running." He informed with a smug look on his face. "Though it seems the blasted Princess was involved in this operation. Climb, her little fool, attempted to get my patrol involved." "Involved?" Zero looked over at the man with a brow raised. "Do tell." "He came out of an alleyway, going towards the Palace, running while wearing full plate armor and out breath. He tried telling us some people were killed in what looked like a criminal operation. He just happened to find the front door wide open." Staffan huffed and yawned, placing his hands on the table, shaking his head at this. "...Maybe he wanted a little fun after dealing with the bitch Princess and walked in on it?" "That is a possibility too..." Doll scowled silently in his seat before looking over towards Zero. "I am in no shortage of funds. I want you to find who did this and take them out." Zero looked over at Doll and smiled, but it wasn''t friendly smile. "You can afford our services? The strike team might be waiting for us to make a move. They could be quite a challenge." "As I said, I can afford you. I can also afford to hire someone else." Zero slowly nodded at this and grinned. "It looks like we''re going hunting But first, we need more information." His eyes rested upon Staffan, "I will arrange for Succulent to accompany you to the residence. Don''t act too rash." 39 「Popcorn」 Approaching the front gates of the Palace''s outer walls, Ninya glanced over at the Warrior Troop which were now guarding the gate. She blinked a few times as they just let her in without saying a word. Padding her way through the front gates with a soldier to escort her. Her eyes traced over the grass and vegetation growing within these fine walls. Despite how bleak the world looked when she had entered the Brothel, this place looked completely irrelevant, unaffected. In a way, it disgusted her that it was so far away from the people in the terms of care. Her eyes faced forward as they were coming towards the large double doors of the Palace only to pause as she heard someone shouting. The swinging of a sword whistling through the air. As she came to a stop she looked to the direction of the shouting and narrowed her eyes on a blonde woman. It was the Warrior Priestess, the Leader, of the Blue Rose. Listening intently to hear what she was saying, her eyes began to raise as she pretty much heard something familiar being repetitively and uselessly shouted. "Gate!" Woosh, woosh, woosh. She flailed the weapon about, pointed it forward. Every movement was to be dramatic and entertaining to the mind. "Gate!" Yet every time she shouted the spell in which she wished to recite, nothing happened. No portal appeared. "Is she..." Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Just ignore her," the Soldier briefly gave her a pat on the shoulder before walking towards the door. Ninya slowly peeled her eyes away from the woman before walking for the front doors of the Palace. From the corner of her eye she could see the other members of the Blue Rose Adventurers. Tina and her twin sister were watching their boss from a secluded nest above. Whilst Keno was seated under a tree, reading a book and Gagaran napped in a hammick. The group was very laid back, and Ninya was pretty sure that normally no one would be doing this at the Palace. Especially napping where all could see. As she entered the front, she walked through the Grand Hall and continued into the Throne Room where her eyes would rest on Jack and the one identified as Ainz Ooal Gown. Blinking a few times seeing them there, in the center of the room. Ninya opened her mouth slightly as she looked around. No one else was in the room and the soldier was leaving as quickly as he had come in. "Jack!" She found herself calling his name, her own words causing her heart to beat faster. Jack turned his head to her and smiled warmly towards her. "Ninya," he took a step from Momonga and held his arms out for her. "I found my sister thanks to you!" Ninya shouted as she ran over and jumped into his embrace. Her head resting on his chest before she peered over at Momonga. "And you as well" She smiled as to not share his Adventurer name should there be anyone listening, "Ainz Ooal Gown. I thank you, so very much.." "Huh? Eh. You''re very welcome Ms Veyron," Momonga replied somewhat formally due to the place in which he was. His eyes took in the surroundings before his hearing centered on a figure entering the room. He however didn''t turn around right away. "Speaking of..." Ninya started talking quietly, "When we were leaving the Brothel, they said something about calling ''Six Arms,'' do you know who or what that is?" "I may be able to help with that," Princess Renner entered the Throne Room with Climb at her side. Her hands gripped the sides of her dress tightly. "Oh?" Momonga turned to face the woman, his red eyes piercing right through her. Renner almost stopped in her tracks the moment he turned around. Her blue eyes were looking right through his fiery red ones. Then slowly tuned back on over to Jack and Ninya who were embracing one another. She soon came to comprehend why he was helping a commoner find their family member. Though she didn''t see anything wrong with it. She had believed him to be a Lord of some Citadel, she didn''t necessarily believe he was truly Nobility of any kind. In a way, he lacked the etiquette for it. "You know about them?" Jack would ask as he turned his head to look at Renner. Apparently she had been fighting the Eight Fingers for a while. Trying to shut them down economically and through the covert use of the Blue Rose. Renner nodded, "Yes my King." "King?" Ninya looked up at him with wide eyes. What did he do here that made him King all of a sudden. Wait, he was king? Her eyes slowly turned towards Momonga who''s eyes swept over to her. While she could sense the evil in him, she was able to see the sliver of humanity within him due to her prior interactions with him from days ago. "I''ll explain later," Jack whispered quietly as he pressed his lips on her forehead before looking to the Princess once more for the explanation she had promised. She curtsied and Climb bowed slightly. Should it be for respect or self-protection, onlookers wouldn''t be able to tell the difference. "The Six Arms are a partner organization within the Eight Fingers Syndicate which have been undermining the Re-Estize Kingdom." "Eight Fingers?" A frown was rested upon Jack''s face as he heard the names. They weren''t bad, but they were pretty straight forward. "Each digit represents a head?" Renner nodded lightly, "The Six Arms is their security organization. They are formidable. The only reason I haven''t been able to deal with them is because I had no political or military backing." Slowly nodding at the words she shared with the group, he tilted his head to the side slightly. "In that case, once we''ve located their members, eliminate their Security Organization. We will use the military to wipe out their syndicate. No prisoners, no survivors." The woman blinked several times when he had said that there would be no prisoners, and no survivors. That he would have the military hunt them down and destroy them. Which meant destroying the entire organization and their assets. "And what of the Black Dust?" "...Black Dust?" Momonga was curious as he placed a boney hand to under his chin. "It''s an addictive substance that is considered illegal in this country. It is derived from a toxic plant and has hidden symptoms. It was ruled as an anesthetic due to its effects, but its killing people. Even so, the Nobles are ignoring it and pursuing other drugs..." Jack was aware of drug addictions in the old world, and having them here just made him want to sigh. He had known plenty of people in high school and even in college that had died from overdosing. "I would like to have the Blue Rose help with locating and burning their plantations." "You have my permission, Princess." Jack smiled at the girl who had said that she would be of help with giving them information. "Eliminate the bane which has plagued your country." The Princess smiled at this, seeing how he had allowed this under very little information being given to them. However she could quickly see in his eyes that he wouldn''t always be this easy to win over. He had taken over this country, he couldn''t let the previous bloodline to take too much credit, could he? He couldn''t risk a revolt should the Nobles want her on the throne. To restore the old bloodline. Though considering the current view the Nobles had of her, that would be unlikely. She was despised, mistreated and seen as a political tool. Despite this she was powerful and right-minded in the sense that she wanted influence and power and would do good to get it. On top of that, all of it was to impress and keep Climb at her side. "Why would you give me this?" Seemingly without thinking, she asked this with her eyes looking at his sapphire hues from several feet away. Ninya looked at the Princess as she was asking this question. At first she thought it was a stupid question, but she also began to think. Why would he allow her to mobilize against the criminal organization, when there was a chance she could mobilize the army against him? Was he really confident that he was powerful enough to take them on? It didn''t take her more than a second to tell that, he literally could. Alongside Ainz Ooal Gown and the Guardians of both Guilds respectfully, they could destroy everything in a matter of time. The World hardly stood a chance unless the Platinum Dragon Lord arose once more, but even then that was a horrible thought. Most of the Dragons perished when they went to war with the Eight Kings of Greed. And with the Dragons greatly deplenished in numbers, how would they expect to stop them? "In the meantime, lets start this operation." Momonga stated before turning and using silent magic to make a screen appear in front of them. The Mansion that Ninya had just left was now displayed. "That''s the mansion..." She muttered quietly under her breath, looking to Jack and then back to the displayed footage which appeared to be live. "This is going to be a while, so we might as well get comfortable, yes?" Jack chuckled a little, believing that the people inside would be safe. Tuare was alive and well and under the care of Sebas while Ninya was with him. Create Greater Item A long couch appeared in the center of the room large enough for all of them to sit together in front of the floating display. Renner and Climb''s eyes both widened at the display of the seventh tier spell which created the furniture in the blink of an eye. This was what magic of their level could do? Climb stared at Jack who had just used incredibly powerful magic in order to create something so complex. It wasn''t water and it wasn''t the first tier spells that magicians often had. He was jealous, this man was strong. He could protect his lady better than anyone. Could he perhaps gain the power by learning under him? He had often been told that he has no talent other than working hard. Yet it appears he has gotten as strong as he possible could, but experience changes everything. Jack noticed the man sighing subtly and lightly jerked his head to notion for them to sit on the couch as the two kings and Ninya sat down together. Crossing one leg over the other, he rested an arm around Ninya''s shoulders as if they were about to watch a home movie. Ironically that is exactly what it felt like. Watching them like this didn''t feel real. Renner looked to Climb, and Climb back at her. Then they both padded on over to the couch and slowly sat down. The Princess chose to sit directly beside Jack, while having Climb sit at her other side. Though she kept her face forward, her eyes watched Jack from the far corner of her peripheral vision. She didn''t quite understand the posture he held. Even though he was indeed powerful, he seemed too relaxed and familiar. Like he had no worries, yet it all at the same time appeared to be a facade. It allowed the people around him to become lax themselves. "Almost forgot the popcorn..." Momonga just looked over at Jack when he spoke of food. "Uh huh Seriously!?" "Popcorn?" Renner, Ninya and Climb all seemed interested in this new word which was brought to their attention. Though they were in a serious situation, the staff known as Seraph, was doing its job keeping everyone calm. "What, it''s popcorn." Jack said as he looked to the skeleton then to the other mortals who wanted to know what he was talking about. "Now''s not the--" Momonga watched as Jack reached into the item box of his and pulled out a bag of piping hot popcorn. The smell of butter, garlic and powdered Parmesan cheese filled the air. "Envying the living?" Jack asked as he held out and shook the bag for the other three to grab some. The subtle sound of crunching and moans from the flavorful junk food melting in their mouths could be heard by the two men. Jack chuckled as Momonga on the other hand just rolled his eyes at this and glanced off into the distance. "When do you even make all this food?" Momonga asked as he leaned into the couch, resting his elbows along the back. "I mean, it stays warm in storage and fresh. So, I just binge cook whenever I am free to do so." "Is this really a time to be talking about food?" Climb asked as he was chewing popcorn on one side of his face. He was blinking naively before looking back to the screen. About twenty or so minutes later Succulent and the Constable appeared walking up through to the front of the building. Going passed the fountain, they would stop a few feet from the front door and peer through the closest windows without being too obvious to those inside. Watching as the duo used the knocker. There was a few moments before Sebas opened the door and allowed them inside. As minutes sped past, nothing seemed to be happening. Momonga, tired of staring at nothing, took a scroll out of his own item box and summoned an organ sensory in order to see inside. They were in the living room. Talking. It was clear that the constable was being rude and so was the rogue who was seated beside him. They appeared to be using the incident to attempt and claim money from the man, through commissions, fees and the lot. They didn''t seem to do anything invasive, but it was clear they were looking for evidence of the girls being there. They wouldn''t find any. They had been instantly brought to a village on the far side of the Kingdom''s territory without anyone outside knowing. There was no way to track them down. "My Kings, Where did the women go?" Renner asked curiously as she looked to Jack and Momonga. "To a recently depopulated village." After a brief pause, Renner nodded at this. She knew exactly where he was talking about since the villages around E-Rantel had been attacked and destroyed. Yet Carne Village, the location nearest of the Citadel was still being "Where''s Tuare?" Ninya asked as she looked over the room. "She''s still in the house, it''s likely she was hidden away in one of the bedrooms." "Solution Epsilon is protecting her. There is No need to worry." "What was with that pause?" Jack looked over towards his fellow King he was sharing this country with. The reason he was sharing was to avoid conflict and to be around what could be considered the only other player in the world left alive. If being an Overlord is considered living that is. Momonga shrugged, "She''s not a people person." "No kidding," Jack commented before looking forward as he lightly danced his fingers through Ninya''s short hair. Playing with the little wavy curls and layers. Ninya swayed slightly, smiling at the feeling his fingers. Renner''s gaze traced over the two, before locking on the side of Jack''s face. "Do you Like playing with hair, King Jack?" "I d..." Jack froze for a moment, not really expecting this question, "Eh?" Looking over at her, he watched as she flipped some of her golden locks over her shoulder as she leaned a bit towards him. Jack''s eyes darted from her and towards Climb, then back to her. "I look forward to our partnership," Renner said with this creepily happy and wide smile across her face. As Climb saw this, it reminded him of the smile she showed when she first found him starving to death as a child. Like she had just found something new. Jack dipped his head, nodding in agreement before shifting slightly on the couch, looking forward. 40 「Six Dead Arms」 Her hand crept over from her side and onto his leg. Renner was expecting something stiff, something hard as diamond. The Kingdom''s strongest warrior''s blade had broken on his neck. Yet when she squeezed his leg, it felt like the flesh of man. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Renner''s eyes were wide as she stared forward. How was this even possible, she thought. The world around her wasn''t like it was only moments before he had entered her life. She moved her head to look at him, both of their eyes met. Though he had a brow raised and a very confused expression coupled with an inquisitive gaze as to why she was touching his leg with her petite ''golden'' hand. Was this some sort of advancement towards him? "I uh..." Renner shrunk away from him slightly with a slight blush on her face. Ninya glanced over towards the two, a brow of her own raised seeing the Princess blushing under her boyfriend''s gaze. She only blinked a few times before lightly nudging him in the side, tapping against the armor which encased his chest area. "Hm?" Jack looked over towards Ninya as she reached over and snatched a handful of popcorn, stuffing her face. A slight grin formed over his lips as she smiled all big at him. A childish act? It seemed a bit more spontaneous and less humble than usual. "So what is the plan? Wait until they do something?" Jack took in the expression written in her eyes. She wanted his attention, and this was one way to get it. Acting like a good was one way to not only be entertaining, but definitely get him to smile. "If they do try anything Sebas can handle it," Momonga said as he dismissed this question as nothing of note. Which was pretty much true, but it was a question that had meaning behind it. "The idea is to see who shows up," He''d gesture towards the Constable and Succulent, the illusionist. "And then when they leave, we follow them back to their base. Thanks to that Sensory Organ, we''ll be able to see them even if they decide to go into a building." "So It''s like a predator watching from the tall grass, watching as its prey leads it to their herd." Renner butted in with her metaphor, leaning forward to look over at them. "In a manner of speaking." Jack glanced over towards her. She had gotten closer again and he was shifting uncomfortably on the couch. Normally he would have no problem with someone of her caliber coming closer to him, but knowing her personality and how she views Climb. He was disturbed by her behavior and read into the little things only to proceed into turning them into things that weren''t there. Munching on the popcorn, Ninya locked eyes with the Princess for a few seconds before looking up to Jack who was trying to keep his cool while looking forward. Opening her mouth to say something, she was interrupted when she heard the door in the surveillance open and close. Her eyes quickly shifted to the moving image. Her eyes tracing over Succulent and the Constable which was in league with the Eight Fingers. It was pretty horrible to see how corrupt this Kingdom was from this point. She was beginning to wonder how he was going to clean it up. Her eyes slowly moved over towards him, she wanted to ask, but now didn''t seem like the best of times. Jack was too into the projection, watching as the two of them stuck together for a little while before separating. Succulent went into a building and in through a basement until they proceeded into an underground tunnel system. Seeing how large this system was pretty much amazed just about everyone. It must have taken hundreds of people to make it. Let alone a year or a few to get it made without anyone knowing. Renner was also rather surprised, but not as surprised as the others. She suspected that they had a way to move around unseen from the naked eye without being seen. Succulent lead them right to the Six Arms Warehouse and then to the Eight Fingers headquarters. All of which was inside the City. It was amazing how these people could get away with such things so close to the Palace. The corruption has definitely taken over this Kingdom, and it was about time to purge it. If they hadn''t been in the middle of the city, Jack may have well just dropped a meteor on them. He was actually thinking of doing that with the Slane Theocracy, but chose not to considering the fact that they likely had wellspring of artifacts and items from players that once roamed the lands before their sudden arrival to this New World. Yawning slightly though, this was getting to be a bit too easy. Once there was a meeting at the headquarters for about an hour, then all movement practically ceased. That was until the entire city was draped under the cover of night. No stars were in the sky tonight, no natural light. Then just as Jack was about to stand up, there was movement. In front of the mansion which Sebas, Tuare and Epsilon were staying at the Six Arms made their appearance. Six figures all together, with a few stragglers which appeared to be their minor members, were all forming around the courtyard. Their target was obviously Sebas and the women who were likely being kept out of sight. At least that is what they thought. As the women weren''t there, well that was all except for Tuare and the Butler. Jack just huffed slightly seeing the undead being known as Davernoch talking about being the King of the Undead. "But he can''t even control the other undead like a King. He''s the weak-link." The way he whined this out sounded as if he was watching some sort of soap opera or drama, where a character expects and assumes way too much of themselves. Momonga just chuckled at this, watching as Jack walked closer to the screen. "I want to wipe them out myself..." He muttered quietly before looking over towards Ninya and the others. "I''ll be right back." With a snap of his fingers, he vanished without a trace. Within less than a second though, he resurface standing behind the Six members of the Six Arms. He was standing directly behind the strongest looking on, Zero. He may have had no weapon, no armor, but he definitely had the power to take out all of his own men. This was why he wanted to target their leader first. "Our primary goal is to acquire Cocco''s merchandise in tact and bring it back to him. Our sec--" A moment before Zero could finish what he was saying, a fist traveled directly through his back and broke its way out of his chest. Gasping and sputtering as blood began to fill his lunges. He turned his head to look at the being who had sent their hand through his muscles and rock hard tissue with such ease. "Good evening gentlemen, lady." Jack announced his presence rather abruptly, but he definitely had their attention. Hearing the commotion, Tuare peeked outside from behind one of the curtains and rested her one eye that she was looking to look out right on Jack. The same man who''s name came off of her sister''s lips. Her eyes widened, she covered her mouth as she saw the bloody hand sticking out of Zero''s torso. She wanted to heave at the sight, but instead found herself curling up in fetal position by the window. Whimpering, starting to break down. Jack on the other hand paid what was going on in the house little to no mind as he turned his head to look towards the others who were dumbfound looking over towards the corpse of their dead boss hanging on some stranger''s arm. Blinking a few times at their expressions, seeing the arm with no weapon. "What? It comes out." Jack slipped his hand out from inside the man''s corpse and let it drop to the ground like the sack of meat that it was. "Human! Prepare to fall before me, Davernoch, the King of the Undead!" Shouted the Lich, which clearly aggravated current company of both sides of the screen. "You got Eighth Grade Syndrome or something?" Jack spouted before his eyes moved towards the woman with the floating scimitars. While she was mildly attractive in the sense of beauty, he could already tell none of these beings were his type. They were all cold hard criminals, and he had already predetermined that he was going to wipe them all out. "What did you say!?" The Lich threw a bolt of red fire at Jack, causing it to disperse on his armored chest plate like it was nothing. There weren''t even any scorch marks since it was just a third tier attack and he was pretty much good until high tier magic was used. This made him pretty much invincible unless someone as powerful as Ainz were to appear. The only reason why Ainz couldn''t defeat Jack, was the same reason he couldn''t defeat Touch Me. His build, his techniques. They were all far too different from him and he would always fail. So when that bolt had dispersed, Jack''s skin had become transparent. Immediately those watching would see the crystalline skeleton and the sapphires for his eyes. The Lich practically froze at the sight. That was the moment they knew they made a mistake. This entity was not human and he just attacked it. "Wait!" Davernoch called out, "We ca-can talk about this!" Jack just stared through the undead lich for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Not worth the time, nor the waste of air." He began walking towards the Lich and when he went to cast lightning in a last ditch to defend himself. Jack threw his hand forward and punched his head clear off his shoulders. Sending it flying into Edstr?m''s chest, causing all of her ribs to cave in due to the amount of force behind it. She fell to the ground along with all of her weapons as she hadn''t sent an attack as of yet. His eyes then moved towards Succulent, Peshurian and Malmvist whom were the last ones remaining. They started to inch around him, attempting to encircle the being who had kicked three of there members within less then five minutes of making an appearance. They were sure he could have just killed them all off within a few seconds, but he was just toying around with them. This had already quickly come to mind. "This was a trap..." Malmvist growled, and knew even if he tried to run, it was unlikely he would survive. Especially when he watched Jack begin to crouch down in front of them. Resting his elbows on his knees, he glanced at them each. Peshurian had a whip-like sword, while it didn''t seem practical, if one knew how to use it It could wind up being deadly against those incapable of defending against it. His eyes then moved towards Succulent and Malmvist. "Hmm..." "You going to surrender tough guy!?" Succulent was sounding rather sarcastic, though it definitely drew his attention to him. Whether he wanted it or not, Jack was staring right through him. "Shockwave" The moment this spell was activated by Jack, an invisible shockwave of destructive energy moved in all directions in a radius around himself. This sent the three of them flying with extreme prejudice. Crushing where they stood and popping Peshurian like a soda can. His head going sky high before bouncing off the ground a few times before landing in the automated fountain. Jack let out a sigh as it was quickly finished before standing back up and looking up towards where he knew the surveillance feed was coming from and giving a thumbs up. Momonga simply shook his head slightly. He had pointlessly went out on his own, though it wasn''t like he''d die against such weak opponents. Even Momonga could have gone out there and slaughtered these crappy villains. He could definitely do better than these shit steaks. Teleportation Jack reappeared in the Throne room and flopped onto the couch with the others. He had no blood on him despite the kind of scene he had left behind. Thankfully though his use of the spell didn''t reach the house, it only bothered to damage the fence in the process of killing the remaining Six Arms. 41 「Elimination Round」 An hour had gone by. There was silence. No movements what so ever as all the goons were dead around the mansion. Bodies sewn over the ground, painting the pavement and slabs of stone with the warmth of dark crimson. "They''re not back yet, so it seems..." The members of the conference were staring at the empty seat which belonged to Zero. They had been sent out to take out a threat and have yet to return. None of the men who had been dispatched and even the Six Arms main members came back. "Could they have been held up?" Hilma tickled the pipe at her lips. "Is there a chance they all died and I wasted my precious funding on their shitty promises?" Doll huffed as he leaned back in the chair. Though he was partially joking, he was sure they should''ve been back by now. "That wouldn''t be good for business..." The executive stated as he stared through Cocco as if he didn''t want to get jinxed by this peddler of people. "We could always send out our own men to scout out the situa--" The count who was speaking went silent as he heard something similar to that of a pen dropping in the shadows. All of the people around the nonagon shaped table looked around. Their eyes shifting side to side, scanning each bit of their surroundings. "Think it''s Zero?" "If it is, it''s not very funny." "I didn''t think he was the joker type," muttered Hilma as she stood up, stroking her snake arm with her right hand. For some reason her body was getting covered in goose bumps. "Is it just me, or is it getting cold in here?" Doll glanced over at the high class courtesan as she was standing up from the table. She looked like she was about to get up and bolt for the nearest exit door. "No I think it''s just..." He turned his head to the side slightly and scratched the tip of his strong long pointy nose. There was a dripping sound. A swooshing sound. It wasn''t coming from just one place. It was coming from all directions as if they were somehow surrounded by water. The Council Executive cleared his throat, "Please sit down Hilma. They should soon be retur--" The man wearing the Water Symbol on his chest froze for a moment before looking upward. In the darkness of the high ceiling, he swore he saw a current moving. "Hm..." At first he thought it was just the dark shadows of the room playing tricks on him. That was until a drip of water dropped on his nose, with a loud plat, and then proceeded to trickle down the side of his face. The movement was real. They were surrounded by water, and it wasn''t just any water that they were surrounded by. "There''s nothing there," The Council Executive proclaimed quietly, wrapping his fingers around the Water God symbol on his necklace which stood prominently out on his magenta robes. "Nothing There?" Cocco raised a brow before looking upward. The darkness seemed to swirl about above them. It felt as if it was getting closer and closer. Reaching out towards them. Hilma still stood there as she took a puff from her pipe. She was slowly walking away from the table, creeping towards the direction of the exit. Her eyes were centered on the light that was under the door. However as she was about to enter the shadows, the light vanished followed by the sound of rushing water. The door, her eyes shifted side to side. She had lost the door?! She could just run forward right? She knew the general location, all she had to do was feel the wall right!? She was beginning to think irrationally as she took a single step forward, she was at the edge of the shadows. Her tongue poked out and moistened her lips, teasing the pipe she held at the right corner angle of her lips. "I''m going to do it..." The Executive Council Member stood up, "Return to the Table. We''ll wait until Zero returns. He''ll take care of..." He shifted his head to the side as one of the grey robed members of the council vanished from his peripheral vision. "My--" The other grey robed individual attempted to call out, but when everyone turned their heads to look at them, they were gone. Cocco turned to look towards Hilma and froze. Her pipe was on the ground, as were her heeled shoes. The pipe itself was still burning, smoking, as it laid there absently. The sound of muffled screams underwater could be heard swirling up above them. And within the next few minutes just silence as the bodies moved about in the dark. "What the hell is this shit?" Cocco went to stand up, pressing a hand down on the table. "We have to get out of--" Smashing into the table from above, blood and bodily fluids exploded in all directions, as Hilma''s corpse shattered the center of the Nonagon shaped table they were using for the meeting. All of the remaining members of the Eight Fingers just stared at the dead body. It was covered in bruises, it had thousands of miniature puncture marks made from blunt force as if it was caused by a magic high pressured water spell. Swallowing hard, the men looked up towards the ceiling again. "What the hell is that..." "I don''t know, but we can''t just stay here!" "What the hell do we do then!?" "We''re not going to survive!" "Do you have a teleportation spell on you?!" The Executive Council member shook his head when he had been asked this question. His hand remained gripping at the necklace he had around his neck. So he was going to be killed by an aspect of his worship? Death by drowning? His eyes moved towards the corpse again before looking up towards the ceiling. That didn''t seem quite right. Someone was using, controlling the water. And why did they use water in the first place? Or could this be something else? Taking out a scroll from his robes, he tossed it into the air and it lit up into a light bright enough to see the rest of the room with. The people who were already afraid for their lives froze as they quite literally found themselves in the center of a dome, surrounded by water. And it wasn''t just any kind of water. It wasn''t necessarily being controlled by anyone. Moving about above them was a Primal Water Elemental. It was a level Eighty-Seven monster capable of manipulating water. They could see the bodies shifting and turning, only to drop from above and splatter on the floor on either side of the table. How it had gotten inside, he didn''t know. Yet he could definitely understand its intent was to kill everyone in the room should they try to leave, or otherwise be standing. At least that is what he believed until a tendril of high pressure water left the ceiling above, revealing a massive humanoid shaped current within the water. The tendril came rushing towards Cocco who stood up and attempted to run away, only for the water to violently drill through his back and exit through the front of his chest. His ribs burst open and his internal organs sprayed out along the floor like a pinata. The Smuggling Chief slowly raised from the table and stepped back. His chair screeching as it was pushed across the ground by the movement. The head of the monster turned its attention towards him. "Shit..." In a split second a thin blade of water passed through the lower area of his neck. A mist of blood following afterward before his head rolled right off his shoulders cleanly. "WHO ARE YOU!?" The Leader of the Eight Fingers screamed out as he threw his gilded dark wood velveted purple chair to the side. Count Iselk frowned as he remained seated as he turned to look towards the door. It was too far away for him to reach and he was absolutely sure he wouldn''t make it even if he tried. So should he patiently wait for death, or charge straight into it willy nilly? Lubelina was the third in command of the group and was just staring at the Leader. If he were to die, she would be in command. Yet, that would be entirely short lived. The androgynous beauty didn''t want to die just yet. As she leaned back in her chair and stared up at the water as it wordlessly continued to move about above them. She continued to blow bubbles from her saliva casually. While it was nice to watch people suffering, all she saw here was death and it was Quite annoying and boring. "There are three of you remaining," a voice suddenly spoke up clear as day. It was an unknown''s voice, none of them seemed to recognize it. "And none of you are getting out alive, isn''t that right, King Jack?" Now that was a familiar voice, the cute and tame voice of that of the princess. Yet there was a strange sense of joy in their torment and last minutes of life. ''Isn''t this overkill?" Ninya asked as she scratched the side of her head. Their three figures could be seen standing within the doorway of the exit. The light had returned. "Overkill is worth it sometimes, especially should it mutilate and disfigure the bodies. No one will ever know who they were, but they will know what they''ve done. As your army burns their fields, eliminates their contractors and removes them from the history of the Kingdom They will leave nothing behind for any potential successor.. Not even a legacy." "You Bitch!" The Leader slammed his fist on the table. "Now that''s not very nice," Jack uttered as he snapped his fingers. A single large tendril of spiraling water pierced the man in the back and lifted him gasping from the ground. "My Princess, wait!" The Count moved to the edge of the shadows, bowing down on his hands and knees. His forehead pressed deeply into the ground. "If I didn''t stay amongst these fools, they would''ve found a replacement. I was being the greater of the tw--" Like a guillotine, the water decapitated him mid-sentence as he was trying to plea for his life. It was abrupt, without care. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Ninya winced seeing this and rubbed her own neck while looking to Jack who had closed his eyes for a short time before opening them again. His eyes rested on the Androgynous woman dressed in men''s clothing. She was looking straight through the water at him. The killing intent was clear from her, but it was far too weak to potentially reach him. She was useless even though she reeked of many deaths. "You''re not going to stand?" "What''s the point?" "Most people wish to die on their feet." "I''ve been dead for a long time," Lubelina laughed aloud, shamelessly. "You''re just out of my reach to kill. Far Far too out of my reach." She gestured with both hands at the water which surrounded her. She knew she was out matched. She couldn''t charge him and she definitely couldn''t fight someone who could summon such ab east in the first place. It was quite clear that this was supposed to be a massacre and not a battle. Even though she had a magically enchanted rapier, there was no way she would hold much of a candle next to this man. A man who was called King by the Princess. "Tell me, what happened to the Crowned Prince, the old Man and his son?" "The Crowned Prince is dead, the Old Man abdicated the Throne And the second Prince ran away," Jack recited as he looked around the room. Then towards the woman once more as she rested her feet up on the table. Lubelina has for a long time, been broken. The only thing that made her look alive compared to other humans was that kind smile that was always on her face. And the fetish of making or watching people suffer which turned her on so. "Wait are you wai--" BANG. Lubelina blinked a few times from the sound of what reminded her of a blackpowder explosive. She glanced down towards her abdomen area which was beginning to swell with red liquid staining her shirt from the inside. Pain began to ping throughout her body, starting like pins and needles before becoming sharp and volatile. Slowly she glanced back over towards those who were in the doorway, separated from her by water. Standing in the doorway with a smoking object pointed directly at her was none other than the Princess. Dressed in a light blue dress which matched her eyes and gave contrast to her golden hair. "Eh?" The Third in Command blinked a few times in shock with what just happened. "What is tha--" BANG. Through the back of her throat and the back of her head, a bullet flew. The woman dressed as a man dropped to the ground, dead as a doornail as Jack began to recall the Primal Water Elemental. The Eight Fingers had been eliminated... 42 「Valkyrie’s Downfall」 The Princess Renner was breathing heavily, panting with a wide ass smile on her face. Held at level was a pistol equipped in her petite hands. She had gained the Gunner Class after equipping the weapon and using it with little instruction from Jack. Jack on the other hand after recalling the Primal Water Elemental, turned to look towards Renner. Watching as her shoulders rose and fell, rose and fell. He could see the sweat and perspiration on the side of her head and along her exposed arms. He had handed her an alien weapon which would be sure to cause culture shock should it be exposed to the rest of the world. It was a weapon that when used in mass, could eliminate an entire army of foes, just like the Sniper class, as these two modern job classes hailed from YGGDRASIL''s game patch Valkyrie''s Downfall. Ninya also had her eyes on the Princess. She had never seen such a weapon used to kill a person, to kill anything. It reminded her of those crude battlefield grenades that could take off the users arm before it ever leaves their hand. She could only stare at the smoking barrel from the side. Jack approached her and with a subtle raise of his arm, placed his fingers on the barrel to have the woman lower it to point to the ground. "You''re a natural," HIs eyes were locked on the weapon he had given her. To him it was nothing but a toy, a way to break the Japanese Law against citizens handling firearms without an exclusive permit as Japan had waged a war on war itself. "What What is this!?" Renner finally asked as she was able to steady her breathing. Her smile still hadn''t faded off her face and she was clearly too excited to let go of the grip. "It''s a mechanical device known as a Gun, a pistol to be more precise." Renner looked over at him with her big blue eyes with this scary expression on her face like she was thinking of using it for other malicious purposes. "How effective is it on full plate mail?" "It might ricochet a few times and get you in the eye," Not feeding the idea any hope, he said this in a very monotone voice to give her a very serious answer. "Oh," that creepy face faded and she was now smiling faintly and looking at the item in her hands. She clicked the safety and held it out for him to take. Stepping to the side, away from the barrel, he would grasp the weapon before stuffing it into his item box. "I can have a single shot pistol developed for you, in case of emergencies." "Single shot?" "As in it is small, compact and can be hidden just about anywhere." His eyes traced her form up and down as to make his point. Though her face quickly turned red, slightly embarrassed in what came to mind, she nodded in what he was telling her. "Small and compact," she muttered quietly as she looked over her sleeves and her dress. In a way she could have it put somewhere beneath her skirt? Or her sleeve? Renner licked her lips slightly before looking over to the barely damaged body of the woman she had killed. Ninya on the other hand just stared at him for a few seconds before looking at the dead bodies. "So you could essentially use that to kill a Spell Caster before they can even release a spell Or shoot a dragon in the eyes to blind them." "Precisely," Jack said as he walked over to her and placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to himself. Ninya''s gaze moved to the ground as she was thinking of that whole idea. If the Kingdom used that weapon, they''d be able to wipe out their competition in a matter of months if not years. Assassinations, war, skirmishes all of it would be so different with the use of guns. Combining guns with magic though, she almost began to pale. If bullets were imbued with grand explosive spells, the death tolls and destruction could be far more than anyone would bargain for. "Jack..." She whisper as she leaned up towards him as he leaned his head in towards her, lending her his ear. "Make sure she can''t get the ''gun'' reverse engineered." "Already thought of that, thank you, Ninya." He turned his head to peck her straight on the nose, causing her to blush almost immediately. The Princess watched their interactions, her lips parted slightly. He kissed her nose? Weren''t you supposed to kiss someone on the cheek or on the lips? The tip of her tongue poked out from behind her lips for a second before she turned to trot out of the room, full of superficial grace that didn''t quite fit in with her ungraceful thoughts. The three made their way out of the room before walking through a portal which Jack summoned forth. "Princess!" Climb shouted as he ran up to her the moment they reappeared in the Throne Room. "Are you alright?" He was scanning her for damage, yet there was none. Not even a tear on the skirting of her dress. "Climb, I''m fine, I''m fine." She''d giggle as she placed her hands on his face, petting one side of it. Jack and Ninya gave them a glance as they walked by and towards Momonga who was standing in front of the couch they had been pleasantly using for watching the surveillance of the Eight Fingers and their Security Department. "Duke Elias Raeven has been quite useful," Momonga stated as his red eyes beamed slightly. "I can''t believe you handed the Princess a gun though. Of all things." "I mean, I could''ve given her a rocket launcher, or a sniper rifle. I just gave her a taste, a nip, of what we could do for or to this nation should it betray us.." Momonga couldn''t help but chuckle. Even though the two of them alone could destroy each and every city with a single spell each, he was flaunting around the small arms. "So what''s the Duke up to?" Momonga turned towards the surveillance screen and waved his hand slightly to reveal burning fields and soldiers fighting criminals. It was an entirely one sided battle, the criminals were losing without the aide of the Security Department and their enforcers. "Renner gave him the order to destroy the plantations under the control of the Eight Fingers before you gave your permission." Momonga pointed out as he gave a glance towards the Golden Princess. "She took the initiative. We''ll let it pass for now," Jack uttered as he too gave the Princess a glance then turning to face Momonga. Ninya frowned a bit, she admired the Princess, but why would she blatantly act without orders to do so? At least she was able to get permission after acting, and before it was noticed. Otherwise this would''ve been an unsanctioned operation and the Princess would be at risk. Not that she believed Jack would do anything to her or have anything done to her unless it were truly necessary. Momonga had Demiurge go out and collect some of the raw plant material for analyzation and experimentation. It was clear he wanted to know how the drug worked as well as how to make Black Dust. However he neglected to inform Jack of this development. "Well, In any case. It appears the current capital of our Kingdom has been purged of the Eight Fingers and their compatriots. In fifteen days, we''ll be able to purge the country of its corrupt nobles and countrymen." Ninya blinked several times as she looked over at him. He was planning on killing or removing nobles who were deemed corrupt? She then looked to Momonga who nodded, concurring with his decision. Turning her head, she looked to Renner who was walking and talking with her Bodyguard who appeared far closer to her than before when she was restrained from doing so. "So until then, I think we can head back to Carne Village for a while?" "Actually," Momonga took a step forward. "I''m Having a problem with one of my Guardians. She''s depressed and believes she has failed." "Depressed?" Jack raised a brow when he had said this. "It''s Shalltear," Momonga would''ve sighed as he couldn''t think of what to do. Punishment didn''t seem right since it was out of her control. Yet everyone looked down on her because of it. "I guess I''ll be giving a visit to Narazick then, first time for everything." He lightly hugged onto Ninya, "Would you like me to send you back to the village or would you like to stay here with your sister?" Ninya blinked a few times when she was given this choice. It was hard for her to choose really. She had just saved her sister, but she also wanted to be around him. "What is Narazick anyways?" Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "The Great Tomb of Nazarick. It''s located Northeast of the Carne Village. It''s one of the reasons he came to protect the Village." "So he wasn''t just passing by?" Jack chuckled and shook his head slightly. "I mean, if I wasn''t tending to the team, I would''ve showed up before him." His eyes moved to Momonga who was waiting beside an open portal. Waiting for him. "So, would you like to go home, or head back to the mansion?" Thinking clearly, she shrugged up at him with lowered brows. "I''ll go home. My sister''s been through a lot, I don''t want to overwhelm her." She smiled up at him as she made up her mind. "Thank you for keeping your promise." "I prefer to keep my word," Jack nodded to her and poked her nose before opening a portal for her to travel through. Whipping her cloak aside, she humbly made her way into the portal and vanished into the swirling mass of energy before it vanished behind her. Jack then turned towards Momonga and raised a brow as he was still standing there, waiting for him. "So why do you need me to help you with Shalltear? She''s your guardian, isn''t she?" "I want you to punish her for me, you know, delegating tasks." Jack squinted at the fellow skeleton before shaking his head slightly as if he was confused on the subject. "You''re starting to sound like a father trying to marry off his daughter. Or a father trying to push parenting onto his son, which is even weirder." Momonga just stared at him for a good minute in thought, then gestured towards the portal. "If she sees me, she''ll feel even more guilty." "You''re not liking confrontation..." Jack stated as he grabbed hold of the Overlord''s arm towing him into the portal with him on their way to the Great Tomb of Nazarick. 43 「BloodFallen」 Jack and Momonga stood at the entrance of a bar in the Great Tomb of Nazarick after working their way down from floor to floor. So far this would be the second time for him to be visiting the place. However, he was sure it was going to be different this time around. All the things he had once seen just standing around silently while this place was still inside of a game, was moving. Everything was alive. Living with personalities which he never thought possible. Now as he was standing there staring at a Vampire pretending to be drunk, with her head down and staring in the abyss of her glass. He could listen to her mumblings. "Oh Ainz-sama What have I done..." Jack let out a silent sigh before looking over at Momonga. What exactly was he supposed to do about this? It was all Momonga''s problem, wasn''t it? This all centered around him, he had nothing to do with it. His eyes rested on the skeleton before turning his attention towards Shalltear. "For a sadomasochist, she sure is in a lot of emotional agony and not enjoying it," Jack commented before looking over the shroom bartender who was cleaning a glass and trying his best to avoid conversation with the girl. The fact that she can''t get drunk seemed to be a constant topic between them. In a sense, it was rather comedic to watch. "How exactly am I going to do anything?" "You''re her punishment." Turning his head and looking to Momonga at this point, he raised a brow slightly. "I''m her punishment?" He stared up at him for a few moments before looking over towards Shalltear. "And how exactly am I going to punish someone who is ultimately going to enjoy it?" For a moment it seemed Momon was remaining silent as he was asked this question. How was he ultimately going to have this man punish the girl, if she was going to enjoy it. Well, what if she didn''t want to enjoy it? Momon looked over Shalltear as she still has yet to notice they were there and crossed his arms over his chest. "She already humiliated herself after her revival," Momon would state as he looked over Jack for a few seconds. "She shrieked so loudly, I thought something was actually wrong." "..." Jack blinked several times at this before looking over towards Shalltear. "And what was she screaming about exactly?" "The padding of her chests. She thought her breasts disappeared." "..." Jack face palmed almost immediately at this and shook his head before letting his hand fall to his side. "So I get the general idea, but what am I to do?" Momonga shrugged as he made his way towards the Bar and planted his hands on the bar counter, sitting down couple seats away from Shalltear. He''d then gesture for Jack to come sit. Letting out a nervous chuckle, he made his way over to join the friend whom he wished to share the throne with. Mostly due to the fact that not only was he new to this world, but because he believed as he took over the world, he needed someone he could trust to help continue running a kingdom. "Hm Ainz-sama?" Shalltear called out as she turned her head, resting it on her arm. "Why is..." Her eyes narrowed on the new face as Jack came over and sat down beside her. "Who are you?" The two of them have yet to meet personally, even when in game. Though he knew what she looked like, she didn''t know what he looked like. Looking over the True Vampire, he tilted his head to the side. "My name is Jack Cipher," he said as he held out a hand for her to shake. She seemed to shrink away from him slightly before planting her eyes on Ainz-sama. She felt miserable and he had brought someone here to meet her? Just what was their supreme leader doing? This didn''t seem like any kind of punishment. Her red eyes flickered between the two of them. "I''ve brought him here to punish you, as I Am unable." Shalltear''s lips parted at this, she began to sit up. "Punish me?" Those parted lips began to turn into a redeeming smile, followed by a small giggle. Then for a minute, paused. It wasn''t Ainz-sama who was going to punish her, it was this stranger. When her eyes traveled back to Jack, her eyes immediately locked on his hands which were holding several breast pads in his hands. Furrowing her brows, she felt a slight draft within her dress and glanced downward to see that those very items in his hands had been taken from her. "When did..." Jack chuckled quietly as he handed them to Momonga, who in turn placed them reluctantly in his item box. He would then fold one leg over the other as he faced Shalltear. "May the desexualization, begin," Jack winked as she looked as if she was about ready to pounce him. "Shalltear, this is your punishment. Behave." Momonga would slowly rise from the bar and begin to walk away. Though he couldn''t help but turn his head slightly to the side to glance back on is way out. Shalltear had risen from her seat and was reaching out towards him as he was walking away. When she took a few steps after him, she felt a tingling sensation go up her spine. Glancing over her shoulder with wide eyes, there was Jack with a wide grin across his face. "Give me back my pads!" She''d shout as she came rushing up to him the moment Momonga was gone. She had her hands out to him. "I gave them to ''Ainz-sama'' and I don''t think he''s going to give them back." The moment he said this, Shalltear seemed to go red in the face. However not in the sense that she was angry. It genuinely looked as if she was getting off on the idea that he had her breast pads. "Ahahaa..." She giggled childishly, "Ainz-sama took my pads~?" "Oh you got to be kidding me..." Jack frowned watching as she twirled about in front of him, fantasizing about something he didn''t quite understand. "Just how does your mind flow?" "Hm?" Casually smiling at the man put in charge of her punishment, she tilted her head to the side. "I could always remove your romantic intentions towards ''Ainz-sama'' as your punishment." "Re-re-remove my romant..." Shalltear''s eyes were wide again as she took a step back from him. "You wouldn''t dare! I''ll tell Ainz-sama! He won''t let you!" "He put me in charge of your punishment for you folly. Fighting him, hurting him. What use is your affections if its going to get him killed?" Jack asked coldly seeing as giving her personal objects to Ainz didn''t seem to change her attitude. Shalltear frowned as he was guilting her, and he was definitely making it work. "Stop it," she said as he was circling her. Eying her, telling her how much damage she had caused, how much resources were spent to bring her back. Resources they didn''t know if they could ever replenish. "Your love for him, it creates tension between its members. Specifically Albedo from what I''ve heard..." In a split second he was behind her, in another he was in front of her. She was tying to keep up with him, practically dancing in circles as she watched him move about. "Stop Don''t..." She placed her hands on either side of her head. "That''s not fair! I want to have Ainz-sama! That old hag doesn''t deserve him!" Jack raised a brow slightly at this, he was pretty sure Momon had no real interest in her in that aspect. Using his ability to flash step behind her, she spun around to meet him. The moment she did however, she was greeted by the sight of a crystalline skeleton with glowing sapphire jewels for eyes. Yet his skin was still there, just transparent. Her eyes widened as she stared, he was exquisitely shiny like a necklace, but at the same time moved so fluidly as he placed a hand on the top of her head. His fingers would knot into her hair and he''d pull her closer to him, staring down at her with his practically expressionless jewels. She was tempted to try and swat him away, yet everything in her mind kept her from doing so. Her beloved Ainz-sama had ordered her to behave as this man punished her. She gulped up at him. Her lips twisted into a grin as she stared up at him, her chin pressed against his cold chest plate. "And how exactly are you going to ''desexualize'' me?" Her entire personality practically consisted of being a living walking and talking sexual innuendo due to the fact that she was based on plenty of H-Game characters. "Hm..." Jack stared back down at her, her red eyes were glowing. She was trying to charm him and yet it was doing nothing and she knew it wouldn''t work. "Perhaps I''ll break you instead. I''ll break you in until you start functioning normally again." Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Bre-break me!?" "Yes, break you." "What is the meaning of this?" The sound of bifocals being pushed to one''s nose could be heard quite clearly. It was none other than the local Devil himself, Demiurge. His eyes shifted between the two of them. How Jack''s fingers were knotted in Shalltear''s hair and her face was red as a beet. She wasn''t resisting and she surely wasn''t in control of the matter. Jack just causally looked at the devil dressed in a suit and tie. "''Ainz-sama'' asked me to carry out her punishment." He grinned at the man who pitched his head higher. "Very well," Demiurge grinned as he looked over Shalltear, trying not to laugh at her misfortune. "Explains why she isn''t resisting or taking charge. Normally she''d try and cut off your hand." Shalltear balled up her hands, tempted to push him away from her. Briefly raising his brows, not really surprised, he lead the seemingly innocent Vampire out of the bar and into the corridors of the Great Tomb. His eye followed everyone the passed. "Your Jack Cipher, right?" Bloodfallen asked as she tried to turn her head to look at him, but her head was being held in place by his hand. He''d tighten the grasp on her hair and she''d squeal in practically ecstasy before he yanked her back to him. "I''ll set you up with Aura!" She drooled, flailing about. Jack''s eyes flickered to her as she was looking at him from the corner of her eye. After several minutes they found themselves in one of the bedrooms of the forty one supreme beings. It was her creator''s room, Peroroncino. "Wh-what are we doing here?!" As she was shoved forward, he closed the door behind them and gestured to a full length mirror. "Undress." "You can''t be serious!" "Undress and stare at yourself, accept what you''ve done, accept it or you will continue to hurt your beloved Ainz-sama." While earlier he was clearly toying with her, he found that it would just be easier to make her see her wrong doings. The Vampire glared at him as she began to untie the back of her dress, letting it fall to the ground, along with the victorian birdcage which kept the skirt form of her dress. With a frown, she centered her eyes on the mirror. Looking over her petite form, just seeing the truth made her perplexed. Her arms traveled up to cover her chest and she quickly felt two fingers on her forearm. Looking over at him, he shook his head. "He saved and brought you back, after being forced to kill one of his most prized children," Jack proclaimed as he folded his own arms over his chest. "Having to kill you hurt him most. More than the five hundred million gold he had to use in order to resurrect you." Her eyes began to look away from the mirror out of guilt. "Don''t look away," Jack walked over and grabbed the top of her head with his hand and kept her facing the mirror. "This is your punishment... And I will be here for all of it." 44 「Rings」 Shalltear Bloodfallen stared at herself in the mirror as she was now seated on the bed. Her eyes traced over her chest, her lack of large breasts. She raised her hands to feel and verify. She remembered how she screamed at the top of her lungs over the disappearance of the pads. How could she have been so foolish? Jack had told her that it wasn''t her fault, and she knew her one and only master Ainz-sama believed the same thing. It wasn''t something she had control over. If anything, someone else had complete control over her destiny until Momonga had put her down and brought her back. Part of her was sure to have already known that it was in no way her fault. Even as the others looked down on her, they would have all been in the same boat if they went off against the foes who had trapped her. Jack stood by the door, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her sighing on the bed. At least she wasn''t drowning herself meaninglessly in Alcohol. Especially since she couldn''t get drunk as a Vampire or a member of the undead. That was rather depressing though, the idea of not being able to get drunk. However he did find it amusing that she was able to take on the role. He glanced away from her as he stared at the bird cage she had been lugging around, around her waist. It was definitely a feat for anyone to wear such a contraption. From what he could recall, those things have actually killed people throughout history on Earth. Crushing their hips or even the ribs. Being killed by just about anything seemed to be a human talent. Letting out a sigh of his own, he would push off the wall and walk over to her as she was seated at the end of the bed. Her eyes were shining red as she glanced over towards him. That little face of uncertainty became a fanged smirk. It was like a target had wandered into her web, as if she was a venomous spider of some sort. "Uh Shalltear?" "Jack," She leaned to the side on the bed as she gripped at the blanket around her, rubbing it with between her thumbs and forefingers. Pursing his lips at this, he glanced over his shoulder towards the door. It wasn''t that far away and it would be easy to leave. His eyes went back to her and she was immediately standing in front of him. "Did you like pulling my hair?" When she had said this, he hadn''t imagined she''d use such a erotic tone coupled to the question. However he just found himself looking down at her calmly as she was trying to inch closer to him. From what he could tell, she was into the undead or at least people who looked that way. Especially the Yuri Alpha, a Dullahan, according to Momonga. "I don''t think that was the point of your punishme---" She gripped at his tunic, curling her fingers into the fabric it was made out of it. "Behave," Momonga stepped into the room. He had been watching the entire time. It wasn''t due to mistrust, but he was indeed wanting to supervise and make sure nothing went too far. The last thing he needed was for one of his most powerful Guardians to go after another player. Even if it were for some strange romantic inclination. "Yes Ainz-sama!" She practically skipped and hopped away from Jack, feigning innocence, as she scooped up her dress and accessories as she made her way behind one of the overhanging curtains which decorated the bed. "Thank you," Jack turned his head towards the larger Skeleton before the two of them would walk out of the room. He let out a quiet sigh and scratched the back of his neck. "Oh?" The Overlord looked to him as they moved their way into the corridor and towards his quarters. "It seems your punishment had a lasting effect," he could only chuckle at the result. "It has her distracted and I reminded her, as the Supreme Being of Nazarick, you will always dote on her. She''s your family." He appeared to smile at the Elder Lich before folding his hands behind his back. "Now I must really get going. I--" Cut off by the sudden blur of movement, Jack finds himself face planted on the ground. On his back stood Aura. Her eyes rested on the back of his head and a grin formed over her lips. "Oh, sorry I thought you were Mare for a moment there," she''d snicker jokingly. She definitely jumped on him on purpose, and if he really wanted to, he could''ve dodged. "I don''t believe you," He''d say as he turned his head to look up at her. "Having fun up there?" Momonga just stood there, watching the two of them. It was similar to watching two siblings rough housing. Or at least one of them being violent and the other passively taking it in order to not hurt the other. "No doubt about it," she''d step off his back and bend down slightly extending a hand for him to take. Rolling his eyes, he chuckled and grasped her small hand as she yanked forward to give him enough momentum to get back up onto his feet. Stretching slightly, he looked over the girl for a moment. His eyes resting on the little watch her wrist. Then looking over towards Momonga. "I''ll be heading back to the Village. When we go back to the Capital we''ll talk some more about our future plans and the announcement." Aura was doing a jig to keep herself entertained while the two talked before looking up at Jack, "Hey, can I take Mare to the Village?" Jack nodded and chuckled a bit at the idea of the twins showing up at the village. "What would you two do at the village anyways?" "I want to capture some of the animals and monsters near the village." "And what will Mare do exactly?" "Help?" Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Jack just stared at the girl for a few moments before shrugging. "That works I guess?" "It always works. Mare will go and do anything I make him." She grinned deviously with her hands at her hips. Her eyes though quickly flickered over her shoulder towards the room Shalltear was exiting. "Oh, looks like it''s time to go." Whistling to herself, the Beast Master went running down the corridor to find Mare where ever her brother may be. Though it was likely that they were in the library talking to that Skeleton Mage. Turning his sights to Momonga, Jack bowed respectfully to the man. "As I was saying, it is time for me to go. I look forward to visiting Nazarick more often. I hope you keep the door open..." The moment be felt Momonga grabbing his wrist, he glanced down at his sharp boney fingers. He could only blink a few times as he had placed a ring in his hand. "What''s this?" "If you wish to formally integrate your guild into mine, it would be an honor to have you in the Great Tomb of Nazarick as a full member. The Round Table is very Empty. It would be nice to have another occupied seat for a change." Jack stared at the item which was in his hand. He was not only invited to join, but he was given the ring that allowed him to transverse the Tomb itself. "It would make sense to join you wouldn''t it?" Jack said as he believed that they were both now Kings of the Sorcerer Kingdom to be. While he was a PvPer and a better direct fighter, Momonga was a mastermind, while Jack always took the frontal assault, he would manipulate the political atmosphere of the entire continent. "Considering I''ve already formed a pact between us." "Consider it a continued invitation from the first time I asked," Momonga placed a hand on his shoulder. It was like a business arrangement or a father and son moment. Jack couldn''t quite tell. Yet to Momonga, it appeared to be an investment in a lasting friendship. Jack lowered his head with a nod as he watched Momonga give a lax wave as he vanished to another part of the Great Tomb. Meanwhile Jack himself used the guild ring to make his way up to the surface before slipping the item into his item box in order to avoid wearing it out in public. Then that was where he was found by Demiurge again as he was about to leave the visible ruins. "Jack Cipher," he didn''t use any honorifics or titles. He wasn''t as friendly as he appeared inside the bar either. The Devil in red landed beside him, facing him. "If you''re planning on betraying Lord Ainz, then you should be more discrete about it!" "Still sour that I locked you out of the village?" He asked as he looked over towards him with a brow raised. He really just wanted to leave and go see how Carnve Village was doing. Demiurge''s nostrils flared in annoyance. "It wouldn''t be wise to test Lord Ainz. I will personally crush any feeble attempts, and he will surely destroy you." "..." Jack stared through the Devil for a few moments before shaking his head. "I don''t think you''re understanding what is going on here." "Oh, is that so?" The Arch-Devil began to circle the man, looking him over. "Seducing Shalltear? Manipulating her mind, turning her against her master? You were alone with her for quite a while." "That didn''t happen. Plus, Ainz was watching the entire time." Demiurge had misunderstood what had occurred down in the Great Tomb and seemed to have come up with a circumstantial idea. "You and your comrades are so quick to call each other and others out for betrayal where there is none, and deem others failures where they have yet to show their potential. Or if their potential is blocked..." Jack accused the Devil, as he knew very well that Shalltear''s feeling of guilt and fanciful bouts of pretend self-destruction were caused by being looked down upon amongst other things. "And what exactly did you help her with? Your punishments only appeared self-demeaning." "She was demeaning herself long before I did anything, I was just helping her see herself for who and what she was, in which she was denying herself. That was her punishment, understanding herself." "Understanding herself?" Demiurge straightened out his bifocals. "And what of corrupting Lady Aura''s allegiance?" He had seen how she acted around him, how she hung around the village more and more often. "By feeding her preserves and entertaining her as a guest? Besides that, it wouldn''t be corruption." "Explain, Cipher." Demiurge was getting annoyed with his antics, but it was clear Jack was also hiding the fact that he was getting annoyed as well. Yet he himself wasn''t even using honorifics to address him once more. He had no real respect for Momonga''s fellow player. Even though he''d be the only one who could have their allegiance pledged to should their Supreme Being disappear. "Momonga has offered me a seat at his round table, as I have handed him a throne. He had offered an invitation to me once before," he glanced around the fake hills and grasslands around the Ruins. "Before this New World." Demiurge blinked a few times. "So you already had Lord Ainz''s approval," the Devil immediately went to drop to one knee, only for Cipher to stop him by tucking a hand under his shoulder. "No apologizes. Not for this," Jack would appear to smile, though no one could be quite sure what his true expression promptly was. "Lord Cipher..." Demiurge frowned, though he hadn''t even thought of apologizing to him. Only kneeling to him, but not to ask forgiveness, but to implore him to accept Momonga''s ''demands'' that he join the Guild. "Just remember before you kill a human being, that Momonga was once one himself not too long ago. I will always make sure he remembers, but it is up to you to keep a mind out for that..." 45 「VillageLife I」 Jack entered Carne Village, the portal having appeared above the Citadel''s highest floor. HIs feet rested on the flat spine of the roof top, he would fold his arms over his chest. A smile across his lips. Part of him wanted to admire the ring which Momon had given him, but at the same time, he didn''t like the thought of how he''d look. Admiring a ring a man had given him? The corner of his lip twitched slightly. His eyes searched the Village as the world around him had changed so much already. He could see the Golems making their rounds along the wall. His eyes would finally come to a rest on the two children running around with the other children of the village. A small smile forming over his lips, it seemed Arche''s sisters were fitting right in and even making friends. His eyes then drifted over to the women who were being lead around the village by the Guardians who took it upon themselves to mingle with the locals after meeting them. Then his eyes rested on Ninya who was sitting at the bottom of the steps of the Citadel, writing in her diary about her exploits and the things she''s done. She had finally found her sister and that was something no one else could have given her. She closed her eyes partially and she turned her head. She could feel someone looking at her, but she couldn''t tell where from. There was no one directly behind her, and from what she could tell, anyone in sight at her level there was no one paying attention to her. That was until she decided to look up and she saw a man standing there, a silhouette blotting out the sun. A bright smile that could fill the world with joy appeared across her lips. Within a second, he appeared directly in front of her after using magic for teleporting. He wrapped an arm around her and placed the other on her cheek. "I''m back for a couple weeks," He said with a light chuckle. Ninya couldn''t help but ease into his hand, similar to that of a cat nudging and nuzzling the side of her face into his hand. "Thank you for helping save my sister..." Jack couldn''t help but chuckle at this as she had thanked him more than she ever had to in the first place. He just fulfilled a promise, a promise which was her ultimate goal. "So what are we going to do for these Two weeks your here?" She asked curiously as she seemed a bit more energetic. Her sister was safe in the hands of someone who seemed capable of keeping her that way. Her eyes then shifted towards Arche who was filling a trough with water she was creating with tier one magic "Perhaps we can have a gathering? Maybe we can invite my sister here..." She looked around the village, tracing her eyes over the wall. It was a safe place where the sun shines and the fields grow. Monsters and Noblemen were the least of her worries should she come here. She could live here freely without being afraid. She''d have the support of the women here too, especially the ones whom were saved from the very same place. "Sounds like a good idea. I''m sure she''d enjoy a change of scenery, and Nazarick is nearby Walling in the entire Re-Estize territory sounds like a horrible undertaking though." Ninya laughed a bit when he suddenly spoke about walling the territory. "Where did that come from?" Shrugging at her, it was just a stray thought which seemed to come to his mind. Dragons to the North in the mountains and some Dragon Lord to the North West. He didn''t really know what he could do to ensure the protection of the territory other than destroying the Slane Theocracy and the Demi-Human Exclave. Without the majority of the Black Scripture, the Theocracy was severely weakened. Even with their extra-seat it was unlikely they''d be able to put up a great defense. Though little did he know, the Platinum Dragon Lord was keeping the Government of the Slane Theocracy suppressed. Not allowing them to deploy the extra-seat willfully on their enemies and political targets. Shaking his head slightly as he focused back on Ninya, he smiled down at her as she was giggling in his presence. She was surely more cute now that she was out in the open. "How about we go up to my study for now?" He''d ask curiously with his head tilted to the side. Ninya''s bright smile turned into a small smirk, her arm gently hooking around his. "You can lead the way, if you will..." She leaned into him casually, enjoying the feeling of just being by him. The two would begin to walk up the steps. Watching each step they made together. Moving in sync, they couldn''t help but expel some friendly chuckles toward one another. Especially when one of them dun goofed, only for one to support the other to make sure neither fell. Not that Jack would get all that hurt from falling. It was mainly that of Ninya''s concern should either of them fall down the steps. As they made it to the top in the next fifteen minutes, there had been no rush. They entered the courtyard and within a few seconds they vanished through the front double doors of the main complex. Stepping into the study on the top floor of the Citadel, they walked along the long wooden table. Both of them looking through their memories of this place. Ninya''s eyes rested on the Bonsai tree and raised a brow as it felt like it was looking right back at her. At first it confused her, until she remembered there was a Dryad in the building. Looking forward as she heard the squeaking of a wooden chair, her eyes traced the back of Jack''s head as he was sitting there looking over the horizon above the wall. Glancing over his shoulder at her, he gestured for her to come over to him. With a picked up pace, she trotted on over to him and plopped right into his lap, parking her rear on his left thigh. Her eyes locked with his as he stared through her. For the time being, she was everything. Reaching over, he grasped her by her collar and pulled her in for a kiss. Pressing his lips against hers and forcing her mouth open with his tongue. She was surprised, but it didn''t seem to faze him at all. He pulled her closer and tightened the locking of their lips. Soon enough she found she couldn''t escape his hold and nestled in. Her tongue tackling his, only for Jack to assert his dominance, taking the lead back. His hand would move down from her collar and run down her side. He was caressing his fingers down the side of her abdomen, before resting on her hip and pulling her lower body to him. Immediately she moved to straddle over his lap, her legs tucking themselves through the hoops under the arms of his chair. Breaking the kiss, Ninya''s tongue was sticking out as a thin string of saliva filled the gap before snapping and dripping from their chins. They both licked their lips. "Mmm Asgard Pekoe," Jack chuckled lightly as he had tasted her. It was apparent she had drank tea before his return to the village. Her mouth was still really warm and with a unique tangy taste. Ninya squinted slightly as she moved her tongue around her mouth. She wasn''t really sure what he tasted like. It almost as if he tasted almost like mint leafs and a variety of unknown herbs. She was starting to wonder what he had eaten recently that tasted like this. His hands gently shifted back up along her sides, undoing her mantle. The cape and all, just fell to the ground at the foot of the chair. He''d undo her belt and drop it onto the table behind them. Removing the tan colored tunic over her head, he would go ahead and wrap his arms around her again. Burying his face into her soft baggy black shirt. He took in the scent of the day. He could smell where she had been, the things she had been nearest. He could even smell the perfume she had bought while in the Capital on her way to the Palace. She wrapped her own arms around his head as he poked his head up to gaze at her. He licked his lips slightly before pulling her even closer. Her lower body pressing against his abdomen as he pressed his lips against her neck, right under her jaw. The pheromones she was releasing, the excitement she was feeling. He could taste it all. Feel it all. And above all, he could hear her heart as if it was going to burst from her chest as she tried to humbly to hold back her small little sounds. He wanted her to let those sounds out as he lightly nipped at her chin, playfully butting her head with the side of his face. He liked the feeling of their skin rubbing together. The warmth that it generated. His hands traveled up her shirt after untucking it from her pants. He grasped at the binds which hid her budding chest. He''d pull at it with fingers, tearing it apart as he punctured it with his thumbs. Gasping at the feeling of his hands on her breasts, she held his head tighter, seemingly trapping his face against her as she let out a gasp. She was unable to hold back as he was exploring her like he did. His hands were moving about, feeling every bit that hadn''t been exposed to the eyes. They moved behind her and traced down her spine, sending a shivering feeling throughout her system. She shook in his arms. Trembled even. She pressed her mouth into his hair, taking in a deep breath as his fingers teased the waist band of her pants. She was squirming in anticipation. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.novelhall.com for visiting. In truth she was the only one trapped here. Her legs were stuck under the arms of the chair, she couldn''t raise them or maneuver off of him. Her only choice was to embrace him, which she didn''t at all seem to mind. She liked the feeling of his touch, loved it even. It gave her a strange feeling that was hard to describe. He knew all the right places to touch, and how to touch. At the same time, it felt as if no matter where he touched, he''d set off pleasure centers in her mind and throughout her body. She was having a hard time concentrating. Especially as his hands came back up and grasped the hem of her shirt, before lifting it over her head; forcing her to raise her arms. Out in the open her small perky breasts were in his face. He pressed his lips against her sternum, resting his ear against her mostly visible ribs. Glancing up at her a she smiled down at him, grasping his head in her hands. Feeling his hair, his playing with his lips. Jack took her fingers into his mouth, lightly sucking on them and rolling his front teeth over them. Withdrawing her fingers she looked at her digits, opening and closing them, spreading them to observe the thick saliva which coated them. She licked her lips slightly before nestling a bit more into his lap. As his fingers dipped into her pants, his hands grasped at her rear. Making its way around to her thighs. One of his hands kept going while the other retreated to her backside. She felt his hand travel where she never thought she would let anyone touch, a place she never thought anyone would have the chance to. She curled her lips in and closed her eyes, feeling his fingers tease the lips of her lower body. She let out a small sound. His fingers tracing over the mound and toying with the small, sensitive, erectile part of her lady bits. The feeling was overwhelming, the touch itself was gentle and pleasing. Even if it was just poking and prodding, she was turned on just by being in his hands. She arched her back as he toyed and teased. Still she tried to hold back her little sounds to no avail. She moaned aloud and bleated in dismay as she failed to keep herself under control. As he stood up, she instinctively wrapped her legs around him until she found herself placed on her back on top of the table. She gasped out loud and blushed a red she had never seen her own skin turn before. She was panting, wanting more from his touches. His hands emerged from her pants and grasped the rim, pulling it down her legs and suddenly knotting it around her ankles. She blinked several times at this action, not exactly understanding why. She looked up at him as he loomed over her. His hands, his fingers, traced along the circumference her breasts. He''d poke her swollen nipples, causing her to squeak quietly at the feeling. Had he tied her ankles so she wouldn''t run? Ninya''s eyes held this question. Why had he restrained her? She licked her lips as he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Biting at her lower lip. He was moving rougher? As one of his hands ran down her side, poking beneath her until reaching her ass. His hand would like a crowbar, flip her over after pulling one side of her up. Ninya squealed in surprise, not expecting to be turned over. She turned her head to the side and looked over at him. She was excited, but also afraid. She felt his suddenly bare chest against her back. His face was close to hers as he pecked the back of her shoulder blades. His lips traced her spine up and down before going to her other shoulder where he would gently suck the skin of her neck. "J-jack?" Ninya asked aloud as she felt an arm skim beneath her and cross over her chest. He lifted her from the table slightly while his lower body kept her legs pinned to the edge. Licking his lips, he gently kissed his way up her neck before whispering in her ear, "Ninya?" She shook excitedly hearing her name whispered into her ear. "What''re you doing..?" 46 #NotAChapter @@ I think I''m going to cry. My vision has changed. I want to write it differently again. What if Jack came instead of Ainz... Or Jack had been a member of the 40 some supreme beings. I have too many inconsistencies and those Paragraph Comments are driving me insane. Like I have probably said in the past... I am writing this for fun and stress relief. If it''s not helping relieve the stress, why write it?