Overlord (Light Novel) Chapter 29

Chapter 5: The Freezing God

Part 1

Ainz's headquarters was the same as the place Cocytus used yesterday — the fortress which Aura was building. If one listened closely, one could hear the faint sounds of work in progress coming from the distance.

Cocytus calmly regarded the warriors charging him.

“…This. Might. Be. A. Bit. Disrespectful. To. Warriors. Like. You. But. I. Shall. Cull. Your. Numbers.”

Cocytus was sure that he would not be defeated even if all of the warriors reached him, but still, he had to weed his opponents out.

Personally speaking, Cocytus would have liked to allow his foes to reach a range where they could fight. However, he had received far more largesse than he deserved, and allowing this ragtag band of misfits to do battle with a Guardian of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick would be disrespectful to Ainz-sama.

Thus, he unleashed his aura.

It was a skill derived from the Knight of Niflheim class — 「Frost Aura」. This special ability damaged and slowed the foe through the use of extreme cold temperatures. At full power, it could even engulf the Lizardmen spectating from the sides.

So he had to suppress its power.

He had to narrow its radius and reduce its damage.

“This ought to do it…”

A wave of freezing cold expanded from Cocytus, instantly filling a radius of twenty five meters across.

The temperature plummeted upon exposure to the intense cold, and the very air seemed to groan.

“…Hm. That. Ought. To. Do.”

He drew back his aura.

The momentary exposure meant that the savage, blizzard like snap-frost had vanished like it had never been. However, it was no illusion or trick of the senses. The best proof of that was the fifty seven Lizardman corpses that covered the marsh.

Only five more still remained. However, they were the five strongest Lizardmen. Unfazed by Cocytus's might or the deaths of their comrades, they moved out as one.

A stone flew through the air. The armored Lizardman led the charge, followed by two more behind it. In addition, the two Swamp Elementals had cracks all over them after the cold attack, and lagged behind the Lizardmen because they were slower. The one at the rear incanted spell after spell.

♦ ♦ ♦

The first strike was a stone, which was aimed at Cocytus's throat. However, it was completely meaningless, because—

“—We. Guardians. Are. Equipped. With. Items. That. Resist. Ranged. Attacks.”

—An invisible barrier which appeared to cover his body deflected the stone.

It was followed by a charging Lizardman. The armor he wore was an ancestral heirloom, one of the Four Treasures — the White Dragon Bone. It was strong enough to deflect Frost Pain, itself one of the Four Treasures, and it was hailed as the hardest armor among the Lizardmen.

Facing it was a sword which Cocytus drew out of nothing, as though it had been sheathed in the air.

The sword Cocytus unsheathed was an odachi — its blade over one hundred eighty centimeters long, named God-Slaying Slash Emperor. It was the sharpest of the twenty one weapons which Cocytus possessed.

Then, he swung it at the incoming Lizardman.

The fluid cut whooshed quietly through the air. If not for the present situation, it would have been a sound which people would want to listen for.

After that sound, the chief's body and his armor split into two halves from head to tail, which fell to the left and right, into the marsh.

God-Slaying Slash Emperor was unscathed despite cleaving through the strongest armor of the Lizardmen.

The other two Lizardmen did not seem affected by the death of their comrade. They raised their weapons and executed a pincer attack.

“Yeeart!”

On the right, Zenberu sent a karate chop at Cocytus's face, having enhanced it with 「Iron Natural Weapon」 and 「Iron Skin」.

“Guooooh—!”

On the left was Frost Pain, stabbing at the belly.

This attack was calculated to exploit the fact that long weapons were unwieldy in melee combat.

Of course, that only applied to regular people.

Cocytus shifted slightly and intercepted Zenberu's arm with the blade of God-Slaying Slash Emperor. His preternatural movements made it seem as though the weapon in his hand was an extension of his limbs.

Zenberu's skin could rival the hardness of steel under the effects of Iron Skin, but the armor from just now had already proven the sharpness of God-Slaying Slash Emperor.

The blade which entered Zenberu's arm carved it off like it was going through water.

“Guwaaargh—!”

As Zenberu's severed right arm sprayed fresh arterial blood, Cocytus's other hand casually gripped Frost Pain, which was headed at his belly.

“—Oh. I. See. This. Is. A. Pretty. Good. Sword.”

“Waaah!”

Zaryusu gave up on pulling back the immovable Frost Pain, and immediately lashed out at Cocytus's knee with a kick. Cocytus did not dodge it; he simply took the blow. In the end, when Zaryusu's foot connected with Cocytus's knee, it was Zaryusu who felt the pain.

It felt just like kicking an iron wall with all his might.

“「Over Magic – Mass Light Cure Wounds」.”

Through the use of prodigious amounts of mana, one could forcibly cast a spell that should not have been normally usable. Aided by this metamagic enhancement, Shasuryu cast a spell that healed everyone's wounds.

“Oh…”

Cocytus looked at Shasuryu with interest as the latter used a metamagic technique he had never heard of before. However, the two Swamp Elementals blocked his line of sight. While Zenberu's arm gradually resumed its original form, the two Swamp Elementals attacked Cocytus with their tentacles. However, Cocytus had already slashed at the Swamp Elementals' bodies.

Just as the the Swamp Elementals dissolved into clumps of mud, Zaryusu punched at Cocytus's compound eyes, his belly, and his chest. Naturally, it was Zaryusu who was hurt instead. The skin on his knuckles split and wept tears of fresh blood.

“How. Bothersome.”

Cocytus swatted at Zaryusu's chest with his spiked tail.

♦ ♦ ♦

“Guaargh!”

Zaryusu flew into the distance like he had been hit by a baseball bat, accompanied by the sound of cracking. In the end, he hit the marsh, rolling several times before coming to a halt. However, the agony in his chest and the bright red blood he was coughing up made it hard for Zaryusu to breathe.

The broken ribs had probably pierced his lungs, because he could not take air in no matter how hard he tried to breathe. It felt as though he were in water. The hot fluid pouring into his throat made him want to vomit. He looked down at his chest, and the wound — which looked like someone had stabbed him with a sharp blade — was gushing with blood.

—-Just one hit had reduced Zaryusu to this pitiful state.

Zaryusu glared at Cocytus, the fighting spirit still burning in his eyes even as he struggled to keep breathing.

“So. You. Still. Wish. To. Fight. Then. I. Shall. Return. This. To. You.”

After casually tossing Frost Pain back to the fallen Zaryusu, Cocytus ignored him and turned to the remaining Lizardmen.

Shasuryu cast a healing spell on Zenberu, who had regrown his arm, but whose health had been greatly depleted.

Just as Cocytus was about to reach them, another stone flew at him, attempting to divert his attention — however, the attack was useless, and was easily deflected.

“—How. Annoying,” Cocytus grumbled, and then extended his hand at the Small Fang's chief.

“「Piercing Icicle」.”

Several dozen razor-sharp icicles, each the size of an arm, showered down on a large area.

One of the Lizardmen was within the attack radius and the icicles pierced him instantly.

He took one in the chest, two in the belly, and one in the right thigh — each of them easily penetrated his body

The Small Fang chief — the best ranger among the Lizardmen, crumpled to the swamp like a puppet whose strings had been cut, where he expired.

“Uoooooh—!”

“「Over Magic – Mass Light Cure Wounds」!”

Zenberu charged ahead while Shasuryu cast a healing spell again. Zenberu was trying to buy time for Zaryusu's wounds to mend.

He knew this was a reckless course of action, and that he was nothing before the might of Cocytus. Even so, Zenberu sprinted ahead without a moment's hesitation.

Cocytus swung lightly at Zenberu, who had entered his attack range.

The swing was faster than Zenberu could see—

Its speed was beyond Zenberu's dexterity—

The blade sheared easily through Zenberu's flesh—

The decapitated corpse of Zenberu spurted blood like a geyser as it collapsed gently to the marshlands. Shortly after that, his head joined it on the sod.

“…Now. Only. The. Two. Of. You. Are. Left… I. Had. Heard. Of. Your. Strength. From. Ainz-sama. But. In. The. End. Only. The. Two. Of. You. Remained.”

Cocytus — who had not moved so much as an inch since the battle had started — studied the two of them, and flicked his sword. There was no trace of blood or fat on the gleaming white blade. That beautiful movement looked like it could sweep everything away in a single stroke.

Facing it was Zaryusu, who had recovered to the point where he could barely stand, and Shasuryu, who had drawn his greatsword. The two of them flanked Cocytus front and rear. Zaryusu dabbed his fingers in the blood flowing from his chest and smeared it on his face.

The way he applied the blood to himself made it seem as though he was summoning the ancestral spirits down upon himself.

“—Zaryusu, how are your wounds?”

“Not good. It's still aching. Still, I can take a few more swings.”

“Really now… that should be enough, right? Frankly speaking, I'm almost out of mana. If I'm not careful, I might keel over.”

Shasuryu's teeth ground against each other. Perhaps he was laughing. As Zaryusu heard this, his expression changed as well.

“…Oh, really? Ani-ja, you're pushing yourself pretty hard too.”

Zaryusu smiled, and then he sighed, relaxing his shoulders. His sword arm sagged.

A torrent of pain erupted from near his chest, but Zaryusu fought to ignore it.

He would not give up until the last moment — Zaryusu intended to fight until the end.

From the beginning, he had known full well that victory was impossible.

Defeat was unavoidable, yet they could not accept it.

That was because it would be like lying to countless people, telling them that they could win. Since others had actually believed them, they could not accept the fact that they would be defeated.

They had to give everything they had until the final moment—

“Then swing that sword you're wielding!!”

Zaryusu's cry echoed throughout the surrounding area.

The sound of clacking came from Cocytus's mandibles.

“A. Fine. Cry.”

Cocytus was probably laughing. But this was not the laughter of the strong mocking the weak, but a warrior laughing with a fellow fighter.

“Very well, Zaryusu. That's it, then. I'll fight with you to the bitter end as well.”

Shasuryu smiled as well.

“Then… Sorry to keep you waiting, Cocytus-dono.”

Cocytus shrugged as Shasuryu said this.

“It. Is. Fine. I. Am. Not. So. Thoughtless. As. To. Interrupt. A. Farewell. Between. Brothers. Now. Prepare. To Meet. Your. Fate… No. Pardon. Me. You. Were. Ready. For. It. From. The. Start.”

As Zaryusu and Shasuryu began moving, Cocytus flourished God-Slaying Slash Emperor and asked:

“State. Your. Names.”

“Shasuryu Shasha.”

”Zaryusu Shasha.”

“…I. Will. Remember. You. Warriors. Also. I. Apologise. Ahead. Of. Time. For. Not. Using. The. Weapons. In. All. My. Hands. It. Is. Not. That. I. Wish. To. Scorn. You. But. You. Are. Simply. Not. Strong. Enough. To. Warrant. Their. Use.”

“What a shame.”

“Indeed — here I come!”

♦ ♦ ♦

The two of them lunged at Cocytus, splashing across the marsh.

The uncoordinated timing of their attacks baffled Cocytus.

The two of them did not enter his range at the same time. Shasuryu was the first to do so. Sensing a scheme, Cocytus awaited their next move.

Since Shasuryu was the first to enter his strike zone, Cocytus carefully studied Shasuryu's next move.

Shasuryu stopped just before Cocytus could reach him, and—

“「Earth Bind」!”

—And cast a spell.

Countless chains formed of mud leapt at Cocytus, and Zaryusu broke into a wild sprint. He had even hidden Frost Pain behind his back so his opponent would not be able to gauge his attack range.

Shasuryu's declaration that “I'm almost out of mana,” was merely a ruse to deceive Cocytus. If he had taken the bait, perhaps he might have been bound by the mystic chains and been hit by Zaryusu's charge from behind.

However tough their opponent's exoskeleton was, he should still be able to break through if he poured all his strength into the edge. With that in mind, Zaryusu had abandoned defense to focus on the attack, and the resulting strike should have been quite strong.

He seems quite confident in his sword.

Cocytus could understand how he felt, because much like him, Cocytus felt strongly about the weapons he owned. In particular, the sword he now wielded — which had once been used by his creator — was especially significant to him. Therefore, despite how lopsided it would make the battle, Cocytus insisted on doing battle with God-Slaying Slash Emperor in hand, as a sign of his supreme respect.

However, they had made a miscalculation; which was that their opponent was Cocytus, Guardian of the Fifth Floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.

“…My. Defenses. Cannot. Be. Breached. By. Someone. Whose. Level. Is. Below. Mine.”

The chains of mud rebounded off Cocytus an instant before they reached him, reverting to regular dirt and sinking back into the mire. Low tier spells could not pierce Cocytus's magical defenses.

“—「Icy Burst」!”

As the shout rang out, a vortex of ivory fog swirled out and surrounded Cocytus.

A futile effort.

Cocytus was immune to cold damage, so as the gentle breeze of the supercooled mist blew around him, he patiently waited for Zaryusu and Shasuryu to enter his attack range.

Soon enough, the moment he had been waiting for arrived. However, Cocytus hesitated briefly; he thought, Can my foe be stopped just by cutting off his head?

In the face of Zaryusu's full attack, Cocytus did not think that mere decapitation would stop his advance. The mental image of a headless body rushing him appeared in his mind.

In that case, he ought to chop his hands off first, and then his head.

No, that wouldn't be clean enough. Best to finish him off in one stroke.

Zaryusu charged with all his strength, devoting every fiber of his being to the attack, but he was still too slow for Cocytus.

A black shadow appeared amidst the white mist — Zaryusu thrust his sword, and Cocytus caught it lightly between his fingers, like before.

Cocytus did not feel any cold from his fingertips. Perhaps Zaryusu knew that Cocytus was immune to the cold and did not use the ability.

The charge was fast, but he had blocked it so easily. That puzzled Cocytus. However, those doubts faded in an instant. His foe's life would end with a swing of God-Slaying Slash Emperor, so there was nothing more to think about.

And then there would only be one of them left.

So it was just an unplanned charge, then…

Just as a somewhat disappointed Cocytus was about to strike, he changed his mind.

1. See…

“Ohhhhh!”

With a mighty roar, the greatsword hacked down through the freezing mist which hung in the air. Shasuryu's swing carried a gale in its wake, which dispersed the frozen fog.

The 「Earth Bind」, Zaryusu's charge, 「Icy Burst」, all of them were decoys.

While he had to be wary of Zaryusu stabbing him with Frost Pain, Shasuryu's overhead chop with the greatsword was more damaging, so that must have been their true intention. However—

“Surprise attacks ought to be conducted in silence.”

As long as they could not erase the sound they made as they ran across the marsh, it could not truly qualify as an unexpected attack. Cocytus was puzzled — was this really worth taking cold damage? Or was it just a meaningless struggle.

Still, it was true that his foe had entered his strike zone.

Now that Zaryusu's weapon was within his grasp, there was nothing to fear from him. Only the order in which they died would change. Having decided that, Cocytus swung God-Slaying Slash Emperor.

It struck.

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Shasuryu was cloven in half along with his greatsword. Before the body could hit the ground, Cocytus withdrew his blade, planning to attack Zaryusu—

♦ ♦ ♦

—And then, the fingers grasping Frost Pain slipped.

Surprised, Cocytus looked at his fingers to see what had made it slide forward.

He saw the bright red of blood amidst the white mist hanging in the air.

In an instant, Cocytus realised why his fingers had slipped.

—Blood?

He was confused.

He wondered when it had gotten there, and then as he saw Zaryusu's face through the mist, it suddenly dawned on him.

The blood smeared on his face was not to paint himself, but to coat his sword.

Neither had 「Icy Burst」 been intended to hurt Cocytus, or conceal Shasuryu's form. Its purpose had been to hide the blood coating the sword. So was keeping it behind his back.

When he blocked Zaryusu's attack, Cocytus had done so with his fingers. Zaryusu remembered it, and had bet on the slim chance that he would do it again. Thus he had gone to these lengths to set up the battlefield to pull it off. Just then, a flash of lightning surged through Cocytus's brain.

So that was why his thrust felt so weak! No wonder! There's no way the plan to lubricate the sword with blood so it could pierce through would work every time. In order to create this chance, he slowed his strike to make me think it was easy to catch!

The blade slowly slid over, inching towards Cocytus's pale blue body. Now that Zaryusu had thrown his full strength and even body weight into the thrust, not even Cocytus could stop it — not with two bloodstained fingers.

If he had grasped it further away from him, there might be something else he could do. But at this short range, he was out of options.

Cocytus was so moved that he trembled.

While it had relied on a bit of luck, this was an attack which had required multiple gambles, each of which had paid off. The most important thing was that without Shasuryu, none of this would have been possible.

Shasuryu should not have understood Zaryusu's gambit, but as an elder brother, he had placed all his trust in his younger brother, to the point of sacrificing his own life. That pointless surprise attack and shouting were all to divert Cocytus's attention from his brother for just a moment.

A single moment.

And for just a single moment — as Zaryusu was forcing Frost Pain at him with all his might — Cocytus's mandibles trembled.

“Truly. Marvellous—”

And so the blade struck Cocytus's body — only to deflect lightly off. His body, which glowed a faint blue, did not have so much as a scratch on it.

This was the result of the impassable gulf that separated the highest level NPCs of Nazarick from mere Lizardmen.

“—Forgive. Me. But. I. Possess. A. Skill. Which. Briefly. Negates. Weakly-Enchanted. Weapon. Attacks. Once. I Activate. It. Your. Attack. Is. Useless.”

That blow had been well-struck, and Cocytus felt that leaving a scar as a mark of respect for these warriors would be appropriate. However, he was under the eyes of a Supreme Being, and he could not do so in his position as a Guardian.

Cocytus deliberately took one step back, splashing up the mud and staining his beautiful blue body.

It was just a single step.

There was no meaning to it. Backing up would not have made any difference to him. Zaryusu would still die, and Cocytus would still win.

However, that step back was a sign of praise from the strong — Cocytus — to the weak — Zaryusu.

Zaryusu smiled, in the way someone did when he knew full well what sort of fate was in store for him, yet ran towards it anyway. As he did, Cocytus swung his sword down—

Part 3

“That was a spectacular battle,” Ainz said in praise to Cocytus, who was kneeling before him.

“Thank. You.”

“However, I trust you understand that while we we used the stick this time, you must employ the carrot in the future. You are not to rule them through fear.”

“I. Understand.”

After Ainz nodded, he looked to the other Guardians in the room.

“Very good. Now then, listen well, you Guardians. Like I said earlier in the Throne Room, Cocytus will administer the Lizardman village. If he needs help, I hope you will give it to him. Cocytus, I hope you will foster a deeply-rooted loyalty to Nazarick in the Lizardmen. I also hope that you will cultivate the growth of talented members of their species. I will leave these tasks to you. If you need 「Wings of Ascension」 or other special items, let me know. I will also lend you a 「Powered Suit」 for the time being.”

Players could change their character races in YGGDRASIL, but that did not imply that one could freely change race. Some requirements had to be met for the change, and the changes were irreversible.

Part of the requirements were items. Someone who wanted to become an Elder Lich would need a 「Book of the Dead」. Someone who wanted to become an Imp would need a 「Fallen Seed」. The 「Angel Wing」 item which Ainz had mentioned was used for becoming an Angel.

Ainz had mentioned it because he thought that it might be possible to change races in that manner.

“I. Shall. Count. On. You. When. The. Time. Comes. Ainz-sama. May. I. Know. How. You. Wish. To. Deal. With. Those. Lizardmen?”

“Those Lizardmen?”

“Yes. The. Ones. Called. Zaryusu. And. Shasuryu.”

The two who fought to the end. Their corpses should still be in the marsh. However, why did he bring them up?

“Hmm… Recover their corpses and use them for raw materials when I'm not making undead with my skills.”

“—That. Would. Be. A. Bit. Of. A. Waste.”

“Oh? Why is that? Are they that valuable?”

Ainz had watched the battle through the Mirror of Remote Viewing and saw an overwhelming victory. Nothing about them recommended themselves to his eye.

“…They. Might. Be. Weak. However. I. Saw. Their. Fearless. Warrior. Spirit. Turning. Them. Into. Raw. Materials. Is. A. Bit. Of. A. Waste. I. Feel. That. They. Could. Become. Stronger. Perhaps. Even. Exceeding. Our. Expectations. Ainz-sama. I. Believe. You. Have. Not. Yet. Conducted. Any. Practical. Experiments. With. Resurrecting. The. Dead. Could. You. Not. Do. So. With. Them?”

…Does he like those Lizardmen?

In all honesty, Ainz did not feel anything when he heard things like “warrior spirit.” He had heard of terms like “killing intent” in manga and light novels, but he thought nothing of them. It was kind of like how Narberal responded with, “Ah, so that's what it is, oh~” and so on while he was lecturing her. Similarly, Ainz had no idea what this warrior's empathy business was about.

That was because Ainz had originally been a normal salaryman, despite his current state. An average citizen who actually knew about a warrior's spirit or killing intent would probably be considered dangerous. Now, he could understand something like a bureaucrat's spirit instead.

“I see… So it would be a shame, then?”

However, when Ainz heard about Cocytus's approval of the Lizardmen, his true thoughts were, Well, you might call it a shame, but I have no idea what that means.

Still, when he thought about it, Cocytus's words made a lot of sense.

He had wanted to find a place to experiment with resurrection anyway, and Ainz felt that using them for those experiments would be very beneficial. In addition, unlike how Cocytus had been waffling around in the Throne Room, he had now proposed a useful solution for them. If that was a sign of improvement, then he had passed with flying colors.

He paused briefly to think, and then Ainz thought of his other exceptional subordinates.

He thought of them as they stood around him, in a suitably subservient posture — silent and unmoving.

“Albedo, what is your opinion?”

“It would be the same as yours, Ainz-sama.”

“…What do you think, Demiurge?”

“I feel whatever you decide would be best, Ainz-sama.”

“…How about you, Shalltear?”

“Like Demiurge, I shall abide by your ruling, Ainz-sama.”

“…Aura?”

“Yeah, I'm with everyone else.”

“…Mare.”

“Ah, ah, ah… yes. I think so too.”

They might as well not have answered at all. Ainz's head ached.

Ainz thought hard, and finally realized something — perhaps the Guardians did not think it was a big deal. In other words, no matter how he decided, they did not feel there would be any major benefits or drawbacks.

Of course, he had to consider their respective situations. Sometimes, problems might arise due to their varying circumstances.

Simply put, when a rich person said, “Oh, that sum's not a problem,” one would immediately doubt the truth of those words. In other words, it was the result of differing values and priorities.

I wasted my time asking… still, that means resurrecting the Lizardmen should be fine, right? I was planning to think carefully on this, because I've made too many mistakes recently.

With no recourse, Ainz had to ponder the merits and demerits of the situation by himself.

“…We have decided to subordinate the Lizardman village to our rule, but is there a suitable candidate for leader? Do they have a group that manages the entire village?”

“No, but there is a person who is suitable to be the village's representative.”

“Oh? Who is that?”

“It. Is. The. White. Lizardman. Who. Did. Not. Take. Part. In. The. Fighting. She. Appears. To. Have. Druidic. Powers.”

“Her, then! Hm, well, that is workable…

She should be worth using, Ainz thought. We could also use her to keep an eye on the others.

However, having her execute Ainz's plan might undermine Cocytus's plan to administer the village. That being the case, what should he do?

At this point, a flash of inspiration struck Ainz.

…Wouldn't it be faster to ask her directly? Granted, I didn't get any usable answers just now…

Ainz shared his plans with Cocytus, who replied in the affirmative.

Given Cocytus's reaction, the fact that he might be caving in to his master's wishes could not be ruled out. However, after glancing at Demiurge and Albedo, he noted that neither of them seemed to be acting out of the ordinary, which reassured Ainz that he was doing the right thing.

“Very well. How soon before she can be brought here?”

“Forgive. Me. If. I. Have. Overstepped. Myself. But. I. Sensed. That. You. Might. Wish. To. See. Her. And. So. I. Ordered. Her. To. Wait. In. A. Nearby. Room.”

Ainz glanced at Demiurge, who shook his head.

Nicely done indeed. He's settled the matter without anyone's instructions and it doesn't look like someone else gave him the idea.

Ainz wondered if this was how a superior felt when he saw his subordinate grow as a person. He was all smiles — although one could not tell his expression given that he was a skeleton.

“No no no, you've done well, Cocytus. Wasting time is foolish, and your judgement was correct. All right, bring her in, then.”

“Ah, please wait!”

“What's the matter, Aura?”

“While they are not strangers, meeting them in an unremarkable place like this will damage your reputation, Ainz-sama. I feel you should receive her in Nazarick's Throne Room.”

The other Guardians nodded, with the exception of Mare.

“…My. Apologies. I. Had. Not. Considered. That. Please. Forgive. Me!”

“Hm…”

I hadn't thought of that at all. With that in mind, Ainz wondered how he should resolve this problem. At that moment, he remembered the words from back then. In that case —

“—Aura.”

“Yes!”

“Did you not once say that you built this place in imitation of Nazarick? You were right. Cocytus, bring her over. I shall meet her here.”

“Ai—Ainz-sama!”

“Aura, that's enough.”

“Albedo!”

Not knowing why she had been told to stand down, Aura looked at Albedo, her face red with protest. However, Albedo merely glanced at her and then paid her no heed, looking at the main door instead. It was Demiurge who answered the angry Aura.

“…Ainz-sama would not make a mistake. That being the case, if Ainz-sama says this place is as good as Nazarick, then—”

“—It can't be wrong,” Shalltear continued.

Well, I don't think I'm totally correct, and I hope they don't think that way… Still, it ended up helping me out here.

“Aura, I shall say it again. I feel that this place — built by you, one of my most trusted subordinates — is as good as Nazarick, even if it is still a work in progress… Do you understand?”

“…Thank you, Ainz-sama!”

Aura bowed in gratitude, and so did the other Guardians.

There's no need to be so moved, I guess… I feel so embarrassed now.

“In that case, bring her over, Cocytus.”

“At. Once!”

♦ ♦ ♦

Cocytus immediately brought the white Lizardman to the room. She knelt with her head bowed before Ainz.

“What is your name?”

“I am Crusch Lulu, representative of the Lizardmen, oh Supreme Overlord of Death, Ainz Ooal Gown-sama.”

Well, that's pretty far-fetched. Ainz wondered who had come up with that title, but in the end he decided to adopt the calm, poised attitude of a king.

“…Mm, welcome.”

“Thank you, Gown-sama. Please accept the utmost loyalty of we, the Lizardmen.”

“Hm…”

Ainz studied Crusch carefully.

These scales are beautiful. They glittered under the light of the magical lighting.

I wonder how they'd feel, Ainz wondered out of curiosity.

Just as Ainz lost himself in his thoughts, he realised that Crusch's shoulders were trembling. Cocytus should have disabled his cold-emanating skills, so it was probably due to some other reason.

As he thought on the matter, Ainz realised that her shuddering made perfect sense.

If Ainz said that he was displeased with the Lizardmen, every single one of them would be deprived of their heads. Therefore, Crusch was hanging on to every word Ainz said. Given that she was jumpy and nervous as it was, Ainz's unnatural silence would have filled her with terror.

Ainz was not the sort of person who amused himself by tormenting the weak. He could commit atrocities for the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, but his mental state had not degraded to the point where he would perform such acts as part of daily life.

“The Lizardmen shall live under my banner from this day forth. However, Cocytus will be ruling you in my place. I trust there are no problems with that?”

“—No.”

“That's it, then. You may return.”

“Eh? May I?” Crusch exclaimed in surprise from where she was bowing. She had thought Ainz would demand the moon from her, so this utter betrayal of her expectations brought that reaction forth from her.

“You may go back for the time being, Crusch Lulu. The Lizardmen will soon enter a period of prosperity. Your future generations will give thanks with all their hearts that they were allowed to swear themselves to me.”

“You are too kind. We are already deeply grateful for the mercy you have shown us despite our opposition to a supreme being like yourself.”

Ainz slowly rose from his throne, and then approached Crusch. He knelt down, and put a hand on her shoulder.

Surprised, Crusch shuddered, and the vibration travelled up Ainz's hand.

“Also, I have a special request for you.”

“May I know what it is? If it is within my power, then I shall strive to fulfill your desires as your faithful servant, Gown-dono…”

“The idea was not originally mine — but if you agree, I shall restore Zaryusu to life in exchange.”

As he spoke the name he had heard from Cocytus, Crusch suddenly raised her head, the very picture of shock.

Ainz smugly studied Crusch's face. She seemed to be trying to hide her feelings, but her expression changed by the moment. Lizardmen and humans had very different facial expressions, so Ainz could not be certain what was there, but at the very least he could pick out joy, anger, and sorrow.

“Is that even possible…?”

“I possess power over life and death. Death is nothing more than a state of being to me.”

After hearing Crusch's almost imperceptible words, Ainz continued:

“It is like being sick or poisoned, but I cannot extend one's lifespan.”

Perhaps it would be impossible to do so through conventional means, but it might be possible with 「Wish Upon A Star」… but now was not the time for such things.

“…Then, what do you wish of your loyal slave? … My body, perhaps?”

Ainz was dumbfounded.

“No, that's a bit too…”

As if! Even if I did desire that sort of thing, it's not as though I'd go so far as to breed with a reptile… Having nearly said that, Ainz struggled to maintain his image.

He decided to ignore the sound of grinding teeth that came from nearby.

“Ahem! Of course not. It is simple — I want you to observe the Lizardmen and see if any of them are going to betray me.”

“No Lizardman will betray you.”

After hearing Crusch's firm reply, Ainz smiled coldly to her.

“I am not nearly stupid enough to believe that. Indeed, I am not mighty enough to know what every Lizardman thinks, but if they are sufficiently human-like, treachery will be common enough. Therefore, I would like someone to quietly keep an eye on them.”

Crusch resumed her blank expression, which made Ainz worry that he had phrased it poorly. While he had wanted to resurrect Zaryusu from the beginning, Ainz wanted her to ask for it and thus bind her to him with chains of obligation. What should he do if she refused?

If I'd known, I shouldn't have been so greedy… Well, I guess there's no point crying over spilt milk.

“…A miracle hangs before you right now, but it will not last forever. If you do not seize the moment, it will be gone forever.”

Crusch's face seemed to be twitching.

“It is not as though I am going to conduct some horrific ceremony. Does resurrection magic not exist in this world? I am simply going to use a spell like that.”

“That's legendary…”

As Crusch hesitated over whether or not to speak, Ainz spoke to her in tender tones, but with an arrogant attitude.

“Crusch, I would like you to think about what is most important to you.”

Ainz watched Crusch's eyes as his words slowly got to her. It felt like he was about to clinch a sale.

After this, Ainz would need to impress upon Crusch that the miracle he provided did not come free of charge. After all, people would suspect free things, but their suspicions would be eased if there was a reasonable fee attached to them.

“I want you to secretly observe your fellow Lizardmen. Depending on how things turn out, you may be faced with a dangerous choice. In addition, to guard against your treachery, I will cast a certain spell on Zaryusu when I resurrect him. It is a spell that will instantly kill Zaryusu if I judge that you have betrayed me. It might be hard on you, but it ought to be worth it if you can get Zaryusu back, am I wrong?”

That said, there's no such spell.

Ainz stood up, as though to say that he had said his piece, and then he spread his arms.

Crusch looked at Ainz with a tormented expression in her eyes.

“Ah, yes, when Zaryusu is resurrected, I will tell him that he was recalled to life because he was useful to me. I can guarantee that your name will not come up. Well then, Crusch Lulu, make your choice. This is the last chance you have to return your beloved Zaryusu to your side. What will you do? Will you seize this opportunity, or abandon it? Decide.”

_{The latest_epi_sodes are on_the ʟɪɢʜᴛɴᴏᴠᴇʟᴡᴏʀʟᴅ.ᴄᴏᴍ website.}

Ainz slowly extended a hand to Crusch as he looked to the Guardians and said:

“If she refuses, none of you are to do anything. Well then, Crusch Lulu, what is your answer?”

Chapter end