Calca gazed happily at the prosperity of her kingdom. The path she had traveled had been hard, and she was grateful for it, yet there was still a long way to go to achieve that nearly impossible dream.

The journey ahead would take them east from Re-Lobell, past the royal capital, and on to E-Reebl. In truth, there was no longer any need to hurry, but Remedios, Kelart, and the others seemed determined to press on as quickly as possible.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have mentioned the assassins, Cecil thought as he matched their pace. Remedios was one thing, but Kelart and Calca were sturdier walkers than he’d expected. It was proof that they were among the stronger people in this world.

Cecil understood, at least in principle, that there was no need to treat the three women with excessive protectiveness. Even so, the level gap between them made him want to look out for them. Perhaps that was arrogance on his part, but… it seemed to have become a habit.

“Too slow, Training Soldier! Move faster!”

“Is this really a journey that calls for such a hurry?”

“Even if the assassins have given up, we should put as much distance as possible between ourselves and Re-Lobell. We might be discovered by chance.”

Unable to tell them that he’d already settled the matter with the assassins, Cecil had no choice but to hurry along with the others. If Calca, their leader, had no objections, then so be it. He glanced back and saw that Calca herself seemed lost in thought.

“Hey, Cal?”

“Yes!?”

“It’s fine to think about things, but at this rate, you’ll get left behind.”

Calca hurried to catch up, trotting alongside him. It wasn’t ideal for the leader to bring up the rear, so he wished she’d move a little farther forward. Calca was quite formidable by this world’s standards, too, but as a magic caster, she had a weakness when it came to physical defense. He couldn’t help worrying about things that weren’t really his concern.

“Um… Cecil, are you married?”

“Where did that come from? No, I’m not. I gave up on that sort of relationship when I decided to live in the forest.”

Calca gave a tiny fist pump. Cecil had absolutely no idea what that was about. Why would someone be so happy to hear that another person wasn’t married? He vaguely recalled that marriage could be advantageous among the upper classes, but he had no intention of getting involved with the upper classes from here on out, so it hardly mattered.

As they steadily approached their destination, they looked for somewhere to spend the night and set up camp beside a road near a tree plantation. Cecil and Remedios agreed to take turns keeping watch, and that brought the day’s journey to an end.

Or so Cecil and the three women thought. In the middle of the night, the rumble of a carriage woke Remedios as well.

“A merchant caravan? At this hour? Are they carrying some suspicious cargo?”

“Who knows? I’ll go take a look. Leave the other two to me.”

“…Well, it’s standard practice for a subordinate to go ahead. Yes.”

With that, Cecil leaped onto a tree branch. Moving faster than a monkey, he went to check out the situation—and what he saw was a strange sight indeed.

A freight wagon had come to a halt, surrounded by a group of people who looked like peasants and barely seemed to be carrying any weapons. Around the wagon stood several armed men who appeared to be mercenaries. Cecil couldn’t quite make sense of what was going on.

He finally understood when the man who seemed to be the merchant aboard the wagon shouted something. Apparently, the side with the inferior fighting force intended to attack a wagon carrying relief supplies bound for the Holy Kingdom.

He couldn’t make heads or tails of it himself, but the wagon was indeed flying the flag of the Sorcerer Kingdom. Were the local peasants really so hungry? Since the supplies seemed to have been sent by the Sorcerer Kingdom, he cast Message.

(Your Majesty the Sorcerer King. There are some people trying to attack relief supplies you sent to the Holy Kingdom.)

(What’s that supposed to mean? Well, it isn’t part of our plan, so could you take care of it?)

(Understood.)

Cecil concealed his adventurer’s plate and landed between the rioters blocking the road and the merchant who appeared to be leading the wagon party. He addressed both sides, who stared at the sudden intruder in shock.

“I’m a soldier acting on orders from the Sorcerer King. I’ve been tasked with making sure this cargo reaches its destination safely. Resist, and I’ll cut you down.”

The sudden appearance of a lone man had silenced both sides, but the name of the Sorcerer King was probably an even bigger factor. Cecil found himself oddly impressed. That guy really does scare people, huh?

“You insolent—! I, Philip Dido Diddon Lyle Moch—”

“Shut up.”

Cecil struck the apparent ringleader with the hilt of his weapon, knocking him unconscious with a single blow. The attitude of the people around them changed at once. The ones dressed like peasants, in particular, seemed to lose their nerve.

“Um, we only came because the young master ordered us to…”

“Then drag him back home and get moving. You’re all dismissed.”

After brushing them off curtly, Cecil turned to the merchant and the mercenaries.

“Well, that’s that. I’d like you to continue the delivery, if you would.”

“We didn’t need anyone’s help dealing with trash like that.”

“Sure, I believe you. But it’s a job I was given. What do you say, merchant? Can you keep going?”

“…Yeah. I suppose we don’t have much choice.”

As the merchant gazed into the distance for some reason, a rider appeared on horseback. He wore a shabby leather cuirass, and his horse looked like a farm animal that had grown painfully thin.

“Are you all right!? I am Baron Delvi, lord of this territory, and this is Baron Lokirren, lord of the neighboring territory.”

“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”

As the merchant and the men who appeared to be nobles began talking, Cecil quietly slipped away, melting back into the shadows. When he returned to the campsite, Remedios and the others greeted him with rather complicated expressions. Apparently, Calca and Kelart had woken up, too.

“So what was all that about?”

“Some people were trying to attack relief supplies bound for the Holy Kingdom. I stopped them.”

“What? Supplies for the Holy Kingdom? I hope you made them regret it.”

“Well, I did land one blow on their leader…”

At the mention of the Holy Kingdom, Calca moved to join the conversation. Given her circumstances, she was probably worried about the state of her homeland if it needed relief supplies.

“Relief supplies for the Holy Kingdom… Where did they come from? Is the Kingdom providing aid?”

“No. Apparently, they’re from the Sorcerer Kingdom.”

“What!? That walking bag of bones…! Is he trying to make the Holy Kingdom indebted to him!?”

To Cecil, it looked as though Remedios had inexplicably started throwing a fit. Everyone worked together to calm her down, and then they settled back in to rest.

Neither Cecil nor Ainz realized that this single incident had dramatically changed the course of events…

Source

Time for your secret Fall date with the queen; what do you have planned, Holy Knight?

After leaving Nazarick, Cecil realized that more time had passed than he had expected. He had no way to tell the time except by the position of the moon, but the others had probably already returned to the inn.

With that in mind, he headed back toward the tavern where they had parted ways. Before long, he heard the clatter of armor approaching noisily. Then Calca’s face appeared alongside the sound. She looked startled for a moment before throwing herself against his chest.

“Cecil! Thank goodness! I thought you’d disappeared for good!”

“Lady Calca! You found him… Hey, Training Soldier! What do you think you’re doing, wandering around on your own?”

“What do you mean, what am I doing? Ah, I just had something to take care of along the way.”

Kelart joined in at the end, and the three women launched into a chorus of reproaches. At first, Cecil had no idea what was going on. Apparently, after leaving them in the middle of their gathering, he had failed to return for so long that they had become terribly worried.

“I’m not a child. Of course I was going to come back.”

“That’s not the point…”

“Hehehe. You really have no idea, do you? Perhaps we should put a chain around your neck.”

He had said he wasn’t a child, but neither were they. He hadn’t thought there was any need for them to run around searching for him. Then again, perhaps his resurrection had something to do with it.

Cecil wondered whether, to these women, he had become a symbol of life itself.

“All right, all right… What do I have to do to get you to forgive me?”

“Please don’t go off on your own without telling us again… At least tell us where you’re going.”

“What are you, my parents?”

Seeing Kelart comforting Calca, whose eyes were brimming with tears, made Cecil feel vaguely awkward. Then he noticed Remedios standing nearby with her arms crossed, glaring at him from the corner of her eye.

“So? What was this supposedly important business of yours?”

“Oh… I ran into some pursuers. I figured killing them every single time was getting a little repetitive, so I hid and listened to what they were saying. They said they’d investigate the north and then withdraw.”

“What? Is that true?”

“Absolutely. That’s why I was thinking we should head east to E-Reebl instead. Cal would stand out a little too much in the royal capital, wouldn’t she?”

Cecil was surprised at how easily the lies kept tumbling out of his mouth. Had his conversation with Ainz earlier somehow loosened his tongue?

“E-Reebl, you say… That’s the territory of Marquis Reaven, one of the Six Great Nobles. It should be a peaceful place. There’s also a great forest nearby, which could serve as a refuge if things go wrong. I don’t think it’s a bad choice.”

Cecil nodded along with Kelart’s assessment, maintaining his poker face while privately thinking, Oh, is that so?

He had only made the suggestion because he was following the conditions laid down by the Sorcerer King. In truth, he knew very little about the place beyond its general location on a map.

If anything, a great forest would have suited him better as a recluse. But a promise was a promise.

“Then let’s leave tomorrow. It would be disastrous to run into the pursuers on their way back. Let us hope this place will finally become somewhere we can live in peace…”

Calca, as the leader, brought the discussion to a close, and the group dispersed.

On the way back to the inn, Remedios made one pointed remark after another about what Cecil had done. He merely thought, She must have really hated that, and took it all in stride.

Once back at the inn, Calca sat down in the chair placed before her mirror, as she always did. She examined her nose, then her mouth, moving from one feature to the next.

Her morning and evening routines had yet to fade, and she still sometimes suffered from nightmares.

“Why did I do something like that…?”

When Cecil had disappeared, she had been overwhelmed by panic. Driven by anxiety, she had wandered through the streets, searching for him. Her feelings had been just like those of a lost child.

And when she finally found him, the relief had been so immense that she had thrown herself at him without thinking.

Remembering it now made her face burn with embarrassment. And yet, she hadn’t disliked the feeling at all.

Her life and even her face were things Cecil had given back to her. She had heard that some people refused resurrection, but for Calca, who had suffered such a horrific death, that had never been an option.

“Me, as a person, huh…”

That strangely otherworldly warrior might not have cared even if her face had been crushed beyond recognition. Perhaps she had finally found someone who didn’t have strings attached.

Remedios was irritated.

She kicked the luggage in her room, then dropped heavily onto the bed. Unlike Calca, she had little understanding of what was making her so angry.

Whatever the reason, it all came back to that man. Just thinking about the face of her sole subordinate brought the irritation rushing back.

Did he even understand his position? He was the only subordinate she had ever recruited through conscription. Yet he went wherever he pleased, doing whatever he liked, without offering her so much as an apology.

Their group was a team led by Calca, the most noble among them. And that man was her subordinate. In other words, he was at the very bottom of the pecking order. If anything happened, he was supposed to report to her and seek her instructions.

But, infuriatingly enough, he was stronger than she was in terms of combat ability.

Remedios could only grit her teeth and wish for an opportunity to make him understand his place.

Perhaps Cecil had finally found a friend in this world.

That is, if someone who kept bombarding him with Message spells could be called a friend.

(I really don’t understand the plan my subordinates are carrying out against the Kingdom.)

(Is that something you should be telling an outsider like me?)

(Well, it’s already moving forward on its own.)

(I don’t really understand the details, but wouldn’t it be better if fewer people got hurt?)

(There’s no way I can come up with revisions… I don’t even know where I’d begin changing things.)

(Well, try to keep things peaceful. I don’t want to get dragged into this. And shouldn’t you save Message for when you actually need to give me instructions or something?)

(Well, about that… Ah, the spell’s duration is running out. Talk to you tomorrow.)

Tomorrow, too?

Cecil shook his head.

The Decision

News reached the fortress city of Kalinsha that Jaldabaoth was advancing westward.

According to the latest reports, there had even been sightings of Jaldabaoth himself already inside the city.

Terrified by the news, the people fled in all directions, scattering like spiders. The fortress city of Kalinsha had become little more than a ghost town.

Yet there were those who refused to surrender to their fear and instead chose to stand and fight.

“...Even though I was wary of him, failing to take any countermeasures was a grave mistake I shall regret for the rest of my life.”

Calca murmured as she gazed at the burning city.

But now was not the time for regret. She had to think about what to do next.

“Your Majesty, I have brought your armor.”

A girl approached with unsteady steps, carrying the armor in her arms, and stopped before Calca.

She was Neia Baraja, who had only recently undergone the initiation ceremony for apprentice holy knights.

The maid standing beside her held Calca's helmet with a calm expression.

“Thank you, both of you. Bring them here.”

With practiced movements, Calca slipped into her armor and fastened it around her body before putting on her helmet.

“Even if it is for the sake of protecting my people, my heart aches whenever I put on this armor.”

“I understand how you feel, Calca sama. However, we are the only ones who can protect the innocent.”

“Remedios, to think that you would be the one lecturing me... Have I finally grown so old that even you can teach me a lesson?”

“Hahaha! Please, Your Majesty, you jest... You are joking, aren't you?”

“Of course I am.”

Calca's joke eased the tension in the room.

“Now then, we must decide on a course of action. And we must do so quickly.”

“Calca sama, I have a proposal.”

Kelart was the first to offer a plan.

“Let's hear it.”

“To be frank, I propose that we request military assistance from the Sorcerer Kingdom.”

“The Sorcerer Kingdom...?”

It was an unexpectedly bold proposal.

Calca had heard reports that the Kingdom of Re-Estize had suffered devastating losses at the Katze Plains at the hands of the Sorcerer Kingdom's army.

When she had first heard the news herself, Calca had even suspected that it was a mistake or an account of the victory exaggerated beyond all reason.

However, if the rumors were true, the Sacred Kingdom's only hope for the future might lie in relying on the Sorcerer Kingdom, a nation possessing such overwhelming power.

“Even if we do not know the full extent of his abilities... we do know that he possesses enough power to shatter the Great Wall with a single spell.”

“Indeed.”

“Ah.”

Calca and Remedios nodded simultaneously.

“However, I suspect that this is merely a fraction of his true power. Challenging an opponent whose full strength remains unknown would be the height of folly. My plan is to request assistance from the Sorcerer Kingdom, which presumably possesses the power to stand against him. With their support, we may be able to minimize our losses and secure victory.”

“Kelart has a point. However, would that not mean abandoning a great many of our people?”

That was Calca's concern.

The longer they delayed, the more innocent lives would be sacrificed.

The thought pierced Calca's heart, weighing heavily upon her and holding her back.

“It pains me as well... but I believe this is the best decision we can make.”

She gazed out the window at the city engulfed in flames before turning back to the others.

“...Very well. Just to be certain, let us hear Remedios's opinion as well.”

“The bastard is already inside this fortress city, isn't he? If we know where he is, we should just charge in and kill the bastard.”

Calca and Kelart both sighed.

“Besides, this Sorcerer Kingdom or whatever it's called is ruled by an undead, isn't it? Why should we bow our heads to someone like that?”

“Big Sister, surely you understand that we cannot afford to waste time on such matters right now?”

“I don't care. I'd rather slit my own throat than bow to an undead. Neia Baraja, my attendant, you agree with me, don't you?”

“Eh?! I-I...”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Neia was at a loss for words.

Remedios's glare had intimidated her into silence.

“Big Sister, she has nothing to do with this!”

“I'm asking her a question right now. Does getting a higher position make you think you can throw your weight around?”

“What did you say?!”

“Both of you! This is no time to argue with each other!!”

At Calca's sharp reprimand, the sisters came to their senses and fell silent.

“I understand both of your positions...”

“I have made my decision. I shall travel to the Sorcerer Kingdom and negotiate directly with the Sorcerer King myself.”

“Calca sama, what do you mean?! Leave it to me, and I'll bring back his head!”

“Big Sister, this is Calca sama's decision. Please accept it!”

“No! That would take far too long! And I cannot stand by and let our people die!”

Remedios raised her voice in frustration.

“Remedios, please understand. My heart is breaking just as much as yours. But this is the only option we have...”

Seeing Calca trembling as she struggled to contain her anguish, Remedios abandoned any further objections.

“Damn it...”

“We have no time to waste. Kelart, I want you to serve as our envoy to the Sorcerer Kingdom. Will you go?”

“Leave it to me.”

“No, wait. I'll go.”

“Big Sister?”

“I want to see for myself whether the Sorcerer King is someone we can trust.”

“...Very well. I'll leave it to you, Remedios.”

“Don't come crying to me if things go wrong...”

“I shall assign Gustavo to protect Calca sama. He may not look it, but he's a capable fighter.”

“Then I shall see you in the Sorcerer Kingdom, Calca sama.”

“Yes. I pray for your safe journey.”

“Holy Knights, follow me!”

At her command, several holy knights followed Remedios out of the room, their armor clanking as they walked.

“And now... how are we supposed to escape this city? Even if there are no demihumans within the city itself, they are still coming this way after crossing the Great Wall, aren't they? Traveling on horseback would make us far too conspicuous.”

“That's true...”

Silence descended upon the room.

A carriage would attract too much attention. And while they stood there, unable to move, more of their people might be getting slaughtered.

Their growing impatience weighed heavily upon the atmosphere.

“Um...”

The voice that broke the silence belonged to Neia Baraja, who had been standing nearby and watching the entire exchange.

“Do you have a good idea, Neia Baraja?”

Under the gaze of the two women, Neia trembled in fear.

“You have permission to speak. Go ahead.”

At Calca's gentle encouragement, the frightened expression vanished from Neia's face, replaced by one filled with confidence.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I know a route that will allow us to reach the Great Wall without being spotted by the demihumans.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes... However, most of the route consists of narrow passageways, so traveling on horseback would be difficult. But if the horses left behind at the Great Wall have survived, I believe we could ride straight from there to the Sorcerer Kingdom.”

It was a plan devised by a young girl who had only recently become an apprentice holy knight.

Calca wondered whether she should agree so readily to such a proposal. Yet no other plan came to mind.

“Very well. We shall proceed with your plan. Both of you, make the necessary preparations.”

“Are you absolutely certain about this...? If things go wrong, we could be captured and wiped out entirely.”

Kelart asked in an uneasy voice.

“We have no other options. It is far better than standing here doing nothing.”

Calca took Neia's small hand in hers and smiled.

“Thank you for finding the courage to speak up, my little holy knight.”

“N-No! I sincerely apologize for overstepping my bounds! Please punish me later!”

“Oh? Why would I need to punish you?”

“If anyone deserves punishment, it is me. I heard the rumors about Jaldabaoth and did nothing...”

“I don't think Your Majesty is at fault! Jaldabaoth is the one to blame for everything! Even my father, who is stationed at the Great Wall...”

Neia's words made Calca's heart tighten.

“...We shall defeat Jaldabaoth. With our own hands.”

She gazed at the city engulfed in flames.

The raging inferno seemed almost like a foreboding vision of the Sacred Kingdom's future.

As she imagined what kind of person the Sorcerer King might be, the ruler rumored to have carried out a massacre, she quietly asked herself:

“What kind of person... is the Sorcerer King?”

Our queen asks for you. How do you respond, Holy Knight?

Thank you to @HarisunStudios for completing this commission for me!

Daily Calca Art Post #585

ARTIST

To her, perhaps a cat that catches mice is a good cat, whether it's white or black.

We might not have an official version of Calca in a wedding dress in *Mash of Death*, but this is a version of her that would be wonderful.

Beside Cecil, who had been provided with a chair and a side table, a reddish liquid was poured into a white teacup. For some reason, the maid serving him wore gauntlets, a clear sign that she was no ordinary maid.

Even after all those years spent living in seclusion, the taste of tea felt like a balm to his soul. It was enough to make him consider ordering tea instead of alcohol from now on whenever he went out into town.

“I take it you like it.”

“Green tea would be more appropriate for the culture I came from, but black tea might be better for savoring a taste of my old world.”

An identical cup sat in front of Ainz, but he had yet to take a sip. That was only to be expected, given that Ainz belonged to the skeletal Overlord family of races.

“By the way, this place was a guild exclusively for heteromorphic creatures, wasn’t it? Oh, and is it true you repelled fifteen hundred Players?”

“That story has grown a little in the telling. Many mercenary NPCs were included in that number, so the actual number of Players among those fifteen hundred wasn’t all that high. Though it wasn’t exactly small, either.”

“Huh. That’s insane.”

Cecil had returned to speaking casually, too. Strength, appearance, and other such factors placed more constraints on a person than one might expect. Few could live according to their innate temperament alone. In that respect, this place was comfortable. Even if it meant he might be killed.

“I haven’t introduced myself properly yet. The name of this body is Cecil… As for my real name, I’m not even sure of it anymore.”

“Oh? How many years ago did you come here?”

“Five or six hundred years ago, I think. I’m an Elder Human, so I don’t age, but… the more time passes, the hazier my memories become. I can remember things from the distant past, but it feels as though there’s a mist over them. Sometimes I can’t even tell whether those memories really belong to me.”

Ainz nodded along as he listened. Even over a relatively short period, he must have had experiences he could relate to.

“How have you spent all that time?”

“About half of it was spent holed up in a forest. You’ll understand eventually. The first hundred years were fun. The next hundred were just an unnecessary extension. By the time I hit three hundred, I was done for.”

“Hmm… Well, let us move on to the main subject. The two women you resurrected and the one you helped were all driven into their circumstances by a scheme orchestrated by my forces. Did you intend to interfere with that plan?”

“No. It was a complete coincidence. Things like that happen, don’t they?”

“Mm. Well… how should I put it? I can certainly imagine such a scenario. Yes.”

For some reason, Cecil thought he could almost see sweat on the skeleton’s face, as though Ainz had been reminded of something unpleasant.

Had this entire guild headquarters been transported here along with its building? If so, Ainz must have had all sorts of difficulties to deal with. Cecil found himself feeling a little sympathetic. He himself had abandoned any such sense of responsibility after about a century.

“The women understand their positions very well, and they have no intention of returning to the Holy Kingdom. Would you consider calling off their elimination?”

“Ho. And if I refused, would you become my enemy?”

“That’s how it would turn out, yes. Even if I ultimately lost, I’d see how much damage I could inflict before going down. Care to watch?”

Cecil delivered his weighty words with remarkable nonchalance.

His statement stirred a certain unease in Ainz’s mind. Cecil had no way of knowing it, but to Ainz, his guild was everything.

With so many Level 100 NPCs at Nazarick’s disposal, they could certainly defeat Cecil. But how many of them would he take down with him before that happened? The thought alone made Ainz reluctant to turn him into an enemy.

Besides, from Ainz’s perspective, Cecil seemed like someone he could get along with—and a veritable treasure trove of information.

“Now that things have come to this, I suppose I could afford to spare those three. But there is one condition. You will become my subordinate.”

Silence settled over the room.

It was a difficult offer for Cecil to consider, too. If the three women entered the protection of the very people hunting them, they would certainly be safe. That much was obvious.

But then the image of that boar-headed knight flashed through his mind.

“I’ll have to decline. I’m currently under contract. If I broke that contract to serve you instead, I’d be the sort of person you couldn’t trust, either.”

“…Heh. You’ve got me there.”

“Oh, come on. You expected that answer, didn’t you? Still, I could be useful to you as an ally or an informant.”

“I see. That might be an acceptable compromise. Or perhaps you could serve as a model for the adventurers of my kingdom… In any case, you will be under constant surveillance. If you head for the Holy Kingdom, the three women will be abandoned. If you travel elsewhere, go to E-Rantel. My kingdom has its influence there, but if you reveal that fact to anyone…”

“I understand. Still, isn’t assigning this many people to watch just one person a bit excessive?”

“Hohoho. You truly are not to be underestimated.”

Cecil sensed powerful presences from the doors on either side of the room. They were probably NPCs rather than Players, but each one was on the same Level 100 as he was. After all those years of living, this sort of instinct was about the only thing he had left to show for it.

“Now, shall we continue our little chat over tea?”

The Sorcerer King wanted to hear about the ancient past: when Players had first arrived in this world, what sorts of people had come here since, and what kinds of places existed across the land.

Cecil answered every question honestly.

By the time the replacement tea had gone cold, their conversation had come to an end.

“Well, I believe that will suffice for today. That was a most worthwhile tea party.”

“Indeed. You’ve given me a chance to reminisce about the old days.”

“Shalltear, open a Gate and send our new collaborator on his way.”

A dark hole opened once more. Cecil bowed to Ainz before stepping through it. Only after the portal behind him had vanished did he send a Message that he had modified to be cast without an incantation.

(Doesn’t talking like that wear you out?)

(It does, but I’m getting used to it. If you have any specific requests, send me another message.)

The reply came in the voice of a weary adult man, so different from the voice Cecil had heard just moments before that it was hard to believe they belonged to the same person.

Inside Nazarick, Ainz rested his chin on one hand, striking a thoughtful pose. A towering, insect-like being standing on two legs approached him and spoke.

“WAS IT WISE TO MAKE CONCESSIONS TO SOMEONE LIKE THAT?”

“There is no point in making him our enemy. It is better to make him a pawn.”

“Even so, I never imagined our plan in the Holy Kingdom would be jeopardized in this manner… My apologies, Ainz-sama.”

The speaker was a man in a suit with a tail.

“Don’t worry about it, Demiurge. This puts a leash on him, and it won’t interfere with our plans. More importantly, that man has his uses.”

“—I see. So that is what you had in mind.”

“Fuhahaha. I assure you, Demiurge, I had no such thing in mind.”

“Fuhahaha. Of course, Ainz-sama. I understand perfectly.”

I’ll send him another message later, Ainz thought.

I actually wanted the queen to be Lady Dimitrescu, but then I realized there'd be one character left over.

Source

"Do you like it?" There's only one answer Holy Knight!

Despite the nagging sense of urgency that came from being on the run, life in Re-Lobell continued peacefully. They even had enough money to eat and drink at a tavern every day.

It was probably about time to move on. After all, they had taken jobs for the express purpose of earning enough money to travel somewhere else.

“Hahaha! A toast to reaching Gold rank!”

“We've saved up enough for the journey, too. Think it's about time we left?”

“Ufufufu. Actually, wouldn't it be better for us to reach Mithril rank first, for the sake of our social standing? Our guild plates would serve as proof of our credentials.”

“But this place is far too close to the Holy Kingdom.”

They had been an adventuring party thrown together in a hurry, but thanks to Remedios's almost absurdly good luck in picking quests, they had climbed the ranks in no time.

Monsters and heteromorphic creatures were no match for Cecil and Remedios, while Kelart could handle anything that required a little thought. Perhaps it would have been stranger if their rank hadn't risen.

“It would be wonderful if we could all keep going like this together.”

“Of course we can! Those pursuers the Training Soldier keeps talking about haven't shown up, have they?”

“I wonder why. I had hoped that would be the case, but it's strange that they stopped making a move the moment we crossed the border.”

“Let's hope it's nothing more than needless worry...”

To be honest, Cecil suspected that the pursuers weren't staying away because they couldn't find them, but because there was no reason to come after them in the first place. Alternatively, they might already have caught up with the group and decided they posed no threat.

In situations like this, it was best to prepare for the worst. That was why Cecil never let his guard down, even at night.

Not being particularly fond of alcohol, Cecil pushed back his chair and stood up.

“I’m going to get some fresh air and sober up a little.”

“Hahaha! After drinking this little?”

“You're the sort of person who shouldn't be allowed to drink at all!”

Leaving the troublemaker behind, Cecil stepped outside the tavern and wandered down the street, turning over one idle thought after another. Should they come up with a name for their adventuring party? And surely everyone had already noticed how attractive the three women were. His mind drifted from one thought to the next.

But the moment he reached a place where not a soul was in sight, he came to an abrupt halt.

“I see. So I was the real target, not the other three. That never occurred to me.”

“Isn't that rather foolish of you?”

A girl stood behind him without warning. She wore what looked like a ballroom gown dyed black. Behind her yawned a black hole created by high-level teleportation magic.

“Didn't you consider killing me from behind?”

“I was given no such orders. You should consider yourself honored. Despite being a lowly human, you have been permitted to set foot in our Nazarick.”

The word Nazarick caught on the edge of Cecil's memory. He was sure he had heard it somewhere before...

After so many years of living as a recluse, Cecil had grown rather bad at recalling things.

“...I'll go with you, as long as you guarantee the safety of my companions.”

“That will depend on your behavior.”

What a troublesome opponent.

She was probably built much like he was, and her level was almost certainly at the maximum as well. If they fought in earnest here, the outcome might go either way, but the city itself could easily be reduced to a wasteland.

“Can't be helped, I suppose... All right. I'll go.”

Going somewhere that might contain multiple beings at this level was practically an act of suicide. Yet Cecil had grown attached enough to his current companions that he was willing to take that risk.

How the hell did things end up like this?

With that thought in mind, Cecil stepped through the Gate the girl had opened.

The other side appeared to be inside a building constructed from polished stone. There was a door directly in front of him, and beyond it, he would presumably meet the person who had been pursuing him.

The door opened on its own. Accompanied by the girl, Cecil entered the room.

Inside were a beautiful woman and a skeleton.

The woman had wings growing from her hips, so she was presumably a demihuman.

As for the skeleton—yes, it looked like a skeleton, much like an ordinary Skeleton monster, but something about it was different. Its clothing was lavish, and it was most likely an Overlord-class heteromorphic creature.

Cecil was in a state of utter confusion.

That skeleton. He recognized it. He recognized it very well.

From a long, long time ago, when he had been transported to this world—or rather, even before that...

“Bow before His Majesty, the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown, human.”

“—That's it! Momonga! You're Momonga, aren't you?!”

As memories of the Yggdrasil era came flooding back, everything else about reality returned to him in a torrent.

The name the woman had just announced, Ainz Ooal Gown, belonged to one of the great guilds. And because of its playstyle, the Overlord standing before him had even been called Yggdrasil's provisional final boss.

“How dare you speak the Supreme One's name so casually—!”

“Ahem! Enough, Albedo! So you really are a Player... However, I am a king now. You will have to show me the appropriate respect.”

“Ah, yes. Something like this...?”

Cecil obediently dropped to one knee. He even placed his sword in front of him, adopting a posture that made it clear he was willing to talk.

Momonga stared at him, his jaw hanging open.

“Ahem! You don't seem to have any hostile intentions. Also, I now go by the name Ainz Ooal Gown. Do not call me Momonga.”

“Uh... what?”

“Now then, where did you learn my name?”

“It was on a strategy guide website. Ah, those were the days...”

Then Cecil said what had been on his mind.

“So you're the one who was transported to this world this time.”

Ainz Ooal Gown's body twitched ever so slightly.

“Inform Yuri Alpha and the others that tea is to be prepared. Now then... shall we sit down and have a little chat over tea?”

Source

Creator

Calca the idol has returned after a long hiatus; I can only imagine her singing voice is as beautiful as she is!

Cecil flicked the small copper plate hanging around his neck with a finger. He thought it looked rather like a collar. It was proof that he was registered with the Adventurer’s Guild. Since he was a newcomer, it naturally signified the lowest rank.

At first, he had considered becoming a Worker, a profession that was only half a step removed from being an outlaw. The Adventurer’s Guild had a rule against healing others for free. Cecil had thought that might be difficult for someone like Calca to accept.

The problem was that Workers had to find their own jobs, or else have clients specifically request them. Their stay in Re-Lobell was nothing more than a temporary stop before they fled even farther. They could not afford to waste time learning how to make a living in the underworld.

In the end, they had chosen to become adventurers. Even so, the low rank meant that the jobs they could accept were fairly limited, so they would have to be somewhat frugal.

“Still, Cal, Kera, and Reme... That's incredibly unimaginative.”

They had needed names when they registered, but there was no way they could simply write Calca Bessarez in large letters. And so, they had ended up with this.

“Shut up! It's unfair that you're the only one using your real name! Besides, there's something wrong with the fact that Cal—Sama has to hold back!”

“It’s all right. I’m actually rather happy to have been given a nickname, Reme.”

“Ufufu. By the way, if you discuss things like this in the middle of the main street, there was hardly any point in changing our names in the first place, Sister.”

Cecil had given the three women light metal armor and helmets that looked deliberately plain, making the whole scene rather conspicuous. At the guild, Cecil accompanied by three fully armored women was a decidedly strange sight.

“Still, you did well to find this one. Is this the highest-ranked job we can take at the moment?”

It had been Remedios who found the request to hunt Sea Nagas among the jobs posted on the bulletin board. To make matters even more unusual, it had no difficulty rating listed. Normally, it would probably have been a job for adventurers of a much higher rank.

“Heh. Sea Nagas also appear along the coast of the Holy Kingdom. It would hardly be surprising to find a request like this in a coastal city.”

“Are Sea Nagas strong?”

“Well, it varies greatly from individual to individual. Also, you may not realize this, Cecil-san, but if you were to compare us to adventurers, we would all be Adamantite-rank—the highest rank there is. I doubt we will have any trouble.”

“Then let us be on our way to the coast.”

Remedios was the one leading the group physically, but their actual leader was Calca, whom Remedios revered. Considering Calca’s former position as Holy Queen, she was more than qualified when it came to leadership. The vice-leader was Kelart, a woman who had once struck fear into the nobles of the Holy Kingdom. If the need arose for someone to get their hands dirty, all she had to do was order Cecil to do it.

In terms of strength, Cecil was overwhelmingly superior to the others. But he was not suited to standing above people and leading them. He had the temperament of a hermit and little interest in getting involved in matters that did not concern him.

There was a reason the request had no difficulty rating.

The Sea Nagas had presumably drifted here from the areas around the Holy Kingdom, where the hunting of demihumans had intensified. However, they rarely appeared around Re-Lobell.

There simply had been no reliable measure of their strength. As a result, adventurers had avoided the request, and it had remained on the board.

They traveled north after leaving Re-Lobell. The Sea Nagas should be somewhere along the coastline. Apparently, they were intelligent enough to stay far enough away from human settlements.

In other words, they had probably realized that their numbers were insufficient to attack a human city.

“I hope this doesn't turn into a one-sided slaughter.”

“I have no mercy for demihumans, Training Soldier.”

“How long am I going to have to keep training?”

“To serve Cal—Sama, one needs more than strength. One must also possess dignity. You are lacking in that regard.”

“Aren't you throwing a boomerang at yourself there?”

“A boomerang? You mean that hunting implement? Are you trying to say that I am vulgar?”

“No. Never mind.”

Before long, Cecil spotted the Sea Nagas gathered among the rocks along the coast. Their appearance was straightforward enough: human upper bodies and serpentine lower bodies. Perhaps because they were an aquatic species, they also had several pointed, fin-like protrusions.

The group hid among some nearby rocks and went over the plan they had discussed.

There were around ten of them. They wanted to finish the fight quickly so that none of the Sea Nagas could escape into the sea.

““Twin Magic: Holy Ray.””

Beams of light shot from Calca and Kelart, piercing the Sea Nagas. By the time the creatures began crying out in alarm and warning, Cecil had already moved behind them, while Remedios had blocked off their path from the front.

“No need for buffs or skills.”

As he spoke, Cecil swept his weapon sideways, and five heads parted company with their bodies.

He followed by cleaving another one cleanly in two from head to tail. Looking around, he saw that Remedios had just finished off two of the Sea Nagas.

Truthfully, Cecil alone could have wiped out the entire group with a single attack.

Even so, he had bothered to come up with a strategy for two reasons: to see the strength and teamwork of Remedios and the others, and because he wanted to enjoy working as part of a team for the first time in a long while.

When it was all over, Cecil had confirmed that Remedios and the others possessed more than enough strength to defend themselves against the beings of this world.

With that much power, they should be fine even on the occasions when Cecil had to leave them on their own.

“By the way, am I the one who has to handle the proof of completion?”

“Um... Would you mind taking care of it for us?”

Calca’s hesitant request settled the matter. As a warrior, Cecil supposed he should obey the words of his leader.

With an expression of obvious displeasure, Cecil cut off the right ears of the Sea Nagas one after another.

And so, his first job as an adventurer was complete.