Chapter 2: Nazarick–style Traveling Experience

Wasn’t it better to fell the trees and then start forest fires if they wanted to destroy the Elven villages? The forest was not completely dry, but it was also not overly humid. As long as they take care of their surroundings when they start the fires, destroying the Elven villages should be simple.

(They intend to take the Elves as slaves in order to avoid burning them down? In that case, it appears that the Theocracy isn’t that pressed... perhaps there’s just that much of a disparity in their forces’ strength.)

He didn’t see any burned patches of forest from the sky, but he couldn’t be sure because he was so high above the ground. If Aura had been here, she might have noticed.

(And those lights over there should be the Theocracy’s vanguard...)

Because humans couldn’t see in the dark, the larger their encampment, the more likely it was visible from afar. However, due to a variety of factors, particularly his position in the sky, it was difficult to determine the distance between the camp and the capital. He had no idea how long it would take the army to reach the capital if they proceeded straight through the forest. Ainz believed he had seen everything he needed, so he used [Greater Teleportation]. If he stayed in the sky without any cover, he was easily visible from the ground. Even though it was night, he couldn’t be careless because there were many people with superior vision.

Of course, if the other side noticed him, he could easily flee before they could reach him at a height of thousands of meters. Still, there was no point in informing others about his presence here. As a result, Ainz did not dispel [Perfect Unknowable]. According to Ainz’s analysis of the information he gathered, the majority of the living beings in this world were weak. Nonetheless, he couldn’t say with certainty that no one was equal to him in areas about which he knew nothing. As a result, he should proceed with the assumption that “maybe” they exist. Because the enemy could plan countermeasures if information about him was leaked, revealing a card of his was a step closer to his defeat.

(So the next stop should be the Elven capital.)

It was late at night. The forest was dark with little moonlight, but that didn’t bother Ainz. He descended from the sky using [Fly], float just above the ground to avoid stepping on the undergrowth, and advanced towards his target. He was already aware of how far the Theocracy’s army had advanced. He then needed to gather information in the Elven Royal Capital. The area in front of him gradually expanded. Elven houses were constructed from short, stout trees known as Elf Trees, and the Royal Capital, where many of them were gathered, resembled a forest.

The construction was the same as in any other Elven village, but it was especially striking given the expected population. Perhaps it was because they were more dense in the capital, but it was enough to put even him under pressure. Ainz wanted to avoid the place because it reminded him of his previous gray-tinted world. As a result, the trees surrounding the Royal Capital were cleared and converted into a large grass field. That was not a natural occurrence, but rather something the Elves did to protect the capital. It increased visibility, making it more difficult for an enemy to approach the capital without being seen.

(But on the other hand, this could be interpreted as the Elf Tree’s survival strategy.)

He didn’t think anything strange when he heard that the Elves used magic to grow Elf Trees, but perhaps the Elf Trees were using the Elves to multiply themselves. He imagined Elf Trees as a type of monster. He should probably look into it further to see if they were intelligent. Ainz tried to look ahead as he considered how to investigate this and whether or not to entrust it to Mare. Guards should be on the lookout, surveying the open grasslands. It would be difficult to break through without the use of magic.

However, an Aura-level ranger should be able to do so. High-level rangers could remain hidden even when there was no cover. If the level difference was large enough, the observer might not notice anything out of the ordinary even if they met the ranger’s gaze. Aura had told him that a highly skilled ranger’s stealth abilities were good enough to fool you into thinking they were nothing more than a pebble on the road, but Ainz was skeptical. He had tried hiding Aura on their journey here, but Ainz was more or less able to detect her when she didn’t use magic items or special abilities to boost her skills.

Because Aura’s levels were split between ranger and beast tamer, and Ainz was simply overleveled, his base stats were high. Ainz regretted not being able to witness what Aura had described. Aside from that, Ainz lacked the stealth necessary to infiltrate the Royal Capital without the use of magic. So he cast [Perfect Unknowable] and transformed into an elf with illusion magic on top. Though breaking through his [Perfect Unknowable] would be difficult given the strength of the average individual in this world, he still had to be cautious, just like when flying in the sky.

That’s why he went so far as to create an illusion. He never imagined for a moment that he knew everything there was to know about the unique abilities and skills of this world. After all, Ainz’s knowledge stemmed from his time in Yggdrasil, which was far from perfect. He should assume that the other side, like Ainz, is constantly using an ability to see through invisibility. As part of his stealth setup, Ainz wore a magical item called the Ghillie-Ghillie Mantle. Despite covering himself in layers of stealth, he also planned measures to deceive the enemy if he was discovered. One can never be too cautious.

(Let’s get started.)

After he reached the boundary between the forest and the grassland—there was no cover to be found further in—Ainz observed the capital. He could see Elves making rounds on the bridges connecting the outer circle of trees that made up the Royal Capital. They were probably equivalent to a city’s walls, the bridges being the allures on said walls. He didn’t know if they lacked the skills to see through his [Perfect Unknowable] or were just not paying attention, but the soldiers didn’t act like they had noticed him. Well, he was going through all this trouble to stay hidden. It would have been embarrassing if they managed to find him so quickly. 

Ainz took out a scroll after ensuring that he would not be seen by those soldiers. He hesitated before activating the scroll. He began again—and paused. He had promised himself that he would use it before coming here, but he couldn’t help but feel that it was a waste. Every time a thought flashed through his mind that there should be a better way, he became hesitant to activate the scroll. He wouldn’t have hesitated if he was fighting for his life—but the fact that he wasn’t in such a dire situation was the source of his hesitation. After some time, Ainz was able to clear his mind and activate the scroll. He would have hesitated again if he had considered anything. The spell that was activated was [God’s Eye].

A 9th-tier spell that created an invisible and intangible eye. This was most likely the first time he’d used it since his encounter with the lizardmen. It had a much greater range than [Remote Viewing] and could also pass through obstacles like walls. While this spell was excellent for spying, it wasn’t the absolute best. Even though it was invisible, second-tier detection spells could easily detect it. Furthermore, despite the fact that it was intangible, the caster would receive damage as feedback if it was destroyed in an attack.

Since this was also considered divination, the opponent could find his location through anti-divination measures, or an attack could come flying over if it triggered any automated defenses. The main issue was that this eye itself didn’t have any HP and wouldn’t use Ainz’s level or defenses. Even so, as it was far better than going over there and directly observing, it was sometimes valuable. It flew at a constant speed—but so slow that Ainz felt a bit impatient—and finally reached the city walls. Three Elf guards equipped with bows patrolled as a team, but no one noticed the approaching [God’s Eye].

(It appears that no one has anti-invisibility abilities here... but I can’t be certain that no Elves have classes with such abilities.)

If they noticed the eye, there was no reason for them to ignore it, so he should be correct. He shouldn’t be careless, though, because it was their first intel-gathering mission in a previously unknown location. The [God’s Eye] of Ainz passed beneath the walkways and into the capital. He quickly returned the eye after it had just entered the city and placed it in front of the three guards from before. They appeared to be talking about something, but they hadn’t noticed the eye.

“Phew. Everything is fine...”

Ainz let out a sigh of relief. Guild bases, like Nazarick’s, had traps that activated when invaded, weakening or nullifying specific types of magic. They could, for example, break [Invisibility], reduce the strength of the holy element, and so on. Ainz checked to see if there were any such traps in the Elven city. He’d have to double-check the city’s important-looking locations, but the mundane parts didn’t appear to be a problem. He didn’t want to spend too much time worrying about keeping [Perfect Unknowable]. He didn’t have much leeway left with the mana he’d be left with after this. Ainz gradually guided the viewer’s gaze deeper into the city. He was looking for the Elves who lived in trees that corresponded to shops. If he imagined it as a typical town, the shops would be clustered together in a convenient location. Given that they had to keep inventory on hand, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were in the larger trees. Ainz groaned quietly after a while.

“—I can’t find them!”

To the naked eye, this city made of thousands of trees resembled nothing more than a forest. Because it was night, he couldn’t find anything resembling a signboard, and there were no nameplates on the trees. He could see nothing but rows and rows of trees with no distinguishing features. He couldn’t be certain that the tree he was looking at wasn’t the same one he’d just seen. If this were a real city, there would be a main street with shops on both sides. They could also be arranged in a circle around the main square. At first glance, he couldn’t find any such places.

With his previous experience rendered useless, he had no choice but to rely on intuition. This was not a city that would welcome a visitor. It was difficult—no, impossible—to find his target amid all of this. That being said, he didn’t have to finish everything today. They should not rush, but rather proceed slowly and cautiously. Nonetheless, Ainz continued his search for some time after that. He’d already activated [God’s Eye], so he might as well use it until it expired. After his long search, Ainz could only sigh.

(—Repeating the same action while the residents are asleep is useless.)

He should not act without a plan. He should return to the search in the morning, even though it would be riskier. He’d probably figure it out by watching how people moved around. Ainz didn’t know how long it would take him to reach his goal if he didn’t do that. So Ainz chose a random location and sent [God’s Eye] in. The walkways between the trees are used by elves to move around the entrances to their homes, which correspond to the first or second floors of a human house. As a result, he chose to infiltrate from the first floor. It was the same as a thief going through drawers. Starting on the second floor would result in horrible pathing. After passing through the wall, [God’s Eye] flew up until it found elves sleeping on the third floor. He discovered a sleeping father, mother, and two boys. This house appeared to belong to a family.

(I’d heard about it before, but... how primitive...)

The four of them were soundly sleeping on a large number of leaves gathered in what was ostensibly a bedroom. Human villages also used dried grass as a mattress, so this could be related. According to the elves of Nazarick, this was a typical Elven bedroom. Despite the fact that it took a lot of effort to collect a large number of leaves, they could be used for a long time without any problems. When he asked about being bitten by insects, they said a spell was cast on the leaves to keep that from happening. Following that, the children—two boys—were peacefully sleeping with slow, calm breaths.

“Sleep, huh... how did that used to feel?”

He had been in this body for a long time. This body's lack of the three basic needs and its sensitivity to pain were probably the reasons he hadn't collapsed until now, but he still felt guilty about it. He feels nostalgic and envious when he sees such lovely sleeping faces. Even more so when he sees delicious food.

(Gosh...)

Ainz shrugged and activated [Greater Teleportation], landing in front of a large vine curtain. It was not unusual to see such veils made of vines in the forest, but if one looked closely, one would notice that it was cleverly hidden behind a small cottage. For the past few days, their party’s temporary base had been a Green Secret House created by a magical item. Fenrir, who was sitting beside the Green Secret House, slowly stood up to sniff it out, letting out a growl and looking—no, glaring in Ainz’s direction. However, its line of sight was slightly off.

Even Fenrir, like Aura back then, couldn’t completely sense someone being hidden by [Perfect Unknowable]. Instead, it should be praised for feeling Ainz while he maintained [Perfect Unknowable]. Ainz revoked the spell. Fenrir bowed its head, a look of regret on its face now that it could see Ainz. Fenrir, despite its inability to communicate, was quite intelligent. Its act of bowing its head was not instinctual, but it clearly communicated its apology to Ainz. But Ainz didn’t think Fenrir was to blame. From its perspective, he was just an unknown intruder who had appeared here unexpectedly.

This was the natural reaction of a guard guarding its master; it would have been more problematic if it hadn’t. He’d only brought this Fenrir with them this time, instead of the usual Hanzos. Although Ainz stated that he would take many high-level subordinates with him, he did not keep his word for several reasons. He didn’t want to expose information to others in the current situation, where he couldn’t predict how his plan to find friends for the twins would work out. And there’s another reason. After Shalltear’s brainwashing incident, he no longer allowed the Guardians to go out alone. But what was the outcome?

Despite the fact that Nazarick has become more active since then, the enemy has not reappeared. When Ainz—who was actually Pandora’s Actor—seemed alone, the only one who fell for the bait was a platinum-armored man named Riku Agnesia. It was as if the foe who brainwashed Shalltear didn’t exist. Therefore, perhaps the enemy had a way to detect the presence of the Hanzos, since he had fished out Riku when there were no Hanzos around. Perhaps it’s a World Class Item’s ability. Or maybe he have some talent. As a result, by not bringing the Hanzos along, he was conducting a risky experiment. He informed Albedo of this reason, but even Ainz could see that his reasoning was flawed. She was persuaded by his spiel while smiling, which made him wonder if she was truly convinced. Perhaps he’ll get a talking to when he returns.

“—Excellent work.”

Ainz said goodbye to Fenrir with a short, gloomy greeting. He then pushed a little on the Green Secret House’s door, which was so well-hidden that no one would notice it unless they knew it was there. The door did not budge. Unfortunately, because this magical item lacked a keyhole (though it could be forced open by something like Epignoi), it had to be opened by someone inside once it was locked. Ainz knocked on the door. By making the door translucent from the inside, one could look out from the Green Secret House. He heard the door being unlocked after a few moments. Then it opened up.

“Welcome home!”

“We-Wel-come-come... home...”

Aura was the one who responded enthusiastically. Mare followed slowly behind, his eyes completely closed. They’ve both changed into pajamas, and Mare is sporting a nightcap. Of course, given the circumstances, this was the appropriate appearance.

“I apologize for keeping you both up so late.”

The interior space was brightly lit and far larger than its outward appearance suggested. From the door, you would enter the living room and see the kitchen and other rooms. There were also four doors that led to the various rooms.

“No, no, when we were informed that you might be late, we expected it to take longer.”

“I had the same thought... but let’s not talk while we’re still standing here. Let’s take a seat over there.”

He wanted to tell Aura that she could go to sleep. Even if he only has a small amount of information, he should still share it with them. Ainz didn’t have much faith in his memory, so it’s best to do it as soon as possible. While feeling a little guilty for forcing them to agree to his selfish reasons, he invited them into the living room to discuss what he saw. Sitting in the chairs, he noticed Aura looking attentive, in contrast to Mare, who had his head resting on the backrest with his eyes half closed. He appeared to be in the process of falling asleep. When Ainz compared them to the sleeping children from before, he felt even more guilty.

(Is it possible that I’m not thinking about those who need sleep because I don’t? This is not good...)

“Why don’t we let Mare sleep? I wouldn’t mind if you told him about our conversation in the morning.”

“Jeez...”

Mare’s head was slapped by Aura.

“Get up. You realize you’re being impolite to Ainz-sama?”

“Ha~ Oh, w-welcome back.”

Mare bowed slightly. Ainz couldn’t mock the fact that they had already gone through it.

“Jeez, this kid.”

Aura was becoming enraged by Mare’s demeanor.

“Forcing someone to stay awake is not a good idea. It may have an impact on tomorrow’s opera—”

Ainz abruptly closed his mouth, recalling his YGGDRASIL days. Of course, he assumed it had no effect on his office work, but was this the case? It was also different when you did it to entertain yourself rather than when you were forced to do it for the convenience of others. Ainz—Suzuki Satoru used to grouse about having to stay late because of his boss.

To begin with, he should not be comparing children to adults. However, it may be considered incorrect to compare a child with the astounding physical ability of a level 100 NPC to an ordinary adult, such as Suzuki Satoru. The two of them locked their gaze on Mare, whose eyes, half-closed from drowsiness, appeared to be glaring at them. Mare’s head slid suddenly, causing him to panic, his eyes wide open. He then shifted his head back to its original position. He was almost at his limit.

“—Okay, then. Let’s do it this way. Mare can sleep now so that his work for tomorrow is not hampered. If you forcefully keep him awake, his wits will become dull, which is not a good thing. Can you tell him what we’re going to talk about here in the morning, as I asked?”

She should have obeyed Ainz’s orders right away. Instead, she made a complicated expression, as if she thought Mare’s behavior was inappropriate for a Guardian. But only for a brief moment. She bowed deeply, as if she had just convinced herself in her mind.

“Understood. I’ll take Mare back to his room right away... can you stand?”

“Uh, uhhh?”

He can’t even respond to Aura in an understandable manner, so standing is out of the question.

“—Hmmm. Let me carry him.”

Aura appeared to be about to say something, but Ainz ignored her, stood up, and lifted Mare into his arms. He may have found Mare relatively light because he had changed into pajamas and was only minimally dressed. No, regular children weighed about this much.

(It would have been more difficult if he had been fully equipped, but it’s not like I couldn’t carry him even then... That thing is huge... possibly the heaviest piece of Guardians equipment.)

[Note: Mare’s staff, most likely.]

Because both of his hands were occupied—he could have carried him with one hand if he wanted to—he let Aura go ahead of him to open the door. He entered Mare’s room and gently lowered him onto the bed. He had already closed his eyes and was breathing slowly and calmly. He most likely began sleeping while in Ainz’s arms. Ainz quietly left the room, taking care not to make any noise. Aura followed him even more quietly, as one would expect from a Ranger. They both went back to the living room and sat down once more. Aura immediately bowed her head and began speaking:

“Please excuse us for taking a break while Ainz-sama is so hard at work. I sincerely apologize on Mare’s behalf. You’d be right to be angry and concerned about his work ethic as a Guardian, but let me assure you that if we have work to do at night, we’d usually equip items to eliminate our need for sleep, and you wouldn’t see such a slovenly appearance from us. If you were to ask us why we didn’t do it today, we would say that it would reduce our battle strength slightly because equipping the item meant leaving out our battle-focused equipment. So we decided against equipping the item because we’d be standing guard to protect Ainz-sama...”

Aura spoke up right away. He could sense her anxiety through her unusual manner of speech.

“No, you shouldn’t worry too much, though. After all, we are on vacation here. Sleeping in is perfectly acceptable. And most importantly, how are you doing, Aura? Do you not feel sleepy?”

“Ah, no, I would never show you such an unsuitable appearance—”

“—Too rigid, too rigid. I’m not angry in the least. Rather, I’m pleased that I got to see a different side of Mare. You people are always too formal in front of me. I’m now very curious about how other people normally behave—what about Cocytus, for example?”

“Little has changed from the typical Cocytus.”

Aura’s expression returned to normal.

“I see. If so, should I then sneak a peek at him while he’s alone, using [Perfect Unknowable]?”

Ainz smiled subtly—his face didn’t show it, but his voice probably conveyed his emotions—and Aura joined in with a prankster’s smile.

“Well then, are you sure you don’t want to sleep?”

“I’m usually awake around this time, so I don’t feel particularly sleepy.”

It was common for her to stay up late into the night to play with her nocturnal monsters, according to her. It made sense that if beast tamers skipped this playing, the monsters would become stressed and perform at less than their full potential. However, she was not reducing the amount of time she spent sleeping. She simply slept late into the day after staying awake all night. So it was something like a night shift. By the way, if any of the twins had to leave Nazarick, they would use the previously mentioned item to avoid sleep and stay alert.

(Err—What should I do in this situation? It is natural for those in charge to work hard, but shouldn’t the races that require sleep be better off sleeping? Especially for children who require adequate rest for growth. Maybe I should talk to Albedo about it... but that’s another story!)

Ainz spoke about the Theocracy’s camp he saw in The Great Sea of Trees after taking a breath, though he didn’t know how many troops they had or how far they were from the Elven capital. It was enough to know that their armies were still on the move. Ainz’s current mission did not include clashes with the Theocracy. Then he moved on to the more important subject of his exploration of the Elves’ Royal Capital. He told the truth about everything that had happened. It was pointless to conceal such issues. He only had to be truthful when something was impossible. Aura was also distinct from (those) two. Perhaps she would take his words as they were and offer him better advice on how to proceed.

“Is that so...”

When Aura heard his explanation, she nodded slightly.

“In that case, as Ainz-sama suggests, we should keep an eye on them during the day.”

“Ohh. I intend to do so, but what will you two do during that time?”

“Concerning that... isn’t it better if I... don’t infiltrate?”

“You are correct. I believe you have a very low chance of being discovered, but we don’t have enough information to be certain. In the current situation, it’s best not to reveal who we truly are.”

“In that case, I’ll speak with Mare about his assignment tomorrow. However, I intend to work with Ainz-sama. How about I look into the city’s surroundings to see if there are any traces of the Elves?”

Ainz agreed with a nod. If goods were being transported to the Royal Capital, some kind of trail, however faint, should be left behind. The more heavily traveled paths are no different than roads. If they were successful in finding them, they could also expect to come across places frequented by Elves, such as the Elven settlements at the other end of the road. Of course, all of this was presuming that the Elves didn’t use something like [Forestwalker], but Aura’s suggestion was brilliant. There was no reason for Ainz to be upset about it.

“It’s a fantastic idea. To search all of the surrounding areas... would most likely take you less than a day. Work with Mare to look for any trails they may have left behind. I’ll be counting on you.”

“Okay! Understood!”

“In that case, I’ll conduct some more intelligence gathering at noon tomorrow—actually, today, given the time.”

“The search will then be conducted at night because I believe it is easier to be noticed during the day.”

“Umu, I will leave it to you. So, let us go to bed as well... Aura, good night.”

“Okay. Good night, Ainz-sama.”

Ainz and Aura both stood up. He went in a different direction than Aura to the room assigned to him, entered it, and lay down on the bed. But because Ainz is undead, he didn’t need to sleep. He eventually took a book from the item box. It was one of the management books he’d been reading a lot, titled “How to Become a Good Leader.” To be honest, he didn’t think reading these books was helping him, but he figured it was better than not reading them at all. Ainz began turning the pages.

///

For a while, Ainz was in a daze. On the first night and the noon of the second day, he squandered two precious scrolls on infiltration. Ainz finally found vital information at noon on the third day. Having said that, the only things he saw were the trees with shops, but this gave him a sense of the layout of the capital. Others saw it as a small step, but Ainz saw it as a giant leap. His emotional suppression was triggered because he was so happy. As a result, he resolved not to squander this opportunity. Ainz made a point of remembering the way to the shop. At that point, he retreated. The spell had clearly still had some active duration left in it.

Despite his strong desire to send the [God’s Eye] over to the vast and large tree that was the royal castle and peer inside, he managed to restrain himself. Kings were not always the most powerful beings in human civilizations. This was most likely due to two factors. One was that humans would struggle to prosper if they followed the strongest rather than those who could make better decisions. It was the survival strategy of a species that was nothing more than prey for the other races, who were weaker but more populous. Another reason was that they lived in relatively safer areas. That was unique to the Kingdom, Empire, and Holy Kingdom. However, in a land where clashing blades with other races were required, it was natural for the strongest to be king.

The Elf king was most likely a powerful individual at the time. In that case, they should exercise caution; after going through all of this trouble, they should not invite meaningless danger. He had gathered various bits of information about this world up to this point, but he had yet to meet a powerful being who could match him and wasn’t a monster. Perhaps he would have been careless and looked down on the Elf king if he hadn’t met that mysterious warrior named Riku. Instead, meeting Riku made him warier than ever. He cast [Greater Teleportation] after dispersing the eye.

Ainz returned to their base and exchanged the information he had discovered with the two (Mare with his eyes completely open this time) who had returned earlier. He was informed that, despite wasting the second day before realizing the Elves were using the trees to travel, they eventually succeeded in finding multiple trails. It may take different amounts of time to investigate them, depending on how far they are from the nearest settlement along those roads. Ainz expressed concern about being seen by the Elves if they decided to investigate those roads. In response, Aura stated that they would travel on the ground with Fenrir along the road. She was certain that if they stayed inside the forest, they would not be discovered.

She was so certain of her point of view that it led Ainz to believe his concerns were unfounded. Nonetheless, Ainz did not give his approval for the time being. Instead, he asked them to wait a little longer. He’d most likely be getting some useful information today. So it was on the third day’s night. Ainz used [Perfect Unknowable] to approach the Elven royal capital once more. He naturally infiltrated from a different location, one he had never visited before. He couldn’t guarantee that he hadn’t left any traces of his previous incursions that some astute ranger among the Elves hadn’t noticed. He always moved with [Fly] to avoid leaving any tracks, but that was just from Ainz’s perspective, which was a novice when it came to stealth and search. He wasn’t sure enough to say he didn’t break any branches or cause the leaves to bend in strange directions on his way here.

(To be honest, I sometimes wonder why I am being so cautious... but it would be inconvenient if the nearby Elven villages began to suspect that some mysterious entity was prowling around. It would be particularly inconvenient if they were captured by Theocracy and then leaked that information to them.)

It was unlikely that this mysterious entity could be linked to the Sorcerous Kingdom, but informing the Theocracy that there was a third faction nearby would be disastrous. He was also concerned about how the Theocracy would react to the information. Their unexpected reaction could throw his plans off track.

(It wouldn’t hurt to pause this now and speak with Albedo and Demiurge, but doing so would jeopardize my plans for Aura and Mare to become friends.)

As a result, Ainz’s only option was to be as cautious as possible. Ainz quickly took out a scroll and activated it. He didn’t hesitate because he was confident that there would be tangible results this time.

“Good!”

After infiltrating the target’s Elf Tree with [God’s Eye], Ainz whispered. His prey was fast asleep, buried beneath a mountain of leaves. It turned out to be a male elf. Elves were fundamentally a slender race, about 10 to 20% shorter than humans. Furthermore, they had little body hair and did not grow beards. Because they also appeared to be young adults for a long time, estimating their age solely based on their appearance was difficult. However, the majority of them appear much younger than their actual age. As a result, Ainz wasn’t certain that this elf possessed the information he sought, but there was a reason Ainz chose him as his target despite this.

It was because the elf lives alone here. Abducting an entire family would cause problems later, but abducting a single person was simple. He also had another reason, which will be revealed later. Ainz teleported over with [Greater Teleportation] because he had memorized the route. Ainz’s intrusion did not cause the elf to awaken. Instead, it was assumed that unless he was a high-level ranger, he wouldn’t even be able to detect Ainz. The fourth-tier spell [Charm Species] was then cast on him by Ainz. Because he was sleeping and there was such a large difference in their levels, the spell always worked.

“Wake up.”

Ainz spoke to him. When he cast a spell with the intent to harm, his [Perfect Unknowable] was dispelled (or, to be more precise in gaming terms, if his magic triggers some resistance). Nonetheless, he continued to wake him by gently shaking his shoulders with his hands, taking care not to hurt him.

“Eehhh...?”

The elf mumbled like an idiot, but he couldn’t help himself because he had just awoken.

“Don’t resist, ok?”

Ainz then activated [Greater Teleportation] while holding the elf’s hand. With this spell, you could teleport with other people, but they had to agree to it and not fight it. It worked in this case because the charmed status was regarded as an agreement. The dominated status should function similarly, but he didn’t use this more difficult-to-resist and higher-tier option because he was on the lookout for certain things. So the execution of this kidnapping was flawless. You could even classify him as a first-rate criminal.

(Good. Exactly as I had hoped!)

Of course, he’d be pleased because his plan went so well. While he smiled broadly on his bony face—

“—Wah! W-What the hell? What is this?”

The elf jerked up and became fully awake after noticing the sudden change in his surroundings and feeling the ground beneath him. Unfortunately, he didn’t appear to be convinced that this was all a dream. Or perhaps the elves never imagined a dream world in the first place.

“Don’t make such a loud voice.”

“E-Even if you told me not to...”

“I used teleportation magic. Please relax. Nobody here would hurt you.”

“T-Teleportation magic?”

The elf kept panicking silently. The only reason he came to a halt was because the charm magic was still active.

“So, here we are.”

Ainz led the elf through the half-opened door into the Green Secret House. Aura and Mare should monitor them through the gaps in their slightly opened doors. He also considered allowing the captive, who were Dark Elves, to see them in the hopes that it would encourage him to speak more freely. However, given the potential problems this could cause in the future, he decided against it. Although the three captured elves did not consider the Dark Elves to be enemies, this may have changed. Perhaps Dark Elves were now viewed negatively in the Royal Capital. Of course, it would be acceptable if Ainz stated:

“They are not enemies.”

To him.

“What is this place... don’t tell me it’s the Divine Tree’s World...”

Ainz knew nothing about the World of the Divine Tree, but he guessed it was something from their myths and legends. Or, alternatively—

(Is it connected to a YGGDRASIL player? There’s a need to investigate, but... I don’t want to stay here too long. I’ll get around to it later.)

Ainz forced him to sit on a sofa in the living room and took out a memo pad. It was a bullet-pointed list of the questions he needed to ask. He couldn’t afford to waste any time. If something went wrong during the process, he’d have to kill the guy. Although it was unlikely, someone abruptly leaving the Royal Capital could cause problems in the future.

“In as few words as possible, tell this friend about various things you know.”

Ainz continued without waiting for his reply.

“Is there a chance you’d die if someone used magic or other means to obtain information from you?”

“Huh? There’s no way that’s going to happen to me, right?”

The man appeared to have no idea what Ainz was talking about, but it was possible that the elf simply didn’t know if such a trap existed.

(If I recall correctly, three questions were required before it was activated that time...)

Ainz had considered such scenarios while writing the memo’s questions, so he only needed to go through the list from top to bottom.

“Do you know the location of any Dark Elf villages?”

“I’m not sure where they are exactly, but I know where they are in the great forest.”

From the sound of it, the Royal Capital appeared to be farther south. He went on to say that it was in a place called The Three Trees, where the trees were enormous. But Ainz couldn’t make sense of it because he wasn’t familiar with the layout of this area. As a result, he’d have to rely on Aura, who was listening in.

“Moving on to the next question...”

The twins were surprised that he didn’t include this question in his memo. But when he thought about it, he realized that it was important, so he moved on to the next question.

“—Tell me everything you know about Theocracy.”

“Theocracy... oh, that dreadful human country! Those sc*mbags are attacking us for no apparent reason! A dishonorable country that attacked us while we were unaware, a gang of wusses who kidnapped hundreds of Elves.”

So began the guy’s denunciation of the Theocracy, which he continued with vigour until Ainz abruptly stopped him. But it appeared that the guy, who was only a commoner, had no idea how far the Theocracy had progressed. He couldn’t tell if the Elves were winning or losing. However, seeing the patrols moving in a tense mood compared to before, the Elves quickly concluded that the situation was dire. Three questions were asked, but there was no sign that anything was wrong with the elf. That time, he reasoned, was an exception. In that case, he could ask the elf any question he wanted, but he couldn’t really spend that much time with him.

“What are the Elves’ and Dark Elves’ relationships like? They’re not that bad, are they?”

“Not really... I think?”

Before Ainz could question him about the brief pause, the elf resumed speaking.

“I don’t dislike them, and I don’t believe those around me dislike the dark elves either. They are similar to distant relatives to us. But this is only about how we feel; we have no idea what the other side thinks of us. We rarely see them, so I have no idea what they are thinking.”

“Do you know anything about the Sorcerous Kingdom?”

“What’s that?”

The response was immediate. He wasn’t surprised because he expected it. In any case, he determined that nothing in the new information posed a barrier to his plan to make friends with the twins.

“That’s all I wanted to ask—I am grateful.”

“Isn't it all good, friends?”

When the guy responded, Ainz unintentionally grinned sarcastically. He had intended to make new friends, but when the same word was directed at him, it rang hollow. Only his guildmates could ever be called Ainz’s friends.

“So that’s it.”

When Ainz sent him a signal, Mare poked his head out the door behind the elf. Ainz continued to converse with the man in order to divert his attention.

“I also wanted to learn more about Elven culture, but I can’t devote too much time to—”

He noticed the elf’s eyes becoming drowsy and fell sideways onto the sofa. The elf was deep asleep, taking slow, calm breaths. Mare’s [Sandman’s Sand] was responsible for this unexpected turn of events. Ainz told Aura, who was following Mare, that the elf was sleeping.

“Aura. Do you think we’ll be able to reach the Dark Elves’ village based on what this guy said?”

“I believe I am capable. However, I may need to conduct a detailed recon when we get close to it to pinpoint the exact location.”

That was sufficient for him. Ainz used [Control Amnesia] on the elf. This was the primary reason he kidnapped—selected—an elf who lived alone. He couldn’t be sure he’d get an adult with all the necessary knowledge even if he kidnapped a mature-looking elf because estimating an elf’s age was difficult. There was a chance the elf would grow up to be a very young person who never left the Royal Capital. On the other hand, if he kidnapped an elf with children, he’d have as many loose ends to deal with as there were members of that elf’s family to deal with later. If he killed them all simply because they were bothering him, an entire family would have vanished from the capital with no trace of resistance to boot. That would certainly cause them problems. He probably couldn’t make it appear as if they had fled during the night due to debt or something. And his mana couldn’t possibly last long enough to cast [Control Amnesia] on an entire family like he was doing now.

Therefore, he selected a male elf who lived alone. Ainz removed the elf’s memories in a single move. Fine manipulation of memories and ensuring the details stayed consistent was complex. However, drawing them in batches without caring much for the details was not that hard at all. Plus, the memories he needed to erase didn’t span across that much time. This was the reason why he tried to take as little time as possible for his questions. If he didn’t need to erase the elf’s memories with [Control Amnesia], Ainz would have spent as much time as possible—maybe even until the charm ended or even longer by recasting [Charm Species]—to question him. Since he controlled the number of questions and was done with the questioning in a short time, he easily managed to delete the memories up till the moment he went to sleep.

No, he ended up erasing even more time just before the elf went to bed. This is because he erased a lot of memories at once, but if he hadn’t, his MP wouldn’t have lasted long. In retrospect, his remaining MP looked like it would have held, but hindsight was 20/20. He couldn’t do anything about it now, so even if the elf had some reservations, he had to hope that the elf would figure it out on his own. His MP was low, but he had enough to complete the remaining tasks because they prepared meticulously and completed the task without issue.

“So I’m leaving. Can Aura and Mare help me out like we talked about?”

“Okay! Leave it to me!”

“Ah, Y-Yes. I will do my best.”

Aura and Mare swung the elf’s limbs as they carried him with Ainz at their lead. One would have been enough to carry the elf, but if he was hit by something and it was considered damage, he might wake up. Then Ainz would have to cast [Control Amnesia] once more, and he wasn’t sure if his remaining MP would be enough. Without a doubt—

(—I came up with a different strategy for that scenario, so it shouldn’t be a problem.)

Ainz left the Green Secret House by himself first, activating [Perfect Unknowable]. After that, he opened a [Gate]. This elf’s home was, of course, on the other side of the gate. Ainz first entered the gate by himself and went into the elf’s bedroom. He immediately began looking around and listening for any sounds.

(Pheeeew. It’s safe.)

There didn’t appear to be anyone around to be alarmed by the sudden [Gate]. For a brief moment, Ainz remained attentively listening and observing the situation.

(Looks like... there’s no problem.)

A ranger on Aura’s level could remain silent without letting Ainz hear anything, but it wasn’t like Aura did it all the time. It would be like a dark comedy farce if a veteran ranger existed who, in this short time, noticed something was wrong in this house and waited for it to happen again. As a result, Ainz could only assume it was safe. Ainz dispelled b>[Perfect Unknowable]/b> and poked his head through the gate to signal the twins. They dragged the man through the gate by his limbs. They carried out their plan in complete silence. First, Aura and Mare carefully placed the man on his leaf bed. It would be too stupid for him to take damage now and then wake up. [Sandman’s Sand] induced deeper sleep than [Sleep] For [Sleep], a shake would wake you up, but if it is [Sandman’s Sand], you wouldn’t open your eyes unless you received damage.

He would die from emaciation if they left him like this, and if no one discovered him and woke him up by causing damage to him. The uproar that would result was not something Ainz wanted after going to such lengths to avoid any such disruptions. After laying him down on the bed, they began preparing to wake him up. Ainz searched the room for the object he saw when he first entered it. It was a strange (at least to him) wooden sculpture with a bulging stomach that looked like a cross between a mole and a frog. They didn’t come across any such animals during their brief stay in the forest. It could have been a mythical beast from Elven mythology and legends. Ainz grasped the sculpture in his hands.

(It’s made of wood, as I expected. However... it is heavier than I expected. It’s not bad... but if it kills him... well, there’s nothing I can do about it.)

Even if they started a murder investigation, they are unlikely to suspect Ainz’s involvement. The twins carried the elf under the shelf where the sculpture was after seeing Ainz with it. After Ainz nodded, the two entered [Gate] first. Ainz followed them and came to a halt in front of it. The strange sculpture was then thrown into the air by him. This was all he could do to avoid a suspicious death that would haunt him later. Ainz entered [Gate] without waiting for the sculpture to hit and dispelled [Gate] without hesitation.

“Good. I’ll go find out the final answer. Wait a minute, both of you.”

“Okay! Understood! Just a little bit more, right? Good luck, Ainz-sama!”

“Ah, I-I believe it should be f-fine if it’s Ainz-sama, but... p-please be cautious because I b-believe your mana is low.”

Ainz recast [Perfect Unknowable] and used [Greater Teleportation] to reappear in the elf’s room, encouraged by the twins.

“Sh*t! That hurts! Why in the world would it just fall?! First of all, why am I sleeping here?! Did I drink... I feel like I didn’t... Sh*t, that’s hurts...”

Ainz turned to face the wide-eyed elf, who was venting his rage on the shelf. He grinned at the elf, who was breaking down in tears due to the hurt.

(Excellent work! What a perfect crime!)

The elf didn’t appear to be acting and didn’t appear to be suspicious of anything—No, it appeared that he had concerns about the sculpture falling on him, but he probably didn’t suspect that some strange person had entered his room and thrown it on him.

“Wait a minute!”

Ainz was about to activate [Greater Teleportation] when he noticed the elf’s suspicion in his voice.

(Is he aware of anything? Perhaps not pinned on us, but is there an intruder? Was there any kind of monitoring equipment—magic item because it’s a shop? But I couldn’t find any...)

“Is Tsungoga-sama attempting to communicate with me?”

(Tsungoga-sama? I don’t recall any such monsters in YGGDRASIL...)

“Tsungoga-sama. Tsungoga-sama. Please let me know if there is anything else I should know.”

The elf was on his knees on the floor, his head bowed and the sculpture in his hands held high. That was the model devotional pose of a deeply religious person.

(So it’s just the indigenous religion? Aside from that, why does this guy talk to himself so much? Is he doing this on purpose because he believes there is someone nearby? Or is he simply praying to this god known as Tsungoga?)

The elf appeared to be a different person than the one they had kidnapped and exploited. Ainz considered whether he should kidnap and murder the elf again, but he decided against it. For the time being, it was more likely that he was just praying, but it was still better to be cautious. Ainz wished he could leave something behind to monitor him, but that would be difficult even for Ainz. There was no suitable spell for that. He could only use magic to check in on occasion. Ainz used [Greater Teleportation] to return to Green Secret House, despite the fact that he didn’t have one. When Ainz dispelled [Perfect Unknowable], the twins who were waiting for him smiled and gave him a thumbs up. He was honestly concerned about the elf’s behavior at the end, but since they couldn’t do anything about it, he decided not to tell the twins if they became concerned.

“Okay, everyone. Thank you for your help with everything so far. Today’s work is complete.”

The twins were perplexed by Ainz’s exaggerated action, but they quickly smiled again.

“Please go to bed early because it is getting late so that you won’t be worn out the next day.”

The twins responded enthusiastically:

“Okay!”

“Even though the day has already changed, I will now decide what time we should wake up. Yes, I don’t mind if you wake up whenever you want, but don’t go to bed before noon, you hear? Right, I’ll bring you our breakfast from Nazarick if you wake up by 9 a.m.”

They then responded loudly:

“Okay!”

While Aura poked Mare with her elbow, it didn’t appear that she was bullying him.

“Okay, with that, everyone—thank you for your hard work!”

When they heard Ainz's words, they both responded with:

“Thank you for your efforts!”

“That’s all there is to it, folks!”

Part 3

They set off in the direction of the Dark Elf village. They raced across the ground on Fenrir’s back, relying on what that elf had said. They would have gone straight there if they could have found their target from the sky, but even with Aura’s abilities, they couldn’t find it. As they ran through the forest, it was difficult to breathe—it was as if Ainz was being smacked in the face by air that had absorbed the very greenery. The distinctive, and extremely potent, scent of a forest caused his nasal cavity to tremble. It could have been Ainz’s imagination, but he noticed something different about the air in The Great Forest of Tob. Despite the fact that this world resembled YGGDRASIL, there were significant differences, and it was brimming with various other changes. As he idly pondered this, the desire to travel all over this vast world gave him a little thrill. It would be impossible for the average Joe to walk down the pathless path through The Great Sea of Trees with its dangling vines, jumble of trees, and other impediments in a straight line.

They’d be heading in a completely different direction before they knew it. According to the man, the journey to the Dark Elf village would take about a week. Although the Elves were adapted to the forests, they would be doing well if they could travel 15 kilometers per day within this Sea of Trees. Based on that, the villages would be about 100 kilometers apart. Ainz and his companions walked that distance for over an hour. They would have arrived sooner if they hadn’t needed to check their surroundings. That was Fenrir’s incredible power. Fenrir’s ability, [Forestwalker], had been useful because all the trees, dense thickets, and such moved as if avoiding Fenrir, allowing them to travel in an almost straight line. They couldn’t have gotten this far on foot in such a short time without the help of [Forestwalker], no matter how great Fenrir was. But—

“I think it’s somewhere around here...”

Aura, who sat in front of Ainz, tilted her head in perplexity. Because Elven villages were built from trees, finding one in the middle of a forest was difficult. But, of course, this was precisely why their civilization evolved to use trees to build their villages. The exception was the Royal Capital of the Elves, which was destroyed along with all of its surrounding trees. That said, it should have been impossible for it to be so well hidden that Aura, a ranger with high-ranking abilities in her own right, couldn’t find it. It was difficult to believe that they had simply missed it on their way here, and that they had not yet arrived at their destination village.

“There’s no problem as long as we weren’t mistaken about the distance to our destination. It would only be a problem if we got too close.”

Ainz’s hand touched the mask he’d equipped.

“I want us to locate the village before they locate us. I need information on them, so we’ll hide somewhere where we won’t be discovered.”

What frightened him the most was that they had arrived in the wrong place. However, he was unconcerned about this happening. Of course, if he were told to enter a place with no single point of reference (such as the Sea of Trees) without hesitation, Ainz would be unable to do so. So the elf gave him the following instructions:

“After about 2500 paces, there will be a large boulder, and then turn in the direction of three trees standing in a row, advancing about 3000 paces.”

And so forth. Ainz thought his explanation was a little hazy. However, not to Aura. Even Aura had been perplexed at times and had to search the surrounding area, but she remained mostly confident and had guided them this far.

(Were rangers always this amazing, or is Aura the only one...)

He hadn’t felt it as strongly when they were on their way to the Dwarven Kingdom, but this journey had convinced Ainz that it would have been impossible without a ranger. Even YGGDRASIL had dense forests, but in retrospect, they were still adjusted for the Players. He had no idea a real jungle could be so dangerous. On the other hand, it was simply a fact that this experience was thrilling.

(If anything were to happen out in these backwater regions... I completely understand the desire for the unknown... The World Explorers, huh...)

Explorers were those who sought adventure. Ainz sought the figure of a true adventurer.

(Throw it all away and go explore this world, eh...)

Ainz shook his head as he found himself thinking about such things again. He could never do something like that. It was an act that Ainz Ooal Gown, the Supreme Ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, would never allow. However, if it was only for a short time, it might be permitted. Not abandoning Nazarick, but rather taking a paid vacation, as he did this time.

(Come on, I keep thinking about the same thing over and over. To be honest, I can’t say it doesn’t stem from a desire to shed this heavy baggage and flee... Am I, in the end, just going around in circles with no progress? Is it because I’m undead that I can’t grow? Is it because I am myself? I can only sigh... haaa when I think about it. There’s no point in dwelling on the negative. Anyway, this time is with Aura and Mare, but if there’s a next time, how about I bring Cocytus and Demiurge? I haven’t had them with me since that one time...)

Ainz remembered when they got the land ship at the Katze Plains.

(Okay! Let us put those pessimistic thoughts aside and think positively. If I were to embark on the same journey without a ranger, it would be difficult, but overcoming that challenge through wisdom and insight could be quite entertaining.)

It was precisely because Aura was present this time that they were able to make it this far in good shape, but it was a little disappointing that this meant Ainz had done nothing at all. Of course, he could just butt in and declare that he’ll handle everything himself. If he did, Aura would most likely be considerate and step aside for him. If Ainz made a mistake, she would undoubtedly think of a way to assist him while being careful not to offend him. However—

(—Anything but that, please. Because I already feel like I’m impeding the administration of the Sorcerous Kingdom!)

As a result, the best way for him to get what he wanted was to go on an adventure without Aura. That way, everyone could pool their resources and have a good time. It should be noted, however, that Ainz only thought of it this way because he was confident in his abilities during an adventure. For example, if he was in an unknown location and lost his bearings, he could use [Teleport] to return from anywhere. So, even if some strange magical beast came charging out of that thicket, he’d be able to deal with it somehow, and in the worst-case scenario, he’d be able to flee back to Nazarick.

(Sending out adventurers into the unknown. That was not a mistake in and of itself. Even Ainzach, the guild master, supported it. However, it is unwise to regard myself as the gold standard for an adventurer. When I see Aura taking an active role in a place like this right in front of my eyes, I can feel the importance of properly training the adventurers.)

It’s not like Ainz wanted the adventurers to perish.

(We’re practicing in the Great Forest of Tob, but...)

The levels of danger in the Great Forest of Tob, which was completely under Nazarick’s control, and here were vastly different. It might not be a bad idea for the adventurers to gain experience and hold the final exam in the Great Forest of Tob, but the circumstances surrounding that would necessitate further discussions with Mare.

“Uh, um, Ainz-sama?”

“Hm? Oh, sorry, Aura. It appears that I became engrossed in my own thoughts. Now, what did you need?”

“Ah, So, what should we do now?”

Ainz raised his eyes to the sky. He couldn’t see it because of the abundance of green leaves on the branches. The red-tinged sun casting its light over the earth, on the other hand, was more than enough for him to know what time it was.

“Hmm. As we did before, we secure a location that is difficult to find and separate from the activity area of the Dark Elves or any other intelligent life, and we will remain there.”

“Understood! So, could you please give me some time?”

“Of course.”

Ainz responded, and Aura jumped off Fenrir with grace. However, just as Aura appeared to be about to flee, Ainz rushed over to tell her to stop.

“Aura, please wait. Bring Fenrir with you. Don’t worry about us being here waiting. I’ll summon a monster in place of Fenrir. Right, Mare?”

“Y-Yes, Ainz-sama.”

Mare, who was standing behind Ainz, responded quickly. In other words, Aura, Ainz, and Mare rode on Fenrir’s back in that order, beginning with Fenrir’s head. Ainz and Mare were grateful for Fenrir’s presence because they could sense anyone who approached them using Fenrir’s powers of perception, as they lacked those abilities. If that were the case, Aura would have to act alone. It would be one thing if she could summon monsters like Ainz, but Aura lacked that ability. He was concerned about sending her into this unfamiliar land without a shield. Using a magical item as a substitute was one option, but summoning a monster required only one action. He didn’t think it was a good idea when he considered time constraints and other factors.

(I think I’m overthinking it, but Aura will finish her task faster if she brings Fenrir with her.)

Aura appeared to be about to say something, but instead she responded:

“Understood.”

So Ainz and Mare dismounted, she remounted Fenrir, and she took off. The figures of a girl and a wolf vanished into the forest’s trees, becoming invisible.

“And now, Mare. Let us hide in this area as discreetly as possible so that we are not discovered. All of Aura’s effort would be for naught if someone discovered us here.”

“Y-Yes. Uh, umm, so then, we’re going to use Green Secret House?”

“That’s fine, but there’s one more thing we need to take care of first.”

If Ainz was alone, the most effective solution would be [Perfect Unknowable], but he couldn’t cast that spell on others. Furthermore, Mare was unable to use it, necessitating the use of alternative methods, which is why monster summoning was mentioned earlier. Ainz pulled a small statue from his Inventory; it was a magical item. Statue of the Magical Beast - Cerberus, a magical item created by the same person who created the Statue of the Animal - Warhorse. It was a magnificent work of art, fully engraved right down to the bulges of the muscles and brimming with the sensation of movement. When Ainz used it, it instantly swelled up, revealing the magical beast. Cerberus, as expected, appeared. It had three dog and lion-like heads, razor-sharp claws, and a poisonous snake-like tail that it could bite with. All of its attacks could be imbued with fire damage, and it was impervious to flame and poison. It was a massive, high-tier magical beast with impressive combat abilities.

That power can be better understood when discussing monsters that can be summoned using [Summon Monster 10th]. However, if it were against an Ainz-class Player, it would not be a difficult monster to deal with. That being said, there was nothing they could do about it. The role of a summoned monster was to attack an enemy’s weak point, set traps, increase the number of available moves, or simply act as a shield. They were not designed to defeat other Players by themselves. Cerberus would be able to fight even better if it was constantly buffed through the use of a skill. Some of the undead Ainz summoned, for example, wore Geta of Strength.

And yet, when compared to Players with martial classes in the same level range, no matter how unfavorable the comparison was in terms of battle strength, as long as they were not incredibly mismatched or some absurd build, the Player would rarely lose one-on-one. The first reason Ainz chose Cerberus over an Eyeball Corpse or other undead was that he believed a beast-type monster’s sensory abilities would be superior. Another reason was that he had concluded that a monster with superior senses of smell and hearing rather than vision would excel as a detector in the Sea of Trees. Cerberus may have lost in terms of levels to Fenrir, but he did have three heads in the end. His sense of smell was probably three times stronger as well.

“Wow.”

Mare expressed surprise because a magical beast he had never seen before appeared in front of him. But, of course, it couldn’t have been because he thought it looked strong.

“Cerberus, come now. You’ll let us know if you smell someone who isn’t one of us approaching, won’t you?”

“Grr.”

Cerberus’ heads grumbled. It was a growl that conveyed their eagerness and confidence. Ainz, pleased with the “leave it to us” feeling he was getting, showed his proud expression to Mare—though he probably couldn’t tell.

“So, how many hundreds of meters away can you detect a scent?”

The Cerberus trio—or the number of heads—came to a halt.

“What’s the problem?”

“Oh, sh*t!”

“Huh?”

“Hold on!”

Were the mood and anxiety being transmitted at hundreds of meters? Also, coming through? Even if that was how it appeared to Ainz, he could only react to it, and it was entirely possible that the truth was quite different.

“—That’s correct. You’ve got three heads. You’re capable of outperforming Fenrir, right?”

“Guun.”

The Cerberus whined and flopped over, exposing its belly. Perhaps if it had been a puppy, one would have appreciated its cuteness, and perhaps even Ainz would have rubbed that defenseless belly. He was, however, dealing with Cerberus. To put it bluntly, it wasn’t cute. It was the same with that massive body, but its appearance was too dreadful. Mare fussed over Ainz and rubbed Cerberus’ belly as he stared at it.

“Hm? What exactly are you doing?”

Cerberus slowly rose to its feet, mindful of Mare, who was rubbing its belly, and growled with determination:

“I’ll do my best.”

“I’ll do it.”

“This is impossible.”

In response to Ainz’s question. Three distinct emotions appeared to be expressed. Ainz was interested in the fact that one-third of the sentiments were negative.

“It’s okay if it’s too much for you. It’s even worse if you try and fail... you can at least smell the scents around us and tell when a stranger is approaching, right?”

Though Ainz had been the one to say it, he had also considered that hundreds of meters might be impossible after all.

“He-heh-heh... I can do at least that much.”

“That’s possible.”

“I can do that.”

Ainz nodded at the thought.

“Then get started.”

Cerberus emitted a howl. It sniffed the air around him for scents. Ainz could, of course, give these orders without speaking. Even when spells like [Silence] were used, summoned monsters could be given orders. If you wanted to disrupt the connection between the summoner and the summoned, you’d need the extremely specialized Anti-Summoner Specialist class-build. He gave orders verbally because he thought Mare wouldn’t notice if he and Cerberus just stared at each other.

“Now, as you suggested just now, Mare, let’s build a Green Secret House and hide inside. Nobody should be able to see us.”

“Yes!”

Mare was overjoyed that his suggestion had been accepted. Mare’s suggestion had actually been correct. Neither Ainz nor Mare possessed concealment techniques capable of erasing their tracks. As a result, if they wandered around carelessly, they might leave behind signs that an expert outdoorsman could see and tell where they were at a glance. As a result, they were wise not to leave this spot. To keep quiet, using magic like [Camouflage], which was available to druids and rangers, would have been ideal, but there was no one in this place who could use that magic.

Mare was undoubtedly a druid, but he was a very specific type of druid. His magic was geared toward mass genocide, and if he hadn’t relied on items for assistance, he shouldn’t have learned much ordinary druidic magic, aside from a few buff-type spells. Given all of that, bringing out the Secret Green House and hiding inside it—creating a hiding place where they wouldn’t leave footprints or other signs of their presence by not moving around—was the correct answer after all. Was it okay for just him to relax, even though Aura was working so hard? No, of course, Ainz understood the phrase “the right man for the job.” He remembered looking it up when he heard it as one of the lines used when he was forced to do difficult work in the past. Then he remembered what Punitto Moe had said:

“The incompetence of a hardworking person is the most vexing of all.”

As a result, this is the best course of action. But if it was just him as the Sorcerer King leaving things to the Floor Guardian under his command, there was nothing wrong with it. But why had Ainz embarked on this journey? And the response was that it was a paid vacation. Furthermore, he felt enormous guilt for being the adult who first suggested it wasn’t doing anything and for forcing the kids he’d taken out with him to work. Ainz became desperate and tried to think of something he should be doing here, but he couldn’t help Aura with her work, and nothing came to mind. The only reason he could think of was that he was keeping Mare company.

(Fooling myself into thinking I’m caring for a child... that’s just running away, isn’t it? That’s about the only... way I can think of to help Aura... So, what should I do? Respected for doing the things I had to do... no, becoming an adult who only does the bare minimum of their responsibilities?)

Should he force himself to accept that he couldn’t find a role for himself right now? He couldn’t come up with the perfect answer no matter how hard he tried. So a depressed Ainz told Mare.

“So, let’s wait inside the Green Secret House for Aura to return.”

“Yes!”

Ainz felt that the cheerful Mare’s response had saved him just a little bit.

///

There is a magical beast known as Ankyloursus. From a distance, it appears to be a bear, but if the difference is not quickly recognized, you can kiss your *ss goodbye. It has a length of two to three meters. It has two pairs of forelegs and two pairs of hind legs for a total of four. Sharp, pointed claws measuring more than 60 centimeters in length and used solely for combat grow on two of the four forelegs, their hardness exceeding that of steel. A long, thick tail extends from its lower back, with a hammer-like swelling at the end. Finally, the majority of its body is protected by hard armor plates made from scales. The strength that supports that massive body is terrifying; a single attack unleashed by those hard, sharp claws and exceptional physical strength can easily bisect a person, armor and all.

However—that is all you should be concerned about. It doesn’t have any terrifying special abilities, nor can it use powerful magic. The Ankyloursus can only cast the [Fragrance] spell, which is not a combat spell. As a result, while it is among the top predators in the Sea of Trees, it is far from the strongest. There was, however, one exception. A being over four meters long that, using only its physical abilities, could slaughter even monsters with special abilities or the ability to use magic. It would not be surprising if someone unfamiliar with the species mistook it for something else if they saw it—it was an Ankyloursus worthy of the title Lord. It lifted its head from the stomach of the animal it had been gobbling up until now and let out a low, heavy bass growl that terrified those who heard it. Long entrails protruded from the mouth’s corner. Huffing and puffing, it expelled blood-soaked breath and sniffed the air. Its face was covered in blood, but it could detect two scents it had never smelled before. It was possible that they were a mating pair because they were intermingling. Its stomach was already full. Ignoring them is perfectly acceptable.

That, however, was walking away from the discomfort. This area was its domain. There was no way it would let someone walk around as if they owned the place. It stood up on its hind legs and rubbed its body against a tree after scratching away the bark with its claws. This was done to clearly show that this was its territory, and it then walked away from the source of the scent. It used [Fragrance] along the way. It was able to do so by erasing its own body odor as well as the lingering scent of blood. By doing so, the Ankyloursus’ massive body approached its prey. It would be difficult to capture prey if it didn’t do so in this forest. The scent became stronger. There was no sign that they had noticed it. They would have acted differently if it had been noticed. For instance, standing still and listening for a sound.

Or else, trying to run straight away from there. But they weren’t doing either of those things. Or were they thinking that if there were two of them, they could win? It moved as quietly as it could until it was close to the scent. However, it was unable to see its quarry, which was still hidden by the trees. However, that was sufficient. When it brought down prey, it was always like that. It could be seen by them if it could see them. So it didn’t rush until they could see each other, and while cautiously discerning the scent, it crept closer, and all of a sudden—closing the distance in the blink of an eye, that was hunting. It arrived close by. The scents were stagnant. As a result, it immediately broke into a run, just like the usual hunts. Despite its massive size, it raced through the trees like the wind.

Because it lacked useful abilities such as [Forestwalker], when it claimed this territory, it cut down all the trees that would obstruct its ability to easily pass through. Of course, no half-assed trees could stop its charge, but because an alert quarry had used them to escape in the past. It was undeniably powerful, but that didn’t mean its hunts were always successful. That is why it made preparations. The scent’s source was ahead of it. A small black one and a large black one.

The small one was on top of the large one. They were not a couple. They were most likely two different animals. But it wasn’t all that unusual. There were animals like that. They each assisted the other. The ability of prey to protect itself from predators like it. For example, the one on top used extraordinary power, and the one on the bottom fled, or something along those lines. But, in that case, they were both nothing more than food. It grinned. They couldn’t get away at this point.

The little one didn’t appear to be much of a meal, but the one below it was a whopper. Because its stomach was full, it should bury them in the ground to save for later. However, something seemed odd. While charging, it was violently stomping its feet. They would notice, no matter how unobservant they were, and if they did notice, they would take action. So then why are the black ones not scared? Why are they not fleeing? Almost all of the animals that came into contact with it had these reactions. The only notable exceptions were members of their own race. Or are they simply paralyzed by fear? While it was running, it considered it briefly. The meat of frozen prey was somewhat lacking. Its favorite part of the prey was the softening flesh from when it was only half killed and slowly dying. The meat from prey that had died after its guts had been devoured while it was still alive was the best.

It's a Bear??"

“GRRROOOOAAAAR!”

It stood up and bellowed in the direction of the prey. This was not mere intimidation; it was intended to instill fear.

(—C’mon go ahead and run; you might even be able to survive! Please do something to improve the flavor of your meat.)

That’s what it was thinking. There was already no way out from this distance. It was only because the success of this hunt was guaranteed that they were given some leeway.

“Oh? I’ve never seen another one of you. What a sweet bear.”

The little one was yipping.

(Come to think of it.)

It recalled.

(I’ve recently seen things in the trees that resemble the little one.)

Ankyloursous could also climb trees, but due to their massive bodies, this was their weak point. That’s why, when it hunted prey up a tree, it could only eat them after cutting the tree down and knocking them to the ground. However, its belly was bulging at the time, and because they were far away and pursuing them was inconvenient, it let them go. However, if they were on the ground, there was no reason to delay eating them. The black one at the bottom was staring in this direction without moving. It swung its foreleg, large claws protruding from it. First, the one on the bottom to prevent them from escaping. Its foreleg became hot and painful at the same time as a ding sound rang out. It lost its balance and began to fall backwards from its tail. In a panic, it looked at the foreleg, which was in excruciating pain. It was still present. It hadn’t vanished. It was in so much pain, however, that it couldn’t move.

“GuuUU”

A long, snake-like, wriggling thing dangled from the little one on top’s hand, it appeared. Was it attacked by that? Then it could be poison. However, it had been bitten by a giant poisonous snake when it was very young, and this tingling sensation was similar to that.

“O-kay. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not going to hurt you.”

When the little one swung its hand, a loud BANG rang out from a nearby tree. The tree had been struck by the snake-like thing extending from its paw. The force of the impact had split the bark open, as if it had exploded from the inside out.

(That much I can do for myself.)

Despite this, chills ran through its entire body. Was this one small? It began to appear frighteningly large in its eyes, little by little.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m not frightening. See, I’m not at all frightening.”

The little one on top separated from the big one below while it was yipping. It moved closer to the ground, its forelegs spread out wide.

(After all, it was that small. I’m curious how much difference there is between it and me.)

(That’s how it’s supposed to go: I’m the predator, and they’re the prey. So, how can this one approach me without fear?)

It was as if the quarry was a predator in its own right. It shifted its gaze from the small one approaching it to the large one. It was staring at them intently. This was something else it couldn’t understand. They had never acted like this before, no matter what animals they encountered. It turned tail and ran away from the strange dread. It had fled from preys far beyond its ability to handle when it was very young, when it separated from its mother and left the nest. So there was no shame in avoiding things it didn’t understand. However, something was wrapped around its hind leg—

“Alley-oop.”

Its field of vision whirled in circles. It was hit by a sudden sense of weightlessness, as if it were being hauled up, followed by a shock across its back. For some reason, Its half-turned over on the ground. When it stood up, the long, snake-like thing was coiled around the pulled hind leg, with the little one holding the part beyond that.

(I have no idea what is going on or how it happened, but does this mean that the little one knocked me down? Me, by that small thing—)

“Geez. I warned you not to flee.”

The little one growled, baring its teeth. It was a voice saying:

“Make no mistake, I’m going to eat you.”

Perhaps it was an ambush predator. Did that imply that the one in the tree at the time was as powerful as this one?

“Hmmm. So it’s not so good after all. And I can’t keep Ainz-sama waiting... maybe it’s better to kill it and skin it instead of capturing it. But wouldn’t that be a colossal waste? It could also be useful in my experiments. Hmmm... Ainz-sama also stated that killing should only be used as a last resort...”

It was fixed on it. This could imply that it was slow. That’s why it caught prey with that snake-like thing extending from its hand. It attempted to sever the snake-like thing coiled around its leg. It couldn’t, however. It was firmly rooted and refused to budge. It used the claws it was so proud of in that case. It shouldn’t be able to cut anything with them.

(Gu?)

It was perplexed. It wasn’t going to cut it. Even though these claws had previously cut through everything, they now couldn’t.

“Yeah, whatever. I’m not going to fight it.”

As its body moved, there was the sound of crunching dirt and sliding grass. The snake was being dragged in. It was being dragged steadily, leaving tracks in the ground. There was no longer any uncertainty. That little one had incredible strength.

“I suppose it’s unavoidable. I don’t particularly enjoy doing this, but I’ll give it a shot... If it doesn’t work, I guess I’ll kill you.”

The thing that looked like a snake was taken off of its leg. wuh-PSSSH. Before it could even consider:

“I should run.”

A sharp pain shot through its body.

“GwoOOOO!”

The pain jolts came in quick succession. Arms, legs, face, belly, tail—didn’t hurt all that much—if it had to cover any part of its body, it would be its back. It would be showered in agony if it twisted its body around its muzzle. When it tried to endure the pain and flee, its body was pinned down by tremendous strength. When it looked up, the big one had immobilized it by placing one of its legs on its back. It was so strong that it felt like it was sinking deeper and deeper into the ground. Is this really happening? For one, let alone two, animals to appear with power far exceeding its. The agony persisted. A sharp pain raced through its body every time that sound rang out. Like the sound of rain, it never stops. The sound finally stopped around the time it had lost the will to resist. There was no part of its body that was not in pain. Its entire body was on fire, and it had the impression that it had swollen to two or three times its normal size.

“There, you’re now nice and obedient, right?”

(After this, I’m probably going to be eaten. That’s all. What I’ve been doing up until now is now being done to me.)

“O-kay. Alright, you’re looking good. Do you know who the new boss is? Ok, then, shall we start moving?”

(Will the little one be able to eat all of me, despite the fact that it has teeth? Is it planning to share me with the one below it? Now that I’m the one who has given up on life, I’m certain I’ll be tasty.)

///

Ainz was collaborating with Mare inside the Green Secret House. First, they arranged the food on top of an obsidian desk created by magic. There was also warm soup, but it was kept warm inside because they planned to serve it right before they ate. They then filled three glasses with ice and placed a bottle of juice in the center of the desk. The Green Secret House was perfectly ventilated even with the door closed. It was built in such a way that no sounds or smells could escape from the inside due to the work of a magical mechanism. However, because that magic’s protection didn’t work when the door was opened, even though the two of them had shut themselves in here, the smell of the food would leak outside when Aura returned. Smells can travel a surprising amount of distance.

Aura, of all people, would probably not make a mistake like returning to base without first ensuring the surrounding area was safe. Still, he couldn’t rule out the possibility that a scent flying outside of Aura’s sensory range would go unnoticed. If someone with intelligence and culture caught the smell of some delicious food in this forest, they would undoubtedly suspect it. The Dark Elves lacked a sense of smell comparable to that of beasts. However, depending on the class build, it became possible in this world. Even if the person couldn’t do it, if they were using a magical beast and could communicate with it without using words, it would be the same thing.

In other words, Ainz and Mare were hard at work on something that would render Aura’s efforts futile. Ainz, on the other hand, was well aware of this. So, even though Ainz was forcing his empty skull to work at full capacity, this was the only idea he could come up with to escape his feelings of guilt in the end. It was specifically to welcome Aura home from work with a delicious meal. Of course, he could be reversing his priorities by expressing his gratitude with an act that would undo all of Aura’s hard work.

That’s why Ainz considered it the other way around. Yes, they did not have to be discovered by another person. The problem was that the odor spread throughout the area, and someone else might be drawn in by it. If that was the case, he only needed to make it so the scent didn’t spread. Of course, the most secure method was to set the table, close the door when Aura entered, and serve the food. But it was ineffective. That’s why, when the door opened, ta-dah! there’s the food. That sense of surprise held the most meaning and significance.

So he went back to Nazarick and had the head chef prepare dishes with as little scent as possible. On top of that, a magic item summoned the wind-elemental Mare, who lifted the air around them into the sky. All of the air, including the scents, would be directed to the tops of the trees, where it would eventually begin to spread. Scent particles were heavier than air; he wasn’t sure if this was true in this world. They may not return for some reason, and even if they do, they will have become significantly diluted by the time they reach the ground. However, when the updraft occurs, the leaves will sway slightly—not to the extent that Ainz would be concerned, but if a keen-eyed observer were to look down from the sky, they might notice something out of place. However, when Ainz was doing high-altitude reconnaissance a few days ago, ordinary birds were the only things flying in the sky, so it was probably safe not to worry.

“U-Um, Ainz-sama. It’s about time I gave you this back.”

Mare held out the Orb Ainz had given him a short time ago around the time the preparations were finished. Elemental Gacha was a high-quality magic item he had named. Four lights moved in circles inside the transparent, glass-like sphere.

You could summon and use an elemental for one hour four times per day. Elementals that could be summoned included fire, water, wind, and earth. There were also Elemental composites such as fire + earth = magma, water + wind = blizzard, earth + water = bog, fire + water = hydrothermal, earth + wind = sandstorm, fire + wind = firenado, and more.

Fire, water, wind, and earth elementals could manifest as high-ranking elementals with levels in the low-40s, mid-rank elementals with levels in the mid-20s, and lower-rank elementals with levels in the single digits. A single high-ranking elemental was summoned on these occasions. The number of mid-rank elementals summoned was random, but between 1 and 3 were summoned; the number of lower-rank elementals summoned was also random, but between 3 and 6 were summoned.

High-ranking elementals with levels in the mid-50s, mid-rank elementals with levels in the low-30s, and lower-rank elementals with levels in the low-10s could all manifest as composite elementals. However, in all cases, only one composite elemental was summoned. You might think it sounded pretty useful just by hearing it, but the elemental summoned was chosen at random. Furthermore, getting a high-ranking elemental to appear was more difficult than getting a lower-rank elemental to appear. It was on par with winning a Shooting Star Ring when it came to the higher-ranking elementals. It was far too strategic to be unable to summon something suitable for the opponent or situation. If you summoned an earth elemental while flying in the sky, for example, all you could do was watch it fall like a rock. In fact, it took three uses of the item for Mare to summon a wind elemental.

“No, there isn’t any need for that. Mare, I’m giving it to you. As you are aware, the item is a little suspect, so if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you could keep it for me. Although it would be more interesting if it could summon the highest tier elementals, defiled elementals, or holy elementals... Furthermore, it was originally restricted to be used only by druids. If Mare does not have it, its only function as an item is to decorate the Treasure Hall.”

It is useful when your levels were low, but when it came to Ainz and Mare, it couldn’t even be used as a shield. As a result, he had initially kept it in his inventory, intending to give it to someone with low levels.

“A-Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind. Mare’s use of it would be 100 times more valuable than leaving it collecting dust in the Treasure Hall.”

“Th-Thank you very much! Uh, umm... So, are the elementals summoned by this the same as those summoned by magic of that element?”

“Hm?”

“Uhh, I also have an item that can summon elementals, but you must first cast a spell that contains the corresponding element or has it as a secondary element before using it.”

In other words, if Mare wanted to summon a flame elemental with an item, he had to first use magic with flame as a secondary element, such as [Fireball], which Mare couldn’t cast.

“I believe the prerequisites have most likely been met, but why not test it out once when we have the time?”

“Y-Yes! Please allow me to do it.”

In the past, before he completely trusted them, he had investigated the abilities of all the NPCs and learned about their equipment. The item Mare mentioned that could summon elementals could summon a single high-level elemental, but only once every twenty-four hours, and the summoning duration was less than ten minutes. So, if he was being truthful, the item’s value was low. There were numerous other items that were far more powerful. Despite this, Mare had not replaced the piece of equipment because Bukubukuchagama had given it to him. Ainz was well aware that this sentiment was shared by all NPCs.

Despite having far superior items, the NPCs would not change their own. If they did change them, it would only be for another piece of equipment they were given at the start. Of course, if Ainz gave it to them like he just did, they’d use it, but they’d never submitted a request to swap out the gear on their own. The only time it could have happened was when they were doing combat drills and Albedo came in pleading for her to borrow various items. They were all being restrained. That was an extremely impolite way of putting it, but those words came to mind. That also applied to himself—

“—Uh, umm, si there something wrong?”

The worried-looking Mare’s expression brought Ainz back to reality. He appears to have been thinking about insignificant things.

“Hm? Oh, no, nothing, that’s right, it’s nothing at all. I was just thinking about how I would use this item if I were Mare, that's all. Sure, summoning an elemental ahead of time is about all there is to it—”

The Cerberus on the other side of the door shifted its weight. Cerberus let out a growl as Ainz opened the door, each of his three heads pointing in a different direction. There was no doubt in its mind that this meant someone was on their way. Ainz and Mare exchanged glances.

“I had intended not to let any smells escape, but... was my plan seen through?”

“I-I don’t think that’s what... it is though...”

Cerberus had never met Aura or Fenrir. Even so, it had picked up on the scents that clung to Ainz and Mare, so I shouldn’t be reacting this way. They both looked in the direction where Cerberus was staring. There didn’t seem to be anything in the trees. Mare cupped his hand behind his ears, listening for any sounds emanating from that direction.

“Uh, umm, it definitely seems like something is heading this way...”

“In other words... it’s not them, is it?”

When Aura and Fenrir left, there was no trace of them.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m not sure... so much... bu-but you’re correct. As Ainz-sama points out, if it were my sister, she would arrive much more quietly... but... I don’t think she’d make a deliberate noise just to let us know she searched the area and knows there’s no problem, and that she’s on her way back...”

In other words, he had no idea.

“Then I suppose it can’t be avoided. I’ll be there as originally planned.”

Ainz activated [Perfect Unkowable] and ordered Cerberus to follow him. Unlike when he needed to give verbal commands, [Perfect Unknowable] would not interfere with mental commands. Their positioning, however, was critical because even Cerberus couldn’t see Ainz. So if they handled it incorrectly, Cerberus could send him flying.

(Hmmm, [Perfect Unkowable] is extremely useful. It’s a shame that the only person who can use it is Pandora’s Actor, who can transform into me. Others could do it if I allowed them to use scrolls, but there are issues such as materials, time limits, and a variety of other issues.)

Ainz walked after Cerberus, murmuring and complaining in his head. Soon, Ainz’s ears could hear the sound of grass being trampled and he saw a massive shadow.

(A bear?)

This, however, was not your typical bear. It appeared to have six legs and fur that was soaking wet and clinging to its body. Perhaps it was a magical beast with the unique ability to shoot out water? But it was Aura sitting on its back that drew Ainz’s attention. She was holding a whip in her hand, and every time she cracked it, the bear-type magical beast trembled in fear. Fenrir was accompanying them on the side.

(That kind of magical beast wasn’t under Aura’s command, right? So, what exactly is going on?)

No. he could simply ask her about it. They appear to have noticed the Cerberus and were looking this way with caution. They didn’t attack right away because they couldn’t tell whether it was a wild Cerberus or one that Ainz had summoned. They seemed to imply that if it was Ainz’s servant, it should have that feeling, or that it would be different for a summoned monster. Ainz canceled [Perfect Unknown].

“Ainz-sama!”

In an instant, Aura shouted with joy, her cautious expression gone.

“Hey! Giddy-up!”

Aura swung her whip at the bear, who appeared hesitant to come this way. The bear then walked to Ainz, terrified, letting out a scream that could only be described as animal abuse. Aura dismounted the bear when she arrived in front of Ainz.

“Welcome back, Aura.”

“I’ve returned, Ainz-sama. Uh, I’m sure you have some questions, so let me start by answering them. This bear-like magical beast appeared to be the boss of this area, so I took control of it! I used a whip to impress upon them that I am the boss. Why did I do such a thing, and how could I tell Ainz-sama about it?”

Ainz had no idea what that was... To be honest, he had no idea how powerful that magical beast was... but is it powerful enough that the Dark Elves and other animals are wary of it?

“Oh, that’s correct. You can’t tell how strong this small-fry is when you’re as strong as Ainz-sama. Let me see, it isn’t particularly powerful, but it appears to be powerful enough to control this area as its territory. So, if it were a regular Dark Elf, I doubt they’d approach because it would be dangerous. Actually, it appears that no one approaches this area because they are afraid of this guy. As a result, I recommend making this our temporary camping area, where an intruder is unlikely to appear.”

“That’s fantastic.”

(I see.)

Ainz pondered. There was certainly more merit in putting it under their control than in simply killing it. Because it was unclear how much time they would spend with this as their base searching for and observing the Dark Elves. If they killed the lord of the territory, the surrounding area would be in uproar, and the Dark Elves would most likely come here to gather information. So it would be better to let it live so that they could avoid such an encounter. Whatever the case may be—

“Aura. It’s not that I doubt your judgment, but aren’t you already pushing the boundaries of your control over magical beasts? There haven’t been any magical beasts released from your control in Nazarick as a result of this one being placed under your control, have there?”

In most cases, they were released in chronological order, not when one chose and released magical beasts, but when they were forced to be released. The same was true for summoned and created monsters. There were a few instances in YGGDRASIL where a warning message would appear and you could choose which one to dismiss.

“Everything’s A-Okay! Beast Tamers have connections to the magical beasts they control, but I don’t have one with this one specifically. In other words, I haven’t completely taken control of them. I simply drilled it into its head that I am the stronger one. So I’m also not using the Beast Tamer ability to boost its abilities.”

“I see... if that’s the case, we can’t say it’s entirely risk-free, can we?”

That meant its wild instincts could awaken and attack them unexpectedly. However, he couldn’t imagine Aura dismissing that possibility. She had probably determined that it would cause no harm to the people here. They needed to confirm it, just in case. Ainz, who was wondering what level it was, suddenly remembered his pet.

“By the way, which is more powerful, is it Hamsuke or this one?”

Aura had an apologetic expression on her face.

(No, even if you didn’t appear to be in such distress... Can’t you tell just by looking that the bear-type magical beast is more powerful?)

“May I be allowed to answer you honestly?”

“Without a doubt. I, Hamsuke’s master, have no reservations at all. Allow me to hear your objective viewpoint.”

“In that case... it’s stronger than the old Hamsuke in terms of pure physical abilities. B-But!Given that Hamsuke has the ability to use magic, it’s difficult to predict who would win if they fought. Because if magic works, the outcome of the battle will be determined instantly. Furthermore... the current Hamsuke has the Warrior class. If it’s armored, I believe Hamsuke will win without a doubt.”

Ainz’s mind flashed back to the Hamsuke who had just lazed around sleeping. And, for some reason, she was accompanied by a Death Knight. He became irritated slightly. Ainz didn’t mind that Hamsuke lazed around because she was classified as a pet; you could also say she was working just by walking around with Momon. Ainz, on the other hand, was well aware that she was working hard to obtain the Warrior class and other skills. Nonetheless, it irritated him when he saw someone having fun next to someone who was working hard.

“Aura, you don’t have to go so far to support Hamsuke.”

However, he swallowed those words. It was out of respect for Aura’s feelings. She would never compliment Hamsuke.

“I see—”

Could she say anything else that he doesn’t see? Ainz, who refused to say anything like:

“Hamsuke is also pretty amazing, isn’t she?”

He was at a loss for words, so he decided to disregard it and move on.

“—So a powerful magical beast just happened to be here? Is it possible that such magical beasts are common in the Sea of Trees? It’s something I’d like to look into further. So far, we haven’t come across any high-tier magical beasts on our journey.”

“Yes. There could have been some passing through, but I didn’t see any. We might be able to find some if we search, but what are we going to do?”

“No, we’re not going to bother with that. It’s not like we came here looking for a magical beast.”

“Ainz-sama, I understand. However, there is something appealing about exploring. Even in the Great Forest of Tob, magical beasts like this bear have not been discovered. As a result, there’s a good chance that plants and animals optimized for this environment—native medicinal plants and things unique to this location—are living here. Furthermore, there may be locations where a unique phenomenon is taking place.”

There were places in this magical world where strange things happened. Water flowed from bottom to top, there was a hill where a pillar of rainbow-colored light stood on the days it rained, and a desert where an enormous tornado occurred once every few decades. That’s right, could—unfortunately, none of those mysterious areas remained within the territories swallowed up by the Sorcerous Kingdom.

These locations in YGGDRASIL had unique effects, and rare materials and monsters could be found there. Is that rule also applicable in this world? Consider the Prismatic Light Pillar that dropped a Rainbow Stone, as if the light had solidified after it vanished. This was well-known as an item that aided in the creation of magical items. Wouldn’t it be related to the strengthening of Nazarick if such a special region could be brought under the control of the Sorcerous Kingdoms?

“It doesn’t appear that the Elves have a thorough understanding of the Great Sea of Trees. If that’s the case, Aura, it’s exactly as you said. In the future, our goal will be to explore this location—right, that’s Adventurers may be required.”

Ainz’s undead could not do things like discover new species of medicinal plants. So perhaps it was time for an adventure party, complete with an undead team of luggage bearers, to take the stage after all.

“Now then—let’s head back. Mare is waiting for us.”

“Okay! Even so... Ainz-sama. I just want to make sure, but did Ainz-sama summon that Cerberus?”

“Yes, of course, you are correct. It’s the monster I summoned in place of Fenrir.”

Ainz walked beside Aura. But, of course, Fenrir and Cerberus were there as well. The magical beast bear acted as if it didn’t want to go, but with a single crack of Aura’s whip, it mutely followed.

“Aura, by the way. What are your plans for that magical beast? Given that you don’t have complete control over it, how do you think we should handle it?”

“Yes. So I’d like to talk to you about it, but is it okay if I bring it back to Nazarick?”

“Will you let it roam free on the Sixth Floor?”

It was one thing if it had the intelligence to carry on a conversation like Hamsuke. Still, he couldn’t let a low-intelligence magical beast loose. Even a magical beast of this level could most likely kill the common maids. If that were the case, a portion of the NPCs would be denied access to the Sixth Floor. There were also the other plant-like monsters on the Sixth Floor. There was also the issue of how to ensure their safety.

“I wasn’t thinking of going so far as to let it roam freely, but I’ve been thinking about trying to control magical beasts other than the skills I have as a Beast Tamer. So I was thinking about using it in that experiment.”

“Hmm. If it’s something like that, I’d love to help you, but...”

Obtaining a power unique to this world and impossible in YGGDRASIL. Ainz, who was thinking about expanding their own abilities that couldn’t grow any further, should have accepted Aura’s proposal. However—

“It’s not like it has to be this magical beast, is it? Something much weaker... how about starting with a level 1 magical beast?”

If it was a magical beast of that kind, the NPCs—even if the ordinary maids were attacked—would probably be able to handle it somehow or another given the strength of their equipment.

“That could also work...”

Aura made indications that she didn’t agree with it.

“If Ainz-sama says to do it that way then—“

“—No, I’m not saying anything like that. But I couldn’t help but wonder why it had to be that bear. Is it true that you like bears?”

Suddenly, Aura shifted her gaze back over her shoulder.

“Fen... I'm going to be furious”

So she said, slightly coldly, and immediately turned her head forward.

“—I apologize, Ainz-sama. It was because Fen appeared to be about to do something strange...”

Ainz returned his gaze, but he didn’t appear to be about to do anything. That was most likely because she had said something. Ainz returned his gaze and asked Aura.

“Ah, don’t worry about it, though. The question now is, ‘Why the bear?’”

“Yes. It couldn’t talk like Hamsuke, but it appeared to be fairly intelligent. Fen and the others can’t speak, but they’re quite clever, aren’t they? I don’t believe that being able to communicate is the be-all and end-all of intelligence. As one would expect, those with higher intelligence are better suited to training.”

Indeed, he suspected that he may or may not recall seeing Fen and thinking the same thing. Suzuki Satoru led a life unrelated to pets, but it seemed fundamentally different from the “good dogs” he had heard about in stories. Of course, if you simply stated that he was a magical beast, that would be the end of it.

“That’s why Fen sometimes listens to what Mare says. After all, those with a certain level of intelligence are better suited for training. You could also simply raise one from infancy...”

That would take far too long, wouldn’t it? Then there’s something that matures quickly, like a dog... Ahh, I’m not sure how useful that will be for training magical beasts in that situation.”

It was logical to try to use magical beasts to train them. When he thought about it, he had no choice but to accept Aura’s proposal.

“Outside of Nazarick, however, everything is fine. Look, there’s that place where we brought the humans from the Royal Capital to live right now, right? What about that?”

“Is that the phony Nazarick I created? It’s being used by the adventurers... What if I don’t let it roam the Sixth Floor and keep it isolated until I believe its training is complete?”

“Could that be our point of agreement?”

“Yes! Thank you kindly, Ainz-sama. For giving in to my selfish desires.”

Ainz smiled at Aura, who bowed her head at him.

“Absolutely not. That attitude of trying to improve oneself is magnificent in and of itself, just as Albedo is conducting combat drills. All of you NPCs are my pride and joy—no—Ainz Ooal Gown’s.”

Aura’s eyes were wide open, and she remained motionless. Ainz scolded himself at that transformation. Had he said something inappropriate? He had no recollection of anything like that. No—

(—I didn’t get that impression, but did I say something that made Aura uncomfortable from her point of view? Being Chagama-san’s pride and joy meant everything to her, and she couldn’t care less about everyone else. Or perhaps she’s just... happy? She’s not even smiling... hmm. Maybe I should act as if the worst is going to happen instead of hoping for the best.)

But it would be even more awkward if he apologized carelessly. As a result, Ainz was limited to only one option.

“That’s correct. We’ve prepared a meal to show our appreciation for all of your hard work. You should know that I prepared it with Mare. Of course, none of us know how to cook, so we just carried it back from Nazarick.”

He glossed over everything.

“Hahaha.”

While he was still laughing, he took the opportunity to check out Aura’s appearance.

(Hm? Is she not upset? It could be a forced smile or a flattering smile, but she’s smiling, right?)

Aura was beaming so brightly that he couldn’t believe it was fake. She might have been relieved to learn that dinner had been prepared. Or perhaps she was pleased to be praised by Ainz?

(In any case, I think I should give the NPCs a lot more credit.)

Ainz strengthened his resolve. He had the impression that one of the Guild Members had said, emotionlessly:

“If gratitude is not expressed, it is not transmitted to the other party. If you think you’re transmitting it but don’t say anything, your wife’s discontent will build up quickly.”

(Was that Touch-san?)

The Green Secret House came into view as he desperately tried to remember. Mare, who was keeping an eye on things from the inside, opened the door when they were all standing in front of it.

“Welcome back, si-sis.”

“Yeah. I’m home.”

Behind Mare, she could see a fully set dining table. Aura’s eyes darted over it. Ainz was feeling the same way.

“Wow, these look so delicious!”

Ainz felt relieved when he saw Aura’s face light up. He had been concerned that she would say something like:

“Aww, and I am in the mood for katsudon today...”

While thinking that it was something she would never say. Also, because he rarely had the opportunity to share a table with someone, he was concerned that his food pickiness had become significantly dulled and crude.

“Yes, the head chef would be pleased to hear that. In addition, I had Fenrir’s portion all ready, but...”

They had placed an enormous massive lump of meat, prepared specifically for Fenrir, on top of a stump near the base. It was a cow raised for livestock, so new that it had only recently been strangled, and the blood was still dripping. The dairy farm was located a short distance from Nazarick, on a large plot where the cattle were mostly left to graze. The head chef said:

“For that breed, I prefer the taste of grain-fed meat over grass-fed meat.”

Perhaps he had a significant influence, or perhaps others felt the same way, but it wasn’t a popular cut of meat in Nazarick. They weren’t allowed to graze at first; perhaps we should raise them to make them even more delicious. However, they lacked the necessary manpower. There were few people in E-Rantel who had been coerced into creating the demi-human district—its nickname—who had skills related to animal husbandry, and even if there had been, they would have gone in the direction of the frontier villages. However, it was just someone who was picky about taste who was complaining; there would be no problems if it were a magical beast’s feed.

“What should we do about that magical beast bear’s portion?”

“Even if it doesn’t eat, it will be fine. It appears to have eaten just before crossing paths with me. Furthermore, apparently one type of training is not giving it any food until it completely understands and obeys me as the boss.”

“Is that so... no, it could very well be exactly like that. Even humans and other races who have been mentally pushed to their breaking point fully obey us.”

While saying that and other things, they entered the Green Secret House.

“You are free to eat now.”

Fenrir, who had been patiently waiting, sank its teeth into the meat when Aura said that before going through the door. The magical beast bear just stood there staring blankly. That figure with the sagging shoulders did appear human-like, and as Aura mentioned, it gave the impression of intelligence. Cerberus, by the way, didn’t require dinner. It would be pointless to feed a summoned monster food. It wasn’t as if there hadn’t been times when they’d been bolstered by giving them buff-granting food, but at the moment, Ainz didn’t feel compelled to do so.

“Huh? Are you serious?”

“Bullying is not acceptable!”

“So hungry.”

After deciding that, Ainz had a feeling those were the Cerberus’ reactions to his decision, but it was probably just his imagination. They arrived at the table that Ainz had set up.

“Go ahead and eat.”

The two of them said:

“Thank you for providing this meal.”

All at once. Ainz was obviously unable to eat. Aura was the first to consume food.

“Ainz-sama! This is delicious!”

“Mm-hmm.”

Mare agreed with what his sister had said. Ainz gave them both a warm smile.

“That’s incredible. I’ll pass it on to the head chef... I’d like you two to pay attention to what I’m saying while you’re eating, but we know from Aura’s investigation that even if we build a temporary base in this area, we’ll be fine. As a result, we’ll choose a location to relocate the Green Secret House, and once that’s done, I’d like us to take action to find the Dark Elf Village.”

They set their forks down and listened intently to Ainz’s words. If his boss had started talking about work, even Suzuki Satoru would have stopped eating.

“After that, we’ll make friends with the Dark Elves. As part of our plan—as long as Aura allows it—I want to carry out Mission: “The Red Oni Wept”.”

Ainz smiled. He’d done it before with his friends, who dubbed it a dirty trick. In fact, when he was considering using a monster he had summoned himself, Aura returned just the right magical beast for the work. There would be no other hand to play as magnificent as this one if she agreed to use it. The fact that she did not have complete control added uncertainty to the plan, but it also increased realism. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the individual or because of their race, but monsters’ acting abilities were not consistent. The Evil Lord of Wrath had given an outstanding performance, but “the Circlet Demon is a damn ham,” according to Shizu.

[Note: (クソ kuso=sh*t / 糞 kuso=feces) / (大根 daikon=ham actor).]

He had wanted to conceal their identities and strength, but wouldn’t it be better if they could just slip right in? If it were fine to spend however many years on it, there might have been a much more different way to go about it, but when he considered the Theocracy, he didn’t think they had that much time.

“Cried because of sadness? Or cried as in shouting? Ainz-sama, just what is this plan?”

[Note: (食らい 'ku'rai=to eat) / (暗い 'ku'rai=dark.]

Ainz smiled at the curious Aura once more. It was once one of many things he had learned from his friends. The name of the strategy appeared to be based on something, but Ainz pretended to know without actually knowing. But if he based his explanation on his actual experiences with the strategy, he could explain it. Ainz opened his mouth to speak—

“—Oh! Isn’t it “The Red Oni Who Wept”? I recently finished that book!”

Ainz closed his mouth and slowly looked up at the sky for the first time after learning the origin of the strategy’s name. Ainz’s mind, its own ignorance beaten into it by a child, might have learned a thing or two if he had seen a majestic blue sky here. He might have found solace in the fact that he was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. However, all he saw was the Green Secret House’s ceiling. After a brief moment of staring at the unremarkable ceiling, he turned to see Mare’s pure and innocent smile. There was still the possibility that Mare had jumped to the wrong conclusion.

“Is that correct? Mare, you’re something else. That’s the first time I’ve read that book. You said it’s called “The Red Oni Who Wept.”...”

“Yes! So the contents of that book are—what are we going to do with that bear my sister brought back!?”

Oh yeah, probably, that’s a bull’s eye.

“Uh huh. Yeah. You sure are amazing Mare...”

And so, Ainz showed the two of them a smile.