The One Who Stayed: Volume III

The Kingdom of the Lizardmen

“Are you ready?” Ainz asked the assembled band of Foresight. They stood on the sands of the arena with their arms crossed behind their backs and feet shoulder width apart, the equipment they now wore was far removed from the trash items they came with. More than that though, so were their bodies. Hekkeran’s blonde hair had grown down shoulder length, and the pale blue of his eyes became hard as ice.

He still had his cheery moments, but now he was all business. His twin swords were replaced by vastly improved equipment stronger than adamantite, a blade of white and a blade of black. The white robbed its victims of their stats temporarily, transferring some of them to the bearer of the weapon. The black inflicted horrendous wounds. He wore dragon skin armor and boots, with fine bones woven into the double layered material giving it a slight ‘ridge’ appearance if you looked closely, almost like an outer skeleton. The skin was a faint grayish blue, almost metallic, but not quite.

Imina, and the rest, wore armor that matched his own, but unlike his, which was enchanted against piercing damage, her own set was enchanted to enhance her speed and dexterity. Her long purple hair hung long as it had, but when Ainz asked that question and they answered as one, “Yes, my Lord!” Imina did something more. At her side she wore a dagger, a backup for her enchanted golden bow that was strung with string taken from Fenrir’s hair, it was the dagger she reached for in silence. She held it up to the binding point where her long strands hung in all their crowning glory.

“Master,” she said with the utmost reverence, “You returned our Arche to us… spared our lives when you could have killed us… given us more than we deserve when… in another life, we might have been among those who sought to rob you. No, we would have been, I’m sure of it.” And in one smooth motion, she severed the long strands she took so much pride in and let them fall to her feet. She raised one foot and stomped down, hard. Grinding them into the sand when she twisted her foot back and forth. “I pledge myself again, if I fail, I die trying.”

Roberdyck’s head was already shaved bald, only the faint stubble of blonde remained where his formerly neat haircut was done. In place of the old white robe he wore over his armor, he now had a robe of the same fashion, but bearing the crest of Nazarick. “Treasured God of Mercy and Justice, I swear I will not fail you. Your kingdom will be the most glorious in all the world, and I will grind myself into the dust to make it so.”

Arche’s head was bowed, her blonde hair was grown out a bit, her cheap staff replaced with something far and away more powerful than before, her outfit no longer a hodgepodge of cheaply acquired gear… and her magic far superior to what it had been. “God of Magic… savior of my family… what can I say but… I am your tool. Use me as you see fit.”

“They are loyal.” Cocytus remarked from a few feet away, and Ainz turned his bare face over toward Cocytus.

“Are they strong enough to win?” Ainz asked the salient question, and Cocytus nodded.

“Yes, my Lord.” Cocytus replied in his short, abrupt fashion.

“Good. We begin with the battle of champions… if the other side accepts, I need it well known that I offered a chance for peaceful transition or the Kingdom of Nazarick will be known as warmongers. If my champions lose…” Ainz frowned.

“We won’t!” Foresight shouted out as one.

“Good.” Ainz answered, ‘They’d better not! My whole image lies in this gamble. If they refuse to accept the results of the duel after we win, then I can justify exterminating their army. If my champions lose, then I must concede… of course they could refuse my duel request, but then my butchery will look worse.’

‘I could use the guardians for this but… better to hold them in reserve, just in case… Nazarick’s native forces must be held back for now…’ Ainz reminded himself of his decision, his heart had palpitations that he very much hated at the present. The prospect of defeat was almost unthinkable.

“Alright,” Ainz announced, trying to sound confident, “Has the fort to hide my forces been built?”

“Yes, my Lord. By Mare.” Cocytus answered again.

“Then it’s time to go.” Ainz said, praying no hint of nervousness showed in his voice before he opened the [Gate], and vanished through the swirling hole in reality. Foresight followed him only seconds later.

The sun was bright and shining down on the long wooden fort, the wind blew lightly over the hill that overlooked the lower plains ahead, and from the entrance to the fort he could see the other side. Broken towers and fortifications that sat in a half finished or actively destroyed state stood like monuments to madness and decay. Some burned, others rotted.

The space between where the two armies were, remained desolate, devoid of life.

Clad in his dark magic robes, Ainz raised a hand and released a spell. [Greater Obfuscation]. The ninth tier spell would easily hide an attempt at looking inside the long oval fort that Mare had built for him, though it would do nothing about physical spies. [Greater Light Trigger]. It wasn’t exactly an ‘alarm’ spell, but it served his purposes, should anyone come close to the fort at night, ‘light’ would shine around them which intended to light the way of someone, rather it would in this instance, give them away.

He then cast a message spell. ‘Albedo, send my forces into the fort, we are ready.’ He said.

‘At once, my sweet and wonderful beloved, wonder and master of my heart, Lord and Master of Nazarick…’ Albedo answered, and Ainz sensed her intent to continue.

‘Albedo… the gate.’ He gently reminded her, and it opened a moment later.

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He cut the connection, and the growling hate-filled undead monsters began to fill the fort.

None of his New World Champions were disturbed by the presence of the undead, it had become a nonissue for them as they had every dream of their lives fulfilled. Roberdyck in particular had begun to take to them. ‘Holiest of gods who lets me heal the sick and care for the injured without care for cost or profit, sacred divine ruler of life and death… granter of mercy and master of my soul… I can’t wait to prove the depths of my loyalty.’ He said while stroking the shadowy body of a soul eater.

If the mercy given to Arche had not been sufficient for him, it had been that his Master allowed him to spend his free hours going about the land using his templar and cleric skills to heal the injured and ill without charge. He had not even asked that his name be spread. So Roberdyck spread it. “I work the will of God.” He’d said in the Kingdom of Carne, and found that his message had been well received, as a place that had also benefited from his Master’s mercy. ‘That he had to protect them from humanity says enough… he is the new divine… and I will prove it.’

Imina was indifferent to the undead monsters, rather than fond of them, she instead went to the entrance of the fort and slipped out, shutting the gate behind her and watching the distance.

“Are they here yet?” Arche asked, slipping out as well and falling in beside the girl she considered a big sister. Her hands clutched her staff, holding the gift tight against her body.

“No, not yet. We’re early, the power of our Lord to move so quickly from place to place is… uniquely his.” She smiled a bit down at her little sister and her half elven ears flicked about playfully. “Personally, I’m looking forward to the Slane Theocracy’s coming. I want to see their faces full of hate for my half breed self before I stomp a human champion into pieces.”

Arche shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Imina immediately flung an arm around her companion’s shoulder and pulled her close. “It’s not that!” Imina insisted immediately, “Not at all, it’s just that ‘those’ humans hate half breeds like me, and it’ll feel good to tweak their noses a bit.”

“Right… I guess it will…” Arche gave a fragile smile up to the half elf, “Just don’t let that get the better of you, okay? I like you better when you’re happy-go-lucky, you know?”

“Not to worry, little sister.” Imina smirked.

“Will they really show up? They don’t fight in these kinds of things, do they?” Arche asked.

“Yes, they’ll be here. But no, not to fight, they show up as observers, probably just looking for strong humans.” Imina shrugged the matter off, “We’re still pretty early even for… well, us. I guess Master wanted us to have some free time and stretch out a little.”

So the hours passed with them doing exactly that, until the sun was even higher in the sky, and the sound of marching feet came on in the distance, a handful of Theocracy observers in white robes came into view first, but the distant noise of twenty thousand soldiers of the Empire of Baharuth marching on the road eventually gave way to the sight of them in full battle panoply.

They arrayed themselves in a simple square formation, knights in shining steel armor covered from head to toe, and in the center, four banners representing the four mightiest knights. “My Lord, as you predicted.” Hekkeran Termite said softly, “Your ‘new kingdom’ announcement prompted them to go all out. They’ve sent the four knights… Emperor El Nix wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t intend to use them.”

“Then the battle of champions is half over.” Ainz said, sweating in relief beneath his mask and robes. “My Lord?” Hekkeren asked quizzically and looked up to his Master’s masked face.

“They’ve done what we wanted, moving according to my will.” Ainz answered and left it at that.

“I see.” Hekkeren said with awe at the skill of his Lord.

“The Theocracy representative is moving to the center, come, let’s go meet with them.” Ainz said, and taking out a scroll, he uttered, [Summon basic party mounts], the scroll burned up in blue fire, and five ordinary brown percherons appeared in a puff of smoke.

When Ainz mounted the horse, the rest of Foresight did the same, and they began to trot down to the center space of the Katze Plains.

The four banners of the Imperial Knights began to descend as well, kicking up dust along the way, within a mere minute or three, all three nations were represented.

Predictably, the Theocracy representative, acting as the neutral party, spoke first. “We of the Slane Theocracy again protest this misuse of vital resources of humanity… we implore you all… seek peace!”

“This usurper demands Imperial land for himself… so… that’ll be a no from us.” Baziwood said with a deep, barrel chested laugh, his long mouth opened so wide it was obvious he hadn’t even tried to stop himself from laughing.

“I, for one,” Ainz said, extending an upturned open hand out to them, “wouldn’t mind settling this in the oldest of traditions. A simple duel, your four champions, against my four champions. When we win… I will take the land I have so politely pressed for as compensation for all the harm done to my ally, the Re-Estize Kingdom, and the harm done to me when your Empire’s noble attacked my home. But nothing else.”

“And when we win?” Nazami growled, looking the robed caster over, along with the curiously silent and stern faced ‘champions’ at his back. ‘Curiously blank faces, it’s like they don’t care, the closest thing to a reaction has been the way they gripped the reins of their horses when Baziwood laughed.’

“Then I withdraw my claim of compensation.” Ainz remarked, “And remain on the land conceded to me by the Re-Estize Kingdom.”

“You mean… in the way, don’t you?” Nimble asked.

“If you want to put it that way, I won’t stop you.” Ainz said with a passive shrug.

The four knights looked at one another, the prospect of a bloodless fight and an easy win by four famous champions over four unknown nobodies was an appealing one.

The Theocracy representatives breathed a sigh of relief. “You bear witness to this bargain.” Ainz said, pointing to them, “If they should break it, the consequences lie on their heads.”

“It is witnessed.” The leader of the delegation said with quiet reverence.

“Good, and… your name, if I may?” Ainz asked.

“I am Cardinal Raymond Zarg Lauransan.” The brown bearded cardinal bowed his head, “At your service.”

“Good, I will remember that.” Ainz answered, then facing the four knights, he said, “Inform your soldiers of your decision, then return here to where my champions will wait to break you.”

The supreme confidence with which he spoke set all four of the knights’ teeth on edge, and with a snarl from Nazami, they wheeled their horses about and rode back to their own lines.

The Theocracy delegation began to withdraw back to their place of observation, while Ainz only turned his horse around and said to them, “Do not lose.”

“Never.” They said as one, and when he rode back to the fort, they dismounted, and stepped out of the way of their mounts.

In the Imperial tent, the knights were quick about commanding their mages to bless them, downing potions to enhance themselves as much as possible, and Nazami addressed the lead officer who sat in the white imperial command tent, informing him of the bargain.

Lounge Vermillion listened with dismay, “It’s that easy? You just… beat up four nobodies and this is all over?”

“Yep, that easy.” Baziwood was in good humor as he downed one more potion.

“I’m a bit more suspicious… I don’t like this.” Leinas said and dabbed a cloth to the pus seeping from half of her face.

“I don’t like this either.” Nimble replied, “Not one bit. My father once told me that if anybody ever offered to bet you a silver that they could make a mug of beer dance and spit piss in your eye, don’t take it, or you’ll be covered in piss and light one silver.”

“Crude.” Loune remarked, wrinkling his nose.

“Maybe, but that’s what this feels like to me.” Leinas replied.

“So just… don’t lose.” Loune felt the rising sense of panic at even the prospect, his heart started to race and sweat sprang to his body.

“No plans to.” Baziwood grunted.

“I didn’t plan for this either.” Leinas answered and wiped more pus from her face, “But here we are…” She sighed, “Come on, let’s get this over with.” She said and headed for the tent flap, followed by the rest of the Four Knights, ready to face their enemies.