Ainz walked out of his room the next morning and found female servant standing there as if afraid to enter.
"How long have you been out there?" Ainz asked curiously.
"A...long time sire." The maid said with her eyes downcast. Her gaze snapped up, "Please don't...don't tell the emperor I didn't come in before you were out to leave...please don't...I was just scared...I'll do anything to make up for the mistake of failing to serve well."
"Nice eyes." Ainz said to himself as he looked her over, she had the sweet sort of doe eyes that he remembered from Tsuare Ninya, a powerless being, but a kind one, that was his impression. They were the same color as his mother's. He remembered that look in her eyes too, when the store owner had hit her in the face over the food the young Suzuki had taken.
The woman looked about to faint, he'd been standing there too long as he was lost in thought, to her, it seemed as if he must be toying with or tormenting her. He tried to put on his most noble pose as he reached out to her and touched her shoulder with his skeletal hand. "Have no fear, I won't mention it to the emperor if you will not. I will treat your fear as praise for my power, and hope that on it is built a respect for my mercy." He said.
She practically wept, "Thank you sire, I promise, next time...I won't just stand outside like an idiot...I'll...I'll volunteer to see to you tomorrow so that I can make up for this failure today, if you are still here then." She said, genuine gratitude in her voice.
Ainz didn't respond to that, he simply instructed her to have Leinas meet him in the throne room, and then he walked down the hall as he contemplated the encounter. He had no idea why she was so terrified of the emperor being informed of her being outside his quarters, but as he thought more and more, ideas began to form. It could be that maid slots in the palace were highly coveted, and displeasing a powerful figure from another country, or embarrassing her own nation by her conduct, would be reason for dismissal to who knows what fate. Or she could have feared severe punishment...any sounded possible, for now he just had to pretend he understood her motivations as part of his royalty act.
He went to the throne room it was just as he was walking in from one side, that Jircniv walked in from the other.
"Good morning Jircniv," Ainz said, "I trust you slept well?" He asked.
"I had a very...worthwhile evening, my lord." Jircniv said with a bow.
"I'm very glad to hear it, by the way tomorrow if possible, I'd like to hold a feast, I intend to leave here tomorrow after finishing our last few visits, and I think it suitable to revive something of a tradition from thousands of years ago." Ainz said, playing to his 'ancient undead' role.
Jircniv raised an eyebrow, intrigue was in his eyes when he asked, "Please, could you tell me more?"
"Of course." Ainz answered.
"In ancient times, there was a mighty city called 'Rome' who every year held a feast day called the Feast of Lemuria. The purpose of this feast was to satisfy, placate, or drive away the restless dead so that the people would be untroubled by them for another year. They would undertake various rituals and when it was over, they could reast easy knowing the dead are placated. I believe...given the circumstances and what I happen to be...that reviving that tradition to mark the end of my visit to a province or a vassal or a city, would be appropriate."
Jircniv listened attentively..."But...does this not insult your majesty, as if people are grateful that you are leaving?"
Ainz laughed, "Perhaps a minor change, it will be the feast of the Lemurian Paradox, wherein the commemoration of arrival and departure are done at once, I intend to make of it a sacred festival to the new religion, and beginning it here in the capitol of my first willing vassal seems quite appropriate."
Jircniv could not help but think...'His majesty is really bad at telling jokes.' However he nodded along, "A wonderful idea your majesty, I will have the word passed immediately, but where will it be held? Here in the palace?"
Ainz shook his head, "No, let it be done in the streets of the capitol, I will provide the food from Nazarick using a gate spell, and I will augment your chefs with some of my own, and put it out that all nobles are expected to contribute to the public plenty. It will be a good time to look for skinflints, the ones who skimp on what they provide to the public either think less of your edicts, or little of the people they serve, or are suffering want and may need relief."
Jircniv blinked, "Finances as a measure of loyalty and obedience?"
"A man's actions are his character." Ainz responded, "Look at how he responds to your orders and you'll know his loyalty, look at how he treats the people, and you'll know how he sees the people."
"Always more to learn..." Jircniv said softly. "It will be done my lord. Now, where would you like to go first?" Jircniv looked at a nearby servant and nodded, the man who had been trained to focus attentively on everything in the throne room, immediately rushed to inform everybody he needed to tell, while Jircniv and Ainz walked towards the entrance to the palace.
"To see Count Yvas, I'd like to see his school now, then when we return I'd like to see the rest of the nobles of the capitol and your military command in a council meeting." Ainz said, just as Leinas was arriving in the room.
"It will be done sire." Jircniv said, and glanced to another servant, who like colleague, was taking copious notes of what was happening, and then he rushed out of the room to ensure the task of preparing for that was finished properly, notices to the nobles who would be needed, notice to the military command, and so on.
"But before we go..." Ainz said, "Gate."
When the gate appeared he said, "Summon lich." When the lich appeared, he said, "Go to Nazarick, have them bring carts and wagons of food from our produce to the gates of Arwintar Palace, they are authorized transportation magic, also have some of our chefs come through to assist the humans, and bring cook books, let this city taste things they never imagined before." He said, and the lich went through the gate.
"Now, are you ready to go?" Ainz asked the emperor.
"Is anyone ever ready for this?" He asked sardonically.
"Not really, no." Ainz answered with an equally sardonic tone, "But people get used to it." He said, and when he cast gate again and stepped through, Jircniv followed without fear, followed by Leinas.
He found himself outside a massive complex, one larger than the noble's own estate, and standing right next to Ainz. The emperor had not found time to visit Yvas, though he had heard of the nature of the institution that Ainz had built for the man, the raw spectacular view of it was a whole other thing entirely. There was a large grounds flat cut and fitted stones, not simple cobbles, leading to a large ornate gate that appeared to be silver. The walls connected to the gate appeared to be of large solid block buried part of the way into the ground, but what truly was a marvel were the murals. To the left and right he could see students harnessing their knowledge to draw works of art along their length, and beyond the gate the path sat between an enormous hedge maze and was lined with a multitude of flowers, some of which Jircniv had never seen before.
Leinas was not less impressed, she had always been more for the art of war than the art of...art, however she couldn't deny that the fruits of peace were far more beautiful, she struggled and failed to retain her passive face as she soaked up the vision of what seemed a paradise before her eyes. Ainz leaned over to her and whispered, "Its OK to enjoy it, if you did not, I should think my work a failure." He said, and resumed his kingly posture.
Leinas allowed expression to fill her face and to simply soak in the tiny details that flooded her vision.
That first look by itself would have been jaw dropping, but as Jircniv continued to look at the building...even from a distance there were clearly figures carved into the building itself, the largest of which was on the left side of the building, there stood a giant of a man carved of marble, legs out wide so that each foot was at the front and back of the building, he stood tall and held his arms up, stopping at the hands that were even with the roof.
"What is...that?" He asked Ainz.
That statue the building is built against?" Ainz asked.
"Yes..." He said softly.
"That is a representation of Atlas, a mythical figure who was given the task by the gods to hold up the sky over the..."
"Amazing..." Jircniv said.
Ainz silently thanked his luck stat for Jircniv's interruption as he had almost said 'Earth' instead of 'the world'.
As they spoke, they drew the attention of those who previously had their backs to the pair, and when the students saw who it was, they knelt where they had been standing.
"Rise, rise." Ainz said, "We've come to see Count Yvas and tour the school."
"Allow me, I will take you to him immediately sires." A young, thin, dark haired student of pale complexion said eagerly.
Ainz gestured forward and the student began to lead the way.
Jircniv was looking at everything with a profound sense of envy, and Ainz deduced that the empire would see a revolution in architecture around the same time as it saw a revolution in art.
When they reached the main building, the intricacy of the work was even more obvious, white statues on columns lined the way, one outside of each window. "Why there?" Jircniv asked curiously.
"So that if any student should grow distracted, the glance outside falls on something that reminds them why they are here." The student said politely.
The steps were made of a multicolored smooth soapstone, and the doors a deep ebony wood, they were massive, but the student opened them easily, and the two rulers and Leinas followed him in.
Ainz had to admit, there was talent here. The students stopped to stare before dropping to one knee, but they were not the only ones looking. Ainz and Jircniv were looking right back, going over the work of the students that was being put on display.
"They do good work, don't they?" Ainz asked.
"They do indeed. I hope they live up to the potential they show today." Jircniv said, each speaking loud enough for the students to hear.
It was praise that they never forgot.
The student leading them took them up a winding set of stairs and down to the far left wing of the school, until he stopped at a nondescript door that stood out from the others only by having a single solid gem embedded into the center of its cherry wood form.
"Here sires." The student said.
"Thank you." Ainz said, and Jircniv nodded, and the student, sensing dismissal, departed to return to his work.
Yvas was at his desk, and he was looking over a set of documents and a set of ornate finished jewelry designs, he was so engrossed in his work that it wasn't until the door closed that he looked up in shock. When he saw who it was, he rushed forward as fast as he could, Leinas made to stop him, but Ainz held up a skeletal hand to halt her, and the man knelt at the feet of his benefactors with tears in his eyes.
"My lords, my lords, I am so glad to see you again so that I can express my gratitude, its everything I dreamed." He said loudly and enthusiastically.
Jircniv was not accustomed to such open gratitude, either in public or in private, if Ainz was uncomfortable, Jircniv couldn't tell, the undead king simply said, "Rise Count Yvas. We've come to see what you've done with the opportunity given to you. Clearly, it has been much."
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Yvas stood slowly and smiled broadly, "Yes sires, thanks to your collective patronage, our students are thriving and trade is booming, the sale of their work has offset the cost of materials and provided a stipend, though they are only permitted to do work 'on' course grounds until they graduate, or on 'field exercises' where we take them to an outside location to paint or sculpt based on something located in the area we are visiting. Its a marvel, were I capable of dreaming as grandly as you have produced, this is what I would have dreamed of." He said with a happy sigh.
Ainz looked to Jircniv, "If you have no objection to an additional guest, I'd like him to come with us to Carne to see the arena, it will be after all, his students first great project."
Yvas looked confused. "There is an arena at Carne? Where is Carne?"
Ainz laughed, "You may very well be one of the last people in the world to ask that question when you see it. And in answer to your former question, there isn't yet, but there will be soon."
Jircniv several years ago would have found this to be frustrating in the extreme, but Jircniv now...considered it a fine idea, a testament and a credit to the empire. "My lord I definitely have no objection, it would be my pleasure to have our minister of national arts survey your project for the empire's contribution."
"You have a minister of national arts already?" Ainz asked curiously, while internally thinking as fast as he could, "I had not planned to suggest this until after the project's completion."
Jircniv grinned while Yvas stood like stone, "I have one now. When he has surveyed your project and returned to the empire I will have him briefed on his many duties in the development of the arts within our borders."
"It-it would be my honor." Yvas said in a voice of hushed awe. "I lack the words to express the degree of gratitude that swells within me." He said as tears of joy welled up.
"Those say enough." Ainz said, pointing to the trickle. "Pack what you need for a few days, we return to the palace of Arwintar to meet with the nobles and the military command shortly, then tomorrow there will be a feast in the capitol and after that we depart for Carne."
Yvas bowed deeply and rushed out, leaving the two rulers alone.
"This has been a worthwhile trip thus far." Ainz said.
"I agree." Jircniv said, "But this is more than a simple tour, isn't it?" He said.
Ainz cast a security spell over the room. "There, now we will not be overheard. Put plainly, yes, it is. You know of the tensions in the South, of my servants who have dedicated themselves to my ideals?" Ainz asked.
"I do." Jircniv said. "You saw my report on my meeting with the Slane Theocracy. The upcoming Synod has them in a panic, Neia Baraja's success, the growth of your theology among both merchants and warriors and the popularity of your free healing policy and the wealth generated by the undead is driving them to rash decisions."
"There will be war soon." Ainz said with a hint of sadness.
"Will you...use another one of your spells?" Jircniv asked with dread in his voice.
"Not if I can avoid it. I intend to wage this conflict through more conventional means if possible, I will promise to refrain from using high tier magic as long as they agree to my rules of warfare on the treatment of prisoners and refrain from the abuse of noncombatants." Ainz said.
Jircniv's eyes went wide. "That is very generous I will admit, but why would you do this?" He asked. "You could end the war as soon as it begins."
"Several reasons." Ainz said, holding up his skeletal hand with all five fingers spread out. "First, they will simply adapt to low key combat with small numbers to minimize the number of targets, such combat methods draw things out for much longer and I would rather this be decisive." He curled one finger into his palm. "Second, I would gain a reputation for excessive bloodlust, even if I only targeted their military, this would only do more long term harm to my rule." He curled a second finger to his palm. "Third, it will be said that nobody follows my will save through fear. If I show that those under me fight with valor on their own, this will weaken that belief considerably." He curled the third finger to his palm. "Fourth, this will bring my differing peoples together through common threat, creating a sense of a unity of purpose, lizardman will fight beside elf, elf will fight beside human, snakewoman will fight beside dragon, dragon shall fight beside dwarf, dwarf will fight beside quoga, I will integrate these armies so that a sense of unifying brotherhood and sisterhood is born from conflict." He curled the fourth finger to his palm. "And lastly, when they inevitably start breaking those rules of their own volition, targeting the weak, enslaving captives, and the other things they cannot keep themselves from doing, it will be their own fault when their borders are eliminated." He curled his thumb in over the closed fingers, turning his hand into a single fist.
Jircniv nodded somberly. "I see. I am truly glad I am on your side, majesty." He said sincerely. "So you will need the legions then?" He asked.
Before Ainz could answer, Yvas had returned and eagerly announced that he was ready to depart and had let someone know they'd have to take over for a few days.
"Gate." Ainz said, and a wide eyed Leinas and Yvas stepped through the gate and found themselves back in the palace of Arwintar.
No sooner had they returned than Jircniv asked if the council was ready, and a servant who was caught off guard had to stammer out a rushed "Yes sire."
"Then see to Count Yvas's quarters while I head to the council chamber." Jircniv snapped.
"Leinas, do you wish to join me, or do you require a break?" Ainz asked considerately.
"I'll join you sire." She said with surprise.
"Then lead the way Jircniv." Ainz said, and they followed him to a large council room, there was a large table at the center of an enormous room, the table was polished to a shine and there were enough chairs at it to hold dozens of people, while around the wall there were chairs enough to hold dozens more, space for functionaries, secretaries, and assistants most likely. Right now nearly every space but two was taken up, and when the two rulers entered, the room stood up.
"Be seated." Jircniv said, and both he and Ainz walked to the table. Jircniv waited for Ainz to sit, but Ainz instead gestured to the head of the table, and offered the seat to Jircniv. The emperor looked surprised. "I prefer to stand when speaking, and I will be brief." He said, and Jircniv nodded politely and sat down.
"You all know who I am, even if we have not met. Therefore I will be brief. A war is coming and it is coming fast. The synod at year's end will decide the course of the faith of millions, and the Slane Theocracy and their international sympathizers have already made up their minds. The tensions between my followers in the Northern Holy Roble Kingdom, and the traditionalists in the South, along with their close ties to the Slane Theocracy...not to mention the numerous sympathizers that must surely exist in the Re-Estize Kingdom, are going to continue to escalate." He scanned the room, he had their full attention.
"Does anyone wish to be caught offguard?" Ainz asked with sarcasm, and scanned the room again as if expecting a hand to go up.
"Good. Then you understand. I will be assembling a combined military command from all my domains and vassals. The Empire, The Dwarven Kingdom, the Quoga, the Lizardmen, the Abelion Hills, Carne, E-Rantel, loyal partisans of the Holy Kingdom, and yes, Nazarick." Faces went white at the scale of such an army. Nothing like that had been seen in...ever.
"Your Majesty...couldn't your magic end it more easily?" A nobleman asked.
"It could, but it would only lay the groundwork for a future war, if you wish to understand my decision further, wait behind for the emperor to explain it, I have already covered that ground with him, I do not like repeating myself." Ainz said simply.
"Simply put, this war decides the future, it is not a fight for land or wealth, it is not a fight for vanity or for personal glory. This is a fight that will decide the future of this world, the old ways...or the new ones. I will add however, that those who fight with valor in my service during the coming fight, will not be forgotten when the war has ended." Ainz said.
Nimble raised his hand. "Who will command in this fight?" He asked when Ainz acknowledged him.
"Each army will be headed by a single general appointed by me under the advisement of the person's authorized local government. For the Empire's legions, I would ask that you command, General Nimble. Assuming Emperor Jircnivs thinks you prepared for it again?" He asked.
Jircniv folded his fingers into a steeple and rested his elbows on the table, he held the posture as he thought, and then gave a somber nod of acknowledgement.
"Would you like to speak?" Ainz asked the emperor, "You appear to be considering something."
"Yes, thank you majesty." The Bloody Emperor said. "The nobility will not be shrinking from this fight. I expect every nobleman who is head of household who has heirs of appropriate age behind them at home, to lead from the front, you may make use of your household troops in addition to your companies of knights, but because this is a war for the future, not some petty skirmish meant to weaken an enemy, I expect that you will be where noble blood belongs. Those who flee will be abandoning their noble title in exchange for their lives."
The nobles swallowed, but nobody seemed of a mind to argue the point.
The remainder of the meeting was spent with Ainz explaining what was likely going to happen next and detailing the logistics of how they would be supplied during the campaign, and in a matter of hours, Ainz had them convinced that they could not lose even if they wanted to, and at the end Ainz said, "So there will be two thirds of the legions returned to the area around the capitol, and held here in training and preparation for the campaign. Any questions?"
There were none, and both Ainz and Leinas filed out, along with the few who did not have any questions for the Emperor himself, who explained the reasoning behind Ainz's choice to limit his use of magic.
Ainz however, went straight to his room to relax, and dismissed Leinas to get some rest herself, this day had been a long one in and of itself, and when he returned to his room he found the nervous maid from earlier preparing his bed. She bowed deeply to him, and Ainz gave her a small wave as he brushed past her. Idly he turned to her and said, "Has word spread of the feast tomorrow?"
She nodded. "I went out to eat today sire, and the criers were out in force, word has spread like wildfire of the Feast of Lemuria, and I visited our cooks, they were so busy that they all but shut down dining establishments throughout the city by having them prepare food for tomorrow in their own establishments while cooks here used our own, the city is in an uproar over it all. I cannot wait to see it." She said with a smile on her face that was warm enough to melt ice cream.
"Good." Ainz said, "I will take my ease and privacy and do some reading, be ready in the morning for a most enjoyable day." He sat down and pulled out a scroll and began reading the report detailed on it.
"As your majesty wishes." She said, bowed, and walked out of the room.
When morning came, Ainz ensured he was ready to go before the maid arrived, grateful for his undead nature and the lack of any true need to sleep, he stacked a set of documents out to one side of the table and took one off the top and began to read it. When the maid knocked in the morning he said, "Enter." She came in and looked in shock as she saw that he was 'still' at his desk and had a veritable mountain of documents beside him.
"Majesty...what are those?" She asked in surprise.
"Reports, laws for me to review, high level appeals, international communications, economic materials, and so on." He replied, and signed the document and set it on top of the stack.
"May...may I assist you in any way?" She asked softly, her eyes wide in a respectful expression.
"You may select a suitable outfit for me to wear today from among those currently hanging up. I will be out in public for my final day visiting the empire and so it should be something suitably festive." He said.
The maid scurried over to the wardrobe and pawed through them for a few minutes until she pulled one out of soft emerald green, light blue, and an autumn orange trim. It was worth the collective value of a small nation's annual budget, and Ainz had learned to know better than to question the fashion preferences of this world.
"That will do then, see to it that those I have brought with me to the palace are properly tended to for the day, and prepared to leave when the feast is over." He said and waved her away with a dismissal, she bowed and left the room. A few days later the rumor would reach Jircniv's ears that the undead King spent his twilight quiet hours reviewing records and scrolls of governorship, a rumor Jircniv could readily believe, and he found himself envying the undead constitution, as it enhanced the prestige and common regard of the diligent rule of Ainz Ooal Gown.
In early morning Ainz, preceded by Leinas, met Jircniv at the entrance of the palace, and with only a look between them that gave away the considerably long association, they opened the doors of the palace themselves and stepped out. The crowd was immense and their exit drew cheers for the very popular leaders, and Jircniv surveyed what he could see from the top of the stairs. Tables were everywhere and chefs and other attendants were making runs back and forth to lay out food, while casks of beer and wine were laid out all over the great square, and when Ainz raised his skeletal hands high to indicate a wish for silence, the cheers gradually died down.
"People of the Empire, glorious is your city, glorious is your civilization, glorious are yourselves! As I look out upon you, filled with life and vigor, filled with pride and self respect and ambition, I must say that the worth of humanity is made clear as the sky is now! And it is in that spirit that I am proud to have your empire as my vassal state, and your emperor as my vassal. Your consummate loyalty and diligent labor has built an edifice that may stand for a thousand times a thousand years, and create the foundation for an age ahead that will leave countless generations thankful to you for the toil you have put in to creating it all! It is in that spirit that I welcome you to the first Feast of Lemuria, the revival of an ancient tradition wherein the living and the dead..." Ainz paused, and pointed to his skeletal face as if in jest that they might not have noticed that was him, drawing a number of laughs, while others groaned at his terrible joke telling, "come together before parting, today is my last day visiting your noble city until another year has passed, and then we will do this again, so eat well, live well, and don't start looking like me until you're all very old!" That brought out some laughs, and Jircniv held out a hand and a cup bearer rushed a cup of wine to him.
Jircniv raised his cup high and said, "To the Sorcerer King, long may he reign!"
The crowd shouted back, "Long may he reign!".
The next few hours were a fascinating time as Ainz moved among the crowd with Leinas close at hand, shocked to watch him greet commoners, merchants, rich, poor, noble, and newly free, alike with equal courtesy. It made a powerful impression on her that he could maintain his noble bearing even while seemingly forming bonds with others who were of a lower station than himself. It was easy to forget that she was looking at the back of an undead being, and more than once she wondered if he might not truly be undead at all.
Games were plentiful and Ainz even insisted that she try a few for fun, she found the hammer game especially fun, and even won a few prizes which she gave away to small squealing excited children.
But time must pass...except where Ainz decided it shouldn't, and the day gradually came to a close, his parting came to soon for many, and as the sun began to dip beyond the horizon, the emperor and Ainz made a retreat to many glasses and goblets and mugs raised in toast to their futures. When they were back in the palace, Ainz found that his 'new' companions were waiting for him. Kuuderika, Yvas, & Osk were all ready and prepared.
"Do you require anything for yourself before we depart Jircniv?" Ainz asked.
"Nothing I can't acquire on site." He said, "And I confess, I'm too eager to see what you plan, to care to waste a moment waiting on bags."
Ainz laughed, "Then lets be off." He said, and cast the 'Gate' spell. He stepped through, followed by the rest of his companions, ready to take the next step in reshaping the course of history.