Overlord (Light Novel)

Aura followed after the dark elf who introduced himself as the village’s Master of the Hunt. He was supposed to be the one who managed all the rangers in the village, but Aura felt like the man who collapsed earlier was stronger. But then, why did this guy name himself the chief? Even among the warriors in human society, only the strongest took on the title of the chief. No, maybe—

{—are the classes different? Like, the one from before could be a warrior, while this one is a ranger. Or is he someone like Victim?}

Aura came to an understanding after she remembered the Eighth Floor’s Guardian, thinking this guy probably also had some specific duty to fulfill. While this thought surfaced, she tried to sense if anyone was behind her.

He was here.

And he would continue to be here.

A bunch of dark elves followed after Aura and the Master of the Hunt. There shouldn’t be any casualties from the monster bear they had sent into the village. Perhaps it was because they had nothing to do for now, or perhaps they were stimulated by curiosity, they followed after their rare visitor.

Obviously, she didn’t feel any hostility or killing intent from them.

Of course, there was a possibility that there was someone very skilled among them who could hide from Aura’s senses, but Aura’s intuition told her that there was no one like that here. In the first place, if there was a person here who was that strong, they could have easily killed the monster bear before Aura arrived.

{...Looks like we are not exposed.}

Right now, she thought no one in the village realized that they were the ones who had sent the monster bear.

{Aaaaah,} Aura thought listlessly. {Why did Ainz-sama want to not let anyone from the village die?}

Her master’s orders in a gist were, “infiltrate the village and prepare the groundwork for an amicable relationship.”

The village would have been more grateful if she had saved them after a few people had died. Maybe some would have complained that “she should have saved us sooner,” but such people would grumble no matter what she did. People like them who would be nothing but trouble for Aura—and consequently, trouble for Nazarick—could be wiped out when an opportunity presented itself.

For example, they could send in the monster bear again.

{Hnnn. But I still can’t understand Ainz-sama’s thoughts. Considering his instructions, pushing them to the edges of despair and a dramatic rescue after would have been more effective...would Albedo or Demiurge have understood Ainz-sama’s intentions better if they were here?}

Aura couldn’t understand her master’s thoughts however much she pondered. Of course, there was probably no one who could understand the wise ruler, but that didn’t mean she should stop thinking about it completely.

Their master wished for their growth. Furthermore, as the top brass of Nazarick, Floor Guardians were supposed to act as role models for every denizen of Nazarick.

{Hnnnn. Hnnnnnnn... maybe it would be troublesome if someone we killed could have been useful later, but Ainz-sama is probably thinking on a deeper level than that.}

It was also the same for that monster bear.

When she asked if she should just kill it while the Dark Elves were looking, he replied that it would be wasteful and there was a big demerit in doing that.

Certainly, it was a rare specimen unknown to her and it also looked like it could be considered strong for this world. She agreed with her master’s decision because they were uncertain whether they could find another strong specimen like it.

Sure, she was the one who proposed a way to put the monster bear to good use, but killing the monster bear would be better to allay the village’s suspicions about them. Her master agreed on that point.

But, it felt like he refused because didn’t want Aura to kill the monster bear with her own hands.

Since she wasn’t informed of any demerits of that act, she continued to contemplate on the possible reasons.

{With Ainz-sama’s intellect, troubles or mistakes shouldn’t occur if I follow his orders to the letter. But, just following orders without thinking is not good...}

If someone only followed orders, they would be second-class. Only those who could understand the intention and aim behind the orders and also bring about a better result could be considered first-class.

{Albedo and Demiurge do enough first-class work to be praised by Ainz-sama. I can’t lose to them. But...hnnnn... Maybe I should have used the weaker monster bears around this village instead of killing them all. Would that have been better?}

Aura looked at the Master of the Hunt, who was walking ahead of her.

He was silent the whole time.

{Normally, if the savior turned out to be a kid like me, they would be flooded with questions. I didn’t even tell them my name. Is this normal for the Dark Elves? I don’t think so, but...}

It didn’t feel like he hated talking with her or that he was just not in the mood for it. She couldn’t feel a dismissive mood around him. His gait also supported her hunch.

He was making his steps shorter, slowing his pace down to match Aura’s. If he could show such goodwill while also managing to hate her, he could only be considered a complicated person then.

He was likely just an untalkative person, or maybe he was not used to speaking with children.

Frankly, he was a failure as a host, but it’s not like Aura wanted some kind of grand reception either so it would be wrong to criticize him on his quality as a host. Perhaps it was her mistake in not selecting a more amicable person to approach first.

{—Seems like it can’t be helped, I should just start the conversation from my side.}

She should probably start with a conversation starter to relieve the mood, but with the short distance to their destination in mind, she went straight to the point.

“Elders, right? We are going to meet the people who didn’t show themselves even with the monster bear’s attack, right?”

“Monster bear? Is that how the Ankyloursus is called where you come from?”

“Hn. That’s how we call it,” Aura smoothly lied. “That aside, can you tell me more about the elders?”

“Aah. You were right, we are going to the elders’ place now. We need not have walked if the elders were present with us there, but they were preparing oil inside their Elf Tree”

“hnnnnn. So, how many elders are there?”

The Master of the Hunt turned his head back for the first time to look at her.

“Ah, is it different at your place? There are three of them”

“The place I lived—A city far away from here, doesn’t have anything like an elder council as far as I know”

“I see. It sounds very different from our village. I’ve also heard the Elven city is ruled by a king...I heard that a city is like a village with more residents, so could it be something like having three elders just isn't enough?”

“Well? There are barely any Dark Elves in my country, so I am not sure about those things”

Aura shrugged. She wanted the other side’s information, but didn’t want to give her own out as much as possible.

First of all, until she found out what kind of authority the elders wielded and what kind of people they were, she couldn’t just give random answers. Secondly, she couldn’t agree with his opinion about the city's administration being the way it was because it required more people to properly govern it. She had her master as a counterexample.

{If we had three Ainz-samas, it would be possible to perfectly rule the entire world without needing any of us…}

As Aura thought about her master, the Master of the Hunt widened his eyes in surprise.

“...aren’t you here on a journey from the country of the Dark Elves?”

“Nn? That’s wrong. Just like I mentioned before, there are barely any Dark Elves in my country”

It was better not to give them accurate numbers, so Aura gave a general answer.

“It’s mostly populated by other races like Humans, Goblins, Lizardmen, Orcs, etc. We went through the trouble of traveling here after hearing people from our race lived in this forest”

“Is that so...”

Aura wondered about the heaviness in his response. She wanted to ask him, but decided that she shouldn’t be impatient and didn’t try to inquire further. She wanted him to notice the “We” in her sentence instead.

“But to think that many races can co-exist together...I am surprised”

“Is that so?”

It didn't matter however many races there were. As long as there was an absolute existence that stood above everyone, it would only be natural for everyone to bow down to said existence’s grandeur. On the other hand, if there’s a world where that didn’t happen, it could only mean that such an existence was absent.

That was why they had to spread the name of Ainz Ooal Gown across the world.

{Ainz-sama should rule over all the living beings of this world as the absolute ruler}

This would give rise to absolute peace. If anyone desired such a world, they should bend the knee to the Supreme Being.

Aura felt pity for the Dark Elves who didn't know of her master. It was the type of compassion a civilized person tended to reserve for ignorant savages.

{Albedo would probably get angry about their ignorance, but that would be truly cruel. The important thing is kneeling to Ainz-sama after learning of him.}

But there could be one more reason why someone wouldn’t bow their heads other than sheer idiocy.

It was either when the other party was someone on the same level as the Supreme Beings, or was under the rule of someone like that.

Supreme Beings were existences that rivaled gods, but unfortunately, similar entities also existed.

Of course, the Supreme Beings stood at the top of even such existences. In the past, they repelled those entities who came to violate Nazarick, it was also said that one of the Supreme Beings was the third strongest person in the entire world.

Yet, the fact that there were some who could rival the Supreme Beings in power was undeniable. That was why their master, the only Supreme Being who stayed behind with them, was being cautious.

{I can understand Ainz-sama’s caution because he is the one who has the most experience against them...I feel like there’s no one like that here though... But I shouldn’t be having such optimistic thoughts while Ainz-sama is being cautious...}

If there was someone who could rival Supreme Beings, even if they hid skillfully, they would be at least moderately famous as long as they interacted with others. There were some similar existences in this world’s history, but there were not even any rumors about such existences in this era.

It’s conjectured that this area was at the edge of the wider world, so information was hard to reach here.

{Demiurge said that we should continue to be on guard after all...}

He said that it was hard to stop the information about the birth of the Sorcerer Kingdom from leaking out, so when the information spread to the entire continent, they could finally confirm the presence—or the absence—of Players. Therefore, as the Floor Guardians, they should keep their master’s warning in mind.

He also said that opponents were most likely to appear in the chaotic situation caused by a war, and it would also be their chance to fish them out at the same time.

“We are not exactly on friendly terms with other races, but it’s not like we are in a fierce conflict with them either. There are times when we stand in opposition trying to occupy a safe place in this forest, but there are also times when we have to cooperate because the monsters are our common enemy...Are the monsters outside the forest strong?”

She felt like the question “Is that why you are strong too?” was hidden behind his words.

“—Ah, Hn. Strong, I think? But, maybe not that strong for me?” As the man looked like he wanted to ask something, Aura interrupted him with a question of her own. “It looks like you don’t know about the world outside of the forest, but how long has it been since you people went outside?”

“I heard from the elders that we came to this forest more than 300 years ago, but I have never heard about any Dark Elf who has headed out since that time”

“300 years? You heard it from others? That’s a weird way to put things...Uncle, weren’t you already born 300 years back?”

Master of the Hunt’s expression changed considerably for the first time.

“—I am only a little bit over 200 years old.”

Aura suppressed her urge to take a long, hard look at the Master of the Hunt’s face.

{200 years? Is he trying to fudge the numbers? That, or the Dark Elves here count years differently... }

She thought he was lying, but she couldn't say that to his face. She could already feel his mood becoming more dejected.

He was probably, no, certainly worried about it.

Aura didn’t feel like consoling him, but if she wanted a good relationship with him going forward, it would be better if she did.

“Aa—, Hn. It’s just that you exude this air of maturity...in a good way.”

“...No, don’t mind it. It just shows how exhausting life in this forest is”

Aura didn’t reply to him. If that’s how he was trying to swing it, staying silent was the utmost kindness she could show him.

“Fuu—n...So don’t you people feel like coming out of this forest? Like, to the country I live in?”

She was not clear about her master’s intentions, but broaching this topic shouldn’t have any faults. They could excuse it later as a joke if need be since these were just the words of a child. Also, her master was not someone who would scold her for something as small as this.

He would use [Message] to tell her if she did something he didn't want anyway.

“Maybe that’s not a bad idea...”

“You sound very reluctant. Our country is great, you know? It’s pretty safe and monsters like the one that attacked before don’t prowl out in the open. You will face different kinds of hardship if you do come, but you will also receive different kinds of support as well. You don’t have to toil as hard as you do now.”

“That sounds like a splendid country. I can feel how good it is from the way you speak about it. Even so, it’s difficult to shed our unease. Unease about going to a new place, and unease about whether we can continue our present lifestyle there...Maybe it’s because I am mostly fine with things as they are, I think it would be better to stay put rather than going to all that trouble”

He replied earnestly to a child’s irresponsible words. Maybe it was because he was a good and earnest person at his core, or maybe it was because he thought highly of Aura. Whatever the case may be, it looked like he would talk freely if she was the one to lead the conversation. A smile slowly took shape in Aura’s mind.

“In that case, what if some people come over to test things out?”

“That’s not a bad idea too...Will they go or won’t they? If they will, how many? If we end up having to decide about it, the elders’ opinions will play a large role...though there are a lot of people who oppose the opinions of those three.”

“Eh?...the elders we are going to meet soon don’t have enough clout in the village?”

The Master of the Hunt made a bitter expression.

“I don’t hate them myself though.—We are here” They arrived before a tree that looked the same as the others around it. “I think you already know, but it's not that wide inside. Let’s call the elders out—Elders, We have a guest!”

He raised his voice a bit. Gradually, three dark elves appeared and climbed down from the hole in the tree. The group consisted of two men and a woman.

Even though they were being called elders, they didn’t look that old. When compared to humans, they looked like someone in the later part of their 30s.

{It’s hard to guess the Dark Elves’ ages from their appearance after all. I already made a mistake by calling this guy an uncle... Ah, maybe I should have called him brother instead, but he really doesn't look all that different from these elders here.}

While Aura was having such idle thoughts, the dark elves that followed them fanned out into a semi-circle behind her, surrounding them.

“Guest, these three are the elders of our village. Elders, let me introduce our guest to you. She was the one who fought back the ‘Ursus Lord, a traveler who came from a country where different races live together in peace and where not many Dark Elves live in, a place beyond this forest”

Aura bowed slightly at the Master of the Hunt’s words. Though, instead of a bow, it’s more like a nod. She felt like her future status in this village would be jeopardized if she gave in too much. Even if Aura was a child, she was also the savior of this village. It would be bothersome if she was taken lightly because of her age.

{Ainz-sama’s directions were to become friendly with them, so would it be bad if I acted like I am absolutely superior to them?}

“...I am Aura Bella Fiora. Pleased to meet you”

“Umu. You have done well in coming here, sapling from faraway, Aura Bella Fiora”

The man who stood in the middle—probably their representative—answered her with somber words. The gap between his appearance and his serious attitude was a bit striking, because he didn’t really look that old.

Someone in the group of dark elves surrounding them suddenly spoke in a voice just loud enough to reach everyone.

“Shouldn’t you be thanking the village’s savior first? And why are you referring to our benefactor without honorifics so naturally?”

“Yes, that’s right. They shouldn’t have greeted her like that if they were truly grateful. Maybe they are being arrogant because the other party is a girl.”

Some of the women raised their voices.

Frankly speaking, Aura didn’t think the elder’s greeting was rude. This was probably what people meant when they say that the same action can look different for people with goodwill and for those without.

The representative of the elders grimaced.

“Hmph. We were just about to give our thanks now—Aura Bella Fiora-dono. We are extremely grateful to you for repelling the Ankyloursus Lord and for saving our village”

“That’s right. The younglings' impatience is troublesome. There exists an order for the conversation to follow”

When the female elder who stood beside the representative said this, a woman somewhere else started murmuring.

“Your order of precedence is wrong in the first place. It would be bothersome if your brains are also getting fossilized as you grow older.”

Glancing at the Master of the Hunt, Aura found him making an expression as if he was having stomach pain. He was questioned about whose side he was on in the past, probably. The elder who stood on the right was also making a similar expression. The two other elders had grim expressions, the female elder began to direct her glare at the surrounding dark elves.

{This... Maybe I have to carefully consider which side I should be on before deciding my course of action.}

Normally, both factions would want to take in a powerful outsider like Aura. She needed to act in the way that was most beneficial to Nazarick.

The best thing to do was to probably ask their master for his directions, but there would also be times when Aura might have to take independent action because she couldn’t just wait for their master’s orders.

{Everything would be far easier if Ainz-sama simply answered...}

One of the reasons why he hid his goals was because he wanted them—the members belonging to “Ainz Ooal Gown,” including the Floor Guardians—to grow and was expecting them to be more autonomous. He wanted them to think and act on their own.

But that’s a heavy responsibility from Aura’s point of view.

{Even if I make any mistakes, he likely intends to clean up after me with one of his usual awesome plans...}

But that didn't mean she was free to make mistakes.

To act without thinking just because their master was going to cover for them would be nothing but disloyalty.

As a Floor Guardian, as one of the aides on this mission, Aura had to think seriously and discover the path that would bring the most benefit to Nazarick.

That was why Aura couldn't help but get exasperated at the dark elves bickering before her, showing their inner turmoil before a guest in contrast to how serious she was.

However, this was also a good opportunity. Depending on how she capitalized on this friction, it could turn out to be an important thing.

{...Did Ainz-sama aim for this? No, there’s no way. He couldn’t have known that this village was having such problems. Then, to follow his orders to create an amicable position inside the village, I should...}

“Excuse me—Are you intentionally trying to make me regret that I went to all that trouble over a long journey to come here? If not, can’t you do this somewhere else without me? I would rather be shown things that I can boast about to my acquaintances from other races when I return back to my country and say that the Dark Elves’ village is a good place”

The place suddenly went silent, as if they were just splashed with cold water.

A natural development. If they had felt even a little bit of shame at their actions just now, they certainly wouldn’t want the news of it spreading to other races.

Aura felt like maybe she went too far. Even though she was the one who fought back the monster bear—the Ankyloursus, she was still a child saying impudent things. She might have just turned both the factions against her, but she couldn’t say that it was an absolute mistake either.

Aura was a traveler who saved this village. If they were to forget that and criticized her despite showing their disgraceful side a few moments before, they could only be considered people without character. It would be better for such people to become their enemies instead of friends.

Sure, her master ordered her to form an amicable relationship with the Dark Elves, but that didn't mean she had to be liked by all the Dark Elves. She couldn’t see the full picture of his plans yet, but it would probably be better if the Dark Elves unsuitable for Nazarick were wiped out.

{And even if I turn one faction hostile, the other faction would probably try to make me their ally. I won’t mind that, and I can always make a third faction with me at its core if need be}

Even if she ended up turning both of the factions into her enemies, she could see that there were people like the Master of the Hunt who didn’t belong to either of them. She could make them her allies in the worst-case scenario, but she would have to apologize to her master if she had to resort to that.

“Ahem. Then, can we inquire the reason for Aura Bella Fiora-dono’s visit to our village?”

“Fiora is my surname, so just call me that. I think you can already guess. It’s because I heard rumors about Dark Elves living in this forest. That👏is👏why, I came to meet people from my race. There are barely any Dark Elves in my homeland you see. So I would like to stay in this village for a while if you will allow me.”

“We don’t mind, but—alone?”

“For now.”

“For now?”

“Yes. I am good at moving through the forest so the others asked me to go ahead. Actually, according to our plan, they should probably reach here by...three days at the latest, I think. My brother and uncle should be joining us by that time.”

Of course, this uncle she spoke of was none other than their master, Ainz Ooal Gown.

“Uncle?”

“Hn. Actually, because our parents disappeared—” Aura continued while mentally apologizing to Bukubukuchagama, “—uncle raised us”.

It would be easier to tell a white lie, but it could become troublesome later if they were found out. So she tried to keep it as close to the truth as possible.

“I see... Sorry for making you remember such a topic. So you came here alone—seeing that you are strong enough to fight back an Ankyloursus, a Lord at that, I can understand”

Aura was surprised as she expected more words of consolation.

Aura thought over it. This was the Great Sea of Trees after all, a place filled with danger. As there was no lack of children who had lost their parents, her story was probably not sad enough to warrant more consolation.

“Then, we don’t mind if you are planning to stay. We can lend you an Elf Tree if you want. So, what do you think?”

“Hn. Please do so”

“Understood. Someone—Apple. Lead Fiora-dono to a vacant Elf Tree. Can you do that?”

It was the Master of the Hunt who answered to that name.

“Of course. Leave it to me. I will lead her to the best Elf Tree in the village”

“Also, since uncle-dono and brother-dono will be joining us in three days, you won’t mind if we held a shindig for you all together then, right?”

“Of course. I will be in your care for a while then.”

“Now that’s done, Fiora-dono. Won't you tell us the tales of your journey later? And we will also be happy if you would tell us about your country where there are no Dark Elves. We know absolutely nothing about the outside of the forest. Of course, we won’t force you if there are painful memories.”

Well then, what should she do?

Aura started thinking.

There were no benefits to revealing her true identity like an idiot. It could have helped with getting people’s attention, but it had no meaning now as she had already demonstrated her strength. That said, just like how giving out information thoughtlessly was bad, appearing completely reticent would not be good either. In that case, her only options were—to lie, to dole out the truth little by little, or mix the truth and lie in proportion...

{I will have to discuss this with Ainz-sama and Mare to not create contradictions when they join us later, but it seems like I don’t have the choice of staying silent right now. If I told them to ask Ainz-sama, who will be coming later, they would be suspicious about my reluctance to talk...}

She couldn’t let them have any suspicions in the present situation.

Until she could get a read on their master’s final goal, she should continue to work towards departing this place on friendly terms.

{Hnnn. There’s no [Message] yet so Ainz sama is probably telling me to think of the answer by myself, but what kind of answer would Ainz-sama like?}

“Fiora-dono, is something the matter?”

It seemed like she was silent for too long. Aura returned a smile.

“Aah, I was wondering if you will believe what I am going to tell you. Well, it’s probably fine to talk a bit about my home and travels. Like about the Trail of the Fey.”

“The Trail of the Fey? Isn’t that supposed to be just a legend?”

Someone among the dark elves surrounding them asked.

“...Things like the Moon’s Road and the Trail of the Fey do exist” Although, they’re inside Nazarick’s sixth floor, Aura added internally. “But I can’t talk in detail about these things with people who are not chosen by the Fey”

“Fufu. Sorry then. Fio...no, is it fine to call you Aura-dono?”

The female elder’s eyes were burning with passion. The answer was already decided. Although Aura didn’t really want to, she couldn’t refuse her considering her master’s orders.

“I don’t mind at all”

“Then, Aura-dono. I have been thinking about it since a while ago, but it’s a nice name”

“Thanks”

Aura replied with a pure smile. She was praising the name given to her by a Supreme Being. There’s no way Aura would refuse such praise. However, as she understood it was just them being courteous, she didn’t try to talk more about that point.

The female elder looked like she was satisfied with her response. She continued to talk in a good mood.

“So Aura-dono is also a Dark Elf chosen by the Fey. That’s splendid...Most of the people in this village are not chosen. That’s why they don’t know how we—the Dark Elves who lived in the North traveled to this place”

{...Dark elves came here using the Trail of the Fey? Does it have an ability like that?}

The Trail of the Fey inside Nazarick couldn’t teleport people over that big of a distance. They were either mistaking it for something else or maybe there was an entirely different Trail of the Fey.

Aura managed to draw out some intel, but she felt like she may have misstepped a little. On second thought, she denied that mentally. She would skillfully draw the intel out. And—

{I will get praised by Ainz-sama!}

Aura pumped her fist, full of resolve in her heart.

♦ ♦ ♦

Aura headed to her lodging, led by the Master of the Hunt.

Ainz, who had been following her this entire time using [Perfect Unknowable], let out a sigh in relief.

A part of the relief was from the fact that no one strong enough to rival him had appeared and the other part was from how well Aura’s first contact went.

That said, he couldn’t be sure they weren’t just putting up a friendly act. People who could be so nonchalant about the fact that a child just traveled from such a far distance alone should have something wrong with their heads. They would obviously hide their feelings if they didn’t really welcome her.

Maybe he was overthinking it, but he wanted to make sure that they were not just acting. It would be simple if he could just kidnap someone like the elf from before and cast mind control magic on them, like [Charm]. But, dealing with the aftereffects would be bothersome if he had to use [Control Amnesia]. Everything would be easier if he could just kill them though.

First, he should investigate the village’s present mood.

A completely novel topic of conversation known as “Aura” had appeared in this village that didn't seem to have changed much for a long time. There was no doubt that the villagers were raring to talk about her with others.

Ainz wondered how honest the villagers were going to be when Aura wasn’t around.

With Ainz using [Perfect Unknowable], this was their best chance to gather raw intel, free from any lies.

The three elders returned to their tree and the gathered elves dispersed gradually. The issue was which dark elf should he follow and eavesdrop on. He already noticed a few dark elf children about Aura’s age—a guess based on their height—during the gathering.

Frankly speaking, he wanted to go after the children and hear their opinion on Aura.

But—he heard a voice saying “that girl” from the tree he was close to just a moment ago.

{Shit! I should have been listening in on the elder’s conversation!}

He should snoop on the elders, who were more likely to talk about the most important things (important, but not for the matter of the twins making friends).

Ainz used [Fly] to smoothly float to the entrance of the tree the elders entered.

He couldn’t find the elders when he peeked inside. The voices were coming from the top of the stairs that extended up from this room. He could hear them from here, but just to be sure, Ainz entered the tree and climbed the stairs with [Fly].

“Now then, how much of what that girl said do you think is real? She did imply that she traveled using the power of the Trail of the Fey after all”

The oldest of the elders was talking in a slightly different manner from before, but that was to be expected. Even Ainz would change his manner of speech depending on who he was talking with. Rather, the people he was more scared of were those who didn't act like that.

So this was how the elder talked with his friends.

“I don’t think all of that was a lie. Wouldn’t it be difficult for a little kid to travel such a distance without using the Trail of the Fey?”

“You can’t be sure about that. She is strong enough to repel that ‘Ursus Lord you know?”

“Ara, isn’t that the strength of that weapon? You saw it right? That dazzling bow! That’s absolutely something precious! Maybe it’s something the Fey bestowed upon her”

The bow Aura used belonged to Ainz and was not considered strong in YGGDRASIL, but it was probably top-class in terms of gaudiness.

{Maybe I should advertise Runecraft™ here too...}

While Ainz was thinking, the elders continued on with their conversation.

“I wonder how long that child is going to stay here. I want her to stay here forever if possible”

“No, that’s going to be difficult. It’s more likely that she will immediately set out again after joining up with the uncle-dono and brother-dono later. Ours is not the only Dark Elf village. Maybe they will visit the other villages to establish friendly contacts. I don’t know why that child came here to meet us—her kin, but there’s no reason for her to stick to our village”

“That’s right. We should ask her in detail about why she came to meet us—the Dark Elves. That’s why we should make the welcoming party grand.”

“Aah, you’re right. We have to give them such a grand welcome that they will still think that this village is the best even after visiting the other villages. We should start preparing the foodstuffs in the next three days”

“Won’t the younglings dislike it?”

“No way they will. We are welcoming the family of the kid who saved the village you know? Even they should understand that they have to cooperate on this”

“You’re right...And we can probably use the welcome party to ask uncle-dono about the Trail of the Fey. He would probably talk a bit if he felt welcomed by us.”

“Yes. But I still hope she stays in this village.”

“...why are you so fixated on that idea? Is the fact that she may have been chosen by the Fey so appealing to you?”

“Yes. We—no, the people in the villages around us have already lost most of their Fey Blessing. If that child stays here...”

“You are not thinking about lording over the other villages with that, right? I will oppose everything you do if you are planning on that, you know?”

“I am not planning on anything that warrants your opposition. It’s just, if we can learn how she received the Fey Blessing, maybe we can get ours back as well”

Ainz felt like the Fey they were talking about were not racial beings, but something closer to spirits. YGGDRASIL also had the concept of the Fey Blessing. Maybe the native Fey of this world had such abilities naturally.

It’s also possible that they were building into classes similar to Seelie court and Unseelie court. Those classes should have a special teleportation ability similar to the Trail of the Fey if he remembered correctly.

{I should probably make sure of this thing.}

He should also share this information with Aura.

The elders continued to talk while Ainz was thinking about this and that.

“If we can do that, the younglings will also change their opinion.”

“Anyway, don’t force the guests to talk about it. Not only that. Be respectful to uncle-dono and brother-dono who will be visiting us soon. I really don’t want bad rumors about this village and the Dark Elves to spread around when they return back to their country”

Ainz’s eyes—or the holes in the skull that pass for eyes–turned dimmer.

{fumu... Is this village the wrong choice? I really don’t want to let Aura be used as a tool in internal squabbles.}

He would never let the children entrusted to him by Bukubukuchagama be hurt. Ainz felt irritated with the female elder.

{...I should tell her not to get close to the adults...I just have to hope at least the children here are pure.}

After hearing they had changed the topic to the welcome party and confirming that they were not suspicious of Aura, Ainz cast [Greater Teleportation]. After reaching his destination, he dispelled [Perfect Unknowable].

{A-Ainz-sama. Welcome back.}

Mare, who was waiting outside the Green Secret House, gave a little bow.

“I am back, Mare. Looks like everything’s fine here.” An Eyeball Corpse he summoned using [Create Undead] was floating beside Mare. Ainz looked around for the huge thing that should be there, but couldn’t find it.

“I see. So Fenrir isn’t back yet”

“Y-yes. Not yet”

Fenrir was entrusted with bringing back the Ankyloursus that ran away from the Dark Elf village.

If the dark elves had brains, they would try to follow the trail of the Ankyloursus to deal with it while they had the trump card known as Aura.

So, they would have to fool the hunting party’s eyes first if they wanted to bring the Ankyloursus back to this temporary base.

However, the Ankyloursus was large and did not have any stealth skills, so it would be difficult for it to erase its trail by itself. Someone else would have to do it instead.

They found Fenrir to be suitable for the task. Fenrir had an ability called [Forestwalker]. The plan was to make Fenrir carry Ankyloursus here on its back so that there would be no traces left behind.

Of course, Ainz could go there and teleport back with it using [Greater Teleportation] or he could carry it with [Fly] like Narberal did, but Ainz had to go along with Aura to the village to gather intel. In case there was an emergency, he would also be responsible for exterminating the enemy or helping Aura escape, so they entrusted that task to Fenrir.

{Looks like my prediction is off...I thought they would immediately send out a team with Aura to finish off the Ankyloursus...Maybe I should just fetch it myself if there’s still time.}

“I see. Then let’s wait here for a bit. Anyhow, you are probably worried so I will tell you...well, you probably guessed it already seeing me returning alone. You didn’t receive any messages from Aura right?” Mare nodded at Ainz’s question. “Well, that’s how it is. Seems like Aura infiltrated the Dark Elf village without any issues.”

The twins had an item that enabled two-way communication between them. If Mare didn’t receive any distress signals from Aura, it meant that she was safe. Still, it was possible that Aura wasn’t able to respond to an emergency swiftly and ended up being incapacitated. They couldn’t be careless.

There was also the fact that Aura changed to far weaker gear in order to blend in better with the villagers. It was far easier than usual to kill Aura in her current state.

The fact that Ainz didn’t appoint something to guard her in secret while he knew this was because they as a group had decided not to.

After a discussion with Aura and Mare, they ended up choosing not to deploy any guards around Aura. This made Ainz worry so much that he would probably go unconscious from stomach pain if he had a stomach.

Ainz continued to regret it even now, wondering if they made the wrong decision. Perhaps there was a better idea out there. For example, Ainz could create incorporeal monsters using [Create Undead], maybe they should have placed things like that somewhere around her.

There were two advantages to not having anything guard Aura. One was that they would be free to summon monsters that were more suitable to deal with the emergency situation that might arise. The other one was—

{—It will be easier for Aura to forget about Nazarick for a bit if there’s no one from Nazarick around, especially guards, who in a sense are her subordinates. She can interact with the Dark Elves in a more relaxed manner without putting on a bold front then.}

—Maybe Aura could make friends then.

But, at present, a critical problem had risen in Aura’s path to making friends.

That is, Aura ended up becoming something like a savior of the village.

He didn't think that {The Red Oni Who Cried} plan was wrong. He just didn’t have any other method that could make Aura infiltrate the village faster and better. Still, the present situation had gone a bit too far.

Ainz couldn’t have become friends with the members of “Ainz Ooal Gown” in the real world where they were not equal. Similarly, Aura, as the savior of the village, could not interact with the ordinary village children on their level.

Ainz had to bring her down to the same level as them.

Yes, that's right.

Ainz would have to pull Aura down into becoming just a normal child.

Ainz looked at Mare.

It was probably unfair that Aura was given a chance to make friends while Mare wasn’t. He wanted to give a chance to Mare as well.

Aura and Mare were children entrusted to him by Bukubukuchagama. He should then treat them equally.

Of course, he should take their personal characteristics into account while nurturing them. That said, they should both be given equal opportunities.

{First of all, it’s absurd for someone like me who has no experience in raising children to think about things like these. Who should I ask about being a father...} Ainz suddenly thought of Nfirea. {Not a bad choice. He is a good father. But—}

Yes. There’s one problem with Mare.

It’s not about his timid personality.

{It’s about Bukubukuchagama-san making Mare crossdress to match her tastes.}

He already noticed that most of the Dark Elves in the village wore long trousers. There were also some who wore long skirts, but all of them were women. Furthermore, he felt like they were still wearing long trousers underneath those skirts. He couldn’t be sure as he didn’t go around peeking under the skirts after all. Maybe those were tights, not trousers.

Aura explained that exposing bare skin was a bad idea when you live in a forest, so maybe that’s why they were wearing trousers underneath.

{[Perfect Unknowable] gets dispelled when you attack someone. No, to be more precise, it’s when you do something that can be considered harmful. In that case...would lifting the skirt a bit and peeking under it be considered an attack?}

Such a doubt never came to Ainz’s mind until now.

Ainz took a quick glance at Mare’s face.

“Ah, Eh, Wh-what’s the matter?”

{Am I an Idiot? What the hell am I thinking?}

The non-degenerate side of Ainz—no, the normal side of him scolded himself.

Of course, he knew he couldn't do something like that, but his curiosity about an unexplored area of magic was strongly urging him.

{—Stop! Me! What are you thinking?! Wanting to peek under Mare’s skirt is already beyond the bounds of curiosity!}

Although Mare would probably allow it if he asked him—

{—What am I even imagining?!}

“Wh-what happened?”

“—Nothing, my mind just went to some weird places...I will probably try it in the future, but it’s not a matter for the present and I will test it on someone else if and when I do it.”

Ainz didn’t feel the need to explain more to the puzzled Mare.

Anyway, Albedo was the better choice to experiment with—at least the more acceptable choice—compared to Mare.

Another voice inside him objected that Mare was different from Albedo. Ainz cleared it from his mind along with his prickling curiosity.

{Anyhow, Mare will likely be marginalized for his dressing style. That should absolutely be avoided...but I wonder why he dresses like that... No, No, not that. That’s not what I should be thinking about right now...it’s Chagama-san’s decision so it’s absolutely wrong to tell him to change. It’s wrong but...is it fine to ask him to change temporarily? It should be alright for Mare to live with Aura in the village if he stopped crossdressing...but...}

Ainz never expected he would be put in such a difficult position because of the tastes of his friend in the past.

“You see, Mare. I have something to discuss with you...”

“Yes”

Mare looked at him with a serious expression.

{...Chagama-san. Am I doing something wrong?}

A pink blob surfaced in Ainz’s mind. He got a little irritated at the pink blob, which was giving him a thumbs up for some reason.

“E-excuse me...”

“...Sorry, Mare. I was thinking about something...” Ainz let out a sigh from his non-existent lungs and turned to look at Mare directly. “Mare. I want you to stop wearing female attire for a while.”

That was too short of an explanation.

Ainz understood this and continued before Mare could change his expression.

“Listen just as I said it will be temporary because you do know I am planning to take you along to the village to act as Aura’s support? So because the clothes you wear are too striking as a part of preparations for infiltration I hope you can change to different clothes for this mission.”

Ainz talked on and on at a hurried pace.

Mare continued to stare at Ainz. He was probably thinking why he was the only one being told to do so because Ainz didn’t say anything like this to Aura.

Ainz couldn’t get any more words out.

No feasible excuse came to his mind. Actually, it’s illogical to consider a man dressing like a woman weird but not vice versa. Did Bukubukuchagama think so far ahead—

{No, it’s her taste—or more like her fetish. She is Peroron-san’s sister after all}

His only option was to deceive Mare then. Luckily Aura also changed most of her gear and weapons because the equipment they usually wear in Nazarick was just too striking. He never thought that would come in handy in a time like this.

“I also asked Aura to change her gear a bit right? It would be bad if they were to get suspicious of our overly powerful gear. So how about it?”

{This is underhanded...letting Mare decide is the same as pushing the responsibility onto him}

“U-understood. Leave it to me Ainz-sama.”

“Is that all right?”

“Y-yes. If it’s for i-infiltration I think Bukubukuchagama-sama would understand”

“I-is that so. Umu. She would certainly understand our reasons.”

Ainz sensed Mare’s feelings for Bukubukuchagama through his devotion to his attire, he tried to think how his friend in the past would have reacted in this place.

{It’s highly likely that she would just faint in agony and start apologizing to Mare...No, the opposite reaction is also entirely probable, I think...?}

With this, he could probably consider Aura and Mare’s friend-making plan to have proceeded into the final stage.

“Good, then let’s complete our preparations and join up with Aura”