Overlord (WN)

Maruyama: It's a bit long.

********************************************

The Ball Part 2

Translators: Frostfire10,

(TL Note: Hi guys, I'm just copying stuff from Onii-Chan Yamete to expedite the translations. So the original is here We are not working together.)

Brain Unglaus.

That was the name of the Vampire that Shalltear had progeninated. When he was alive, he was a man who chased the path of the sword, but now he was someone who only desired to offer his everything to his master, Shalltear Bloodfallen.

One of those reasons was, of course, because he was converted into a vampire by Shalltear.

And another reason was that the strength in the sword that he had boasted of was nothing but trash before true power, allowing him to think that his defeat at the hands of Gazef Stronoff was of no true importance.

That man was currently on permanent guard duty at the entrance to a burial chamber on the 2nd Floor. As an undead, vampires needed no rest or food, and so they were the most suited for this task.

He maintained his unwavering position in front of the door.

Although he seemed to be casually standing by the door, he was actually paying close attention to the surroundings, such that even an ant would not escape his notice.

Suddenly, space seemed to shake before him.

"What!"

Brain reached for his katana.

Of course, since the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick was protected by powerful spells, it was probably not an intruder. However, just to be safe, Brain lowered his centre of gravity and took his stance. His past mistake flashed through his mind, but even though the probability was low, he still had to take precautions.

The deformations in space took the form of a person.

"—!"

Brain saw the person who transferred in, and it left his mouth agape.

In front of him was a man that his master had only brought to see only a few times, the Supreme Overlord of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown.

Why, was he alone?

Brain was confused.

He had never heard of rulers doing anything without bringing their subordinates with them. Doing so was to protect themselves, but also to show off their status.

Brain understood that if the Supreme Ruler were to bring his subordinates with him, the procession would be an hour long.

However, there was absolutely no one else present.

It could be that someone is impersonating him.

And with that thought, he stumbled upon other reasons.

Monsters amongst monsters that could destroy countries— Such as his master— had no need for subordinates to guard them. As to why it was because it would mean that they were stronger than their lord.

A being that could massacre others had no need for annoying creatures constantly accompanying it.

Brain's eyes never left Ainz, but then he sensed that it was truly a god-level being.

Brain instinctually sensed that Ainz's [Death Aura] far outclassed his own master's, Shalltear Bloodfallen's, causing him to let out a fearful croak.

"Geh! Ainz-sama!"

While simultaneously leaping back to his immobile guard position, he covered his own mouth. In a panic, he said something that he should have never said. Before addressing his Supreme Overlord, he said 'Geh'. If Ainz had heard it, Brain's head would soon be flying off his shoulders.

Brain glanced towards Ainz and felt the pressure of his master's master with his own body.

All of the Guardians, the group of which his master was part of, could defeat Brain in an instant. And even though he had become a vampire, the pressure he was facing made him want to curl into a ball.

The powerful being silently gazed at Brain.

Not understanding what that meant, Brain began to panic and his breathing became uneven. Even though breathing meant nothing to undead, his time as a human had ingrained this habit in him.

Brain frantically prostrated himself.

"I, I ask, I ask for your forgiveness."

Brain's forehead hit the floor with an audible 'thud'.

It was the dogeza that the Guardian of the 5th Floor, Cocytus, had taught him and the lizardmen during their occasional sword lessons.

Time flowed slowly and if Brain was not a vampire, his back would be covered in a cold sweat by now.

"—Fine."

"Hahaa! My gratitude!"

Hearing the cold and sombre voice, Brain kept his head down and thanked Ainz.

Feeling the pressure dissipate, Brain felt relief fill his body, yet he kept his head down.

"….I came to see Shalltear. Is she in her room?"

"Ah yes! Please wait a moment!"

Brain jumped up like a puppet on strings and immediately dashed to the door behind him.

And he banged his fist rapidly on the carved door. The speed of his fists could truly have been described as 'rapid fire'. Even though this was not the correct way to knock on his master's door, he felt that any other method would have been extremely rude.

He felt that if he had properly and calmly knocked on the door, it might be seen as him forcing the Supreme Ruler of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick to wait. He would not have minded the punishment if it was his alone, but if it reflected badly on Shalltear, any amount of prostration would not be enough.

This was his dilemma.

After some time, the heavy door creaked open.

One of Shalltear's handmaidens poked her head through the door. Her beautiful face was paired with sickly pale skin and a pair of red eyes. She was a Vampire Bride, one of Shalltear's toys-cum-followers.

"The, there is someone who wishes to meet Shalltear-sama—"

"—How noisy. Do you believe that Shalltear-sama would let someone who bangs on her door inside?"

The Vampire Bride spoke in a flat tone that seemed to overpower Brain's voice. Since the Vampire Brides were Shalltear's handmaidens, they were ranked higher than Brain. And because of that position, she looked at Brain with condescending eyes and with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"And Shalltear-sama is currently taking a bath. Tell him to w—"

"—It is Ainz-sama! It is Ainz Ooal Gown of the Supreme Beings!"

Hearing Brain try to speak over her, the Vampire Bride's eyes narrowed. It seemed that she did not understand the meaning of his words, and her crimson eyes slowly moved around until it caught sight of another figure.

And the change was drastic.

Her narrow eyes had now opened so wide that her eyeballs might fall out, and her thin lips were forced into a large o.

"Uh—"

The Vampire Bride covered her mouth with her hand and glared at Brain.

"Say that first!"

Opening the door wide and almost slamming into Brain, the Vampire walked around and gave Ainz a deep bow.

"Welcome, Great Supreme Ruler of Death, Ainz-sama! We, we thank you for taking the time to come all this way to see Shalltear-sama!"

"Ah…. And as this man said, I am here to see Shalltear but…."

"Yes, she is in! I shall tell her that Ainz-sama is here to see her immediately!"

"I see, then please do. Since she is taking a bath, shall I wait here for a while?"

"N, no! It would be terribly rude for Ainz-sama to wait somewhere like here. Please, come in!"

"…. Is that so? Then please allow me to do so."

The Vampire Bride gave Brain a death glare and spoke in a soft but infuriated voice.

"There are not enough hands so you come in too! And entertain Ainz-sama! This is a great responsibility that comes with being under Shalltear-sama, so don't make a mistake!"

Brain honestly wanted to refuse. If he was asked if he wanted to interact with a being far more powerful than him, he instead wanted to run away. However, he fully understood that now was not the time for that.

As long as Ainz did not think badly of Shalltear-sama.

Steeling himself, Brain nodded.

■

Ainz was led in by the Vampire Bride into Shalltear's residence. Her residence was comprised of several burial chambers, but yet the smell of decay and rot failed to permeate in. In fact, there was a viscous sweet smell in the air, probably from some scented herbs.

The room was dimly lit, and thin silks hung within, glittering under the pink light in an obscene fashion.

Looking at this room, one might imagine that this was a harem room, but it currently had no such impression.

"Where is Shalltear-sama!?"

"She has left her bath, and is currently rapidly drying her hair!"

"This is bad! We must not let Ainz-sama wait a second longer!"

"There is no way Shalltear-sama doesn't understand this! Or rather get moving! It'll be shameful if he has to come here!"

"What should I serve Ainz-sama? Fresh blood?"

"Hey wait! Clean up those torture devices! Hurry!"

They were extremely busy, and the hustle and bustle could be heard even through the door.

Sitting on the only chair in the room, he looked at the Vampire standing ramrod straight next to him.

The man's face was filled with tension and apprehension. Sensing his nervousness, even sitting down, Ainz felt uncomfortable.

If he was someone who could read the mood, he could probably say something that could calm him down, but since Ainz did not have that skill, time slowly passed between them.

Ainz recalled that this Vampire had provided plenty of information when he was captured. His name was— Actually, Ainz had no clue.

(Brain? Plain? His name was something like that)

Since he did not try to memorise it, the passage of time had wiped it from his memory.

Shaking his head in remorse, the vampire next to him quivered. Having this tense air continue was hard on his non-existent stomach. Feeling that this was a good time to hold a conversation, Ainz spoke.

"….What is it? Is something wrong?"

Even as he looked about at the surroundings, he did not sense anything particularly strange. If he cleared his ears, he could still only hear the movements of the Vampire Brides in the next room over.

"No, it is nothing, Ainz-sama!"

"Br…. ain…. was it?"

"Yes!"

He had been trying to recall his name since the beginning, and so he heaved a sigh of relief when he finally succeeded. Forgetting so many things was causing Ainz to worry about his memory.

Could undead suffer from memory loss?

Chasing away such distasteful thoughts, he began to ask Brain some questions.

"There is just a little something I would like to ask, but.… Do you know of the Empire noble girl, Arche? For the sin of invading Nazarick, she was captured and given to Shalltear."

"……..!"

"What's the matter?"

Ainz noticed the strained expression on Brain's face.

"I ordered Shalltear not to harm her so there is no mistaking that she is alive, but.… Do you know something?"

"Ah, hah.… I certainly.… Do know, but.…"

"What is it?"

".…Ah, no.… Um, how do I say this…. Umm.… Well.…"

"Brain, answer me. Tell me everything you know about Arche."

"Yes! I don't know the details, but that girl is Shalltear-sama's pet and… I saw her, umm…. by Shalltear-sama's orders she…. Ummm.… how do I say this.… Comforted, herself, perhaps I should say.…"

"……..? ……..! ……..I see…….."

"Yes. I was ordered by Shalltear-sama to watch, so…. Umm.…"

"Ah, that's enough. I asked something difficult to speak about, didn't I. I understand.…"

So you saw a part of her training, got it. There was no way that Ainz could say such a thing and thus the conversation ended.

In the end, the two did not even meet gazes and passed the time in painful unease. Although Ainz did enjoy the silence.

Finally hearing the fluttering of footsteps, the door to the room they were in was flung open.

"Apologies for taking so much time, Ainz-sama!"

A silver-haired girl accompanied by several Vampire Brides entered and immediately apologised.

This was of course, Shalltear. It seems that her being in the bath was not an excuse as her damp silver hair stuck to her forehead And her normally tied-up hair now fell straight downwards.

"No, no, I'm sorry for stopping by during your bath. I should have contacted you via <Message> first and made an appointment."

"What are you saying? The entirety of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick belongs to Ainz-sama. Then you are free to go anywhere anytime, and we do not have the right to stop you!"

"….I see. You have my gratitude."

"This much is nothing, Ainz-sama. And more importantly, may I please know what is your purpose in coming here?"

Sensing that Shalltear had regained her calm, Ainz got straight to the point.

"In the past, I handed you a human girl, didn't I, Shalltear. Arche. A use for her has come up, so I would like to meet her."

"Arche…. Aah, that dog, yes?"

Shalltear gave a satisfied smile. She looked like she was truly having fun from the bottom of her heart. And like a child, she wanted to show off her accomplishment to Ainz.

"Just as you ordered, I never gave her a single wound. Even when that girl cried and screamed and begged for me to 'take it', I never took her chastity, and what's more, I gradually increased the size of her tail so that I wouldn't hurt her. Her training is just about done and she's just about complete, so I've been able to have a lot of fun!"

Strength left Ainz's body.

However, he could not scold Shalltear. The former comrade that had created Shalltear, Peroroncino, was to blame for everything. And when he handed Arche over to her, this kind of future was likely. In fact, it was Ainz's own fault for ignoring Shalltear at that time.

".…No, that isn't what I wanted to ask about.… By use, I meant her experience.… No, rather, I wanted to borrow her knowledge on nobles, you see.… .…Is she still able to think?"

As Ainz timidly asked, Shalltear's face spasmed slightly. Seeing this, Ainz' expression cramped as well.

".…T-, There shouldn't be any problem. Probably.…"

"….I see.… Then bring her here. There is a little something I would like to ask her."

"Understood!"

Shalltear frantically left the room with her Vampire Brides. Ainz crossed gazes with Brain again, and then they both looked away.

Although they didn't mean to listen in, Shalltear's flustered voice could be heard from the other room.

"Bring the dog here! Take out her tail!"

"—What about her cleanliness?"

"Toss her in the bath and give her minimal cleaning! Immediately! Ainz-sama is waiting!"

"Wh, what shall we do about the clothing?"

"….Ahh! It's true that she hasn't been wearing any. Just prepare something!"

"Should we shorten it if the size doesn't fit?"

"There isn't the time for that. Magical Clothing should fit. Bring that here!"

"Then will your western clothing do, Shalltear-sama?"

"It can't be helped! More importantly, hurry!"

With a patter of footsteps, Shalltear reappeared. On her face was a tense smile. It was perhaps an attempt to endear herself or to find a way out.

"Ainz-sama, we will quickly ready her, but in that time, would you like to rest in my room?"

"….That would be great. Good work, Brain. You may take your leave."

"Yes! Thank you very much! Ainz-sama!"

Ainz acutely sensed the small sigh of relief that Brain let out. He did not think it rude. In fact, he empathised with him. This was like if the CEO of an associated company suddenly appeared at your workplace and you were the one who had to entertain him.

The flames within Ainz's eyes were tinged with kindness.

Nodding several times, Ainz placed his hand on Brain's shoulders. Brain jumped in shock, but Ainz spoke to him in a kind and gentle manner.

"Good work."

Am I going to be killed?

Brain made such a face as he left, while Ainz followed Shalltear's lead and walked away.

■

Shalltear's room was perhaps ironically, or perhaps suitably, looked like a girl's room. Inside was a cute desk and chair, along with a semi-double bed with a canopy. The wallpaper was a cream colour, and unlike what Ainz feared, there were no toys haphazardly scattered around.

It was completely different from the other rooms that he had seen.

Ainz sat on the chair to face Shalltear, who sat on her bed. A cup of coffee was placed on the desk, but Ainz did not reach out to take it. Or rather, he did not have a body that could drink it.

"So Shalltear, you can drink this stuff?"

"Yes. I can drink. However, I do not believe that it is as delicious as compared to regular humans drinking it, and even if I consume it I will not grow and so there is no point."

"I see. So even amongst undead, Vampires are special."

While he believed that it was natural for them to drink blood, he felt slightly envious of their ability to eat food. All sorts of cuisines lined the markets in the Empire. Just what flavour did they have?

While thinking that, he pushed away the fragrant cup with his fingers.

"And so now, if possible, could you please tell me why you need Arche?"

Ainz nodded and informed Shalltear of the situation. Shalltear paid close attention and nodded when he finished.

"I see…. A ball…. However, what will you do for your partner?"

"Um….Hmm, I was considering leaving it to Arche but…."

The problem with the ball was when Ainz had to dance with his partner first. Then he could just refuse any other invitations. Only Jircniv could force Ainz to do anything so to refuse was fine.

"I believe that is difficult. Having that thing represent Nazarick will be a huge problem!"

"Is that so? But there is no other person I can dance with…."

It need not be said that a partner was necessary for a ball. However, there was no one suitable within Nazarick. It would definitely be impossible to go with any of Kyouhukou's retainers. They would think him crazy.

Thus he would either have someone learn together with him, or have Arche attend with him if she could dance.

Ainz believed that he should command Arche with a spell before bringing her.

The reason why Ainz chose Arche was as she was experienced with social events and thus could follow up with him on any mistakes. But if this was her first time, then supporting him would be difficult.

"I nominate myself to be Ainz-sama's partner!"

"What! Shalltear, you can dance?"

It was certainly true that appearance-wise, Shalltear did look like a princess. It was possible that Peroroncino had programmed this within her settings. However, that hope of his was immediately extinguished.

"No, I cannot."

"I see…."

"However, as an undead, I can make the most use of my time. I do not need sleep, and feel no fatigue."

"….I see…. So that is how you see it. Got it. Then Shalltear, please become my partner."

"Understood, Ainz-sama."

Ainz desperately tried to wipe the scene of Shalltear calming making a guts pose from his mind. But at that moment, a knock came from the door.

"Come in."

In response to Shalltear's command, a girl entered the room.

She was wearing a gothic dress, but Ainz remembered her face.

Arche Eeb Rile Furt.

Her previous stiff expression was a little looser, her cheeks were dyed red, and her eyes were moist, but she looked almost the same as that time.

Seeing her perfectly healthy, Ainz felt satisfied.

He had promised that she would not be hurt, and he had kept that promise.

The circular discolouration around her neck was on his mind, but it didn't seem to be an injury, so he tried his best to ignore it.

When Arche entered the room, she made a beeline for Shalltear. She then kneeled at her feet. No, more accurately, she grovelled at her feet. Those movements had been thoroughly practised and seemed completely natural to her.

Shalltear casually lifted her legs and placed them on top of Arche.

Fuwahh. A sound that was both a voice and a breath escaped Arche's lips.

Next, Shalltear stretched out a finger, thrust it into Arche's mouth, and pulled out her tongue before toying with it with her fingers. Arche moved her tongue in response and licked Shalltear as she covered those fingers in clear saliva.

What was terrifying was the fact that the two of them had seemed to move on instinct. Shalltear had been looking at Ainz the whole time and Arche was responding to the movement of Shalltear's fingers extremely naturally.

It was as natural as one spinning a pen in class.

"….Peroroncino. The scene you dreamed of is right here. Or rather.… I'm creeped out."

"What about Peroroncino-sama?"

Shalltear removed her fingers from Arche's mouth, and the silver bridge that ran between them snapped. Arche's tongue moved regretfully, before returning to her mouth.

"No, nothing but.… Arche Eeb Rile Furt. I have something to ask you."

".…Yes, Great Master."

"Great Master? ….Well, that's fine. Do you have any experience in attending a ball sponsored by the Emperor?"

"I do not. However, although smaller, I have attended balls before."

"I see. Then teach me the manners and other knowledge necessary."

Arche stared at Ainz. And then she opened her mouth.

"Great Master… I understand. In exchange, I have a wish."

Suddenly, Shalltear's fingers smoothly reached to Arche's jaw and raised it to peer in on her face. Arche's cheeks blushed red, and her tongue stuck out a little, but Shalltear's actions were not what Arche hoped for.

"A dog like you has a wish to ask of Ainz-sama? How displeasing."

"It's fine, Shalltear. Work should be paid with something of equivalence. Even if they are only a dog."

".…Goodness, what kindness. As expected of Ainz-sama."

Moved, Shalltear's eyes became moist. Ainz removed his gaze from her and looked at Arche.

"You may speak your wish. As it will only be something of equivalent value, some things will be impossible."

"Understood. Then, my wish is to have Shalltear-sama take my chastity."

"…….."

Ainz stuck his fingers into his ears to check if there was anything stuck in there. Following that, he let out a huge sigh.

".…Are you truly fine with that?"

Arche nodded up and down. Understanding this, Ainz wanted to droop his shoulders.

".…Do as you wish.…"

■

Seeing off a guest, Ray collapsed onto the sofa. His body and mind were extremely tired. He rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn.

He then spoke to the butler standing next to him.

"Please, even just for a little bit, let the next person wait."

Ray had spoken with six nobles this day alone. Taking more than nine hours. The length of time did sap his strength, but it was more of the pointless conversation that chipped at Ray's energy.

If they had gotten straight to the main point, it would probably have only taken a tenth of the time. As a General, Ray preferred short and sweet messages and so was unable to appreciate noble society's conversations filled with unnecessary pleasantries.

Of course, he could not cut them short even if he wanted to. That was why it took so long.

"Fuu."

He yawned once again and rotated his neck. His stiff joints cracked softly from the motion.

All of the nobles he had met wanted to get closer to Archduke Ainz Ooal Gown.

The current Baharuth Empire was an absolute monarchy with the Emperor reigning at the top. Thus, gaining the trust of the Emperor was the same as gaining power.

Those nobles with ability were fine. However, for those nobles without skill and only had their name had no other choice but to wag their tails for the Emperor.

However because they wagged their tails for him, there was a chance that at least one of them would be removed. That was why many families in the Capitol tried to ease their situation using secretive methods.

And the giant gem that glittered before them was the Archduke.

He was a mysterious noble that gained a noble position during the period where many noble houses were being erased.

There was a rumour of him being a master of magic, capable of trampling on the Kingdom by himself.

And he was someone who had the utmost trust of the Emperor and was granted a high position.

He was the most suitable person to ally with.

And it was not only those nobles who were on the edge of erasure who were thinking this. Even the Great Nobles who were once the pillars of the Empire agreed.

In fact, all of the nobles that Ray met today were all from Great Noble families. He had received requests from lower ranked nobles to meet with him, but as he had no time, he refused. This was as he had received an overwhelming number from those Great Nobles.

What those Great Nobles wished of the Archduke was his power.

After the current Emperor gained his position, he performed a revolution with his own forces in the background.

Those Great Nobles with private armies were ordered to send them against the Kingdom and had all those upkeep fees squeezed out of them. As a result, their might was gone, and all that was left was a handful of pitiful families.

There were many families who tried to rebel or even those who disobeyed the Emperor.

They no longer existed. They were all killed down to the last child.

And it was this cruelty that earned Jircniv the epithet of the Blood Emperor.

That was why the Great Nobles wished for a power that rivalled the Imperial Army. Such as the man who could defeat 10,000 troops on his own.

If any noble faction gained his support, they would immediately return to their former glory, and at worst, any of their requests would pass even the Emperor.

And with this wish of 'Returning to the past', the nobles began to approach Ray.

"Personally for me, it is very troublesome but…. I am a follower of the Archduke, and it would be great if they understood that I do not have the right to inform the master of any our their desires…."

The Great Nobles did indeed guess correctly that Ray was Ainz's subordinate. However, rather than Ainz seeing Ray's worth, it was more that he allowed Ray to sit at his feet.

It was certainly not the case that he had joined the Archduke Faction, which was what the nobles believed.

And since he had no idea what his master wished for, he could not affiliate him with any noble faction, nor could he reject them. And he did not have the authority to allow any noble to meet with him. And he certainly could not refuse to meet with the Great Nobles.

Originally he wanted to ask for the Archduke's opinions before he met the nobles, but he currently was not in his residence and was otherwise uncontactable. He did ask for his message to be passed own, but the reply had not yet arrived.

Ray let out another yawn.

If he just randomly did something the Archduke did not like, he would be immediately discarded. Then the Emperor could easily get rid of him. The only reason why he was still alive was because of the Archduke's support.

"….Now even if this is to protect me, call the next one in. If I recall, this is the last one right?"

"Yes. There are others who want to meet you tomorrow, but this will be the last one for today."

"I see…."

Learning that this would continue, he did let out an exasperated sigh, but he regained some vigour after hearing that the next one would be the last.

"Now, what is the name of the last noble?"

"It is Earl Granberg."

Hearing the name of a familiar noble, Ray's face was flushed with relief.

"The Earl! ….I see, if it is him we can finish this quickly…."

The noble brought in by the butler had quite the sturdy body as if he were a warrior. However, he was still graceful and was a noble amongst nobles.

That man gave a proper bow and sat on the sofa opposite Ray.

After giving their respective greetings. Earl Granberg firstly congratulated the General on his victory over the Kingdom. And then Ray spoke of how he was grateful for the thanks.

This was a pattern that Ray had already experienced six times. However, the noble finally broke it.

"The General seems to be tired, so shall I get straight to the point?"

"That will be appreciated."

Ray's mask fell. As expected of Earl Granberg who was familiar with him.

"In a ceremony occurring in a few days, the Kingdom will retreat from E-Rantel and its surroundings, and proclaim that land to be part of the Empire."

"So quickly?!"

Ray forgot about his fatigue and shouted.

He knew that the Empire was currently in discussions with the Kingdom about E-Rantel's handover, but it was far too early for results to be seen.

Most discussions would take a long time. It usually spanned months or even a year in this case. However, thinking about it rationally, this made sense.

"They cannot do anything else since the Archduke has shown that level of power."

This meant that the Kingdom had raised the white flag."

"Not only that. In return, the Empire has promised that they would not attack the Kingdom for several years."

"Why…. With the Archduke, the Kingdom's future is merely sparks before the wind right?"

"Now…. I do not know what is on the Emperor's mind. Would he break the agreement after a certain period, or let the prey fatten up before eating it? Anyhow, this decision will bring benefits to the Empire since the Emperor has agreed with it."

"I see…. Then how much of this has leaked out?"

"Most nobles would think of it as a rumour, but the other better ones would know a bit more."

"So this is why the number of those who wanted to meet with me went up."

Ray finally understood the main reason why the nobles approached him.

Most nobles would not approach the Generals of their own accord. This was as the absolute ruler, the Emperor was their backer, and offending him meant death.

Thus there was a certain distance between the Generals and the nobles. While this would be different if it were a high-ranking noble with the title, a low-ranked noble like Ray would mostly live away from the spotlight. The reason why Ray did not learn of this earlier was that he did not have a pipeline with them.

"Probably. E-Rantel is at the intersection of three countries. The nobles can easily imagine the wealth and power they will gain if they gain the cooperation of the noble who can guard that land. Anyone would want a connection with him. It seems that this ball will become a stew of countless desire and ambition."

Ray and Earl Granberg let out a small chuckle. They could already see the scene in their heads.

"No no, it was an interesting conversation. Conversations with you are far more pleasant than those chats with those dull nobles. Now…. Why does the Earl wish to see me?"

"Oya oya, getting straight to the point, General."

"Doesn't the Earl also wish for this?"

Earl Granberg smiled in confirmation.

"What? I simply want to ask you something, General…. You currently do not have a wife yet right? How about my daughter?"

Ray recalled the face of the 10-year-old girl.

"Not for the Archduke, but for me? The position of General was something granted to me by the Emperor. It can also be easily stripped away depending on his mood you know?"

"If the Archduke believes that the General has his merits, then choosing you would be a safer bet than any other General yes? I can tell that the Emperor and the Archduke have not directly confronted each other just by their reactions."

Earl Granberg had seen the relationship between the Archduke and Emperor during the parade.

And there he saw the amazing figure of the Archduke.

Ray had heard the same thing in the multiple repetitive conversations he had with the earlier nobles. He knew it himself, but it was interesting hearing it from another perspective. Especially what they found most attractive. He could see what type of person they were from their response.

"This is why the nobles want to meet with the Archduke in person."

"Indeed. And because they are those type of people, they will want to offer their daughters to the Archduke. If they gain the position of legal wife, their families will be safe and prosperous."

"If the Earl wishes for this as well…."

"Hahaha, the General is bad at jokes. I do not have any intention to fight with the other Great Nobles."

"I see. So this is why you chose me."

Earl Granberg silently smiled. It was a warm smile, but it was obvious that there were hidden intentions lurking underneath.

"And so, the upcoming ball will be filled with beauties I believe."

"Agreed. Even those nobles who do not go so far as to meet directly with the Archduke, it is a good chance for them to introduce their daughters to him."

All the balls until now had nobles introduce their daughters to the Emperor. But this time, they would introduce them to the Archduke.

"This ball seems to be getting very interesting, right? General?

************************************************

Maruyama:

I feel that the web Ainz is sucking out the brains of the novel Ainz…. But in a more Maruyama fashion, I prefer this Ainz. He's an idiot.

I want to release one more chapter in September.

And to those who gave their opinions. I originally wanted to reply to each and every one of you, but as I am busy, I cannot. I'm sorry. I read through, and so if there are any strange parts, feel free to bash me in the comments.

And if there is anything urgent, please message me. I should reply.

All of your thoughts are the fuel for Maruyama. Truly, thank you.