Chapter 61: Vol9 Prologue (1/2)

(Re)Translated by Nigel

Edited/Proofread by Deus Ex Machina

Jircniv Rune Farlord el Nix — the peerless ruler of the Empire, and the young man who was dreaded as the Bloody Emperor — reflected on his flawless performance.

He was confident that he had won his counterparts over using his charisma, that they were putty in his hands. There should have been no problems.

The nobility excelled at such wordless expressions of personality. This was especially true for the Emperor, who had been thoroughly educated in these ways from his youth, to the point where none would be able to see through his facade. To his guests, he should have appeared to be a kindly young man.

It was very important to understand one’s opponents.

It would be difficult to glean information from someone who was robed with suspicion. However, one could use trust and goodwill as strings to manipulate them, slowly peeling away the layers of wariness which they wore, until they were laid bare before oneself. Of course, such deceptions would be hidden behind a gentlemanly smile which said “we warmly welcome you.”

And the gentleman Jircniv’s opponents were a pair of Dark Elves, who had barged into the Imperial city on the back of a Dragon.

This was the first time he had met individuals whose appearances belied their incredible power.

The earthquake triggered by the staff-wielding girl had claimed 117 lives. Of these, 40 had been his royal guards, 60 had been knights, eight had been arcane magic casters, eight more had been divine magic casters, and then one more — a truly jaw-dropping list of casualties.

As for the knights, being able to stand guard in the Imperial Palace meant that they were among the most elite warriors in the empire, but he could close an eye to their losses. If they were to be ranked like adventurers, one might classify them as silver-rank. Due to the extensive systems in place for the education and training of new knights, these numbers could be easily replenished in the future.

Next were the royal guards, the elites among the elites. It was regrettable that half their number, each the equivalent of a gold-cranked adventurer, had been slain at once. They were equipped with weapons and armor that had been forged and enchanted by the many magic casters of the Empire, a fortune that was worth more than their weight in gold.

And then, there was the most painful loss —the last man— one of the strongest knights in the Empire, “The Immovable” Nazami Enec. Though he claimed he was just imitating a fighting style he had seen before, his two-shield technique that emphasized defense was enough to earn him the title of “the toughest knight”, even among the Four Knights who were the strongest knights in the Kingdom.

In this world, where the fighting prowess of one mighty warrior was more valuable than that of several hundred conscripts, the passing of such a warrior could not be simply described as one man’s death. In the worst case, it might even be seen as a weakening of the entire country’s military power.

In all honesty, Jircniv would have liked nothing more than to chase them away, but he could not do so against opponents who could kill without blinking an eye. He did not know if this was just a show of strength. Therefore, all he could do was welcome them with a smile.

Still, he would not let them walk all over him. Jircniv’s eyes intently studied the two children in front of him, not letting a single movement or gesture escape his gaze.

One could learn many things from even the most mundane of observations.

Jircniv’s senses were very sharp, and he had once discovered that a seemingly loyal noble had actually been scheming secretly with nobles hostile to him, much like one would sniff out spices. Now, he strained those senses to the utmost in order to pick out every clue he could uncover

He studied their clothes—

He studied their looks—

In any case…

The emissaries of Ainz Ooal Gown that had come to the Imperial Palace, the two Dark Elf children, were exceedingly attractive. He could not help but think that they when they grew up, they would break the hearts of many a member of the opposite sex.

Those small, slender bodies, with their ever-changing expressions. They seem like simple, ordinary children no matter how you look at them. Knowing nothing else, it would be laughable to think that they were emissaries for anyone.

A country’s emissaries —their ambassadors— required certain qualities, one of which was their personal appearance. Making a poor impression due to one’s undignified deportment would be a detriment to one’s country.

Ainz Ooal Gown should have understood that principle. Knowing this, what was the motive behind sending a pair of easily-underestimated Dark Elves?

Jircniv racked his brains as he pondered the mystery.

From what I can gather… it must be a demonstration of force. He sends easily-underestimated ambassadors and then tries to intimidate me with overwhelming destructive power. The stark contrast between first and second impressions is meant to maximize the psychological impact… but if that was the case, wouldn’t riding in on Dragonback ruin the effect? The Dragon’s formidable presence would overrule their benign appearance… or is it that these two are the only ones suitable as emissaries? Or was there another— damn. I can’t read their intentions. I don’t know enough.

He had several theories, but they vanished like foam on the waves.

My first priority should be learning more about the opposition. Without this foundation to work on, nothing can be done. Then, I must verify the boundaries beyond which they would be angered. It would be a fool who allowed negotiations to break down because he offended the other party.

First, Jircniv had to learn why they had come to this place

The two Dark Elves had said “The Emperor sent a rude bunch to the Great Tomb of Nazarick”, and then they had instantly killed over a hundred people in the middle of the court. But did they have evidence for that, or was it just a leading question? Jircniv had to find out at least that much.

After taking the timing of their visit into consideration, the “rude bunch” in question would certainly be the Workers. If that was the case, the one giving them orders would definitely be Jircniv. However, there had been several degrees of separation from him; Jircniv’s name should not even have been mentioned in the same breath as these people.

How had he — Ainz Ooal Gown — seen through his schemes? He would need to take a different attitude with them.

Since they came as emissaries, there should be a chance to glean some information from them. Even the slightest action might shed some light on their plans.

Behind the two of them was a foe who had allowed them to barge into another country and intimidate its leader with sheer force. Even a tiny mistake here could spell death for him.

He did not want to trigger another earthquake

Jircniv turned his attention to the neighboring room.

It should have been filled with royal guards, and there should have been more royal guards at his side. But today, he had not bothered. That was because even if he had put 50 royal guards in there, they could do nothing but die if they tried to fight against these two. Thus, there were only five other people in attendance for this meeting.

One of them was a member of the Empire’s Four Knights, “Lightning” Baziwood Peshmel. Another was Jircniv’s most trusted advisor, Fluder Paradyne. There were also three trusted scribes.

He had also ordered the royal guards to dig up the cracks in the courtyard.

He knew exhuming the corpses was futile, but he told them to do it anyway.

The Empire did not have anyone who could use resurrection spells. Even the adamantite-ranked adventurers of the Empire did not have such power. The same applied to their priests. Of the neighboring countries, perhaps only the Kingdom of Re-Estize and the Slane Theocracy could command such magic.

Even so, he still wanted to recover the bodies, because it was a waste to let their gear and magic items be lost with their owners. Also, recovering the bodies and laying them to rest would preserve morale.

“Honored emissaries, you have travelled far and wide to grace us with your presence. Will you not moisten your parched throats? We have prepared some simple refreshments for you. We hope you will try some, if it pleases you to do so.”

Jircniv rang a chime, and the maidservants waiting outside quietly entered the room. There were almost twenty maids, with brightly-polished silver trays.

After their arduous training, these maids should have moved with crispness and beauty.

Yet, even the steps of these maids — who were Jircniv’s pride and joy — were slightly flustered today.

It was precisely because their movements had been so immaculate in the past that the flaws now stood out that much more.

What’s wrong? They’ve entertained so many dignitaries in the past without a hitch; why are they having problems now? Are they under the effect of some kind of magic?

Jircniv wanted to reach under his garments and grab his medallion, but he resisted the urge to do so. The medallion was effective precisely because people did not know it was there; if they knew he possessed such an item, it would have the opposite effect instead.

When the maids faltered after looking at the two Dark Elves, he finally found the reason for their missteps.

Aha, so that’s why… it’s because they’re fascinated by their looks. Well, it’s not as though I don’t understand… no, dammit. I mustn’t make a fool of myself.

Perhaps he should be praising the maids instead for only wavering that much in the face of such beauty.

After setting down the drinks and snacks, the maids bowed and filed out.

“Then, please, do help yourselves.”

“Hmmm~”

The Dark Elf boy raised a glass with a bored expression on his face.

It was easily a treasure in its own right, its transparent crystal etched with exquisite artistry.

Jircniv was not particularly fond of decorated glasses like these. However, that was not to say that he did not possess such things. Even a simple eating utensil used to welcome a guest could be used to show of the glory of the Empire, to let them know exactly how important they were to the Empire.

The Dark Elf boy took a mouthful of the beverage.

No hesitation at all… is he not on guard for poison, or does he have magic that protects him from such things? Or did he already sense that I had no such intentions? …Or is it something else? Hm, that girl doesn’t seem worried either.

“This doesn’t taste particularly good. And it doesn’t have any special effects either.”

The boy’s words filled Jircniv with a new thrill of terror.

Nobody had ever said something like this to him, even when he had been a child himself.