30 「Word to the Wise」 (2/2)
”...” Aura and Ninya rested their eyes on the lonely marked tombstone which overlooked an empty casket. ”Do you regret staying?” Aura asked as she knew only Ainz remained while the other Supreme Beings had left them behind.
”I don't. I only had my work and YGGDRASIL.” Jack had this scary absent look in his eyes, but it quickly subsided as his fingers intertwined with and curled into the fabric of Ninya's cloak.
”You keep saying YGGDRASIL and work as separate things, it sounds kinda weird...” Ninya laughed a bit as she looked up at him again. ”Isn't this YGGDRASIL the place you came from?”
Her question was just met with a shrug.
”Preserves?” Aura bounced in front of them, ”I heard from Narberal Gamma they're really sweet!”
”Time for lunch then!” Jack announced as he lead the two girls off towards a clearing where no building had been built yet. It appeared the lot was being used to create a park for children and leisurely strolls for the elderly.
Once they were there, he released his arm from around Ninya and pulled out what looked like a blue checkered picnic blanket and rested it down on the ground. Then he took out a basket filled with foods and placed it on the ground.
”Oooo~” Aura flopped onto the blanket, it was thick and soft and easy to sit on. Or in this case, lay upon. Her eyes locked on the basket before her eyes wandered over towards Jack who was talking a few feet away before taking out a pole and stuffing it into the ground. ”What'cha doin'?” The elf would chime before watch as he took out a small grill and attached it to the pole.
”Preparing some mixed meat Salisbury Steaks,” He took out some charcoal from his item box and tossed several handfuls into the grill before lighting it with a low-tier fire spell. A few seconds later, he plopped four grade A ground pork and beef Salisbury Steaks which he had prepared for an occasion such as this.
Ninya's eyes watched the flames as they danced under the seasoned meat.
The two of them could already taste the meat on the air, their mouths watering as an effect.
”Please, enjoy the basket while I work on these.”
Within fifteen minutes he had made four medium rare Salisbury Steaks and had them served on premium china as he placed them down on the blanket.
Ninya and Aura were munching on plain bagels lathered in the different preserves which had been in the basket, as well as various picked vegetables. The preserves were sweeter than any other fruit she had in this world.
”What fruits did you use?”
”The ones from the Orchard on the Tenth subterranean Floor,” he responded as he looked over her for a few moments before biting into the steak he picked up with three of his fingers. The juices were dripping, along with the semi-dried on gravy.
”Delicious!” Aura giggled and held the meat up in the air. Though it wasn't technically gourmet food prepared like it was in the Tomb of Nazarick, it was clearly high grade in flavor.
”So what did you do for work?” Ninya asked as she was chewing her food, she was curious about his background a bit more than before. She knew about his sister, how emotional he got when he thought about her. But what did he do before he came here, to the Re-Estize Kingdom?
”Hacker and Program Developer.”
Ninya's head tilted to the side slightly, completely confused by both terms used.
”Hacking, making things do tasks they weren't normally meant to. As a Program Developer, I developed things… Like the music device's operating system, which tells it how to work.”
Ninya nodded slowly at this, understanding to some degree before biting into the steak again.
”I'll show you my Guild Weapon when we go to the Capital.”
Aura smiled as she was lulling her head side to side, humming happily to herself before pursing her lips forward in curiosity. Still having traces of her smile, she asked, ”You're going to the Capital?”
”I was summoned by the King, apparently.”
”Ooh? So why did you lock Demiurge out of the Village?” She laughed a bit, ”He's pretty bitter.”
Jack grinned widely hearing that the Arch-Devil was bitter about being locked out of the Village. He was pretty much the only one who would have a hard time getting in, if he could at all.
”He may act on Ainz's interests, but not always on his behalf. The last thing he'd want is for me to kill Demiurge for hurting or experimenting on one of the villagers.”
Aura's face darkened slightly, though she understood why he said such a thing, she didn't like the fact that Jack could speak of killing her fellow Guardian so casually. Jack appeared to cherish the Villagers and humans as much as Ainz cherished his own Guardians. Even though they were lesser life forms.
”Sorry, my tongue slipped.” Jack sincerely apologized with his eyes partially closed as he kept his gaze on the little elf which was staring through him from the other side of the blanket.
…
Momonga was seated there on his King Throne within the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Listening to the conversation through the watch on Aura's wrist. His eyes weren't lit as usual as he was intently listening in.
The Overlord saw the truth behind his words. He knew Demiurge's personality, how he acted when he had to take down his own Guardian, Shalltear Bloodfallen.
”It seems you're mistaken,” His eyes lit back up as his sights rested on the Arch-Devil in the bright red suit and eye glasses. ”Hm… There is no treachery here… He just doesn't like you.”
”Ainz-sama... Why would such a wise being speak the truth to an underling not of his own?”
Momonga didn't want to believe nor think that his new ally who had joined their Guilds together in a pact, was plotting against him. If he thought in that fashion rather than keeping his objectivity, it might just be him who betrays Jack and destroys what they've been building so far.
”It would be foolish to provoke him if we have no need to do so. Jack is sentimental and has full access to his emotions. He may be a heteromorphic being, but he is also a living being.”
”As, as expected of Ainz-sama. Showing mercy to a fellow Supre--”
”It would have taken him several seconds to kill Bloodfallen with a single spell.” Momonga was referring to the super high tier spell known as Assimilate, which would not only have taken a vital Guardian's prowess, but turned her into Experience for someone else to take on.
Even then, that meant that Momonga would be able to resurrect her, and Jack could do it again and again as many times as he could afford once a month.
”...” Demiurge was surprised by this news. Even though the entire Tomb had been disappointed in Bloodfallen being mind controlled, they knew Ainz couldn't even do that.
For the time being, they didn't even know he had used assimilate. So they believed if they had him surrounded, he'd just use it to take out the Guardians. Use them as fuel, and destroy Ainz completely.
Provoking him, like the Supreme Being who stayed behind said, would be a bad idea.
”Demiurge, What do you know about the summoning he had been given by the King?”
”It's very limited information, Ainz-sama. An Adamantite Adventurer Party and an Envoy from the Princess was sent out to fetch him. So far he's trapped them in a magic box for pestering him, and when they were released, one of them assaulted him. He returned the favor, destroying their mask and the hood of their robe, while also mutilating their hair.”
Nodding slowly, Momonga looked to the ceiling, he began thinking to himself until he heard Demiurge clear his throat.
”I also have something else to Report, Ainz-sama.”
”Oh?”
”He went to the Baharuth Empire for precisely forty five minutes, where we lost track of him. It appears he returned with two children. From what I was able to hear, he murdered the parents.”
”...” Momonga was rather curious about this report. Why was he there? What exactly did he do? Who were these children he brought back. ”Perhaps I shall visit Carne Village, as the Dark Hero, Momon to learn more.”
”As you say, Wise Leader.”