Lakyus’s words calmed the crowd a little—because the adventurers had all decided to at least try not to show their resentment in front of Renner.
“Oh, that reminds me… There was something I was going to ask you to do while we’re loosing the arrow. Climb!”
“Your Highness!” A spirited shout rang out. Everyone’s attention turned to the boy in the white full plate armor.
“I realize it’s dangerous, but I’m going to ask you to go on a mission for us. Enter the enemy’s territory and bring out any survivors you find.”
From the adventurers came cries of “Don’t be stupid!” and “That’s insane!” Entering the area under enemy control to save people went beyond dangerous—it was more like an order to die. Escorting helpless civilians out of there was an absurdity among absurdities.
But Climb answered immediately, “Understood! I’ll perform this duty if it’s the last thing I do!”
It was no wonder people looked at him like he was crazy.
“…Princess. Sending Climb alone is too risky. Could I go with him?”
“Is that all right with you, Sir Brain Unglaus?”
A commotion went through the crowd at the mention of that name. For people who valued strength, “Brain Unglaus” was an unforgettable one.
“Sure, I’m fine with it.”
“Then please do. Now, could I ask just the leaders of each team to please come forward?”
As he watched the adventurers assemble at the front, Ainz applied himself to a different task—networking.
People who seemed like subleaders kept coming up to him. They offered their team name, praised his gear, said they’d like to see him again sometime to hear tales of his adventures, and so on. The purpose of this was analogous to the Japanese custom of exchanging business cards, but there was one difference. When exchanging business cards, one was left with documentation of who was who, but when meeting someone on a verbal basis, the only record that could be relied upon was memory.
I guess you need to have good recall to be a top dog, Ainz thought to himself privately as he frantically drilled the information into his brain.
He figured it was important to remember team names and what rank they were. Of course, he allocated his attention and memory to only higher-ranking adventurers. There were also iron ranks and copper ranks who came up to say hello, but they lived in a different world, so he considered them safe to forget. The CEO of a large company would never treasure the business card of a small- to midsize company’s salesman—it was the natural order of things.
Still, Momon paid close attention to each adventurer so no one would know his attitude was changing depending on whom he was talking to. He’d shake their hand, pat them familiarly on the back, respond to their dull flattery with a jolly laugh, and they’d praise each other.
They probably figured the reason he kept his gauntlets on while they all sought a handshake after taking off their gloves was due to their difference in rank. Other than that, he greeted everyone on equal terms.
He stared after a person he’d just greeted who was walking away. What a crazy color… He wasn’t used to hair being hot pink.
He knew that some adventurers dyed their gear and whatnot gaudy colors, but this was the first time he’d seen someone with such loud hair. I guess there are just more adventurers in the capital than in E-Rantel.
There were a lot of adventurers in the capital, so they had to work harder to stand out. Well, it doesn’t seem anyone avoids you or thinks badly of you for dyeing your hair here…
With Ainz’s Japanese salaryman sensibilities, he wondered if pink hair was really appropriate, but it didn’t seem like this world was very strict about those types of things. There were even children with dyed hair.
Ainz cleared his mind of hairstyle thoughts and, as he noticed a Japanese-like queue-forming spirit in the adventurers lined up in front of him, focused a bit of his attention on Narberal behind him.
Though he had never used the team name or nicknames himself, his team, known as Raven Black, had another member besides him. The peerless beauty stood at attention behind him; the reason no one went to greet her had to be due to her prickly, even hostile presence. And from a networking perspective, it was more advantageous to meet Ainz, since he was the leader.
Adventurer culture is just like corporate culture… They were both social constructs built by people, so it was no wonder they resembled each other.
After Ainz had shaken so many hands his own would have been sore if he were human, and once the number of adventurers waiting had dwindled, Evileye came over.
The people waiting their turn to meet him didn’t say anything when she cut in. The only ones left were the lowest-ranking adventurers. He’d already finished greeting the highest-, high-, middle-, and lower-ranking ones. These were the little grasshoppers who had just barely begun adventuring, waiting for a chance to meet someone who in comparison was practically divine.
They weren’t about to complain about someone at the top.
“It seems like you’re about done with your meetings. Do you mind coming over here?”
Ainz glanced through the thin slit in his closed helmet at Gazef. If he was still over there, there was only one answer.
“Nabe. Please greet those people on my behalf. I’ll come once I’ve finished over here.”
The eyes of everyone who heard him grew wide.
“Sorry. The people here have been waiting their turn, so I need to meet them first,” he told Evileye and went back to greeting the shrinking line of adventurers.
Ainz wouldn’t hesitate to go if the CEO of a large company called even if small- to midsize-company CEOs were waiting to meet him. That wasn’t favoritism or discrimination; it was just the way things generally worked. On the contrary, if he stubbornly continued greeting, people would think he was oblivious. This held true for salesmen as well, but sometimes it was necessary to prioritize profit over one’s personal policies. That was a mandatory skill for a cog in the company wheel.
But this case was different.
I can’t talk to Gazef. We didn’t talk much before, and I doubt he’d remember my voice from two months ago, but…I’d be screwed if he did. Still, I have no doubt he wants to talk with me. I’m a bit nervous about handing him off to Nabe, but I’ll do that and lower my voice a bit. Up until now he was talking to so many people I’m confident he couldn’t hear me, but now I should be careful.
“Okay, Nabe, get going.”
“Yes, sir.”
Shifting his gaze from Nabe as she walked toward the princess and the others, Ainz removed his helmet.
He felt everyone looking at him. He shook his head back and forth and then put the helmet back on. Really, he would have liked to act out wiping sweat from his brow, but although he was wearing a rubber mask, his face was an illusion, so he had to perform flawlessly when he touched it or he risked his hand apparently sinking into it. That was why he had only shaken his head.
His objective had been to show Momon’s face to Gazef to satisfy one part of his curiosity. It would be great if that and Nabe’s saying hello will stop him from trying to talk to me… Ainz prayed and concentrated on greeting the adventurers.
“You seem pretty comfortable doing this.”
It was Evileye’s voice. She was still there. He took care to hide the fact that he wished she would escort Narberal over to the others and instead replied in a kind voice. She might have still been suspicious of him, so he wanted her to think he was being friendly.
“I don’t really think I’m comfortable per se.”
Anyone who had ever worked in sales could handle this level of conversation.
“No, you are. Your wonderful attitude is truly worthy of a team leader.”
How obnoxious. I’m in the middle of greeting these people! Don’t stand there babbling, he thought, but he bottled it up. If he was rude to her now, it would defeat the purpose of holding himself back from killing her earlier. With the detac
hment of a factory worker throwing himself into his assembly line task, he switched to saying just brief hellos. Since everyone knew Momon’s presence was being requested, they were efficient with their greetings.
After getting through the line, he shifted his gaze to where Gazef had been, but the captain was nowhere to be seen. Ainz put a monumental effort into suppressing his urge to do a little dance and intentionally asked Evileye next to him, “Did I take too long? Seems like the captain of the Royal Select left… I’m sorry about that.”
“Hmm? Oh yeah, he’s gone. He’s a busy guy, so it makes sense that he wouldn’t be able to stay here long, but it’s rude of him not to express his gratitude to our last resort in protecting the kingdom. I’ll call for him.”
“Wait! Hold on!” Surprised by how much louder than intended his shout was, he abruptly lowered his voice. “I mean, this is fine. You really don’t have to worry about it. After all, I’m here because Marquis Raeven made the request. I’m protecting the kingdom for the reward, so the captain’s thanks isn’t necessary.”
“Are you sure…? It’s not the first time I’ve noticed it, but you’re quite a generous person, aren’t you?”
Ainz glanced at her, wondering if she was being sarcastic, but since her face was behind her mask, he couldn’t guess at her true feelings.
I can’t trust people who wear masks…dang it. But I wonder why she wears it, anyway. It must be some sort of magic item, but still.
Then he realized his own mistake and scanned the area.
The atmosphere hadn’t changed. He didn’t catch sight of anyone who seemed to be frightened of or hostile toward Momon the adamantite-rank adventurer.
Back in my Yggdrasil days, illusions were so-so spells that changed your external appearance or messed up menu functionality, but in this world, they’re true illusions. In that case, it wouldn’t be strange if there exists a magic item that lets you see through them… No one in E-Rantel could figure out mine, and the head of the wizards’ guild said that the only way to see through them was with experience, so I got complacent. There are orichalcum-rank adventurers here, though… I screwed up.
Ainz looked around again.
It doesn’t seem like anyone is on guard against me, so I think my secret is safe…but from now on I shouldn’t take my helmet off in the capital. Nothing is certain. I have to keep that in mind. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was one of those talent abilities for deciphering illusions…
“…Miss Evileye.”
“Please just call me Evileye. You saved my life, Sir Momon. I can’t have someone like that being so formal with me.”
To Ainz, it was just ordinary politeness, but if she didn’t want it, he didn’t have any reason to object to dropping it.
“Okay then, Evileye. Shall we go over there now?”
“Let’s!”
Her reply was cheerful. Unsure what had set her heartstrings singing, Ainz allowed himself to be led over to where the princess was.
After the group—Renner, her attendant, and the two adamantite-rank adventurer teams—withdrew into a different room, the remaining adventurers began chatting as if they’d been waiting for the opportunity. Naturally, the topic of conversation was the elite adventurer Momon.
“I’d heard about him in the news from E-Rantel, but he’s so polite you’d never assume he was adamantite rank.”
“It’s not only him. I know the Drops of Red, and they’re the same way. So generous as people—they remind you that strength isn’t all there is to being at the top.”
An adventurer wearing a platinum plate chimed in on the conversation between two wearing mythril plates. “Hmm, do you really believe that? And who prioritizes greeting rookie adventurers over a summons from the princess?”
“That was a surprise.”
The surrounding adventurers all nodded in agreement.
For missions like this one, where it was necessary to cooperate across teams, it made sense to lay the groundwork for getting help easier by introducing oneself. It was only human nature to be more inclined to save a familiar face than a stranger. But the only people adamantite-rank adventurers would turn to for help would be at least mythril. It could be said with confidence that there was no reason for them to greet and befriend the greenhorns.
But Momon did. In other words, he must have been trying to deepen friendships without the ulterior motive of seeking assistance later.
“Normally you would go talk to the princess and leave your teammate to handle the rookies.”
“Yeah, that’s what most people would do. It’s definitely what I would have done. You, too, right?”
“Yeah… To put it harshly, the guy seems a bit oblivious. He seems like he might be the type to mess up judgment calls.”
It was not a compliment, but there was no malice in the speaker’s expression.
“And if you put it kindly?”
As if he’d been waiting to be asked, the same man spoke twice as fast as before. “He’s the best. Even though he’s an elite adamantite, he respects his fellow adventurers—even the ones just starting out. Look! Just look at the rookies’ faces!”
“Yeah, they’re totally in love with him.”
The low-rank adventurers resembled baseball fanboys who had just shaken hands with a top player from the big leagues.
“I’d fall for him, too. He can take my ass anytime.”
“No way. Plus, he wouldn’t go for your dirty ass anyhow. He’s a duo with that pretty lady!”
“You think they’re an item?”
“They gotta be! Why risk the danger of a two-person team otherwise?”
“I heard differently,” a fourth man cut in. The plate around his neck was orichalcum. “You seem to know, since you have the news from E-Rantel, but supposedly those two are on a whole different level—they’re a two-person team because no one else can keep up with them!”
“…Were you eavesdropping on us this whole time?”
“Ha-ha-ha! Don’t be like that. It’s not like you were trying to talk in secret anyhow.”
“Well, whatever,” said the other adventurer who had started the chat.
Right about then the head of the guild, who had remained behind, clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, we’re moving out starting now. We’ll meet up one hour from when we leave the castle. We don’t have much time, so please tell any teammates who aren’t here ASAP. For now, please follow me outside.”
5 Late Fire Moon (September) 1:12 AM
The reason they’d gathered in a different room was to confirm final plans for the “arrow.” When would they charge? How would they handle it if the enemy’s position was heavily guarded? They considered all the potential dangers and their strategies for them. In the end, though, they weren’t well enough informed, so the only answer was to play things by ear.
The boy in the white full plate armor, Climb, had been listening intently, but now he spoke up. “Excuse me, Princess.”
“What is it?”
“Regarding the arrowhead, I know of someone else who has overwhelming ability in battle. What about finding him and asking for help? Two arrows would surely give us a better chance than one, and if they teamed up, I would think they could slay this demon, even if it is immensely powerful.”
“What gives, Climb? You don’t think my recommendation, Sir Momon, will be enough?”
Evileye didn’t even try to soften her sharp tone, and Climb flinched. “No, it’s not like that. Please don’t think that was my intention…”
“No warriors are stronger than Sir Momon, not a chance. I guarantee that there’s a risk that whoever you nominate will just get in his way.”
The warrior holding a katana, Brain, wondered about that. “Mm, I don’t think we can say that for sure. I’ve seen the guy Climb is talking about, and he was crazy strong. He killed Zero, the strongest member of the Six Arms, in one blow!”
“You’re Brain Unglaus? You got hired as an aide to the princess on t
he recommendations of Gazef Stronoff and Climb, right?”
“Hired as one of Gazef’s men, that is. I’m just attached to the princess until I get my official appointment.”
“I know you’re much stronger than Climb, but I don’t get how that makes you capable of speaking for this other guy’s strength. Didn’t you lose to that old hag?”
“…Speaking of which, didn’t you, too, Evileye? Apologies, Mr. Unglaus.”
“Ugh,” Evileye groaned in response to Lakyus’s quip. “Th-that was because it wasn’t just her—you guys were there, too!”
“…Right after you lost you said you’d lost to Ligritte, not to us.”
“You really remember it well, Tina!”
“Heh-heh.” Tina laughed triumphantly. Evileye gave an almost humorous “urrrrgh.” Their comedy duo–esque exchange swept away the souring mood and actually helped everyone relax.
That was when Ainz said, “Very interesting. Who is this fellow?”
Climb gave the man’s name with a face full of confidence. “His name is Sebas.”
“…Huh? Sebas?” I’ve heard that name somewhere before, thought Ainz. Is it just the same by coincidence? “…What’s he like?”
Ainz listened to Climb’s explanation and nodded emphatically. It’s Sebas! Why—how—does this boy know him? What’s their relationship? Is he one of the connections Sebas made in the capital? He’d only glanced at Sebas’s reports and didn’t really remember who was mentioned. Well, I couldn’t help it. I have too much stuff to do…, he thought in a hurry, making excuses for himself.
All he knew was if this boy was a connection that Sebas made independently, mistakenly eliminating him would undo all of Sebas’s hard work. A superior should avoid nullifying his subordinates’ labors; therefore, it was safer to respect this boy in indirect praise of Sebas’s efforts.
More than anything, he didn’t want Sebas to think, But I wrote about him in my report!
“We won’t know who is stronger until this Sebas and I actually fight each other…”
“Mas— Mr. Momon, you’re stronger.”
The Men of the Kingdom Part II Page 20