The Two Leaders

by Kugane Maruyama

  “No, manners are important even among friends. That’s a very important lesson I learned from my predecessors.”

  Certainly, at work he would have sometimes gotten on friendlier terms with clients, and even spoken in a casual tone, but he didn’t want to open himself up like that with the head of the guild. He felt it was appropriate to keep things businesslike.

  If you have too many connections inside an organization, it can start to pin you down. I don’t want to get stuck at one Adventurers Guild in one city. Maybe it’s time to move on? Or really… Ainz stared at Ainzach next to him out of the slit in his helmet. Why are you sitting next to me anyway? Normal etiquette would be to put Narberal there and sit across from us.

  With that uncomfortable closeness, he couldn’t help but wonder if Ainzach was into him.

  I heard from the head of the Wizards Guild that he’s married, but maybe that’s for show? I thought he was just really eager to be better friends, but…there’s definitely something else going on. Or does he think I’m gay?

  The last thing he suddenly imagined made him shudder.

  Ainz was straight. Well, he had been anyhow. Incidentally, not that it mattered, but Satoru Suzuki preferred women with breasts over flat-chested ones. All this seemed to hold true even now, judging by the way he felt a faint desire for Albedo over someone like Cocytus.

  After taking some distance by repositioning his butt, he turned to look straight at Ainzach. “Do excuse me, but I came here to ask you something. Someone I know visited the guild just now, and I wonder if you can tell me what her request was about.”

  “We have rules against that…”

  “That’s why I’m asking you. I know I’m being unreasonable, and I understand how important it is to follow the rules, but please.”

  Ainz bowed his head, and Ainzach crossed his arms and stared up at the ceiling with a stern face. But that lasted only a moment.

  “All right.” He smiled at Ainz. “I just can’t say no when it’s you asking. Can you tell me this person’s name?”

  “She’s from Carne. Enri, er, Enri Emmott.”

  “Enri, okay. Give me a minute.”

  Before long, he was back. Behind him followed a receptionist Ainz had seen before. She came in stiffly, nearly paralyzed with nerves.

  “Sir Momon!”

  Wow, Ainz thought upon his first time seeing someone so nervous they were walking completely out of step. He would have liked to tell her she could relax, but he only nodded benevolently. Not coming off too free and easy was one of those things adamantite-rank adventurers worried about.

  “This is the receptionist who talked to Enri Emmott. You’d probably like to talk to her directly, right? Anything you want to know, ask away!”

  “Oh? In that case— Ah, but first, why don’t we have her sit down? This isn’t my office, so it would be weird for me to say it, but…”

  “No! That won’t be necessary! I’m fine as is!”

  Satoru Suzuki would have felt awfully strange sitting while the person he was talking to was standing, but during his time acting as Ainz Ooal Gown, ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, those kinds of feelings had faded. He had grown to simply accept the gap between those at the top and those below. It seemed like proof that his role-playing as a masterful being wasn’t for nothing, that he had actually gained experience points.

  So how many more points till I level up? Oh, wait…

  “Are you sure? Well, then let’s begin. I’d like to hear the details of her request. It’s very important, so can you make sure not to leave anything out?”

  “Y-yes, sir!” Sticky, cold sweat beaded on her face.

  “What is it? Is something wrong?”

  “No, I…” Her eyes wandered side to side.

  “Did I phrase the question poorly…? Hmm. Then let’s try this way. Was her request about searching for someone?”

  “N-no, sir.”

  “Oh, okay… Then what was it about? Did she not even make a request?”

  “…It wasn’t an immediate request, more like a consultation about a request she might make in the future. And well, she said there were monsters in the woodlands—the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West—that are as powerful as the Wise King of the Forest you tamed.”

  Though Ainz found the barely coherent receptionist strange, he continued questioning her. “A future request?”

  “I-it’s not what you think! I didn’t realize she was someone you knew, Sir Momon! If I would have known, I would have asked for more details! Honest!”

  Faced with this tearfully shouting receptionist, Ainz was puzzled. Is it really all right to have someone so emotionally unstable manning the desk?

  “Guild Master…”

  “…Sorry. I should have supervised her better.”

  “What? It’s the rules of the guild!”

  Listening to their conversation, Ainz realized what their twisted understanding was.

  They were both under the impression that he and Enri knew each other, and out of respect for the guild, she would make a request for a job that he normally would have done for her free of charge.

  Then the receptionist coldly turned her away due to assumptions about financial issues. So they were arguing over who should take responsibility for refusing an adamantite rank’s friend.

  Uh, if it’s the rules of the organization, then the one who followed them is right…

  Ainz lowered his opinion of the head of the guild, glaring at him.

  Pretty sure it’s a boss’s job to cover for their subordinates. Or is he using the advanced technique of ripping into her while I’m standing here to inspire pity and get me to forgive her? He sure is reaming her.

  Ainz felt the receptionist’s handling of the situation was correct. The head of the guild probably thought so, too. But just as when Ainz had come in through the back door or when he made the request to Ainzach in the first place, adamantite-rank adventurers were easily made exceptions to the rules—that was how badly they wanted to keep him around, and that was why they were fighting.

  “I didn’t know!”

  Ainz spoke gently to the sobbing receptionist. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  The receptionist’s eyes went round in surprise, and all the tears in them streamed down.

  “It’s important to follow the rules of your organization. Of course, other times it’s necessary to ignore them. I’m not blaming you at all in this case.”

  “Thank you! Thank you!”

  “So I’m sorry to press you, but please ask her for the details. Don’t tell her I’ll take the job. I just want to be informed so I can move at any time.”

  “Understood! Right away! I’ll go ask her right away! Excuse me!” The receptionist spun on her heel and raced into the hallway. She was like a receding typhoon.

  “…I’d like you to not pretend to blame innocent people just to arouse my pity. That was unpleasant.”

  “Ah… Can’t fool you, I guess.”

  Ainz gathered from the guild master’s strained voice that his guess had been correct.

  It seems Japanese business techniques are used everywhere. But the problem is… Lupusregina came into his mind. Did Lupusregina miss these monsters that even this village girl knows about? Did the intelligence net fail? I need to find out what happened.

  With returning to Nazarick and getting the story on his mind, he waited for the receptionist’s report.

  4:41 PM Nazarick Time

  Lupusregina nervously entered Ainz’s office. Confused by the sudden summons, she couldn’t hide her anxiety.

  Once she arrived, those present included her, the regular maid Cixous, the combat maid Narberal, Aura (the one who understood the forest the best), the eight-edged assassins clinging to the ceiling, and Ainz himself. Incidentally, Albedo was in disciplinary confinement.

  Lupusregina began to make her most polite bow, but Ainz stopped her. “Lupusregina, is there something you’re not telling me?”

&n
bsp; When she looked confused, he wondered if she hadn’t known after all and explained about the Giant of the East and the Magical Serpent of the West.

  But then she looked like she did know, and Ainz’s mood quickly soured.

  He emitted a long, quiet sigh.

  “You knew?”

  “Yes, I—”

  “You fool!” Overcome with rage, Ainz let his anger carry away his shout, and it echoed.

  Everyone trembled like they had been struck by lightning, and Ainz felt his emotions being suppressed. Still, new stormy waves crashed over him one after another, so his anger wasn’t completely extinguished.

  “Why didn’t you report it to me? Were you trying to hide it?”

  “N-no, it wasn’t anything like that.”

  “Then why haven’t I heard anything about it? What reason could there possibly be?”

  “I didn’t think it was very important, so I didn’t report it…”

  When she looked up at him, frightened, his emotions returned like a raging fire. “Lupusregina! I’m disappointed in you!”

  Lupusregina wasn’t the only one who shuddered. Cixous, Narberal, and the eight-edged assassins on the ceiling all froze in shock.

  “Yes, I’ve given you discretion in overseeing that village. But that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want based on your personal judgment! I told you to report in if something might change in a big way, so what is going on?!”

  “Well, I…”

  He grimaced as she trailed off.

  A working adult would never be forgiven for this kind of mistake—no, no one would. Reporting in to your superior and consulting with them on what to do next isn’t just business manners—it’s common sense for any adult! If she can’t even do that… That’s not acceptable in this org… But…

  Lupusregina was terrified. Ainz wondered if perhaps it was his fault as well. Perhaps the mistake was due to his unreliable leadership—a lack of grip on the reins.

  If my wishes aren’t making their way down the chain properly, it’s my fault as everyone’s boss. Have I not made myself clear…? Maybe it would be better if I retired and left things up to Demiurge or Albedo.

  “…Lupusregina, do you understand how valuable that village is to us?”

  “Huh? Er, I’ve heard from you that it’s valuable, my lord.”

  “No, no. I’m asking you how valuable you think that village is.”

  “W-well, it’s full of toys…”

  “Oh, I see. Right… I’m sorry. This is my mistake. I didn’t realize that’s all you thought…” Ainz smiled an exhausted smile, realizing it was his fault after all. “I take back my disappointment. I said too much—forgive me.”

  “What are you talking about? Blame me—I’m the idiot!”

  “Then all you need to do is be more careful next time. So, let’s start over. You must understand that the village of Carne is very valuable. Nfirea and his grandmother Lizzy have particularly crucial roles inside Nazarick.”

  “What?! R-really?”

  “Yes. I’m having them develop new potions for us.”

  “O-oh! I was going to give you this!” Lupusregina suddenly shouted, completely pale in the face, and pulled out a purple potion. Narberal took it from her and carried it to Ainz.

  “What is this?” Ainz took the potion and held it up to the light.

  “It’s the latest healing potion developed by Nfirea!”

  Ainz’s anger flared anew, but he held it back. “With this, the Baleare family is even more important.”

  Lupusregina gave him an uncomprehending look, and Ainz quietly smiled at her.

  This potion had to have been made using the various materials he had given them from Nazarick.

  Even though Nfirea and his grandmother couldn’t use the potion synthesizing techniques of Yggdrasil, they had used Yggdrasil materials to create something that was neither the blue potion of this world nor the red potion of Yggdrasil. That point deserved some attention.

  “First of all, the healing potions in this world are blue. But the ones I know are red. So I wonder about this.” Ainz went on at length.

  The knowledge and powers he had gained in Yggdrasil could be used in this world, that much was certain. His encounters with angels, the existence of things that seemed to be World Items—this and other evidence pointed to a very good chance of Yggdrasil players existing in this world in the past. So why were only the potions different from Yggdrasil’s red ones?

  He could think of three possibilities.

  One was the loss of technology and a break in knowledge due to countries falling to ruin. Because technologies, once known, were very likely to spread to neighboring states, this had to have taken place over a wide area. Without entire countries being destroyed, it was impossible, so the chance of it being this type of disaster was low.

  His second idea was that either Nfirea personally didn’t know how to make them, or the knowledge hadn’t spread to countries in this region. Just as it was said that in the past the color of Japan’s noodle soup was different in the east and west, so was it possible that in far-off countries, the potions were red or something like that.

  His final theory was the one that made the most sense: Synthesizing Yggdrasil potions required Yggdrasil materials. And they either couldn’t be gathered in this world, or they had run out, so the best that could be created here were blue potions.

  “So excluding idea number two, this potion Nfirea made…” He shook the potion in his hand. “…This potion could be a technological revolution the likes of which hasn’t been seen in hundreds of years. Well, if number three is right, it could just be a retrogressive failure. Everything depends on how hard Nfirea works from now on. Understand?”

  What he was asking Nfirea to do was to make Yggdrasil potions without relying on Yggdrasil potion technology or materials. Or to perfect some third type of potion.

  “So are you going to have a lot of people study potions based on this one?”

  Ainz frowned at Narberal’s question. “That’s a foolish question, Narberal. Certainly that route would get us to perfection faster, but it’s extremely dangerous. Knowledge is power. To senselessly hand it out is a fool’s errand.”

  That’s exactly how the world of Yggdrasil had been, so Ainz could say it with confidence.

  “For example, we can’t say for sure that an advanced form of this potion wouldn’t kill me in one hit, so it’s safer to monopolize this technology rather than spread it around, probably… If our servants are simpleminded, it’s fine to share it with them. We have to advance technology carefully, and that includes Nfirea’s potion. That’s why, really, I’d like to lock him up in Nazarick and have him focus on nothing but research.” It would be a good way to maintain secrecy on top of barring him from using the potions he’d made.

  “So why don’t you do that, my lord?”

  He could tell she would leap into action as soon as he said the word, so he answered in a hurry. “Building trust and binding him with chains of gratitude will lead to greater future profit than forcing him to work from a dungeon. I had Demiurge analyze this, and it appears that making someone feel indebted to you is effective—hmm? What is it, Lupusregina?”

  “I’m too much of an idiot to understand, so please tell me one thing. If that’s the case, then why did you give a potion to Brita, that adventurer?”

  Hearing the name Brita threw Ainz into confusion—because he couldn’t remember having ever heard it. Maintaining an expression—or perhaps an attitude, since his face didn’t shift—that said he had everything under control, he dug frantically through his memories.

  Oh, that potion?

  He finally remembered the incident at the inn the first night he had stayed in E-Rantel.

  Recalling what he had said, he was glad he didn’t have the sort of body that broke out in a cold sweat.

  What should I do? What should I do?!

  He couldn’t stay silent forever.

  Demiurge! Albedo! Why
are neither of you here? Agh, Demiurge is working outside, and Albedo is in disciplinary confinement. It’s too late to call them back now!

  “I see. You don’t understand why?”

  “No, my apologies. Could you please explain?”

  He wanted to scream at her not to ask so innocently. There was nothing he could do now besides a make-or-break gamble. Having decided that, he felt bravery welling up inside him.

  “Hoo-hoo…ha-ha-ha-ha. Ce-certainly it was a dangerous move, as you suspected, Lupusregina. There was the possibility of runaway technological advancement. But I had an important purpose for daring to give her the potion anyway.”

  “R-really?! It wasn’t just to replace the potion she lost?!”

  At the outburst from Narberal, Ainz swallowed what he had been about to say. He spun up the gears in his brain and remembered that first day in E-Rantel in more detail.

  Oh, right! Back then, I said it was to avoid doing something that would tarnish my reputation! Crap!

  Ainz feigned calm. Lying to cover another lie inevitably led to being trapped in a corner like this. He frantically scraped together his rapidly fading courage.

  “…Is that really all you thought it was, Narberal?”

  “Please excuse my error!”

  “…No, you don’t have to apologize. At the time, I wasn’t sure if it would work out, so I only mentioned the simpler of my aims.”

  “So then, what was your true aim?”

  In response to Narberal’s question, Ainz slowly opened his mouth, but even at that moment, he had no clue what to say. Just then, though, he was struck with a hunch and unhesitatingly seized on the idea.

  “…Nfirea…” Having made his solemn declaration, he looked at each of his subordinates. But while Albedo or Demiurge would say something like, Oh, I see. I would expect nothing less, my lord, at this point, Narberal only furrowed her brow and said, “Nfirea…my lord?”

  Ainz put a hand to his mouth. “Mrph…”

  Narberal and the others looked ashamed of themselves. They must have taken his pose to mean, I’ve explained this much and you still don’t understand? But actually, he had unconsciously put his hand there while trying to think what to do next.