“I would give my life for Princess Renner,” the boy declared.
Gazef wasn’t sure what to say.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why are you guys looking into each other’s eyes like you’re about to die? Relax, Gazef. I’ll keep an eye on Climb. I won’t let him do anything stupid, and I’ll save him no matter what kind of crazy situation he gets into.”
“Against the Four, I have no doubt you’ll win, Brain… But if Sir Ainz Ooal Gown is on the battlefield, you’ll die.”
“…Is Ainz Ooal Gown really that strong? Ah, he’s the one I heard about at your house, right?”
After the demon disturbance, the two had traded the stories of their lives since the royal tournament over drinks. It was then that he had told Brain about Ainz Ooal Gown.
“I can say with confidence that there isn’t an imperial knight you can’t beat. The ones called the Four are strong, but I still don’t think they could defeat you. If you were lucky, you could probably escape from the empire’s greatest caster, Fluder Paradyne. But if Ainz Ooal Gown stands in your way…I’m sorry, Brain, but that will be as far as your destiny takes you.”
“Really? He’s that strong?”
“…I’m certain of it. Brain, he’s more powerful than what you’re currently imagining. You should double or triple your estimate, at least.”
“If he’s that strong…then I wonder if he’s a match for Sir Sebas.”
“Sebas? The old man you told me about? The old man from your story was shockingly strong, but I think Sir Gown surpasses him.”
“I would beg to differ. I can’t really imagine he could be stronger than that man… But anyway, what’s with the ‘sir’ you keep sticking on our enemy’s name?”
“He’s an opponent worthy of respect. But I don’t want to cause trouble for the king, so I adjust depending on who I’m talking to.”
Brain shrugged. “I gotta hand it to you, Captain—and you too, Climb. It seems like there are so many annoying details when it comes to swearing loyalty to the kingdom. I’m just kind of allowed to help out. That spacey princess is so generous.”
It was a Brain-like thing to say. But his attitude toward the royal family was disrespectful.
The king’s retainer Captain Gazef Stronoff frowned, but the warrior Gazef Stronoff grinned at the boldness of it.
If there were a lot of onlookers, he would have had to reprimand him, but because it was just the three of them, he figured there wouldn’t be an issue if he was true to his warrior self.
“Well, it’s true that Princess Renner might be a little too carefree. Well, I understand that you won’t change the color of your armor, Climb, but in that case, be extra cautious.”
“Thank you for your concern, but Princess Renner also told me to do my best with the color as it is, so I’m sorry, but I have no intention of changing it.”
“I see. That’s fine, then.”
A cool breeze blew among them. The sky was so clear and blue it was hard to believe a war was about to start. Looking at Climb and his determined face against that backdrop, Gazef felt both joy and sadness at the fact that he had so many people he didn’t want to let die.
He changed the subject in a purposely light tone to clear the recurring emotions from his mind. “By the way, what were you two up to before?”
Climb and Brain exchanged looks, and Brain answered. “Yeah, you may be busy, but we have quite a bit of free time. I had him come with me on an errand. Earlier there was another guy—Lockmeier—he showed us the way. Our objective was the adamantite-plate adventurer who saved the capital. I heard he makes this place his home base, so we went to go visit him.”
“Oh, Sir Momon?”
“Yeah, yeah, him. We didn’t really get to talk at all that time in the capital. I wanted to understand the power of the warrior everyone says is the strongest and”—his mood changed to be more serious—“I wanted to ask him about something.”
“Ask him something?” Gazef repeated it back as a question.
Brain’s expression was impossible to describe. “Oh, you know, that vampire, Shalltear Bloodfallen.”
Shalltear Bloodfallen.
Though Brain Unglaus was equal to Gazef, that ultimate vampire had broken him.
He said that monster against whom humans couldn’t win had appeared in the capital as well.
Brain thought she must have had something to do with the demon Jaldabaoth.
“…I heard that Sir Momon destroyed the powerful vampire Honyopnyoko with an ultra-rare magic item or something. And that you can find the aftermath of a huge explosion in the forest. Apparently, the fighting was so intense that his armor was all beat-up when he came back.” That’s what Gazef had heard from the mayor.
“Yeah. I heard the same things. That’s why I wanted to talk to him. First of all, personally, I don’t think anyone, even an adamantite plate, can defeat Shalltear Bloodfallen. I don’t doubt his abilities, but I did want to ask if he really finished it off. And I’m curious about this Honyopnyoko, too.”
“So you mean there might have been another vampire, too?”
“That’s right, Climb. From what I’ve been able to gather, Sir Momon was chasing two vampires, so I wanted to see if it was Honyopnyoko and Shalltear.”
“So what did you find out?”
“Well, nothing.” Brain shrugged. “He wasn’t in. Apparently, he’s out of town on a job, and it’s unclear when he’ll be back.”
“That’s too bad. I guess my luck isn’t very good, either—like you, I didn’t really get to talk to him. I was thinking if he had time I’d like to talk. Or I’d at least like to thank him for saving the capital.”
“I see. Then, when this fight is over, want to go talk to him together? If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to meet him. How about you come, too, Climb?”
“I would be happy to accompany you!”
“Okay! Now I have something to look forward to after this war. He’s an adamantite-plate warrior. I’m sure we’ll learn something if we talk with him.”
“Right. He probably has lots of instructive stories. I’m looking forward to hearing what kinds of powerful enemies he’s fought.”
“That’s surprising. I didn’t know you like those kinds of stories, Gazef.”
“Yeah, as a warrior, they definitely interest me personally… Guess we’ll have to come back alive, huh?” Gazef looked toward the Katze Plain. “I know a pub in the capital that serves great food. When this war is over, want to go there to unwind? My treat. Times like this are one of the reasons to have savings, after all.”
“Hopefully, we’ll be celebrating a victory.”
Brain stood next to Gazef and gazed in the same direction.
“Uh, er, am I invited, too?”
“Can you drink, Climb?”
There were no rules about drinking in the kingdom, but no bartenders would serve teenagers.
“Well, I’ve never done it, so I don’t know.”
“Oh? Then you should try it. Eventually, you’ll end up doing some social drinking. Like we’re talking about.”
“Yeah. It might be good to get drunk once first so you understand how it feels.”
“Understood. Then please allow me to go with you.”
“All right! All three of us are going to meet up here safe and sound! Don’t go throwing your life away!” Gazef said, and Brain and Climb nodded in return.
4
Reddish-brown earth extended into the distance. A wasteland with barely any green. It was bloodstained ground, whispered about by gossipmongers as a land of death.
The Katze Plain was crawling with undead and other monsters; it was known far and wide as a dangerous place.
Especially horrifying was the perpetual thin fog that was a constant whether night or day, gently concealing the creepers and crawlers. In fact, the fog itself gave off a slight undead reaction.
It was true the fog had never affected living creatures directly. It hadn’t sucked away their life force or harme
d them. But because the fog reacted to undead detection methods, the actual undead often stayed hidden, and many an adventurer had died in a suprise attack.
It wasn’t foggy now. Visibility was clear for a long way, as if the plain were welcoming the new undead that would spawn as a result of the coming battle.
Similarly, there was no sign of any undead. Nothing moved—it was just a stretch of lifeless earth.
A collapsed spire and other centuries-old architecture stuck out of the ground like grave markers. Of course, none of the buildings retained their original shape.
Everything above the third floor of a six-story tower had crumbled, scattering rubble everywhere. Not even half the thick wall was left. Rather than weathering over time, the destruction was a product of the numerous battles that various monsters fought there.
That scene and the meadow were situated right next to each other; it was as though someone had drawn a line. That was one of the reasons people thought the plain was cursed.
In the sun’s once-a-year compassion that had begun to shine down, a building stood majestically on the other side of the line—in the land of the living—looking out over the unhappy grounds.
Its construction had required countless large trees, of which there were none in the meadow. A sturdy peripheral wall denied entry. There was also a shallow yet effective moat with sharpened tree branches jutting out of it—a precaution against unintelligent undead.
Beyond the moat, innumerable flags fluttered. Most of them were the imperial flag, featuring the crest of the Baharuth Empire.
That was only natural, since this building was the empire’s Katze Plain base.
This time the empire had mobilized sixty thousand knights. All of them were garrisoned at this base, a fact that made it unnecessary to waste words explaining how enormous the installation was. It was built with an appearance that made the words sturdy fortress seem most appropriate, on terrain that made it both easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Indeed, it had been erected in a hilly area. That’s not to say the Katze Plain naturally had such topography, but rather it was the result of magic.
Of course, even for the empire, whose national strategy involved increasing the amount of mages available, this wasn’t a feat that could be completed in a matter of weeks. The base had been constructed over several years.
Originally, it had been their plan to use the base as their staging point to attack E-Rantel. It was a giant fortress built with the possibility of siege warfare against hundreds of thousands of kingdom troops in mind.
The reason the kingdom hadn’t done anything to interfere with the construction was simply that it didn’t have the ability.
If the empire attacked, the kingdom would unite and protect its territory, but when it came to launching an invasion of its own, there was a lot of groundwork that needed to be laid down between factions. Another issue was who would get stuck with the financial burden of a war where there wasn’t any territory to gain.
Ultimately, it came down to the fact that unless the sparks were coming down directly on them, people didn’t feel like fighting against fires.
Above the enormous imperial fortress flew three hippogriffs. They slowly descended, tracing a large arc through the air. Any knight knew that this was the emperor’s Imperial Air Guard’s ceremonial descent pattern, which announced the arrival of an imperial messenger.
On the ground, ten knights stood by in a circle, holding imperial flags. It was a ritual to welcome a messenger from the empire. The hippogriffs swooped down into the circle. Their ability to land so close to the center showed how skillful the riders were.
Once they touched down, the messengers from the home country became visible—which was why even the honored knights who were allowed to participate in the ritual were so surprised that their flags wavered.
What threw them off was the appearance of one person who was very different from the accompanying pair. Since he didn’t have his helmet on, his handsome features were clearly visible, which let everyone recognize him right away.
The blond hair rustling slightly in the breeze, eyes like the blue of the deep sea, tensed lips that conveyed his strong will—he had the expression a knight should.
More than anything, there wasn’t a person alive who didn’t recognize his full plate armor. It was made of precious adamantite and enchanted with powerful magic on top of that. Such items were rare enough to count on one finger in the empire.
The owner of that armor was one of the most important knights in the country.
With a clear voice that matched his handsome looks, he called to one of the knights standing by. “I’d like to see the high commander of the Second Army, General Carvein. Where can I find him?”
“Sir! General Carvein is in a meeting in preparation for the battle with the kingdom that will commence a few days from now. We have orders to escort you to his tent, Sir Anoch.”
“I see. And has…His Maje—has the King of Darkness, Ainz Ooal Gown, arrived?”
“No, sir! The King of Darkness has not yet arrived!”
“Got it.” Nimble sighed out of relief that they were properly informed and that the caster hadn’t arrived before him. “Then can I have you bring me over? There’s one other thing I’d also like to ask of you.”
He carefully removed something from his breast pocket.
Nimble waited about an hour at the splendid tent before its occupant returned with a few escorts.
It was a man in the prime of life with all white hair and a quiet demeanor. He wore the same armor as the knights, but it didn’t really suit him. He seemed more like a noble than a military man.
“Nimble, I thank you for coming.” When he cracked a smile, the aristocratic impression grew stronger. His voice was soft, seemingly out of place in this fortress ripe with the odor of battle.
Nimble replied with an informal salute.
Natel Inyem Dale Carvein…
Once an obscure noble, his skill had been acknowledged and he was selected by the previous emperor to serve as general of the Second Army. He hardly had any military achievements to his name, but he was known as a reliable commander, and it was said that if he fought, he would never lose. Naturally, the Second Army had great morale.
And in each and every move his men made, it was apparent how much they respected him.
“I can’t thank you enough for coming back here even though you’re so busy as the high commander of the expedition.”
The empire had eight armies, and each had a general as its senior officer. The general of the First Army was the great general who commanded all of them.
When there was no general of the First Army—no great general—the next lowest army number’s general would assume the position. In this case, General Carvein was the senior officer.
“Now, now, Nimble. You don’t have to be so formal. You’re here on the emperor’s orders, right? It’s not as if you’re my subordinate. Treat me as an equal.”
“Still…” Nimble smiled awkwardly.
The one in charge of the military was the emperor, but the one below that was the great general.
The empire’s strongest knights, the Four, often carried out orders straight from the emperor, so in terms of authority, they were equal to generals. But in terms of age, experience, and sheer presence, Nimble couldn’t match Carvein, so it would be difficult to treat him as an equal when no one else was around.
Looking warmly at Nimble’s flustered expression, Carvein smiled.
“It doesn’t feel right for an old man like me to be treated with such reverence by one of the empire’s strongest knights, either. At least relax a little bit.”
“Understood, General.”
Carvein nodded as if to accept Nimble’s slightly less uptight attitude. “Ah, but it’s really good timing that you came today. It’s like the fog lifted to welcome you.”
“General Carvein, surely it’s not to welcome me but the tragedy that is about to befall the
kingdom. How awful.”
“Tragedy, hmm…? So will you tell me, Nimble? What’s the aim of starting a war this big anyhow? Up until now, the point was to sap the kingdom. But this time is different. This time the end goal is to seize E-Rantel as a peace concession by winning on the battlefield.” Carvein’s eyes gleamed like blades.
“…The kingdom has mobilized many more soldiers than usual. Though our knights are far stronger than their peasant soldiers, their numbers are overwhelming and violent. If we really do clash, we can expect quite a few casualties. Even if we succeed in taking E-Rantel, won’t we just hand it right over to the King of Darkness? What in the world is His Imperial Majesty thinking?”
“First, we need to be alone.”
Carvein opened his mouth slightly and jerked his head. “Out, fellas.” His aides bowed and exited the room as indicated.
“I appreciate it.”
“Wasting time is for fools, right? So will you tell me?”
“Yes. The emperor actually sent me with instructions to tell each general about our war objective.” Nimble took a seat. “The war this time is for building friendly relations with the King of Darkness, King Ainz Ooal Gown. The method we’ve decided on is to take E-Rantel at the cost of bloodshed and then give it to him for nothing.”
“Losing the knights who keep order in the empire could endanger our nation, but it’s still worth the price to make the offering to the King of Darkness?”
“Yes.”
Carvein crossed his arms and shut his eyes. But only for a moment. “Understood. If it’s the emperor’s idea, then I’ll go along.”
“Thank you.”
“No thanks are necessary… Let’s work to impress the King of Darkness.”
“About that—there’s a favor I’d like to ask you.” Nimble brought up the most important reason he had come. “First, we’re going to have the King of Darkness cast a spell. We’d like the knights to move after that.”
“What’s that for? Isn’t the point for us to shed buckets of blood to get him indebted to us?”
“There is that, but another one of our goals is to see what he can do. Apparently, the emperor has asked him to use the most powerful spell he can cast. We want to see how powerful it really is.”
The Caster of Destruction Page 15