The Dwarven Crafter

by Kugane Maruyama

  “Oh! Him, huh…? Hmm. I wonder if Frost Pain was made by the dwarves. Could Zenbel have given it to Zaryusu because they’re friends?”

  He had heard the history of the sword from Zaryusu, but he wanted to confirm it with someone else.

  “The legendary weapon has been passed down since ancient times, so it’s not from Zenbel.”

  “I see…”

  This was the same story he’d heard before. But it was possible that the lizardmen as a whole were unaware of Frost Pain’s origins.

  I’ve already seen multiple examples of equipment in this world that would be impossible to make in Yggdrasil. Like that one guy’s weapon that could pierce my passive defensive skills…

  In this world, magic gear was created by having a caster enchant gear forged by a blacksmith. In other words, to make powerful gear, a brilliant caster was arguably even more important than a brilliant blacksmith.

  But there were exceptions. The weapons Clementine had wielded could have been made according to the magic knowledge Fluder had, but Gazef’s sword was different. Though he wasn’t sure, Fluder’s best guess was that the magic items Gazef once possessed either came into existence naturally by passively absorbing mana or were created using dragon magic.

  But that might not be correct, either. There are still plenty of things Fluder hasn’t figured out. Maybe dwarves have the means to craft those sorts of weapons. I realize I’m expecting too much, but…

  Equipment in Yggdrasil, with the exception of certain items like Guild Weapons, had a data capacity based on the amount and quality of the metals used in the item’s construction, plus the skill of the crafter. Data crystals could be slotted into items up to whatever capacity they had. For that reason, the rarer the metal, the stronger the gear.

  Crafter was the key word, though. This world’s dwarves seemed similar to the ones found in Yggdrasil. In the game, dwarves got racial bonuses for craftsman-type classes, making them popular among people who wanted to play as a character who produced things like weapons or armor.

  Perhaps these dwarves had knowledge about crafting that Fluder wasn’t aware of?

  And maybe runes are one of those things? Hmm. It might be a good idea for me to get some dwarves. The librarian is experimenting with scrolls using the materials Demiurge provided. Nfirea has potions covered. Fluder is working on magic tool development. And I can task some dwarves with armor and weapon crafting.

  Ainz smiled in satisfaction at the various experiments underway to strengthen Nazarick. But the thing he had to remember was that if the Six Gods were players, he could very well be six hundred years behind.

  Developing new technology might take years—no, it could easily be decades or even centuries. Only a fool lets their guard down.

  Considering how even someone like Ainz had been able to figure this out, it would hardly be a surprise if someone had beaten him to the punch and started already. Rulers had to discard any baseless notions that they were somehow special.

  If there are people thinking along the same lines as I am, chances are good someone’s already paid the dwarves a visit. At this very moment, the dwarves could be conducting research and crafting gear for another player or teaching them about runes… Should I see what Albedo and Demiurge think and make military preparations before heading out?

  Up until a short while ago, Ainz had previously considered making the visit with a crack team consisting of just Shalltear, Aura, and himself. Now that the dwarf country was a higher priority, he felt the need to revamp the entire plan and start from square one.

  He could collect information about the dwarf country and plant a spy to further gather intel. It would be important to set up magical surveillance at the same time.

  But there was no telling how long that would take.

  If the player who brainwashed Shalltear was lurking nearby, giving them time could be extremely dangerous. If Ainz stayed on the defensive, his opponent would have the initiative if they chose to go on the offensive. The best way to avoid that would be to launch his own attack first.

  …Time to make a move. We need a diplomatic corps. We’ll enter the dwarf country as ambassadors. And if a player attacks us, that’ll provide enough justification for us to retaliate. Then it becomes a simple matter of digging the knowledge out from under the rubble.

  Ainz silently listed his priorities for when he would meet with the dwarves:

  1. Confirm the presence of any players.

  2. Investigate runes and their origins.

  3. Acquire dwarven blacksmithing technology, as well as their knowledge of ore and items.

  That about summed things up.

  Easier said than done, though, since it was unlikely the dwarves would share anything with Ainz just because he asked nicely. It was only natural to guard technological secrets. Information was an extremely valuable resource worth protecting.

  If a player in Yggdrasil was sharing info all over the place, they would have undoubtedly gotten a stern talking-to from Squishy Moe.

  …What if we bought their gear as a nation and sold it to our adventurers for a slightly lower price? Wouldn’t that be extremely appealing? But in order to make that a reality, I have to establish friendly relations with the dwarves. I could have them work as slaves in Nazarick, too, but that’ll be a last resort. Really, I’d like to persuade them with a deal similar to what I offered Ainzach.

  Still, Ainz couldn’t count his chickens before they hatched.

  “…Lizardman. Is Zenbel familiar with the dwarf city?”

  “Yes. He told me he lived there for a short time.”

  “I see. Do you think he would be able to lead me there?”

  The lizardman thought for a moment, then cocked his head. “My apologies, Your Majesty. I’m afraid I don’t know. I think if it was an order, he would certainly do his best. But it has been several winters since he returned from the dwarf city, so I’m not sure how clear his memories are…”

  “Ah… Magic will take care of that, so it’s no issue.”

  If he used Control Amnesia, Zenbel’s memory would come back, even if hazily.

  Praying that Ainzach or Fluder knew something about all this, Ainz dismissed the lizardman.

  2

  Two hours after meeting the lizardman…Ainz internally heaved a sigh in his room.

  He was reviewing his Message exchange with Fluder and Ainzach.

  Why do I have to personally go over there in order for them to believe it’s me? Especially Fluder. I would have thought he’d be used to it by now, but I guess not.

  When Ainz had contacted the two via Message, they were so suspicious that he was forced to teleport and speak to them in person.

  Their apologies were so similar that if Ainz didn’t know better, he might’ve thought they had planned it all out in advance, echoing each other when they implored him to use Message only in an emergency. Putting Ainzach’s reasoning aside, Ainz was almost certain that Fluder simply didn’t want to deal with anything that might distract him from studying the book he had received, but Ainz was wise enough to not bring that up.

  Though he knew about the tragedy that had been caused by Message, Ainz struggled to understand why people doubted the spell to this day. Sadly, Ainz didn’t have much choice but to acknowledge their requests. After all, it was true that they stood to lose the most if they were deceived. All he could do was count the MP he used teleporting as a necessary expense.

  His gloomy mood also stemmed from their discussion. If he had at least gotten some solid information out of them, using Teleport would have been worth it, but that wasn’t meant to be.

  Ainzach knew there was a dwarf country somewhere in the Azerlisia Mountains, but he didn’t know where. The kingdom apparently had virtually no state-level contact with the dwarves, and if there was any, then it would be limited to small-time deals struck by the mining city of Re-Blumrushur. Even if some back-and-forth was happening, it was difficult for an outsider to get involved because that relatio
nship was connected to the city’s profits.

  The talk with Fluder had essentially gone the same way.

  Ainz had asked him about the dwarf country’s culture and government, but he hardly knew anything. The elderly caster had heard that a dragon once caused horrific damage to a dwarf city, but he didn’t know the name of the place, where it was, or the identity of the dragon.

  Evidently, Fluder hadn’t been very interested because he never looked into the incident. He did offer to check the details and talk to the person most likely to be informed about it in the empire, but Ainz refused.

  Waiting for that would take too long, and since Fluder’s betrayal had been discovered, Ainz felt that having him conduct an investigation might invite trouble.

  In the end, the only lead left was the lizardman Zenbel.

  I suppose I should send those two a Message and bring up the dwarves.

  “First up is Shalltear… Hmm. ‘The right person for the job…’”

  It was a great idea but also harsh.

  Ainz closed his eyes—not that he had any—and turned his thoughts inward for over a minute. The next time he opened his eyes, he cast Message.

  “Shalltear Bloodfallen.”

  “Lord Ainz! Where shall I open a Gate this time?”

  The fact that that was what the strongest floor guardian, the only one to guard multiple levels, asked him made him kind of sad, and he felt guilty that casting Gate was the only work he had been giving her lately.

  “No, this time I have a big job for you.”

  “A b-big job?”

  “Yes. You’ll accompany me and provide security.”

  Several seconds of silence followed.

  The pause was long enough that he started wondering what was wrong, especially since there was no way she hadn’t heard him. That was when Shalltear’s voice rang out, sounding frenzied due to her unbridled enthusiasm. “I shall fulfill this duty even if it’s the last thing I do!”

  “A-all right. I’ll explain in more detail, so come to my room in E-Rantel.”

  If he didn’t specify, it was possible she would end up at his quarters in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. It had already happened once. He had told Narberal via Message to come to him, but she never showed up. When he cast the spell to contact her again, he found out she was in Nazarick.

  Ainz felt the misunderstanding had been his fault, though, for giving unclear orders. He took extra care to avoid repeating the mistake.

  “Yes, my lord! I shall set out with all due haste!”

  “Also, I’m planning to have Mare take over your surveillance duties inside Nazarick. I’ll send him by later, so if there’s anything you need to explain to him, do it then. Factor that in…and come when it’s convenient. I’m not planning on going anywhere, so I’ll be waiting for you here.”

  “Understood! I, Shalltear Bloodfallen, shall carry out your orders immediately!”

  “This handover is crucial. Don’t give him half-baked instructions because you feel like you’re keeping me waiting. I’ll have him go to your room, the Adipocere Burial Chamber.”

  “Certainly! I’ll take this time to write down what I need to tell him!”

  “And this goes without saying, but give your ring to Mare.”

  “Of course! I’m well aware that I’m only borrowing this ring!”

  It was more that taking the ring outside of Nazarick was extremely dangerous. As long as the Rings or the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown didn’t get stolen, it would be possible to buy time against enemy incursions until all the guardians could be recalled. For that reason, with the exception of the one Ainz carried secretly and those in use inside Nazarick, the rings were hidden in the gold held inside the treasury.

  The reason Ainz carried a ring despite the incredible risk was because if nobody had one and the entrance got blocked off somehow, they wouldn’t be able to get in anymore.

  “Very good. Then, make your preparations.”

  “Yes, my lord! And what should I bring when I come to your room?”

  “A natural question. But you don’t need to bring anything. I’m going to explain what I have in store for us, and then I’ll give you some time to get ready.”

  “Understood!” Her passionate reply disappeared the moment the spell ended.

  Next, Ainz Messaged Mare. The only thing he had to say was what he had already mentioned to Shalltear, that Mare would be taking over her duties in defending the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

  Upon hearing Mare’s tiny but reassuring reply, Ainz ended the Message.

  Finally, he contacted Aura.

  “Aura. It’s me.”

  “Lord Ainz! What can I do for you?”

  “Well, I want you to accompany me to the dwarf country.”

  “Understood! What should I do?”

  “First, I want you to come to my room in E-Rantel. Then we’ll wait until Shalltear arrives.”

  “Shalltear?!”

  Her shrill yelp made Ainz thankful for his mysterious ears that could hear despite the lack of eardrums. “Lower your voice, Aura.”

  “S-sorry, Lord Ainz!”

  No, I told you to lower your voice, thought Ainz, but he kept that to himself.

  “Are we going to the dwarf country to destroy it?”

  “No. Where do these terrifying misunderstandings come from? I want to try a friendly approach first.”

  “Oh, I see! So you’re already thinking about what to do if the friendly approach doesn’t work, right?”

  “Aura, you—”

  “Lord Ainz, I’m here!”

  “What? You mean you’re outside my room?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  The voice was followed by a knock at the door.

  Ainz winced as Decrement went to answer.

  “Lord Ainz, Mistress Aura is requesting permission to enter.”

  When he waved a hand to allow, the maid stepped away from the door.

  ““Hello, Lord Ainz!””

  Aura’s voice echoed itself.

  Ainz greeted the dark elf girl in return.

  “Okay, let’s talk over there.” He pointed at some sofas they could sit on facing each other and then turned to Decrement. “Get Aura something to drink, will you?”

  “Understood, Lord Ainz. The drinks I can have ready immediately are apple juice, orange juice, lemon squash, tea, and coffee.”

  As per Aura’s request, Decrement set a cup of apple juice on the table between the sofas the pair was sitting on.

  Ainz told her she could drink and then said, “First, regarding your question about whether we’re going to destroy the dwarf country, I want to make something clear. Shalltear’s strength in combat is part of why I chose to bring her along, but that’s not the main reason.”

  “What?!” Aura’s eyes widened in astonishment.

  Her reaction reminded him again how limited people considered Shalltear to be. At the same time— Suddenly, he couldn’t stop smiling.

  He was reminiscing about the relationship between BubblingTeapot and Peroroncino.

  Whenever anything happened, BubblingTeapot would ask him, Is my dumb little brother causing you trouble? Even when Ainz told her he wasn’t, she would say, That can’t be true! much like Aura’s reaction a moment ago.

  Ainz got the impression that their relationship seemed to live on in Shalltear and Aura, making it impossible for him to contain himself. Memories came fluttering down like snow, filling his heart with euphoria. The joy building inside him was released externally as a burst of laughter—or that’s what would’ve happened if his emotions weren’t automatically suppressed.

  “Damn it,” he swore quietly at his fun being ruined. He knew it was spoiled of him to find the emotion suppression ability useful when it benefited him and a bother when it got in his way. Still, it wasn’t easy to set aside the annoyance of having the memories of his guildmates interrupted.

  “U-ummm…Lord Ainz…is something wrong?”

  But all his displeasure
died down when he heard the timid girl’s voice. He shouldn’t have been visibly upset enough for a child to notice so easily. Ainz took a deep breath and smiled at her.

  “No, sorry. It was nothing. Getting back to the topic at hand, I’m bringing Shalltear along this time to test her suitability. Shalltear was created as the strongest of the floor guardians. If she had fought correctly back then, even I wouldn’t have been able to beat her.”

  “I don’t think that’s—”

  “No, it’s true. If I were Shalltear, I would have created Einherjar from the start. Then, while my opponent was busy fighting my double, I would have prepped for combat, using as many spells as my mana would allow, and then followed up with skills. Then I would have figured out a way to activate Blood Frenzy and gone in for close combat with the Pipette Lance while my attack strength was boosted.” Ainz smiled awkwardly. “If she had come at me like that, I would have withdrawn with zero hesitation.”

  Discounting skills, Ainz was a little stronger in combat than average out of all the players. Then, Shalltear’s class build and gear choices were a little weaker than the best. If her gear were complete—with all god-tier items—then she would probably be the middle of the best. And if she could change gear depending on her opponent, she would probably secure a place in the highest ranks.

  “But that appraisal of Shalltear as the strongest is hindering her growth.”

  “Huh?”

  “The most advantageous way to employ Shalltear is to use her like an arrow to chip away at the enemy’s resources. Let her fly and task her with rampaging through the enemy camp. But is that really the right thing to do? It may be the most obvious strategy suggested by her specs, but does that really make it the best?”

  “I’m not entirely sure… But if you think so, Lord Ainz, then it must be the right thing to do.”

  In terms of the flow of conversation, a response like that put Ainz in a tough spot. He was thinking it wasn’t the right thing to do, so the proper adult thing for Aura to do would have been to draw that opinion out of him. Of course, it was more natural for a child to be obedient.

  “O-oh? I was thinking maybe it isn’t. What I mentioned is only the optimal way according to her abilities. For Shalltear, with her experience, it might not be the best at all.”