The Dwarven Crafter

by Kugane Maruyama

  All the dwarves bowed their heads.

  To be honest, Ainz had no idea what was going on. So first he asked, “Why would he do that?”

  They said he made off with the ingot, but was his idea to sell it to someone? Was it valuable enough to abandon a national leadership position in the regency council?

  For a moment, he wondered if a player was behind this. Maybe someone had infiltrated the dwarf kingdom. But a player probably wouldn’t want an ingot like that so badly. Ainz hardly thought it was worth enough to even a low-level player that they would want to throw away their status. There was far greater merit in staying undercover as a leader in this country.

  “I don’t know. I really don’t know. None of us has any idea why he would do something so outrageous.”

  “…Then, here’s the next question. What about the armor I ordered?”

  The dwarves exchanged glances.

  “…No matter how much we apologize, it could never be enough. Though he left the dagger, he ran off with the ingot, so at present, we’re unable to return it to you. We sent out a search party, so if we obtain it in the future, please allow us to return it then. And if it pleases you, we would like to give you a different suit of armor… Compared to the ingot you provided, it’s inferior, but we did our absolute best.”

  “It’s adamantite armor. We’d like to present you with three suits. And we’ll enchant them as much as our powers allow.”

  “If you’d like shields as well, they’ll be orichalcum, but we can make them.”

  “Hmm.” If he was the type to lodge complaints, he’d be having a fit right about now, but he didn’t want to be like that. Certainly, losing the ingot was—

  —a pain, but is it really? It wasn’t that rare, and I still have plenty of ore of that quality… And it could be that it can be mined in other areas and simply doesn’t appear around here. In that case, having them make me a bunch of armor is a better deal. They even said they would enchant them… And if they find the ingot, they’ll return it? Normally, you wouldn’t ask for it back at that point, so this is a pretty sweet deal.

  “…There’s not much that can be done if you don’t have it. What you proposed in return is fine. Consult with Zenbel later and craft it to his specifications.”

  The dwarves were visibly relieved.

  He wondered if he should have made things a bit more difficult for them. But if he got too stingy, his caliber as a king could come into question. More importantly, if he accepted everything they offered, perhaps word would spread that he was a broad-minded leader.

  Still, maybe I can ask for one more thing.

  “…There is one other thing I’d like to request.”

  “…What might that be, Your Majesty, King of Darkness?”

  The hardness in his voice must have been wariness.

  “You don’t have to be so on guard. It’s not such a big deal. I’d just like your country’s backing when I invite the rune crafters to my land.”

  “What would that entail?”

  “Would you, as a country, hold a ceremony to inform everyone that they’ll be going to work in my country? I’m sure the rune crafters would appreciate it, too.”

  The dwarves looked at one another and then nodded without quibbling.

  “Great. Then, my country will handle the food to be served and whatnot to some extent. Since we’ll be preparing for that, may I stay here for a little while? That’s no problem, right?”

  None of the dwarves objected.

  Ainz couldn’t help but smile internally. This meant he wouldn’t have to go back to E-Rantel for some time.

  He had expected it to take longer, but the negotiations and retaking of the capital had both happened so quickly that it was problematic.

  First, when Albedo returned, he wanted to tell her via Message about the empire’s wish to be a vassal state and have her come up with a plan along with Demiurge when he went back for his regular check-in. If Ainz was there, too, that would be extremely bad, so he had been wanting a reason to not return.

  The other perfectly natural reason was that he wanted to deepen his friendship with the dwarves.

  There were three types of information he hoped to gather in this city.

  One: whether there were players around or not. At present, it seemed like not, but whether there had been a long time ago was unknown.

  Two: about runes and their history. He still didn’t know enough. He had heard a lot from the rune crafters, but although runes had existed for quite some time, it was unclear who had introduced and spread them. One of the reasons for that was the chaos following the evil spirit attack, but Hejinmaar’s book didn’t mention anything about it. Neither did any of the books in the treasury.

  Three: about their knowledge of blacksmithing and ore. He had already gained the rune crafters, so he could learn bit by bit from them. But there didn’t seem to be any prismatic ore after all.

  In regards to number two, he was hoping to have investigated more thoroughly when they went to the capital. That was why he wanted to build a stronger friendship with the dwarves.

  •

  A long table was covered in a number of plates heaped with food.

  The warm dishes were giving off good smells that wafted over to Ainz.

  The undead Ainz Ooal Gown had no appetite, but the vestiges of Satoru Suzuki did. He felt both that he wanted to eat it and also curious about what the flavor would be like.

  This body really is a mixed bag.

  He could suppress the hunger, but the curiosity was harder to control—because it functioned normally despite him having an undead body and mind.

  If the food in front of him had been from E-Rantel or Nazarick, he might not have been as intrigued, but this was dwarven fare.

  The rune crafters would bring their families with them to the Nation of Darkness, and this food had been prepared by wives and mothers. Of course, the huge amount of ingredients, probably about two thousand people’s worth, was procured by Ainz—that was to say, Nazarick.

  Of course, he couldn’t go using items willy-nilly, so he mainly limited himself to what he could obtain in E-Rantel. The meat was sourced from the dragons of these mountains, and the drinks he had the merchants remaining in E-Rantel gather from the kingdom and the empire.

  There was already so much food, but even now, the women were bringing out more freshly made dishes.

  Dwarven men and women didn’t look very different from each other. The biggest difference was the beards. The men’s were long and sometimes braided, while the women hardly grew any. That said, they grew about as much as a human man, although they seemed to prefer shaving the upper lip.

  I have no idea what they see in a look like that…but I guess that’s how culture works. The Nation of Darkness will gather people from diverse races. I won’t be successful if I get hung up on something so minor.

  Ainz turned away from the group of women, who were still bringing out food. He looked past the group of dwarves, over their heads, to the dais behind them.

  Some of the rune crafters were lined up there with the regency council.

  Then one of the regency council members began to announce how the rune crafters would be going to the Nation of Darkness.

  “And we’re off.”

  “Yep.” The one who responded was Gondo, next to Ainz.

  “…You’re okay not being one of the representatives up there?”

  “Give me a break, Your Majesty. I’m practically useless as a rune crafter. It would be embarrassing to be a representative like that… But what about you?”

  “I’d like a break, too… And the rune crafters are the focus right now. I’m not that great as a spokesperson.”

  Ainz and Gondo turned to each other and quietly chuckled.

  Of course, Ainz’s true feeling was that he had absolutely no interest in standing up onstage and giving an address. His comments just then were made up, with no small effort, on the spot.

  “Still…” Go
ndo’s face grew serious. “We can’t possibly thank you enough.”

  “For what?”

  “For this farewell party. Look at all the people in charge.”

  Ainz looked back to the group on the dais. They were still talking. Apart from that, he didn’t notice anything in particular. But if Gondo made a comment like that, there had to be something Ainz was supposed to recognize or otherwise risk looking like he couldn’t read the atmosphere.

  “Hmm… I see…” He decided to go with a vague reply to throw him off.

  “It’s just as you thought, Your Majesty. Everyone’s eyes look different now.”

  “It does seem that way,” he replied, but he didn’t really get it. “But how come?”

  Gondo looked amused. “We’re happy to get envious looks like we used to. Thanks to this ceremony—with all the tasty food made with ingredients we’ve never seen before and the large varieties of drink on hand—everyone understands that the rune crafters didn’t sell out to the Nation of Darkness but were invited.”

  “I really do expect a lot out of you guys.”

  “I know. I said this before, but I’ll definitely make up for all the kindness you’ve shown me, Your Majesty. And the others feel the same. We’re all truly grateful. Oh, seems like it’s about time, Your Majesty.”

  Ainz took a full mug from Gondo. After raising it in time with the toast from those up on the dais, he handed it back to Gondo, since he couldn’t drink.

  The dwarves immediately grew rowdy, as if they had been holding back. Many of them dashed for the buffet to pile their plates high with food. Then they scarfed down one item after another.

  “What is this? It’s insanely good! Did your wife really make it?”

  “Yep, with ingredients from His Majesty the King of Darkness. It took some trial and error.”

  “Hmm, it’s tasty, but at my age, I think milder flavors agree with me better.”

  “That goes best with a drink, you know.”

  “Oh? Let’s see… Whoo! This is fantastic! It’s got the perfect amount of spice to it.”

  “It’s because the drinks are good, too. I wonder if my wife could make something like this.”

  “I heard that soon we’ll be getting food from the Nation of Darkness. Once that starts, you’ll be able to eat this whenever you like.”

  “I’d rather have the alcohol. This is from the Nation of Darkness, too, right? I’d better save up some money.”

  Everyone was shouting excitedly as they ate. There was also a conversation like this:

  “I envy the rune crafters. They’ll probably get to eat like this all the time.”

  “Nah, these ingredients are probably pretty expensive, don’t you think?”

  “Supposedly not. It’s like how vegetables and whatnot are cheaper in the human countries. I heard it’s the same in the Nation of Darkness.”

  “Mrrrf. Then, that does make me envious. And I’ve only had a bit so far, but the Nation of Darkness has excellent drinks, too.”

  “Right. That one we only got a single sip of, that was tasty. But the stuff made with grapes was pretty good, too—though it’s a bit strong for me.”

  “I wonder if we have any excuse to go to the Nation of Darkness.”

  “I heard there’re plans in the works to allow citizens to come and go between the two countries.”

  “Sheesh. I realize it’s only fairly high-ranking people who have come over, but shouldn’t they be a bit more careful about leaking info like that?”

  “Nah, they’ll make a big announcement. It sounds like there are a lot of different things happening with this country… For example, I heard they recaptured the capital.”

  “…Yeah, apparently, they subjugated the dragons roosting there. The Nation of Darkness is quite a country.”

  Ainz listened to everyone chatting.

  Rather than brownnosing because Ainz was present, it seemed they genuinely had good impressions of the Nation of Darkness. The two countries would probably be able to get along.

  Ainz turned to Gondo with a satisfied smile. “Gondo, you should go talk to everyone. You probably won’t be back for a while.”

  “Ah, right… Maybe I’ll go talk to people from the mines.” He was eyeing a cranky-looking dwarf. “What will you do, Your Majesty?”

  “…A messenger has come from my country, so I’m going to talk with them for a little while. I’ll see you later.” Ainz raised a hand casually and then walked away.

  He had been standing in the corner of the large hall, but now he left and went to the sitting/meeting/waiting room. In the rather luxurious space furnished with a table, chairs, and a closet, among other things, was Demiurge.

  “Sorry to have you come all this way.”

  “Not at all. Wherever you are, Lord Ainz, is where we should go.”

  Ainz crossed the room and took a seat in one of the chairs. Then he instructed Demiurge to sit as well.

  “…I took a look at the document. Sorry I troubled you to write it all down because I was out working here.”

  The document was something Demiurge had written describing his preparations in the Sacred Kingdom and what would happen next. Ainz was worried that if he had received a verbal explanation, he would have screwed up somehow and revealed what a poser he was, hence this desperate tactic.

  “…Still, I’m impressed, Demiurge. All I can say is that you’ve done a magnificent job.”

  “Thank you, Lord Ainz.” Demiurge bowed deeply. “But I’m still nowhere near your skill… You split the dwarves with a giant wedge.”

  The only things Ainz could think of that might be a giant wedge would be retaking the capital or extending his invitation to the rune crafters. But was that really what happened?

  “…Mm-hmm. So you’ve already figured it out, huh, Demiurge? Do you think the dwarves will notice?”

  “They’ll probably notice, but I think it’s already out of their hands.”

  Why isn’t a third party present? Then I could use my usual trick, he thought, and when he looked over, Demiurge was wearing a faint smile.

  …What’s so funny?!

  Ainz was utterly out of his depth, so Demiurge’s quiet grin pained him. Albedo’s similar smile was equally frightening. When he thought that the royal act he’d kept up all this time might become transparent, the heart he didn’t even have seemed to pound hard.

  “If…they do notice, what do you think we should do?”

  “I doubt you need to worry about it. All you did was offer food for the rune crafters’ farewell party, so if anyone says something, you can just laugh it off.”

  …I wonder what he’s talking about.

  “Then, I guess that’s fine.”

  Having failed to lead the conversation where he was aiming, Ainz put a stop to that topic. It was too dangerous to pursue things too far with someone so intelligent.

  “And what about the empire becoming a vassal state?”

  “Yes, I met with Albedo and we drafted an idea. All that’s left is for you to read it and give us your thoughts.”

  If Albedo and Demiurge came up with it, there’s no need for me to do anything, was what he thought, but he said, “…Are you giving them carrots? Will they be a test case nearby countries can reference to see how well people are living in a Nation of Darkness vassal state?”

  “I believe so.”

  Good, said Ainz in his head. Then, he didn’t even have to look at it to give the okay.

  “Still, I’m just so impressed, Lord Ainz, by both this matter with the dwarves and the empire as well. The extent of what you can achieve is difficult to fathom.”

  “No, that’s not true. You could easily do as much, Demiurge.”

  Demiurge showed a rare expression for him—a wince—and shook his head.

  “Now, that is not true, my lord. How far ahead—how many years—have you planned out the future of the Nation of Darkness?”

  There was no way Ainz could say he didn’t even know what would ha
ppen tomorrow.

  Ainz tried to think what would make him sound most like a ruler. Just then, the name of a guild from Yggdrasil popped into his head.

  The Thousand-Year Kingdom.

  They probably called it that out of the wish that their nation would go on for a thousand years. From there, some memories came back to him.

  For some reason, their guild crest was a crane. When he asked Yamaiko why, she said it was probably from the saying about how cranes live a thousand years. And tortoises live…

  “…Ten thousand years.” Having let it slip out without thinking, he furrowed his nonexistent brow. The scale there was a bit too enormous.

  He quickly turned to Demiurge to correct himself but saw that it was already too late.

  “R-really? That grand a scale?” Demiurge goggled, revealing his gemlike eyes.

  Oh shit.

  “I was jo—”

  “—So then is the reason you’re trying to spread the use of undead not to plant latent forces that could instantly become a military force loyal to you at a snap of your fingers but to make the whole world dependent on you? If you’re taking such a long view, that must be it. Truly formidable, my lord…”

  Ainz had no idea what Demiurge had just said, but there was only one way for him to respond: I’d expect no less from you, Demiurge. You’ve seen through all my aims. But wasn’t that attitude what had been causing him issues? So instead…

  “Hoh-hoh-hoh. I hadn’t thought that far, Demiurge.”

  “…Oh, is that it? I see. I’ll lock that away where it’ll be safe.”

  Demiurge’s quiet grin made Ainz break out in a mental cold sweat. Huh? What? Is what it…? I have a bad feeling that I just plunged into an even riskier situation…

  But he didn’t know how to deal with it, so all he could do was force a smile. “Hoh-hoh-hoh. I’m counting on you, Demiurge.”

  “Hoh-hoh-hoh… Understood, Lord Ainz.” And Demiurge responded with a nice smile Ainz had never seen before.

  He felt like he wanted to cry, but he put some energy into his voice, which was threatening to tremble, and asked, “…So, Demiurge, regarding the documents you gave me…what times are you considering?”