The Ruler of Conspiracy

by Kugane Maruyama

  “The ones you’ve lent us are outstanding, so it might be a good idea to have them as chiefs.”

  They were borrowing undead, and all of them were unbelievably strong.

  When they heard the Six Arms were dead, a group of mainly former-worker riffraff had gathered. One undead was sent in to put them down and massacred a group that numbered nearly forty without letting a single person escape.

  And there was another laughable reason: No one present wanted to make anyone go through what they had. The rulers of the underworld, who put out bounties on people like it was nothing, didn’t wish even a taste of their own despair on anyone else.

  “…Okay. If the organization will function properly, then I have no problem with it. Do you have anything to ask of me?”

  “I don’t mean to trouble you, but in the mine I’m borrowing, the skeletons you lent me are doing a fantastic job, so I was wondering if I could borrow them a bit longer.”

  “Yes, of course. If you’ll pay the fee, I’ll continue lending them to you.”

  “Thank you.”

  The man who spoke wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief that was so wet, it had changed color.

  The most formidable thing about the Nation of Darkness was that it gave not only whips but carrots.

  The strong didn’t simply steal from the weak but wheeled and dealed like capable merchants, following the rules. In fact, as long as they didn’t show any desire to rebel, it was like having an immensely powerful protector—it was incredibly comforting. Of course, when they actually stood in front of that protector like this, they wanted to flee in terror, but still.

  “Now then, it goes without saying why I’m here in person. I believe I’ve already said this, but you will cooperate with the Nation of Darkness as we absorb the kingdom. Gain as much influence in the outside world as you can.”

  “Understood!”

  They all hurriedly bowed their heads.

  There was no way they could object to the kingdom being taken over. If those monsters wanted to do something, it would happen sooner or later.

  At first, they considered going to the Blue Roses, Drops of Red, and Raven Black for help, but when they learned that the Nation of Darkness was so overwhelmingly mighty that even Jaldabaoth was under its control, they realized there was no hope. Their only choice was to bow their heads and wait for the end.

  “Oh, right…”

  Hilma and the others’ shoulders twitched.

  “There’s one last thing I forgot to say. There’s a magic item I personally want you to search for using your intelligence network. Send regular reports of your results on parchment to Albedo of the Nation of Darkness. I have no idea what it even looks like, but…”

  “…What sort of item is it?”

  “It’s an item that allows you to control your opponents’ minds.”

  “Mind control…like a charm wand?”

  “No, I think it’s something much more powerful. What I want you to collect are rumors about legendary items, not anything commonly available. Tell me anything you find out, even the smallest detail. Got it?”

  Mind control was a terrifying effect.

  They understood right away why she would be wary of it.

  “P-Princess!”

  A frantic maid entered the room.

  She didn’t even knock. It wasn’t praiseworthy behavior, but she must have been just that distressed.

  Renner realized immediately what had happened. But in front of the maids, Renner was a naive princess. She responded with a dopey question accompanied by the appropriate expression on her face. “What’s wrong?”

  The corners of the maid’s eyes moved slightly.

  Perhaps she was inwardly angry—at the princess for being so spacey when she was this visibly upset.

  Renner leisurely placed her cup on its saucer.

  It was as if the sound spurred the maid to speak. “U-uh, umm…”

  “It’s all right. Please take some deep breaths and calm down.”

  The maid followed her suggestion and tried to catch her breath.

  When Renner saw she had regained some degree of composure, she asked, “What happened? Are the demons here again or something?”

  “N-no. The representative from the Nation of Darkness wants to meet you, Princess!”

  “That woman?”

  “Yes, she’s very beautiful.”

  There was only one representative from the Nation of Darkness, so Renner’s question should have come off as strange. She wanted the maid to point that out, like, Hellooo, but she was so distraught, she gave a straight answer.

  Well, I don’t care, thought Renner. It was the accumulation of these sorts of things that gave her the reputation she could use. These were all moves made in advance.

  Climb was standing by near her, and she heard his armor squeak.

  Perhaps he had cocked his head.

  The innocent behavior of her puppy dog filled her heart with love.

  She guessed that he didn’t understand why the representative had come to see her. He had seen them greet each other. He probably assumed there wasn’t much in it for the Nation of Darkness to talk with the—in the end only decorative—third princess.

  Renner smiled kindly in her head.

  The saying “The stupider the child, the cuter to the parents” was really true. Or maybe it was more like, “Even pockmarks look like dimples when you’re in love.” Probably both—because if anyone besides Climb had done it, the emotions that rose up in Renner would surely have been different.

  She was seized by the urge to gaze endlessly into his twinkling eyes, but she held herself back—until she could coat him in sweet, sweet sugar.

  “Why ever has Lady Albedo come to see me?”

  Cocking her head was key. She knew from several tests that this annoyed someone who was in a hurry.

  And in reality, tiny flames flickered deep in the maid’s eyes.

  It was anger. At the same time, Climb’s armor made a faint noise again.

  Perhaps he detected the maid’s feelings and had an opinion about them. But the sound quickly ended. He must have gone back to stoically standing at attention.

  So cute.

  He was a puppy who was unsure whether to step forward and defend his master.

  He must have decided that if Renner didn’t notice, not moving was the better course of action. The maid was the daughter of a good noble household. If Climb from who-knew-where made some remark, it would get back to her parents and cause trouble for Renner in the end.

  He trusted Renner so much, he must have been shedding tears inwardly. If only his family were more important, then he would never let this happen…

  Renner suppressed her desire to look at Climb standing behind her—because that meddlesome maid had opened her mouth.

  “I’m afraid to say I don’t know that much—only that she wants to see you.”

  “Hmm… Well, Lady Albedo is a woman, so it’s possible there are things she wants to discuss with a woman… Perhaps about makeup?” she asked innocently—or more like brainlessly.

  “I don’t know. May I show her in?”

  “Of course!” Renner answered happily and then turned to Climb. “Umm, Climb. My apologies, but this is going to be girl talk. Could I get you to leave the room?”

  “Understood.”

  He was a bit disappointed, but it wasn’t his choice to make. He didn’t need to know all the complicated details as long as she would look at him with those pretty eyes.

  When Albedo entered the room, there was only one person present.

  Albedo had four objectives in coming to the royal capital.

  The first was to transport supplies, the second was to create an excuse to start a war, the third was to make some arrangements regarding a personal goal, and the fourth was to make a deal with the mistress of this room.

  No, “deal” wasn’t quite right. It was more like giving her a reward.

  Without gett
ing permission, she crossed the room and sat in the chair that was there.

  Then she spoke to the young girl who had taken a knee and was bowing.

  “Raise your head.”

  “All right.”

  The girl, Renner, looked up.

  “You’ve performed brilliantly.”

  “Thank you, Lady Albedo.”

  “Oh my…”

  Seeing a girl entirely different from the one she had dealt with so far, her curiosity was incredibly piqued.

  This was the Renner she had heard about from Demiurge.

  Though she had betrayed her family, her blood, and her people, there wasn’t a hint of regret in her expression. She was human but inhuman. Mentally, she could be called a grotesque. Surely she understood good and evil, but understanding them was as far as she took it. She was the type who, unfettered by such concepts, would work toward her objectives unfazed.

  “…In praise of your work, I come bearing a gift from Lord Ainz.” She pulled the item he had entrusted to her out of space. It was a small box with multiple seals on it. It would never open unless all the conditions were met.

  “It’s…”

  Albedo watched like a researcher observing a guinea pig as the girl received it with gratitude.

  And the girl was a guinea pig. That was precisely why their interests aligned.

  “Thank you. Please extend my gratitude to Lord Ainz Ooal Gown as well.”

  “I will. Regarding the other thing you wanted, that goes without saying, right?”

  “Of course. Nothing will make me happier than receiving your mercy upon paying the fair price.” She smiled.

  It was an adorable smile.

  Which was why Albedo asked, “If you open the box, your wish will come true, but are you capable of that?”

  What would the members of Nazarick think if they knew Albedo was worried about a human? But once the girl’s wish came true, she would be given a position equivalent to a domain guardian. Albedo wouldn’t be punished for showing a little concern for a future subordinate, would she?

  “Yes, Lady Albedo. I’m already preparing.”

  “Oh. Then make sure you’re ready by the time we invade.”

  “Understood, Your Greatness.”

  When the girl bowed her head, Albedo looked behind her.

  The thing lurking there appeared and bowed its head as well.

  She felt like it might be wise to give this girl more troops, but she held back.

  If this girl’s activities were discovered before the Nation of Darkness attacked, there would be no point in bringing her into Nazarick.

  In other words, this was a test.

  “Then that’s enough formal discussion.” The tone of Albedo’s voice changed. Renner looked confused. “It’s too early to leave. Shall we discuss—chat about something? Have a seat now. Why don’t you tell me about your puppy dog?”

  Albedo was met with an ear-to-ear grin.

  “It would be my pleasure, Lady Albedo. And if you don’t mind, could I hear about Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, too?”

  Intermission

  Deep in the Slane Theocracy…

  There weren’t many people who were permitted to enter this sacred room.

  First, the one with the loftiest status in the Theocracy, the high priest superior.

  Then the six high priests, each in charge of a denomination—for each of the Six Gods. Incidentally, it was from these high priests, excluding the denomination of the current high priest superior, that the next high priest superior would be chosen.

  The high priest of fire—Bérénice Nagua Santini…

  The sole woman in this gathering. She was over fifty, and perhaps due to her age, she was rather plump. The motherly smile on her filled-out face calmed all those who saw it.

  The high priest of water—Zinedine Delan Guelfi…

  An old man like a withered tree branch. His face had wizened to the point that his age was a mystery, but his skin had already grayed. That meant his health was a concern, but he had no rivals when it came to knowledge and wisdom.

  The high priest of wind—Dominic Ire Partouche…

  He appeared to be a gentle old man, but he was a former member of the Sunlit Scripture, a holy warrior who had massacred many different races. It was said that his rage was like a roaring fire and his murderousness like ice and snow.

  The high priest of earth—Raymond Zurg Laurencin…

  The youngest member, a man with a sharp gaze. Even so, he was in his forties, but for all his life force, it was hard to tell. A former Black Scripture member, he was a hero who had been fighting to protect the country for over fifteen years.

  The high priest of light—Yvon Jasna Delacroix…

  With his tapered eyes and slight frame, he looked dangerous, but everyone present knew that wasn’t so. As a faith caster, he ranked first or second in this gathering.

  The high priest of darkness—Maximilian Oleo Laguiller…

  A man with round glasses who used an improved form of the spell Floating Board to keep several books hovering around him. He originally worked in the judicial administration, so many of the books were about law.

  Aside from these people, the three heads of the judicial, legislative, and executive branches were allowed, plus the chief of the research org where they developed new magic and the most superior military officer, the generalissimo.

  The group composed of these twelve members was the supreme executive agency.

  When they entered the room, they purified it using the cleaning tools they brought with them. Dusters. Dry wipes. Wet wipes. A magic item for sucking up dust.

  They cleaned the room with practiced hands and not a single wasted motion.

  Though they were the most elite of the Slane Theocracy’s population of fifteen million, they cut no corners, getting their neat robes dusty and sweating as they continued cleaning in order to not let a single speck of dirt remain.

  When they were done, the room—which had been clean to begin with—gleamed.

  They wiped the sweat from their brows, lined up, and bowed deeply to the six statues watching over the room from its rear.

  “We thank the gods that we mere humans live another day.”

  After the high priest superior spoke, the others intoned their thanks without missing a beat. “We thank you.”

  Bringing their heads back up, they put all the cleaning implements in a corner. Then they cast Clean. The dirt vanished from their clothes and tools. The towels they had used to wipe their sweat smelled freshly laundered.

  The first-tier spell erased all dirt and dust in an instant. By casting on the scale of the whole room, it would have been simple to clean it. But none of them was so impious as to do such a thing in this shrine room.

  After finally purifying themselves, they sat at a round table—including the highest-ranking person in the Theocracy, the high priest superior.

  In this place, the people sitting there were all equal. There was no hierarchy; they cooperated as friends—yes, for the prosperity of the human race.

  “Well, I’d like to bring this meeting into session.”

  The one leading the meeting today was the high priest of earth, Raymond Zurg Laurencin.

  “Our first topic is the country that occupied the Re-Estize Kingdom’s fortress city E-Rantel and established itself in that area about two weeks ago: the Nation of Darkness, Ainz Ooal Gown.”

  There was no matter more pressing than the mysterious country that had appeared so suddenly.

  But the people who knew details were few, so the intelligence they had gained was only hearsay.

  For starters, they had heard that the King of Darkness was an undead, that he was an immensely powerful caster, that he had wiped out the kingdom’s army, that he controlled a military of undead, and that among those undead was a death knight.

  Raymond, the leader of the six scriptures and the leader of the meeting today, was supposed to report on what they had found.

  So
meone spoke abruptly. “Perhaps we should have intervened instead of watching on in silence.”

  “…What are you saying? We agreed that it would be too dangerous to face a caster who could control a death knight head-on. You seemed to be against it, so let’s not rehash it all. Still, I can’t believe they formed a country.”

  Everyone nodded.

  “What is the empire planning to do? It’s founding the country jointly with the Nation of Darkness as an ally, but is that because it’s suddenly become its backer? Or is it being manipulated?”

  “It’s not manipulation. They have Paradyne.”

  “Were we wrong to think we could trust the emperor?”

  “…The real problem is that we’re not making effective use of one of the few deviants. Couldn’t we launch the plan to bring that one over to our side?”

  “Well”—a sudden clap rang out, chilling the heated atmosphere—“Star Reader–Second Sight of the Black Scripture observed the war between the empire and the kingdom. Please forgive the late report; some issues have caused delays.”

  Was the issue that strange incident of her locking herself up in her room and refusing to come out? is what everyone thought.

  “First, I’ll pass around this report of what she saw. Nothing we learned later is included here. This is just her words regarding the Nation of Darkness’s army on the field.”

  Everyone thought that was rather inconvenient, but they quietly read the papers when their turn came.

  When they flipped to the final page, their hands froze. They read and reread the same passage.

  Everyone’s expressions reached a stiffened state independently. And their faces paled.

  Raymond watched those changes, smiling. It was a smile of solidarity only someone who knew the same pain could wear.

  Eventually, Maximilian shouted on everyone’s behalf. He opened his mouth so wide, his glasses tilted, but he didn’t have the presence of mind to fix them. “Lies! I don’t think this… This could never happen!”

  “As I mentioned, this is strictly a record of what she said.”

  Raymond was so calm that Maximilian was lost for words.

  While Maximilian caught his breath, as if he had just come running over at full speed, Bérénice asked her colleague for confirmation.