Duel (3)

~*~

“Everyone, take heed,” a calm voice spoke into everyone’s ears.

“The prey has entered the cage.”

The speaker was a man.

He had no distinguishing features, and he would not stand out in a crowd. However, there was no emotion in his seemingly man-made black sclerae or the scar on his face.

“Offer up your faith to the gods.”

Everyone began their silent prayers, a shortened version of their usual praise to their gods.

They had to spend time in prayer even when operating in another country. This was not complacency on their part, but a symbol of their faith in their gods.

These men who offered everything to the Slaine Theocracy and the gods they revered were far more devout than the average citizen of the Theocracy. This was why they could perform cruel acts without the slightest bit of hesitation, and why they felt no guilt for doing so.

After their prayers, the eyes of every man present were as hard and cold as glass.

“Begin.”

With that one single word, they neatly encircled the village in a way that would appear to onlookers as the product of long, hard training.

♦ ♦ ♦

These men were a black ops group from the Slaine Theocracy. Though their reputation spread far and wide, little was known about their members. They belonged to one of the Six Scriptures who answered directly to the high priests of the Slaine Theocracy. They were the Sunlight Scripture, whose mission was to exterminate demihuman settlements.

However, there were very few of these men, who were the most involved of the Six Scriptures in combat. There were only around a hundred of them in total.

This was because the recruitment standards for the Sunlight Scripture were very strict.

Entry required the ability to cast third tier divine magic, which was also the highest tier of magic that ordinary magic casters could reach. In addition, prospective recruits had to be in excellent physical condition, and they had to possess a strong will and deep faith.

In other words, they were the elite among other elite combatants.

The man quietly sighed as he watched his men disperse. Once they scattered to take their positions, it would be very hard to be sure of their movements. However, he was not worried about their skillful encirclement of the village.

The Sunlight Scripture’s commander, Nigun Grid Luin, only felt the peace of mind that came with knowing that success was at hand.

The Sunlight Scripture was not used to long-term clandestine operations in the field. As a result, they had missed four chances to finish the mission in the past. They were exceedingly careful every time they closed in on Gazef and his men of the Kingdom, in order to avoid being spotted. If they missed this chance as well, these days of tracking and pursuing would drag on and on.

“Next time… I’d like to ask the other teams for help, and leave some of the work to them.”

Someone answered Nigun’s gripes.

“That’s right, we’ve always been specialized in extermination, after all.”

The speaker was one of the men who had stayed behind to protect Nigun.

“I mean, this is a strange mission. Usually, we would have backup from the Windflower Scripture for something as important as this.”

“Indeed, I don’t know why they only deployed us this time round. Still, this will be good experience for us. We can take this as training in infiltrating enemy territory. Hm, for all we know, that was what the people on top intended.”

Nigun said that, but he was very clear that another mission of this nature would be very unlikely.

The orders he had been given were to “assassinate the greatest warrior of the Kingdom, the man famed in the surrounding countries for his matchless might, Gazef Stronoff.”

This was not the sort of task which would usually be assigned to the Sunlight Scripture. Instead, it would have been the province of the Theocracy’s most powerful special operations unit, the Black Scripture, whose members wielded the power of heroes. However, it was not possible this time round.

The reason was top secret, so he could not tell his subordinates, but Nigun knew the truth.

The Black Scripture was protecting the holy relic “Kei Seke Kouku” in preparation against the resurrection of the Catastrophe Dragon Lord, while the Windflower Scripture was busy chasing the traitor who had made off with a relic of the Miko Princesses. Neither of them had the free time to help them.

Nigun unconsciously felt the scar on his cheek.

He remembered the only time in the past where he had forced to flee with his tail between his legs. The face of that girl with the jet-black demonic sword rose in his mind.

Magic could have easily healed the wound without leaving a mark, but he had purposely left the scar to engrave the lesson of that humiliating defeat into his heart.

“…That damnable Blue Rose.”

The members of Blue Rose were citizens of the Kingdom, just like Gazef. Their priestess was the one who most drew his ire. Besides the fact that she was an infidel who worshipped another god, she had stopped Nigun while he was planning to attack demihumans, and even believed that she was on the side of justice in doing so.

“…Humanity is weak, and it uses any and all means to defend itself. Anyone who doesn’t know that is an utter and complete fool.”

One of the subordinates seemed to have sensed the anger smoldering in Nigun’s glassy black eyes, and interjected:

“But, but the Kingdom is foolish too.”

Nigun did not answer, although he agreed with those words.

Gazef was very strong, so in order to weaken him, they had to deprive him of his panoply.

♦ ♦ ♦

The Kingdom was divided into the Noble and the Royal factions. Since they were opposed to Gazef, a prominent figure in the Royal faction, the Noble faction was easily led to take political action to eliminate him. They did not even pause to consider that the impetus for their deeds came from a foreign power.

Gazef was a commoner who had risen to his current station by dint of his swordplay, and so the nobles despised him.

And that had led to this conclusion.

The Kingdom’s trump card would soon be lost by their own hands.

That was a supremely foolish move to Nigun.

They — the Slaine Theocracy — might be divided into six sects, but whenever they needed to act, they did so as one.

One reason for that was because everyone respected each other’s gods. The other was because everyone knew that there were many inhuman tribes and monsters in this world, and that they would be in danger if they did not work together.

“…Which is why everyone should walk the path of the righteous teachings together. Humanity should not fight amongst itself, but work hand in hand to bring about a better and brighter future.”

Gazef would be the sacrifice for that.

“…Can we kill him?”

Nigun did not mock his subordinate’s unease.

Their prey was the Kingdom’s Warrior-Captain — the strongest man in the region — Gazef Stronoff.

Eliminating him would be more difficult than attacking and exterminating the inhabitants of a huge goblin village. In order to dispel his underlings’ fears, Nigun calmly replied:

“It will be fine. Right now, he does not possess any of the Kingdom’s treasures, the ones which he is permitted to bear. Without them, killing him will be a piece of cake… no, it would be better to say that without them, this is our only chance to kill him.”

The Kingdom’s Warrior-Captain, Gazef Stronoff, was famed as the strongest fighter in the land. But there was a reason for that reputation beyond his extraordinary swordsmanship.

That reason was the five heirlooms of the Kingdom. Although only four of them were known, he was permitted to bear all of them.

The Gauntlets of Vitality, that made their user immune to fatigue. The Amulet of Immortality, which constantly regenerated his wounds. The Guardian Armor, made of adamantite and enchanted to ward off critical hits. Razor’s Edge, the sword created and enchanted in pursuit of sharpness, which could slice through armor like the proverbial hot knife through butter.

Even Nigun could not hope to triumph in a head-on attack against Gazef Stronoff, whose offensive and defensive ability increased astronomically when he used those items. No, it might well be that no human could defeat him when he was like that. However, he did not have those treasures with him now, so this was a great chance for Nigun.

“And then… we also have a trump card of our own. This is a battle we cannot possibly lose.”

Nigun patted his chest lightly.

In this world, there were three types of magic items which fell outside the usual types and classifications.

The first kind were the relics from five hundred years ago, left behind by the Eight Greed Kings who had conquered the world in an instant.

The next kind came from the Dragons, who were once the masters of the world before they were decimated by the Eight Greed Kings. The most powerful Dragons, the Dragon Lords, made the secret treasures of dragonkind.

And the third kind were the keystones of the Slaine Theocracy, the artifacts left behind from when the Six Gods descended upon the world six hundred years ago.

Those were the three types.

What Nigun had in his breast pocket now was a rare treasure that very few people in the Slaine Theocracy possessed. In other words, it was Nigun’s secret weapon.

Nigun glanced at the metal band on his wrist. Numbers floated up from its surface, indicating that the appointed time had come.

“Then… begin the operation.”

Nigun and his subordinates began casting spells.

They summoned the highest-ranking angels their magic would permit.

♦ ♦ ♦

“I see… so there were people out there.”

Gazef peeked out at the people surrounding the village from inside the darkened house.

He could see three people within his field of vision. They were slowly advancing on the village while maintaining an even separation from each other.

They were unarmed and were not wearing heavy armor. However, that did not mean that they were pushovers. Many magic casters disliked such equipment and preferred lighter gear. This suggested that they were magic casters.

However, it was the winged monsters floating beside them which confirmed their vocations.

Angels.

Angels were monsters summoned from another world, and many people — particularly, the citizens of the Slaine Theocracy — believed them to be messengers of the gods. However, the priests of the Kingdom ruled that these so-called angels were merely summoned monsters.

While these religious disputes were part of the reason why the countries were set against each other, Gazef felt that their status as divine messengers was secondary to their strength as monsters.

To Gazef, angels and demons, their similarly-ranked counterparts, were stronger than many other monsters summoned using magic of a similar tier. Most of them had special abilities and some could even use magic. They were troublesome foes, in his reckoning.

Of course, that depended on the individual angel. Not all of them were difficult to beat.

However, the angels this time round, with their shining breastplates and flaming swords, were of a type that was unknown to him.

Ainz was watching them with him from the side. He asked Gazef, who did not know anything and could not gauge their strength:

“Who are these people? What do they want? I don’t think there should be anything that valuable in this village…”

“Gown-dono, you do not know either? …Well, if it is not wealth they seek, then there can only be one other answer.”

Ainz and Gazef locked eyes.

“They must really hate you, Warrior-Captain-dono.”

“It comes with the job of Warrior-Captain. However… this is troubling. Judging by the way the other side has so many people who can summon angels, they must be from the Slaine Theocracy… and it’s clear that the people carrying out this operation must be a special operations unit… the legendary Six Scriptures. It would seem that both in numbers or ability, the opposition is superior to us.”

Gazef shrugged, indicating the difficulty he was in. He might have seemed merely depressed on the surface, but inside, he was seething with anger and panic.

“Well, they’ve certainly gone to a lot of trouble, using the Noble faction to strip me of my gear. However, it’s troublesome for that snake of a man to remain in the courts, so I guess it should be my good fortune to be able to recognize his villainy here. Still, I didn’t expect the Slaine Theocracy to have their eyes on me…”

He snorted.

He did not have enough men, he was under-equipped for a battle like this, and he had no plan in mind. In short, he had nothing. Although, there might still be a trump card he could use.

“…Is that an Archangel Flame? It looks similar enough, but… what is a monster like that doing here… could it have been summoned by magic too? That means…”

Gazef turned to look at the mumbling Ainz. With a hopeful look on his face, he asked:

“Gown-dono, if it is all right with you, would you be willing to let me hire you?”

There was no answer, but Gazef could feel the weight of Ainz’s gaze beneath the mask.

“You may name your price and I will meet it.”

“…Please permit me to refuse.”

“…Even the loan of that knight you summoned would be fine.”

“…I must refuse that as well.”

“I see… then, what if I conscripted you, in accordance with the Kingdom’s laws?”

“That would be the worst decision you could make… I did not plan to say such harsh words, but if you insist on using the authority of the Kingdom to conscript me, then I would be compelled to put up a bit of resistance.”

The two of them looked wordlessly at each other. The first to avert his eyes was Gazef.

“…That would be frightening indeed. We would be wiped out before even crossing blades with the gentlemen of the Slaine Theocracy.”

“Wiped out… well, that’s a good joke. However, I am glad you understand me.”

Gazef narrowed his eyes and looked at Ainz, whose head was nodded in thanks.

His words just now were not a joke, Gazef’s instincts told him. Making an enemy of this magic caster would be a fatal error.

In the face of this life-threatening danger, his instincts were more reliable than his meager intellect.

Who was he? Where did he come from?

As Gazef thought, he looked at Ainz’s strange mask. What did he look like under the mask? Was he someone that he knew? Or…

“What’s wrong? Is there something on my mask?”

“Ah, no. I simply felt that mask was very special. Since that mask is used to control that monster… then it must be a very powerful magic item… am I correct?”

“Well, about that… I should say that it’s a very rare and valuable item. One could even say that it was exclusive.”

Possessing a potent magic item implied that the possessor was a skilled individual. By that logic, Ainz must have been a very talented magic caster. Gazef felt a little saddened for not being able to secure his aid.

Although, part of him hoped that as an adventurer, Ainz would accept that request.

“…I see that it’s meaningless to keep going on about this. Then, Gown-dono, please take care of yourself. Once again, thank you for saving this village.”

Gazef removed his metal gauntlet and shook Ainz’s hand. Originally, Ainz was thinking of removing his own Jarngreipr to return the courtesy, but in the end, he did not do so. Still, Gazef paid it no heed. He gripped Ainz’s hand tightly, and said:

“I am truly, truly grateful to you for protecting these innocent villagers from being slaughtered. Also… I know it is very selfish of me and I have no authority to make you do anything… but I hope you can protect the villagers here, just one more time. Right now, I have nothing to give you, but I hope that no matter what, you will heed my plea… I beg you.”

“About that…”

“If you should ever visit the Royal Capital, I will give you anything you desire. I swear this on the name of Gazef Stronoff.”

Gazef let go of Ainz’s hand, making to kneel, but Ainz extended his hand to stop him.

“…There is no need to go that far… Very well, I shall protect the villagers. I swear that on the name of Ainz Ooal Gown.”

After hearing Ainz swear on his name, Gazef breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you very much, Gown-dono. Now I have nothing more to worry about. All I need to do now is charge boldly ahead.”

“…Before that, please take this with you.”

Ainz took out an item and handed it to the smiling Gazef. It was a small, strangely carved statuette. There did not seem to be anything special about it. However—

“If it is a gift from your good self, I will gladly accept it. Then, Gown-dono. Time grows short, but I must now leave.”

“…Will you not you wait until nightfall before setting out?”

“The opposition should have spells like 「Darkvision」 and the like, so night fighting is not to our advantage, but I cannot imagine they will be hampered by it. Also… we also need to let you see how we stand or fall.”

“I see. As expected of the Kingdom’s Warrior-Captain, your keen insight is truly worthy of praise. Then, I wish you all the best, Warrior-Captain-dono.”

“And I wish you a safe journey home, Gown-dono.”

♦ ♦ ♦

Ainz quietly watched Gazef’s back shrinking into the distance as he rode off. Although her master seemed to be thinking about something, Albedo did not inquire further.

“…Haa… when I first saw the humans here, I could not help but think of them as insects… but after speaking with them, I have come to be fond of them, like small animals.”

“Is that why you swore on your glorious name to protect them?”

“Perhaps… no, I should say that it was in response to how he bravely rode to his death…”

Ainz admired it.

He admired Gazef’s determination, his strength of will that he did not have.

“…Albedo, order the servants to search out the ambushers around us and knock them out once they are found.”

“I will do so at once… Ainz-sama, the Village Chief and the others are here.”

As Ainz turned to look at Albedo, he caught sight of the Chief and two other villagers coming over.

They reached Ainz’s side, panting heavily. Filled with tension and unease, the Chief spoke immediately, as though breathing were a luxury he could not afford.

“Ainz-sama, what should we do? Why did the Warrior-Captain leave us behind and not protect us?”

The Chief’s words were filled with fear, but there was an undercurrent of anger there as well.

“…He is doing what he must do, Chief-dono… The foe has their eye on the Warrior-Captain-dono, and if he stayed here, the village would become a battlefield. The enemy will not let you flee either. He left this place for your sake.”

“I see, so that was why the Warrior-Captain left… Then, then should we remain here?”

“Of course not. They will come to kill you after they are done with the Warrior-Captain-dono. As long as you remain within their encirclement, you will have nowhere to run. However… while the foe is dealing with the Warrior-Captain-dono, you will have a chance to flee. You should take it.”

So that was why the Warrior-Captain rode out in force with his men. He planned to use himself as bait and lure the enemy away with a head-on attack.

The Chief red-facedly lowered his head as he heard about the Warrior-Captain’s slim chances. The man was riding to his death just to give them a chance to flee. He cursed his inability to understand the man’s sacrifice, and how he mistook Gazef’s courage for selfishness and maligned him for it.

“I can’t believe I jumped to conclusions and wrongly blamed a good man… then, Ainz-sama, what should we do now?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“We live near the forest, but there’s no guarantee that we won’t be attacked by monsters. We were just lucky and thought that this place was safe, so we gave no thought to self-defense, and in the end, not only did we lose our friends and loved ones, but even became a burden…”

Now it was not just the Chief, but the villagers behind him who had looks of regret on their faces.

“That could not be helped either. Your attackers were professional soldiers. If you had tried to resist, you might have all been dead before I got here.”

Ainz was trying to comfort the villagers, but none of them felt comforted at all. The fact was that no matter what pretty words he said, the loss of the villagers was an undeniable tragedy. All they could hope for was for time to heal their wounds.

“Village Chief-dono, there is no more time. You must move quickly so as not to waste the Warrior-Captain’s determination.”

“I see… then, Ainz-sama, what will you do?”

“…I will stay here and observe the situation, and then wait for a good time to escort you all away.”

“We are always making trouble for you, Ainz-sama, really, we…”

“…Think nothing of it. Because I made a promise to the Warrior-Captain-dono… in any case, gather all the villagers into one of the larger houses. I will further protect it with magic.”