The Dark Warrior

by Kugane Maruyama

  Then, as if to crush their morale further, one of Ainz’s swords swung in a huge arc. No one could hear anything but the sound of it slicing through the air and then something heavy falling to the ground—two things, in fact.

  As everyone expected, the number of ogre corpses had increased. Now the only ogres remaining were the one trapped in the grass and the one cowering before Ainz.

  Ainz’s helmet moved to confront the final ogre. Perhaps because it had felt the gaze of Ainz’s eyes from deep within the thin slit of his helmet, it emitted a bizarre groan and attempted to escape, dropping its club and racing back toward the forest faster than it had run over. But there was no way it would be allowed to get away.

  “Nabe, get him.” His icy voice rang out and Narberal, who had been standing by behind him, gave a quick nod.

  “Lightning!” A bolt of lightning sent large vibrations through the air and shot through the fleeing ogre’s body with a peal of thunder. Then it continued on through the ogre that was still tangled up behind him.

  That was all it took to stop the beating pulses of two ogres.

  “Let’s get outta here!!”

  “Run away! Run away!” The goblins that had been watching these events unfold as if in a trance called for a retreat and went to flee, but as might be expected, Peter and his crew moved faster. The demoralized goblins were not so tough anymore.

  They were taken care of one after another in smooth succession. Ninya figured he didn’t need to conserve magic any longer and added his powers to the fray. The goblins were killed in the blink of an eye.

  Amid the reek of the dead bodies, Dyne tended to Lukrut’s and Peter’s wounds with Light Healing, while Ninya, with nothing to do, went around slicing the ears off the goblins with a dagger.

  By turning items like those in to the guild, they would be compensated per monster. Of course, it wasn’t always ears. A specific part was required from each kind of monster. That said, for subhumans like goblins and ogres, it was usually ears.

  As he was removing the ears with a practiced hand, he saw that Ainz, accompanied by Narberal, seemed to be searching the vicinity where the ogres had fallen.

  “Are you looking for something?”

  Ainz looked up to respond to Ninya’s question. “Yeah, just seeing if there are any drops…especially crystals.”

  “…Crystals? I’ve never heard of ogres carrying precious stones…”

  “So they don’t, huh? I was just thinking maybe on the off chance…”

  “Oh yeah, it would be great if ogres carried treasure around,” said Ninya, adeptly clipping off ogre ears. “But wow, Momon. I knew you had confidence in your abilities, but I didn’t realize how strong you really were.”

  In response to Ninya’s comments, the other three who were almost finished healing chimed in with more praise for Ainz.

  “You were amazing! As a warrior, I hope I can be as awesome as you someday! How did you get so strong?”

  “With Nabe along and all, I figured you were rich, but where are those fantastic swords from? I don’t think I’ve ever seen more expensive-looking swords.”

  “Now I see that what you were saying at the guild was for real. You might be as strong as the oft-rumored-about strongest warrior in the kingdom. I’m impressed.”

  Nabe looked smug enough to snigger next to Ainz, but he demurred. “Nah, it just happened to work out.”

  “‘Just happened to work out’…?” Peter smiled wryly. “…Really, the way you fought reminded me there’s always someone stronger.”

  “I know you guys will get to the point where you can take care of small fries like that easily, too.” Everyone’s smiles got wryer.

  Peter and his friends were working hard at getting stronger. And they didn’t waste a copper of their rewards, only spending on things that would make them stronger. That’s why they’d been able to work so well together so far, but even reflecting on how far they’d come, they didn’t imagine they’d ever be able to reach Ainz’s level. To the Swords of Darkness, Ainz’s level was the furthest of extremes, which only a handful of people were allowed to access.

  This guy they were traveling with would probably go on to be a hero whose name would be known by all. He was one of the greats who could stand at the pinnacle of adventuring. That was all they could think.

  2

  The party began pitching camp long before the sun would go down. Ainz took the wooden rods he was given and stood them up around the perimeter of their site. That said, they had to fit the cart inside, so it was fairly large—more than twenty yards across.

  Once he hammered the four posts into the dirt, he would string a black silk thread around them to make an enclosure. Then, he would make a knot in the thread, pull it right near the opening to their tent, and hang up a big bell to finish it off. In other words, he was cordoning off their campsite and setting up a noisy alarm.

  Narberal stood behind him as he was knocking in the posts. Narberal was supposed to have something else to do… I guess it’s fine if she finished that already? If that guy pissed her off again, I may have to have a word with him…, Ainz had decided as he went to turn around, but then Narberal spoke in a dark voice as if she was suppressing her rage.

  “…Mr. Momon, you shouldn’t have to do such menial tasks as these…”

  Seeing her anger, Ainz sighed slightly. Then, he looked around and lowered his voice. “Everyone is pitching in to set up camp. You think they would be okay with just me sitting around on my butt?”

  “Didn’t you show them your magnificent combat ability? Everyone has their strengths—this kind of work should be left to the weak.”

  “Don’t be like that. Listen, we do need to stand out as powerful, but I don’t want people to think we’re arrogant. You need to keep an eye on your behavior, too.”

  Narberal nodded her understanding, but it was plain that she wasn’t convinced, only taking his order. On the one hand, he was happy that her overwhelming devotion to him could beat down her own dissatisfaction, but he wondered if that was really sustainable.

  Ainz was actually enjoying his stay in the outdoors. In the real world it had been impossible, of course, but he hadn’t been able to do this even in the fantasy world of Yggdrasil, so it was all new and surprising. It also reminded him of going on quests in Yggdrasil, even though it did take a little too long to get from place to place here.

  If instead of the Great Tomb of Nazarick it had been just me who got transported here, I would probably have just traveled around without a care in the world. He was undead, so he didn’t need food or drink—he didn’t even need to breathe. He could climb the far-off mountains empty-handed and dive to the deepest ocean depths, too. He would have simply enjoyed all the unfamiliar scenery the world had to offer.

  But as long as his guildmates’ precious creations were obeying him, he had to live up to their loyalty by acting as the ruler of the Great Tomb.

  Shaking off his memories, Ainz devoted himself to his task once more. Once all four posts were sunk deep enough, he strung the thread tightly around them and returned to the marquee tent.

  “Thanks.”

  “Oh, no problem.”

  Lukrut, who was inside, had addressed him without even looking up. It was perhaps lacking in courtesy, but it wasn’t as if he were slacking off, either. He’d been digging a hole and building an oven around it for a while.

  Ninya was walking the perimeter chanting some spell. Alarm was a spell one could cast as a precaution. He said it couldn’t cover a very large area but was worth using just in case.

  Ainz had squinted—this was magic that hadn’t existed in Yggdrasil. Collecting spells that didn’t exist in Yggdrasil was one of the jobs he’d given the others, but as a caster, unfamiliar magic awakened his greed.

  The magic Ninya used was, like Ainz’s, magical type. The spells even looked just like the ones in Yggdrasil. Ainz had been doing something only characters with the racial skill Black Wisdom could do to increase the nu
mber of spells he could acquire. If I perform a sacrifice ritual, could I get spells that weren’t in Yggdrasil? Or is there another way? There are so many things I don’t know…

  Ninya had realized Ainz was staring, and although he had warmed up a little since they had first met, he still wore a forced smile when he came over. “You don’t need to watch so closely! It’s not such an interesting spell, is it?”

  “I’m extremely curious about magic, so I take a great deal of interest in what you do, Ninya.”

  “Really? But Nabe is a way better caster than me!”

  “But you can use spells she can’t.” Ainz saw Narberal lower her head slightly. He could tell from the corner of his eye that she was more jealous than embarrassed. “I’d like to be able to use magic like you can.”

  “You want to learn magic even though you’re that good with a sword? You’re a hard worker, huh, Momon? Although I suppose that attitude makes you a model adventurer.”

  Lukrut chimed in without looking up from the oven he was building. “Magic isn’t something you can just learn overnight. First you gotta get this connection-to-the-world thing, but the only ones who can do that so easily are the ones who have a natural knack for it. I heard if you don’t, all you can do is study little by little till you get the feel.”

  Ninya’s smile vanished and was replaced by a serious expression. “Momon, I think you have the aptitude. I get the feeling you’re different from normal people. There’s something about you that…just doesn’t exist among humans.”

  Ainz’s nonexistent heart skipped a beat—it sounded almost like Ninya had vaguely realized he was an undead. He was using illusions and anti-intelligence magic, but it was plenty possible that unfamiliar spells or special abilities could strip off his mask.

  He cautiously asked, “Oh…? I know I’m strong, but I don’t think it’s to a degree that is nonexistent among humans. I showed you my face, right?”

  “Mm, it’s not a question of looks… More just, that amount of power is not human. You were killing ogres in one hit…! I guess men are about power and not looks, huh? I mean, you got a babe like Nabe with you.”

  Considering Lukrut’s remarks with a level head, it seemed like the illusionary face he’d created was being called ugly, and when he thought about the people he had met so far, he had to agree. There’s too much beauty in this world. You can look at anybody in the street, and they have nice, regular features. I used to consider my face worthy of a supporting role, but now I wonder if I’d even make the bill…

  “Faces aside, Lukrut is right. The ones they call heroes are on another level from ordinary humans. That really sunk in for me today.”

  “Er, I don’t think I’m a…hero, though. I’m not fishing for compliments here.” Ainz answered Ninya pretending to be flustered, while suppressing his sigh of relief.

  “Would you like to come meet the person who taught me? My teacher has the talent of being able to tell how much natural aptitude someone has. For magical magic, it’s apparently even possible to know what tier.”

  “Actually, there’s something I’ve been wondering: Isn’t that the same talent that the empire’s head wizard has?”

  “Yes, it’s the same one.”

  Ainz couldn’t let this chance pass. He could get more info if he pressed.

  “…What kind of ability is it, exactly?”

  “The way my teacher explains it, every caster has a magic aura. The more powerful they are, the bigger the aura. My teacher has the power to see those auras.”

  “H…hmm…” Ainz’s voice was about to go too deep, but he controlled himself to reply in a normal range.

  “My teacher collects kids with good auras and trains them.” Ninya continued to say that he had been found in just that way. Ainz made appropriate feedback noises while inwardly cursing that there was such a talent—it could mean trouble.

  “So if I think I’d like to use magic, what should I do first?”

  “Maybe finding a proper teacher is a good place to start.”

  “…So maybe…I could be your disciple?”

  “Mm, I think it’d be better to find someone stronger than me. But the thing is, in the kingdom almost all the schools are private, and if you’re not affiliated with any of the magic-related guilds, you can’t get in. And the people who do get in are usually kids, because their brains are still malleable. To get in at your age, you’d have to have someone pretty important pulling strings for you. In comparison, the empire has a solid magic academy and the theocracy also offers some fairly high-level education—in faith magic, of course.”

  “Aha. Is it pretty easy to get into the empire’s magic academy?”

  “It’d probably be pretty hard, actually. The academy is a facility mandated by state policy, so for a nonnational…”

  “I see…”

  “And about you being my disciple: My apologies, but I have something I want to do, so I don’t have time to spend on that.” Ninya’s face darkened, and there was something sinister and threatening in his expression—a thinly veiled hostility.

  Guess I should steer clear of that subject. Doesn’t seem like there is any benefit to pressing him anyway. Just as Ainz made that decision, Lukrut casually interrupted.

  “Hey, sorry to bug you in the middle of your chat, but food’s almost ready. Could you go get the other three?”

  “I’ll go, Momon.”

  “Aww! You’re leaving, Nabe? Wouldn’t you rather make this meal the fruit of our love? Come cook with me!”

  “Drop dead, centipede! Or do you want me to force-feed you boiling oil so you can’t talk any more nonsense?”

  “Would you give it a rest, Nabe? I’m going with you.”

  “Sir! Understood.”

  Ainz thanked Ninya before leaving the tent and walking over to where two of the others were sitting on the ground working a little ways away.

  Peter and Dyne were completely absorbed in the inspection of the weapons they had used earlier. They applied oil to the swords so they wouldn’t rust and checked all the weapons carefully to make sure they hadn’t bent.

  There was fresh damage to their armor, and the swords had dings from where they had clashed with the goblins’ weapons. These makeshift repairs were standard, considering that one’s life could depend on them. They were focusing so hard Ainz almost didn’t want to interrupt.

  After telling those two dinner was ready, they let Nfirea, who was tending to the horses a little ways away, know as well.

  The sun was just about to disappear below the horizon… Its evening rays had dyed the sky crimson when dinner began.

  Stew flavored with smoked and salted meat was ladled into everyone’s bowl. That plus crusty bread and dried figs, along with walnuts and other nuts, made up the night’s meal.

  Ainz looked down at the salty-seeming soup in his bowl. He couldn’t feel the heat of it through his gauntlets, but considering everyone was eating without waiting for it to cool, it must have been just the right temperature.

  Now what? Ainz was undead with a body that couldn’t eat or drink. He could create illusions to make it look like he had a body, but as long as he was made of bones and had a bottomless mouth, any soup he put in would spill right out. There was no way he could let them see that.

  Unfamiliar food in an unfamiliar land… Despite how simple everything was, Ainz thought it a shame that he couldn’t eat any. He had pretty much lost the desire for food entirely, but sure enough, when a bunch of tasty-looking dishes were laid out, his curiosity was piqued. He was rather frustrated he couldn’t eat. It was the first time since coming to this world that he regretted being in his new body.

  “Oh, is there something you don’t like in it?” Lukrut asked, since Ainz wasn’t touching his food.

  “No, it’s not that. There’s a specific reason…”

  “Oh yeah? Okay, then. Don’t feel like you have to force yourself to eat it. Actually, it’s mealtime and all, what about taking off that helmet?”


  “…It’s against my religion. There is a rule that one must not eat in a party of four or more on a day one has taken a life.”

  “Huh? You believe in some strange stuff, Momon, but I guess the world is a big place. I can’t believe there’s a teaching about how many people you can eat with on a day you kill something!”

  Once they found out it was to do with religion, everyone’s suspicious looks softened. I suppose religion has the potential to cause trouble in this world, too. Momon prayed to his nonexistent god to thank him for helping him out of that situation and then asked Peter a question to change the subject. “So, you guys are called the Swords of Darkness, but none of you have terribly dark-looking swords.”

  For his main weapon, Peter had a (not terribly) magical longsword, Lukrut had a bow, Dyne had a mace, and Ninya had a staff. Nobody had a black or dark-colored sword. Peter’s sword and Lukrut’s sub-weapon, a short sword, were close in shape but were nowhere near the right color.

  By mixing special powder into the metal, it was possible to change a sword’s color, so it would be easy enough to make a sword look dark—it was actually strange that none of them had one.

  “Ohh, that.” An awkward smile played across Lukrut’s face, like he’d been reminded of some past embarrassment. Ninya’s face was turning a shade of red distinctly different from the reflected light of the fire. “That’s what Ninya wanted.”

  “Please stop. I was young and stupid.”

  “You have nothing to be ashamed of. It’s important to dream big!”

  “Dyne, would you give me a break? Seriously…”

  The other Swords of Darkness chuckled warmly at him, and Ninya looked like he was about to start writhing from the awkwardness of it all. The name seemed to have some special meaning for the group.

  “Uh, we’re named after four swords that belonged to one of the Thirteen Heroes a long time ago,” Peter declared, grinning from ear to ear. He didn’t seem like he was going to add anything else.