The Caster of Destruction

by Kugane Maruyama

  Jircniv didn’t really think Ainz Ooal Gown would want Fluder as an underling. Fluder may have been the empire’s trump card, but in Ainz’s world, with so many powerful monsters, Fluder’s abilities would hardly be noticeable.

  But maybe the knowledge he had amassed was valuable. And besides that, if Ainz Ooal Gown controlled Fluder, the empire’s military strength would plummet, and at the same time, it would lose its trump card in the fight against him.

  They would be put under the yoke of slavery.

  Is that it? What else could it be? Why else wouldn’t Gramps have said anything…? Because he already knew? Did he already know how powerful Ainz Ooal Gown was?

  That moment, it was like lightning struck him.

  Cold sweat oozed from every pore.

  “Your Majesty? Your Majesty? What’s wrong? You’re awfully pale all of a sudden. Shall I call a prie—?”

  “—need.”

  “Eh?”

  “I said, ‘No need,’ because…it’s not necessary.”

  With a glance at his puzzled subordinate, he tried to get sucked back into his thoughts, but…

  Am I scared?

  His ideas were all jumbled, and he couldn’t pull them together. It was almost as if he was averting his eyes, as if thinking about what came next was forbidden.

  No! Running away will only invite the worst possible scenario later! Calm down. Just calm down. Calm yourself and think.

  Jircniv concentrated on his thoughts despite the strange looks he was receiving.

  If Gramps—if he knew about Ainz Ooal Gown’s powers… I mean, if he already knew about those abilities, then I can understand why he wasn’t acting like himself. Does he have some kind of connection to that monster behind the scenes? It can’t be!

  He didn’t have the wherewithal to worry about his subordinates’ surprise and concern at his rapidly changing expression.

  No, it can’t be, Jircniv. Gramps saw that death knight and was shocked to his core. Which means he didn’t know about Ainz Ooal Gown’s powers… Well, no, it doesn’t. Right. What if Gr—Fluder didn’t know he could give orders to death knights but still knew he was a great caster?

  It was as if the pieces were coming together one by one to create a beautiful—no, horrifying—picture.

  So that monster and Fluder knew each other. Since when, though…? From the beginning? Yes. The one who discovered people entering and leaving the tomb and the one who suggested we send workers in was Fluder.

  It was like a thread had connected.

  When he thought of it like that, most of the questions began to make sense.

  “So he betrayed me. I see. He betrayed me. He sold the empire.”

  It was a resentful voice from the depths of hell. Or perhaps the cry of a child?

  The atmosphere wasn’t such that his subordinates felt asking would be permitted, so they watched him in silence. He turned to look at them.

  “Fluder Paradyne betrayed us. What is the damage to the empire in this case? Can a sinecure be arranged?”

  Everyone’s eyes nearly popped out of their heads at the unbelievable accusation.

  “Y-your Majesty. Could that really be? Surely you must be joking.”

  The leading disciple’s comment sent rage spouting from the pit of Jircniv’s stomach. He wanted to shout, I’m not interested in your opinions! but held back. The reason he reined in the outburst was that Jircniv the child was still there in a corner of his mind.

  He had—unfortunately—grown up surrounded by the enormous amount of plotting that lay beneath the facade of noble society. He dispelled the passionate fury in his belly by taking a breath.

  “I’ll say it again. Fluder Paradyne has betrayed us. What is the damage to the empire in this case?”

  His subordinates looked at one another. After communicating with their eyes for a few seconds, the leading disciple spoke as their representative. “Unimaginable damage that would make you want to cover your eyes. We’ve been able to coerce other countries with the mere suggestion of Master’s existence. That’s why the empire has never fallen prey to foreign schemes.”

  When he looked to the secretary for confirmation, the man nodded with a deathly pale face.

  “If word got out that we pushed him into a sinecure, it would give the other countries room to maneuver.”

  “But the empire has an intelligence agency, doesn’t it? Oh, I see. Hmph. Thanks to Fluder, they don’t have much experience, huh?”

  “As you so wisely point out. Your Majesty, do you really—?”

  “The probability is shockingly high,” Jircniv asserted, cutting the secretary off. “Ahh, but I have such a mountain of things to do. First, I have to decide who will take Fluder’s place. Is there anyone good?”

  Noticing the flames of ambition blaze up in the leading disciple’s eyes, Jircniv laughed in his head.

  Fluder’s position, principal court wizard, must have been incredibly appealing.

  Since such a great hero had been in it up until now, it wasn’t a position that could be reached. Anyone would be too outclassed to even aspire to it. That job, over which absolute resignation used to reign, was now right in front of him.

  Ambition spurs people, generates the power for them to act. I acknowledge your ambition. But I need to ask you this first.

  “Because you know, the next principal court wizard may have to fight a magic duel against the monster.”

  The disciple’s ambition was immediately extinguished. He no longer had the slightest interest. To the leading disciple, principal court wizard was suddenly the least desirable job in the world.

  Plunging off a thousand-foot cliff into stormy waters offered a better chance of survival than competing against Ainz Ooal Gown with magic.

  Actually, it was possible that dying was the better choice.

  His face looked like that’s what he was thinking, and his eyes had the same shine as a cornered mouse’s.

  Jircniv abandoned his expectations, having learned that this man didn’t have the courage to duel Ainz Ooal Gown. It was wrong to have expected anything in the first place.

  “I-i-in that case, there are some disciples who can use tier-four spells, so what if we chose one of them? I can use them, too, but, well, I’m no expert.”

  “I heard you were the most talented of the leading disciples…”

  “O-oh no, no! Some are more powerful than me. I’ll suggest some candidates later on.”

  Of course, Jircniv understood that being asked to fight such a colossal monster would crush anyone’s resolve. What he sought was someone with the courage to do it anyway.

  …This is no good. And it won’t help to assume this disciple is an exception. We can probably assume that anyone who knows about Ainz Ooal Gown won’t be brave enough to fight him. Our only choice is to leave things up to someone who hasn’t confronted him yet. Someone ignorant will get the same gleam in their eyes as this guy just did and work their ass off for me.

  It wasn’t a good idea, but it was his only option.

  “…I see. Then we’ll hold interviews after you’ve put together some details on the candidates. And we should probably start preparing our response. For now, we’ll cooperate and obey like a dog in order to build friendly relations.”

  “Understood.”

  No one objected to the phrase like a dog. Well, how could they, after laying eyes on the Great Tomb of Nazarick?

  “So, Your Majesty, how long will we allow ourselves to be wagged as that monster’s tail? Until our grandchildren’s generation? Our great-grandchildren’s generation?”

  Jircniv looked around. He wanted to make sure there were no spies and that the doors weren’t open. Once he determined the coast was clear, he spoke of the strategy he’d had in mind ever since his meeting with Ainz Ooal Gown.

  “Our goal is to join the empire, the kingdom, the Theocracy, the council state, and the sacred kingdom into a single grand alliance. We’ll establish a massive united front to oppose Ainz O
oal Gown.”

  Six wide eyes stared at Jircniv.

  “Why are you surprised? The empire can’t win against that monster by itself. Our only choice is to get the surrounding countries involved to defeat him.”

  “W-we’re going to fight?”

  “We’ll fight,” Jircniv stated curtly. “There’s no other way for us to survive.”

  “Then why are you helping that monster establish a country?!”

  “That’s the first step in building the grand alliance.” Jircniv looked each of his carriage mates in the face. “Listen. This land—the outskirts of E-Rantel—is an area where the interests of the kingdom, the Theocracy, and the empire clash. If Gown sets up a country here, he’ll naturally be considered a potential enemy to all three countries.”

  Jircniv paused for a breath and then continued.

  “And another thing. He’s undead. I don’t think he can govern humans—or any living things. I mean, I don’t think our subjects would submit to an undead. Do you? They’ll definitely revolt, and then that monster will crack down on them. The kingdom will have to act, after being forced to give up their territory. And I have no doubt the strongest country in the region, the Slane Theocracy, will make a move as well.”

  “B-but, Your Majesty! If we help him create his country, it’ll look like we’re siding with that monster. The other countries will definitely be wary of us! The empire will be excluded from the grand alliance! Even if they managed to take out that monster, the empire would be next. They might even get rid of us first.”

  “Heh,” Jircniv scoffed. “We’ll work behind the scenes. It’ll be important to convince them we’re spying on Gown’s country. I know it’ll be difficult, but it’s the only way.”

  “Do you think anyone will believe it? If it were me, I’d assume it’s a trap.”

  “That will depend on Ainz Ooal Gown’s power. The best will be if we can show everyone how immensely powerful he is… We’ll have to think of a way to talk to him about that. For example, maybe he could demonstrate his strength on the battlefield.”

  “Couldn’t the empire have avoided supporting him and left things vaguer?”

  Jircniv turned his eyes on his secretary like he was looking at an idiot. “In order to secure a bare-minimum security, we have to play both sides. What’s the point of siding with the kingdom if Gown just seizes all the land in the region?”

  Jircniv was choosing the least awful option.

  “For those reasons, the empire will pretend to back that monster while actually supporting the alliance. Clearly, if that comes out, there’s a high probability the beast will aim to crush us first. At least, if it were me, I’d make an example out of us, for sure.”

  “Ahh yeah, that you would, Your Majesty.”

  “…I’ll take that as a compliment. Anyway, this is why we can’t be the ones to propose the grand alliance. We need those countries to form it of their own accord. We need to focus on gathering intelligence from within Nazarick. At the same time, we search for anyone who might be able to defeat him.”

  “Do you really think someone like that exists?” The leading disciple asked this in a tone that made it clear he had no confidence a person like that would turn up, but he posed the question anyway. Someone who could defeat that unrivaled monster? It seemed like it would be impossible even for a dragon, the strongest race in the world.

  But Jircniv’s answer was full of confidence. “Sure there is.”

  “Really?!”

  “There were! In that Throne Room.”

  Then the disciple understood.

  He meant the monsters lined up around Ainz: Aura, Mare, the silver-haired girl, the insect, and Demiurge.

  “You’re going to make them defect?”

  “I don’t really think I’m capable of that, but it’s still worth a shot. We’ll prepare money, status, and members of the opposite sex to see if we can attract them even slightly to our side.”

  “It seems like a long shot…”

  “Of course, but that goes without saying. Ainz Ooal Gown has the air of a high king. No one with a ruler like that is going to readily betray him. But we must act nonetheless. This isn’t a mere dispute between states.”

  Jircniv eyed the other three with determination.

  “This is a fight for the continued existence of the human race. It’s a fight to protect the future. We’ve got to wager our bodies and souls.”

  6

  “—So I think that’s how this emperor will think and then act. If he was more foolish, he might do something unexpected, but I think the chances of that are quite slim. It’s convenient that these middling thinkers are easier to read than idiots,” Demiurge said, holding up a finger.

  “Do you mean that he desires to form an alliance with the intent to destroy us—and Lord Ainz?”

  “Mm, I dunno, he seems pretty stupid to me.”

  “U-umm, would it be better for us to make the first move and crush them?”

  Shalltear’s disgusted comment was closely followed by Aura’s and Mare’s input; none of them seemed angry. It was as if they were talking about picking a pebble up off the ground.

  “The bigger problem is—”

  Sebas began to speak, but his sentence was finished for him.

  “—Are you saying that he plans to convince us to betray Lord Ainz?”

  “EXACTLY, SEBAS. THAT EMPEROR DOESN’T KNOW THE MEANING OF THE WORD LOYALTY.”

  Everyone scoffed.

  Ainz and the Forty-One Supreme Beings created them. Did those humans really think they would betray their creators?

  Of course, all this supposition was merely Demiurge’s guess, but even that seemed to make the guardians very uncomfortable; they all had hard glints deep in their eyes.

  “I don’t mean to copy Mare, but I’m kind of annoyed. Couldn’t we just crush them?”

  Something dark had come over Aura for the first time, and Shalltear smiled at her.

  “Transforming them into vampires would be the best. If they were high quality, we could put them to work in Nazarick.”

  Cocytus didn’t say anything, but he began clicking a warning sound.

  “Everyone, Lord Ainz is present.”

  Shalltear’s, Aura’s, and Cocytus’s anger subsided in response to Sebas’s levelheaded voice.

  “Ho-ho… That’s right, everyone, please calm down. Remember what Demiurge said. This is all according to expectations. If you don’t enjoy the clowns performing their comedy routine, then what is left? The appropriate response from us is admiration—because everything is happening according to Lord Ainz’s plan. Right, Lord Ainz?”

  Huh… Ainz’s plan? Seems like some guy with the same name as me has come up with some special plan. And I guess part of that plan is that the Baharuth emperor will create an alliance to oppose Nazarick… I don’t get it at all. I’d like to ask that Ainz guy what it’s all about.

  …He couldn’t run away from reality forever.

  Ainz wanted to make a clean break, tell them he actually had no plan, then ask what kind of misunderstandings Demiurge and Albedo were operating under.

  But there was no way he could do that.

  Ainz looked at Albedo anew without moving his eyes.

  What he saw was a woman who seemed to be dripping sticky honey. Her entranced eyes were moist, her cheeks slightly rosy.

  It was a reaction to her belief that everything was going according to his plan—she was in love with his wisdom.

  It was too late to deny everything. Who in this situation would be able to ask, What are we talking about exactly?

  There was only one thing Ainz could say in response to Albedo’s question.

  “Tha…t’s right.”

  He wanted to pat himself on the back for suppressing the tremors in his voice.

  The guardians oohed in respect.

  “…Tee-hee-hee.” As Albedo opened her arms, the wings at her hips also spread. “Lord Ainz will peacefully occupy the human cities and reign o
ver this whole region with his love. That emperor will build an evil alliance to oppose his earthly paradise. Thus, in the not too distant future, Lord Ainz will probably teach that country what goodness is. Our cause is just!”

  “That’s something to look forward to. When that fool realizes he’s been dancing in the palm of Lord Ainz’s hand, I wonder how he’ll react… You’re always several moves ahead, my lord.”

  After Demiurge honored Ainz with a sincere appraisal, Albedo spoke again with a respectful expression on her face.

  “We are truly unable to grasp the extent of Lord Ainz’s wisdom. Without the hero, Momon, he created, a peaceful takeover would have been impossible, and he would have had to rule E-Rantel through fear and violence.”

  “…He might have used the Golden Princess instead, but that would have been a waste of one of our cards. As I found in my analysis of the intelligence Sebas gathered for us, she’s quite—no, she’s beyond interesting. She’ll be very valuable to us.”

  “From what I’ve heard you say, I really want to meet her.”

  “Then maybe you could go as a messenger to the kingdom after our country is built? We have to make good on our promise, after all.”

  “…AREN’T YOU TWO GETTING OFF TOPIC? DON’T YOU THINK YOU’RE WASTING LORD AINZ’S PRECIOUS TIME?”

  The pair hurriedly apologized, and Ainz said, “It’s fine.”

  In fact, Ainz was gleaning information from their chatter and using the time to think up excuses, so it was perfect for him.

  “Ah, but you do so amaze us, Lord Ainz.”

  “You said it, Shalltear. I mean, he came up with a strategy that surprised even Demiurge and Albedo…”

  “M-magnificent as always, Lord Ainz. Y-you’re so cool. I—I, uh, really look up to you.”

  “I’M ASHAMED OF MY LACK OF INTELLIGENCE.”

  “I can’t help but feel that if I can’t keep up with your ideas, I’m useless.”

  The guardians’ compliments stabbed into him like knives.

  He half wondered if they were making fun of him, but the deference, respect, and adoration in their eyes were unmistakable. Ainz couldn’t say anything in response; he only carried on with his usual act.

  “That’s not true. It just happened to turn out that way this time. Plus, Demiurge and Albedo, you figured it all out.”