If he told the nobles it was to reward the Nation of Darkness for coming to them, there shouldn’t be any problem—even if internally he intended it with other meanings as well.
Once again, Zanac was struck by how terrifying his sister was. She had solved in an instant the problem he had been racking his brain over. But as long as her followers had more military might, even if he tried to kill her, he would only be met with revenge. Thus, his only option was gentle persuasion.
“…When I become king, I’ll give you a domain somewhere remote. You should go there.”
“Understood. I’ll obey you, brother.”
“Once I send you, I’ll never summon you back here. I can’t promise there won’t be inconveniences, but I’m preparing a domain that should provide you a decent life. Stay there for the rest of your life.”
“Yes, brother. Thank you.”
He felt like Renner would understand even if he didn’t say anything more, but saying it would make her feel more indebted to him.
“You can even adopt a parentless child there—I don’t mind. Do as you like.”
“Thank you, brother.”
The immediate response must have meant she was already thinking along those lines.
Zanac didn’t understand why his sister was so in love with Climb, that commoner. He didn’t have that great of a face, and it wasn’t as if he owned anything of value. All Zanac could think was that he wasn’t a good match for his sister.
Ohhh, right. That one time, I heard about her fetish.
Remembering the disgraceful part of his sister he wanted to forget, Zanac felt sort of bad for Climb.
“I can’t wait for you to be king, brother. I hope that even once you’re king, you’ll sometimes think of me living off in the country.”
“Yes, I will, sister. And I hope I can consult with you now and the— Huh?” Zanac noticed a soldier jogging their way.
He was one of the survivors from Gazef’s group.
They had served the king well on that battlefield. That was why their positions were secure despite the loss of their captain and the king trusted them deeply. Incidentally, Renner’s two subordinates were trusted to the same degree.
Zanac remembered the withered face of his father.
“Prince, the king is calling for you.” After a pause, the soldier turned to Renner. “You too, Princess.”
“What is it?”
“We’ve received word that a delegation from the Nation of Darkness is on its way.”
Zanac glanced for a split second at his sister’s profile and then replied, “Okay. Tell him I’ll be there right away. Renner, I’ll go ahead. Come once you’re ready.”
“Yes, Zanac.”
The clothing she wore to go visit the orphanage was modest and simple. It would be an embarrassment in front of the nobles.
Having said as much, Zanac strode off with a grim look on his face.
“…Oof. There’s nothing at all appealing about that proposal—and it’s come far too late.”
2
Apparently, a delegation from the Nation of Darkness was traveling from E-Rantel to the capital over the course of a week.
And this was the seventh day. If the journey had gone according to plan, the delegation would arrive today.
Zanac, who had never really gotten the hang of wearing armor, was clad in it nonetheless and lined up alongside other knights facing the gate leading out of the capital toward E-Rantel.
A spell of overcast weather had cleared as if it had all been a hoax, and a pleasant spring sky stretched out overhead.
But thick clouds still hung off in the distance. The sky was blue only over the capital.
It was so unusual that the royal weather observer was left scratching his head. “It’s impossible.”
He had been employed at the palace for years and boasted an accuracy of over 90 percent when predicting the next day’s weather. If he said it was impossible, then perhaps the blue sky wasn’t natural.
Zanac exhaled—with a phoow—beneath his helmet.
His teacher had never told him about magic that could control weather, but it probably made more sense to suppose something like that was a piece of cake for the King of Darkness.
Zanac was annoyed by the fact that he didn’t have anyone beneath him who knew enough about not only magic but all the diverse sorts of powers that existed. More specifically, he had been relying too much on Marquis Raeven.
That man had been acquiring information from adventurers and compiling a compendium. It contained things like what magic items those adventurers knew of and their forms, the types of monsters and their abilities, and various kinds of spells.
Up until now, Zanac had been able to access that knowledge, since he and the marquis were allies. But now Raeven had left the capital and the compendium was gone.
Zanac tried looking for another noble who gathered information from adventurers like Raeven did, but unfortunately, he couldn’t find a single one. It wasn’t because the other nobles were fools. To nobles, the world of adventurers was another one entirely. Some nobles employed adventurers, but it was to take advantage of their strength not to learn their society and knowledge.
That’s how nobles had been for the two-hundred-year history of the kingdom. In that sense, Marquis Raeven was the odd one.
Is it that easy to find retired adventurers—and ones ranked mythril or higher at that?
He had heard that adventurers tended to have an instinctive dislike of political trouble. Indeed, the world of politics was far removed from freedom. Would adventurers like that really come and work under him after they retired?
Zanac grew moody.
“Prince.”
The sound of the knight’s voice next to him brought him back to his senses, and when he looked down the road—there they were.
They were like specks, but it was the Nation of Darkness’s delegation.
Zanac had flexed his royal powers and made it so no one else could travel down that road. No one came through the gate behind them, either. For today only, the gate was shut.
“Okay, let’s review one more time. It’s the same as when any foreign noble visits: If anyone tries to do anything to the delegation, it’s a serious crime. Execute the perpetrator immediately.”
“Yes, sir!”
The line of knights made an energetic reply, and the sound of them pounding the swords on their hips rang out in unison.
“All right! Use all your manners and let’s get this national prestige battle started!”
“Yes, sir!”
They all stood at attention until the delegation arrived.
Eventually, a messenger approached.
It was a knight in black armor astride a jet-black unicorn with burning red eyes. But whoever was inside the armor, they probably weren’t human. The dense presence the figure emanated shimmered like heat haze and warned everyone watching of life-threatening danger. The full plate armor pulsed as if it were alive.
Zanac felt the warhorse beneath him shudder.
Clawlike gauntlets released the reins and pounded on the knight’s chest.
“Apologies for speaking to you from my mount! We are the delegation from Ainz Ooal Gown, Nation of Darkness!”
To explain it with a simile, the voice was like the earsplitting timbre of a rotting string instrument. Just the sound of it gave him the chills and tormented him with anxiety. Zanac raised his own voice to counteract the fear.
“I am the second prince of the Re-Estize Kingdom, Zanac Valléon Igana Ryle Vaiself! The king has ordered me to guide you, noble visitors, to the palace! If you would, please follow us!”
“Very well. We accept your guidance. My name… Forgive me, but I have no name, so I’ll have you call me by my race name: Death Cavalier.”
The name surprised Zanac, but he couldn’t let it delay his reply.
“Shall I call you Sir Cavalier, then?”
“That would be splendid.”
“Understood. Then, first o
f all, could I greet the leader of the delegation here? I’m the second prince as well as the one responsible for the leader’s conduct while in the palace. If possible, I’d like to make sure that person knows who I am ahead of time.”
“I see. I’ll go ask.”
“You have my gratitude.”
The messenger returned to the group.
There were already all sorts of things Zanac could pick on, but he was dealing with the Nation of Darkness. If this was a country that ruled undead and controlled monsters, then it was better not to expect common sense. It would be foolish to assume the leader of the delegation looked human.
“Okay, brace yourselves. Don’t do anything that could offend them.”
“Yes, sir!”
Hearing their reply, Zanac tensed his core.
The delegation had passed through several towns on the way to the capital, so he had an idea of its makeup.
There were five carriages.
Each was drawn by sinister horselike monsters. And there were monsters guarding the area around them. Many were Death Cavaliers, but there were other kinds as well.
He didn’t know what they were called or how dangerous they were. But whether he knew or not, his job was the same. It was a delegation sent by the King of Darkness. He had to make sure they weren’t offended in any way.
A Death Cavalier—probably the same one as earlier—came forward from the approaching delegation.
“Sorry to have kept you waiting. The leader of the delegation—King of Darkness Ainz Ooal Gown’s closest aide, Lady Albedo—said she doesn’t mind meeting you. Right this way, Prince Zanac.”
Zanac signaled to the knights that they should stand by where they were and stepped forward.
Honestly, he was scared—because he was walking among types of monsters he had never even seen before.
Still, he had royal family backbone. Zanac would probably be king soon. He would no doubt meet this representative more than once, so he couldn’t humiliate himself. On the contrary, he had to sell himself and have this lady report back with the knowledge that the Re-Estize Kingdom was a great country.
Sweating uncomfortably, Zanac dismounted from his horse and stood before a carriage.
“This is the leader of the delegation, Lady Albedo.”
He put all his energy into making sure his face didn’t flinch no matter how horrifying of a monster appeared.
The carriage’s door opened, and a figure made a leisurely exit.
She was…beautiful.
No, Zanac had no other words to describe her. He could only call her a peerless beauty.
Surely no one could be as beautiful as Renner. That’s what he had always thought, but apparently he had been mistaken. The difference between them was that while Renner had a brighter beauty, Albedo’s was darker, more bewitching.
She placed a foot on the step, and the faint tap of her heel brought Zanac back to reality.
He immediately dropped to one knee and bowed his head.
Though she was a representative from a foreign country, perhaps it was pitiful for the prince to take a knee. But considering the power differential between the kingdom and the Nation of Darkness, it was the correct move. What the kingdom needed right now wasn’t pride.
It needed benefit.
“Would you please raise your head?”
A gorgeous voice wafted toward him from above.
“As you wish.”
When he looked up, the beautiful woman was gazing down at him with a gentle smile.
It was the attitude of a person used to being superior—but was she human?
Zanac examined her without moving his eyes. First, he noticed the wings sprouting from her hips. Were they from a magic item or something else? And how about the horn-like things on her forehead?
They could have been magic items, or she could have been a grotesque—either was possible considering she was from the Nation of Darkness.
“I am Albedo, a representative from Ainz Ooal Gown, Nation of Darkness. I’ll only be here for a few days, but I’m happy to meet you. Now then, on your feet, please, Prince. We can’t have you kneeling all day.”
“Thank you.”
Even as he was standing, Zanac was thinking, Now here’s a problem.
He was speaking directly to her, but he had been told only the name Albedo. Did that mean she didn’t have any other names?
In the kingdom and the empire, the common people had two names and nobles had three—four including their nobiliary name. The royal family had four—five including their nobiliary name.
That was the reason the kingdom’s nobles scoffed at Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix, who had only four names, claiming he was not royalty, but would they behave as foolishly when they encountered someone with a name that sounded assumed or unofficial?
Zanac wanted to believe that his worry was unnecessary, but he couldn’t rule it out completely.
After all, many nobles had died on the battlefield. Many houses lost their leader and retainers, so for many families, the next in line to rule was the spare of the spare.
Spares of spares. People he had few hopes for had managed to ascend to the highest ranks of nobility. No elegance, no knowledge—because they hadn’t been given that kind of education.
Usually, the upper members of the factions would advise those sorts of people, but as one might expect, due to the war, no one had the wherewithal. As a result, buffoons had been thrown into those roles, allowing more buffoons to meet with one another, and buffoon factions were born.
Overall, the quality of the kingdom’s nobles dropped precipitously. Under those circumstances, would they be able to welcome a woman named Albedo with proper manners?
“…If you’ll excuse me, by what name should we call you, Lady Albedo?”
It was a rather forced question.
Really, he wanted to ask, Lady Albedo, what is your title? That is to say, what is your position within the Nation of Darkness? but he was worried someone would say, You don’t even know the position of the representative from the country next door?
Still, this was the Nation of Darkness’s fault. It hadn’t released any information about what sort of people were in command. It had been several months since the country was formed. They had mainly been working domestically, and this appeared to be their first active effort in diplomacy.
All Zanac knew about Albedo was what he had just been told—that she was the leader of the delegation and the right hand of their king.
The empire must know, but…it’s not sharing anything. Well, they must hate us an awful lot if they asked him to use that kind of magic.
Albedo seemed to sense his uncertainty and replied, “I would hate to seem conceited, but my position is captain of both the floor and domain guardians.”
“Ohhh, I see.”
He said he saw, but he had no idea what sort of captain that was. Or rather, he didn’t know what she meant by “floor.”
As if sensing the perplexity he attempted to hide, Albedo continued explaining, “Hmm, or perhaps I should say that I am the captain of the guardians, second-in-command to Lord Ainz—ahem, His Majesty, King Gown of Darkness.”
“Ahhh, is that so?”
Well, she must at least have a relationship close enough to call him Ainz. Is she a duchess? Marquess? This is something I’ll have to remember to explain to everyone. Still, what’s a captain…of guardians?
“Very well, Lady Albedo. First, allow me to show you to the palace. We’re thinking of offering you a residence for honorable visitors in the castle compound during your stay in the kingdom. Please forgive my elderly father—Ramposa III—for only being able to meet you at the castle gate.”
“I don’t mind.”
Her smile didn’t so much as twitch.
In an ordinary relationship, she would probably thank him. Her attitude conveyed the hierarchy between them.
Sweat oozed from Zanac’s back—because he realized it would be hard to build amicable
relations.
“…Also, normally we would ring celebratory bells, but because of a tragedy due to an unfortunate difference in opinion with another country, we’re unable to do so. Please forgive us. We also haven’t told the people that you’re coming, so I hope to have your understanding on that point as well.”
“Of course. That’s fine.”
He couldn’t imagine how the people would react if they heard a representative from the Nation of Darkness was here, so he was happy to hear her reply.
I suppose I owe her one.
The visiting party didn’t seem at all concerned that they might get run down by an angry mob. Not only the Death Cavalier but likely every member of their procession had been selected from the strongest that could be fielded in the Nation of Darkness. Zanac would believe it if someone told him that each of them was equal to Gazef Stronoff.
“Now then, may I ask you some questions?”
“Yes, I’ll answer any questions I can.”
“First, could you tell me what the plan is after we arrive at the palace?”
“Certainly. Tonight, the royal family is planning a banquet for you at the palace. Tomorrow you’ll go to the theater, and in the evening, there will be a cocktail party with kingdom nobles. The next day the palace orchestra will give a concert—and after that, we’ve reserved some time for diplomatic negotiations.”
“I see… Do you think it would be possible to add some sightseeing around the capital?”
“Of course. We have a group of elite knights ready to escort you.” They were to protect her, yes, but also to keep an eye on her and act as a barricade. “Is there something in particular that interests you?”
It would be necessary to close off the area that day to make sure none of the people came anywhere near.
“No…not really. I’m not familiar with the sights of the capital, so it would be wonderful if you would pick a place.”
“Understood. Then I’ll make the arrangements.”
Albedo nodded with a smile.
3
Phillip, for over a month now, had been thinking he was one of the luckiest men in the kingdom.
Personally, he felt he was the luckiest, but modesty is a virtue. And it was possible that there were nobles luckier than him, so he decided the smart thing to do was to leave it at that.
The Ruler of Conspiracy Page 12
