1

e reason, it shrieked the answer."I-, I've been cuck'd!!"It was an anguished wail of heartbreak.Undead, like Ainz, were supposed to have their excessive emotions suppressed. However, from its voice, it seemed to have transcended that limitation.No — even Ainz experienced extremely strong emotions just before they were suppressed, though only for a fleeting moment. Perhaps this was the same thing?"Aaah, this be too cruel! To be cuck'd by an undead that don't even have any skiiinnnnn!"Its intense emotional outburst showed no signs of abating.No, even Ainz—"I've been cuuuck'd!"Cucked, cucked, just shut up already! Ainz raged internally. Besides, what's with calling it cuckoldry? How rude! Why am I being treated like some wife-stealer?!"—That goes without saying."Narberal stepped forward two paces, taking up position in front of Ainz as if she were his herald.Ainz found himself staring at her dignified figure from behind, and then, comprehending what she had just said, he stared at her once more.She had agreed.Narberal had affirmed that Ainz had cuckolded this undead.Huh?!It was unthinkable.The undead ship captain couldn't know about Ainz's abilities. Maybe — giving it about ten thousand steps of leeway — such a misunderstanding was possible.However, Narberal was different. In other words, she couldn't have misunderstood. Therefore — Ainz had absolutely no idea what Narberal was thinking."All undead belong to Ainz-sama. This is especially true for rare undead — it is only natural.""Are ye sayin' it be natural to be cuuuck'd?!"The undead ship captain cried out like it was spitting up blood. At this point, it was displaying emotions just like a human would.In response, Narberal proudly declared, "Of course it is."To Ainz, the exchange playing out before him felt distant, as if he were watching a spectacle from far away. However, he wasn't allowed to remain a third-party observer for long."Isn't that right, Ainz-sama?"Narberal turned around, seeking his agreement with eyes that seemed somehow especially sparkly — though that might have just been Ainz's imagination.He didn't want to agree. But was this something he needed to affirm as part of his duties as the ruler of Nazarick? If he didn't agree, how would Narberal feel, looking at him with those eyes full of trust and expectation?His thoughts swirled around in a whirlpool.The conflicted Ainz gasped out an answer."…S-, saying 'all undead' is going too far. Shalltear, Nigredo, Yuri… it sounds like you're saying that even those people belong to me.""Oh!" Narberal's eyes went wide."I see… You may be right. I had forgotten about them. Let me correct myself."No, there's no need for corrections. But Ainz's silent plea went unheeded as Narberal declared in a grand voice:"All miscellaneous undead not created by the Supreme Beings belong to Ainzsama. You were merely borrowing the leftovers!""N-not content with just cuckin' me, now yer saying that I's be the homewrecker?! I's be a homewrecker, ye says! Ye thinks that YOU suits her betterrrr?!""—Enough already! Shut up about cuckoldry and homewreckers!" Ainz shouted, abandoning his composure. "You've completely ruined all my excitement about finding a rare undead!""[Fireball]!"Ainz and Narberal were instantly enveloped in flames."—Die! Ye homewre—"Honestly, Ainz had wondered if the nonsensical comments about cuckoldry and homewreckers were meant to catch them off guard — a deception to gain the upper hand by chipping away at their tension and fighting spirit. But the words the Elder Lich had started to say suggested otherwise. Still, perhaps wary after seeing Ainz's group emerge unscathed once again, it closed its mouth midsentence."…Hmm. You should have realized that this cute little spell of yours doesn't do much damage earlier, no? And yet you chose the same attack again… Shall I take this as proof of your incompetence?"He sneered.Of course, it was an act. He was merely acting out the arrogance of an overwhelmingly strong being. He wasn't seriously mocking the undead.The Elder Lich didn't seem rare in and of itself, but Ainz had an interest in the undead as the ship's captain. Plus, he had yet to procure an Elder Lich that was born in this world. That being the case, he wanted to bring it under his control if possible.But unlike with the Ghost Ship earlier, he couldn't just use his ability to dominate undead. Even for Ainz, who specialized in necromancy, there was a limit to the number of undead he could control. Since he still had undead under his control from the old days, he didn't have much capacity to spare.He didn't want to waste his undead domination ability on controlling a mere Elder Lich, even if it was somewhat rare.For that reason, he needed to make it recognize that it was facing an absolutely unbeatable opponent.While there might be ways to make him submit by offering benefits, that would be quite difficult given the current situation of being treated as an affair partner — probably.So, he would make it understand through force.Or rather, he wanted to change the atmosphere."Damned homewrecker! Ye be strong!""…Just give it up. …For now, could you please stop with the whole 'homewrecker' shtick? It's draining my energy. …My motivation is slipping away. If that was your aim, I praise you for succeeding, so please stop.""—From the perspective that nearly all undead belong to Ainz-sama, it is youwho would be the homewrecker."Narberal…"Damn ye! Ye bastard!"It was a voice filled with tremendous resentment. The hatred in those eyes was so intense that one might expect tears of blood to start flowing. But there was no sign that anything special was happening to Ainz's body or that something was being resisted by one of his abilities, so it didn't seem like it was casting any curses.In Ainz's mind, the meaning of "rare" was shifting from "an Elder Lich dressed up as a ship captain" to "an Elder Lich who displayed emotions like a human." However, due to spending time with Shalltear, that latter definition somewhat diminished its rarity."Ainz-sama, what shall we do? Are you satisfied with having brought this ship under your control?"Narberal asked. If he answered in the affirmative, she would likely kill the Elder Lich on the spot. From her perspective, there would be no reason to spare an undead who had attacked him.Ainz shook his head."That is not my intention."He did not intend to control even this Ghost Ship with his ability forever. For reasons he didn't yet completely understand, this undead ship seemed to have a considerable amount of HP but was mediocre in all other aspects. It wasn't worth using his ability to control it permanently. In that case, he would need another way to keep this undead ship in his service, and the key to that would be the ship's captain."Are you not using [Lightning] because it would damage this ship?… Well, now that your futile efforts are over, shall we proceed? Let's make a deal. If you accept it, I will return this Ghost Ship to you.""Are ye sayin' yer tired of her body so yer returnin' her! Ye beast!""No! I'm trying to have a serious conversation here, so listen properly! I've had enough of this, want me to just destroy you instead?!"Ainz continued, ignoring the undead ship captain nonsense as it grumbled something about "I's be serious too.""As ye can see, I's… No! As you can see, I can easily bring this ship under my control. The same applies to you. However, if you become my subordinate willingly, I swear not to use such methods."Ainz thought he heard a voice saying "So ye swings both ways, do ye?" but that had to just be his imagination. After all, an undead fighting for its survival wouldn't have the luxury to think about such things. And since there was no way an NPC would say something like that, it was proof enough that it was just Ainz's imagination."Of course, this isn't mercy. Considering my abilities, you should understand without me having to explain. You shall be each other's hostages. If one of you betrays me, I will place the other completely under my control and never release them."It was the Lizardman strategy.The "never release" part would likely turn out to be a lie. Additionally, this proposal had two problems. First, if the Ghost Ship didn't have enough intelligence, such a deal wouldn't work. Second, he didn't know whether the Ghost Ship side had any feelings of care for this undead ship captain.All Ainz could do was pray that it was the case. Or else — that this undead ship captain had some special ability it could use to control this Ghost Ship."Hnnrgg…" The undead ship captain groaned while appearing to think things over for a while, when it suddenly stamped its feet in frustration, then crawled on its hands and knees, caressing the deck, and finally began to mutter something while rubbing its cheek against the mast.Whether it was struggling with the decision to submit or had simply gone insane was hard to judge. Ainz, finding it somewhat scary to even address it, decided to quietly observe for a while.Eventually, the undead ship captain turned around like a ghostly apparition and opened its mouth to speak while fixing Ainz with a suspicious, resentful gaze."There be something I can't fathom 'bout yer proposal. Answer me question. What does ye plan on makin' us do?"It was a difficult question to answer.While they might be useful for transporting large amounts of cargo, frankly speaking, there was no immediate use for them. Whether considering speed, volume, cost, accuracy, safety, or confidentiality, [Gate] was overwhelmingly superior in every aspect.Unless their territory expanded significantly in the future and both Ainz and Shalltear became too busy to handle [Gate] operations, it probably wouldn't be needed.He should probably hide his true motive of wanting to collect rare items and give a different reason. Though honestly, he didn't think there would be any problem even if he stated it directly. The undead ship captain would probably just accept it with an "Oh, is that how it be." However, that didn't seem fitting for someone who served as the leader of the Supreme Beings that the Guardians worshipped.Originally, there had been a proper reason — he had wanted it because it might have been an entity created by unknown technology, like a golem or magical item. But now it was just Ainz's personal desire to possess it because it was rare.After thinking for a moment, unable to come up with a smooth answer that would meet Narberal's expectations and befit a Supreme Being, the ruler of Nazarick — Ainz played for time:"Before discussing that matter, I wish to know how strong you… the two of you are. I want to see the extent of your capabilities. Show me without holding anything back."I didn't make a single mistake! Reflecting on what he had said, Ainz felt pleased with himself.The undead ship's combat capability was still unknown. It seemed unlikely that it had any attacks that could affect Ainz, but of course, he was an outlier in terms of strength in this world. If it possessed above-average strength, he might be able to entrust them with various tasks."There's an undead crab some distance from here. First, I want you to defeat it with the ship's abilities… and if possible, capture it.""A crab? What th' hell is that?"Did that mean the monster's proper name wasn't "crab," or did that mean it didn't know what a crab was at all? Ainz waved his hand dismissively at the Elder Lich's question."I shall direct you to the location. Just sail the ship there. Also, what is your name?""Greluné.[4] And me wife be the Steel Valkyrie."To be frank, the ship didn't have the looks of a "Steel Valkyrie." For one thing, where was the steel? If there had ever been any, it had probably since rusted away.However, Ainz wasn't nearly foolish enough to say that directly. Mocking a name could only anger the other party, and there was nothing to be gained from that."I see. My name is Ainz Ooal Gown. You may call me Ainz.""Be sure you don't forget to include '-sama'."This time, Ainz agreed with Narberal's intervention.The hierarchy needed to be clearly established. However, demanding that someone attach "-sama" to his name himself would be uncouth. After all, 4. The inspiration for this name may have come from the Largescale Blackfish, referred to as mejina (メジナ) or regionally gure (グレ). They are a member of the Girellinae subfamily, which sounds very similar to グレルネ. Incidentally, they are in the sea chub family, and may be referred to as "nibblers."honorifics should be initiated by the other party."Aye aye. So ye be called Ainz-sama, then."Greluné said this with slight dissatisfaction. Well, that was to be expected. Without turning around, Ainz could tell that Narberal was probably wearing an unhappy expression."Then, can you move this ship according to my instructions?""Yar. I leaves it to ye, me wife. So, where do we be sailing to? Point yer finger and she'll head thataway."How this undead ship's perception worked was a highly intriguing matter. Some amorphous species like Slimes perceived their surroundings by detecting vibrations, perhaps this was something similar.The Elder Lich who had discovered the crab seemed to still be tracking it, as Ainz could sense its slow movement. It wasn't difficult to indicate the general direction.The ship advanced at a leisurely pace.Though "leisurely" was relative to Ainz's standards — it was probably faster than an ordinary human could run.The ride wasn't bad.While the Katze Plains was flat terrain, there were still some hills. Even in such places, somehow the ship advanced without significant swaying.It would require proper testing to see whether it could move the same way across places with greater differences in elevation, such as mountain ranges, but at least it should work without issue in the vicinity around E-Rantel.Eventually — after a fair amount of time had passed — they spotted the crab through the thin fog.Having already explored the ship and hearing a rough idea of its capabilities, Ainz commanded Greluné:"Commence the attack."Just like when they had first encountered this ship, they were in a world of fog with limited visibility. Similarly, the distance wasn't too great between them and their target.Skeletons lined up on the deck, training their crossbows at the crab.Then they fired in unison.—The sound of the bolts bouncing off the crab's hard exterior rang out.It seemed none had caused any damage.The crab, though unharmed, recognized that it had been attacked and began to move.It charged — straight toward the ship.So, things turned out exactly as I thought they might… But I expected it to take at least some damage… I guess the crab is stronger than I anticipated.The weapons carried by the Skeleton crew were rusty crossbows — though that was just their appearance, their performance had not deteriorated in any way — and they possessed no magical effects. If anything, their only special feature was their ability to produce bolts infinitely.While the Skeleton crew members seemed stronger than ordinary Skeletons, crossbows as weapons fundamentally dealt fixed damage that didn't depend on physical strength, so their increased strength didn't mean much. While the damage could be increased with skills or special bolts, it appeared that they didn't have those either.If they had been using longbows instead, they could have utilized their arm strength, and there might have been a possibility of them inflicting some damage on the crab. In other words, the crossbows were not particularly suitable weapons in this case.Passing through the rain of crossbow bolts unscathed, the crab forcefully rammed into the already decrepit-looking hull of the ship.Despite the impact of its massive body, the ship swayed less than expected.While it looked like it would sink immediately if placed in water, it seemed to have considerable durability. However——If it continues taking attacks like this, then it is only a matter of time until it sinks — or is destroyed.The crab's front pair of gangly legs were equipped with disproportionately large pincers, which it raised and brought down.An ominous sound, somewhere between a groan and the creak of distorting wood, echoed through the fog. Due to the angle, they couldn't see the extent of the damage, but it was severe enough to drain the color from Greluné's face as he tried to push through the Skeletons to rush forward.Ainz stopped Greluné as he tried to advance over the side of the ship."I told you, I want to see the ship's capabilities first.""How far will ye take this?! Are ye blind?! A bad matchup it be. If we leaves it be, she'll be scuttled!"His frustration had surfaced, making his tone harsh.It probably wasn't an act.It seemed the entirety of the ship's combat power lay in the Skeletons, with nothing that could be called a trump card. If so, there was no value in watching the battle any longer.What a shame. I guess this ship won't be much use in battle…From what Greluné had told him, the ship's only special ability was that destroyed Skeletons would be replenished after a short time. While that might work if an enemy bothered to fight the Skeletons one by one, the ship was vulnerable if an enemy ignored them and attacked it directly.I could man it with my Elder Liches, or maybe give the Skeletons better weapons… I wonder if it would be possible to swap out this ship's equipment?"What the hell are ye doin'! Can ye not hear her screams?! That be enough, I's can't stand it no more!"While Ainz was thinking, Greluné's combative tone had escalated further. Narberal's expression was clearly displeased. It would be unwise to let this go any further.Besides, it wasn't as if Ainz wanted this ship to be destroyed either."Fine. I shall step in.""…Aye?""Is that so surprising? I have seen what the ship can do. Now I shall show you my power. Surely you would rather witness my true power than just speculate, right? And after that—"Ainz smiled, though of course his face didn't move."—you can judge whether I'm worthy to be your master."Watching Ainz Ooal Gown fight a crab, Greluné felt puzzled.The crab — its proper name was Undead Axe Land Crab — would bring down its pincers, but its attacks seemed to have no effect.This probably wasn't a case of Ainz just putting up a brave front because Greluné was watching.He's blockin' physical attacks with magic… belay that… me [Fireball] did not a lick o' damage to him neither. He looks to be a magic caster, so I figure he musta done somethin', but… can ye even block all physical attacks like that?While it was possible he had cast a spell enhanced with [Silent Magic], he still shouldn't be able to nullify everything.The Axe Land Crab's namesake pincers combined both bludgeoning and slashing damage attributes in their attacks. So in that case—Goin' by them dashing looks, he should be weak to bludgeoning attacks… so, how th' hell's he still in one piece?!This was beyond the scope of the knowledge he was born with. Perhaps there were methods to completely nullify one's weaknesses in the world outside the fog?Greluné turned its gaze to the living being beside him, who was likewise observing the battle.An unpleasant feeling — something strange he had never felt before — welled up inside him.Why couldn't he attack?Why couldn't he kill?He suppressed the emotions that were bubbling up.He hadn't asked her name or position, but from what Greluné could tell, this living being appeared to be that detestable hunk's servant. If he gave in to his impulses, he could easily imagine how that undead who could nullify any attack would react.And Greluné's intelligence wasn't so low that he would give in to his instincts despite knowing that. Before their eyes, Ainz struck the crab with a mysterious staff he had pulled from somewhere, sending it flying."He struck it?!"Wasn't he supposed to be a magic caster?"The beast were blown away?!"Despite the overwhelming difference in size, Ainz's single strike made the crab stumble back, completely losing its balance."…What be he? Don't he be a magic caster?"He found himself asking the living being despite himself."Ainz-sama is a magic caster. Can you not tell by looking? Or are you so incompetent that you can't even see that much?"He wanted to shout that he was asking precisely because he couldn't tell, but he held back the urge.The living being's response was succinct and carried an air of exasperation. In other words, there was no hint of deception.It shivered his timbers."Do this be… ordinary in th' outside world?""Of all the foolish things I've heard— yes, what nonsense. As if he could ever be considered merely ordinary. That person is a Supreme Being, the king who rules over everything in this world. In intelligence, dignity, and strength. There are none who can match him in any of these aspects.""Arr, I sees it. So he be a fearsome power even for th' outside world."He felt slightly relieved to know that the man trying to dominate him — the man displaying his power before them — was a powerful being. If that man had been a weakling with a pretty face, how pathetic would he be, unable to defeat him and even watching him steal his wife?So the world beyond the fog don't be some realm o' superhuman monsters? Then whereabouts do me own strength rank?A natural question to arise to someone being coaxed out into the outside world, but upon hearing Greluné's words, he heard the living being sigh, "Haah.""…Are you lacking the function to recognize words? Or is it that you lack comprehension? Didn't I just say? That person stands at the pinnacle of the world. And you call him just a 'fearsome power'? Your words are far too light."Though her expression hadn't changed, her eyes were filled with clear contempt. Even setting aside the fact that she was a living being, it was enough to make him want to kill her, but this woman wasn't someone he could let his guard down against either. She was someone who had remained unfazed after taking two casts of his [Fireball].Even if she had gained resistance to fire through defensive spells, her abilities were extraordinary. She likely had more than enough power to destroy him —otherwise, that man wouldn't have left her here."Ye—" Was that the right way to address her? It would be troublesome if he earned her displeasure. But he didn't want to abase himself immediately either. After a brief internal struggle, he used the same form of address as before. "…compared to ye, how strong do Ainz—"A shadow flitted across the living being's face, and she turned a bone-chilling glare toward Greluné. It was strong enough to make him experience a new emotion, one known as fear."—sama, how strong do Ainz-sama be?""Let me see. …Greater than the difference between you and a Skeleton, I would think.""…Naturally, that be a whoppin' great fib.""...""…It be true?"If this living being was extremely weak, he could understand. But his analysis indicated that this wasn't the case. Was she being humble because she was a servant, trying to elevate her master? Besides——Why do he have one o' the livin' as a servant? He was able to control me wife, aye? What happened to his undead crew?"…Don't that'n keep undead under his control?""'That one'? Enough, you should be more careful in how you refer to the Supreme One."She twisted her face in displeasure. This was Greluné's mistake.He wasn't so foolish as to not know who "Supreme One" referred to, given such grandiose words."That be… Ainz-sama.""Haah," the living being sighed again.Do this livin' bein' just like sighin'?"Ainz-sama rules over a wide number of undead.""Wide number, eh… So, what be the most common undead among 'em?"The living being's eyes went wide. He hadn't intended to ask anything strange, but perhaps she was going to say that this was another misguided question.The living being furrowed her brow, grimacing."…How shameful. To think that I, a creation of the Supreme Beings, cannot even name the types of undead under Ainz-sama's command…""Yar, a rough reckonin' would do fine…""A rough reckoning? You ask me to speak carelessly, to speak lies about Ainzsama?"The living being must be under the sway of the emotion known as frustration. The same emotion Greluné had felt for the first time when his wife had been stolen from him. That good-looking undead seemed to have thoroughly captivated this living being.If it wasn't through some sort of spell or skill, that alone made Ainz someone to be reckoned with. For Greluné's part, he wanted nothing to do with living subordinates. Surrounded by the living, he would eventually lose control and attack them, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it. Or perhaps with enough time spent among the living, this impulse welling up from the depths of his soul would disappear.Be that as it may, he should probably deal with the living being beside him, who was now muttering to herself as she rattled off the names of various undead. He hadn't expected such a simple question to make her break into a cold sweat."Surely Ainz—sama don't be so narrow-minded as to punish ye for yer ignorance. So name the undead ye think ye know, even if ye be wrong."The living being was silent for a moment, then, seeming to have reached an answer within herself, she opened her mouth to speak."Zombies.""Yo ho, Zombies, it be?"The lowest-ranking undead. Indeed, there would likely be many Zombies."…Yes. There are probably more Zombies than any other type of undead in Naza… mm. In Ainz-sama's base. But when it comes to the undead that Ainzsama has created himself… most likely Death Knights?""D-, Death Knights?!"He had seen one once, long ago.While Greluné was strong, he wasn't sure if he could win against such an undead in ground combat.And moreover—"—Created? Did ye say, created?!"Unconsciously turning his gaze away from the living being, he found himself staring at Ainz, who was performing the inexplicable action of patting the crab while still being struck by it."Yes. Due to my ignorance, I can't say the exact number, but there are so many that I can't even tell you how many hundreds there are."The living being spoke with a tone so serious that it was impossible to think she was lying.Blimey… What madness be this…It couldn't be. There was no way such undead could exist in those numbers. Taking a thousand steps back, he could barely accept that there might be a single one.No matter how you looked at it, those numbers were impossible.Perhaps the Death Knights this living being knew and the Death Knight Greluné knew were referring to two different things?That was the most likely answer.Arr, do this livin' one be touched in the head? But… aye, but…One in ten thousand. No, one in a billion or even one in a trillion chance, if everything she had said was true——Nay, nay, nay, nay, no. But, but… aye. But, best be checkin' to make sure.Greluné described to the living being the appearance of the Death Knight he knew. Then he asked her about the appearance of the Death Knights she knew.This one be addled in th' brain, or a bullshitter. Aye, that's what they be. Why, I'd wager she ain't even laid eyes on a Death Knight before.It was entirely possible — or rather, it was the only thing that made sense."A Death Knight, y'know, be like this? A huge knight it be, pitch black from stem to stern.""Well, to express it as 'from stem to stern' isn't quite right, given the prominent red lines.""Wieldin' a sinister lookin' sword, and a massive shield…""Do you mean a flamberge and a tower shield?""Lettin' loose a dreadful roar, with a white skull peerin' out o' its helmet…""…Skull? Really? In that case, the one you speak of might be a rare. I must report this to Ainz-sama immediately!""Avast! —Hold fast there. I misspoke. …Its face be rottin' and peelin' away."She hadn't fallen for it.This living being undoubtedly knew of Death Knights. She had observed them closely enough to describe details. And despite being able to get that close to a Death Knight, she remained one of the living.All of Greluné's hypotheses had been denied, leaving only one possibility he had been turning a blind eye to: "This living being was simply stating facts."Woah woah woah woah woah woah woah woah. If this be true, I be in deep waters! I— nay, ain't this a stroke o' luck to serve under such a fearsome captain? …Hold fast, what's to become o' me position? Or rather, just what sort o' being do this Ainz-sama be?That undead began to look more and more like a terrifying monster to him."—Oi.""Eep!"A strange sound escaped him as he shifted his gaze.There floated Ainz, who had been playing with the crab just a moment ago. He was most likely using [Fly]."Have that undead brought aboard the ship. I have placed it under my control, so rough handling shouldn't be a problem, but be careful not to act carelessly since you never know what might happen. …What's the matter?"W-what sort o' bearing should I be takin'…Now that he knew, he didn't think he could maintain the same attitude as before. However, he didn't want to do an about-face and suddenly start fawning and flattering either.There was no time to think.Greluné rushed to answer.Yes, I understand he hastily said in his own way."I-I'll do it, but it ain't like I'm doin' it for ye or nothing!""…Ah."What the hell was that?Then, who are you doing it for?! Ainz wanted to ask, but he glanced slightly to check Narberal's reaction, though she showed no particular response.Oh? What's this? Did Narberal say or do something terrifying that made him understand his position?It seemed too extreme a change to be just from watching Ainz's battle with the undead crab — if you could even call it a battle — and realizing the difference in their strengths. So then, had he perhaps considered his situation and thought things through?Ah, I see. Of course. He had composed himself, but witnessing my undead domination ability being used firsthand, the shock of it all came back to him.The realization that he had no way to resist Ainz's undead domination, and no practical method to free the ship, must have made him understand their situation was hopeless. That had to be the reason for his statement — Ainz couldn't think of anything else.Understanding this and feeling relieved as his doubts disappeared, Ainz gave an order to the crab.Obeying his command, the crab frantically clung to the ship's side, trying to climb onto the deck. It was a scene straight out of a B-grade monster panic movie. The only difference was that the Skeleton crew were assisting, trying to help haul it onto the ship."…Tell me, what fate awaits us, since we couldn't best th' crab in battle?"There was a slight tension in his voice as Ainz turned to look at him."Hm? Ah, your inability to defeat it isn't a problem. As I said earlier, I just wanted to know the extent of your fighting power."Hearing this, Greluné's demeanor relaxed slightly."Then, ye must answer me question from before — ah, but only if ye please. What do ye intend for us?"Greluné's manner of speech was somewhat unstable.Well, since he hadn't been using honorifics or humble language until now, it probably wasn't something to worry about."To be blunt, you are all far weaker than I anticipated, and at present, you don't have much value.""…What?"Greluné's demeanor worsened again.Not displeasure or anger, but something else? Is it anxiety about their future? …Is he acutely aware of the difference in combat abilities between us?If that was the case, then showing him the battle had served its purpose."Wait. Hold on. Don't be so hasty. —What I mean to say is, there is nothing I want from you, in terms of combat. But that doesn't mean you have no value at all. You see, I believe there's merit in having the form of a ship despite being on land.""Meanin'?""Right. At present, there are no other undead ships that can sail over land. In other words, you all have value simply by existing, and there's currently no specific task that only you could accomplish."In the end, to summarize, he wanted them because they were rare."I can't fathom why a mighty power like Ainz-sama would need the likes o' us, but… but now I spy the truth o' it, aye. There be plenty who can match us in strength, but there ain't many who can boast our unique nature or rarity, that be the heart o' it."That's a good way of putting it. I might borrow that phrase, with some different wording, in the future.While making a mental note, Ainz nodded."That's how it is. Of course, you may be common elsewhere and only rare in these parts, but that's a topic I can deal with if or when the time comes.""…If we be worth our salt just by existin', and no other crew can fill our boots… are we to be put on display somewhere like a fancy figurehead?""No, that won't happen. Simply storing precious things isn't everything. We need to investigate various things — whether you can be used outside this land, and if so, what purposes you're suited for. Also, if beings like you are common in other places, we must study your weaknesses, considering the possibility of encountering you as enemies. …We'll thoroughly examine every nook and cranny, to see what sort of attacks prove most effective."A fleet of ships that sailed over the land didn't seem particularly powerful, but there might be hidden benefits that Ainz hadn't considered. Or rather — perhaps it was fundamentally wrong to think about it from Nazarick's perspective.At the very least, since none of the neighboring nations had magic casters capable of using [Gate], ships that could transport large amounts of cargo would likely be extremely valuable."Damn ye! To examine her body in detail, down to every nook n' cranny!"That sounded like it had an entirely different meaning! Ainz slowly closed his eyes. Of course, he had no eyelids.That was when it occurred to Ainz.Maybe this guy is crazy after all.The undead had practically zero sexual desires. For a moment, the face of a certain female Vampire created by one of his friends flashed through his mind. He wanted to ignore the thought, but he couldn't quite manage it.Shalltear is way too much of an exception! No—Or rather, Vampires in general seemed to have a lot of exceptional aspects. He remembered someone saying that it was because they were modeled after Vampires as they appeared in folklore — but anyway, typical undead didn't experience sexual desire. Even Ainz only retained a tiny bit of sexual desire from the remnants of Suzuki Satoru. This Elder Lich's statements seemed to be a deviation from this rule.In other words, this is one who has transcended the realm of undead—Ainz considered this as he observed the undead before him.However, he simply couldn't accept that. It was natural to reject acknowledging someone who had deviated in a negative direction.It feels kind of stupid to think about this seriously… Besides, being exceptional in terms of strength is one thing, but being exceptional in terms of sexual desire just makes him sound like a huge pervert… Or maybe there's some hidden purpose behind making himself look like an idiot…? I don't get it…"Aaargh! Enough! I haven't heard your answer to my proposal! What will it be?! Will ye— no, I mean, will you swear eternal loyalty to…"Ainz choked on the words.This?This thing?Should I really accept something this freaky as a subordinate of the Sorcerer Kingdom of Ainz Ooal Gown? If he were to transport an emissary from another country, what sort of conversation would they have? What if he tells them he entered my service because in addition to cuckolding him, I also blackmailed him?That would be the worst possible outcome.No matter how good a government he promulgated, word of that alone would create a negative evaluation. And what if such stories spread to other countries?Maybe it would be better to just kill him — to destroy him.The scales in his heart began tipping from "alive" to "dead." However, a calm part of him — what could be called Ainz's fundamental desire — spoke up. It would be a waste to kill something rare, it whispered.Swallowing a sigh, Ainz asked:"…Pledge loyalty or die alone. Choose quickly whichever you prefer. I personally recommend the latter."—At any rate, this ship couldn't be the only one of its kind. Where there was one, there were likely to be more.Yes. The day might come when he would visit this place again with Cocytus and Demiurge.After all, what was this place really? In a game, it might just be written off as "yeah, places like this exist," but in this world, the reason for such a phenomenon remained a mystery. The same went for the history of this land, where traces of a past civilization remained.When that time came, Demiurge would surely use his unparalleled intellect to capture several ships.If there were any left, that is.

EpilogueStanding atop the city walls, Antwali gazed southward. In the distance, a thin fog hung in the air, and every time he looked at it, an inexplicable feeling of unease washed over him.When he set foot on the plains, he was too focused to notice, but viewing it from this distance, such emotions would suddenly well up in his chest.Of course, it wasn't because of the undead who made that place their haven.That thin fog would clear during the battles between the Empire and the Kingdom, only to settle again in the same place when the fighting subsided. What's more, it never spread — not even by a single centimeter. When faced with something so decisively different from normal weather patterns, one couldn't help but sense an overwhelmingly powerful presence that humans could never hope to resist. It was something akin to the vastness of the Azerlisia Mountains that could be seen in the distance."What shall we do now?"One of the companions standing next to Antwali posed the question. They should have discussed this earlier, but they couldn't exactly do so on the return journey. Skeletal Dragons had appeared in a place previously thought to be largely secure. Considering that the situation on the plains had changed, they couldn't afford to let their guard down, and idle chatter was out of the question."Going to the Sorcerer Kingdom right now would be unwise. We shouldn't do that until Momon-sama returns. No, even after he returns, we shouldn't go until we understand the situation.""…I wonder what kind of things — what kind of horrible things — are happening in the Sorcerer Kingdom right now?"The hitherto unconfirmed Ghost Ship of the Katze Plains — something that until now existed only in drunken tavern tales, a presence found only in dubious rumors. What purpose did the Prime Minister of the Sorcerer Kingdom have in requesting Momon to find it?There were three possible reasons to consider.The first was that she believed only Momon could find it.The second was that the Sorcerer Kingdom wanted to advance some agenda that they couldn't pursue while Momon was present, so they needed to send him far away.Upon investigation, it seemed Momon had been at odds with the Sorcerer Kingdom over the treatment of its residents. That must be what this was about."Since it's somethin' they can't do without drivin' that hero away, Uncle thinks it must be somethin' incredibly inhumane… It rubs me the wrong way. Usin' an official request to eliminate any right of refusal… forcin' him to accept the job whether he likes it or not. I suppose if Momon had refused, that would've been that, but… they exploited his weakness as an adventurer, didn't they?""He should have just become a Worker. But that wouldn't work, would it? The Sorcerer Kingdom's aim might be to drive a wedge between the Adventurer's Guild and Momon."There were many potential benefits to separating him from the organization."I hear the Prime Minister of the Sorcerer Kingdom isn't human… I hate to praise her, but there's no doubt she's a sharp cookie.""…If they commit atrocities against the people, have they not considered that Momon might become enraged or hostile when he returns and learns of it?""They probably have a plan to deal with that too. By the time he returns, it would be too late to do anything — what if they're aiming for something irreversible, like a massacre, rather than something like legal reforms?""No, but even supposing that's the case, that would make Momon a potential enemy, wouldn't it? Is that what the Sorcerer Kingdom is aiming for? You think making Momon an enemy is part of their goal?"Their companions voiced their thoughts one after another.Having an Adamantite-ranked adventurer under their command — or at least in a cooperative relationship — was quite significant. Under normal circumstances, it would be nothing but advantageous. However, that meant they would only turn Momon into an enemy if there were even greater benefits to be gained.No such benefits came to mind through normal reasoning. However, this was the Sorcerer Kingdom they were talking about — the nation that could summon horrific monsters with a single spell and trample countless humans. They had to have something in mind."…Perhaps rather than making him an enemy, they're planning something to ensure he becomes an ally — some way to make it impossible for him to betray them.""That's right. Uncle was suspectin' it might be more like a collar than an alliance. Well, that bein' said, I can't think of any specific examples o' what that might entail."They might learn something if they went to the Sorcerer Kingdom, but they had no desire to do so."…Momon-sama probably understands all this too… but did he accept because he has a countermove that could overturn their plans?"Everyone fell silent at once.The third reason. It sat heavily in the pits of their stomachs. For both Momon and Antwali's party, this would be the worst possible reason.This was common knowledge, but during the annual war with the Kingdom, the Sorcerer Kingdom had claimed "This land originally belonged to us, and the Kingdom is illegally occupying it." Of course, no one bought such a story.However, thinking about it calmly, it was curious to note that the Katze Plains, a land notorious for frequently birthing undead, lay in the territory that the undead claimed to once have ruled.Was this purely a coincidence?If it wasn't — could the Sorcerer Kingdom have been marshaling its forces within the fog? Was that why they had information about the Ghost Ship that no one else knew about — because it was their own military asset?If that was the case — it was a trap.This place was the bottom of a cauldron where the most horrific aspects of the Sorcerer Kingdom had been distilled.If they intended to make this place an execution ground to consign an uncontrollable hero to darkness, wouldn't that explain why multiple Skeletal Dragons had appeared? Though Momon had dispatched them with ease, even he might be in danger if that class of undead kept coming in quick succession.However, if such ulterior motives existed, they couldn't understand why the Sorcerer Kingdom wasn't pressuring the Free City of Vadis to cease its operations. After all, Antwali and his companions had been whittling down the Sorcerer Kingdom's military strength, albeit on a small scale, and preventing them from building up their forces. This should have been an activity that they would want to have stopped immediately.Perhaps the Sorcerer Kingdom meant to suggest that undead weak enough to be easily defeated weren't needed as military assets — that they were just allowing them to be culled.Or perhaps the Sorcerer Kingdom was deceiving them by making them think they were successfully exterminating the undead, while in the depths of the fog they amassed an even more accursed army.Something didn't sit right with any of these hypotheses.It was precisely because most of the pieces fit together that the few discrepancies heightened their anxiety. It gave them the sensation that they were overlooking something critical.As they stood thinking in silence, they spotted something moving beyond the thin, undulating fog. No one on the team failed to notice it. It was something huge, about the size of a mansion. Such a thing was trying to emerge from within the writhing fog.What should they do?Should they raise an alarm just because a shadowy presence moved beyond the fog? There was a considerable distance between them, and the fog was present. They couldn't completely rule out the possibility that they had misjudged its size.As they glared beyond the fog—"—The fog is spreading!"This was an anomaly.The fog that had never moved before was now expanding its range. Perhaps the appearance of the Skeletal Dragons wasn't because they had been brought from the depths, but because an anomaly was occurring. Or perhaps they had been harbingers of things to come."Quickly—""—Hold it! Anyone can see the fog is spreading! We should at least— Oi! Look at that!!"It was a ship.A ship was gliding across the land."… Impossible.""That's… it can't be…"The ship glided past the perimeter of the city, emerging onto the main road, before continuing toward the road that led to the Sorcerer Kingdom.Their line of sight was clear for only a brief moment, but within the fog, they saw two figures standing on the ship's deck.The tall figure in armor uncrossed their arms and pointed into the distance, their crimson cloak billowing dramatically in the wind.The ship slowly changed course as if obeying, heading away from Vadis."…Was this his doing?"Yes. It was the two members of "Darkness."The figures of Momon and Nabe.They didn't appear to have been turned into undead.They didn't understand.Should they conclude that there was no ulterior motive? Had the Sorcerer Kingdom sent Momon out simply because they believed he could do it?Or—"Did Momon-sama outmaneuver the Sorcerer Kingdom's aims… No, was this his countermove…?"Hearing Antwali's muttering, his companions exclaimed "Ohh" and "I see."The three potential reasons mentioned earlier.There was one perfect solution that could be applied regardless of which reason was correct.That was — no matter what conspiracy the Sorcerer Kingdom had planned, no matter what forces they had assembled — he could complete the job with overwhelming strength and speed far beyond their expectations, and return to E-Rantel before they could do anything.But was such a thing possible?Under circumstances where no one had been able to find such a thing until now, where there wasn't even any reliable information — no, the scene before their eyes was the truth."Haah," Antwali let out a sigh of admiration.—Once upon a time, there was a terrifying Skeleton King.—The Skeleton King sought to make his people suffer, but a warrior stood in his way to protect them."So this is what it means to be at the highest rank of adventurers —Adamantite rank."They were living in different worlds.—The Skeleton King used the demons in his thrall to try to trap the warrior through the most wicked means imaginable."He's an amazing person, isn't he, Momon-san…"The companions silently agreed with these words.They had encountered several people before that they couldn't hope to defeat, but Momon stood at the pinnacle of them all.—But the warrior outwitted the villain with wisdom and valor, breaking through his dastardly schemes."And they all lived happily ever after… Heh." Antwali laughed. "I suppose I have no talent as a bard. But… to be able to witness a heroic tale worthy of song unfold before my very eyes… this kind of happiness isn't so bad either."The Ghost Ship was receding along with the fog. No, it would be more accurate to say that the Ghost Ship disappeared into the fog, and then the fog began to fade away.For a little while, Antwali and the others continued to silently gaze in the direction of E-Rantel, where the Ghost Ship had disappeared.After seeing off the ship that had now completely disappeared, the party mentioned a certain something.Though it had been an unbelievable sight, it certainly wasn't an illusion. In fact, everyone had seen it.That something was the presence of a creature that had been planted firmly on the deck.It was what appeared to be a crab."…Hey, why was there… a crab on that Ghost Ship?""This can't be the case, but… maybe it was out fishing?""Would've looked mighty fittin' with a big catch flag…""…Seriously, what was that all about?"No one could provide a satisfactory answer to that question.