After receiving three similar replies, Jircniv continued speaking.
“In addition, I can sense that as an absolute ruler, he has the charisma that befits a king.”
“Ah, yes, his presence was truly formidable. It felt like he was more of a leader than our Emperor.”
“Baziwood-dono!”
“It is fine. That is a fact. The frightening thing is that he said just one sentence, and from that sentence I could feel the immense pressure of a tyrant.”
“‘You’re making too much noise. Quiet down.’ Was that it?”
Jircniv nodded lightly to the scribe.
That was without doubt the attitude which Ainz Ooal Gown adopted as the king of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
“Also… the scariest thing about that monster is the way he thinks. He’s a rare breed of schemer whose every move is made with a purpose… don’t look so surprised, you lot. Think about it. He’s probably predicted the flow of everything we have discussed so far. Otherwise, why would he release us so easily? An opponent with so much power, who doesn’t use brawn, but brains? He is no mere mindless brute.”
That was the most troublesome part about him.
“After that, let us talk about his followers. What do you think of them?”
This time, he pushed his subordinates for their opinions.
“The ones near him must have been his close aides. And the black-winged woman beside him… she should be his queen, right? It seemed that way, from her attitude.”
The jaw-dropping beauty in the white dress.
Even if the smile on her face was not a wholesome one, it still possessed a charm that would set people’s hearts ablaze. In the face of her beauty, there would be many men who would be consumed by their desires and long to see that smile directed at them.
As for the black wings at her waist, one could tell they were not magic items or items of clothing.
The main reason was because they were far too natural. Although she looked like a winged human and there were tribes of humans with wings, she should probably be a demon, an outsider to this world, Jircniv thought.
“She might well be. Could she be Ainz Ooal Gown’s wife? If she’s his wife, then, how about his…
never mind. Though, if he’s a skeleton, then he should only have bones for a body. Or was he wearing a mask? Who knows?”
Still, although Jircniv said that, none of them felt that it was a mask, and it was probably not an illusion either.
“And there’s also Demiurge, who can control people with his voice… is he a bard? Frogs look like they could sing.”
Bards had the ability to use the power of music and song to produce magical effects. The power of Demiurge to control people through words was very similar to that.
In addition, he had also heard that the fey creatures called Lorelei had an ability similar to his.
However, that man was nothing like the beautiful beings that were the fey. He was absolutely certain of that.
“Ah, I see. A bard, then? That does sound quite similar. And there was a gigantic insect as well, I believe. What was that?”
“Although I think it could be some sort of insect-type species… I don’t know much about ant-men, so I think you would be better served asking Master about it.”
The world was huge. There were many species that were not widely known, and some of them could spontaneously mutate. Also, according to the legends, monster kings were known to be more developed than normal. It was similar to how ant queens were different from normal ants. Jircniv thought that it was a possibility.
“In that case, the remaining ones are the silver-haired girl and those two dark elves. Leaving the latter two aside, who’s the former? Judging from her ample bosom ― could she be a concubine?”
Laughter filled the carriage at Baziwood’s comment.
“Ah, well, if she was just a concubine, then she wouldn’t be brought out like that, no?”
“She’s probably as strong as that dark elf.”
“Hey, hey, hey… That might just be a ruse.”
Baziwood’s words were infused with seriousness.
“It’s true, in all likelihood the ones closest to that monster Ainz were probably his aides. However, that doesn’t mean they’re all strong. Think about it. If the only criterion to be His Majesty’s follower was strength, and he surrounded himself with a hundred copies of me, don’t you think the government would crumble in short order? Simply put, she was chosen to be his follower for reasons other than strength. Perhaps she’s a very intelligent concubine? Maybe she singlehandedly manages the affairs of that fortress which calls itself a tomb.”
“I see,” came the scattered replies.
Jircniv could confidently agree with that.
Since their attention had been stolen by Ainz Ooal Gown’s might, they could only look at how she was lined up with the dark elves and conclude that the silver-haired girl was a strong being. Of course, it would be scary if another person had the same power as that dark elf. However, being led into a false conclusion by prior prejudice was also a bad thing.
“That’s a good point,” Jircniv said as he looked at his subordinates. “I share your opinions. Come to think of it, if all his followers were undead, that would be easy to explain… but from the looks of things, he’s gathered all sorts of monsters under him.”
“Well, rather than call it a monster gallery, you could say it’s a wealth of talent…”
Jircniv could not help but smile at Baziwood’s blunt words.
“Indeed. We should probably try and learn more about these fellows. Apart from that… there’s the matter of that fortress. Is there anything in the records about a place like that? There should be something written about it, right?”
“Regretfully, I know nothing about it. When we return to the capital, I will immediately begin looking into it. I will begin with myths and legends.”
Jircniv graciously accepted the acolyte’s apology.
“Ahh, I’ll leave that to you. Is there anything else we’ve missed? I honestly can’t believe such a wicked monster could create such a wondrous domain. Did you find anything which could be a clue? Speaking of which, is there really a tomb based in this area?”
There was no answer.
Which meant that this was a question they all had.
It felt like they had teleported, the way they had gone from one place ― possibly another plane of existence called the Demon World ― to the base of the tomb. It was hard to discount that fact, or rather, maybe that explanation would be easier to stomach.
“We won’t get an answer. As I thought, we just don’t have enough information. All we can do is squeeze out as much as we can from Roune, who’s stationed over there, and from the fellow who’s coming over to the Empire. Do you understand?”
“Of course. We will try not to arouse hostility in the opposition, or make them suspicious.”
“There is no try here. The enemy’s strength is overwhelmingly superior to our own. You need to move carefully so you don’t break the false alliance we have.”