It was true that he hadn’t witnessed the battle which had saved Carne Village. And he himself hadn’t said he’d won, just that he’d chased them off.
But anyone could tell that was a blatant lie.
“Speaking of which… why did he have to lie that they’d run off?”
After Ainz and Albedo had left, he went to the plains where they had fought, but he found no signs of a slaughter. He couldn’t find a single corpse, but burying dozens of bodies would have been very time-consuming. Without bodies ―without physical evidence― the statement of “they ran away”
gained credence.
However, that was assuming Ainz Ooal Gown had not used magic. Who knew, there might be spells which could teleport bodies away or destroy them.
In addition, Gazef had a hunch.
Although it stemmed purely from his warrior’s instinct, but when he saw the uninjured Ainz return to the village, he could smell the faint scent of death rising up from him.
Rather than say “he let them flee”, it would be more accurate to say “he let them live”.
Because of that, Gazef trusted his instincts over what Ainz had said. There was no basis or evidence for this at all. The bodies of the Sunlight Scripture were nowhere to be found, but they were not dead.
“…I don’t get it…”
The magic caster, who could annihilate without taking a scratch the opponents Gazef had lost to.
How powerful was he? At the very least, Gazef and his warrior band were no match for him.
If a being like that appeared on the battlefield and used his magic, what would happen?
Gazef once more looked at the people, filled with excitement, fear, desperation and frustration.
Between two magic casters using magic of the same tier, the stronger magic caster would naturally be able to bring forth a more powerful spell.
Then, what horrors would result if Ainz Ooal Gown was to cast a ‘Fireball’?
The fathers who had to feed their infant children, the sons who had to support their ailing parents, the youths about to be married, all these people who had left their families behind to come here.
How likely was it that they could take an attack like that?
It would be impossible, right?
Nobody could possibly survive when a great magic caster like that raised his hand to strike.
They would be incinerated by fire, frozen solid by ice, or electrocuted by lightning. That was beyond question.
Then, what about Gazef? Could he take it?
He was fairly certain he could take one hit without dying.
However, that sort of thinking might be too naïve.
“Ahhhh… why did it all turn out like this?”
Fighting against Ainz Ooal Gown was a mistake.
Gazef felt that Ainz Ooal Gown was not a monster, given the way he had saved Carne Village. Yet, at the same time, he sensed that he was no ordinary good Samaritan. The impression he had of Ainz was that he would show no mercy to those that opposed him.
What the Kingdom should have done was avoid conflict with him and treat him with politeness.
After that, he might have been amenable to selecting a different location.
As Gazef looked out on the people surrounding him, a weighty feeling in his heart, he caught sight of a white-armored youth from the corner of his vision. Along with him was a swordsman who seemed to float lightly on his feet. It was Climb and Brain.
There was a third person behind them, and they were eagerly discussing something.
“Who’s that? I feel like I’ve seen him before… ah! He’s one of the formerly orichalcum-ranked adventurers under Marquis Raeven.”
Because they were all commoners, Gazef was familiar with the former adventurer team, given that they were the ones whom the common folk pinned their hopes on. In some ways, they were his seniors, the ones who had come before him.
The paladin of the Fire God, whose job class excelled in battling evil-aligned monsters, the Evil Slayer, Boris Axelson, aged 41.
The priest of the Wind God, a warrior priest that could hold his own in combat with any fighter, Ulan Dixgort, aged 46.
The warrior who incorporated dancing swords into his four-sword style, Francen, aged 39.
The scholar who became a magician that had created several magic items bearing his name, Lundquist, aged 45.
And finally, the thief known as ‘The Unseen’, Lockmeyer, aged 40.
Gazef recalled them as he counted them off on his fingers. The one chatting idly with Climb was the thief, Lockmeyer. Speaking of which, he’d apparently worked with Climb and Brain during the demonic disturbance, helping them infiltrate enemy territory to rescue people.
They didn’t seem to have noticed Gazef, but it felt wrong to just barge in like that.
That being said, it would still be rude to not greet them at the very least. Besides, they would all be heading to the battlefield soon. Although the chances of them entering combat were low, given that they would be protecting the King, one never knew what might happen.
―It might be the last time they ever saw each other again.
If possible, he wanted to have a private chat with the two of them. As though the world was granting his wish, Lockmeyer waved to the two of them and departed.
Climb and Brain were left, laughing over something.
During the demonic disturbance in the capital, the bonds between the two of them had grown strong.
Be it as friends or disciples or companions, they had built a complex and mutually positive relationship.
And it was because of that relationship that Brain was now a comrade of Climb, a soldier under Princess Renner.
Gazef could not help regretting the fact that he had allowed a warrior who could have rivalled him to be snatched away.
However, he managed to calm down as he watched the two of them.
Gazef smiled as he approached the pair.
Speaking of which, that’s a really flashy suit of armor. It’s still all right in the capital, but on the battlefield he’ll be easy to notice. Should I warn Climb about that?
There were many soldiers on the battlefield, but Climb stood out among them because almost none of them wore full plate armor. On top of that, his armor was painted a bright white. Bowmen would aim at him, and cavalry would use him as a target. Although Climb was somewhat stronger than the average Imperial knight, there were still warriors who were stronger than him. The Four Knights of the Empire were one such example.
If I’m not wrong, Princess Renner gave him that armor… she must not be very familiar with the battlefield if she ordered it painted in that color.
She might be good with tactics, but it would appear she was out of touch with the realities of the battlefield.
If Climb dies, she’ll be sad…
With magic, they could temporarily change the color of the armor, and return it to normal once they returned to the capital.