Is this the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick? It seems a little different from what I’ve been told… well, errors like this are within acceptable ranges.
After disembarking from the carriage, Jircniv fell in step with Baziwood ―who was already in formation with the royal guards― and set forth.
Jircniv took a deep breath. The enchantment on his clothing ensured that the air which entered his lungs would be fresh and clear. Granted, it was still cold, but not uncomfortably so.
As he took his breath, he worked his jaw, and quickly glanced at the subordinates around him.
Fluder, in his long robes and holding his staff, was trailed by his acolytes.
The divine magic casters, with holy symbols pinned to their vestments ― they were knights in the imperial knight orders, although they were not warriors by profession.
The royal guards, who remained at their positions now counted among them the outriders who had been sent ahead of the carriages.
Personally, Jircniv wanted to see what those pioneers had seen, but right now, that was not an option.
It seemed the maids, who were in another carriage, had not arrived yet.
Well, they were gifts anyway. It’s only to be expected. Then, when they said a cabin, did they mean that lattice door… or is that it?
When he looked to the left, he saw a single-story wood cabin. It seemed utterly incongruous with both the plains and the cemetery, and he smiled bitterly. After all, where had all this wood come from? The Azellerisia mountain range loomed in the distance, and he thought of the Great Forest of Tob.
Did they haul it all the way from there? I don’t know how many kilometers the wood must have travelled, but it they would have needed a lot of labour to bring it all the way here.
Although he did not know much about log cabins, Jircniv did not feel that this structure was particularly eye-catching. Even so, when he took the surroundings into account, he had to admit that the fact that they had managed to build this here was impressive in and of itself.
But… that’s a big door… a double door, huh? And built so high… it’s three stories tall by itself.
Could this place have been built as some kind of storehouse?
Jircniv looked to the cabin, with Baziwood and Leinas on his right, Fluder on his left, and Roune behind him.
“Your Majesty. Should we order the people in the other carriages to disembark as well?”
Jircniv did not turn to Roune ―who was whispering in his ear― as he answered.
“No, there’s no need for that. Rather, we should―”
Jircniv’s words were cut off mid-sentence. It was not just because the cabin door opened, but because their eyes had been drawn to the two beauties who were now slowly walking out of it.
They were dressed in traditional maids’ wear ― well-tailored, but otherwise unremarkable.
However, the maids themselves carried themselves in an abnormally prim and proper way. Even Jircniv, who was a jaded connoisseur of beautiful women, was visibly surprised and stared unabashedly like they had grasped his very heart.
This… what a beauty… but…
They were beautiful indeed. Any noble daughter of the Empire would applaud their looks without reserve. Jircniv felt that he might even want to add them to his harem. However, this was a tomb in the middle of a grass plain. They were utterly out of place here, and as a result, an ominous feeling came over him.
He could hear the sound of a tongue clicking softly beside him, but he did not have the energy to waste on such matters.
“Say, gramps, could this be an illusion?”
“About that… well, I cannot say for sure, but I don’t think so.”
“Are they human? They don’t look like dark elves…”
“And about that… I cannot say for sure either, but I doubt they are human.”
Those answers gave Jircniv a small measure of peace. Since they were not human, it would not be strange if they appeared in a place like this.
It was an answer that he could understand and which he desperately wanted to believe.
Both maids bowed simultaneously, and the one with the bunned-up hair spoke.
“Greetings and welcome, Your Imperial Majesty Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix. My name is Yuri Alpha and I am tasked with welcoming you. Behind me is my assistant, Lupusregina Beta.
Though our time together may be short, we hope you will take care of us.”
Although he delayed in responding because he was overcome by the two of them, Jircniv managed to reply in the end.
“Then, I thank you for going to all this trouble for us. Indeed, I must thank Ainz Ooal Gown-dono as well, for allowing such lovely ladies as yourselves to pass into our care. With that in mind, there is no need to address me as Emperor or use other honorifics. I will be glad if you treat me as an ordinary individual and called me Jir ― nay, indeed, I hope you will do so.”
Jircniv smiled brightly to Yuri.
However, even after receiving a smile that would have had any woman swooning for him, Yuri’s serious expression remained as it was. Jircniv could also tell from peering at her eyes that her heart was similarly unmoved.
Was he not to her taste, or was she the type that did not mix business with pleasure? Or was she filled with loyalty to the person she served?
I can’t see through her. I wanted to leave a good impression, but it seems like that’ll be very difficult. And I was pretty confident that I could handle anyone if they were women… ah, if Gramps is right, then it must be because they aren’t human. It’s not like my charm would work on nonhuman females… still, what species do they belong to? They look like they should be humans, or at least, close to human…
He had no clue as to what they truly were.
Judging by those two dark elves and these two maids, Ainz Ooal Gown must be a man who placed great importance on appearances.
If that’s the case… if my gifts aren’t any better than those two, then I might as well have come empty-handed….
Jircniv considered the ladies-in-waiting he had brought along in the carriages. He was proud of their looks. Each of them were nobles who had been made fully aware of what would happen to their families if they disobeyed Jircniv’s commands, and they had bid teary-eyed farewells to their kin before they left and come here with determination in their hearts.
It’s meaningless. Still, after knowing that the other side already has beauties superior to them, would they rejoice because they were no longer needed? Or would they be jealous of them as fellow women? I guess I should have gotten some elves, shouldn’t I?
Jircniv had not been able to bring along slave elves from the Empire with them because there had not been enough time to prepare them, and also because he wanted to hold them in reserve as capital for future dealings. Those dealings would not be with Ainz, but with Mare.