In that instant, the world was dyed in bright light, and Fluder felt his consciousness fading.
What happened in front of his eyes was unexplainable. Even Fluder, who had lived for over two hundred years, someone who had reached the highest peak of magic attainable for humans, could not understand what was going on.
“What... what... how is this possible?”
Fluder felt something warm flow down his cheeks, but he did not bother wiping it off—or rather, he no longer had the strength to do so. The shock had caused his emotions to descend into chaos.
Who could have seen this coming? The person praised as the Dark Hero was in fact an arcane magic caster who had attained a level that Fluder could never reach.
“If that is the 8th tier, no the 9th tier… No! ……… What….. hoooo, god!”
The overwhelming energy released by the dark warrior Momon easily surpassed that of Nabe beside him. If he could surpass Nabe, who was presumably in the 8th tier, then what were the heights of magic that Momon could aspire to?
Fluder answered the question in his mind with his soul.
The 10th tier. Although it did exist in legends, there had never been anyone who could provide absolute proof of its existence. Someone who was in a position to do so had deigned to appear before him.
Fluder, who was standing before, knelt before Momon with tears flowing from his eyes as he spoke.
“……My faith lies in the god that rules and presides over magic. But if you are not that exalted being, then I shall immediately recant my faith, for the one true god has finally appeared before me.”
In his haste to prostrate himself before Ainz, Fluder struck his head on the ground. Yet the pain he felt was nothing compared to the joy he felt surging up from the bottom of his heart.
“I know it’s disrespectful, but allow me to kneel here! Please enlighten me with your knowledge! I want to peer into the abyss of magic! Please! Please!”
“...What are you willing to give in exchange for that?”
The voice was as cold as ice. If a hundred people heard it, they would all answer the same, but what Fluder heard was a sweet voice that soothed the heart. Even if he knew that the voice was laced with poison, what of it?
Fluder did not hesitate for a moment, even if it meant giving up his soul in exchange.
“Everything! Yes, I will offer everything to your royal being! The master of the abyss! The supreme being!”
“…Very well, as long as you are willing to offer everything, what I know will become yours. I will therefore grant your wish.”
“Oh! Ooooohhh!”
His head still pressed to the ground, Fluder cried tears of joy. The jealousy that had frozen his heart for so long seemed to have melted. At long last, his wish from over two hundred years ago might finally come true.
The absolutely overjoyed Fluder did not raise his head, but instead crawled towards Momon’s feet and kissed them. Although he had wanted to lick it at first, he realized that his god-like master might get annoyed if he did that, so he compromised, drawing on the tiny lucid fragment of himself in the corner of his mind.
“So be it. I accept your fealty.”
“Hooo! I am very thankful!… My master!”
“Now then, I will give my first order. Deliver sacrifices to my dominion—”
♦ ♦ ♦
“Gramps! Gramps! What is it, gramps?!”
Fluder, who was recalling his past, regained his awareness after realizing someone was calling him. The shocking encounter from a few days ago still gripped his heart, and if he did not focus, his mind might take flight into fantasy again.
Fluder immediately remembered where he was, and nodded slightly to the person addressing him.
“Pardon my rudeness, your Majesty, my mind was elsewhere.”
In front of Fluder was the only person who would call him gramps, the Emperor of the Baharuth Empire, Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix, and they were currently in the Emperor’s study.
Normally, there would not be so many people gathered in this room. The ones currently present were the Emperor Jircniv, who was accompanied by four of his bodyguards. The Empire’s highest ranked magic caster, Fluder Paradyne was there as well. In addition, even though the Emperor possessed remarkable intelligence, he had ten trustworthy ministers who were capable enough to assist him. One of the Four Imperial Knights, ‘Lightning’ Baziwood Peshmel, was also in attendance.
They all sat at their preferred places, and until recently, they had been discussing the future plans for the Empire. The papers scattered around the room spoke of how intense the meeting had become.
The young man called the Blood Emperor started talking to Fluder in a tone no one else would dare to use.
“No, don’t worry about it. It must be tiring for you to do so much work since you are getting on in years, so you might want to take it easy, but in the end it’s still a job that only grandpa can do. Sorry about that.”
“I am deeply grateful for his Majesty’s kindness. However, I am your Majesty’s loyal subject. Please feel free to give me your orders.”
Fluder, who had come so far, lightly nodded his head.
Ah, I raised a really good child, Fluder thought while looking at the beautiful face of the youth.
Fluder had been serving the Empire for six generations now.
Initially, he did not have a really good relationship with the Emperor from six generations ago. Even so, he had been a skilled magic caster at the time, so when he was recruited, he ended up reaching a prominent position even among the court wizards.
Due to this, his relationship with the imperial family had gradually become closer over the next five generations. When he first acquired the position of head magician, he started educating the Emperor’s children from the fourth generation on, but it was mainly related to magic.
Ever since the third generation, he had been instructing them in various subjects, most of which concerned politics.
And now it was the current emperor—a child that everyone adored.
Until now, he had seen many different types of emperors but none of them were incapable. All the children were talented as if they had been picked by the gods—but despite the current Emperor’s youth, his talents and abilities outshined the previous emperors by a wide margin. Even though it could be argued that Fluder had been aiding the preparations since two generations ago, the autocratic centralisation of power within the Emperor’s person had only been possible due to Jircniv’s exceptional skills