“...It was Nfirea…”
As Ainz slowly opened his mouth, he took in the subordinates around him. If Demiurge or Albedo were present, they would probably interrupt and say, “Ah, so that’s how it is. As expected of Ainz-sama.”
Narberal, on the other hand, could only furiously furrow her brows.
“...Nfirea…?”
Ainz cupped his chin with a silent “Umu”. Fear began creeping over the faces of Narberal and the others, because they thought Ainz’s pose meant, “do you still not understand, even after I’ve said this much?” In truth, Ainz had made that gesture unconsciously, not knowing what to do with his hands.
In a short period of time, Ainz had been subjected to extreme tension and mental stress. Between these two clashing forces, an epiphany came upon Ainz. He did not know how it would sound until he said it, but all he could do was head forward while stumbling through the darkness.
“...Mm. I intended to get the attention of the pharmacist known as Nfirea, is that enough of an answer? How shall I say this… what would you do if you got your hands on a potion that was completely different from any other potion that you had ever encountered?”
“...Discuss it with someone?”
“Exactly! Lupusregina, it is exactly as you said. As I predicted, Brita brought the potion to the pharmacist she trusted the most. That was how I came into contact with Nfirea.”
Nfirea had apparently said something similar when they met at Carne Village.
“Ah! So that’s how it is! That was your objective all along!”
“You seem to get it. That was the bait for my hook to catch a master alchemist. Although there was a chance it could have ended up in a strange place and caused problems, it was still worth a try.”
Ainz could sense the girls understood the point he was trying to make.
I managed to connect all the points together...
Just as Ainz was about to sigh in relief, a sudden, unexpected question came.
“Then… I understand I’m being very rude, but could I ask one more question...”
No, you may not. Stop. Please. I’m begging you. Don’t ask me any more questions.
Ainz was crying inside, but his face remained impassive.
“What’s the matter, Lupusregina? If you have any doubts, feel free to clarify them with me.”
“Yes.”
Lupusregina swallowed, and with a serious expression on her face, she asked,
“Does Ainz-sama always think this far ahead when making plans?”
How could that be? Most of the time, he made things up on the spot. Of course, he planned for the future, but more often than not, the results were completely different from what he intended. Of course, he could not say any of that.
Ainz laughed quietly. It was a practiced laugh.
“Of course. I am the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown, am I not?”
Quiet exclamations of “Ohhhh!” rose up from all around him, and Lupusregina’s eyes went wide.
“What’s wrong, Lupusregina?”
“A wise king…”
Lupusregina’s gasped words made Aura frown, and she took a step forward. However, Ainz stopped her.
“Pay it no heed. Is that all you have to ask?”
“Then, er, then, another. Wouldn’t it be better if we let the monsters attack the village, and then Ainz-sama would swoop in to save them, wouldn’t that be better? I mean, wouldn’t Nfirea and his grandmother feel extra grateful to Ainz-sama for plucking them out of danger? That would make them more useful… right?”
“Well, that is a good plan, and worth considering, However, Nfirea might end up hating the monsters too much and be no longer willing to help us… perhaps it would be more effective if we saved Enri Emmot as well.”
Carne Village was a village that had been saved by the magic caster Ainz Ooal Gown. As long as it had value, that method would be of questionable use.
“By the way, the most important people in that village are —in descending order— Nfirea, his crush Enri Emmot and finally his grandmother Lizzie. You must protect these three people no matter the cost. Everyone else is expendable. If need be, sacrifice your life to protect Nfirea. Is that all, Lupusregina?””
“Yes! Thank you very much!”
“Now then, Lupusregina, I will forgive you for this lapse. Now that you know my objectives, do not expect to get off so lightly the next time you make this mistake. Do you understand?”
“Of course!”
“Very good. Then go. Show me results that will change my opinion of you.”
Lupusregina bowed and exited the room, followed closely by Narberal, who seemed more like a policeman escorting a criminal. After the two of them vanished out the door, Ainz turned to the Guardian beside him.
“Aura, the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West, do you know—”
Suddenly, a loud shout came from outside the room.
“Ainz-sama is amazing! I can’t believe he thought so far ahead, and in such detail! He must be some kind of monster!”
The voice that came through the thick door was not very loud, but it was enough to interrupt their conversation. Given that they could hear her words so clearly, how loudly was she yelling in the corridor, just outside?
“...Should we tell her how thin the doors are?”
“I think she’s just too excited, maybe a good punch will cool her down—”
There was a smashing sound from outside the door, and then the sound of something heavy being dragged slowly away.
“Aura, I don’t think you need to go any more. Back to the previous topic; let me know what you’ve found.”
“Yes. Er, I’m very sorry, but I haven’t heard anything about the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West. After we fought that tree monster called Zy’tl Q’ae, I did a quick sweep of the forest, aside from the underground caverns, which I didn’t investigate. I didn’t find any strong enemies…”
“Well, if they’re only as strong as Hamsuke, I understand why you wouldn’t have paid any attention to them.”
Even a gardener would not know how many ants were crawling in his domain. If they occasionally missed a strong enemy, that could only be chalked up as part of the job.
“I am truly sorry. Then, Ainz-sama, will we be doing house-cleaning?”