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Nimble Arc Dale Anoch POV
He slowly let his gaze wander over the big desert, also known as the Katze plains. From an elevated position on the fort's palisades, he had a good view of the otherwise fog-covered landscape. This deadly desert was covered in thick fog year-round, so thick that even from his current vantage point, one couldn't even see 10 meters ahead. But every year, shortly before the start of the annual war, as if waiting for it, the fog that had otherwise settled over the desert lifted. This phenomenon had puzzled various scholars of the Empire for years some even suggesting that through the death from the war, the Katzte plains had become a giant undead itself.
Nimble didn't know if that was true, but it was undeniable that the desert had turned into a spawning ground for the undead. Just building the small fortress he was standing on had taken vast amounts of resources, time, and even human lives. The bastion was built on a small hill, but since the Katze Plains consisted of nothing but flat desert, they had to artificially raise it. They also had to bring wood as material for the walls and watchtowers, as well as food for the construction workers, since nothing would grow in this cursed desert. Added to this were the constant attacks from the undead, which forced them to leave a legion there solely to protect the craftsmen.
Still it was all worth it in the end; even though the bastion wasn't particularly large, it still offered many advantages. First, it consolidated the Empire's control over the accursed land. No attacking force could even set foot through the desert without passing the bastion and alerting the soldiers stationed there. Second, in times of war, it was very advantageous because it made it easier for the army to camp in otherwise hostile territory. Food, weapons, and horses could also be stored here, while the enemy had to be constantly on guard and carry rations with them.
All of this was planned because it was meant to serve as a building block to finally defeat the kingdom. They had carefully built this fortress, waged strategic warfare for years to weaken their opponents, and now it was all for nothing? Now a magic caster should come along and simply take over all your hard work?
No, you can't think like that!
He trusted his emperor, and he had heard what kind of being Ainz Ooal Gown was. If his master so desired, he would do what was demanded from him. After all, that was his duty as one of the Four Knights.
Looking up into the sky, he saw the Royal Air Guard, mounted on griffins, preparing for a ceremonial landing. This was an honor reserved only for the highest-ranking guests of the Empire. A spectacle meant to represent the Empire's power and sophisticated nature. Every high-ranking officer should immediately understand that the Empire also controlled the airspace and posed a threat not only from the ground.
The maneuver could only mean one thing.
As if to confirm his suspicion, he saw a soldier run towards him panting like he had run for hours
"Sir, the guests have arrived, their carriage has just now passed the checkpoint." said the soldier
"Very good, please lead the way" he answered swiftly
"Yes Sir, please follow me"
The path wasn't far, just down the stairs from the wall and past some officers' tents, and he found himself in the forecourt behind the checkpoint. But, as expected, it wasn't as empty as usual. In the middle stood a huge carriage, black as night. He had seen much luxury in his life; after all, that was unavoidable when one was in the service of the emperor. His former life as a nobleman also contributed to this. But this carriage was of such extraordinary beauty and craftsmanship that it seemed to surpass his expectations.
Made of the finest wood, covered in gold and silver, and a few precious stones, the carriage was quite impressive. But that wasn't the only unusual thing about it. The carriage wasn't pulled by an ordinary horse. Nor was it pulled by a Sleipnir: an eight-legged horse that was considerably stronger and more valuable than any ordinary animal. No, what pulled the carriage was a large, pearly beast that occasionally growled and made gurgling noises. It was one of the most terrifying creatures he had ever seen.
Pull yourself together
Now was not the time for this. Dutifully he stood next to the carriage door to receive the emperor's guests.
The coachman, a normal human being by all appearances, in complete contrast to the whole spectacle, dismounted and opened the door. A pale, delicate hand reached out to him, its nails as black as the carriage itself, and he took it, pulling gently.
What emerged from the carriage was a being so beautiful that a murmur ran through the ranks of the soldiers. The woman—if one could even describe such a being with such an all-encompassing term—was simply beautiful. She wasn't particularly tall, but her figure was well-formed. The silver-white, shining hair in contrast to her black dress only intensified this effect. But when it came to her face, the men caught their breath... She wasn't unattractive—that was an unspoken fact. Rather, she was unnatural. Red eyes, pale skin like that of a dead person, and a pair of canine teeth visible through her radiant smile.
These unnatural features didn't detract from her beauty, but they did increase the soldiers' nervousness. It was like a storm; such a storm was certainly beautiful when observed from afar and out of danger. But when one was in the center of it, one had other concerns. For example, getting away from the storm as quickly as possible. This thought crossed the minds of many soldiers, and he didn't need to be a mind reader to achieve this.
A shadow was cast onto the beauty by an almost 2-meter tall dark figure from behind. The figure seemed to be a man, warped in expensive robes, even more expensive than the emperors strongest magic caster Fluder Paradyne. His face was protected from prying eyes by a mask, looking like a strange grinning face. In contrast to the woman, he seemed almost unnoticeable if it weren't for this dark aura that surrounded him like a thick coat. This darkness seemed to drip off him and brought the fear of death into his heart. He took a deep breath, gathered all his courage and approached the man.
"Sir Gown I presume? I thought you would come alone" He asked politely.
"Ahh, Nimble was it? El nix assured me that you as one of his most trusted people would be there to great me. And you are right, originally I did intend to go alone, but Oriana convinced me to let her come along"
Is that his wife? The Emperor told my about a woman that was, unusually, close with him. But why would he want to take his spouse into battle.
"Forgive me, but after she learnt about the emperors and my agreement, she was difficult to stop." Answered the magic caster.
"There is no problem, Sir Gown, one person more or less should be alright."
They seem to be close, if she is able to ask him such favors
"Wonderful, I also wanted her to perform the start signal for the battle in my place" said Sir Gown
Damn, did Sir Gown figure out why the emperor wanted him to cast his strongest spell, I have to politely decline...
"But Sir, I thought that was agreed between you and the emperor..." he tried to intervene
"Don't worry, she may not be as strong as I am, but casting one spell on pair with mine shouldn't be a problem for her and of course I will take full responsibility should El Nix be angry about it" assured Sir Gown
Now that he has said that he will take responsibility, I can no longer refuse and use fear of consequences as an excuse to refuse
"Well if you say so" he reluctantly agreed
Dammit his majesty was right, this Ainz Ooal Gown really is a genius
"Don't worry, 'Sir' Nimble" The woman named Oriana spoke for the first time herself. Her voice was as clear and pleasant as that of a harp.
"Just watch me"
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